South Africa: Employment Stimulus Package reaches 1 million job opportunities milestone

The Presidential Employment Stimulus Package (PESP) employment programme has created one million job opportunities since its inception in the late 2020.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) contributed to the PESP and was granted an amount of just over R158.8 million to participate in job creation under the PESP.

The funding was for 1 560 participants in the 2020/21 financial year effective from 1 November 2020  31 March 2021.

A total number of 1 886 beneficiaries participated in DPWI PESP programme of which 1 113 were females and 773 were males.

The aim of the programme was also to equip beneficiaries with experience and skills to strengthen their employability opportunities.

The recruitment of beneficiaries was decentralised to regional offices and the opportunities were advertised nationwide. The departments unemployed database skills for infrastructure was utilised to source additional beneficiaries where required. The recruitment was further aligned to the District Development Model.

As DPWI, we were able to employ graduates in various projects in the department as part of the PESP, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure said in a statement.

This included the employment of graduates for the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme, as well as artisans and professionals in facilities management and waste management.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme has encouraged real innovation in how we deliver public employment programmes across government, from how we recruit participants to the type of work that is supported.

We must continue to take valuable lessons from this programme and expand it to continue creating much needed jobs for our people including highly skilled jobs.

Our youth have a major role to play in building South Africa back better and we must continue to invest in them every day by providing them with the skills and work experience so that they are better equipped for the job market, the department said.

Beneficiaries recruited by DPWI included engineers, town planners and architects. Many of these graduates were able to secure external employment since being part of the PESP.

Some of the programme outcomes as a result of the work of the PESP beneficiaries included:

- Water and Energy Efficiency Facilities Management work: energy and water audits were conducted at 15 facilities

-Water and Sanitation Facilities: 17 water treatment plants operated and maintained

- The Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme: 350 sites identified for technical assessments and 400 desk top assessments conducted while 12 rural bridges were completed.

- Facilities Management: Conditions assessments were conducted on 113 state facilities and 53 technical maintenance tasks completed.

- Real Estate Management: 698 rates verification of clients accounts and 177 immovable assets updated on the register

- In house construction projects: 8 feasibility studies conducted, 3 sketch plans developed, 56 site visits conducted

-Public Private Collaborations: 35 water treatment plants operated and maintained

The programme forms part of the Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and the Infrastructure Investment Plan - a vehicle within the Economy Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.

The PESP participants were part of teams which identified high risk sites where Welisizwe Rural Bridges can be constructed.

A total number of 350 sites were physically identified and 400 were identified through the desktop exercises. These technical assessments are critical for planning and roll out of the programme.

The professionals that were appointed under the PESP played a major role in capacitating DPWI with the technical skills. They were involved in the in-house designs and feasibility studies which saves 10% of the consulting fees. The professionals further monitored the works of consultants to ensure that they dont overcharge the state.

The town planners formed part of the in-house team that executed town planning services 100% in house. The architects are designing the Correctional Services Centre to be built in the Free State. The design is done 100% in-house.

DPWI continued to create employment opportunities in the 2021/22 financial year allocating funding from within the department and jobs were created under the Economy Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) skills programme.

The department re-appointed PESP beneficiaries into the ERRP - Skills Development Programme effective from July 2021 till 31 March 2022. The total number of beneficiaries that participated on ERRP - Skills programme was 1 230 across all nine provinces. Of the 1 230 beneficiaries, 719 females and 511 males.

The beneficiaries were placed in the following programmes:

- Facilities Management (Water & Efficiency, Conditions Assessments, Call Center, Technical Workshop, and Water Treatment Plants)

- Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme

- Real Estate

- Construction Project Management

- Project Administrators are appointed to provide Administration support to the ERRP - Skills Development Project.

The department said the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating economic impact, threatening the jobs and livelihoods of many South Africans  especially the most vulnerable.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus sought to confront this impact directly, as part of governments broader economic recovery agenda. It aimed is to use direct public investment to support employment opportunities.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But every investor is virtually certain to have both over-performing and under-performing stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Bega Cheese Limited (ASX:BGA) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 52% over a half decade. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 38% in the last year. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 8.2% in thirty days.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

See our latest analysis for Bega Cheese

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Looking back five years, both Bega Cheese's share price and EPS declined; the latter at a rate of 39% per year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 14% compound annual share price fall. So the market may previously have expected a drop, or else it expects the situation will improve.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Bega Cheese's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for Bega Cheese the TSR over the last 5 years was -46%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

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A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 3.4% in the twelve months, Bega Cheese shareholders did even worse, losing 37% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 8% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Bega Cheese better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Bega Cheese .

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU exchanges.

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



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

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Chinese government officials have praised Elon Musk for his comments about Taiwan. Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images

Chinese government officials have praised Elon Musk for his comments about Taiwan.

Musk suggested that the country should become "a special administrative zone" similar to Hong Kong.

China's ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, tweeted to thank Musk for the proposal.

Chinese government officials have praised Elon Musk for suggesting that Taiwan should become "a special administrative zone" similar to Hong Kong.

Musk proposed his solution to the China-Taiwan conflict during an interview with the Financial Times published on October 7.

He added that the idea "probably won't make everyone happy," but that it was probable Taiwan could have an "arrangement that's more lenient than Hong Kong."

Taiwan has seen itself as an independent country for decades, but Beijing has consistently claimed the country is a breakaway province and hopes to restore control of the island.

China's ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, tweeted to thank Musk for his proposal to the conflict, saying: "Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question..."

He added: "Provided that China's sovereignty, security, and development interests are guaranteed after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development."

Foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, backed up the remarks in a statement to reporters on Sunday, Bloomberg reported.

She said: "Provided that national sovereignty, security, and development interests are assured, Taiwan can adopt a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region."

The day before, the Chinese government appeared to push back on Musk's comments. In answer to a question about Musk's comments on Saturday, Ning referred to the Taiwan issue as "China's domestic politics," adding that the country would "resolutely suppress interference by foreign forces," per Taiwan News.

Representatives for Elon Musk did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours.

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This is far from the first time that Musk has weighed in on international politics.

Last week, the billionaire faced criticism for suggesting Ukraine should concede land to Russia to end the conflict between the two countries.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, later mocked Musk with a poll posted to his Twitter page.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday announced a joint military task force with Russia will deploy to the western border of the country near Ukraine amid a series of escalations in the Ukraine-Russia war.

The Belarusian news outlet Belta reported that Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to the deployment of the troops, which includes forces from both Belarus and Russia.

Lukashenko said the task force includes more than 1,000 troops and has already begun forming. He also said thousands more Russian troops could soon be deployed within Belarus.

This wont be just a thousand troops, he said, according to The New York Times.

Russia deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to Belarus as a staging ground for its initial invasion of Ukraine in February, and hundreds remained there, launching missiles and air raids.

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The new joint deployment comes after Russia launched mass strikes against Ukrainian cities in retaliation for an explosion on a key bridge connecting the Russian mainland to the Crimean Peninsula, which Putin called an act of terrorism and blamed on Ukraine.

The Russian strikes killed at least five Ukrainian civilians in the capital of Kyiv and more than a dozen in the southeastern city of Zaporizhia, drawing international condemnation across the Western world and renewed accusations of war crimes.

During a recent security council meeting, Lukashenko also said he was warned through unofficial channels about strikes on Belarus from Ukraine, without providing evidence.

They said that it would be the Crimean Bridge 2. This information was immediately brought to my attention, the president said, according to another article from Belta. My answer was simple: Tell the president of Ukraine and other insane people, if they are still there, that the Crimean Bridge will be just the thin end of the wedge to them, if only they touch a single meter of our territory with their dirty hands.

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Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a Belarusian opposition leader, dismissed the claims that Ukraine poses a threat to the country.

Its a lie by Lukashenka to justify his complicity in the terror against Ukraine, she tweeted. He also violates our national security. I urge the Belarusian military: dont follow criminal orders, refuse to participate in Putins war against our neighbors.

Lukashenko, a close ally of Putins, has vowed war if Ukraine attacks his country and hosted Russian troops for military drills earlier this year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 23-year-old Belgian woman who survived a deadly Islamic State bombing of a Brussels airport opted to die by euthanasia after years of mental health issues stemming from the attack.

"That day really cracked her, she never felt safe after that," Shanti De Corte's mother, Marielle, told Belgian news station VRT of her daughter's struggles since the 2016 ISIS attack on Brussels Airport in Zaventem, according to a recent report by the Daily Mail.

De Corte was a 17-year-old student traveling with classmates when terrorists affiliated with ISIS detonated a bomb in the airport in March 2016. She was walking through the departures lounge when the explosion rocked the airport, killing 33 people and wounding an additional 340.

Though De Corte survived the blast and did not suffer any physical injuries, the mental trauma of the day haunted her for the rest of her life.

CANADIAN SOLDIER SUFFERING WITH PTSD OFFERED EUTHANASIA BY VETERANS AFFAIRS

The facade of Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, after two explosions on March 22, 2016. Dirk Waem/AFP via Getty Images

"She didn't want to go anywhere where other people were, out of fear," De Corte's mother recalled. "She also had frequent panic attacks and she never got rid of it.'"

Belgium is one of seven countries that allows euthanasia at the national level. It was the second country to allow the practice in 2002, joining the Netherlands, which began allowing euthanasia earlier that year. Since then, Luxembourg, Colombia, Canada, Spain and New Zealand have passed laws allowing euthanasia.

Euthanasia is illegal in the United States, where patients are allowed to refuse medical treatment and can give consent to withdraw life support. Some U.S. states do, however, permit physician-assisted suicide under certain circumstances.

POPE FRANCIS: WESTERN SOCIETY HAS 'TAKEN THE WRONG PATH' ON ASSISTED SUICIDE, ABORTION

Belgium and the Netherlands are more permissive with euthanasia than other countries where the practice is legal, allowing patients who suffer from mental illness to choose to be euthanized.

Passengers leave the Zaventem airport after two explosions, in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2016. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

EUTHANASIA RISING IN BELGIUM, INCLUDING MORE WHO ARE NOT TERMINALLY ILL

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The De Corte euthanasia was approved by two psychiatrists earlier this year after she struggled for years with anxiety and depression. She attempted suicide in 2018 and 2020, and regularly posted to social media about her struggles with mental health.

"I get a few medications for breakfast. And up to 11 antidepressants a day. I couldn't live without it," she wrote in one post. "With all the medications I take, I feel like a ghost that can't feel anything anymore. Maybe there were other solutions than medications."

But not everyone was convinced that euthanasia was the only choice for De Corte, with prosecutors opening an investigation into the case after a neurologist at the UZC Brugman academic clinical hospital in Brussels raised concerns about the decision and argued it "was made prematurely."

Two explosions at the Zaventem Airport in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, 2016, killed 33 people and wounding an additional 340. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Despite those concerns, De Corte was euthanized in May of this year, taking to social media one last time to document her feelings.

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"I was laughing and crying. Until the last day. I loved and was allowed to feel what true love is," she posted. "Now I will go away in peace. Know that I miss you already."
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Multiple Asian women have reportedly come forward to accuse a Chinese American cosplayer and her boyfriend of luring them into sexual relations through supposed opportunities for collaborative work. Cosplayer and influencer Kat Wong, who describes herself as just an Asian girl making silly content, came under fire on Twitter last week after actor, director and host Gina Darling revealed that multiple women have reached out to her with such allegations. Multiple women in the Asian community have reached out to me about @katkwo4tweets and her BF allegedly trying to trick them into having sexual relations with them under the guise of collaborating on cosplays, OF (OnlyFans) and modeling, Darling tweeted.
Getty Images

The Education Department is testing its student-loan forgiveness application with some members of the general public.

It also affirmed it will not cancel any student debt before October 23.

This new information comes in a legal filing defending debt relief from GOP-led lawsuits.

President Joe Biden's Education Department is working to ensure its application for student-loan forgiveness works before making it available to all borrowers.

Since Biden announced up to $20,000 in debt cancellation for federal borrowers making under $125,000 a year at the end of August, a number of questions arose surrounding the policy's implementation. The Education Department said that while around 8 million borrowers would automatically be eligible for debt relief, the majority would have to apply through an application that was set to become available in early October.

Now, however, it's looking like that timeline is being pushed back, possibly in response to a number of lawsuits filed by Republican groups attempting to block the policy. This week, a federal judge is hearing arguments from six Republican-led states who argued the debt cancellation will hurt their states' tax revenues, among other things, and Biden's administration recently filed its first legal defense of the plan in response to that case.

Along with defending the authority to enacted targeted loan forgiveness under the HEROES Act of 2003, which gives the Education Secretary the ability to modify student-loan balances in connection with COVID-19, the administration also said it will not cancel any student debt before October 23 and will test the application form "with members of the general public" before making it officially available. An administration official previously told Insider that there will be more details on the process in the coming days, and "we've got a dedicated team at the Department of Education working closely with a team here at the White House to get the program up and running."

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Even before Biden announced the debt relief, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were concerned that borrowers would run into trouble during the implementation process due to potentially complicated paperwork and errors on the side of the student-loan companies. At the end of September, Democrats including Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer even held a press conference to detail the importance of smooth and quick implementation of the debt relief.

"President Biden has made an investment that will lift the burden of millions of student loan borrowers shackled by exorbitant debt," Omar said. "This is an important step that will provide critical relief to millions of borrowers across the country. And we know for this to be as broad and effective as possible, the Administration must implement this relief as swiftly and efficiently, with minimal bureaucratic red tape, so that everyone eligible can access this critical relief."

The Education Department has affirmed that the process will be "smooth and simple," and borrowers will not need to upload any documents to verify their incomes.

Read the original article on Business Insider
When Anabel Garcia got home from her job tending to grape orchards in Sonoma County, California, she noticed her saliva was black.

During wildfire season, Garcia and her fellow migrant farmworkers were sent out to salvage wine grapes before they became tainted by the smoke. Garcia and her co-workers experienced shortness of breath and werent given protective attire, instead wearing just bandanas to cover their noses and mouths.

"It was very hard to breathe, and our eyes hurt. After the next few days, we could feel it in our lungs," Garcia, 42, said in Spanish through a translator. "We were getting sore throats and spitting dark matter."

Garcia doesnt have a primary care doctor or medical benefits. She said she goes to a mobile health clinic "only when Im in real need of it."

"What the owners cared about most was the grapes. It makes me angry because nobody called us after to check in on us," she said.

Anabel Garcia poses for a photo while participating in farmworker rights awareness.

During that summer of 2017, the mother of two from the Michoacan region of Mexico said she and the other workers werent compensated for working in smoky conditions.

Farmworkers are an understudied population, yet vulnerable to certain health risks and barriers during wildfires, which are being exacerbated by temperature-revving climate change thats increasing their frequency, according to research from the University of Washington and others.

Thats why Michael Mendez, an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvines School of Ecology, launched a study with the National Center for Atmospheric Research this summer aimed at finding out health risks facing California Latino and Indigenous migrant farmworkers like Garcia during wildfire season.

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE: Controlled burns remain essential as US wildfires intensify

HUMANITY HEALED THE OZONE HOLE: Can we do the same for climate change?

For the coming months and into next year, the researchers will study data from air quality monitors and analyze how they translate to farmworker health risks.

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When a wildfire disaster was striking, particularly in agricultural areas, these farmworker communities were being disproportionately affected, Mendez told USA TODAY. These individuals have been living in the region for years, if not decades, but they were rendered invisible in the context of disaster policies.

While recent measures have been put in place, Mendez and advocates say there is still a long way to go, in Sonoma County and elsewhere, to protect agricultural workers health and understand their unique exposures.

A farmworker trims grape vines in a vineyard in Clarksburg, Calif., on Aug. 17, 2016.

Through the study, Mendez hopes to fill in gaps and data to inform policymakers.

Wildfires don't happen in isolation, he said. Wildfires occur in massive heat waves, which we're experiencing now, as well as drought and other types of environmental hazards. A more comprehensive approach and holistic approach needs to be looked at how to safeguard the most vulnerable and essential workers.

Wildfire smoke is a health hazard, and farmworkers are 'more at risk'

Wildfire smoke and pollution in general are linked to health problems, and farmworkers can lack access to regular health care, said Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

"The things that we absolutely know are linked to wildfire smoke are adverse respiratory outcomes and cardiovascular disease outcomes. We've seen that time and again, across many different states. And that's generally among the general public, people who will be far less exposed than people that work outside," Casey said. "Farmworkers who aren't receiving care if they have an underlying comorbidity that's untreated, they would be more at risk of, for example, a cardiovascular event during a wildfire."

HEAT WAVES ARE THE DEADLIEST NATURAL DISASTERS WE FACE: What to know to keep your family safe.

As wildfires burned throughout California during the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020, Ruben Villa IV, right, donated masks and hand sanitizer to local farmworkers.

Other research groups have also been studying the issue and trying to fill in the gaps.

A study released in September in the journal Environmental Health Research Letters explored farmworkers past and future smoke exposures using projected climate conditions.

The researchers estimated pollutant concentrations in wildfire smoke will intensify in Northern California as well as agricultural regions in the Central Valley and along the coast, with a 35% increase in smoke exposure days for farmworkers.

"Several counties in central California with large numbers of agricultural workers will experience an increase in the frequency of smoke wave conditions," wrote lead author Miriam Marlier, an environmental health professor at the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles and her colleagues.

Agricultural workers aren't always told how to protect themselves

California farmworkers arent alone, and extreme heat is only adding to unsafe working conditions during harvest and fire season in the Western U.S., experts say.

Farmworkers throughout Washington state shouldered heavier heat and pollution exposures during wildfire season, according to a study published in the Journal of Agromedicine last year, led by Elena Austin, assistant professor at the University of Washingtons environmental and occupational health sciences department.

Counties with the most agricultural workers had hotter temperatures and high exposure levels of dangerous particulate matter, a harmful, complex mixture of inhalable pollutants. These levels peaked during summer and wildfire season when the farmworker population is at its largest, Austin and her colleagues found.

A farmworker picks cherries for the Valicoff Fruit Co. in Wapato, Washington, in June 2019.

In a small 2018 pilot study that surveyed local field workers, about 3 in 4 farmworkers in Mattawa, Washington, reported exposure to an unhealthy level of smoke on the job during wildfire season, yet said employers made no changes to their routines, according to the survey by the universitys Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center.

All the farmworkers in the study said they received little to no information on how to protect themselves from the smoke from managers  their preferred source of information. Less than half used a mask, and most used a bandana.

"Those people we interviewed actually did not have a good sense of actions that they could take to protect themselves," Austin said.

SHORT OF BREATH: Black and Hispanic children suffer disproportionately from asthma. Climate change is making it worse.

The state implemented an emergency rule requiring employers to provide protective gear at specific particulate matter concentration levels detected by air quality sensors. But Austin, whose research was used to advise policymakers, said there are still concerns.

There are gaps in these rural areas, which could potentially create a difficulty in determining exposure in for field workers, she said. Her team is working with other groups to deploy sensors, which must be calibrated and maintained over time.

There are also few Environmental Protection Agency sensors in areas of concern, National Center for Atmospheric Research scientist Rebecca Hornbrook told USA TODAY. Her team will instead use data from the many purple air monitors in the area.

"It's basically a community resource," she said. "It's a dense network. You can get a lot more spatial distribution from using those than you can from some of the more sporadic EPA sensors."

'The fight is far from over' to better care for California farmworkers

Back in Sonoma County, Anayeli Guzman, a Oaxacan farmworker from Mexico, said she and her co-workers were told it wasnt dangerous to work.

"We were told that it was OK to work because the fires were far away," she said through a translator. But, Guzman added, "It was really difficult to breathe."

Like Garcia, Guzman said she doesnt have a doctor to regularly visit.

CLIMATE CHANGE, HEAT WAVES AFFECT HEART HEALTH: Here's why that puts people of color at higher risk.

"We don't have access to regular checkups to understand exactly how our health is," she said. "There's anger, there's sadness and there's a certain sense of impotence that we aren't taken into account."

The countys Board of Supervisors recently approved a wildfire evacuation zone program run by the local sheriffs office, according to local media reports. While advocates are celebrating it as a win, they are also ambivalent about law enforcement running the program. Many of the migrant farmworkers are undocumented.

"For a worker who associates the sheriff's office with deportations and evictions and police brutality, that's not the place you can really lodge complaints," said Davida Sotelo Escobedo with North Bay Jobs for Justice, who called the new measures a "powerful victory" but one that needs to "continually improve."

The supervisors didnt approve hazard or evacuation pay but instead designated a new disaster fund and insurance program for farmworkers. "That (fund) will run out very quickly," Escobedo said. "The fight is far from over."

Reach Nada Hassanein at nhassanein@usatoday.com or on Twitter @nhassanein_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Farmworkers face health risks during wildfire season. How bad is it?
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in separate talks on Monday about the "positive steps" the two countries are taking toward a peace agreement, the State Department said.

Blinken cited recent direct talks between the two countries' leaders and foreign ministers, and he urged them to continue "time-bound and measurable steps to support the peace process," statements released by the State Department said.

In his discussion with Aliyev, Blinken also welcomed Azerbaijan's release of 17 prisoners of war to Armenia.

Blinken in his talks with the two leaders reiterated U.S. support for clear border delimitation, transportation linkages, recovery and identification of missing persons, return of detainees and other issues.

"He underscored the importance of discussions about the rights and securities for the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and the need for both sides to maintain the cease-fire and focus on a negotiated agreement as the only path to a lasting peace," the statements said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday agreed to a civilian European Union mission alongside the countries' border, where the worst fighting between the two ex-Soviet states since 2020 killed more than 200 people late last month.

Blinken welcomed plans for the civilian EU mission along the border in his discussion with Pashinyan, the State Department said.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Mark Porter)
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP)  Amid widespread reports of fraud in Bosnia's general election, the ethnically divided country's top electoral body announced Monday it will conduct a recount in the race to become the next Bosnian Serb president, a ballot that was allegedly rigged by a staunchly pro-Russian leader.

The Oct. 2 election in Bosnia included races for all levels of government in the Balkan countrys Serb-dominated and Bosniak-Croat parts, as well as for the joint central institutions that link the two.

Bosnias central election commission on Monday ordered all ballots cast in the race for the president of the countrys Serb-run part to be shipped to the central vote counting center in the capital of Sarajevo to be tallied anew and further examined.

The decision supported by all but one of the multi-ethnic commissions seven members followed widespread reports of irregularities and problems at poling stations.

We have heard about cases of voter intimidation, vote buying, ballot stuffing, improperly sealed ballot boxes, of poll workers intentionally altering the vote tallies and numerous other procedural problems, election commission member Irena Hadziabdic said, explaining the reasons for the decision.

Hardline Bosnian Serb separatist Milorad Dodik has claimed victory in the race to be president of the Serb-run part, Republika Srpska. But his main contender, Jelena Trivic, has rejected that, saying Dodik's thugs were intimidating voters on election day and that poll workers loyal to his political party, SNSD, had altered vote tallies to reduce the number of ballots cast for her so as to hand him the victory.

Trivics supporters have staged two large rallies over the past week to demand a repeat of the vote for Republika Srpska's president and support her refusal to concede defeat.

Dodik has been the most powerful Bosnian Serb politician since 2006 despite being sanctioned by the West for corruption and advocating the separation of Republika Srpska from the rest of the country.

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Speaking to local media on Monday, Dodik described the commissions order as running against the law and an example of foreign meddling.

Under Bosnias electoral rules, votes are counted at polling stations by poll workers who are appointed by the countrys central election commission but are all nominated by political parties and coalitions running in an election. The central election commission collects the poll station tallies, examines them for irregularities and runs recounts where necessary before certifying the results or ordering a rerun of a vote.

The commission has for years called for electoral law reforms, insisting that appointments of poll workers by political parties increases the risk of vote-rigging.

Separatist ambitions among ethnic Serbs sparked Bosnia's devastating 1992-95 war, which killed more than 100,000 people, displaced millions and shattered the country for years. A U.S.-brokered peace agreement that ended the war created the Serb and Bosniak-Croat entities, tied loosely by joint institutions.
Strategists and political observers on both sides of the aisle are bracing for a dreaded October surprise in the final month before Election Day, wary of anything that could upend the political landscape and reshape the outcome of an already volatile midterm cycle.

There have already been a handful of unexpected hiccups. Last week, a news report detailed allegations that Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker paid for his then-girlfriends abortion more than a decade ago. That was followed on Wednesday by the news that OPEC and its allies would slash oil production, ushering in an expected rise in gas prices at a critical time for U.S. politics.

And theres still more uncertainty. Fears of a possible economic recession are on the rise, Russian President Vladimir Putin is dramatically escalating his rhetoric against the West amid his countrys war in Ukraine and the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol could release its highly anticipated final report before Election Day.

All told, the late-breaking developments and potential for more to come have made an already unpredictable midterm election year even less predictable.

In 18  and a lot of other midterm years  you knew what was going to happen. There was a very consistent throughline, Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist, said. You knew a wave was coming. Now, we dont know. And its the cause of much heartburn.

For Republicans  and especially for first-time candidates like Walker  the biggest concern is that any revelation or misstep could sink their prospects in the final weeks before Election Day, Reinish said. Democrats, meanwhile, are at the mercy of an uncertain economic and geopolitical landscape.

For Democrats, if something happens to affect the national mood or the news cycle, its going to be a development outside of their control  gas prices, a foreign policy issue, an economic issue, Reinish said.

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October surprises  last-minute convulsions in the political environment that can change the course of an election  arent anything new.

In 2016, just 11 days before the presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey announced that his agency was reopening its investigation into then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of State. Many Democrats still blame that disclosure, at least in part, for her loss to former President Trump.

And just two years ago, Democrat Cal Cunninghams Senate campaign in North Carolina was upended by revelations of an extramarital affair. He went on to lose that race to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) a month later.

David Greenberg, a history professor at Rutgers University, said that the original October surprise came just before the 1980 presidential election, when Ronald Reagans campaign feared that then-President Jimmy Carter could save his floundering reelection bid by securing the release of American hostages in Iran  though that scenario didnt play out.

Since then, Greenberg said, October surprises have played out in the media as anything from candidate-related scandals to significant geopolitical events.

I think over the years, its sort of been watered down to refer to any surprising news that comes in October that might affect the outcome, Greenberg said. Big news happens in October nowadays and we call it an October surprise. Its lost a bit of its meaning.

Theres also some debate about just how meaningful October surprises still are. For one, the political environment is far more polarized and there are fewer swing voters who could be swayed by last-minute revelations about a candidate or major event.

Whats more, Greenberg said, news tends to come and go much faster in 2022 than it did even 20 years ago. What happens in early October, for instance, may not be top of mind for voters a month later.

Its a cliche to say that a week is a lifetime in politics, but theres always time for one more turn of the wheel, he said. Since 1980 when the term was coined, a month has come to seem like a longer span of time. So maybe it should be a late-October surprise.

Nevertheless, with control of both the House and the Senate at stake next month, Democrats and Republicans are wary of anything that could upend the trajectory of the midterms. While strategists from both parties have sought to project optimism, theyve privately contemplated for months the possibility that late-breaking news could spite them.

That has already happened to some extent. The GOPs House campaign arm withdrew its advertising for Republican candidate J.R. Majewski late last month after reports that he had misrepresented his military service. And the abortion allegation surrounding Walker has put his campaign on defense at a time when his standing in the Georgia Senate race appeared to be improving. Walker has vehemently denied the allegation and has threatened to sue the news outlet that reported it.

Meanwhile, gas prices are already beginning to tick upward in the wake of OPECs decision to curb oil production, while concerns are growing among policymakers that efforts to tame inflation, which remains near a 40-year high, could push the economy closer to a recession, putting President Bidens party in a politically precarious position.

I think the Democrats are more at risk because theyve got the White House, theyre in power, and when things go wrong, thats who takes the blame, said Keith Naughton, a veteran Republican strategist. For things to go right for the Democrats, it has to be individual things in different races that hurt Republican candidates enough to overcome larger problems that the country is facing. But the bigger issues are probably going to win out.

But even with the electorate as polarized as it currently is, last-minute scandals and controversies arent meaningless, Shana Gadarian, a political science professor at Syracuse University, said in an email. While many of the most partisan voters have been tuned in to the midterm elections for months, there are still other voters who are just starting to pay attention and havent yet decided how to cast their ballots.

There is still some component of the electorate that, as partisan and polarized as we are, doesnt know who theyre going to vote for until the end and makes up their minds based on what they learn  things that are front of mind in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Still, she said, we shouldnt overstate the effect that scandals can have on voters because there are still a large number of people who dont pay attention to politics.

Naughton, the Republican strategist, said that where October surprises could matter the most are in the handful of toss-up races, like the Senate contest in Georgia, where the outcome could ultimately come down to which way moderates and swing voters break in November.

The list of surprises that could have an impact is getting smaller, because its harder to find something thats a dealbreaker for a partys core voters, he said. But the number of swing voters is shrinking which means theyre more valuable. So in close races, if you have something impactful, it could make a big difference.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian state development bank BNDES and planemaker Embraer SA have entered a deal for the lender to fund exports of six E-175 jets to U.S.-based carrier SkyWest Inc, the bank's managing director told Reuters.

Bruno Aranha said in an interview that the loan was modeled as a post-shipment export credit, through which BNDES will fund the exports and SkyWest assume the debt.

It has also involved four private insurers - AXA XL, Axis Capital, Sompo International and Fidelis Insurance - Aranha said, as the state-run bank looks to increase transactions secured by private companies.

"We think this could be a trend from now on," he said, noting they could be often used for Embraer's high added value shipments.

The latest loan will mature in 12 years, according to Embraer. Financial details on the transaction were not disclosed.

Aranha said the bank could also help funding exports of Embraer's KC-390 military aircraft ahead, though noting that such deals could take longer to be completed as they would involve foreign nations and their public sectors.

"But we can be a tool to support the KC exports to other countries, just like we do with jets," he said.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier)
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Monday it had sanctioned senior Iranian security officials and the country's "so-called Morality Police", saying the force had used threats of detention and violence to control what Iranian women wear and how they behave in public.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody has sparked protests across Iran and internationally, with demonstrators calling for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Citing her death and the subsequent protests, Britain said it had sanctioned the morality police in its entirety, as well as both its chief, Mohammed Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, and the Head of the Tehran Division, Haj Ahmed Mirzaei.

"These sanctions send a clear message to the Iranian authorities  we will hold you to account for your repression of women and girls and for the shocking violence you have inflicted on your own people," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement.

Iranian authorities have described the protests as a plot by Iran's foes, including the United States.

The sanctions were made using British laws designed to encourage Iran to comply with international human rights law and respect human rights. They mean that those individuals named cannot travel to Britain and any of their assets held in Britain will be frozen.

Last week, the foreign ministry said it had summoned the Iranian charge daffaires, Irans most senior diplomat in Britain, over the crackdown on the protests.

(Reporting by Muvija M and William James, editing by Sarah Young, William Maclean)
After seeing their home in Fort Myers, Fla., ravaged by Hurricane Ian, Del and Jane Compton are planning to move back to Louisville, Ky. (Callaghan O'Hare/The New York Times)

FORT MYERS, Fla.  More than two decades ago, Jane and Del Compton stumbled upon Fort Myers while on vacation in southwest Florida. This was where they would retire, they decided on the spot, in a place where they could grow old in peace and sunshine.

They bought a double lot with a mobile home and a few small luxuries: a fan with a remote and his-and-hers televisions so she could follow her soap operas and he could watch cowboy shows.

But Hurricane Ian ravaged their piece of paradise, soaking the photos from four decades of marriage, destroying their car and leaving them without a place to live. They had no homeowners insurance; their policy was canceled in June because of the age of their home, a 1978 model.

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Now the Comptons  she at 77, he at 81  are resigned to abandoning their retirement dream. They will return to their native Louisville, Kentucky, in the coming weeks to stay with their daughter and figure out their next steps, although they are loath to leave their beloved church community and friends. Spending their twilight years in Florida seems suddenly out of reach.

We have talked about it; we have argued about it; we have screamed about it; we have cried about it, said Jane Compton, sitting outside the church where the couple has stayed with the one box of sentimental treasures they managed to salvage. Our bubble has been burst.

Official tallies of deaths related to the storm suggest that older Americans died in disproportionate numbers: Of the 87 victims (out of 123 overall in the United States) for whom an age or approximate age has been released, 61 of them were at least 60 years old. Many victims were found dead at their homes. But Ian not only killed more older people, it also created uniquely wrenching situations for those who survived.

Even if they can afford to rebuild, those people may not have the time or energy required for such a difficult task, and the prospect of tighter building codes might make that more expensive than ever. Many, like the Comptons, live on fixed incomes, lack flood insurance or purchased their homes before the housing boom of the past decade, when the region was far more affordable. Recapturing their paradise may not be possible  a cruel and abrupt blow.

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In interviews, several residents said they had defiantly ridden out the storm in the homes they had poured their savings into, partly to ensure they could easily begin cleaning up the damage.

Richard Hoyle, 75, moved with his wife to Pine Island, near Fort Myers, in December, after she asked to move to the region from the mountains of Tennessee. He had insisted that they stay through the hurricane, but the storm surge lapped the second flight of stairs to their home, and they watched boats fly across the canal in winds that topped 150 mph.

Wed already decided, this is our retirement home, and well stay and fight for it, said Hoyle, a former Marine and firefighter. Im glad that we stayed  some battles are worth fighting.

Likewise, Garland Roach, 79, said he had no intention of leaving his badly damaged home in a modest neighborhood of North Fort Myers, where the lone palm tree in his front yard was now surrounded by drain pipes, siding and other debris.

My daughter wants me to come back to Ohio, and I told her I would in my ashes, he said, adding that he was hoping the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the National Guard would provide a tarp for his mangled roof. I couldnt last another winter up there with my arthritis.

Two deaths from the storm, Florida officials said, were men in their 70s who shot themselves after seeing the destruction to their property.

I think its a breaking point for a lot of people, said Carol Freeman, 75, pausing as she cleaned the muddied floor of her home on Pine Island, which was ravaged by the storm.

Since the hurricane, Freeman, a retired postal worker who lives with her parrot, Jose, had been without power, forced to use baby wipes to keep clean and, at least once, eat a donated military-style meal for dinner. She had spent days debating whether it was worth staying.

It may be time, she said, to return to her native Chicago after about four decades on the island. Too old to be doing this, she said.

Some retirees who wintered on the Gulf Coast are already planning their exits from the state.

In Fort Myers Beach, an island town that attracted tourists and Midwestern snowbirds, entire groups of friends were gathering recently to inspect the wreckage  and to start mourning the end of their Florida lives. At Gulf Cove, a mobile home community near the base of a bridge, residents were trying to salvage belongings from their ruined properties. Some said that they expected that the patch of waterfront land where they had cultivated tight-knit friendships over the years would be sold to developers and razed.

Even if something miraculous happened that we could get back together, there are a lot of couples in their 80s or 90s, said one of the residents, Deb Macer, 69. Theyre just not going to come back.

Before the hurricane, days in their neighborhood had a familiar, comforting rhythm. The retirees who lived there planned coffee hours and daily walks over the bridge to Estero Island. Macer planned crafting get-togethers, and her husband, Stacy, 70, was known as the community handyman.

I fear its gone, said their friend Paul Wasko, 75. This way of life is gone.

Cindy and Steve Duello had barely begun fulfilling their dream of retiring here. Frequent walks and bike rides around Fort Myers Beach had kept them feeling vibrant and healthy well into their 60s. They fussed over their orchids, mingled with neighbors and taught their grandchildren to scour the beach for prized heart-shaped rocks.

At the center of it all was a modest two-bedroom house on Albatross Street, the gathering place since the 1980s for four generations of Duellos.

It was only 1,200 square feet, but it was our mansion, said Cindy Duello, 68.

Ian left much of Fort Myers Beach a flattened, unrecognizable ruin, and the Duello house saturated with seawater. Days after the storm, the Duellos made their way to the island, saw their destroyed home and realized that the town could not be rebuilt in time for them to enjoy it again.

It wont return in our lifetime, Cindy Duello said, through tears. I can feel this has already aged me.

For some older Floridians, the storm created a world with no good options: They could not imagine leaving the state at this stage of their lives, yet their homes were gone, perhaps forever.

In Naples, about 40 miles south of Fort Myers, the River Park neighborhood was a scene of despair Thursday. Workers and homeowners were lugging soaked items out of homes, building giant heaps of debris on the curb.

Rosalie Bulger, 73, was in her living room, surveying what was left of the stucco one-story house where she had lived for 35 years. The smell of mold and rot was overpowering.

I am numb, she said as workers wearing N95 masks moved her belongings into the driveway: glassware, decorative pots, a rack of brightly colored dresses.

Bulger was enjoying a life with the comforts of family close by: Her daughter and son-in-law lived in the bungalow next door. As she looked around at her ruined belongings, she said she would depend on God to help her figure out what to do next, although she could not imagine how long it would take  if ever  for her house to be habitable again.

Im not going, she said of the notion that she would join relatives or friends in another state. But we cant live here anymore, either.

After her husband died last year on Mothers Day, Linda Stevens, 75, decided to live permanently on Pine Island, which had offered many people a far more affordable sanctuary than the wealthier homes on nearby Sanibel Island. She and her husband had traded the harsh winters of Maine for days by the water on the islands northern end. She loved their new life: the friends from church, the volunteering, the lush scenery.

Ian was Stevens first hurricane, sending her huddling with neighbors after the traffic jam of evacuees deterred her from leaving the island. They cared for her, making sure she was fed and able to safely leave after days without power and running water.

If I was 50, Id tough it out and say, Im coming back. But Im not 50 anymore, Stevens said. I will never live through another hurricane season.

Now, she is debating selling her house altogether or returning to the snowbird lifestyle, moving closer to one of her daughters and spending only the winter months in the area.

But for the time being, she said, I cant make that decision. Im still grieving.

 2022 The New York Times Company
NextShark

A 47-year-old Thai man is in critical condition after two Frenchmen assaulted him in an unprovoked attack caught on camera. According to Lakhana, Somkuan had said, That car is so beautiful, when will we get a car like this? They reportedly followed the Porsche to appreciate it for a bit longer before passing. The Porsche then allegedly began tailgating the couples motorbike and honked at them until they pulled to the side of the road in front of a grilled pork stall.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Human rights activists pressed their call Monday for the immediate release of a former Philippine opposition senator after she was taken hostage in a rampage by three Muslim militants in a failed attempt to escape from a maximum-security jail.

Police killed three Islamic State group-linked militants behind Sundays violence in which a police officer was stabbed and former Sen. Leila de Lima was briefly taken hostage. The militants tried to escape from the jail for high-profile inmates at the national police headquarters in metropolitan Manila, police said.

National police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. acknowledged there were security lapses in the detention center and said its commander has been removed as part of an investigation.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch separately expressed deep alarm over the violence and the hostage-taking of de Lima. The groups call for her immediate release.

That she has had to endure this traumatizing and frightening experience on top of being arbitrarily detained for over five years now is the height of outrage, negligence and injustice, Amnesty International Philippine director Butch Olano said.

About two dozen supporters held a protest for de Lima, who was brought to a metropolitan Manila trial court Monday for a hearing, which was postponed.

We condemned what happened yesterday, said protester Charito del Carmen. Its painful for us because if she got killed what would happen to the fight for justice that weve been waging for her?

One of the three inmates stabbed a police officer who was delivering breakfast after dawn in an open area, where inmates can exercise outdoors. A guard in a sentry tower fired warning shots then shot and killed two of the prisoners when they refused to yield, police said.

The third inmate ran to de Limas cell and briefly held her hostage, Azurin said.

De Lima, 63, told investigators the hostage-taker tied her hands and feet, blindfolded her and pressed a pointed weapon to her chest and demanded access to journalists and a military aircraft to take him to southern Sulu province, where the Muslim militant group Abu Sayyaf has long had a presence.

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The man continually threatened to kill her until he was gunned down by a police negotiator, she told investigators.

Following the jail violence, Filibon Tacardon said he and other de Lima lawyers were hoping the court would now grant her appeal for bail. There have also been appeals to place de Lima under house arrest.

De Lima has been detained since 2017 on drug charges she says were fabricated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials in an attempt to muzzle her criticism of his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. It left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead and sparked an International Criminal Court investigation as a possible crime against humanity.

She has been cleared in one of three cases, and at least two witnesses have retracted their allegations against her.

Duterte, who has insisted on de Limas guilt, stepped down from office on June 30 at the end of his turbulent six-year term.

Newly elected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talked to de Lima, who was confined in a hospital, by telephone and asked if she wanted to be transferred to another detention site but she rejected the offer, Azurin said.

Even before the jail violence, the European Union Parliament, some American legislators and United Nations human rights watchdogs have demanded that de Lima be freed immediately.

___

Associated Press journalist Aaron Favila contributed to this report.
Here are ten things you need to know from this video

Support for the monarchy in Canada has declined

Canadians are wondering whether it makes sense for the country to be tied to the monarchy this day in age. A 2022 poll by the Angus Reid Institute shows at least 51% of Canadians want to abolish the monarchy in Canada.

It's virtually "impossible" to abolish the monarchy

Canadas Constitutional framework makes it incredibly difficult to sever ties with the monarchy.

I did say that it is virtually impossible to abolish the monarchy in Canada because of the rule of unanimity. And that's not likely to change any time soon, says Constitutional law expert David Schneiderman.

Canada's Constitution makes it incredibly challenging to cut ties with the monarchy

The move would require unanimity across the country

Canada would need approval from the House of Commons and the Senate, as well as the unanimous consent of all 10 provinces to amend the Constitution and then abolish the monarchy.

The approval from the three territories is not required since they dont have independent governing powers but their opinion would be considered as a part of general consensus.

This is not how amendments to the Constitution typically work

Normally you need the consent of the Senate, House of Commons and seven provinces to amend the Constitution. But some some parts of the Constitution can be modified only with the unanimous consent of all the provinces and the two Houses of Parliament.

These include making changes to the monarchy, the use of the English or the French language, the composition of the Supreme Court of Canada and changing the amendment procedure itself.

The last time the Houses and the provinces agreed on an issue was in 1992

The Canadian Houses of Parliament and provincial governments proposed The Charlottetown Accord in 1992. They aimed to obtain Quebecs consent to the Constitution Act, 1982 which would have recognized Quebec as a distinct society, decentralized some federal powers to the provinces and addressed the issue of Indigenous self-government. But it was submitted to the Canadian public in the form of a referendum and failed.

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Canada may need a referendum to abolish the monarchy

When you're engaging in significant constitutional reform and, you know, an amendment that requires unanimity by its on its arm would suggest that it's significant that that a referendum is required, but it's not legally or constitutionally mandated, says Professor Schneiderman.

The Angus Reid poll from April 2022 shows that 26% Canadians are unsure of their stance and 24% support continuation of the monarchy. So a public referendum is "unlikely to be successful soon."

Why Barbados succeeded but Australia did not

Barbados was successful at severing its ties to the monarchy whereas Australia attempted a similar move that was unsuccessful.

"Barbados is an interesting counterexample because there was no nationwide referendum. They avoided that risk by running an election campaign on the promise of abolition. And so once the government was elected, the Prime Minister could then take steps to fulfill that election promise, and that's how that was done," Professor Schneiderman explained.

Australia, on the other hand, conducted a nationwide referendum, which failed.

The Australian public, though approving of moving towards abolition, didn't approve of the scheme that was devised to replace it. And this is why nailing down these kinds of details about what functions a head of state, who is not a member of a family that is part of this hereditary monarchy.

These details are actually very hard to nail down

Before you can even ask the House of Commons, the Senate, the provinces and the people of Canada, a plan needs to be devised.

While the monarch is only the nominal head of Canada, there are some constitutional functions that he performs in the country.

These have to do with prorogation and dissolution of Parliament, identifying the Prime Minister, who is then invited to form government after an election or after a vote of confidence. But these are actually performed by the King's Delegate in Canada, the Governor-General.

So if we were to imagine a different form of government, we would require either somebody to serve in this capacity in lieu of the king and his delegates, the governor general. So some president, some figurehead, says Professor Schneiderman.

This is exactly what Barbados did. They nominated a president in lieu of the King who is now a largely symbolic figure in their democracy.

The entire process could take forever

Proposals to amend or resolutions to amend the Constitution that require unanimity don't have a due date on. And that's because it's harder to cobble together unanimous consent. So if a resolution were to pass out of a legislative assembly, it could be sitting kind of on the table forever,  Professor Schneiderman said.

The monarchy in Canada was designed to be difficult to abolish

Professor Schneiderman does not think the monarchy in Canada will be abolished any time soon.

It's not going to happen. And so the Crown will continue on into perpetuity, which was precisely the design.
Domhnall Gleeson brilliantly called out Stephen Colbert for mispronouncing his name during a recent appearance on the presenters late-night talk show.

The actor, who is promoting his latest series The Patient  which he stars in alongside Steve Carell  appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this week.

Shortly after being welcomed to the stage, Gleeson told Colbert: You can imagine my dismay when a few weeks ago you had Steve Carell on the show and you said, Now, in this series, you are with Dom-nom-nall Gleeson. It was a car crash. It was a mess.

Colbert replied: You cant blame me! Irish names are impossible! Siobhan?!

Im not gonna take this from a Colbert, Gleeson said with deliberate mispronunciation to whoops from the crowd.

One viewer shared a clip of the exchange on Twitter, with the caption: Deeply obsessed with Domhnall Gleeson calling out Stephen Colbert for making a hames of the pronunciation of his name. The post has been liked by 3,358 people, at the time of writing.

In Ireland, the term making a hames means making a mess. A hames is two curved pieces of iron or wood attached to the collar of a draught horse. They are very easy to put on wrong by accident, hence the association with messing something up.

Deeply obsessed with Domhnall Gleeson calling out Stephen Colbert for making a hames of the pronunciation of his name pic.twitter.com/0zsN44cgKu   amy o'connor  (@amyohconnor) October 10, 2022

Explaining how to pronounce the name Domhnall, Gleeson once said: Its pronounced like tonal with a d instead of a t, and the m is just there to confuse Americans.

The Patient is out now on Hulu in the US. A UK release date is yet to be announced.
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson is reportedly cooperating with an Atlanta district attorneys investigation into former President Trump, his allies and their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported on Monday that Hutchinson  who served as a special assistant to former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows  is cooperating with the inquiry led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D).

Hutchinson was a key witness for the House select committees investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, relaying information about what occurred at the White House in the lead up to and on the day of the riot. She testified with the panel behind closed doors and during a public hearing, where she delivered a number of explosive accounts.

Multiple news outlets reported in July that Hutchinson was cooperating with the Justice Departments probe of Jan. 6.

The Hill has reached out to Hutchinsons attorney and the Fulton County District Attorneys Office for comment.

News of Hutchinsons reported cooperation in the Peach State comes after Willis in August filed petitions for Meadows to testify before a special grand jury. The prosecutor also requested testimony from pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell and James Phil Waldron, who met with Meadows.

The Fulton County district attorneys investigation into Trump and his allies was sparked by the January 2021 call that the then-president placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking that he find the number of votes needed to give Trump a win in the state.

Meadows was present on the call.

The probe, however, has since grown in scope, including baseless claims of election fraud, fake elector plots, attempts by individuals to get a hold of voting machines in a county in the state and threatening remarks targeting election workers, according to CNN.

Meadows visited Cobb County, Ga., in December 2020 when a review of absentee ballots was underway. Hutchinson spoke about the trip with the House committee behind closed doors.

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The primary purpose of this trip was to visit family. His son lives in Georgia, and they went down to see his son for Christmas. Conveniently, his son lives in close proximity to Cobb County, and Mr. Meadows had discussed at length coordinating any visits with Georgia State officials during this trip, she said.

Now, there was a point where I was going to go with him because he was going to conduct a few more meetings, but then it was decided that he would make it a little bit more informal and casual, which is when he decided to go watch the ballots being counted, she added.

CNN reported last week that Willis is looking to conclude her investigation after the November midterm elections and could start indicting individuals in December, according to sources familiar with the situation.

She has said the probe will enter a quiet period this month to steer clear of the impression that the investigation is attempting to sway the midterms, according to CNN.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Cassidy Hutchinson, a top former aide to Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, takes her seat following a break as she testifies during the sixth hearing by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on June 28, 2022 in Washington, DC. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson is cooperating with Georgia district attorney Fani Willis.

Hutchinson told January 6 investigators about Donald Trump's efforts to undo the 2020 election.

Willis is looking into Trump's alleged interference in Georgia's election results.

Following her explosive testimony to the January 6 select committee about what Donald Trump was doing while MAGA rioters swarmed the US Capitol, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson is now cooperating with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' probe into Trump's alleged election meddling in Georgia.

Hutchinson, who's damning testimony rocked MAGA loyalists and the legal community during the sixth public hearing by House lawmakers investigating the deadly attack on Congress, has agreed to share what she knows about Trump and her then-boss Mark Meadows working to overturn the 2020 election, CNN reports.

Willis has been trying to get Meadows to testify for months, but the former Trump White House chief of staff has yet to cooperate.

Meadows was on the January 2021 call when Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" the 11,780 votes the embattled former president would have needed to invalidate Joe Biden's lawful victory.

While Willis recently said that her investigation is going dark to avoid interfering with the upcoming midterm elections, tapping into Hutchinson's experiences with Meadows may help her fill in some blanks about what role Trump, Meadows and other administration officials played in the ensuing electoral chaos.

"If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences," Willis said in September.

Hutchinson guided January 6 investigators through all the election-related mayhem she witnessed, including raucous meetings with "unhinged" 2020 election deniers, how Meadows allegedly sat idly by as rioters assaulted US Capitol Police, and that Trump allegedly lunged at a Secret Service agent and demanded to be taken to the US Capitol after firing up his supporters at that morning's "Stop the Steal" rally.

Trump, who initially wrote Hutchinson off as someone he hardly knew, recently said that he had to think twice about denouncing her story because it made him sound tough.

Read the original article on Business Insider
While working as a payroll administrator for a Catholic church in Oklahoma, authorities said Darla Bralley embezzled about $451,177.

Now the 58-year-old Newcastle woman has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return, according to an Oct. 7 news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Bralley started working as the payroll administrator for St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in 2012, according to court records. Prosecutors said she began scamming the church in early 2014  and continued to do so through January 2020.

In those six years, Bralley is accused of writing herself about 198 unauthorized checks and making 1,068 fraudulent online transfers from the church account, authorities said.

Bralley also admitted that, in 2019, she lied about her income on her 2018 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return form, leaving out the substantial income ... related to the money she embezzled from St. Paul, according to the news release.

Her defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Oct. 10.

Bralley used the embezzled money for her own credit card payments, utilities and personal living expenses, according to the criminal information sheet filed in federal court.

In pleading guilty, authorities said she faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and a maximum of three years for her false tax return.

McClatchy News reached out to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church for comment regarding Bralleys guilty plea.

St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church is in Del City, part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

Secretary wrote checks to herself, stealing $1.2 million for vacations and SUV, feds say

Man stole nearly $600,000 in student financial aid through yearslong scheme, feds say

Postal workers splurge on $1.3M in luxury goods with stolen credit cards, feds say

Ex-sheriff took out bank loans for business  but paid gambling debts instead, feds say
A man who pleaded guilty in August to killing his former girlfriend was sentenced Monday to 19 years in prison for manslaughter.

James Allen Aubrey, 58, was sentenced following the 2020 death of his then-girlfriend, Karen Greenup, a 57-year-old Georgetown resident. Aubrey was initially charged with murder but accepted a plea agreement for reduced charges.

He received 15 years for first-degree manslaughter and four years for the two charges of possessing a gun as a felon. Those sentences were set to run consecutively.

He pleaded guilty on Aug. 16, the same day his two-week trial was scheduled to begin.

At the time of the killing, police alleged that Aubrey fatally assaulted Greenup. Evidence collected at the scene showed Aubrey made attempts to clean up when he disassembled a handgun and threw it in the trash, according to court documents.

Suspect denied intent in deadly incident

Before Fayette Circuit Judge Jeffrey Taylor imposed Aubreys sentence, Aubrey filed several motions in an attempt to set aside his guilty plea. He claimed he had ineffective legal representation and that he involuntarily took the plea deal.

He claimed his counsel  attorneys Dan Parker and Shannon Brooks  did not inform him the manslaughter charge he pleaded guilty to was an intentional crime. He also claimed he was coerced into taking the plea by his attorneys.

They withheld information that the crime I was pleading guilty to was an intentional crime, he said in court Monday. I didnt intend to do anything like that. I was blackout drunk, and I dont remember it, I had no intentions whatsoever to do that. To be labeled a monster of society, I am 58 years old, I am not a monster to society.

Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Aubrey McGuire said Aubrey never expressed these concerns at court proceedings when he accepted the plea, and the sentencing should move forward.

This is the 11th hour, this is final sentencing, and the family is here, she said.

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Taylor denied Aubreys motions, ruling that Aubrey signed plea agreement paperwork and previously confirmed that he did not feel coerced, had ample time to speak with his lawyers and was fully able to understand the specifics of his plea.

Our loss is real. Our loss is forever.

Several of Greenups loved ones gave victim statements, including her sister, brother-in-law, and former husband and father to their son.

Charleen Richie, Greenups sister, described her as dependable and funny, and said she loved to be with her family. She said her sister was willing to help anyone and could light up a room.

The future holds many tears for me, but that is OK because it shows how much I love and miss her, Richie said.

She spoke directly to Aubrey, who sobbed uncontrollably into his hands, refusing to look forward.

You took advantage of her repeatedly, you bullied her, you threatened her and tried to control her, she said. What you dont know is this, but she wrote down everything that happened, but when we found those, it was too late. You bullied people all your life to get the things you wanted, but now you are getting what you deserve.

Johnny Applegate, Greenups brother-in-law, said in court that Aubrey beat Greenups body viciously and brutally to the point it brought a seasoned, life-long mortician to tears.

He said the family debated what justice would be for Greenups murder.

Justice would be if she and her murderer would switch places, he said.

Greenups former husband, James Greenup, read a statement aloud in court Monday. He also read a statement from his son.

Both recalled the moments leading up to finding the fate of Greenup, and the shock and devastation they felt after learning of her death.

She will never see him at the alter with his bride, or get to play with her grandchildren, he said. I hope and pray you never enjoy another day of freedom.

Attorneys: Aubrey feels remorse for actions

Parker said his client was overcome with emotions, and felt a lot of remorse for the actions.

He knows that nothing he says or does can bring her back to life, Parker said. We all make mistakes, and this is a mistake that cant be undone.

When Aubrey received the opportunity to speak Monday, he called Greenup his best friend in the world, and said he had no idea what he did to her.

While crying, he said, She meant everything to me, and I miss her so much.
Champions League group stage action returns this week with six British teams looking to come out on top on matchday four.

Liverpool travel to Glasgow for their second leg with Rangers, while Celtic host RB Leipzig across town.

Manchester City fly to Copenhagen, with Chelsea paying a visit to Milan and Spurs hosting Eintracht Frankfurt.

Here we look at how the British teams opponents have fared lately.

Eintracht Frankfurt

The Europa League title-holders played out a goalless first-leg draw with Spurs last week and sit eighth in the German Bundesliga. They are looking to bounce back from Saturdays 3-0 league defeat to VfL Bochum, but walked away with a 2-0 win over Union Berlin the week prior despite going down to 10 men in the second half. Oliver Glasners side dropped their first group stage meeting with Sporting 3-0 but picked up a 1-0 win over Marseille.

Rangers

The second-placed Scottish Premiership side have had a difficult run in Group A so far, dropping contests with Ajax, Napoli and Liverpool, conceding nine goals whilst scoring none. They are in solid league form, however, with three consecutive wins, including Saturdays 4-0 victory over St Mirren which benefitted from an Antonio Colak brace.

Liverpool

The Reds might have walked away with the 2-0 first-leg win, but that scoreline bucks a potentially worrisome trend for Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool have scored more than one goal just once when facing Scottish teams away in the Champions League. The FA Cup holders are looking to regroup after dropping a tough 3-2 battle to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday. They have managed two wins from three group stage matches so far, taking three points from Ajax after their 4-1 loss to Napoli.

RB Leipzig

Marco Roses side have picked up points across both the Bundesliga and Champions League in recent outings, on Saturday splitting the points in a 1-1 domestic draw with Mainz and defeating Celtic 3-1 in their first Group F encounter, two of those goals coming through Portugal international Andre Silva. Their other two continental clashes, against Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid, both ended in losses.

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Copenhagen

Copenhagen sit seventh in the Danish Superliga table, walking away with another point on Saturday in a 1-1 draw with Nordsjaelland. They dropped their first Group G match 3-0 to Borussia Dortmund before drawing 0-0 with Sevilla on matchday two. Their Last meeting with Manchester City ended in a 5-0 loss, thanks in part to a brace from Erling Haaland.

AC Milan

Stefano Piolis men are in fine form in Serie A with four wins from their last five fixtures. They enter Tuesdays contest fresh from a 2-0 win over Juventus and sit in fourth place in the domestic table, just three points off the pace of league leaders Napoli. Their Group E results so far have been a mixed bag, beginning with a 1-1 draw to RB Salzburg before beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 and falling 3-0 to Chelsea in their last outing.
(Getty Images)

What the papers say

Romas Lorenzo Pellegrini is shaping up as a contingency plan for Chelsea if Mason Mount elects to leave the club, according to The Telegraph. Mount, 23, has one full season left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, but extension talks are expected to take some time, with Pellegrini marked as a potential replacement if those talks fail.

Denis Zakaria is reportedly headed for crunch talks with Chelsea management over his future at Stamford Bridge. The Sun, citing reporter Fabrizio Romano, says the 25-year-old has fallen way down the list of manager Graham Potters midfield options. Zakaria joined Chelsea in the summer on a loan deal from Juventus, but has not seen a minute of play for the Blues.

The Liverpool Echo, via Calciomercato, reports the Reds are readying another attempt to sign Rennes forward Jeremy Doku. The 20-year-old previously turned down a move to Anfield when he was 16, but it is believed Liverpool bosses have been keeping a close eye on him ever since.

The paper also says Villarreals Yeremy Pino is viewed as another potential option to replace Mount, though the 19-year-old is expected to cost upwards of 40 million.

Social media round-up

Inter Miami could be willing to offer big money for Cristiano Ronaldo  #MUFC https://t.co/IshlE2Oscr  talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) October 10, 2022

Julen Lopetegui to Wolves: Why new manager deal is not done ahead of further talks



|@AA_Richards https://t.co/M69rCZ59l9  Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) October 9, 2022

Players to watch

Hakim Ziyech: AC Milan are considering signing the out-of-favour Chelsea winger, according to Italian outlet Tuttomercato.

Ferran Jutgla: Spanish outlet Totofichajes reports Arsenal are interested in the Club Bruges forward.
By Ryan Woo

BEIJING (Reuters) -China called for "patience" with its tough COVID policies and warned against any "war-weariness" as local cases soared to their highest since August, days ahead of a pivotal Communist Party congress.

Many countries are learning to co-exist with COVID-19, but China has repeatedly quashed any speculation of a let-up in its policies, which can range from locking down a local community to an entire city, even though fatalities remain low by global standards and symptoms, if any, are mostly mild.

Pressure on officials to stop outbreaks as soon as they spring up has risen in recent weeks as the highly transmissible Omicron sub-variants BF.7 and BA.5.1.7 appeared in mainland China for the first time, ensnaring travellers during a just-ended week-long national holiday.

Across China, 1,939 locally transmitted cases were reported on Oct. 9, the highest since Aug. 20, according to Reuters calculations based on official data published on Monday.

Thousands of cases caused by the BF.7 have been reported in Inner Mongolia since Oct. 1, turning the region into China's latest COVID epicentre and wrecking havoc on travel plans during the National Day "Golden Week" holiday.

A few days into the Golden Week, the western region of Xinjiang also barred people from leaving as cases ticked higher. Tourists stranded in Xinjiang could seek temporary work as electricians, cooks and wood craftsmen, advised authorities in its capital Urumqi.

Shanghai, which locked down its entire population of 25 million in April and May, reported 34 local cases on Oct. 9, the most in almost three months.

"The transmission and pathogenicity (of Omicron) have not weakened, and it still poses a relatively large threat to the elderly and people with underlying diseases," according to a commentary in the state-owned People's Daily on Monday.

"It is for this reason that we must remain vigilant against the spread of the epidemic, increase our confidence and patience in our country's epidemic prevention and control policies, and overcome any numbness of the mind, any war-weariness, any thought of leaving things to chance, and any complacency."

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The COVID restrictions came days before a once-every-five-years Communist Party congress starting on Oct. 16, where Xi Jinping is widely expected to extend his decade-long leadership for another five years.

Xu, a native from Inner Mongolia who works in Beijing, had planned to take the train back to the Chinese capital on Oct. 7 after attending a friend's wedding in her hometown of Baotou, but has since been trapped there due to a local quarantine lockdown.

"What I worry most now is when I can get to return to Beijing," said Xu, who declined to identify herself further.

"All this waiting around is tough."

'NOT OVER'

While most of the new infections in Shanghai were detected in quarantine, the city's Putuo, Changning and Jiading districts weren't taking any chances, announcing on Monday the suspension of leisure and entertainment venues.

One recent Changning case was a man who arrived from Xinjiang on Oct. 2. He was declared a carrier five days later.

Guests at the hotel where he stayed have been locked down. Patrons to the bars and restaurants he visited have been treated as close contacts.

Sona and her husband were told to quarantine themselves at home after going to an underground bar strip the Changning case visited.

"It wasn't even the same day as the guy was there, and we weren't even at the same (restaurant)," said Sona, a foreigner who has lived in Shanghai for years, speaking on condition of anonymity.

They have not been able to leave their home, as a magnetic device on the door installed by the authorities would track its opening and closing.

"It's really, really hard to deal with - you think it's over, but its not over."

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Casey Hall in Shanghai; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's securities regulator has given the greenlight to the country's first mutual fund targeting top Chinese and South Korean chipmakers, an official at Huatai-PineBridge Fund Management Co said, amid an escalating Sino-U.S. tech war.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission's approval comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the world's two largest economies. The Biden administration published a sweeping set of export controls on Friday, seeking to hobble China's chip industry. Huatai-PineBridge made the application for regulatory approval on Aug. 9.

The exchange-traded fund (ETF) will invest in top Korean semiconductor firms including Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc, as well as Chinese chipmaking giants such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp and Montage Technology Co.

"The Chinese and Korean semiconductor industries are expected to be closely integrated," creating synergies, Huatai-PineBridge said in prepared marketing material for the ETF, whose launch date has not yet been determined.

The fund will also benefit from China's accelerated pace towards tech self-sufficiency amid U.S. sanctions, according to the marketing material, which mentioned the U.S. blacklisting of China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, and the recently enacted CHIPS and Science Act.

In 2021, South Korea was China's second-biggest exporting country in equipments, including chipmaking tools, and Chinese exports to South Korea have also been rising, the fund manager said.

South Korea said on Saturday there would be no significant disruption to equipment supply for Samsung and SK Hynix's existing chip production in China from the U.S. move.

The new U.S. export controls are an abuse of trade measures, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Saturday.

The newly approved ETF will track the CSI KRX China-Korea Semiconductor Index.

The index was launched as part of a broader cooperation agreement signed last year between the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Korean Exchange (KRX) to promote cross-border investment between the two markets.

(Reporting by Samuel Shen and Brenda Goh; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
Chris Fountain suffered a mini-stroke in August 2022 which affected his speech. (Getty Images)

Chris Fountain has revealed he suffered a mini-stroke that could have killed him if not diagnosed in time.

The 35-year-old soap star - known for his roles in Hollyoaks and Coronation Street - has told how he called for medical help after realising that he could no longer remember the words for everyday household objects.

Fountain told the Mirror: I woke up one morning and knew something wasnt right. My mum called me and I just couldnt get my words out. I started walking round my house looking at things and I could think what the word was, like television or fridge, but I couldnt say it.

Read more: Chris Fountain complains he was cut from Dancing On Ice best bits show

I called 111 on my mums advice and they sent an ambulance for me, it was so scary.

Chris Fountain dances was runner-up on Dancing On Ice in 2008. (Getty Images)

I felt stupid because I knew exactly what I wanted to say to the doctors, but I couldnt get the words out, I was speaking like a toddler, I was really embarrassed."

Fountain was admitted to Homerton University Hospital in August 2022 and transferred to a specialist stroke unit at The Royal London Hospital.

Doctors diagnosed a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke, caused by a blood clot on the brain, which Fountain described as a "ticking time bomb in my head".

The actor - who was runner-up in the third series of Dancing On Ice in 2008 - suffered damage to the left side of his brain and is has been working with a speech therapist to regain 90 per cent of his speech.

Chris Fountain left Corrie in 2013 after his shameful YouTube video surfaced. (Getty Images)

Fountain said: When the doctors said the word stroke, I just couldnt believe it, there was a moment of sheer panic just fearing what it meant for the rest of my life.

I was really scared and just broke down in tears.

The soap star has been diagnosed with a hole in his heart which caused the blood clot to travel to his brain, He must undergo surgery to repair the hole, in a bid to prevent further strokes.

Fountain rose to fame as Justin Burton in Hollyoaks between 2003 and 2009.

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He then became known for playing Jack Duckworth's grandson Tommy Duckworth in Corrie in 2010.

Read more: Shamed Soap Star Chris Fountain left depressed and ashamed

But he was sacked from the ITV soap in 2013 after he was revealed to be have recorded a YouTube video rapping about violence against women.

He said afterwards: "I let a lot of people down including myself. I didnt leave the house for a long time, I was really depressed and really ashamed and rightly so."

Watch: Chris Fountain previously opened up about his mental health after being fired from Corrie
As if the major cities in Italy such as Rome, Venice, and Milan arent enough, you must travel to the northeast region called Friuli Venezia Giulia. Once you arrive in Italy, you take a train to one of their provinces and youll be reimbursed. This region has everything you can ask for when it comes to an amazing trip. Beautiful mountains, museums, rich in history, plenty of wine country and some of Italys best beaches.

Composed of provinces, Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, and Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia wants visitors to experience it all. And if getting your train ticket expenses reimbursed isnt enough, they also provide you with an FVGcard. Which gives you free entry to museums, public transportation, and discounts from local businesses. The only commitment you need to make is to stay a minimum of two nights in one of the hotels that are subscribed to the program FVG government is providing.

From today until May 31st, 2023 the tourist board will be refunding train fares to travelers arriving in the cities of Trieste and Udine as well as the coastal resorts Grado and Lignano Sabbiadore. Visitors can also travel on Trenitalia trains, regional or intercity lines as well as the high-speed Frecce lines. However you must book at least a minimum two-night package that includes one of the accommodations that is a part of the promotion. Also with this package youll receive your free FVGcard which gives you access to museums and guided tours, either complimentary or at a discounted rate.

Where To Go

Photo Credit: Gabriele Domicolo

Trieste is considered one of the major cities of the region. With influences from Austria and Hungary dating back to pre World War I, youll see architecture and culture within the older areas of the city as well as some Roman-esque vibes.

The province of Udine is known for being a part of the Venetian and Austrian empires. It is the province that most represents Friuli Venezia Giulia. Inside of a castle turned into a museum you can see the works of famous italian painters Caravaggio and Tiepolo as well as visiting one of their cathedrals from the 13th century.

Grado and Lignano Sabbiadoro are FVGs two beach destinations. Grado has been called mother of venice structured from islands inside a lagoon. Lignano Sabbiadoro is home to the Adriatic Seas top beach resorts which features a bubble-shaped pier extending over the water called Terrazza a Mare.

If youd like to learn more check out turismofvg.it/trenitalia.
The Isle of Man could be a world leader in reducing carbon emissions if it meets targets, a government advisor has said.

Members of Tynwald will vote on the Isle of Man Climate Change Plan 2022-2027 next week.

If approved the island could import more electricity from the UK and phase out gas boilers.

Prof James Curran said the pledges would bring the island "rapidly up to speed with the rest of the world".

The island has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, with an interim target of 35% by 2030.

Prof Curran, a former chief executive of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency who was tasked with creating an action plan for the island, said the ambitions were "tough" but achievable.

The introduction of a second interconnector cable to the UK to import energy by 2030 would "contribute hugely to carbon neutrality", he added.

'Delivery, delivery, delivery'

Prof Curran also believed "driving hard ambitions" was "vitally important" to the future economy of the island.

He said with a greater global focus on sustainability "businesses won't want to locate here, they won't want to invest here", if climate change was not prioritised.

"Maybe progress hasn't been as fast as some would like" he added, suggesting it was understandable thinking had been "overruled" by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

The advisor, who is stepping down from his role advising government, expects the Isle of Man will "move really fast" to be "up-there" with world leaders on climate change.

The focus now needs to be all about "delivery, delivery, delivery", he said.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to IsleofMan@bbc.co.uk
Nury Martinez resigned as president of the Los Angeles City Council, amid calls that she should leave the council altogether. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Resign from the presidency?

Thats not good enough.

Nury Martinez needs to clean out her office, turn out the lights and disappear.

Shes morally compromised, racially divisive and politically damaged.

I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments, Martinez said in a statement about giving up the top post on the Los Angeles City Council.

When I started to read what she had to say, I assumed she was going to let the city know she was resigning altogether.

Thats what taking responsibility would mean.

But she didnt. And so now, a month away from mayoral and council elections in a city that already had a voter confidence problem, against a smoldering backdrop of corruption and unmet challenges, weve got this new whopper of a scandal involving ugly remarks by one of the most powerful people in local government.

Martinez insulted Councilman Mike Bonin and referred to his young Black son as a monkey. Isnt that alone enough to shame her into retirement from public office?

She called Bonin, who is white and gay, a little bitch.

She went after Oaxacans, calling them short, dark and ugly.

All these redneck remarks became public with the release of a recording made one year ago, and shes not packing her bags?

I reached out to Miriham Antonio, a USC grad and first-year law school student at UC Irvine, because I know how determined she is to become a community leader herself, and I know how much she has been inspired by people she thought of as role models.

As an Angeleno and Oaxacan woman, I am both infuriated and saddened by the racist and insensitive comments uttered by the three L.A. City Council representatives against the Indigenous and Black community, said Antonio, whom I met when she was running a voter registration drive as a Fairfax High School student.

Those comments are representative of the racism and colorism that Black and Indigenous folks continue to endure in this country, Antonio said. These representatives are a disgrace to Latinos and Angelenos; they do not deserve to remain in office.

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By they, she was referring to the others heard on the recording of the conversation, in which the focus was on redistricting the city, with a goal of putting more Latinos in office. That would be Councilmembers Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo, along with labor leader Ron Herrera.

Their comments were by degrees somewhat less offensive than those of Martinez. But political consultant Mike Trujillo made a good point about whether residents in Martinezs and De Leons districts might pay a price for their transgressions. (Cedillo lost his reelection bid and will be out of office soon.)

If youre a constituent of theirs, Trujillo said, you want your rep to be as effective as possible, whether the issue is homelessness, picking up trash or filling potholes. So whos going to be the first person to second Nurys motion? Do you really want to be the first person?

Jane Demian, whos on the Neighborhood Council in De Leons district, was disappointed in him but shocked by what Martinez said.

Im glad she stepped down as council president, and she may have to resign altogether, said Demian, who has worked hard in her community to address homelessness. My confidence in Martinez has been destroyed.

The fair representation discussed on the recording is a legitimate issue in a city in which Latinos are underrepresented in elected office and management positions. But the petty, coarse and demeaning language the participants used may serve to sabotage the cause and further divide the city.

This is a big story that has many tentacles, said political consultant Dermot Givens.

Indeed it does.

Who recorded the conversation and why? Who released the recording and why?

Might it have anything to do with a corruption probe in a building that offers full employment opportunities to federal investigators?

And what effect might it have on the mayoral race between Rep. Karen Bass (who says shes a consensus builder) and Rick Caruso (who says hes running to put an end to corruption and lousy leadership by career politicians)?

Already, theres messy maneuvering behind the scenes to determine who will slide into the council president slot and try to put out the dumpster fire. But I dont know if anyone has a big enough fire hose.

Meanwhile, outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti awaits notice of whether his nomination to serve as President Bidens ambassador to India is on hold due to a sexual harassment scandal involving one of his former top deputies.

Theres no playbook for this, Trujillo said of the latest fiasco. This is pretty unprecedented. I think each of these individuals who want to become a better person  and I believe they do  probably have to walk away from City Hall for quite some time.

Martinez should be the first to go.

Steve.lopez@latimes.com

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, left, appears at a news conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis in Brandon, Fla. (Chris O'Meara / Associated Press)

The spread of anti-vaccine misinformation and disinformation has become one of the defining public health challenges of our time  so dangerous that it prompted the California legislature to make the practice grounds for revoking a doctor's license.

But what can we do when this pseudoscientific claptrap comes from an agency of a state government, dressed up as a public health recommendation?

The question arises from a new vaccine recommendation issued by Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general. Ladapo has been labeled a "quack" and a "COVID crank." If there has been any doubt that these labels are justified, they should be dispelled by his latest action.

This is the first time that weve seen a state government weaponize bad science to spread anti-vaccine disinformation as official policy.

David Gorski, pseudoscience debunker

In a "guidance" issued Friday, Ladapo recommended against males aged 18-39 receiving the mRNA vaccines for COVID. These are the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines most widely used in the United States.

To justify his recommendation, Ladapo referred to a study purporting to show an elevated risk of cardiac-related death among males in that age range within 28 days of receiving the vaccines.

As numerous qualified professionals have pointed out, however, the study is so sloppy and incoherent that it amounts to a monument of pseudoscience.

"This is the first time that weve seen a state government weaponize bad science to spread anti-vaccine disinformation as official policy," wrote David Gorski, a surgical oncologist and veteran debunker of anti-vaccine balderdash. Gorski identified Florida's action as "a dangerous new escalation in anti-vaccine propaganda."

Ladapo's recommendation has less to do with any effort to apply science to vaccine policy than with his well-documented practice of applying politics to health policy  specifically, the politics of Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Ladapo's patron. It exploits the inability of laypersons to understand the fine points of scientific research, especially when it has become the subject of political grandstanding.

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"For somebody who doesn't have the background to dig through a study, it's very hard to know whether it's valid," says Kristen Panthagani, a ER doctor and medical data expert at Yale who subjected the Florida study to painstaking analysis online. "People have been put in the position where they have to figure it out for themselves, and that's a really challenging spot to be in."

In his campaign to succeed Donald Trump as standard-bearer of the GOP's far-right wing, DeSantis has positioned himself as perhaps the nation's leading official anti-vaxxer and dispenser of COVID disinformation. The harvest can be measured in dead bodies: Florida's overall death rate from COVID is the 13th worst in the nation. (California, which took its public health responsibilities seriously, ranks 40th.)

What's most dangerous about this latest action on COVID vaccines is that, because it has the veneer of scientific research, it risks metastasizing nationwide. If that happens, it will raise the national death toll from the pandemic.

The science involved in this episode is so bad, indeed, that Twitter initially blocked Ladapo's tweet about the study. The tweet was later restored, but not before DeSantis' spokesman attacked the platform for having "censored" Ladapo  an "Orwellian move" in the words of the spokesman, Bryan Griffin.

Unfortunately, Orwell is no longer with us to say what he thinks of this flagrantly dishonest misuse of his name, having died in 1950. Anyway, Twitter was right to kill Ladapo's tweet, and wrong to restore it.

We'll have more to say about Ladapo's background in a moment. First, let's examine this so-called analysis cited by Ladapo.

The first two red flags are that the analysis isn't a peer-reviewed study, but rather a text document with limited data, and its authors aren't identified  no names, no institutional affiliations, no professional qualifications are listed.

The study supposedly examined the health outcomes of Floridians over 18 within 25 weeks  that is, about six months  after receiving the COVID vaccine. It claimed to find what Ladapo calculated to be "an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death among males 18-39 years old within 28 days following mRNA vaccination."

Experts reviewing the document say the researchers either put their thumbs on the scale here, or didn't know what they were doing in assessing health outcomes.

For one thing, the study sample excluded anyone with a documented COVID infection or COVID-related death  in other words, it excluded anyone with a health outcome that the vaccines were designed to prevent. That meant that the researchers couldn't judge the efficacy of the vaccines in preventing illness against the vaccines' purported harms.

That's important because Ladapo claimed in his press release that "the benefit of vaccination is likely outweighed by this abnormally high risk of cardiac-related death among men in this age group."

The study itself, however, points to exactly the opposite conclusion. If one takes its own figures at face value, the study suggests that the mRNA vaccines caused about nine additional cardiac deaths in the 18-39 age group, but avoided more than 300 COVID deaths.

It's true that the mRNA vaccines are associated with a slightly higher risk of myocarditis, a heart inflammation. But other studies have found that the post-vaccination condition is milder and less likely than other forms to cause death.

As pointed out by Kyle Sheldrick, an Australian neurosurgeon who crunched these numbers, that's "a very good deal." It means that the benefit of vaccination hugely outweighs the risk of cardiac-related death in the subject group.

The study, in fact, found that the vaccines weren't associated with a higher risk of death from all causes; in fact they led to a lower risk of death in all age groups, including males 18-39. Even if one accepts that the mRNA vaccines caused a higher risk of myocarditis, that phenomenon was swamped by the lower risk of death from all causes in that age group.

Still, there are grounds not to take the study's calculation of vaccine-caused cardiac-related deaths seriously. The study calculated cardiac deaths by examining the cause-of-death codes on Florida death certificates. That's not a suitable data set for the purpose, said Panthagani.

Among other problems, the codes aren't very specific  one is for "cardiac arrest" and another for "heart failure"  and none applies to a heart condition traceable to the vaccines. Cardiac arrest can occur for many reasons, including an underlying illness or COVID-19 itself.

As Panthagani noted, cardiac arrest can be the terminal event for many different diseases, not just cardiac issues.

The anonymous authors acknowledge that they made no effort to determine the actual cause of death of anyone in the sample. In purported cardiac cases, they concede, "the underlying cause of death may not be cardiac-related."

When all is said and done, the sample size of males 18-39 who died of supposed cardiac issues in the 28 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine was only 20, so tiny that even a miscalculation here or there would render the result statistically insignificant.

"Their sample size is quite small and they've lumped together a lot of random cardiac things," Panthagani told me. "Using a small sample size and a noisy data set is a recipe for unreliable results."

The study itself cited only "a modestly increased risk for cardiac-related mortality 28 days following vaccination." Ladapo, in his recommendation, called it an "abnormally high risk." This is the language of partisan flimflam, not sober healthcare policymaking. The paper he cites bristles with warnings about its limitations, including that the data "should be interpreted with caution," which is precisely what Ladapo didn't do.

So why did he issue such an alarmist recommendation against vaccinating young males with the mRNA vaccines? His record contains some clues.

As I reported earlier, Ladapo has questioned the safety of COVID vaccines, despite overwhelming evidence that they are safe and effective. He has touted the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as treatments for COVID-19, despite the lack of any evidence that they serve that purpose.

He has been associated with the fringe group calling itself Americas Frontline Doctors. Indeed, he spoke at the notorious event in July 2020 at which its members promoted hydroxychloroquine and that featured a presentation by Texas doctor Stella Immanuel, who is also known for her belief that witches and demons affect peoples health.

As his first official act as state surgeon general, Ladapo signed an order taking away local school districts authority to order children exposed to people with positive coronavirus tests to be quarantined or kept out of class. In October 2021, shortly after his appointment by DeSantis, Ladapo showed up at a meeting with a Florida legislator without wearing a mask, even after she informed him that she was undergoing breast cancer treatment and therefore was particularly susceptible to infection.

"He just wouldn't do it," she said. "And he was smug, arrogant and smiling. And I think he enjoyed making it difficult on me." The legislator threw him out of her office.

Ladapo's professional resume included a stint on the faculty at UCLA's medical school. A background check by the Florida Senate before a vote for his confirmation yielded mixed results, at best.

Asked whether she would recommend his appointment as surgeon general, his supervisor at UCLA, Carol Mangione, replied: No. In my opinion the people of Florida would be better served by a surgeon general who grounds his policy decisions and recommendations in the best scientific evidence rather than opinions.

She added: Dr. Ladapos opinions ... were contrary to the best scientific evidence available about the COVID-19 pandemic and caused concern among a large number of his research and clinical colleagues and subordinates who felt that his opinions violated the Hippocratic Oath that physicians do no harm."

That brings us back to California's new law against medical disinformation.

The law, Assembly Bill 2098, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Sept. 30, reflects the legislative finding that "some of the most dangerous propagators of inaccurate information regarding the COVID-19 vaccines are licensed healthcare professionals." It defines "the dissemination of misinformation or disinformation related to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus" as "unprofessional conduct," clearing the path to action against the medical licenses of violators by the California medical and osteopathic boards.

That finding is long overdue. In August 2021, the Federation of State Medical Boards felt compelled to issue a stark warning to medical professionals that physicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license.

Few actions against doctors have followed. The new law, however, puts meat on the bones of the federation's warning, at least in California. It should come as no surprise, however, that the law has already come under legal attack from the anti-vaccine lobby.

The two plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed Oct. 4 in Los Angeles federal court, California physicians Mark McDonald and Jeffrey Barke, assert that the law "chills" the free speech rights of medical professionals by imposing "official government-approved orthodoxy."

The plaintiffs both admit to disseminating claims about COVID treatments that are at odds with accepted medical opinion. McDonald says in the lawsuit that he has opposed mask mandates for adults and schoolchildren, has supported treating COVID with ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, and questioned the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines. He says in the lawsuit that the California Medical Board is investigating an anonymous allegation that he has spread misinformation about COVID on social media. The board's website doesn't mention any such investigation.

Barke also says in the lawsuit that he has opposed mask mandates, advocated for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, and questioned the safety of COVID vaccines.

Ladapo and DeSantis claim that their interest is in protecting the public from unsafe responses to COVID. By muddying the water with false claims and pseudoscience, they have done just the opposite.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
At least half a dozen sheriffs in New Yorks largely conservative upstate region are refusing to enforce a recently passed concealed carry law, the latest blow after both the US Supreme Court and a federal court struck down key pieces of anti-gun violence legislation in the Empire State.

The concealed carry law , passed in July after the high court shredded a century-old New York gun law in June, prevents people from carrying concealed weapons in sensitive areas like religious centres, health facilities, schools, subways and stadiums.

Sheriffs in counties across the state have decided to make enforcing the law a low priority, burying violations at the bottom of their list, or are refusing to take action at all against violations, according to an investigation from The New York Times .

The people who are doing this, a lot of them are New York City legislators and they dont have a clue, Madison County sheriff Todd Hood told the paper, adding that firearms are what made our country great.

In July, the New York State Sheriffs Association called the law a thoughtless, reactionary action which would restrain and punish law-abiding citizens.

Its the latest blow for gun control advocates in New York, who have sought to impose new restrictions on firearms after a white supremacist mass shooting in Buffalo killed 10 people in May.

Over the summer, the US Supreme Court struck down New Yorks longstanding concealed carry law, which gave officials considerable discretion over awarding concealed carry permits in the state  permits that are often hard to come by.

Writing for the high courts conservative majority, Justice Clarence Thomas argued , The government must demonstrate that the regulation is consistent with this nations historical tradition of firearm regulation, a standard legal scholars say is a substantial increase in the bar needed to legally justify new gun regulations. Previously, lower courts only held that a state must show an important government interest.

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After the decision, observers predicted challenges to gun rules across the country, and they came swiftly.

In New York, after the state passed its new concealed carry law in response to the high court ruling, a man seeking to carry his gun in church challenged the new state legislation, arguing his Second and 14th Amendment rights were being violated.

Last week, a federal court temporarily struck down large parts of the law, including prohibitions on carrying concealed weapons in Times Square, writing the New York law further reduced a first-class constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense. Citing the Supreme Court, the federal court also argued the New York law was not rooted in historical tradition.

The state has vowed to appeal the decision.

The opposition from upstate sheriffs also underscores the growing prominenceand as some experts like the Anti-Defamation League argue, radicalismof rural law enforcement officers.
Paramedic David Liske administers a COVID-19 booster shot to Michael Meade at the Island Pacific Seafood Market in Oxnard, California, on Sept. 23.

Oregon reported 4,237 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down slightly from 4,269 the week before of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Oregon ranked 17th 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 7.7% from the week before, with 298,674 cases reported. With 1.27% of the country's population, Oregon had 1.42% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 13 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Marion County reported 356 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 354 cases and four deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 83,097 cases and 789 deaths.

Polk County reported 86 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 80 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 19,108 cases and 152 deaths.

Within Oregon, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Grant County with 500 cases per 100,000 per week; Crook County with 205; and Jefferson County with 203. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Multnomah County, with 809 cases; Washington County, with 589 cases; and Clackamas County, with 433. Weekly case counts rose in 18 counties from the previous week.

The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Lane, Klamath and Clackamas counties.

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

Across Oregon, cases fell in 15 counties, with the largest declines in Josephine County, with 55 cases from 103 a week earlier; in Jackson County, with 162 cases from 195; and in Linn County, with 97 cases from 130.

In Oregon, 29 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 41 people were reported dead.

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A total of 899,013 people in Oregon have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 8,590 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 96,699,237 people have tested positive and 1,062,564 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Oregon's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 9. Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the state:

Last week: 637

The week before that: 659

Four weeks ago: 667

Likely COVID-19 patients admitted in the nation:

Last week: 50,835

The week before that: 49,835

Four weeks ago: 58,231

Hospitals in 18 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 15 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 29 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 Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon COVID-19: Marion County reports 356 cases this week
(Bloomberg) -- The power cable between Bornholm and the Swedish mainland is back online after an earlier outage caused a complete blackout on the Danish island in the Baltic Sea.

The link was reconnected at about 11:20 a.m. local time, Peter Hjalmar, an EON SE spokesman said by phone. It was taken offline in the morning after a small fault was found on the Danish side. The German energy giant is the operator of the cable.

The cable supplies the Bornholm population of 40,000 people and is the only link to a major power grid. Its located near the Nord Stream pipelines.

Authorities started up a local power plant to produce electricity to the island, broadcaster DR reported, citing the local energy company.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Demonstrators gathered in the capital of Burkina Faso on Thursday to show their support for the country's new junta leader, as rumours swirled of internal divisions in the army.

Ibrahim Traore was declared president on Wednesday after a two-day standoff that ousted Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, who had seized power only in January.

Traore was at the head of a core of disgruntled junior officers -- but there were rumours just a few days later of discussions among some other army generals over potentially replacing him.

A crowd of several hundred people, mostly young men, gathered in front of the national radio and television centre in the city.

"We have learned that the generals are in consultation to appoint one of them in place of Captain Traore. It will not do! Not today, not tomorrow," said one of those rallying, trader Amadou Congo.

Rumours circulating in Ouagadougou claimed there was a division between the junior officers represented by Traore and the high-ranking officers who moved in the same circles as Damiba.

After an hour of protesting a soldier sought to calm the crowd, and the new government denied rumours of a split.

"Information which has been circulating since this morning on social networks about generals meeting... is unfounded" according to a statement released by the communication ministry.

Calm has generally returned to the streets of Ouagadougou since last Friday's coup and turbulent weekend that followed.

Traore graduated as an officer from Burkina Faso's Georges Namonao Military School -- a second-tier institution compared to the prestigious Kadiogo Military Academy of which Damiba and others in the elite are alumni.

Some of the protesters were waving Burkina or Russian flags -- with speculation rife that Burkina's new leader may follow other fragile regimes in French-speaking Africa and forge close ties with Moscow at the expense of France.

ah-ab/stb/sba/rox/cdw
A top Democratic senator is vowing to block all future weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and urging the Biden administration to immediately freeze all aspects of U.S. cooperation with the kingdom in response to its decision to cut oil production amid a global energy crisis set off by Russias war in Ukraine.

The message from Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who has veto power over foreign arms sales, comes amid the Wests outrage at OPEC+ for slashing its oil output  a move that the U.S. and other allied governments saw as a gift to Moscow as it suffers significant losses on the battlefield in Ukraine.

U.S. officials were quietly urging Saudi Arabia to ramp up its oil production in order to boost the global supply and lower prices for consumers in the U.S. and Europe who have been hit hard as their governments moved to cut off Russian energy. Russias intensifying assault on Ukraine has tested the resolve of European nations that had previously relied heavily on Russia for their energy needs.

In a statement on Monday, Menendez said the decision helped to underwrite Russian President Vladimir Putins war.

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will not green light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine, Menendez said in a statement first obtained by POLITICO. Enough is enough.

Menendezs broadside is the latest call from top Democrats on Capitol Hill to reevaluate the U.S. partnership with Saudi Arabia in the wake of the cartels decision to slash its oil production, which U.S. officials worry will only deepen the energy crisis across Europe and hike gas prices at home. In addition to Menendezs authority as chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations panel, Congress as a whole can vote to block certain weapons sales.

There simply is no room to play both sides of this conflict  either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping ... an entire country off of the map, or you support him, Menendez added. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest.

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Energy is a top source of revenue for Russia, and Western nations have tried to starve funding for Putins assault on Ukraine through biting sanctions and other extraordinary measures aimed at cutting off the Kremlin. Saudi Arabia was under intense pressure to boost its output to make up for the shortfall in the global oil market caused by those sanctions.

It wasnt just Menendez fuming at the Saudis. The Senates second-ranking Democrat, Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, on Thursday charged that the Saudi kingdom has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation, citing Saudi Arabias abysmal human-rights record.

From unanswered questions about 9/11, the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the exporting of extremism, to dubious jailing of peaceful dissidents and conspiring with Vladimir Putin to punish the U.S. with higher oil prices, the Saudi royal family has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation, Durbin said. Its time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without this alliance with these royal backstabbers.

And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already said several legislative responses are under consideration, including a bill taking aim at OPEC for price-fixing and antitrust violations. The legislation, referred to as NOPEC, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year in a 17-4 vote.

What Saudi Arabia did to help Putin continue to wage his despicable, vicious war against Ukraine will long be remembered by Americans, Schumer said in a statement last week. We are looking at all the legislative tools to best deal with this appalling and deeply cynical action, including the NOPEC bill.

Lawmakers are also calling for a drawdown of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia as a consequence of the oil production cut.

Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa.) have unveiled legislation that would force the removal of U.S. troops and equipment from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates within 90 days.

The move would include the removal of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot missile and air defense batteries. The bill calls for relocating forces and weapons to other Middle Eastern nations with the aim of protecting U.S. troops.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese slammed the production cut as a shortsighted move while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putins invasion of Ukraine.

In light of [Wednesdays] action, the Biden Administration will also consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPECs control over energy prices, Sullivan and Deese said in a statement.

Saudi Arabias standing on Capitol Hill has plummeted in recent years, even as former President Donald Trump sought to deepen U.S. security ties to the kingdom. Trump repeatedly advocated for arming the Saudis and sought to use its government as a way to counter Iran in the region.

Democrats, though, have mostly remained skeptical of the Saudis, and President Joe Bidens decision to travel to Riyadh over the summer was met with outrage among some of his allies on the Hill. Theyve argued that the U.S. should not overlook democracy and human rights in countries that benefit from U.S. support.

The presidents visit does not seem to have gotten us, from the Saudis, what we need, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) acknowledged in a recent interview with CNBC. I just dont know what the point of the current alliance is if we have to work so hard to get the Saudis to do the right thing.
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A Chinese woman thought she was the victim of racism after receiving a letter from her alma mater addressed to a Ms. Ching Chong, but was shocked and relieved to learn the truth. Former University of Queensland student Sierra Chen took to the Facebook group UQ Stalkerspace, which is described as a platform for discourse about University of Queensland campus life, to share the letter she received from the university and to see if anyone could help her contact the addressee to verify whether the letter was sent maliciously. In her post, Chen said the contents of the letter were not unusual, but the name listed as the recipient concerned her, as ChingChong is a racial discrimination word against [sic] Chinese.
NEW YORK  After 24 years behind bars, mostly in state prison, Gregory Acevedo seemed like a survivor to his sister and mother  so they dont understand what it was about being in the custody of the New York City Department of Correction that pushed him over the edge.

The city says he died trying to escape.

Acevedo, 48, climbed a fence Sept. 20 in the rooftop recreation yard of the Barge jailhouse moored off the Bronx in the East River formally known as the Vernon C. Bain Center.

As an officer tried to stop him with pepper spray, Acevedo made his way through the razor wire atop the fence and plunged 50 feet into the East River.

Acevedos family isnt sure what to make of the circumstances of his death.

The question we have is, What caused this? Acevedos mother Mildred Roman, 65, told the Daily News.

Something must have happened, Roman added.

He didnt cover his face when he was pepper sprayed? He went under barbed wire and threw himself into the river? Come on. He must have been terrified to the point where he decided he had to get out of there.

Acevedo was recovered by NYPD Harbor Unit officers and taken to Mount Sinai Queens, where he was taken off life support later that day.

The city Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident with complications from drowning. Acevedo was the 15th of 16 city detainees to die in 2022 following illnesses, overdoses or injuries suffered in the jails.

No one from the Correction Department notified the detainees family that day, nor has anyone from the agency reached out since. Acevedos sister Cynthia told The News the family learned of his death from Mount Sinai doctors.

The doctor called me and said, Your brother is not looking good. He had a very bad fall, she said. He has a couple of minutes to hours to live. I went straight there. But DOC has never called me.

The Department of Correction press office did not respond to an email.

Acevedo grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and attended Boys and Girls High School. His father, a Vietnam War veteran who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, died in 1987. It fell to Roman to raise her children on her own with her salary as a sixth grade teacher in the citys public schools.

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Acevedo started getting in trouble as a teen. In 1994, when he was 19, he was arrested on charges of attempted murder, robbery and assault. Upon his conviction, he was sent to state prison.

At 5-foot-5, he had to defend himself repeatedly in prison and spent long periods in solitary confinement. He was little in stature so he would always have to fight, Cynthia said. He refused to join a gang, and would end up having to fight gang members.

In July 2016, Acevedo was paroled. At age 42, he had spent more time in prison than as a free man. His family threw a party for him, complete with a home-cooked meal of stewed chicken and rice and peas.

Everything looked different to him, said his sister Cynthia. He asked what happened to subway tokens. Everything was faster  computers, cellphones, she said. He didnt trust people when he came out. But he was trying to do the right thing.

He was released to the Bellevue Mens Shelter in Manhattan but Cynthia insisted he come and live with her.

Acevedo got a job handing out flyers, which led to a job delivering medical supplies, then to construction work on high-rise projects, his sister said.

He loved to work. He would get up real early and go to work, Cynthia said. He was proud he was earning money and able to support himself.

Acevedo settled into life on the outside and made his parole meetings. He returned to a shelter in Queens to give his sister a break and save money to get his own place, she said. He talked about writing a book about prison.

He felt that prison was just a business that helps upstate towns, Roman said.

But then Acevedo hurt a foot and his back and couldnt work and then the pandemic hit and he told family he felt isolated.

In February, he was arrested for stealing tools from a van and fighting with the vans owners.

Upon his arrest, Acevedo was sent to the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island. A few weeks later, on March 18, he was transferred to the Bronx jail barge.

On the barge, he avoided trouble. He had no infractions during the period, a report by the city Board of Correction said. He often slept all day and kept to himself.

But he was upset that he was back in jail. He often paced up and down the unit at night complaining about the case against him. It was clear he didnt want to go back to prison, the Board of Correction report said.

His sister Cynthia says he didnt contact her for the whole period he was jailed. He told one of his friends he didnt want me to know that he was rearrested, she said. He also didnt want me to worry.

Instead, Cynthia sent money to his commissary account as her way to communicate she cared. She last sent money on Sept. 16, four days before he died.

The day before he died, Acevedo, agitated, woke everyone in the housing area at 4 a.m., the report said.

On Sept. 20, there was some kind of incident in his unit, the Board of Correction report said. A correction captain who noticed other detainees were picking on Acevedo packed up his property and planned to move him to another unit.

Acevedo, another detainee said, told the captain he was fine.

He returned to the unit and went outside for recreation time. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but just as he was supposed to get back from his recreation break, correction officers heard a shout. Acevedo was climbing the fence.

Unfortunately, this death is yet another example of an incarcerated person dying while in Department of Correction custody, said the familys lawyer Yan Gilkarov of the firm Gregory Spektor and Associates. Acedevos family has not yet filed a legal claim or lawsuit.

We look forward to having our day in court and bringing the truth of how Mr. Acevedo died to light, Gilkarov said.
Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump are heard wooing Christian right leaders ahead of the 2016 election in a newly unearthed audio recording.

The tape is featured in the new documentary Battleground, directed by Cynthia Lowen, which takes a close look at anti-abortion activists. According to the documentary, the audio was taken during a closed-door meeting between Trump and leaders of the Christian right, 40 days before the 2016 election.

Trump was reported to have met with conservative Christians in June of that year. The audio in the documentary was recorded during a different meeting, on 29 September 2016.

The aim was to discuss how Trump would fulfill the Christian rights legislative and cultural priorities, per Battleground.

Unidentified participants are first heard chatting as they await Trumps arrival. He then enters the meeting, greets its attendees, and comments: This is serious power.

Steve Bannon, then the chief executive officer of Trumps campaign, tells the participants: The key that picks the lock to this election is you. Conservatice Catholics and evangelicals who have not voted, who have not been motivated to vote, have to come to the polls. If we dont win on 8 November, its because evangelical and Catholic leaders have not delivered. Your fate is in your own hands.

Later in the documentary, Robert Jeffress, the Southern Baptist pastor of a megachurch in Dallas, Texas, and a televangelist and Fox News contributor, is heard saying: There is only one candidate running in this election who is pro-life, pro-religious liberty, pro-conservative justices to the Supreme Court. And theres only one candidate who treats the views of conservative Christians with respect. And that candidate is Donald Trump.

Jeffress confirmed the accuracy of the quote and the timing of the meeting in an email to The Independent.

Trump then brings up the Supreme Court and the prospect of appointing multiple justices, stating: And this president could choose  I mean, it could be five. Probably going to be three. It could very well be four, but it could even be five justices. So you get Hillary Clinton in there, its over.

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After acceding to the White House, Trump ended up nominating three Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.

On the audio tape, Trump is then heard announcing: Heres my daughter. Ivanka Trump greets the participants, telling them: Hello, good morning, everyone! This is a very full, impressive room.

Her father acquiesces, stating: These are the most powerful people in the country. He then tells his daughter: Go back to work now.

After Ivanka Trump seemingly leaves the conversation, Eric Metaxas, a conservative Christian radio host and author, tells Trump: As much as I love your daughter, she got you in trouble on the Planned Parenthood issue, however.

In response, Trump says the feeling is that a lot of women are very happy with Planned Parenthood, but because of the fact they perform abortions, I cant support it. I would defund it.

Metaxas tells him: Okay, but unless you hit that very hard, there are many Christians that just dont believe you.

During her fathers 2016 campaign, Ivanka Trump obfuscated when asked to share her views on abortion rights. When she was asked whether she supports abortion rights during an interview with Boston Public Radio in February 2016, she said: I dont talk about my politics. I dont feel like its my role, and not the candidates. Im the daughter I dont think my politics are relevant to the discussion.

In October 2020, she strengthened her stance, describing herself to Real Clear Politics as unapologetically against abortion rights.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Donald Trump and Eric Metaxas for comment.

Battleground is available in select theatres and will be released online beginning 14 October.
By Jake Cordell

TBILISI (Reuters) - Igor Tikhiy, a 49-year-old marketing professional, has a simple answer to the question of why he fled to Georgia last week, crossing the border in the dead of night on his bicycle.

"I don't want to shoot anybody. That's why I'm here."

He is one of thousands of Russian men who have left their country since President Vladimir Putin announced a nationwide mobilisation drive in a bid to recruit new manpower for Moscow's war on Ukraine.

According to the mobilisation laws passed by the Kremlin and reassurances by officials, Igor's age should mean he is not subject to the draft.

"In Russia, what's written down is one thing but what they actually do is another. There are 50 year-olds being sent to the front. I don't want to be among them," he told Reuters in an interview in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

"I saw recruiters coming to my building with draft papers. I don't want to be around to find out if they are coming for me," he added.

After Putin ordered mobilisation, Igor, who lived in Moscow, packed his bags - and his bike - and flew to the southern Russian city of Vladikavkaz, some 32 km (20 miles) from the border with Georgia. Crossing in the middle of the night to avoid heavy queues, he then took a taxi some three hours south to Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.

It is a journey travelled by tens of thousands of Russians in the first weeks of Russia's chaotic mobilisation.

Alexey, a 33-year-old who works in media, spent six days queuing in his car on the Russian side of the border. He didn't sleep for the first 48 hours for fear of losing his place.

"It was a tough decision to leave, I thought about it for a long time. But I realised if I didn't leave right now I might never be able to. Russia could close the borders," he said.

Rumours of border closures have swirled around Moscow for weeks, denied by the Kremlin but viewed by many as credible.

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Alexey said he considered abandoning his car and crossing on foot or bike, where the lines where shorter. Local media reports say dozens of cars had to be moved by police after their owners ditched them near the border.

"I don't want to go to war. I don't want to fight against a brotherly nation," Alexey said of his reason for leaving.

FROSTY RECEPTION

On the streets of Tbilisi, the latest influx of Russians into a city of just 1 million is evident.

Large queues have formed outside banks and shops selling SIM cards, while cafes are dotted with young Russian men scouring AirBnB for a place to stay.

How many will remain and for how long is an open question. For those who cannot work remotely, finding a local job will be tough and housing costs have rocketed, say volunteers helping Russians to acclimatise.

Prior to mobilisation, more than 45,000 Russians had already opened bank accounts in Georgia this year, central bank data shows - more than doubling the number of Russian-held accounts in the country in the space of just six months.

The arrivals have stoked a mini economic boom, with an extra 1.2 billion Georgian lari ($430 million) flooding into Georgia through cross-border transfers, says the Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information, a Georgian think-tank.

But for some locals, there is a feeling of apprehension.

Ex-Soviet Georgia and Russia fought a short war in 2008 over Abkhazia and South Ossetia - two regions internationally recognised as part of Georgia but under the control of Russian-backed separatists.

The two countries still have no formal diplomatic relations and Georgian society was fiercely anti-Russian before Putin invaded Ukraine.

Some Georgian activists want their government to restrict Russian arrivals or close the border altogether. Under Georgia's liberal immigration rules, Russians can effectively stay in the country indefinitely without a visa.

Around 300 people attended an anti-Russia protest outside Georgia's parliament last Friday.

"They can be like a mine - an explosive - which can be used anytime by Putin," said protester Tsotne Japaridze.

Many Russians, including Igor and Alexey, say they are against the war and want to integrate into Georgian society, but locals are sceptical.

"Even if we believe that all the Russians coming here oppose Putin... it's still a problem," said Lana Ghvinjilia at the protest.

"This is an influx of Russian culture, which we've been trying to liberate (ourselves from) over the last 30 years."

($1 = 2.79 Georgian Lari)

(Reporting by David Chkhikvishvili and Jake Cordell; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones)
A man died in the hospital Sunday night from gunshot wounds in a drive-by shooting in Northeast Miami-Dade County earlier in the evening, police say.

The man, who police have not named, was one of four people shot around 6:50 p.m. outside of a house at 525 NE 150th St., said Detective Luis Sierra, spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Police Department.

The man who died was one of two people paramedics took to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. Another man was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Their conditions were not immediately known.

A woman was grazed in the arm by a bullet, Sierra said, and paramedics treated her at the scene, just north of the city of North Miami.

No one has been arrested, and the shooting remains under investigation, Sierra said.
By Stephanie van den Berg

THE HAGUE (Reuters) -A right-to-die group told judges on Monday that a Dutch law which allows physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands but criminalises others who help people end their own lives violates European human rights law and must be declared unlawful.

"We believe it should be possible to provide the means to be able to humanely end your own life," Jos van Wijk of Cooperative Last Will said in court.

Marion van Gerrevink, whose 22-year-old son took his own life in 2010, told judges she struggled with feelings that she let her son down because she couldn't help him find a humane and dignified way to die for fear of prosecution.

"He had to take that last step utterly alone," Gerrevink, one of the 29 plaintiffs who joined the case, said.

A lawyer for the cooperative said the case is strategic litigation aimed at forcing the Netherlands to change the laws.

They argue that the current ban on assisting suicide not overseen by medical professionals violated the right to self-determination and respect for private life enshrined in the European convention on human rights.

Lawyers for the Dutch state argued that the euthanasia laws strike good balance between the duty of the state to protect citizens, even from themselves, and individual autonomy.

The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalise euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide under very strict conditions and when overseen by medical professionals.

Assisting a suicide, or providing a means to commit suicide outside of the strict euthanasia criteria, is punishable with a jail term of up to three years.

Cooperative Last Will has been promoting a suicide powder it calls "Substance X" since 2018. There is a separate ongoing case before the Dutch courts against a member of the cooperative who is suspected of illegally assisting suicide by selling "Substance X" to at least 33 people.

A ruling is expected on Dec. 14, the judges said.

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg, editing by Ed Osmond and Bernadette Baum)
An elderly Asian woman was mauled to death by a pair of large dogs in San Bernardino County, California, last week.

Soon Han, 80, was out for a morning walk on Friday when two Dogo Argentinos attacked her near the intersection of Vinton Street and Mesa Road in Baldy Mesa.

Sheriffs deputies arrived after 11 a.m. and found Han unresponsive along the roadway. She had suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Dogo Argentino is a large, white and muscular breed of canine that was primarily developed in Argentina from the extinct Cordoba fighting dog. The American Kennel Club, which exclusively registers purebred dogs, describes it as a pack-hunting dog that possesses the strength, intelligence and quick responsiveness of a serious athlete.

More from NextShark: TikTok Sued By American Rival Triller For Allegedly Stealing a Popular Feature

A preliminary investigation revealed that the pair of dogs were from a nearby residence. San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control took the dogs into custody.

The dogs owner was reportedly cooperating with the investigation. In a press release, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said the animals will be held until the investigation is complete and a vicious dog hearing takes place.

Spokesperson Mara Rodriguez reportedly said the department has no information on how the dogs got free. It is also unknown whether Animal Control had responded to calls about them in the past.

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An investigation into the case is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Deputy C. Fox at the Victor Valley Sheriff's Station at (760) 552-6800 or the Sheriff's Dispatch at (760) 956-5001.

Featured Image via Beastly

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Young Man Dies Protecting His Girlfriend From Carjackers in San Mateo, Two Suspects Arrested
Taiwan has lashed out at billionaire Elon Musk after he suggested the country should give up some control to China by carving out a special administrative zone in order to bring down tensions.

In a fresh controversy after suggesting solutions for ending the Ukraine war, the worlds richest man and Tesla founder made comments about Taiwan in a recent interview with a newspaper published on Friday.

My recommendation . . . would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably wont make everyone happy, Mr Musk told the Financial Times.

While Mr Musks comments invited gratitude from Chinas ambassador to the United States, Taiwans de facto ambassador to Washington reprimanded the billionaire saying the countrys freedom and democracy are not for sale.

Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale, Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwans de facto ambassador to Washington, tweeted on Saturday.

Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan.

Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale. Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan.  Bi-khim Hsiao  (@bikhim) October 8, 2022

Chinas ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, stressed Beijings call for peaceful reunification and one country, two systems for the island in a tweet on Saturday while thanking Mr Musk.

I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan.

I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question... https://t.co/KYH1Gsu3Um  Qin Gang  (@AmbQinGang) October 8, 2022

Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question ... and the best approach to realizing national reunification, he added.

Story continues

Provided that Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development, the ambassador wrote.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as one of its provinces, has long vowed to bring the island nation under its control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so. Democratically-ruled Taiwans government strongly objects to Chinas sovereignty claims and says only the islands 23 million people can decide its future.

China has offered Taiwan a one country, two systems model of autonomy similar to what Hong Kong has, but that has been rejected by all mainstream political parties in Taiwan and has very little public support, especially after Beijing imposed a tough National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020.

The suggestions from Tesla founder on tensions surrounding Taiwan and China came just days after he drew ire from Ukraine following his Twitter poll on possible solutions for ending the war, a move that led to condemnation from president Volodymyr Zelensky as well.

Additional reporting by agencies
Ukraine cuts all electricity exports to preserve its grid. Meanwhile, two Congressional Democrats seek to cut off Saudi Arms sales, and Californias governor wants a windfall tax on gas companies.

This is Overnight Energy & Environment, your source for the latest news focused on energy, the environment and beyond. For The Hill, were Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Ukraine halts electricity exports after grid strikes

Ukraines energy ministry said Russias strikes on Monday marked the largest attack on the countrys power grid since the start of the invasion, asking residents to conserve power use as officials halt electricity exports.

Russia earlier in the day launched dozens of missiles toward Kyiv and other cities, killing 11 in an escalatory barrage of attacks that Ukrainian officials said targeted the countrys energy infrastructure. The attacks left 15 regions with partially disrupted electricity supplies, officials said.

What does that mean? The cynicism is that the entire supply chain has been hit  its both electricity distribution systems and generation, Herman Galushchenko, Ukraines energy minister, said in a statement.

The enemys goal is to make it difficult to reconnect electricity supplies from other sources, he added.



Ukraines state emergency service urged residents to avoid using energy-consuming devices like electric heaters, electric stoves, microwaves, washing machines and coffee makers between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time on Monday.

How is the rest of the continent affected? Tonight, October 10, the Ukrainian energy system will undergo a stress test of strength, the agency wrote on its Telegram channel. And every Ukrainian is capable of helping to pass it. For this, it is necessary to minimize the consumption of electricity.

Meanwhile, Galushchenko said Ukraine would stop exporting electricity to elsewhere in Europe beginning on Tuesday, noting that Ukraine had continued to meet its export commitments despite previous attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and other parts of the grid.



It was the export of electricity from Ukraine that helped Europe reduce the consumption of Russian energy resources. And that is why Russia is destroying our energy system, killing the very possibility of exporting electricity from Ukraine, said Galushchenko.

Story continues

European countries, which for years have relied in part on Russian energy exports, have grappled with their energy sourcing ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Read more from The Hills Zach Schonfeld.

Dems propose ban over OPEC cuts

A pair of Democratic lawmakers is proposing the U.S. halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to oil production cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) penned an op-ed in Politico Sunday calling on Congress to cut off arms sales to the leading OPEC country until it reverses its embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Members of Congress are already talking about how best to respond. Some propose extending domestic antitrust laws to international commerce. Others propose reviving a GOP initiative to withdraw U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia. But that idea has failed previously given that the U.S. would rather have its own troops there than Russian or Chinese troops, the lawmakers wrote.



A simpler, far more urgent move to fortify U.S. national security would be to pause all U.S. military supplies, sales and other weapons aid to Saudi Arabia.

How we got here: Democrats excoriated Saudi Arabia over the OPEC decision, coming less than three months after President Biden visited Saudi Arabia, where he asked the countrys leaders to increase oil production to help counter the impact of Russias war in Ukraine.

We give Saudi Arabia 70% of their weapons, Khanna said on Twitter Friday. For them to drive up energy prices for the American people is outrageous. Its simple. If the Saudi-led OPEC+ doesnt reverse their decision, the US should stop sending them weapons.

The OPEC+ coalition of 13 member nations and 11 non-members, including Russia, announced last week that it would bring down production by 2 million barrels, raising concerns about the move pushing up prices at the pump in the U.S.

Blumenthal told Politico earlier this week that there remains an opportunity to persuade the Saudis that youre making a gigantic mistake here, adding that he hopes the Biden administration will be aggressive in using U.S. leverage.

President Biden said on Wednesday he was disappointed by the OPEC+ move, while the White House accused Riyadh of aligning with Russia with the move.



The Biden administration has said it is reviewing its options to respond, while renewing calls for oil companies to reduce prices.

Read more from The Hills Julia Mueller.

Newsom to call special session over oil profits

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Friday that he plans to call a special session of the state legislature in December to impose a tax on oil companies profits as gas prices remain at record levels in the state.

The governors press office said in a tweet that Newsom is calling for the session on Dec. 5 to hold greedy oil companies accountable with a windfall tax on their profits.

A windfall tax is a one-time additional tax placed on companies when economic conditions result in large profits, according to the Tax Foundation, a think tank.

After gas prices soared to record levels nationwide and the national average surpassed $5 per gallon, the average price dropped consistently for weeks, but prices remained high in California and some other western states.



The American Automobile Association (AAA) reports that the average cost of gas in California is about $6.36 per gallon.

Newsom at a press conference on Friday said that Californias major environmental regulations are not the cause of the high prices. He said all the environmental related costs do not equal the roughly $2.50 per gallon more that Californians are paying for gas than the average American.

AAA states that a gallon of gas costs an average of about $3.90 nationally.

Newsom said most states have gas taxes that average about 30 cents while Californias is 54 cents, which he said does not add up anywhere close to $2.50.

Read more from The Hills Jared Gans.

WHAT WERE READING

Most Western Pennsylvania schools dont test for radon, despite high levels in the state (The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Despite promises, California doesnt know how many people died in record summer heat wave (The Los Angeles Times)

Nowhere to go: After Hurricane Ian, many still need help in Sarasota County (The Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

Hurricane Ian traumatized Floridians. It also erased their nest eggs. (Politico)

U.K. heat waves linked to record excess deaths among elderly in England (The Washington Post)

 Lighter click: Is nothing sacred?

Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Energy & Environment page for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The inmate who escaped from a Midlands jail over the weekend is back behind bars, the Sumter County Sheriffs Office said Monday.

Lance Michael Alberti, who escaped from the Sumter County Sheriffs Office Detention Center Saturday night, was back in custody Monday morning, the sheriffs office said in a news release.

Albertis escape happened late Saturday after evening shift procedures, according to the release. The inmate being held on a shoplifting charge and a probation violation damaged part of the jail and was able to squeeze through part of an airduct, the sheriffs office said.

It wasnt clear he was missing until Sunday morning, according to the sheriffs office.

Tracking dogs found items discarded by Alberti in a wooded area behind the jail during an initial search, but those efforts to locate the escapee were put on hold after the sheriffs office said it believed Alberti left the area.

By Sunday night the sheriffs office had coordinated with the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office after learning Alberti might have been in a truck stop in the Santee area, according to the release.

Law enforcement officers tried to take Alberti into custody, but he fled again in a stolen vehicle and led authorities on a short car chase where he wrecked along a side road near Interstate 95, the Sumter County Sheriffs Office said.

Alberti ran from the crash into a wooded area, and officers secured and searched the area overnight, using police dogs and a helicopter to help scan the area of U.S. 15 along Exit 93 off Interstate 95, according to the release..

The efforts paid off as Alberti was captured early Monday morning while trying to hide in a residence in Vance, the Sumter County Sheriffs Office said.

In addition to the the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Holly Hill Police Department, and Elloree Police Department assisted in the search that led to Albertis capture.

Story continues

I am grateful for the mass response from our neighboring agencies and their efforts to help put this individual back where he belongs, Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in the release. This person was determined to take extreme measures to avoid law enforcement and potential consequences. He will now face multiple additional charges for his actions.

In addition to his original charges, Alberti now faces an escape charge, the Sumter County Sheriffs Office said. If convicted on the escape charge, Alberti faces a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison, according to South Carolina law.

Alberti also faces multiple charges from Orangeburg County related to his capture, according to the release.

Alberti was originally brought into the jail under a false name late Friday night on the shoplifting offense, the sheriffs office said. During the booking process, his true identity was verified, and detention officers then confirmed an outstanding warrant by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services and applied a hold, according to the release.

Alberti was also charged with providing false identity and on Saturday his bond was denied pending the extradition process for his outstanding warrant, the sheriffs office said.

Information about where Alberti was being extradited to, and the charges he was facing, was not available.

The Sumter County Sheriffs Office said the area of the jail where Alberti broke out was repaired and re-enforced in an effort to prevent any more escapes.
(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to the first edition of ESG Stock Watch, a weekly story examining the environmental, social and governance risks -- and opportunities -- that companies around the globe encounter.

BlackRock may face investor questions on this weeks earnings call, amid increasing scrutiny from US politicians over its energy investments. Elsewhere, Pepsi struck a farming partnership to mitigate its carbon impact, while US Bancorp successfully avoided backlash from West Virginias treasurer for its stance on fossil fuels.

To subscribe to Bloombergs ESG coverage, see NSUB ESG.

In the week ahead, about 28 companies with available Bloomberg ESG data are expected to host earnings calls. Here are some highlights to look out for:

Wednesday: PepsiCo (PEP US), set to hold its call before the bell, last month partnered with Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM US) to implement regenerative farming on two million acres of corn, soy and wheat operations in the US by 2030. The measure could eliminate 1.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, as they join other major food companies, including General Mills, Cargill and Walmart, in implementing regenerative agriculture, which focuses on techniques that enrich the soil and return carbon to the ground. The shift could also help the companies handle extreme weather events, including historic droughts, and the energy crisis impacting fertilizers, said Bloomberg Intelligence senior ESG analyst Gail Glazerman. Succeeding in this initiative could ensure a more resilient supply chain in the long run. Despite the push by Pepsi and others, US consumers are still unfamiliar with the concept of regenerative farming and have been unwilling to pay premiums to buy food grown using the method.

Thursday: BlackRocks (BLK US) third-quarter results and conference call are due premarket. The worlds largest asset manager found itself at the center of controversy this quarter, as its commitment to weighing ESG considerations in an investments risk assessment exposed the firm to political scrutiny in the US. Over the past three months, Republican politicians in both West Virginia and Texas have accused BlackRock of boycotting investments in fossil fuel companies, with the former state moving to restrict the companys access to banking contracts in retaliation. BlackRock denied the claims that it avoids coal or oil companies in both instances, citing over $100 million invested in Texas energy companies. Still, last week, Louisiana pulled nearly $800 million from BlackRock funds, saying the firms views are damaging to the states energy industry.

Story continues

Pressure is now coming from Democrats, with New York Citys comptroller re-assessing its business with BlackRock, citing an alarming contradiction between the companys vocal support of environmental initiatives and apparent reluctance to push corporations on their green plans. Politicians ESG fixation may be causing some passive managers to be less supportive of shareholder proposals, according to Bloomberg Intelligence Senior ESG analyst Rob Du Boff, with BlackRock backing just 19% of E and S recommendations this year, down from 39% and 35%, respectively, in 2021.

Friday: US Bancorp (USB US) was among six financial institutions to receive notices from West Virginias treasurer in June, warning that it may be shut out from state banking contracts for its stance on fossil fuels. The bank ultimately avoided restrictions, eliminating policies against financing coal-related activities and saying that its environmental and social policies do not prohibit relationships with fossil fuel companies. The banks ability to avoid restrictions demonstrates the willingness of some smaller financial institutions to go after business passed over by their ESG-conscientious peers, according to BIs Du Boff. For example, Jefferies Financial Group became the unlikely winner of a record setting municipal-bond deal in Texas, boasting that it has never run afoul of any Republican-backed state laws seeking to punish Wall Street, in its pitch to the state.

Further Reading:

Ian Latest: Florida Toll From Storm Rises; Biden Visit Planned Hurricane Ians Negatives Manageable With Some Upsides Likely: BI

EV Demand Is Reviving US Manganese Mining After Decades

Fossil-Fuel Financing Poses Growing Risks to Biggest Banks

Green Bonds Defy September Sales Slowdown to Hit Four-Month High

Greenwashing Enters a $22 Trillion Market Companies Depend On

Climate-Vulnerable Nations Step Up Loss-and-Damage Demands

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
As Europe continues to grapple with a daunting energy crisis, European energy markets still face a liquidity disaster, with financial institution exposure to fossil fuels and record levels of margin calls sounding the alarm bells.

According to Norways Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR), European energy trading is under severe strain by margin calls of at least $1.5 trillion, putting extra pressure on governments to provide more liquidity buffers.

Aside from fanning inflation, the energy crisis is sucking up capital to guarantee trades amid wild price swings. Energy prices have been fluctuating over such a broad range that many firms are now struggling to manage margin calls, making them demand additional collateral to guarantee trading positions while also forcing traders to secure multi billion-euro credit lines.

"Liquidity support is going to be needed. This is just capital that is dead and tied up in margin calls. If the companies need to put up that much money, that means liquidity in the market dries up and this is not good for this part of the gas markets," Helge Haugane, Equinor's senior vice president for gas and power, has told Bloomberg. Haugane has noted that derivatives trading is where support will be needed, and added that the $1.5 trillion estimate is actually a conservative one.

A report by the Brussels-based NGO Finance Watch reveals that the 60 largest banks in the world have fossil fuel exposures of ~$1.35 trillion with more than half of this total exposure on the books of Asian banks. However, the report notes that the 22 European banks featured in the analysis account for $239 billion of credits doled out to finance fossil fuel activities, with North American banks carrying a comparable amount.

Related: The U.S. Is Preparing Its Response To The Short-Sighted Strategy Of OPEC+



Finance Watch has also calculated how much additional capital these banks would need to properly account for the risk of these fossil fuel exposures becoming stranded assets. The report says that although EU and North American banks have about the same amount of fossil fuel exposures, EU banks would need significantly more capital to cover the risk since they are backed by significantly less equity.

Story continues

But will European banks be able to step up to the plate? Finance Watch has argued that banks should back fossil fuel exposures with additional capital. The NGO advocates for a risk-weight of 150%, meaning that every loan given to companies for existing fossil fuel activities would have to be backed by 12% of capital.

Back in September, the European Banking Authority (EBA) issued a response to the European Commission regarding current high levels of margin calls and excess volatility in the European energy markets. The European Commission had asked the European Banking Authority (EBA) to consider, among other questions, any other possible measures to minimize the liquidity challenges currently faced by energy companies, including ways to improve the transparency, volatility and predictability of margin calls, in particular intraday.

To which the ECBs response was:

The EBA has not identified any potential changes to the prudential framework, which can effectively help alleviate the current situation. This reflects the fact that most of the binding constraints that the EBA has identified stem from existing internal risk management limits and constraints decided upon by banks and/or central clearing counterparties (CCPs) as a result of their risk appetites and sustained flows of business with customers and counterparties. Banks are, however, facing significant liquidity draws--including in USD--in some cases with quite short notice when there are significant market movements. Efforts to provide more transparency around margin calls would, therefore, be welcome.

Looks like more European countries might have to go the German way with governments directly stepping in with subsidies and other relief measures, something that has not gone well with many of its neighbors.

Fossil Fuel Exposure of Top Banks in Europe and North America

Source: Euractiv

United Response

About a week ago, the German government announced that it would ditch earlier plans for a gas levy on consumers and instead will instead introduce a gas price cap to curb soaring energy bills, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz setting out a 200 billion ($194 billion) defensive shield to protect companies and consumers against the impact of soaring energy prices.

"The German government will do everything in its power to bring [energy] prices down. We are now putting up a large defensive umbrella ... which we will endow with 200 billion," Scholz said at a press conference in Berlin, which he attended virtually due to a Covid-19 quarantine.

So far, Germany has introduced the biggest scheme in Europe to backstop companies affected by the energy crisis, setting aside 7 billion euros in loans to be made available to companies facing liquidity issues. German energy giant Uniper SE has sought an extra 4 billion euros after fully using a 9 billion-euro existing facility, while Austria extended a 2 billion-euro credit to cover the trading positions of Viennas municipal power utility. Meanwhile, Finland and Sweden have announced a $33 billion emergency liquidity facility to utilities through loans and credit guarantees.

But not everybody is happy with Germany's massive handouts to energy firms.

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire as well as Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have not pulled any punches, warning that such a move increases the risk of fragmentation of the eurozone.

On Wednesday, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen took up the criticism, To avoid serious fragmentation, we need a united and common European response. We need to preserve a level playing field, without distortions of the single market and act together in a spirit of strengthened solidarity, she wrote in her letter to European leaders ahead of the European Council in Prague, hinting that the generous subsidies would put the rest of Europe at a disadvantage.

Meanwhile, French and Italian commissioners Thierry Breton and Paolo Gentiloni have called for a pan-European response in an op-ed published in newspapers.

The German government has previously rejected a common fiscal response by the EU, which might be understandable considering how heavily Europes largest economy relied on Russian gas.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Read this article on OilPrice.com
(Bloomberg) -- European natural gas finished mildly lower on Monday after wild price swings caused by an escalation of Russias war in Ukraine.

Kyiv said it will stop electricity exports to western neighbors due to Russian attacks on its energy facilities. While the statement from the Ukrainian energy ministry didnt mention gas-transit infrastructure, initial reports caused a sharp spike in prices, with benchmark futures jumping as much as 20%. Prices quickly eased, settling at the lowest level in more than three months.

President Vladimir Putin threatened further missile strikes on Ukraine after Russia hit Kyiv and other cities in the most intense barrage of attacks since the first days of the invasion. For now, shipment orders indicate that gas transit through Ukraine is expected to be stable on Tuesday, based on data from the nations grid.

Still, Mondays roller-coaster session was a stark reminder of how volatile the market is, even though Russia has already cut its gas supplies to Europe to just a fraction of what it used to ship, and the continent is coping. Record imports of liquefied natural gas, mainly from the US, have helped the region to fill its winter stockpiles to nearly 91%, which have eased some nerves recently and helped keep prices in check.

Dutch front-month futures, the European benchmark, settled 1.3% lower at 154.12 euros per megawatt-hour, the lowest level since July 1. The UK equivalent slipped 0.6% after briefly rising as much as 22% earlier.

Many traders have already assumed that the little gas Europe is still getting from Russia via Ukraine might come to a halt at some point, said Tom Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at ICIS in London. But the escalation of the war is still fueling brief spikes in prices. The events we are seeing could be playing a part in higher risk premium being added back in, in case of pipeline collateral damage, he said.

Meanwhile, the market is also waiting to see if the European Union governments come up with credible measures to ease the crisis.

Story continues

An advisory group to the German government on Monday recommended that the state spend almost 100 billion euros into 2024 to subsidize most gas consumption by households and industry. Officials are expected to issue a decision in the coming weeks.

EU leaders will discuss further steps later this month, but are unlikely to reach an agreement then. The Czech presidency of the block is planning an extraordinary energy council in November to help reach a deal on new measures to bring down gas prices, according to a senior official.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Xi Jinping became the country's top leader a decade ago when he was named general secretary of the Communist Party and chairman of the Central Military Commission at the party's 18th congress. The following March he became president.

At the 20th Party Congress, set to begin on Oct. 16, Xi is widely expected to secure a third leadership term, cementing his stature as the country's most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China.

Xi accumulated power both through specific one-time moves and gradually over time. In doing so he moved China from a tradition of collective leadership, with the general secretary considered first among equals on the politburo standing committee, to what is now widely seen as supreme leadership.

Following are key ways that Xi strengthened his grip, according to analysts and experts:

- He circumvented economic policy-making responsibilities typically held by the premier by chairing various "small leading groups", including a new group formed in 2012 after he came to power for "reform and opening up", as well as an existing group on finance.

- He undertook a sweeping campaign to purge officials deemed disloyal, corrupt or ineffective, and built his power base by filling those vacant posts with allies. So far, 4.7 million officials have been investigated.

- Xi put trusted allies in charge of party human resources management who control key personnel appointments. His first Organisation Department chief was Zhao Leji, whose father had worked under Xi's father; he was followed in 2017 by Chen Xi, a former Xi schoolmate from Tsinghua University.

- He tightened control of the military by initiating sweeping reforms and retrenchment from 2015.

- He controlled the domestic security apparatus with an ongoing "cleansing" campaign that has brought down many police chiefs and judges.

- From 2015, he ordered the parliament and other bodies including the cabinet and supreme court to brief him on their annual work reports

Story continues

- Xi told state media in 2016 to toe the party line, that their "surname is the party". Since then, media freedoms steadily decreased, while Xi-related propaganda steadily increased.

- He formally established himself as the "core" of the party - party-speak for paramount leader, in 2016.

- Xi amended the party constitution in 2017 to include Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. Having an eponymous ideology put him on par only with Mao and Deng Xiaoping.

- He made explicit the supreme role of the party by proclaiming in 2017: "Party, government, military, people, education; east, south, west, north, central: the party leads everything."

- He amended the country's constitution in 2018 to abolish term limits for the presidency, removing a obstacle for him to rule for life.

- The party pledged to uphold the "Two Establishes", party-speak for loyalty to him, in a historical resolution passed in 2021.

(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Tony Munroe and Lincoln Feast.)
Law enforcement in Oregon have issued a warning to the public after at least three live hand grenades washed up on the shore of a beach along the state's central coast.

Newport Police Department officers responded Oct. 4 to the Newport area between Yaquina Bay State Park and Agate Beach after receiving multiple reports of "explosive" hand grenades being found, the department wrote in a news release.

The beach is about 110 miles southwest of Portland.

In all, officers have responded to reports involving three devices they said apparently washed ashore on beaches in that area.

The Oregon State Police Bomb Squad responded and seized the devices, the department wrote in the release.

Police in Newport, Oregon have issued a warning to the public after a number of explosive hand grenades washed up on the shore of a beach along the state's central coast. One of them washed up on October, 4, 2022 at Agate Beach near Yaquina Bay State Park.

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As of Monday, no incidents had been reported in connection to the devices washing ashore.

The devices are white and have a label attached to them that reads Warning Explosive, police said.

A label on them reads it's a Simulator Hand Grenade M116A.

It was not immediately known where the devices are from and how they ended up in the water and eventually on shore.

The police department could not immediately be reached for comment by USA TODAY.

"If you encounter such a device, please do not handle or attempt to move it," the department wrote.

Anyone who finds one is asked to call the local police department and report it.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Explosive hand grenades wash up on beach in Newport, Oregon: police
Five decades ago, a lawyer convinced a French court to acquit a teenage girl who illegally terminated her pregnancy after being raped, a landmark case that would pave the way for the right to abortion in France.

Marie-Claire Chevalier was 16 when a boy the same age attacked her and made her pregnant. Her mother, an employee of the Paris public transport authority, helped her find a backstreet abortion.

But her rapist informed on her and she was ordered to stand trial at a children's court in the Paris suburb of Bobigny.

Her mother and three others were also charged with conspiring to commit the illegal abortion.

Lawyer Gisele Halimi took on their defence, and helped sway public opinion by enlisting celebrities such as feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir to testify.

On October 11, 1972, Chevalier was acquitted, a verdict whose momentous impact would lead parliament to legalise abortions two years later.

The case was the ideal opportunity "to speak out, over the heads of the magistrates, to public opinion and to the country to denounce the law," Halimi told journalist Annick Cojean for a 2020 book about her life.

She also had the backing of fellow feminists fed up with a law that disproportionately punished women of modest means who could not afford to travel abroad for a legal termination.

- 'Truncheon blows' -

A few days before the trial, they had gathered for a peaceful protest in central Paris.

It was "a trial against injustice, the trial of a woman from an underprivileged background who could not go to England or Sweden to have an abortion in the best conditions," recalled Claudine Monteil, a historian and retired diplomat who took part in the protests, when she was 22.

A massive security force was deployed and many demonstrators received "punches" and "truncheon blows" as police detained 54 people, Le Monde newspaper wrote at the time.

"They hit us, pulled our hair. It was terrible: There was screaming, women falling on the ground, a young woman who was almost killed," Monteil said.

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But the authorities made a mistake, she said, since the brutal crackdown only intensified the public focus on Chevalier's case, and activists massed outside the courthouse when the trial began.

"I could hear the crowd outside shouting... 'We've all aborted,' 'Free Marie-Claire,' or even 'England for the rich, prison for the poor'," Halimi said in her book.

She also recalled, "The anger I felt in front of these men about to judge us and who knew nothing of the life of a woman."

At around 11 am, the protesters tried to break through the police barrier and force their way into the closed proceedings, before being pushed back.

Just an hour and a half later, Chevalier emerged from the courthouse, acquitted.

"I was scared," she told the crowd, while Halimi declared, "We put the abortion ban on trial."

- Judges 'lectured' -

Several weeks later, on November 8, Halimi was back in a different court to defend Chevalier's mother Michele, two of her colleagues and the person who carried out the abortion.

She again called to the stand as witnesses famous actresses, a Nobel Prize-winning doctor and de Beauvoir, author of "The Second Sex", who took the court's male judges to task.

"She lectured them on society's hypocrisy, on how women were being treated," she said. "For us, it was wonderful to see judges drop their gaze like little boys. It was an extraordinary moment to see judges not dare criticise Simone de Beauvoir."

In her statements, Halimi attacked a law that she said discriminated against the poorer classes.

Had the court ever tried "the wife of a high-ranking official, of a famous doctor, or of a corporate executive? You always try the same women, the Mrs Chevaliers" of this world, she said.

"This archaic law cannot survive. It goes against women's freedom."

Chevalier's mother and the person who carried out the abortion were handed suspended sentences, the two others acquitted.

But for Halimi, the victory was clear. "This ruling is an irreversible step towards a change of the law," she said outside the courthouse.

Just over two years later, in January 1975, lawmakers voted to legalise abortion.

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A low-pressure system over the Yucatan Peninsula is producing a disorganized cluster of thunderstorms, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Some development of the system is possible over the next two days after moving over the far southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Read: Eye on the Tropics: Julia becomes a hurricane, makes landfall early Sunday morning

Regardless of development, the organization is expected to bring heavy rain over portions of Southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala over the next couple of days.

The storm brings no threat to Florida.

READ: He was swinging at parents: Police shoot man with ax outside Florida school

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.
Relatives of imprisoned or recently released activists in the Middle East, including in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, urged the United States this week to use its influence to secure progress on human rights in those countries.

Their talks in Washington with White House, State Department and congressional officials, led by the NGO Freedom Initiative, came almost three months after President Joe Biden's much-criticized visit to Jeddah, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.

The visit brought focus to Biden's back-and-forth posture toward US allies like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Before Biden was elected, he pledged to treat Saudi Arabia as a "pariah" because of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, dismembered in 2018 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and to be a herald of democracy.

But his cordial "fist bump" greeting with Prince Mohammed in July left a bitter taste for some activists and their families, and their visit to Washington was tinged with both disillusionment and determination to keep the pressure on.

Sanaa Seif, sister of Alaa Abdel Fattah, Egypt's most notorious detainee who has been on hunger strike for more than six months, told AFP she was "disappointed" that while US officials were "very sympathetic... it doesn't translate to anything tangible."

Pressure from Washington could, however, have an impact on the Egyptian government as well as on the British authorities and push them to act more forcefully, she argued. From his cell, her brother, sentenced to five years in prison for "spreading false information," became a British citizen this year.

- 'Imprisoned for tweets' -

In the run-up to the global climate summit known as COP27 next month in Egypt, Palestinian Ramy Shaath, who was imprisoned for more than 900 days in Egypt, has called on the United States to ensure that this climate conference does not serve as "greenwashing" for the regime.

"The level of oppression is becoming devastating" in Egypt, he said, noting that NGOs say the country holds some 60,000 political prisoners.

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Yet al-Sissi remains susceptible to foreign pressure.

"He definitely looks at the US and the European Union as the main source of support, the main source of income, main source of weaponry, and he's susceptible to their small criticism," Shaath said, adding that he wishes such criticism would become "more vocal."

Egypt receives more than $1 billion a year in direct US military aid.

Lina al-Hathloul, the sister of Loujain al-Hathloul, a Saudi women's rights activist released from prison in 2021 but still banned from leaving the country, also told US officials that "the only concrete solution (was) to stop encouraging a dictator," referring to the crown prince.

"You have leverage," she urged them.

Before Biden's trip to Jeddah in mid-July, "we were clear with our message: If the administration is going to visit our countries without putting clear conditions when it comes to human rights, it will get worse and our oppressors will feel emboldened," Lina al-Hathloul told AFP.

"They promised us that it was not going to happen" in this way, she added, but the situation in Saudi Arabia is "clearly worse than before."

"Everyone is afraid," she said. "People are imprisoned for tweets."

In September, in front of the United Nations General Assembly, Biden assured that "the United States will always promote human rights... around the world," and that "the future will be won by those countries that unleash the full potential of their populations."

But his "fist bump" diplomacy, which was supposed to mark a new beginning with Riyadh, showed its limits in another area Wednesday with the announcement that Saudi-led oil exporters group Opec+ was going to cut its production.

"Biden sold his human rights principles for the Saudi crown prince's promise to increase oil production," blasted Kenneth Roth, the former head of non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch. "So Joe Biden, was it worth it?"

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Tamara Sawyers family was home when gunshots rang out from her bedroom on Sunday, Oct. 9, Texas officials told news outlets.

Moments earlier, the 23-year-olds ex-boyfriend had shown up at the home on Rain Willow Court, a residential street on Houstons southwest side, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on Twitter.

He came inside around 3 p.m. and they went into Sawyers room, KHOU reported. Sawyer and the 22-year-old man had dated off and on since high school, investigators told the TV station.

Two family members and Sawyers current boyfriend were elsewhere in the house at the time, the outlet reported.

About 10 minutes after the ex-boyfriend arrived, gunfire erupted and Sawyers family rushed to the room, KPRC reported. Inside, they saw Sawyer wounded and her ex holding a gun.

They moved away from the room and called 911, deputies told the station. As they were on the call, the ex fired more shots.

Sawyer and the ex-boyfriend were pronounced dead at the scene, Gonzalez said. Deputies said that after killing Sawyer, the man turned the gun on himself.

Originally a resident of Ohio, Sawyer was living with family while she studied nursing at Houston Community College, outlets reported.

The incident is being investigated, Gonzalez said.

Security guard trying to stop robbery accidentally shoots victim twice, Texas cops say

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Stepfather killed in fight with men dropping off teen stepdaughters, Texas cops say
LONDON (Reuters) -China is using its financial and scientific muscle to manipulate technologies in a manner that risks global security, Britain's top cyber spy will say on Tuesday, warning that Beijing's actions could represent "a huge threat to us all."

In a speech, Jeremy Fleming, director of the GCHQ spy agency, will say that the Chinese leadership was seeking to use technologies such as digital currencies and its Beidou satellite navigation network to tighten its grip over its citizens at home, while spreading its influence abroad.

"They seek to secure their advantage through scale and through control," Fleming will say in the annual security lecture at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, according to extracts released by his office.

"This means they see opportunities to control the Chinese people rather than looking for ways to support and unleash their citizens' potential. They see nations as either potential adversaries or potential client states, to be threatened, bribed, or coerced."

The remarks are Fleming's latest public warnings about Beijing's behaviour and aspirations. Last year, he said the West faced a battle to ensure China did not dominate important emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and genetics.

Fleming will say the Chinese leadership was driven by a fear of their own citizens, of freedom of speech, of free trade and open technological standards and alliances, "the whole open, democratic order and the international rules-based system."

That fear combined with China's strength was driving it "into actions that could represent a huge threat to us all," he will say.

A spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry said the claims had "no basis in fact".

"China's financial and technological development is aimed at making a better life for the Chinese people, and is not aimed at anyone and does not constitute a threat. Harbouring a China threat theory and provoking confrontation is both detrimental to others and harmful to oneself," the spokeswoman told reporters.

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Fleming will also highlight technologies where he says China is seeking to gain leverage, such as its development of a centralised, digital currency to allow it to monitor the transactions of users, as well as to possibly evade the sort of sanctions Russia has faced since its invasion of Ukraine.

He will also point to Beidou, Chinas answer to the U.S.-owned GPS navigation system.

"Many believe that China is building a powerful anti-satellite capability, with a doctrine of denying other nations access to space in the event of a conflict," he will say. "And there are fears the technology could be used to track individuals."

(Reporting by Michael Holden in London, additional reporting by Martin Pollard in BeijingEditing by Matthew Lewis, William Maclean)
Federal agents investigating Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, believe they have evidence of tax crimes and it will be up to a prosecutor to decide whether to bring any charges, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The newspaper, citing people familiar with the case, said investigators also believe they have sufficient evidence to charge the younger Biden with making a false statement in connection with a gun purchase.

It would be up to the US Attorney in Delaware, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, to decide whether to file charges against the 52-year-old Biden.

Hunter Biden, a lawyer and lobbyist, acknowledged in a statement in December 2020 that his tax affairs were under federal investigation and denied any wrongdoing.

From 2014 to 2019, while his father was vice president, Hunter Biden served notably on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company.

Trump was impeached by the US House of Representatives in 2019 for trying to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into digging up what he alleged was compromising information on Hunter Biden.

According to the Post, federal agents believe they have gathered sufficient evidence to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes and lying on gun purchase paperwork in 2018.

The newspaper said US Attorney General Merrick Garland has left any decision on whether charges should be brought in the hands of David Weiss, the US Attorney in Delaware, the Bidens' home state.

A lawyer for Hunter Biden, Chris Clark, told the Post that federal agents are not allowed to leak information to the media.

"It is a federal felony for a federal agent to leak information about a Grand Jury investigation such as this one," Clark said in a statement.

"As is proper and legally required, we believe the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents, but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense," Clark added.

"That is the job of the prosecutors. They should not be pressured, rushed, or criticized for doing their job."

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A string of miscues from Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman on the Senate campaign trail is fueling questions about his fitness for office.

Fetterman suffered a stroke in May, and his gradual return to the campaign trail has been marred by verbal stumbles and miscues.

"The [Philadelphia] Eagles are so much better than the Eagles!" Fetterman told a Philadelphia crowd late last month.

FETTERMAN CAMPAIGN WALKS BACK APPARENT CALL TO FREE EVERY CONVICTED SECOND-DEGREE MURDERER

"I'm doing fantastic, and it's not about kicking balls in the authority or anything," Fetterman recently told MSNBC host Chris Hayes. (Fetterman mixed up the phrase "kicking authority in the balls," which is how Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz had described Fetterman.)

"And make sure you take advantage of this amazing opportunity to, the only thing you have stand to lose is your record," Fetterman said in a prerecorded video to supporters last month.

Fetterman's stumbles are providing Republicans with plenty of ammunition to raise questions about his fitness for office.

John Fetterman, lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and Democratic Senate candidate, has faced questions about his fitness for office. Michelle Gustafson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Fetterman about his stroke recovery at a Pittsburgh rally earlier this month while taking aim at Oz.

"As you know, I had a stroke," Fetterman told the crowd. "Oh and I'm so grateful to be here today now after surviving that better and better, you know?"

"You know, the only lingering issue that I have after that stroke is sometimes auditory processing, sometimes. And, every now and then, I might miss a word or, sometimes, you know, I might mush two words together," Fetterman said before bringing up a video of Oz that his campaign has mocked all summer.

FETTERMAN ADDRESSES STROKE, TARGETS DR. OZ AT PITTSBURGH RALLY: EVERY NOW AND THEN I MIGHT MISS A WORD

Fetterman has taken criticism for not being open about his health since his May stroke, which occurred days before he handily won the Democratic nomination for Senate. Oz and others have raised questions about whether the 52-year-old former mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, is up to the task of serving in the Senate.

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Brittany Yanick, communications director for Oz, who is closing the gap on Fetterman in the highly watched toss-up race, told Fox News Digital that "on KDKA radio, John Fetterman swore up and down he's not on the heart transplant list."

"If he's willing to tell a journalist that he doesn't need a heart transplant on the record, what is the big deal about making his medical records public to back that up?" Yanick said. "Fetterman already hid the fact that he had atrial fibrillation when he ran for lieutenant governor and throughout the Democratic primary for Senate, so how can we take him at his word now?"

"The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called on both candidates to release their medical records weeks ago. Oz released his. Why hasn't Fetterman?" she continued. "It's bizarre and strange he hasn't done it yet. What is John Fetterman hiding?"

Mehmet Oz, Republican Senate candidate for Pennsylvania, hasn't shied away from raising questions about Fetterman's fitness for office. Nate Smallwood/Bloomberg via Getty Images

"As we've said over and over again, John is healthy and he also still has a lingering auditory processing issue that his doctors expect will go away," Fetterman campaign spokesperson Joe Calvello told Fox News Digital in a statement.

"John has already released a letter from his cardiologist, put out a candid letter directly from himself about his stroke, and talked about his health openly with local and national media," Calvello continued.

"Unfortunately for Dr. Oz and the pathetic Republicans who are desperately rooting against his recovery, John is getting better every day and he is going to win this race to be Pennsylvania's next Senator," he added.

Fettermans health will continue to be a central theme of the race going into November, and even the White House is growing nervous about the topic, The Associated Press reported.

The Pennsylvania Democrat is still up in the polls against his Republican opponent, but with the Keystone States purple hue, its anyones ballgame.

Fox News Digitals Thomas Phippen and The Associated Press contributed reporting.
(Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. advanced after Mongolias national carrier operated the 737 Max jet in China, marking the first time in almost four years the model was used for commercial services to the country.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A MIAT Mongolian Airlines round-trip flight with passengers between Ulaanbaatar to Guangzhou landed in the southern Chinese city at 8:18am local time on Monday, according to FlightRadar24 data. MIAT Mongolian Airlines has the trip scheduled to fly again, using the 737 Max, on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. Both are listed on the carriers website.

MIAT received all necessary permission in August to operate the Max into China, and no special permit was required for Mondays flight, a spokesperson for the carrier said in an email. The aircraft has undergone all of the work related to the safety bulletins issued by Boeing and authorities and is safe to operate, the spokesperson said.

Boeings shares pared a gain of as much as 4.6% to trade up 1.9% to $132.19 as of 11:14 a.m. in New York. The stock is down about 34% this year.

The move is being closely watched as a potential signal the model may be closer to a return to service by Chinese carriers. Boeing officials met with Chinas aviation regulator last month to review pilot training criteria for its Max jetliners, in a sign the planemaker is getting closer to securing all the necessary approvals to get the Max back up and flying in China -- the last remaining major aviation market not to permit its resumption.

We continue to work with global regulators and our customers to safely return the 737 Max to service worldwide, Boeing said in an e-mailed statement, declining to comment further.

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Read More: Boeing Held Talks With China Regulator on 737 Max Comeback

China was the first to ground the Max in March 2019 and held off approving its return long after US regulators lifted a ban in late 2020 and Europe and other places followed in subsequent months. Returning the 737 Max to the skies in China and resuming deliveries are critical steps toward helping rebuild Boeings balance sheet, which was battered by the lengthy Max grounding and the Covid pandemic.

Chinese airlines havent flown the plane commercially since two fatal crashes involving the model in October 2018 and March 2019 in Indonesia and Ethiopia, respectively, that combined killed 346 people. Boeing has said it is diverting some 737 Max jes earmarked for China to other buyers.

The aircraft that operated Mondays service to Guangzhou had been leased on a short-term basis to TunisAir this summer, and MIAT got it back last week, the spokesperson said.

(Updates with comment from MIAT in fouth paragraph, adds shares.)

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The Lutheran Social Services food pantry saw a steady rise in the number of people served  21% higher than the same time last year. LSS is also seeing a growing need for food for young people.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Currently, LSS delivers food to children at 13 schools in both Duval and Clay counties.

The Backpack program distributes bags of snacks and easily prepared meals to 800-plus students every Friday. These children rely on free or reduced-price school meals during the week, which help struggling families make it through the weekend.

Five additional schools have reached out to LSS to participate in the Backpack program, but LSS has had to place them on a waiting list due to a lack of funding.

Read: 100th year of fire prevention week in the City of Jacksonville

No child should go hungry in our community, LSS president and CEO Bill Brian said in a recent interview. Brian continued, Hunger is an issue we can solve if we all work together. As LSS continues working hard to keep our pantry open and running five days a week, we are asking the community to support our efforts by sponsoring a child as a monthly subscriber.

How the community can help.

There are two main ways that the community can come together to help fight child hunger through LSS.

The first is to volunteer for shifts in the pantry.

LSS also offers opportunities for individuals and organizations to sponsor a food drive.

Finally, LSS is asking the community to sponsor a student through the Backpack program. For $15 a month, a sponsor can provide one student and their family with food assistance every week.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

For more information on getting involved and helping click here or visit http://lssjax.org.

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By Corina Pons and Catarina Demony

MADRID/LISBON (Reuters) - Ukrainian psychologist Tatyana Bogkova was on a birthday trip in Poland with her mother and four-year-old daughter when Russian troops invaded her homeland earlier this year.

With shells raining on Kharkiv city and her policeman husband staying to fight, the 32-year-old chose to take refuge in Spain, where she quickly translated her CV and took language lessons in hope of a job.

She is still searching.

"I am not afraid of any job but I would like to do what I learned," Bogkova said in a Madrid cafe near a Catholic Church aid centre, which together with a family offered them a free house until December.

"Every day I look for ideas on how to work while my daughter is at school," added the Ukrainian, who at least cleans a cafeteria fortnightly with her mother and also volunteers on social media content for a charity.

Bogkova and her family are among 7.6 million Ukrainian refugees scattered around Europe since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops over the border and heavily bombarded cities like Kharkiv.

The Ukrainians were initially welcomed with open arms into shelters and homes across Europe, where authorities skipped bureaucratic hurdles at a speed that raised eyebrows among refugees from Syria, Africa and elsewhere.

Yet as the war drags into its eighth month and their hopes of a quick return recede, many feel in limbo and are struggling to make ends meet.

Europe's cost-of-living crisis, including soaring energy bills just as winter looms, has exacerbated their plight.

"Initially a lot of people came (to Portugal) feeling depressed because of the war ... Now their main issue is the situation here," said Ihor Ostrovskyi, a 57-year-old academic from Lviv who fled to Portugal shortly after the invasion.

He works at the front desk of a huge warehouse that is Lisbon's refugee centre and said most of those coming in need urgent help finding a job or a house.

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"Nobody knew this was going to last this long," he said of Portuguese families' waning enthusiasm to open homes for free.

'EXISTENTIAL EMERGENCY'

Portugal has taken more than 52,000 Ukrainians, with authorities running programmes to help them pay rent and find houses in a process that some found slow.

Spain has taken in 142,000 under temporary protection and guaranteed them healthcare and employment services from day one, advantages that other refugee groups do not have as quickly.

But the refugees have struggled to find decently-paid jobs, especially those matching their skill sets.

Many lack the local language skills and most are women, many single mothers, because Ukrainian men of fighting age largely stayed behind. Those who do find work are often forced into low-wage sectors such as tourism, agriculture and construction.

In Spain, official data shows only 13% of 90,000 Ukrainians of working age have a job. Some 61% of arrivals had been in higher education, with 28% possessing degrees or professional qualifications, most typically economists, engineers, software developers and entrepreneurs.

In Portugal, job centre IEFP has only 5,523 Ukrainian professionals listed available to work.

Ever-welcoming Germany took in nearly 1 million Ukrainians between February and September but less than 10% have jobs, according to the Federal Employment Agency, although almost 340,000 Ukrainians are registered as seeking work.

Agency spokesperson Susanne Eikemeier said limiting factors were lack of childcare, difficulty recognising foreign diplomas, and language issues. Since many were experiencing "an existential emergency" after fleeing war, she added, finding work was not always a priority.

In Portugal's top holiday region, the Algarve, Maria Joao de Deus set up a group to help Ukrainian refugees in the municipality of Lagoa. But accommodation dwindled as dwellings were turned over to tourists during the summer and now jobs are shrinking anyway as the holiday season ends.

"There are people returning to Ukraine due to lack of opportunities," she said.

DEPRESSION

The Spanish International Protection Unit, which cares for migrants, is offering language courses and employment programmes in an effort to "adjust expectations" to reality and facilitate integration, said general director Amapola Blasco.

But many Ukrainians skip classes or turn down jobs as they do not intend to stay long, she added.

"Many of them are not willing to work in the catering service or care sectors, which is where it is relatively easy to find a job even if your language skills are limited," she said. "These jobs do not meet their expectations."

Though 2,000 Spanish companies made jobs available to Ukrainians, few were able to meet the often very specific requirements. "The administration worked well, they quickly had all the permits, but the reality is that there are no suitable positions for them," said Gonzaga Avello, a consultancy firm founder who tried to help in the hiring process.

Without a job, renting becomes harder.

In Portugal, Ukrainian travel agent Oksana Voloshyna, 42, would like to stay until it is safe to return home but she is intimidated by the country's bureaucracy.

Refugees were able to register for temporary protection online but most only have an e-mail confirmation.

"The future is unpredictable in Ukraine so we would like to have something more predictable here in Portugal," she said. "I don't want to be an illegal migrant."

The Iberian nations have given one-year protection to Ukrainians, though that can be extended.

Katherine, 34, a model and clothes designer, was recovering from breast cancer surgery when Odessa came under attack. Now she lives in a refugee centre on Spain's Gran Canaria island with her 12-year-old son and is receiving medical assistance.

Despite suffering depression, she is working on her Spanish and trying to find a job in tourism, so far without success.

"I had a dream life," she said, strolling on a nearby beach.

"Now I do not have a home."

(Reporting by Corina Pons Rodriguez in Madrid, Catarina Demony in Lisbon and Sarah Marsh in Berlin, editing by Aislinn Laing and Andrew Cawthorne)
Young freelancer business man working at home in home office Srdjanns74

A Dutch court ruled a Florida company owed a remote employee $73,000 for wrongful termination.

He was fired for refusing to turn his webcam on for an all-day training, court documents say.

The court said making an employee keep their webcam on all day was an intrusion of privacy.

A court ruled last month that a Florida company owed a remote worker $73,000 after it fired him for refusing to keep his webcam on.

The employee worked remotely from the Netherlands for Chetu, a US software company. The company told him on August 23 that he'd need to keep his webcam on all day for a virtual training program, the NL Times reported.

In response, the employee told Chetu he didn't "feel comfortable being monitored for 9 hours a day by a camera," according to court documents filed in the Netherlands, where the case was heard.

"This is an invasion of my privacy and makes me feel really uncomfortable," he told the company, according to the NL Times' translation of the Dutch court documents. "That's the reason why my camera isn't on."

The employee, who wasn't named in the suit, said the company could already monitor his activities on his laptop and that he was also sharing his screen.

Another employee at Chetu said the requirement for employees to keep their webcams on was "no different" from how an employee would be seen by everyone all day in a physical office, according to the court papers.

Three days later, on August 26, the employee was fired for "refusal to work" and "insubordination," the court documents say.

He took Chetu to court in the Netherlands, saying he wasn't given an "urgent reason" to "justify the immediate dismissal given" and that the company's demand that he keep his webcam on was a violation of his privacy rights.

In its ruling, the Dutch court sided with the employee, saying the firing was "not legally valid."

"The employer has not made it clear enough about the reasons for the dismissal," the court said. "Moreover, there has been no evidence of a refusal to work, nor has there been any reasonable instruction."

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Making an employee leave their camera on, the court added, is against the employee's right to respect for private life.

The court cited Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which says: "Strict conditions are attached to observing employees."

It further referred to a European Court of Human Rights' judgment in a 2017 case "that video surveillance of an employee in the workplace, be it covert or not, must be considered as a considerable intrusion into the employee's private life."

Chetu didn't immediately respond to a request for comment made by email and phone.

If the employee in the Netherlands were working in Florida or another place in the US, TechCrunch reported, his situation likely would have fallen under so-called right-to-work laws, which state that employees work "at will"  and generally can quit or be fired at any time, for almost any reason, likely including the refusal to keep a webcam running at all times.

But the Dutch court ruled that Chetu had to pay the former employee 50,000 euros, or about $48,500, in fair compensation, 2,700 euros in unpaid salary, 8,373.13 euros for wrongful termination, and his unpaid holiday allowance, according to court documents. It's not clear whether there is an appeal process for such a ruling.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The gubernatorial debate between Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has been rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 24.

The debate, originally set for Wednesday, had been postponed due to Hurricane Ian striking the state.

News station WPEC News 12 is still set to host the debate in Fort Pierce.

It is the only debate scheduled between the two candidates for governor.

This debate is important. Florida voters deserve a chance to hear from both candidates in the race to determine who will lead our state for the next four years, Crist said in a statement.

Voters also deserve to hear Gov. DeSantis defend his extremist anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-freedom agenda.

The DeSantis campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mail-in voting has already begun across Florida, and early voting begins two weeks prior to Election Day on Nov. 8.

Complete election coverage can be found at OrlandoSentinel.com/election.
University of Florida students and faculty are protesting the possible naming of Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) as the institutions next president.

Protesters interrupted a question-and-answer session attended by Sasse on the schools campus on Monday, where they argued his opposition to same-sex marriage and his positions on LGBTQ issues made him unsuitable to serve as the schools leader.

The students and faculty protesting Sasse say he has a documented history of embracing anti-LGBTQ messaging and criticizing the legislation and landmark judicial decisions on which modern LGBTQ rights hinge.

A Change.org petition organized by Leyka Rumalla, a junior at UF, urges the universitys board of trustees to reject the recommendation by a search committee that Sasse be selected for the post. The petition argues that Sasses political views do not align with the values that the students at the University of Florida hold.

They are discriminatory and non-representative of our student population, the petition states.

Sasse issued a statement following the Supreme Courts 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states that called the decision a disappointment.

Marriage brings a wife and husband together so their children can have a mom and dad, Sasse said. As a society, we need to celebrate marriage as the best way to provide stability and opportunity for kids.

More than seven years later, preserving the sanctity of marriage is still listed as a top priority on Sasses website, and the Nebraska senator has been critical of the House-passed Respect for Marriage Act  federal legislation that would address a national patchwork of marriage laws by requiring all states to recognize same-sex and interracial unions as legally valid.

The senator sought to quell the criticism during his Monday appearance, where the first question of the session centered on the Nebraska Republicans opposition to same-sex marriage.

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In response, Sasse said the Supreme Courts decision affirming same-sex marriage rights, Obergefell v. Hodges, is the law of the land and that wont be changing, adding that inclusion is squarely what he seeks if and when he takes over as head of the university.

I believe in the universal dignity and the immeasurable worth of every single person. All the tens of millions of Floridians, all  56,000 students here, all 30,000 faculty and staff, Sasse said. Every person has immeasurable worth and dignity, and we need to create a community of inclusion and respect and trust where people feel heard and appreciated and cherished.

There are definitely federal policy issues where Ive had disputes before about which decisions courts should be making versus legislatures, but Obergefell, for example, is the law of the land and nothing about Obergefell is changing in the United States, Sasse continued. So your question is: do I support and affirm everybody in this community? Absolutely. And frankly, one of my jobs would be to make sure that we as a community work hard for everybody to feel included, and one piece of that is making sure we understand what metrics we have to make sure were getting better at making people feel included.

There have been questions, however, about whether todays Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, could overrule the Obergefell decision.

Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the six conservatives, said in a concurring opinion to the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade in June that Obergefell and other due process precedents should be reconsidered.

Momentum for the Respect for Marriage Act increased after Thomas issued his concurrent opinion, but Sasse told reporters in July that it was unnecessary, accusing Democrats of voting in favor of the bill to further divide Americans.

Is there a single case about it? Im not not answering questions that are about hypotheticals that are just Pelosi trying to divide America with culture wars, he said, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

After Sasses comments, protesters could be heard during his appearance chanting Hey hey, ho ho, Ben Sasse has got to go.

At times, the chants became louder when a door to the room would open, with the session at one point pausing for 30 seconds while the GOP senator was answering a question about in-person, hybrid and zoom classes.

Obviously, I wish they didnt have the position they have, but I strongly support the right people to protest and exercise their free speech rights,: Sasse said. I wont say I precisely welcome the protesters, but I sort of intellectually and constitutionally welcome the protesters.

Sasse also received similar questions about abortion and how willing he will be to break with the GOP in the future in the top job at the school. He said that the office of the universitys president has little to do with anything on the abortion front and that the role and serving as the senator of a deep-red state are completely different.

The student Q&A was sandwiched between similar events with faculty and school employees during Sasses visit to the campus in Gainesville, Fla.

Some University of Florida students have said they worry about the campuss future under Sasses leadership, especially in a state that earlier this year heavily restricted K-12 educators ability to teach their students about sexual orientation and gender identity under what has become known as the Dont Say Gay law.

RJ Della Salle, an openly gay freshman at UF studying political science, told the schools student newspaper the Independent Florida Alligator that Sasses comments on the Courts Obergefell ruling troubled him and that he would have thought twice about attending the university if Sasse had been serving as its president when Salle was still applying to colleges.

Salle, who lives in the Lavender Living Learning Community for LGBTQ students at UF, told the Alligator he planned to attend a protest on Monday outside Emerson Alumni Hall, where Sasse was slated to speak with faculty, staff and students in a series of panel discussions.

We either have someone whos a genuine homophobe as our president or we have a sleazy politician who just says what the people that hes trying to get elected by want to hear, Salle said.

The universitys board of trustees is scheduled to formally consider Sasses candidacy at its Nov. 1 meeting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former San Bernardino County Planning Commissioner Gabriel Chavez, 65, agrees to plead guilty to a cannabis bribery scheme.

A former San Bernardino County planning commissioner has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge for funneling bribes through his company to a corrupt Baldwin Park politician, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Gabriel Chavez, 65, of Upland, channeled the bribes in exchange for the politicians votes and influence over the citys cannabis permitting process, the DOJ announced Friday.

Chavez agreed to plead guilty to one count of bribery. Both the information and Chavezs plea agreement were filed today in U.S. District Court, and Chavez is expected to enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks.

The politician who solicited the bribes  former Baldwin Park City Councilmember Ricardo Pacheco  pled guilty in June 2021 to a federal bribery charge.

Chavez and Pacheco

Federal prosecutors on Friday also unsealed additional portions of Pachecos plea agreement in which he admits to bribery schemes involving Chavez and other individuals.

Pacheco was first elected to the Baldwin Park City Council in 1997 and served as mayor pro-tem in 2018. He resigned from the city council in June 2021 and is awaiting sentencing.

Both Chavez and Pacheco have signed plea agreements in which they have agreed to cooperate in the governments ongoing investigation.

According to Chavezs plea agreement, in June 2017, Baldwin Park began permitting the cultivation, sale, and manufacturing of marijuana within its city limits.

Soon afterward, Pacheco decided to solicit bribe payments from businesses seeking marijuana development agreements and related permits in the city. In exchange for the illicit payments, Pacheco agreed to use his position in city government to assist the companies with obtaining marijuana permits.

Chavez agreed to act as an intermediary to funnel those bribes to Pacheco by using his Claremont-based internet marketing company, Market Share Media Agency.

In exchange for the bribes, Pacheco agreed to vote and use his influence over the citys permitting process to secure marijuana permits for two companies, identified in court documents as Marijuana Company 3 and Marijuana Company 4.

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Pacheco and Chavez agreed that Pacheco would get 60% of the companies bribe money while Chavez would retain the remainder as payment primarily for facilitating the bribes.

Chavez obtained bribe payments to pass to Pacheco from an individual identified in court papers as Person 14, another public official who was helping "Marijuana Company 4" obtain its marijuana permit.

To conceal the true nature of the payments, the bribes Chavez accepted were disguised as consulting payments from Person 14s consulting company to Market Share Media Agency.

The cash

From August 2017 to March 2018, Chavez received at least $125,000 from "Marijuana Company 3" and at least $45,000 on behalf of "Marijuana Company 4," none of which he reported to the IRS as personal income or as his companys revenue. Chavez paid Pacheco between $80,000 and $93,000 in cash out of at least $170,000 collected from both companies.

On multiple occasions, Chavez used coded language in text messages to tell Pacheco that he had cash bribes to pass to him. For example, in January 2018, Chavez sent Pacheco a text message stating, Im planning to bring all the documents, by which Chavez meant he planned to bring Pacheco cash bribes.

Per Chavezs agreement with Pacheco, the cash payments were in exchange for Pacheos votes on the two companies marijuana permits and Pachecos help securing the necessary votes from other members of the Baldwin Park City Council.

Pacheco performed his end of the bargain, voting in favor of "Marijuana Company 3" and "Marijuana Company 4s" cannabis permits, first in December 2017 and later in May 2018.

Chavez further admitted in his plea agreement that Market Share Media Agency won a no-bid, $14,500 contract from the City of Huntington Park signed by "Person 14."

The no-bid contract represented, in part, further compensation for Chavez in his efforts to facilitate the bribe to Pacheco to secure the marijuana permit for "Marijuana Company 4" in Baldwin Park.

To further secure this permit, "Person 14" gave Chavez a $5,000 check made payable to the church associated with the school where Pachecos child attended.

Chavez was appointed to the San Bernardino County Planning Commission in June 2018 but resigned in November 2018 after the FBI executed a search warrant at his home.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.

Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in Los Angeles County is encouraged to send information to the FBIs email tip line at pctips-losangeles@fbi.gov or to contact the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk and Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.

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: Ex San Bernardino County commissioner agrees to plead guilty to bribery
Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant

Four missiles hit the Burshtyn TPPs open switch gears, she said.

According to the governor, there were no casualties or injuries among the staff.

Rescue teams are working at the scene, she added.

Read also: Ukraine seeing disruptions in mobile services after mass missile strikes

Russia launched a series of missile strikes across Ukraine early on Oct. 10, which led to numerous killed and injured civilians, as well as the destruction of important critical infrastructure facilities.

Power stations were hit in the cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipro, and Vinnytsia, as well as Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Kirovohrad oblasts.

Ukraines national power company Ukrenergo has started to use backup power mechanisms to restore power in a number of oblasts, and is work-ing on repairing the damage caused by the mass Russian missile strikes.

The company also warned about power outages in cities and towns.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has advised citizens to tone down power consumption between the hours of 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm, in order to lighten the load on the Ukrainian grid.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Fox News hosts conceded that Kanye Wests post directed at Jewish people was ugly and condemnable, making a swift on-air U-turn shortly after supporting the rapper.

Fox News hosts Will Cain and Pete Hegseth along with co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy defended West on Sunday after he was suspended from Instagram for posts that were condemned as anti-Semitic.

While Cain and Hegseth said they did not see the posts because they were censored, Campos-Duffy who saw the posts said it was totalitarian and anti-American for Instagram to delete them.

There is no question that Kanye or Ye was going to have to be taken down after what happened in the Tucker Carlson interview, Campos-Duffy said. They had to cut him down.

Were in this weird era where people cant just say what they want to say, she added. This idea you have to just shut down his account is just, its totally totalitarian, totally anti-American. Its just wrong.

Hegseth said the rapper would not have been suspended had he not appeared on Tucker Carlsons show earlier this week.

West made an appearance wearing a lanyard connected to a photo of a babys ultrasound to declare that hes pro-life. He claimed that Jared Kushner, the Jewish son-in-law of Donald Trump, made peace deals in the Middle East, including a $110bn arms deal to Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords, for personal profit.

After speaking in his defence, the Fox & Friends Weekend hosts returned to the television screens with a very different perspective after coming to know what he had actually posted.

Ye West threatening to go to war with Jewish people on Twitter, Hegseth said.

These shocking remarks come after he appears to imply Diddy, a fellow rapper, was controlled by the Jews on Instagram, Cain noted.

Hegseth said it is unfortunate and Cain described it as pretty ugly.

We talked about it earlier without knowing about these tweets and saying of course theyre going to put a target, after what he said with Tucker, theres going to be a target, no doubt, Hegseth said. But in this particular case, he brought the target.

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However, Campos-Duffy did not condemn the posts and asked: The question is should he be removed from Instagram and who gets to decide that?

The rapper shared a since-deleted post that showed a screenshot of his purpoted text conversation with Sean Diddy Combs. It suggested that Combs was being controlled by Jewish people. The post was quickly condemned by the American Jewish Committee, an anti-hate group, who slammed West for his dangerous and anti-Semitic comments on their Instagram page.

His Twitter account was then locked by the micro-blogging site for his tweet targeting the Jewish community, violating the companys policies.

The funny thing is I actually cant be Anti Semitic because Black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda, the rapper wrote in the now-deleted post.

Sharing his picture with, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, he lashed out at him for restricting his account. Look at this Mark How you gone kick me off Instagram, he wrote.

According to the policies, Wests Twitter account is still active but he cant post until the suspension ends, after an unspecified period.
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reaffirmed his full support for Ukraine in a call with his counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and expressed France's commitment to step up help, including military equipment, the Elysee said.

Russia struck cities across Ukraine during rush hour on Monday morning, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure in apparent revenge after President Vladimir Putin declared an explosion on the bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel and Michel Rose; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
By Sybille de La Hamaide

PARIS (Reuters) - France has released strategic fuel reserves for sugar producers after they warned that a lack of diesel impacting the harvesting of sugar beet could lead to factory stoppages, producer group SNFS said on Monday.

Strikes over wages at TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil refineries have disrupted refining and delivery, leaving a third of French fuel stations running short. The French government said last week that it had tapped its strategic fuel reserves to resupply stations that had run dry.

France's largest sugar maker Tereos said last month it had to slow output at some factories after TotalEnergies said it would be unable to supply diesel. It declined to comment on the strategic stock release.

Cristal Union, France's second largest producer, said its own fuel stocks had allowed it to maintain production rates last week, but that it had used strategic reserves over the weekend.

Sugar factories, which usually run from September to late January or early February in France, rely on farmers having enough fuel to harvest sugar beet and transport it to a factory to be processed.

The decision to release strategic stocks late last week followed a meeting between sugar producers and French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau last Wednesday.

"We explained that there were worrying tensions that risked leading to temporary factory closures," SNFS Chairman Christian Spiegeleer told Reuters.

"The state agreed to tap the strategic stocks so that the lack of diesel does not affect the factories' proper functioning," he added.

The French Agriculture Ministry had no immediate comment.

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Alexander Smith)
LONDON (Reuters) - Group of Seven leaders will hold a call on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Prime Minister Liz Truss's spokesman said, the day after Russia fired cruise missiles at cities across Ukraine during rush hour.

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he had ordered long-range strikes against Ukrainian energy, command and communication targets in response to what he described as terrorist attacks, including Saturday's explosion at the Kerch Strait bridge.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Sarah Young)
LONDON (Reuters) - Tuesday's virtual meeting of G7 leaders is a chance to re-emphasise opposition to Russia's war in Ukraine, British Prime Minster Liz Truss and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed in a call on Monday.

"The Prime Minister and President Zelenskiy looked ahead to tomorrow's virtual meeting of G7 leaders, which President Zelenskiy will join," a spokesperson from Truss's office said in a statement following the call.

"They agreed it offers an important opportunity to re-emphasise the unity of opposition to Putin's despicable campaign."

(Reporting by William James and Farouq Suleiman; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)
Game of Thrones actor Lena Headey has married her partner, Ozark star Marc Menchaca, in a lavish ceremony in Italy.

Photographs shared online showed the bride dressed in a sleeveless halter neck gown featuring a plunging neckline and backless design.

Headey also wore a floral headpiece and veil in her hair, while Menchaca looked smart in a navy-blue suit accessorised with a wide-brimmed beige hat.

The couple tied the knot surrounded by friends and family, including fellow GOT actors Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, and Sophie Turner and her husband Joe Jonas. The ceremony reportedly took place on Thursday (6 October).

Actors Headey and Menchaca began dating in 2020. Headey was previously married to musician Peter Loughran from 2007 to 201, with whom she shares her 12-year-old son Wylie.

Headey also has a daughter named Teddy, seven, from a relationship with Dan Cadan.

Photographs from Headey and Menchacas wedding quickly went viral on social media, with fans hailing the brides appearance.

Happy for you, Queen Cersei, one person wrote, referencing Headeys role as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones.

Another person joked: I just hope he treats her right because shes got a very passionate army behind her.

A third person said: I love so much how Lena is just the most expressive, joyful person.

In a 2019 interview, Headey told The Sunday Times that she believes rejecting sex with Harvey Weinstein may have negatively impacted her career.

After he was discovered to be a slimeball, on a grander scale than me just knowing it, I did start thinking, F***, maybe because I didnt shag him, thats impacted a decade of my working life, Headey said.

She continued: Because I did two jobs for Miramax [the film company founded by Weinstein] before those incidents, and after that there was nothing.
Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom arrive during the 13th Annual California Hall of Fame induction ceremony at The California Museum on December 10, 2019 in Sacramento, California. Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is set to testify against Harvey Weinstein.

Weinstein faces 11 counts of sexual assault stemming from five women's allegations in an upcoming LA trial.

He is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York following an East coast trial.

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's upcoming Los Angeles criminal trial will bring him face-to-face with several women who have accused the convicted sex offender of assault, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Prosecutors have charged Weinstein with 11 counts of sexual assault stemming from allegations by five different women who accused the one-time producer of abusing them in expensive LA hotels between 2004 and 2013.

Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence in a New York prison following an East Coast trial but faces an additional 135 years in prison heading into the October trial, according to prosecutors.

The five women whose allegations constitute the criminal charges are set to testify in open court, according to the Los Angeles Times, which was first to report Siebel Newsom among the planned witnesses. Four additional women are also set to take the stand and speak to Weinstein's pattern of abuse, the outlet reported.

Weinstein has repeatedly denied the accusations against him.

Elizabeth Fegan, an attorney for Siebel Newsom, confirmed to Insider that her client plans to testify against Weinstein in the coming weeks.

"Like many other women, my client was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at a purported business meeting that turned out to be a trap," Fegan said. "She intends to testify at his trial in order to seek some measure of justice for survivors, and as part of her life's work to improve the lives of women."

Siebel Newsom, who has been married to the governor since 2008, publicly accused Weinstein of assault in an October 2017 HuffPost essay, soon after the start of the #MeToo movement.

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Jennifer Siebel Newsom (@JenSiebelNewsom) October 6, 2017

She expressed her support for the group of women who had recently made allegations against Weinstein in a series of New York Times and New Yorker articles, writing that she, too, experienced similar predatory behavior from the producer.

"I was naive, new to the industry, and didn't know how to deal with his aggressive advances  work invitations with a friend late-night at The Toronto Film Festival, and later an invitation to meet with him about a role in The Peninsula Hotel, where staff were present and then all of a sudden disappeared like clockwork, leaving me alone with this extremely powerful and intimidating Hollywood legend," she wrote at the time.

Siebel Newsom did not delve into specifics of the alleged assault in her essay, but court documents reviewed by the LA Times offered some insight into her accusation. The women who testify against Weinstein will reportedly be referred to as Jane Does or with their first names and last initials during official court proceedings.

Three people familiar with the matter told the LA Times that Siebel Newsom is reportedly identified as "Jane Doe 4" in charging documents. Jane Doe 4 accused Weinstein of forcible rape in an incident sometime between September 2004 and September 2005, according to the outlet.

Weinstein's LA trial kicked off Monday with jury selection, which could take as long as two weeks. The trial itself is expected to last several weeks and could stretch into December.

Los Angeles County prosecutors originally charged Weinstein in early 2020, but the trial was postponed amid Weinstein's other legal proceedings in New York.

Read the original article on Insider
ZURICH (Reuters) -Russia's Gazprombank has decided to cease operating in Switzerland after "a strategic review of various options", it said on Monday.

The bank had been one of the last remaining channels for financing trade flows between Russia and Switzerland because other major Russian banks are subject to sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Zurich-based bank, which was mainly involved in trade and export finance, decided to discontinue its operations in Switzerland after launching a review of its business in July, including a possible sale.

"The decision is the result of an in-depth strategy analysis and is being taken in close consultation with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority," Gazprombank's board chairman, Ivan Dun, said in a statement.

Existing business relationships will be wound down or referred to external banking partners in the coming months, Gazprombank said.

The bank had been operating in Switzerland since 1966 and under the Gazprombank (Switzerland) name since 2009.

Its Swiss business, which employs about 80 people, is mainly active in trade and export financing, including helping Swiss industrial groups finance exports to Eastern Europe.

It also financed the extraction, transport and processing of raw materials from Russia to Western Europe for commodity traders.

(Reporting by John RevillEditing by David Goodman)
Danny Martindale - Getty Images

Longtime friends George Clooney and Julia Roberts just revealed the most awkward part of their experience filming new romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise.

The actors spent a great deal of time together in Australia last year while filming the movie, and through it all, Clooney's wife, Amal Clooney, and 5-year-old kids, Ella and Alexander, were present.

In a TODAY show interview which aired this morning, Clooney and Roberts recalled the moment they had to kiss for the cameras while Amal Clooney watched.

TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb asked the actors if it's awkward to kiss "your dear, dear friend."

"It is when my wife and kids come by to visit," Clooney said with a smile.

"I mean it was the first day they came to visit," Roberts added, noting that Clooney's kids were led off the set when it was time for them to kiss. She joked, "Its like, 'Papa, oh, Auntie Juju.' Its like'Get 'em out, get 'em out!'"

"Its really bad," Clooney said. "'What are you doing, Papa? What is that?'"

Photo credit: Danny Martindale - Getty Images

Roberts, who has been married for 20 years to cinematographer Danny Moder and shares three kids with him, added that the kiss with Clooney was "kinda ridiculous." She said, "It is like kissing your best friend."

"Well, thanks for that," Clooney joked. "You know I was a two-time 'Sexiest Man Alive?'"

Ticket to Paradise premieres October 21 and follows a divorced couple who travels to Bali to try to stop their daughter's wedding. Roberts and Clooney have starred in multiple films together, including the 2001 hit Ocean's Eleven, and have remained close friends through the years.

And according to Roberts, they will likely act in many more movies together, as Clooney has her "in his contract." She joked, "He cant live without me on screen."

In an interview with The New York Times earlier this year, Roberts credited Clooney with saving her from "complete loneliness and despair" while in Australia, where she was away from her husband and kids. "We were in a bubble, and it's the longest I've ever been away from my family. I don't think I've spent that much time by myself since I was 25," she said.

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In that same interview, the actress joked that it took 80 takes for her and Clooney to get the kiss right. "It took 79 takes of us laughing and then the one take of us kissing," she said.

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By Sarah Marsh

BERLIN (Reuters) -German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's faced the prospect of a more divided government after one of his coalition partners vowed to assert itself more strongly following a drubbing in a state election.

Scholz had little time to rejoice over his Social Democrats (SPD) winning the vote in the state of Lower Saxony on Sunday given the poor performance of the Free Democrats (FDP), who failed to reach the 5% threshold to enter parliament.

The pro-business, fiscally-hawish FDP, which has suffered a series of poor results in state elections this year, blamed in part its participation in the national administration.

The party, which is now polling 6%-8% at national level, down from the 11.5% it scored in the federal election last year, is not a natural ideological fit with the SPD and Greens, and their so-called "traffic light" coalition was unprecedented.

While the coalition is not expected to collapse any time soon, it could get more fractious, making it even harder for Scholz to lead the country through a European energy and cost-of-living crisis, and a stand-off with Russia over the war in Ukraine.

"The FDP's voice must become more pronounced in this coalition," General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai said. "We must prevent left-wing projects being implemented in this coalition."

Some political analysts expect the FDP, whose leader Christian Lindner runs the powerful finance ministry, will renew its focus on fiscal rectitude after some voters grew frustrated with its use of massive off-budget special funds to finance policy while getting around the country's debt brake in coming years.

A greater focus on fiscal responsibility could make it harder to make key upcoming funding decisions - such as over state demands for more help to finance public transport and house refugees.

The most immediate point of contention in the coalition is nuclear power amid fears of outages over the winter due to gas shortages.

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The Greens-run economy ministry only wants to extend the lifespan of two of the three remaining active reactors until April. The FDP wants all three extended until 2024, and a further two plants reactivated.

CALLS FOR UNITY

On Monday, SPD and Greens leaders called on the coalition to remain united despite the parties' mixed fortunes in the Lower Saxony election and a slump in support for all three at national level.

"I can only urge each partner in the coalition not to work against one another but always to question whether the answers they are giving are the right ones," Rolf Muetzenich, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, said.

The FDP would do better asserting itself positively with policy initiatives rather than shooting down those of their coalition partners, Philipp Koeker, political scientist at the University of Hanover, said.

Either way, it could not afford to leave the coalition at a time of national crisis, said Frank Decker, political scientist at the Rheinisch Friedrichs Wilhelms University in Bonn.

"If the FDP were to leave this coalition, it would go under at the next elections," he added, noting Scholz also did not have better coalition options as no one wanted a repeat of the grand coalition.

Many of the FDP's voters in Lower Saxony drifted towards Alternative for Germany, which nearly doubled its share of the vote.

That reflected a broader national surge in support for the far-right party due to frustrations with the government's response to the energy crisis and fears over the future as recession looms in Europe's largest economy.

SPD chief Lars Klingbeil said the government must decide quickly on how to calm soaring prices after proposals by an expert commission on Monday.

"People must feel they can rely on us," he said.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Additional Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Alexander Ratz; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
BERLIN (AP)  The head of Germanys national cybersecurity agency is under scrutiny over reports of ties to Russian intelligence, officials said Monday

Arne Schoenbohm, who heads the BSI agency, co-founded a cybersecurity group a decade ago that brings together experts from public institutions and the private sector. German media reported that one of its members is a company founded by a former Russian intelligence agent.

The Interior Ministry takes the matters reported over the weekend seriously and is investigating them comprehensively, the ministry said in a statement.

There is growing concern in Germany that the countrys critical infrastructure might be targeted by Russia because of Berlins support for Ukraine. On Saturday, an apparent act of sabotage forced German rail company Deutsche Bahn to halt passenger and cargo trains across the northwest of the country for nearly three hours.

After the nearly three-hour suspension, Deutsche Bahn said the problem  a failure of the digital train radio system  had been resolved but that some disruptions could still be expected. It later said the outage was caused by sabotage.

Transport Minister Volker Wissing said cables that are essential for handling railway traffic safely were deliberately severed at two separate locations. He said Germanys federal police were investigating the incident.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The visa office of the German Embassy in Kyiv was hit in a Russian missile attack on the capital city

Read also: Several cultural sites, playground destroyed in Russian missile attack on Kyiv

The building where the visa office of the German embassy in Kyiv was located was hit by Russians today, he tweeted.

Read also: Ukrainians sing while taking shelter from Russian missiles in Kyiv

He also appealed to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to provide Ukraine with tanks.

Maybe some Leopards (battle tanks) can be sent to check the situation on the ground? Sumlenny asked.

Read also: Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills at least 8, injures 24

Russia launched a series of missile strikes on the capital city, in particular the central districts, early on Oct. 10.

At the same time, many other Ukrainian oblasts have also been attacked by Russia.

Read also: Kyiv railway stations windows shattered by blast wave

At least eight civilians were killed and another 24 were injured as a result of the strike on Kyiv.

According to President Voldoymyr Zelenskyy, Russia has two targets, namely energy facilities throughout Ukraine and civilians.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Christine Lambrecht

The announcement comes amid a mass missile attack by Russia earlier that morning, causing numerous deaths and injuries across the entire country, including the capital of Kyiv.

"New missile strike against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities demonstrates the importance of quick delivery of air defense systems to Ukraine," Lambrecht said.

According to her, in the coming days the first out of four of the most modern air defense systems IRIS-T SLM will be ready to effectively protect Ukrainians.

Lambrecht pointed out that the next three systems will be shipped next year.

A consular visa office belonging to the Embassy of Germany in Kyiv was damaged as a result of the Russian strike.

Russia had two aims with its mass attack: to strike energy facilities and terrorize civilians, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Guinean court trying suspects in a 2009 massacre on Monday threw out a bid by former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara to be detained under house arrest and ordered him to be held in custody.

Camara and 10 other former military and government officials are accused over the killing of 156 people and the rape of at least 109 women by pro-junta forces at a political rally in a Conakry stadium in September 2009.

They face charges ranging from murder to sexual violence, kidnappings, arson and looting, while Camara himself is charged with "personal criminal responsibility and command responsibility".

The 58-year-old former strongman was detained on September 27, a day before the long-awaited trial began in a purpose-built court in the capital Conakry.

He had returned to the West African state only a few days before after living in exile in Burkina Faso.

Defence attorneys last Tuesday had asked the court for Camara to be released from custody or placed under house arrest during the proceedings, in line with the "respect" due to a former head of state.

They also said another leading defendant, Lieutenant Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite, who was former head of Camara's bodyguard, was too ill to face trial and needed medical treatment abroad.

But Judge Ibrahima Sory Tounkara rejected these petitions and ruled that the proceedings could get fully underway.

In Camara's case, house arrest could only be offered to foreign defendants, and in Diakite's case, "he did not submit any medical certificate to support his release on the grounds of ill health", the judge said.

Camara, at the time an unknown captain in the army, seized power in December 2008 shortly after the death of Guinea's second post-independence president, General Lansana Conte, who had ruled for 24 years.

In December 2009, Camara was wounded in the head in an attempted assassination and headed to Morocco for medical treatment.

He fled into exile in Burkina Faso, where he was indicted in July 2015 by Guinean magistrates for his alleged role in the stadium massacre.

bm-lal/ri/gw
By Brian Ellsworth

(Reuters) - Activists on Sunday rallied at the White House to call on the Biden administration to end support for the government of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as the Caribbean nation faces a humanitarian crisis due to gangs blocking the distribution of fuel.

Haiti's dire situation has gotten increased attention from around the world in recent weeks as severe fuel shortages have forced many businesses and hospitals to shut their doors, just as health authorities confirmed a surprise cholera outbreak.

A broadcast of the rally showed several hundred people gathered outside the White House, holding signs bearing Haiti's flag or with messages including "Let Haitians decide their own future."

"Many Haitians are convinced that the United States is actively sustaining Henry in power," said a statement prepared for the rally by U.S. Representative Maxine Waters, who was not present. "The repression in Haiti must stop."

Henry, who has run the country since shortly after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last year, last week asked for military assistance to confront gangs.

He has said he is seeking to hold new elections as soon as possible. Many in Haiti say that rampant violence by armed gangs, which control vast portions of the country's territory, make a vote impossible under the current conditions.

The Biden administration has not signaled that it plans to change its stance with respect to Henry.

"There has been a lot of misunderstanding and distorted information about the current Government, in testimony before Congress and in lawmakers' letters circulating on the internet," said an advisor to Henry when consulted about the rally.

"We invite Haitian citizens, wherever they are, to unite our energies to make Haiti a great country instead of repeating defamation found on the internet."

U.S. Representative Val Demings last week introduced the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022, which calls for a new federal investigation into those who support Haitian gangs.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed that one or several countries send "a rapid action force" to help Haiti's police, without suggesting that the force be deployed by the United Nations.

(Reporting by Brian Ellsworth in Miami; editing by Diane Craft)
A New Hanover County jury found one man guilty of a 2015 armed robbery at a Wilmington McDonald's.

Richard McLaughlin, 48, of Pennsylvania, was found guilty Friday by a jury in the New Hanover County Criminal Superior Court Friday for his involvement in a robbery on Oct. 17, 2015, at the McDonald's at Eastwood Road and Military Cutoff Road.

McLaughlin and one other man entered the back door, left open by an employee of the McDonald's who was also charged in connection to the crime, after the restaurant had closed, according to a news release from the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office.

McLaughlin cleared the safe inside the restaurant while his co-conspirator chased an employee out of the restaurant with a firearm. The armed offender got away in a vehicle that was later stopped by police. The driver of the car was detained, but the armed offender jumped from the car and fled, according to the news release.

"This victim ran for his life and video surveillance showed that he barely got away," Assistant District Attorney Connie Jordan said in the news release. "The jury's verdicts have made communities across the US safer this week and we are so grateful for their service."

McLaughlin was arrested and held in federal custody out of state until December 2021 for past robberies he was involved in, including one in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. He was transported back to New Hanover County in December 2021 by the US Marshal Service to face charges from the robbery at the McDonalds.

He was previously convicted in New Hanover County in 1993 for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and for common law robbery when cut open a taxi driver's face while attempting to rob him, according to the news release.

McLaughlin will serve between 18 and 24 years in prison for his role in the Wilmington robbery.

Contact reporter Sydney Hoover at shoover@gannett.com or on Twitter at @sydneymhoover.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Man sentenced to 24 years for robbery of Wilmington McDonald's
ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports

The Dolphins are on a three-game losing streak, but wide receiver Tyreek Hill is not slowing down. Hill caught 12 passes for 177 yards on Sunday, giving him a league-leading 701 receiving yards through six games this season. That puts Hill on pace to finish this season with 1,986 receiving yards. The NFL record is [more]
Harvey Weinstein was known for producing films such as Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction

Harvey Weinstein has gone on trial in Los Angeles, where the imprisoned former film producer is facing 11 further charges of abuse.

The 70-year-old is currently serving 23 years in jail in New York, after he was convicted there for sexual assaults including rape.

The new charges include allegations of assault and rape that allegedly took place in Los Angeles hotels between 2004 and 2013.

He denies the charges.

Jury selection, which began on Monday, is expected to take about two weeks. Five alleged victims are expected to take the stand during the course of the trial.

The Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction producer claims his sexual encounters were consensual, and his lawyer told the press the latest round of West Coast allegations "stem from many years ago" and cannot "be substantiated or corroborated by any forensic evidence" or "credible witnesses".

If convicted, Weinstein could face 140 additional years behind bars.

His conviction in New York in 2020 was a landmark moment for the #MeToo movement, which had been calling out widespread sexual abuse and harassment in the film industry for several years.

In Los Angeles, prosecutors initially charged him in early 2020 but opted to put the trial on hold until legal proceedings in New York had been completed.

Stars including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Salma Hayek all accused Weinstein of assault or harassment.

In a statement quoted by the Los Angeles Times, one of Weinstein's defence attorneys, Mark Werksman, said that some of the women who are expected to testify would be familiar to the public.

Witnesses at the trial will be identified either as Jane Doe or by their first name and initials, according to the Times.

The New York Film Festival will this week premiere She Said, a movie about the 2017 newspaper investigation into Weinstein.

In June, it was revealed he was also to be charged with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in London in the summer of 1996.
The ongoing sale of the Bald Head Island ferry system will include a hearing starting Monday.

The future ownership of the Bald Head Island Ferry remains in limbo as some parties in the five-year-long dispute head to court this week.

While the Bald Head Island Ferry has always been privately owned, an effort to make it a public operation began when the North Carolina Legislature created the Bald Head Island Transportation Authority in 2017.

This was to keep the ferry system operating in the public interest for all users, Susan Rabon, chair of the Authority, said in an email. Only approximately 10 percent of the ferry ridership are permanent island residents.

For years, that board of stakeholders has been in negotiations to purchase the ferry, but those negotiations stalled when the Local Government Commission refused to put the transaction on its agenda due to a dispute over market values.

Prior reporting:Bald Head Island ferry system sale stalls over appraisal issues

More:Bald Head Island says second ferry system appraisal is erroneous

In February, Bald Head Island Limited entered into a binding agreement with SharpVue, an investment firm based in Raleigh, which could keep the operation in private hands. The total purchase price was $67.7 million, which included $56 million for ferry and tram system and $11.7 million for the Mitchell family's supplement assets, which include the marina operation and some remaining boat slips on Bald Head Island, Deep Point Marina in Southport, and some commercial land on Bald Head Island.

That same month, the Village of Bald Head Island filed a complaint with the North Carolina Utilities Commission, which currently regulates the ferry service, asking that the barge and parking services also be regulated.

What happens next?

On October 10, the North Carolina Utilities Commission will begin hearing the Village's complaint.

As of now, the Bald Head Island Transportation Authority remains active, and Rabon said it is "waiting for the resolution of the current disputes between the VBHI and the sellers of the system.

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While she hopes the Authority will be able to accomplish its statutory mission, that wont be determined until the disputes between the other parties are resolved, and the BHITA continues discussions with the contracted buyer, SharpVue.

Carin Faulkner, spokeswoman for the Village of Bald Head Island, said the Village desires a transportation system that would provide a top-quality, reasonable priced transportation system on behalf of all the ferry systems users.

In addition, despite having two members  including the Bald Head Island Mayor  serving on the Bald Head Island Transportation Authority since its inception, the Village has since expressed a desire to purchase the ferry system through a "Right of First Refusal" (ROFR) document dated August 21, 1999.

More:Southport faces struggles to solve aging sewer system issues

As the parties continue to dispute the sale, Paul maintains should SharpVue acquire the ferry system, it will remain accessible for the general public because it is regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission.

He also suggested SharpVue's acquisition of the system may not be the end of the road for the Bald Head Island Transportation Authority.

"I would suggest there is still an opportunity for the Authority," Paul said.

Bald Head Island Limited's deal with SharpVue has yet to be finalized. Because the ferry and tram service are regulated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the deal cannot close until a certificate of transfer is approved by the utilities commission. That hearing date is set for January 2023.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Bald Head Island ferry saga continues: Here's what you need to know
Before the pandemic, Hong Kong was one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Attracting over 56 million visitors a year before Covid. Now Hong Kong wants to sweeten the deal for tourists to make their way back to Hong Kong after two years of travel restrictions placed by their government.

What you should know:

A few days ago Hong Kong dropped their mandatory hotel quarantine requirement, and now they plan to give away half a million airline tickets to boost tourism.

This plan has been in the works for the last couple of years as told to CNN. The Airport Authority of Hong Kong, which stated the tickets were valued at 254.8 million dollars, would like to pass along the tickets to global visitors and residents.

Back in 2020, Airport Authority Hong Kong purchased around 500,000 air tickets in advance from the territorys home-based airlines as part of a relief package to support the aviation industry, says the spokesperson.

How it works:

Photo Credit: Brayden Law

The purchase serves the purpose of injecting liquidity into the airlines upfront, while the tickets will be given away to global visitors and Hong Kong residents in the market recovery campaign.

Since the pandemic started, Hong Kong has been under the radar, with tourists losing interest in visiting Hong Kong due to their 21 day quarantine. Travelers from outside countries needed to be quarantined for 21 days in their hotel rooms or airbnbs before going out to see the sights.

As covid cases began to drop around the globe the government has reduced their quarantine period from seven to three days, then to be completely taken away on September 26. News of the restrictions being lifted inspired residents to start booking airline tickets.

Requirements:

We hope to give the maximum room to reconnect Hong Kong, and to revitalize our economy, Hong Kongs Chief Executive John Lee.

Although some of the restrictions have been lifted, theres still policies in place for travelers arriving in Hong Kong.

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Travelers entering the country still need to show proof of vaccination as well as a negative PCR or Antigen test.

Once entering into the country, they must follow a three day self-monitoring period. During those three days you are not allowed to eat in restaurants or visit bars.

Travelers also have to take PCR tests every 2 days for 6 days and a rapid antigen each day for 7 days.
House of the Dragon. Illustrated | HBO, Getty Images

House of the Dragon jumps forward in time yet again this week to give us another messy succession dispute. Let's break down the latest episode, and go over what we missed during the time jump, with some book context:

Let's do the time warp again

Just when we were getting used to House of the Dragon's new cast, the show has yet another time jump this week, flashing forward around six years and replacing the children with new actors. Don't worry, though: This will likely be the last major cast change of the series.

Since their wedding, Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) have settled on Dragonstone with her bastard sons Jace (Harry Collett), Luke (Elliot Grihault), and Joffrey, all of whom have been recast. Jace is the older one studying High Valyrian at Dragonstone, and he would be Rhaenyra's heir when (or if) she ascends the throne. Joffrey, the child Rhaenyra gave birth to in episode six, is also seen being read to by the fire.

The time jump means we never get to see everyone's reaction to Daemon and Rhaenyra's quickie wedding, but the book, Fire & Blood, notes that the "king, court, and commons were all outraged," with Viserys (Paddy Considine) declaring that getting married so soon after their partners' deaths was an "insult to their memories." These days, though, he has far bigger problems.

Rhaenyra and Daemon have also had two kids together since last week: Aegon and Viserys, who unlike her other children are actually legitimate, as their blonde hair makes clear. Yes, Rhaenyra gave her son the exact same name as Alicent's (Olivia Cooke) son. Fire & Blood explains that Alicent was furious when she found out, taking it as an intentional slight (which the book suggests is an accurate read). At Dragonstone, Daemon gathers three eggs laid by Syrax, Rhaenyra's dragon, early in the episode, so perhaps his daughter Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) will have another shot at getting a dragon of her own after her mom's was swiped last week.

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Meanwhile, Rhaenys (Eve Best) has been sitting on the Driftwood Throne in Driftmark, seat of House Velaryon, while her husband Corlys (Steve Toussaint) is fighting in the Stepstones, and she's taken Daemon's daughter Baela (Bethany Antonia) as her ward. Baela's twin sister Rhaena is presumably staying at Dragonstone.

Game of Driftwood Thrones

Corlys, we learn, was severely injured in battle, raising the question of who will become the next Lord of the Tides  commander of Westeros' biggest fleet  if he doesn't make it. That's right, folks, we've got another succession dispute on our hands! And just like the one that began the series, it pits a kid against the current ruler's brother.

Corlys made clear last week he wants Driftmark to pass to Rhaenyra's son Luke, despite the fact that he isn't really a Velaryon, as his father is secretly Harwin Strong. With that in mind, it does make more sense for Driftmark to go to Corlys' actual brother, Vaemond (Wil Johnson), who puts forward his claim.

There's only one problem: Arguing against Luke's claim will be tough without accusing him of being a bastard, meaning this succession battle doubles as a referendum on the parentage of Rhaenyra's children and, in turn, whether she has committed treason and is unworthy of being Viserys' heir. Arriving in King's Landing, Vaemond appeals directly to Alicent, implying he'll owe her one if she backs him as Lord of the Tides. But she and Otto (Rhys Ifans) don't really need much more reason to screw over Rhaenyra and identify her kids as bastards; that's kind of been her entire goal for a while.

Alicent's ascent

Viserys has somehow survived another time jump, though only barely. The king's illness (described by Considine as a "form of leprosy") has progressed so much that Alicent is effectively ruling the Seven Kingdoms with Otto, making decisions on the small council without Viserys present at all.

Alicent has even started making changes to the decor at King's Landing, taking down Targaryen heraldry and putting up Seven-Pointed Stars, symbols of the Faith of the Seven religion. She's wearing one of these stars, as well, and this effort to paint herself as a devout, righteous person is a bit heavy-handed on her part. But Alicent's family has a history with the Faith of the Seven, the Seven Kingdoms' most popular religion and essentially this world's version of the Catholic Church. According to The World of Ice & Fire, Oldtown, seat of House Hightower, was the "unquestioned center of the Faith for all of Westeros" for years; many people even made pilgrimages there, considering it a "holy city." The head of the Faith of the Seven, the High Septon, also ruled from Oldtown before the seat was moved to King's Landing.

Viserys spends most of his time in bed, and he's constantly on milk of the poppy, a painkiller that Rhaenyra suggests Alicent is giving him to ensure he stays in bed and she can rule. Milk of the poppy is known to help people sleep, though to be fair to Alicent, Viserys clearly does need it, and she acts somewhat tenderly toward him in private.

But Alicent shows zero respect for Rhaenyra and Daemon by not greeting them when they arrive, and they return the favor, with Daemon brazenly refusing to stand when she enters (just like he did at Rhaenyra's wedding feast). They push for Viserys to involve himself in the succession conflict, which he could settle all by himself. But at first, that seems like a losing battle given he can barely understand what they're saying; Daemon tells him about the fate of Corlys, only for him to forget soon after. The fact that a good man (by Westerosi standards, at least) has been reduced to basically a walking corpse who's in constant pain makes the episode genuinely hard to watch.

The wedding planner

So what's Rhaenys' opinion on all this? Rhaenyra believes the "Queen Who Never Was" is going to push for herself to inherit Driftmark, so she makes an offer: If Rhaenys backs Luke's claim, she'll betroth her sons to Rhaenys' granddaughters  that is, Daemon's twin daughters with his late wife, Laena  Baela and Rhaena. Baela would marry Jace, meaning she'd be queen consort when he ascends the throne after Rhaenyra, while Rhaena would marry Luke, so she'd be with him in Driftmark when he takes it over.

It's not a bad deal, though there's been a slight hiccup in this relationship given Rhaenys (wrongly) believes Rhaenyra had her son killed. All these years later, she still has no clue that Laenor is still alive and faked his death, and really, is making her believe he's dead that much better than actually killing him?

We still haven't learned the fate of Seasmoke, Laenor's dragon, though surely he didn't take the beast with him across the sea. In the books, dragons have a magical connection to their riders, so one would think no one can claim Seasmoke while Laenor is still alive.

Off with his head

After Rhaenyra pleads with Viserys to help out, her father really comes through, first declining milk of the poppy so he can be awake and alert, then shocking everyone by arriving in the throne room to settle the matter. Seeing the king subject himself to immense pain to stand up for his daughter, possibly for the last time of his life, is a heartening moment, especially coming after a nice scene where he meets the grandson named in his honor. As Viserys enters, we get a triumphant reprisal of "The King's Arrival" from the Game of Thrones score. Return of the king, indeed.

Before Viserys shows up, Vaemond had been passionately making the case that he's fighting to save his bloodline, dancing around officially dropping the B-word. But rather than push for her own claim, Rhaenys backs Luke, accepting Rhaenyra's marriage offer. It seems she was being truthful about no longer seeking to rule herself, though who knows what she might have said in the throne room had Viserys never barged in. Either way, that settles that!

Well, not quite yet. Vaemond flips out, calling Rhaenyra's children bastards and the princess a whore, leading Daemon to cut his head off. Daemon, channeling the spirit of Will "keep my wife's name out of your mouth" Smith, was clearly ready to strike, practically begging Vaemond to make the accusation so he could kill him.

This whole conflict for the Driftwood Throne plays out similarly in the book, but with one key difference. In Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra is the one who orders Vaemond to be killed, dispatching Daemon to remove his head and proceeding to feed his body to her dragon. This change was presumably to make Rhaenyra more sympathetic, and it's definitely within Daemon's character to go rogue as he does in the show. Vaemond is also Corlys' nephew in the book, not his brother.

The episode ends without any information about how Corlys is doing, so we'll have to see if he pulls through, in which case all the squabbling  and his brother's death  would kind of be for nothing.

We need to talk about Aegon

Things take a disturbing turn with Alicent's first-born son this week, as Aegon rapes a serving girl, Dyana, in his chambers. That leads Alicent to get involved, cruelly manipulating Dyana into staying quiet by convincing her no one will believe her, then paying her hush money and giving her some of that "Plan B" tea that Rhaenyra took after sleeping with Criston Cole.

"You are no son of mine," Alicent later tells Aegon, an echo of Tywin Lannister's declaration to Tyrion in Game of Thrones. At a certain point, she has to be wondering if fighting for her rapist son to become king when he doesn't even want the throne is worth it.

If all of this wasn't bad enough, Aegon is also married now. Since last week, he wed his sister Helaena (Phia Saban), who gets in a hilarious dig about their marriage not being so bad because he mostly just ignores her; at least Jace shows her some attention later on by asking her to dance.

The book suggests Aegon's sexual assault was far from a one-time thing. It notes he was known for "pinching and fondling any serving girl who strayed within his reach" and says that getting married did "little to curb" his "carnal appetites." Where's the Westerosi version of Ronan Farrow when you need him?

Later in the episode, we see a servant, Talya, delivering intel to Daemon's old lover Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno)  the same servant who delivered the "Plan B" tea to Dyana. Mysaria has spies all over King's Landing, and now, she presumably knows that the king's first-born son raped someone, information that will surely come in handy.

The last supper

Viserys is on his last legs, but his final wish is for one more unbelievably tense family reunion for old times' sake.

At dinner, the dying king begs everyone to just get along and stop with all the nonsense. Somewhat surprisingly, it seems to kind of work at first. Rhaenyra and Alicent raise a glass to each other, with Alicent even saying the princess will be a good queen, acknowledging her as heir. Later, Alicent and Rhaenyra share a tender moment, and we see hints of their broken childhood friendship briefly return. Could Alicent be genuinely considering dropping her push against Rhaenyra as heir? We get the sense there's a real chance these two can reconcile, especially when Rhaenyra says she'll return on her dragon after dropping the kids off at home. For a minute, things are looking up, and we get a glimpse into what this family might look like if the knives weren't constantly out.

At least, we do until the children ruin the evening, with Aegon repeatedly mocking Jace and Aemond calling Rhaenyra's kids "strong"  code for bastard, referencing their real father, Harwin Strong. Well, it was a peaceful three minutes! Aemond was likely set off by the kids chuckling over a pig being carried in, calling back to the prank played on him a few episodes ago when the boys gave him a pig instead of a dragon. After last week's fight, Aemond has a pretty sick eyepatch, and we see him training with Criston Cole; the book explains that Aemond has now become a "proficient and dangerous swordsman," so watch out, Westeros.

Dying wish

Earlier in the episode, Rhaenyra asked Viserys if he truly believes in Aegon the Conqueror's prophecy. You'll recall in the pilot that Viserys revealed Aegon, the first king of the Seven Kingdoms, foresaw a coming apocalyptic event  the White Walkers attacking in Game of Thrones  and knew a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne to unite the realm when this happens. Aegon's "Song of Ice and Fire" is a secret passed from king to heir, and it's a large part of what convinced Rhaenyra she had a duty to ascend the throne, though she admits now to having doubts.

So as the episode ends, Viserys again confuses Alicent with Rhaenyra and continues the conversation with his daughter from earlier. But Alicent misunderstands Viserys, thinking he's telling her that she must unite the realm. When he refers to Aegon the Conqueror, she thinks he's talking about her son Aegon. See, this is what happens when so many people have the same first name!

The implication is Alicent will come away believing, incorrectly, that Viserys' dying wish was for Aegon to rule instead of Rhaenyra. In that case, any chance of peace between the princess and the queen is surely over thanks to a tragic misunderstanding. As the episode closes, we see Viserys' Valyrian steel dagger in the corner, on which Aegon's prophecy is inscribed  the prophecy that, more than likely, will be the cause of Alicent and Rhaenyra going to a war that could have been avoided.

And with that, Viserys takes his final breath, and it would appear the king is finally dead. Let's hope so, at least, because this man needs to be put out of his misery. The entire series thus far has been about putting the pieces in place for two dueling sides, supporters of Aegon and supporters of Rhaenyra, to face off the moment the throne is up for grabs, and now, it officially is. And here we  go.

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House of the Dragons latest episode sees the younger generation of Targaryens replaced by new actors.

*Spoilers for House of the Dragon episode eight below*

The episode, which aired on Sunday (9 October), travels six years into the future with child characters recast as teenagers and young adults.

The new instalment sees Rhaenyras (Emma DArcy) sons Jacaerys and Lucerys, Alicents (Olivia Cooke) children Aegon, Helaena, and Aemond, and Daemons daughters Baela and Rhaena being recast.

Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor Velaryons eldest child Jacaerys Velaryon is now portrayed by Harry Collett, taking over from young actor Leo Hart.

The couples second-born son and the heir to Driftmark, Lucerys is now played by Elliot Grihault.

Taking over from Ty Tennant, adult Aegon Targaryen is played by Tom Glynn-Carney.

His brother Prince Aemond Targaryen, who lost his eye in the last episode, is now played by Ewan Mitchell, who replaces Leo Ashton.

House of the Dragon episode 8s Helaena Targaryen is now married to her brother-husband Prince Aegon Targaryen, and is portrayed by actor Phia Saban.

(HBO)

Furthermore, the eldest daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon is portrayed as a teenager by Bethany Antonia.

The last cast change is of the eldest daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon, who is now portrayed as a teenager by actor Bethany Antonia.

Episode eight ended with a grand reunion of the entire Targaryen family as the show bid farewell to one of the main characters, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine).

You can read the biggest talking points from House of the Dragon episode eight here.

House of the Dragon continues in the UK on Sky Atlantic on Mondays at 2am, before repeating at 9pm later that day. It is also available to watch on NOW.
Oct. 9Hurricane Julia has run ashore in Nicaragua and is continuing its move westward toward the Pacific Ocean, dumping up to a dozen inches of rain on Central America in the process.

Julia's eyewall came ashore around 2:15 a.m. CDT Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

Some computer models were forecasting that the storm would head north into the Bay of Campeche, potentially threatening the Texas coast if it re-formed. But all models now say the storm will head out into the Pacific without entering U.S. waters.

Julia took a curious path, beginning as a tropical rainstorm, as it hugged the coast of South America. It seems likely this interplay with land prevented it from becoming a more powerful tropical system.

AccuWeather meteorologists said Sunday they are confident Julia will continue tracking westward over Nicaragua, losing wind intensity and falling back to tropical storm status in the process.

They do think, however, Julia is likely to survive the trip westward across Nicaragua and cross into the Pacific to become the 18th named storm of the season in that ocean.

In the Atlantic basin, no tropical disturbances are forecast for the next five days.

Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.
Hurricane Julia made landfall in Nicaragua over the weekend as strong winds, heavy rain and local flooding hit the country, shutting off power in areas as some residents pre-emptively evacuated to shelters.

The storm system is now moving out into the Pacific Ocean but will still bring severe weather to parts of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico early this week.

This rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides across Central America today, warned the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

By Saturday night, Julia had strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it passed over San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina Island, all islands of Colombia in the southwest Caribbean.

The storm made landfall in Nicaragua before dawn on Sunday morning with wind speeds of about 85 miles per hour (140 kilometres per hour).

Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo said that parts of the country had lost power and nearly 10,000 people had been evacuated to shelters, according to the Associated Press. On San Andres, Colombian officials reported downed trees and roofs ripped off the tops of some houses, they add.

The view, earlier today, of Hurricane Julia making landfall in Nicaragua. pic.twitter.com/ycu4NYDn2v  CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) October 10, 2022

There were no reports of any deaths in Colombia or Nicaragua, AP reported. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Twitter that two people had been injured, two homes destroyed and 101 homes damaged on San Andres.

Photos from countries across Central America show local damage like flooded streets, fallen trees and damaged homes. In addition to Nicaragua, the storms impact spread to the neighbouring countries of Honduras and Costa Rica.

By midday on Sunday, Julia had been downgraded to a tropical storm as it weakened over land. The storm was downgraded again by Monday into a tropical depression as it heads over El Salvador and Guatemala and is expected to dissipate by later in the evening.

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Two men walk though a flooded farm in Honduras after heavy rainfall from Hurricane Julia on Sunday (AFP via Getty Images)

On Monday, some areas in those two countries could expect between five to 10 inches (13  25 centimetres) of rain, with isolated locations receiving up to 15 in (38 cm) of rain, NHC cautioned.

Western Honduras and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico could expect up to 10 in (25 cm) of rain today and tomorrow, and flash flooding is possible across the isthmus through Tuesday, NHC said.

Parts of Nicaragua will have gotten up to 15 in (38 cm) of rain by the time the weather completely clears.

Julia was the fifth hurricane and tenth named storm of what has become an active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean.

People ride a motorbike through flooded streets in Bluefields, Nicaragua on Sunday (AFP via Getty Images)

While summertime was uncharacteristically quiet when it came to tropical storm systems, September and October have been very busy as massively destructive storms like Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian made landfall.

Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Florida late last month as a near-Category 5 storm, was especially deadly, leaving at least 120 people dead in Florida  the deadliest hurricane in the state for nearly a century.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had forecast an above-normal season for hurricane activity this year, with 14-20 named storms and up to 10 hurricanes, including three to six hurricanes at Category 3 or stronger.

Debris from damaged homes on San Andres, a Colombian island in the southwest Caribbean (AP)

Hurricane season starts in June and lasts through November, usually peaking in mid-September.

While hurricanes may not be getting more frequent, climate scientists do expect them to become much stronger as the climate crisis grows.

Warmer ocean surface temperatures can quickly power up a storm into a massive and dangerous cyclone, much like what happened with Hurricane Ian as it moved over the very warm waters of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

A United Nations climate science panel has found that the percentage of storms reaching Category 3 or higher has been increasing over the past four decades.
I tried apple pies from Kroger, Whole Foods, and Safeway. Molly Allen

I'm a professional baker who tried apple pies from the stores Kroger, Whole Foods, and Safeway.

Kroger and Safeway's pies were quite underbaked and didn't taste great.

Whole Foods had the best option, but I'd probably just opt to make my own dessert at home.

I compared apple pies from Kroger, Whole Foods, and Safeway.

Apple pie is a fall staple. Molly Allen

Apple pie is delicious any time of year, but it's especially tasty in the fall.

Baking a pie from scratch can require a lot of effort, and sometimes, you may need to take a shortcut.

So I tried options from Kroger, Whole Foods, and Safeway to find the best grocery-store apple pie you can snag in a pinch.

I purchased a 9-inch toffee apple pie from Kroger.

Kroger's apple pie was toffee flavored. Molly Allen

Kroger's bakery offered a toffee apple pie, and the label said it was freshly baked in the store.

Surprisingly, I didn't see any typical lattice apple pies. The only other option was flavored like brown sugar and maple, so I went with the toffee one.

The 9-inch pie cost $7.99.

The pie was underbaked and I thought it had a strange flavor.

Kroger's apple pie tasted a bit artificial. Molly Allen

The golden apple pie from Kroger looked very good, but cutting into it was incredibly difficult. It was soft and mushy, and it started to fall apart as I removed a slice.

The bottom crust on this pie was underbaked, and the streusel topping was doughy. It certainly needed more time to cook. That said, it could've just been that someone took my particular pie out of the oven too soon.

The outer crust was good, but the rest of the pie's flavor fell flat for me. I thought the apple filling had an odd artificial taste, and the soft texture was unappetizing.

Whole Foods typically sells halves of 9-inch apple pies.

I had to buy two halves of a Whole Foods apple pie. Molly Allen

When I arrived at Whole Foods, the only options were half pies. A bakery employee told me that the pies are baked in the morning, then typically are cut in half.

If you're looking for a whole pie, it's apparently best to call ahead in the morning and ask that one be set aside.

I asked for two halves to be put in a box so I could take home an entire pie, which ended up costing $12.99.

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The pie tasted homemade.

Whole Foods' apple pie had a great flavor. Molly Allen

The flavor of Whole Foods' apple pie absolutely blew me away. It tasted homemade.

The crust was flaky and buttery. And even though the very center wasn't quite fully baked, the filling still tasted fresh and flavorful with a slight crunch.

The apples tasted fresh and had just a touch of sugar and cinnamon to enhance their flavor.

Other than the middle of the crust being a bit soft, it was a very good pie. Maybe the one I got was just taken out of the oven too soon.

I snagged an 11-inch apple pie from Safeway.

Safeway's apple pie was large and looked fantastic. Molly Allen

Safeway sells much larger pies, and I found both lattice and Dutch options.

The raw pies apparently come to the store frozen and are then baked on-site.

I bought an 11-inch lattice pie for $11.99.

Safeway's pie was beautiful, but it was underbaked and too sweet for me.

Safeway's apple pie let me down. Molly Allen

The apple pie from Safeway was beautiful, with a nice lattice topping. But it was tricky to cut  the slice fell apart as I removed it from the pie dish.

The crust was underbaked and quite soggy in the middle, even though the outer portions had a nice golden look and crispy texture. I wondered if my specific pie was just not left in the oven long enough or not baked at an ideal temperature.

I also thought it tasted fairly bland and was not very flaky. Plus the filling tasted incredibly sweet to me, with an overwhelming cinnamon flavor.

Overall, each option was quick and convenient, but I'm not sure I'd buy any of them again.

If I had to buy one again, I'd choose Whole Foods' apple pie. Molly Allen

It was easy to head into each store and find an apple pie in the first week of September. It was a bit trickier to get a whole one at Whole Foods, but the bakery employee I spoke to was incredibly helpful.

For each store, it's also possible to call ahead of time and ask the bakery to put a pie aside for you.

But I was disappointed that all three had an underbaked crust. It takes a lot of patience to bake an apple pie  at home, it can take close to an hour  but it seemed like each grocery story didn't leave the dessert in the oven long enough.

I thought Kroger and Safeway's pies tasted a bit too artificial and their crusts did not impress me.

If I need to purchase a grocery-store apple pie again, I'd only consider Whole Foods' option because the flavor was so incredible. But in general, I'd probably just carve out the time to bake my own dessert at home.

Read the original article on Insider
The heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank on Monday warned of economic headwinds that are raising the risk of a global financial recession.

Theres the risk and the real danger of a world recession next year. The advanced economies are slowing in Europe and so well see where it goes into next year, World Bank Group President David Malpass told IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva during their discussion.

But the currency depreciation means that the debt levels for the developing countries are getting more and more burdensome, Malpass added. The rise in interest rates puts added weight on it. And inflation is still a major problem for everyone, but especially for the poor.

Georgieva noted that the IMF has calculated that one-third of the worlds economy will have had at least two consecutive quarters of negative growth this year, with the slowdown costing some $4 billion to the global economy between not and 2026.

We are seeing slow down in all three key economies of the world, she said. Eurozone, because primarily of gas prices shooting up. China, because of COVID disruptions and the volatility of the housing sector, we see a very significant problem in China dragging down growth, Georgieva said. And in the United States, still very strong labor market, but also losing a bit of momentum because interest rates are starting to bite.

Malpass and Georgievas remarks come as the Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates throughout this year in an effort to slow record inflation, raising concerns that the U.S. could be headed for a recession.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The emergence of a multidrug-resistant pathogen which attacks the lungs of patients in critical care is worrying doctors

At the 1,000-bed not-for-profit Kasturba Hospital in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, doctors are grappling with a rash of antibiotic-resistant "superbug infections".

This happens when bacteria change over time and become resistant to drugs that are supposed to defeat them and cure the infections they cause.

Such resistance directly caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019, according to The Lancet, a medical journal. Antibiotics - which are considered to be the first line of defence against severe infections - did not work on most of these cases.

India is one of the countries worst hit by what doctors call "antimicrobial resistance" - antibiotic-resistant neonatal infections alone are responsible for the deaths of nearly 60,000 newborns each year. A new government report paints a startling picture of how things are getting worse.

Tests carried out at Kasturba Hospital to find out which antibiotic would be most effective in tackling five main bacterial pathogens have found that a number of key drugs were barely effective.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug-resistant pathogen

These pathogens include E.coli (Escherichia coli), commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals after consumption of contaminated food; Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can infect the lungs to cause pneumonia, and the blood, cuts in the skin and the lining of the brain to cause meningitis; and the deadly Staphylococcus aureus, a food-borne bacteria that can be transmitted through air droplets or aerosols.

Doctors found that some of the main antibiotics were less than 15% effective in treating infections caused by these pathogens. Most concerning was the emergence of the multidrug-resistant pathogen called Acinetobacter baumannii, which attacks the lungs of patients on life support in critical care units.

"As almost all our patients cannot afford the higher antibiotics, they run the real risk of dying when they develop ventilator-associated pneumonia in the ICU," Dr SP Kalantri, medical superintendent of the hospital, says.

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A new report by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) says that resistance to a powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems - it defeats a number of pathogens - had risen by up to 10% in just one year alone. The report collects data on antibiotic resistance from up to 30 public and private hospitals every year.

"The reason why this is alarming is that it is a great drug to treat sepsis [a life-threatening condition] and sometimes used as a first line of treatment in hospitals for very sick patients in ICUs," says Dr Kamini Walia, a scientist at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and lead author of the study.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics comprise 75% of all prescriptions issued in India's hospitals

Things are so worrying that only 43% of the pneumonia infections caused by one pathogen in India could be treated with first line of antibiotics in 2021, down from 65% in 2016, the ICMR report says.

Saswati Sinha, a critical care specialist in AMRI Hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata, says things are so bad that "six out of 10" patients in her ICU have drug-resistant infections. "The situation is truly alarming. We have come to a stage where you are not left with too many options to treat some of these patients."

Resistance to antibiotics, say doctors at Kasturba Hospital, is widespread even among outpatients from villages and small towns with conditions such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections. Since most don't carry prescriptions and can't recall the drugs they were prescribed, doctors find it difficult to get records of their past exposure to antibiotics.

Managing such patients is an ordeal. "The situation is desperate, and desperate measures - ordering more and more antibiotics is likely to result in more harm than benefits," says Dr Kalantri.

Public health experts believe many doctors in India prescribe antibiotics indiscriminately.

Infection control is a major challenge in Indian hospitals

Antibiotics, for example, cannot cure viral illnesses like flu or common cold. Patients with dengue - a viral infection - and malaria - caused by a single-celled parasite - often receive antibiotics. Antibiotics continue to be prescribed for diarrheal diseases and upper respiratory infections for which they have limited value.

During the chaotic treatment of Covid-19, patients were treated with antibiotics which resulted in more adverse effects. Last year, a ICMR study of 17,534 Covid-19 patients in Indian hospitals found that more than half of them who acquired drug-resistant infections died.

Yet prescriptions for broad-spectrum antibiotics - drugs that should be reserved for tackling the most serious, hard-to-treat bacterial infections - comprise a whopping 75% of all prescriptions issued in India's hospitals, studies have found.

To be true, doctors are not to blame entirely. In large, crowded public hospitals, they are starved of time of see patients, diagnose their illnesses, sort bacterial from viral diseases and design treatment plans, says Dr Kalantri.

A widespread lack of knowledge about antibiotics means that most patients - rural and urban - are not aware of antibiotic resistance. Even the rich and educated take antibiotics if they fall ill or pressure doctors to prescribe antibiotics.

A study of Covid-19 patients found that more than half of them who acquired drug-resistant infections died

As prices of antibiotics fall and diagnostics remain expensive, doctors prefer to prescribe drugs rather than order tests. "Doctors are sometimes not sure what they are treating, and they want to treat everything by using broad-spectrum drugs," says Dr Walia.

Hospital infections are also to blame. Patients are often pumped with antibiotics to compensate for poor hygiene and sanitation, "because no doctor wants to lose a patient because of an infection".

"It is a perfect storm as far as India goes. There are lots of infectious diseases in the background, lack of infection control and a lot of unnecessary consumption of antibiotics," Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the One Health Trust, a global public health think tank, says.

Experts believe India needs to invest more in and beef up diagnostic labs, produce more infectious diseases physicians, reduce hospital infections and train doctors on usage of antibiotics based on tests to tackle the rising threat of superbugs. Otherwise, "resistance to antibiotics has the potential of taking the form of a pandemic in near future," warns Dr Walia.

Antibiotic resistance: A silent pandemic

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today

Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process

A growing number of infections - such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, and salmonellosis - are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective.

Source: World Health Organization

Read more India stories from the BBC:
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Indias External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Russias war on Ukraine does not serve the interests of anybody, but declined to say whether his government would support a United Nations General Assembly motion condemning Moscows annexation of Ukrainian territories.

Jaishankar was speaking at a joint news conference Monday with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong after a bilateral meeting at Parliament House where the Ukraine war was discussed.

We have been very clearly against the conflict in Ukraine. We believe that this conflict does not serve the interests of anybody. Neither the participants nor indeed of the international community, Jaishankar said.

As a country of the Global South, we have been seeing firsthand how much it has impacted low-income countries, the challenges that they are facing in terms of fuel and food and fertilizers, he added.

Asked if India would support the U.N. motion this week condemning Moscows annexation of four Ukraine regions, Jaishankar replied: As a matter of prudence and policy, we dont predict our votes in advance.

India is a major market for Russian-manufactured weapons.

Indias relationship with Russia had certainly served our interests well, Jaishankar said.

Wong said she welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis words to Russian President Vladimir Putin last month: Todays era is not of war.

As Prime Minister Modi has told Mr. Putin, this is not the time for war, Wong said.

One of the reasons India was so heavily reliant on Russian arms was that for multiple decades Western countries did not supply weapons to India and in fact saw a military dictatorship next to us as the preferred partner, Jaishankar said, referring to Pakistan.

The Australian and Indian ministers agreed that differences on Russia did not undermine the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a partnership also involving the United States and Japan better known as the Quad.

Story continues

I think the Quad is functioning extremely well, Wong said. I think the level of strategic trust and strategic consistency amongst Quad partners is deep and firm.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Asia-Pacific region at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
BENGALURU (Reuters) -India's Adani Group is in advanced talks to buy debt-laden Jaiprakash Associates Ltd's cement business for $606 million, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing sources.

Separately, Jaiprakash Associates said its board had approved the divestiture of the company's cement business, but did not reveal the name of a potential buyer or the price.

The acquisition will be made by one of Adani Group's recently acquired cement units, with an announcement expected as early as this week, Bloomberg reported, adding the talks could still be delayed or fall apart.

Adani Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

The Adani Group ventured into cement-making operations earlier this year with its $10.5 billion acquisition of Holcim AG's cement businesses in India - Ambuja Cements Ltd and ACC.

The group, led by Asia's richest man Gautam Adani, is looking beyond to expand its presence in power generation and infrastructure.

Gautam Adani and his family are in early discussions with investors, including Singapore investment firms Temasek and GIC, to raise at least $10 billion to fund an expansion into clean energy, ports and cement businesses, Mint newspaper reported on Monday.

Recently Gautam Adani had said the group will invest more than $100 billion over the next decade, most of it in the energy transition business.

(Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman and Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
NEWS PROVIDED BY

Orthodox Christian Laity

Oct. 10, 2022

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 10, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Peter Zarras, President, and George D. Karcazes, Secretary, Orthodox Christian Laity:

To the Orthodox Christian Faithful in America:

On July 5, 2022, A Declaration for Orthodox Christian Unity in America was published and widely distributed. It addresses the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America and solicits the signatures and support of all Orthodox Christians to reassure the Hierarchy of the rectitude of the call for a united, autocephalous American Orthodox Church.

This paper will address concerns raised by those who are still uncertain whether to support the Declaration and the action it promotes.

The first concern addressed is that the establishment of a united, Autocephalous "sister" Church in America alongside the fourteen existing Autocephalous Churches[*] will weaken the "Mother Churches". Those Churches and the dates they were founded or attained autocephaly are as follows:

[*] 1-Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (AD 37). 2-Alexandria (AD 62). 3-Antioch (AD 34). 4-Jerusalem (AD 55). 5-Russia (AD 988/Patriarchate 1448 AD). 6-Serbia (Founded AD 867-88, Patriarchate, 1920). 7-Romania (1925). 8-Bulgaria (1945  3rd Patriarchate, 1961). 9-Georgia (1917). 10-Cyprus (AD 431). 11-Greece (1850). 12-Poland (1924). 13-Albania (1937). 14-Czech Lands and Slovakia (1998).

How valid is the concern that an administratively united, autocephalous American Orthodox Church will weaken any of her 14 sister autocephalous Churches? No argument can reasonably be made that the State-supported (or State-privileged) Churches in Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, and Greece would be weakened by a united, autocephalous American Orthodox Church. The same applies to the Constitutionally protected Orthodox Churches in Poland, Albania, and the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

The four ancient Patriarchates of Constantinople (EP), Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria are in areas that are either hostile or lacking in local support. No concerns have been expressed that a united, growing, autocephalous American Orthodox Church will weaken the Churches of Antioch, Jerusalem, or Alexandria.

This paper will address concerns that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (EP) will be weakened if the 14 divided, overlapping, ethnic "jurisdictions" in America are united under a single synod of canonical bishops and the Church in America is recognized as autocephalous.

- An autocephalous American Orthodox Church will not cause the EP to lose the financial support it receives from the Church of Greece and the Greek Government, the principal sources of its funding.

- An autocephalous American Orthodox Church will not cause the EP to lose the financial support of Orthodox Christians in America. The support it receives from the Greek Archdiocese annually can be continued under a united, growing American Orthodox Church. A new Foundation explicitly to support the EP was recently established. That effort can only be strengthened by a united, growing American Orthodox Church.

- An autocephalous American Orthodox Church will not cause the EP to lose the diplomatic/political support it receives from the US government, UN Agencies, European Countries, the Order of St. Andrew-Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Non-Governmental Organizations, in its relationship with Turkey or its relationship with Russia. Support will be enhanced by a united, growing American Orthodox Church.

- An autocephalous American Orthodox Church will not cause the EP to lose its titular status as "the first among equals" in world Orthodoxy. Since the collapse of the atheist Soviet Union, Russia under Vladimir Putin has used the Russian Patriarchate as a tool of the State to supplant the EP as the leader of world Orthodoxy; e.g. Moscow as the "Third Rome" and the heresy of the "Russian World"  Russkii Mir  Teaching. The unprovoked war against Ukraine, Patriarch Kirill's support of the war, and the US and West's support of Ukraine prove that a united, strong American Orthodox Church will be more effective in supporting the EP in its relationship with Moscow than the current fragmented ethnic jurisdictions acting alone.

PUBLIUS

[*] Note: For the purposes of this paper, we do not list the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) which was granted a Tomos of Autocephaly by Moscow in 1970, or the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, whose Tomos was granted by Constantinople on January 5, 2019, because they are not among the 14 Autocephalous Orthodox Churches universally recognized as autocephalous by all the others. We further note that the OCA is included in the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of the USA, and its de facto autocephaly is unquestioned.
Every investor in Catapult Group International Limited (ASX:CAT) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. With 52% stake, individual investors possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Meanwhile, institutions make up 28% of the companys shareholders. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Catapult Group International.

Check out our latest analysis for Catapult Group International

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Catapult Group International?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

Catapult Group International 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. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Catapult Group International, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Catapult Group International. Because actions speak louder than words, we consider it a good sign when insiders own a significant stake in a company. In Catapult Group International's case, its Top Key Executive, Igor van de Griendt, is the largest shareholder, holding 8.6% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 7.4% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 6.9% by the third-largest shareholder. Interestingly, the second-largest shareholder, Shaun Holthouse is also Top Key Executive, again, pointing towards strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

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On studying our ownership data, we found that 23 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Catapult Group International

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. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Catapult Group International Limited. Insiders own AU$41m worth of shares in the AU$208m company. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public -- including retail investors -- own 52% of Catapult Group International. This level of ownership gives investors from the wider public some power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and the dividend payout ratio.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks for example - Catapult Group International has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-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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IPO Edge and the Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association will host a fireside chat with Selina and BOA Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: BOAS) on Tuesday, Oct. 11th at 11 am ET to discuss their upcoming merger as well as the fundamentals, secular trends, market opportunity, financials, performance and growth strategy. The live event will feature the CEO of Selina, Rafael Museri, and the President and Chief Financial Officer of BOA Acquisition Corp., Ben Friedman, joined by IPO Edge Editor-in-Chief John Jannarone and Editor-at-Large Jarrett Banks in a moderated video session lasting approximately 60 minutes including a Q&A with the audience.

To register, CLICK HERE

Selina and BOA Acquisition Corp. management will discuss:

Fundamentals/secular trends/market opportunity

Financials/performance

Differentiators (experiential hospitality, largest brand targeting millennials and Gen Z)

Rapid international expansion

Efficient repositioning program

Curated, authentic experiences; properties are frequented by travelers as well as locals



About the Speakers

Rafael Museri

Rafael (Rafi) Museri is the co-founder & CEO of Selina, a nomadic lifestyle brand that accommodates the needs of a new generation of travelers and digital nomads. Rafi and his business partner, Daniel Rudasevsk, launched Selina in 2015 with the mission of inspiring authentic and meaningful connections through the worlds first work, stay and play ecosystem.

Rafi and Daniel have been immersed in cultural and community building for over a decade  originally through their disruptive real estate company (Dekel), which redevelops struggling neighborhoods into vibrant communities. Based on key learnings from their work with Dekel, they launched Selina and have carried forward the concept of converting distressed assets into community-based and economically viable hospitality properties.

Over the past 6 years, Selina has expanded to 144 properties in 25 countries as one of the worlds fastest-growing hospitality brands, blending beautifully-designed accommodation with coworking, recreation, wellness, and local experiences. Custom-built for todays nomadic traveler, Selina provides guests with a global infrastructure to seamlessly travel and work abroad. Each Selina property is designed in partnership with local artists, creators, and tastemakers, breathing new life into existing buildings in interesting locations worldwide  from urban cities to remote beaches and jungles.

Story continues

Ben Friedman

Benjamin Friedman is President and Chief Financial Officer for BOA Acquisition Corp. Mr. Friedman has extensive experience in public and private financial markets, specializing in high yield and distressed investments across sectors and products. Prior to joining BOA Acquisition Corp., he was a Director and Senior Trader at Citigroup Global Markets leading the high-yield Energy and Utility trading franchise. Previously, he served as a Portfolio Manager at CQS, UK LLP, an $18 billion hedge fund and asset management firm focused on opportunistic credit investments. He was responsible for US high-yield credit hedge fund investments employing a mix of capital structure arbitrage, fundamental credit analysis, and relative value risk strategies to deliver returns. Additionally, he has taken part in a number of complex corporate restructurings and subsequent equity re-organizations. Mr. Friedman also was a member of the long-only multi-asset strategic investment team with over $7 billion in assets under management, managing a dedicated high-yield corporate credit book. He began his career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch on the leveraged finance trading team. He was named to Forbes Top 30 under 30 in 2017. Mr. Friedman received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

About Selina

Selina is one of the worlds largest lifestyle and experiential hotel company built to address the needs and desires of millennial and Gen Z travelers, blending beautifully designed accommodation with coworking, recreation, wellness and local experiences. Custom-built for todays nomadic traveler, Selina provides guests with a global infrastructure to seamlessly travel, work and play. Founded in 2014, each Selina property is designed in partnership with local artists, creators, and tastemakers, breathing new life into existing buildings in interesting locations around the world  from urban cities to remote beaches and jungles. Selinas portfolio includes over 163 open or secured properties across 25 countries and 6 continents. On December 2, 2021, Selina entered into a definitive merger agreement with BOA Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: BOAS), the closing of which, which is subject to customary conditions, will result in Selina becoming a publicly listed company. For further information on Selina, visit www.selina.com or check out @selina on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. To explore Selina real estate partnership opportunities, please contact partnerships@selina.com.

About BOA Acquisition Corp.

BOA Acquisition Corp. (BOA) is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While BOA may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry, it intends to focus its search on businesses that provide technological solutions and innovation to the broader real estate industry.

Contact:

www.IPO-Edge.com

Daniella Parra

daniellap@capmarketsmedia.com

Twitter: @IPOEdge

Instagram: @IPOEdge


Vanguard founder Jack Bogle helped spearhead the low-cost index fund, putting average returns within reach of every investor. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. For example, the The North West Company Inc. (TSE:NWC) share price is up 18% in the last three years, slightly above the market return. In contrast, the stock is actually down 1.4% in the last year, suggesting a lack of positive momentum.

So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 3 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for North West

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During three years of share price growth, North West achieved compound earnings per share growth of 13% per year. The average annual share price increase of 6% is actually lower than the EPS growth. So one could reasonably conclude that the market has cooled on the stock.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. This free interactive report on North West's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, North West's TSR for the last 3 years was 35%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

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A Different Perspective

It's good to see that North West has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 3.0% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. However, that falls short of the 6% TSR per annum it has made for shareholders, each year, over five years. The pessimistic view would be that be that the stock has its best days behind it, but on the other hand the price might simply be moderating while the business itself continues to execute. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with North West .

North West is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA exchanges.

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



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

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It's easy to match the overall market return by buying an index fund. While individual stocks can be big winners, plenty more fail to generate satisfactory returns. Unfortunately the Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) share price slid 27% over twelve months. That's disappointing when you consider the market declined 21%. On the bright side, the stock is actually up 3.1% in the last three years. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 14% in thirty days. We do note, however, that the broader market is down 11% in that period, and this may have weighed on the share price.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

Check out our latest analysis for Dolby Laboratories

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

Unfortunately Dolby Laboratories reported an EPS drop of 32% for the last year. We note that the 27% share price drop is very close to the EPS drop. Given the lower EPS we might have expected investors to lose confidence in the stock, but that doesn't seemed to have happened. Instead, the change in the share price seems to reduction in earnings per share, alone.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Dive deeper into Dolby Laboratories' key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Dolby Laboratories's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 21% in the twelve months, Dolby Laboratories shareholders did even worse, losing 26% (even including dividends). However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 3%, each year, over five years. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. 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 1 warning sign with Dolby Laboratories , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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We will like Dolby Laboratories better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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



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

Join A Paid User Research Session

Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
How far off is Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Mastercard

The Method

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$12.3b US$14.4b US$15.9b US$17.8b US$19.2b US$20.4b US$21.4b US$22.3b US$23.0b US$23.7b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x6 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 7.95% Est @ 6.15% Est @ 4.89% Est @ 4% Est @ 3.38% Est @ 2.95% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.3% US$11.5k US$12.7k US$13.2k US$14.0k US$14.2k US$14.2k US$14.0k US$13.7k US$13.3k US$12.9k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$134b

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We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.3%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$24b (1 + 1.9%)  (6.3% 1.9%) = US$558b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$558b ( 1 + 6.3%)10= US$304b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$438b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$295, the company appears quite undervalued at a 35% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Mastercard as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.021. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Mastercard, we've compiled three pertinent factors you should look at:

Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Mastercard you should know about. Future Earnings: How does MA's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

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



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

Join A Paid User Research Session

Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
The iPhone 14s new crash detection feature is causing problems for users who ride roller coasters.

Apples latest phone is reportedly experiencing its own accident on the rides by dialing 911, CNN reported.

>> Over 12 hours later, scrap yard fire continues to send plumes of smoke into sky in West Carrollton

The feature has set off false alarms for emergency personnel near Kings Island.

Theyve received at least six iPhone emergency calls since the new smartphone went on sale in September.

Similar 911 calls have originated from passengers on a roller coaster at Six Flags Great America near Chicago.

The same crash detection technology is also featured on the Apple Watch 8.

The fix is simple: Putting the iPhone 14 and the Apple Watch 8 on airplane mode before boarding a roller coaster.
Workers at an Iranian oil company went on strike Monday as ongoing anti-government demonstrations creep into important sectors of the countrys economy.

The Wall Street Journal reported that dozens of employees at a plant in the Iranian province of Bushehr blocked roadways as part of an anti-government protest.

According to various social media posts, the protesting workers shouted, Do not fear. We stand together and Death to the dictator.

Iranian media outlet Tasnim described Mondays incident as a salary dispute between the plant and its 700 employees. It is unclear how production has been impacted at the complex since the strike began.

Iranian government officials havent commented on the demonstration, the Journal reported.

This was the first time anti-government protests around the country have spread into the critical oil sector; however, retail outlets and small businesses have shut down their operations in support of the ongoing protests.

Tensions between Iranian citizens and authorities have escalated amid protests initially sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, which have expanded into calls for an end to state violence and discrimination toward women, as well as calls for regime change.

Nonprofit organization Iran Human Rights said 185 people had been killed during protests as of Oct. 6, including at least 19 children, with the highest number occurring in the Sistan and Baluchistan province in Irans southeast.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian national, died in police custody last month after being arrested by authorities for improperly wearing her hijab, which violated Irans strict rules on female dress codes.

According to a United Nation Human Rights Office report, Amini collapsed and died after spending three days in the custody of Irans morality police. The U.N. also noted that Amini was severely beaten during her detainment.

Iranian officials have denied the allegations of torture and ill-treatment in Aminis death, saying that the Iranian national died of a heart attack while in police custody.

U.S. officials, along with others, have condemned Iran for its treatment of women and the tactics it used to disperse demonstrators and imposed sanctions on the country during the protests.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Weapons allowed for manufacturing, sale and concealed carry under Senate Bill 156 - signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in June - include switchblade knives, springblade knives, gravity knives, brass knuckles, billy clubs, blackjacks and sandbags.

Erin Farmer was born and raised in rural Ohio, where she enjoyed 4-H and annual combine rides. She currently lives and works at a public library in Columbus.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law in June that shows once again how shortsighted Republican Ohio lawmakers can be.

The legislation blocks Ohio cities from passing laws blocking citizens from carrying knives by tacking on knives in its interpretation of the Second Amendment.

Many Ohioans, myself included, grew up in families where pocket knives were commonly carried as an important daily tool.

My grandfather would never have left the house without his pocket knife.

Earlier: Law bars restrictions on knives

It was needed for a number of farming and household chores, including my many fond memories of grandpa helping me and my sisters release new Barbies and My Little Ponies from their plastic packaging on Christmas mornings.

More:Police kill man they say attacked restaurant patrons with machete

Let me be clear: If the legislation  Senate Bill 156  stopped short at pocket knives, I would not be writing this letter.

Instead, the law will allows for swords, machetes, brass knuckles, etc., to be carried into public spaces such as malls, libraries, college campuses, etc. Now, you may be thinking That sounds terrible, but nobody has a sword or a machete. This is just an overreaction!

More:How to submit guest opinion columns to the Columbus Dispatch

This is not an overreaction

I would reply that I have recently witnessed an individual repeatedly brandishing a machete over a period of several days in a public space where children and families were present.

Each time this individual returned, he verbally and physically threatened the staff members of the building.

More:Central Ohio municipalities share knife laws, plans

This individual was likely experiencing a mental health crisis, which begs the question: When will Ohio lawmakers begin addressing the mental health crisis that is threatening to overwhelm our communities?

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Ohio Republicans claim that Senate Bill 156 gives Ohio citizens a better chance to defend themselves, and that therefore, they are working to protect Ohioans. In reality, this bill puts Ohioans who work and use public spaces in further danger.

People with mental illness not helped

It also does nothing to help Ohioans who really need help: those suffering from mental illness. The 134th General Assembly has done nothing to reduce the stigma of mental illness, or increase access to mental health services. Instead, they have only added to the stress and disenchantment of public work.

More:Gov. DeWine made mental health one of his top priorities. What's been done so far?

In fairness, Senate Bill 156 does make an attempt to state that this bill refers to legitimate uses of constitutionally protected arms. This begs the question, however, as to what "legitimate" purpose do brass knuckles or machetes serve in a public setting?

If the argument is for purposes of self-defense, this would carry more weight only if there were more education about and clear assistance for those who are suffering from mental illness.

Erin Farmer was born and raised in rural Ohio, where she enjoyed 4-H and annual combine rides. She currently lives and works at a public library in Columbus.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Opinion: Knife law dangerous to those suffering from mental illness
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is due to visit Australia this month on a trip that will include the city of Perth, the capital of the mineral and energy export state of Western Australia, the Australian leader said on Monday.

Speaking to radio, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not give an exact date for the visit but said a meeting with his Japanese counterpart was planned.

"I will be back there (Perth) in two weeks time ... And I'll also be hosting a bilateral meeting with the Japanese prime minister. Rather than bringing the prime minister of Japan to Canberra or Melbourne, taking him to Perth."

The Australian prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters query seeking the dates of the official visit and if Kishida would visit any cities besides Perth.

Speaking in Japan, Kishida told reporters the schedule of the visit had yet to be determined.

"Ive been trying to visit Australia as soon as possible, but as far as I know, the arrangements are still being made at this point. The schedule has not yet been finalised."

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported last week the visit was planned for late October.

(Reporting by Lewis Jackson; additional reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)
Jennifer Siebel Newsom speaks at the "Bans Off Our Bodies" reproductive rights rally at Los Angeles City Hall on May 14, 2022. Sarah Morris / Getty Images

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, filmmaker and the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, will be testifying against Harvey Weinstein in his second sexual assault trial that began this week in Los Angeles.

BuzzFeed News has confirmed with a source familiar with the situation that Siebel Newsom is "Jane Doe #4" and accusing Weinstein of forcible oral copulation and forcible rape related to incidents that occurred between 2004 and 2005.

Weinstein, who was first charged with rape and sexual assault in Los Angeles in 2020, faces 11 counts of sexual assault stemming from allegations by five women between 2004 and 2013. The former producer is facing charges of rape, sexual assault, forcible oral copulation, sexual battery by restraint, and sexual penetration by use of force.

The alleged incidents took place in West Los Angeles and Beverly Hills between 2004 and 2013. All five alleged victims are expected to testify along with several other witnesses who will discuss Weinstein's past behavior or prior bad acts.

In a statement sent to BuzzFeed News, Siebel Newsom's attorney, Elizabeth Fegan, confirmed that her client will be testifying in the trial.

Like many other women, my client was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at a purported business meeting that turned out to be a trap," Fegan said. She intends to testify at his trial to seek some measure of justice for survivors and as part of her lifes work to improve the lives of women. Please respect her choice to not discuss this matter outside of the courtroom.

Siebel Newsom first spoke of her experience with Weinstein in an op-ed published by HuffPost in 2017, just one day after the New York Times first reported allegations of sexual misconduct against the former producer.

I can tell you that I believe every single word that was written in the extremely disturbing, but not all that shocking, New York Times piece published yesterday, Siebel Newsom wrote. Not all that shocking because very similar things happened to me.

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I was naive, new to the industry, and didnt know how to deal with his aggressive advances  work invitations with a friend late-night at The Toronto Film Festival, and later an invitation to meet with him about a role in The Peninsula Hotel, where staff were present, and then all of a sudden disappeared like clockwork, leaving me alone with this extremely powerful and intimidating Hollywood legend, she wrote.

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein listens in court during a pretrial hearing in Los Angeles, on July 29, 2021. Etienne Laurent / Pool / AFP via Getty Images

Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault in New York in 2020. Last year, he was moved from a prison in New York to Los Angeles for him to stand trial. If convicted in this trial, he will be facing up to 140 years behind bars.

The Los Angeles trial is expected to take around two months. Jury selection began on Monday, and opening statements are scheduled to start on Oct. 24.

Weinstein, 70, has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty in both criminal cases (New York and Los Angeles). He is also currently appealing the New York conviction from 2020, with his attorneys arguing the judge and a juror were biased against him.

More on this
John Cleese said GB News is a free speech channel. (Getty Images)

John Cleese has called GB News a 'free speech' channel after revealing he has signed up to present a new show on the platform.

The 82-year-old Monty Python and Fawlty Towers admitted he had not heard of GB News when they approached him, but that if the BBC had made an offer he would have turned it down.

Cleese told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: The BBC have not come to me and said: Would you like to have some one-hour shows?

Read more: John Cleese says woke culture is having 'disastrous' impact on creativity in comedy

And if they did, I would say: Not on your nelly! Because I wouldnt get five minutes into the first show before Id been cancelled or censored.

The comedian and actor will co-host with satirical comedian Andrew Doyle, who currently presents weekly show Free Speech Nation on GB News.

John Cleese said he is an 'old-fahsioned liberal'. (Getty Images for SXSW)

Cleese said: "I was approached and I didn't know who they were. I don't know much about modern television because I'd pretty my given up on it. I mean English television.

"People say it's a right wing channel - it's a free speech channel."

He added: "The whole point is, is it free speech or not? And after I start the show, we'll find out."

Cleese said he believed that woke culture was "worse in America" and added, "The way the woke people conduct their campaign is not very honest."

Asked about the line between free speech and promoting factual inaccuracies, Cleese said: Thats the job, to put the facts out there, and then to have opinions slightly separate and have a proper argument about it, but not to try to avoid a public debate and then try and get yourself through (on) social media.

Fawlty Towers star John Cleese said the BBC would never offer him a show, and if they did they would censor him. (BBC)

Cleese described himself as an "old-fashioned liberal" but said he was no longer aligned to a particular political party in the UK as he found it a "confusing mess".

He said: After that appalling debate on Brexit, when I thought this country had sunk to the lowest intellectual level I can ever remember, I kind of lost interest.

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He added I live in hotel rooms. Im in hotel rooms 10 months of the year, so Im interested in a lot of political things everywhere. But I dont think that this country is in a good state at the moment.

In fact, I think the last three Tory administrations have been progressively more and more disastrous.

John Cleese said he is not aligned with any political party. (PA)

Last year Cleese spoke out against GB News on social media, implying the broadcaster was controlled by Russia.

He said: "One if its original founders seems to have made some money in Russia but it's no more than that, so I'm satisfied at the moment."

Cleese, who has been a Twitter user since 2007 and has over 5.7 million followers, joined Instagram at the beginning of April 2020, admitting he was feeling bored during lockdown.

Read more: Monty Python's John Cleese under fire over 'transphobic' tweet

Cleese lived in Los Angeles during the 1980s and 90s before returning to the UK, and spoke in 2018 of plans to relocate to the Caribbean island of Nevis.

In 2019 he said London had disappointed him as it was "no longer an English city".

Watch: John Cleese thinks the UK is a mess
Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key will reunite onscreen, seven years after their hit Comedy Central show Key & Peele. This time around, the comedic duo will appear as stop-motion characters in Henry Selicks Wendell & Wild. Selick is also behind the popular animated film Coraline.

Co-written by Academy award-winning Peele, the Selick-directed film premieres on Friday, Oct. 28, on Netflix and in select theaters on Oct. 21  just in time for Halloween.

More from VIBE.com

According to Netflix, the animated tale is about two scheming demon brothersWendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele)who enlist the aid of Kat Elliot, a tough teen with a load of guilt, to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.

(Center) Sister Daley (voiced by Michele Mariana), Kat (voiced by Lyric Ross), and Sister Chinstrap (voiced by Michele Mariana).

Other famous voices that will star in the film include Angela Bassett, Lyric Ross, James Hong, Tamara Smart, Natalie Martinez, Tantoo Cardinall Gabrielle Dennis, Igal Naor, David Harewood, Maxine Peake, Ramona Young, Sam Zelaya, Seema Virdi, Gary Gatewood and Ving Rhames.

The film premiered this year at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and will kick off the Animation Is Film Festival on Oct 21.

Im delighted my new film Wendell & Wild, co-written and produced with Jordan Peele, will have its U.S. premiere at Animation Is Film, a festival that celebrates the nontraditional and groundbreaking in animated movies, said Selick. Our made-in-the-USA stop-motion feature is many things: scary, funny, creepy, sad, and empowering, but most of all, its very very original so I cant think of a better place for its U.S. premiere than Animation Is Film. Hope you enjoy the show.

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(L-R) Keegan-Michael Key, Lyric Ross, and Jordan Peele speak during Netflixs Wendell & Wild world premiere / post reception at the Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 11, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario.

The trailer, which was released today (Oct. 10), features the original unreleased track from blossoming rapper Doechii, I Told Em.

Ive been a big fan of Jordan Peele and Henry Selick for a long time, so being able to help provide music to this trailer was awesome, said Doechii, according to Indie Wire. I love anything that shows an alternative representation of people like me in weird, quirky ways. Happy Halloween!

Check out the trailer above.

netflix-backs-wendell-and-wild-key-and-peele

Related Story

Netflix Backs 'Wendell And Wild' Animated Film Starring Comedy Duo Key & Peele

Click here to read the full article.
Julia Roberts has opened up about her dream come true life with husband Daniel Moder and their three children.

While the Oscar winner has held a longtime career as an actress, Roberts recently admitted that being a mom is better than any dream she could have wished for herself.

Its just never consumed me, being an actor, Roberts said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning. It is my dream come true. But it is not my only dream come true.

The life that Ive built with my husband. The life that weve built with our children, she continued. Thats the best stuff, to come home at the end of the day triumphantly to them."

Julia Roberts, 54, has been married to her husband Daniel Moder, 53, for nearly two decades. The actress and the cinematographer also share three children: twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, 17, and son Henry, 15.

I always think that they all look like me, she said, gushing over her children. And then Danny comes home from work, and I go, Oh, you, thats who they look like.

Roberts also told CBS Sunday Morning that when shes not working on set, being a homemaker is her full-time job, but not without admitting that being a mother also comes with its challenges.

"When Im not working, that is my full-time job, she said. And it isnt, you know, rainbows and kittens every day, but it does bring me a lot of joy."

It just never consumed me, being an actor.



Julia Roberts says that becoming a successful actor is a dream come true, but she tells Jane Pauley, she had other dreams too. https://t.co/adTP3xi5zb pic.twitter.com/UlILWOxKng  CBS Sunday Morning  (@CBSSunday) October 8, 2022

The actress, who stars in the forthcoming romantic comedy Ticket To Paradise, alongside pal George Clooney, said that filming the movie for 62 days in Australia was the longest she had ever been away from her family. To pass the time, Roberts and her husband wrote letters to each other, which she plans to one day share with her daughter Hazel.

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Its something Danny and I have always done, Roberts explained. The first letter he ever wrote me, which was seven pages long, I still have it tucked away. One day Ill show it to Hazel and say, Thats what youre looking for.

Not only has Roberts given her daughter advice on love, but it seems shes already passing down pieces from her iconic wardrobe to Hazel. The actress recalled how her daughter was looking for a prom dress when she came across the vintage Valentino black-and-white gown Roberts wore to the 2001 Oscars, when she won Best Actress for her role in Erin Brockovich.

My daughter was digging through the closet looking for possible prom dresses last spring, and she was like, Whats this dress? Roberts explained. I said, Well, try it on.

It was too big for her, but she looked so lovely.

In another iconic fashion moment, Roberts paid tribute to her family when she wore a personalised Alexander McQueen gown to the Ticket To Paradise premiere in London in September. Roberts walked the red carpet wearing the custom black dress, which was hand-embroidered with crystal beads and sequins. She paired the black gown with a matching black cropped tuxedo jacket.

Sewn into the gown was JR + DM inside a crystal-embellished heart, seemingly in reference to her husbands initials. The letters H+F+H were also swen onto the dress, as a tribute to her children Hazel, Phinnaeus, and Henry.
The death toll from Hurricane Julia in Central America rose to more than two dozen on Tuesday as rescue and recovery efforts continued in multiple countries.

According to an NPR report, at least 28 fatalities in Central America have been attributed to Julia. This includes at least one in Nicaragua, four in Honduras, nine in El Salvador and 14 in Guatemala.

Julia completed its rare crossover from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean on Monday, one day after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in Nicaragua, unleashing torrential, flooding downpours in the process and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

Julia made landfall near Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua, at 3:15 a.m. EDT Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour. Julia lost wind intensity while over the rugged terrain of Nicaragua and was downgraded to a tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center late on Sunday morning. It was downgraded into a tropical depression near the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala on Monday morning, before dissipating entirely Monday evening.

A "state of calamity" was declared by the Guatemala's president Alejandro Giammattei on Monday. This declaration, which will be in effect for 30 days, allows for urgent measures to safeguard the lives of Guatemalans as Julia brings heavy rain and gusty winds to the country.

Heavy rainfall from Julia was also blamed for a massive mudslide in Venezuela, which has killed at least 36 people according to a Bloomberg News report. At the time of the landslide in Venezuela, Julia was only a tropical depression. According to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, the landslide was fueled by multiple days of heavy rainfall.

Footage in San Miguel, El Salvador released Monday afternoon showed people trapped in the city's Carrillo neighborhood, barely staying above floodwaters.

Nearly 1 million residents along Nicaragua's coastal region lost power and internet, Reuters reported. Some of the outages were from fallen lines while the majority came from a government decision to cut the electricity for safety reasons.

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7-Day Precipitation Along Tropical Storm Julia's Track NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement total rainfall map from Oct. 2 to Oct. 9 shows the heavy rain from Tropical Storm Julia. Red colors indicate over 11 inches (279 mm) of rain.

As Julia dumped heavy rain across Central America, the Nicaraguan National Disaster System issued a "red alert" for the entire country after multiple rivers flooded.

Total rainfall estimates from when Julia originated in early October to Sunday from NASA Global Precipitation Measurement shows rainfall amounts in excess of 11 inches across Nicaragua and other areas of Central America. According to the AP, highways were closed due to the heavy rains reported in Honduras, Panama and Costa Rica.

In Juigalpa, Nicaragua, which is about 115 miles west of where Julia made landfall, water overflowed over the Panmuca Bridge in Juigalpa, Nicaragua, which caused buildings to collapse into the water and debris to be scattered about, according to a video from Radio Nicaragua.

Nearly 60 miles to the west, in Managua, Nicaragua, a home collapsed as it was surrounded by flooding water, displacing the family who lived in it.

According to Reuters, 13,000 families in Nicaragua were evacuated, and more than 800 houses were flooded.

Rodriguez said on Sunday people were still walled in and officials were trying to rescue survivors as crews performed search operations with trained dogs and drones. Floodwaters have affected 21 sectors in Las Tejerias, which is home to about 54,000. More than 20,000 officials were deployed to the affected regions.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro tweeted on Sunday that there was "minor damage" in the country. Petro also said that two people were injured, two homes were destroyed and 101 homes suffered damage.

Julia became a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea, near the coast of Colombia, on Friday. It strengthened into a hurricane as it tracked westward on Saturday evening in the southwestern Caribbean before making landfall in Nicaragua less than 12 hours later.

It traveled westward across Nicaragua and the southern part of Honduras, which has fewer mountains compared to areas farther to the north and the south in Central America. As a result, the system remained a tropical storm and retained the name Julia near the Pacific coast of El Salvador on Monday morning. On Tuesday, Julia was blamed for heavy rainfall in Acapulco, Mexico, causing floodwaters that stranded multiple vehicles on the street.

Julia became the 18th named tropical system in the East Pacific Ocean Basin this season and is only the second system on record to pass from the Atlantic basin to the Pacific basin with at least tropical storm in intensity. The other system to accomplish the impressive feat was Bonnie earlier this season.

"For the first time in recorded history, two tropical cyclones moved from the Atlantic to the East Pacific in the same season and maintained at least tropical storm strength," AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell said. "Two tropical storms also crossed over in 1996 and 1988 but did not strengthen beyond tropical depression status in the Pacific."

After strengthening into a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea, Bonnie made landfall at the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border then proceeded to reach the East Pacific Ocean and strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane in early July.

Bonnie's journey across both basins made it one for the record books, journeying more than 6,600 miles and becoming one of only four systems ever to cross over and become a major hurricane.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Kelly Rizzo remembered her late husband Bob Saget nine months after his death on Sunday with a sweet Instagram post.

"9 months without him," she wrote alongside a clip of the happy couple participating in a "couple's challenge" video. "It feels like forever and also one day all at the same time. I love looking back on these videos to see how much joy and silliness and fun and love we shared. The pain and grief ebbs and flows and I still have some days that just suck and there are days that are lighter now too. But every day there is a palpable hole where he used to be. But at the same time he left behind SO much residual love and laughter that he still feels so near and present. Its all quite an enigma. As our anniversary nears later this month, Ill share more thoughts, but for now Ill leave you with this silly video. We had a blast making these. Miss you and love you so much, honey."

Bob Saget and Kelly Rizzo tied the knot in 2018. Getty Images

Saget passed away on January 9 at the age of 65. He was found unresponsive in an Orlando, Florida, hotel room.

Bob Saget passed away in January at the age of 65. Michael Tran/FilmMagic

The Orange County Sheriff's Department confirmed Saget's death on social media, saying it found no signs of foul play or drug use.

WITNESSES RECALL INTERACTING WITH BOB SAGET IN HOURS BEFORE DEATH: POLICE INTERVIEWS

Following his death, Rizzo paid tribute to her late husband following his funeral on her Instagram.

Kelly Rizzo remembered her late husband Bob Saget nine months after his tragic death. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

"After much reflection this week, I'm trying, really trying, to not think I was robbed of time. But instead to think: How lucky was I that I got to be the one to be married to THE MOST INCREDIBLE MAN ON EARTH," she wrote.

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Saget and Rizzo tied the knot in 2018.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez called Monday for freezing all U.S. cooperation with Saudi Arabia, delivering one of the strongest expressions yet of U.S. anger over Saudi oil-production cuts that serve to boost Russia in its war in Ukraine.

In a statement, Menendez specifically called for cutting off all arms sales and security cooperation  one of the underpinnings of the more than 70-year U.S. strategic partnership with the oil kingdom  beyond the minimum necessary to defend Americans and American interests.

As committee chairman, Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, vowed he "will not green-light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine. Enough is enough.

His statement comes four days after Saudi Arabia and Russia led OPEC nations in announcing a 2 million barrel a day cut in oil production. The Saudi- and Russian-led cuts help prop up high oil prices that are allowing President Vladimir Putin to keep paying for his eight-month invasion of Ukraine. The production cut also hurts U.S.-led efforts to make the war financially unsustainable for Russia, threatens a global economy already destabilized by the Ukraine conflict, and risks saddling President Joe Biden and Democrats with rising gasoline prices just ahead of U.S. midterms.

Video: Saudi Arabia announces massive cut to oil production

Menendez's announcement Monday places him among a growing number of Democrats who, since the announcement by OPEC nations and Russia, have called for stopping what are billions of dollars in annual U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

The Democrats accuse Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, of effectively flouting the Saudi side of a decades-long bargain that has consisted of the U.S. military and defense industry providing security for Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia in turn providing world markets with a reliable flow of oil.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week was among the Democrats blasting Prince Mohammed for seeming to act in support of Putin's invasion.

Schumer declared then that lawmakers were looking at legislative options to deal with what he called Saudi Arabia's appalling and deeply cynical action.

Democratic lawmakers within a day of the OPEC move were introducing new legislation to stop U.S. arms sales to the kingdom. Menendez's action Monday, given his key role shepherding foreign policy legislation, raises the prospect that Congress could act to punish the Saudis during the lame-duck period after the November elections.

It's not clear how far Menendez and other Democrats would go in practical terms in cutting off weapons deals and most other cooperation with the Saudis, or whether the Biden administration would go along. Biden said last week he was disappointed with Saudi Arabia's role in the latest oil production cut and said the administration was looking at options.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said Tuesday on CNN that Biden is willing to work with Congress to determine what the right relationship with Saudi Arabia needs to be going forward.

Last week's oil production cuts delivered one of the sharpest yet in a series of blows in the U.S. and Saudi relationship. They include the 2018 Saudi killing of a U.S.-based journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in which the U.S. intelligence community concluded the crown prince played a key role. Americans also fault the crown prince for refusing to join in U.S.-led efforts to isolate and punish Putin for his February invasion of Ukraine, and for maintaining seemingly friendly relations with Putin.

There simply is no room to play both sides of this conflict  either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping off an entire country off of the map, or you support him, Menendez said in his statement. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest.

Biden had sought to patch relations with Prince Mohammed, traveling to Saudi Arabia in July to deliver an awkward fist bump in a conciliatory gesture.

-

Associated Press reporter Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
Taking a mental health day is important for kids, say experts. (Photo: Getty Images)

One of the things that the pandemic has made abundantly clear: Children and teens are facing a mental health crisis and need support more than ever. Rates of anxiety and depression among children were already high before COVID struck, but then the pandemic added fuel to the fire, dramatically accelerating a decline in youth mental health, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Michael Enenbach, clinical director, associate medical director and senior child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute, tells Yahoo Life: We as a country have a long standing history of not equating mental health with physical health. Its still the case. One benefit from COVID is recognizing it a little more, because it really took a toll on everyone  kids and adults.

Along with working on improving access to mental health services, several states  including Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Kentucky, Maine and Virginia  are now allowing kids to take mental health days as an excused absence. And experts say its a good idea. Taking a mental health day is important, says Enenbach.

But experts emphasize that the point of taking a mental health day isnt about avoiding school or spending the day zoning out in front of a screen. It should be one day and you should do something to benefit your mental health, says Enenbach.

So how can parents assess whether or not their child or teen needs to take a mental health day? And what activities should kids do  and avoid  on those days? Heres what experts recommend.

What are the signs that a child or teen needs a mental health day?

It really comes down to parents staying attuned to their child or teen and how theyre actually doing in terms of handling a current stressful situation. Some teens will be more forthcoming with information, but many are not, Elizabeth Reichert, Stanford Medicine Childrens Health pediatric and adolescent psychologist and clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, tells Yahoo Life. So it can be hard to keep a pulse on what a teen really needs.

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In general, good indicators that your child or teen could use a mental health day include if theyre totally burnt out after preparing for a big project or test, or seeing your teen staying up much later doing school work than they used to or experiencing a lot more worry or stress about a project coming up, she says. Or if they experienced a really bad breakup or upheaval with friends or their social circle. Those are really great moments to check in.

If a child or teen asks to take a mental health day, parents may need to act like a bit of a detective, says Reichert, to better understand why. It creates an opportunity for connection with their child to understand what is going on, she says. Is it feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork? Or up all night [after] studying for a really big test? Or feeling sad?

Enenbach agrees that having a conversation with your child to find out more before allowing a mental health day is important, including asking: Tell me how you're feeling? he suggests. What do you have planned for that day? Are there any major tests or assignments that day you might be missing?

As Reichert puts it, Its not that we want to send a message that every time you have a hard time with a friend you get a mental health day  its a dialogue and checking in. Can you tell me more about whats going on with school? Im sensing you may need a bit of a break  can I help you take one?

Its also worth noting that some kids, particularly very high achievers, says Enenbach, may not want to take a mental health day  even when they need one. For kids who are anxious about missing school, another way to frame it is by suggesting they go in late one morning instead, says Reichert. Its structuring it so theres a little bit of a break time, as opposed to the whole day, she says. Or maybe you just go to that one class you cant miss, and the rest of your day is a mental health day.

When shouldnt a kid take a mental health day?

Thats one of the trickiest areas to navigate, notes Reichert. But she says that taking a mental health day is not a good choice if a child is trying to avoid a big test or get out of something thats making them feel anxious  thats a very common situation. Thats a situation we wouldnt want to grant a mental health day and [instead] support our child through that challenge.

Reichert explains that the short-term solution of taking a mental health day to avoid a test or problem at school could make the situation a lot worse because they still have to eventually return to school. She also says it can teach kids their parent agrees that they arent capable of handling it. Instead, Reichert recommends focusing on ways parents can support their children through challenging situations.

In general, Enenbach recommends that parents make sure mental health days are used effectively and appropriately, adding: Once you start taking several mental health days in a row, were talking school avoidance, which should be addressed and may warrant speaking with your childs teacher or principal and possibly a mental health professional.

If parents are noticing that their kids are feeling overwhelmed, seeking out a mental health professional can be helpful, notes Enenbach. Kids are really stressed right now, he says.

What should parents do  and not do  with their child or teen when they take a mental health day?

Experts agree that having a plan is an essential part of taking a mental health day. Thats because it can be a bit of a slippery slope and can easily turn into not wanting to go back to school the next day, says Reichert. Before the mental health day is taken, there have to be some limits. What are we going to do that day? What is on the agenda or not on the agenda and [noting] that the expectation is that you will go back to school. How many mental health days do we want to take in a year?

As far as activities go, the focus should be on recharging and recuperating  ideally, with a parent if theyre able to simultaneously take a break. That means avoiding the pitfall of allowing your child or teen to be on social media or in front of screens all day, says Reichert. Its also not a time to catch up on schoolwork. That is not what we consider a mental health day because thats not recharging, she says.

Instead, its about finding ways to engage in activities that can be calming, soothing and enriching, she says, whether thats taking a walk or engaging in arts and crafts or reading a book or listening to music or doing some yoga.

However, for some kids, being physically active, such as going for a restorative run, is the best way for them to recuperate. Knowing your kid and what works for them is the point, Reichert says.

Above all, she says, mental health days are an opportunity for kids to rest and recharge their batteries and de-stress.

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.
ROMAN PETRENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 10:15

Russian occupiers are hitting Ukraine with 47 missiles. This is the third wave of shelling on 10 October, Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Vitalii Kim, said.

Source: Kim on Telegram

Quote from Kim: "The 3rd wave of missiles - 47 of them.

We sit in shelters."

Details: According to Kim, 10 kamikaze drones took off from Belarus and crossed the border in Volyn Oblast.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
(Fixes typo in first paragraph)

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles offered his condolences on Monday to those who lost loved ones in an explosion at a petrol station in the Irish county of Donegal.

"My wife and I were filled with immense sadness when we heard of that appallingly tragic explosion at Creeslough, County Donegal," Charles said in a statement of the explosion on Friday that has left 10 dead.

"However inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, we wanted you to know that our most heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences are with those families and friends who have lost their loved ones in this devastating tragedy."

(This story has been refiled to fix typo in first paragraph)

(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by William James)
Igor Danchenko, a Russian information analyst, is set to go on trial Tuesday on charges that he lied to the FBI during its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Danchenko, who faces five counts of lying to the FBI in 2017, is the latest person to stand trial in the probe from Special Counsel John Durham, a former U.S. attorney in Connecticut tapped in 2019 by then-Attorney General William Barr to investigate the origins of the FBIs Crossfire Hurricane operation.

The FBI operation began in 2016 to examine claims, now largely debunked, that former President Trump and his allies colluded with Russia to meddle with the presidential election.

Durhams probe has so far notched one guilty plea, against former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who avoided jail time when he admitted to altering an email to support a surveillance operation against former Trump aide Carter Page.

A trial against attorney Michael Sussmann, accused of lying to the FBI when he presented evidence of ties between a Russian bank and the Trump Organization, resulted in his acquittal in May.

While Russia engaged in a disinformation scheme to manipulate the result of the 2016 presidential election, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find evidence of collusion with the Trump campaign.

Still, several former Trump officials were found guilty as the result of the Mueller probe on a range of charges, including making false statements to agents, bank fraud and witness tampering, among others.

Durham has alleged that allies of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign pushed a disinformation campaign through a network of lawyers, analysts and foreign nationals to peddle the conspiracy that Trump colluded with Russia in the presidential election.

At the center of those efforts was the now-debunked Steel Dossier, manufactured by former British spy Christopher Steele and disseminated by consulting firm Fusion GPS.

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The core material included in the Steele Dossier relied on information from Danchenko, a former Brookings Institution policy analyst and a Russian national.

Danchenko allegedly concocted numerous unproven conspiracies, including that Trump slept with Russian prostitutes at a Moscow hotel in 2013 and that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, along with Page, worked with Russia to interfere in the election.

According to his November 2021 indictment, Danchenko lied to the FBI numerous times during interviews in 2017 about the source of his information.

Agents were investigating interference into the 2016 election at the time and were consulting Danchenko on where and how he got his information.

The Steele Dossier ultimately resulted in the FBI devoting substantial resources to corroborate Trump-Russia allegations, including Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) warrants on Page, according to Durhams indictment.

Danchenko has said a primary source for information in the Steel Dossier was Sergei Millian, a former Russian American Chamber of Commerce president, who Danchenko assumed made an anonymous call tipping him off on key information in July 2016.

However, Durham says Millian never spoke to the Russian analyst, and that most of Danchenkos information came from Charles Dolan, a Democratic operative and ally of Clinton.

Danchenkos lawyers have said the charges against their client amount to an extraordinary government overreach and that all the answers he provided to the FBI in 2017 were technically true.

His legal team also says that Danchenko never told the FBI with certainty that he spoke to Millian.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Contributed

UPDATE: 6:45 p.m.

The Gilpin Grasslands Park wildfire (N62637) located approximately 10 kilometres east of Grand Forks and seven kilometres west of Christina Lake is 151 hectares in size.

The fire is located adjacent to Highway 3 and is highly visible to surrounding communities, as well as people traveling in the area.

A BC Wildfire Service crew and a helicopter are on site, working alongside fire department personnel.

The cause is under investigation and no structures are currently threatened.

While Highway 3 remains open, traffic control is in place to ensure operations can continue safely.

BC Wildfire is reminding residents to reduce your speed, use your headlights, remain aware of your surroundings and follow the requests from traffic control.

ORIGINAL: 4:30 p.m.

A grass fire was sparked Sunday afternoon along Highway 3 east of Grand Forks towards Christina Lake.

Fire trucks were on the scene and crews were on the ground trying to knock down the flames.

The cause of the fire as well as the size is unknown at this time.

The BC Wildfire Service issued a news release ahead of Thanksgiving weekend urging people to use caution and remain vigilant to prevent human-caused fires.

The government has banned open fires in much of the province.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to launch dozens of missiles at Ukrainian cities early Monday, an escalatory move that comes as Moscow increasingly accuses Ukrainians of terrorism and warns of Russias potential future response.

The missiles killed at least 11 people as they struck regions across the country, including in areas that have generally stayed out of recent fighting, like Kyiv, the nations capital, or Lviv in Western Ukraine.

The morning is tough. We are dealing with terrorists, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Monday morning video address.

The strikes came two days after a massive explosion caused significant damage to a key bridge that linked the Crimean Peninsula with Russia and was seen as personally important to Putin, who suggested the missiles were in retaliation for the explosion.

Heres what we know about Putins barrage of strikes:

11 people died, 64 more injured

Ukraines state emergency service on Monday wrote on Telegram that 11 people died and 64 more were injured during the attacks.

Many of the attacks occurred in Kyiv, Ukraines capital that Russia unsuccessfully tried to overtake in the early days of its invasion.

The city has since remained away from the front lines for most of the war, which is now in its eighth month, as fighting mainly shifts to Ukraines east and south.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said officials have identified 51 victims in the city from the attacks, including five deaths.

Klitschko indicated the rockets hit several areas but in particular targeted Kyivs Shevchenko district, a large area located in the citys center, and the Solomianskyi district in the west. The citys subway temporarily stopped running but later resumed, he added.

Other strikes hit near the government quarter, where Ukraines Parliament and other offices are located, and blew out windows in a glass tower that houses offices.

Klitschko urged residents to obey air raid sirens, which have sounded repeatedly in Kyiv and other areas.

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We do everything for the life support of the city, Klitschko wrote. Thank you to all Kyivans for your understanding and patience! The enemy wants to intimidate us, but he will not succeed!

Missiles hit at least nine cities, including places far from the front lines

Beyond Kyiv, Russias missile strikes landed in at least eight other cities, according to state officials.

Ukraines emergency service said the Kremlin attacked cities across Ukraine, including Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr. Zelensky, Ukraines president, said in his address that strikes also hit Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhia in addition to other regions.

The General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces said in a statement that Russian forces used 84 winged missiles and 24 unmanned aircraft, roughly half of which were Iranian-made drones. Ukraine knocked out 56 Russian targets, according to the statement.

Our courage will never be destroyed by terrorists missiles, even when they hit the heart of our capital, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said in a statement. Nor will they shake the determination of our allies. The only thing they demolish irreversibly is the future of Russia  a future of a globally despised rogue terrorist state.

Zelensky said the Russians had two goals in the attacks: destroying energy facilities and targeting civilians.

Why such strikes exactly? he asked in his video address. The enemy wants us to be afraid, wants to make people run. But we can only run forward  and we demonstrate this on the battlefield. It will continue to be so.

Ukraines emergency service indicated the missiles hit energy facilities and critical infrastructure, causing more than 30 fires across the affected regions.

Four regions  Lviv, Poltava, Sumy and Ternopil  have no electricity, while the rest of the countrys electricity supply is partially disrupted, the agency said on Telegram.

Putin indicated attacks were response to Crimea bridge explosion

Putin accused Ukrainian forces of committing terrorism hours before the attacks, blaming Ukraine for Saturdays explosion that partially collapsed the Kerch Strait Bridge. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility.

The bridge critically linked Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014. Putin views the bridge as both an important symbolic and physical representation of Russias control over the peninsula.

Theres no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation, Putin said in a Sunday meeting. And the authors, perpetrators and those who ordered it are the special services of Ukraine.

On Monday, Putin met with his Security Council, offering further warnings of the Kremlins future reprisal.

In case of continuation of terrorist attacks on our territory, we will respond in a very harsh manner, and we will respond in level with the level of threats posed against Russian Federation, Putin said. Nobody should have any doubt about this.

Putin in recent days has suggested his escalating threats are not a bluff, including warnings that Russia may use its nuclear arsenal. He accused Kyiv of nuclear terrorism in his Monday meeting.

Leaving such crimes without response is simply impossible, Putin said.

International community condemned strikes

Western officials expressed disgust at Russias strikes, with many saying they spoke with Ukraines foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, as some of the countrys officials push for more military aid.

Spoke with Foreign Minister @DmytroKuleba & condemned #Russias horrific & indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in #Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted. #NATO will continue supporting the brave Ukrainian people to fight back against the Kremlins aggression for as long as it takes.

Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable, wrote James Cleverly, the U.K.s foreign secretary, who similarly said he spoke with Kuleba.

Italys foreign ministry in a statement called the strikes cowardly.

We reiterate our firm and convincing support for Ukraine, its people and its resilience, and at the same time express our full condemnation and utmost indignation for a gesture that aggravates Russian responsibility in the context of its unjustifiable aggression, the statement read.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous Milwaukee Monster, was on probation for sexual molestation when he killed Konerak Sinthasomphone, which reportedly could have been prevented had the responding officers stayed longer outside his apartment.

Sinthasomphones gruesome murder was featured in the second episode of the Netflix limited-series "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," which follows the life of the Milwaukee serial killer who took the lives of 17 men and boys.

Who was Konerak Sinthasomphone?

Sinthasomphone and his family fled Laos in March 1979 after the ruling communist party threatened to take away the familys rice farm, Kongpheth Vonghasouk, Sounthone Sinthasomphones son-in-law, told The New York Times in July 1991.

More from NextShark: Chicago police release pictures and videos of man wanted for shooting in Chinatown

The Sinthasomphone family spent a year living in a refugee camp in Thailand before immigrating to Wisconsin with the help of the Catholic archdiocese in Milwaukee. Having become accustomed to their new life in the United States, some older siblings found jobs as welders, machinists and assembly line workers to support the family.

Anouke Sinthasomphone told The New York Times that while their lives had not been easy, the family felt that moving to the U.S. provided them a better quality of life than they had in Laos.

Encounters with the Milwaukee Cannibal

More from NextShark: New DNA technology may solve the brutal 1994 murder of 14-year-old Castro Valley teen, says sheriff

The family first encountered Dahmer when the man approached Konerak's older brother, Somsack Sinthasomphone, in September 1988, offering him money in exchange for nude pictures. The boy was only 13 when the first incident occurred.

Dahmer took the boy into his apartment, where he drugged and sexually abused him. Somsack managed to escape the man, which led to Dahmer's arrest on Sept. 27, 1988. Dahmer pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault in January 1989.

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More from NextShark: Irvine police arrest California dermatologist accused of poisoning husband

In the Netflix documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, it was revealed that Dahmer claimed that he had no knife and had no intention of injuring him.

Although the documentary and other reports at the time did not name Somsack as the victim and only referred to him as Koneraks older brother, the Netflix limited series identified him by his name. Somsacks name reportedly appeared in the familys lawsuit against Milwaukee in 1992.

Dahmer was initially sentenced to eight years in prison, but his sentence was cut short by State Judge William Gardner after he wrote a remorseful letter apologizing for his crime. He was released in early 1990 and put on five-year probation after serving one year in prison.

More from NextShark: Judge tells 72-year-old man stricken with cancer he 'should be ashamed of himself' for his un-mowed lawn

The nightmare would continue on May 27, 1991, when Dahmer made the same offer to the younger Sinthasomphone. It was reported that the killer was unaware of the two boys' relationship, as revealed in the Netflix documentary.

After bringing him to his apartment, Dahmer reportedly drugged Sinthasomphone and proceeded to beat the boy, drilled a hole into his skull and poured hydrochloric acid into it. He also took pictures of the boy in the process.

Sinthasomphone managed to regain consciousness after Dahmer left the apartment to buy beer. After fleeing the apartment, the boy was spotted by neighbors Sandra Smith, Tina Spivey and Nicole Childress, who immediately notified the police.

Responding officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish arrived at the scene and found the boy bleeding, naked and heavily drugged. Speaking to the cops, Dahmer claimed that Konerak was his 19-year-old lover.

The authorities later escorted the two, with Sinthasomphone leaning over Dahmers shoulder, back to the latters apartment. The police were unaware that the body of another victim was still inside Dahmer's apartment when they accompanied them back.

Dahmer killed Konerak about half an hour after the police left the apartment. Sinthasomphones body was among the 11 dismembered bodies found inside Dahmers apartment. He was Dahmer's 13th victim.

Dahmer was eventually arrested in July 1991 and confessed to the 17 murders. He was sentenced to 15 life terms and died in a prison incident on Nov. 28, 1994.

The aftermath

The news of Sinthasomphones death reverberated among the community, igniting a protest and triggering an investigation into how the police officers handled the case.

A protest in Milwaukee in 1992 about Konerak Sinthasomphone pic.twitter.com/rKA5J8nxlV  Historic.ly (@historic_ly) June 19, 2020

Balcerzak and Gabrish were fired in December 1992 following a four-week hearing that involved interviewing 27 witnesses, listening to 90 hours of testimony and reviewing 1,000 pages of evidence, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The commission reportedly did not buy the officers argument that they were being sensitive to a caring homosexual relationship when Dahmer introduced Sinthasomphone to the police as John Hmong.

In the 52-page report, the commission noted how the two officers, highly regarded as the iron men, had violated police rules 15 times during their investigation into the case, which only lasted for 16 minutes.

Among the violations included how Balcerzak and Gabrish failed to perform a records check on Dahmer, verify the age, name and address of John Hmong and get a medical assessment of the victims physical condition. The two officers even reportedly waved off an emergency medical team.

The two officers were also accused of failing to evaluate the information provided by Glenda Cleveland, the mother of one of the women who called 911. She spoke to Balcerzak later that night and informed him that Sinthasomphone played with her children once as a child.

Although the Netflix series only showed two officers responding to the case, in reality, a third officer, identified as Richard Porubcan, later joined Balcerzak and Gabrish. Porubcan was only suspended following Sinthasomphones death.

A few years after the commission probe, Reserve Judge Robert Parins ruled that Balcerzak and Gabrishs firing was too severe and instead reinstated the former officers into the force with a $55,000 back pay each.

Featured Image via WISN 12 News
Chancellor of the exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng. Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Kwasi Kwarteng has brought forward his medium-term fiscal plan by more than three weeks and will now announce it alongside economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility on 31 October.

The Treasury department confirmed the move to bring forward the publication of the financial strategy from 23 November as Kwarteng seeks to calm financial markets following a turbulent period.

The UK chancellor of the Exchequer said he hopes "this short extra delay is acceptable" in a letter to Commons Treasury Committee chair Mel Stride on Monday.

This means that the plan will now come before the Bank of England's next interest rates decision on 3 November, a key demand from Stride.

Read more: Interest rate rises only way to tame UK inflation, warns Bank of England deputy governor

The chair previously expressed concern that the government needed to calm markets earlier and reduce upward pressure on rates thats affecting the mortgages of millions of homeowners.

Stride, who posted the letter on Twitter (TWTR) on Monday, said: "Having pressed so hard on this I strongly welcome decision by Kwasi Kwarteng to bring forward OBR forecast MTFP to 31st Oct."

"If this lands well with markets then MPC meeting on 3rd Nov may result in smaller rise in int rates. Critical to millions of mortgage holders," he added.

BREAKING: Having pressed so hard on this I strongly welcome decision by @KwasiKwarteng to bring forward @OBR_UK forecast MTFP to 31st Oct. If this lands well with markets then MPC meeting on 3rd Nov may result in smaller rise in int rates. Critical to millions of mortgage holders pic.twitter.com/sgn7mB4ovf  Mel Stride (@MelJStride) October 10, 2022

There's been some confusion about the timing of the fiscal plan and the decision is the latest U-turn in a series of twist and turns in Liz Truss's government.

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Read more: Kwarteng's reversal of 45p tax cut: Richest 5% households still stand to gain most

Last week, the chancellor ruled out that he would bring his 43bn package of tax cuts forward, saying that he would stick with the November date.

It came after reports that Kwarteng would publish it at the end of this month after he told the Conservative conference he would release his fiscal plan and OBR forecasts "shortly".

In September, chiefs at some of the City of Londons biggest companies told the chancellor that he couldnt wait until November to reassure markets about his fiscal plans.

Earlier this month, the chancellor also reversed on plans to scrap the 45p top rate income tax, announced in his mini-budget, after it sparked a sell-off in the pound and government bond market.

Read more: UK mortgage interest rates surge past 6% to highest level for 14 years

Kwartengs plan will set out how the government intends to reduce debt as a share of gross domestic product over the medium term, a goal that is expected to require significant cuts to public spending after he unveiled the biggest set of tax giveaways in 50 years on 23 September.

Watch: What is a recession and how do we spot one?
Russia shelled Kyiv

The blast wave has damaged the windows of the Central Railway Stations building in Kyiv, but the station continues to operate, the company said.

Read also: Russia launches fresh attack on city of Zaporizhzhya overnight

It is noted the disembarkation and boarding of passengers on trains is being carried out through the western and eastern underground passages, which at the same time are serving as a shelter.

Ukrzaliznytsia has also warned about possible delays in the western direction due to damage to the rail network.

According to the company, reserve diesel locomotives are already being prepared to ensure continuous traffic.

Read also: Ukrzaliznytsia launches free evacuation trains for Crimean residents

Russia launched a series of missile strikes at the capital city, in particular the central districts, early on Oct. 10.

Many other Ukrainian oblasts have also been attacked by Russian missile strikes in the same period.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- Los Angeles City Councilmember Nury Martinez resigned from her role as president of the body after leaked audio revealed she made racist remarks directed at a fellow council members Black son, sparking a public outcry.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments. Im so sorry, Martinez said in a statement on Monday. Effective immediately I am resigning as president of the Los Angeles City Council.

The Los Angeles Times said it appeared she would remain a member of the council.

Councilmember Mike Bonin released a statement on Sunday calling for Martinez to be removed from office after the Los Angeles Times obtained a recording of a 2021 conversation involving Martinez and Councilman Kevin de Leon.

We are appalled, angry and absolutely disgusted that Nury Martinez attacked our son with horrific racist slurs, and talked about her desire to physically harm him, Bonin said in a statement on Twitter.

According to an account by the Times, Martinez said Bonins son parece changuito, which translates from Spanish to looks like a monkey. She also said the child was brought out by Bonin, who is White, as an accessory during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, the newspaper reported.

Wholly Inappropriate

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Representative Adam Schiff, both Democrats, joined the call on Monday for Martinez to step down from city council, as well de Leon and Councilmember Gil Cedillo. Cedillo, who lost his campaign for re-election in the June primary, also took part in the conversation, along with LA County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera.

Herrera offered his resignation at Monday night meeting with the board, which was accepted, the Times reported, citing California Labor Federation head Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher.

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De Leon on Sunday issued a statement saying that hes reached out to his colleague about his wholly inappropriate remarks. I will hold myself to a higher standard, he said.

Representatives for Herrera and Cedillo didnt respond to requests from Bloomberg for comment.

A lawyer representing the LA County Federation of Labor said in a letter to the Times that the conversation was taped in violation of Californias privacy and recording laws.

The Times reported that the group was discussing redistricting maps and the need to reelect Latino councilmembers and ensure that heavily Latino districts didnt lose economic assets.

(Updates with report of Ron Herreras resignation in 8th paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez and other city officials are facing criticism over allegedly racist remarks targeting a fellow councilmember and his son.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Councilmember Mike Bonin released a statement calling for the resignation of Martinez after the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday that Martinez and other officials made derisive statements about him and his Black son in a leaked recording of the conversation.

We are appalled, angry and absolutely disgusted that Nury Martinez attacked our son with horrific racist slurs, and talked about her desire to physically harm him, Bonin said in a statement on Twitter. The City Council needs to remove her as Council President immediately, and she needs to resign from office.

He also called for the resignation of fellow Councilmember Kevin de Leon and LA County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera. Another councilmember, Gil Cedillo, also participated in the conversation, the Times reported.

After the Times published its report on Sunday, Martinez issued a statement apologizing for the comments, saying she holds herself accountable. De Leon also issued a statement saying that hes reached out to his colleague about his wholly inappropriate remarks. I will hold myself to a higher standard, he said.

Representatives for Herrera and Cedillo didnt respond to requests from Bloomberg for comment.

A lawyer representing the LA County Federation of Labor said in a letter to the Times that the conversation was taped in violation of Californias privacy and recording laws.

The Times reported that the conversation took place in October 2021, with councilmembers expressing frustration over redistricting maps. The group discussed the need to re-elect Latino councilmembers and to ensure that heavily Latino districts didnt lose economic assets.

Story continues

The group mentioned Bonins son while discussing a dispute between two other councilmembers, who are Black, according to the newspaper.

(Updates with comments from Martinez, de Leon in fifth paragraph.)

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
A girl found a hidden camera in her bedroom, Florida cops say. Now, her landlord has been charged.

Bruce Wayne Grady, 61, was charged Sept. 30 with two counts of video voyeurism, according to an arrest report from the Martin County Sheriffs Office.

Grady owns a duplex; he lives in one unit and a family lives in the other, the report says. On Sept. 30, one of the tenants in the other unit, tried to plug her laptop charger in to an electrical outlet and was unable to get the plug into the wall. Thats when she noticed a camera in the outlet, deputies said.

The girl is 12-years-old, news outlets reported.

Investigators say there was a camera installed in both the girls bathroom outlet and the outlet next to her bed. The outlet in the bathroom faced the shower and toilet. The outlet in the bedroom was next to the girls bed.

Once deputies responded to the scene, they were informed that the girls family had found Grady in their home earlier in September, the report says. When asked why he was there, Grady told the family he was working on electrical.

After speaking with the family member, deputies went to Gradys unit and informed him of the cameras, they said in the report. Grady denied any involvement and told deputies that he was at the unit earlier that month to fix a breaker that kept flipping.

Deputies said thats when they asked to look at Gradys phone.

Grady had photos of the girl in her bathing suit at the backyard pool, the report says. He told officers he was trying to take slow motion videos because he did not know his phone had that capacity.

Then, a deputy found a locked app, according to the report. When Grady disclosed the password and investigators unlocked the app, they found deleted nude videos and pictures of the 12-year-old. Grady admitted that he had installed the cameras, and he told deputies he was fighting his inner demons.

Martin County is about 100 miles northwest of Miami.

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Condo association leader hid camera in residents bedroom, Florida sheriff says
The Future Leaders of Orlando, along with Bans Off Our Bodies Florida, hosted a womens march on Sunday in response to the ongoing battle against abortion rights.

State officials have passed laws restricting or banning abortion procedures since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Currently, Floridas law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The abortion ban makes no exceptions for victims of rape, incest or human trafficking.

Read: Florida fines Orlando abortion clinic over 193 abortions that violated 24-hour waiting period law

The only exceptions are to save the mothers life, prevent injuries or if theres a fatal fetus abnormality.

Nicole Richards, one of the leaders of Bans Off Our Bodies Florida and an organizer of the event, said that she hopes protests like these will make a difference in next months midterm elections.

This peaceful protest on Sunday is to demand that our elected officials support the residents of this state by committing to refuse to pass any and all legislation that prevents our right to choose, Richards said.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis much-publicized effort to fly migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard has drawn its third lawsuit.

An open government group on Monday asserted in a lawsuit that the DeSantis administration is improperly withholding public records associated with the two charter flights that brought nearly 50 Venezuelan migrants to the resort island in Massachusetts.

The Florida Center for Government Accountability wants a judge to order the DeSantis administration to turn over phone and text logs for DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier as well as records exchanged with the company that set up the flights and copies of the waivers signed by the migrants who were on the flights.



Florida has a well-regarded open records law that is enshrined in the state constitution that requires local and government agencies to turn over government records although there are no concrete requirements for when records must be turned over.

No public records law exemption applies that would prevent the inspection or copying of the records sought by plaintiff and no exemption has been asserted by defendants, states the lawsuit filed in circuit court in Tallahassee. Defendants refusal to provide the records is unreasonable, unjustified and amounts to an unlawful delay and refusal to provide the records.

The lawsuit comes three days after the administration released some information related to the September flights, including requisition documents with Vertol Systems Company, the Panhandle-based company that has been paid $1.56 million so far and information from other potential vendors.

Those documents released by the governors office also show that the Department of Transportation guidelines for the relocation program said that vendors hired by the state would assist in the relocation of unauthorized aliens who are found in Florida and have agreed to be relocated to another state in the United States or the District of Columbia. The migrants, however, were flown from San Antonio, which has sparked a probe from a sheriff in Texas.



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Barbara Petersen, director of the group that filed the lawsuit, said in an email that while some records have been released, we made a number of requests and to date have received very few records in response.

There was no immediate response from the DeSantis administration over this latest lawsuit.

Last month, a Democratic state senator filed a lawsuit that asked a judge to block DeSantis from spending any more money on the relocation program, which was allotted a budget of $12 million by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature. State Sen. Jason Pizzo (D-Miami) contends that the way that the state has handled the program violated guidelines that were included in the budget.

A Boston-based civil rights law firm has also filed a federal class action lawsuit in Massachusetts that contends the flights were a premeditated, fraudulent, and illegal scheme that misled the group of migrants. That lawsuit alleged people working for DeSantis lured the migrants onto flights with false promises of jobs in Boston or Washington.
On the latest episode of The Shop, LeBron James told a hilarious story about how strangers crashed his wedding. James, who married his wife, Savannah, in 2013, said he had two wedding crashers that no one knew among the guests.

The crashers were apparently sniffed out when they blew their own cover.

I had a celebrity friend walk by and they called them by their real name, that none of us call them, James said.

When a security guard approached the crashers and asked them who they came with, they pointed to another guest nearby. The guest they pointed to, however, didnt acknowledge the suspects.

They got put out, James continued. Walked out with a plate and everything.

James and Savannah celebrated their wedding in front of 200 guests in San Diego back in 2013, the Associated Press reported.

The wedding, which was part of a three-day celebration, took place privately in a hotel.

The couple has been together since high school and shares three children, as reported by Blavity.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Russia unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities Monday, smashing civilian targets including downtown Kyiv where at least six people were killed amid burnt-out cars and shattered buildings. The onslaught brought back into focus the grim reality of war after months of easing tensions in the capital.

Ukraine's Emergency Service said a total of at least 11 people were killed and 64 were wounded in the morning attacks across Ukraine  the biggest and broadest since the early days of the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose military invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, said the strikes were in retaliation for what he called Kyiv's terrorist actions  a reference to Ukraine's attempts to repel Moscow's invasion forces, including an attack last weekend on a key bridge, prized by the Kremlin, between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Putin vowed a tough and proportionate response should Ukraine carry out further attacks that threaten Russias security.

No one should have any doubts about it, he said.

Monday's intense, hours-long attack by Russia marked a sudden military escalation in its assault on Ukraine. It came a day after Putin called the explosion Saturday on the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea a terrorist act masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

Putin, speaking in a video call with members of Russias Security Council, said the Russian military launched "precision weapons" from the air, sea and ground to target key energy and military command facilities.

But the sustained barrage on major cities hit residential areas and critical infrastructure facilities alike, portending a major surge in the war amid a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in recent weeks.

The missile strikes marked the biggest and most widespread Russian attacks in months. Putin, whose partial mobilization order earlier this month triggered an exodus of hundreds of thousands of men of fighting age from Russia, stopped short of declaring martial law or a counterterrorism operation as many had expected.

Moscows war in Ukraine is approaching its eight-month milestone, and the Kremlin has been reeling from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas of eastern Ukraine it is trying to annex.

Blasts struck in the capitals Shevchenko district, a large area in the center of the city that includes the historic old town as well as several government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Some of the strikes hit near the government quarter in the symbolic heart of the capital, where parliament and other major landmarks are located. A glass tower housing offices was significantly damaged, most of its blue-tinted windows blown out.

Residents were seen on the streets with blood on their clothes and hands. A young man wearing a blue jacket sat on the ground as a medic wrapped a bandage around his head. A woman with bandages wrapped around her head had blood all over the front of her blouse. Several cars were also damaged or completely destroyed. Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across the country and in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces launched dozens of missiles and Iranian-built drones against Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces said 75 missiles were fired against Ukrainian targets, with 41 of them neutralized by air defenses.

The targets were civilian areas and energy facilities in 10 cities, Zelenskyy said in a video address. (The Russians) chose such a time and such targets on purpose to inflict the most damage, Zelenskyy said.

The morning strikes sent Kyiv residents back into bomb shelters for the first time in months. The citys subway system stopped train services and made the stations available once more as places for refuge.

While air raid sirens have continued throughout the war in Ukraines major cities across the country, in Kyiv and other areas where there have been months of calm many Ukrainians had begun to ignore their warnings and go about their normal business.

That changed on Monday morning. The attacks arrived in Kyiv at the start of the morning rush hour, when commuter traffic was beginning to pick up. At least one of the vehicles struck near the Kyiv National University appeared to be a commuter minibus, known as a marshrutka and which is a popular albeit often crowded alternative to the citys bus and metro routes.

Nearby, at least one strike landed in the popular Shevchenko Park, leaving a large hole near a childrens playground.

Among the targets hit was a pedestrian bridge known as the Klitschko bridge  a landmark in central Kyiv with its glass panels. Closed-circuit television footage shared by an adviser to Ukraines interior minister showed a huge explosion as the bridge was apparently targeted. A man seen on the bridge just before the explosion is seen running away after the blast.

Elsewhere, Russia targeted civilian areas and energy infrastructure as air raid sirens sounded in every region of Ukraine, except Russia-annexed Crimea, for four straight hours.

The Ukraine Emergency Service said the strikes left four of the country's regions  the Lviv, the Poltava, the Sumy and the Ternopil region  completely without power, while in the rest of Ukraine power outages were patchy.

Associated Press journalists in Dnipro city saw the bodies of multiple people killed at an industrial site on the citys outskirts. Windows in the area had been blown out and glass littered the street. A telecommunications building was hit.

Ukrainian media also reported explosions in a number of other locations, including the western city of Lviv, which has been a refuge for many people fleeing the fighting in the east, as well as in Kharkiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi.

Kharkiv was hit three times, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The strikes knocked out the electricity and water supply. Energy infrastructure was also hit in Lviv, regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi said.

Three cruise missiles launched against Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldovas airspace, the countrys Foreign Affairs Minister Nicu Popescu complained.

A day earlier, Putin had called the attack on the Kerch Bridge to Crimea a terrorist act carried out by Ukrainian special services. The bridge is important to Russia strategically, as a military supply line to its forces in Ukraine, and symbolically, as an emblem of its claims on Crimea. No one has claimed responsibility for damaging the 12-mile-long bridge, the longest in Europe.

Amid the onslaught, Zelenskyy said on his Telegram account that Russia is trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth.

The attacks brought out a fresh bout of international condemnation for Russia.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholzs spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said the Group of Seven industrial powers will hold a videoconference Tuesday on the situation which Zelenskyy will address. Germany currently chairs the G-7.

The attacks brought a chorus of outrage in Europe. French President Emanuel Macron expressed extreme concern." British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted that Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable.

Russia once again has shown to the world what it stands for. It is terror and brutality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Some feared Monday's attacks may just be the first salvo in a renewed Russian offensive. Ukraine's Ministry of Education announced that all schools in Ukraine must switch to online classes at least until the end of this week. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba broke off his Africa tour and headed back to Ukraine.

In an ominous move, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced Monday that he and Putin have agreed to deploy a joint regional grouping of troops amid the escalation of fighting in Ukraine. He offered no details as to where the grouping will be deployed, when and what for.

Lukashenko repeated his claims that Ukraine is plotting an attack on Belarus, sparking fears the stage is being set for preemptive action by Minsk.
Over the weekend, the rap community came together to honor the memory of Lotta Cash Desto  a Memphis, Tennessee artist whose life was tragically cut short when she was gunned down in Houston, TX late last month.

Lotta Cash Desto, also known as Desto Cash, was signed to Lil Uzi Vert. The 25-year-old rapper, whose government name is Destinee Govan, appeared to be specifically targeted shortly after celebrating her birthday.

As Blavity previously reported, officers responded to calls of a shooting on the 5500 block of Richmond Avenue on Sept. 24, at around 2:39 a.m. Upon arriving on the scene, they approached a silver SUV with two female victims inside. Both occupants appeared to have been struck by gunfire multiple times. Desto, the driver, was declared dead on the scene. The other female passenger was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A male gunshot victim was found nearby and was transported to the hospital.

Two weeks following her untimely death, Desto has finally been laid to rest. The Lunchroom rapper was honored in her hometown of Memphis, and various attendees showed up to pay their respects.

Rapper Lil Flip uploaded a photo in which he acknowledged the service; notably, he mentioned that Lil Uzi Vert delivered some moving words during the celebration of life.

Lil Uzi Vert, you a trill one, he wrote in an Instagram post. Thanks for the love and words you spoke at the funeral. Thanks for all the things you did behind the scenes that we go [sp?] keep behind the scenes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lil Flip (@lilflip713)

Video of Lil Uzi Vert addressing funeral attendees also began circulating on social media.

I aint even gon lie, but this dont even feel real to me, the XO TOUR Llif3 rapper somberly said. Destinee always was on my hip everywhere I go.

Lil Uzi Vert speaks at his best friends funeral. RIP DESTO  pic.twitter.com/rbrYhZ2oz4  uziawge  (@uziawge) October 10, 2022

KGotti, owner of mobile bartending service KcSipNGo based in Nashville, also uploaded photos from the send-off event.

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All this for you @lottacashdesto  Your legacy lives forever I love you and I miss you he wrote beneath one of the uploads.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by KGotti (@kc_cov1)

View this post on Instagram A post shared by KGotti (@kc_cov1)

We should also note that, ahead of Destos funeral, more information about her alleged attackers began surfacing.

A 24-year-old named Christian Isaiah Williams has officially been charged with Destos killing, according to The Houston Chronicle; evidence, including a bloodied Williams, suggests that Desto didnt go down without firing back at her attackers.

While authorities have Williams in custody, they are still on the hunt for a second shooter.

R.I.P. Lotta Cash Desto, and we send our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and associates.
AUSTIN, TX - (NewMediaWire) - October 10, 2022 - A person isn't required to engage a lawyer while applying for a green card or immigrant visa in the US or overseas. With a simple case, a person is eligible for the service they seek as long as they don't have a record of crimes or negative rapport with the authorities. However, some situations need the services of an immigration attorney. Lincoln-Goldfinch Law saves clients time and frustration by breaking down the complexities of the law and offering legal/moral guidance during investigations/scrutiny. The law firm comprises a team of highly qualified and experienced attorneys, paralegals, client care personnel, and staff passionate about fighting for the justice and dignity of immigrants. Whether a client wants to avoid deportation, obtain their work visa, or fight for their family's right to US citizenship, the team goes above and beyond to meet their needs. "Everyone at Lincoln-Goldfinch Law is bilingual, has a connection to our cause, and has demonstrated a history of activism for immigrants. To us, our work is not just a job." Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Owner/CEO. While there are countries whose citizens aren't required to have a visa to travel to the US, foreigners must have permanent or temporary permits to enter the country. Lincoln-Goldfinch Law streamlines the application process for clients desiring to tour, conduct business, settle an estate, negotiate contracts, or attend conferences/seminars. The attorneys help clients gather their recent photos, supporting documents, Visa processing fee payment details, and other requirements before scheduling an interview. They also facilitate the application of employment visas for individuals looking to work for a specific period. They help clients obtain their L visas, H visas, I visas, P visas, O visas, R visas, and nonimmigrant work visas. As an immigrant attorney, the team assists in the application for green cards through family sponsorship and employer sponsorship. They help clients who need green cards for special immigrants, refugees, or other eligibility categories such as human trafficking victims, abused spouses/children, or people in the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program Lottery. Knowing that the application process varies, the law firm creates a custom action plan without compromising the general criteria. The green card application process may include filling out documents, a biometrics appointment, an adjustment status with the USCIS, and an interview. Citizenship is the foundation of rights derived from and protected by the US laws and constitution. Anyone born in the US, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands obtains US citizenship. However, non-residents can seek citizenship rewards, rights, and privileges through naturalization, deviation from a parent, or acquisition. Lincoln-Goldfinch Law helps clients adhere to the citizenship requirements, understand the procedure, and prepare for the interview/examination. Additionally, the law firm offers employment-based US permanent residency services. They may also handle the Request for Evidence (RFE) from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or conduct appeals with the board. Check out their website to learn more about their Austin office. Whether an individual faces deportation by being in the country illegally/without legal travel documents, lying during visa application, or staying beyond the limit of a visa, they can seek legal guidance from Lincoln-Goldfinch Law. The immigration attorneys have experience representing individuals accused of disobeying the terms of their status, marriage fraud, failure to reveal a change of address, and other criminal acts. Knowing that the US immigration system can be complicated for many people, the attorneys help clients understand the terms and conditions surrounding their Visa and the deportation process. They leverage their skills, in-depth knowledge, and experience to create appropriate legal defenses, prevent serious consequences, and find personalized solutions to a case. They also offer legal, moral, and emotional support allowing clients to focus on getting back on track. Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch and her team at Lincoln-Goldfinch Law take time to listen to clients before choosing the most appropriate action. To schedule a case evaluation, call (855) 502-0555. Lincoln-Goldfinch Law is located at 1005 E 40th St, Austin, Texas, 78751, US. Media Contact: Company Name: Lincoln-Goldfinch Law Contact Person: Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch Phone: (855) 502-0555 Address: 1005 E 40th St City: Austin State: TX Postal Code: 78751 Country: United States Website: https://www.lincolngoldfinch.com/
BROCKTON  Brockton Public Schools has submitted a complaint to the city after a liquor store planning to open near Brockton High School applied for its liquor license, allegedly without alerting the school.

The applicant, 2030 Ocean Street, LLC, is hoping to open a liquor store at 750 Belmont St.  right around the corner from the high school.

According to a Brockton Public Schools (BPS) spokesperson, neither the superintendent's office nor Brockton High School received notice of the companys application to obtain a liquor license.

According to Massachusetts state law, the licensee of a liquor store located within a radius of 500 feet of a school or church shall not be licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages unless the local licensing authority determines in writing and after a hearing that the premises are not detrimental to the educational and spiritual activities of said school or church.

In addition, the licensee must notify abutting properties of their application prior to submitting it.

Site of future potential liquor store at 750 Belmont St, Brockton, near Brockton High School on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Daniel Newcomb, who operates 2030 Ocean Street, said that a notice was sent to the schools address provided by the city.

The abutters notice was sent out to the address that the city gave us to send it to, so we dont know what the issue is, Newcomb said.

We complied. We did what we were supposed to do.

School board election amid controversy: Tony Branch defied calls to step down as chair. Now, he's running for reelection.

The school district plans to meet the company at a public hearing with the Special License Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m.

Site of future potential liquor store at 750 Belmont St, Brockton, near Brockton High School on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Store would 'be detrimental' to high school

On Sept. 9, Superintendent of Schools Michael Thomas sent a letter to the licensing commission stating the district's opposition to the store's opening.

BPS spokesperson Jess Silva-Hodges said, the districts position, which has been echoed by many concerned parents, is that awarding a license to 750 Belmont Street would in fact be detrimental to the Brockton High School community.

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Bridgewater-Raynham: superintendent takes leave of absence for 'personal reasons.' Here's what we know.

According to Silva-Hodges, both Thomas and the Brockton High Principal Cindy Burns have received complaints from parents regarding the store.

Newcomb said that he expects the board to recognize that the company did comply with the law.

"I'm surprised that we're being asked to come, but that's what we're supposed to do, so that's what we're going to do," he said.

Enterprise staff reporter Chris Butler can be reached by email at cbutler@enterprisenews.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Chr1sButler. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton High School: Liquor store wants to open at 750 Belmont St.
NextShark

Republican lawmakers are urging the Department of Education to investigate government-funded universities involved in a Google-sponsored fellowship that imposed restrictions on white and Asian students. Representatives Chip Roy (R, TX-21), Mary Miller (R, IL-15) and Bob Good (R, VA-5) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona instructing him to check if federal anti-discrimination laws may be used against universities that participated in the Google Ph.D. Fellowship program. The Google Ph.D. Fellowship, which lets participating universities nominate four Ph.D. students each year, came under fire from advocates this year for limiting the number of white and Asian students that universities can nominate.
By Huw Jones, Susanna Twidale and Simon Jessop

LONDON (Reuters) - The London Stock Exchange has become the first major bourse to set listing rules for companies that finance carbon reduction projects, as part of efforts to grow the market and make it more transparent, its chief executive told Reuters.

Demand for carbon offsets, generated through projects such as tree planting or renewable energy, is expected to soar as companies seek to meet net-zero emissions goals.

As a focus for policymakers, it is likely to be debated at climate talks in Egypt in November, yet the global market for voluntary carbon credits, as opposed to binding commitments to cut emissions by companies and countries, remains largely unregulated.

While rival exchanges such as Deutsche Boerse's EEX have launched financial products such as futures contracts based on carbon credits, the LSE's rules aim to encourage investment funds and operating companies to raise billions of pounds through LSE listings to fund climate-friendly projects.

Released on Monday after a public consultation, the LSE's final admission and disclosure rules on voluntary carbon offsets dovetail with Britain's push to make London a centre for green finance against stiff competition from elsewhere.

Under the new rules, a fund or company would have to issue a prospectus vetted by the Financial Conduct Authority that gives details of the carbon emission-cutting project it wants to finance.

This, the LSE says, will ensure standards as climate-related disclosures and market abuse rules would have to be complied with.

"What this brings is proper transparency, proper due diligence and proper disclosure, so corporates and other investors truly know what theyre buying. That's something that the voluntary carbon markets haven't had before," LSE Chief Executive Julia Hoggett said.

One investment fund backing the voluntary carbon market is expected to list this year, followed by others in 2023, Hoggett said. Companies operating carbon reduction projects would be added later.

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Worth around $2 billion in 2021, according to Ecosystem Marketplace, the annual global market for voluntary carbon credits could hit $50 billion by 2030, consultants at McKinsey have estimated.

Once an offset project generates carbon credits, equivalent to tonnes of carbon dioxide reduced or removed from the atmosphere, shareholders could receive a dividend in the form of carbon credits, or the fund could sell them and use the cash to pay a dividend.

(Reporting by Huw Jones, Susanna Twidale and Simon Jessop, editing by Barbara Lewis)
The president of Los Angeles City Council resigned Monday after audio of her using racist language about another council members child leaked over the weekend.

Nury Martinez allegedly said parece changuito, or like a monkey, to describe Mike Bonins son, who is Black, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Her resignation was reported by CNN.

Martinez reportedly made the comment last year during a discussion about redistricting in the city, claiming Bonins child had misbehaved on a float at a previous Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade.

Theyre raising him like a little white kid, which I was like, This kid needs a beat down. Like, let me around the corner and then Ill bring him back, Martinez can be heard saying.

She also referred to Bonin as a little b---h, according to the audio.

Martinez issued an apology Sunday.

In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry, Martinez said, according to the L.A. Times.

The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color. My work speaks for itself. Ive worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.

Another council member, Kevin de Leon, expressed his regret for taking part in the conversation, during which he seemingly likened Bonins parenting of the child to when Nury brings her Goyard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag, according to the newspaper.

I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private, de Leon said. Ive reached out to that colleague personally.

Bonin had called for Martinezs removal from office on Sunday.

We are appalled, angry and absolutely disgusted that Nury Martinez attacked our son with horrific racist slurs, and talked about her desire to physically harm him, Bonin said in a statement. It is vile, abhorrent, and utterly disgraceful.

Its unclear who recorded the audio or how it was leaked to the newspaper.
OLENA ROSHCHINA  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 23:47

Belarusian state security bodies will now submit only to Alexander Lukashenko, self-proclaimed President of the country.

Source: website of the President of Belarus

Details: As reported, on 10 October, Lukashenko signed decrees concerning the improvement of activities of the state security bodies system.

According to the decree No. 356, changes are being made to a list of former decrees of the President of Belarus, developing an updated law On State Security Bodies of the Republic of Belarus from 6 October 2022.

"Subordination of state security bodies exclusively to the President of Belarus is provided by it; its system is improved," the press release stated.

The decree No. 355 refers to re-organisation of the state educational establishment Institute of National Security of the Republic of Belarus into the Academy of National Security. This document also approves the statute of this educational establishment.

The Council of Ministers and the State Security Committee of Belarus must take measures to implement the decrees by 1 January 2023.





Why it matters: This comes amid escalating Russian armed aggression against Ukraine and suggests that Belarus may openly enter the war.

On 10 October, in the meeting with security forces and military personnel, Lukashenko declared that the day before, he had asked to convey a threat to the President of Ukraine that "the Crimean bridge will seem like the thin end of the wedge" if the Ukrainians encroach on the territory of Belarus.

He also stated that Russia and Belarus had agreed to deploy a joint regional force and announced that soon the Russian military would return to his country.

On a separate occasion, Defence Minister of Belarus Viktor Hryenin warned Ukraine not to take "wrong steps and provoke Belarus" if Ukraine wanted to avoid a war.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
ROMAN PETRENKO  MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022, 11:59 AM

On 10 October, self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is having a meeting with chiefs of military and secret services.

Souce: Lukashenkos press service



Details: Currently, there is no certain information why the meeting was convened; however, it comes amid a massive Russian missile attack on Ukraine. The projectiles were fired from the territory of Belarus, too.

Earlier, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russian president Vladimir Putin had encouraged Lukashenko to openly participate in the war against Ukraine.

On 10 October, Putin is also assembling Russias Security Council.



Updated: During the meeting with security forces and military personnel, Lukashenko announced that allegedly, the day before, Minsk was "warned about an attack on Belarus from the territory of Ukraine" via unofficial channels.



Lukashenkos direct speech: "My answer was short: "Prove to the president of Ukraine and other crazy people that the Crimean Bridge will seem like an opening act to them, if they touch even one metre of our territory with their dirty hands".



Background:

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported that Belarus had summoned the Ukrainian ambassador and accused Ukraine of allegedly preparing an attack on the territory of Belarus. The Ministry considers this a possible part of the Russian provocation plan.

Lithuania's Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anusauskas linked Belarus's accusations of Ukraine's alleged preparation of the attack to a change in Russia's tactics in the full-scale war.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A former resident of a condemned downtown Newport News apartment building was found dead there Monday morning.

Police and firefighters went to the Seaview Lofts at 9:14 a.m. after dispatchers got a call asking to check on the mans welfare, city spokeswoman Kim Lee said. The man, who appeared to be in his 50s, was found in an apartment, dead of natural causes, she said.

A judge condemned the 15-story building in late June, requiring all residents to relocate as the problems are addressed. While building management has allowed residents to go back inside to retrieve personal belongings, no one was supposed to be living in the apartments, Lee said.

It wasnt immediately clear when the man was allowed into the building  or when he died. Were talking with apartment managers and trying to try to establish a timeline, Lee said.

Lee confirmed the man was one of the tenants who resided at Seaview prior to the court-ordered condemnation, but she declined to say what floor he lived on. The building previously had 108 occupied units.

The building was condemned in part because its nonworking elevators would be an ongoing hazard to the life and safety of residents during a fire. The 15-story building on West Avenue has remained vacant for more than four months as management has dealt with the elevators and other problems.

Newport News firefighters checked every single apartment at Seaview Lofts  about 150 units  Monday morning. No one else was found inside.

Our crews did go floor-to-floor to ensure that no one else was in there, Lee said. We went into every apartment. Clearly, people were going in, and we needed to check to make sure no one else who had gone into the building had a medical emergency.

Peter Dujardin, 757-897-2062, pdujardin@dailypress.com
A man was arrested for ramming into his girlfriends vehicle.

On Oct. 8 at approximately 10:15 PM, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to an aggravated assault call on Douglass Avenue in Orange Mound.

The caller told police that while she was driving her Honda Pilot with three grandchildren inside, her live-in boyfriend, James Daniels pulled up behind them in a 2020 Kia Rio.

Daniels began following her and driving erratically, attempting to make her crash, police said.

As they drove westbound on Douglass towards Grand Street, Daniels intentionally hit her vehicle from behind.

According to an affidavit, the impact caused her to crash into a parked vehicle.

Daniels was arrested by MPD shortly after.

Daniels told police that he attempted to step on the brakes before hitting her car, and was following them because another man was in the car with her, court documents showed.

James Daniels was charged with five counts of aggravated assault.

Daniels has a court date on Oct. 12.

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A West Vancouver man convicted of cheating on his taxes must serve 29 months in jail, the B.C. Court of Appeal has ruled.

Michael Curt Helmut Scholz, 68, was convicted in 2020 on three counts of violating the Excise Tax Act and two related two criminal counts of uttering forged documents. Scholz provided the Canada Revenue Agency with false, backdated documents in order to claim GST and HST rebates he would otherwise not be entitled to on the construction of his $6-million home in the British Properties, the B.C. Supreme Court found.

In 2021, he was sentenced to 29 months in jail and fined $644,975. Scholz was motivated by greed and he thought he was smart enough to get away with it, the court ruling states. In justifying the prison term, the trial judge noted that general deterrence to other like-minded individuals, must be an overriding concern in these tax evasion cases.

Scholz appealed his conviction, arguing all taxpayers are entitled to pursue tax strategies that would benefit them and that the CRA is free to accept or reject those strategies without it becoming a criminal matter. The court of appeal disagreed and upheld the conviction in April 2022.

Scholz also appealed his sentence, arguing he should have been eligible to receive a conditional sentence to be served without jail time.

Scholz asserted the trial judge failed to properly consider the public humiliation hed endured as a result of coverage of his conviction, which would in itself serve as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to fudge tax documents.

In a ruling released Sept. 26, B.C. Court of Appeal Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein rejected that argument. While the courts have recognized that the publicity associated with a trial can be devastating, the trial judge gave the correct weight to public humiliation in crafting his decision, she reasoned.

The trial judge also found the level of planning and sophistication that went into the fraud, along with Scholzs acumen in commercial law and business, were aggravating factors. But, on appeal, Scholz argued the forged documents were created in a slap dash fashion and that his past experience in business and law were not relevant.

Again, the court of appeal disagreed with Scholzs assertion that the trial judge had erred.

It was open to the judge to consider Mr. Scholzs background and experience and to assess his moral culpability bearing those factors in mind. That Mr. Scholz made poor use of his knowledge and skills in committing the offences and got caught does not make it an error for the sentencing judge to consider his expertise as a relevant aggravating factor, Stromberg-Stein wrote.

Because he was in his 60s at the time of the sentencing in February 2021, Scholz argued he would be at greater risk of contracting serious illness from COVID-19 in prison, although the trial judge did not accept that claim. When he raised COVID-19 on appeal, the judges agreed that the risk of COVID was a collateral consequence of his actions and the impact of a collateral consequence does not displace the general rule that a sentence must be fit, Stromberg-Stein wrote.

The three-judge panel agreed with Stromberg-Steins view that Scholzs appeal should be dismissed.

Mr. Scholz is not suggesting a 29?month sentence is demonstrably unfit. Nor could he, as the judge properly considered all the relevant factors and sentencing principles. He properly gave weight to denunciation and deterrence, given Mr. Scholzs moral blameworthiness. The global sentence of 29 months for a substantial tax fraud is entirely fit in the circumstances, she wrote.
Imran Ijaz has been jailed for 13 years and two months. (West Yorkshire Police)

A man who sexually abused a young girl has been jailed for more than 13 years.

Imran Ijaz, 39, from Lascelles View in Harehills, Leeds, fled to Scotland during his trial.

He was convicted in his absence after failing to attend the fourth day of his trial at Leeds Crown Court in August, West Yorkshire Police said.

He was arrested in Edinburgh later that month and returned to Leeds to be remanded in custody before his sentencing last week.

Ijaz was convicted of assault of a child by penetration, causing a child to watch a sexual act and six counts of sexual assault.

He was sentenced to 13 years and two months in prison.

Read more: Man masturbated after helping woman carry pushchair at train station

Imran Ijaz absconded during his trial at Leeds Crown Court. (PA)

Ijaz sexually abused this vulnerable young girl repeatedly in circumstances that were a huge betrayal of trust," said Detective Inspector Emma Wight, from Leeds District Safeguarding Unit.

His actions have had a significant traumatic impact on the victim and on her family, and we hope that his conviction for these offences and the significant sentence he has received will help to reassure them as they continue to move forward with their lives.

This successful outcome results from some excellent work by DC Nicki Vincent who painstakingly built up a comprehensive picture of the evidence that saw Ijaz convicted at court."

DI Wright added: He tried to evade justice part way through his trial by fleeing to Scotland but was tracked down and brought back to face the consequences.

We will always treat reports of offences such as these very seriously and do everything we can to support victims and make sure those responsible are held to account.

We hope the hard work and dedication of specialist safeguarding officers to bring offenders such as Ijaz to justice will give victims of other similar offences the confidence to come forward.
The body of a man was found on the roof of this house in the Chapeltown area of Leeds on Sunday. (Google Streetview)

A man's body has been found on the roof of a house in Leeds, two days after he went missing from the same address.

Emergency services closed off the road in the Chapeltown area of the West Yorkshire city to recover the body from the top of the property.

The dead man is believed to be Gerard Colgan, aged 32, who lived at the house.

Footage showed an emergency worker emerge from a skylight to check the body after ambulances, firefighters and police officers attended the scene on Sunday afternoon.

It is believed Colgan had died before they arrived.

Firefighters were then seen using a ladder platform to recover the body.

A spokesman from West Yorkshire Police told Yahoo News UK: "The body of a man found on the roof of a house in Leeds yesterday is believed to a man reported missing from the address.

Gerard Colgan was last seen on 2 October. (West Yorkshire Police)

"Gerard Colgan, aged 32, was reported missing from the address in Harehills Avenue, Chapeltown, on Friday.

"At 2.40pm on Sunday, the body was located on the roof. While formal identification is yet to be completed, it is believed to be Mr Colgan and his family has been informed."

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The spokesman said there were no suspicious circumstances and the Coroners Office had been notified.

It is unknown how Colgan died.

Images released on Monday show the body lying on the roof of the home, covered in a yellow blanket.

The alarm was raised at 3.30pm on Sunday, and Harehills Avenue was flooded with emergency vehicles soon after.

West Yorkshire Police attended the scene along with Yorkshire ambulance and fire crews (Getty)

Neighbours discovered the reason behind the activity when pictures of the incident were shared on social media of the body on the roof.

Harehills Avenue and surrounding streets were all sealed off for several hours. Numerous roads in the Chapeltown area of the city were also closed.

Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Yorkshire Ambulance Service have also been contacted for a statement.
BALTIMORE (AP)  The office of Maryland's attorney general is supporting an appeal by a slain woman's family after a Baltimore judge overturned a man's murder conviction in a case chronicled by a groundbreaking podcast.

Hae Min Lee's brother, Young Lee, has asked the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to halt court proceedings for Adnan Syed, whose conviction in Lee's 1999 killing was reversed by Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa Phinn in September.

Young Lee is asking the appellate court to suspend an Oct. 18 deadline for prosecutors to decide whether to drop the charges against Syed or retry him. Lee argues that his family didn't get adequate notice of the Sept. 19 hearing where Phinn overturned Syeds conviction.

Attorney General Brian Froschs office, which represented the state in opposing Syeds appeals, said in a court filing Friday that Young Lee has a right to appeal given his status as the victims representative, the Baltimore Sun reported. The filing argues that Lees appeal should be addressed before any circuit court rulings render it moot.

Syed, who has always maintained his innocence, has served more than 20 years of a life sentence. He was convicted of strangling Lee, whose body was found buried in a Baltimore park. Syed and Lee were students at a Baltimore County high school.

The first season of the popular Serial podcast focused on the 18-year-old womans killing and raised doubts about some of the evidence prosecutors had used to secure Syeds conviction.

Phinn ordered Syed's release from prison after Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office said it found evidence that should have been disclosed to Syeds attorneys. Prosecutors said a reinvestigation of the case revealed evidence regarding the possible involvement of two other potential suspects.

Phinn ruled that the state violated its legal obligation to share evidence that could have bolstered Syeds defense. She ordered Syed to be placed on home detention with GPS location monitoring.
Antonio Rodriguez, who joined Matrix in 2010 after a Matrix-backed company he cofounded was sold to Hewlett-Packard, told us last week that Matrix just raised its biggest fund in roughly 20 years. It's an $800 million vehicle that the firm closed in June and is announcing for the first time now.

Eight hundred million dollars is a lot of capital for the firm, which, like Benchmark, has been consistent over the years about maintaining comparatively smaller funds, even while many other venture firms have doubled, tripled -- even quintupled -- their assets under management. (Like Benchmark, Matrix raised a $1 billion fund once during the dot-com era; it wound up returning half of it to its investors when the market imploded.)

We talked with Rodriguez about the new fund. We also talked with him about how Matrix works with Matrix Partners China and Matrix Partners India, founded in 2008 and 2006, respectively. (They mostly operate independently.) Given that software infrastructure is a major focus area for the firm -- it was an early investor in Hubspot, Zendesk and Canva, for example -- we also asked Rodriguez about web3, or the promise of a decentralized internet. As it turns out, Matrix doesn't put much stock in it, not yet anyway. Excerpts from our chat follow, edited for length.

TC: You recently closed a fund that's almost twice as big as your last three funds, which were each $450 million. You were really disciplined about size, then changed your minds. Why?

With our current fund that we just finished investing, every single deal we did was either at concept or seed or pre-seed or post-seed or Series A, so for us, it really wasn't about stage drift. Due to new entrants and due to existing players moving backward into the A, [in recent years] you went from having to write a $10 million check to, in some cases, $15 million or $20 million, and we wanted to make sure we could keep doing those entry checks if the market had grown. That's still very much [the case], especially for our categories.

So you're really not seeing these Series A stage deals getting any smaller.

Not yet. For the best entrepreneurs, a Series A round size can still be $20 million plus. We also tend to like more technical projects, whether that's software or hardware, or ideally, [a company at the] intersection of both, and those companies just need more money.

Some of these later-stage outfits appear to be shrinking. Is it easier now to maintain your pro rata without throwing elbows?

It is easier, and it will continue to get slightly easier. But also, if you look at our best exits across the last three funds, you'll find that in these B and the C rounds, they don't lend themselves well to what I would call the spreadsheet jockeys. [For these companies], you really need more conviction, and in a lot of cases, that meant you had to step up, as opposed to expecting that a Tiger or Coatue would come in and, in 72 hours, fund that company. That's part of why maintaining our pro rata in this new environment may be easier, but it will be equally necessary.

You target, what 20% to 25% ownership?

That's about right. Historically, it's been anywhere between 20% and 25%. Over the last year, I'd say we were kind of tilted to 18% to 21% [when we would] enter "beyond concept." But definitely 20% to 25% is the long-term structural target for us when we enter anywhere between concept and Series A.

When you say concept, are you talking about incubating companies?

Yes, a number of our companies -- including my company -- have started at one of our offices with an investor and an entrepreneur working at a whiteboard on an idea. We probably [dedicate] 5% to 10% of any given fund [to this].

Matrix is an investor in Canva, the graphic design business valued at $26 billion. Do you have a double-digit stake in that company?

Canva is a little bit different because it was out of market when we did it. We are top three on that cap table. So we invested the largest check, I believe, in the seed round and we own in the single digits. There was an investor who was in the pre-seed round, and then a large multistage investor has accumulated a position across many rounds.

Why didn't it go public while the market was still wide open? It was founded in 2012, right?

Canva is a terrific business and will be a great IPO when it comes, in good times or bad times. Typically, companies go out because of something that will strategically help the business. Sometimes it's as tactical as the company is growing very quickly but consuming a lot of cash and having access to the public market lets you [access cash faster]. And when you can combine that with an open window, it's a win-win for everyone.

What about the benefit of greater public awareness once a company goes public?

It will come. There are millions and millions of paying users on the platform. Think is a company that has done the virality thing just right. It's viral like a consumer company, but effective in making money like a B2B SaaS company.

In your words, Matrix's big theme this year has been applied AI as it affects everything from SaaS applications to software infrastructure to networking to what happens in the data center. I haven't heard you mention crypto or web3.

I have to tell you -- and I think that the advantage of having nine partners is that people can keep me honest here -- but my own personal view is that it's a bit of a mirage. My own personal view is that a trusted distributed database is pretty interesting for a number of applications on both the B2B side and the consumer space, but most of the stuff out there -- I dare say most of the stuff that's made a lot of people a lot of money over this two-year speculator boom that seems to have come to an end -- just feels like it's wishful thinking at its best.

So you're not hearing me mentioning it because we're not, like, doubling and tripling down. We didn't raise $800 million dollars to put a half of it into web3 applications. We have a couple of investments, but it's because we've followed founders from payments into web3, or from proptech into web3, and less because we're excited about the prospect of starting a web3 practice here until we see utility come to the applications.

Above: Matrix Partners's team, members of which are based in both San Francisco and Boston. Rodriguez is at center.
Children play in front of a mural of Pablo Escobar in the Barrio Pablo Escobar in Medellin, Colombia. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Three decades ago, this bustling metropolis was the worlds most dangerous city, an epicenter of assassinations, massacres and car bombs linked to the eponymous hometown cartel and its notorious boss, Pablo Escobar.

Even after Escobars shooting death here on a rooftop in 1993, the culmination of a massive manhunt by Colombian authorities aided by U.S. drug agents, levels of violence akin to open warfare continued to batter neighborhoods like Comuna 13, where guerrilla bands fought it out with soldiers, paramilitary gunmen and police.

Today, Medellin, home to 2.5 million, is benefiting from a stunning turnaround, drawing record numbers of tourists from the United States and elsewhere. Once atop the global homicide list  the city saw almost 19 slayings daily in 1991, in the heyday of the now-defunct Medellin Cartel  the rate of killings has since dropped well below that of many Latin American and U.S. cities.

A man sells fruit on the main access road in Barrio Pablo Escobar, Medellin, Colombia. In the background looms a mural for the late drug kingpin. Residents say he purchased hundreds of homes for them in the district and view the slain trafficker as a kind of hero. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

These days, the citys turbulent past, especially the legacy of Escobar, has emerged as a major tourism draw. A profound international fascination focuses on Medellins dark side. Articles, books and dramatizations about Colombias cocaine cartels, notably "Narcos," the popular 2015-16 Netflix series, have amplified the allure of so-called narco-tourism.

Once Netflix came out with 'Narcos,' thats when everything blew up, said Luis Ospina, one of many guides who provide tours of sites linked to Medellins violent past. We started getting Europeans, Americans, mostly English-speaking tourists."

Visitors seek out traces of Escobars sanguinary reign while also making the trek to Comuna 13 to hear stories of revolutionary mayhem. In addition, tourists frequent upscale cafes, bars and shopping venues in swanky zones like El Poblado and Laureles, and peruse galleries featuring the paintings of Fernando Botero, a Medellin native and perhaps Colombias best-known artist.

Escobar, though, has become a commodity. He may have been best avoided in life, but in death a lot of people want a piece of the action. Key destinations on the narco-tour are the gritty Barrio Pablo Escobar, where the drug lord helped build hundreds of homes for impoverished residents, many former denizens of a city dump; the tree-lined Los Olivos zone, where police snipers shot a barefoot Escobar, 44, on a rooftop on Dec. 2, 1993, as he tried to escape; and the cemetery where the billionaires remains were interred.

Story continues

Clothes hang on a line in the Comuna 13 neighborhood of Medellin, Colombia. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Key destinations on a narco-tour are the gritty Barrio Pablo Escobar and the tree-lined Los Olivos zone, where police snipers shot Escobar, 44, on a rooftop on Dec. 2, 1993. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

A museum run by family members in what they call a former safe house features Escobar artifacts  a bullet-riddled Mercedes sedan, the remains of personal aircraft, a Wet Bike (an early jet-ski featured in the 1977 James Bond film, "The Spy Who Loved Me," which dazzled Escobar), and desks with hidden compartments in which millions of dollars were supposedly stashed  along with themed merchandise: liquor bottles, T-shirts, keychains and coasters, all embossed with the former capos mug.

Despite the profligacy of Escobars image, his legend is a point of considerable tension and a battle about memory. Many, perhaps most, in Medellin revile him as a homicidal fanatic who turned the town into a free-fire zone. The sight of tourists wearing Pablo Escobar T-shirts is especially repulsive to many.

If you go to Berlin, you dont buy a Hitler T-shirt, noted Marcelo Jaramillo, whose tour company offers a "transformation of Medellin" itinerary, but not a specific "Pablo tour" that some guides offer.

Those who lived through the citys bleak days, he said, generally prefer not to talk about it  much less glorify the gangster behind the carnage.

Its still an open wound, said Jaramillo, 40, who was a youth when chaos defined his hometown. That doesnt change with a television series.... The city is still split between these two worlds, between the dark and the light. And both sides benefit from tourism.

But a minority still view Escobar as a kind of Robin Hood who built homes and schools for the poor and erected soccer fields and power lines as he rose from humble origins and a career in car theft and other petty crime to the Forbes list of the worlds wealthiest individuals. His aura seems only to grow with the years.

You cant say anything bad about Pablo Escobar around here, said Maria Diocelina Guerra Willis, 85, a grandmother who still lives in a home in the Barrio Pablo Escobar that she says is hers thanks to the late traffickers generosity. It is because of Pablo that we have this place.

Maria Diocelina Guerra Willis, 85, sits outside her home in Barrio Pablo Escobar, Medellin, Colombia. She is one of many residents who say they received their homes from the slain drug kingpin and are forever grateful to him. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Up the concrete stairs that mark the hillside barrio, Edwin Alexander Montoya, 20, and Maria Jose Jaramillo Montoya, 8  siblings who reside in a home that they say was gifted by Escobar to their grandmother  display for visitors framed photos of the late drug baron. "For us, God has forgiven Pablo for everything he did, and he is with him now in his Holy Glory," said Maria Eugenia Castano, 47, mother of the two. "We have a lot to thank him for."

Rumors persist that Escobar is still alive, mocking his pursuers  even though thousands of mourners attended his raucous wake and funeral in 1993. I think that Pablo is in Buenos Aires [Argentina], said Luis Felipe Mendez, a Colombian tourist visiting the neighborhood. He is alive. I believe it.

Alternately, some refuse to give credit to police for Escobar's ultimate demise, insisting that the fatal shot to Escobar's head as he was being chased was a case of suicide.

A mural of Escobars mustachioed visage  featuring his trademark leering smile and bald-spot comb-over  welcomes hundreds of visitors who arrive weekly, often in tour vans, to Barrio Pablo Escobar, where a kind of shrine exalts the former cartel chieftain. Peering down from an elevated niche is a likeness of the Holy Infant of Atocha , a figure of Roman Catholic devotion that was beloved by Escobar's mother.

A gallery features a mannequin of Escobar holding a walkie-talkie  with a pair of AK-47 rifles mounted on the wall behind him  amid a greatest-hits array of images: A defiant Pablo in police mug shots; Pablo as a glad-handing politician (he once aspired to be president); a grinning Pablo in family snaps, pressing the flesh at sports and vacation venues. A mural depicts the entry to his infamous rural getaway, Hacienda Napoles, which featured, among other attractions, a zoo from which imported hippopotamuses have since escaped into the nearby countryside, causing environmental havoc.

A gallery of Pablo Escobar photos, images and mementos can be found behind the shrine to the slain trafficker in the Barrio Pablo Escobar. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Handwritten comments in a guest book at the gallery site attest to the ongoing appeal of Escobar.

Dear Pablo, wrote Felix Malanog, a 25-year-old Californian, in an entry dated May 30, 2022. I hope that you are doing well in heaven right now. Too bad, I wasnt born during your time. Thanks for the memories that you created in Colombian history and to the world. You are a legend.

The Escobar fascination also fuels a thriving memorabilia market.

His whole story is just amazing, said Jani Perkonmaki, 46, who has turned part of his home in rural Finland into a kind of Escobar museum, featuring photos and mementos  including what he says is one of the mobsters shirts, a pair of his aviator shades (in their original leather case), a pager and a transistor radio. Yes the deaths are very sad. And I dont support this violence," he said by telephone from his home in Hameenkyro, Finland. But how can one person accomplish all that Pablo did?

A frequent visitor to Medellin, Perkonmaki hopes to move here. Tattoos of Escobar and other cartel members embellish his body. A tattoo on his back, next to a life-size image of Escobars face, reads Plata o Plomo, literally, Silver or Lead. It was a signature cartel threat demanding that debtors pay up or face a cheerless alternative  a shower of lead, i.e., bullets.

With permission from the Escobar family, Perkonmaki said, he is planning to market in Europe a Nordic-style cocktail  gin and grapefruit juice  featuring Escobars face on the label of cans and bottles.

Mara Marlene, 68, sells popsicles in the Comuna 13 neighborhood of Medellin. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Luis Emilio Cardona, 82, left, and Abelardo Ausergia, 78, have been friends for 40 years and reside in Comuna 13. They play at one of the higher points in the neighborhood. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Adam Chaitin-Lefcourt, a criminal defense lawyer who runs a boutique California caviar company, said he first went to Medellin on a whim in 2017 but soon got deeper into the Escobar saga, though he deplores the violence and loss of life.

Look at Tony Soprano  why are so many people attracted to that? said Chaitin-Lefcourt, 37, referring to the protagonist of the HBO series. Its the allure of the anti-hero.... Anyone, as long as they have the intellect, desire and ingenuity, no matter the depth of depression and poverty, can pick themselves up to become one the most famous, influential people in the world.

He plans a return trip to Medellin. Hes looking to purchase a bag, crafted from the fur of a wild spotted cat, from which Escobar is said to have dispensed cash to the needy.

The Escobar mystique is not something that Medellins city leaders embrace. They prefer to stress other charms in a town featuring a diverse culinary scene, a burgeoning high-tech industry and a balmy climate  The City of Eternal Spring, as Medellin, nestled in the Andes and perennially dappled with flowers, is called.

Today, Medellin has gone from being the most violent city in the world to being a center for science, technology and innovation, said Alejandro Macias, the citys tourism secretary. We cant deny our history. But we are seeing a new narrative in which Medellin is transformed.

Petty crime remains a problem, especially in rough precincts in and around downtown. Some tourists come for drugs and sex, mixing with criminal elements. Mafias are keeping a lower profile but remain a force in Medellin, experts say, controlling drug smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering and other rackets in Colombias second city.

"The Medellin Cartel is gone," noted Pedro Piedrahita, a political scientist at the University of Medellin. "But Medellin remains one of the primary logistical centers for transnational organized crime."

Colorful murals throughout the district tell the history of Comuna 13 and celebrate the people of the neighborhood. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Still, the sight of foreigners lugging laptops in their backpacks, seeking daily workspaces, is testament to the large numbers of so-called digital nomads from the United States and elsewhere calling Medellin home. With favorable exchange rates, some are purchasing condos in the multi-storied towers that soar up the verdant slopes. For many expatriates, the Escobar period is little more than a historic curiosity.

Some Americans still believe in the Medellin of Netflixs 'Narcos'  but its not that anymore, said Croix Sather, 51, an author and inspirational speaker who splits time between here and the United States. I was scared when I got here, but quickly learned that the city is not dangerous like the perception.

The transformation is especially evident in the sprawling hillside Comuna 13 neighborhood, home to some 150,000. Comuna 13 was largely a no-go area for police during the 1990s and early 2000s, when it was Colombias largest urban rebel stronghold. A series of military operations scattered the guerrillas, but also left many civilian casualties and lingering bitterness.

Residents reclaimed their neighborhood, and turned it into an improbable cultural and tourist hotspot  now visited by 12,000 or more each week, making it one of Colombias most popular tourist destinations. It is a venue for street art, hip-hop performers, rappers, traditional musicians and oral historians recounting the trajectory of the barrio, all amid a plethora of galleries, bars and restaurants, many with blaring music. A carnival atmosphere prevails.

Armed groups used to come down from the hills, force people on their knees and execute them right here, said Jhona Marin, 27, a Comuna 13 native who now guides visitors to the district. Dead people in the streets  that used to be the norm here.

Alejandra Mejia, 21, one of many young entrepreneurs in Comuna 13, snaps photos of tourists with a backdrop of panoramic views of the city. (Liliana Nieto del Rio / For The Times)

Alejandra Mejia, 21, one of many young entrepreneurs in Comuna 13, deploys a drone to snap photos of tourists with a backdrop of panoramic views of the city. Visitors line up for the souvenirs.

Colorful murals tell the history of Comuna 13s re-imagining. Six escalators help residents and visitors climb the steep slopes of the community, which bears a resemblance to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. The frequent elephant motifs spray-painted on walls carry a message: The people of Comuna 13 don't forget their past.

That is the point, too, at Medellins Inflexion Memorial Park. The contemplative monument was built on the site of Escobars former fortress, the Monaco Building, which the city demolished in 2019 as part of its effort to reshape the collective memory. A sloping wall of black granite now features 46,612 perforations  one for each person lost to drug violence during Escobars rule as Colombias cocaine king, including hundreds of slain police officers.

Among the carved inscriptions at the site are the words of Hernando Baquero Borda, a Colombian Supreme Court judge who handled U.S. extradition requests, fiercely resisted by drug lords. In 1986, assassins on a motorcycle shot the jurist and two others dead.

The judges now-memorialized words: We are what we leave to others.

Special correspondents Liliana Nieto del Rio in Medellin, Jenny Carolina Gonzalez in Bogota and Cecilia Sanchez in Mexico City contributed to this report.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Jesus Manuel Salgado, suspected of kidnapping a Merced family, was charged Monday with four counts of first-degree murder. (Merced County Sheriff's Office)

The Merced man accused of kidnapping and killing a family was charged Monday with four counts of first-degree murder, one for each life lost, prosecutors announced.

The Merced County district attorney's office said in a news release that it would not make a determination this year on whether to pursue the death penalty in the case of Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, who is accused of abducting an 8-month-old girl and her parents as well as her uncle, from their trucking business off South Highway 59 last week.

Dist. Atty. Kimberly Lewis declined to comment on the case beyond the charges. Salgado is set to be arraigned Monday afternoon.

Salgado was charged in the deaths of Jasdeep Singh, 36; his wife, Jasleen Kaur, 27; their 8-month-old daughter, Aroohi Dheri; and Singhs brother, Amandeep Singh, 39.

The investigation into the disappearance of the family began Oct. 3 after police found Amandeep Singhs Dodge Ram truck on fire in the town of Winton.

When family members couldn't locate Amandeep or his brother and sister-in-law, or the couple's baby, they reported the family as missing.

The search led investigators with the Merced County Sheriff's Office to the family business, Unison Trucking, where video surveillance showed a suspect abducting the family at gunpoint and leading them away in the truck.

Salgado attempted suicide Tuesday as investigators zeroed in on him as a suspect in the case, the Sheriffs Office said in a statement. He was held in the hospital for two days and was then booked into jail.

Salgado also faces charges of illegal possession of a firearm and arson for allegedly setting fire to the truck. His brother, Alberto Salgado, was also arrested in the case on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, accessory and destroying evidence.

Jesus Manuel Salgado spent nearly a decade in prison for holding another family at gunpoint and robbing it in its garage in 2005.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The Mexican government filed another U.S. gun lawsuit Monday, this time against five U.S. gun shops and distributors it claims are responsible for the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico.

Mexico's first lawsuit, which was recently dismissed, targeted U.S. gun manufacturers. The second, which Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said was filed in Arizona's federal district court Monday, targets gun dealers.

We are suing them because clearly there is a pattern, we contend that it is obvious that there is weapons trafficking and that it is known that these guns are going to our country, Ebrard said.

Ebrard promised last week the new lawsuit would target gun shops or dealers in U.S. border states who sell guns to straw purchasers who pass them on to smugglers, who then take the weapons into Mexico.

Mexico is suing for unspecified monetary damages and to demand the gun stores hire independent monitors to ensure that U.S. federal laws are followed in gun purchases.

Alejandro Celorio Alcantara, the legal adviser to Mexico's Foreign Relations Department, said Mexico had chosen the five worst stores" to name in the lawsuit, including three gun outlets in Tucson, one in Phoenix and one in Yuma, Arizona.

They are not careful when they sell products, so they allow straw purchasers to buy guns, said Celorio Alcantara, adding they sold multiple guns, multiple times to some purchasers. We are saying they are negligent and facilitate straw purchasers, to the point of being accomplices.

He claimed that U.S. criminal investigations had traced weapons purchases back to the stores, and said there was evidence that the shops had not filed required information on some purchases.

The main argument of our lawsuit is that these businesses are an organized part of a criminal enterprise, a mechanism, to facilitate criminals and cartels in Mexico being able to use their weapons, said Celorio Alcantara.

He said the first hearing on the suit might not come until the summer.

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Ebrard said about 60% of the weapons seized in Mexico in recent years were believed to have been sold in 10 U.S. counties, mostly along the border. Mexico has very strict restrictions on weapon possession, but drug cartel violence has cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the country in recent years.

We are going to show that many of these outlets where they sell these products in these counties I mentioned, are dealing with straw purchasers, and criminal charges have to be brought, Ebrard said last week in an appearance before the Mexican Senate.

A recently enacted U.S. law defines straw purchasing as a crime, and sets out sentences of as much as 15 to 25 years if the offense is related to drug trafficking.

Celorio Alcantara said that was a key difference between this and Mexico's earlier lawsuit: in the Arizona suit, Mexico is arguing a violation of U.S. laws.

The announcement comes several days after a U.S. federal judge dismissed Mexicos first lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers; Mexico has said it will appeal that decision.

The judge ruled Mexicos claims against the gun makers did not overcome the broad protection provided to firearms manufacturers by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act passed in 2005.

The law shields gun manufacturers from damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm.

Mexico was seeking at least $10 billion in compensation, but legal experts had viewed the lawsuit as a long shot.

The Mexican government estimates 70% of the weapons trafficked into Mexico come from the U.S., according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. It said that in 2019 alone, at least 17,000 homicides in Mexico were linked to trafficked weapons.
A Texas mother is urging parents to keep their children from watching Hocus Pocus 2, claiming that the film can unleash hell in ones home.

During a recent interview with KWTX, Jamie Gooch issued a warning about the plot of the Disney + film, which is a sequel of the fan-favourite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus.

A worst case scenario is: you unleash hell on your kids and in your home, she said. The whole movie is based on witches harvesting children for blood sacrifices.

Similar to the plot of Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2 is centred on a group of women trying to stop three witches from kidnapping and harming the children of Salem, Massachusetts, after accidentally being brought back to life.

Gooch emphasised her concern about the film to KWTX and said viewers are unaware of what can come into their homes through [their] TV screen.

Do not watch this film, she continued. Everybody thinks its fake and innocent, but they could be casting any type of spell that they want to, anything could be coming through that TV screen into your home.

She went on to say she loves keeping her home safe, which is why she and her husband remain focused on what [theyre] bringing into it.

I love creating a safe environment for my family and friends to come into, I believe everything starts here, it all starts at home, she explained to KWTX. So beware--and be aware--of what were bringing into our homes and our everyday lives, my husband and our children should be experiencing something different here in our home than theyre experiencing out in the world.

The mother of three told the outlet her family hasnt celebrated Halloween for about four or five years, because it grieves me, the thought of exposing our kids to darkness.

Gooch added that the response to her beliefs has been wonderful in a sense that a lot of people agreed with me in that they already knew, there were some that didnt understand, but it was welcomed.

She emphasised that if people didnt agree with her thats fine, but for her, as a Christian, she claimed that she was held at a higher standard.

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This interview comes after Gooch shared a now-private and viral Facebook post, in which she encouraged mothers to think about what was happening in Hocus Pocus 2. In the Facebook post, shared via Mediaite, Gooch said that she felt a strong conviction to share a word with mothers, urging them to think about the films that they allow in their homes.

As Mothers and wives WE are the gatekeepers of our homes. Meaning whatever we allow in has a rightful place to reside and grow there because WE have given it permission, she wrote. What is actually happening when we watch these films? What are we subjecting our minds to? What are we welcoming into the homes of our families? I say all of this because I too have fallen into the trap a time or two, and the spiritual warfare I had to endure because of my own ignorance I wish on no one.

Hocus Pocus 2 features Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy, reprising their roles as the Sanderson Sisters.

During an interview withCBS This Morning this week, Parker described the movie franchises fan base and recalled how its become so diverse over the years, following Hocus Pocus release in 1993.

What is so wonderful and feels so good is that the audience has become so diverse for this, she said. People have integrated this into their lives, families and children and babysitters and grandparents and the LGBTQ-plus community. Its just remarkable.

The Independent has contacted Gooch for comment.
Photo: Stock photo - Pixabay

Workers at the site of a major complex of refineries crucial for Iran's massive offshore natural gas field protested Monday over the death of a 22-year-old woman, online videos appeared to show.

The demonstrations at Asaluyeh mark the first time the unrest surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini threatened the coffers of Iran's long-sanctioned theocratic government  its oil and gas industry.

While it remains unclear if other workers will follow, the protests come as demonstrations rage on in cities, towns and villages across Iran over the Sept. 16 death of Amini after her arrest by the countrys morality police in Tehran. Early on Monday, the sound of apparent gunshots and explosions echoed through the streets of a city in western Iran, while security forces reportedly killed one man in a nearby village, activists said.

Irans government insists Amini was not mistreated, but her family says her body showed bruises and other signs of beating. Subsequent videos have shown security forces beating and shoving female protesters, including women who have torn off their mandatory headscarf, or hijab.

From the capital, Tehran, and elsewhere, online videos have emerged despite authorities disrupting the internet. Videos on Monday showed university and high school students demonstrating and chanting, with some women and girls marching through the streets without headscarves as the protests continue into a fourth week. The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges to Irans theocracy since the 2009 Green Movement protests.

Online videos analyzed by The Associated Press showed dozens of workers gathered at the refineries in Asaluyeh, some 925 kilometers (575 miles) south of Tehran, on the Persian Gulf. The vast complex takes in natural gas from the massive offshore natural gas field that Iran shares with Qatar.

In one video, the gathered workers  some with their faces covered  chant shameless and death to the dictator. The chants have been features across protests dealing with Amini's death.

This is the bloody year Seyyed Ali will be overthrown, the protesters chanted, refusing to use the title ayatollah to refer to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. An ayatollah is a high-ranking Shiite cleric.

Others show them gathered around the massive network of tanks and industrial features, as well as on a nearby roadway. The details in the videos correspond with each and to known features of the facility compared against satellite photos taken Sunday.

Iran did not acknowledge any disruption at the facility, though the semiofficial Tasnim news agency described the incident as a salary dispute. Iran is one of the world's top natural gas suppliers, just after the U.S. and Russia.

The violence early Monday in western Iran occurred in Sanandaj, the capital of Iran's Kurdistan province, as well as in the village of Salas Babajani near the border with Iraq, according to a Kurdish group called the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. Amini was Kurdish and her death has been felt particularly in Iran's Kurdish region, where demonstrations began Sept. 17 at her funeral there.

Hengaw posted footage it described as smoke rising in one neighborhood in Sanandaj, with what sounded like rapid rifle fire echoing through the night sky. The shouts of people could be heard.

There was no immediate word if people had been hurt in the violence. Hengaw later posted a video online of what appeared to be collected shell casings from rifles and shotguns, as well as spent tear gas canisters.

Authorities offered no immediate explanation about the violence early Monday in Sanandaj, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Tehran. Esmail Zarei Kousha, the governor of Iran's Kurdistan province, alleged without providing evidence that unknown groups plotted to kill young people on the streets on Saturday, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported Monday.

Kousha also accused these unnamed groups that day of shooting a young man in the head and killing him  an attack that activists have roundly blamed on Iranian security forces. They say Iranian forces opened fire after the man honked his car horn at them. Honking has become one of the ways activists have been expressing civil disobedience  an action that has seen riot police in other videos smashing the windshields of passing vehicles.

In the village of Salas Babajani, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Sanandaj, Iranian security forces repeatedly shot a 22-year-old man protesting there who later died of his wounds, Hengaw said. It said others had been wounded in the shooting.

It remains unclear how many people have been killed in the demonstrations or by the security force crackdown targeting them. State television last suggested at least 41 people had been killed in the demonstrations as of Sept. 24. In the over two weeks since, theres been no update from Irans government.

An Oslo-based group, Iran Human Rights, estimates at least 185 people have been killed. This includes an estimated 90 people killed by security forces in the eastern Iranian city of Zahedan amid demonstrations against a police officer accused of rape in a separate case. Iranian authorities have described the Zahedan violence as involving unnamed separatists, without providing details or evidence.

Meanwhile, a prison riot has struck the city of Rasht, killing several inmates there, a prosecutor reportedly said. It wasn't immediately clear if the riot at Lakan Prison was linked to the ongoing protests, though Rasht has seen heavy demonstrations in recent weeks since Amini's death.

The semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted Gilan provincial prosecutor Mehdi Fallah Miri as saying, some prisoners died because of their wounds as the electricity was cut (at the prison) because of the damage. He also alleged prisoners refused to allow authorities access to those wounded.

Miri described the riot as breaking out in a wing of a prison housing death penalty inmates.
The high-profile criminal case against disbarred and disgraced South Carolina attorney Richard Alex Murdaugh continues to advance toward a possible January 2023 legal showdown as attorneys volley pretrial motions and counter-motions back and forth before the court, hoping for legal advantages.

Murdaugh is facing double murder and weapons charges in Colleton County for the June 2021 shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul.

On Sept. 23, Murdaughs criminal defense team, which includes noted attorneys Richard Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, filed a motion in Colleton County General Sessions Court asking for subpoena duces tecum powers as they work to prepare Murdaughs defense.

While a typical subpoena is a court order requiring the attendance of a witness to testify at a particular time and place, a subpoena duces tecum is an order requiring a witness to bring forth documents, materials, or other items under their control that they may be bound by law to produce into evidence during a later trial.

State prosecutors have since filed a motion in opposition, contending that subpoenas command witnesses to appear or deliver documents at a specified court proceeding and not before the trial. They have contended that Murdaughs motion not only violates the rules of criminal procedure but is also unconstitutional.

A hearing on the matter had not been scheduled by Oct. 10.

Latest lawsuit:Latest Alex Murdaugh lawsuit names 2 more prominent Hampton attorneys

Related:Private island owned by Alex Murdaugh and suspected drug smuggler for sale in SC

SC Attorney General's Office objects to Murdaughs unprecedented motion

Prosecutors with the state Attorney Generals Office, which is prosecuting all of Murdaughs criminal cases, filed a counter motion on Oct. 3 that objects to granting the defendant broad, unending powers.

The countermotion states that Murdaugh is asking the court to grant him unprecedented subpoena power for documents to be produced in advance of trial, a power which is not authorized or contemplated by the South Carolina Rules of Criminal Procedure, specifically Rule 13.

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Alex Murdaugh confers with his legal team during a recent hearing on double murder charges in Colleton County.

Furthermore, the state contends, the South Carolina Constitution prohibits the court from granting Murdaugh the power he seeks.

The countermotion claims that Rule 13 makes clear that subpoenas may only be used to summon a witness to appear or present documentary evidence at a court proceeding and that Murdaugh seeks to apply these rules in a way it was not intended to provide him exceptionally broad subpoena power.

Finally, the state argues that the court does not have the authority to alter or amend the SC Rules of Criminal Procedure. Prosecutors said any requested amendments must be submitted by the SC Supreme Court to be considered by the state Legislature.

Effectively, Murdaugh is seeking to rewrite Rule 13 without going through the constitutionally mandated procedure, the prosecutors' countermotion concludes. He is asking this court to do what even the five Justices of the South Carolina Supreme Court are not authorized by our constitution to do without Legislative involvement Murdaugh is not a special defendant, and his rights and privileges as a criminal defendant are sufficiently safeguarded by the letter of the law as currently written and applied.

Murdaugh attorneys seek level 'playing field,' avoid 'extensive media attention'

Murdaughs attorneys contend that, if granted the authority they seek, they can meet with witnesses and inspect subpoenaed materials in advance to avoid unnecessary delays to the pretrial and trial process.

Not only would this prevent the defense from having to come before the court each time it wishes to subpoena materials, the motion says, the requests for those materials would not have to be brought out in open court.

Requiring the defendant to make public filings for each subpoena duces tecum will unnecessary expose the defenses trial strategy and subject the recipient of any subpoena to extensive media attention, Murdaughs motion states.

The motion also contends that, since the state Attorney Generals Office continues to build its case by obtaining search warrants and issuing grand-jury subpoenas, granting this power to the defense would level the playing field with the state.

When will the Alex Murdaugh murder case go to trial?

Murdaughs attorneys have requested a January 2023 court date in Colleton County, but that has yet to be approved by the South Carolina Courts Administration.

Murdaugh is also facing more than 90 financial and drug-related state grand jury criminal charges as well as 11 civil lawsuits.

As attorneys on both sides of the bench prepare for trial, Murdaugh remains in jail in Richland County on a $7 million bond that his attorneys say he has been unable to meet.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Murdaugh murders: State says Alex Murdaugh is not 'special defendant'
Family, friends, and community members called for justice Sunday evening at a gathering in honor of 34-year-old Ali Osman who was shot and killed by Phoenix police after throwing rocks at them in September.

"We must hold those accountable for what they did to him. We must stand together in solidarity and speak up against police brutality," Nejra Sumic, a national field manager from We Are All America, said to a small crowd of supporters on Sunday.

The gathering came days after Phoenix police released edited body camera footage of the confrontation on Sept. 24 between two officers and Osman near 19th Avenue and Tuckey Lane, just south of Glendale Avenue.

The video shows Osman with his hands up as an officer approaches. The officer pulls his gun and is heard shouting, "Drop it." Osman then throws a rock at the officer before being shot and falling to the ground.

An image of a broken spotlight on one of the patrol vehicles, which police said was caused by Osman throwing rocks, can also be seen in the public video.

Osman's family and their attorney, Quacy Smith, held a news conference Friday, calling for the firing of the officers involved.

"This is not just homicide. This was murder. At minimum it was manslaughter," Smith said during the Friday press conference at his law firm's midtown office.

'This was murder': Family of man killed by Phoenix police reacts to video of shooting

That sentiment continued Sunday as activists, family members, and friends took the stage to share their thoughts at the gathering hosted by Black Lives Matter Metro Phoenix.

"Instead of trying to use non-lethal methods like using a taser ... they chose to shoot him. They didn't shoot him in his arm. They didn't shoot him in a meaty area. They shot him in the throat," said Fatima Bithera, a community organizer for the event.

Bithera then explained the demands Black Lives Matter Metro Phoenix expects from the Phoenix Police Department to get justice for Ali Osman.

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These demands included an apology to the family, releasing the names and firing of the officers involved in the shooting, and more mental health de-escalation response training, Bithera said.

Another theme of the event was a wider call for change within the Police Department and a continued push for community support.

"There is a policing problem in this country ... and that is gonna require change from the top to the bottom," Quacy said on Sunday.

Once the investigation is complete, the case will be sent to the Maricopa County attorneys for a review where the determination will be made for if it was a justified shooting, Phoenix police said at a news conference in September.

At prior news conferences and at the gathering Sunday, loved ones remembered Osman as a caring and selfless person.

Osman was a Somali refugee who came to the United States at 14, his friend, Loay Alyousfi, previously said.

A memorial was held Sept. 30 for Osman at an Islamic community center in Tempe.

Reach breaking news reporter Ellie Willard at ellie.willard@gannett.com or on Twitter @EllieWillardAZ.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ali Osman death: Community calls for justice Phoenix police shooting
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Koreas recent barrage of missile launches were the simulated use of its tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to hit and wipe out potential South Korean and U.S. targets, state media reported Monday, as its leader Kim Jong Un signaled he would conduct more provocative tests.

The Norths statement, released on the 77th birthday of its ruling Workers Party, is seen as an attempt to burnish Kims image as a strong leader at home amid pandemic-related hardships as hes defiantly pushing to enlarge his weapons arsenal to wrest greater concessions from its rivals in future negotiations.

Through seven times of launching drills of the tactical nuclear operation units, the actual war capabilities  of the nuclear combat forces ready to hit and wipe out the set objects at any location and any time were displayed to the full," the Norths official Korean Central News Agency said.

KCNA said the missile tests were in response to recent naval drills between U.S. and South Korean forces, which involved the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan for the first time in five years.

Viewing the drills as a military threat, North Korea decided to stage the simulation of an actual war to check and improve its war deterrence and send a warning to its enemies, KCNA said.

North Korea considers U.S.-South Korean military drills as an invasion rehearsal, though the allies have steadfastly said they are defensive in nature. Since the May inauguration of a conservative government in Seoul, the U.S. and South Korean militaries have been expanding their exercises, posing a greater security threat to Kim.

The launches  all supervised by Kim  included a nuclear-capable ballistic missile launched under a reservoir in the northeast; other ballistic missiles designed to launch nuclear strikes on South Korean airfields, ports and command facilities; and a new-type ground-to-ground ballistic missile that flew over Japan, KCNA reported. It said North Korea also flew 150 warplanes for separate live-firing and other drills in the countrys first-ever such training.

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Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said the missile launches marked the first time for North Korea to perform drills involving army units tasked with the operation of tactical nuclear weapons.

The Norths public launch of a missile from under an inland reservoir was also the first of its kind, though it has previously test-launched missiles from a submarine.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seouls University of North Korean Studies, said North Korea likely aims to diversify launch sites to make it difficult for its enemies to detect its missile liftoffs in advance and conduct preemptive strikes.

KCNA said when the weapon launched from the reservoir was flying above the sea target, North Korean authorities confirmed the reliability of the explosion of the missiles warhead, apparently a dummy one, at the set altitude.

Kim, the professor, said the missiles estimated 600-kilometer (370-mile) flight indicated the launch could be a test of exploding a nuclear weapon above South Koreas southeastern port city of Busan, where the Reagan previously docked. He said the missile tested appeared to be a new version of North Koreas highly maneuverable KN-23 missile, which was modeled on Russias Iskander missile.

North Korea described the missile that flew over Japan as a new-type intermediate-range weapon that traveled 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles). Some foreign experts earlier said the missile was likely North Koreas existing nuclear-capable Hwasong-12 missile, which can reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. But Kim, the professor, said the missile tested recently appeared to be an improved version of the Hwasong-12 with a faraway target like Alaska or Hawaii.

North Korea released a slew of photos on the launches. One of them showed Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju, both wearing ochre field jackets, frowning while covering their ears. Some observers say the image indicated Ri's elevated political standing because it was likely the first time for her to observe a weapons launch with her husband.

Worries about North Koreas nuclear program deepened in recent months as the country adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of its bombs in certain cases and took reported steps to deploy tactical nuclear weapons along its frontline border with South Korea. This year, North Korea carried out more than 40 missile launches.

Some experts say Kim Jong Un would eventually aim to use his advanced nuclear arsenal to win a U.S. recognition of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state, which Kim sees as essential in getting crippling U.N. sanctions on his country lifted.

Kim Jong Un said the recent launches were an obvious warning to Seoul and Washington, informing them of North Koreas nuclear attack capabilities. Kim repeated that he has no intentions of resuming the stalled disarmament diplomacy with the United States now, according to KCNA.

The U.S. and the South Korean regimes steady, intentional and irresponsible acts of escalating the tension will only invite our greater reaction, and we are always and strictly watching the situation crisis, Kim was quoted as saying.

Kim also expressed conviction that the nuclear combat forces of his military would maintain their strongest nuclear response posture and further strengthen it in every way to perform their duties of defending the Norths dignity and sovereign rights.

South Korean officials recently said North Korea maintains readiness to perform its first nuclear test in five years. Some experts say the nuclear test would be related to an effort to build warheads to be mounted on short-range missiles targeting South Korea.

North Korea has multiple motivations for publishing a high-profile missile story now, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. Kim Jong Uns public appearance after a month-long absence provides a patriotic headline to mark the founding anniversary of the ruling Workers Party.

Pyongyang has been concerned about military exercises by the U.S., South Korea and Japan, so to strengthen its self-proclaimed deterrent, it is making explicit the nuclear threat behind its recent missile launches. The KCNA report may also be a harbinger of a forthcoming nuclear test for the kind of tactical warhead that would arm the units Kim visited in the field, Easley said.
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has attended the opening ceremony of a new massive greenhouse farm built on a former air base where the country had test-fired missiles until last year, state media said on Tuesday.

The launch on Monday of the Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm, located in the eastern county of Hamju, was to mark the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party, a major holiday in North Korea.

Kim attended the event after guiding nuclear tactical exercises targeting South Korea over the past two weeks, which state media said were designed to counter recent joint naval drills by South Korean and U.S. forces involving an aircraft carrier.

The North's ruling party unveiled the project to transform the Ryonpho air base into a "highly automated farm" and a model for rural civilisation, calling it a "top priority task" to help achieve its goal of improving people's lives set at its key policy meeting last December.

The isolated country had used the area for several launches of short-range ballistic missile, including the KN-25s in November 2019 and the suspected KN-23s in March 2021.

The farm has more than 850 blocks of modern greenhouses covering 280 hectares, to be harmonised with some 1,000 houses, schools and cultural and service facilities, the official KCNA news agency said.

Kim has spearheaded the farm initiative to boost vegetable supplies and praised soldiers and workers for completing the construction in just a few months, KCNA said.

The party plans to "more dynamically and confidently push forward the overall rural development of the country with the Ryonpho Greenhouse Farm as a model," Kim was quoted as saying at the ceremony.

He called for building more large farms, increasing the variety of vegetables to be supplied and ensuring scientific, industrialised production and management at those farms.

North Korea first introduced the similar but slightly smaller Jungphyong Greenhouse Farm in the northeast county of Kyongsong in late 2019 as it pushed for self-reliance amid tightening international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Police on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket are anticipating the potential arrival of a migrant flight sent from another state, reportedly scheduled to land on Tuesday.

Nantucket Police issued an alert that a flight is incoming this week with many similarities to the flight and incident that occurred on Marthas Vineyard, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had authorized, according to the Boston Herald.

It has not been confirmed whether the passengers en route to Nantucket are illegal immigrants. The charter company reported that it is a business flight for a group out of Chicago. The Nantucket flight is reportedly operated by the same private air company that transported migrants to Marthas Vineyard, according to the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror.

Nantucket Police Central Dispatch received a call from the Nantucket Memorial Airport Operations on Friday that a flight was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. The purpose of the call was to inform the Nantucket Police Department that the reported scheduled flight had many similarities to the flight and incident that occurred on Marthas Vineyard, Nantucket Police said in a statement.

The migrant flights to Marthas Vineyard were approved as part of a budget by the Florida state legislature this year with members of both parties voting in favor. The provision appropriated funds to cover the cost of moving migrants out of the state to sanctuary locations.

Unlike that affluent enclave, which appeared to be overwhelmed by the influx of 48 illegal immigrants, who stayed for less 24 hours, Nantucket is reportedly making the proper preparations in advance, the police said. After local residents and officials distributed supplies and gave overnight accommodations, the migrants who stopped in Marthas Vineyard were relocated to Joint Base Cape Cod. The temporary shelter operation there reportedly ended this weekend. Migrants are going to be moved to other housing locations, the publication said.

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In the event there is an arrival of a plane carrying migrants, the Nantucket Police Department and many other Town departments have a detailed plan to manage such a situation, police said.

The migrant flights to Marthas Vineyard caused outrage among progressive media outlets and politicians, who called it an inhumane stunt that made political pawns out of vulnerable asylum-seekers. But theres no sign of inter-state migrant relocations stopping anytime soon. On Thursday, several buses carrying illegal immigrants arrived in New York City and Washington, D.C., including one bus that dropped its passengers off outside Vice President Kamala Harriss residence.

More from National Review
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday condemned Russia for horrific & indiscriminate attacks against Ukraine after Moscow struck civilian infrastructure throughout the country.

Stoltenberg said on Twitter he met with Ukraines Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba and that NATO will continue supporting the brave Ukrainian people to fight back against the Kremlins aggression for as long as it takes.

The recent strikes were apparently in retaliation for an explosion over the weekend that damaged a bridge connecting Russia and the Crimean Peninsula.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the bridge blast a terror act from Ukraine and promised a harsh response. Ukraine has not taken responsibility for the explosion.

The NATO leader also said Monday that he spoke with Polish President Andrzej Duda to thank Poland for its contributions to NATO support for Ukraine.

#Russia continues its unprovoked aggression against an independent sovereign nation. We will stay the course, Stoltenberg said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO condemns the attacks by Russia on civilian targets in Ukraine, the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.

"Spoke with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and condemned Russia's horrific and indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine," Stoltenberg said in a tweet.

"NATO will continue supporting the brave Ukrainian people to fight back against the Kremlin's aggression for as long as it takes."

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Nicaragua found itself even more isolated on the international stage Saturday after saying it would deny entry to the ambassador appointed by Washington and then severing diplomatic ties with the Netherlands.

President Daniel Ortega's government is facing mounting diplomatic pressure over what the United States has called "a dramatic deterioration" of human rights -- which has seen the jailing of dozens of political opponents, students and journalists.

With Ortega scoffing at Western powers, US authorities said President Joe Biden remained committed to maintaining a diplomatic presence in Managua and that the United States sought "a return to democratic rule in Nicaragua."

Nicaragua's latest moves came as the European Union's envoy was expelled from the Central American country.

Declared persona non grata on Friday, EU ambassador Bettina Muscheidt left Nicaragua Saturday on a commercial flight to France via Mexico City.

Managua cut ties with the Dutch government on Friday evening, describing The Hague as "interventionist" and "neocolonialist" after its ambassador, Christine Pirenne, said her country would not fund the construction of a hospital.

In a letter sent to AFP Saturday, the Dutch foreign ministry condemned the "regrettable" and "disproportionate" response.

The Netherlands said it had decided to permanently end funding for construction of a hospital in Nicaragua -- on hold since 2018 -- because of the "deteriorating situation in the field of democracy and human rights."

It said it had given Managua several warnings but now Nicaragua was "closing the door."

The Nicaraguan government had on Friday blamed the "repeated meddling, interventionist and neocolonialist position of the Kingdom of the Netherlands" for the row.

Earlier in the day, Ortega had lashed out at the European nation.

"Those who come to disrespect our people, our homeland, they should not appear again in Nicaragua. And we do not want relations with that interventionist government," Ortega said in reference to Pirenne, who is based in Costa Rica.

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The Netherlands closed its offices in Managua in 2013 and conducts all its Central American diplomatic work from Costa Rica.

Before Ortega's remarks, his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, said Friday that new US envoy Hugo Rodriguez "will not under any circumstances be admitted into our Nicaragua."

"Let that be clear to the imperialists," she added on state media.

The US Senate confirmed Rodriguez's ambassador posting Thursday, despite Nicaragua having previously said it would reject him.

On Saturday a State Department spokesperson said "Mr Rodriguez continues to enjoy the president's highest confidence."

In Rodriguez's absence, current Ambassador Kevin Sullivan will remain at his post in Managua, the spokesman said.

"The United States remains committed to promoting a return to democratic rule in Nicaragua, in support of the Nicaraguan people's aspirations," the official added.

Nicaragua said it blocked Rodriguez because of "disrespectful" comments made during a Senate hearing -- in which he described Nicaragua as a "pariah state in the region" and branded Ortega's government a dictatorship.

Rodriguez had said he would support using all economic and diplomatic tools to bring about "a change in direction" in Nicaragua, and notably suggested kicking the country out of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement.

On Wednesday, Ortega branded the Catholic Church a "perfect dictatorship," reflecting ongoing tensions between his government and the religious institution over 2018 protests that Ortega has accused the church of backing.

Those protests were crushed in a crackdown that left hundreds dead.

burs-st/mlm/bfm
ROMAN PETRENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 15:54

Currently, there are no indications that Russian forces are preparing to advance on Ukraine from Belarus, according to Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Source: Podoliak on Twitter

Quote from Podoliak: "[Alexander] Lukashenko [the self-proclaimed President of Belarus] continues to cede the last crumbs of [Belaruss] sovereignty to the Russian Federation.

The statement that Russian troops will be stationed in Belarus under false pretences in effect formalises the occupation [of Belarus by Russian forces].

Ukraine understands these risks, and it is prepared for any threats. The situation is under control; there is currently no indication that there will be a repeat invasion from the Republic of Belarus."

Previously: Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of the Republic of Belarus, said that Russian troops would soon return to his country.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Photo: The Canadian Press An injured woman receives medical treatment at the scene of Russian shelling, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine as the country unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, including downtown Kyiv where at least six people were killed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Efrem Lukatsky

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine as the country unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, including downtown Kyiv where at least six people were killed.

While speaking on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, Trudeau deplored the attacks and reiterated Canada's support for Ukraine.

"The prime minister expressed his condolences to President Zelenskyy on behalf of Canadians to all Ukrainians regarding the tragic deaths caused by Russias actions," a statement from the prime minister's office said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes were in retaliation for what he called Kyiv's terrorist actions  a reference to Ukraine's attempts to repel Moscow's invasion forces, including a weekend attack on a key bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Putin vowed a tough and proportionate response should Ukraine carry out further attacks that threaten Russias security.

No one should have any doubts about it, he said.

According to a tweet from Zelenskyy about his call with Trudeau, Zelenskyy "stressed the importance of a strong G7 reaction to the Russian missile terror."

"Ukraine needs an air shield to protect civilians and critical infrastructure," he tweeted.

Monday's missile strikes across Ukraine marked the biggest and most widespread Russian attacks on the country in months.Ukraine's Emergency Service said the assault killed at least 11 people and wounded at least 64.

Larisa Galadza, Canada's ambassador to Ukraine, said staff at the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine  both local and Canadian  are safe and accounted for.

Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly called the attacks shocking and horrifying in a tweet.

"Targeting civilians is a war crime. We will hold Russia accountable," Joly tweeted Monday.

Joly said she has spoken with Galadza and Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba about the missile strikes.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said the G7 countries will hold a video conference Tuesday on the situation, which Zelenskyy will address.
A view of the US Capitol before a news conference to discuss student-debt cancellation on September 29, 2022. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In a new court filing, Biden said student debt will not be canceled before October 23.

The filing was in response to a lawsuit filed by Republicans attempting to block the policy.

A federal judge will hear arguments on whether to halt the debt relief this week.

Student-loan borrowers may not yet know when they can apply for debt cancellation  but they do know relief won't come until the end of October, at the earliest.

At the end of August, President Joe Biden announced up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness for federal borrowers making under $125,000 a year. Many Republicans were not thrilled with the news, leading some to file lawsuits attempting to block the policy in court. This week, a federal judge will hear arguments from six Republican-led states whose representatives argued the debt relief will hurt their states' tax revenues, among other things. Biden's administration recently filed its first legal defense of the policy in response to that case.

In the filing, borrowers got additional details on how, and when, the plan will be executed. In particular, it noted that the Education Department will not cancel any student debt before October 23.

"Over the next several weeks, the Department will be taking steps to implement the debt-relief plan, potentially including continuing to communicate with servicers regarding implementation, sending emails notifying borrowers eligible for automatic relief of their eligibility and the option to opt out, communicating with borrowers and other interested parties concerning debt relief, conducting testing of the application form with members of the general public before the application form is fully launched (including sending emails inviting members of the public to participate in such testing), and announcing and opening the application form," the filing said.

While the administration did not specifically detail any reasoning for that date, it could be in response to the scheduled hearings on the lawsuits attempting to block the policy. Still, an administration official previously told Insider that "we're charging full speed ahead in getting relief to the borrowers who need it most."

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"We've got a dedicated team at the Department of Education working closely with a team here at the White House to get the program up and running," the official said. "The sign-up period for debt relief will open up this month. It'll be a short, simple application. We've also started communicating directly with borrowers on what to expect in the coming weeks. We'll have more to share in the coming days."

The department has so far sent out two email updates to student-loan borrowers in preparation for the application  one detailing that no document uploads will be required to certify income, and the other explaining how borrowers can protect themselves from scams as the application becomes available. It also recommends borrowers submit their forms before mid-November so the relief can be processed before payments resume in January 2023.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Norfolk residents are invited to attend a public forum next week as the city begins a lengthy process to hone in on a new top cop.

Morris & McDaniel Management Consultants, the firm selected to assist in the national search for Norfolks next chief of police, will host an in-person public forum Oct. 18 from 6-8 p.m. at the L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center located on the campus of Norfolk State University.

Former Chief Larry Boone retired abruptly in April on the heels of several high-profile homicides across Norfolk. Former Police Chief Michael Goldsmith, who served as chief before Boone and had been working as Norfolks deputy city manager, stepped in to fill the position in an acting capacity. Goldsmith informed council members at a retreat on Friday he would retire within a year from the department.

Starting with next weeks forum, the consulting firm will collect citizen input for two weeks. That input will be used to to better establish the needs and expectations of the next chief and to create a job advertisement for the position, according to a city press release from August.

Residents who are unable to attend the in-person forum can provide input online at www.norfolk.gov/PoliceChief or through drop boxes located at all Norfolk Public Library branches through October 31.

The two-week period of public comment kicks off what is expected to be a several-months-long search for the next police chief.

Norfolk hired Alexandria-based firm Morris & McDaniel Management Consultants in late August to assist in the hiring process as the city battles an increase in violent crime and police staffing shortages.

The police vacancy rate, which currently sits at 32.8% with 255 open positions, is expected to reach more than 40% by the years end, with Norfolks Civic Lab predicting the shortage will persist for at least five more years.

Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
One of the recent missile launches at an undisclosed area in North Korea

North Korea says its recent barrage of missile launches were a "simulation" of a nuclear attack on the South.

It comes as intelligence suggests North Korea is preparing to hold its first nuclear weapon test in five years.

In recent weeks, Pyongyang has launched seven sets of missiles in response to recent US and South Korea drills.

On Monday, state media published extensive reports claiming the missiles were designed to carry tactical nuclear weapons.

These are small short-range weapons intended for use on the battlefield. They said the military practised loading the missiles with dummy versions of these miniaturised warheads.

They also claimed to have successfully simulated hitting South Korea's military bases, ports and airports, and said the launches were a warning to US and South Korea.

State news agency KNCA ran photos of leader Kim Jong-un overseeing and "guiding" the tests.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said North Korea has nothing to gain from using nuclear weapons.

"North Korea is advancing its nuclear development and threatening not only the Republic of Korea but the world," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

"I believe it has nothing to gain from nuclear weapons."

State media also published several pictures of Kim Jong-un presiding over the missile launches

US and South Korea intelligence officials have been suggesting that the North may soon test a nuclear weapon for the first time since 2017.

Experts believe it could also use the opportunity to detonate a smaller tactical device for the first time - the sort which would fit into the missiles it has been testing.

Last month Kim Jong-un declared North Korea an "irreversible" nuclear power and revised its laws, allowing it to use nuclear weapons pre-emptively. Its previous policy had been to only use such weapons in response to an attack.

It has also markedly stepped up its frequency of missile firings this year, carrying out over 40 missile launches this year so far - its most ever.

Most of the launches in the past fortnight have been short-range missiles, which landed in the sea between North Korea and Japan.

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But North Korea also fired a longer-distance missile over Japan last Tuesday - which analysts say is a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, based on the weapon's design.

This year has seen the North test-fire missiles from a variety of launch sites including trains and convoys - moving platforms which would make it harder for the weapons to be destroyed in a strike, analysts have suggested.

They also noted that Monday's state media reports framed the recent launches as "tactical nuclear operations units" - instead of describing them purely as missile tests - suggesting that North Korea has now developed a system for deploying smaller, short-range nuclear weapons.

The 25 September-October 9 barrage were a response to the US deploying its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan to waters around the Korean peninsula, and holding joint drills with Seoul and Tokyo.

The acceleration marks a significant change from when Pyongyang pursued denuclearisation talks with then US President Donald Trump between 2018 and 2019.

Analysts say North Korea is also reacting in response to South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was elected in May and has pursued a more hawkish stance to the North and closer ties with the US.

North Korea's recent launches
A young Grand Prairie man who killed another man during a fight that started over a water bottle in 2018 has been sentenced to five years in prison.

In an agreement reached with prosecutors, Darian Watts, 23, pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter in the death of Drew Jones, 25, at an Arlington apartment complex.

Watts was indicted on a murder charge in 2018 but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge on Sept. 29.

I mean five years for a life, said Jill Thompson of Fort Worth, Jones mother, in an email to the Star-Telegram. If he was so innocent, why did he run?

Drew Jones of Arlington was stabbed to death in April 2018 during a fight that started over a water bottle. A Grand Prairie man has been sentenced to five years in prison in the case.

A kicked-over water bottle led to a fight that ended with Jones death in April 2018, according to Arlington police.

Police officers responded to a disturbance call in the 1700 block of West Randol Mill Road. When officers arrived, they saw Jones lying in the parking lot with a stab wound, police said. He was taken a hospital, where he was pronounced dead the next day.

Thompson said her son moved to Texas in 2012 to be near his family. He had been living with his father in Illinois. The family lived in Fort Worth and Bedford and finally settled in Arlington. Drew Jones had four brothers and a sister at the time.

This group of people called Drew names, Thompson said in a 2019 telephone interview with the Star-Telegram. They wanted to fight, but Drew didnt do anything.

On that night in April 2018, Drew Jones and his brother went to the apartment complex on West Randol Mill Road to visit friends. The other group of people were there.

He (Drew) accidentally knocked over a water bottle and one guy yelled at him, Thompson said. A girl pushed Drew and then Drew starts getting punched by a person behind the girl.

Thompson said she knows this happened because her other son witnessed the attack.

At some point, Thompson said, her son was stabbed in his left chest, but continued to fight another man in the attack.

Everyone scattered when police arrived

At Watts sentencing last month, Jones sister gave the impact statement.

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As I walked in the courtroom, it was so overwhelming, Jill Thompson said. I was sobbing and they had to get me water and I started hyperventilating.

Thompson noted that Watts remained a problem to law enforcement even after the 2018 killing of her son.

Since his arrest in the Arlington homicide, Watts has violated the terms of his release on bond and has been arrested in two other crimes in Denton County, according to court records.

In 2020, Watts was arrested and accused of being one of two robbers who broke into a Denton apartment, stealing electronics and credit cards.

Watts faces charges of aggravated robbery and burglary in Denton County, according to criminal court records.
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and his associates went to trial last week in Washingtons federal district court in one of the highest profile cases to emerge from the fallout of Jan. 6.

Rhodes, 56, a former Army paratrooper who founded the far-right extremist group in 2009, and four of his colleagues are charged with seditious conspiracy for alleged efforts last year to prevent a peaceful transition of the presidency.

Nearly 900 people involved in the events on Jan. 6 have been charged thus far, according to the Justice Department.

Based on its membership info, over half of the Oath Keepers, including Rhodes and some of those on trial with him, have prior military experience, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

A recent report by the Anti-Defamation League identified 117 active-duty troops who belong to the far-right militia group. Other members include reservists and military contractors.

Military personnel among names in leaked Oath Keepers membership list

Rhodes was honorably separated from the Army after serving two years and seven months on active duty, leaving at the rank of specialist with a temporary physical disability, according to Military.com.

Those on trial with Rhodes include:

Kelly Meggs, 53, the leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers.

Kenneth Harrelson, 41, another Florida Oath Keeper and former Army sergeant.

Thomas Caldwell, 68, a retired U.S. Navy intelligence officer from Virginia. Caldwells attorney says his client is not a formal member of the Oath Keepers.

Jessica Watkins, 39, an Army veteran who led an Ohio militia group.

Each defendant has pleaded not guilty since being indicted by the Justice Department in January. The each face a maximum of 20 years in prison.

During opening statements last week before Judge Amit P. Mehta, federal prosecutor Jeffrey Nestler said the Oath Keepers tried to stop by whatever means necessary the lawful transfer of presidential power, including by taking up arms against the U.S. government.

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Nestler added that the group abused the possibility that Trump may invoke the Insurrection Act  a law that allows the president to deploy military force domestically to stop rebellions  as legal cover to ensure they could keep Trump in power by force.

Stewart Rhodes meant no harm to the Capitol that day, Rhodes attorney Phillip Linder responded in his opening statement, according to The Associated Press. Stewart Rhodes did not have any violent intent that day. The story the government is trying to tell you today is completely wrong.

Linder later described how the Justice Department would attempt to show that Rhodes, on a call with an intermediary, requested to speak with Trump in order to get him to call upon the group.

That call doesnt exist, Linder stated. Attorneys for Caldwell and Watkins also presented opening statements.

FBI special agent Michael Palian, who testified as the prosecutions first witness, described many of the events on Jan. 6 he personally witnessed. Palian painted a picture using Rhodes text messages that suggested the Oath Keepers began plotting for Jan. 6 immediately after the 2020 election.

Palians testimony, which continued later in the week, also included a description of the weapons the Oath Keepers were allegedly planning to bring on Jan. 6, according to Reuters.

The prosecution later played an audio recording of an alleged 2020 Oath Keepers meeting, according to CNN.

Were not getting out of this without a fight. Theres going to be a fight, Rhodes allegedly says in the recording. But lets just do it smart and lets do it while President Trump is still commander in chief.

The defense pushed back, arguing the recording is actually in reference to a march that some of the defendants attended in Washington in Nov. 2020.

Three men formerly involved with the Oath Keepers, including Marine Corps veteran Abdullah Rasheed, also took the stand, according to The New York Times. Rasheed told the jury that he was responsible for recording the meeting. Additional witnesses included Capitol Police Special Agent Ryan McCamley.

Oath Keeper, an Army veteran, charged in Capitol riot renounces militia group

According to the Post, three Oath Keepers have already pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy. Four others, meanwhile, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct the confirmation of the presidential vote.

Four other Oath Keepers are also set to stand trial next month, according to the Post, including Joseph Hackett, Roberto Minuta, David Moerschel and Army veteran Edward Vallejo.

The Oath Keepers trial is slated to continue this week.

In the same federal district court in Washington, another trial involving a far-right militia groups Jan. 6 involvement will soon be heard. Last week, Jeremy Bertino, a former leader of the Proud Boys, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy as part of the Capitol breach.

He is expected to appear in court in December.
Former President Obama announced on Monday that his foundation will host a two-day Democracy Forum next month in New York.

The events first day will include a mainstage lineup of pro-democracy activists from across the globe, including the former president, which will be followed by a day of smaller cohort meetings among Obama Foundation leaders.

The foundation will host the event in partnership with Columbia University and the University of Chicago on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18.

At a time when democracy is under threat around the world, what gives me hope is the potential of the next generation of leaders, Obama wrote on Twitter. I couldnt be more excited to announce the @ObamaFoundations global convening focused on the ideas that are essential to our democracy.

Obama said the forum will explore issues such as strengthening democratic institutions, fighting disinformation and promoting inclusive capitalism.

We hope this event gives everyone who believes in democracy the confidence that they can help make it stronger, he wrote in a note to supporters. Because if we want democracy to flourish, we will have to fight for it, we will have to nurture it, and we will have to demonstrate its value, again and again.

The event will come days after the midterm elections, where Democrats are defending razor-thin margins in both chambers of Congress.

Some Republican candidates have made election integrity a cornerstone of their campaign platforms after former President Trump claimed without evidence that he lost the 2020 presidential election because of mass electoral fraud.

A new Axios-Ipsos poll released on Monday found that a substantial minority of Americans from both parties feel that if their party does not take control of Congress in next months elections, it is likely because of election fraud.

That belief was more prevalent among Republicans  at 39 percent  than Democrats  25 percent  according to the poll. About twice as many Republicans as Democrats feel it is highly likely that this could be the case.

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The Obamas since leaving office have latched onto pro-democracy causes.

Michelle Obama in 2018 founded a nonpartisan organization, called When We All Vote, that aims to increase voter participation.

The former president, meanwhile, has in particular taken aim at threats posed by disinformation, one of multiple topics expected to dominate at his foundations newly announced event.

What does still nag at me, though, was my failure to fully appreciate at the time just how susceptible we had become to lies and conspiracy theories, despite having spent years being a target of disinformation myself, he said during a speech in April.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Officials are asking people not to swim or touch the water in one part of Lake Norman in Denver.

In a news release, Lincoln County Health Director Lena Jones issued a Swimming Advisory at 11 p.m. Sunday for a sewage spill at Rivendell Lane. According to the director, about 900 gallons of untreated sewage may have leaked into Lake Norman behind Blue Dory Lane.

ALSO READ: Body recovered after person reportedly jumped off dock in Lake Norman, police say

Jones said the spill happened after a sewer force main break. She added the flow has been stopped and officials have started testing the discharge site.

Residents and boaters in the area may be contaminated with fecal coliform, Jones said, and they are cautioned against swimming or touching the water as a precautionary measure.

The county posted No Swimming Advisory signs and sent a message to the properties affected.

Officials are taking water samples and said they will notify the public when residents can resume regular lake activities.

(WATCH BELOW: Retired NYPD officer helps rescue driver after car plunges into Lake Norman, officials say)
Ohio Senate candidates Tim Ryan (D) and J.D. Vance (R) are set to face off in a televised debate on Monday as polls show an increasingly narrow race in a state that has been considered reliably red in recent years.

While Republicans were seen as having the advantage in Ohio, a number of recent polls show Ryan, a 10-term U.S. representative, closing the gap with Vance, a venture capitalist and author of Hillbilly Elegy. A Marist Poll released on Wednesday showed Vance leading Ryan 46 percent to 45 percent, while a Spectrum News-Sienna College survey released last week showed Ryan leading Vance 46 to 43 percent.

With the race tight and just a month until Election Day, Mondays debate will be an opportunity for both candidates to stand out  or land a lasting blow.

The race has also received notable attention from outside groups from both sides of the aisle. On Thursday, the Trump-sanctioned super PAC MAGA Inc. placed $276,000 in broadcast television reservations in the Columbus and Cleveland media markets, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, Additionally, the Senate Leadership Fund, a group aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) bought $28 million worth of airtime beginning last month, spanning from September 6 to Election Day.

On the Democratic side, Ryan has flexed his fundraising and spending muscle throughout the course of the campaign. Ryans campaign announced on Thursday that it raised a whopping $17.2 million in the third quarter, largely from small donors. The Democrats campaign did not say how much money he had in the bank, but his most recent federal filing from July showed him with just under $3.6 million on hand, suggesting a high burn rate.

The race for the Buckeye States Senate seat on Capitol Hill was always going to be a steep climb for Democrats given the states Republican tilt. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as lean Republican. Former President Trump handily won the state by 8 points in 2016 and 2020.

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Democrats say they are cautiously optimistic about the race, crediting what they say is Ryans brand and well-run campaign.

To me, its more complicated than Trump won by 8 points, so therefore J.D. Vance is going to win, said Aaron Pickrell, a Columbus-based Democratic strategist.

Having been a congressman from Youngstown, Mahoning Valley, hes represented folks that were sort of that Obama-Trump voter, Pickrell added. Tim knows those folks, its the voters that hes represented for years and he knows how to communicate with them.

Democrats also say Vance is a flawed candidate.

He comes across as somebody thats very ambitious and wants to do something and will say and do whatever he needs to in order to be successful and voters see that, Pickrell said.

Even Republicans credit Ryan with having narrowed the gap between him and Vance.

As a former operative, hes run a very good campaign. His ads have been very good, said one Ohio-based GOP strategist referring to Ryan.

I know the ads are full of shit, but hes doing what he needs to do and hes done that from the day after the primary. And thats why hes overperforming expectations, the strategist added.

However, outside groups like the Senate Leadership Fund have come to Vances aid, helping to hit back against Ryan. And GOP strategists said Vance is now on the right track and expect him to pull further ahead in the coming weeks.

Hes a first-time candidate, so theres a learning curve, but I think hes righted the ship, said the Ohio-based Republican strategist, referring to Vance.

I think hes doing what he needs to do to win, the GOP strategist said.

Another strategists pointed to the primaries to explain Vances relatively slow start.

Vance won a very bruising primary and struggled in some ways to find his footing after that, the Republican operative said. Ryan had the summer airwaves almost exclusively to himself.

Much of the campaign has been defined by Ryan and Vance working to paint the other as out of touch with Ohio.

Last month, Ryans campaign rolled out a six-figure ad buy on Facebook and Instagram referring to Vance as a Silicon Valley J.D. going up against Politician J.D. Just days later, the Vance campaign rolled out an item titled Two Tims, juxtaposing what it called TV Tim and DC Tim.

Ryan, who represents constituents who voted for Trump, has long walked a line between Washingtons Democratic establishment and appealing to economic populists. Ryan, much like Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohios only statewide election Democrat, has been critical of jobs being shipped overseas to China from parts of the country like the industrial Midwest.

Republicans say they are zeroing in on debunking that narrative about the Ohio congressman.

Hes clearly tried to paint a picture of himself as nonpartisan, certainly not a member of the rank-and-file Democratic Party, and our efforts have largely been to counteract that and demonstrate to voters that he has voted for all of these things that they hate, said the Republican operative.

The Vance campaign also indicated it would focus in on that point Monday.

The upcoming debates will force Tim Ryan to answer for the two faced persona he has been using to trick Ohio voters his entire campaign, Luke Schroeder, Vance campaign spokesman, said.

However, Democrats are using a similar strategy with Vance, seeking to paint him as a political opportunist and hypocrite.

[Voters] see someone portraying themselves in a way that may not be exactly accurate, Pickrell said. Vance is trying to be this sort of everyman like Im off doing these things, and hes not. Voters see through this facade that hes been putting on.

A person close to the Ryan campaign agreed, saying People have a lot of intensity positively towards Tim and a lot more negative intensity toward J.D., which makes it a lot harder to sway those folks.

The line of insults between the two candidates is likely to take center stage in Mondays debate. Republicans say Vance will likely work to tie Ryan to the Biden administration and rising gas prices while Ryan will portray Vance as someone who is out of touch on major issues like abortion access in the state.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen how much the Monday night forum will move the needle in the contest.

In my experience these debates like a US Senate race, governors race, congressional debates, its a very small echo chamber that it affects and those people already know who theyre voting for, the Ohio-based GOP strategist said.

I think probably J.D. wants to have a nice boring debate, the strategist added. Tim wants to have a back and-forth.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

During the height of the pandemic, 4 in 10 Americans misled others about their COVID-19 status or their adherence to public health measures designed to prevent the spread of the virus, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the Chicago-based American Medical Association.

Researchers found that about 42% of adults admitted they had engaged in some form of misrepresentation related to having COVID-19, vaccination or compliance with pandemic protocols. The results were based on a survey of more than 1,700 adults nationwide conducted in December 2021  a time when coronavirus cases were surging across the country, including in the Chicago area.

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These data point out to us that a strategy that relies on people admitting to having symptoms or the actual diagnosis may not be the best strategy in future pandemics, said Angela Fagerlin, senior author of the study and the chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences at University of Utah Health. The data suggest many people will be dishonest for a variety of different reasons.

She added that researchers were a bit surprised by the level of reported misrepresentation given the gravity of the situation.

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More than 6.5 million deaths worldwide and a little over a million in the United States have been attributed to the virus. About 3.77 million people in Illinois have been infected with COVID-19, resulting in more than 35,000 confirmed deaths.

In the study, around 18% of those surveyed reported that at some point during the pandemic they thought or knew they had COVID-19 but failed to mention that to another individual they were with or about to be with in person. More than 24% reported telling an in-person contact that they were taking more COVID-19 precautions than they actually were.

About 20% of those polled did not mention having the virus or thinking they might have the virus when screened to enter a health care office.

Researchers noted that many of these misrepresentations may have put others at risk of COVID-19.

For example, the study said, a person who does not disclose they think or know they have COVID-19 when entering a clinicians office endangers clinicians, office staff, and other patients who might be at risk of severe outcomes from the disease.

About 21% of respondents said they had avoided getting tested for COVID-19 when they thought they might have been infected. Around 8% told someone they were vaccinated when they were not. Nearly 23% reported having broken quarantine rules; 15% said they had told another individual that they did not need to quarantine even though they were supposed to, according to public health guidelines.

Public health measures have the potential to dramatically reduce the spread and impact of the disease, but their success depends on the publics willingness to be honest about and adherent to these measures, the study said.

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Researchers noted that complying with these protocols can sometimes be psychologically, financially and physically challenging.

Given the difficulty and costs associated with many public health measures, members of the public may exercise dishonesty and nonadherence regarding these measures, the study said. For example, people may withhold information about having COVID-19 during a health screening to allow them to attend their health care appointment or continue going to work. Reporting being vaccinated when one is not would allow a person to participate in an event restricted to those who are vaccinated or to avoid judgment from vaccinated friends.

Survey respondents listed many explanations for their health and safety misrepresentations. Some said they wanted to feel normal again or return to life before the pandemic. Some said they wanted to exercise their freedom or answered that its no one elses business.

Many of those polled said they were following the advice of a trusted public figure, such as a politician or celebrity. Others said they didnt believe COVID-19 was real, they couldnt miss work, they didnt feel very sick, or that quarantine rules were confusing, among other reasons cited.

In terms of demographics, respondents under the age of 60 and those who reported a greater distrust of science were more likely to have engaged in COVID-19 misrepresentation, according to the research. But the study found no link between deceptive behavior during the pandemic and the political beliefs or religion of those polled.

When people are dishonest about their COVID-19 status or what precautions they are taking, it can increase the spread of disease in their community, Andrea Gurmankin Levy, co-lead author of the study and professor of social sciences at Middlesex Community College in Connecticut, said in a written statement. For some people, particularly before we had COVID vaccines, that can mean death.

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Its possible the survey undercounted misrepresentation and dishonesty during the pandemic, and its prevalence was actually higher: The study took into account the possibility that participants may have been dishonest in their survey responses. But researchers conjectured that those surveyed would be more likely to provide answers that were more socially desirable thereby likely making our results an underestimate of how commonly people misrepresent or are nonadherent in this setting, according to the study.

Craig Klugman, professor of bioethics at DePaul University, said that from an ethical standpoint, lying is almost always wrong.

But he called dishonesty regarding an individuals COVID-19 status or prevention measures particularly egregious, because its lying that could have deadly effects on other people.

Its likely that some of this lying resulted in deaths, said Klugman, who was not involved in the study. Well never know.

eleventis@chicagotribune.com
Police in southwest Florida arrested a Central Florida man whom they said pretended to be a licensed contractor.

Venice police and code enforcement investigators said Eric Ziko, 36, of Ocoee, falsely claimed to be a licensed roofer.

READ: Orlando chiropractor accused of sexually battering patient

They said Ziko made a contractual agreement for $47,000 to replace a roof on a mobile home in Venice.

Police said the elderly victim paid half that amount upfront as a deposit.

Investigators said they are trying to recover that money.

READ: Police investigating after man found dead near downtown Orlando

On the heels of Hurricane Ian, the Venice Police Department announced on social media that it has been working nonstop to combat bad actors with intentions of taking advantage of the good people of Venice.

READ: Jump at the pump: Prices spike amid Floridas gas tax holiday

Venice police are asking anyone who entered into a contract with E and Z US Roofing to take quick action to protect themselves, and urge them to contact local law enforcement immediately.

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.
Paris Hilton has hilariously responded after a TikToker revealed that he once robbed her of a pair of Christian Dior sunglasses.

Greg, who goes by the username @asapscience on the platform, shared the admission in a video posted last week while attempting the Super Freaky Girl trend, which sees TikTok users tell stories to the instrumental of the Nicki Minaj track.

In his story, Greg revealed that he once robbed Paris Hilton outside of a club in Toronto, before joking that he hopes the heiress never sees his video because he could go to jail.

It was 2007, I was at an MIA concert, the musician. It was great, I was drinking and I left the concert and then a big black car pulled up and all these people screamed and Paris Hilton got out, Greg recalled, before noting that he actually took a photo with Hilton at the time.

According to Greg, after Hiltons arrival, everyone went inside, at which point he and his friend decided to open the door to the car that the 41 year old had arrived in. There was no one in the car, so we just got in the car, he continued.

While in Hiltons car, the pair found the script for House of Wax, with Greg recalling that he and his friend were laughing and screaming.

However, according to Gregs story, his friend then yelled run, which he thought meant the police were coming.

So we ran, but my friend was actually screaming with joy because shed stolen her Christian Dior sunglasses, Greg continued. Sorry Paris. So we have Christian Dior sunglasses that are Paris Hiltons.

We share them in a sisterhood of the travelling Paris Hilton sunglasses, he concluded while referencing the film the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. So, yes, I robbed Paris Hilton, I hope thats okay. And please dont put me in jail, youre rich.

The video, which was viewed more than 2.6m times, attracted the attention of Hilton herself, who responded to the confession with a video of her own.

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In her stitched response, Hilton could be seen standing in her closet in a pink tracksuit and pink heart sunglasses as she listened to Gregs story and mouthed: What?

However, Hilton did not appear disturbed by the robbery, as she danced to the music and smiled as Greg recounted the incident, with the DJ only slightly shocked when Greg reached the part about the possible police response.

But rather than become upset over the realisation she was robbed of her sunglasses, Hilton actually laughed as Greg continued. As for whether she planned to put Greg in jail, Hilton shook her head no.

In the caption of Hiltons video, which has been viewed more than 24.8m times, she wrote: LOL! Can you please do a reveal of the sisterhood of the travelling Paris Hilton sunglasses?

In response to her video, fans praised Hilton for her humble reaction to Gregs confession.

I love your reaction to the video! Stay humble Paris! one person commented, while another said: This is so iconic lmao.

Aw I love this reaction, someone else wrote.

The video also prompted a response from Greg, who apologised in the comments and offered to give the sunglasses back.

IM SO SORRY PARIS!!! We can give them back to you!!!! WE HAVE THEM STILL LOLOLOL, youre the sweetest!!!! the TikToker wrote, to which Hilton replied: I forgive you and you can keep them! Im not going to ruin your tradition of the sisterhood of the traveling Paris Hilton sunglasses.

In a follow-up video, in which he could be seen wearing the Dior sunglasses, Greg reacted to Hiltons response, with the TikToker again apologising for robbing the heiress.

Greg then showed off the sunglasses in question, before jokingly asking Hilton if she wanted to join the sisterhood of the travelling sunglasses.

I will happily give them back to you as long as you give them back to me, he joked. Kidding. No, you can have them back, they are yours, I did break into your car and steal them from you. Again, I am so sorry.

Greg then proceeded to thank Hilton for being such a good sport, before questioning whether the oversized black sunglasses are still in style. Fashionably, is this back? You tell me, fashion icon, he continued.

In the video, Greg then revealed that he planned to wear the sunglasses this weekend in honour of Hilton not taking [him] to literal court.

Hilton responded to the video with another of her own, in which she watched Gregs TikTok while standing in a closet full of sunglasses and wearing what appeared to be another pair of Dior sunglasses.

As for whether the sunglass style is back, Hilton mouthed yes in response to Gregs inquiry.

In the caption of the video, Hilton revealed that she remembers the glasses in question. Omg, I remember these sunglasses. They look hot on you so you can keep them! PS: They NEVER went out of style, she wrote.

The generous response prompted renewed praise from Hiltons fans and followers, including Julia Fox, who wrote: I love you.

This is like the most wholesome petty larceny story ever! another person said, while someone else added: Paris is a queen for this.
By Elvira Pollina

MILAN (Reuters) -Italian state lender CDP and its partners have asked for more time to clinch a deal to buy Telecom Italia's (TIM) network assets, TIM said on Monday, further delaying a project to create a unified broadband champion.

CDP's multi-billion bid is part of a long-held plan to combine TIM's fixed network assets with those of state-backed rival Open Fiber to create a single national network operator under CDP control.

The potential network sale is also a key plank of the strategy set out by TIM Chief Executive Pietro Labriola to turn around the debt-laden former phone monopoly, whose stock is trading at record lows.

Under a preliminary agreement sealed in May and sponsored by Italy's outgoing government, CDP and TIM had aimed for a binding deal by the end of October.

CDP, which holds a 10% stake in TIM, controls Open Fiber.

The agreement was signed also by infrastructure funds Macquarie and KKR, which hold minority stakes in Open Fiber and TIM's last-mile network respectively.

But the initial timeline for a non-binding bid has been subject to multiple delays and negotiations have been further complicated by Italy's national snap election last month.

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CDP, Macquarie and Open Fiber's request for more time to clinch a deal came in light of "the magnitude of the transaction and ... to analyse all the information received from TIM," Telecom Italia said in a statement on Monday.

KKR plans to remain aligned with TIM in the discussions, TIM said, adding the parties will meet this week.

Valuation issues have been a central part of negotiations.

TIM's top investor Vivendi is looking for a price tag of 31 billion euros ($30.13 billion) to back a sale of the grid with the prospect of a merger with Open Fiber, a source familiar with the French media group had said.

CDP values Telecom Italia's landline grid in the region of 20 billion euros including debt, sources had previously said. Other sources pointed to a valuation range of 15-18 billion euros.

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Political uncertainty further complicated matters. Nationalist party Brothers of Italy, which led the right-wing bloc that won the Sept. 25 election, backs the creation of a unified network champion.

However, a party official has called on CDP to pursue the plan by taking over TIM, a move he argues would be cheaper for the state lender and offer more protection to TIM's domestic workforce of more than 40,000.

Giorgia Meloni, the head of Brothers of Italy likely to become prime minister this month, has declined to give a specific view on CDP's existing plans before taking office.

"Any move on the single network plan has been frozen in wait for the new government," a person familiar with the matter said.

($1 = 1.0290 euros)

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina; editing by Agnieszka Flak, Keith Weir and Richard Chang)
Few complained when the Pasco County school district and its employee union agreed in August to the largest raises they had seen in years.

Employees would see average pay bumps around 5.4%, with several workers in line for much larger increases than that. The deal was one of the best in Florida, with a promise of more to come thanks to a newly passed property tax referendum that kicks in next year.

Then, the checks with the increases started showing up in employees accounts. And they saw that, after taxes and other deductions, the amount wasnt as helpful as they had hoped it would be with inflation.

Words like slap in the face and how do we fight this? began popping up in social media conversations among workers and their friends. Some said increased health insurance premiums for district employees had negated the pay bump.

Teachers and staff are actually worse off than they were 5 years ago, social studies teacher John Tisi said in a Facebook comment.

Assistant superintendent for administration Kevin Shibley noted that the district kicked in an extra $31.66 monthly toward health insurance premiums. At the same time, he acknowledged the cost for anyone taking more than the basic HMO program went up more.

Employees using the HMO premium plan for themselves would pay $35.25 more biweekly, while workers who take the PPO plan for their spouse and children would pay an added $103.22 per paycheck. The increases varied by chosen plan, number of covered family members and frequency of pay.

Shibley explained that the prices rose for the buy up plans because thats where most of the claims have come in, and where the districts health insurance deficit was mounting.

Back in March, district officials alerted the board that its self-insured policy was running millions of dollars in the red, in large part because of coronavirus-related illnesses. Average claims increased by 6% in the past year, and 15% the year before that, according to the district.

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After additional review with an actuary, they projected a $10.6 million deficit for fiscal 2023 if nothing changed.

The districts claims reserve would not be capable of absorbing this type of loss, and it is critical that the insurance program be financially stable and capable of covering its annual expenses with available recurring annual revenue, Shibley said.

Federal pandemic relief funds helped offset some of the past expenses, but that money is not expected to be available again.

They warned the board that steps needed to be taken to balance the budget, and those might include targeted premium increases. And thats what happened.

The districts insurance committee recommended redesigning the plan by reducing expected future claims by $3.9 million, increasing the board contributions by $3.6 million and increasing buy-ups for the non-basic plan to generate $3.1 million.

We had to adjust, said United School Employees of Pasco president Don Peace, who sits on the committee. We did not feel it was fair to penalize the free plan that wasnt causing the overruns.

If youre costing us more, you should have to pay a little more, Peace said.

He contended that the offers to employees were generous, given the limits placed on district funding and the reality of the rising cost of living. He noted that Pascos health insurance premium increases were less than in other districts, and argued that the district is holding the line as best as it can.

Maybe it will be a one-year blip because of COVID, he said. Hopefully we can adjust it back down next year.

School Board member Alison Crumbley said she would consider that option, if its possible. She, like her board colleagues, hadnt heard much from staff about these financial concerns, but said she wasnt surprised.

The cost of life is going up, Crumbley said, mentioning the higher price tags for milk, eggs and gas as other examples that people face daily.

She said the board has discussed the need to improve its salary schedule, particularly to fix the compression that has occurred among new and more veteran employees. It also has made clear its desire to further improve pay for all employees, she added.

At least we went in the right direction, Crumbley said, referring to the raise agreement, which still must be ratified. But am I satisfied? No.

  

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Every Thursday, get the latest updates on whats happening in Tampa Bay area schools from Times education reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek. Click here to sign up.
Director Natesh Hegde and producer Rishab Shetty, whose Pedro was in the New Currents competition at the Busan International Film Festival in 2021, are at this years Asian Project Market with Vaghachipani (Tigers Pond).

Pedro won best director for Hegde at Pingyao, best film at the Nantes Three Continents Festival, and had a stellar festival run including the BFI London Film Festival, Golden Horse and IndieLisboa.

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Set in a sleepy hamlet, Tigers Pond will follow an under-aged shepherdess who is discovered to be pregnant. Her employer, who is hellbent on becoming the chair of the village council, makes every effort to cover it up.

From my childhood I have been seeing mentally challenged people coming to our small town out of nowhere. They used to stay in bus stops or some other shed and after few months they disappear again. I always used to wonder what they feel or experience being in that state, Hegde told Variety. I read a short story by Kannada writer Amaresh Nugadoni and I liked it. It was about a mentally challenged girl and about a village, set in north Karnataka. It stayed with me for the past three years. I added a lot more to that keeping the spirit of the story intact.

This story deals with basic human nature, its about greed and brutality  so I genuinely have an urge to make this film. I cannot tell a story neglecting the social dynamics, adds Hegde. It can also be seen as companion piece to Pedro. Both the stories have a quality of interiority.

Hegde grew up in a rural part of the South Indian state of Karnataka, home to the Kannada-language film industry, and he remains based there. With Pedro and now with Tigers Pond, he is emerging as a chronicler of rural India. I only know that life, so organically that is reflected in my films, says Hedge.

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Pedro and Tigers Pond are produced by actor-writer-producer-director Rishab Shetty, a huge star of Kannada cinema whose credits include Kirik Party and Kantara, which is currently on release.

 Pedro and Tigers Pond both had a haunting story that is the starting point for me. Though we both practice different kind of films, me and Natesh always believed that all films should coexist. To an extent my visibility adds to the film to increase the potential audience. More than that I love to be associated with meaningful films in any way possible, Shetty told Variety.

 Tigers Pond is very rooted in the region where it is set, the place plays a crucial role. It has very fascinating characters whose lives are intertwined in a very dramatic manner. Im very curious to see how this world shapes up, Shetty adds.

The project, which aims to commence principal photography this winter, has $280,000 of its $520,000 budget in place. The quest at Busan is to find international coproducers and sales agents and utilize the global acclaim that Pedro generated.

Meanwhile, Hegde has made the aesthetic choice of opting to shoot Tigers Pond on 16mm rather than digital.

Its true that digital cameras democratized the cinema medium. But I really do not like crisp and flashy digital images much, says Hegde. Also, I would like to practice cinema with precision. Overall footage for Pedro was five hours from which we got a 1 hour 49 minute film, so with this shooting ratio film stock wont be that expensive. The texture 16mm gives is crucial for us.

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Click here to read the full article.
The creator of the DC Comics series Pennyworth has revealed the reason behind the widely ridiculed title change.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the series would be retitled Pennyworth: The Origin of Batmans Butler for its third season, prompting a wave of derision on social media.

Speaking at New Yorks Comic Con, series creator Bruno Heller outlined the thinking behind the change.

HBO Max did their research, and they discovered a fair few people who had watched and enjoyed the first few seasons of Pennyworth, but had not realised it was about Batman, he told EW.

They just thought it was about a bloke who left the army.

He went on to describe this lack of context as a bit of an error, in terms of our conceptualisation.

It became clear that [changing the name] was just a sensible, matter-of-fact thing to do, Heller continued. We came up with a thousand versions of that: The Journey of Batmans Mentor, The Life of Batmans Guardian. But the simplest thing is best.

When the new title was first announced, fans piled in with mockery on Twitter.

Pennyworth focuses on Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Waynes faithful manservant (Epix Television)

That is the funniest title Ive ever heard good job, wrote one person.

Its hilarious that WB has concocted this preposterous title to highlight who the hell Pennyworth is in reference to when they couldve just called this show Alfred, another suggested.

Pennyworth returns to HBO Max in the US this month. In the UK, the series airs on StarzPlay.
A fire after Russian missiles hit central Kyiv on October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichCars burn after Russian military strike, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in central Kyiv, Ukraine October 10, 2022.

Kyiv went months without missile strikes, and people rebuilt a little despite war with Russia.

But strikes on Monday killed at least five people and forced the city back into bomb shelters.

Four people in Kyiv described to Insider a mixture of dismay and determination after the blasts.

Russia hit Ukraine's capital with missiles on Monday morning for the first time in months, immediately bringing home a war that had felt increasingly distant.

At least five people died in Kyiv when a series of blasts rocked the city, and thousands more retreated into bomb shelters.

It was a grim wartime scene which had started to recede after Ukraine pushed Russia's army back from Kyiv in the early weeks of the war.

Even as brutal fighting continued in eastern Ukraine, in Kyiv people once more went to bars, restaurants and beaches in a relatively peaceful summer.

There were raves again and diplomats and world leaders made a show of physically coming to Kyiv, embracing a sense of security that was badly shaken on Monday.

Cars burn after Russian a military strike in central Kyiv on October 10, 2022 REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Polina Tereshchenko, 25, told Insider she only moved to Kyiv a month ago from the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hoping to leave behind the "daily shelling" there.

She said life in Kyiv was closer to normal. It meant working, after not being able to for seven months.

"A month ago I went to the cinema for the first time since February 24," she said referring to the date Russia began its full-scale invasion. "I cried."

Monday's missiles hit when she was at home, getting ready for work. At first she was unfazed after the fighting in Kharkiv, but she decided to shelter as bombing continued.

She said after calling her family she "finally went to an underground parking with my cat and laptop. By that time it was crowded with my neighbours, their children and pets."

A photo Polina Tereshchenko said she took of smoke from the strikes as she went to the shelter. Polina Tereshchenko

She said she tried to stay calm, panicking when she briefly lost her phone signal while hearing explosions underground.

"They didn't stop during several hours. You try to control your emotions, but still you feel nervous."

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She said she had "tears in my eyes" looking at children there. "They don't deserve to spend their childhood in the shelter because of shelling all over the country."

Left central Kyiv

Two women spoke to Insider on condition of anonymity, asking not to be named for fear of eventual retaliation by Russia.

The first told Insider she was in her office in central Kyiv on Monday when the missiles struck.

The woman uses a wheelchair, which means she can't access bomb shelters, she said. So instead she went home.

She said people in Kyiv got "normal life" for a few months, which ended with the shock of Monday's attack.

She said she, like many Ukrainians, lost interest in things like shopping or the cinema, but she met with friends in the park or worked to make herself feel better.

But when the bombs hit she went back to her home in Bucha  the Kyiv satellite town where hundreds of civilian bodies and evidence of torture and war crimes were found when Russia left.

She said she will now limit how often she goes to the city, fearing repeat attacks.

The second woman said she was woken up by explosions, and fled with family to her sister's home further from the center.

"While I was running, I turned my head back and saw a rocket flying above me."

She said she left Kyiv earlier in the war, but came back in April when it seemed safer. Now, she is unsure when she will return to her own home.

She said the attacks show the West needs give Ukraine more weapons, "so that we can defend ourselves and fewer people die," echoing a common request from Ukrainian government officials.

Trying to live regular lives

Tereshchenko said moving to Kyiv meant se could "try to pretend I have a normal life," despite the reminders of war and worry for her family in Kharkiv.

The strikes, she said, were a brutal reminder that "You feel you can't be safe in any city until the war is over."

She said the war had also motivated her and others to enjoy life as fully as they can between attacks.

"Before this war I didn't understand people who were going to restaurants and drinking champagne during World War II. Now I get it.

"People just want to enjoy every second they have, especially when they are not sure about tomorrow."

Liubov Tsybulska, the founder of Ukraine's Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security, told Insider she was woken up by the strikes, and waited them out in her apartment building corridor.

She said she saw this morning that people are trying to go back to their new normal: "Everybody's doing what they can, people are going to work. Once they got this opportunity, they went to coffee shops to buy coffee."

She said she took this picture minutes after sirens stopped:

A photo that Liubov Tsybulska said she took of people in a Kyiv on cafe just minutes after air raid sirens stopped on Monday. Liubov Tsybulska

She said people in Kyiv had become "much more resilient" than when the war started, and life had changed.

"Everybody is reading what to do in case of nuclear attack ... people are much more resilient, we know that there is no way back. We cannot lose this war."

Read the original article on Business Insider
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -A Pfizer executive with a lead role in negotiating a COVID-19 vaccine bulk supply agreement with the European Commission "categorically" ruled out that the U.S. drugmaker's chief executive agreed the contract via mobile phone text messages.

"As to whether a contract negotiation such as this contract which you referred to, 1.8 billion doses, was negotiated through an SMS, I can categorically tell you that would not be the case," Janine Small, president of international developed markets at Pfizer, told the European Parliament's special committee on COVID-19 on Monday.

She added that such talks involve far too many people on both sides and take far too long to be conducted via mobile phone texts.

"I know that because I was involved in all the negotiations and discussions from the very start in 2020," Small said.

In an interview with the New York Times in April 2021, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen revealed she had exchanged texts with Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla for a month while the contract was under negotiation, prompting calls to publish the exchange.

The Commission said in June this year that it no longer had the texts, which later drew criticism from the European Union's ombudswoman.

The contract signed last year was the biggest ever sealed for COVID-19 vaccines, with the EU committing to buy 900 million Pfizer-BioNTech shots, with an option to buy another 900 million.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Jan Harvey and Susan Fenton)
The menu at Habrae in Forest Park includes red curry with fish balls. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

When a Thai cafe opened last summer near Chicago, the owners didnt expect people to start asking for food. Habrae was just supposed to be a dessert shop, they said. But the delicate sweets offered a glimpse of something more.

Some people asked for pad thai or pad see ew, said Jumpol Prasitporn, manager of the restaurant he owns his wife, chef Ussanee Sanmuesngchin. But there is a lot of Thai food that she would like to present. Hard-to-find food, for someone whos visited Thailand or lived there. To help them find comfort.

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Thai desserts are where Sanmuesngchin herself first found comfort, including charcoal pudding.

The story of the charcoal dessert in Thailand goes back hundreds of years, Prasitporn said. They used to burn the coconut shell.

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The chef uses a modern food-grade charcoal, lending more dramatic color than flavor to silky cups she finishes with a light layer of coconut cream.

Its not too sweet, one of the highest compliments many Asians believe they can give dessert.

The roasted tuna sticky rice is surprisingly a traditional dessert deserving of that praise. This rarely seen cousin to mango sticky rice replaces the fruit, which the cafe wont serve out of season. The fish is transformed to feathery floss, like Chinese rousong.

You have sweet, you have salty, you have creaminess from the coconut milk, Prasitporn said. Only one customer told me that it tastes good, but theyre not into it, and it surprised them.

A dessert with sticky rice, coconut milk and tuna from Habrae restaurant is served on Oct. 5, 2022, in Forest Park. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Radiant rice has always been the focus of the dish, no matter the accompaniment, here with a fluff that could be mistaken for a sea salt caramel garnish.

I make this because its one of my favorites, Sanmuesngchin said. If you open your mind and give us a chance, it tastes pretty good.

The couple is from Bangkok, but they met near Chicago, in Berwyn to be precise. He goes by Jump, and she by Au, pronounced ooh. Theyve made Habrae a beautiful space in suburban Forest Park, a next-door neighbor to Oak Park just west of Chicagos city limits. Woven basket light fixtures overhead and exposed brick walls all around create a warm modern farmhouse feeling to the airy dining room. A pastry case displays desserts like edible jewels in palm sugar gold and pandan green.

The interior of Habrae restaurant is seen here on Oct. 5, 2022, in Forest Park. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The green dish they call Chive Crispy is a street food snack turned terrific appetizer, served with sweet and sour soy dipping sauce.

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You see it a lot in Chinatown in Bangkok, Prasitporn said. We call it guichai tod. Guichai means chive.

The pan-fried squares seem similar to Chinese dim sum chive dumplings crossed with turnip cakes, but much thinner and fried far crispier.

The khao soi, steamed egg noodles in a complex spicy coconut curry soup topped with crispy egg noodles, showcases a bowl as thoughtfully composed by the chef as Japanese ramen, or a centerpiece cake.

In Thailand, you will find a side dish on the table, Prasitporn said. But you should have it with the vegetables. You should smell the onion.

And you should feel the texture of the green mustard pickle, added the chef.

The khao soi is served in a large black bowl at Habrae restaurant on Oct. 5, 2022, in Forest Park. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The menu is deceptively extensive, ranging from sai ua, distinctive little Thai sausages; to rat na moo, a Thai-Chinese noodle dish comparable to pan-fried chow mein; to khanom thuai, coconut pudding cooked and served in covetable ceramic cups  and much more. Theyre all alluring, but a bit bland, and perhaps distract from a mission to offer food thats harder to find.

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Not that every dish needs to be historic or rare. The stunning salted egg croissant mirrors a recent Asian pastry trend, a molten filling barely contained within buttery flakes. The trembling egg tarts should be bought in pairs, at least, but more probably by the half-dozen, particularly if warm from the oven. And remember theres perfectly, not-too-sweet oliang, Thai coffee with condensed milk and a hint of cardamom.

We would like customers to taste Thai food as it should be, Prasitporn said. Some order dishes without the spice, he added. Sometimes we make it, because we would like to serve. But (with) certain dishes, like kanom jeen kang kai  red curry chicken  the only way that we can make it less spicy is to put more water in there, so you wont really taste anything.

The striking coils of rice noodles with which its served are meant to temper the heat.

If you mix it with the rice noodle, I think its a perfect bite, said the chef.

lchu@chicagotribune.com

Habrae

7230 Madison St., Forest Park

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708-689-8852

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

habrae.com

Open: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., closed Tuesday

Prices: $4 (egg tart), $4.50 (charcoal pudding), $5.95 (salted egg croissant), $7.50 (tuna sticky rice), $8 (chive crispy), $17 (khao soi), $5.50 (Habrae coffee)

Noise: Conversation-friendly

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with restroom on single level

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Tribune rating: Very good, 2 stars

Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
Soldiers of a Russian military convoy and their US counterparts exchange greetings as their patrol routes intersect in an oil field near Syria's al-Qahtaniyah town in the northeastern Hasakah province, close to the border with Turkey, on October 8, 2022. DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Photos show US and Russian troops shaking hands and taking pictures together in Syria.

The photos, published by AFP, were taken as both forces patrolled territory near the Turkish border.

In 2020, a similar run-in saw Russian soldiers forcing their US counterparts off the road.

Two years ago, when US and Russian patrols came across each other in northeastern Syria, the encounter resulted in an armored vehicle crash that left four American service members injured and led the Trump administration to denounce the Russians as "unprofessional."

Last week, the two militaries met again about an hour's drive from the 2020 episode. But instead of a hostile interaction between two nuclear powers, the result this time was smiles, handshakes, and group photos. Some of the photos, taken by a correspondent for the AFP news service, captured Russian vehicles with the same "Z" marking seen on the ones that invaded Ukraine.

The US and Russia have backed different sides in Syria, with the Kremlin supporting Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad while Washington has provided support to a Kurdish-led militia that has fought fiercely against the Islamic State and carved out a de facto autonomous region near the border with Turkey. The US and Russia have previously relied on deconfliction lines to prevent tensions from escalating.

Soldiers of a Russian military convoy and their US counterparts pose for pictures as their patrol routes intersect in an oil field near Syria's al-Qahtaniyah town in the northeastern Hasakah province, close to the border with Turkey, on October 8, 2022. DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Russian soldiers, who have supported Assad's aims since 2015, deployed to northeastern Syria in 2019 at the request of both the Syrian government and America's Kurdish allies after former President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw some US troops from an area they had been operating in since 2014 led to an invasion by Ankara. Turkey regards Syria's Kurdish forces as a security threat, citing their links to separatists.

Today, several hundred US troops remain in northeastern Syria, with both Washington and Moscow conducting patrols to discourage any further encroachment by Turkey, a member of NATO as well as a Russian partner.

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That unique arrangement appears friendly, despite the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, rising tensions between Washington and Moscow, and increasingly threatening talk of nuclear warfare.

Soldiers of a Russian military convoy and their US counterparts pose for pictures as their patrol routes intersect in an oil field near Syria's al-Qahtaniyah town in the northeastern Hasakah province, close to the border with Turkey, on October 8, 2022. DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

According to AFP, the most recent encounter took place on October 8 near the town of al-Qahtaniyah. In addition to taking photos together, the news service reported that some soldiers "even exchanged small patches worn on their uniforms as mementos of the interaction."

In a statement, US Central Command told Insider that the episode reflects a desire to avoid conflict.

"As you know, Syria is a complex environment for us, for the Syrian Democratic Forces, and for Russian forces," a spokesperson said. "Our sole focus in that environment is the enduring defeat of ISIS. Toward that end, we often share the battlespace with Russian forces and deconfliction and professional courtesy is necessary to drive down the risk of miscalculation."

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Piqua Community Foundation is collaborating with Piqua Catholic School to welcome the Piqua Catholic Future Fund to its family of accounts, according to a press release from a Piqua Community Foundation spokesperson.

>>West Carrollton City Schools to offer FAFSA Workshop Sessions

This fund is used to support grants to the school for special needs, projects that are over and above the annual budget and ensures the highest standards of Catholic Education, the release said.

Donations to the fund are accepted with gifts of cash or stock, the spokesperson said. To donate online, visit here.

When donating online, select Dedicate this gift and designate Piqua Catholic Future Fund in the in honor of line, the release said.

>>Wayne Co. patrolman uninjured after being hit by suspected impaired driver

To donate by check, make the gift payable to The Piqua Community Foundation with Piqua Catholic Future Fund in the memo line, the spokesperson said. The check can be mailed to P.O. Box 226, Piqua, OH 45356 or drop it off at 209 W. Ash St.

The foundation can be named as a beneficiary of a trust or an insurance policy, or loved ones may donate memorial contributions on behalf of someone who has passed, according to the spokesperson.

Tax-deductible gifts to the Piqua Catholic Future Fund may be made with a check or online, the release said.

>>2 men, teen arrested in Kettering post office theft

For more information about making a gift to the fund, contact the Piqua Community Foundation at 937-615-9080 or email info@piquacommunityfoundation.org.








An MBA startup from INSEAD tops this years list of 100 top-funded MBA startups of 2022, the first time a school from outside the U.S. has come out on top. Courtesy photo

Had it not been for Stanford Universitys culture of interdisciplinary collaboration, Lucia Huang might never have met her co-founder.

Huang, Stanford Graduate School of Business Class of 2020 MBA, met Stanford Medicine candidate Jimmy Qian in a class mixed with students from the universitys acclaimed business, medicine and engineering schools. They shared their mutual dismay at the lack of innovation in mental health, despite the fact that depression is the No. 1 cause of disability around the world. So they decided to work on the problem.

Lucia Huang

Together they founded Osmind  an electronic health record software for mental health providers aiding in the administration, monitoring, and analyzing the use of innovative psychiatric medications and treatments. The company has raised $57.2 million in four funding rounds since its founding two years ago, and it comes in at No. 22 on our annual list of Top MBA Startups. It is one of 26 companies on this years list with a female founder or co-founder.

With our collective backgrounds in science, medicine, and healthcare, and our personal passion and investment in improving mental health for all, we recognized that mental health was long overdue for innovation, Huang tells Poets&Quants.

Stanford excels at supporting entrepreneurship. Healthcare is such a complex industry that collaborating with multidisciplinary team members is critical. Stanford does a great job of encouraging cross-pollination across the various schools and facilitating connections.

P&QS TOP MBA STARTUPS OF 2022

As weve done each year since 2014, Poets&Quants solicited startups from the worlds best MBA programs to compile a list based on a single metric: how much funding a startup has raised, the most accessible apples-to-apples comparison. (See our 2021 list here.)

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To qualify for this years list, a startup had to be founded between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021, and must have had at least one MBA founder during that same timeframe. Poets&Quants solicited nominations from top business schools and cross-checked figures on Crunchbase.com. Numbers verified at the time of reporting were used to compile the list.

AN INSEAD MBA STARTUP RAISED MORE THAN $1 BILLION

It takes some doing to knock Stanford out of the top spot for the highest-funded MBA startup. Since we started the list in 2014, the top MBA founders have come from Stanford every year except two (and a half). In 2018, Harvard Business School MBAs Charles Baron and Amol Deshpande ranked No. 1 with their company, Farmers Business Network, which raised $193.9 million. The Wharton School MBAs William Shu and Greg Orlowski topped the list in 2017 with Deliveroo, raising $474.6 million. And in 2014, the top spot was shared by the Harvard and Stanford MBA founders of Wildfire.

This year, the top-funded MBA startup is Gorillas, a company co-founded by INSEAD MBA Sukru Dagdelen, with a truly eye-popping number: $1.335 billion.

Its the second highest-ever amount for an MBA startup since weve been compiling the list  trailing 2016s Sofi by about $300K. Its also a remarkable climb for the French business school whose highest startups last year, Forecast and Zenyum, tied at No. 42 with $15.1 million in funding apiece.

France's INSEAD is the first international business school to top our list of funded MBA startups of the year. Courtesy photo

Gorillas is an on-demand grocery delivery service that promises food at your door within 10 minutes of ordering from their app. It raised $1 billion in a Series C round with 18 investors in October 2021. Its had four funding rounds since its founding in 2020, with the second largest coming in March 2021 at $290 million, according to Crunchbase. Its different from other food delivery leaders in that it uses riders  full-time employees with benefits delivering groceries on bicycles in mostly European metro areas.

At seven, INSEAD also had more MBA startups than any other international business school on this years list.

INSEAD was started as an entrepreneurial venture and has grown into an internationally recognized business school for the world. Over 50% of the schools MBA graduates become an entrepreneur or engage in entrepreneurial activities during their career  it is built in our DNA, Professor Peter Zemsky, deputy dean and dean of innovation, tells Poets&Quants.

We select outstanding business students who have demonstrated the ability to manage across cultures and diversity. It turns out that this has allowed us to attract high-caliber talents who are also a very impressive and successful set of entrepreneurs.

NEXT PAGE: Harvard, Stanford Still Rule The Startup Roost

Stride Funding, which debuted on our list at No. 31, was one of 23 startups founded by MBAs from Harvard Business School. Courtesy photo

A DIVERSE LIST OF STARTUPS AT THE TOP

Following Gorillas is an impressive list of diverse startups across a wide array of industries. Interestingly, just one of the top five companies is headquartered in the United States.

No. 2 Merama ($445 million), headquartered in Mexico City, is an e-commerce aggregator serving digital brands in Latin America, one of the fastest-growing e-commerce regions in the world. It was founded by Harvard MBA Sujay Tyle who told TechCrunch that he believes several multi-billion dollar brands will be created in LatAm in the next five years. Its latest funding round was $60 million in December 2021.

No. 3 Habi ($390 million), located in Bogota, Colombia, jumped up 36 spots from last years list, buoyed by $75 million in debt refinancing in June. The leading real estate tech startup in Latin America, Habi was founded by Harvard MBA Brynne McNulty. It also happens to be the highest-earning company on our list that was founded by a woman.

No. 4 Klar ($257 million), headquartered in Mexico City, was founded by four Stanford MBAs  Jeronimo Reifkohl, Daniel Autrique, Gianluigi Davassi, and Stefan Moller. Its also Stanfords highest-ranked startup this year, raising $90 million in its latest funding round in June and climbing five spots from last years list. The financial platform is believed to be Mexicos largest digital bank.

No. 5 Pathway Homes ($250 million) is Stanfords second company in the top five, founded by Kyle Ruane. It claims to offer a new path to homeownership by purchasing homes a customer likes and renting them back to customers until they are ready to buy at an agreed-upon price. It is the only top 5 startup headquartered in the United States (Dallas, Texas).

Gorillas also joins an elite list of previous winners of our ranked MBA startups. Joining Sofi as one of the billion-dollar babies, it blew previous highest-funded startups out of the water: Wharton-founded Deliveroo raised $474.59 million at the time of publication of our 2017 list and Stanfords Divvy raised $299 million on last year's list.

HARVARD AND STANFORD STILL RULE THE STARTUP ROOST

The two schools with the most startups should be no surprise. Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business have long dominated the MBA startup game, and their startups account for nearly two-thirds of this years list.

Tess Michaels, founder of Stride Funding

Of the 100 startups that attracted the most funding from angel investors and venture capitalists over the last five years, Stanford claims 43  up from 39 in 2021. It is the highest number of startups from a single school, and it continues an upward trend for the school centered in the heart of Silicon Valley. Stanford posted 34 startups in 2020 and 39 in 2019.

Harvard Business School had the second most startups from MBA or EMBA founders at 23. Thats up from 19 last year which was the lowest number the school had had in the lists history. In 2016, Harvard had 42 startups, but its numbers have fluctuated since, claiming between 21 and 26 per year.

Theres no day where Im not so grateful for the HBS experience, Tess Michaels, Harvard MBA, founder of Stride Funding, told P&Q in this 2020 profile of her startup which has raised $45.7 million so far. Stride Funding offers more flexible payment options for expensive MBA programs through income-share agreements. It debuts on this years list at No. 31.

A lot of it is about the incredible amount of access that you get at HBS. We have a lot of connected people who have supported Stride, both advisers and investors. Those who have helped fund students have come from the HBS community, which has been really special, she says. As an entrepreneur, youre surrounded by people but it can get lonely at times as youre growing the business, and what HBS has really done is ensure that youre learning from each other. And thats the beauty of the accelerator: Im walking through my learnings and so many of them are applicable for startups. I think thats really, really cool that HBS has doubled down on that.

INSEADs 7 startups were the third largest number for individual schools. Thats up from last years 5 startups and the most ever for a school not based in the U.S.

Peter Johnson, UC-Berkeley Haas

Following INSEAD, Columbia Business School, UC-Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, and The Wharton School had 4 startups each while Cornells SC Johnson College of Business had 3.

At UC-Berkeley, a third of the schools electives focus on startups, Peter Johnson, former assistant dean of full-time MBA programs, told P&Q in our Meet the MBA Class of 2023 series. The schools four startups on our list  Kyte, Oishii Farm, Oxygen, and Vested  have raised more than 329 million since their founding.

The tech sector has expanded from Silicon Valley to San Francisco to right at our doorsteps in Berkeley, placing Berkeley Haas at the core of the innovation economy. Simply put, Berkeley Haas is 'the heart of whats next.' Were influencing industries that are inventing new technologies and business models that are driving economic growth, Johnson said at the time.

Moreover, our students benefit greatly from having access to the best professors as well as executives and entrepreneurs from leading global companies in a variety of industries from consulting to high tech.

TOTAL FUNDING TOPS $7 BILLION, THE MOST EVER

Last year, the total funding among all the 100 startups fell to the second-lowest level since 2015, as the economy grappled with the effects of the pandemic. Companies on the list raised $2.692 billion in 2021 with only 2018s $2.455 billion coming in lower.

Funding roared back this year. The $7.19 billion raised by the 100 startups is the highest in the lists history, blowing past the previous highest level of $5.180 billion in 2016. Of course, INSEADs Gorillas had a lot to do with that  its $1.335 billion is nearly 19% of the total raised on the entire list.

The list compiled in 2021 was the first in which the pandemic had impacted the economy for more than a year. That list tracked companies founded between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020.

Our 2022 list takes into account funding raised in 2021 as investing bounced back. However, that bounce back may be cooling as we enter a new period of global uncertainty.

2021 was an amazing and overheated period for venture investing. Everyone in VC was talking about when the music will stop. The music indeed stopped in 2022. This is impacting the large funding. We still see that there is early-stage funding readily available. Founders are needing to pivot and pay much more attention to their path to profitability and conserving cash, Zemsky says.

While global venture funding has fallen slightly, that figure is still higher than levels seen before the pandemic.

Another bright spot (at INSEAD) is the rise of corporate venture capital. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of corporate investors grew more than six times to over 4,000. Even as investment appetite cooled in quarter one this year, there were a record 1,317 CVC-backed deals.

You can see evidence of 2021s rebound from the astounding amount of money raised in the top 20 startups on the list. Those companies raised $5.178 billion, the third highest amount of all other years when all startup funding was calculated. Even without Gorilla's $1 billion-plus funding, the other 19 top companies in 2022 outpaced 2021s funding of all 100 companies by nearly $1.2 billion.

Last year, Divvy Homess $299.04 million in funding put it at the very top of the list. That wouldnt even break the top three in 2022. In all, there were eight startups that raised over $200 million and another 11 companies that raised more than $100 million. In 2021, only five startups cracked $100 million.

Further, the funding cutoff to make our top 100 was $5.5 million last year, a milestone raised by Dexai Robotics. This years cutoff is $9.04 million, raised by Solytic, founded by ESADE MBA Johannes Burgard.

STANFORD STARTUPS RAISED $2.8 BILLION

This year, Stanford startups raised more than any other school by more than a billion. The Silicon Valley school raised $2.795 billion across its combined 42 startups, up from $1.431 across 39 startups last year.

It alone was in the billion-dollar club last year, but it is joined now by INSEAD ($1.677 billion across seven startups) and Harvard ($1.420 billion across its 23 startups). INSEAD had a combined funding total of $73.1 million last year while Harvard had $449.05 million.

Rounding out the top five schools this year are UC Berkeley Haas at $329 million across its four startups followed by $165 million across Whartons three.

Over the past eight graduating classes (2014 to 2021), Harvard Business School has had 603 MBA graduates report theyre starting their own companies within three months of graduation, according to the schools employment reports. Thats more than any other school that weve been tracking. Up next is Stanfords Graduate School of Business, which has had 530 MBAs, Wharton with 316, and Columbia with 165. Note that schools like HBS, Wharton, and CBS graduate hundreds more MBAs each year compared to schools like Stanford and MIT.

WHERE THE TOP MBA STARTUPS ARE BASED

On a percent basis, Stanford GSB  which enrolls about 420 MBAs per class compared to cohorts of Harvard and Wharton which are more than twice that size  produced the most MBA founders. This year, 18% of Stanfords graduating class of MBAs elected to launch companies immediately after graduation. Thats down slightly from the 18.16% founders in the graduating class before it. After a 4% jump in founders at HBS a year ago, the school lost nearly that much ground this year. The number of its MBA founders dropped from 11.29% to about 8% in its latest class.

By location, the San Francisco Bay Area continues to be the most popular home base for top MBA startups. Of course, this is largely influenced by the number of Stanford MBAs on the list. Of the 100 top MBA startups, 27 are based in the San Francisco Bay Area. New York City is the next most popular base for our top MBA startups at 17 while the Boston area claims seven. This was the most international group of startups weve had on our list with 33 startups based outside of the U.S., up from 26 last year. Europe had seven, Mexico City had six, India had four, and Singapore and Brazil had three apiece.

NEXT PAGE: Women founders + INSEADs Entrepreneurial magic

Lucia Huang, Stanford GSB MBA '20, is co-founder of Osmind, one of 26 startups founded or co-founded by women. Courtesy photo

26 WOMEN FOUNDERS

The number of women-founded companies fell slightly, 26 in 2022 compared to 28 in 2021 and 29 in 2020.

This year also breaks a three-year streak in which women-founded companies topped our list: Divvy Homes (2021), Guild Education (2020), and Branch Metrics (2019). All three also happen to come from Stanford MBAs.

The top five women founded or co-founded ventures on our list include Harvards Habi (No. 3 on our list) and Kocomo (No. 22), founded by Graciela Arango, a real estate startup that has raised $56 million.

Stanford claims three of the top five women founders including:

Yada Piyajomkwan, founder of Ajaib (No. 6) with classmate Anderson Sumarli, both named a Forbes 30 Under 30 for their zero-commission investing platform for millennial investors in Indonesia. Ajaib has raised $245 million to date.

Emily Yudofsky, creator of Found (No. 16) which has raised $132 million

And, Huangs Osmind (No. 22), the fourth-highest women-founded company on our 2022 list.

For Huang, one of the most valuable aspects of Stanfords entrepreneurial ecosystem is its network: Being at a school with so many startups, you never know who you might meet just by walking into a room. Huang not only met her Osmind co-founder in class, they later met their first-round lead investor, Katherine Boyle, through a GSB classmate.

Even now, nearly every investor we speak with has a senior GSB person who is a partner, Huang tells P&Q. Being an entrepreneur is hard enough, and its nice to not have to worry about not being able to find an intro to an investor or partner because theres almost a guarantee that someone in the GSB network is connected.

After studying chemistry at Yale University, Huang wanted to apply her STEM background to improve lives. She realized the way to make an impact at scale was through business. She earned a certificate in public management and social innovation along with her Stanford MBA, and social impact remains a central principle of her work with Osmind. Her company works with scientists to gather and analyze real-world data to improve psychiatric care. Research from its Osmind platform is already helping to set new standards for mental health interventions, Huang says.

Osmind recently teamed up with Stanford University to publish the largest real-world analysis of ketamine infusion therapy (KIT) and is working on its second paper with the university.

What also makes us unique is that Osmind is a public benefit corporation, Huang says. "Our commitment as a public benefit corporation is to value the voices of our physician, patient, and researcher stakeholders and to be transparent about supporting advances in the treatment of mental health conditions.

INSEAD was rated as the top European unicorn university by Sifted, a European tech news outlet. It has 18 current unicorn ventures and 25 likely unicorns. Courtesy photo

INSEADS ENTREPRENEURIAL MAGIC

INSEADs curriculum has a robust offering of entrepreneurship courses and electives built in, all aimed at helping students become new venture founders or startup investors, Zemsky tells P&Q. That includes more than 10 specialized electives such as Crypto Entrepreneurship, Digital Entrepreneurship, Scaling Start-ups, New Business Ventures, and others. There are also two capstone options, Accelerating Growth and/or New Venture.

There are many more INSEAD entrepreneurship courses than a student can possibly attend during the MBA program because we believe that everyone should have the freedom to choose their own customized paths, he says.

Peter Zemsky, dean of innovation at INSEAD

At the Rudolf and Valeria Maag INSEAD Centre for Entrepreneurship (ICE), students can take advantage of start-up boot camps, venture competitions with a chance to win seed funding, and the Entrepreneurs in Residence program with over 160 experienced entrepreneurs and investors to coach students on how to move forward with an entrepreneurial venture. Theres also the INSEAD LaunchPad  the first alumni startup accelerator located inside the worlds largest startup campus, STATION F in Paris.

This year, Sifted, a European news outlet for entrepreneurs, rated INSEAD as the top European unicorn university with 18 current unicorn ventures and 25 likely future unicorns. It also ranks fifth in the world for ventures founded by recent graduates who receive sizable venture capital funding  the highest rank for any school outside the U.S. In 2021, Pitchbook named INSEAD a top school for startup founders.

Our entrepreneurial ecosystem, courses, and the techniques used to teach entrepreneurship shapes our students' interest in this area and contribute to making INSEAD one of the best and most unique places to study entrepreneurship in the world, Zemsky says.

Europe is leading the way in terms of more attention to tech for good, especially on sustainability and green. This plays to INSEADs overall focus on promoting business as a force for good.

NEXT PAGE: The top MBA startups for 2022

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Editor's note: After the publication of our list, UC-Berkeley Haas alerted us to two additional startups not included at time of reporting. Xepelin, founded in 2019 by MBA Sebastien Kreiss, has raised $427 million to date while Time by Ping, founded in 2018 by MBA Kourosh Zamanizadeh has raised $53.3 million. These companies will be considered for our next most successful MBA startups list.

Stanford GSB's Knight Center, Photo Credit: Elena Zhukova

NEXT PAGE: The top MBA startups for 2022, Nos. 27-50

Columbia Business School. Courtesy photo

NEXT PAGE: The top MBA startups for 2022, Nos. 51-75

UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business. Courtesy photo

NEXT PAGE: The top MBA startups for 2022, Nos. 76-100

Harvard Business School classroom. Courtesy photo

The post Poets&Quants Most Successful MBA Startups Of 2022 appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Mila Kunis in Luckiest Girl Alive (Sabrina Lantos/Netflix)

Blink and you might miss the tiny content advisory at the start of Netflixs latest drama Luckiest Girl Alive. Consider this a proper trigger warning. Since releasing it on Friday, the streamer has been criticised for exposing viewers to brutal scenes of sexual violence in a film marketed as a #GirlBoss thriller. The trailer  cascading piano keys give way to skittering strings, as a magazine editor wanders around New York City in a Gucci belt  does little to foreshadow the barbarity of whats to come. But watch the film and youll see thats not the only problem.

Starring Mila Kunis, the film is an adaptation of the bestselling novel of the same name by Jessica Knoll and tells the story of high-flying journalist Ani Fanelli, who was involved in one of the deadliest school shootings in US history. Since then, the 28-year-old has been trying to reinvent herself as a successful career woman in New York City with a wealthy fiance. But all this is put at risk when a documentarian starts probing into Anis past and its revealed that she was subjected to cruel bullying at school by some of the victims in the shooting. And, most horrifyingly, that she was gang raped.

We are shown these violations in their entirety; nothing is implied or suggested. Ani is raped by three of her classmates, including her boyfriend, Liam. The third and final rape is the hardest to watch  Ani has noticed that she is bleeding and, after trying to get some water, is thrown onto the bed by Dean, the school bully. He rapes her while Ani screams, shouting no and stop repeatedly until she eventually manages to push Dean off of her and escape.

Its a devastating moment, particularly given how unexpected it is for those who havent read Knolls book. Hence why its all the more surprising there was not a suitable trigger warning, and sexual assault survivors have been vocal in their criticism. The streaming service does briefly mention that Luckiest Girl Alive features sexual violence and threat at the top of the screen as the film starts  but many viewers have said this is not enough given the brutality of the rape scenes.

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I was not prepared at all, says Ciara Charteris, co-founder of I Am Arla, an online platform for trauma survivors. It goes against the work that I do, not just as a survivor but as a human to be able to make an active choice about whether Im going to engage in traumatic on-screen incidents or not. After sharing her thoughts on social media, Charteris was inundated with responses from fellow survivors who found the film equally difficult to watch.

It is vital that viewers can make an informed choice about watching a film that could impact their health and wellbeing, says Jayne Butler, CEO of the charity Rape Crisis. Any representation of sexual violence in the media, but in particular depictions, can be extremely traumatising for victims and survivors  many of whom are still coping with the negative impacts of their experiences.

Trigger warnings aside, this is a complicated film to criticise for several reasons. The first is that Knoll herself was gang-raped by three classmates at a high school party and has spoken about how the book was inspired by her own experiences. She also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation. With Knolls own voice and experiences, the film had every chance of being a compelling and important piece of cinema, one that had unique potential to educate people about sexual violence and the physical and psychological complexities that often surround it. The effect could have been to elicit greater empathy for survivors where there is often so little, particularly among lawmakers in a country where just 1 per cent of rapes recorded by police in 2021 resulted in a charge that year, let alone a conviction. A noble cause.

And yet the film somehow misses the mark. While there are moments of nuance  we see how Ani is victim-blamed and the way that the rape has affected her sex life as an adult  they are arguably overshadowed by the school shooting, and the way the narrative builds towards this scene, which comes towards the end of the film. If you were someone watching that film without a survivors experience, my fear is that with so much drama and trauma, you dont create space for the conversation youve made the film in order to have. The importance of what this movie is saying gets lost in the overarching noise of an aggressive and over-saturated film, says Charteris.

Isaac Kragten as Liam and Chiara Aurelia as young Ani in Luckiest Girl Alive (Sabrina Lantos/Netflix)

Whats more, the sexual assault scenes are so horrible that it feeds into the misleading and stereotypical idea that rape is always physically violent. That it is black and white, when the reality is often grey, leaving many survivors haunted by the question of whether or not their experience counts as rape. Anis rape, however, is presented to us as fact. The violence is certainly harrowing but it isnt reflective of a reality in which sexual violence is often characterised by ambiguity. One in which survivors are left questioning their recollection of events for years, or possibly their entire lives. Because maybe, unlike Ani, they couldnt recognise what was happening straight away. Maybe they didnt kick and scream. Maybe they didnt say no.

None of that should invalidate what has happened to them. But in the eyes of people without any degree of understanding around sexual violence  which is more than youd think  it probably will. And if were to ever make any modicum of difference in a world in which one in four women have been raped or sexually assaulted, these are the people popular culture needs to consider when it depicts rape.

Even in 2022, five years since #MeToo, there have been very few depictions of sexual violence that handle the subject matter with the sensitivity and complexity it requires. Michaela Coels I May Destroy You stands almost entirely alone as a piece of art that perfectly captures the myriad forms with which sexual violence can take place  and in doing so, elicits the difficult but vital conversations needed to challenge viewers and bring about change.

To some, Luckiest Girl Alive will undoubtedly provide solace and help to show viewers just how long-lasting the psychological effects of rape can be. But in a world where four in 10 people believe survivors who flirt are partially responsible for being raped, the bleak reality is that it is simply not enough to change anyones perception about sexual violence. At least not in the way it needs to in order to prevent it from happening. Rather, scenes as graphic as these could serve only to reinforce problematic myths around rape and isolate survivors whose experience dont fit a very small and specific mould. Not to mention the effect of seeing them so unexpectedly, at the start of what you thought was just another fun Mila Kunis film.

The Independent has approached Netflix for comment.

Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
A 19-year-old Johnson & Wales University student died after she was hit by a bus in Uptown Charlotte Sunday evening, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department confirmed. The bus driver was charged in connection to the crash.

Investigators said around 7 p.m. Sunday, officers were called to Cedar Street at West Fourth Street where they found a 2013 Van Hool Commuter Coach bus with a woman pinned underneath the vehicle.

Firefighters were able to free the woman from the car and she was taken to the hospital where she later died, investigators said. Authorities identified her as Destiny Vazquez.

ALSO READ: 1 seriously hurt in south Charlotte shooting, paramedics say

Police said they believe Vazquez was in the crosswalk and had the right of way while crossing West Fourth Street. At the same time, the bus driver drove into the intersection with a green light and tried to turn onto West Fourth Street.

Vazquez was hit and pinned underneath the bus, police said.

Many students at nearby Johnson & Wales University learned about Vasquezs death.

I was in the cafeteria, and we saw all the cops that were here, sophomore Frida Angeles said.

Bouquets of purple and pink flowers were placed near the intersection where Vasquez was killed.

I know that this is traumatizing because we, literally, cross over here every, single day, sophomore Genesis Williams said.

There was no one on board the bus at the time of the crash, investigators said. Police said the driver, Dominique Massey, 35, was not believed to have been speeding or impaired at the time of the crash.

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The toxicology report results are still pending for Vazquez, authorities said.

Police said Massey has been charged with failure to yield the right of way and misdemeanor death by motor vehicle.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about this case is asked to call Detective Mercedes at 704-432-2169, extension 5. Information can also be left anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or by clicking here.

Story continues

Johnson & Wales shared the following statement with Channel 9:

Johnson & Wales University grieves the loss of Charlotte Campus sophomore Marielena Vazquez, who will always be remembered as Destiny to her family and friends. A Baking & Pastry Arts major scheduled to graduate in May 2023, she was a warm and caring student who excelled in both her labs and academics. We share our deepest condolences and stand united with Marielenas family. Additional counseling services have been made available to our JWU community.

Return to this story for updates.

VIDEO: No one hurt when skyscraper window shot out in Uptown, police say
Law enforcement officials have identified a husband and wife who were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Kingston over the weekend.

Officers responding to a home on Elm Street around 11:15 a.m. Sunday found 45-year-old man outside suffering from a fatal gunshot wound and a 45-year-old woman shot to death inside the house, according to the Plymouth District Attorneys Office.

Kingston police on Monday identified the victims as Colin Canham and Sara Emerick.

Police noted that the couple has a 6-year-old girl who was not home at the time of the incident.

There were no additional details immediately available.

An investigation remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Police in Boston have launched an investigation after a 14-year-old male sustained fatal injuries and another juvenile was wounded on Monday.

Officers responding to a report of a shot spotter activation in the area of 2990 Washington Street in citys Roxbury section around 12 p.m. found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Boston Police Department.

One of the victims a 14-year-old juvenile, was taken to area hospital for the treatment of life-threatening injuries. According to Boston Police, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A second gunshot victim, also a juvenile, was subsequently found suffering from non-life-threatening injuries in an apartment on the nearby Cobden Street.

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden expressed great concern over the brazen nature of the incident.

We have too many guns on our streets. This is another shooting in broad daylight on a holiday, Hayden said during a news conference. Its concerning. I can tell you that when I was in the DAs office on homicide response, I dont remember responding to this many daytime shootings. There seem to be more and more of them.

Police say no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

The double shooting occurred about a mile away from Jeremiah Burke High School, where another teenager was shot and hospitalized last week.

Investigators assigned to Haydens office are assisting Boston police with the investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Boston police at (617) 343-4470.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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Letritia Kandle poses with Hawaiian guitars, circa 1935, in a photo housed in the Letritia Kandle Papers and Hawaiian Guitars collection at The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Letritia Kandle had a dream, echoes of which are heard whenever a rock group plugs its guitars into loud amplifiers and runs an extension cord to an electrical outlet.

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The spark for that dream  a 26-string guitar  came to her while waiting for an appointment on one of the upper floors of a tall office building in Chicago, she later wrote in Music Studio News.

It was summer and from the large window facing the West from where I was sitting, the sun like a huge ball of fire, surrounded by a myriad colors, sky blue, pink, yellow, purple, and green was dropping by the horizon, there appeared an instrument seemingly blown of glass.

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Expanding on that initial image, Kandle envisioned a guitar approximating the tonal range of an organ and with the capacity to put on a light show, to boot. That was quite a vision, considering that the traditional guitar of the day was a six-string instrument that emitted pleasant, but relatively soft, tones.

Indeed, the realization of Kandles dream required a musical behemoth: Dubbed the Grand Letar, it weighed 263 pounds, traveled in a 150-pound case, and had a price tag that blinded prospective buyers. The 1937 prototype, designed by Kandle and assembled by her father, was the only one ever built.

Letritia Kandle with her Grand Letar in Chicago, circa 1935. This photo is part of the Letritia Kandle Papers and Hawaiian Guitars collection at The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Maurice Seymour Studio)

The Grand Letars role in the evolution of the electric guitar was forgotten until Paul Warnik, a vintage guitar collector, stumbled upon the instruments story. He discovered that Kandle had stored the Grand Letar under the basement stairs of her home in northwest suburban Barrington.

She gave custody of it to Warnik, who had it restored, and it was played for the first time in five decades at the 2008 International Steel Guitar Convention in St. Louis. Afterward, Warnik donated the instrument and Kandles papers to the Sousa Archives at the University of Illinois library.

Born in 1915, Kandle was raised in Chicagos Austin neighborhood in an era when middle-class girls took piano lessons. But she changed instruments after seeing In Old Arizona, a movie featuring a Spanish guitar. Her instructor touted the Hawaiian guitar, an alternative that wasnt cradled in a performers arms but lay flat across the lap.

Her timing proved propitious. In the ensuing Great Depression, all things Hawaiian became a dreamy pop-culture alternative to the grim reality of the 1930s. The Hawaiian guitars twangy voice spoke of whitecaps rolling across sandy beaches.

Kandle formed and gigged with a Hawaiian guitar sextet, the Kohala Girls. She subsequently performed with the Chicago Plectrophonic Orchestra, a 50-member group that plucked and strummed guitars, banjos, mandolins and string basses, plus accordion players and percussionists. She later married Walter Lay, a bassist in the orchestra.

Letritia Kandle, third from left, with the Kohala Girls in Chicago, circa 1935. This photo is part of the Letritia Kandle Papers and Hawaiian Guitars collection at The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (Theatrical Chicago)

As her career was progressing, she wanted to explore more complex genres. But the Hawaiian guitar had what she saw as a limited potential for jazz and classical music. Six strings can only produce so many notes. Other musicians were trying to expand the instruments, musical vocabulary by constructing guitars with two necks, and thus more strings.

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Why stop at two necks? Kandle reasoned. Have you ever indulged in dreaming? she later wrote in Music Studio News.

If you have, you know that there are primarily two different kinds  one where the dreamer tries to escape from the reality of living, and one where the dreamer sets a mental goal for himself, and then tries by hard, honest endeavor to reach it in reality.

Hers was of the second variety, and she described her vision to her father, an engineer specializing in earth-boring equipment: A guitar that would enable me to stand while playing it, one that would sound full, like an organ, and yet produce tones like a vibraharp.

He built her a guitar with three six-string necks and two four-string necks atop a cast aluminum console. The Hawaiian guitar had already swapped a wooden body for a metal one, giving it the alternate name of a steel guitar. Inside the Grand Letar was an array of colored light bulbs linked by an electrical switching system that projected a rainbow through a glass window, swapping one hue for another in accord with the musics tempo.

The problems we encountered were many, each one had to be dealt with separately  a metal had to be chosen for the casting, that would not expand or contract when in contact with heat  sizes of strings, electronics, etc., she later recalled. The tuning was just an act of God, entirely without precedent.

The Grand Letar made its debut at the Drake Hotel in 1937, where Kandle was appearing with Paul Whiteman. That same year, National Guitars, which hoped to market the Grand Letar, shipped it to New York for the National Music Trade Convention,

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Kandle was pleased to see Alvino Rey watching her demonstrate the instrument. He was her hero, a famed steel guitar player and bandleader. Shed be honored to meet him, but he left before she finished playing. Two years later, a possible reason for Reys preemptory exit was revealed.

Gibson Guitars announced an electric guitar designed by Rey that incorporated many of the features of the Grand Letar. Most tellingly, Reys amplifier had twin speakers  a technological innovation pioneered by Kandle and first revealed publicly at the 37 trade show.

Gibson became synonymous with electric guitars. National Guitars didnt get enough inquiries to justify producing Kandles guitar. Or its kid brother, the Little Letar, a lighter version that was easier for Kandle to carry from home to Loop engagements.

All I ever tried to do was elevate the steel guitar into a more versatile instrument that was capable of playing other styles of music, like modern and classical, not just Hawaiian, said Letritia Kandle, shown here circa 1940. This photo is part of the Letritia Kandle Papers and Hawaiian Guitars collection at The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

In the 1940s she gave up performing in favor of teaching. She opened a studio in the Kimball Building at 306 S. Wabash Ave., which eventually had 14 instructors. An alumnus recalled the disciplined ambience Kandle created:

When you took lessons from her, you played from the sheet music, and you played what sheet music called for. Nothing more, nothing less.

Her studio also provided a path for Warnik, the guitar enthusiast, to connect with Kandle. In the 1940s she wrote a monthly column for Music Studio News and occasional pieces for Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar Magazine.

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Vintage Chicago Tribune Weekly The Vintage Tribune newsletter is a deep dive into the Chicago Tribune's archives featuring photos and stories about the people, places and events that shape the city's past, present and future. >

Decades later Warnik, a dedicated collector of all things guitar, learned shed set her ideas and sketches of guitars down on paper. He saw her name in a guitar encyclopedia, so he knew what Kandle had accomplished. But was she alive, and if so where was she?

In the 1990s, Warnik bought a vintage guitar with a receipt attached bearing the address of Kandles studio. In 2007, he met a former student at a guitar convention who gave him Kandles home address in Barrington.

His visit left her nonplussed. All I ever tried to do was elevate the steel guitar into a more versatile instrument that was capable of playing other styles of music, like modern and classical, not just Hawaiian, she told him.

A story was pitched to Vintage Guitar magazine, and a footrace with the Grim Reaper ensued.

Kandle was 94 and gravely ill. Warnik and Kandles friends were determined that she would know that her story was being told before she passed. So as the August, 2010 issue of Vintage Guitar rolled off the press, one of them grabbed a copy and rushed to the hospital bed where Kandle lay and showed it to her. Three days later, she died.

Sign up to receive the Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter at chicagotribune.com/newsletters for more photos and stories from the Tribunes archives.

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Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com.
Rabbi Uriel Vigler shared video showing the act of vandalism (Uriel Vigler / Facebook)

Police are searching for an individual they believe vandalised a structure outside a Jewish centre on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

The attack took place in the early hours of Sunday morning when a man was seen kicking the sukkah  a temporary hut put up for the festival  outside the Chabad Israel Center, said Rabbi Uriel Vigler.

He said in a Facebook post on Sunday morning following the attack: We put up a gorgeous Sukka right outside our Chabad Israel Center on East 92nd St. The Sukka will be used by thousands of people on Sukkot.

At 1.22am on Shabbat morning someone came and kicked the Sukka breaking some glass. Lets make it an extra joyous Sukkot by spreading joy and love!

While the rabbi said the suspect had kicked the sukkah, Fox5 reported that the same man was suspected of urinating on the temporary wooden structure.

The rabbi told the news station that he had approached police and he would not be perturbed from marking Sukkot.

What the public can do to fight back against this is to find a Sukka, wherever they are, and during Sukkot make a blessing there and shake the lulav and esrog, said Mr Vigler. Sukkot is about unity, and this Jewish year is a Hakhel year, a year of gathering, underscoring the theme of unity, so this presents another opportunity for people to come together and do a mitzvah.

He said in video shared to Facebook that a good samaritan intervened to stop the attacker from vandalising more of the sukkah, and told Fox5: We are grateful to the brave New Yorker, who demonstrated what New York is all about, standing up to look after one another.

Sukkhas are temporary huts built as part of the week-long Sukkot holiday, which sees Jews eating underneath a canopy covered in greenery. The act is in commemoration of the protection sought by the ancient Israelites as they travelled to Jerusalem.

This year, there have been at least 149 hate crimes reported against Jewish New Yorkers, city crime figures show, with February seeing a 409 per cent increase in antisemitic crimes in comparison with the same month in 2021.

The Independent has approached the New York Police Department for comment.
Police continued to look Sunday night for the assailants and car involved in the late-morning shooting of two people in Fresno.

Gunfire broke out at 11:30 a.m. in the 300 block of East Garrett Avenue, where two ShotSpotter electronic notifications detected 33 rounds, Lt. Larry Bowlan said.

Officers arrived and found a man in his 40s with a gunshot wound to the upper arm and shoulder and a woman in her late 20s who was grazed on her arm and hip.

The man was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The woman refused medical attention.

Bowlan said the a light-colored sedan pulled up near Walnut and Garrett avenues and shot toward a group of people standing nearby. The man and the woman were on Garrett when they were struck.

The motive behind the shooting was not immediately known.

Detectives are investigating, including efforts to determine if the incident was gang motivated.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 559-621-7000.
PROVIDENCE  They have spent little to no money, have no attention-grabbing ads on TV, and barely registered in the first publicly-released public opinion poll since the Sept. 13 primary.

But they are on the Nov. 8 ballot, running for governor as independents. They are passionate about the issues that, they say, drove them to run outside the two-party system.

And they have been invited to take part in the gubernatorial forum The Journal and The Public's Radio are hosting on radio on Thursday that will potentially include, for the first time this season, the voices of all five candidates for R.I. governor on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Along with Democratic Gov. Dan McKee and Republican Ashley Kalus, the five candidates include:

 Independent Paul Rianna

 Independent Zachary Hurwitz

 Independent-Libertarian Elijah Gizzarelli

Who are they? One led protest rallies against the COVID vaccination mandate for health-care workers. Another is a University of Rhode Island freshman. And the third is a Libertarian candidate who fought hard to get on the ballot to try to establish a toehold for his party.

Here's what we know:

Zachary Hurwitz filed his initial paperwork to run for governor on his 18th birthday in April.

Zachary Hurwitz, independent candidate for Rhode Island governor.

He graduated from North Kingstown High School a few weeks later and then, a day after swimming, biking and running the Block Island Triathlon, set off on a journey across the world to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

With little time to go door-to-door between his ROTC Air Force training in Connecticut, flying lessons, and his classes as a URI freshman, Hurwitz' campaign has relied, for the most part, on free media coverage.

Asked how else he reaches people, he told The Journal last week that he spoke to a civic engagement class at the Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School. He has also been invited to speak on "Candidates Day" to a North Kingstown High School group about "my campaign, about what I stand for."

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What does he stand for?

He told The Journal in July that his top issue is making the state provide free lunches and breakfasts to all students at public K-12 schools.

"If elected, I promise to do everything I can to make sure that no child goes hungry."

Hurwitz has also posted a series of position statements on his campaign website on his pro-choice stance on abortion, the value in his eyes of targeted tax cuts, the need to address climate change and education accountability.

Why is he a better option than McKee or Kalus?

Citing the $2.3 million Kalus spent ahead of the primary, he told The Journal last week: "With that much money she's buying her way to the top. She just moved here. She doesn't know our state or the people in it."

And McKee? "I am not a career politician. I am not in it for the wealth. I am not in it for the power that comes with being the leader of the state. At the end of the day, I am here because I care about the R.I. people."

While Hurwitz was traveling this past summer, friends and family collected the 1,000 signatures needed for the college freshman to qualify for the gubernatorial ballot.

It did not go entirely smoothly.

A pair of North Kingstown teenagers were charged in August with forging signatures on his nomination papers.

Hurwitz was in Tanzania preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro when the charges came down, his father Peter Hurwitz told The Journal.

A posting on Hurwitz's campaign website said: "Those signatures were rejected and therefore not included in those that were validated and certified by the Secretary of State."

All but $100 of the $200 Hurwitz has reported raising so far came from his own pocket, and that other $100 from his father.

It's a long shot, to say the least, but if Hurwitz were elected he'd be the youngest Rhode Island governor ever.

William Sprague was 30 when he became governor in 1860, the youngest to do so under the state Constitution, according to State Librarian Megan Hamlin-Black. (William Coddington Jr. of Newport was 32 when he entered office in 1683 under the old Royal Charter.)

The last independent to be elected governor was Lincoln Chafee in 2010. That year Hurwitz was 6.

What would he give up if, by fluke or fate, he actually won election?

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said last week.

"But at the end of the day my first and foremost priority is to the R.I. people and I would not turn my back on them. I would do anything it takes."

His college majors: International Relations and Diplomacy and French. His career goal: to become an officer in the Air Force.

The Libertarian candidate

Elijah Gizzarelli has described himself as a self-employed, 35-year-old West Warwick contractor with strong views on many issues  including "bodily autonomy."

Elijah Gizzarelli, Libertarian candidate for Rhode Island governor.

The LIbertarian Party of Rhode Island (LPRI) successfully went to bat for him this past summer after the secretary of state's office determined he did not have the 1,000 signatures needed, on his nominated petitions, to get him on the ballot.

In the wake of that victory, LPRI Chairman William Hunt alleged: The private corporations, known as the Democrat and Republican parties, have a vested interest in keeping third parties off the ballot."

Added Gizzarelli: "We won the appeal, but we lost a month of time and energy that could have been used campaigning. This is exactly the type of thing the old parties do in order to stifle competition and prevent voters from having any real choice of any consequence in elections....This must change."

His goal, regardless if he wins: to get 5% of the vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election to qualify LPRI to become a recognized party.

A graduate of Cranston High School West, he says, he went into home renovations after five years in the Army as a translator and another year and a half in the National Guard.

In his first run for public office, he is shooting for governor because "there's a lot of things going on in the state I don't agree with," including "corruption" and "hypocrisy."

He called it hypocritical, for example, for McKee to sign an order extending the state's COVID health emergency while candidates are expected to knock on doors and greet people face-to-face, asking for their signatures.

"There's a whole bunch of layers of hypocrisy. ... Is it healthy to go out in public and approach strangers for signatures, or not? he asks rhetorically.

Though he personally opted against getting vaccinated against COVID-19, he told The Journal in July: "I am not an anti-vaxxer."

His argument: individuals need to make their own personal risk assessment, and that kind of decision "is not in the realm" of lawmakers and other government officials.

His campaign pitch?

"Im the only candidate that will end the drug war here in Rhode Island. Im the only candidate that will bring back flavored vapes, and to be frank, I am the only candidate with any common sense."

Gizzarelli kicked off his campaign at Bos Bar and Billiards in Warwick on Sept. 17 with this broadside at Governor McKee:

McKee has been a failure. If a sitting governor getting primaried doesnt tell you all you need to know, he also barely won. More Democrats voted against him than voted for him, Gizzarelli said of McKee's narrow win over four Democratic challengers.

McKee won with 33% of the Democratic primary vote.

The governor claims hes doing all kinds of wonderful things to help small businesses and the economy, but Rhode Islanders arent stupid," Gizzarelli continued.

McKee and his partner in crime, [former governor Gina] Raimondo, destroyed small businesses here in Rhode Island during their COVID-19 lockdowns. They forced our local mom-and-pop shops to close while allowing big box stores to stay open, taking choice away from customers and creating an unfair playing field for businesses.

Gizzarelli also took issue with McKee's "claim that he promoted affordable housing."

"The goal should be to lower housing costs so Rhode Islanders dont need government housing assistance.

Turning to Ashley Kalus, the GOP candidate for governor, Gizzarelli said: "Not all of us can make millions off sweetheart government contracts for COVID-19 testing."

As for his own chances," Gizzarelli says: I have no delusions; this is an uphill battle.

"Im competing against Democrats and Republicans and they get to make the rules. They dont play fair; their red tape already cost me a month of campaigning, but I am going to win one way or another."

The last effort to create a recognized third political party was successfully mounted by software entrepreneur Ken Block, who later abandoned the Moderate Party he created to run for governor as a Republican in 2014.

Running as 'The People's Governor'

Paul Rianna of Providence was most often seen during the pandemic with a bullhorn in hand, on the front-lines of the "my body, my choice" protests against the state's COVID vaccine mandate for health-care workers.

Paul Rianna, independent candidate for Rhode Island governor.

His unwillingness to get inoculated against the coronavirus cost him his job as a CNA at Fatima Hospital.

That remains a sore point, but not his only issue.

The day Rianna announced that he was running to be "The People's Governor," he promised to "protect religious freedoms... protect our medical freedoms... and support our Second Amendment rights."

He also promised to "create the office of inspector general with the goal of eliminating the corruption that [has] plagued Rhode Island...Address the housing crisis...Focus on improving behavioral health...[and] ensure that all patients receive the proper care incentivized healthcare workers and improve staffed patient ratios."

Rianna, 38, who is now back at Fatima Hospital as a CNA/mental health worker, lost his job for eight months  during the height of the pandemic  for bucking the R.I. Department of Health's COVID vaccine mandate for health-care workers.

Asked why he resisted, he told The Journal it went against his religion  Christian Science  and his belief that "no one should be forced to be vaccinated, especially [with] a vaccine that was so rushed."

He also talks about, what he viewed, as "hypocrisy" and inconsistency in the vaccine drive. He said workers who had tested COVID positive were allowed to work, as long they showed no symptoms, while the unvaccinated could not.

Asked what prompted his first run for public office, Rianna cited what he calls then-Gov. Gina Raimondo's "nursing home crisis, the way she fumbled the ball with the elderly population (early in the pandemic)... Then Dan McKee and his mandates."

Talking about the early days of the pandemic under Raimondo, he said: "We had to recycle PPE, recycle masks. We had to spray Lysol on our gowns, wear the same gloves from room to room... We should have been prepared for [any emergency] being in the medical field."

"Rhode Island needs a fresh pair of eyes," he says.

"Our Constitution is being taken over day by day." His examples? "We don't have the right to choose...how many guns we own, magazines. The State House was closed (to the public) for [hundreds] of days. We are still in a state of emergency and there's festivals and all that are going on."

"Dan McKee is using it as a funding stream because there really is no state of emergency."

What's wrong with taking advantage of federal relief dollars to address long-standing problems, such as the housing shortage?

"We can't take that for granted because we actually have a spending problem in Rhode Island ... Eventually, the federal funds are going to stop. And then what?"

"The United States can't just keep printing money."

His thoughts on the vaccine mandate, guns and abortion are spelled out in his Twitter feed.

Take for example his response to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's June 23 tweet lamenting the Supreme Court's "outrageous" decision to "recklessly [strike] down a New York law that limits those who can carry concealed weapons."

"The courts will do the same when its comes to the ridiculous gun laws in Rhode Island that were made to infringe on peoples rights. [T]he constitutions will prevail," Rianna tweeted.

Responding to a McKee tweet lamenting the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, he tweeted:

"The hypocrisy @DanMcKeeRI U say you believe in body autonomy but forced healthcare workers to get vaccinated to maintain their livelihoods."

Last spring, Rianna denounced the "disgusting" bonuses given R.I. Convention Center Authority employees while "people like the healthcare workers were forced out of their profession."

"It is sad that the hardworking tax payers in Rhode Island keep getting screwed, while the wealthy elites keep giving and getting bonuses to each other."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 3 RI independent gubernatorial candidates reach for the brass ring
Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave a boost to Domino's Pizza Inc's bid to force delivery drivers to bring a wage lawsuit in private arbitration rather than in court in a case from California that could have major implications for gig economy companies. The justices threw out a lower court's ruling that had let a group of drivers pursue a class action lawsuit seeking to recoup work-related expenses because their local deliveries represented the final step in the flow of goods over state lines. The justices ordered the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider the case in light of the Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in June that Southwest Airlines Co could not force an overtime pay lawsuit by baggage handlers into arbitration because the workers routinely load cargo onto planes that cross state lines.
By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in an industry challenge to the constitutionality of a California animal welfare law in a case that could undermine the power of states to regulate a range of issues within their own borders.

The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation are appealing a lower court's decision to throw out their lawsuit seeking to invalidate a 2018 ballot initiative passed by voters barring sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from animals whose confinement failed to meet minimum space requirements.

The pork industry has defended the size of the cages used at pig farms as humane and necessary for animal safety. Animal rights groups have said some pork producers confine mother pigs in cages so small the animals cannot turn around for most of their lives.

The industry groups have argued that the measure, called Proposition 12, violates a provision of the U.S. Constitution known as the Commerce Clause, which gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, by requiring out-of-state producers to comply or face a California sales ban. A legal doctrine called the "dormant" Commerce Clause bars states from passing laws discriminating against commerce in other states.

Proposition 12 violates that doctrine, the pork producers argued in a legal filing, because it would increase costs for pig farmers, nearly all of whom are located outside California. While being the most populous U.S. state and an important market, California produces just 0.1% of the nation's pork.

"If you're looking for an example of an unconstitutional law, this is it," said Michael Formica, chief legal strategist for the pork producers.

Proponents of the law disagree, saying California has the right to set standards for products sold to its consumers regardless of where these are produced.

"There's a long history of state laws that have to do with protecting public health, food safety and animal welfare," said Josh Balk, vice president of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States, which led the campaign to pass Proposition 12 and is a party in the case. "Producers have a choice if they want to sell products within the state's borders that meet that standard."

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The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to throw out the lawsuit, finding no Commerce Clause violation.

President Joe Biden's administration has sided with the pork producers, saying in a Supreme Court brief that states cannot ban products "that pose no threat to public health or safety based on philosophical objections."

'DRAMATIC EXPANSION'

A ruling by the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, favoring the pork industry would have major implications for Commerce Clause interpretation, according to some legal experts.

The industry is "asking for a dramatic expansion of the doctrine in a way that would call into question all kinds of state laws," lawyer Brian Frazelle of the Constitutional Accountability Center liberal advocacy group, which filed a brief in the case on behalf of law professors, told reporters in a conference call.

Sixteen liberal U.S. senators, including both of California's, had urged Biden's administration to back the law. They wrote that a ruling endorsing the industry's Commerce Clause position "could allow large, multi-state corporations to evade numerous state laws that focus on harms to their constituents, including those addressing wildlife trafficking, climate change, renewable energy, stolen property trafficking and labor abuses."

A group of 20 primarily Republican-governed states led by Indiana said in a brief that upholding Proposition 12 would undermine state sovereignty. Another group of 14 primarily Democratic-governed states and the District of Columbia, led by Illinois, said overturning it would undermine state authority to legislate.

A ruling favoring pork producers could inspire more industry challenges to state regulations, according to Nandan Joshi, an attorney with the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, which filed a brief supporting California.

Pressed by animal welfare and consumer groups, many food and restaurant companies already have committed to phasing out small confinements for pigs and to buying or producing cage-free eggs.

Proposition 12, passed with the support of about 63% of California voters, set the required space for breeding pigs, or sows, at 24 square feet (2.2 square meters). The current industry standard is between 14 and 20 square feet (1.3 to 1.9 square meters), according to a 2021 report from Dutch banking and financial services company Rabobank.

The measure also increased the space required to house egg-laying hens and calves raised for veal.

Top U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods, owned by Chinese company WH Group Ltd, said last year it plans to comply with the law. Kansas-based Seaboard Foods, the No. 2 U.S. pork producer, said this year it is was converting some of its production to achieve compliance.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas; Editing by Will Dunham)
Oct. 10Two years after voters in Portland approved the city's first rent control measure, residents are being asked to consider further changes including a new limit on annual rent increases and outlawing application fees.

Question C would also increase the amount of notice landlords must give tenants before raising the rent or ending their lease, limit security deposits to one month's rent and increase the fee to convert a rental unit to a condominium from $150 to $25,000.

Landlords would be allowed to increase rent by 5% in addition to other annual increases when a new tenant moves in, but only when there is voluntary turnover. The proposal also looks to clarify the reasons a landlord could seek permission for a rent increase from the city's rent board. It would also recognize tenants' right to voice complaints through a tenants union.

The referendum is one of four citizen's initiatives sponsored by the Maine chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America's Livable Portland campaign, which says this proposal will reduce barriers for people struggling to find affordable housing.

"This shores up existing protections for tenants," said Wes Pelletier, chair of the Livable Portland campaign. "It makes it much safer to live in Portland and ensures our city is doing more to protect tenants and to make sure the city is affordable."

Opponents say the proposal presents complex changes that were developed without proper stakeholder engagement and that will hurt tenants by making it harder for landlords to operate.

"This is punitive stuff that is so detailed and based on nothing I've heard to justify any of this from the DSA other than them repeating profit for landlords, affordable housing and affordable rents (are a problem) in Portland," said Brit Vitalius, president of the Rental Housing Alliance of Southern Maine, a non-profit representing rental housing providers.

PROPOSAL FOLLOWS 2020 REFERENDUM

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The proposal comes two years after 58% of Portland voters approved a new rent control ordinance also brought forward by DSA.

The 2020 measure capped rent increases at the rate of inflation plus annual property tax increase adjustments, up to 10% in any given year. It also created a seven-member rental board made up of tenants and landlords appointed by the Portland City Council to enforce the ordinance and award additional rent increases when appropriate.

The city has 18,811 long-term rental units, though some are exempt from rent control, including owner-occupied apartment buildings with up to four units as well as those provided by housing authorities, schools, religious institutions and hospitals.

That would remain the case under Question C, which would further restrict rent increases by lowering the cap from 100% to 70% of the rate of inflation and eliminating the additional property tax adjustment, which DSA says is already accounted for in the inflation rate.

The proposal would continue to allow for-cause evictions with just a seven-day notice, but it adds a requirement for a 90-day notice for landlords to end a lease in all other circumstances. A 90-day notice would also be required for any rent increase  up from 75 days in the current law.

CAP BASED ON OTHER CITIES

Buddy Moore, a DSA member who helped write Question C and previously served as a tenant representative on the rent board, said the new cap at 70% of the rate of inflation is based on similar limits in other cities.

One example he gave was Berkeley, California, where the city allowed landlords to increase rent by 2.1% in 2022, according to the city's website, which said that calculation was based on 65% of the rate of inflation in the Bay Area.

San Francisco, another city Moore cited, limits annual rent increases to 2.3%, based on 60% of the area's consumer price index (CPI), according to the city.

Each year on Sept. 1, Portland publishes the allowable increase for the following year based on inflation. The city said last month that rents will be allowed to increase 7% next year, based on the CPI for the greater Boston metro area, in addition to any applicable tax rate adjustments.

Inflation is currently the worst it's been in years, Moore said, and he said that lowering rent increases will help the people hardest hit. "Wages have not kept up with the cost of living so we're trying to give working-class tenants a raise and reduce the amount that landlords can jack up rent each year," he said.

OPPONENTS QUESTION PROPOSAL

But Vitalius, of the Rental Housing Alliance, said Question C ignores that inflation has also hit landlords and said the proposal eliminates too many sources of income that allow them to keep their buildings running. "They're just hitting everything they can hit and we don't know what it's based on," he said.

The 17-page proposal is complex, he said, and "the kind of edits staff would recommend after a detailed analysis of what's not working."

He said application fees are already limited in city ordinance (to the cost of the screening process or $30, whichever is lower) and the part of the proposal limiting security deposits to one month's rent is stricter than state law, which allows for up to two month's rent for security.

And he said lower rents won't necessarily mean more apartments for lower-income people. "It's still a tight housing market and there are still tech workers and doctors that need housing," Vitalius said.

The 2020 proposal also received pushback from landlords, including one group that has sued the city over a provision requiring landlords to file information about rents that they've argued should not be public. That case is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 8  Election Day.

Laura Mitchell, executive director of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, which advocates for the creation and preservation of affordable housing around the state, said the organization hasn't taken a position on the Portland referendum.

TENANTS UNION RECOGNIZED

Question C also includes new language recognizing the right of tenant unions to represent renters in complaints. It says a landlord can't retaliate or discriminate against a tenant for filing a complaint or for participating in a tenants union.

The provision comes after the Trelawny Tenants Union filed complaints with the rent board last year regarding rent increases at the Trelawny Building on Congress Street. Former Mayor Ethan Strimling, a member of both DSA and the union, said some union members were worried about retaliation.

"This provision protects tenants so they feel like they can go in front of the rent board," said Strimling, who is also fighting an attempt from his landlord, Geoffrey Rice, to evict him from the Trelawny Building on grounds Rice retaliated against Strimling for his involvement in the tenants union.

The city of Portland has estimated implementing Question C will cost about $175,000, based on hiring two staff members to handle enforcement and record keeping, and a one-time expense of $25,000 to renovate office space for the additional staff.

Members of DSA have argued that some of those costs could be offset with stronger enforcement and increased fines and fees, including the proposed $25,000 condo conversion fee. The current fee is $150 and the city has said there are about four condo conversions per year.

Question C also increases the penalty for late registration from $10 to $50 for those that are two weeks late and imposes a new $200 late fee for those more than 45 days late.

The full ordinance can be read on the city's website.
The offices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus are housed in the building to the left of St. Joseph Cathedral. The Diocese of Steubenville in southeastern Ohio said its bishop plans to propose merging with the Columbus Catholic diocese soon.

The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Steubenville has expressed interest in possibly merging the diocese with the Catholic Diocese of Columbus.

Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey Monforton plans to discuss the idea with the five other Ohio Catholic bishops, Dino Orsatti, the director of communications for the Diocese of Steubenville, told The Dispatch Monday in an email.

'A wonderful experience':Columbus Catholic bishop is in Rome with Pope Francis

Monforton is suggesting the merger for several reasons, Orsatti said, including a declining Catholic population in the Steubenville diocese, the depressed economy in the Ohio Valley, an aging population of priests and Catholics, and a a financial scandal that cost the diocese there millions of dollars.

If the other bishops  representing the dioceses of Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati  approve Monforton's recommendation of the merger, Orsatti said he will present the idea in November to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, a national membership organization of Catholic bishops.

If the council approves it, Orsatti said, the proposal would go to the Vatican, with Pope Francis making the final decision.

'Serving the universal church':Catholic seminary in Columbus gets warning, probation from national accrediting agencies

Columbus Bishop Earl K. Fernandes didn't have a response to Monforton's proposal on Monday or Tuesday, and the diocese won't really until it has more information about the proposal, according to Diocesan spokesman Jason Mays.

"We're all one Catholic church. We'll work together and do what we can," Mays said.

'Here I am, Lord': Next Catholic bishop of Columbus felt call to priesthood early

Steubenville is located along the Ohio River, west of Pittsburgh, and the Catholic diocese based there covers a 13-county area in southeastern Ohio with 50 parishes and 36 active priests, according to its website. Comparatively, the Diocese of Columbus covers 23 counties with 105 parishes and 97 active priests.

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The Diocese of Columbus has more than 278,000 Catholics, and the Diocese of Steubenville has fewer than 30,000.

The Steubenville diocese also faced a financial scandal in 2017, according to Orsatti.

David A. Franklin, the former comptroller for the Steubenville diocese, was sentenced to one year in prison for tax crimes and embezzlement in federal court in December 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He also had to serve two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution.

'A great honor':Catholics express joy, shock at basilica announcement in Lancaster

Franklin pleaded guilty to failing to account for and pay the government withheld employment tax, making a false personal income tax return and wire fraud. He embezzled $299,500 in diocesan funds between 2008 and 2017 by issuing fraudulent checks to himself.

The Diocesan Entities provide support to individuals and families, youth educational programs, a thrift store, an emergency food bank and more, said U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers, in a statement at the time. Franklins actions cost the Diocese  and the community  $1.3 million."

As a result of Franklin's actions, the diocese had to pay the Internal Revenue Service and state agencies $3.5 million in 2018 to account for withheld payroll taxes and employment taxes, including interest and penalties.

A 'devastating' change for some:Ohio State's Catholic student ministry to get new leadership at Newman Center

In 2017, the Diocese of Steubenville applied to become, and was named, a "home mission" in the United States. These are dioceses and parishes in the United States that can't provide basic pastoral services to Catholics without outside help, according to the Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Steubenville diocese is one of 80 home missions in the U.S. because the conference said the Catholic church is "poorly established" in many parts of the country, including Appalachia, which includes areas within the Steubenville diocese, as well as places in the South, Alaska and elsewhere.

The Diocese of Columbus is in the midst of a two-year campaign with the focus of reimagining use of its resources to best serve its people. Called Real Presence, Real Future, the campaign is one example of how dioceses are dealing with dwindling numbers of priests.

Mays said decisions on parish closings and other campaign recommendations likely will not happen before next summer unless a situation of unsustainability would need a more timely decision.

There is some precedent for diocesan mergers. In 2020, for example, an archdiocese and a diocese in Alaska merged, according to the Associated Press.

The Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau were merged by Pope Francis, who named a new archbishop. The Juneau diocese had been the smallest in the country for several years, according to the article, and the new archdiocese serves more than 30,000 Catholics.

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Might Columbus Catholic diocese merge with Diocese of Steubenville?
Prince Harry is sharing an update on the day-to-day lives of his 3-year-old son, Archie, and 16-month-old daughter, Lilibet  and it sounds like both children have a hectic schedule.

The Duke of Sussex provided a small glimpse into his home life with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, while speaking with the winners of the 2022 WellChild Awards via video call.

According to the organizations website, the annual awards celebration recognizes the inspirational qualities of the UKs seriously ill children and young people, along with those who go that extra mile to make a difference to their lives.

In a video uploaded to the charitys YouTube account on Oct. 10, Harry chatted with multiple families and applauded their bravery for battling serious illnesses.

While speaking with 4-year-old Henry Waines, his mom, Shevonne, and his dad, Ben, the duke apologized for not being able to present the toddler with his award in person.

Thats all right! Henry replied.

Harry laughed at the boys cheerful response and said, You sound just like my son, Archie, the same little squeaky voice. I love it.

During their conversation, Henry asked how Archie and Lilibet were doing.

Theyre doing great, the British royal said.

He added, Archie is very, very busy and Lili is learning to use her voice, which is great.

In an interview with TODAY in April, Harry revealed that his son shares his cheeky personality and spends time interrupting his parents Zoom calls.

At the end of his video call with the Waineses, Harry told Henry, You have to continue being the brave boy that you are, OK? Not just for your mom and dad but for your little brother as well.

The duke then addressed Henrys parents and praised them for their strength during a difficult situation.

Full respect to you guys as parents to go through this, he said. Having been a part of this charity now for over a decade, I know how hard it is and you guys continue to smile. And its always harder for the parents than it is for the kids. Thats certainly the way that it seems. But, youve got your hands full in the most beautiful of ways with little Henry there.

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Henry was born with serious health problems that impacted his ability to breathe, eat and speak, a press release from WellChild said. The 4-year-old spent the first 15 months of his life living in a hospital and underwent multiple operations in a cardiac intensive care ward.

Now Henry is attached to a ventilator 24 hours a day, which keeps him alive, the press release said. Undaunted, Henry is defying all predictions and determined to show how well you can live with a tracheostomy.

After his conversation with Henry and his parents, Harry spoke with six other families, as well as the four professional WellChild award recipients.

WellChild works with childrens nurses, family support services and other resources to assist children and young people across the U.K. who are living with serious or uncommon health conditions.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Da Nang welcomes first international cruise ship after COVID-19 hiatus

French-flagged cruise ship Le Lape'rouse with over 200 foreign holidaymakers aboard docked at Tien Sa port on October 9, becoming the first of its kind to visit the central coastal city of Da Nang after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.













The foreign holidaymakers aboard the cruise ship Le Lape'rouse. (Photo: VNA)

The passengers, mainly from Europe and the US, were presented with flowers and gifts by representatives of the municipal Department of Tourism at a welcome ceremony held at the port.



They are scheduled to visit tourist destinations in the city, and Hoi An ancient city in the neighbouring province of Quang Nam.



At the ceremony, Huynh Thi Huong Lan, deputy director of the municipal centre for tourism promotion, affirmed the city remains an attractive destination to international tourists.



The local authorities will work with relevant agencies to promote the development of maritime tourism in the time to come, she stressed.



Le Lape'rouse is on a journey to explore the coast and famous landmarks of Vietnam, lasting between 8 and 11 days. This is a new programme for Asia of the five-star cruise ship.
University of Chicago professor Douglas Diamond speaks during a news conference in Friedman Hall on Oct. 10, 2022, after he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

A University of Chicago finance professor considered one of the worlds foremost minds regarding the banking industry is one of three winners of the 2022 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his influential research on the banking system.

Douglas Diamond, a widely respected professor who has worked for the Booth School of Business since 1979, became the 97th scholar associated with university to be a Nobel winner and the 33rd in economics, according to the university.

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Diamond receives the prestigious award alongside former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, who oversaw the 2008 financial crisis, and professor Philip Dybvig of Washington University in St. Louis for research on banks and financial crises, according to the Nobel Foundation.

The trio will split the prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor, or about $885,000.

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BREAKING NEWS:

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2022 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig for research on banks and financial crises.#NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/cW0sLFh2sj  The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2022

The official announcement from the the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences came just before 5 a.m. Chicago time. While calling the award a high honor in front of colleagues and members of the media on campus Monday, Diamond told reporters that there was a moment during the early morning phone call from Sweden that he thought it might be a prank from colleagues.

I was sound asleep, so my main reaction was trying to figure out where my phone was, said Diamond, 68, a Merton H. Miller distinguished service professor, when asked about his first reaction to winning.

So I heard this Swedish voice on there saying, Are you professor Doug Diamond? ... I said, Yes. I did know this was the day that they announce the prize, and I thought it was probably legit, he said to laughter. But you never know  I have some friends with a good sense of humor.

University of Chicago professor Douglas Diamond speaks during a news conference in Friedman Hall on Oct. 10, 2022, after he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Diamonds early research in the 1980s with Dybvig created theoretical models that illustrated why banks succeed and fail, and explained the connection between liquidity and mass bank withdrawals by worried customers. Among their recommendations, the pair suggested government-backed bank deposit insurance as a way of counteracting jittery customers.

Modern banking research clarifies why we have banks, how to make them less vulnerable in crises, and how bank collapses exacerbate financial crises, the Royal Academy said in a statement. The foundations of this research were laid by (the three laureates) in the early 1980s. Their analyses have been of great practical importance in regulating financial markets and dealing with financial crises.

Diamonds work with Dybvig is considered seminal among economists, and Diamonds advice was essential in the days after the 2008 collapse.

Doug Diamond is the foundation scholar of much of what we know about banking and financial institutions, fellow U. of C. professor and former Obama administration economic adviser Austan Goolsbee told the Tribune. Hes also extremely practical  was an unheralded key adviser to policymakers during the financial crisis and beyond about how to make the system safer.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

Diamond is also a trusted voice for friends and co-workers seeking personal advice, Goolsbee added.

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Everyone is over the moon about his winning except for the fact that hes the person all the other faculty turn to for life advice about which UChicago health plan to choose, which retirement plan is best, whats the best place to buy appliances, etc., Goolsbee said. So now everyone is worried they wont have Doug to figure things out for them now.

Diamond suggested that he would stick around the university to complete research projects before considering retirement, along with possibly bumping up his retirement accounts.

After briefly commenting on his career at Booth and his relationship with colleagues and students, Diamond held court answering audience finance questions, ranging from the current state of the banking system  which he called in reasonably good shape  to his take on the reliability of cryptocurrencies, which he viewed as highly risky.

Chicago Tribunes Maddie Ellis contributed.

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Midnoircowboy
A Purdue University student who confessed to murdering his roommate last week has apologized for the crime and claimed he was blackmailed.

Ji Min Sha, 22, a junior studying cybersecurity at the university in West Lafayette, called 911 at 12:44 a.m. on Wednesday to report that he had killed his roommate, Varun Manish Chheda, with a knife.

Chheda, a 20-year-old senior majoring in data science, was found dead on a chair in their first-floor room at McCutcheon Hall. A preliminary autopsy determined that he died of multiple sharp-force traumatic injuries to the head and neck.

Sha was taken into custody after being found in the same room with blood on his body and clothing. A folding knife was also found on the floor.

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Sha, who goes by the nickname Jimmy, is an international student from South Korea. At an initial hearing on Friday, he told reporters Im very sorry and said I was blackmailed, without elaborating.

Purdue University Chief of Police Lesley Weite is convinced that the attack was unprovoked.

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I believe this was unprovoked and senseless, Weite said. Our hearts go out to the victim and his family and friends. I can't even imagine what his family is going through.

So far, police have confirmed that Chheda was gaming online with friends on the night he was killed. One of those friends, Andrew Wu, told WTHR that he suddenly heard screaming.

Another friend, Arunabh Sinha, told NBC News that while he was not playing with Chheda at the time, he was told of the attack and that his friends did not know what was going on.

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Chheda, who was of Indian descent, was a National Merit Scholarship award winner and a national runner-up in the 2016 Science Bowl Competition. An obituary described him as an inquisitive person who loved the sciences and had a contagious passion for any subject matter.

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In a letter, Purdue University President Mitch Daniels assured students that a thorough investigation is ongoing and that the Office of the Dean of Students, Residence Halls, and Counseling and Psychological Services are providing support to those who need or want their care.

Sha is scheduled to be formally charged on Thursday. He remains held without bond at Tippecanoe County Jail.

More from NextShark: NYC Asian Family Robbed and Viciously Attacked By Looters, Mom Sent to ICU

Featured Image via FOX59 News (left) and Facebook (right)
WEST LAFAYETTE - The defending national champions finally handed Purdue a Big Ten loss.

But the Boilermakers didn't go down without a fight.

Wisconsin's 16-25, 25-19, 25-18, 30-28 win at Holloway Gymnasium ended Purdue's eight-match winning streak, following Purdue surviving a five-set victory at home against Iowa last Wednesday.

The Boilermakers (14-2, 5-1 Big Ten) travel to rival Indiana for a 7 p.m. match Friday and host Maryland at 1 p.m. Sunday. Here's five notable things heading into the weekend.

Looking back

The Big Ten is no cakewalk regardless of opponent. That certainly was the proven as Purdue was outplayed by Iowa but eked out a win. The Boilers then turned around and gave the defending national champions everything they wanted.

"Iowa is probably the surprise team of this league," Purdue coach Dave Shondell said. "They had their third coaching change in the last couple years, pull in some transfers and put a team like that together.

"This past weekend was the snapshot of what this whole season is going to be like. It doesnt matter if you are playing somebody who won the national championship or somebody who wasnt expected to make an NCAA tournament. Every match is going to be an absolute battle."

Scouting the Hoosiers and Terrapins

Indiana (9-9, 2-4) is on a three-match losing streak, but those losses came in a competitive five-setter to Iowa, 3-0 to Wisconsin and 3-1 to Ohio State, which like Wisconsin is one of the nation's best teams.

"This is an Indiana team that is plenty good and they are playing with a lot of purpose," Shondell said.

Indiana and Maryland (10-8, 1-5) ranked second and first, respectively, in the Big Ten in aces. Maryland also leads the league in blocking and blocking against, as well as ranking third in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage. Both teams, however, rank nearly the bottom of the league in most offensive categories.

Purdue Boilermakers Ava Torrance (1) hits the ball during the NCAA womens volleyball match against the Ball State Cardinals, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Ind.

Full strength

It was dangerous territory rolling with three defensive specialists in recent weeks while senior libero Maddie Schermerhorn nursed an injury. Help returned last week when Schermerhorn was cleared to return.

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Purdue struggled passing against Iowa, but Schermerhorn was much better against Wisconsin, Shondell said, and is expected to be 100 percent by Friday's match in Bloomington.

Ali Hornung held down the libero position until Schermerhorn returned. She was stellar against Wisconsin on Saturday in her typical middle back position. Ava Torrance and Emily Brown will continue to alternate now that Schermerhorn is back in the lineup.

Another arm

The Boilermakers had been leaning on Eva Hudson. Perhaps too much.

But the freshman had delivered time and time again. Last weekend, from a hitting perspective, she was held in check. Hudson did have 19 kills versus Iowa and 13 against the Badgers, but also had a combined 17 errors on 105 swings.

Maddie Koch picked up some of the slack, hitting .429 with 15 kills against the Hawkeyes, then delivering eight kills against Wisconsin.

"I thought she had a really good week and is starting to feel very comfortable with who she is on the floor in a role where the expectations are high," Shondell said of Koch. "She has a great arm. She has a powerful hitting arm so we have to continue to get her the ball and let her figure out how she is going to score points.

"We dont beat Iowa without her playing the way she played."

Milestone achievement

Shondell, associate head coach John Shondell and assistant head coach Kathy Jewell were recognized at last Wednesday's match against Iowa for 20 years with the Boilermakers.

The trio came in together in 2003 and have since won more than 400 matches. Despite attempts from other universities to lure away John Shondell and Jewell as head coaches, they've remained intact.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue volleyball: 5 things heading into Indiana, Maryland
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  SUNDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2022, 20:32

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraines Security Service of blowing up the Crimean Bridge.

Source: RIA Novosti, a pro-Kremlin Russian media outlet, and TASS, a Russian state-owned news outlet, citing Vladimir Putin during his meeting with Aleksandr Bastrykin, Head of Russias Investigative Committee

Details: Putin claimed that the Crimean Bridge explosion was ordered, coordinated, and carried out by the Ukrainian Security Service.

The Russian President also called the explosion "a terrorist attack".

Quote by Putin: "Theres no doubt. Its a terrorist attack that aims to destroy critically important civilian infrastructure of Russia".

Meanwhile, Bastrykin said that Russian prosecutors have opened a case under the article on "terrorism" of the Criminal Code.

The head of Russias Investigative Committee told Putin that the Ukrainian Security Service was responsible for organising the "terrorist attack" on the Crimean Bridge. He claimed that Russian citizens living in third countries helped the Ukrainian Security Service to prepare the attack.

"We have already established the route of the truck that exploded. It went through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia, KrasnodarWe have identified the carriers. With the help of operatives of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB), we have been able to identify suspects from among those who could have prepared the terrorist attack," Bastrykin said.

Find out more: Satellite images of the damaged Crimean Bridge

Background:

On the morning of 8 October, a powerful fire broke out on the railway portion of the Crimean Bridge.

Russian occupation authorities of Crimea stated that a truck allegedly exploded on the bridge. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that 3 people were killed as a result of the explosion.

Later the same day, the occupiers claimed that the movement of cars and buses across the Crimean Bridge had resumed. Freight and passenger train traffic over the bridge was also restored.

A source told Ukrainska Pravda that the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) was behind the explosion on the Crimean Bridge. The SSU itself said that it will not comment on its own role, or on the role of any other Ukrainian government bodies, in the Crimean Bridge explosion until after Ukraines victory.

Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine, has shared a video of the fire on the Crimean Bridge accompanied by the song "Happy Birthday, Mr President" [referring to Russian President Vladimir Putins birthday on 7 October - ed.]. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry for Digital Transformation, posted an amusing image of the Russian air defence system. Mykhailo Podoliak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has described the explosion on the Crimean Bridge as a manifestation of the conflict between Russian security forces.

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ALONA MAZURENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 13:08

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Russias morning missile attack on Ukraine high-precision strikes on energy and military infrastructure.

Source: Vladimir Putin during a meeting of the Russian Security Council on 10 October

Quote from Putin: "In the morning a mass strike on Ukraines infrastructure  energy infrastructure, and military command and communication targets  was undertaken using high-precision weapons."

Details: The Russian President claimed that the Security Service of Ukraine was responsible for the Crimean Bridge explosion. Putin believes that the attack on the illegally constructed bridge was "an act of terror".

The Russian dictator also claimed that if "Ukrainian terrorist attacks" on "Russian territory" continue, Russias response will be "tough, and its scale will reflect the level of threats."

Putin complained that Ukraine, and in particular Ukraines Security Service, has allegedly carried out terrorist attacks on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. He also claimed that Ukraine wanted to blow up the TurkStream [a natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey  ed.], though he had no evidence to back up his claim.

Enemy missiles hit a playground, a pedestrian bridge, road surface and a car near the "red campus" of the Shevchenko University and other civilian targets in Kyiv on the morning of 10 October.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that Russia has launched 83 missiles on Ukraine within a few hours on the morning of 10 October, 45 of which were shot down by Ukraines air defence.

Background:

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(Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin may meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan this week to discuss a Turkish proposal to host talks between Russia and the West on Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia had not received any signals about the prospect of negotiations with the West in Turkey, but did not rule out that Putin could discuss this with Erdogan.

Both Putin and Erdogan are expected to visit Kazakhstan this week.

Tensions between the West and Russia over its seven-month long invasion of Ukraine are still rising, with Moscow launching missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday in response to a weekend explosion that badly damaged a Russian-built bridge to Crimea.

Turkey, which has close relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, has been seen as a potential mediator in the conflict, and in July helped broker a deal to export Ukrainian grain blockaded in Black Sea ports.

Erdogan has urged Putin to reduce tensions and in September called on Moscow to give peace negotiations another chance.

The White House said on Sunday that both sides needed to find a way to negotiate an end to the war.

(Reporting by Reuters)
MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 13:30

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened Ukraine with a "harsh response" in case of attempts to carry out "terrorist attacks" on the territory of the Russian Federation, as he commented on the morning missile attack on Ukraine.

Source: [Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency] TASS

Quote from Putin: "In the event of continuing attempts to carry out terrorist attacks on our territory, the responses from Russia will be harsh, and in terms of their scale, [they] will correspond to the level of threats posed to the Russian Federation."

Previously: Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that so far, on 10 October, the Russian aggressor state has launched 83 missiles on Ukraine within a few hours; 45 of these were shot down by air defence systems.

Background:

On the morning of 8 October, it became known that there was a powerful fire on the railway branch of the Crimean bridge.

According to the media, the explosion on the Crimean Bridge was organised by the Ukrainian secret services. Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly accused Ukraine of a terrorist attack.

The New York Times writes that the Crimean Bridge is deeply symbolic for Russian President Vladimir Putin and a symbol of the Russian military's failure.

Since 2015, the construction of the Crimean Bridge was carried out in violation of international law, since Ukraine did not give such permission.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to respond in a very harsh matter on Monday if Ukraine continues what Putin described as terrorist attacks following an explosion on a key bridge.

Two days after a massive explosion damaged a bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, Putin during a Security Council meeting boasted of a massive Russian strike that overnight targeted Kyiv. Ukraines capital city had largely not been a target in recent months.

In case of continuation of terrorist attacks on our territory, we will respond in a very harsh manner, and we will respond in level with the level of threats posed against Russian Federation, Putin said. Nobody should have any doubt about this.

Facing steep territorial losses from a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Putin announced he would annex four regions in Ukraines east and south as he called up 300,000 reservists. But the Ukrainians have continued making gains in areas claimed by Russia even after the Kremlins land grab.

Putin on Monday went on to accuse Kyiv of nuclear terrorism in its military operation, which comes as the Russian president warns the West he is not bluffing in his own threats of using the Kremlins nuclear arsenal.

On Saturday, a critical bridge linking Russia to Crimea, Ukraines southern peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014, was badly damaged in a massive explosion.

The road and rail line is viewed as personally important for Putin as both a symbolic and physical representation of Russias control over the peninsula. Putin on Monday blamed Ukraine, which has not claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Its also obvious that the masterminds and perpetrators are Ukrainian Security Services, Putin said on Monday, according to a translation posted by Sky News. Kyiv regime has been using terrorist attacks for a long time now, this is the assassination of public figures, scientists, journalists both in Ukraine and Russia.

U.S. officials have said there are no signs Russia is imminently moving toward using a tactical nuclear weapon, but they have expressed concerns about the possibility.

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Russia overnight moved to strike Kyiv and other targets in response, hours after Putin first called the bridge explosion an act of terrorism.

Leaving such crimes without response is simply impossible, Putin said. This morning on the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and the general staff, we have conducted a massive, high-precision weapon strike from the sea and from land aimed at Ukrainian military infrastructure, communication infrastructure and so on.

Officials reported at least five civilian deaths and 12 people wounded in Kyiv following the blast, saying at least 83 missiles were fired at Ukraine.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had attacked a dozen regions, also labeling Russian officials terrorists and claiming they are deliberately targeting civilians.

They want panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system, Zelensky said. They are hopeless. The second target is people. Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A picture of Quinton Simon shared by police in Chatham County. Georgia (Chatham County Police Department / Facebook)

The desperate search for missing Georgia toddler Quinton Simon has entered its sixth day.

The 20-month-old child went missing on Wednesday (5 October) from his home in Savannah, according to the Chatham County Police Department.

Police are calling for members of the public to come forward with any information that may help their days-long search for Quinton, which officials said was their highest priority.

Here is everything you need to know:

When did Quinton go missing?

The toddler went missing on 5 October from his home in Savannah, a coastal city on the border between Georgia and South Carolina, in Chatham County.

Quinton was last seen at about 6am that day at an address in the 500 block of Buckhalter Road, and was reported missing at approximately 9.40am by his mother, Lelani Simon.

The childs 22-year-old mother told police her son was playing in a playpen when he was last seen, although earlier reports suggested Quinton had wandered off, according to CNN.

A missing persons poster for Quinton Simon (FBI)

He was wearing a light blue Sesame Street shirt and black pants.

What agencies are involved in the search?

The FBI is supporting the Chatham County Police Department in the search for Quinton, with law enforcement spending 18 to 20 hours a day looking for the 20-month-old child, CNN reported.

Chatham County police said in an earlier statement that it had executed search warrants and continued to interview those who might have information that could be helpful in the investigation with the help of the FBI.

The FBI is involved because of the possibility of the disappearance of Quinton being an abduction, although this remains unconfirmed.

An Amber Alert has not been issued as of Monday morning.

Where have investigators searched?

Search warrants were carried out on a nearby pond, swimming pool and the house itself in the 500 block of Buckhalter Road in Savannah, police said.

Speaking on Friday, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said they had exhausted searching an area where Quinton could have wandered, according to ABC News.

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Weve tried to use every available resource that we can that makes sense within the scope of our investigation to try to get a better understanding of whats happened to little Quinton, Mr Hadley said.

On Sunday, police said they would begin re-canvassing some specific areas as we continue to work to find Quinton Simon.

We are not in need of volunteers, but want to keep you informed about our efforts to find this little boy, the department said in a Facebook update.

The FBI continues to provide assistance and support, as they have since day one.We know thousands of people are checking in every day to see if there is any news about Quinton, and we are committed to keeping you updated and informed.

What has his family said?

Speaking to reporters last week, Quintons grandparents said the boys mother hasnt always done the right thing, and expressed concern for the 20-month-old.

Sometimes she does really great, sometimes she doesnt, Billie Jo Howell told ABC30. I dont know what to think right now...I dont know if I can trust her or I dont. I just know Im hurting and I want this baby home. Hes my baby.

Ms Howell reportedly lived at the same address as Quinton and Ms Simon along with her husband Thomas Howell, and her daughters boyfriend, WJCL reported.

The news outlet obtained court documents alleging an eviction despite, with Ms Howell seeking to remove her daughter and her boyfriend from the property over alleged damage and a lack of peace. This remains unconfirmed however.

The same documents also stated that Quintons grandparents have custody of the child, according to WJCL.

Quintons mother has not spoken to reporters.

Is there a motive?

Chatham County police said last week they do not believe foul play is involved in the disappearance of Quinton and that they hoped to find him alive, WJCL reported.

He is still considered a missing person and police have said all parties are cooperating with investigators, and that the case does not appear to be a custody dispute either.
The eastbound Ohio Street feeder ramp to the Kennedy Expressway closed Monday morning for an investigation of a shooting in which three people were wounded, according to Illinois State Police.

The three individuals took themselves to an area hospital and their injuries were reported as non-life-threatening.

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The shooting occurred at about 2:30 a.m., and the Ohio feeder ramp was closed beginning at 3:16 a.m. All lanes reopened at 6:09 a.m.

The investigation was still in its infancy, according to a state police news release. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the state police. Witnesses can remain anonymous.

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The state police said in a July news release that halfway through 2022, expressway shootings were down 36% compared with 2021, and expressway homicides were down 90%.

According to a database of expressway shootings in Illinois, as of Sept. 27, there have been four shootings on the Kennedy Expresswaythis year. There have been 110 expressway shootings in Chicago, 44 of which were on the Dan Ryan.

In 2021, the state police received a $12.5 million grant for technology that can read the license plate numbers of moving vehicles which they began installing on Chicago expressways last fall. In July, Director Brendan Kelly attributed this decrease in expressway violence to the automated license plate readers, as well as increased trooper presence, the deployment of anti-violence units and the use of air operations.
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten faced criticism from some on social media for taking a trip to Ukraine while many U.S. schools are floundering.

"Woke up this am to reports of disgusting Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Lviv & other cities," Weingarten tweeted Monday morning. "Heading to the border now to assess the situation. This Russian attempt to frighten civilians & the effect on children (who are learning online today) is why this [Ukraine flag emoji] trip is so important."

Weingarten is joining pediatrician and public health activist Dr. Irwin Redlener, Karen Redlener and Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum in Ukraine this week to meet with Ukrainian students and teachers displaced by the war. The group went "to offer solidarity and support in the face of relentless attacks that have forced hundreds of thousands of refugees to flee the countrys east," according to a press release from the AFT.

"The AFT was invited by the Ukrainian teachers union, the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers, to bear witness and call attention to the effects on children, families and educators and the impact of Russias attacks on democracy and democratic institutions," the press release explained.

RANDI WEINGARTEN BLASTS RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS FOR FIGHTING CULTURE WARS IN CONFERENCE SPEECH

Some on Twitter questioned the optics of Weingarten going abroad when so many students in the U.S. continue to struggle in the wake of the pandemic's school closures.

RANDI WEINGARTEN SLAMS PANDEMIC SCHOOL CLOSURE CRITICS IN FORCEFUL LETTER TO WALL STREET JOURNAL

"Why is the president of the American Federation of Teachers in Ukraine while our kids' schools are failing?" asked Post Millennial editor-in-chief Libby Emmons.

"What the F can you even do at the Ukr/Rus border, Randi? Shouldn't you be busy trying to criminalize parents who want school choice?" wrote journalist Ian Miles Cheong, who also recalled an apparently since-deleted tweet showing Weingarten holding a Ukrainian flag upside-down.

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"Now, I'm really sad that PJ O'Rourke isn't around to join this trip," tweeted National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin.

Former congressional candidate Shukri Abdirahman tweeted: "What business does the teachers' union boss have heading to the Russia/Ukraine border? And since when has anyone in her role had the job description to assess active war zones? Unreal."

"'To assess the situation,'" tweeted journalist Charles C.W. Cooke. "Er, why?"

"America's students need you on the front lines of K-12," journalist Caroline Downey tweeted at Weingarten. "Here's a crisis you should feel compelled to address: math and literacy proficiency plummeted this year due to school closures you supported. You desert children when you put union politics and other issues above education."

RANDI WEINGARTEN CLAIMS POLITICIANS MAKE TEACHERS 'SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS'

"Why is the leader of a teacher's union trying to assess the situation? And what the hell is she doing in Ukraine?" asked prominent Twitter user Comfortably Smug. "Lmao this is what teachers are paying union dues for? Randi to have a vacation in a war zone?"

"As Putin tries to take a blowtorch to democracy, we stand in solidarity with the educators, students and families in Ukraine," said Weingarten. "They are fighting against Russian aggression to uphold their democracy, their freedom and their self-determinationand after nearly eight months of conflict their righteous resistance grows stronger each day."

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, speaking in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 21, 2021. Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MomsRising Together

"The wars effect on kids and families has been brutal, and the Ukrainian teachers persistence, compassion and bravery in helping students continue their learning in an active war zone should be lifted up and championed."

The AFT did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the criticism.
A giant in the Springfield real estate scene who always remembered to call his friends on their birthdays was described Sunday as unforgettable.

Those friends were mourning John A. Heitz, who died Sunday morning. He had been suffering from lung cancer and heart issues.

"John has more friends than anybody I have ever known," said Craig Lowther, an attorney with Lowther Johnson Attorneys at Law. "He checks in with people. He remembers their birthday. He is just a friendly sort of guy who will call people just to see how they were doing."

Lowther said: "Everybody should have a good friend like John Heitz."

Heitz, 77, spent decades in residential and commercial real estate, starting with the Jones and Company Realtors.

He created John A. Heitz Properties in 1980, was a founding member of the House of Brokers, and was involved in the development of many subdivisions. He worked closely with developers including Ron Stenger.

This year, Missouri State University named its newest residence hall, Heitz House, in his honor at the request of Bryan Magers, the developer.

More:Students move into Missouri State's new residence hall, Heitz House

Magers, who met Heitz in 1972, described Heitz as a mentor and friend who acted like a big brother. He spent years working on the new residence hall with the university and approached MSU President Clif Smart about naming it for Heitz, an alum.

"I always could count on him for advice, no matter what kind it was, business or personal," Magers said. "I'd call him and we'd start out laughing and then get down to what he really felt he would do in a situation."

Heitz, a real estate broker and developer, donated to MSU and supported nonprofits, including animal charities. He did not have any children.

Despite ailing health, Heitz spoke about what the naming of Heitz House meant to him during the dedication in late August.

"When you look around at the buildings that they have here, a lot of the people have passed away but their name lives on and Bryan has made it possible for the Heitz name to live on," Heitz said at the event. "Bryan's unselfishness, by not naming the building after himself, which I really think he should have done, because it's such a beautiful structure, he worked so hard on it it, and I really appreciate it. Love you, Bryan."

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The new Heitz House, a residence hall at Missouri State University, opened in August. It was named for John A. Heitz.

Magers said Heitz, who served in the U.S. Marines, was a dominant force in the local real estate scene for decades. "He had some peers but even those peers would begrudgingly say he was the best."

Heitz found land for a variety of residential developments and was involved in selling the houses once they were built. He was connected to numerous projects with the Stenger family including Lions Gate and Wild Horse.

Lowther, the attorney, said Heitz was known for being honest and straightforward in his deals.

"He didn't have time for dancing around. If the answer was no, he'd tell you no. If he says 'I've got to get with so-and-so to check it out,' he did and he'd call you back," Lowther said. "He was the absolute ideal agent. He would never do anything but what the client wanted. He'd tell you right straight upfront."

Larry Lipscomb, a noted Springfield business owner and investor, called Heitz a friend for the past 40 years. Heitz often joined the Lipscomb family for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

"He's such a caring and giving guy and always had a heart for animals, especially dogs," said Lipscomb, adding Heitz donated to rescue and animal shelters in the area. "He'd go down to Ozark two or three times a week to walk dogs there that were in a shelter."

Heitz often traveled with Larry and Tracy Lipscomb and their children referred to him as "Uncle John."

"I'd like to see his rolodex or list but he called everybody on their birthday. He never missed. In fact, he called me. I was in Dallas on Friday, my birthday," Lipscomb recalled.

He said Heitz will be remembered for the way he treated others.

"He cared about you. He always asked about you, how are you doing, what is going on with you," Lipscomb said. "He is a friend to everybody. I don't know anybody who didn't like him. And everybody spoke so highly of him."

No funeral arrangements have been announced.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email her with tips at criley@news-leader.com.

"

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: John A. Heitz, namesake of new MSU residence hall, dies Sunday
PARIS (AP)  Formula One team Red Bull was found to have breached budget regulations last season, with the sport's governing body saying Monday it was guilty of minor overspending.

The FIA announced the verdict of its investigation into whether some F1 teams had violated the spending regulations in 2021, when Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won his first title on the last lap of the last race. Verstappen clinched his second straight title at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.

The governing body said Red Bull was considered to be in procedural and minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations in 2021, but that any sanctions would be announced at a later date. Going over the budget cap by less than 5% is considered a minor breach.

Aston Martin was also considered to be in breach of the regulations.

The FIA Cost Cap Administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the Financial Regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull and further information will be communicated in compliance with the Regulations, the body said in a statement.

F1 introduced a budget cap of $145 million last year with the aim of creating a more level playing field in F1 and to reduce the spending might of powerhouses like Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

It was scaled down to $140 million for 2022 and drops to $135 million for 2023, excluding driver salaries and engine costs.

___

More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
YANA OSADCHA

The Red Cross Society of Ukraine has denied the report about their alleged decision to suspend their activities on the territory of Ukraine.

The Red Cross has said that they are working in an enhanced mode due to missile attacks on Ukrainian cities on 10 October, providing the injured with necessary aid.

They called a message about closing the Red Cross in Ukraine fake.

"Partners of the International Committee of the Red Cross also continue to work on the territory of Ukraine to help as many people as possible with joint efforts," the Red Cross stated.

Photo: rospoint.ukr.net

Earlier, Reuters posted information about the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and at least one aid group suspended their fieldwork in Ukraine due to safety reasons on 10 October after Russia launched missiles on cities throughout Ukraine.

Andrii Kruhlashov, Head of the ICRC delegation, has clarified that it was referring to suspending operational activities only for 10 October.

"It means that today there are no trips to the fields to handing out product packages due to the safety situation," he wrote.

Kruhlashov also called the report about the ICRC stopping their activities in Ukraine fake.

Dmytro Lubinets, Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudsman) of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian parliament), called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to use the right terms regarding Russias full-scale invasion in Ukraine. In particular, it asked that it refer to it not as "the Ukrainian crisis", but a war.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Registration for Florida voters to be able to cast their ballots in the November, 8th midterm election ends at midnight, on Tuesday, October 11.

Voters include new residents with a valid drivers license and/or address; residents who recently turned 18; and/or residents who have never previously voted.

VOTER GUIDE: Florida Election Resources

There is no deadline to update your voting address in Florida.

Residents can register to vote online at https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home or through their county supervisor of elections office.

Unlike the 21 states which includes California, Utah, Washington, and North Carolina, Florida forbids Election day, voter registration.




A Republican running for governor of New York on an anti-crime message had a talking point literally play out on his doorstep over the weekend.

Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York was away from home when his daughters called 911 in response to a shocking drive-by shooting in broad daylight that left one teen suspect hiding in fear for his life under the representatives porch and another ducking for cover by jumping over his fence.

News outlets reported that police officials said the victims were known to police for prior involvement in car break-ins, and that the shooting may have occurred following an altercation at a local recording studio.

There was blood in the rock right next to the porch, he told The New York Post. One of the shooting victims was underneath the porch. The other was underneath bushes near the porch.

Mr Zeldin added that he did not know the identities of the victims. The congressman said in a press release that his daughters were doing homework at the familys kitchen table when the shooting occurred; they then ran upstairs for cover in a bathroom.

Thank you to all who reached out with your concern regarding the 2 people shot this afternoon outside my home. Mikayla and Arianna were at the kitchen table doing homework. One of the bullets landed just 30 feet from them. They acted very swiftly and smartly in response. pic.twitter.com/PMw3u5ic17  Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) October 9, 2022

The Republican is challenging incumbent Gov Kathy Hochul next month as she seeks her first full term, and has centred much of his campaign on the issue of violent crime around the state of New York.

Just two days before the shooting, he had ripped Ms Hochul as a soft on crime sellout in a tweet.

The murder rate in New York City alone has ticked up in the 2020s after reaching historic lows in the 2010s, including through much of the tenure of former Mayor Bill de Blasio. It still remains multitudes lower than the murder rate experienced by the city in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

Mr Zeldin resides in Shirley, New York, located on Long Island. The town has a lower crime rate than New York City as a whole, which itself has a lower crime rate than the national average.
Story at a glance

Chronic pain affects about 20 percent of adults in the U.S.

Painkillers can be addictive, and overdoses lead to tens of thousands of deaths each year.

Funding from the NIH aims to help develop monoclonal antibodies for chronic pain, which could be a non-addictive alternative to opioids.

A group of researchers based out of University of California Davis recently received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop monoclonal antibodies for use against chronic pain.

Its a challenge to be able to develop safe and effective drugs to treat pain, said Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy at University of California Davis School of Medicine.

Opioid painkillers like oxycodone (OxyContin) can be addictive for some people, and others like fentanyl have played a large part in the opioid misuse and overdose crisis.

Monoclonal antibodies are already being used as treatments for some types of cancer. A few types of monoclonal antibodies were also given emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fight COVID-19.

In a similar vein as chronic pain, the FDA has already approved a monoclonal antibody treatment for migraine headaches. The novel therapy targets a specific signaling molecule called CGRP. The antibodies block CGRP, which researchers think plays a role in the nerves linked to the blood vessels in the brain, according to Nature.

Although it only works for a subset of patients, this is a step forward for migraine treatment because of how effective it is for the people it does work for. In addition, patients on the migraine treatment have had minimal side effects, and that could also be true for other monoclonal antibody treatments.

Complications from a monoclonal antibody treatment will depend on if the antibodies are specific enough, meaning that they bind well to their targets and not much else.

For Yarov-Yarovoy and collaborators, this is where the high resolution imaging and computational tools come in. Based on past research, the team are focused on three ion channels in the membranes of nerve cells. Ion channels allow molecules to pass into and out of the cell based on if they are activated or deactivated. This kind of movement of molecules is the basis for many types of signaling in the body, including pain.

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The receptors where an antibody can bind to on the membrane channels are highly complex structures. Yarov-Yarovoy says that the imaging and computational techniques have become much more powerful in recent years and hopes that will help the team develop these new antibodies.

If they do develop the right antibodies, this treatment could be given as an intravenous injection. The antibodies could circulate in the bloodstream for up to a month before getting broken down, meaning that patients could potentially get this shot and feel the benefits for weeks.

The team think that if this research works out that a monoclonal antibody treatment for chronic pain could be a good alternative to opioids because it would not be addictive and could have few side effects.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 20 percent of adults have chronic pain and 8 percent of adults in the U.S. experience high impact chronic pain. In the ongoing opioid epidemic, tens of thousands of people die from overdoses each year.

The White House recently announced $1.5 billion initiative to combat addiction and opioid misuse. If a monoclonal antibody treatment for chronic pain were to receive FDA approval, that could provide another option for doctors to prescribe and could prevent people from becoming addicted to or dependent on opioids.

This would all depend on years of extensive research and clinical trials before it could get into regular use, and it could end up being a very expensive treatment.

Well see how broad the actual usefulness of these antibodies in the future, said Yarov-Yarovoy. We dont think there is one magic, basic treatment for all the patients with chronic pain, but what we hope is that it will help some patients with chronic pain.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Alexander O'Connor, also known as Rex Orange County, in 2020 Owen Sweeney / AP

Rex Orange County has been charged with six counts of sexual assault in the UK, the Southwark Crown Court in London confirmed to BuzzFeed News.

The British musician, whose given name is Alexander O'Connor and is widely known for his song "Loving Is Easy," pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court in London. O'Connor is accused of assaulting the woman twice on June 1 in the West End in London, according to the Sun. The following day, he allegedly assaulted her in a taxi and then three more times at his home in Notting Hill. His trial is set for Jan. 3.

Alex is shocked by the allegations, which he denies and looks forward to clearing his name in court," a publicist for O'Connor said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "He is unable to make any further comment because of the ongoing proceedings.

In July, O'Connor announced on social media that he had to cancel the rest of his tour because of "personal circumstances," although it's unclear what those were.

"It is with a great deal of sadness to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances, I am having to spend some time at home this year and I will not be able to continue with touring as planned," he wrote on social media.
Ricky Gervais has responded to the suggestion that he return to host the Golden Globes in 2023.

The comedian and TV star has previously hosted the film awards ceremony five times, in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2020.

Gervais has drawn praise and a fair amount of controversy for his brutal monologues and mid-ceremony jokes, many of which take aim at the celebrity guests in attendence.

On social media, a fan shared a video of Gervais hosting the Globes in 2020, asking followers to retweet the clip if you wish [that Gervais] would host the Golden Globes again in 2023.

F*** that, Gervais wrote in response to the tweet, alongside a crying laughing emoji.

The comment echoes the After Life stars previous remarks about returning to the Globes.

Back in January, he claimed that he had asked the awards body not to invite him to host the ceremony again.

It could be the Golden Globes could offer me 10m for 10 minutes work, you know, and Id be an idiot, Id be a liar, to say I wouldnt consider it, he said.

But at the moment, given Ive done it five times, it got better and better for me  I enjoyed them all, but it got better  and Im planning never to do it again.

Ricky Gervais hosting the ceremony in 2016 (Getty Images)

This years Golden Globe awards were announced by a press release, instead of the usual live ceremony.

The change came after the Globess organising body, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, was subject to a Hollywood boycott over its diversity and ethics scandal.

The HFPA has been embroiled in controversy since February last year, when a Los Angeles Times expose accused it of a lack of diversity in its voting membership  at the time, it did not have a single Black member  as well as ethical lapses in its business conduct.
A customer looks over merchandise at Colores Mexicanos in the 600 block of Chicago's Michigan Avenue on Oct. 5, 2022. The owners of Colores Mexicanos, the first-ever Mexican cultural store on the Magnificent Mile, were part of a delegation of business owners and corporate leaders that traveled with Mayor Lori Lightfoot to Mexico City in late September. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Hundreds of radiant rebozos and picturesque huipiles, made by Indigenous artisans in rural towns of Mexico, adorn the tall walls of a store on Chicagos Michigan Avenue. Each item tells the story of a family  traditions that are centuries old  and how they got to the Magnificent Mile for the world to admire.

For many years, Erika Espinosa could fit all the merchandise on a small table that she would set up on the sidewalks of different neighborhoods, at festivals and community markets during the summer  even in her backyard. Colores Mexicanos, she said, was not only a business for her and her family, but also a reflection of the significant and thriving Mexican community in Chicago.

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The small family business became a part of the Community Marketplace on the Chicago Riverwalk in 2021, getting the initial opportunity to showcase handcrafted items brought to Chicago from various regions of Mexico. Right before Black Friday, with the help of COVID-19 relief funds from the citys Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protections and the Magnificent Mile Association, the family turned an empty storefront in Chicagos luxurious shopping district into the cultural hub they had always dreamed of.

And the one our culture and our artisans deserve, added Espinosa.

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Colores Mexicanos co-owner Erika Espinosa stocks artworks made by artisans from Mexico at her store on Michigan Avenue on Oct. 5, 2022. Colores Mexicanos, the first-ever Mexican cultural store on Chicagos Magnificent Mile, was part of a delegation of business owners and other corporate leaders that recently traveled with Mayor Lori Lightfoot to Mexico City. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The story of Colores Mexicanos was recognized by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her team as an example of the entrepreneurial, economic power and cultural value of immigrants during a recent trip to Mexico City to promote Chicagos economic progress and reaffirm the sister city relationship that has been in place since 1991.

To move from a home-based business into the Riverwalk with a small storefront that was only seasonal, to one of the most prominent retail corridors in the world is a testament to the real business vibrancy of Chicago  and a story that is really only possible in Chicago, said Samir Mayekarv, deputy mayor of economic and neighborhood development, who accompanied the delegation.

The Magnificent Mile is stronger because we have a neighborhood business that truly is unique on the corridor, and it is a real testament to the entrepreneurial sprit in the Latino community.

Lightfoot led a delegation of city officials and 28 business leaders from the Chicago area, including Colores Mexicanos co-owner Leticia Espinosa, during the recent five-day trip to Mexico City, which included roundtables with Mexican government officials and top business organizations to explore new opportunities for partnerships and developments.

As recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is critical that we exchange ideas and share innovative methods for driving growth in our business sector, Lightfoot said in a news release. The trip to Mexico City was the third international trip for the Lightfoot administration, and it also focused on promoting tourism to Chicago.

Papel Picado, a type of punched or perforated tissue paper, with images of Chicago and Day of the Dead figures is sold at Colores Mexicanos. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Meetings and roundtables set by World Business Chicago with over 50 Mexican local businesses and Chicagos delegation, as well as a discussion with Business Coordinating Council  the largest representative body of the private sector in Mexico  resulted in more than seven investment opportunities and six visits coming to Chicago to explore the potential of sustainable investment in both Mexico City and Chicago.

But the partnerships go beyond potential economic stimulants. The conversations revolved around cultural investments and diplomacy exchange, Mayekar said.

The University of Illinois System inaugurated its first international office at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), which will serve as a springboard for joining research in several areas. The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also signed a memorandum of understanding with UNAM, providing the opportunity for engineering and architecture students from UNAM to intern with Chicago businesses.

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There are nearly 700,000 Mexican-born residents in Chicago, according to the Migration Policy institute, making it the U.S. city with the second-largest population of Mexican immigrants. Many contribute to the nearly 80,000 Latino-owned business in Chicago, according to data from the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The benefit to Chicagoans most directly is by having prominent businesses and entrepreneurs in Mexico viewing Chicago as their base of growth, Mayekar said. (But) anytime you have closer cultural, diplomatic and business exchange between Mexico and Chicago, its a benefit to the diaspora here in Chicago.

Colores Mexicanos co-owner Gabriel Neely-Streit, second from left, speaks with customers inside his store on Oct. 5, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

A tangible example of that, Mayekar said, is the story of Colores Mexicanos, which is not only thriving in Chicago and benefiting its immigrant owners, but is also growing the businesses of artisans in Mexico.

We expect more Mexican American and Mexican entrepreneurs here in Chicago to be able to tap to new opportunities in Mexico and we hope to have business in Mexico to be able to tap here, Mayekar said.

Sisters Erika and Leticia Espinosa immigrated to Chicago in the early 2000s. Though theyd always been interested in selling Mexican art, it wasnt until 2017 when Erika finally decided to start. Leticia and other family members would bring a few items from their visits to Mexico, and the two realized that they were nowhere else to be found  and that people in Chicago really appreciated it, Erika Espinosa said.

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But most importantly, the artisan families in Mexico were finally getting the exposure they deserved, she said. Since its inception, the goal has been fair trade by buying directly from artisans and staying transparent with artisans about pricing their items in the U.S.

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Colores Mexicanos currently buys directly and constantly from more than 60 families from different regions throughout Mexico,

The sisters once tried their luck at a mall in Little Village but failed. Still, they persisted. Erika would sell items online and at festivals while Leticia worked as one of the editors at Hoy, the Spanish newspaper published at that time by the Chicago Tribune. Thats when they met Gabriel Neely-Streit, an avid writer and cultural lover who became the force they needed since he is fluent in English and knows how to navigate the system, said Erika Espinosa.

People walk past the colorful window display at Colores Mexicanos in the 600 block of North Michigan Avenue on Oct. 5, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Though he loved the world of journalism and storytelling, Neely-Streit decided to shift gears when Tribune Publishing ended production of Hoy. He applied his love for storytelling through Colores Mexicanos, where he tells the story of each artisan that they buy from.

The three now are co-owners and have managed to keep their store on Michigan Avenue after the initial help from the city programs, said Neely-Streit. Though the shop was only set to be a holiday pop-up in an empty store, they have struck a deal with the landlord to stay on Michigan Avenue.

The success story of Colores Mexicanos highlights more than the economic power and the entrepreneurial ability of the immigrant community in Chicago. It shows that while the presence of the Mexican community is strong in Little Village, Pilsen and other traditionally Mexican areas, it is also strong in the Magnificent Mile, reflecting Chicagos true diversity, said Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, the consul general of Mexico in Chicago, who went on the late September trip.

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
Not driving but screaming

Rollercoasters have triggered some new iPhones to make emergency calls.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), at one US amusement park the plummeting rides activated the phones' crash detection system.

The feature was introduced in the new iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8, Ultra and SE with the latest OS.

Apple told the newspaper the technology is intended to provide "peace of mind" and will continue to improve over time.

Although a new feature on the iPhone, the crash detection system recently demonstrated its utility alerting emergency services to a fatal accident in Nebraska.

Google's Pixel phone already has a crash detection system.

Previous reporting by the WSJ testing Apple's system in a variety of collisions - including using the skills of a "demolition derby" driver - did not suggest the system was overly sensitive.

However, the newspaper was provided with records of six calls to local emergency services from iPhones whose crash detection system had been triggered while on rides at Kings Island amusement park outside Cincinnati, Ohio.

In a recording of one of the calls obtained by the newspaper an automated message from an iPhone can be heard saying: "The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash and is not responding to their phone". The sound of the amusement park is audible in the background.

Drivers have also described instances where the crash detection system has been triggered because phones were dropped while their vehicle was moving.

i was on a motorcycle ride today and my new iphone 14 pro flew off my handlebars on the highway. RIP. I immediately drove to apple to get a new temp phone sorted. Meanwhile my whole family thought i was dead. The iphone 14 sent out crash alerts to my circle  Douglas Sonders (@douglassonders) September 18, 2022

False alerts can waste emergency services' time, and cause distress to relatives.

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"We are very vigilant about calls. No call doesn't get checked. You get used to calls that are not an emergency, but it's wear and tear on the dispatchers," Melissa Bour, the director of emergency services for Warren County - which received the calls - told the WSJ.

Rollercoaster news site Coaster101 noted that Dollywood - a theme park partly owned by country music performer and literacy campaigner Dolly Parton - also warned riders of the risk of false alerts.

Signs placed at entrances to two of the park's most "intense" roller coasters warned riders that Apple watches and other similar devices should not be taken on the ride, Coaster101's reporter noted, as they could trigger the collision detection feature and cause an unintended emergency call.

Apple Watch users, has this happened to you on a coaster? pic.twitter.com/GzfqnmjZ2J  Coaster101.com (@Coaster101) September 28, 2022

Severe crashes

According to Apple, the system is designed to detect severe car crashes - such as front-impact, side-impact and rear-end collisions and rollovers.

The phone uses a number of sensors to detect a crash, including sound, changes in air pressure caused by airbags deploying, motion sensors and GPS.

Following a detected crash, users are given an option to call the emergency services or dismiss the alert.

However, if after 20 seconds the user does not respond, the phone automatically calls emergency services, giving the location of the incident. It also sends a message to a user's emergency contacts if they have them.

Users concerned that a scream-filled trip on a high adrenalin ride might trigger a false alert from their phone can turn the feature off if they wish, or put the phone into airplane mode.

Many amusement parks ask people to leave their phone behind before going on a ride.

The BBC has approached Apple for comment.
FORT BELVOIR, Virginia  The Armys mixed reality goggle is headed to soldiers in a three-step process in which developers expect two early versions released next year will help with redesigns for a third version to roll out across the Army.

The Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS, is a nearly $22 billion program that the Army is developing to bring night vision, thermal vision, tactical edge computing and the situational awareness of a fighter pilot down to the lowest-level infantry soldier. The device will likely be the most advanced single technology ever fielded exclusively to the close-combat, squad-level soldier in military history.

The Army will deliver 5,000 IVAS 1.0 versions and another 5,000 IVAS 1.1 versions this coming year, said Brig. Gen. Christopher Schneider, the Program Executive Office-Soldier commanding general. Previous budget reports indicate the Army will purchase 40,000 devices or more.

The combined 1.0 and 1.1 fielding is a delay from the previous first unit equipped planned date of September 2022, which was delayed from another previous initial fielding planned for late 2021. But the short-term holdup is critical to ensure soldier acceptance of the device, according to Army officials.

Schneider spoke with Army Times about the IVAS program recently, noting the new rollout plan will field the two existing versions and begin developing the IVAS 1.2 version in parallel with those first fieldlings. IVAS 1.2, which will have a new low-light sensor and hardware redesign, is scheduled to field in the fiscal year 2025.

We dont want to rush IVAS to the field until its ready, Schneider said.

Despite delay, mixed reality goggle for soldiers, Marines on schedule for 2022

The Army will send 5,000 IVAS 1.0 devices to units in Training and Doctrine Command, such as the Maneuver Center of Excellence, for use in training, schoolhouses and experimentation.

The 5,000 IVAS 1.1 devices will go to not-yet-identified operational units and can be used in garrison, field training and on combat deployments. Units such as the 82nd Airborne Division, 75th Ranger Regiment and 101st Airborne Division often receive such technology first, due to their unique missions.

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The 1.0 and 1.1 versions look similar from the outside. Both have night vision as good or better than most fielded systems. Both also have thermal sights in the same device, present only in one other goggle thats had limited fielding to a select group of close combat forces, the Enhanced Night Vision Device-Binocular.

Rangers from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment participate in new equipment training on the IVAS Capability Set 4 during tropical weather testing in Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, in March 2021. (Army)

Both versions also allow for passive targeting. This lets users identify aiming points and targets without being seen by other night vision users.

If we have to plan to fight a near peer threat, theyre going to be equipped with night vision, too. And if you use a laser, they see a laser too, Schneider said.

With passive targeting, thats not a concern.

They have no idea youre targeting them until a bullet hits them, Schneider said.

The challenge is that the IVAS is expected to be more than a night vision goggle. Its designed to provide mixed reality, information sharing, situational awareness tools and a host of other capabilities to the individual soldier.

People think of IVAS as a night vision goggle, Schneider said. But its more about learning how to use the cloud at the tactical edge. How to train with the device, execute missions and mission planning.

What the Army wants

IVAS is a standalone system that contains situational awareness tools in one package, beyond any of the Armys current systems, including Nett Warrior, a long-running soldier-borne computer in a smartphone or tablet.

The device also works as a vehicle, ground or air integration tool for dismounted soldiers.

Thats part of ongoing work with soldiers integrating the IVAS with helicopters, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the Stryker, Brig. Gen. Larry Burris, Cross Functional Team-Soldier Lethality director and Infantry School commandant told Army Times recently.

Soldiers using wireless routers in the Bradley were able to see the same view as the vehicle commander, driver or gunner through their optics, Burris said.

But the most success so far, he added, has come with the Stryker.

Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Blackhorse Company, 2-3 Infantry Regiment, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team wear upgraded Integrated Visual Augmentation System goggles while sitting atop Stryker armored vehicles preparing for a movement-to-contact urban raid exercise on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., August 24, 2022. (Spc. Chandler Coats/Army)

You look around and its as if theres no armor on the vehicle, Burris said, referencing what its like to wear the device from the point of view of vehicle occupants. I turn my head to the right and it automatically detects the camera thats off the right side of the vehicle.

And in all platforms, soldiers passed data and used voice communications with the device, he added.

That work has involved PEO-Ground Systems and the Armys Combat Capabilities Development Command.

With the current fielding plan, Burris expects to see novel applications and get more feedback from TRADOC and operational units as they use the device.

Mixed reality is a kind of augmented reality common now in gaming devices that places simulated objects, terrain or characters overlaid on the real world. It gives soldiers a tool only available now in laboratories or training facilities.

That feature can be used on the fly, in a barracks parking lot, on a training range or hours before an actual mission for rehearsal.

Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division don the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) during their training with the Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer (SiVT) in the Soldier Integration Facility (SIF) at Fort Belvoir, VA on 14 August 2020. (PEO Soldier/Army)

We can pipe in ISR feeds into the device, we can scan areas with the device and build 3D models, Schneider said.

The simulation tech is promising but still needs some work. Schneider said indoor facilities are no problem for scanning, mapping and rehearsals. But outdoor locations challenge the current technology.

If a soldier scans an area, then a car moves, or the sun shifts and shadows change, it can alter a soldiers view. But, Schneider said, once resolved, a soldier will be able to see a computer-generated avatar that can interact with the real world. That provides a realistic training option that previously required human role players.

Technology limits

But the Army still has some technical hurdles to overcome.

Current tech limitations create challenges to having both a digital low-light sensor and thermal sight in the same device with the level of data fusion, integration and information-sharing that the Army wants.

The legacy technology, known as I2, has been developed over nearly 70 years and uses an analog, tube-based design. That is an extremely capable technology for providing night vision, Schneider said.

The current I2 systems, high resolution, works really well, but it doesnt allow us to share or leverage what a soldier sees, Schneider said. You cant employ computer vision software, you cant employ (Artificial Intelligence) with the analog solution today.

For example, thermal sights cannot see through glass, but low-light sensors can. Meanwhile, low-light sensors cant see through dust, smoke or other obscurants, but thermals can. By combining the two, users get the best of both.

A Ranger from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment executes a live fire exercise with the IVAS Capability Set 4 during tropical weather testing in Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, in March 2021. (Army)

After 70 years of fine tuning, the I2 technology has nearly reached its optimum performance levels, Schneider said.

The tradeoff is that the existing low-light sensor and camera works on digital technology. That provides a good night vision capability, to a point. But the existing camera will drop off under dark, less than quarter-moon conditions. The legacy tech can work at those levels, but it does degrade. At a certain point, the digital tech basically stops working.

Were trying to replace that technology with something thats new, we think weve finally found a digital low-light sensor that will do it, Schneider said.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville restated his own commitment to the program and its eventual use, providing some context from his own career as a helicopter pilot, during remarks at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Sept. 13.

If you flew back when I was flying with night vision goggles in 81 they were big, full-face goggles and how we flew with them, I dont know, McConville said. We had weights in the back of our head. It was not very smart, but we werent very smart then, we just did it.

The days of pushing out hard-to-use new tech are no longer the norm, the chief said.

Program delays

The Army planned to have the device to soldiers in 2021, but problems with software reliability, display warping and moisture issues paused the plan. PEO Soldier conducted additional tests through most of the past year.

The Army pushed back release for additional testing, as well as some hardware and software fixes. Those included reducing the originally ambitious field of view to resolve image distortion problems. After further testing and funding approvals, the device release has again been pushed, now to 2023 with versions 1.0 and 1.1.

Most existing night vision goggles have about a 40-degree field of view, meaning you can see about a 40-degree wedge in front of the goggle. That does not cover a users peripheral vision.

IVAS and Microsoft developers of the HoloLens, the commercial device the IVAS started with, initially sought to double that to an 80-degree field of view.

Soldiers from Third Platoon, Blackhorse Company, 2-3 Infantry Regiment, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team wear upgraded Integrated Visual Augmentation System goggles while sitting inside a Stryker armored vehicle preparing for a movement-to-contact urban raid exercise on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., August 24, 2022. (Spc. Chandler Coats/Army)

But image distortion required a scale back to 70 degrees, still nearly twice the existing range, officials previously told Army Times.

A Department of Defense Inspector Generals audit of the IVAS program, released earlier this year, directed developers to seek more soldier input to avoid, wasting up to $21.88 billion in taxpayer funds to field a system that soldiers may not want to use or use as intended.

Despite dozens of soldier touch points, the report noted, the Army hadnt determined how it would measure soldier acceptance of the device.

PEO Soldier spokesman David Patterson told Army Times shortly after the IG report released that officials recognized the importance of soldier acceptance of the goggle, but it was not the only factor.

Soldier feedback was incorporated into numerous design decisions and updates in the prototyping process, Patterson said.

The published IG audit included soldier feedback, but those portions were redacted from the publicly released version.

A test report planned for completion in October could determine the next round of funding. Members of Congress in both chambers appropriation committees recommended cuts to the program following previous delays.

The next funding installment in the current plan would be for more than $424 million.

Another report on the most recent reliability fixes and anticipated changes is due in October, officials said.

Changes

The IVAS 1.2 version will see a form factor redesign. The current systems use straps to fix it to the users face and over the helmet, almost like ski goggles, 1.2 will be helmet mounted, like currently fielded night vision devices.

A cable that in versions 1.0 and 1.1 runs down the front of the user and connects to batteries will be moved to the rear of the helmet off the users chest and shoulder. The 1.2 version will also be slimmer and lighter.

The entire IVAS 1.0 system, excluding the radio, is about 3.4 pounds. Of that, 2.4 pounds is on the soldiers head.

In version 1.2, developers seek to cut that total weight to 2.85 pounds or less, same or better than the ENVG-B, officials said.

Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division used the latest prototype of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) during a trench clearing exercise in October at Fort Pickett, Va. (Bridgett Siter/Army)

Humidity control and moisture problems noted in last years review have been fixed for IVAS 1.0 and beyond.

All three versions work with the Family of Weapons Sights-Individual and Rapid Target Acquisition software. FWS-I was included in the ENVG-B fielding and allows users to wirelessly link their goggle to their rifle optic to view targets without shouldering the weapon.

RTA uses software to cue a target within the optic or goggle view, much like what vehicle-mounted soldier systems do. The combination also gives soldiers a picture-in-picture view option that lets them see the terrain but also a smaller version of the optic view.

The current ENVG-B lowlight sensor does outperform the IVAS 1.0 lowlight sensor. But an improved sensor is planned for both 1.1 and 1.2 versions, officials said.

A lowlight sensor being examined for 1.1 already exceeds all other individual night vision optics, except for the ENVG-B.

Both Schneider and his predecessor at PEO-Soldier, Maj. Gen. Anthony Potts, repeatedly acknowledged unplanned delays in the program but defended some of those with the ambitious strides the organization is taking on the edges of existing technology to merge all the capabilities into one individual-soldier-borne device.

Despite those challenges, Schneider stressed in his interview with Army Times that the fielded IVAS devices need to work as advertised to achieve soldier acceptance.

This plan allows that. We are listening, were going to fix the camera and were going to get the form factor right. We have to get this right for soldier adoption, Schneider said. And weve got to maintain trust with them that were doing the right thing. But weve also got to push, push the limits.
The queen of Denmark's decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their titles has sparked unprecedented royal drama in Copenhagen and led her enraged son to air the family's dirty laundry in public.

Queen Margrethe II announced last week that the four children of her youngest son, 53-year-old Prince Joachim, would no longer be able to use the title of prince and princess after January 1.

She apologised on Monday for the hurt caused.

But Margrethe stood by the decision which was intended to allow Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20 -- born from Joachim's first marriage -- Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, to live normal lives without royal obligations.

The move followed a trend among other European royal families to slim down their monarchies, including in Britain where the Windsors face their own family feud.

"Holding a royal title involves a number of commitments and duties that, in the future, will lie with fewer members of the royal family," Europe's only reigning queen said in a statement.

But Prince Joachim saw it as a snub and was quick to speak out in the media.

"On May 5 I was presented with a plan. That this whole issue of my children's identity would be removed when they each turned 25. Athena will turn 11 in January", he told Danish tabloid B.T.

"Then, I received five days' notice" that the decision had been accelerated.

His first wife Alexandra also told B.T. she and her children were "shocked", while her eldest son expressed his sadness.

"I'm very bewildered as to why this had to happen like this", Nicolai told tabloid Ekstra Bladet.

- 'Necessary' decision -

The outpourings sparked surprise in the Scandinavian country, coming just days after the hugely popular royal family had celebrated the queen's 50th anniversary on the throne with pomp and smiles.

There is "no tradition in Denmark of members of the royal family discussing with each other in public", historian Lars Hovbakke Sorensen told AFP.

Prince Joachim said he had "unfortunately" had no contact with his mother or elder brother Crown Prince Frederik since the queen's announcement.

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"It's also family. Or whatever one could call it", he told B.T.

In another swipe, his French-born wife Princess Marie said the couple's relationship with Crown Prince Frederik and his Australian-born wife Mary was "complicated".

The media then dug up another old family spat, namely Joachim and Marie's claims that their 2019 move to Paris -- where Joachim is the Danish embassy defence attache -- was not of their "own choice".

Yet the queen's decision did not surprise royal watchers.

It's "natural, reasonable and necessary", said historian Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen.

The queen's four other grandchildren born to Crown Prince Frederik, 54, will retain their titles.

Back in 2016 the queen decided however that when they come of age only the future king, Prince Christian, will receive an appanage.

Stripping Joachim's children's titles is just another move in the same direction, experts said.

"She has wisely chosen to do this herself and not to leave it to her successor, the Crown Prince", Olden-Jorgensen said.

"It is much easier for her to do to this to her son than for him to do it later to his brother," he added.

- 'Total breakdown in communication' -

Nonetheless, the heated reactions by Joachim's family "indicate there is a conflict and a total breakdown in communication," columnist Jacob Heinel Jensen wrote in B.T.

The queen's apology on Monday came in a statement.

"I have underestimated the extent to which my younger son and his family feel affected ... and for that I am sorry," she said.

"I now hope that we as a family can find the peace to find our way through this situation."

An opinion poll conducted by Voxmeter suggested 50.6 percent of Danes support her decision while 23.3 percent disagree.

This is not the royal family's first scandal, though rarely have they been so sensational.

In 2002, the late Prince Consort Henrik made headlines when he fled to his chateau in southern France to "reflect on life", complaining he didn't receive enough respect in Denmark, after Crown Prince Frederik was chosen to represent the queen at a New Year's ceremony instead of him.

And just months before his 2018 death, Henrik, who suffered from dementia, announced he did not want to be buried next to his wife because he was never made her equal.

cbw/po/bp
ROMAN PETRENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 10:59

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that so far, on 10 October, the Russian aggressor has launched 75 missiles on Ukraine within a few hours, 41 of which were shot down by air defence.

Source: Zaluzhnyi on Telegram

Quote from Zaluzhnyi: "The Russian Federation, a terrorist country, carries out massive missile and air strikes on the territory of Ukraine, uses attack UAVs.

In the morning, the aggressor launched 75 rockets. 41 of them were neutralised by our air defence.

The Armed Forces do everything possible to protect our citizens."

Details: Zaluzhnyi warns that the attack is still ongoing.

Background:

In a third wave of shelling on 10 October, Russian occupiers launched 47 missiles at Ukraine, said Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Vitalii Kim.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
People stand by a rocket crater next to a child playground in central Kyiv on October 10, 2022 Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Russian forces launched a deadly barrage of missiles and suicide drones into Ukraine on Monday.

After the attack, Putin claimed his troops targeted Ukrainian military and energy facilities.

Photos and videos of a burning crater in a park  next to a playground  paint a different image.

Russian forces launched a deadly barrage of missiles and explosive suicide drones into Ukraine on Monday, attacking cities hundreds of miles away from the war's front lines.

After the attacks, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the strikes were directed solely at Ukrainian military, energy, and communications targets and were carried out in retaliation for a recent blast on a key Crimean bridge serving as a critical supply line, Russian state media reported.

Videos and photographs captured by journalists show an entirely different situation, one in which Russian munitions landed in civilian areas.

Wall Street Journal reporter Matthew Luxmore posted one video taken in central Kyiv's Shevchenko Park showing a massive crater filled with rubble and small fires directly adjacent to a playground.

AFP journalist Arman Soldin posted another video showing the burning crater from a different angle, highlighting how the explosion occurred just feet away from the area where children would normally play.

"These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose. They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putin's illegal war on the Ukrainian people," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

In addition to Biden, a wide range of Western officials and heads of state slammed Russia for Monday's attacks, which have killed at least 10 people and injured dozens, according to a Ukrainian member of parliament.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had two targets in mind when it launched the attacks  the eastern European country's energy facilities and civilians. He specifically called out Russia's use of Iranian-made suicide drones in the barrage, which Putin's forces have been using for weeks now.

"They want panic and chaos," Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation. "Such a time and such goals were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible."

Monday's carnage comes as Ukrainian forces continue to press ahead with their counteroffensives along the war's eastern and southern fronts, where Ukrainian troops have liberated thousands of square miles of territory previously under Russian occupation.

The missile and drone strikes on Monday were rare occurrences for civilians living in cities like Kyiv and Lviv, cities far from the fighting that have not experienced significant hostilities since the early weeks of Russia's invasion.

They were also one of many escalatory steps Putin has taken in the face of recent military setbacks, with others being the partial military mobilization of Russia's reservists and threatening remarks hinting that he might possibly use a nuclear weapon.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(VIENNA)  Russia launched attacks striking the center of Kyiv and dozens of regions in Ukraine on Monday in apparent retaliation for what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a terrorist attack on a crucial bridge linking Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

The missile strikes on the heart of the capital city, in addition to rocket attacks across the country, marked a dramatic escalation by Russia as its troops are being pushed back on thousands of miles of territory in a lightning counteroffensive by Ukrainian armed forces and Putin comes under increasing pressure for the failings of what he calls a special military operation.

At least five civilian deaths were reported and 12 people were wounded in Kyiv on Monday as at least 83 missiles were fired on the country. Ukraines armed forces said that air defenses succeeded in downing 43 missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address from Kyiv that Russia had attacked a dozen regions in his country  including Lviv in the west, Mykolaiv in the south, Dnipro in the east and Kharkiv in the north  with missiles and Iranian drones. He also labeled Russian officials terrorists and said that the aim of their attacks was to destroy Ukraines energy systems and target civilians.

They want panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system. They are hopeless. The second target is people. Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible, Zelensky said, but added, Ukraine was before this enemy appeared, Ukraine will be after him.

The early morning attacks on Kyiv appeared to land in the center of the city, with video and photos showing a crater in a playground in a central park in the city, damage across the street from the opera theater and the windows of buildings blown out.

Zelensky said he held urgent calls with Germanys chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron to address an emergency session of the Group of Seven nations.

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We discussed the strengthening of our air defense, the need for a tough European and international reaction, as well as increased pressure on the Russian Federation, Zelensky said of his call with Macron.

Russias attacks also appeared to cross into Ukraines neighboring countries, with Moldovas minister of foreign affairs, Nicu Popescu, saying that the Russian ambassador was being summoned after three cruise missiles launched from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldovas airspace.

Moldova condemns in strongest possible terms violation of its airspace by three Russian cruise missiles as Russia attacked Ukrainian cities this morning, Popescu tweeted. We condemn Russias continued aggression against Ukraine.

The attacks on Ukraine came a day after Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 13 people and injured more than 50, including at least six children.

Ukrainians had been bracing for such attacks following the massive explosion on the Kerch Bridge early Saturday morning. The road and rail line is viewed as personally important for Putin, both a symbolic and physical representation of Russias control over Crimea since Moscow invaded in 2014.

In a video address Sunday night, Putin called the explosion on the bridge a terrorist act and blamed Ukraines special services as the initiators, performers and masterminds.

But Ukrainian officials, while celebrating the bridge destruction, have withheld claiming responsibility, raising questions among security experts if Ukraine actually carried out the attack.

Among the experts, there were serious considerations, we discussed this a lot, should we do it and should we do it now? said Hanna Shelest, director of security programs at the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism.

On the one hand we understand the importance of it for logistics, because the Russian weapons and fuel supply for the southern front are definitely happening through this bridge and it would be good not to have it, she said.

But at the same time, understanding the symbolism for the Russian president, the risks of the response were higher than the real consequences, because you always can target all those stockpiles of ammunition directly, by HIMARS, what theyve been doing all these months, she added, referring to the long-range multiple rocket launcher systems provided by the U.S.

Weve been celebrating the idea of the bridge, but not that we did it, Shelest said. Not one Ukrainian service said anything about it, we can do it or how it happened. 

The New York Times reported that a senior Ukrainian official corroborated Russian reports that Kyiv was behind the attack, but spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a government ban on discussing the blast.

The barrage of attacks on Ukraine follows the appointment Saturday of Air Force Gen. Sergei Surovikin as the overall commander of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, Reuters reported. Surovikin previously served in Tajikistan, Chechnya and Syria.

Further, Putins unpredictability in carrying out the war in Ukraine has triggered alarm among the U.S., allies and security experts that the Russian leader is on the brink of deploying nuclear weapons, to catastrophic effect.

The Russian leader has repeatedly raised Russias nuclear capabilities, warning against viewing his threats as a bluff against what he says are Russias national security interests.

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen on Sunday during an interview on ABC likened Putin to a cornered animal after mounting losses in Ukraine and said he is becoming more and more dangerous to the world.

President Biden last week warned the world was close to Armageddon amid Putins nuclear threats.

 Updated at 9:06 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Russian forces are being widely accused of targeting civilians after dozens of missiles rained down indiscriminately on Ukraine's major cities Monday, leaving many without power.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy filmed a video in Kyiv minutes after the missiles stopped, declaring that "we are dealing with terrorists." Widespread power and water outages were reported in Kyiv and elsewhere following the attack, though Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated the city was intentionally shutting down some supply for repairs.

Footage of Russia's attack shows civilians fleeing as missiles land all around them, with some hitting infrastructure and others striking playgrounds and parks.

Missiles also struck the cities of Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and at least 11 other cities, with air raid sirens blaring across Ukraine for four straight hours.

MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS ROCK EASTERN UKRAINE CITY OF KHARKIV

Emergency service personnel attend to the site of a blast next to a childrens playground in a park on October 10, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. This morning's explosions, which came shortly after 8:00 local time, were the largest such attacks in the capital in months. (Photo by Ed Ram/Getty Images) getty images

"They have two targets: energy infrastructure and people," Zelenskyy said. "They want to [sow] panic and chaos, to destroy our energy system. Ukraine had been before this enemy appeared, Ukraine will be after it."

PUTIN ACCUSES UKRAINE OF TERRORISM IN CRIMEA BRIDGE EXPLOSION

The missile strikes come after months of relative calm in Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities. Ukraine's forces achieved significant victories throughout September, pushing Russian forces well into the territories Putin claimed to annex.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov condemned the attacks as war crimes and called on Western countries to supply more air-defense systems to Ukraine.

"Our enemy believes that missile strikes are effective means of intimidation. They are not. They are war crimes," Reznikov wrote on Twitter. "Civilians are dying and getting injured. Ukraine, with the support of the civilized world, must bring the missile terrorists to justice. And [we] will do it."

"The best response to Russian missile terror is the supply of anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems to Ukraine - protect the sky over Ukraine! This will protect our cities and our people. This will protect the future of Europe. Evil must be punished," he added.

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Ukraine's aggression came to a head with the bombing of the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea this weekend.

The bridge is a major thoroughfare allowing Russian forces to transport weapons and supplies into Ukraine. Putin decried the bombing as "terrorism" soon after the attack, and it potentially contributed to Russia's escalated missile strikes Monday.

"This morning, a massive high-precision strike was conducted on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, military command, and communications," Putin said in a Monday address. "In case Ukrainian terrorist attacks continue on Russian territory, our response will be tough and proportional."
IRYNA BALACHUK  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 08:12

One person has been killed and five others injured, including a child, in a Russian night attack on residential neighbourhoods of the city of Zaporizhzhia.

Source: Anatolii Kurtiev, Secretary of Zaporizhzhia City Council, on Telegram

Quote from Kurtiev: "Tonight Russian terrorists have once again taken the life of a civilian. As of 06:00, one person is known to have been killed. My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased."

Details: Kurtiev reported that five more people were injured, including a child who sustained cuts from broken glass.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Kurtiev also reported that the Russians damaged a high-voltage pylon, causing temporary service interruptions to trolleybus routes nos. 3, 8, 11 and 17.

Previously: Russians have once again struck Zaporizhzhia overnight on 9-10 October.

Background:

On the night of 8-9 October, Russia launched an attack on Zaporizhzhia, firing a dozen missiles.

The Russian occupiers launched 12 missiles on the city of Zaporizhzhia on the night of 8-9 October, damaging a house. Zaporizhzhia City Council reported 17 dead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is confident that the Russians responsible for the terrorist attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia on 9 October, which claimed the lives of 12 civilians, will be held responsible for their crime.

Ukraines Air Force reported that Russian occupiers had fired 16 rockets at Zaporizhzhia on 9 October, killing at least 12 people.

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KYIV, Ukraine  The Russian missiles that tore through Kyiv during rush-hour Monday morning shattered windows, lives and a relative calm that had permeated the Ukrainian capital.

More than seven months into the Kremlins invasion, life in the city and others far from the front lines had felt ordinary in many ways: Workers were back in their offices, restaurants were serving customers and couples enjoyed casual strolls through parks.

Many had taken to ignoring the occasional air-raid sirens, such was the sense of safety with Moscows military long since pushed back from the region and now on the retreat in the east and south.

That all changed suddenly, sending residents scrambling for shelters and bringing back painful memories of the early days of the war.

It was scary, it felt like Feb. 24 inside, Kyiv resident Alyona Gudenko told NBC News on the phone from the capital, referring to the day Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion.

Speaking in Ukrainian, Gudenko, 32, said she was woken up by the sound of the first three explosions over the city.

Unfazed, she said she stuck to her morning routine and went to work, with air-raid sirens blaring. Then a colleague sent her a photo appearing to show some power facilities next to the office that were blown up.

Almost immediately after, two more rockets flew overhead, the explosions from them echoed very close by, said Gudenko, an accountant, adding that she wanted all those responsible for this latest barrage of terror to die. What else can I say? she added.

Like Gudenko, residents across Kyiv were woken by blasts in several parts of the capital, including its center. It sent many seeking shelter into packed underground subway stations, with the streets largely empty for hours as authorities warned new attacks may be coming.

The uncertainty also left shops closed and sent school children home.

Image: Multiple Explosions In Kyiv (Ed Ram / Getty Images)

Image: Multiple Explosions In Kyiv (Ed Ram / Getty Images)

NBC News heard loud explosions in the morning, and witnessed a big crater apparently left by a rocket in the citys central Shevchenkivskyi district, leaving surrounding buildings battered with shrapnel and windows shattered. Images and videos verified by NBC News showed incinerated cars and a crater near a playground in a city park.

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At least six people were killed in the city, officials said, with dozens more injured. Those scenes were repeated across the country, with at least 19 killed in total and supplies of water and electricity damaged.

Image: (Efrem Lukatsky / AP)

Its a scale of attack not seen since the early days of the war.

For weeks, it was believed the Kremlins forces would attempt to take Kyiv and topple the Ukrainian government, but Russian troops were forced to pull back in late March.

Art instructor Rostyslav Zavhorodnii spoke with NBC News in late February when the Russians were still closing in, and vowed to stay put in the city and defend it if needed. Since then he has enjoyed a largely peaceful life in the bustling capital  until Monday.

He said he heard an explosion while walking his 10-year-old cocker spaniel, Willy, on the eastern bank of Dnieper River. After hearing more blasts while on the phone with his mother in the western Lviv region that was also hit, he said he rushed home.

Its probably the closest Ive gotten to the war since it started, Zavhorodnii, 26, said in a message on the Telegram app, speaking Ukrainian.

Still, he said he was keeping calm.

We are already used to this, he said. People are not panicking.

Image: Multiple Explosions In Kyiv (Ed Ram / Getty Images)

Olha Povalyayeva said she fell into a stupor as she heard the first three explosions rock Kyiv in the morning.

I couldnt believe that it was really happening, Povalyayeva, 30, said, speaking Russian on the phone.

About an hour later, she witnessed an explosion at a business center in central Kyiv, just a third of a mile away.

I was terrified, I could not move, the project manager said. The shock wave was very strong. My legs buckled, my teeth started chattering from fear and nerves.

As missiles pounded Kyiv, Alyona Shubinas husband called to tell her the news and she rushed to pack bottles of water, snacks, blankets and a phone charger. He took me near our home and we drove for our kids and then went down in the shelter, Shubina, 33, said.

Her two sons were in school at the time of the attacks, but the couple drove to collect them.

Almost 30 people were sheltering in the underground car park of her apartment building, said Shubina, who works as a psychologist, but a good Wi-Fi connection was keeping her 6-year-old and 3-year-old children busy even while she despaired at the destruction outside.

It is horrible, she said in English via Instagram. The future is falling apart again.

Serhii Akimov lives in a tall building in the capital and could see all the way to the city center as it was rocked by explosions.

The damage he saw shocked him, said Akimov, 41.

I just stayed next to the window, frozen and didnt know what to do next, he said.

But after another explosion hit a business center just next to his home, he said he immediately went to a bomb shelter.

It is difficult to express how I feel, Akimov, who owns an interior design studio in the capital, said on the phone from Kyiv, speaking Russian.

I am very angry with the Russians, he said. They are just killing ordinary Ukrainians. I am worried, cant pull myself together, to be honest. But, he said, I keep my hope.

Daryna Mayer reported from Kyiv, Yuliya Talmazan from London, and Mithil Aggarwal from Hong Kong.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 18:03

The newly appointed commander of the Russian Forces in Ukraine, Sergey Surovikin, is trying to demonstrate "quick results" to Vladimir Putin by striking at Ukraines critical infrastructure. As the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence reported, this is his "style of work".

Source: Ukrinform, citing the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, Andrii Yusov, on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "This is his style, the style of the new gauleiter of the occupation army in Ukraine  to throw rockets at the infrastructure, including civilian infrastructure. He knows that planes are flying and rockets can be launched from them. This is what was done in order to show that Putin's new personnel appointments in Russia have some importance, to show some quick results."

Details: Yusov noted that the newly appointed head of the Russian army in Ukraine, Sergey Surovikin, is known for the fact that, while not serving in aviation, he headed the Russian Aerospace Forces and before that, the Russian Air force in Syria.

Background: On 8 October, the Russian Defence Ministry appointed Sergey Surovikin commander of the joint group of troops in Ukraine.

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Sergey Surovikin

Some Sergey Surovikin has recently been presented as a new commander of the Russian occupation army in Ukraine, Yusov said.

He is known for heading Russias air and space forces, not serving in aviation, and before that, he was heading the Russian air grouping in Syria. This is his style... to throw missiles at infrastructure, in particular civilian infrastructure objects.

According to the officer, Russian missile attacks are aimed at showing that the new personnel appointments of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin have some importance, but, in fact, they do not change anything strategically for Russia.

Yusov stressed the strikes at civilian and energy infrastructure, the streets of Ukrainian cities and foreign diplomatic missions were terrorist attacks by Russia.

In fact, (these are) war crimes tactics against the civilian population, which the Russian army used, in particular, in Syria, he said.

We may conditionally call it Surovikins style. Its an attempt to intimidate.

Read also: 11 killed and 87 injured across the country in mass Russian missile attack, says DSNS

Putin on Oct. 8 appointed Surovikin as overall commander of the Russian Federation forces in Ukraine.

Russians launched a mass missile strike against Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, on the morning of Oct. 10. Missiles also struck cities across the country.

According to Ukrainian intelligence services, invading Russian forces were instructed to prepare massive missile strikes on Ukrainian civil infrastructure back on Oct. 2-3.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyys office urged Ukrainians to limit electricity consumption today from 5:00 to 10:00 pm, in order to lessen power loads on the Ukrainian grid and facilitate repairs.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
LONDON (Reuters) - Alla Pugacheva, the queen of Soviet pop music, on Monday said she was in Israel, three weeks after she denounced President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine for turning Russia into a global pariah.

"I thank my multi-million army of fans for their love and support, for the ability to distinguish truth from lies," Pugacheva, 73, a Soviet and then post-Soviet icon who is probably Russia's most famous woman, said on Instagram.

"From the Holy Land, I pray for you and for peace," she said. "I am happy!"

Pugacheva is known across Russian generations for hits such as the 1982 song "Million Scarlet Roses" and the 1978 film "The Woman who Sings".

Pugacheva said last month that the war was killing soldiers for illusory aims and burdening ordinary people.

Pugacheva has in the past been feted by both Putin and his predecessor as president, Boris Yeltsin. When Mikhail Gorbachev died in August, she praised the last Soviet leader for allowing freedom and rejecting violence.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 19:03

The anti-aircraft gunners of the Ukrainian Air Force shot down a Russian Su-25 attack jet aircraft in the skies over Kherson Oblast.

Source: Public relations service of the air command Pivden (South)

Quote: "On 10 October, at around 14:30, a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft was shot down in Kherson Oblast by a unit of the Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigade of the "Pivden" air command.

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OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 4:45

The Russians have increased the number of combat-ready missile carriers in the Black Sea to six.

Source: Operational Command Pivden (South) on Facebook

Quote: "Eleven ships of the enemy fleet are manoeuvring near the coast of Crimea in the stormy Black Sea. The enemy has sharply increased the number of combat-ready missile carriers to six, including two submarines.

Forty Kalibr cruise missiles are pointed at Ukraine.

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VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 14:09 PM

Ukrainian Intelligence has announced that the Russians have been planning missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital and infrastructure since early October.



Source: press service of Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on Telegram

Quote: "According to Ukrainian Intelligence, the Russian occupying forces received instructions from the Kremlin to prepare massive missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine on 2 and 3 October.



Military units of strategic long-range aviation received orders to prepare massive missile attacks. The objects of critical civil infrastructure and the central areas of highly populated Ukrainian cities were identified as targets".



Details: Ukrainian Intelligence reported that on 8 October, seven Tu-160 strategic bombers had been transferred from the Engels airfield to the Olenya airfield and equipped with X-101 cruise missiles.

6 cruise missile carriers armed with 40 Kalibr missiles were deployed on the outer raid of Sevastopol.

The main goal of the terrorist state was to destroy thermal power plants, create panic among Ukrainians and intimidate the European society, Ukrainian Intelligence emphasises.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Russia's defence ministry said it hit "all designated targets" in a massive missile attack on Ukrainian military, communications and energy infrastructure on Monday.

Russia said the goals of the missile strikes had been achieved, in one of the largest coordinated Russian attacks against Ukraine since the first weeks of the war. Ukraine said the rush-hour attacks in eight regions appeared to have been deliberately timed to kill people, accusing Russia of terrorism.

"Today, Russia's armed forces have inflicted a massive strike with high-precision long-range weapons against Ukrainian military, communications and energy targets," the Russian defence ministry said in its daily briefing.

"The goal of the strike has been achieved. All designated targets were hit," it added.

Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said the attacks were retaliation for what he called Ukraine's "terrorist attack" against a vital bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula. He promised a "harsh" response to any further such attacks.

Ukrainian officials have exulted in the bombing of the bridge but have not claimed responsibility for it. Ukraine says it is Russia that is using terror tactics in the war.

Russia's bombardment of Ukraine was celebrated by pro-war figures in Russia. The Russian-installed governor of Crimea said Russia would have already won its "special military operation" had such strikes been carried out every day.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechnya region who has been outspoken in his criticism of Russia's military leadership and repeatedly called for a more aggressive campaign, said he was "100% satisfied" with the strikes.

Ukraine said it was seeking a "resolute response" from the United Nations and the West in response to the attacks.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the strikes, which hit the centre of Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities, showed Russia was trying to "wipe us off the face of the earth."

(Reporting by Reuters)
Conor Burns - Andrew Matthews/PA

Conor Burns claimed on Monday he was still not aware of the allegations against him as he suggested he was the victim of a "trial by media".

Mr Burns was sacked by Liz Truss and had the Conservative whip suspended after a complaint about "serious misconduct" at the party's annual conference last week.

Eyewitnesses claimed they saw the now-former international trade minister touch a young man's thigh on October 4 in the Hyatt Regency hotel bar in Birmingham.

The complainant alleged Mr Burns was inappropriate in his remarks and actions towards a younger man, according to a source close to the investigation.

Mr Burns denies the accusations, which Ms Truss acted on within hours of them surfacing on Friday as Downing Street insisted all ministers "should maintain high standards of behaviour".

The Whips Office is understood to be seeking to interview the alleged victim to hear their first-hand account and speak to other eyewitnesses to see if their accounts corroborate.

'I look forward to clearing my name'

Speaking to Channel 4 News outside his home, Mr Burns said: "I still have not been told by the party the nature of the allegations, or the timeframe for me to engage in the inquiry.

"I'm looking forward to engaging in that inquiry, I'm looking forward to clearing my name and I'm looking forward to returning to Parliament in due course to carry on."

He added this would take place "when this process is finished" but claimed the party would not "tell me when that will be or the nature of the allegations".

"I have been overwhelmed by the support of my colleagues who have found it beyond strange that the whip was withdrawn, and I was sacked from ministerial office without being given the opportunity to be told what the allegation was, or how I could engage in a process to respond to it.

"We used to live in a country where the rule of law, natural justice and a process took place and people were presumed innocent until proven otherwise."

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CCHQ: No comment on ongoing investigations

A spokesman for Conservative Campaign HQ told The Telegraph: "A complaint has been referred to us from the Whips' Office. We do not comment on ongoing investigations."

It came as Mr Burns' Twitter account liked a post by a user who also appears to be from Bournemouth that read: "Once again, we see a trial by MSM [mainstream media] and the Labour Party.

"I will not pass judgment but do not believe a word. I have always found you to be a true gentleman. Hopefully you will be vindicated quickly and the truth will out. Stay strong."

The allegations are the latest in a long line of sleaze claims to befall Conservative MPs in the past year.

Imran Ahmad Khan was convicted of child sex offences in April, while groping allegations surrounding Chris Pincher, and their subsequent handling by No 10, played a key part in the collapse of Boris Johnson's government.
About 150 items considered sacred by the Sioux peoples that have been stored at a small Massachusetts museum for more than a century are being returned, museum and tribal officials announced Monday.

The items including weapons, pipes, moccasins and clothing  about seven or eight of which are thought to have a direct link to the the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre  are due to be formally handed over during a ceremony scheduled for Nov. 5, Ann Meilus, president of the board at the Founders Museum in Barre, said during a news conference on a day that several people present noted is more commonly being celebrated as Indigenous Peoples Day.

This is not our history of Barre. This is the Lakota Sioux's history, and we should honor the Lakota Sioux and what they desire, she said.

It is a repatriation project that has been decades in the making.

The return of the items is a chance to begin that process of healing," Kevin Killer, president of the Oglala Sioux tribe said.

The items being returned are just a tiny fraction of an estimated 870,000 Native American artifacts  including nearly 110,000 human remains  in the possession of the nation's most prestigious colleges, museums and even the federal government that under federal law are supposed to be returned to the tribes under the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, often referred to as or NAGPRA.

While the Barre museum maintains that as a private institution that does not receive federal funding, it is not subject to NAGPRA, returning items in its collection that belong to Indigenous tribes is the right thing to do, Meilus said.

Wendell Yellow Bull, a descendant of Wounded Knee victim Joseph Horn Cloud, said the items will be stored at Oglala Lakota College until tribal leaders decide what to do with them.

Upon the return of the items, there will be a mass meeting and a very meticulous discussion on how and what we're going to do with the items," he said. Most of all, there are items from the massacre site, so a lot of preparations and ceremonies must take place in order for us to proceed forward."

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More than 200 men, women, children and elderly people were killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in December 1890 in one of the countrys worst massacres of Native Americans. Congress issued a formal apology to the Sioux Nation for the massacre in 1991.

The Barre museum acquired its Indigenous collection from Frank Root, a 19th century native of the town about 70 miles (112 kilometers) west of Boston. He was a traveling shoe salesman who collected the items on his journeys, and once had a road show that rivaled P.T. Barnum's extravaganzas, Meilus said.

The items being returned to the Sioux people have all been authenticated by multiple experts, including tribal experts. The museum has other Indigenous items not believed to have originated with the Sioux.

Artist Michael He Crow used his expertise of traditional Lakota Sioux artwork and craftsmanship.

I am able to recognize some of the designs and the colors that the Lakota used at that time," he said.

There was a time when specific designs could be traced back to a particular family, but because those designs have been reproduced and replicated so many times over the years, that is now nearly impossible, he said.
Promoting self-harm online should be made a criminal offence, Sajid Javid has said.

The former health secretary has called on the government to introduce a renewed 10-year suicide prevention strategy as he reflected on his eldest brother Tariqs suicide on World Mental Health Day (10 October).

Writing in an article for The Telegraph, Javid said the governments earlier suicide prevention strategy (2012) must be updated to include a greater focus on the online world.

His comments come after an inquest into the death of Molly Russell concluded that the 14-year-old had access to images, video clips and text concerning or concerned with self-harm, suicide or that were otherwise negative or depressing in nature.

A new suicide-prevention plan should also include detail of how government proposes to create a specific offence that covers those who encourage or assist others to self-harm, Javid said.

Javid said the current Suicide Act (1961) makes it very difficult for prosecutors to bring a case against anyone who encouraged or incited suicide or self-harm online.

When it comes to the encouragement of suicide and related harmful behaviour, we are currently relying on legislation that was primarily created long before the digital age. There is currently no specific offence that covers those who digitally encourage or assist others to self-harm, Javid said.

This gap needs to be urgently closed  as we were all reminded of just 10 days ago by the Coroners verdict on the tragic suicide of Molly Russell. We need to make the laws on suicide fit for the internet age.

In 2021, 5,291 suicides were registered in England. Javid noted that two thirds of people who take their own life are not in contact with mental-health services.

He called for a cross-government strategy which would also ensure that all public-sector employees who work with vulnerable people receive suicide-prevention training.

Javid said the government must not shy away from disparities across the UK.

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Around three quarters of deaths by suicide each year are men, and those in the Northeast of England are more likely to die by suicide than those in London.

Additionally, the Office for National Statistics found middle-aged men living in the most deprived areas are more at risk of suicide than those who live in affluent areas (36.6 per 100,000 compared to 13.5 per 100,000).

Tariq, died by suicide in July 2018. Javid, who was serving as home secretary at the time, said he received the tragic news over the phone.

As a family, we simply had not seen it coming, he added. His absence is painful for us all. I often wonder if I could have made a difference and helped him.

It is too late to help my own brother, but a more comprehensive strategy could save many lives.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
Photos and videos on social media show an SBS Transit bus with a windshield smashed against a tree while several SCDF officers could be seen at the scene. (PHOTOS: Singapore roads accident.com/Facebook)

SINGAPORE  A 54-year-old bus driver who died in a traffic accident in Hougang on Sunday (9 October) morning leaves behind his wife and three school-going children, said Radin Mas Member of Parliament (MP) Melvin Yong.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) assistant secretary-general said that he was deeply saddened by the driver's death who was "known to many of us as ".

The man, a union representative, has been with SBS Transit for over 20 years, added Yong, who is also the National Transport Workers Union (NTWU) executive secretary.

The man had been driving an empty employee bus to the Hougang Depot at 2.40am when he lost control and hit a tree outside the bus depot along Defu Avenue 1 towards Hougang Avenue 3.

Several Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers extricated the man who was trapped in a seat. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.

The accident is currently under investigation by the traffic police, said Yong, who visited the man's family on Monday afternoon with other NTWU leaders.

"I assured the family that the union is working closely with the company and we will do all we can to support them during this difficult time. We join the family to grieve for the loss of our union brother, who was not just a loving father and husband, but also a respected union leader," he added.

Photos and videos on social media show an SBS Transit bus with a windshield smashed against a tree while several SCDF officers could be seen at the scene.

Grace Wu, SBS Transit's vice president for customer experience and communications, said that the transport operator is deeply saddened by its staff member's death and has extended its heartfelt condolences to his family.

"We are in close contact with them during this very difficult time and will render all support needed. Meanwhile, we are assisting the police in its investigations."

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Scarlett Johansson is getting honest about her experiences as a young actress.

In a new interview on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert, the mom of two, 37, recalled feeling like she was set up to appear older than she was in early film roles.

"I kind of became objectified and pigeonholed in this way where I felt like I wasn't getting offers for work for things that I wanted to do," she explained. "I remember thinking to myself, 'I think people think I'm 40 years old.' It somehow stopped being something that was desirable and something that I was fighting against."

Johansson said she felt like her experience playing ingenues contributed to this phenomenon.

"Because I think everybody thought I was older and that I'd been [acting] for a long time, I got kind of pigeonholed into this weird hypersexualized thing. I felt like [my career] was over," she said. "It was like: that's the kind of career you have, these are the roles you've played. And I was like, this is it?

"The runway is not long on that," she explained. "So it was scary at that time. In a weird way, I was like, is this it? I attributed a lot of that to the fact that people thought I was much, much older than I was."

Though she says things have "changed a lot" in the way Hollywood studios treat rising female stars, she admits there is still a lot of work to be done.

Now, I see younger actors that are in their 20s. It feels like they're allowed to be all these different things," she explained. "It's another time, too. We're even allowed to really pigeonhole other actors anymore, thankfully, right? People are much more dynamic."

Johansson says that while it's certainly "gotten better" for women, society has a long road ahead.

"It's kind of changed," she said. "We live in a patriarchy and I feel like there's a fundamental reality of the woman's condition that will always, even if those 600 men are not actively aggressive necessarily as much as they would have been a minute ago, it's still fundamentally there. It's so baked into our culture and society. It's hard for me to imagine that ever being not an element."

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To that end, Johansson says that at times she feels caught "between two worlds" in the aftermath of the #MeToo era.

"We had our mothers who were like, 'Use whatever you can to get what the thing you need. Use your feminine wiles. Use your sexuality,'" she said. "And then there's our generation I think that's done that and also [said], 'This doesnt feel right, there's gotta be some other way.' And there's the younger generation of women who are like 15 years younger than me, who are like, 'You don't have to take any of that crap. No pandering.' There's this system that's completely rejected. It's an interesting place to be in the in between of."

Still, the actress says she has nothing but hope for future generations of women who are leading today's conversations. However, she advises them to stay patient and to learn from the past.

"I've come to this realization that it's important to understand progress and change when it's really meaningful  it takes two steps forward and two steps back, and then it gets better and then it gets worse. It's not finite," she said. "I think if you don't leave room for people to figure it out, then the actual progressive change doesn't really happen."

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.
No chips used to be safe on the shores of Barmouth, but that's changed this year and residents are concerned

Residents of one seaside town have been left wondering what's happened to their usually bustling seagull population.

Herring gulls have always been a distinctive sight in Barmouth, Gwynedd, perching on rooftops and stealing food from visitors.

But over the past few weeks, some residents have said there seem to be hardly any at all.

Some people have wondered if an outbreak of bird flu is to blame.

Conservationists say more monitoring is needed of avian influenza cases in wild birds to know if there's a link.

Rob Triggs, who represents the town on Gwynedd council, said: "The herring gulls are my alarm clock in the summer - as soon as the sun comes up at 04:30, they get me up to take the dogs out.

"There's an old quarry face looking down on the town, and there'd normally be hundreds roosting there, but now there's nothing."

Barmouth: the old quarry face where gulls like to roost. It's now oddly silent, say locals.

"The town feels quite eerie - when we had a sunny day recently, there were loads of visitors here, they dropped chips, and there were no gulls to pick them up," Mr Triggs added.

Some people in Barmouth have said an outbreak of avian influenza nearby may be connected to the decline in herring gull numbers.

Fishermen in the area say they have seen dead birds on the shoreline recently.

But other people in town have suggested on social media that herring gulls may have simply gone elsewhere to look for food now that the summer tourist season is winding down.

A fresh portion of chips, usually a target for Barmouth's gulls, was left undisturbed

"We don't really know what's happening. We are still seeing some herring gulls on the beaches, but nothing like the numbers you'd expect." added Mr Triggs.

"It would be useful to get some feedback from the authorities to know what's going on."

Dr Rachel Taylor, senior ecologist for Wales with the British Trust for Ornithology, a conservation charity, said that if the gulls in Barmouth have contracted avian flu, it could have spread from anywhere.

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Dr Rachel Taylor says there's no national system for monitoring avian flu in wild birds

"It's very hard to tell what is happening with herring gulls in Barmouth or elsewhere in Wales," said Dr Taylor.

"But there is an obvious candidate for any decline this year, because we've had unexpectedly extended and major outbreaks of avian flu viruses in seabirds generally.

"So it's entirely possible that we're losing herring gulls as a result of avian flu infections.

Dr Taylor said it was difficult to be sure if this was the case, because national avian flu monitoring focussed on outbreaks in domestic birds such as chickens, and there is no surveillance system with wild birds.

Barmouth harbour is missing its distinctive seagull contingent

"There certainly have been cases identified in herring gulls and other wild bird species, but there's not enough information, and we can't use it to understand an outbreak in wild birds," she added.

A Welsh government spokeswoman said: "We continue to work with Natural Resources Wales and Public Health Wales to monitor and respond to the threat of Avian Influenza to our wild birds.

"This includes having developed, with Defra (the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) a mitigation strategy for outbreaks in wild birds.

"We are also engaging with the other UK government administrations to monitor the domestic and international picture and share best practice, expertise and learning from the recent outbreaks in Scotland and England, recognising the migratory and dispersive behaviours of wild birds."

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Seattle police detectives are looking for a man seen on surveillance video prowling around a home near the University of Washington before entering the house and assaulting a resident, the police department announced.

Officers received a call from residents of the house in the 4700 block of 18th Avenue Northeast after they were awakened by the intruder at 5 a.m.

When officers arrived, they reviewed surveillance footage and searched the area but were unable to find the suspect.

Anyone with information that might lead to the identification of the intruder is asked to call the police tip line at 206-233-5000.

KIRO 7s Deedee Sun spoke with the victims father.

I got a call from my daughter at 7:10 this morning. She was very distraught, Ed Teders said.

Video caught the man near the house first around 2 a.m., Teders said. Around 5 a.m., the suspect, who was shirtless, went inside.

The door was not locked, that was the downside, Teders said.

According to Teders, when his daughter woke up,

the guy was standing in front of her on his knees, and she screamed, told him to get out. He pulled out a gun, pointed it to her head, said Im going to kill you.

Teders continued his daughters account: He told her to turn around and put her hands behind her back and my daughter said he touched her briefly and disappeared and that was it.

Teders is warning others to be careful, and asking for residents help to identify the man who assaulted his daughter.

I hope someone recognizes him and gets him off the street, Teders said. It couldve been much, much worse.

Students at the University of Washington tell KIRO 7s Lauren Donovan that despite emphasis patrols in the area from Seattle police, they still feel on edge. One student, Caroline Lucarelli, said it seems SPD and UW Police are in a pissing match over who is responsible for the area north of the university.

It feels like UW PD doesnt care about this area at all, because its technically out of their jurisdiction, Lucarelli said. Then SPD likes to think that its UW PDs area. UW PD will be here in minutes for a frat party, but when theres a guy running around with a machete trying to stab people, they seem to care less.

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We reached out to the University of Washington for comment. It sent us a statement but refused to go on camera.

This is a deeply frightening incident for our students and for the greater community living north of campus. UW staff are supporting the students involved with connections to counseling and other resources. We hope Seattle Police can quickly locate this individual. We are grateful to see that SPDs emphasis patrols assigned as of this past week include the area along University Way NE and the Greek Row neighborhood.

Were asking our UW community to stay vigilant, keep doors and windows locked, and report any suspicious activity to police. Seattle Police Department is handling the investigation for this incident and specific questions should be directed to that department.

Following Sundays assault, other UW students and parents have reached out to KIRO 7. Some believe the suspect has been targeting nearby homes for months.

Home surveillance video sent to KIRO 7 shows a man weeks earlier in the same neighborhood. In the video, a man is seen attempting to open doors and trying to disable the surveillance camera. Students believe its the same man.

While unconfirmed by Seattle police, this new revelation has only heightened fears at the university. Some women, like freshman student Erin, are worried about leaving campus alone.

I try to stay with groups of girls. We have a group chat, says Erin. Anyone that wants to go out, we message the group and we go out in a pack together; instead of just one on one.

UW sophomore, Lucy, says she and her sorority sisters are taking extra precautions. Usually when its night time were walking in pairs and were carrying either pepper spray or tasers.

Students say they hope for an arrest soon.

I think everyone would sleep easier if he was caught, says Erin.

More news from KIRO 7

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A column of brand-new armoured vehicles is parked outside what remains of a government building in Quionga, a village in Mozambique's restive northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, Mozambican soldiers stare at the convoy -- an unusual sight in this northern settlement, which just a year ago was controlled by Islamist insurgents who have wreaked havoc across the region.

Senior Rwandan officers are visiting today.

They have come to oversee a joint military operation with their more poorly equipped local counterparts, a show of force to impress residents and the journalists accompanying them.

"We can say to a large extent that the insurgents have been defeated," says Rwandan army spokesman, general Ronald Rwivanga.

But the display of confidence belies a still precarious security situation in the gas-rich region. Only last week, the United Nations warned that the conflict had not subsided.

It has been five years since jihadists affiliated to the Islamic State launched an insurgency that monitoring groups say has killed more than 4,000 people.

Forces from Rwanda and other African countries, deployed in July 2021 after years of jihadist attacks, have helped Mozambique retake control of much of the province.

The militants had raided Quionga last year, burning down the local government office and setting up shop in the village. They were using it as a base to carry out attacks on both sides of the nearby Tanzanian border.

Rwandan forces eventually ousted them in August 2021.

- 'Isolated attacks' -

A year on, calm has returned to the area, and so have most of Quionga's inhabitants.

Outside a field hospital for civilians, Rwandan and Mozambican generals pat each other on the shoulder.

Rwandan troops have secured the key districts of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia, formerly jihadist strongholds.

"The only incidents recorded are now isolated attacks involving very few individuals," says general Rwivanga. "The insurgents no longer have major bases."

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Yet only last week, conflict tracker ACLED recorded a string of attacks, including the beheading of a farmer, and clashes between the militants and security forces.

Known locally as al-Shabab ('the young ones'), analysts say the jihadist group has splintered into smaller cells and started to stage incursions further south.

"The conflict has now spilled into the neighbouring province of Nampula, which witnessed four attacks by armed groups in September affecting at least 47,000 people and displacing 12,000," the UN said in a statement last week.

Since 2017, almost a million people have been forced to flee their homes because of the fighting, it added.

- Gas and checkpoints -

The government is hoping energy giants will resume work on gas projects in the region, where the largest deposits south of the Sahara were found in 2010.

TotalEnergies halted a $20 billion project last year, after a deadly raid on the coastal town of Palma.

The French oil giant's base is a heavily protected enclave built on the sandy coast of the Afungi peninsula.

Its powerful neon lights shine through the night, creating a halo that can be seen for miles.

Some excavators are still at work near the shore, where building barges lie waiting to be shipped offshore where the gas extraction is to take place.

Inside the compound, the large dormitories and a high-end gym stand empty.

Mozambican and Rwandan soldiers guarding the facilities, as well as the few employees who remain on site, are instructed not to give interviews.

Rumours at the camp hold that operations could soon resume.

But last month TotalEnergies said that would not happen until "security and safety conditions have been permanently restored in the region".

The jihadists' leaders are yet to be apprehended and the group's inner working remain a mystery.

"We do not understand how they work and how they manage to entice the population, there is a lack of intelligence," said Mirko Manzoni, the UN's special envoy to Mozambique.

- Mozambican forces mistrusted -

Mozambique's security forces are ill-trained and equipped compared to their Rwandan colleagues -- and they are little trusted by locals.

Outside some villages, makeshift checkpoints made of wooden poles are guarded with old rifles. Some soldiers wait for passing vehicles sitting under the vegetation.

"Who are they going to arrest with this? It's only to tax local people," said one Rwandan officer on condition of anonymity.

Mozambican forces are responsible for about 20 percent of the incidents reported in the area, according to ACLED.

As AFP visited the village of Mute, residents gathered to discuss the funeral of an old man beaten to death by a soldier.

The European Union is training Mozambican troops and Rwanda has also pledged assistance to smoothen a future handover to local forces.

But asked when that might happen, general Rwivanga is evasive.

"I don't think I can give a timeline, it's a long process," he said.

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WASHINGTON  Sierra Nevada Corporation on Monday announced it has bought commercial drone maker Volansi in a cash deal.

Sierra Nevadas purchase includes all of Volansis intellectual property and assets, including the companys Voly-50 and Voly-T drones and its production facility in Bend, Oregon.

Tim Owings, executive vice president for mission solutions and technologies at Sierra Nevada, told reporters at the Association of the U.S. Armys annual conference in Washington that Volansi lost its venture capital funding and went through a foreclosure. Negotiations on the sale started about two months ago, he said.

Owings declined to disclose the price of the transaction, noting only it was significantly less than what other drone companies have sold for recently. The deal closed Sept. 30, Sierra Nevada said.

Volansi will operate under a new name within Sierra Nevada to focus on the companys unmanned aircraft operations, but will not be a subsidiary, Owings said. Sierra Nevada is still trying to decide on the new name.

Owings said about 30 key Volansi employees, including engineers, are also coming to the company after the purchase. Sierra Nevada will be adding more employees to this effort.

Volansi started with a focus on logistics drones but later moved into the defense world. Last December, the company teamed up with Sierra Nevada to work on the Army Future Tactical Unmanned Systems Increment 2 program, or FTUAS.

Because Sierra Nevada had already been working with Volansi, Owings said, they were a natural fit to buy the foundering company.

From the very beginning, everyone saw this as the most viable outcome, Owings said.

Hannan Parvizian, chief executive and co-founder of Volansi, will not be joining Sierra Nevada. When asked if Will Roper, the former Air Force acquisition chief who sat on Volansis board of directors, or any of Volansis other advisors would be coming, Owings said no, adding that the company has its own advisors.

Sierra Nevada will honor Volansis existing contracts with companies such as pharmaceutical firm Merck, according to Owings.
Chris Fountain has revealed he has suffered a mini stroke, pictured in June 2019. (Getty Images)

Former Coronation Street actor Chris Fountain has revealed he has suffered a mini stroke, which left him speaking like a toddler.

The 35-year-old, who played Weatherfields Tommy Duckworth in the soap, said he spent five days in a London hospital in August after waking up at home unable to speak properly.

Doctors discovered he had suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)  known as a mini stroke  after a blood clot lodged in his brain.

I woke up one morning and knew something wasnt right," he told Mirror.

My mum called me and I just couldnt get my words out. I started walking round my house looking at things and I could think what the word was, like television or fridge, but I couldnt say it.

I called 111 on my mums advice and they sent an ambulance for me, it was so scary.

I felt stupid because I knew exactly what I wanted to say to the doctors, but I couldnt get the words out, I was speaking like a toddler, I was really embarrassed.

The former Coronation Street actor said he was left speaking like a toddler. (PA Images)

Fountain said he broke down in tears when doctors informed him he had suffered a TIA.

After several days of undergoing tests at a specialist stroke unit at the Royal London Hospital, medics had determined the actor had a hole in his heart which had caused the blood clot to travel to his brain, triggering the stroke.

Read more: Hailey Bieber's hospital dash  how to spot stroke symptoms

What is a transient ischaemic attack?

According to the NHS, a transient ischaemic attack  or mini stroke  is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain, which results in a lack of oxygen getting to the brain.

This can cause sudden symptoms similar to a stroke, such as speech and visual disturbance, and numbness or weakness in the face, arms and legs.

Meanwhile the Stroke Association says a TIA is the same as a stroke, except that the symptoms only last for a short amount of time.

This is because the blockage that stops the blood getting to your brain is temporary, the site explains.

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A TIA is a warning sign that you may be at risk of having a full stroke in the near future.

Watch: Hailey Bieber is 'happy and healthy again' after her recent health scare

What are the signs and symptoms of a TIA?

The NHS uses the F.A.S.T acronym to list the main signs as:

Face  the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have drooped.

Arms  the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm.

Speech  their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake.

Time  its time to dial 999 immediately if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.

The Stroke Association says there are some other common signs of TIA and stroke to look out for.

They include:

 Sudden weakness on one side in your arms, hands or legs.

 Sudden blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes.

 Sudden memory loss or confusion.

 Dizziness or a sudden fall.

A TIA is a medical emergency, the same as a stroke. If you spot the signs of a TIA or stroke, call 999. Dont wait to see if the symptoms pass.

If you didnt get medical help right away, get an urgent appointment with your GP or go to an NHS urgent treatment centre to get your symptoms checked as soon as possible.

Read more: How to spot a stroke: Symptoms, causes and treatment

Sufferers of TIA are at risk of suffering a full stroke. (PA Images)

Causes of a transient ischaemic attack

As the NHS explains during a TIA, one of the blood vessels that supply your brain with blood becomes blocked.

This blockage is usually caused by a blood clot that's formed elsewhere in your body and has travelled to the blood vessels supplying the brain.

However, it can also be caused by pieces of fatty material or air bubbles.

Read more: Mum left disabled after doctors dismissed stroke as 'high blood sugar'

Risk factors of a TIA

Treatment of a TIA

Although the symptoms of a TIA resolve in a few minutes or hours, according to the Stroke Association you'll likely need treatment to reduce the chance of another clot entering your brain.

They may include: Blood-thinning medication and treating blocked or damaged arteries in the neck.

You'll also likely to be given advice about lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your stroke risk.

Additional reporting PA.
New Mexico cannabis dispensaries sold $1 million less in medical products in August than in July, as combined sales for medical and adult use appeared to sit at a plateau six months after the state opened commercial sales of cannabis to adults.

Since the state's regulated marketplace opened for business on April, monthly combined sales have ranged from $37.7 million to $40.7 million. In September, the combined total reported by New Mexico's Cannabis Control Division was $39,651,326.49.

Tax-exempt medical cannabis, available for state-enrolled patients, amounted to $15,420,930.70 in September, over $1 million less than in August.

While medical cannabis sales fell, adult use or "recreational" cannabis sales increased by less than a percent over the month, with $24,230,395.79 in September.

U.S. Army Vet Jamar Wilson buys THC products from the R. Greenleaf dispensary in Las Cruces, Friday, April 1, 2022. On April 1, the Land of Enchantment became the 18th state to regulate retail cannabis, and several stores in Las Cruces celebrated the historical date by opening their doors at 12:01 a.m.

The data is based on reported sales from dispensaries in 59 municipalities.

The state Taxation and Revenue Department reported returns of $2,862,752.04 from 179 filers as of Sept. 28, a slight increase over August. Between July and August, the number of cannabis retailers filing taxes grew by 15 percent while revenue grew by just 2 percent. That growth slowed in September, with eight more filers than in August and dispensaries operating in five more towns or cities than in August.

Sunland Park, which sits on the Texas border, passed Rio Rancho for the first time since adult use sales opened, earning a spot in the top fives cities with $1.55 million in combined sales. The top four remained Albuquerque ($14.1 million), Santa Fe ($3.3 million), Las Cruces ($3 million) and Hobbs ($1.7 million).

The unincorporated community of Chaparral, also situated close to El Paso, saw another sizable leap in combined sales, with $392,197 in September compared to $306,533 in July. In that month, Chaparral retailers reported a 92 percent month-to-month increase as more dispensaries opened there.

Carlsbad, with $1.16 million in combined sales, remained in the top 10 cities for cannabis revenue, as did Ruidoso ($964,728) and Alamogordo ($919,706). All three cities saw dips in sales over the month: Carlsbad sold less in medical cannabis, while in the latter two cities sales retreated in both classes of cannabis product.

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In the southwest, Deming's combined sales jumped by 40 percent over the month, with $354,855 reported in September. Silver City, on the other hand, reported a 14.3 percent drop, with decreases in both medical and adult use cannabis.

Before the revenue report was released, Steve Pear, the president of the New Mexico division of Schwazze, predicted September's numbers might come in below July and August. Schwazze owns the R. Greenleaf chain of dispensaries throughout New Mexico.

Pear said R. Greenleaf's Las Cruces store, which opened at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of legal adult use sales, was the chain's top performing dispensary statewide. For recreational or "rec" sales, Pear said retailers located near Texas, where cannabis remains illegal except for select medicinal uses, benefit from the neighboring state's prohibition.

"You're still building the rec side of the business," he said of sales trends in the first six months. "The medical business is what it is; it's got a huge base and there's definitely been some increased medical consumers, but the upside is really on the recreational side, all the new people coming into the category and that continues to grow for us each day week month."

When asked if he shares a concern voiced by some producers that New Mexico's plant count limits are inflating prices by holding supplies down, Pear answered, "No. Not at all. ... We have no issues with supply."

While the price per gram on New Mexico's regulated market remains high compared to the non-regulated market, Pear expressed confidence that dispensaries will grow more competitive as the market matures.

"It will slowly but surely continue to grow and take hold," he said. "People want quality products that are safe, not stuff that's grown by who knows who and showed up on the market and could be laced with stuff."

The dispensaries under his purview had met with greater challenges, he said, in meeting the requirements of New Mexico's new cannabis regulations and in staffing their stores.

"It's not just a gold rush, like some may think," he continued. "You still have to be able to run the business and be prepared for the challenges ... and not everyone's set up to do that."

Others are reading:

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico's cannabis sales hit plateau after first six months
For the first time in nearly 50 years, NASA is preparing for a historic first, launching a new powerful moon rocket, the Space Launch System, on its maiden voyage.

The last time the space agency conducted a test flight of a moon rocket was the mighty Saturn V in 1967. Two years later, a Saturn V rocket would launch the Apollo 11 mission, sending astronauts to the moon. Now, NASA is preparing to launch the SLS and Orion spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida under the Artemis program, named for Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology.

HOW TO WATCH THE ARTEMIS 1 LAUNCH

NASA is targeting November for liftoff sending the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis-1 test flight, a 37-journey orbiting the moon and back. Two previous attempts this year have ended in launch scrubs.

No astronauts will be on board the test flight. However, if it goes well, four astronauts will launch on Artemis-2, orbiting the moon before the Artemis-3 moon landing in 2025.

Before the historic liftoff, here's a look back at the last time NASA launched a brand-new rocket designed to land humans on the moon.

The SLS and Saturn V have many differences and a few overlapping features.

Both SLS and Saturn V could launch from KSC launchpad 39B. The Saturn V used pads A and B at Launch Complex 39. Pad A is now leased by SpaceX, where the company launches NASA astronauts to the International Space Station and payloads for customers. SLS's dedicated launchpad will be Pad B.

SLS and Saturn V were both stacked inside the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) before being rolled on mobile launch towers to the launch complex.

WHAT IS NASA'S ARTEMIS 1 MISSION GOING TO DO?

The key difference between the moon rockets is power and how the vehicles are thrust off the planet. Side-by-side, Saturn V is taller, standing at 363 feet, and the Artemis-1 configuration of the SLS rocket is 322 feet tall.

About 75% of the SLS's thrust comes from two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) on either side of the core stage. When the SLS launches, it will use the SRBs and four RS-25 rocket engines to produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust to get off the Earth.

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The three-stage Saturn V had 5 F-1 engines on its first stage, producing 7.5 million pounds of thrust to lift off. Once in orbit, five engines on the second stage provided the power to send the Apollo on its path to the moon.

One of the things the two rockets have in common is the propulsion systems are both developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne and the company's predecessors. The company provides 39 propulsion elements for the SLS and Orion from the booster, upper stage, the jettison motor for the launch abort system and Orion's main engine.

TINY SPACECRAFT HITCHHIKING ON NASA'S ARTEMIS-1 MISSION WILL SCAVENGE FOR MOON ICE, TEST HARD LANDING METHOD

"Aerojet Rocketdyne products have been on every manned NASA mission since the beginning of NASA, Gemini, Mercury and Saturn for the Apollo missions, Space Shuttle, all powered by Aerojet Rocketdyne propulsion," Aerojet Rocketdyne Vice President Jim Maus told FOX Weather.

The RS-25 engine is the primary booster engine for SLS and was also used during the Space Shuttle Program. The rocket engine was designed and manufactured in Los Angeles before being assembled and tested at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

The SLS's upper stage engines, the RL-10 powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, are made in West Palm Beach, Florida.

"The RL-10 will propel the top stack of the Artemis vehicle over 20,000 mph to leave Earth's gravity and make its way to the moon," Maus said.

The first test flights for NASA's mega moon rockets have some similar test objectives. However, the flights for Orion and Apollo 4 will look very different.

Goals for the Artemis 1 test flight include testing Orions communication, navigation and guidance systems, ensuring the overall launch and performance of SLS and ensuring Orions heat shield can withstand Earth re-entry at 25,000 mph. Many of those were the same for Apollo 4, the first Saturn V launch.

The Artemis 1 test flight will send Orion on a 42-day mission orbiting the moon. In 1967, Saturn V launched Apollo 4 on an 8-hour high elliptical orbit of Earth. At its greatest distance, Apollo 4 was 11,234 miles from Earth. This was done so that when the spacecraft returned, it would simulate a lunar re-entry. The Orion will travel about 40,000 miles on the other side of the moon, farther than any human-rated spacecraft.

Apollo 4 completed the flight by splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, and Orion will do the same. Both spacecraft experience re-entry speeds around 25,000 mph, which is why the heat shield is so important.
People in communities on the Lake County-Orange County line are up in arms about a foul smell they say is becoming unbearable.

Some of the complaints are coming from the area near Sullivan Ranch, but no one seems to be able to say for certain where the sewage smell is coming from.

The mayor of Mount Dora said last month that she could smell it in downtown, about 3 miles from there and that its unacceptable.

Meisha Santagata said her beautiful neighborhood, Sullivan Ranch, and other neighborhoods near Mount Dora and Tangerine are dealing with a foul smell.

Read: Questions raised over permit for Mount Dora medical marijuana plant producing atrocious smell

It permeates into the house, and then the smell stays there all day. I mean, I can open the windows, I can light candles, it just the smell does not want to get out of home, she said.

She said the smell comes and goes at different times, and its something thats been a problem since she moved in nine years ago, but that its gotten worse in the last year.

Read: Deplorable: Man Tased by Mount Dora police sergeant speaks out

Another neighbor said its been really bad for the past week.

Mount Dora officials are pointing the finger at a nearby landfill run by Mid Florida Materials.

The mayor sent a statement saying: The City of Mount Dora is working with the owner of the landfill to mitigate the smell, however only the FDEP (Department of Environmental Protection) would be able to take further action.

Read: Investigation provides insight into Mount Dora police chiefs sudden resignation

In emails from the DEP, investigators have told residents it could be anything from a lift station to a wastewater treatment plant, and as recently as last month, said there was an ongoing investigation.

Residents said theyve been reporting it for years and theyre hoping soon someone can get to the bottom of whats really stinking up their neighborhood.

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Read: Records: Mount Dora officers arrested suspected drunk drivers on lesser charges to avoid paperwork

We dont know where exactly its coming from, all we know is that we dont know what were breathing in. Were all concerned for our health, Santagata said.

Channel 9 reached out the landfill through its website and by phone, but hasnt heard back yet. Were also waiting for answers from the DEP about its investigation.

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.
Halfpoint / iStock.com

Louisianas Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly benefits  via the Louisiana Purchase Card  to eligible low-income individuals and families. According to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), SNAP funds account for only a portion of monthly food budgets.

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Most Louisiana households must meet gross and net income tests to receive SNAP benefits; however, a household with a person who is 60 years old or older  or a person who is receiving certain types of disability payments  only needs to meet the net income test.

A recipients monthly SNAP benefit amount depends on the number of people in the household, as well as the net monthly income amount remaining after all allowable deductions have been subtracted from earned and unearned income.

There are several ways to apply for Louisiana SNAP. You can apply online through the LA CAFE self-service portal. The online portal also allows you to check the status of an application, renew your benefits, check your cases, complete a simplified report for SNAP and submit a change to your information that may affect benefits.

You can also download an application and fill it out by hand, or have one sent to your mailing address by emailing DCFS customer service at LAHelpU.dcfs@la.gov or calling 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578). You can mail, fax or drop off your application at your local office. Applications cannot be emailed.

Take Our Poll: Are You Struggling To Keep Up With Your Utility Bills?

If youre unable to complete your SNAP application online or by mail, you can contact the DCFS to apply by phone.

After submitting your application, you can call the DCFS Monday through Friday  from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  to complete an interview over the phone. If an in-person interview is requested, you can schedule an appointment with any DCFS parish office.

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If you have any questions about Louisiana SNAP benefits or about your Louisiana Purchase Card, you can call or email the DCFS or ask the DCFS chatbot.

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A Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile is mounted on a U.S. Apache helicopter. (U.S. Army)

The Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile is integrated onto a U.S. Apache helicopter before testing at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., in August 2019. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)

The Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile is seen moments after leaving a U.S. Apache helicopter and heading toward its designed target. (U.S. Army)

The Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile is seen moments after leaving the launcher. (U.S. Army)

The Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile at impact. (U.S. Army)

WASHINGTON  Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems recently completed test flights in Israel to prepare for a shoot-off this fall meant to help the U.S. Army choose a long-range precision weapon for its AH-64E Apache helicopters and its future attack reconnaissance aircraft.

Long-range munitions for the services future aircraft will be critical to engage an enemys defensive positions from a comfortable standoff  or a range beyond the enemys detection.

The American-Israeli tie-up is the only team to go public with its participation and its offering. However, the Army has revealed it chose three systems to participate in the shoot-off at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, later this month.

The results will inform a final requirements document for a long-range precision munition and validate the maturity of potential solutions.

The Lockheed-Rafael offering is the latters latest version of its Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile. Lockheed made the weapon compatible to fire from the Armys Modular Effects Launcher, which is currently in development, according to Tom Bargnesi, a senior program manager with the company.

The Spike weapon received integration improvements to meet U.S. standards, he said, adding: That is not in the international version.

Lockheed is also working on data links it hopes will be compatible with U.S. systems, he noted.

Rafael unveiled its sixth-generation version of the Spike NLOS munition ahead of the Eurosatory defense show in Paris, France, in June. The new variant has an increased range, pushing beyond 40 kilometers (25 miles) to a range of 50 kilometers (31 miles).

The next-generation version is more compatible with the Armys requirements for its LRPM program than the interim system the Army chose several years ago  an earlier version of the Spike NLOS.

The Army chose Rafael and Lockheed to provide Spike NLOS as the interim capability for its Apache helicopters in early 2020. The team signed a contract with the service in November 2021.

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The first Apache equipped with the interim Spike NLOS for testing will begin flying in November. Then the helo will fire its first missile in January 2023, Bargnesi said earlier this year.

The company will outfit two test birds, he said, after which the Army will install Spike on the remaining Apaches  the latest V6 helicopter variant  for the first unit equipped by the end of 2023. Fielding will conclude at the end of fiscal 2024.

Lockheed and Rafael said the shoot-off for Spike will take place Oct. 17-28. The event will not take place in the air, Bargnesi noted, but rather from the ground based on the Armys requirements.

During the tests in Israel, the team replicated the exact shoot-off scenarios that the Army is asking [for], he added.
When Karissa Valencia (Santa Ynez Chumash) first imagined her new animated kids show, Spirit Rangers, which launches on Netflix today, on Indigenous Peoples Day, she wanted to create a show for kids who hadnt yet seen people like themselves or heard their stories on TV.

Its the show I always wish I had as a kid, Valencia tells In The Know by Yahoo. Its so special to hear from my team  and also just people whove gotten to see the show  that its healing their inner child.

With just $1,000 and one day, this Harlem bedroom gets a brand new look:

Spirit Rangers tells the story of three Native American siblings (Kodi, Summer and Eddy Skycedar) from the West Coast Chumash and Cowlitz tribes who have a secret. Theyre spirit rangers who can transform into different animals to help protect the national park where they live with their ranger parents.

The voice actors who star as the kids (Waciyeya Iwasaka Yracheta, Isis Celilo Rogers and Talon Proc Alford) are Native, and audiences will also hear from familiar Indigenous voices, including Wes Studi (Cherokee), Tantoo Cardinal (Cree/Metis) and Devery Jacobs (Kanienkeha:ka).

Not only that, but Valencia hired an all-Native writers room and more than 100 Native crew members for the show.

Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Netflix

Valencia credits the executive producer Chris Nee (Doc McStuffins), whom she worked with on animated series Vampirina, and Netflix for making it all possible.

They supported me with every step of the way because there was going to be so many challenges coming up, she says. We had to Indigenize this production. We had to get the blessing of the tribes.

This meant approaching Valencias tribe, the Santa Ynez Chumash, as well as consulting producer Joey Clifts Cowlitz tribe. Valencia wanted to be respectful when telling these tribal stories, and to ensure that she had permission from the tribes themselves.

If there was ever a story I wanted to tell, I wanted to run it by [the tribes] and make sure it was OK. Because sometimes, theyd tell me no, she adds. Theyd be like, Thats a creation story, thats really sacred. We dont want that to exist on Netflix. Heres this other story. Why dont you do this character instead? And the show is that much better for it, because we have their sign-off and their approval, and were approaching our culture in a respectful way.

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Some of the stories in the series include explanations for natural events, such as the story of the condor, who flew too close to the sun and darkened its wings, or how the sun fell asleep and forgot to set on the summer solstice (aka the longest day of the year). These are stories that many Native kids grew up hearing from their elders and families.

And while tradition is tightly woven into the show, Spirit Rangers also celebrates modern Native families who are not forced to exist only in the past.

We just wanted some sort of acknowledgment that we still exist, Valencia says of her Native writing staff. We have iPhones, we dress in modern clothes. So having the family exist in a modern space, as park rangers who are using modern sciences and technology but also their traditional ecological knowledge, that was the first step for me, was just seeing them exist in the modern day.

In fact, Valencia shares just how much it meant to her to see her young characters dressed in modern outfits.

I still remember when the designs came in of [the main characters] Kodi, Summer and Eddy, what they were going to look like, and they were just like cute little junior ranger outfits and hiking boots and hats. And I got so emotional, because I had just never seen that before. It was always like in the past tense, in a textbook kind of setting, versus just like a kid thriving today.

Scheduling the shows premiere on Indigenous Peoples Day has added to the overall excitement for Valencia and her team.

Im so glad that we got that as our launch day, she says. That is a day that has been [acknowledging] the genocide of our people for so many years, and I am so glad that a show that celebrates Native youth is coming out that day.

Celebrating the fact that Indigenous people are still here and sharing that knowledge with others has been crucial for Valencia.

And like weve been saying, were still here, but its also a way for non-Native families to celebrate us, she adds. If theyre looking for ways to learn more about Native culture, theyre not googling Christopher Columbus. Theyre looking for contemporary artists who are doing good work out here, like Prey and Rutherford Falls. Its an exciting time.

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The map of St Vincent and the Grenadines

The multi-island country of St Vincent and the Grenadines is home to La Soufriere, an active volcano which last erupted in 1979.

Of the many islands and cays that make up the Grenadines, Mustique, Palm Island and Union Island are haunts of the rich and famous - offering yachting, diving and fine beaches.

Efforts are being made to diversify the economy away from bananas. A new international airport, Argyle International Airport, was opened in 2017 to help boost the tourism sector.

Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring

FACTS

LEADER

Head of state: King Charles III, represented by a governor

Prime minister: Ralph Gonsalves

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves

Ralph Gonsalves has been the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines since 2001. A former university lecturer and lawyer, he leads the Unity Labour Party (ULP).

In November 2020, he made history by securing the fifth consecutive victory of his Unity Labour Party in a general election.

In April 2021, the La Soufriere volcano erupted, sending ash several miles into the atmosphere. Approximately 22,400 people were evacuated from areas close to the volcano. The eruption damaged critical services, infrastructure, and agriculture, and affected the entire population of the island of St Vincent.

The World Bank provided $20m to address immediate needs in the same month and then allocated a further $50m for budget support in June 2021.

In November 2021 it approved a further $40m for the Volcanic Eruption Emergency Project in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

MEDIA

There are several private radio stations and a national radio service which is partly government-funded.

TIMELINE

Some key dates in the history of St Vincent and the Grenadines:

1300 - Carib Indians of South America conquer the indigenous Arawak Indians.

1498 - Christopher Columbus visits the main island on St Vincent's Day.

1783 - Treaty of Versailles recognises St Vincent as a British colony.

1795-97 - Britain, with French support, deports 5,000 caribs to Belize following an uprising.

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1834 - Slavery abolished, forcing plantation owners to free more than 18,000 slaves; foreign labourers indentured.

1958-62 - St Vincent a member of the British-sponsored West Indies Federation.

1979 - Independence. A revolt on Union Island by a group that wanted more power in the country's new government is put down.

2003 - The country is removed from a list of nations deemed uncooperative in the fight against money-laundering.

2009 - Voters reject the proposal to replace the monarchy with a republic in a constitutional referendum.

2021- La Soufriere volcano erupts, some 22,400 people are evacuated
A former Starbucks barista and union organiser has claimed he was fired by the American coffee chain for refusing to remove a suicide awareness pin which memorialised a former co-worker.

The barista, Will Westlake, was fired last week from one of the three Starbucks chains in Buffalo, New York  the site where unionisation efforts throughout the country began late last year. According to Bloomberg, Westlake was told by management that the pin violated Starbucks dress code.

Today I was fired from Starbucks for wearing a suicide awareness pin on my apron, Westlake said in a TikTok video shared by Starbucks Workers United, which has since received 2.3 million views since it was posted last week.

We had a partner die at our store, died by suicide, and we got these pins to kind of remember her, he explained. Very early on, the company said that they werent going to be allowed, that they werent becoming of the brand of Starbucks.

In a close-up, the pin shows two hands interlocking their fingers, along with the slogan You are not alone and a link to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. According to Bloomberg, Westlake said his fellow co-workers also wore the pins on their aprons, but most removed them to avoid getting in trouble.

I refused to take it off and today they fired me, he said in the video.

According to Starbucks, operations at Westlakes store were disrupted when he was repeatedly sent home for refusing to remove his pin. The company also said it fired Westlake for repeated attendance and dress code policy violations.

The termination notice, which was also obtained by the outlet, said Westlake was fired due to refusal to abide by the dress-code policy, as well as attendance issues.

Speaking to The Independent, Westlake said that company dress code was rarely enforced throughout his two and half years working as a Starbucks barista. That is, until he wore the anti-suicide pin.

Westlake explained that it was actually a co-worker of his who bought the pins, not only as a way to honour their friend but to raise awareness around mental health. I was wearing the pin and then very quickly the company said: No, thats not going to be allowed, he recalled. And that was really the first time that dress code had really been enforced at my store.

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When he was asked to remove the suicide awareness pin, which memorialised the death of his friend and former Starbucks employee, Westlake said he was initially in shock.

I was like, theres no way that this is a real decision that theyve made and that they want to follow through, he said. Its totally against the stated values of the company.

Last year, Starbucks workers in Buffalo became the coffee chains first location to form a union, with Westlake being one of the original letter signers. Since then, more than 300 Starbucks stores throughout the country have held union elections.

On 4 October, Starbucks Workers United filed a claim with the US National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the company was retaliating against Westlake for his union activism. According to Bloomberg, US labor board prosecutors have also accused Starbucks of allegedly firing more than 80 people for their involvement in union organising.

However, the company has maintained that no Starbucks employee has been or will be disciplined or separated for supporting, organising, or otherwise engaging in lawful union activity.

Despite his termination from Starbucks, Westlake said he will continue to help other Starbucks stores across the country in their efforts to unionise. Not only will he use his platform to bring awareness to mental health issues, but Westlake will work to make sure employees recognise their rights.

As much as this is a labour issue, as much as this is a union issue, this is a mental health issue  bringing awareness to suicide, which is very preventable in a lot of instances, Westlake said. Just as the pin that I got fired for says, you arent alone. There are resources, there are people that are willing to help you.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
Nanyang Technological University's Yunnan Garden. (SCREENSHOT: Google Maps)

SINGAPORE  A student wanted to take photos and videos of his girlfriend and her friend at a garden in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) so he decided to use a newly purchased drone.

For flouting regulations on the use of drones, Xu Zi Zhou, 25, was fined $5,000 on Monday (10 October), according to a report by CNA. Xu admitted to one count of using an unmanned aircraft within 5km of Tengah aerodrome without having a relevant permit. Another two charges on flouting rules related to unmanned aircraft operations were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) student from China bought a 568.5g drone from e-commerce platform Shopee on 28 May 2021 and took it for a few test flights at NUS, the report said.

Xu met his girlfriend and one of her friends and they went to Yunnan Garden in NTU. He took photos and videos of them using his drone.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) was alerted to the presence of the drone flying within 5km of Tengah aerodrome at a maximum altitude of 518.37 feet (158 metres).

CAAS officers who were sent to Yunnan Garden saw Xu using the drone and asked him to stop operating it. The drone was found to have been flown by Xu five times that day within 18 minutes.

According to CAAS' rules, a Class 2 activity permit has to be obtained for unmanned aircraft outdoor activities subject to various conditions.

Xu could have been jailed for a maximum of two years, fined up to $50,000, or both for his offence.

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The story of Oakmont native Marc Fogel has mainly been contained to Pittsburgh. His family was outspoken about his imprisonment in Russia following a marijuana-related conviction, but now his former students are rallying together.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >> Oakmont man held in Russia to be moved to labor camp

Outside the White House in Washington, D.C. on Monday, a handful of Fogels former students traveled from New York to bring attention to his case. As a teacher, hes taught around the world including the Middle East, where he met Varad Kishore.

RELATED >> New effort begins in hopes of freeing Oakmont man detained in Russia

Kishore, who organized Mondays rally, saw firsthand Fogels back injury and the reason he had medical marijuana while in Russia. But those drugs led him to a harsh sentence of 14 years in maximum security prison.

His former students are calling on lawmakers to reclassify Fogels case as wrongfully detained and include him in the conversations about prison exchange.

RELATED >> Family of Oakmont man detained in Russia demands answers, pleads for his freedom

The people we talked to that came by and spoke to us hadnt heard about Marcs case. They had heard of the other two Americans that are stranded and been in the news, but they hadnt heard theres a teacher out there, Kishore said.

Kishore said the time for this change is now as Fogel was transferred to a hard labor camp with zero communication ability with his family.

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After finishing a tour in Afghanistan in 2013, Dionne Williamson felt emotionally numb. More warning signs appeared during several years of subsequent overseas postings.

Its like I lost me somewhere, said Williamson, a Navy lieutenant commander who experienced disorientation, depression, memory loss and chronic exhaustion. I went to my captain and said, Sir, I need help. Somethings wrong.

As the Pentagon seeks to confront spiraling suicide rates in the military ranks, Williamsons experiences shine a light on the realities for service members seeking mental health help. For most, simply acknowledging their difficulties can be intimidating. And what comes next can be frustrating and dispiriting.

Williamson, 46, eventually found stability through a monthlong hospitalization and a therapeutic program that incorporates horseback riding. But she had to fight for years to get the help she needed. Its a wonder how I made it through, she said.

In March, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the creation of an independent committee to review the militarys mental health and suicide prevention programs.

According to Defense Department data, suicides among active-duty service members increased by more than 40% between 2015 and 2020. The numbers jumped by 15% in 2020 alone. In longtime suicide hotspot postings such as Alaska  service members and their families contend with extreme isolation and a harsh climate  the rate has doubled.

VA defends suicide prevention data, says problem is improving

A 2021 study by the Cost of War Project concluded that since 9/11, four times as many service members and veterans have died by suicide as have perished in combat. The study detailed stress factors particular to military life: high exposure to trauma  mental, physical, moral, and sexual  stress and burnout, the influence of the militarys hegemonic masculine culture, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life.

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The Pentagon did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But Austin has publicly acknowledged that the Pentagons current mental health offerings  including a Defense Suicide Prevention Office established in 2011  have proven insufficient.

It is imperative that we take care of all our teammates and continue to reinforce that mental health and suicide prevention remain a key priority, Austin wrote in March. Clearly we have more work to do.

Last year the Army issued fresh guidelines to its commanders on how to handle mental health issues in the ranks, complete with briefing slides and a script. But daunting long-term challenges remain. Many soldiers fear the stigma of admitting to mental health issues within the internal military culture of self-sufficiency. And those who seek help often find that stigma is not only real, but compounded by bureaucratic obstacles.

Much like the issue of food insecurity in military families, a network of military-adjacent charitable organizations has tried to fill the gaps with a variety of programs and outreach efforts.

Some are purely recreational, such as an annual fishing tournament in Alaska designed to provide fresh air and socialization for service members. Others are more focused on self-care, like an Armed Services YMCA program that offers free childcare so that military parents can attend therapy sessions.

The situation in Alaska is particularly dire. In January, after a string of suicides, Command Sgt. Maj. Phil Blaisdell addressed his soldiers in an emotional Instagram post. When did suicide become the answer, he asked. Please send me a DM if you need something. Please 

Army Alaska CSM asks for help after another soldier dies at home

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said that while posting to Alaska can be a dream for some service members, its a solitary nightmare for others that needs to be addressed.

Youve got to be paying attention to this when you see the statistics jump as they are, Murkowski said. Right now, youve got everybody. Youve got the Joint Chiefs looking at Alaska and saying, Holy smokes, whats going on up there?

The stresses of an Alaska posting are compounded by a shortage of on-the-ground therapists. During a visit to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska earlier this year, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth heard from base health care workers who say they are understaffed, burned out and cant see patients on a timely basis. If a soldier seeks help, they often have to wait weeks for an appointment.

We have people who need our services and we cant get to them, one longtime counselor told Wormuth during a meeting. We need staff and until we get them, we will continue to have soldiers die.

The annual Combat Fishing Tournament in Seward, Alaska, was formed to get the kids out of the barracks, get them off the base for the day and get them out of their heads, said co-founder Keith Manternach.

Captain John Moline, right, poses for a photo with others during the annual ASYMCA Alaska Combat Fishing Tournament on May 25, 2022, in Seward, Alaska. The tournament, which began in 2007 and now involves more than 300 soldiers, includes a day of deep-water fishing followed by a celebratory banquet with prizes for the largest catch, smallest catch and soldier who got the sickest. (Armed Services YMCA via AP)

The tournament, which was begun in 2007 and now involves more than 300 service members, includes a day of deep-water fishing followed by a celebratory banquet with prizes for the largest catch, smallest catch and the person who gets the sickest.

I think theres a huge element of mental health to it, Manternach said.

Its not just in Alaska.

Sgt. Antonio Rivera, an 18-year veteran who completed three tours in Iraq and a year at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, freely acknowledges that he has serious PTSD.

I know that I need help. Theres signs and Ive waited long enough, said Rivera, 48, who is assigned to Fort Hood in Texas. I dont want my children to suffer because of me not going to get help.

Hes doing yoga, but says he needs more. Hes reluctant to seek help inside the military.

Personally Id feel more comfortable being able to talk to someone outside, he said. It would allow me to open up a lot more without having to be worried about how its going to affect my career.

Others who speak up say its a struggle to get assistance.

Despite the on-base presence of tons of briefings and brochures on suicide and PTSD, Williamson said she found herself fighting for years to get time off and therapy.

Eventually, she entered a monthlong in-patient program in Arizona. When she returned, a therapist recommended equine-assisted therapy, which proved to be a breakthrough.

Now Williamson is a regular at the Cloverleaf Equine Center in Clifton, Virginia, where riding sessions can be combined with a variety of therapeutic practices and exercises. Working with horses has long been used as a form for therapy for people with physical or mental disabilities and children diagnosed with autism. But in recent years, it has been embraced for helping service members with anxiety and PTSD.

In order to be able to work with horses, you need to be able to regulate your emotions. They communicate through body language and energy, said Shelby Morrison, Cloverleafs communications director. They respond to energies around them. They respond to negativity, positivity, anxiety, excitement.

Military clients, Morrison said, come with a lot of anxiety, depression, PTSD.  We use the horse to get them out of their triggers.

For Williamson, the regular riding sessions have helped stabilize her. She still struggles, and she said her long campaign for treatment has damaged her relationship with multiple superior officers. Shes currently on limited duty and isnt sure if shell retire when she hits her 20-year anniversary in March.

Nevertheless, she says, the equine therapy has helped her feel optimistic for the first time in recent memory.

Now even if I cant get out of bed, I make sure to come here, she said. If I didnt come here, I dont know where I would even be.

Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.

Veterans in need of emergency counseling can reach the Veterans Crisis line by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255 and selecting option 1 after connecting to reach a VA staffer. In addition, veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden won't share findings of the investigation into the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines with Russian authorities or Gazprom, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday.

A Swedish crime scene investigation of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Europe has found evidence of detonations and prosecutors suspect sabotage.

Last week Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin sent a letter to the Swedish government demanding that Russian authorities and Gazprom would be allowed to be involved in the investigation, which Sweden denied.

On Monday Andersson said Sweden won't even share the findings of the explosions that took place in the Swedish economic zone, with Russian authorities.

"In Sweden, our preliminary investigations are confidential, and that, of course, also applies in this case," she told reporters.

However, Andersson said Sweden had no power to stop Russian vessels from visiting the sites of the explosions now that the crime scene investigation was concluded.

"The Swedish economic zone is not a territory that Sweden disposes of. We have lifted the cordons now and then it is also possible for other ships to stay in the area, that is how the rules work," she said

Swedish and Danish authorities have been investigating four leaks after the pipelines, which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis, were damaged last month.

Europe, which previously relied on Russia for about 40% of its gas, is facing an energy crisis in the aftermath of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine which has drastically cut supplies of the fuel.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by David Evans)
BEIJING (Reuters) - The root cause of the problems in the Taiwan Strait is the Taiwanese government's seeking of independence and the island is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry was responding to a national day speech by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen who said war between Taiwan and China is "absolutely not an option" and reiterated her willingness to talk to Beijing.

(Reporting by Martin Pollard; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Toby Chopra)
By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) -War between Taiwan and China is "absolutely not an option", Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday, as she reiterated her willingness to talk to Beijing and also pledged to boost the island's defences including with precision missiles.

China again rejected her latest overture, saying the island was an inseparable part of its territory.

Democratic Taiwan, which China claims as its own, has come under increasing military and political pressure from Beijing, especially after Chinese war games in early August following a Taipei visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Any conflict over Taiwan could drag in the United States, Japan and perhaps much of the world, as well as shatter the global economy, especially given Taiwan's dominant position as a maker of semiconductors used in everything from smartphones and tablets to fighter jets.

Tsai, in her national day speech outside the presidential office under a grey sky, said it was "regrettable" that China had escalated its intimidation and threatened peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and region.

China should not think there is room for compromise in the commitment of Taiwan's people to democracy and freedom, she said.

"I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides. Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait."

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Taiwan is part of China, "has no president and is not an independent country".

"The root cause of the current tensions in the Taiwan Strait lies in the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' stubborn insistence on Taiwan independence and secession," she said, referring to Taiwan's ruling party. "We are willing to create a broad space for peaceful reunification, but we will never leave any space for Taiwan independence and secession activities."

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China calls Tsai - re-elected by a landslide in 2020 on a promise to stand up to Beijing - a separatist and refuses to speak to her.

Tsai's speech comes less than a week before China's ruling Communist Party's congress opens in Beijing, where President Xi Jinping is widely expected to win a precedent-breaking third five-year term.

An official familiar with Tsai's thinking, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters the president was looking to "clearly convey" her position to the world and Beijing.

"Standing firm on the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the main axis of Tsai's comments on cross-strait relations this year," the official said, adding this was the world's expectation and responsibility of both Taipei and Beijing.

'NO ROOM FOR COMPROMISE'

Tsai said, to applause, that her government looked forward to the gradual post-pandemic resumption of healthy and orderly people-to-people exchanges across the strait, which would ease tensions.

But the broad consensus in Taiwan is that its sovereignty and free and democratic way of life must be defended, she added.

"On this point, we have no room for compromise," she said.

Tsai has made strengthening Taiwan's defences a cornerstone of her administration to enable it to mount a more credible deterrence to China, which is ramping up an ambitious modernisation programme of its own military.

Taiwan will show the world it is taking responsibility for its own defence, Tsai said.

Taiwan is increasing mass production of precision missiles and high-performance naval vessels, and working to acquire small, highly mobile weapons that will ensure Taiwan is fully prepared to respond to "external military threats", she added.

The military tensions have raised concerns, especially in the United States, about the concentration of chip making in Taiwan.

"I want to specifically emphasise one point to my fellow citizens and the international community, which is that the concentration of the semiconductor sector in Taiwan is not a risk," she said.

"We will continue to maintain Taiwan's advantages and capacity in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing processes, and will help optimise the worldwide restructuring of the semiconductor supply chain, giving our semiconductor firms an even more prominent global role," she added.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Martin Pollard in Beijing; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Gerry Doyle)
The number of legal challenges to President Joe Bidens plan to cancel millions of dollars of student debt continues to mount. The latest, a lawsuit by the Job Creators Network Foundation, was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth.

Elaine Parker, the president of the foundation, called the presidents plan, which was announced in August, an unprecedented executive power grab.

U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor, who notably ruled that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional in 2018, will hear the case.

The application to apply for student loan relief is set to be available sometime in early October, potentially assisting over 3 million Texans.

The student loan relief plan was announced by Biden on Aug. 24 and will cancel up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 for non-Pell Grant recipients.

Two Texas-area graduates named in the suit argue they should be receiving forgiveness, or more forgiveness than currently allowed under the debt-relief program, and that they were deprived of the ability to share these concerns since no comments were gathered before the program was announced.

Lawsuits have been filed by other conservative groups as well as a coalition of six Republican-led states arguing that the program will hurt state tax revenues, according to Business Insider. Two have been dismissed by judges.

Plaintiffs argue they should have debt forgiven

Two graduates of Texas colleges are named in the lawsuit, both arguing that they should receive forgiveness, or more forgiveness than under the current rule.

Myra Brown, a 1993 graduate of UT El Paso who also attended SMU, currently has more than $17,000 in private loan debt  ineligible for forgiveness under the Biden program.

If the Department is going to provide debt forgiveness, Ms. Brown believes that her student loan debt should be forgiven too, the initial complaint said. She believes it is irrational, arbitrary, and unfair to exclude her from the Program because her student loan debt is commercially held and not in default.

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Under the program, students who had the needs-based Pell Grant are eligible for twice as much debt-forgiveness.

Alexander Taylor, the other plaintiff in the suit, attended the University of Dallas and has debt totaling more than $35,000.

The suit argues that he should receive the full amount of forgiveness, even if he didnt have a Pell grant, arguing that he should not be penalized because he did not receive a Pell Grant in college.

Mr. Taylor makes less than $25,000 a year, but he is ineligible for the full $20,000 in debt forgiveness, attorneys say in the suit.

Biden administration defends debt-relief plan

White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan responded to the suit with a statement shared with PBS defending the loan forgiveness program.

While opponents of our plan are siding with special interests and trying every which way to keep millions of middle-class Americans in debt, the President and his Administration are fighting to lawfully give middle-class families some breathing room as they recover from the pandemic and prepare to resume loan payments in January, he said in a statement.
A Gulfport teen has died of a gunshot wound he suffered when Gulfport police shot him in the head after responding to a report of several people in a car, all minors, waving guns at motorists last week.

Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer confirmed Jaheim McMillan, 15, died Saturday after he was taken off of life support at USA Hospital in Mobile. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, he said.

McMillan was a freshman at Gulfport High School, according to relatives, and is survived by his mother, Katrina Mateen, and other relatives, most of whom are openly questioning why police shot and killed Jaheim.

Teens waving guns at motorists?

Gulfport police said in a press release that the shooting occurred Thursday afternoon after they responded to a 911 call in the area on Pass Road and 8th Avenue in reference to several minors waving guns at other motorists.

Gulfport police pulled the minors over in the parking lot of Family Dollar, where a Gulfport police officer engaged an armed suspect, since identified as McMillan, resulting in shots being fired.

Jaheims family doesnt believe he was armed at the time and is calling for justice for his death.

In addition, supporters are calling for the immediate release of camera footage of the shooting.

Police crime scene tape and markers seen near a Kia Soul parked at Family Dollar on Pass Road in Gulfport after an offiicer involved shooting on October 6, 2022.

Jaheim was initially taken to Memorial Hospital at Gulfport for treatment but was then transferred to the Mobile hospital, where he subsequently died shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday.

In a video taken by a bystander after the shots had been fired, Jaheim could be seen on the ground in front of the door to the store. A witness said police had handcuffed the teen after he had been shot.

Gulfport Police Chief Adam Cooper said police took four other suspects, all believed to be minors, into custody and that several firearms had been recovered from the scene.

Jaheims family and friends and loved ones gathered for a candlelight vigil shortly after the shooting at the Family Dollar store.

Since the shooting, a GoFundMe account has been set up to help Jaheims mother with expenses.

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Another relative lost in MS Coast police shooting

The family of Jaheim McMillan has already dealt with the loss of another relative in an encounter with police officers.

In that case, Gulfport police officers shot and killed Jaheims uncle, Marvin Ray McMillan, after Marvin McMillan barricaded himself in a home in March 2018 and shot at the police officers

Police mark a piece of evidence in the parking lot of Family Dollar on Pass Road in Gulfport after an officer-involved shooting on October 6, 2022.

At the time of that shooting, Gulfport police were trying to take Marvin McMillan, 41, into custody on an aggravated assault charge for allegedly shooting someone during a dispute in January 2018.

A Harrison County grand jury later cleared Gulfport police officers of any wrongdoing in Marvin McMillans death.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling an independent investigation into the shooting of Jaheim McMillan.

MBI investigates all police shootings in the state and the attorney generals office is in charge of any prosecutions  all as a result of recent legislative action.

Prior to that, the prosecutors from the individual districts where the police shootings took place handled their own cases and presented the evidence to grand juries to determine if criminal charges should be filed.
Reflecting on the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian in southwestern Florida, Hal Summers sees echoes of the Category 5 hurricane that nearly took his life four years earlier.

Hurricane Michael crashed ashore in the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base with Category 5 winds and towering storm surge. At landfall, the storm's maximum sustained winds were found to have clocked in at 160 mph -- easily surpassing the Category 5 threshold of 157 mph and earning Michael the title of the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle. Storm surge reached 9 to 14 feet at Mexico Beach to Indian Pass, according to the National Weather Service.

Before the hurricane was reanalyzed, however, the National Weather Service had classified Michael as a strong Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph -- 2 mph short of Category 5 strength and the same intensity Ian had maintained up until it approached the Florida coast.

Summers had decided to weather Hurricane Michael at his parents' house in Mexico Beach with his cat, named Mr. Red, and Frank, an 80-year-old man with two dogs who his parents had sent to shelter with him.

It had only been about half an hour into the storm when the water breached the house and began to lap at Summers' feet.

"He's holding his dogs; I'm holding my cat, and the water starts rising," Summers told Brandon Clement in 2018. "And it gets all the way up to my neck, and I realize that we can't stay in there."

"We have to get to the roof to survive this storm," he recalled telling Frank.

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But they never made it to the roof.

After stepping outside and onto the patio, the walkway collapsed beneath Summers, and he and his cat plunged into the floodwaters below.

"I didn't want my cat to die," Summers told Clement, recalling his thoughts in that moment. "I didn't want to die ... but I was able to remain calm, and that's what saved me. I don't know how, but I was. There was somebody there that grabbed me and pull me out of that water, so I'm here to tell my story."

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Sopping wet, dodging debris and clinging to their terrified pets, the two men were able to make it to the outdoor bathroom. Summers pulled in a bench that had been floating by, and the two men and their pets sheltered there throughout the remainder of the storm.

"We were able to stand on the bench as the water's rising, and I sit there, and I hold the door for three hours until the storm subsides," Summers said.

Hal Summers spoke with Brandon Clement in 2018 after Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida. (Brandon Clement)

Four years later, he told Clement in an interview that the damage from Hurricane Ian had looked just as intense as what he saw in old footage from Michael, albeit the latter may have brought more wind and tornado damage and Ian more flood damage. If Ian had continued a track for the panhandle, Summers said he would have left town rather than trying his luck a second time.

Rebuilding was slow, but Summers stayed at Mexico Beach to help with distributing food. The restaurant where he had worked as a manager, Killer Seafood, had been completely swept away by the storm surge, and all that remained of the townhomes across the street were strewn out on the restaurant's property.

Summers and Michael Scoggins, the owner of Killer Seafood, teamed up with chefs Dave Snyder and Francisco Jimenez to prepare hot meals and drinks for residents, first responders and cleanup crews in the days following the storm at Camp Happy Tummies, a food distribution center that had been established by the former two chefs.

"The first year was really tough because all you saw was destruction. You didn't really see the rebuilding happening at the time," Summers said. Then, businesses slowly started to reopen year after year. A bank, a gas station, one right after the other. And at the start of 2019, Scoggins reopened Killer Seafood out of a food trailer. The absence of greenery from palm to pine trees, however, still serves as a reminder of the powerful hurricane.

"It creates a desert-scape that really wasn't here for the 16 years I lived here, so now it's a little tough to get used to," Scoggins said, adding that while new trees had been planted, it would take some time before they could fill in for the 50- to 100-year-old trees that had once populated the landscape.

FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2018, file photo, downed trees are seen from the air near Tyndall Air Force Base in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael near Mexico Beach, Fla. The massive storm killed more than two dozen people in northern Florida, destroyed hundreds of homes and brought catastrophic damage to the region's timber industry. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

While there has been progress, Scoggins told Clement that Mexico Beach hasn't quite hit the finish line. For that, the hotels in town would have to reopen for any visitors to the area.

"It opens up the opportunity for more people to come and enjoy our town," Scoggins said. "So every one of those [hotels] that comes back online gets us closer to that 'Is Mexico Beach back?'"

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
It has been nearly a week since a 20-month-old boy disappeared from his coastal Georgia neighborhood.

Quinton Simons mother, 22-year-old Leilani Simon, told police that her son was in his playpen when she discovered he was missing after waking up on Wednesday morning.

Police say they did not find Quinton in hiding in his home near Savannah. They also spoke with the boys biological father and do not believe he was involved.

No Amber Alert was issued for the missing boy, Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley said, because that would require police to first determine the child had been abducted.

Police now believe that Quinton is dead and have named his mother as the prime suspect.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Wednesday, October 5

6 a.m. - Quinton is seen in his playpen at the familys home just outside of Savannah, Georgia.

9 a.m. - Leilani Simon wakes up and notices he is missing and calls police.

Neighbors, police from Chatham County and Savannah, the FBI, a K9 team from nearby Liberty County and a Mosquito Control helicopter joins the search for Quinton.

Nearby roads are shut down as the search continues.

Thursday, October 6

Chief Hadley holds a news conference saying they have no evidence that Quinton has been killed, so they are treating it as a missing person.

WJCL-TV speaks with Quintons grandparents, Thomas and Billie Jo Howell, who say their daughter, Leilani Simon, hasnt always done the right things. Billie Jo Howell also told reporters, I dont know if I can trust her.

Friday, October 7

While speaking to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, Chief Hadley says they are continuing their search for Quinton and that he is optimistic that the toddler is still alive.

Court records obtained by WJCL-TV show that Thomas and Billie Jo Howell have custody of Quinton and that Billie Jo Howell was trying to remove Leilani Simon and her boyfriend, Daniel Youngkin, from the home, saying no one is living in peace.

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Chatham County police issue a statement saying detectives are working between 18 and 20 hours a day searching for Quinton.

Outdoor searches and searches of the home, including the backyard pool and a pond, continue.

Saturday, October 8

Chatham County police say the search is continuing, but they are in need of volunteers.

Sunday, October 9

Chatham County police establish a tip line for information on Quintons disappearance: 912-667-3134.

Police begin recanvassing specific areas previously searched for more information.

Monday, October 10

Chief Hadley holds a news conference as the investigation heads into a new week. He says they are still actively searching for Quinton while also investigating the criminal element of his disappearance.

There are no overnight developments to report, but Chief Hadley will hold a briefing for media today at 2 pm at CCPD Headquarters. We'll continue to update you as more information becomes available. pic.twitter.com/x3SWY1xGex  Chatham County Police Department (@ChathamCountyPD) October 10, 2022

Wednesday, October 12

Chatham County police said late Wednesday evening that they now believe Quinton is dead. No body has been found.

His mother, Leilani Simon, is now the prime suspect in his disappearance and death.

We are saddened to report that CCPD and the FBI have notified Quinton Simons family that we believe he is deceased, the department said on Facebook. We know that thousands of people around the world will be heartbroken by this news, and we share your sorrow.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 14, 2019. Alexey Nikolsky/Getty Images

Sen. Bob Menendez threatened to block cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

Menendez ripped into the kingdom over an OPEC+ decision to cut oil production.

He effectively accused the Saudis of fueling Russia's war machine amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey on Monday called on the US to "freeze" cooperation with Saudi Arabia over the recent decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production to boost prices, effectively accusing the nation of fueling Russia's war machine amid Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned Russia over strikes that hit cities and vital infrastructure across Ukraine, including Kyiv. The strikes on Monday marked the first time the Ukrainian capital had been targeted in months and represented a significant escalation in the war.

"I am horrified by Russia's depraved and desperate escalation against civilian infrastructure across Ukraine," Menendez said in a statement, pledging to use all the means at his disposal to "accelerate support for the people of Ukraine and to starve Russia's war machine."

Menendez went on to excoriate Saudi Arabia, OPEC's leading member, accusing it of helping "underwrite Putin's war through the OPEC+ cartel." OPEC+ is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries that includes Russia.

"There is simply no room to play both sides of this conflict  either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping off an entire country off the map, or you support him. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest," Menendez said.

Russia's war in Ukraine has fomented a global energy crisis. Generally, Russia is a major supplier of oil and natural gas to the EU, but Western sanctions have targeted Russia's energy industry in an effort to cut off an important revenue stream. That said, Russia continues to sell its energy to other countries, such as India and China.

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The US tried and failed to convince OPEC+ not to cut oil production, hoping to prevent Russia from gaining additional revenue from a spike in oil prices. The Biden administration slammed OPEC+ over the decision. "It's clear that OPEC+ is aligning with Russia with today's announcement," White House spokesperson Karin Jean-Pierre said last week.

Menendez in his statement said the US must "immediately freeze all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia, including any arms sales and security cooperation beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend US personnel and interests."

The New Jersey Democrat went on to say he would not "green-light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine," adding, "Enough is enough."

Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia have been on shaky ground for years, largely since the brutal 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi by agents of the Saudi government. Last year, the Biden administration released a declassified intelligence report that explicitly implicated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman  often referred to as MBS  in Khashoggi's killing. Khashoggi, a Saudi national, was a Washington Post columnist at the time of his death.

Khashoggi's killing prompted a wave of backlash in the US, with congressional lawmakers on both sides of the aisle calling for the US to reassess relations with the Saudis. Former President Donald Trump stood in the way of efforts to punish the Saudis for Khashoggi's killing.

On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over Khashoggi's murder. But as president, he's faced criticism for his approach to relations with the kingdom. Biden said he would move to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, but his administration continued arms sales to the kingdom. The president was the target of especially fierce criticism for meeting with MBS in July. Biden sought to convince the Saudi ruler to increase oil production, but was unsuccessful.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters

Hundreds of thousands of Russian men have fled the country in the past two weeks and Western leaders are issuing increasingly ominous warnings about the potential for a nuclear strikebut some foreign tourists have bafflingly decided now is the perfect time to vacation there.

Hey guys! I got a visa to Russia and I really want to explore Moscow because I might move here. However, I only know a couple people who live there and theyre mostly busy. So would anyone like to show me around and be my makeshift tour guide? one young woman wrote recently in a Facebook group for expats in Moscow.

I want the full Russian experience (in a good, relatively safe, way), she wrotepromptly sending most members of the group into a collective meltdown.

The woman, who The Daily Beast is not naming to respect her privacy, later clarified in comments to this reporter that she knew her scheduled vacation had unfortunate timing but said shed poured so much money into obtaining a visa she was determined to visit anyway.

Its a lets see what happens kinda thing, she wrote.

Shes certainly not alone. While Russian social media groups catering to foreigners have largely transformed in recent months from forums teeming with information about upcoming nightclub events into a sounding board for urgent questions about pet relocation services, interrogations at the border, and escape plansthose more sobering posts are often interspersed with queries that appear to expose a major disconnect.

Cant imagine a better time to visit Russia, hope it goes well for you, one commentator wrote in response to the post from the woman described above.

Russia Implodes After Putin Summons 300,000 to Die for Him

There was a lot less people on the subway today as well. Where has everyone gone? one commentator wrote in a popular Telegram channel for expats in response to a photo of an eerily empty Moscow.

Tour operators apparently eager for business amid a downturn frequently post photos of scenes far removed from the warthe Russky Bridge in Vladivostok, remote destinations like Altaiwhile peppering their posts with more stark reminders about the reality of the war.

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Currently, international credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express) issued outside Russia cannot be used to purchase goods and services in Russia. Russian airlines and hotels are now inaccessible through major internet booking engines, wrote one U.K.-based tour operator, Go Russia, which shared a Ukrainian flag on its page in a gesture of solidarity after Putins full-scale invasion.

People walk on Nikolskaya Street outside Red Square in central Moscow on Sept. 28, 2022. Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty

The companys once-upbeat posts appeared to hint at a sense of quiet surrender as the war dragged on, often opening with a reminder that it is still possible to travel in Russia.

Tourists are welcome right now???, one apparently baffled English woman wrote in response.

Other wannabe-visitors suggested their desire to visit the country only intensified after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine took front and center on the global stage.

Curious to what Americans [sic] experiences have been living in Russia since the special military option, or traveling there. Western media is hysterical so I just wanted to check in with people who are grounded and connected to reality lol If I tell anyone here in California I plan on visiting Russia they ask me if I want to die LOL. As if Americans are being held in concentration camps and subjected to public executions, wrote one American man who later inquired about how to obtain a visa.

Some expats also apparently plan to relocate to the country in search of careers.

In light of the recent sanctions, is it still possible to obtain an IT job in Russia as an expat?, one man wrote in a Telegram channel for foreigners in Russia, inquiring about one of the Russian sectors hit hardest by fallout from the war.

People look at thick black smoke rising from a fire on the Kerch bridge that links Crimea to Russia, after a truck exploded near Kerch on Oct. 8, 2022. Roman Dmitriyev/AFP via Getty

The query led to an animated discussion about cybersecurity expats in Russiaand then to Edward Snowden, whom one foreign commentator cited as a major success story, as a foreigner who has assimilated well and now enjoys his new life.

For many frequenting the expat-oriented channels, the fallout from the war appeared to hit closest to home immediately after Vladimir Putin announced his mobilization order, with frantic posts from foreigners whove married Russian men now facing the prospect of death on the battlefield.

Even then, however, the responses they got were a mixed bag of alarm and nonchalantism.

Mobilization is only for people who have served before and not for new recruits, one expat reassured, insisting Russian defense officials will stick to their word.

It's official and a kind reminder to you, People who gain Russian citizenship are drafted to war even if they don't have any military experience (a friend of mine is in this situation), one Finnish expat wrote.

Others floated volunteering in the war as a way to curry favor with the Russian government and resolve their own residency woes.

Those who are willing to join the Russian army for 1 year will be able to get citizenship faster, one commentator noted in a thread about the possibility of foreigners getting drafted.

Police officers detain a protester during an unsanctioned rally hosted by the Vesna Movement in protest against the military invasion on Ukraine and partial mobilization on Sept. 24, 2022, in Moscow. Getty

(The suggestion was echoed by a company specializing in relocation services for those hoping to move to Russia, though they declined to comment for this story.)

Marcus Hudson of Lets Russia, a company that specializes in providing visas for foreigners hoping to visit the country, told The Daily Beast there has definitely been more apprehension among prospective travelers after the mobilization order.

When the mobilization hit, thats when people started asking about safety, for sure. Before that,  nobody asked about safety, he said, adding that he had not hesitated in advising some travelers to postpone their trips. Many others requested refunds after the mobilization announcement, he said.

The majority of those now seeking visas are those with family and friends inside Russia, or other connections that require them to visit.

Hudson says he has been candid with other prospective travelers, telling them, As a foreigner, you should be relatively safe, but I cant guarantee that at this point.

There are a few who still express a desire to visit despite the alarming news coverage about whats happening there, he said.

The foreigners are believing whats being reported officially, but theres a disconnect. I dont think some of the foreigners looking to go to Russia, especially if they have no connection to Russia, they understand that disconnect, he said. They dont even know it exists and is possible Wait the government said one thing and did another?

Even the most diehard expats whod been very comfortable [in Russia] until this saw the mobilization order as a dealbreaker, he said.

I honestly told people, You know what, with this last announcement you might want to wait. Because you dont know [whats going to happen].

Mayhem at Russian Border as Thousands Flee Putins Draft

Very, very few people who have no connections [to Russia] are applying for visas, since Putins call-up, he said.

The volume of visas is so low that a meeting between representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and travel companies last month was attended by only three companies, he said, compared to about 15 companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of those frequenting channels for expats seemed well aware of Putins full-fledged war and its myriad ramifications, but some offered what could only be described as cringe-worthy takes.

We all lose are [sic] path in life sometimes but it's never to late to try again. I urge people to contact Vladimir Putin on the Russian government site and tell him how you fill about the war but be polite and be respectful. stopping the war doesn't mean your weak it means your strong to admit you made a mistake. I believe Vladimir Putin will do the right thing because he loves his country and he loves his people, one man wrote in a group geared towards dating and networking in Moscow.

The message was accompanied by a photo of Red Square lit up by a rainbow.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Northfield Center

NORTHFIELD CENTER  For the second time this year, township voters will be asked to approve an additional tax levy for fire/EMS services when they go to the polls Nov. 8.

Voters defeated the 2-mill additional levy in May by a tally of 518 to 505. It is one of two levies to benefit the township; the other is a 2.78-mill renewal for road maintenance.

Additional Issue 35 for fire/EMS would be for a continuous period, while renewal Issue 36 for roads would be for five years. First collection of the revenue from both would be in 2024.

Macedonias fire department provides excellent personnel and staffs two stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Township Trustees chairman Russ Mazzola. Without the increase, the township would be unable to afford these critical services.

If this additional fire levy passes, the township would be good for many years. We want residents to know we have done the forward-looking analysis, and we determined we would not need a fire levy increase for at least 12 to 15 years.

The Summit County auditors office has determined that the townships total tax valuation is $180.12 million. Thus, the additional levy would generate about $360,245 annually.

Unfortunately, our current levy brings in only $315,566, while the total cost of fire/EMS services this year is $589,000, with 5 percent increases planned year over year, said Mazzola.

That means the current cost of the fire services agreement with Macedonia would rise to about $649,000 in 2024.

Meanwhile, the road levy would generate about $170,825 per year. According to the 2022 alternative tax budget, the township has three other road levies on the books, with all four of them generating a total of about $550,000.

It is estimated the additional levy would cost the owner of a property valued at $100,000 about $70 per year, while the renewal levy would continue to cost the owner of a property valued at that amount about $29 per year.

Voters in all Nordonia Hills School District communities will decide Issue 5, a 7.75-mill, 37-year bond issue which would raise $165 million to build three new schools. Property owners would pay about $273 per year more for each $100,000 of valuation.

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There also are two statewide issues on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Issue 1 would make it clear in the Ohio Constitution that a judge is required to, when setting the amount of bail for a criminal defendant, consider public safety, including the seriousness of the offense, a person\'s criminal record and the likelihood he or she will return to court.

Opponents of the amendment say the criminal justice system is broken and unfairly impacts poor people and people of color.

They say it keeps them in jail despite the constitution saying people are innocent until proven guilty. They say Issue 1 would only positively impact the bail bonds industry.

Issue 2 would prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting in local elections. The amendment would change the language in Ohios Constitution so that only U.S. citizens can vote in all elections.

Currently, non-U.S. citizens are not able to vote in federal or state elections, but Ohio is a home rule state, meaning it allows its local governments to make legislative decisions that are best for their community.

Countywide races in Summit are for council, common pleas court judges and domestic relations judge.

Statewide races on Nov. 8 are for governor, auditor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, Supreme Court and U.S. senator.

Other regional races Nordonia area residents will vote on are 9th District Court of Appeals, Ohio Senate District 27, Ohio House District 3, U.S. House District 13 and District 10 state board of education.

Contact the newspaper at newsleader@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Township voters to decide additional levy for fire/EMS services Nov. 8
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjgT0_VPQR7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D travisbarker Verified Happy Birthday @landonasherbarker !! You are the most amazing son I could ask for. So proud of the man youve become. I thank God for giving me such a wonderful son. Blessings for you on this special day. I love you!!!  Edited  23h

travis barker/Instagram

Travis Barker is a very proud father on his son's special day.

The Blink-182 drummer posted on Instagram Monday in celebration of son Landon Asher's 19th birthday. In a carousel of pictures of the father and son throughout the years, Barker expressed how thankful for and proud of his son he is.

"Happy Birthday @landonasherbarker !! You are the most amazing son I could ask for," Barker captioned the photos.

"So proud of the man you've become. I thank God for giving me such a wonderful son. Blessings for you on this special day. I love you!!! "

Stepmom Kourtney Kardashian also shared well wishes for Landon's birthday, posting a partial family photo on Instagram including herself, Barker, Landon, son Reign and daughter Penelope  taken the weekend of the couple's nuptials in Portofino, Italy in May  and writing, "Happy happy birthday @landonasherbarker  I love you forever and always!"

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.

Last week, Kourtney and Travis joined Landon to cheer on girlfriend Charli D'Amelio and her partner Mark Ballas from the audience of Dancing with the Stars.

After performing a sultry version of the rumba to Billie Eilish's "No Time To Die," Charli was met with applause by Travis, Landon and Kourtney as the camera panned to their section.

During the moment, Travis was seen with his arm around Kourtney as she smiled.

RELATED: Kourtney Kardashian Says She and Travis Barker 'Took a Break' from IVF to 'Try Things Naturally'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 07: (L-R) Alabama Barker, Reign Disick, Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker, Landon Barker and Atiana De La Hoya attend the Los Angeles premiere of Hulu's new show "The Kardashians" at Goya Studios on April 07, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic for ABA)

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Kourtney  who shares Reign, 7, Penelope, 10, and Mason, 12, with ex Scott Disick  recently said their blended family is taking their time coming together in a single space.

"We're in the place where we're figuring out how to blend our households and our kids, and what life looks like now," Kardashian said in an interview with Amanda Hirsch on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast.

"For the most part, we're getting those things in place. We do family dinner every Sunday night with all the kids at his house."

The stars still have their own houses, and asked if there is a shared home in their future, Kardashian said, "There will be. We want our kids to feel really comfortable. They have both lived in their homes their whole lives for the most part, and just, they each have their rooms. We are a block away."
Former President Donald Trump pauses while speaking at a rally at the Minden Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nev., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Jose Luis Villegas, Pool/Associated Press

The New York Times reported Trump paid a $3 million lawyer retainer fee for the Mar-a-Lago case.

Reporter Maggie Haberman said the high amount shows that Trump understands the position he's in.

Haberman, who has covered Trump for decades, recently published a book about the former president.

The New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman said former President Donald Trump understands the extent of the legal issues he could be facing in the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation.

Haberman  who has covered Trump since the 1990s  recently published a book on the former president called "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America." In addition to his time in politics, the book rehashes many legal issues Trump has faced going back decades.

On Thursday, she and other Times journalists reported the Justice Department believes Trump still has more classified documents than those seized from Mar-a-Lago. They also reported Saturday that Trump had proposed a deal last year in which he said he would hand over the materials he kept in exchange for documents about the FBI investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia.

During an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Haberman was asked if she thinks Trump understands the legal jeopardy he may be facing.

"I actually do think he understands how much legal jeopardy he's in," Haberman said. "And then he convinces himself that it's not that bad. But the fact that he spent $3 million on a retainer for a lawyer  whose advice he has sometimes not listened to, I should note  but the fact that he was willing to do that."

"I had people who worked for Trump in the 1990s reach out to me to say, 'This is the biggest legal retainer he has ever paid,' as far as they knew. So I think that speaks to how concerned he is," she added.

Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) October 9, 2022

Haberman and Glenn Thrush of the Times previously reported Trump paid a hefty retainer fee to Christopher M. Kise, the former solicitor general of Florida, for help with the Mar-a-Lago documents case. Two sources told the Times Trump paid the lawyer $3 million, which the outlet described as "unusually high."

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A representative for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Trump has previously denied any wrongdoing in the handling of the government documents, at times claiming all the materials at Mar-a-Lago had been classified and at other times suggesting they may have been planted. Classified or not, presidential documents by law are to be managed by the National Archives and Records Administration when a president leaves office.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Legacy Sports USA on October 9, 2022 in Mesa, Arizona. Trump was stumping for Arizona GOP candidates, including gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, ahead of the midterm election on November 8. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

Donald Trump was at a GOP campaign rally in Arizona to support gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

Trump defended keeping classified documents by accusing past presidents of doing the same.

He claimed George H.W. Bush stored documents at a former bowling alley turned Chinese restaurant.

At a GOP campaign rally on Sunday in Arizona, former President Donald Trump took the opportunity to defend keeping classified documents by accusing past presidents of doing the same.

Trump said many other presidents stored millions of pages of documents in warehouses, "some of them without front doors that worked."

His speech erroneously claimed former President Barack Obama moved over 33 million pages of documents to a former furniture store in Chicago. The National Archives previously debunked this claim, saying they transported 30 million unclassified documents to a secure federal facility in Chicago.





Trump then falsely claimed that former President George H.W. Bush, "took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant. They put them together. And it had a broken front door and broken windows. Other than that it was quite secure."

Trump also questioned why Bush, among other presidents, was not being prosecuted. The former President died in a Houston hospital from a blood infection in 2018 after his wife, Barbara, died months earlier.

His Arizona speech was nearly identical to the one he gave in Nevada on Saturday campaigning for Republican candidates Joe Lombardo and Adam Laxalt.

The comment prompted a response on Twitter from Bush's son, Jeb Bush, who replied to a clip of Trump during Saturday's Nevada rally. "I am so confused," he tweeted. "My dad enjoyed a good Chinese meal and enjoyed the challenge of 7 10 split. What the heck is up with you?"

A 7-10 split is when a bowler strikes all but the two rear pins.

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Trump is under investigation for keeping government documents at his estate in Mar-a-Lago, which federal agents seized in August. The DOJ found 48 documents marked as classified at Trump's home and believe may be holding onto more. Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for Trump, recently said the former president held onto documents for his own personal gain.

Trump was at Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Arizona, helping to campaign for GOP candidate Kari Lake, who is running for governor. FiveThirtyEight's averaging of poll data shows the state's gubernatorial race is a toss-up.

Representatives for the George and Barbara Bush Foundation and Trump did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump defended keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home by declaring that former President George H.W. Bush took official papers to a bowling alley.

"George H.W. Bush took millions of documents to a former bowling alley and a former Chinese restaurant, where they combined them. So they're in a bowling alley slash Chinese restaurant," Trump said at a rally in Arizona on Sunday, where he was campaigning for GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

He wanted to know why Bush, who died in 2018, was not prosecuted.

Trump may have been referring to the site where Bush's mementos and documents for his presidential library were collected in 1994, according to The Independent. The National Archives runs Bush's library, in College Station, Texas. Items were gathered and stored in an old bowling alley space, which filled up, so an adjacent former Chinese restaurant kitchen was used for storage.

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Classified documents: The search at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate was a month ago. What we've learned since.

His comments grabbed the attention of Bush's son, former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, who said in a tweet: "I am so confused. My dad enjoyed a good Chinese meal and enjoyed the challenge of 7 10 split. What the heck is up with you?"

Trump has also falsely accused former President Barack Obama of taking classified documents to Chicago. The National Archives debunked this claim.

Trump is under investigation for keeping government documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The FBI seized documents from Trump's home in August labeled as "secret" and "top secret."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump accuses George. H.W. Bush of taking docs to bowling alley
Former President Trump on Sunday said the U.S. is saying exactly the wrong thing to Russia after President Biden this week raised the prospect of Armageddon amid Russian President Vladimir Putins threats of nuclear war.

Trump said the U.S. should be urging Russia and Ukraine to negotiate for peace, and warned the conflict could be heading toward World War III without a more careful approach.

We have to be very smart and very nimble. We have to know what to say, what to do. And we are saying exactly the wrong thing. Well end up in a World War III, Trump said at a rally in Mesa, Ariz., to stump for gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Senate candidate Blake Masters.

Biden warned on Thursday that Putin is not joking in his recent threats to use nuclear weapons as Moscows forces struggle in the fight against Ukraine.

We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Biden said at a fundraiser, citing the 1962 standoff with the Soviet Union.

Trump said Sunday the stakes of a world war are higher than ever given modern weaponry.

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We must demand immediate negotiation of a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine, or we will end up in World War III and there will never be a war like this, he said at the rally. We will never have had a war like this and thats all because of stupid people that dont have a clue. And its also because of the kind of weaponry thats available today.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out peace talks earlier this week after Russia declared the annexation of four occupied territories in Ukraine.

Many security experts and former military officials agree with Bidens assessment that Putins nuclear threats should be taken seriously, however, his comments stirred debate over whether the White House should be issuing such dire warnings.

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U.S. officials have said there are no signs that Russia is preparing for an imminent nuclear attacks, and say Americas military has not changed its nuclear posture.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that the president was accurately reflecting the fact that the stakes are very high right now.

Trumps former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said the reference was reckless.

When you hear the president talking about Armageddon as a random thought  at a fundraiser, that is a terrible risk for the American people, said Pompeo. He ought to be talking to us in a serious way.

U.S. officials have warned of a decisive response and catastrophic consequences for Russia if Moscow moves to use nuclear weapons.

Trumps call for peace echo sentiments tweeted by billionaire Elon Musk this week. The Space X founder suggested that Ukraine cede some Russian-occupied territory, agree to elections in others and agree to never join NATO in exchange for an end to Russian aggression.

Ukrainian leaders quickly dismissed the suggestion, and have said they will not cede an inch of territory to Russia.

Biden has said his administration will seek to strengthen Kyivs hand at the negotiating table by providing weapons to its military, but has largely refrained from pressuring Ukraine to engage in peace talks.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SOUTH BRUNSWICK  An 18-year-old man and a teen were charged in connection with the stabbing of two township residents Saturday night.

James Romer, 18, and a 17-year-old unidentified male, both of South Brunswick, were arrested and charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, police said.

At about 7:50 p.m. Saturday, the South Brunswick Police Department received a call from a man seeking medical assistance at the Home Depot, 4095 Route 1.

Upon arrival, Officer Tyler Harpster located a 19-year-old, who was found to have suffered multiple stab wounds. The man stated that he had been stabbed in the parking lot following an altercation and had made his way inside the store seeking help, police said.

Additional officers responded to the scene and located a second man, a 20-year-old with knife wounds, not far from Home Depot.

Both victims, whose identities were not released by police, were transported to the hospital for treatment of their wounds.

Police processed the scene for evidence and Detective Rick DeLucia continued investigating the case through the weekend. The two individuals were identified as suspects and after developing probable cause were arrested and charged.

More:South Brunswick police investigate two stabbings

Romer was lodged in the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick and the 17-year-old was lodged in the Juvenile Detention Center.

Chief Raymond J. Hayducka praised the efforts of patrol officers on scene and detectives who followed up the case.

Their diligent work led to the arrest of two individuals and put the case to rest," he said.

Anyone with information on the case may contact Detective Rick DeLucia at 732-329-4646.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Two charged in South Brunswick stabbings
By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. banks are giving far less to federal candidates this election cycle and increasing the proportion they are handing to Democrats as they rethink their political giving, according to a Reuters analysis of data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and more than half a dozen industry officials and lobbyists.

With less than a month to go until the mid-term elections which will determine control of Congress, commercial banks' political action committees (PACs) have given roughly $7.4 million to federal candidates, 43% down on the 2020 election cycle and 39% down on the average election spend in the previous decade, according to the Reuters analysis.

Following the 2007-09 financial crisis when Democrats cracked down on banks, lenders have typically looked to business-friendly Republicans for support in Congress.

But while they are getting less cash overall, Democrats have increased their share of the pie this cycle to 40%, their highest proportion since the 2010 cycle. And of the top-20 congressional recipients of bank PAC donations this cycle, 10 are Democrats compared with six in 2020, three in 2018, and one ahead of the 2016 election. The CRP data draws from data released by the Federal Election Commission as of Sept. 22.

The shift in giving patterns shows how banks are rethinking their allegiances amid increased political partisanship. A key turning point was the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol when supporters of Republican former President Donald Trump forcefully prevent Congress from certifying Democratic President Joe Biden's election win. Hours later, 147 Republicans voted to overturn Biden's victory, which Trump falsely claimed was tainted by fraud.

It also suggests the industry is trying to court more Democrats as Republicans grow angry with lenders for embracing what they say are liberal causes.

"The vote on the election really caused people to open their eyes a little bit more...to do a closer evaluation of individuals that a PAC may have been supporting just because they supported [the industry]in the past," said James Ballentine, CEO of government relations firm Ballentine Strategies and until April a top lobbyist for the American Bankers Association which runs the biggest industry PAC.

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To be sure, the party in power commonly enjoys a bounce in donations and banks are also spreading their bets ahead of a tightening contest, said Ballentine and the other sources.

Republicans have a 70% chance of winning the House of Representatives while Democrats are favorites to retain control of the Senate, according to poll-tracker FiveThirtyEight.com.

Since Jan. 6, many lenders have felt pressure from employees, who fund the PACs, to reduce giving to Republicans, the sources said.

Several banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, paused some or all PAC donations as they reviewed their strategies, which likely helps account for the decline in overall spend.

Bank of America and Morgan Stanley have each so far this cycle donated more to Democrats than Republicans for the first time in over a decade. Citigroup's contributions are evenly split for the first time. JPMorgan is still giving more to Republicans, but at the smallest margin in over a decade.

Spokespeople for the banks either declined to, or did not respond to requests for, comment.

FEWER ALLIES

Lenders are also under pressure from staff and shareholders to support lawmakers active on issues beyond finance, such as addressing the racial wealth gap and education, according to several sources.

The top Democratic congressional recipient of bank PAC money, for example, is Joyce Beatty, who chairs the House Financial Services panel's subcommittee on diversity and inclusion, an issue which banks have loudly championed.

That trend, combined with some banks shunning election objectors, has left the industry with fewer Republican allies overall, a dynamic that was on display when CEOs of the nation's largest banks appeared before Congress last month. They were skewered by some Republicans for their policies on doing business with gun companies and operating in China.

"It's a challenging spot to figure out who your allies are," said Brian Gardner, chief Washington policy strategist at Stifel Financial Corp. "The days when the largest banks could rely on Republicans for some level of defense, I think those days are over."

Nevertheless, banks are still courting Republicans. Nine of the top 10 recipients of industry donations are Republicans, including Representative Patrick McHenry who is likely to chair the House finance panel if Republicans win that chamber.

Spokespeople for Beatty and McHenry did not respond to requests for comment.

"Banks that are active givers to political campaigns are hedging their bets," said Camden Fine, the former head of trade group the Independent Community Bankers of America and political consultant.

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; editing by Michelle Price and Aurora Ellis)
From satellite systems to digital currencies, China is seeking to use new technologies to repress dissent at home and dominate its adversaries abroad, according to a U.K. intelligence chief.

Unlike Britain or its democratic allies, China views technological advances as a tool to gain advantage through control of their markets, of those in their sphere of influence and of their own citizens, according to excerpts of a speech by Jeremy Fleming, head of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), U.K.s electronic spy agency.

Fleming delivered his warning Tuesday in London at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank. His office released excerpts of his speech to reporters in advance.

The intelligence chief said that Beijings great strength combined with fear is driving China into actions that could represent a huge threat to us all.

Citing Chinas focus on strategically vital technologies, Fleming said that how governments respond to China will define our future and the scientific and technological community in democratic countries will need to rise to the challenge.

Fleming cited several examples of how China seeks leverage from key technologies or tries to rewrite international standards.

China is pursuing a centralized digital currency that could enable China to partially evade the sort of international sanctions currently being applied to [Vladimir] Putins regime in Russia, Fleming said, according to the prepared remarks.

Beijing is building up its BeiDou satellite system, which could be used to block adversaries access to space or to bolster the surveillance of its citizens, according to Fleming.

Many believe that China is building a powerful anti-satellite capability, with a doctrine of denying other nations access to space in the event of a conflict. And there are fears the technology could be used to track individuals, Fleming said.

China also has proposed new international rules for the internet that could threaten digital freedom and enhance state control, threatening human rights by the introduction of new tracking methods, the speech excerpts said.

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According to Fleming, Chinas export of technology is part of an effort to create client economies and governments and countries that risk mortgaging the future by buying Chinese tech that contains hidden costs.

Flemings speech came after the head of the FBI and his British counterpart delivered a stark warning in July about the security threat posed by China.

Underlying Chinas belief in one-party rule and tight state control is a sense of fear, Fleming said. Fear of its own citizens, of freedom of speech, free trade, open technological standards and alliances  the whole open, democratic order and the international rules-based system.

China has accused the U.S., Britain and their allies of trying to block Chinas rise as a world power, has denied allegations of human rights abuses or that it seeks to coerce other governments.

Fleming also addressed Russias recent setbacks in its war in Ukraine, saying Moscows forces are in a desperate situation."

Far from the inevitable Russian military victory that their propaganda machine spouted, its clear that Ukraines courageous action on the battlefield and in cyberspace is turning the tide, he said.

The costs to Russia  in people and equipment are staggering. We know  and Russian commanders on the ground know  that their supplies and munitions are running out, he said. Russias forces are exhausted. The use of prisoners to reinforce, and now the mobilization of tens of thousands of inexperienced conscripts, speaks of a desperate situation.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United Nations General Assembly voted on Monday to reject Russia's call for the 193-member body to hold a secret ballot later this week on whether to condemn Moscow's move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine.

The General Assembly decided, with 107 votes in favor, that it would hold a public vote - not a secret ballot - on a draft resolution that condemns Russia's "illegal so-called referenda" and the "attempted illegal annexation." Diplomats said the vote on the resolution would likely be on Wednesday or Thursday.

Only 13 countries on Monday opposed holding a public vote on the draft resolution, another 39 countries abstained and the remaining countries - including Russia and China - did not vote.

Russia had argued that Western lobbying meant that "it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly." During the meeting on Monday Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia questioned the push to condemn Moscow.

"What does this have to do with peace and security or trying to settle conflicts?" said Nebenzia, describing it as "yet one more step towards division and escalation, which I'm sure is not something the absolute majority of states in this room need."

After the General Assembly decided on Monday that it would hold a public vote on the draft resolution, Russia immediately tried to get the body to reconsider the issue, but it overwhelmingly failed.

Moscow has moved to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - after staging what it called referendums. Ukraine and allies have denounced the votes as illegal and coercive.

The draft U.N. General Assembly resolution calls on states not to recognize Russia's move and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

'TRAIL OF BLOOD'

Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya called on countries to defend the principles of the founding U.N. Charter.

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"A trail of blood is left behind the Russian delegation when it enters the General Assembly and the hall is filled up with the smell of smoldering human flesh. That's what we have tolerated in Syria. That's what is happening today in Ukraine," he told the General Assembly on Monday.

Russia rained cruise missiles on busy Ukrainian cities on Monday in what the United States called "horrific strikes", killing civilians and knocking out power and heat with its most widespread air attacks since the start of the war more than seven months ago.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed the international community earlier on Monday to make clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions were "completely unacceptable."

"Now is the time to speak out in support for Ukraine; it is not the time for abstentions, placating words, or equivocations under claims of neutrality. The core principles of the U.N. Charter are at stake," Blinken said in a statement.

Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last month. It has been trying to chip away at its international isolation after nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly reprimanded Moscow and demanded it withdraw its troops within a week of its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The moves at the United Nations mirror what happened in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea. At the Security Council Russia vetoed a draft resolution that opposed a referendum on the status of Crimea and urged countries not to recognize it.

The General Assembly then adopted a resolution declaring the referendum invalid with 100 votes in favor, 11 against and 58 formal abstentions, while two dozen countries didn't take part.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Alistair Bell and Rosalba O'Brien)
In his first visit to campus as the sole finalist to be University of Florida president, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse faced questions Monday on his conservative political positions  along with a protest that disrupted a question-and-answer session and ended with him speeding off in a police vehicle.

UF announced last week that a presidential search committee was recommending Sasse, R-Neb., as the only finalist for the job.

He spoke Monday to faculty, staff and students in three separate events, answering questions on such issues as same-sex marriage, tenure protections for faculty and climate change.

"I've had political positions and policy positions that represent the views of Nebraskans. It's a completely different job to have the job of president of UF," Sasse said. "The president of UF's job is to celebrate all of what's going on in this community, and to be a storyteller and resource getter and salesman for it."

UF Presidential finalist Sen. Ben Sasse answers questions during an open forum discussion at Emerson Alumni Hall in Gainesville on Oct. 10.

Speaking out: Gainesville's LGBTQ community pushes back on Ben Sasse as likely next UF president

'A perception of unfairness': Gainesville community reacts to Ben Sasse being secretly tapped to be UF's next president

Photos: U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, through the years

Sasse, 50, is serving his second term in the Senate and was previously president of a small Lutheran university in Nebraska. If approved by UF's board of trustees on Nov. 1, Sasse would become the 13th president in the university's history.

Students on Monday protested his selection as the only finalist for the job, at one point disrupting a question-and-answer session with chants of "Hey hey, ho ho, Ben Sasse has got to go."

Protestors then stormed into the ballroom before a session with staff was set to begin, continuing to chant while standing on chairs. His third session was then moved to a different location. He was swarmed by protesters again when it ended before he jumped into a police vehicle that quickly sped off campus.

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US Sen. Ben Sasse runs to a police car after speaking at the UF student and faculty forums. A protestor can be heard screaming we dont want you hear!



Video was given to the @GainesvilleSun at the courtesy of a UF student. pic.twitter.com/dbAFSjsojJ  Gershon (JER-shawn) (@gershonreports) October 10, 2022

Sasse does not really believe in equality on the basis of sexual orientation, said Nathan Knorst, a UF senior. So, how can he adequately represent the student body and faculty and UFs core values, which are diversity, equity and inclusion?

Questions on political views

During question-and-answer sessions, Sasse was asked about his political views on a number of issues, including his opposition to a Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.

Sasse said that the decision "is the law of the land and America is not changing." His responsibility as university president would be to create a "place of respect and inclusion for all Gators," he said.

Students protest during an open forum discussion with Sen. Ben Sasse at Emerson Alumni Hall in Gainesville, Fla., on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

Sasse spent five years as president of Midland University in Nebraska, which currently has an enrollment of about 1,400 students. Questioned about his criticism of tenure while at Midland, Sasse that the school and a major research university such as UF are "obviously hugely different institutions."

He said he "will be a zealous defender of tenure" at UF, which he said was key to drawing a diverse faculty. But he noted that UF has a post-tenure review policy that has not been applied consistently.

A professor should not be protected (if they are) not doing their job because they have tenure, but tenure rightly understood is a really important tool and I would be an advocate for it, he said.

UF Associate Professor of Dance Trent Williams asks a question during an open forum discussion at Emerson Alumni Hall in Gainesville, Fla., on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

Asking about his views on climate change, Sasse said he believed in the human role in climate change but was skeptical about the federal government's role in being able to address the problem.

"I believe strongly in climate change," he said. "I believe strongly in the role of UF to be involved in research to mitigate climate change, but I might have some differences of opinion with people in the room on what federal policies would be more or less effective to that end."

'Leave the politics on the front steps': From halls of US Senate to Gainesville, Sasse gets dueling advice for UF president job

Nate Monroe: The plundering of the University of Florida

Protest attracts hundreds

Multiple student organizations, including the UF College Democrats, Young Democratic Socialists and Graduate Assistants United, organized Monday's protest.

Demands were made during the protest that Sasse seeks a different job that better aligns with his conservative political views and that the Florida Legislature repeal a law allowing for the presidential search to remain secret.

University of Florida students chant hey hey, ho ho, Ben Sasse has got to go in protest of him being tapped as the sole finalist for the UFs president position. @GainesvilleSun pic.twitter.com/G7hBi8GvyB  Gershon (JER-shawn) (@gershonreports) October 10, 2022

The crowd of students quickly swelled to close to a thousand, with faculty and staff sprinkled throughout. Many students said they opposed Sasse because of his views and public comments on same-sex marriage.

Others questioned his qualifications for the job.

He was president of a random school in the middle of Nebraska with 1,500 kids, said R.J. Della Salle, a UF freshman. I mean, that doesnt compare to a school as big and diverse as UF.

UF Presidential finalist Sen. Ben Sasse answers questions during an open forum discussion at Emerson Alumni Hall in Gainesville, Fla., on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.

Some students expressed concerns about the secretive selection process used in selecting Sasse.

A new Florida law, approved earlier this year, allowed UF to conduct much of the process outside of the state's open meetings and public records laws.

The selection process "was the definition of undemocratic, Della Salle said. Our selection for the person thats going to run our university was made by a bunch of people who Ive never seen or met. It makes me feel like my voice doesnt matter.

For his part, Sasse said he supported the rights of protestors to share their views.

"Obviously I wish they didn't have the position they have but I strongly support the right of people to protest and exercise their free speech rights," he said. I wont say I precisely welcome the protesters, but I sort of intellectually and constitutionally have and fully welcome the protesters.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: UF presidential finalist U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse faces questions, protest
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday he was cutting short a trip to Africa following Russian missiles strikes across his country.

"I am in constant contact with partners since early morning today to coordinate a resolute response to Russians attacks. I am also interrupting my Africa tour and heading back to Ukraine immediately," he wrote on Twitter.

(Reporting by Kyiv newsroom, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
PARIS (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that he had held an "urgent call" with French President Emmanuel Macron after Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine.

"Also had an urgent call with @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed the strengthening of our air defence, the need for a tough European and international reaction, as well as increased pressure on the Russian Federation. France stands with Ukraine," Zelenskiy wrote on his Twitter account.

Russia struck cities across Ukraine during rush hour on Monday morning, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure in apparent revenge after President Vladimir Putin declared an explosion on the bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
KYIV (Reuters) - A senior aide to the Ukrainian president said Russian rocket strikes on cities across Ukraine on Monday were a signal to the civilised world that "the Russia question" must be solved with force.

"Cowards fighting playgrounds, children and people," Andriy Yermak, the head of the president's office, wrote shortly before further blasts rocked the capital following missile strikes earlier on Monday. "This is another signal to the civilised world that the Russian question must be solved by force."

(Reporting by Max Hunder, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine will seek to consolidate international support, strengthen its defence capabilities and increase Russia's international isolation following Russian missile strikes on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

"We've coordinated steps with President of Poland @AndrzejDuda. We will work on consolidating international support, strengthening Ukraine's defence capabilities, restoring the destroyed, as well as increasing Russia's isolation," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
KYIV (Reuters) - The Ukrainian government is seeking a "resolute response" from the United Nations to Russian missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

After a telephone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, he wrote on Twitter: "We coordinated efforts on mobilizing a resolute response within the UN General Assembly."

He provided no further details, but also said on Twitter that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not been "provoked" into Monday's strikes, saying blame should not be shifted to "the victim of aggression."

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 12:06 PM



Russia used high-precision missiles in its massive missile attack against Ukraine on 10 October.



Soure: Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, on the national joint 24/7 newscast on 10 October.



Quote: "So far today 83 missiles have flown over our country; as of 11:40, more than 43 missiles have been shot down



The work of the air defence systems is yielding quite remarkable results.

The enemy uses high-precision Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles, which are launched from strategic bombers from the Caspian region, Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea, as well as Iskander, S-300 and Tornado [missiles].



Details: Ihnat reported that Russian planes take off from the Astrakhan area, fly to the north of the Caspian Sea and launch missiles from there.

The Air Force spokesman reminded his audience that Kh-101 missiles can cover a distance of 5,500 kilometres. Therefore, it is not important where they are launched from; what is important is how they are launched and the route they take.

According to Ihnat, the Russians are trying to fool Ukraines air defence system, and Ukrainian anti-aircraft fighters are doing everything possible to detect Russian air targets.

Mykola Oleshchuk, the Commander of Ukraines Air Force, provided assurances that the countrys anti-aircraft defence is operating in a coordinated manner and is resisting the invaders.

The air defence system shot down nine out of twelve Shahed-136 kamikaze drones detected in Ukrainian skies on 10 October.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's banking system was operating on Monday despite Russian missile strikes across the country, the central bank said.

"The National Bank is in constant contact with banks and taking all necessary measures for their normal operation," the National Bank of Ukraine said on its website.

It said the bank's electronic payment system was operating as usual and retailers were accepting non-cash payments without interruption.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 07:17

Over the past day, Ukrainian air forces have carried out 24 strikes, hitting 20 areas where Russian weapons and military equipment were concentrated, as well as 4 anti-aircraft missile systems belonging to the Russian forces.

Source: Morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 06.00 on 10 October

Quote: "There remains a threat of air and missile strikes throughout the territory of Ukraine. For example, during the past day, the occupiers launched 10 missile and 19 air strikes, and carried out more than 90 attacks using MLRSs.

As a result, over the past day, the infrastructure and civilians of more than 30 settlements were affected. Zaporizhzhia, Sloviansk, Novobakhmutivka, Siversk, Belohorivka, Nikopol and Blahodativka are among them.

The Russian army used seven anti-aircraft guided missiles to attack Zaporizhzhia. Once again, the critical infrastructure of the city and the homes of peaceful civilians were affected."

Details: On the Volyn and Polissia fronts, the situation has not changed significantly.

The Russian forces fired on other fronts:

On the Sivershchyna front - from mortars and tubed artillery, in the areas of settlements of Popivka, Starykove, Vorozhba, Yanzhulivka and Myropillia;

On the Slobozhanshchyna front - from mortars, tubed and rocket artillery, in the areas of settlements of Chervona Zoria, Veterynarne, Strilecha, Mali Prokhody, Vovchansk, Kamianka, Dvorichna and Hrinkivka;

On the Kramatorsk front - from tanks, mortars, tubed and rocket artillery along the entire line of contact, in particular, in the areas of the settlements of Pershotravneve, Siversk, Makiivka, Novoiehorivka, Stelmakhivka, Terny, Torske and Zarichne. Also, in the area of the settlement of Svatove, the Russian army blew up railway and road bridge crossings;

On the Bakhmut front - from tanks, mortars, tubed and rocket artillery along the entire line of contact, including near the settlements of Rozdolivka, Serebrianka, Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske, Zaitseve, Krasna Hora, Soledar. In addition, the occupiers mined the area near Berestove;

On the Avdiivka front - tanks, mortars, tubed and rocket artillery shelled the areas of the settlements of Avdiivka, Kamianka, Vodiane, Pervomaiske, Pisky, Krasnohorivka and Marinka;

More than 20 settlements were damaged by fire on the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia fronts. In particular, Vuhledar, Novopil, Shakhtarske, Mali Shcherbaky, Velyka Novosilka, Malynivka and Mala Tokmachka;

On the Pivdennyi Buh front, an attack by the invaders was recorded in the areas of more than 25 settlements along the entire line of contact. Near Dudchany, the Russian forces used an attack UAV. In total, the occupiers made up to 30 UAV sorties to conduct aerial reconnaissance.

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The situation is critical in the 127th Rifle Regiment of the so-called 1st Army Corps. The hastily formed regiment was immediately transferred to the first line of combat in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts following a decision by the commander of the 49th Army.

Relatives of conscripted servicemen have prepared an appeal to the law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation about the significant losses and inaction of the military command. There have been prolonged shortages of water and food in the units. Military personnel, at best, are equipped with old-fashioned protective equipment, which leads to numerous casualties.

Over the past day, units of the Defence Forces have repelled invaders attacks in the areas of the settlements of Ozarianivka, Kamianka, Pervomaiske and Nevelske.

Ukrainian Defence Forces aircraft have carried out 24 strikes during the past day. Damage to 20 areas where Russian weapons and military equipment were concentrated, as well as 4 anti-aircraft missile systems belonging to the Russian army, has been confirmed.

In addition, Ukrainian air defence units shot down 1 Su-25 Russian aircraft, 3 UAVs and 3 Kh-59 guided air missiles over the previous day.

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Mattresses lie on the floor in a holding cell at the basement of a police station which was used by Russian forces in the recently liberated town of Izium, Ukraine, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press

A Ukrainian woman told The Washington Post she was raped and tortured by Russian soldiers in Izium.

Alla, 52, gave a detailed account of the 10 days she and her husband were held captive.

Her account adds to many reports of rape, torture, and other alleged war crimes by Russian troops.

A 52-year-old Ukrainian woman named Alla said she was subject to physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Russian troops during their occupation of Izium, providing yet another firsthand account of alleged war crimes.

Alla gave The Washington Post a detailed description of what happened during 10 days in July that she was imprisoned by Russian forces, during which she sad she was beaten, raped, and tortured. Afraid she would not survive, Alla said she carved her name and details about what happened to her into the walls of the shed she was held in, including: "ELECTRICAL SHOCK. UNDRESS. PAINFUL."

"I thought if my son would look for me, he could find these writings and understand that I was there and died there," she told The Post.

Alla, who requested the outlet use only her first name, said she and her husband, who was also held captive and tortured, were being questioned because of the gas company they both worked for and because their son worked for Ukraine's internal security service.

The Post visited the site in which Alla said she was held and was able to confirm some aspects of her account. The outlet shared a video of the site with Alla describing what happened to her.

"We'll beat the Ukrainian out of you here," she said the Russian soldiers shouted.

She said a Russian commander asked his troops who would rape her first as she shouted "don't touch me!" At one point, Alla said the Russian commander wanted oral sex but she was screaming the whole time and he "could not get it up."

Her story follows reports of rape and torture committed by Russian troops that have poured out of Ukraine nearly since the war began in February. In recent months, as successful Ukrainian counteroffensives have pushed back Russian forces, more evidence of war crimes has emerged.

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After Russian troops retreated from Izium in September, an Associated Press investigation identified 10 sites across the city in which Russian soldiers had tortured Ukrainian service members and civilians. Ukraine officials also said they discovered a mass burial site containing at least 440 bodies, some of which showed signs of torture, such as evidence of ropes tied around hands and necks.

Investigators commissioned by the United Nations concluded last month that horrific war crimes had been committed in Ukraine. The investigation found Russian soldiers committed rape and torture, including against children, and in some cases made families of the victims watch.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A festival dedicated to James Joyce's novel "Ulysses" is touring 18 European cities, with artists and writers linking the work to contemporary issues such as immigration.

"Ulysses", published in 1922, counts among the 20th century's key novels, and its centenary has already sparked much celebration in Joyce's native Ireland.

But Liam Browne, co-artistic curator of "Ulysses European Odyssey", said the tour is to go beyond the kind of literary fandom seen at home.

"What interested us was Joyce as a European figure, rather than an Irish figure," he told AFP on the margins of the tour event in Marseille on the southern French coast.

"In his imagination he was engaging with Dublin to write his novels but actually his day-to-day existence was in these European cities," Browne said.

The crude language and sexual content in "Ulysses" meant there was no chance of it getting published in conservative 1920s Ireland or anywhere else in the English-speaking world.

It became the target of an obscenity trial in the United States, and was banned in Britain for more than a decade.

In the end, it was published in Paris by American Sylvia Beach, owner of the "Shakespeare and Company" bookshop which is still a gathering point for aspiring writers today.

The novel tells the story of a single day in the life of Dubliner Leopold Bloom, while Joyce links the day's events to Homer's "Odyssey". Scholars are still busy tracing the subtle connections.

- Difficult to read -

The book has a reputation for being difficult to understand, with the New York Times predicting in its 1922 review that "not ten men or women out of a hundred can read 'Ulysses' through".

Fans the world over still celebrate "Bloomsday" in honour of Joyce every year on June 16.

One of the aims of the European tour -- involving actors, directors, writers, musicians, photographers and even food experts -- is to connect the novel with today's burning topics.

"We wanted a multi-art response and we wanted the art engaging with society and social issues," Browne said. "Nationalism, exile, sexuality and the place of women in society."

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Joyce, who grew up in Dublin, later lived in Paris, Trieste in Italy, and Zurich in Switzerland, where he died.

"We believed that the book would not have become what it was without Joyce's exile in Europe," said co-artistic curator Sean Doran. "We are fascinated about this concept about home," he said.

Marseille, he said, was "perfect to explore that subject, people here are coming from everywhere in the Mediterranean".

An Anglo-Irish artist duo based in Marseille, Myles Quin and Gethan Dick, picked immigration and exile for their performance piece at the weekend, featuring recent arrivals from Afghanistan, Sudan, Algeria, Guinea and Syria in their depiction of the trauma of attempting to cross the Mediterranean in search for a better life.

"It seemed impossible to talk about them without making them actors in the performance," said Sophie Cattani, co-founder of local arts collective "ildi ! eldi".

Other venues for the tour, which is sponsored by the EU, include Athens, Budapest, Berlin and Istanbul.

Dublin will be its penultimate stop in 2024. The tour ends in Londonderry, also known as Derry, Northern Ireland, with female artists from the other venues joining in the festival's finale.

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Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Ciera Horton McElroy/Getty

Do you know what we did with nuclear waste in the 1960s?

We buried it. In the ground. Literally.

Scientists with doctorates in soil science were commissioned to find the right place and just the right dirt to bury radioactive materials that would decay very, very, very slowly.

Growing up, I marveled at my dads stories of life in Cold War-era South Carolina. Duck and Cover drills felt utterly dystopian and Twilight Zone-ish to me. Combine that with my grandfathers top-secret work as an agronomistfancy word for soil scientist, A.K.A. nuclear waste disposerat the Savannah River Plant, today one of the most dangerously contaminated places on the planet. Its safe to say that the Southern Gothic setting for my novel Atomic Family was implanted in my imagination from early childhood.

The Savannah River Plant was a hydrogen bomb facility in Aiken, South Carolina. This was following the days of Robert Oppenheimer, after the race to create the first atomic bombs out west during the hush-hush of the Manhattan Project. World War II was over. We knew the destructive capabilities of atomic war. We even sent scientists to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to document the damage for themselves. (You made this thing, now see what you unleashed.) We had pictures and documentation of radiation sickness and, even, the risk of atmospheric testing.

When my grandfather was at work, an eerie delicacy had arisen with the Soviet Union. The hydrogen bomb had replaced the early atomic bomb. (Mere fireworks by comparison.) Even Robert Oppenheimer himself protested the hydrogen bomb. He famously arguedand would later lose his Atomic Energy Commission security clearance, and subsequently his entire professional reputationthat the mere atomic bomb was morally justifiable. But the hydrogen bomb? Well, that was a whole other story.

The Mystery of Chernobyls Black Frogs

And in some ways, I suppose it was.

My novel Atomic Family opens the day after the Soviets launched the largest hydrogen test bomb in history. They called it the Tsar Bomba. The bomb to end all bombs. It was, quite literally, the equivalent of 1,500 Hiroshimas, erupting in the Arctic. I cannot even wrap my mind around destruction like that.

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And I like to imagine that my grandfather, Henry, could not either.

Henry Horton was, in my dads description and memory, a simple man. He was raised poor: the kind of poor that meant he was born in a one-bedroom rural cabin. His parents were farmers. He picked cotton in the summer and worked long hours outside of school. He was also wicked smart. But his road to a new life, like many other men his age, came strapped to military service. Henry joined the Clemson A&M ROTC, enlisting in the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor. After the war he would return to Clemson, then earn a Ph.D. at Penn State. He worked in research until the Atomic Energy Commission offered him a role in the Health Physics lab at Savannah River.

Health Physics was a confusing department name, in my opinion, but it encompassed the study of the physical and environmental impact of radiation exposure and waste disposal. In other words, his job was to help assess how to contain and bury nuclear waste.

Blair/The Daily Beast

Why did they need a soil scientist and not, say, a physicist or biochemist? I had the same question. And thats how I discovered the environmental angle of what would become my novel. To create a plot around the atomic facility, I used Henrys actual declassified articles from the Health Physics department. He specifically studied the radioactive seepage of waste, how it moved through the dirt and reached groundwater or stream basins. Theoretically, Health Physicists would have had the power to halt any projects they deemed beyond the safety standard of contamination.

Total containment of radioactive waste is the basic principle of guiding operations at the Savannah River Plant, my grandfather wrote in 1961. The fuel fabrication area has released 0.8 curie of natural uranium to a stream since 1953.

Uranium isotopes, I might add for those (like me) who are not scientifically minded, have a half-life of billions of years. That means that in billions of years, uranium will have only half of its current radiation levels. Let that sink in for a minute.

At the Savannah River Plant, some low-level waste was buried in the ground in unlined trenches, and high-level waste was contained in carbon-steel tanks.

But the methods werent watertight.

A radioactive leak from the Savannah River nuclear weapons plant in South Carolina has caused lingering contamination of the Savannah River, reported The New York Times in 1992, contamination that was ten times above the safety limit. The leak contained tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, and forced a water utility downstream that serves 50,000 people in Jasper and Beaufort Counties in South Carolina, and two food companies in Savannah, Ga., to close their drinking water intake valves and shut off any flow from the river Tritium can flow through the body and expose tissues to small amounts of radiation that can add to a person's risk of developing disease, including cancer.

Were talking about some serious stuff here.

But in 1953, when Henry accepted an offer from the plant, all of this was new. Radiation was a relatively novel field, so its not surprising that we had some issues along the way. Besides, I honestly doubt my grandfather really knew what his job would entail when he was hired. The AEC was cautious about giving out details before someone was under contract, as that could create a security risk. The hiring process itself was intense. There was an in-depth security background check and a physical exam and the necessity of secrecy. Henry could not tell his wife, Betty, what he did. He could not tell his one son, my dad.

Loose lips sink ships, warned the civil defense propaganda.

The Atomic Energy Commission found the location for the Savannah River Plant after in-depth environmental scouting. They needed somewhere spacious, somewhere private, somewhere with local water reservoirs for cooling purposes. They also needed the right soil composition. Ultimately, the government seized the land by eminent domain. (And, I may add, as this really warrants a whole other book, the land was populated by predominantly poor Black sharecroppers. This was, after all, the Jim Crow-era South.) Scientists like my grandfather began studying how they could trace and measure the contamination in the earth. How would rain and groundwater affect the spread of contamination? How would sandy topsoil compare to rich loamy clay?

This sounds very specific and granular. It is. And its also very important. Theres over 160 acres of hazardous waste in the Savannah River Plant burial ground. The kind of waste that will outlive all of us reading this article.

That burial ground is where the plant dumped much of its solid radioactive waste at the time, often in cardboard boxes, writes Doug Purdue in Deadly Legacy, an in-depth investigative article that I found invaluable when writing Atomic Family. Radioactive contamination continues to leach from burial trenches into groundwater and periodically the Savannah River despite efforts to cap the trenches and stem the leakage. Plant engineers built a dam to block most of the flow and create a large pond. The contaminated pond water is used as irrigation and regularly sprayed into the surrounding forest where it is absorbed by the trees and evaporates harmlessly into the atmosphere. The pond also is home to two radioactive alligators dubbed by workers as Tritagator and Dioxinator  after two of the wastes, radioactive tritium and toxic dioxin. Solid radioactive waste continues to be dumped into unlined ditches and buried. He wrote this in 2017.

There are irradiated alligators in the Savannah River. You just cant make this stuff up.

Early in the days of writing the novel, there was a moment when I realized I needed to visit the Savannah River Plant for myself. Today the site is no longer active; instead, its dedicated to environmental clean-up. (Go figure.) Mostly, it is a relic of the Cold War days: prefab buildings and stark concrete laboratories full of archival materials and records.

The site now has tours open to the public, so my dad and I signed up for their historical guided tour.

The whole time we were there, I was nerding out. I was finally visiting the place Id been studying. I saw the reactor towers and the nuclear graveyards, literal cemeteries for anything from exposed hazmat suits to irradiated paper and dosimeters. I saw the remains of the town that existed before atomic manufacturing took over. What stands out in my memory was a street-curb that survived the bulldozers, a remnant of another life.

I could imagine my characters here, what it would have been like. For my dad, it was different. He could imagine his father here.

I finally get to go beyond the security checkpoint, he told me. For the first time.

He has memories of being in the car as his mom dropped Henry off. There was barbed wire and a military checkpoint. And the deeply held belief that they were a target of the USSR. That atomic warfare hung in the balance: failure was not an option.

Sometimes I wonder what Henry would think if he knew, back in the 60s, that the granddaughter he would never meet would one day write a novel about him. That I would go interview people he used to work with; walk past the security checkpoint; read the articles he published, the memos he sent that are now, fifty years later, de-classified. That I would try to make out the meaning behind redacted reportsredacted by whom, I always wonder? What didnt they want us to know?

I think I will always wonder this.

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WASHINGTON  The U.S. Army, recognizing it will operate not just on land but also across air, sea, space and cyberspace, is releasing its first new doctrine in 40 years.

The 280-page doctrine for multidomain operations, titled Field Manual 3-0, will make its debut at the Association of the U.S. Armys annual conference, which runs Oct. 10-12.

Army leaders said it will be a key guide for the force, but stressed the service will continue to evolve the doctrine as it moves forward with its biggest weapon system modernization push since the 1980s. The service hopes to have a fully modernized force by 2030.

There is not a time in recent history that is so potentially dangerous, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville writes in the manuals foreword. Russia, our acute threat, is conducting an unprovoked war on the sovereign country of Ukraine. Our pacing challenge, China, with an economy nearly equal in size to ours, is building a world-class military to challenge us and threatening its neighbors, including Taiwan.

Meanwhile, McConville adds, we cannot take our eyes off our persistent threats: North Korea, Iran, and violent extremists.

The new manual demonstrates the first principles of speed, range, and convergence of the cutting-edge technologies needed to achieve future decision dominance and overmatch against our adversaries, he writes.

McConville notes how potential opponents could increasingly challenge the Army. He writes that while Army forces have used space and cyberspace capabilities for more than two decades, they have never employed them in combat against capable opponents. Likewise, Air and Maritime capabilities have long enabled successful operations on land, but it has been decades since air-ground integration and close cooperation between land and naval forces have been effectively challenged by a threat.

Initiated in March 2017 as a pilot program, the Armys multidomain task force was designed to defeat an enemys anti-access/area denial capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. (MC2 Matthew Dickinson/U.S. Navy)

The Army last issued a new doctrine, dubbed AirLand Battle, in 1982. This manual focused on close coordination between land and air forces, and it stemmed from lessons learned from the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. It provided a basis for how the U.S. Army could fight and win against the Soviet Union.

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The Armys new manual reflects nearly five years spent by the service first developing multidomain operations as a warfighting concept and later as a doctrine.

The service released several versions of the multidomain operations concept beginning in 2018 and has refined it through evaluations, exercises, war games and its first multidomain task force. The task forces, established to test the concept, will now serve as operational units around the globe. There will be five tailored to operate in specific theaters, from Indo-Pacific Command to European Command.

Three key phases

The doctrine lays out three phases of multidomain operations: competition, crisis and armed conflict. It addresses the challenge of peer competitors using layered capabilities at standoff range to deter, requiring the U.S. as well as its partners and allies to use redundant, land-based capabilities to destroy or degrade threat-networked intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as well as long-range fires, the field manual explains.

China and Russia are positioned to win without fighting when it can control the narrative and facts on the ground, so the Army must establish a truthful narrative to contest that approach during both competition and crisis phases of operation, it adds.

The eight-chapter document, emphasizes the Army must assume it is always visible to the enemy. And for the first time the Army included a chapter on its operations in largely maritime environments, Richard Creed, director of the services Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, told Defense News in a recent interview.

When you think about the importance of INDOPACOM and the dynamics based on the geography of a theater like that, you understand [that] land forces, the Army in particular, have huge contributions to make in any campaign in that type of environment, he said.

Were at an inflection point

The Army doesnt yet have much of the modernized equipment meant to enable multidomain operations, but McConville told Defense News in a recent interview it still makes sense to move forward with the doctrine.

Were at an inflection point, McConville said.

Indeed, the Army initially expected to release the doctrine over the summer.

While the extra time provided the service an opportunity to observe and learn from Russias invasion of Ukraine, the major ideas in the doctrine did not change, according to Creed.

Polish and American troops take part in tactical and fire training on April 8, 2022, in Nowa Deba, Poland. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

What we did do, however, in light of our continuous observations of whats been going on in the Russia-Ukraine war, is to make sure that were looking at those events through a lens that didnt appeal to our preconceived notions, he explained.

Creed said it was important to move quickly with the new document because doctrine drives culture ... and it certainly drives the readiness culture in terms of what youre training against, what kinds of military problems youre trying to solve. And cultural shifts take a long time.

The next step, Creed said, is to help soldiers internalize the doctrine.

Were going to have to train our people to execute it, he said. Were going to have to develop leaders who understand it, and we have to play around with it during the execution of training and operations to foster what people like to call a campaign of learning. 

In the late 1990s, the Army updated its 1982 doctrine to adjust to what it termed full-spectrum operations. Similarly, Creed said, he expects the multidomain operations doctrine to require an update in the 2030 time frame.

We will have an army that looks very different than the army now in terms of the equipment and the organizations that it fields and is trained to execute multidomain operations, he said. Between then and now, were going to do the best we can with the force that we have.

The force that we have is capable of executing what were putting into doctrine just fine.

The new doctrine also triggers an update to 368 other doctrinal publications, he added, which will take place over the next several years.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Army has long pinpointed 2030 as a key year to achieve its modernization goals, but the services secretary is already looking to 2040.

Christine Wormuth told Defense News she has tasked the Armys modernization offices, and particularly Army Futures Command, with examining what the service will need in 2040 and then putting a foundation in place.

Thus far, she sees 2040 as an extension of the branchs 2030 goals.

What I mean by that is, weve got robotic combat vehicles now, autonomy is already a part of what were looking at, but really scaling up autonomy, scaling up artificial intelligence to enable human decision-making to be in a much faster loop, she said. There will be some new capabilities and new pieces of operational concepts.

Wormuth recently attended a series of war games at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, that brought together elements from across the service, including Army Futures Commands Futures and Concepts Center as well as Training and Doctrine Commands Combined Arms Center.

The war games took into account efforts currently under development  including those on weapons systems, concepts and the new multidomain operations doctrine  in order to determine the next set of concepts and the requirements that will drive them, Wormuth explained.

I cant think of an area that were not doing anything in right now, she said. Weve got work underway looking at networks, at AI, at autonomy, at  biotechnology. Those are the things that I think we want to have the labs focused on, so I dont think theres a wholly uncovered area at this time.

The road to 2030

Even as Wormuth looks to 2040, theres plenty to be accomplished to meet the Armys 2030 goals.

Four years ago, the service established Army Futures Command to help it more quickly modernize its force based on six priority areas considered key to succeeding in a potential conflict with advanced adversaries, like Russia and China: long-range precision fires; a next-generation combat vehicle; future vertical lift; the network; air and missile defense; and soldier lethality.

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U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing May 5, 2022. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

The Army is on track to field or hand prototypes to units for 24 systems by the end of fiscal 2023, including hypersonic weapons, the Precision Strike Missile, a ship-killing midrange missile and an extended-range cannon.

Progress generally is going very well given that we have 24 systems, in one year, that were either trying to start fielding or were trying to get prototypes in the hands of soldiers, Wormuth said. We may hit some bumps in the road along the way. I think thats to be expected.

In a September speech at the Armys Maneuver Warfighter Conference on Fort Benning, Georgia, Wormuth laid out six goals for the Army of 2030 to effectively conduct multidomain operations on the battlefield.

To be able to win the fires fight; to be able to take dispersed forces and have them converge together to engage the enemy; to be able to see farther, more persistently, longer than our adversaries; to be able to protect ourselves; to be able to share data and communicate, not just with each other but with the other services and our allies; and then to sustain that whole joint force, were going to need systems, capabilities, Wormuth said. That is really where you get into a lot of the programs that we always talk about in our six modernization portfolios.

The Army also needs the right formations and force structure, she told Defense News.

The [brigade combat team] is sort of the unit of action for 20 years; we dont think thats appropriate for the future battlefield, she said. So were really looking at the division as the unit of action.

A lot of what were doing with the Army of 2030 is looking at what capabilities need to be at which echelon, she added.

Additionally, the Army is building its five multidomain task forces to operate across all domains, including space and cyberspace. The service has already activated three: two in the Pacific and one in Europe. While it will establish two more, Wormuth said, the Army is still deciding where those units will go.

The service has moved quickly to develop new capabilities, but Army Futures Command, its lead modernization organization, went without a confirmed commander for 10 months.

During an Oct. 4 ceremony at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, Gen. James Rainey took over from acting commander Lt. Gen. James Richardson, who is retiring.

Rainey was involved in establishing the command five years ago, and he has worked with the organization to develop the multidomain operations doctrine while leading the Combined Arms Center.

We will absolutely deliver the Army of 2030, Rainey said in a speech at the change-of-command ceremony, while were designing the Army of 2040.

In an interview after the ceremony, Wormuth told Defense News the top priority for Rainey is to deliver the Army of 2030, but the next one is for his command to look ahead, look past the Army of 2030 to what are the new kinds of operational challenges that were going to be facing and what kinds of concepts would flow from that, and what kinds of requirements would flow from that.
(Bloomberg) -- The US warned Hong Kong that assisting sanctioned individuals could threaten its status as a financial hub, after a megayacht linked to one of Russias richest men docked in the citys harbor.

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The $500 million Nord vessel tied to tycoon Alexey Mordashov arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday, after making a week-long voyage from the Russian city of Vladivostok. Mordashov, believed to be an ally of President Vladimir Putin, was sanctioned by the European Union, the UK and the US following Russias invasion of Ukraine in February.

The possible use of Hong Kong as a safe haven by individuals evading sanctions from multiple jurisdictions further calls into question the transparency of the business environment, a US State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The citys reputation as a financial center depends on its adherence to international laws and standards, the spokesperson added.

Hong Kongs Marine Department said Friday that while it enforces United Nations Security Council sanctions, it doesnt implement unilateral sanctions imposed by other jurisdictions. The former British colonys Chief Executive, John Lee, is sanctioned by the US, along with several other city officials, for his role in the governments crackdown on civil liberties in the hub.

There are concerns Russian tycoons may seek to circumvent sanctions imposed by the US and its allies by shifting their assets to Hong Kong. China has refused to condemn Russias war in Ukraine, with President Xi Jinping declaring a no limits friendship with Putin on the eve of the invasion.

US companies increasingly view Hong Kongs business environment with wariness, the US spokesperson said in the Saturday statement, adding that Chinas move to dilute the citys political autonomy had exacerbated such concerns. We strongly encourage all jurisdictions to take actions under their domestic authorities to help implement sanctions.

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READ: Sanctioned Tycoons Yacht Sails From Russia to Hong Kong

Hong Kongs status as a global financial center has been diminished in recent years, thanks to both a crackdown on political freedoms under a sweeping Beijing-imposed national security law and Covid curbs that isolated the former hub from the world, until recently.

More than a dozen yachts connected to sanctioned Russian oligarchs have been seized by US and European governments to punish them for their ties to Putin. Mordashov, the largest shareholder in steelmaker Severstal PJSC, in May joined other businessmen in trying to challenge the restrictions in European courts.

When the Nord, which features two helipads, a cinema and 20 luxury cabins, departed Vladivostok it listed the Vietnamese port of Da Nang as its destination. A few days later it changed its destination to Hong Kong, according to vessel location data compiled by Bloomberg.

The ship had also changed its flag -- the maritime authority under which the vessel is registered -- to Russia from the Cayman Islands in June, according to Marine Traffic.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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The superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD) is retiring amid the fallout from Mays shooting at Robb Elementary, where a gunman entered a classroom and killed nineteen schoolchildren and two of their teachers.

In a statement on Monday through his wifes Facebook page, UCISD superintendent Hal Harrell said he was stepping down on his own terms.

My decision to retire has not been made lightly and was made after much prayer and discernment. My wife and I love you all and this community that we both grew up in, therefore this decision was a difficult one for us, Harrell said in his post.

I have been blessed to work among amazing educators and staff who believe in education for more than 30 years, which have all been in our beautiful community. These next steps for our future are being taken after much reflection, and is completely my choice.

Harrell added that hell still remain as UCISD superintendent until his replacement is named later this year.

My heart was broken on May 24th and I will always pray for each precious life that was tragically taken as well as their families, Harrell added. It has been an honor and privilege to serve you all. #UvaldeStrong.

Harrells remarks come after the school district announced on Friday that it suspended its entire police force after receiving complaints from the families of the victims of the massacre.

Families of the victims and other officials have criticized the districts police department for its response, with probes detailing how authorities waited an hour before entering the school complex and confronting the shooter.

The investigations also led to the firing of UCISD police chief Pete Arredondo.

Last month, the families of the survivors filed a lawsuit against the school district, multiple gun manufacturers, the citys law enforcement agencies and others for their alleged roles in the massacre.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Vanderbilt University Medical Centers transgender clinic in Nashville has temporarily suspended gender-transition surgeries for minors after a wave of backlash.

On Friday, Republican Tennessee state Representative Jason Zachary posted the hospitals letter responding to the state House GOPs demand to discontinue those operations.

We are pausing gender affirmation surgeries on patients under 18 pending a review of new treatment guidelines published by the World Professional Association of Transgender Health, VUMCs Chief Health System Officer, Dr. C. Wright Pinson wrote. The review may take several months, he noted

The medical center clarified that, since its inception, it has performed an average of five so-called gender-affirming surgical procedures a year, none of which have been genital and all of which received parental consent. Presumably the procedures it did facilitate were mastectomies, or the removal of a young girls breasts. A report from the Daily Wire on the Vanderbilt transgender clinic indicated that top surgery is a lucrative operation, with as much as $40,000 to be made from a double mastectomy. While the hospital implies it has not yet administered a phalloplasty or vaginoplasty, it is evident from its website that it had offered urologic surgeries before the pause.

Pressure on the Nashville center intensified after Matt Walsh, a Daily Wire pundit, leaked a 2018 video showing Dr. Shayne Taylor, a LGBT specialist at the hospital, explaining how profitable transgender surgeries are for the medical industry. She emphasized that its a big money maker, especially because the surgeries require a lot of follow up appointments and check-ups, Walsh reported.

Some of our VUMC financial folks in October of 2016 put down some costs of how much money we think each patient would bring in, Taylor said. And this is only including top surgery, this isnt including any bottom surgery, and its a lot of money.

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Following the expose, Zachary asked VUMC to permanently end sex-change surgeries for children. His colleagues, Republican Tennessee state representatives William Lamberth and Jack Johnson, had similarly proposed legislation with the same goal. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn also both demanded an investigation into the facility.

Multiple Republican-controlled states have introduced or passed bills to ban child gender-transition medical interventions. Vanderbilt Medicals retreat represents a victory for those seeking to protect youth from making irreversible medical decisions they may regret in adulthood.

As the debate over the ethics of sex changes for children escalates, three major pro-trans medical organizations have urged the Department of Justice to take unprecedented federal action. Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Childrens Hospital Association asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate and prosecute threats against health-care facilities that provide gender-transition procedures to children.

Their letter cited incidents of threats in Boston, Mass., Akron, Ohio, Nashville, Tenn., and Seattle, Wash. The groups alleged that an intentional campaign of disinformation waged by a few high-profile social-media actors is fueling intimidation against hospitals that provide such services. In addition to calling for federal intervention, they also asked technology companies  presumably Twitter would be chief among them  to censor content that is critical of transition surgeries for children on their platforms.

More from National Review
By Mircely Guanipa

LAS TEJERIAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -Venezuelans in the town of Las Tejerias, in the country's Aragua state, on Monday waited amid a rising death toll as rescuers searched for the more than 50 missing persons who were swept away on Saturday by devastating floods following heavy rain.

Rains on Saturday night swept large tree trunks and debris from surrounding mountains into Las Tejerias, 40 miles (67 kilometers) southwest of Caracas, and damaging businesses and farmland.

At least 36 people have been killed by the floods while 56 remain missing, Remigio Ceballos, vice president of citizen security area, told reporters in Las Tejerias on Monday.

Early estimates reported at least 25 dead and 52 missing.

Standing in front of what was once her two-story house, before the floods destroyed it, Jennifer Galindez waited for news of her husband, one of the people reported missing after water surged through the town.

The flood also killed her young granddaughter, she said.

"My husband was by the window. I couldn't help him either and the water took him away," said Galindez, 46, adding that her husband Jose Segovia, 55, suffers from severe diabetes.

Galindez left to seek help amid the rain when she saw the water enter her home, before the flood took her too.

"The water swept me away," she said, adding that she eventually found refuge on a platform where there was no current.

Houses, shops and other premises in Las Tejerias were fully or partially filled with mud and other debris carried by the water. The area is currently without electricity or drinking water.

On Monday, bulldozers could be seen clearing roads in Las Tejerias as the sun shone after several days of rain.

Though Galindez managed to make her way back to what had been her house - half buried in mud - on Saturday, through a hole in the wall she saw her husband was not in his bed, while her granddaughter Estefania Romero, not yet 2, had drowned on the sofa.

"I haven't been able to sleep," Galindez said. "I can't close my eyes because that's what I see. I see my granddaughter, where I put her. I left her there and I couldn't get her out."

(Reporting by Mircely GuanipaWriting by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
By Saurabh Sharma

LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) - Mulayam Singh Yadav, a veteran Indian politician and three-time chief minister of the country's most populous state, died on Monday after over six weeks in hospital, his son said.

Yadav, who was 82, entered politics in his 20s, rising to become chief minister of northern Uttar Pradesh state in 1989.

The state sends the highest number of lawmakers to the lower house of parliament and a strong showing in Uttar Pradesh is essential for any party or coalition to win power at the federal level.

Fondly called "Netaji", or respected leader, by his supporters, Yadav became Uttar Pradesh's chief minister for the second time in 1993, a year after a Hindu right-wing mob demolished the 16th century Babri Mosque in the town of Ayodhya, triggering nationwide violence.

He and his Samajwadi Party emerged as advocates for Muslims, who make up a sizeable minority in Uttar Pradesh.

Yadav also served as India's federal defence minister in a coalition government between 1996 and 1998.

He was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for a third time from 2003 to 2007. In recent years, he handed over the leadership of the party to his son, Akhilesh Yadav, although he remained a senior leader and a member of the national parliament.

"My respected father and your 'Netaji' is no more," Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet from the Samajwadi Party's official account.

The Samajwadi Party, which last held power in the state between 2012 and 2017 with Akhilesh Yadav as chief minister, has come under pressure from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party that has swept two consecutive state elections since then.

"With Mulayam gone there will be a void and keeping the party and family united will be a difficult task for his son," said Rajani Ranjan Jha, former professor and head of the political science department at Banaras Hindu University.

(Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman on Monday called Russia a one-trick pony and knocked Moscows recent strikes against civilian targets in Ukraine.

Russia really is a one-trick pony. It cannot do anything on the battlefield. Its getting defeated at every turn, Vindman said in an interview on CNNs New Day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vindman said, is scrambling to use his limited means to show Moscows force amid recent battlefield setbacks.

The only thing [Putin] could do in response is not on the military battlefield  he could terrorize the population. He could make it a miserable winter for the population, Vindman said.

Vindman, who was born in Kyiv and came to the U.S. as a 3-year-old, served during the Trump administration as the director of European affairs on the National Security Council until February 2020. He was a key witness in former President Trumps first impeachment trial.

Russia over the weekend launched a battery of strikes against Ukraine, hitting civilian areas in what appears to be a response to Russias recent losses.

Already grappling with losing ground in Ukraine after a successful counteroffensive last month, Putin was outraged when an explosion crippled a bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula and accused Ukraine of being behind the terror act. Ukraine has not taken responsibility.

Vindman dismissed the idea that the Russian strikes have any significant strategic purpose.

Terror campaign. All it is is a terror campaign, the retired Army official said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Joe Bidens administration is doing everything possible to abolish right-to-work laws, which give workers the option to join a union and pay dues or choose not to do so. But Tennessee is looking to help fend off this federal encroachment on state rights by protecting workers choices under their constitution.

This November, Tennesseans will have the opportunity to vote on whether to amend their states constitution to provide additional protection to right-to-work laws already on the books. Right-to-work laws give workers the freedom to choose whether to keep their hard-earned money when they decide not to join a union.

The evidence suggests that right-to-work laws benefit workers. Analyzing the evidence, however, requires understanding how unions work.

This November, Tennesseans will have the opportunity to vote on whether to amend the states constitution to provide additional protection to right-to-work laws already on the books.

Unions are, at their essence, labor cartels. Like a business cartel, where businesses collude to restrict entry to the industry to raise prices on consumers, effective labor cartels limit union membership and thus job opportunities for non-members to raise wages for members. Since unions often represent skilled laborers, the wage gains go to higher-skilled workers, with the brunt of the lost employment opportunities falling on unskilled workers.

Labor cartels are most powerful when they have the legal power to force non-members to pay union dues. Other government protections, such as the ability to deny workers the right to privacy when voting on whether to unionize, can also give unions a leg up in pressuring workers at non-unionized firms to vote for unionization.

So what is the evidence on right-to-work laws? By giving workers the freedom to work without paying dues to a union, right-to-work laws unsurprisingly decrease union membership. And by preventing unions from restricting employment to only dues-paying workers, there is some evidence that unionized workers see slightly lower wage growth.

Hear more Tennessee voices:Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns.

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Daniel Smith

The overall effect on workers, however, tends to be positive. This is because decreased wage growth among unionized workers is often offset by increased employment among non-members. The new employment is driven, in part, because right-to-work laws tend to make a state a more attractive place for business investment. Thus, the evidence suggests that right-to-work laws either have no effect on overall wages or actually lead to wage increases. A new study by Michael Hicks and Michael LaFaive, for instance, finds that right-to-work laws increase employment, income and population growth.

There is also evidence that right-to-work laws may improve union representation for unionized workers by fostering competition among unions for workers. Right-to-work laws, for instance, typically encourage unions to direct investment more effectively towards member services. A study in the Journal of Law and Economics finds that adopting right-to-work laws increases life satisfaction and economic sentiment, especially among unionized workers.

More fundamentally, there is plenty of additional evidence to suggest that the best way to boost labors share of income is not by restricting workers freedom of association but by preserving and expanding economic freedom. Wage increases that dont come at the expense of other workers are driven by gains in productivity, which are, in turn, caused by human and physical capital investment.

So why is there so much resistance to right-to-work laws? It comes down to politics. While granting workers occupational freedom is good for state economies and workers themselves, it reduces the political pressure unions can exert on their members to vote and donate to political purposes, leading to a smaller vote share for Democrats.

That is hardly a legitimate reason to undermine occupational freedom. Perhaps that is why voters in 27 states have already granted their workers right-to-work protections. Nine of these right-to-work states have put these rights in their constitution to better protect the freedom of their workers against federal overreach for generations to come. Tennesseans get to decide whether to do this for themselves this fall.

Daniel J. Smith is the director of the Political Economy Research Institute at Middle Tennessee State University and professor of economics at the Jones College of Business. Twitter: @smithdanj1

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Opinion: Amend Tennessee Constitution to protect right-to-work laws
The Armys new human resources platform is facing another delay, but the services top personnel officials reiterated their commitment to the embattled platform and its necessity for personnel in phone interviews with Army Times.

The new Army G-1, Lt. Gen. Douglas Stitt, emphasized that the delay of the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army has had no delay on the Armys talent management initiatives thus far. He also explained that HR professionals need the platform to harness talent management data and help troops reach their full potential.

The general and his senior enlisted counterpart, Sgt. Maj. Mark Clark, said existing platforms for talent marketplaces can continue in the absence of the permanent solution that IPPS-A is intended to provide.

We have the workarounds [for current initiatives, but] how do we get to the transformative [capability]? asked Stitt. When [a general] walks in and says, How many people are in the division today that speak Ukrainian ... and have ever served in Eastern Europe? thats a straightforward question ... but that right now requires us to go into three different systems to answer it.

Stitt noted that IPPS-A, when fielded, can improve the Armys data analysis, which in turn can help the services human resources professionals get predictive.

The hypothetical query on Ukrainian speakers in U.S. uniforms could be answered entirely by reports from the new platform, Stitt said.

The general said HR training courses are reorienting to push data literacy and analysis in preparation for the increased capability that IPPS-A will offer.

As an [Adjutant General] Corps, were at a bit of an inflection point  weve got to make that transition now to not just being data pullers, Stitt said. Now we can pull the data and give sound analysis off of what we see.

Stitt argued that the Armys future success hinges on our ability to ... provide relevantly trained, capable [HR] professionals who ... will be able to envision and anticipate their respective formations future talent needs and take action to ensure theyre met on time.

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But its still not yet clear when the platform will launch. Service officials have heralded the program as the lynchpin of the Armys data and talent utilization goals.

Army bets on data as it sets stage for talent management revolution

A limited version of IPPS-A, which will replace the constellation of aging HR systems that currently serve the active duty Army and Army Reserve, is already live for the Army National Guard.

But the next release of IPPS-A has been pushed off multiple times now, and there has been no publicly acknowledged timeline for its launch after the most recent delay.

The first target launch date was in December 2021, but officials scuttled that plan when they realized that difficulties integrating the data from old the HR system meant the platform would only be 80% functional.

Senior leaders, including Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, committed to improving oversight and seeing the program through to completion.

The Army then promised a Sept. 20 launch date but called it off less than two weeks beforehand due to lingering problems with the platforms ability to synchronize with key accessions and benefits databases.

Meanwhile, systems integration contractor CACI has pocketed more than half a billion dollars for the project thus far and received a no-competition extension that could see another $500 million go their way, according to trade paper Washington Technology and a GAO protest tracker.

Despite the halting progress, the Army appears to consider the project too big to fail.

The Armys civilian Chief Information Officer, Raj Iyer, told Army Times that the IPPS-A debacle has helped inspire tech modernization reforms intended to improve oversight of complex systems contracts  plus a fundamental change in philosophy.

We are starting to make progress ... but [with] decisions that have been made in the past, where we have too much sunk cost, it becomes a much harder problem. And thats the bucket IPPS-A falls into, he said. Were going to change our acquisition strategy and go down a different path.

Iyer said future projects will aim to take a more incremental approach, if possible.

But at this point, the Army has made its bet on IPPS-A. Will it pay off? That has yet to be determined.
"The Walking Dead" cast found Sebastian's surprising death to be immensely satisfying. AMC

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for season 11, episode 18 of "The Walking Dead."

In a major twist from the comics, Sebastian met an untimely death at the end of Sunday's episode.

Insider asked the cast their thoughts on the shocking moment. No one felt sympathy for Sebastian.

Sunday's "The Walking Dead" made a big deviation from the comics when it killed off Sebastian Milton (Teo Rapp-Olsson) in a violent fashion.

After Eugene and Max revealed that the Governor's son didn't care about the Commonwealth's citizens, a horde of the undead broke into the community. As chaos erupted, Eugene pushed a walker onto the cowardly Milton who cried out for help.

Unsurprisingly, no one responded to Sebastian's pleas. Refusing to lend a hand, the community watched as Sebastian was killed until Judith shot the walker dead.

The turn of events is a far cry from the comics where Sebastian winds up surviving the entirety of "TWD." In the comic's most controversial moment, Sebastian murders the series' protagonist, Rick Grimes.

In September, Insider asked 10 cast members their reactions to Sebastian's surprising death. All of them believe he got what he deserved, but agreed they'll miss Rapp-Olsson.

Seth Gilliam didn't mince words. He said Sebastian had to go.

Seth Gilliam said good riddance to Sebastian. AMC

Gilliam, who plays Father Gabriel, wasn't familiar with Sebastian's comic fate.

"He lives?" Gilliam said to Insider, who was surprised when we filled him in on what happens in the comics."Well, the fucker deserved to die, so I'm glad he's gone."

Ross Marquand is glad that Sebastian's demise means that Aaron isn't getting Rick's comic death.

In the comics, Sebastian kills Rick. Aaron currently resembles comic Rick. Jace Downs/AMC, Skybound/Image Comics

In the comics, Sebastian shockingly kills off Rick. Since Rick departed the series in 2018, some fans have wondered if Aaron (Marquand) may get Rick's death since he looks a lot like comic Rick these days.

When Insider asked Marquand if anyone ever considered giving him Rick's comic death, he said, "No, that was never really discussed, at least with me."

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Marquand added that the way Rick died  Sebastian shot him while he was defenseless in a bed  was "a really lame way to kill someone."

Marquand hinted that his character will die a different way, but it wasn't clear if he was joking around.

Margot Bingham, who plays Max, is happy he's dead.

Max records Sebastian and then plays it for all to hear. AMC

Max didn't like that Lance took the fall for Sebastian on Sunday's episode. She recorded Sebastian without him knowing and had Eugene play the tape that turned the community against him before he was bitten.

"Ding dong! I'm happy that he's gone," Bingham told Insider of Sebastian's death. "Teo, in real life, the actor who plays Sebastian, is incredible. So that was hard to say goodbye to him, but yeah, he's the worst."

Josh McDermitt was disappointed his character Eugene didn't get to kill him with his bare hands, but he thought it was a great change from the comics.

Josh McDermitt thought Sebastian's death was a great twist from the comics. Jace Downs/AMC

McDermitt, who was on the same call as Bingham, agreed that it was time for Sebastian to go, telling Insider: "If the show had kept going past season 11, it would've been awesome to have a character like Sebastian around because he's a live grenade in the middle of any situation. But the fact that we're ending after season 11, Teo had to go. There's no room for Teo. We gotta get rid of him."

He added that Sebastian's death was a great change from the original comic story.

"It keeps people on their toes. We've diverted from the comics so many times and they're always trying to make the story better," McDermitt said, adding, "Obviously, with Rick not being there at the Commonwealth, like he is in the comics, it's like, 'What do you do?' The next best thing is to kill Sebastian and, I think his death is earned and I love that Eugene and Max were a part of it."

McDermitt only had one regret about Sebastian's death.

"I was actually disappointed that Eugene wasn't killing him with his bare hands or something. That's what I was pushing for," McDermitt told Insider of Eugene ultimately tossing a walker onto Sebastian, which led to his death.

"I just wanna see Eugene go feral and strangle somebody, but I'll take a walker hit. That's the next best thing," he added.

Josh Hamilton said his character Lance probably isn't too torn up over Sebastian's death. He has other things to worry about right now.

Lance has bigger concerns right now than Sebastian's death, like getting out of prison. AMC

When Insider mentioned that Lance is adjacently responsible for Sebastian's death since his goons let the dead loose inside the Commonwealth, Josh Hamilton chuckled.

"It's always sad when we lose a valued member of the Commonwealth, but I don't know that Lance is gonna be too broken up," Hamilton said, adding, "He brought it upon himself. I don't think that Lance is gonna lose as much sleep in a guilt sense."

That makes sense since Governor Milton pinned some of Sebastian's crimes onto Lance. Hamilton added that Lance has more pressing things to worry about at the moment than grieving Sebastian, like finding a way out of prison.

Even Laila Robins, who plays Sebastian's mother and the leader of the Commonwealth, Pamela Milton, admits it was his time to go.

Pamela always saw Sebastian as a disappointment, in life, and now, in death. Jace Downs/AMC

Sebastian briefly mentioned on Sunday's episode that he had another brother who died who wasn't in the comics.

When Insider asked Robins about that, she said they added another son to help give her character more of a backstory, saying, "We were trying to figure out why I'm particularly so disappointed in Sebastian. It's partly because we decided that the previous son was really the golden child who was supposed to sort of carry on the legacy."

"Now I've got this creature to deal with who is not the day at the beach," Robins laughed, speaking of why Sebastian was such a disappointment to Pamela. "This is a difficult child and how disappointing that is because I see the potential of the bloodline, but he's just not stepping up to the task."

"I love working with Teo," Robins said of the actor. "He's just a wonderful person and so much fun to work with.

She added that they're still in communication, saying, "Everybody's got to die at some point, I guess, but it was sad, because we enjoyed working with him. I still stay in touch with him and he'll be in other things, but we're sorry to see him go."

Eleanor Matsuura fears that Sebastian's death puts her character Yumiko in a precarious situation with the Commonwealth leader.

Eleanor Matsuura is worried for her character Yumiko. Jace Downs/AMC

"Sebastian's death is a big, big deal," Matsuura told Insider of what his death means for Yumiko and the group moving forward. "We know that we're playing with fire."

Matsuura's worried that her character, Yumiko, might be in more danger than others at the moment because of her "precarious" situation as Governor Pamela Milton's lawyer.

"I'm really on the inside at this point," Matsuura added. "I'm working as a lawyer for the Commonwealth and, unlike anybody else in our crew, I have this sort of a privileged position where I could get some serious intel."

Matsuura has a good point. Governor Pamela Milton was already starting to suspect that Yumiko may have had an awareness of Connie's scathing article against her son, Sebastian. His death may make Pamela more closely scrutinize Yumiko.

Michael James Shaw said Mercer's going to be shocked to learn what happens to Sebastian.

Mercer is the leader of the Commonwealth's militia, so Sebastian's death isn't good news for him. Josh Stringer/AMC

"It's a double-edged sword," Shaw told Insider of what Sebastian's death means for Mercer. "Part of Mercer wants Sebastian, not dead, but, punished. I think it is a shock to him to find that Sebastian gets killed, and the way he gets killed."

"As the actor, I was like, 'Fuck man. I'm gonna miss this dude.' I don't wanna see him go. Teo is one of the most amazing human beings I've ever met," Shaw added. "Great guy. He plays a really good dick."

Connie's article on Sebastian ultimately helped lead to his downfall, but Lauren Ridloff isn't feeling too bad about that.

Connie's not feeling too sorry for Sebastian after what he did to others. AMC

"It's good riddance, basically," Ridloff told us over Zoom. "What are you gonna say? It's true."

Connie's article exposed that Sebastian was behind some of the missing people in the Commonwealth who died running errands for him so he could continue living a lavish lifestyle.

Angel Theory said she "didn't feel bad" to see Sebastian go.

Kelly has seen how Commonwealth citizens have fared under Milton's rule. Angel Theory said Teo Rapp-Olsson did a great job of annoying fans. Jace Downs/AMC

"Man, he's  can I say asshole? He's an asshole," Theory said of Sebastian's character.

The actor, who plays Kelly, described Sebastian as giving off "rich boy" vibes, someone who was "trying to impress mom" and wanting to "show off his power."

"But the actor is amazing," Theory said of Rapp-Olsson. "His character just annoyed me so much."

Read the original article on Insider
Poor mother seeks help to save ailing little daughter

A poor woman in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa is calling for support to save her little daughter who is facing biliary atresia.



Le Thi Thoa, 44, in Trieu Son Districts Nong Truong Commune is taking care of her eight-month-old daughter Tran Mai Hoa at the Vietnam National Children's Hospital in Hanoi.

Hoa, Thoas second child, was diagnosed with biliary atresia when she was just two months old. The disease severely affected her liver functions, causing her eyes and skin to turn yellow.

Thoa's daughter is struggling with biliary atresia





Thoa and her daughter



According to doctors, the baby needs a liver transplant as soon as possible but her weight must be at least eight kilos.



Currently, the family depends on Hoas fathers monthly income of VND7 million (USD294.11).



Over the past six months, the couple has been seeking to borrow money from different sources to cover the hospital fees for their daughter. Now, the familys debts have reached more than VND100 million yet their daughters condition has not improved.



"Weve sold every valuable weve got. But the liver transplant would cost at least VND250 million, Hoa added.



Dao Huy An, head of Village 2, said that Thoas family was among the poorest in the locality. He hoped that they would receive support from donors.





If you can help, please donate through:



1. Code 4647: Le Thi Thoa: Village 2, Nong Truong Commune, Trieu Son District, Thanh Hoa Province

Mobile phone: 0984508823



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Is Pamela Milton underestimating Hornsby? Jace Downs/AMC

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for season 11, episode 18 of "The Walking Dead," "A New Deal."

Lance told Pamela that if anything happens to him, certain alliances may become a problem.

Does Lance secretly have an alliance with the CRM and could they show up on the final episodes?

On Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead," Governor Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) tells her right-hand man Lance Hornsby that his life at the Commonwealth is over. Milton recently learned that Lance, power-hungry, and out to prove himself, was going rogue and abusing his power as second-in-command, killing others without her knowledge.

Shocked and in disbelief, Lance warns Pamela that she still needs him: "If something happens to me, certain alliances the Commonwealth has, certain stabilizing factors, are likely to become a problem."

Milton may believe Hornsby is bluffing in order to weasel his way out of getting stripped of his role in the Commonwealth, but she may be very, very wrong.

Does Lance have a secret alliance with a group we may already know? AMC

If you've been watching "TWD" closely, that single line of dialogue should've made your ears perk.

We've seen one group that Lance has an alliance with, but it's possible there's a more important alliance Hornsby formed that hasn't been seen on screen yet. For some time, "TWD" has been dropping potential clues that the Commonwealth has ties to another nameless community.

And it has us wondering: Does Lance Hornsby have some sort of secret arrangement with the Civic Republic Military? In case you don't recall, they're the group of 200,000 people who took Rick and that was at the center of the spin-off series "TWD: World Beyond."

We hope so.

It would be a great way for the series' final episodes to wrap up some loose ends and tie the flagship to some of its spin-offs.

Let's walk through the clues that have us convinced we could see a connection between Lance and the CRM on the show's final episodes.

Where are all of these other missing people at the Commonwealth? The CRM provides the perfect solution.

The CRM soldiers are seen in all black on "TWD: World Beyond." Zach Dilgard/AMC

The final episodes of "TWD" have the opportunity to link together disappearances at the Commonwealth with a few other mysterious ones we've seen over the years on the apocalyptic drama.

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We know that Sebastian was inadvertently responsible for the deaths of some people at the Commonwealth, but, as a reminder, there was a pretty long list of missing people that Kelly and her sister Connie acquired on season 11, episode 11.

A few episodes later, on season 11, episode 17, Connie briefly mentioned to Kelly that there are still a lot of missing people whose whereabouts they don't know about. We're hoping that's not a random plot that will be dropped.

Are other missing people being traded to another community we may already know? AMC

Where could they be?

If they're not dead, one thought is that they could've been traded to another community either for supplies or in exchange for an alliance or to be left alone.

If that sounds out of the blue, it's not.

"TWD" has previously brought up the idea of people going missing only to later reveal on or off screen that they wound up in the care of the Civic Republic Military.

Heath went missing on season seven of "TWD" and was traded to the CRM off screen. Gene Page/AMC

Seasons earlier, showrunner Angela Kang told Insider that Jadis traded Heath to the CRM in exchange for supplies.

On season 11, episode 13, we briefly learned that Lance was setting some supplies aside for something, possibly a group. He revealed that he took some of the resources to rebuild Alexandria and directed them toward a secret project, referred to as "that other thing."

Are we ever going to find out what Lance was talking about? AMC

Unfortunately, because of Daryl's former girlfriend Leah, those supplies were intercepted and never found their way to their original destination. The hiccup resulted in Lance's rogue Commonwealth militia wrongfully accusing Annie's group of stealing the supplies and murdering a good number of them.

Before getting locked up, Lance became so preoccupied with Daryl's extended group that he never circled back to the fact that his supplies didn't go to "that other thing." Is someone going to come looking for them?

It would seem strange if the Civic Republic Military wasn't aware of the Commonwealth's existence

There are too many people in the Commonwealth for their community to not be a secret. Josh Stringer/AMC

It's becoming increasingly unbelievable that the CRM's massive group of 200,000 wouldn't be aware of a group the size of the Commonwealth's 50,000 in Ohio.

From "TWD: World Beyond," we know that the main three CRM sites were located in and around Ithaca, New York, Portland, Oregon, and Omaha, Nebraska. The latter site was destroyed.

Additionally, season one, episode seven of "World Beyond" revealed that the Civic Republic Military had secret oil reserves hidden throughout the US so they could refuel their helicopters.

Some of the many oil reserves that the CRM has hidden throughout the US. AMC, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider

Where are these reserves?

Two are in Ohio while others are located in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, Kentucky, and North Virginia, near what appears to be Washington, DC.

The Commonwealth is situated in an unknown spot in Ohio. Additionally, Daryl and his crew's main home is located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Are we supposed to believe the CRM and the Commonwealth haven't crossed paths while Lance has been out forging alliances?

Even if Lance doesn't have some sort of alliance with the CRM that could go sideways, it's a little impossible to believe that the CRM's helicopters haven't caught sight of the Commonwealth or its militia.

And, if by some miracle, the Commonwealth has stayed off their radar, there's another more obvious Civic Republic Military connection to "TWD" who should know about the Commonwealth by now: Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh).

Could we see Jadis again sooner rather than later? Steve Swisher/AMC

It would be short-sighted of Jadis, as a leader of the CRM, to not be keeping tabs on Daryl's people after leaving them. She knew what they were capable of, after all.

It would make more sense that Jadis, who used to date Father Gabriel, was keeping some sort of tabs on or a spy within Daryl's extended group and learned of the existence of the Commonwealth through them.

An interaction or showdown between the Commonwealth and CRM could help seamlessly set up the show's future spin-offs

Bringing back the CRM would help make sense of why they were introduced in the first place and why so much time was devoted to them since 2018. Jace Downs, Gene Page, Steve Swisher/AMC / composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider

It was always a belief that the end of "TWD" was going to set up the long-fabled Rick Grimes movie. Now, that it's becoming a show  one of three upcoming shows centered around "TWD" characters  "The Walking Dead" has to set up these series somehow, right?

Bringing in the CRM, would be a clever and easy way to wrap up some loose ends while setting up the future of "TWD" universe.

How?

I've long postulated that it would be awesome to see some sort of war break out between the Commonwealth and CRM before "TWD" ends. Otherwise, why dress the Civic Republic Military and Commonwealth armies in opposite colors?

I'd watch a war between their two armies. Steve Swisher, Josh Stringer/AMC

I'm partially hoping the CRM comes in guns blazing on the final two episodes of "TWD" and takes over the Commonwealth after someone hears a commotion from the recent outburst that resulted in Sebastian's death. How amazing would it be if Daryl and the Commonwealth were so caught up in their own squabble only for the CRM to blindside them both and turn everything topsy-turvey?

Maybe the CRM come in and kidnap a bunch of people, including Maggie's son, Hershel, and Negan's wife, Annie, setting up their spin-off, "TWD: Dead City," premiering next spring. Maybe this is how Daryl mysteriously gets to his spin-off that will send him to France. Maybe someone smart knows they need to get Daryl out of the way.

Everyone keeps wondering how Daryl is going to wind up in France. Personally, I think the CRM should send him on his way. Jace Downs/AMC

Honestly, it's beyond me how AMC has three main "TWD" shows (don't forget "Fear: TWD") and there haven't been crossovers to the main show in years. If there isn't a CRM connection to "The Walking Dead" by the show's end, it will have made "World Beyond" and the many nuggets about that group over the years on "Fear" look pointless. "World Beyond" star Nico Tortorella previously teased to Insider that the show was meant to lead into Rick's "TWD" movie.

What better way to tie the shows together and help tease Rick's return in an eventual spin-off by bringing everything back into the fold?

Do you want to see the CRM make an appearance on "TWD" before it ends? Do you have a prediction for how the show will end? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @KirstenAcuna or email me at kacuna@insider.com.

You can follow along with our "TWD" coverage here.

Read the original article on Insider
"The Walking Dead" made a huge change from the comics at the end of Sunday's episode when Sebastian Milton (Teo Rapp-Olsson) was shockingly killed. Jace Downs/AMC

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for season 11, episode 18 of "The Walking Dead," "A New Deal."

"TWD" deviated from its source material by killing off Sebastian, who survives the comic.

It's a satisfying moment for comic fans who were upset when Sebastian murdered Rick Grimes.

"The Walking Dead" continues to make big changes from its source material. Instead of allowing Sebastian Milton to survive the series as he does in the comic, Sunday's episode of the apocalyptic thriller surprisingly killed off the TV version of Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olsson).

On season 11, episode 18, the Commonwealth turned on Sebastian after a recording revealed just how little he cared for the community he's supposed to lead one day. As the people started to turn on Sebastian, and his mother, the leader of the Commonwealth, a group of the dead entered the community.

During the chaos, Sebastian slyly thought he could get revenge on Max (Margot Bingham) by slinging one of the undead onto her. Unlucky for him, her boyfriend Eugene (Josh McDermitt) came to her rescue and shoved the zombie onto Sebastian, sending him to the ground in terror.

Sebastian's plan backfired on Sunday's "TWD," resulting in his death. Jace Downs/AMC

As Sebastian wrestled with the walker, bystanders ignored his cries for help. Instead, onlookers watched as the zombie got the better of Governor Milton's spoiled son, biting him in the neck and terrorizing him until Judith shot the walker dead.

Sebastian's death on the show not only delivered a satisfying payoff for show viewers, but also helped course-correct a controversial moment for comic readers.

What happens in the comic: Sebastian kills Rick Grimes

Sebastian's death is especially surprising because he gets a very important role in the comics. Not only does he survive the series' run, but he also shockingly kills its protagonist, Rick Grimes, in a controversial moment.

At the end of 2019's issue No. 191, Sebastian barges into Rick's bedroom and shoots him as he sits in bed defenseless, trying  and failing  to talk Sebastian out of shooting him.

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Sebastian barges in on Rick at the end of "TWD" issue No. 191. Image Comics/Skybound

In the comics, Sebastian's upset that Rick has become so popular in the Commonwealth community that he may take his family out of power. Out of fear, Sebastian thinks the only way to prevent that from happening is to kill Rick. The gun fires, shooting Rick in the chest. Rick asks him what he's done and the issue ends.

In the following issue, Sebastian, seemingly in a panic, shoots Rick dead a few more times and then leaves, letting him bleed out on his bed. Rick barely got in any words with Sebastian.

The death came as a huge shock to comic-book readers. No one expected Rick to be murdered in his bed one night after everything he survived. After killing Rick, the bigger surprise was that Kirkman abruptly ended the entire comic two months later with issue No. 193.

Kirkman later said he wanted to end the comic as if it was one of the series' many unexpected and shocking deaths. At the time, no one saw it coming because Kirkman's "TWD" collaborator and artist Charlie Adlard produced three fake covers promoting the continuation of the comic for months to come.

A large improvement from the comic

TWD 1118 Sebastian death

Sunday's "TWD" gives comic fans a satisfying moment if they were dismayed with 2019's comic ending.Jace Downs/AMC

Though "TWD" comic creator Robert Kirkman said he had been working toward Rick's death for years, the way in which it was executed felt random, lazy, and an incredibly disrespectful way to kill the series' protagonist.

Shot at close range by a cowardly, spoiled child?

That didn't sound like a death befitting of Rick Grimes, who, in the comics, was a man who survived having his arm cut off and separate wars with Negan and the Whisperers. Rick's death always felt lame and unearned, a sentiment that "TWD" star Ross Marquand, who plays Aaron, shared.

Rick is too stunned to even know what's happening here to him. Give me a break. Image Comics/Skybound

With other series in the works at that point, it felt like Kirkman had moved past or checked out of "TWD" and was more focused on his other comic endeavors and adaptations. Though sad, it was tough to blame him.

In 2017, Kirkman and other "TWD" producers sued AMC over profit shares for the series, claiming they were owed a "significant amount of money" for how popular the show became. Ahead of the lawsuit, Kirkman left AMC Studios and signed a two-year deal with Amazon where he has since released an adaptation of his comic "Invincible," which has included the voices of many "TWD" stars.

The Commonwealth story, the final arc of the "TWD" comic, kicked off at the top of 2018 and has been criticized by fans, including myself, for being boring.

If you were familiar with the legal battle going on behind the scenes between Kirkman and AMC, it felt like the drawn-out proceedings (a judge ruled in favor of the network in 2022) were bleeding into the comic's quality.

At 2022's San Diego Comic-Con, executive producer Greg Nicotero suggested that by the time the comic ended in 2019, they weren't in constant communication with Kirkman anymore. Nicotero told Insider during SDCC's press conference that they were all caught off-guard by the comic's abrupt ending.

"We didn't even know the comic was ending," Nicotero told Insider in response to a question about the show ending. "I think we were on set one day going, 'Oh, it's done. That's how they ended it.'"

During the same conference, "TWD" chief content officer Scott M. Gimple said they were going off of the assumption that the show was going to continue for a while. It's possible that those working on the show thought that they'd have material to adapt for years to come before the comic came to a close in three issues with Rick's death. After all, seasons 12 and beyond of the show were being discussed before AMC decided to end "TWD" in 2020 with the current 11th season.

The show has made many deviations from the comic over the years. The Sebastian one is one of the best.

Not only does Sebastian's show death provide a cathartic release for comic fans who may have been frustrated with Rick's abrupt comic death, but the show also treats Sebastian as more than a one-dimensional menace.

Unlike the comics, the show provides more depth as to why Sebastian comes off as such an abrasive, spoiled brat.

The show version of Sebastian gets more layers to explain why he's such a jerk. AMC, composite by Kirsten Acuna/Insider

In separate interviews with Insider, both Laila Robins and Teo Rapp-Olsson, who play mother and son Pamela and Sebastian Milton, told us they came up with additional backstory for their characters to get to the heart of why Sebastian is so pretentious and unlikeable.

On the show, Sebastian has an older, perfect brother whose shadow looms large after an untimely death.

"We were trying to figure out why I'm particularly so disappointed in Sebastian and it's partly because I think that we decided  why not have a previous son that was really the golden child who was supposed to sort of carry on the legacy," Robins told Insider of Sebastian's nameless brother who is briefly referenced on season 11, episode 18.

The addition makes you feel an iota of compassion toward Sebastian. His frustration is extremely relatable for anyone who has ever had a parent compare them to their siblings.

Could Rick's death still happen? Maybe.

When Sebastian joined AMC's "TWD," comic fans feared that someone else may receive Rick's comic death. Aaron was a prime candidate.

At this point of the show, Aaron closely resembles comic-book Rick down to his facial hair and missing arm.

Aaron on "TWD" vs comic Rick before he dies. Jace Downs/AMC, Skybound/Image Comics

Even Rapp-Olsson told Insider he imagined his character may kill off Aaron, given their similarities in appearance, or someone else big like Ezekiel (Khary Payton).

Now that Sebastian's gone, it appears a version of Rick's comic death is off the table unless the show decides to make someone else in the Commonwealth the perpetrator of a murder.

Governor Pamela Milton could certainly have an adverse reaction to her son's death and go after Eugene and Max. The teaser for next week's episode makes it look like she wants someone to pay for Sebastian's death and Daryl is seen trying to smuggle Eugene out of the Commonwealth.

Similarly, we've already seen Pamela's right-hand man Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) descend into madness in a way his comic counterpart doesn't. Lance looks like the sort of guy who would easily murder someone defenseless in their own bed.

With only six episodes remaining, we doubt Sebastian's death will be the last. We already rounded up the characters we believed were most likely to get the ax. Sebastian happened to top the list.

You can follow along with our "TWD" coverage here.

Read the original article on Insider
Walmart is laying off over 1,000 workers at an Atlanta fulfillment center, according to a new filing with the Georgia Department of Labor.

In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed last week, the Arkansas-based big-box retailer said it would lay off 1,458 workers by Dec. 2 at the e-commerce fulfillment center located in Fulton Parkway in Atlanta, Georgia.

More from Footwear News

In a statement to Reuters, Walmart spokesperson Scott Pope confirmed that the retailer is converting the fulfillment center on Fulton Parkway to support its WFS (Walmart Fulfillment Services) business. As part of the conversion, the facilitys infrastructure, operational resources, processes, staffing requirements and equipment are being adjusted to meet the buildings needs, Pope said.

When reached for comment, Walmart directed FN to a recent blog post written by Karisa Sprague, SVP of fulfilment center operations for Walmart U.S., describing its plan for the new WFS business at the Atlanta facility. This strategic move allows our third-party sellers to take even more advantage of our world-class supply chain capabilities for delivery to their customers, Sprague wrote. With the Atlanta WFS conversion, associates will be on the leading edge of technology and piloting a facility model that, when successful, will transform how we grow and manage our best in class customer service offerings across multiple platforms.

This new round of layoffs follows the August announcement from the big-box retailer that it would cut hundreds of corporate roles. Jimmy Carter, a Walmart spokesperson, said in a statement at the time that the company was updating its structure and evolving select roles to provide clarity and better position the company for a strong future.

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That same month, Walmart announced it was cancelling orders to help it right-size inventory excesses. In a call with investors announcing results for the second quarter, Walmart CFO John Rainey said the company has canceled billions in orders to deal with inventory pileups that have amassed over the last few quarters.

Overall, Walmart beat expectations for earnings and revenues in Q2, after it slashed its outlook for the quarter. The company reported total revenue of $152.9 billion, up 8.4%, compared to estimates of $150.81 billion. Walmart U.S. comp-store sales were up 6.5% in Q2.

Last week, the retailer acquired Alert Innovation, a robotics company that will help the company automate its order fulfillment process. Walmart said it will use this technology across its 4,700 stores to help fulfill orders more quickly.

The acquisition is in line with Walmarts goals to revamp its supply chain and introduce new high-tech fulfillment centers. In June, Walmart announced that it would build four new fulfillments centers over the next three years, which would each feature high-tech adjustments including robotics and machine learning. Walmart partnered with intelligent fulfillment solutions company Knapp to equip the centers with an automated storage system that streamlines the usually 12-step fulfillment process into just five steps.

The first of these centers opened in Joliet, Ill. last month.

In addition to advancements to its fulfillment centers, Walmart has announced ambitious hiring goals to staff its supply chains. In March, Walmart said it planned to hire more than 50,000 workers to staff its U.S. stores, offices and supply chain facilities in Q1. The company said that the average wage for supply chain associates is $20.37 per hour and its average U.S. hourly wage is $17 an hour.

And in September, Walmart announced a goal to hire 40,000 new associates  both seasonal and full-time  in roles across stores, delivery, customer service and truck driving. In April, Walmart rolled out a truck driver training program and said drivers can now make up to $110,000 in their first year with the company, with the chance to earn even more over time.

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File photo of the Aedes aegypti, the main mosquito species that transmits dengue in Singapore. (Getty Images file photo)

SINGAPORE  Weekly dengue cases have declined by about 70 per cent from its peak in May this year, with 427 reported between 3 and 9 October, 46 cases fewer from the week before.

As of last Friday (7 October), there are 142 dengue clusters reported, six clusters fewer than the 148 clusters reported in the previous week.

Overall, 95 per cent of the dengue clusters reported since the start of this year have been closed, even as some clusters continue to have relatively fast rates of transmission, such as in Clementi West Street 2, Jurong East Street 21, Jurong West Avenue 5 and Rivervale Crescent.

Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment, on Monday thanked the public and community partners for their efforts in managing the outbreak.

He was attending a Project Wolbachia session at Geylang, where male mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria were released to control the population of the dengue-spreading Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Preventive inspections to remove breeding habitats

Singapore experienced early signs of a dengue outbreak in February, with weekly dengue cases rising above 200. In response, NEA has maintained a high tempo of preventive inspections to remove mosquito breeding habitats, and further reduce the risk of dengue transmission.

The Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force conducted about 200,000 inspections, removing approximately 51,000 potential breeding habitats. This is in addition to the 409,000 inspections conducted by NEA islandwide over the same period.

NEA had also brought forward the launch of the National Dengue Prevention Campaign to remind residents and stakeholders to take proactive mosquito prevention measures, to minimise the risk of dengue infection and dengue clusters forming.

To date, over 600 of its SG Clean Ambassadors have been mobilised to educate residents on ways to protect against dengue in close to 170 locations across Singapore.

Continue vigilance even after dengue peak season

Even as Singapore is moving beyond the traditional dengue peak season from June to October, NEA has advised on continued vigilance as weekly dengue cases and the Aedes aegypti mosquito population remain high.

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Dengue transmission are still seen in many areas, including large dengue clusters at Boon Lay Avenue, Aroozoo Avenue/Hougang Avenue 1, Jelapang Road, Bishan Street 11 and Marine Crescent.

NEA urges everyone to maintain good housekeeping and ensure that essential vector control measures are undertaken at all premises, to bring down dengue case numbers further.

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.
We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So, the natural question for Chewy (NYSE:CHWY) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

View our latest analysis for Chewy

Does Chewy Have A Long Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. When Chewy last reported its balance sheet in July 2022, it had zero debt and cash worth US$607m. Importantly, its cash burn was US$114m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from July 2022 it had 5.3 years of cash runway. While this is only one measure of its cash burn situation, it certainly gives us the impression that holders have nothing to worry about. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

Is Chewy's Revenue Growing?

We're hesitant to extrapolate on the recent trend to assess its cash burn, because Chewy actually had positive free cash flow last year, so operating revenue growth is probably our best bet to measure, right now. While it's not that amazing, we still think that the 17% increase in revenue from operations was a positive. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

How Easily Can Chewy Raise Cash?

Notwithstanding Chewy's revenue growth, it is still important to consider how it could raise more money, if it needs to. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

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Since it has a market capitalisation of US$15b, Chewy's US$114m in cash burn equates to about 0.7% of its market value. That means it could easily issue a few shares to fund more growth, and might well be in a position to borrow cheaply.

So, Should We Worry About Chewy's Cash Burn?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Chewy's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. And even though its revenue growth wasn't quite as impressive, it was still a positive. After considering a range of factors in this article, we're pretty relaxed about its cash burn, since the company seems to be in a good position to continue to fund its growth. While it's important to consider hard data like the metrics discussed above, many investors would also be interested to note that Chewy insiders have been trading shares in the company. Click here to find out if they have been buying or selling.

Of course Chewy may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.

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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Supporters of Burkina Faso's new junta leader Ibrahim Traore hold national flags of Burkina Faso and Russia during a demonstration near the national radio and television headquarters (RTB) in Ouagadougou on 6 October 2022

The latest coup in Burkina Faso saw young people waving Russian flags in the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou - something that must have warmed hearts in the Kremlin.

Although fairly small in number, it has prompted speculation that there may have been some Russian involvement in the events that saw Captain Ibrahim Traore seize power in a nation beset by growing jihadist violence.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the founder of the Wagner Group - a shadowy mercenary organisation active in several African countries - congratulated the young junta leader, describing him as "a truly worthy and courageous son of his motherland".

"The people of Burkina Faso were under the yoke of the colonialists, who robbed the people as well as played their vile games, trained, supported gangs of bandits and caused much grief to the local population."

Here he is referring to former colonial power France - and those welcoming the coup in the West African nation not only waved Russian flags but attacked French institutions, including the embassy.

The violence sent shockwaves across the region, once more demonstrating the strength of anti-French resentment in many of France's former colonies in Africa.

For nearly a decade France has been trying to help armies in the Sahel region - a strip of semi-arid land south of the Sahara Desert that includes Burkina Faso - to tackle jihadist militants, some of whom are linked to al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group.

But it has recently withdrawn from neighbouring Mali, also a former colony, following a breakdown in relations with the military junta there, which has been accused of increasingly turning to Russia for aid to fight the militants.

Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, has been more forthright in his observations: "Our people helped the new leader [of Burkina Faso].

"Another African country will move from co-operation with France to an alliance with Russia."

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For geopolitical analyst Dr Samuel Ramani, this marks a departure from Russia's usual responses to political instability in the region.

"In previous coups Russia has tried to position itself as an accidental beneficiary of regime changes," says Dr Ramanai from the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), a defence and security think-tank, and author of Russia in Africa.

"This time around Russia is a lot more proactive in support for the coup, and that has led to speculation that Russia has played a co-ordinating role."

This points to the Wagner Group, though Russia has consistently denied that the mercenaries have any connection to the state and there is no evidence of direct Russian involvement.

Shortly after taking power, Capt Traore made it clear he wanted to work with new international partners to push back Islamist militant groups that have been active in the country since 2015.

Many assumed he meant the Russians.

Private Russian soldiers have been active in the Central African Republic since 2018

But with his focus being on defeating the jihadists, he says he is also open to working with the US or any other country willing to help improve security in the country.

The US organises a big annual counter-terrorism training exercise for countries in West Africa - though this year both Mali and Burkina Faso were absent from Operation Flintlock.

"I think that Burkina Faso wants to avoid the trap that Mali got into," says Dr Ramani, noting that Mali's junta was very hostile towards the Europeans and the Americans since they took power in 2020.

"They're now completely dependent and captured by the Russian state," he says.

"Once the Russians come into these theatres they can't get them out. The same thing happened in the Central African Republic (CAR)."

The Wagner Group has been active in the CAR since 2018 and its operatives have been accused of human rights violations, including mass killings, torture, enforced disappearances and rape.

Holding groups like Wagner accountable can be difficult, says Dr Sorcha MacLeod, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen and chair of the UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries.

"When you've got these mercenary proxies there, then the state can be involved in an armed conflict, without being an official party to the conflict.

"And then you've got plausible deniability and of course that has huge implications when it comes to responsibility and accountability."

On top of that their very presence can prove counter-productive, she says.

"When these kinds of actors are inserted into armed conflicts, the conflict is prolonged and there is a greater risk of war crimes.

"The reality is these organisations have no incentive in bringing a conflict to an end. They are financially motivated."

"Wagner exploits client states who pay for their heavy-handed security services in gold, diamonds, timber... this is part of Wagner Group's business model"", Source: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Source description: US ambassador to the UN, Image: Linda Thomas-Greenfield

The US agrees, saying the Russian mercenaries are exploiting natural resources in the CAR, Mali and Sudan to fund Moscow's war in Ukraine.

In a starkly worded warning last week, the US ambassador to the UN said it was a heavy price for Africa to pay.

"Rather than being a transparent partner and improving security, Wagner exploits client states who pay for their heavy-handed security services in gold, diamonds, timber, and other natural resources - this is part of Wagner Group's business model," Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council briefing.

"We know these ill-gotten gains are used to fund Moscow's war machine in Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine."

This may all explain Capt Traore's reluctance to put all of his eggs into Russia's basket.

"I think that Traore is trying to hedge his bets and show that he can try to balance all sides," says Dr Ramani.

"But of course any co-operation with Russia will almost certainly be a death knell for France and for the West. The Americans and the French won't co-exist with the Russians.

"That's the dilemma for Traore - does he side all the way with Russia? Or does he hedge, and risk having no real external backer."

Yet the anger demonstrated by young Burnikabes shows that dealing with the jihadist threat must be the new junta leader's priority.

One regional leader observed this week that Burkina Faso had been "on the brink of collapse" because of the insecurity.

Nonetheless there are questions about how effective Wagner fighters would be in Burkina Faso.

Islamic State and al-Qaeda's JNIM compete for power in the Sahel

Although operatives from the group have been active in Mali for less than a year, early signs are not looking good as jihadist attacks are increasing and they have been accused of human rights abuses.

The country is regaining its place as the epicentre of the Sahel crisis, recording the highest number of fatalities from militant attacks so far in 2022.

Furthermore, 2022 is set to be the deadliest year for both Burkina Faso and Mali since the insurgency began.

"Wagner is good at creating chaos. But as a fighting force it struggles, particularly in new and hostile terrain," says Dr Ramani.

Still he believes that juntas in the Sahel region may choose to work with Russian mercenaries given France's failure to stop the spread of the violence.

Plus Russia is a much less demanding foreign ally.

"Russia is seen as a partner that doesn't meddle in terms of human rights and democracy," says Dr Ramani.

"Nor does it try to impose its way of life on you - and that's seen as very desirable for would-be autocrats and kleptocrats."

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Food service employees at the autonomous driving company Waymo are forming a union, the latest push by support workers to organize at Silicon Valley's most prominent companies.

The cafeteria workers at the Mountain View-based company cite the high cost of living in the Bay Area and the lack of strong benefits while working for one of the world's most valuable companies. Waymo is owned by Google parent company, Alphabet.

The workers are employed by Sodexo, which contracts service work for Google and other companies. Organizers say they have a majority of union cards signed from the roughly two dozen-person bargaining unit.

"We want a voice at the table to have a part in saying how things should work," said Fernanda Martir, 28, a single mother who works in the kitchen and also as a barista at the company. "We want better treatment and benefits."

Martir currently lives in a mobile home with her mother and her son. She said she struggles to cover her family's expenses: car and phone payments, her son's day care and rent.

She would like to one day afford her own place. Her interest in unions was lit by Hasan Piker, a leftist Twitch streamer and political commentator who has a large following on sites like YouTube and Twitter.

Workers say the $24 an hour they make from the company is not enough to live adequately in the Bay Area. They also cite the prohibitive cost of the company's health plan, which has a $5,000 deductible. The living wage in the San Jose-Sunnyvale area is $27.74 for a single adult, and $52.74 for a single adult with a child, according to MIT's living wage calculator.

"Were all motivated, and we all like to work," said Cristalyn Barragan, 26, another worker at the facility. "We've just got to push our family through."

Cristalyn Barragan smiles on the picket line. (Unite Here)

Sodexo, a publicly traded multinational based in France, said its representatives are in "conversations with the union and are on the verge of what we believe will be a path forward."

"Sodexo respects the rights of our employees to unionize or not to unionize, proven by the hundreds of [Collective bargaining agreement's] we have in good standing with unions across the country," the company said in a statement. "We are confident this one will also reach an amicable agreement for workers, the union, and our client very soon."

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The company declined to state definitively whether it would voluntarily recognize the union.

If it does not do so voluntarily, workers will file for an NLRB election.

The workers are part of Silicon Valley's ranks of contractors who support and supplement the work at tech companies. Union campaigns have coursed through the industry as tech company profits  and the cost of living in the Bay Area  have escalated steeply in recent years.

At Google, more than 4,000 of these workers have joined unions since 2018, including 2,300 cafeteria workers at its headquarters and satellite offices in the Bay Area in 2019, according to Unite Here. Others work at dozens of other Google offices around the country.

"[Workers] see all the money around tech," said D. Taylor, the president of Unite Here. "And that's great. But they want to have a piece of the American dream."

Waymo said other vendors it worked with were unionized but declined to provide specifics or comment on the Sodexo campaign.

Weve been pleased with the quality of service that they provide at our locations in California," spokeswoman Katherine Barna said in a statement. "We respect the right of all to organize as they deem fit.

Elsewhere, contract service workers at companies like Facebook, Apple and Yahoo have won prominent union campaigns in recent years.

These union campaigns have also helped inform a growing activist base within tech companies themselves, as white-collar tech workers have increasingly demanded more say in their workplaces, including at Google, where the Alphabet Workers Union formed in 2021 as an outlet for employees.

Nationally, organizing activity has spiked in the last year, with union representation petitions up 53% between October 2021 and October 2022, according to federal statistics from the National Labor Relations Board.

Jocelyn Arevalos, 33, who works in food service at Google, showed up to support a couple of Sodexo workers who were protesting outside of Waymo on Friday. Her team unionized in 2020, and some of them have been joining meetings with the Waymo workers to show them the ropes of organizing and talk up the union.

Arevalos said her pay went up $6 an hour after the union negotiated its first contract with the contractor, Compass, allowing her to quit a second job. She and her co-workers also won better health care coverage that allowed them to add their families to their plans for free, and other benefits like additional sick time and paid time off.

"We got more pay, and got our voices back," she said.

Compass and Google did not respond to immediate requests for comment.

Martir, speaking to a NBC News reporter outside of Waymo's headquarters, said she has come to see unions as a potential answer to the disparities in the country. She nodded in the direction of her car, a small SUV, saying she had bought it with the thought that if she ever got evicted, it would be big enough for her to live out of temporarily.

We look at people like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, theres just a gross accumulation of wealth, Martir said. We only get those because other people are exploited. And Im one of those people.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Army will build larger formations outfitted with high-tech capabilities geared toward near-peer adversaries, Secretary Christine Wormuth told an audience Oct. 10 at the Association of the U.S. Army annual conference in Washington, D.C.

After two decades of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, focused on brigade and below operations, the Army is shifting its organizational focus to larger formations more capable of integrating with our sister services and our allies and partners around the globe, Wormuth said.

The Army has learned through extensive study and analysis of recent conflicts, exercises, simulations and training, she said, that brigade commanders give their attention to the close fight. To facilitate that, division and corps commanders will have the responsibility and the capability to visualize the larger picture, Wormuth said.

The service will build up personnel, organizations and equipment within theater armies, corps and divisions needed to disrupt and defeat peer adversaries on the future battlefield, she added.

These force structure redesigns go well beyond building [security force assistance brigades] and the additional multidomain task forces, she explained.

The Army created those brigades in 2017 to deploy around the globe for training, advising and assisting foreign militaries. There are six of them: Five are in an active duty status and assigned to each combatant command; the sixth is a National Guard unit.

The Multi-Domain Task Force originally began as an experimental unit deployed to Indo-Pacific Command to test out the multidomain operations warfighting concept as the Army worked to transform it into doctrine. The service is debuting that doctrine at AUSA.

Now, the service plans to stand up five MDTFs. It has one in the Indo-Pacific Commands area of responsibility and another in the European theater; it activated a third in the Pacific last month.

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The task forces combine precision effects and fires across domains to disrupt or destroy adversaries networks and weapon systems in a bid to deny access.

By consolidating fires, engineer and military intelligence at the division level, we will maximize the divisions ability to shape the fight and enable brigades to close with and defeat peer enemy threats, Wormuth said.

At the corps level, we will provide the additional personnel and organizations necessary to fully converge effects across all domains, she added. Our corps will be capable of commanding and controlling joint and multinational formations.

And critical to enabling these organizations, the Army will use advances in commercial data analytics to improve the speed and accuracy of our leader decision-making, Wormuth said.

The Army is unveiling at AUSA a digital transformation strategy that, in part, seeks to ensure troops have the right data at the right time to quickly make decisions.

The secretary said these new larger formations are important to the Army of 2030, which is geared at being able to defeat advanced adversaries, like Russia and China, and fighting across all domains including space and cyberspace.

The Army is driving to field 35 signature systems across six priority areas by 2030; it wants to deliver 24 of those systems into soldiers hands by the end of fiscal 2023.

The services efforts are taking place amid the backdrop of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Army has been central to helping Ukraine and reassuring NATO allies since the beginning of the war, Wormuth said.

Im confident the Army is on the right track to realize our vision for the Army of 2030, and enable our soldiers, families and civilians to excel and thrive, she said.
Twitter has restricted the account belonging to Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, for violating the social media platforms policies, multiple outlets reported Sunday.

The rapper and fashion designer had returned to the social media platform on Saturday, after his Instagram account was restricted, following a two-year lapse from Twitter.

Twitter confirmed the decision, according to outlets including Bloomberg and The New York Times, apparently in response to now-deleted anti-semitic tweets.

Going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE, Ye reportedly wrote in one of the tweets, according to CNN.

You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda, he added.

Twitter did not immediately respond to The Hills requests for comment.

Yes locked Twitter account comes days after his Instagram account was restricted, also for violating the companys policies, a Meta spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.

Its unclear how long Yes restrictions on the social media platforms will last.

Several human rights organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, condemned Yes tweets.

Power. Disloyalty. Greed. Deicide. Blood. Denial. Anti-Zionism. All of these are antisemitic tropes that we break down in our #AntisemitismUncovered Guide, the organization wrote in a Sunday statement shared with Variety.

They added, Many of these myths have influenced [Kanye Wests] comments recently, and its dangerous.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Lucy Craymer

PALMERSTON NORTH, New Zealand (Reuters) -More than a dozen calves wait at a research farm in New Zealand to be fed Kowbucha, a punnily named probiotic that studies show reduces burps -- or methane emissions.

The Kowbucha powder is blended into a milk-like drink fed to the calves at the Massey University farm in Palmerston North.

The regular feeds are part of a series of trials being carried out by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra since 2021 to gauge how effective the probiotic is in reducing methane emissions. New Zealand has pledged to cut biogenic methane emissions by 10% on 2017 levels by 2030 and by up to 47% by 2050.

The "true eureka moment" came when early trials suggested that calves emit up to 20% less methane when they receive the probiotic supplement, said Shalome Bassett, principal scientist at Fonterra Research and Development Centre.

"Probiotics are great because they're a really natural solution," Bassett told Reuters. "Whatever we do, it has to be something that's easy for the farmer to use, has to be cost effective, and we have to ensure that it's good for the cow and doesn't have any effect on the milk."

Ongoing trials have shown similar, promising results, she said. If that continues, Fonterra hopes to have Kowbucha sachets in stores by the end of 2024, Bassett said, before farmers have to start paying for animal burps.

Fonterra said it did not yet have any pricing information for the sachets.

Some feed additives available abroad have proved to be more efficient. Royal DSM's Bovaer feed additive can reduce methane emissions by 30% in dairy cows and by more in beef cattle.

Fonterra said Kowbucha likely provides an easier solution generally as farmers only have to feed it to calves when they are being reared, given it is expected to have a lasting impact.

BURP PRICING

New Zealand will in 2025 become the first country to price agricultural emissions, including methane emissions from burping cows and sheep, whose digestive systems produce methane when breaking down vegetation. Agricultural emissions account for around half of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

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Ahead of that, farmers, businesses and scientists are working on ways to cut emissions without reducing herd number, given agricultural products make up more than 75% of the country's goods exports.

As well as the early optimism around Kowbucha, AgResearch scientists said in December they had successfully bred low-methane producing sheep, while a product called EcoPond that almost eradicates methane in farm sewage has been on sale since late 2021.

New Zealand is also considering whether supplements that have had success abroad can be adapted locally. Much of the science overseas focuses on altering barn animals' food and is harder to implement in a country where animals largely live outdoors and eat grass.

"The easiest way to reduce emissions is to reduce production or have less animals basically, so that's a real challenge when we're trying to also produce food and keep our export returns at the level that we want them," said ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby.

Ahead of 2025, the government has released a proposal where biogenic methane and long-lived gases will be priced separately but those prices will be set by the government.

While pricing farm emissions is not universally popular, many believe it is the push farmers need to reduce them.

Mike Manning, general manager of innovation and strategy at agricultural cooperative Ravensdown, said farmers have been slow to adopt its EcoPond technology without financial incentives.

The system cuts up to 99% of the methane emitted from the manure-sludge left behind in a dairy shed after milking.

"People go 'well, I might wait until I have a price of methane then I have a financial driver'," Manning added.

RESEARCH

New Zealand's government said in May it would spend NZ$380 million ($213.22 million) on research over four years to counter agricultural emissions.

The cash injection may accelerate research and get some emerging technologies into the hands of farmers and growers "much earlier" said Sinead Leahy, principal science advisor at government-funded Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre.

A lot of research is already under way.

After discovering that some sheep naturally produce less methane than others, AgResearch headquartered in Hamilton bred sheep with this inheritable trait with one another and found that the lowest emitting sheep produced close to 13% less methane than the highest emitters.

If such breeding were to be carried out on a national level, it could reduce New Zealand's methane emissions by up to 1%, said AgResearch.

The dairy industry is now looking at how to apply that research to cows, Leahy said.

For Fonterra, research also remains key as it aims to cap farm emissions at 2015 levels. In addition to Kowbucha, it is also trialling other feed additives and seaweed.

"It's definitely important for us to be leading in this space. Our farmers need a solution and New Zealand needs a solution," said Bassett.

($1 = 1.7822 New Zealand dollars)

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
The art of American contemporary artist Gary Baseman returned to China during the National Day holiday with the exhibition "Nine Lives," featuring his longtime companion and creative collaborator Blackie the Cat.

The exhibition kicked off on Oct. 1 and will run until Nov. 27 at the Wrong Gallery in Beijings 798 Art District. With dozens of original drawings and paintings, newly presented videos and large-scale installations, it offers a peek into the world of the famous black cat that inspired not only Baseman, but also his fans and admirers.

"Nine lives" refers to the idea that cats can make lucky escapes from dangerous situations. Blackie started out life as a stray before finding a permanent home with Baseman in 2006, according to the exhibitions introduction.

For years until his passing in 2020, Blackie offered inspiration and moral support to Baseman as he completed numerous projects in fine art, illustration, performance art, fashion, toy design and film.

Baseman once said: "I've never been closer to another living soul than Blackie the Cat. His magical brilliance transformed me. He taught me how to be a better human."

The artist personally designed and curated the exhibition, offering an emotional journey that celebrates the beauty of the bittersweetness of life.

Known for creating works that explore the human condition, the multifaceted artist, illustrator, designer, and writer of the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning TV series "Teacher's Pet," bridges the worlds of popular culture and fine art to honor the life and lessons learned from Blackie the Cat.
(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday he spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden about air defences after a series of Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

"Had a productive conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "The main topic of discussion was air defence. Currently, this is the number 1 priority in our defence cooperation."

(Reporting by Ronald Popeski; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
IRYNA BALACHUK  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 12:02

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that he asked the Chancellor of Germany, which currently chairs the G7, to urgently convene a meeting of the group due to Russia's massive missile strikes on Ukraine on 10 October.

Source: Zelenskyy on Twitter

Quote from the president: "We have agreed with Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, which chairs the G7, to convene an urgent meeting of the group. My speech is planned, in which I will talk about the terrorist attacks of the Russian Federation."

Details: Zelenskyy added that he has also discussed with Scholz increasing pressure on Russia and helping to restore damaged infrastructure.

Background:

Several explosions rang out in the centre of Kyiv on the morning of 10 October, causing injuries and fatalities. Metro traffic on the red line has been suspended.

Explosions also ring out in several other Ukrainian cities: Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Lviv.

An air-raid siren has been on throughout Ukraine since the morning of 10 October. The Russians have already struck a number of cities in a number of oblasts.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that so far, on 10 October, the Russian aggressor has launched 75 missiles on Ukraine within a few hours, 41 of which were shot down by air defence.

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UKRAINSKA PRAVDA  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 22:19

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a "productive conversation" with US President Joe Biden. The two presidents discussed, among other things, air defence systems that the US is expected to provide for Ukraine.

Source: President Zelenskyy on Twitter

Quote from Zelenskyy: "A productive conversation with [the US President Joe Biden]. Air defence is currently the number one priority in our defence partnership. We also need US leadership on [ensuring] G7s tough position and supporting our resolution at the UN General Assembly."

Previously: Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines Foreign Minister, had a call with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Kuleba said that they discussed coordinating their countries efforts on organising a decisive response to Russias actions at the UN General Assembly.

Kuleba also spoke with the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs and called on her to ensure that Ukraines allies coordinate their efforts in order to speed up the delivery of air defence systems and missile defence systems to Ukraine.



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Presidents office urged Ukrainians to limit electricity consumption from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 10.

Read also: Several cultural sites, playground destroyed in Russian missile attack on Kyiv

According to the official, this is necessary for to lower the load on Ukrainian power grids, which were damaged by Russian missile attacks earlier in that morning.

Read also: Lviv suffers partial blackout and lack of hot water after Russian missile attack

There is a request for the entire population, he said on Ukrainian national television.

Today is such a hard day for the whole country. We need to work together on our country. We have the maximum load on the power system from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Today, its important, you should turn off the electricity during this period of time, not to use electrical appliances so that the whole country could survive this hard day.

Read also: Internet traffic in Ukraine drops to 83% of normal level amid mass missile strikes

Russia launched a series of missile strikes across Ukraine early on Oct. 10, which led to casualties and injured civilians, as well as the destruction of important critical infrastructure objects.

The Russians hit energy facilities in the cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipro and Vinnytsia, as well as Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Kirovohrad oblasts.

Read also: Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills at least 8, injures 24

Ukrainian national power company Ukrenergo has started to use backup power mechanisms to restore power in a number of oblasts, as well as working on repairing damage caused by the mass Russian missile strikes.

The company also warned about power outages in cities and towns.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO  SUNDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2022, 22:27

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that Russias relentless attacks on civilians in Ukraine signals its refusal to take part in negotiations. He has added that the only negotiations that could draw peace nearer are negotiations about increasing support for Ukraine.

Source: President Zelenskyys video address

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Today I want to address those in the world who give in to Russian manipulations [concerning] the alleged negotiations. [Those who believe Russias claim that] only negotiations can end this brutal Russian terrorist war. Does the terrorist state want peace? Obviously not. It proves that every day and every night."

"[...] the constant terror against the civilian population is an obvious Russian refusal to engage in real negotiations."

Details: President Zelenskyy also mentioned Russias attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities, including the most recent missile strike on Zaporizhzhia.

"When someone wants to negotiate, [they do] not [act like this]. And when someone is a terrorist, thats exactly [how they act].

Do negotiations really help overcome terror? Now everyone has to answer this question honestly. Terrorists are [to be] neutralised," he said.

Zelenskyy called on the world to recognise Russia a terrorist state, to limit all economic relations with any Russian subjects, and to condemn Russias each escalatory step on all levels.

"And Ukraine needs [committed] and sufficient aid. Aid to our people who are targeted by the terrorist state. It is necessary to accelerate the provision of a sufficient number of effective air defence systems to Ukraine. The negotiations on the provision of such air defence systems, the negotiations on increasing other [means of] defence, [on increasing] political and financial support for Ukraine, are the only possible negotiation[s] that can really bring peace closer," the President stressed.

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Previously: On 9 October, Vasile Dincu, Minister of National Defence of Romania, said that negotiations with Russia are the only path to peace in the Russian-Ukrainian war. He believes that "world countries, NATO, and the US" have to hold talks about security guarantees for Ukraine and about a peace deal with Russia because "Ukraines politicians currently cannot afford to allow an unfair loss of territory."

Davyd Arakhamia, Head of the Sluha Narodu (Servant of the People, President Zelenskyys political party) and former head of Ukraines negotiating group in the negotiations with Russia, said that the only negotiations Ukraine is prepared to hold with Western countries are negotiations on joining NATO as soon as possible.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraines Security Service of blowing up the Crimean Bridge. He called the explosion a "terrorist attack" that aimed to destroy Russias critical civilian infrastructure. Mykhailo Podoliak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that Putins statement was cynical even by Russias standards.

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Claiming her fiance deceived her into giving him a large amount of cash, Japanese woman Yumiko Sakagami sought justice on Turkish TV.

Sakagami appeared on the show of popular host Muge Anl, who is known for her exposes on defrauded spouses and locating missing persons through her show on broadcaster ATV.

Sakagami met M.A.T., a Turkish man hailing from the southern province of Gaziantep, when the latter was working in Japan. When the couple decided to get married, she traveled to Turkiye and they got engaged in 2019.

Speaking to Anl during a live broadcast through an interpreter on Monday, Sakagami said M.A.T. repeatedly borrowed money from her. She said overall, her fiance borrowed about $31,486 (TL 585,000). She claimed that her fiance disappeared after a while without repaying his debts. She also claimed that she later found out that M.A.T. was actually engaged to a woman who he introduced to her as his cousin. ...continue reading
AURORA  Aurora Cooperative and KAAPA Ethanol Holdings have agreed to a joint venture with the aim of increasing production and efficiency at ethanol facilities in Hamilton County.

The two farmer-owned companies made the announcement in a news release. Aurora Coop operates ethanol facilities west of Aurora.

"Aurora Cooperative believes this partnership will allow us to make the investments needed in order for these assets to remain a value-added destination market for our farmer-owners in the future," said Chris Decker, Aurora Coops chief executive officer.

Aurora Cooperative is a strong promotor of E-15 and higher ethanol blend fuels, said KAAPA Board Chair Paul Kenney of Amherst. KAAPA Ethanol Holdings operates plants in Minden and Ravenna.
The Special Olympics recently named LeMay Elementary School a Unified Champion School, one of 12 elementary schools in Nebraska to be chosen.

The school held a pep rally Wednesday, Oct. 5, to celebrate the big news. The Bellevue West dance team and color guard performed, and Greg Harris, a Special Olympics Nebraska board member, spoke at the event.

Harris praised the school for their integration of children with disabilities into activities with traditional children.

The Unified Champion banner that youre receiving today is a really big deal, Harris told students. What that means is that this school is really good at helping students of all different abilities get together, compete together, play together and do activities to build friendships.

Resource teacher Kayla Kill, who worked on this project, said the school did multiple mini activities throughout the year, like reading books about being and holding discussions on being different.

Some larger efforts were also made, like disability awareness week held in the spring, Unified Bowling and Unified LeMay Day, said Jessica Schram, a speech pathologist who also worked on this project.

Implemented last year, Unified LeMay Day allows elementary students to cycle through Special Olympics fitness stations  including obstacle courses and jumping, throwing, kicking games  with the help of Bellevue East and West student athletes. The activities are intended to support inclusion of all students.

This years Unified LeMay Day was held Thursday, Oct. 6, in the schools parking lot and playground.

All of these initiatives made the school eligible to receive the Unified Champion School Banner from the Special Olympics. They applied last spring and were selected this fall. It is the only school in Bellevue with this distinction.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Candidates, elected officials and local leaders encouraged Iowa Democrats on Saturday to be proactive in their support for the party in the 30 days leading to the Nov. 8 election.

We have a lot of races we want to win in the state this year, State Auditor Rob Sand said Saturday at the eighth annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed, held at the NewBo City Market, to a crowd of about 60.

We have to do that work now.  If we let up, if we relax, we will never know if one of these races ends up being decided by six votes, said Sand, referring to the U.S. House race that Democratic former state Sen. Rita Hart lost to Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks by six votes in 2020. We will never know if it would have been one more shift of door knocking that made the difference; one more afternoon of sitting down and writing postcards.

Democratic state Sen. Liz Mathis told the crowd her opponent tells us one thing here and goes to Washington and votes another way  we can change that.

Mathis is running for Iowas 2nd Congressional District, which includes 22 northeastern counties, against incumbent Republican Ashley Hinson. Democrats are leading Republicans in voter registration in the district as of Oct. 1, according to Mathis, but its a narrow margin.

Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Eric Van Lancker, who was born and raised in southwest Cedar Rapids, said Iowas public school system was No. 1 in the nation when he graduated from Prairie High School.

Weve gone from No. 1 to middle of the pack, he said. Theres one sign of that stopping when we elect Deidre DeJear the next governor of the state of Iowa.

DeJears education plan includes an immediate influx of funding in to Iowas public school systems, Van Lancker said. DeJear will not accept a budget that does not have at least 4 percent state aid growth, he said.

DeJears plan calls for student loan forgiveness for teachers who have been teaching in Iowa public schools for five years, investing in early childhood education, putting a mental health professional in every public school building and teaching the trades in Iowa high schools, Van Lancker said.

Kayleen Reeve, of Iowa City, said she keeps hearing DeJear doesnt have a chance of unseating Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds. She responds by telling people to stop saying that, she said.

We have to get Reynolds out of office, Reeve said. Shes ruining our public schools.

Reynolds is forcing teachers to leave the profession by underfunding education and encouraging the challenging of books some consider too graphic in schools instead of supporting a freedom of expression, Reeve said.

Reeve is frustrated with Reynolds joining a federal lawsuit to challenge President Joe Bidens COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors. She also is frustrated with Reynolds allocating millions in federal pandemic relief under Bidens American Rescue Plan funding to support production of a limited TV series adaptation of the film Field of Dreams to encourage tourism.

Instead, what would bring increased tourism revenue to the state would be improving Iowas water quality so it is safer for recreational activities, Reeve said. Public officials warn year after year against swimming at many of Iowas public beaches due to poor water quality.

John Norwood, the Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, who spoke at the Corn Feed, said our rotten water quality here is one example of why Iowans need to care about the state position hes running for.

His platform  Iowa Built to Last  advocates making the state, which already is one of the most important growing regions, the food capital of the world, Norwood said.

Iowa needs to build resiliency for climate change and intensifying weather and find ways to make agriculture a more accessible profession, Norwood said.

If we just grow corn and beans, were not going to have healthy soils, people or communities, and you see that reflected in the population decline, Norwood said.

Jim Williams, of Cedar Rapids, is betting Mike Franken will win by 10 points. Franken, a retired Navy admiral, is running against Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

A lifelong Democrat, Williams said that if Franken wins, the party will be resurrected in Iowa where it currently has no leadership. Williams said he had supported Grassley for years, but in the last 10 years, hes done nothing for Iowa.

Christine Lehman-Engledown, of Swisher, said the outcome of the upcoming election is really hard to read. Lehman-Engledown, who said she also supported Grassley in the past, said he looked weak in a debate against Franken last week.

Lehman-Engledown also said she is in support of DeJear, who would be a governor that supports public schools and womens right to choose.

Im hearing bad things, but I want to believe people will come to their senses, especially with abortion being on the ballot, Lehman-Engledown said.

Other speakers at the Corn Feed, which was free to attend, were Linn County Auditor Joel Miller, the Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of State; Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst; Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa Chair Dana Larson; abortion rights group NARAL Iowa Director Kate Revaux and Organizer and Reproductive Rights Advocate Mica Doolan.
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Chinese electric car startup Nio has entered another four European countries, including Germany, but executives say they have a long way to go before they can catch up with local rivals although they are optimistic about the future.

The New York-listed carmaker held an event in Berlin on Saturday, announcing that its service is now available in Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden. It entered Norway in 2021 as its first stop in Europe.

Different from the Norwegian market where it sells vehicles, Nio offers a subscription mode in the four countries, citing unattractive tax policies in these markets.

The subscription mode allows customers to rent Nio's three models  two sedans and one SUV  for as short as a month.

In addition to getting the vehicles charged, customers can swap their dead batteries for fully charged ones at Nio's swapping stations.

A station has just opened in Zusmarshausen, on a motorway between Munich and Stuttgart. The plan is to install at least 120 battery swapping stations in Europe by the end of next year, said William Li, founder and CEO of Nio.

The company opened its first European plant to manufacture swapping stations in Hungary last month.

Despite media reports that Nio is launching an offensive to take on behemoths like BMW, Li told journalists on Saturday the carmaker is still like a "pupil" compared with those car giants.

"Europe is the home turf of our respectable rivals, and they have a much deeper understanding of local customers and the car market. So they are definitely the examples we want to learn from," he said.

But Li said that Nio has its advantages as well, including its innovative solutions.

He added that China's competitive edge in the smart electric car industry ranging from supply chains to professionals will prepare Chinese companies to take the lead in the long run.

Li and Qin Lihong, Nio's co-founder and president, drove an EL7 SUV through 10 European cities including Frankfurt and Oslo for 10 days before the Berlin event.

Qin said compared with big cities in China, he saw fewer electric vehicles on the streets of those cities.

"That means we are here before the real advent of the EV boom, so for us Europe is full of opportunities," said Qin, who oversees Nio's business in Europe.

Nio also plans to introduce its volume brand, whose project name is Alps, into Europe as well after it will be unveiled in 2024.

The relationship between Nio and Alps is like that of Audi to Volkswagen or Lexus to Toyota.

"You can tell from the name that we will bring it into Europe," said Li.

He said there was a proposal to call the project Qomolangma but he dismissed the idea because it may sound a little arrogant for a startup project.

But Nio does eye its global opportunities. The carmaker aims to be present in 25 countries and regions by 2025.

"We would like to aspire to have a 25 percent share of the world's premium car market," said Li. "But let's not talk about the deadline. It would be too stressful."
The transition authorities in Guinea have commissioned a cabinet market analysis to launch a new national carrier, 20 years after Air Guinee has gone bankrupt, Africa Guinee reports.

Bernard Goumou, the Prime Minister of the West African country, has instructed the ministers of transport, finance, foreign affairs and budget to analyze the establishment of the national carrier.

It is imperative to provide our country with an airline company, Goumou said during a cabinet meeting held last week.

The move came after the cabinet received a barrage of criticism following a recent trip of the leader of the transition Mamadi Doumbouya to Mali on board the presidential aircraft of the neighbor.

Malian leader Assimi Goita lent his aircraft to Doumbouya to bring him to Mali on September 22.

Air Guinee, founded in 1960, went bankrupt 20 years ago after privatization. Former President Alpha Conde in 2017 instructed the rehabilitation of the airline with joint venture between Guinea-based Business Marketing (GBM) and French aeronautical group Regourd aviation group.
Chinas ambassador to Cote dIvoire has expressed Beijings desire to see the West African country introduce Mandarin in schools as the Asian country seeks to boost ties with Abidjan.

The Embassy will continue to work closely with relevant parties and strengthen communication with the Ivorian government to strive for the inclusion of Chinese language teaching in the national education system of Cote dIvoire, said Wan Li during a scholarship program for 133 laureates for the 2022-2023 academic year.

China is willing to work with Cote dIvoire, within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, to continue to provide more facilities for closer exchanges and deeper mutual inspiration between the youth of the two countries, which will contribute to better and faster development of China-Cote dIvoire relations, the Chinese diplomat added.

Cote DIvoire has currently allowed the teaching of English, German and Spanish in public school from junior secondary school and senior high school.
General Mahamat Idriss Deby vowed Sunday to free all prisoners in a major move that will seal the national dialogue launched August 20 in a bid to reconcile all Chadians.

Whether on peace, social cohesion and national reconciliation, the form of the State, the Constitution, institutional reforms and the electoral process, fundamental rights and freedoms, public policies or societal issues, the discussions were of high quality and these relevant resolutions and recommendations will be binding, Deby said in the closing speech of the dialogue.

Deby indicated he has heeded the request for better governance, justice and equality, as well as a more equitable distribution of national resources which is a requirement of democratic governance.

The leader of the transition also pledged the adoption of a new constitution by referendum and an electoral code, the establishment of a new election management body, the organization of the electoral census, the creation of a new framework for political party consultation and, finally, the organization of presidential, legislative and local elections.

Deby came to power in April last year following the death of his father who ruled the central African country for several decades.

The national dialogue prolonged the transition period towards democratic elections, and decided to keep Deby on as head of state in the interim.
The contribution of African gas, through the Nigeria-Morocco pipeline project, would strengthen Europes energy independence, a necessary precondition for its strategic autonomy, says Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), Jamal Machrouh.

In a policy brief, the academic puts forward six arguments to support the existence and relevance of such an interest, noting, first, that the project would effectively contribute to the diversification of gas resources of European countries and give them more room to maneuver.

The visualization of the map of gas pipelines in Europe shows an excessive concentration of supply sources. [] In total, no less than 50% of the gas consumed in the countries of the European Union (EU) come from a single source of supply. This would naturally constitute a dangerous geopolitical weapon that could be used against Europe, said the specialist in geopolitics and international relations.

He has, in this sense, emphasized the importance for Europe to work for a greater diversification of its gas supplies, noting that African gas resources are important and the potential of on-shore and offshore reserves is promising.

In addition, the assistant professor at the College of Governance, Economic and Social Sciences of the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, and professor of international relations at the National School of Business and Management of Kenitra, stresses that the establishment of the pipeline would participate in the construction of a new generation of measures that would help curb the asymmetrical threats suffered by Europe.

Similarly, the project, adds the expert, will reduce the risk of replacing European dependence on Russian gas by a dependence on unconventional energy sources with dangerous climatic consequences and would also prevent the emergence of a strong European gas dependence on Algeria.

The reorganization of the European energy market should be done on a solid and sustainable basis. Such a reorganization should not reproduce the same patterns of the past that have revealed their failure, said in this sense, Machrouh, adding that the risk of a use of the gas weapon by the Algerian regime should not be ruled out.

He has, in this sense, recalled two decisions taken by Algeria that demonstrate the use by Algiers of gas as a geopolitical weapon, namely the closure of the Maghreb / Europe pipeline in late 2021 and the reduction of gas delivered to Spain in 2022. He also emphasized the insecurity factor that marks the area of passage of the pipeline proposed by Algeria.

As for the last two strategic gains for Europe, Machrouh believes that the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project would give Europe the opportunity to rebalance its strategic movement from an unproductive horizontal scheme to borrow a vertical scheme true multiplier of its power and would boost a positive dynamic to the process of economic integration in the region of West Africa, which would constitute, in turn, a large consumer market useful for European economies.

The pipeline project, launched in 2016 in Abuja, Nigeria, by King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, has entered an advanced phase, with the signing, on September 15, of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria and Morocco.

The project aims to bring gas resources from Nigeria to Morocco through eleven West African countries, and the connection with the Maghreb Europe Pipeline that crosses the Mediterranean with, ultimately, the interconnection with the European energy network. The project will deliver a reliable and stable source of gas that would boost the continents prospects to host business activities and contribute to socio-economic development.

Earlier this year, the project received significant funding from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The investment is meant to fund the projects initial feasibility study also known as Front-End Engineering Design (FEED).

The PCNS is a Moroccan think tank whose mission is to contribute to the improvement of public policies, both economic and social and international, that concern Morocco and Africa, and integral parts of the global South.
The French shipping company CMA CGM announced that it intends to launch a new maritime Shuttle, from November 10, 2022, which will connect Morocco, France and Spain, on a weekly basis.

The French shipping company CMA CGM announced, in a press release, the launch of the new Morocco Shuttle service, departing from the port of Agadir.

This is a new weekly connection, which will make it possible to establish a regular maritime bridge between Agadir and Port-Vendres (France) for the export of fruits and vegetables grown in Morocco. A link that should reduce CO2 emissions by 75% in comparison with the usual delivery by goods transport truck.

According to the French company, the link will be served by two ships, of 1,100 TEU flying the Moroccan flag, equipped with 220 refrigerators powered by electrical outlets, of 45RFH, indicates the press release from CMA CGM.

These two ships will operate a rotation, and will drop anchor in the ports of Agadir, Tanger-Med, Algeciras, Barcelona, Port-Vendres. The transit time from Agadir to Port-Vendres will last 3.5 days, according to the press release.
The Spanish national police announced on Monday the arrest of two Algerian nationals in Mallorca (Balearic Islands), accused of transporting illegal migrants to the Spanish coast. The arrested persons, aged 19 and 27, are suspected of having transported, last Wednesday (October 5), 15 people, including minors, from the Algerian coasts to Spain in inhuman conditions, and of belonging to a criminal network, said the Spanish police in a statement.

The boat used by the members of this criminal network had only one engine and no life jacket. The boat stopped several times due to engine failure at sea () when the boat was adrift, said the statement. The Spanish authorities of the regions of Murcia, Almeria and the Balearic Islands have reinforced, in recent weeks, security measures along the coast to cope with the arrival of boats from Algeria and fight human traffickers.

According to Spanish local authorities, 73% of irregular migrants arriving on the Spanish coast are Algerians, a phenomenon that is increasingly worrying Spanish political and associative circles. Both local authorities and several political parties have expressed their concern about this growing migratory wave
PUTEAUX, France, October 10, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

Laurent Guillot, appointed Chief Executive Officer on 1 July, establishes the new ORPEA (Paris:ORP) Group Executive Committee which will be responsible for the transformation and management of the strategic plan to ensure the successful reconstruction of the Group.

Commenting on the new organisation, Laurent Guillot said:

"My objective for ORPEA was to build a new, streamlined management team with a focus on the companys challenges. These experienced professionals will serve our facilities, countries and regions, achieving the performance required to successfully transform ORPEA. I am counting on the commitment of Pierre Krolak-Salmon and Fanny Barbier to focus on the care pathway for our residents and patients and the quality of support and development for our employees, one of the main drivers of this transformation. The companys financial soundness, its reputation, and a completely revamped real estate strategy are all challenges that will be met by Laurent Lemaire, Frederique Raoult, and Gery Robert-Ambroix.

This Executive Committee is made up of:

The Executive Management Committee:

- Laurent Guillot, Chief Executive Officer,

- Pierre Krolak-Salmon, Executive Vice President, Medical Director,

- Fanny Barbier, Executive Vice President, Human Resources,

- Laurent Lemaire, Executive Vice President, Finance, IT and Purchasing,

- Frederique Raoult, Executive Vice President, Communications,

- Gery Robert-Ambroix, Executive Vice President, Real Estate.

And Chief Executive Officers for countries and regions:

- Erik Hamann (Germany),

- Anton Kellner (Central and Eastern Europe),

- Thibault Sartini (New Countries),

- Geert Uytterschaut (Northern Europe),

- Yen Wang (Latin America),

- Asuncion Zaragoza (Iberian Peninsula),

- Laurent Guillot is acting CEO for France.

Missions and biographies of the new Executive Committee members:

Chief Executive Officer, Laurent Guillot, began his career in civil service as technical advisor to Frances Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Housing. In 2002, Laurent joined Saint-Gobain. He managed various activities both in France and abroad until 2009. Laurent was then appointed Group Chief Financial Officer before becoming Chief Operating Officer. In 2016, he was nominated Chief Executive Officer, High-Performance Materials. Laurent Guillot is an Independent Director and Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee at Safran.

Story continues

Laurent Guillot is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole des Ponts ParisTech engineering school, and holds a postgraduate degree in macroeconomics from Universite Paris I (Pantheon Sorbonne).

The Legal, Strategy, Internal Audit and Control, Risk management and Compliance, Quality and CSR Departments will report to Laurent.

He is acting CEO for France.

Professor Pierre Krolak-Salmon, Executive Vice President, Group Medical Director, will be tasked with supporting the Group in setting the strategic priorities for the care pathway.

Pierre Krolak-Salmon has specifically researched care, outpatient and hospitalisation pathways, with an additional focus on accommodation, in direct connection with other areas of specialisation such as general medicine.

Pierre Krolak-Salmon holds a PhD in Medicine and Science with a Neuroscience option, a Diploma of Specialised Studies in Neurology and an Additional Specialised Diploma in Geriatrics (Claude Bernard University, Lyon). He also enjoys an active teaching role to conduct research.

Fanny Barbier, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, will be responsible for defining and implementing the Human Resources policy. Fanny will be tasked with placing HR at the heart of the Groups challenges to restore employee confidence, improve their work-life balance and well-being in the workplace, and to develop the attractiveness and excellence of ORPEAs professions. She will oversee the social and human aspects of the Groups transformation, on the strength of constructive and balanced social dialogue.

Fanny has spent her entire career in Human Resources in the private sector, notably with SUEZ. At SUEZ, she held various Human Resources positions: Regional Operations Human Resources Director, then Human Resources Director for France before becoming Senior Vice President, Human Resources, in charge of leadership, talent and culture for the Group, against the backdrop of a transformation. Fanny Barbier has a degree in private and labour law.

Laurent Lemaire, Executive Vice President, Finance, IT and Purchasing, will be responsible for managing ORPEAs economic and financial performance and will also be tasked with heading up the Groups Information Systems and Purchasing Department whose transformation he will support.

Laurent began his career at Danone where he spent almost 20 years in various financial roles. In 2007, he joined the listed group Steria, as General Manager of Finance, Legal, Procurement, IT & Transformation and then as Group Chief Financial Officer in the context of the merger with Sopra.

In 2016, he joined Korian as Group Chief Financial and Administrative Officer before being appointed Group Chief Financial Officer of Idemia, a company undergoing an LBO.

Laurent Lemaire is a graduate of the ESSEC Business School.

Frederique Raoult, Executive Vice President, Communications, will be tasked with enhancing the companys appeal and reputation in addition to renewing confidence and dialogue with all stakeholders.

Frederique spent a large part of her career at SUEZ where she held various Communications positions in the Groups French and international businesses before becoming Senior Vice President Communication and Sustainable Development. In particular, she led SUEZs Initial Public Offering and its transition to a single brand.

Frederique then went on to join Keolis Group as Executive Vice President, Communications and Branding.

Frederique Raoult is a graduate of Sciences Po and has a Masters degree in Contemporary History.

Gery Robert-Ambroix, Executive Vice President, Group Real Estate, will be responsible for repurposing and implementing the real estate strategy in line with the transformation plan. Gery is in charge of arbitrage, acquisitions, Asset Management and Property Management with the aim of harnessing the companys real estate potential.

Gery has more than 30 years experience in various real estate businesses; from beginning his career at BOUYGUES Group to his position as Chief Executive Officer at MERCIALYS and then CARMILA from 2005 to 2021, before joining BATIPART.

Gery Robert-Ambroix is a graduate of HEC Business School.

Chief Executive Officers for Group regions are as follows:

Erik Hamann, Chief Executive Officer, Germany

After starting his career as a consultant with Roland Berger, Dr. Erik Hamann joined the University Hospital Mannheim as Head of the Business Development division as well as Chief Executive Officer at its nursing home subsidiary, Altenpflege Mannheim GmbH. From 2005 to 2017, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the listed clinic operator, Rhon-Klinikum.

Dr. Hamann also held the positions of Chief Financial Officer at Acrest Property GmbH, operating partner at a large cap private equity firm, and Chief Financial Officer at Artemis Augenkliniken.

Dr. Erik Hamann started with ORPEA in 2016 as Chief Executive Officer of Germany, which has remained his position to date.

Dr. Erik Hamann holds a degree in business administration and a PhD from the University of Mannheim, as well as a degree in business administration and management from ESSEC Business School.

Anton Kellner, Chief Executive Officer, Central and Eastern Europe

Anton Kellner worked in different positions in the District Administration of Hollabrunn, federal province of Lower Austria. He was Head of the Social Department before taking the position of Facility Manager in a nursing home in this region from 1995.

In 2004, he joined the SeneCura Group as Operations Director before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2015. Since 2019, Anton has held the Chief Executive Officer position for Central and Eastern Europe. This region also includes Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Anton Kellner holds an MBA in "Health Care Management" from the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Thibault Sartini, Chief Executive Officer, New Countries

Thibault Sartini began his career in 2003 working in the field as a nurse. He then joined the ORPEA Group in 2008 as Clinic Facility Director before being promoted to the role of Regional Director. In 2016, Thibault was appointed Chief Executive Officer of ORPEA Italy. He was then nominated Chief Executive Officer of the New Countries cluster in 2019, spearheading five markets: Italy, Middle East, Poland, Latvia and Asia.

Thibault Sartini graduated from Paris 2 Pantheon-Assas University in 2008 with a Master's degree in Human Resources Management and Labour Law. He completed an Executive Masters degree in Healthcare Strategy and Management at ESCP Europe Business School in 2013.

Geert Uytterschaut, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Europe

Following a career in retail spanning 22 years, Geert Uytterschaut made a move in 2010 by becoming Chief Operating Officer of a large nursing home group in Belgium. In 2019, he joined ORPEA as Chief Executive Officer of ORPEA Belgium. Geert now holds the Chief Executive Officer post for ORPEA Northern Europe, which includes activities in Belgium, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Geert is a graduate of Ghent University and holds certificates from INSEAD (Financial Management), EHSAL (Master in Industrial company Management) and CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY (Strategic Management) among others.

Yen Wang, Chief Executive Officer, Latin America

Yen spent more than 15 years as a management consultant in global firms (McKinsey & Company, A. T. Kearney and Arthur D. Little) before taking up executive positions at Carrefour and Oi in Brazil. From 2017 to 2021, he worked as Chief Executive Officer of Carrefour Property in Brazil before joining ORPEA Group in 2022 as Chief Executive Officer of the Latin America region.

Yen graduated from the University of Sao Paulo in Computer Science, holds a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Fundacao Getulio Vargas, a MA in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a MBA from the Wharton School.

Asuncion Zaragoza, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal)

Asuncion began her career working as a consultant for the consulting firm Accenture. She was then appointed Finance Manager at one of General Electrics subsidiaries before becoming Finance Director at La Casera Company Plc, followed by Grupo Care, which was acquired by ORPEA in 2002. Asuncion then became Chief Financial Officer for ORPEA in Spain. And in 2017, she was nominated Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer for the Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal), a position she has held since 2018.

Asuncion holds a Master's degree in law and an MBA from ESAD.

About ORPEA

ORPEA is a leading global player, expert in the care of all types of frailty. The Group operates in 22 countries and covers three core businesses: care for the elderly (nursing homes, assisted living, home care), post-acute and rehabilitation care and mental health care (specialized clinics). It has more than 71,000 employees and welcomes more than 255,000 patients and residents each year.

https://www.orpea-group.com/

ORPEA is listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000184798) and is a member of the SBF 120, STOXX 600 Europe, MSCI Small Cap Europe and CAC Mid 60 indices.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005305/en/

Contacts

Media Relation

ORPEA

Isabelle Herrier-Naufle

Medias & e-reputation Director

Tel. : 07 70 29 53 74

i.herrier-naufle@orpea.net

Image 7

Charlotte Le Barbier

Tel.: +33 (0)6 78 37 27 60

clebarbier@image7.fr

Laurence Heilbronn

Tel. : 06 89 87 61 37

lheilbronn@image7.fr
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The Auburn University Office of International Programs has made tremendous progress toward cultivating strong partnerships with institutions and organizations around the world that offer mutually beneficial opportunities for faculty, staff and students to experience forward-thinking education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, selfless service and cultural revelation.

An area of the world that Auburn has seen relational growth in the last 10 years is East Asia, specifically South Korea and Taiwan. Auburns strong connections with these countries is mainly due to the Office of International Programs partnerships with Keimyung University, or KMU, in Daegu, South Korea, and the National Cheng Kung University, or NCKU, in Tainan City, Taiwan. As a result of OIPs partnerships, Auburn has opened two centers, the Korea Center-King Sejong Institute and the AU-NCKU Taiwan Center of Chinese Language and Culture, dedicated to promoting joint educational and cultural collaboration.

The centers have and will continue to facilitate opportunities for the exchange of ideas and cultural awareness amongst the Auburn Family. Just this fall, the KC-KSI and AU-NCKU Taiwan Center are providing 13 language course options, hosting more than 15 cultural events and competitions and offering several study abroad scholarship awards. The centers recently hosted a joint event to celebrate Chuseok and the Taiwan Moon Festival, South Korea and Taiwans respective autumn harvest celebrations. The event welcomed more than 350 students, faculty and staff, and offered attendees an authentic South Korean and Taiwanese holiday experience complete with traditional activities and cuisine, as well as informational handouts to take home.

It is through global collaboration with countries such as South Korea and Taiwan, where Auburn already has strong connections due to industrial linkages, research and alumni presence, that Auburn can help lead and shape a more global and connected higher education landscape.

The Office of International Programs will soon announce a grant program for group travel to South Korea to encourage and facilitate research and scholarship collaborations with KMU. Details will be released in the coming weeks.

For more information on the internationalization efforts of the Office of International Programs, visit auburn.edu/international.
And now he owns Twitter.

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Not if he can help it.

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Once he fully buys Twitter, hes going to be like MySpace Tom and just insert himself into everyones account, isnt he?

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He's gonna run the company into irrelevancy. Hopefully it costs him billions on the way out.

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how dare you tom was like the only good social media guy

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right, because giving the aggressor part of what they want will surely stop them from reaching for the rest. always worked in the past for sure.

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The Chamberlain Approach: this time it's sure to work!

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I dislike him and his stupid car.

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I can't take any more hot takes from this sentient defective Lego block. The influence he has for contributing nothing personally to this world is insane.

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I wish I could select two emoji's at once lol perfect comment

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sentient defective lego block lmao

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Sentient is a stretch.

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Beautiful comment lmao, especially since everything he inserts himself into is the moral (or literal) equivalent of an illegal build

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I wish him many things

None of it good

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He hasn't made payment for Twitter yet. It's looking like it may have been a delay tactic.



Anyway, so he did an interview and talked about his daughter Vivianne. He said she disowned him bc of communism schools who taught her to hate rich people(her mother is rich bro). And when asked how he feels about their lack of relationship he said 'Can't win them all.' This man is garbage. I cannot imagine being at peace with a child I created disowning me.

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Lmao classic narc response



Elon prob thinks she can't really think for herself so obviously this evil entity warped her mind and that's why she hates him, it can't possibly be bc he's a huge piece of shit, no it's all a conspiracy to take him down *rolls eyes*



Edited at 2022-10-10 12:27 am (UTC)

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Cant win them all is a pretty compelling reason for having a fuckload of children I guess

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"Can't win them all" directed towards his trans child. He probably couldn't give a fuck. He's the worst.

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He doesn't care at all. And in the jnyerview ai notice there is no quote of Elon ever saying 'she' or 'her' directly from his mouth. It's all chopped up. Which makes me curious as to what pronouns he did use. Y'know bc of his infamous 'pronouns are dumb' stance and very blatant transphobic views.

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I mean.. she's probably better off without him in her life. He's having babies with randoms now and clearly is trying to populate the world with his genes. I doubt he intends to have a relationship with all these kids.

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Possibly a delay tactic if he wasn't prepared for his deposition. My guess though is he'd rather pay $44bn for Twitter than be deposed by their lawyers.

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that quote truly made me feel sick. what a horrible way to talk about your own child, what a piece of shit.

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I'm so glad he can't run for President.

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The sad thing about him not being able to is that he has enough money to buy whomever he wants for political gains. Elon musk doesn't need a seat in government as long as politicians are able to line their pockets with money by lobbyists in the United States.





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*insert Samuel L Jackson I dont remember asking you a goddamn thing*

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he is so STUPID god i hate him

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i'm about to use orochimaru's impure world reincarnation to resurrect lee harvey oswald and put his ass to work. watch out, muskrat!

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He has a factory in Shanghai of course he's kissing their ass to keep it up 

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Isn't he busy trying to colonise Mars.



Myob

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Attaching equal importance to inbound and outbound investment, in the past decade the city of Shanghai has attracted the greatest amount of multinational enterprises to establish headquarters among domestic cities, officials said on Sunday.



Shanghai's actual use of foreign direct investment exceeded $300 billion by the end of 2021, an increase of $168 billion from 2012, said Gu Jun, director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

"Shanghai continues to consolidate its position as the top-notch choice for foreign investment, and more than 60,000 foreign-funded enterprises are growing vigorously here," Gu said.

According to Gu, as of the end of September, the city was home to 877 multinational corporation's regional headquarters, as well as 523 foreign-funded R&D centers.

In the meantime, filed outbound investment in Shanghai has also surpassed $170 billion over the past 10 years, with more than 5,000 Shanghai-based companies opening branches overseas as of 2021, Gu added.

"In the past decade, Shanghai has strived to promote higher level opening-up and elevated itself into an international trade center," Gu said.

Abiding by high-quality development, Shanghai has seen its proportion in the global market continue to rise, and has become the world's largest trading city.

In 2021, imports and exports through the city's ports amounted to 10.1 trillion yuan ($1.42 trillion), accounting for about 3.6 percent of global trade. Specifically, imports and exports of goods surpassed 4 trillion yuan for the first time, and imports and exports of service rose to $229.41 billion, the largest among Chinese provinces and municipalities.

"The city's retail sales of consumer goods doubled in the past decade, still leading other Chinese cities and becoming an international consumption hub," Gu said.

According to Gu, Shanghai's total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 1.8 trillion yuan in 2021 and consumption has become the greatest driver for the city's economic growth by contributing more than 60 percent.

Shanghai has become the nation's largest destination for imported consumer goods. More than 40 percent of China's total imported consumer goods (in terms of value) go via Shanghai, and imported clothes, cosmetics and automotives represent about 70 percent, 41 percent and 37 percent respectively.

The metropolis is the first choice for international brands making their China debuts. There were an average of more than 800 first stores launched annually there during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), accounting for about half of the nation's total.

Last year a total of 1,078 first stores were launched across Shanghai, including 14 global or Asian debuts and 167 first stores in the Chinese mainland. International and domestic brands held more than 3,000 debut activities including product launching, shows and exhibitions.

The city is the birthplace of many local brands. Its 222 time-honored brands are operating 3,000 stores across the city, and 90 out of the top 500 new brands in 2020 on Tmall originate from Shanghai, the most among all Chinese cities.

Shanghai saw its ecommerce trade volume snowball more than four-fold from 2012 to 3.24 trillion yuan in 2021, including 1.32 trillion yuan in online shopping transactions.
Hats off to her. That's such an uncomfortable and frankly scary situation to be in and she played it off like a damn queen.

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I spent about 5 years bts at comedy shows. Right around the time the orange turd announced his run is when the crowd seriously lost its mind at every show. You can literally be talking about liking cereal for breakfast and they bring up their cult leader. Its so goddamn bizarre and tiring. Comedians, esp the amateur ones, depend on connecting with the audience and theres always that one douche absolutely murdering the vibe. It sucks for everyone.



Anyway, glad shes ok. But, Im thoroughly disgusted that she drank the beer. Even if we ignore the pandemic, why would you want that nuts germs? 

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Apparently it was an unopened beer can, so that's something of a relief.

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Wow, really? That's fucking dangerous. Damn. She's lucky.



(but yes, it's good in terms of her drinking it afterwards.)

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I know comedians hate a heckler, but I love watching a comedian make fun on a them. Like what did you think was going to happen?

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I can't even imagine what stand up comedians have to put up with, esp from right wing white assholes.

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She handled it so fucking well and its infuriating that she had to.



The beer thrower was the asshole ladys husband. What a delightful couple, Im sure they have lots of friends who delight in their company, we can only hope they dont have children.

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I thought I heard him yelling something like he never wanted to go out with those people again or something. Sounds like a real peach

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so the heckler was a woman and the beer thrower was her husband where i guess they came in a group of about 20 ppl according to buzzfeed interview she gave. i wanna say its one of the friends in the group that says are you fuckin kidding me/im never going out with this group again. it at least sounds like indignation to the beer throw idk

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I thought that was another guy who was with them. But if so, the fact that they're trumpers should have been his first sign not to go out with them in the first place.

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Oh you know they have kids. Probably named them Addyson or MaKayla-Rae or some shit.

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She handled that like a boss though, damn.

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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I am in awe of how she didn't lose her nerve in that hostile situation, because I know I'd be on the verge of tears and shakiness in her place. Bigots are scary, and she could've had so much worse thrown at her.

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ooh man this is why I need to just be isolated from these people because I would not have been as chill as she is, lol



how horrible. people who do this are assholes on multiple levels: ruining the show for everyone else, harassing and attacking a human being, and being morally/politically bankrupt

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I wouldn't drink whatever is thrown cause you never know if people tampered with it.



Either way what an asshole >:(

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Good lord I jumped a mile when that beer can hit. That looked insanely fast. tbh I thought the dude was going to rush the stage. It's sad I'm so conditioned (like most women) to want to run in that kind of situation or to fear for the worst. So props to her for standing her ground.



ngl it got the heebee jeebees out at her drinking the beer. I would have never drank after a trump supporter.

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The clip came across my timeline with no context so when I watched and the beer came flying, I jumped and screamed too. I knew *something* was going to happen because her Jewishness was being talked about and after the beer I definitely got scared someone was going to rush and try to hurt her.

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This is so messed up, I'm glad she's OK and I hope she joins the club in pressing charges.





I am truly flummoxed, just absolutely lost. I don't understand how that orange pos inspired all these bigots to set their lives on fire. It's SO painfully obvious that he couldn't care less about them and yet they attack people including the fucking FBI!  and kill and get killed all in his name. And it's not just the states, his Canadian followers are flying MAGA flags and the confederate flag, and screaming for their 2nd Amendment rights and their freedom of speech like those are things here. I wish a cult experts would explain how this literal idiot managed to do all of this because it just makes no sense.

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Theyre not doing it for him, theyre doing it because he showed everyone its okay to do & in fact you may be rewarded for it

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You're right, there are those who now think it's okay to let their hate out. But there's also the side that thinks he's this saver, a prophet, the SECOND COMING! and they give him their savings, and follow his rallies and excuse all his lies and behaviours. I really think he's running an actual cult now.

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There wes a confederate flag flown from a truck when Tr@mp won here in my city in Canada.



His win made people feel emboldened with their racism, misogyny, etc.



It's disgusting.



Edited at 2022-10-10 03:07 pm (UTC)

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This is the direct result of how normalized antisemitism has become (remained even?) and its on all us non-Jewish people to start calling it out as aggressively as we would racism.



It has to be so scary to be Jewish in America rn & Im so sorry to anyone feeling the effects of that



Edited at 2022-10-10 07:00 am (UTC)

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Just wanted to say thank you bb 

You saying that counts for a lot, it means something when people who dont have to stick up for us.



Also thank you for using the correct spelling of antisemitism, its not a huge deal when people spell it with the hyphen but for anyone wondering, the standard is to not use the hyphen because people misinterpret it as being anti Semites, when its got nothing to do with being anti people who speak semitic languages  just anti Jews.

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I'm sorry y'all have to put up with so much hateful bullshit. I wish I could take it away for you.

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thank you, I am Jewish and I was not aware of this and definitely change my ways

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it doesn't help that the word is always underlined in autocorrect as not a real word, which I find... sus

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I think remained is more accurate. and reminds me of the conclusion of Ken Burns' US and the Holocaust doc.

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handled that like an absolute queen, I would have fallen apart in seconds. It is absolutely insane how Trump stans have become 100x more deranged ever since he was voted out. Fuck them.

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what a man, what a manly manly man. how brave, how strong, i want to breed with this beer-can-throwing man.

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but you know this fucking coward would not dare to throw a can into a 200 lb 6'4 ft man or into someone who he thinks would be able to fuck him up in response. piece of shit.





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There is absolutely misogyny at play here as well.

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fuck this shit, y'all.

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perfect first comment lol

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ONTD Germans: what is the vibe from your government/ppl around you?



To me, it seems like this apparent targeting of German related targets would backfire because Germans might have been waning on support for the war due to the upcoming winter and energy crisis, but like... now that it looks like Russia is targeting Germany?? I would think that would cause Germany to renew their opposition to Russia.

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I would love to get some German ONTDers takes on this, idk the railway station fucking up and the nordstream pipeline could just be a coincidence, stuff breaks it happens, but it seems very sus lol

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funny thing is no one really even thought about the train stuff being sabotage bc the Bahn is such a mess even on good days.

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you should see (or better not if you don't want to lose sanity) what Russian official news has been like since feb 24 and the levels of propaganda. it's all unhinged nonsense that NATO and the West are waging war against Russia, want to "rape" and "rob" Russia, that there's a wide anti-Russian conspiracy and that etc. and now that the Russian army has exposed itself as being completely incompetent, i wouldn't be surprised if Putin is trying to pull an actual NATO country into the war and go "See? I told you! The West has corrupted Ukraine and now they're coming for us!!!!!!". And with the Kremlin's obsession with claiming Nazis are behind everything (and all the bullshit parallels with WWII they're to pull) choosing Germany wouldn't be a surprise.

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Scholz is kind of a weirdo, no one really gets what he wants (the whole tank thing)



there is a lot of support for Ukraine but honestly people are more concerned about the energy bills rn. (seeme like we have enough gas for the winter and the goverment will help pay for it, so it should be ok)







Edited at 2022-10-10 07:12 pm (UTC)

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German reporting in. I don't think support was waning beforehand. It doesn't really feel like the acts of sabotage have changed anything in German public opinion either way which is why it's been really strange. Like, why. Only rightwingers and nutjobs support the war here (them and part of the expat community). Okay and we have a few "intellectuals" who write weird open letters. Everyone else is mostly worried about rising food and energy costs though. I don't mind how our government has acted throughout. Mood in the country is muted imo and I suspect that depending on how bad it'll get, we'll have some intergenerational trauma resurfacing here and there.

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Not German, but living here. In my region of Western Germany, the Ukrainian support is dwindling. In part because of rising living costs and frankly pockets of anti immigrant and EU making it known.



Facebook is still a pretty powerful communication tool here and the right wing points are always listed under local media posts. And somehow they talk about it on posts like Covid. Feels like a paid market at times since it's often repeated points.



More Nazis are feeling emboldened. My husband found out the guy who trained him felt like the Germans shoulda won WWII. And all the implications. Was an awkward week because my husband is anti-Nazi. So. I note that because 2 years ago, he couldn't have told you who was far right at his last job.



Edited at 2022-10-10 09:01 pm (UTC)

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It depends on who you ask but in general, people aren't really invested in the war anymore. They care more about their rising energy bills and cost of living. They think the government should do more to help people instead of fighting with each other or discussing every possible option for months (see the successful 9/month train ticket that lasted for 3 months, people clearly want affordable public transportation but instead we're back to the same old expensive tickets while they're "discussing" future options that will never see the day of light because of bureaucracy).





I live in eastern Germany which is notorious for being more far-right and pro-russia. Many people have started to join right-wing protests against the current government, demanding to open Nord Stream 2 again and to end sanctions against Russia. If you talk to people about immigrants you mostly hear racist bullshit like "they should go back to their country and fight for it/they only want our money/they're all rich already, look how they're using the newest iphone and drive expensive cars". It's scary because this all benefits the right-wing party that was already on its way up because of the pandemic. People don't realize that while Scholz is not the best chancellor, we would be in an even worse situation with a right-wing or conservative leader.





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Also German here. Tbh, evem though our transportation system sucks, the first thought I had after hearing it was that it could be Russia. Our country is full of KGB/FSB agents (like there is a process rn about someone in a research institute, the whole wirecard fiasco...I could go on). The German government was blind for Russia the last 16 or even 32 years. It sucks.

In my peer group the support is not going away, but my peer group is not comparable with those that will have problems paying the bills (I work for a big engineering company, the pay is good). People are back on the streets in East-Germany though and thats a very complicated isssue (that also happened a lot during Covid, 2015 etc). Because if you compare the Eastern European reaction and the East-German reaction you can definitley notice that they had vastly different experiences and parts of East-Germany would like the old world order while almost no one in East-Europe would want that. But IDK if its really completely winding, it's just that that "small" group is very loud. And of course right wing is on the rise and they are also very loud and active on social media/in the media. It's not helping that TV is showing a false balance and is inviting those right wingers to their political talk shows. More people take notice of the bullshit they are spreading and will vote more right wing. And people are frustrated with the government rn, it could be worse with a conservative government but people don't want to understand that. And it doesn't help that the liberals have such an important role while being the smallest coalition partner. Time will tell whats going to happen. I don't think Russia is helping itself with destroying German infrasturcture it's making lots of people very angry.



Sorry for the long, very late reply, but I have a lot of thoughts I guess

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We've had an election this past weekend in one of our states (Niedersachsen; northern Germany), so it's a good indicator of the current political mood. The conservatives (CDU) had their worst result since 1955 in that state (28%). Good, fuck them. The green party (Die Grunen; party of our Vice Chancellor) achieved their highest result ever in that state (14%). The right wing AFD gained 5% achieving overall 11% of the votes. Ugh. The SPD got most of the votes (33%) but still lost voters (that's the party of Chancellor Scholz) and the FDP (party of "Porscheminister" Christian Lindner; he's the Minister of Finance) are no longer part of that states' government. Lol.



I think that basically jives with what I've heard in my bubble. The FDP has lost support, it's mainly known as the party for the rich. People are kinda meh on the SPD. I barely hear anything about Scholz in the news. It's weird. He's basically invisible. You always hear about Lindner, Baerbock or Habeck instead. The latter two are seen in a more positive light, though of course they are not without critics. The AFD is definitely gaining traction again because people are starting to feel afraid of what the future holds. And the right always thrives on fear.



I don't feel like people actually care if Russia attacked Nordstream and the Deutsche Bahn. It was barely in the news. Especially with the latter everyone probably didn't even think of sabotage because the DB is notorious for being a failure. And Nordstream is closed anyway, no? People here are more worried about how the war affects their own comfort longterm. Hence the main topic in the news is currently how the government is planning to spend 90 billion in order to lower the costs for gas.

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would someone please end putin already.

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i gasped when i woke up yesterday and saw the bridge news. the really did it.

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how likely is it that this will end in nuclear war? i wouldve thought zero at the beginning of all this, but now im not so sure. hoping putins generals take him out before it comes to that. ugh, im also still super worried about taiwan/china. this world, i stg.

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I think not likely, mostly because there is not much to win with a nuclear attack. Another thing is that it is not possible to just use nuclear weapons out of nowhere, there are spy satellites monitoring places related to it and everything out of ordinary would be noticed. Another thing is that since there is no precedent for this (nobody knows how other countries would react) it is a giant risk.



But like the world is crazy so it's not impossible either.

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I think it's not ZERO percent chance of nuclear war. I think it's low, but if Putin is surrounded by yes men and is increasingly erratic? I think there's a small chance.

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Putin knows if he drops a nuke its over for him in 20 minutes, and if theres one thing that evil psycho loves, its himself. Its suicide and thats why I dont think its going to happen.



I did get this weird sense of dread the other day like, what if he actually does it. It would be indescribable horror for all life on earth. I really really hope humanity doesnt go through it.

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tbh, he seems like the kind of person who would try and push the us to retaliate. like haha, i dropped this bomb, but will you drop one of your own? like he thinks the us wont risk civilians or something. and honestly, i think even if he knows someone will retaliate immediately after, he'll do it just because going out with a bang is better than being deposed or losing a war.



i've been... concerned. and my mom thinks i'm insane, but i want to start preparing for that kind of eventuality.

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I try not to bring up Taiwan very often because Im not Taiwanese nor do I live there, and there are people suffering immensely right now during an ongoing war as opposed to one that had yet come to pass and I dont want to make it about me of all people, but I cant shake the absolute dread thats its inevitable. Everything Ive read from experts predict it will be a bloody affair worse than Ukraine, the Pacific will be pulled in, Australia (where I live) will be attacked from the onset. Were all coastal people here, the island is near indefensible, we have US military installations, and if we were to suffer a Chinese attack I can guarantee racism will spike and probably worse than how it was during the worst of covid.



This is an incredibly selfish perspective of course, and I cant imagine how it feels to live in Taiwan or Japan or SK right now, but Im scared all the time just expecting things to blow up (probably literally) in perhaps even the next 2-3 years.



Edited at 2022-10-11 03:09 am (UTC)

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I wouldn't say it's 100% impossible, but chances are very low. First, Putin knows that if he drops a bomb on Ukraine it'll take maybe 5 minutes and the US, France and other nations will send their bombs straight to Moscow.

Second, I don't know this for sure but I doubt that Putin is the one to press the final buttons to release the bombs. He has plenty of yes-men around him, yes, but reports are claiming that the number of supporters around him are dwindling. I doubt his rich oligarch friends want to live in a destroyed Russia/Europe. I just hope that at least some of the people in charge are brave enough to stop the bombs from taking off.



edit: Right now China, India and Belarus are still by his side. He needs their help and support. If he nukes Ukraine these countries will most likely leave him as well so he'd be completely alone.



Edited at 2022-10-10 10:21 pm (UTC)

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I think it's best to be cautious, but not panicked? I think it is not likely, honestly. It's never impossible, but there are a lot of reasons for Putin not to go that route: first of all, if he really considers Ukraine to be Russian territory, why irradiate your own land? Second, he knows that the international response would be swift and brutal. It really kind of plays into his hand to overly worry about it, because Putin depends on that fear to keep people at bay.

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I dont think a full out nuclear war will

Happen, but Putin can fuck if go nuclear and bring to the world into a world war 3-like chaos

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Russia put the guy who was responsible for overseeing Syria in charge now of the war, so I think that we should be expecting more of this, unfortunately.

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oh wow I knew he appointed a new general but I didn't know it was that guy....

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Lmao I watched this interview and he is so done with Putin's megalomania lol

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We all need to have his energy

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I love him. Hes a hero.

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What a weird question to ask a leader that's fighting off an invasion. No one gives a fuck if that nigga lives or dies!

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the biggest vibe

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Just to specify, the leaks on nordstream 1 and 2 were in danish and Swedish waters.



I hope Putin, Kim Jong Un and Lukashenko [redacted].

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i mean i'm sure russia blew them up, but like...why

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I dont think logic and reason applies here its probably just because they could.

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From what I've gathered reading articles the pipeline wasn't in use, so I think they wanted to destroy it so you can't use it in the future. The pipeline was hit right after it was announced Russia was cutting Germany's gas pipeline for the winter

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A lot of tankies believe it was the US. The US has done a lot of fucked up shit around the world, but I don't really see a benefit, especially if it came out and was proven.

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First of all, Putin is irrational.

But second, there are two pipelines, NordStream 1 and 2. Nordstream 2 is not open yet (it's new), and the US has ostracized it greatly. Germany went ahead with it anyway (and we can admit at this point the US was right to warn Europe about being too dependent on Russian gas, and NS2 was a huge symbol of it). Then when Putin started the war, they cancelled the NS2 project without it ever opening. I think some Swiss company was behind the project and they went bankrupt?

Anyway, the pipeline attacks destroyed everything but one pipeline on NS2, which is still usable. Putin wants Europe to open NS2, Europe blocked it, but now it's the only pipeline still usable. So they're like "well, we sure want to send you gas! Open NS2 and we will."

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Germany is going to sack its cybersecurity chief Arne Schoenbohm for his ties to Russian intelligence



EXCUSE YOUR FUCKING BEAUTY!?!! 



Hang it up FLATSCREEN! He already dun gave all the shite away by now..whattheactualfuckingfuck. 

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The best part is that he's only getting sacked because a comedian and his team did their research and exposed him in a yt video.

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Not the general public doing the job of a government entity just for the shites and giggles 

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I've been following events pretty carefully the past few weeks but can someone with a bit more historical/practical/informational context give me a number 1-10, how much I should be worrying ab ou this? Feels like this is a 9 already but I don't know if I have enough info honestly.

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Are we at death con 3 with Russia or just the Jews?

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when is putin going to drop dead?



@livejournal i said what i said

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Sometimes I wonder if Russia even has quality nukes or if they are all busted up and old like a lot of their military equipment is. I hope we never find out obviously. Its just so horrible and infuriating that one group of psychopaths can inflict so much damage and pain

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Ive read that while nobody on the outside will really know for sure unless theyre put to use, chances are theyre in terrible condition given how expensive it is to maintain or replace the uranium and weve already seen how corruption means people line their pockets with a lot of the money that was supposed to be going towards the military.



Being that theyre Shroedingers nukes right now of course I dont want them deployed, but imagine if Russia did just to have them do absolutely jack shit. I wonder how everyone would respond



ETA to clarify I NEVER want ANY nukes deployed under ANY circumstances



Edited at 2022-10-10 09:39 pm (UTC)

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I believe that's the theory with a lot of journalists. Apparently it costs billions of dollars to upkeep nukes and they estimate they haven't really in over 10 years.

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Going by how bad their military is I wondered this as well. Maybe the country is so damn corrupt that most of the money went to the oligarchs instead of maintaining their nukes (and their military). If god forbid they ever launched them who's to say they wouldn't accidentally blow themselves up instead. Here's hoping we'll never find out.

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Can someone please take one for the team and (successfully) Valkyrie Putin? Like this dude is off his rocker. He could absolutely precipitate nuclear extinction. Xi, come get your boy hes about to fuck up your bag



Edited at 2022-10-10 08:43 pm (UTC)

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i saw a thing a few weeks ago that Xi may be done with Russia as of right now. Apparently, their plan was to help Russia, but quietly and under the table. But someone from within the Kremlin posted a video or recording of a Chinese rep saying that and China is pissed. But China IS the only country who can tell Russia to back down.

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has Xi resurfaced? I heard some shit that he was missing or something.

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For the first time ever, the European Union imported in June more LNG from the United States than gas via pipeline from Russia.

Europe is paying high prices for LNG, and these prices are determined by traders in a tight market.

Europe has managed to fill its gas storage sites to nearly 90% as winter approaches, but stocking up on gas has come at a price. Gas and energy prices are now so high that energy-intensive industries are shutting down production lines or whole factories, while households are constantly being asked to conserve gas and electricity to avoid rationing and/or blackouts this winter. The EU, most of which is now deprived of any gas supply from Russia, is doing relatively well with stocking up on alternative supply. The prices, however, are high, and so is the price that industries, residential consumers, and governments must pay.

As of October 9, gas storage sites in the EU were 88.58% full, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. Storage in Germany, the biggest economy, was 94% full, and the one in Italyat 92.7%.

Europe really wanted this time around to have their storage full. They kind of learned a lesson last winter that its not a good thing [to not have enough gas in storage], especially if the supply is not given or is uncertain, Anna Mikulska, Nonresident Fellow at the Center for Energy Studies, Baker Institute, said last week.

Currently the storage is at a very high level, sometimes 100 percent, most of the time beyond 80 percent, Mikulska said at the panel Energy Market Update: Winter Is Coming last week.

Yet, This did not come at zero cost, the industry expert said.

Europe is paying high prices for LNG, and these prices are determined by traders in a tight market, not by the U.S. LNG producers and exporters, Mikulska said during the panel.

Related: U.S. Households See Electricity Bills Soar As Energy Crisis Comes To America



Its the companies that buy the gas from U.S. producers, and it usually goes where the price is highest, she said.

American LNG has been crucial in meeting European demand, which is scrambling for gas supply and willing to pay up for spot deliveries, outbidding most of Asia.

High demand in Europe, high natural gas prices, and increased export capacity made the United States the worlds largest LNG exporter in the first half of 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in July.

For the first time ever, the European Union imported in June more LNG from the United States than gas via pipeline from Russia, as Moscow slashed its supply to Europe.

In September, as much as 70% of all U.S. LNG exports in September were headed to Europe, up from 63% in August, per Refinitiv Eikon data cited by Reuters earlier this month.

But this influx of LNG supply to secure Europes winter comes at a cost.

It came at a cost of cutting down demand in industry. And thats the big story of this winter and the year coming forward. Its not only about the inability to heat houses, which obviously is something that you are going to prevent, but its about the ability of Europe to recover going forward from the industrial downturn that cutting supply of gas to industry has caused, Mikulska said.

Due to sky-high prices and a very tight gas market, natural gas usage in the power-generating sector in Europe is forecast to drop by nearly 3% this year. Industrial gas demand is expected to plunge by as much as 20%, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its quarterly Gas Market Report early this month.

Energy-intensive industries in Europe, including aluminum, copper, and zinc smelters and steel makers, have already warned EU officials that they face an existential threat from surging power and gas prices.

All the signs point to markets remaining very tight well into 2023, Keisuke Sadamori, the IEAs Director of Energy Markets and Security, said.

Despite the high LNG imports and the rush to build LNG import terminals, Europe could still face rationing or power outages this winter, and a longer-term deindustrialization as energy-intensive industries relocate some production out of the continent.

The EU has admitted that the increased supply of non-Russian gas needs to be coupled with reductions in demand if the gas market is to balance any time soon. Germanys regulator has been calling for months for significant cuts in gas consumption to avoid a gas emergency and subsequent rationing of gas use.



By Tsvetana Paraskova For Oilprice.com

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:
Europes natural gas prices dropped on Monday to the lowest level in three months as LNG imports climbed while weather forecasts pointed to a milder-than-expected autumn.

Natural gas prices at the Dutch TTF hub, Europes benchmark, were down by nearly 8% in early trade in Amsterdam on Monday. Prices hit an intra-day low of $140 (144 euros) per megawatt-hour (MWh), the lowest European benchmark gas price since July 1.

Strong imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) into Europe and milder weather over the next week or two are the two key reasons for the dip in gas prices at the beginning of this week. Higher nuclear power generation from France compared to the previous months is also helping electricity supply across the continent, thus curbing some gas demand for power.

Imports of LNG cargoes into northwest Europe have reached their highest level for this time of the year since 2016, per data compiled by Bloomberg. According to Reuters, nine LNG tankers are currently expected to arrive in the UK alone by the end of the month.

The three-month low gas prices in Europe today are driven by strong LNG arrivals, mild autumn weather and demand destruction, Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said. Russias ability to shock the market has been much reduced, with flows down 78% year over year, Hansen added.

Weather will be mild in most of Europe over the next two weeks, models suggest, which would also alleviate upward pressure on gas demand for heating and electricity.

Meanwhile, EU leaders have yet to agree on some form of capping gas prices after failing to do so at a summit in Prague last week. The EU is negotiating a corridor for decent prices with reliable suppliers, or for example, looking at how to limit prices in the gas market overall, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the end of last week.

Gas storage in the EU is now at more than 90%, the European Commission said this weekend. Good news: we have already reduced our gas consumption by about 10% but more can still be done, the Commission says.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:
EU leaders are meeting again towards the end of the month, and they will aim to find a gas price policy that can please all its members and, most importantly, the sellers.

Internal divisions are deepening within the EU as countries attempt to lower the price of natural gas while also ensuring they secure enough of it.

The European Unions leaders have been hard at work trying to find ways to ensure both the security and affordability of energy in the bloc over the past few months. Initially focusing on the security part, affordability has now claimed the spotlight.

As heating season begins, EU member states are turning on each other in their increasingly desperate attempts to secure enough gas to last until spring and to ensure that it is affordable. Some believe this could indeed lead to radical measures that would lower prices. Others are not so sure.

The EUs energy ministers have been meeting regularly over the past few weeks to discuss possible measures for ensuring the supply of gas for all member states in a situation where the largest supplier of the bloc, Russia, is gone for, many believe, good.

Norway has stepped up, so has the United States, and even the UAE has agreed to send five cargoes of LNG to Germany next year. But thats next year. Now, Europe needs more gas, and it needs it on the cheap. Its options are not exactly unlimited.

A group of 15 member states suggested last month that the EU caps the price of all gas imports to manage its expenses. They did not comment on what LNG sellers might have to say about that idea, insisting that this was the only way to ensure gas is affordable for Europeans in what is shaping up to be the harshest winter for Europe in generations, regardless of the weather.

Then a smaller group came up with a more precise idea for the caps. The idea is to set up a so-called gas price corridor, or a range, that is lower than market prices but moves with them. According to the authorsBelgium, Greece, Italy, and Polandthis corridor could also apply to long-term contracts. Again, it seems that nobody consulted the sellers.

The Commission has spoken against price caps for non-Russian gas imports. Instead of a blanket cap, President Ursula von der Leyen proposed capping the price of natural gas used to generate electricity. Discussions continue, but hostility within the EU is growing, making the need to decide on working measures all the more urgent.

Germany, for instance, has managed to turn a lot of European states against it after it announced a 200-billion-euro aid package for businesses and households to cope with soaring energy prices. Naturally, less wealthy EU members werent happy with that. They were even less happy that Germany opposed a gas price cap.

If Germany acts only on the national level what they might be doing is really compromising the economic stability of Europe and also jeopardizing the political unity, Simone Tagliapietra, research fellow at Belgian NGO Bruegel, told the Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ noted in a report on the gas discussions in Europe that the internal tensions in the bloc could in fact help it become more decisive about crisis measures and ultimately agree to a gas price cap.

This, the authors of the report argued, would not be the best news for LNG exporters, but they could agree to sell their LNG at a lower price to avoid a deep recession in Europe that would destroy longer-term gas demand.

On the other hand, a report in Euronews quoted energy experts as warning that a price cap on gas imports would end the market as we know it. One of these experts, Elisabetta Cornago, a senior energy researcher at the Centre for European Reform, told Euronews that the EU was looking at gas prices without reference to other factors, and that reference needed to be made, because Prices are high because of scarcity.

Indeed, capping gas prices will not be enough. There is simply not enough LNG and pipeline gas outside Russia for Europe to breeze through winter as usual. And there are not enough regasification terminals in Europe to ensure an even supply of gas across the bloc.

Under pressure, the EU is turning on the ones that do supply it with gas. Euractiv reported this month that complaints about Norways revenues from its higher gas exports to the bloc are growing louder. In Germany, Economy Minister Habeck and an MP separately accused the U.S. of charging too much for its LNG. Tensions are running high.

EU leaders are meeting again towards the end of the month. By then, hopes are that they will have tailored a decision on gas prices that would provide some relief to struggling economies facing a recession.

Yet hopes are elusive. Hoping is one thing, but getting everyone to work together to make those hopes a reality is another thing altogether. With increasingly deep divisions within the bloc that has been calling for unity and solidarity in a time of adversity, it is difficult to see a workable decision being made anytime soon that would satisfy all members. And we have yet to hear from the gas sellers.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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People in England, Scotland and Wales could be in for three hour power cuts this winter if it can't import enough gas and electric imports from other parts of Europe, the British National Grid has warned. The utility said that the scenario was "unlikely," but that a perfect storm of Russian gas cuts and a cold snap akin to 2018's "beast from the east" could result in the rolling blackouts - reminiscent of power outages experienced in the 1970s.

According to The Guardian, the pre-planned outages would be announced one day in advance, and would aim to reduce total power consumption by 5%. It would require the approval of King Charles on the recommendation of the business secretary.

The National Grid included the scenario as one of several that could occur this winter, as it prepares for a highly uncertain period for power supplies due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Were heading into winter in an unprecedented situation. Even during the cold war, the Soviet Union kept the gas flowing so its very unpredictable," said one senior industry source.

National Grid has worked on a series of initiatives to attempt to manage supply and demand this winter. It is ready to call into action five coal-fired power plants, which can generate up to 2 gigawatts of power  after signing deals with Drax, EDF and Uniper at a cost of 340m to 395m. It will also launch a demand flexibility service on 1 November that will encourage businesses and consumers to use power outside peak demand periods, including early evenings on weekdays. Consumers with smart meters will be notified the day before and will be paid for using power outside these time periods. The initiative was trialled by Octopus Energy earlier this year. -The Guardian

If enough households participate in the load-shifting scheme, it could free up an extra 2GW - enough to power approximately 600,000 homes. The utility says it's "cautiously confident" that there will be enough juice to get through the winter.

The Grid's "base case" scenario is that there will be a surplus of around 3.7GW energy, and forecast a "sufficient operational surplus throughout winter," notwithstanding tight margins from early December to mid-January.

Two alternate scenarios include a shortage of gas in Europe if Russia cuts supplies - or outages in another country's generation capacity due to interruptions in energy supplies.

In the first scenario, no electricity is imported from Belgium, France and the Netherlands - requiring coal-fired plants to make up the shortfall, and would trigger the demand flexibility service. In the more drastic scenario, a gas shortage would eliminate around 10GW of gas-fired power generation, and "temporary rota load shedding" (rolling blackouts) would be enacted.

A reduction in Russian gas supplied into Europe, including the cut off of the damaged Nord Stream 1 pipeline, has caused a rush for gas supplies in Europe. A European Commission target of filling gas storage facilities by 80% by 1 November looks likely to be hit, however a period of colder weather could push up demand. Although Britain is not reliant on Russian gas, importers are exposed to the knock on effects. The majority of Great Britains gas supplies come from the North Sea and Norway, with the bulk of the remainder from liquified natural gas imports from across the globe. Imports from Europe, notably during winter, typically account for aabout 6% of gas supplies. -The Guardian

In all scenarios, the National Grid forecast gas and electric prices to remain high through the winter.

By Zerohedge.com

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Frances fuel distribution continues to be disrupted by the ongoing strikes at refineries with no end in sight to the industrial action that has left more than 60% of French refining capacity offline.

The current refinery outage in France is due to a strike of refinery workers over disputes over pay. More than half of Frances refinery capacity is currently offline due to the strikes. Traders of diesel and other products in Europe are concerned that the uncertain timing of the return of that capacity could further tighten the market just ahead of the EU embargo on Russian oil products early next year.

The fuel supply situation has worsened in the past week. As of Saturday, more than a fifth of gas stations in France had supply issues, the energy ministry said, as quoted by Reuters. In some areas, such as the Ile-de-France region around Paris and in Hauts-de-France in the north, a much higher share of gas stations are running out of fuel, while drivers in and nearby Paris are queuing to fill up their tanks at those stations where fuel is still available.

The Government is doing its utmost to restore the situation to normal as soon as possible, Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said this weekend.

Workers at refineries owned by TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil have been on strike for three weeks now due to disputes over pay. Exxon already said at the end of September that it was temporarily limiting the supply of refined petroleum products to its customers in France after strikes at its refineries forced the U.S. supermajor to shut down its two French facilities.

Negotiations continue, but on Monday, the CGT trade union rejected an offer from TotalEnergies, which had offered to bring forward negotiations if the union called off the strike.

This attempt is perceived as blackmail by the CGT and does not guarantee satisfaction of the demands expressed and therefore the return to work, the union said as carried by Reuters.

The strike has already prompted France to look to import more fuels, which has sent profit margins for northwest European diesel barges soaring to the highest since the beginning of March.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Oil workers have joined the anti-government protests in Iran, which have entered their fourth week following the death of Mahsa Amini.

Anger flared in several Kurdish cities after the 22-year-old Iranian-Kurds died on September 16, just three days after she was arrested by Irans morality police for allegedly breaching the countrys strict dress code for women.

Whereas university students have played a major role in the protests with dozens of universities going on strike, unconfirmed reports have revealed that workers at Abadan and Kangan oil refineries as well as the Bushehr Petrochemical Project have also joined in.

The Iranian government has blamed the protests on Irans enemies including the United States, saying its a ploy run by armed dissidents--among others--in which 185 people, including 19 minors and 20 members of the security forces have been reported killed.

Protesters have continued to brave the harsh crackdown by security forces, burning pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for the downfall of the clerical establishment and chanting "Death to the Dictator." Iranian authorities have, however, denied that the protests are in any way related to nuclear talks.

Prospects of reviving the Iran nuclear deal have swung dramatically, from near certain in March to almost nil currently, with talks hitting yet another stalemate in September. Meanwhile, exchanges on a compromise text are still falling short of satisfying all the involved parties. A successful nuclear deal could change the oil markets, with Irans oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh saying that his biggest dream has always been to increase Irans oil output to six million barrels per day; earn $2 trillion through oil exports over the next two decades and use the income to invest in the countrys development.

Such a level of production would cause considerable jitters in the delicately balanced oil markets. However, the overall balance might not change much, with tanker tracker sources--which rely on satellite imagery to follow global oil shipments--suggesting that Irans oil exports are already fairly high to countries like China, meaning we may not see a huge increase even if sanctions are lifted.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Gasoline prices in the United States have jumped over 3% since OPECs decision last week to cut output by 2 million barrels per day in November, reversing the trend that had seen prices lower at the pump for weeks.

On Monday, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States was $3.919, up from $3.799 a week ago, and up from $3.724 a month ago, according to AAA.

The hike in gas prices comes just weeks ahead of November midterms in the United States, where President Joe Biden is grappling with the effects of poorly timed rising prices at the pump.

While OPECs decision, which the Biden Administration has called shortsighted, is one contributing factor to rising gas prices, Gas Buddys Patrick De Haan also cites refinery issues.

While planned maintenance is a factor, De Haan says that unexpected outages, particularly in California and the Great Lakes region, have caused prices to soar.

Now that refinery issues in the Great Lakes and on the West Coast have begun to improve, De Haan said, we will not see the price drop at the pump that we expected because of the OPEC decision.

While were already starting to see some of these regions go up in price, and thats because oil prices had expected this OPEC decision, oil prices now almost $15 a barrel higher than last week. And thats causing prices to rise in areas of the Rockies, the south east coast and northeast. I expect the total increase to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.10 to 0.30 cents a gallon. Some areas have already seen that and could go a little bit higher in the week ahead, De Haan told PBS.

De Haan said that those areas that have not yet seen a rise in prices will bear the brunt of the bigger increases now.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Russian missiles hit downtown Kyiv and civilian targets in other Ukrainian cities on Monday as Vladimir Putin vowed a harsh response to this weekends blast that led to a collapse of a Russian-built bridge in Crimea.

Early on Monday, Russia fired cruise missiles at many Ukrainian cities, including the first missile strike on the capital Kyiv in months, after an explosion led to the collapse of the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, a bridge Russia built after it annexed Crimea and which Putin personally inaugurated.

The Kerch Bridge, which Russia has seen as a symbol of its annexation, has acted as a major supply route for Russian troops occupying southern Ukraine. The bridge has been a legitimate military target for Ukraine because it has been used to haul troops and weapons into Ukraine, Kyiv has said.

After accusing Ukraine of terrorism following the collapse of the bridge in Crimea, Putin ordered missile strikes on Ukrainian cities on Monday. At least eight people were killed in downtown Kyiv while commuting to work, in the first major attack on the Ukrainian capital after months of a relative return to normality. At least 24 other people were wounded, according to Ukrainian officials cited by the AP.

Russia also fired missiles on Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Sumy in eastern Ukraine, and at the western cities of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, which had so far remained relatively calm and insulated from the war.

Multiple Russian missile strikes across Ukraine. Putins only tactic is terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities, but he will not break Ukraine down. This is also his response to all appeasers who want to talk with him about peace: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Monday.

The minister, on a visit to Africa, will return immediately to Ukraine and said he was in constant contact with partners since early morning today to coordinate a resolute response to Russians attacks.

The escalation of the war could lead to more sanctions on Russian exports, while Russia could also retaliate by cutting off all gas supply to Europe.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The number of valid invention patents on the Chinese mainland has exceeded 3 million, with a rising proportion in the field of digital technologies, the National Intellectual Property Administration said on Sunday.

As of September, there were over 3.15 million valid invention patents held on the Chinese mainland, said Ge Shu, an official with the administration, at a press conference.

More than 30 percent of the Chinese patents belonged to strategic emerging industries, such as new energy vehicles, digital creativity, and high-end equipment manufacturing, and 13 percent have a patent term of over 10 years, according to the official.

As of July, 326,000 Chinese enterprises were holding 2.09 million valid invention patents.

Ge stressed the growth of patents in the field of digital technologies, saying that computer technology, measurements, and digital communications were the top three industries in the number of valid invention patents in China as of July.

The patent number has further enhanced China's international status as an innovation power, Ge said.
Energean has started doing tests on pipes from the Karish offshore gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean and Israel, which claims ownership of the field although neighbor Lebanon disputes this.

According to Israel, Karish lies in its territorial waters. According to Lebanon, it falls within a triangle of contested waters because the two cannot agree on where exactly the border passes.

As Reuters put it in a report from earlier this year, "Israel claims the boundary runs further north than Lebanon accepts, while Lebanon claims it runs further south than Israel accepts, leaving a triangle of disputed waters."

While the dispute drags on, Energean, which won the rights to exploit Karish, said that following approval received from the Israeli Ministry of Energy to start certain testing procedures, the flow of gas from onshore to the FPSO has commenced, The National reported.

It added that the tests will last a few weeks and would help it move closer to full-scale production at the field. According to Energean, Karish has reserves estimated at 1.41 trillion cubic feet. The final investment decision on developing the field was made in 2018.

When the UK-based company arrived in Israel to prepare for drilling at Karish earlier this year, Lebanon warned there will be a reaction. Israel in its turn warned Beirut that if it attacks the field this would be construed as an attack on the state of Israel and there will be a retaliatory move.

Tensions remain high even though the U.S. has offered to mediate talks for the resolution of the dispute. The talks are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Israel has ambitions to become a major gas supplier in the Eastern Mediterranean, boosting its output to 40 billion cubic meters over the next few years. Earlier this year, Israel held talks with the European Union for possible future supplies of LNG, with the liquefaction to take place in Egypt.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Nigeria, Morocco, and their partners expect to make a final investment decision next year on what would be the worlds longest offshore gas pipeline from Nigeria to Morocco and onto southern Europe, the chief executive of the Nigerian state oil firm told Bloomberg in an interview.

The pipeline, expected to cost between $20 billion and $25 billion, is planned to run for 3,840 miles (5,600 kilometers) from Nigeria along the West African coast to Morocco before connecting with pipelines in Italy and Spain and potentially delivering more non-Russian gas to Europe.

Nigeria wants to monetize and export more of its vast natural gas resources, which are now currently only exported by Nigeria LNG, a joint venture of NNPC and international oil and gas majors. More gas exports for Nigeria would also mean diversifying the African producers gas export routes and eliminating gas flaring, according to Nigerian officials.

Last month, NNPC and the Moroccan Office National of Hydrocarbons and Mines signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline.

We will take a final investment decision next year, Mele Kyari, CEO at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), told Bloomberg in an interview published on Monday.

According to NNPCs top executive, the huge pipeline will be built in stages, with the first one expected to take three years to complete. The other phases of the construction would take five years, Kyari told Bloomberg. Nigeria, Morocco, and other stakeholders are currently discussing terms of financing with potential financial partners and lenders, he added.

Nigeria plans to significantly boost its gas production, and quadrupling output in the next four years is very realizable, the manager said.

The longest offshore pipeline  if completed on time  could supply more pipeline gas from Africa to Europe by the end of this decade, when the EU will have freed itself from Russian gas, according to its current plans.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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LOS ANGELES  America slammed the door in the face of Black progress time after time, and time after time African Americans responded by thriving in a society of their own making.

When Black doctors were excluded from the American Medical Association, they formed the National Medical Association in 1895. Black colleges, businesses, social groups and even fashion shows grew as alternatives to whites-only institutions and activities.

The result was a parallel sepia world in which Black lives and culture could flourish despite entrenched racism, says filmmaker and scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., who celebrates a history of resilience in Making Black America: Through the Grapevine.

The four-part series, which airs weekly on PBS and PBS online and began last Tuesday, was produced, written and hosted by Gates, a steady chronicler of Black history and culture whose more than a dozen documentaries include 2021s Emmy-nominated The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song. Hes also the host and producer of PBS Finding Your Roots.

Making Black America is infused with Gates self-described optimism. But he considers it his most political series yet because it shows the true complexity of the African American experience, he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

We need to have our self-image, our self-esteem affirmed, because so many actors in our society are trying to tear down our self-esteem, trying to tear down our belief in ourselves, he said.

Gates said the series is a rebuttal to what he calls the stereotype of a Black America consumed with white people and devoting all of its energy and imagination to fighting white supremacy.

What you do with most of your imagination is you fall in love, you raise a family, you have children, you build social networks, said the Harvard University professor. This is a demonstration of Black agency, the way we created a world within a world.

Gates compared the Black havens to those established by Jewish Americans and other ethnic groups when they were barred from employment, cultural institutions and other elements of U.S. society.

During a Q&A with TV critics, Gates delighted in pointing out that the grapevine in the series title pre-dated the Motown hit song I Heard it Through the Grapevine by about two centuries: He said founding father John Adams wrote about the grapevine concept in 1775, and it was referred to by Booker T. Washington in 1901. Washington founded what is now Tuskegee University.

The vivid word broadly describes the formal and informal networks which, for centuries, have connected Black Americans to each other through the underground, not just as a way of spreading the news, but ways of building and sustaining Black communities, said Gates.

Shayla Harris, who produced and directed the series with Stacey L. Holman, said that the Black experience is often sorted into either the struggle or abundant creativity. But business drive is also a notable part, she said.

The Negro Motorist Green-book, a 1936-67 guidebook to businesses that would serve Black travelers, is generally discussed in the context of the restrictions that people of color faced under Jim Crow segregation.

That ingenuity also was testament to the Black entrepreneurs who exemplified the saying that Black people make a way out of no way, Harris said. The guide was a document of 7,000 Black businesses across the country, from restaurants to hotels to beachfronts and just any little stand that people could put together. (The guide was central in the 2018 Oscar-winning interracial road trip movie Green Book, which won best picture and best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali.)

Other aspects of African American perseverance highlighted by the series and its creators:

The barbershops and hair salons that serve as community centers. Gates said he still delights in going to the Nu Image Barbershop in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvards home town. The talk is about what youre anxious about, your kids, whats in the news, of course. And you talk about LeBron (James) and Steph Curry and the Celtics. The full gamut of human emotions.

Excluded from professional, trade and even recreational associations, African Americans formed their own. In naming the groups, they used national in the titles as a polite way to signify the membership was Black, Gates said. That included the National Dental Association and the National Brotherhood of Skiers. (In 2008, the American Medical Association formally apologized for decades of racial discrimination.)

The robust number of sororities, fraternities and fraternal orders that contribute to Black social life and networking. One had roots in todays Prince Hall Freemasonry. It began with a Massachusetts lodge initiated in 1775 by Masons from Ireland after Colonial whites rejected Hall and a handful of other Black men for membership.

The innovative Black women who stood out in business. They included early 20th-century business mogul Madam C.J. Walker, inventor and philanthropist Annie Malone and Maggie L. Walker, who was among Americas first female bankers and who focused on the needs of the working class. To see these women succeed despite a society thats pushing against you and a society thats predominately male  was enlightening, encouraging and just empowering, Holman said.

The Ebony magazine-sponsored Ebony Fashion Fair runway shows that countered the industrys overt discrimination by featuring Black models and designers for an audience that dressed for the occasion. The annual event, which was staged nationally and outside the U.S. for five decades, raised millions of dollars for charity.
Seven years ago today, a dedication ceremony of the "Umonhon" sculpture series was held at Fontenelle Park in Omaha.

The city of Omaha took its name from the Umonhon (Omaha) Tribe, whose ancestral home was eastern Nebraska. And Fontenelle Park was named for an Omaha Tribe chief, Logan Fontenelle, the grandson of Chief Big Elk.

The four-piece sculpture series, created by Omaha artist Trudy Swanson, celebrates the history and culture of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. The sculptures are positioned at the four directional points of Fontenelle Park, which is south of Ames Avenue between 42nd and 48th Streets. The artwork can be found along the walking trail and features information about the tribe and the parks namesake.

The sites also offer different vantage points of the park, notable for its rolling hills and a sizable lagoon at the north end.

Every single one of them you can just look out and see the most beautiful view of the park, Swanson said.

The daylong, public dedication began at 5 a.m. with a flag-raising by the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, followed by a traditional cedaring ceremony at 6 a.m. Lunch was served at noon, with dancing by Omaha Tribe members from 1 to 4 p.m.

The project was funded through a combination of historical and neighborhood grants. The event was organized by Omaha By Design, the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and the Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property to officially welcome the public art pieces.
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Nebraska continue to move in a positive direction, with cases falling for the fifth straight week.

Nebraska recorded 1,028 new cases last week, down 16% from 1,224 the previous week, according to data compiled from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Case numbers have dropped more than 75% since the end of July and are now at their lowest level since late May.

Nebraskas case trends mirror those nationally, as the majority of states have seen declining numbers since July. U.S. cases are at their lowest levels since April. Nebraskas overall case levels are 11th lowest among the states.

The state has tallied more than 538,000 COVID cases.

What the virus will do next, however, isnt entirely clear. Fall and winter brought surges in both 2020 and 2021 as people retreated indoors and new variants took over. While cases are down in the U.S., they are up in some European nations.

Health officials are urging Americans to get the new bivalent booster shots, which cover both the original strain of COVID-19 and the omicron variants now circulating.

So far, however, uptake has been slow. By the end of September, about 7.6 million eligible people had gotten the updated shot, which became available for people 12 and older over the Labor Day weekend. Some 200 million people are eligible.

The agency recommends the shots for healthy people if it has been at least two months since their last vaccine dose, whether that was the last shot in their primary series or their latest dose of the original booster. It doesnt matter how many boosters people have had before as long as they have completed a primary series, according to a recent post by Nebraska Medicine.

People who recently have had COVID-19 may consider delaying the new booster by three months from when their symptoms started or they first tested positive. The CDC has an online tool to help people determine when they need boosters.

Health officials also are encouraging people to get flu shots in order to avoid a dual outbreak that could strain hospitals. The agency has said people can get both shots at the same time.

An average of 137 Nebraskans were hospitalized with COVID last week, down from 142 the previous week. Thats the lowest level since early June, similar to the national trend.

The state also added nine deaths last week to bring its toll of confirmed and probable deaths to 4,551. The nation as a whole saw deaths drop below 400 a day after hovering above that number for weeks.
INMAN, S.C. (AP)  Five people died Sunday night in a shooting at a home in northern South Carolina, authorities said,

Spartanburg County deputies and emergency workers found them suffering from gunshot wounds at a house in Inman, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said in a statement.

Four people died at the scene and a fifth died in surgery at the hospital, authorities said.

All five people killed appeared to be adults, weren't related to each other and were found in different parts of the home, the coroner said.

Spartanburg County deputies said they won't release any additional information on the shooting until the coroner has identified the people killed and notified their families.

Clevenger said his office is performing autopsies and trying to identify the victims on Monday.

The home where the bodies were found is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of Spartanburg,.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Human rights activists pressed their call Monday for the immediate release of a former Philippine opposition senator after she was taken hostage in a rampage by three Muslim militants in a failed attempt to escape from a maximum-security jail.

Police killed three Islamic State group-linked militants behind Sundays violence in which a police officer was stabbed and former Sen. Leila de Lima was briefly taken hostage. The militants tried to escape from the jail for high-profile inmates at the national police headquarters in metropolitan Manila, police said.

National police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. acknowledged there were security lapses in the detention center and said its commander has been removed as part of an investigation.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch separately expressed deep alarm over the violence and the hostage-taking of de Lima. The groups call for her immediate release.

That she has had to endure this traumatizing and frightening experience on top of being arbitrarily detained for over five years now is the height of outrage, negligence and injustice, Amnesty International Philippine director Butch Olano said.

About two dozen supporters held a protest for de Lima, who was brought to a metropolitan Manila trial court Monday for a hearing, which was postponed.

We condemned what happened yesterday, said protester Charito del Carmen. Its painful for us because if she got killed what would happen to the fight for justice that weve been waging for her?

One of the three inmates stabbed a police officer who was delivering breakfast after dawn in an open area, where inmates can exercise outdoors. A guard in a sentry tower fired warning shots then shot and killed two of the prisoners when they refused to yield, police said.

The third inmate ran to de Limas cell and briefly held her hostage, Azurin said.

De Lima, 63, told investigators the hostage-taker tied her hands and feet, blindfolded her and pressed a pointed weapon to her chest and demanded access to journalists and a military aircraft to take him to southern Sulu province, where the Muslim militant group Abu Sayyaf has long had a presence.

The man continually threatened to kill her until he was gunned down by a police negotiator, she told investigators.

Following the jail violence, Filibon Tacardon said he and other de Lima lawyers were hoping the court would now grant her appeal for bail. There have also been appeals to place de Lima under house arrest.

De Lima has been detained since 2017 on drug charges she says were fabricated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials in an attempt to muzzle her criticism of his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. It left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead and sparked an International Criminal Court investigation as a possible crime against humanity.

She has been cleared in one of three cases, and at least two witnesses have retracted their allegations against her.

Duterte, who has insisted on de Limas guilt, stepped down from office on June 30 at the end of his turbulent six-year term.

Newly elected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talked to de Lima, who was confined in a hospital, by telephone and asked if she wanted to be transferred to another detention site but she rejected the offer, Azurin said.

Even before the jail violence, the European Union Parliament, some American legislators and United Nations human rights watchdogs have demanded that de Lima be freed immediately.

Associated Press journalist Aaron Favila contributed to this report.
Lone Star College celebrates 50 years of academic excellence

Houston (Oct. 7, 2022)  On Oct. 7, 1972, voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of North Harris County College which went on to become Lone Star College. LSC is now celebrating its 50th year of serving students and community providing high quality, affordable education close to home.

Starting with 613 students taking classes at Aldine High School to welcoming more than 80,000 students each semester, the LSC story is one of incredible foresight, determination and a commitment to student success.

Pictured is W.W. Thorne, Founder and first President.

50 years ago, forward thinking citizens came together with the vision of creating a college for their community, said Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., LSC Chancellor. People like John A. Winship, W.W. Thorne and Joe Airola laid the ground work for what was to become one of the elite community colleges in the nation.

Thanks to support of Spring, Humble and Aldine Independent School Districts, architectural plans for the new college were drawn and construction began on what became the flagship campus at LSC-North Harris.

It was unbelievable to be in on the starting of this magnificent community college; it was just wonderful to be part of the beginning, said Dr. Joe McMillian, Chairperson of the Division of Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Physical Education when the college opened.

Thanks to the early success of the college, five more independent school districts in New Caney, Tomball, Conroe, Splendora and Willis joined the college district, helping it reach even more students and leading to what would become LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Tomball and LSC-Montgomery.

The college was important to this community because of the quality of education, said Ray Laughter, LSC Vice Chancellor Emeritus for External Affairs. People moved from the city into the suburbs for the quality of life and a big piece of that was quality education.

As Houston welcomed in the 21st century, residents welcomed LSC-CyFair in 2003 and the North Harris County College District, which began in 1972, was renamed and became the Lone Star College System in fall 2008. In 2009, LSC purchased the former world headquarters of Compaq Computer Corporation to create LSC-University Park which opened its doors in 2010.

When we organized the college, the other junior college presidents in the area said we were really not thinking big enough, said W.W. Thorne Founder and first President. Not even they could conceive of what happened to the college.

As the college grew, several student success initiatives were developed including the building of world-class workforce programs, the creation of The Honors College at Lone Star College, launching LSC-Houston North to address an underserved area of Houston, the addition of bachelors degrees for students looking to advance their education and developing LSC-Online as the eighth campus in the system.

In celebration of this historic event, LSC received a proclamation from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reading in part, unrelenting in your focus and commitment to providing a rigorous, well-rounded education, you have established a legacy of success that will long highlight the best of our great state. LSC was also honored by city of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declaring Oct. 7, 2022 as Lone Star College Day for going above and beyond in its efforts to provide affordable and quality education.

What started as an idea to bring higher education to an underserved community has now grown into an institution that has become one of the leading community colleges in the nation, said Head. Lone Star College is a living testament of what can happen when communities join together and work toward providing a better way of life for all people.
Two minutes may be all you have to escape a home fire  the nations most frequent disaster

Monday, October 10, 2022  This Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15), the Texas Gulf Coast Region urges everyone to practice their two-minute home fire escape plan and test their smoke alarms to stay safe from the nations most frequent disaster.

Two minutes is the amount of time that fire experts say you may have to safely escape a home fire before its too late. These crises account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters that the Red Cross responds to each year across the U.S.  where home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of year.

As the threat of home fires increases with colder temperatures, Fire Prevention Week serves as an important reminder to prepare now, said Vanessa Valdez, Regional Communications Manager, Texas Gulf Coast Region, Red Cross. Practice your two-minute home fire escape drill and test your smoke alarms monthly to help keep your family safe.

HOW TO PRACTICE YOUR TWO-MINUTE DRILL Practice your plan with everyone in your household; also teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do in an emergency. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a printable escape plan and safety tips for cooking and home heating  the leading causes of home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association, which is sponsoring Fire Prevention Week with the theme, Fire Wont Wait. Plan Your Escape.

Include at least two ways to exit every room in your home in your 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 knows to meet.

Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.

Check the manufacturers date of your smoke alarms. If theyre 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced because components such batteries can become less reliable. Follow your alarms manufacturer instructions.

Tailor your escape plan to everyones needs in your household. If you or a loved one is deaf or hard of hearing, install strobe light and bed-shaker alarms to help alert you to a fire.

IF YOU NEED HELP If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your local Red Cross for help at 713-313-5315 or you may fill out an application on our website, here.
With growing COVID-19 infections reported in the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions on the first workday after the seven-day National Day holiday, local authorities have continued to implement strict epidemic prevention and control measures as well as make all efforts to meet daily needs.

Inner Mongolia reported 207 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 424 asymptomatic cases on Saturday, according to the regional health commission.

Among them, 188 confirmed and 376 asymptomatic cases were detected in the regional capital Hohhot, bringing the current tally in the latest outbreak to 723 and 2,066, respectively.

"We are facing a severe and complex epidemic situation that requires the combined efforts of the whole city to fight," Liu Yuanjun, an official with the city's health commission said at a news conference Sunday. "The city conducted a new round of mass nucleic acid testing on Sunday."

More personnel and facilities have been allocated to take care of medical needs, according to Liu.

The local government also urged residents not to leave the city to avoid the spread of the virus to areas outside the region.

"Those who have to leave for special reasons should provide three negative nucleic acid test results taken within five days," said Guo Quanbin, an official with Hohhot's transportation bureau.

"Currently, all interprovincial and intercity road passenger services have been suspended and inbound and outbound flights and trains have been significantly reduced."

In the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, there is still a high risk of hidden transmission in communities, which could lead to a rebound, Erzat Zada, deputy director of the region's health commission said at a news conference on Saturday.

The region reported 53 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 383 asymptomatic cases on Saturday, according to the regional health commission.

"In the past two days, we have seen a rapid increase of infections due to the highly transmissible nature of the Omicron subvariant, which were caused by hidden transmission before the infections were detected," said Ma Hemu, an expert with the region's disease control and prevention center.

"There are also some other existing problems, such as the inaccurate division of risk areas, shortage of staff members in community prevention and control work, improper processes during nucleic acid sample collection, disinfection, sample transportation and disposal of medical waste."

Beijing has reported 39 COVID-19 infections since Sept 29 as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the center, said at a news conference on Saturday, that the cases involved 10 transmission chains in eight districts in the city.

Some people who returned to the capital after holiday trips failed to follow required measures, which added to the difficulty of current epidemic control and prevention work, the center said.

"The 10 transmission chains are all independent, and three transmission chains have reported zero new cases for at least five days, which means they are under control at present," Liu said.

Liu stressed that people who return to the capital after the holiday should strictly follow epidemic control and prevention measures, which can effectively reduce infection risks.

The Beijing government has asked residents to present a negative nucleic acid test result obtained within 48 hours, as well as a green health code before returning to the capital after the holiday. Upon arrival, nucleic acid tests should be taken twice within three days and recent returnees should not visit crowded places or dine with others for a week.

Those working in Beijing should obtain a 48-hour negative nucleic acid test result before returning to their workplaces.
PEORIA  The first Black U.S. Attorney General will speak in Peoria in January for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration Luncheon.

Eric Holder was appointed attorney general in 2009 by President Barack Obama. He served until April 2015. During his time in office, and since, he has been a leader in civil rights, including voting rights, according to a statement from Public Employees for Community Concerns, which is hosting the event.

Holder's first book, co-written with Sam Koppelman, is titled "Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote  A History, a Crisis, a Plan." It came out in May and offers a history of voting and the future of voting rights in the U.S.

The 31st MLK Celebration Luncheon is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2023, at the Peoria Civic Center. Tickets are $60 per person or $600 for a table of 10 and can be bought at www.mlkluncheon.com or the City Clerk's office in Peoria City Hall.

Doors for the event open at 11 a.m. and the luncheon begins at noon.
U of I Extension offers Food Protection Manager Course at Heartland

NORMAL  University of Illinois Extension is offering a Certified Food Protection Manager class this month at Heartland Community College.

The class will meet Monday, Oct. 17, and Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the Astroth Community Education Center, Room 2101. The first class will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and the second class, which will include the test, will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Participants will learn about basic food safety, personal hygiene, cross-contamination and allergens, time and temperature, and cleaning and sanitation.

Illinois regulations require food establishments to have a least one Certified Food Protection Manager on staff. U of I Extension offers the course and examination, which is required every five years. The university uses the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals examination, which is approved by the American National Standards Institute.

Class participants are asked to bring a photo ID on the day of the exam. There will be 30-minute lunch breaks.

The program is $125 per person, which includes the purchase of materials and the exam for the class. Those who need materials in a language other than English should notify the course instructor, Jenna Smith, at least 10 business days before the class at 309-663-8306 or jesmith6@illinois.edu.

To register, visit heartland.edu/ContinuingEd and search "professional Development," then "prepare for a career." To enroll by phone, call 309-268-8160. Space is limited.

El Paso nursing home to host TV drive

EL PASO  El Paso Health Care Center is having a TV drive at their facility at 850 E. 2nd St. in El Paso.

The drive is to help residents who do not have a TV and improve their quality of life, as many of them only come with their own belongings, which don't usually include a TV.

Those who plan to donate are asked to bring any new or used TV's to the center.

Note there are no set dates for the event; it is an ongoing drive.

Contact Ashley at 919-830-1198, send a Facebook message or call the facility at 309-527-2700 if interested in donating.

Visit PetersenHealthCare.net/El-Paso for more information.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNITED STATES NAVY!

The official birthdate of the United States Navy is Oct. 13, 1775, as that is the date the Continental Navy was established during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, the Navy was disbanded, but due to significant loss of goods and personnel at the hands of the Barbary pirates from Algiers, the United States Congress passed the Naval Act of 1794, thus reestablishing the Navy. Congratulations, Navy, and all those patriots who served in the Navy in the many conflicts in which our nation has been engaged!

VA EXPANDS HEALTH CARE ELIGIBILITY

Gulf War veterans who did not previously enroll in VA health care will have a one-year window to enroll if they served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War or served in a combat theater against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after Nov. 11, 1998, and were discharged or released from active service between Sept. 11, 2001, and Oct. 1, 2013. Vietnam-era veterans who served in the following locations and time periods are eligible for care: the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975; Thailand at any U.S. or Royal Thai base between Jan. 9, 1962, and June 30, 1975; Laos between Dec. 1, 1965, and Sept. 30, 1969; certain provinces in Cambodia between April 16, 1969, and April 30, 1969; Guam or American Samoa (or their territorial waters) between Jan. 9, 1962, and July 31, 1980; Johnston Atoll (or on a ship that called there) between Jan. 1, 1972, and Sept. 30, 1977. Now is the time to apply or make an inquiry if you previously have been designated a VA Category 8 enrollee, to establish accessibility of VA health care.

Q: My father is an Army veteran who served from 1976 to 1980 and lives by himself. His health recently has deteriorated to the point where he needs help for daily routine type of activities, i.e. bathing, medicine management, etc. Does the VA have any programs or benefits that could help him stay in his own home for as long as possible?

A: The VAs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers has been expanded to include eligible veterans who served after May 7, 1975, and before Sept. 11, 2002. PCAFC provides caregivers of eligible veterans with resources, education, financial assistance, health insurance, beneficiary travel, peer support and more. Previously, PCAFC was only available to eligible veterans who served on or after Sept. 11, 2002. The first expansion of the PCAFC implemented in 2018 under the Mission Act has added approximately 20,000 active veteran and family caregiver participants to the PCAFC. All eras of service are potentially eligible for VA caregiver services. Call the Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274 Monday through Saturday, 8 am.-10 p.m. ET, or reach out to a local caregiver support program (CSP Team). The Illiana VA Hospital in Danville has a CSP Team and can be contacted at 217-554-4797.

VA DEBT RELIEF TO VETERANS AFFECTED BY HURRICANES

Some veterans who are rated 60% service-connected disability or below and whose income level is above a certain level are required to pay VA deductibles, co-pays and out-of-pocket fees for some VA medical services. These fee notices are sent to the veterans like how the patients part of a medical bill covered by a private health insurance is handled. The VA is offering a suspension of debt repayments for veterans and family members affected by Hurricane Fiona or Hurricane Ian. The suspension of debt program requires the veteran and beneficiaries to contact the VA Debt Management Center via Ask VA at ask.va.gov (select Veterans Affairs Debt as the category or call 800-827-0648). For suspension of medical care and pharmacy co-payment debt, veterans and beneficiaries can contact the Health Resource Center by calling 866-400-1238. Veterans can also check the status of their VA debt on VAs debt portal. This Debt Suspension Program does not forgive the debt, but only extends the time period in which the debt must be repaid. The extension of time for repayment will be done on an individual basis at a to-be-determined date.
ANNA, Ill.  The disturbing 911 call began with sounds of a struggle, then a voice that sounded like a childs cried out, Let me go. When the police dispatcher in the rural southern Illinois community announced herself, no one responded.

She heard other voices, laughing and taunting, then a female voice said, You want me to break your other finger?

There was shouting, and someone crying Let me go at least a dozen more times.

At one point the victim  who was later identified as a 22-year-old resident of the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center  said I dont like you.

I dont give a shit, a woman responded.

Almost five minutes passed on the June 2020 call before the dispatcher got the attention of someone on the other end of the line. Then the connection went dead.

With the audio recording in hand, the Illinois State Police launched an investigation. They learned that the call was made as Choate employees attempted to restrain a patient: A smart watch jostled in the struggle had accidentally dialed emergency services. They discovered that the voice heard pleading for help belonged to Alijah Luellen, who has Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic condition that can cause severe childhood obesity, intellectual disability and behavioral problems. They also discovered that the other voices belonged to the employees paid to care for him.

Nonetheless, such incriminating evidence was not enough to hold anyone accountable.

Such failures of accountability at Choate, which is run by the Illinois Department of Human Services, do not begin or end with the 911 call. Reporting by Lee Enterprises Midwest, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica reveals a culture of cover-ups that makes it harder to reform the 270-bed developmental center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. In dozens of cases, records show that Choate employees have lied to state police and to investigators with IDHS Office of the Inspector General; walked out of interviews, plotted to cover up or obfuscate alleged abuse and neglect; and failed to follow policies intended to protect the integrity of investigations.

The findings follow stories by the three news organizations last month that exposed abuses patients have suffered at Choate. In response to those articles, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a warning to state workers: Put an end to awful abuses or the state may be forced to shut the facility down.

IDHS did not dispute any of the news organizations findings, and it said in a statement that the agency requires employees to cooperate with OIG investigations and trains them on the need to be truthful with both the OIG and state police. Similarly, IDHS trains staff on preventing and reporting abuse and neglect on at least a yearly basis.

But as the 911 incident reveals, cleaning up the facilitys practices may not be easy.

When police questioned several of the employees on shift that night, they all told the investigators that they believed it had been a routine restraint, something they did to Luellen several times a week. One worker also said the order for strapping Luellen to his bed was made after the patient was verbally uncooperative and reached for the shirt of an employee who told him he couldnt stay up and watch TV after 10 p.m., according to the police report.

Records show he remained in restraints for two hours. During a medical examination after the incident, a doctor found tenderness in his finger and bruises on his upper body.

The investigators played the audio recording of the 911 call to each employee and wrote down their reactions. According to notes from their interviews, one worker acted nervous and told them all the shouting was making her anxious; another told them he wished that they didnt have the audio because it sounds bad.

Yet they all claimed they couldnt recognize the voice of the worker who threatened the patient on the 911 call.

In addition, two employees cut their interviews with investigators short and walked out. (Law enforcement cannot compel employees to answer questions, according to state police; IDHS said that employees participation in criminal investigations is not mandated as a condition of employment.) Another employee, in internal paperwork, initially stated he assisted in the restraint. He later told police he had falsified the paperwork and wasnt actually in the room, according to the police report.

The victims statement also wasnt helpful in making the case: Because of Luellens severe speech impediment, state police investigators asked him to write down the initials of anyone who hurt him. He returned to them a page of illegible scribbles.

This June, two years after the incident, the Union County prosecutor declined to bring charges, citing insufficient evidence. State police interviewed six mental health technicians and one nurse who were working on the unit that night. Two of the mental health techs who participated in restraining Luellen were trainees; one was fired and the other resigned. Two permanent employees have been on paid administrative leave since the incident. None of the permanent employees were fired. The nurse who ordered the restraints left Choate in December 2021 and accepted a new job with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

Reporters obtained a copy of the 911 call by making a Freedom of Information Act request to Union County and provided the agency a copy of the recording and questions about their handling of the case. But when asked about the recording, the agency spokesperson said senior officials had not listened to the 911 call and that it couldnt be released to them because it was part of an ongoing OIG review. That review could lead to discipline against employees.

Benita Hunter, Luellens aunt and legal guardian, also received the recording from reporters; hearing it for the first time left her stunned and heartbroken.

Theyre supposed to be there to support and help the clients that they have coming in, Hunter said. Alijah, he wouldnt be able to explain everything because of his developmental delays, and they know that. He cannot defend himself and speak against them.

Elusive justice

While audio evidence of abuse is rare, the actions taken by Choate staff in the aftermath of the investigation were not.

The OIG cited Choate employees in more than four dozen cases between 2015 and 2021 for lying or providing false statements to OIG investigators; for failing to report an allegation within four hours of its discovery, as is required by law; and for other failures to follow department policy concerning the reporting and investigation of abuse and neglect, according to an analysis of OIG records by the news organizations.

Of the 1,180 allegations of abuse and neglect made during that time frame, OIG ruled that only a tiny fraction were substantiated  meaning that it found credible evidence to support the allegation. But records and interviews make clear that investigatory missteps and lack of employee cooperation can quickly derail an investigation.

Stacey Aschemann of Equip for Equality, a disability rights legal aid organization that officially monitors the facility for the state, said, We commonly observe that no staff saw or heard anything, which is unlikely.

She added, We have reason to believe that there are multiple cases that would have been substantiated if additional evidence had been available.

In an interview, Union County States Attorney Tyler Tripp said he was disturbed by the 911 recording in which Luellen was threatened. He was also troubled by the fact that he couldnt make a case. He kept it open for two years, he said, hoping someone would come forward with more information.

Its not the only case in which he has encountered stonewalling that has made prosecution difficult.

In these types of situations, a select group of bad actors coordinate in anticipation of an investigation to get their stories straight, to obscure evidence and to frustrate the investigation, Tripp said.

He said investigations are typically stymied if patient testimony is not corroborated by employee witnesses. In addition, he said, some patients arent even able to tell police what happened. Nearly 15% of residents at Choate have a developmental disability that is diagnosed as severe or profound, and about 10% are nonverbal.

Another case from the same year that has languished on Tripps desk involves a resident who alleges a Choate employee wrapped a towel around the patients neck until he passed out, according to two people who are intimately familiar with the investigation but not authorized to comment on it. A different staffer discovered the patient unconscious with a red mark on his neck.

The accused employee denied the accusation and refused an interview by police. Other employees claimed they didnt know what happened.

Tripp has yet to make a decision on whether he will press charges, and he declined to comment on the details of the case. He said that in general, when he delays a decision, its because an investigation has brought forth some evidence but not as much as is needed to successfully prosecute a case.

Though uncooperative facility staff had long frustrated state police investigations, administrators became the target of an investigation in January 2020. It started when two employees reported that they witnessed a colleague, Kevin Jackson, remove his belt and repeatedly use it to whip a female patient. The employees, who worked in a neighboring building, reported that they saw the assault through the victims bedroom window.

After an OIG investigator notified state police of the allegation against Jackson, assistant administrators Teresa Smith and Gary Goins looked at the investigatory file and then sent a psychologist to speak with the patient while the police were still on their way, according to then-security chief Barry Smoot, in his testimony before a Union County grand jury. After the police arrived, the victim said that someone other than Jackson had hit her.

Longstanding OIG policy had prohibited administrative involvement in abuse and neglect investigations to avoid conflicts of interest. According to Smoot, facility director Bryant Davis also accessed the file, along with Smith, on a different occasion. And state police Sgt. Rick White testified before a Union County grand jury that the administrators interventions were unusual and threatened to derail the investigation, court records show.

Jackson, the mental health tech, pleaded not guilty to a felony battery charge and his case is pending. The administrators were also initially charged with felony official misconduct; the states attorney withdrew those charges but left open the possibility of filing new ones.

Senior department officials have defended the actions of the Choate administrators. Attempts to reach the administrators for comment, including facility director Davis, were not successful. Jackson declined to comment.

State Sen. Terri Bryant, a Republican from Murphysboro whose district includes Choate, said she was alarmed by the departments handling of this case. Shortly after the reported assault, Bryant said, she received a call from a worker informing her that employees had placed paper over the windows on the unit where the incident occurred.

Bryant said she went to see it for herself, then called an IDHS administrator in Springfield to inquire about it. He called the facility and was told the paper had been taken down. He relayed that information to Bryant. But Bryant said she was sitting outside the building when he called her back and could see from her car that it was still up. In August, 20 months after the assault, the paper was still there.

An IDHS spokesperson said, At times, paper was on windows because the window fixtures were on order. The paper would have been for privacy in resident bedrooms.

Few consequences

Serious consequences in cases of abuse and misconduct are rare. The Illinois State Police opened at least 40 investigations at Choate over the past decade. Of those, 28, including Luellens case, did not result in any criminal charges, with the Union County prosecutor most frequently citing insufficient evidence as the reason for not moving forward. The other 12 investigations resulted in felony charges against 26 employees, with most pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges or having their cases dismissed entirely. (A few are pending.) Only one employee was convicted of a felony  for hiding evidence, rather than for the underlying abuse. To date, no one has served prison time.

Beyond the lack of criminal sanctions, employees are also rarely fired for misconduct, including actions that obstruct investigations. According to a review of records where OIG cited Choate for problems, by far the most common response to the deficiencies cited was a recommendation for retraining. The response was included in cases where OIG cited employees for lying or otherwise impeding an investigation. One former official at Choate said the departments retraining amounted to providing employees with a policy document and having them sign a form saying that theyd read it.

In one 2016 case, Choate planned a training for the entire staff that addresses late reporting of abuse/neglect, staff members encouraging, bribing or coercing individuals regarding OIG investigations and obstruction with an ongoing OIG investigation, IDHS records show. The department redacted details about what prompted the retraining.

In 25 cases, the department acknowledged a need to retrain workers in how to treat Choates clients with dignity and respect. IDHS policy for employees demands that they do not engage in dehumanizing practices, such as cursing, yelling, mocking or other cruel treatment.

Though the details of incidents were redacted in most of these cases, employees have been cited by OIG in recent years for using racist, homophobic and derogatory language toward people with disabilities, including calling them retards.

Code of silence

C. Thomas Cook, who has worked with people with developmental disabilities for more than 50 years across four Midwestern states, including Illinois, said that its not uncommon for employees in large facilities like Choate to close ranks and protect one another in the face of abuse allegations.

When the code of silence is deeply entrenched, Cook said, it takes far more than retraining to change the culture. Things like cameras and monitors can help, Cook said, but employees also need to know that they will face strict sanctions, including criminal charges and dismissals, if they cover for abusive colleagues.

There are ways to disrupt that code of silence, Cook said. Its the responsibility of the people who run the programs to do it.

It's especially problematic, he said, in communities where the employees are part of a tightly knit population with a common interest in protecting each other.

That characterization could perfectly describe the facility in rural Anna, a town with a population of about 4,200. Reporters identified numerous instances in which investigations involved two or more suspects who were relatives, friends or in romantic relationships with one another, according to the police records.

In one case, a Choate social worker offered to help police interview patients during an abuse investigation, but then police discovered she was the girlfriend of the technician who was the target of the investigation. Two recently charged employees are relatives of the current acting security chief, whose job is on the front line of investigations. He declined to comment. This August, a senior IDHS official grew concerned enough about the familial relationships between security officers and the employees they were investigating that he sent an email to select staff reminding them of the need to recuse themselves to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, emails obtained by reporters showed.

When a facility is critical to a struggling local economy, Cook said, that can compound the incentives to cover up misconduct. Choate serves the poorest part of the state, and the facility has been Union Countys largest employer for decades. A former administrator once told The Southern Illinoisan that if Choate wasnt there, Anna would dry up and probably blow away. The facility has employed generations of the same families, including that of longtime Anna Mayor Steve Hartline, whose mother and father worked there while he was growing up.

Hartline went on to serve for decades as head of security at Choate, where his officers were the first line of inquiry when there was an allegation of patient mistreatment. Hartline said he believed the scrutiny resulting from the recent staff arrests has given Choate an unfair bad rap; he rejected the premise that employees were protecting each other.

Theres no such thing as a code of silence at Choate. If there is something found, such as a broken policy, its duly noted and dealt with by administration and labor relations, he said.

But Hunter, Luellens aunt, said that it was upsetting that the employees who threatened and mocked her nephew did not face serious consequences for their behavior. Luellen has since moved to a different state-run center about 100 miles north. But during the more than two years the young man lived at Choate, Hunter said she believed staff restrained him too often and failed to teach him skills to manage his behavior. Every time she spoke with staff, they promised that he was getting the utmost care, she said. But my heart and my spirit was not telling me that he was actually receiving that from them.

Gabriel Sandoval contributed research to this article.
FORT MYERS, Fla.  Older people with limited mobility and those with chronic health conditions requiring the use of electrically powered medical devices were especially vulnerable when Hurricane Ian slammed into Southwest Florida, and experts warn such risks to society's oldest are growing as disasters increase with the impact of climate change.

Almost all of the dozens of people killed by Ian in hardest hit Lee County were 50 or older, with many in their 70s, 80s and even 90s. That's highlighted the rising dangers for those least likely to be able to flee such disasters and those most likely to be impacted by the aftermath.

Climate change makes hurricanes wetter and more powerful, but it also increases the frequency of heat waves like ones that scorched the Pacific Northwest the last two summers, killing scores of mostly aged people. It's also intensified drought fueled wildfires like the inferno that incinerated the California town of Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people, again mostly older.

"It's not terribly surprising that physically frail, socially isolated people are the most likely to die in these events. But it is politically significant," said New York University sociology professor Eric Klinenberg. "If we know people are at risk, why aren't we doing more to help them?"

Klinenberg, who wrote the book "Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago" about extreme heat that killed more than 700 mostly older and Black people in July 1995, called Ian a mere preview.

"We saw this happen in Chicago, in (Hurricane) Katrina, in (Superstorm) Sandy, and we are going to see more and more as the globe becomes increasingly hotter," he said.

Florida in particular will feel the increased impact of climate-fueled disasters, sitting in the path of many Atlantic storms and with a large share of retirees drawn by warm weather, a vast coastline and relatively cheap housing. About 29% of Lee County's population is 65 and older.

One of the more dramatic stories of Ian demonstrates the risks. Johnny Lauder's 86-year-old mother Karen Lauder, who uses a wheelchair, initially refused to evacuate. But as the water inside her home began to rise nearly above her head, she was unable to flee and her son had to come rescue her in an ordeal he documented.

The extreme dangers some face when they lose power was especially clear in Lee County, where an 89-year-old man died after the electricity he needed for his oxygen went out and then his backup generator failed.

Florida has attempted to address some of these issues by setting up shelters where people with health conditions that require electricity for oxygen, dialysis and devices like ventilators can preregister to stay.

AARP Florida Director Jeff Johnson praised the special shelters, saying the state's county emergency management agencies had modernized and improved evacuation operations the past two decades.

"There is room for improvement, but it would be wrong to say they aren't doing anything," he said.

Home-based networks that deliver care and services to older people, as well as neighborhood associations and faith communities can also help by checking on socially isolated older people, Johnson said.

Several hurricane survivors sat in wheelchairs Thursday outside one special shelter set up at an elementary school in Fort Myers.

Merrill Bauchert, 60, was staying there because Ian destroyed his home and he needs electricity for the CPAP machine he uses for severe sleep apnea.

Bauchert said dozens of residents from a senior living facility were staying there, many of them with mobility problems or dependent on electrical medical devices to stay alive.

Large oxygen tanks were used at first for people with breathing problems, he said, but those were later replaced with mechanical oxygen generators for individual use. Conditions have improved with restored water service, but the early days were tough, Bauchert said.

With many people too frail to go outside and no sewer service inside, using the restroom involved putting a plastic bag in a toilet and sitting down, sometimes with help.

"You were actually doing your business in a trash bag. Take the trash bag, tie it in a knot, throw it in the trash can and put another bag in for the next person," he said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has recognized the disproportionate effect Ian had on the state's older residents, and the need for local groups to help their recovery.

"It hit in areas that have a lot of elderly residents, and I've met a lot of the folks," DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday. "So you're somebody who's maybe 85 years old. You may not be able to do the same home repair that you used to be able to do when you were younger."

While the death toll of over 100 and property damage from Ian was catastrophic, Hurricane Katrina caused far more deaths and destruction in August 2005.

Researchers have concluded that nearly half of those killed by Katrina in Louisiana were 75 or older. A 2006 Senate Committee report noted a failure by all levels of government to effectively evacuate thousands of older, sick and disabled people from New Orleans as neighbors with cars fled the city.

Older people are also at risk from heat in the days and weeks after major storms.

After Hurricane Ida slammed Louisiana in 2021, of nine New Orleans residents killed by heat and 10 for whom heat was a contributing cause of death, only four  two in each group  were under the age of 60, according to information provided by the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office.

The aftereffects of Hurricane Irma in 2017 took an especially large toll. The direct impacts of the storm killed more than 90 people in the U.S., but researchers at the University of South Florida and Brown University found 433 additional residents at Florida nursing homes died within 90 days of the storm, compared to the same period in 2015, when there were no hurricanes.

The study was prompted by the heat-related deaths of 12 residents at a Broward County nursing home that occurred when the storm knocked out air conditioning and staff didn't move them to another facility. An administrator and three nurses were later charged.

Klinenberg, the sociologist who wrote about the Chicago heat deaths, said the fault lies in in how society cares for its elders not only during disasters, but daily.

"We live in an aging society and in a way we are victims of our own success," he said. "Europe has the same problem. Also Japan and Korea. People are living decades longer because of medical science, but we don't know how to care for them."

___

Snow reported from Phoenix. Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans contributed reporting.
The Minerals Commission has guaranteed the increased listing of mining businesses on the local stock market, as a step to further promote local content and ensure value retention in the mining sector.



This comes after the transition period for the Minerals and Mining  Local Content and Local Participation Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2431) expired in December 2021. This regulation mandates that as part of the localisation programmes, mining firms must list at least 20 percent of their equity on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).



Per the regulations, this will take place within five years after the commencement of mining operations.



The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, in a discussion on minerals in the country organised by the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) said the regulator will rigorously implement the local content law to ensure more Ghanaian participation, accordingly retaining value in the country.



The local content law came into force in December 2020. There was a one-year transition period that ended in December 2021. Now Asante Gold has gone ahead of the curve by listing on the market. The law requires that at least a minimum 20 percent of their equity should be listed on the local stock exchange.



So, we are going to force all of them to list on the stock market, the CEO said.



The regulator mentioned that, currently, there are engagements regarding a mining licence for lithium  in which it keenly intends to ensure the localisation programme is adhered to according to the new law.



The regulations say that the minister shall, on recommendation of the Commission and in consultation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), determine the limits of local equity for capital expenditure when listing on the Accra bourse.



The regulations further state that the holder of a mineral right whose planned capital expenditure exceeds the limits determined under sub-regulation (1) shall list at least twenty percent of that holders equity on the GSE within five years after commencement of mining operations.



Currently, there are two mining stocks listed  AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. and Asante Gold Corporation  on the local stock market, whereas NewGold is listed as an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). Also listed are the Depository Shares of AngloGold Ashanti. In total, this makes up GH19.11billion in market capitalisation; about 30 percent of the entire market.



ASG



The last company from the sector to be listed on the market was Canadian exploration firm Asante Gold Corporation, which at the end of June this year listed 315 million shares on the main board of the Exchange worth GH2.79billion.



In July 2022, Asante Gold Corporation (ASG) completed the first US$100million tranche of a US$140million financing package from strategic financial institutions in Ghana. The initial drawdown of US$100million will be used to cover local operating costs and the companys near-term broader funding and strategic objectives.



ASG is also in advanced discussions on additional senior secured debt facilities to provide for ongoing sustaining capital, it emerged.

Source: B&FT









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 Founder and the Executive Director of the Bibiniba Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) who doubles as the Personal Assistant to the Central Regional Minister, Mr. Benjamin Essien, has donated Mathematical Sets to candidates in the Senya Circuit.



This is as a result of the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) for pupils in basic schools to proceed to the Senior High School.



Speaking at a program dubbed 2022 Educational Seminar, with the B.E.C.E. candidates from Senya Circuit, he explained the Do's and Don'ts of B.E.C.E. to avoid the cancellation of results. This session was led by the headmaster of the school.



He donated mathematical sets to each B.E.C.E. candidate to reduce the financial burden on their parents.



The Supervisor for Senya Circuit, Madam Victoria Boateng Amponsah also thanked the Bibiniba Foundation and expressed gratitude for having helped the school for the past 2 years.



She also made it known that this year has been exceptional because there were lectures from various Universities and also official from W.A.E.C to educate the candidates.



Some of the pupils of Senya Circuit spoke about the expectations on the Examination and advised their colleagues to learn hard towards the exam.







Source: Gifty Akoto, Peace FM News









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A data collection training aimed at equipping the various municipalities within the Greater Accra Region with skills on data gathering on sanitation has ended.



The programme is to help identify challenges within the sanitation space and offer the requisite solutions.



The three-day skills training, which African Environmental Sanitation conducted (AFES) Consult and Consultants in collaboration with the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), ended on Saturday, October 8, 2022.



Speaking to the media last Friday during monitoring and supervision of the Data Audit and Validation Exercise (DAVE) at the Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC), Ayawaso Central where 100 people were being trained, the District Lead for Ayawaso Central Municipality, Benoni Acquah, stressed the need for more data to be collected on sanitation.



The whole exercise is about data collection, and we are collecting data on sanitation in Ayawaso Central Municipality, he said.



He explained that the data that would be gathered would help identify challenges of sanitation and find ways of addressing them.



We have registered organisations that collect data and some are already in the system and within the municipalities, he added.



According to him, the whole monitoring and supervision operation was to find out which ones were active and were doing their work and those which were not.



Mr. Acquah indicated that after the training programme, the main field work (that is collection of data) will commence on October 12, 2022, and end October 28, 2022.



On Saturday, October 8, there was a pre-test exercise where trained field officers were deployed on the field.

And well see if there will be any challenges and if there are no challenges, then on the 12th of October, we will get to the field and begin to collect the data, he assured.



The data, he further added, will be used in decision-making, especially with the loads of sanitation challenges in Accra.

I think it is in the right direction to collect data, identify the challenges so the right policies would be made to resolve it, he underscored.



From Ayawaso Central, the team moved to La Dadekotopong where 124 persons were undergoing training at the St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School centre.



According to the District Lead, Nathaniel Addo, the data that will be gathered will give sanitation management companies the opportunity to know happenings in the sector.



He, therefore, entreated residents within the municipality to refrain from littering about, adding that it is a bad practice.



Other centres visited included Accra Girls Senior High School in the Ayawaso East where 64 persons were taken through data collection skills.



At the last centre at Osu Presby SHS in the Korle-Klottey Municipal District, the team observed that 80 people were undergoing training.



According to the District Lead, Adelaide Naa Adorley, curbing sanitation issues within the municipality was very challenging.



She attributed this to the fact that many of the residents did not have waste bins.



In all about 4,400 officers will be trained in all the 29 municipal and metropolitan assemblies within the Greater Accra Region.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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

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The Oti Regional Minister, Joshua Gmayenaam Makubu has reiterated the governments intentions of adding value to the regions recently discovered iron ore deposits.



According to him, the government is determined to ensure Ghana realizes the full benefits of the iron ore deposit and at the same time, make sure its full value chain is retained in the Oti Region.



He said this when he took his turn at the State of the Region Report, a platform put together by the Ministry of Information for the Regional Minister to brief the media on developments in their respective regions on Sunday, October 9, 2022.



Recently, the Region has discovered large quantities of Iron Ore. The Ghana Geological Survey Authority led the discovery of large quantities of Iron ore deposits. The iron ore is 55.22 weight percent (fe) and of a higher grade



Government is determined to provide value addition to its raw commodity and would ensure that the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development work closely with the GGSA and the communities to ensure that full value chain is retained in the region and the country, he said.



The large iron ore deposits, discovered in Akokrowa, a farming community in the region is 55.22 weight percent (fe) and of a higher grade.



Mr Makubu described the discovery of the iron ore as good news for the region and urged the chiefs and people to work in harmony to drive development to the area.



He maintained that the exploration and the business of the Iron will create jobs and wealth for the people of Oti and the country in general.



Already, 10 local and foreign investors have expressed interest in mining the iron ore. None of the investors according to Mr. Makubu will exclusively own a concession but will rather sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) and the host communities to mine within a specific period of time to benefit the region and the country at large.



Roads



Touching on the kilometres of road constructed in his since 2017, Mr. Makubu said a total of 587km of road have been constructed and a further 185.7km are under construction. It includes the rehabilitation of the 21km Nkonya Wurupong to Kwamekrom road, the 30km reconstruction of the Hohoe to Jasikan road, the Jasikan to Dodo Pepeso road, upgrading of the 26.8km Kete Krachi to Buya road and several others.



Health



On health, he said 10 projects have been completed in the region while 8 are still under construction. He said these projects include the CHPS compound at Dadease in the Nkwanta South Municipality, the CHPS compound at Azua market in the Nkwanta North District and the CHPS compound with nurses' quarters at Nkonya Asakyiri in the Biakoye District.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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At least 76 people have been reported dead after a boat accident in Nigeria's south-eastern state of Anambra.



The boat, which was carrying at least 80 people, capsized on Friday in the Ogbaru area in Anambra state.



Most of the victims were women and children, trying to reach safety after their community had been inundated by floodwater.



Benard Achonu told the BBC he was devastated: "My life has fallen apart," he said.



The 60-year-old lost his wife and all three of his children, aged between two and six. They were among those fleeing floodwaters in the area, he said.



Another former resident, Precious Umeh, told BBC Pidgin that the situation was extremely bad. "Some people whose family members have died in the boat accident are wondering how to bury the bodies because there is no dry land in their area."



President Muhammadu Buhari offered his condolences to the families of the victims in the "tragic" accident.



He also ordered a review of safety measures across the country's water transport system, and said emergency services must do everything to account for those missing.



Mr Buhari called on government agencies "to check the safety protocols on these transport ferries to make sure such incidents are avoided in the future".



Local media reports say those aboard the boat were heading to the Nkwo market in Ogbakuba before it capsized. Some officials said the boat had suffered an engine failure and hit a bridge before capsizing.



Thickman Tanimu, south-east coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, told the AFP news agency: "The water level is very high and too risky for a smooth search and rescue operation".



Anambra governor Charles Soludo added that the accident had been a shock for both residents and the state's government, offering his sympathies to the victim's families.



Boat accidents are relatively common in Nigeria, although most are blamed on overloading or poor safety measures.

Source: BBC









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged Member States of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to ensure that education remains a priority in the common development agenda of countries.



As the recently appointed Domestic Financing champion of the Global Partnership for Education, President Akufo-Addo sought the co-operation and support of UNESCO to work towards developing sustainable homegrown financial solutions, so we can develop the educational system for the future we want in our various countries.



Addressing the 215th Meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO, on Monday, 10th October 2021, in Paris, France, the President noted that the world does not have the luxury to pick and choose which crises it wants to fix.



At this moment, we cannot pick and choose between funding guns and education. We cannot pick and choose between the interests of the present generation and the future of our girls and boys. We cannot choose geopolitical concerns over preserving our cherished cultural heritages, lest we perish universally, he said.



Due to global instability, however, President Akufo-Addo noted that, education has become one of many competing priorities of domestic budgets, with development aid to the education sector also seriously under pressure.



Indeed, countries reduced their spending on education after the onset of the COVID-19, and, at the same time, direct aid to education by bilateral donors fell by some three hundred and fifty-nine million dollars ($359 million), which is not compatible with the objectives of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for financing sustainable development and the goals of the SDGs, he said.



The President continued, We are further informed that prospects for reaching funding target, through voluntary contributions, are uncertain as several long-term donors have already reduced significantly their voluntary contributions to UNESCO due to a change in development cooperation priorities, thereby significantly impacting our planned programme implementation.



In spite of these challenges, President Akufo-Addo commended UNESCO for the lead role it played in ensuring the success of the Transforming Education Summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September this year.



Necessitated by the seminal Futures of Education report from UNESCO, the President indicated that the Transforming Education Summit, and, indeed, the pre-summit held here in Paris, have been extremely successful in getting the world to reflect deeply on the trajectory of educational systems, and how to addresses the challenges of our time.



Touching on Global Priority Africa Programme, which has been adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 41st Session, President Akufo-Addo was delighted that UNESCO has made Africa a Global Priority, and was delighted to see UNESCOs flagship programmes as being relevant to achieving the objectives of the Africa Unions Agenda 2063, i.e. The Africa We Want.



He also urged UNESCOs Executive Board to help win the fight against Climate Change, especially as the planet is heading towards a dangerous tipping point as a result of climate change.



In furtherance of this, he commended UNESCO for the effort to strengthen the Man and Biosphere Programme, whose goal is to help protect nature and biodiversity loss globally, through the Biosphere Reserve Concept.



I urge UNESCO Member States to strengthen measures, at their respective national levels, that recognise formally the contribution of Biosphere Reserves, and designate more biosphere reserves and geoparks as a sure way for solving the climate crisis, he added.



In concluding, the President informed the Executive Board of the news that Accra has been named as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2023, making Accra part of the prestigious World Book Capital Cities Network.



This, he stated, is an acknowledgement of the giant strides Ghana and Africa are making in developing Ghanas book and creative arts industry.



The year-long programme to celebrate this honor done us by UNESCO will commence from 23rd April 2023, which is celebrated globally as the World Book and Copyright Day. I wish to use this opportunity to invite you all to join Ghana in this year-long celebrations, the President added





Source: class fm









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The Special Prosecutors Office has commenced investigations into alleged corruption and corruption-related offences in connection with illegal small-scale mining popularly known as galamsey.



According to a statement issued on the website of the Special Prosecutor, the investigation targets some state institutions as well as the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.



The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced an investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of illegal small-scale mining. The investigation targets some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission. It also targets the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of the seizure and management of excavators, machinery, road vehicles, and gold nuggets, the statement issued by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng on Monday, October 10, 2022, said.



According to the OSP, the investigation also targets some individuals and private companies including the secretary of the IMCIM, Charles Bissue and Akonta Mining Company Limited belonging to the New Patriotic Partys Regional Chairman for Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Wontumi.



The investigation includes the active and ongoing inquiry into allegations of use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, during his tenure as Secretary to the IMCIM, arising from an investigative documentary titled; 'Galamsey Fraud Part I', published by Tiger Eye P.I.



The investigation further targets the activities of Akonta Mining Limited and other companies; nationals of foreign countries allegedly involved in illegal mining; and allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences against some Municipal and District Chief Executives and political party officials, the statement said.



The investigation comes on the back of renewed public conversation on illegal mining activities and its impact on Ghanas water and forest bodies.



Rampant illegal mining activities have resulted in the degradation of several forest covers and the pollution of various water bodies.



The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor in a recent statement accused Akonta Mining Company of illegally entering the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve to mine gold.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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South Africa: Police have discovered decomposed bodies of six women at a panel beating shop in central Johannesburg, South Africa.



Police are investigating the possibility that the bodies may be those of sex workers who went missing in the area. Police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, October 10, 2022, said a 21-year-old has been arrested for the murder of the victims.



It is believed that the victims were killed a while ago.



"The Police in Johannesburg apprehended a 21-year-old man for murder following the discovery of six bodies in a building in Johannesburg CBD on Sunday, 09 October 2022," the statement read.



"The police were called to the building due to a foul smell coming out of one of the rooms. That is when a body of a woman was found. A preliminary investigation led the police to the suspect, believed to be the last person seen with the deceased woman,"



"It is reported that on 02 October 2022 at 20:00, the suspect was seen with the deceased woman. She was never seen again until her body was discovered on Sunday morning. The clothes she was wearing matches the description of one of the missing persons reported recently.



"Upon questioning the suspect, the police went back to the building and five more bodies were discovered outside the building where there is a makeshift workshop and rubbish dumpsters.



"Unfortunately, the other five bodies are at the late stage of decomposition. They will be subjected to Forensic analysis for identification." "The suspect will be charged with six counts of murder and the Provincial Murder and Robbery unit is investigating."









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Adib Saani, a security and foreign policy analyst, has stated that Nana Agradaa, known in private life as Patricia Asiedua, is successful with her 'sika gari' scams because of greed and penchant for overnight riches on the part of her victims.



He said, many Ghanaians are in a haste to amass wealth, hence their vulnerability to deceptive ploys by con artists like Nana Agradaa.



Saani told Accra-based JoyNews on Sunday, that the fetish priestess turned evangelist thrives on the publics love for money to swindle her victims.



In fact, I dont blame Agradaa. I dont blame her much. Because she is only an opportunist who is exploiting loopholes in our norms, values and in our criminal justice system. I blame us also because peoples penchant for overnight riches, greed [and] gullible state of mind is what is accounting for this," Adib Saani.



Regarding the Police involvement in the quick arrest of the evangelist of Heavenway Champion International Ministry, Adib Saani said, what has the Police done about her in the past? And I dare anyone to go to the Sowutuom Police station and ask for Agradaas files, and youll be amazed by the number of complaints that have been levelled against her at the Police station. Almost like a weekly ritual. But what has been done about it?



The security analyst added, And they know her, she knows them. At a point, people even go to the Police station and the Police is even able to anticipate that I know youre here because of Agradaa. What has happened to them? Nana Appiah Mensah, Menzgold, is walking a free man but has destroyed many lives. So the system is broken and the only way out is to fix that system.



Background



GhanaWeb had earlier reported that some people showed in their numbers at the church of the confidence trickster because the repented priestess had earlier advertised through her television channel, Thunder TV, that she was going to give out monies to people.



She is also said to have advertised that she would double monies that are brought to her church, Heavenway Champion International Ministry, on the day.



However, as has been typical of her, particularly from the days when she was a fetish priestess, it seems the evangelist only played on the gullibility of the scores of people who appeared at her church to extort monies from them.



When she was done, as has been shared in a number of the videos available to GhanaWeb, she booted them out of the building, aided by her well-built bodyguards.



A number of the affected people are also heard ranting and calling her out.



This is Agradaas church, Heavenway, and she advertised on her TV station that she was going to share monies with everyone only for us to get here, and she rather collects monies from people. She told people to bring ten million (GHC10,000) and come for two billion (GHC200,000) after which she asked people to leave the church. Things immediately turned chaotic here, a lady giving voice commentary in one of the videos said.



Meanwhile, the Police have arrested Patricia Asiedua, alias Nana Agradaa following the allegations of a money-doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public.



The suspect is currently assisting the Police with the investigation.



In a statement issued on October 9, 2022, the Police said, Anyone who is a victim of the alleged money doubling scam should report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further action and to assist in the investigation.













Source: ghanaweb.com









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

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Kofi Bentil, vice president of IMANI Africa, has said Ghana as a sovereign State need not to save people from their own stupidity.



According to him, the state should rather focus on solving real problems facing Ghanaians and not plain stupidity.



He said, inasmuch as Ghanaians have the freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of worship, it requires some form of responsibility as well.



Bentil wrote on his Facebook timeline after it emerged on Saturday that Nana Agradaa, a former fetish priestess had subjected her church members to another 'sika gari' scam at her Heavenway Champion International Ministry.



The police later issued a statement that the fetish priestess turned evangelist had been arrested and assisting in investigations.



Kofi Bentil in his post submitted: "Freedom requires responsibility!!!



"The State has no duty to save a person from their own stupidity. We should focus on solving real problems, not plain stupidity."



Background



GhanaWeb had earlier reported that some people showed in their numbers at the church of the confidence trickster because the repented priestess had earlier advertised through her television channel, Thunder TV, that she was going to give out monies to people.



She is also said to have advertised that she would double monies that are brought to her church, Heavenway Champion International Ministry, on the day.



However, as has been typical of her, particularly from the days when she was a fetish priestess, it seems the evangelist only played on the gullibility of the scores of people who appeared at her church to extort monies from them.



When she was done, as has been shared in a number of the videos available to GhanaWeb, she booted them out of the building, aided by her well-built bodyguards.



A number of the affected people are also heard ranting and calling her out.



This is Agradaas church, Heavenway, and she advertised on her TV station that she was going to share monies with everyone only for us to get here, and she rather collects monies from people. She told people to bring ten million (GHC10,000) and come for two billion (GHC200,000) after which she asked people to leave the church. Things immediately turned chaotic here, a lady giving voice commentary in one of the videos said.



Meanwhile, the Police have arrested Patricia Asiedua, alias Nana Agradaa following the allegations of a money-doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public.



The suspect is currently assisting the Police with the investigation.



In a statement issued on October 9, 2022, the Police said, Anyone who is a victim of the alleged money doubling scam should report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further action and to assist in the investigation.

























Agradaa at it again as scores cry foul over new money doubling scam at her church 3



0 seconds of 1 minute, 1 secondVolume 100%











Source: ghanaweb.com









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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) representative in Ghana, Abdourahamane Diallo, has underscored the need for the world to unite in the fight against racism and any form of discrimination.

He said racism and discrimination existed everywhere around the world and could be witnessed through illustrations such as intolerance between cultures, religions, mismanagement of languages, tensions with migrants or refugees, discrimination on the basis of gender and discrimination against albinos, witches phenomenon in northern Ghana and the uprising stigmatisation of fulani people in the sahel.



Describing racism and discrimination as poison and insidious, he said, it required more than ever that all commit collectively to fight it.



"Now we must take action together to fight and deconstruct racism, to develop anti-racist policies, to fight stereotypes and foster diversity," he noted.



Mr Diallo said this at a workshop on advancing the anti-racism and anti-discrimination agenda as a way to ensure social inclusion and promote regional integration.



The workshop was organised by the Ghana Culture Forum in collaboration with UNESCO, PANAFEST and Ghana Tourism Authority



Attended by diplomats including the Columbian Ambassador to Ghana who is also the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Claudia Turbay Quintero; people in the creative arts industry and academia, the occasion was also used to launch PANAFEST 2023 and the outdooring of PANAFEST website .



Racism and discrimination



Mr Diallo pointed out that together, the desire to rid the world of racism and all forms of discrimination must take centre stage in driving global discourse and elevate human consciousness adding that, equal dignity and rights of every individual must remain the starting point for all action and measure of success on racism.



"Systematic racism needs a systematic response which cannot be done without acknowledging and addressing the linkages between its current manifestations and the lack of accountability and redress for the legacies of enslavement, the transatlantic trade and colonialism as well as successive racially discriminatory policies and systems" he said.



He expressed the commitment of UNESCO to fight against racism and to raise awareness on the surest barriers to fight it pointing out that, UNESCO had been at the forefront of the fight against racism and discrimination for 70 years.



He mentioned the projects and programmes UNESCO and the United Nations had been involved in aimed at fighting racism to include Routes of Enslaved People's project, the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its abolition, the International Decade for people of African Descent and the International Day for Peace.



Mr Diallo commended government for the Beyond the Return programme and the PANAFEST secretariat for initiatives such as the PANAFEST colloquium at the University of Cape Coast for advancing Africa-African Diasporan relations.



In a speech read on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Benjamin Anane Nsiah, said racism and discrimination were a hindrance to the development of the rest of the world.



PANAFEST 2023



Speaking on PANAFEST 2023, the Chairperson for PANAFEST Foundation, Prof Esi Sutherland Addy, said it would ride on the back of the 2021 event.



She said the theme for PANAFEST 2023 which is, "Re-claiming the African Family: confronting the past to face the challenge of the 21st century," was an invitation for participants to fearlessly point out the challenges to re-uniting the African family and very importantly, illuminate new paths towards transformational unity through drama, visual arts, dance, music, and critical thought.



She called on the African family to take its fate into its own hands emphasising that, though it may be awkward and difficult, ' who better to inspire a self examination and an inspiration to stay the course but the thinkers and creatives of African ancestry'.



Highlights of PANAFEST 2023 which would start from July 25 to August 2, include the reintroduction of the pilgrimage starting from the north then to Accra and the Central Region. There would also be lectures, the return journey where participants would have a canoe ride from the door of no return, grand durbar of chiefs, candle light procession, segment for the youth and engagement with religious leaders.









Source: graphiconline.com









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Anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem, has urged the government to prosecute those responsible for payrolls that have ghost names on them.



His comments come following the suspension of the salaries of some public workers.



On October 3, 2022, a letter by the Controller and Accountant General indicated that the September salaries of some public sector workers had been suspended.



As a result of the quality assurance and other validation processes undertaken by the Controller and Accountant General Department, there has been the need to suspend the payment of September 2022 salaries to some employees whose bank names are mismatched on the GOG payroll system whiles others had invalid bank account numbers on the system, the letter stated.



The Controller and Accountant General noted, For employees whose bank names are mismatched, kindly arrange for the employee to report to the payroll coordination unit of the GAGD at block A room 32 with the under-listed documents under a cover letter from the MDA confirming they are at post.



Employees with invalid bank account numbers were urged to submit their correct bank account numbers to the PPSs for an update.



Speaking on Atinka TVs morning show, Ghana Nie with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Mr. Vitus Azeem questioned what the Controller and Accountant General was doing about the ghost names and those who were in charge of the payrolls.



You dont have to come out and say that you have removed 500 ghost names from the payroll, what have you done to the people who have put those names on the payroll, what have you done to the people who are the ghosts that have been claiming those monies? he quizzed.



Mr. Vitus Azeem continued, If somebody legally puts a name on the payroll, it must be a Controller and Accountant General staff. There are sanctions, they should be punished, suspended, sacked, or even prosecuted for putting those names that are not supposed to be there. And then those whose names are there, and they are not supposed to be there, maybe for no fault of theirs, at least efforts should be made to recover the monies from them. That is where you say that they are working, but for several years now, anytime you will come out to say that you have identified 500 ghost names on the payroll, what have you done to the people, have you recovered the monies? How about somebody responsible for the payroll? How did the names get onto the payroll?





Source: ghanaweb.com









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

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Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini says it is unthinkable that people will fall prey to the alleged money-doubling scam by Patricia Asiedua popularly knowns as Nana Agradaa



This is total rubbish to me. They deserve each other. Both Agradaa and her victims, the Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini said on GH Today on GHOne TV on Monday, October 10, 2022.



Police have arrested Patricia Asiedua alias Nana Agradaa following allegations of a money-doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public.



Shes expected to be arraigned today following her arrest on Sunday.



A statement issued by the police said: "Anyone who is a victim of the alleged money doubling scam should report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further action to assist the investigation.



This comes on the back of a viral video on social media of victims recounting their losses.



Some of the victims say they went to the church of Nana Agradaa after she advertised on her TV program that she will be doubling money during Fridays all-night service.



Speaking on GHOne TV, the Tamale North lawmaker brushed aside the conversation and refused to sympathize with any of the victims saying the Agradaa episode is complete rubbish.



I cannot say its lack of education because sometimes you find very schooled people, maybe its lack of education but not lack of schooling. You find people with certain levels of certification, and they also fall prey to some of these things. And I think its perhaps a problem with our educational system, we tend to just think that its okay for people to pass through classrooms and sit in front of teachers and that is considered education. Education is much more than reading and writing. But when you train people to just chew, pour, pass and forget it doesnt impact their cognitive abilities to think and decipher and analyse issues. And I think its a very big problem that we have in this country.



But the bottom-line line is we need to regulate some these things as a people.





Source: starrfm









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed that Ghanas capital town, Accra, has been named the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world book capital for 2023.



In a series of tweets shared on October 10, the president said that this honour is an acknowledgement of the country's progress in its development process.



He added that it also means that Accra is now part of prestigious cities in the world which have been UNESCO world book Capital



I am happy to inform you that Accra has been named the UNESCO world book capital for 2023, making our vibrant city part of the prestigious world book capital cities network.



This is an acknowledgment of the giant strides that Ghana and Africa are making in developing our book and creative art industry and we thank you for your diverse contribution that made this possible, he said.



According to UNESCO, the World Book Capital programme is used to acknowledge cities' commitment t promoting books and fostering reading



It added that cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital undertake to carry out activities to encourage a culture of reading and diffuse "its values in all ages and population groups in and out of the national borders.



Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo, while addressing the 215th Meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO, on Monday, October 10, 2021, charged member states of UNESCO to ensure that education remains a priority in the common development agenda of countries.



At this moment, we cannot pick and choose between funding guns and education. We cannot pick and choose between the interests of the present generation and the future of our girls and boys.



"We cannot choose geopolitical concerns over preserving our cherished cultural heritages, lest we perish universally, he said.



Read the President's tweets below:

I am happy to inform you that Accra has been named the UNESCO world book capital for 2023, making our vibrant city part of the prestigious world book capital cities network. https://t.co/YkPEzmZQF8  Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) October 10, 2022







Source: twitter/ghanaweb









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Dr. J.B Danquah, in 1961, penned the following statement, which has become the credo of our party, the New Patriotic Party.



The partys policy is to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of a property-owning democracy in this land, with rights to life, freedom and justice, as the principles to which the Government and laws of the land should be dedicated in order specifically to enrich life, property and liberty for each and every citizen.



Like all suggestive political slogans, the phrase itself has become the subject of a lively, yet distorted ideological debate with both protagonists and antagonists slanting it for political advantage. Our opponents seized on three out of fifty-eight words in this credo, property- owning democracy and sought to cast it as an avenue for selfish greed, never mind that the statement also states that this is meant for each and every citizen of the land.



A property-owning democracy is a socio-political system whereby political authority is directed at seeing to a fair distribution of productive property across the populace generally, rather than allowing the concentration of such productive property in the hands of a few. This intends to ensure that all individuals have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the market.



The claim that private property ownership promotes the necessary independence of mind and social stability for responsible exercise of political power is what has given rise to the phrase property-owning democracy".



Our party therefore seeks to carve out a distinctive ideological space that is focused on securing a wider dispersion of property and power, as opposed to the concentration of property in the hands of either the state or capitalists. This dispersion of property is crucial for the realization of individual independence and autonomy. To create a society of free and equal citizens not subject to the economic and political domination of a wealthy minority.



The birth of a property-owning democracy as the means of creating social and political stability goes back to the 18th century, and arose out of the concerns about the impact of concentrated wealth on politics and society.



It was argued that the democratic State had a role in distributing resources to all members of the community as a means of securing the material conditions of their equal citizenship.



Rousseau in 1762 had these to say, Do you, then, want to give the State stability? Bring the extremes as close together as possible, tolerate neither the rich nor the beggars. and



no citizen should be so very rich that he can buy another, and none so poor that he is compelled to sell himself.



Thomas Paine, writing in The Rights of Man (1792) and Agrarian Justice (1797) picks up the argument.



Paine thought that the rise of representative government should bring with it a new social commitment to individual rights to material resources, furnished by the State through a system of taxes and transfers.



Paine expressed his palpable revoltion towards the moral depredation of a civilization that rendered some fabulously wealthy while others starved in the streets. He further argued that to enable citizens to posses the independence and security required to exercise their political duties, it was necessary to provide them with material support not of the nature of charity, but of a right.



According to Paine, such social rights should include benefits for the children of the poor, conditional upon attendance of their children at school; old age pension and funding for universal education.



In AGRARIAN JUSTICE, Paine argued the case for a universal endowment of capital for every person; male or female, reaching the age of 21, as well as the payment of an annual pension to those over 50 to be funded through the taxation of inherited wealth. In his view, the accumulation of private property was the effect of society, as opposed to the exclusive result of individual initiative and thrift, and concluded that every property owner should therefore return at least part of their holdings to the community that facilitated their gains.



In more recent times, James Meade presented and summed up the property-owning democracy argument as follows, A man with much property has great bargaining strength and a great sense of security, independence, and freedom and he enjoys these things not only vis-a- vis his propertyless fellow citizens but also vis-a-vis the public authorities. He can snap his fingers at those on whom he must rely for an income; for he can always live for a time on his capital. The propertyless man must continuously and without interruption acquire his income by working for an employer or by qualifying to receive it from a public authority.



The phrase Property-owning democracy was coined by the British Conservative Noel Skelton, who hoped to adapt Conservatism to the arrival of a mass working-class electorate by proposing the diffusion of individual property ownership as an ideological alternative to the collective ownership proposed and defended by Socialists. The only attractive option was to ensure a wider dispersion of individual property holding among the population.



Fundamentally, Skeltons aim was to address what he saw as the legitimate economic grievances felt by the working class, and the consequent political and industrial instability by creating a real identification of interest between capital and labour.



John Rawls, one of the most influential political philosophers of the last century, advanced the argument that social justice is indeed not possible within the constraints of the capitalist



welfare State. Rawls believed that the capitalists societies we know of, in which a small minority holds a massively disproportionate share of wealth could not possibly be just. Instead, justice requires a different form of socio-economic organization, one in which human and non-human capital is dispersed widely, which is what a property-owning democracy is.



Thus, political theorists from Rousseau to John Rawls and beyond alighted upon the idea of property-owning democracy as a non-socialists model for the advancement of the objectives of equitable distribution of property in the society.



What has this meant for the NPP in terms of its policy choices and governance?



What you believe in and value, dictates in large measure what you do and how you think and act.



In order to catch the full import of this question we have to go back to the statement by Dr. J.B Danquah, which now serves as the credo of the New Patriotic Party.



Property-owning democracy as our credo is to liberate the energies of the people of this land. Our energies for far too long were trapped under a statist economic path that suffocated and stultified the creative intellect and private initiative of citizens. Property-owning democracy is aimed specifically to enrich life, property and liberty of each and every citizen. This propertyowning democracy must guarantee the right to life, freedom and justice and enrich these thereby.



The first time a party born out of the UP Tradition has had the opportunity to serve its full term was under the Presidency of John Agyekum Kuffour. Guided by the principles of a propertyowning democracy, his government put in place ideas, projects and programmes that have been pro-poor and which sought to disperse the ownership of property rather than concentrate if in the hands of a few.



Programs such as National Health Insurance, Maternal Health Care, School Feeding, Free Metro-Mass Bus rides for school children and the aged, LEAP and many others were all borne out of the recognition that such provision to all members of the community was a means of securing the material condition of their equal citizenship.



The NPP administration under President Kuffour expanded the ambit of social intervention programs with the most creative and innovative program far more than the NDC, which describes itself as Social Democrats but without any programs that advanced the social rights of Ghanaians before or after his administration.



The Akufo-Addo government, equally guided by the tenet enshrined in the principles of property-owning democracy is expanding the boundaries of social rights for Ghanaians even further. As far back as 1792, Thomas Paine passionately argued for social rights that included benefits for children of the poor, conditional upon attendance of the children at school and for





such schooling to the universally funded. Fast forward, the NPP administration under President Akufo-Addo is implementing a transformational free Senior High School programme, which will fundamentally secure the material conditions of their equal citizenship.



There are many more equally cogent examples but I forebear on grounds of space: suffice it to say however, that the principle of a Property-owning democracy which seeks to disperse the ownership of property among our citizens and which our opponents have sought to malign and demonize is indeed the safest and surest way of promoting the necessary independence of mind and social stability for the responsible exercise of political power in Ghana.



If we of the NPP should remain true and honest to the tenets of the UP Tradition, we can be sure that those principles will engender even greater ideas, programmes and projects which will enlarge and enrich further the opportunities that will become available to all our citizens.



This is how we can move to better secure the material conditions of our equal citizenship.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Teresita Canilao, an 81-year-old longtime official of the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu, Hawaii, was brutally murdered by her estranged husband at an apartment. (Photo: Ke AKUA Aloha Ministries/Facebook)

A Filipino official of the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu, Hawaii was reportedly killed by her estranged husband in her Ala Moana apartment, police reports say.

According to reports, the murdered woman was identified as Teresita Canilao, a 76-year-old longtime local hire of the Philippine Consulate of Honolulu.

Her husband, 81-year-old Rogelio Canilao, confessed to the crime of killing his wife after he called 911 at around 11:45 p.m. on Thursday (October 6).

He was then taken into custody by the Honolulu Police Department and charged with second-degree murder.

His bail was set at $1 million.

Hawaii State Senator Bennette Misalucha said she knew Teresita for more than 35 years as a secretary to the consul general.

She was the secretary to the consul general, and consul generals came and went, said Misalucha in a report by KHNL-KMGB.

But Tessie was this bastion of stability there, she added.

Paul Cortes, one of the consuls at the Philippine Consulate who served with Teresita from 2006 to 2013, spoke positively of her.

Shed tell you everything about the history and how things could be harnessed to make the Filipino community and the consulate work even more closer together, Cortes said.

Meanwhile, the Filipino community in Hawaii was shocked by the news, as some friends of Teresita say that she doesnt talk much about her personal life.

She never discussed her personal life with the community, and sometimes its good not to, said her long-time friend Amelia Cabatu.

But its also not good to not share whats troubling you, Cabatu added.

Out of respect for Teresitas family, the Philippine consulate in Honolulu said that they would not make any further comment about the matter and would work with authorities as they investigate.

Personally, I would rather remember her as she lived, not how she died, Misalucha said.

She did not deserve this, she added.

Marvin Joseph Ang is a news and creative writer who follows developments on politics, democracy, and popular culture. He advocates for a free press and national democracy. Follow him on Twitter at @marvs30ang for latest news and updates. The views expressed are his own.

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Trends in soybean area and yield in main producing areas in Brazil. a,b, Trends in soybean area and average yield. The pie charts shown in a indicate the percentage of soybean expansion occurring in each biome, while the total increase in soybean area in each period is shown next to the pie charts. Shown in b is the annual rate of yield improvement for each region during 20072019, with shadow bands representing the 95% confidence intervals estimated for the fitted linear regression models. Values indicate the annual rate of yield improvement in each region and for Brazil. c, Contribution of cropland expansion and yield improvement to soybean production increase in each region. The size of the pie chart in each region is proportional to the share of national soybean production. The inset shows the soybean area distribution. Across panels, regions are represented with different colors: blue (Amazon), orange (Cerrado), green (Atlantic Forest) and red (Pampa). Credit: Nature Sustainability (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-00968-8

Developing countries around the globe face a challenge that pits economic growth against environmental protection. As they expand their agricultural production, they often convert forest into cropland and pasture. But the large-scale removal of trees weakens the world's ability to prevent further climate deterioration and biodiversity loss.

Brazil presents a key example. The country is home to the world's largest area of rainforestsome 1.2 million square miles, an area more than 16 times the size of Nebraska. The Amazon contains large tracts of rainforests that, when converted to agriculture, release a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change.

Increasing agricultural production is a national priority for Brazil, the world's largest soybean exporter. Since the 1990s, agricultural encroachment has eroded major areas of the country's rainforest. During 2015-19, the Amazon basin accounted for a third of the land converted for Brazilian soybean expansion.

A newly released four-year study by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and its research partners in Brazil identifies a path forward that would allow Brazil to strengthen its agricultural sector while safeguarding the rainforest. The scientists' recommendations have broad applicability to other developing countries facing a similar challenge.

"In the current context of high grain prices and food supply disruptions, we believe there is a critical need for major crop-producing countries to reassess their potential to produce more on existing cropland," the authors wrote in an article published Oct. 10 in the journal Nature Sustainability.

This aerial photo shows where environmentally fragile savannah has been converted to farm land in the Cerrado region of Brazil. Credit: Alencar Zanon/University Federal of Santa Maria

"Without an emphasis on intensifying crop production within the existing agricultural area, coupled with strong institutions and policies that prevent deforestation in frontier agricultural areas, it would be difficult to protect the last bastions of forests and biodiversity on the planet while being sensitive to the economic aspirations of countries to develop."

Since 2000, moratoria and incentives have been used to slow deforestation in Brazil. However, sharply increased commodity prices and political pressure to quickly recover from combined impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine have placed the Amazonian rainforest under heightened threat. If current trends continue, Brazil will convert about 57 million acres to soybean production in the next 15 years, with about one-fourth of the expansion occurring in environmentally fragile lands such as rainforest and savannah.

Yet prohibiting cropland expansion would cost Brazil an estimated $447 billion in lost economic opportunity through 2035.

The study led by Patricio Grassini, Sunkist Distinguished Professor in Agronomy and associate professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at Nebraska, shows how it could be possible for Brazil to expand its agricultural production without converting more rainforest and savannah to crops. With a carefully managed strategy to intensify production on existing acres, the country could increase its annual soybean output by 36% by 2035 while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 58% compared to current trends.

Grassini and his co-authors describe a three-pronged "intensification" strategy that calls for:

Significantly increasing soybean crop yields.

Growing a second crop of corn on soybean fields in certain areas.

Raising more cattle on smaller pastures to free up more land for soybeans.

Brazil's tropical and subtropical climates make it possible to cultivate two crops on the same land during the growing season in most regions, Grassini said. Plus, "livestock production is huge in Brazil," he said, "and our study shows there is a big opportunity for Brazil to increase livestock-based production systems and by doing so, free up some of the area currently used for livestock production and use that land for producing more soy."

Detailed modeling for the project indicates that by 2035, the strategy could boost Brazil's soybean production by 36%. At the same time, Grassini said, Brazil could "eliminate deforestation completely and essentially reduce the amount of carbon dioxide equivalents released into the atmosphere, helping to mitigate climate change."

"This approach strengthens agriculture while protecting fragile ecosystems that are important from a perspective of climate change mitigation as well as biodiversity conservation," he said.

To determine how much yields could be improved on existing Brazilian farm ground, the scientists examined soybean production in four key regions: the Pampa and the Atlantic Forest regions along the Atlantic coast, where soybean cultivation has been underway for about 50 years, and the Amazon and the Cerrado regions in Brazil's interior, where soybean production began after the turn of the 21st century. The analysis made extensive use of the Global Yield Gap Atlas previously developed by Grassini and colleagues at Nebraska. The atlas is the world's leading database on high-quality agronomic data, covering more than 15 major food crops across more than 75 countries.

"By showing that it is possible to produce more on existing agricultural land," the scientists wrote, "this research study is bringing real solutions to the table and can have a massive impact to help Brazil produce more while protecting the environment."

Success on the dual goal of agricultural expansion and protecting the forest will require strong institutions, proper policy and enforcement to make sure those productivity gains effectively translate into forest preservation, Grassini cautioned. Still, the intensification approach can help achieve a reasonable balance between crop production and the protection of fragile ecosystems.

Grassini's team calculated three scenarios in the four key regions: "business as usual," where existing trends would continue; "no cropland expansion," where additional land conversion would be prohibited; and "intensification," where steps would be taken to increase yields, encourage second cropping and concentrate cattle production.

They concluded the intensification strategy would enable Brazil to realize 85% of the projected gross income from soybean and second-crop maize, compared to current trends.

Explore further The impact of double-cropping

More information: Patricio Grassini, Protecting the Amazon forest and reducing global warming via agricultural intensification, Nature Sustainability (2022). Journal information: Nature Sustainability Patricio Grassini, Protecting the Amazon forest and reducing global warming via agricultural intensification,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-00968-8
As I opened a recent email from my local grocery store chain advertising Hispanic Heritage Monthit runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each yearI was surprised to see it highlighting recipes from four distinct regions: Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.

The advertisement rightly noted that while corn and beans have framed much of what in the United States is considered "Hispanic" foods, Latin America has a much greater diversity of foods. Its cuisine, which began long before the Spanish or other colonizers came to the Americas, continues to flourish.

While many of us Latinean alternative term for Latinos or Latinx that I preferembrace our European heritage, we also embrace our Indigenous and African heritage.

In recent decades, many Latin American nations have officially recognized their Indigenous and Afro-descendent populations as distinct groups with unique histories, cultures, foods and languages.

Countries across the Americas, including the United States, have revised their census questions to better understand their populations, enabling them to create more inclusive policies that actually address people's needsand to recognize the too-often hidden achievements of these groups.

Census changes in Latin America

Some Latin American countries, such as Peru, have counted their Indigenous population for over a century. But with the exception of Brazil and Cuba, Latin American countries generally excluded race on their national census, allowing economic and social inequalities to flourish undocumented.

The effort to better capture both Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations in Latin America began around the turn of the 21st century.

Uruguay, a small and prosperous South American country, long portrayed itself as white and European despite being home to Afro-Uruguayans descended from enslaved Africans. In 1996, under pressure from Afro-descendent activists, it added race to its national household survey. That census had census workers identify the respondents' race and found the country to be 6% Afro-descended and revealed stunning racial disparities in education, income and employment. When in 2006 Uruguayan census-takers began asking residents to state their own racial identity, the Afro-descended population jumped to 10%. This data shift had important implications when Uruguay implemented race-based affirmative action a few years later.

In Mexico, where Indigenous identity had previously been linked only to speakers of one of the country's 68 Indigenous languages, the census was changed in 2020 to ask if respondents self-identified as Indigenous or belonged to a community that identified as Indigenous. The result was an increase of 7.1 million people to 23.2 million who identified as Indigenous. The same change targeting the Afro-Mexican population identified a previously unrecognized population of 2.5 million.

'Some other race'

The U.S. added a question about Hispanic descent to the 1970 census long form, and to the short form in 1980. The question asked, "Is this person of Hispanic/Spanish descent?" If the answer was Yes, these were following options: Mexican or Mexican-American or Chicano; Puerto Rican; Cuban; Other Spanish/Hispanic.

In subsequent decades, small changes were made such, as including the word "Latino" and allowing those who choose "other" in the national origin category to write in a response, with suggestions of "Argentinian, Colombian, Dominican, Salvadoran, Spaniard, and so on." In 2020, the census allowed respondents to identify as "multiracial."

The U.S. Census Bureau argues that its categories now adequately capture the heritage of the 62.6 million Hispanics that flourish in the U.S. "because all detailed Hispanic origin groups are included in the newly combined code list."

In fact, however, if your heritage stems from one of the hundreds of Indigenous or Afro-descended groups in Latin America, these identities remain outside of the way the U.S. captures race among the Hispanic populations. That may explain why, according to the Census Bureau "the vast majority (94%) of responses to the race question that are classified as Some Other Race are from people of Hispanic or Latino origin."

Overgeneralized and under-recognized

When the fixed categories of a census erase the diversity of a population, the gross miscalculations that result may harm a country's ability to appropriately respond to the needs of its people.

For example, the overgeneralizing of U.S. Hispanics hurts the quality of American education and health care when these institutions assume that Latin American heritage communities speak Spanish. In addition to Indigenous languages, Latino Afro-descendant populations may not speak Spanish but rather may speak French or Haitian Creole, Portuguese or an Indigenous language. If they are from the Miskito Coast of Nicaragua, they may speak an English Creole.

These language differences reflect unique cultures and histories that relate to how people engage with doctors, teachers, politicians and much more.

Failing to recognize the diversity of Hispanics also creates frequent election surprises in the U.S. For example, pollsters got the Latino vote all wrong in 2020 by lumping together 32 million people with diverse political opinions and national origins as "Latino." Democrats arguably made the same mistake in 2018.

In overgeneralizing Hispanics, the U.S may also overlookto its own detrimentthe knowledge and experience of a culturally unique people who bring with them alternative understandings of the world, some of which I've studied as an anthropologist focused on food security, migration and health in Latin America. These include agricultural practices that can aid American farmers in responding to the global climate crisis and Mesoamerican strategies for health based on communal care and traditional remedies.

A growing community with more to offer

Despite its limitations, U.S. census data clearly shows that the Hispanic population continues to grow. While the overall U.S. population increased 7% between 2010 and 2020, the Hispanic population expanded by 23%. Today, 1 in every 5 people in the U.S. identifies with Hispanic or Latino heritage.

This growth is particularly notable in the Southin states like Georgia and North Carolinaand in rural areas. The Hispanic population has become a demographic lifeline for parts of small-town America that experienced significant population loss in the late 20th century.

Hispanic communities have also reinvigorated urban neighborhoods as they open small businesses.

Rebuilding cities, stabilizing rural counties, expanding local economiesthese are among the group contributions made by the community of Americans celebrated each year during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The better we understand the nuances of this large population, the better we will understand who we are as a nationand benefit more fully from our diversity.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Delta Air Lines said Thursday it will work with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a study examining the environmental impact of airplane contrails.

The focus of the study is how to eliminate persistent contrails, which make up about 10% of all contrails and create clouds that trap heat and warm the earth, according to Delta.

Contrails form about 65% of the time when planes are at cruise altitude and aircraft exhaust water vapor combines with atmospheric water vapor to form clouds of ice crystals, yet only 10% last longer than a few minutes. Those persistent contrails are believed to be "one of aviation's largest environmental impacts," according to Delta.

One method to reduce the persistent contrails could be flying at different altitudes to avoid airspace that produces them, which Delta said could reduce the impact of aviation on the climate "by around 80%."

Delta's chief sustainability officer Pam Fletcher said in a written statement that the work "has the potential to make a major impact on our environmental footprint within just a few years."

MIT will use an algorithm it created to predict where contrails are likely to form.

"Working with airline partners gives us the needed access to flights and operational expertise to conduct successful flight trials," said Steven Barrett, director of MIT's Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, in a written statement. He added that contrail avoidance "has the potential to greatly reduce the environmental impact of air travel quickly and at low cost."

MIT plans to release the findings and technology created under an open-source license so others can use them.

Explore further Why the aviation industry must look beyond carbon to get serious about climate change

2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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(A) Syngnathus watermeyeri photographed (Louw Claassens) in the Bushmans estuary in October 2019. (B) Location of estuaries sampled (n = 5) within the historic range on the Eastern Cape of South Africa (insert). Extant populations (solid circles)Bushmans (A) and Kariega (B) estuaries, and locally extinct populations (open triangles)Kasouga (C), West Kleinemonde (D), and East Kleinemonde (E) indicated. Credit: Environmental DNA (2022). DOI: 10.1002/edn3.365

New Curtin University-led research has used eDNA technology to track the movements of a critically endangered fish in South Africa in the hope of safeguarding its future.

The Estuarine pipefish is the only critically endangered species in the Syngnathidae family, with an estimated 100 to 250 remaining globally. The species was originally classified as extinct in 1994 before being rediscovered in 1996 andto datethere is no species monitoring or recovery plan in place.

Published in Environmental DNA, the research team collected samples from 39 sites in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 2019 and found that the Estuarine pipefish resided in two estuaries, Kariega and Bushmans, due to their high vegetation cover of eelgrass.

Lead researcher Ph.D. student Georgia Nester, from Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences, said marine ecosystems were facing unprecedented levels of disturbance with rare species often being the most vulnerable, so it was critical to identify the most effective way to monitor and manage their recovery.

"In order to effectively manage rare or threatened species, we need to understand their environment, population size and the threats they face. This can be especially difficult for small species in aquatic environmentsthe largest Estuarine pipefish recorded was only 15 centimeters in length," Ms. Nester said.

"By using eDNA technology, our team was able to identify locations where the Estuarine pipefish lives and learn more about their preferred habitats, challenges and threats. We were also able to eliminate locations where they were previously found, such as in the Kasouga, East or West Kleinemonde estuaries in South Africa, suggesting that this critically endangered species has been wiped out from these locations due to flooding in the area.

"Our study provides information that will revolutionize current conservation efforts for this species. If we map vegetation in other estuaries in the region, we can identify potential locations to reintroduce this critically endangered species. Our eDNA toolkit can then be used to monitor the success of these reintroductions, and hopefully bring this species back from the brink of extinction."

Ms. Nester said the study provided important insights on the use of eDNA technology and how this non-destructive, non-invasive tool could be beneficial to effectively monitor other rare and critically endangered species.

"Our study used two different techniqueseDNA and seine netting, which uses fishing nets to catch the speciesto track the location and movements of the Estuarine pipefish and found that using eDNA was four times more effective compared to seine netting," Ms. Nester said.

"This new information can now help guide a long-term monitoring program to support this critically endangered species and prevent it from becoming extinct."

Explore further Efficient species monitoring method proves its worth for conservation management

More information: Georgia M. Nester et al, Characterizing the distribution of the critically endangered estuarine pipefish ( Syngnathus watermeyeri ) across its range using environmental DNA, Environmental DNA (2022). Georgia M. Nester et al, Characterizing the distribution of the critically endangered estuarine pipefish ( Syngnathus watermeyeri ) across its range using environmental DNA,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/edn3.365
Credit: Julia Koblitz / Unsplash

The British journal Nature was founded in 1869 and is one of the world's most influential and prestigious outlets for scientific research. Its publisher, Nature Portfolio (a subsidiary of the academic publishing giant Springer Nature), also publishes dozens of specialized journals under the Nature banner, covering almost every branch of science.

In August, the company published new ethics guidance for researchers. The new guidance is part of Nature's "attempt to acknowledge and learn from our troubled deep and recent past, understand the roots of injustice and work to address them as we aim to make the scientific enterprise open and welcoming to all."

An accompanying editorial argues the ethical responsibility of researchers should include people and groups "who do not participate in research but may be harmed by its publication."

It also notes that for some research, "potential harms to the populations studied may outweigh the benefit of publication," and licenses editors to make such determinations. Editors may modify, amend or "correct" articles post-publication. They may also decline to publish, or retract, objectionable content or articles, such as "[s]exist, misogynistic and/or anti-LGBTQ+ content."

The guidance is correct to say academic freedom, like other freedoms, is not absolute. It's also legitimate to suggest science can indirectly harm social groups, and their rights may sometimes trump academic freedom. Despite this, some aspects of the new guidance are concerning.

When science goes wrong

There's no doubt science can cause harm, both for its subjects and other groups. Consider an example from the late 19th century.

Harvard professor Edward Clarke proposed that taking part in higher education would cause fertility problems in women, because energy would be diverted from the reproductive system to the brain.

Clarke's account, set out in a bestselling book, has been credited with deepening public opposition to universities opening their doors to women.

At first glance, this seems like exactly the kind of objectionable content that Nature's new guidance says it would seek to amend or retract.

But the problem with Clarke's account was not the offensive conclusions it drew about women's capacity for intellectual development, or the discriminatory policies to which it gave support.

After all, suppose he had been right? If attending university really would harm women's reproductive health, surely they would want to know.

The real problem with Clarke's work was that it was bad science. Indeed, historian of science Naomi Oreskes has noted: "Feminists in the late nineteenth century found Clarke's agenda transparent and his non-empirical methodology ripe for attack."

So drawing a particular kind of conclusion about women and girls isn't what makes for sexist content in science. Nor is it favoring one side or another on gender-related policies. So what is it?

One answer is that it is science in which gendered assumptions bias scientists' decisions. In the words of historian and philosopher of science Sarah Richardson, this is science in which "gendered practices or assumptions in a scientific field prevented researchers from accurately interpreting data, caused inferential leaps, blocked the consideration of alternative hypotheses, overdetermined theory choice, or biased descriptive language."

Language and labels

The guidance also stipulates scientists should "use inclusive, respectful, non-stigmatizing language." This merits pause for thought.

Scientists should certainly be thoughtful about language, and avoid causing unnecessary offense, hurt or stigma. However, the language must also be scientifically useful and meaningful.

For example, it is the nature of categories that some entities or individuals are excluded from them. This should be based on scientific criteria, not political ones.

Or consider the following, offered as part of working definitions in the guidance: "There is a broad range of gender identities including, but not limited to, transgender, gender-queer, gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, genderless, agender, nongender, bi-gender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine and cisgender."

People should of course be able to identify with whatever gender label they prefer. However, "gender identity" is a vague and contested concept, and these labels (and their meanings) are subjectively defined and continue to change rapidly over time.

Labels that are personally meaningful, deeply felt oras in some casespart of a political project to dismantle gender binaries, may not necessarily be scientifically useful.

An invitation to politicking

By casting a wide range of content as potentially subject to editorial intervention or veto on the grounds of harm, the guidance opens the door to the politicization of science. Other material caught in that net is "content that underminesor could reasonably be perceived to underminethe rights and dignities of an individual or human group on the basis of socially constructed or socially relevant human groupings."

But scientists often do research providing information used to make policies, which will include the bestowing of various rights. The findings of such research can therefore sometimes be unpalatable to groups with economic, political, religious, emotional or other vested interests.

The guidance opens the door for such groups to try to have findings contrary to those interests "corrected" or retracted. There is not much that can't be framed as a right, a harm, or an infringement of dignityall notoriously difficult concepts to define and reach consensus on.

What will determine who is successful in their attempt to have articles amended or retracted? Potential harms will be assessed by journal editors and reviewersand they will perceive these through the lens of their own prior assumptions, ideologies and value systems.

Editors may also face pressure to avoid tarnishing their journal brand, either in response to, or in anticipation of, social media mobs. After all, Springer Nature ultimately answers to its shareholders.

The responsibility of editors

As we know from the work of feminist and other critical scholars, scientific claims based on biased research have harmed marginalized groups in many ways: by explaining away group inequalities in status, power and resources; pathologizing; stigmatizing; and justifying denial of rights.

There is no contradiction between acknowledging these harms, and also having concerns about the new Nature guidance.

Science journals have an important role to play in facilitating socially responsible science in these sensitive areas.

Journal editors should certainly do all they can to discover and scrutinize hidden biases embedded in research, such as by commissioning reviews from experts with different or critical perspectives. However, they should not second-guess what scientific claims will cause social harm, then exercise a veto.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A woman snorkels alongside sergeant major fish by a coral reef.

Beneath the waters off Egypt's Red Sea coast a kaleidoscopic ecosystem teems with life that could become the world's "last coral refuge" as global heating eradicates reefs elsewhere, researchers say.

Most shallow water corals, battered and bleached white by repeated marine heatwaves, are "unlikely to last the century," the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said this year.

That threatens a devastating loss for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who depend on the fish stocks that live and breed in these fragile ecosystems.

Even if global warming is capped within Paris climate goals of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 99 percent of the world's corals would be unable to recover, experts say.

But Red Sea coral reefs, unlike those elsewhere, have proven "highly tolerant to rising sea temperatures," said Mahmoud Hanafy, professor of marine biology at Egypt's Suez Canal University.

Scientists hope that at least some of the Red Sea coralsfive percent of the total corals left worldwidecould cling on amid what is otherwise a looming global collapse.

"There's very strong evidence to suggest that this reef is humanity's hope for having a coral reef ecosystem in the future," Hanafy said.

Eslam Osman from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia said: "It is crucial that we preserve the northern Red Sea as one of the last standing coral refuges, because it could be a seed bank for any future restoration effort."

Orange-spine unicorn fish (Naso lituratus) swim by a coral reef.

Livelihoods for millions

The impacts of coral loss are dire: they cover only 0.2 percent of the ocean floor, but are home to at least a quarter of all marine animals and plants, helping sustain livelihoods for half a billion people worldwide.

Global warming, as well as dynamite fishing and pollution, wiped out a startling 14 percent of the world's coral reefs between 2009 and 2018, according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

Graveyards of bleached coral skeletons are now left where once vibrant and species-rich ecosystems thrived.

Recent studies have shown the northern Red Sea corals are better able to resist the dire impact of heating waters.

"We have a buffer temperature before the coral sees bleaching," Osman said. "One, two, even three degrees (Celsius) of warming, we're still on the safe side."

Graphic on coral bleaching.

Osman said one theory explaining the corals' apparent resilience to heat is due to "evolutionary memory" developed many thousands of years ago, when coral larvae migrated north from the Indian Ocean.

"In the southern Red Sea, coral larvae had to pass through very warm waters, which acted as a filter, only letting through species that could survive up to 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit)," Osman said.

However, scientists warn that even if Red Sea corals survive surging water temperatures, they risk being damaged from non-climate threatspollution, overfishing and habitat destruction including from costal development and mass tourism.

"When non-climate threats increase, the vulnerability to climate change increases as well," Osman said.

'Global responsibility'

Reefs off Egypt are hugely popular among divers, and some Red Sea dive sites are operating at up to 40 times their recommended capacity, Hanafy said.

Beneath the waters off Egypt's Red Sea coast a kaleidoscopic ecosystem teems with life that could become the world's "last coral refuge"

Fishing, another huge pressure, must drop to a sixth of current rates to become sustainable, he said.

For Hanafy, protecting the reef is a "global responsibility" and one which Red Sea tourism businesseswhich account for 65 percent of Egypt's vital tourism industrymust share.

Local professionals say they have already witnessed damage to parts of the delicate ecosystem.

One solution, Hanafy said, is for the environment ministry to boost protection over a 400-square-kilometer (154-square-mile) area of corals known as Egypt's Great Fringing Reef.

Sergeant major fish, so called because of their stripes swim by a coral reef off Abu Dabbab.

More than half already lies within nature reserves or environmentally-administered areas, but creating one continuous protected area would support the coral by "regulating activities and fishing, implementing carrying capacity plans and banning pollution", Hanafy said.

Further south, off Sudan, a near absence of tourism has shielded pristine corals from polluting boats and the wandering fins of divers.

But, despite their greater resilience, the corals are far from immune to climate change, and the reefs there have experienced several bleaching events over the past three decades.

Striated surgeon fish (Ctenochaetus striatus) and royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) swim by a coral reef along Egypt's Red Sea coast.

For Sudan, a country mired in a dire economic and political crisis including a military coup last year, monitoring the coral is "difficult" without funding, Sudan's Higher Council for the Environment and Natural Resources said.

Off both the Egyptian and Saudi coasts, corals face the threats of coastal development, including sewage and sedimentation from construction runoff, Osman warned.

The great irony, he said, is that, while the natural wonders of the Red Sea corals that have drawn tourists and developers, the increased man-made pressures are in turn accelerating their destruction.

Explore further Scientists believe evolution could save coral reefs, if we let it

 2022 AFP
A woman uses a paper sheet to fan her child amid a power cut during a heatwave in the Pakistani city of Jacobabad in May.

Heatwaves will become so extreme in certain regions of the world within decades that human life there will be unsustainable, the United Nations and the Red Cross said Monday.

Heatwaves are predicted to "exceed human physiological and social limits" in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and south and southwest Asia, with extreme events triggering "large-scale suffering and loss of life", the organizations said.

Heatwave catastrophes this year in countries like Somalia and Pakistan foreshadow a future with deadlier, more frequent, and more intense heat-related humanitarian emergencies, they warned in a joint report.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released the report in advance of next month's COP27 climate change summit in Egypt.

"We don't want to dramatize it, but clearly the data shows that it does lead towards a very bleak future," said IFRC secretary-general Jagan Chapagain.

They said aggressive steps needed to be taken immediately to avert potentially recurrent heat disasters, listing steps that could mitigate the worst effects of extreme heat.

Limits of survival

"There are clear limits beyond which people exposed to extreme heat and humidity cannot survive," the report said.

Maps of the world and zoom on the tropics showing the number of days considered "dangerous" or "extremely dangerous" per year.

"There are also likely to be levels of extreme heat beyond which societies may find it practically impossible to deliver effective adaptation for all.

"On current trajectories, heatwaves could meet and exceed these physiological and social limits in the coming decades, including in regions such as the Sahel and south and southwest Asia."

It warned that the impact of this would be "large-scale suffering and loss of life, population movements and further entrenched inequality."

The report said extreme heat was a "silent killer", claiming thousands of lives each year as the deadliest weather-related hazardand the dangers were set to grow at an "alarming rate" due to climate change.

According to a study cited by the report, the number of poor people living in extreme heat conditions in urban areas will jump by 700 percent by 2050, particularly in west Africa and southeast Asia.

"Projected future death rates from extreme heat are staggeringly highcomparable in magnitude by the end of the century to all cancers or all infectious diseasesand staggeringly unequal," the report said.

Agricultural workers, children, the elderly and pregnant and breastfeeding women are at higher risk of illness and death, the report claimed.

"As the climate crisis goes unchecked, extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and floods, are hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest," said UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths.

"The humanitarian system is not equipped to handle crisis of this scale on our own."

The United Nations warned that countries in the horn of Africa more Somalia and similarly Kenya's arid nothern reaches are on the brink of famine for the second time in just over a decade.

'Previously unimaginable'

Chapagain urged countries at COP27 to invest in climate adaptation and mitigation in the regions most at risk.

OCHA and the IFRC suggested five main steps to help combat the impact of extreme heatwaves, including providing early information to help people and authorities react in time, and finding new ways of financing local-level action.

They also included humanitarian organizations testing more "thermally-appropriate" emergency shelter and "cooling centers", while getting communities to alter their development planning to take account of likely extreme heat impacts.

OCHA and the IFRC said there were limits to extreme heat adaptation measures.

Some, such as increasing energy-intensive air conditioning, are costly, environmentally unsustainable and contribute themselves to climate change.

If emissions of the greenhouse gases which cause climate change are not aggressively reduced, the world will face "previously unimaginable levels of extreme heat".

Explore further Beating the heat becoming more difficult, science says

 2022 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was held by Iran's morality police for not complying with the country's hijab rules has drawn global attention to the repression of women in Iran. Neighboring Saudi Arabia, a Sunni country, theologically and politically opposed to Shiite Iran, has similar restrictive rules when it comes to women.

The connection between faith and practice in the Muslim world at large lies at the heart of my research. A wider look at some of the Muslim majority countries shows that even when they may claim to be diametrically opposed ideologically, they often have similar religious police, or other rules for enforcing faith in everyday life. Moreover, it is my belief, they have nothing to do with Islamic tenets.

In many Muslim majority countries, imposing barriers on women has been a way of informing the world what kind of policy and ideology the government believes in.

Market inspectors turned into morality police

The closest thing to the morality police of today to be found in early Islamic history is the "Muhtasib," or observers. The Muhtasib, who had to know Islamic law, were appointed by the ruler, such as the sultan in Ottoman times, to oversee matters of trade. The Muhtasib's job was to make sure that traders were using correct measures and weights, paying taxes and maintaining hygienic conditions in their establishments.

More generally they would observe public actions and had the jurisdiction to reprimand and at times penalize people. They were not known to target women, and they respected the beliefs of multiple faiths that existed at the time. In contemporary Iran, the rules on head covering are upheld for all women, even if they're not Muslim.

Islam's basic tenets are that humans share a direct relationship with God without the interference of individuals or any organizations. The Quran does not stipulate that women shouldn't drive, as in Saudi Arabia, or that women should be forced to wear conservative dress. While the Quran asks both men and women to dress modestly, it does not discriminate.

Politics of the veil

In today's political environment, women's bodies and their sartorial modesty are often the quickest way for governments to express whether the country is secular.

In the 1970s, for example, the Syrian government forbade women from wearing the veil in public because President Hafez-al-Assad wanted to convey to the outside world that the Baathist regime was secular and left of the center. The policy continued under President Bashar al-Assad and, in 2010, over a thousand veil-wearing primary school teachers were removed from their teaching jobs and given administrative posts.

In Iran, however, following the 1979 revolution, as observers have pointed out, the hijab came to be the "central symbol," of Islamist rule. Compulsory hijab wearing was enforced in Iran through law, and any violation was penalized with fines and a two-month prison sentence.

Egypt provides another example. In 2011, the image of a woman whose face was veiled but whose upper garment had come apart exposing her blue bra while she was being dragged by the Egyptian police, captured the media's attention. The image, which came to be known as the "girl in the blue bra," soon became a symbol of women's oppression by the Egyptian military.

The fact is that women face police brutality regardless of how they dress. The "girl in the blue bra" was attacked by the police because she dared protest the country's conditions. I believe disrobing her and kicking her in her abdomen was being done on purpose to deter other women from joining the revolution. In 2011, many female protesters were put through a virginity test by the Egyptian police when in captivity.

As opposed to a misconception that Muslim women are always forced to act conservatively in their respective countries, the truth is that women are violated for being nonconformist citizens in their respective political regimes.

What is important to note is that these patriarchal practices often are not limited to policing modest dressing for women and penalizing them brutally, but also in forcing them to remove their veil. Following the 2013 coup in Egypt, when Egyptian army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi overthrew the democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, widespread changes were introduced, including a crackdown on women who chose to wear the niqab.

Women's rights and choices over their bodies need to be respectedby Muslim majority nations and the rest of the world.

Explore further Women who wear Muslim garments in court are viewed as more credible witnesses

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A simplified model of human evolution showing how humans are related to Neanderthals and Denisovans. Arrows between different branches show mating that occurred. Events that happened further back in time are closer to the top of the image. Credit: Joshua Akey, CC BY-ND

When the first modern humans arose in East Africa sometime between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, the world was very different compared to today. Perhaps the biggest difference was that wemeaning people of our species, Homo sapienswere only one of several types of humans (or hominins) that simultaneously existed on Earth.

From the well-known Neanderthals and more enigmatic Denisovans in Eurasia, to the diminutive "hobbit" Homo floresiensis on the island of Flores in Indonesia, to Homo naledi that lived in South Africa, multiple hominins abounded.

Then, between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago, all but one type of these hominins disappeared, and for the first time we were alone.

Until recently, one of the mysteries about human history was whether our ancestors interacted and mated with these other types of humans before they went extinct. This fascinating question was the subject of great and often contentious debates among scientists for decades, because the data needed to answer this question simply didn't exist. In fact, it seemed to many that the data would never exist.

Svante Paabo, however, paid little attention to what people thought was or was not possible. His persistence in developing tools to extract, sequence and interpret ancient DNA enabled sequencing the genomes of Neanderthals, Denisovans and early modern humans who lived over 45,000 years ago.

For developing this new field of paleogenomics, Paabo was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This honor is not only well-deserved recognition for Paabo's triumphs, but also for evolutionary genomics and the insights it can contribute toward a more comprehensive understanding of human health and disease.

Mixing and mating, revealed by DNA

Genetic studies of living people over the past several decades revealed the general contours of human history. Our species arose in Africa, dispersing out from that continent around 60,000 years ago, ultimately spreading to nearly all habitable places on Earth. Other types of humans existed as modern humans migrated throughout the world, but the genetic data showed little evidence that modern humans mated with other hominins.

Over the past decade, however, the study of ancient DNA, recovered from fossils up to around 400,000 years old, has revealed startling new twists and turns in the story of human history.

For example, the Neanderthal genome provided the data necessary to definitively show that humans and Neanderthals mated. Non-African people alive today inherited about 2% of their genomes from Neanderthal ancestors, thanks to this kind of interbreeding.

In one of the biggest surprises, when Paabo and his colleagues sequenced ancient DNA obtained from a small finger bone fragment that was assumed to be Neanderthal, it turned out to be an entirely unknown type of human, now called Denisovans. Humans and Denisovans also mated, with the highest levels of Denisovan ancestry present todaybetween 4% and 6%in individuals of Oceanic ancestry.

Strikingly, ancient DNA from a 90,000-year-old female revealed that she had a Neanderthal mother and a Denisovan father. Although there are still many unanswered questions, the picture emerging from analyses of ancient and modern DNA is that not only did multiple hominins overlap in time and space, but that matings were relatively common.

Archaic genes you carry today

Estimating the proportion of ancestry that modern individuals have from Neanderthals or Denisovans is certainly interesting. But ancestry proportions provide limited information about the consequences of these ancient matings.

For instance, does DNA inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans influence biological functions that occur within our cells? Does this DNA influence traits like eye color or susceptibility to disease? Were DNA sequences from our evolutionary cousins ever beneficial, helping humans adapt to new environments?

To answer these questions, we need to identify the bits of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA scattered throughout the genomes of modern individuals.

In 2014, my group and David Reich's group independently published the first maps of Neanderthal sequences that survive in the DNA of modern humans. Today, roughly 40% of the Neanderthal genome has been recovered not by sequencing ancient DNA recovered from a fossil, but indirectly by piecing together the Neanderthal sequences that persist in the genomes of contemporary individuals.

Similarly, in 2016 my group and David Reich's group published the first comprehensive catalogs of DNA sequences in modern individuals inherited from Denisovan ancestors. Surprisingly, when we analyzed the Denisovan sequences that persist in people today, we discovered they came from two distinct Denisovan populations, and therefore at least two separate waves of matings occurred between Denisovans and modern humans.

The analysis of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA in modern humans reveals that some of their sequence was harmful and rapidly got purged from human genomes. In fact, the initial fraction of Neanderthal ancestry in humans who lived approximately 45,000 years ago was around 10%. That amount rapidly declined over a small number of generations to the 2% observed in contemporary individuals.

The removal of deleterious archaic sequences also created large regions of the human genome that are significantly depleted of both Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry. These deserts of archaic hominin sequences are interesting because they may help identify genetic changes that contribute to uniquely modern human traits, such as our capacity for language, symbolic thought and culture, although there is debate about just how unique these traits are to modern humans.

In contrast, there are also sequences inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans that were advantageous, and helped modern humans adapt to new environments as they dispersed out of Africa. Neanderthal versions of several immune-related genes have risen to high frequency in several non-African populations, which likely helped humans fend off exposure to new pathogens. Similarly, a version of the EPAS1 gene, which contributes to high-altitude adaptation in Tibetan populations, was inherited from Denisovans.

It is also becoming clear that DNA sequences inherited from Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestors contribute to the burden of disease in present day individuals. Neanderthal sequences have been shown to influence both susceptibility to and protection against severe COVID-19. Archaic hominin sequences have also been shown to influence susceptibility to depression, Type 2 diabetes and celiac disease among others. Ongoing studies will undoubtedly reveal more about how Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry contributes to human disease.

I was a graduate student when the Human Genome Project was nearing completion a little over two decades ago. I was drawn to genetics because I found it fascinating that, by analyzing the DNA of present-day individuals, you could learn aspects about a population's history that occurred tens of thousands of years ago.

Today, I am just as fascinated by the stories contained in our DNA, and the work of Svante Paabo and his colleagues has enabled these stories to be told in a way that simply was not possible before.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) on Sunday killed a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and his bodyguard in northern Iraq, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.

Okkes Deveri, codenamed Kendal Pirsus, was responsible for the health committee of the PKK, the news agency reported, quoting anonymous Turkish security officials.

Deveri and his bodyguard Kayhan Kartal were killed in a cross-border operation in the Gara region.

The MIT has recently intensified its cross-border operations in northern Iraq. On Saturday, it killed six PKK members in the Gara and Asos regions in Iraq.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
Generation and quality assessment of HuSCI. a, The contactome, the sum of physical contacts between viral and host macromolecules, mediates cellular perturbations that enable viral replication and cause disease manifestations. N, nucleocapsid protein; S, spike protein. b, Orthogonal validation; fraction of pairs that are yN2H-positive in HuSCI (top, n = 282 pair configurations representing 148 HuSCIs interaction pairs) and IntraSCI (bottom, n = 41 pair configurations for 25 IntraSCI interaction pairs), in the benchmark positive control sets hsPRS-v2 (n = 180 pair configurations for 60 interaction pairs) and vhLit-BM (n = 164 pair configurations for 40 interaction pairs), and negative control sets hsRRS-v2 (n = 234 pair configurations for 78 protein pairs) and vhRRS (n = 360 pair configurations for 178 protein pairs). Asterisks indicate significant differences from vhRRS benchmark (*P = 0.023; **P = 0.005; ****P = 1.57  105 hsPRS-v2, P = 1.02  107 HuSCI; NS, not significant; two-sided Fishers exact test; center, proportion of positives; error bars, standard error of proportion). c, Overlap of SARS-CoV-2 targets identified in HuSCI with previously identified target proteins of other viruses (left) and actual overlap (arrow) compared to n = 10,000 randomized control networks (right) (one-sided, empirical P d, Host targets identified in HuSCI overlap with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) bound to SARS-CoV-2 RNA upon infection (left) and actual overlap (arrow) compared to n = 10,000 randomized control networks (right) (one-sided, empirical P = 0.007). Credit: Nature Biotechnology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01475-z

What exactly are the molecular interactions between the virus causing COVID-19 and its human host? How might our genetic differences cause different disease courses? And how do still-emerging virus variants differ in their host-virus interactions? To get to the bottom of these questions, an international team of researchers has generated a systematic map of molecular contacts between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its human host.

The contact map, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, reveals more than 200 direct protein-protein contacts, or protein interactions. The international consortium of scientists, led by Pascal Falter-Braun, Director at the Helmholtz Munich Institute of Network Biology (INET) and Professor at the Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany, included teams in Canada, U.S., France, Spain and Belgium.

In contrast to previous large-scale studies on protein-protein associations, now the direct protein contacts between virus and host could be precisely identified. "To really understand the mechanistic connections between virus and host, we need to know how the parts fit together," says Frederick Roth, Professor at the University of Toronto's Donnelly Centre and Sinai Health (Toronto, Canada).

Taking a closer look at this newly-revealed set of direct protein interactions (or "contactome"), the team found chains of connections between viral proteins and infection-relevant human genes. For example, they were able to trace connections between certain SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human proteins encoded by the genes that have been linked to an increased likelihood of severe COVID-19 in other studies. They also found connections between the viral proteins and genes involved in, for example, metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes.

"We already know that genetic differences in humans have an important role in the course and severity of a COVID-19 infection," says Pascal Falter-Braun, and he continues, "thanks to identification of the molecular contact points, it is now possible to examine the underlying mechanisms."

Initial insights included a demonstration that important inflammatory signaling pathways are directly activated by the virus. These contacts may help explain the exaggerated inflammatory reaction, that plays a major role in severe cases of COVID-19.

However, the protein-protein contacts not only point to impacts on the function of human cells and the human immune system, but also impact the function of SARS-CoV-2, including the rate at which the virus replicates.

According to Falter-Braun, the interaction of virus and human cells can be thought of as a visit of the virus to a restaurant: The guestthe virusinitially only has contact with the waiter, but subsequently the waiter goes to the kitchen, communicates the order to the chef, and the virus again gets an answer, in this example the meal, which in turn affects the virus. Depending on which proteins in the human cellsthat is: waiter, chef, kitchen assistant, etcencounter which proteins of the virus, the infection and immune reaction can turn out differently.

"Because of this mutual influence of protein-protein connections, our systematic contact map points to many potential drug targets," says Falter-Braun. The scientists have already been able to confirm, for example, that the human protein USP25 is recruited to help certain viral process and that its inhibition significantly reduces the multiplication of the virus.

"Many of the technologies and collaborations in this study were developed for other purposes, then quickly 'pivoted' to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the value of fundamental research investments" says Dr. Dae-Kyum Kim, a lead author who began this work at Sinai Health (Toronto) and continued it as an Assistant Professor at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To this end, they first had to put in some effort and use the latest technology, because charting the contact map was at times like solving a huge puzzle for the international team of researchers: The scientists systematically examined and displayed the interactions of around 30 viral proteins, each with ~17,500 human proteins in so-called assays, interrogating 450,000 protein pairs.

By hand, one would never have managed this in such a short time. "We resorted to robotics when testing the individual plates each with multiple assays so that each protein type was automatically paired with another. And we had artificial intelligence methods do the initial evaluation of whether interactions occurred or not," Falter-Braun says.

Such a mammoth project required a team effort. "From molecular biology methods to computational analysis of networks and protein domains, to expertise in virology and innate immunity, we collaborated across disciplines," says Falter-Braun. "Our expertise in virus-host interactomics combined with RNA viruses biology, enabled assessing the virus' dependence on host direct partners" specifies Caroline Demeret from the Institut Pasteur.

The effort, researchers believe, was worth it: The contactome map will serve as a platform for the scientific community to study individual interactions in more detail and to understand their impact on molecular mechanisms and clinical progression, and thus uncover starting points for new therapeutic possibilities.

More information: Caroline Demeret, A proteome-scale map of the SARS-CoV-2human contactome, Nature Biotechnology (2022). Journal information: Nature Biotechnology Caroline Demeret, A proteome-scale map of the SARS-CoV-2human contactome,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01475-z
A dead axayacatl, a type of water bug, floats on the waters of Lake Texcoco, near Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. The insects eggs are consumes as ahuautle, known as the Mexican caviar. Ahuautle is threatened by the drying out of Lake Texcoco, development around the lakeshore and waning interest in the ingredient among younger generations. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

In a shallow lake on the outskirts of Mexico City, a handful of farmers still harvest the eggs of an evasive, fingertip-size water bug in a bid to keep alive a culinary tradition dating at least to the Aztec empire.

Caviar is typically associated sturgeons swimming the Caspian Sea, but the Mexican version is made from the tiny eggs of the an aquatic insect of the corixidae family, also know as the "bird fly," because birds like to eat it. Similar bugs are often known as "water boatmen" in English, because of the way they seem to row in ponds and streams.

The bug, which only occasionally surfaces before diving again in a trail of bubbles, would not look like food to most, but it was once important to the people of the Valley of Mexico.

For Juan Hernandez, a farmer from San Cristobal Nezquipayac, cultivating and collecting the tiny insect eggs known as "ahuautle"meaning water amaranth in Nahuais a way of life.

"For me, more than anything, it means tradition," said the 59-year-old Hernandez. He is one of only six people known to still harvest ahuautle, at least in the Texcoco area, they fear they may be the last.

The painstaking collection of "Mexican caviar," known for its intense but delicate flavor, is threatened by the drying out of Lake Texcoco, development around the lakeshore and waning interest in the ingredient among younger generations, said Jorge Ocampo, agrarian history coordinator at the Center for Economic, Social and Technological Research on Agribusiness and World Agriculture in Mexico State.

Ahuautle, also known as the Mexican caviar is harvested from pine needles in Lake Texcoco, near to Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Ahuautle was once an important food to the people of the Valley of Mexico. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Ocampo called the dish's survival an example of "community resistance," similar to the way in which inhabitants around Lake Texcocoa shallow, saline lake that once covered most of the eastern half of the Mexico City valleyhave managed to preserve other traditions, festivals and ceremonies.

For Hernandez, it's hard, dirty work that few are willing to do anymore.

Dressed in a hat, long-sleeved shirt, shorts and rubber boots, Hernandez wades through the calf-high waters of Nabor Carrilloa smallish lake formed from the remnants of Texcocoto collect pine branches he had poked into the muddy lakebed the week before.

The branches serve as an anchor for the bird-fly bugs to deposit their eggs.

Under a blazing sun and accompanied by the calls of hundreds of herons, plovers and other migratory birds that stop at the lakes, Hernandez gathers dozens of egg-coated sticks and lays them on a raft of styrofoam.

Ahuautle, the eggs of the axayacatl, a type of an aquatic insect, are seen attached to pine needles before being harvested at Lake Texcoco, near to Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. The tiny insect eggs known as "ahuautle" are parto of a culinary tradition dating at least to the Aztec empire that a few local farmers are trying to keep alive. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

"We look for them along the edges of the lake, where the flies are more active," Hernandez said. He started as a young man, after a period of joblessness, joining about four dozen other local residents who used to work the lakes during the ahuautle seasonthe rainy period from June through September.

After about two hours, Hernandez has gathered a heap of sticks covered with thousands of bird-fly eggs.

He returns to the edge of the lake to lay the sticks out to dry in the sun, which can take several hours or days, depending on the weather.

"Cleaning is a process that takes a lot of work," said Hernandez, as he rubs his hand over the sticks to remove the eggs, which he then places on a piece of cloth.

Later, he takes the eggs home and runs them through a sieve to remove any bits of pine bark or mud. Then he packs them in bags he offers for sale.

Juan Hernandez collects ahuautle, or the eggs of the Axayacatl, a type of water bug, on Lake Texcoco, near to Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022 For Hernandez, a farmer from San Cristobal Nezquipayac, cultivating and collecting the tiny insect eggs is a way of life. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

While Hernandez takes care of collecting the eggs, restaurant owner Gustavo Guerrero serves them to customers at his eatery in the east-side borough of Iztapalapa.

One of Guerrero's favorite recipes is to mix the ahuautle with breadcrumbs and bind them with eggs to form a croquette, which he then fries and serves with green tomatillo sauce, nopal cactus and squash flowersall pre-Hispanic ingredients.

"Eating this is like revisiting the past," said Guerrero, 61. He says the flavor of the ahuautle reminds him of his childhood, when his mother cooked the dish according to a recipe she learned from her grandmother.

But Guerrero acknowledges that "Mexican caviar" is at risk of disappearing because younger generations aren't familiar with the dish, and ever-fewer people harvest it in the scarce remaining lakes where it is found.

A cook prepares green sauce to accompany a pre-hispanic recipe made with ahuautle in Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Ahuautle or the tiny eggs of the an aquatic insect of the corixidae family, also know as the "bird fly," is known for its intense but delicate flavor. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Ahuautle is also at risk of becoming only a gourmet dish for the rich: A kilogram of the eggs can sell for the equivalent of $50 (roughly $25 a pound).

Insects, their eggs and larvae have been a part of Mexico's cuisine for hundreds or thousands of years. Edday Farfan, an entomologist at Mexico's National Autonomous University, said there are more than 430 species of edible insects in Mexico.

Farfan has been studying bird flies since 2016, and even has one tattooed on his arm.

Farfan said indigenous peoples living around the lakes adopted the insect eggs as a source of protein because prior to the Spanish conquest of 1521, they had few domesticated animals or livestock.

But now, Farfan said, the dish "is associated with the countryside, perhaps with poverty, as if it were an undesirable protein."

A a bowl of ahuautle sits ready for the preparation of a pre-hispanic dish at a restaurant in Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Ahuautle is also at risk of becoming only a gourmet dish for the rich: A kilogram of the eggs can sell for the equivalent of $50 (roughly $25 a pound). Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Juan Hernandez enters Lake Texcoco to collecting ahuautle, also known as the Mexican caviar, near to Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Hernandez wades through the calf-high waters towards the pine branches he had poked into the muddy lakebed the week before, where the bird-fly bugs deposit their eggs he collects. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Juan Hernandez cleans ahuautle, known as the Mexican caviar, in Texcoco, near to Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. "Cleaning is a process that takes a lot of work," said Hernandez, as he rubs his hand over the sticks to remove the eggs, which he then places on a piece of cloth. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Croquettes made with ahuautle, known as Mexican caviar, are served at a restaurant in Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. "Eating this is like revisiting the past," said restaurant owner Gustavo Guerrero. He adds that the flavor of the ahuautle reminds him of his childhood, when his mother cooked the dish according to a recipe she learned from her grandmother. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Juan Hernandez, front, and a friend arrive at Lake Texcoco lake to harvest ahuautle, the eggs of the Axayacatl, a type of water bug, near Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. "We look for them along the edges of the lake, where the flies are more active," Hernandez said. He started as a young man, after a period of joblessness, joining about four dozen other local residents who used to work the lakes during the ahuautle season, the rainy period from June through September. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Dry axayacatl, a type of water bug, are displayed at a restaurant that specializes in pre-Hispanic dishes in Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Framers harvest the eggs of this evasive, fingertip-size water bug in a bid to keep alive a culinary tradition dating at least to the Aztec empire. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Ahuautle, the eggs of the Axayacatl, a type of water bug, are collected on pine needles after harvesting at Lake Texcoco, near Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. The eggs are run through a sieve to remove any bits of pine bark or mud. Then they are packed in bags for sale. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Juan Hernandez drags a styrofoam raft to harvest ahuautle, the eggs of the Axayacatl, a type of water bug, known as the Mexican caviar, at Lake Texcoco, near Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022 For Hernandez, it's hard, dirty work that few are willing to do anymore. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Ahuautle, known as Mexican caviar, is displayed at a restaurant specialized in pre-hispanic dishes in Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Ahuautle or the tiny eggs of an aquatic insect of the corixidae family, was once an important food to the people of the Valley of Mexico. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Juan Hernandez prepares to harvest ahuautle, the eggs of the axayacatl, a type of water bug, at Lake Texcoco, near Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. For Hernandez, a farmer from San Cristobal Nezquipayac, cultivating and collecting the tiny insect eggs is a way of life. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

A water fowl flies over Lake Texcoco where Ahuautle, the eggs of the Axayacatl, a type of water bug, are cultivated and harvested, near Mexico City,Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. In this shallow lake a handful of farmers still harvest ahuautle, the eggs of an evasive, fingertip-size water bug in a bid to keep alive a culinary tradition dating at least to the Aztec empire. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Juan Hernandez drags a styrofoam raft with with pine needles loaded with Ahuautle, the eggs eggs of the axayacatl, a type of water bug, in Lake Texcoco, near Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. In this shallow lake a handful of farmers like Hernandez still harvest ahuautle in a bid to keep alive a culinary tradition dating at least to the Aztec empire. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Pumpkin flowers are prepared to accompany a pre-hispanic recipe made with ahuautle, known as Mexican caviar, at a restaurant in Iztapalapa, near Mexico City, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. According to Jorge Ocampo, agrarian history coordinator at the Center for Economic, Social and Technological Research on Agribusiness and World Agriculture in Mexico State, the painstaking collection of ahuautle," known for its intense but delicate flavor, is threatened by the drying out of Lake Texcoco, development around the lakeshore and waning interest in the ingredient among younger generations. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Juan Hernandez collects ahuautle, the eggs of the axayacatl, a type of water bug, on Lake Texcoco, near Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Hernandez is one of only six people known to still harvest ahuautle, at least in the Texcoco area, they fear they may be the last.Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Even those still familiar with ahuautle often consider the insects that produce it to be feed for chickens or turkeys, and may think of it literally as "for the birds."

With the odds stacked against it, there is no guarantee that Mexican caviar will even be a choice for future generations.

"There are a lot of kids, young people who don't eat it anymore, they don't like it," Hernandez admits.

"Now we are just keeping ahuautle alive," he said. "I hope it doesn't disappear, because it is a source in income for those of us who live off the land."

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Devices like this experimental apparatus can produce pairs of photons that are linked, or entangled. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Unhackable communications devices, high-precision GPS and high-resolution medical imaging all have something in common. These technologiessome under development and some already on the market all rely on the non-intuitive quantum phenomenon of entanglement.

Two quantum particles, like pairs of atoms or photons, can become entangled. That means a property of one particle is linked to a property of the other, and a change to one particle instantly affects the other particle, regardless of how far apart they are. This correlation is a key resource in quantum information technologies.

For the most part, quantum entanglement is still a subject of physics research, but it's also a component of commercially available technologies, and it plays a starring role in the emerging quantum information processing industry.

Pioneers

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics recognized the profound legacy of Alain Aspect of France, John F. Clauser of the U.S. and Austrian Anton Zeilinger's experimental work with quantum entanglement, which has personally touched me since the start of my graduate school career as a physicist. Anton Zeilinger was a mentor of my Ph.D. mentor, Paul Kwiat, which heavily influenced my dissertation on experimentally understanding decoherence in photonic entanglement.

Decoherence occurs when the environment interacts with a quantum objectin this case a photonto knock it out of the quantum state of superposition. In superposition, a quantum object is isolated from the environment and exists in a strange blend of two opposite states at the same time, like a coin toss landing as both heads and tails. Superposition is necessary for two or more quantum objects to become entangled.

Entanglement goes the distance

Quantum entanglement is a critical element of quantum information processing, and photonic entanglement of the type pioneered by the Nobel laureates is crucial for transmitting quantum information. Quantum entanglement can be used to build large-scale quantum communications networks.

On a path toward long-distance quantum networks, Jian-Wei Pan, one of Zeilinger's former students, and colleagues demonstrated entanglement distribution to two locations separated by 764 miles (1,203 km) on Earth via satellite transmission. However, direct transmission rates of quantum information are limited due to loss, meaning too many photons get absorbed by matter in transit so not enough reach the destination.

Entanglement is critical for solving this roadblock, through the nascent technology of quantum repeaters. An important milestone for early quantum repeaters, called entanglement swapping, was demonstrated by Zeilinger and colleagues in 1998. Entanglement swapping links one each of two pairs of entangled photons, thereby entangling the two initially independent photons, which can be far apart from each other.

How quantum encryption keeps secrets safe.

Quantum protection

Perhaps the most well known quantum communications application is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which allows someone to securely distribute encryption keys. If those keys are stored properly, they will be secure, even from future powerful, code-breaking quantum computers.

While the first proposal for QKD did not explicitly require entanglement, an entanglement-based version was subsequently proposed. Shortly after this proposal came the first demonstration of the technique, through the air over a short distance on a tabletop. The first demonstrations of entangement-based QKD were published by research groups led by Zeilinger, Kwiat and Nicolas Gisin were published in the same issue of Physical Review Letters in May 2000.

These entanglement-based distributed keys can be used to dramatically improve the security of communications. A first important demonstration along these lines was from the Zeilinger group, which conducted a bank wire transfer in Vienna, Austria, in 2004. In this case, the two halves of the QKD system were located at the headquarters of a large bank and the Vienna City Hall. The optical fibers that carried the photons were installed in the Vienna sewer system and spanned nine-tenths of a mile (1.45 km).

Entanglement for sale

Today, there are a handful of companies that have commercialized quantum key distribution technology, including my group's collaborator Qubitekk, which focuses on an entanglement-based approach to QKD. With a more recent commercial Qubitekk system, my colleagues and I demonstrated secure smart grid communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Quantum communications, computing and sensing technologies are of great interest to the military and intelligence communities. Quantum entanglement also promises to boost medical imaging through optical sensing and high-resolution radio frequency detection, which could also improve GPS positioning. There's even a company gearing up to offer entanglement-as-a-service by providing customers with network access to entangled qubits for secure communications.

There are many other quantum applications that have been proposed and have yet to be invented that will be enabled by future entangled quantum networks. Quantum computers will perhaps have the most direct impact on society by enabling direct simulation of problems that do not scale well on conventional digital computers. In general, quantum computers produce complex entangled networks when they are operating. These computers could have huge impacts on society, ranging from reducing energy consumption to developing personally tailored medicine.

Finally, entangled quantum sensor networks promise the capability to measure theorized phenomena, such as dark matter, that cannot be seen with today's conventional technology. The strangeness of quantum mechanics, elucidated through decades of fundamental experimental and theoretical work, has given rise to a new burgeoning global quantum industry.

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A man looks out to sea in October 2008 in Male, the capital of the Maldives, which is among several island nations the UN has said may become uninhabitable by 2100.

If rising seas engulf the Maldives and Tuvalu, will those countries be wiped off the map? And what happens to their citizens?

The prospect is no longer science fiction as global warming gathers pace, posing an unprecedented challenge to the international community, and threatening entire peoples with the loss of their land and identity.

"This is the biggest tragedy that a people, a country, a nation can face," Mohamed Nasheed, former president of the Maldives, told AFP.

According to UN climate experts, sea levels have already risen 15 to 25 cm (six to 10 inches) since 1900, and the pace of rise is accelerating, especially in some tropical areas.

If warming trends continue, the oceans could rise by nearly one additional meter (39 inches) around the Pacific and Indian Ocean islands by the end of the century.

This is still below the highest point of the smallest, flattest island states, but rising seas will be accompanied by an increase in storms and tidal surges: Salt contamination to water and land will make many atolls uninhabitable long before they are covered over by the sea.

According to a study cited by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, five nations (the Maldives, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati) may become uninhabitable by 2100, creating 600,000 stateless climate refugees.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, pictured in October 2019, says loss of land and identity is 'the biggest tragedy that a people, a country, a nation can face'

'Legal fiction'

It is an unprecedented situation. States have, of course, been wiped off the map by wars. But "we haven't had a situation where existing states have completely lost territory due to a physical event, or events, like sea-level rise, or severe weather events," noted Sumudu Atapattu, of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

But the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a reference on the subject, is clear: A state consists of a defined territory, a permanent population, a government and the capacity to interact with other states. So if the territory is swallowed up, or no one can live on what is left of it, at least one of the criteria falls.

"The other thing that I argue is that statehood is a fiction, legal fiction we created for purposes of international law. So we should be able to come up with another fiction to encompass these deterritorialized states," Atapattu added.

That is the idea behind the "Rising Nations" initiative launched in September by several Pacific governments: "convince members of the UN to recognize our nation, even if we are submerged under water, because that is our identity," the prime minister of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, explained to AFP.

Tepuka Islet is part of the island country of Tuvalu, which some fear could be overcome by rising sea levels and wiped off the map.

Some people are already thinking about how these Nation-States 2.0 might work.

"You could have land somewhere, people somewhere else, and government in the third place," Kamal Amakrane, managing director of the Global Centre for Climate Mobility at Columbia University, told AFP.

This would first require a "political declaration" by the UN, then a "treaty" between the threatened state and a "host state," ready to receive the government in exile in a kind of permanent embassy. The population, which might be in that state or even a different one, would then have dual nationality.

Amakrane, a former UN official, also draws attention to an ambiguity in the Montevideo Convention: "When you speak about territory, is it dry or wet territory?"

Humans 'are so ingenious'

With 33 islands scattered over 3.5 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles) in the Pacific, Kiribati, tiny in terms of land area, has one of the largest exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the world.

Tuvalu's Prime Minister Kausea Natano, seen addressing the UN General Assembly in September 2022, hopes his nation will continue to be recognized 'even if we are submerged under water'

If this maritime sovereignty were preserved, then a state would not disappear, some experts say.

While some islets are already being engulfed as shorelines recede, freezing the EEZs would preserve access to vital resources.

In an August 2021 declaration, the members of the Pacific Islands Forum, including Australia and New Zealand, proclaimed that their maritime zones "shall continue to apply, without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea level rise."

Percentage of people living in zones that could be underwater due to rising sea levels, after 2100.

But even with rising ocean levels, some would simply not consider leaving their threatened country.

"Human beings are so ingenious, they will find floating ways... to live exactly in this location," says Nasheed, the Maldives' former leader, suggesting people could resort to floating cities.

How these states would find resources for such projects is unclear. The question of financing the "loss and damage" caused by the impacts of global warming will be a burning issue at COP27 in Egypt in November.

Residents of the Kiritimati coral atoll, part of the Republic of Kiribati, build a seawall with blocks of reef to protect against rising sea levels, in an undated photo provided by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Even as experts like Amakrane defend "the right to remain" for people who don't want to leave their heritage, he adds: "You always need to have a plan B."

In this vein, he has called for launching "as soon as possible" a "political" process to preserve the future of uninhabitable states, "because it gives hope to people."

Otherwise, he warns, the current state of uncertainty "creates bitterness and disarray, and with that, you kill a nation, a people."

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 2022 AFP
Prisoners and staff share responsibility for taking care of the fish tank at the Little Scandinavia housing unit in a Pennsylvania prison. Credit: Commonwealth Media Services

The United States has the largest number of people incarcerated in the worldabout 25% of all people imprisoned worldwide are in American prisons and jails.

Overcrowding, violence and long sentences are common in U.S. prisons, often creating a climate of hopelessness for incarcerated people, as well as people who work there.

Additionally, correctional officers, often challenged by long shifts, worries about their own safety and stressful working conditions, have a life expectancy that is on average a decade less than the general population.

Some advocates have called for diverting people away from prisons, especially low-risk individuals. Others encourage shorter sentences and earlier releases.

But reform efforts could also extend to changing the prison environment itself.

We are American and Norwegian criminologists. While trying to better understand our countries' justice systems, we have spent significant time in correctional facilities across Scandinavia and the U.S. There, we often try to identify overlooked similarities within these very different placesand ways they could learn from each other.

A recent collaboration between correctional services in Pennsylvania and several Scandinavian countries presents an opportunity to test these ideas. One Pennsylvania prison unit we are researching adapts elements from Scandinavian prisons, and offers a window into what drawing from other penal systems might look like in the U.S.

Prisons in Scandinavia

Correctional systems throughout much of Scandinavia are guided by a general set of philosophical principles. In Sweden, these standards emphasize rehabilitation and encourage meaningful change, so incarcerated people can lead a better life.

In Norway, core values of safety, transparency and innovation are considered fundamental to the idea of creating normality in prison, the feeling that life as part of a community continues, even behind walls and bars.

Adhering to these principles means that, in some cases, incarcerated people can wear their own clothes, work in jobs that prepare them for employment and cook their own meals.

Prisons in Scandinavia are also small, with some housing roughly a dozen peoplewhich is possible, given relatively low incarceration rates in the region.

In most cases, people in prison in Norway have access to many of the same social and educational services and programs as people who are not incarcerated.

Many prisons, especially in Norway, are designed in a fundamentally different way than in the U.S. Proximity to nature is often considered, for example. Cells in Norway are also for a single personnot multiple people, as in most cases in the U.S. Norway, perhaps unsurprisingly, has attracted many international visitors who come to observe their prison system.

Importantly, correctional officers have at least a two-year, university-level education and are directly involved in rehabilitation and planning for the incarcerated person's re-entry into the world outside of prison. In the U.S., most officers receive just a few weeks of training, and their work focuses mostly on maintaining safety and security.

It is also worth noting that recidivism rates in Scandinavia are low. In Norway, it has been reported that less than half of people released from prison are rearrested after three years. In Pennsylvania, that figure is closer to 70%. The implications for correctional systems are profound.

Norway and the US

There are, of course, other fundamental differences between the Scandinavian countries and the U.S.

Norway, like the other countries in the region, is much smaller than the U.S., in both population and geography. Crime rates are lower there than in the U.S., and social support systems are more robust. Gun violence is also almost unheard of.

This remodeled prison unit in Pennsylvania is home to 64 male residents. Credit: Creative Commonwealth Media

In Norway, the longest prison sentence in most cases is 21 yearswith most people serving less than a year. In Pennsylvania, life sentences are not uncommon, and many crimes including nonviolent onescan results in decades of imprisonment.

Despite this, the two systems may not be completely incompatible, at least not when the goal is to reform the prison environment.

The Scandinavian Prison Project

In State Correctional Institution Chester, known as SCI Chester, a medium-security prison located just outside of Philadelphia, a correctional officer-guided team has worked since 2018 to incorporate Scandinavian penal principles into its own institution. Based on their direct experiences, the correctional officers and facility leaders sought to reconsider what incarceration could look like at SCI Chester. This initiative has uniquely focused on developing a single housing unit within the prison.

In 2019, the group, which also included outside researchers and correctional leaders, spent weeks visiting a range of facilities across Scandinavia, and the officers worked in Norwegian prisons alongside peer mentors.

In March 2020, six men in SCI Chestereach sentenced to life in prisonwere selected to participate in the project as mentors. They then moved on to the new housing unit, which had come to be known as "Little Scandinavia."

In early 2022, the researchers and correctional leaders returned for a follow-up visit to several prisons in Sweden. Though delayed by the pandemic, 29 more residents of SCI Chester were selected from the prison's general population to join the Scandinavian-inspired housing unit that May.

With single cells, a communal kitchen, Nordic-like furnishings and a landscaped, outdoor green space, Little Scandinavia looks unlike any other U.S. prison. Plants grow throughout the common areas. A large fish tank, maintained by staff and residents, is the centerpiece of an area designed to encourage people to gather.

A grocery program allows all of the residents to purchase fresh foodsa rarity in prisonand work directly with staff to send orders to a local store.

Each day, residents are expected to go to work, treatment or school, all within the prison.

Importantly, the correctional officers overseeing Little Scandinavia have received a range of training to facilitate communication with their assigned residents.

Drawing from Norway's model, there is also a uniquely low ratio of trained staff to incarcerated menone officer for eight residents, compared with the typical average of one staff member for 128 residents.

Although the community is still evolving, there have been no acts of violence, as some speculated would happeneven with access to kitchen equipment.

Learning from Little Scandinavia

As part of our research, we are examining correctional staff's first-hand experiences with this international project.

Some analyses have shown that a Scandinavian approach, focused on normality and reintegration, can be potentially good for correctional officers, boosting their morale, independence and well-being.

Incarcerated people have also reported feeling safer and having more positive relationships with staff and other people living in the prisons. They also indicated greater satisfaction with their access to food and the reintegration support available to them.

SCI Chester shows that it is, in fact, possible to adapt Scandinavian-style penal philosophies and incorporate them into a Pennsylvania prison. This effort is a pilot, however, with significant costs, foundational support from committed leaders, and in partnership with many outside experts.

It remains to be seen how these efforts will play out in the long term. Data from this project, and rigorous research on other efforts, can inform conversations about what the future of prison reform in the U.S. could look like.

After all, as they say in Norway, a prison is responsible for enabling the people who are incarcerated to return to society as good neighborsa fact that, in most cases, is as true in Philadelphia as it is in Stockholm or Oslo.

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Unparalleled insights into the secret life of Streptococcus pneumoniae, the bacterium responsible for hundreds of thousands of infant deaths each year, have been revealed by new research from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oxford, the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit and Imperial College London.

The study, published today in Nature Microbiology, details the genetic diversity of the pathogen within individual infants, including hidden multidrug-resistant and virulent strains. The findings suggest that the detection of such resistant variants is only possible using a population deep sequencing (PDS) approach and that their presence may be due to individuals being treated with antibiotics.

The research highlights the potential for PDS to improve our understanding of pathogens like S. pneumoniae and to inform treatment strategies when antimicrobial resistance is a concern.

Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as the pneumococcus, is a bacterial pathogen that causes diseases ranging from ear infections through to pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis. It is responsible for around nine million global infections annually, with elderly adults and children particularly susceptible. More than 300,000 children die from pneumococcal infection each year, mainly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Not all individuals colonized by S. pneumoniae will become ill. The bacterium is carried without symptoms by up to 60% of children and by a smaller percentage of adults. Children are generally colonized by common strains, and this allows our immune systems to recognize and guard against them. As adults, we tend to be colonized by rarer strains that we may not have encountered before.

In this new study, researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oxford and Imperial College London set out to document the diversity of S. pneumoniae in children and adults.

Almost 4,000 samples, collected from infants and mothers over a two-year period, were whole genome sequenced to test whether the full diversity of S. pneumoniae lineages present could be mapped. Similarly to previous research, common serotypes such as 19F and 23F were much more likely to be found in infants. Serotype 3, which is responsible for disease in adults, was the only one to be found more frequently in mothers.

Importantly, the enhanced sensitivity of this genomics-based method compared to standard tests showed that rarer serotypes linked to disease were present in infants, but at low levels.

Dr. Gerry Tonkin-Hill, a first author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, says that "most bacterial studies only look at one genome per person, but this means that the full diversity of the bacteria that we're colonized by goes unrecorded. We wanted to see what we were missing by analyzing many genomes taken from the same person simultaneously."

"The results of this study confirm that whole genome sequencing of populations of bacterial genomes is a highly accurate and effective way to do this, as shown by the detection of low numbers of disease-linked serotypes in infants."

Genomic sequence data were also compared to antibiotic treatments received by individuals who became ill while taking part in the study. Analysis indicated that infants were at higher risk of being colonized by multidrug resistant lineages following treatment.

In contrast, common lineages that are susceptible to treatment were found to outcompete these multidrug resistant lineages in infants who hadn't received antibiotic treatment.

Dr. Clare Ling, a first author of the study from Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Thailand, says that "humans, particularly children, often host numerous pneumococcal strains simultaneously, which are competing with each other and with strains from other species."

"In a way it is good news that strains that we can treat with antibiotics are more dominant than resistant strains under normal circumstances, but the fact that treatment gives multi-drug resistant strains an advantage is concerning."

Similarly to other pathogens that regularly infect humans, there is a growing threat from antimicrobial resistant strains of S. pneumoniae that are not susceptible to commonly-used medicines. It is thought that overuse of antibiotics contributes to resistance, yet these drugs save lives and remain our best defense against infectious bacteria. One way to improve our use of antibiotics is through precision medicine, where the strain causing an infection is identified so that the most appropriate drugs can be used.

Professor Stephen Bentley, a senior author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, says that "the high resolution of this study allows us to trace the course of S. pneumoniae infection over time, finally giving us the data we need to settle questions such as how drug-susceptible and drug-resistant bacteria compete against one another."

"This approach shows us how, with sufficient resourcing and expertise, genomic surveillance can provide the information we need to understand the strains causing infections, and which treatments are most likely to succeed."

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More information: Gerry Tonkin-Hill, Pneumococcal within-host diversity during colonization, transmission and treatment, Nature Microbiology (2022). Journal information: Nature Microbiology Gerry Tonkin-Hill, Pneumococcal within-host diversity during colonization, transmission and treatment,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01238-1
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A study by the University of York and Aarhus University has revealed that baby talk displays similar properties across 36 languages.

"Baby talk" or infant directed speech (IDS) refers to the way caregivers talk to young infants, and generally includes a high-pitched, slow-paced, animated speech.

This spontaneous, automatic and intuitive way of speaking has been studied for decades to understand why human beings communicate in this way with infants and what it might suggest about child development.

The York and Aarhus team addressed the question of whether IDS had a universal qualitydoes it, for example, have the same properties in English as it does in other languages? They also addressed whether this changes as the child's grasp on language and speech increases.

Using a meta-analytic method, they examined all previous studies that investigated sound properties of IDS and asked what these revealed about its function in child language development. They found that certain features of IDS, such as pitch, melody, and articulation rates have the same properties across most of the world's languages.

Some differences

How much caregivers exaggerate the differences between vowel sounds, however, was markedly different across the languages.

Christopher Cox, who led the study and is a joint Ph.D. student at the University of York's Department of Language & Linguistic Science and Aarhus University's Department of Linguistics & Cognitive Science, says that "we use a higher pitch, more melodious phrases, and a slower articulation rate when talking to infants compared to how we talk to adults, and this appears to be the same across most languages."

"In the English language, caregivers typically exaggerate the difference in vowel sounds in infant directed speech, but this seemed to vary across other languages. More work is needed to understand why that is, but we might expect, for example, that speakers of languages with lots of vowels would be more inclined to clarify this speech signal for their children."

Plot of the prior and posterior predictive checks (gray) and observed metaanalytic data (black) for the acoustic measures. Credit: Nature Human Behaviour (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01452-1

Languages that have been studied so far have focused on English and European languages, but to understand more about the instinctive use of IDS and how it helps in child development, the researchers argue more work is needed in understudied, non-Western languages.

Adult speech style

The study also showed that IDS changes over time, as infants get a better grasp on language and speech. Most features of IDS gradually become more similar to adult speech stylesuch as pitch and speed of deliverybut other features, such as the high pitch melodic sounds and exaggerated vowels continue into early life.

Associate Professor Riccardo Fusaroli, co-author of the study from Aarhus University, says that "these results really highlight the interactive nature of this speech style, with caregivers providing dynamic and tailored feedback to their children's vocalizations and reacting to infants' changing developmental needs."

Different societies

Professor Tamar Keren-Portnoy, co-author of the study from the University of York's Department of Language and Linguistic Science, says that they "have shown how similar speech to babies is in different societies, but at the same time our results also show an impressive degree of variability among cultures in how some of the different properties are expressed."

The research, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is published in Nature Human Behaviour.

Explore further How can infants learn about sounds in their native language?

More information: Christopher Cox et al, A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of the acoustic features of infant-directed speech, Nature Human Behaviour (2022). Journal information: Nature Human Behaviour Christopher Cox et al, A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of the acoustic features of infant-directed speech,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01452-1
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The pigments that create skin, hair, and eye color are produced in organelles called melanosomes, which are located within skin cells called melanocytes and several types of eye pigment cells. Albinism, a condition characterized by an absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes, occurs when mutations within genes responsible for melanosome function or supporting cellular machinery prevent melanin pigments from being synthesized and stored.

Albinism is one of many symptoms of the HermanskyPudlak syndromes (HPS), a group of inherited multisystem disorders that also can lead to symptoms such as prolonged bleeding, colitis, and lung fibrosis. Previous research has shown that patients with HPS have abnormalities in the formation of cell type-specific lysosome-related organelles such as melanosomes. However, the mechanisms behind melanosome formationand how HPS-related genes might impact themare not fully understood.

To better understand the mechanisms at play, researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) focused on BLOC-1, a protein complex required for the biogenesis and maturation of melanosomes and other lysosome-related organelles.

BLOC-1 is composed of eight subunits, four of which are mutated in various forms of HPS, and is required to develop intracellular membrane tubes that allow melanin synthetic enzymes to be delivered to melanosomes. The researchers identified two lipid-modifying enzymes that are required for BLOC-1-dependent tube formation and thus for transporting melanin synthetic enzymes and other proteins into the melanosomes to generate pigment. The researchers found that these enzymes functioned sequentially and that depleting either enzyme resulted in reduced melanin content, emphasizing that both are required.

"This study showed us the 'what'that two kinases are essential in melanosome biogenesis, and that these kinases localize sequentially," said senior study author Michael S. Marks, Ph.D., Investigator and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"The next step of this research will be figuring out how and why these enzymes are targeted to two different sites, which could help us better understand dysfunction of other lysosome-related organelles that are relevant in HPS. This work also gives us a tool to help us better understand the three-dimensional structure of BLOC-1, which could lead to a greater understanding of these mechanisms."

The study was recently published in the Journal of Cell Biology.

More information: Yueyao Zhu et al, Type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases function sequentially in cargo delivery from early endosomes to melanosomes, Journal of Cell Biology (2022). Journal information: Journal of Cell Biology Yueyao Zhu et al, Type II phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases function sequentially in cargo delivery from early endosomes to melanosomes,(2022). DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202110114
A house at Braes of HaBreck, one of the sites studied by the researchers. Credit: A. Thomas and D. Lee

Early farming in Scotland was a less smelly affair than elsewhere, as new research shows they did not need to use manure to fertilize their fieldsunlike their counterparts in other parts of the British Isles and on mainland Europe.

The discovery was the result of an analysis of finds recovered from the site of Balbridie, in Aberdeenshire, which was discovered during excavations between 1977 and 1981. This well-preserved Neolithic site was home to some of Scotland's first farmers around 3800 BC and features a well-preserved timber hall.

A large quantity of ancient grain was also recovered from Balbridie, which a team of researchers have now studied with stable isotope analysis. A plant's growing conditions impact the ratios of its carbon and nitrogen isotopes, which researchers can analyze.

The team's research, published in the journal Antiquity, reveals that prehistoric farmers did not use manure to fertilize their fields. Nevertheless, the land was still very productive.

"The stable isotope analysis revealed very low nitrogen levels showing that the crops were not grown on manured soils," said lead author Dr. Bishop, from the University of Stavanger in Norway, adding "the large size and number of the grains recovered suggest that during this first phase of farming, the soils were productive without the need for manuring."

Conversely, previous research on early farms in England, as well as on mainland Europe, has almost always found evidence that crops were grown in manured fields. This shows that during the initial phase of farming in the Neolithic, parts of Scotland were well suited for farming.

However, not all early farmers got to avoid dung duty. The team also analyzed the contemporary site of Dubton Farm, Angus, and found manure was used there.

Indeed, manuring eventually became the norm in Scotland. Dr. Bishop and the team also analyzed later Neolithic farms on Orkney, at the sites of Skara Brae and the Braes of Ha'Breck from c. 3300-2400 BC, and found they were using manure. The team also found the Orkney farmers were using permanent plots in a wider landscape than expected.

"The evidence showed that they grew their crops in permanent fields," said Dr. Bishop. Other researchers had suggested that Neolithic farmers in Britain farmed small transient fields, frequently moving their plots to new areas of land, or that they were a semi-nomadic population, who did not grow crops every year. However, these results show this was not the case in Scotland.

Dr. Bishop added that "at one of the Orkney sites we were also able to show that these early farmers grew their crops over a range of different soils, suggesting they grew their crops quite extensively around the landscape or that different farms were storing their crops in a communal store at the site."

Such wide use of the landscape and potential pooling of resources would also have helped protect against crop failure, an ever-present threat in the harsh environment of Orkney.

Ancient farmers were able to develop varied sustainable strategies for different conditions.

"The variability of the cropping strategies identified highlights the adaptability of early farming practices," said Dr. Bishop, noting the range of farming practices they identified across Scotland. This raises the possibility further research in other regions may also reveal a similar diversity. Perhaps many early farmers were able to avoid using manure.

The team hopes such research could also help us in the present: "The potential of stable isotope analysis of cereals for recognizing past sustainable (and unsustainable) land use elsewhere across the globe may provide lessons for managing future human impacts on the environment," said Dr. Bishop.

Explore further Why interseeding might be the boost cover crops need

More information: Rosie R. Bishop et al, Scotland's first farmers: new insights into early farming practices in North-west Europe, Antiquity (2022). Journal information: Antiquity Rosie R. Bishop et al, Scotland's first farmers: new insights into early farming practices in North-west Europe,(2022). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2022.107

Provided by Antiquity
This image captured by the United Arab Emirates' "Amal" ("Hope") probe shows the planet Mars on Feb. 10, 2021. Ancient Mars may have had an environment capable of harboring an underground world teeming with microscopic organisms. That's according to French scientists who published their findings Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Credit: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center/UAE Space Agency, via AP, File

Ancient Mars may have had an environment capable of harboring an underground world teeming with microscopic organisms, French scientists reported Monday.

But if they existed, these simple life forms would have altered the atmosphere so profoundly that they triggered a Martian Ice Age and snuffed themselves out, the researchers concluded.

The findings provide a bleak view of the ways of the cosmos. Lifeeven simple life like microbes"might actually commonly cause its own demise," said the study's lead author, Boris Sauterey, now a post-doctoral researcher at Sorbonne University.

The results "are a bit gloomy, but I think they are also very stimulating.," he said in an email. "They challenge us to rethink the way a biosphere and its planet interact."

In a study in the journal Nature Astronomy, Sauterey and his team said they used climate and terrain models to evaluate the habitability of the Martian crust some 4 billion years ago when the red planet was thought to be flush with water and much more hospitable than today.

They surmised that hydrogen-gobbling, methane-producing microbes might have flourished just beneath the surface back then, with several inches (a few tens of centimeters) of dirt, more than enough to protect them against harsh incoming radiation. Anywhere free of ice on Mars could have been swarming with these organisms, according to Sauterey, just as they did on early Earth.

Early Mars' presumably moist, warm climate, however, would have been jeopardized by so much hydrogen sucked out of the thin, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, Sauterey said. As temperatures plunged by nearly minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 200 degrees Celsius), any organisms at or near the surface likely would have buried deeper in an attempt to survive.

This image made available by NASA shows the Jezero Crater area on the planet Mars, captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Ancient Mars may have had an environment capable of harboring an underground world teeming with microscopic organisms. That's according to French scientists who published their findings, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS via AP, File

By contrast, microbes on Earth may have helped maintain temperate conditions, given the nitrogen-dominated atmosphere, the researchers said.

The SETI Institute's Kaveh Pahlevan said future models of Mars' climate need to consider the French research.

Pahlevan led a separate recent study suggesting Mars was born wet with warm oceans lasting millions of years. The atmosphere would have been dense and mostly hydrogen back then, serving as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas that eventually was transported to higher altitudes and lost to space, his team concluded.

The French study investigated the climate effects of possible microbes when Mars' atmosphere was dominated by carbon dioxide and so is not applicable to the earlier times, Pahlevan said.

"What their study makes clear, however, is that if (this) life were present on Mars" during this earlier period, "they would have had a major influence on the prevailing climate," he added in an email.

The best places to look for traces of this past life? The French researchers suggest the unexplored Hellas Planita, or plain, and Jezero Crater on the northwestern edge of Isidis Planita, where NASA's Perseverance rover currently is collecting rocks for return to Earth in a decade.

Next on Sauterey's to-do list: looking into the possibility that microbial life could still exist deep within Mars.

"Could Mars still be inhabited today by micro-organisms descending from this primitive biosphere?" he said. "If so, where?"

Explore further New clues about early atmosphere on Mars suggest a wet planet capable of supporting life

More information: Boris Sauterey, Early Mars habitability and global cooling by H2-based methanogens, Nature Astronomy (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01786-w Journal information: Nature Astronomy Boris Sauterey, Early Mars habitability and global cooling by H2-based methanogens,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-022-01786-w

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Teachers and students at St. Margaret College Secondary School in Cospicua said they are determined to nurture and carry on the great friendship between Malta and China.

They expressed the hope as Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai on Thursday officially delivered a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping in reply to teachers and students of the school's China Corner.

In the letter, Xi encouraged more Maltese youth to actively participate in people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Xi wished the China Corner even greater success in the future, and welcomed faculty members and students to China for exchanges and study.

The China Corner was founded in 2010 by Martin Azzopardi, a science teacher at the school, with the aim of bringing "China" to his classroom following his first visit to the country. The Maltese government, the Chinese Embassy in Malta and the China Cultural Centre in Malta provided him with a lot of support.

"I feel highly grateful. I cannot believe that the Chinese president found the time to read my letter and kindly replied to it personally. This again demonstrates the kindness and humbleness of the Chinese people. I will treasure this letter throughout my life," said Azzopardi.

In July, Azzopardi and his students wrote a letter to the Chinese president, expressing their best wishes for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malta and China. The letter elaborated on the colorful activities carried out by the China Corner, as well as the efforts it made to promote multicultural understanding and enhance the Malta-China friendship.

Maltese Education Minister Clifton Grima said at the delivery ceremony that the Chinese president places high value on the work of the China Corner, as education indeed serves as a gateway to knowing other countries' cultures and also a bridge for cultural exchanges between countries.

Hailing the achievements of Malta-China collaboration in the past 50 years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations, the minister encouraged the China Corner to work even harder in the future to make more contribution to the bilateral friendship.

Aimee Bugeja, a 15-year-old student, was among those writing the letter to Xi. "Having a China Corner in our school is an opportunity for students to open up to another culture and helps us understand the beauty of China," she said, deeming it also an opportunity to learn to "build bridges and not walls" between different countries and cultures.

The China Corner, deeply loved by students of St. Margaret College Secondary School, provides them with lectures and various activities on the traditional Chinese culture and technologies such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese ceramics, silk weaving, among others.

Joseph Ellul, head of the school, said the China Corner has brought students much closer to the beautiful and rich Chinese culture.

The China Corner and the Chinese language program of the school will "continue to promote the Chinese culture among our students and consolidate the friendship and understanding between the people of Malta and China, a relationship that has been steadily strengthened for the past 50 years," he said.

Xi's reply letter spoke highly of the active role the China Corner has played in enhancing Maltese young people's understanding about China and boosting the friendship between the two countries, Yu, the Chinese ambassador, said at the ceremony.

He voiced hope that the teachers and students will live up to Xi's wish and continue to serve as a bridge of cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The embassy stands ready to offer any assistance to the China Corner, especially on Chinese language teaching, he added.

Thursday's ceremony was "an encouraging moment for me and my students to keep on going," Azzopardi told Xinhua. "I hope students can inherit the friendship between Malta and China and continue to push it forward. The China Corner is a means to enhance the friendship between the two countries."

Ellul said he hoped teachers and students in his school will have the opportunity to go to China for study and visit in the future.

"China is a country that we wish to remain friends and build more projects together in the future," he said.
From left, Tore Ellingsen, Hans Ellegren and John Hassler members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announce the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2022, during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. From left on screen Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig have been awarded 2022's Nobel Prize in economic sciences. (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency via AP)

Former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke and two other U.S.-based economists won the Nobel Prize in economics for research into bank failureswork that built on lessons learned in the Great Depression and helped shape America's aggressive response to the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

The Nobel panel at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognized Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip Dybvig on Monday for research that shows "why avoiding bank collapses is vital."

Their findings in the early 1980s laid the foundations for regulating financial markets, the panel said.

"Financial crises and depressions are kind of the worst thing that can happen to the economy," said John Hassler of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences. "We need to have an understanding of the mechanism behind those and what to do about it. And the laureates this year provide that."

Bernanke, 68, examined the Great Depression of the 1930s when he was a professor at Stanford University, showing the danger of bank runswhen panicked people withdraw their savingsand how bank collapses led to widespread economic devastation. He was Fed chair from early 2006 to early 2014 and is now with the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Before Bernanke, economists saw bank failures as a consequence, not a cause, of economic downturns.

Diamond, 68, based at the University of Chicago, and Dybvig, 67, based at Washington University in St. Louis, showed how government guarantees on deposits can prevent a spiraling of financial crises.

"Probably the most gratifying thing for us is that policymakers actually seem to understand it, and the insights that we had, which are pretty simple, could be used in the actual financial crisis," Diamond told The Associated Press in Chicago.

In this Nov. 7, 2017, file photo, former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke attends a ceremony awarding them both with the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government, on Capitol Hill in Washington. 2022's Nobel Prize in economic sciences has been awarded to three U.S.-based economists for research on banks and financial crises.The award to Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig was announced Monday, Oct.10, 2022 by the Nobel panel at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File

When it comes to the global economic turmoil created by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine, the financial system is "much, much less vulnerable" to crises because of memories of the 2000s collapse and improved regulation, Diamond said in a call with the Nobel panel.

The trio's research took on real-world significance when investors sent the financial system into a panic during fall 2008, prompting the longest and most painful recession since the 1930s.

Bernanke, then head of the Fed, teamed up with the U.S. Treasury Department to prop up major banks and ease a shortage of credit, the lifeblood of the economy.

He slashed short-term interest rates to zero, directed the Fed's purchases of Treasury and mortgage investments and set up unprecedented lending programs. Collectively, those steps calmed investors and fortified big banksand were credited with avoiding another depression.

The Fed also pushed long-term interest rates to historic lows, which led to fierce criticism of Bernanke, particularly from some 2012 Republican presidential candidates who said the Fed was hurting the value of the dollar and running the risk of igniting inflation later.

And Bernanke's unprecedented activism at the Fed established a precedent for the central bank to respond with speed and force to economic shocks.

When COVID-19 slammed the U.S. economy in early 2020, the Fed, under Chair Jerome Powell, quickly cut short-term interest rates back to zero and pumped money into the financial system. The aggressive interventionalong with massive government spendingquickly ended the downturn and triggered a powerful economic recovery.

But the quick comeback also came at a cost: Inflation began rising rapidly last year and now is close to 40-year highs, forcing the Fed and other central banks to reverse course and raise rates to cool the economy.

In a press conference Monday, Bernanke expressed confidence in current Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his former colleagues at the central bank, but said they faced "a very difficult challenge'' trying to bring the economy in for a so-called soft landing: raising interest rates just enough to cool the economy and tame inflation without setting off a recession.

Bernanke said he and his wife had turned off their cellphones last night and learned about the Nobel when their daughter called with the news.

In a groundbreaking 1983 paper, Bernanke explored the role of bank failures in deepening and lengthening the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Before that, economists cast blame on the Fed for not printing enough money to support the economy as it sank. Bernanke agreed but found that the shortage of money could not explain why the depression was so devastating and lasted so long.

The problem, he found, was the collapse of the banking system. Panicked savers pulled money out of rickety banks, which then could not make the loans that kept the economy growing.

"The result,'' the Nobel committee wrote, "was the worst global recession in modern history.''

"Ben Bernanke's 1983 paper was startlingly original and of enduring importancenot in explaining how the Great Depression started, but in explaining why it lasted so long,'' said former Fed Vice Chair Alan Blinder, an economist at Princeton University. "That insight has affected economists' thinking ever since.''

Diamond and Dybvig showed that banks play a crucial role in resolving a nettlesome financial problem: Savers want instant access to their money, but businesses need time to see their ventures generate profits before they can repay loans in full. In a 1983 paper, Diamond and Dybvig explored the banks' key role as intermediary between savers and borrowers.

They also found that banks are vulnerable: If savers fear their bank is in danger of failing, they will pull their money out, forcing the bank to call in loans to raise money to cover withdrawals. To stop bank runsand their economic falloutgovernments can insure deposits and act as a lender of last resort to banks.

The insight: "If you could prevent the panic, then the banks would be fine,'' said Simon Johnson, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has written about the financial crisis. "That's a very, very powerful idea that underpins how people think about financial stability.''

Diamond also established, in a 1984 paper, that banks play a crucial role in evaluating borrowers' creditworthiness and making sure that loans go to worthy projects and get repaid.

The economics award capped a week of Nobel Prize announcements in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace. They carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10.

Unlike the other prizes, the economics award wasn't established in Alfred Nobel's will of 1895 but by the Swedish central bank in his memory. The first winner was selected in 1969.

A Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 file photo of a Nobel medal displayed during a ceremony in New York. Credit: Angela Weiss/Pool Photo via AP, File

A bust of Alfred Nobel on display at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Credit: Henrik Montgomery/TT News Agency via AP, File

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Oct. 3 with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system.

Three scientists jointly won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger had shown that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information.

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of "snapping molecules together" that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely.

French author Annie Ernaux won this year's Nobel Prize in literature Thursday. The panel commended her for blending fiction and autobiography in books that fearlessly mine her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s.

The Nobel Peace Prize went to jailed Belarus human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties on Friday.

Nobel committee press release: The Prize in Economic Sciences 2022

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2022 to

Ben S. Bernanke

The Brookings Institution, Washington DC, U.S.

Douglas W. Diamond

University of Chicago, IL, U.S.

Philip H. Dybvig

Washington University in St. Louis, MO, U.S.

"for research on banks and financial crises"

Their discoveries improved how society deals with financial crises

This year's laureates in the Economic Sciences, Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig, have significantly improved our understanding of the role of banks in the economy, particularly during financial crises. An important finding in their research is why avoiding bank collapses is vital.

Modern banking research clarifies why we have banks, how to make them less vulnerable in crises and how bank collapses exacerbate financial crises. The foundations of this research were laid by Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig in the early 1980s. Their analyses have been of great practical importance in regulating financial markets and dealing with financial crises.

For the economy to function, savings must be channelled to investments. However, there is a conflict here: savers want instant access to their money in case of unexpected outlays, while businesses and homeowners need to know they will not be forced to repay their loans prematurely. In their theory, Diamond and Dybvig show how banks offer an optimal solution to this problem. By acting as intermediaries that accept deposits from many savers, banks can allow depositors to access their money when they wish, while also offering long-term loans to borrowers.

However, their analysis also showed how the combination of these two activities makes banks vulnerable to rumours about their imminent collapse. If a large number of savers simultaneously run to the bank to withdraw their money, the rumour may become a self-fulfilling prophecya bank run occurs and the bank collapses. These dangerous dynamics can be prevented through the government providing deposit insurance and acting as a lender of last resort to banks.

Diamond demonstrated how banks perform another societally important function. As intermediaries between many savers and borrowers, banks are better suited to assessing borrowers' creditworthiness and ensuring that loans are used for good investments.

Ben Bernanke analysed the Great Depression of the 1930s, the worst economic crisis in modern history. Among other things, he showed how bank runs were a decisive factor in the crisis becoming so deep and prolonged. When the banks collapsed, valuable information about borrowers was lost and could not be recreated quickly. Society's ability to channel savings to productive investments was thus severely diminished.

"The laureates' insights have improved our ability to avoid both serious crises and expensive bailouts," says Tore Ellingsen, Chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences.

The laureates explained the central role of banks in financial crises

The Great Depression of the 1930s paralysed the world's economies for many years and had vast societal consequences. However, we have managed subsequent financial crises better thanks to research insights from this year's laureates in the Economic Sciences, Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig. They have demonstrated the importance of preventing widespread bank collapses.

We all have some sort of relationship to banks. Our regular income is placed in a bank account and we use the bank's means of payment, such as mobile banking apps or bank cards, when we shop at a supermarket or pay a restaurant bill. At some time in our lives, many of us will need to take a large bank loan, for example to buy a house or apartment. The same applies to businessesthey need to be able to make and receive payments and to finance their investments. In most cases, these services are also provided via a bank.

We take for granted that these services function as they should, perhaps with the exception of brief technical problems. Sometimes, however, all or parts of the banking system fail and a financial crisis arises. Important banks collapse, borrowing becomes more expensive or impossible, prices plunge for property and other assets. If this progression is not stopped, the entire economy can enter a downward spiral of rapidly increasing unemployment and bankruptcies. Some of the biggest economic collapses in history have been financial crises.

Important questions about banks

If banking collapses can cause so much damage, could we manage without banks? Must banks be so unstable and, if so, why? How can society improve the stability of the banking system? Why do the consequences of a banking crisis last so long? And, if banks fail, why can't new ones immediately be established so the economy quickly gets back on its feet? In the early 1980s, this year's laureates, Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig laid the scientific foundation for modern research into these issues in three articles.

Diamond and Dybvig developed theoretical models that explain why banks exist, how their role in society makes them vulnerable to rumours about their impending collapse, and how society can lessen this vulnerability. These insights form the foundation of modern bank regulation.

Through statistical analysis and historical source research, Bernanke demonstrated how failing banks played a decisive role in the global depression of the 1930s, the worst economic crisis in modern history. The collapse of the banking system explains why the downturn was not only deep, but also long-lasting.

Bernanke's research shows that bank crises can potentially have catastrophic consequences. This insight illustrates the importance of well-functioning bank regulation, and was also the reasoning behind crucial elements of economic policy during the financial crisis of 20082009. At this time, Bernanke was head of the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, and was able to put knowledge from research into policy. Later, when the pandemic hit in 2020, significant measures were taken to avoid a global financial crisis. The laureates' insights have played an important role in ensuring these latter crises did not develop into new depressions with devastating consequences for society.

Bank crises led to depression

The work for which Bernanke is now being recognised is formulated in an article from 1983, which analyses the Great Depression of the 1930s. Between January 1930 and March 1933, US industrial production fell by 46 percent and unemployment rose to 25 percent. The crisis spread like wildfire, resulting in a deep economic downturn in much of the world. In Great Britain, unemployment increased to 25 percent and to 29 percent in Australia. In Germany, industrial production almost halved and more than one third of the workforce was out of work. In Chile, national income fell by 33 percent between 1929 and 1932. Everywhere, banks collapsed, people were forced to leave their homes and widespread starvation occurred even in relatively rich countries. The world's economies slowly began to recover only towards the middle of the decade.

Before Bernanke published his article, the conventional wisdom among experts was that the depression could have been prevented if the US central bank had printed more money. Bernanke also shared the opinion that a shortage of money probably contributed to the downturn, but believed this mechanism could not explain why the crisis was so deep and protracted. Instead, Bernanke showed that its main cause was the decline in the banking system's ability to channel savings into productive investments. Using a combination of historical sources and statistical methods, his analysis showed which factors were important in the drop in GDP, gross domestic product. He found that factors that were directly linked to failing banks accounted for the lion's share of the downturn.

The depression began with a fairly normal recession in 1929 but, in 1930, it developed into a banking crisis. The number of banks halved in three years, in many cases due to bank runs. These happen when people who have deposited money in a bank become worried about the bank's survival, and so rush to withdraw their savings. If enough people do this simultaneously, the bank's reserves cannot cover all the withdrawals and it will be forced to conduct a fire sale of assets at potentially huge losses. Ultimately, this may drive the bank into bankruptcy.

The fear of more bank runs led to falling deposits in the remaining banks, and many banks were afraid to grant new loans. Instead, deposits were invested in assets that could be sold quickly in case depositors suddenly wanted to withdraw their money. These problems with obtaining bank loans made it difficult for businesses to finance their investments, as well as huge financial hardship for farmers and ordinary households. The result was the worst global recession in modern history.

Prior to Bernanke's study, the general perception was that the banking crisis was a consequence of a declining economy, rather than a cause of it. Instead, Bernanke established that bank collapses were decisive for the recession developing into deep and prolonged depression. Once a bank goes bankrupt, the relationship between the bank and its borrowers is cut; this relationship contains knowledge capital that is necessary for the bank to manage its lending efficiently. The bank knows its borrowers, it has detailed information about what borrowers have used the money for and what requirements are needed to ensure the loan will be repaid. Building up such knowledge capital takes a long while, and it cannot simply be transferred to other lenders when a bank fails. Repairing a failed banking system can therefore take many years, during which time the economy functions very poorly. Bernanke demonstrated that the economy did not start to recover until the state finally implemented powerful measures to prevent additional bank panics.

Why are banks necessary?

To understand why a banking crisis can have such enormous consequences for society, we need to know what banks actually do: they receive money from people making deposits and channel it to borrowers. This financial intermediation is far from a simple mechanical transfer, because there are fundamental conflicts between the needs of savers and investors. Someone who takes out a loan to finance a home or a long-term investment must know that the lender will not suddenly demand their money back. On the other hand, a saver wants to have at least some of their savings instantly available for unexpected outlays.

Society must somehow resolve these conflicts. If companies or households can be forced to repay their loans at any time, long-term investments become impossible. This would have devastating consequences. The economy cannot function without a financial system that creates enough readily accessible and secure means of payment. Imagine what would happen if you had to pay for your supermarket purchases with a claim on part of your house every time you went shopping.

Diamond and Dybvig's model

Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig showed that the problems we have described can best be solved by institutions that are constructed exactly like banks. In an article from 1983, Diamond and Dybvig develop a theoretical model that explains how banks create liquidity for savers, while borrowers can access long-term financing. Despite this model being relatively simple, it captures the central mechanisms of bankingwhy it works, but also how the system is inherently vulnerable and thus needs regulation.

The model in the article is based upon households saving some of their income, as well as needing to be able to withdraw their money when they wish. No one knows in advance whether and when the need for money will arise, but this does not happen at the same time for every household. Meanwhile, there are investment projects that need financing. These projects are profitable in the longterm, but if they are terminated early, the returns will be very low.

In an economy without banks, the households must make direct investments in these projects. Households that need money at short notice will be forced to terminate the projects early, and will consequently experience very poor returns, with only a small amount of money available for consumption. On the other hand, households that do not need to terminate projects early will enjoy good returns and higher consumption. In such a situation, households will demand a solution that allows them to instantly access their money without this leading to very low returns. Because this solution will be valuable, they will be prepared to accept somewhat lower long-term returns.

In their article, Diamond and Dybvig explain how banks naturally arise as intermediaries and provide this solution. The bank offers accounts where households can deposit their money. It then lends the money to long-term projects. Depositors can withdraw their money when they want, without losing as much as if they had made a direct investment but terminated the project early. These higher returns are financed by households that save for longer thus giving up some long-term returns, compared to if they had made a direct investment in the project.

Banks create money

Diamond and Dybvig show that this process is how banks create liquidity. The money in the depositors' accounts is a liability for the bank, while the bank's assets consist of loans to long-term projects. The bank's assets have a long maturity, because it promises borrowers that they will not need to pay back their loans early. On the other hand, the bank's liabilities have a short maturity; depositors can access their money whenever they want. The bank is an intermediary that transforms assets with long maturity into bank accounts with short maturity. This is usually called maturity transformation.

Savers can use their deposit accounts for direct payments. The bank has thus created money, not from thin air but from the long-term investment projects to which it has lent money. Banks are sometimes criticised for creating money, but here we see that this is precisely why they exist.

Vulnerable to rumours

It is easy to see that maturity transformation is valuable to society, but the laureates also demonstrate that the banks' business model is vulnerable. A rumour may start, saying that more savers than the bank can cope with are about to withdraw their money. Regardless of whether this rumour is true, it can send depositors rushing to the bank to withdraw their money in case the bank goes bankrupt. A bank run ensues. In an attempt to pay all its depositors, the bank is forced to recover its loans early, leading to long-term investment projects being terminated prematurely and assets being sold in fire sales. The resulting losses may cause the bank to collapse. The mechanism that Bernanke showed was the trigger for the depression in the 1930s is thus a direct consequence of banks' inherent vulnerability.

Diamond and Dybvig also present a solution to the problem of bank vulnerability, in the form of deposit insurance from the government. When depositors know that the state has guaranteed their money, they no longer need to rush to the bank as soon as rumours start about a bank run. This stops a bank run before it starts. The existence of a deposit insurance therefore entails, in theory, that it never needs to be used. This explains why most countries have now implemented these schemes.

Banks monitor borrowers

In an article from 1984, Diamond analyses the conditions necessary for banks to take on another important task, namely monitoring borrowers to ensure they honour their commitments.

In reality, most investments are risky. Returns depend on factors such as general uncertainty and on how well the borrower has done their job. A borrower could try to avoid paying their debts by claiming that an investment failed due to bad luck. To prevent this, going bankrupt needs to be costly for borrowers. However, even borrowers who have done their jobs well and not wasted any money can sometimes go bankrupt, which creates unnecessary costs to society.

In his article, Diamond assumes that the bank can monitor borrowers at a certain cost. The bank makes an initial credit evaluation and then follows how the investment is progressing. Thanks to this, many bankruptcies can be avoided and societal costs are reduced. Without the bank as an intermediary, this type of monitoring would be too difficult or overly costly. All the individuals who have directly or indirectly invested in a project can hardly be expected to monitor that their money has been well managed. Instead, this monitoring is delegated to the bank.

but who monitors the banks?

However, one difficulty remains. If the bank is monitoring the borrowerswho is monitoring the banks? In practice, we cannot rely on each depositor knowing whether the bank is doing its job properly. One of the conclusions in Diamond's article is that the way in which banks are organised means they do not need to be monitored by the depositors.

If the bank cuts corners on monitoring borrowers, it risks large losses on its loans. The bank would thus be unable to repay what it promised its depositors and collapse. Therefore, it is in the bank's own interest to monitor its borrowers without the depositors needing to monitor the bank.

Even if the bank performs its monitoring duties well, it will incur losses on some of its loans. However, the risk that a major bank will collapse due to this is small, as long as the bank manages its lending activities in a responsible manner. This is because a bank grants loans to a large number of borrowers. Even if a few borrowers default on their loans, the losses across all loans will be small and predictable. Not putting all their eggs in the same basket reduces the average risk in the bank's loans portfolio. Thanks to the bank acting as an intermediary, the costs are reduced for bankruptcy and monitoring borrowers. This benefits society as a whole.

Diamond and Dybvig also present a solution to the problem of bank vulnerability, in the form of deposit insurance from the government. When depositors know that the state has guaranteed their money, they no longer need to rush to the bank as soon as rumours start about a bank run. This stops a bank run before it starts. The existence of a deposit insurance therefore entails, in theory, that it never needs to be used. This explains why most countries have now implemented these schemes.

Banks monitor borrowers

In an article from 1984, Diamond analyses the conditions necessary for banks to take on another important task, namely monitoring borrowers to ensure they honour their commitments.

In reality, most investments are risky. Returns depend on factors such as general uncertainty and on how well the borrower has done their job. A borrower could try to avoid paying their debts by claiming that an investment failed due to bad luck. To prevent this, going bankrupt needs to be costly for borrowers. However, even borrowers who have done their jobs well and not wasted any money can sometimes go bankrupt, which creates unnecessary costs to society.

In his article, Diamond assumes that the bank can monitor borrowers at a certain cost. The bank makes an initial credit evaluation and then follows how the investment is progressing. Thanks to this, many bankruptcies can be avoided and societal costs are reduced. Without the bank as an intermediary, this type of monitoring would be too difficult or overly costly. All the individuals who have directly or indirectly invested in a project can hardly be expected to monitor that their money has been well managed. Instead, this monitoring is delegated to the bank.

but who monitors the banks?

However, one difficulty remains. If the bank is monitoring the borrowerswho is monitoring the banks? In practice, we cannot rely on each depositor knowing whether the bank is doing its job properly. One of the conclusions in Diamond's article is that the way in which banks are organised means they do not need to be monitored by the depositors.

If the bank cuts corners on monitoring borrowers, it risks large losses on its loans. The bank would thus be unable to repay what it promised its depositors and collapse. Therefore, it is in the bank's own interest to monitor its borrowers without the depositors needing to monitor the bank.

Even if the bank performs its monitoring duties well, it will incur losses on some of its loans. However, the risk that a major bank will collapse due to this is small, as long as the bank manages its lending activities in a responsible manner. This is because a bank grants loans to a large number of borrowers. Even if a few borrowers default on their loans, the losses across all loans will be small and predictable. Not putting all their eggs in the same basket reduces the average risk in the bank's loans portfolio. Thanks to the bank acting as an intermediary, the costs are reduced for bankruptcy and monitoring borrowers. This benefits society as a whole.

Explore further Nobel panel to announce winner of economics prize

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The preceramic human remains from No. 5 Cave (1) and representative stone tools from the preceramic layer, including the cobble chopping tools (2), flake tools (3), and fine-material lithic tools made of quartz (4) of Xiaoma (after Huang and Chen 1990). Credit: World Archaeology (2022). DOI: 10.1080/00438243.2022.2121315

A team of researchers with members from Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam found a 6,000-year-old skull and femur bones in a cave in a mountainous part of Taiwan that might prove the existence of an ancient Indigenous tribe. In their paper published in the journal World Archaeology, the group describes the skull, where it was found and what it might represent.

In Taiwan, there have been stories passed down through the generations about a tribe of short, dark-skinned people that once lived in mountainous parts of the island. But until now, there has been no physical evidence of them. In this new effort, the researchers found a skull and leg bones in a cave that have been dated back to approximately 6,000 years agoa time before the ancestors of people alive on the island arrived.

In studying DNA from the skull, the researchers found it close to African samples from around the same time period. But they also found that its size and shape resemble that of Negritos, who lived in parts of what is now South Africa and in the Philippines. Study of bones left behind in those areas showed them to be quite short with a small body size. Femur bones found near the skull were from the same person as the skull, a young woman. The researchers estimate she stood approximately 1.3 meters tall.

The researchers suggest their findings confirm the existence of the ancient people on Taiwan but they do not explain what might have happened to them. They were apparently gone by the time other early Austronesian groups of people began arriving. The researchers also note that mention of small, dark-skinned people was made in documents from the Quin Dynasty, and all but one of the 16 Austronesian groups living in Taiwan today have stories that describe small, dark-skinned people who once lived in the mountains. Such tales differ, however, between groups, the researchers note, with some believing that the earlier people were ancestors of theirs. Others see them as former enemies. One group claims to have killed off the last of the ancient people 1,000 years ago.

Explore further Genetic analysis of ancient brown bear skull suggests multiple waves of bears migrated to Honshu

More information: Hsiao-chun Hung et al, Negritos in Taiwan and the wider prehistory of Southeast Asia: new discovery from the Xiaoma Caves, World Archaeology (2022). Hsiao-chun Hung et al, Negritos in Taiwan and the wider prehistory of Southeast Asia: new discovery from the Xiaoma Caves,(2022). DOI: 10.1080/00438243.2022.2121315

 2022 Science X Network
State Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, received $10,250 in labor union campaign contributions as he outraised Jean Lapper, his Democratic opponent in the 45th Senate District, over the roughly three-month, most-recent campaign finance reporting period.

Lapper did not receive any labor union contributions in the period from July 8 to Oct. 3.

Larry Bulman, general officer of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry, personally contributed $150 to Lappers campaign, even though his union contributed $6,500 to Stecs campaign.

Other labor unions that contributed to Stecs campaign during the period are as follows: New York State Association of Electrical Workers, $350; New York State United Teachers, $300; New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, $2,400; and Police Benevolent Association of New York State, $700.

Stec had $105,713 in his campaign fund, as of Oct. 3, and Lapper had $37,823, with $24,000 in campaign debt, heading into the final month of the campaign, according to reports the campaigns filed with the state Board of Elections.

Candidates file regular campaign reports twice a year, and more frequently directly before and after an election. The reports are required by state law, intended to provide transparency about who is supporting, and potentially influencing, candidates. The reports also provide an indication of how competitive a race might be.

Stec raised $81,922 for his campaign between July 8 and Oct. 3, and Lapper raised $26,316.

Lapper personally loaned her campaign $4,000 during the period, and Catherine Atherden of Queensbury loaned the campaign $10,000, bringing total campaign debt to $24,000.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a Democrat who owns a second home in Thurman, contributed $1,650 from his campaign fund to Lappers campaign.

Other cash contributors of $1,000 or more are as follows: Michael Gleason of Queensbury, $1,500; Thomas Wood of Plattsburgh, $1,000; Northeast Appraisals of Glens Falls, $1,000.

Stecs other cash contributors of $1,000 or more are as follows: Harold McKinney, Fort Edward, $1,200; Peter Paine, Willsboro, $2,000; Richard Hearn, Genesee County, $1,200; Lawrence Brown, Kattskill Bay, $1,500; Schuyler Systems, Plattsburgh, $3,700; Richard Askew, Lake George, $1,000; Kathryn Muncil, Lake George, $2,400; Elizabeth Herch, Massena, $1,000; Sheri Zappone, Queensbury, $1,000; Liquor and Wine Warehouse, Plattsburgh, $1,200; Liberty Affordable Housing, Rome, $1,000; Reale Construction, Ticonderoga, $1,500; Northeast Realty Development, Queensbury, $2,000; Jointa Lime Co., $2,500; St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, Akwesasne, $1,200; Environmental and Fueling Systems, Troy, $1,000; Tr Mac, Queensbury, $1,500; Realtors PAC, $2,650; Northeast Government Consulting, Albany, $1,200; Braen Stone, Whitehall, $2,000; New York Construction Materials, Latham, $1,200; New York Restaurant PAC, Albany, $1,200; Sylvamo Paper Co., Memphis, Tennessee, $1,200.

Stec spent $70,575 on his campaign between July 8 and Oct. 3, while Lapper spent $26,791.

The 45th Senate District includes the northern tip of Washington County, all of Warren, Essex, Clinton and Franklin counties, and eastern St. Lawrence County.
When it comes to Italian restaurants, most fall into one of two categories: basic pizza joints where the pies take precedent, and more fancy spots that focus on offering a more well-rounded representation of Italys culinary traditions.

Thats why Mikes Pasta House, a small but charming spot that took the place of the former Naomis Cafe in Northfield, is so intriguing. While just about every Italian restaurant offers pasta dishes, at Mikes it is the main focus of the menu. You wont find the pastas here playing second fiddle to some trendy artisan pizza or relegated to being a boring sidekick to a plate of chicken parm, thats for sure. They have those things on the menu, but they arent taking center stage like they do in most spots.

In fact, seeing pasta get top billing at Mikes is exactly what made me come wandering in on a recent weeknight with a few friends. As a lifelong pasta addict, not pulling up a seat in a place called Mikes Pasta House just seemed wrong.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a friendly duo of staff members that took turns handling drink orders and recommending dishes. Both went out of their way to make us feel welcome, and each seemed truly eager to make sure we really enjoyed our experience.

AppsAs a special for the month of October, the Bruschetta app is 50 percent off, so we let them talk us into it, and Im glad we did. Normally, this isnt a go-to for me, but this version was exceptionally good. Its perfectly crusty bread came topped with nice chunky bits of tomato and mozzarella and a lovely blend of garlic, basil, olive oil and balsamic which each brought big flavors. I would absolutely get it again.

Since the parade of carbs was imminent, we opted to add some protein via the Meatballs Ricotta appetizer (yes, they include a random apostrophe between the B and the A. No, I dont have any idea why, but they seem to have an odd affinity for unusual punctuation, particularly when it comes to the word meatballs. At various points throughout the menu, you will find it listed as: meatballs, meatballs or my personal favorite  meat-balls.)

Creative punctuation aside, the meatballs were excellent. Meatballs can often be dry, and that ruins them in a second, but these were perfectly moist, served in a shallow pool of zesty marinara sauce with a dollop of ricotta included for a touch of richness.

PastasThe menu offers both regular and fresh pasta options, with the fresh option costing a couple bucks more, but its hard not to choose fresh pasta at a place like this. The list of pastas available is dizzying and they have a separate menu of specials on top of that, so a bit of guidance from the wait staff was whole-heartedly welcomed.

Classics like Penne Vodka with peas and ham, Fettucine Carbonara with bacon and egg and Baked Ziti join more obscure finds such as Spaghetti Amatrice  a spicy selection prepared with chicken, bacon, tomato, onions; or the Gnocchi Gorgonzola, an impossibly heavy dish lightened up a bit by the addition of chicken, tomatoes and broccoli.

After discussing a few options amongst each other and the waitress, we narrowed it down to three selections  a Tagliatelle Bolognese, and two dishes from the specials menu  the Pappardelle with Mixed Mushrooms and Chicken in a Light Truffle Cream Sauce and the Shrimp and Chicken Carbonara.

The tagliatelle was flavorful, but I found the sauce to be a bit less dense than some versions I have had, likely due to the absence of the obligatory scoop of ricotta that many restaurants impart as a feature of this dish. The pasta itself was all but perfect, and one could easily tell that it was in fact homemade.

Even I found the pappardelle to be stellar, despite the fact that generally speaking Im not big on mushrooms or truffle oil. But this sauce was outstanding  creamy, with a bit of brown gravy serving as the secret weapon making it stand on its own from your more run-of-the-mill cream sauces. Personally, I could have used less truffle oil, but thats likely due to my distaste for it as an ingredient overall. Fans of it would almost certainly disagree.

The carbonara was enjoyable, and as rich and lush as one would expect from this type of sauce, and the smokiness of the bacon was a great balance to the creaminess, although I think I probably would have gone with either chicken or shrimp as opposed to both proteins sharing the space on top of the bacon.

We didnt sample any of the pizzas or non-pasta entrees, but those not seeking a pasta dish can choose from a list of pizzas with all the usual toppings as well as basic Italian favorites like chicken or eggplant parm.

The great returnOne of the toughest things about a spot like this is being able to only sample a few pastas from the long list. Looking back on this trip, I never got to try any filled pastas  no ravioli, no manicotti, no stuffed shells, and I didnt even get to even sample their vodka sauce  the measuring stick I often judge an Italian restaurant on. But as the cliche goes  that just gives me a good reason to return. Cliche or not, Ill be doing just that.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5) stars
Rosa May Jones has been homeless in Atlantic City for nearly 15 years, but while she has struggled to find shelter, feminine hygiene products were never absent from her belongings.

The 51-year-old said she would get tampons, pads and panty liners at Volunteers of America on Pennsylvania Avenue, medical centers such as Bacharachs Physical Therapy Outpatient Center on Atlantic Avenue or the AtlantiCare on New York Avenue. She said generous employees always gave her a hand.

But many women in similar situations arent as fortunate.

Period poverty, or not being able to access needed feminine products because of financial hardships, has been at the forefront of women empowerment groups across the country, says Eiko La Boria, a New Jersey ambassador for the United States of Women. According to its website, the USOW is a national gender-equality movement fighting to build coalitions that amplify inequities impacting women and girls.

There is that change that is happening, and you see it more and more, La Boria said. You have grassroots organizations that are actually on the ground and just doing the service part, and then you have it amplified on social media.

The problem has intensified since supply chain issues began impacting the feminine hygiene business. Organizations that distribute period products into poorer communities are seeing fewer donations because shelves havent been as fully stocked, La Boria said.

But theres a push for change in Trenton.

On Sept. 29, the state Assemblys Women and Children Committee took a step toward making menstrual products accessible for homeless women and girls. The New Jersey Feminine Hygiene Products for the Homeless Act unanimously moved out of its hands and will land next with the Assembly Human Services Committee. The bill, A3211, was one of several in a package of feminine hygiene bills the bipartisan committee moved.

The Assembly Human Services Committee has yet to schedule an October meeting, according to the New Jersey Legislatures website.

Removing the stigma

The bill would require homeless facilities sheltering women and girls to provide products such as tampons, panty liners and sanitary napkins, according to its statement.

Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, who cosponsors the bill, spoke during the hearing last month, thanking her colleagues for including a vulnerable population in legislation to help end deficiencies in accessing feminine products.

They cant even afford to eat, so just imagine  I dont even want to imagine what theyre doing during that time of month, said McKnight, D-Hudson.

New Jersey Policy Perspective policy analyst Brittany Holom-Trundy said the bill helps remove the stigma surrounding a womans menstrual cycle, collapsing barriers that could impede women from getting necessary products for a bodily function.

The proposal would make sure that menstrual hygiene is a right  not merely a privilege  for homeless women, Holom-Trundy said in a statement.

These residents already face daunting challenges to live healthy and happy lives, and should not have to risk their health and wellness as they try to find a permanent and stable home, Holom-Trundy said.

La Boria, from USOW, said her firsthand encounter with a pair of homeless women in North Jersey enlightened her on the issue.

While handing out donated tampons outside a shelter, she was approached by a pair of women asking for them and wanting a box. La Boria directed them inside, but the women told them a box of tampons wasnt promised inside.

What they (women) were implying was that they (shelter) may be selective, La Boria said.

New Jersey lawmakers want Washington to act, as well.

The Committee also passed a resolution pressing Congress to move on legislation that would make feminine products eligible for the Medicaid, WIC and SNAP programs.

On average, a woman spends approximately $9 per month, or $1,964 over a lifetime, on menstrual products, the resolution says.

State lawmakers who wrote both pieces of the legislation, including McKnight and Assemblywoman Lisa Swain, D-Bergen, Passaic, say in it that the need for expanded feminine product access has grown because of financial burdens tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several organizations, including the National Organization for Women and New Jersey Policy Perspective, support the bill. While most didnt have a representative speak during the hearing, their endorsements were noted for the record.

Local resources

In Atlantic City, the Covenant House works to prevent feminine hygiene disparities. The facility said any woman sheltering there can get tampons, panty liners and sanitary products, and their supply is always stocked.

The products are put in a bag any woman menstruating can take with them if they call and request them.

We have plenty on hand and have not identified this as a need expressed by the youth we serve prior to coming to our doors, but that doesnt mean the need doesnt exist, staff member Jen Williams said.

Other homeless women, like Sierra Self, said they actually stopped getting their period due to stress from being homeless.

Self has been homeless for eight years after a bad relationship, accompanied by drug addiction, left her homeless. But for the first three years she was homeless, she always found a way to gather up enough change to go to the Family Dollar or Save-a-lot in the Renaissance Plaza.

Its a good program, Self said about the NJ Feminine Hygiene for the Homeless Act. But I think more people should be doing it, like the CRDA since theyre always out here on the streets.

Overall, the U.S. is making strides in making tampons and similar products more readily available, a notion, La Boria said, that menstrual cycles are subject to universal acceptance. Even more conservative-leaning states are passing pro-period product bills for homeless and poor women and children, La Boria said.

At its core, to me, its a hygiene issue, La Boria said. If you see someone walking down the street with a bloody nose, theyll rush to help that person. We wouldnt typically let someone walk around with a bloody nose. Its sort of the same types of principles for me.
New Jersey has an unfortunate history of meddling in housing finance to the long-term disadvantage of everyone.

When the U.S. housing market collapse of 2006 reduced the value of many homes below what was owed on them and many owners struggled in the ensuing severe recession, a national foreclosure crisis followed. Within five years, the rest of the nation had restored their housing markets and reduced foreclosures to pre-crisis levels. But in New Jersey, the courts halted and then slowed foreclosure processing, leaving the hobbled housing market to burden the state economy for years. In 2014, Atlantic County had the highest foreclosure rate of any U.S. metropolitan area, with one in every 230 homes still in some stage of foreclosure.

This debacle prompted the New Jersey Judiciarys Special Committee on Residential Foreclosures to recommend ways to ensure a timely foreclosure process while upholding due process rights. The Legislature passed and Gov. Phil Murphy signed a package of nine bipartisan reforms to the foreclosure process, including mediation, getting vacant houses to a sheriffs sale within 60 days of a foreclosure judgment, and disclosing who is responsible for maintaining properties in foreclosure.

Then during the pandemic, this welcome dedication to a functional housing market seemed to waiver. Long after national and state moratoriums on evicting those not paying their rent had expired, New Jersey persisted in requiring landlords to keep providing housing to those who couldnt or wouldnt pay for it. Another use by Murphy of his seemingly endless pandemic emergency powers, the extended ban on evictions contributed to the high rents and shortage of housing since.

This makes it especially welcome that Murphy last month blocked a provision of an otherwise worthwhile foreclosure reform that would have damaged the mortgage market.

A bill passed by the Legislature would give homeowners in foreclosure or their next of kin the opportunity to buy the property at a sheriffs sale with just 3.5% cash down if they agree to live in the home for seven years. Other buyers must put down 20%.

Murphy said he wholeheartedly supported the aim of keeping homes in the family if possible, but conditionally vetoed the bill and returned it to lawmakers to get rid of the limit it set on the sale prices of foreclosed properties at auction.

The bill called for sheriffs sale bids to be no more than 50% of whats owed on the mortgage. In his veto message Murphy said that could force lenders to take large losses on mortgages in default even when the market would enable them to recoup most or all of their investment.

Michael Affuso of the New Jersey Bankers Association told NJ Advance Media, The biggest issue when the bill was passed was that it could incentivize fraud and thus disincentivize lending in New Jersey. It allowed for 50% debt reductions, which could have incentivized a strategic default, where a next of kin could have acquired the same property for half of what was due.

It would also have hurt the mortgage market, and made loans costlier and harder to get for homebuyers. We cant see that a state restriction on the sale price of real estate would even be constitutional.

Credit Murphy for using the liberty of a second and final term in office to preserve functional mortgage and housing markets in the face of opposition from progressive supporters. We are very disappointed with the governors conditional veto of this bill, said Staci Berger, president of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.

The Legislature could make the reform even better by allowing families and holders of delinquent mortgages to convey properties under the bills terms before the start of the foreclosure process. That could reduce the foreclosure rate and save families and lenders money in some cases.
Inland towns will soak up the 70s and the shore will stay seasonable as well. However, this will come to a head on Thursday, as gusts in the 30s, followed by a line of strong thunderstorms late will usher in a cooler airmass for the weekend.
A new court filing in the drunken-driving case against a Blue Grass councilman includes a reference to an "appearance of intimidation and retaliation" against the arresting officer.

Another document filed in district court in Scott County classifies the case involving the councilman, the police officer, the police chief and possibly the mayor as an investigation into possible witness tampering.

Assistant Scott County Attorney Elizabeth O'Donnell responded on Friday to filings by an attorney for Councilman Matt Sampson, who was arrested in the early morning hours of July 3 on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, second offense.

The arresting officer was Mason Wilson.

Sampson's attorney had claimed in a court filing that Wilson was fired from the Blue Grass Police Department, even though Sampson was one of the councilmen who voted in mid-August to accept Wilson's resignation.

Blue Grass councilman knew officer wasn't fired A Blue Grass city councilman is claiming through his attorney that a city police officer was fired, even though he voted to accept the officer's resignation.

Attorney Ryan Beckenbaugh also sought personnel records for officer Wilson from the Blue Grass Police Department and from the Bettendorf Police Department, where Wilson previously worked.

O'Donnell, the prosecutor, referred to Beckenbaugh's motion in her response, filed Friday.

"Defendants motion seeks to obtain personnel records of the arresting officer. As stated in Defendants motion, 'Something rather unusual and specific has arisen in this case,'" O'Donnell wrote in her response. "Certainly a city police officer, while on duty, catching and arresting a city councilman for drunken driving at 3:00 a.m. in the morning is unusual. However, it does not merit expanding the rules of discovery far beyond the typical criminal case.

"Requesting personnel records of an officer, and making personal attacks on him in an operating while intoxicated case is certainly unusual, and has the appearance of intimidation and retaliation for an officers arrest of a city councilman for operating under the influence, second offense."

Additional filings in the case, including documents related to a search warrant served on the home and vehicle of Blue Grass Police Chief Bobby Flaherty, also provide more details. The chief is on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Blue Grass councilman, police officer at odds in OWI As the police chief in Blue Grass remains on administrative leave, a councilman who is facing a second charge of drunken driving now is raising questions about the officer who arrested him.

The search warrant was executed late last month and resulted in the seizure of "electronic data stored on a secure device."

An attachment to the warrant states that a detective with the Scott County Sheriff's office "was initially assigned this investigation as witness tampering," and the case was referred to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, or DCI.

Court documents show the following timeline:

July 3: Councilman Matt Sampson was operating a utility vehicle after hours in the 600 block of S. Mississippi Street when he was pulled over by Officer Mason Wilson. His blood-alcohol was .205. He was arrested on suspicion of OWI, second offense.

Wilson texted a police sergeant, Chief Flaherty and Mayor Brad Schutte, notifying them he arrested Sampson.

Sampson left a voicemail on Wilson's personal phone, saying, "Hi Mason. This is Matt Sampson, the guy you arrested last night ... Youre a piece of s--- for doing what you did to me last night.

"..you should have let me go since I was two blocks away from home ... I resigned from the City Council and that is your fault ... Ill make sure your law enforcement career ends here in Blue Grass ... enjoy your law enforcement career elsewhere.

Wilson emailed Flaherty about the phone call.

July 5: Flaherty rejected Wilson's report on Sampson's arrest, which included details about the voicemail from the councilman. The chief said the call was not an element to the crime of OWI.

July 6: Wilson sought advice from others and included Sampson's "threatening phone call" in a supplemental report.

July 11: Wilson submitted his report to the Scott County Attorney's office, which is "standard practice."

July 19: Chief Flaherty called Officer Wilson into his office with Mayor Schutte present. The chief issued the officer a letter of reprimand for "disobeying order from a superior and (sic) included not factual information in the report."

Flaherty requested Wilson's resignation the following day.

July 20: Wilson reported to the chief's office and was asked, "Got your letter?" Wilson replied that he was having conversations with his union and an attorney to which the chief replied, "Fair enough."

Aug. 11: Councilman Sampson resigned as mayor pro temp but remained on the city council.

Aug. 15: The city council, including Sampson, vote to accept Officer Wilson's resignation.

Examination of cellphone records by police showed that Sampson was in communication with the police chief and the mayor after he was arrested on July 3 and until Wilson's resignation.

Sept. 27: State police conduct a search of Chief Flaherty's home and vehicle and seized, "electronic data stored on a secure device."
A new court filing in the drunken-driving case against a Blue Grass councilman includes a reference to an "appearance of intimidation and retaliation" against the arresting officer.

Another document filed in district court in Scott County classifies the case involving the councilman, the police officer, the police chief and possibly the mayor as an investigation into possible witness tampering.

Assistant Scott County Attorney Elizabeth O'Donnell responded on Friday to filings by an attorney for Councilman Matt Sampson, who was arrested in the early morning hours of July 3 on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, second offense.

The arresting officer was Mason Wilson.

Sampson's attorney had claimed in a court filing that Wilson was fired from the Blue Grass Police Department, even though Sampson was one of the councilmen who voted in mid-August to accept Wilson's resignation.

Blue Grass councilman knew officer wasn't fired A Blue Grass city councilman is claiming through his attorney that a city police officer was

Attorney Ryan Beckenbaugh also sought personnel records for officer Wilson from the Blue Grass Police Department and from the Bettendorf Police Department, where Wilson previously worked.

O'Donnell, the prosecutor, referred to Beckenbaugh's motion in her response, filed Friday.

"Defendants motion seeks to obtain personnel records of the arresting officer. As stated in Defendants motion, 'Something rather unusual and specific has arisen in this case,'" O'Donnell wrote in her response. "Certainly a city police officer, while on duty, catching and arresting a city councilman for drunken driving at 3:00 a.m. in the morning is unusual. However, it does not merit expanding the rules of discovery far beyond the typical criminal case.

"Requesting personnel records of an officer, and making personal attacks on him in an operating while intoxicated case is certainly unusual, and has the appearance of intimidation and retaliation for an officers arrest of a city councilman for operating under the influence, second offense."

Additional filings in the case, including documents related to a search warrant served on the home and vehicle of Blue Grass Police Chief Bobby Flaherty, also provide more details. The chief is on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Blue Grass councilman, police officer at odds in OWI As the police chief in Blue Grass remains on administrative leave, a councilman who is facin

The search warrant was executed late last month and resulted in the seizure of "electronic data stored on a secure device."

An attachment to the warrant states that a detective with the Scott County Sheriff's office "was initially assigned this investigation as witness tampering," and the case was referred to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, or DCI.

Court documents show the following timeline:

July 3: Councilman Matt Sampson was operating a utility vehicle after hours in the 600 block of S. Mississippi Street when he was pulled over by Officer Mason Wilson. His blood-alcohol was .205. He was arrested on suspicion of OWI, second offense.

Wilson texted a police sergeant, Chief Flaherty and Mayor Brad Schutte, notifying them he arrested Sampson.

Sampson left a voicemail on Wilson's personal phone, saying, "Hi Mason. This is Matt Sampson, the guy you arrested last night ... Youre a piece of s--- for doing what you did to me last night.

"..you should have let me go since I was two blocks away from home ... I resigned from the City Council and that is your fault ... Ill make sure your law enforcement career ends here in Blue Grass ... enjoy your law enforcement career elsewhere.

Wilson emailed Flaherty about the phone call.

July 5: Flaherty rejected Wilson's report on Sampson's arrest, which included details about the voicemail from the councilman. The chief said the call was not an element to the crime of OWI.

July 6: Wilson sought advice from others and included Sampson's "threatening phone call" in a supplemental report.

July 11: Wilson submitted his report to the Scott County Attorney's office, which is "standard practice."

July 19: Chief Flaherty called Officer Wilson into his office with Mayor Schutte present. The chief issued the officer a letter of reprimand for "disobeying order from a superior and (sic) included not factual information in the report."

Flaherty requested Wilson's resignation the following day.

July 20: Wilson reported to the chief's office and was asked, "Got your letter?" Wilson replied that he was having conversations with his union and an attorney to which the chief replied, "Fair enough."

Aug. 11: Councilman Sampson resigned as mayor pro temp but remained on the city council.

Aug. 15: The city council, including Sampson, vote to accept Officer Wilson's resignation.

Examination of cellphone records by police showed that Sampson was in communication with the police chief and the mayor after he was arrested on July 3 and until Wilson's resignation.

Sept. 27: State police conduct a search of Chief Flaherty's home and vehicle and seized, "electronic data stored on a secure device."
Rock Island Police are investigating the eighth homicide of the year in the city.

Rock Island Police Deputy Chief Timothy McCloud said that at 2:16 p.m. Sunday officers were called to 1500 8th Street for a call of shots fired.

Officers found a 30-year-old man suffering from stab wounds and a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead of his wounds at the scene.

Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson did not release the name of the victim Sunday night.

At about 4:30 p.m., the suspect in this incident, 28-year old Jonathan Rojas-Carrasco, was located and taken into custody at Genesis Medical Center East, Davenport.

Rojas-Carrasco has been charged with one of first-degree murder and two counts of home invasion. His bond is set at $1 million, or 10%.

Rojas-Carrasco was being held Sunday night in the Scott County Jail on a Rock Island County hold. He is expected to appear Monday morning in Scott County District Court for an extradition hearing.

The home in which the homicide occurred is a rental property, according to neighbors.

Rojas-Carrasco was released from probation in Rock Island County on July 8, 2021. He had been sentenced to 30 months on probation after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated battery during a hearing in Rock Island County Circuit Court.

Aggravated battery is a Class 3 felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of 2-5 years.

According to circuit court records, on March 2, 2018, Rojas-Carrasco attacked a man at a Moline residence and broke his nose and eye socket.

Rock Island police are investigating seven other homicides that have occurred this year, all since May:

Angel Lopez Jr., 17, Davenport

When: About 8 p.m. on Sept. 18.

Where: 1300 block of 3rd Avenue.

Narrative: Officers found Lopez after someone called 911.

Case status: At last report, there were no arrests.

Braylon Walker, 21, Osceola, Ark.

When: About midnight on July 22.

Where: 1400 block of 8th Street.

Narrative: Officers found Walker when they investigated a gunfire complaint.

Case status: At last report, there were no arrests.

Davion Roe, 25, Chicago

When: About 9:50 p.m. on July 16.

Where: 1300 block of 4  Street.

Narrative: Investigators think someone shot Roe during an altercation with a group of people.

Case status: Marlon K. Martin, 23, Davenport; and Devonte D. Hall, 29, Rock Island, both face first-degree murder charges in relation to Roes death. The cases against them were pending as of Friday.

Amani Kamata, 39, Rock Island

When: About 7:14 a.m. on July 10.

Where: 1100 block of 10th Avenue.

Narrative: Police found Kamatas body after receiving a report of a fatality.

Case status: At last report, there were no arrests.

Gregory McGhee, 61, Rock Island

When: About 12:25 a.m. June 25.

Where: 500 block of 6th Street.

Narrative: The police department was notified after someone brought the wounded McGhee to UnityPoint Health-Trinity Rock Island. He died from his wounds later.

Case status: At last report, there were no arrests.

Kevin Ford, 46, address unavailable

When: About 1:52 a.m. on June 19.

Where: 1300 block of 14th Street.

Narrative: Ford was shot to death and another man was wounded in the attack.

Case status: At last report, there were no arrests.

Desavion Foster, 19, Rock Island

When: About 2:55 p.m. on May 22.

Where: 1000 block of 15th Street.

Narrative: Authorities think a masked gunman shot Foster as he walked down the street, according to court records.

Case status: Terrionce C. Kitchen, 19, Rock Island, has been charged with first-degree murder in relation to Fosters death.
Vietnamese Vice President begins official visit to Croatia

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and a delegation of Vietnam arrived in Zagreb on October 9 afternoon (local time), beginning their official visit to Croatia.













Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan (left) and Croatian State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Zdenko Lucic (Photo: VNA)

The delegation was welcomed at Zagreb international airport by Croatian State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Zdenko Lucic, Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary and Croatia Nguyen Thi Bich Thao, Croatian Ambassador to Malaysia and Vietnam Ivan Velimir Starcevic, and staff members of the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary and Croatia.



Later on the day, Xuan met with the embassys staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Croatia, during which she briefed them on Vietnams successes in COVID-19 prevention and control, and economic development, especially in the first nine months of this year.



Regarding Vietnam-Croatia relations, the Vice President noted with pleasure cooperation achievements in different areas like economy, politics and culture, and appreciated Croatia's support to Vietnam in the COVID-19 fight.



She held that Vietnam and Croatia should enhance their bilateral cooperation as the two countries still have substantial opportunities and potential for stronger collaboration.



Vietnam would act as a gateway for Croatia to access other Southeast Asian nations, while Croatia can help Vietnamese businesses step up investment in European countries, the leader noted.



For her part, Thao stressed the significance of Xuans visit to the bilateral diplomatic ties, and pledged to work, together with the embassys staff, to contribute to cooperation between the two countries.
 Flash

The Israeli police arrested on Sunday six Palestinians for their suspected links to a deadly shooting attack in East Jerusalem on Saturday, as the search for the shooter is still underway.

The gunman opened fire at a military checkpoint near Shuafat, a Palestinian neighborhood of East Jerusalem, killing Noa Lazar, an 18-year-old female sergeant with the military police, the military said in a statement.

Four other people were injured, including a security guard who sustained serious injuries, according to a statement issued by the Israeli police.

Police said army troops, police officers and Shin Bet internal security agents have been on a large-scale manhunt since Saturday night for the shooter identified as Udi Tamimi, a 22-year-old resident of the refugee camp of Shuafat.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid offered condolences to the family of the killed soldier and vowed to "bring the heinous murderers to justice."

The shooting came just hours after the Israeli troops killed two Palestinian teenagers during a raid in the occupied West Bank. The two Palestinians, aged 14 and 17, were shot dead on Friday by Israeli forces in clashes in two separate locations in the West Bank.

This is the latest bloodletting in mounting tensions between Israelis and Palestinians amid nightly Israeli military raids, which, according to figures issued by the Red Crescent, have claimed the lives of at least 100 Palestinians since January.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) is offering five live online sessions to earn a substitute teaching license starting Monday, Oct. 17, to Monday, Nov. 14. The sessions will run from 6 to 9 p.m. through the Zoom webinar platform.

EICC will offer the Board of Educational Examiners Approved Substitute Authorization Program, which is required to become an certified substitute teacher in Iowa. Individuals are officially authorized upon completing required courses and submitting all required fees to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

Courses cost $100, and the minimum age for participation is 21. The sessions will require a computer, smartphone or tablet with internet access.

Anyone with an associate degree, 60 credit hours at a regionally accredited institution or a current paraeducator can fill K-12 substitute positions once completing the program  a background in education is not required. Paraeducators who hold limited certification to substitute teach solely in their own special education classroom may now substitute in any classroom.

According to an EICC press release, these are great opportunities for those with flexible schedules who enjoy being with students and are interested in earning a little extra income.

Course content includes topics like classroom management, instructional strategies, diversity and ethics. The minimum age for participation is 21

To register, visit eicc.edu/substitute. Call toll-free 1-888-336-3907 or email eiccinfo@eicc.edu for more information.
For nearly 40 years, Rock Valley Physical Therapy has been a giant in the wellness community. Now, with four new clinics set to open soon, the company has only expanded its reach.

A Quad-Cities staple since 1984, Rock Valley has more than 60 locations across Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska and employs more than 500 people, half in the Quad-Cities area.

Rock Valley is opening four new clinics  one in Eldridge, one in Moline and two in Davenport  after it ended its contract with ORA in October.

"It was sad to see something end that had been around that long, but our team was excited for this new chapter," CEO Mike Horsfield said.

All Rock Valley physical therapists working in ORA clinics found new homes within the company, and patients had the option to follow their therapists to new locations.

"Because we were providing therapy in those clinics, we already had the team in place," Horsfield said. "That was probably one of the coolest things."

Three of the locations opened last Monday. Supply-chain problems and the pandemic set the timeline for opening the doors, said VP of Growth and Development Debbie Healy.

"I would say there were some days where I was a little nervous," she said.

But, that wasn't the only problem Rock Valley had to face. Horsfield said the cost of building out now was 50% higher than it was pre-2020.

"That's the cost of doing business, but it was hard to swallow," he said.

Each clinic sees about 100 patients a day. But, it's not about the location. Healy said the most critical factor is making sure each patient has a dedicated therapist they feel comfortable with.

"We truly believe that once a patient develops a relationship with a clinician, it's really about that relationship," she said.

One thing that sets Rock Valley apart is that ownership is therapist-dominated. The company has 22 partners who are all therapists, making Rock Valley only one of two companies in the country that are physical therapist-owned and operated, the CEO said.

"The decisions we make for our patients and employees come from a genuine place because the majority of our owners are still practicing," Healy said.

Consolidation in health care was a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, Horsfield said. Rock Valley made the decision to stay therapist-owned, putting patients were put before business decisions, he said.

When money became tight during the pandemic, all employees agreed to take a pay cut in order to keep the doors open. Horsfield said the company was able to pay back all its workers for the missed wages. Healy said the decision was right in line with the company's core values.

When the business was opened by Steve Layer nearly 40 years ago, Horsfield said he was given sage advice on the value of putting patients first.

"Great care is good business, so don't get those out of order," Horsfield said. "If you focus on the business, the care will take a back seat, and that's not ever a place we want to be."
East Moline law enforcement closed traffic starting at 12th St. and 30th Ave. Sunday evening following a three-vehicle crash at the intersection of 30th Ave. and Archer Drive.

According to Lt. David Rummery, none of the passengers involved sustained serious injuries. One party was treated for minor injuries on scene.

Two of the vehicles had significant frontside damage, while the third had sizable damage to both the back and front.

Two East Moline police unites arrived at the scene, with an additional unit stationed adjacent to 12th St. to block incoming traffic.

Two Quad-City Towing Inc. trucks arrived later to transport the vehicles involved in the crash from the intersection.

Rummery said East Moline police were gathering witness statements to investigate the cause of the crash.

No additional information was available.
After raising about $500 in 10 minutes to get a Pennington County Sheriff's Deputy to jump into icy waters, several organizations  some dressed in costume  took the plunge Saturday afternoon at Black Hills Harley-Davidson in Rapid City.

The groups and community raised more than $55,000 for Special Olympics South Dakota athletes, said marketing manager Jill Kvanli.

Kvanli said Special Olympics South Dakota has 2,750 athletes. The majority of the funds raised will stay local, but some will be used for athletes across the state.

She said the money helps send athletes to national competitions, like the USA games in Orlando. South Dakota sent 50 athletes to compete this year. There are also competitions in the Black Hills, Kvanli said.

She said the Polar Plunge began on the East Coast from an idea from law enforcement officers. It was later brought to South Dakota and continued. Kvanli said the plunges are a Law Enforcement Torch Run event.

Kvanli said people can still donate to the Special Olympics by going to sosd.org.
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A man who was shot and killed by police said on social media that he intended to go on a killing spree and was thinking about going out by cop before he pointed a pistol at several casino patrons, shot at someone in the parking lot and ultimately at police when they arrived.

According to a South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation summary of the incident, investigators cleared two Rapid City Police Department officers of wrongdoing in the death of 46-year-old Marvin Moran Jr. on the evening of July 26 in the parking lot of a casino on Haines Avenue in Rapid City.

The Rapid City Police Department officers faced a fluid, tense and undeniably dangerous situation, said Attorney General Mark Vargo. They responded to a service call and encountered an armed man pointing and discharging a firearm at law enforcement.

"Further, our investigation reveals that the armed man had fired his weapon at others before police arrived. There was a clear danger to the public. There was clear danger to the officers. This was a justified use of lethal force by the officers.

According to the summary, at 10:37 p.m. July 26, the Pennington County Public Safety Dispatch received a 911 call from the casino. The caller reported a man was brandishing a gun in the casino parking lot.

Gunshots could be heard in the background during the call. Patrons of the casino relayed information to the caller regarding Morans location and a description of his clothing.

RCPD officers Nick Friedman and Ekaras Jackson received the dispatch to the casino. They are identified as Officer #1 and Officer #2 in the report, but the RCPD confirmed their names.

The two responded from approximately six blocks away and arrived at around 10:39 p.m. Friedman entered the parking lot with Jackson directly behind him.

When Friedman entered the parking lot, Moran approached his patrol car and displayed a gun. While he was within feet of Friedmans vehicle, he fired toward the front of the patrol car.

Friedman got out of his car and retreated towards the back of the vehicle and then drew his gun and fired at Moran while moving to the passenger side of his patrol car.

Jackson drew his gun and fired multiple rounds through his front windshield towards Moran. Moran fell to the ground near the front driver side tire of Friedmans vehicle.

The report said Friedman continued to move around the passenger side of the patrol car until he saw Moran lying on the ground. He then fired several rounds at Moran until he was incapacitated.

Friedman handcuffed Moran and checked on Jacksons condition. Life-saving measures on Moran were terminated as soon as he was confirmed dead.

An autopsy showed that Moran had been shot approximately 10 times and had a blood alcohol content of .293, more than three times the legal driving limit. A drug screen tested positive for methamphetamine, the autopsy report said.

Supervising officers with the RCPD and the Pennington County Sheriffs Office secured the two officers' handguns.

The report states that DCI agents found a total of 21 spent shell casings: one on the sidewalk near the northeast corner of the casino consistent with the location where Moran fired a shot at a witness, 14 consistent with Friedmans firing location, five inside Jacksons vehicle consistent with him firing through the windshield, and one near the front of Friedmans vehicle.

According to a witness at the casino, Moran confronted them in the parking lot and was drinking vodka from a bottle before he produced a handgun and fired it in their direction. The witness thought they had been shot because debris hit their face. The witness also said that Moran made threatening comments.

The summary states that security footage showed Moran pointing a pistol at several people in the parking lot in a threatening manner and firing the pistol at the feet of a person. Then he fired in the air while walking through the parking lot.

Another witness reported that Moran threatened them, pointed the pistol at them and fired in an unknown direction. The witness also reporting seeing Moran shoot the pistol at police when they arrived.

Several other witnesses at the casino reported gunshots, but not seeing the events unfold. A family member of Moran told a DCI agent and PCSO investigator that Moran had sent them a picture of a gun and ammunition on Facebook Messenger earlier in July. The family member also stated that Moran had chemical dependency issues and medical issues and refused to receive treatment for his medical issues.

Through a review of Morans Facebook account, investigators found photographs of a black Taurus pistol which the report states appears to match the pistol Moran used in the parking lot. He talked about his urge to kill someone, that he was following people, and he wanted to watch the life leave their body.

In a social message just prior to the incident, Moran told someone she would hear gunshots and that he didnt have anything to lose. He also sent a message stating he was mad about not seeing his family and talked about wanting to kill someone.

According to DCIs summary, body camera footage and surveillance footage is consistent with interviews.

It is clear from the investigation report, social media posts made by Mr. Moran, and by his actions that night, he intended to injure and kill, Rapid City Chief of Police Don Hedrick said. We are incredibly thankful our officers and citizens were not harmed during this encounter.

"Our officers face dangerous and critical situations on a daily basis. On this night, they faced a deadly force encounter with an active shooter who threatened innocent bystanders with gun violence and attempted to murder the arriving officers," Hedrick continued.

"I am grateful for the brave actions of the involved police officers as they defended their lives and the lives of bystanders in the area. I also thank the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Pennington County Sheriffs Office, and the Meade County Sheriffs for their diligence in conducting an independent investigation into this incident.

Both Friedman and Jackson were present during the police shooting of Shania Watkins on May 31 in Rapid City after a failed early morning traffic stop, although neither officer fired at Watkins, who survived the incident with injuries. DCI cleared RCPD Officer Josh Hoefler of any wrongdoing in the shooting, and Watkins currently faces aggravated eluding charges.
Placing a new name on the Higgins Avenue Bridge will not erase its historic reputation as the Selis Trail of Tears.

Oct. 10 is Indigenous People's Day and almost exactly 131 years since the Selis people under chiefs Charlo and Vanderburg were forced to leave their Bitterroot Valley lands for live on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Monday's naming ceremony will designate the Clark Fork River bridge Sxuytis Smxe Nxlews  Beartracks Bridge, or Grizzly Bear Tracks Bridge  in commemoration of that history. Missoula officials, Confederated Salish and Kootenai leaders, including direct descendants of Charlo and Vanderburg, and others will acknowledge the event.

In the late 19th century, the U.S. government had been trying to force the Selis people out of their homeland in the Bitterroot Valley.

When Xwexcin (Many Horses), or Chief Victor, refused to move the Selis north. So Washington Territorial Gov. Isaac Stevens inserted an article into the Hellgate Treaty of 1855, designating the Bitterroot Valley as a reservation for the Selis.

But the articles fine print said the president would make the final decision regarding the reservation based on an authorized survey.

In 1871, feeling pressure from settlers and state officials, President Ulysses S. Grant issued an executive order, which falsely stated that the survey had been conducted and determined that the Jocko Reservation (now the Flathead Indian Reservation) was suitable for the wants and needs of the Flathead people. The order directed the Selis people to leave the Bitterroot, according to documents compiled by the Selis-Qlispe Cultural Committee.

A year later, Congress deployed a delegation, led by future president James Garfield, to negotiate the deportation.

Smxe Qoxqeys (Claw of the Small Grizzly), or Chief Charlo, refused. He had the support of Lkut Smxe (Far-Away Grizzly), or sub-Chief Louis Vanderburg, and other Selis leaders, warriors and elders.

Despite their refusal, Garfield wrote to the Montana Superintendent of Indian Affairs, instructing him to proceed  as though (Charlo), the first chief, has signed.

Charlo was chastised by the Montana press for allegedly breaking a treaty, but forgery was later confirmed in 1883 when the Department of the Interior reviewed the original document and concluded it did not contain Charlos signature.

Charlo, Vanderburg and the majority of the Selis people remained in the Bitterroot Valley, where they were assigned individual allotments of land, as the government opened the rest of the valley to non-Native settlement.

Conditions worsened in 1883 with the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad, which promoted the industrialization of the region. The massacre of the buffalo hurt the Selis people, and mining devastated Selis-Qlispe areas.

Some tribal members felt pressure to leave the valley and head north to the reservation, but Vanderburg did not want to divide the Selis people or undermine Charlo.

In 1889, conditions worsened still. The Missoula and Bitterroot Valley Railroad was constructed and passed through Selis allotments. Drought affected tribal food sources.

When U.S. Army General Henry Carrington arrived to force the Selis people north, Vanderburg advised Charlo he thought the tribe should move for safety reasons. Charlo agreed.

On Oct. 15, 1891, Charlo gathered his people and announced they would leave. For safety purposes, Charlo organized people into three groups  with Charlo and Vanderburg each leading on a journey that would later be called the Selis Trail of Tears.

Elders have relayed stories that adults cried as they walked. Soldiers threatened to shoot the Selis if they diverged from the walk to relieve themselves in the brush.

On the second day of their journey, Oct. 16., the groups passed through the Missoula area, crossing the Clark Fork River at different points.

According to some oral histories, the Selis people crossed the Clark Fork over a rickety bridge. Others say the people forded the river, a skill for which the Selis were known.

The next day, the Selis put on their finest clothing before riding into the Jocko Valley, so, according to the Selis-Qlispe Cultural Committee, they would be seen not as a grieving people, but as a proud nation looking to the future.

But once they made it to the reservation, the tribe was met with more broken promises. The government did not provide each Selis family with a cabin, farming equipment and livestock. Instead, in the late 1890s, Congressional delegations appeared to want to purchase the western half of the reservation.

Charlo refused to sell the land, but in 1904, the Flathead Allotment Act passed, which in violation of the Hellgate Treaty, made reservation lands available to non-Native settlers.

Beartracks is an Indian name for the Vanderburgs, who remain a prominent and respected Selis family today.

It shows we have a deep connection to this area, said Martin Charlo, a tribal councilman and descendant of Chief Charlo. This is a sad story, but its also a story of resiliency. We are still here. And we are doing well.
Historic Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y., is more than burial plots. Its also famed for sculptures, art and more.

It turns out that Americas graveyards are much more than keepers of our bodily remains until the organisms within the soil reclaim everything. Cemeteries tell us about our beliefs, principles, economics and cultural values, says Greg Melville in this fascinating examination of how we treat, and mistreat, our dead.

Given the topic, Melville moves briskly and with a keen eye for connections, trends and the absurd.

He notes, for example that post World War II layouts of suburbs were inspired by the simplicity of design that began decades earlier in cemeteries.

Cemeteries can be much more than collections of burial plots. Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y., is famed for its sculptures and the art, artifacts and books also housed at the site, which also hosts exhibits and concerts.

Americas favorite place to scatter cremains? It might be Central Park in New York although the high concentration of calcium in cremains makes it advisable to spread them out widely.

Descendants of the Seneca Indians who lived in the area where Central Park was built had no chance to scatter their relatives cremains  the park was built over the villages graveyards.

Dying is big business in America; Melville writes that the death industrial complex generates $20 billion in annual sales.

The book peeks over the horizon at whats ahead in the dying business, given how many urban cemeteries are full or nearly so, and having trouble maintaining themselves because they lack new income.

The book says the 144,000 cemeteries in the United States collectively take up more room than the entire state of Delaware.

New burial grounds in Philadelphia and Marin County, Calif., wrap bodies in cloth and bury them without preserving chemicals, metal caskets or concrete burial vaults.

The books most powerful sections are those explaining the lengths whites often went to so no Black people would be buried nearby. Early Chinese immigrants also were shunned when they died despite their roles in building the transcontinental railroad and Western cities. Indian graves were looted and structures built on top of Indian burial grounds.

Not even in death could Blacks escape segregation. Melvilles book documents how in many states, cemeteries were segregated and remain that way.

In 2021, he writes, the family of a Black deputy sheriff in Louisiana was barred from burying him in a local cemetery because it enforced an illegal whites-only policy.

As Melville explains, the Black cemeteries generally remain visibly inferior to those established by and for whites. Still, spending forever in an unkempt graveyard remains outwardly better than the fate of the 6 million enslaved people in America from when the first ships with human cargo arrived until emancipation. Melville says we only know where a fraction of the 6 million are buried.

While the federal government funds maintenance on Confederate soldier burial sites, it allocates no funds to restore of preserve historically Black cemeteries. Marylands legislature has discussed funding historically Black cemeteries but hasnt yet taken any action.
Richmond police are investigating a homicide after responding to a 3 a.m. Sunday morning call about a person shot in the 1900 block of Q Street.

Officers located an adult man with gunshot wounds who was pronounced dead on the scene. The medical examiner will determine the exact cause and manner of the mans death, and police are actively investigating the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective M. Gouldman at (804) 646-3915 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app may also be used.
Black and Hispanic drivers in Virginia are more likely to be stopped by police than are whites, a new report from the state Department of Criminal Justice Services says.

They are also more likely to be searched and arrested.

But the report says there isnt enough data  about commuting patterns, or the degree of discretion police agencies grant officers in making stops, or the condition of vehicles involved in a stop  to say anything about reasons for the disparities.

The report specifically said it cannot determine one way or the other if bias is an issue.

Obviously, bias is still a factor. Its disingenuous not to arrive at that conclusion, House Minority Leader Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, said in an email. This is a historical and empirical truth. The data today validates the lived experiences of Black and brown Virginians.

Its shameful but not surprising that Governor Youngkin continues to deny these truths, which means that these issues will not be addressed appropriately through training and hiring, he added.

State Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, said: Im a little bit baffled as to why they dont understand the reason behind the data.

She said its clear that the disparities cant be explained as reflecting anything but drivers race or ethnicity.

Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, said: The fact remains that Black and brown drivers are pulled over, arrested, and searched at disproportionate rates.

He serves on both the statute-writing House Courts of Justice Committee, which approved legislation in 2020 that barred police from stopping vehicles simply because of improper tail lights, brake lights and loud mufflers, as well as on the House Public Safety Committee, which oversees legislation involving policy.

We know that our commonwealth and our country have a history of racially biased policing, and we cant eliminate that as a cause for these discrepancies, Bourne said. As legislators, our next step needs to be interpreting this data and working to address the reasons why police are making racially disproportionate stops.

The report said that while Black people account for 19.5% of Virginias driving-age population, 30.8% of drivers in Virginia traffic stops were Black during the period from July 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022.

Hispanic drivers were also more likely to be stopped than whites, comprising 9.5% of drivers stopped, as compared to 8.9% of driving-age Virginians.

The figures for stops were essentially the same the year before.

But there were changes in search and arrest rates.

While 2.8% of Black drivers who were stopped were searched, compared with 2.1% of white drivers, that percentage was down from 5.2% the year before.

And 1.9% of Black drivers stopped were then arrested, down from 2.4% the year before. The report said 1.2% of white drivers stopped were arrested.

Police searched 2.9% of Hispanic drivers they had stopped, and arrested 2.1% of those drivers. Those figures were down from 4.7% searched and 3.5% arrested.

Using a ratio of arrests to percentage of population, the report found that in Carroll County in Southwest Virginia, sheriffs officers were the most likely to stop Black drivers. There, while 1% of driving-age residents are Black, 20.5% of drivers stopped were Black.

In Southwest Virginias Wythe County, where 1.2% of driving-age residents are Hispanic, 7.9% of drivers stopped were Hispanic.

In almost all of the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia, the percentage of traffic stops of Black drivers was more than twice the percentage of Black residents in the local driving-age population, as was the case in Virginia Beach. Several counties in Southside Virginia reported the same kind of ratio for Hispanic drivers traffic stops.

The intentional increase of police presence through traffic policing remains one of the most important tools to address high crime, especially violent crime involving a firearm, wrote Jackson Miller, director of the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in forwarding the report.

The reduction of traffic-related fatalities, seizures of guns, confiscation of drugs, and the arrests of individuals with outstanding warrants are important benefits that focused traffic enforcement provides, added the former member of the House of Delegates and 17-year police veteran.

The reports data is preliminary and doesnt measure reasons for the traffic stops, said Secretary of Public Safety Robert Bob Mosier in an email.

Theres also no information about what happens after a given traffic stop, search or arrest, such as findings within the judicial system about the appropriateness or adherence to due process, he added.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has great confidence in the professionalism and integrity of Virginias law enforcement officers, Mosier said.

In the governors meetings with communities across the state, we have listened carefully and what we have heard is a request for increased police presence, he said.

The intentional increase of police presence is one of the most important tools to address crime, he added.

Virginia police chiefs want to be sure bias isnt distorting enforcement, and more than 6,000 officers have taken the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Polices online training program on implicit bias in the past two years, said Dana Schrad, the associations executive director.

This is a topic that is frequently discussed among our chiefs, Schrad said.

I think the report does a good job of pointing out the frailties in the data, especially considering the impact of the pandemic on traffic enforcement overall and the reduction in force caused by a large exodus of officers from the profession, she said.

But it also is important to look at this report in the larger context of traffic crash and fatality data, said Schrad, noting that a 2021 report by the Governors Highway Safety Association, a group of state traffic safety officials, reported that people of color are most likely to be victims of traffic crash injuries or fatalities.
Cool and dry will be the themes for most of the next two weeks, as weather systems will be moving into Virginia generally from the west or northwest. This direction limits the transport of moisture into the state from the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean and keeps temperatures near or below normal.

Over the next week and a half, the chance for significant rain only comes twice.

The first is Wednesday night through Thursday, as a quick moving system brings several rounds of showers, with rainfall amounts expected to be between about a quarter and a half of an inch.

The next chance is Monday night into Tuesday of next week, but like the system approaching later this week, it will lack a deep connection to the Gulf or the Atlantic, so the rain total from that system will probably be even less, about a tenth to a quarter of an inch.

Those looking for one last summer hurrah are likely going to be disappointed over the next couple of weeks, as highs during these next two weeks will generally range from the lower 60s to lower 70s. And after the spells of showers early next week, the two days that follow may hold in the 50s.

Despite a switch to temperatures that are cooler than normal, there are still no obvious signs of a freeze coming. But on the cooler days that follow the showers early next week, there will be a night or two that fall into the 30s. Keep those nights in the back of your mind (Tuesday and Wednesday nights next week) if you are doing some long-term planning.

If the current jet stream pattern holds as expected these next couple of weeks, this may be the first October to finish colder than average across Virginia since 2011.

Moreover, the past six Octobers have all been at least 2 degrees warmer than the full 20th-century overage of 56.2 degrees. Comparing this month to last October may shock the system a bit, as October 2021 was the fifth-warmest October on record in Virginia statewide.

Specifically in Richmond, only one month so far in 2022 has been colder than normal  January. As result, Richmond is still having one of its 20 warmest years on record so far, currently in 13th place.

But in the two-week period from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, high temperatures in Richmond are tied for the ninth-coldest on record, a reflection of the cold rain and the lingering clouds from the decaying Hurricane Ian.
FLOYD  FloydFest organizers said two main goals when planning the annual event are to always keep everyone safe and to always be family-friendly.

Chief Executive Officer John McBroom and Chief Operating Officer Sam Calhoun addressed concerns and questions that Check-area residents have raised since June and clarified some more specific details for Floyd County Supervisors at a Sept. 27 meeting.

McBroom, who said his family first started moving to Floyd in the mid-70s, said the team at Across the Way Productions serendipitously came across the Check property, and theyre working with Omni Build, the Department of Environmental Quality, VDOT and other officials in planning the 2023 festival.

About 100 letters were sent out to neighbors of the new site, McBroom said, along with a free ticket to next years event so neighbors can learn first-hand what the festival is all about.

McBroom said there have been dozens of tours given of the site, dubbed Festival Park, where he currently resides.

My family has a long history of service in every community weve lived in, McBroom said. My intention as a new resident in Floyd is to see to that tradition to the best of my ability.

He added: While most have welcomed us with open arms, some have sounded the alarm.

Calhoun addressed more pointed concerns that residents brought to the board during public comment periods during the past few months.

This opportunity is crucial to us, he said.

Above all, FloydFest wants to be transparent, good neighbors and to make Floyd County residents proud the event calls Floyd home, Calhoun said.

The move to Festival Park will not increase FloydFests capacity, and no more than about 7,000 festivalgoers will be on-site at a time, Calhoun said.

We want to represent the best of Floyd County, Calhoun said. We truly, truly care deeply about what we do.

Calhoun said there is an air of collaboration among local first responders, the Department of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and FloydFest organizers. He noted that all security is paid for by the festival, instead of burdening local law enforcement.

No EMS calls at the 2022 festival were drug- or alcohol-related, Calhoun said, and there were five transports from 34 total contacts.

The festivals arrest record is astoundingly low, Calhoun said.

FloydFest is spending incredible amounts of money, he said, to address traffic concerns, hiring a traffic engineering firm in addition to working with VDOT.

Festival Park will continue to be hayed, Calhoun said, adding no environmental concerns have been identified by site surveys submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

Calhoun said FloydFest will continue trucking in water, which is free to all patrons, and Tidy Services collects and disposes of gray and black water.

A Virginia Tech study estimated FloydFest could bring more than $4 million to Floyd County and the region, Calhoun said, noting that occupancy and meals taxes should tally more than $10,000 each year.

FloydFest has a record of supporting the Floyd community through charitable donations, Calhoun said, including donating 2,700 pounds of food to Plenty! Farm and Food Store in 2022; annually donating tickets to groups, causes and benefits; and fundraising for Floyd County Rotary, Floyd County YoungLife and Floyd County Band Boosters.

Were not trying to shoehorn the past FloydFest into a new space  The goal was to park and camp everyone on one site  Calhoun said.

Music will be more centralized, and there will be fewer stages than before, he said.

In regard to neighbors, Main Stage music never goes past midnight, Calhoun said, and any music after midnight is centralized at secondary stages.

Its incredible how you can manipulate sound these days  Calhoun said.

Interim Locust Grove Supervisor Levi Cox said some of the top concerns he hears are about traffic and the church next door to the festival site, Faith Baptist.

Church services should not be impacted by the festival, Calhoun said, and most patrons leave on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.

Vice Chair Jerry Boothe of the Courthouse District asked that festival organizers reach out and start a conversation with church officials to evaluate possible schedule conflicts with not only the Sunday morning services, but also the Sunday evening and Wednesday night services.

Calhoun said the team will reach out and noted all traffic information will be available to the public online once completed, as are most festival details, at floydfest.com.

Little Rivers Linda DeVito Kuchenbuch, a onetime FloydFest employee, said Faith Baptists Wednesday service is at 7 p.m. and asked Calhoun about trash and recyclables.

The festival conservatively holds a 75% landfill diversion rate, Calhoun said, thanks to its Green Team that combs the dumpsters and fields every night and makes sure everything is properly sorted.

Calhoun said of the small amount of trash and recyclables collected, some is taken to the Floyd Transfer Station, and some is trucked back to Roanoke.

Indian Valleys Kalinda Bechtold said she attended FloydFest for one day during the 2022 festival and couldnt have imagined a safer place to be during the hazardous weather that made its way across the county that day.

I was amazed by the job yall do , Bechtold said. I appreciate your openness and your willingness to take on this endeavor, and I think Floyd County should be really proud of having this 

Chairman Joe Turman of Burks Fork said at the time he was assigned to the event area as a Floyd County deputy, he never made an arrest related to the festival.

He said sometimes it got congested, but all in all, it was never a problem for us.

People think of Woodstock and Stompin 76 when they hear music festival, but now its a different age, Turman said.

He recalled seeing people from all across the world during FloydFest, from those dressed in full tie-dye to three-piece suits and a band from Africa.

Turman said he appreciated Calhouns presentation and the respect shown by the public throughout. The board will be in contact if additional questions come up, Turman said.

Calhoun thanked the board and said any community members with concerns related to FloydFest are encouraged to reach out to the ATWP team at info@floydfest.com.

Dialogue is the key to avoiding misconceptions everywhere, from taxes to FloydFest, Turman said.
Rocky Mount Town Council candidate Phillip Bane has filed an assault and battery charge against Assistant Town Manager Mark Moore.

The charges appear connected to a May 9 encounter involving Bane and members of Rocky Mount town staff. The incident took place in the town office parking lot and resulted in a call to police.

The Roanoke Times previously published videos of the encounter. The videos were obtained through a public records request and included two videos taken by town staff and one video from a security camera.

The videos show Town Manager Robert Wood exiting the town office and heading to his parked car. Bane, standing outside when Wood exits, walks with Wood to his car. At that point, Moore exits the office and crosses the parking lot to Woods car.

Wood enters the drivers seat of his car and attempts to shut the door, but Bane stands between the seat and the door, preventing it from closing. Wood tells Bane to get out of his door.

Moore moves between Bane and Wood and, with his back to Bane, backs Bane away from Woods car. Wood gets out of his car and Moore continues to stand between Wood and Bane until the police arrive.

Courts and governmental offices were closed Monday due to the Columbus Day holiday, as The Roanoke Times sought to confirm the charge.

Town Attorney John Boitnott said Moore has been issued a summons.

The summons reads, assault and batter Phillip Bane in violation of section 18.2-57, Code of Virginia. ... We were notified of the issuance of the summons and Mr. Moore has received notice of the summons, Boitnott said.

I was somewhat surprised that the magistrate would issue a summons for ... an offense that allegedly occurred over five months ago. In my opinion, this appears politically motivated given the fact that Mr. Banes actions followed the recent articles published by The Roanoke Times, Boitnott said. There are online videos that were posted in connection with those articles that I believe are self-explanatory to anyone who wants to watch them.

Bane and town officials have been involved in an ongoing dispute over zoning issues with a downtown property Bane is developing. Police have been called by town officials on several occasions over incidents created by the matter.

Bane is one of six candidates in the race for three town council seats. The election is Nov. 8.
PULASKI  A red Chevrolet tailed Jonathan Sweet one morning, an occurrence the baffled local government official captured on video.

Brenda Blackburn is following me to work. Unbelievable, Sweet, the Pulaski County administrator, can be heard saying before asking the person filming to zoom in to try to get the license plate number.

Unbelievable, Sweet again said.

Blackburn is the manager of the Big Red Barn, a venue on Lee Highway that belongs to Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, who owns a number of businesses in the New River and Roanoke valleys.

Blackburn denies ever following Sweet, saying she drives a red Ford Explorer. She said it is instead Sweet who has harassed her over the years, a claim the administrator himself denies.

Ive never been behind him and followed him nowhere, Blackburn said. I dont know what the devil hes talking about.

The video is one of a number of things Sweet recently disclosed as part of a dispute between March and Pulaski County over functions at the Red Barn property.

Sweet, as well as other Pulaski County officials, have pointed out to the state legislator that she has yet to obtain all the permits required for all the uses they say have been both advertised and carried out at the venue.

It appears the business had continued to operate without a permitted use stated and without a permit for more than five months, Sweet wrote last month in an email.

Sweets decision to speak out about his dealings with March comes after a controversial encounter between her and Del. Wren Williams, R-Patrick, during a Ninth Congressional District Republican celebration in Wytheville last month.

The two delegates are running against each other for the partys nomination in a newly formed district.

March filed a criminal complaint against Williams, alleging misdemeanor assault and battery. She said he shoved her at the event that night.

Williams has refuted the allegations, saying he accidentally bumped Marchs shoulder and elbow on his way toward the exit but apologized before continuing out the door.

Both lawmakers have since provided videos, obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests, in attempts to prove each of their cases.

Sweet said the incident in Wytheville involving March prompted him to highlight and discuss her ongoing issues with Pulaski County.

Due to the recent charges filed by Delegate March, I am sharing information on a matter involving the delegate and her Big Red Barn that may be of interest to you and shed light on her credibility or lack thereof, Sweet wrote in an email.

March appears to have a track record of dishonesty and engaging in bullying tactics whenever she cant get her way on certain matters, said Sweet.

This is right out of [her] playbook, he said in an interview a few days after the Wytheville event.

Marchs issue in Pulaski County isnt the first time she has run into conflicts with local government in the New River Valley. Before she became a lawmaker, she had been an outspoken critic of Christiansburg town government  to the point where she vowed to work to eventually overhaul its council.

The bigger issue is theres just a history of this. Theres a long history of this, Sweet said. Christiansburgs been dealing with her for a long time.

March, however, has argued that it is those local governments that have attempted to strong-arm her.

In Christiansburg, I dealt with bullies for many years, she wrote in a text message. I try to always look out for the little guy, probably because I am the little guyor girl. It seems the bullies come out of the woodwork or maybe its because I dont back down to them.

Red Barn ordeal

Pulaski Countys issues with the Red Barn began near the start of the spring, although March had been operating the venue for months before that, Sweet said.

When March bought the property, she stated her intent to use it for political purposes, Sweet said. However, staff saw on Facebook that she was advertising for events such as happy hours, weddings, birthday celebrations and anything your heart desires, said the county administrator, who quoted some of the exact wording he saw.

Staff then relayed to March that the property needed to meet a number of requirements such as the acquisition of a business license, Sweet said.

Ashlyn Shrewsbury, the countys planning and zoning director, addressed the matter herself in a Aug. 12 letter to the editor in the Pulaski-based The Patriot newspaper.

Shrewsbury wrote that she decided to write the letter, which she specified came from her department on behalf of the county attorney, after many citizens had expressed safety concerns over the entrance to the property and after months of unsuccessful efforts to bring the property into full compliance. The planning and zoning director said her intent was not to point fingers but instead provide facts and transparency to citizens on the matter.

When Ms. March took over the Big Red Barn property, county staff took the time to meet with Ms. March on site on March 15, 2022 to discuss the future uses of the property and what would be needed at the county level in order to comply, Shrewsbury wrote. Over the last five months, most of the requests have not been completed and most all of the issues are still prevalent.

Shrewsbury spoke on the need for every business owner to get a business license and to file for a zoning permit, which she said is required any time a property changes its use or occupancy. She described the process as not a tremendous ask, saying the zoning permit only costs $25. She said the property has received a business license, but that a zoning permit has never been filed.

Additionally, Shrewsbury said there are several requirements that must be met to operate a legal business at the Red Barn based on the type of uses the property has marketed. She listed a number of required conditions for the operation of a wedding venue, agritourism and a social club or event center, the latter of which she said requires a special use permit.

All of these types of uses have been marketed by the Big Red Barn owners and staff, Shrewsbury wrote. These asks do not put a major strain on property owners and are in place to make sure that every business is safe for users and the citizens surrounding the property.

Shrewburys letter came out a week after March penned a piece in The Patriot about her dealings with the county. In her letter, titled Appalled at the political games, the lawmaker argued that it was instead her who was the target of bullying and dirty political games.

From day one, I have received threats, bullying and intimidation from Jonathan Sweet. He just sent the newest threat from the county attorney and is attempting to make us apply for a special use permit to use our barn, wrote March, who spoke about the propertys history and about once hosting an event there for Gov. Glenn Youngkin. This reminds me of the story I read a while back about the kid that wasnt allowed to ride his dirt bike in his own yard. A blatant violation of his property rights.

Pulaski County Attorney Tim Kirtner sent a letter to the Red Barn owner in July where he covered much of the same points noted by Shrewsbury. Kirtner spoke on the countys so-called Unified Development Ordinance, which the locality says allows potential buyers of property to know in advance the uses they may make of their own properties and to anticipate the uses that may be made of neighboring properties.

Unfortunately, it is the matter of enforcement of the UDO that occasions my letter to you, Kirtner wrote. The county has received multiple complaints that various land uses at 4241 Lee Highway  violate certain sections of the UDO. As an initial matter, the property is required to have a zoning permit filed with the Pulaski County Planning and Zoning Department per the UDO.

Sweet had asked in an April email about the name and business license number for an auto repair and body shop that he said staff had seen in operation during a site visit on March 15.

Apparently, that fella was fixing his own vehicles there. He wasnt a business, March wrote in response.

Still, Sweet pressed the issue of the property still not meeting the zoning requirements.

Please be advised, pursuant to your website: (https://bigredpulaski.com/) you appear to have been, and continuing to be, operating a business operation(s) at the Big Red Barn that may require a business license with the Commissioner of the Revenue, Sweet wrote to March in an April 14 email. I took the liberty of checking and it does not appear that there is one on file for the Big Red Barn nor any of the previous leased-space operations that have been conducted on the premises (i.e. auto repair).

March replied, saying the barn was used by the Pulaski County GOP for political events. She said Blackburn, the venues manager, had been working with the fire marshal to ensure everything was in compliance.

Theres many discrepancies, accusations and falsehoods in your email below. I have not been told of any building code violations, zoning or business licensure issues until the email below threatening to charge me with a Class 2 misdemeanor, March wrote in the April 14 response to Sweet. Do you treat all new property owners with such treatment or is this merely a political attack?

In his own reply a few days later, Sweet wrote that the answer to her poignant question is simply no.

No, we do not treat all of our new property owners with such treatment, he wrote. We have actually bent over backwards to assist you and have looked the other way when you shared that the only thing that has taken place at the barn are political functions, and then we discover an autobody shop in operation upon the premise with three vehicles being worked on.

March again denied the existence of an auto shop at the property.

There has never been [an] auto body shop operating in the barn, she wrote. And Ive told you that multiple times. A friend of Brenda had a young fella that was working on his own vehicles and farm equipment. Brenda let him use the space.

March eventually made public records requests, asking for Sweets expense reports over the past two years, his board appointments and an alleged conversation between the administrator and Pulaski County Supervisor Andy McCready regarding the barn.

Sweet said he obliged as is required of him by freedom of information law. He said he had absolutely nothing to hide.

The county didnt produce the alleged conversation between Sweet and McCready as staff said the record doesnt exist.

Sweet said he viewed the records request as an attempt to intimidate him.

Shes a bully," he said.

While the Red Barn property has satisfied some requirements, such as obtaining the so-called change in use permit, it has not met other mandates, Sweet said.

A special use permit has never been obtained for certain uses that were advertised and continue to be enjoyed upon the property that do not fall under the change in use permit beyond the stated civic and occasional religious worship services within the agricultural zone district, Sweet wrote in an email.

Despite repeated requests, March has declined to speak further on the zoning issue and has directed questions about the matter to her attorney, Michael Barbour.

Barbour referred to the fulfillment of the change in use permit request in August. He said he hasnt heard from the county since, leading him to assume there arent further problems.

I was not aware of any continuing concerns on the part of the county until I read Mr. Sweets article in [the Cardinal News], said Barbour, who was referring to an online news outlet and who described the Pulaski County administrators speaking up about the issue to media as unusual.

Sweet said the county has never fined March or ever issued a misdemeanor or zoning violation.

We went above and beyond to try to work with her while she operated knowingly more than five months in non-compliance, he wrote in an email.

Alleged incident at NRV Fair

Another situation Sweet brought up was an incident at the New River Valley Fair in Pulaski County earlier this year that he said led March to make outlandish accusations similar to the ones shes currently making against Williams.

Sweet shared a screenshot of a Facebook post from March in which the delegate addresses comments a citizen made about her while at a Pulaski County GOP booth during the fair. March wasnt present for the incident, but she said she had received a phone call telling her a man had pointed at her picture and stated that he was going to take her out and he is going to get rid of her.

March wrote that the comments from the man drew fears at the booth, which prompted the call.

This is exactly what school shooters dothey boast, make threats on social media and inform the public of their devious, sinister plan before they harm people, she wrote.

The description of the incident by March was inaccurate and was another example of her tactics, Sweet said.

I personally discussed the alleged occurrence with neutral witnesses and with law enforcement, what she claims and the hyperbole that she adds was not remotely accurate and was all contrived for her aggrandizement of victimhood, Sweet wrote.

The man who was at the center of that event at the fair is E.W. Harless, who spoke with The Roanoke Times about the incident.

Harless said he had stopped by the booth where he signed a petition on the subject of school choice.

Harless said he gave the issue some more thought afterward and returned to the booth to scratch his name from the petition. He disagrees with much of the points being raised on the matter by members of the GOP.

Harless, whos no longer a member of the local Republican Party, said he then spoke at greater length with a member of the Pulaski County GOP about issues hes had with the political party in recent times. Among other things, he said he voiced displeasure with many party members acceptance of QAnon, a political movement thats been adopted by many far-right activists but that has received much scrutiny over its beliefs and claims.

Harless said he at some point made a comment along the lines of between you and that lady sitting over there. He said the woman he was referencing was Blackburn. Harless said Blackburn then jumped up and made repeated threats to take legal action against him.

Harless acknowledges that he does talk rather loudly due to issues with his hearing, but he refuted the claims that he ever made any threats of harm toward March. Although tensions were raised, he said the incident ended without any serious conflict.

Thats it. Thats exactly what happened, he said. When [March] wrote what she wrote  my goodness.

Blackburn, however, stands behind the version March referred and said Harless even made a threat toward her that day. Blackburn said Harless indeed pointed to Marchs picture and said: Im going to get her gone or something like, and Im going to take her [Blackburn] out.

Blackburn said she views the recent incidents as nothing more than a series of attempts by several in the establishment to stop her. She said the lawmaker has otherwise brought much good to the area.

I will stand up for Marie March to the bitter end. Shes not a liar. Shes not a thief, Blackburn said. We got a gang of wolves in sheeps clothing.
" " Research scientist William A. Mitchell created these iconic products of the Boomer generation. Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images/Keith Homan/Sarah Tee/Shutterstock

Cool Whip. Quick-set Jell-O. Tang. Pop Rocks.

These are the ready-made foods that shaped  and were influenced by  generations of Americans coming of age in the 1960s and 1970s, and they were all invented by William A. Mitchell, a research chemist whose 35-year career coincided with America's midcentury fascination with convenience foods.

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"Bill was the inventor at General Foods, said Marv Rudoph in a recorded interview. The two worked together for six years at the company. "He knew what amplified flavors, what colors to use to make something more attractive. If you had a problem, he was the guy to go to.

"Management tried to promote Bill many times, but he said, 'No, just keep me in my lab. It's what I want to do,'" he added.

Mitchell was awarded more than 70 patents for foods he invented while working at General Foods Corp. from 1941 to 1976, but his success was not a given. He was almost killed in an explosion before he ever had a chance to concoct some of the world's favorite junk foods.
 Rounding up a few (of many) reactions to Prez Biden's marijuana possession pardons | Main | Three Justices dissent from denial of cert in Texas capital case based on concern for ineffective counsel 

The title of this post is the headline of this new Hill commentary authored by Hugh Hurwitz, who served as Acting Director of the US Bureau of Prisons during the Trump Administration. Here are excerpts:

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) mission is to safely and securely confine offenders and assist them in becoming law-abiding citizens. By most media accounts, the BOP is failing in this mission. Members of Congress have described the agency as crisis plagued. BOPs recent history includes allegations of sexual assault against inmates and female staff at several institutions, staff misconduct and discipline issues at all levels of the agency, serious staffing shortages, and failures to implement policies under the three-year-old First Step Act (FSA).

New Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Director Peters undoubtedly has a big job ahead of her. Until recently, BOP had long been a model of quality and consistency, but has lacked permanent, consistent leadership for years. Peters is the seventh director/acting director in seven years.

Senate committee members, other members of Congress, DOJ leadership, and many stakeholders, all are pushing Peters to do more. Most changes and priorities will require the right resources in people, time, and money. To reverse these trends and restore BOPs place as the premier correctional agency in the world, Peters will need to be allowed to initially focus on three important areas. Succeeding in these areas will open the doors to making many of the other changes she and others wish to achieve.

First, focus on the staff. Peters is known to care greatly about staff; it has been a focal point through her career in Oregon. BOP must work to fill many vacant jobs. Easier said than done, as recruiting people to work inside prison is a challenge for all correctional systems....

Second, begin to address BOP infrastructure. Inmates and staff need safe, well-maintained prisons. Peters testified that BOPs infrastructure is in such bad shape that they need to prioritize the life/safety issues and let other needs go unmet. She noted that BOP has over $2 billion of structural needs and repairs, but their annual appropriation is under $100 million. Obviously, this is unsustainable. At the same time, BOPs population is down to about 158,000 people from the peak of nearly 220,000. COVID and the CARES Act showed that we can safely put more people in home confinement and halfway houses without increasing crime. As the BOP continues to implement the FSA, it will continue to move more low risk people to community confinement or supervision, and out of prison.....

Finally, demonstrate a commitment to fully implementing the FSA, which was the culmination of years of bipartisan effort and the first major criminal justice reform legislation in a generation. When fully implemented, the FSA reduces overly lengthy prison sentences and better prepares inmates to successfully reenter society. Efforts to fully implement the FSA have been hampered by the pandemic, staffing shortages, and failed policy implementation. Director Peters cant repair all this overnight, but she needs to demonstrate to Congress, BOP staff, and all stakeholders, that implementation of this significant legislation is on the top of her list....

If Peters is given the help and resources to resolve the staffing challenges and improve the infrastructure, she will have the staff and resources needed to fully implement the FSA, increased capacity to provide mental health treatment, medical care, education, and job training  and to ensure that the 95 percent of BOP population that are returning to our communities will be good neighbors that we can all be proud of.
Michaela Coel (Dave Benett)

Michaela Coel has revealed plans to build a house in her fathers ancestral village in Ghana.

The award-winning writer, who was born in London to Ghanaian parents, first visited the country in 2018 for a television shoot and felt an immediate affinity for the country.

Recalling her trip, the 35-year-old told American Vogue: Id been to Africa before - Kenya and Uganda - but when I came here I was really seeing people who looked like me.

A friend of mine was with me, and he remembers us getting off the plane and me walking around as if I knew where I was going.

I remember looking at all the kids playing and it hit me, like, Wow, this couldve been me and I think I would have really enjoyed that.

Yes, there are a lot of sad things; poverty, unemployment, struggle. Theres also a lot of peace, friendliness. Theres a lack of anxiety.

Michaela Coel appears on the front cover of American Vogue (Malick Bodian/Vogue)

Coel also revealed that she was considering buying an apartment in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, where she lived for six months last year.

Aside from her property plans, the British star spoke about her upcoming role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in which she plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje.

Cinema-goers will see her character, who protects the kingdom of Wakanda alongside her all-female warriors, fall for her colleague Ayo, played by Florence Kasumba.

When asked about playing a queer character in a movie set in Africa, where there are strict anti-gay policies, Coel said: That sold me on the role, the fact that my characters queer.

I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana... People say, Oh, its fine, its just politics. But I dont think it is just politics when it affects how people get to live their daily lives.

She plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney)

Thats why it felt important for me to step in and do that role because I know just by my being Ghanaian, Ghanaians will come, the LGBTQ+ advocate added.

Coel, who appears alongside her father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother Jemima Andam for the cover shoot, also spoke of her experience filming the superhero sequel following the death of the films star Chadwick Boseman.

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The actor tragically passed away from a secret battle with colon cancer in August 2020. Following his death, it was confirmed that the late actors role would not be recast.

She said of her experience on set: It felt like the entire cast was processing grief. There was a sense that we have to bring this baby home in the name of Chadwick.

American Vogues November 2022 issue is available nationwide from October 18.
A budget draft proposal submitted to parliament by Portugals Finance Minister Fernando Medina calls for taxing capital gains on cryptocurrency assets held by investors for less than a year.

While the country already taxed capital gains on cryptocurrency holdings derived from professional or business activities, individual citizens were exempt. The new budget draft, however, calls for a levy of 28% on capital gains from cryptocurrency assets held for less than a year. Gains on cryptos held for a period of longer than a year would remain unaffected.

Proceeds from the issuance of cryptocurrencies and crypto mining would also be considered income and subject to taxes in the government plan.

Finance Minister Fernando Medina last May told parliament that cryptocurrencies would soon be subject to taxation.

The draft proposal remains just that, and still must go through the full legislative process before becoming law.

Among the less wealthy of the Western European countries, Portugal for some time has promoted its friendly tax policies to incentivize foreign investors to inject a steady flow of capital into its economy. In 2012, the country launched its Golden Visa residency by investment program to spur job creation and reignite production within Portugal's borders. Since then, the number of foreign residents in Portugal has risen roughly 40%.

Read More: Portugal Makes U-Turn on Cryptocurrency Tax
Its the first time life expectancy in Singapore has fallen since records were first kept in 1957. (PHOTO: Maverick Asio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

By Natalie Choy

(Bloomberg) Singapores life expectancy fell for the first time on record, driven by higher mortality rates from Covid-19, which was the fifth most common cause of death in the city-state last year.

Life expectancy at birth was 83.5 years in 2021, a drop of around two months compared with 83.7 years in 2019, data from the Department of Statistics showed. Life expectancy for women was 85.9 years, and 81.1 years for men, the data showed.

Its the first time life expectancy has fallen since records were first kept in 1957, the department said.

The drop mirrors a trend seen in the US, where life expectancy suffered its largest two-year decline in a century as Covid-19 and the epidemic of opioid overdoses took their toll on the population. Overall life expectancy at birth in the US declined by almost 3 years from 2019 to 2021 to 76.1 years

A spokesperson for Singapores statistics department said higher mortality rates caused by excess deaths during the pandemic had caused life expectancy to fall in 2020 and 2021, the Straits Times newspaper reported.

Life expectancy at birth doesnt predict a persons actual lifespan, but gives an indication of the average longevity of Singapores population, the spokesperson said. Life expectancy is calculated based on mortality rates over a three-year period.

There were 2,490 excess deaths in Singapore from January 2020 to June 2022, of which almost 60% were directly caused by Covid-19, according to a recent report from the countrys Ministry of Health. About 40% of the excess deaths were people who died of other illnesses after being infected with the coronavirus, which likely aggravated existing conditions.

The Southeast Asian nation, which touts one of the lowest Covid death rates in the world, further loosened curbs Monday even as average daily infections rise.

It has fully lifted restrictions on non-vaccinated people in restaurants, nightlife establishments and at large events with more than 500 attendees.

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Singapore will also vaccinate children aged six months to four years, with those aged five to 11 being given booster shots. Its also rolling out bivalent vaccines as boosters for those aged 50 and older, or for people yet to achieve minimum vaccination protection.

Speaking to local media at a community event Sunday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Singapore is ready to step up Covid-19 measures when necessary to lower infection rates and protect the unvaccinated.

 2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Austria seeks allies for legal challenge to EU green investment rules Power-generating windmill turbines are seen at a wind park near Andau

By Matthias Williams and Kate Abnett

BERLIN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Austria said on Monday it was seeking to enlist other European Union countries to support its legal action against Brussels for labelling investment in gas and nuclear power as "green".

Vienna on Friday filed a legal challenge against the EU's inclusion of the energy sources on a list of climate-friendly investments, which exposed deep rifts between countries over which energy sources to use to meet climate change goals.

Luxembourg confirmed on Monday it would join Austria's action. Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler said others may follow, without naming the countries.

"I find it irresponsible and unreasonable," Gewessler said of the EU's decision.

An EU official said Austria was undertaking "diplomatic outreach" to potentially interested countries.

Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Denmark jointly called for nuclear to be excluded from the rules last November when the EU was still drafting them. Ireland and Spain had also warned Brussels against labelling investments in gas as "green".

A German environment ministry spokesperson said the country would not join the legal action, but added that "it is good that the objections to the taxonomy regulation will now be reviewed by the courts."

The EU's so-called taxonomy is a rulebook defining which investments can be labelled climate friendly, designed to guide investors towards green projects that will help achieve the bloc's emissions-cutting targets.

A European Commission spokesperson said it had taken note of the action but would not comment on the substance of the case.

"The EU's taxonomy is to a very large extent focused on renewable energies. Renewables will continue to be the focus for green investors and the creation of green financial products," the spokesperson said, adding that gas and nuclear investments must meet "strict conditions" to be included.

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Austria's legal action, submitted to the EU's general court, makes 16 arguments for why Brussels should annul the rules - including that nuclear energy cannot meet a requirement to "do no significant harm" to the environment because of concerns about radioactive waste.

Austrians widely oppose nuclear power and the country has never had an atomic plant.

Gewessler said it was "misleading" to label gas, a fossil fuel, as a green energy investment.

The European Commission proposed the law in February, after more than a year of intense lobbying. Some central and eastern EU countries had argued gas investments should be inventivised to help them quit more carbon-intensive coal, while states including France see low-carbon nuclear energy as key to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental campaigners including Greenpeace launched separate legal challenges last month against the rules, which they said violated the EU's own climate laws.

(Reporting by Matthias Williams, Rachel More and Kate Abnett; additional reporting by Andreas Rinke; Editing by Miranda Murray, Alexander Smith and Bernadette Baum)
Whos ready for some fun in the sun? We certainly are, and if Langkawi is on your radar, we have good news: a cheat sheet on how to travel to the picturesque island paradise.

Famed for its natural landscapes and sceneries, Langkawi has become an ideal holiday destination for tourists and locals. Filled with hidden treasures and picturesque beaches, theres nothing like planning a quick escape from the bustling city, and you can do just that with our guide here. Trust us, travelling to Langkawi will be a breeze. If youre headed on a trip with friends or family, dont fret, as we have various travel options by air or land. No matter where youre coming from, weve got you covered.

Guide: The Langkawi international travel bubble for foreign tourists Travel A list of luxury resorts in Langkawi welcoming international travellers Travel Langkawi will soon welcome vaccinated visitors Travel Guide: The Langkawi international travel bubble for foreign tourists Travel Hilton Burau Bay Resort Langkawi slated to open in 2024 Travel

Get ready for a scenic adventure and seas the day with our detailed guide.

How to travel to Langkawi for a fuss-free holiday:

How you can get to Langkawi in an hour (Image credit: Unsplash/Kelvin Zyteng)

Travel to Langkawi by air:

If youre coming from Singapore, flying by air is the best option as it only takes only around an hour and a half by direct flight to reach the island. Both Scoot and Air Asia both offer direct and affordable flights from Singapore to Langkawi every day of the week. If you dont mind connecting flights, Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air both stop at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Book on Malaysia Airlines

Book on Malindo Air

Book on Expedia

Getting there by car:

Depending on where youre driving from, another fuss-free option is to embark by car and then take the car ferry to the island. The trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis takes roughly about six hours.

Rent a car via Kayak

Rent a car via Trevo

Rent a car via Booking.com

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Getting there by train:

If youre coming from KL, book your ETS (Electric Train Service) ticket to Arau. As the royal capital of Perlis, Arau is known to be the gateway to Langkawi and Thailand, where every adventurer begins their journey to the island via Kuala Perlis Ferry Terminal. We recommend picking Arau as your final destination as it is closer to the port and the duration of the ferry ride later will be shorter.

The duration of the journey takes four hours and 49 minutes. As Malaysias fastest inter-state train service, we recommend grabbing this travel option if youre up for a scenic adventure and are not rushing to your destination. Tickets will range between RM72 to RM92. Book your journey here.

Once you have reached your destination, you can then take a Grab car or a taxi to the ferry, where operation hours begin from 7am to 7pm.

Getting there by ferry:

All aboard (Image credit: Unsplash/Michael Martinell)

From Kuala Perlis to Langkawi, a one-way ticket costs RM18 (approx. S$5.50) for adults and RM13 (approx. S$4) for children. For a two-way ticket, the tickets are priced at RM36 (approx. S$11) for adults and RM26 (approx. S$8) for children. In total, the duration will be approximately one hour and 15 minutes.

For more info, contact:

Kuala Perlis : 604-985 1899 / 604-9852539 / 604-985 2690

Langkawi: 604-966 1125 / 604-966 1126

Book your ferry ticket here.

If Im flying internationally, do I need a visa to travel to Malaysia?

Your passport must be valid for at least six months and will need at least one blank page required for an entry stamp. No visa is necessary to enter whether youre visiting for business or pleasure for 90 days or less.

(Hero and featured image credit: Leonid Sorokin/Getty Images)

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur

The post Travel guide to Langkawi: How to get to the island appeared first on Prestige Online - Singapore.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia retaliated Monday for an attack on a critical bridge by unleashing its most widespread strikes against Ukraine in months, a lethal barrage that smashed civilian targets, knocked out power and water, shattered buildings and killed at least 14 people.

Ukraines Emergency Service said nearly 100 people were wounded in the morning rush hour attacks that Russia launched from the air, sea and land against at least 14 regions, spanning from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the east. Many of the attacks occurred far from the war's front lines.

Though Russia said missiles targeted military and energy facilities, some struck civilian areas while people were heading to work and school. One hit a playground in downtown Kyiv and another struck a university.

The attacks plunged much of the country into a blackout, depriving hundreds of thousands of people of electricity into Monday night and creating a shortage so severe Ukrainian authorities asked people to conserve and announced they will stop power exports to Europe starting Tuesday. Power outages also often deprive residents of water, given the systems reliance on electricity to run pumps and other equipment.

Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the strikes had no practical military sense and that Russias goal was to cause a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces targeted key energy infrastructure and military command facilities with precision weapons in retaliation for what he claimed were Kyiv's terrorist actions  a reference to Ukraine's attempts to repel Moscow's invasion, including an attack Saturday on a key bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula. Putin alleged the bridge attack was masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

Putin vowed a tough and proportionate response if further Ukrainian attacks threaten Russias security. No one should have any doubts about it, he told Russias Security Council by video.

The Russian president has been under intense domestic pressure to take more aggressive action to stop a largely successful Ukrainian counteroffensive and to react forcefully to Saturday's attack on the Kerch bridge, whose construction he used to cement his 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Putin's increasingly frequent descriptions of Ukraine's actions as terrorist could portend even more bold and draconian actions. But in Monday's speech, Putin  whose partial troop mobilization order last month triggered an exodus of hundreds of thousands of men of fighting age  stopped short of escalating his special military operation to a counterterrorism campaign or martial law. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on world leaders to declare Russia a terrorist state because of its attacks on civilians and alleged war crimes.

Moscows war in Ukraine is approaching its eight-month mark, and the Kremlin has been reeling from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas of eastern Ukraine it is trying to annex.

The head of Ukraines law enforcement said Monday's attacks damaged 70 infrastructure sites, of which 29 are critical. Zelenskyy said that of the 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones Russia fired, Ukrainian forces shot down 56.

Blasts struck in the capitals Shevchenko district, which includes the historic old town and government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Some of the strikes hit near the government quarter in the capital's symbolic heart, where parliament and other major landmarks are located. A glass-covered office tower was significantly damaged, with most of its blue-tinted windows blown out.

Zelenskyy, in a video address, referred to the rush hour timing of Monday's attacks, saying Russia chose such a time and such targets on purpose to inflict the most damage.

The strikes sent residents of Ukraine's two largest cities  Kyiv and Kharkiv  into bomb shelters, including subway stations.

Zelenskyy's wife, Olena, posted a video showing people sheltering on the stairs of a Kyiv subway station singing a Ukrainian folk song, In a Cherry Garden, whose final lines are: My dear mother, you are old and Im happy and young. I want to live, to love."

While air raid sirens have continued throughout the war, in Kyiv and elsewhere many Ukrainians had been ignoring the warnings after months of calm.

Just as traffic was picking up Monday morning, a commuter minibus was struck near Kyiv National University. Nearby, at least one missile landed in Shevchenko Park, leaving a large hole near a childrens playground.

Another target was the Klitschko pedestrian bridge  a central Kyiv landmark with glass panels. Video footage showed a huge explosion under the bridge, with smoke rising, and a man running away, apparently unhurt. The mayor posted a video later while walking on the bridge, pointing out a crater on a sidewalk below and broken glass and missile fragments on the bridge surface.

Air raid sirens sounded in every region of Ukraine except Russia-annexed Crimea for four straight hours.

Associated Press journalists saw bodies at an industrial site on the outskirts of Dnipro. Four people were killed and 19 injured in the city, officials said. Witnesses said one missile landed in front of a bus, damaging the vehicle but not killing any passengers.

Natalia Nesterenko, a mathematician, saw one missile fly by her Dnipro apartment balcony as she was in her kitchen, then she heard two explosions.

Its very dangerous. I immediately called my kids to see how they are because anyone can be hit  women, children, she said.

Kharkiv was hit three times, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The strikes knocked out the electricity and water supply. Energy infrastructure was also hit in Lviv, regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi said.

Three cruise missiles launched against Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldovas airspace, said the countrys foreign affairs minister, Nicu Popescu.

The attacks prompted fresh international condemnation of Russia.

The Group of Seven industrial powers scheduled a video conference Tuesday on the situation, which Zelenskyy will address.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement the missile attacks that killed civilians again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people. He said the United States and its allies will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom. In a phone call later Monday, Biden told Zelenskyy the United States agreed to his request to provide advanced air defense systems.

French President Emanuel Macron expressed extreme concern." British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted that Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable.

Some feared Monday's attacks may represent the start a new Russian offensive. As a precaution, Ukraine switched all schools to online learning.

In an ominous move, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that he and Putin agreed to create a joint regional grouping of troops. He offered no details.

Lukashenko repeated his claims that Ukraine is plotting an attack on Belarus, sparking fears he would take preemptive action. His defense minister, Viktor Khrenin, later issued a video warning Ukraine not to provoke Belarus, but added: We dont want to fight.

Sabra Ayres in Kyiv, Vasilisa Stepanenko in Kharkiv, and Justin Spike and Yesica Fisch in Dnipro, contributed to this story.

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News)  A ransomware attack at one of the country's largest hospital chains disrupted care at hospitals from Seattle to Tennessee last week.

The attack on CommonSpirit Health, the fourth-largest U.S. health system with 140 hospitals, led to delays in surgeries, patient care and appointments.

The Chicago-based company did not share information about how many hospitals were affected but said last week it had experienced an IT security issue. Someone familiar with efforts to fix the IT issue said it was a ransomware attack, NBC News reported.

CHI Memorial Hospital in Tennessee, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle, and some St. Lukes hospitals in Texas said they were affected.

Ransomware attacks have been common for more than two years, which can sometimes mean doctors and nurses cant access patient records to recommend appropriate care.

At least 15 health care companies representing 61 hospitals have had ransomware attacks so far this year, Brett Callow, an analyst at Emsisoft, a cybersecurity company that specializes in ransomware, told NBC News.

A Texas woman said that she and her husband had arrived at a Common Spirit-affiliated hospital on Wednesday for a long-scheduled major surgery. Her husbands doctor recommended delaying the procedure until the hospital could resolve its technical issues.

The surgeon told me it could potentially delay post-op care, and he didnt want to risk it, she, who did not want to use her name to protect her husband's medical privacy, told NBC News.

A federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency report found there are higher death rates after a ransomware attack at a hospital because it stresses its capabilities.

In one case involving a ransomware attack, an Alabama woman sued a hospital in 2020 where her baby was born. She alleged that the baby was born with a severe brain injury and died after her hospital was hit by a ransomware attack.

More information

The non-profit Pew Charitable Trusts has more on the impact of ransomware attacks on hospitals.

SOURCE: NBC News
LE MARS, Iowa  Improperly discarded smoking material was the probable cause of a fire that severely damaged an apartment building Sunday night, in Le Mars.

At around 11:56 p.m., Le Mars Fire - Rescue was called to an apartment building owned by Fred and Pete Zenk, of Le Mars. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire on the south exterior side of the building, located at 1070 Seventh Ave., S.E.

The fire was burning on the second and third floor exterior decks of the building and into the attic and roof. There were six apartments in this section of the 18-unit apartment.

Firefighters made a quick knockdown on the building's exterior while police and sheriff's deputies evacuated apartment residents. Firefighters put out the fire in two apartments and the attic of the building.

All occupants escaped the building and four cats were located in good condition by firefighters. Firefighters were on the scene for approximately two hours.

The origin of the fire was determined to be located on a deck on the south side of the apartment building, said Le Mars Fire - Rescue Chief David Schipper.

Three of the six apartments received fire, water and smoke damage. They are uninhabitable. Individuals are being assisted by family, friends and the American Red Cross. The building's other apartments have been deemed safe to be lived in.

Damage is estimated at $100,000.

Le Mars Fire - Rescue was assisted at the scene by the Le Mars Police, Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, MidAmerican Energy, the Orange City Fire Department and the American Red Cross.
SIOUX CITY -- For the past 25 years, Kelli Solsma has had the goal of administering the physical, educational, emotional and spiritual needs to some of the 2.5 million orphans now living in the East African nation of Tanzania.

"I've gone back so many times that I've lost track of the trips," she said. "When I returned to Tanzania back in May, it was either for the 19th or 20th time."

But nothing can match a visit Solsma made in 2003, when she met a Tanzanian girl named Rehema.

"Rehema was seven or eight years old at the time," she explained. "During my three-week stay, Rehema was kicked put of three orphanages because nobody wanted her because she was HIV positive."

Before leaving Tanzania, Solsma made sure Rehema would be in an orphanage where she'd be loved and accepted.

A few months later, Solsma discovered Rehema had died of AIDS. And in 2007, Project Rehema was born in her memory.

"It was too late for Rehema but we wanted her legacy to live on," Solsma, the president of the North Sioux City-based Project Rehema Ministries, explained. "To date, Project Rehema cares for more 115 orphaned and vulnerable children in 18 family units."

Solsma will never use the word orphanage in describing the group homes that are, literally, a safe place for the Tanzanian kids.

"An orphanage sounds like an institution," she said. "Our children are cared for like family with a 'mama' in family units."

Project Rehema Ministries will be presenting "Sing for Africa," a fundraiser for the nonprofit at 7 p.m. Monday at Bishop Heelan Catholic High School Fine Arts Building, 1231 Grandview Blvd.

The program will feature music from Jill Miller, Kevin Keane, Kemi Brown, Lydia How, the Matney Sisters, the Celebration Choir, the MLK Choir and the Bishop Heelan Chorale.

The need for the Project Rehema project remains great since HIV is still a stigma.

"Access to medication is limited and many people refuse to take the medicine for fear others would find out they're sick," Solsma explained.

Such issues are common when working with people in a third world country.

So is coming up with ways for people to sustain themselves. This is why a portion of the "Sing for Africa" proceeds will go towards chicken-raising operations in a select number of family unit homes.

"This way, the children will always have fresh eggs in their households and can even sell them to other people," Solsma said.

Over the last quarter-of-a-century, people have asked the question: "Why Africa?"

"Well, why not Africa?" Solsma asked. "I feel incredibly blessed to have found a passion and that passion is to be able to serve God in the capacity to help those in need in Tanzania."

The inspiration will always comes from a girl named Rehema.

"I found out some time later that Rehema is also the Swahili word meaning compassion or mercy," Solsma said. "We may not have been able to save the Rehema that I met. But we will do everything that we can to save the orphaned and vulnerable Tanzanian children who've come after her."
According to court documents, the victim went to a home in the 1100 block of Seventh Street to speak with a woman there. When the man knocked at the door, Veliz-Cantor, who lived at the residence, grabbed a kitchen knife from the table and approached the victim, who was walking away, and followed him, demanding money from him. After the victim said he didn't have any money, Veliz-Cantor cut him with the knife, opening a 14-inch cut from the top of his head down the side. The wound was non-life-threatening.
MAURICE, Iowa  A Springfield, South Dakota, man was arrested early Sunday morning on multiple charges, after leading deputies on a pursuit that began north of Maurice.

At 12:31 a.m. Sunday, the Sioux County Sheriff's Office arrested Jeremy Langley, 37, on a felony charge of second-degree criminal mischief and misdemeanor charges of eluding, possession of a controlled substance -- cannabidiol, and interference with official acts.

The pursuit began after a deputy attempted to stop the vehicle Langley was driving.

The sheriff's office said in a statement that Langley began driving erratically, striking a vehicle parked near the Sioux County Regional Airport and a building owned by the airport. Then, he turned and struck the deputy's vehicle. After striking the patrol vehicle, Langley and his passenger, Mark Stewart, 40, of Aurelia, Iowa, fled from the vehicle, running into a cornfield. A female passenger, who was not charged, remained in the vehicle.

Langley and Stewart were found in the cornfield and taken into custody without incident. Stewart was charged with interference with official acts

The sheriff's office was assisted by its drone unit, the Orange City Police Department, Sioux Center Police Department, Rock Valley Police Department, Plymouth County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit, Sioux Center Ambulance and Maurice first responders.
SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to approve a subordination agreement so that a Georgia-based developer can move forward with plans to transform the former Sioux City Hotel & Conference Center into an upscale downtown senior living facility.

Fortune MD, headquartered in Atlanta, acquired the 12-story building at 707 Fourth St., through an LLC called Amera SL of Sioux City, for $5.35 million in late October of last year. The developer intends to invest roughly $15 million into the property to convert it into a mix of market-rate senior living and assisted living. The investment includes major renovations to the atrium space.

"Their bank won't provide the financing without this happening," said Chris Myres, economic development specialist for the city. "There's an old development agreement on the property. They feel that development agreement keeps them from having proper security taking a position on the building like they need to provide financing."

According to city documents, on Sept. 21, 2015, the city council entered into a development agreement with Star Hospitality, LLC, the former owner of the property. The agreement conveyed the city-owned former escalator atrium space to Star Hospitality and required that they invest $160,000 to improve the space and maintain it as a functional portion of the hotel.

"Only very minor renovations were made to the atrium space prior to the hotel property's sale to Amera SL of Sioux City, LLC. Due to lack of maintenance, the atrium space is now in a state of extreme disrepair," the documents stated.

In order for Amera SL of Sioux City, LLC to close on financing for the project, its lender, Heritage Bank, has requested that the city enter into a subordination agreement to address the city's existing development agreement recorded on the property.

Outstanding issues related to unfinished renovations to the atrium space and changes to the skywalk easement through the property and public entrance points to the skywalk system on the property will be addressed in a future agreement to be brought before the council, according to the documents.
DES MOINES  A majority of lawyers who responded to a survey support the retention of Northwest Iowa judges who face retention elections this fall.

Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals members up for a retention vote on Nov. 8 also received passing grades from lawyers who submitted ratings to the Iowa State Bar Association.

The bar association on Friday released the results of its biennial survey of judges standing for retention on the two high courts and in the state's eight judicial districts. Lawyers participating in the survey evaluate judges on a number of characteristics such as knowledge and application of the law, quality of written opinions and demeanor.

Nine judges are up for retention in the 3rd Judicial District, which includes 16 Northwest Iowa counties.

In subdistrict 3B, which includes Woodbury, Crawford, Ida, Monona, Plymouth and Sioux counties, District Judge Steven Andreasen received 95% support. District Judge James Daane was supported by 98% of respondents and District Judge Roger Sailer received 96% percent support. District judges Jeffrey Neary and Patrick Tott both received 97%. District Associate Judge Kristal Phillips received 90% support.

In subdistrict 3A, which includes Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, Kossuth, OBrien, Osceola and Palo Alto counties, District Judge Shayne Mayer received 86% support and District Judge John Sandy received 98%. District Associate judges Shawna Ditsworth and Ann Gales received 97% and 90%, respectively.

Iowa Supreme Court justices Matthew McDermott and Dana Oxley were supported by 77% and 81%, respectively, of lawyers who responded to the survey.

Court of Appeals Judge Paul Ahlers received 89% support and Judge Gina Badding received 94%.

"The results of the comprehensive Judicial Performance Review demonstrate the high quality of Iowa jurists, a direct consequence of Iowa's first-class merit selection process. Iowans can be proud," Guy Cook, chair of the Bar Association's Independence of the Judiciary Committee, said in a news release.

The bar association has conducted the performance reviews every two years since 1962, when Iowa adopted its merit system for retaining judges. The review is intended to give voters information to help them cast their vote on a judge's retention.

Iowa Court of Appeals, district and district associate judges must stand for retention the first full year after being appointed to the bench and every six years after that. Supreme court justices also face retention votes after the first full year after their appointment, then every eight years.

The full results of the survey and judges' biographies can be found on the Iowa State Bar Association website at https://www.iowabar.org/?pg=JudicialEvaluations.
Russia unleashes biggest attacks in Ukraine in months

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia has retaliated for an attack on a critical bridge it claimed was carried out by Ukraine, unleashing its most widespread attacks against Ukraine in months. The lethal barrage Monday against multiple cities smashed civilian targets. It killed at least 14 people, knocked out power and water, and shattered cars and buildings. Ukraines Emergency Service said nearly 100 people were wounded in the morning attacks  the biggest and broadest since the war's early days. One Russian missile hit a playground in downtown Kyiv and another struck a university building. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks aimed to inflict the most damage on civilians.

GOP makes push to weaken Democrats' grip on Texas border

HARLINGEN, Texas (AP)  Texas Democrats are embarking on another October blitz in pursuit of flipping Americas big red state. But Republicans are making an aggressive play to win races along Texas' mostly Hispanic southern border in November's midterms. The rare sight of contested races on the Texas border has widened cracks in an important Democratic stronghold after former President Donald Trumps significant gains with Hispanic voters in the 2020 election. Republican Rep. Maya Flores victory in a special election this year reflected the shifting ground. She is running against Democrat Rep. Vicente Gonzalez.

New Zealand proposes taxing cow burps, angering farmers

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  New Zealands government is proposing a tax on the greenhouse gasses that farm animals make from burping and peeing as part of a plan to tackle climate change. The government says the farm levy would be a world first and that farmers should be able to recoup the cost by charging more for climate-friendly products. But farmers quickly condemned the plan. The liberal Labour governments proposal Tuesday harks back to a similar but unsuccessful proposal made by a previous Labour government in 2003, when it proposed taxing farm animals for their methane emissions.

California governor's wife among accusers at Weinstein trial

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is among the accusers of Harvey Weinstein who will testify at his rape and sexual assault trial that began Monday. An attorney for Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who is a documentary filmmaker and actor, says in a statement Monday that she intends to testify at his trial in order to seek some measure of justice for survivors. Jury selection began Monday in Los Angeles and is expected to last several days. Weinstein, who is already serving a 23-year sentence for a conviction in New York, is charged with 11 counts of rape and sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty.

Ohio Senate debate with Ryan, Vance descends into attacks

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  The first debate between Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican JD Vance descended quickly into attacks. The candidates for Ohios open U.S. Senate seat accused each other Monday of being responsible for job losses and putting party loyalty ahead of voters needs. Vance said Ryan had supported policies as a congressman that led to a 10-year-old girl in Ohio being raped. Ryan said Vance had started a fake nonprofit to help people overcome addiction issues. The race between Ryan, a 10-term congressman, and Vance, a venture capitalist and author of Hillbilly Elegy, is one of the hardest fought and most closely watched of the midterms.

28 dead as Julia drenches Central America with rainfall

GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  Former hurricane Julia has dissipated, but is drenching Guatemala and El Salvador with rain after reemerging in the Pacific. Julia is believed to have directly or indirectly caused the deaths of 28 people. Julia hit Nicaraguas central Caribbean coast as a hurricane on Sunday and survived the passage over Nicaraguas mountainous terrain, becoming a tropical storm before it dissipated Monday. Its winds had dipped to 35 mph by Monday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Fourteen people died in Guatemala, four in Honduras, nine in El Salvador and one in Nicaragua.

United Methodists are breaking up in a slow-motion schism

The United Methodist Church, long a mainstay of the American religious scene, is beginning to fracture. Hundreds of churches have already disaffiliated from the denomination this year, with hundreds more moving toward the exits. Many plan to join the newly created Global Methodist Church, formed by conservatives frustrated by continued defiance of denominational bans on same-sex marriages and the ordaining of openly LGBTQ pastors. So far the majority of congregations are staying, but several of the largest are planning to leave. The breakup comes amid mutual accusations of hardball tactics and spreading falsehoods.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene rises from GOP fringe to front

WASHINGTON (AP)  Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene once was shunned as a political pariah for her extremist rhetoric. Now the Georgia Republican is being welcomed by House Republicans into the fold. Recently, Greene was front and center as Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy unveiled the House GOP's midterm campaign agenda in Pennsylvania. She joined Donald Trump at a rally in Michigan. Greene spent her first term stripped of committee assignments by Democrats over her rhetoric. But if Republicans win the House majority in the November election, Greene is poised to become an influential player. She tells The Associated Press that impeaching President Joe Biden tops her agenda.

Nobelist Annie Ernaux draws hundreds to New York bookstore

NEW YORK (AP)  Since Annie Ernaux won the Nobel literature prize last week, the French authors books have gained enough new admirers that many titles are out of stock on Amazon.com and at physical bookstores. But at Albertine Books on Manhattans Upper East, her appearance Monday night felt less like an introduction than a gathering of old friends, French and American alike. Hundreds gathered for an event billed The Art of Capturing Life in Writing. The 82-year-old Ernaux is known for such autobiographical works as Simple Passion and Happening. The crowd spilled over into an overflow room as she spoke about her career and writing process.

Chiefs hold on for wild 30-29 victory over rival Raiders

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Patrick Mahomes threw four touchdown passes to Travis Kelce, the Chiefs overcame an early 17-point deficit along with a dubious roughing-the-passer penalty, and Kansas City extended its mastery of the Las Vegas Raiders, holding on for a 30-29 victory. The Raiders had a chance to march for the winning field goal, but a pass to Davante Adams that was ruled a catch was overturned by replay, which showed him stepping out of bounds. That brought up fourth down in the closing seconds, and Derek Carr's final pass fell incomplete to allow Kansas City to hold on.
The Russian missiles that rained down Monday on cities across Ukraine, bringing fear and destruction to areas that had seen months of relative calm, are an escalation in Russias war against its neighbor. But are they a turning point in the war? That question, military analysts say, is much more difficult to answer. Simon Smith, a former British ambassador to Ukraine, says the missiles are an act of psychological and physical intimidation by Russia. But he says it is also an act of desperation by Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose troops are losing territory on the ground. Michael Clarke of Kings College London says Monday's strikes will only increase Ukraine's resolve to fight.
Prosecutors have charged a California man in the kidnapping and killings of an 8-month-old baby, her parents and uncle. The Merced County District Attorney's Office on Monday filed four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances against Jesus Salgado. He could spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. Salgado is accused of kidnapping the family at gunpoint from their trucking business on Oct. 3. Authorities say Salgado, a former employee with a longstanding dispute, likely killed them within an hour. Salgado appeared in court Monday on video. He did not enter a plea and asked for more time to find an attorney. He is scheduled to return to court Thursday.
MERCED, Calif. (AP)  Prosecutors on Monday charged a California man in the kidnapping and killings of an 8-month-old baby, her parents and uncle.

Jesus Salgado is accused of kidnapping the family at gunpoint from their trucking business on Oct. 3. Authorities say Salgado, a former employee with a longstanding dispute, likely killed them within an hour.

Their bodies were not found until late Wednesday, when a farm worker in an almond orchard in a remote area of the San Joaquin Valley, Californias agricultural heartland, discovered the remains of Aroohi Dheri; her 27-year-old mother Jasleen Kaur; her 36-year-old father Jasdeep Singh; and her 39-year-old uncle Amandeep Singh.

Salgado, 48, tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings before he was taken into custody. He faces four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, the Merced County District Attorney's Office announced Monday. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The special circumstances allege that the slayings were committed during the commission of a kidnapping and were part of multiple killings in the same case.

Salgado appeared in court Monday on video, KFSN reported. He did not enter a plea and asked for more time to find an attorney. He is scheduled to return to court Thursday.

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke last week would not discuss the condition of the adults remains in the orchard and said it was unclear how the baby died. Warnke said the child had no visible trauma.

Warnke called for Salgado to face the death penalty. But District Attorney Kimberly Lewis on Monday said she would defer that decision to next year.

Salgado is also charged with arson and the possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He was previously convicted of first-degree robbery with the use of a firearm in Merced County, attempted false imprisonment and an attempt to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness after he held a family he had worked for at gunpoint and forced them to follow his orders nearly 20 years ago.

In 2007, he was sentenced to 11 years in state prison in that case. He was released in 2015 and discharged from parole three years later, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He also has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, the department said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Marjorie Taylor Greene took her seat directly behind Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, a proximity to power for the firebrand congresswoman that did not go unnoticed, as he unveiled the House GOP's midterm election agenda in Pennsylvania.

Days later, she appeared on stage warming up the crowd for Donald Trump, when the former president rallied voters in Michigan to cast ballots for Republicans, including for control of Congress.

Once shunned as a political pariah for her extremist rhetoric, the Georgia congresswoman who spent her first term in the House stripped of institutional power by Democrats is being celebrated by Republicans and welcomed into the GOP fold. If Republicans win the House majority in the November election, Greene is poised to become an influential player shaping the GOP agenda, an agitator with clout.

No. 1, we need to impeach Joe Biden. No. 2, We need to impeach Secretary Mayorkas. And No. 3, we should impeach Merrick Garland, Greene told The Associated Press outside the U.S. Capitol. Alejandro Mayorkas is the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Garland the attorney general.

Scolding the media for having been wrong about me" from the start, she said those who know better take me very seriously.

Im going to be a strong legislator and Ill be a very involved member of Congress, she predicted. I know how to work inside, and I know how to work outside. And Im looking forward to doing that.

This is the outlook for the Republican Party in the Trump era, the normalizing of once fringe figures into the highest ranks of political power. Its a sign of the GOPs rightward drift that Greenes association with extremists and nationalists, violent rhetoric and remarks about Jewish people have found a home in elected office. Her ascent brings into focus the challenge ahead for McCarthy, whose GOP ranks are filling with far-right political stars with the potential to play an oversized role in setting the policies, priorities and tone of the new Congress.

Ive said for a long time theres a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, at a briefing ahead of the midterm elections.

When the congresswoman says outlandish things  as she did at the Trump rally earlier this month claiming "Democrats want Republicans dead, and they've already started the killings"  few Republican leaders dare a public or private rebuke of such incendiary language. In this case, she was exaggerating two local incidents involving politics, one that ended tragically in a fatality.

Greenes political currency stretches beyond her massive social media following and her ability to rake in sizable sums from donors. Her proximity to Trump makes her a force that cannot be ignored by what's left of her mainstream GOP colleagues.

McCarthys allowance for Greene to sit front and center with leadership for the campaign rollout was not by accident but design. The Republican lawmakers in attendance celebrated her presence, calling it a sign of the GOPs big tent that welcomes all comers. But Greene's arrival also signaled a stark normalizing of the most extreme elements in the Republican Party.

Longtime political strategist Rick Wilson, a former Republican who left the party in the Trump era, calls Greenes brand of politics government by trolling that marks a dangerous new era for the GOP and will make it difficult to govern. McCarthy is in line to become House speaker if Republicans regain the majority.

No matter what the trolling part of the Republican caucus does, you can't ever satisfy them, said Wilson, now at the Lincoln Project.

With the departure of the last vestiges of the anti-Trump wing of the House GOP  Liz Cheney defeated by a primary opponent and Adam Kinzinger deciding to step down rather than seek reelection  thats it, Wilson said.

Greene swept onto the national stage in the 2020 election, catapulted forward even before she took office. As the lawmaker-elect from northwest Georgia, she attended a key organizing meeting at the Trump White House as lawmakers laid plans to object to the certification of Joe Bidens election on Jan. 6, 2021. When she arrived to be sworn into Congress, she wore a Trump Won face mask.

Democrats moved swiftly and unequivocally to reprimand Greene, voting to strip her of congressional committee assignments over her incendiary rhetoric, including trafficking in volatile conspiracy theories. Greene drew rebuke from her own party a few months later for comparing mandatory COVID-19 face masks to the treatment of Jewish people by Nazi Germany.

While some have tried to compare Greene to outspoken far-left lawmakers, it became clear even to Republican leaders that Greene stood in a category of her own.

At that time, McCarthy called her comments about the Holocaust wrong and appalling. Greene later apologized.

In many ways, Greene's arrival in the House traces the arc of the Republican Party's rightward evolution from the Newt Gingrich revolution that brought conservatives to power in the 1994 election, to the tea party Republicans that regained the House majority in 2010.

Jack Kingston, a former Republican congressman who rose during those earlier eras, said McCarthy was smart in welcoming Greene to unfurl the House GOP's "Commitment to America last month.

Hes got to work with her, and he knows that," Kingston said.

Getting Marjorie Taylor Greene on board is very important, he said. If you dont bring everybody in the tent, theyre going to find their own niche.

In the interview, Greene said she is certain she will be reinstated on her congressional committees if Republicans win the majority, eyeing the House Oversight panel, and is talking to leadership about other opportunities in the new Congress.

Not only does Greene want to impeach Biden and Cabinet officials, she is eager to conduct investigations, including into the origins of COVID-19.

Last month, Greene unveiled legislation that is another priority  her bill to prohibit some gender reassignment procedures on minors  flanked by a dozen Republican lawmakers and leaders in the conservative movement. Many of them praised the congresswoman for her work.

I want to thank Marjorie Taylor Greene  who is soon to get her full legislative powers back, by the way, said Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Committee, who hugged her afterward.

If this is the type of thing that youre going to have the courage to do, I think thats something everybody needs to understand, Schlapp said.

McCarthy and Greene appear to have come to an understanding that they need each other. The leader needs Greene to come into the GOP fold rather than throw rocks from outside. She needs McCarthys blessing to regain committee assignments, enabling her to participate more fully in Congress and put her imprint on legislation.

At the Pennsylvania event McCarthy batted away questions about his ability to govern if Republicans win the majority.

Name me one person in the conference that is opposed to this, he said afterward of their platform. Is that a difference? Yes.

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  North Dakota voters in November will decide whether to impose term limits on the governor and state lawmakers.

Its a change supporters say would bring in new blood and term-limit foes decry as a blow to institutional knowledge of the Legislature.

Measure 1 would add a new article to the state constitution, effective Jan. 1, 2023, imposing term limits of eight cumulative years each in the House and Senate. The governor could not be elected more than twice. Term limits would not be retroactive -- meaning the service of current officeholders would not count against them.

The measures language also would bar the Legislature from proposing amendments to alter or repeal the term limits; only citizens would be able to do so. The measure does not affect Congress.

Measure Chairman Jared Hendrix says hes found a general sense that people dont feel well represented at local and congressional levels.

I think people inherently know that youre not going to get reform with the same people stuck in positions for decades, Hendrix told the Bismarck Tribune.

Many Democratic and Republican lawmakers have spoken out against the measure.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman said lawmakers have a lot to learn when in Bismarck, she said.

If you think you can learn it in eight years, which would be four sessions, youre mistaken, she said. I think to understand all of the different workings of all the agencies and then the in-depths of appropriations takes a long time to get knowledgeable about it, and when you dont do that, someone else will take over and run North Dakota rather than the legislators will, Im afraid.

The measure was roiled in fraud allegations that reached the state Supreme Court last summer.

The court mandated a public vote on the measure, despite Secretary of State Al Jaeger initially rejecting it, citing irregularities such as noncitizens circulating petitions and pay-per-signature bonuses, which state law prohibits.

A Tribune analysis counted 66 of 141 lawmakers who have served more than eight years; 28 have served 20 years or more.

Notably, about 30 lawmakers wont be back next year, several of them high profile due to retirements, re-election losses and redistricting.

Gov. Doug Burgum won his second term in 2020 and supports term limits.

We fully support term limits and have for years, Burgum said in a statement. "While most statewide offices arent included in the measure, its a good first step and we support it and encourage North Dakotans to give it their full consideration.

Fifteen states have term limits for lawmakers; 36 states have gubernatorial term limits.
Headed north on Railroad Highway near Underwood, travelers often stop and do a double take. More often than not, giant decorative hay bales draw attention to the west side of the highway.

The creations are the work of Lea Voss, Pottawattamie County treasurer, who updates the corner for every major holiday. Currently, a large school bus  complete with childrens faces in windows and a skeleton driver who waves hello  sits at the corner.

My husband and I were requested to make a school bus out of hay bales, Voss said. We had an anonymous note left by a teacher on my other hay bales, as I make them for about every holiday.

The bus was up for the first day of school. Many passersby stopped to take photos with the timely hay bale art piece.

This is the biggest one weve done, Voss said.

Her husband helps her transport the bales and acquire additional props, including the tires, steering wheel, seat and front bumper needed for the school bus.

It took some time and I get so many compliments, she said. People come into my office and have to tell me how good it looks .. the Pottawattamie County treasurer has a hidden talent.

The bus took her about three days to complete. She often paints on nights and weekends.

Voss said hay bale art is hobby for her, something shes been doing for maybe 5 to 7 years. She saw something online that sparked the idea and started painting little by little, just little bales  pumpkins, turkeys, bunnies  and it just gets bigger and bigger, she said.

Now, she takes on holiday themes  Uncle Sam and a firecracker for the Fourth of July, for example. She created a RAGBRAI-themed setup when the annual race went through Underwood in 2019, and took on a law enforcement theme after Deputy Sheriff Mark Burbridge was shot and killed at the Pottawattamie County Jail in Council Bluffs in 2017.

Her sons recent marriage prompted the creation of a wedding couple crafted of hay bales.

Voss said its the feedback she receives from people that makes her hobby projects worthwhile. A couple from Avoca commented on the school bus, telling her they took the long way to Council Bluffs to check out her displays. Friends send her ideas for future projects.

Its been a hit, she said. After leaving the courthouse every day, this is my down time and when people honk and wave, and kids stop and take pictures, its all worth it. As long as it makes people smile, thats the main thing.

Its just fun. Theres more to life than just work.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  From the start, the case stemming from a drive-by shooting death of a 15-year-old boy near a Des Moines high school has been among the most complex prosecutions ever in Iowa's capital city, involving 10 teenagers, six guns and at least 42 fired bullets.

Plea agreements from several defendants have simplified things a bit, but as frequent hearings continue with trials likely beginning in March 2023, the cases remain tangled as attorneys try to shift blame over who fired the shots, who planned the killing and who was just along for the ride.

It all potentially amounts to a series of incredibly complicated trials, said Robert Rigg, a criminal defense lawyer and Drake University law school professor.

You not only have to worry about what the state is doing, you also have to worry about what the seven other co-defendants are going to do because they could inadvertently get up there and say something very harmful to your case," Rigg said.

The charges all stem from a sunny but chilly day last March when 10 teens ages 14 to 18 climbed into three cars, armed with at least six guns and drove to a neighborhood near East High School, only a half mile from the Iowa Capitol. The specifics of their plan aren't clear, but police say the teens were out to settle a grudge and fired on Jose Lopez, his sister, one of her friends and two other teens standing on a sidewalk nearby.

The gunfire hit Lopez, his sister and their friend, killing Lopez and seriously injuring the girls.

Some of those arrested are believed to be involved in gangs, and Des Moines Police Department spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said the killing appeared to be another example of shootings among young people that arise from relatively trivial disputes.

Rather than having a schoolyard fight or just avoiding that person, this is how they handle it, he said.

Violent crime involving juvenile offenders is increasing nationally, according to U.S. Department of Justice data. The departments Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention tracks juvenile offenders and said in its most recent statistical briefing book that known juvenile offenders were involved in about 1,122 murders in the U.S. in 2020, representing about 8% of all known murder offenders.

Murders by juveniles acting alone increase by 30% in the preceding year, according to the agencys 2020 report released in December 2021, the most recent available. Murders involving multiple juvenile offenders increased 65%.

Des Moines police charged the teens with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. Eight of the suspects 16 or older were charged as adults, as required by state law for those accused of a forcible felony. The two younger suspects  14 and 15  are being prosecuted through the juvenile court system, and if convicted they likely would stay in state custody only until their 18th birthdays.

Court documents show that one of the adult defendants, Manuel Buezo, 17, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and two counts of willful injury on Oct. 5. He will be sentenced on May 30, and a plea agreement suggests he's facing a 20-year prison sentence.

Gumaro Marquez-Jacobo, 18, has agreed to plead guilty to offenses that included being an accessory after the fact and providing a pistol to a person under 21. Though the charges carry penalties of up to four years in prison, court documents said prosecutors have agreed to recommend a suspended sentence and two years of probation. Sentencing is set for May 30.

Kevin Martinez, 16, has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon. He will be sentenced Nov. 21. The crimes carry prison sentences of up to 10 years each.

Henry Valladares Amaya, who turned 18 a few days after the shooting, also may enter a plea. A judge has set a plea hearing for Oct. 14. The charges hes agreed to plead guilty to are not yet disclosed.

The first trial is planned Oct. 17 for Braulio Hernandez-Salas, 17, but his attorney asked a judge Friday to delay the trial because he is discussing a plea with prosecutors.

On March 6, defendants Octavio Lopez Sanchez, 17, and Daniel Hernandez, 18, are scheduled to be tried together, and Romeo Perdomo, 17, has trial set for April 10.

A document filed by Assistant Polk County Attorney James Hathaway in July said prosecutors have chosen to split up defendants into separate trials in order to reduce the complexity and logistical difficulties in this case.

One difficulty in prosecuting multiple defendants in such a shooting is proving whoh had a gun and fired it as the cars drove by. The attorneys for Daniel Hernandez said in a document filed July 1 that Hernandez and Amaya will be pointing the finger at each other. They said the trial will be unusually complex for a jury to sort out who were the shooters, who aided and abetted, and who shares liability for joint criminal conduct.

Rigg, the Drake law school professor, said he cant recall another case that started out with eight defendants in a single homicide case. Each defendant adds a different set of facts complicating the trial for prosecutors and making it more difficult to keep it all clear in the minds of jurors.

Instructions the judge must read to jurors will be a nightmare, he said, because each defendant faces multiple charges, and many include lower-level offenses jurors could consider.

The potential for a mistrial goes up each time you add a defendant and each time you add complicating factors such as evidence of other crimes, Rigg said.
Lincoln Journal Star. October 6, 2022.

Editorial: Voter ID fixes an issue state doesnt face

Driven by former President Trumps unfounded claims of a stolen election and massive voter fraud, election security has become a contentious political issue that has generated attempts to change election and voting laws across the country.

In Nebraska, that effort produced a successful petition drive that resulted in Initiative 432, which, if approved by voters, would require a valid photo ID to vote.

Given that Nebraska has had few, if any reported incidents of voter fraud, the initiative is, essentially, addressing a problem that does not exist in the state.

Even if seen as a need to reassure voters that ballots are secure, it will make it more difficult, if not impossible for many to vote, disenfranchising those who dont have or cant afford a state ID, a population largely made up of seniors, disabled people, poor and minorities.

That is a solution that would likely suppress the vote, the opposite of the constitutional guarantees of a right to vote for all citizens age 18 and older.

For those reasons, the Journal Star editorial board recommends a vote against Initiative 432 and voter ID.

Amendment 1 good for state, Lincoln

Airports in every state except Nebraska can utilize government revenue to develop commercial air service by guaranteeing a specific amount of income for carriers that bring new flights to the city.

The state Constitution, however, prohibits the use of government revenues for such projects and must be amended. That section of the Constitution has previously been similarly amended to allow tax increment financing in the state.

Amendment 1 was unanimously approved by the Legislature and should be approved by voters, especially those in Lincoln as the Lincoln Airport will be the biggest beneficiary of the change as it continues its efforts to attract additional air service.

A tough call on minimum wage, Initiative 433

If approved, Initiative 433 would incrementally increase the minimum wage in Nebraska from the current $9 per hour to $15 per hour by 2025.

The measures proponents argue that the minimum wage needs to be increased to move Nebraska, traditionally a low-wage state, closer to a living wage, e.g. that working a 40-hour-per-week job can supply adequate income for housing, food and other necessities.

Opponents are concerned about the impact of the minimum wage increases on small businesses, especially those in rural communities, where housing and other costs are far lower than in Lincoln and Omaha.

The editorial board split on the initiative and does not have a voting recommendation.

Omaha World-Herald. October 4, 2022.

Editorial: Nebraska continues to make progress on prison staffing

It seems obvious  if you pay people more, youll have an easier job hiring workers.

Thats what is happening in Nebraska prisons, where longstanding staffing shortages are continuing to ease through the Ricketts administrations aggressive efforts to raise pay and offer other inducements.

Its worth giving credit to Gov. Pete Ricketts and outgoing corrections director Scott Frakes for the policies they implemented last year.

At one point last year, about a third of the agencys protective services positions  corrections corporals, sergeants and caseworkers  were vacant. But raises of up to 40% announced last November have helped the state hire 675 new corrections workers, 576 of them in protective service positions.

Of all new hires, officials said, 270 have come from 39 states outside of Nebraska.

As World-Herald reporter Henry J. Cordes wrote last week, the hiring surge has reduced vacancies among protective service positions to 119, down considerably from the 427 in October of last year.

Ending the staffing shortages in Nebraska prisons is a basic obligation of state leaders. Its unfair and unsafe to leave current corrections workers in situations with grueling schedules and mandatory overtime. A lack of staff also prevents the corrections system from providing inmates with programs aimed at reducing their likelihood of reoffending.

Wisely, state officials took the tough step of offering hefty raises. While the higher regular pay is costly, it could be partly offset by curbing the departments skyrocketing overtime expenses.

Besides bringing in out-of-state applicants, the higher pay also has drawn back staffers who previously left the agency.

The states prison watchdog, Inspector General Doug Koebernick, recently noted that Nebraska prisons still have critical shortages of behavioral health and medical staff. Certainly theres more to do to fix a problem that had built up over the years.

But whats been accomplished in less than a year by the latest pay initiative shows that Nebraska is on the right track.

As we have said before, Nebraskans are problem-solvers by nature, and our leaders need to reflect that pragmatic approach. Ideological posturing and divisive rhetoric must not stand in the way of fixing the issues that confront our state.

Another example of pragmatic leadership came last month when Ricketts extended executive orders intended to ease health care workforce pressures through the end of the year.

His new order authorized the credentialing of retired or inactive health care professionals, defers certain continuing education requirements and suspends some statutes to allow new health care providers seeking licenses to begin practicing.

It also temporarily suspends some state licensing requirements for health care facility administrators and practitioners such as audiologists, alcohol and drug counselors and speech pathologists.

The pandemic took a toll on health care workers. It stretched the ability of hospitals, pharmacies and other health care facilities as they cared for COVID-19 patients, vaccinated people for flu and COVID and tried to keep up with patients other health care needs.

As we have said before, Nebraskans are problem-solvers by nature, and our leaders need to reflect that pragmatic approach. Ideological posturing and divisive rhetoric must not stand in the way of fixing the issues that confront our state.

Another example of pragmatic leadership came last month when Ricketts extended executive orders intended to ease health care workforce pressures through the end of the year.

His new order authorized the credentialing of retired or inactive health care professionals, defers certain continuing education requirements and suspends some statutes to allow new health care providers seeking licenses to begin practicing.

It also temporarily suspends some state licensing requirements for health care facility administrators and practitioners such as audiologists, alcohol and drug counselors and speech pathologists.

The pandemic took a toll on health care workers. It stretched the ability of hospitals, pharmacies and other health care facilities as they cared for COVID-19 patients, vaccinated people for flu and COVID and tried to keep up with patients other health care needs.

North Platte Telegraph. October 9, 2022.

Editorial: Heres what we wont do in telling your stories

Its a ticklish business, to say the least, to report on this robustly democratic republic called the United States.

Its no less so to cover a particular community, region or state.

We Americans debate and argue passionately. Some places are especially energetic about it, like North Platte (of which the late Telegraph Editor Keith Blackledge observed in a book title that that town fights about everything).

How does a press outlet cope with the vexing tendency of actual or potential customers to attack anything its people write or say on the air as biased if they dont happen to like the information?

Thats why news organizations have ethics policies, which seem once again of interest locally in this National Newspaper Week.

Theyre certainly related to what weve stated here about The Telegraphs independent, nonpartisan editorial stance that nonetheless takes spirited positions on community, regional and state matters of common interest.

Were human. Were no more perfect than our readers. But we want what you read on our pages and website, and in this space as well, to be taken as our best, good-faith effort to constructively provide facts, thoughts and opinions for you to consider as citizens.

It should be obvious that we cant hope to prove that if were also personally participating in government or political activities  that is, beyond defending our First Amendment rights to freedom of the press and the free access to information we need to do our own jobs more effectively. The Telegraphs writers, present and past, typically have worked for multiple press outlets. Our newspaper has had four sets of owners in the past 25 years alone: the Seacrest family, the Omaha World-Herald, Berkshire Hathaway and now Lee Enterprises.

News organizations often have slightly different guardrails about what employees can and cant do or say publicly and still be as honest a broker of news and facts as possible.

But this statement from our current owners ethics manual is quite typical: Lee Enterprises has a long-standing policy that no publisher, newspaper general manager, editor or any other news personnel may stand for public or partisan office nor accept an appointment to any public or partisan board, commission or other body.

Many outlets forbid their writers to actively support political candidates; take part in political party activities; or endorse or take part in any activity involving a ballot issue or politically sensitive cause.

We know of some past journalistic colleagues who have gone so far as to refuse to vote. That is not something we at this newspaper are forbidden to do, though our peers in states with party caucuses instead of primary elections often cant participate in those.

The point is that American journalists, whether they first learn their craft in college or on the job, have it drilled into their heads that theyre supposed to be observers of their stories  not part of the stories themselves.

The Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, which has represented our profession since 1909, puts it this way:

Ironically, journalism is a profession protected by the same First Amendment that grants to all citizens the right to run for office or to support, by word, deed or cash, the people they would like to see elected. But journalists who want to be perceived as impartial must avoid any display of partisanship.

Americans dont often realize  though we certainly do  that in First Amendment cases, the ultimate freedom of the press belongs to whoever actually controls the press. These days, the press can be ones computer printer, blog or Facebook page. Youre totally free to express your opinions or political preferences through them  as long as you dont libel someone and you can take the heat.

In a 21st-century news organization, the press is the printing press, radio or TV transmitter, website or online video channel. Or all at once.

Its their owners who exercise the fullness of First Amendment freedoms. To work for them is to consent to set aside certain aspects of ones selfsame freedoms as long as one works there.

We who have done so, in the main, have freely made that choice so we can best fulfill our own duties as citizens  even our own personal callings  by delivering you the information that helps all of you do likewise.

END
OMAHA  An educator with 38 years of experience will be taking over as the state's education commissioner following Matthew Blomstedt's official resignation in January.

Deborah Frison, one of the state's two deputy commissioners, was selected by the State Board of Education on Friday to serve in place of Blomstedt until the next commissioner is hired.

The ed board also accepted Blomstedt's resignation during its meeting. Blomstedt announced he was resigning in September after nine years as education commissioner.

"His contributions have been numerous. He's served the educational system with intelligence, insight and dignity," said Patsy Koch Johns of Lincoln, the board president. "Matt has won the respect of many of those who work in Nebraska schools. He will be missed."

Frison was hired to be one of the state's two deputy commissioners in 2015, according to the department of education website. She oversees school improvement and support while the other deputy commissioner, Brian Halstead, oversees agency support and services. She previously worked in Omaha Public Schools as a teacher and administrator.

The board appointed an ad hoc search committee in September to manage the hiring process of the new education commissioner.

On Friday, member Patti Gubbels said the board will be releasing a request for proposals for search firms Wednesday. Search firms will have until Nov. 2 to submit proposals for conducting a commissioner candidate search.

Gubbels said the board will narrow the search firm finalists based on their proposals before inviting them to present at the Dec. 2 meeting. A timeline of the hiring process will also be presented at the board's next meeting on Nov. 3.
With the mid-term election just a month away, women across the country gathered this weekend with a unified message.

"We are not going back into the shadows," Hannah Wroblewski told those gathered outside the state Capitol on Saturday morning for the Lincoln Women's March. "We will not let politicians tell us what we can and can't do with our bodies."

More than 100 people turned out on a brisk, sunny morning to support abortion access and women's rights, joining thousands nationwide expected to participate in more than 300 marches scheduled a month ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm election.

Wroblewski, board member of the Lincoln Women's March and chair of the Lancaster County Democrats, said the end goal isn't just a world where abortion is legal, but one where it's accessible, affordable and destigmatized.

Exactly 30 days before the election, the Lincoln Women's March invited women and candidates on the November ballot backing abortion rights, including Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, former Sen. Danielle Conrad and Lincoln City Council members Jane Raybould and James Michael Bowers, to speak in an effort to increase voter engagement.

How many of you are angry right now?" Bowers asked those in attendance. "How many of you are angry that we have to stand here and fight for rights that should be guaranteed? How many of you are angry at the politicians that led us to this moment?"

According to Bowers, who is pitted against Conrad in a race to represent northeast Lincoln in the state Legislature, the fight is not just on the steps of the Capitol, it is in every ballot booth in every precinct across the country.

Raybould, a candidate for the Legislature in central Lincoln, echoed Bowers' encouragement to vote, holding a sign reading 'I can't believe I have to protest this s---.'

We have to speak out because we know reproductive rights are womens rights, and womens rights are human rights," Raybould said.

She is running for the District 28 seat currently held by Pansing Brooks, while Bowers and Conrad are paired in District 46, which is represented by Sen. Adam Morfeld. With both senators term-limited out of the Legislature, Pansing Brooks is challenging Mike Flood to represent the state's 1st Congressional District in Congress, while Morfeld bids to unseat incumbent Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon.

"The constitution guarantees equality and liberty, but its no longer there when one half of the population cannot make their own health care decisions  our democracy, our freedoms are at risk," Pansing Brooks said. "So we have to stand up. ... We have to vote as if our lives depend on it. Because they do.

Pansing Brooks led the audience in a chant, sporadically interrupting her speech with calls of "My voice, my body, my choice, my vote!"

Members of the feminist club at Lincoln East High School, led by junior Cassidy Bell, said they got together Friday night to make signs and prepare for Saturday's march, even though none of their members are old enough to vote. Sitting on the steps of the Capitol, the group held signs that read "Glass Ceilings are Made to be Broken" and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun-Damental Rights."

"Our reproductive rights are at stake," Bell said. "As mid-terms approach, we want to make sure candidates know it's important to us as future voters, and that current voters know, too."

On the other end of the spectrum, grandmother Rolisha Davis said she wants her children and grandchildren to have the same rights she's had.

"If we dont do something now," Davis said, "our rights are going to be gone."

August Fritton, a nonbinary freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said the issue goes beyond election season.

We have a right to be angry and while voting is helpful, we cannot let this energy dissipate after November," Fritton said while addressing the crowd. Abortion is a difficult choice that nobody wants to be in a position to make. This is not something people go into lightly, and its definitely not just about women."

Fritton wasn't planning on speaking at the event, but noticed a lot of people talking about women and using non-inclusive language.

"I wanted to set the record straight," Fritton said. This is about women, but it is not just about rich, white women. ... This ban affects us, but it is not about just us. It is so much bigger."

According to Adelle Burke of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska, a handful of races in the Legislature this year could be the difference in anti-abortion advocates seeking a complete ban in next year's session.

A bill that would have led to an abortion ban fell two votes shy of overcoming a filibuster this year.

When the Supreme Court stripped away our constitutional right to abortion in June, they handed decisions about our bodies and our lives over to politicians in every state," Burke said. "On Nov. 8, we will take back control by electing strong advocates for reproductive rights and health care up and down the ballot, including right here in the Legislature."
I am rethinking what I need to accomplish in my retirement years. I need to go back to college, because Biden will forgive my loan. I can smoke some "weed" in class without worry of repercussion or responsibility. Then when I leave this earth, the kids need to send me to Governor Newsom in California so I can be made into compost. -- Tafi Lorinser, Sioux City
I spent last weekend with a close friend, close enough that Id recently sent him a galley of my first novelclose enough that I certainly expected him to tell me he liked it, whether he actually liked it or not. When I met him at the airport, he graciously obliged: He was partway through, he said, and enjoying the book so far. To prove it, he cited a number of moments from the books first half, specifically the ones that were derived from stories he already knew, because hes been my friend forever and has heard them before or, in many cases, was there when they happened. Wow, he said, in conclusion, I never really thought about how when youre writing a novel you have to use all your good stories.

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Well, I bristled a little. I am a novelist, sir! It says so, right on the cover: A Novel, in classy handwritten script. But in my heart, I know its true that this particular fiction contains an awful lot of nonfiction. Like many first novels (like many novels!) its a real grab bag: things that have happened to me, things that Ive feared would happen to me, things that have happened to people I know, and things I made upprobably in roughly equal proportionsall remixed and recast to make narrative sense out of the characters I invented (but who also are sort of versions of me and people I know). If I were smarter, I told my friend ruefully, I would have saved more things for later novels.

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Elizabeth McCracken knows all about how writers use their lives in their work. I lacked imagination, she writes in The Hero of This Book. I still do. Its a common failing in my line of work. The line of work of this wonderful books narrator is novelist, and the narrator is Elizabeth McCracken, who is writing about her mother, Natalie. But: This isnt a memoir, McCracken says, again and again. There it is, right on the cover of this slim volume: A Novel. Her mother, who died in 2018, didnt like memoirs, McCracken writes. Oh, those people who write memoirs about the worst thing that ever happened to them! she was known to say, disgustedly.

Write what you know, we tell young writersadvice, like all writing advice, that is both useful to follow and useful to reject.

Of course, writers have long been writing about their own lives and calling it fiction, since before we all started called it autofiction. Annie Ernaux just won a Nobel Prize for a nearly 50-year career thats mixed fiction and memoir without caring, too much, about which is which or what its called. As Jessica Winter pointed out, though, in an essay in the Timespublished on the occasion of her not-autobiographical-but-set-in-her-hometown novel, The Fourth Childthe assumption that every novel is a veiled memoir means that critical reading can devolve into a tiresome kind of fact-checking. Whats true? What isnt? Can I catch the author in an error, or find a surprising congruence?

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The Hero of This Book dispenses with all that crap right away. The novel opens with a photo of the title page of a copy of McCrackens 1993 debut, signed For Mom: who will neverno matter what she or anybody else thinksappear as a character in my work. By the second page, Elizabeth, on a trip to London less than a year after her mothers death, meets the colorful hotelier of her Clerkenwell inn, a gentle, blinky Englishman named Trevor, who might have been thirty and might have been fifty. And then McCracken winks:

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Perhaps you fear writing a memoir, reasonably. Invent a single man and call your book a novel. The freedom one fictional man grants you is immeasurable.

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The Hero of This Book is a loving, moving portrait of Natalie McCracken that doubles as a wry, helpful guide for any writer to not freak out so much about how to categorize what she is writing. McCracken has taught creative writing for many years, first at the Iowa Writers Workshop and then at the University of Texas. She may downplay her expertiseI enjoy reading other peoples work and having opinions, she writesbut her pedagogical flair shines through. As does her mordant wit: I dont think writing is that hard, she notes, as long as youre comfortable with failure on every single level.

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One of her failures, she says, is not to be able to memorialize her mother with a big, expansive novel that takes in her whole life, her whole self: David Copperfield except Jewish. The problem, though, is that theres too much I dont know and I cant bear to make up. What good is imagination in the face of a loved one lost? All McCracken can imagine, on her tour of London, a city Natalie loved, is how her mom would respond to the London Eye or a production of Midsummer or an odd Thames-side elevator. That doesnt make her feel better at all.

And yet in its 177 pages The Hero of This Book does sharply capture a remarkable person, a big-hearted, teensy woman who walked with crutches all her life, adored the theater, and lived in squalor because she couldnt bear to throw anything away. (McCracken remembers finding, while cleaning out the kitchen, three waffle irons, even though her mother famously didnt even like breakfast. I make waffles all the time, her mother snapped. Put them back.) Rather than the sweeping canvas of David Copperfield (except Jewish), its a pointillist portrait, made up of closely-observed detail. Natalie once took a helicopter tour of Miami and laughed the whole time. She had almost square feet. She disapproved of young adult literature (in a parenthetical, McCracken, a maestro of parentheticals, adds, she believed they should be reading William Saroyan). But even these are not enough, and toward the end of the book, McCracken gives us an entire chapter of details, sentence after sentence, a tactic that should be dullinga daughter throwing everything she remembers onto the pagebut instead feels wonderfully overwhelming, our final glimpse of this person weve come to love as well.

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And at every turn, McCracken puckishly undercuts our expectations about the way a book like this should work. In grad school, she says, she once wrote a story directly from her life, one that her classmates accused of being rife with authorial intrusiona great aesthetic crime in the 1980s. McCrackens past that now. She gleefully intrudes on this novel, a novel that is itself an intrusion, she points out, on her mothers privacy. Early in the book, at exactly the moment a teacher would tell a student that readers need a physical description of her first-person narrator, McCracken declares, I will not look at myself in a mirror for you. I will not watch myself pass in a plate-glass window or imagine what a stranger thinks upon seeing me. After a great bit of writerly advice, she interrupts herself: Dont trust a writer who gives out advice. Writers are suckers for pretty turns of phrase with only the ring of truth.

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And late in the book she goes ahead and lets real life intrude upon the novel, the novel that is real life. Shes presented herself, throughout, as unmarried, an only child. But, she writes, that isnt the actual her. I have a brother, and some offspring, and am married. (She never comes clean about the true story of Trevor, the hotelier.) I love everyone and I want to keep them safe, she adds. Safe from me particularly.

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Write what you know, we tell young writersadvice, like all writing advice, that is both useful to follow and useful to reject. Its in writing at the far edges of our own understanding that we find the most frightening, compelling material, but were also always writing from our own minds, our own lives, even when were writing about space aliens or whatever. My novel is nothing like The Hero of This Bookits definitely not as good, for startersbut it is also everything like The Hero of This Book, because it is a portrait of the people Ive loved, told in the way I could tell it. If you want to write a memoir without writing a memoir, McCracken advises us, go ahead and call it something else. Let other people argue about it.

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In October 1959, the Supreme Court heard the story of Eleazer Smith, a Los Angeles bookstore owner. Smith was convicted and given a 30-day jail term for the possession in his bookstore of a hardcover book, Sweeter Than Life. It was an erotic novelwhich was illegal. Smith was convicted under a Los Angeles ordinance that says if you merely sell obscene materials, even if you havent read them and you dont know about them, you can go to jail. Fortunately for him, a civil liberties attorney took his case all the way up to the Supreme Court, which held that the Los Angeles ordinance violated the First Amendment.

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That ruling set the stage for the creation of a law, Section 230, that has shielded internet giants and social media companies from legal liability for what users say on their platforms, in the same way that Eleazer Smith wasnt liable for what was inside a book in his store. But now, the Supreme Court is set to hear a case on Section 230, one that could fundamentally alter big techs business model.

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On Fridays episode of What Next: TBD, I spoke with Jeff Kosseff, a law professor who wrote the book on the most important law underpinning the modern internet: Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Lizzie OLeary: You are probably sick of this, but you did write a book with the title The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet. Can you read them for me?

Jeff Kosseff: Sure. No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

How would you characterize the role that those 26 words had in setting the stage for the modern internet?

Theyve allowed companies of all sizes to build internet businesses around content that users create rather than content that the companies create. Its really a risk-shifting strategy. Its saying any legal risk of defamation or anything else is going to be put on the people who post the content, and it wont be placed on the platform that hosts it.

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To understand the landscape in which Section 230 was written, you have to remember the internet of the early 1990s. Back then, services like CompuServe or Prodigy hosted forums and message boards where people posted all sorts of things. But the companies took very different approaches to what users said on their sites. CompuServe didnt do much moderation of the content on its service, while Prodigy did. This being the internet, users invariably said some offensive things, and both companies got sued, but it was CompuServes hands-off approach that was the more successful legal strategy. Why?

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Theyre able to get the case dismissed. The judge says, You are just like Eleazer Smiths bookstore. You didnt know about this content, you had no reason to know, so were not going to hold you liable for defamation. Now, a few years later, Prodigy tries the same thing, and its efforts are rejected. The judge says, Youre different than CompuServe. Because you do all of this [moderation], youre more like a newspaper than a newsstand, and just like a newspaper, you are liable for every single thing in your pages. This is in 1995. It starts to get a lot of attention from Congress and in the media because it stands for the proposition that, if you moderate content, you actually can increase your liability.

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In 1995, Congress rewrote the telecommunications law for the first time in 60 years. A lot of people, including lawmakers, thought the internet was a terrifying place full of weirdos and pornography. The older, less tech-savvy Senate attached the Communications Decency Act to their version of the telecom bill. The CDA made it illegal to knowingly send or show minors indecent content online, but over in the House, members were taking a very different approach.

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You have a Republican, Chris Cox, and a Democrat, Ron Wyden, and they want to come up with an alternative. Thats Section 230. What Section 230 does is it solves this Prodigy problem by saying that if youre an interactive computer service provider, you wont be treated as the publisher of content that someone else provides. Rather than have the government criminalize certain types of constitutionally protected speech, were going to put it in the hands of these online services and also of the user.

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In some sort of congressional magic, both the Communications Decency Act and Section 230 get put in the same part of the telecom bill, even though they conflict with one another. But the day that President Clinton signs it into law, you have civil liberties groups challenge the constitutionality of the Senates bill. That goes, within a year and a half, up to the Supreme Court, and they strike the CDA down. So basically all thats left of this internet part of the telecom law is Section 230.

As tech platforms have grown in their influence in power, Section 230 has become a pretty popular target for politicians on both the left and the right. But the courts have pretty vigorously upheld the law and ruled that it gives companies a broad liability shield, which is why the Supreme Courts recent decision to even hear a 230 case is so significant.

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This case, Gonzalez v. Google, centers on a young American law student, Nohemi Gonzalez, who was killed in a 2015 ISIS attack in Paris. Her family sued Google, claiming that YouTube, which is owned by Google, violated the Anti-Terrorism Act when its algorithm recommended ISIS videos to other users.

Now, the plaintiffs in the Gonzalez case said, Were not just seeking to treat YouTube as a publisher. What were going after YouTube for is the targeted promotion of certain content. If people are searching for things related to ISIS, at least at the time, YouTube will then, at least according to the complaint, recommend similar content. This is part of the radicalization and propaganda process. What the plaintiffs in the Gonzalez case are saying is that its that sort of algorithmic promotion of terrorist content that is not within the scope of Section 230.

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Now, courtsincluding the 9th Circuit, where this came from, and the 2nd Circuithave rejected that. They say thats part of the editorial and curation process that Section 230 protects. There have been some judges who have dissented, including in this case in the 9th Circuit, who have said, No, this is different, and YouTube and other social media sites really contribute to the harms in how they target the content.

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Usually when the Supreme Court takes a case, its because you have whats known as a circuit split. But on this issue, Section 230 really has not been read in different ways by different courts.

Theres something in the 9th Circuits opinion that I thought was interesting. The majority there wrote that Section 230 shelters more activity than Congress envisioned it would. When I look at that and think about the court taking this case, it seems to me like the 9th Circuit left a lot of space for either the Supreme Court or Congress to step in and say, This is how Section 230 should be interpreted. Am I overreading that?

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I think that thats definitely one possibility because the Supreme Court has never taken a Section 230 case before. This is a really difficult case with tragic circumstances. In other cases like this, judges have said, We have to find that Section 230 protects the activities here, but we dont like it. Congress, you have to do something about it.

Theres no question that the political climate on both sides of the aisle is ripe for some sort of re-examination of Section 230, even if lawmakers havent been willing or able to do it themselves. One of the things I find interesting about it is that Republicans and Democrats bring it up for varying reasons, and it is sort of a political hobby horse. Do you think this is reaching a head?

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I think it might be. Its in the news a lot. Its hard to fully distance the Supreme Court from the political realities. I think theres a lot of misunderstanding about Section 230 from both the left and the right. They both have real concerns about the action or inaction of the Big Tech platforms, but they seem to think that Section 230 changes will be some sort of magical solution.

For the left, they really want content that they view as harmful to be taken down more frequently. The problem with that is that much of that content is constitutionally protected. So even without Section 230, the government cant directly or indirectly cause the content to be taken down. On the right, they tend to be more concerned about what they view as liberal tech platforms unfairly censoring conservative viewpoints often because of their hate speech policies or misinformation policies.

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The court has the ability to alter the way Section 230 is interpreted and, by extension, change the internet, but its unclear how far the justices are going to go. What kind of power does the court have here in terms of how Section 230 could be applied going forward?

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They could address the very narrow circumstances involving this specific case and how it applies with the Anti-Terrorism Act. But they also could perhaps say that any algorithmic promotion of content is not covered by Section 230. That would really radically change both Section 230 and how platforms operate. You question how some social media sites would even function without any algorithmic promotion. I think its just become so much a part of how we use the internet that I dont think its really practical.

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The Supreme Court could have early on said that all Section 230 says is that youre not treating the platforms as publishers. They could still have that distributor liability that the magazine stands have so that they could be liable if they know or have reason to know of the content. That would change things pretty radically. Because then every time a platform got a complaint about content, they would face a choice of either taking it down or possibly defending a defamation case in court.

That seems like it would put them out of business.

Yeah. You think about Glassdoor, which relies on Section 230 quite a bit even more than Big Tech because they have fairly controversial content that businesses dont really like. If you basically say 230 is just the magazine stand standard of liability, then Glassdoor would have a really strong reason to take down everything that people complain about. Then suddenly, every workplace that you look for on Glassdoor looks like its perfect because all the negative reviews are taken down.

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You have spent so much time thinking about Section 230. And every time it comes up in a big political fight or some member of Congress talks about it or now when it is headed to the Supreme Court, I wonder what you think people miss?

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They miss the fact that youre not going to be able to fix everything about the internet by changing Section 230. Despite the fact that it really had this really fundamental impact on these internet businesses, theres so much that you cant address by changing a statute.

A lot of it is about human nature. Theres so much of a focus on the supply of bad stuff on the internet. Just changing whether Facebook or Twitter can be sued for defamation, thats not going to address the fact that people are doing some really harmful and dangerous things. Im happy to see Section 230 still in the national dialogue, but I also think that we need to look at so many other social factors beyond that.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Police dismantle Albanian people-smuggling gang taking migrants to UK via Spain



Seven smugglers have been arrested and will face trial in Spain

In a complicated cross-border operation, the Spanish and UK authorities have made several arrests and succeeded in dismantling an Albanian people-smuggling gang which specialised in trafficking migrants to Britain via Spain. Early last week, seven members of the criminal network were detained and around 50 illegal arrivals have been identified, although this number could actually be much higher.

Officials have revealed that the smugglers transported Albanian citizens to the UK via Bilbao and Santander in northern Spain, loading them onto lorries and charging between 3,000 and 15,000 euros for the service. They would then travel on ferries to Portsmouth, Southampton and Liverpool.

Many migrants were also recruited by the gang from camps dotted around the Spanish ports.

The National Crime Agency s (NCA) Steve Reynolds said investigating officers were faced with a crime group who were prepared to smuggle migrants in lorries over one of the longer ferry and freight crossings into the UK. The dangers of that are self-evident.

He added, The NCA and the Guardia Civil worked together for more than a year to dismantle their operation and prevent further lives being put at risk.

Two arrests were made in Madrid with a further five in the Basque country; among these, officers believe, are two of the gangs ring leaders. They will now face trial for people smuggling in Spain.

In the course of the raids carried out on properties associated with the gangs, a number of mobile phones and computers were seized, along with bank cards, identity papers and multiple passports.

Also of interest: Beachgoers in Mazarron help police intercept three human traffickers

Image: Archive

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Since his arrival, he has learned how to say cucoriedka.

Nick Thorpe (second from right) (Source: SOP)

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Nick Thorpe, a British journalist and documentary maker for the BBC, crossed the Low Tatras and rafted the Hron River to describe Slovakia's nature as faithfully as possible.

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A helping hand in the heart of Europe offers for you Slovakia travel guide.

Thorpe is currently working on a book about the life of the people, as well as living and non-living nature of the Carpathian Arc.

That is why he also came to Slovakia and is planning several stops here.

"He is a very perceptive person who is interested not only in nature, but also in people, culture, the environment in which they live, said Michal Saradin, Nick Thorpe's guide around Slovakia. He asked about communities, about individual people. On his next visit, he should visit the Low Tatras again, then Polana, remote areas in Podpolanie, maybe Zajezova, where such a traditional way of life is lived."
Slovak representatives condemn Russian attacks on civilian targets around Ukraine.

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A cowardly act of terrorism and crime is what Slovak officials called the Monday morning Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.

I strongly condemn todays cowardly attacks by Russian forces on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Russia attempts to spread fear and terror wont break Ukraine's resolve and discourage our support, Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) wrote on Twitter.

Russia is reported to have fired 75 missiles towards Ukraine on Monday, targeting multiple towns and cities around the country. The capital Kyiv, shaken by the explosions, reported casualties and the wounded among civilians. Leader of the Russian regime, Vladimir Putin, linked the attacks to the explosion of Kerch Strait Bridge, connecting the Crimean Peninsula with Russia.

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Slovak President Zuzana Caputova called the attacks cynical and a sign of weakness. "Slovakia stands by Ukraine and its people," she reiterated.

Foreign and European Affairs Minister Rastislav Kacer, on a state trip to Brussels, condemned the attack as another unacceptable crime against innocent citizens".

"All those responsible will be held accountable for the crimes committed, Kacer wrote.

Slovakia has been supporting Ukraine throughout the war. On October 9, two more Slovak-made Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers were delivered to Ukraine, the Defence Ministry reported. Ukraine now has six howitzers of this type manufactured by the state-run Konstrukta Defence company, delivered on the basis of a contract for commercial sale. The contract was made for eight howitzers. In addition to those, Konstrukta Defense will manufacture another 16 howitzers, to be financed jointly by the Danish, German, and Norwegian governments.

According to latest Globsec poll, Slovak public opinion is leaning towards support for Ukrainian victory in the war. Out of 1,009 respondents, 47 percent want Ukraine to win.
The case shows once again just how little people trust the courts in Slovakia.

Dusan Dedecek runs from journalists in front of the courthouse. The judge decided he would be prosecuted at large. (Source: Sme - Marko Erd)

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Welcome to your weekly commentary and overview of news from Slovakia. A deadly car crash caused by a drunk driver exposes a widespread lack of trust in the judiciary. Matovic survives a no-confidence vote but faces criticism from international press groups. State officials condemn Russian airstrikes against civilian targets in Ukraine. A health care crisis unfolds in Slovakia.

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A lack of trust in the judiciary, exposed

Slovakia was coping with a national trauma last week, after a drunk man got behind the wheel of his car (with his adult son sitting next to him) and proceeded to career through central Bratislava, massively exceeding the speed limit, before crashing into a crowd of pedestrians waiting at one of the capitals busiest bus stops, killing five people.

After the initial wave of revulsion and anger at the carnage, at the drivers selfishness and recklessness, and in despair at Slovakias ongoing and apparently irresolvable collective alcohol problem, popular outrage was renewed by seeing the culprit walk free from a courthouse on Thursday evening.
Interview with a space engineer. The Netherlands will withdraw part of the Patriot air defence system from Slovakia.

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Good evening. The Monday, October 10 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Slovakia condemns Russia's "barbaric" and "cowardly" attacks on Ukraine

Firefighters and police officers work on a site where an explosion created a crater on the street after a Russian attack in Dnipro, Ukraine, on October 10, 2022. (Source: AP - Leo Correa)

A series of Russia's morning attacks on a number of Ukrainian cities and their civilian infrastructure will not weaken Slovakia and the EU's support of Ukraine.

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President Zuzana Caputova called the attacks the "manifestation of cynicism and weakness". MFA Rastislav Kacer said the attacks are "another unacceptable crime" against innocent people.

In her statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Russia has again proven to everyone that it stands for terror and brutality, adding that "Ukrainians know that we will stand by their side, as long as it takes."

Related: Slovakia sent two Slovak-made howitzers Zuzana 2 to Ukraine the past weekend, announced the Defence Ministry. Ukraine has bought eight howitzers from Slovakia, and 16 more howitzers should be delivered to Ukraine later.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Health care: In addition to doctors, nurses are also ready to file resignation notices despite the parliament's approval of a pay rise.

In addition to doctors, nurses are also ready to file resignation notices despite the parliament's approval of a pay rise. Defence: The Netherlands will withdraw one of the batteries of the Patriot air defence system from Slovakia.

The Netherlands will withdraw one of the batteries of the Patriot air defence system from Slovakia. Travel: BBC documentary maker Nick Thorpe is working on a book about the Carpathian Mountains, which will also mention Slovakia.

BBC documentary maker Nick Thorpe is working on a book about the Carpathian Mountains, which will also mention Slovakia. Photography: A new book by Anton Sladek reveals shortcuts in Bratislava's Upper City through pictures.

A new book by Anton Sladek reveals shortcuts in Bratislava's Upper City through pictures. Archaeology: The first known archaeological survey of a brick gallows in Slovakia has taken place in Holic, unearthing the remains of several people.

The first known archaeological survey of a brick gallows in Slovakia has taken place in Holic, unearthing the remains of several people. Events: The Career Expo event takes place in Bratislava tomorrow, October 11.

For a deeper insight into current affairs, check out our Last Week in Slovakia piece published earlier today. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY

With European Space Agency membership, Slovakia can expand its space sector

Jan Balaz (left) during the European Researchers' Night. (Source: TASR)

"I think space research itself [in Slovakia] is at a pretty decent level. It's worse in regards to the space industry and technology, where as a country Slovakia is significantly behind," says space engineer Jan Balaz in an interview with The Slovak Spectator.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The police have unveiled the communication strategy of several groups that spread Russian propaganda on social media. Though they call for peace, their other activities show that they are in fact calling for Ukraine's capitulation. (SITA)

If the state budget is not approved, early elections must be held quickly, Speaker Boris Kollar (Sme Rodina) told the TA3 news channel on Sunday.

The state company SPP, a major energy supplier in the country, has a new board. Miroslav Kulla is chairing the board after his appointment by Economy Minister Karel Hirman.

People protest against energy poverty on October 8, 2022, in Bratislava. (Source: TASR - Pavol Zachar)

The Public Procurement Office ordered the cancellation of the public procurement for the purchase of helicopters for over 29 million through direct negotiations. The Interior Ministry is going to appeal against the decision.

Parliament will elect the new public defender of rights later this month. Their office has been vacant for months. There are three candidates.

Total defence spending is budgeted at 2.01 percent of GDP for 2023, the Finance Ministry said.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
The security situation in the region allows for such a step, according to the Defence Ministry.

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One battery of the Patriot air defence system will be withdrawn from Slovakia.

The Defence Ministry calls it a natural decision based on the assessment of the security situation in Slovakia and the wider region, the TASR newswire reported.

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Germany and the Netherlands have offered Slovakia a Patriot system as part of NATOs effort to strengthen the eastern flank of the alliance, which Slovakia is a part of, after Russia launched an all-out war in Ukraine in spring this year. Within an enhanced forward presence, some 2,100 NATO troops were approved to arrive in Slovakia by the parliament's approval in March this year.

Security situation has changed

Shortly afterwards, Slovakia donated its S-300 air defence system to Ukraine. The Defence Ministry has, however, stressed all along that the Patriot systems were not a replacement for the S-300 but rather another feature to protect Slovakia's airspace, a temporary one.

Now, the Defence Ministry announced that the multinational battle group of the NATO in Slovakia will shed one battery of the Patriot system, as well as some of the Dutch troops in the country as part of the enhanced forward presence.

The ministry stated that several other measures have been introduced since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have led to strengthening Slovakia's defence, TASR reported.

Help in a crucial period

The departure of the Dutch system will not affect the defense capability of the Slovak Republic, and two German batteries will continue to perform its tasks, among other means. Kuchyna pri Malacky airport also continues to house the Patriot system battery of the US armed forces.

If the situation requires, the Dutch system can be immediately re-deployed in Slovakia, the ministry said. If necessary, the number of Dutch soldiers can be increased again.

"We have agreed with the allies that they will be here as long as necessary. We have taken a number of security measures, thanks to which we can reduce the number of equipment and also allied soldiers," said Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad as quoted by TASR. He thanked the Netherlands for sending their soldiers for a crucial period.
https://sputniknews.com/20221010/aftermath-of-deadly-landslide-in-venezuela-1101691944.html

Aftermath of Deadly Landslide in Venezuela

Aftermath of Deadly Landslide in Venezuela

A landslide caused by heavy rains and flooding in northern Venezuela on 9 October 2022, has killed 25 people and left another 50 missing, as well as causing... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T14:06+0000

2022-10-10T14:06+0000

2022-10-10T14:06+0000

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More than 1,000 people are involved in the search and rescue operation as the result of a landslide in Venezuela caused by heavy rains from Hurricane Julia in the Caribbean. Because of the destruction, it has been difficult to deliver aid to the affected areas. The landslides were caused by several rivers bursting their banks after they had been swollen by heavy rains. The president of the country called the region a disaster zone and also declared three days of national mourning for those killed in Las Tejerias. A large number of photos were taken showing the aftermath of the disaster.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/crimean-bridge-attack-ukraines-sabotage-teams-take-orders-from-washington-senior-official-reveals-1101698419.html

Crimean Bridge Attack: Ukraines Sabotage Teams Take Orders From Washington, Senior Official Reveals

Crimean Bridge Attack: Ukraines Sabotage Teams Take Orders From Washington, Senior Official Reveals

The 19-km bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland sustained serious damage following the detonation of a truck bomb on one of its road... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T18:23+0000

2022-10-10T18:23+0000

2022-10-10T18:23+0000

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crimean bridge

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Ukrainian officials keep their US counterparts abreast of Kievs sabotage ops and other anti-Russian actions, Sergey Pashinsky, the head of the Association of Ukraines Defense Enterprises, accidentally revealed.Pashinsky clarified that he has been in charge of some major Ukrainian military actions, including operational planning on Zmeiny (Snake) Island  the small but strategically significant island situated off the western coast of Romania in the Black Sea, and which saw heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces earlier this year.I planned the Zmeiny Island operation, I carried it out personally [using] Ukrainian Bohdan and French Caesar [howitzers]. Yes, this was my operation in its entirely, the official said.Pashinsky indicated that operations against a piece of infrastructure like the Crimean Bridge became possible only once the US gives the green light.The Crimean Bridge is an important artery, but on the other hand I think you know [Vladimir] Putin better than I do. That is, who can analyze Putins actions in the event of sabotage against the Crimean Bridge? Who? the official asked.The pranksters did not clarify whether the interview with Pashinsky was conducted before or after Saturdays sabotage attack.Two senior Ukrainian officials told the New York Times on Sunday that Ukrainian intelligence were behind the attack on the bridge, one of them grading the success of the attack as excellent and saying that the operation showed the failure of the Russian system to guarantee the security even of the most significant and sacred targets.Ukrainian officials also publicly gloated over the act of terror, with presidential advisor Mikhail Podolyak saying the bridge attack was only the beginning and that everything illegal must be destroyed and everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine.Today was not a bad day and mostly sunny on our states territory. Unfortunately, it was cloudy in Crimea. Although it was also warm, President Vladimir Zelensky said in a sarcasm-laden address to the nation on Saturday night.Russia launched a series of missile strikes deep into Ukraine on Monday in the wake of the bridge attack after confirming Ukrainian special forces involvement, with the strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and military command and communications posts across the country. President Putin warned that strikes would be followed up if Ukrainian attacks against Russian infrastructure continue.

https://sputniknews.com/20221008/plumes-of-black-smoke-seen-over-russias-crimean-bridge-after-deadly-explosion-1101632134.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221008/cargo-vehicle-exploded-on-crimean-bridge-russias-national-anti-terrorism-committee-says-1101628592.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/decision-on-25-billion-investment-in-nigeria-morocco-gas-pipeline-expected-next-year-1101689556.html

Decision on $25 Billion Investment in Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Expected Next Year

Decision on $25 Billion Investment in Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Expected Next Year

In mid-September, a memorandum of understanding on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project, which is expected to supply a dozen African countries and... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T16:07+0000

2022-10-10T16:07+0000

2022-10-10T16:09+0000

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The decision to invest $25 billion in the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project, which is expected to deliver gas to 12 African countries and Europe, will be made next year, Bloomberg reported on Monday. CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Mele Kyari told the outlet in an interview that negotiations about investments are underway.However, he didnt elaborate on which organizations were interested in financing the project.Kyari estimated the project's final costs at about $20-25 billion, saying that the first phase of construction is expected to take around three years and the other ones are expected to last about five years.The CEO further noted that the NNPC is ready to implement any gas pipeline project that exists on paper. In particular, he recalled the 4,000-kilometer Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project that would run through Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria.Speaking of oil, Kyari estimated that Nigeria is ready to provide potential customers with an additional 500,000 barrels a day before the end of November if the Trans-Niger Pipeline and Forcados terminal are reopened.The company's head also said that Nigeria has the biggest proven gas reserves in Africa, which he claimed to be at approximately 200 trillion cubic feet (about 5.5 trillion cubic meters). He stated that the Nigerian government seeks to rely more on gas, thus replacing crude oil as the country's main commodity.The executive asserted that it is very realizable" to quadruple gas production in the next four years. As of 2020, per Statista's latest available information, Nigeria is among the top three countries on the continent in terms of natural gas production, following Algeria and Egypt with 49.4 billion standard tons produced during the study period.The NNPC reportedly wants to expand its activities, and for this purpose the company is ready both to build new gas-powered stations and buy the stations on sale within a privatization program.The 5,600-kilometer NMGP pipeline project was initially proposed in 2016 and officially kicked off in mid-September 2022. The project is considered to be of great importance for both the population of Africa, 600 million of whom have no access to electricity, and Europe, which has been hit by an energy crises caused by its sanctions imposed on Russia as a response to the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.Thanks to the project, according to the creators' concept, Nigeria might not only increase its peoples living standards, but also give opportunities to other African countries along the pipeline route to monetize and export their gas.Earlier, Kyari revealed that a four-kilometer illegal pipeline, operating for nine years, was discovered at the main Trans Escravos Pipeline. The illegal tapping reportedly led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil daily. Nigeria has been facing the problem of its oil output declining steadily since 2020, slumping below 1.2 million barrels per day in August, per a CEIC Data analysis. Kyari argued that the theft and vandalism widespread along the pipelines had such an effect.To alleviate the problem, in August, the NNPC reportedly hired private security contractors in order to protect the pipelines.

https://sputniknews.com/20220917/as-african-countries-kick-off-local-energy-projects-west-rolls-out-climate-agenda-based-opposition-1100891384.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/eus-michel-advocates-for-genuine-energy-union-in-face-of-surging-prices-1101698700.html

European Council President Advocates for Genuine Energy Union in Face of Surging Prices

European Council President Advocates for Genuine Energy Union in Face of Surging Prices

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - European Council President Charles Michel proposed on Monday smoothing out differences between the 27 "preserves" that make up the European... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

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2022-10-10T18:24+0000

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"It is urgent to establish a genuine Energy Union. It will be an essential pillar of the EU sovereignty," he said in a statement.Michel blamed lack of uniformity for the current chaos on the EUs single market, with the 27 competing among themselves for vanishing supplies. He said the member states must be prepared to give up their national competences for the sake of acting "more collectively.""We must be willing to face the taboos surrounding national and EU competences. A resilient Energy Union will not magically appear from 27 national energy mixes  we must make them compatible," he said.The new union, according to Michel, should be able to reduce energy consumption, diversify supply sources and use the collective buying power to avoid competition that has been driving up prices for all.The EU imported 380 billion euros ($369 billion) worth of energy in the first half of 2022, which is close to what it usually pays for an entire year, Michel said. Another half a trillion euros has been spent on efforts to cushion the impact of soaring energy bills on households and businesses after the EU curbed imports of Russian fossil fuels in retaliation for its operation in Ukraine.

https://sputniknews.com/20221006/prospects-of-recession-in-eu-depend-on-blocs-management-of-energy-crisis---eu-commission-1101586791.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/from-pandemic--political-shifts-to-marriage--career-pundits-explain-drive-for-astrology-in-india-1101665960.html

From Pandemic & Political Shifts to Marriage & Career: Pundits Explain Drive for Astrology in India

From Pandemic & Political Shifts to Marriage & Career: Pundits Explain Drive for Astrology in India

Indias spiritual and religious market is estimated to be worth over $40 billion, of which astrology alone amounts to $10 billion. According to Google trends... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T13:33+0000

2022-10-10T13:33+0000

2022-10-10T13:33+0000

india

astrology

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Astrology in India has been prevalent for at least 25,000 years and is mentioned in detail in the Vedas, or the Hindu scriptures. One of the seven Hindu Vedic sages, Bhrigu, is said to be the father of Hindu astrology. Since then, many sages have contributed to it, but it peaked around 530-570 AD, during the reign of King Vikramaditya.According to mythological books, King Vikramaditya appointed astrologer Varahamihira to his court and would consult him on matters related to his kingdom.Today, growing belief in astrology and its popularity can be observed even in Indian streets, which are flooded with hoardings, making tall claims of helping people find the love of their life, sorting out their financial as well as health issues, and other problems in their lives.Meanwhile, not only commoners, but even renowned people like politicians, have confided in astrological predictions before initiating noble or significant tasks in life. For this, they consult Hindu priests (pundits), who practice astrology and forecast the happenings of the future.Rising Public Faith and AstrologyAccording to media reports, before changing the name of his party on October 5, Telangana state chief K. Chandrashekar Rao consulted pundits to check what the auspicious time would be. He renamed his party at 1:19 PM (IST) sharp on the occasion of Dussehra, October 5.This is just one example in which Indian politicians make decisions after consulting pundits.Asked if the predictions are correct, Bisaria retorted: "Had the predictions been incorrect, why would people trust it so much?"However, Bisaria is miffed with those who have turned it into a business to earn money."The power to predict the future, and answer people's queries, cannot be earned. It comes naturally to people, or sometimes, through Siddhi (supernatural power) when people study religion without any greed," said Bisaria."Many people have turned it into business as they practice it to earn money. This is not good, and those who do it to earn money cannot predict the right things, which creates disbelief about the age-old practice, he added.On the other hand, Pandit Bheema claims that people start consulting astrologers when science fails.Asked about the most frequent queries, he said they are related to marriage and relationships - about 60 percent, career, finance, and health.First-Hand ExperiencePeople are often get fascinated by the thought that they will come to know about what is likely to happen to them in the near future. However, at times people prefer consulting astrologers when they find nothing clicking with their desired way in life.Rakhi Sinha, a 31-year-old resident of Delhi, told Sputnik that she was undergoing a lot of stress as she struggled through her professional and personal life.Meanwhile, a 25-year-old Noida-based millennial, Saurabh Sachdeva, said astrology has helped him understand his life's meaning and patterns.

https://sputniknews.com/20221006/moon-formed-in-mere-hours-after-catastrophic-collision-of-planets-new-study-suggests-1101576747.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/germany-drained-by-ukraine-crisis-has-enough-ammo-for-just-1-2-days-of-combat-report-1101689375.html

Germany Drained by Ukraine Crisis, Has Enough Ammo for Just 1-2 Days of Combat: Report

Germany Drained by Ukraine Crisis, Has Enough Ammo for Just 1-2 Days of Combat: Report

Berlin has pledged over 1 billion in direct military assistance to Ukraine, with aid including self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, Panzerhaubitze 2000... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T13:48+0000

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2022-10-10T14:09+0000

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The German military has enough ammunition to last just one-two days in the event of a major conflict, and it will cost at least 20 billion to stock up, lawmakers, defense industry representatives, and military experts have told Business Insider Deutschland.Existing stocks are also a far cry from the 30 days worth of ammunition required under NATO standards.Eva Hogl, parliamentary commissioner for the German Armed Forces in the Bundestag, said that in addition to the 20 billion in spending needed for ammunition procurement alone, the country lacks warehousing capacity that could store the new bullets, bombs, missiles, and explosives.Germany has sent or pledged to send more than a billion euros in weapons assistance to Ukraine, including 30 Gepard anti-aircraft guns, 50+ US-made M113 tracked armored personnel carriers, Stinger and Strela-2 MANPADs, Panzerfaust 3 and Matador rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank mines, anti-drone weapons, radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and engineering equipment.The ammunition sent includes over 63,000 35 mm rounds for the Gepards, 13,500+ 155 mm artillery rounds for the PzH 2000s (including guided munitions), 30,000 rounds of grenade launcher ammo, 100,000 hand grenades, and 14 million rounds of small arms ammunition of various calibers.Anonymous industry representatives told the outlet that they were becoming irritated by the current procurement system, and that while government offers were initially made to increase output by ordering military factories to work round-the-clock, no significant orders have been made amid hesitation from the Defense Ministry and the Bundeswehrs procurement office.Delays have also led to grumblings from within Chancellor Scholzs coalition government, with one lawmaker telling Business Insider that Berlin must finally pick up the pace on the issue.The governments current military spending plans include 1 billion for ammunition, and calls have been made in parliament to increase the budget by another 500 million. However, these sums are a far cry from the 20-30 billion military experts said will be required by 2030.The German chancellor has taken flak from Kiev and Washington in recent months after putting his foot down on sending Leopard battle tanks and Mardar infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. Last month, after German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced that Berlin had reached the limit of arms aid, Welt reported that Scholzs political reliability was being questioned in Washington. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said Kiev was disappointed by Berlins decision on the Leopards and Marders, saying the weapons were needed to liberate people and save them from genocide and that there wasnt a single rational argument on why these weapons cannot be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses.Russia has repeatedly urged the West to halt its weapons deliveries to Ukraine, warning of the threat they pose in escalating the crisis, and the danger that some of the arms might end up on the international weapons black market.

https://sputniknews.com/20221006/us-fast-tracking-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-in-private-arms-sales-to-kiev-reports-say-1101580085.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221005/pentagon-himars-rockets-supplied-to-kiev-can-reach-crimea-1101523471.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220916/thanks-but-no-tanks-bundestag-lawmaker-reveals-why-berlin-isnt-sending-heavy-armor-to-ukraine-1100851172.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/indian-socialist-leader--former-uttar-pradesh-state-chief-mulayam-singh-yadav-dies-at-82-1101665176.html

Indian Socialist Leader & Former Uttar Pradesh State Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Dies at 82

Indian Socialist Leader & Former Uttar Pradesh State Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Dies at 82

Mulayam Singh Yadav, fondly called Netaji ("Leader"), was a member of parliament when he passed away. He previously served as chief of India's most populous... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T09:38+0000

2022-10-10T09:38+0000

2022-10-10T09:38+0000

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Mulayam Singh Yadav, founder of the Samajwadi Party, the main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, passed away on Monday morning at the age of 82. The socialist leader had been undergoing treatment at the Medanta Hospital since August 22. However, on October 2, his condition deteriorated and he was shifted to the hospitals intensive care unit (ICU).He is survived by two sons  Akhilesh Yadav and Prateek Yadav.Meanwhile, many other federal ministers, state chiefs, and politicians across parties have expressed their condolences. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in condoling his death on Monday.President Droupadi Murmu also mourned Yadav's death. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Uttar Pradesh state government has announced three days of state mourning over Yadav's demise. His last rites will be performed with full state honors, said state chief Yogi Adityanath.Born on November 22, 1939, Yadav started his professional career as a teacher. During his college days, he was also known for his wrestling skills.He won the Uttar Pradesh state assembly election in 1966 at the age of 27. In the 1980s, he made headlines by leading protests for the backward classes, where he advocated for welfare schemes and reservations for them. Yadav gained immense popularity as a socialist leader among people at the time, who later people started calling him "Netaji" ("Leader").In 1992, he founded the Samajwadi Party. Later, he also served as defense minister between 1996 and 1998.In 2012, after his party won the Uttar Pradesh state assembly election, Yadav appointed his son Akhilesh Yadav as state chief.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/key-danish-island-hit-by-massive-power-outage-after-reported-cable-break-1101673543.html

Key Danish Island Hit by Massive Power Outage After Reported Cable Break

Key Danish Island Hit by Massive Power Outage After Reported Cable Break

Previously, an important subsea power link between Sweden and Poland was taken out of order following blasts on the Nord Stream pipelines which Russia called... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T10:03+0000

2022-10-10T10:03+0000

2022-10-10T10:03+0000

energy crisis in europe

denmark

news

scandinavia

baltic sea

bornholm

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The Danish island of Bornholm has been hit by a power outage and was left entirely without electricity on Monday morning, electricity company Trefor has confirmed.The power outage occurred approximately 10 minutes after eight local time, and covered over 30,000 of the island's inhabitants.Trefor department manager Ole Westh told TV2 a break in the submarine cable to Sweden had occurred. According to Westh, it has not yet been established whether the break in the submarine cable is on land or in the sea between Sweden and Bornholm. The company blamed a component failure earlier this morning.Westh further added that the company was waiting for Bornholm's Energy and Supply (BEOF) to ramp up local electricity production to restart supplies. Approximately two thirds of the island's households have already regained power.Dubbed the Sunshine Island because of its weather and resorts, Bornholm is Denmark's easternmost island in the Baltic Sea, located south of Sweden, northeast of Germany, and north of Poland. Earlier this year, the governments of Germany and Denmark reached an agreement to expand the capacity of the offshore wind hub Bornholm Energy Island.On September 26, the island made international headlines, as the Nord Stream AG operator registered a rapid gas pressure drop in both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines north and south of Bornholm as a result of unprecedented damage.Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was a deliberate assault on European energy infrastructure, hinting that the US and the UK were responsible for the blasts, first registered by Sweden and Denmark. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office launched a probe into both incidents as acts of international terrorism.At the same time, Moscow stressed that the decision by Denmark and Sweden not to cooperate with Russia in their probe caused major concerns. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that Copenhagen's unwillingness to involve Russia in the investigation may indicate that Copenhagen knows who the perpetrator is.Meanwhile, the Swedish authorities are investigating whether a key electricity cable between Sweden and Poland was damaged in the Nord Stream blasts. The 254-kilometer power cable that goes by the name Swe-Pol Link lies only a hundred meters from the site of the explosion and was taken out of use following the blasts. Previously, it had sparked controversy over environmental concerns.It was built in 2000 in order to supply electricity between the Swedish city of Karlshamn and Poland to reduce the latter's use of coal. However, it may be used to import electricity to Sweden when necessary, which happened in January 2022.

https://sputniknews.com/20221003/swedish-surveillance-vessel-in-nord-stream-area-days-before-pipeline-sabotage-1101448512.html

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Kiev Begins Preparations for Offensive on Zaporozhye Region  Official

Ukrainian authorities have begun preparations for an offensive on the Zaporozhye region, so provocations could take place in the near future, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official in the Zaporozhye regional government told Sputnik on Monday.



"[Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky's regime has begun an ideological and informational preparation for an offensive on the Zaporozhye region. In addition to amassing troops to the front line, videos are now being widely filmed for the Western consumers with stories about what the Zaporozhye region is, how and why it should be 'liberated.' This is clearly being done in order to solicit for even more weapons for criminal intentions," Rogov said.



According to the official, Kiev authorities may decide to provoke or intensify hostilities in the near future, at most in two or three weeks.
https://sputniknews.com/20221010/no-one-should-dictate-who-algerias-friends-are-expert-says-in-response-to-us-sanctions-calls-1101698021.html

No One Should Dictate Who Algerias Friends Are, Expert Says in Response to US Sanctions Calls

No One Should Dictate Who Algerias Friends Are, Expert Says in Response to US Sanctions Calls

When Algeria was isolated on the global stage after winning independence in 1962, Moscow provided them with essential technical aid in industry, mining, and... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T18:11+0000

2022-10-10T18:11+0000

2022-10-10T18:17+0000

africa

algeria

russia

caatsa

marco rubio

sanctions

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A group of US lawmakers have demanded the Biden administration sanction Algiers for buying Russian weapons, part of an ongoing effort to punish nations for having relations with Moscow.Last month, US Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) asked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to sanction Algeria under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). He noted that Algiers is among the top four purchasers of Russian arms worldwide, including a deal penned last year that was reportedly worth $7 billion.Algerias relationship with Moscow goes back to independence in 1962, when the Algerian National Liberation Front emerged victorious in an eight-year war against France, which had ruled the North African country since the 1830s. The NLF was part of a network of anti-colonial movements across Africa and Asia, and became friends with various socialist states supporting revolution in the capitalist colonies, including the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, China, and Cuba.Algeria is entitled to have relations with the United States, Great Britain, France, Russia and all the states that make up the international community, and no one should dictate to Algeria with whom it should maintain relations or not," Abdelkader Soufi, teacher-researcher in geopolitics at the University of Blida II in Algeria, told Sputnik Afrique on Monday."Algeria is entitled to position itself as an actor in the new world order which is taking shape more and more after the special operation" in Ukraine, Soufi said.Indeed, Algerias chief rival in the region, Morocco, is a major US ally and weapons recipient. In 2020, US weapons sales to Rabat doubled over the previous year, to more than $8 billion, according to Morocco World News. However, by 2019, Morocco was already the largest buyer of US weapons on the planet.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/police-detain-200-protesters-in-southern-iran-regional-official-says-1101694337.html

Police Detain 200 Protesters in Southern Iran, Regional Official Says

Police Detain 200 Protesters in Southern Iran, Regional Official Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Police have detained 200 protesters in the cities of Iran's southern province of Bushehr in connection with the death of Mahsa Amini, a... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T15:17+0000

2022-10-10T15:17+0000

2022-10-10T15:17+0000

world

iran

protest

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On September 13, 22-year-old Amini was detained by the Iranian morality police in Tehran for wearing an "improper" head covering. The Kurdish woman fell into a coma while in police custody and died a few days later. As a result, protests and riots have been taking place continuously in a number of Iran's major cities for over 10 days."200 rioters have been detained in the province in recent days," the official was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.The official added that the police had also identified the main leaders of the riots in Bushehr, who will soon be arrested too.Earlier in the day, Iran's Deputy Police Chief Brigadier General, Qasem Rezaei, said that about 2,000 police officers were injured in the riots.On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the recent unrest and protests in Iran have nothing to do with the negotiation process on the resumption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions against Tehran.The diplomat added that recent protests are exclusively Irans internal issue and warned Western countries from linking talks and unrest, saying that Tehran would not let any country interfere with its internal affairs.According to unofficial local media reports, 41 people were killed and about 100 people were injured in the wave of protests. According to statements made by the Iranian authorities, the unrest in the country was instigated from abroad. In this regard, the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Norway, and the French Charge d'affaires were summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and handed a note of protest in connection with the propaganda of subversive, anti-Iranian messages in their media, as well as calls for a government coup in Iran.The Iranian Legal Medicine Organization said on October 7 that Amini's death was not caused by blows to the head or vital organs of the body, but by cerebral hypoxia, which led to hypotension and multiple organ failure.Iran has been under Western sanctions for years, primarily because of its nuclear program, with the sides negotiating a return to the JCPOA in Vienna with no tangible results.The JCPOA deal was agreed on in 2015 by Iran, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the European Union. Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from JCPOA in 2018 and re-imposed comprehensive sanctions on Iran.

https://sputniknews.com/20221007/tehran-pledges-response-to-eus-baseless-resolution-on-iran-protests-1101610701.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221001/hezbollah-chief-charges-us-with-satanic-meddling-use-of-troll-armies-against-iran-amid-protests-1101423535.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/russian-envoy-to-canada-says-summoned-to-foreign-ministry-over-recent-events-referendums-1101700642.html

Russian Envoy to Canada Says Summoned to Foreign Ministry Over Recent Events, Referendums

Russian Envoy to Canada Says Summoned to Foreign Ministry Over Recent Events, Referendums

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - Russian Ambassador to Ottawa Oleg Stepanov told reporters on Monday that he was called to the Global Affairs Canada this afternoon over... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T21:10+0000

2022-10-10T21:10+0000

2022-10-11T01:04+0000

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canada

russia

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"Today I was invited for a conversation with Cindy Termorshuizen, Director General of International Security Policy. It was concerning the events of the past day as well as the recent referendums," Stepanov said.He noted that the Canadian side "outlined its predictable position, that they 'utterly condemn' whats happening and whats happened and demand that Russia ends its military activity, withdraws its forces from the territory of what they [Canada] consider to be Ukraine, return everything including Crimea and this provide the peace."Stepanov further said that "of course, the presentation of the material was such that we are allegedly targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, which is completely unacceptable.""Well, this is such a classic mantra of theirs, Let's say so," he added.The diplomat said that in response, he "set out in sufficient detail our vision of the Ukrainian story, recalled that for months the top leadership of Russia, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Houses of Parliament, and our deputies have been talking about certain red lines, the crossing of which will have consequences for Ukraine and the West.""It is a pity that in the West and in Canada in particular this was not heard," Stepanov said.The envoy further noted that he asked his Canadian colleague whether they summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to Ottawa for a "talk in order to make a demarche regarding the terrorist attack committed by Ukraine against the Kerch, Crimean bridge.""This question puzzled them. I was told that Canada considers Crimea to be part of Ukraine. That the bridge was built illegally, that the bridge is used in the interests of supplying the Russian armed forces within its own framework, therefore, as Madam Deputy Minister emphasized, this is legitimate, this bridge is a legitimate military target," he said, adding that the Canadian side refused to answer whether they approved of the bridge strike that killed five civilians.He lamented that Russia did not hear a single word of condemnation from Canada on Ukraine's attacks against civilians and infrastructure, including a nuclear power plant.Earlier in the day, Stepanov told Sputnik that he had been summoned to Global Affairs Canada.On Monday, Moscow launched massive strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure facilities using precision-guided weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an operational meeting with Russia's Security Council.The move came following Saturday's blast on the Crimean bridge, which Putin called a terrorist attack aimed at destroying civilian infrastructure. According to the Russian president, Ukraine was also behind three terrorist attacks against the Kursk nuclear power plant and attempts to undermine the TurkStream gas pipeline. The Russian leader said that, through its continued terrorist activities, Kiev has put itself on par with the most odious terrorist groups, and vowed to harshly respond to such crimes.Russia Demands Ottawa Boost Security of Diplomatic Missions, But Canada UnwillingAs for employees in Montreal and Toronto, we are mobilized inside, we try to protect the perimeters of our missions on our own, and we are in contact with the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mounted police and municipal authorities. We demand from the Canadian side that the security regime of our diplomatic missions be strengthened, Stepanov said.The diplomat noted that the Canadian side says that their patrols in the areas of the Russian diplomatic missions are enough to ensure security.We explain our logic to the Canadian side that in any moments, throwing eggs, Molotov cocktails, none of the perpetrators were apprehended, Stepanov shared. They come after [an incident] and can only testify to the damage, and we, Russia, as the responsible party to the Vienna Convention, we protect all diplomats in Moscow all the time. Here very often there is no police. We try to ensure the safety of our employees, our families on our own. living and working here is not easy.With regards to the incident with the Molotov cocktail in September, Stepanov said that the Canadian police are investigating the incident but no interim results have been provided.At the end of September, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Canadian ambassador in Moscow Alison LeClaire, and issued a strong demarche over the attack on the Russian embassy in Ottawa.LeClaire was notified that Russia strongly objects to the criminal actions of the unidentified person who threw the Molotov cocktail onto the territory of the Russian embassy in Ottawa. The ministry also conveyed its strong protest regarding another incident that saw aggressive demonstrators block access to the service entrance of the consular department at the Russian embassy while a police squad that had arrived at the scene failed to act.The ministry also demanded that Canada take immediate measures to ensure the security of Russian diplomatic missions.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/russian-nuclear-submarines-could-get-smaller-in-future---rubin-design-bureau-1101663672.html

Russian Nuclear Submarines Could Get Smaller in Future - Rubin Design Bureau

Russian Nuclear Submarines Could Get Smaller in Future - Rubin Design Bureau

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The Russian nuclear powered submarine (NPS) of the future generation will be reduced in size, but this will not affect the number of... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T01:26+0000

2022-10-10T01:26+0000

2022-10-10T01:26+0000

russia

nuclear submarines

military & intelligence

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At the 8th international military-technical forum ARMY-2022 this summer, Russias Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering "Rubin" unveiled a concept model of a new nuclear submarine, Arktur, which could be supplied to the Russian Navy in the second half of the 21st century.Plans to Create New AIP System For SubsAir-independent propulsion (AIP) increases a submarines stealth since it allows it to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen, removing the need for surfacing."We are creating an AIP system based on fuel elements with hydrogen production from diesel fuel. We get water from oxygen and hydrogen, and electricity is released. The most difficult question is: where to get hydrogen from? Carrying it with you is cumbersome, loading it is difficult and dangerous. Therefore, we propose to obtain it from diesel fuel," Baranov explained to Sputnik.Varshavyanka Sub to Have Hydroacoustic Towed Antennas "Rubin has performed a lot of studies showing possible directions for improving the project - from equipping [the subs] with extended towed hydroacoustic antennas to yet another modernization of the power plant," Baranov said, adding that there is a continued demand for Varshavyanka subs from the Russian Navy and foreign customers.Project 636 Varshavyanka submarines are currently being delivered to the Russian Pacific Fleet, which should have six of such subs by 2024. Another six Project 636 submarines have already been delivered to the Black Sea Fleet.In March, the CEO of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), Alexei Rakhmanov, told Sputnik that the company can build two Project 636 Varshavyanka non-nuclear submarines each year.The name Varshavyanka refers to the Warsaw pact. This class of diesel-electric attack submarines was initially developed for export to Warsaw Pact nations. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the final stages of the subs development were financed by China, which is the major export customer for this class.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/russias-infrastructure-strikes-show-crimean-bridge-was-red-line-and-kiev-crossed-it-observers-1101696580.html

Russias Infrastructure Strikes Show Crimean Bridge Was Red Line and Kiev Crossed It: Observers

Russias Infrastructure Strikes Show Crimean Bridge Was Red Line and Kiev Crossed It: Observers

Russia conducted massed long-range missile strikes against energy infrastructure, communications and military command facilities deep inside Ukraine on Monday... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T17:07+0000

2022-10-10T17:07+0000

2022-10-11T10:01+0000

ukraine

russia

strikes

military

crimean bridge

kiev

russian precision strikes on ukraine

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At a meeting of the Russian Security Council meeting on Monday, President Putin said that Moscows campaign of massed air and missile strikes against Ukraine were a response not only to the attack on the Crimean Bridge, but a long list of other terrorist actions by Kiev in recent months targeting Russian infrastructure and even Ukraines own cities and people. The Ukrainian authorities actions put them on a par with the most odious terrorist groups, and Russia could not leave such crimes unanswered, he said. If the terrorism against Russia continues, Moscows responses will be tough and will correspond in scale to the level of threat posed, Putin warned.Mondays strikes targeted infrastructure across an area stretching more than 1,000 km, with electricity-generating infrastructure and military targets stretching from Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk to Odessa, Kiev, Ternpol and Lvov hit in missile attacks, which temporarily left swathes of the country without access to electricity.Russia Doesnt BluffI think Russia had warned that an attack on critical infrastructure such as the Crimean Bridge would represent a red line and that if Ukraine crossed it, the nature of the conflict would be transformed. And so I think were seeing a manifestation of this. Russia doesnt bluff, Scott Ritter, a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, UN weapons inspector and independent military analyst, told Sputnik.The analyst pointed out that in the eight months up to this moment, Moscow largely restricted the special military operation to Ukrainian military targets, and avoided fighting the conflict in the same way that the Ukrainian military has since it began its terror bombing and shelling civilians in the Donbass in 2014.Even Mondays strikes were aimed at targets which are legitimate under the laws of war, Ritter emphasized. They are legitimate infrastructure targets. They are legitimate command and control targets. This is not an assault on innocent civilian population centers. So there is a distinct difference between the way Russia approaches strategic conflict and Ukraine approaches strategic conflict.Pure HypocrisyAsked to comment on statements made by US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to the effect that Russias strikes constituted a barbaric and shocking attack on Ukrainian civilians, Ritter, a veteran of the Gulf War, suggested that what the Russian military did Monday was just a sample of what the United States and its allies did in that 1990-1991 conflict, and said that frankly, many US military people like himself expected Moscow to target infrastructure from day one.As somebody who participated in Operation Desert Storm back in 1991 against Iraq and understood the full scope and scale of the strategic air campaign that the United States waged against Iraq, I would say that Russias attacks today mirrored the targeted approach taken by the United States in Desert Storm against Iraq. So anybody who criticizes Russias approach as an assault on civilian infrastructure, an assault on civilians, simply speaking, dont know anything about war, the laws of war, and if youre an American making this [claim] or an American ally, then youre a hypocrite. Because this is the exact same approach that the United States took against Iraq in 1991, he said.Stevan Gajic, a research associate at the Belgrade-based Institute of European Studies, echoed Ritters sentiments regarding Borrell and Brinks comments, pointing out that the collective West has been effectively involved in war efforts against Russia for months. To say such a thing in the environment when all Western European countries and all NATO members are providing military aid and lethal weapons to Ukraine is nothing except pure hypocrisy, the professor said.War of NervesWith the special operation effectively turning into a long, bitter struggle, Ritter believes that although Kiev took the conflict to the next level by attacking the Crimean Bridge, Russias capabilities at this level far exceed anything that Ukraine can bring to the table.Whether that will take place or not is unknown, according to Ritter since the strikes could cause the morale of Ukrainian forces to fall, or on the contrary, steel their resolve to resist, even if this resolve becomes meaningless without the necessary military means.At the same time, Ritter warned that the neo-Nazi formations inside Ukraines Armed forces, like Azov, Aidar and Kraken, would continue doing what they do best  attacking civilians, and will do so for as long as they are able. Russia will continue to face the threat of terrorism by these forces. I think Russia would make a mistake if they allowed a pause in the current retaliation, because Ukraine will not stop. Ukraine will continue to carry out these actions. So the quicker this conflict can be brought to a decisive conclusion, the better it will be for everybody, including those who want to limit Ukraines capability to wage terrorism against Russia, he said.Zelenskys Falling StarMoscow-based military expert Ivan Konovalov echoed Ritters sentiments regarding the strikes immediate impact and their inability to bring a speedy end to the crisis.The leaders in Kiev have long gone mad, and this applies even more so to the troops subordinated to the Kiev regime, who are controlled by inadequate commanders. They are not going to stop shelling and will do so to the last man. In general, I want to say that their behavior, first and foremost toward the Donbass, is indicative. 70 percent of the shelling is directed at civilian areas, and only 30 percent at enemy positions, Konovalov explained.Paolo Raffone, director of the CIPI Foundation, a Brussels-based geopolitical affairs think tank, characterized Mondays strikes a swift response by Russia to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.It can be expected that Ukrainian forces will find it more difficult to continue attacks on the Donbass and elsewhere. The electricity and thermal cuts also reduce the resilience and the operational capabilities of Ukrainian forces. Some changes in the top Ukrainian chain of command are reportedly taking place and Zelensky has reportedly been taken to a safe area out of Kiev, Raffone said.Wests Frankenstein MonsterRaffone pointed out that support for Ukraine is already evaporating among some major Western countries, with more and more voices calling for dialogue to stop the conflict, and public support for Kiev in these countries falling, particularly as they face growing economic difficulties.The major problem is that nobody, particularly in the EU and NATO, has devised a plan to contain the uncontrolled, hyper-armed Ukraine. Such an accumulation of armaments, together with the frustration of the Ukrainian forces and population, may result in serious security problems in Europe. The US is far away, Europe is here, next to the Ukrainian battlefield, Raffone warned.Anglo-Saxon StrategyTiberio Graziani, chairman of Vision & Global Trends  International Institute for Global Analyses, a Rome-based geopolitical affairs think tank, takes a broader view, and believes that Russias strikes were the logical consequence of a two-front conflict  the immediate Ukrainian one and the strategic Anglo-American one. The attack on the Crimean Bridge, combined with last months sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, laid bear the real immediate purpose of the conflict, he said.[It] consists of at least three elements: the destruction of the German economy, that is, the economy of continental Europe, with the consequence of the total enslavement of the elite of the European Union to Anglo-American interests; the creation of a deep rift between the Europeans and the Russians, which will be difficult to overcome in the future, [and] the creation of a new Russophobic Europe aided by Polish nationalists and the governments of Baltic countries, Graziani noted.Putins Real OptionsDr. Matthew Crosston, a professor of national security policy and specialist in international security and intelligence studies at the Bowie State University in Maryland, says Mondays strikes debunk the myth spread by the US and Kiev in recent weeks that an irrational Putin might resort to using nuclear weapons in Ukraine after being cornered by a string of defeats.They never even surmised here that he might up the traditional kinetic Russian air power and missile strikes against Kiev and central Ukraine. Putins moves today show he finally recognizes [the Ukrainian crisis] as a real war. As such, he has more options and not just nukes. The West and Ukraine quite frankly got a little bit arrogant and presumptuous with their recent so-called successes. Everyone here just assumed that meant Russia was de facto defeated. It just needed to admit it or do something crazy. This move today shows Russia isnt done yet and its also not crazy, the academic said.Crisis the West UnleashedWhatever happens next, Scott Ritter stressed that it was important to emphasize that the US and its allies are 100 percent responsible for the totality of this conflict, beginning with the 2014 Euromaidan coup, to their unwillingness or inability to compel Kiev to implement the Minsk Agreements, which he said proved a shame designed to buy time so that NATO could train the Ukrainian military [to make it] capable of resolving the Donbass situation by military force.This is the Wests fault. The West trained the Ukrainian military. The West never backed away from NATO expansion. The West rejected Russia's diplomatic outreach in December of last year, and then the West has turned what could have been a limited military engagement into a full-scale strategic conflict between the collective West, inclusive of NATO, and Russia on Ukrainian soil. The West provided the weapons, the West provided the intelligence, the West provided the training, the West provided the communication, the West provided the logistics. This is a war between NATO, other European allies, using Ukraine as a proxy to fight Russia. They're 100 percent responsible for everything that has happened and will happen in Ukraine, Ritter concluded.

https://sputniknews.com/20221012/map-of-missile-strikes-on-ukraine-1101690212.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221010/putin-russian-high-precision-weapons-striking-infrastructure-in-response-to-kievs-terrorism-1101677340.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221008/clinton-tried-to-push-hungarys-orban-into-invading-yugoslavia-during-1999-nato-war-vucic-reveals-1101637410.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220927/us-rep-pete-sessions-says-he-did-not-know-he-met-with-azov-militants-on-capitol-hill-1101287034.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221005/new-push-to-get-ukraine-into-nato-shows-zelenskyy-running-out-of-props-1101515733.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221006/record-number-of-germans-dissatisfied-with-economic-situation-in-country---poll-1101586890.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220411/ukraine-from-2004-to-2022-from-the-first-maidan-to-catastrophe-1094623112.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/sweden-ignores-moscows-proposal-to-join-nord-stream-probe-so-far-russian-embassy-says-1101697381.html

Sweden Ignores Moscow's Proposal to Join Nord Stream Probe So Far, Russian Embassy Says

Sweden Ignores Moscow's Proposal to Join Nord Stream Probe So Far, Russian Embassy Says

ZURICH (Sputnik) - The Russian Embassy in Stockholm confirmed to Sputnik that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin had addressed his Swedish counterpart... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T16:54+0000

2022-10-10T16:54+0000

2022-10-10T16:54+0000

nord stream sabotage

russia

sweden

nord stream

nord stream ag

gas pipeline

terrorist attack

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Earlier, Swedish media reported that Mishustin had sent a letter to Andersson, in which he asked to involve the Russian side, including Gazprom, in the investigation of the Nord Stream incidents.On September 26, a sabotage on the Nord Stream pipeline network caused a rapid gas pressure drop and leakage under the Baltic Sea. The operator, Nord Stream AG, reported leaks in three of the four strings after several underwater explosions. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has been investigating the pipeline incidents as acts of international terrorism. The European Union insists it was an act of sabotage. The international investigation is underway, though Russia was not invited, prompting fears in Moscow of a possible bias in results.Operators fear that leaks will lead to corrosion in the underwater pipes.

https://sputniknews.com/20221007/us-navy-aircraft-flew-near-nord-stream-2-pipeline-hours-after-rupture---reports-1101624784.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/tensions-in-indias-rajasthan-after-slogans-raised-calling-to-behead-anyone-who-insults-islam-1101669064.html

Tensions in India's Rajasthan After Slogans Raised Calling to 'Behead' Anyone Who Insults Islam

Tensions in India's Rajasthan After Slogans Raised Calling to 'Behead' Anyone Who Insults Islam

Communal strife has seen a considerable escalation in Rajasthan this year, with Muslims and Hindus clashing with each other during religious festivals in some... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T09:57+0000

2022-10-10T09:57+0000

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Outrage was sparked on social media after Muslims in India's Rajasthan state were seen raising slogans of "Sar Tan Se Juda" (beheading) for anyone who insults Islam or speaks against the Prophet Muhammad.The events allegedly took place on Sunday on the occasion of Milad-Un-Nabi, an annual celebration to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Islamic prophet.Netizens also took a dig at the Congress government of the state led by Ashok Gehlot, while others expressed concerns over the security situation in the state.Meanwhile, Rajasthan has witnessed a spate of Hindu-Muslim violence in recent months. Earlier, in May, Jodhpur witnessed a violent clash between Hindus and Muslims on the eve of Eid and the following day, with the district authorities imposing a curfew for days in the city. The following month, a Hindu tailor was murdered in the tourist city of Udaipur for allegedly speaking out in favor of suspended BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma for her controversial remarks against the prophet.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/this-california-city-is-only-weeks-away-from-running-out-of-water-1101701441.html

This California City is Only Weeks Away From Running Out Of Water

This California City is Only Weeks Away From Running Out Of Water

Named for its history as a coal mining town, Coalinga is a small, primarily Republican municipality in Fresno County. In 2020, the city cheekily passed a... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T22:55+0000

2022-10-10T22:55+0000

2022-10-10T22:55+0000

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Scientists have said that were in the middle of a megadrought, and the American Southwest is experiencing its driest decades in over 1,200 years. Celebrities in California are being given ineffective fines for exceeding their water allotment, while the average American in the expansive West lets their lawn wither. Now, citizens in Coalinga, California, are being told that their citys politicians may have to buy water on the open market at prices that could bankrupt them.The citys only water source is an aqueduct that is managed by the federal government, and according to reports, officials think the water is going to run out before the end of this year. When that happens, according to the Washington Post, the city will have to negotiate a water market with prices up to $2,500 per acre-foot, which could cost the city millions of dollars. For context, at the end of August, California water prices hit a then-all-time-high of $1,233 an acre-foot.Though its citizens are accustomed to water restrictions, those restrictions keep getting tighter. According to Adam Adkisson, a Coalinga city council member, the city was allotted 10,000 acre-feet of water in 2017, but that number has since gone down to 2,000 acre-feet. Residents have begun storing water in 5-gallon jugs in their homes, and the city voted nearly unanimously to stop watering lawns. In the same session, the city also posted restrictions on restaurants, disallowing them from serving water to customers unless its been explicitly asked for.The city mayor often races between Sacramento meetings and phone calls to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that oversees water resource management, seeking to increase their water supply, the allotment of which fell more than 1,000 acre-feet short of what Coalinga needed.The Bureau told Coalinga that it had already exceeded its annual allotment and that if they continued to pull from the aqueduct, theyd be taking water that belonged to someone else. In a different statement, the Bureau said that it had been working with the city on its unique water supply circumstances and challenges, and gave Sean Brewer, the citys assistant manager, lists of vendors who might sell the city the water it neededat outrageous prices.Recently, California lawmakers have sent out calls urging action on the part of the Justice Department against drought profiteering, or the manipulation of water prices, an act that was spurred by an investigation by federal prosecutors in April of this year that charged the former manager of a California district with stealing more than $25 million of water by diverting it from a leak in the Central Valley and then selling it.In August, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a 19-page plan to combat a projected 10% loss in the states water supply by 2040. Coalinga is projected to run out of water sometime in early December.

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https://sputniknews.com/20221010/tsai-taipei-seeks-mutually-agreeable-arrangement-with-beijing-pledges-to-build-more-missiles-1101701230.html

Tsai: Taipei Seeks Mutually Agreeable Arrangement With Beijing, Pledges to Build More Missiles

Tsai: Taipei Seeks Mutually Agreeable Arrangement With Beijing, Pledges to Build More Missiles

Amid the highest cross-strait tensions in 25 years, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday that she wants to reach an accommodation with Beijing to... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T22:53+0000

2022-10-10T22:53+0000

2022-10-10T22:53+0000

us-china tensions over taiwan

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I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides, Tsai said, speaking at an event for Double Tenth Day, or the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. Her government in Taipei fashions itself as the last remnant of the republic, which was defeated and superseded on the mainland in the 1949 socialist revolution.Ramped-Up TensionsTsais words come two months after welcoming US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the third-highest-ranking US politician, to the island. Her visit was denounced by Beijing as an intolerable provocation and a violation of Chinese sovereignty and the One China Policy that Washington has agreed to as a foundation of US-China relations. China launched massive military drills in the waters surrounding the island in response, and when more US politicians went to the island, new rounds of drills followed.However, the tensions go back several years, to when Tsai took office in 2016 and Donald Trump became the US president a few months later. Tsais pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) found a friend in the Trump administration, which was reorienting US strategy away from the War on Terror and toward great power competition with Russia and China. Capitalist and democratic, Taiwan became a useful ideological bludgeon against the rising threat of Chinese authoritarianism, and the US rapidly increased its weapons sales to the island.As part of this effort, we are ramping up the mass production of precision missiles and high-performance naval vessels, she said. In addition, we are working to acquire various small, highly mobile precision weapons that will help us develop comprehensive asymmetric warfare capabilities, ensuring that Taiwan is fully prepared to respond to external military threats.Divided CountryChina regards Taiwan as a Chinese province in a rebellion that is destined to be reunited with the mainland just as Hong Kong and Macau, former European colonies, have been. Beijing has proposed a One Country, Two Systems arrangement with Taipei that would preserve much of its socioeconomic and political system, but neither the DPP nor the Nationalist Party (KMT), their political rivals, have been very warm to the idea.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters on Sunday that The cause of the current tensions in the Taiwan Strait lies in the Democratic Progressive Party authorities stubborn insistence on Taiwan independence and secession.We are willing to create a broad space for peaceful reunification, but we will never leave any space for Taiwan independence and secession activities, she added.

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Fantine Gardinier

taiwan, tsai ing-wen, china, border tensions
https://sputniknews.com/20221010/uk-risks-significant-brain-drain-as-scientists-leave-amid-fear-of-losing-access-to-eu-funding-pot-1101671760.html

UK 'Risks Significant Brain Drain as Scientists Leave For Fear of Losing Access to EU Funding Pot

UK 'Risks Significant Brain Drain as Scientists Leave For Fear of Losing Access to EU Funding Pot

In the midst of continuing Brexit-related disagreements between London and Brussels, such as the issue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the UKs negotiations... 10.10.2022, Sputnik International

2022-10-10T08:52+0000

2022-10-10T08:52+0000

2022-10-10T12:44+0000

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UK is facing a looming risk of a significant brain drain, Sky News reported.Scientists and engineers are increasingly relocating from Britain to avoid losing EU research funding as post-Brexit woes continue to plague Londons relationship with Brussels.Since talks over the future of Research and Development (R&D) support by the EU have stalled, a total of 22 UK-based scientists have reportedly opted to leave Britain rather than lose their research funding from the continent.After six years of contentious negotiations over Brexit, the European Union and the UK government - now led by Prime Minister Liz Truss - have yet to come to an agreement on whether Britain will remain part of the continents flagship research program, Horizon Europe. The seven-year scheme envisages grants of nearly 100Bln ($98Bln) in research funds, but UK researchers are increasingly concerned they may lose access to this funding pot.As officials in London and Brussels remain deadlocked over post-Brexit political details, particularly such sticky issues as the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), uncertainty has plagued UK research.Despite Downing Street promising to match the EU funding already awarded to any researchers who have a grant, many scientists are sceptical. Moritz Treeck, a researcher originally from Germany who leads a team studying malaria at the Francis Crick Institute in London, said the opportunities offered by working in UK science were "huge". But now the situation appears to be changing.Those researchers who are reluctant to leave the UK have highlighted that the impasse over Horizon funding is affecting international collaborations.Professor Carsten Welsch, head of the physics department at the University of Liverpool, recently had to surrender part of his Horizon-funded project to a collaborator in Italy. Welsch, who runs a program developing new particle accelerators, similar to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, deplored the fact that UK institutions can no longer hold leadership roles in the scheme."If you don't hold the leadership role in that multimillion pound or euro project, then how likely is it that you have the same leadership role in that much, much larger international project?" he asked.Warning of the effects continuing uncertainty might have, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Julia King, who chairs the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee was quoted as saying:This comes after more than 100 UK-based researchers - who had won funding from Horizon Europes European Research Council - lost their grant after they opted against relocating to Europe, a condition of the funding, Nature reported in August.The worst thing is the prolonged uncertainty, because thats just pouring acid on the soft tissues of collaboration that we rely on, between UK researchers and research across the rest of the EU, James Wilsdon of the University of Sheffield, told the publication.Concerns have been fueled even further amid Truss' vast unfunded tax-cuts proposed in the Growth Plan. Some fear that these spending ideas may result in cuts to research funding to make up the EU shortfall.

https://sputniknews.com/20220924/truss-walks-tightrope-between-revising-northern-ireland-protocol-pleasing-us-experts-believe-1101172840.html

https://sputniknews.com/20221010/liz-truss-may-cave-to-rebel-mps-demands--u-turn-on-real-terms-benefits-cuts-1101664733.html

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Svetlana Ekimenko

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Class prevailed in the sophomore pacing stakes at The Red Mile on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 9). North America Cup winner Pebble Beach (pictured above) clawed his path back to the winners circle in the $363,500 Tattersalls Pace while Niki Hills return to form continued with a decisive score in the $205,000 Glen Garnsey Memorial.

Pebble Beach found a covered trip after Mad Max Hanover powered to the front past a :27 first quarter. Driver Todd McCarthy stayed steady on the leaders helmet up to a :54.1 half as Fourever Boy attempted to advance overland from fourth but stalled as the field crossed three-quarters in 1:22. Mad Max Hanover began to drift off the corner as even-money favourite I Did It Myway vaulted from second over for the front and Pebble Beach darted through an opening to the inside. Pebble Beach grabbed the lead as Mad Max Hanover gutsily battled to the finish but yielded a head at the beam with I Did It Myway third and Energetic Hanover closing for fourth. The winning time was 1:48.3.

Hes been good every week but sort of hasnt been putting in [effort] at the end of his miles, trainer Noel Daley said after the race. I didnt want Toddy [McCarthy] to keep driving him in front, then we kept ending up first over. I think hes best off a helmet, but it worked out. We followed a good horse, dashed up the rail then [Todd] said he was looking to get goofy  running out down the lane, but he got the job done. Hes a very quick horse.

A son of Downbytheseaside, Pebble Beach etched a 13th win onto his 24-race card and has now accrued $1,390,375 for owners Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco & Country Club Acres and LAExpressFoderaDeoVolente.

The colt, who paid $10.92 to win, will make his next start in the Breeders Crown per Noel Daley.

Niki Hill, meanwhile, outplayed all her peers to notch a 1:48.4 win in her third start back from an injury.

Sent off as the 1-4 favourite, driver Dexter Dunn planted Niki Hill on the point past a :27.2 first quarter and refused to relinquish control. She strolled by a :54.4 half and turned away a fierce first-over push from Max Contract through three-quarters in 1:22.3 to sprint home under minimal encouragement in :26.1 and cross the line going away. Queen Of Success burst through rivals to snag second, 2-3/4 lengths back, while Max Contract levelled out in third and Wickedly Innocent rallied for fourth.



We have the Breeders Crown in two weeks and I think were ready to go, trainer Chris Ryder said after the race. Shes just a phenomenal athlete. I really dont know what to tell you. Shes on her own  Niki Hill is Niki Hill. Last week, she came out and went a lifetime mark and went faster today. Im probably more proud of her. Im stuck for words."

Tom Hill owns Niki Hill, a daughter of Always B Miki with 11 wins from 14 starts and $1,142,784 earned. She paid $2.72 to win.

The Tattersalls Pace was presented by Cameo Hills Farm and the Glen Garnsey Memorial was sponsored by the Downbytheseaside Syndicate and Diamond Creek Farm.

(With files from The Red Mile)
He disappointed as the 3-5 choice in the Hambletonian two months ago, but Lucas Wallin trainee Rebuff landed retribution in the third jewel of trottings Triple Crown, the 130th edition of the $430,000 Kentucky Futurity, on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 9) at The Red Mile.

An overflow field of 12 made the move for the lead a scramble. By a :27.2 first quarter, Branded By Lindy cleared Temporal Hanover to take the top while Periculum pressed forward up the rim to then take over before a :54.3 half. Through the shuffle, driver Tim Tetrick secured a second-over seat to the far turn as Slay ventured forward uncovered to apply his challenge for the lead nearing three-quarters, timed in 1:22.3. Periculum clung to a diminishing advantage with the field towering behind him for home but held sway until about the eighth pole. Tetrick kicked Rebuff off his cover and slung to the lead in the final stages and posted a one-length victory in 1:50.3 while finally procuring an American trotting classic. Temporal Hanover burst through horses to take second while Cool Papa Bell stormed down the center from near last for third and Periculum settled for fourth.

Today was first time no shoes, that helped. Hambo day was just a fiasco. He didnt show up that day, it happens, Tetrick said after the race. He redeemed himself today. Hes been a good horse [and] fun to drive for me. Perfect trip. I landed in a good spot  by the time I turned for home, I was second over. When I flipped him, I knew he was good today and he got right by them.

We started out very good. After [the Hambo], things havent worked out as we wanted, Wallin said after the race. A lot of people had doubts about him, but Im pretty sure we have the best colt and today he showed it.

Rebuff earned his ninth win from 20 starts and added to his account now worth $962,490 for owners Kjell Magne Andersen, Lucas Wallin and Pieter Delis. The Muscle Hill colt paid $23.90 to win.

Golden Wall As opened the afternoon with a 1:51.2 pocket-pulling win in the $10,000 Cantab Hall, a race for Kentucky Futurity eligibles. Tony Hall steered the Anette Lorentzon-trained son of Walner to victory for owners ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson. He paid $3 to win the race sponsored by onGait.com.

Following the races, The Red Mile recognized Dexter Dunn as the leading driver of the six-day Grand Circuit meet and Chris Ryder as the leading trainer. Dunn ended the meet having driven 14 winners from 48 starts.

I obviously got to drive a lot of great horses, nice horses here, said Dunn. Its always a pleasure to race here Grand Circuit time. But C.J. [Ryder] had his horses and did a great job with them, too. A lot of our winners were there. It was a lot of fun.

That C.J., one Chris Ryder, sent horses to the track 14 times over the six days in Lexington and had their picture taken eight times.

We started on a roll and we finished on a roll, said Ryder. I was really happy with the horses, so Im thrilled.

Racing is complete at The Red Mile until later this month when the Corbin meet begins in Lexington. Kentucky-eligible horses will compete through the Corbin meet in Kentucky Sires Stakes events beginning on Oct. 16 and concluding on Nov. 7. First-race post time at The Red Mile is always 1 p.m. (Eastern).

(With files from The Red Mile)
Former Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman is supporting Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger for reelection to Virginias 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A new campaign television ad features Riggleman, a Manassas businessman and Air Force veteran, applauding her bipartisan record in Congress, according to a release Monday morning from Abigail Spanberger for Congress.

In the ad, Riggleman, who served one term representing Virginias 5th District, says Spanberger puts country first and is breaking precedent in an era marked by hyper-partisanship by trying to change Congress, the release stated.

This is not a typical political ad, Riggleman says in the ad.

Im a Republican Congressman, saying nice things about a Democrat. In Congress, the parties sit apart, and dont work togetherexcept Abigail Spanberger. Shes trying to change Congress and make it work, and shes ranked the most bipartisan Member of Congress from Virginia, and fifth in the country. In the CIA, Abigail worked counterterrorism. She puts country first. Thats why I support Abigail, the former Republican congressman said.

Riggleman told the Washington Post on his participation in the TV ad, I think tribal politics is the worst thing we can have.  I think thats another reason for Abby [Spanberger], is that shes bipartisan  she certainly wants to help the people in her district regardless of if theyre Republican or Democrat, and thats a special trait to have.

Spanberger, a former federal agent and CIA officer, is seeking reelection to a third term in a newly drawn 7th District in a race against Republican nominee Yesli Vega, a Prince William County Supervisor with a background in law enforcement.
A group of students at a Burke County high school say their nod to equality in a school mural prompted officials to paint over a portion of the artwork.

When I first saw it, I was in tears, one student who participated in the project told The News Herald on the condition of anonymity. Not only because we had spent a lot of time, money and effort, also because it shows that we arent allowed to have equality.

Funded by a grant from The North Carolina Arts Council, the program paid for an Arts in Education Arts Residency for a variety of projects throughout the campus, including murals. At the center of the controversy was a painting of a fist, which students said was a reference to the Black Lives Matter movement, and rainbow-colored butterflies. Students said the butterflies were drawn in support of the LGBTQ community.

By Friday, the fist and the butterflies had been painted over by school officials.

The original mural contained the letters EBHS, for East Burke High School. According to multiple sources, the E, which was repainted, was to represent equality, with the B standing for belonging, the H for heritage and the S for success.

Burke County Public Schools released a statement on Friday saying the school is able to restrict political expression, regardless of viewpoint," for a school sponsored expressive activity located on school property.

Burke County Public Schools seeks to educate all students in a safe and supportive environment that is politically neutral, the statement said.

The district also cited laws prohibiting "public schools from using funds to endorse or oppose a political referendum." School officials also told The News Herald the move was made in response to numerous complaints.

Among East Burke parents, reaction was mixed on Friday, with some feeling the mural should have been left intact and others saying it never should have been allowed.

According to Burke County Public Schools, officials will be working with students to come up with a new design for the E in the mural.
A coat of paint made a stunning difference to a highly visible building on Commerce Street as travelers using Interstate 81s Exit 45 enter the town of Marion. That entrance is one that town officials have long worked to improve, recognizing it as a key access route to the community.

The rehabilitation work on the commercial site at 208 Commerce St. is being undertaken by its new owners, a pair of brothers from Bristol.

On the site Wednesday, Chad King, one of the brothers and an owner of King Commercial Properties, said they plan to put office spaces into the about 15,000-square-foot building as well possibly some retail space and apartments.

Recognizing the possibility of delays with supply chain and labor issues, Chad King said he hopes the building can be occupied in about six months.

When asked what brought the Bristol businessmen to Marion, Chad King said the demand for development and the cooperative nature of town officials. He lauded the town for its achievements in downtown growth and vitality.

Going through the building, he said, theyd found the artifacts of an auto parts store and feed store.

Ken Heath, Marions community and economic development director, said he first knew the building as the Fox Window and Awning building, later housing Marion Office Supply, and lastly Handy Graphics.

Hes delighted with the renovations and potential. Heath said, Its fantastic to see another historic property rehabilitated and brought back to use with a nice, attractive facade, new jobs, and new opportunities for town  especially right on the gateway to our community. I cant wait to see what the King brothers are going to bring to town!

Boutique partners

In other downtown business news this week, two boutiques have now put their businesses together under one roof.

Lou & Co and The Daisy Boutique are now open at 118 East Main St. in downtown Marion, right next to the Wooden Pickle restaurant.

Lou & Co. is owned by Olivia Bales and has operated as a pop-up shop at local events for the past few years.

The Daisy Boutique, owned by Haley Peake, relocated from The Centre Square building to this new retail spot.

Both businesses have a social media presence where current inventory, sales, specials, and business hours can be found.

We are delighted to welcome another new business to town, said Marion Mayor David Helms in a news release. These two young ladies represent the best of what Marion is becoming  local young folks stepping into leadership roles in our community, and we wish them the very best.
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.

Fugitive  Longview officers Wednesday arrested Jordanna Leigh Amos, 33, of Longview on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice.

Theft  Cowlitz County deputies Wednesday arrested Luis Antonio Ruiz Sanchez, 42, of Seattle on suspicion of second-degree theft of more than $750.

Assault  Longview officers Wednesday arrested Brandon Craig Sause, 39, of Vancouver on suspicion of third- and fourth-degree assault as well as resisting arrest and obstructing a public servant.

Fugitive  Longview officers Friday arrested Anthony David Saffian, 32, of Kelso on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice.

Malicious mischief  Cowlitz County sheriffs deputies Friday arrested Matthew Peter Stiles, 38, of Longview on suspicion of second-degree malicious mischief.

Firearm  Kelso police Friday arrested Benjamin Lee Street, 37, of Kelso on suspicion of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Theft  Castle Rock police Saturday arrested Randy James Ganoung, 32, of Woodland on suspicion of second-degree theft.

Fugitive, robbery  Cowlitz County sheriffs deputies Saturday arrested Nathan Daniel Osborn, 39, of Kelso on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice, first-degree robbery, making a false statement, resisting arrest, obstructing a public servant, eluding a police vehicle and first-degree driving with a suspended license.

Theft  Longview police Saturday arrested Austin Ray Shadday, 28, of Longview on suspicion of retail theft with circumstances and third-degree theft.

Stolen vehicle possession  Longview police Saturday arrested Lewis Wesley White, 30, of Kelso on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle.

Fugitive, theft  Longview police Sunday arrested Tyler Robert Becker, 33, of Longview on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice and theft with intent to resell.

Fugitive  Longview police Sunday arrested Molly Ann Cheney Bridge, 29, of Longview on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice.

Forgery  Cowlitz County sheriffs deputies Sunday arrested Daniel Jesus Rodriguez, 20, of Longview on suspicion of forgery.

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.
Apple iPhone 14 calls 911 after confusing roller coaster ride with a crash. Here is all you need to know.

Apple's crash detection feature on iPhone 14 or Apple Watch is supposed to detect severe car crash and save the life of the users by helping them connect to emergency services. But now, the crash detection feature is reacting to roller coaster rides too, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Sara White, a 39 year old lady was on a roller coaster ride when her family when her iPhone 14 Pro detected the situation as a crash and automatically dialed 911.

"Sara White and her family headed to Kings Island amusement park outside Cincinnati. The 39-year-old dentist zipped her two-day-old iPhone 14 Pro securely in her fanny pack, buckled into the Mystic Timbers roller coaster and enjoyed getting hoisted 109 feet in the air and whipped around at over 50 mph. Afterward, she looked down at her phone. The lock screen was lined with missed calls and voice mails from an emergency dispatcher asking if she was OK," the report informed.

As per the report the call to the Warren County Communications Center featured an automated voice message from White's iPhone, "the owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash and is not responding to their phone." The message also picked up background audio that included music, cheers, and other amusement park sounds.

Meanwhile, it can be noted that the crash detection works on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models with the latest version of iOS, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra with the latest version of watchOS.

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How Crash Detection works

According to the information provided by Apple, when your iPhone detects a severe car crash, it will display an alert and will automatically initiate an emergency phone call after 20 seconds unless you cancel.

If you are unresponsive, your iPhone will play an audio message for emergency services, which informs them that you have been in a severe crash and gives them your latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates with an approximate search radius. When a crash is detected, Crash Detection will not override any existing emergency calls placed by other means.

Also, if your iPhone has Crash Detection turned on and is connected to your vehicle through CarPlay, the Crash Detection features (dialing emergency services) will go through your iPhone. While, if you are wearing your Apple Watch at the time of the event, dialing emergency services will be placed by iPhone but Crash Detection features will be routed through Apple Watch. Here is how you can Crash Detection on or off:
China's ambassador to the United States thanked Elon Musk for proposing a special administration zone for Taiwan.

China's ambassador to the United States thanked Elon Musk for proposing a special administration zone for Taiwan, while Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington reprimanded the billionaire saying its "freedom and democracy are not for sale."

"Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale," Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington, tweeted on Saturday. "Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan."

China's ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, stressed Beijing's call for "peaceful reunification and 'one country, two systems'" for the island in a tweet on Saturday while thanking Musk.

Days after floating a possible deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine that drew condemnation in Ukraine, Musk suggested tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by handing over some control of Taiwan to Beijing.

"My recommendation . . . would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won't make everyone happy," Musk told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday.

Musk was responding to a question about China, where his Tesla electric car company operates a large factory.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as one of its provinces, has long vowed to bring Taiwan under its control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so. Democratically ruled Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's 23 million people can decide its future.

In tweets posted on Saturday, the Chinese ambassador wrote: "I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan."

"Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question ... and the best approach to realizing national reunification," he added.

"Provided that China's sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development," the ambassador wrote.

China has offered Taiwan a "one country, two systems" model of autonomy similar to what Hong Kong has, but that has been rejected by all mainstream political parties in Taiwan and has very little public support, especially after Beijing imposed a tough National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020.
Activists have spray-painted "Death to Khamenei" and "The Police are the Murderers of the People" on public billboards.

Hackers backing Iran's wave of women-led protests interrupted a state TV news broadcast with an image of gun-sight crosshairs and flames over the face of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in footage widely shared online on Sunday.

In other anti-regime messages, activists have spray-painted "Death to Khamenei" and "The Police are the Murderers of the People" on public billboards in Tehran.

"The blood of our youths is on your hands," read an on-screen message that flashed up briefly during the TV broadcast Saturday evening, as street protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, again rocked Tehran and other cities.

"Police forces used tear gas to disperse the crowds in dozens of locations in Tehran," state news agency IRNA reported, adding the demonstrators "chanted slogans and set fire to and damaged public property, including a police booth".

Anger has flared since the death of Amini on September 16, three days after the young Kurdish woman was arrested by the notorious morality police for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.

"Join us and rise up," read another message in the TV hack claimed by the group Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice).

It also posted pictures of Amini and three other women killed in the crackdown that has claimed at least 95 lives according to Norway-based group Iran Human Rights.

Another 90 people were killed in Iran's far southeast, in unrest on September 30 sparked by the alleged rape of a teenage girl by a police chief in Sistan-Baluchestan province, said IHR, citing the UK-based Baluch Activists Campaign.

One Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps member was killed Saturday in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, and a member of the Guards' Basij paramilitary force died in Tehran from "a serious head injury following an armed attack by a mob," IRNA said -- in killings that raised the death toll among security forces to 14.

'So many protests'

Iran has been torn by the biggest wave of social unrest in almost three years, which has seen protesters, including university students and even young schoolgirls chant "Woman, Life, Freedom".

"Videos coming out from Tehran indicate that there are so many protests, in every corner of the city, in small and big numbers," said US-based campaigner and journalist Omid Memarian on Twitter.

In Amini's hometown Saqez, Kurdistan, schoolgirls chanted and marched down a street swinging their hijab headscarves in the air, in videos the Hengaw rights group said were recorded on Saturday.

Gruesome footage has emerged from the state's often bloody response, spread online despite widespread internet outages and blocks on all the major social media platforms.

One video shows a man who was shot dead at the wheel of his car in Sanandaj, Kurdistan's capital, where the province's police chief, Ali Azadi, later charged he was "killed by anti-revolutionary forces".

Angry men then appear to take revenge on a member of the feared Basij militia, swarming him and beating him badly, in another widely shared video.

Yet another video clip shows a young woman said to have been shot dead in Mashhad in the country's northeast.

Many on social media said it evoked footage of Neda Agha Soltan, a young woman who became an enduring symbol of the Iranian opposition after she was shot dead at protests in 2009.

'Not afraid anymore'

In the face of the violence and the online restrictions, protesters have adopted new tactics to spread their message of resistance in public spaces.

"We are not afraid anymore. We will fight," read one large banner placed on an overpass of Tehran's Modares highway, seen in images verified by AFP.

In other footage, a man with a spray can is seen altering the wording of a government billboard on the same highway from "The Police are the Servants of the People" to "The Police are the Murderers of the People".

Several water features in the Iranian capital were said to have been coloured blood-red, but the head of city's municipality parks organisation Ali Mohamad Mokhtari said: "This information is completely false and there isn't any change in the colors of fountains in Tehran".

Iran has accused outside forces of stirring up the protests, as solidarity protests have been held in scores of cities worldwide. The United States, European Union and other governments have imposed new sanctions on Iran.

On Amini's death, Iran said Friday that a forensic investigation had found that she died as a result of a long-standing medical condition, rather than of blows to the head as claimed by activists.

Amini's father told London-based Iran International that he rejected the official report: "I saw with my own eyes that blood had come from Mahsa's ears and the back of her neck."
The billionaire and his bankers have until Oct. 28 to complete transaction he fought to abandon

Elon Musk is running out of ways to evade his original $44 billion contract to buy Twitter Inc.

The world's richest man, who was in a rush to acquire the social network in April and then abruptly soured on the deal, spent months trying to exit the obligation entirely. In recent weeks, both sides discussed a price that was about $4 below the $54.20 per-share accord, but couldn't agree on additional terms, according to people familiar with the matter.

On Oct. 3, Musk applied public pressure by formally re-offering to buy the company at the original price, aiming to avoid an Oct. 17 fight in Delaware Chancery Court. Twitter's stock shot up, with investors sensing the drama was nearly over. But the company's lawyers, suspicious of conditions in Musk's letter, including the stipulation that Twitter drop its lawsuit, called it an invitation to further mischief.

Plot twist! Musk tweeted.

Behind the scenes, Twitter's lawyers raced to verify Musk's renewed affinity for the deal, checking whether he had indeed asked lenders for the money they had earlier committed (one bank said he hadn't, Twitter says). Those same big banks tried to tally up potential losses on the months-old deal terms, while Twitter employees, still in limbo, turned to memes and gallows humor to get through the week.

By the night of Oct. 6, the billionaire finally got something he wanted: a delay of the trial. There, a judge would have scrutinized all his reasons for backing away from the deal in full view of the public and the media. In return, Musk was given a new, court-issued deadline of Oct. 28 to make good on his promises. If he and Twitter don't complete the transaction by then, he'll likely be on the witness stand in November.

The shift buys Musk time. And if he really doesn't want to go to court, it also edges Twitter shareholders closer to a payday. At $54.20 cash deal price closing this year, it is good to be long TWTR!, Kevin Stadtler, chief executive officer of Twitter investor Stadtler Capital, celebrated in an email.

There's still a 10% chance that Musk is trying a clever end-around to exit the deal, according to Gene Munster, managing partner at Loup Ventures. A person familiar with his strategy says one possible scenario still involves Musk getting the deal at a lower price. But Musk shows signs he's resigned himself to owning the product; his public commentary has shifted from critiquing the social network to talking about its future under him, as part of an  everything app called X, with very fast product development, according to his tweets this week.

Now, one of the parties has to budge. Musk wants to add that the deal should be contingent on him receiving $13 billion in debt financing, but the original contract didn't contain that stipulation, so Twitter isn't interested in allowing it. Musk is also seeking to reserve his rights to file a fraud suit over his claims the platform's executives misled him and other investors about the number of spam and bot accounts among its more than 230 million users. Again, based on Musk's track record, the company has little reason to agree.

Within Twitter, employees have spent the week debating the real agenda behind Musk's latest change of heart. Many believe it's a play for time, with Musk conscious he was unlikely to win at trial and looking for options that would allow him to pull out at a later date. Some former Twitter staffers expressed relief at getting out before the whiplash of Musk's public statements, as well as all the distraction and stress that his eventual ownership would likely entail.

Those who remain are bracing for cuts. If the deal closes very soon, a number of Twitter employees are worried they will be laid off before they have a chance to vest their restricted stock units, a milestone scheduled for the start of November, people familiar with the matter said. Employees are especially concerned in departments related to policy, communications and marketing; Musk said in a tweet that at his version of Twitter, software engineering, server operations & design will rule the roost.

If the acquisition goes forward, banks led by Morgan Stanley stand to lose, also  potentially more than $500 million, according to Bloomberg calculations. With yields at multi-year highs and the new closing date fast approaching, the financial institutions will probably have to directly fund the debt they could otherwise sell to investors.

Still, one of Musk's bankers complained privately on a call with a reporter that he was sick of the entire saga and hoped it would end soon. A second banker was bewildered, saying they hadn't thought about the deal in months while overall market conditions worsened. Others were harder to reach, saying they'd been advised not to speak, given how tenuous the situation had become.

Despite edging closer to a deal, talks remained contentious. Twitter offered Mr. Musk billions off the transaction price. Mr. Musk refused because Twitter attempted to put certain self-serving conditions on the deal. Any statement to the contrary is a lie, Musk's attorney, Alex Spiro of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, said in a statement Oct. 6. While there were talks between the two parties about a price cut, Twitter insisted the offer would have to remain above $50 per share, according to people familiar with the matter. Since then, the talks have been focused on preventing Musk from finding an out from the deal, the people said.Musk has indicated, via filings and delays, that he is in no rush to be in front of a judge. The billionaire recently had a trove of hundreds of personal text messages become public as part of the court process, revealing negotiations with his business contacts and chatter with friends. Any further court movement could mean more private matters are exposed.

The Tesla Inc. CEO's legal team was perhaps already getting the sense that the case was not going well, as Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick sided repeatedly with Twitter in pretrial rulings, according to one person familiar. Even with the late emergence of a Twitter whistleblower who alleged executives weren't forthcoming on security and bot issues, there were concerns Musk's side would not be able to prove a material adverse effect, the legal standard required to exit the contract.

Just days before reviving his $54.20 bid, Musk's deposition was canceled and rescheduled multiple times  first because of the location (Delaware) and then, later, because the lawyer who was slated to question him had been exposed to Covid-19, according to people familiar with the matter and court filings. Musk's lawyers say they weren't made aware of the exposure until they were already en route to San Francisco, presumably for the deposition of Twitter Chief Executive Officer Parag Agrawal, which was slated for the following morning. Agrawal ended up rescheduling his questioning as well, for Oct. 3. Read more: Elon Musk's Path From Twitter Shareholder to Successful Acquirer

For his part, Musk says in court filings that he has been working diligently, cooperatively, and in good faith with the financing banks to prepare for the closing, but that it will take time because the parties are working through the complex process of drafting documents, arranging security interests for a portion of the debt financing, and finalizing funding mechanics. He said that attorneys for the financing banks estimated they'll need until Oct. 28 to fund the loans. He also said that the lawyers have advised that each of their clients is prepared to honor its obligations under their debt commitments.

Twitter isn't buying it. In its Oct. 6 response, the company said a banker involved in the debt financing testified that day that Musk had yet to send them a borrowing notice, and had otherwise not communicated that he intended to close the deal. The banker also said that the main task necessary to close the deal  memorializing the debt financing  could have happened in July but didn't because Mr. Musk purported to terminate the deal, according to Twitter.

Now there's an official deadline, per the judge: 5 p.m. on Oct. 28.

Investor Stadtler, whose firm manages $80 million, said he's pleased with the outcome so far  but he doesn't want Musk to run the next version of Twitter. He carelessly entered into a merger agreement and overpaid for the asset, Stadtler said. One of Musk's advisors should have used the most important word for investing: No.
Dr Mohamed Khamis of the School of Computing Science demonstrates using a thermal camera on a computer keyboard. Credit: University of Glasgow

Computer security experts have developed a system capable of guessing computer and smartphone users' passwords in seconds by analyzing the traces of heat their fingertips leave on keyboards and screens.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow developed the system, called ThermoSecure, to demonstrate how falling prices of thermal imaging cameras and rising access to machine learning are creating new risks for "thermal attacks."

Thermal attacks can occur after users type their passcode on a computer keyboard, smartphone screen or ATM keypad before leaving the device unguarded. A passerby equipped with a thermal camera can take a picture that reveals the heat signature of where their fingers have touched the device.

The brighter an area appears in the thermal image, the more recently it was touched. By measuring the relative intensity of the warmer areas, it is possible to determine the specific letters, numbers or symbols that make up the password and estimate the order in which they were used. From there, attackers can try different combinations to crack users' passwords.

Previous research by Dr. Mohamed Khamis, who led the development of ThermoSecure, has already demonstrated that non-experts can successfully guess passwords simply by looking carefully at thermal images taken between 30 and 60 seconds after surfaces were touched.

In a paper published in the journal ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security, Dr. Khamis and the authoring team, Ms. Norah Alotaibi and Dr. John Williamson, explain how they set out to harness machine learning to make the attack process more accurate. To do so, they took 1,500 thermal photos of recently-used QWERTY keyboards from different angles.

Then, they trained an artificial intelligence model to effectively read the images and make informed guesses about the passwords from the heat signature clues using a probabilistic model.

Through two user studies, they found that ThermoSecure was capable of revealing 86% of passwords when thermal images are taken within 20 seconds, and 76% when within 30 seconds, dropping to 62% after 60 seconds of entry.

They also found that within 20 seconds, ThermoSecure was capable of successfully attacking even long passwords of 16 characters, with a rate of up to 67% correct attempts. As passwords grew shorter, success rates increased12-symbol passwords were guessed up to 82% of the time, eight-symbol passwords up to 93% of the time, and six-symbol passwords were successful in up to 100% of attempts.

Dr. Khamis, of the University of Glasgow's School of Computing Science, said, "They say you need to think like a thief to catch a thief. We developed ThermoSecure by thinking carefully about how malicious actors might exploit thermal images to break into computers and smartphones.

"Access to thermal imaging cameras is more affordable than everthey can be found for less than 200and machine learning is becoming increasingly accessible too. That makes it very likely that people around the world are developing systems along similar lines to ThermoSecure in order to steal passwords. It's important that computer security research keeps pace with these developments to find new ways to mitigate risk, and we will continue to develop our technology to try to stay one step ahead of attackers.

"We're also keen to highlight to policymakers the risks that these kind of thermal attacks pose for computer security. One potential risk-reduction pathway could be to make it illegal to sell thermal cameras without some kind of enhanced security included in their software. We are currently developing an AI-driven countermeasure system that could help address this issue."

The researchers also looked at additional variables which made it easier for ThermoSecure to guess passwords. One was the typing style of the keyboard users. "Hunt-and-peck" keyboard users who type slowly tend to leave their fingers on the keys for longer, creating heat signatures which last longer than faster touch-typists.

Images taken within 30 seconds of the keyboard being touched allowed ThermoSecure to successfully guess hunt-and-peck typists' passwords 92% of the time, but only 80% of the time for touch-typists.

Secondly, the type of material keyboards are made from can affect their ability to absorb heat, with implications for the effectiveness of thermal attacks. ThermoSecure could successfully guess passwords from the heat retained on keycaps made from ABS plastics around half of the time, but only 14% of the time on keys manufactured from PBT plastics.

The ThermoSecure team has a number of suggestions for computer and smartphone users to protect themselves from thermal attacks.

Dr. Khamis added, "Longer passwords are more difficult for ThermoSecure to guess accurately, so we would advise using long passphrases wherever possible. Longer passphrases take longer to type, which also makes it more difficult to get an accurate reading on a thermal camera, particularly if the user is a touch typist. Backlit keyboards also produce more heat, making accurate thermal readings more challenging, so a backlit keyboard with PBT plastics could be inherently more secure.

"Finally, users can help make their devices and keyboards more secure by adopting alternative authentication methods, like fingerprint or facial recognition, which mitigate many of the risks of thermal attack. In my team we have previously proposed authentication schemes that rely on eye movements for password entry; gaze-based authentication is resistant to thermal attacks by design."

The team's paper, titled "ThermoSecure: Investigating the effectiveness of AI-driven thermal attacks on commonly used computer keyboards," is published in ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security.

Explore further Bypassing popular passwords

More information: Norah Alotaibi et al, ThermoSecure: Investigating the effectiveness of AI-driven thermal attacks on commonly used computer keyboards, ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security (2022). Norah Alotaibi et al, ThermoSecure: Investigating the effectiveness of AI-driven thermal attacks on commonly used computer keyboards,(2022). DOI: 10.1145/3563693
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

If future historians pick a point in time when Australia comprehensively turned its back on coal-fired generation, they may well point to AGL's decision to bring forward the closure of Loy Yang A, the cheapest (excluding emission costs) power generator in the energy market spanning eastern Australia.

AGL announced on September 29 that Loy Yang A will close in 2035, ten years earlier than previously planned.

The day before, the Queensland government announced it would decommission or repurpose all its coal generators by 2035. (It owns five of the state's eight coal-fired plants, and has a joint-venture holding in another.)

Origin Energy announced in February it would bring forward the closure of the biggest coal-fired electricity generator in New South Wales, Eraring, from 3032 to 2025.

So the big coal-generation owners in the National Energy Market (which covers eastern Australia but not Western Australia and the Northern Territory) have made their intentions clear. The era of coal-fired generation is rapidly drawing to a close.

The questions now are: what forms of electricity generation will replace coal, how much will it cost, and who will pay?

Has coal generation been profitable?

Summary answers to the first two questions are easy. The future is renewable energy, storage and more transmission. More than A$100 billion of capital expenditure will be needed.

The last question (who will pay) is affected by past policy choicesparticularly the privatization of state-owned generation assets, and subsequent market regulation.

Loy Yang A, along with Victoria's other coal and gas generators, was built in the 1980s by a government corporation and sold off in the late 1990s by the Kennett government. AGL bought a one-third share in 2004, and became the sole owner in 2012.

Since 1998 (the start of the National Electricity Market), I estimate Loy Yang A has produced earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA)a widely accepted measure of profit used by economists of $10 billion.

I've calculated this using on market revenues and cost information published by the Australian Energy Market Operator. Over the same period, the power station has produced about 486 million tons of carbon emissions (about equal to Australia's annual total).

For all four of the Victoria's brown-coal generators privatized in the 1990sLoy Yang A and B, Hazelwood and YallournI estimate a total EBITDA of $23 billion on revenues of $62 billon, since 1998.

This is a 38% profit marginan extraordinary return for shareholders from assets developed by a government corporation, and which required no great innovation or brilliance to operate.

Where did all the money go?

This $23 billion is also more than the proceeds of the privatization of the four power stations once owned by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria.

Now AGL says the full cost of decarbonizing electricity supply to its customers is $20 billion. Investment analyst UBS reckons AGL can only afford $2 billion) without harming shareholder value (profitability). By implication, the other $18 billion will need to be found elsewhere.

Privatization of Victoria's electricity assets delivered what was thought of at the time as handsome rewards for taxpayers.

But it turns out it's the shareholders who come out far ahead. And they pocketed their profits instead of plowing them back into cleaner alternatives.

They might argue that plowing their profits back into new renewable generation would have threatened the health of their golden geese. This is evidence of a broken market. The coal generators felt no pressure to reinvest because they were confident that others could not threaten their rivers of cash.

This is not to say government ownership is necessarily better. Private capital in energy production is valuable, not least because there are many other demands on the public purse. When markets work in the interests of customers, they stimulate innovation and efficiency.

But the efficient use of private capital requires effective competition.

What went wrong? There are various views on this. I nominate competition policy that permitted excessive market concentration. There was insufficient competitive tension to check investors' avarice. Often gullible and ideological regulators made matters worse.

As we begin the new era, these policy and regulatory failures must not be repeated. If public confidence in private investment in energy supply is to be restored, new ways of harnessing private capital must be found.

This might mean big changes from the way things have worked for the past two decades. Policy-makers should be mindful to ensure the owners of the coal generators do not get a second bite of the cherry.

Explore further Australia's largest carbon emitter to exit coal by 2035

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Hundreds of janitors have been on strike since Tuesday at various Bay Area Meta (Facebook) campuses in anticipation of massive layoffs, demanding that the tech giant hold its janitorial contractor accountable to crafting a new agreement that won't put more work on the backs of those who remain.

Custodial workers at various Silicon Valley and San Francisco Meta offices have joined together this week to demand a new agreement with their employer SBM Janitorial ServicesMeta's housekeeping contractor for its sprawling campuses across the regionto reduce the number of layoffs and ensure that their impact won't place "an unmanageable burden on janitors."

Since McClellan, California-based SBM Janitorial Services took over the contract for custodial services at various Meta campuses in the Bay Area early this year, SBM announced it would be letting go a third of all janitorial workers. The news sent shockwaves through the workforce made up largely of Black and Latino workers.

Now Silicon Valley Rising and the South Labor Council are calling on Meta to come to the table to help them get better working conditions. Silicon Valley Rising is a coalition of Meta service workers, unions and labor organizations that represent contracted services workers.

"The people working as janitors have upheld their commitment to keeping Facebook workers safe before and during the pandemic, yet now are being treated as the collateral damage of cutbacks while Facebook goes back on its previous commitment to stand with service workers," said Maria Noel, campaign director of Silicon Valley Rising. "Facebook cannot stand by while the people who can least afford it are the first to lose their livelihoods."

While janitors on strike say Meta has been a leader in supporting its service workers since the start of the pandemicnoting that the tech giant did not stop paying workers when offices were shut downtheir commitment to "their most diverse and vulnerable group of working people has been waning."

"As California began to open up, janitors worked hard to make sure that office buildings were safe and disinfected so Facebook employees could safely return to their offices despite the ongoing public health crisis," a statement from Silicon Valley Rising reads. "However, since SBM Janitorial took over the contract earlier this year, janitors were notified that one-third of them would be laid off."

Ultimately the negotiation will be between custodial workers and SBM, not Meta. In a statement to this news organization, Meta spokesperson Tessa Giammona noted that SBM has "secured jobs elsewhere for impacted employees with no disruption to pay or benefits," and emphasized that "since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic we've paid our vendor partners to ensure every one of their workers assigned to a Meta office was paid even if they couldn't do their jobs from home."

"We're proud that we've partnered with vendors to create and maintain thousands of good-paying, union jobs with industry-leading compensation packages and will continue to do so," the statement said. "Meta does not make hiring and firing decisions for our vendors as they are independent companies that provide a service for a variety of clients. Nevertheless, we always work closely with vendor partners to ensure open communications and a smooth process whenever there are any changes to service needs."

SBM Janitorial Services did not return a request for comment.

Big tech companies like Facebook, Silicon Valley Rising says, have created a dual-class worker system in Silicon Valley at the expense of "staff performing essential services that keep offices running smoothly."

But since the pandemic has kept most office space in the country shuttered for the past nearly three years now, these essential workers have no jobs for them to report to. Janitors aren't the only ones losing their livelihood: over 100 shuttle bus drivers contracted by We Drive You have also been laid off.

"Facebook is not only neglecting their working people, but also showing a lack of responsibility when it comes to hiring contractors and subcontractorsthis is not what leadership looks like," Silicon Valley Rising said. "Facebook cannot sit idly by while their contractor acts irresponsibly, and in opposition to its commitment to stand by its service workers and the larger Silicon Valley community."

Explore further Facebook sets reopening for Silicon Valley campuses

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Credit: Matthew Ansley via Unsplash

When datasets containing personal information are shared for research or used by companies, researchers try to disguise dataremoving the final one or two digits of a zip code, for examplewhile still preserving its utility for insight.

But while deidentification is often intended to satisfy legal requirements for data privacy, the most commonly used methods stand on shaky technical ground.

University of Chicago computer scientist Aloni Cohen deals the latest decisive blow against the most popular deidentification techniques in a new paper.

By describing a new kind of attack called "downcoding," and demonstrating the vulnerability of a deidentified data set from an online education platform, Cohen sends a warning that these data transformations should not be considered sufficient to protect individuals' privacy.

"Even by the regulatory standards, there's a problem here," said Cohen, an assistant professor of computer science.

Sounding the alarm

For years, computer science security and privacy researchers have sounded the alarm about the methods most often used to deidentify data, finding new attacks that can reidentify seemingly anonymized data points and proposing fixes. Yet these methods remain in common use, and held up as legally sufficient for fulfilling privacy-protection regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR.

"Policymakers care about real world risks instead of hypothetical risks," Cohen said. "So people have argued that the risks security and privacy researchers pointed out were hypothetical or very contrived."

While pursuing his Ph.D. at MIT, Cohen set out to disprove this argument. The most common deidentification methods stem from an approach called k-anonymity, which transforms data just enough to make each individual indistinguishable from a certain number of other individuals in the data set. Cohen's idea was that the very target of this deidentification method left it open to attack.

"The goal when you're doing that sort of technique is to redact as little as you need to guarantee a target level of anonymity," Cohen said. "But if you achieve that goal of redacting just as little as you need, then the fact that that's the minimum might tell you something about what was redacted."

Deidentification works by redacting quasi-identifiersinformation that can be put together with data from a second source to de-anonymize a data subject. Failing to account for all possible quasi-identifiers can lead to disclosures. In one famous example, researchers took deidentified Netflix viewing data and combined it with data from the online movie review site IMDB, identifying users in the first data set by when they logged reviews of the movies they had recently watched.

Since these discoveries in the 2000s, policymakers have relied on experts to determine which aspects of a dataset are quasi-identifiers or not, to establish the bar for anonymity. Cohen tested the extremeif every attribute is considered a quasi-identifier, do k-anonymity and its derivative techniques still work?

"If deidentification works at all, it should work when everything is quasi-identifying," Cohen said. "That's part of what makes this work powerful. It also means that the attacks work against almost all the techniques related to k-anonymity instead of any one specifically. The Netflix attack showed that it's hard to say what is and isn't a quasi-identifier. The downcoding attacks shows that, in certain settings, it doesn't much matter."

'Not a magic wand'

The paper describes two theoretical attacks and one real-world example that undermine the argument for these protections. The first, downcoding, reverse-engineers the transformations performed on the data, such as the zip code example mentioned earlier. The second attack uses downcoding for a predicate singling-out (PSO) attack, a specific type of attack against data anonymization standards under the European Union's privacy law GDPR. That proof was important to show policymakers that k-anonymity is not sufficient for "publish-and-forget" anonymization under GDPR, Cohen said.

"The argument we're making is against the idea that any of those techniques are sufficient to meet the legal bar of anonymization," Cohen said. "We're directly pushing back on that claim. Even by the regulatory standards, there's a problem here."

Cohen illustrated this insufficiency with a separate real-world demonstration on deidentified data from edX, the popular massively open online course (MOOC) platform. By combining the dataset with data scraped from resumes posted to LinkedIninformation that would be trivially available to potential employersCohen could identify people who started but failed to complete edX courses, a potential violation of FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. (edX was alerted to the flaw and has changed its data protections.)

The takeaway message, Cohen said, is that these deidentification methods are not a magic wand for waving away privacy concerns when sharing potentially sensitive data. He hopes that regulators will realize that a layered approach will be much more effective to achieve their goals.

"If what you want to do is take data, sanitize it, and then forget about itput it on the web or give it to some outside researchers and decide that all your privacy obligations are doneyou can't do that using these techniques," Cohen said. "They should not free you of your obligations to think about and protect the privacy of that data."

Explore further Not all privacy apps are created equal

More information: Aloni Cohen, Attacks on Deidentification's Defenses. Aloni Cohen, Attacks on Deidentification's Defenses. www.usenix.org/conference/usen  2/presentation/cohen
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A smartphone application that can utilize a device's idle time could reduce the computational and bandwidth loads for scientific research team members who have large amounts of project data to download from the cloud. Akshay Taywade and R. Sasikala of the School of Computer Science and Engineering at VIT University in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India, provided details in the International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology.

The processing power, data storage space, and battery life are commonly restrictive characteristics of most smartphones. As such, cloud computing systems are key to much scientific data management and manipulation. However, there are times when a scientist will inevitably need to draw down data from said cloud and that can quickly use up processing power and bandwidth as well as drain batteries. If this data drawdown conflicts with other critical smartphone use, then it becomes limiting. The team has developed an app with the simple name Power Save, which they suggest does just that.

Power Save works to coordinate essential downloads for any member of the scientific research team using the smartphone when it is otherwise idle. The app could find use in medicine, astronomy, geology, physics, and many other areas of scientific endeavor. The team points out that by utilizing a Wi-Fi connection power consumption can be greatly reduced when compared to 3G or 4G cellular data usage.

Explore further World's largest flow battery energy storage station connected to grid

More information: R. Sasikala et al, Processing power sharing using a gadget 'Power Save' for downloading scientific research projects, International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology (2022). R. Sasikala et al, Processing power sharing using a gadget 'Power Save' for downloading scientific research projects,(2022). DOI: 10.1504/IJIPT.2022.10051092
President Xi's letter delivered to China Corner of Malta school

Xinhua) 08:20, October 10, 2022

Martin Azzopardi, St. Margaret College Secondary School's science teacher who founded the school's China Corner, speaks at the letter delivery ceremony in Cospicua, Malta, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

VALLETTA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Teachers and students at St. Margaret College Secondary School in Cospicua said they are determined to nurture and carry on the great friendship between Malta and China.

They expressed the hope as Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai on Thursday officially delivered a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping in reply to teachers and students of the school's China Corner.

In the letter, Xi encouraged more Maltese youth to actively participate in people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Xi wished the China Corner even greater success in the future, and welcomed faculty members and students to China for exchanges and study.

The China Corner was founded in 2010 by Martin Azzopardi, a science teacher at the school, with the aim of bringing "China" to his classroom following his first visit to the country. The Maltese government, the Chinese Embassy in Malta and the China Cultural Centre in Malta provided him with a lot of support.

"I feel highly grateful. I cannot believe that the Chinese president found the time to read my letter and kindly replied to it personally. This again demonstrates the kindness and humbleness of the Chinese people. I will treasure this letter throughout my life," said Azzopardi.

In July, Azzopardi and his students wrote a letter to the Chinese president, expressing their best wishes for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malta and China. The letter elaborated on the colorful activities carried out by the China Corner, as well as the efforts it made to promote multicultural understanding and enhance the Malta-China friendship.

Maltese Education Minister Clifton Grima said at the delivery ceremony that the Chinese president places high value on the work of the China Corner, as education indeed serves as a gateway to knowing other countries' cultures and also a bridge for cultural exchanges between countries.

Hailing the achievements of Malta-China collaboration in the past 50 years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations, the minister encouraged the China Corner to work even harder in the future to make more contribution to the bilateral friendship.

Aimee Bugeja, a 15-year-old student, was among those writing the letter to Xi. "Having a China Corner in our school is an opportunity for students to open up to another culture and helps us understand the beauty of China," she said, deeming it also an opportunity to learn to "build bridges and not walls" between different countries and cultures.

The China Corner, deeply loved by students of St. Margaret College Secondary School, provides them with lectures and various activities on the traditional Chinese culture and technologies such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese ceramics, silk weaving, among others.

Joseph Ellul, head of the school, said the China Corner has brought students much closer to the beautiful and rich Chinese culture.

The China Corner and the Chinese language program of the school will "continue to promote the Chinese culture among our students and consolidate the friendship and understanding between the people of Malta and China, a relationship that has been steadily strengthened for the past 50 years," he said.

Xi's reply letter spoke highly of the active role the China Corner has played in enhancing Maltese young people's understanding about China and boosting the friendship between the two countries, Yu, the Chinese ambassador, said at the ceremony.

He voiced hope that the teachers and students will live up to Xi's wish and continue to serve as a bridge of cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The embassy stands ready to offer any assistance to the China Corner, especially on Chinese language teaching, he added.

Thursday's ceremony was "an encouraging moment for me and my students to keep on going," Azzopardi told Xinhua. "I hope students can inherit the friendship between Malta and China and continue to push it forward. The China Corner is a means to enhance the friendship between the two countries."

Ellul said he hoped teachers and students in his school will have the opportunity to go to China for study and visit in the future.

"China is a country that we wish to remain friends and build more projects together in the future," he said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming)
Almost 1,000 Bryan-College Station residents gathered Sunday afternoon to advocate for individuals with disabilities during the Down Syndrome Association of Brazos Valleys 19th Annual Dash for Down Syndrome at Wolf Pen Creek Park in College Station.

We need to live in an inclusive world. Everybody has value. Whether you have a disability, no matter what you look like, everybody is capable, Katy Foley a member of the association said Sunday. We are wearing shirts that say Never Forget How Capable You Are. That is our message to the community ... that our children and our family members with Down syndrome, are capable of doing anything else that a typical person can do. That is the driving force, we want them to be seen, to be valued and included.

Foley has an 8 year old son, Lincoln, who has Down syndrome and she said that these events are important to show families they have a community that supports them.

One thing that is wonderful when you have a child with Down syndrome is that there is already a community ready to embrace you. There are people who know who have walked your steps, so you have an immediate connection, she said. They become family to you and there is a lot of support for our members, the individuals with Down syndrome throughout their life and for their families as well.

Through events like Dash for Down Syndrome, Foley said they are able to raise funds for advocacy training, summer camps for members, holiday parties, festivals and socials for families to connect and resource. In 2019 they raised $100,000 and this year they have raised $30,000, she said.

This event is a way for us to celebrate our families with Down syndrome and to raise awareness about Trisomy 21, she said. One hundred percent of that money raised goes back to support our kids here in the community; none of it is outsourced.

Families and friends were treated to outside games, rides, bounce houses, face painting, food and more as they each came in teams to walk through Wolf Pen Creek Park in one large group. This years dash was to celebrate the 21st chromosome. Down syndrome is a genetic condition which is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition, according to the associations website.

It occurs in 1 out of every 691 births and affects people of all races and economic levels. Typically, babies receive 23 chromosomes from their mother and 23 from their father, the website states. A baby with Down syndrome, for unknown reasons, will have three copies of the 21st chromosome instead of two. That is why Down syndrome is also called Trisomy 21. Every cell will contain 47 instead of the typical 46 chromosomes.

Debbie Finke, mother to Foley, was there to celebrate her grandson Lincoln and enjoyed seeing how excited he was to participate in the awareness walk in the park.

We have been doing this for eight years and I have attended every buddy walk, except Lincolns first one, Finke recalled. What I see as a grandmother is that the Down Syndrome Association supports the families from the beginning when they are babies; and even if we get a member that is older, we just bring them in to the fold. And people that have children with special needs are able to help other people that are younger, so it is like passing the torch down. I think that helps everybody.

Finke said Lincoln communicates non-verbally and she can always see his excitement when he does his happy dance, which she said he was doing quite a bit of that day.

Nicole Parker of Bryan said she was there to support her family friend, Bode Rutledge, 18, of Bryan, who has Down syndrome.

Bode loves these events, she said. He gets involved in them every year, all the dances and anything that they do. And he won gold in the Special Olympics this year. He is such a smart, amazing kid.

Parker said this was her first year attending this fundraisers and she said she enjoyed how friendly everyone was.

It has been a lot of fun seeing all of these kids hang out together, she said. Events like this help give awareness to the cause. A lot of people know about it, but having events like this you can actually get out and interact with all of the kids and young adults. It is a great cause.

Parker said she was also celebrating Rutledge starting a new job in College Station.

These kids will grow up and be perfectly functioning adults in the community, she said.

Foley said volunteers are always needed at the Down Syndrome Association of Brazos Valley.

To sign up to volunteer or donate, visit dsabv.org.
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A new piece of research has detailed the increasingly sophisticated nature of the malware toolset employed by an advanced persistent threat (APT) group named Earth Aughisky.

"Over the last decade, the group has continued to make adjustments in the tools and malware deployments on specific targets located in Taiwan and, more recently, Japan," Trend Micro disclosed in a technical profile last week.

Earth Aughisky, also known as Taidoor, is a cyber espionage group that's known for its ability to abuse legitimate accounts, software, applications, and other weaknesses in the network design and infrastructure for its own ends.

While the Chinese threat actor has been known to primarily target organizations in Taiwan, victimology patterns observed towards late 2017 indicate an expansion to Japan.

The most commonly targeted industry verticals include government, telcom, manufacturing, heavy, technology, transportation, and healthcare.

Attack chains mounted by the group typically leverage spear-phishing as a method of entry, using it to deploy next-stage backdoors. Chief among its tools is a remote access trojan called Taidoor (aka Roudan).

The group has also been linked to a variety of malware families, such as GrubbyRAT, K4RAT, LuckDLL, Serkdes, Taikite, and Taleret, as part of its attempts to consistently update its arsenal to evade security software.

Some of the other notable backdoors employed by Earth Aughisky over the years are as follows -

SiyBot, a basic backdoor that uses public services like Gubb and 30 Boxes for command-and-control (C2)

TWTRAT, which abuses Twitter's direct message feature for C2

DropNetClient (aka Buxzop), which leverages the Dropbox API for C2

Trend Micro's attribution of the malware strains to the threat actor is based on the similarities in source code, domains, and naming conventions, with the analysis also uncovering functional overlaps between them.

The cybersecurity firm also linked the activities of Earth Aughisky to another APT actor codenamed by Airbus as Pitty Tiger (aka APT24) owing to the use of the same dropper in various attacks that transpired between April and August 2014.

2017, the year when the group set its sights on Japan and Southeast Asia, has also been an inflection point in the way the volume of the attacks has exhibited a significant decline since then.

Despite the longevity of the threat actor, the recent shift in targets and activities likely suggests a change in strategic objectives or that the group is actively revamping its malware and infrastructure.

"Groups like Earth Aughisky have sufficient resources at their disposal that allow them the flexibility to match their arsenal for long-term implementations of cyber espionage," Trend Micro researcher CH Lei said.

"Organizations should consider this observed downtime from this group's attacks as a period for preparation and vigilance for when it becomes active again."
Veteran Roofing of Grand Island is on a mission.

According to the companys founder, John Larson, our mission is to provide the best quality roofing and siding services in Grand Island, Kearney and Hastings, while also supporting veterans.

Larson has a long history of service and patriotism. He spent 11 years in the Army Reserves, served in the Gulf War, and holds memberships to the American Legion, VFW, Elks, and Patriot Guard Riders.

His service to his country, combined with more than 15 years of insurance adjusting experience and eight years of construction/storm damage restoration experience, brought a depth of knowledge when starting his company.

Larson said he started the company  formerly Veterans 4 Veterans Construction, Inc.    with the hope of being able to give financial aid to veteran causes and charities from work that already needs to be done because of storm activity.

Weve helped out numerous veterans in a lot of different ways, Larson said. We work to get them into a better housing situation.

Veteran Roofing is a family-oriented company. While John is retired, his son Chris Larson is now operating the company.

Chris Larson said he started out doing bookkeeping for his fathers business several years ago.

It just kind of grew into more, doing more with the business and helping out more, and eventually, he said, I just took it over to take the weight off my dad.

According to Veteran Roofing, Your roof is the first line of defense from mother nature. Keeping it maintained or repaired after a storm is critical to your home.

As a veteran, John Larson said he understood how important it is for veterans to take care of one another.

He said that is why the company donates to veteran causes and charities with a portion of its profits.

Among the veteran causes Veteran Roofing donates to are:

Veterans of Foreign Wars

American Legion

Chris Kyle Frog Foundation

War Horses for Veterans

Move America Forward

American Legion Riders Chapter 53

Quilts of Valor

Honor Flights

Grand Island Veteran Cemetery Expansion

Nance County Veterans Memorial Expansion Paralyzed

Veterans of America

Disabled American Veterans

Various Local Fundraisers

We take a portion of our profits and donate them to other veteran nonprofits that are doing good things in their specific areas of expertise, Chris Larson said.

Veteran Roofing is a roofing and siding company. It has been serving the Grand Island and entire Tri-City area for seven years.

The company specializes in roofing, siding, and gutter work, including new installations, repair work, and routine maintenance.

Chris Larson said exterior components are some of the most important features in the home or business, protecting it from weather, temperature fluctuations, moisture damage, and pests.

When we are called out to a job, we do all we can to make sure that these items look great and function properly, he said.

Among the main roofing, siding and gutter services Veteran Roofing provides, are:

Roof inspections

Roof repairs

Storm damage repair

New roof installation

Siding installation

Siding repair

Eave, trim, fascia and soffit repair

Gutter installation

Gutter maintenance

Larson said his father spent 15 years working as an insurance adjuster prior to starting Veteran Roofing. That experience, he said, brings an understanding of how the insurance system works and can help veterans with their repair needs.

As soon as your home or business is damaged, call us to do an assessment, Larson said. We can give you an accurate description of the damages and provide it to the insurance company on your behalf. We will be honest so that you get the best possible payout. In many cases of natural disasters, a majority of your labor and material fees can be covered.

Larson said he wants to grow the company and serve veterans throughout Nebraska and in other states.

We get a lot of customer requests and referrals because of their mission to work with veterans on their home repair needs, he said. Veterans have a certain comfort level in working with other veterans and so that does bring us in contact with more veterans. We are a veteran-based company, rather than just a solely roofing-based company.

Our motto of Supporting All to Support Veterans, reminds people we dont only work for veterans.

Veteran Roofing is located at 2700 S. North Road, Unit 1, in Grand Island. For more information, call 308-675-3063 or visit www.veteranroofingne.com.
YORK  Recently, 205 fourth graders took a one-day field trip to the York County Fairgrounds for the annual Ag Fest hosted by the Nebraska Extension in York and Polk County.

The schools attending this years event were York Elementary School, Emmanuel-Faith Lutheran, Osceola, Heartland, St. Joseph Catholic School, Cross County and Shelby Rising City.

Extension Assistant Amanda Hackenkamp said, The main objective of Ag Fest is education and interaction with agriculture. Tanya (Crawford) and I keep a wide range of topics available for sessions to help try and expose the youth to common areas of agriculture they may come across in their communities and those that are prevalent in the state of Nebraska. They bring industry speakers to provide as much farm-to-table knowledge as possible. 

The day consisted of 30-minute sessions where students learned a variety of ag-related topics such as ag technology, swine and poultry, ag by-products, food science, ag production and dairy. Students learned about the beef industry and the rumen animal digestive system through Husker Mobile Beef Lab.

Students also played ag bingo, made their own ice cream, climbed into a combine provided by AKRS Equipment, and made smoothies.

By allowing the youth to interact with the subject areas, for example, making smoothies, seeing live animals, or interacting with the mobile beef lab, it helps strengthen the knowledge on the topics and makes it more real to the youth, said Hackenkamp. If they can see it, touch it, or taste it, they can solidify those connections that we are trying to make.

In addition to all of the activities, there was a special visitor in the house, Thomas Peace who is the international sales manager for Preferred Popcorn. Peace educated the students on what careers are made available in the ag industry. He also talked about the importance of the popcorn industry in Nebraska.

Extension Assistant Colleen Pallas from Polk County said, We were so excited to have him and have him share his knowledge of popcorn production in Nebraska. He was able to feed the fourth graders the energy they needed to stay excited to learn about Nebraska agricultural throughout the entire day.

Hackenkamp said fourth grade is the perfect grade to start educating students about agriculture because they are beginning to become more aware of what they consume.

It is important for the youth to learn about agriculture because they use it all the time, even when they dont realize it, said Hackenkamp. Agriculture is the number one industry in the state of Nebraska, likely, these youth have seen a tractor, or an animal, or learned about farmers through books.

Pallas said, Fourth grade is also the year the students focus on learning more about Nebraska, so we felt this age was perfect to expose them to Nebraska agriculture.

Students had a taste of fresh products at lunch thanks to the York Hamilton County Beef Producers, Nuttelman Dairy, York County Corn Growers and Grand Central Foods.
BEIRUT  President Michel Aoun said Monday that the "indirect negotiations" with Israel on the demarcation of the southern maritime border "have already gone a long way," a few days after Israel rejected amendments suggested by the Lebanese authorities to a US resolution proposal.



Aoun stated during a Monday meeting with the Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia, Raphael Bedros, that Lebanon is set to complete all arrangements related to the maritime negotiations in the coming days. "The gaps discussed during last week have narrowed," he added.

According to Aoun, reaching an agreement on the demarcation of the borders is the start of the process of exploration for oil and gas in the Lebanese fields located within the exclusive economic zone, which will achieve the beginning of a new impetus for the process of economic revival."

For its part, the Amal Movement, headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, said in a statement Monday that it supports the unity of the Lebanese position [on the border demarcation] in preventing Israel from stealing Lebanon's rights and its wealth.

Berri was the sponsor of the agreement on the framework for maritime border talks in 2020.

On Thursday, Israel rejected Beirut's amendments to the draft agreement proposed by the US emissary Amos Hochstein. This setback seemed to dampen hopes that an agreement will be reached before the end of Lebanese President Michel Aoun's term on Oct. 31, but Sunday evening, the Lebanese Presidency's Twitter account announced that a new "final version" of the proposa will be sent by mediator Hochstein to Lebanon "in the coming hours."
The Natrona Collective Health Trust has given a $350,000 grant to the Wyoming Community Foundation to help counter the effects of COVID-19 in Natrona County.

The trust recognized a need to support the community as we were dealing with the impacts of COVID-19, the groups CEO Meredith Benton said in a statement. The trust, which is a new organization, was just beginning to to establish its grantmaking structures to get funding out the door, the foundation said in a press release.

It reached out to the foundation for temporary support, and from there, the grant was given.

The foundation then turned to the community: How to best distribute the funds, they asked? What is needed most? What can wait, and what cant?

We reached out to a number of folks in April who we hope could provide us with a wide range of insightsfor example, someone who had been at the school district, someone who works with kids outside of school, a doctor, a nurse and a person from the county who could share the rural perspective. We set up Zoom calls with each, Director of Programs Micah Richardson said in an email to the Star-Tribune.

The interviews helped them narrow down three specific needs to which the grant funds could address: the residual mental health effects of the pandemic (especially young adults, the release notes), a support group for those who have long COVID and providing COVID-19 resources to help educate the community and distribute vaccines.

The foundation granted dollars to three organizations: Grace for Two Brothers, Vital Cog and Natrona County Suicide Prevention to provide suicide awareness and prevention trainings in Natrona County.

WYCF will be distributing the funds over three years to support longer-term programming, Richardson said in an email. The first years funding is $44,500, and the next two years funding will be $38,000.

Additionally, two speakers  Emma Benoit and Kevin Hines  who attempted to take their own lives will be visiting to speak publicly. Richardson said that while they are going to come, theyre still nailing down those details, such as when and where. The foundation will announce more information when the group has it, she said.

The long COVID support group meets twice a month both via Zoom and in person. Funding has been used to establish a support group which provides participants with access to physical therapists, occupational therapists, mental health professionals and medical doctors, the release says.

In an email to the Star-Tribune, Richardson gave a chart depicting how much money had gone to each of the three initiatives. The chart noted that $65,300 had gone to fund the support group.

The suicide prevention speakers had $26,994 allotted in their portion of the chart.

The last initiative  providing resources for COVID-19  had received $87,000 to support a nursing position and/or support increasing vaccination and COVID related work in Natrona County for one year.

To efficiently distribute new vaccines, provide education about vaccines to the public, and to provide supports when spikes occur, dollars were distributed to support Natrona County Public Health to support a nursing position, provide incentives, and create educational materials about the pandemic, the release says.

We all know the pandemic has created stress and hardships in our community, said Vickery Fales Hall, director of donor relations at the foundation, in the press release. We hope that these resources will help ease some of the burden and continue to support the efforts needed to keep our community safe.
Three new charters schools approved by a state board last month will cost Wyoming an extra $14 million next school year, according to an estimate from the Legislative Service Office. Much of that cost is attributed to a statute that obligates the state to provide double the normal amount of funding to charter schools for their first year.

This year was the first time the State Loan and Investment Board approved charter contracts, following 2021 legislation that gave it authority to do so. Previously, only local school districts could grant charters.

Some lawmakers on the Joint Education Committee, however, appeared taken aback by the resulting price tag.

I dont think there was any footnote on that bill that its 14 million bucks, Casper Republican Rep. Steve Harshman, who voted in favor of the 2021 bill, said. I think wed all pause a little more.

The three schools that successfully applied for charters through the state board  Cheyenne Classical Academy, Caspers Wyoming Classical Academy and Chugwaters Prairie View Community School  are slated to open in fall 2023. Anticipated enrollment is about 400 students for the two classical academies in Casper and Cheyenne and roughly 80 students for Prairie View Community School.

Much of the Legislative Service Offices estimated cost is attributed to the fact that, during a charter schools first year, the state actually has to fund it as if it has double the number of enrolled students.

So, for example, if the school has 100 students, the state will give it money equal to the normal funding amount for a school with 200 students. The idea is that the extra funding will help with startup costs.

The requirement is written in state statute, and it only applies to charter schools that arent started by a school districts. All three of the new charter schools fall under that category since they were approved by the State Loan and Investment Board.

The Legislative Service Office also assumed in its cost estimate that 50% of the new students in Cheyenne Classical Academy and Caspers Wyoming Classical Academy, as well as 10% of the students in Chugwaters Prairie View Community School, will be students who werent previously enrolled in those school districts. That means the state will be paying for more students.

Laramie Democrat Rep. Chris Rothfuss, who opposed the charter school bill, said cost was something lawmakers should have examined in more depth before passing the new legislation.

I know that there will be a lot more discussion about a desire to have more of these schools, and I think it would be beneficial for us to actually understand the financial implications of opening addition charter schools, he said.
CHEYENNE (WNE)  Advocacy organizations representing Jews and Muslims have criticized the recent distribution of baggies containing anti-Semitic falsehoods at Cheyenne residences.

Last week, the Council on American Islamic Relations issued a statement by email and online. The Anti-Defamation Leagues regional organization likewise commented.

CAIR, which describes itself as the nations largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, noted in its news release that bags containing the hate material were left near homes in Cheyenne, including the homes of a state lawmaker and a journalist.

The legislator is Rep. Jared Olsen, R-Cheyenne, while a journalist-columnist for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle had also received the Ziploc-like bag. It contained double-sided text with photos printed on it, and small objects like stones or seeds inside the bag.

Those targeting the Jewish community with antisemitic hate must be repudiated by all Americans, said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, in the newly issued written announcement. The mainstreaming of bigotry in any form must never be tolerated or excused.

The ADL for Wyoming and states including Colorado says that it condemns the hateful, anti-Semitic fliers distributed in Cheyenne. We commend community members for speaking up and clearly stating that hate is not a Wyoming value.

The ADL says that other places, including in Colorado, had previously received fliers similar to those delivered to the homes of residents of Cheyenne.

While CAIR does not have a chapter of its own in Wyoming, it found out about the incident here through its daily news monitoring, its spokesperson told the WTE.

These types of antisemitic materials vary from location to location, Hooper wrote in an email responding to questions. But they all promote a similar message of hate.
A small, ramshackle cabin tucked into the timber above Cooke City, Montana, became a sentimental link for Fred Woody decades ago, eventually sending him on a prospecting journey to mine local history.

Im not a historian, but I love a good story, he told a gathering at the Montana Historical Societys 49th annual history conference, at Rock Creek Lodge.

Woodys story, which he hopes to turn into a true life novel, centers around a Bavarian-born emigrant to America named Adam Horn Miller. During his lifetime, Miller worked as a trapper, bullwhacker, prospector, guide for Gen. Howard during his pursuit of the Nez Perce and was a renowned bare-knuckle fighter. Because of this, Woody has dubbed Miller Montanas toughest citizen.

Prospecting

In one of his many adventures that proved to be life changing, in 1870 Miller set out with four other men to prospect for gold in the Beartooth Mountains of southwestern Montana near what is now Cooke City. The group believed that fellow prospectors, Jack Crandall and Fin Dougherty, had discovered gold somewhere along the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River the previous year. They couldnt be certain, however, because both men were killed and beheaded by Native Americans.

After weeks of working their way south through the Paradise Valley, into what would become Yellowstone National Park, and then back northeast, the travelers were getting on each others nerves.

So now they kept having more and more issues, with buffalo charges, mosquitoes, flies, ants, Woody said. The journal (kept by prospector A.B. Henderson) is full of things about why this is such a miserable trip. Weather, deep snow, all those things.

Abundance

Luck finally smiled on the men when Miller and his compatriots struck gold near Lake Abundance and the headwaters of the Stillwater River.

Here we found the first gold on the trip  gold in every gulch and sag, Henderson wrote on July 2, 1870. His journal would later be published as: Narrative of a prospecting expedition to the East Fork & Clark Fork of Yellowstone.

Finally, Miller was at the leading edge of a gold strike rather than following on the heels of gold camps in other places he had wandered  including Colorado, California and Montana.

At the time of the discovery, the mining district was still part of the Crow Indian Reservation. Mining was banned until 1882, when the reservations size was substantially reduced. Yet even before then, Miller and his partners staked claims and small-scale mining began.

Attacked

Despite discovering gold near Lake Abundance on the 1870 trip, Miller and his compatriots continued to explore the region, traveling down and naming Soda Butte Creek, and then moving up the Lamar River and over the mountains to an area near the headwaters of the Little Lamar, Sunlight Creek and the North Fork Shoshone River, which back then was called the Stinkingwater River. The trip went sour when the party was attacked by Native Americans who stole all of their horses.

Rather than leave any of their gear behind that could benefit the warriors, the men destroyed most of the equipment and provisions like coffee, sugar and flour.

So they spent the night sharpening their knives and slicing everything into shreds, Woody said. Any meat they had they poisoned. They destroyed their saddles, all of their equipment.

Among the items left behind on Aug. 1, 1870, were 25 pounds of ammunition, 21 traps and 27 bear skins, according to Hendersons journal.

The area must have been thick with bears for them to acquire so many pelts. Earlier in the trip, Henderson wrote of killing an old she bear and three cubs after a severe fight near Lake Abundance. Later the same day, he and his partner killed another bear that proved to be the largest ever shot in the mountains, weight of 960 pounds. In the next two days, the party killed seven more bears.

Trek

After destroying what gear they could, the men attempted to pack out the rest of their provisions, hiking the many miles back to Fort Parker, which was located along the Yellowstone River, east of present-day Livingston. This adventure may rank as the first Caucasian backpacking trip in Yellowstone and the Beartooth Mountains. Henderson wrote that initially, their packs were so heavy they had to stop every few hundred yards to catch their breath and rest. One section was so steep they used knives to cut foot holds.

They started dropping stuff as they went, because it was just too heavy, the going was too hard, it was too steep. They had ropes. They had to mountaineer, Woody said. It was rough going.

The men trekked down the Lamar River, turning up Slough Creek and then crossing over to Buffalo Creek in their hike across the Beartooth Mountains.

One night they were attacked by wolves, Woody said. Another night, their camp was invaded by Indians who had been trying to follow them, figure out where theyd gone. So they had to crawl up into the wild and hide. But Miller noticed that one of the invaders was wearing a hat that he was absolutely sure was Crandalls hat, and he wanted to fight him. Henderson interceded, avoiding further conflict and the possible decapitation of more miners.

Covering 10 to 15 miles a day, they eventually dropped into the head of the Boulder River drainage where, even on Aug. 9, there was deep snow.

Return

Twelve days after setting out on foot, the men finally reached Fort Parker, a journey estimated at 200 miles across mountainous terrain with 9,000 feet of elevation gain.

Arrived at the Agency at night  completely wore out, Henderson wrote.

In that final day he estimated they had walked 25 miles.

Miller, meanwhile, started recruiting guys to immediately go back, Woody said. He got five more guys to agree to go with him. Just a couple of weeks later, eight men with horses and supplies and new Springfield rifles went back the exit path the way theyd come.

Miller staked out his first paying claim that September, digging a 30-foot adit into the mountain mostly by himself, Woody said. Out of all the people who had anything to do with the creation of the New World Mining District, Miller was the only one who stuck around, living and working in the region for 47 years. In 1888, the Bozeman Weekly Chronicle announced his recent visit, calling him one of the oldest of the old timers.

Amazingly, the story about Millers prospecting and backpacking trip is just one of many wild adventures he took part in. To honor that pioneer heritage, his name is attached to a barren 10,000-foot peak overlooking his cabin and Cooke City. Also, sinuous Miller Creek in Yellowstone National Park flows for roughly 12 miles before joining the upper Lamar River, not far from where the prospectors began their long hike.

Miller died on Feb. 10, 1917. His age was variously reported in newspaper obituaries ranging from 77 to 90. According to the Butte Miner he died after a lingering illness. A news story a few days later in the Miner said he collapsed while chopping wood before succumbing to pneumonia. The deceased was recognized as one of the finest type of pioneer citizens that Montana boasts of and his demise is generally regretted in this section, where he was known to everybody.

Just four months before his death, Miller started a new placer claim and moved tons of rock, Woody said.

So Horn Miller, toughest man? Maybe, he said. Stubborn, for damn sure.
DESPITE the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) is set to regain its 2019 profitability.

So said chairman and chief executive officer of the board, Jose S Suquet, at the companys tenth anniversary celebration of its establishment in the Caribbean, at the Hyatt Regency hotel, last week.
All murders are tragic but the killing of a child is in a category of its own.
For $10, you can sample 10 wildly different chilis from 10 local restaurants at Jonathans Corks Fun Chili Cook-off on Saturday, Oct. 15.

This long-time fund-

raiser at the east-side restaurant, 6320 E. Tanque Verde Road, helps send local boys and girls to overnight summer camp through the Arizona Daily Star Sportsmens Fund Send a Kid to Camp program.

Local restaurants will donate their best chili  most imagined specifically for the event  for the public to sample and judge from noon to 2 p.m., or until the last spoon is licked clean.

Restaurants participating include Jonathans Cork, The Barnyard, Casino Del Sol, Eclectic Cafe, Roccos Little Chicago, Noble Hops, Mamas Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue, Saddlehorn Saloon, Wild Garlic Grill and Brushfire BBQ Co.

In addition to chili while it lasts, raffle tickets will be sold for dozens of donated prizes, including Arizona Lottery scratchers and a grand prize of a 75-inch television from Tucson Appliance.

The Send a Kid to Camp program raises money so economically disadvantaged kids and children from military families can go to YMCA, Boy Scout and Girl Scout camps and Camp Tatiyee, for school-age children and older teens with special needs, for little or no money.

The chili cook-off, now in its 18th year, has raised $237,130 for the Sportsmens Fund Send a Kid to Camp program since 2004.

For more information about the Chili Cook-off, call Jonathans Cork at 520-296-1631.

For information about the Arizona Daily Stars Sportsmens Fund Send A Kid to Camp program, contact Debbie Kornmiller at debbiekornmiller@gmail.com or call 520-954-3139.

Chili Cook-off sponsors include Lang Family Trust, Wrinkleneck International, Ashton Family Foundation, Mike and Leslie Gross, Brakemasters, Silvey family, Dwight and Elaine Babcock (AgedNaturalBeef.com), YMCA, Pat Jessup, Becci Camp and David Syre, Dusty Jackets Books, Fairibault Foods, George Hyde, Maureen Brooks, Nova Home Loans, Tuller Trophy, Allegra-Image 360, Hensley Beverage Company and Tucson Appliance.
Because Cornish hens are so petite, it means they are the perfect bird to air-fry whole. Thanks to the short cooking time (a smaller size hen will only take around 35 minutes!), the meat stays juicy while the skin gets nice and crispy. Each serving is one whole hen per person, which means its perfect for dinner parties. Its also a quick and easy Thanksgiving turkey substitute if youre thinking of a low-key celebration. Bonus for any scenario: No carving required!

What are Cornish hens?

Cornish hens, also known as Rock Cornish game hens or Cornish game hens, are not actually game birds, nor are they all females! The name is given to a chicken that has been slaughtered at a younger age than the average chicken, which means they can weigh as little as one pound and are usually never more than about two pounds.

A few tips

Heat your air fryer for 10 minutes. After experimenting with different temperatures, I found air frying at 380 F in a preheated air fryer gave the best results, turning the skin a deep golden-brown without drying out the interior.

Adjust the cook time according to size. As the sizes of Cornish hens can differ from 1 to 2 pounds, the smaller size hen will only take around 35 minutes to air fry. If you air-fry a 2-pound Cornish hen, it can take up to 40 minutes. For larger hens, start checking the internal temperature at 35 minutes in the thickest part of the thigh.

A hack for repairing a tear in the skin covering the breast

Some Cornish hens are sold frozen or defrosted, which can damage the delicate breast skin. Some are even sold with tears. To fix this, thereby preventing the meat from drying out, pull the skin over the exposed area and use a toothpick to secure the skin in place. Or pull the skin over the exposed area and then cover the hen with a slice of bacon, securing the bacon in place with a toothpick under the hen. No tear? This recipe gives you the option to add the bacon regardless. Because, why not?

Air Fryer Cornish Hen

Serves 2 to 4

2 (1 to 1 1/4-pound) Cornish hens

1/2 small lemon

2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or 1/2 teaspoon ground sage plus 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 slices bacon (optional)

1. Pat two Cornish hens dry with paper towels, including behind the wings, legs, and inside the cavity. Place on a wire rack fitted over a large plate. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight to dry the exterior and help create crispy skin.

2. Heat an air fryer to 380 F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the following: Cut 1/2 small lemon in half again to create 2 quarters and remove any visible seeds. Cut 1 of the large rosemary sprigs in half crosswise. Place 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl and stir to combine.

3. Pat the Cornish hens dry again with paper towels. Rub 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on each hen, including the underside, wings, and thighs. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the spice mixture inside each the cavity of each hen. Sprinkle the outside of the hens with the remaining spice mixture, liberally rubbing the spices into the oil to create an even coating so that there are no spice clumps, which will burn in the air fryer. Place 1 lemon quarter and half a rosemary sprig inside each cavity. Wrap 1 slice bacon lengthwise over the center of each hen, and secure with a toothpick underneath, if using.

4. Brush the air fryer basket with a very thin layer of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, reserving the rest. Carefully place both hens in the air fryer basket breast-side down. If you have a small basket, alternate the direction of the hens, so they face each other to ensure they snugly fit in the basket. You may need to use tongs to arrange the hens in the basket. Drizzle any remaining olive oil over both hens.

5. Air fry for 20 minutes. Flip the hens and continue air frying until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 F in the thickest part of the thigh, 15 to 20 minutes more. Meanwhile, pick the leaves from the remaining large rosemary sprig and finely chop until you have about 1 teaspoon.

6. Transfer the Cornish hens from the air fryer with tongs to a large plate or clean cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Discard any toothpicks and garnish with the chopped rosemary. Remove the lemon wedge from the cavity with a fork and carefully squeeze the juice over the Cornish hen if desired.

Recipe notes

Cornish hens can range from 1 pound to 2 pounds; for air frying, the smaller size (1 to 1 1/4 pounds) is better, as you can fit two hens in the basket. If you can only get the larger 2-pound Cornish hens (which can be shared between two people), the cooking time will be longer if cooking two larger hens at once (if they can fit in your basket). Start checking the internal temperature after 30 minutes. If you have an air fryer with a small basket, you may only be able to fit one 2-pound hen in at once.

To serve a larger 2-pound hen to share, use kitchen shears to cut each hen in half down the breast bone and along the backbone.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
William A. Clark, established a solid copper mining operation at the United Verde Mine with smelters onsite at Jerome and later Clarkdale.

Mining accelerated in the Verde Mining District as the area also attracted other mining ventures, including the development of the United Verde Extension Mine (UVX), which began with George W. Hull who organized the United Verde Extension Mining Co. in 1894.

Hull, a resident of Jerome since 1883, sought to capitalize on possible extensions of the United Verde ore body adjacent to the United Verde Copper Mine holdings. He purchased claims west, south and east of Clarks property through the financial support of Louis Whicher, a New York broker. One of these included the Little Daisy Claim east of the United Verde Mine patented in 1901. The mine was located below the Big Hole or United Verde Mine.

The United Verde Extension Gold, Silver and Copper Mining Co. was subsequently formed, followed by a decade of exploration costing $500,000 that revealed weakly mineralized host rocks and small ore pockets. By 1912, after an investment of $500,000, only a few streaks of ore were discovered and mining operations suspended.

Major Andrew Jackson Pickrell, one of the propertys investors convinced James S. Douglas (known as Rawhide Jimmy), son of Dr. James Douglas (Phelps Dodge Co.), along with George E. Tener of Pittsburgh to invest in the Little Daisy Claim. With $300,000, capital development resumed.

The UVX, a separate distinct deposit that originally was thought to have been the faulted-off apex of the larger United Verde deposit, was discovered in 1914. Geologists later determined that it was a separate volcanogenic ore body. By 1916, 15% copper ore was struck at the 1,400-foot level. Preparations were made to exploit the deposit and, in 1918, a smelter was built one mile south of Cottonwood at Verde, later christened Clemenceau to process ore at the U.V.X.

The UVX Mine, while only one-tenth the size of the United Verde Mine, continued to produce until the ore body was exhausted in 1938. Declining ore production necessitated the closure of the Clemenceau smelter the year prior. The U.V.X. production of high grade copper ore accounted for over 20% of the total copper production in the Verde Mining District. James Douglas amassed $42 million in dividends at the culmination of the venture.

Another mining venture not as successful was undertaken by the Haynes Copper Co. in 1907, involving the Haynes massive sulfide deposit half a mile northwest of the United Verde Mine. This deposit separated by gabbro, an igneous rock formed by slow cooling magma, was originally part of the United Verde ore body. Beginning with a three-compartment shaft sunk to 1,200 feet, including numerous drifts and cross-cuts along with other exploration attempts involving diamond drilling at the 3,700 foot level by the 1930s, produced no significant ore.

During Clarks 47-year ownership of the United Verde Mine, production included over 20 million tons of ore mined with a recovery of over 2 billion pounds of copper, 900,000 ounces of gold and 33 million ounces of silver. Dividends included $102 million of which Clark and his heirs owned 95% of shares. Phelps Dodge Corp. acquired the United Verde Mine from William Clarks heirs in 1935. Decline in open pit operations followed due to reduced ore values. Open Pit mining ceased in 1940 after 41.8 million tons of material was extracted. Underground mining replaced open pit mining until operations ended at Jerome on March 23, 1953. The United Verde Mine produced over two- and three-quarter billion pounds of copper coupled with gold and silver production valued at $475 million. The UVX Mine is credited with over three-quarters of a billion pounds of copper with gold and silver production at $125 million.

Small scale mining operations continued in the area through the early 1990s. From 1954 to 1975, the Big Hole Mining Co. leased the Big Pit at the United Verde Mine from Phelps Dodge, extracting 206,777 tons of ore from small copper veins. Shipment was trucked to Clarkdale, then by rail for processing at the Douglas smelter. Recovery figures included 25.3 million pounds of copper, nearly 2,900 ounces of gold and 200,000 ounces of silver.

Additional mining occurred at the UVX involving underground exploration and development conducted by the A.F. Budge Mining Ltd. from 1989 to 1992. Recovery from 76,000 tons of ore including gold-bearing siliceous flux amounted to 21,000 ounces of gold and 174,000 ounces of silver.

At 50 tons per day, a silica-rich flux, containing 0.1 to 0.25 oz. Au/ton, was delivered by truck to railhead at Clarkdale for shipment to the Phelps Dodge's Hidalgo smelter in New Mexico. This operation was terminated in late 1992 after recovering approximately 21,000 ounces of gold and 174,000 ounces of silver from about 76,000 tons of ore.

Today, Jeromes economy is based upon tourism capitalizing on its mining history and the towns unique geological topography which may again see resurgence in mining should the discovery of another mineral deposit prove profitable.

Sources Briggs, D.F., 2018, History of the Verde Mining District, Jerome, Arizona. Arizona Geological Survey Contributed Report CR-18-D, 85 p. Brogdon, J. C., 1952, The History of Jerome, Arizona: M.A. Thesis, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 161 p. E.M.J. Alenius. A Brief History of the United Verde Open Pit, Jerome, Arizona. Arizona Bureau of Mines Bulletin 178, Tucson, University of Arizona, 1968. McClintock, James H. Arizona, Prehistoric, Aboriginal, Pioneer, Modern, Vols. 1. Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1916. Tuck, F.J., 1957, Stories of Arizona copper mines - The big low-grades and the bonanzas: Arizona Department of Mineral Resources, 77 p. Wahmann, R. (1982). A Centennial Commemorative: United Verde Copper Company, 1882-1982. The Journal of Arizona History, 23(3), 249266. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41695671
Faculty representatives have filed two new complaints with Pima Community Colleges accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, over the past few days.

The complaints include allegations of a serious policy violation impacting faculty and staff classification and compensation, as well as harassment, intimidation, and retaliation against employees who have expressed criticism of the college.

These new complaints from a portion of the faculty come more than a year after William Ward, an ex-senior facilities administrator, filed a complaint alleging that the PCC Governing Board is not autonomous to make decisions in the best interest of the institution in compliance with board policies and to ensure the institutions integrity.

In March, an accreditation team made a focused visit to campus to investigate that claim. The college is expected to make that report public Tuesday.

In a statement to the Arizona Daily Star on Monday about these two new faculty-driven complaints, a spokesman for PCC said it is the colleges practice not to comment on complaints sent to the Higher Learning Commission until the HLC issues a final determination, as many facts contained in an initial letter can be inaccurate or unsupported by evidence.

For now, it is up to the Higher Learning Commission to determine the merits of these new allegations, which are briefly outlined in the two complaints obtained by the Star.

Faculty input?

In June of this year, the board approved a new employee classification and pay structure, which includes paying adjunct instructors more money the more years theyve taught at PCC and setting the colleges minimum wage at $16.50 an hour.

But, according to a complaint the All Employee Representative Council  thats a group made up of employee representatives from all job classifications at the college, which is charged with advising employee policy  filed with the HLC Friday, the groups input was not properly considered, as required by the colleges administrative procedure, before the board voted to update the employee pay structure.

The PCC Faculty Senate endorsed the complaint in a 30-0 vote (with one abstention) Friday afternoon.

In response to those allegations, a PCC spokesperson said administration met with various faculty and employee groups, which include the AERC, about the employee pay structure more than 100 times before the board passed the new policy.

But according to the faculty members who filed the complaint, at the June 8 board meeting in which the new policy passed, public comment was moved to the end, and voting occurred before the board could hear from employees. In so doing, the complaint further argues, the college violated its accreditors requirement that shared governance engages its internal constituencies  including its governing board, administration, faculty, staff and students  through planning, policies and procedures.

Makyla Hays, a faculty member in the mathematics department and co-chair of the AERC, personally endorsed the complaint.

We were assured for two years straight that nothing would become final without our say, Hays said. And while there are some things about the final policy she and other faculty members would have done differently, the issue, she said, isnt necessarily the result, it is the process by which the policy was implemented.

Harassment, intimidation, retaliation

Additionally, Hays is also president of Pima Community College Education Association, which is an affiliate of the Arizona Education Association that represents some full-time faculty at the college. Over the weekend, the groups 13-member executive board voted to endorse a second complaint and subsequently sent it to the HLC.

This second complaint stems from the groups allegations that the college violated HLC bylaws by creating fear and hopelessness, including harassment, intimidation, and retaliation against employees who have expressed criticism of the college, according to a news release issued by PCEA Monday.

In addition to allegations that faculty faced backlash for speaking up about the perceived problems with implementing the new employee classification and compensation structure, the complaint also says some faculty faced backlash after voicing concerns about significant efforts on behalf of PCC to stall and conceal information about the content and even receipt of the draft report from the HLC visit in March 2022 regarding board governance.

The complaint explains that faculty filed formal grievances with the colleges Office of Dispute Resolution in both instances, but that nothing was resolved through that process.

When KOLD ran a story detailing the draft of the HLC report from the March site visit, it quoted Hays as saying: There have been a lot more rushed decisions and a lot more policies put in place that had the appearance of stakeholder input that have had trickle down effects and not always in a positive way.

According to the complaint Hays and her colleagues endorsed and sent to the HLC over the weekend, PCCs response to these public criticisms was swift, engaging in both stonewalling and intimidation.

As Hays recounted to the Arizona Daily Star, after the draft report was leaked to KOLD, the colleges outside legal counsel called her and two others (all of whom had asked the college for the draft) in for a meeting to discuss how they knew about the leaked draft report.

We were like, Why are we being faced with college legal asking us questions that we felt like if we dont answer we could face discipline? Hays said. If people feel like we can get called in for asking questions and then have to give up our source about where we got this information, people are going to be very nervous about coming to faculty leadership to represent them.

In a joint news release sent by both groups, the end goal of the complaints is to hold the College accountable, without risk to accreditation, for following its policies, and to ensure an effective and independent Office of Dispute Resolution through which students, employees, and community members can report and address policy violations without fear of retaliation.

Now that the HLC has received both complaints, it will take up to 30 days to review them, as well as supporting evidence that has not been made public. If the HLC determines it should further investigate the complaint after that time period, it will send PCC a copy of the complaint and its supporting documents. The college will have 30 days to respond after that, at which point the HLC will decide if it will review the complaint further.
PHOENIX  Back in 2014, the states largest electric company put $10.7 million into successful efforts to elect Republicans Tom Forese and Doug Little to the panel that controls how much utilities can charge customers.

Three years later, the Arizona Corporation Commission approved a 4.5% rate hike for Arizona Public Service.

However, the company did not disclose its 2014 funding of the candidates until 2019. And it was able to do that because state laws allow donations to be funneled through other entities to run independent expenditure campaigns for or against candidates, with no disclosure requirement.

All that would come to an end if voters approve Proposition 211. It is designed to unearth the ultimate source of all campaign funding.

The measure is drawing fire from the business-oriented Arizona Free Enterprise Club which contends that this kind of disclosure would lead to harassment of donors.

Get the latest 2022 election news with the Star's Election Roundup newsletter Subscribe to our free Election Roundup newsletter and get the latest coverage of upcoming elections and Southern Arizona candidates sent right

They want the names of private citizens so that they can dox, harass and cancel them in their communities, said club President Scot Mussi. And they intend to use their friends in Big Tech and the Corporate Media (which are exempt from this initiative) to aid them in their quest.

Thats also the conclusion of Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy.

This initiative is about bullying some citizens out of campaign involvement, she said. The desired effect is to scare contributors out of donating to campaigns, while their own donors virtue signal by touting their donations to woke causes.

But that ignores existing Arizona law, says former Attorney General Terry Goddard who crafted what is known as the Voters Right to Know Act.

Everybody in Arizona who gives $50 or more has to give a full disclosure, he said, citing statutes that require public disclosure of anyone who makes direct donations to candidates or ballot measures. If harassment is an issue, Goddard says there already would be evidence of a problem.

What our friends from the Free Enterprise Club are saying is, Well, our friends are special and shouldnt have to do that, Goddard said.

Mussi says this is different.

Youre talking about private citizens giving to private organizations, he said. And if that organization does give money to a cause or candidate, that fact is disclosed.

Mussi said its no different if the private citizen giving to an organization is a regulated utility that intends for the private organization to use the funds to affect an election.

Goddard also dismissed the possibility that public disclosure could be used to harass people over their small donations.

We set the disclosure limit at $5,000, he said.

People who give $5,000 can take care of themselves, Goddard continued. Im sorry, thats just the way it is.

And the law applies only to organizations that spend at least $50,000 on statewide campaigns or $25,000 on other campaigns.

He also said theres a provision in the initiative that allows those who believe they or their family will be physically harmed if a donation becomes public to petition the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to request a waiver.

Then theres the legal question.

Goddard acknowledged that the U.S. Supreme Court, in the landmark 2010 case of Citizens United, prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations, labor unions and other organizations. But he said the justices did not bar disclosure requirements.

Mussi, however, cited a 2021 ruling by the nations high court that voided a California requirement that charities and nonprofit organizations operating in the state provide the attorney generals office with the names and addresses of their largest donors. He said that precedent applies to groups who are formed to influence elections, suggesting that if Proposition 211 is approved it will lead to litigation.

The initiative has gained its share of supporters.

One of them is Democrat Sandra Kennedy who was on the losing end of that 2014 vote for the state Corporation Commission.

She finally got elected to the panel in 2018. By that time, Little had resigned to take a job in the Trump administration, and Forese lost his reelection bid that year.

Kennedy then went on to get the commission to issue a subpoena of both APS and Pinnacle West Capital Corp., its parent, to disclose political spending.

On the heels of their 2014 dark money spending, there was an enormous rate increase and confusing rate plans for APS customers to choose from, providing that dark money takes money out of peoples pockets, she said. And Kennedy noted that when APS went public with its funding on commission races, the company also disclosed other spending that year.

That included $50,000 to the Republican Governors Association, which helped Doug Ducey win his first election, and $425,000 to the Republican Attorney Generals Association which, in turn, bought commercials to help elect Mark Brnovich.

Company officials said in 2019 they would not fund future campaigns.

The measure also has other backers.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes democracy should be protected from distortion by undisclosed individuals and corporations buying media in election campaigns to persuade voters, said organization president Pinny Sheoran in a statement of support.

The merits of the proposal aside, Mussi called the measure incredibly confusing.

As crafted, it requires campaigns to trace the cash back to the original donors, even if the money has been run through multiple organizations.
Charla Strawn awoke from her dreams two Sunday mornings ago to a real-life nightmare.

With her husband and three older children gone, she was home alone with her 12-year-old son. They had stayed up late watching Hocus Pocus 2 and had been in bed only a few hours when Strawn was awakened by the dogs barking.

As she rolled over to go back to sleep, she heard a loud noise.

It didnt initially register as an explosion, Strawn said.

Was it thunder? An earthquake?

Her mind briefly drifted to the Keystone Dam about a quarter of a mile behind her house in the Diamond Head addition west of Sand Springs, and she wondered if something had blown up there. That thought got her up and over to the window, but, seeing nothing, she was turning around to return to bed.

Thats when she noticed a man  barefoot and wearing only boxer shorts  running full force up the street, then across her driveway and up her front steps, where he began pounding on her door.

In all the confusion  hearing explosions, not being able to tell what the man was yelling  Strawn wasnt about to open the door.

It was only when the man ran away from her house that she saw why he was there in the first place: Her neighbors house was on fire.

Strawn and her son ran outside. The house next door was a raging inferno, and the closest parts of it were only about 15 feet from her familys shop building on the northern edge of their property.

On the phone with her husband by that point, what she saw next was even more frightening: The neighbors, Rance Petty, and his adult son, Nathan Bradley, were standing on their balcony, holding one of their dogs, surrounded by flames.

Strawn remembered that a 10-foot step ladder was still in her living room where they had been replacing a ceiling fan, but about that time, Pettys house made an eerie sound and all of the windows blew out.

It was like a movie, she said. It was insane.

Fearing for his mothers safety, Strawns son begged her to forget about the ladder, but she knew she had to do something to help. She rushed inside to get the ladder and half-carried, half-dragged it up a slight incline to an area right under the balcony of the burning home.

Someone else came up and helped her open the ladder, and they were trying to get the dog down when it mostly fell, but it was OK, Strawn said. The dog ran off into the nearby woods but later returned safely. Another dog ultimately died in the fire.

In the meantime, the blaze was literally licking at the heels of the two men on the balcony.

The heat from the fire was so hot on my face that I had to back away, Strawn said.

First Petty and then Bradley climbed down the ladder to safety.

Within just a minute or two, Sand Springs fire trucks arrived from nine miles away, no more than 15 minutes after the first 911 call was placed, Strawn said.

A burning house is obviously a big concern to firefighters, but even Strawn could see that the house was a lost cause. It was totally engulfed.

And meanwhile, the wind created by the whipping blaze was carrying red-hot embers to other houses and trees nearby.

So the firefighters began using their hoses to wet down the trees and nearby properties, actions that Sand Springs Fire Marshal Mike Nobles said very possibly prevented other structure fires and even a wildfire or grassfire.

That was a big concern for us with that one  what we consider exposures, Nobles said last week.

Firefighters are accustomed to working to prevent other structures in an area, such as nearby homes, from catching fire, but with northeastern Oklahoma being as dry as it is right now, grass and woodland fires are equally of concern.

As of Oct. 2, the date of the fire, the Tulsa area had gone 30 days without measurable rainfall, and according to the Oklahoma Mesonet, this September was the driest since 1956, with roughly 99% of the state in some sort of drought conditions.

More than 40 counties  mostly across eastern and central Oklahoma  are under a burn ban, but fires dont often pay attention to government restrictions.

Our guys did a very, very good job of containing that fire, Nobles said. That was what the initial efforts focused on  keeping it to the structure of origin.

The fire progressed pretty rapidly, he said. It was so far advanced by the time our guys got there that the structure was fully involved.

Firefighters also got an assist from Strawn and her ladder.

Its always a relief to hear that the occupants were already out and we dont have to focus on a rescue, Nobles said.

Strawn said she wasnt really thinking about what needed to be done.

At the end of the day, you dont know what to do, but you just know you have to do something, so you do, she said.

Petty and Bradley could not be reached for comment, but Strawn said they suffered only some minor scrapes and bruises.

Nobles said the cause of the fire remains undetermined for now, and its possible that investigators might never know the exact cause.

Based on the level of damage, its been a little difficult to pin that one down, he said.
Pure and simple, fentanyl is a killer.

Thats what citizens learned during a special Community Meeting hosted by the Wagoner Police Department on Thursday, Oct. 4.

The Wagoner High School Performing Arts Center was the site of the discussion labeled: The Truth and Dangers About Fentanyl  The Deadliest High.

Experts, law enforcers, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics staff and those on the front line of trying to help drug abusers find a better way to kick the habit.

The only problem is that people aged 18-to-45 are dying at an alarming rate over the last three years.

This is the most dangerous controlled substance Ive seen in my career in 24 years as a prosecutor, said Wagoner County District Attorney Jack Thorp. Its a serious epidemic in the four counties I represent.

Thorp did not sugar coat the problem.

Its the leading cause of death for 18-to-45 year olds in America, Thorp added.

Thorp described fentanyl as 100 times more potent that heroin, but since it is a synthetic, it is easier to manufacture.

One quarter of a pill can kill, Thorp added.

Since the drug is so easy to make, the Mexican Cartels add fentanyl to other drugs to drive down costs to make more money. The cost is just $2.50 per pill and quality control is not part of the equation.

During his portion of the discussion, Thorp took time to read the names of people that have died in Oklahoma since January.

Now, law officials treat fentanyl deaths as crime scenes.

These drug dealers are killing our friends and family, Thorp said. You must spread the word. You can die from a few grains of fentanyl.

Thorp implored the audience to take the truth back to their cities and towns about this drug.

Brian Surber of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics normally would not bring some of his undercover staff to a meeting like this, but the subject matter was so important. Drug officers joined the conversation, but asked that no photos reveal their identity.

Because fentanyl is fully synthetic, it is chemically more potent, said Surber. That makes fentanyl so highly addictive  more than morphine and heroin.

Its a more significant problem unlike we have ever seen.

Surber told that the addictive nature of fentanyl is dangerous to a persons mental state and nervous system. And, it is so cheap to make and buy.

The numbers Surber showed is scary. The yearly increase will double from 2021 by the end of 2022.

This is much worse than the (drug) problem in the 1990s and 2000s, Surber added.

The Cartels are treating fentanyl as a business. They export the easily made drug to middlemen who handle all the selling. If the middlemen get arrested, the Cartels find new middlemen to pick up the slack.

Its a revolving door to keep it going, Surber said.

The middlemen use Facebook or Snapchat to advertise for buyers with code words.

Fentanyl seizures from 2021 to 2022 is up 418.6 percent, Surber revealed.

What can people do? Surber suggested three things.

1Stop the supply and availability of fentanyl.

2Educate as many as possible that one pill can kill.

3Make it suck to engage in that conduct (of drug use).

Use Narcan spray if someone is having a bad reaction. It has been distributed to city and law enforcement officials and others to use in an emergency.

Once someone has chosen to try and escape a drug addiction, the Community Meeting turned to Peer recovery specialists Angela Lindsey and Kellie Odneal in the Wagoner Community Hospital.

Another group based in Wagoner called WRAP (Working to Recover, Assist and Prevent) to aid in further recovery needs. Katelyn Churches and Ashley Hayes were there to offer advice and answer questions, too.
Trying to become a modern day rainmaker like the Burt Lancaster character from the 1956 movie of the same name, Wagoner County Commissioner Tim Kelley proposed an eight-day burn ban during the Oct. 3 regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners with one idea in mind.

I thought it might make it rain (if we do impose a burn ban), Kelley said half joking.

Kelley was serious about wanting any kind of rain thats been lacking in many counties in Oklahoma, including Wagoner County.

The burn ban passed by a 3-0 vote. The people in attendance were also urged by Commissioner Chris Edwards to wash their cars as well to possibly help with that rainy superstition.

Under old business, Commissioner Kelley expressed that the cost of replacing county bridges has gone up. He recalled the days when bridges cost $150,000. The board took bids for a County Line bridge that the City of Broken Arrow traded with the Board of Commissioners with the low bid being $500,825.

Kelley explained that this particular bridge was between a regular county bridge and one that Oklahoma Department of Transportation would require.

Broken Arrow made the deal since it assumed it would take $1.5 million to replace the bridge while Kelley thought the cost was more in the $200,000 range.

As it turned out, both were wrong, but Kelleys estimate was lower.

An Executive Session was held concerning CIV-21-044-RAW Krueger v. Wagoner County et all in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Following the session, the board appointed Commissioner Edwards to attend the settlement conference with the authority to approve up to the last settlement demand.

Under Action Items:

Approved a resolution regarding Wagoner County Subdivision Regulation amendment allowing single entry for 30 or fewer platted lots.

Approved the resolution request for code amendment investigation for the Wagoner County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission Zoning Code  specifically to modify the zoning code to eliminate the dwelling unit density greater than one dwelling unit per 0.5 acres.

Approved the appointment of Michelle Sutton to the Wagoner County Economic Development Authority.

Approved Deeds of Dedication for Laura Money, David Lamb, Ivan Valasuik and Michaelyn Allen.

Approved the establishment of a transition team for the potential development and investigation of the Northwest Wagoner County Planning Commission in partnership with Broken Arrow.

Approved a resolution for David Lamb at 26300 E. 41st St. in Broken Arrow for zoning from AG to RS60 for four residential lots.

Approved a resolution for Dwayne Moore at 35250 E. 211th St. in Porter for zoning from AG to RSMH60 to place a manufactured home on a 7-acre parcel.

Approved a resolution for Kelley Bryan at 7570 S. 337th E. Ave., Broken Arrow for zoning AG to RS60 for three parcels for residential structures.

Approved a resolution for Ivan Valasuik at 24268 E. 41st St. in Broken Arrow for zoning from AG to RS60 for two residential lots.

Approved a resolution for Michaelyn Allen at 36983 E. 191st St. in Porter for zoning from AG to RS60 for two, five-acre parcels.

Approved a resolution for zoning map amendment for Hidden Hills Estates -mile east of 273rd E. Ave. on the south side of 11th Street in Catoosa.
Visit Broken Arrow in conjunction with the Rose District has announced the first Rose District Wedding show.

The show will be Saturday, Oct. 22, from 2-6 p.m. at the Rose District Plaza located at 418 S. Main St. in Broken Arrow.

Rose District Main Street merchants have many options for wedding planning, ranging from floral to jewelry and gowns to the amazing venue spaces.

The City of Broken Arrow also began a partnership in 2020 to have a satellite office for the Tulsa County Court Clerk. Couples can get a marriage license, a copy of their marriage license and even get married right in the district.

The Rose District Wedding Show will invite other Broken Arrow businesses, as well as spotlight the Rose District vendors, to showcase ways couples can shop locally. With over 50 vendors, a horse-drawn carriage ride on Main Street and the Tulsa County Court Clerk satellite office being open for weddings, this event is one couples wont want to miss in the planning of their big day.

If you are interested in getting a same-day marriage license, please make an appointment by calling 918-596-8991. There is limited availability.

For more information, visit rosedistrictweddings.com.

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DEARBORN, Mich. (AP)  A man accused of killing a suburban Detroit hotel employee and barricading himself in a room for hours was charged Sunday with murder and other crimes.

Reichsrd Williams-Lewis, 37, was denied bond during an appearance in court.

He is accused of fatally shooting a 55-year-old employee on the third floor of a Hampton Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. Williams-Lewis also shot at another employee Thursday, striking an office door on the first floor, and pointed a rifle at a guest and another worker, according to the prosecutor's office.

In court, police said the incident began when Williams-Lewis was confronted by staff for being loud and disturbing other guests.

Williams-Lewis, who was told to leave the hotel, fatally shot an employee who rode an elevator to the third floor to check his co-workers, said Cpl. Nicholas Damphousse.

The evidence is this case is alarming," prosecutor Kym Worthy said. We have long learned that no place is sacred when it comes to gun violence. Not churches, not movie theaters, not grocery stores or hotels.

It wasn't immediately known if Williams-Lewis has a lawyer who could comment on the allegations.

The hotel and surrounding businesses were evacuated for hours Thursday while police, with help from a lawyer, persuaded Williams-Lewis to peacefully give up.

Gabi Silver said Williams-Lewis asked for her, although she doesn't know him.

I just kept saying the same thing over and over, talking to him about his family, telling him he wouldnt get hurt if he surrendered," Silver told The Detroit News.

This story has been corrected to show the first name of Williams-Lewis is Reichsrd.

This story was first published on Oct. 9, 2022. It was updated on Oct. 10, 2022, to correct Williams-Lewis age to 37, instead of 34.
A bystander noticed the fire at a house near Admiral Place and Memorial Drive just before 6 a.m., called 911, and was able to open the front door, where a 46-year-old woman had succumbed to her injuries, according to Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Andy Little.
An assist for McLain: The Ed Darby Foundation announced Friday that it will commit up to $50,000 to support McLain High School in the aftermath of the Sept. 30 homecoming shooting that killed a student and left three other people injured.

The foundation will provide $25,000 for the victims funeral and medical costs. It will also match up to $25,000 in community donations that will go toward the needs of McLain students, staff and community as identified by the schools leadership. Contributions may be made online at tulsalovesmclain.com.

Additionally, Mythic Press will be releasing a T-shirt with the sale proceeds going toward the matching fund.

Speaking my language: Tulsa Public Schools multilingual high school seniors may apply for the districts Seal of Biliteracy through Oct. 23 at tulsaschools.org/sealofbiliteracy.

In order to receive the seal on their high school diploma, a student must demonstrate proficiency in at least two languages. Since the 2018-19 school year, 248 TPS students have earned the seal in both English and either Bangla, Chinese, French, Hmong, Indonesian, Latin, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Yoruba, Vietnamese or Zomi.

Headed for the hall: The first dean of student services at Tulsa Community Colleges Southeast Campus, a Sapulpa teacher turned mayor, and two late Tulsa Public Schools teachers were among the 11 inductees into the Oklahoma African American Educators Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City on Sept. 30.

Donnie Nero, one of the Hall of Fames founders, became the first dean of student services at TCC Southeast in 1985 and went on to become its provost. In 2000, he was named president of Connors State College, making him the first black president of a non-historically black college in Oklahoma.

Prior to becoming the mayor of Clearview, Shirley Nero taught in both Sapulpa and Porum. During her 30-year teaching career, she was named Sapulpa Junior High Schools Teacher of the Year, the Oklahoma Social Studies Teacher of the Year and the Oklahoma Heritage Teacher of the Year for Indian Territory.

Robert Mayes retired from Tulsa Public Schools in 1987 after stints at Booker T. Washington High School, Carver Middle School and Gilcrease Junior High School, as well as district-level administrative posts in the transportation and facilities departments. He was the founder and namesake of the Ebony Awareness Bowl, now hosted annually by a local chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

A former member of Tulsas Human Rights Commission, Juanita Williams retired from Tulsa Public Schools in 2009 after a 32-year career with the district. Williams also developed programs for the Martin Luther King Jr. Center as an education consultant.

Other 2022 inductees are Delores Del Rio, Malcolm Hilburn, Mautra Jones, Willard Lee, Clayton Nolen and Wessylyne Simpson.

COVID-19 by the numbers: Four area school districts and one local charter school had published updated COVID-19 case counts by the close of business Friday.

Berryhill, Collinsville and Skiatook all reported zero cases districtwide.

Tulsa Public Schools reported two cases among students and none among staff. Both reported student cases were at East Central Middle School.

Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences reported zero cases among its employees and three among its students.

Bartlesville and Glenpool did not have in-person classes Friday and did not publish an updated case count.

Bixby, Broken Arrow, Catoosa, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Sperry and Union are not publishing updated case counts at this time.

School board calendar: The boards of education for Anderson, Berryhill, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Collinsville, Coweta, Glenpool, Jenks, Liberty, Mounds, Owasso, Prue, Sapulpa, Skiatook, Sperry, Tulsa and Union are scheduled to meet on Monday.

Keystones board is scheduled to meet Tuesday, and Bixbys board is scheduled to meet Thursday.

 Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton, Tulsa World
DENVER  Mayor G.T. Bynum thinks the time has come for Tulsas city government to take a more active role in addressing homelessness in the city.

I think 100% the city needs to have a more engaged role than we have had in the past, but exactly what that looks like,  there is a lot of, I think, iterating and evolving needs for us to know exactly the right place, Bynum said in an interview last week with the Tulsa World.

Bynum spoke with the World after telling a gathering of Tulsa civic, business and government leaders in Denver for the Tulsa Regional Chambers 13th annual Intercity Visit that addressing homelessness is a top priority for his administration and the City Council.

I have heard so many people throughout the trip talking about homelessness in Tulsa and what can be done, Bynum said. And the concern for me is that I will hear one group of folks, maybe from the business community, talking about how to address the issues that impact them, and I will hear folks from municipal government talking about how to fix the issues that impact them, folks from the nonprofit community talking about how to fix the issues that impact them.

The big takeaway for me  is there is not one thing that can be done to fix homelessness. It has to be a large, collaborative effort communitywide.

Bynum asked the Tulsa officials to bring their expertise to the table for a community dialogue on how best to address the issue in a compassionate way, not leaving it all to the Police Department, or leaving it all to the nonprofit community and asking business owners to just fend for themselves.

In the first panel discussion of the trip, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock described his city governments evolving role in addressing homelessness, mental health issues and the lack of affordable housing.

For years, Hancock said, city governments across the nation simply passed through federal funding to the social service agencies and other organizations working to address those problems.

In Denver, that changed in 2013, when the city made its first general fund allocation  for $3 million  to help with affordable housing. The citys general fund allocation for affordable housing and homeless programs this fiscal year is $190 million, with the figure expected to grow to $254 million next fiscal year, according to the mayor.

That is to purchase hotels, motels; that is to invest in more overnight shelters, voucher programs, Hancock said. Its a whole myriad of connected services, but we also have our social net services, or safety net services, tied to those efforts.

Tulsa doesnt have $254 million  Denver generates a portion of that revenue through two dedicated quarter-cent sales taxes  in its general fund to spend on homelessness and affordable housing. The citys entire fiscal year 2023 general fund budget is a record-high $378.7 million.

Instead, Tulsa provides federal pass-through dollars to the support services helping the homeless. In the last two years, Tulsa has distributed approximately $14 million to nonprofits for that purpose.

The city also has an Affordable Housing Strategy aimed at providing incentives and other assistance to address what officials estimate is a shortage in housing units of between 4,000 and 6,000.

One of the goals of the strategy is to work with A Way Home for Tulsa  a consortium of social service agencies, nonprofit organizations and government entities dedicated to making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring  to implement its strategic plan.

The strategic plan comprises four major elements: stopping homelessness before it occurs; making the care system for the homeless more effective, equitable and person-centered; increasing access to housing; and expanding community, state and federal support.

Becky Gligo, executive director of Housing Solutions, the lead agency in A Way Home for Tulsa, said she was grateful for the mayors commitment to the issue, noting that he has recently attended two or three of A Way Home for Tulsas board meetings.

It needs to be leaders at the highest level talking about this work, she said. Its too important.

Gligo said the best thing the city can do to address homelessness is to help generate more housing.

I think what we have seen in cities across America that have been successful in tackling homelessness is how important the partnership between local government and service providers and all sectors are, Gligo said.

So if the city can help us by paving the way to the funding and creation of additional housing opportunities, that is the most important thing they can do at this point.

The latest point-in-time count, done nationwide in January, showed Denver with 4,794 people experiencing homelessness. Last week, Hancock put the number at 5,000-plus. Denvers population is 711,463, according to the latest U.S. Census figures

By comparison, Tulsa has a population of 411,404. The latest point-in-time count for Tulsa County, with its population of nearly 700,000, showed 1,063 people experiencing homeless. A more recent indicator, compiled by A Way Home for Tulsa, found that 2,296 people in the county accessed services for the homeless in September.

Bynum said the city may be able to access more federal dollars to help address homelessness, and he indicated that would be one of his priorities moving forward.

Another, he said, will be to harness all of the great work being done to assist the homeless by local social service agencies and foundations to come up with the best possible path forward for Tulsa.

Its a blessing and a curse, Bynum said. Because, on the one hand, its like, wow, there is so much knowledge in the community around this space. But, also, how do you pull all of that together in a productive way that is effective? That is a challenge.

On a related note, Bynum said he looks forward to participating in a City Council working group that is looking at possible modifications to a proposed ordinance amendment that would prohibit obstruction of sidewalks and other public rights of way.

The proposal, which included possible fines and jail time for violators of the law, drew sharp criticism from service providers and advocates for the homeless. Such an approach, they have argued, would only make it more difficult for people experiencing homelessness to get permanent housing and not address the underlying issues that contributed to them being on the streets.
Decked out in colorful dresses and beauty-pageant sashes, more than a dozen Native American princesses sat in the front row Monday morning, but on stage, Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear looked past them to address you parents, you uncles and aunts, and you grandparents.

Its not enough to teach these princesses and other young people about Native American culture, Standing Bear told the crowd.

You cant just learn from a book. You cant learn from a curriculum, he said.

The way that we learn, and the way to keep that journey going, is partaking in it and going forward in it.

Hundreds of people gathered near downtown Tulsa to celebrate Native American Day as proclaimed by the mayor and City Council, resuming an annual tradition that started in 2017 but went virtual the last two years due to COVID-19.

The event packed Dream Keepers Park a few blocks from Council Oak Park at 18th Street and Cheyenne Avenue, a memorial to the settling point of the Muscogee Nation after it was forced out of Alabama in 1836.

Thats where we ended on the Trail of Tears, Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill reminded the audience, adding that the relocation came with a promise that the tribes would be able to preserve their cultures and ways of life in the new Indian Territory.

Native American Day marks just one example of how were working with Tulsa to keep an eye over the promise, Hill said.

With several Oklahoma tribes participating, the festival included a wide range of performances and activities, from drum circles and storytelling to crafts-making and blow gun demonstrations.

The tribal nations represented here and the tribal nations across this state and across this nation share a great deal in common, said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. And one of the things we share in common is that we have overcome decades, centuries, generations of a great deal of hardship.

But Native American Day also highlights the triumph of the states tribes, Hoskin said, noting the thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity they bring to Oklahoma.

There was a time in this country when Native Americans were predicted to be just a footnote in history, Hoskin said. But if you look on this stage, and if you look at it this crowd, we are not a footnote in history. Ladies and gentlemen, we are making history.
State authorities are taking time out amid a spate of near-daily fatal crash reports to talk about how simple measures can prevent many of these deaths.

The 2021 statistics show a 17% increase in fatal crashes from 2020, according to Oklahoma Highway Safety Office analyst Amy Graham, who has finalized much of the most recently available data.

These fatalities do not have to happen, and thats why we dont call them accidents, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Foster said in a Tulsa World interview earlier this week. These are crashes where someone made a decision, and that decision had unfortunate consequences.

A total of 66,074 crashes were investigated in Oklahoma in 2021, according to Grahams data. Of the 681 crashes that involved at least one death, 762 people were killed.

Foster said most traffic deaths are preventable if certain safety measures, such as using seat belts, are followed. In 2021, 259 unbelted occupants made up 34% of the people who died in crashes.

In Oklahoma, a majority of our (crash deaths) are a result of not being buckled in, Foster said, adding that seat belts are designed to keep occupants in place during a crash. The chance of being ejected in a crash increases significantly when not wearing a seat belt, and four out of five ejected crash victims dont survive.

If you dont stay inside the passenger compartment, all of the other safety devices that are installed in that vehicle cant help you, like airbags, Foster said.

Preliminary data from last year show that 153 crash fatalities were related to excessive speed  20% of the total  but Graham said the number may increase when the 2021 analysis is complete.

People are operating their vehicles at a speed faster than that roadway is designed, Foster said. The majority of our fatal crashes are happening in rural areas, and the reason why is because its not just an open interstate, and people are driving too fast for those roadways.

Graham said she would expect from the final analysis to find that about 60% of last years fatal crashes were on rural roads and highways.

Driving while impaired, according to Foster, is among the biggest factors affecting whether a crash becomes fatal.

Thats not just alcohol; thats (drivers) intoxicated on legal and illegal substances, including prescription medication, Foster said.

Of the 762 deaths, 53% involved at least one driver impaired on alcohol or drugs: 108 fatalities involved alcohol only, 212 involved drugs only, and 87 involved both.

Foster said Oklahomas statistics support reporting from AAA last year on another trend in fatal crashes.

Were seeing an uptick in wrong-way driving, he said. That can almost always be attributed to intoxicated driving.

Graham said the fatal crash numbers from 2021 were the highest her office at the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office had seen in more than 10 years.

That is true not just here in Oklahoma, but that trend was seen all across the country, as well, she said. Our fatalities so far in 2022 are more on trend with what we have seen over the last five or six years prior to 2021.

According to preliminary data from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, the number of crash deaths is lower this year than it was at this time last year.

I dont anticipate that we will see another increase this year like we had last year, Graham said.
It was shocking to hear Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler had been stabbed by his daughter. It was sobering to hear him speak about it the following day, obviously struggling at times to keep emotions in check.

His message was strong: gratitude to responders who treated him and his daughter with dignity and respect and anger at the erosion of mental health services in the state.

If a prominent district attorney cannot get the right services for his daughter, then what does that say about those without means and connections?

Every sector in Oklahoma is affected by the states poor status of mental health. Schools face rising behavior challenges and depression among students, homelessness has significantly stepped up, adults cannot hold on to jobs, and families suffer from dysfunction.

Some Oklahoma statistics:

Every week, on average, two Oklahomans between the ages of 10-24 die by suicide; 80% of these are male.

Ranked seventh highest in children with private insurance that did not cover services for mental or emotional needs.

About 54,000 Oklahoma children have depression, but 30,000 of them are not getting treatment.

Oklahoma office visits for primary care in Oklahoma are reimbursed 27% higher than for similar mental health visits.

Oklahoma ranks last in a seven-state region in compensation (after adjusting for cost of living) for psychologists and social workers, third for drug and alcohol counselors, and fourth for psychiatrists.

Oklahoma has 10.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 residents statewide, less than the recommended 30.3 per 100,000. Most rural counties do not have any psychiatrists.

There is much that can be done at the Capitol to address these problems.

For starters, the Legislature must live up to what voters directed them to do six years ago and fund State Questions 780 and 781. These bills reclassified some petty drug and property crimes as misdemeanors and ordered reinvestment of savings from the criminal justice system into mental health services.

Not one penny has been allocated. A year ago, the tab was $50 million the state owed county governments. The funds are distributed by population, and county commissions then decide what mental health programs to fund in their communities.

A handful of lawmakers argue that funding to the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse satisfies the law. It doesnt.

Oklahoma has nearly $3 billion in savings accounts. We can afford this and make it part of ongoing legislative allocations, along with adequately funding the state agency.

State lawmakers and higher education have been tackling the nursing shortage with gusto since the pandemic. It led to the University of Oklahoma expanding its classes to accept every eligible applicant, and federal emergency funds going toward bolstering the nursing workforce.

The same enthusiasm ought to be extended to mental health professions including psychiatrists, psychologists, drug and alcohol counselors, and social workers. This would be helped by implementing the Mental Health Loan Repayment Revolving Fund, created in 2019, and keeping up competitive Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Currently, Oklahomans not in crisis may be waiting months for an appointment. We dont wait for a heart attack to address heart disease. We shouldnt wait for a psychotic break to give Oklahomans brain health services. We need more mental health workers.

Parity laws that require mental health needs be treated the same as other health disorders are in place but have no teeth. Enforcement is poor and penalties weak for companies discriminating. More guardrails are needed to ensure profitability is not the driving factor for private insurers.

Finally, stigma remains a problem, keeping people from accessing services early or at all. The fix is beyond a good media campaign. It will take people sharing their stories and pushing lawmakers to do better.

In this, Kunzweiler has done a remarkable public service. To save lives, more people will need to do the same.
At least 25 people died and 52 were missing after five small rivers in central Venezuela flooded due to heavy rains, Citizen Security Vice President Remigio Ceballos said Sunday evening in a televised address.

The downpour on Saturday night swept large tree trunks and debris from surrounding mountains into the community of Tejerias, 40 miles (67 kilometers) southwest of Caracas, damaging businesses and farmland, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said earlier in the day.

Rodriguez said that a month's worth of rain had fallen in just eight hours and pumps used to power the community's drinking water system were carried away in the flood waters.

Firefighters and rescue members work following floods due to heavy rains, in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela October 9, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Rodriguez said the priority was to locate people still trapped under mud and rocks throughout the town, while military and rescue personnel also searched the riverbanks for survivors.

"We have lost boys, girls," the vice president said from a flooded street in Tejerias. "What has happened in the town of Tejerias is a tragedy."

President Nicolas Maduro said in a tweet that he had designated the area a disaster zone and had declared three days of mourning.

A rescue member and locals rest following a landslide due to heavy rains, in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela October 9, 2022. Photo: Reuters

The streets of Tejerias, a town of about 73,000 inhabitants, were filled with mud, boulders and tangled tree branches and lined by boarded-up houses, according to Reuters witnesses.

Armando Escalona, a 43-year-old taxi driver, said he was attending an evangelical church service with his family when the flood waters caught them by surprise. He said that he remembers hugging his family for a short while until an unknown object hit his head and he lost consciousness. When he woke, he couldn't find his family.

Firefighters work to remove a tree branch following floods due to heavy rains, in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela October 9, 2022. Photo: Reuters

"I lost my wife and my 5-year-old son. I can't even talk. We were at the service and everything happened so fast," Escalona said.

Gustavo Arevalo, a 58-year-old vendor who also volunteers for a civil defense corps, said that the waters began to rise quickly on Saturday around 6 p.m ET (1000 GMT), felling the town's telephone antenna fell.

"As if dam water had been released," said Arevalo, standing in the town's center, one of the hardest hit neighborhoods.

Rescue members carry the body of a person that died during a landslide, following floods due to heavy rains, in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela October 9, 2022. Photo: Reuters

After the flood waters receded, he tried to help others "recover what was left of their businesses."

One of the flooded rivers, the El Pato, swept away several houses, shops and a slaughterhouse, according to search and rescue authorities.

Carlos Perez, deputy minister for the country's civil protection system, said in a Sunday tweet that a thousand rescuers were looking for victims in the area.

A view of an area affected by a landslide, following floods due to heavy rains, in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela October 9, 2022. Photo: Reuters

The downpour also caused landslides in three other central states on Sunday morning, Rodriguez said, but claimed no victims.

The deaths bring the total killed in recent weeks to at least 40 due to heavy rains caused by the La Nina weather pattern. Venezuela has faced flooding and landslides.
Forest protection officers in Da Nang City, central Vietnam captured a 30-kilogram reticulated python that was found killing a monkey in a residential area in Son Tra Peninsula on Sunday.

The python was discovered by a group of friends who were searching for a severely injured monkey in order to treat the primate in Son Tra Peninsula on Sunday afternoon.

The wild animal, weighing around 30 kilograms and measuring four meters in length, was squeezing the monkey on a sidewalk along Le Van Luong Street in Son Tra District.

It was identified as a reticulated python, which is listed in Vietnam's Red Data Book of rare and endangered species.

The python was found while squeezing a monkey on Le Van Luong Street in Son Tra District, Da Nang, Vietnam, October 9, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Truc / Tuoi Tre

Officers from Son Tra - Ngu Hanh Son Forest Protection Department were later mobilized to the location and supported the group of friends to remove the reptile from the residential area.

Le Tu Tan, a resident on Le Van Luong Street, said that the python was hunting for prey when it was found.

Although residents poked the python with a stick to rescue the monkey, the python still did not let go of its prey.

When the relevant forces brought specialized equipment to catch the python, they discovered the monkey was dead.

Rangers put the python into a cage to transport it to a station for further care in Da Nang, Vietnam, October 9, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Truc / Tuoi Tre

"While many people were thrilled to witness the enormous python descend from the mountain for the first time to hunt for prey, others were scared because a giant python like that still remained on the mountain," Tan said.

Everyone was surprised to see a big python in a residential area."

The monkey who was killed by the python was a rhesus macaque, not a red-shanked douc which is listed as endangered.

According to Ngo Truong Chinh, head of the Son Tra - Ngu Hanh Son Forest Protection Department, big pythons are still frequently seen on Son Tra Mountain by forest rangers.

However, this is the first time anyone has seen a huge python hunting for prey in this location.

The python was brought to our station for further care before being released back into Son Tra Mountain, Chinh said.

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Thanks to the initiative of three students, 100 old and dirty manhole covers in Ho Chi Minh City have been transformed into colorful paintings that both beautify the surroundings and inspire the community's love for a green environment.

Driving along Truong Sa Street in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City since early October, one can see a small group of young people painting manhole covers on the side of the road.

The group includes three young students: Duong Quoc Thang, Pham Dinh Hai Quan from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts, and Tran To Quyen from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.

A young artist carefully draws each stroke on a manhole cover in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

These days, the weather in Ho Chi Minh City is constantly changing and it rains unexpectedly during the day, so the group members have to work harder than usual.

"We take advantage of the first hours of the morning to draw. When it rains heavily, we run to nearby houses for shelter," Quan said.

"We do our best to beautify the manhole covers, hoping that our work will not only help decorate the street but also encourage locals to stop littering."

In the creative hands of the young artists, cute drawings have gradually emerged, along with meaningful messages such as 'Release fish, but not garbage' or 'Shame on you for littering on the street.'

The young artist carefully draws each stroke on the drawing. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

The painted manhole covers along the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal have captured the attention of many people who walk or drive through the street every day.

Vu Duy Chinh, a resident of Ward 7, Phu Nhuan District, praised the renewed manhole covers.

"I am happy to see projects that both beautify the streets and help reduce garbage, which is very good," Chinh said.

The group of young artists worked with the People's Committee of Ward 2 in Phu Nhuan District to ornament the manhole covers.

"We will put up three large murals along Truong Sa Street to prevent illegal drawings," Tran Huu Thien, chairman of the Ward 2 People's Committee, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

"We will also launch a campaign to plant trees around the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal to create a green and beautiful space for the community."

Vu Duy Chinh (holding a bicycle) looks at the drawing Pham Dinh Hai Quan from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts is making. Photo: Phuong Quyen / Tuoi Tre

It may come as a surprise that the road along the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal was once a 'black spot' for illegal garbage dumping.

To solve the problem, young artists have decided to promote their love for a clean environment through art.

With bright colors, they paint drawings of the earth and activities to protect the planet on the manhole covers.

The young artists hope to spread their messages of environmental protection, green living, and building a livable city for everyone.

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An Giang and Dong Thap Provinces, considered the largest suppliers of catfish in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, are suffering from a significant shortage of high-quality juvenile fish, causing great concerns to fish farmers here.

Due to the poor quality of catfish fingerlings, fish farmers find themselves in a difficult situation as they could harvest less.

In fact, the supply of high-quality juvenile fish can only meet about 15 percent of the fish farmers' needs.

The rest had to be obtained from unknown sources in the market, which are sometimes substandard.

Ha Khuu Duc Thanh, a farmer in My Thanh District, Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province, said that in the past fourteen years of fish farming, he had never seen such low-quality juvenile fish as now.

The great loss due to poor-quality juvenile fish puts many fish farmers in limbo.

"I just recently released a new school of fry, but just a week later they were all dead and I had to buy another one," Thanh said.

"From this experience, I created a body of water where I can raise the fry myself and take care of them for later seasons.

"I would like to cooperate with companies that provide juvenile fish and fish food but I hope their kind of cooperation is suitable for fish farmers with small water surface."

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper about the dearth of catfish offspring, Tran Anh Dung, director of the An Giang Fisheries Department, said the problem has become a serious challenge for fish farmers in many cities and provinces.

Currently, both fish farmers and aquaculture enterprises are facing huge losses because they buy low-quality young fish from unknown suppliers.

"In An Giang, there are four suppliers of baby catfish that can meet about 15 percent of demand, which means that demand exceeds supply," Dung added.

"Against this background, fish farmers have to incur excessive costs if they buy substandard juvenile fish from unknown suppliers."

Vo Be Hien, director of the Dong Thap Fisheries Department, admitted that the survival rate of baby catfish is low due to the mediocre quality of breeding materials.

To solve the problem, the Aquaculture Research Institute No. 2 has conducted a program to improve farmed fish, identifying genes that are not genetically linked to provide provinces with high-quality breeding materials, but the number is still limited.

"Catfish fingerlings are the critical factor," Hien said.

"A school of fish can go down to zero if fish farmers are unlucky enough to buy low-quality fry.

"Low-quality fry can lead to slow growth, higher susceptibility to disease, and weak defenses."

Hien said Dong Thap has asked institutes and universities to supply the province with more good fry as soon as possible.

However, the thousands of fry they have sent to the province cannot meet farmers' demand.

Therefore, farmers and fisheries have to rely on dubious suppliers despite the inferior quality, Hien added.

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ABC News Editorial Director Craig McMurtrie has resigned.

After more than 30 years at the ABC and over a decade in NZ public broadcasting before that, Ive decided its time to dial down the work hours and step away, before I start to get mouldy, he wrote in a note to staff.

McMurtrie became Editorial Director in 2019, succeeding Alan Sunderland, having been Deputy News Director and ABC Head of Newsgathering. He joined ABC in 1991 working in daily news and current affairs based in Sydney, with two stints in the Canberra Press Gallery, and more than five years as Parliament House Bureau Chief.

Im grateful for all the opportunities Ive had  as a reporter in the Sydney newsroom, on state-based 7.30, as a national correspondent, in the frenetic Canberra Parliament House bureau, on postings to Washington, as a member of the News executive, and as part of the ABC leadership team, he continued.

From field and studio crews, to video editors, researchers, archivists, reporters, presenters, producers, subs, graphics artists, executive producers, planners, news editors, techs, schedulers, lawyers, support staff, fixers, managers and so many more colleagues across the organisation  thanks to every generous soul who lifted me up each day.

It has been a pleasure to work alongside workmates who are creative, dedicated, caring and courageous public servants; and for an organisation capable of making a real difference in peoples lives.

Particular thanks to the editorial policy advisors, classifiers and editorial complaint investigators. You are an extraordinary brains trust and have taught me so much these last few years.

During his time as Editorial Director, ABC was the subject of an Australian Federal Police raid, and an ABC Ombudsman appointed to oversee a revamped ABC complaints system.

McMurtrie has also been part of many ABC grillings at Senate Estimates in Canberra.

Thank you to my fellow directors on the executive management team and to the ABCs leaders  Senate Estimates endurance champion David Anderson and the peerless Ita Buttrose, he added.

He will finish as Editorial Director at the end of November and leave the ABC in the New Year.

In a statement, Managing Director David Anderson said, Craig McMurtrie has made an enormous contribution to the ABC and to journalism for more than three decades.

A highly accomplished and respected journalist, he reported from the front lines of many major news events during those years, including as the ABCs US correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief for almost a decade.

Craig came off the road to become one of ABC News most senior editorial executives, bringing his enormous talent, experience and integrity to leading news teams and shaping our coverage.

In his most recent role as the ABCs Editorial Director he has been integral in supporting and defending public interest journalism and ensuring what we do meets the highest standards.

The ABC and the public owe much to his dedication and commitment over more than three decades.

He has our deep appreciation and thanks, and our congratulations on such a distinguished career.
Esteemed chair of the Australian Childrens Television Foundation Janet Holmes a Court, will step down later this year after an incredible 36 years, leaving behind a proud legacy of 61 Australian-made programs.

Perth-based Holmes a Court, 79, leaves behind a proud legacy of 61 Australian-made programs that have earned lucrative export income and three Emmy Awards.

She told The Australian, Its a huge pleasure to know that kids in 160 countries around the globe watch Australian programs, listening to our accent, our humour, learning about our values. For example, MaveriX was shot in Alice Springs with a largely indigenous cast, and now Netflix has released it globally and translated it into 38 languages.

She says Round the Twist, about an eccentric family living in a lighthouse, has become one of the most successful childrens programs made anywhere. Thirty-five years later, its still on air somewhere around the world in any 24-hour period, and the young boy who played Bronson, the junior lead, is now grown-up director Jeffrey Walker, who has directed series for us.

But she also laments the current lack of quotas for childrens content.

When quotas were put in place for childrens programs back in the 1980s  the first of their kind in the world  the Foundation was established and suddenly Australian children could see their own stories. And now, 40 years later, were in crisis. We have lost the quotas for childrens content and free-to-air channels and streaming services are not mandated to produce or fund it. They want to be able to do whatever they like but self-regulation is not enough.

Personally I think its a privilege to have a TV licence and therefore it comes with responsibilities, she says. I would have thought one of the responsibilities would be to make and screen product for Australian kids.

The Seven network last year commissioned less than seven hours of kids TV for a show made in New Zealand. Having been married to Robert  who owned Channel Seven for a while  Im very disappointed with the fact that childrens TV doesnt seem to be an important factor in their programming. And the ABC has never had in its charter that they have to do anything about childrens programming. The ABC must be mandated to do this if the commercials are not.

Holmes a Court has made 144 trips to Melbourne for Foundation board meetings and only ever missed one. It was in 1990  Robert died on the second of September and the meeting was on the fourth.

CEO Jenny Buckland says her chair is incredibly supportive, always at the end of a phone line. And hard-working. For three gruelling years Holmes a Court led the Foundations campaign to convince the Howard government, and later the Rudd and Gillard governments, to create Australias first dedicated childrens TV channel, ABC TV 3. Janet respects politicians and shes been really effective at dealing with both sides, Buckland says.

You can read more here.
Last year on Gogglebox, the families watching an episode of SBS series Lost for Words were moved to tears by seeing ordinary Australians revealing that they couldnt read or write.

Like watching Love on the Spectrum, it was one of the shows more moving reactions from the couch because literacy is something most of us take for granted.

It was great. It really meant a lot purely because you know that they identify with it, host Jay Lagaaia recalls.

Theyve got friends like that or theyve got family, so its something that resonates. Its also something that you hope people will say, We should do something about this. As I keep saying to people, its not a disease, it is fixable, if youre brave enough to step forward.

For me, the shock was the fact that they looked like anyone and everyone. Apart from being a little nervous about being in the classroom, they were as normal as they come. I mean, I thought Mike the arborist was in sales or something because he was so articulate. When we asked him to write down, what they like to do and stuff, and he wrote, I l-i-k- to and then he drew surfboards because he didnt know how to write it.

A staggering 43% of Australias adult population, or seven million deal with some form of illiteracy. The SBS series sees nine adult students overcome and conquer their fears to realise that they are valued members of society.

It again centres around a classrom situation where as strangers the nine come together for lessons.

There are lots of people who slip through the cracks

This is a really an important visual documentation purely because there are lots of people who slip through the cracks. There are lots of our Nonnas, Nanas, granddads, uncles and aunties, parents. when you start looking at this, you realise the reason they might prefer to tell you a bedtime story than read one is because they cant read. And when you start delving into it further, you realise the shame (associated with being) the head of the family, he continues.

In my own family, my father was like that. Id bring something to my dad, and hed say You read it to me. Or hed say Ive got no time. You think hes just not interested. But no, it was that he couldnt read it.

This season includes a mother & daughter and a grandmother of 72 who wants to read stories to her grandkids.

Returning to the series is Jo Medlin, President of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy, as class teacher. Season 2 also addresses problems with numeracy.

53%, or 9 million Australians are also challenged by everyday numeracy, which Lagaaia maintains is more problematic than admitting you have trouble with maths.

Theres a lot of people, including myself, who have, some numeracy issues

Numeracy is about people not being able to read timetables or cant follow recipes, and I thought Thats me then! Theres a lot of people, including myself, who have, some numeracy issues, he explains.

But its the workarounds, the shortcuts and tricks employed by the nine, which Lagaaia found most enlightening.

Some of them are really articulate you would never guess that the reason why they declined to come to dinner with you is because they dont want to have to read the menu.

One of the guys basically said, I would much rather be sent to the principals office, than be asked to read a paragraph because I just couldnt read and I couldnt let my friends know that I was dumb.

They would record things, and then listen to the words to see what a word started with. If theyre going shopping they would look for the picture or the logo.

People who suffer from literacy issues  dont window shop

One of the things that I found with people who suffer from literacy issues is that they dont window shop because eventually they would either have to own up or ask How much is that?' he asks.

One person told me they look for one of those zapper things that will tell them what the price is because theyre too embarrassed to go and ask somebody.

Theres some things I had to learn about comprehension. As an actor of 40 years, it took me until the last 15 years to realise when you read scripts if you cant comprehend what youre saying, you cant shorten it down or abbreviate it to get your message out  with numeracy, its the same thing.

But it is the bravery of the nine which Lagaaia finds most remarkable.

The dynamics were interesting because they were all quiet to start off with until they realised that they were in a classroom where they can verbally make mistakes and not be ridiculed for them, he explains.

What you rejoice in is the bravery that it takes to step forward

What you rejoice in is the bravery that it takes to step forward onto a national stage to say, I cant read.

Some of them suffer from medical episodes when they were young, that werent diagnosed, whether it be dyslexia, or, some of them had to leave school early, because their parents were either drug addicts, or they died. If there were family issues somebody had to look after the young kids. All of these things, whether they be cultural or otherwise, caused them to be in the situation.

But they came together as strangers and they left as family.

Lost for Word screens 7:30pm Wednesday on SBS.
'90 Day Fiance': Andrei Accuses Liz's Family of 'Snitching' to Get Him Deported amid Green Card Troubles

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90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?'s Andrei Castravet has been facing unexpected setbacks in his pursuit of permanent U.S. residence  and he thinks wife Elizabeth "Liz" Potthast's family may be to blame.

In Sunday's episode of the 90 Day Fiance spin-off, after Andrei's two-year green card and extension expired, he met with immigration attorney Emel Ersa in an attempt to make his residence permanent.

The 35-year-old Moldova native, who currently lives in Tampa, Florida, with 31-year-old wife Liz and their daughter Eleanor, received some unexpected news in the meeting  he had to do an interview to attain a permanent green card.

Ersa told Andrei that "normally 95 percent of my cases like [his]" don't get interviewed.

"I've got to tell you, I've never had a case where there was a child together and they called you for an interview," she told the 90 Day Fiance star. "I fear that they saw something in Moldovan records that would have made you ineligible to get a green card."

'90 Day Fiance': Andrei Accuses Liz's Family of 'Snitching' to Get Him Deported amid Green Card Troubles

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RELATED: The End for 90 Day Fiance's Usman and Kim? After Milkshake Toss He Warns: 'This Is Not Healthy for Us'

Andrei admitted that something weird may have come up because he was "part of multiple [court cases] in the past," as a result of his job in law enforcement in Moldova.

"I never talked to [Ersa] about my history on the police force because I didn't think it would be a problem," he admitted in a confessional. "Right now I'm just thinking, is it?"

The attorney asked a puzzled Andrei if he has any any "enemies" in the U.S. who could've "complained" about him, something she says "happens all the time."

After admitting that he's devastated to hear that he may be deported after years of living in the U.S. with his wife of nearly five years, Andrei left the meeting vexed and upset.

"Crazy f---ing system," he said to himself. "Crazy."

'90 Day Fiance': Andrei Accuses Liz's Family of 'Snitching' to Get Him Deported amid Green Card Troubles

TLC

As he drove home, he prepared to tell Liz the news.

"It's totally going to be a shock for my wife," he said. "She's definitely going to have a lot of thoughts and worries about what's going to happen. Hopefully, we can get through this together and we can just tackle it as we always do our problems."

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Andrei relayed the information to Liz, explaining that they will both have to do an interview and that somebody has been "snitching."

"Somebody is whispering in the immigration office's ears and we have a problem," he told her.

RELATED: '90 Day Fiance's Natalie Sobs That Josh 'Doesn't Care About My Feelings' and Calls It Off

Andrei then accused her "damn" family, with whom his relationship has been very rocky, of "snitching." He said that the protective Potthast family had tried to "ruin" their relationship, before calling them "jealous" and a "bunch of losers."

Andrei has had a particularly rocky relationship  including physical altercations  with Liz's dad, Chuck, and brother, Charlie.

Liz countered her husband's accusations, saying that "they wouldn't even know who to call," and Andrei reminded her of the time that they came to "investigate" him and his past in Moldova.

"Tell us your side of the story," Charlie asked in a flashback. "Did you get forced off the police force?"

More exasperated than angry, Liz said that "it feels like [they're] back on square one" after years of explaining and defending her relationship to the government.

"If we had to move to Moldova, we would be starting over," Liz said in the couple's final confessional of the episode. "This is serious stuff. This is our home."

'90 Day Fiance': Andrei Accuses Liz's Family of 'Snitching' to Get Him Deported amid Green Card Troubles https://drive.google.com/file/d/14r33___eSfROulTAmLD5qDv05BWc3Sgi/view

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90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on TLC and discovery+.
When the leaders of Denmark's main political parties faced each other last week in the first televised debate of the election campaign, they disagreed along familiar party lines.

But there was one subject they could all agree on, which united left and right: a controversial plan to outsource asylum seekers from Denmark to Rwanda.

Last year the Danes approved new legislation to make such a move even possible, and in late summer the government of centre-left Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen inked a deal with the Rwandan government to "jointly explore" the possibility of sending "spontaneous asylum seekers" who arrive in Denmark to Rwanda "for consideration of the asylum applications and protection, and the option of settling in Rwanda".

Although there is no formal agreement yet between the two countries, that is clearly the direction of travel, with the whole scheme looking very similar to a policy the UK government is trying to get off the ground - so far, unsuccessfully.

In April this year, then-UK PM Boris Johnson announced an agreement with Rwanda that would see people who enter Britain illegally being deported to the African country. In exchange for accepting them, Rwanda will receive millions of pounds in development aid. The deportees will only be allowed to apply for asylum in Rwanda, not Britain.

Opponents argued that it is illegal and inhumane to send people thousands of miles to a country they dont want to live in, and so far no flights have actually left the UK for Rwanda after legal interventions at the European Court of Human rights.

But still, the new British government wants to proceed unabated - with Home Secretary Suella Braverman recently saying it was her "dream" to see newspaper headlines about flights of asylum seekers heading to Rwanda in time for Christmas.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen arrives for an EU Summit at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, 7 Oct, 2022 - Credit: AP

So why does Denmark want to send asylum seekers abroad?

The idea of sending asylum seekers to a third country to be processed is not the first time Denmark has outsourced a "problem".

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In April, Denmark signed a 15 million deal with Kosovo to take 300 prisoners.

The inmates being sent to a facility near the capital Pristina are all foreign detainees who are due to be deported after their sentences.

So -- ahead of Denmark's general election on 1 November -- why has this particular issue brought politicians from Denmark's left and right together?

The answer is simple: votes.

"It's true we have a social democrat prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, and she is currently fighting to maintain that position. And the important detail is that she has been relatively successful in attracting voters from the [far right] Danish People's Party," explained Ditte Brasso Srensen, a senior fellow at the Europa think tank in Copenhagen.

While the Danish People's Party is not such a strong player in Danish politics anymore, their mantle has been taken up instead by the Danish Democrats -- so it was perhaps an obvious move for PM Frederiksen who is anyway on the right of the spectrum of Nordic social democrats -- and leaders of other left-wing parties, to try and scoop up some of those voters by moving further right themselves.

"It's not only Rwanda, every time Frederiksen makes a speech she always inserts one sentence where she says 'we need to be tough on young migrants living in Denmark who are not sufficiently integrated', she has these pieces of information to give to voters," Brasso Srensen told Euronews.

"It is quite sobering they had the first debate among party leaders, and they were all asked about their position on Rwanda and they had different points of view - but the entire political centre and right want to move forward with this plan."

People gather to demonstrate in favour of migrants at Christiansborg Castle Square in Copenhagen - Credit: Emil Helms/AP

How does the government justify the Rwanda plan?

Denmark's government has presented the Rwanda asylum plan as a solution to a "broken" system, and since they have an EU opt-out on justice and home affairs issues, they say they're not bound by EU cooperation around policies on migration, asylum and borders.

"We are working hard to create a more fair asylum system and we are slowly but steadily moving closer. At the same time, it is important that we do not rush anything through, but instead ensure thoroughness in reaching an agreement in line with Denmark and Rwandas international obligations, which is essential to both countries," Kaare Dybvad, Denmark's minister for immigration and integration, told Euronews.

Minister Dybvad said his country wants to "find solutions on how to create a fairer and more humane asylum system, that is based on orderly and controlled migration as opposed to the current that plays into the hands of human smugglers".

Critics of the plan say there are real risks of continuing down the path of outsourcing Denmark's asylum process.

"There's an increased possibility of detaining people in the process, or using force to send them to Rwanda, and that is not surprising since most people who come to Denmark for asylum, they will not agree to go to Rwanda instead," said Eva Singer from the Danish Refugee Council.

"All of civil society has criticised this, and all the other organisations working in Denmark with refugees have criticised it very clearly from the beginning," she told Euronews.

Another problematic area is Rwanda's woeful human rights record, and the East African nation has been strongly criticised by Human Rights Watch for arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and torture of the government's political opponents, and the NGO has highlighted how fair trial standards are "routinely flouted in many sensitive political cases".

"Arbitrary detention and mistreatment of street children, sex workers and petty vendors occurs widely," says HRW in its most recent Rwanda country report.

"The UHCR has criticised it very strongly with direct language. The African Union made a very strong statement criticising the model" (the Addis Ababa-based organisation branded the plan "xenophobic and completely unacceptable") "The EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson has also been very critical," Singer added.

Johansson, the EU's Commissioner for Home Affairs, called the Danish plan "completely unrealistic" and "a flagrant crime against basic human rights."

Britain's then Home Secretary Priti Patel speaks after London and Kigali struck a deal over sending asylum seekers to Rwanda - Muhizi Olivier/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved.

Will the Rwanda asylum proposal ever actually come into effect?

Despite the government championing the prospect of a deal with Rwanda, and despite other political parties being in favour during the election campaign, it might never actually come to fruition.

First, there are a lot of unanswered questions that ministers won't answer: like how much the scheme would cost, and how they would successfully overcome the inevitable legal objections at the European Court of Human Rights.

"That opposition might in the end mean this thing never happens," said Ditte Brasso Srensen.

"If it never materialises, I think that is a loss that can be taken by any of the incoming prime minister candidates because it has still served its purpose of indicating that they are tough on migration and that they have solution to these problems."

While there is a political effort to keep pushing for some kind of outsourcing plan, there is also political realism about whether the initiative would actually solve the problem it is supposed to solve: which is whether it would reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving in Denmark.

"It will be a headache for the new incoming PM regardless," said Brasso Srensen.
Young mixed-race woman looking out of the window with a look of consternation on her face

The Woodbois (LSE: WBI) share price has been on a hair-raising journey during 2022.

The African timber provider is down 15% since the start of the year. At 3.75p per share its also more than halved in value from the years heights of 9.39p struck in May.

Woodbois volatility shows the perils of investing in penny stocks. Low volumes and cheap prices leaves these small caps in constant danger of wild fluctuations. It doesnt always take a barrel of bad news to cause them to collapse either.

I wouldnt be shocked to see the Woodbois share price sink again. But as a long-term investor, should I consider buying the wood producer?

Shark tank

Penny stocks are a popular hunting ground for retail investors seeking white-hot growth shares. These can experience bouts of manic buying for even the slightest reason.

In the case of Woodbois, the shares exploded back in May as forecasters tipped stratospheric price gains. A paid-for research piece claimed that the timber titan could soar 1,000% in value.

On that the starting pistol for the feeding frenzy began. And it ended almost as quickly as it started, leaving many investors out of pocket.

Good news!

Could it happen again? Of course. Woodbois shares soared and slumped almost exactly a year before in April 2021.

The release of highly impressive financials helped fuel the wild share price swings in May. And trading at the business has remained encouraging since then.

Revenues soared 38% in the six months to June, as sawn timber and veneer production leapt 37% and 50% respectively. This caused pre-tax losses to more than halve year on year, to $489m.

A continuation of this trend could see another share-price-shocking buying frenzy occur.

Should I buy Woodbois shares?

As I mentioned above, Im an investor who buys shares once Ive taken a long term view. The prospect of temporary volatility  whether extreme or not  doesnt put me off.

When it comes to considering Woodbois shares, theres a lot that I like.

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I believe demand for its hardwood and hardwood products could soar in the years ahead. This isnt just because construction activity looks set to grow (and particularly in emerging markets on account of increased urbanisation).

Its also because builders are increasingly moving away from energy-intensive and environmentally destructive materials and choosing wood products instead. Its a trend thats tipped to intensify too as steps to tackle the climate crisis accelerate.

The Woodbois carbon credits business opens up another possible avenue for splendid earnings growth.

The danger for investors is that Woodbois only operates in Gabon and Mozambique. These territories have been subject to extreme political turmoil in recent years. Fresh flashpoints could present a big problem for the companys operations.

So should I buy the shares? Im seriously considering it. From a long term perspective I think the potential rewards might outweigh the risks.

The post Down 60%, is now the time to buy Woodbois shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.

More reading

Royston Wild has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Motley Fool UK 2022
Air France and Airbus go on trial Monday on charges of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal 2009 crash of a jet heading to Paris from Brazil, killing all 228 people aboard.

Victims' families and some aviation experts say the pilots were insufficiently trained to handle a loss of speed readings caused by crucial equipment freezing over in a storm.

Flight AF 447 from Rio de Janeiro plunged into the Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of June 1, 2009, after entering a zone near the Equator known for strong turbulence.

The Airbus A330 was carrying 12 crew members and 216 passengers. It was the carrier's deadliest crash.

It took nearly two years to locate the bulk of the fuselage and recover the "black box" flight recorders.

Air France and Airbus were charged as the inquiry progressed, with experts determining the crash resulted from mistakes made by pilots disorientated by so-called Pitot speed-monitoring tubes that had frozen over in thick cloud.

But investigating magistrates overseeing the case dropped the charges in 2019, a decision that infuriated victims' families.

Prosecutors appealed the decision and in 2021 a Paris court ruled there was sufficient evidence for a trial to go ahead.

Ophelie Toulliou, who lost her brother on the flight, said it was essential "the truth come out, and that the sentences, if deserved, are handed down".

"But the message is also to make companies that think they're untouchable understand: 'You're like everyone else and if you make mistakes, they will be punished," she told AFP.

'Lost our speeds'



Read more on FRANCE24



Read also:

Air France and Airbus to face trial over 2009 Rio-Paris crash, French court says

Rio-Paris Air France crash report calls for tougher rules and training

"Human and technical errors" downed the AF447
Novo Nordisk A/S

Novo Nordisk A/S  Share repurchase programme

Bagsvrd, Denmark 10 October 2022  On 3 August 2022, Novo Nordisk initiated a share repurchase programme in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (the "Safe Harbour Rules"). This programme is part of the overall share repurchase programme of up to DKK 24 billion to be executed during a 12-month period beginning 2 February 2022.

Under the programme initiated 3 August 2022, Novo Nordisk will repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 4.4 billion in the period from 4 August 2022 to 31 October 2022.

Since the announcement 3 October, the following transactions have been made:

Number of

B shares Average

purchase price Transaction

value, DKK Accumulated, last announcement 3,758,477 2,912,546,668 3 October 2022 95,000 768.12 72,971,284 4 October 2022 90,000 779.60 70,164,342 5 October 2022 90,000 792.21 71,299,327 6 October 2022 100,000 800.28 80,027,985 7 October 2022 85,000 797.83 67,815,911 Accumulated under the programme 4,218,477 3,274,825,517

The details for each transaction made under the share repurchase programme are published on novonordisk.com.

With the transactions stated above, Novo Nordisk owns a total of 21,836,688 B shares of DKK 0.20 as treasury shares, corresponding to 1.0% of the share capital. The total amount of A and B shares in the company is 2,280,000,000 including treasury shares.

Novo Nordisk expects to repurchase B shares for an amount up to DKK 24 billion during a 12-month period beginning 2 February 2022. As of 7 October 2022, Novo Nordisk has since 2 February 2022 repurchased a total of 20,125,909 B shares at an average share price of DKK 768.99 per B share equal to a transaction value of DKK 15,476,594,378.

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases such as obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 50,800 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Novo-B). Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO). For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Contact for further information

Media: Ambre Brown Morley

+45 3079 9289

abmo@novonordisk.com



Natalia Salomao Abrahao (US)

+1 848 304 1027

niaa@novonordisk.com



Investors: Daniel Muusmann Bohsen

+45 3075 2175

dabo@novonordisk.com



Jacob Martin Wiborg Rode

+45 3075 5956

jrde@novonordisk.com



David Heiberg Landsted

+45 3077 6915

dhel@novonordisk.com



Mark Joseph Root (US)

+1 848 213 3219

mjhr@novonordisk.com





Company announcement No 75 / 2022

Attachment




On Moscow's Ukrainsky or Ukrainian Boulevard, the statue of one of Ukraine's most famous 19th century poets, Lesya Ukrainka, looks down benevolently across the open space towards the towering Hotel Ukraine.

This little piece of Moscow geography speaks to the integral way so many people in Russia view Ukraine - almost as a part of their identity. Certainly that appears to be the way Russia's president sees it.

The nearby rail station, Kievskaya, was the direct rail route to Kyiv.

Not anymore.

Air sirens across Ukraine as multiple cities hit - war latest

On the side of a bench, in white paint, there are the words 'No to war'. That's about all the visible opposition you'll see on the street these days, the odd piece of graffiti.

Masha, walking her dog by the statue, wells up when I ask her about Ukraine. "I'm really, really sad.

"We've already cried about it so many times with our friends.

"I have friends living in Kyiv and I'm always checking in on them."

She's part way through explaining how brainwashed many Russians are when a fellow dog-walker Olga interrupts.

"Don't ask us what we think," Olga tells me.

"Ukraine has been blown up, Russia has been blown up."

It's a confused jumble of complaints and accusations, where the US, EU and, surprisingly Austria, are the main culprits. "We only feel that we are all being killed because in the main we are one people."

Click to subscribe to Ukraine War Diaries wherever you get your podcasts

Olga won't believe that it was Russia who had just bombed cities across Ukraine until I assure her that President Putin had just declared as much, in response to the Kerch Bridge attack.

"This was his response to the bridge attack?" she asks, taking it in. "Okay. This is the right response."

The tone on state TV and the main talkshows today was newsy, not celebratory. As though Russia was taking these strikes in their stride, the civilian casualties barely mentioned.

Story continues

The focus here was that these were attacks on energy infrastructure and military objects; that for Russia, this was mission accomplished.

Read more:

Russia's 'savage' new commander in Ukraine - and why his appointment could be a sign of Putin's plan

Russian forces will soon be down to last supplies of fuel after Kerch Bridge attack, analysts say

Which cities have been attacked following Crimea bridge explosion?

"What's being shown on state TV... it's just insanity. Pure fanaticism," says Dmitry, who we meet walking the boulevard with his brother who is about to leave for Kazakhstan.

"The Russian population is cut off from any alternative means of information and people like myself who use VPNs and browse outside of Russian media, we see absolutely different pictures, horrific pictures."

I ask him why he thinks so many are prepared to follow everything their president says so blindly.

"Unfortunately I don't think I know my countrymen as well as I thought I did," he replies.
Tens of thousands of pink-footed geese have already arrived at Montrose Basin (Image by Ron Mitchell).

There is a slight chill in the air and leaves have begun to take on new colours, but in one part of Scotland the true herald of autumn is the arrival of thousands of beloved visitors.

Almost 30,000 pink-footed geese have already reached Montrose Basin and the numbers are still growing  with each year posing hopes of breaking a previous record of 90,000 stopping by Montrose.

Each morning as skeins of birds leave the safety of the tidal mudflats, the sound could be mistaken for a train going past or even the Tour de France suddenly whizzing by, a Scottish Wildlife Trust ranger said.

And in the evening during the autumn, they will return to the basin after feeding on surrounding fields up to 30 miles away.

They come back in groups of hundreds listening for the characteristic calls of fellow pinkies, as they are lovingly known, before whiffling down like autumn falling leaves.

In a manoeuvre only executed by a few species, the geese will flip their body upside down to lose the lift underneath their wings and rapidly drop in height.

Speaking on the magnificent daily site, ranger Richard Averiss said a colleague used to describe it as a primitive thing.

No matter how many times you see it when you are inside your home and hear the geese flying by, you think Ive got to go out see these geese.

Its like there is a primitive link to it.

People will be stopping in the middle of the road, and they see them every day.

READ MORE: Capercaillie 'at risk of extinction' as numbers fall dramatically

Ron Mitchell

The geese migrate from Greenland and Iceland, where they breed, before heading for milder climates as the summer ends  which for them is Scotland and later on England.

The basin offers them safety overnight once the low tide exposes the vast mudflats covering 750 hectares  keeping them out of reach of predators such as foxes.

Their numbers usually peak around the second week of October  with some years seeing almost a fifth of the global population settle in reserve for the autumn.

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But the numbers are near impossible to predict, Mr Averiss added: Loch of Strathbeg used to have 30,000 to 40,000 and now they are getting a maximum of 10,000.

Its almost like it is getting overflown to come here and thats our big worry- that the geese are going to overfly us and go further south.

A lot of it is down to the winds they can catch to make their upwards of 800-mile journey easier and the global population is doing better than ever.

Theyre actually doubling every 25 years now, Mr Averiss said. Its all because theyve got an endless supply of food now.

The basin is always changing. You can actually see the practical side of climate change."

READ MORE: The southern Scotland return of the birds immortalised by Sir Walter Scott

Pink-footed geese on Montrose Basin, Image by Ron Mitchell

A nesting raft set up for terns used to see dozens of breeding pairs, yet now barely gets used for nesting as less sand eels, which are fed to the new-born chicks, come to that part of the reserve.

Warmer temperatures are also having an impact on eider feeding on mussels, which used to cover the ground, as the molluscs struggle to survive the heated water.

However, the pink-footed geese are on the other side of the coin  rather than their numbers dwindling due to climate change, their numbers have increased significantly in recent years.

They now have the food and the climate, Mr Averiss said and explaining the pinkies avoid frosted ground.

Pink-footed geese are grazers  with around six to seven geese covering comparable ground to an adult sheep.

They feed on the stubble fields at this time year and as soon as the stubble fields are finished, they will move on to potatoes, the ranger added.

Once the potatoes are done here the big numbers move off down to Lancashire for the carrots.

Image by Ron Mitchell

While most will travel south before the harsher weather hits, up to 10,000 will remain in the basin until April  when they will once again travel to Iceland and Greenland to breed.

And the ones that remain are appreciated by the local community. Joanna Peaker, assistant manager of the local visitor centre, said: I think in Montrose especially the geese really do feel like the herald of autumn.

Its just a constant sound and in the morning, you will see a few skeins going over.

We do an online goose watch once a year now. The first one was last year, and we had people tuning in who used to live in Montrose and moved south and they said I just wanted to watch because I miss the sound of the geese.

The sound itself is unique. Unlike many other geese, the pinkies do not make a honking noise instead making a softer ink-ink call.

Although when there is a cacophony of thousands of them it sounds quite different, Ms Peaker added.
A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire on a prime building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 9, 2022. A fire erupted in the Pakistani capital Islamabad's Centaurus, a prime building consisting of a major shopping mall and elite residential apartments, on Sunday afternoon, officials and police sources said.

The sources said that no casualty has been reported in the fire, and people in the building are being helped to get evacuated from the mall. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters had extinguished the fire in the Pakistani capital Islamabad's Centaurus, a prime building consisting of a major shopping mall and elite residential apartments, after about three-hour long operation on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

In a conversation with Xinhua, Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon confirmed that all people inside the multi-story building were evacuated and the mall, located from the ground to the fourth floor of the building, will be cordoned off for at least one day.

He said that there is a lot of expensive stuff in each shop of the mall and some people may take advantage of the situation, so entry into the mall has been restricted for the public.

Eyewitnesses of the fire accident told Xinhua that the fire erupted at about 3:45 p.m. local time apparently due to a gas cylinder explosion in a restaurant on the fourth floor of the building, creating panic among the people who rushed toward the elevators to evacuate the building.

"I was shopping on the first floor when I heard people screaming and rushing down from the elevators. There was a lot of noise when I saw the fire in the food court. I also rushed to the exit doors in panic," Khalid Ameer, an eyewitness told Xinhua.

Ameer said that the fire was not so serious when he left the building and the people including a large number of kids, who were in the play area of the mall on the fourth floor, were lucky that all exit doors of the building were clear from fire or smoke, and they safely exited without being trapped.

The deputy commissioner said that the fire initially broke out at the food court and later was spreading toward the residential apartments on the upper floors, but was doused in time due to good planning of the firefighters.

"One team tried to extinguish the fire from outside. Another team entered the mall and doused fire from the inside, while the third used crane to extinguish the fire from the height," he added.

Sources from the police told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the main duct of the building that starts from the base to the top was also on fire as the fire spread to the upper floors, but it was quickly contained.

Located in the heart of Islamabad, the Centaurus Mall is a 361-feet tall skyscraper with three equal-sized towers and 26 floors. 

A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire on a prime building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 9, 2022. A fire erupted in the Pakistani capital Islamabad's Centaurus, a prime building consisting of a major shopping mall and elite residential apartments, on Sunday afternoon, officials and police sources said.

The sources said that no casualty has been reported in the fire, and people in the building are being helped to get evacuated from the mall. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire on a prime building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 9, 2022. A fire erupted in the Pakistani capital Islamabad's Centaurus, a prime building consisting of a major shopping mall and elite residential apartments, on Sunday afternoon, officials and police sources said.

The sources said that no casualty has been reported in the fire, and people in the building are being helped to get evacuated from the mall. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

A firefighter works at the site of a fire that broke out on a prime building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 9, 2022. A fire erupted in the Pakistani capital Islamabad's Centaurus, a prime building consisting of a major shopping mall and elite residential apartments, on Sunday afternoon, officials and police sources said.

The sources said that no casualty has been reported in the fire, and people in the building are being helped to get evacuated from the mall. (Xinhua/Jiang Chao)
Vietnamese Writer-director Le Bao and Singapore and Toronto-based producer Lai Weijie, who collaborated successfully on Taste (2021), are reuniting for Busan Asian Project Market title The Sea is Calm Tonight.

Taste, Les feature debut, had considerable festival play and won awards at Berlin, Singapore, Taipei and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

More from Variety

In The Sea is Calm Tonight, Vietnamese boat people of 40 years past have a miraculous meeting with Rohingya refugees of the present in their parallel sea journeys to find peace.

When my mother was pregnant with me, my parents lived on a barge amidst a large river. Whenever a strong gust of wind blew or boats crossed the river, the water surface would accumulate into waves, like sea waves. When I was younger, my parents told me that they wished my name was Le Bien, which means the sea. The thought of this other life with a different identity lingers in my mind, Le told Variety.

During the post-production of Taste, I began imagining mysterious encounters amidst the vast ocean, which I would like to build the films central story around. The film starts from touch, one of the five human senses (after Taste  my first feature length film).

I then thought of an encounter between spirits of Vietnamese boat people from 40 years ago and Rohingya refugees fleeing the present. In both cases, generations of people displaced, communities driven by a desire to find peace and a chance at life with their loved ones. To find a home.

My approach in this film is with a strong faith that such encounters could happen in the past, now, and in the future. It is not an illusory belief, instead, starting from inner faith. My role is to capture these encounters sensations, adds Le.

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Lai told Variety, It was a natural progression from working together on Taste. There was a real generosity with everyone involved in that film, and Bao and I trust and respect each other immensely. We have been speaking about this since the time we were shooting Taste.

The Sea is Calm Tonight is being produced by Lai and Elizabeth Wijayas E&W Films, which also produced Kirsten Tans Sundance, Rotterdam and Zurich-winning Pop Aye (2017) and co-produced Edwins Locarno Golden Leopard-winning Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (2021).

There are many exciting projects taking place in Southeast Asia, and many filmmakers that I respect a lot. Im cautious about what I can take on, and am most comfortable coming onboard projects that I feel I can make a genuine and meaningful contribution towards. I like to work on projects where there is a little mystery to the process, says Lai about his project boarding process.

Lai, formerly a senior programmer at the Singapore International Film Festival, has a full slate coming up. Chiang Wei Liangs Mongrel, developed at the Cannes Residence, Talents Tokyo, and TorinoFilmLab ScriptLab, is in early pre-production. He is also co-producing a few films: Cu Li Never Cries by Pham Ngoc Lan, is currently in production; and in pre-production are Viet and Nam by Truong Minh Quy, Regrettably at Dawn by Sivaroj Kongsakul and The Gospel of the Beast by Sheron Dayoc.

Cangrejos by Zurich Chan is in development and an animation project is in development.

I would like to take the opportunity to understand and explore more co-production and collaboration possibilities within Asia, says Lai. APM, particularly this year, felt like the perfect place and time to pursue that. We were fortunate to be in the selection.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Alex Albon looks on. Singapore September 2022. Credit: PA Images

Alex Albon said Sebastian Vettel raised the problem of recovery vehicles appearing on track too quickly ahead of this weekend in Japan.

The issue reared its head clearly at Suzuka after the Japanese Grand Prix was red-flagged following multiple incidents on the first lap, with wet conditions providing next to no visibility for the drivers.

Carlos Sainz spun off as he suffered a snap of oversteer in turning for the slight right-hander heading towards Spoon Curve, colliding with the barrier and sending an advertising hoarding strewn across track.

Pierre Gasly was the unlucky driver to collect the broken pieces with his front wing, but was soon left furious after the race was red flagged when he went past a recovery vehicle which was on the side of the track collecting Sainzs stricken Ferrari  before the cars had returned to the pit lane.

With memories of the tragic accident involving Jules Bianchi in similar circumstances in 2014 at the forefront of peoples minds, Gasly and others have since spoken out in condemnation of a recovery tractor being on track in that moment.

Albon joined that school of thought, adding that four-time World Champion and senior Grand Prix Drivers Association member Vettel had already recently brought this to the FIAs attention.

We already talked about it because it already kind of happened in Singapore actually, Albon told Sky F1.

Im not sure but I think Seb raised it up in the in the drivers briefing earlier this week  I dont know if its happened again.

Of course, we know what happened you know, we dont want to talk about [a] few years ago, but we are in a position where it is really dangerous, and I think people dont realise that.

Of course, the FIA Im sure are going to be on such discussions going into the into the next race. About why that recovery crane was on the circuit.

Albon was one of the drivers caught up in the first-lap incidents that saw the race red-flagged in the first place at Suzuka, the Williams driver getting stuck in gear at the exit of the hairpin and having to pull aside.

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With the weather being as it was, he was unsure that the race should have started at all.

Created with contact, to be honest, just the side of the car got hit and that was us out  it was one of those things, Albon said of his race exit.

I dont really understand why we went racing to begin with, we could have seen maybe 10 metres in front of us at the very most.

With cars at the back we were kind of doing pinball just because we couldnt see the track edge, so we were just going left to right, left to right down the straights, not really knowing where the track was.

So yeah, thats that was what happened to me. I couldnt see where I was on the track and I touched with another car which of course I also didnt see, so its a tricky one but thats how it is.

Gasly was summoned by the stewards to discuss the events during the red-flagged period, with the governing body issuing a statement saying:

In relation to the recovery of the incident on Lap 3, the Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised. Car 10 [Gasly], which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was then driving at high speed to catch up to the field.

As conditions were deteriorating, the Red Flag was shown before [Gasly] passed the location of the incident where it had been damaged the previous lap.

Read more: Japanese Grand Prix red-flagged after multiple first-lap incidents at Suzuka

The article Alex Albon reveals Sebastian Vettel raised issue of recovery trucks in pre-Japan meeting appeared first on Planetf1.com.
ReportLinker

Major players in the computational biology market are Accelrys, Certara, Chemical Computing Group Inc. , Compugen Ltd. , Entelos, Inc, Genedata AG, Rhenovia Pharma SAS, Simulation Plus Inc. , Schrodinger, Leadscope, Agilent Technologies, Inc.

New York, Sept. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Computational Biology Global Market Report 2022" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06323507/?utm_source=GNW

, Biomax Informatics AG, DNAnexus, Inc., SOPHiA GENETICS, and Waters Corporation.



The global computational biology market is expected to decline from $4.89 billion in 2021 to $6.02 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.01%. The computational biology market is expected to reach $12.75 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 20.64%.



The computational biology market consists of sales of computational biological solutions by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that engage in the representation and simulation of biological systems, as well as in the interpretation of experimental data, often on large scale.Computational biology is widely used for functional prediction, which involves assessing the sequence and structural similarity between an unknown and a known protein and analyzing the proteins interactions with other molecules.



Biochemical, regulatory, and genetic pathways are highly branched and interleaved, as well as dynamic, calling for sophisticated computational tools for their modelling and analysis.



The main types of computational biology are in-house and contract.The in-house market consists of sales of computational biological solutions that are performed within a company.



The firm uses its own employees and time to perform a business activity, such as financing or brokering.The various tools applied are databases, infrastructure (hardware), and analysis software and services that are used in applications such as cellular and biological simulation, drug discovery and disease modelling, and clinical trials.



The industries that have adopted computational biology are research, the pharmaceutical industry, and commercial applications.



North America was the largest region in the computational biology market in 2021.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in the computational biology market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The computational biology market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides computational biology market statistics, including computational biology industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a computational biology market share, detailed computational biology market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the computational biology industry. This computational biology market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.



Government funding has been the major driver in the computational biology market.Governments across the globe are funding infrastructure and academic courses to improve the capabilities of computational biologics in R&D, educational institutions, and other sectors.



The rapid growth in government funding is expected to boost the demand for computational biological solutions, as they are widely used in R&D, clinical research, and other development activities. According to the study published in National Cancer Institute, the annual funding for cancer research and biological research increased from $5.9 billion in 2018 to $6.4 billion in 2020. Therefore, government funding is driving the growth of the computational biology market.



Computational bio-modelling is a key trend gaining popularity in the computational biologics market.Computational bio-modelling involves mathematical representation of the biological process to study complex behaviour.



The companies operating in computational biologics are offering innovative services in computational bio-modelling to accelerate development activities. For instance, in 2020, Zymvol, a Spain-based provider of enzyme discovery and design services, launched new services in a combination of molecular modelling and bioinformatics to accelerate enzyme discovery and design services.



In March 2022, ZS Associates, a USA-based provider of professional services acquired Intomics for an undisclosed amount.Through this acquisition, ZS Associates is focused on diversifying their business activities and offering its clients innovative solutions.



Intomics is a Denmark-based provider of bioinformatics solutions and system biology.



The countries covered in the computational biology market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, and USA.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06323507/?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.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




The EU's watchdog has opened investigations into the bloc's border and diplomatic agencies over concerns they might not have carried out necessary human rights risk and impact assessments before supporting third countries in the development of surveillance capabilities.

Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly opened her investigations into Frontex and the European External Action Service (EEAS) last week following complaints from NGOs including Privacy International, Access Now, Sea-Watch, BVMN, Homo Digitalis, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

O'Reilly called on Frontex to clear up whether it carries out any due diligence assessments or human rights risk and impact assessments before it decides to transfer surveillance capabilities to non-EU countries.

These include capacity building and training in surveillance techniques and the transfer of surveillance equipment.

She also specifically referenced a training exercise the border agency has provided to the Libyan General Administration for Coastal Security (GACS), demanding to know whether an assessment of human rights risks was made prior.

Berenice Gaudin, advocacy officer at Sea Watch, has welcomed the investigation, saying in a statement that "for the past years, we have been witnessing Frontexs inhumane cooperation with the so-called Libyan Coast Guard which led to illegal pullbacks of thousands of individuals to Libya.

"We recently sued Frontex for its lack of transparency. Our message is clear: we are watching and we will continue to fight Frontexs border practices through all possible legal ways. Today and in the future," she added.

O'Reilly meanwhile told the EU's diplomatic agency EEAS that she opened the probe over concerns it failed to carry out human rights risk and impact assessments before providing support to third countries in drafting laws in relation to surveillance, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime or before transferring tools and equipment relevant for surveillance or to share intelligence.

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She also demanded EEAS share several documents with her office including the memorandum of understanding concluded between the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Lybia and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and reports issued by the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy in Palestine, Somalia, Niger, Mali, Libya, and Iraq.

"The EU cannot continue to undermine human rights outside of its borders under the guise of fighting terrorism and curbing migration," Marwa Fatafta, MENA Policy Manager at Access Now, argued in a statement welcoming the investigations.

"Surveillance technologies and draconian cybercrime laws are at the crux of rising digital authoritarianism in the Middle East and North Africa region, and the EU should not sponsor this trend."

Both agencies have until the end of December to provide an answer.
Scottish actor Alastair Mackenzie, recently spotted in The Crown and Andor, Jessica Frances Dukes and Debi Mazar have been added to the cast of Filip Jan Rymszas feature film Object Permanence.

They join previously announced star Millie Brady, who plays Brooke Brooks: a former supermodel who becomes a successful lifestyle mogul and is the first person to IPO herself.

Production is currently underway in Poland and will continue in Thailand and Germany. Apples DoP Bartosz Swiniarski is lensing the film.

Set in the near future, Object Permanence is produced by Friends with Benefits Studio, with co-financing by the Polish Film Institute. Marta Lewandowska and Rymsza  the latter also behind Mosquito State  are producing, while CAA is handling North American sales.

Filips script is an inspired study of the perils of celebrity and the conflictual relationships that exist within the system built up around it, says Mackenzie, opening up about his role as Barry, Brookes longtime manager.

[He] must protect his friend and client whilst also having an acute eye on safeguarding her currency as the first publicly owned global superstar.

Ozark alumni Dukes, who portrays TV personality Diana Westwood, is also excited to explore the ideas of self, identity, and privacy in our very public world, while Mazar praises the up-and-coming director.

He is a detail fanatic, she tells Variety from her home in Florence.

I didnt know his previous work but when we met, I was impressed. This script is very honest about what is happening now with social media and this celebrity-worship culture that quite disgusts me. It shows how toxic it can be. I cant wait to see what he does with the movie and hope to work with him again.

The Younger star will be heading to Spain to shoot Netflixs Kaos next (Great writing, crazy storylines, very big production, she says). In Rymszas film, she will play a journalist, Cassandra, trying to get to the truth.

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She is a bit self-serving, but she is also trying to unlock this girl who is a bit unhinged. Millie is fantastic [in the film], her emotions are at the top of her skin. It was magical to watch her being so open, vulnerable and broken, she adds.

My role is a cameo but Shelley Winters used to say: No part too small. Ive always believed that. Ive always believed in finding the truth in the character and having some fun as an actor. I have never been to Poland before and when I read the script, I was intrigued.

House of Guccis Vincent Riotta, Johanna Wokalek and Polish actor Andrzej Chyra also star, as well as Jim Caesar, Luisa-Celine Gaffron, Marianna Zydek, Weronika Rosati, Ola Rudnicka and Maddie Kulicka.

I fell in love with this story immediately, says producer Marta Lewandowska.

The further we are going, the more excited I feel about the whole process. Its a great opportunity to blend the best Polish talent with an international cast and make a Polish production that could reach both festivals and a wider audience.

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has tested positive for Covid, his wife said on Monday, as she battles his extradition to the United States.

"Julian was feeling unwell last week but started feeling sick on Friday," Stella Assange was quoted as saying by the Press Association news agency.

"He started coughing and had a fever. He was given some paracetamol. He tested positive for Covid on Saturday."

Thousands of people formed a human chain around the UK parliament in London on Saturday to demand Assange's release from London's Belmarsh prison.

The Australian national, now 51, has been held at the high-security jail since 2019, after serving time for skipping bail in a previous case.

As the pandemic took hold in early 2020, he unsuccessfully applied to be released on bail because of the risk of contracting Covid in prison.

His lawyers said at the time he had a history of illness, including respiratory infections.

Stella Assange, who married Assange at Belmarsh in March and is the mother of their two young sons, said she was concerned for his health.

"The next few days will be crucial for his general health. He is now locked in his cell for 24 hours a day," she added.

Assange skipped bail in 2010 over Swedish attempts to extradite him in connection with a sexual assault case and took refuge in the Ecuador embassy.

The case was dropped in 2019 and he lost his asylum status after a change of government in Quito, leading to his arrest and incarceration.

In August, Assange's lawyers launched legal action against the CIA for allegedly eavesdropping on private conversations with him at the mission.

He is appealing against UK approval of his extradition to stand trial for divulging US military secrets about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Martin McGill. Photo: An Garda Siochana

Tributes have been paid to a 'lovely' local man who was killed in a devastating petrol station explosion in Ireland.

Martin McGill, 49, was one of ten people killed in the blast in the village of Creeslough in County Donegal on October 7, in what is suspected to be a gas leak.

The Garda has now released his picture and confirmed his identity along with the other victims, who were aged from five to 59.

Martin grew up in Kirkintilloch and was described as being an 'avid' Celtic fan.

He had lived in Creeslough where he was caring for his elderly mother, and it is understood he had gone to the service station to withdraw cash when the blast happened.

Now people have offered their condolences to Martin, who has been described as being a "pleasure to know".

One person wrote: "Heartbreaking. Rest in paradise Martin. You will never walk alone pal. Hail hail."

Another said that he was "such a genuine, nice guy. Always in the shop doing shopping for other people in Creeslough, may he rest in peace."

Among the tributes was a comment from Martin's cousin which read: "Rest in eternal peace to our cousin Martin. A lovelier guy you couldn't meet. Reunited with your Dad Joe."

His funeral will take place at St Michaels Church in Creeslough at 2pm on Tuesday.
Photo credit: SAFIN HAMED - Getty Images

It was a September day that seemed full of potential. Mahsa Amini couldnt hide her excitement as she arrived in Tehran, her first ever trip to the capital. She was due to start university later that month, and had set off with her mother and younger brother to visit an uncle and do some shopping. She had been looking forward to soaking up the fun of the big city  yet soon after arriving, Mahsa was arrested by the morality police for wearing her hijab too loosely and sporting red lipstick. She was slapped, insulted, forced into a police van and taken to a morality-education course. During the ride to the police station, she was hit with a baton on her hands, legs and head. She collapsed and, after three days in a coma, was pronounced brain-dead.

The morality police have terrorised, harassed and attacked Iranian women for the past four decades, since the Islamic Revolution installed a theocratic regime and compulsory hijab in Iran. I was 14 years old when I was fist stopped and arrested by two morality guards in the city of Shiraz. My crime? My hair was peeking out from underneath my headscarf and my fingernails were painted bright pink. They plucked me out of the shopping mall, threw me into a van, and subjected me to abuse and insults. After hours of humiliation and reprimands, I was handed cotton pads and nail-polish remover to eliminate all traces of my immoral behaviour, then forced to sign a confession. I was eventually released, but not before being warned that if I reoffended, I would be punished with 30 lashes, to be delivered in public to deter similar behaviour among other women.

To this day, I remember the sweltering mix of emotions familiar to millions of Iranian women who are arrested every year for the offence of styling themselves how they wish. First, there was intense fear and anxiety, then shame and anguish, and finally righteous anger. Two decades later, I live and work in London, physically far from the daily terror that Iranian clergymen force upon women against their will, but emotionally close to their silent suffering. Mahsas death struck a deep chord with me, and over the past three weeks I have often found myself wondering whether I am doing enough to help Iranian women. Are we doing enough?

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Amid a very complex geopolitical order and urgent priorities to safeguard our energy security, western governments have so far struggled to co-ordinate an effective response to Irans violence against women and its brutal crackdown on those who dare to challenge the misogyny. The image of the self-proclaimed feminist French President Emmanuel Macron shaking hands at the UN General Assembly last month with Irans President Raisi, who is accused of crimes against humanity, is a slap in the face for Iranian women, and frankly for all women.

Photo credit: OZAN KOSE - Getty Images

Western governments must unite to condemn the violence against Iranian women, and we must hold our governments accountable if they do not. The women of Iran are shouting Nemikhaim  We dont want  desperately trying to bring down a regime that has forced itself upon them and crushed them for decades. We must shout with them to support their fight. Zan, Zendegi, Azadi  women, life, freedom  are three simple words that convey their basic needs: the freedom to lead their lives how they want, the freedom to style themselves as they wish, the freedom to kiss the people they love and  why not?  the freedom to wear red lipstick.

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In what plays like Singapores answer to About Schmidt, never-too-late-to-live dramedy Ajoomma follows a widowed housewife as she steps out of her comfort zone by making a solo trip to South Korea. This upbeat debut from director He Shuming  whose title is the Korean equivalent of the all-purpose term of respect Auntie  offers longtime TV actor Hong Huifang (Housewives Holiday) a chance to shine in the title role, which has already netted her a Golden Horse Award nom. Selected to rep Singapore at the Oscars, affable Ajoomma is more of a dark horse in that race, albeit one with art-house sleeper potential.

Mrs. Lims life is light on excitement. What it lacks in drama, she fills by bingeing on Korean soap operas  a not-at-all-uncommon obsession among non-Koreans (including a growing number of Americans, thanks to services like Kocowa and Viki). Auntie, as most of the other characters call Hongs character, fusses a bit too much over her only son, who long ago agreed to accompany her on a special tour of Seoul. Now, mere days before theyre to depart, he backs out for a job interview in New York  one that would put some much-needed distance between the closeted young man and his overly suffocating mom (who sees her son embracing his boyfriend in an early scene).

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Auntie is anything but independent, and the thought of going on the trip alone intimidates her. But when she realizes that the tickets are nonrefundable, she decides to go anyway, showing up late to the airport and inconveniencing everyone else in the process. This sequence ought to be hilarious, but is the first of several clumsy set-pieces (Auntie is never shown taking the plane, for starters): While the others wait on the bus, tour guide Kwon-woo (Kang Hyung Suk) tracks down the straggler, plops her on a baggage cart and rolls her to the group. Then again, if K-soaps are your jam, what could be more charming than being thus squired through the airport terminal?

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Once on the bus, we learn that Auntie has opted for a Secret of the Stars tour, which, as the name suggests, serves to introduce fans to key locations from Korean TV series. Practically any time a television appears on screen  on the bus, at Aunties home, you name it  He fills it with endearingly corny extracts from such a show, enlisting Korean heartthrob Yeo Jingsoo (Hwayi: A Monster Boy), whose fine chin and cheekbones are an unspoken part of the joke (Koreans stars have notoriously sculpted features). As the film goes on, Auntie starts to project herself into the small-screen melodrama, which is a cute idea, a la Nurse Betty, even if her real-world adventures are wacky enough.

Its New Years Eve, and though chronic screw-up Kwon-woo should be tending to his tour group, hes instead preoccupied with trying to patch things up with his ex-wife. Ergo, he re-routes the bus to his mother-in-laws apartment, failing to notice when Auntie disembarks to take a call. Hong gives a fine enough performance, but lacks the tricky gift for farce that would have made her performance more comedic. We neither laugh at nor believe in her reaction when the bus pulls out and she frantically tosses her cellphone in the air (after which its immediately run over by a passing car, conveniently leaving Auntie with no way to call her son).

Suddenly stranded in a place shes ill-prepared to navigate on her own, Auntie lucks into meeting the nicest man in Korea, a kindly security guard (Jung Dong-hwan) who takes it upon himself to help her rejoin the group  only, He and co-writer Kris Ong have complicated the plot just enough to give these two seniors a chance to connect. Auntie knows a few Korean phrases she picked up from her favorite show, but the two communicate mostly through a mix of gestures and broken English. The guard takes her to dinner, then back to his home for a few scenes of quiet, understated intimacy. He takes the floor and offers her his bed. By the time they find Kwon-woo and the others, the two have bonded enough that the only mystery is what theyll do about the lovely cross-cultural friendship that has started to bloom. The last few scenes have less in common with K-soaps (or producer Anthony Chens award-winning art films) than a late-career Judi Dench movie. To be honest, its not so far-fetched to imagine her starring in a remake.

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AMMAN, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Sunday expressed regret that the truce in Yemen was not renewed, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The truce, which originally came into effect in April 2022 and expired on Oct. 2, has helped in alleviating Yemenis' suffering, notably by providing humanitarian assistance, the statement quoted ministry spokesperson Haitham Abu Al Foul as saying.

The spokesperson also reiterated Jordan's support for efforts to end the Yemeni crisis through a political solution based on all agreed-upon initiatives.

Such a solution should help end the suffering of the Yemeni people and support their aspirations towards peace and stability, he said.

Jordan will continue to facilitate the flights between Yemeni capital Sanaa and Jordanian capital Amman, he added.

On April 2, the Yemeni government and the Houthis agreed upon a two-month truce brokered by the United Nations (UN). The truce was later renewed twice through Oct. 2.

On Oct. 2, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced that no agreement had been reached to renew the expired truce between the Yemeni warring parties. 
(Bloomberg) -- Austrians handed President Alexander Van der Bellen a second term on Sunday, rejecting populist challengers in the nations first election since coronavirus lockdowns and the war in Ukraine upended its economy.

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The 78-year-old former Green Party leader received 54.6% support at Sundays vote, above the 50% mark needed to avoid a run-off.

Van der Bellen steered Austria through its most turbulent post-World War II political period. Hes overseen the formation or dissolution of six Austrian governments since his 2016 election.

He twice swore in Sebastian Kurz as chancellor, first as Europes youngest leader then a second time after a secret video in Ibiza toppled Kurzs coalition partner.

Scandals have continued to dog Austrian governments since then and Chancellor, Karl Nehammer is struggling to keep a fragile coalition together as support for his Peoples Party falters.

It would be wise for political parties to look at whats going on abroad, Van der Bellen said late Sunday on public broadcaster ORF, mentioning the right-wing takeover of Italy as an example. The picture changes from election to election, and while these movements are difficult to control, they can endanger democracy, he said.

In contrast with his clear victory this time, Van der Bellen in 2016 only narrowly defeated his Freedom Party opponent, Norbert Hofer, who tapped into anti-immigration sentiment in the central European nation.

The far-right groups candidate, Walter Rosenkranz, came second with 19.1% of the vote, according to preliminary results that dont include mail-in ballots. Tassilo Wallentin, a conservative lawyer and columnist, and Dominik Wlazny, a physician founder of the Beer Party, each won about 8% of the vote.

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(Updates preliminary vote count from second paragraph, adds comment from Van der Bellen in sixth.)

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One of Lyne Barlow's victims had paid her for a trip to a resort on the south coast of Portugal. Pictures: GOOGLE/PA

A father who booked a family holiday in Portugal with a bogus travel agent who told people she was terminally ill has spoken of his anger at being duped out of hundreds of pounds.

Dave Huthwaite was hoping to treat his wife and daughter to an inclusive Easter break in the sun after hearing about the discounted holidays offered by Lyne Barlow.

He said friends had enjoyed rock-bottom trips to five-star resorts in Dubai with the fraudster who had set herself up as a small independent travel agent.

Lyne Barlow

Read more: First look inside Darlington's newest gym (and it's in a familiar place)

The 51-year-old was sceptical at first, but was persuaded to part with his cash as she appeared legitimate.

Dave, an electrician, said: I worked with a guy who lived near her and has met her. He has been away with her twice. His five-star holiday cost 500.

It sounded too good to be true, but he had gone on them.

I thought she was selling discounted holidays. It included flights, hotels, a drinks package, everything.

Barlow emailed three different options for hotels so Dave looked at them and picked the one he liked.

He said: I was going to pay by credit card, but then she asked for bank transfer and I thought that was a bit dodgy but my mate had been away with her so I went ahead.

It is not something I would normally do but there you go.

Read more: Huge firework display to go ahead in North East town as others are cancelled

Dave, who lives in Glasgow, was due to stay at the Jupiter Hotel in Albufeira for seven nights in Easter 2020.

He paid 974 for the break, about half price, but was not sent any booking details, a receipt or flight information.

Holiday makers were led to believe Barlow, who has admitted the fraud, was suffering from a life-threatening illness.

Dave said: It was on her Facebook page.

I dont know if she had shaved her head, but she had a head scarf on, as if she had lost her hair.

She said: I am just going back into hospital so I wont be able to get in touch with people for a while.

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She was suggesting she was having some serious treatment.

I have got messages from people who she told them she cancer.

Other ones have said she told them one of the sons had cancer.

Dave waited patiently for details of his holiday but asked for a refund when Covid restrictions made foreign impossible.

He said: Covid screwed her over. People were not getting their holidays.

I dont know what she was doing with the money, but the cash flow must have stopped because nobody could travel.

Lyne Barlow appearing at Durham Crown Court: Picture: PA

On Monday, Barlow admitted defrauding family, friends, and hundreds of holidaymakers out of significant sums of money.

Barlow, formerly of Stanley, in County Durham, pleaded guilty to several counts of fraud relating to loans, investments, and holiday sales, and a further charge of money laundering when she appeared at Durham Crown Court.

The court heard how defrauded people of their savings before setting up her own travel agency, in which she fraudulently sold holidays, reporting them to be ATOL and ABTA protected.

But many of the holidays were never booked or fully paid for, unbeknown to her customers.

Dave said: I am raging. It is good she has pleaded guilty. I dont know if I will get any money back but I hope some people do.

I have heard some people who have lost 20,000 with her, people who have booked weddings with her. It is unreal.

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Barlow has been bailed for pre-sentence reports and will return to Durham Crown Court on Monday, December 12.

Detective Sergeant Alan Meehan, of Durham Constabularys Economic Fraud Unit, said: Fraud is an horrendous crime, with such far-reaching consequences for its victims.

So many people have been affected by her actions, lives have been changed forever and some are still feeling the effects today.

This is one of the biggest fraud cases Durham Constabulary has ever dealt with and I would like to thank everyone who came forward for their patience and understanding while we carried out a thorough investigation.

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King Charles III (PA Wire)

The King has sent a message of condolence to the President of Ireland following the deaths of 10 people in an explosion at a petrol station in Co Donegal.

A five-year-old girl and her father, who were buying a birthday cake, were among those who died in the devastating explosion in the village of Creeslough on Friday afternoon.

In a message to the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, the King said his and the Queen Consorts sympathies are with those who have lost loved ones.

My wife and I were filled with immense sadness when we heard of that appallingly tragic explosion at Creeslough, County Donegal, wrote the monarch.

We remember with the greatest fondness meeting people from across Donegal when we visited in 2016 and the strong sense of community that exists there.

However inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, we wanted you to know that our most heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences are with those families and friends who have lost their loved ones in this devastating tragedy, together with yourself and the people of Ireland.

The Kings message to the President of Ireland following the recent explosion in Donegal. pic.twitter.com/mZ17pl4wCc  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 10, 2022

The devastating explosion at the service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal on Friday afternoon took the lives of four men, three women, two teenagers and a girl of primary school age.

Irelands police force, An Garda Siochana, continues to investigate the cause of the blast, which is being treated as a tragic accident.

A gas leak is one theory, it is believed.
Manchester City can seal their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a win over FC Copenhagen tonight.

City brushed their Danish counterparts aside last week, winning 5-0, to make it three wins from three in Group G. Copenhagen, meanwhile, are bottom with one point and are struggling both in Europe and domestically.

Pep Guardiola will likely see this season as his side's best chance of winning the competition given Erling Haaland's form, with the striker already scoring 20 goals this term.

Date, kick-off time and venue

FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City is scheduled for a 5.45pm BST kick-off time on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

The Parken Stadium in Denmark will host the match.

Where to watch FC Copenhagen vs Man City

TV channel: In the UK, tonights match will be televised live on BT Sport 4, with coverage starting at 5pm.

Live stream: BT Sport subscribers will also be able to watch the match online via the BT Sport website or app.

(Getty Images)

FC Copenhagen vs Man City team news

FC Copenhagen vs Man City prediction

As City proved last week, the gulf in class between the two teams is clear. Erling Haaland got his goals and you wouldnt bet against him doing so again, if he starts or comes off the bench.

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City to win 3-0 in Denmark.

Head to head (h2h) history and results

This is the second meeting between the two sides following last weeks 5-0 win for Manchester City.
Egypt and Greece on Sunday said a deal allowing Turkish hydrocarbon exploration in Libya's Mediterranean waters was "illegal" as Athens said it would oppose it by all "legal means".

On Monday, Turkey said it had signed a memorandum of understanding on exploration for hydrocarbons in Libya's seas with the authorities in Tripoli.

"This agreement threatens stability and security in the Mediterranean," Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in Cairo, where he met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

The deal follows an agreement Turkey signed three years ago with Tripoli that demarcated the countries' shared maritime borders.

Greece, Egypt and Cyprus believe the 2019 agreement violates their economic rights in an area suspected to contain vast natural gas reserves.

"We will use all legal means to defend our rights," Dendias added.

He said Tripoli "does not have the necessary sovereignty over this area", and that the agreement is therefore "illegal and inadmissible".

Shoukry charged that the mandate of the authorities in Tripoli has "expired" and that "the government of Tripoli does not have the legitimacy to sign agreements".

A rival Libyan administration in the war-torn country's east -- which since March has been attempting to take office in Tripoli and also argues the government's mandate has expired -- has rejected the accord.

Monday's deal builds on an agreement signed between Ankara and a previous Tripoli-based administration in 2019, at the height of a battle for the capital after eastern-based military chief Khalifa Haftar attempted to seize it by force.

The delivery of Turkish drones to Tripoli-based forces shortly afterwards was seen as crucial in the victory over Haftar, who was backed at the time by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

The question of rights to Libya's vast hydrocarbon resources has become more urgent this year as global energy prices have soared.

The European Union has denounced the 2019 maritime border deal, while France has said the recent agreement was "not in accordance with international law".

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The term skin cycling is popping up all over social media at the moment. And as #skincyling already has over 116 million views on TikTok alone, it seems like this beauty trend is here to stay. But what exactly is skin cycling? Coined by dermatologist Dr Whitney Bowe, the phrase refers to repeating separate skincare routines over four days. Day one is about exfoliating, day two is for using retinol, day three is about hydrating the complexion, and day four is for recovery. And then, repeat! Accor
Michaela Coel is hoping to build a home in Ghana credit:Bang Showbiz

Michaela Coel is planning to build a house in Ghana.

The 'I Will Destroy You' actress was born in London but both of her parents hail from the West African nation and she now hopes to erect a property in her the village where her father grew up after falling in love with the country on her first visit and feeling an instant connection to her heritage.

She told Vogue magazine: "I'd been to Africa before - Kenya and Uganda - but when I came here I was really seeing people who looked like me.

"A friend of mine was with me, and he remembers us getting off the plane and me walking around as if I knew where I was going.

"'I remember looking at all the kids playing and it hit me, like, Wow, this could've been me and I think I would have really enjoyed that.

"Yes, there are a lot of sad things; poverty, unemployment, struggle. There's also a lot of peace, friendliness. There's a lack of anxiety."

She added of Ghana: "Coming here, you do feel something magical."

Her dad has since moved back to Ghana and Michaela spent six months living in the country's capital city, Accra, last year. She's now also hoping to buy an apartment there.

She went on to talk about her parents' huge decision to emigrate to the UK, saying being in Ghana helped her understand them better. She said: "I started to imagine my parents as people, not parents, and what a crazy life it must have been to emigrate to England. Imagine youre a smart, intelligent man like my dad, but you are just seen as someone who cleans. You face this glass ceiling. And so I have to thank him for everything he did, because he made me who I am."

Vogue's November 2022 issue is available on newsstands nationwide on October 18.
A five-year-old girl and her father are among the 10 people named as victims of the devastating explosion at a petrol station in Ireland.

Police are continuing to investigate the blast that ripped through the Applegreen service station and convenience store in Creeslough, Co Donegal, on Friday afternoon.

The huge explosion claimed the lives of 10 local people who have now been named by police.

Those who died were 48-year-old James OFlaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin, 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

Shauna Flanagan Garwe, five, was among those killed (An Garda Siochana/PA)

Police said a man in his 20s remains in a critical condition at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin.

The seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition.

Irish premier Micheal Martin has met those who were admitted to hospital, the medical team which was on duty on the day of the explosion, and members of Letterkenny fire station.

Robert Garwe (An Garda Siochana/PA)

Accompanying Mr Martin were Agriculture Minister and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue and deputy leader Leo Varadkar.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis has offered his condolences to the people of Creeslough in a statement sent by his representative to the Bishop of Raphoe.

It read: His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion in Creeslough and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Leona Harper, 14 (An Garda Siochana/PA)

While entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of almighty god, His Holiness implores the divine blessings of consolation and healing upon the injured, the displaced and the families coping with pain of loss.

As a pledge of strength and peace in the lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing to all the people of Ireland.

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The remains of the deceased are at the hospital in Letterkenny where post-mortem examinations will continue over the next few days.

Martin McGill (An Garda Siochana/PA)

Police said results will not be released for operational reasons.

The Garda Technical Bureau, with assistance from other agencies, will continue to examine the scene, which remains cordoned off.

Catherine ODonnell, 39, and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan (An Garda Siochana/PA)

Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty told reporters that what has happened will have a huge impact to a small rural community.

He said: They are all local people. They are all very much involved in the community. They were all people who were shopping in their local shop.

Martina Martin (An Garda Siochana/PA)

We have very, very young children. The schools are going to be impacted, the GAA clubs are going to be impacted, the local church, in general the community is going to be severely impacted by this incident.

But it is a very strong community as was seen here on Friday afternoon with the response of families, friends and neighbours who came to peoples rescue.

James OFlaherty (An Garda Siochana/PA)

So I am sure the community will come together and will support each other.

He said there were very traumatic scenes on Friday afternoon.

Jessica Gallagher (An Garda Siochana/PA)

Emergency responders from right across Co Donegal and wider and our colleagues in Northern Ireland responded to very, very traumatic scenes, and then processed into dealing with recovery of fatalities at the scene, he said.

He said most of the police involved are local.

Hugh Kelly (An Garda Siochana/PA)

These are the people they work with and the people that they meet on a daily basis, he said.

At Mass on Sunday in St Michaels Church in Creeslough, Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian said the people of the village are living through a nightmare of shock and horror.

Father John Joe Duffy lights 10 red candles candles at St Michaels Church in Creeslough, Co Donegal, for the victims of the Applegreen service station explosion (Brian Lawless/PA)

The blast is being treated by police as a tragic accident.
Hundreds gather in Glasgow to show support for Iranian protests

Hundreds gathered in St Enoch Square this afternoon to show solidarity for Iranian protesters after the death of Mahsa Amini.

Iran has seen weeks of unrest following the burial of Amini, a Kurdish woman who died in police custody on September 16.

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The 22-year-old had been detained for allegedly wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf too loosely.

In the following weeks, protests spread across Iran and have been met by a fierce crackdown, in which dozens are estimated to have been killed and hundreds arrested.

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Gatherings in Iran and other countries including Turkey, Lebanon and France have seen women defiantly burning their headscarves or cutting off their hair in a stand against coercive religious dress codes.

Across the globe, women including Oscar-winning actresses Marion Cotillard and Juliette Binoche have posted videos to social media with the hashtag HairForFreedom as they too cut their hair short in support.

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In Glasgow today, a sea of Iranian flags filled the air as crowds chanted Say her name, Mahsa Amini, justice for, Mahsa Amini.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Scottish Association said: We organised the rally in Glasgow to stand with Iranian protesters and request the UK and Scottish governments to act in support of the Iranian protesters.

We all have one goal of changing the theocratic regime with a democratic one and raising the awareness of the human and women's rights issues in Iran.

Crowds later made their way towards George Square as they continued to passionately shout Mahsa Amini's name along with the words "women, life, freedom".

Following the rally, a Scottish Government Spokesperson said: We applaud the courage and determination of women and girls, as well as the men, who are challenging police brutality and the deep-seated misogyny of laws against women and girls in Iran and condemn the Iranian governments brutal crackdown which is resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians.

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"We stand in full solidarity with everyone working to secure human rights in Iran.

For more information on the Iranian Scottish Association click here.
Hackers backing Iran's wave of women-led protests interrupted a state TV news broadcast with an image of gun-sight crosshairs and flames over the face of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in footage widely shared online on Sunday.

In other anti-regime messages, activists have spray-painted "Death to Khamenei" and "The Police are the Murderers of the People" on public billboards in Tehran.

"The blood of our youths is on your hands," read an on-screen message that flashed up briefly during the TV broadcast Saturday evening, as street protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, 22, again rocked Tehran and other cities.

"Police forces used tear gas to disperse the crowds in dozens of locations in Tehran," state news agency IRNA reported, adding the demonstrators "chanted slogans and set fire to and damaged public property, including a police booth".

Anger has flared since the death of Amini on September 16, three days after the young Kurdish woman was arrested by the notorious morality police for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.

"Join us and rise up," read another message in the TV hack claimed by the group Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice).

It also posted pictures of Amini and three other women killed in the crackdown that has claimed at least 95 lives according to Norway-based group Iran Human Rights.

Another 90 people were killed in Iran's far southeast, in unrest on September 30 sparked by the alleged rape of a teenage girl by a police chief in Sistan-Baluchestan province, said IHR, citing the UK-based Baluch Activists Campaign.

One Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps member was killed Saturday in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, and a member of the Guards' Basij paramilitary force died in Tehran from "a serious head injury following an armed attack by a mob," IRNA said -- in killings that raised the death toll among security forces to 14.

- 'So many protests' -

Iran has been torn by the biggest wave of social unrest in almost three years, which has seen protesters, including university students and even young schoolgirls chant "Woman, Life, Freedom".

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"Videos coming out from Tehran indicate that there are so many protests, in every corner of the city, in small and big numbers," said US-based campaigner and journalist Omid Memarian on Twitter.

In Amini's hometown Saqez, Kurdistan, schoolgirls chanted and marched down a street swinging their hijab headscarves in the air, in videos the Hengaw rights group said were recorded on Saturday.

Gruesome footage has emerged from the state's often bloody response, spread online despite widespread internet outages and blocks on all the major social media platforms.

One video shows a man who was shot dead at the wheel of his car in Sanandaj, Kurdistan's capital, where the province's police chief, Ali Azadi, later charged he was "killed by anti-revolutionary forces".

Angry men then appear to take revenge on a member of the feared Basij militia, swarming him and beating him badly, in another widely shared video.

Yet another video clip shows a young woman said to have been shot dead in Mashhad in the country's northeast.

Many on social media said it evoked footage of Neda Agha Soltan, a young woman who became an enduring symbol of the Iranian opposition after she was shot dead at protests in 2009.

- 'Not afraid anymore' -

In the face of the violence and the online restrictions, protesters have adopted new tactics to spread their message of resistance in public spaces.

"We are not afraid anymore. We will fight," read one large banner placed on an overpass of Tehran's Modares highway, seen in images verified by AFP.

In other footage, a man with a spray can is seen altering the wording of a government billboard on the same highway from "The Police are the Servants of the People" to "The Police are the Murderers of the People".

Several water features in the Iranian capital were said to have been coloured blood-red, but the head of citys municipality parks organisation Ali Mohamad Mokhtari said: "This information is completely false and there isn't any change in the colors of fountains in Tehran".

Iran has accused outside forces of stirring up the protests, as solidarity protests have been held in scores of cities worldwide. The United States, European Union and other governments have imposed new sanctions on Iran.

On Amini's death, Iran said Friday that a forensic investigation had found that she died as a result of a long-standing medical condition, rather than of blows to the head as claimed by activists.

Amini's father told London-based Iran International that he rejected the official report: "I saw with my own eyes that blood had come from Mahsa's ears and the back of her neck."

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CAIRO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of Egypt and Greece held talks in Cairo on Sunday, following a recent oil and gas exploration deals signed between Turkiye and the Libyan Government of National Unity.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias described the deal as a "threat to regional stability," stressing that achieving stability in Libya and in the eastern Mediterranean region is one of the "strategic goals" for both Greece and Egypt.

He urged for holding the Libyan elections as soon as possible to maintain Libya's stability and territorial integrity, adding "Greece supports the efforts to pave the way for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya."

"The outgoing unity government in Tripoli doesn't have the authority to conclude any international agreements or memoranda of understanding," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said, adding the Libyan Government of National Unity came through a UN-approved roadmap by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum with a specific mission and term to hold the Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24, 2021, which it failed to do.

Libya has been divided into two rival administrations since March, when the eastern-based House of Representatives, or the parliament, appointed Fathi Bashagha as prime minister while Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah refused to step down, saying he would only hand over office to an elected government.

Dbeibah's administration signed with Turkiye earlier this month a memorandum of understanding that allows Turkiye to explore oil and gas fields in some areas of the eastern Mediterranean, over which Greece claims to have sovereignty.

Libya has been suffering political instability and chaos ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. 
Here is what we know about the incident in the Co Donegal village of Creeslough which resulted in the deaths of 10 people.

 Creeslough

The village is located in northern Donegal on the north-west tip of the island of Ireland, along the scenic Wild Atlantic Way.

It is a popular spot for holiday-makers, and the area is a particular favourite with people from across the border in Northern Ireland.

With a population of around 400, the people of Creeslough form a close-knit rural community.

 The explosion

Said to be heard from miles around, the explosion took place at about 3.20pm on Friday in a complex that includes residential apartments and the Applegreen service station and convenience store.

Irish police have not detailed exactly where they think the blast originated.

The 10 victims (An Garda Siochana/PA)

 The response

The Irish police force, An Garda Siochana, has been assisted by emergency responders from across the county of Donegal, as well as Northern Ireland.

Dozens of rescue workers tried to locate people as part of a search and recovery operation.

Tractors transported rubble away and sniffer dogs were used to scour the rubble.

At one point on Friday night, all machinery was turned off and onlookers were asked to remain silent as rescue workers attempted to detect survivors beneath the debris.

On Saturday evening, police said the search operation had ended.

 The victims

The 10 people killed were named by police on Sunday as 48-year-old James OFlaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin, 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin meet with firefighters called to the scene (Brian Lawless/PA)

 The casualties

Irish police said a man in his 20s remains in a critical condition in St Jamess Hospital in Dublin following Fridays blast.

Seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition.

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 The reaction

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who visited the site of the explosion on Saturday evening, said the entire nation is mourning following the tragedy.

Irish President Michael D Higgins said: This tragedy is a terrible blow to a community that is closely knit and where every loss and injury will be felt by every member of the community and far beyond.

The Pope sent a blessing to all the people of Ireland.

A statement sent by his representative to Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian read: His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion in Creeslough and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, left, at the scene of the explosion (Brian Lawless/PA)

 The investigation

Irish police said on Sunday that they continue to investigate all the circumstances into the cause of the fatal explosion.

The investigation is being co-ordinated from an incident room at Milford garda station.

The Garda Technical Bureau, with assistance from other agencies, will continue to examine the scene, which remains cordoned off.

Police said these examinations are likely to continue over the coming days, and traffic diversions on the N56 at the scene of the incident remain in place.

On Saturday, Superintendent David Kelly of Milford garda station said: At this point in time, we have to keep an open mind in how we investigate this but our information at this point in time is pointing towards a tragic accident.

That said, being a garda I have to take a holistic and overall viewpoint, but thats where we are going at the moment.

We are following certain investigative angles but for operational reasons, I am not going in to that.

 The impact on the community

Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty told reporters on Sunday the tragedy will have a huge impact to a small rural community.

He said: They are all local people. They are all very much involved in the community. They were all people who were shopping in their local shop.

We have very, very young children. The schools are going to be impacted, the GAA clubs are going to be impacted, the local church, in general the community is going to be severely impacted by this incident.

But it is a very strong community as was seen here on Friday afternoon with the response of families, friends and neighbours who came to peoples rescue.

So I am sure the community will come together and will support each other.
Dawn Paul, Chair of Brighton Area NSPCC Volunteers.

An NSPCC volunteer from Peacehaven will be spending her 62nd birthday trekking Mount Everest to raise money for the charitys Childline service.

Dawn Paul, chairwoman of Brighton NSPCC volunteers, will spend 18 days starting in late October, climbing the Everest Base Camp which is 5,357 metres high.

She originally planned the trip while celebrating her 60th birthday but the coronavirus pandemic forced a pause on her plans.

Dawn Paul, Chair of Brighton Area NSPCC Volunteers.

She has now decided to take on the challenge while being accompanied by her eldest son Andrew.

Dawn said: Instead of trekking to Everest Base Camp, I ended up circumnavigating a local park 60 times as Covid was in full swing.

Here I am two years later and two years older with a body thats definitely beginning to feel its age, finally heading to Nepal to trek up to Everest Base Camp.

I suffer from claustrophobia, so just sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag is a complete nightmare.

This trip equally excites and terrifies me. The thought of crossing rope bridge after rope bridge makes me quake in my boots.

Dawn Paul, Chair of Brighton Area NSPCC Volunteers.

The 14 of the 18 days in Nepal will be spent at altitude trekking for 10 hours at a time.

Dawn will have to pitch up a tent and camp in potentially sub-zero temperatures.

She was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her knees as well as catching Covid twice, which has set her back in her training regime.

Dawn Paul, Chair of Brighton Area NSPCC Volunteers.

Dawn explained: Sadly, I am not as fit as I could be, but I will give this challenge 100%.

Having my eldest son with me is what has kept me focussed, although he has had his own health problems in recent years after a meniscus tear in his left knee.

All funds raised will go towards supporting Childline, one of the vital services provided by the NSPCC.

The service is there to give young people a voice when no one is listening.

The service can only continue thanks to the very generous donations from each and every one of you.

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She has already raised more than 3,000 on her JustGiving page ahead of the journey.

To support Dawn on her fundraising journey, you can donate to her JustGiving page.
FILE PHOTO: Outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's economic recovery will not be affected by a global slowdown due to a rebound in tourism, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told reporters on Monday.

"Our economy depends on tourism, which is gradually recovering," he said, adding that not every country is going through a slowdown and so the impact on Thailand's tourism market will be limited.

"During the winter, European tourists want to escape the cold to Thailand," Arkhom said.

Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. In 2019, it welcomed nearly 40 million visitors, who spent 1.91 trillion baht.

The government previously said it expects tourism revenue to reach $64.5 billion this year from 10 million arrivals.

Arkhom also added that fiscal and monetary policy will be integrated to support recovery after the Bank of Thailand hiked policy rates by 25 basis points twice, in August and September.

"The Bank of Thailand has confirmed that interest rate hikes will examine many factors to ensure recovery," he added.

(Reporting by Kitiphong Thaichareon and Satawasin Staporncharnchai, Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng, Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
Viola Davis doubted she could become a star credit:Bang Showbiz

Viola Davis feared she was "too big" and "too black" to find success in the arts.

The 57-year-old actress is one of the biggest stars in the movie industry - but Viola still remembers doubting herself during her time at The Juilliard School, a performing arts conservatory in New York City.

She shared: "I felt I came in with a wrong palette. I was too big. I was too black. My voice was too deep."

Viola's career was transformed when she visited Gambia in the 90s.

The acclaimed actress was watching a performance by the kaneleng  an association of childless women  and it proved to be a career-defining moment for her.

Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, Viola explained: "They were just screaming, not even with any objective of singing beautifully. It was the objective of just making noise, so God can hear it."

The incident prompted Viola to look at acting in a different light.

She said: "If I dont start with the palette of what is Viola, then Im doing absolutely nothing. Whether or not its received by the masses, I cannot control. But I can control that."

Despite this, Viola previously admitted that luck has played a part in her success.

The Hollywood star has managed to claw her way out of poverty - and she still struggles to explain her own success.

Asked how she managed to transform her life, Viola replied: "A huge part of it is that unexplained phenomena which is luck and blessings.

"But I found something that I really, really loved to do and I did it constantly. I did it to the best of my ability. I rode that horse. What I had, when I didn't have confidence even when I didn't have self love, what I had was drive.

"You find the joy, and the joy stomps out all the pain."
MOGADISHU, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said Sunday it has opened joint operations centers (JOCs) to enhance coordination and planning with Somali security forces (SSF) during operations against al-Shabab.

ATMIS Force Commander Diomede Ndegeya said the centers which were opened across the AU mission's areas of responsibility will enable the allied forces to work together to ensure effective operations against the militants.

"Joint operations centers will be functional in all sectors to coordinate operations and I urge all sector commanders to ensure that they are fully effective in their areas of operations in the regions," Ndegeya said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

He said ATMIS personnel, Somali security forces, and partners will coordinate, and plan operations at the centers as contained in the ATMIS Concept Of Operations (CONOPs).

The CONOPs provide a framework to guide the implementation of the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to the Somali security forces and the eventual exit of AU troops from Somalia.

Ndegeya said the JOC at the ATMIS force headquarters will coordinate with the sector headquarters, ATMIS Police, mission headquarters, Somali security forces, and other security agencies to provide updates regarding al-Shabab threats and progress on operations.

He said the centers support the implementation of the various UN resolutions requiring the Somali security forces to gradually assume full responsibility for the country's security.

The ATMIS official said consultative meetings have been held between ATMIS and SSF to reconfigure the AU mission taking into consideration the operational priorities of SSF.

The Somali Deputy Minister of Defence, Abdifatah Qasim Mahamud said recent joint operations in the Hiran and Galgaduud regions of central Somalia have been successful.

"I congratulate ATMIS for implementing the Joint Operations Centres, which will improve coordination between the SSF and ATMIS. The officers embedded and working together will ensure effective operations," Qasim said.

Harjit Dhindsa, the Director of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), noted that the centers support the implementation of the new ATMIS mandate by the UN Security Council, which requires ATMIS troops to be highly mobile and able to deploy quickly.

"For mobile forces and quick reactions to be really quick, there is a need for information availability at a very short notice. And for the forces to be deployed effectively, it is important that there is a control center from where they can operate," Dhindsa said. 
Brig. Gen. Kevin Lambert in September became the latest University of North Georgia (UNG) graduate to ascend to the rank of general. UNG has produced 60 flag officers across all military branches.

Lambert, a 1993 UNG graduate, took over as deputy commanding general of maneuver for the Army's 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia.

He previously served a year as deputy commander of support for the 3rd Infantry Division. The UNG alumnus served two years as division chief of staff at Fort Riley, Kansas, before joining the 3rd Infantry Division.

Lambert said several UNG alumni served as mentors at different times throughout his Army journey, including retired four-star Gen. Stephen Townsend, '82, retired Lt. Gen. James Terry, '78, Lt. Paul Calvert '88, and Lt. Gen. James "Jamie" Jarrard, '88.

"It's a little unbelievable. I certainly don't put myself in that category. I feel blessed to be where I'm at," Lambert said. "It's humbling, and it's not lost on me that it's a rare opportunity. I can do more for people in this capacity than I've ever been able to before."

After completing high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, while his father was in the Army, Lambert only applied to UNG. He remains grateful for the path it paved.
Interview: CPC's ability to adapt contributes to its success, says expert

Xinhua) 08:22, October 10, 2022

Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies, gestures as he speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Peterborough, Britain, Sept. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

LONDON, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The ability to meet people's needs and adapt to domestic and international changes has enabled the Communist Party of China (CPC) to lead China to successive victories, an expert here said.

"A major achievement of the CPC is the total eradication of absolute poverty in China," said Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies in Britain.

Pfetten noted that China's poverty alleviation achievement was realized 10 years ahead of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations.

Another achievement of the CPC is accomplishing its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, he said.

Furthermore, the CPC has delivered a new democratic model to the world -- socialist consultative democracy, providing an alternative to the Western democratic model, he said.

"The success of the CPC comes from a constant adaptation of the party to the needs of the people and to the reality of the world at large," he said.

Pfetten, 54, was born in France, and one of his ancestors created a work-study program for young Chinese people in his factory in the early 1900s. Pfetten studied Chinese at an early age and speaks the language fluently.

In recent years, Pfetten has participated in various academic exchange programs and investment-promoting activities to contribute to China's development projects. He was awarded a certificate of honor for helping impoverished women and children in the rural areas of northeastern China's Liaoning Province.

Pfetten is dedicated to studying China and the CPC and has written more than 2,000 pages of relevant research notes.

Talking about the upcoming CPC National Congress, Pfetten said he believes that it will be a significant meeting for China and the rest of the world, given China's weight in the international community and the global economy.

He praised the CPC for positioning the Chinese people at the center of its work.

"It's a party of people," Pfetten said. "And the party evolves and moves with the evolution of the people."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming)
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Two alleged terrorists were killed in a counter-terror operation in the North Waziristan district of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the military said on Sunday night.

According to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the Mir Ali area of the district.

During the counter-terror operation, an intense exchange of fire took place, "resulting in the killing of two terrorists," the ISPR said.

Weapons and ammunition were seized from the terrorists, it added.

The ISPR said that the killed terrorists had been actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and the killing of innocent people. 
HA NOI  The wood pellet industry should focus on developing raw material plantation areas to tap the potential from the increasing global demand for exports, experts have said.

In the global market, the demand for wood pellets was increasing as the Russia  Ukraine conflict pushed up the demand of EU countries in addition to the trend of switching to clean fuels along with commitments about emissions reductions at COP26.

Viet Nams wood pellet exports saw rapid increases in recent years and were expected to become one of the agro-forestry products which touched a revenue of $1 billion or higher.

Statistics showed that wood pellet exports reached US$354 million in the first six months of this year, equivalent to 85 per cent of the revenue in 2021 and were forecast to reach $700 million for the full year.

Average export prices also increased rapidly to nearly $150 per tonne, up by 27 per cent over the 2021 average.

Nguyen Ba Duy, deputy director of Smart Wood Viet Nam which exported wood pellets to the Republic of Korea and was looking to penetrate Japan, said there was still significant room for expanding exports in these two markets.

The EU also had a lot of potential, Duy said, adding that meeting the quality requirements of the EU remained a problem for a majority of domestic pellet producers.

To Xuan Phuc from Forest Trends, said the demand and prices of pellets in the EU were increasing rapidly, which was grabbing large attention from the US  the biggest pellet exporter in the world.

Although Viet Nam was not a big supplier of pellets to the EU, the rising demand and price in the EU brought a significant opportunity for Vietnamese producers to expand exports to this market, Phuc said.

Currently, Viet Nam mainly exported pellets to Japan and the Republic of Korea, while exports to other markets were very modest. Especially, the exports to Japan posted rapid growth of an average 90 per cent in the 2019-21 period and are expected to continue to increase this year.

Phuc said that the source of input wood for pellet production played the most important role in the development of the industry, adding that the current source was mainly by-products from wood processing.

Phuc said that pellet producers and exporters should pay attention to developing raw material plantation areas to stabilise the source of input materials.

Enterprises could cooperate with households who had access to the land for afforestation, he said.

Besides, the trend of pellet consumption in major markets demonstrated that in the future, pellets would be required to be made from sustainably certified materials, he said, stressing that developing raw material areas was necessary.

According to Duy, as pellet prices increased, many enterprises rushed to invest in pellet production. This posed a risk to the sustainable development of the industry because the source of raw materials for pellet production remained limited, Duy said.

Another concern to pellet producers was that the Government was considering increasing the export tax on pellets which was currently zero because pellets were not deeply processed, thus, competing directly with the large-timber plantation development.

Duy said that increasing the export tax on pellets was unreasonable because pellet production mainly used by-products of the wood processing industry.

o Xuan Lap, President of the Viet Nam Timber and Forest Product Association, said the government should not impose an export tax on pellets to maintain competitiveness in the global market.

Development strategies should also be raised for the pellet production industry to grow sustainably, Lap said.

There were more than 300 pellet production facilities in Viet Nam, around 80 per cent of which were in the southern and central coast regions.  VNS
THUA THIEN HUE  The central province has commenced construction on a 300m long breakwater at Chan May Port to increase its capacity.

The province said the project, which was built at a cost of VN757 billion (US$33 million), is expected to be put into operation in the first quarter of 2026, allowing easy access to 70,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) cargo ships; 4,000TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) container ships, and 225,000GT (gross tonnage) cruise ships.

Currently, Chan May Port hosts from 4 million to 4.5 million tonnes of cargo annually, but it would increase to 5 million or 6 million tonnes of commodities by 2025.

In the first stage, the port completed construction of a 450m breakwater providing logistics for six industrial zones and two economic zones in the province.

A logistics company said the province, which connects to the East-West Economic Corridor linking Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Viet Nam, would help businesses and investors save at least $70 from a road cargo trip at Chan May Port rather than travelling to a Nangs Tien Sa Port from Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces.

The province has been calling for the construction of two more piers at the port to improve logistics capacity.

Thua Thien Hue said it has granted licences to 25 new investment projects worth a total VN13.78 trillion (nearly $600 million), of which four FDI projects with $257 million, in the first nine months this year.

Earlier this year, Aeon Mall Viet Nam said it plans to build its first trading centre, Aeon Mall Hue, with an investment of $170 million in An Van Duong new urban area.

The province and the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) also agreed to boost ties between businesses from the US in a meeting in May.  VNS
Compiled by Viet Dung

HA NOI  Natural aquatic resources are being used faster than they can replenish themselves, exposing the need for a sustainability transition in the fishery industry.

The Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries (VDF) revealed that marine capture fisheries contribute to 43 per cent of total fishery output and over 40 per cent of fishery exports.

The large contribution of catch-based fisheries can be attributed to the fact that Viet Nam has over 1 million sq.km of sea area available for aquaculture but a major part of the area is untapped.

Notably, offshore farms account for roughly 20 per cent of the total aquatic farming area in the country.

The directorate is aiming to accelerate the shift from catch-based to farm-based practices to improve fishery value chains and implement the governmental Scheme to develop marine aquaculture by 2030 with a vision to 2045.

"By 2030, marine aquaculture would reach 300,000ha with 12 million sq.m of cages, producing an annual output of 1.45 million tonnes," according to the scheme.

Nhu Van Can, Director of the VDF's Aquaculture Department, asserted that room for aquaculture growth is ample as the country has a large area of coastal waters not-yet-exploited, which is estimated at 500,000ha.

He said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has issued a decree on land lease and water surface lease to promote aquaculture. The decree allows a lease period of up to 50 years with an extension of 20 years for investors who want to make long-term investments in marine farming.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) followed suit by urging the Government to develop a new decree to replace Decree 67. Under the new decree, fishermen who transition to farm-based practices would be granted a farming site located within 3 miles offshore. Some favourable policies also come with the sites to facilitate the transition.

o inh Minh, Head of the Quang Ninh Province's Sub-Department of Fisheries, claimed that the province has pulled off an annual growth rate of over 10 per cent in aquaculture.

Its farm-based output topped VN4 trillion, contributing to 65 per cent of total provincial fishery output in 2021.

The sub-department head underscored quality seeds as the key to the success of mariculture. In the long-term, the province will re-organise farming areas in a way that breeding sites would be closely connected to rearing sites to yield the highest output and the best quality.

Tran Thanh Phong, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Pangasius Association, opined that the sustainable growth of the pangasius sub-industry requires technology edge.

He mentioned several high-tech pangasius-rearing sites that have successfully employed technology to cut costs and operate more environmentally-friendly, and called for the replication of these sites across the country.

One such site is 600ha owned by Nam Viet Corporation, which uses an automated feeding system to cut labour costs and solar panel system to reduce electricity bills.

"We must aim to build concentrated pangasius-rearing sites, which incorporate the latest technologies into all their farming stages, to produce high value-added products that meet international demand," he said.

Le Tan Ban, Director of the Khanh Hoa Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said in the short term the province will grant water surface to certain fishermen under the Law on Fisheries 2017.

Eligible fishermen comprise local people who live on aquaculture and who have transitioned from coastal capture fisheries to farm-based fisheries.

The province will persuade the fishermen to use HDPE cages in place of traditional cages to make their cages better designed and more durable against ocean waves.

Deep-pocketed firms will be called on to invest further in mariculture to boost farm-based output. Fishery cooperatives, which are closely connected with the firms, will be established to keep the output stable.

According to MARD, capture fisheries consume 330 million litres of fuel per month. As fuel prices rose in the first half of 2022 amid unchanged fishery prices, many vessels had to temporarily cease operation on account of higher costs.

"About 40 to 55 per cent of vessels did not set sail for fishing in the first six months of the year," said the ministry.

Given the uncertainty of catch-based fisheries, and the fact that large importers have begun to set higher bar on fishery quality and traceability, farm-based fisheries seem to be a better path ahead.  VNS
HCM CITY  A new version of ai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Complete Annals of ai Viet), a national historical series of books in Han or ancient Chinese characters, has been released by the Van Hoc (Literature) Publishing House.

It includes two books of the history of Viet Nam from King Duong Vuong's reign (2879 BC) to Le Gia Tong's reign of the later Le Dynasty (1675).

The first book was translated into Vietnamese by cultural researchers Ngo uc Tho and Hoang Van Lau. It was edited by professor and author Ha Van Tan.

The second book is a copy in Han from the original wood block series in 1697.

"ai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu is the oldest official historical text which remains comprehensive up to now. It also is an invaluable treasure of Vietnamese culture, a rich source of information to research into history and other social science branches," said Vo Thuy Trang, a final-year student in literature faculty of the HCM City University of Education.

ai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu was written, carved and printed by different generations of historians under the Le and Tran dynasties, such as Le Van Huu, Phan Phu Tien, Ngo Si Lien, Pham CongTru and Le Hy.

It was first translated into Vietnamese by sinologist Cao Huy Du, and released in 1967.

The series highlights include the pages featuring King Tran Nhan Tong, the 4th King of the Tran Dynasty, which lasted for 175 years from 1225 to 1400 with 14 kings.

King Tran Nhan Tong was born and grew up in the capital of Thang Long, now Ha Noi.

In 1284, being informed of the advance of 500,000 enemy troops from the north, King Tran Nhan Tong summoned a nationwide meeting of elders at Dien Hong Palace to seek advice on a national defence policy as the situation worsened.

After the great victory over the Chinese Yuan invasion forces, the King ceded the throne in favour of his son Tran Anh Tong, and retreated to the mountain of Yen Tu to practise Buddhism and attain enlightenment, hence the title Royal Buddha.

His contributions to Vietnamese history and culture confirmed his position as a virtuous king and great Buddhist.  VNS
HA NOI  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has emphasised the need to ensure macro-economic stability and major economic balances as the sixth plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee wrapped up in Ha Noi on Sunday after seven days of sitting, with all items on its agenda completed.

In his closing remarks, Party leader Trong ordered economic restructuring to be stepped up in tandem with renewing the growth model, strengthening the national economys self-reliance, resilience and adaptation, and promoting and creating new development impulses for both short and long terms.

The Party leader also urged greater efforts in administrative reforms and the implementation of the socio-economic recovery and development, and national target programmes.

He said it is necessary to improve personnel quality; intensify the application and development of science-technology, digital transformation, green transformation and innovation; ensure social security; step up the communication work; enhance the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena; consolidate national defence and security; and integrate more intensively and extensively into the world.

The committee agreed on the need to issue and roll out the national master plan for 2021-2023 with a vision towards 2050, considering this a very important political task.

In this regard, the Party chief said the planning work should focus on forming a national infrastructure framework, particularly infrastructure in transport, urban areas, energy, digital transformation, environmental protection, irrigation, natural disaster prevention and control, and climate change response.

He noted that the potential and advantages of the country as well as each region and locality should be fully tapped to serve the nation's industrialisation and modernisation, and digital transformation would be a new, breakthrough method to shorten the process.

The committee also reached a high consensus on the issuance of a resolution on continuing to build and perfect the rule-of-law socialist State in the new period.

The leader pointed out major tasks like further reforming the organisation of the National Assembly, the administrative sector, courts and judicial agencies, and promoting peoples role and their right to mastery, among others.

The participants consented to issue a resolution on continuing to revamp the Partys leadership in the new situation, which, the General Secretary said, must be conducted cautiously, with strong determination and great efforts.

At the sixth plenum, the Party Central Committee decided to relieve the Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission Nguyen Thanh Phong, President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Bui Nhat Quang, and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Agencies Bloc Huynh Tan Viet from their positions as members of the 13th Party Central Committee.

It also expelled the Secretary of the Hai Duong Province's Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial Peoples Council Pham Xuan Thang from the Party.  VNS
HA NOI Sitting in a large house, Duong Thi Hien in Ha Noi's Ba Vi District is preparing herbal medicine for customers in the capital city.

Every day, her husband and two children go to the forest to collect leaves. She stays at home to process and prepare medicine for customers.

Being busy all year round, they have been able to build a new house, thanks to the efforts of the whole family after years of hard work.

Hien, a member of the Dao ethnic group in Yen Son village, Ba Vi mountainous commune, has seen her life improve significantly thanks to medicinal herbs.

Like her, many local residents at the foot of Tan Vien Mountain have seen their lives improve due to the traditional job that has been preserved for hundreds of years.

Ly Van Phu, in Yen Son village, told Kinh Te & o Thi (Economic & Urban Affairs) newspaper that the area of agricultural land in the village is limited. The income of most of the Dao ethnic group depends on traditional medicinal herbs.

In Ba Vi Commune, the production of medicinal herbs has also developed in Hop Son and Hop Nhat villages among the Dao ethnic group.

"Medicinal plants have brought income for local inhabitants, helping many Dao ethnic families out of poverty," said Lang Van Ha, chairman of Ba Vi District People's Committee.

As of early 2022, the whole commune has only 11 poor households, accounting for 1.8 per cent of the total number of households.

Since 2019, Ba Vi Commune is no longer in extremely difficult circumstances.

Risk of exhausted resources

The profession of the Dao people in Ba Vi also faces many great challenges.

Duong Thi Binh, a 75-year-old woman, said she has been doing this job since she was 11 years old.

Before 1996, the herbs were abundant.

However, the over-exploitation of those plants without preservation and development plans has increased the risk of extinction.

In 1996, Ba Vi National Park was established. It aims to manage, protect and develop natural forests. Since then, the Dao people are no longer free to go into the forest to find and collect medicinal plants.

Secretary of the Party Committee in Hop Son village, Duong Trung Than said since the 1990s, many Dao ethnic households have tried to breed varieties of medicinal plants.

However, due to limited cultivation techniques, the yield and quality of medicinal plants are not high.

"Many people have to go to Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, even Lang Son, Ha Giang provinces to find medicinal herbs," Than said.

Along with the worry that the raw material area is running out, the profession of herbal medicine is also at risk.

In fact, in Ba Vi Commune, people who still practise traditional medicine are elderly. While the younger generation is all trying to find a livelihood in the city and industrial zones.

Binh has eight children. But until now, no one has followed their mother's job.

Herbal medicine of the Dao people in fact has not attracted many economic sectors, especially enterprises.

The application of technological advances to production is still very limited.

Spontaneous trade and lack of sustainable linkage chains are hindering the development of this traditional medicine.

The Dao ethnic people are trying to change step by step to develop these products.

Many households have turned to processing concentrated herb glue, bringing convenience to consumers, Trieu Thi Chinh, a local producer said.

With the support of agencies in Ha Noi and Ba Vi District, local products are packed and labelled. Customers can easily trace the origin of the product.

Some locals have access to online sales channels, livestreams and work with pharmacies to consume their home-made herbal medicines.

Yen Son, Hop Son and Hop Nhat villages were recognised by the Ha Noi People's Committee as traditional craft villages.

In order to develop herbal medicines, the State needs to have more mechanisms and policies to support farming land and production techniques so that people can preserve and breed precious varieties of medicinal plants which are in danger of being exhausted, said Lang Van Ha, chairman of Ba Vi District People's Committee.

He also said that developing community-based tourism in Ba Vi will not only expand exchanges for ethnic minorities, but also more and more people will know about precious traditional medicines, contributing to preserving and promoting the value of herbal medicine of the Dao people.

Regarding the development of traditional herbal medicine of the Dao people, head of the Ha Noi Committee for Ethnic Minorities, Nguyen Tat Vinh, said the city has recently issued a plan to implement the National Target Programme for socio-economic development in the ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in the capital city in the 2021 - 2025 period.

Accordingly, about VN2,150 billion (US$90.76 million) will be allocated to localities to develop agricultural, forestry production; tourism; traditional trades and craft villages and production of the value chain.

About VN1,500 billion ($63.32 million) will also be invested in building essential infrastructure to serve the life and production of ethnic minorities, including the Dao ethnic community in Ba Vi Commune.

The locality will continue to coordinate with departments and agencies to support organisations and individuals to expand raw material areas; promote preliminary processing of herbal plants in order to market requirements, contributing to improving the income and living standards of the Dao ethnic group, said Secretary of the Party Committee of Ba Vi Commune Duong Trung Tuan. VNS
HA NOI  Following ten months of commercial operations, the Cat Linh - Ha ong elevated urban railway has served more than 5.4 million passengers and taken VN46 billion (US$2 million) in revenue.

The Ministry of Transport said that because this is the only operating line in the unfinished urban railway network of the capital city, its connection to other public transport is still limited.

However, the number of passengers is increasing due to its safety, convenience, rapid speed and punctuality.

The daily average of people taking the train is 18,300, half of which use monthly tickets.

Despite high operating costs, fare rates must be low to attract people to this means of public transport.

Ha Noi is planning to use its budget to subsidise the Cat Linh - Ha ong line operator in the same manner as for public buses.

Options are being discussed, which say that the subsidy rate is 80 per cent for monthly tickets, and 50 per cent for daily tickets.

Cat Linh - Ha ong urban railway officially went into operation in November 2021, after ten years of construction.

With free travel in the first 15 days, the line made VN2 billion in revenue in the first month, welcoming over 4.4 million passengers. The figures continue to increase in the following months.

In August 2022, the number of passengers reached 6.1 million, with a revenue of nearly VN6 billion.

In a recent meeting with the railway project management board, deputy transport minister Nguyen Danh Huy required a detailed and thorough evaluation of audit conclusions, which must specify groups of issues, causes and reasons, responsibilities and related stakeholders.

This will help propose solutions and recommendations to solve the current problems.

According to the State Audit in their conclusion dated December 2018, the total investment in the project was adjusted without notice to the Prime Minister and the National Assembly, which did not follow regulations.

The total amount to be deducted and recovered from the project is VN874 billion ($38 million).

The Government can reduce its spending through related mechanisms when making final payments with the main contractor EPC from China, which are deductions due to incorrect calculations of over VN175 billion ($7.3 million); negotiation between the investor and the main contractor to reduce more than VN428 billion ($18 million); accounting calculations to reduce the costs of investment, management, principal debt and interest of over VN269 billion ($11.3 million).

In this project, the labour unit cost calculation was also audited and recommended for adjustment, which would require years to reach an agreement.

The railway management board also asked the transport ministry to change the project completion date to November 2023, coinciding with the warranty expiration (after two years of operation).

During the warranty period, equipment replacement is under the main contractor's responsibility, while spare supplies procured according to the contract will only be put into use after November 6, 2023.

The extension of the project completion date is to finish procedures as per regulations and spare equipment procurement, and will not affect the project or lead to additional costs, said the board.  VNS
HA NOI  Ten outstanding citizens of Ha Noi were honoured for their extraordinary contributions to the capital city's development at an event held on Monday.

It was organsied to review 30 years of the citys movement Good People, Good Deeds (1992  2022) and commemorate the 68th anniversary of Hanoi Liberation Day (October 10, 1954  2022).

In his remarks, Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Tran Sy Thanh recalled the historic day when Ha Noi was liberated from French colonists in 1954, saying 68 years since then, the capital has a new look with an increasingly heightening position and reputation.

The city has transformed itself into a national centre of politics, culture, science, education and economy and a growth driver of the Red River Delta and the whole country as well, he said.

Thanh noted that the Good People, Good Deeds has become a signature movement of Ha Noi. Nearly 30,000 people have been awarded the title of Good People, Good Deeds over the last three decades while 119 others have been honoured as the capitals outstanding citizens, he said.

This year, 747 individuals were granted the title of Good People, Good Deeds, while the list of outstanding citizens included people of various professions, including a Buddhist monk, doctor, factory worker, educator, businessperson, photographer, athlete, and military and public security officer.  VNS
Investors are behind in the $2 billion Quang Ninh LNG power plant construction, which kicked off in October last year

Quang Ninh Peoples Committee last week said the process of the Quang Ninh LNG power plant was behind the set timetable initially laid out by the investors.

Deputy Chairman of the committee Cao Tuong Huy said that the investors initially planned to complete investment procedures by the end of the first quarter of 2022, to start construction the following quarter, and finish the project in late 2027.

However, to date, the investors have only just completed procedures for the investment registration certificate. The joint venture has yet to establish a legal entity to implement the project, simultaneously causing delays in building the feasibility study, Huy said. The reason for this delay comes from the investors lack of determination, as well as difficult procedures to add the LNG specialised port into the detailed planning for seaport groups.

To date, the investor has just completed the procedures for the investment registration certificate. The joint venture has yet to establish a legal entity to implement the project, simultaneously causing delays in the feasibility study.

Quang Ninh Peoples Committee has asked the joint venture to accelerate establishing a legal entity to build a feasibility study to submit to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for appraisal this month.

The province requires Cam Pha Peoples Committee to hand over land to the investor in November this year. Thus, the join venture must also accelerate procedures for building the fence and levelling the site after the land handover.

Covering 56 hectares, including 13.38ha offshore, in Cam Pha city, the Quang Ninh LNG power project will include a 1,500MW power plant, gas storage, and an LNG port with an annual capacity of 2.4 million tonnes.

Around 1.1 million tonnes of LNG materials will be imported from Australia, Qatar, Russia, and the United States to support the plant's operation.

AES Corporation and PV Gas push ahead with Son My LNG Terminal The representatives of AES and PetroVietnam Gas JSC (PV Gas) were granted an investment registration certificate for the Son My LNG terminal, which is expected to play an important role in supporting Vietnams energy transition and economic growth.

Investors getting on board the LNG train Liquefied natural gas-to-power remains an important part of Vietnams energy transition story, and investors  both local and international  continue to demonstrate a strong interest in the sector.

GE secures first 9HA combined cycle power plant order in Vietnam PV Powers Nhon Trach 3 & 4 will be the first 9HA-gas-turbine-powered plant in Vietnam, as well as the first to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Developers expect smoother LNG policy planning The government has asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to clarify the planning data and feasibility of liquefied natural gas power development towards 2030, which has set a target of almost 24,000MW, accounting for 16.4 per cent of the total power source in the nations draft master power plan.
DataStax and Swinburne's signing ceremony

Real-time data company DataStax on October 6 signed an MoU with Swinburne Vietnam to help develop data and ICT curriculum, training, and certification modules to cultivate Vietnam's burgeoning tech talent.

The modules will equip students of Swinburne Vietnam with in-demand knowledge and skills relating to computer systems, web development, big data management, programming, and emerging technologies. The partnership aims to enhance the country's ICT and big data ecosystem and advance the skills and employability of the future ICT workforce.

The joint academic program will include workshops, training courses, hackathons, and internship programs created by DataStax. At the same time, the university will issue DataStax certifications and expose students to DataStax's solutions that will equip them for ICT-related careers.

"The partnership will provide an excellent springboard for Vietnamese students to become the driving force of Vietnam's digitization initiatives," said Dr. Hoang Viet Ha, director of Swinburne Vietnam. "With more and more economic sectors embracing digital technology, Vietnam is in a unique position to create a strong digital footprint that will advance our nation towards Industry 4.0."

Thomas Been, chief marketing officer at DataStax said, "We have seen a strong desire to adopt advanced technologies in Vietnam, such as blockchain, AI, and machine learning, which will require more data science experts."

"The partnership we have built with Swinburne Vietnam is crucial in guiding students to operate these advanced technologies effectively. We are honoured to play a role in strengthening the country's digital footprint and its competitiveness with other digital economies across the globe."

The initiative comes as Vietnam ranks first out of 154 countries on the Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index, indicating that its population has a strong appetite for digitalisation. National authorities have also been keen to develop the country's digital capabilities, announcing a national policy to advance AI research, development, and application.

These factors have also led DataStax to recognise the leading role that Vietnam is playing in the region's digital transformation journey.

FPT University partners with other leading institutions The Schaffhausen Institute of Technology (SIT) and Jacobs University Bremen (JUB) are partnering with FPT University in an effort to recruit Vietnamese students, increasing technical expertise in the country and offering a wide variety of opportunities.

FPT Telecom offers new SD-WAN edge solution using AWS FPT Cloud Connect Edge, a service from the FPT Cloud Hub ecosystem, improves end-user experiences and reduces business costs by up to 35 per cent with faster application connectivity and lower data transfer costs.
A man watches a televised speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 10, 2022. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the country's parliament on Monday, paving the way for national elections which must be held in the next 60 days. In a televised speech, Ismail Sabri said he had received the consent of the country's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in accordance with the country's constitution. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the country's parliament on Monday, paving the way for national elections which must be held in the next 60 days.

In a televised speech, Ismail Sabri said he had received the consent of the country's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in accordance with the country's constitution.

Ismail Sabri said the past years have seen several unprecedented developments after the national elections in 2018, including political uncertainties with the changes of several prime ministers and the COVID-19 pandemic, which together have harmed the country's socio-economic and political situation.

"With this announcement, the mandate will be returned to the people. The people's mandate is a powerful antidote for the country to restore political stability and create a government which is firm, stable and respected after the elections," he said.

The date of polling day is yet to be announced by the Election Commission of Malaysia. Normally, a general election should be held no later than two months after the dissolution of the parliament. Voters will elect the 222-member Dewan Rakyat, or the House of Representatives.

The possibility of national elections have been hotly discussed over recent months with United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the biggest party in the ruling coalition, calling for elections to end the political uncertainty which has seen two prime ministers appointed since 2020 following the resignation of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in February of that year.

Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as the prime minister on March 1, 2020 but later resigned following the withdrawal of support by members of parliament from his own coalition. Ismail Sabri was then appointed as the prime minister on Aug. 21, 2021. 

TV screens displayed at a local home appliance store show a televised speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 10, 2022. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the country's parliament on Monday, paving the way for national elections which must be held in the next 60 days. In a televised speech, Ismail Sabri said he had received the consent of the country's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in accordance with the country's constitution. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

TV screens displayed at a local home appliance store show a televised speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 10, 2022. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the country's parliament on Monday, paving the way for national elections which must be held in the next 60 days. In a televised speech, Ismail Sabri said he had received the consent of the country's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in accordance with the country's constitution. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

A man watches on his mobile phone a televised speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 10, 2022. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the country's parliament on Monday, paving the way for national elections which must be held in the next 60 days. In a televised speech, Ismail Sabri said he had received the consent of the country's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in accordance with the country's constitution. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

TV screens displayed at a local home appliance store show a televised speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 10, 2022. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the country's parliament on Monday, paving the way for national elections which must be held in the next 60 days. In a televised speech, Ismail Sabri said he had received the consent of the country's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in accordance with the country's constitution. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)
The programme officially started in the Phan Thi Nhe class of Long Khanh A3 Primary School, after initially kicking off in Tien Thanh 1 and 2 Primary School Phan Thiet city, Binh Thuan province, on September 26.

This project was sponsored by NovaGroup and DEG Impulse, a subsidiary of DEG, the German Development Finance Institution. With funding by both groups amounting to around EUR400,000, the project not only supports schools to improve their facilities but also provides a team of qualified and experienced teaching staff to bring English learning in accordance with Cambridge YLE standards, and Informatics with international IC3 Spark test requirements to 1,000 students.

Nova Education is the operator, training, and project implementation unit.

Students will have access to the informatics programme per international IC3 spark test requirements

At the event's start, Nova Education CEO Dr. Bui Phi Hung emphasised the role of foreign languages for students in international integration.

We believe that students will have interesting experiences with new learning methods, thereby being able to confidently communicate in English and be proficient in using computers for learning, Dr. Hung said.

With the funding of the two units amounting to around 400,000, the project not only supports schools in improving their facilities but also provides a team of qualified and experienced teaching staff.

Long Khanh A3 Primary School, built by NovaGroup according to national standards, is fully equipped with facilities and many functional classrooms, including a computer room and a foreign language room.

From the very beginning, the school was supported with additional equipment in the English classroom, including projectors, sound systems, and computers for teachers.

In addition, the school's English and Informatics classes are also supplemented with international standard teachers and programmes to help students access modern and compelling learning methods.

Receiving practical support from the project, Pham Thi Dieu, principal of Long Khanh A3 Primary School, said she was delighted at the programme's implementation.

This project not only provides students with more quality English and Informatics lessons but is also an opportunity for the school's teachers to improve their teaching capacity and approach international standard teaching methods," said Dieu.

The first English class with a foreign teacher started with some fun educational games

Starting on October 3, international standard English and Informatics lessons will be officially taught at all three schools: Long Khanh A3 Primary School, Tien Thanh 1, and Tien Thanh 2 Primary School.

NovaGroup also presented 1,000 gifts to the students, including Te Te rice cakes, sausages, and canned foods from Nova Consumer Corporation.

The cooperation of DEG Impulse and NovaGroup assert their commitment to improving the quality of life and implementing social responsibility in the chosen localities.

NovaGroup has awarded thousands of scholarships worth billions of VND over many years to encourage students to overcome difficulties. Many programmes supporting scientific research and technology transfer to serve the community have been carried out across many areas. A large number of schools have also been newly built with modern equipment.

NovaGroup held many activities contributing to the development of local education, particularly in Dong Thap province, such as sponsoring the Study Promotion Fund of many schools with hundreds of millions of VND, and building the first national standard school in Hong Ngu commune.

The Phan Thi Nhe Health and Education Development Fund has supported thousands of students through scholarships for the past 18 years.

NovaGroups strategy of synergies creating added sustainable value With nearly three decades of experience behind it, NovaGroup is looking for partners to generate new synergies and empower the business community to reach out to the global market.

Nova Medi provides advanced medical services to the community NovaGroup and the German Medical Association MediVerbund AG held the groundbreaking ceremony for the Nova Medi Healthcare Centre on February 27 at NovaWorld Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan province.

NovaGroup awarded Best Workplace in Asia 2022 by HR Asia Magazine On August 11, NovaGroup was honoured to receive the Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2022 award voted by HR Asia. Previously, Novaland also won this award for three consecutive years (2019-2021).

NovaGroup celebrates three decades with huge incentives for investors Exclusive products with discounts of up to 5 per cent, check-in gifts worth up to $4,300, and a commitment programme to buy and lease back and flexible financial solutions are some of the great incentives that Novaland is offering to its customers on the occasion of the Groups 30th anniversary, motivating investors to delve into resort property.
Over its 14-year presence in Vietnam, Home Credit has always maintained its core values of sustainability, transparency, legal compliance, and customer dedication.

Home Credit impressed investors with strong growth

Home Credit is among the big financial companies with an overwhelming market share in Vietnam. It is also trusted by domestic and foreign partners alike.

The company has successfully raised VND1.1 trillion ($47.8 million) through three rounds of bond sales in August and September. The debt was snapped up by local commercial banks and professional securities investors, following a strict review process. Home Credits transparency in information disclosure and business prospects are crucial factors contributing to its fruitful bond issuance.

Home Credit ranks second in market share for total loan balance in Vietnam's consumer finance industry. Its focussed strategy of responsible lending and sustainable development through a collection process based on standards under the European Unions Markets in Financial Instruments Directive has helped the firm to constantly keep its bad debt ratio below the threshold of 3 per cent set by the State Bank of Vietnam, and to reach just 2 per cent in 2022.

The company was also nationally voted a favourite brand for three years running between 2020-2022, according to a recent market survey by Ipsos.

Filip Dosedel, head of Cards and Revolving Products at Home Credit Vietnam (middle), with Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (left), president of the Vietnam Bank Card Association, and Nguyen Quoc Hung, general secretary of the VNBA, at the admission ceremony

Community development

Key to Home Credits sustainable development is practising responsible lending through a series of support solutions, providing customers with essential financial knowledge, and financial inclusion.

With a development strategy based on comprehensive digital financial standards, responsible lending, and the strict application of sustainable business principles adopted in its latest ESG report, Home Credit Vietnam has undertaken a number of activities to connect and support local communities.

As part of Home Credits sustainable community building in Vietnam, the Home Love Bus project is an outstanding programme to send love and hope to vulnerable local people across the country.

First deployed in September 2021, Home Love Bus has become an annual activity, providing direct support and relief for poor children and people in need.

In July, the Home Love Bus delivered over 100 gifts to patients and their children at Ben San Leprosy Treatment Centre in Binh Duong province, and nearly 100 gifts to children living and studying under the care of the Hoa Hao Love Class project in Ho Chi Minh City. The gifts included stationery and daily essentials, helping children and families to get through hardship.

The Home Love Bus continued by bringing the joy of the Mid-Autumn Festival with gifts and love delivered in person to children in the remote A Luoi district of Thua Thien  Hue province. The bus is expected to return in December with various gifts for poor households in northern mountainous provinces.

In addition to its programme to support localities directly, Home Credit is devoted to promoting social integration, education, and job creation for Vietnamese women as part of the next leg of its journey to strive for community development in Vietnam.

Home Credit invests VND200 billion into Buy Now Pay Later service Home PayLater  a digital financial product with a VND200 billion ($8.7 million) investment  is set to enhance the convenience of consumers online shopping experiences.

Home Credit: Thinking differently about financial literacy Home Credit has been conducting financial literacy education programmes for more than two decades  an uncommon and pioneering practice in the consumer finance industry. The company also measures the impacts of financial education programmes on its customers, which sets it apart from other industry players.
A workshop on solutions to promote green procurement in public investment at CIEM

On October 10, the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation held a workshop on green procurement in public investment.

Dang Duc Anh, deputy director of the CIEM, said that innovating the growth model towards sustainable development, green growth, and the circular economy was an inevitable solution against the increasing impacts of climate change, environmental pollution, and the over-exploitation of natural resources.

Vietnam has continuously updated its strategies, plans and programmes towards a green and low-carbon economy, circular economy, and sustainable development, the seminar heard.

In the summer, the prime minister issued the Decision No. 888/QD-TTg on solutions to implement the commitment in COP26, the National Green Growth Strategy and Action Plan for 2021-2030, as well as Decision No. 687/QD-TTg approving the development of the circular economy in Vietnam.

The MPI is also preparing an outline to amend the 2013 Law on Bidding, towards green public procurement, sustainable development, and green growth.

Ho Cong Hoa, deputy head of the CIEM's Department for Social Affairs Research, said that green procurement played an important role in establishing a green market in Vietnam.

Vietnam has issued policies on green procurement, and green public procurement, gradually forming a green purchasing market. The requirements for environmental protection have been mentioned in the pre-qualification invitation documents and bidding documents for investors and contractors," said Hoa.

To implement green public procurement, Hoa suggested that there should be regulations that directly adjust green public procurement activities, such as mandatory integration of environmental criteria in the public procurement process to analyse and evaluate investment options and select the best contractor.

Hoa also emphasised organising an investigation and assessment of green businesses and the market's ability to provide green goods and services, especially local firms. Moreover, the government should institutionalise green public procurement policies to create policy tools for sustainable consumption and production models. They must be open, transparent, and non-discriminatory.

Additionally, the government should issue policies that require, favour, encourage, and create a change from awareness to action for businesses on sustainable/green production and consumption; as well as more programmes and preferential policies. Promoting domestic production, research and innovation, technological and product innovation towards green and sustainable living, and circular economy is also necessary.

Ministries, agencies, and localities need to integrate green growth targets, especially green standard public expenditure targets, into annual budget estimates and annual socioeconomic development plans, analysing and evaluating the overall cost-benefits in consideration of the efficiency of resource use, environmental costs, and inclusivity in investment projects, public products and services.

Solutions for developing circular businesses On August 19, the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM) in collaboration with the Embassy of Denmark held the launching workshop report on The Circular Business Model: International experience and application in Vietnam.
The Ministry of Construction appraisal council has approved the expanded South Phu Yen EZ

In late September, the Ministry of Constructions appraisal council approved the project to adjust the general planning of South Phu Yen EZ.

The appraisal councils members gave feedback and asked the province to clarify information relating to the project's planning, investment direction, transport, infrastructure, environment, and national security.

When this planning adjustment project is approved, South Phu Yen EZ is expected to be a multi-sector high-tech marine economic zone, with a combination of industries such as seaports, eco-tourism, and urban commercial services promoted for growth at the same time.

Le Tan Ho, Standing Deputy Chairman of Phu Yen Peoples Committee said, When this planning adjustment project is approved, South Phu Yen EZ is expected to be a multi-sector high-tech marine economic zone, with a combination of industries such as seaports, eco-tourism, and urban commercial services promoted for growth at the same time.

The EZ associated and the exploitation of Tuy Hoa airport and seaport system is considered a lever for the socioeconomic development of the province, he said.

South Phu Yen EZ was adjusted to be expanded to an area of about 20,700ha. The EZ will be divided into six functional subdivisions. There are three subdivisions to serve urban development projects. Subdivision 5 is a concentrated industrial development area for developing high-tech and multi-industry industries.

It is forecast that the population in South Phu Yen EZ by 2040 will be nearly 300,000 people, and the demand for construction land will hit about 14,000ha.

In October 2009, the prime minister approved the general construction plan of South Phu Yen EZ with a total area of 20,730ha. In December 2019, the prime minister issued Decision No. 1799, approving the master plan for constructing the South Phu Yen EZ. The People's Committee of the province assigned Phu Yen EZ Management Authority to finalise the plan.

In November 2021, the province submitted the plan to the Ministry of Construction for appraisal. The EZ has attracted 53 projects with total registered capital of $230 million so far.

Phu Yen says no to marine plastic waste On March 6, around 50 inhabitants and about 120 students from the Mien Trung University of Civil Engineering gathered at the beach in Phu Yens Xuan Thanh commune to clean the coastal strip of the Xuan Dai Bay of plastics and other marine waste.

Fishers effectively contribute to reducing marine litter At the national workshop on Fishing for Litter  Addressing Sea-Based Marine Litter from Fishing Ports held in Phu Yen province on June 6, international experts and local authorities agreed that active participation from fishers is one key condition to preventing and managing marine waste from aquaculture and fishing activities.

First lobster festival to be organised in Phu Yen in July Vietnam's first lobster festival is scheduled to take place in the southern central province of Phu Yen on July 30-31.
PM Chinh was delivering remarks at a programme marking the National Digital Transformation Day in Hanoi on October 10.

PM Pham Minh Chinh attends the programme marking the National Digital Transformation Day in Hanoi on October 10 (Photo: VNA)

The date of October 10 was designated as the National Digital Transformation Day by the PM last April.

PM Chinh, who is also chairman of the national committee for digital transformation, said together with green transition, digital transformation is an inevitable and objective trend that is taking place strongly.

It helps bring into play the strength of the country and the era as well as internal and external resources; make three strategic breakthroughs in terms of regulations, infrastructure, and human resources; promote economic growth; improve labour productivity, competitiveness, and production and business efficiency; reduce production costs; streamline administrative procedures, remove bureaucracy, cut down expenses; and help all-level administrations better governance capacity.

Vietnam has reaped encouraging outcomes in digital transformation, but there remains much to be done, he pointed out, noting that digital transformation must enable people and enterprises to benefit from public services and social utilities in a more convenient, fast, and effective manner.

In his message sent on the occasion of the National Digital Transformation Day, the Government leader demanded focus be paid on perfecting mechanisms and policies, effectively implementing the national digital transformation strategy, concurrently developing regulations, digital infrastructure, digital platforms, and digital human resources, and taking measures to promote Vietnams positions in the global e-Government, innovation, and competitiveness rankings.

He also ordered raising the rate of administrative procedures handled online, improving the quality of online public services, and pressing on with the plan to apply population data, e-identification, and e-authentication.

In addition, the PM called on enterprises to speed up digitalising production and business activities, invest more in research and development, enhance cooperation with international partners in digital transformation, and harmonise their interests with those of the State and people.

He also requested increasing communications to encourage state agencies, people, and enterprises to engage in digital transformation, and further assisting people to use online public services and digital services safely and effectively.

At the programme, PM Chinh presented awards to ministries, sectors, localities, enterprises, and individuals with excellent digital transformation solutions.

Siemens Xcelerator: digital transformation made easy Customers want an easy way to roll out digital solutions that are tailored to their needs. As Siemens, our mission is to meet that need. Our mission is to make digital transformation easier, faster, and at scale, to serve our customers and help them accelerate the IoT transformation in all their endeavours.

Banking industry steps up digital transformation The pandemic has been prompting banks to adapt. As digital transformation has become inevitable, banks have stepped up their efforts to adopt more new technologies in the digitalisation race.

Lenders look further afield for recruitment As digital transformation calls for a different set of skills and knowledge, many financial institutions are turning to the overseas market for recruitment.
Within just two hours, a large number of units found their owners. Customers desire towards The Filmore Da Nang continues to rise after that reception and becomes the talk of the city among businesspeople.

We want to develop an iconic building in Danang and an empowered community instead of a simple high-end housing project, shared Andy Han, CEO of Filmore Development

The project is developed by Filmore Development which has allured the attention of the market by virtue of the innovative concepts for property development.

According to Andy Han, CEO of Filmore Development, the outstanding sales performance on the first day of rolling out enhances the companys great confidence in the projects prosperity, particularly amid the doldrums of the real estate market.

It also greatly confirmed Filmore Developments vision of developing bold, international standard residence projects that offer unique living spaces meeting new trends of the global luxury real estate market and approaching homebuyers in dynamic ways.

The Filmore Da Nang is one of the few projects that meet all of the stringent criteria of a luxury condominium by offering both complete functionality and the latest luxurious lifestyle for its residents.

Thanks to that positive reception, the leaders of Filmore Development have shared their intention to speed up the companys disruptive plans for The Filmore Da Nang which aims to turn the project into a new architectural icon of Danang.

The huge success of The Filmore Da Nangs launching event is lauded as a vigorous wave in Danangs and the regions real estate market.

The Filmore Da Nang sets its selling price relatively high amidst the cautious market sentiment. Nevertheless, the growing recognition shows investors great expectations for promising products.

The Filmore Da Nang, according to the citys realtors, has set a new norm for luxury condominiums and bridged the gap between domestic and international real estate standards. It has also brought strong inspiration to other developers in the segment.

The Filmore Da Nang is one of the few projects that meet all of the stringent criteria of a luxury condominium by offering both complete functionality and the latest luxurious lifestyle for its residents.

It is also the reason behind the projects attraction, according to most customers. The project proudly boasts all of the advantages in terms of location, geography, architectural design, living spaces, amenities, and freehold ownership, among others. Ever since its inception, The Filmore Da Nang has been listed as one of the most appealing names in Danang.

Over 200 customers and investors from Danang and across the country participated in the launching event of The Filmore Da Nang

Located next to the Han River and in the heart of the city centre, The Filmore Da Nang possesses a sweeping, panoramic view of the riverside area as well as My Khe Beach and the Son Tra Peninsula.

It is among the very few projects that have cantilevered balconies. This architectural design creates an epic view and transforms the regular balcony in each condominium into a spectacular living space. All units at The Filmore Da Nang will be finished with modern fittings, equipment and home appliances imported from global reputable brands.

Meanwhile, Filmore Development has bagged high praise from investors for its strategy, vision, and capacity. These advantages are evident in the breakthroughs of the product model, meticulous implementation, and decisiveness in applying international standards and the progressive, high-touch living philosophy.

The Filmore Da Nang is at the forefront of wellness real estate in Vietnam and the first of its kind in the well-ness by well-tech trend that aims at creating a living space with wonderful experiences for its residents.

Thanks to its outstanding features, The Filmore Da Nang by Filmore Development has established its own community of customers and investors. Members of this community are looking for excellent living spaces to improve their living quality or second home that creates new experiences with promising and value-added potentials for sustainable investments.

We aspire to create an architectural icon that blends with many important surrounding works like the Dragon Bridge, APEC Park, and Bach Dang Square to make the urban landscape even more vibrant. Ultimately, we dont want to add just a simple project to Danang but bring about higher values, such as a symbol of architecture and a community that fosters new factors for the citys future, shared Han.

Da Nang property market registers recovery in first half In the open period of 2022, the central city of Da Nang is recovering by focusing more on branded tourist real estate projects. Moreover, Da Nang continues to develop smart urban areas with the ambition to put the city into the map of a high-class living and resort urban area.
According to Tra Vinh Department of Information and Communications (DIC), in 2021 Tra Vinhs digital transformation index ranked 26th out of 63 cities and provinces nationwide and came sixth out of 13 localities in the delta region.

Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Tra Vinh Peoples Committee visit an aquaculture transformation model by My Lan Group

Compared to 2020, the provinces index moved up eight notches, in which several component indexes showed marked improvements. For instance, with the digital government index, Tra Vinh moved up 15 notches to rank 12th out of all localities; with digital society, the province leapt 28 notches to rank eighth.

For the past year, the province has been deploying a raft of tasks and measures to improve the IT infrastructure index in light of plans by Tra Vinh Peoples Committee and Tra Vinh Standing Party Committee on enhancing the preparedness index for IT application and development across the province for the 2021-2025 period.

Tra Vinh is now home to six telecom services providers and one firm providing cable television services, all ready to provide diversified digital transformation services across the province. The whole province accommodates over 1,200 base transceiver stations (86 per cent of them 4G units), with 58 per cent of family households having access to internet-based optic cable lines.

Both 3G and 4G coverage can be accessed throughout the province, and more than 60 per cent of the provincial population possess smartphones. Nearly 500 corporate and over 2,000 individual certification units are operating in the province for the completion of digital signature and e-records.

Tra Vinh has also put into service diverse applications for common use to bolster workplace operational efficiencies such as iOffice, teleconferencing, and more.

The DIC noted that they are expediting a wide range of tasks and measures to spur digital transformation under the government and the Ministry of Information and Communications guidance.

Accordingly, this body continues teaming up with relevant management agencies to consult with Tra Vinh Peoples Committee on the enactment of diverse documents, including a plan to implement a project on raising awareness, promoting skills, and spurring human resource development on digital transformation nationwide to 2025, with a vision towards 2030; a plan to respond to National Digital Transformation Day on October 10 and Provincial Digital Transformation Day; and regulations on the use, operation, and management of digital platforms for common use in the province.

Tra Vinh commits to the continued development of digital transformation in the areas of postal, telecommunications, and IT infrastructure. Other important tasks involve bringing into service the provinces database through jointly deploying connection and integration activities among departments and sectors to quicken the pace.

With respect to digital government, the task embraces completion and putting into use different information systems; continuing the improvement of information system functions compatible with actual professional requirements; and further reviewing and standardising processes and norms to ensure all online public services have full conditions to reach level 4, along with making efforts to encourage people and businesses to use online public services.

Le Van Han, Chairman of Tra Vinh Peoples Committee, said, The province has presented multiple measures towards reaching these goals, such as organising digital technology teams in the community; promoting local and international cooperation; strengthening research; launching a campaign to raise public awareness and knowledge in using IT; and focusing on improving digital infrastructure. We have specific plans to develop digital platforms, data, human resources, skills, culture, businesses, and payments.

By 2025, the digital economy aims to surpass 10 per cent of the provinces regional GDP, with labour productivity rising more than 11.5 per cent annually; the proportion of the digital economy in each particular field and sector reaching 10 per cent; the ratio of e-commerce in total retail sales surpassing 10 per cent; and over 80 per cent of firms using e-contracts, among others.

Tra Vinh: Dong Hai I wind power plant inaugurated Trung Nam Tra Vinh 1 Wind Power JSC, a member of Trungnam Group, has inaugurated the Dong Hai I Wind Power Plant in Dong Hai commune, Duyen Hai district, the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh.

Tra Vinh economy showing positive developmental signs Tra Vinh has made sustained efforts to boost its economic recovery by wooing investment, disbursing capital resources, and implementing infrastructure projects, which in turn are creating business opportunities.

Tra Vinh nurtures private sector to kickstart economy Tra Vinhs economy has flourished in recent years, with various encouraging indicators of recovery  and the Mekong Delta provinces emphasis on boosting the private sector is one of the primary reasons.
During 27 years in Vietnam, Unilever has pioneered long-term relationships with communities to improve the health of millions of Vietnamese people through disseminating education on personal hygiene, especially for women and children. This is one of the three important pillars of the Sustainable Development Strategy it has pursued for years.

Several practical programmes for children's development, especially in rural areas, have been implemented by Unilever Vietnam and the Ministry of Education & Training, benefiting millions of children throughout the country.

The Green  Clean  Healthy Schools initiative is part of a long-term strategic cooperation framework between Unilever Vietnam and the Ministry of Education & Training towards a vision to help 4.5 million primary school students nationwide in 2021-2025.

Green  Clean  Healthy Schools is run by Unilever Vietnam and the Ministry of Education and Training

In the academic year 2022-2023, the programme will be implemented at 1,150 primary schools in more than 10 cities and provinces, helping more than 500,000 students learn and play in a school environment.

When the business participates in supporting the national education, under the direction of a leading governmental agency  the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), Unilever Vietnam can contribute positive values to the young generation, the future of the country, said Le Thi Hong Nhi, head of Communications & Corporate Affairs at Unilever Vietnam.

Unilever Vietnams representative

The collaboration and efforts from six brands  Lifebuoy, P/S, VIM, OMO, PureIt and Knorr  are the foundation to drive the programme.

Together aiming for one mission  the comprehensive development of Vietnamese children  Unilever Vietnams brands have invested in three core enablers to deploy the Green  Clean  Healthy Schools programme.

The first is school facilities upgrading, including clean toilets with VIM, hand washing areas with Lifebuoy, and ensuring clean drinking water with PureIt within school areas.

Next, the program will communicate and educate on nutrition with Knorr; help health and hygiene such as oral care with P/S; and aid environmental protection through planting trees and protecting forests with OMO.

Finally, with a desire to help equip students with knowledge through digital teaching and learning, the programme also focuses on building and implementing a digital curriculum with interactive content.

With the MoETs direction and the cooperation of the six brands, Unilever Vietnam has built and deployed the online curriculum system Green  Clean  Healthy Schools e-Learning, with essential content on hygiene and healthy habits to give teachers and students a useful source of teaching and learning materials.

The online curriculum is designed in the form of fun and lively animations for children to remember and build a healthy lifestyle easily.

From 2012-2020, the programme built 445 safe playgrounds, upgraded 1,000 clean toilets, provided free dental check-ups for 617,000 students at 762 primary schools, and provided free hand soap and hygiene education to 7.2 million students across the country.

Unilever Vietnam achieves net zero emissions nine years earlier than planned Switching to clean energy sources, reducing emissions from electricity consumption, and building green facilities are Unilever Vietnams efforts to obtain net zero operational emissions, underpinning the companys commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions throughout the value chain.

Unilever Vietnam embraces machine learning and AI in marketing Applying machine learning and AI to digital marketing and distribution channels is one of the key focuses of Unilever Vietnam in promoting digital transformation at businesses.

Unilever to introduce digital curriculum on childrens health Committed to supporting the government to improve hygiene and health, Unilever has taken significant action. This July, the company, in coordination with Vietnams Ministry of Health and Binh Duong Peoples committee, organised a conference to support the national patriotic hygiene movement to improve people's health.
Right in the first minutes of the first half, Vietnam's players tried to press their opponents and looked for opportunities to create quick counter-attacks. They made at least four shots toward the net of their opponents, but most of them failed.

Long Vu (in red) scored the second goal for Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Their efforts finally paid off when the team received a direct free kick close to the penalty area. Captain Nguyen Cong Phuong shot the ball over the fence and went straight into Thailand's U17 goal in the 20th minute, opening the scoresheet for Vietnam.

Five minutes later, Long Vu helped Vietnam extend the lead to 2-0.

With two goals, the Vietnamese team played comfortably and gained control of the ball. In the 38th minute, Duc Thien fired a left-footed shot at Thailand's goal, raising the score to 3-0 for Vietnam.

In the second half, the Vietnamese players continued to flex their muscles, but they failed to score any goal.

The qualifiers of AFC U17 Asian Cup 2023 gather 44 teams, which are divided into 10 groups. The teams will compete in a round-robin format in each group to determine the top 10 teams and the best five runners-up to advance to the final round

The finals are scheduled for May 3-20 with the destination yet to be confirmed after Bahrain withdrew hosting in June.
In mid-September, the General Office for Population and Family Planning under the Ministry of Health issued a dispatch guiding communications activities on the day. Accordingly, this year, the day in Vietnam will be themed promoting gender equality contributes to reducing sex imbalance at birth.

Illustrative image (Source: isocert.org.vn)

Communications activities have focused on popularising the policy and laws of the Party and State regarding gender equality and the protection of children such as the Law on Gender Equality, the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, and the Law on Marriage and Family, aiming to enhance public awareness of the improvement of role and position of girl child and women in general, especially in families with all children being girls.

At the same time, legal regulations banning sex selection by parents and relevant punishments have also been popularised, along with the real situation, reasons and consequences of sex imbalance at birth, thus improving the public awareness and changing outdated perceptions on gender equality.

On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise girls rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.

According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021, up to 10 million girls will be at risk of child marriage. The profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are putting girls at a higher risk of early marriage due to a combination of economic shocks, school closures and interruptions in reproductive health services.

Girls are primarily victims of sexual exploitation (72% of detected girl victims), while boys are mainly subjected to forced labour (66% of detected boy victims), it said.
ISLAMABAD, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- A school van's driver was killed and two children were injured as unknown militants sprayed bullets at the vehicle in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday morning, local reports said.

The incident happened when the driver was taking children to school in Swat district of the province, said the reports.

The militants fled the scene after carrying out the attack and a search operation to arrest them was underway in the area.

The injured children were shifted to a nearby hospital by the rescue teams.

Police cordoned off the attack site and an investigation into the incident was underway. 
The winners include 27 digital products, services and solutions; seven businesses and organisations; seven state agencies; and several others.

Winners at the Vietnam Digital Awards 2022

Addressing the event, Nguyen Huy Dung, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications said, Digital transformation is a process. Through the awards, awarded organisations and businesses will continue contributing more to national digital transformations. The honoured solutions will keep seeing improvements and make advances to meet the demands of locals and businesses alike."

The Vietnam Digital Awards have been launched for five years and have shown impressive figures, including approaching 10,000 businesses, attracting more than 1,000 applicant documents, and honouring over 300 units and individuals.

VIR talk show to discuss digital talent and transformation in banking On September 26, VIR will host a talk show with Jens Lottner, CEO of Techcombank, who will discuss with VIR's Linh Le the current state of the digital transformation in the banking industry and possible solutions for the shortage of digital talents.

Innovating to ease burdens of crisis Vietnam has made tremendous progress in innovation, science, and technology. According to the 2021 WIPO Global Innovation Index, Vietnam leads the group of lower middle-income countries, ranking 44 out of 132 countries with more than 18,500 scientific and technological discoveries.

Banking industry steps up digital transformation The pandemic has been prompting banks to adapt. As digital transformation has become inevitable, banks have stepped up their efforts to adopt more new technologies in the digitalisation race.

Tra Vinh gears for digital age in name of optimal efficiency The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh is embracing a wide range of measures to ensure alignment with this months National Digital Transformation Day.
Gilded Age of Waco

Baylor Lifelong Learning will present a talk by local author Jerry Powell at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Mayborn Museum, 1300 S. University Parks Drive.

Powells topic is The Gilded Age of Waco, a closer look at the 1890s as Waco, population circa 20,000, was making a transition from the Wild West frontier to the new industrial age. Electric trolleys and horse-drawn carriages traveled side-by-side on Austin Avenue as the town known as the Athens of Texas grew into the city we know today.

This is a free event, and coffee will be served. For more information about the event of Baylor Lifelong Learning, call the Mayborn Museum at 254-710-1110 ext. 2 or email Lifelonglearning@baylor.edu.

Herb Society meeting

The Waco Herb Society will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Harrison Senior Center, 1718 N. 42nd St.

Guests are welcome to attend, and the society is open to anyone interested in growing and using herbs.

For more information, call 254-717-5673, or visit wacoherbsociety.org.

Roadwork info session

The city of Waco will have a come-and-go informational meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave., to discuss street work along Washington Avenue planned for winter of next year.

The work on Washington, from 18th Street to 26th Street, includes full reconstruction of the roadway, resulting in one lane of traffic in each direction and a shoulder on each side of the road for parking.

The project also includes sidewalk reconstruction and water, wastewater and storm drain work.

City representatives and contractors will be available to discuss the project.

Sons of Confederate Veterans

The Waco Sons of Confederate Veterans meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Poppa Rollos Pizza, 703 N. Valley Mills Drive.

For more information call 254-717-1186.
A federal judge Thursday sentenced a 42-year-old Lincoln man to 18 months in prison for threatening a Colorado election official, President Biden and others online.

"This was not merely a single or even small handful of threats," U.S. District Judge John Gerrard said.

Using an anonymous account on Instagram, Travis Ford made a total of 18 threats to six public figures, including a Colorado election official, over a three-month period, he said.

Ford made threats on the account associated with President Biden, saying "You'll be dead before Christmas," "You and Kamala need to be put to sleep permanently," referring to Vice President Kamala Harris; and "We need to kill all swamp creatures including this one and show them what will happen to future swamp rats."

And he threatened the CEO of an election tech company, saying it was "time to blow up your company headquarters."

"These type of threats are not within the mainstream of public discourse," Gerrard said. "They're not even close to normal. And this court will not condone this type of behavior, and I will do nothing to normalize it."

On Thursday, Ford told the judge he takes accountability for his actions.

"I understand and I'm fully aware that my actions caused unnecessary harm to others, and I'm genuinely very, very sorry," he said.

Ford, who pleaded guilty, said he was ashamed and embarrassed he put himself and his family through this.

Attorney Jason Troia argued for probation, saying it happened during confusing and stressful times, "not just for Mr. Ford but internationally for people dealing with stresses of the pandemic."

He said Ford cooperated fully with the investigation and there was no indication that he would've acted on any of what he said.

But the victims didn't know that, Gerrard said.

Attorney Jonathan Jacobson of the U.S. Department of Justice, public integrity section, argued for two years in prison, the maximum, saying there has been an epidemic of threats to election workers in this country.

"These workers are simply doing their jobs and yet countless numbers of threatening, harassing and otherwise terrifying communications have been directed their way in the last two years," Jacobson said.

He said 1 in 6 report having been threatened solely because of their job.

"And that is how the defendant, Travis Ford, ended up on the government's radar," Jacobson said.

In August 2021, Ford made anonymous threats on the personal Instagram account of an election official in Colorado, whom he had come to believe had mismanaged the 2020 election.

In one, he wrote: Do you feel safe? You shouldnt. Do you think Soros will/can protect you? In another, Ford said: Your security detail is far too thin and incompetent to protect you. This world is unpredictable these days  anything can happen to anyone. (with a shrugging emoji).

The official reported it to law enforcement.

"As the government's investigation revealed, they were just the tip of the iceberg," Jacobson said.

He said he doesn't believe Ford is an imminent threat of violence or likely to reoffend but asked the judge to consider the message a sentence could have in deterring others.

"They (election workers) are in fear right now. And they are aware of this case. They're watching to see how federal courts views threats that for no reason leave them and their families in fear," Jacobson said.

In a news release Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department will not tolerate threats against public officials.

"This sentence makes clear that those who illegally threaten election workers should be prepared to face meaningful penalties, he said. The Justice Department will not hesitate to hold accountable those whose illegal threats of violence endanger the public servants who administer our elections.

This case is part of the Justice Departments Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the departments efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers  whether elected, appointed or volunteer  are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation.
Kanye West has explained his thinking behind his decision to dress himself and several Black models in "White Lives Matter" shirts earlier this week.

West, who legally changed his name to "Ye," told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he wore it because "it's the obvious thing."

"The answer to why I wrote 'White Lives Matter' on a shirt is because they do," West said during the interview that aired Thursday.

The artist/designer/provocateur has been facing backlash since he sported the shirt during a surprise catwalk event held during at Paris fashion week.

West recalled a text conversation he had with his dad about the controversial statement.

"I said, 'I thought the shirt was a funny shirt; I thought the idea of me wearing it was funny.' And I said, 'Dad, why did you think it was funny?' He said, 'Just a Black man stating the obvious.'" West told Carlson.

When Carlson pushed West on why he thinks people consider that a controversial statement, West said that it's because he's not acting in a way the media thinks he should act.

"Because the same people that have stripped us of our identity and labeled us as a color, have told us what it means to be Black," West said.

The Anti-Defamation League categorizes the phrase "White Lives Matter" as a "hate slogan" used by White supremacist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.

It's just the latest incident that has resulted in criticism, and West also addressed some of that.

In 2016, he met with then President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York City, and two years later West visited him at the White House and wore a MAGA hat.

Both of those events caused major outrage, and West told Carlson he "started to really feel this need to express myself on another level when Trump was running for office and I liked him."

He said he was told by multiple people "that if I said I liked Trump that my career would be over, my life would be over."

"They said stuff like people get killed for wearing a hat like that, they threatened my life," West said. "They basically said I would be killed for wearing the hat."

The Grammy winner also covered other topics, including being anti-abortion, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and his thoughts on higher education in the Black community.

The conversation was part of a larger interview featured on Carlson's show. More of the interview will be aired Friday evening, Carlson said.

The-CNN-Wire

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The previous three times Hansens done the concert in Omaha, Milwaukee and St. Louis were with Waverly-Shell Rock, with one school to coordinate with. Managing it for Cedar Falls, however, brings with it new challenges.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Rick Caruso, billionaire developer and underdog candidate for Los Angeles mayor, is mounting what might become the citys largest-ever voter-turnout operation to try to defeat U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, who could be the first Black woman to lead the nations second-most-populous city.

Caruso is deploying several hundred paid canvassers and droves of volunteers to knock on doors, make phone calls and send texts and emails. Their targets are identified by campaign staff who rely on demographic research and polling to ferret out potential supporters among undecided Latinos, Asians and independents.

Of particular interest are people who sat out the June primary when Bass topped the field and outdistanced Caruso by 7 points, setting up a runoff.

Latinos make up about half the citys population of about 4 million and they tilted toward Caruso in the primary, but can be inconsistent voters. Bass has been fighting for their votes, too, and has lined up endorsements including former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City Council President Nury Martinez and labor leader Dolores Huerta.

Longtime Democratic consultant Roy Behr sees an opening for Caruso if he can win over enough voters who would otherwise have skipped the election. The outcome is really dependent on both the turnout and the choices of Latino voters, Behr said.

Consultant Dveen Babaian, who oversees Carusos paid canvassers, said in lower-income neighborhoods typically overlooked by campaigns our door knocks are the first door knocks some of these voters have ever gotten.

This campaign will be won by engaging marginalized communities, Babaian said.

On a recent afternoon in a heavily Latino neighborhood of modest homes in the citys San Fernando Valley, a Caruso canvasser was knocking on doors and distributing flyers in English and Spanish.

The results were mixed. At some homes no one came to the door, but she was able to get others to pledge support for Caruso and agree to post yard signs.

In a conversation that jumped from English to Spanish, one woman said she was supporting Caruso because of frustration with high crime.

I dont believe that he is a Democrat, she said of Caruso. But I dont care if you are going to do something.

Caruso, in his first race for elected office, was a longtime Republican who switched and became a Democrat near the deadline to enter the race in a city where the GOP is virtually invisible.

Hes tapped into his estimated $5.3 billion fortune to build a $60 million war chest, most of it his own money, an amount that easily eclipses fundraising by all candidates in the previous three mayoral races.

Despite the financial advantage, even his internal polling shows hes trailing.

Time is running out and the race has taken on an increasingly hostile tone as mail-in ballots go out for an election that concludes Nov. 8.

Its not the power of the money, its the power of the people, Bass, a lifelong Angeleno and former state Assembly speaker, told cheering supporters at a recent outdoor rally.

The contours of the race have been set for months: finding solutions for the long-running homeless crisis, rising crime and runaway rents and housing prices.

The centrist Caruso, the son of Italian immigrants, is testing if the famously liberal city might swing to the political right for the first time in decades. Hes promising to expand the police department and quickly get homeless encampments off the streets.

The progressive Bass has positioned herself as a coalition-builder and emerged as the Democratic establishment pick, with her supporters including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California U.S. senator and attorney general.

The winner will replace outgoing two-term Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has been largely absent in the contest. His nomination to become U.S. ambassador to India  made by Biden more than a year ago  appears stalled in the Senate over sexual harassment allegations against a former Garcetti top adviser.

The contest was jolted Sunday by the disclosure of a nearly year-old recording of racist comments made during a closed-door meeting of several prominent City Council Latino Democrats and a Latino labor leader. The Los Angeles Times, which obtained the leaked recording, reported that Council President Nury Martinez is heard describing the Black son of a white councilmember as behaving "Parece changuito, or like a monkey. The Times said Martinez also referred to the councilman, Mike Bonin, as a little bitch and at another point mocked Oaxacans, who are from a state in southern Mexico that has a high percentage of indigenous peoples.

Martinez, who is backing Bass, said Monday she was stepping down as Council president. Caruso said Martinez and others on the call should resign, including one of his supporters, Councilman Gil Cedillo. They have let our city down, Caruso said.

Bass, who was on Bidens short list for vice president, has been sharpening her attacks on Caruso, lampooning his decision to become a Democrat. She calls the campaign a fight for the soul of our city, echoing a line Biden used against then-President Donald Trump.

She also is underlining donations he has made to candidates who oppose abortion rights, including congressional Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy. Caruso says hes a supporter of reproductive rights.

Along with her own campaign infrastructure, shes counting on the support of powerful labor unions that are working to turn out voters for her.

Bass is actively reaching out to pro-choice Democrats, campaign spokeswoman Sarah Leonard Sheahan said.

At the rally, a long line of speakers described Bass as the only authentic Democrat on the ballot and the only one with an unquestioned record defending reproductive rights.

In the crowd, Bass supporter Jennifer Yi, a Democrat who works on homeless initiatives at United Way of Greater Los Angeles, recoiled at Carusos campaign spending.

I think he is trying to buy Los Angeles, Yi said.

Caruso has resumed relentless TV and digital advertising, which include attempts to raise doubts about Bass character.

Bass has faced questions over a roughly $100,000, full-tuition scholarship she received from the University of Southern Californias social work program.

Last October, a longtime Bass friend, suspended City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, and a former USC dean were charged with a bribery scheme in which Ridley-Thomas promised to steer millions of dollars in contracts to the school if his son got a scholarship and a teaching job. The former dean has pleaded guilty.

Federal prosecutors have said Bass is not a target of their investigation. But the Los Angeles Times reported in September that prosecutors said Bass scholarship and her dealings with USC are critical to their case.

Caruso said he was troubled and warned Bass would bring corruption to City Hall. Bass has said the case has nothing to do with me.
LONDON (AP)  The Russian missiles that rained down Monday on cities across Ukraine, bringing fear and destruction to areas that had seen months of relative calm, are an escalation in Moscow's war against its neighbor.

But military analysts say its far from clear whether the strikes mark a turning point in a war that has killed thousands of Ukrainians and sent millions fleeing from their homes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attacks were retaliation for a blast Saturday that damaged a showpiece bridge linking Russia to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014. Putin called the Kerch Bridge attack an act of terrorism and vowed a tough response to any further attacks that threaten Russias security.

Simon Smith, a former British ambassador to Ukraine, said the Russian leader was trying to send a You aint seen nothing yet message to Ukraine.

Smith said the hail of Russian missiles onto civilian areas was psychological and physical intimidation  but also an act of desperation from a Russian leader whose troops are losing territory in parts of eastern Ukraine that Moscow has already annexed.

This is very much Putin on the back foot, said Smith, who heads the Ukraine Forum at the think-tank Chatham House. He is on the defensive.

Russias defense ministry said it had targeted military command and communication facilities and energy infrastructure, but Ukraine accused Moscow of indiscriminately hitting civilian areas. Ukrainian authorities said Russia fired 84 missiles against 10 cities, with 56 of them neutralized by air defenses. At least a dozen people were killed and over 60 wounded in the missile strikes, officials said.

Russia is seeking to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, Justin Crump, chief executive of security consultancy Sibylline, told the BBC. Thats something they have tried throughout the conflict, but never on this scale.

Crump said Ukraine will likely seek more surface-to-air missiles from Western allies to strengthen its air defenses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to speak Tuesday to Group of Seven leaders during a video conference.

Michael Clarke, a visiting professor in war studies at Kings College London, said Mondays attacks, while brutal, likely were not a turning point in the war, because in a way, the Russians are already doing their worst.

Ukrainians are finding mass graves and evidence of torture  and are undertaking war crimes investigations  in cities and towns recaptured after months of Russian occupation.

In increasing the worst, all they do is bring more civilian misery to Ukraine, which will harden the resolve (of Ukrainians), Clarke said. And they are still losing on the ground.

Monday's fierce bombardment came two days after Putin put air force chief Gen. Sergei Surovikin in command of all Russian forces in Ukraine. Surovikin previously led Russian forces in Syria and was accused of overseeing a brutal bombardment that destroyed much of the city of Aleppo.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at military think-tank the Royal United Services Institute, said Surovikins appointment probably will not bring a major change to Russias military campaign.

He has had a career thats been blighted by accusations of both corruption and brutality, Kaushal said. So that may be some insight into how he will approach it. But then again, the Russian approach has already been quite brutal.

Kaushal said Russia had used a pretty phenomenal number of missiles in the war so far and could run short of some of modern precision weapons. But he said Russia had large numbers of stockpiled holdovers from the Soviet era and still retained a capacity to inflict heavy damage on Ukraine.

Given the sheer number of targets, and given that overall, the Russian missiles in terms of their accuracy and performance have been reasonably good, you would expect at least some bits of Ukrainian critical infrastructure, some things like power grids, to be destroyed over the course of the campaign, Kaushal said.

Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, said Russia was seeking "to psychologically break Ukrainians, to make us wish the war ended no matter how.

But Ukraine said it would not back down.

Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility for the Crimea bridge attack, but Ukraines ambassador to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, on Monday called the bridge a legitimate military target and said Kyivs forces would strike more sites of high military significance to Russia.

We are not targeting Russian civilian infrastructure anywhere, especially beyond the Ukrainian official borders with Russia, he told Times Radio. But to achieve the victory, we will have to push further and further.

Smith, the former ambassador, said Mondays attacks were not game-changing. But he said Putin, faced with Ukrainian advances on the ground, had opened up a new dimension in the war.

If Putin knows that deploying hundreds of thousands of his armed forces in Ukraine is going to be a dead loss because they are so poorly commanded and poorly equipped, then he is going to be looking for ways of visiting death and destruction on Ukraine from a greater distance, Smith said  and that raises significant questions for Ukraine's Western allies.

The countries supporting Ukraine need to think about the ways they can help Ukraine defend itself against that, Smith said.

London correspondent Jill Lawless has covered politics and international affairs for the Associated Press since 2000. ___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Col. Mark A. Muckey, a Sioux City native, has been appointed deputy adjutant general for the Iowa Air National Guard by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

A military veteran since 1984, Muckey is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, and has multiple deployments, including for Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Most recently, Muckey was commander of the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City.

A news release from the governors office said Reynolds chose Muckey because of his outstanding military achievements and leadership capabilities demonstrated through nearly four decades of military service.

Like the Iowa National Guard itself, Col. Muckey has proven always ready to protect and serve, Reynolds said in the news release. For almost 40 years, he has served our nation with distinction all over the world, and his highly decorated military resume speaks to the courage and skill he brings to every deployment.

With this appointment Muckey will be promoted to the rank of brigadier general, according to the news release. Muckey replaces Brig. Gen. Shawn Ford, who retired in early August.

The Iowa National Guard Adjutant General is Maj. Gen. Benjamin J. Corell.

PANDEMIC FOOD ASSISTANCE

Two additional pandemic food assistance programs were announced by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

The Summer 2022 for Children Under Six program provides $391 per eligible child who received SNAP benefits during June, July and August, according to an Iowa HHS news release. Benefits will be added to the familys SNAP card between Oct. 11 and Oct. 20.

And the Summer 2022 for School Aged Children program provides $391 per eligible child for students in grades K-12 during the 2021-22 school year. Details are being finalized, but the state expects benefits to be issued on new cards by the end of November.

High food costs have affected every Iowan, and we hear every day how low-income parents continue to struggle to meet their childrens nutritional needs, Iowa HHS Janee Harvey said in the news release. These additional benefits will make it a little bit easier for parents to make ends meet and provide healthy, and nutritious meals for their children.

More information on the programs is available at the Iowa HHS website at dhs.iowa.gov.

ARTISANAL BUTCHERY GRANTS

State grants up to $100,000 are available for Iowa meat lockers that employ fewer than 50 people, the states economic development department announced.

A total of $1 million is available through the states Butchery Innovation and Revitalization program, which was a created in 2021. The programs goal is to strengthen Iowas food supply chain and support rural development, according to a news release from the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Grant applications will be available Nov. 1. More information can be found at IEDAs website, iowaeda.com.

SECRETARY OF STATE PROMOTES VOTER REGISTRATION

The states top elections official has mailed a postcard to roughly 47,000 Iowans who are eligible to vote but not registered.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said the postcard includes instructions on how to register and a QR code that sends the user to a website where he or she can register online. The postcards should arrive this week, Pates office said.

Around 90 percent of eligible Iowans are registered to vote. I want to hit 100 percent and this mailing will help us get there, Pate said in a news release. Voting is a civic duty and the best way to make your voice heard.

Important information for voters ahead of Novembers general election is available from the state at voterreadyiowa.gov.
I inherited three things from my parents: 1) a beautiful piece of land in Montana, where we built a two-bedroom log cabin, 2) longevity: I am now 77 and am still teaching with no plans to retire as long as students are well served by my continuing to teach, and 3) arthritis.

I would have preferred, of course, to only have inherited 1 and 2. I am, however, coping with 3. Life is still good.

Every step I take is accompanied by pain. I will be undergoing some physical therapy. Perhaps that will diminish the pain. But if not, it might be something with which I will have to live.

Fortunately, I have a high tolerance for pain. Because of an aversion to Lidocaine and other anesthetics, for years I had my dental work done without anesthetics. But then my dentist retired and my new dentist is more comfortable using Lidocaine, though he uses it in very modest amounts.

Standing for extended periods of time is a problem. But there are ways of dealing with that. When I am teaching my classes, I sit at the desk with the lectern in front of me. (My students probably think that is bad manners, but for me it is a necessity.)

I accept the fact that some of the things that I have enjoyed over the course of the years are no longer possible. Major back surgery several years ago brought an end to wilderness backpacking and canoeing. I know that I will never again see the mountain lakes that I love so much, among them Birch Lake and Glacier Lake, both of which can only be reached by hiking.

I cherish the memories of the wilderness backpacking and canoeing trips that I have been on and the numerous times I have fished for cutthroat trout in mountain lakes and streams. But I do not waste time feeling sorry for myself. Life isnt perfect. It is what it is.

When one door closes, other doors open. I immensely enjoy wildlife photography. I have taken a huge number of photos of birds in our backyard here in Rock Island and at our cabin in Montana. And when I go to the National Bison Range in Montana (one of my favorite places) I shoot photos of bison, deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, bears and many other amazing creatures, both large and small, from the comfort (and safety) of my Ford F-150 pickup. I use a long lens for many of the photos.

I recently started taking a drawing class at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. The joy of learning new things is something that I have never lost and hopefully never will lose. Arthritis does not stand in the way of learning new things.

I enjoy making things and have well-equipped woodworking shops both here in Rock Island and at our place in Montana. I have chairs in both of my shops so that I can sit down and rest my back for a few minutes when it starts giving out. Then I get back to work again. I work at my own pace. It is better that way.

I do not share these things with you because I want you to feel sorry for me. I do not feel sorry for myself and do not want you to feel sorry for me.

Rather I share them with you because I want all of you who have physical limitations of various types to know that there is still a quality of life to be experienced. Sometimes one has to look around a bit to discover the doors that are still open. And one has to be willing to learn new things and take on new challenges and adventures. Focusing on what we can do, rather than on what we are no longer able to do, is the key to happiness.

Even with the limitations that arthritis places on me, I continue to be thankful for each day of life. Life is good!
Premier Productions and Cody Carnes Announce the God Is Good! Tour Eight-City Winter Tour Also Features Benjamin William Hastings



NEWS PROVIDED BY

EPIC Agency

Oct. 10, 2022



NASHVILLE, Oct. 10, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Premier Productions and Cody Carnes announce the God is Good! Tour with special guest Benjamin William Hastings. The tour will span eight cities and will see Carnes on his first solo headlining tour.



"Wow, this is my first headlining tour," said Carnes. "I'm so expectant for these nights. We're months away and I'm already dreaming up ways to make this night special. I love that I get to do my own night because that means I have all the time I need to sing all the songs I've been a part of writing over the last few years."



The God is Good! Tour will also see Benjamin William Hastings in a supporting role. Hastings joins the tour fresh off the Chris Tomlin x UNITED Tour, with his self-titled debut album releasing on November 4. "I believe moment after moment will be special, especially with my friend Benjamin William Hastings bringing his incredible songs to the night as well. You do not want to miss it," said Carnes.



Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, October 17th at 10:00 a.m. local time at codycarnes.com.



The eight-city winter tour will kick-off on February 8th in Cullman, AL and will stop in Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC and Houston, TX before the final show on February 19th in Dallas, TX. For a full list of dates and cities, see below.



About Premier Productions:

Founded in 1996, Premier Productions has sold over 20 million tickets to patrons. Premier has been a Top 20 global promoter and has produced more than 2,000 concerts and events in the past five years. Pollstar named Premier the #1 faith and family independent promoter in the last 10 years. Producing events that move the soul both nationally and internationally, Premier is proud to have helped raise more than $271 million to improve the lives of children and communities in 100+ countries worldwide. Whether it's a large multi-day festival, sold-out concert or intimate conference, Premier seeks to positively impact the lives of every attendee so they leave encouraged, happy and hopeful. Premier is currently promoting acts including Hillsong UNITED, Dude Perfect, Lauren Daigle, Hillsong Worship, Baby Shark, Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Sadie Robertson, Elevation Worship, Kari Jobe Bethel Music and many more.



About Cody Carnes:

Cody Carnes is a worship leader who is passionate about creating space where innovative artistry and authentic worship can collide. As a songwriter, he's penned powerful church anthems like "Nothing Else," "Run To The Father" and "Christ Be Magnified," which are all part of his Grammy Nominated record title Run To The Father, which released in March 2020 (Capitol CMG). He's also co-written numerous songs recorded by his wife, GRAMMY-nominated Kari Jobe including the global hit "The Blessing (Live)." His most recent release "Too Good Not To Believe," featuring Brandon Lake is a true testimony song! Originally from Texas and now residing in Nashville, he often tours the country with Kari and their two boys, Canyon and Kingston, and they both serve at their home church The Belonging Co.



Contact: Jennifer Willingham, EPIC Agency, jennifer@epic.inc, 615-483-4729 Wednesday, February 8, 2023 Cullman, AL Desperation Church



Thursday, February 9, 2023 Atlanta, GA Passion City Church



Friday, February 10, 2023 Charlotte, NC Elevation Church - Lake Norman



Saturday, February 11, 2023 Raleigh, NC Catch the Fire



Thursday, February 16, 2023 Lubbock, TX Church on the Rock



Friday, February 17, 2023 San Antonio, TX Westover Hills Church



Saturday, February 18, 2023 Houston, TX The MET Church



Sunday, February 19, 2023 Dallas, TX The King's University SOURCE EPIC Agency



CONTACT: Jennifer Willingham, 615-483-4729, jennifer@epic.inc



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Sweaty Betty to launch in Northern Ireland By



Nigel TAYLOR Published

Oct 10, 2022

is to make its Northern Ireland debut later this month. The global activewear and lifestyle brand is to open a 2,056 sq ft store at Victoria Square, the retail and leisure destination in the heart of Belfast.







Sweaty Betty



Situated on the lower ground level of Victoria Square by the central atrium, the store will feature Sweaty Bettys extensive range, including leggings, outerwear, underwear, and accessories.



Caroline Scott, Sweaty Bettys SVP of Global Retail, said: As we continue to grow on an international level, its exciting to open our debut store within Northern Ireland, a key location for the business. Belfast provides us with a brand-new audience to encourage and empower women through fitness and beyond.

"We are looking forward to working with the team at Victoria Square on making this location a real success story for Belfast and the Northern Ireland community.



Victoria Square operator Commerz Real also said the signing follows the regional standalone debut of , which is set to open in October.



Russell Banham, UK Head at Commerz Real, added: Sweaty Betty provides another fantastic activewear and lifestyle option for women within Victoria Square as we look to expand this area of our retail mix. We continue to be the destination of choice when it comes to delivering brand debuts in Northern Ireland. It highlights the vast opportunity within the city of Belfast as well as our ability to attract global names within retail.
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Distraught families whose loved ones died in Air Frances worst-ever crash have shouted down the CEOs of the airline and of planemaker Airbus as the two companies go on trial on manslaughter charges in Paris over the 2009 crash
Prologue

Jack finishes dinner first and lays his folded napkin on the solid surface of our round oak table. How many times have I seen him do this? This man  my husband for more than forty years  hasnt changed much from the young man I met when I was a college student in Norman, Oklahoma, in the sixties.

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I know that everyone sees themselves at the center of their own stage, and every couple feels like they are creating their own universe. But for us, getting married really did set off tremors that ripped through the solid surface of our culture. After our union was announced, we received thousands of letters from around the United States, from Canada and Mexico, from Chile, Argentina, Norway, Israel, and India. The letter writers hailed our wedding as both a model for action and an inspiration for dreams.

Of course, we didnt think of ourselves that way. We were young and in love. We were announcing who we were, pledging to love and honor each other, to uphold our commitment through sickness and health. But we did understand that we were jump-starting social change by tossing a monkey wrench into an antiquated system. Then we stood back, our arms around each other, and waited as the system struggled to reboot.

My husband is Jack Baker. He became the darling of the national media in 1970, the year he was elected the first openly gay university student body president. My name is Michael McConnell. Ours is the worlds first gay marriage.

Book cover, University of Minnesota Press. Photos by Paul Hagen

From Married Life Chapter

Meanwhile, we were still awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Baker v. Nelson, concerning our Hennepin County marriage license. In this case, Jack had asked Minnesotas Supreme Court to recognize an inherent right of same-sex couples to marry. The way he posed the legal question was critical  he purposefully framed the legal question so that it involved a states interpretation of the federal constitution. He knew the U.S. Supreme Court was required to review any case that came before it involving this kind of question. Furthermore, this kind of case would be allowed to bypass the lower courts and be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Congress has since abolished this option.) Lawyers for Hennepin County insisted that there was no need for the high court to decide our claim because all issues had been resolved when Blue Earth County issued us a marriage license.

In the fall of 1972, Jack entered his last term of law school with plans for a December graduation. That October, we finally received the U.S. Supreme Courts reply: another fizzle. The judges dismissed our case for want of a substantial federal question. Thats courtspeak. Jack said it meant that the court was not ready to answer the question that our case posed at that time. In other words, the court did not reject our claim; instead, it chose not to hear our case, so Minnesotas decision would be allowed to stand. Since marriage contracts are traditionally governed by the states, the U.S. Supreme Court would step into this area only if it saw a blatant inequality in a states action.

But the meaning of the words for want of a substantial federal question was fuzzy enough to cause a debate among legal scholars that lasted for over four decades. In a column carried by The New York Times (Wedding Bells, in the Opinionator, March 20, 2013), Linda Greenhouse wrote that the courts action was a formulaic way to say there is so little to this case that we dont even have to bother hearing it. She also wrote that our case has been cited as a precedent for courts hearing gay marriage cases ever since. (Perhaps that explains why the U.S. Supreme Court felt the need to declare Baker v. Nelson must be and is now overruled when it finally ruled on gay marriage in 2015.)


6.06 g/t Au Averaged in First Bulk Sample Ore Through Gekko

Perth, Oct 10, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Classic Minerals Limited ( ASX:CLZ ) ( 2I7:FRA ) ( CSMRF:OTCMKTS ) advises that it has received assay results from the recent pilot plant test-work. The average head grade for the first portion of the bulk sample ore from Kat Gap is confirmed at 6.06 g/t.



The mining of the bulk sample combined with the lab studies of 29 Sept 2020 and processing ore through the Gekko pilot plant gives a large degree of confidence to the Company. The original JORC resource was calculated to be "1Mt @ 3gpt Au for 93koz (0gpt lower cutoff)".



The actual grade calculated from the pilot plant run of 6.06 g/t Au is much higher than the average inferred resource grade calculated in April 2020.



The gravity gold recovery is once again in line with expectations, with a recovery of 73.2% into a mass pull of 4.6% of the feed. This compares very well against previous bench scale metallurgical test work of 65-75% gravity gold recovery in approximately 5% mass pull.



These results clearly demonstrate that the Gekko plant is perfectly suited to Kat Gap style ore capable of extracting high levels of gravity gold at relatively low cost. The gravity concentrate produced at a low cost with no chemical reagents provides confidence of the viability of the milling process.



The concentrate contained crushed material with a top size of 2.5mm, which was predominantly quartz with minor fractions of iron oxide and other base metal minerals. Gold was present as both freely liberated gold (38% of the concentrate gold) and as binary gold/gangue particles. Examination of the concentrate with a loupe evidenced gold particles partially liberated within quartz particles, as well as fully liberated gold particles. (Base metal scan currently underway to determine minerals/metals present in the concentrate).



The Pilot run demonstrates that the Gekko flowsheet effectively concentrates the gold ore to produce a high-grade concentrate, whilst discarding a proportion of the gold into a low-grade tailings stream. In this instance the concentrate assayed approximately 90 g/t Au, with a tailings grade of 1.62 g/t Au giving an overall head grade of 6.06 g/t Au.



By controlling the mass pull to an optimal value, the project financials may be maximised based on the gold price, and ore feed grade, and three configurations may be entertained with the current plant flowsheet.



(a) Low grade feed upgraded to an economic grade at a high throughput rate.



(b) Upgrade High grade ore to discard most of the mill feed as a 'low grade' tail which may be economic to process at a later date when there are sufficient tonnes.



(c) High grade ore processed through the Gekko Plant to produce a gravity concentrate at low cost and reagent usage; with gravity tail leached.



The Gekko plant offers a versatile gold processing plant that will allow Classic to optimise recovery at the Kat Gap plant, depending on market conditions, ore competency, ore grade, and gold price.



The Gekko plant, followed by a grinding and leaching circuit has been shown to demonstrate 98% gold recovery in metallurgical testwork. The ore type is a typical free milling non-refractory ore type that is common in the eastern goldfields; with recoveries ranging from 95% and higher for most of these ore types when milled with reasonable diligence.



The ore material put through the Gekko Pilot plant test run was sourced from the last material mined from the base of the bulk sample pit. This material, from flitch/bench 376-374m RL had an average resource block model grade of 5.12 g/t Au. The Gekko pilot test run returned an average head grade of 6.06 g/t Au for the same material which is 16% higher than the predicted block model grade. These early results are very encouraging and bode well for future open pit mining operations.



Dean Goodwin said "The higher grades returned from the Gekko pilot run are not surprising to me given most of the open pits I've worked on in the Forrestania area returned positive reconciliations meaning we got more gold out of them than we originally thought we would get. So, seeing these higher-than-expected results from Kat Gap albeit exciting are not surprising to me. Let's look at Lady Ada (formally Blue Haze) for instance. It's pre mining block model resource was 154,374t at 4.57 g/t for contained 22,536 ounces but when Sons of Gwalia mined it back in 2003, they ended up mining 95,865t at 8.81 g/t Au for 27,154 ounces, substantially higher grade and more ounces than predicted. There is no geological reason why Kat Gap won't preform in a similar manner, maybe a few less tonnes but at a higher grade and more ounces".



Chairman John Lester said "The company is ecstatic about the high grades coming from the metallurgical reports. We were aware that there was a high degree of gravity recovery from the Kat Gap ore but the 73.2% is admirable. Furthermore, the met test results showing a 98% recovery of gold from Kat Gap ore will mean that this extent of recovery can be repeated during any toll milling that may be undertaken while we are waiting for all our processing licenses. I believe that the Kat Gap Plant will be in the lower cost quartile due to the beneficiation of the ore prior to gold recovery. All this bodes extremely well for the future revenue generation for Classic".



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/FY3W9FPE





About Classic Minerals Limited





Classic Minerals Limited (ASX:CLZ) is an exploration and development company focused on gold deposits in Western Australia's famous Goldfields region. In March 2017, Classic acquired the Forrestania Gold Project, with seven tenements stretching across 450km2. Strategically located in a very prospective region, the FGP is an underexplored package surrounded by multimillion ounce deposits such as Bounty (2Moz) and Yilgarn Star (1.5Moz).


Exploration Update

Perth, Oct 10, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Venus Metals Corporation Limited ( ASX:VMC ) is pleased to announce the results of RC drilling programs at its Pincher Well Zinc-Copper Prospect in E 57/1019 that is part of the Youanmi Base Metals Project (100% Venus), and Henderson Lithium-Gold-Nickel Project, both located in the Goldfields Province of Western Australia.



Pincher Well Zinc-Lead-Copper-Gold Prospect



- Strong gold mineralization encountered at Linda Gossan Prospect:



VMC054: 9m @ 15.6 g/t Au from surface including 3m @ 35.2 g/t Au from 1m (VMC JV 50% - regional gold rights part of Youanmi Gold Project agreements- refer ASX release 10 April 2019).



- Base metals mineralization extended at Conductor PCW03:



VMC036: 12m @ 2.22% Zn, 0.15% Cu and 0.1 g/t Au from 128 m including 4m @ 5.02%. Zn from 128m.



- Base metals mineralization confirmed at IP anomaly, south of Pincher North Dome:



VMC058: 20m @ 1.2% Zn, 0.38% Pb and 0.17 g/t Au from 68m.



The recent RC drilling tested EM and IP targets at the Pincher Dome volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) system that hosts several known zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) prospects and that had not been adequately tested by Venus' previous vertical drilling (maximum depth of 130m) (refer ASX release 31 Oct 2017). In total, 13 holes for 1980m were completed targeting three areas (Figure 1*).



A historical strong induced polarization (IP) anomaly, located south of previously drilled high-grade Zn mineralisation, e.g., in hole VPW40: 10m @ 7.31% Zn from 52 m including 6m @ 9.5% Zn from 55 m (refer ASX release 27 April 2017 and 29 May 2017). RC drilling along two east-west traverses, 6,821,331N and 6,821,531N, intersected 20m @ 1.2% Zn, 0.38% lead (Pb) and 0.17 g/t gold (Au) from 68m depth in RC hole VMC058 (Figure 2); one-meter analyses are pending.



Holes VMC049 and VMC055 (Figure 3) did not reach their respective target depths due to very strong ground water flow and diamond drilling is planned to test the centre of the IP anomaly along traverse 6,821,330N. Hole VMC VMC054 (Figure 3*) intersected strong gold mineralization from surface in the laterite zone with an interval of 9m @ 15.6 g/t Au including 3m @ 35.2 g/t Au from 1m. These results demonstrate the prospectivity of the Pincher VMS system.



The historical electromagnetic (EM) conductor PWC03, located southeast of North Dome, was tested ~ 60 m along strike to the south from previous drilling. RC hole VMC036 intersected sulphide mineralization between 124-144m depth and at the approximate location of the modelled EM conductor plate. The sulphide mineralization hosts an interval of 12m @ 2.22% Zn, 0.15% Cu and 0.1 g/t Au from 128 m depth; one-meter analyses are pending.



Three RC holes, VMC037, VMC038 and VMC040, tested a historical EM conductor, PWC12, that coincides with a gravity anomaly and that has remained untested at depth. The holes intersected steeply west dipping sulphide mineralization between 80-120m vertical depth with the best Zn interval of 4m @ 0.94% Zn from 96m depth in hole VMC037. A hole drilled beneath this intersection, VMC040, did not encounter significant mineralization. PWC16 was not tested at this stage due to logistical reasons.



Follow up RC drilling and field investigations are warranted at the Linda Gossan Prospect targeting high grade gold mineralization associated with gossanous chert horizons and felsic schist bedrock units. At the IP anomaly south of the Pincher North Dome, diamond drill tails are planned to extend two of the recent RC holes and to enable downhole EM surveying.



Henderson Lithium - Gold - Nickel Project



VMC tenement E30/520 covers about 25 km strike length of the Mt Ida/Ularring Greenstone Belt which historically is known for its gold and nickel potential but more recently is also recognised as an emerging Lithium Province (RDT ASX release 28 September 2021). Exploration by VMC has identified several outcropping LCT pegmatite clusters spread over a total strike length of some 20km (ASX releases 27 October 2021, 7 February 2022).



Phase 2 RC drilling (31 drill holes for a total of 2834m) (Table 1) was completed to test the outcropping pegmatites at the Snake Hill, Emerald SE and Emerald South Prospects (Figure 4*). The Emerald SE area is of particular interest as it shows a relatively high density of outcropping pegmatites with lithium concentrations over 100 ppm LiO2, including a maximum assay of 58000 ppm (5.8 %) LiO2 returned from one narrow, 1m wide, pegmatite (refer ASX release 27 May 2022).



The RC drilling confirmed a common gentle dip for the main pegmatite bodies at the Emerald SE area with individual pegmatites varying in thickness between 1m and 12m. Lithium analyses for selected intersections are listed in Table 3. Significant lithium assays from pegmatite include 1m @ 2330 ppm Li2O (HBRC007, 210m-211m) and 1m @ 1363 ppm Li2O (HBRC012, 29m-30m). Noticeable is the locally anomalous lithium (up to 1817 ppm Li2O) in ultramafic and mafic host rocks at the margins of the pegmatite bodies but also in separate narrow pegmatite-parallel zones (Figure 5*) which has been interpreted as evidence for extensive hydrothermal alteration associated with the intrusion of the pegmatites. This hydrothermal alteration extends well beyond the pegmatite bodies and outlines the faults and fractures that define the pathways for pegmatite intrusion.



The RC drilling was the first round of drilling to test lithium targets in the central and southern sections of tenement E30/520 and although the results did not replicate local high lithium grades encountered in surface samples, the drilling nevertheless provided important information on the geometry and geological setting of prospective pegmatite bodies which will be applied to continued lithium exploration in the northern sector of E30/520 during Q4 2022.



The current RC drilling also tested gold anomalies identified from Phase 1 AC drilling at Henderson South and Emerald South (refer ASX release 9 September 2021), and a 0.25 ppm Au surface rock anomaly identified within the Ida Fault Zone at the Snake Hill target area. Gold assay results for selected four-meter composite drill samples are listed in Table 4*. The gold grades include 4m @ 0.36 ppm Au from 24m returned from hole HBRC027 at Snake Hill and 4m @ 0.34 ppm Au from 76m in hole HBRC024 at Henderson South.



Interpretation of the drilling data is ongoing and will further rely on planned additional analyses of individual one-meter samples for selected composite sample intervals.



Moving forward, Venus' exploration will also be on the Nickel potential of the Mt Ida/Ularring Greenstone Belt. The Komatiite hosted Cullens Ni deposit is located 15 km northwest and along strike from similar ultramafic strata on E30/520 (Figure 4*) and this tenement has also been recognised to be prospective for Mt Alexander style or Jimberlana style intrusion related Nickel mineralisation (refer ASX release 8 May 2020).



A review of geophysical and historic geochemical data is in progress with follow up field-based studies and new geophysical surveys to be conducted as required.



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/N56A3JTC





About Venus Metals Corporation Limited





Venus Metals Corporation Limited (ASX:VMC) is a West Australian based Company with a focus on gold, base metals, vanadium and lithium exploration projects. The Company aims to increase shareholder value through targeted exploration success on its projects.

The Company's major gold project is the Youanmi Gold Mine, located 500km north-east of Perth. The Youanmi Gold Mine is now jointly owned by Venus Metals (30%) and Rox Resources Limited (70%); Indicated and Inferred Resource of the mine is in excess of 3 million ounces of gold.
UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand  Families offered flowers and dolls, popcorn and juice boxes to children massacred at a day care center in Thailand, part of a Buddhist ceremony held Sunday just paces from where the slaughter began that was meant to guide the young souls back to their bodies.

Come back home and come back with us, the relatives called into the empty day care center, many with tears in their eyes.

The gun and knife attack on the Young Childrens Development Center in Uthai Sawan was Thailands deadliest mass killing, and it robbed the small farming community of much of its youngest generation. The former police officer who stormed the building killed two dozen people at the day care before taking more lives as he fled, including his wife and child, police said. He then killed himself.

Ceremonies were held Sunday at three temples, where the bodies of the 36 victims  mostly preschoolers  were taken ahead of funeral rites and cremation on Tuesday.

Maneerat Tanonethong  whose 3-year-old Chaiyot Kijareon was killed at the day care center  said the rituals were helping her with her grief.

I am trying not think about horrible images and focus on how lovely he was.  But I dont know what I will do with myself once this is all over, she said. I am determined that I will try let go of this, that I wont hold any grudge against the perpetrator and understand that all of these will end in this life.

At Rat Samakee temple, family members sat in front of the tiny coffins while Buddhist monks chanted prayers. They placed trays of food, toys and milk along the outside of the temple walls as offerings to the spirits of their slain children.

Later, they headed to the day care center and gathered in front of a makeshift memorial there to receive the slain childrens belongings. They made offerings of their kids favorite foods and lit incense and candles as they implored the childrens souls to return to their bodies.

Many Buddhists in Thailand believe that in cases of unnatural death, the soul becomes stranded in the place where the person perished and must be reunited with the body before eventual rebirth.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and members of his Cabinet attended evening prayers at the three temples on Sunday. Prayuth divided the duty with two deputy prime ministers, Prawit Wongsuwan and Anutin Charnvirakul.

Police identified the attacker as Panya Kamrap, 34, a police sergeant fired earlier this year after being charged with a drug offense.

An employee at the day care told Thai media that Panyas son had attended the center but hadnt been there for about a month. Police have said they believe Panya was under stress from tensions between him and his wife, and money problems.

The attack has left no one in the small community untouched, and brought international media attention to the remote, rural area. Thai authorities on Sunday fined two CNN journalists for working in the country on tourist visas but cleared them of wrongdoing for entering the day care center, saying they had filmed inside believing they had obtained permission.

Deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said the journalists were waved into the building by a volunteer or a health officer and did not know the person was not authorized to allow them inside.

The journalists involved apologized in a recorded video.

In a statement, Mike McCarthy, CNN Internationals executive vice president and general manager, said the team sought permission to enter the building but now understands that these officials were not authorized to grant this permission.

Mass killings in Thailand are rare but not unheard of.

In 2020, a disgruntled soldier opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for some 16 hours before being killed by them.

Prior to that, a 2015 bombing at a shrine in Bangkok left 20 people dead. It was allegedly carried out by human traffickers in retaliation for a crackdown on their network.
Federal prosecutors on Sunday recommended a prison sentence of approximately four years for a Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty to assaulting an Associated Press photographer and using a stun gun against police officers during a mobs attack on the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss is scheduled to sentence Alan Byerly on Oct. 21 for his attack on AP photographer John Minchillo and police during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington.

Sentencing guidelines recommend a prison term ranging from 37 to 46 months. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of at least 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Byerlys attorney has until Friday to submit a sentencing recommendation.

The judge isnt bound by any of the sentencing recommendations.

Byerly was arrested in July 2021 and pleaded guilty a year later to assault charges.

Byerly purchased a stun gun before he traveled from his home in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, to Washington for the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6. Leaving the rally before then-President Donald Trump finished speaking, Byerly went to the Capitol and joined other rioters in using a large metal Trump sign as a battering ram against barricades and police officers, prosecutors said.

After that, he went to the Capitols Lower West Terrace, where he and other rioters attacked Minchillo, who was wearing a lanyard with AP lettering. Byerly is one of at least three people charged with assaulting Minchillo, whose assault was captured on video by a colleague.

Byerly then approached police officers behind bike racks and deployed his stun gun.

After officers successfully removed the stun gun from Byerlys hands, Byerly continued to charge toward the officers, struck and pushed them, and grabbed an officers baton, prosecutors wrote.

Byerly later told FBI agents that he did just one stupid thing down there and thats all it was, according to prosecutors.

This was a reference to how he handled the reporter and nothing more, they wrote.

Byerly treated Jan. 6 as a normal, crime-free day, akin to the movie, The Purge, when he could do whatever he wanted without judgment or legal consequence, prosecutors said.

He was mistaken, they added.

More than 100 police officers were injured during the Capitol siege.

Approximately 900 people have been charged with federal crimes for their conduct on Jan. 6. More than 400 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanor offenses. Over 280 riot defendants have been sentenced, with roughly half sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from one week to 10 years.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

It seemed like an impossible dream. Raise $200,000 in just a few weeks to buy back a priceless part of a communitys heritage.

That was the challenge facing the Jewish citizens of Las Vegas, New Mexico, who seized on the opportunity to purchase a building constructed in Las Vegas in the 1880s to serve as the first Jewish place of worship in New Mexico Territory.

The synagogue, Temple Montefiore, was sold to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in the 1950s when the number of Las Vegas Jewish residents had dwindled to very few. But recently, the archdiocese put the building up for sale, and the Jewish community, which experienced a resurgence in the 1990s, responded by setting up a GoFundMe account and appealing for donations throughout the country.

Amazingly, within a month, the community raised considerably more than $300,000, enough to purchase the old synagogue building and an adjacent parcel of land with a house on it that the archdiocese was also selling.

Im happy and excited, said Diana Presser, a board member of the Las Vegas Jewish Community, her words tumbling over each other in an ecstatic rush during a phone interview. Twenty years of longing for something and then having it presented to you. God works in mysterious ways.

Totally thankful

The purchase was made the last week in September during the celebration of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year.

We are always excited to have a new year, but this year there was a palpable sense of excitement because we were finally in reach of purchasing the building, Presser said. I led the services for the first Sabbath of the new year in a building we now own.

Lewis Terr, an Albuquerque attorney with Las Vegas roots and president of the Montefiore Cemetery Association, played a vital role in closing the sale.

Everyone is just totally thankful for the outpouring of support from a grassroots level and the generosity of private donors, Terr said. I am not easily moved, but it is quite remarkable that we were able to raise that amount of money in less than a month. Once people knew about it, they just wanted to contribute.

Larry Ilfeld works for an Albuquerque commercial real estate company and is the great-nephew of Charles Ilfeld, an influential Jewish merchant who settled in Las Vegas just after the Civil War. He learned about the effort to purchase the synagogue in a Journal article.

I have a pretty extensive family, he said. A lot of them are from New Mexico, but they dont all live here now. Some live in Wyoming or California. I got in touch with them, and a lot of the family donated.

Zelda McCrossen, treasurer of the Las Vegas Jewish Community, said donations came in from all over the country and from outside the country as well.

A dream come true

The synagogue was built on Douglas Avenue in Las Vegas, but was moved in 1922 to its present location at 901 Eighth St. In recent years, it has served as a Newman Center chapel, a place of worship and community for Catholic college students. The archdiocese put it up for sale to pay a small portion of a multi-million dollar settlement with victims of clerical sexual abuse. The deadline for the purchase was the end of September.

Originally, the Jewish communitys plan had been to raise $200,000 to buy only the old synagogue building.

But the synagogue is on a parcel of land with (another) building on it, Terr said. We had to buy the whole thing.

Presser said that pushed the price tag to $352,000, but the fundraising campaign took in the asking cost and more.

We had a bunch of money left over, she said. The surplus will be used to make improvements to the temple.

We are getting a toilet that works, and the stucco needs work, Presser said. The house next door will be a museum of some kind.

It was a dream and at long last it has come true.
BUS A GREAT, SAFE ALTERNATIVE: Cameron has a response to the item in the Sept. 26 column in which a reader recounted the illegal activity he saw while waiting for the ART bus from the State Fair. I ride ART with some regularity and while I believe it could be improved, I also think its incredibly helpful. In fact, I rode it to the State Fair and found it to be quite convenient. No parking hassles or fees, no traffic, and less air pollution for everyone around.

Cameron adds our bus system is very important to a lot of people in this city, myself included and simply dumping on public transit doesnt help address pollution, climate change, DWIs, pedestrian deaths, obesity and the myriad problems that can be linked to driving.

And Kevin Elder emails I took the ART bus Monday through Friday for eight months when I worked a contract for the Department of Health. I got on the Old Town stop and got off at San Mateo and Central. I was only ever bothered once. I was wearing a pink mask and some guy called me a (epithet) under his breath. While that is totally uncalled for and really sad, it doesnt have anything to do with the bus. It was one persons unfortunate lack of education and empathy.

The bus drivers and the occasional bus security are all hard-working, decent, ABQ folk  just like the vast majority of the passengers.

EXCEPT WHEN ITS NOT: But another reader echoes the original concern, and adds to it:

As a 69-year-old woman living one block off Central SE and San Pedro, your letter by the person who had the experience at the bus station and walk to it is everyday life. Neighbors and I do not take ART or No. 66; we carpool to the store or the lucky ones take Sun Van who qualify.

We knew that tourists who got to the State Fair by buses would have a bad experience. People smoke sticks long and thin with drugs on them or a pipe, they pass out sitting at the transit station. Nothings done by the Albuquerque Police Department, no patrols, no removing drug addicts that have passed out or not. Murders happen practically every weekend, four to 10 blocks from the San Pedro transit station.

ILLEGAL SIGNS ADD TO TRASHY CITY: Teresa Carroll has something to add to the Sept. 19 column on cleaning up our trashy city.

As I drive around, I cant help but notice all the signs that are attached to power poles, light poles, stop signs, you name it, Teresa emails. These signs are affixed to any surface where these signs can be nailed to, zip tied to and even taped to.

Once in the middle of the day at Comanche and Tramway, a gentleman drives his white pickup truck onto the sidewalk on the southwest corner, took his ladder out, then proceeded to attach his sign up high to the power pole. It was this event that got me to notice all the signs. Ive lived in quite a few cities such as Denver, Lake Tahoe, San Diego and Phoenix. These cities do not allow signs to be put up wherever people feel they should go. Why Albuquerque allows this to happen is beyond comprehension. Talk about a trashy city, these signs certainly do add to the trash.

City ordinance 14-16-5-12 states Illegal signs improperly placed on traffic signals, traffic signs, arroyos/bridges, sidewalks, utility poles and other public right-of-way areas may be removed and disposed of by the Department of Municipal Development.

Illegal signs located within landscaped and non-landscaped street medians may be removed and disposed of by the Solid Waste Management Department. Illegal signs placed in parks, within city limits, may be removed and disposed of by the Parks & Recreation Department.

Scott Cilke of the citys Department of Municipal Development says when folks report such illegal postings to 311, the city will dispatch folks to remove them.

I-25 NEAR ALGODONES GETS REFRESHER: Gary E. Cordova emails the interstate north of Algodones and south of the hill leading to Black Mesa casino is very uneven and very rough. I understand it was stabilized recently, which did not improve the very difficult driving conditions. When will it be raised and resurfaced, as is being done on NM 68 north of Espa n ola (which) had similar problems with unevenness and rough surface?

Kimberly Gallegos with the New Mexico Department of Transportation District 3 office says crews will be out in Algodones starting this week for the next month for a mill-and-inlay (paving) project that will take place at night in this area.

Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109.
WASHINGTON  Marjorie Taylor Greene took her seat directly behind Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, a proximity to power for the firebrand congresswoman that did not go unnoticed, as he unveiled the House GOPs midterm election agenda in Pennsylvania.

Days later, she appeared on stage warming up the crowd for Donald Trump, when the former president rallied voters in Michigan to cast ballots for Republicans, including for control of Congress.

Once shunned as a political pariah for her extremist rhetoric, the Georgia congresswoman who spent her first term in the House stripped of institutional power by Democrats is being celebrated by Republicans and welcomed into the GOP fold. If Republicans win the House majority in the November election, Greene is poised to become an influential player shaping the GOP agenda, an agitator with clout.

No. 1, we need to impeach Joe Biden. No. 2, We need to impeach Secretary Mayorkas. And No. 3, we should impeach Merrick Garland, Greene told The Associated Press outside the U.S. Capitol. Alejandro Mayorkas is the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Garland the attorney general.

Scolding the media for having been wrong about me from the start, she said those who know better take me very seriously.

Im going to be a strong legislator and Ill be a very involved member of Congress, she predicted. I know how to work inside, and I know how to work outside. And Im looking forward to doing that.

This is the outlook for the Republican Party in the Trump era, the normalizing of once fringe figures into the highest ranks of political power. Its a sign of the GOPs rightward drift that Greenes association with extremists and nationalists, violent rhetoric and remarks about Jewish people have found a home in elected office. Her ascent brings into focus the challenge ahead for McCarthy, whose GOP ranks are filling with far-right political stars with the potential to play an oversized role in setting the policies, priorities and tone of the new Congress.

Ive said for a long time theres a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, at a briefing ahead of the midterm elections.

When the congresswoman says outlandish things  as she did at the Trump rally earlier this month claiming Democrats want Republicans dead, and theyve already started the killings  few Republican leaders dare a public or private rebuke of such incendiary language. In this case, she was exaggerating two local incidents involving politics, one that ended tragically in a fatality.

Greenes political currency stretches beyond her massive social media following and her ability to rake in sizable sums from donors. Her proximity to Trump makes her a force that cannot be ignored by whats left of her mainstream GOP colleagues.

McCarthys allowance for Greene to sit front and center with leadership for the campaign rollout was not by accident but design. The Republican lawmakers in attendance celebrated her presence, calling it a sign of the GOPs big tent that welcomes all comers. But Greenes arrival also signaled a stark normalizing of the most extreme elements in the Republican Party.

Longtime political strategist Rick Wilson, a former Republican who left the party in the Trump era, calls Greenes brand of politics government by trolling that marks a dangerous new era for the GOP and will make it difficult to govern. McCarthy is in line to become House speaker if Republicans regain the majority.

No matter what the trolling part of the Republican caucus does, you cant ever satisfy them, said Wilson, now at the Lincoln Project.

With the departure of the last vestiges of the anti-Trump wing of the House GOP  Liz Cheney defeated by a primary opponent and Adam Kinzinger deciding to step down rather than seek reelection  thats it, Wilson said.

Greene swept onto the national stage in the 2020 election, catapulted forward even before she took office. As the lawmaker-elect from northwest Georgia, she attended a key organizing meeting at the Trump White House as lawmakers laid plans to object to the certification of Joe Bidens election on Jan. 6, 2021. When she arrived to be sworn into Congress, she wore a Trump Won face mask.

Democrats moved swiftly and unequivocally to reprimand Greene, voting to strip her of congressional committee assignments over her incendiary rhetoric, including trafficking in volatile conspiracy theories. Greene drew rebuke from her own party a few months later for comparing mandatory COVID-19 face masks to the treatment of Jewish people by Nazi Germany.

While some have tried to compare Greene to outspoken far-left lawmakers, it became clear even to Republican leaders that Greene stood in a category of her own.

At that time, McCarthy called her comments about the Holocaust wrong and appalling. Greene later apologized.

In many ways, Greenes arrival in the House traces the arc of the Republican Partys rightward evolution from the Newt Gingrich revolution that brought conservatives to power in the 1994 election, to the tea party Republicans that regained the House majority in 2010.

Jack Kingston, a former Republican congressman who rose during those earlier eras, said McCarthy was smart in welcoming Greene to unfurl the House GOPs Commitment to America last month.

Hes got to work with her, and he knows that, Kingston said.

Getting Marjorie Taylor Greene on board is very important, he said. If you dont bring everybody in the tent, theyre going to find their own niche.

In the interview, Greene said she is certain she will be reinstated on her congressional committees if Republicans win the majority, eyeing the House Oversight panel, and is talking to leadership about other opportunities in the new Congress.

Not only does Greene want to impeach Biden and Cabinet officials, she is eager to conduct investigations, including into the origins of COVID-19.

Last month, Greene unveiled legislation that is another priority  her bill to prohibit some gender reassignment procedures on minors  flanked by a dozen Republican lawmakers and leaders in the conservative movement. Many of them praised the congresswoman for her work.

I want to thank Marjorie Taylor Greene  who is soon to get her full legislative powers back, by the way, said Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Committee, who hugged her afterward.

If this is the type of thing that youre going to have the courage to do, I think thats something everybody needs to understand, Schlapp said.

McCarthy and Greene appear to have come to an understanding that they need each other. The leader needs Greene to come into the GOP fold rather than throw rocks from outside. She needs McCarthys blessing to regain committee assignments, enabling her to participate more fully in Congress and put her imprint on legislation.

At the Pennsylvania event McCarthy batted away questions about his ability to govern if Republicans win the majority.

Name me one person in the conference that is opposed to this, he said afterward of their platform. Is that a difference? Yes.

___

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections
OMAHA, Neb.  The U.S.s third largest railroad union rejected a deal with employers Monday, renewing the possibility of a strike that could cripple the economy. B oth sides will return to the bargaining table before that happens.

Over half of track maintenance workers represented by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division who voted opposed the five-year contract despite 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Union President Tony Cardwell said the railroads didnt do enough to address the lack of paid time off  particularly sick time  and working conditions after the major railroads eliminated nearly one-third of their jobs over the past six years.

Railroaders are discouraged and upset with working conditions and compensation and hold their employer in low regard. Railroaders do not feel valued, Cardwell said in a statement. They resent the fact that management holds no regard for their quality of life, illustrated by their stubborn reluctance to provide a higher quantity of paid time off, especially for sickness.

The group that represents the railroads in negotiations said they were disappointed the union rejected the agreement, but emphasized that no immediate threat of a strike exists because the union agreed to keep working for now.

Four other railroad unions have approved their agreements with freight railroads including BNSF, Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern, CSX and Norfolk Southern, but all 12 unions representing 115,000 workers must ratify their contracts to prevent a strike. Another union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, initially rejected its deal but has since renegotiated a new contract. Voting will be completed in mid-November.

President Joe Biden pressured the railroads and unions to reach a deal last month ahead of a mid-September deadline to allow a strike or walkout. Many businesses also urged Congress to be ready to intervene in the dispute and block a strike if an agreement wasnt reached because so many companies rely on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products.

In general, the deals the unions agreed to closely follow the recommendations a special panel of arbitrators that Biden appointed made this summer. That Presidential Emergency Board recommended what would be the biggest raises rail workers have seen in more than four decades, but it didnt resolve the unions concerns about working conditions. Instead it said the unions should pursue additional negotiations or arbitration that can take years with each railroad individually.

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way union said it agreed to delay any strike until five days after Congress reconvenes in mid November to allow time for additional negotiations.

Quality of life issues took center stage at the end of these negotiations, with unions representing conductors and engineers holding out until the end for three unpaid leave days a year for medical appointments and a promise that railroads will negotiate further about giving those employees regularly scheduled days off when they arent on call. Engineers and conductors have complained that strict attendance policies make it hard to take any time off.

Track maintenance workers in the BMWED generally have more regular schedules than engineers and conductors, but all the rail unions have objected to the lack of paid sick time in the industry  particularly after working to keep trains moving throughout the pandemic.

Rutgers University professor Todd Vachon, who teaches labor relations classes, said hes not entirely surprised the contract was rejected given how emboldened union members feel to fight for better working conditions amidst the current worker shortage.

The biggest sticking issue is quality of life  especially access to paid time off and paid sick time. If the railroads can make some movement in that area, it will likely go a long way with rail workers who currently feel they are not being respected by their employers, Vachon said. Wages and resource allocation are one important part of contract negotiations, but feeling respected by ones employer remains one of the top reasons that workers form and join unions.

Although a strike is now possible, Vachon said hes not too worried yet because both sides have more than a month to reach a new agreement.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Millions of viewers tuned into Better Call Saul over the course of its run.

In the episodes, Albuquerque locations were showcased  but so was art from locals.

Miles Toland had his Flippin Jimmy artwork hanging in the law office of Jimmy McGill, played by Bob Odenkirk.

The former Santa Fe resident donated the piece for a giveaway to benefit the nonprofit Gravity Water whose mission is to turn rain into safe drinking water for schools in need around the world.

I was commissioned to paint Flippin Jimmy specifically for the second season of Better Call Saul,  Toland said in a statement. The painting captures a figure in midair whose human form has dissolved into a pattern of circles known as the flower of life leaving behind hollow shells of shoes and clothing. Having been raised in New Mexico it was really meaningful to contribute to such an iconic show.

Toland has traveled the world creating street art in places including Paris, Switzerland, Art Basel Miami, Mexico, and Canada. His painting Flippin Jimmy was readapted from his 2015 mural series Geometric Abductions in Pune, India.

If someone had told me that my most well-known piece of artwork would be a commission and readaptation of my street art series in India I wouldnt have believed them, Toland said with a laugh. When I learned more about the Better Call Saul character, Jimmy McGill, I understood immediately why the art resonated  Jimmy gets his start staging slip and fall accidents to make quick money.

Danny Wright, Gravity Water founder, said the nonprofit was honored when Toland contacted them about the donation to support their mission.

Were so excited to be able to work with the amazing community surrounding Miles Toland and Better Call Saul, creating brighter futures for children around the world by bringing safe water to their schools.

Wright says every $8 donation provides a child with access to safe water through Gravity Water. For the contest, $1 amounts to one entry. The deadline for donations is 8 p.m. Nov. 11.

Details of the giveaway can be found at gravitywater.betterworld.org.
SANTA FE  Protesters marched through downtown Santa Fe on Monday, shouted at tourists and called for the removal of a monument to Kit Carson  citing his role in the Long Walk of 1864, which forced Navajo families from their land.

The two-hour demonstration ended with some protesters splashing red and yellow paint on the monument to Carson. It sits outside a federal courthouse just north of the Plaza.

At least 100 protesters participated in the march as they carried signs and chanted 1680 to commemorate the pueblo revolt.

The tensest moment came when the driver of a pickup truck backed out of a parking space into the crowd, triggering an angry confrontation before police officers arrived.

But the march was otherwise peaceful. Protesters chanted no pride in genocide and tourists go home as they walked from the Plaza a few blocks the Kit Carson monument.

Part of the monument was covered in plywood, following similar protests in past years.

One unidentified speaker  most of the crowd wore COVID-19 masks  said the monument is like having a statute of Hitler in the middle of the city. Speakers said they will continue to protest until the monument is removed.

Thousands of Navajo people are estimated to have died in the Long Walk, either the 300-mile march itself or later in Bosque Redondo, where they faced starvation and disease.

This years Indigenous Peoples Day rally took place two years after Native American activists and their supporters used cargo straps and chains to topple a controversial obelisk in the Plaza, known as the Soldiers Monument, that had stood for more than 150 years.

Eight individuals faced charges in connection with the incident, but seven of the eight chose to participate in a restorative justice initiative for first-time nonviolent felony offenders. The other defendant was given a deferred sentence after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor vandalism offense.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Six Bernalillo County Sheriffs deputies mistook a black flashlight a man appeared to be pointing at civilians for a handgun when they fired at him more than a dozen times, killing him, last month.

At a news conference Monday morning, Chief Deputy Nicholas Huffmyer showed video of Colby Atkins standing outside of a car following a pursuit. Atkins, 45, appeared to be reaching for something and then stretched out his arms at a passing van, causing the van to back up.

He comes up with both hands in a very clear shooting platform, Huffmyer said. I mean, if theres anyone that would recognize what a shooting platform is, its law enforcement  So Im not surprised in the slightest that they recognized that and saw that as a threat.

Atkins died at the scene. His family could not immediately be reached on Monday, but an obituary says he was born in Oklahoma and is survived by his three daughters, father and siblings.

The deputies who fired were: Sgt. Luke Edwards, who has been with BCSO for 14 years and had been involved in one other shooting; Deputy Derek Gallegos, who was hired four years ago and had been involved in one other shooting; Deputy Jose Corona, who was hired four years ago; Deputy Dominic Szabo, who was hired three years ago; Deputy Richard Boyle, who was hired two years ago, and Deputy Deanna Aragon who was hired one year ago.

All are back at work. The Multi-Agency Task Force and an internal investigation into the incident is still underway.

The shooting is the third by BCSO deputies this year, all of which were fatal.

The Sept. 20 incident began when deputies were called to a gas station on Rio Bravo and Second SW because a man was intoxicated or passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle next to a pump, Huffmyer said.

He said four deputies arrived and tried to preemptively immobilize the car but Atkins fled, hitting two of the cruisers on his way out of the gas station.

More and more were seeing that when these individuals wake up from being passed out and the first thing that they encounter is a law enforcement presence, that there seems to be this inclination to flee immediately, Huffmyer said. Depending on what their particular state of mind is, that can often be a violent interaction and its certainly very unsafe for the general motoring public thats just in and around the area.

He said the deputies pursued Atkins as he drove into traffic  highly erratic driving behavior, total disregard for the general motoring public. Video of the pursuit shows Atkins run a red light and strike two civilian cars before his car is disabled about two miles from the gas station.

BCSO operating procedures say that deputies can only pursue a vehicle if they have reason to believe a suspect poses an immediate threat or is committing a violent felony. They are told not to initiate a pursuit when the danger created by the pursuit is greater than the danger of allowing the suspect to remain at large.

In response to questions about the policies, a BCSO spokeswoman said any details surrounding the pursuit and the actions of our deputies is part of the ongoing investigation and will be made available upon the conclusion.

When Atkins came to a stop the deputies shot a bean bag at his vehicle windows  which were heavily tinted  and ordered him to put his hands up to no avail. Video shows Atkins appeared to point a gun  what later turned out to be a flashlight  at a nearby van. As he looked back at the deputies, one yelled out hes got a gun and all six shot at him.

Six deputies who all fired, all simultaneously, all seeing the same thing, all processing the information in the same way and all firing at the same time, Huffmyer said. So that tells me theres some uniformity there with what they were seeing and the input that their brain is processing. They all simultaneously perceived that as a lethal threat to those civilians that were behind him there.

Atkins had pleaded guilty to an armed bank robbery in May 2005 and was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison. In 2017 he was released on supervised release for three years, according to court records. Over the past year and half he had been arrested at least three times for drug, stolen vehicle and burglary charges. At the time of his death, Atkins had warrants issued for his arrest in two of those cases for failing to appear in court.

Huffmyer said the car Atkins was driving had been reported stolen and a Marine Corps veteran license plate and sticker had been added to it. He said deputies found fentanyl and heroin in it along with the things that we often see with identity theft and white collar crime: a whole variety of credit cards, pieces of identification.

The toxicology report had not yet been completed, Huffmyer said, but its a reasonable conclusion to come to that Atkins had been under the influence of a substance.

Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said his office has noticed an increase in calls regarding people who are passed out. He pointed to an increase in fentanyl use over recent years and said that its become a safety issue for the public and deputies.

He referenced a recent large bust  by the FBI and local agencies, including BCSO  which resulted in more than a million fentanyl pills being seized.

Well continue to do proactive operations throughout  whether it be Bernalillo County or the city of Albuquerque  to keep people safe, Gonzales said. But I cant overemphasize the importance of the public to be aware of what theyre seeing out there  be aware of some of the signs of when these people are overdosed, or theyre sitting there in a delusional state.
UW-Madison professor Karl Paul Link, Ph.D. (right) and his student Mark A. Stahmann (left) were part of a team that created the blood thinner warfarin, pictured here in 1949.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2022  In the early 20th century, a devastating bleeding disorder swept through North American cattle herds. Focusing on the suspected spoiled hay in the animals food supply, University of Wisconsin (UW) biochemists in 1939 isolated a chemical compound that prevents blood from clotting. With support from the university, the state and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), further research on this compound and its analogs led to the development of warfarin, a revolutionary blood thinner still widely used today. On Oct. 12, the American Chemical Society (ACS) will honor that achievement with the National Historic Chemical Landmark designation.

The Landmark dedication ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison).

Warfarin has helped millions of patients lessen the risk of stroke or heart attack, says ACS President Angela K. Wilson, Ph.D. It has also been used as a rat poison that has reduced the spread of rodent-borne diseases. In addition, proceeds from the associated patents are important contributors to other research funded by WARF at UW-Madison.

Warfarins story begins in 1933, when a farmer drove to Madison to look for the state veterinarian to diagnose a condition that was causing his cows to hemorrhage and die. Finding most offices closed that Saturday, the farmer instead walked into the laboratory of UW professor Karl Paul Link, Ph.D. Link and his student assistant recognized the signs of sweet clover disease, which develops when cattle eat wet, spoiled clover hay.

After that fateful meeting, Link reoriented the work of his laboratory toward understanding the biochemistry at work in spoiled clover and in the cows that ate it. His team eventually isolated a compound in the hay that prevented cow blood from clotting. The researchers realized that such an anticoagulant might also be able to kill rodents and prevent dangerous blood clots in humans.

To explore these possibilities, Link and his coworkers synthesized more than 100 related compounds. Each of these analogs had a slight difference in chemical makeup, but all produced similar anticoagulant effects. The most effective analog was named warfarin.

Warfarin first went on the market in 1948  but only as a rat poison. Fortunately, while it could kill mice and rats, it wasnt toxic for humans. The researchers developed a water-soluble version, known as warfarin sodium, which could be taken by mouth. It was approved for human use in 1954 and was sold under the brand name Coumadin. Warfarin soon became both the most widely used rat poison and the most widely prescribed blood thinner in the world.

As newer blood thinners have become available, prescription rates for warfarin have declined, but it remains one of the most widely used treatments for blood clots to this day. Experts estimate that around 100 million prescriptions of warfarin are still issued globally each year.

ACS established the National Historic Chemical Landmarks program in 1992 to recognize seminal events in the history of chemistry and to increase awareness of the contributions of chemistry to society. Past Landmarks include the invention of Polaroid instant photography, the discovery and production of penicillin, the invention of synthetic plastics and the works of such notable scientific figures as educator George Washington Carver and environmentalist Rachel Carson. For more information, visit www.acs.org/landmarks.
Candere, India's leading omnichannel JewelTech brand, announced the launch of its "Khushiyon ke Gheno se, #RishtonKoSajayein" Diwali campaign ahead of the most anticipated festival. While celebrating the Festival of Lights, the campaign touches upon the key message of celebrating the festival with family through a heartfelt short film with a touching story.

The 82 seconds Diwali film on "Khushiyon ke Gehno se, #RishtonKoSajayein'' showcases a dadi (grandmother) reminiscing over old Diwali photos, saying, Diwali abb pehle jaise kahan? Upon hearing this, her granddaughter plans a surprise for her by calling all her family members and gifting her a piece of jewellery on the festive occasion. The captivating Diwali video is a subtle reminder to spread happiness and celebrate it with your loved ones. Additionally, it highlights the spirit of togetherness through centuries-old Indian customs and cultures associated with Diwali celebrations.

Candere's Diwali campaign aims to showcase its exclusive collection, which includes exquisite gold and diamond jewellery such as earrings, necklaces, pendants, bangles, rings etc., that blends the rich Indian culture into sleek modern jewellery pieces.

Sharing his thoughts on the launch of the Diwali campaign, Rupesh Jain, CEO of Candere, said, Growing up, we have heard from our parents and grandparents how festivals used to be much more fun back then, with the entire family together. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, people had to stay away from their loved ones, even during the festivities. With things slowly falling back to normal this year, Candere wants to encourage families and friends to celebrate togetherness. Our tagline, "Khushiyon ke Gheno se, #RishtokoSajayein, is an attempt to spread joy/ happiness this Diwali by gifting Canderes special festive collections to thei close ones.

Regarding the campaign, Ronak Sahewal, Marketing Manager at Candere, added, For Diwali, Candere wants to highlight the importance of celebrating the festival with family & friends. Our exclusive collections of gold and diamond jewellery are intricately designed and are a gift of happiness celebrating the spirit of togetherness this festive season.

Anant Rathi, CCO, The Luminant Media, said, It's that time of the year again when everyone gets together to celebrate the festival of lights. This Diwali, through the campaign, we wanted to showcase an emotion of nostalgia. In this fast-paced world, we want people to recreate memories like the old times urging them to celebrate the bond of togetherness.
Chai Sutta Bar, a well-known name in the Indian food and beverage industry, has released a trailer of an incredible video honouring Mumbai's infamous Dabbawalas. HonesTea with Anubhav, a CSB podcast hosted by the CEO of Chai Sutta Bar Mr. Anubhav Dubey, is featuring the head of Mumbai Dabbawala in one of their episodes. Anubhav also worked as a one-day Dabbawala alongside the Mumbai Dabbawalas.

The second episode of the podcast will feature Anubhav Dubey aka Kulhad man of India delivering Dabbas alongside the Dabbawalas, riding a bicycle, as well as a candid interview with the association's chairman, Saurabh Talekar, and learning about the rich history of 132 years of delivering foods to Mumbai office goers..

Anubhav Dubey, CEO, Chai Sutta Bar, said: The story of the Mumbai dabbawalas who deliver lunch boxes to nearly 2 lakh people every day, travelling an average of 60 to 70 kilometres, and the accuracy with which they are delivered, as well as their commitment to the customers, is commendable and a source of much learning about discipline, timing, and resilience.

As young entrepreneurs like us who are into the food and service industry can learn so much from them in terms of QSR, on time delivery and much more and most importantly to be true towards your work he added.

The Mumbai Dabbawalas are a well-known entity in Mumbai, and their work has earned them worldwide acclaim. During his 2003 visit to India, Prince Charles recognised and appreciated their work.

HonesTea with Anubhav is a podcast that features stories that can change people's lives in a variety of ways. The first episode features Johnny Hotdog, Indore's famous hot dog chain that holds the Guinness World Record for delivering more than 7 lac hot dogs online in 6 months.

The full video of the interview will be available on Chai Sutta Bars official YouTube channel.
Enormous has been awarded the strategy & creative mandates of mattress giant Springwel, a brand owned by Ananta Capital. This will be with a view to strengthen their offline presence in markets all over the country and to aid the D2C launch of the brand.

The creative mandate entails strategy, positioning, brand identity creation, design and creative across mediums. The account will be serviced by the agency's Delhi office.

It is worth noting here that Enormous won this mandate without going through a pitch process. Springwel is engaged in manufacturing and selling of mattresses, home furnishing products and B2B foam in India. The company runs over 75 exclusive brand outlets along with a pan-India network of over 1,000 dealers and distributors. Since the companys acquisition a few months back, Springwel has embarked on an aggressive expansion plan in existing and newer markets.

Ashutosh Taparia, Managing Partner, Ananta Capital, said, It is a pivotal step for Brand Springwel  embarking on a new digital journey and reinvigorating the brand. We were looking for experienced hands in the industry to help guide us through the journey and are excited to partner with Enormous. We hope Enormous experience & passion of delivering impactful campaigns going on to build strong brands & businesses, will help us achieve our bullish goals.

In a statement, Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner, Enormous Brands, said, We are delighted to associate with Springwel and partner them in this exciting new journey. We aim to strengthen the brands presence in the offline and online space, as we have done for other brands successfully in the recent past. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to deliver campaigns closely aligned with the brands overall goals.
Following a multi-agency pitch, Havas Media Group India has bagged the integrated media mandate of Firefox, Indias leading premium bicycle brand, a Hero Cycles Group company. The mandate includes offline media, digital media and SEO duties. The account will be managed out of the agencys Gurgaon office, spearheaded by Roopali Sharma, Managing Partner (Head  North 1), under the leadership of Uday Mohan, President & Chief Client Officer, Havas Media Group India.

Established in 2004, Firefox is a market leader in the premium and mid premium bike category, offering an exclusive & expansive range of premium bikes & accessories. The brand offers premium quality, trendy mountain bikes, city bikes (or hybrid bikes), road bikes, women's bikes, kids' and junior bikes, electric bicycles and adventure & outdoor gear including backpacks, bike panniers & pouches, jerseys & t-shirts, wind cheaters & breakers. Firefox Bikes has 500+ stores and customer experience centres across India covering metros and Tier 1 cities, and a fully enabled Direct to Customer setup led by its e-commerce enabled website.

Sriram Sundresan, CEO, Firefox Bikes, said, At Firefox, we are driven by the passion for biking and adventure. Being the pathbreakers, Firefox takes pride in revolutionising biking as a means of transformation, and weve seen tremendous growth in the adoption of biking as a preferred lifestyle choice. In Havas, we found a partner that shares a similar passion to connect brands and consumers through meaningful media experiences. We are delighted to have them on board as our media partners and look forward to a great partnership.

Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India, said, We are proud to have bagged the integrated media mandate of Firefox, a niche category brand that has pioneered the growth of premium biking in India. With people getting increasingly aware of leading a healthy lifestyle and embracing sustainable ways of living, there has been a paradigm shift in the preferred mode of transportation  from conventional ICEs to EVs to bicycles. We look forward to an adventurous partnership by further strengthening the brands journey and its vision, as it forges meaningful connections with its consumers.
Kaizzen, a leading Public Relations and Digital Media Agency, has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Gayatri Ramanathan as Senior Director, ESG & Sustainability. Kaizzens ESG & Sustainability practice will offer clients strategic advisory on ESG and sustainability and reporting, ESG training as well as CSR related advisory services. Gayatri will be working closely with Vineet Handa, CEO, Kaizzen.

Gayatri brings with her over a decade of experience in the field of Sustainability, Climate & Energy and over 2 decades of experience as a journalist. Before joining Kaizzen, she worked with Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, in programmatic, donor engagement and fund-raising roles. She also worked with the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission in a regulatory role.

Gayatri is a highly experienced professional in the ESG space with over a decade of experience handling key portfolios. Her deep understanding of Sustainability & Environment along with her expertise in media & communications is the key USP which will help drive the ESG & Sustainability practice at Kaizzen. We welcome her to the India leadership team of Kaizzen. said Vineet Handa, Founder and CEO, Kaizzen.

ESG is a gamechanger in the current times and we are delighted to be among the first to start an ESG & Sustainability practice. Our endeavor is to support our clients with expertise in this space and create sustained outcomes which help drive growth, while strengthening environment & sustainability. added Vineet.

ESG & Sustainability is the key to Indian industry remaining globally competitive. Indian corporates need to transform quickly over the next few years to emerging global sustainability standards. I look forward to my role as Senior director, ESG and Sustainability at Kaizzen, in facilitating this transformation by creating brand awareness around this and other ESG related initiatives. I am excited to work with Vineet and the Kaizzen team to make this journey a huge success and add value to all stakeholders, said Gayatri Ramanathan, Senior Director, ESG & Sustainability practice.

In her earlier roles, she worked with leading publications such as The Times of India, Business Standard and Mint, in addition to being an entrepreneur in the news space. She is a graduate in History from Delhi University and holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism. In addition. She holds an MBA in power management from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES). She also holds a diploma in Electricity Regulation from the World Trade Institute, Mumbai.
The BBC has today announced that the 67th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool, with the Grand Final of the Contest to be on Saturday 13 May 2023.

The UK is hosting the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, who won the competition this year.

Following interest from 20 cities across all four Nations of the UK, seven cities were initially shortlisted to host the competition next year. It was announced last week that two cities remained in the running to host the Song Contest: Glasgow and Liverpool. Both cities provided incredibly strong bids, led by their respective local authorities and including community and stakeholder support from within their cities and beyond. Each city proposed to reflect Ukrainian culture and music in their own unique way.

A detailed assessment of the two cities has resulted the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) agreeing that that Liverpool will be the host city for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

Liverpool has a fantastic venue, a beautiful backdrop of a city with a rich history of music, and a cultural offer that puts Ukraine at the heart of next years Song Contest. The team at the Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool City Region will be fantastic partners for the BBC in delivering the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

The BBC is also announcing that the date of the Grand Final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be Saturday 13 May at the Liverpool Arena.

For audiences in the UK, for the first time the two Semi-Finals on Tuesday May 9 and Thursday May 11 and the Grand Final will all be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

To coincide with the announcement of the host city, the EBU has released the official logo for the 2023 Song Contest, which contains the Ukrainian flag within the heart. The logo design reflects that although the competition will be held in the UK, it will be done on behalf of Ukraine, the winners of this years Eurovision Song Contest.

Tim Davie, BBC Director-General says: "Congratulations to Liverpool. They will be an amazing host for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Liverpool is such an exciting, warm and vibrant city. Its the undisputed capital of pop music and is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its twinning with the Ukrainian city of Odesa. I know the people of Liverpool will welcome Europe  and the rest of the world  with open arms, and in partnership we will create something truly special.

 .         - 2023.   ,    .    -,   65-      .  ,          ,        .

Kate Phillips, BBCs Director Unscripted Content says: We are delighted to be working with Liverpool to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year, on behalf of Ukraine. Liverpool, and the BBC, will do everything to ensure that this special occasion, fully reflects Ukrainian culture, music and communities. We will absolutely get this right. Im also thrilled that both Semi-Finals and the Grand Final will be shown to UK audiences live on BBC One.

Phil Harrold, chair of the BBCs Host City Selection Committee says: We had incredible bids from across the UK. To win under such tough competition shows just how strong Liverpools bid is. I want to thank all the cities that bid to host the Song Contest, on behalf of Ukraine. While there could only be one host, the quality of the bids shows just how much the UK has to offer. 

Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisor Martin Osterdahl welcomed the choice: Liverpool is the ideal place to host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine.

The city is synonymous with music and Liverpool Arena exceeds all the requirements needed to stage a global event of this scale. We have been very impressed with the passion the city has shown in embracing the Contest and their inclusive ideas for placing last years winners, Ukraine, front and centre when thousands of fans visit next May.

EBU Director General Noel Curran added: This will be the first Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the UK in 25 years and, as we work with our Host Broadcaster, the BBC, to celebrate Ukraines victory, this unique production promises to be a very special one indeed.

Mykola Chernotytskyi, Head of the Managing Board of Suspilne Ukraine: "It is symbolic that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool, a twin city of our Odesa. The organisation of a contest of this level sets super demanding requirements. I am confident that the city recognised as the capital of pop music will meet them in the best way and will deliver the celebration of music that will amaze both delegations and fans of Eurovision.
Manoj Bajpayee has been appointed as a brand ambassador for ManipalCigna Health Insurance.ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited, today announced the appointment of Padma Shri awardee and ace actor, Manoj Bajpayee, as its brand ambassador. Through this association with Manoj Bajpayee, ManipalCigna aims to spread the message about the value of health insurance, drive customer conversions and propel distribution growth across India.

Prasun Sikdar, MD and CEO, ManipalCigna Health Insurance said, At ManipalCigna, our goal is to provide lifetime access to quality healthcare and ensure financial wellbeing in the lives of the millions of people in India. Manoj Bajpayee is a phenomenal ambassador for this mission and it is a moment of pride for us to be associated with a self-made, passionate, expert, and trustworthy personality like him who has a pan-India appeal. Sikdar further added, As an actor, Manoj strongly resonates with our brand because ManipalCigna possesses all these values, expertise, and more. Over the years, we have built a comprehensive health insurance portfolio with a range of benefits, including inpatient, outpatient, and wellness benefits to take care of healthcare financing needs, and will continue to be there for our customers and their families, especially when they need us most

Actor Manoj Bajpayee said, When it comes to my family's health and my own, I always rely on trusted medical experts as I value their expertise above all else. So, its an honour to be part of a brand thats viewed as a Health Insurance Expert for its level of reliability when it comes to supporting peoples healthcare financing needs. ManipalCignas rich expertise lies in offering several innovative and fully loaded products in the market, providing quick and easy claim settlement, and delivering better healthcare experience. I am happy to join in their journey and spread awareness about the importance of health insurance.

Sapna Desai, Chief Marketing Officer, ManipalCigna Health Insurance said, We are excited to bring Manoj Bajpayee on board to raise awareness about our health insurance solutions and build a purpose-driven connection with our customers. Manoj inspires trust and has the expertise to be associated with a category like health insurance, thus with ManipalCigna, it is a seamless brand association. Further given his mass fan following across the country, we believe that this association will help us maximize our reach, strengthen our brand awareness and build a deeper connection with the consumers. We look forward to our engagement and an enriching partnership

Since its launch in 2014, ManipalCigna Health Insurance has built the identity of a Trusted Health Insurance Expert with Global Experience and Local Expertise. Manipals healthcare delivery expertise and Cignas global leadership in health insurance firmly establishes the brand as an expert. ManipalCigna, as a health insurance expert, makes it easier for people to get the care they need, by making healthcare Simple, Predictable, and Affordable. By offering bespoke health insurance products, high-quality customer service and easy and faster settlement of claims, the Companys goal is to help its customers across the country, to live a healthier and more financially secure life.
In a rapidly evolving social milieu the idea of what constitutes luxury is fast changing. An upwardly mobile and hugely aspirational young India is fundamentally altering the space which was once the exclusive preserve of the uber rich and the royalty. News18 Network  the No.1 news channel network in India, presents LAspiration Summit  a one-of-a-kind event which brings a unique perspective on the changing definitions of what constitutes aspiration and luxury in the country. This summit will be held on 10th October 2022 at The Marriott, Chandigarh.

The LAspiration Summit will feature various discussions on the opportunities, challenges and trends that are shaping the rarefied world of luxe  definitions, formats, access. Highly acclaimed dignitaries will come together to provide a rare glimpse into a world and a lifestyle that most can only dream of. The speakers will include Lakshyaraj Singh Ji Mewar (Mewar Royal), Baisa Priyamvada Kumari (Princess Talcher State Orissa), Tikka Amrinder Singh Brar (Faridkot Royal), Zoravar Shersingh Kalsia (Kalsia Estate, Haryana), Aditi Govitrikar (Actor, Physician, Mrs World 2001), Anuj Sawhney (Actor and MD Swiss Military), Jatin Kochhar (Artist Fashion Designer), Sardar Tegbir Singh Brar (Muktsar Stud Farms), Karanvir Singh Sibia (Jind Riyasat Nazam Family), Manish Mehrotra (International Corporate Chef), Raghavendra Rathore (Stylist and Designer) and Satinder Sartaaj (Singer, Actor, Poet).

Sharing his thoughts about LAspiration Summit, Karan Abhishek Singh, CEO Hindi Cluster, Network18 said; News18 Network is renowned for pushing the envelope on content and formats, and category first initiatives. LAspiration Summit is another such addition to our portfolio, a reflection of our commitment to innovation, and contemporary & fresh thinking. I am certain our audiences, especially the younger viewers, will find this Summit highly engaging as it explores the various nuances of changing aspirations and lifestyles.

Decode the idea of aspiration in modern day India only on News18 Punjab Haryana at 6pm on the 10th of October.
Pepperfry, India's leading e-commerce furniture and home goods company has launched its Diwali Campaign22 - Pepperfry Meme Superstars. Starring brand ambassadors, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan, it is a first-of-its-kind 360 media campaign that incorporates memes around the brands omnichannel play.

The campaign highlights Pepperfry's core differentiators; a nationwide walk-in studio footprint and a wide portfolio of furniture and home decor pieces to choose from. Pepperfry has adopted a robust 360-degree campaign, with Film along with Outdoor as strong communication mediums, spanning key cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, etc. across multiple assets like Outdoor Billboards, Digital Outdoors, Bus Shelters, Cab, Bus & Metro Branding, Mall Media, Residential Association Media among others. Customers can select from 1 lakh+ furniture and home decor options online and can also experience the touch and feel of it from 200+ walk-in studios across the country.

As a consumer-first brand, the campaign was designed keeping in mind the core target audience - social media-savvy millennials. Consumers today like to have a plethora of choices and prefer a touch-and-feel experience before making a perfect furniture purchase. Riding on the back of the brands largest omnichannel presence in the country, Kareena and Saif feature in a light-hearted, comic film epitomizing Pepperfrys vast range of unique offerings through their banter. This years campaign film will introduce a MemeVerse concept to drive consumer proposition through a clutter-breaking format.

In the brand film, conceptualized by Lowe Lintas along with Milestone Films, Kareena and Saif are seen taking a break on the sets of a film shoot, when their concerned manager shows them images of themselves, used as memes on Pepperfry hoardings across the country. The power couple seems to be amused and laughing at their own memes. The manager seems frustrated at their reaction, to which Kareena and Saif explain that their memes are apt because Pepperfry brings the wow factor with their 1 lakh + offerings and 200+ walk-in studios. Through the film, Pepperfry aims to address customer concerns arising from a mismatch in expectations i.e., either the lack of options in offline stores or zero touch-see-feel experience on online sites.

Speaking about the new campaign, Naveen Murali, Head of Marketing, Pepperfry said, With Diwali right around the corner, Indians are back to opening up their homes to celebrations and hence, also setting up or upgrading their homes for this occasion. What Pepperfry offers is what the consumer of today seeks in their furniture shopping experience - the true omnichannel shopping experience. It offers the convenience of online shopping with endless choices and the possibility to experience the ones they wish to see up close at the walk-in studios. Through this campaign, we wanted to make sure Pepperfry continue to transform the way Indians shop for furniture and build their dream homes. The ad film focuses on creating awareness about Pepperfrys large network of walk-in studios across 100+ cities and the widest range of offerings. This campaign aims to further strengthen our position as the one-stop destination for all the things home.

Kareena Kapoor Khan said, I love to be involved with the smallest decor details of my home because I like things to be a certain way. I resonate with Pepperfry because it provides a wide range of products, enabling customers to decorate their homes, just the way they want. We are thrilled to be a part of this really fun and light-hearted campaign. This concept personally stood out for me because the format was novel and contemporary and touched upon a part of our daily lives.

Saif Ali Khan said, Our (mine and Kareenas) association with Pepperfry for the Diwali campaign is a product of our mutual affinity towards a brand that caters so intently to help create beautiful homes. Elegance and style are something that comes to the brand naturally. Besides, Pepperfry has nailed the humor aspect of this campaign and we are sure the audience will love and relate to it.

Sarvesh Raikar, Regional Creative Officer & Creative Head, Lowe Lintas said, With the ever-evolving media landscape, the opportunities for reaching out to the consumers are endless. Kudos to team Pepperfry, they were clear that they wanted impact and disruption as Diwali is the most cluttered advertising season. The world is talking in memes today. We thought, applying the same in outdoors would be disruptive for our audience. The idea of portraying mega stars like Kareena and Saif as meme stars were instantly liked and we had a lot of fun executing this campaign.
ShareChat (Mohalla Tech Pvt. Ltd.), Indias largest homegrown social media company with brands such as ShareChat and Moj, has appointed Rabe Iyer as its Head of Agency Business. Rabe will lead all agency relationships for the company, explore impactful partnerships within the marketing and advertising community, and aggregate avenues for monetization like programmatic, performance, and branding solutions.

With decades of multi-discipline experience in the media industry, Rabe comes with extensive knowledge to drive growth by understanding client needs and delivering higher yields and profitability. Before ShareChat, Rabe was a senior leader in SEA, India and the MENA region at several major media organizations such as Wavemaker MENA, Reliance Broadcast Network, Publicis Groupe Media, Group Ms Motivator, and more. During his stint at Wavemaker, he successfully launched Wavemaker MENA. As the CEO of Wavemaker MENA, he contributed to the sustainable growth of the organization through innovative media, content, and technology practices.

Welcoming Rabe, Udit Sharma, Chief Revenue Officer, ShareChat & Moj, said, We are excited to have a seasoned leader like Rabe Iyer join us and lead our agency partnerships. Rabes deep understanding of the agency ecosystem and his vast experience of working with a wide range of clients to help them achieve their business and marketing objectives will further strengthen our ability to collaborate closely with agencies to drive better RoI for our advertising partners.

Commenting on his appointment, Rabe Iyer, Head of Agency Business, ShareChat & Moj, said, It is admirable to see how ShareChat has made its way to become the largest homegrown social media company and also become one of the top media aggregators in India. I am excited to be a part of ShareChats next phase of growth and holistically contribute towards the company's success by tapping into its immense potential to drive value to all brands and businesses tapping into the Bharat and GenZ audience.

Besides leading and strengthening all agency relationships for ShareChat and Moj, Rabe will design and build strategic initiatives for sustainable growth and add value by maximizing marketing technology practices for strategic business planning and improved performance.
Swiggy, Indias leading on-demand convenience platform, launched a unique initiative during Durga Puja celebrations focused on the senior citizens in Kolkata. Launched on 1st October which is also observed as World Elderly Day, the initiative Bhog Elo Ghorey, which translates to bhog came home was beautifully captured in a heartfelt film. The film showcases the delight and happiness of elderly devotees of Goddess Durga, who were unable to visit the puja pandals owing to physical limitations but can nevertheless get the bhog from the puja hand-delivered to their doorsteps by Swiggy.

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Kolkata, a time of great excitement and fervor, with people dressing up in their finest and seeking the blessings of Goddess Durga at the nearest puja pandals. Bhog is the prasad cooked by these pandals and distributed among the devotees attending the puja. Swiggy brought the bhog to the very doorstep of senior citizens, thus making them a part of the puja and the celebrations.

The film shows a central kitchen, where a lady is preparing the bhog, happy at being able to serve senior citizens in this manner. The sentiment is echoed by the pandal organisers, purohits, and by Swiggy delivery executives, who go about delivering the bhog with a smile on their face, proud and delighted at being a part of something truly special. The film concludes with the joyous reactions of senior citizens, and a message to the viewers: even among the aged are those who are young of heart and want to be a part of festivities.

Commenting on the new campaign, Ashish Lingamneni, Head of Brand at Swiggy, said, Bhog Elo Ghorey is a campaign straight from our hearts. It was born out of a simple question: Can we take the bhog from the puja to the homes of the elderly? We were honoured and privileged to be able to hand deliver bhog to senior citizens across Kolkata during Durga Puja and this film beautifully captures the emotions and sentiments of senior citizens who were able to partake in the festivities.

Uday Mohan, President & Chief Client Officer at Havas Media Group India, said, The constant endeavour of the Havas Content vertical is not only to create meaningful content for brands, but one that connects with the consumers and makes a difference to the larger community. The 'Swiggy  Bhog Elo Ghorey activity is an attempt to extend the joy and emotion of Durga Puja to the senior citizens and those in Kolkata who are unable to visit the pandals this year. Swiggy has ensured that everyone should "live it up," even from a distance, in the true spirit of the Durga Puja, which is inclusive to all, through this unique and heart-warming activation.

Bhog Elo Ghorey is a small initiative by Swiggy that was aimed to make the Durga Puja celebrations more inclusive and fun for the elderly. So what if you cannot make it to the pandals, the film says, the spirit of the puja is not too far, and every morsel of the bhog bears the taste of your beloved festival.

The film has been launched on all digital platforms of Swiggy on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Creative Agency & Producer: Havas Content Team
Tara Vs Bilal: Harshvardhan Rane & Sonia Rathee will put you in a puzzle- do opposites truly attract!? Watch the trailer now!

The first glimpse of Harshvardhan and Sonia as Tara and Bilal created quite a stir amongst the audience for its distinctive look. Giving a sneak peek into the world of Tara and Bilal, makers unravelled the trailer of the film today and it promises lots of drama with an added twist of love in the life of two extreme opposites- Tara and Bilal.

Chairman and Managing Director of T-Series, Bhushan Kumar added, Our aim has always been to entertain the audience to their fullest and Tara Vs Bilal will be another example of it. Working with John is always a pleasure and I could see the hardwork put by the cast for this film. We hope the audiences welcome the film with open arms."

Speaking about the film Harshvardhan Rane said, After my debut film, people on social media have been requesting film makers to cast me in a romantic film again, i am so grateful to Bhushan sir and John Sir for giving the audience a film full of sweet romance after a long long time".

Leading lady Sonia Rathee expressed, Tara is a character very close to my heart. It was a blast working with Harshvardhan and the entire team. We've had so many fun moments on the same and it felt like an adventure. I hope the audiences enjoy our film as much as weve enjoyed the making of it.

Producer John Abraham said, Tara Vs Bilal is a story that will make you laugh, cry and fall in love with Tara and Bilal at the same time. Im extremely glad to have such talented actors like Harshvardhan and Sonia to bring out a story so pure that will surely touch audiences heart.

Tara Vs Bilal is set in London and teaches you the importance of family, love and overcoming your inner demons, taking you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
UNICEF India launched the Northeast Chapter of the Radio4Child platform today, to encourage radio professionals in the region to create innovative messaging on children and womens issues. Shri Maninder Singh (IAS), Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, who was the Chief Guest at the event, launched the chapter.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge UNICEF for launching this unique platform for radio professionals from the Northeast of India  that will help build their knowledge and capacities on various women and childrens issues in this region, Singh said while launching the platform.

Over the years, there has been a steady rise in the immunization coverage in the Northeastern

states of India. However, due to the pandemic, we have seen surfacing of zero-dose children and also challenges in nutrition. Radio has the power of reach  it reaches the remotest of regions of Northeast. If key messages are integrated in the popular shows that people tune into, then the information will stay with them, Singh said.

Singh also felicitated 10 All India Radio (AIR) Part-Time Correspondents (PTC) from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Odisha for their creative work on COVID-19 Vaccination, the free precautionary dose as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 and POSHAN Maah, besides covering other children and women related health issues.

Acknowledging the role of radio, especially in the North-eastern region of India, Dr Madhulika Jonathan, Chief of UNICEF Assam and other NE states said, This is a much-needed chapter in the journey of the Radio4Child platform. It will provide all stakeholders working on childrens rights in the Northeast, especially the State Governments, with a very useful platform to spread mass awareness and address social behavioural challenges. She hopes that through the platform, the radio professionals would work together with UNICEF on issues like ending violence against children, education, sanitation, climate change beyond Routine Immunization and nutrition.

Highlighting the need to reduce the gap between immunization goals and coverage in the NE, Zafrin Chowdhury, Chief of Communication, Advocacy & Partnerships, UNICEF India, said, Over the years, there has been a steady rise in Immunization Coverage in the North-eastern states of India. However, the pandemic has caused an increase in the number of zero-dose children (those who have not received even a single dose of any vaccine). Radio can play a great role in giving communities a wake-up call that we cannot allow the legacy of COVID-19 to be the resurgence of measles, polio and other childhood killers. She also encouraged radio professionals to highlight the challenges of malnutrition (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity), breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

The Radio4Child NE Chapter was launched at the culmination of a two-day capacity building workshop on nutrition and Routine Immunization for over 70 radio professionals from Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and other north Indian states.

UNICEF India, as a part of its partnership with SSDS, leveraged the network of over 50 district radio from remote parts of the country and encouraged them to go beyond news reporting to bring voices of frontline workers, celebrities, local influencers, and youth on these issues. They were also encouraged to leverage the convergent online media and capture these issues on video and share these across social media.

The Awards were given across five categories  Maximum Number of Frontline Workers Covered, Maximum Number of Influencers Covered, Maximum Number of Covid vaccine news, Maximum Number of Influencers covered, and Maximum Number of Voices of Youth covered. The Overall Best Performer was also given to Satish Mishra from Uttar Pradesh.

Radio4Child is a unique public-private partnership platform that brings together Radio Announcers, RJs, Producers and Programming Officers from All India Radio, Private FM and Community Radio across India. Through workshops, online engagements and one-on-one sessions, it helps build capacities of radio professionals on critical child rights issues that are in support of government campaigns/programmes like Routine Immunization, POSHAN Maah among others.

During the pandemic, Radio4Child sensitized over 2,000 radio professionals from all over India and encouraged them to come up with creative programmes around COVID-19 and vaccination and related issue.

Health officials from UNICEF Assam and other NE states and its partners, such as Dr. Ashoke Kr. Roy, Director, Regional Resource Centre for North East, helped in setting the context on childrens issues, especially health challenges that were unique to Northeast India.

Radio professionals also interacted with frontline workers  ASHA, ANM, AWW, and other Medical Officers and Programme Managers  during the workshop and learnt about the challenges they face covering the vast difficult terrains and inclement weather conditions unique to the region.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship opened the first Capital Dialogue, which was organised by the Sunday Guardian Foundation in collaboration with The Sunday Guardian newspaper and the NewsX channel. Every month, Capital Dialogue will occur.

Minister stated that India has taken the lead in the current digital economy during an intelligent and engaging discussion with Prof. M.D. Nalapat and Priya Sahgal. India is quickly approaching major success in the growth of its digital economy thanks to technical innovation. India has become a major participant in the digital economy due to the recent development in that industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target for our digital sector, which today makes up 6%-8% of the entire economy, to attain a minimum of 20% of the total GDP by 2025-2026. Young entrepreneurs passion and commitment, in addition to government incentives and programmes, are essential in developing a strong digital economy.

However, Minister highlighted Indias progress toward digital development by stating, In 2014, the entire electronic manufacturing in India was Rs 1 lakh crore, and by 20252026, we will reach Rs 26 lakh crore, which translates to 26 times increase in a decade. Additionally, the previous three years have seen 66% of the total FDI in electronics. The influx of manufacturing investment started after 2018. We left our stamp on the ecosystem from 2014 to 2018, gradually rebuilt the ecosystem, and sent out a message to the rest of the world that we have the skills and credentials necessary to create an electronic ecosystem.

Successful first-generation business people and investors have a renewed feeling of self-assurance. Additionally, the introduction of 5G in India has had a big impact on how digital India is changing. As a business owner, I observed that every component of the 2G, 3G, and 4G networks was imported, including the screw or screwdriver, which was purchased from a French or European company. However, with the 5G network, India is announcing that all of its products, designs and intellectual property (IP) will be made domestically. This is a triumph for Indian technology, he remarked.

Further in an open house discussion, Economic analyst, advisor and author Pranjal Sharma stated When you look at root servers, they are all located outside of India. Our capacity to make the chips is beginning now, shouldve happened under Bajpai Ji so that the condition wouldve been better now, but we still have a problem. Covid and the Ukrainian war exposed the danger of excessive dependence on the external ecosystem. We saw that in pharmaceutical, and weve even seen that in the technology and telecom sector. How much does this concern influence how the government makes policies?

Answering to Sharmas query, Minister replied, Were a generation or two behind everyone else, but I dont think we should be concerned about the realisation that things could have been done twenty years ago. For instance, the semi-conductor industry is a classic example of how, 25 to 30 years ago, when we had HCL Mohali, we allowed it to burn down and nobody bothered to look at it strategically again. Yes, we are a generation or two behind everyone else, but the prime minister sees this as an opportunity to skip the entire investment.

He further added saying, If it werent for the fact that PM noticed this in 2014 on electronics and on digital, we would have been struggling through COVID at the time. Therefore, I believe that the best course of action is to collaborate with other democratic nations who share my views in key areas of technology trade.

Between pre-Covid and post-Covid, there has been a significant shift in how people view India. Although it would take some time owing to integrated design, production, packaging, and verification, India will soon have a semiconductor ecosystem. India is anticipated to develop a semiconductor facility because of a substantial incentive of Rs 76,000 crore (US$10 billion).

Speaking further about the issue of unemployment, the Minister said, From 2017 to 2020 (pre-Covid), un- employment steadily came down to 5%. During the pandemic, there was a dis- ruption in the economy and workforce. The whole global segment was deeply impacted by the pandemic due to the restriction on travel. The hospitality sector and the services linked to the hospitality industry, a huge employment creator, are now left with permanent scars due to Covid. These numbers are captured in the unemployment sector. Some nations have experienced a post-Covid recovery in the economy, but this recovery is not the same as it was be- fore the disaster. Some areas have grown faster and some didnt. These issues cannot be addressed quickly, but the sectors, like hospitality, are making a slow recovery.

Last year, almost 10 lakh net new jobs were created in the technological sector, where 54% of the workforce were women due to new emerging opportunities. The Period Labour Force Survey negates self-employment and entrepreneurship that have been rising presently. Compared to countries like China, the US, or the UK, India has been sustainably doing well in the economic sector.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma asked the Minister of the skill development programme, he quoted, The absence of data is the main issue that individuals in skill development programmes are dealing with as a result of the shift that the field is through as the PM focuses on the new education strategy incorporating skill development. It is essentially data-dark; we have data on the supply, but there is nothing to work with when it comes to consumption and the demand and supply gap. Do you not believe that the programmer may benefit from some form of data structure to discover the opportunities for individuals to express what competence is necessary when?

Minister answering to MP Sharma stated, As there is a large gap or intermediary between those who supply the skills, those who possess the skills, and those who require the skills, there is obviously a lot of shooting in the dark. On November 2022, we will launch a comprehensive platform for arts and skills development in India as an app and desktop software, enabling students to build and seek skill development. The software has a special feature in that it assesses each user individually and then makes recommendations for skill development based on those results. It will function as an online university.

The days to come, emphasis will be placed on the local economies in order to provide job opportunities. The skilling ecosystem has also been strengthened. The minister emphasised that there would be unique skill development programmes for each region, according to the local possibilities and demands for that region, such as handicrafts, agriculture, non-agriculture, and migration opportunities both domestically and abroad.

Every nation strives to be a global leader thanks to its riches; this is the primary tenet of At-Manirbharta. Prime Minister Narendra Modi foresaw the expansion of Atmanirbharta in the electronic and digital industries back in 2014, and as a consequence, the Indian economy was able to weather the global financial crisis quite well. India will have a significant impact on future global semiconductor value chains in terms of incentives and protection for semiconductor protection duties. Our objective will be to encourage value addition from India as the scale increases. Value addition is demonstrated through purchases of locally produced semiconductors, components, local manufacturing, and other activities.

Catch first episode of Capital Dialogue at 7:00 pm Monday, 10 October, 2022 on NewsX. The program will also be streamed live on major OTT platforms- Dailyhunt, Zee5, MX Player, ShemarooMe, Watcho, Mzaalo, Jio TV, Tata Play and PayTm livestreams.
Who defines "misinformation"

Note: Doctors like Andrew Wakefield and Bob Sears blazed this trail of tears whereby medical professionals can lose their licenses for doing their job. California used measles and autism as the groundwork for draconian control and paybacks all in the name of public health. From The Defender at Children's Health Defense:



Doctors File First Lawsuit Challenging California Law That Seeks to Punish Physicians for COVID Misinformation



Two doctors on Tuesday became the first to file a federal lawsuit to stop a new California law that subjects the states doctors to discipline, including the suspension of their medical licenses, for sharing misinformation or disinformation about COVID-19 with their patients.

Dr. Mark McDonald, a Los Angeles psychiatrist, and Dr. Jeff Barke, an Orange County primary care physician and founding member of Americas Frontline Doctors, filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The lawsuit names 12 members of the Medical Board of California and California Attorney General Robert Bonta.

The plaintiffs also filed papers seeking a preliminary injunction to protect their free speech rights as the case unfolds.

Barke told The Defender:

[This new law] puts patients at risk. Requiring physicians to consider the states narrative when making a medical decision, is bad medicine and dangerous. Consensus in science only occurs when dissenting opinions are censored.

Commenting on the lawsuit, Mary Holland, president and general counsel for Childrens Health Defense, said, Californias new law is a clear violation of the First Amendment. Its startling that the legislature and the governor would even attempt to pass such legislation. Read more at The Defender, and please share.



Recommended books:

A Letter To Liberals





The War on Ivermectin







The Wuhan Cover-up


French PM visits Algeria to boost cooperation partnership

Xinhua) 08:30, October 10, 2022

ALGIERS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrived on Sunday in Algiers for a two-day visit to boost cooperation with Algeria.

Leading a delegation of 16 senior officials, she held talks with her Algerian counterpart Ayman Benabderrahmane and laid a wreath of flowers before the Martyrs' Memorial to commemorate the victims of the Algerian War of Independence, which lasted from 1954 to 1962.

Amid the ongoing international energy crisis, analysts say Borne's visit aims to boost cooperation between France and Algeria, notably in the gas field.

Her visit to Algeria came six weeks after the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in late August.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Du Mingming)
Hurricane season is upon Southeastern America and that means hair-on-fire hysteria from the media and the political left. After Hurricane Ian ravaged southwest coastal Florida, we have heard nothing but hype from the corporate media, eager to connect every hurricane to catastrophic global warming, climate change, or whatever excuse they are currently using to usher in the Green New Deal and tyrannical top-down control of all aspects of our lives.

Hurricanes are not new and are a staple of southern coastal regions since long before Ron DeSantis was governor, Donald Trump owned Mar-a-Lago, or Americans burned fossil fuels to move them from place to place or heat and cool their homes. Yet judging from media histrionics, severe hurricanes are only a recent phenomenon, ignoring hundreds or thousands of years ago when Florida was nothing but a swamp.

Hurricane harpies in the media, practicing one of the Democrats favorite strategies of never letting a crisis go to waste, were quick to pounce on tragedy for political gain. Look at some of the headlines, all singing in perfect harmony.

From the Washington Post, How climate change is rapidly fueling super hurricanes. NPR proclaimed, Climate change makes storms like Ian more common. CBS News lamented, How climate change is making storms like Hurricane Ian stronger more quickly. Axios and President Biden say the science is settled, Biden says events like Hurricane Ian end climate change debate.

YouTube screen grab

On the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory website, an overview of global warming and hurricanes by Tom Knutson, a senior scientist at NOAA and GFDL concluded,

In summary, it is premature to conclude with high confidence that human-caused increases in greenhouse gases have caused a change in past Atlantic basin hurricane activity that is outside the range of natural variability, although greenhouse gases are strongly linked to global warming. In summary, neither our model projections for the 21st century nor our analyses of trends in Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm activity support the notion that greenhouse gas-induced warming leads to large increases in either tropical storm or overall hurricane numbers in the Atlantic.

In other words, there is scant evidence that hurricanes are either stronger or more frequent, and instead represent natural variability based on long existing cycles of ocean currents, solar activity, rainfall, and myriad other factors that influence weather. They also could not conclude that man-made global warming, assuming that such alleged warming too isnt part of any of these cycles, is causing large increases in Atlantic storms and hurricanes.

I say alleged warming because NOAA data shows a gradual global land and ocean cooling trend from 2016 to present. How convenient that under climate change, the planet can either cool or warm without upsetting the political aspects of climate change.

The first recorded hurricane in Florida was in 1523, when Florida was a giant swamp. Were there hurricanes previously? Almost certainly but in those days and not until the past several decades did we have satellites and weather buoys to forecast and record early hurricanes far from the US, including those that hit the Caribbean Islands or blew out to sea. In the past, hurricanes were noted by ships in the area, meaning a severe hurricane could go undetected. Now satellites can detect a strong breeze over the South Atlantic.

The strongest hurricane in Florida was the Labor Day storm of 1935. Of the worst 15 recorded Florida hurricanes, more than half these storms did not have human names and occurred before 1950. Hurricane naming began in 1953. This was before SUVs, significant air travel, or the level of industrialization we see today. Strong storms are not a recent phenomenon and preceded global cooling of the 1970s and global warming of the past two decades. In other words, they are part of the Florida and Atlantic Ocean climate and have been so for centuries.

Although hurricanes are an autumn fixture in Florida, the state may also go through a hurricane drought, as Florida did for 11 years, between 2005 to 2016 where not a single hurricane came ashore. Was no one driving or firing up the backyard grill during those years? The activities which we are constantly told are destroying the planet continued during those years. We had both a Republican and Democrat president during the hurricane drought, in case the White House occupant is to be blamed or credited for the lack of hurricanes, and the media hurricane harpies offered no explanation as to this drought.

The reality is that weather and climate cannot be predicted with accuracy given our current knowledge. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change agrees, The climate system is a coupled non-linear chaotic system, and therefore the long-term prediction of future climate states is not possible.

Damage however is worse due to recent hurricanes, even if the storms themselves are not as intense as a century ago. The Council on Foreign Relations scolds, The US needs to prepare for more billion-dollar climate disasters like Hurricane Ian.

The simple explanation is that there are more people and buildings in Florida than there were a century ago. A hundred years ago in 1922, the Florida population was 1,044.000. Today the population is almost 22 million, a more than 20-fold increase. With more people come more homes, high rise apartments and buildings, shopping malls, stores, and restaurants, all subject to expensive hurricane damage.

This photo on Twitter shows side by side photos of Miami Beach from 1925 and 2017, the former showing a few small buildings, the latter filled with high rise apartments and condos. Of course, a storm today will cause far more property damage compared to 100 years ago simply because there is now more property to destroy. Imagine 200 or 500 years ago when Florida was nothing but sand and swamp.

In those days, hurricanes were actually beneficial to the environment. The Weather Channel notes these positives  drought buster, anti-bacterial, heat balance, island rejuvenation, and Johnny Appleseed. Even far left Mother Jones in 2011 wrote, Five good things about a hurricane.

Joni Mitchell noted this phenomenon back in 1970 when she sang, They paved paradise and put up a parking lot. With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot. Paradise welcomed hurricanes, the swinging hot spots dont. This is why hurricanes now cause more property damage in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, not because the storms are stronger but because there is more property to damage.

Lastly is the inability to accurately predict hurricane paths days before the hurricane makes landfall. Hurricane Ian caught forecasters and the media off guard when shifting south in the final hours before making landfall. Yet Governor DeSantis was blamed for not evacuating the ultimate destination even though it was predicted further north. Did anyone expect the governor to evacuate the entire Gulf Coast of South Florida?

It's interesting that climate scientists are quite certain about the weather 50 or 100 years in the future when then cant predict a hurricane path days ahead. Both are predictions based on computer models of non-linear chaotic systems and if these models cant see 5 days ahead, how can they see 5 decades into the future?

Common sense logic is lost on the left. Media cranks apparently never learned science or critical thinking during journalism school. This leave us with politicization of everything from COVID to the weather, and a steady dose of hurricane hysteria every Fall.

Brian C Joondeph, MD, is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor

Truth Social @BrianJoondeph

LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph
To put it simply, in the current standoff over Ukraines territory, Putin has the advantage as far as nuclear threats go. The ongoing brinkmanship there has revealed a serious misunderstanding on the part of some analysts and most of the media attempting to define the threats made by Biden and Putin, by relating it to the Cold War environment.

The problem is that in the realm of deterrence, the U.S. no longer has a robust nuclear response at the very low end of the weapons spectrum whereas Russia does (if their maintenance is up to par). Lets review an ignored aspect of the rush to draw down U.S. forces in the '90s.

Important sidenote: In the wake of the government raid on Mar-a-Lago and the DoJs assertion that nuclear documents were found, I must instead thank Obama for providing some of the numbers Im using in this article. But I am being sarcastic in doing so, because generations of Americans and our allies sacrificed deeply to determine Russias and Chinas comparable numbers, and to protect the information that Obama provided to all, in an act of near-treason.

On top of this, Israels policy of ambiguity concerning its nuclear weaponry was flushed down the toilet by Obama, a pathetic move just to make a deal with Iran.

The U.S.s ground-based tactical nuclear capability was retired in the early '90s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. This, in essence, removed any means of preventing nuclear escalation beyond an operational theater. Rather than destroying cities, the tactical nuclear weapons no longer in our arsenal were designed for use against large Soviet combat formations on the march to confront NATO forces. These tactical nukes had 0.007 of the yield of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Those who assume that Bidens response to Russias potential use of nukes must entail using our own nukes must either be ignorant or have a death wish. This is because our only recourse would be to use high yield warheads resulting in destruction on a global scale.

Our inventory and that of the USSR included weapons fired by tube artillery, rockets and theater ballistic missiles. For example, the 155mm Artillery Fired Atomic Projectile was rated at 0.072 kilotons (kt), but according to Janes it was closer to 0.1 kt, which is equivalent to 100 tons of TNT.

For comparison purposes, the Pepcon rocket fuel explosion in Henderson, Nevada was rated at 0.3 kt; that is, three times as much as a 155mm AFAP. Depending on the situation, it would likely would have required a package of these weapons to adequately slow or stop a Warsaw Pact breakthrough operation.

The 155mm AFAP in use 1963-1992 (Los Alamos National Laboratory, public domain)

Next up in yield was the US Lance battlefield rocket, which ultimately had a yield of 1 kt. And finally, the Pershing II theater ballistic missile which had a dial-a-yield of 5  80 kt. Despite advances in warhead technology, we foresaw the problems of large yield weapons in preventing escalation outside the war zone and ensured later versions of both the Lance and Pershing warheads were reduced in yield, not increased.

The U.S., being the good guys, saw getting rid of the tactical level nuclear weapons as a peace dividend. However, there was also the realization that precision strike weapons employed at critical points could replace or supplement the low-yield weapons without all the infrastructure, training and exercises. Ask any old artilleryman about nuclear surety inspections where one minor infraction could be a career killer. They would say precision-guided conventional munitions is the way to go, thank you very much.

Of course, the Russians did not reciprocate despite agreeing to do so, and why would they? Just the length and breadth of Russia virtually dictates the necessity of having a tactical nuclear capability to cover such an expansive territory, particularly in the Russian Far East. Not only does Russia need to engage China on political and economic terms, should conflict come, its military doctrine requires a plan to employ tactical nuclear weapons in a potential Far East regional war against much larger Chinese conventional forces. This nuclear capability I would suspect is viewed as critical by the Kremlin leadership given the poor performance of Russian forces in Ukraine.

I am not arguing to refurbish and reissue ground based tactical nukes. Only the folks at Pantex know the status of the projectiles, the nuclear material and the stockpile and they arent talking right now. This is not doable in the short term given the training and operational expertise that vanished a few decades ago. However, we have retained a low-yield capability in the form of the B-61 gravity bomb. It has a yield of 0.3 up to 50 kt and has recently had its non-nuclear components refurbished and tested. Yet, does the administration want B-1s and B-2s to overfly even the annexed territories with nuclear weapons? Dont answer that.

So, the issue is not whether Putin will use nukes, its how Biden will respond if he is urged to conduct a U.S. nuclear response to a Russian tactical strike. The ignorant media is also cheerleading this nonsense. Martha Raddatz went on board a ballistic missile submarine, the USS Maine and basically thumbed her nose at Putin and seems to expect the Maines Trident strategic missiles to be an effective deterrent against Putins relative firecrackers.

If this reflects the thinking of Biden and the national command authority, were in big trouble.

This is why I pray that cooler heads would prevail and entertain all options, especially conventional means. Also Mike Pompeos alternative strategy at least deserves consideration if -- and a big if -- the U.S. wants to remain involved in the conflict, which I dont, but here we are. If Biden, the American left, and the media continue on this path, we may see Raddatz go back on board the USS Maine again to push the honorary red button and send a 475 kt Trident missile on its way to Putin. Then all bets are off.

John Smith is the pen name of a former U.S. intelligence officer.
When Joe Biden came to Florida, Casey DeSantis, who looks great now that she's gone through her treatment for breast cancer, joined her husband, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, to meet Joe and Jill Biden. She donned a simple but classy green dress  and leftist women went insane. According to them, because its color echoed a costume worn in the leftists' beloved television version of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Casey was advertising the fact that she and her husband intend to lead a theocratic takeover in America.

Margaret Atwood, a leftist Canadian, wrote A Handmaid's Tale in 1985 as a warning about Ronald Reagan, along with his support from the Moral Majority. It's a very silly dystopian novel, but it struck a chord with feminists, many of whom truly believed it. Thankfully, when Reagan did not turn fertile young women into breeding slaves, the book seemed to vanish into the past.

However, when Trump entered the White House, Trump Derangement Syndrome caused leftists to resurrect the book. They ignored that Trump, who had been a libertine in his younger years, even though he grew to oppose unlimited abortion, showed no inclination whatsoever to become a theocrat who imprisoned barefoot and pregnant young women while forcing them into red robes and white wimples. So Hulu, riding the hysteria wave, made a TV series based on The Handmaid's Tale. Leftist women embraced the show as prescient a la Nostradamus and immediately adopted the robes and wimples as their personal political statement supporting unlimited abortion up to, including, and even after a baby's birth.



Image: Casey DeSantis and her green dress. YouTube screen grab.

We sane Americans got used to that red and white costume, but, perhaps because we paid no attention to the series, we missed the fact that Hollywood attired the wives of the bad guys in green dresses! OMG. Green dresses! Feel the pain. Feel the theocracy. Feel the tyranny.

The question is, did Casey DeSantis know? As it happens, the only certainty when it comes to Casey and green dresses is that she donned a beautiful and stylish forest-green dress when meeting with the Bidens. It was the same type of dress, in the same forest green color, that the Princess of Wales (whom Casey somewhat resembles) has worn to great applause from fashionistas. (See here, here, and here, for example.)

The left predictably lost its mental moorings (hat tip: Twitchy):

OF THIRST: This Governors wife is a Handmaids horror - https://t.co/5BeWxkoHFn  Lesley Abravanel  (@lesleyabravanel) October 9, 2022

The article to which Abravanel links is a tour de force of conspiracy-mindedness allied with a very low I.Q. According to Tara Dublin, "the extreme right has been lifting inspo [sic] from the show, something that a lot of us joke about on the socials but is actually scary af." As further proof that Casey DeSantis is a budding theocrat with eyes on America, Dublin notes that, when the DeSantises visited areas suffering from hurricane damage, they wore "matching white go-go boots"  and then cites a Lesley Abravanel article at Occupy Democrats.

"You keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'" -- Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" pic.twitter.com/aiJxbvCzuk  Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) October 4, 2022

Leftists seem unclear that those are standard rubber boots of the type people use when they anticipate wading through standing water. The statement isn't about fashion; it's about utility.

And of course, Abravanel and Dublin weren't the only ones who worked themselves into a lather over a green dress:

Casey DeSantis today wearing a dress from the fall Serena Joy collection. pic.twitter.com/3n8GvjU4NP  Tiffany (@TuffTiffResists) October 5, 2022

Straight out of Handmaid's Tale. If you haven't watched the series, I highly recommend. Then you will understand that Ron DeSantis will turn America into Gilead. Not kidding. No exaggeration. It is happening. The MAGA Republican extreme right is ruining America. pic.twitter.com/FZBXIssUz6  Tales & Typos (@kathrynresister) October 7, 2022

This whole thing is ridiculous, but it also matters. Why? Because it shows what leftism has done to young women. By the time they get through public school and, worse, any college or university, they have been taught to be neurotic, narcissistic, paranoid, small-minded, uninformed, and hysterical.

These women are the vanguard of modern leftism. They were the ones screaming gibberish at the police during the George Floyd riots; they are the nascent despots identifying as "liberal," and they are the ones who see a nice, flattering green dress as the equivalent of a swastika or burning cross.

As more women take control of the Democrat party, the more emotional, unreasonable, and downright stupid that party will become. Nonetheless, these weak women must be taken seriously because their hysteria and aggression create a form of brute-force power that can be incredibly dangerous.
Ever wonder what the most powerful blue-city ruling elites say in private about the people they virtue-signal loudest about in public?

Wonder no more: a leaked tape of a meeting of powerful Los Angeles City Council leaders, plus a top public employee union leader, lets us know.

Here's KTLA's report:

Two members of the Los Angeles City Council and a union leader released apology statements Sunday after a report published by the Los Angeles Times included transcribed leaked audio of offensive and racist remarks that were made during a private meeting. A third council member claimed to have no recollection of the conversation. In the leaked audio, which was summarized by the Times but was originally posted to Reddit and remains readily available on social media, Council President Nury Martinez can be heard making derisive and racist comments about the child of Mike Bonin, the council member representing the 11th District. Bonin, who is white, has an adopted son who is Black. In the leaked audio, Martinez can be heard describing Bonin's son as "ese changuito," or that little monkey, according to the Times. At one point, Martinez also refers to Bonin as a "little b----."

There was other disgusting stuff, too. A Wikipedia summary notes:

On October 9, 2022, a recording of a conversation between Martinez and other councilmembers Gil Cedillo, and Kevin de Leon regarding gerrymandering was leaked anonymously onto Reddit. In the meeting, Martinez stated "Fuck that guy ... He's with the Blacks", referring to District Attorney George Gascon. Martinez also insulted Councilmember Mike Bonin's adopted child, saying "This kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner, I'll bring him right back."[34] The three councilmembers discussed how to appoint a new councilmember who would work in their interests and also agreed to gerrymander Nithya Raman's district.

Martinez, a longtime fixture in the Pacoima-San Fernando Latino political machine, Los Angeles City Council president, and the chief racist here, was trying to engineer a gerrymander of at least one district for the sake of the Latino machine at the expense of the black political machine. That's ostensibly because the black machine wields more power than its numbers of voters suggest, even though something comparable could be said of the Latino machine, which boasts about 48% - 65% of the population, with only about a third of whom can vote, either due to age (many Latinos are young) or the fact that many are here illegally from other countries.

So as Martinez attempted to rig the blacks out of the power system, through redistricting, she let spew the racism that came naturally to her.

It certainly explains this racism from her cited below from National Review -- signing off on cutting funding for the police, which hurts black communities the most:

Martinez and her colleagues cut the police department budget by $150 million, resulting in over $47 million in unpaid overtime hours by LAPD officers in the 2020-2021 fiscal year that will need to eventually be paid back, with interest, by taxpayers. She reacted to a Los Angeles Times report on the councils fiscal mismanagement by arguing that regardless of any inevitable overtime pay, its undeniable that this council has listened and is focused on creating a more equitable city. Three hundred and ninety seven murders were recorded in Los Angeles in 2021, the most since 2006. It on track for roughly the same number of homicides this year.

Anybody surprised she spews anti-black racism in private?

Such a charming wokester. Now that the news of the tape is out, the denials and apologies are comical  the union leader among those guffawing, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Ron Herrera, childing himself for not "speaking out" as the racism rolled was particularly a beaut  as if these people in their comfort zone with one another don't talk like this all the time. One of them, Gil Cedillo, who got himself a congressional seat awhile back from ballot-harvesting, claims he can't recall the conversation.

It's far from the first time that leftists in power have been caught on tape spewing hate about the people they claim to champion. It's natural stuff for the left. Recall that a northern California school board was caught on what its members thought was a private Zoom meeting (it wasn't) making foul remarks about parents who were concerned about lockdowns. These nasty creatures were eventually booted from office, but everyone knows what such Democrats say in private over that issue.

Martinez is part of the most corrupt segment of the Los Angeles ruling power elites: the James Acevedo-Alex Padilla-Kevin de Leon-Tony Cardenas Latino machine of the Pacoima-San Fernando area, who not only rule Los Angeles, but have the hooks in in Sacramento  de Leon almost won his Senate race against dotardly Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2018. With Padilla now in the Senate, they've got the machine represented in Washington, too. They serve as a rival house of power to the corrupt Nancy Pelosi-Gordon Getty-Gavin Newsom-Kamala Harris-Willy Brown-Jerry Brown political machine in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the two houses, in their quest for power, work to out-woke each other  and shame the rest of the state and country as hopeless racists.

Well, it turns out that they're the flaming racists. This is much more than local politics here; this is how Democrats talk in private as they put on their virtue-signaling masks in public.

Their remarks are repulsive. Were a Republican such as Donald Trump caught making them  and he never has been, despite being constantly recorded  he would be denounced to high heaven. Such remarks would be hailed by this bunch as systemic racism and proof that all Republicans are racist. They get called racist anyway and not for anything racist.

But now we have the buck-naked racism on full display, coming from a solid blue city of Democrats with absolutely no conservative or Republican representation. We hear denunciations from other members of the political machines of Los Angeles, particularly the ones who were about to be rigged out of office. Most of the focus now is how if Martinez and the others aren't thrown out, it could affect the mayor's race, where a black candidate is running. Karen Bass, another former congresswoman who almost became Joe Biden's running mate, supposedly has a lock on the mayor's chair come November, but seems scared now that maybe with this scandal, the Latino vote is no longer a lock.

Democrats nationally have been silent and that's about par for this bunch.

That's why it's important that Republicans, as the media phrase goes, "pounce," taking full advantage of this unfinished scandal to remind the public that the Democrats remain the Party of the Klan. In Los Angeles, out in the Baldwin Hills area, there is a remnant branch of black Republicans dating from the Party of Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. era. It's time to empower them.

And if not that, then Republicans. must get word out nationally that this is Who They Are.

These vile one-party machines need to be broken up so that if for nothing else, competition and civility can follow between the two political tendencies instead of buck-raw racism. The racism here in Los Angeles is completely at home in any one-party system or state.

UPDATE: Apparently, the ruling Democrats have managed to kick Martinez out, but it's not clear if she entirely resigned or is just giving up her fancy title as president of the city council. New reports say she's only giving up her fancy title as the Latina "first." The rest haven't, and additional racist ravings are revealed in this ABC7 story. Still more racist ravings in this LAist piece here. Audio here. These are quite the people they've got in the elites of the Democrat party.

Expose them.

Image: Solagil1126 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Even before an ex-felon named George Floyd's obesity and substance abuse caused him to die when a hostile crowd prevented the police from getting him to a safer situation for treatment, Minnesota famously took its cultural leftism seriously.* However, hard though it is to believe, Minnesota has now ratcheted up the woke, intersectional, hard-left insanity. The University of Minnesota Medical School now requires a loyalty oath to leftism from incoming medical students. If they abide by that oath, I suggest avoiding those future doctors at all costs.

First, a word about modern medicine versus pre-modern medicine. I recognize that modern medicine has become morally corrupt, especially regarding pharmaceuticals. There's so much money for drugs that physicians wittingly or unwittingly become complicit in pushing unnecessary and even destructive drugs on the American people. That money also means that so-called scientific studies are no longer reliable, with a massive replication crisis calling most recent studies into question. And naturally, I don't need to tell you about the insanity of the medical world's politicized COVID response and vaccine push.

However, generally speaking, when compared to pre-modern medicine, I'll take the modern kind every time. In the old days, people had figured out the medicinal properties of many plants, so they had a limited ability to treat pain and heart conditions. However, they were mostly helpless when confronted by serious injuries, infections, viruses, and organ failures. People routinely died from things that are quite ordinary and treatable nowadays: appendicitis, comminuted and open fractures, small cuts or mosquito bites that got infected, diabetes, bladder infections, bowel obstructions, allergic reactions, the plague...I could go on indefinitely with this list. We are better off now than we were then.



Image: Shaman doctor (or recent University of Minnesota Medical School grad). Public domain.

Unfortunately, the benefits of Western medicine are in the crosshairs at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where students must pledge allegiance to the medical treatments of indigenous people, along with promising to fight against White supremacy, colonialism, gender oppression, etc.:

Medical students at the University of Minnesota must now take an oath to "honor all Indigenous ways of healing that have been historically marginalized by Western medicine" and fight "white supremacy, colonialism, [and] the gender binary." pic.twitter.com/DSiQz9BUx8  Christopher F. Rufo  (@realchrisrufo) October 9, 2022

With gratitude, we, the students of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Medical School Class of 2026, stand here today among our friends, families, peers, mentors, and communities who have supported us in reaching this milestone. Our institution is located on Dakota land. Today, many Indigenous people from throughout the state, including Dakota and Ojibwe (ooh-y/b-way), call the Twin Cities home; we also recognize this acknowledgment is not enough. We commit to uprooting the legacy and perpetuation of structural violence deeply embedded within the healthcare system. We recognize inequities built by past and present traumas rooted in white supremacy, colonialism, the gender binary, ableism, and all forms of oppression. As we enter this profession with opportunity for growth, we commit to promoting a culture of anti-racism, listening, and amplifying voices for positive change. We pledge to honor all Indigenous ways of healing that have been historically marginalized by Western medicine. Knowing that health is intimately connected to our environment, we commit to healing our planet and communities. We vow to embrace our role as community members and strive to embody cultural humility. We promise to continue restoring trust in the medical system and fulfilling our responsibility as educators and advocates. We commit to collaborating with social, political, and additional systems to advance health equity. We will learn from the scientific innovations made before us and pledge to advance and share this knowledge with peers and neighbors. We recognize the importance of being in community with and advocating for those we serve.

From the sound of it, if you find yourself with a graduate from the University of Minnesota given the responsibility for treating your appendicitis, don't be surprised if she/he/it (and you know how to pronounce that)  having first verified that you're not White or heterosexual, and are, therefore, deserving of treatment  doesn't end up shaking a shaman stick over your belly, and then telling you to go home and give offerings to Mother Gaia asking for your health to be restored.

In addition to the transcript of the oath, Christopher Rufo got the program for the event. He offers his usual salient commentary about what's happening in academia, all of which is going to hurt us badly.

It's past time for reasonable doctors to stand up and denounce this poison. Western medical science and shamanic healing are not equally valid cancer treatments. "Gender medicine" that results in mastectomies for girls and penectomies for boys is a barbaric violation of ethics.  Christopher F. Rufo  (@realchrisrufo) October 9, 2022

When I was in my early 20s, I made a PBS documentary in Mongolia, rode horseback for three days into the taiga, and spent time with a tradition shaman. It's a beautiful mode of expression. But if I had cancer, I'd rather go to the Mayo Clinic.  Christopher F. Rufo  (@realchrisrufo) October 9, 2022

___________________________

*Even preGeorge Floyd, the virtue-signaling in the Twin Cities at the heart of Minnesota was spectacular  and stupid.
According to the Daily Mail, Boston Children's Hospital, purportedly one of America's finest, recently posted a video on its YouTube channel in which psychologist Dr. Kerry McGregor explains that "a good portion" of children she sees at the hospital's Gender MultiSpecialty Service (GeMS) clinic know their gender identity "from the womb."

In said video, Dr. McGregor goes on to say that some children express their gender identity as soon as they can talk. "They may say phrases like 'I'm a girl' or 'I'm a boy,'" she states.

Right. "Mama" or "dada" might have been kids' first words in the dusty old past, but today infants are much more likely to effectively state, "Even though I have been arbitrarily assigned a sex at birth by medical personnel trafficking in the biases of the white Christian patriarchy  and have genitalia classically associated with binary gender, I must, in the strongest possible terms, assert that I am, in fact, a free agent when it comes to gender and sexuality."

Consider this: our leaders can no longer define what a woman is, or when a pregnancy occurs. And the Democrat party wants to enshrine the "right" to abortion up until the moment of birth  or slightly after. Yet, as evidenced by those like Dr. McGregor, some progressives think the unborn know what gender they wish to be while still a "fetus" in their "birthing parents'" wombs!

Here's a question demanding to be asked: do Democrats/progressives want to champion the unfettered abortion of babies who would immediately be part of the LGBT community if "allowed" to be born?

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Dr. Maitland Jones is an internationally renowned figure in the field of organic chemistry with decades of experience in research and education.

During his extensive career, Jones and his research group have published over 225 papers.

Jones also pioneered a technique of teaching that focuses more on problem-solving than rote learning. He also authored a highly regarded 1,300-page textbook, Organic Chemistry, which is currently in its fifth edition.

Jones received many accolades for his work.

After retiring from Princeton University in 2007, Jones began teaching organic chemistry at New York University on a contractual basis.

The accolades continued at NYU.

Jones was regarded among the "coolest" professors for offering "tough love" such that students completing his course would have "the best tools to use to become a chemist."

Alas, those days are over.

Jones was recently sacked from NYU.

Why?

Eighty-two of his 350 students signed a petition against him.

The petition read as follows:

We are very concerned about our scores, and find that they are not an accurate reflection of the time and effort put into this class

We urge you to realize that a class with such a high percentage of withdrawals and low grades has failed to make students' learning and well-being a priority and reflects poorly on the chemistry department as well as the institution as a whole.

The petitioners claim that Jones reduced the number of midterm exams from three to two, but he did not offer extra credit, nor Zoom access to lectures for students with COVID-19, and taught with a condescending and demanding tone.

After sacking Jones, NYU officials offered to review students' grades and allow them to withdraw from the class retroactively as a "one-time exception granted to students by the dean of the college."

In a grievance to NYU, protesting his termination, Jones wrote that he had noticed a decline in standards for over a decade with a loss of focus among the students, even among those hoping to pursue medical careers.

Jones revealed that students were misreading exam questions at an astonishing rate. Their grades fell despite reducing the difficulty of their exams.

Following the pandemic, Jones said that the students not only didn't study, but also didn't seem to know how to study. Consequently, their grades suffered considerably.

To ease pandemic stress, Jones and two other professors recorded 52 organic chemistry lectures. Jones said he personally paid more than $5,000 for the videos and that they are still used by the university.

Jones also said the students "weren't coming to class. ... [T]hey weren't watching the videos, and they weren't able to answer the questions."

Another chemistry professor at NYU said he discovered cheating during online tests. But when he pushed students' grades down for their misconduct, they protested that "they were not given grades that would allow them to get into medical school."

Now about organic chemistry.

Organic chemistry is a difficult subject, requiring students to understand the complexities regarding the bonding of chemicals at an atomic level. To excel in organic chemistry, an individual needs talent, diligence, and an extraordinary memory. Hence, the subject can be seen as a litmus test for medical school suitability.

Can teachers be needlessly harsh toward students? They are humans and obviously can err.

But considering Jones's eminent record and the accolades he received as a teacher, NYU should have worked with Jones to find a solution. Instead, they sacked Jones based on the petition from just 23.4 percent of his students.

They have hence demonstrated that their education has become a consumer service, making the student a customer and the employer, while the educator is relegated to being the subordinate.

The students have all the power, which leaves educators with no choice but to appease the students to retain employment.

The students receive nothing but flattery for prolonged periods of time.

Soon these students view opposing perspectives as threats.

The students' powers have reached heights that it is they who decide who can and who cannot speak at their institution. If the leadership at the institution insists on conducting the speech, they storm the auditorium and engage in unruly behavior for which they are never punished.

This mindset is applied in the face of any hardship. If a teacher calls them out for lacking effort, it is viewed as a personal affront. If the teacher pushes them to the limit, it is viewed as an attack.

The appeasement has reached such heights that students complained that Jones's course ended "many a dream of medical school."

Students must realize that the function of an educational institution isn't to fulfill dreams. It is a place of learning which demands considerable effort and ability. It is also a place where abilities are evaluated and those lacking are excluded. This isn't an act of discrimination, but an essential function.

If this is left unchecked, there will come a day when students decide on the syllabus and even what their grades will be.

The impact of lowering standards will be felt in the real world.

Let's take the field of medicine as an example.

A doctor who lacks talent, abilities, and diligence could misdiagnose a patient

At times, the patient could be subjected to unnecessary medication causing serious side-effects. Unnecessary tests and medical procedures could be recommended.

At times, crucial symptoms are ignored because the doctor doesn't have the knowledge or the ability. The treatment prescribed is insufficient. The ailment worsens to a point where treatment is impossible.

In both scenarios, the results could be irreversible and could even be a matter of life and death.

Precious lives could be lost, and so could time and money.

What about the inability to deal with "difficult" people or stress? The medical profession is stressful. Doctors are always surrounded by people who are sick and suffering, which will cause stress. At times, patients and their relatives complain and even launch verbal attacks on the doctor out of frustration.

A doctor must be mentally sound enough to rise above it and calmly explain to the patients and others who are agitated the reasons for his choice of treatment.

At times, in medical school, they have demanding teachers who are perfectionists and demand perfection from students. In the end, a surgeon has no option but to be perfect.

The impact is not just professional, but personal.

When students are relentlessly pampered, they view a slight criticism or word of advice as an act of hostility.

Consequently, they go deeper and deeper into their echo chambers, excluding every contrarian's voice, one by one, until they are all alone.

The result is that we have a large group of unsocial and unemployable young individuals.

It is said that those who intend to destroy any civilization or nation begin by attacking its roots. The roots here are educational institutes. This is exactly what is happening to educational institutes in America. The targets aren't the students, but the nation and all that it stands for.

Image: Newtown Graffiti via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
A few days ago, President Biden said that no one "f---- with a Biden." Well, maybe OPEC and V.P. Harris did not get the memo. OPEC cut production and V.P. Harris came to Texas to talk about everything but the border. "No respect" is the name of this presidency.

Let's check the story about the Lady V.P. in Texas. This is from the Texas Tribune:

Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday called Texas' abortion ban "immoral" and urged Texans to protect reproductive rights when considering their choices in the upcoming November elections. "A democracy will be as strong as our willingness to fight for it," she said during a discussion on reproductive rights at the LBJ Presidential Library on the University of Texas at Austin campus, part of a daylong trip that ended with an appearance at a downtown fundraiser for Texas Democrats. While Harris stressed the importance of voting not only for a governor and attorney general who support reproductive rights, she also noted local elections were also crucial, especially when it comes to choosing a prosecutor. District attorneys will now have to decide whether to prosecute Texas doctors and health care workers if they perform an abortion not meant to save the life of the pregnant patient.

Abortion and voting rights, but forget the border. The visit avoided what's happening about 250 miles south of the LBJ Library at U.T. Austin. As we know, we've recorded 2.1 million encounters at the Southwest border in the first 11 months of the fiscal year 2022, which ended on Sept. 30. That's a 24% increase over 2021. That's a lot of encounters!

Let me add a couple of thoughts:

The V.P. spoke about abortion in Austin, the bluest of Texas cities. No way she'd give the same speech in other parts of Texas.

Second, V.P. Harris avoided the border because it's a losing issue for Democrats. Down on the border, Representative Cuellar is fighting to save his seat by criticizing the Biden border policy. Even Beto O'Rourke is not praising President Biden. Honestly, I can't think of any Democrat in Texas who is praising the border policy.

So we will wait for V.P. Harris to put the border on her agenda. Lots of people on the border would love to hear about it.

Last, but not least, she endorsed Beto O'Rourke, but he did not attend the speech; he was busy with another "weekend of blockwalking."

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

Image: Gage Skidmore.
The WaPo has put together a panicked article relying on myriad experts to predict the horrors of a second Trump term. The long essay shows epic delusion and projection about the worst aspects of Democrat party governance.

The articles title is pure paranoia: What Will Happen to America if Trump Wins Again? Experts Helped Us Game It Out. The scenarios are ... grim. The contents are based upon ideas from 21 experts in the presidency, political science, public administration, the military, intelligence, foreign affairs, economics and civil rights who sketched chillingly plausible chains of potential actions and reactions that could unravel the nation. None seems to realize that she/he/it is describing what Democrats have already done

The experts claim Trump will use three phases to destroy America. Phase 1 will see him seize control over the government. First, hell install[] super loyalists. Larry Diamond, who has a gig at Stanford, says Trump would then set about trying to politicize the FBI, the intelligence agencies and as much of the government as possible. The experts are manifestly horrified that the Constitution gives Republican presidents, as well as Democrat ones, the power to select who heads administrative agencies.

Apropos the FBI, 53% of Americans believe that Biden has turned the FBI into his personal Gestapo. Its a logical conclusion after watching the FBI ignore Americas descent into a violent, crime-infested nightmare and, instead, harass parents at school board meetings, raid peaceful Christians, and generally attack Bidens political opponents.

Second, Trump would govern without Senate advice and consent. The worry is that Republicans will have a Senate majority and vote in a block for Trumpjust as Democrat senators habitually do for Democrat presidents. I remember that Senators Manchin and Sinema were viewed as almost treasonous when they refused to vote with the block on the filibuster.

Image: Donald Trump. YouTube screen grab.

Finally, Trump will consolidate power by thinning the ranks of government employees and hiring people who arent lockstep Democrats. To Dems, this is politicizing the civil service. In fact, the Democrats have already done so.

In 2020, federal employees overwhelmingly donated to Democrats. In the postal services alone, almost 80% of all donations went to Democrats. This is the same postal service that handles mail-in ballots. Other federal agencies also flooded Democrats with money, with the FCC giving almost 100% of its donations to the Dems. The agency that is least Democrat is the State Department, which still gave almost 54% of its money to Dems.

Phase 2, the WaPo predicts, is that Trump will deploy the military aggressively at home while retreating abroad. The experts have already forgotten that Biden had the military patrolling D.C. for the first four months of his presidency. He also ripped the military out of Afghanistan, leading to deadly chaos, both for the Afghan people and American troops.

Experts also fear military parades; walking back the current (and expensive) renaming of military bases in the South; ending the lefts practice of using the military as a social experiment for LGBTQ++ causes, Critical Race Theory, and third-wave feminism; and using the military to quell violence in the streets (read: Democrat violence in the streets).

The experts also believe Americas global leadership role will end, to Putins delight. Funnily enough, it wasnt until Biden that Putin attacked Ukraine, North Korea fired ballistic missiles at Japan, Europe lost access to energy, Saudi Arabia refused to pump oil for America and, of course, China flexed its muscles everywhere, from Taiwan to Brazil. Its on Bidens watch that Britains most popular political newspaper, The Telegraph, has printed a brutal attack calling an American president useless and nasty.

The WaPo experts also predict that Trump will destroy the CIAs intelligence work. If you can name for me an example of the CIA doing a good job under either Obama or Biden, Ill be very surprised.

Phase 3 will be political violence and democratic collapse. The steps will be ideological, racial and ethnic tensions ramp up, the bonds that bind the Union loosen, and the chances of civil war increase.

In response, I have only three words: George Floyd riotsyou know, the Democrat-supported, BLM- and Antifa-led riots that burned cities to the ground, causing billions in damages and leading to dozens of deaths. Trump, however, never brutally suppressed the riots, nor did he do so when Democrats rioted over his inauguration. Whats really happening here is that Democrats are desperately afraid that, if they again use race and ideology to burn American cities, Trump might finally respond forcefully.

Ive just skimmed the topmost points of the essay. Its as perfect a case of projection as you will ever see, with Democrats holding a mirror to their faces, but utterly failing to recognize themselves.
The Biden administration, through Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and other management officials in the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, continue to politicize and weaponize our governmental agencies to promote their partisan, anti-borders, progressive agenda. Their most recent targets have been immigration judges whom they see as not supporting the administrations political directives, case management objectives, and more lenient policies toward illegal aliens.

This purging of the immigration bench is an abuse of power which oversteps the legal authority of the executive branch.

Immigration judges appointed by the Trump administration have received special scrutiny and may be subjected to unfair performance evaluations, charges of misconduct, intimidation, and removal from their positions. The Chief Immigration Judge recently resigned in protest against the political agenda imposed on the court by Biden officials. Two other top court officials were reassigned and two others were pressured into resigning.

In addition, at least six immigration judges have been terminated. One of those Judges, Matthew OBrien, had nearly thirty years of both public and private sector experience in immigration law, including service as the chief of the National Security Division at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. He was dismissed after being deliberately targeted by progressive immigration lawyers who bragged about their smear campaign on social media.

Such personnel actions likely constitute violations of federal civil service law and should be investigated by inspector generals of these departments and congressional oversight committees. At the very least, politically motivated purges of immigration judges on ideological grounds violate the spirit of Americas judicial tribunals. American judges apply the law and rule accordingly, they do not make policy and should not play politics.

The integrity of the immigration court is at stake and responsible officials should be held accountable for illegal actions or other management misconduct. Americans have a right to expect executive branch officials to obey the laws they were sworn to uphold and to discharge the duties of their office in an honest and upright fashion.

Immigration judges preside in formal quasi-judicial removal hearings. They exercise discretionary powers as provided by law and are required to exercise independent judgment in reaching final decisions. These decisions are critical to immigration enforcement as they determine who should be admitted, who should be removed, and which aliens should be granted protection and relief from removal.

The politically-motivated actions of Attorney General Garland in this matter are of great concern, as they make it impossible for immigration judges to make independent judgments in conformity with the law and the requirements of their positions. To maintain the integrity and credibility of the court, immigration judges must be neutral arbiters of the law. They cannot perform this function if they must  like Soviet bureaucrats  ignore the law in order make politically sanctioned decisions in order to keep their jobs.

The Civil Service Reform Act and the Department of Justices hiring policies prohibit political affiliation bias discrimination in exercising personnel actions. The Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer and, as such, no discrimination because of political affiliation is allowed. There will always be a certain amount of politics associated with the legal process. Cases are brought before a tribunal to resolve some type of controversy, that is the essential function of the courts.

But under our system, we attempt to minimize the effect that politics exerts on legal decision-making, because we as a society view the law as representative of fundamental principles that should not be altered capriciously. The extent to which this administration has injected extreme political ideology into the immigration adjudication process is truly unprecedented.

As we know from current news, federal law prohibits intimidation of Supreme Court Justices by those who politically oppose their judicial opinions. The same restrictions must apply to other judges and to immigration court adjudicators. Immigration Judges should not be threatened or intimidated for resisting the administrations political agenda or failing to support case management and enforcement policy directives which are not in conformity with the law.

The Biden administration has blatantly politicized the immigration adjudication system and established a toxic and hostile work environment for immigration judges who are not allowed to perform their duties independently without retribution. Ousted judges complain that, although they received positive feedback from supervisors, they were terminated for unspecified performance and/or misconduct reasons. It is alleged that upon termination they were unceremoniously ushered out of the building without being allowed to collect their personal property.

The White Houses corrupt purging of immigration judges for their perceived failure to carry out the presidents agenda is particularly reprehensible considering this administrations flagrant refusal to enforce the law as it presently exists. Normal inspection and admission procedures at the border no longer exist. Illegal aliens who are inadmissible are not denied entry, but are paroled into our country for later processing under current catch and release policies.

The Biden administration gives no regard for the costs of illegal immigration. It continues to promote policies that serve as magnets to encourage the onslaught of even greater numbers of illegal aliens and to subsidize their presence in our country.

An impartial investigation of the personnel practices of the Executive Office of Immigration Review is necessary to restore the integrity and credibility of the immigration court system. It would be appropriate for the Department of Justice Inspector General to conduct that investigation. In addition, Sen. Charles Grassley and Rep. Jim Jordan of Senate and House Judiciary Committees, respectively, have expressed concerns about the injection of politics in the immigration system and are likely to call for oversight hearings.

Attorney General Garland, as the chief enforcer of the nations laws, must ensure that he and all employees of his department set the standards and serve as models for complying with the rule of law.

Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
In the 19th century, a mysterious illness struck rural New England. Those affected had hacking coughs, a wasting fever and weight loss. The disease was known as "consumption" because of the way it literally consumed people from the inside out, gradually making them weaker, paler, and more lifeless until they died. Today, we know it as tuberculosis, an infectious disease caused by a bacteria that generally attacks the lungs. But back then, the prime suspect was vampires.

A sickly girl reclines on a chaise lounge while being attended to by three other women. Watercolor by R.H. Giles.

It doesnt take much imagination to understand why a bacterial disease came to be associated with vampires. Although tuberculosis or consumption has been around since at least 5000 BCE, it was poorly understood because it can look very different from person to person. In some people, the disease remains latent for years before they fall sick. In others, tuberculosis hits them hard and fast and they die soon after. Symptoms of tuberculosis include wasting, night sweats, and fatigue, and a persistent cough. As the disease progresses, the lungs arent able to support the oxygen supply. Their muscles atrophy. Eventually, they start coughing up blood. It was the blood that helped solidify the diagnosis, and the gradual wasting away as if something or someone was sucking the life force out of the person.

Consumption appeared to run in families because of how easily and rapidly the disease spread. If one member became ill or passed away, the others did too. People believed that one of the dead was a vampire, who was preying upon the surviving family members. Exhumations were frequently necessary to halt the vampire's predations.

The bodies of the dead were dug up and examined for tell-tale signs of vampirism, such as lack of decomposition and the presence of fresh blood in the heart and other organs. After the culprit was identified, a number of different ways were proposed to stop the attacks. The most benign of these was simply to turn the body over in its grave. In other cases, families would burn the "fresh" organs and rebury the body. Sometimes, the body would be decapitated. Others would torch the heart of the alleged vampire and the affected family members would then inhale the smoke or consume the ashes in a further attempt to cure the consumption.

Exhuming a vampire. Photo: Wikimedia

One of the earliest known cases of New England vampirism was that of Rachel Harris, who died of tuberculosis in 1790. A year after her death, her widower, Captain Isaac Burton, married her stepsister, Hulda. Soon after, Hulda began to exhibit symptoms identical to Rachel's, and family and friends concluded that Rachel was to blame. In February 1793, Rachels body was exhumed and her liver, heart, and lungs were taken out and burned on a blacksmith's forge. Her exhumation was attended by more than five hundred people. Some versions of the story say that some of the organs were saved to prepare medicine for Hulda. Regardless, she died in September of that year.

In another early case that occurred in 1796, Cumberland resident Stephen Staples obtained permission from the town council to exhume the body of his 23-year-old daughter, Abigail, who had died of consumption. Shortly after Abigails death, her sister, Lavinia, had started showing the familiar symptoms of consumption. Lavinia told of dreams in which her dead sister would come into the room and sit heavily on her chest and draw out her breath. There is no record of what came of the exhumation, or whether Lavinia was cured.

Michael Bell, a Rhode Island folklorist, who has been studying New England vampire exhumations has documented at least 80 cases of exhumations reaching as far back as the late 1700s and as far west as Minnesota. The majority of the exhumations occurred in Rhode Island.

One remarkable case that Bell has discovered is that of Rev. Justus Forward and his daughter Mercy. Rev. Forward had five daughters, of which he had already lost three to consumption. His remaining two daughters, including Mercy, were fighting the illness. One day, while travelling to another town with her father, Mercy began to hemorrhage.

At first Forward was reluctant to open the graves of his deceased family members, but allowed himself to be persuaded if it could save the lives of his living daughters. Forward described in a letter how the ritual went:

...this morning opened the grave of my daughter ... who had diedthe last of my three daughtersalmost six years ago ... On opening the body, the lungs were not dissolved, but had blood in them, though not fresh, but clotted. The lungs did not appear as we would suppose they would in a body just dead, but far nearer a state of soundness than could be expected. The liver, I am told, was as sound as the lungs. We put the lungs and liver in a separate box, and buried it in the same grave, ten inches or a foot, above the coffin.

The act didnt save Mercy, but Forwards other children seemed to recover.

One of the best documented cases of suspected vampirism in New England was that of Mercy Brown. In December 1883, Mary Eliza Brown, the mother of Mercy Brown and the wife of George Brown, died of consumption. Seven months later, her eldest daughter, Mary Olive, followed her mother to her grave. Within a few years, the son, Edwin Brown also became ill. Mercy Lena Brown eventually became ill as well and died in 1892.

Some of the neighbors, likely fearful for their own health, approached George Brown and persuaded him to exhume the corpses of the three dead women. Perhaps one of the three Brown women wasnt dead after all and instead secretly feasting on the living tissue and blood of Edwin.

The graves of George Brown, his wife Mary Brown and daughter Mercy Brown. Photo: Josh McGinn/Flickr

On the morning of March 17, 1892, a party of men dug up the bodies in the presence of a family doctor. After nearly a decade, Mary Browns and Mary Olives remains had completely decomposed, but Mercy Browns body, which had been dead for only a few months, was in a fairly well-preserved state, thanks to the winter. The doctor cut her open and found organs intact. There was even blood in her heart. Mercy Brown was clearly a vampire and the agent of young Edwin's condition.

As the old-time remedy instructed, Mercy Browns heart and liver were cut out and burnt on a rock, and the ashes were mixed with water and given to Edwin to drink. Unfortunately, the cure didnt work. Edwin passed away two months later.

Ten years after Mercy Browns exhumation, German microbiologist Robert Koch discovered that the cause of tuberculosis was not vampires but a bacteria. Koch, who was a strong proponent of the germ theory, proved that specific germs caused specific disease such as anthrax, cholera, and tuberculosis, and are transmitted from one body to another. By the turn of the 20th century, public health measures around sanitation improved that helped contain the spread of the disease, but an immediate cure didn't happen until 1946 with the development of antibiotic streptomycin.

Even after the introduction of antibiotics, some remote communities continued to exhume their dead. The last vampire exhumation that Michael Bell found took place in the mountains of Pennsylvania in 1949.

References:

# Vampire Panic, Science History Institute

# Abigail Tucker, The Great New England Vampire Panic, Smithsonian

# Kyla Cathey, The Mystery Behind the 19th-Century New England Vampire Panic, Mental Floss

# Joe Bills, New Englands Vampire History, New England Today
Google recently held its latest Pixel event where it unveiled its latest hardware. Among the devices announced was its upcoming tablet. While the company didnt tell us too much about the hardware, we were able to get a glimpse of the UI powering the Pixel Tablet, and it looks pretty good.

By now, we should be familiar with Googles push in the tablet market. For years, Android has not been a good place for tablets. The tablet version of Android was just the phone version stretched out to fit a 10-in canvas. However, starting in late 2021, Google unveiled Android 12l.

Since then, the company has been doing more to make Android a more tablet-friendly operating system. This came to a head when the company gave us a sneak peek at the Pixel Tablet during Google I/o earlier this year.

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We get a quick glimpse of the UI for the Pixel Tablet

During the Pixel event, Google talked about its tablet and what it has to offer. Its going to be a nifty device that actually docs on a stand to become a smart display. While the company showed off one stand, theres a rumor that it could possibly unveil two.

Also, during the event, we were able to get some glimpses of the actual UI behind the tablet. As promised by what weve seen so far, the interface is a lot better optimized for larger screens. Also, the big bubbly Material You buttons fit perfectly with a larger canvas.

The home screen has moderately sized icons that are spaced out rather far. It may look a bit better if there were a little bit bigger, but thats just an opinion. Theres also a lot of space between the widgets with a lot of room under the At a Glance widget. As for the Google search bar, its actually rather small.

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We see other first-party Google apps like YouTube Music, Google Home, Google photos, and more in the preview, and they all look pretty nice on the bigger canvas.

The Pixel Tablet is set to launch sometime next year, but we dont know exactly when. However, we can expect to hear more about it during Google I own next year and through numerous leaks between now and then.
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 10 - The justice ministry said Monday that it has had no response from Egypt over its calls for cooperation in the case of four Egyptian intelligence officers suspected of the the abduction, torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo in early 2016.

The trial against the four has been suspended after a Rome court ruled that it could not go ahead because the defendants had not been notified of its existence.

Italy has been trying to notify the four officers of their indictments in order to proceed with their trial in absentia but the efforts ran into a brick wall last year after Cairo refused to help locate them.

"Up to now we have not had any response from the Egyptian authorities in relation to the four defendants," a justice ministry official told a hearing before a preliminary hearings judge.

"Neither did the Egyptians respond to a request for a meeting that (Justice)Minister Marta Cartabia asked for in January".

The judge suspended proceedings and scheduled a new hearing for February 13.

"If there were any need, it has been shown once again and with further clarity that the Egyptian authorities do not have, and have never had, any intention to cooperate," said Regeni's parents in a statement.

"Today it emerged that Justice Minister Cartabia's request in January for a meeting with her Egyptian counterpart got no response and this rejection is unprecedented.

"We hope for an fitting reaction of dignity from our government". The four Egyptian officials are National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates, Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Uhsam Helmi, and Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif Regeni, a 28-year-old Friuli-born Cambridge University doctoral researcher, was tortured to death while in Egypt to work on research into Cairo street hawkers' unions. (ANSA).


(ANSAmed) - PARIS, 10 OTT - Over 13 years after the deadly Rio-Paris flight disaster, which occurred off Brazil killing all 228 people on board, European planemaker Airbus and carrier Air France are going on trial starting Monday in Paris. On June 1, 2009, flight AF447 plunged into the Atlantic, 3:45 after takeoff, killing the 216 passengers on board and 12 crew members in the worst catastrophe in Air France's history.

After a long series of investigations and tests, French judges first dismissed the case in 2019. Victims' families and unions appealed the decision and on May 12. 2021, the French judiciary indicted the two groups (Airbus and Air France) on manslaughter charges. Now "we expect this trial to actually put on the stand Airbus and Air France" and not "the pilots", the president of the association representing people close to the victims Entraide et Solidarite AF447, Daniele Lamy, told the AFP news agency. "We expect an impartial, exemplary trial, so that something like this can never happen again and so that the two defendants place air safety at the forefront of their concerns, rather than just their profits". (ANSAmed).


Vucic, Orban agree to build a Serbia-Hungary oil pipeline To receive "cheaper Urals crude oil"

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCT 10 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban "have agreed to build an oil pipeline to Hungary," the Hungarian Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations, International spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said on Twitter today.



"The new oil pipeline would enable Serbia to be supplied with cheaper Urals crude oil, connecting to the Friendship oil pipeline," Kovacs noted. At present, Serbia's oil supply "is largely via a pipeline through Croatia, but this is unlikely to be possible in the future because of the sanctions that have been adopted," Kovacs added. (ANSA).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
Belarus accuses pro-Western neighbours of training radicals Lukashenko announced the deployment of joint troops with Russia

(ANSA-AFP) - MOSCOW, 10 OTT - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Monday that Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine were training Belarusian "radicals" for terror attacks, after announcing plans to deploy joint troops with Moscow. "The training in Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of Belarusian radical militants for them to carry out sabotage, terrorist attacks and to organise a military mutiny in the country is becoming a direct threat," Lukashenko said at a meeting with military officials. The three countries, of which Lithuania and Poland are EU and Nato members, share a border with Belarus. Lukashenko also accused Washington and Brussels of sheltering "fugitives" from Belarus in order to turn them into a "political force". They "plan to significantly increase support for destructive elements, aggravate the situation on the western border up to the point of opening a second front on the border". Belarus relies financially and politically on its key ally Russia. Lukashenko allowed Russian troops into the country under the pretext of military exercises in the months before Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine. Earlier on Monday, Lukashenko claimed that Ukraine was plotting to attack his country and announced the deployment of joint troops with Russia.



(ANSA-AFP).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
CAIRO - Human traffickers "shot a boat transporting irregular migrants, killing them" and subsequently "set on fire the boat full of the victims' bodies", the head of Libya's National human rights committee, Ahmed Abdel Hakim Hamza, was quoted as saying by the website Al-Ain News. Hamza was speaking about the massacre that took place Friday near Sabratha (western Libya), condemned among others by the UN, EU and US.



The 15 people on board were killed "by militias involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking in the city of Sabratha", he said. Regarding the motive, Hamza added that everything happened "after a fight between traffickers".




TUNIS - The Tunisian Association for Management and Social Stability (TAMSS) has announced the launch of a call for applications for participation in the incubation programme WISAL to promote entrepreneurship of migrant women, as reported by TAP news agency.



This call for applications is open to all migrant women residing in the regions of Tunis or Sfax and bearers of project ideas, says the association.



A total of 90 project ideas will be selected, adds the association, stating that the winners will be accompanied to launch their projects and receive material support.



The candidates are called to fill out an online form, knowing that the closing date of the call for applications is set for October 16.



Launched by the Spanish foundation CIDEAL, TAMSS and the Gesor Group, the WISAL programme is financially supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).



Launched in 2006, TAMSS is a community development association whose objective is to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of vulnerable populations. It works in particular to promote women's entrepreneurship, to defend women's rights and to strengthen the institutional capacities of young Tunisian associations
Aerospace, Defense Exhibition IADE returns to Tunisia Over 90 countries participate at Enfidha Hammamet

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, 10 OTT - The second edition of the International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition IADE Tunisia will take place on October 12-16 near the international airport of Enfidha Hammamet, with the participation of 200 exhibiting companies. With the patronage of the Tunisian presidency, the trade fair will stretch over an area of 300 square meters and will register the participation of more than 90 countries, mostly African and Arab, according to organizers. It will gather several international actors of the aerospace sector and of defense to relaunch investments and promote Tunisian tourism. As part of this event, on October 12-14 open-day initiatives will be held for professionals to get to know the latest developments of the sector. Moreover, Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings have been organized between international producers and participants. The objective is to create new opportunities of investment and development in Africa. On the sidelines of this second edition, a conference will be held at the initiative of the Tunisian army. It will gather more than 100 military personnel from 40 African countries to discuss national and regional security challenges. The fair will be open to the public on October 15 and 16. (ANSAmed).




Algeria and France sign 11 cooperation agreements, no gas In various sectors; Premier Borne in Algiers with 16 ministers

(ANSAmed) - ALGIERS, 10 OTT - Algeria and France have signed 11 cooperation agreements in various sectors, Algerian Premier Aymen Ben Abderrahmene has said at the end of the fifth session of the high-level intergovernmental committee between the two countries. The meeting took place on Sunday night in the capital Algiers, with the participation of French Premier Elizabeth Borne. "We signed 11 documents of agreement in sectors like industry, technology, startup, innovation, agriculture, higher education, employment, tourism and crafts", the Algerian prime minister said, as reported in a note sent to ANSA by the premier's press office, which did not mention gas or energy.



"We will work over the next period to bring the results to fruition, as part of the implementation of directives by the presidents of the two countries", added Abderrahmene. The premier stated that the "organization of this session is part of a context of dynamism marking bilateral relations, in particular after the visit carried out last August by the president of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to Algeria".



The French premier arrived Sunday night in Algiers for a two-day mission, leading a delegation of 16 ministers. Relations between France and the ex-colony went through an unprecedented months-long crisis last fall, due to the so-called "memory dossiers" and visas. Calm returned after Macron's trip to Algiers at the end of August, and the announcement of a reconciliation between the two countries' presidents. (ANSAmed).




Bodies of eight migrants found off Zarzis, Tunisia

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, 10 OTT - A group of Tunisian fishermen said they have found eight bodies off the Tunisian coast of Zarzis, presumably the victims of a shipwreck that took place some 20 days ago. The families of the boat's missing passengers have been asking authorities for news for days now. The announcement was made by the association "Le pecheur pour le developement et l'environnement" of Zarzis, which has organized search operations, on its Facebook page.



The association announced that coast guards will recover the bodies, which will be taken to the local hospital for identification and an autopsy. Two coast guard units and a Navy vessel yesterday joined operations to search for missing passengers, according to the same source. (ANSAmed).




West Bank: wounded 12-year-old Palestinian dies Injured last month during Israeli army operation in Jenin

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, OCTOBER 10 - A 12-year-old Palestinian - who was seriously wounded at the end of last month during an operation carried out by the Israeli army in Jenin, West Bank - died on Monday, the Palestinian health ministry was quoted as saying by the Wafa news agency. The ministry identified the victim as Mahmoud Muhammad Khalil Samoudi.



On September 28, violent clashes between armed Palestinians and the Israeli army were reported at the refugee camp of Jenin where the soldiers were looking for two militants believed to be responsible for terrorist attacks. Four people died and 43 others were injured among Palestinians during the clashes: among the first also Abed Hazem, brother of Raad, who carried out an attack last April in Tel Aviv in which three civilians were killed.(ANSAmed).




Libya: UN must clarify Dbeibah's legitimacy, Egypt Foreign minister Shoukry: his government fell in June

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, OCTOBER 10 - Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry urged the United Nations and the international community to clarify their position on the legitimacy of the Libyan national unity government, the website Egypt Independent reported on Monday, implicitly referring to the executive in Tripoli led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.



Shoukry, in a joint press conference held with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias after talks in Cairo yesterday, stated that the United Nations should speak about the implementation of the agreement authorizing that government to lead the country only until the end of the transition period set for June 22.



Cairo's diplomacy chief stressed the need both to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in Libya as soon as possible, and to support efforts by the Libyan house of representatives in this respect, the website reported.



Dbeibah took office in Tripoli provisionally on February 4 under a "political forum", which met under UN sponsorship to give the country a government bringing it to elections, set for December 24 last year and subsequently postponed indefinitely.



Egypt instead supports the executive of the prime minister appointed by Parliament nearly a year later, Fathi Bashagha, which operates from Sirte and Benghazi.(ANSAmed).




People have been urged to talk about the Creeslough tragedy as the horror of the explosion that killed 10 people continues to sink in.

Crowds of people turned out in Letterkenny, a short distance away in Co Donegal, for a candlelit vigil on Monday evening.

Photographs of the 10 victims were placed in the middle of Market Square along with candles.

Photographs of the ten people killed in the Creeslough service station tragedy displayed at Market Square in nearby Letterkenny ahead of a vigil this evening pic.twitter.com/6pWeOQdW8C  Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) October 10, 2022

Gerry McMonagle, one of the directors of the Letterkenny Community Development Project (CDP), thanked attendees for turning out, and said it will be a solace to the bereaved families.

This is our way of helping and assisting the families here tonight, and we want to thank you on behalf of the CDP for coming out here and remembering those families, and being there for them, he said.

Prayers were said by two ministers.

Many in attendance held candles during a moments silence, and placed the candles beside the photographs afterwards.

In Gweedore, around 100 people attended a similar vigil next to a childrens park, 30 minutes west of Creeslough.

People attend a vigil Gweedore, following an explosion at Applegreen service station in the nearby village of Creeslough in Co Donegal, where ten people have now been confirmed dead. (Cate McCurry/PA)

A priest led the vigil with prayers and told those who attended there would be difficult days and weeks ahead and urged everyone to pray for the victims and their families.

The crowd huddled together in the cold October evening and recited prayers in Gaeilge in the Irish-speaking parish. Many clutched candles with their heads bowed as they listened to a musician play songs in memory of those who died.

Pictures of the victims were placed in frames and dotted throughout a makeshift shrine.

Ten red candles and 10 red roses were placed in a semi-circle, one for each victim, and a picture of Creeslough was placed in the centre.

Dozens of people walked silently around the shrine and placed candles next to a bunch of white lilies.

Adults placed comforting arms around young teenagers and children as they struggled with the tragedy.

People attend the vigil at Market Square, Letterkenny (Liam McBurney/PA)

Pensioners sat on a bench with blankets wrapped around their legs as they spoke quietly about how the village would cope.

Local Garda members and firefighters also attended the vigil, standing side by side in a sign of the joint rescue effort at Fridays incident.

Hundreds of people also turned out for a vigil in Londonderry led by mayor Sandra Duffy.

The Allegri and Rosemount Male Voice Choirs performed at the event, and journalist and presenter Frank Galligan shared a poem reflecting on the tragedy.

After the gathering in Letterkenny Mr McMonagle said it is important to talk.

I think this is what people need after such a tragedy to try and process it. This was an awful incident, I think the randomness of it, it could have happened to any one of us, and that brought it home to people, he told the PA news agency.

So I think its important that we come together and be there in solidarity and sympathies with the families affected, either those who died or those who were injured, so we as a community can show our support and can talk and discuss this.

Its very important at times like this to have an outlet, its very important to talk to our friends and family about what happened, such a tragic occurrence that had reverberations right across our local community.

Mr McGonagle said the mood in Letterkenny has been very sombre (Liam McBurney/PA)

Thats very noticeable by the demographics of who was affected  we had senior citizens, we had school children, we had teenagers and young mothers and fathers.

It affected the whole community and we can all relate to it, so I think thats why its important we talk about that, and that we help and support one another to get through it.

Mr McGonagle said the mood in Letterkenny has been very sombre.

But there is a resilience there to help and assist those families. I think the whole community has come out, not just in Letterkenny but across Donegal, and I know that that will stand to the families in the weeks and the months ahead, he said.

In this crowd tonight, everyone will know someone who was affected by this. It is such a tight-knit community, when one hurts we all hurt. Thats why were all here tonight in solidarity and sympathy with those families.
A US citizen accused over the death of teenager Harry Dunn will appear at the Old Bailey next week for a plea hearing after the case was brought forward.

Anne Sacoolas, 45, is charged over the 19-year-old motorcyclists death following a collision outside a US military base in Northamptonshire in August 2019.

Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf by the US government following the crash near RAF Croughton, and was able to leave the UK 19 days after the incident.

However, in December 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised Northamptonshire Police to charge her with causing death by dangerous driving.

Last month, Sacoolas made her first appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court via video link.

Her case was transferred to the Old Bailey and was due for a plea and case management hearing on October 27.

However, a court official confirmed on Monday that the case had been brought forward to October 20.

The defendant, who is on unconditional bail, is expected to join proceedings by video link once again.

The case is being heard by High Court judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
Environmental protesters blocked The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in a demonstration against new fossil fuel licences.

Around two dozen activists in high-visibility orange vests sat in the road holding Just Stop Oil banners on Monday morning.

Police at the scene said they made 25 arrests after disruption lasting just over two hours.

The protesters, who travelled from Scotland, said they felt the need to act after the UK Government gave its backing in September to an expansion of oil and gas operations in the North Sea.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is expected to undertake a new round of oil and gas licensing this month.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said that could lead to more than 100 new licences being granted, which he claimed could safeguard UK energy supplies and support more than 70,000 jobs in Scotland.

But Emma Brown, who was among the demonstrators in London on a rainy morning, described the new licences as a death sentence for all of us here.

The 31-year-old, who lives in Glasgow and was attending her first such protest, made a reference to the well-known Proclaimers hit when she said that the activists would walk 500 miles to just stop oil.

Police speak to campaigners from Just Stop Oil during a protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace (Jonathan Brady/PA)

She said: Weve come down because the Government is pressing ahead with over 100 new fossil fuel licences.

And that is literally a death sentence for all of us here and for all of you.

So we cant allow this to continue. We have to have a cut-off somewhere.

Weve seen the effects already on our doorstep. Were seeing the effects all over the globe. And this madness has to stop.

The protesters received a mixed reaction from passers-by, with one taxi driver shouting: F****** load of w******. Go and get a real f****** job.

Protesters said they wanted to take action against new fossil fuel licences (Jonathan Brady/PA)

A Scottish man on a bicycle gave words of support, telling them: Go on the protesters, youre doing great work. Stay strong.

Asked by one police officer how long they intended to stay at the scene, a protester replied: Until we get a new government.

A police liaison officer said: Let me know if I can I do anything for you.

The protester replied: Not unless you have a letter from Liz Truss.

Officers searched the protesters, some of whom had glued their hands together.

Police told the demonstrators that they intended to clear the road for the Changing of the Guard on Monday morning.

While some protesters left of their own volition at around 10am and were taken to a police van, others were physically lifted by officers to different vans.

A Government spokesperson said: We remain fully committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and the UK is forging ahead of many other countries on net zero  with 40% of our power now coming from cleaner and cheaper renewable sources.

But with Russia weaponising energy across Europe, we must make sure we do so in a way that protects energy security, by boosting homegrown energy supply and reducing our dependence on foreign imports.

This includes increasing domestic gas supply, which weve always been clear will have a role in our transition to net zero. But we will also continue to drive forward our commitments on nuclear and renewables like offshore wind.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested after three people were stabbed as members of the public tried to intervene in a phone robbery in central London.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Colin Bishop, of City of London Police major crime team, said the man was arrested by detectives investigating a number of serious offences connected with the attempted robbery and knife attack in Bishopsgate last Thursday.

The man is in custody after being arrested in Islington, north London, on Monday morning on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

Witnesses reported seeing a group of two or three masked knifemen attacking a pedestrian just before 10am in Bishopsgate.

Members of the public, who were described as heroes by one witness, tried to stop the attackers.

Detectives arrested a 25 yo man in Islington this am on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, grievous bodily harm with intent & possession of an offensive weapon, in connection with the Bishopsgate attempted robbery knife attack on Thu 6 Oct.https://t.co/3gTlfOrmt8 pic.twitter.com/8rTD23lhDq  City of London Police (@CityPolice) October 10, 2022

Officers were alerted at 9.46am on Thursday to reports of three stabbings, which left the victims needing hospital treatment.

The victims did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

City of London Police previously said the attack was not being treated as terror-related.

Charlotte Wright, 26, an administrator from Colchester who works near the scene, said: I feel a bit apprehensive and scared coming out to get my lunch, but also pretty secure and safe.

I know London is a very busy city and I know that if anything were to happen, unfortunately like the guys that stepped in during this incident, there are heroes willing to do that.
Investment of 20 billion will be delivered in the first decade of Scottish independence, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Ms Sturgeon addressed delegates as she closed the SNP conference in Aberdeen on Monday, giving a glimpse into proposals that will be set out in an upcoming paper from the Scottish Government.

The third report in its Building a New Scotland document series will be released next week and will focus on economic issues.

The Building a New Scotland Fund will be set up with remaining oil revenues and the use of borrowing powers in order to kick-start the sustainable economic growth so important for our newly independent nation, the First Minister said.

She said: A fund like this could support a massive programme to decarbonise housing, cut fuel bills and reduce fuel poverty.

It could finance the building of thousands more affordable homes, invest in local renewable energy projects, helping communities own assets and wield more influence over their use.

It will help the transition to net zero, build resilient communities, and kick-start the sustainable economic growth so important for our newly independent nation.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon delivers her keynote speech during the SNP conference in Aberdeen (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Ms Sturgeon told delegates that independence will create a partnership of equals in the UK, and said the nations of the UK and the Republic of Ireland will always be the closest of friends, always be family.

But she took a swipe at the UK Government for utterly failing in its duty to mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

She told the conference: When global turbulence strikes, national governments have a duty to act in ways that mitigate  rather than exacerbate  the impacts on their own populations.

When it comes to the cost-of-living crisis, and so much else besides, this UK Government is utterly failing in that duty.

Each and every day its actions are making matters worse.

Ms Sturgeon told the conference that she intends on being First Minister for quite some time yet.

She said: For as long as I am First Minister  and by the way, conference, I intend that to be for quite some time yet  my job  our job  is not done.

For as long as I am First Minister, I will do everything in my power to build the better Scotland we all want to see.

The SNP leader also said an independent Scotland would protect the founding principles of the NHS by embedding a universal NHS in a written constitution.

The First Minister was the final speaker at the three-day event in Aberdeen, which came after she was criticised for saying she detests Tories.

After making her comments to the BBC, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi described the language as dangerous.

Other than in the First Ministers speech, just one announcement was made throughout the conference, with the SNP planning to launch a podcast called Scotlands Voices, announced by depute leader Keith Brown on Saturday.
The society osteopath and artist involved in the Profumo affair told how he felt he was being assassinated in the midst of the sex and spies scandal which engrossed 1960s Britain.

Stephen Ward was convicted of living off the immoral earnings of prostitutes, but died before he could be sentenced, having taken a drug overdose during his trial.

The scandal had centred on John Profumo, Secretary of State for War, who lied in the House of Commons about having an affair with former showgirl Christine Keeler.

A newly-released batch of MI5 files give an insight into the state of mind of Stephen Ward, who is seen here driving (PA Archive)

The revelation ended the ministers political career and was seen as the catalyst which would bring about the downfall of the Conservative Government soon after.

Ward had introduced Keeler to the politician, who resigned after claims she had also slept with Russian intelligence officer Eugene Ivanov, at the height of the Cold War.

A newly-released batch of MI5 files give an insight into Wards state of mind around that time, in a situation where some have claimed he was made a scapegoat for his role in the scandal.

He wrote to then-Opposition leader Harold Wilson from prison to plead innocence two months before killing himself, documents show.

The handwritten letter, on Brixton Prison notepaper and dated June 1963 to then-Labour leader and future Prime Minister Mr Wilson complained of untrue claims against him that gravely affect my present position.

In the letter  among a release of documents newly-digitised by the National Archives  Ward rejected the suggestion he had been a Soviet intermediary in his dealings with Ivanov, or that he had asked for a police inquiry into the matter to be called off.

He said comments about him in Parliament had been most unfair and prejudicial to my legal position.

Ward wrote: May I appeal to you earnestly to look into these matters which gravely affect my present position.

He added: There can be no hope of the truth ever coming out if these and comparable errors are allowed to stand uncorrected.

An MI5 report dated May 1963, noted that a source who visited Ward thought him to be ill-at-ease and possibly not far from a nervous collapse.

In a conversation with the Prime Ministers Principal Private Secretary, the documents show, Ward told him if you were in my position you would feel as if you were being assassinated at this moment, adding that the situation was bad and that the stories in the newspapers were not quite the truth.

In 2017, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said it had found no evidence the prosecution was politically motivated, but that had Ward lived, he could have sought to challenge his conviction at the Court of Appeal on other grounds.

It said there was considerable force in the argument that prosecution witness Keelers subsequent conviction for perjury and possibly prejudicial media coverage at the time of Wards trial could have affected the safety of the conviction.

The documents, released by the National Archives, are available to view in digitised form at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Vladimir Putin stands accused by a UK minister of the vile targeting of civilians in Ukraine after a series of apparent missile strikes on the countrys cities, seemingly in retaliation for the attack on the bridge linking Russia and Crimea.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat branded the strikes on Ukrainian cities war crimes while Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said they were unacceptable.

Ukraines capital Kyiv was targeted for the first time in months, while there were also reports of explosions in Dnipro, Lviv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi.

The timing of the attacks suggests they were a response to Ukraines strike against the Kerch Bridge, the crossing between Russia and annexed Crimea which has both strategic and symbolic importance.

Russian President Mr Putin called the attack a terrorist act masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

The attack on Kyiv resulted in explosions in the citys Shevchenko district, a central area that includes the historic old town as well as several government offices.

BBC journalist Hugo Bachega was broadcasting live when the attack happened, with the sound of a missile overhead and subsequent explosion captured on his microphone.

Explosion in Kyiv whilst I was talking to @hugobachega live @BBCWorld, reports of cloud of black smoke rising from buildings in city's centre. Hugo and crew taking shelter.update to follow.  Sally Bundock (@SallyBundockBBC) October 10, 2022

He could be seen ducking for cover as the blast rocked the capital during his piece on BBC World, and he escaped to safety with his crew.

Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraines parliament, posted a photo on Twitter showing that at least one explosion occurred near the main building of the Kyiv National University in central Kyiv.

What is Russia trying to hit? she asked. The national university? The park? Or the playground?

Just minutes from my home. Just 20 minutes ago. What is #Russia trying to hit? The national university? The park? Or the playground? pic.twitter.com/311EHalGH6  Lesia Vasylenko (@lesiavasylenko) October 10, 2022

A glass pedestrian bridge, which had been a popular attraction, was also struck.

People would have been jogging this morning, Ms Vasylenko said.

Foreign Secretary Mr Cleverly offered the UKs ongoing moral and practical support to his counterpart in Kyiv, Dmytro Kuleba.

Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable, the Foreign Secretary said.

This is a demonstration of weakness by Putin, not strength.

Mr Tugendhat said: Targeting civilians is a vile act.

Russian war crimes start as a record of failure and disgrace.

The UKs ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons said British staff in Kyiv were safe and added that her thoughts were with those injured in the city.

Ukraines defence ministry said 75 missiles were launched by Russia, of which 41 were shot down.

Defence minister Oleksii Reznikov stepped up calls for Western allies to supply more equipment, saying: The best response to Russian missile terror is the supply of anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems to Ukraine.

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky said an urgent meeting of the G7 group of leading nations, which includes the UK, had been scheduled to discuss the situation.

He said the move had been agreed with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who holds the rotating presidency of the group.

The G7 call will take place at 1pm on Tuesday, with Mr Zelensky joining for part of the discussion.

Downing Street condemned the needless and senseless violence in Ukraine.

We are keeping a close eye on these increasingly reckless tactics being used by Russia in response to Ukraines advance, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said.
Acura

From the October 2022 issue of Car and Driver.

I'm at the Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. This is a vintage-car show held on the Friday before the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Hold up, am I buffering? This is supposed to be the column for the new-cars issue, the one packed with all the model-year changes and redesigns and the old joke about the still-unavailable de Sade package on the Mercury Grand Marquis. What's with the old cars?

The Quail used to be mainly a show for classic metal. It's now the modern auto show. Traditional auto shows are in decline, something we wrote about three years ago ["The Show Must Go On," December 2019]. Since then, a lot has happened to accelerate the retreat. Carmakers are questioning the returns on building a show stand, displaying cars, and paying for all of that carpet. There will still be shows, but the days of the Detroit, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles shows being a cavalcade of significant debuts and concept cars are fading fast in the rearview.

I'd accepted that in-person debuts and press conferences were dead, and then I went to the Quail. The car show for 1 percenters and auto writers who don't wear sweatpants in public, the Quail is now filled with debuts from luxury brands like Bentley, Bugatti, Lincoln, Lucid, Porsche, and, yes, even Kia. It felt like Frankfurt 2003, but with better food and fancier hats.

I asked Dave Gardner, executive vice president of business and sales at Honda, about Acura's decision to stage two big debuts at the Quail. Acura's first EV in concept form and its new IMSA GTP hybrid race car would have been must-sees for both the general-admission folks and brand loyalists at the Detroit show a few weeks later. Why do it here? It's obvious to me that the Quail offers validation to brands that are relatively new to the luxury segment. Gardner brought up a less obvious point: Market analysis suggests only a dismal fraction of traditional auto-show attendees are inspired to make a purchase. However, the Quail-goers, the salmon-trousers-clad set that slurps oysters between selfies with prewar racers, are perennially in-market buyers of expensive goodswatches, helicopter subscriptions, maybe even a Korean EV. Case in point: A PR rep working Kia's stand had to inform one insistent visitor that the Kia EV6 GT on display could not yet be purchased at any price.

The above marks just one way automakers are rethinking how to introduce you to your next car. They're also rethinking advertising, the dealer experience, and pricing. Weird stuff is happening. As shortages sideline price negotiation, Gardner tells me buyers are leaving dealerships happier after paying sticker than they were when dickering with Lance in the sweater vest. Clearly, how you'll meet your next mechanical companion is changing. Speaking of changes, the new-cars section on page 31 charts all of them for 2023. I know Eric Howell of Urbandale, Iowa, has been waiting to find out whether the Mustang Mach-E will have a de Sade package.

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The daughter of the man who saved the record-breaking Flying Scotsman from being cut up for scrap is to make a pilgrimage to the UK from her home in Portugal, to ride behind the worlds most famous steam locomotive.

The 97-tonne locomotive, owned by the National Railway Museum in York, will be hauling trains on the Swanage Railway in Dorset later this month.

Penny Pegler will be visiting the railway on Saturday October 22, to ride behind the steam locomotive that her late father, Alan Pegler, purchased from British Railways in 1963 for 3,000 with the political support of then-prime minister Harold Wilson.

Penny will be riding in a special Pullman-style observation carriage that Swanage Railway volunteers have restored after they rescued it in 2007 from San Francisco in the United States, where it was a static bar.

Penny Pegler said: Flying Scotsman was a very important part of my life as a child. I was nine years old when my father came up up to my room on a snowy night in January 1963 to say goodnight, and told me, with a twinkle in his eye, that he had just bought a beautiful steam locomotive to save her from being cut up in a scrapyard.

Over the next few years, my father and I went on many wonderful trips all over the UK with Scotty, as we called Flying Scotsman.

For me, she was lovely and a special part of my family life. On many occasions, I followed my father through Flying Scotsmans corridor tender and sat in the firemans seat for a short while. There is nothing quite like it.

Flying Scotsman passes Mickleton in Gloucestershire (Steve Parsons/PA)

My father had a passion for Flying Scotsman, ever since he saw her as a four-year-old boy in London, and wanted to keep her running and not to be just a static exhibit.

He wanted to keep her alive for future generations to enjoy and today she is everybodys locomotive with everyone having their own special memory of Flying Scotsman. My father would be so happy to see that.

During a test run in 1934, the Nigel Gresley-designed Flying Scotsman was the first steam locomotive in the United Kingdom to haul a train at 100 miles an hour.

The Swanage Railway Companys volunteer chairman, Robert Patterson, said: Were delighted that Penny Pegler will be visiting the Swanage Railway to ride behind the worlds most famous steam locomotive that her father saved from the scrapyard.

It will be a wonderful and very special occasion to see Penny riding in the carriage that she rode in, as an excited teenager, across the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s while being hauled by Flying Scotsman on a British exports publicity tour.

Flying Scotsman will be hauling trains on the Swanage Railway for five days from October 22 and will be on static display for a few days beforehand and afterwards.
British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh will swim 100 miles across the Red Sea to highlight the impact of climate change on fragile coral reefs.

The UN patron of the oceans, who has previously swum in the Arctic, Antarctica and on Everest to highlight environmental damage, will complete the challenge ahead of UN Cop27 climate talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Mr Pugh hopes his swim  which he says will be the first across the Red Sea  will highlight the speed of the climate crisis and its impact on precious coral ecosystems and the wildlife they support.

He is calling on leaders and negotiators attending Cop27 to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change, and for 30% of the worlds oceans to be protected by 2030 to help them be more resilient to rising temperatures.

Lewis Pugh is UN patron of the oceans (Steve Benjamin/Lewis Pugh Foundation/PA)

The UNs scientific review body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said 70-90% of coral reefs would be lost with global warming of 1.5C but would all but vanish in a world with 2C rises.

The world is on track for more than 2C of temperature rises.

Mr Pughs 160km swim from Saudi Arabia to Hurghada, Egypt, this month, will take him over the wildlife-rich coral reefs of the Red Sea, which research has suggested are among the most resistant to climate change.

His 10km-a-day swims will also take him across one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes, leading to the Suez Canal.

He said: If we lose our coral reefs, we will not just drive many thousands of species into extinction, we will lose an entire ecosystem on which we depend.

This would be unprecedented in human history.

Coral reefs are the nurseries of our oceans and home to some of the most incredible life on earth.

I refuse to accept that we could lose them in my lifetime.

Coral reefs are key habitats for ocean wildlife (Steve Benjamin/Lewis Pugh Foundation/PA)

Mr Pugh has become known for his Speedo diplomacy, swimming in some of the worlds coldest and most dangerous waters in just his swimwear in campaigns to secure protection for oceans and their wildlife.

Ive been swimming in the worlds oceans for 35 years and during that time Ive seen them change dramatically.

The biggest changes Ive seen are in the polar regions and in coral reefs. Both are affected by rising temperatures; the poles are melting and the coral is dying, he said.

He said ice and coral are the ground zeros of the climate crisis and provide indisputable evidence of global warming.

Coral reefs are the barometers that illustrate clearly what happens when we heat our planet. Every fraction of a degree now matters, he said.

Lewis Pugh said he refuses to accept the loss of the worlds coral reefs in his lifetime (Steve Benjamin/Lewis Pugh Foundation/PA)

If temperatures continue to rise as predicted, the coral of the Red Sea could be among the last on Earth, so it is imperative to protect it from other threats, Mr Pugh said.

Alongside rising carbon dioxide levels, which lead to increased sea temperatures, which bleach and kill coral, and to acidification of the oceans, which harms wildlife, coral reefs are also under pressure from overfishing, pollution and disturbance.

Mr Pughs two-week swim will take him past Sharm El-Sheikh, where the UN climate conference is due to take place in November.

He will attend it to urge countries to take immediate action to cut the emissions driving climate change and create protected ocean areas to reduce other threats.
By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday in an industry challenge to the constitutionality of a California animal welfare law in a case that could undermine the power of states to regulate a range of issues within their own borders.

The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation are appealing a lower court's decision to throw out their lawsuit seeking to invalidate a 2018 ballot initiative passed by voters barring sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from animals whose confinement failed to meet minimum space requirements.

The pork industry has defended the size of the cages used at pig farms as humane and necessary for animal safety. Animal rights groups have said some pork producers confine mother pigs in cages so small the animals cannot turn around for most of their lives.

The industry groups have argued that the measure, called Proposition 12, violates a provision of the U.S. Constitution known as the Commerce Clause, which gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, by requiring out-of-state producers to comply or face a California sales ban. A legal doctrine called the "dormant" Commerce Clause bars states from passing laws discriminating against commerce in other states.

Proposition 12 violates that doctrine, the pork producers argued in a legal filing, because it would increase costs for pig farmers, nearly all of whom are located outside California. While being the most populous U.S. state and an important market, California produces just 0.1% of the nation's pork.

"If you're looking for an example of an unconstitutional law, this is it," said Michael Formica, chief legal strategist for the pork producers.

Proponents of the law disagree, saying California has the right to set standards for products sold to its consumers regardless of where these are produced.

"There's a long history of state laws that have to do with protecting public health, food safety and animal welfare," said Josh Balk, vice president of farm animal protection at the Humane Society of the United States, which led the campaign to pass Proposition 12 and is a party in the case. "Producers have a choice if they want to sell products within the state's borders that meet that standard."

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to throw out the lawsuit, finding no Commerce Clause violation.

President Joe Biden's administration has sided with the pork producers, saying in a Supreme Court brief that states cannot ban products "that pose no threat to public health or safety based on philosophical objections."

'DRAMATIC EXPANSION'

A ruling by the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, favoring the pork industry would have major implications for Commerce Clause interpretation, according to some legal experts.

The industry is "asking for a dramatic expansion of the doctrine in a way that would call into question all kinds of state laws," lawyer Brian Frazelle of the Constitutional Accountability Center liberal advocacy group, which filed a brief in the case on behalf of law professors, told reporters in a conference call.

Sixteen liberal U.S. senators, including both of California's, had urged Biden's administration to back the law. They wrote that a ruling endorsing the industry's Commerce Clause position "could allow large, multi-state corporations to evade numerous state laws that focus on harms to their constituents, including those addressing wildlife trafficking, climate change, renewable energy, stolen property trafficking and labor abuses."

A group of 20 primarily Republican-governed states led by Indiana said in a brief that upholding Proposition 12 would undermine state sovereignty. Another group of 14 primarily Democratic-governed states and the District of Columbia, led by Illinois, said overturning it would undermine state authority to legislate.

A ruling favoring pork producers could inspire more industry challenges to state regulations, according to Nandan Joshi, an attorney with the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, which filed a brief supporting California.

Pressed by animal welfare and consumer groups, many food and restaurant companies already have committed to phasing out small confinements for pigs and to buying or producing cage-free eggs.

Proposition 12, passed with the support of about 63% of California voters, set the required space for breeding pigs, or sows, at 24 square feet (2.2 square meters). The current industry standard is between 14 and 20 square feet (1.3 to 1.9 square meters), according to a 2021 report from Dutch banking and financial services company Rabobank.

The measure also increased the space required to house egg-laying hens and calves raised for veal.

Top U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods, owned by Chinese company WH Group Ltd, said last year it plans to comply with the law. Kansas-based Seaboard Foods, the No. 2 U.S. pork producer, said this year it is was converting some of its production to achieve compliance.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas; Editing by Will Dunham)
WASHINGTON (AP)  A small-business advocacy group has filed a new lawsuit seeking to block the Biden administration's efforts to forgive student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans  the latest legal challenge to the program.

The suit, filed Monday by the Job Creators Network Foundation, argues the Biden administration violated federal procedures by failing to seek public input on the program. It's one of a handful of lawsuits that have been filed by conservative business groups, attorneys and Republican lawmakers in recent weeks as the Biden administration tries to push forward with its plan to cancel billions in debt before November's midterm elections.

Elaine Parker, president of Job Creators Network Foundation, slammed the program as executive overreach and complained that it does nothing to address the root cause of rising debt: the "outrageous increase in college tuition that outpaces inflation every single year.

This bailout is going to affect everyone in this country because of the mass size of the program," she said. And everyone should have the opportunity to provide their views to the government." She added: These universities need to be held accountable for this student debt crisis.

The Job Creators Network Foundation has previously turned to the courts to try to to block the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate on businesses. It also sued Major League Baseball in 2021 for moving the All-Star game out of Atlanta over objections to changes to Georgias voting laws. That lawsuit, which cited losses to local businesses, was later dropped.

The new lawsuit is one of a growing number of legal challenges trying to halt the proposal laid out by President Joe Biden in late August to cancel up to $20,000 in debt for certain borrowers.

Six Republican-led states filed suit late last month, accusing the Biden administration of overstepping its executive powers, as did the Pacific Legal Foundation, a Sacramento, California, legal advocacy group. Their lawsuit, filed in federal court in Indiana, calls the plan an illegal overreach that would increase state tax burdens for some Americans who get their debt forgiven.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in Wisconsin last week dismissed a lawsuit from a local taxpayers group, the Brown County Taxpayers Association, that sought to block the program, ruling that the group didn't have standing to bring the lawsuit. The group had argued that Bidens order unlawfully circumvented Congress power over spending and said the plan was discriminatory because it sought to give particular help to borrowers of color.

The latest lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas against the U.S. Education Department and its secretary, Miguel Cardona, takes issue with how the plan was developed. It alleges the Biden administration violated the Administrative Procedure Acts notice-and-comment procedures. It also challenges the administrations legal justification for the program.

The suit includes two plaintiffs: one who does not qualify for debt forgiveness because the plan excludes commercially held loans that are not in default, and one who did not receive a Pell grant and is therefore entitled to less debt forgiveness under the plan.

Behind closed doors, the Department promulgated a new Debt Forgiveness Program that will affect tens of millions of Americans and cost hundreds of billions of dollars," the lawsuit reads. Instead of providing notice and seeking comment from the public, the Department hammered out the critical details of the Program in secret and with an eye toward securing debt forgiveness in time for the November election.

It also alleges the department "made numerous arbitrary decisions about the Program, including which individuals will receive debt forgiveness, how much of their debt will be forgiven, and which types of debt will qualify for the Program.

The result of this arbitrariness is predictable: some will benefit handsomely, some will be shortchanged, and others will be left out entirely," it reads.

The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor, who most notably ruled in 2018 that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court reversed that decision last year. OConnor, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, also has ruled against other policies pursued by Democratic administrations. Last month, he ruled that an ACA provision that required coverage of an HIV prevention drug violates a Texas employers religious beliefs.

Civil lawsuits filed in the federal court in Fort Worth have a 90% chance of going either to OConnor or Judge Mark Pittman, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, according to a 2020 order of the court.

White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan responded with a statement defending the loan forgiveness program.

While opponents of our plan are siding with special interests and trying every which way to keep millions of middle-class Americans in debt, the President and his Administration are fighting to lawfully give middle-class families some breathing room as they recover from the pandemic and prepare to resume loan payments in January," he said in a statement.

The Biden debt forgiveness program will cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for individuals making less than $125,000 a year or households making less than $250,000. Pell grant recipients, who typically demonstrate more financial need, will be eligible for an additional $10,000.

The Biden administration used an act passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as legal justification for the program. The law gives the administration sweeping authority to reduce or eliminate student debt during times of national emergency, the Justice Department said in an August legal opinion. The administration cited the COVID-19 pandemic as its emergency.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the program will cost taxpayers $400 billion over the next three decades.

___ Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
The King has expressed his immense sadness at the appallingly tragic Creeslough disaster.

The monarch sent a message of condolence to the President of Ireland on Monday after 10 people were killed in the devastating explosion in the tiny village in Co Donegal on Friday afternoon.

A five-year-old girl and her father, who were buying a birthday cake, were among the locals from the close-knit rural community who died in the blast at the Applegreen service station and convenience store.

A Garda crime scene investigator at the scene of the explosion at Applegreen service station (Brian Lawless/PA)

The King offered his heartfelt sympathy to those affected, adding however inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, and described his affection for Donegal after visiting in 2016.

Charles said: My wife and I were filled with immense sadness when we heard of that appallingly tragic explosion at Creeslough, County Donegal.

We remember with the greatest fondness meeting people from across Donegal when we visited in 2016 and the strong sense of community that exists there.

The Kings message to the President of Ireland following the recent explosion in Donegal. pic.twitter.com/mZ17pl4wCc  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 10, 2022

However inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, we wanted you to know that our most heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences are with those families and friends who have lost their loved ones in this devastating tragedy, together with yourself and the people of Ireland.

His message was signed Charles R.

Charles, as the Prince of Wales, has been a regular visitor to Ireland in recent years, and travelled to Glenveagh Castle and Donegal Town in Co Donegal in 2016.

In 2015, he made a landmark trip to the picturesque Mullaghmore harbour in nearby Co Sligo to visit the site where his beloved great uncle Earl Mountbatten was murdered by the IRA.

The Prince of Wales being greeted by well wishers in Donegal Town in 2016 (Niall Carson/PA)

The late Queen made her first visit to Ireland in May 2011, becoming the first British monarch to travel to the Republic since the nation gained independence from Britain.

The state visit was heralded as a new era in relations between Britain and the Republic.

Irelands police force, An Garda Siochana, continues to investigate the cause of the blast, which is being treated as a tragic accident.

A gas leak is one theory, it is believed.

Top row, left to right, Leona Harper, 14, Robert Garwe, 50, Shauna Flanagan Garwe, five, Jessica Gallagher, 24, and James OFlaherty, 48, and (bottom row, left to right) Martina Martin, 49, Hugh Kelly, 59, Catherine ODonnell, 39, her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, and Martin McGill, 49 (An Garda Siochana/PA)

Those killed were 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, 48-year-old James OFlaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin and 14-year-old Leona Harper.
Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon, left, and council President Nury Martinez confer at a council meeting Tuesday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

She called the Black child of Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin changuito," or "a monkey, who gets carried around like a purse. Su negrito, like on the side.

Of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon, she simply said, F that guy. Hes with the Blacks.

L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez says she was merely caught up in "a moment of intense frustration and anger" during an hour-long, secretly recorded meeting in October 2021 with L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera and fellow Latino Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon.

Please.

We just got an earful of who Martinez really is. But, more importantly, what she really wants for the future of Los Angeles  the consolidation of Latino power  and what she's really willing to do to get it.

That hour-long meeting, audio of which was uploaded to Reddit and reviewed by The Times, wasn't just a forum for swapping the kind of racist remarks and "jokes" you might hear at a Trump rally.

It was ostensibly convened to talk about the redistricting of City Council seats that was happening at the time. But it very quickly veered into strategies for manipulating district maps to deprive Black people of political power and provide it to Latinos instead.

If youre going to talk about Latino districts, what kind of districts are you trying to create? Martinez griped at one point. Because youre taking away our assets.

At another point, De Leon went on a tangent about the so-called "Wizard of Oz effect," which he described as a small number of Black voters drawing an outsized amount of political attention, while more numerous Latinos aren't heard.

"It sounds like there's thousands of them," he said. "And then when you actually pull the curtain ... you see the little Wizard of Oz."

In a city where Black people make up a shrinking percentage of the population but still have among the highest rates of poverty and homelessness, what Martinez and De Leon said  echoed by Cedillo and Herrera  does a lot of damage.

It also pulls back the curtain on the kind of crass wheeling and dealing that dictates political power in L.A.

Their words, now bouncing around social media in snippets of audio, bluntly confirm the worst fears of many Black Angelenos: That Latino politicians treat political power as a zero-sum game. That because of their numbers, they will take over the leadership of the city, and that because of their racist beliefs, they will ignore our needs.

Their words, which they thought we'd never hear, were ignorant, narrow-minded and downright offensive.

De Leon's so-called apology on Sunday, saying that he had fallen short of the expectations we set for our leaders, doesn't begin to make up for what he said  and what he laughed at.

Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson was shocked at the intensity of the anti-Black sentiment.

"Politicians trying to get the most favorable set of voters is understandable," he said. "A sort of a concerted effort to dilute the strength of Black voters is something I expected from Republicans in the South and in the Midwest. I did not expect that level of Black voter suppression in Los Angeles."

It doesn't help that all of this comes a time when Black cultural spaces are shrinking or being erased by an affordability crisis that is driving both displacement and disproportionate rates of homelessness.

There's also the gentrification, especially in West Adams and along the Crenshaw Corridor in South L.A. The common sentiment of Metro opening its new rail line through Leimert Park being both a blessing and a curse is proof of that.

This entire ugly incident blows a massive hole in the narrative that many would like to believe about Los Angeles  and about California  being some sort of multicultural mecca, where Black and brown people build alliances to work together in solidarity toward solving problems.

"This is a city that has prided itself on being able to bring communities together, particularly in pursuit of progressive causes," said Manuel Pastor, director of the USC Equity Research Institute. "We've fallen short before, but these are extraordinarily unhelpful comments."

In reality, the same tribal struggle for power that has long dogged L.A. is still here.

Nothing is more indicative of this than the back and forth over suspended Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas.

Specifically, how Martinez and the others discussed how to redraw his South L.A. district in a way that would siphon power from Black Angelenos and make way for an interim replacement who would vote with Latinos on the City Council until Ridley-Thomas' upcoming trial on federal bribery charges.

I get what we have to do, right? Just massage to create districts that benefit you all. And the future. But we got to figure out Marks seat too, Herrera said at one point.

If he resigns and the African Americans look at this as a hostile takeover because hes gone, well have to figure that s out," Martinez responded. "Because politically, theyre going to come after us.

The one who will support us is Heather Hutt, Cedillo said.

In August, Martinez nominated Hutt to serve as the voting member in Ridley-Thomas' council district. After some political drama, she was approved to serve in September.

Now, thanks to the conversation they didn't know was being recorded, Martinez, Cedillo, Herrera and De Leon have managed to completely undermine Hutt, a Black woman, casting her as little more than a tool for Latino political power.

A "hostile takeover" indeed.

The question is what comes next. It's true that South L.A., once a stronghold for Black Angelenos, is no longer that. Today, Latino residents make up roughly half of L.A.'s population but represent less than a third of the councils districts. That raises questions about fair representation.

But the answer cannot be a city run by Latinos only for Latinos, which, based on what Martinez feels comfortable saying behind closed doors, is what she really wants to do  and will do just about anything to make it happen.

Two paragraph apologies, sent out via Twitter, aren't enough either. De Leon, for example, said that he regrets appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private. Ive reached out to that colleague personally.

Bonin deserves more than a phone call. His Black son does too. So do all Black Angelenos.

Cedillo, contacted by The Times on Saturday night, said he didnt even have a recollection" of the recorded conversation. By Sunday night, he apparently remembered and issued an apology. Also on Sunday, Herrera asked for forgiveness, saying there is no justification and no excuse for the vile remarks made in that room.

Again, please.

I tend to agree with Harris-Dawson when he says that something "foundational" must be addressed and that, done right, it will be a "very long, grueling process."

"I heard one statement on the tape where one of the people in the room says, 'Well, these Black electorates have never done anything.' That's just ignorant," he said. "I don't know if it's willful ignorance, or if it's actual ignorance, but that's not something that gets solved by someone resigning.

"That's something that gets solved over a long period of time in which people commit to doing and understanding."

That's what L.A. deserves. Leaders, especially a City Council president, who will lead, not use racist tropes to build a political system of us versus them.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Leaked audio reveals City Council members including President Nury Martinez, above, making racist comments and mocking colleagues. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

10:08 a.m. Oct. 10, 2022: A previous version of this article said Nury Martinez referred to Mike Bonin as the fourth Black member of the city council and said, Bonin wont fing ever say peep about Latinos. Hell never say a fing word about us. Those remarks were made by Kevin de Leon.



The more you listen to it, the worse it gets.

I'm talking about the leaked audio of an October 2021 conversation among three members of the Los Angeles City Council and a prominent labor leader. Their ostensible purpose was to strategize about drawing council districts in a way that would give more power to Latinos.

If youre going to talk about Latino districts, what kind of districts are you trying to create? City Council President Nury Martinez said to Councilmembers Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, in audio posted on Reddit a month ago and which the Times obtained. Because youre taking away our assets. Youre just going to create poor Latino districts with nothing?

It's a fair question, especially in a city where Latinos are about half of the population but occupy fewer than a third of council seats.

But instead of taking responsibility for the underwhelming state of Latino political power, they just whined and whined about their predicament and blamed everyone else  especially Black people.

When you have an elected Latina official use words to describe Black people  children, no less  as changuitos ("little monkeys") and negritos ("darkies") while no one else in the room pushes back, it shows the rot, pettiness and paranoia that infests L.A.'s Latino political class. The four waded in grievance politics straight out of Sam Yorty's City Hall.

This wasn't a case of your rancho libertarian cousins from Corona drunkenly mouthing off during a backyard carne asada, or small-town politics in southeast L.A. County or the San Gabriel Valley. These are some of the most powerful politicians in Southern California  and some of the most prominent Latino politicos in the United States.

Martinez is head of the City Council of the second-largest city in the United States. De Leon was the first Latino California Senate president pro tem in more than a century (and placed third in the mayoral primary). Cedillo is an immigrant rights legend, while Herrera is head of an organization with the money and manpower to sway elections.

They should know better than to say quiet things out loud, even in private  and the fact that they don't isn't just frightening but telling.

Martinez called her council colleague Mike Bonin "a little bitch." De Leon referred to Bonin as the councils fourth Black member."

"Mike Bonin wont fing ever say peep about Latinos. Hell never say a fing word about us, De Leon said.

Maybe Bonin might have supported Latinos if Martinez and her cohorts tried harder to ally with him?

Herrera suggested that Bonin effectively puts his young son, who is Black, out in public like a lawn jockey, the racist statues used to invoke the antebellum South. De Leon compared the son to one of Martinez's Louis Vuitton bags.

"Hay trae su negrito," Martinez added  there he goes, bringing his little darky. Later, she said the boy's behavior on a float during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade made him seem like a "changuito."

In Martinez's world, everyone in L.A.'s political class who can't help her cause is anti-Latino and pro-Black  even the Cuban American L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascon, of whom Martinez said, "F that guy, he's with the Blacks."

De Leon floated nonprofit director Irma R. Munoz as a replacement for Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was suspended last year because of federal bribery charges.

Herrera then said, "You just gotta combat CoCo with that seat. That seat has to be anti-CoCo."

He was referring to Community Coalition, the nonprofit started by mayoral candidate Karen Bass and once headed by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson that has spent the last three decades trying to improve relations between Latino and Black folks in South Los Angeles. Bass and Harris-Dawson are Black; Community Coalition's current chief executive and executive vice president are Latino.

It wasn't good enough for Martinez and her pals to bash political enemies.

De Leon mocked Black political power in the city as little better than the man behind the curtain in "The Wizard of Oz."

"Twenty-five or so are Black," Cedillo added. "And the 25 Blacks are shouting."

De Leon interjected, "But they shout like they're 250."

The toxicity of the quartet was such that they found time to trash other groups too.

Cedillo called Koreatown a "misnomer" because the population is majority Latino. Martinez mentioned Oaxacans, who have lived in the neighborhood for decades.

I see a lot of short little dark people, she said, cackling as she trotted out anti-Oaxacan stereotypes common in Mexico and the U.S. "Not even like Kevin  little ones," Cedillo added  a backhanded compliment to De Leon, who is of Guatemalan descent, when Guatemalans also get mocked by Mexicans for their stature and complexion.

I don't know where these people are from," Martinez continued. "I was like, 'I dont know what village they came from, how they got here.'

"And now they're wearing shoes," someone added.

Tan feos, Martinez responded  theyre ugly.

In a statement, Martinez apologized for her remarks yet defended the "intense frustration and anger" that led to them.

"The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color, she said.

This, after a conversation in which she and her political allies ridiculed Black people, Oaxacans and Central Americans, who are now apparently not "communities of color" in her Mexican-centric world.

De Leon described some comments during the meeting as wholly inappropriate."

"I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private," he said in a statement. "On that day, I fell short of the expectations we set for our leaders  and I will hold myself to a higher standard."

Sadly, nothing about this embarrassing fiasco surprised me. I hear whining all the time from Latinos that Black people have too much political power, at their expense. Mexican discrimination against Oaxacans is so pernicious, even in Southern California, that the term "oaxaquito"  little Oaxacan  was banned in Oxnard schools. I'm surprised Martinez didn't call Koreans "chinitos"  Chinamen  because that would've followed the same diminutive, demeaning line as slurs like "negritos" and "changuitos." Too many Mexican Americans still toss them around.

Already, people are defending Martinez's use of them, saying she used the former in a sarcastic tone and the latter to describe the rambunctious behavior of Bonin's son, not his race.

Please.

Casual racism and classism among Latinos is something our community has never really confronted until recently, as a new generation has started frank and honest conversations about our anti-Blackness and colorism. It's a pathology exacerbated in the U.S., as we move into new neighborhoods and fight for political power with communities that have held it longer than us and aren't quite ready to give it up.

But the pendejadas that Martinez, Herrera, Cedillo and De Leon entertained are why too many people still don't trust Latinos in higher office.

The latent fear that Latino politicians care only about Latinos and will screw over other groups as our population continues to grow remains too real. People can say that's unfair, because ethnic politics has always been a part of American democracy.

But when you're now the majority, you're not supposed to act like those who previously oppressed you.

Martinez can complain all she wants that others kneecap Latino political power. But as this fiasco shows, we have met the enemy  and it's always, always us.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Russia rained missiles on cities and towns across Ukraine on Monday in its most concerted blitz since the start of the war, targeting civilian population centers and infrastructure far from front lines where Moscows forces in recent weeks have faced a series of humiliating defeats.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking soon after deadly cruise missile and "kamikaze" drone strikes hit at least 10 Ukrainian cities, indicated the attacks came in vengeance for a weekend blast that damaged a bridge connecting the occupied Crimean peninsula to Russia. He called the attack on the Kerch Bridge a terrorist act by Ukraine and warned that more "severe retaliation" lay in store.

After blasts set rush-hour commuter cars ablaze in the heart of the capital, Kyiv, and carved a huge crater next to a childrens playground in a city-center park, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Russia would not succeed in attempts to wipe us off the face of the Earth.

Ukrainian officials immediately voiced new calls for more sophisticated defensive and offensive weapons systems. Presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter that instead of talking we need air defense," together with multiple-launch rocket systems and longer-range projectiles. Zelensky said later that he and President Biden had a "productive" discussion about air defense.

In attacks that spanned Ukraines north and south, east and west, explosions struck apartment buildings and power stations, sending residents hurrying to basements and bomb shelters. In one Kyiv metro station, those seeking haven underground burst into defiant renditions of the national anthem.

At least 16 deaths were reported across the country, together with nearly 100 injuries. With electricity knocked out in a number of areas  including Kharkiv in the northeast, which was Ukraine's second-largest city before the war  authorities called on people to conserve power as much as possible until urgent repairs could be made. The attacks also disrupted water supplies in several parts of the country.

Multiple explosions rocked Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, early Monday following months of relative calm. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press)

In the central city of Dnipro, hit by successive strikes, Konstantin Rachitski, who is in his 60s, survived a strike on his apartment block that blew out windows and left blood all over the floor of a neighbors flat.

Putin is a sick man, he said.

Another missile in Dnipro landed just in front of a bus, heavily damaging it, but officials said all the passengers apparently survived.

International condemnation poured in swiftly. Biden renewed a call on Russia to withdraw all of its forces from Ukraine, calling the attacks a mark of "the utter brutality of Mr. Putin's illegal war."

These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes, he said.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply shocked by the bombings. The head of the European commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was appalled. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg decried the attacks as horrific and indiscriminate. The Group of 7 industrial powers was to meet by videoconference to discuss the sweeping strikes.

Ukrainians had been braced for punishing attacks since Saturdays explosion that damaged the bridge linking annexed Crimea and Russia. Ukraine did not directly claim responsibility for that attack, but it was celebrated by Ukrainian officials and ordinary citizens as a slap in the face of Putin, who personally inaugurated the 12-mile-long span in 2018, four years after Russias seizure of Crimea, and it had been a crucial supply link for Moscows forces in southern Ukraine.

As battlefield defeats have mounted over the last month, Putins senior military leadership has come under sustained criticism, much of it from war hawks on state television and on social media channels dedicated to chronicling the war effort. While few have dared to directly fault Putin, furious demands have arisen for an even more brutal prosecution of the nearly eight-month-old war.

Apparently in response, the Russian president on Saturday appointed Gen. Sergei Surovikin as overall military commander in Ukraine  an officer notorious for using indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas as a prime tactic in Syria and elsewhere.

Other recent efforts to turn the tide on the battlefield in Russias favor have so far foundered, including a mass mobilization of 300,000 men for the Ukraine fight  which prompted a mass exodus of fighting-age men from Russia  and Putins announcement that Russia was annexing four regions that are not under its full military control, a declaration deemed illegal by much of the outside world.

Most Western military analysts have read the Russian leaders moves as a sign of desperation.

Putin cannot do the one thing his hardline constituency demands  win the war, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in its latest analysis. Shuffling senior commanders will not fix the systemic problems that have hamstrung Russian operations.

In what was likely a deliberate echo of wartime addresses that began on the day of the invasion, Feb. 24, Zelensky posted a video of himself outdoors in central Kyiv, near the presidential office. Looking somber and drawn, he nonetheless delivered a rousing message in response to what he called terrorist attacks by Russia.

Ukraine existed before this enemy appeared, he said, and Ukraine will exist after it.

People injured in Russian attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, receive medical treatment. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press)

In Kyiv, explosions hit the central Shevchenko district, home to office buildings, some government buildings and a number of diplomatic installations. Germany said the consular section of its embassy was hit, but was empty at the time. The city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said 71 buildings in Kyiv were damaged, including educational and cultural institutions and medical facilities.

The park that was struck was a popular area for strolling, named for national poet Taras Shevchenko. Photos of the aftermath showed a missiles smoking remains buried in a large crater, with a childrens playground immediately adjacent. Kyiv National University is nearby, as are a number of historic buildings.

A blast also struck near a well-known Kyiv tourist attraction  a pedestrian bridge over a wooded area with thick plexiglass panels underfoot. The structure remained standing, drawing mockery on Ukrainian social media that the Russians had not even been able to destroy a glass bridge.

Sirens sounded for four hours all across the country, except in Russian-occupied Crimea. Cities targeted including the main population centers  Lviv, in the west near the Polish border, Kharkiv and Kyiv, along with regional capitals like Zaporizhzhia, one of the four areas that Putin claimed Russia was annexing.

The Russian attacks came from land and sea, with some missiles launched from Russian ships in the Black Sea. Neighboring Moldova complained that three missiles passed through its airspace.

There were also signs that Belarus, whose leader Alexander Lukashenko is considered to be under Putins thumb, might join in the conflict, which it has so far refrained from doing. Lukashenko said Monday, without providing details, that his government, together with the Kremlin, had agreed to deploy a joint troop grouping.

Special correspondent Adler reported from Dnipro, Ukraine, and staff writer King from Washington.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
This early Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, photo provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office shows the scene of a fatal vehicle attack in Golden, Colo. Colorado authorities say a man drove a pickup truck through a crowd following an altercation outside a bar. (Jenny Fulton/Jefferson County Sheriff's Office via AP)

GOLDEN, Colo. (AP)  One person was killed and four people seriously injured after a man intentionally drove a pickup truck through a crowd gathered outside a Colorado bar following an altercation early Sunday morning, authorities said.

The 29-year-old driver and a 25-year-old passenger were arrested after the attack around 1:40 a.m. Sunday in the city of Golden west of Denver, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office said.

Just before the attack, bouncers outside the Rock Rest Lodge broke up an altercation between the two suspects and some of the victims, the sheriff's office said. The suspects got into the pickup, backed out of a parking spot in front of the bar and intentionally drove into victims including bar employees, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies found a man who was unconscious and later pronounced dead at the scene. Four people were taken to a local hospital and three people sustained minor injuries, the sheriff's office said.

The suspects were stopped nearby after the attack and deputies took the them into custody. The driver faces charges including first degree murder, three counts of first degree assault and three counts of second degree assault. The passenger, who owned the pickup, faces charges of accessory to first degree murder, accessory to second degree assault and accessory to first degree assault.

Another passenger who was in the vehicle is not facing charges.

The name of the deceased victim was not immediately released.
The DOJ is investigating former President Donald Trump over his handling of sensitive government documents. Seth Herald/Getty Images

Trump said former President George H.W. Bush kept secret government files at a Chinese restaurant.

He also called for the late president to be investigated, despite Bush having died in 2018.

Joyce Vance, a former prosecutor, said Trump's claims resembled those guilty people make.

Joyce Vance, a former federal prosecutor, said that Donald Trump's wild claims about classified documents during his rallies make him look guilty and scared.

Vance, now a law professor at the University of Alabama, weighed in on Trump's speech at a GOP campaign rally in Nevada on Saturday. Trump baselessly claimed that the late former President George H.W. Bush kept secret government documents in a "bowling alley slash Chinese restaurant."

"George H.W. Bush took millions of documents to a former bowling alley and a former Chinese restaurant where they combined them," Trump said. "So they're in a bowling alley slash Chinese restaurant."

"By contrast, I had a small number of boxes and storage at Mar-a-Lago  very small, relatively  guarded by the great Secret Service, we love the Secret Service. And yet the FBI, with many people, raided my house," he said.

Commenting on Trump's claims, Vance tweeted: "In my experience as a prosecutor, people say stuff like this when they're guilty & scared."

During a rally in Arizona on Sunday, Trump made the same claim, saying that Bush "took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant."

"And it had a broken front door and broken windows. Other than that, it was quite secure," Trump said, questioning why Bush was not being investigated and prosecuted. Bush died in Houston in 2018.

Trump's claims about Bush sparked scorn from Bush's son, Jeb Bush, who tweeted his response to Trump on Saturday.

"I am so confused," Jeb Bush tweeted. "My dad enjoyed a good Chinese meal and enjoyed the challenge of 7 10 split. What the heck is up with you?"

It is unclear how Trump arrived at his claims about the elder Bush. A spokesperson at Trump's post-presidential press office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

During its search of Mar-a-Lago on August 8, the FBI seized classified documents, including some marked "top secret." Trump is under investigation by the DOJ to determine if he broke three federal laws  including the Espionage Act  by keeping the files at his Florida residence.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The armed men arrived at the two-story factory in Haitis rural Artibonite Valley, wielding AK-47s, followed by a hungry mob of hundreds.

After scaring off the two security guards, they forced their way in and put a knife to the throat of a Catholic nun, who until that moment had helped to run the solar-powered sewing factory and had been feeding nearly 1,000 hungry school children a day through her school.

Barking orders, the armed men demanded the keys to the upstairs where the solar panels, valued at over $400,000, were installed on the roof.

Over the next hour or so, they ripped out the panels, grabbed the 10 large batteries along with inverters, doors, an electronic computer-driven clock and anything else of value before letting the crowd in to pillage the rest: button-making and sewing machines, tables and the food pantry.

My first reaction was hungry people are going to take a lot of food, and I thought they were going to get the pantry, said Jim Weber, the owner of the factory that was attacked last month, Pravi Apparel in Praville, a rural hamlet in the city of Gonaives. I didnt think it was mob driven.

On Sept. 16, 2022, a large mob ransacked Pravi Apparel in Praville, a rural hamlet in the city of Gonaives. The factory employed over 100 people and was looted along with a school run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition in the same complex.

Weber soon learned of more attacks and looting in Haitis rice-growing valley, just north of Port-au-Prince: more than a dozen government and parochial schools, markets, a United Nations World Food Program warehouse, another Catholic Church-affiliated entity, the Caritas charity.

In a country where millions are already on the verge of starvation, the looting and pillaging of food warehouses belonging to the Haitian government, the United Nations, charity groups, supermarkets, schools and businesses during the recent and often violent anti-government protests risk plunging Haiti deeper into despair.

Following the attacks, which began in mid-September and have continued, some people, like Weber, have decided they are done and are leaving Haiti.

Im out not because I dont love the people, Weber said. Im out because I cannot be effective... I cant cough up that kind of cash every day. Even if I have crazy investors.

Basic food ingredients hard to find

For Haiti, where 45% of the population was already nearing starvation in March, the looting is exacerbating the deepening hunger crisis. Food warehouses are empty. Supermarket shelves are bare. And since Sept. 12, no containers have been been unloaded at the seaports, leading shippers to temporarily pause all delivery of cargo, including food.

With a powerful gang alliance, known as the G-9, tightening its grip by barricading roads to the seaport and the capitals main fuel terminal, Varreux, gasoline stations are empty, generators inoperable and hospitals and businesses are closed.

The effects are being felt everywhere. Just east of Port-au-Prince, through the territories of two violent gangs, a malnutrition center is reporting difficulty finding food to feed 1,000 kids daily and provide clean water. Children are now dying at an increasing rate, said Mickie West, a missionary with But God Ministries in the Ganthier community.

We cant get food for our schools, and people in the village are starving because they have no access to food or clean water, she said.

From Jacmel in the south to Port-de-Paix in the far northwest, basic commodities are becoming increasingly hard to find, or afford when available.

You cant even find potable water to drink, said Honorine Jean, 42, a teacher caring for two teenage nieces in the city of Gonaives. Day by day, the population is becoming worse off.

READ MORE: Hurricanes risk aggravating migration, hunger crises in Latin America and Caribbean, U.N. fears

In Gonaives, the main city in Haitis agricultural breadbasket, prices have been skyrocketing for months, residents say. A can of rice, which once sold for $3.30, has now doubled; cooking oil and other provisions have increased by 40% and more.

On most days you cant find food to buy on the market, Jean said. To make her point, she brings up making eggplant stew, the Haitian delicacy known as legume, as an example. The recipe requires a number of ingredients, including Haitian seasonings, tomato paste, vegetable oil, eggplant, carrot, spinach, cabbage, chayote, string beans and meat or conch.

You may find half of the ingredients, but not all of them. All of the roads are barricaded and farmers arent going to leave their areas to come to the market in town. And if they have the products, you cant afford it because the banks are closed and you cant get cash to pay, she said.

A street vendor walks past a barricade set up by demonstrators to protest against fuel price hikes and to demand that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Sept. 19, 2022.

Jeans hopes were further dashed when one of her nieces was recently denied a U.S. visa to attend college in Florida, despite an acceptance letter.

Jean used to supplement her teaching income, she said, with a side business selling Gatorade, pharmaceutical products from Canada and other items by the caseload.

But with a weak Haitian currency, record high inflation of 31%, a rise in the price of food imports and the inability of local suppliers to guarantee timely delivery of stock due to gang attacks, Jean said business has been on a downturn.

Since Aug. 22, residents of Gonaives venture out of their homes only for emergencies, or on weekends. Jean said she understands the desperation  things have never been this bad.

When all the looting is done, nothing has changed, Jean said. The population is still dying of hunger.

More than 100 residents of Gonaives are out of work after looters ransacked Pravi Apparel in Praville, a rural hamlet.

Its likely to get worse. Attacks like the one on the Pravi factory are fanning fears of an onslaught of business departures from Haiti, which companies flocked to in the past decade because of its cheap labor. The Caracol Industrial Park, which employs 12,500 factory workers in northeast Haiti, has been shut down for over two weeks because the power generation plant, managed by NRECA International, hasnt received a shipment of Bunker C Fuel Oil needed to provide power and water.

The nearby Industrial Development Company textile factory, which straddles the northern border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, also was forced to close temporarily after a mob burst in and vandalized parts of the facilities and the food depots of its 20,000 factory workers, most of whom are Haitian.

More than half of Haitians facing severe hunger

In March, the U.N. estimated that a third of the 2 million people living in the Artibonite Valley were at risk of hunger, while 13% faced severe hunger.

A recent Hunger Hotspots report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. and the World Food Program estimates that hunger will grow worse before years end.

We suspect there will be a serious deterioration of food security for people, adding to and compounding the difficulties people are facing every day if not every hour, said Ulrika Richardson, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Port-au-Prince.

Sister Margaret Michael and her fellow nuns with the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition said the order was feeding about 1,000 children daily between their school in Gonaives, a nutrition program and a supplemental feeding program for orphans and abandoned children.

But after the nuns, who are from India, were forced to flee the convent with only the clothes on their backs, no one is getting fed. Michael said her order, which has been in Haiti since 1983 and is now in hiding, is now contemplating leaving.

We thank the Lord that we have the gift of life because they could have shot us. Our fear is, we dont know what the future is for all of these children, said Michael. The orders convent is in the same complex as the Pravi factory and was also looted.

We worry about the poor who are depending on us, she said.

The World Food Program has said it had to put its school feeding program on hold because nearly 2,100 metric tons of food, valued at $5 million, were looted from two of the agencys warehouses. The food collectively would have fed 200,000 school children and vulnerable adults until the end of the year.

For me its just very hard to justify looting food that is intended for very vulnerable populations, Jean-Martin Bauer, the programs country director, told the Miami Herald. This looting has affected many, many institutions in the country.

After 1,400 metric tons of food for 100,000 schoolchildren were stolen from the programs warehouse in Gonaives; a second warehouse in the city of Les Cayes, storing 700 metric tons of pre-positioned food for hurricanes or earthquakes, was also pillaged.

People forced their way in and looted the warehouse, Bauer said.

The people are living in misery. They need food.

The attacks on food depots and charities are taking place throughout the country. In Jeremie in the GrandAnse region, the French humanitarian nonprofit ACTED was looted. In Port-de-Paix, another Caritas warehouse, which receives food donations from the Coconut Creek based charity Food for the Poor, was also looted.

They pillaged, they vandalized, they destroyed, said Father Pheschner Julmisse, a Catholic priest who serves as director for Caritas in the northwest city. They left with everything Caritas had.

Julmisse wasnt at the facility when the crowd came, but he was told the people were armed with guns, machetes and sticks to break the doors down.

Julmisse doesnt fully blame the population.

The people are living in misery. They need food. Life has become expensive, he said. There is no fuel and all of their basic food needs have skyrocketed in price. And they dont have jobs. They are rebelling to see how this government will address their needs so that their lives can change.

Men from the fishing community of Bodin on the outskirts of Port-de-Paix pull in a fishnet on March 24, 2022. Residents here say the lack of jobs and fish are among the reasons some have taken their chances trying to get to the Florida Keys on flimsy vessels.

The latest rounds of protests were ignited by a Sept. 11 announcement by interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry that the government was raising the price of fuel to reduce $400 million in subsidies it can no longer afford. But the anger had been at a boil for weeks.

It started to flare up soon after Henry, under pressure by the international community to clean up customs enforcement, replaced the head of Haitian customs amid a corruption investigation into allegations that he was implicated in the illegal trafficking of arms and had had his U.S. visa revoked.

The naming of a new customs director in July coincided with a crackdown at the seaports to collect an estimated $600 million in undeclared duties, mostly from wealthy, powerful businessmen, and to stop the trafficking of illegal arms and ammunition.

The government told the U.N. Security Council last month that the reform efforts led to a 40% increase in customs revenue in August. But progress has come at a steep price. Foreign diplomats say the violent protests have been fueled by entrenched economic interests who are angry about the reductions in fuel subsidies and the customs crackdown. Human rights activists have criticized the fuel hike, saying it increases the suffering of the Haitian people, who are now being asked to pay as much as 128% more for gas and 91% more for diesel.

There is no life here at all, said Riveaux Mondesir, 63, whose Gonaives home is located off a well-traveled road where bicycles have now replaced automobiles. Life is extremely difficult. Everything is expensive.

The state doesnt really help the people and this government has not done anything for the population. We all are suffering; those who are in gangs, and those of us who are not.

On Sept. 16, 2022, looters ransacked Pravi Apparel in Praville, a rural hamlet in the city of Gonaives.

A father of five whose children range in age between 21 and 35, Mondesir works in agriculture. He recalls the days when the rice-growing Artibonite Valley fed Haiti. But drought, natural disaster, bad governance and now rising costs have made those days a distant memory.

We used to produce enough rice to export abroad, he said. Now, everything has been destroyed. ... All of Haiti is destroyed.

Like others in the rural community, Mondesir followed news about the looting. He said he cant blame people like Weber for closing shop even if it means scores of Haitians will go hungry.

Im out

Weber, who is Catholic, said his factory was more of an economic mission than a profit venture. He had a general manager but ran it with the help of nuns in hopes of transforming an area with no running water, no electricity and no jobs into an economic hub.

That whole area of Praville was slowly but steadily coming out of unemployment. I was talking to other Fortune 500 companies about putting factories on that land, he said.

After realizing that this specialized sewing machine was too heavy to carry, looters of the Pravi Apparel factory in Gonaives left it behind and destroyed it.

Workers made polo shirts for Subway stores and school uniforms, and the weekly payroll was about $8,000. Weber also assisted the nuns with their feeding program.

Im not going to lay this on the people, Weber said. It was gone. They said, Hey, do you want staff to feed your family? Do you want stuff to eat? Go get it. You can make money off this stuff. 

Still, he believes he was targeted, like other Catholic-affiliated charities, parochial schools and religious orders that came under attack in Gonaives and Port-de-Paix. Now the biggest losers are his 104 employees and those benefiting from having a reliable income, he said.

Every Friday was payday and every Friday the guy who sells rice sold more rice; the lady that sells mangoes sold more mangoes ... the guy who sold kids shoes sold more kids shoes, Weber said. I could stand on top of my factory and I could literally see the houses that didnt have roofs were getting more roofs at a crazy pace. I couldnt believe what $8,000 a week did within a two-, three-mile radius of my factory.

That multiplier effect is now over  at least for him.

The overarching purpose of my life is to make a difference with love and joy, Weber said. I cant make a difference in Haiti, let alone with love and joy. So Im out.
The president of the Los Angeles City Council stepped down from her leadership role Monday after an audio recording of racist remarks surfaced.

Nury Martinez apologized in a statement as she announced her resignation.

I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments. Im so sorry, she said.

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez at Los Angeles City Hall on April 1, 2022. (Damian Dovarganes / AP file)

In comments during a meeting last year, Martinez likened a colleagues Black son, who was 2 years old at the time, to an animal and seemed to imply that the countys progressive district attorney shouldnt be supported because he might be popular with Black Angelenos.

The 2021 audio from a political strategy meeting attended by a handful of Latino Democrats on the council was first reported Sunday by the Los Angeles Times.

Martinez said in the statement: "As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal. Going forward, reconciliation will be my priority. I have already reached out to many of my Black colleagues and other Black leaders to express my regret in order for us to heal.

"I ask for forgiveness from my colleagues and from the residents of this city that I love so much. In the end, it is not my apologies that matter most; it will be the actions I take from this day forward. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to make amends," she added.

"Therefore, effective immediately I am resigning as President of the Los Angeles City Council," she said.

The statement didnt say Martinez was resigning from her council seat. A representative couldn't immediately be reached for comment Monday.

The audio surfaced on a Reddit discussion board this month but was deleted. The source of the recording is unknown, and NBC News hasnt determined whether it has been edited.

News of the racist comments caused politicians to weigh in throughout the state.

In a statement about the remarks Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said "racist language can do real harm."

"I'm encouraged that those involved in this have apologized and begun to take responsibility for their actions," Newsom said. "These comments have no place in our state, or in our politics, and we must all model better behavior to live the values that so many of us fight every day to protect."

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., himself a former president of the Los Angeles City Council, said in a statement that the comments were "racist" and "dehumanizing."

"At a time when our nation is grappling with a rise in hate speech and hate crimes, these racist comments have deepened the pain that our communities have endured. Los Angeles deserves better," Padilla said.

The controversy has also become a hot topic among mayoral candidates Karen Bass, a Democratic member of Congress, and billionaire former Republican Rick Caruso. They are competing to replace Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Bass said in a statement: "Los Angeles must move in a new direction, and that is not possible unless the four individuals caught on tape resign from their offices immediately."

Caruso also called on Martinez and council members Gil Cedillo, whom he called "my friend," and Kevin de Leon to resign in a statement, calling the remarks "racist and deeply offensive."

"This is a heartbreaking day for our proud, diverse city," Caruso said. "I do believe that in their hearts they are better people than the vile comments we heard on that tape. But they also know they are role models and they have let our city down."

The meeting, apparently about political strategy and redistricting, was attended by Martinez, Cedillo and de Leon, as well as Ron Herrera, the president of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. All are Latino Democrats.

The remarks about the child, the son of departing council member Mike Bonin, concerned his behavior at a parade in 2017, when he was 2. Martinez used a Spanish term to refer to the boy as an animal.

Martinez also dismissed Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, a justice reform advocate who is reviled by law-and-order politicians and has survived two Republican-led recall attempts, as unworthy of the support of the people in the room.

F--- that guy. Hes with the Blacks, she said.

Also on the recording, De Leon called Bonin, who is white, the 15-seat councils fourth Black member. De Leon said Bonin doesnt support Latinos  that he has never said a peep about them.

Martinez asked why Bonin allegedly thinks hes Black, and De Leon responded, His kid is.

De Leon  a San Diego-raised politician who rose to statewide prominence as a legislator and then unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Los Angeles  suggested Bonin treated his son like a fashion accessory, a handbag.

Herrera didnt appear to utter any racist remarks. He did say the groups support for a leader to take over the seat for a traditionally Black district should be someone who would be an ally on Latino interests.

Bonin has called for Martinez, De Leon and Herrera to resign, saying the episode points to deep fissures in the citys population.

He characterized Martinezs comments about his son in a statement as dehumanizing and said, It is painful to know he will someday read these comments.

The family statement said only Cedillo couldnt be implicated in making or supporting racist views, but it expressed disappointment, saying his apparent silence was tacit acceptance of those remarks.

All four have apologized in statements.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Koreas recent barrage of missile launches were the simulated use of its tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to hit and wipe out potential South Korean and U.S. targets, state media reported Monday, as its leader Kim Jong Un signaled he would conduct more provocative tests.

The Norths statement, released on the 77th birthday of its ruling Workers Party, is seen as an attempt to burnish Kims image as a strong leader at home amid pandemic-related hardships as hes defiantly pushing to enlarge his weapons arsenal to wrest greater concessions from its rivals in future negotiations.

Through seven times of launching drills of the tactical nuclear operation units, the actual war capabilities  of the nuclear combat forces ready to hit and wipe out the set objects at any location and any time were displayed to the full," the Norths official Korean Central News Agency said.

KCNA said the missile tests were in response to recent naval drills between U.S. and South Korean forces, which involved the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan for the first time in five years.

Viewing the drills as a military threat, North Korea decided to stage the simulation of an actual war to check and improve its war deterrence and send a warning to its enemies, KCNA said.

North Korea considers U.S.-South Korean military drills as an invasion rehearsal, though the allies have steadfastly said they are defensive in nature. Since the May inauguration of a conservative government in Seoul, the U.S. and South Korean militaries have been expanding their exercises, posing a greater security threat to Kim.

The launches  all supervised by Kim  included a nuclear-capable ballistic missile launched under a reservoir in the northeast; other ballistic missiles designed to launch nuclear strikes on South Korean airfields, ports and command facilities; and a new-type ground-to-ground ballistic missile that flew over Japan, KCNA reported. It said North Korea also flew 150 warplanes for separate live-firing and other drills in the countrys first-ever such training.

Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said the missile launches marked the first time for North Korea to perform drills involving army units tasked with the operation of tactical nuclear weapons.

The Norths public launch of a missile from under an inland reservoir was also the first of its kind, though it has previously test-launched missiles from a submarine.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seouls University of North Korean Studies, said North Korea likely aims to diversify launch sites to make it difficult for its enemies to detect its missile liftoffs in advance and conduct preemptive strikes.

KCNA said when the weapon launched from the reservoir was flying above the sea target, North Korean authorities confirmed the reliability of the explosion of the missiles warhead, apparently a dummy one, at the set altitude.

Kim, the professor, said the missiles estimated 600-kilometer (370-mile) flight indicated the launch could be a test of exploding a nuclear weapon above South Koreas southeastern port city of Busan, where the Reagan previously docked. He said the missile tested appeared to be a new version of North Koreas highly maneuverable KN-23 missile, which was modeled on Russias Iskander missile.

North Korea described the missile that flew over Japan as a new-type intermediate-range weapon that traveled 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles). Some foreign experts earlier said the missile was likely North Koreas existing nuclear-capable Hwasong-12 missile, which can reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. But Kim, the professor, said the missile tested recently appeared to be an improved version of the Hwasong-12 with a faraway target like Alaska or Hawaii.

North Korea released a slew of photos on the launches. One of them showed Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju, both wearing ochre field jackets, frowning while covering their ears. Some observers say the image indicated Ri's elevated political standing because it was likely the first time for her to observe a weapons launch with her husband.

The U.S. and the South Korean regimes steady, intentional and irresponsible acts of escalating the tension will only invite our greater reaction, and we are always and strictly watching the situation crisisNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Worries about North Koreas nuclear program deepened in recent months as the country adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of its bombs in certain cases and took reported steps to deploy tactical nuclear weapons along its frontline border with South Korea. This year, North Korea carried out more than 40 missile launches.

Some experts say Kim Jong Un would eventually aim to use his advanced nuclear arsenal to win a U.S. recognition of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state, which Kim sees as essential in getting crippling U.N. sanctions on his country lifted.

Kim Jong Un said the recent launches were an obvious warning to Seoul and Washington, informing them of North Koreas nuclear attack capabilities. Kim repeated that he has no intentions of resuming the stalled disarmament diplomacy with the United States now, according to KCNA.

The U.S. and the South Korean regimes steady, intentional and irresponsible acts of escalating the tension will only invite our greater reaction, and we are always and strictly watching the situation crisis, Kim was quoted as saying.

Kim also expressed conviction that the nuclear combat forces of his military would maintain their strongest nuclear response posture and further strengthen it in every way to perform their duties of defending the Norths dignity and sovereign rights.

South Korean officials recently said North Korea maintains readiness to perform its first nuclear test in five years. Some experts say the nuclear test would be related to an effort to build warheads to be mounted on short-range missiles targeting South Korea.

North Korea has multiple motivations for publishing a high-profile missile story now, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. Kim Jong Uns public appearance after a month-long absence provides a patriotic headline to mark the founding anniversary of the ruling Workers Party.

Pyongyang has been concerned about military exercises by the U.S., South Korea and Japan, so to strengthen its self-proclaimed deterrent, it is making explicit the nuclear threat behind its recent missile launches. The KCNA report may also be a harbinger of a forthcoming nuclear test for the kind of tactical warhead that would arm the units Kim visited in the field, Easley said.
Palestinians clash with Israeli security forces after the army entered Shuafat refugee camp in Jerusalem, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. A manhunt follows a Saturday shooting attack at a military checkpoint in east Jerusalem where a Palestinian gunman fled from the scene after he opened fire, killing a female Israeli soldier and wounding three others, one of them seriously. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)  A 12-year-old Palestinian boy died Monday after being shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers during a weekend army raid in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Mahmoud Samoudi was shot in the abdomen Saturday during an army raid in Jenin, a refugee camp and stronghold of armed Palestinians.

During the raid, soldiers entered the camp and surrounded a house. In videos circulated on social media, exchanges of fire could be heard. At the time, Palestinian health officials said two teens, ages 16 and 18, were killed and that 11 people were wounded.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Monday's death.

Israel has been carrying out nightly arrest raids across the West Bank since a spate of attacks against Israelis in the spring killed 19 people. The army said it had traced some of the perpetrators of those attacks back to Jenin.

Israeli fire has killed more than 100 Palestinians during that time, making it the deadliest year in the occupied territory since 2015.

The Israeli military says the vast majority of those killed were militants or stone-throwers who endangered the soldiers. But several civilians have also been killed during Israels months-long operation, including a veteran journalist and a lawyer who apparently drove unwittingly into a battle zone. Local youths who took to the streets in response to the invasion of their neighborhoods have also been killed.

Israel says the arrest raids are meant to dismantle militant networks. The Palestinians say the operations are aimed at strengthening Israels 55-year military occupation of territories they want for an independent state.

Also on Monday, Israeli soldiers entered the Shuafat refugee camp and searched homes and shops for a Palestinian suspected in the killing of an Israeli soldier over the weekend. Dozens of camp residents threw stones at the soldiers who fired tear gas.

Saturday nights shooting happened at a checkpoint near the camp in east Jerusalem. Police said at the time that the assailant got out of a car and opened fire, seriously wounding the female soldier and a security guard before running into the camp. The army announced early Sunday that the woman, who was 19, had died.
KYIV  Ukrainians across the country awoke Monday morning to a barrage of Russian missile and kamikaze drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in cities stretching from Kharkiv in the east to Lviv in the west. Kyiv, for the first time since the Russian invasion began in late February, took the brunt of the assault, with almost all confirmed impact targets being civilian, not military, in nature. According to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander in chief of Ukraines armed forces, Russia launched 75 missiles, 41 of which were shot down by Ukraines air defenses.

Ukraines National Police said at least five people were killed in Kyiv, with 12 more injured, although the final toll for fatalities and casualties is likely to be much higher. A number of cars in the streets of the capital are now gnarled hunks of burning metal. Passersby, including elderly women, have been shown bleeding from their heads, with Ukrainian first responders tending to their wounds. One young woman was recording a selfie video when a rocket hit perilously close to her, illuminating the wall behind her in a fiery red.

A partially destroyed office building after Russian strikes hit the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

In both Kyiv and Lviv, the explosions shattered months of relative calm far from the frontlines, where Ukrainian forces have been steadily pushing back the Russian advance. The last missile strike that hit the Ukrainian capital was a relatively minor attack in June, and the city had been slowly but unmistakably returning to something resembling normalcy. Shops, bars and restaurants have reopened, and refugees have been returning from western Ukraine and beyond. Lviv, which lost power from Mondays bombardment, has become a major hub for Western weapons flowing into Ukraine and for housing the internally displaced from other parts of the country. To date, however, not a single Western arms shipment imported overland from the Polish border and through Lviv has been reportedly destroyed by the Russians.

One of the first missiles hit outside the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, by the park named for Ukraines national hero, a popular destination for locals with children and dogs. The explosion took out a number of civilian cars at an intersection, killing an unknown number of people. There was charred wreckage and bodies in cars, and glass blown out in buildings hundreds of yards away. Residents were left with the unmistakable feeling that the attack was deliberately timed to hit during rush hour  not least because Kyiv is still under military curfew, leaving the streets entirely empty of civilian traffic between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Rescuers carry an injured man at the site of a building damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv on Monday. (Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/handout via Reuters)

While Yahoo News was at this location, at least two more missile strikes landed about half a mile away, hitting a large civilian building, home to the German Consulate (out of use since the start of the war) and the South Korean electronics giant Samsung. One missile strike landed in front of the building, one landed behind. The structure was severely damaged, and multiple wounded civilians were seen being attended to by Ukrainian EMTs. The tall buildings windows were blown out, floor after floor.

The Russian military did not just use its own domestically sourced arsenal of Kalibr and Iskander missiles, S-300 air defense batteries and Tornado multiple launch rocket systems, but also imported Iranian Shahed suicide drones.

The pedestrian bridge that connects Saint Volodymyr Hill and Khreshchatyi Park, known as the Klitschko bridge, after Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, took a direct strike from a Russian missile, although remarkably it seemed relatively undamaged, with only the glass paneling destroyed. Although the precision of Russian precision guided munitions is often mocked, the bridge was hit directly, almost certainly a symbolic response to the targeting a few days ago of the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia to occupied Crimea. However, Ukraines military intelligence service, GUR, claimed Monday that the Kremlin ordered its occupying forces to prepare for massive missile strikes on civilian infrastructure on Oct. 2 and 3, well before the bridge bombing. The goal, according to GUR, was to create panic among Ukrainians and intimidate the European public. The Telegram channel for Russias 45th Special Purpose Regiment boasted Monday that among the important objects attacked was the EU Advisory Mission in Kyiv, which is located next to the Klitschko bridge. A photograph seen by Yahoo News shows the missions windows shattered by the blast.

An emergency worker carries dogs as he escorts a local resident outside a partially destroyed office building in Kyiv on Monday. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Many civilians took shelter in the deep, almost impenetrable, metro stations, which were designed to double as nuclear bunkers when they were constructed during the Cold War. Videos circulating online show crowds of men, women and children gathered underground, stoically singing Ukrainian folk songs and the national anthem, evocatively titled Ukraine Has Not Perished. After the strikes ended, many were seen to be leaving the city, hauling suitcases and carrying pets.

President Biden condemned the missile strikes in a statement released Monday, saying the attacks demonstrate the utter brutality of [Russian President Vladimir] Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes, the statement said. Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom.

Putin characterized the nationwide assault on Ukrainian cities as retribution for terrorist attacks, presumably a reference to the Kerch Strait Bridge. Theories abound as to how that bridge was blown up. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, told the New York Times it was a truck bomb orchestrated by Ukraines intelligence service, while other Ukrainian government officials have suggested it was an act of Russian sabotage linked to a power struggle in Moscow over Putins flailing war.

Whatever the case, terrorism is exactly how Ukrainians are characterizing Russias deadliest missile campaign in Kyiv since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles.

A medical worker walks past a burning car after a Russian military strike in central Kyiv on Monday. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

The attack comes days after the appointment of Gen. Sergey Surovikin as the new commander of Russian forces in Ukraine. Known as General Armageddon, Surovikin, a former Soviet Spetsnaz (special forces) operator in Afghanistan, took part in the 1991 coup attempt in Moscow, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza, noting that charges against him were later dropped. Now 55, Surovikin led Russian forces in Syria beginning in 2017 where he coordinated a particularly brutal campaign to retake the rebel-held city of Aleppo on behalf of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

Known for his encouragement of targeting civilians in war, Surovikin is said to be close to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian oligarch and mercenary financier who Russia analysts say is now jockeying for a more significant role in Russias defense sector, along with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Among Prigozhin and Kadyrovs political targets in Moscow are said to be current Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov. Kadyrov, who called for Russias use of a low-yield nuclear weapon in Ukraine following a string of humiliating battlefield losses to defending forces, praised Surovikins appointment, writing, the united group of forces is now in good hands.
Former President George W. Bushs paintings will be on display soon at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence.

Portraits of Courage, a large collection of oil paintings and stories by the former president will be available for everyone to see, starting on Oct. 13. The library described the exhibit as Bushs tribute to honor the sacrifice and courage of United States veterans.

Its been two years in the making for the Truman Library Institute. Alex Burden, the executive director for the Truman Library Institute, has been pulling the arrangements together for the last four years, but held off on displaying the artwork since the library wasnt fully open due to COVID-19 restrictions.

I hope the community will come out and see it, Burden said. Its going to be a fantastic exhibit.

Former President George W. Bush painted Portraits of Courage, which will run at Oct. 13-Dec. 31 at the Truman Library.

WHATS IN THE EXHIBIT?

The gallery features 66 full-color portraits and a four-panel mural painted by the president. The artwork shows members of the United States military who served the country since 9/11 and who Bush knows personally.

It started out of President Bushs outreach and the ongoing work of the George W. Bush Institutes Military Service Initiative that aims to help veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and other wars after 2001, when Bush was in office, to transition back to civilian life.

Its also the first traveling exhibit the renovated library will host and is the first time that Portraits of Courage is on display since COVID-19. It was last hosted in Houston in April 2020.

I painted these men and women as a way to honor their service to their country and to show my respect for their sacrifice and courage, Bush said in a statement.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The exhibit is included with general admission tickets, which cost:

$12 for adults

$10 for seniors ages 62 and up

$8 for college students with a valid ID

$5 for teens ages 13-18

Free for kids 12 and under

Burden said veterans and active military members will be able to visit the Bush exhibit and the Truman Library Institute for free while the exhibit is active. Youll have to provide proof of military service for complimentary admission.

Admission is also free if you have a membership. If youre interested in a membership, sign up here. A basic membership costs $35.
WASHINGTON  After the Soviet Union decided to remove nuclear missiles from Cuba in October 1962, President Kennedy praised Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for his statesmanlike decision, which he believed would prove an important and constructive contribution to peace.

A half-century later, President Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin find themselves in a similar scenario, with nuclear fears growing and diplomatic solutions seemingly unattainable. The Russian Embassy in Washington has warned of a Cuban Missile Crisis 2.0, though it blames the West for the escalation.

It was that perilous moment in history, when nuclear war suddenly became a real possibility, that President Biden also invoked last Thursday, when he unexpectedly addressed Putins nuclear brinkmanship during a fundraiser in New York. We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis, Biden said. He added that, in his view, Putin is not joking when he talks about the potential use of tactical and nuclear weapons.

President Biden speaking in Hagerstown, Md., on Friday (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Biden dismissed the idea of a so-called limited nuclear strike that uses a smaller, or tactical, nuclear weapon  perhaps against battlefield positions instead of cities  to frighten the enemy into subservience. As the 1983 American military simulation known as Proud Prophet showed, a limited nuclear engagement is wishful thinking.

I dont think theres any such thing as an ability to easily lose a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon, Biden said last Thursday, reinforcing the point Proud Prophet made nearly four decades ago. Biden, in effect, was asking Putin which Khruschev he intended to be when histories of the present moment are written: the one who nearly started a nuclear war, or the one who averted it?

As with Bidens recent assertion that the U.S. would defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression, the presidents bluntness seemed out of step with U.S. policy, under which defense and diplomatic officials downplayed the threat of a nuclear war in recent days. At the same time, Biden put the situation into a bracing historical context that left little room for ambiguity.

I think its good that the administration has made some tougher threats recently, said the Matthew Kroenig, director of studies at the Atlantic Council who served in high-level national security roles for several administrations prior to the current one. But, Kroenig told Yahoo News, the Armageddon piece could have been presented in a more helpful way."

Kyiv under attack from Russian missiles on Monday. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

The White House says that Biden was doing nothing more than clarifying the moments soaring stakes, which no one but Putin has worked harder or more recklessly to raise. The presidents comments reinforce how seriously we take these threats about nuclear weapons, a senior administration official told Yahoo News.

The kind of irresponsible rhetoric we have seen is no way for the leader of a nuclear armed state to speak, the senior administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. If the Cuban missile crisis has taught us anything, it is the value of reducing nuclear risk, not brandishing it.

And while the Armageddon comments may have been off the cuff, they were informed by Bidens own experience. He was a carefree University of Delaware student when the world seemed on the cusp of a nuclear exchange between the Soviet Union and the U.S., while Putin was a young boy playing in the courtyards of a Leningrad still recovering from World War II. Five decades later, the two men are locked in a geopolitical struggle whose contours mirror all too closely those of the Cold War.

I think its psychological, says Nikolai Sokov, a nuclear nonproliferation expert who once worked for the Soviet Foreign Ministry, of Bidens message to Putin. In a phone conversation, Sokov told Yahoo News that Bidens stark warning was an attempt to persuade Putin that his frequent contemplations about a nuclear strike were already a step too far, especially since the West would respond accordingly. The ongoing conflict may escalate. Sokov said. And once you're locked into that dynamic, it's very, very hard to stop,"

Vladimir Putin addresses a rally marking the annexation of four regions of Ukraine, Sept. 30. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

Bidens remarks came almost a week after Putin delivered a vitriolic speech from the Kremlin, at a ceremony annexing four Ukrainian territories. In his remarks, the Russian leader cast the conflict as one far more significant than a dispute over territory  which Russia continues to lose to a determined Ukrainian counteroffensive. Putin depicted his war of aggression against a much smaller neighbor as an existential struggle between Russia and the West, whose sins he dutifully enumerated, finally alighting on the use of atomic weapons during World War II.

The United States is the only country in the world that has used nuclear weapons twice, destroying the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, Putin said. And they created a precedent.

To his supporters, Putin may have just been stating historical fact, while also highlighting the hypocrisy of Western leaders whose countries have made plenty of territorial grabs of their own (the speech was rife with references to the bloody legacy of colonialism). But to many observers in the West, the combination of context and innuendo was chilling.

The headline of a Wall Street Journal op-ed put the matter bluntly: Putins Nuclear Threat Is Real.

Ukrainian civilians in the city of Kupiansk evacuate after an explosion on a bridge over the Oskil River, Sept. 24. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images)

"This is something we have not seen before, which is a nuclear state making a direct threat to use nuclear weapons, John Erath, senior policy director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, told Yahoo News. Biden is reminding the Russians that they are taking us down a very dangerous road, one that has rarely been traveled  and could lead, Erath says, to a nuclear exchange.

But in the days after Putins speech, officials in Washington worked assiduously to reassure that, in fact, nothing had changed. We're watching this as closely as we can, and weve seen nothing to make us change our strategic deterrence posture, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on CNN.

Russia, for its part, says that it is Washington, not Moscow, that is escalating nuclear rhetoric. Any military confrontation between nuclear powers would inevitably result in catastrophic consequences, the Russian Embassy in the United States stated after Putins annexation speech, even as it reiterated that the U.S. should not doubt our determination to defend Russias national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and people by all weapon systems available to us.

The White House also says that Bidens intent on Thursday was to further isolate Putin in the eyes of other world leaders, to keep him from normalizing nuclear threats as part of his discourse. While the likes of North Korea and Iran issue hyperbolic threats of destruction, Russia is not only a superpower but the most nuclear-capable superpower in the world.

Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles on display in Red Square during the nation's Victory Day parade, commemorating the end of World War II, May 9, 2009. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)

We are not yet at the level of risk that we saw during the Cuban missile crisis, when events began to slip out of control. But the trajectory is not good, Reid Pauly, a Brown University expert on nuclear policy, told Yahoo News. I expect we will continue to see Putin return to nuclear threats whenever the war is going poorly.

The question is whether those threats are anything more than rhetoric. What does their frequency, or intensity, say about Putins state of mind?

I think they are prepared to follow through on the threat. I dont think they want to, Erath told Yahoo News. What the president is saying is, Hey, be careful. This is a road nobody wants to go down.

The senior Biden administration official told Yahoo News that before delivering his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly last month, the president personally rewrote the speech to include a condemnation of Putins reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the nonproliferation regime. He did so for the same reason that he warned last Thursday about Armageddon: to keep the pressure on a Kremlin regime whose rhetoric has turned deeply embittered.

After setbacks by Russian forces in Ukraine, Chechen warlord and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov urged the Kremlin to use a tactical nuclear weapon on the battlefield. Doing so would have little military value, and the Kremlin seemed to discount Kadyrovs provocative advice. There can be no other considerations when it comes to this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about Kadyrovs suggestion.

Head of the Chechen leader and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov. (Chingis Kondarov/Reuters)

As Putin doubtlessly knows, using a nuclear weapon against Ukrainian military positions or cities would have devastating ramifications for Russia that would almost certainly include a military response from the United States and its allies. And any attack on a NATO member such as Poland or one of Baltic states would trigger the alliances collective defense doctrine, leading to a wider European conflict in which Russia would be unlikely to prevail.

There would be geopolitical consequences too. I would say that even China and India will have a quite harsh response, at least rhetorically, in case Russia detonates a nuclear bomb. Putin will risk losing his only friends if he does that, Estonias outgoing spy chief Mikk Marran recently told Yahoo News.

None of this has stopped Putin from brandishing the possibility of nuclear annihilation several times during the war in Ukraine, despite the fact that several weeks before the invasion, five nuclear-armed states  including both Russia and the U.S.  issued a joint statement affirming that nuclear weapons  for as long as they continue to exist  should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war. We believe strongly that the further spread of such weapons must be prevented.

As Russian troops swept into Ukraine and the West rose to denounce the Kremlin, Putin put the nations nuclear forces on high alert and warned the nations allied against him of consequences that you have never encountered in your history.

A man walks his dog in front of a residential block hit by an early morning missile strike Feb. 25 in Kyiv,. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

At the time, Biden downplayed the threat. Asked if there were reasons to worry about nuclear war during a February event at the White House, Biden answered with a single word: No.

In April, after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the threat of nuclear war as serious, Biden issued a more firm denunciation. No one should be making idle comments about the use of nuclear weapons or the possibility of the need to use them, he said.

Throughout the summer, Russia made few advances on the battlefield, as Western weapons continued to flow to Ukraine. Then, last month, a devastating Ukraine counteroffensive saw Russian forces retreat from occupied regions in the countrys war-torn eastern borderlands.

Even top Kremlin propagandists began to worry about the state of an invasion that was supposed to last a few days, but now had Putin dispatching hundreds of thousands of new soldiers to the frontlines. And some observers worried that an increasingly desperate Putin could salvage the invasion with the most terrifying weapons in his arsenal  weapons that had never been used before, except (as Putin himself is fond of reminded) by the United States against Japanese cities in World War II.

In a mid-September 60 Minutes interview, Biden had a simple message for the Kremlin about a nuclear strike: Dont. Dont. Dont. It would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II.

An image of Russian President Vladimir Putin is displayed as President Biden speaks at the White House, June 22. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The reality is that Biden can only do so much, other than meeting Putins rhetoric with his own. The White House knows that Russia is unlikely to leave Ukraine anytime soon but it hopes that, at the very least, the Kremlin can be convinced that the conflict does not have to devolve into unconventional, world-imperiling warfare.

Putin seems to be more interested in not blinking than in getting out of the crisis," says Nina Khrushcheva, a granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev who teaches at the New School in New York and recently returned from a stay in Moscow of several months. The story is driven by its own sensationalism, she said of the threatening rhetoric emanating from the Kremlin.

She says that Khrushchev understood the human terms of a potential conflict with the United States and never wanted the Cold War to lapse into mutual assured destruction.

Putin is a direct descendant of Stalin, Khrushcheva said, and described his apparent quest to reestablish a Russian empire as insane.

Indeed, the shift in Bidens own tone has come as Putins ambitions have taken on increasingly dark and grandiose overtones. Putin and his top advisers now depict the war as a struggle between a morally upright Russia and a colonial, war-hungry West.

Were past Khrushchev, Khrushcheva said, and poined out that the Cuban missile crisis lasted only 13 days. The war in Ukraine is now in its 8th month.
Travelers recognize the United States as a highly geographically diverse nation. Charming coasts, pristine beaches, mountains, forests, deserts, parks  we truly do have it all.

But where does Idaho fit in among these 50 states? According to APR Travel, the Gem State ranks as the 12th most naturally beautiful state. That isnt based solely on opinion, even though it might want to make Idahoans gird for a fight.

APR used a methodology to assign each state a beauty score. These scores were calculated by considering mountains with the highest elevations and the number of named mountains, national parks, waterfalls, large natural lakes and beaches. Every category was scored and then averaged for each state to assign the official beauty score.

Idahos beauty score landed at 5.61.

Idaho ranks 12th in APR Travels rankings for the most beautiful states in America.

States that scored similarly to Idaho were New York (6.12), Maine (5.89), Arizona (5.41) and Michigan (5.37).

The winning state was right next to Idaho: Washington. It is home to 8,000 lakes, 3,167 named mountains, 3,132 waterfalls and 1,368 beaches.

There are 332 waterfalls in Idaho, according to the World Waterfall Database, the largest of which is Goat Falls near Stanley, which drops water 650 feet.

Peak Visor, a mountain-tracking database, says there are more than 2,800 named mountains in Idaho, 72 reaching higher than 10,000 feet. Idaho also features three ultra-prominent peaks, which are mountains with a prominence of over 4,900 feet  Borah Peak (5,981), Diamond Peak (5,377) and He Devil (5,233).

One of the most significant marks against Idaho, it could do nothing about: a lack of beaches. APR Travel took that metric into account.

But the Gem State made a lot of that up by the number of natural lakes in the state: around 2,000, according to Lake Near Me. The largest natural lake in Idaho is Lake Pend Oreille, which is 43 miles long and has 111 miles of shoreline. The lake also ranks as the 38th-largest lake by area in the U.S.

A Mountain Goat surveys Lake Pend Oreille from the top of Scotchman Peak on Monday, June 10, 2019, near Clark Fork, Idaho.

APR Travel also ranked states based on the number of national parks within state boundaries. Idaho can lay a 1% claim to Yellowstone National Park, with the parks western border crossing into the Gem State. Outside of that, Idaho does not have national parks. It does have the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, which underwent a tug-of-war over national park status for much of the 20th century.

Alaska takes the cake for the state with the most mountains taller than 1,500 meters: 64. California has the most named peaks (8,008) and most national parks (9).

Florida has the most lakes, with more than 30,000 large natural water formations.
More than a dozen people were killed Sunday by Russian missile strikes on apartment buildings and houses in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, an assault that the president of Ukraine called absolute evil.

The city, targeted by the pre-dawn attacks on residential homes, has been a Ukrainian-held holdout in a region occupied and annexed by Russia.

A firefighter looks at a part of a wall falling from the residential building that was heavily damaged after a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.



A firefighter looks at a part of a wall falling from the residential building that was heavily damaged after a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (Leo Correa/)

The missile strikes came on the heels of an explosion Saturday that damaged a bridge in Crimea thats served as a critical supply route for Russian military operations in southern Ukraine.

The blast on the 12-mile-long Kerch Bridge, the longest span in Europe, marked a significant blow to Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014. The bridge had become symbolic of Russias claims on the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the bridge attack on Ukraine, saying Sunday that it was an act of terrorism.

Russias missile attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia, the second in three days, killed 13 people, regional police said. More than 60 other people were wounded, including at least 10 children. The previous attack on Thursday killed at least 19 people.

Again, Zaporizhzhia. Again, merciless attacks on civilians, targeting residential buildings, in the middle of the night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a Telegram post.

Absolute meanness. Absolute evil, he wrote. From the one who gave this order, to everyone who carried out this order: they will answer. They must. Before the law and the people.

Zaporizhzhia was one of four regions Russia claimed to annex last week, but the regional capital city of Zaporizhzhia itself has remained under Ukraine control. Russia also claimed to incorporate the provinces of Donetsk, Kherson and Luhansk.

Europes largest nuclear power station is located in the Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control. The last of its operating reactors was shut down by Ukrainian authorities last month to avoid a possible nuclear disaster.

Volunteers work to clean the debris on a site where several houses were destroyed after a Russian attack at a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.



Volunteers work to clean the debris on a site where several houses were destroyed after a Russian attack at a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (Leo Correa/)

The missile attack in Zaporizhzhia damaged some 50 apartment buildings and 20 private homes, according to local officials, and at least one high-rise apartment building that took a direct hit collapsed.

Tetyana Lazunko, 73, wept as she and her husband, Oleksii, surveyed the damage to their apartment and asked why military sites were not targeted in the attack.

Why are they bombing us. Why? she said.

No one has claimed responsibility for damaging the Kerch Bridge, an attack that is considered significant as Russias military efforts falter. Putin personally opened the bridge in 2018 by driving a truck across it.

The Ukrainian president in a video address acknowledged the bridge attack indirectly, saying: Today was not a bad day and mostly sunny on our states territory.

Unfortunately, it was cloudy in Crimea. Although it was also warm, he added.

After the bridge explosion, Russias Defense Ministry announced that the chief of its air force, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, would take command of all Russian troops in Ukraine. He was put in charge of troops in southern Ukraine over the summer.

Surovikin led Russian forces in Syria and has been accused of overseeing a bombardment that destroyed much of Aleppo.

A rescue worker walks past a wrecked car on a site where several houses were destroyed after a Russian attack at a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.



A rescue worker walks past a wrecked car on a site where several houses were destroyed after a Russian attack at a residential area in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. (Leo Correa/)

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said damage from the bridge explosion would restrict some Russian military movements but not cripple Moscows means of equipping its troops in Ukraine.

While not taking responsibility, Ukraine has repeatedly threatened to strike the bridge, and the explosion could trigger a sharp escalation by Russian forces.

Leonid Slutsky, head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian parliaments lower house, said consequences will be imminent if Ukraine was responsible.

The bridge attack will have a further sapping effort on Russian morale, (and) will give an extra boost to Ukraines, said James Nixey of Chatham House, a think tank in London. Conceivably the Russians can rebuild it, but they cant defend it while losing a war.

In a sign that that tension may be rising among the six nations in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Kyrgyzstan on Sunday canceled joint military drills less than a day before they were due to start in the Central Asian nation.

The Kyrgyz defense ministry did not specify a reason for canceling the five days of exercises that were due to involve the militaries of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The alliance was formed in the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Last month, alliance member Armenia skipped a two-week CSTO drill held in Kazakhstan.

With News Wire Services
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Armenias delegation led by Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan was hosted today by Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, the Armenian Parliaments press service said.

The private meeting of Alen Simonyan and Vyacheslav Volodin, which lasted for about an hour, was followed by an extended-format meeting.

Addressing the Russian colleagues, the Armenian Speaker of Parliament thanked Mr. Volodin for the invitation and stated that the Armenian-Russian allied mutual partnership is based on a friendship that has been historically formed between the peoples of the two countries.

During the meeting both sides emphasized that the guarantee to constantly develop the bilateral ties is the active political dialogue at all levels, particularly, between the leaders of the two countries, which outline the dynamics of the cooperation in all areas. The key role of parliamentary partnership in the whole spectrum of the bilateral relations was highlighted, attaching importance to the activity of the inter-parliamentary cooperation commission between Armenia and Russia. In this context the sides touched upon topics relating to upcoming projects, stating that the works should continue on a systematic basis heaving a clear development vector with the principle of preserving the strategic partnership.

The armed aggression of Azerbaijan against Armenia has been one of the key issues that was discussed during the meeting with the Russian partners.

Our visit to Moscow is taking place at a difficult period for Armenia. As it is already known, starting September 13 Azerbaijan has started a new phase of aggression against Armenias sovereign territory. The Azerbaijani armed forces have intensively shelled not only the Armenian military positions in several directions, but also the civilian infrastructure deep in the territory of Armenia. Its a painful fact: we have 207 casualties and wounded, the Speaker of Parliament said, calling the Azerbaijani large-scale attack on Armenias internationally recognized territory a dangerous trend with occupation goals by Azerbaijan in the CIS space. Commenting on the CSTO activity in this respect, Alen Simonyan said that the organization failed to respond to the aggression against one of its members operationally and effectively. Armenia does not have time for long-term solutions regarding security, he said.

Alen Simonyan expressed hope that the proposals made during the CSTO activities will bring their contribution to the de-escalation of the situation and the establishment of stability in the region.

Issues relating to the Armenian Diaspora in Armenia and thousands of Russian citizens who have settled in Armenia were also discussed at the meeting.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan chaired a session of the Security Council today, the PMs Office said.

In addition to the Security Council members, the session was also attended by President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan, Chief of Staff at the PMs Office Arayik Harutyunyan and Head of the Parliaments ruling faction "Civil Contract" Hayk Konjoryan.

The challenges facing Armenia and the future steps aimed at overcoming those challenges were discussed at the meeting.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. On October 10, the delegation led by the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan was hosted by Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the RF Federation Council.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the National Assembly, the colleagues stated that multilateral ties between Armenia and Russia are steadily developing in line with historical traditions of friendship and mutual understanding.

The interlocutors recorded that the guarantee of continuous development of bilateral relations is the active dialogue, for which the significant role of parliamentary interaction was highlighted.

The President of the National Assembly of Armenia presented to Valentina Matviyenko the details of Azerbaijan's armed aggression against the Republic of Armenia, noting that our position is unequivocal. Azerbaijani armed forces must leave the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. The need for a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was extensively discussed, during which the rights and security of the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh will be taken into account and guaranteed.

"The Republic of Armenia makes every effort to establish solid peace in our region. I am sure that it also fully corresponds to the strategic interests of the Russian Federation," Alen Simonyan emphasized.

At the end of the meeting, Alen Simonyan invited Valentina Matviyenko to Yerevan.

"Armenia is not only an ally for us, but we are also connected by warm brotherly relations," noted Valentina Matviyenko, gladly accepting the invitation.
YEREVAM, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. On 7 October, 2022, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan held a meeting with a delegation of French officials, journalists, and lawyers, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Human Rights Defender.

The delegation included the Deputy Mayor of Paris Anush Toranyan, a member of the French Parliament Mr. Sebastien Delogu, French writer and public speaker Mr. Sylvain Tesson, deputy editor-in-chief of Le Figaro Mr. Jean-Christophe Buisson, the editor-in-chief of Revue des Deux Mondes Ms. Valerie Toranian, and lawyer Mr. Francois Devejyan.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco H.E. Mrs. Hasmik Tolmajian was also present.

During the meeting, the Human Rights Defender Ms. Kristinne Grigoryan answered the inquires of the delegation.

The Defender presented the ongoing situation in the borderline communities and the ongoing humanitarian crisis that resulted from the Azerbaijani military attack of September 13-15. The Defender informed that the Human Rights Defender Office has published several reports analyzing the consequences of the Azerbaijani military attack; dismemberment of the body part of the killed Armenian servicemen, torture of Prisoners of War, targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, manifestations of extreme hate speech, etc. The Defender also informed that several displaced persons have not been able to return to their homes, since they were destroyed.

The Defender highlighted the issue of the Prisoners of War, and referred to those who have already returned. She mentioned that they are at the center of attention of the Human Rights Defender; the representatives of the Office held private interviews with the servicemen who already returned from Azerbaijani captivity. Ms. Grigoryan noted about the policy of Armenophobia of Azerbaijan, presented the systemic nature of that policy and the examples proving its sponsorship and encouragement by the Azerbaijani state.

The Defender also referred to the visits and the fact-finding activities in Tavush and Gegharkunik provinces which took place before the September 13-15 military attacks. She presented the registered information, including the evidences of the terrorizing and the violations of the rights of the peaceful residents of the borderline communities.

The members of the delegation thanked the Defender for the work conducted by her Office. The parties agreed to continue the reliable and effective cooperation.
Demand for new administrative units will be a continuous one, one that seeks to bring distant provincial govts in remote capitals

The creation of Telangana, almost 60 years after the people of the region voiced their misgivings about being co-opted into Andhra Pradesh, was yet another step to rationalise and restructure the Union of States that India is meant to be. India was never meant to be a union of linguistic states, but a union of well governed and managed states. The experience of small states has been uniformly good.

Thus, the demand for new administrative units will be a continuous one, one that seeks to bring distant provincial governments in remote capitals closer to people. Before it first formed the government in Maharashtra, the BJP was in favour of a Vidarbha state. Mayawati has many times said that Uttar Pradesh needs to be broken up into three or four states. Even in Tamil Nadu, Dr S. Ramadoss of Pattal Makkali Katchi (PMK), a very regional political party, has mooted the bifurcation of Tamil Nadu, with the northern districts being carved out to form a separate state.

The biggest states of India  Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh  are also its worst-off states, so the acronym Bimaru for them is most appropriate. They are also predominantly Hindi- speaking states and hence quite clearly there is no linguistic or historical basis for their creation and existence as they are. Yet within their blanket linguistic conformity, these states cover a vast diversity of distinct regions, with characteristic commonly spoken languages, culture and historical traditions.

Each of these states, either in terms of land mass or population, will still be larger than most countries in the world. Even without Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh is larger in terms of population than Brazil, Japan or Bangladesh. It was not surprising that despite the supposed linguistic affinity, there were and still are demands for smaller states from within them. All the major political parties supported such aspirations and four new states are the result.

At a time when caste has so fragmented the polity, the demand for small states with a long and traditional affinity, often cemented by a common agro-climatic reality, becomes a strong motivating force to rally the disenchanted and dispossessed to a common cause. But this must not be allowed to discredit the case for smaller and more manageable states.

The late Dr Rasheeduddin Khan most eloquently made out this case in Seminar in 1973. He had India divided according to its 56 socio-cultural sub-regions and a map showing these was the centre-piece of the article. The Seminar map is a veritable blueprint for the administrative restructuring of India. Out of UP and Bihar, eight distinct sub-regions are identified. These are Uttaranchal, Rohilkhand, Braj, Oudh, Bhojpur, Mithila, Magadh and Jharkhand. The first and last of these have now become constitutional and administrative realities. But each one of the other unhappily wedded regions is very clearly a distinct region with its own predominant dialect and history. For instance, Maithili, that is spoken in the area around Darbhanga in northern Bihar, is very different from Bhojpuri spoken in the adjacent Bhojpur area. Similarly, in western UP, Brajbhasha is quite different from Avadhi, that is spoken in central UP. Indias largest state in terms of area, Madhya Pradesh, is broken into five distinct regions; Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra into four each, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka into three each, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Odisha into two each, and so on.

Since 1971, Indias population has doubled, to cross 1.3 billion. Even at constant prices (1980-81), the GNP has grown by 10 times. In 1971, the total money supply (M3) was Rs 11,019 crores, whereas it has now grown to over Rs 16 lakh crores. In PPP terms, it would be closer to Rs 70 lakh crores. Naturally the size and scope of government has also changed. The 1980-81 Budget of the Government of India was a mere Rs 19,579 crores. It is now over Rs 10 lakh crores. The annual budgets of the state governments too have grown likewise.

States like UP, Maharashtra and even Telangana now have annual budgets of over Rs 1 lakh crores each. All the states together have a total annual expenditure in excess of about Rs 9 lakh crores. Last year the total gross fiscal deficit of the states alone was about the same as that of the Government of India.

The total population of India in 1947 was about 320 million. Today, we have about that number of people who are below the poverty line. In the meantime, India has become a very youthful country, with 70 per cent of its people below the age of 30, of whom about 350 million are below 14. Clearly, the task of government isnt only much more enormous, but also much more complex when the rising expectations, the impact of new technologies and demographic changes are factored in. Our record so far is a cause for great concern and is a severe indictment of the failure of the system of governance in India.

That the nature of the regime determines the nature of the outcome is a well-known adage in public administration and public policy studies. The nature of a regime is not only influenced by its Constitution, guiding philosophy, and the consequent system of government, but also by the structure of the system. We know from experience, both in the corporate world and in public administration, that monolithic and centralised structures fail when the size and scope of the organization grows. Thus, to compete with Honda and Toyota, General Motors and Ford have had to restructure into smaller and independent operating units. In public administration, this is called decentralisation.

Decentralisation not only implies the downward flow of decision-making but also greater closeness of the reviewing authority to the decision-making level. Thus, if more decision-making flows to the districts and sub-districts, the state government, which is the reviewing authority, must also have fewer units to supervise. I have always held that the real concentration of power is not with the Central government but with state governments. Thus, when a CM clamours for greater functional autonomy, he or she is actually calling for greater concentration of power in oneself. From the perspective of good governance, this is clearly unacceptable.

Good government also means lesser government, responsive government, closer government and quicker government. Large centralised governments are inimical to good government. The state governments are the worst kind of centralised governments, masking their regional jingoism as a demand for autonomy.
The National Resistance Front led by Ahmad Massoud is present in northern Afghanistan, albeit in a limited way. The United Nations says some 22 opposition groups exist in the country. Anti-Taliban groups lack weapons and money.

Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The National Resistance Front (NRF) has accused the Taliban of ethnic cleansing and war crimes in northern Afghanistan.

Ali Maisam Nazary, a spokesman for the NRF, which opposes the Islamic Emirate, said that the Taliban perpetrated atrocities in some districts of the country, aggravating social schisms.

In the past month, at least 43 civilians have been arrested in Panjshir province with families asked to pay a ransom (firearms in exchange for relatives release), while some detainees have been reportedly subjected to torture on a daily basis.

More than a year after the Taliban seized the country again, some opposition continues, mainly in the north. The NRF is the main anti-Taliban group, betting on the fear of international terrorism to gain Western support.

Ahmad Massoud heads the NRF. He is the son of the late Ahmad Shah Massoud (Lion of Panjshir), a military commander assassinated in 2001 after leading the Northern Alliance against the Taliban.

"Afghanistan is turning into a hub for terrorism, Foreign Policy quotes him as say. The Talibans goal is to spread around the world.

But the NRF is not alone. According to the latest UN report, despite its current inability to operate outside Afghanistan, al-Qaeda is still solidly implanted in the country. In total, at least 22 groups are trying in some way to oppose the Islamic Emirate.

In some areas, the NRF is working with the Afghanistan Liberation Front (ALF), headed by Lieutenant General Yasin Zia, a former Afghan Deputy Defence Minister.

Both he and Massoud (who found refuge in Tajikistan) are raising money, weapons, and support for their cause abroad.

Yet, without victories the resistance cannot attract weapons and funding, Zia noted, and without weapons and money, defeating the Taliban will be harder if not impossible. The question now is who has an interest in supporting another war in Afghanistan?

Last week Amu.tv reported that a district in the far north of the country had fallen to the RFR, only to be retaken by the Taliban next day.

Low-intensity guerrilla favours the Taliban who can rely on the modern weapons and equipment left by the Americans estimated by some to be worth US$ 85 billion dollars.

Despite its capacity to contain groups like the NRF, the Talibans main rival is the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-K), the Afghan branch of the Islamic State (IS) group. In addition to targeting religious minorities, like Shia Hazaras, deemed heretical, the IS group continues to attack Taliban targets, like last week.
Parliament is working on a bill against disinformation presented by the governing party. Critics see it as a threat to freedom. The final draft should be approved by the end of the week. Civil liberties advocates and government critics see planned punishments as disproportionate to the laws aims, i.e., cracking down on false news. Under the bill, offenders could get one to three years in prison.

Istanbul (AsiaNews)  Less than a year from next years elections (June 2023), Turkeys AKP[*]-led government wants to approve a new law that threatens civil liberties, this according to civil rights activists and opposition parties.

The bone of contention, a proposed disinformation bill, has about 40 articles, almost half already approved by Parliament. The remaining articles are expected to be approved by the end of the week.

The way it stands, the proposed legislation has been heavily criticised as another example of the way the press and dissenting groups have been severely attacked in the country.

For the European Commission for Democracy through Law[] (also known as the Venice Commission), the bill includes prison sentences and other measures that are disproportionate to its aims. As it stands, freedom of expression will suffer.

For the government, the law addresses the issue of disinformation in the press and social media and must be approved quickly to be in place for next years parliamentary and presidential elections.

Following constitutional changes, President Recep Erdogan is now seeking a third mandate after he won in 2014 and 2018.

One paragraph in the bill is of particular concern to opposition parties and independent media groups  under it anyone who spreads false information about the country's security to create fear or disturb public order will be punished with prison sentences of one to three years.

The Venice Commission is particularly concerned with the potential consequences of such provision, namely, the chilling effect and increased self-censorship, not least in view of the upcoming elections in June 2023.

What is more, the Commission notes that the bill constitutes an interference with the freedom of expression protected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

For this reason, it urges Turkish lawmakers to clarify terms in the bill and reject the draft amendment. Alternative non-criminal ways exist to counter misinformation and disinformation in a democratic society, the Commissions 23-page assessment affirms.

The bill also provides that news websites employees will be regarded as journalists with the right to press credentials issued by the Department of Communication.

Civil servants working for government information services, radio and television will also be accredited as journalists. In addition, news websites will be listed as periodical publications.

For press freedom advocates and government critics, the bill is part of a long decade of repression against free speech under Erdogan.

A recent Reuters investigation shows how mainstream media has become a tight chain of command of government-approved headlines.

Turkeys parliament will resume vetting the legislation tomorrow after it passed the first 15 articles last week.

[*] Justice and Development Party.

[] An advisory body of the Council of Europe.
Inaugurated at theend of teh Bishops' Conference Plenary Assembly. A large building at the service of formation and evangelisation that will host the local Synod next month. The bishops also thanked the communities of the Vietnamese diaspora "for their love of the Church and the motherland".

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - In Hanoi, the new headquarters of the archdiocese's pastoral centre has been officially inaugurated, a large 12-storey building that will become the heart of the local Church's activities in the great metropolis of northern Vietnam.

The opening took place on 7 October, on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, with a concelebration attended by all the country's bishops, at the conclusion of their 15th General Assembly of the Bishops' Conference, held in the previous days in the presence of the Pope's representative for Vietnam, Msgr. Marek Zalewski.

The Mass, celebrated in St Joseph's Cathedral, was attended by several thousand faithful, who followed the celebration from the outside through big screens. "The pastoral centre is a work of faith and solidarity in the big family of the archdiocese," said Hanoi Archbishop Monsignor Joseph Vu Van Thien, who leads a Catholic community of about 350,000 faithful.

The new facility - located next to the cathedral and the seminary - will be the focal point of the diocesan community, also hosting meetings and retreats for local priests, religious and lay people, as well as housing the diocesan offices. It is equipped with a 400-seat auditorium, a library and over 200 guest rooms precisely to foster the possibility of growing in the knowledge of Jesus and in solidarity in order to proclaim the Gospel to one's brothers and sisters.

The complex also exhibits some memories of the history of evangelisation and the life of Christian communities in Vietnam. For his part, Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang of Ho Chi Minh City, who was elected president of the Bishops' Conference by the assembly, announced that in November, the pastoral centre in Hanoi will host a synod, which will take up the legacy of the Ke So Council, an event that marked the history of the Church in Vietnam 110 years ago.

The new pastoral centre in Hanoi is a sign of the vitality of the Vietnamese Catholic community. In this regard, the Bishops' Conference launched a three-year pastoral plan that will focus on three major issues: strengthening communion (2023); promoting participation in the life of the Church (2024); and proclaiming the Gospel together (2025). The bishops also approved the translation of the entire New Testament by the Biblical Commission; and a pilot project of a digital library of religious texts at the service of the local Churches.

Finally, in the final document of their Assembly, the Vietnamese bishops address an affectionate and grateful greeting to the diaspora communities. "Thank you for always having loved the Church and the motherland of Vietnam," they write, "expressing this love with concrete gestures. May the Lord bless you and sustain you in your daily life'.
Today's headlines: India studies bacteria's resistance to antibiotics, a major problem in the country; Thailand annoucnes a crackdown on drugs; life expectancy falls in Singapore; Afghanistan's human rights rapporteur is reappointed; the last speaker of the Aleutian language has died in Russia.

HONG KONG

Five teenagers, members of a self-proclaimed independence group, were sentenced to three years in prison. This is the first time that the National Security Law - introduced by Beijing in 2020 - has been used against minors. According to the court, the defendants were found guilty of fomenting a riot through social media.

INDIA

India is one of the countries most affected by what is called 'antimicrobial resistance' in medical jargon: it means that the bacteria responsible for infections are resistant to antibiotics. It is estimated that 60,000 newborn babies die from this every year. At Katshurba Hospital in Maharashtra, doctors have discovered that some drugs are less than 15% effective against the most common bacteria.

THAILAND

Thai Prime Minister Payuth Chan-Ocha ordered a crackdown on the spread of drugs in the country after a former police officer attacked a kindergarten and killed 36 people. The former police officer had been suspended from duty for possession of drugs, however medical examinations did not reveal the presence of drugs at the time of the attack.

SINGAPORE

Life expectancy dropped for the first time in the city-state due to covid-19 deaths, despite Singapore being one of the countries least affected by the pandemic. Between January 2020 and June 2022, there were 2,490 deaths, 60% of which were directly caused by the coronavirus. In 40 per cent of the cases, people had existing diseases.

AFGHANISTAN

The UN extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, by another 12 months. However, China, Venezuela and Pakistan voted against the resolution (29 votes in favour, 15 abstained). In recent days, the UN mission in Afghanistan sent teams to Panjshir to investigate alleged torture and killing of civilians by the Taliban.

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Aramco said it will keep its crude oil supplies to seven Asian countries steady despite Opec+ production cuts in recent days and shipments will be made by November, before the winter peak. Moreover, despite the generalised increase in energy costs, Riyadh also kept its crude oil prices for Asian countries unchanged.

RUSSIA

In Kamchatka, the last Russian bearer of the Aleutina language, the language of the Eskimos also found in Alaska, 86-year-old Gennadij Jakovlev, has died, as announced by the president of the Aleutina District Duma, Galina Koroleva. He spoke in the dialectal variant of the islands in the village of Nikolskoe on Bering Island in the Komandorskye archipelago.

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

Following his participation in Prague at the enlarged meeting of the countries of Europe, Armenian Prime Minister Pasinyan reiterated that Armenia "is ready to unblock all channels of communication in the region", as soon as Azerbaijan gives an answer to Yerevan's demands on the recognition of territorial integrity, which has not been so far forthcoming.
The security service leadership has given the green light to the Energean company for testing. The Israeli Defence Minister announces a "resolute response" in the event of an attack by Hezbollah and does not rule out a "broader conflict". The Lebanese Shia movement has threatened reprisals in the event of extraction without agreement.

Tel Aviv (AsiaNews) - Israel has started tests to extract gas from the controversial Karish field, claimed by Lebanon in a long-running dispute over maritime borders in the Mediterranean. According to a report by broadcaster Channel 12 yesterday, the Jewish State's top security services gave the green light to the international drilling company (based in London) Energean to start the tests. A step that could exacerbate tensions with Beirut and scupper the diplomatic path to an agreement, as well as trigger Hezbollah's military response with fears of a new regional war.

In a note, the company said it was 'pleased' to confirm an 'important step in the process' of 'commissioning' (performance verification activities) of Energean Power's 'production, storage and offloading' floating unit. Having obtained the go-ahead from the Israeli Ministry of Energy, the company started the procedures for testing with the flow of gas from underground.

Public broadcaster Kan added that the pumping operations from the site in full operation could be finalised within a few weeks after the start of the tests. In recent days, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz declared that his country will go ahead with the extraction of gas from the Karish field, regardless of Hezbollah's threats and possible military escalation. He announced a 'resolute response' in case of attacks 'by air, sea or land'. And should the clash turn into a 'wider conflict, we will tear Lebanon apart, and that would be a shame'.

On 6 October, Israel rejected the revision of the draft agreement with Beirut, drawn up by US special envoy Amos Hochstein, which should put an end to the maritime border dispute between the two countries. In addition, a possible victory at the polls of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who has already criticised the terms of the agreement as null and void - in the elections on 1 November could put an end to the already difficult mediation work.

Lebanon and Israel are in dispute over a maritime area of 860 square kilometres (332 square miles), according to maps sent by their respective governments to the United Nations in 2011. The area is rich in natural gas and oil. Since 2020, five rounds of indirect negotiations on the issue have been held under the auspices of the UN and mediated by the US, with the last round taking place in May 2021.
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Share This: Tesla is building its second sales, service and delivery center on tribal land. The Pueblo of Santa Ana announced a new Tesla Center on the Tamaya Indian Reservation.

Tamaya Ventures owns the Pueblo of Santa Ana wholly, and partnered with Tesla on a 35,000-square foot multi-purpose center. The new Tesla Center will occupy four acres of land in the Pueblos Master Business Lease/Business Development District. Tesla plans to open the center by May 2023.

This is an exciting start to the next frontier of tribal economic creation, diversification and competitiveness, said New Mexico Gov. Joey Sanchez. Tamaya Ventures has executed extremely well on behalf of the Pueblo of Santa Ana to bring a global partner like Tesla to our region.

"This partnership brings opportunities for economic impact and diversification, and opportunities to create careers not just jobs," Sanchez said. "The investment that Tesla is making in workforce development and training as part of this project will be extremely valuable in helping our strategic efforts to create an economy that is powered by STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Manufacturing].

Tesla plans to invest in workforce development at Santa Ana Pueblo. It offers full scholarships to tribal members so they gain the necessary skills to work at Teslas new center.

In September 2021, Tesla opened its first center on Native American tribal land in New Mexico. By building on tribal land, Tesla effectively sidestepped a New Mexico law prohibiting the company from directly selling EVs and operating a service center in the state. The state law does not apply to tribal lands since they are considered sovereign nations.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, noted New Mexicos presence in...
4WD

The fourth-generation Toyota HiAce was never officially imported into the U.S. Its a shame because it couldve easily outsold every other van, thanks to its genuine qualities. Among them are the 4x4 drivetrain, which can surpass almost any terrain, and the bulletproof diesel engines that are thought to be indestructible. Thanks to the 25-year age limit expiring, its open season for these sweet vans, and well see a lot more in the next years.This 1991 Toyota HiAce is a Super Custom , a top trim with many gadgets built-in. It has dual-zone climate control, an air purification system, a temperature-controlled storage compartment, and even a coffee maker between the front seats. This is rather unusual but speaks of the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink mindset of Japanese carmakers.The van, which was recently imported from Japan, is finished in two-tone Light Blue Metallic (182) and Dark Blue Mica Metallic (8G8) with Super Customgraphics. Like many Japanese vans from the 90s, it has a rear parking mirror and mud flaps. The 15-inch wheels are wrapped in 205/70 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S tires, and KYB shocks have been installed at all four corners.The cabin is something, showing almost no wear and tear after more than 20 years of abuse. This van, as youd expect, is a right-hand drive. Considering this, it has the side door facing toward the middle of the road in the U.S. If you can live with that, the HiAce is a space wonder and a companion that will endure enough to pass it to your grandchildren. The seats can be arranged in various positions and even fold into a bed, so the HiAce is already halfway through becoming a camper van The 2.8-liter 3L diesel engine produced 90 horsepower when it was new and is not known for its wild behavior. In turn, its one of the most enduring and easy-to-maintain engines ever built. The seller mentions that the timing belt and water pump were replaced before importation to the U.S., so the future owner would not have to worry about that. The HiAce is listed on Bring a Trailer , with the highest bid at $4,100 at the time of writing.
SUV

A single-turbo V6 powers the MDX Type S with 355 ponies at 5,500 revolutions per minute and 354 pound-foot (480 Nm) from 1,400 through 5,000 revolutions per minute. Internal testing reveals 6.3 seconds to 60 miles per hour (97 kph), which isnt exactly bad for a family hauler.Sam CarLegion says that 4,800 pounds (2,177 kilograms) is the curb weight of the MDX Type S in the featured clip, which isnt correct. Acura quotes 4,741 lbs (2,150 kgs) or 4,788 lbs (2,172 kgs) with the Advance Package. As for the Genesis GV80 on the other lane, Sam CarLegion lists 5,009 lbs (2,272 kgs) instead of 5,038 lbs (2,285 kgs) for the 3.5T version. In any case, theres no denying the South Korean rival is the heavierBe that as it may, it also happens to crank out 375 horsepower and 391 pound-foot (530 Nm) thanks to a slightly larger engine gifted with two spinny lads instead of a single turbo. Available with two- and three-row seating, the GV80 is rocking a Hyundai Transys eight-speed automatic transmission versus a ten-speed auto developed in-house by Honda.Given these numbers, have a wild guess which is faster in the quarter mile. If you went all in on the GV80 3.5T, tough luck because the MDX Type S makes easy work of the South Korean alternative off the line and over the finish line. From a roll, however, the Genesis and Acura are right beside each other from 32 mph to the quarter-mile finish line in auto mode.Starting from second gear ends with a dominant win for the MDX because of the GV80s disobedient transmission. Upping the starting speed to 50 mph ends with a photo finish. I gotta say both cars [are] kind of within the same speed. In terms of the comfort, Ive driven both and I have to say the Genesis for me feels a bit more comfortable, said Sam CarLegion.
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AWD

Priced at $26,490 sans DFC in the United States, the hybrid is joined by a plug-in hybrid with anrating of 108 as opposed to 105 for the previous generation. Available from $33,740 plus $1,295 for the destination freight charge, this fellow is expected to arrive in dealer stock in the near future.The attached release comes with a disclaimer that reads quantities limited until vehicle stock improves, which is another way of saying that we dont know how many well make due to supply chain issues. With a full charge of the li-poly battery, 33 miles (53 kilometers) ofrange are possible.Based on in-house testing, Kia says that under three hours are needed to recharge the Nirofrom zero to 100 percent from a Level 2 charger. Available in all 50 states, the plug-in sibling features the 1.6 GDi andof the aforementioned hybrid. The electric motor is good for 62(make that 83 horsepower), and the combined output rating is 180 horsepower.The South Korean automaker also mentions 195 pound-foot (264 Nm) of total system torque channeled to the front wheels.isnt available, which is understandable given that the Sportage PHEV features all-wheel drive as standard. Speaking of which, the larger and more expensive crossover is targeting 32 miles (51 kilometers) of electric driving range.Two grades are offered in the U.S. at press time, namely the $33,740 EX and $39,490 SX Touring. What are you getting for your hard-earned cash? Lots of stuff, but Kia is much obliged to charge a few bucks extra for a supplemental cabin heater in the EX. Bundled with the Cold Weather Package, this system is joined by a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats.SX Touring customers are presented with 18-inch wheels and the two-tone Aero C-pillar color panel option. Convenience technology features such as available dual panoramic displays and a transferable digital key also need to be mentioned. In terms of safety, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid flaunts no fewer than 16 advanced driver assistance features as standard, including Forward Collision Avoidance Assist and Blind Spot Collision Warning.
Well, it seems the past few weeks have all been about the heavy-duty love stemming from Detroit automakers. Rams line of HD trucks has been thoroughly upgraded, while the 2024 Chevy Silverado HD and Sierra HD families have both arrived in updated and expanded form. Plus, the all-new fifth-gen Ford F-Series Super Duty was presented as the next attempt of one HD series to rule them all General Motors has even upped the stakes with fresh new trims  ZR2 is coming for the Silverado HD, and the AT4X and Denali Ultimate have been already shown for the mighty Sierra HD. So, one might say that after these, the heavy-duty pickup truck market might be a little crowded, right? But wait, as some folks still think there is enough room for more, even if only digitally Here is Jim, the virtual artist better known as jlord8 on social media, who surely knows how to juggle our vehicle dreams and is now ready to open a completely new CGI-dually chapter in his imagination lands HD garage. Thus, after premium stuff like the Cadillac Escalade 3500 EXT, Lincoln Mark LT 350, or the Chrysler Aspen 3500 ( plus a quirky, chopped-top Tesla Cyberdually ) that will never happen, now it is time for something that actually has a lot of potential.Meet the unofficial 2023 Toyota Tundra Dually, the one JDM-style Stepside that might have logic as the Japanese answer to the Americana HD pickup truck assault. I, for one, am fully down with this, especially if equipped with the regular Tundras i-Force MAX hybrid powertrain. Why is that? Well, simply because it would probably have a V8-killer heavy-duty estimated MPG!
Recently, a helicopter and a helipod hanging from it could be spotted flying above the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.The helicopter came from the Polish company Helipoland, and the helipod, carrying several instruments for atmospheric measurements, is operated by the Institute of Flight Guidance (IFF) of the Technical University of Braunschweig. The two were part of an operation organized by DLR in order to investigate the methane leakage that made headlines all over the world.Equipped with specific methane measurement instruments in addition to its standard systems, the helipod from hanging from a 25-meter (82 feet) rope as the helicopter flew around the area. The operation started off the Polish coast, near Kohlberg, with the helipod reaching as low as 50 meters (164 feet) above sea level.The detailed data collected by the instruments were then displayed wirelessly in the helicopters cockpit. A total of two flights were carried out, helping measure the upwind and downwind sides of the leak locations. Why were these airborne measurements necessary, when we have satellites , you might ask. Anke Roiger from the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics explained that these flights bridged the gap between ground observations and satellite ones.Even modern satellites apparently cant accurately measure methane levels in the atmosphere, especially when theyre located over the sea. This is set to change in the near future as DLR and other players develop more efficient laser-based LIDAR sensors. These would help make satellites weather-independent.It might not seem like a lot, but this scientific mission that was put together in record time helped scientists get a better picture of how much methane continues to leak, as well as its spreading pattern. The biggest goal is to reach a high level of accuracy for critical maritime infrastructure monitoring in the future.
But on the other hand, while most people would expect a Google-owned app to work flawlessly on top of another Google-owned app, this isnt always happening in the case of Google Maps, Waze, and Android Auto.The most recent evidence on this front comes from a bunch of Toyota owners who are struggling with a new problem when running Android Auto and one of the two navigation apps in the cars.While at first glance, the issue doesnt seem to be as widespread as others (not for the moment, at least), these Toyota drivers claim that Google Maps and Waze cause audio cutouts when running on Android Auto.This happens without or without navigation enabled in these apps, so in theory, as long as they are running, they produce the typical audio skipping behavior that makes the entire music listening experience quite a mess.This behavior has already been confirmed by several Toyota owners, and at first glance, it all seems to be some sort of compatibility glitch with the software powering the head units installed by the Japanese carmaker. Toyota itself is yet to acknowledge the problems, and it looks like installing the latest firmware versions for the HUs doesnt produce any improvement.It's hard to tell precisely whats causing the glitch, but it seems the audio skipping is caused by Google Maps and Waze trying to speak another navigation instruction. On the other hand, this doesnt make sense to happen when the navigation isnt enabled.Google is yet to acknowledge the glitch, but itll be interesting to see if the same thing happens in the case of more Toyota owners, especially following the installation of the most recent Android Auto updates.
The South African-born British engineer didnt rush to take the car out on the street, choosing to enjoy the process of building it instead. It all started with an original right-hand-drive shell from South Africa, which was in such a bad shape that you could see the road through the passenger footwell.When this came out, I didnt ever own one, but I always loved the fact that it was compact and good-lookingit was a highly-successful, high-volume car, but it was also very successful at racing and rallying, says Gordon.It literally took years of work to turn it into what it is today  a practical car built for everyday use that the former McLaren Technical Director drives to work. Its not blindingly quick, but its quick enough to have a bit of fun, he says.Under the carbon fiber hood theres a Cosworth-built 2.3L Duratec engine that puts out around 250 hp (253 ps), neatly arranged inside the uncluttered engine bay. Its also paired with a 6-speed Mazda MX-5 gearbox. As a nod to the gold foil on the McLaren F1 , theres a golden triangle section on the underside of the hood.The car features 13-inch wheels, Yokohama tires, bespoke dash and gauges, and even a heated driver seat. However, it only fits a single passenger (in our case Fifth Gear's Jonny Smith), as the rear seats have been removed.The MK1 Escort is an amazing motorcar because so many people have stopped me and said That was my first car, or That was my dads first carIts what I call a sort of a nostalgic motorcar, Gordon said.Press play down below and enjoy the video as Gordon and Jonny take the car out for a spin and chat about the ins and outs of having it built.
Aptly named Escapade, this beautiful sailing yacht was meant neither to show off at millionaires playgrounds nor race in official competitions. Its owner wanted to explore a destination thats rarely visited by any yacht owners, and he took his family along.According to Boat International , Christophe Albin had been dreaming about this for decades after first visiting Myanmar back in the 90s. Finally, a few years ago, he got to sail to the mysterious Mergui Archipelago, a very remote location off the coast of southern Myanmar, onboard his own vessel.This was Escapade, a sailing yacht designed by the prestigious Dubois Naval Architects and completed by Fitzroy Yachts in New Zealand. Although perfectly ready for this kind of adventure, the 123-foot (37.5 meters) yacht was also luxurious and stylish.The master suite can rival those of motor superyachts, fitted with a walk-in wardrobe, en-suite shower room, and a double berth island. There are three more cabins available for guests, who also get to enjoy a beautiful teak-lined jacuzzi and a large sunpad on the foredeck.The guest lounge and bar are protected by a Bimini hardtop, fitted with blinds for the skylights so that it can offer shade or sun, as desired. Up to ten people can be accommodated onboard this stylish yacht with a rich Malaysian theme, reflected in additions such as teak sculptures and Songket silk panels.The rare visit to this unique Archipelago was a lifetime adventure for Albin, his wife, and their son, but just one of the many wonderful trips they enjoyed onboard Escapade. Now, the sailboat is up for grabs through Burgess . Setting off on an adventure in style doesnt come cheap, and neither does this world-traveling vessel, with an asking price of 13.7 million ($13.3).
Thats right, the C-17 Globemaster III diving further into the clouds ahead of it, as if swallowed by nothingness, the parachutes about to open, and the figures in strange postures, theyre all real.First, about what we actually have here. The photo, recently released by the U.S. Air Force (USAF), was snapped at the end of August over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, more precisely at the Malemute drop zone. The pic captures an instance of an airborne operation flight conducted by the soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division (aka Arctic Angels). For their mission, they had to jump out of a perfectly fine C-17 Globemaster III.And they did just that, and it was probably serious business, but the postures this image captured the soldiers in make us wonder if the paratroopers didnt decide to pose for the camera, or for the fun of it. That, or this is one strange manifestation of pareidolia.From the bottom up, these eyes see the following: a couple of cows (or whatever animal your mind phantoms) fighting for balance and a glimpse of terra firma as they dangle from their parachutes, heads down; further back and slightly up, we have a human sitting on an invisible chair, facing away from said cows; even further, two indistinct shapes.The cherry on the cake is the soldier in the uppermost part of the photo, who seems to be walking through air, both on account of his position mid-air, and the fact that his parachute is off camera.Again, we dont know if the soldiers of the 2nd did this on purpose (paratroopers are known to make a spectacle of their jumps from time to time), but what resulted is definitely worthy of an entry in our Photo of the Day coverage.
The type would go on to fight in the Air Forces of Mexico, Brazil, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, and Malaysia, among others. But here in the States, only one squadron of the USAF still operates the type as a mock aggressor squadron. The remaining domestic F-5s are in the domain of the private market, just like this 1968 F-5A, serial number N685TC, for sale via Code 1 Aviation in Rockford, Illinois.Produced from 1959 until at least the early 70s, the F-5A was a different breed of fighter. One that valued light weight, a superb thrust-to-weight ratio, and a maneuverability factor rivaled by few other military jets in the world over raw power and size. Even today, later variants like the F-5E and F-5F Tiger II are still impressive in this way. Albeit, while being pretty much useless as a multirole strike aircraft. It's a likely explanation why the U.S. Air Force never bothered with them in nearly the same way they did other domestic jet fighters.Whatever the case, this F-5A's twin General Electric J-85 engines are industry stalwarts. Everything from the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly to the Scaled Composites White Night spacecraft mothership and even the Lockheed Have Blue tech demonstrator for the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter used it to great effect. The Boom Technologies XB-1 supersonic demonstrator is due to use an afterburning J-85 similar to the same one in this F-5 sometime in either late 2022 or early 2023.We're happy to say the rest of the airplane, other than the engines, is meticulously and beautifully restored. Complete with a full array of avionics and navigation equipment from reputable companies like Collins, Raytheon, and Bendix. So then, an asking price of $950,000, or $49,000 less than a limited-edition Ferrari 599 convertible we found for sale recently, that's a heck of a deal. We can only wonder what the service bill would look like compared to the Ferrari.
Like most major industries, Hollywood was dealt a huge blow by the 2020 international health crisis. Tom Cruise is perhaps one of the few actors to have continued working throughout it all (with minor exceptions), but not even he is immune to the economic effects the crisis had. Plans to have him fly to space in order to shoot a movie onboard the International Space Station (ISS), or at least segments from it, were stalled because of this very reason.They are now back in full gear, as confirmed by Universal Chairman Donna Langley in a new interview with the BBC : Tom Cruise is taking us to space. Those were her actual words; were not paraphrasing.Tom Cruise is taking us to space, Langley said. He's taking the world to space. That's the plan. We have a great project in development with Tom, that does contemplate him doing just that. Taking a rocket up to the space station and shooting and hopefully being the first civilian to do a spacewalk outside of the space station.Cruise won't shoot the entire film there, though. The chunk of the action sees him do his usual stuff on planet Earth, while the third act forces his character to board a rocket for the ISS so he will be able to save the world. He will get there, do what needs to be done, and hopefully be able to return to the Earth he's just saved.Langley did not say whether director Doug Liman is still onboard the project. Liman is a longtime Cruise collaborator who previously worked with him on The Edge of Tomorrow and who said a while back that their project already had space insurance. Previous reports noted that Liman would fly to space with Cruise alongside an unnamed and yet-to-be-cast female actress.Another glaring omission from Langley concerns the timeline of the project, but thats to be expected considering its 2-year unexpected pause. Even when you have someone as A-list as Tom Cruise, pre-production hell can last a very long time, it seems. But the sexagenarian is heading to space, at least in some capacity, whereas everyone else will just have to settle for shooting against a green screen.
We had to have this small incursion into the history of World War Two because the bike we have here is a nod to this Royal Air Force unit. We know that because its builder, Czech-based Gas & Oil , says so, and because the bike features number 313 on its body  a small reference to the 313th Czechoslovak fighter squadron of the RAF in the form of a coat of arms, a memorial to heroes that endures, the shop says.Were also told that the bike, which started life as a normal Triumph 1200, is called The Brian, but we were unable to find out what that name is supposed to stand for.Regardless of name, the Triumph is now a very cold machine, proudly wearing its metallic body wrapped in silver paint/brushed metal (and with no other powerful color on) for everyone to see. Going for a minimalistic design, the bike presents a minuscule fender up front, a slightly larger one at the rear (this one with built-in tail light), and stainless steel downpipes.Mechanically, the bike still uses the stock engine, only it now breathes through a custom exhaust, and thanks to software tampering, gained five horsepower compared to stock. The engine spins wire wheels shod in Metzeler tires.Triumph The Brian is an older creation by Gas & Oil, and its current whereabouts are not known. The motorcycle is obviously still listed on the shops website , with one essential piece of information missing: how much it cost to have been transformed like this.
The connection between the two flights goes beyond the fact that they were made possible by the same company to something Jeff Bezos tried to explain ahead of his flight  and failed. Asked why space tourism was important in the context of the so-called billionaire space race that pitted him against Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic) and Elon Musk (SpaceX), Bezos could only say something about how spending a few minutes in weightlessness at the edge of space would help us solve problems here on Earth.Back then, this answer came across as a word salad at best or, at worst, a billionaires attempt to deflect from rumors of his overinflated ego . In reality, what Bezos was trying to say was beautifully explained by Shatner in his new book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, out on October 4, 2022.Most media outlets are choosing to focus on some excerpts from the book, as Shatner throwing shade at Bezos dreams of the democratization of space exploration or how hes somehow biting the hand that fed him by offering him a multi-million chance that broke records and afforded him an experience most of us can only dream of. Thanks to his legendary role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, Shatner could very well have paid for the flight himself, but he supposedly got to ride for free, thanks to a charity scheme devised by Bezos. When said ride is a historic milestone and you become a Guinness record holder, it's easy to twist the narrative to find hidden meanings. This is Shatner being his (in)famous bitchy self, many headlines are implying.This is just Shatner being brutally honest, as hes known to be  down to a fault. And his being so actually helps the argument in favor of space tourism He describes the feeling of panic that took over on the day of the launch and how he overcame it by telling himself he was a professional and would act like one even if it killed him. He also describes the brief but powerful experience of the actual flight and then his rush to the window once they had achieved weightlessness, whereas everyone else was doing somersaults for joy.When I looked in the opposite direction, into space, there was no mystery, no majestic awe to behold... all I saw was death, he writes . I saw a cold, dark, black emptiness. It was unlike any blackness you can see or feel on Earth. It was deep, enveloping, all-encompassing.Because of Hollywood movies, Shatner had arrived at the edge of space with certain expectations and preconceived notions, and they were nothing like what he was experiencing. And what he was experiencing was the most profound sadness and a sense of despair; nothing about that moment felt celebratory, cathartic, or revealing, and he felt as if he was at a funeral. His own, and mankinds as a whole.Later, Shatner writes, he was able to put a name to what he was feeling  and its the same phenomenon Bezos tried to explain and failed. Its called the Overview Effect, a term coined by author Frank White in 1987, which refers to a cognitive shift experienced by many astronauts when viewing Earth from space. In layman's terms, it is a shift in existential perspective that usually happens in two steps: despair and sadness at the understanding of ones own insignificance , and then hope from a better appreciation of life.In his book, Shatner explains it this way: In this insignificance we share, we have one gift that other species perhaps do not: we are not only of our insignificance, but the grandeur around us thatus insignificant. That allows us perhaps a chance to rededicate ourselves to our planet, to each other, to life and love all around us. If we seize that chance.This explains why the famous actor was so overwhelmed with emotion that he could barely put thoughts into words upon landing. It also adds weight to the arguments of space tourism advocates , Bezos included.
Pakistani Hindus doing a hawan at Mata Hinglaj Mandir, Balochistan

Islamabad

Valmiki community protested over the stoppage of the construction of 70-80 years old Valmiki temple in the Ghaspidhi area of Larkana in Sindh.

They demonstrated against decades of discrimination and subjugation by the Pakistan Government.

On October 8, The locals of the old Ghaspidhi area of Larkana (Sindh, Pakistan) took to a procession claiming that the district authorities have stopped the construction of 70-80 years old Valmiki temple in the area, reported local media.

They claimed due to this government's apathy shown towards their community, there are less than 100 families left in Pakistan.

The protestors further said that they would not be able to celebrate their festival which falls on October 9. The protesters demanded an immediate start to renovation work without delay so that the work could finish in time for next year's festival.

The local Valmiki community has been stopped from offering prayers citing the poor conditions and the damaged structural condition, reported local media.

The sect of the Valmiki are devotees of the sage considered to be the writer of the epic Ramayana, a holy scripture to Hindus.
480 thalassemia patients died in 4 years due to U.S. sanctions: Iranian spokesman

Xinhua) 08:38, October 10, 2022

TEHRAN, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian government spokesman said 480 thalassemia patients have died in Iran over the past four years because of the U.S. sanctions which impede Iran's import of medicine for rare diseases.

Because of the sanctions, 70 thalassemia patients lost their lives in 2018, 90 in 2019, 140 in 2020, and 180 in 2021, Ali Bahadori Jahromi said in a late Saturday tweet.

In addition, 220 thalassemia patients could die this year for the same reason, while EB (epidermolysis bullosa) patients and those suffering from other rare diseases are also among the victims of the sanctions on Iran each year, he added.

Also on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in an Instagram post that all Iranians have been indiscriminately targeted by Washington's unprecedented sanctions, which are affecting their livelihoods, jobs, and health.

"Every day, a new list of sanctions against Iran is issued under an excuse," he noted.

The U.S. sanctions against Iran have intensified since 2018, the year when Washington pulled out of a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Although the United States claims that humanitarian items, including medicine and foodstuff, are not included in the sanctions list, its embargoes on Iran's oil exports and banking sector have, in practice, prevented the country from importing such goods.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Du Mingming)
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Twenty years after the Bali bombings, some survivors have come to terms with their injuries and loss of loved ones, and some have forgiven the militants who carried out the attacks that killed 202 people.

But news that Umar Patek, the convict who helped assemble the bombs used in Indonesias worst terror attack, may be released on good behavior has angered many.

Ni Luh Erniati, who lost her husband, Gede Badrawan, in the bombings, said she met Umar in the Porong penitentiary in neighboring East Java province on Sept. 23 as part of a government deradicalization program.

He kissed my feet and apologized. I didnt know what to do. He wept, Erniati told BenarNews.

I said I have forgiven you. Lets keep our beloved country peaceful so there will be no more Bali bombings, the mother of two said.

In August, corrections officials said Umar could be released on parole soon after receiving a series of sentence reductions for good behavior.

Umar, whose real name is Hisyam bin Ali Zein, was arrested in the Pakistani district of Abbottabad in January 2011, four months before United States Special Forces killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a raid in the same area. Umar was deported to Indonesia in August that year.

He testified during his trial in 2012 that he was involved in assembling the explosives used in the Oct. 12, 2002, bombings that targeted Bali nightclubs, but he denied taking part in planning the attack. Following his trial, Umar was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a crime usually punishable by death.

Counterterrorism officials have touted Umar as a deradicalization success story, but news of his impending release has outraged Australians, 88 of whose compatriots died in the bombings, and victims in Indonesia.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Umars pending release would cause further distress to families of those killed in the bombings.

The bombings that took place at about 11p.m. Oct. 12, 2002, killed 202 people and injured hundreds more. Three bombs were detonated in Bali, two in busy nightspots  the Sari Club and Paddys Bar  and one in front of the American consulate.

The attacks were blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian militant network linked to al-Qaeda.

More than 1,000 people have been convicted and jailed on terrorism-related charges since the Bali bombings, according to the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT).

Three militants belonging to Jemaah Islamiyah  Imam Samudra, Muhammad Ali Ghufron and Amrozi bin Nurhasyim  were sentenced to death in 2003 for their roles in the attack and were executed by firing squad in 2008.
Customers of a restaurant watch the announcement made by Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolving the parliament and calling for general elections at Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 10, 2022.

Updated at 12:52 p.m. ET on 2022-10-10

Malaysias prime minister dissolved parliament Monday, paving the way for snap polls within 60 days, in the wake of decisive wins by the ruling UMNO party in recent state polls.

The announcement was meant to stop questions about the administrations legitimacy, Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a televised address, referring to his government, the third since the 2018 elections.

Ismail Sabri said he received the kings consent Sunday to dissolve parliament, and the palace, in a statement, said the king had no choice but to assent so a stable government could be elected.

With this announcement, the mandate will be returned to the people. The peoples mandate is the potent cure to manifest political stability and shape a strong government that is stable and respected after the 15th general election, Ismail Sabri said.

The dissolution will silence the voices that all this while have questioned the legitimacy of this government, this so-called back-door government or hole-in-the-roof government.

Ismail Sabris United Malays National Organization (UMNO) is the leading party in the ruling coalition, but it had suffered a historic defeat  its first ever  in the last general election in 2018.

However, the coalition that defeated it collapsed due to infighting, and Malaysia has been beset with political instability since.

UMNO returned to the government in March 2021, first by supporting an alliance it later pulled out of, and then by leading its own coalition in August last year with Ismail Sabri as PM. But it was surviving on a razor-thin majority.

The palace statement alluded to these machinations, noting that the king expresses disappointment at the recent political developments and has no choice but to consent to the prime minister's request for the mandate to be returned to the people in order for a stable government to be elected.

The king also hoped that the Election Commission will conduct the 15th General Election at the earliest after taking account of the northeast monsoon, which is expected to begin in mid-November, the statement said.

The countrys monsoon season brings with it often-deadly floods, starting mid-November. Last year, monsoon floods killed more than 50 people and caused 6 billion ringgit (U.S. $1.3 billion) in losses.

Muhd Faisal Abdullah, 19, puts up a Pakatan Harapan flag during the campaign period of Johor state election, at Sungai Terap, Muar, Johor, Malaysia, March 4, 2022. [Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters]

Main opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was scathing in his criticism of the timing of the election announcement.

What kind of a person, what kind of political party, what kind of government  would risk [the] lives of people for an election? Anwar, who heads the Peoples Justice Party (PKR) and the Pakatan Harapan coalition, said in a statement.

Do not be fooled by this selfish government when it says an election must happen now to return the mandate to the people.

Nevertheless, Pakatan was ready for the election, Anwar said about the coalition that scored a historic win over UMNO in 2018, largely due to the 1MDB financial scandal that implicated the then PM Najib Razak, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence for corruption.

[T]he people want to express their frustration with a backdoor government and to reject the traitors, Anwar said.

UMNO think they can win big

UMNO, however, really fancies its chance in the upcoming election, said Salawati Mat Basir, a professor at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Talk has been rife of an imminent election after UMNO won solo landslide victories in state polls in Melaka and Johor, last November and in March, respectively.

UMNOs top leadership, especially its President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his supporters, wanted early general elections, analysts said, to capitalize on these state wins. Critics also alleged that Zahid wanted UMNO back in power swiftly so the government could influence a case in which he is stranding trial for corruption.

Yes, that is why they are so confident, Salawati told BenarNews, affirming that the state poll victories made UMNO believe they had more than a fighting chance, despite the corruption scandals.

Political analyst Md. Azizuddin Md. Sani concurred.

They think they can win big if the election is in November. In my opinion, UMNO will move solo for the upcoming election. They are going to apply the same [running solo] tactic as before just like [they did in] Melaka and Johor, he told BenarNews.

One more thing, next year it is going to be worse for the global economy, which will impact us. Instead of an election next year, it is good to have it this year, form a stable government and focus on the economy next year.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks to journalists outside the Federal Court during a court break, in Putrajaya, Malaysia Aug. 23, 2022. [Lai Seng Sin/Reuters]

But UMNO would have to overcome the taint of corruption, refreshed for Malaysians when the Federal Court in August upheld the guilty verdict against senior UMNO leader and former PM Najib for corruption in a 1MDB-related case.

Najib was packed off to prison to serve his 12-year sentence and has since applied for a royal pardon, a decision on which is awaited. UMNO has continued to back him, saying he didnt get a fair hearing at his appeal before the Federal Court. The former PM is also standing trial in a 1MDB case in which he faces 25 charges of abuse of power and money laundering.

Meanwhile, UMNO President Zahid is battling his own graft charges, although he got a reprieve when he was acquitted last month in one of two cases.

Zahid is currently standing trial in a second case in which he faces 47 criminal charges related to the alleged misappropriation of 52.25 million ringgit (U.S. $11.42 million) from his family-owned foundation set up to help the economically disadvantaged. Some local media reports say a verdict in this case is expected early next year.

Analyst James Chin of the University of Tasmania believes that UMNOs desire to hold elections as quickly as possible stems from these graft cases.

They want to get back into power so they can do something about court cases, Chin told BenarNews.

That's very obvious.
Supporters of detained former opposition Sen. Leila de Lima hold signs as they wait for her to pass in Muntinlupa, Philippines, Oct. 10, 2022.

Calls for the Philippine government to provisionally release detained ex-Sen. Leila de Lima increased Monday, as police released details of her harrowing ordeal in the hands of an inmate who took her hostage after two others were killed while attempting to escape.

Butch Olano, Amnesty Internationals chief in the Philippines, said the government should release the former senator from the Philippine National Police custodial center inside its Camp Crame headquarters immediately following Sundays violent episode.

Olano said it was deeply alarming that the former senator and leading critic of former President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs has had to endure this traumatizing and frightening experience.

The Philippine government must thoroughly and impartially investigate this incident  especially as Leila has been the subject of vicious attacks and political persecution in the last five years  and ensure that this never happens again. It is the governments obligation to ensure the safety and security of Leila, and of all detainees while in detention, Olano said in a statement.

Her immediate release is the least that the Marcos administration could do to rectify her situation, he said. Anything less  including President [Ferdinand] Marcos offer to transfer to a different detention facility  is a perpetuation of this grave injustice against her, he said.

Cristina Palabay, human rights group Karapatans secretary-general, joined in calling for de Lima and other political prisoners to be released.

In the first place, Sen. Leila de Lima shouldnt be in jail over preposterous, retaliatory and baseless charges. Many political prisoners like her have always faced dangers and threats to their security even in prison. She should be released immediately, Palabay said in a Sunday tweet.

Human Rights Watch on Sunday also said it was horrified by the incident and renewed its calls for de Lima to be released.

On Monday, Sen. Risa Hontiveros recounted seeing de Lima hunched over her chair while giving testimony to authorities.

Of course, who can be unshaken with such an experience? She was already committing to paper her memories of the ordeal while everything was still fresh, Hontiveros said.

With her typical strength of spirit, unbroken after half a decade in unjust detention, she was talking with me, with her lawyer, with her staffer who was there, sometimes even able to laugh after she heard anything funny, Hontiveros said.

Harrowing ordeal

Philippine police on Sunday said three detainees facing criminal charges for their alleged links with terrorist groups Abu Sayyaf and Dawlah Islamiyah attacked an officer with a crude knife while lining up for breakfast. Dawlah Islamiyah is the Arabic name Filipinos use to refer to the Islamic State.

Two suspects were killed in the ensuing struggle, while a third ran toward de Limas cell and held her hostage.

In her affidavit shortly after the incident, de Lima said she tried to reason with the inmate, identified as Feliciano Sulayao Jr., who appeared ready to kill her after he had been cornered. His two companions, Arnel Cabintoy and Idang Susukan, were fatally shot minutes earlier.

She said Sulayao pressed a sharp object an icepick or a screwdriver  to her chest as he demanded an escape vehicle and said that if he demands were not met he would kill her.

When my hostage-taker saw that the main outer maximum security gate had been shut, he again dragged me inside my room where I fell hard because he pushed me, de Lima said in her sworn statement. Once inside, he tied my feet and he blindfolded me, she said, adding that he used towels to restrain her.

While I was blindfolded, he sat me on a swivel chair with my back toward the door. All the while, this sharp object was pressed hard against my chest, she said.

Sulayao wanted to be taken back to the southern island of Jolo and asked de Lima to relay the message, but she couldnt because mobile phones were not allowed inside the jail, according to de Limas sworn statement in Tagalog.

He later asked what time it was and when he saw the wall clock in de Limas cell, he said: Its 7 a.m. now, if nothing happens by 7:30 a.m., Im sorry maam, we are both dead. They will kill me anyway, might as well take you along.

He was shouting that he wants the media, and when none came, he said this is it maam, its time. He started praying in Islam and then I started praying quietly. Closed my eyes and uttered mentally, dear Lord, it is up to you, de Lima said.

Seconds passed before she heard successive shots and de Lima said she was rushed outside the cell.

Investigation

National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. told reporters that investigators are looking into lapses among prison guards that led to the hostage situation, adding that the chief guard has been relieved.

The Forensic Group is also conducting an investigation at the site. We are trying to study, reevaluate the existing policies and guidelines pertaining to the visitation of detainees families, Azurin said.

Former Sen. Leila de Lima meets with Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. following the hostage situation at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Oct. 9, 2022. [Benhur Abalos Jr. Facebook page]

Marcos said he would talk to de Lima to check on her condition and offer the former senator an opportunity to be transferred to another detention center.

De Lima declined the offer, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr., who met with her on Sunday after the incident.

But she said she feels safer in her current place so she prefers to stay there, Abalos said.

De Lima was jailed in 2017 on charges that she profited from drug dealing while serving as justice secretary. Since her arrest, at least three of the governments witnesses have backtracked and said they had been coerced into testifying against her.

Rights groups have called the three cases against de Lima trumped up, and she has denied all the charges. A court already dismissed one of three cases against her.

On Monday, the prosecutor cut short a court hearing on one of the remaining cases against de Lima because Abalos had tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday evening.

Jeoffrey Maitem and Dennis Jay Santos in Davao City, Philippines, contributed to this report.
Relatives of the daycare mass killing victims offer food to Buddhist monks in a ceremony at Wat Rat Samakkhi in Uthai Sawan, northeastern Thailand, Oct. 10, 2022.

Thai immigration officials on Monday deported two CNN journalists after they were denounced for entering the site of a daycare massacre and broadcasting graphic images from the crime scene.

Meanwhile, funerals for the 36 victims continued, as workers and monks built cremation pyres on the grounds of several Buddhist temples in advance of last rites ceremonies.

Over the weekend, Thai police detained Australian reporter Anna Coren and British cameraman Daniel Hodge after a local official filed a complaint that the duo had improperly entered the site of the rampage where 24 children between the ages of 2 and 5 were killed by an ex-cop on Thursday. Officials and other journalists slammed the CNN reporting as unethical and insensitive.

Thai immigration officials told BenarNews on Monday that the pair were escorted to Bangkok airport and deported because they were working without a media visa, which is a criminal offense.

[We] sent them back in the afternoon because they had their visa revoked, said Lt. Gen. Pakpoompipat Sajjapan, chief of the immigration bureau.

Danaichok Boonsom, a local administration official, filed charges against the reporters at a police station in Uthai Sawan, northeastern Thailand, saying the CNN video broadcast had taken a serious toll on locals, especially the bereaved relatives.

Give us respect. What did you do that for? the local official told reporters after coming out of the police station, the Bangkok Post reported.

Danaichok Boonsom talks to reporters after filing a case against CNN reporters at a police station in Uthai Sawan, northeastern Thailand, Oct. 9, 2022. [Sakchai Lalit/AP]

A senior Thai police officer said investigators had found that the CNN team was unaware that the person who allowed them to enter the center was not authorized to do so.

Based on witnesses and pictures, they did not intend to trespass, because at that time there was preparation to receive a royal wreath and the door was open, Maj. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, deputy national police chief, told reporters.

While they were cleared of wrongdoing, Surachate said, the government fined the pair 5,000 baht [U.S. $132] each for illegally working after entering the country on the tourist visas.

CNN pulled the story on Sunday, saying the network regretted any distress or offense our report may have caused, and for any inconvenience to the Thai police at such a distressing time for the country.

If the team understood that the building and its rooms were off limits, they would not have entered, CNN said in the statement posted to Twitter, adding there was no police tape at the scene at the time.

The team entered the building in good faith, to gain a fuller impression of what transpired inside and to humanize the scale of the tragedy for their audience.

Coren and Hodge apologized to the victims families and Thai authorities in a video filmed inside a local police station.

We are so sorry if weve caused you more pain and suffering. That was never our intention  and we never came here to cause more grief, Coren said in the video circulated by Thai police.

Insensitive, unethical

Still, the Thai public and members of the media slammed CNN.

Saying they didnt know they were breaking any rules is missing the point. There were no rules at what was a fluid and traumatic crime scene. This is about ethical judgement, not rules, BBC correspondent Jonathan Head fumed on Twitter.

They didnt cross the police line after all, but they still crossed the line of decency, Stephane Peray, a French cartoonist based in Bangkok, posted on Twitter on Monday, above a cartoon depicting CNN as a hungry hyena crossing toward a dead zebra marked exclusive story.

The Thai Journalists Association criticized the CNN actions as unethical and insensitive.

Tu Anh Nguyen, who teaches communication arts at Khon Kaen University in northeastern Thailand, said CNN crews actions were inappropriate for Thailand because the killing was tragic for the Thai people.

Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also slammed the foreign journalists, saying an open door should not be an excuse to enter a crime scene.

It was inappropriate, he told reporters on Sunday. You are foreign reporters. You must have ethics in how to present news.

Buddhist monks oversee the construction of cremation pyres for the daycare massacre victims at Wat Rat Samakkhi temple in Uthai Sawan, northeastern Thailand, Oct. 10, 2022. [Wason Wanichakorn/AP]

Cremation preparations

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and members of his cabinet were scheduled to attend royal palace-sponsored group cremations on Tuesday at several temples in Nong Bua Lam Phu province, a government spokesman said.

Workers and monks constructed the cremation pyres on Monday.

Last rites for 19 people were to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at Wat Rat Samakkhi, its abbot, Adisai Kijjanuwat, told The Nation newspaper. Adisai said Tuesdays event would be the first mass cremation at the temple and he hoped it would be the last.

Local media reported that the attacker, Panya Khamrab, was cremated on Saturday in a neighboring province after local temples refused to host his final rites.

At the time of the attack, Panya was facing trial on drug-related offenses. Thai police said an autopsy found that he had not taken any drugs in the 72 hours prior to the attack.

Also on Monday, Prayuth ordered the Interior Ministry to launch frequent, comprehensive crackdowns on illegal drugs and called on the Public Health Ministry to take action to properly rehabilitate addicts, spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said in a statement.

Opposition political parties, meanwhile, agreed to seek a special parliament session to discuss the killing spree and drug abuse, saying they want lawmakers to find ways to prevent future atrocities. One-third of lawmakers from both chambers must come together to submit such a request.

Cholnan Srikaew, who leads the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, promised a war on drugs if the party wins next years elections, slated to take place in the first half of 2023. He also called for a review of gun legislation.

In Thailand, mass shootings are rare even though firearm ownership is among the highest in Asia.

Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai, Thailand, contributed to this report.
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The Global Digital Health Summit, Expo & Innovation Awards will be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 28th & 29th October 2022

India will host the first-ever Global Digital Health Summit at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan. The inaugural edition will be attended by Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya. Patricia Scotland KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General, will also deliver a special keynote address besides some of the tallest leaders in the world in Digital Health gracing this summit.

The two-day conclave will address the key issues critical to building a Digital Ecosystem aiming at Digital Health for All and how professionals and organizations can adopt digital technologies. The summit will address the crucial issue of Return on Investment (ROI) in Digital Health, barriers to adoption for small healthcare organizations and individual clinicians, and discuss how the metaverse, gaming, and 5G will transform healthcare.

The event is organized in association with the world's foremost digital health associations viz, The Global Health Connector Partnership (American Telemedicine Association, HLTH, European Connected Health Alliance, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health, African Health Federation, The Digital Health Society, Health Parliament), The International Society for Telemedicine & Health, Switzerland, and Internet Governance Forum- Dynamic Coalition on Digital Health.

The summit is also accompanied by an award presentation to recognize the outstanding contributions and innovations in this field. The Global Digital Health Innovation Awards are open to all Healthcare providers from the public and private sectors, including startups working in the field of Digital Health. The awards will follow the nomination process and shall be presented to the winners on 29th October 2022.

Developed with a global advisory board comprising the world's foremost leaders, the summit will witness the presence of the global leaders in digital health and the movers and shakers of healthcare from across the USA, European Union, Africa, UK, and Southeast Asia. The proceedings of the summit will be captured in the form of the outcomes report, which shall lay a roadmap for digital adoption in the future.
Network of 23 tele-mental Health Centres of Excellence created

Establishing a new milestone in the field of mental health on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10th October, Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative of Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare was launched virtually by Thawar Chand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, in the presence of Dr K. Sudhakar, Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education, Karnataka & Vice-President, NIMHANS.

Tele-MANAS aims to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas.

The programme includes a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence, with NIMHANS being the nodal centre and International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB) providing technology support. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bengaluru and National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHRSC) will provide the technical support.

Tele-MANAS will be organised in two tier system; Tier 1 comprises of state Tele-MANAS cells which include trained counsellors and mental health specialists. Tier 2 will comprise of specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio visual consultation. Presently there are 5 regional coordination centres along with 51 State/UT Tele MANAS cells.

States/UTs launching Tele Mental Health Programme today include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli and daman and Diu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Pan-African alternative investment firm, Exeo Capital has announced its acquisition of the Vital Health food group through Nurture Brands (Pty) Ltd, the functional and convenience foods platform in Exeo Capital's Agri-Vie Fund II.

The transaction was led by Riel Malan, Exeo partner and executive chairman of Nurture Brands.

As he comments: Collectively, the acquisition of the Vital Group will put Nurture Brands on the fast track to becoming one of South Africas most ubiquitous branded consumer goods groups in the functional and convenience food sectors.

As a household name in South Africa, the Vital brand has garnered national recognition and consumer confidence over the past 75 years, during which it has made a significant contribution to the development of the FMCG and consumer-health landscape. We believe that this acquisition will propel it along this positive trajectory.

"We are also excited by the prospect of working with a team of such a high calibre to fulfil the broader growth strategy for Nurture Brands.

Vital is South Africas oldest manufacturer and distributor of vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS), with its iconic flagship brand bearing the same name. In its accomplished 75-year-old history, the company has become a trusted name in the sector and a part of the healthcare regimes of millions of South African families.

The Vital Group also has two wholly owned subsidiaries, Wassen and ProMeal. Wassen supplies the UK and European markets with a scientifically formulated range of specialised VMS products. Promeal is a leading companion animal nutrition company supplying a range of pet food products to South African retailers.

Greg Heron, chief executive officer of the seller, Infinitus Holdings and outgoing chief executive officer of the Vital group commented: Nurture Brands is a natural fit for Vital and its team. We believe both the business and the team have found a great home in Nurture Brands.

A force to be reckoned with

He explains that Vital is backed by decades of experience and an acute understanding of the needs and lifestyle demands of South African consumers. Our team, therefore, brings a high level of insight to Nurture Brands. We look forward to working together to achieve our collective business objectives and realise the tremendous potential that this transaction creates across all sectors in which the enlarged group operates.

Exeo Capital has a 15-year track record of investing in food and related businesses in sub-Sahara Africa. Nurture Brands was established in 2021 as a platform with a longer-term focus to build a group of branded, functional and convenience food businesses in high-growth sectors.

In addition to its first acquisition, Fairview Cheese, Vital Health Foods provides an expanded platform from where Nurture Brands will further scale its specialised health food offering to the African and international markets.
In its October postgraduate graduation, Rhodes University will honour journalist and anti-apartheid activist Thenjiwe Mtintso with a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) degree.

Source: Dirco

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela said the honour was in recognition and celebration of Mtintsos long and sustained contribution as a dedicated freedom fighter and a committed gender activist.

Our nation owes her an unpayable debt of gratitude and appreciation for all the sacrifices she has made throughout her life as a dedicated human rights and gender activist. She gave a voice to the many who had been rendered voiceless by the iniquitous and oppressive system of apartheid. I am delighted that the Rhodes University community has seen it fit to honour her sustained and significant contributions by the award of an honorary doctorate and warmly congratulate her on this richly deserved recognition and notable achievement, said professor Mabizela.

Student politics

High Commissioner Thenjiwe Mtintso was born on 7 November 1949 in Soweto, Johannesburg, where she grew up. Her mother, Hanna Mtintso, was a domestic worker, and her father, Gana Makabeni, was a trade unionist and a member of the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA).

Due to financial constraints, she was forced to leave school and work full-time in various factories to finance her part-time studies at secondary school. She matriculated at Damelin College and studied for a BSc degree at the University of Fort Hare.

Being born to an activist father, it was not surprising that at university, she became a member of the South African Student Organisation (SASO) and Black Consciousness Movement. Her activism in student politics led to her being detained several times by the security police in the 1970s and her eventual expulsion from the University of Fort Hare.

Exile

After being expelled for political activities, she moved to King Williams Town and worked as a field worker for the Border Council of Churches in their Dependence Conference program, looking after families of political prisoners and ex-political prisoners themselves. She was also a reporter for the Daily Dispatch, a liberal newspaper edited by anti-apartheid campaigner Donald Woods. During the 1970s, she was subjected to ban, detentions, solitary confinement, and severe torture by the South African police. After Biko was murdered while in police custody, she went into exile in 1978.

While in exile, she joined the ANC and its military wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). She underwent military training and rose through the ranks to become a commander of MK. She was sent for further training in Cuba at the Fe del Valle School. After receiving military training, she worked in Lesotho with the Regional Political-Military Council, which coordinated the ANCs political and military activities in that country.

She later served as head of the Regional Political-Military Council in Botswana (19861989) and as the ANCs first chief representative to Uganda (19891991).

Mtintso remained in exile until 1992 when she returned to South Africa and enrolled for her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and Sociology at the University of Witwatersrand. She was appointed to the Transitional Executive Committee and thus became an active participant in the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (Codesa) negotiations. After the first democratic elections in April 1994, she became an ANC Member of Parliament.

She was elected to the ANC National Executive Committee in 1994, 1997, and 2002. In March 1997, Mtintso was appointed the first chair of South Africas Commission on Gender Equality. In 2001 she and her other comrades formed Gender Links and she became its first chairperson.

She resigned a year later after being elected as the first woman ANC Deputy Secretary-General in December. Mtintso also served as a member of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP). Meanwhile, she also enrolled for a Masters in Public Management Development degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1998.

She served as South Africas ambassador to Cuba (20032008), Italy (20092012), Romania (20142016), and Spain (20192022). In addition, Mtintso was South Africas high commissioner to Malawi from 2016 to 2019. In 2022, she was appointed South Africas High Commissioner to Namibia.

Mtintso has been active in various gender and womens structures throughout her life. She has engaged in gender training, especially for women in politics in Africa. She has written articles published in various local and international publications on women, patriarchy, gender relations and defence. She has presented papers and participated in various national and international workshops, seminars and conferences on women, gender, democracy, and defence.

She will be honoured on Friday, 14 October 2022 at the 1820 Settlers Monument in Makhanda.
The winners of the 2022 Absa Top 10 Olive Oil awards were announced on 7 October at the Asara Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.

Absa Top 10 Olive Oil awards winners 2022. Source: Supplied

As part of an ongoing partnership between Absa and the SA Olive Industry Association, every year following the annual SA Olive Awards the highest-scoring gold medal winners are entered into an additional round of blind judging. Out of this, the 10 top-scoring extra virgin olive oils are then selected for the prestigious Absa Top 10 Olive Oil Award.

The Absa Top 10 Olive Oil accolades were awarded to:

 Altevrede:

Altevrede - Favolosa

 De Rustica:

De Rustica Collection: Coratina

 Falcon's Nest Farm:

Chaloner The Peregrine Limited Edition

 Het Vlock Casteel:

Het Vlock Casteel Favolosa

 Mardouw Investments:

Mardouw XXV Intense

 Morgenster:

Don Carlo Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Oudewerfskloof Olive Farm:

OWK Picual

 Porterville Olives:

Andante Delicate

 Rio Largo Olive Estate:

Rio Largo Gold

 Zoetigheyd Farms:

Zoetigheyd Premium Frantoio

Pursuit of excellence

The partnership between SA Olive and Absa started in 2013 when the Absa Top 5 Olive Oil Awards were first introduced. Since then, this award has grown into an annual event at which South African extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) producers are recognised for their pursuit of excellence in producing top-quality EVOO.

SA Olives CEO, Vittoria Jooste says, We are delighted to be celebrating our South African olive oil producers with such a prestigious event. So much hard work, determination and technical expertise are needed to create EVOOs of the highest quality, and South African producers should be duly recognised for producing quality olive oils, year after year, in spite of the many challenges.

The annual Absa Top 10 Olive Oil Awards is an excellent platform to showcase the best South African EVOOs and give producers  finalists and winners - the recognition they deserve.

Willem Nel, Absas regional segment head: high value banking and premium Cape region, says After nearly a decade of working with SA Olive, we are proud to be part of this annual award ceremony once again. As we have recently celebrated Heritage Day, we truly believe that olive oil is deeply rooted in our heritage, and at Absa we take pride in celebrating the rich history, tradition, diversity, excellence, and quality of South African extra virgin olive oil.

South African producers are creating top-quality olive oils every year, and we need to do all we can to continually support and assist them in promoting their products as they play an invaluable role within the local olive industry. We would like to congratulate all entrants and winners on a job well done.
Ask Afrika, that had established the Ask Afrika Orange Index in 2001 and Ask Afrika Icon Brands in 2010, is proud to announce that the winners of these two benchmarks will be announced during a luncheon at The Venue, Melrose Arch on 3 November 2022.

Ask Afrika has combined the awards into one event this year because they have seen the importance of the interplay between experience (customer, employee and user) and brand. In short, businesses thrive when they approach brand and customer experience holistically and build the brand-CX eco-system. Ask Afrikas Wayfinder approach helps brands build this eco-system.

The Ask Afrika Experience-Brand Eco-system

More about the benchmarks

The Ask Afrika Orange Index  strategic customer experience, diagnostics, and trends.

The Ask Afrika Orange index is at the forefront of service benchmarking and is the broadest independent, and most widely referenced customer experience benchmark in South Africa.

It is the definitive measurement for identifying the companies that offer the best customer service to their clients. The measurement is based on mixed method approach with over 30,000 completed interviews, which represents a representative number of clients in the various industries that have been measured. The Ask Afrika Orange Index offers a strong base from which to rank the top customer experience companies in the country (it is widely known as the 'go-to' customer experience strategic benchmark in South Africa).

The Ask Afrika Orange Index provides answers to questions you often did not know you had. The event will place an emphasis on the opportunities to work towards establishing excellence in customer experience in the various industries and inspire leaders to step into the future of customer experience.

Ask Afrika Icon Brands  a scientific approach to measuring brand loyalty.

The Ask Afrika Icon Brands demonstrate brand and product loyalty among South African consumers.

The Ask Afrika Icon Brands survey is the largest benchmark of its kind in South Africa and covers 161 product categories this year measuring thousands of brands.

This study uses a nationally representative random sample, 25,000 consumers were surveyed, representing 28,000,000 adult South African consumers. An enumerated area sampling design was employed, and the universe includes all communities with more than 8,000 inhabitants 15 years old and above. The data was weighted using the Statistics South Africas population estimates and audited by respected independent experts BDO and Dr Ariana Neethling.

The data is collected via continuous face-to-face interviews throughout the year, from February to November. Interviews are household based and take place throughout the week, capturing the full life of consumers. The Ask Afrika Icon Brands index is essentially a weighed usage and loyalty index calculated to ensure that iconic status is universal across the population.

The Ask Afrika Icon Brands survey provides marketers wishing to target the entire population with the requisite tools to track trends and to gain greater insight into the consumers mind-set and behaviour.

This years event will cover why winners win and assist marketers and executives to step into the future of brand marketing and relevance.

We look forward to your company at this prestigious event, and hope that you could arrange your time to join us as we take you through some valuable insights and announce the winners of the two prestigious awards.

The event is an invite only event due to limited space. You will receive your invites from the Ask Afrika team throughout October. Please RSVP as soon as possible as the venue can only take a limited number of delegates.

Once again, a warm invitation for you to join us will be coming your way. Please book your diaries for a day not to forget as we are really looking forward to your presence. Alternatively connect with us, we would love to visit you and share these incredible insights with your teams.

To connect, you can contact az.oc.akirfaksa@lladneK or az.oc.akirfksa@airaM.

Visit us on www.askafrika.co.za.




LexisNexis South Africa appoints Mukosi Mukwevho as its new chief technology officer, to drive the organisation's technical strategy and ambitious digital growth plans.

Mukwevho, a cloud computing enthusiast, with more than 24 years commercial software experience, will be instrumental in driving tech advancements at LexisNexis SA, with a special focus on search and workflow platforms, mobile applications and big data analytics.

Mukwevho has led several national and global organisations in key industries, including chemical manufacturing, IT consulting, retail, banking, telecommunications, cloud computing, and space industry. He joins LexisNexis SA from the South African National Space Agency where he was acting managing director for earth observation.

As demand for online legal solutions continues to rise, Mukwevho, who is passionate about artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud computing among others, will be responsible for devising and implementing a future-proof IT strategy, giving customers the tech to ensure their experience is as simple and stress-free as possible.

Said Mukwevho: The continued transformation within the legal sector and the role that technology plays in driving that change makes joining LexisNexis SA an exciting opportunity. I am looking forward to sharing my expertise, learning from a highly skilled team and delivering top class client services supported by innovative technology solutions."

My approach is to keep things simple by selecting the right technology solution for the job. With demand transforming the current market, and technology innovation expanding dramatically, my aim is to ensure were at the forefront of innovation and development by providing cutting-edge solutions and driving disruptive technology in the legal space, he said.

Mukwevhos appointment supports the companys overall vision of enhancing the potential of the African continent by advancing the rule of law.

Said LexisNexis SA CEO Videsha Proothveerajh: Mukwevho will play an integral part in our strategic development through several exciting projects. We are constantly striving to improve and expand the services we offer, and I know that his experience and expertise will be invaluable. Im delighted to welcome him on board.




The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (Gala) and the International Advertising Association (IAA) have released the second edition of the two-volume set, Privacy Law: A Global Legal Perspective on Data Protection Relating to Advertising & Marketing.

Privacy Law: A Global Legal Perspective on Data Protection Relating to Advertising & Marketing Source  zamollxis 123rf The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (Gala) and the International Advertising Association (IAA) have released the second edition of the two-volume set,

We are thrilled to release the second edition of the definitive guide to privacy law relating to the advertising industry, says Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, who is the chairman of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance and the managing partner of Frankfurt Kurnit. We hope that this guide continues to be a valuable resource to marketers around the world.

Comprehensive guide

The more than 800-page guide provides a comprehensive look at how privacy and data protection laws affect advertising and marketing in more than 70 countries -- from Argentina to Zimbabwe.

The guide also provides detailed information about how to comply with privacy laws in the European Union (EU).

Organised by country, each chapter provides detailed information about how privacy is regulated in that country with respect to advertising and marketing, and covers such topics as, rules about collection and storage of personal data, data breaches, and regulatory enforcement.

Each chapter also provides unique insights about how the privacy landscape has changed in recent years, where the changes will be in the future, and the challenges companies face.

Important updates

The second edition provides important updates to privacy laws that have occurred since the book was originally published in 2020.

The second edition also includes new chapters on privacy laws in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Latvia, Lithuania, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Daniel Goldberg, chair of Frankfurt Kurnits Privacy & Data Security Group, helped lead the effort to prepare the second edition, along with Stacy Bess, Galas Executive Director.

Privacy laws are evolving at a rapid pace globally, and its critically important that marketers understand the impact the laws have on their business  and the consequences if they fail to comply, says Goldberg. The second edition of this guide is a critical resource for every marketer around the world.

Joel E. Nettey, world president and chairperson of the IAA, writes in the introduction to the second edition: The IAA applauds Gala for not only their commitment but also their inclination to the constant and judicious evaluation of policies within the marketing communication space across the world. The global marketing and communication industry is better because of the intervention of this landmark book."

Hard copies of the book are available for purchase on Amazon.com. Pdf versions are also available, for free, by contacting Gala or IAA.
Miss International South Africa 2022, Ferini Dayal, has a grasp on how to pursue your dreams no matter how split they may seem.

Image supplied: Miss International SA Ferini Dayal

Dayal will be representing South Africa in Japan at the Miss International pageant in December.

She is also a surgeon at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, with the intent of pursuing plastic and reconstructive surgery. She is also the founder of the Dayal Foundation, a charitable institute that looks to make a difference through fundraising and medical advocacy.

We spoke with Dayal to find out more about how she ended up combining seemingly polarised worlds

Tell us how your journey ended up combining the medical and pageant worlds.

My heart has always resided with medicine. For as long as I can remember, Ive wanted to be a doctor. But my dad being in broadcasting and covering pageantry, from a young age I was fortunate enough to watch incredible South African women walk the stage and become international icons for making a difference.

I worked extremely hard in my medical career to qualify as one of the youngest in my class with two degrees, thereafter I knew that I wanted to pursue pageantry to show that women from completely different fields could successfully do both.

I won my first pageant at age 14, later on competing in Miss South Africa and now the current Miss International South Africa.

How do you manage your time between being a surgeon and pageantry?

Time management has been a skill Ive nurtured over the years to get to a point where Im able to say Im managing.

Its definitely tough, surgery on its own comes with many challenging factors - add in my philanthropy and pageantry, and its an entire universe of juggling on its own.

Having a strong support structure is extremely important and Im so grateful to have a family who assists me in all aspects of my career choices. Its imperative to plan ahead to understand what to prioritise and most importantly for me to know exactly the path you want to take. This will allow you to understand what to say yes and no to, to remain true to your causes and this way your true successes flourish.

You are an advocate for womens health - could you tell us more about what challenges women face in South Africa and why you have tried to help with these challenges?

There are so many challenges within the healthcare system as a whole. Specifically for women, access to health care and availability of resources remains a huge concern.

Its important to address these issues and so many people around the country are doing so. One that Ive specifically focused on and opted to support is period poverty (sanitary pads), living in a society where pads are not considered as free healthcare is something that needs to be revolutionised.

Gender-based violence in our country is something that as a doctor we see on a daily basis, our numbers are portraying that we are the rape capital of the world, and not enough is being done about it. I dedicate my time to speaking to women in hospitals to empower them to speak up against it, to report it and to be aware of the help thats available in and out of the system.

Teen pregnancy, drugs and alcohol, mental illness, and breast cancer - these are just some of the issues I advocate for that affect our women, and each issue comes with its own difficulties.

Ive chosen to stand for them because I know the difference Ive been able to make being afforded the opportunities and would like each woman to have the same chance in doing so, and understanding that they can with the correct guidance and help make change is why we should all have a hand in creating a system that supports us all going forward.

In your opinion, what changes do we need in the medical system to make womens health more accessible?

Accessibility to health stems from understanding that its a vicious circle of lack of staff, lack of hospitals, lack of resources, and thus poverty-stricken societies unable to attain access to health.

Changes need to happen both from a department level in appropriately recognising the issue and funding change and additionally from educating our populations of understanding disease and knowing when to seek help.

To create this change, money needs to be placed correctly into staffing, revamping hospitals and ensuring that hospitals have sufficient stock for our doctors to adequately be trained and perform their duties.

Additionally, our people need to understand the basics of health issues in our country and when and how to seek appropriate help.

You are heading off to represent South Africa in Japan soon, how are you feeling about it?

Im ecstatic, its a dream come true for me to represent our country and to show them who I am on that stage.

To get to do what I love at an international level is an absolute honour - and, hopefully, so will the crown.

What value do you see in pageantry?

Pageantry has shown its success in the many women who have created change in the world from it.

Pageantry is a platform for women, strong empowered women, to stand for a cause and make a change. Theyre a voice for millions of women who need one and evidently so, have the ability to influence on a mass scale for change.

Theres nothing more valuable than having the opportunity to change the life of another for the better and when done in the correct light - and thats exactly what pageantry does.

What advice do you have for people who have dreams that dont seem to mix?

No one defines perfection for your life but you. No one can tell you what works and what doesnt in success except the person walking that path, and that last decision is always yours.

Never allow anyone to define who and what your dreams are, know your purpose and undeniably follow it until you have become exactly who you are meant to be in this world.
To paraphrase Julius Caesar, 'They came, they saw, they conquered' ... and you can add to that, 'They ate, they drank, and they partied!' That's the narrative of the wildly successful Madeira Festival which arguably broke all attendance records for a lifestyle event this year.

Thousands of fun loving Gauteng-ers celebrated three sun-kissed days of fabulous Portuguese and Madeiran food, wine, dancing, and an unrivalled lineup of live performances by the likes of Dr Victor, Kurt Darren, Lee Cole, Sergio Rossi, and then danced the night away with beat-filled DJ sets by DJ Dino Bravo, Shawny B and Luis Almeida and others.

The delicious food stalls, manned by some of the top Portuguese chefs in the province, provided mountains of succulent prawns tossed in butter and garlic, hundreds of juicy grilled espetadas, and so much spicy chourico that it could have formed a ring around the festival itself! For instance, one of our major stalls, Churrasco, sold a staggering 3,000 prawns, 400 chickens and half a tonne of meat. This yummy cuisine was washed down with gallons of ice cold Vinho Verde, Cerveza, and bottled water

From an organisational point of view, it ticked all the boxes: ample parking, tight but low-key security (there were no major incidents at the festival), first class medical facilities, clean ablutions, and post event clean-up.

Manny Ferreirinha, national chairman of the Portuguese Forum of South Africa, who hosted this special event enthused: We are overwhelmed by the fantastic response from the public to the Madeira Festival. We achieved our set goal to provide a world classic event in a safe and secure environment and to help celebrate the contribution of the Madeiran Portuguese community to South Africa. 2023 will see the return of the spectacular Caravela Festival which will be even bigger and better than anything we have staged to date.




During the annual Seifsa Presidential Breakfast on Friday, 7 October, Steel and Engineering Federation of Southern African (Seifsa) president and chairman Elias Monage said that as the country faces severe economic challenges, it is more important than ever for the organisation to call for a more business-friendly environment.

L-R: Seifsa president Elias Monage, political analyst Justice Malala, and Seifsa CEO Lucio Trentini

These harsh economic realities emphasise the important role that business leaders need to play, and more importantly, the role Seifsa must play in representing its members in the lobby for a far more conducive and business-friendly environment, said Monage.

Keeping government accountable

While Monage recognised that little can be done to change the global economic headwinds, he said the domestic ones  which are frankly own goals of bad policy choices and economic mismanagement  are in the hands of the policymakers. And this is where Seifsa must continue to play the important role of keeping government accountable.

Locally, the energy crisis has hamstrung the economy and deters much-needed investment, while the rising cost of capital which will taper domestic economic activity and the poor state of local government, affecting service delivery for companies and infusing costs of doing business, are all headwinds faced by the sector  and at present, only intensifying, warned Monage.

South Africa's deepest failures

Also speaking at the breakfast, political analyst Justice Malala called for attendees to fasten their seat belts and then took them through some of South Africa's deepest failures  the energy crisis, the looming water crisis, the riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July 2021, the 65% youth unemployment, xenophobia, a widespread crisis of confidence and many more  all contributing to a deep distrust in the ANC, the government and its institutions.

Malala warned that in the face of all these challenges the key risk is when people lose confidence in democracy itself.

Some positive news

But he did mention that there is some positive news, including the censuring of consulting firms McKinsey and Bain as a result of what was exposed during the Zondo commission into state capture. The battle to win over corruption seems to have been rejuvenated, he said.

He called the Zondo commission a victory for law and order, adding that the judge did an outstanding job despite many challenges.

Business has a huge role to play in addressing these challenges, said Malala. Seifsa, as an organisation, and many others have a key voice and can provide the country with a path forward.
Two teachers' unions have accepted the government's revised 3% wage increase offer to public servants.

It would be wrong for teachers to strike so close to learners exams, says the National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa. Graphic: Lisa Nelson / GroundUp

The National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), and the South African Democratic Teachers Unions (Sadtu) have both accepted.

Its not what we wanted at all, we are not happy, but our members have made it clear that we must sign the offer. Its better than getting nothing,  said Sadtu spokesperson Nomusa Cembi. He said Sadtu would not join a strike on the issue.

Naptosa director Bismail Manuel told GroundUp that he felt the unions had reached the end of the road with the wage negotiations.

Our members agree that this 3% wage increase is an insult, but we also feel like we cannot get more. Our members also made it clear that they will not go on strike. Learners have already been seriously affected by the Covid pandemic, so going on industrial action just before the final school exams would be very selfish, said Manuel.

We will not negotiate for more, we are signing the offer.

Manuel said the union was hoping to influence the budget for 2023.

The negotiations with government deadlocked over four weeks ago and many unions have vowed to go on strike. The government is offering a 3% pensionable increase across the board, and the continuation of the current cash allowance of R1,000 at all salary levels.

Other public service unions including the Police, Prisons, and Civil Rights Union (Popcru), the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers Union (Nupsaw) have rejected the 3% offer and threatened to go on strike.

Last month members of unions affiliated to the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), picketed, demanding a baseline increase of 8%.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) said it rejected the wage offer as it does not take into account the rising cost of living. If nothing changed, the union said it would strike next week.

This article was originally published on GroundUp.
When employees are found guilty of misappropriating funds in the workplace, employers are tasked with questions concerning the recovery of the lost funds. However, an issue which is often overlooked, is the employer's responsibilities in terms of Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004 (Precca).

Image source: Alexander Raths  123RF.com

Reports in terms of Precca

Section 34(1) of Precca places a duty on persons of authority to report certain offences where the quantum of the corruption, theft, fraud, extortion, forgery or uttering of a forged document is more than R100,000. The section provides that any person in a position of authority who has knowledge or suspicion of such an offence has a duty to report the matter to the South African Police Services.

The South African Police Service Amendment Act 10 of 2012 (SAPS Act), provides that such a report should be made to a police official in the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). Thereafter, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will consider the findings of the DPCI and exercise its discretion as to whether charges should be laid.

Persons in a position of Authority

Section 34(2) of Precca provides that any person in a position of authority who fails to report such corrupt activities is guilty of an offence. The following persons hold positions of authority in terms of Precca:

The Director-General or head, or equivalent officer, of a national or provincial department;

In the case of a municipality, the municipal manager appointed in terms of section 82 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998;

Any public officer in the Senior Management Service of a public body;

Any head, rector, or principal of a tertiary institution;

The manager, secretary or a director of a company as defined in the Companies Act 61 of 1973 and includes a member of a close corporation as defined in the Close Corporations Act 69 of 1984;

The executive manager of any bank or other financial institution;

Any partner in a partnership;

Any person who has been appointed as chief executive officer or an equivalent officer of any agency, authority, board, commission, committee, corporation, council, department, entity, financial institution, foundation, fund, institute, service, or any other institution or organisation, whether established by legislation, contract, or any other legal means;

Any other person who is responsible for the overall management and control of the business of an employer; or

Any person contemplated in paragraphs listed above who has been appointed in an acting or temporary capacity.



Employers seeking to recover funds misappropriated through the unlawful conduct of their employees, are reminded to reflect on whether they are required to report such conduct to the appropriate authorities.
Food and cultural market, Time Out Market is set to open at the V&A Waterfront in late 2023 in Cape Town. Opening in partnership with the V&A Waterfront Holdings, Time Out Market Cape Town will showcase a curated mix of the city's best culinary and cultural experiences.

Source: Supplied | jrivas | Time Out Market Chicago

To be located in the current V&A Food Market space, Time Out Market Cape Town will span 27,000 sq ft and feature 14 kitchens, four bars and one stage. With approximately 750 seats, guests will be able to sit indoors or quayside with the view of Table Mountain as a backdrop.

This will be Time Out Markets first location in Africa. The first of its kind opened in 2014 in Lisbon in a historic market hall, quickly turning into one of the most popular destinations in the city with over 4m locals and tourists visiting in 2019. Following the success in Lisbon, new locations opened in 2019 in Miami, New York, Boston, Montreal and Chicago, and in 2021 in Dubai.

Celebrating local culinary, cultural talent

Chris Ohlund, CEO of Time Out Group  the global media and hospitality business that curates and creates the best of the world's greatest cities through its two divisions: Time Out Media and Time Out Market, says: "Bringing Time Out Market to Cape Town is an exciting step as we continue to bring our food and cultural market to exciting cities around the world. The location at the V&A Waterfront is breathtaking alongside being one of South Africas most visited destinations.

"Time Out Market is about the best of the city and celebrating local culinary and cultural talent  both award-winning and up-and-coming. We are looking forward to bringing this to life in the wonderful city of Cape Town. The food here is simply stunning and Time Out Market will be a great platform to showcase the very best Cape Town has to offer, putting a spotlight on the citys extraordinary talent."

Source: Supplied | Time Out Market Montreal

With a focus on supporting local businesses, a close connection with the city is at the heart of the Time Out Market philosophy. As with its existing locations around the world, it is expected that the Cape Town site will bring significant employment and new opportunities for local talent.

Time Out launched in London in 1968 with a magazine to help people discover the exciting new urban cultures that had started up all over the city. Today, across its digital and physical platforms spanning websites, social media, newsletters, video, Live Events and the Markets, Time Out helps people discover the best things to do, see and eat in 333 cities in 59 countries.

David Green, CEO of V&A Waterfront Holdings, comments: "We are delighted to have secured this great offering. Time Out Market coming to our city, reaffirms Cape Town as one of the worlds leading tourism destinations. We are looking forward to the vibrant offering and another way of showcasing local culinary expertise."

More Time Out Market locations are in the pipeline in cities such as Porto, Prague, Osaka and more.
From the outset it needs to be said that there simply is no formula for the 'perfect entrepreneur'. A writer for Business News Daily put it perfectly: "while no natural-born skill is a prerequisite (for becoming a successful entrepreneur), some characteristics are good predictors."

Ben Bierman

From the outset it needs to be said that there simply is no formula for the perfect entrepreneur. A writer for Business News Daily put it perfectly: while no natural-born skill is a prerequisite (for becoming a successful entrepreneur), some characteristics are good predictors.

These are four of the traits that many of the worlds most prolific business people have in common:

An appetite for risk

A study written for the Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship assessed a constituent of entrepreneurially minded business students for the traits they shared. The study found a strong correlation with having the mindset of an entrepreneur and having a propensity for risk-taking.

Several experts agree that being willing to take risks and put a business idea to the test under trying conditions, is in fact one of the leading traits of entrepreneurs who thrive. This is not to say that entrepreneurs are completely risk-seeking or that all risk-takers will be successful in getting their ventures off the ground. The best entrepreneurs, however, are thorough analysts and evaluators, and are able to weigh up the odds and formulate a plan b as a way of mitigating potential hurdles.

A willingness to fail

Entrepreneurs are known to be some of the most optimistic people around. But in the back of the mind of every aspiring business founder must be the understanding that failure is a possibility.

A fitting adage is that an overnight success doesnt happen overnight. Examples of how this plays out in real life abound. JK Rowlings book, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was rejected by 12 publishing houses before it was published in 1997. Bill Gates founded an unsuccessful data measurement company which crashed horribly, long before he started Microsoft.

What the public see in the stories of prominent business figures is only the end result  what they dont usually realise is that the biggest successes are often preceded by a few earth-shattering failures. The best entrepreneurs know this and are willing to move forward in spite of it.

Persuasiveness

As an entrepreneur you will be called upon to convince many different groups of people about different things. For example, youll need to be able to convince financiers to support you with funding for your small business. Youll also need to convince new recruits that working for your start-up will be a worthwhile steppingstone in their career.

Your success in these attempts will be determined by your level of persuasiveness. Many entrepreneurs attest to not taking no for an answer, and finding various ways of rebutting a negative response or inventing a new angle of approaching a situation that may be more convincing.

South African ad man and creative pioneer, Reg Lascaris wrote in his book, Lessons from the Boot of a Car, that he saw no way to break into the world of advertising without any experience. His solution to removing this barrier was to convince companies to allow him to work for them for free. After three months, his clients agreed to pay him  these were the beginnings of an empire of a career.

An eagerness to learn

Many entrepreneurs believe in the notion of lifelong learning. Even in cases where they are regarded as experts in their field, highly dynamic entrepreneurs possess a sense of curiosity about the world around them and have a hunger to learn more.

According to Forbes author, Ben Walker from the Young Entrepreneur Council, an eagerness to learn is one of pillars of how to be a successful entrepreneur. This is particularly important for startup founders who are often called upon to wear many different hats in the fledgling stages of their business.

Over time, by upskilling, actively seeking out opportunities to learn and develop, by asking questions and nurturing a sense of open-mindedness, flourishing entrepreneurs become well-rounded, multi-faceted and multi-skilled individuals.




According to the South African Medical Technology Industry Association (SAMED), its partnership with the Youth Employment Service (Yes) has helped inject R90m into the economy through youth salaries alone.

The partnership encourages SAMED member organisations to participate in Yes and has so far seen 33 members sign up with several others in the pipeline. These SAMED members have placed youth both inside their organisation and externally through the Yes turnkey solution.

Tanya Vogt, executive officer at SAMED, explains the rationale behind the partnership, SAMED is a voluntary trade organisation which acts as the united voice for a complex and diverse sector. We have a core focus on transformation in the medtech sector to create jobs, which is why we have partnered with Yes since 2021.

Providing quality work experience

Young people continue to bear the brunt of South Africas unemployment crisis. Two in three young South Africans aged between 15 and 35 are jobless, according to the latest unemployment statistics released by StatsSA.

Research by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) shows the most effective way to enhance employability is to provide young people with quality work experience and skills  exactly what this partnership between Yes and SAMED aims to accelerate. StatsSA research has also shown that having prior work experience makes a young person seven times more likely to transition into employment. 46% of Yes alumni are currently employed, which is double the national average.

Capacitating the healthcare sector

Besides placing youth in their own organisations, SAMED members have become increasingly interested in placing youth in Yess vetted, healthcare implementation partners.

One of the major challenges facing South Africa is the lack of access to healthcare, particularly in rural and under-resourced communities, says Yes chief operating officer Leanne Emery Hunter. SAMED members want to play their part in protecting the most vulnerable and many have used Yess turnkey solution to change youth lives and help capacitate this crucial sector in the process.

Whether placing youth in their own organisations or in healthcare implementation partners, SAMED members are showing that marginal investments in skills and employment opportunities will lead to exponentially larger changes in the labour market and broader economy of the country. 88% of Yes youth come from grant-recipient households and that first job for youth is the trigger to an economic cascade of events, rippling through families and communities, Hunter adds.
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Sanef is hosting a safety and wellness for journalists workshop for free on 26-27 October 2022 in Johannesburg. The number of candidates is limited to secure your spot send your contact details and motivation as to why you should be part of the workshop. Candidates who are successful and are outside Johannesburg will receive travel and accommodation assistance. Send applications to az.gro.fenas@eizduzd before Friday, 14 October 2022.
Update: Twitter Censers FL Surgeon General Dr. Ladapo Then Backtracks After Public Backlash

Via: The Highwire:

The Florida Department of Health (FDH) conducted an analysis through a self-controlled case series, a technique originally developed to evaluate vaccine safety, and just announced some shocking results.

In a press release discussing the findings of the study and announcing the new mRNA Covid-19 vaccine guidance, FDH wrote, This analysis found that there is an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death among males 18-39 years old within 28 days following mRNA vaccination.

Alongside the studys publication and findings the states Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, has recommended against males aged 18 to 39 from receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Those with preexisting cardiac conditions, such as myocarditis and pericarditis, should take particular caution when making this decision reads the recent FDH press release.

A link to the study and a short description of it posted to Twitter by Dr. Ladapo was promptly deleted from the social media site because it violated the Twitter rules according to the company. Yet, after prompt public backlash, Twitter capitulated and reinserted the Tweet.



I wonder if Twitter is going to ban the Surgeon General of Florida

Today, we released an analysis on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines the public needs to be aware of. This analysis showed an increased risk of cardiac-related death among men 18-39. FL will not be silent on the truth. Guidance: https://t.co/DcWZLoMU5E

Press Release: https://t.co/Y0r9yepi7F  Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD (@FLSurgeonGen) October 7, 2022

Via: Florida Department of Health:

Today, State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo has announced new guidance regarding mRNA vaccines. The Florida Department of Health (Department) conducted an analysis through a self-controlled case series, which is a technique originally developed to evaluate vaccine safety.

This analysis found that there is an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death among males 18-39 years old within 28 days following mRNA vaccination. With a high level of global immunity to COVID-19, the benefit of vaccination is likely outweighed by this abnormally high risk of cardiac-related death among men in this age group. Non-mRNA vaccines were not found to have these increased risks.
A huge missile barrage unleashed on Ukraine today is merely the 'first episode' of Russia's revenge for a blast which crippled the Crimea Bridge and 'there will be others', one of Putin's staunchest allies has warned today.

Dmitry Medvedev, who once served as president Putin's stead, said Ukraine poses 'a constant, direct and clear' threat to Russia and that the Kremlin should aim to 'completely dismantle the political regime of Ukraine' which he described as 'Nazi'.

He spoke shortly after Putin let rip with 83 missiles at what he claimed were military, energy and communications networks in Ukraine. Kyiv said the missiles actually hit power plants and busy civilian areas in major cities, killing at least 11 and wounding scores more. It was Russia's largest single barrage since the opening day of the war.

As Medvedev issued his threat, Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko appeared to be laying the groundwork to join the war. He announced Russian units would combine with his own and deploy to the Ukraine border, accusing Kyiv of planning to attack with help from allies Poland and Lithuania.

Belarus has acted as a staging ground for Russian attacks on Ukraine, but has not yet been involved in the fighting.

Polish interior minister Maciej Wasik said his government is now inspecting its bomb shelters to make sure they are fit for purpose, though insisted the move is 'routine' and not in response to Russia's bombardment. Warsaw is preparing for the 'darkest scenarios' even if there is only a 'small probability that they will occur', he added.
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party supremo and three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Mulayam Singh Yadav died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after prolonged illness.

"Mere adarniya pitaji aur sabke netaji nahi rahe - Akhilesh Yadav," the SP tweeted from its Twitter handle.

The 82-year-old former defence minister was admitted to a hospital since August and was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Gurugram-based Medanta Hospital on October 2.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among a host of leaders who condoled his passing away.

Murmu said the achievements of Yadav, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary

"'Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a veteran leader and was connected with the land. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters! Murmu tweeted in Hindi

The prime minister said Yadav served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising ideals of Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.

The Congress and BJP condoled Yadav's demise and said his passing away was an irreparable loss to Indian politics.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a three-day state mourning and said Yadav's last rites will be conducted with full state honours.

Born on November 22, 1939 into a farming family in Saifai near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav spawned the state's most prominent political clan.

Yadv served as defence minister from 1996 1998, and chief minister thrice in 1989-91, 1993-95, and 2003-07.

The SP supremo was elected an MLA 10 times and an MP, mostly from Mainpuri and Azamgarh, seven times.

For decades, he enjoyed the stature of a national leader but Uttar Pradesh largely remained the akhara where Yadav played out his politics, beginning as a teenager who was influenced by socialist leader Lohia.

For party workers, even when he was no longer the SP president - the mantle passed on to his son Akhilesh Yadav in 2017 - the patriarch remained Netaji, the leader. And his presence on the scene provided the glue that held the Yadav clan together, at least to a degree.

A socialist, Yadav was open to possibilities in politics. Thanks often to mergers and splits, he had been affiliated with a series of parties -- Lohia's Sanyukt Socialist Party, Charan Singh's Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Bharatiya Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party. He founded his own SP in 1992.

Yadav struck deals with the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress whenever needed to form or save the governments led by him in Uttar Pradesh.

In 2019, Netaji sprang a surprise by praising Modi in Parliament, wishing that he would return as prime minister after the next election. This, when his party saw Modi's BJP as its main rival in UP. The remark baffled analysts.

Just as another comment, back in 2014 at a rally, triggered outrage when he spoke against the death sentence for rapists, saying boys make mistakes. And then, there was his advocacy of the idea that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should form a confederation.

Yadav, who took part in student union agitations and briefly taught at an inter college after getting a Political Science degree, first became an MLA in 1967.

During his second term as MLA from the same constituency, Indira Gandhi declared Emergency and Yadav was sent to jail, like many opposition leaders.

Back in the ring after the 1975-77 Emergency, Yadav became the state president of the Lok Dal. When the party split, he headed one faction of the state unit.

Yadav was leader of Opposition in the UP Legislative Council and then in the state assembly, before becoming the chief minister in 1989 with the BJP extending outside support to his Janata Dal government.

When the saffron party withdrew support over the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue in 1990, the Congress kept his government afloat for some months.

In November 1993, Yadav again headed a government in UP, supported by the BSP. It collapsed when the ally pulled the rug.

The SP leader then moved to the national stage, being elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 from Mainpuri.

As opposition parties tried to form a non-BJP alternative to the Congress, Yadav briefly appeared to be in the fray for the prime minister's post.

But he ended up becoming the defence minister in the United Front government headed by H D Deve Gowda and the Sukhoi fighter jet deal with Russia was finalised during his term. Years later, he would be part of short-lived coalition of Janata Parivar parties that hoped to fight the 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar together.

In 2003, Yadav became UP chief minister for the third time after the collapse of a short-lived BSP-BJP coalition government.

In 2012, the SP was again in a position to form the UP government. But the senior Yadav stepped aside so that his son Akhilesh could become the state's youngest CM at 38.

But squabbling in the party and the family led to a coup of sorts by Akhilesh Yadav in 2017. Akhilesh, the son from his first wife Malti Devi - he later married Sadhna Gupta - was at loggerheads with the old guard that included uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav.

In the final years of his life, the ailing patriarch played a diminishing role in the affairs of the party that he had founded.
I Was Fired by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. I Wonder Why

10. 10. 2022 / Muriel Blaive

cas cteni 12 minut

In October 2022, I was fired by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, where I had been working since 2014. Seven of us, out of whom six women, were fired simultaneously, including two of my former bosses, Blanka Mouralova and the former USTR director, Pavla Foglova, and the librarian Livia Vrzalova. But apparently, I was the only one from within the research departments to be thrown out. Here is the update on personnel movement we all received:





I was of course wondering why I was fired. When I was officially notified, I received this explanation:







So, I was fired in order to increase the institutes work effectivity. It is strange, because I was under the impression I was quite productive. Notwithstanding the fact that I was the first researcher to ever receive a GACR grant at USTR, in 2016, here are the headlines of the articles I published, am about to publish, or submitted for publication only in the last two years (since 2020), all in top international journals or international academic publications, and keeping in mind that I was working only part-time at USTR from September 2021 to October 2022. As it happens, this has probably been the most productive period of my life:





Perhaps my employers thought I was not engaged enough in the Czech public sphere? But also since 2020 I published not a few articles addressed to the Czech wider public:











Since neither my academic publications nor my publications for the wider public appear to be the problem, I reflected that my employers might have thought I did not have enough of an international profile, so I checked my status on Web of Science. Web of Science is an international metric database that measures the influence of scientists via the references to their work in other researchers publications in impacted peer-reviewed journals. While I have reserves about its usefulness in social sciences (it is, as often, conceived for hard sciences), its aim is to provide an immediately measurable instrument to evaluate researchers, and it is widely used by universities and research agencies. The Czech Science Agency (GACR) uses it, too. Here is my profile:





My H-index is 2. Is it much? Is it little? Let us compare it with the director of USTR, Ladislav Kudrna, who is habilitated, which is in theory a higher rank than mine:







Unfortunately, he is not indexed, i.e. his record is less than zero and he has no visibility at all at the international level. But then, international journals are usually not impressed by plagiarizers, and according to a special commission nominated within the USTR Scientific Advisory Board that gave its conclusion in 2021 and was made public in 2022, this is exactly what Ladislav Kudrna is (which didnt stop the Board of USTR from electing him director):





If the director doesnt have a record, what about other leading members of the institute? I checked:





It appears all the men at the helm of the institute have a lower scientific reputation than mine, or none at all. I checked on our most famous colleague at USTR, Petr Blazek. I was impressed that he had an H-Index of 5, until I realized this is not the same Petr Blazek: this one is a biologist specialized on agriculture. I didnt find our Petr Blazek in the database, but this might be a mistake  I also cant find the director of the Institute for Contemporary History, Miroslav Vanek, although he is widely published in English. Different universities have different levels of access to the database, so this is perhaps the explanation.





In any case, I then checked some more of my colleagues at USTR:









I did not check every name. But from this preliminary search, I seem to be the most published, or at the very least one of the most published, researchers of the institute. Let me reiterate that this H-Index might not deserve the faith research agencies put in it, and it rewards age and experience. I know for a fact that some of my younger colleagues who are absent from the database or have a low score are nevertheless excellent historians. But my point is, if a Czech institution has the good fortune to hold in its ranks a researcher who has a relatively high international profile, shouldnt it aim to keep them rather than fire them?





The rest of the world appears more aware of my value as a researcher than USTR: in 2018-2019 I was granted a prestigious EU fellowship, the EURIAS, at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna, as well as an equally prestigious Marie Curie Senior Fellowship at the University of Aarhus in Denmark (which I had to turn down since I couldnt do both fellowships at once.) In 2020-21 I was granted a Senior Fellowship at the Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften also in Vienna, then in 2022 a four-year Elise Richter Senior Fellowship in the Department of Sociology at the University of Graz.







My fellowship in Graz was an ideal opportunity for USTR to engage in an international cooperation. The Austrian research agency FWF allows me to work for only five hours a week on top of my full-time fellowship. By working five hours for USTR (12,5% of a full-time position), I would have cost the institute a negligeable Kc 3,000 a month, but I would have been able to credit all my international publications to the institute, and I would have created a relationship to the University of Graz which could have proved profitable in the future to both parties. Also, my project appears to me of great interest for a memory politics institution like USTR: it is about reckoning with the communist past in the Czech Republic, and specifically about resorting to the category of crime against humanity, as Romania now does, to finally punish some of the crimes committed under the communist regime that went completely unpunished after 1989.









We are not interested, I was told by the directorship of USTR. This is not in our purview.







Next I offered USTR to do in these five hours a week the project for which I had earned my senior Marie Curie fellowship. As the readers of Britske listy will know, I am not a great supporter of the theory of totalitarianism, but the instrumentalization of medical power to implement communist domination on the female body via the medical and social practices of childbirth is a fascinating case of what even I consider genuine totalitarianism.







Women are very interesting, but we are not interested, said the directorship again.

I work on little projects here and there that could easily occupy me five hours a week (recently, one on Rudolf Slansky, one on an ordinary family who emigrated in the 1970s, one on the concept of totalita, one on Vaclav Havels essay The Power of the Powerless, and I will also soon go back to Ceske Velenice to continue my oral history study at the border.) But I never got a chance to offer to work on these projects as I received notification of my being fired without any further negotiation. Had USTR kept me on board while demanding that I work more hours, I would have gone back to FWF and asked for an exemption from the five-hour rule  especially since the Czech salary I am getting is, from an Austrian point of view, negligeable: contrary to what Mirek Vodrazka once accused me of, I was really not in this job for the money. However, it all ended differently. Director Kudrna had promised the trade unions he would not fire any researcher, so the trade unions are fulminating; but then, can one ever trust the word of someone who was proven by an expert commission to be a plagiarizer?





Since it appears difficult to justify that my publication record, my international profile, or my research projects could really hamper the work productivity of the institute, what could possibly be the reason for my being fired? Journalist Barbora Tacheci of state public radio might have the answer. She has a limited understanding of my research, but a strong opinion as to the opportuneness of U STR hiring me as a researcher.





In March 2022 she interviewed newly elected director Ladislav Kudrna and had with him the following exchange concerning my research, which starts at 1507:

Tacheci: I can't help it, because that Ms Blaive, who is most famous for her statement that there was no violence at all during the Communist Party rule here, but everything was part of a broad agreement between the population and the state leadership, so this lady was and maybe still is, I ask you, a collaborator of USTR?

Kudrna: If I have the correct information she is still an employee of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes.

Tacheci: Which you are the head of.

Kudrna: Of which I am now the head, yes.

Tacheci: Well, how are you going to deal with this?

Kudrna: (laughing) How do we deal with it... Well, look, there's no doubt that my colleague Blaive is an educated woman. She undoubtedly understands her craft, I have no doubt, but I have no doubt that our vision of the past is vastly different, and I for one ... I don't want to have statements made on the floor of the Institute that just don't take its statutory mission into account. That sort of puts us in a cul-de-sac. (...)

Tacheci: No, I mean, it's terribly interesting what's considered revisionism and what's considered fabrications, or untruths, or outright lies, yes? At what point do you consider statements that evaluate the past in contradiction to all historical facts to be, in a relatively conciliatory way, revisionism, and at what point do you say you're just a researcher who doesn't stand for anything if you don't base it on known facts, do you understand me?

Kudrna: I understand.

Tacheci: (...) A mathematician can say, I don't allow anybody here at the institute who doesn't know that 1 and 1 are 2, and you say, but he can have the opinion that 1 and 1 are 3, but I don't allow that at the institute. Do you understand me?

Kudrna: I understand, I understand (laughter), we understand each other on that point.

Was I not, in reality, fired for political reasons? This is what I want to argue in a court of law since I intend to sue USTR. I have worked and written on the policy of dealing with the communist past in the Czech Republic since 2002, i.e. for exactly twenty years. I have quipped during the last election of the USTR director, for which I applied, but my application was discarded on technical grounds, that I was the only one among the candidates who actually cared about history, and the same could probably be said about the previous election in 2014. I could not be less interested in Czech politics, and/or in positions of power or prestige. I only want to do my job as a historian.







Indeed I care greatly about history. Why? Because one of the very first persons I met in Prague was a woman who had been threatened by the StB and blackmailed on account of her children, and after 1989 she saw this StB agent pursue his career without the least impediment. In 1996 I read Josef Skvoreckys novel Two Murders in my Double Life, in which he describes the ordeal experienced by his wife, novelist and publisher Zdena Salivarova, after she was accused of being on the Cilbulka list of collaborators  she won her trial, but not before being heartbroken. Over the years I witnessed multiple scandals in Czech (but also Polish, German, and Hungarian) public life and was also made privy to heartrending private stories of injustice in dealing with the communist past, either because people were wrongly accused of being collaborators, or because the communist officials who had ruined their lives never had to account for their actions after 1989. I led oral history interviews and listened to ordinary Czechs angrily recount the level of asset-stripping and corruption, and the rise of social inequalities, that accompanied the so-called transition to democracy. I saw this country squander its egalitarian heritage and plunge into historic levels of individualism and selfishness, not only leaving behind an impoverished part of its population but endangering, because of the level of popular anger that this resulted in, the European Union that I have always supported.







Because identity is so intimately linked to history in this part of Europe, historians can and should have much to say about memory politics. Contrary to many, I remain convinced that USTR was very much needed as an institution and has a strong cohesive role to play within Czech society. What I have had to witness, deconstruct, and write about so far, unfortunately, is rather the instrumentalization of the communist past for present political purposes that have nothing to do with history, and even less so with the well-being of the Czech population. And just like the ordinary Czechs I regularly interview, I dont like hypocrisy.

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One of News Corporations minority shareholders is requesting the Rupert Murdoch-controlled media company disclose more information on government lobbying efforts in the US and other key markets, claiming it is critical to the long-term value of the business.

Kenneth Steiner, who owns about 500 shares of Class B common stock, has issued a proposal ahead the global media companys annual general meeting, asking it to create an annual report which would detail policy procedures and payments related to lobbying, as well as membership of tax-exempt organisations.

The Rupert Murdoch-led board does has rejected the shareholder proposal. Credit:AP

The board News Corp, which locally runs The Australian and internationally owns The Wall Street Journal and The Times, is urging proxy voters and other shareholders to reject the proposal, which would be presented to the audit committee and posted on News Corps website.

News Corps lack of lobbying and trade association disclosure presents reputational risks that could harm long-term value creation, Steiner said in his proposal. I urge News Corp to expand its lobbying disclosure.
Perhaps we should not be so quick to judge. Sure, it is easy to outline all the reasons why it will go wrong. And yet Musk is also a brilliant entrepreneur, and one who has called some huge wagers right in the past. He has already talked about turning the social media site into the everything app . Unpack that, and add in his other interests, such as Starlink, and Twitter could attack Amazon in retail, Google in search and services, and Meta in networking. It would be a lot closer to Chinas hugely successful WeChat than anything we have seen so far in the West.

Staff are already said to be completely demoralised and a slump in the tech sector since Musk first announced his offer means the Tesla founder looks to be paying through the nose for the deal. The social media sites permanently angry users will abandon it in a fit of petulant self-importance, some believe.

Right now, Kwarsi Kwarteng has more chance of overtaking Gordon Brown as the UKs longest-serving Chancellor than Elon Musk appears to have of making a success of his purchase of Twitter. After tabling an initial $US44 billion bid back in April, Musk then pulled out of the deal amid a hurricane of accusations and counter-accusations about fake accounts. A couple of weeks before a court hearing that could have forced him to buy the company anyway, he suddenly announced the deal was back on again. With Musk, nothing is certain, but it seems unlikely even he could wriggle out of the offer a second time. Within a few weeks, Twitters shareholders will be celebrating a big payoff, while Musk will be taking control of his new toy.

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It is hard to see that going well. Twitters liberal staff are already in open revolt over what they perceive as their new owners libertarian bias. Several months of openly trashing everything the company does as either a con or a threat to democracy has probably not endeared Musk to his new employees. Its users, not exactly the calmest or most fair-minded group of people on the planet, are already preparing to abandon it, especially as he may well reinstate the account of Donald Trump, probably the most hated man in the world, at least on social media. And perhaps worst of all, he is wildly over-paying. If the valuation had simply tracked the share price of Facebook-owner Meta this year, Twitter would be worth at most $US20 billion by now (and less than $US15 billion if it tracked Snapchat). If he had waited six months, Musk could have bought it at half the price. There have been some poorly conceived, and executed, buyouts over the years. But right now I would challenge anyone to think of one that looks worse.

And yet, heres the catch. Lets keep in mind that, for all his weirdness, Musk is the worlds most successful entrepreneur. He was one of the founders of PayPal, and then turned Tesla into the most valuable auto manufacturer in the world. He has a wacky, offbeat genius that is a rarity among the worlds biggest businesses. It is possible he could make a success of it.

Musk clearly has big plans for Twitter. He has already started describing it as an everything app. There is speculation he may rename it X (the original name of his first venture PayPal). As so often, Musk is very hazy on the details. But it already sounds as if he is planning something closer to Chinas WeChat than anything we have yet seen in North America or Europe. Owned by Tencent, WeChat is the worlds largest app, offering not just chat functions like WhatsApp but a vast array of work, leisure, financial and travel services, all conveniently bundled up in one pale green package. With a billion users, it is a formidable product.
HYDERABAD: The rainfall on Saturday night left residents of the south, east and west zones devastated as their belongings were damaged and there was knee-deep water in the neighborhood. Several colonies were struggling to clear the muddy water from their homes till late into Sunday.

Though the rain held off Sunday, areas like Nadeem Colony, Mehdipatnam, MS Makta, Midhunanagar, Srinivasa Colony, Lingogiguda, Sriramnagar and Tapovan Colony continued to be under knee-level water. The excess rain water and the overflowing drains made life miserable for residents across localities.

Residents using water pumps, buckets and other utensils to clear water from their houses were a common sight in several colonies, including Krishnanagar, Bandlaguda, Tolichowki and Ramanthapur. Many residents from these colonies shifted to houses of relatives in other areas and returned to pick valuables. Most of these colonies are close to lakes which are in brimming.

"Our house has been submerged in rainwater for more than four days, and we are worried about its structural stability, said Manda Tanoj, a resident of Nadeem Colony.

Those living in ground floors were badly affected by the inundation.

"Almost all the manholes in the area are overflowing and the water is yet to recede. It is very risky to move around because of the open manholes, said Arepally Satyanarayana, pointing to an overflowing manhole at Moosapet.

Even houses in the more affluent areas like Khairatabad, Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Madhapur, Attapur, Hafeezpet, Miyapur, Gachibowli, Lingampally, Moosapet and Shaikpet, were inundated on Saturday night.

Residents in Moosapet , Bapunagar, Amberpet, Osmannagar, Nadeem Colony, MS Makta, Srinivasa Colony are worried about the spread of seasonal diseases. Beside this, many were left stranded at Metro Rail stations in Moosapet, Begumpet and Malakpet.

"We have been living in a constant state of fear. With IMD predicting heavy rainfall in the next two days, our trauma with water will keep continuing. We have less fear of inundation but more of seasonal diseases, particularly in the absence of help from authorities," said Syed Mohammad Anser of Nadeem Colony.

In spite of MA&UD minister K.T. Rama Rao's instructions no senior official or staff was seen at the inundated areas; neither was GHMC commissioner D.S. Lokesh Kumar nor mayor Gadwal R. Vijayalakshmi around.

The GHMC's command control informed that they had received over 1,000 complaints in the last 24 hours. They refused to say how many grievances were resolved and the extent of damage caused by rains and negligence of the civic body.
President Ronald Reagan points at Armand Hammer, while Soviet leader Michael Gorbachev looks on, smiling. Much of the context is provided by Armies 62-year-old aunt, Casey Hammer, who is also a consultant on the series. Her self-published 2015 memoir Surviving My Birthright caught the attention of filmmakers Elli Hakami and Julian P. Hobbs after it went viral on TikTok. I felt like the universe was giving me a platform with Armies implosion, Hammer tells The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. I knew I could either give the press a soundbite, which is what they wanted, or I could properly tell the story. Ultimately, I wanted to be an advocate for victims. The alleged victims provide the most shocking moments in House of Hammer, none more so than Hammers ex-girlfriend Courtney Vucekovich; at one point, she recalls he asked to break my rib and barbecue and eat it.

However, its impossible to ignore that Effie, the poster behind the Instagram account and arguably the highest-profile alleged victim of Hammer, refused to be involved, telling the LA Times the series was exploitative. Whoever wanted to participate was invited to, and if you didnt want to, that was fine too; I dont know what Effie is going through, says Hammer. Its hard with social media to be public about it, the haters end up deciding your fate, so I understand Effies hesitation to continue being involved. Hammers involvement was driven by a desire to spotlight the chequered history of her family which includes a history of control, excess and cover-ups.

Casey Hammer (top right) with the Hammer family including Armie (middle). We were the ideal family on the outside, rich and successful; it was perfect, but beneath the surface, it was a nightmare, like Succession but worse, she says. In my family, the men mattered and the women didnt. They were disposable and, based on the experience of how the men treated women in my family, I wasnt surprised by the allegations against Armie. Across the three episodes, there are examples of Armie Hammers supposed appetite for control. Its alleged at one point that he carved his initials into one of his victims to see how it would look. And this is the type of twisted experiment Casey Hammer says she suffered at the hands of her father, Julian. I was 11 years old and had to hold a phone book while my father shot at it to see if the bullet would go through, Hammer says. That was my normal.

Armies aunt became estranged from the Hammer family after being mostly ignored in her grandfathers multimillion-dollar will in 1990, which was reported to be worth about $US800 million ($A1.25 billion). Despite being close to the young star growing up, she hasnt seen Armie in some time. The last time I saw Armie was 15 years ago when my mother passed away. She was the glue and, up until that moment, we were all in touch, she says. Armies aunt Casey Hammer sheds light on her familys long history of abuse in House of Hammer. Casey also worked as a consultant on the series. Armie also brought along Elizabeth Chalmers, who at that point was his fiancee. The couple separated in mid-2020, six months before the first allegations were made. Chalmers has since admitted to watching House of Hammer, calling it heartbreaking on so many levels and very painful.

I am sorry that Elizabeth has to go through this; it is so hard to exist in this family, Hammer says. Existing is about the best Armie Hammer can hope for right now, with The Social Network star reportedly selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands to make ends meet. Despite the seriousness of the allegations against her nephew, Hammer maintains hope that he can rehabilitate. I hope Armie can heal, she says. But he needs to be held accountable and acknowledge what he has done and takes steps to make amends with the people he harmed. House of Hammer is streaming now on Binge.
The fourth film in Disneys rebooted Planet of the Apes series will be filmed in Sydney after the state and federal governments kicked in tens of millions to secure the blockbuster Hollywood production.

Directed by Wes Ball, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, a sequel to 2017s War for the Planet of the Apes, is already in production at Sydneys Fox Studios and slated for release in 2024.

The film is the fourth instalment in the reboot of the Planet of the Apes series.

The federal government estimated the film would create 400 local jobs and inject $128 million into the Australian economy, and federal Arts Minister Tony Burke said having a small part of the Disney universe in the country was a boon for the local film industry.

Burke said the presence and investment of major international production companies helped train Australias film industry professionals, facilitated research and development and encouraged the construction of more film studios.
A five-year-old girl has had two of her fingertips severed and is undergoing emergency treatment after her hand became stuck in a carousel at a playground in Sydneys inner west.

Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters were called to the playground in Strathfield Park on Homebush Road just before 1.30pm on Monday, after reports that a child was badly injured.

The crew from Burwood Fire Station located the severed fingertips while police, ambulance and council staff tended to the child.

She has been taken to The Childrens Hospital at Westmead for emergency treatment.

A spokesperson from Strathfield Council told the Herald that council staff responded immediately when they were made aware of the incident and fenced off the equipment in Strathfield Park as well as similar equipment in other parks.
Media outlets were sold a pup with a new public interest defamation defence and online news site Crikey will struggle to deploy it successfully in its court fight with Lachlan Murdoch, the media scions barrister has claimed.

Murdoch, chief executive of Fox Corporation and elder son of media baron Rupert, filed defamation proceedings against Crikey in August over a June 29 article naming his family as unindicted co-conspirators of former US president Donald Trump following the deadly US Capitol riots in 2021.

Private Media chairman Eric Beecher, Trump supporters outside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and Lachlan Murdoch. Credit:Thom Rigney, AP, Getty Images

Crikey is seeking to rely in part on a new public interest defence that has not yet been tested in Australia.

At a preliminary hearing in the Federal Court in Sydney on Monday, Murdochs barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, said the new defence was harder for the media to establish than existing defences.
As Prime Minister of Great Britain, Theresa May often came across as joyless and wooden.

As a backbencher, May is finally having a little fun. Before the no doubt delicious schadenfreude of watching her successor Boris Johnsons political demise, theres the matter of Mays trip to Australia in February this year.

<> Credit:John Shakespeare

During her nine-day jaunt down under, May was hosted by garbage millionaire Ian Malouf on his plush 52-metre yacht Mischief for a cruise around Sydney Harbour, estimated value 30,600 ($55,000). We wonder how May, who once told a TV interviewer the naughtiest thing shed ever done was run through fields of wheat as a child, coped with Mischiefs famously risque artwork.

Her date with Australias richest garbo turned yacht broker wasnt the only bit of generosity May received. Her flights and accommodation were paid for by the Victorian division of the Liberal Party at a cost of 38,700, according to disclosures to her register of interests.
The bar-tailed godwit holds the world record for the longest (known) non-stop flight for any bird species. One was recorded travelling 13,000 kilometres from Alaska to New Zealand in just over nine days. Even a red-necked stint, the size of a Tim Tam, can fly 5000 kilometres in one go.

From 500 metres in the air, Milly Formby is taking a slower journey in her microlight aircraft  a year, in fact  to fly solo around Australia in an effort to raise awareness of such migratory shorebirds.

Microlight pilot Milly Formby landed in Barwon Heads on Monday. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Four months and 3800 kilometres in, on her tiny craft dubbed Little Bird, Formby has seen pods of southern right and humpback whales  and their calves  swimming in the Great Australian Bight.

Between Esperance and Ravensthorpe in Western Australia, a wedge-tailed eagle drew level with her, 50 metres away.
A 40-year-old woman whose body was found in bushland on Perths south-eastern fringe on Friday was allegedly bludgeoned by three housemates in a premeditated early-morning attack.

WA Police homicide squad acting detective senior sergeant Sam Hazlitt alleged Nardia Spice was lured to Byford Dog Park by her housemates in the early hours of September 23 and struck to the head with a weapon.

Her body was then buried in bushland in the nearby hills of Jarrahdale.

The mother of six, who lived a transient lifestyle, was reported missing by another housemate 10 days later, on October 3, and police inquiries resulted in her body being discovered on October 7.
But Hodes said the titles attributed to Hambali were grossly inflated and he had seen nothing that proved the charges against him. In my mind, the evidence does not prove any involvement in the Bali bombing, or the JW Marriott bombing for that matter, he said. He said prosecutors would have to eventually show him their evidence before a trial but, after almost two decades, expectations are low. If the case does make it to trial, Hodes believes Hambali has no prospect of a fair hearing, having been detained without charge and legal representation for most of his 19 years in custody, and because of restrictions on documentation the lawyer can view and on what he and the defendant can even talk about. Fair trial? No chance, Hodes said. The government has supposedly been putting their case together for 20 years. Plus they have access to all these secret materials that we dont have access to.

Theyve limited our ability to talk about the case with him. If they deem it classified or secret we cant discuss it with him and almost everything has been classified or deemed to be secret. Hambalis case was also clouded by the CIAs use of its so-called enhanced interrogation techniques on him, he said. A 2014 US Senate report on the agencys detention program revealed Hambali was shackled naked and subjected to sleep deprivation, forced stress positions and long periods of solitary confinement. Hambali will face a military commission pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo Bays Camp Justice facility. Credit:AP Hodes said the central function of the court at Guantanamo Bay was to lessen the shame and embarrassment of the American government for participating in torturing human beings. Thats the ultimate objective: Were not going to tell you everything we did,  he said. All under this rubric of national security interests, which is just garbage.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age sent questions to the US Office of Military Commissions last week but a spokesman said prosecutors were unable to reply by the time of publication. An AFP spokesperson said it was aware of the proceedings but declined to comment because they were taking place before court in a foreign jurisdiction. Australian documents could be released under a mutual assistance request, if approved by the Attorney-Generals Department and the AFP. But former federal police commissioner Mick Keelty, who led the AFP from 2001 to 2009, said the most valuable evidentiary material on Hambali was likely elsewhere. I suspect that the most information of value will be held by the Indonesian, Malaysian and Singapore agencies, he said.

Whether the files would help or hinder Hambalis cause is unknown. He was implicated in the Jakarta Marriott bombing of 2003 by Majid Khan, an al-Qaeda courier, who admitted in a 2012 plea deal to sending $US50,000 to Hambali to finance the operation. Emergency service workers outside the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta after the 2003 bombing. Credit:AP Khan was also tortured by the CIA but terrorism expert Greg Barton said it was hard to imagine a scenario where everything we thought we knew about [Hambali] is proven wrong. The evidence that Hambali was deeply involved and played a key role [in the Bali bombings] was, I would have thought, substantial even though admittedly, we havent seen documents, said Barton, professor of global Islamic politics at Deakin University.

The fact that hes been badly treated, that there has not been timely justice, is no good for anyone. No doubt hes had some injustices against him but it doesnt mean there was never any case against him. Loading Based on everything we know, he was the most senior JI person in contact with al-Qaeda and well trusted in al-Qaeda. One of only three dozen remaining prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, which has held about 800 inmates since opening in 2002, Hambali is permitted to speak to members of his family in Indonesia by Skype once every three months. His brother Kankan Abdul Qadir said the conversations were facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and relatives took turns to travel to its office in Jakarta for the video chats.
London: A close-knit Irish community have lined the streets to honour an Australian man who was among 10 locals killed in a petrol station explosion on Friday.

Mourners paid their respects to the grieving wife and son of James OFlaherty, 48, who had popped in to fill his car at the Applegreen service station and shop in the village of Creeslough, Donegal.

James OFlaherty, 48, originally from Sydney, died in the explosion that occurred at the Applegreen petrol station in Ireland. Credit:PA, Supplied

His wife Tracey and young son Hamish were comforted by relatives and friends at the Eternal Light Chapel of Rest in Letterkenny on Monday (London time). The grieving pair travelled in the same car as the coffin to the funeral home, Derrybeg, before OFlahertys remains are removed on Tuesday to the family home in Dunfanaghy.

A guard of honour was formed outside the chapel by his wifes colleagues from Letterkenny University Hospital, where she works as a nurse, as OFlahertys coffin was carried out to the hearse.
Kyiv: Russia will respond to the Wests growing involvement in the Ukraine conflict, although direct conflict with NATO is not in Moscows interests, Russias deputy foreign minister said after Washington pledged more military aid for Kyiv.

Ukraine said it needed to strengthen its air defence following Russias biggest aerial assaults on cities since the beginning of the war, retaliation for what Moscow called a Ukrainian attack on a strategic bridge in Crimea.

A medical worker runs past a burning car after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit:AP

Russian forces showered Ukraine with more missiles and munition-carrying drones on Tuesday after widespread strikes killed at least 19 people. Air raid warnings sounded throughout the country for a second straight morning as Ukrainian officials advised residents to conserve energy and stock up on water.

US President Joe Biden promised to provide advanced air defence systems, and the Pentagon said on September 27 that it would start delivering the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System over the next two months or so.
TRS leaders should have challenged her notion and questioned her if the religious beliefs were patented by the BJP.  Twitter

Hyderabad: In a veiled reference, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi warned the TRS and the Congress to be wary of the BJP, which was attempting to gain ground in Telangana, and said they must share the responsibility of stopping the saffron party.

During a meeting with district unit leaders in Darussalam, the party headquarters on Sunday, Owaisi cautioned Muslims not to succumb to the designs of the BJP and right-wing groups. He attempted to dispel misconceptions about the saffron party's growth in the state.

Despite its overtures, he said, the BJP would remain in the third place in the state. However, he warned that the parties claiming to be in the first and second place  meaning the TRS and the Congress  should be wary of its tactics. "By putting the entire burden on the Muslim leadership, these parties are abdicating their responsibilities. Those who act arrogantly should guard their positions," he said.

Owaisi questioned the TRS leaders' silence on Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's statements on Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao taking a tantrik's advice. He said that TRS leaders should have challenged her allegation and questioned her if religious beliefs were patented by the BJP.

"Had I commented, I would have been labelled anti-Hindu. When a BJP leader commented, the TRS remained silent. Hadn't the BJP changed its name from Janata Party? What's the harm in changing TRS's name," he wondered.

Earlier, as part of the Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, Owaisi stated, in response to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comment on population control, that Muslims used condoms more as a birth control measure, which was not acknowledged. He urged Bhagwat to double-check the data before discussing population control. He claimed that because Muslims use condoms the most, the incidence of spacing between two children was high.
Walk me through the day you were released. Loading I got released around 4pm from Orange County, and then around 6.30pm they brought me to 26 Federal Plaza - exactly the place I got arrested in March last year. I sat there in a little holding room. I kept knocking on the window. I was like, Can you just tell me whats going on? And they were showing me the thumbs-up and signalling patience. The ICE guys drove me here 11-ish; they handed me over to Chris, my art dealer; we went on the rooftop really quick; and then you literally caught me 15 to 20 minutes after I got here. You didnt have to stay behind bars. You could have fought your immigration status from Germany. I just did not want it to go down the way ICE wanted it to. Letting them deport me would have been like a sign of capitulation - confirmation of this perception of me as this shallow person who only cares about obscene wealth, and thats just not the reality. I could have left, but I chose not to because Im trying to fix what Ive done wrong. I have so much history in New York and I felt like if I were in Europe, Id be running from something. But if jail does not prove people wrong, then what will?

How was detention? Youre always at somebody elses mercy. Getting anything for myself, it was just impossible. While waiting on the outside, at least you can do that. I mean, not me, but  So why is house arrest better? Better food, I guess. And I can have visitors beyond just 1.30pm on Thursdays. Well just see what I can do from here. I guess everybody will be coming to me. What are you most excited about doing now that youre out?

Finding my way back. Loading With an ankle bracelet. With an ankle bracelet, yeah. Apparently if I have any issues with it, then somebody will come fix it. Its a 24/7 service. Im thinking what I can do with it. You want to glam it up?

Im not a glam-it-up type of person, but the possibilities are endless. When we spoke earlier this year, you said that you had changed a lot since the crimes you committed in your mid-20s. But the judges order doesnt seem convinced of your remorse. I definitely have a way different perspective now than I did when I came out the first time last February. Its just impossible to have been through what Ive been through without changing. I learned so much being in jail. Theres a very well-documented arc about how Ive felt about everything. It wouldnt be right if I were just to switch in one day. That would be very disingenuous. Its a process. I am regretful about the way things played out. The way Ive tried to see my experience is to learn from it: Who I am today is because of the decisions I made in the past. You got the news you could leave Wednesday morning, but you didnt have an apartment. Fast-forward to Friday night, and here we are sitting in your living room. In this New York market, Ive got to ask: How did you find an apartment so quickly, Anna? John [Sandweg], my lawyer, found it for me. I obviously wasnt able to do anything from jail. I have a great team around me, so it was all thanks to them.

You post bail, pay three months rent on a six-month lease for a one-bedroom apartment in the East Village. Wheres all the money coming from? I guess youll have to ask the government. Is the bail and apartment money yours? Yes. How do you plan to support yourself going forward?

Ive not figured my whole life out in two days. But Ive managed to do something out of my life while being in jail, so I guess this will be a little easier. Is your ultimate goal to be an artist? I have so many projects that Im working on. Art is definitely one of them. So you dont want to be hemmed into just art? I have a lot going on. Im working on my own podcast with different guests for each episode. But its not shaped up yet. It was pretty hard to record anything high quality from jail. And then theres my book. Id love to do something with criminal-justice reform to kind of highlight the struggles of other girls.

Where does your celebrity status fit into your future plans? Its literally the last thing Im thinking about right now. I dont feel like I have a lot of control over it, especially now that Im in house confinement without access to social media or electronics. Youve been really active on social media, even from behind bars, with members of your team posting to your 1 million Instagram followers. The social media ban will be a big change. Maybe thats for the best? Its really hard to tune out distractions. Hopefully, its not forever. Do you plan to keep to the all-day schedule you had in jail, co-ordinating with people from 8.30am to 10pm?

I dont know. Ill have to do so many things. Im really excited right now, so its pretty hard to sleep. I mean, you guys, I literally just got out of jail! You have been and will continue to be under intense scrutiny going forward, from ICE officials as well as the public at large. I perform better under pressure. So many people just cant wait to see me do something crazy, or illegal, and go back to jail. I would not want to give them the satisfaction. The first time we spoke at Rikers [Island jail], I asked about your parents. And I know those relationships are complicated, especially with your mum. How have they felt about these past years of court proceedings? My parents, especially my dad, are pretty sarcastic. Theyre like, Well, how many more years are you going to be in jail? But they accepted that this is what I want. Im not choosing some questionable path, Im actually trying to improve and learn, and I hope they understand and respect my choices. I talk to them every other day.

Your mum, too? My mum, too. I try to call at night, so they tend to be together. This isnt the end of your immigration case. You could still be deported. My immigration case is just beginning. Im creating a lot of jobs for my lawyers. So everybodys happy. How long could this immigration process take?
A student who aged just 11 vowed to find a cure for his fathers terminal heart disorder will next week begin a PhD researching cardiac disease treatments  and hes not stopping there.

Tim Roberts had enjoyed a privileged lifestyle in Melbourne, Australia, when his fathers congestive heart disease forced them to travel 9,000 miles for a rare and expensive treatment.

The family wound up in Cardiff, where Tim worked two jobs and studied hard to get a place at the University of Bristol so he could study heart disease.

Now he has secured a PhD in Australia, where he will continue his search for a cure.

Melbourne

Tim Roberts grew up on 42 acres of land outside Melbourne, where his father, Ken, had emigrated from Northern Ireland and become a successful business owner.

We had a close relationship and me and my brother learnt a lot from him. He was interested in everything and taught us about engines, irrigation, all sorts, said Tim, who is now 26.

Dad had a couple of heart attacks when I was 10 or 11, so since I was young most my memories of my father are him being ill.

That's what precipitated my interest in medicine and the biomedical field as a whole.

Houston

In 2009 the family moved to Houston, Texas, for a rare form of heart treatment not available elsewhere.

Tim said: I was very much aware of the fact that he was really ill. I said goodbye to him many times.

Without health insurance the treatment cost the family all of their savings.

We did have that privilege, but we lost pretty much everything, Tim said.

But Im not salty about it. I wouldn't go back to having all of that money - I figure I needed everything that happened to get to this place now.

If you offered me this life again, even with everything that happened, Id take it in a heartbeat. The adversity that we've all been through as a family has made me who I am.

Tim with father Ken in 2014 before starting at the University of Bristol.

Cardiff

In 2013 the family moved to Cardiff. The timing of their intercontinental moves meant Tim, now 17, had no qualifications. Despite this, he worked hard and aced his A-Levels while working two jobs, eventually earning a place on the University of Bristols Pharmacology BSc.

His goal remained that of his 11-year-old self: finding a cure for his fathers disease.

Tim said: I didn't take any money from my parents, they simply didnt have any support to give me.

I remember waking up on results day, seeing Id been accepted to Bristol and running downstairs. I was so, so excited, I was literally yelling at my sleeping parents.

Bristol

Although he absolutely loved studying at Bristol, his fathers disease continued to loom large.

The Pharmacology undergraduate and subsequent masters (on drugs used to treat heart attacks, also at Bristol) were a deep dive into my fathers illness, Tim said.

Studying pharmacology all came from wanting to understand my dads disease. If my dad wasn't sick, then I'd probably be working in finance, he said.

It also triggered his phobia of needles and blood. He decided to tackle that phobia after his masters by becoming a lab technician in the University of Bristols renal department.

As his dads kidneys deteriorated from the heart disease, Tim spent his days cutting up kidneys from people who had recently died of similar diseases.

He said: I knew things were really going to change. I did years of therapy with the Universitys mental health services in preparation.

I remember being in my professors office one day just breaking down and explaining the whole situation to him.

Two days before my final stats exam of my undergrad, my dad called me and said he didnt have much time left. That really hit me. Id been preparing for 10 years and I thought I was ready but it was still a huge shock.

Sadly, Ken passed away in April 2021 and wasnt able to see Tim graduate from his master's. In his final years Ken studied for an undergraduate and a masters in law, and had even signed up for a PhD in Australia.

He was very immobile but his brain was always sharp, Tim said.

L-R: Brother Mark, mum Ra, dad Ken and Tim.

Melbourne

Despite working evening and weekends, Tim managed to achieve top grades at Bristol. His work has won awards and his masters research is due to be published by a journal.

Stuart Mundell, Professor in Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Bristol said: Tim was a hardworking and diligent scientist during his time in my laboratory.

He showed incredible personal resilience to self-fund and complete his MSc by Research studies into drugs used to treat patients suffering a heart attack.

It is great to now see him continue on his journey investigating cardiovascular disease.

This week, Tim started a PhD at Monash University, a world leader in pharmacology and heart failure, just down the road from the hospital he was born in.

He plans to continue researching, either in academia or private industry, to find a cure. He knows that in later life the same heart disease may also affect him and his brother.

My father instilled in me my work ethic, persistence and resilience, he said.

Ive worked so hard to get here. I thought about giving up many times to help care for dad, but knowing that I was doing this for him helped me through.
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The winners of the inaugural Beyond Service Awards, an initiative by Princes Trust Australia and sponsored by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia that celebrates the achievements of Australias veteran community businesses, have been announced.

Winning the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Business of the Year Award, the final prize awarded to one of the four category winners, was a navy veteran-turned-Great Barrier Reef tour operator, Stuart Alexander. Alexander, co-founder of Great Barrier Reef Safaris/Mission Beach Charters, was given the Environmental Warrior Award for championing sustainability through his business.

Stuart Alexander has reskilled three times in his life  first as a Navy veteran, then an IT specialist, and now an eco-tourism operator, said Michelle Endacott, chief executive of Princes Trust Australia. His commitment to protect one of the worlds greatest natural assets, alongside his partner Dr Adele Pile, is inspiring.

The other Beyond Service Award winners are as follows:

The Power of One Award (recognising the outstanding efforts of an individual who works on their own)  Matt Lewis, Founder of MxM  Made by Matt

The New Mission Award (recognising the application of skills, experience and/or networks developed in service to the Australian Defence Force to a civilian business, sponsored by BAE Systems Australia)  David Ballantyne, co-founder of HomeFront Australia

The Defence Family Business Award (recognising ADF partners and spouses in business, sponsored by PwC Australia)  Bec Waller, Founder of Australian Partners of Defence

The awards ceremony was held at Admiralty House in Sydney on Oct. 4 and hosted by David Hurley, chair of the Enterprise for Veterans advisory council and governor-general of Australia, and Julie Bishop, chair of Princes Trust Australia. The event was also attended by several representatives of CBA, including Clare Morgan, executive general manager of small business banking.

Veteran-owned businesses play a valuable role in the community, and it was wonderful to celebrate the collective achievements and successes of these small businesses at the Awards, Morgan said. Hearing their stories of service, and their journeys transitioning into business ownership and entrepreneurship was truly inspiring. On behalf of all of us at CBA, congratulations to the finalists and the winners.
will soon raise at least $10 billion from global investors like Temasek, GIC, and other private equity fund managers. According to a report by Livemint, the funds will be used in his clean energy, ports and cement businesses.

"They ( promoters and top management) were in Singapore last week. Earlier, they separately met West Asian and American investors. Talks are still on. Hopefully, $10 billion should be easy to raise. The only issue is that since the capital raising is through equity sales and most of the Adani firms shares are steadily rising, pricing of deals will be critical," the Livemint report quoted a person aware of the matter as saying.

The capital will reportedly be raised through a sale of stakes. Small investors may look at gaining small stakes in the . However, bigger firms may soon launch joint ventures with the in the coming days, the report added.

"We will invest over $100 billion of capital in the next decade. We have earmarked 70 per cent of this investment for the energy transition space. We are already the worlds largest solar player and intend to do far more. It is our commitment to investing $70 billion in an integrated hydrogen-based value chain," Adani said on September 27 in a speech.

Adani Group is also building a 10 GW silicon-based photovoltaic value chain that will be backwards-integrated from raw silicon to solar panels.

Also, it has a 10GW integrated wind turbine manufacturing facility, and a 5GW hydrogen electrolyzer factory in its plan of expansion.

Currently, the group has a 20GW renewables portfolio. It has announced a 45GW power generation plant spread over 100,000 hectares. It will lead to the production of up to 3 million tonnes of green hydrogen.
Full service carrier Vistara is looking to rope in on deputation from budget airline AirAsia India to ensure adequate crew for its expanding fleet of A320 planes, according to sources.

Both airlines are part of the Tata group and the latest move indicates efforts to have more synergy as well as optimal use of manpower among group carriers.

Tata group also owns Air India and Air India Express.

Vistara -- a joint venture between the Tatas and Singapore Airlines -- has a fleet of 53 aircraft. These include 41 A320s and five A321s. The airline is planning to increase the fleet to 70 planes by December 2023.

AirAsia India operates a fleet of A320 planes.

"Vistara has sought some from AirAsia India on deputation in view of the induction of new aircraft, a proposal which the budget carrier has consented to," one of the sources told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Both Vistara and AirAsia India declined to comment on the matter.

According to the sources, Vistara has been expanding its Airbus fleet but does not have adequate number of to operate them.

"The airline was banking on the huge pool of pilots that was created due to the pandemic but the dynamics have completely changed now with a number of both serving and non-serving pilots taking flight to the Gulf airlines, which offer fatter pay packages besides other benefits," one of the sources said.

The source also said Vistara had looked at hiring some pilots from a Mumbai-based low-cost airline but the plan did not work out due to notice period issues.

Another source, on condition of anonymity, said even though AirAsia India has 27 planes in its fleet with around 400 pilots to operate them, the airline has not been operating more than 18-20 aircraft.

"With this much fleet in operations, an airline would not require more than 240-250 pilots. Since AirAsia India does not have plans to induct any new aircraft in the short term, more so amid the talks of its possible merger with Air India Express, it leaves around 150-160 pilots as surplus," the source said.

Further, the source said after receiving the Vistara proposal, AirAsia management left it to the decision of the pilots and then take a call on how many of them should be sent on deputation.

Meanwhile, Tata group has started an exercise to evaluate options to consolidate AirAsia India and Vistara under Air India to bring operational synergies among the three airlines under its umbrella.

Air India has set up a team under its Director of Operations R S Sandhu in this regard, sources had said earlier.

(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 consolidation in the cement sector has picked up pace with Adani and JSW groups closing in on smaller rivals. While is set to announce its second acquisition in the cement sector of Jaypee Groups cement assets at an enterprise valuation of Rs 5,000 crore, India Cements said it has sold its Madhya Pradesh (MP) limestone mine and land for Rs 477 crore to Sajjan Jindal-owned .

A larger part of Jaypees cement business was earlier acquired by UltraTech in a deal worth over Rs 16,000 crore (22.4 million tonnes per annum, or mtpa, capacity) in 2016, and the few units retained by the debt-hit group are now being sold to .

Jaiprakash Associates, the flagship company of Jaypee Group, cleared the sale of cement units at a board meeting on Monday.

Jaiprakash Associates stock closed at Rs 11.74  up 10 per cent  following the announcement.

Jaiprakash Power Ventures (JPVL) closed at Rs 8.46 per share on the BSE  up 4 per cent.

Jaypee Group, including its subsidiary JPVL, has an installed cement capacity of 10.55 mtpa and 339 megawatt of captive power. However, the group has put on hold its Shahabad cement plant expansion plan by 1.2 million tonnes due to a liquidity crisis. Details regarding the specific assets of Jaypee being acquired by are still awaited.

Analysts said Jaypees acquisition will boost Adanis plans to become Indias leading cement company by 2030 as it aims to double its capacity from 70 mtpa to 140 mtpa by 2030.

Adani rival UltraTech has announced increasing its capacity from 120 mtpa to 160 mtpa by 2030.

JSW plans to touch 25 mtpa of cement capacity by 2024-25, from 17 mtpa.

JSW Cement, which had made a $7-billion offer for Ambuja Cements, is becoming aggressive by acquiring India Cements units. But its offer was not accepted by Holcim, Ambujas then Swiss owner, over fears of the Competition Commission of Indias objections.

Apart from MP units, also made an attractive offer to buy India Cements Rajasthan unit, beating UltraTech of Aditya Birla Group, said bankers.

India Cements had started working at the 3 mtpa plant in MP last year with land acquisition. The project also has backward linkages to limestone  a key raw material to make cement. The acquisition will give an entry into the central Indian market.

JSW Cement has so far raised Rs 2,000 crore in 15 months to fund its capacity expansion. It raised a Rs 400-crore sustainability loan last week from Japans MUFG Bank. It also raised Rs 1,500 crore from investors Apollo Global Management and Synergy Metals in July and Rs 100 crore from State Bank of India last December.

In May, India Cements indicated it was open to selling some of its land to pare debt. As of March 31 this year, the company had a net debt of Rs 3,039 crore. This was an increase of 1.43 per cent over the previous year, when net debt was at Rs 2,996 crore.

According to a recent report by CRISIL, cement volume growth in 2022-23 is likely to be in the region of 8-10 per cent  the highest since 2018-19. Growth will be aided by infrastructure and construction sectors, prompting key players to seize scale opportunities through acquisitions.

Koustav Mazumdar, associate director, CRISIL Research, said, Cement volume growth this financial year will be driven by the non-housing segments, wherein offtake is expected to rise more than 15 per cent. Demand from the infrastructure segment will be aided by government spending, while industrial and commercial demand will be driven by growing investment in data centres and warehousing.
The (HC) has directed cosmetics maker LOreal to deposit the principal profiteered amount of Rs 186 crore in the consumer welfare fund in six monthly installments. However, it has stayed the penalty proceedings and investigation by the authority until further orders.

A bench of Justices Manmohan and Dinesh Kumar Sharma issued the direction on LOreals plea challenging the June order of the National Authority (NAA) which held that the company deprived its customers of the benefits of reduction in (GST).

LOreal has also challenged the constitutionality of section 171 of the Central Act, which provides that any reduction in the rate of tax on any supply of goods or services or the benefit of input tax credit shall be passed on to the recipient by way of commensurate reduction in prices.

With this, the cosmetics brand has joined the fray of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of NAA under the system.

The petitions, which number around 80, included those by large such as Hindustan Unilever, Patanjali, Jubilant Foodworks, Reckitt Benckiser, Johnson & Johnson, Phillips and Subway.

The court, which had clubbed the petitions, had posted the matter for next hearing on October 19.

The at this stage is hearing the detailed arguments from and the authority with respect to constitutional validity. The issues with respect to determining the quantum of profiteering comes into play after the court rules whether or not the profiteering provisions imposed are valid, said Abhishek A Rastogi, partner at Khaitan and Co, who is arguing on for diverse sectors such as real estate, etc.

While pronouncing the order in the LOreal case, the bench said, Prima facie, this Court is of the view that the under Section 171 any benefit of reduction in rate of taxes or benefit of input tax credit on any supply of goods or services can only be by way of commensurate reduction in prices.

When a statute clearly provides for a manner in which something is to be done, and a duty is cast upon the supplier to extend the benefit of rate reduction by way of commensurate reduction in prices, the supplier cannot insist that instead of reducing prices, he will give extra grammage of the product.it noted.

The petitioner, L'Oreal, challenged Section 171 of the CGST Act, Chapter XV of the CGST Rules, as unconstitutional, ultra vires, and violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(g), 265 & 300A of the Constitution of India.

The petitioner further said that NAA is not netting off the benefit of rate reduction extended in some products against those where the petitioner has not extended the benefit of rate reduction qua the subject products, by way of commensurate reduction in prices, and therefore, while it is being punished for being a bad boy, it is not being rewarded for being a good boy.

NAA on the other hand contended that Section 171 of confers powers of wide amplitude upon the NAA to examine any supply of goods or services by any registered person and to examine whether the reduction in the tax rate or benefit of input tax credits have been passed on to the recipient by way of commensurate reduction in prices or not.
Flickstree, a content and technology start-up, has raised $5 million in pre-series B round led by Group. The will be used for global expansion, along with strengthening the companys product and technology.

 uses the power of Artificial Intelligence to create the most compelling branded video content at scale, at no-cost for brands. Moreover, they use their data engine to promote these videos that keep churning transactions on an auto-pilot mode, said Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder and .

In sum, brands get videos at no cost and consumers love watching these videos and buy their products and services. This makes it a win-win platform for all brands globally, he added.

Consumers love watching video content before making transactions. Thats why content-led commerce is the future of e-commerce. Flickstrees AI creates great content that consumers love to watch and transact, making this a cutting-edge platform to partner with, for all e-commerce brands worldwide, said Saurabh Singh, CEO of .

The platform uses AI voiceover, AI script, and auto-generates branded video content. These videos are distributed through its own apps and websites such as PlusYou Club, and a network of more than 150 publisher partners, the firm said in a statement.

currently has an active client base in India, Middle East, South-East Asia, UK, Australia and USA, the statement said.

The company is also backed by Samsung Ventures, Orbit Startups (SOSV), LionRock Capital, FULD & Co., Lets Venture, AB Claymore, Angelbay, among others.
expects its operations to turn profitable next year as it looks to double its volumes with higher production capacity in place, the company's President and Managing Director Rajeev Chaba said on Monday.

The company, which has been impacted by acute supply chain constraints, is looking to close the current year with of around 55,000-56,000 units.

"Next year, we are looking at doubling our volumes. If we do 56,000 units this year and we are targeting over one lakh units in 2023. So that is why we think next year is definitely going to be a big year for us," Chaba told PTI in an interaction.

He noted that the company is in the final stage of completing capacity expansion at its Halol-based manufacturing plant in Gujarat which would help it scale up dispatches to dealers next year.

MG Motor had bought the Halol plant from General Motors and has been able to ramp the annual production capacity from 65,000 units to 1.25 lakh units now.

"Last year we sold around 40,000 units, this year it should be 55,000-56,000 units. So in 2023 hopefully the plant should be full and we should be profitable next year. So far we have been losing money and next year we should breakeven to some minimal profit," Chaba said.

He further said: "This is a big milestone for us and if we achieve that it will be within four years of our first launch in the country."



The company had introduced its first product 'Hector' in India in 2019.

Asked about the company's plans regarding a second manufacturing facility in the country, Chaba said the automaker is still in talks with various stakeholders. All options like having a new plant or some brownfield expansion or even contract manufacturing are being debated, he added.

"We wanted to make sure to take care of Halol capacity expansion first and because the auto industry remains influenced by the top three players, we need to be careful about capacity expansion. So we are taking a step at a time..so the focus is to fill the Halol capacity and become profitable," Chaba said when asked about the delay in finalising the second plant.

Volumes are important but at the same time it is necessary to have sustainable operations, he noted.

On the company's product strategy, he stated that in the long term, the firm aims to be a reasonably big EV player.

"We believed in the EV story much earlier than other players, that is why we brought in ZS EV three years ago. Unfortunately due to shortages, we have supply constraints," Chaba said.

He noted that the company's electric vehicle sales, with the launch of its second product in the segment -- an affordable EV -- in the April-June period next year, would help it ramp up overall .

"Hopefully this year our EV will be 70-80 per cent more than last year and 2023 it will be 70-80 per cent more than 2022, that's the growth we expect. After launching the second EV next year, 20-25 per cent of our sales next year hopefully should come from the EV segment," Chaba added.

The company remains more focussed on EVs than the conventional internal combustion models, he said.

"We are more focussed towards the EV because it is the future... so frankly speaking we are going to be biased towards the EVs because we think it to be the future," Chaba said.

And for that, the company believes in associating with all like minded partners and building the ecosystem, he added.

and its consortium members on Monday launched the fourth season of the MG Developer Program & Grant (MGDP).

This year's programme will focus on expanding the innovation platform for startups, developers, and innovators.

"MGDP Season 4 aims to facilitate a positive change in the industry by creating a space for EV innovators from across the country to collaborate and develop novel solutions. This is a platform that seeks to unite the best brains of the industry to come together and innovate ideas that have the potential to change the EV landscape," Chaba 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.)
HYDERABAD: Energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy, TRS in-charge for the Munugode byelection, said that the ruling party would withdraw from the fray if the BJP government at the Centre sanctioned a Rs 18,000-crore package for the development of the Assembly constituency and Nalgonda district rather than give a coal contract worth the same amount to its candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy.

He was speaking after launching the party's campaign in Koritikal village on Monday along with TRS candidate Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy.

The two Left parties, CPI and CPM, will hold a joint public meeting in Chandur on Tuesday in support of the TRS. This is the first public meeting being held by them after announcing their support to the ruling party in Munugode.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and many Chief Ministers from BJP-ruled states visited Telangana several times in the last eight years. Union ministers are camping in Telangana. But none of them sanctioned or released any funds for the states development. But they did not hesitate to give a contract worth `18,000 crore to Rajgopal Reddy so that he could join BJP and force an unwarranted by-election in Munugode," Jagadish Reddy said.

The minister said though the Centre did not extend any support to improve the states power sector, Chandrashekar Rao gave the go-ahead for Yadadri power plant, a mega thermal power plant in Nalgonda district, by spending Rs 30,000 crore.

"He has spent Rs 1,00,40,000 crore to provide uninterrupted power supply to all sectors in the last eight years. Of this, the Centre's contribution is nil. Similarly, the Centre's contribution is zero for Mission Kakatiya and Kaleshwaram project," he said.
New Jersey-headquartered Amneal Pharmaceuticals, founded by two Indian-American brothers, is now launching commercial operations to cater to the domestic market in India. It already has a manufacturing and R&D footprint focused on exports, with plants in four Indian cities.

To helm its India commercial operations, the company has roped in Shyamakant Giri as Managing Director and President, India Business and . In this new role, he will be responsible for Amneal's commercial expansion and growth in India, Africa, Gulf, CIS and South Asian markets, the company said.

Amneal has had a presence in India since 2008 but focuses on exports from its plants at Ahmedabad, Dahej, and Vizag. Now, it is entering the domestic market.

Chirag Patel and Chintu Patel, co-chief executive officers of Amneal, said they would focus on the Indian markets unmet needs. Giri said that Amneal will bring access to global quality medical solutions in India.
Ltd (RIL) and are in discussions with lenders to raise up to $1.5 billion (about Rs 12,400 crore) and $2.5 billion (around Rs 20,600 crore), respectively, through foreign loans, reported The Economic Times.

To support its capital investment strategy, RIL is attempting to raise the necessary money through external commercial borrowing (ECB). According to those with knowledge of the situation, it is in discussions with a number of lenders, including Barclays, HSBC, and MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) Bank.

The loans, which are likely to have a five-year term, are anticipated to be priced 130-150 basis points higher than the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), a benchmark rate used around the world that replaced the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor).

Because the (RBI) has simplified the restrictions for ECB of up to $1.5 billion, the company doesn't need previous regulatory approval. Bank of America, Citigroup, Credit Agricole, DBS Bank and Mizuho Bank are among others that are in discussions with RIL.



Also read: Reliance's brand new floating production system collides, no one injured

The overseas loan is likely to be priced after adding an estimated 65 basis points over the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), a new global rate gauge, the people added. Going forward, Jio may even upsize the as more banks may join the syndication.

The tenor could be in the range of three to seven years.

According to multiple sources, Jio is in discussions with financial institutions such as Bank of America, BNP, HSBC, and (SocGen) to set up an offshore syndicated loan to pay for purchases of 5G network equipment from Sweden's Ericsson and Finland's Nokia.
The country's largest IT services exporter TCS on Monday said moonlighting is an "ethical issue" and against its core values but has not taken any action against any staff.

The company, which employs over 6.16 lakh people, will take into account all the relevant dimensions while forming its final view on the issue which has been dominating headlines for the last few weeks, its Chief Human Resources Officer Milind Lakkad told reporters.

"Moonlighting we believe is an ethical issue and it is against our core values and culture," Lakkad said.

The company's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Rajesh Gopinathan said that an employee is barred from working for any other organisation as part of the service contract.

Lakkad said that unlike peers like Wipro, which announced a sacking of over 300 employees recently, TCS has not taken any action against any employee.

He said that TCS has a long term commitment towards its employees and the employees also have a "reciprocal commitment" towards the company, and also acknowledged that at present its peers in the IT industry may have different views on the subject.

Further, he said the company has been communicating its stance on moonlighting lately but did not elaborate.

In recent weeks, CXOs in the IT industry have been offering varied takes on the subject of moonlighting. Over the past few months, the IT industry has been faced with a manpower shortage triggered by a high demand for services following the greater adoption of digitalisation following the pandemic.

While some like Tech Mahindra have supported the idea of side hustles, others like IBM, Wipro have flagged concerns about it.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The central government is in the process of constructing a Dedicated (DFC) with 1,000 over bridges and underpasses to prevent accidents at railway crossings. 550 underpasses have already been built, a report by Hindustan Times (HT) said.

The has identified 46 crossings where the rail flyovers are to be constructed. The report added that railway crossings constitute around 40 per cent of all rail accidents.

Once the project is completed, the goods trains will be able to run at a speed of 100 kmph. will meet all the international standards, RK Jain, managing director of the project told HT.

According to the Dedicated Corporation (DFCC), out of the total 2,843 km route of Eastern and Western DFC, more than 50 per cent of the route work has been completed so far. 90 per cent of the route is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, the report added.

DFCC was established in 2006. It comes under the ambit of the Ministry of Railways.

Under the project, the eastern corridor is 1,875 km long and extends from Ludhiana, Punjab to Dankuni, West Bengal. The 1,506 km long western corridor will extend from Dadri, Uttar Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru port, Maharasthra.

"The will be spending Rs 18,000 crore towards safety, which will enable freight trains to run at a speed of 100 kmph with 12,000 tons of freight," a DFC official was quoted as saying by HT.

The corridor will also have interchange points between passenger and freight trains every 100 km on Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata routes. These points will serve as exit points in case of accidents or emergencies.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Monday told the Delhi High Court that if Delhi Metro were to raise loans to pay the arbitration award to Anil Ambani-owned DAMEPL (Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited), it would fall into a 'debt trap'.

for India R Venkataramani, appearing for in the case of Delhi Metro versus Reliance Infra, informed the court that the initial plan to raise money through loans has now been given up and DMRC's equity partners (Centre and Delhi government) have now been approached to pay the money to owned DAMEPL.

The court has now given the Delhi Metro two weeks to work out the modalities for payment of the arbitration award to DAMEPL. The case will now be heard on October 31.

In September, the Delhi High Court directed the to pay the money it owes to DAMEPL in four weeks in compliance with the 2017 arbitral award, in connection with the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line.

The entire arbitral award of Rs 4,500 crore was to be paid to DAMEPL by 4 October. Failing this, the court said it would summon the MD.

DMRC has yet again failed to comply with the court's order on Monday. Up till now, the court has granted three extensions to DMRC to pay the amount it owes to DAMEPL.
From trading barbs to walking hand-in-hand at public events, Prime Minister and Samajwadi Party leader shared a unique relationship.

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Yadav, sitting in the Opposition benches, left everyone present in Lok Sabha amused when he expressed the hope that Modi returns as the prime minister again.

The moment was recalled by Prime Minister Modi on Monday as he paid tributes to Yadav at an event in Bharuch (Gujarat) and said that they had a "special relationship".

"Even in the midst of our political differences, during the concluding session of the last Lok Sabha, the candid words of a senior leader like Mulayam Singh ji on the floor of the House were like a blessing," Modi said.

In the electoral arena, they attacked each other with barbs and taunts.

In January 2014, ahead of the parliamentary elections, the then BJP prime ministerial candidate Modi had hit out at Yadav for his remarks that he would not let Uttar Pradesh become Gujarat.

Responding to Yadav's statement made in Varanasi, Modi had told a gathering in Gorakhpur that the Samajwadi Party (SP) leader does not have a 56-inch chest to convert UP into Gujarat as his state has a 24-hour power supply in every village and street.

"You can't do it. It requires a 56-inch chest," Modi had said.

Mulayam returned the 56-inch jibe in October that year.

Addressing party workers in Lucknow on being re-elected SP's president, he referred to shelling by Pakistani troops at the Line of Control to attack the BJP government at the Centre.

A trained wrestler, Yadav also said Modi needed a 56-inch chest to take on SP.

Modi had targeted Mulayam for his remarks that men can't be sent to the gallows for committing rape.

Addressing a rally in Moradabad, the SP leader had said, "ladke ladke hain, ho jaati hai (boys will be boys, mistakes will happen)." He said there cannot be capital punishment for rape.

In February 2017 while addressing a rally in Badaun, Modi said, "An SP MLA from Badaun levelled serious allegations against an SP MP and if a reporter approaches Mulayam Singh for comments, he would have said boys make mistakes," Modi had said.

But at the 2015 'tilak' ceremony of Yadav's grandnephew Tej Pratap, they walked hand-in-hand in Saifai, the SP leader's ancestral village in Uttar Pradesh.

On Monday, Prime Minister Modi said the SP patriarch had a "big heart" and showered him with blessings despite their political rivalry.

"Without mincing words, he (Mulayam) had said that Modiji takes everyone along, so I am confident that he will be re-elected again in 2019," the prime minister said, referring to the SP leader's speech in Lok Sabha.

In his remarks, Mulayam has said it is his wish that the members present in the House return after polls. He then went on to say that Modi should return as prime minister as the Opposition cannot get the required mandate.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Monday laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple projects worth over Rs 8000 crore at Amod, Bharuch in .

He laid the foundation stone of Bulk Drug Park at Jambusar, Deep Sea Pipeline Project at Dahej, Phase 1 of Ankleshwar Airport and the development of Multilevel Industrial Sheds at Ankleshwar and Panoli.

The Prime Minister also dedicated several projects which will give a boost to the chemicals sector in including GACL Plant, Bharuch Underground Drainage and IOCL Dahej Koyali Pipeline.

Speaking on the ocassion, the Prime Minister paid tributes to Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav who passed away on Monday.

"My relationship with Mulayam Singhji has been very special. As Chief Ministers, when we used to meet, there was a feeling of mutual regard and closeness," he said.

Recalling that he had reached to leaders of political parties as BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, PM Modi said that Mulayam Singh Yadav's words of blessings and advice are still very important to him.

The Prime Minister said that the SP leader maintained his 2013 blessings irrespective of changing times and predicted his return to power in 2019 Lok Sabha elections stating that he carries everyone along. "Today, from this land of and from the banks of Maa Narmada pay my respectful homage to respected Mulayam Singhji. I pray to the almighty to grant strength to his family and admirers to bear this unbearable loss," the Prime Minister said.

He said that Bharuch has a critical role to play in the development of Gujarat and India.

"Whenever we read the history of India and talk about the future, Bharuch is always discussed with pride. Two major projects related to connectivity have also been initiated today", he said.

He said the foundation stone of Bharuch Airport in Ankleshwar has also been laid so that the people here do not have to depend on Baroda or Surat.

Noting that Bharuch district has more industry than some other small states of the country, he said that with the new airport project, the region is bound to take the high road in terms of development.

"It is a result of the double-engine government of Narendra-Bhupendra that strives to bring the tasks to completion at a meteoric pace," he said.

"This is the new face of Gujarat. Gujarat, in the last two decades, has transformed from a state lagging in every field to a thriving industrial and agricultural state. With busy ports and a developing coastline, the lives of the tribal and fisherman community got transformed," he said.

PM Modi said that due to the hard work of the people of Gujarat, a golden age has started for the youth of the state.

"We should not lose this opportunity by creating an enabling environment free of obstacles, he said. Both policy and intention (Niti and Niyat) are needed for realizing these dreams, he said.

The Prime Minster referred to steps taken to boost the development of Bharuch and improvement in the law and order situation.

"Today, children do not know the word, curfew, which was common earlier. Today, our daughters are living with dignity."

He said due to long-term planning and leveraging of under-utilized resources, Gujarat has emerged as a manufacturing, industrial and business hub and many world-class facilities have emerged in the state.

The Prime Minister reiterated his call for vocal-for-local to boost Aatmnirbhar Bharat.

He appealed for using locally made things during Diwali as they will help the local businesses and artisans

He said that the Indian economy has reached the fifth position from 10th place in 2014. The feat was made more momentous by the fact that India surpassed its erstwhile colonial masters. For this youth, farmers, workers, small and big businesses, and industrialists deserve credit, he said.

PM Modi said that COVID-19 pandemic has made the importance of the pharma sector very clear. "Gujarat helped the country a great deal in the war against coronavirus. Gujarat accounts for 25 per cent share of the country's pharma export," he said.

The Prime Minister also recalled the time when some miscreants sought to obstruct the path of development in Bharuch.

"When we came to power in 2014 and Gujarat felt the double-engine power of Narendra and Bhupendra, all obstructions were uprooted."

The Prime Minister pointed out the obstructions created by "urban naxals" during the development of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Referring to the presence of Naxals in Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the Prime Minister heaped praises on the tribal communities of Gujarat who did not let Naxals have any influence in the state.

The Prime Minister cautioned against letting urban-naxal get any foothold in the state.

He said tribal youth are getting pilot training and becoming doctors, scientists and lawyers.

The Prime Minister informed that the Adivasi community has contributed immensely to the journey of the development of the state and the country.

He said that to honour their contribution the government has declared Janjatiya Gaurav Divas dedicated to the memory of brave tribal freedom fighters on the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda who is revered as by tribal communities across the country.

PM Modi noted that the development of Bharuch and Ankleshwar is being carried out on a twin city model like that of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. "People are going to talk about Bharuch and Ankleshwar like they talk about New York and New Jersey", he concluded.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister of Chemical and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya, and Members of Parliament CR Patil and Mansukh Vasava were among those present on the occasion.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister said on Monday that he had held broad-ranging discussions on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its repercussions on the Indo-Pacific region with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.

Jaishankar made the remarks addressing a press conference along with Wong after both ministers held the 13th India-Australia Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue (FMFD).

"We discussed Ukraine and its repercussions in the Indo-Pacific region, the progress in Quad, G-20 issues, our trilateral, some things related to IAEA and climate finance sustainable development goals," EAM Jaishankar said.

He said the discussions held were underpinned by the fact that "as liberal democracies, we both believe in the rules-based international order, in freedom of navigation in the international waters, in promoting growth connectivity and security of all and ensuring that countries make sovereign choices in matters that are important today."

As the chair of G20 next year, Australia's views and interests will be very important, he said. He expressed gratitude to Australia for joining India in celebrating the 75th anniversary of India's independence by decorating Australia's iconic sites.

Jaishankar said the talks were held about bilateral issues to see how India and Australia can shape a better region. "We spoke about a whole lot of issues -- trade, economy, education, defence and security, clean energy and among the many agreements and understandings we reached. It is in our mutual interest to expand the diplomatic footprint in each other's country."

"There are some issues in which we see great potential in terms of giving a greater quality to our bilateral partnership," he added.

First, Jaishankar said is the proposal that has been under discussion -- "an understanding on the mobility of talent and skills and how we can grow education and what we could do bearing in mind India's new education policy."

He said the other was the progress in the economic cooperation and trade agreement finalized earlier this year. "Steps are being taken to amend the double taxation avoidance agreement because that was a challenge to growing our business."

Meanwhile, Penny Wong said, "India and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners. We are Quad partners. We partner in many other ways."

India and Australia recognise that the Indo-Pacific region is being reshaped and it is in the interest of both nations to navigate through this together, Wong said.

"Most fundamentally, we share a region, the Indio-Pacific region. We got a shared interest and shared ambition which is our region being stable, prosperous and respectable of sovereignty and where countries are not required to choose sides but make their own sovereign choices," the minister said.

Wong said both India and Australia "don't want to see any country dominating and any country being dominated."

"We both recognize that our region is being reshaped both economically and strategically. Our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together," she added.

Underlining the importance of partnership with India, Wong said, "For Australia, this partnership (India), is a critical part of shaping the region we want."She said both countries have agreed to continue to deepen the relationship, including the diplomatic footprint in each other's country. "We are looking to open a consulate general in Bengaluru, in the heart of India's technology industry sometime next year," she added.

Jaishankar arrived in Canberra on Monday "to a Tiranga welcome". He will hold talks with the top leadership of Australia to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

"Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament House of Australia in our colours," Jaishankar tweeted. He will also be visiting Sydney.

It is EAM's second visit to Australia this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne. The external affairs minister will also be meeting the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 23 projects worth about Rs 62 crore for the Kinnaur Assembly constituency, and said that the state government is working "by staying close to the poor".

The Chief Minister also presided over the 'Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna ke 75 Varsh' function.

While addressing the largely attended public meeting at Chholtu, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' on the completion of 75 years of India's independence to express gratitude to the freedom fighters who had made sacrifices for the cause of independence. He said that this campaign was carried out comprehensively in the whole country including Himachal.

"Our state had also entered the 75th year of its formation. To acknowledge the contribution of hardworking and honest people and great leaders who had played an active role in the progress and prosperity of the state, the state government had organized the 'Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna ke 75 Varsh' function across Himachal," he said.

Lauding PM Modi's leadership, the Chief Minister said that the country has withstood the testing times of COVID and also was successful in manufacturing indigenous vaccines.

"Apart from this, the world's largest vaccination campaign was also successfully concluded in the country," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the opposition parties were very upset over the public welfare schemes and programs of the state government and they were trying to mislead the people.

"The state government had been working by staying close to the poor. Keeping in view the hardships and needs of weaker sections of society, the government had started schemes like Mukhyamantri Sahara, Himcare, Mukhyamantri Shagun with resolve to benefit the underprivileged," he said.

Thakur said that fulfilling the needs and the of this tribal district has always been the priority for his government and is working to provide a quality life to the people of the area.

"The government had approved 344 cases of Forest Rights Act (FRA) which were pending since the year 2008. under the Tribal Area Program, a budget provision of Rs 140 crore had been made for Kinnaur district in the financial year 2022-23, which is Rs 35 crore more than the previous financial year," Thakur said.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated 18 development projects worth Rs 42.15 crore on the occasion.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Australia, as liberal democracies, believe in a rules-based international order, in freedom of navigation in international waters, in promoting connectivity, growth and security for all, External Affairs Minister said on Monday, amidst China's aggressive posturing in the strategic Indo-Pacific.

Addressing a joint press conference here with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, Jaishankar said he had a "very, very useful, very productive, very comfortable discussion" and part of it was due to the fact that they have been meeting quite often, including on the sidelines of major multilateral conferences.

Wong said that Australia and India have recognised that the Indo-Pacific region is being "reshaped" both economically and strategically and underlined that the partnership with India is a "critical part" of shaping the region.

Jaishankar said that he and Wong had broad ranging discussions and, I think the underpinning of that really is that, as liberal democracies, we both believe in a rules-based international order, in freedom of navigation in international waters, in promoting connectivity, growth and security for all."



He also emphasised what the two sides have emphasised in ensuring that countries make "sovereign choices on matters that are important to them."



"Australia and India are comprehensive strategic partners. We are QUAD partners. We partner in many other ways and most fundamentally, we share a region, the Indo-Pacific region and between our countries, we span a great breadth of the Indo-Pacific," she said after both ministers held the 13th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue.

The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia.

"The QUAD is a mechanism which is primarily focused on the Indo-Pacific. And I think that's an area where the convergence of interests between the Quad partners is particularly strong," Jaishankar said.

"With our own areas of deep connection and expertise. We've got a shared interest and we share an ambition and that is our region is stable, prosperous and respectful of sovereignty, where countries are not required to choose sides, but make their own sovereign choices. We don't want to see any one country dominating or any country being dominated," Wong added.

India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

She also said that "we both recognise our region is being reshaped, economically and strategically. And I think our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together."



"We can only build and sustain the region we want by working with others, including by working in partnership with India and for Australia, this partnership is a critical part of shaping the region we want."



After concluding his first-ever visit to New Zealand, Jaishankar received a "Tiranga welcome" in Canberra.

"Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament House of Australia in our colours," he tweeted.

This is his second visit to Australia. The first visit was in February 2022.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Output of Tibet's culture industry grows fourfold over decade

Xinhua) 08:43, October 10, 2022

LHASA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The total output of the culture industry in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region grew more than fourfold to 6.9 billion yuan (about 971.9 million U.S. dollars) over the past decade, local authorities said.

The output registered an annual growth rate of over 15 percent on average, Gan Liquan, deputy director of the regional department of culture, told a press conference on Sunday.

Over the past decade, more than 400 million yuan, earmarked by both the central and regional governments, was spent on the protection of intangible cultural heritage, Gan added.

Tibet now has three items (Gesar, Tibetan opera, and Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa) included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. There are 106 items on the national intangible cultural heritage list with 96 state-level representative bearers and 460 items on the regional list with 522 regional-level representative bearers.

The region has named eight counties, townships, and villages with intangible cultural heritage characteristics, and 19 intangible cultural heritage tourist attractions.

A total of 121 intangible cultural heritage workshops have been established in the region, creating jobs for 3,053 people from 2,271 households and increasing monthly incomes by more than 3,200 yuan on average, Gan said.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Du Mingming)
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in condoling the demise of Samajwadi Party patriach Mulayam Singh Yadav,

Stating that the deceased leader was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems, the Prime Minister said, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems.

The 82-year-old Yadav passed away in Medanta hospital in Gurugram, where he was undergoing treatment.

He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising ideals of Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia, the prime minister said.

Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency, the prime minister said in a series of tweets.

As defence minister, Yadav worked for a stronger India and his parliamentary interventions were insightful, Modi said.

President Droupadi Murmu termed the demise of Mulayam Singh Yadav as an irreparable loss to the country.

'Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a veteran leader and was connected with the land. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters! Murmu tweeted in Hindi.

Mulayam Singh Yadav's bete noire and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati called the Samajwadi Party founder's death saddening.

The news of the death of the senior SP leader and former Chief Minister is saddening. I express my sympathies to the family members and well-wishers of the leader. May God give them strength to face the grief, Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

Earlier in a tweet in Hindi, Shah hailed the three time UP chief minister as a champion of democracy who raised his voice during the emergency.

Mulayam Singh Yadav remained active in politics for decades with his unique political skills. During the Emergency, he raised his voice for the restoration of democracy.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Yadav's unparalleled contribution to Indian politics as defence minister and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh will always be remembered. My deepest condolences to Akhilesh Yadav and all other loved ones, she said in a tweet in Hindi.

In his condolence message, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recounted the long political journey of Yadav, who was the Defence Minister in the United Front government of 1990s, besides having served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice.

He was a towering socialist leader who never compromised with the interests of the poor and the farmers, said Kumar, who had met the ailing SP founder at the hospital where the latter was admitted during a visit to Delhi last month.

CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury in a tweet said, The champion of the interests of the marginalised and backward, Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav ji steadfastly fought against religious bigotry at a crucial time for India, upholding the unity and integrity of India. Deepest condolences.

CPI leader Binoy Viswam also expressed grieve over Yadav's demise.

Mulayam Singh Yadav ji will be remembered as an uncompromising fighter who stood like a rock in defence of secular India, he said.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said Mulayam Singh Yadav worked for the welfare of the poor and weaker sections throughout his life.

Yadav, who joined politics inspired by great leaders like socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia, served as the Chief Minister of the country's biggest state of Uttar Pradesh thrice and also as Union Minister, Rao said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the demise of the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

He said the deceased leader had played an important role in national politics and was revered by marginalised sections and minorities.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too expressed his grief on the death of Samajwadi Party founder.

Received the sad news of demise of former Chief Minister of UP and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. May almighty rest his soul at his feet and give strength to his family and admirers to bear the loss, Kejriwal said in a tweet.
(This Oct. 7 story has been refiled to removes reference to seasonal refinery maintenance as a part driver for lower demand in the third paragraph)

(Reuters) - India's monthly in September was at the lowest since November 2021, government data released on Friday showed.

Total monthly in September fell 3.6% from August, although it was up 8.1% when compared with September 2021.

Consumption of fuel, a proxy for oil demand, totaled 17.18 million tonnes in September, up from 15.89 million tonnes a year earlier, data from the Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the Oil Ministry showed.

India's https://graphics.reuters.com/INDIA-FUEL/SALES/gdpzyzjqbvw/chart.png

Sales of diesel, or gasoil, rose about 13.4% year-on-year to 6.26 million tones, but dropped 1.4% month-on-month to a one-year low.

Sales of gasoline, or petrol, were 8.8% higher from a year earlier at 2.83 million tonnes.

Preliminary sales data from earlier this month showed gasoline and gasoil sales by Indian state refiners rose sharply in September from a year earlier, signaling a pick-up in industrial activity ahead of the festive season from October.

Sales of bitumen, used for making roads, were up about 16%, while fuel oil use edged up 9% in September.

Cooking gas or liquefied gas (LPG) sales increased 3.5% to 2.45 million tonnes, while naphtha sales fell 6.4% to 1.08 million tonnes.

Indian state refiners plan to lock-in more of their crude supplies in term deals, worried that tighter Western sanctions on Russia, including from the EU, could curb future supplies in already tight markets, sources at state refiners said this week.

DOMESTIC SALES (in million tonnes):

2022 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021

Sept August July Sept August July

Diesel 6.26 6.34 6.64 5.52 5.61 6.14

Petrol 2.83 3.01 2.81 2.60 2.69 2.63

LPG 2.45 2.40 2.41 2.36 2.32 2.37

Naphtha 1.08 1.16 1.14 1.15 0.94 1.22

Jet fuel 0.59 0.60 0.58 0.41 0.38 0.32

Kerosene 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.13 0.13 0.13

Fuel Oil 0.59 0.60 0.56 0.54 0.52 0.47

Bitumen 0.47 0.47 0.44 0.41 0.31 0.44

TOTAL 17.18 17.81 17.61 15.89 15.31 16.60

(Reporting by Brijesh Patel, Bharat Govind Gautam and Deep Vakil in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Harshit Verma; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

(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.)
Concerned over the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, India on Monday advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to and within and asked them to strictly follow the safety and security guidelines issued by the local authorities.

The advisory comes hours after Russia carried out strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. Police said at least 10 people were killed and around 60 others were wounded in the attacks across .

"In view of the current escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within . They must strictly follow the safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian government and local authorities," the advisory issued by the in Kyiv said.

Indian nationals are requested to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the embassy to reach out to them, where required, it added.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest and noted that India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation of the situation.

"India is deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians," he said and urged immediate cessation of hostilities.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

(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) founder and former Chief Minister of passed away in Gurgaon on Monday. The 82-year-old veteran leader was in poor health for some time and was hospitalised in the city on August 22. His passing was confirmed by party in a tweet on September 10.

Soon after, condolences started to pour in from his political contemporaries and opponents alike.

Prime Minister took to twitter to condole Yadav's death. He tweeted, "Shri Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to peoples problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr. Lohia."

Shri Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to peoples problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr. Lohia. pic.twitter.com/kFtDHP40q9  (@narendramodi) October 10, 2022

Defence Minister too showered praises on his long-time opponent in politics and said, "Mulayam Singh ji had the best relations. Whenever he met him, he would talk about many subjects with a very open mind. My interactions with him on many occasions will always be fresh in my memory. My condolences to his family and supporters in this hour of grief."

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal too offered condolence on the demise of Mulayam Singh and tweeted in hindi, "Received the sad news of the demise of former Chief Minister of and socialist leader Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav. May God rest the departed soul at his feet and give strength to all his fans and family members to bear this immense loss." Expressing grief, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Saddened by the news of the demise of founder and former UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav ji.

Netaji served the country and society while holding various constitutional posts in his long political career. May God give peace to the pious and strength to the bereaved family. Om Shanti."

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted in hindi, "The passing away of Former CM Mulayam Singh Yadav is deeply saddening..." CM Yogi also declared a three day state-wide holiday in Uttar Pradesh to mourn passing away of his opponent and 3 time CM of Uttar Pradesh.

Congress leader, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered condolences to his son and former UP CM and tweeted in hindi, "Received the saddening news of Mulayam Singh Yadav's demise. His unmatched contribution to as a former UP CM, Indian Defence and Social justice Minister will always be remembered." BSP Supremo Mayawati also tweeted and offered condolences to family and well-wishers of the late SP leader and her arch rival Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh in his tweet said Mulayam Singh Yadav was a stalwart Lohiaite but had admirers across political spectrum. His tenures as CM of UP were very consequential. He played a key national role on 2 occasions: Deve Gowda & Gujral govts as Defence Min,& in 2002 when he proposed APJ Abdul Kalam for President

Mulayam Singh Yadav was a stalwart Lohiaite but had admirers across political spectrum. His tenures as CM of UP were very consequential. He played a key national role on 2 occasions: Deve Gowda & Gujral govts as Defence Min,& in 2002 when he proposed APJ Abdul Kalam for President  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 10, 2022

I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my longtime colleague and friend Shri #MulayamSinghYadav My condolences to his family and followers. He was deeply committed to the secular and socialist political traditions. Will miss him very much. @samajwadiparty @yadavakhilesh pic.twitter.com/KpcQil8hzP  H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) October 10, 2022

Former Prime Minister H. D. Devegowda tweeted I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my longtime colleague and friend Shri MulayamSinghYadav My condolences to his family and followers. He was deeply committed to the secular and socialist political traditions. Will miss him very much.
In a setback to the income-tax (I-T) department, the appellate tribunal has dismissed the departments appeal seeking disallowance from the advertiser for not charging an equalisation levy, commonly known as Google tax, on the payment made to Google Singapore on jurisdictional grounds.



In an important ruling, the I-T Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) of Jaipur held that an assessee is not liable for disallowance under Section 40(a)(ib) for not charging on payment made to Google Singapore for AdWords.



AdWords is an advertising system Google developed to help businesses reach online target markets.



The tribunal held that the said transaction did not attract the levy as advertisers and target audience were located abroad.

An assessee  a service provider of online advertisement, digital marketing, and web designing for consultancy charges  was subject to disallowance of Rs 8.89 crore for not charging an on AdWords charges paid to Google Singapore, which does not have a permanent establishment (PE) in India.

The revenue department, however, argued that the payment made for digital advertisement fell within the ambit of Section 165(1) of the Finance Act, 2016, and did not attract the exceptions of Section 165(2).



Before ITAT, the matter went to the Commissioner of I-T (Appeals), or CIT(A), who had observed that the assessee acted as a conduit for his foreign clients where the target audience was also situated abroad and India was only the jurisdiction for fund

transfer, thereby maintaining that the assessee was not liable to charge .



CIT(A) further observed that the statutory requirement for service recipients to be an Indian resident with business or profession in India or non-resident having PE in India were not satisfied in the case.



ITAT, while pronouncing the ruling, said that the only dispute in the revenue departments appeal is whether online advertisements, which are in a non-jurisdictional area, are subject to levy.



The taxpayer here was a mere agent of Google Singapore who was acting as a conduit to channel funds, and service recipients were outside India as well. For an online advertisement, an equalisation levy will be applicable. There is a statutory requirement for a service recipient to be an Indian resident with business or profession in India or a non-resident having PE in India.



However, these criteria were not satisfied in this case since the target audience and persons paying for the online advertisement were overseas and had no relation with India, said Amit Maheshwari, tax partner, AKM Global  a tax consulting firm.



The equalisation levy of 2 per cent of revenue exceeding Rs 2 crore applies to e-commerce firms that do not have a PE in India.



This is in addition to a 6 per cent levy on payments for digital advertisement services introduced in 2016.



The tribunal also highlighted that the revenue department could not controvert that: the person running the advertisement, the person displaying the advertisement, and the person using that advertisement are all outside India.



ITAT categorically holds that in substance, the assessee is only acting as a conduit for channelling the funds from the person wanting to advertise on Google.
One terrorist was killed in an encounter that broke out in the Tangpawa area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag on Sunday evening, according to the police.

The operation is still underway.

"#Anantnag EncounterUpdate: 01 #terrorist killed. #Operation going on. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted on Monday morning.

Last week, four terrorists were eliminated in two separate encounters conducted in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and Police in Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir, said the police.

Three terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Drach area of Shopian district on Tuesday night, police said on Wednesday.

Another local terrorist was killed in the encounter underway in the Moolu area of Shopian.

"Jt op launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice today. Area cordoned & contact established. Firefight ensued & 01 terrorist eliminated. 01 soldier injured, evacuated to 92 BH & stable. 01xAK Rifle & other war like stores recovered.

One soldier was injured in the exchange of fire between terrorist and security forces.

In the first encounter that broke out last evening in the Drach area of Shopian, three local terrorists linked with the proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were killed. In contrast, in the second encounter between the security forces and the terrorists in the Moolu area of Shopian early morning today, one local terrorist with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was neutralised.

Two killed terrorists in the Drach encounter were identified as Hanan Bin Yaqoob and Jamshed. They, according to the police were involved in the recent killing of special police officer Javed Dar in Pulwama.

"Killed #terrorists Hanan Bin Yaqoob & Jamshed were involved in recent #killing of SPO Javed Dar on October 2 at Pinglana in #Pulwama & an outside labourer from West Bengal on September 24 in Pulwama," tweeted the police.

On October 2, a local terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was neutralised by the police in a joint operation with security forces in the Baskuchan area of Shopian in J-K.

The terrorist was identified as Naseer Ahmad Bhat of Nowpora Baskuchan, Shopian, according to ADGP Kashmir.

(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.)
Samajwadi Party (SP) founder and former Chief Minister of Yadav passed away in Gurgaon on Monday. He was 82 years old. Yadav was in poor health for some time and was admitted to a hospital in the city on August 22. He was shifted to the ICU on Sunday afternoon. The party confirmed his passing in a tweet.



India records 2,424 new cases of Covid-19, taking the nation's tally from the pandemic to 44,614,437. With 15 deaths, including 12 reconciled by Kerala, India's toll from the Covid-19 pandemic has reached 528,814. The nation's tally of cured Covid cases now stands at 44,057,544, as 2,923 people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.

Several districts of have declared holiday for all on Monday in view of heavy rains. District authorities in Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra, Meerut, Aligarh, Mathura, Kanpur, Etah, Mainpuri and Firozabad have ordered closure of . All classes in across educational boards in these districts have been ordered to remain closed. In Aligarh, the schools have been closed till October 12.

Delhi, with 74 mm of till 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, has recorded its second highest precipitation on a day in October since 2007, according to the India Meteorological Department data. Incessant rain since Saturday that continued till late Sunday night in the capital has also led to significant drop in the temperature. Traffic jams and waterlogging were also seen in many areas of Delhi-NCR. According to the meteorological department, not much precipitation is expected in and nearby areas on Monday.
founder Yadav's demise might not have any direct political impact on the party, but its president will now have to work without his "shield and shadow".

Besides, the party is sure to miss Mulayam Singh's emotional bonding with every camp and also his expert guidance in crucial times, according to political observers and party insiders.

Akhilesh Yadav, his son, became the party president in 2017 after a feud with uncle Shivpal Yadav. Even though he is already at the helm of affairs and has his team in place, has left behind him a void which will be hard to fill, they believe.

According to political observer J P Shukla, Mulayam had stopped running the everyday affairs of the party long back, but his blessings were sought before every major decision by the party chief.

"Mulayam had founded the party but he had not interfered in the party's functioning for the past several years. His name was a shield for Akhilesh in whatever decision he took. He used to claim the support of his father," Shukla said.

"After his demise, Akhilesh will have to work without his shadow. While it will make no difference in the internal matters of the party, there will be a psychological impact.

"Those like Shivpal Yadav and others, who due to emotional bonding with Mulayam did not speak much against the SP, will now be free. The emotional bonding which Mulayam had formed with people across party lines will be missed too," Shukla added.

A senior party member said that though had distanced himself from the party's politics, he never stopped giving advice on crucial matters.

"Netaji was not active in politics due to health reasons. But here in SP, leaders used to visit him for his advice and at times, for his recommendations for party tickets and posts.

"Netaji had sound knowledge of who is doing what, and he used to enquire about others also when you met him," said former SP MLC Anand Bhadauria.

"He was our guiding force. He used to tell us not to shy away from the path of struggle and come on roads to protest on matters of people's interest. We will certainly be missing him," he said.

Several party leaders used to approach 'Netaji' for favours and recommendations of their names to . Netaji many a time even acted on such requests and initiated a talk, another senior leader said.

He recalled the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when SP had entered into an alliance with BSP and gave 38 seats to it agreeing to contest from 37 seats.

Netaji did not agree with the decision and had openly expressed his unhappiness at giving almost half the seats (out of 80) to the BSP.

At the party office, Mulayam Singh had said that he used to give tickets 14 months in advance and added that if the party cannot give tickets he will distribute them.

He had once even said that Akhilesh may give tickets, but he can change the decision, said another party leader, who did not wished to be named.

Former SP MLC Rajpal Kashyap, who was considered a Mulayam loyalist and is not active in politics anymore, said Mulayam Singh was not only a guiding but "uniting force" of the party too.

"No one in the party ever challenged anything Netaji said. If he came to know about differences between anyone, he always ensured that everything is sorted out and would not allow personal differences to hinder the growth of the party," Kashyap said.

Currently, Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Abhay Ram Yadav's son Dharmendra Yadav (former MP from Budaun), elder brother Ratan Lal Yadav's grandson Tej Pratap Yadav (former Mainpuri MP) and his uncle Bacchilal Yadav's son Ram Gopal Yadav and Ram Gopal's son Akshay Yadav (former MP from Firozabad) are with Akhilesh Yadav's camp.

While Yadav's second wife Sadhna Gupta's son Prateek Yadav is a businessmen and not active in politics, his wife Aparna Bisht Yadav, who contested the 2017 assembly elections on an SP ticket from Lucknow's Cant seat, is an active member of the BJP.

Even in 2017, when and uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav were at loggerheads, Mulayam Singh Yadav was visited by both of them and seen with him whenever he called them.

After Shivpal Yadav formed his own party, he also visited 'Netaji' for his blessings.

Mulayam Singh's brother Shivpal Yadav formed Pragatisheel Lohia (PSPL) in 2018 and is working to strengthen it.

The family till now used to gather at one place in festivals like Holi and Diwali with Mulayam and also did not speak in the open against each other.

After the demise of Mulayam Singh's second wife, Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav and Prateek Yadav were seen together at the cremation.

Now with the veteran leader gone, the family members are on their own and only time will tell how things move without him in future.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister will on Monday dedicate to the nation various projects worth more than Rs 8,000 crore at Amod in Bharuch district of and inaugurate an educational complex for the needy students in Ahmedabad.

The PM is on a three-day visit to from Sunday, ahead of the Assembly polls due in the BJP-ruled state later this year.

On Monday, he will lay the foundation stone of a bulk drug park at Jambusar and a deep sea pipeline project at Dahej in Bharuch district.

He will also participate in the ground breaking ceremony for the development of multiple industrial parks in the district.

In Ahmedabad, the prime minister will inaugurate the Modi Shaikshanik Sankul -- an educational complex for the needy students. The project will help provide facilities to students for holistic development, as per a government release.

PM Modi will also address a public rally at Vallabh Vidyanagar in Anand district.

In the evening, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 1,460 crore in Jamnagar. These projects are related to irrigation, power, water supply and urban infrastructure.

(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.)
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister and leaders cutting across the political spectrum condoled the death of (SP) patriarch on Monday as they termed his demise an "irreparable loss" that marks "the end of an era in Indian politics".

Top political leaders also took to Twitter to express their condolences on the passing away of the veteran Samajwadi leader with Congress president Sonia Gandhi saying "the voice of socialist ideas has fallen silent with the demise of ."



Besides the President and the Prime Minister, several state chief ministers also condoled the death of the three-time chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

" Ji served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency. He distinguished himself in UP and national politics," the prime minister said in a series of tweets.

As defence minister, Yadav worked for a stronger India and his parliamentary interventions were insightful, Modi said.

In her message in Hindi, Murmu said,"Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a veteran leader connected with the land. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!"



Taking to Twitter, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said,"during the Emergency, he raised his voice for the restoration of democracy. His death marks the end of an era in Indian politics."



He also said Mulayam Singh Yadav will always be remembered as a grassroots leader.

In a letter to Yadav's son Akhilesh expressing condolences, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the SP patriarch was a leader of high esteem who was respected by everybody irrespective of party lines.

"He (Yadav) was an icon of the socialist movement...He was a great parliamentarian and a distinguished administrator who devoted his whole life to the service of the poor and other backward communities," Singh said.

"My wife joins me to convey to you and other members of your family our deepest condolences on this sad occasion. May God give all of you the strength to bear this great loss with courage and fortitude," the former prime minister said in his letter.

Others who condoled the death of the SP leader included former prime minister and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, BJP leader and former deputy prime minister L K Advani, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati.

Rahul Gandhi, who is taking part in his party's Bharat Jodo Yatra, also held a five-minute "shok sabha" in the memory of the patriarch at his resting camp in Karnataka



and observed silence for two minutes.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar said,"He (Yadav) was a towering socialist leader who never compromised with the interests of the poor and the farmers."



In his message, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said,"he always stood by secular ideals and fought for social justice."



Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin were also among those who expressed their grief over the SP leader's demise.

PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted that Yadav "always stood by the minorities and deprived communities. We should learn lessons from his life...He worked for the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and stood against communal forces who have become powerful in the country."



CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja also condoled the death of the 82-year-old leader.

Yadav, who was born in a family of farmers and went on to spawn the state's most prominent political clan, died at a Gurugram hospital on Monday after a prolonged illness. The cremation will take place on Tuesday at his native Saifai village in Uttar Pradesh.

(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 ruling in Kerala on Monday opposed the recommendation of a parliamentary committee to make as the medium of instruction in technical and non-technical institutions including IITs, saying this runs contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and the country's linguistic diversity.

A parliamentary committee has recently recommended that the medium of instruction in technical and non-technical higher education institutes such as in Hindi-speaking states should be and in other parts of India their respective local language. It said the use of English should be made optional.

"We strongly oppose these efforts which stem from the RSS conception of one nation, one culture, one language. It runs contrary to the spirit of the Indian Constitution and our country's linguistic diversity," tweeted.

Senior Left leader and former state finance minister T M Thomas Isaac said the BJP does not believe in the country's diversity.

"India is being ruled by a party that does not believe in diversity of the country. How else could it insist on knowledge of as a precondition for central government employment by insisting that the recruitment tests would be only in Hindi?" Isaac said.

The end of compulsory English language question paper in the recruitment examinations and adequate arrangement for Hindi translation in the orders of the high courts in Hindi-speaking states are among over 100 recommendations made by the committee in its latest report.

General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the imposition of the RSS vision of 'Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan' was unacceptable.

"Imposing RSS vision of 'Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan' on India's unique and rich linguistic diversity is simply UNACCEPTABLE. All 22 Official languages listed in the 8th schedule of the Constitution must be treated and encouraged equally. India is a celebration of its diversities," Yechury tweeted.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas said the Centre's decision to deny education and jobs to non-Hindi speaking persons is fraught with many dangers.

"Parliamentary Comte's recommendation to make Hindi all pervasive at the cost of other languages is in tandem with the line of the Centre- Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan. Denying education and jobs to non-Hindites is fraught with many dangers. Its against our constitution& must be defeated (sic)," Brittas tweeted.

The Students' Federation of India (SFI), the students' wing of CPI(M), opposed this recommendation and said the BJP was rejecting India's plurality and ignoring the country's unity in diversity.

"Amit Shah headed Parliament's official language committee wants Hindi as a compulsory medium of instruction in educational institutions & job recruitment exams. They are mindfully rejecting India's plurality & ignoring that the unity of India lies in diversity. Why? You know it," SFI president V P Sanu said.

In its 11th report presented to President Droupadi Murmu last month, the Committee of Parliament on Official Language, headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, recommended that local languages should be given preference over English in all states.

The committee has framed the recommendations as per the new Education Policy (NEP) which suggested that the medium of instruction should either be official or regional languages.

The committee has suggested that Hindi should be given a respectable place in 'A' category states and it should be used 100 per cent.

The medium of instruction in IITs, central universities and Kendriya Vidyalayas in Hindi-speaking states should be Hindi and in other parts of India their respective local language, the panel recommended.

All states and Union territories are divided in three groups (regions) on the basis of progressive usage of Hindi.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in category 'A'; Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, and the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are in category 'B'; and the rest of India is categorised as 'C'.

The panel noted that officers and employees in the central government who deliberately don't work in Hindi in Hindi-speaking states should be warned and if they don't perform despite warning, it should be reflected in their Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR).

Other recommendations include communication by central government offices, ministries or departments, such as letters, faxes, and emails, should take place in Hindi or local languages, simple and easy language should be used in official work and invitation letters, speeches, and moderation for any events organised by the central government should all be in Hindi or local languages.

(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.)
CHENNAI: Taking strong exemption to the various attempts of brutal imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking people through a slew of concerted efforts, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin warned the Union government, led by Narendra Modi, against testing the Tamil peoples love for their language once again, thus handing out a veiled threat of another massive protest.

Recalling the 1965 language war that broke out when the Union government sought to thrust the dominant Hindi language by going against the assurance given in 1957 by the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharal Nehru that English would continue as an official language till people not speaking Hindi asked for it, Stalin pitched for the making of all Indian languages as official languages.

In a hard-hitting statement on Monday, the Chief Minister accused the BJP government of trying to bring in a system of one language, one religion, one food and one culture in the guise of a one nation concept to destroy the prevailing fraternal feelings and sense of brotherhood among people speaking different languages, following different faiths and of different cultures.

The strength and pride of the Indian subcontinent was in its plurality, he said and flayed the recommendations of a parliamentary committee, headed by Union home minister Amit Shah, to make Hindi the common language when each of the 22 languages listed under Schedule Eight of the Constitution enjoyed equal rights and the popular demand was to include more languages in the schedule.

Questioning the need to conduct competitive examinations in Hindi for jobs in the Union government and also to make Hindi the language of instruction in top notch educational institutions like the IITs, AIIMS and IIMs, he said English should not be replaced by Hindi as recommended by the parliamentary committee on official languages, in its report submitted last month to the President Droupadi Murmu.

Stalin expressed concern over some threats issued through the report like action against officials not filling up Hindi teaching jobs for more than 3 years, crack down on authorities and officials who did not use Hindi, denial of jobs for those not knowing Hindi and making Hindi compulsory in the states where it was now a link language.

Feeding mothers milk to Hindi and poison to other languages even while raising the slogan Bharat Matha Ki Jai (Long live Mother India) in Parliament went against not only the unity and integration of the country but also threatened its plurality, he said.

When the total number of people not speaking Hindi surpassed Hindi-speakers and every language had its own importance and individuality with cultural significance attached to them, it was English, by continuing as the link language, served as a fence, protecting the quintessential cultural significance of other languages from the onslaught of Hindi domination, he said.

The DMK, when it entered Parliament by winning elections in 1957, had given a call for the protection of regional languages, extracting a promise from Jawaharlal Nehru against Hindi imposition, which when broken in 1965 saw several people setting themselves on fire and some others laying down to save Tamil language by facing police bullets, he recalled.

Subsequently the continuation of English and Hindi as official languages was confirmed through resolutions in 1968 and 1976 and hence the government, instead of attempting to impose Hindi, should aim at conferring official language status to all languages, considering the scientific growth and technological advancement in the present day context, Stalin said.

Hindi imposition was practically not possible as it inherently meant that only Hindi speakers were Indian citizens and that the others were second grade subjects, which would not be accepted by people, particularly those in the states adjoining Tamil Nadu, who love their own language, he said.
The railways will bid out 16 stations, including the Anand Vihar Terminal, under the public private partnership (PPP) model for redevelopment purposes with a tender being floated over the next two months, sources said on Friday.

The other stations to be redeveloped are Tambram, Vijayawada, Dadar, Kalyan, Thane, Andheri, Coimbatore Jn, Pune, Bangalore City, Vadodara, Bhopal, Chennai Central, Delhi Hazrat Nizammuddin and Avadi.

The railways plans to bid out these stations within the current year itself.

These railway stations will be upgraded to ensure improved basic facilities and accessibility for passengers. Various monetisation models are being examined to encourage the private sector.

As many as 199 stations with a footfall of 50 lakh per day are planned to be redeveloped in the first phase.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at a press briefing earlier this month had said that the designs of the redeveloped stations will include a spacious roof plaza with all passenger amenities at one place along with spaces for retail, cafeterias, and recreational facilities.

While the tender for 47 stations are 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.

This is a major change in the mode of redeveloping stations -- after going for the 'engineering, procurement and construction' (EPC) route to redevelop New Delhi, Ahmedabad and CST Mumbai stations, the railways will now go the way.

This may lead to rise in the prices of platform tickets and other conveniences provided by the railways.

(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 (SC) collegium on Sunday night issued a statement saying its meeting to decide the elevation of to the apex court on September 30 was discharged because Justices and S Abdul Nazeer had objected to how Justice U U had decided to finalise the elevation.

The unfinished work at the meeting called on September 30 is closed without there being further deliberation and stands discharged, read the statement.

Usually, collegium meetings are held in person to discuss and deliberate the elevation of of the SC. However, on September 30, the (CJI) circulated a letter among to elicit their views since Justice Chandrachud was holding court till 9 pm that day and could not attend the meeting.

The deferred meeting of the collegium was convened on September 30 at 4.30 pm. Since one of the members (Justice Chandrachud) did not attend the meeting, the CJI sent a proposal vide letter dated September 30 by way of circulation, the statement added.

The judges body also said that based on a formal meeting that took place on September 26, the names of 11 judges has been considered.

Since the opinion was unanimous on the name of (HC) Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta, a resolution to that effect was passed and the consideration of names of the other 10 judges deferred until September 30, the statement read.

The names that were recommended for elevation in the letter are Justice Ravi Shankar Jha (Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana HC), Justice Sanjay Karol (Chief Justice of Patna HC), Justice P V Sanjay Kumar (Chief Justice of Manipur HC), and senior advocate K V Viswanathan.

Since the manner of deliberation of elevation was questioned, the matter will now be discussed across the table among judges comprising the collegium.

The notice also stated that a letter dated October 7 has been received from Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju requesting the incumbent CJI (U U Lalit) to nominate his successor.

Bar Council backs Chandrachud

The Bar Council of India on Sunday said it has complete faith in SC judge Justice D Y Chandrachud, who is in line to become the next CJI after a complaint was filed against the judge alleging misuse of his office to grant favours to his son.

R K Pathan, who claimed to be the chief of the SC and HC litigant association, lodged a complaint on October 8 with the President of India and others against Chandrachud  the seniormost judge of the SC.

The statutory body of lawyers said this was a deliberate attempt to malign the judiciary.
The is likely to pronounce its verdict on petitions challenging the High Court judgement refusing to lift the ban on in educational institutions before Justice retires this week.

A bench of Justices Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia had reserved its judgement on the pleas on September 22 after hearing arguments in the matter for 10 days.

The pronouncement of judgement on these pleas is expected this week as Justice Gupta, who is heading the bench, is due to retire on October 16.

During the arguments in the apex court, a number of counsel appearing for the petitioners had insisted that preventing the Muslim girls from wearing the to the classroom will put their education in jeopardy as they might stop attending classes.

Counsel for the petitioners had argued on various aspects, including on the state government's February 5, 2022 order which banned wearing clothes that disturb equality, integrity, and public order in schools and colleges.

Some advocates had also argued that the matter be referred to a five-judge constitution bench.

On the other hand, the counsel appearing for the state had argued that the government order that kicked up a row over was "religion neutral".

Insisting that the agitation in support of wearing hijab in educational institutions was not a "spontaneous act" by a few individuals, the state's counsel had argued in the apex court that the government would have been "guilty of dereliction of constitutional duty" if it had not acted the way it did.

On March 15, the high court had dismissed the petitions filed by a section of Muslim students of the Government Pre-University Girls College in Karnataka's Udupi seeking permission to wear the hijab inside classrooms, ruling it is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.

The state government's order of February 5, 2022 was challenged by some Muslim girls in the high court.

Several pleas have been filed in the apex court challenging the high court verdict.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Monday rapped the government over its "unsatisfactory" affidavit enumerating steps on payment of ex-gratia to family members of those who died of COVID-19, and said it was not doing any charity.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and Krishna Murari directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.

"Earlier also you had made an assurance. State of is not doing any charity. There is a direction issued by this court and persons affected by COVID-19 should be treated with sympathy.

"Affidavit filed by the government is not satisfactory at all. The counsel prays for time to put a detailed affidavit. Put up on Friday," the bench said.

The counsel for the informed the court that the state is taking all the requisite steps.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal alleging Rajasthan is not adhering to the 2021 order directing states to pay ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 to the families of those who succumbed to the pandemic.

Bansal also sought directions to call for status reports from the State Legal Services Authorities with respect to enforcement of its orders.

The apex court had earlier expressed concern over fake claims being made for securing ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 meant for the families of those who died due to Covid, saying it had never visualised that the relief can be "misused".

It had said on October 4 last year that no state shall deny ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 to the next of kin of those who died after being infected with Covid solely on the grounds that the death certificate does not mention the virus as the cause of the death.

(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.)
Finance Minister will leave for the on Tuesday to attend the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank, which are likely to deliberate on the current global economic situation.

She will also attend the meetings of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, besides having interaction with business leaders and investors.

During her 6-day visit to the US from October 11-16, the minister would meet US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and World Bank President David Malpass separately to discuss the issues of mutual interest.

Bilateral meetings with several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Bhutan, New Zealand, Egypt, Germany, Mauritius, UAE, Iran and the Netherlands are also part of the minister's itinerary.

Besides, one-on-one meetings are also scheduled with leaders and heads of OECD, the European Commission and UNDP.

"Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. will be travelling to the USA on an official visit beginning October 11, 2022. During her visit, Smt. Sitharaman will be attending the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governor (FMCBG) Meetings," an official statement said.

International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva had last week warned of a darker global outlook, saying that the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February has dramatically changed the IMF's outlook on the economy.

"The risks of recession are rising," she had said, terming the current economic environment a "period of historic fragility".

The World Bank too has pared its growth estimate for India by 100 basis points to 6.5 per cent, citing the worsening external environment.

During her visit, the finance minister will also participate in a fireside chat on 'India's Economic Prospects and Role in the World Economy' at the Brookings Institution, a non-profit public policy organisation based in Washington.

Sitharaman will share her thoughts on India's unique Digital Public Goods story and multiplier effects created in India through the interlinkages of 'Technology, Finance and Governance' at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), John Hopkins University, during the visit.

During the later part of the visit, the finance minister will attend roundtable meetings with USIBC and USISPF on 'Strengthen Investment and Innovation in India-US Corridor' and 'Investing in India's Digital Revolution'.

These meetings with leading business leaders and investors are aimed at highlighting India's policy priorities and deliberating on measures to facilitate foreign investment by showcasing India's attractiveness as an investment destination.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On Monday, the (SC) of India rejected a plea seeking directions to the to declare as the national animal, reported Bar and Bench. The Bengal tiger, or the Panthera Tigris, is recognised as India's national animal.

Stressing that it is not the job of SC to decide on such matters, a bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Abhay S Oka asked the petitioner Govansh Sewa Sadan if the issue was exerting any impact on their . The court said, "Is this the job of the court?... Why do you file such petitions where we are compelled to impose costs? Whose fundamental right is affected now that you have filed petition under the Article 32? Law to be thrown to the winds because you come with such petitions to court?"

Under Article 32 of the Indian constitution, every citizen of India has the right to seek constitutional remedy from SC if they have been deprived of their .

Responding to the court's remarks, the counsel for the petitioner asserted that " protection is a very important subject". He added, "Let the government consider it. I am not compelling... protection is very important. Its urine is used, cow dung is used for agricultural purposes. We are getting everything from cows, Your Honour."

However, the lawyer's argument did not change the court's view.

The petitioner later requested to withdraw the plea when the SC refused to entertain the same. The bench allowed the petitioner to do so.
Chief Minister announced a three-day state mourning as a mark of respect to founder who died on Monday.

The 82-year-old Yadav passed away in Medanta hospital in Gurugram.

" government announces three-day state mourning on the death of . His last rites will be performed with full state honour," Adityanath said in a tweet in Hindi.

According to sources, Adityanath also talked to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav over the phone and expressed his condolences.

Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, assembly speaker Satish Mahana, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, and senior BJP leaders also condoled the death of Yadav.

"The news of the death of the senior SP leader and former Chief Minister is saddening. I express my sympathies to the family members and well-wishers of the leader. May God give them strength to face the grief," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

(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.)
has a substantial inventory of Soviet and Russian-origin weapons because the Western countries opted a military dictatorship in the region as its preferred partner and did not supply weapons to New Delhi for decades, External Affairs Minister said on Monday, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

During a joint press meet with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong here, Jaishankar also said that and Russia have a long-standing relationship that has certainly served New Delhi's interests well.

"We have a substantial inventory of Soviet and Russian-origin weapons. And that inventory actually grew for a variety of reasons. You know, the merits of the weapons systems themselves, but also because for multiple decades, Western countries did not supply weapons to India, and in fact, saw a military dictatorship next to us as the preferred partner," Jaishankar said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan, which was a close ally of the US-led West during the Cold War.

Pakistan has been ruled by the Army Generals for more than half of its 73 plus years of existence.

"We all in international politics deal with what we have, we make judgments, judgments which are reflective of both our future interests as well as our current situation. And my sense is, in terms of this current conflict, like every military conflict, there are learnings from it, and I am sure my very professional colleagues in the military would be studying it very carefully, Jaishankar said.

He was asked by an Australian reporter whether should reduce its reliance on Russian weapons systems and rethink its relationship with Russia, given what is going on in Ukraine.

Last month, Jaishankar, during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said that India exercises a choice which it believes is in its interest when it is offered weapons.

Russia has been a major supplier of military hardware to India. The two countries have been holding discussions on what kind of payment mechanisms can work between them in view of the Western sanctions on Moscow.

Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said last month that Russia has delivered its most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system S-400 to India on time despite pressure from Washington and the US-led West's sanctions.

The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. The 'Triumf' interceptor-based missile system can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km.

Russia had started delivery of the first regiment of the missile in December last year.

The missile system has already been deployed in such a way that it can cover parts of the border with China in the northern sector as well as the frontier with Pakistan.

In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding warning from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may trigger US sanctions under CAATSA.

Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA is a tough US law which authorizes the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.



India declines to disclose upcoming UN vote on Ukraine

India doesnt want to say in advance how it will vote at the United Nations General Assembly on a likely draft resolution condemning Russias proclaimed annexation of parts of Ukraine, Foreign Minister said on Monday. As a matter of prudence and policy, we don't predict our votes in advance, Jaishankar said during a joint media briefing along with Australias foreign minister Penny Wong in Canberra. A gencies

(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.)
Indias military has a proud record of being one of the leading contributors to Operations (UNPKO) all over the world. They have displayed exceptional bravery with one officer  Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria  winning the highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra, after laying down his life in a pitched battle with Congolese rebels in 1961.

Yet, until recently, Indian contingents used to go into international peacekeeping missions equipped with shoddy, second-hand equipment that contrasted with the gleaming weaponry carried by other militaries.

All that is changing as Indian vehicle and equipment suppliers have begun producing world-class kit. On Monday, handed over 16 world-class, made-in-India Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), called the Kalyani M4, to the for UNPKOs.

According to the defence ministry, the Kalyani M4 is a Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle (Heavy), indigenously manufactured by and capable of carrying an infantry section (10 soldiers) in full combat gear. The Kalyani M4 successfully completed a series of extreme vehicle trials in some of the toughest environments in India. Trials were conducted in the freezing terrains of Leh and Ladakh, and the unforgiving deserts of Rann of Kutch.

The Kalyani M4s are state-of-the-art APCs that provide unprecedented levels of protection to the occupants against high kinetic energy threats including severe mine blasts and grenades, said a Kalyani Group press release.

Instead of exposing infantry troops to fire from jungles, built up areas, and improvised explosive devices buried in mud roads, up to 10 soldiers can travel protected from blasts. The (Kalyani M4) vehicle can withstand three tri-nitro-toluene charges under the wheels and one 50 kg IED blast at one side, stated the media release.

That amounts to a STANAG-3 rated protection for the crew and the infantry soldiers inside, said Colonel Rajinder Bhatia (Retired), the defence business chief of the Kalyani Group.

With a combat radius of approximately 800 kms, the Kalyani M4 brings to bear its combat power, in minimum time, in all types of terrain. It is equipped with modern optics and sighting equipment that provide the crew inside with full-time situational awareness. The APC is powered by a 460 Horsepower engine from Cummins.

The Kalyani M4 today is the best mobility platform available in the world and variants such as the ambulance and command post vehicles have been delivered to the in the past, said in its media release.

The Army has placed an order for 45 Kalyani M4 APCs, while another 23 APCs are being handed over to units that are going into UNPKOs.

Keeping crew safety and vehicle performance as paramount factors, the Kalyani M4 has been ergonomically and aesthetically designed to allow the crew to perform their duties in an optimum manner, stated Amit Kalyani, deputy managing director of Bharat Forge.
The ministry has decided to allow fractional ownership of and to spur the growth of non-scheduled operations in the country.

Fractional ownership of business planes and is akin to a timeshare holiday and will allow owners to fly a fixed number of hours per year based on their investment.

Charter companies offer jet card products that allow users to fly a fixed number of hours against an advance payment. Companies in India have offered fractional ownership models too, but these have not taken off as regulations do not allow for multiple ownership of an .

minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, on Monday, released the guidelines on fractional ownership to give a fillip to the sector. Fractional ownership model has the potential to energise the non-scheduled operations segment by democratising ownership of aircraft, he said.

Fractional ownership of planes is very popular in the US and Berkshire Hathway-owned NetJets, which is the largest private operator, operates over 800 . Unlike a jet card model, fractional ownership offers guaranteed availability, better charter rates and tax benefits to owners.

We are awaiting further details from the government. We are very keen to launch a fractional ownership model, said Jayant Nadkarni, managing director of Flight Shares Private Limited.

Wealthy Indians have been buying jets in Dubai because of liberal ownership rules. These planes are operated by various aircraft management companies. The fractional ownership guidelines will encourage more aircraft purchase in India, said Atiesh Mishra, director of AJM Jet Management.

Along with fractional ownership guidelines, Scindia announced two other initiatives. The helicopter emergency management system will be rolled out in a few weeks in partnership with AIIMS Rishikesh, Scindia said.

The government is also developing satellite-based flight routes for from Juhu airport to Pune and Juhu to offshore oil platforms. These will enable operations even in low visibility and during night. This will bring immense benefit especially to offshore industry because it will allow round the clock operations.
HYDERABAD: Amid a show of solid support from the BJP, Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy formally threw his hat into the Munugode byelection ring, filing his nomination for the November 3 bypoll on Monday.

In a massive show of strength, an estimated 40,000 party flag-waving supporters gathered near the office of the tahsildar in Chandur to his support, Rajgopal Reddy submitted his nomination papers. The presence of thousands of people showed just how vexed the people were with Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's administration, Rajgopal Reddy remarked after filing his papers.

Reacting to the TRS allegations of criminal quid pro quo of receiving a `Rs 18,000 crore contract to quit the Assembly and contest on a BJP ticket, Rajgopal Reddy said, This election is not for me but for the future of Telangana. The TRS has been trying to spread falsehood about me for the past two months but people have seen through those lies.

He alleged that the TRS has stocked the homes of their leaders in the constituencies surrounding Munugode with ill-gotten cash to buy votes. Irrespective of their efforts, the people are with me, the BJP, and we will register a thumping victory.

Rajgopal Reddy began his day with prayers and then led the large rally from Munugode to Chundur. I have prayed that people of the state take the steps to rid Telangana of the autocratic rule of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. I took the decision to resign and join the BJP for the people of Munugode and they will take the right decision, he said as he set off in the rally to Chundur

Rajgopal Reddy continued, "My pujas are not like the ones of KCR," alluding to the ongoing argument between BJP and TRS officials over the Chief Minister's allegedly tantric rites.

At the rally, Rajgopal Reddy was accompanied by state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy, partys national general secretaries Tarun Chugh and Sunil Bansal, secretary Arvind Menon, campaign steering committee chairman G. Vivek Venkatswamy, party MLAs Etala Rajendar and M. Raghunandan Rao.

Referring to allegations against Rajgopals business deals as the reason for him to join the BJP, Bandi Sanjay said, Rajgopals family has been in business for a long time. There is nothing illegal or wrong in the businesses run by his family. People have understood that these are desperate allegations to defeat him and are ready to teach the TRS a lesson.
A number of rating agencies, domestic banks, and groups have pared the forecast for Indias economic growth. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which will release its World Economic Outlook on Tuesday, is expected to do the same. India was the worst performer among its peers if forecast revisions for 2022 are considered. The had revised Indias forecast from 1.6 percentage points from 9 per cent in January 2022 to 7.4 per cent in July 2022. The world output had been cut by 1.2 percentage points and advanced economies by 1.4 percentage points. Emerging markets and developing economies, the group India belongs to, had seen a 1.2-percentage point revision. If the trend continues, despite being one of the fastestgrowing major economies, India will be the biggest loser. Indias growth forecast for the next fiscal year had been cut from 6.9 per cent to 6.1 per cent in the July outlook.








India's space economy is likely to be worth nearly USD 13 billion by 2025, with the satellite launch services segment set to witness the fastest growth spurred by increasing private participation, according to a report released on Monday.

The growing demand for smaller satellites is set to boost satellite manufacturing in the country and will attract global start-ups in the sector to help incubate space tech companies here, said the report released by the Indian Space Association (ISpA) and Ernst and Young.

India's space economy was pegged at USD 9.6 billion in 2020 and is expected to touch USD 12.8 billion by 2025, according to the report titled 'Developing the Space Ecosystem in India: Focusing on Inclusive Growth'.

In dollar terms, the satellite services and applications segment would be the largest with a turnover of USD 4.6 billion by 2025, followed by ground segment at USD 4 billion, satellite manufacturing at USD 3.2 billion and launch services at USD 1 billion.

"Indian space launch is expected to get a boost due to the government's positive step towards the inclusion of private players in the Indian space ecosystem," the report said.

The launch services segment was pegged at USD 600 million in 2020 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13 per cent to reach USD 1 billion by 2025, the report said.

"The availability of low-cost satellite launch vehicles coupled with mass production will lead to demand from customers around the world. Indian private companies are looking to exploit the space industry by using innovative technologies," it said.

Setting up space parks across the country is likely to give a fillip to companies operating across the space value chain, especially manufacturing, the report stated.

"It will be key to attracting global start-ups working in the space sector and help to incubate space tech companies in India," it said.

Several companies are utilising cutting-edge technologies to develop innovative launch solutions in India and have built considerable expertise around the launch of LEO, MEO and GEO satellites and orbit management solutions.

"The launch segment is fast becoming a key focus area for start-ups and small and medium businesses (SMEs) in India to drive the innovation agenda and make use of new revenue opportunities," the report said.

It noted that currently, India boasts of over 100 space tech start-ups with investments in the segment touching USD 68 million in 2021.

(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 subscribers of the (NPS) can now continue with their existing 'default' investment pattern and pension fund manager (PFM) even after retirement. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) said, according to a report by BusinessLine (BL), that retirees not be required to file a request in this regard.

Until now, retirees could not contribute to their NPS account after retirement. They had to submit a separate request for the same. After the new rule, they can choose to continue with the existing plan or choose a new PFM and .

The move will come as a relief to over 30,000 government employees.

Under the 'default' investment plan, the NPC contributions are invested in equities with a cap of 15 per cent. The rest is invested in government securities and corporate bonds.

Several employees had approached to express their willingness to continue the 'default' pattern and PFMs. The government provides three PFMs to the employees namely, LIC Pension Fund, SBI Pension Fund and UTI Pension Fund.

However, given the high average returns of up to 7-8 per cent, pensioners were vary of choosing a new investment model.

Recently, proposed a process to allow lumpsum withdrawals of the NPS through a systematic lump sum withdrawals (SLW) facility through automation. The withdrawal was allowed monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and annually till the beneficiary attains 75 years of age.

Currently, the sum can be withdrawn as a single tranche or on annual basis.
The government will give a push to rural on the basis of cultural or economic characteristics of the states villages, a department official told Business Standard.



The official said as part of this drive, villages practising unique forms of handicraft, music, dance, art, food, and rural lifestyles possessing unique ecological significance or following distinct agricultural practices would be identified and steps taken to promote them in international and domestic markets. The state government proposes to set up a development fund to support rural infrastructure in identified villages. Besides, tourist infrastructure such as road connectivity and wayside amenities will be improved.



The government, he said, proposes to develop tourist accommodation facilities including stay, drinking water, safety, internet connectivity, and caravan parks in partnership with private players.



He pointed out the government planned to introduce an incentive scheme for promoting tourism.



There will be skill development programmes for youths in to undertake tourism-related activities, which will enhance community participation and encourage self-employment. Besides this, to showcase tribal culture and attract people to these areas, adequate tourism infrastructure and facilities will be developed.



Such places will be identified and necessary tourism development works will be undertaken in tribal sub-plans and other schemes, for which a framework will be put in place. The department will prepare a marketing and promotion plan for tribal areas. The state tourism is a good income generator for the states economy.



According to travel industry pundits, forts and palaces, heritage art and culture, and shopping are some of the reasons attracting tourists to . On average 20-25 million tourists visit the state every year.
on Monday extended the date for admission registration to undergraduate programmes till October 12 and announced that the first seat allocation list will be released on October 18.

In a notification, the university said there would be three rounds of seat allocations and thereafter a spot round will be conducted.

DU began admissions for over 70,000 seats last month. This year the university is admitting students through Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores instead of Class 12 marks. On September 12, the university released its admission-cum-allocation policy -- Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS).

Admission through CSAS is being conducted in three phases -- submission of the application form, selection of programmes and filling of preferences and seat allocation and admission.

The first and second phases of the admission, which were supposed to be concluded by Monday, have been extended by two days.

As many as 2,15,486 candidates registered themselves at the CSAS portal till Monday at 8 pm.

Before the announcement of the first seat allocation list, the university said it will release a 'Simulated List' on Friday through which the candidates will be able to assess their probabilities of securing admission to a programme in a college.

"After the declaration of the 'Simulated List', two more days will also be provided to the candidates to reorder their preferences," the varsity said in a statement.

The university has also opened a correction window for candidates who have already completed phase I and phase II and wish to edit or modify certain fields.

The correction window too will be open till 04.59 pm Wednesday, said the varsity.

"This (the window) is a one-time facility for OBC-NCL, EWS, SC, ST, Minority, PwBD and CW candidates who wish to re-upload their updated documents/certificates. Only the documents, certificates uploaded on the CSAS portal will be considered for the purpose of admission," the university said in a statement.

The candidates will not be allowed to edit or modify name, photograph, signature, gender, registered email id, mobile number and candidate's category.

The candidates who did not select sports supernumerary quota while applying in Phase I of the CSAS will not be allowed to do so at the correction stage, the statement said.

Informing about the schedule for phase III of the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS) for admissions to undergraduate courses for the academic year 2022-23, the varsity said the first allocation list will be declared on October 18, the second CSAS allocation list on October 30 and the third allocation list on November 10.

It also said the first spot allocation round for vacant seats will be announced on November 17.

On October 18, the first CSAS allocation list will be announced and the candidates will be given a three-day window from October 19 to October 21 to "accept" the allocated seat.

The colleges will be able to verify and approve the online applications from October 19 to October 22.

For the first round of CSAS allocation and admission, the last date for online payment of admission fees by the candidates will be October 24.

For the seats left vacant in the first round, the university will open the second round of CSAS allocation and admission.

On October 25, the university will display vacant seats. Then the students will be given a three-day window to re-order higher preferences from October 25 to 27. The second allocation list will be announced on October 30. The students will be given a two-day window from October 31 to November 1 to accept the allocated seat, the varsity said.

The college will verify and approve the online application from October 31 to November 2.

The last date for online payment of admission fees by the candidates is November 3.

For the third round, the vacant list will be displayed on November 4. During the third round, the university will give a chance for mid-entry and a window to re-order higher preferences from November 5 to 7, as per the statement.

The third allocation list will be announced on November 10, the varsity said. The candidates will have to accept the allocated seat by November 13. The college will verify and approve the online applications from November 11 to November 14. The university will announce the first spot allocation round for vacant seats by November 17.

The university may announce more spot rounds subject to the availability of vacant seats, the statement noted.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the teacher welcomed the audience and turned the mic to one of the panelists, the budding author simply shook her head. Perhaps because she had already put what she had to say into words and images.

It is perfectly permissible, and even cute, if you are only five or six years old and among a bunch of schoolchildren getting a first taste of writerly attention. The event was an informal launch for 19 students of Shiv Nadar School in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, who had come up with independently published or self-published .

The pandemic and its forced isolation have inspired children to pick up reading and writing more seriously, as the youngsters of Shiv Nadar School would testify. From kindergarteners to teens, the 19 schoolchildren explored storytelling, poems, and illustrations, while delving into fairy-tale genres as well as fantasies and thrillers.

However, it is merely a stepping stone to the world of publishing where a select few make the cut.

Vatsala Kaul Banerjee, publisher, childrens and young adult books, Hachette India, says that they get a fair share of manuscripts from children  one in 25 submissions on an average. They are sent in mostly by parents, but often the children themselves, who are above 12 years of age, write in. There was a small spike during Covid-19, she adds.

Shelves in do not identify authored by children separately, and age is not a deciding factor for who cut a deal. The subject, originality, and quality of writing are our main concerns. Our contracts with minor authors also factor in clauses about the child having done this under no duress and without any breach of child labour laws or any rules and regulations related to children, says Banerjee.

At present, Hachette India has only one child author on its list  Zac Sangeeth from Bengaluru, who was 10 when he wrote World History in 3 Points that was published earlier this year. We really liked the idea of a capsuled history . He had been putting the together for two years on his own while he had online school and there was a lot of time on hand during the worst months of the pandemic, says Banerjee.

Sohini Mitra, publisher, childrens division at Penguin Random House India, agrees that there are a lot of submissions from children. It is a heartening trend because it shows they are reading, there is renewed attention in schools, and even parents are conscious about keeping them off-screen. Kids who love eventually dabble in some writing. However, she adds, there is not a lot of original work, which is what a publisher looks at.

More than a decade ago, post-Harry Potter, publishing houses began receiving a deluge of manuscripts on fantasy fiction as children were lapping up the genre. Despite a dip, still get a lot of fantasy stories, says Mitra, who encourages parents to take the self-publishing route to motivate children to write more.

That said, last year Penguin published a called The Great Big Lion, which was drawn and written by three-year-old Chryseis Knight from .

Among Indians in recent years, it has published a handful of teenagers including author Ravi Subramanians daughter Anusha, the author of Never Gone (2016), and Zuni Chopras debut novel The House that Spoke (2017).

It had earlier published Arjun Vajpai, when he became the youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest (On Top of the World, 2010) at age 16. Last year, it also published a book called Unmasked: Stories from the Pandemic by Paro Anand, who writes for children. It compiled 18 stories and left the space for the 19th blank for the reader to pen her own.

Kanishka Gupta, a literary agent and publishing commentator, recalls that a few promising young got published a decade ago purely on merit.

He cites the example of Shreya Mathur, who wrote But Ira Said (2012) during her pre-board study leave when she was 15. At that point, HarperCollins was bullish on its young adult imprint. And it commissioned Shreyas book based just on chapters, he says, adding that most of the self-published books are vanity projects and tend to be spin-offs or inspired by other books. So many who self-publish complain that the books arent available in or online. Thats because vanity presses have no distribution.

also feel that aside from the solitary pursuit of writing, children are put under pressure to achieve.

Says Banerjee: In one generation, it would have been laudatory to have an article published in the school magazine; now the boundaries of such achievements are being expanded. Children have resumes these days, and parents are quite keen to publish the work of even little kids. Self-publishing, she adds, offers an easy space to publish. Among older children, having a book published sometimes helps them in university admissions.
The Indian sector, which is growing at 11 per cent CAGR for the last five years, the momentum is expected to continue and could lead India to become the sixth largest market globally, from ten now, said Debasish Panda, chairman, Regulatory and Development Council of India.

He said that the industry has been growing at 11% CAGR for the last 5 years but to insure every person in India a highlighted importance of as financial and social protection has to be worked upon.

He also said that the regulator is working on Bima Sugam- a one stop shop, for all insurance products

Economy is showing great resilience against pandemic and global political unrest, showing 7% growth as opposed to the global 2.9%, he believes the insurance industry should not be left behind. Growth momentum is expected to remain constant which is a golden opportunity for the which can go from 10th largest to 6th largest, Panda said at National Insurance Academys annual insurance summit.

More than 50% of vehicles remain uninsured which is a clear indication of the unavailability of adequate insurance covers. He believes that the reins are in the hands of the younger generation to come up with innovative, efficient and tech based solutions. This can only be achieved through more focus on surveys and research, Panda said.

He also said one of the focus areas should be product simplification and innovation. Tech based coverages, region based coverages have to be looked into because one size fits all is no longer applicable.

Speaking at the same event, LIC chairman M.R. Kumar only 3 in every 100 people in the country have a life insurance policy. Even though penetration increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, it still is very low and needs to be worked upon by industry leaders.

In 2021, India also witnessed the highest growth in high net worth Individuals. This led to a huge increase in the consumers appetite for better and more customized insurance products and thus, the insurers are looking forward to meeting these needs, he said.

Saurabh Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, highlighted the need the need to simplify the insurance industry from the huge English jargons.

Insurers will have to create simplicity for the public while using insurance-related products and mechanisms. These are a few things that can help us jump-start the penetration, Mishra said.

He said some of the unexplored areas include agriculture insurance and cyber insurance which will boom with the help of newer technologies in the near future.
The on Monday said it has cancelled the licence of Pune-based The Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank Ltd as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.

The bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on October 10, the RBI said in a statement.

As per the data submitted by the bank, it said about 99 per cent of the depositors are entitled to receive full amount of their deposits from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

As on September 14, DICGC paid Rs 152.36 crore of the total insured deposits.

"The bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects," the RBI said.

It also noted that the bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full.

The Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank is prohibited from conducting the business of banking which includes, among other things, acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits with immediate effect, the RBI said.

The Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra has also been asked to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.

On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to Rs 5 lakh from DICGC.

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday cancelled the license of Pune based Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank as the urban cooperative bank lacked adequate capital and earning prospects.

The bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on October 10, 2022, said in a statement. Earlier in August 2022 , it had cancelled the license of Pune-based Rupee Cooperative Bank. action is facing legal challenge in Bombay High Court.

According to the the data submitted by the bank, about 99 per cent of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). As on September 14, 2022, DICGC has already paid Rs 152.36 crore of the total insured deposits.

This payment is made in compliance with the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961 based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the bank.

Banking regulator said it has requested the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank.

The continuance of the bank was prejudicial to the interests of its depositors. The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full. The public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any further, it added.

In another regulatory action, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 48 lakh on The Kerala State Co-operative Bank Ltd, Thiruvananthapuram for non-compliance with the provisions of section 56 of Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Act) and directions issued by RBI on Gold Loan - Bullet Repayment.
The (RBI) on Monday said that a bank loan rating by rating agencies not having lenders' names won't be considered for capital computation by .

Such loans will have to be treated by as unrated and they will assign risk weights to them.

In a circular issued to all on Monday, the RBI noted that disclosures relating to lenders' details are not available in a large number of Press Releases (PRs) issued by external credit assessment institutions (ECAIs) due to the absence of requisite consent by the borrowers to the ECAIs.

"It is, therefore, advised that a bank loan rating without the above disclosure by the ECAI shall not be eligible for being reckoned for capital computation by banks... They (banks) shall treat such exposures as unrated and assign applicable risk weights," the RBI said.

It cautioned that if the relevant information is not provided, then banks would have to assign risk weights to such unrated exposures.

This could further lead to lowering of provision for capital and underpricing of risks, the central bank cautioned further.

--IANS

ans/vd

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continues to wage a campaign of repression against the Tibetan community, according to a top US diplomat, who believes that Beijing plans to install a of its own choosing.

Addressing a gathering on the margins of the UN Human Rights Council last week in Geneva, US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya said now faces a "critical moment" for the survival of its cultural, linguistic and religious heritage.

China's policies in the region threaten Tibet's national identity, Zeya was quoted as saying by Washington-based Radio Free Asia (RFA).

She says that central to Beijing's campaign to fully absorb into is its plan to install a of its own choosing when the globally revered Tibetan spiritual leader someday dies.

Zeya said Beijing views this co-optation as critical to eroding support for and completing its forcible 'Sinicization' of the six million Tibetans living in .

"The PRC views this co-optation as critical to eroding support for Tibet and completing its forcible 'Sinicization' of the six million Tibetans living in the PRC," the U.S. diplomat was quoted as saying by RFA.

"PRC authorities have shown they are willing to act with cruelty when any succession process falls outside the boundaries of their control," Zeya said.

She also noted that noting that Beijing in 1995 abducted another senior Tibetan religious leader -- the 11th Panchen Lama, then a young child -- and selected a candidate under China's control to replace him.

US special coordinator for Tibetan affairs, who was appointed in Jul last year, met Tibetan spiritual leader in Dharamshala in May this year.

Zeya reached Dharamshala on a high-level visitation that signifies Washington's significant support for the Tibetan issue. She had received a warm welcome from Tibetans, for a first such visit of a higher official from the Biden administration.

This key visit comes shortly after the President of Central Tibetan Administration Penpa Tsering's visit to Washington in April. During his visit, Tsering met with the US Special envoy along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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External Affairs Minister arrived in Canberra on Monday "to a Tiranga welcome" as he prepares to hold talks with the top leadership of to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

"Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament house of in our national colours," Jaishankar tweeted.

In Australia, Jaishankar will be visiting Canberra and Sydney. It will be EAM's second visit to this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne.

Jaishankar will be holding the 13th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue (FMFD) along with his counterpart Penny Wong. The external affairs minister will also be meeting Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles.

He will also have interactions with the Australian Navy, the media and think tanks, including the Lowy Institute in Sydney.

Jaishankar reached Canberra after a successful visit to New Zealand.

During his visit, EAM held a bilateral meeting with New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta in Auckland and reviewed the entire gamut of our relations. Jaishankar called on New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Furthermore, he interacted with several ministers, including Priyanca Radhakrishnan, the first person of Indian origin to become a Minister in New Zealand.

The minister also met several parliamentarians, members of the business community as well as Indian diaspora, including Indian students. In Wellington, he inaugurated the newly constructed building of the High Commission of India.

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The Israeli top court has overturned a ban preventing the Arab party of Balad from running in the country's parliamentary elections due on November 1.

The Supreme Court's nine-judge panel unanimously decided to cancel the decision by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Balad from running in the elections, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement released by the court that did not mention reasons for the decision.

On September 29, the Central Elections Committee, the body that authorizes parties and candidates ahead of votes and is made up of lawmakers from several political parties, voted nine-to-five to disqualify the Arab party.

Hassan Jabareen, general director of Adalah, an Israeli Arab rights group that petitioned the Supreme Court on behalf of Balad, said in a statement that the Central Elections Committee has tried to ban other Arab lists and candidates ahead of each of the election rounds over the past few years.

"The purpose of the moves by the committee is to incite against Arab political representatives and push them beyond the boundaries of legitimate political discourse," he said.

Arab citizens of Israel, which compose about 20 per cent of the country's population, are Palestinians who remained in the territory after Israel's Independence War in 1948.

The judges also overturned another decision by the Elections Committee, ruling that former lawmaker Amichai Chikli, who ran in 2021 with the Yamina party, could run in the upcoming elections with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party.

Chikli was ousted from Yamina, a pro-settler party headed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in April after he refused to vote for the coalition. About two months later the narrow coalition collapsed, triggering unprecedented fifth elections in fewer than four years.

--IANS

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India's External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar, addressing the Indian community in New Zealand, said that there are possibilities for increased cooperation between the two nations in various sectors like business, digital and education.

"Stronger cooperation will ensure peace, prosperity and progress of our common region. Possibilities abound in business, digital, agriculture, education, skills, traditional medicine and maritime security domains," Jaishankar, wrapping up his first visit to New Zealand, tweeted.

While inaugurating the new Indian High Commission Chancery in Wellington on Sunday, the minister said that the relationship between both countries is "due for an update", and "due for refresh".

India is New Zealand's 11th largest two-way trading partner with total two-way trade valued at $1.80 billion during the year ending September 2020. Education and tourism are New Zealand's growth sectors with India.

The primary imports from India consists of logs and forestry products, wood pulp, wool and edible fruit & nuts. Indian exports to mostly are pharmaceuticals/medications, precious metals and gems, textiles and motor vehicles and non-knitted apparel and accessories.

"The more sensible way of growing our relationship is really to play with each other's strengths. We must find ways for doing more business because, at the end of the day, business is good for any relationship. For once if there is a strong business foundation to a business relationship, that relationship is truly strong and steady," he said, inaugurating the new Indian High Commission Chancery in Wellington.

Several companies such as Rakon, Glidepath and RML Engineering have taken the Indian government's invitation to "Make in India" and have invested towards establishing operations in the country, according to media reports.

"India is open for business, that we would like to see more of New Zealand, and there are areas where you have experiences, best practices and capabilities that make a big difference. And if those in some way be deployed in India, can be deployed through your own initiatives, partnerships with Indians and joint ventures it would be something that we would value and you will benefit from," Jaishankar said.

Earlier, while participating in the 'Vishwa Sadbhavana' event which was a part of the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame awards, Jaishankar said, "The love and respect for the Indian diaspora is now an important part of India's foreign policy."

Indians make up five per cent of the population. According to a Ministry of External Affairs report, there are 240,000 Indians residing in New Zealand, out of which there are 1.6 lakh people of Indian origin and 80,000 NRIs. Hindi is the fifth most spoken language in New Zealand.

--IANS

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Russia unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, smashing civilian targets including downtown Kyiv where at least eight people were killed.

The intense, hours-long attack marked a sudden military escalation by Moscow.

It came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called a Saturday explosion on the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea a terrorist act masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

At least eight people were killed and 24 were injured in just one of the Kyiv strikes, according to preliminary information, said Rostyslav Smirnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs.

The sustained barrage on major cities hit residential areas and critical infrastructure facilities alike, portending a major surge in the war amid a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in recent weeks.

It came a few hours before Putin was due to hold a meeting with his security council, as Moscow's war in approaches its eight-month milestone and the Kremlin reels from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas it is trying to annex.

Blasts struck in the capital's Shevchenko district, a large area in the centre of Kyiv that includes the historic old town as well as several government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Some of the strikes hit near the government quarter in the symbolic heart of the capital, where Parliament and other major landmarks are located.

A glass tower housing offices was significantly damaged, most of its blue-tinted windows blown out.

Residents were seen on the streets with blood on their clothes and hands. A young man wearing a blue jacket sat on the ground as a medic wrapped a bandage around his head.

A woman with bandages wrapped around her head had blood all over the front of her blouse. Several cars were also damaged or completely destroyed. Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across the country and in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces launched dozens of missiles and Iranian-built drones against . The General Staff of the Armed Forces said 75 missiles were fired against Ukrainian targets, with 41 of them neutralised by air defences.

The targets were civilian areas and energy facilities in 10 cities, Zelenskyy said in a video address. (The Russians) chose such a time and such targets on purpose to inflict the most damage, Zelenskyy said.

The morning strikes sent Kyiv residents back into bomb shelters for the first time in months. The city's subway system stopped train services and made the stations available once more as bomb shelters.

While air raid sirens have continued throughout the war in Ukraine's major cities across the country, in Kyiv and other areas where there have been months of calm many Ukrainians had begun to ignore their warnings and go about their normal business.

That changed on Monday morning. The attacks arrived in Kyiv at the start of the morning rush hour, when commuter traffic was beginning to pick up.

At least one of the vehicles struck near the Kyiv National University appeared to be a commuter minibus, known as a marshrutka, and a popular albeit often crowded alternative to the city's bus and metro routes.

Nearby, at least one strike landed in the popular Shevchenko Park, leaving a large hole near a children's playground.

Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine's parliament, posted a photo on Twitter showing that at least one explosion occurred near the main building of the Kyiv National University in central Kyiv.

Elsewhere, Russia targeted civilian areas and energy infrastructure as air raid sirens sounded in every region of Ukraine, except Russia-annexed Crimea, for four straight hours.

Associated Press journalists in Dnipro city saw the bodies of multiple people killed at an industrial site on the city's outskirts.

Windows in the area had been blown out and glass littered the street. A telecommunications building was hit.

Ukrainian media also reported explosions in a number of other locations, including the western city of Lviv that has been a refuge for many people fleeing the fighting in the east, as well as in Kharkiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi.

Kharkiv was hit three times, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

The strikes knocked out the electricity and water supply. Energy infrastructure was also hit in Lviv, Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said.

Three cruise missiles launched against Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova's airspace, the country's Foreign Affairs Minister Nicu Popescu complained.

A day earlier, Putin had called the attack on the Kerch Bridge to Crimea a terrorist act carried out by Ukrainian special services.

In a meeting Sunday with the chairman of Russia's Investigative Committee, Putin said there's no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure.

The Kerch Bridge is important to Russia strategically, as a military supply line to its forces in Ukraine, and symbolically, as an emblem of its claims on Crimea.

No one has claimed responsibility for damaging the 12-mile (19-kilometre) -long bridge, the longest in Europe.

Amid the onslaught, Zelenskyy said on his Telegram account that Russia is trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth.

The attacks appeared set to bring a fresh bout of condemnation for Russia.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said the Group of Seven industrial powers will hold a video conference on Tuesday on the situation which Zelenskyy will address. Germany currently chairs the G-7.

Ukrainian Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba broke off his Africa tour and headed back to Ukraine, saying on Twitter the attacks represented terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities.

Some feared Monday's attacks may just be the first salvo in a renewed Russian offensive. Ukraine's Ministry of Education announced that all schools in Ukraine must switch to online classes at least until the end of this week.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that will be dissolved on Monday, paving the way for general that are expected to be held in early November.

The would come nine months before Parliament's term expires, following calls for early polls from Ismail's United Malays National Organisation.

UMNO, the biggest party in the ruling coalition, was feuding with its allies and is aiming for a big win on its own.

The Election Commission is expected to meet within the week to announce a date for the vote, which is likely to be held before the year-end monsoon season that often brings devastating floods.
said North Korea's missile launches were a simulation of a nuclear attack on the South, in the latest sign that is preparing for its first atomic test in five years.

Kim described a series of exercises since September 25, which included the first missile fired over Japan in five years, as a severe warning to the US and its allies, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Monday.



The drills included simulated nuclear strikes on airports in South Korea, tests of underwater missile silos and rocket attacks on seaports, the report said, describing the moves as responses to US-led naval exercises.



The weapon that was fired over Japan into the Western Pacific on October 4 was a new-type ground-to-ground intermediate-range ballistic missile, KCNA said. The launch was only the most provocative of a dozen missiles fired off over the past two weeks, prompting the US to sent the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group back to nearby waters.



Kim reaffirmed his opposition to negotiations with the US, after last month declaring that would never give up nuclear arms or denuclearize first.



On Sunday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a Sunday an appearance on ABCs This Week that its offer for talks still stands, but that the US had the capabilities to respond if Kim chose to escalate.
Vladimir Putins bizarre ceremonies formalising Russias annexation of some 15% of once again revealed the yawning chasm between Kremlin triumphalism and reality.

Never mind Russian forces didnt even fully control the territories Putin brought under the Russian flag. Never mind Russias referendums were a blatant fabrication  with voting often held at gunpoint. Never mind that by now more people have fled Russia than the 300,000 extra troops to be partially mobilised in support of Putins flagging war effort. And never mind that Russian forces are retreating in many of their newly-acquired lands, with the key city of Lyman liberated by less than 24 hours after its annexation was announced.

Putins vitriolic rantings to a decidedly subdued audience provided plenty of distasteful soundbites. He referred to the West as Satanists with various genders, calling for holy war against the transexual Western bogeymen. His characterisation of Americans as neo-colonialists was laughably hypocritical since Putin was literally in the process of announcing the recreation of an empire.

He made references to Catherine the Great, claimed southern had always been Russian, and liberally invoked the imperial term Novorossiya. NATO expansion, supposedly the trigger for Russias existential security crisis that left it with no option but to invade its neighbour, barely got a mention in Putins tsunami of xenophobic bile.

But the real story of Putins latest melodrama is that he has unequivocally bet his political survival on victory over Ukraine and the West.

Crucially, there are now definite signs his grip on power is starting to fray, even if Putins demise may still be some way off.

Existential crises breed internal ones

Dictators often meet their ends through inadvertent overreach. So, too, Putins new fragility stems from his own choices. Obsessed with recreating a footprint over what he believes are Russias historical lands, and determined to blame the West as the global embodiment of moral decrepitude, Putin has created his own existential threat.

Yet his invasion of Ukraine has been an utter disaster. His conventional forces have been revealed as a chimera: poorly trained, poorly led, hopelessly corrupt, and often badly equipped.

This is now becoming an internal threat that his domestic messaging is struggling to explain.

What were sold as glorious Russian victories were repelled, got bogged down and then became embarrassing retreats, forcing Kremlin propagandists to simultaneously try to put out multiple spot fires. But spinning defeats as temporary setbacks can only work for so long. And finding others to blame, from false conspiracies about NATO forces fighting alongside Ukrainians, to criticism of field commanders for failing Russia, is also a temporary solution.

Eventually it will become patently obvious that the one man who isnt permitted to be criticised   is ultimately in charge of the mess.

Implicitly this is already happening. Margarita Simonyan, Putins chief cheerleader in Russias tightly controlled media landscape, has suddenly dissociated herself from politics, plaintively claiming she has no political authority.

When loyal mouthpieces start trying to look dispassionate, its time for dictators to worry.

Putin has been forced to abandon the political centre

The enigma of Putin and Putinism is that he has never really offered a guiding vision for Russia, despite being effectively the Kremlins longest serving leader since Stalin. He has tended to avoid identifying with a particular ideological position, and isnt even a member of United Russia, the party invented to represent his interests in Russias parliament.

Instead, Putin has presided over a centralised authoritarian government, playing divide-and-rule with different Kremlin cliques, and elevating friends and cronies while also occasionally purging them. Indeed, Russia has a system of bureaucratic bargaining between power ministries and powerful individuals that isnt completely alien to what we witness in the West.

But in Putins Russia, the strength of vertical lines of authority means major contests around policy arent mediated by discussion, debate or other expressions of preference. Rather, theyre decided by the will of one individual.

This has served Putin well in the past, allowing him to present the face of a political centrist whose choices soften the extremism of ultranationalists and communists, and keep him aloof from petty . But battlefield failures have now required him to lurch to the far right. That side of Russian has never completely supported Putin, even though it remains beholden to him to retain political influence. It is also weakly supported by the population, and many of its leaders are figures of ridicule.

Hence Putin is betting on his ability to drag popular sentiment with him.

True, Russias phoney democracy ensures he wont be removed at the ballot box, and appetites for public protest remain low. But he will now be expected to take actions even more unpopular than his botched partial mobilisation, which has been abruptly walked back.

His critics, like the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, have already called on Putin to announce martial law in Russias border regions, and use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Doing so will not just hasten Russias military defeat, but will weaken Putin further domestically.

Scapegoating is tricky in the face of collective failure

In the past, Putin has been able to purge with impunity. The military, the security services, and various oligarchs who displeased him have all at some point felt Putins wrath.

But Russias failures in Ukraine cannot be isolated to a few bad generals, or bad information from Russias foreign intelligence service, the SVR. They are systemic, revealing flaws across Russian strategic thinking, military planning, economic management, intelligence analysis and political leadership.

The more the failures mount up, the less tenable Putins selective scapegoating becomes. He has replaced military leaders rapidly, and is now reportedly issuing orders directly to field commanders, including refusing to allow them to fall back and regroup.

Intelligence assessments confidently arguing Ukrainians would welcome the Russian invaders were premised on Putins own reading of the situation, published in a 2021 screed that painted Ukrainians as little more than wayward Russians. Moscows overconfidence in its sovereign wealth fund has been insufficient to insulate vital parts of the Russian economy against Western sanctions.

And Putins belief the West would fold in the face of weaponised Russian energy seems only to have strengthened its resolve.

Of course, none of this means Putin will be overthrown tomorrow. He retains broad and deep control over Russias population, and over the elites he permits to serve him. But his earnest projections of strength belie his increasing vulnerability. By mobilising his population to fight in Ukraine, Putin has broken his compact with the people. And by attempting to shift the blame for failure wholesale onto his subordinates, he has, for the first time, created an incentive for elites to unite against him.

For a stark indication of how much Putins political fortunes have changed, we need only look at the new confidence of Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Having survived an attempted Russian decapitating strike in February, Zelenskyy is now overtly calling for regime change in .

Responding to Putins demand that Ukraine return to the bargaining table, Zelenskyy observed that he will not hold any negotiations with as long as Putin is the President of the Russian Federation. We will negotiate with the new President.

The end of It might come sooner than you think.

Matthew Sussex, Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
President threatened further missile attacks on after Russia hit Kyiv and other cities in the most intense barrage of strikes since the first days of its invasion, marking a dangerous new escalation in the war.



If attempts to commit terrorist acts on our territory continue, the responses from Russia will be harsh and their scale will correspond to the level of threat to Russia, Putin said in televised comments to a meeting of his Security Council on Monday. No one should have any doubts.

He confirmed Mondays massive strikes targeted energy and communications infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as military command installations. Those came a day after Putin accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out an explosion Saturday that damaged a road and rail bridge connecting Crimea across the Kerch Strait to Russia.

The broad burst of firepower prompted an outcry from leaders, who said the assault was a significant escalation that targeted civilians and the nations infrastructure. Group of Seven leaders plan to hold an emergency video conference together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to address the attack on Tuesday.

They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the Earth, Zelenskiy said on his Telegram channel, urging people to stay in bomb shelters as air-raid alerts sounded in every region of the country except occupied Crimea. Unfortunately there are dead and wounded.

Russia launched 83 missile strikes at on Monday fired from Astrakhan in southern Russia, 43 of which were intercepted, a spokesman for air defense, Yuriy Ihnat, said. The assault also included Iranian-made Shahed-136 unmanned drones from Belarus and Crimea, the military said.

At least 10 explosions were reported in Kyiv. Russian forces continued a missile assault on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said, and explosions took place in Odesa, Dnipro and Lviv in Ukraines west, far from the front lines. The governor of the southern Mykolaiv region, Vitaly Kim, said at least 47 rockets had been fired from southern Russia.

Such acts have no place in the 21st century, the European Unions foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Twitter, pledging additional military support. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms.

Zelenskiy said he spoke earlier with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, which holds the G-7 presidency. The Ukrainian leader also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Ukraines air defense.

hasnt officially claimed responsibility for the blast on the multi billion-dollar Crimea bridge that was a signature project for Putin and intended to symbolize Russias annexation of the Black Sea peninsula in 2014.

Likening Ukraines government to an terrorist organization, Putin accused Kyiv of attempting attacks on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant as well as gas pipelines.

The missile strikes come after Russias Defense Ministry announced the appointment of a new commander of its invasion forces in Ukraine, Air Force General Sergei Surovikin, following a series of recent military reverses. In the past he led Russian forces in Syria, where Kremlin troops carried out a bombardment campaign that destroyed much of Aleppo, the countrys second-largest city.



Russia is attacking energy infrastructure in regions across the country, Zelenskiy said in a video address from outside his presidential offices, warning of possible electricity outages. Their second target is people. They intentionally chose the time so that most harm is done as Ukrainians began the working week.

At least five people were killed and 12 wounded in the center of Kyiv, Anton Herashchenko, an advisor to Ukraines Interior Minister, said on his Telegram channel.

In a signal that the nearly eight-month-old conflict is expanding, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his nation and Russia agreed to deploy a regional grouping of armed forces. Russia has used Belarus as a staging point for its invasion, but Belarusian troops have so far stayed out of the war.

The bombardment of Kyiv and other population centers is retaliation for the attack on the Crimea bridge and also marks a new phase in Russias war, said Alexei Chesnakov, a former senior Kremlin official and adviser on Ukraine policy.

Eight Years of Fighting Hardened Ukraines Army Into a Winner

Weve entered a period of escalation, Chesnakov said. Russia has harsher options to regain the upper hand.

The foreign minister of Moldova, a former Soviet republic wedged between Romania and Ukraine, said that three cruise missiles launched on Ukraine by Russian ships in the Black Sea illegally crossed its airspace. The Russian envoy was summoned, Minister Nicu Popescu said on Twitter.

Pro-Kremlin voices whod urged Putin to respond harshly to the Crimea bridge explosion welcomed the strikes. The place of the Devil is burned with fire, Sergei Markov, a political consultant to the presidential staff, said Monday on Telegram, where he posted video footage of the bombardment of central Kyiv.

Putin blamed Ukraines secret services for the attack at a weekend meeting with the head of Russias Investigative Commission, Alexander Bastrykin, according to a transcript posted on the Kremlin website.

Russian authorities have said theyve resumed rail services on the bridge that stretches for 19 kilometers (12 miles) across the Kerch Strait. The link is an important route for the Kremlin to resupply its forces in Crimea and in the southern Kherson region of Ukraine, where Russian troops are facing a Ukrainian military counteroffensive.
As celebrates its Independence day on Monday, a political party leader from the South Pacific nation has said that he wants more representation from Fijians of Indian descent to join their line-up for the 2022 general election.

Elections are due this year in but no official date has been announced yet.

We want more representation from Fijians of Indian descent. But this is currently low and we are looking to lift the numbers," Unity party leader Savenaca Narube told the Fiji Times.

Indians make around 38 per cent of the Fiji population & population of Indians in Fiji as of 2021 is 3.20 lakh approximately, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs data.

They have mostly descended from indentured labourers brought to the islands by British colonial rulers between 1879 and 1916 to work on Fiji's sugar plantations. The total population of Indians in Fiji is 315,198 which is 35.41 per cent of the total Population of Fiji.

The vast majority of Indo-Fijians trace their origins to the area of modern-day Bihar and South .

"We have four people so far who have shown an interest in joining us. We are hoping to attract about 15 percent of Fijians of Indian descent," Narube, who is also the Reserve Bank of Fiji's former governor, told Fiji Times.

Unity Fiji is one of the opposition parties in the island nation, which is presently ruled by Frank Bainimarama's Fiji First Party with an extremely narrow majority.

It recently announced its first batch of 20 proposed candidates for the 2022 elections.

Narube said his party would announce the final list of candidates by the end of the month.

As per the 2022 General election stats, there are 689,784 registered voters and an arrangement of 1,468 polling venues and 9 registered parties.

will once again be assisting the South Pacific nation in conducting its forthcoming general elections.

It recently handed over 5,500 bottles of indelible ink to the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) under a special grant of the Indian government for use in the upcoming elections in the island country.

Earlier in June, while responding to a request from the FEO, gifted four multi-purpose double cab vehicles to the Fijian election body.

Fiji has witnessed four constitutions (1970, 1990, 1997 and 2013) and four political upheavals -- two in 1987, one each in 2000 and 2006.

After Fiji's youngest Constitution was formed, the nation witnessed two elections (2014 and 2018) as a part of the democratic process.

--IANS

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Shares of moved higher by 13 per cent to Rs 12.04 on the BSE in Monday's intra-day trade amid heavy volumes on the company's plan to divest its cement business to reduce its debt.

"To give thrust to the ongoing efforts of the Company to reduce its debt, the board of directors in their meeting held today, the October 10, 2022, have, inter-alia, decided to divest Company's significant Cement business," said in an exchange filing. READ HERE



The stock was trading close to its 52-week high level of Rs 13.10, which it had touched on January 11, 2022. The stock has appreciated 72 per cent from its 52-week low level of Rs 7.01, hit on June 21.

At 02:50 PM, the stock was up 11 per cent at Rs 11.88, as compared to 0.45 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. The average trading volumes on the counter jumped over seven-fold today. A combined 207.58 million equity shares had changed hands on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing of this report.

Meanwhile, according to a Bloomberg report, billionaire Gautam Adani-controlled is in advanced talks with debt-laden Jaiprakash Power Ventures to buy its cement unit.

The ports-to-power conglomerate could pay about Rs 5,000 crore ($606 million) for a cement grinding unit and other smaller assets, it reported. CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT



That apart, media reports also suggest that the State Bank of India (SBI) has filed a corporate insolvency petition against for a debt default of Rs 6,892.48 crore.
IDBI Bank spurted 9.02% to Rs 46.55 after the government invited bids for privatising the bank.

The Government of India (Gol) has kicked off the process for strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank with the transfer of management control. The government has issued a preliminary information memorandum to invite expressions of interest from prospective buyers.

Gol, acting through Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), has engaged KPMG India as the legal advisors for providing advisory services and managing the transaction.

The government is offering to sell 30.48% of its stake in the bank, and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will 30.24%, aggregating to 60.72% of IDBI Bank's share capital, along with transfer of management control in the lender.

Currently, GoI holds 45.48% and LIC holds 49.24% of the total equity share capital of IDBI Bank.

The divestment process has been divided into two sequential stages. The successful bidder, whether a sole entity or a consortium, is required to hold and lock-in at least 40% of the paid up and voting equity share capital of IDBI Bank, at all times, for a period of 5 years from the date of acquisition of stake in IDBI Bank.

The selection of the qualified interested parties and the amount of equity stake such entities would hold in IDBI Bank would be decided by the Reserve Bank of India and the bidder would have to clear the 'Fit and Proper' assessment done by the banking regulator.

Large industrial/corporate houses will not be permitted to participate in this bidding process for the transaction, either on its own or as a part of a consortium.

The last date for submission of bids or Expression of Interest (EoI) by potential buyers is 16 December 2022.

IDBI Bank is one of India's one of the state own largest bank having more than 1,890 branches with 3,300 ATM's across the globe.

IDBI Bank reported 25% jump in net profit to Rs 756 crore despite a 13% fall in total income to Rs 5,781 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

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Power stocks were trading in red, with the S&P BSE Power index falling 53.58 points or 1.12% at 4735.8 at 13:45 IST.

Among the components of the S&P BSE Power index, Adani Green Energy Ltd (down 2.26%), ABB India Ltd (down 2.19%),Adani Power Ltd (down 1.87%),Adani Transmission Ltd (down 1.8%),Siemens Ltd (down 1.49%), were the top losers. Among the other losers were Tata Power Company Ltd (down 1.35%), JSW Energy Ltd (down 0.32%), and NTPC Ltd (down 0.24%).

On the other hand, NHPC Ltd (up 0.4%), Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (up 0.31%), and Torrent Power Ltd (up 0.01%) moved up.

At 13:45 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 252.98 or 0.43% at 57938.31.

The Nifty 50 index was down 89.65 points or 0.52% at 17225.

The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was down 168.34 points or 0.58% at 29014.59.

The S&P BSE 150 Midcap Index index was down 89.44 points or 1% at 8885.32.

On BSE,1276 shares were trading in green, 2213 were trading in red and 160 were unchanged.

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To support Vocus' fibre infrastructure project - Project Horizon in Western Australia

Sterlite Technologies announced its collaboration with Vocus Group for Project Horizon in Western Australia. Under the partnership, STL will provide high strength optical fibre cables for Vocus' inter capital network extension program. This deal strengthens STL's relationship with Vocus, where STL previously provided its optical networking solutions, Opticonn for brownfield network build projects.

Project Horizon will see Vocus deploy the first competitive fibre backbone between Perth and Port Hedland, and is the first major infrastructure project under Vocus' $1 billion investment program. When complete, Project Horizon will close the final gap in Vocus' national fibre backbone connecting all mainland capitals. Horizon will also interconnect with two high-capacity submarine cables in Port Hedland, establishing Australia's north as a new hub for domestic and international data.

As a fibre partner for project Horizon, STL will support Vocus' network rollout with a state-of-the-art design, combined with high-tensile and crush strength cable technology. The cables have a design life of more than 30 years, ensuring Project Horizon will continue to deliver high-capacity connectivity through the Pilbara until the 2050s even in harsh environmental conditions.

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With just two days for inauguration of 'Mahakal Lok', an expanded part of Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, the BJP-led government is busy for making the occasion a mega event.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state Urban Development Minister Bhupendra Singh monitering all preparations.

As per the state government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil newly developed corridor of Mahakaleshwar named - 'Mahakal Lok' at 6:30 pm on October 11.

Prime Minister Modi, on the occasion, will also address a large gathering of devotees, including workers following the inauguration.

As the inauguration of 'Mahakal Lok' would be probably the biggest event ahead of assembly elections in 2023, the ruling seems leaving no stone unturned to make the occasion kick start its campaign for the upcoming state assembly elections.

The opposition Congress also joined in race to take credit for the project, which is being developed under the 'Shri Mahakal Maharaj Vikas Yojana' of the government. The state Congress claimed that the project was initiated during 15-month tenure of Kamal Nath led state government.

"We are making this claim with facts, which is in public domain. This is an auspicious occasion for all of us but the fact is that the project was first initiated during the Kamal Nath-led Congress government. He had visited to Ujjain in August 2019 and then he had announced to allocate Rs 300 crore for this mega project. As a result, the work was started with establishment of a facility centre for pilgrims in December 2019. Not only this, but Kamal Nath government had allocated Rs 156 crore for Omkareshwar . We are putting facts and not for taking credit out of it. Mahakal knows all facts, so there should be no hide and seek," said Sangeeta Sharma, vice-president of Madhya Congress media cell.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has appealed people to change display picture of their social media accounts with 'Mahakal Lok' in show of faith. In fact, the display pictures and background of all government websites, social media accounts have already been changed with the same. Amid all these, controversy broke out when Ujjain Municipal Commissioner Ansul Gupta, who was supervising the entire preparation, was suddenly transferred and another official was assigned the task.

Notably, the 'Mahakal Lok' has been designed with a new aura, which gives a glimpse of the entire cultural heritage of Ujjain. "Due to this many possibilities of tourism in Ujjain and will increase at the international level. The city of Ujjain is already recognised all over the world as a cultural heritage, but with the construction of the Mahakal Lok, it will become the centre of attraction round the globe and will give a new identity to the entire state, the state goverment said.

On September 30, the Chief Minister had said, "After Kedarnath and Kashi Vishwanath, it would be a special occasion for Lord Shiva's devotees to witness the extension of Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 'Sri Mahakal Lok' at 6 p.m. on October 11. People visiting here will find a glimpse of Shiva Leela."

--IANS

pd/shs

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People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chief on Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not appointing someone from Jammu as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory and asked if no one from the region deserved to hold this post.

Mufti also reminded that they promised to make a Chief Minister from Jammu.

"They said to the people of Jammu that they will make a Chief Minister from Jammu. could at least have made a Lieutenant Governor from Jammu but instead, they made a person from Uttar Pradesh as the LG of J-K. Didn't anyone from Jammu deserve to be the LG?" asked PDP Chief while addressing the one-day convention at Jammu.

On October 5, former Chief Minister claimed that she was under house arrest and was prevented from attending a wedding in Pattan town in the Baramulla district when Union home Minister was on a 3-day visit to the UT.

"While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy, I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker's wedding. If an ex-CM's fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one can't even imagine the plight of a commoner," Mufti wrote on Twitter.

Srinagar Police, however, refuted the allegations and said that they have not placed any restrictions and she is free to travel.

Earlier on October 4, Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu.

While addressing the public, Shah responded to the demands that the Centre should talk to Pakistan, Shah said that he would prefer to talk to the youth of rather than talking to the neighbouring country.

Shah said that the "Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration model" (PAGD) had presented the youth of the region with stones, closed colleges and machine guns in their hands, whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi's model has brought them education.

The Union Home Minister offered prayers at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra. Meanwhile, Shah met people from different communities including Gujjar-Bakarwal, Rajput, Pahari, and Jammu Sikh community.

He also held a meeting with senior officials to review the security situation in the following day.

This is the second visit by Amit Shah to since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government in August 2019.

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The on Monday allotted 'flaming torch' (mashaal) election symbol to the faction of Shiv Sena, rejecting their claim to the 'Trishul' citing religious connotation.

In an order on the dispute in the Shiv Sena, the allotted 'ShivSena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' as the party name for the Thackeray faction, and 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena' (Balasaheb's Shiv Sena) as the name for the Eknath Shinde group of the party.

The Commission also asked the Shinde faction to submit a fresh list of three symbols by 10 am on Tuesday.

The Thackeray faction welcomed the Commission order and began publicising its new name and symbol on the party's social media handles.

"We are happy that the three names that matter to us most Uddhav ji, Balasaheb and Thackeray - are retained in the new name," Thackeray loyalist and former Maharashtra minister Bhaskar Jadhav said.

Earlier Monday, the Thackeray-led faction had approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the October 8 order freezing the party name and election symbol of 'bow and arrow'.

The EC had said the interim order will continue "till the final determination of the dispute".

Since, the last date for filing nominations for the November 3 by-election in the Andheri East Assembly seat is October 14, if the two factions decide to contest they will have to use the new symbols.

The Commission also rejected 'Trishul' (trident) and rising 'Gada' (mace) as election symbols claimed by the two factions of the Shiv Sena, citing their religious connotation.

It also pointed out that the 'Rising Sun' election symbol sought by both factions was reserved for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar is learnt to have taken a tough stand against the allocation of symbols with religious connotations to political parties.

The Commission noted that the 'flaming torch' symbol was earlier allotted to the Samata Party, which was derecognised in 2004. The Commission said it had decided to list the 'flaming torch' as a 'free symbol' following the request from the Thackeray faction.

The rival factions of had both claimed 'Trishul' and 'Rising Sun' as election symbols. The rival factions had also listed ' - Balasaheb Thackeray' as their first choice for the party name.

Team Thackeray leaders Vinayak Raut and Anil Desai were confabulating with lawyers in the national capital on the party's legal strategies as the Delhi High Court was likely to list the petition challenging the freezing of party name and symbol for hearing later this week.

The Commission had barred both the factions from using the name 'Shiv Sena' and the election symbol 'bow and arrow' in order to place the rival groups on an even keel and to protect their rights and interests ahead of the Andheri East assembly bypolls.

Shinde had rebelled against Thackeray's leadership, claiming the support of 40 of the Shiv Sena's 55 MLAs and 12 of its 18 members in the Lok Sabha.

Following Thackeray's resignation as chief minister of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition, Shinde became chief minister with the support of the BJP.

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A vigorous and central force in the of  and later, India  Mulayam Singh Yadav's passing will leave a void that no leader can fill. This was the man who used to run the government in (UP), India's most populous state. With 80 seats out of the Lok Sabha's 545, it was believed that the road to becoming prime minister had to pass through UP: Narendra Modi acknowledged as much when he shifted out of Gujarat to seek a Lok Sabha seat from UP.

In some ways, was like Modi: a self-made man with no inheritance in . Modi had a party and an organisation that supported him. All Mulayam had was a set of (fairly flexible) beliefs. He was first elected to the UP Assembly in 1967 on the ticket of the Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) led by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, one of India's best-known socialists. Following Lohia's death, he joined the Bharatiya Kranti Dal (BKD) headed by Charan Singh in 1968. In 1974, the SSP and the BKD merged to become the Bharatiya Lok Dal (BLD) and gave him a ticket.

The Indira Gandhi government declared a state of emergency in 1975, and Yadav was in the Etawah jail for 19 months. Like everyone else, he won when he came out of jail and contested assembly elections as a BLD candidate. He was appointed minister for the first time in his life, with the charge of cooperatives.

Yadav's USP in was his sway over . His moves in UP politics sometimes earned him the sobriquet of an opportunist. But somehow, he retained his credibility with voters. More importantly, he had friends in the multiple factions of anti-Congress groups. The 1989 Lok Sabha elections were held against the backdrop of the rise of the Hindutva sentiment. VP Singh's campaign against corruption paid off. Yadav supported both Chandra Shekhar and VP Singh and equivocated briefly but had no choice but to let the former down when Devi Lal announced VP Singh as Prime Minister and Chandra Shekhar left the Central Hall in humiliation. The Janata Dal leadership backed his claim for chief ministership of UP against Ajit Singh's. He became chief minister for the first time in 1989.



Also Read: Indian politicians mourn Mulayam Singh Yadav's death, condolences pour in

During Yadav's chief ministership, three issues plagued him. One was an anti-English movement, which he led and promoted in UP. In 1990, the compulsory English paper was withdrawn from the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) examination conducted by the State Public Services Commission. Courts, the local administration and other establishments were mandated to work in Hindi. He argued that English was "the language of the oppressor". Things were heading for an ugly turn when the issue on which he made his reputation flared up. This was the Ram Janmabhoomi (RJB) movement. And then, the call for implementing the Mandal Commission report for reservations for Backward Classes further complicated .

According to a CSDS analysis, in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, the SP social base had support from 75 per cent of the Yadavs and 72 per cent of the Muslims in Uttar Pradesh. This resulted from a constant projection by the SP that the BJP was the biggest threat to the minorities and it was the only party capable of protecting them.

This led to the great clash: Yadav was chief minister in 1990 when RJB kar sevaks passed through UP, with the chant of "mandir wahin banayenge". Yadav dealt with the problem as an issue of law and order: he asked the police to fire on the kar sevaks. The number of those who died is disputed, but the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 was the direct outcome of the rage of the majority.

Everyone thought this was a blow from which Yadav would never recover. But the intervening years saw more of Yadav in politics. The was formed in 1992, identifying clearly with anti-Congressism, empowerment of the backward classes and secularism. But in 1998-99, he accepted becoming a part of a left secular alliance, including the Congress but not accepting Sonia Gandhi's leadership; later, he dropped opposition to Sonia Gandhi's leadership altogether and joined the United Progressive Alliance.

In tandem, the 2012 assembly election saw SP get 224 seats out of 403. By now, an heir was on the horizon: Mulayam's son Akhilesh.

Old-timers in the party were in a bind  they recognised Akhilesh's contribution but did not want to offend Mulayam. Uncle Shivpal had already made a claim. There was another uncle, Ramgopal, who was backing Akhilesh at the time. When Akhilesh did become CM, it was a poisoned chalice. His father, with whom he never had a conventional relationship, became an even more remote figure.

A phase of family bloodletting followed. Mulayam asserted publicly that the SP was his party  it was, but now it was also Akhilesh's, something the patriarch was unwilling to accept. Father and son then issued separate lists of candidates for the upcoming assembly election. The matter moved to the Election Commission, and funds were frozen. Horrified SP supporters shook their heads. In 2017, weeks before the assembly election, the EC decided in Akhilesh's favour. By then, it was too late.

Mulayam's exit was slow but inevitable. The cameo moment was the entry  and exit  of from the Lok Sabha during the 2021-22 Budget speech. Walking slowly, assisted by a helper, Mulayam made his painful way down many shallow steps. While walking out, he spotted Majlis-e-Ittehad ul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi, the man who would arguably be responsible for the last assembly election setback for the SP. But the warmth with which the elder Yadav greeted Owaisi  who also bent to receive blessings  transported the moment to another era.
resolved issues of merger of other princely states, but one person could not resolve the Kashmir issue, Prime Minister said on Monday, in a veiled attack on .



Addressing a rally here ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections due this year-end, Modi said has was able to resolve the long-pending as he is walking in the footsteps of .



Sardar saheb persuaded all the princely states to merge with India. But another person handled this one issue of Kashmir, Modi said, without naming India's first prime minister. As I am following the footsteps of Sardar saheb, I have values of the land of Sardar and that was the reason I resolved the problem of Kashmir and paid true tributes to Sardar Patel, Modi said.



Modi was addressing a public meeting organised by the at Vallabh Vidyanagar in Anand district. Further targeting the previous governments in Gujarat, Modi said while they constructed dams, no canal network was created to carry water.

Did they make dams for darshan (show)?" the PM asked, adding that he took up the work and completed it in 20 years.



With water reaching everywhere, Gujarat has seen a growth of 9 to 10 per cent in agro products, he said.



Modi also said that Urban Naxals tried to stall Sardar Patel's dream project of the Sardar Sarovar dam. The matter was caught up in litigation.



They wasted 40-50 years of our time, made us run from pillar to post in courts, wasting money of the poor people of Gujarat. Today, the Sardar Sarovar dam, the dream of Sardar Saheb, is completed, he said.



Addressing the workers, Modi said if they get to talk to these members, ask them whether they ever visited the worlds tallest Statue of Unity constructed in the honour of .

(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.)
It was a different scene in the Jhalawar-bound train from Jaipur on Monday as passengers were seen queuing up to take selfie with former Deputy Chief Minister .

Pilot reached Jhalawar on Monday after three and a half years in the midst of the ongoing political drama for the CM's chair in . He left from Jaipur railway station in the morning.

Passengers in the 3-tier AC compartment were surprised to see Pilot travelling with them.

They started taking selfies with him. As the train reached Sawai Madhopur, supporters reached the station with drums and raised slogans cheering ' Zindabad' and 'I love you'.

Pilot then landed in Jhalawar to participate in the Akhil Bhartiya Yadav Yuva Mahasabha.

Jhalawar is known to be the stronghold of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Political experts are busy exploring the meaning for Pilot to visit Jhalawar in the middle of a political crisis going in the desert state.

Thousands of workers welcomed him on his visit. Pilot left from Jaipur Junction at 9.55 a.m. on Monday. The passengers of the train could not stop themselves from seeing Pilot and requested him for a selfie.

Even Pilot could not refuse them. During this, a crowd of supporters with drums gathered to welcome Pilot at Sawai Madhopur railway station at around 12:25 p.m. Pilot's supporters raised slogans of ' Zindabad' and Sachin Pilot 'I love you'.

Pilot reached Kota railway station at around 2.45 p.m. Here too, a huge crowd of supporters gathered to welcome him. From here, Pilot left for Jhalrapatan by car.

Addressing the gathering in Kota, Pilot said, "We have come to power because of our workers. When I was PCC President, we fought a lot for the poor and farmers. We lived up to their expectations. We are working together in the same direction. In the elections of 2023, the Congress government should be formed again."

This is his first major programme in the Hadoti division before the 2023 assembly elections. The way preparations were made to welcome him from Kota to Jhalawar, many political meanings are being extracted. While some say Pilot's visit suggests that he is preparing for the return of Congress in in 2023, it also suggests that it comes as a challenge for former CM Vasundhara Raje.

Pilot's mother Rama Pilot contested against former CM Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan assembly seat in 2003. However, at that time she had to face defeat.

--IANS

arc/uk

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The cheese crisis: America's cheesy surplus By Ella Connolly

web posted October 10, 2022 Currently, America is fighting an important issue. This problem is the issue of the overwhelming cheese surplus that has bombarded America for years. Of course, this does not mean cheese is going uneaten, for cheese is a food Americans take very seriously. In fact, each year, over 40 pounds of cheese is consumed by the average American. Altogether, the United State goes through 6,662,145 tons per year. Looking at these numbers, it may seem like people are buying as much cheese as ever, but in reality, cheese has never been less profitable. This occurring cheese problem, which popped up in the 1970s, has once again become an issue. This time, it is partly due to recent lifestyle changes; the increasing popularity of veganism, the desire for healthier options to cheese, and of course, there will always be people with a dislike for the food of cheese. Instead of cheese, more vegan based products used as substitutes to cheese are looking at all-time highs this year. This cheese surplus, which first started under President Jimmy Carter, was started by the promise to the farmers to help them make more profits. President Carter decided the way best way to do this was to make the milk price higher, but of course, it would be impossible for milk to be bought and stored by the government. Instead, the Carter administration started buying as much cheese as they could possibly could, believing this would benefit the farmers. Unfortunately, the farmers kept on producing more and more cheese in response, and the government couldnt afford to keep up with the excess. The government was then forced to store the cheese surplus in a cave found in Missouri. The cheese from the initial surplus under the era of President Carter is now held in private companies, but the cheese surplus is still raging. Demand keeps falling continually behind supplies, and this year, the sales are estimated to go down 1.6%. As a result, farmers are suffering greatly, as many are forced to shut down their farms due to cheese products going unsold or sold for such low prices, the dairy farms unable to profit. The cheese that is lingering in the sales market is the main reason prices wont rise, and dairy farmers are now requesting the government buy the cheese to clear the market once again. As seen before, under President Jimmy Carter, this would have many negative consequences. The cheese would have nowhere to go once bought and would most likely be completely wasted. Another concern would be the cost, as the farmers want around 90 million pounds of cheese taken out of their hands. In this case of surplus, options are limited, for cheese is product a that would be hard to distribute to poorer countries, as the Reagan administration did the Carter aftermath of the cheese surplus. Clearly, the government has shown itself to be unreliable in issues such as surpluses. So, what can the average American do to save these dairy farmers, seeing as the only way to solve this problem is to help decrease the overwhelming cheese supply? While the answer may seem obvious, support for dairy farmers is needed greatly. Buying dairy products may seem like a silly way to solve this issue, but it is important that the damage of the cheese surplus upon these farmers comes to an end. It is also important to note that the smaller, locally owned farms are usually the ones suffering the most from this surplus, more so than bigger companies. By buying cheese or other dairy products from these suffering dairy farmers, the average American citizen can sleep at well at night, knowing they are helping solve this cheesy conundrum. This is Ella Connollys first contribution to Enter Stage Right. (c) Ella Connolly Home
(SP) founder and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh passed away in Gurgaon on Monday. He was 82 years old.

Yadav was in poor health for some time and was admitted to a hospital in the city on August 22. He was shifted to the ICU on Sunday afternoon. The party confirmed his passing in a tweet.



Born in a small village Saifai in the Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh, on November 22, 1939, Yadav was a trained pehelwan (wrestler). He joined in the early 20s of his life, and there was no turning back.

Addressed as Netaji by members, Yadav was one of the towering leaders of Uttar Pradesh. He went on to lead the most populous state in the country three times as the chief minister.

His political career can be divided into two phases -- pre- era (from 1967-1992) and after he formed the Samajwadi Party (1992-to date).

In the pre-SP era, he was groomed by veteran leaders like former PM Charan Singh, Ram Manohar Lohia and Raj Narain. However, he was a part of several political parties that emerged and disappeared in that era.

In 1967, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh for the first time contesting on the ticket of the Samyukt Socialist Party from the Jaswantnagar constituency.

It was during the emergency of 1975, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, that Mulayam Singh's political career got the push. He was arrested and remained imprisoned for 19 months during the period.

Things started changing for him in Uttar Pradesh rapidly after that. In 1980, he became the president of Lok Dal. In 1982, he became the Leader of the Opposition in UP's assembly.

In 1989, Yadav became the state's chief minister for the first time with the support of the BJP. His term lasted only two years.

In 1992, Muyalam Singh Yadav formed the Samajwadi Party. In an interesting turn of events, SP joined hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party and managed to keep the BJP out of power in the 1993 Assembly elections. He became the chief minister for the second time and had the support of Congress and VP Singh Janata Dal. His second stint as the CM was marred by his controversial stance on several sensitive issues. He was against the formation of the new state Uttarakhand (formerly known as Uttaranchal).

This stint was marred by an incident in Muzaffarnagar when seven activists demanding the creation of a separate Uttarakhand state were shot dead in police firing on October 2, 1994.

The decade of 1990 was probably the most turbulent time in . In 1996, Yadav contested the Lok Sabha elections from Mainpuri and won comfortably. SP got 17 seats in the general elections. The United Front formed the government, and became the country's defence minister. However, the Third Front government did not last long and collapsed in 1998.

In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam Singh won both Sambhal and Kannauj seats but vacated Kannauj. This paved the way for his son, Akhilesh Yadav's entry into as a candidate from Kannauj.

To keep Yadav out of power in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP and BSP formed an alliance, and Dalit leader Mayawati became the chief minister. However, due to political differences, BJP withdrew support from Mayawati, and the state went into elections again. In the following elections, Muyalam Singh's SP won, and he assumed office as the chief minister for the third time.

His third term as CM coincided with the Lok Sabha election of 2004. SP performed exceptionally well in those elections, winning 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh. However, Congress was able to form the government with the support of communist parties, and the SP was not included in the government despite announcing unilateral support for it.

In 2007, Mayawati returned to power in the state with an absolute majority, ousting Mulayam Singh. This was the last time he was the CM of the state. Despite ruling the state three times, Yadav was never the CM for a full five-year term.

Yadav was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009 from Mainpuri. In 2012, SP once again returned to power with a thumping majority. However, this time Mulayam proposed the name of his son to become the chief minister. In 2017, SP was ousted by the BJP.

SP faced another shocking defeat a little earlier in 2014 when BJP swept the state with 73 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. SP managed to win only five.

Mulayam continued his winning streak and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 and 2019.

Controversies and highlights

He was surrounded by controversies more often than not. His party famously came out with the slogan "Sansad Mein Mulayam, toh Uttar Pradesh Kayam" (Mulayam in Parliament, keeps Uttar Pradesh integrated) to oppose Mayawati's idea of splitting Uttar Pradesh into three states.

His remark on men and rape earned him severe criticism from everywhere. Speaking on Tibet, he said that India needs to recognise Tibet as an independent nation and that Pakistan is not the real enemy, China is.

Before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, announced an alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party. In the initial phase, MSY was not on board with the idea and openly expressed as much but later supported his son. SP did not do well in those elections.

In the build-up to the 2019 election, a feud broke out between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal. Being the party supremo, Mulayam sacked Akhilesh from the party. Later, Akhilesh took over the party after a tussle with his father and uncle.

With his health deteriorating, Mulayam Singh refrained from coming out in public in the final stage of his life.

Personal Life

Yadav was married to Malti Devi. In 1973, after the birth of his son Akhilesh, Malti Devi suffered from complications and remained in a vegetative state till her death in 2003.

Yadav had a second son (Prateek) with Sadhna Gupta, whom he married in 2007. Gupta passed away in 2022 after a brief illness.
founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's death might not have any direct political impact on the party, but its President will now have to work without his "shield and shadow."



Besides, the party is sure to miss Mulayam Singh's emotional bonding with every camp and also his expert guidance in crucial times, according to political observers and party insiders.

Akhilesh Yadav, his son, became the party president in 2017 after a feud with uncle Shivpal Yadav. Even though he is already at the helm of affairs and has his team in place, Mulayam Singh has left behind him a void which will be hard to fill, they believe.

According to political observer JP Shukla, Mulayam had stopped running the everyday affairs of the party long back, but his blessings were sought before every major decision by the party chief.

"Mulayam had founded the party but he had not interfered in the party's functioning for the past several years. His name was a shield for Akhilesh in whatever decision he took. He used to claim the support of his father," Shukla said.

"After his demise, Akhilesh will have to work without his shadow. While it will make no difference in the internal matters of the party, there will be a psychological impact.

"Those like Shivpal Yadav and others, who due to emotional bonding with Mulayam did not speak much against the SP, will now be free. The emotional bonding which Mulayam had formed with people across party lines will be missed too," Shukla added.

A senior party member said that though Mulayam Singh had distanced himself from the party's politics, he never stopped giving advice on crucial matters.

"Netaji was not active in due to health reasons. But here in SP, leaders used to visit him for his advice and at times, for his recommendations for party tickets and posts.

"Netaji had sound knowledge of who is doing what, and he used to enquire about others also when you met him," said former SP MLC Anand Bhadauria.

"He was our guiding force. He used to tell us not to shy away from the path of struggle and come on roads to protest on matters of people's interest. We will certainly be missing him," he said.

Several party leaders used to approach 'Netaji' for favours and recommendations of their names to . Netaji many a time even acted on such requests and initiated a talk, another senior leader said.

He recalled the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when SP had entered into an alliance with BSP and gave 38 seats to it agreeing to contest from 37 seats.

Netaji did not agree with the decision and had openly expressed his unhappiness at giving half the seats (out of 80) to the BSP.

At the party office, Mulayam Singh had said that he used to give tickets 14 months in advance and even said that if the party cannot give tickets he will distribute them.

He had once even said that Akhilesh may give tickets, but he, Mulayam, can change the decision, said another party leader, who did not wished to be named.

Former SP MLC Rajpal Kashyap, who was considered Mulayam's loyalist, and is not active in anymore, said Mulayam Singh was not only a guiding but "uniting force" of the party too.

"No one in the party ever challenged anything Netaji said. If he came to know about differences between anyone, he always ensured that everything is sorted out and would not allow personal differences to hinder the growth of the party," Kashyap said.

Even in 2017, when there were differences between and uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mulayam Singh was visited by both of them, who presented themselves whenever he called them.

After Shivpal Yadav formed his own party, he also visited him for his blessings.

Mulayam's brother Shivpal Yadav formed Pragatisheel Lohia (PSPL) in 2018 and is working to strengthen it. His daughter-in-law Aparna Bisht Yadav is in BJP.

The family till now used to gather at one place with Mulayam and also did not speak in the open against each other.

Now with the veteran leader gone, the family members are on their own and only time will tell how things move without him in future.

(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.)
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who passed away on Monday, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief formed the unlikely duo who set in motion political events in 1999 that dashed Congress president Sonia Gandhi's prime ministerial hopes.

Gandhi, then a newly appointed Congress chief, had staked claim to form the government at the Centre after the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had lost the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 1999.

We have 272 and we hope to get morewe are confident we will get more, Gandhi had famously told reporters at the Rashtrapati Bhawan after calling on the then President K R Narayanan.

However, Yadav, whose 20 members in the Lok Sabha were crucial for the Congress to cross the majority mark, had different plans and was not keen to back Gandhi as the prime minister.

Yadav had proposed the name of CPI(M) stalwart Jyoti Basu for the top executive post, bristling at Gandhi's claims of forming a Congress government to replace the Vajypayee-led Democratic Alliance.

We should all get together and decide who should be the leader in New Delhi, Yadav had then said and demanded a share in power.

Nearly a month later, Sharad Pawar, then the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, had raised the matter of Gandhi's foreign origin and pointed out that the Congress had not been able to counter the BJP, which was making it an election issue.

The rebellion in the Congress ranks unfolded at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee on May 15, 1999, barely a month after Yadav had dealt a blow to Gandhi's prime ministerial hopes.

Though Gandhi had not clearly spelt out that she was in the reckoning for the post of prime minister, many Congress leaders were keen to see her in the top executive post.

The BJP had won 182 seats in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections, 57 of which were in Uttar Pradesh alone, while Congress had emerged victorious in 141 parliamentary constituencies, but drawn a blank in the country's biggest state.

Yadav's refusal to back Gandhi in 1999 came as a shock as a prospective central government would not have had any representation in the country's most populous state.

The second shocker came with Pawar's rebellion, dashing hopes of the Congress in Maharashtra, the second largest state in terms of the number of representatives (48) it sent to the Lok Sabha. In 1998, Congress had won 33 seats in Maharashtra.

While Pawar succeeded in striking friendships across the political spectrum and joined hands with the Congress, months after his rebellion, to form the government in Maharashtra, Yadav was not that successful on this front. Pawar also enjoyed a share in power as Agriculture Minister in the Congress-led UPA government.

Though the Congress supported Yadav in forming the government in Uttar Pradesh later, the SP was never a part of the UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2014.

on Monday said the voice of socialist ideas has fallen silent with the demise of Yadav.

As the defence minister of the country and the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the contribution of Yadav will remain unforgettable, Gandhi said in her message.

"More than that, his struggle for the oppressed and downtrodden will always be remembered," she said.

Whenever there was a need to protect the constitutional values ??of the country, the Congress has always got his support, she added.

Pawar said Yadav gave a strong ideology to Samajwadi Party to stand strong against communal forces and worked towards creating a socialist society.

(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.)
Total 135 returned to their homes in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas after spending over a year in a Bangladeshi jail, their union said on Sunday.

Due to strong currents in the Bay of Bengal, eight trawlers with these on board entered the Bangladeshi waters in June last year, it said.

They were intercepted by Border Guard (BGB) and handed over to the local police at Mongla Port in Khulna, said Satinath Patra, the secretary of Sundarban Saamudrik Matsyajibi Sramik Union.

After coordinated efforts at different levels, including the Union Home Ministry, and with the cooperation of the Bangladeshi authorities, they were released from the neighbouring country on October 3, he said.

They reached different ghats of Kakdwip on Thursday, he added.

"We are happy that they could come back to their families finally. These are residents of different villages in Kakdwip and Namkhana," Patra said.

"Two more trawlers in which 30 fishermen were on board are still in . Efforts are on for their return," he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
is conducting beta trials of its 'True 5G' services in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and . The telecom operator plans to roll out services across India by the end of 2023. Jio calls it True because it is the only telecom operator in India currently offering the services on a standalone network. In simple words, Jio uses 5G infrastructure such as equipment and spectrum for its 5G services, and not the 4G infrastructure. Airtel, in comparison, is using a non-standalone network for its 5G services. Here is everything you need to know True 5G:

Jio Welcome Offer

Jio has introduced a welcome offer for its users to experience 5G services during beta trials. It is an invite-based offer available for Jio users, both prepaid and postpaid, on Rs 239 plan and higher. Jio says eligible users can experience up to one Gbps data speeds on the existing SIM with the Jio True 5G.

How to avail of Jio Welcome offer?

Step 1: Install the MyJio app from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for Android and iPhones, respectively. If you already have the app installed, ensure it is on the latest version

Step 2: Open MyJio app and enter Jio mobile number to proceed

Step 3: Enter the OTP and tap on Submit to proceed to the next step

Step 4: On the homepage, look for the Jio 5G Welcome Offer banner and tap on it. It is available only for eligible Jio users

Step 7: Tap on I am interested

You have successfully registered for the Jio 5G. You can enjoy 5G services on your existing 4G SIM card when available

Is your phone 5G ready?

Check your smartphone's specifications on its packaging or visit the brand website to know if it has support for the .

What are the 5G bands supported by Jio in India?



Jio 5G is currently available on n28, n78, and n258 bands

Steps to activate Jio 5G on Android phones

Step 1: Go to Settings

Step 2: Inside Settings, tap on Mobile Network or a similar option

Step 3: Select the Jio SIM and tap on the Preferred Network option

Step 4: Click on the network with 5G option

Once done, the phone will show the 5G symbol if it is within the zone.

Steps to activate Jio 5G on iPhones

Step 1: Go to Settings

Step 2: Inside Settings, tap on Cellular menu

Step 3: Select Cellular Data options

Step 4: To activate 5G, tap on Voice and Data option and select 5G Auto or 5G On option

Your iPhone will connect to a when available and you will see a 5G symbol on the status bar, which indicates 5G has been enabled.

List of the Jio 5G supported smartphones

While most 5G smartphones with support for network bands required by Jio for 5G services are compatible, has not officially listed any specific models or brands on its website or app. It, however, would soon add a device compatibility checker on its MyJio smartphone app for the users to check whether their smartphones can use Jio 5G service or not.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 10 (ANI/NewsVoir): Avantor, Inc., a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the life sciences, advanced technologies and applied materials industries, was conferred the excellence award for contribution to health and medical technology at the India Vaccine Leaders Conclave 2022 (IVLC 2022) held in Mumbai.

The award recognizes Avantor's outstanding efforts to introduce innovative technologies in the health and medical industry. The Company's biomanufacturing excellence enhances speed, reduces costs and establishes superior quality within the industry.

Amit Sehgal, Managing Director at Avantor India, accepted the prestigious award, "This award is a testament to our agility and expertise in bringing more efficient and intelligent technologies to the health and medical industry. It is a moment of great pride to be recognized for our support of biopharmaceutical manufacturers through our comprehensive product portfolio and customer-driven production technologies."

Narayana Rao Rapolu, Vice President, Biopharma, Asia Middle East & Africa for Avantor said, "There is a growing need for life-altering biologics. (https://www.avantorsciences.com/pages/en/single-use-solutions) Single-use products and systems from Avantor give biomanufacturers the agility needed to bring new therapies to market rapidly. We also bring process development expertise and solutions for every stage of vaccine manufacturing workflows."

At Avantor, innovation is at the heart of our business, extending into how we approach designing single-use systems for use in biologics manufacturing. Avantor supplies a wide range of cGMP chemicals and excipients, sera, single-use solutions and other raw materials for (https://www.avantorsciences.com/pages/en/vaccines" rel="noopener" target="_blank">vaccine development and manufacturing, including solutions that support COVID-19 vaccines.

India Leader Vaccine Conclave 2022 provided a meaningful theme of "Best Practices in Vaccines" and saw participation from leading researchers, scientists, academicians, vaccinologists, immunologists, healthcare professionals, clinicians, government representatives and industry delegates who shared their knowledge on the field's most recent ground-breaking advancements and discoveries, including the front-runner COVID-19 vaccines.

Avantor, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education & government, and advanced technologies & applied materials industries. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities in the industries we serve. Our global footprint enables us to serve more than 225,000 customer locations and gives us extensive access to research laboratories and scientists in more than 180 countries. We set science in motion to create a better world.

For more information, please visit (https://www.avantorsciences.com/site) and find us on (https://www.linkedin.com/company/avantorinc/) LinkedIn, (https://twitter.com/Avantor_News) Twitter and (https://www.facebook.com/Avantorinc) Facebook.

This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Oct.10.2022

New omicron subvariant detected in Inner Mongolia; U.S. imposes new restrictions on chip exports to China; and top executive at tech giant Huawei dies at 53 after a sudden illness
Hong Kongs financial chief defended Hong Kongs clear competitive advantages in financial services, equity markets and green finance and said the city shouldnt take a back seat to Singapore as a global financial center.

In a Chinese-language blog post Sunday, Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po expressed confidence in the citys status as a top financial center even as Singapore surpassed Hong Kong in a recent global ranking.
Climate activists tossed two cans of tomato soup over Vincent Van Goghs iconic artwork Sunflowers in London on Friday(local time), to protest oil and gas projects. The pair was part of the group Just Stop Oil, which has been staging climate protests across the country. The painting, worth around $82 million, was protected by a glass layer and undamaged. Over the decades, famous paintings have been subject to vandalism, including the famed Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and Guernica by Pablo Picasso

Oct 18, 2022 07:54 PM
The past, present, and future of Quebec  updated to 2022 (Part One) By Mark Wegierski

web posted October 10, 2022 The October 3, 2022 provincial election was a triumph for Premier Francois Legault. The centre-right Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) won an amazing 90 of 125 seats. The Liberals were reduced to 21 seats. The very left-wing Quebec solidaire won 11 seats, ahead of the Parti Quebecois  which was reduced to 3 seats  one of their worst results ever. The Conservative Party of Quebec, although it won almost 13 percent of the popular vote, did not win a single seat. The lop-sidedness of Legaults parliamentary majority was certainly enhanced by the first-past-the-post electoral system. Despite the controversies over Bill 21 (banning police, teachers, and civil servants from wearing religious symbols), and Bill 96 (an attempt to further promote the French language in Quebec, and to tighten restrictions against the English language), the CAQ won a huge majority. So, it may be concluded that these measures were very popular in Quebec (except on the island of Montreal). The October 1, 2018 provincial election in Quebec had also recorded a historical result. The centre-right Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) won an amazing 74 of 125 seats. The Liberals were reduced to 32 seats. The very left-wing Quebec solidaire, with 10 seats, came ahead of the Parti Quebecois, which was reduced to 9 seats  one of their worst results ever. The results of the provincial election in Quebec on April 7, 2014, had also been somewhat unexpected. It was a huge win for the Liberals, led by Philippe Couillard, who won 70 seats. The Parti Quebecois was crushed, winning only 30 seats. The Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) won 22 seats, while the left-wing Quebec solidaire, won 3. The 2014 election results were in very marked contrast to the 2012 election results. In the provincial election in Quebec on September 4, 2012, the Parti Quebecois won 54 seats; the Liberals, 50; the new, right-leaning Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ), 19; and the left-wing Quebec solidaire, 2. It should be noted that CAQ is basically a successor to the ADQ (Action democratique du Quebec), which had largely collapsed in the December 8, 2008 provincial election. In that election, the Liberals won 66 seats; the Parti Quebecois, 51; the ADQ, 6; and Quebec solidaire, 1 In the earlier, March 26, 2007 provincial election, the Liberals had won 48 seats; the ADQ, 41; and the Parti Quebecois, 36. This essay endeavours to place these election results in the context of long-term trends in Quebec and Canadian politics. One should begin a discussion of Quebec by looking at the role of Quebec in federal elections. Since 1896, at the end of the nineteenth century, Quebec had, in federal elections, almost always voted for the Liberal Party. At the federal level, Quebec was almost always a Liberal Party stronghold, until the emergence of the Bloc Quebecois in the 1993 election. Indeed, English-speaking Canada, as a whole, had voted Liberal only once in the 1960s to 1980s period, in the 1968 election (and by a very narrow margin, in that case), as Peter Brimelow has noted in his book on Canada, The Patriot Game (Key Porter, 1986). Without their Quebec bastion, the Liberals would have usually been a minority party in Canadian federal politics, perennially losing federal elections. From 1896 until the 1993 federal election, Quebec and the federal Liberal Party were almost inextricably intertwined (as the prominent Canadian Tory historian Donald Creighton had noted) -- Quebec ensured the perpetuation of the Liberal government in Ottawa, while the Liberal Party ensured an increasingly eminent position for Quebec in Confederation. In his book, Brimelow had tried to understand the dynamics of Quebec in Canada, and Quebec politics, without silly happy-talk and sugar-coating. Brimelow distinguished between the Liberal "Federalistes" in Quebec (who aspire to give the French-Canadians a semblance of power from coast to coast) -- and what he considered the more honest Quebecois nationalism. One of the main reasons that long-serving Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau was a committed "Federaliste" was because he feared that real Quebec nationalism would probably move into more right-wing channels, as had been the case under Maurice Duplessis, known as "Le Chef", who had kept the liberals and socialists at bay in Quebec for over a quarter-century, and had delivered the Quebec vote to the staunch Canadian Tory Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in the federal election of 1958. In 1987, Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney had signed the Meech Lake Accord with the provincial Premiers. In exchange for Quebecs acceding to the Constitution Act, 1982 (whose most salient aspect was the Charter of Rights and Freedoms), there would be another document incorporated into the constitution, whose main point was the recognition of Quebec as a distinct society. Quebec had refused to accede to the Constitution Act, 1982, in 1982, since it considered that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms would undermine its collective rights to uphold a distinctive, French-speaking society in Quebec. Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Canadas Liberal Prime Minister from 1968-1984, except for nine months in 1979-1980) argued against the Meech Lake Accord presumably because it could  from his perspective -- weaken over-all French power in Canada (i.e., the "Federalistes"), while strengthening the Quebecois position ("Separatistes" - "a distinct society"). Trudeau clearly preferred a liberal-socialist Quebec dominating and deriving economic benefits from a continent-wide polity, as opposed to an "ourselves alone" (and possibly right-wing) national state limited to Quebec. It could also be noted that (ironically enough) a more traditional, Catholic, and inward-looking Quebec would have a far greater chance of survival in North America, than the cosmopolitan, wide-open, and socially liberal one which left-wing Quebec intellectuals have striven to create. With the decline in traditional ethos, the traditionally-high Quebec birthrate has plummeted, and abortion rates have soared, thus undermining the previous demographic achievements of the French in Canada. French Quebec had earlier celebrated their demographic triumph as the revenge of the cradle (against the British conquest). It may be argued that, because of the demographic collapse, the Francophone (French-speaking) leadership is forced into ever more drastic, and increasingly artificial, social engineering-type measures, to maintain "the French fact" in North America. It may be remembered that during 1986 to 1987, there was a revolt against John Turner, the leader of the federal Liberal Party, led by the Quebec wing of the federal Liberal Party, and exacerbated by the media. It arose mostly from Turners perceived conservatism (at least in his image), as well as from the fact that Francophone Liberals were not particularly willing to accept anyone who was not a full Francophone (or Trudeau loyalist), as leader of their party, regardless of his fluency in "Paris French" -- as opposed to the colourful Quebec dialect of French. It appeared at some points that Turner was indeed close to ouster. According to the conventional wisdom of that day, only a Quebecker could compete with another Quebecker for control of that vital province in federal politics, without whose support no Canadian government could really be considered as fully "legitimate" -- setting aside what the other three-quarters would ever want or decide. When in the 1990s, the Reform Party used a highly-charged political advertisement, objecting to the election of "another politician from Quebec" as Prime Minister of Canada, the negative fall-out against the Reform Party continued for years. The fact that Brian Mulroney's stance towards Quebec was seen as highly partial generated much dislike for Mulroney in English-speaking Canada. Viewed in the context of the debate between the "Federalistes" and Quebecois nationalists, Mulroney's attempts to disentangle Quebec and the Liberal Party, by offering even more benefits to Francophones everywhere in Canada, and even more bilingualism in the federal civil service, and in every English-Canadian province, were futile. These efforts only confirmed the viability of the liberal "Federaliste" option in Quebec, and also alienated much Progressive Conservative party support in English Canada, particularly in the Western and Atlantic regions. However, the Meech Lake Accord, by strengthening the collective rights of Quebec and pointing towards arrangements where Quebec could exist within a far more decentralized Confederation, seemed to be a helpful evolution. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home
As nuclear war looms: Does Russia have a right to its own Monroe Doctrine? By Selwyn Duke

web posted October 10, 2022 With news that Israeli intelligence has detected an irregular presence of nuclear-capable Russian bombers near Finland and retired general David Petraeus casually saying NATO would likely sink Vladimir Putins Black Sea fleet if Russia used a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, its perhaps time for a few questions: First, can we discuss a situation that could very well result in thermonuclear war  and the end of life as we know it  intelligently and rationally? Or must all questions about our Dr. Strangelove policy be met with childish name-calling (e.g., stooge of Putin!) designed to silence debate? Second, is it a good idea to essentially tell a man who controls 6,200 nuclear weapons, and who our pseudo-elites may label crazy, you want to kill him? This is what Joe Bidens and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyys call for Russian regime change really amounts to, mind you. Its important realizing that this conflict means infinitely more to Putin than it does to us. Our pseudo-elites are playing some kind of geopolitical game (with our lives and our childrens) as is their wont. To Putin this is an existential crisis. Our globalist chicken hawks have ensured that. Putin currently has no graceful exit from this situation. Its apparently all or nothing, victory or death. Do you really think the wounded Bear will collapse into the waiting arms of those whod devour him and not lash out, no-holds-barred, driven by self-preservation? Do we know what the phrase Nothing to lose means? Its time now for some realpolitik (there is a moral component here, too; more on that momentarily). In the early 19th century, we formulated the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that foreign intervention in the Americas could be considered a hostile act against the United States. Now, question: Does Russia have a right to its own Monroe Doctrine? Or, a better question may be, can we realistically prevent it from effecting such? Some may now say that Putin had no right to invade Ukraine. Fair enough. But we invaded Mexico in 1846 and overthrew Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in a CIA-backed coup in 1954, to mention just two of our Latin American interventions. Whether we had a right to do so, or were right in doing so, is not the point here. We could enforce our will in our sphere of influence because we had the power. Saddam Husseins Iraq, for example and in contrast, could not  i.e., when annexing Kuwait  because it didnt have the power. Yet Russia is no Iraq. So, is this all about Might makes right? Not exactly. One element of whats known as Just War Doctrine is that for a proposed military action to be moral, it must do more good than harm. Is this the case with our playing of chicken with Putin? The best-case scenario is that we help an internationalist pseudo-elite, Zelenskyy, retain power and preserve the borders of what even the left-wing Guardian called in 2015 the most corrupt nation in Europe. The worst-case scenario is global thermonuclear war. Do we really need the Fugaku supercomputer to do the cost-benefit analysis here? Some may now wonder, Why do we have to back down? The answer is simple: Russias Monroe Doctrine. Consider: President John F. Kennedy took a firm stand during the Cuban Missile Crisis, establishing a naval blockade of Cuba after the USSR deployed missile bases on the island. JFK took this hard line because it was our backyard, and you cant back down at your own doorstep without losing an unacceptable amount of credibility on the world stage. And so it is with Russia, with Ukraine being its Cuba. Like it or not, you cant stomp around in another great powers backyard like a t-Rex in Jurassic Park. That a Moscow defeat in this war means it would lose too much face globally is, along with Putins existential concerns, another reason why Russia wont back down in Ukraine. Yet if this analogy is valid, what was the equivalent here of the USSR having put missiles in Cuba? Answer: The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO. Putin said, repeatedly, that this was a red line for him. A little history is in order here, too. NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union; thus, that evil empires early-90s collapse made it rational for NATO to, in a sense, stand down. This is especially true since after the Berlin Walls fall, Russia pulled its army back to within its borders and arguably began behaving in a more pro-American fashion. Why, there was perhaps an even opportunity to forge friendly ties with Moscow, which, being characteristically European and Christian as we were, couldve been a culturally congruent ally against China. Instead, the pseudo-elite globalists expanded NATO to Russias very borders, the equivalent of Moscow or China forging a military alliance with Mexico, Cuba, Canada and the Bahamas. In fact, despite then-U.S. secretary of state James Baker assuring Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 that NATO would extend not one inch [farther] eastward, there are now on Russias borders four NATO members: Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Again, whats the cost-benefit-analysis verdict here? Its clear how this military pact  and our Founders warned us about entangling alliances and involvement in European wars  benefits Estonia. But if theres a Red Dawn and Russia or China lands troops on our soil tomorrow, will we say, You know, normally Id be beside myself. But let not your heart be troubled: Estonias got our back!? The insanity continues now, too. Finland and Sweden are poised to join NATO, and Ukraine is applying for expedited alliance membership. Of course, the latter could mean triggering WWIII with Russia, immediately. Is this rational? Some do, of course, liken Putin to Hitler and warn that if we dont take a stand now, its Ukraine today, the world tomorrow! This is more unserious, reckless talk at a perilous moment. Our planet is replete with evil leaders (its basically the norm), but not all are Hitler. Hitler was 44 when assuming power in 1933, and within six years had begun his war of conquest. Putin is 70, has been at the pinnacle of Russian power for more than two decades, has never exhibited world-conquest ambitions and perhaps is in his twilight years. But if the Hitler analogy must be entertained, alright, lets follow it out. Imagine its April 1945, and Hitler is in his bunker seeing his empire crumbling around him. But instead of being entirely impotent, he has at his disposal 6,200 nuclear weapons. What do you think hell do? There could be a reason to risk atomic annihilation  that Red Dawn scenario comes to mind. But does it make sense to possibly turn Putin into a man who just may want to see the world burn? All, too, over a corrupt nation in Russias backyard, whose battles are not our own? And what's with the regime-change obsession, anyway? China annexed Tibet and perpetrates cultural and demographic genocide there, and the Soviets rolled tanks into Czechoslovakia in 1968. But we dont arm the Tibetans and didnt do so with the Czechs, and in neither case is/was regime change a goal. We did invade Panama in 1989 and remove strongman Manuel Noriega from power, but he couldnt incinerate the planet. Taking this position with one of the worlds three nuclear superpowers is unprecedented  and seems far crazier than Putin could ever be. Our betters  the same people who messed up Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and who managed COVID with not even that level of competence  may say, as Lindsey Graham has, that a Putin underling would shoot him before allowing him to launch nukes. Well, thats a lot to bet our lives on. But, hey, our pseudo-elites may have well-equipped fallout shelters to retreat to. And you? Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on MeWe , Gettr or Parler, or log on to SelwynDuke.com. Home
China Resources Cement releases profit warning

ICR Newsroom By 10 October 2022

China Resources Cement has issued a profit warning, stating that the company expects its profit attributable to the owners to contract by 64-66 per cent in the 9M22, compared to the same period a year earlier. The company is currently in the process of finalising its unaudited consolidated results for the opening nine months of this year, which are due to be published on 21 October, 2022.

Published under
Dangote responds to Obajana plant closure

ICR Newsroom By 10 October 2022

Dangote Cement Plc wishes to enlighten stakeholders and the public on the recent shutdown at its Obajana Cement plant in Kogi State.

Dangote Cement said, "thugs and local vigilantes from the State Government invaded and sealed the Obajana Cement plant [last Wednesday] over alleged claims of unpaid taxes and Kogi State Government purported equity interest in Dangote Cement PLC. This development led to several of our staff being harmed by these thugs and local vigilantes."

Dangote comments that it's taking firm action to address this situation, and that Dangote Cement Plc continues to perform its obligations as a compliant corporate organisation.



Meanwhile, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has condemned Wednesdays invasion of Dangote Cement Plant by the Kogi State Vigilante Service (KSV), saying the action will discourage new investments in the state. MAN President, Mansur Ahmed, claimed "it is unimaginable that a state government would take such drastic action to shut down a plant that provides job opportunities and economic activities on a huge scale for the people of Kogi State."



Since the plant closure, Kogi State government has published a report on the acqusition of Obajana Cement plant by Dangote Cement which states the transfer of Obajana to Dangote Industries Ltd is 'invalid, null and void'. Dr (Mrs) Folashade Ayoade, public by Secretary to the State Government disclosed in the report that three Certificates of Occupancy for Obajana Cement Company Plc, which were solely owned by the Kogi State government at the time, were used to obtain a loan of NGN63bn (US$145.2m) by Dangote.

Ayoade added that, "Kogi State government should take steps to cancel the existing seven Certificates of Occupancy in the name of Dangote Cement Company."

Published under
Adani Group to invest US$848m in Rajasthan cement

ICR Newsroom By 10 October 2022

Indias Adani Group has revealed plans to spend INR70bn (US$848m) doubling the groups cement production capacity in the northern state of Rajasthan. This follows an announcement by the company to invest INR650bn (US$7.9bn) in the state over the next 5-7 years. Along with cement production, investments are planned in the renewables business, airport expansion, and networks to deliver piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG), reports Reuters.

Just a few weeks ago, Gautam Adani, chairman and founder of the Adani Group, said his company would invest more than US$100bn over the next decade, mainly in the energy transition market. The group has announced deals worth billions of dollars this year alone, the largest being its US$10.5bn acquisition of Holcims cement businesses in India - Ambuja Cements Ltd and ACC Ltd.





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Vassiliko Cement donates land for bird breeding

ICR Newsroom By 10 October 2022

Vassiliko Cement has donated four plots of land, amounting to an area of around 45,000m2, to environmental NGO Terra Cypria. The land, which falls within a Natura 2000 protected zone, is located in the Ayia Ekaterini and Ayia Paraskevi gorges and is a breeding ground for peregrine falcons, the European roller, the Cyprus wheatear, and the masked shrike.

A statement released by Terra Cypria following the announcement of the donation said the land will remain a conservation area and no construction works will be allowed to be carried out on it.

This is a very important step for Cyprus, one that perfectly exemplifies our ongoing conservation management efforts, Terra Cypria executive director, Lefkios Sergides, told Cyprus Mail.

Sergides said that conservation management through land acquisition is still relatively uncharted territory on the island but added that the example set by Vassiliko Cement Works could represent an important first step.

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William Shatner: Going up into space gave me a strong feeling of grief
One of New York City's wealthiest real estate developers was the youngest of a family of nine children who grew up on Chattanooga's Westside.

Aaron Diamond was born in 1910 when his father, Max, was operating a soft drink business on West Ninth Street and the family was living at 18 College St.

Max Diamond had left his native Poland and arrived in the U.S. in 1888. He became an American citizen in 1892. Max Diamond was working as a peddlar to support his growing family when he arrived in Chattanooga in the late 1890s. He married Rebecca Slabosky, whose family lived near the top of Cameron Hill.

By 1902, Max was in the confectionary business on West Ninth, which was a vibrant business street at the time. He later ran a saloon and a horse and buggy taxi service. He was in the real estate business by 1915.

The crowded Diamond household included Lena, Louis, Sam, Esther, Abe, Felix, Josephine, Joseph and then Aaron. Joseph and Esther moved away to Canton, Ohio. Lena Diamond moved to New York City to attend Brooklyn College in order to become a dietician. The rest of the family remained here. Joseph moved to Canton to go into the iron and metal business with the Stein family, and he married Ruth Stein.

Sadly, Rebecca Slabosky Diamond died in June 1912, when the youngest, Aaron, was only three years old. The funeral was held at the family home at 18 College St., then the burial was at the Jewish Cemetery in North Chattanooga. The obituary noted she left behind nine children.

As a teen, Aaron Diamond was a salesman for his brother Louis's jewelry store. He later went into the Navy, then completed Harvard Business School. He was a rug buyer in New York City before he began building homes for World War II veterans. He moved on to larger and larger projects, including the well-known housing development on Roosevelt Island next to Manhattan.

He and his wife established two separate foundations - the Aaron Diamond Foundation and the Irene Diamond Foundation. Both were actively involved in the arts and humanities in the New York area and in the battle against AIDS. Before his foundation was closed out, it provided $220 million to 700 New York City projects, including more than $51 million for AIDS research and prevention. Aaron Diamond died in 1984 of a heart attack.

Before their marriage, Aaron's wife, Irene, was a Hollywood talent scout who was credited with giving Burt Lancaster and Robert Redford their first breaks. She was also famous as the story editor at Warner Bros. who found the play that became the film classic "Casablanca." Irene Diamond was among those from Hollywood subpoenaed to testify in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee as to their political beliefs.

After her husband's death, Irene Diamond continued her personal foundation work. She was called one of the most innovative philanthropists in the country, including setting up the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at New York Hospital. She personally hired Dr. David D. Ho, one of the country's leading AIDS researchers who developed the first "cocktail" to control AIDS.

Felix Diamond was involved in insurance and real estate, while heading Reliance Realty and Felix Diamond Insurance Company. He married Estelle Moore of Carrollton, Ga., and they had three children. Louis Diamond was in the loan and jewelry business and was also involved at Reliance Realty. He married Esther Deich of Savannah, Ga., and their son was Henry Louis Diamond. A lifelong bachelor, Samuel P. Diamond fought under General George Pershing in World War I and was a supporter of veterans organizations, the Boy Scouts of America and other charities.

Josephine Diamond married Manuel Russ, who started Wesco, a paving company that merged into Vulcan Materials. His original company created the quarry near the airport and did the paving work for many of the early roads in Tennessee, including the original one up Monteagle Mountain.He had a trucking company that was originally Asphalt Haulers, then the name was changed to Russ Transport. The Russ children were Philip and Rita. Philip moved to Nashville and became a successful real estate appraiser. Rita married Sam Speer, an optometrist.

David Diamond, son of Felix Diamond, was a graduate of Normal Park Elementary, Baylor School, and the University of Virginia. He was a third-generation Chattanoogan involved in real estate, mortgage banking and insurance. David Diamond was the first male president of Girls Inc., president of Insurors of Chattanooga, and president and board member of Mizpah Congregation. He also developed commercial properties. David Diamond married Karen Stein, who was from the Canton, Ohio Steins. David and Karen met at the 1963 wedding in Canton of Joe and Ruth's son Robert. They were married a year later. Their daughter, Sara Patterson, lives in Knoxville with her family. Son Sam is the last of the Diamond line still in Chattanooga. He and his daughter, Olivia, are also Baylor graduates.

Henry Louis Diamond, son of Louis and Esther Deich Diamond, became New York States first Commissioner of Environmental Living. He was appointed by Governor. Nelson Rockefeller on the inaugural Earth Day in 1970. He also had a 40-year association with conservation-minded Laurance Rockefeller. He received a Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award from the Interior Department. Among his many accolades was a Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Henry Louis Diamond had received a bachelors degree from Vanderbilt University in 1954, and graduated from Georgetown University Law Center after a tour in the Army. He was interviewed by Bobby Kennedy for a post in the John F. Kennedy presidential campaign, but opted for the Rockefellers instead. He married Betty Tatum of Chattanooga and they had one daughter, Laura. His law firm, Beveridge and Diamond, had branches in several states and was at one time the largest environmental law firm in the country.
Officers responded to assist Airport police who were out with two black males with a vehicle pulling a trailer that was wrecked and broke down. The vehicle had the trailer pop off the ball and crash into the vehicle, causing damage. The trailer was carrying two new riding lawnmowers. Both men left the scene on foot. While Airport police were out with the vehicle, another vehicle (white) pulled up and a black male got out, identified himself and asked if he could get his ID out of the vehicle towing the trailer. When that man saw CPD rounding the corner, he jumped in the white vehicle and left. Officers were unable to catch up to the white vehicle. Officers found registration in the vehicle towing the trailer that came back to that man. Officers were able to determine that the trailer and two lawnmowers were stolen and located a damaged/knocked down fence at Chattanooga Tractor surrounding commercial lawn and tractor equipment a few miles away. Officers were able to get the owner on scene to confirm the trailer and two mowers belonged to his business. The man hooked the trailer up to his business truck and took the property back to his storage yard. He also confirmed the fence was not damaged prior and had occurred from the theft. All property was returned to owner on scene and damaged property was noted.

* * *

A man called police to a residence on E. Main Street. A woman there became upset at the fact that police had been called out to her address. The man told police he had personal belongings which he wished to retrieve from the home. The woman told police that she was more than happy for the man to retrieve his property as long as it was later in the day. The man did not have a problem with this and continued on to work without incident.

* * *

A woman told police that her vehicle had been damaged the day before between 7:50 a.m. and 4 p.m. while parked at Chattanooga Preparatory School. The passenger side rear door weathering had been removed. The woman said nothing from the vehicle had been taken or that anyone had been inside the vehicle. She said the damage to the vehicle was possibly $1,000. There is not

camera footage of the area and no suspect information. Police added the area to the Watch List and notified the school security of the issue as well.

* * *

An anonymous caller told police he observed a person dressed in all black around the vicinity of CGLA, 4800 Hwy. 58. Police located a black male wearing all black clothes with a long sleeve shirt and a face mask. The man had two knives on his waist at the time. Upon speaking with him, he gave police his name, which was confirmed as the name an officer suspected before his arrival from the area and description. The man has a skin condition where he has to cover his skin in the sun. The man said he was just out on his morning walk. He usually walks every morning.

* * *



A woman told police that while at work at Parkridge Hospital, 2333 McCallie Ave., someone cut the catalytic converter off of her Hyundai Santa Fe and stole it. She said her vehicle was parked near the main entrance to the hospital and she will check with security to see if there may be video of the incident.

* * *



An employee of RLP Construction, 1715 Union Ave., reported the theft of a Stihl TS420 14" concrete saw. There is no suspect information.

* * *

A suspicious person was reported around the Ace Hardware, 2700 Broad St. Police spoke with the man and asked if he wanted a ride to The Community Kitchen at 727 E. 11th St. The man accepted and was given a ride without incident.

* * *

A man told police a black male (45-50 years of age) approached him and two friends sitting on a park bench at 736 Market St. He said the man asked him and the others for a cigarette and cursed at him, saying he would kill him. He said the man then got on the bus. He said the man has been frequenting the downtown area.

* * *

An employee of The Community Kitchen, 727 E. 11th St., told police she had found a Ziploc bag full of unknown pills on a bench inside the establishment that she wished to turn over to police. Officers will be taking these pills to CPD's Property Division to be destroyed.

* * *

Police were dispatched to back up a TN park ranger who was working on a theft from a vehicle that occurred at a local park, the Blue Hole. The thieves had taken four credit cards from the victim's vehicle. The thieves then used one of the cards at the Best Buy at 5591 Hwy. 153 to purchase an Apple MacBook for $2,515.15. The victim said she had already canceled her cards and made her financial institution aware. She will contact police if any more charges pop up. Police were able to get pictures of the three suspects, who they will attempt to identify.

* * *

An employee at the Hamilton County Clerk Tag and Title Office, 6135 Heritage Park Dr., told police a man was attempting to register a stolen vehicle in Tennessee. Police observed the paperwork and retrieved copies that show the man purchasing a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado for $500 from another man, which had a VIN which was reported stolen out of Ringgold. Police spoke with the man on scene and he said he didn't know the vehicle was stolen and that he assumed it was legit after buying it from the other man. He said he knew there were issues over the title of the vehicle previously which involved his friend (the other man) getting charged with theft in regards to the truck, but he assumed all of this was cleared up. He said the truck is in Ringgold located somewhere off of Old Three Notch Road. Police then notified the agencies in Georgia about this and they will follow up.

* * *

An electrical contractor working on a construction site at 1512 Market St. told police he discovered that approximately $10,000-$15,000 worth of copper wiring had been stolen. It is unknown when this theft occurred. There is no suspect information.
The Chattanooga Motorcar Festival Sponsored by Millennium Bank has announced that the third annual event in the Scenic City will be live streamed each day to car enthusiasts around the world with the help of the Torque Media Group. Also, the popular Torque Show will air live on https://chattanoogamotorcar.com/, https://www.thetorqueshow.com/ and available on both the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival and The Torque Show Facebook pages.

Additionally, as part of a special programming weekend on the PowerNation TVs FAST Channel called the Great Car Show Weekend, the two one-hour Torque Show Live specials from the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival will also air on all four FAST platforms (Samsung, Roku, Vizio, LG, Freevee).

In keeping with the growth of the Festival, Torque Media has been tasked with capturing and telling the story of the Concours dElegance, the Canossa Fall Rally Chattanooga, the Pace Grand at The Bend, and other family-friendly activities held during the Festival.

Torque Show hosts Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall will kick off the weekend on Friday with the vintage racing action at The Pace Grand Prix at The Bend, the highlights of the Mecum Auctions, and the Car Club Gathering in the West Village. Torque Show will also stream the Concours live on Sunday to vintage car enthusiasts globally.

We are excited this year to have racing champions Justin Bell and Tommy Kendall broadcast live from the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, said Festival founder Byron DeFoor. To be able to reach racing and car fans around the world and share with them the unique activities of the Festival is very special to us, as we continue to bring awareness to neuroscience research.

From the vintage/historic racing at the Pace Grand Prix at The Bend to the Canossa Fall Rally Chattanooga, and the dynamic Concours dElegance, viewers will be treated to a rare experience.

"It is a real honor to have been chosen to share with the world what I feel is quickly becoming one of the premier automotive events in North America," said Mr. Bell, co-founder and host of the Torque Show. I attended the Festival last year as a VIP and everything about it made me want to come back. The only thing missing was the type of global coverage that we at Torque know how to do really well. We are committed to bringing the viewer to the heart of the action, with guests and coverage of the incredible cars in a way that showcases the event and its host, the city of Chattanooga. We cant wait to share such a wonderful event with everyone and give the Festival the recognition it duly deserves.

In a statement, Executive Producer Jason Jacobson said, "Building on our experience over the last four years covering premier motoring events around the world and our experience in both the world of live network TV and livestreaming, it is our goal to shine the spotlight on this incredible event to the viewers.

And, as Hall of Fame champion race car driver Mr. Kendall said, This event is totally unique, as they have built a race track right in the middle of Chattanooga. This is the perfect mix of racing, concours, auction and lots more. We promise that viewers will not be disappointed.

The Broadcast will be spread over three days:

Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. -- Live on either https://chattanoogamotorcar.com/ or https://www.thetorqueshow.com/

Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. -- Live on either https://chattanoogamotorcar.com/ or https://www.thetorqueshow.com/

Sunday, 1- 3:30 p.m. -- on either https://chattanoogamotorcar.com/ or https://www.thetorqueshow.com/

The Canossa Fall Rally Chattanooga will be conducted on Thursday and Friday and will start both days at 8:30 a.m. from the Westin Hotel Chattanooga.

The Concours d'Elegance is scheduled for Sunday. Concours cars will be available for viewing on the streets of the West Village from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday.

Events at the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend begin on Thursday for practice sessions, and continue on Friday and Saturday for qualifying and racing events.

VIP tickets are now available at https://www.showclix.com/event/chattanooga-motorcar-festival.

Two new and videos about Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival may be viewed at: Chattanooga Focus: https://app.frame.io/presentations/06743868-1d23-4de9-b7cb-6b0c5cf84f82, and Festival Focus: https://app.frame.io/presentations/80c24eb1-6357-4c10-aa8b-46a66257e021.

Information on Mecum Chattanooga 2022 may be found at https://www.mecum.com/auctions/chattanooga-2022/.

Details on each event may be found at www.chattanoogamotorcar.com.



Volunteers are always welcome at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. Volunteers may sign up at https://chattanoogamotorcar.com/volunteer/.




Police said those involved in a shooting and ganging at a homeless camp at 509 E. 11th Street on Sept. 28 had walked to the camp "to locate a bag containing narcotics and other items."

Reginald Jamell Holland, 39, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery and possession of a firearm during a felony. Holland gave his address as 724 E. 11th St.

Police encountered the victim and began questioning him and a female who was with him. Police were told that the group collectively began to assault the man when he could not produce the bag.

Witnesses said a man known as "Bookie" or "Bookie Love" produced a semi-automatic pistol and fired one shot, hitting the victim in the leg. The group later dispersed and the woman called 911.

Police said video was captured on police cameras of the group walking toward the crime scene prior to the shooting taking place.

Police were told that the shooter was Reggie Holland, and the victim picked him up out of a photo lineup.
South Africa: SA companies head to SIAL Paris to market their wares

The South African businesspeople representing the 26 companies that will be participating in the SIAL Paris International Food Products Exhibition in France this week are relishing the prospects of exporting their products to Europe.

The group will depart for France on Wednesday with optimism that SIAL Paris - where they will be showcasing their products from 15-19 October 2022 - will open doors for them to export their goods to France and the rest of Europe.

The South African businesspeople will be among the more than 7 000 exhibitors from all over the world who will go all out to attract the attention of buyers, distributors, agents and exporters who descend on the biennial trade show in search of mouth-watering and distinct products.

The participation of the SA companies has been made possible by support provided by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme, whose objective is to develop export markets for South African products and services and to recruit new foreign direct investments into the country.

The department has set up a South African National Pavilion in which the SA companies will be showcasing their products and services.

This is part of the dtics efforts to promote exports of South African value-added goods, and services through strategic export promotion mechanisms to increase the market share in targeted high-growth markets and sustain market share in traditional markets.

Assistance provided to the companies to seek export markets for their products across the globe is line with Integrated National Export Strategy, which South Africas blueprint towards ensuring export promoting industrialisation to spur economic growth in the country.

The strategy aims to increase South Africas capacity for exporting diversified and value-added goods and services to various global markets.

The participation of SA companies in SIAL Paris is expected to contribute in the growth of the SAs exports to France which have increased from about R8.7 billion in 2020 to R11.6 billion in 2021.

The Chief Executive Officer of Miante Manufacturing, Wendy Mpendulo is excited that SIAL Paris will provide her with an opportunity to increase the export market of her Pretoria-based company, which is producing healthy on-the-go tasty snacks.

We are currently exporting our products to eSwatini. We are travelling to France with the hope of finding a distributor, agent or big companies such as retail or hotel chains that will be interested in importing our products to France and other countries in Europe and beyond.

We are optimistic that we will succeed as we are already doing some social media marketing as part of creating awareness about our company and products targeting the buyers that will be attending the exhibition, said Mpendulo.

SIAL Paris will also provide the CEO of Energy Supplements, Serita Gericke, with the first opportunity to showcase her products, which include collagen water, on an international platform.

We are convinced that our collagen water, which is becoming popular due to its scientifically-proven health benefits, will attract the attention of distributors and importers during the exhibition in France. We are targeting Europe as our potential market, particularly France and the United Kingdom. We have already received some enquiries that we are hoping to follow up on during the exhibition, said Gericke.

SIAL Paris will be the first international exhibition experience for Thabisile Danisa who is the Managing Director of Incasa Foods, a Durban-based condiments and sauces producing company.

The trip to France could not have come at a more opportune time as we are implementing our strategy of growing our business. We are hoping we will be able to secure clients during or after the exhibition so that we can start exporting our products to Europe, said Danisa.

The Managing Director of House of Natural Butter, Debra Ncube, whose company is based in Cape Town, said she is looking forward to a successful trip to France where she has already set up meetings with three distributors to market her products, which comprise peanut, macadamia and almond butter.

Our main objective for travelling to France is to strike deals during or after the exhibition that will enable us to penetrate the European market. We are confident that our high-value agro-processing products will attract the attention of the distributors, particularly the macadamia butter, Ncube said. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China launches space-based observatory to unravel the Sun's secrets

09:06, October 10, 2022 By Xinhua writers Zhou Zhou, Wang Juebin, Li Guoli ( Xinhua

* The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), nicknamed Kuafu-1 in Chinese, was launched aboard a Long March-2D rocket at 07:43 a.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit successfully.

* The solar observatory, named after Kuafu, a giant in Chinese mythology who indefatigably chased the sun, will extend its working hours to over 96 percent of the year.

* Kuafu-1, with three payloads onboard -- the Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope (LST), the Hard X-ray Imager (HXI), and the Full-disk Vector MagnetoGraph (FMG) -- is an all-rounder satellite specially designed for solar detection.

* Kuafu-1's scientific objectives are described as the probe on "1M2B" -- M for the solar magnetic field and two Bs for two violent bursts, i.e. solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and their potential interplay.

JIUQUAN, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- China sent a solar exploration satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sunday, furthering the country's scientific endeavor to unravel the mysteries of the Sun.

The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), nicknamed Kuafu-1 in Chinese, was launched aboard a Long March-2D rocket at 07:43 a.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit successfully.

A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)

After four to six months of testing, the 859-kg satellite will start normal operation 720 kilometers away from the Earth to study the causality between the solar magnetic field and two major eruptive phenomena, namely solar flares and coronal mass ejections, thus providing data support for space weather forecasting.

CHASING THE SUN

The solar observatory, named after Kuafu, a giant in Chinese mythology who indefatigably chased the sun, will extend its working hours to over 96 percent of the year.

A space-borne observatory running at a sun-synchronous orbit is not hampered by the Earth's rotations, while an Earth-based telescope can see the Sun only in the daytime.

"ASO-S is capable of probing the Sun 24 hours daily for most of the year," said Gan Weiqun, the satellite's principal scientist from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). "Its longest daily time-out is no more than 18 minutes when briefly running through the shadow of Earth each day from May to August."

The solar probe, with a projected life of no less than four years, is designed to accumulate and transmit back some 500 gigabytes of data within a day, which is equivalent to tens of thousands of high-quality images.

"The onboard detectors take pictures every few seconds or minutes, and during solar eruptions, they can rapidly increase their shutter speed to only one second so as to capture solar activities with more details," said Huang Yu, associate chief designer of ASO-S science application system.

During its in-orbit operation, three ground stations in the cities of Sanya, Kashgar, and Beijing, far apart from each other, will receive data from space, before sending them in packages over the next four years to a 2,048-core powerful computer mounted at the PMO for decoding.

VERSATILE PROBE

Kuafu-1, with three payloads onboard -- the Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope (LST), the Hard X-ray Imager (HXI), and the Full-disk Vector MagnetoGraph (FMG) -- is an all-rounder satellite specially designed for solar detection.

It marked the second milestone for the country's solar exploration endeavor after the satellite Xihe, a pathfinder in China's solar exploration, was launched into space in October 2021.

Operating also in a sun-synchronous orbit at an average altitude of 517 km, Xihe carried a solar H-alpha imaging spectrometer as its main scientific payload, obtaining for the first time globally, the fine structure of solar H-alpha, SiI, and FeI spectral lines in orbit.

Kuafu-1 is set to add another piece of our host star's spectral jigsaw. The LST installed on it can seamlessly collect the Lyman-alpha light near the corona emitted from the full disk of the sun.

The wave band of Lyman-alpha, representing the neutral hydrogen spectra released by more than 70 percent of the solar mass, is known to be the strongest ultraviolet emission line that affects the Earth's ionosphere.

The full-disk Lyman-alpha observations will open a fresh window that may reveal new solar physics, said Feng Li, the LST data scientist from PMO. "They're the first of its kind in the world that images from the disc center to a 2.5 solar radius."

HXI, installed on the Kuafu-1, will probe the non-thermal high-energy electrons accelerated in solar flares in the energy ranging from between 30 and 200 keV, with more than 90 tungsten optical gratings at each side.

"A single grating, with a diameter in centimeters, is divided into thousands of slits, the slightest of them only 18 microns," said Su Yang, HXI's data scientist from PMO. "The array constitutes a compound eye for X-rays and see the big picture and details at once."

CLOSE INVESTIGATION

Now, the farthest reaches of the universe have been put within the radius of human observations, but the sun remains "the only star accessible for our close investigation," according to Gan.

Kuafu-1's scientific objectives are described as the probe on "1M2B" -- M for the solar magnetic field and two Bs for two violent bursts, i.e. solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and their potential interplay.

"Our understanding of the sun is far from profound, and how could solar flares and CMEs take place and affect our planet is still not that clear," said Gan. "The sun is the most familiar but the strangest star to humankind."

Solar flares are the intense localized eruptions of electromagnetic radiation in the sun's atmosphere, while CMEs are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun's corona.

LST will increase the probe accuracy on CMEs by about three orders of magnitude, compared with a probe in visible light, while HXI is able to obtain rich characteristic information on solar flares simultaneously, including location, shape, radiation intensity, and time evolution.

FMG can measure the complicated solar magnetic field, a crucial factor that may influence solar flares and CMEs. Its precision reaches 5 gauss, merely a thousandth of the sunspot magnetic field intensity, said Zhang Haiying, an FMG designer from Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics &Technology under CAS.

"The detector can image the full disk magnetically in such a similar accuracy every 18 minutes during solar eruptions, making up a movie that can help us unravel the secrets of how the sun is discharging its tremendous energy," said Zhang.

Gan said the 1M2B allows scientists to "know more about how the solar activities took shape and evolve," and it also "lays the physical basis for forecasting the space weather."

The 11-year solar cycle, starting in the latter half of 2020 and coming to a close in about 2031, is expected to see its peak in 2024 to 2025, with frequent solar eruptions that may cripple the global communication and positioning as happened at its last peak on Halloween of 2003.

"Kuafu-1 was launched at a timing that the ascending curve of solar activity, from dormancy to its most dynamic stage, can be continuously catalogued," said Gan.

"Specifically, the LST can serve as a space weather forecaster to raise alerts of CMEs 40 hours in advance to secure an earlier prevention on Earth." Enditem

(Zhang Quan also contributed to the story. )

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming)
Why a two-state solution wont work By Amb. Dore Gold

web posted October 10, 2022 Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapids support for the two-state solution during his UN General Assembly address re-opened the Israeli debate over the merits of this policy for the State of Israel. To recall, the two-state solution was never a part of the key documents that provided the diplomatic basis for the Arab-Israeli peace process in the past. It stands out that significant ministers in Mr. Lapids own government refrained from getting on the two-state bandwagon, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz. As Ambassador Alan Baker, the former legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry during the Oslo years, has written, the two-state solution, or in any of its multiple implementation agreements that were generated over the years. It sounds fair, which is why diplomats have been drawn to it, converting it into a diplomatic mantra. But however it sounds, the two-state solution is not drawn from binding legal commitments made by Israel in the past. To assume that is the case is both incorrect and even misleading.

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, U.S. President Bill Clinton and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat at the signing ceremony for the Oslo Exchange of Letters, September 13, 1993 In October 1995, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin gave his final address to the Knesset weeks before he was assassinated. In the speech, he outlined what should be the components of a final peace settlement with the Palestinians. In retrospect, it now stands out that he did not make any reference to the two-state solution. His backing of Palestinian statehood by itself was at best lukewarm. Indeed, he spoke only about an entity which was, in his words, less than a state. Another problem that the terminology of the two-state solution generates is the expectation that if the Palestinians grievances are fully addressed and resolved, the wider Arab-Israel conflict will come to an end. Diplomats embraced the two-state solution as a kind of magic key that would solve the Arab-Israel conflict. There is no indication that this was ever true. Going back to 1948, at the time of the first Arab-Israel war, it would be fair to ask why did the Arab states at the time invade the nascent State of Israel in the first place. There is a school of thought among historians that each of the Arab states, back then, had its own particularistic aims for attacking Israel: Damascus was looking to establish a Greater Syria in the Levant, Amman hoped to reinforce its hold on the holy sites of Jerusalem after the Hashemites lost the holy sites of Islam that they once held in the Hijaz, and Cairo was looking to connect itself with the Mashreq  that portion of the Middle East that was located in West Asia  and by doing so avert becoming isolated in North Africa. If the considerations of the Palestinian Arabs were paramount for the Arab world, then why wasnt a Palestinian state established in Judea and Samaria during those years, when the Arab world had the chance because it already held those areas? True, the Palestinian Arabs tried briefly to set up a mini-state in the Gaza Strip, known as the All-Palestine Government, but it never acquired wider backing through international recognition. Its association with the Jerusalem mufti, Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Palestinian leader most visibly connected with Nazi Germany during the war, undermined the chances of the All-Palestine Government succeeding. Gaza remained an area under Egyptian military occupation until the Six-Day War. Today, Israel needs to design an approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that keeps in mind the true dimensions of the wider conflict. The Arab-Israel conflict has resembled an accordion that can expand or contract according to international circumstances. In 1967, there was an Iraqi expeditionary force that sought to cross into Israel by cutting through Jordan. The conflict had grown. By 2022, Iraq was no longer the same strategic factor. And it was Iran that was recruiting Shiite militias from all over the Middle East and sending them mostly to Syria. Today there is a risk that if the two-state solution becomes popularized again, without justification, then Israel will come under rising international pressures to adhere to its terms, even if they do not apply. It risks stripping Israel of its right to secure boundaries which is an integral part of Resolution 242. What recent events have demonstrated is that a very different Middle East has arisen. Diplomacy remains vital in this new period, but it will only yield results if it addresses the vital interests of the parties which engage in it. That is the lesson of the Abraham Accords, which produced four normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states. But right now, the two-state solution is just a nice-sounding mantra that will lead diplomats off course. This should be the message of the State of Israel the next time an Israeli prime minister addresses the UN General Assembly. Ambassador Dore Gold has served as President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs since 2000. From June 2015 until October 2016 he served as Director-General of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously he served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels Ambassador to the UN (1997-1999), and as an advisor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Home
Police said a man was shot multiple times and is in critical condition after another man got mad that they turned off the music at a barbecue.

Charles Dewayne Jackson, 30, of 734 Hooker Road, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, reckless endangerment and possessing a firearm with intent to go armed.

In the incident last Tuesday, police responded to 716 East 48th St. Officers were told that the victim suffered apparent life-threatening gunshot wounds to the legs and pelvis. He was transported to the hospital where he was in critical condition.

A detective was able to determine that Jackson was the shooter. Multiple witnesses said Jackson approached the victim asking him about turning off the music. Jackson then physically attacked the man before producing a pistol and shooting him multiple times, it was stated.

At the time of the shooting there were about 7 to 10 people present, including several children.

Jackson fled on foot prior to police arrival. Police said Jackson is a convicted felon having plead guilty to having contraband in a penal institution in 2014 and possession of a firearm with a prior felony drug conviction in 2019
Today, the Unity Group is expressing its strong support for the recognition and designation of the second Monday in October as "Indigenous Peoples' Day."

We outlined much of this sentiment in our 2017 draft resolution on the historic Citico-Lincoln Park sites that need continued safeguards and protections.

We must have continued support for our indigenous communities which recognizes the contributions, values and beliefs that have helped to shape and define us as a city, state and nation.

We must have ongoing education and outreach that accurately details both the triumphs and struggles experienced by all indigenous groups who have historic origins in this region.

Chief Seattle once commented, "Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect."

Eric Atkins

Unity Group of Chattanooga

Resolution 14-3: Recognizing the Second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day



WHEREAS, all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights; and



WHEREAS, the City of Seattle was declared to be a Human Rights City on December 10, 2012, committing itself to protect, respect and fulfill the full range of inherent human rights for all as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and numerous other international human rights treaties; and

WHEREAS, the Seattle Human Rights Commission (the Commission) is committed to protecting and advocating for justice, human rights, and the equal treatment of all people who live and work in Seattle; and

WHEREAS, the United States ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in October 1994 and Article 7 of CERD requires States to adopt immediate and effective measures, particularly in the field of teaching, education, culture and information with a view to combating prejudices which lead to racial discrimination and to promote understanding, tolerance and friendship; and

WHEREAS, the United States endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration) on December 16, 2010 and the Declaration recognizes that indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices as a result of, inter alia, their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources; and

WHEREAS, Article 15 of the Declaration recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information and places an obligation on States to take effective measures, in consultation and cooperation with the indigenous peoples concerned, to combat prejudice and eliminate discrimination and to promote tolerance, understanding and good relations among indigenous peoples and all other segments of society; and

WHEREAS, the Commission recognizes that the indigenous peoples of the lands that would later become known as the Americas have occupied these lands since time immemorial; and

WHEREAS, the Commission recognizes that the celebration of Christopher Columbus and his alleged 1492 discovery of the lands that would later become known as the Americas works to celebrate an era of colonization and dispossession of indigenous peoples homelands, as well as the decimation of entire groups of indigenous peoples from North and South America; and

WHEREAS, the Commission recognizes the dignity and diversity of the cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations of the City of Seattles indigenous peoples; and

WHEREAS, the Commission honors the fact that our great City is built upon indigenous peoples homelands; and

WHEREAS, the Commission seeks to combat prejudice and eliminate discrimination stemming from colonization and to promote tolerance, understanding and good relations among indigenous peoples and all other segments of our society; and

WHEREAS, the Commission values the contributions made to our City and our society through indigenous peoples arts, knowledge, technology, science, philosophy, and culture; and

WHEREAS, the Commission promotes the closing of the equity gap for indigenous peoples through policies and practices of government entities, organizations, and other public institutions that reflect the experiences of indigenous peoples and honor our nations indigenous roots, history, and contributions; and

WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations to the United Nations-sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas; and

WHEREAS, in 1990 representatives from 120 indigenous nations at the First Continental Conference on 500 Years of Indian Resistance unanimously passed a resolution to transform Columbus Day into an occasion to strengthen the process of continental unity in a struggle towards liberation, and to reveal a more accurate historical record; and

WHEREAS, in 2011 the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, representing 59 Tribes from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, Western Montana and some Alaskan Tribes, passed resolution #11-OO to Support to Change Columbus Day (2nd Monday of October) to Indigenous Peoples Day; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Commission declares its support for the City of Seattles recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Commission encourages the Board of Directors for the Seattle Public Schools to mandate that the public schools of our City teach about the history, culture, and governments of indigenous peoples of our state as set forth in H.B. 1495 and as elaborated on in the Since Time Immemorial Curriculum; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Commission encourages the Board of Directors for the Seattle Public Schools to mandate that the public schools of our City give special focus to the history, culture, and governments of indigenous peoples on the second Monday in October.

Adopted by the Seattle Human Right Commission on June 5, 2014.

Sarah Bishop, Co-Chair

Ethel Branch, Co-Chair
The Dr. Harvey Oliver Milton family lived on Cypress Street on the side of Cameron Hill, then built a new house a block away on Cedar. Their son became the publisher of the Chattanooga News and their daughter-in-law helped women get the right to vote.

Dr. Milton was born in South Carolina, but he was reared in Georgia. He enlisted in the Confederate Army as an assistant surgeon. He married Sarah Fort at Macon. She was a sister of Tomlinson Fort, another Cameron Hill resident, and the daughter of Dr. Tomlinson Fort, who was an early investor in Ross's Landing real estate.

The Miltons moved to Chattanooga in 1877. The next year he was among the physicians in town dealing with the deadly yellow fever. He was among a group of doctors who early on concluded that there was no yellow fever in town. However, it ended up taking a heavy toll of lives.

The Miltons by 1881 were living on the east side of Cypress Street at the corner of Sixth. They lived here until building a new house at 609 Cedar in 1890.

Their son, George Fort Milton, lived in the Cypress and Cedar street homes, having come to Chattanooga when he was eight. He graduated from Chattanooga High School, then the University of the South. He still lived at the Cedar Street home while he was studying at the Mountain City Business College and had taken a position as bookkeeper for the Peoples Bank.

In June 1895, he took a position with the Knoxville Sentinel and moved to Knoxville. His parents moved along with him, while selling the Cedar Street home. Dr. Milton died at Knoxville in 1897. George Fort Milton eventually owned the Knoxville Sentinel. Then he returned to Chattanooga to operate the News, which was the afternoon paper.

His first wife was Caroline McCall, daughter of James Price McCall. They had a daughter Corinne. Carolina McCall Milton died upon the birth of a son, George Fort Milton Jr. Milton next married Abby Crawford, daughter of Capt. C.T. Crawford of Milledgeville. The Miltons built a columned brick home on Wiehl Street in Fort Wood.

Abby Crawford Milton traveled throughout Tennessee making speeches in support of the right for women to vote. An affirmative vote by the Tennessee Legislature put that movement over the top.

George Fort Milton Jr., who was born at Chattanooga, in 1894, attended the University of Tennessee and the University of Virginia before taking reporting positions with the Washington Times and the New York Tribune. He was the national publicity director for the William G. McAdoo presidential campaign of 1923-24. Milton was appointed by Secretary of State Cordell Hull on several foreign missions. He was a contributor to Atlantic, the New Republic and several other publications and was the author of several books on American History. He became the editor of the Chattanooga News in 1924. George Fort Milton married Alice Warner.

J.A. Schrader was one of the last occupants of the 609 Cedar home. He rented out the second floor. R.C. Ferguson was at 610 Cypress, also renting out the upper part. Photos of those homes have not yet been located.
Chattanooga News Free Press reporter George Burnham became close friends with the late Dr. Billy Graham while covering his 1953 Chattanooga crusade. With the blessings of NFP owner Roy McDonald, the AP and UPI used Burnhams stories during the month of meetings. Mr. Graham was so impressed he went to the paper and asked Mr. McDonald if Burnham could travel with him to London and Europe on his upcoming trip.

Mr. Burnhams daughter Lynn has several stories her dad wrote while overseas. Mr. Burnham penned this story for the News Free Press in 1954 after Dr. Graham spoke to Queen Elizabeth who died Sept. 8. This story was also distributed by the wire services:

A gracious Queen of the people and humble servant of the King of Kings had lunch together on Sunday after church.



Queen Elizabeth II and members of Great Britains royal family were hosts to Dr. and Mrs. Billy Graham of Montreat, N.C.

And sometimes during the meal, the man who is known to millions around the world as Billy, must have pinched himself to see if he was the same fellow who just a few years ago was milking cows on his fathers dairy outside of Charlotte, N.C.

The occasion was a fitting climax to an incredible week. He had preached to 450,000 in Wembley Stadium and has seen 23,810 people walk onto the historic turf and take their stand for Jesus Christ. One of the men who stood there unashamedly in the drenching rain was Sir John Hunt, leader of the expedition that conquered Mt. Everest.

On Saturday, Billy preached to 115,000. Sunday morning he preached to less than 1000 in a private chapel at Royal Lodge, Windsor Castle.

Seated in the congregation were Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, servants of the castle and special invited guests. The children of the Queen were not present. Dr. Graham spoke approximately 25 minutes. An official announcement from the castle after the service stated:

The Queen and Duke of Edinburg today attended morning service in the private chapel at Royal Lodge, Windsor, at which the preacher was Dr. Billy Graham, the American evangelist. The Queen and Duke drove over from Windsor Castle, where they are in residence. 

Reporters from several London newspapers, some of them lukewarm during the week but shocked to the attention by the royal recognition, were waiting at the hotel were Dr. and Mrs. Graham returned at 3:30 p.m.

It was a great privilege for me to speak at the service, He said, The Queen was very charming and gracious. Graham refused to say when he received the Queens invitation.

The announcement said, the invitation was extended after Queen Elizabeth had seen Graham on Television.

Mr. Graham used Acts 27:25 as his text. Shortly before leaving the United States for campaigns abroad he spoke before President and Mrs. Eisenhower in the National Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C. The text on that occasion was the same Act 27:25, which says, Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told to me.

The following statements were made during the sermon before President Eisenhower. Illustrations and sequence vary, but in essence the sermon is the same as the one delivered before Queen Elizabeth.

He said, The Apostle Paul was going from one city to another preaching one message - Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He was on a ship when a storm arose The ship was being tossed about by the wind and waves. The men were frightened. Paul went to his room and prayed. When he came out, his face glowed with a look of peace and assurance as he made this statement: Be of good cheer, I believe God.

There are many storms in the world today. There are storms of atheism, materialism internationalism. Homes are broken. Juvenile delinquency is rampant. Crimes are on the increase. There are other storms in the personal life of people---storms of discouragements, bereavements, confusions, frustrations. But Paul said be of good cheer.

Faith is probably the most important word in the New Testament. It is mentioned 92 times in the Book of John. It is so important that God said unless you have the right kind of faith you cant get to heaven, faith is taking God at his word.

Mr. Burnham said after the trip aboard that he had attended the service with the Queen but there was no coverage allowed.



Mr. Burnham wrote several books on Dr. Graham. Mr. Burnham died un-expectedly in 1962. His family received telegrams from Dr. Graham, George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows. Dr. Graham had given Mr. Burnham a Bible earlier and wrote: to George Burnham who did the greatest job of reporting we have ever had.
Netflixs popular K-drama Little Women aired its finale on Oct. 9. The ending storyline tied many loose ends, from the fate of certain villainous characters to the hopeful future of the main leads. But throughout the K-drama, fans saw sparkling chemistry between Oh In-joo (Kim Go-eun) and Choi Do-il (Wi Ha-joon), making fans hopeful of an ending love story. But the Little Women finale flips the script regarding the main storyline and its characters.

[SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers regarding Little Women.]

In-joo and Do-il in Little Women K-drama | via tvN

The truth is revealed as In-joo faces her old friend

Before the finale, fans were shocked as Jin Hwa-young is revealed to be alive and faked her death. She testifies in court that In-joo had nothing to do with stealing the money or her revenge plan against Won Sang-a. Thanks to her, In-joo is found innocent but still serves probation. Returning to her aunts home, In-joo faces the friend she thought was dead.

Hwa-young reveals she had no idea of the trouble In-joo was in until reading the newspaper of a woman attending the orchid auction. She realized Sang-a was putting In-joo in danger and thwarted their plans to help In-joo escape. In-joo later receives a call from Do-il asking her to go to away with him to find In-hye.

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The Little Women finale then shifts gears when Hwa-young attends a press conference to explain her side of the story. She reveals she met a woman on an online forum of people with plans to die by suicide. They maintained the same weight, hair, and tattoos for two years to appear identical. Hwa-young planned to launder the money and make everyone believe she had died. But footage from her apartment reveals Sang-a murdered the other young woman under the impression it was Hwa-young. Sang-a begins to quiver in fear with the news now public and the slush funds.

In-joo risks everything to save Hwa-young from Sang-a in Little Women finale

In a quick recap, Sang-a visits her fathers hosptial room and confronts Jang Sa-pyeong for betraying her. He reveals she was never in the organizations favor because she has never been willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. In a twist, Sang-a kills him with a concentrated dosage of the orchid drug. She also added it to her fathers nebulizer.

While In-joo is set to leave with Do-il, she goes to the bathroom. After some time, Do-il realizes she is gone. The Little Women finale takes a dramatic turn as Sang-a has Hwa-young prisoner in the orchid room. When In-joo arrives, Sang-a is surprised as In-joo threatens to use a grenade to kill them. In reality, Sang-a never planned to live. She rigged the water sprinkler system with acid that will kill Hwa-young and the rest of them.

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But In-joo also reveals the truth behind the death of Sang-a mother. Sang-a accidentally pushed her and caused a fatal head wound. While still alive, Sang-as mother died by suicide to save her daughter. Meanwhile, Do-il and Ha Jong-ho thwart Sang-as plans to also kill In-kyung. The big kicker to Do-ils possible feelings toward In-joo is when Go Su-im confronts him that he loves In-joo.

To which he replies, You shouldnt have done this if you thought I loved her. It is a not-so-direct confession of his feelings. As Sang-a sets off the sprinklers, In-joo grabs a metal plate to shield both her and Hwa-young from the acid and saves her. As Do-il arrives, In-joo accidentally pushes Sang-a into the water.

Do Do-il and In-joo give in to their feelings in the Little Women finale?

In the aftermath, Sang-as death is ruled an accident, and the orchids are destroyed. Sometime later, In-kyung receives the Generals journal cataloging what happened in Vietnam, finding the orchids, and their secret organizations mindset. In the hospital, he dies.

To fans dismay, Do-il and In-joo never reveal their true feelings for each other in the Little Women finale. At the airport, Do-il offers her to travel to Greece with him. But In-joo declines saying she has no reason anymore without the money. In Greece, Do-il plans to go off the grid to avoid taking up job offers. As he departs, he turns around, smiles, and promises to see each other again one day. In-joo also learns her aunt left her the apartment.

The popular K-drama also ends with In-kyung getting a job offer but turning it down. Instead, she has decided to follow Jong-ho to the states and continue studying. In-kyung also reveals her feelings for Jong-ho and shares a kiss. In a twist, fans learn Do-il has been secretly helping In-hye and Hyo-rin since they left Korea.

Using Hyo-rins Panama account, he stashed away the laundered money. In the end, In-kyung divides the money among all of them. But she gives a bigger amount to In-joo, hoping that she only lives for herself for once.

Little Women is available on Netflix.

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TL;DR:

Mike Nesmith said one of The Monkees songs was inspired by the groups fans.

He discussed how fans reacted to the track.

The song became a hit in the United States.

The Monkees Mike Nesmith | Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer

Mike Nesmith said one of The Monkees songs only became more popular over time. In addition, he revealed the track was inspired by the Prefab Fours fans. Notably, audiences in the United States and the United Kingdom reacted differently to the tune.

The Monkees Mike Nesmith discussed 1 of the songs he was asked to perform live the most often

During a 2013 interview with Goldmine, Nesmith discussed his groups fandom. Monkees fans have always been extremely affectionate, he said. Each of us had his own agenda with the [most recent] tour, I think, but mine was to give the fans another pass at their Monkees  which for many was a big part of their childhood  and to perform the songs.

Nesmith wrote some of The Monkees songs. One of his most famous compositions was Tapioca Tundra. Nesmith was asked why he continued to play it live. It was one of those deep cuts from a later album and had grown in approval and acceptance over the years, until the time when we decided to go on tour, and it had become one of the most requested songs for us to do, he said.

RELATED: The Beatles A Day in the Life: The Monkees Mike Nesmith on Watching the Fab Four Record the Song

Mike Nesmith explained the meaning of Tapioca Tundra

Nesmith explained the meaning of Tapioca Tundra. The song itself is about the moment when the performer realizes that the songs he/she sings belong to the people  the fans and the crowds  that love the song, and the performer is only there in service to that relationship, he said. It cannot be a part of me  for now its part of you.'

During a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Nesmith again discussed Tapioca Tundra. He said the song was inspired by the way an audience turned The Monkees into something they werent offstage. He said he wrote Tapioca Tundra because of the feelings he had after concerts.

RELATED: Mike Nesmith Joked The Monkees Were Bigger Than The Beatles Even Though He Couldnt Play Guitar

How The Monkees Tapioca Tundra performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

Tapioca Tundra became a minor hit in the United States. The track reached No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for six weeks. The song appeared on the album The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and lasted a total of 50 weeks on the chart.

According to The Official Charts Company, Tapioca Tundra never charted in the United Kingdom. Neither did The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees.

Tapioca Tundra was far from being one of the Prefab Fours biggest hits, but Nesmith said fans appreciated it.

RELATED: The Monkees: A Record Producer Told Mike Nesmith Hed Never Buy This Monkees Song on Principle
Bryan and Sarah Baeumler dont see eye-to-eye on the future of Caerula Mar Club. The HGTV stars have received an offer on their Bahamas resort. On the latest episode of Renovation Island, Bryan argued that it might be time to let go of the property. But Sarah has mixed feelings about selling.

The Baeumlers received an offer on their Renovation Island resort

Renovation Island | HGTV Canada via YouTube

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The Baeumlers spent years renovating a decrepit resort on South Andros Island and turning it into a luxury travel destination. They werent necessarily thinking about selling the hotel, especially so soon after completing the renovation. But a potential buyer recently reached out with a very compelling offer.

The meeting at the hotel went really well, Bryan shared in the Oct. 9 episode of Renovation Island. The potential buyers actually seemed very interested. But selling this hotel is a big decision. Its been a huge part of our life.

At this point, we really have to do some soul searching and really make some big decisions that will affect a lot of things, he added.

Bryan and I have had a lot of conversations about whether or not we want to sell, whether or not this is the right time to sell, whether or not we want this to be a legacy project for our children to one day take over, Sarah said.

Bryan Baeumler makes the case for selling Caerula Mar

After the meeting, Bryan and Sarah sat down to discuss the possibility of selling Caerula Mar. Bryan feels that they should seize the opportunity to unload the resort.

It was three years of home, but its also a business, he said to Sarah as they discussed their next move. Im back and forth but Im leaning more towards taking the deal.

Now that he and Sarah are in their 40s, Bryan thinks its time to star getting more conservative in terms of finances and business. While the resort is doing well now, theres always the chance that things could take a turn for the worse.

You know, metaphorically speaking, the ocean is full of sharks, he said. Theres always a hurricane right over the horizon.

I would rather sell it and leave on a high note, on a happy note, than wait until that shine starts to rub off, Bryan said.

Sarah Baeumler is emotionally attached to the resort

Sarah said she understood where Bryan was coming from as far as wanting to sell the resort.

Hes really looking at it from a risk perspective and what the next three, five, 10 years look like for us, she said.

Still, Sarah argues that letting go of Careula Mar isnt just be a business decision.

This project was different than anything wed ever done before because it really was our personal life and our business life together, she pointed out.

The couples four children spent several years of their childhood in the Bahamas, and theyre attached to the resort and South Andros Island. For Sarah, it doesnt feel like theyve had enough time to enjoy what theyve built.

We really havent given the years we thought we would of owning it and operating it and enjoy[inhg the moments we have with the people here on the island, she said.

If the couple does decide to sell, choosing a new owner wont be easy.

If we were ever, ever going to consider selling the hotel, Bryan and I would be very invested in who the future owner was, Sarah said. And I think thats obviously because this is our baby. This feels like another child that were raising.

Id want somebody that wants to be part of this community, this culture, that wants to appreciate all that the Bahamas has to offer, she added.

New episodes of Renovation Island air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV. Episodes also stream on discovery+.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel.

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In Sister Wives Season 17, Christine Brown is leaving Kody Brown and has no intention of building on the familys property on Coyote Pass. However, Kody still plans to build five homes on the property, regardless of whether or not Christine will live there.

The Brown family | TLC

Christine leaves Kody and has no interest in living on Coyote Pass

In 2018, Kody packed up his four wives and 18 children and moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. The Brown family bought land in Flagstaff called Coyote Pass for $880,100, intending to build one large family home. However, his wives quickly shut down the one-home idea, and the family split the property into five sections  one for each wife and one for Kody.

When Christine decided to leave Kody, she told her sister wives that she had no intention of living on the property. I dont want anything to do with Coyote Pass, Christine said. Its not my land. Its their land. And they can do whatever they want with it, the mother of six concluded.

Kody still intends on building 5 homes on the property

In the October 9 episode of Sister Wives, Janelle Brown decides to move to the Coyote Pass property in a fifth-wheel trailer, hoping to get the family moving toward living on the property together.

Coyote Pass map from Sister Wives | TLC

With her lease up, Janelle moved onto the property in June 2021. She hopes to break ground on her home in the winter. However, Kody isnt thrilled about living in a trailer.

Despite his pessimism, hes glad Janelle is pushing the family forward. With Christine leaving with zero interest in living on Coyote Pass, Kody reveals that his plans for the familys property havent changed. He wants to build five homes regardless.

Christines leaving; that actually doesnt change my motivation for putting five houses on Coyote Pass. My whole motivation of having five homes there would be, you know, a house for Janelle, a house for Robyn, a house for Meri, and then the two other lots, Christines lot, and my lot, would be so that we can rent them out as well. Thats called an asset, and that helps, basically, us survive our retirement, Kody said.

Christine sells her share in Coyote Pass to Kody

After Christine left Kody, the Sister Wives star started her life over in Murray, Utah, with her daughter Truely, intending to be closer to her adult children, her parents, and her grandchildren.

With no interest in living in Flagstaff, Christine sold her share of the property to her ex-husband, Kody, and his legal wife, Robyn Brown. She owned approximately 17.8% of the property, around 2.58 acres.

Sister Wives stars Christine, Kody, Robyn, Meri, and Janelle Brown | TLC/Discovery Press

According to Coconino County Court documents obtained by The Sun, Christines parcel of land was worth $300,000. Christine signed over the piece of land for a mere $10 to Kody and Robyn on July 28, 2022.

No building permits exist for Coyote Pass, meaning no one has started building yet. Perhaps the family has yet to pay off the property, which is why nothing has moved forward.

New episodes of Sister Wives Season 17 air Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on TLC.

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Like many of The Young and the Restless characters, Summer Newmans (Allison Lanier) had her share of feuds. One of her most memorable rivalries was against Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope). Since Summers return to Genoa City, shes had little interaction with Sally. But that will change.

The Young and the Restless star Allison Lanier as Summer Newman I Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

What caused Summer Newman and Sally Spectras feud on The Young and the Restless?

When Sally arrived in Genoa City in November 2020, she rubbed Summer the wrong way. Sallys brash attitude didnt go over well with Summer, as the two worked together at Jabot. When Sally began dating Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), Summer worried the redhead was using him to advance her career.

Fearing Jack was headed for heartache, Summer and Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) began digging into Sallys past. When Sally caught wind of the couples plan, she teamed with Kyles ex Tara Locke (Elizabeth Leiner). The women plotted to break up Summer and Kyle, then have Summer accept a job offer in Italy.

Today on #YR, Sally gets surprising news, Summer asks Billy for a favor, and Kyle won't back down. Watch the latest The Young and the Restless episodes for free on @CBS or subscribe for more on @paramountplus: https://t.co/udoigTXaL0 pic.twitter.com/b1BTzKTbZr  Young and Restless (@YandR_CBS) June 28, 2021

RELATED: The Young and the Restless: Allison Lanier Impresses Fans in Summer Newman Debut

However, Sally and Taras scheme was exposed by Summers mother, Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford). After Sallys misdeeds were exposed, she lost Jack and her job but quickly bounced back. Meanwhile, Kyle and Summer married and moved to Italy but recently returned to Genoa City.

The two women reignite their feud on The Young and the Restless

Since Summer returned to The Young and the Restless earlier this year, she hasnt interacted much with Sally. Summers primary focus is on her husband Kyle, their family, and the Jabot and Marchetti merger. She doesnt have time to bother with Sally and wants to leave everything in the past. However, Sallys about to become part of Summers orbit again.

After being dumped by Adam Newman (Mark Grossman), Sally moved on with Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow), Summers dad. As reported by Soaps.com, last week, Sally and Nick decided to pursue their romance and went public at Noah Newmans (Rory Gibson) nightclub opening. Adam and Noah already know about Sally and Nicks relationship, and it wont be long before everyone else finds out.

One person who wont be happy is Summer. Shell blow a gasket when she learns of Sally and Nicks romance. While Summers tries to move on, old wounds will be reopened by Sally. Summer will remember the pain she felt from Sallys scheme to split her and Kyle.

Summer will feel betrayed that her dad is dating her enemy. Nick knew how much heartache Summer endured at the hands of Sally, so it made no sense for him to be with Sally. Like Jack, Summer will question Sallys motives with Nick, and itll have the women reigniting their rivalry.

Summer Newman plots to break up the couple

Sally and Nick knew their relationship would be complicated, and Summers disapproval will be a major issue. Summer will be upset over her dads new romance and seek to end it. Like Sally tried to do with her and Kyle, Summer will return the favor with Sally and Nick.

Nicks fallen head over heels in love with Sally. He believes shes changed, is a good person, and defends her against everyone. However, his opinion will change when Summer drops a huge bombshell.

Nick romances Sally today on #YR. pic.twitter.com/vFLBs00mV9  Young and Restless (@YandR_CBS) October 6, 2022

Thanks to Flo Fulton (Katrina Bowden), Summer knows all of Sallys dirty secrets, including faking an illness to keep Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks). After the familys ordeal of Ashland Locke (Robert Newman) lying about dying, Nick wont be so sympathetic toward Sally. The redhead will explain her reasons, but Nick wont be as compassionate as Adam.

Nicks a man about integrity and honesty, so learning of Sallys lies will have him rethinking their relationship. Summer might get her wish of seeing the couple split. However, itll reawaken Sallys bad girl side as she seeks revenge.

RELATED: The Young and the Restless Speculation: Whos the Daddy Storyline Coming for Sally?
Historical dramas seeking to pay respect to a specific person or event tend to follow similar styles of storytelling. Co-writer/director Chinonye Chukwus Till is no exception, but its the films gritty moments that allow it to stand out from the crowd. The gut-wrenching story of Mamie Till-Mobley and her son, Emmett, is a reminder that its important that society never forgets their names or what they stood for. Till does exactly that with a great amount of love and respect for its lead and her legacy.

Till is a historical drama based on Mamie Till

L-R: Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley and Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till | Orion Pictures

Set in 1955, 14-year-old Emmett is planning an exciting trip from Chicago, Illinois to Money, Mississippi to make memories with his cousins. Till worries for her son because of the looming dangers of hatred and racism. Her worst nightmares become a reality when white supremacists murder Emmett after he whistles at a white woman. To make matters even worse, every level of authority fails to provide justice for his heartbroken family.

Till became an educator and activist, refusing to back down in the face of hate. Chukwu tells the story from a mothers perspective, who wants to see the murderers brought to justice. Additionally, she wants the country to hear the story of her son, which has the power to create progress.

Co-writer/director Chinonye Chukwu explores the pursuit of justice in the face of hate

Till introduces audiences to the tender relationship between a mother and her son. They dance, sing, and share a remarkably loving bond felt through Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, and Chukwus screenplay. Emmett has a bit of a stutter, but he recites advertisement jingles and music lyrics to give him the confidence to speak clearly. Till still sees Emmett as a child, but hes growing the desire for independence and to learn more about himself. Therefore, a trip to Mississippi to learn more about his roots seems like the perfect idea.

Till raised Emmett with love and taught him self-confidence. However, she also finds it necessary to teach him how to conduct himself in an area like Mississippi. The mother experiences racism in Chicago, but she understands that the South has much harsher rules. She has a discussion with him on how to behave around white people and to act small, so as not to attract any unnecessary attention. But, Emmett is a larger-than-life boy who doesnt truly understand what his mother is getting at.

The murderers use violence and hate as a means to express their perceived sense of superiority. Meanwhile, Till is unable even to grieve the loss of her only child, as shes immediately thrown into a hunt for justice and progress. There is no testimony like a mothers, shes told, but shes even more so on trial than the vicious killers. This one mother represents the possibility of true change for the Black community, but some horrifying dangers come with that.

Till excels in its raw, intimate moments

L-R: Sean Patrick Thomas as Gene Mobley and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley | Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures

Chukwu makes some tremendous directorial decisions that elevate Till. She brings a vibrancy to the storys first act that depicts the unconditional love between a mother and son. Cinematographer Bobby Bukowski beautifully brings these moments to life, boosting the colors in Marci Rodgers costume design. However, theres a stark contrast to Chukwus dark moments that highlight terror and grief. Abel Korzeniowskis score sustains these scenes of horror.

The performances are wonderful all around, but Deadwyler is mesmeric as a mother willing to do anything in the memory of her child. Chukwu emphasizes the actors eyes, and for good reason. Deadwyler gives such an intense, physical performance that is always felt through her eyes. Its one of the best performances of the year and is sure to put a lump in your throat.

Its not an easy watch, and it really shouldnt be. Till showed the world what hatred really looks like, which Chukwu took to heart for her own feature film. However, she also shows the power of unconditional love and community that radiates off the screen with a stunning lead performance from Deadwyler. Till is a reverent historical drama that falls into some of its genres tropes, but its the films raw and gritty moments that make it a cut above the rest.

Till releases into limited theaters on Oct. 14 and goes nationwide on Oct. 28.

RELATED: Women of the Movement: ABC Filmed the Series in Scary Original Locations According to Glynn Turman (Exclusive)
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday called United States President Joe Biden's remarks "reckless" when the Democratic leader warned about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Pompeo said that Biden's comments last week were reckless, saying that they were a terrible risk to the people of the United States. The president's statements came following weeks of Putin hinting at the use of nuclear weapons in his war against Ukraine, saying that Russia would employ "all available means" to protect its territory.

Pompeo on Biden's Remarks

On Thursday, Biden said that the American nation has not faced the prospect of "Armageddon" since former President John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Democrat referenced that October 1962 crisis that placed the country and the Soviet Union on the verge of nuclear war for almost two weeks.

On the other hand, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that President Biden was reflecting on the very high stakes that are in play at the moment. The official added that neither the U.S. nor its allies will be intimidated by Putin's threats, promising continued support and security assistance to Ukraine as necessary, as per Politico.

Pompeo noted that the Biden administration would have been better off simply using "quiet diplomacy" in trying to get Putin to understand the consequences of using nuclear weapons. In reference to the blast on Saturday on the Kerch Bridge that connected Russia with Crimea, he claimed that the Ukrainians had something to do with it.

The official said that it did not matter who damaged the bridge and said that the attack represented a symbolic defeat for Putin. On Sunday, Pompeo said that the incident on the bridge was another sign of how disastrously bad the Russian war against Ukraine had gotten.

According to USA Today, Pompeo said that Biden talking about Russia's potential use of nuclear weapons during a fundraiser was not appropriate. The official, who served under former President Donald Trump, added that he had hoped the Biden administration was working quietly on the matter.

Read Also: Uvalde Suspends Entire School Police Force Following Fallout From Mass Shooting

Russia's Nuclear Capabilities

Biden's remarks claimed that Putin was not joining around when he made the veiled threats of nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons. The president noted that this is because the Russian military was significantly underperforming in its invasion of Ukraine.

However, Retired Adm. Mike Mullen also expressed his concerns that Biden's remarks at the fundraiser were not appropriate. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in reference to Biden's remarks, said that officials should be trying everything to resolve the issue at hand, Axios reported.

The situation comes as Kirby said that the United States government has not seen anything that would give it a breather to reconsider its own strategic nuclear posture. Last week, the White House was repeatedly pressed over whether Biden's warning marked some shift in the administration's assessment of Putin's behavior.

Kirby noted that the government was monitoring the situation as best it could, including Russia's nuclear capabilities. He said that this has been an ongoing effort since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine, as per ABC News.

Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Biden Warns Putin Nuclear Threats 'Are No Joke', Could Lead to 'Armageddon'

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Hocus Pocus 2 recently premiered on Disney+ just in time for Halloween. Most fans think its a great way to kick off the spooky season. But one Texas mom fears the witchy sequel could unleash hell.

Hocus Pocus 2 picks up where the original 1993 movie left off

Sarah Jessica Parker (left), Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy in Hocus Pocus 2 | Matt Kennedy/Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Premiering in 1993, Hocus Pocus introduced Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters. The Disney film follows the story of three kids in Salem, Massachusetts, who come across the Sandersons old cottage on Halloween.

The trio inadvertently unleashes the wicked sisters. And when they discover the witches plans to consume souls, they head out on a quest to stop them.

They have arrived. The Sanderson Sisters are BACK!#HocusPocus2, an Original movie event, is now streaming on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/iT3R7BoSHE  Hocus Pocus 2 | Now Streaming (@HocusPocusMovie) September 30, 2022

Hocus Pocus wasnt an instant hit. But its grown in popularity over the years and has become a beloved Halloween classic.

The sequel came out this past Sept. 30. It reunites Midler, Parker, and Najimy as the Sanderson sisters. And it follows the witches as they run amok in Salem once again.

A Texas mom says Hocus Pocus 2 could unleash hell on your kids

#HocusPocus2 is "the comeback we've been waiting for"



Don't miss the new Original movie, now streaming on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/5U8qXzU4VZ  Hocus Pocus 2 | Now Streaming (@HocusPocusMovie) October 2, 2022

A concerned Texas mom, Jamie Gooch, has been warning parents about letting their children watch the Disney film. She believes Hocus Pocus 2 has a dark tone and is worried it could wreak havoc.

A worst-case scenario is you unleash hell on your kids and in your home, Gooch told the local CBS affiliate KWTX. The whole movie is based on witches harvesting children for blood sacrifices.

The 33-year-old Troy resident urged others to avoid Hocus Pocus 2 because shes worried the spells cast in the film could seep into the real world. And she says that to protect her family from darkness, she also refrains from celebrating Halloween.

I think it goes further than just a movie; it goes further than Halloween, Gooch explains. I believe whatever comes in our TV screens, there are things attached to that. Ive seen for myself the things that Ive watched with my eyes or heard over a TV screen. Theyve become manifested in real life, and then I think, Oh my gosh, what did I consume?

The Disney flick isnt the only film series deemed evil

'Stunning is one of the most useful spells in your arsenal. It's sort of a wizard's bread and butter, really' ? Which defensive charm would you want Harry to teach you as part of Dumbledore's Army? pic.twitter.com/KPWc2R1kqt  Harry Potter Film (@HarryPotterFilm) September 30, 2022

Hocus Pocus 2 isnt the only family movie thats taken heat for its elements of witchcraft and wizardry. J.K. Rowlings wildly successful Harry Potter book and film series has also caught flak for its supernatural storyline.

In 2004, when Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban came out, a Pennsylvania pastor urged people to avoid the franchise. And he suggested the popularity of Harry Potter proved that sin and wickedness are popular in this depraved world.

Pastor Glen Spencer Jr. of the Vernon Baptist Church in Tunkhannock said, Reading Harry Potter is drinking from the Devils cup, according to Deseret News. A casual reading of these books will quickly expose their dangerous and destructive content.

Hocus Pocus 2 is streaming exclusively on Disney+.

RELATED: Hocus Pocus Fans Can Vacation in the Sanderson Sisters Salem, Massachusetts, Cottage From the Original Films Location
The Monument to Forgiveness statue at Northeastern State University was placed on the campus in 2016. The 4Next7 group created an infographic detailing the different student organizations that have advocated for the statues removal.
Though C. S. Lewis died many decades before the rise of the New Atheists, he taught and wrote in an academic world where naturalism, scientism, and secular humanism were ascendant and the Christian worldview was either dismissed or relegated to the personal, emotional realm. In the refined Oxbridge atmosphere in which Lewis lived and moved and had his being, most professors took for granted that miracles did not happen, that Jesus was just a good, moral teacher, and that evolution was a sufficient theory to explain everything we see around us and experience within us.

In response to this reigning materialist paradigm, one he had vehemently embraced throughout his teens and 20s, Lewis wrote three works of apologetics that have not lost any of their power. In Mere Christianity, he first argued for the existence of God on moral grounds and then clarified the essential teachings of the gospel, biblical morality, and Christian theology. In The Problem of Pain, he reconciled the ubiquity of pain and suffering in the world with the all-good and all-powerful God of the Scriptures. In Miracles, he argued that miracles do not break the laws of nature but are consistent with the God revealed in Christ and the Bible.

While vigorously but genially defending the Christian worldview, he also defended, in such academic works as The Allegory of Love and The Discarded Image, the Christian Middle Ages from fashionablebut mostly falsecharges of ignorance, superstition, and authoritarianism. Meanwhile, in The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, he countered the Freudians and Marxists by analyzing the theological and psychological dimensions of sin and temptation, and upholding, if slightly repackaging, traditional Christian teachings on heaven and hell, salvation and damnation, angels and devils.

Were that all that Lewis did and wrote, he would deserve the title of greatest Christian apologist of the 20th century. But he went a step further. He took his best logical arguments for the full depth and breadth of the Christian worldview and incarnated them in 10 novels that make the case for Christianity in an imaginative and immersive manner that lingers in the heart as well as the mind. While his Space (or Ransom) Trilogy and Till We Have Faces gain deservedly more and more readers with each passing year, his seven Chronicles of Narnia remain milestones in the history of apologetics: works that empower us to see Christianity afresh by allowing it to play out in a controlled world.

In The Case for Aslan: Evidence for Jesus in the Land of Narnia, David Marshall goes so far as to describe the Narnia books as a sort of literary petri dish. Just as scientists use petri dishes to initiate and then observe the growth of bacteria, so writers like Lewis create worlds of thought, isolate characters within them, lend them an environment, then watch (often in surprise) how they react. That does not mean Lewis manipulates or infantilizes his readers, as some have accused him of doing, but that he offers them an imaginative window into the way our world, and we ourselves, work.

An experimental world

Narnia, Marshall argues, is no retreat into childhood. It is a virtual reality, a medium in which Lewis creates an experimental world and discovers truth with deep implications for our lives. Narnia is a controlled environment in which ideas about faith and reason, life and death, miracles and sin, are isolated, nurtured, observed, and tested under critical conditions.

Puddleglum, for instance, is a fictional and fantastical character. But when, in The Silver Chair, he employs Pascals wager against a witch who tries to convince him and his companions that their world is only an illusion, he becomes a serious and accessible philosopher of the human condition. He teaches modern readers of all ages by showing them that faith, in Marshalls words, does not mean believing without evidence, but in the face of confusion, temptation, fear, and our personal or collective smokescreens.

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Marshall, an author, apologist, former missionary in China, and founder-director of the Kuai Mu Institute for Christianity and World Cultures, has been debating the New Atheists for two decades. In his new book, he carries that debate into Narnia, where he encourages Lewiss fans and critics alike to be like Trumpkin, the grouchy, naysaying, unbelieving dwarf who, in Prince Caspian, comes to believe in Aslan and the miracles and moral standards that come with him. Lewis drops clues in Narnia to help even Trumpkins who study the New Testament skeptically for a living find the real Aslan, whom no one could invent, writes Marshall. Aslan invites us to play the role of Trumpkin, to look hard, reach out our hands, and ask tough questions, too.

Over the course of The Case for Aslan, Marshall explores such central Narnian (and Christian) themes as creation ex nihilo (from nothing), the nature of good and evil, the uniqueness of Aslan (Jesus), and the historicity of the Resurrection, borrowing insights from Plato, philosopher Alvin Plantinga, psychologist M. Scott Peck, and intelligent design theorists as he goes. He is at his best, however, when he takes up one of the most controversial topics in all the Chronicles: the fate of Susan.

Near the end of The Last Battle, the seven friends of Narnia (Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, Jill, Digory, and Polly) awake from a train wreck to find themselves in Aslans Country (heaven). Tirian, the last king of Narnia, is excited to meet these mythical heroes but is surprised to discover that Susan is not with them. Susan, as it turns out, is no longer a friend of Narnia, having traded in her love for Aslan for the petty vanities of lipstick, nylons, and invitations. Jill complains that Susan has made the mistake of growing up, but the wiser Polly corrects her, explaining that Susans real problem is that she has not grown up at all.

According to J. K. Rowling, creator of Harry Potter, Lewis essentially writes off Susan for becoming interested in sex. For Philip Pullman, author of the self-proclaimed anti-Narnia, anti-God trilogy His Dark Materials, the incident with Susan offers further proof that the Chronicles are misogynistic and anti-life. But the passage says nothing about boys or sex, and the fact that Lucy is the most spiritually mature of the children, with Jill and Polly exhibiting great courage and wisdom, neutralizes any simplistic charges of sexism.

Rowling and Pullman, Marshall explains, completely misread the story of Susan. Her problem wasnt sex or growing up: she had beaus in Narnia, as did Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, for that matter. And her judgment was not hell, it was that she missed out (for now) on what she purposely rejected: she was granted the grownup right to avoid a party she didnt wish to attend! Lewis shows his respect for Susan by allowing her the autonomy to choose and to live with the consequences of her choices.

Digorys defense

Marshall circles back several times to the problem of Susan, for he knows that Rowling and Pullmans critique disguises their wider critique of orthodox Christianity. Indeed, near the end of his book, Marshall constructs an entertaining but convicting dialogue in which Rowling and Pullman, together with critical race theorists Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi, attempt to cancel the Narnia books for their supposed racism and sexism. To defend Lewis and his creative petri dish, Marshall appoints professor Digory Kirke.

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For Pullman, the main issue that justifies cancelling Narniaand Aslan, its messianic lion kingis the trauma your man inflicts on young women by making them feel guilty for exploring their sexual nature! You want to turn this discussion into anything but what it is: a needed rebuke to the cruelty of the man [Lewis] you neglect to defend!

Susan, Kirke explains, grew fearful of love. And that, I fear, as Aslan put it, is a warning to your world. Unflustered and unconvicted, Pullman responds: I may not believe in God, but I know that a womans right to choose is sacred. Pullmans answer provokes the applause he expects from the crowd, but it also causes him to fall right into Kirkes hands:

If choice is free, how can some choices not be wrong? [Jane] Austen, [George] Eliot, and the Bronte sisters created worlds in which a womans choice meant something: an affair, a grudge, a spiteful visit to your nephews lover, a wrong choice in lovers, all bore consequences. But celebrating choice without considering whether those choices lead to heaven or hell, infantilizes women, in the name of liberating them.

The Case for Aslan is littered with such insights, but it is not a book for all tastes. Those lacking a good working knowledge of the Chronicles of Narnia and Lewiss apologetical works will likely feel lost, as Marshall makes frequent, scattershot references to Lewiss many booksoften as many as four in a single sentence. He also has a penchant for chasing down rabbit holes, including personal reminiscences, that disrupt the flow of the argument.

Still, readers who, like myself, enjoy being assaulted with rapid-fire Lewis trivia and are willing to follow Marshalls creative tangents will find themselves transported to a magic world where every sign points to the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Louis Markos is professor in English and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University, where he holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. His books include Lewis Agonistes: How C.S. Lewis Can Train Us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World and Restoring Beauty: The Good, the True, and the Beautiful in the Writings of C.S. Lewis.
American evangelicals are moving away from orthodox understandings of God and Scripture. This years State of Theology survey revealed the top five misconceptions that US evangelicals hold, as follows:

Jesus isnt the only way to God.

Jesus was created by God.

Jesus is not God.

The Holy Spirit is not a personal being.

Humans arent sinful by nature.

CT reached out to three Christian leaders from Bengaluru, Chennai, and New Delhi to learn what modern heresies are widespread in India and how believers can address them.

Jacob Cherian, dean of faculty at Southern Asia Bible College, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Unfortunately, Western evangelicals do not possess a monopoly on modern heresies, which Ill loosely define as deviations from commonly held orthodox teachings. Popular and unhealthy theological trends quickly find welcoming minds in India.

While believing in the authority of Scripture, we often struggle to parse out what that entails and how Scripture could be appropriated in the nitty-gritties of Indian contexts. A pernicious problem of using random bits of Scripture (such as Christian healers quoting By his stripes we are healed) remains a pet weakness of far too many.

While we do see a plague of blatant and flashy prosperity teaching, many evangelicals and charismatics have succumbed to a soft-prosperity gospel, imagining that God owes the believer a long and comfortable trip through this world, apart from a wonderful future in heaven. This ill-prepares believers to courageously face illness, tragedy, and death.

Leaders must instead teach the church both the harsh vulnerability of life and the bold hope we have in Christ, even as we courageously engage in kingdom work.

John Simeon, pastor of Christ Methodist Church, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Not everyone in the church would say out loud that the Bible is not literally true. But in their lifestyle, they show that they choose what is convenient in the Bible. I would say 60 percent would say that the Bible is to be treated on par with the other Hindu mythologies like Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The current reconstruction of the traditions of so-called ancient India, [which has very little historic basis], is also having an adverse impact on the Christians. There is a sense Christianity is from an alien culture, and these feelings of inferiority and rejection make one hesitant to share the Good News of Christ with others.

About half of Indians would probably say that Jesus isnt the only way to God. Theyre more likely to say that Jesus is the way to God for Christians.

As I observe the reaction of people under 40, we need to give Christians a strong theological education by teaching them how to read Scripture systemically and use terminologies and idioms that are familiar to them. We should show them the relevance of Scripture for their lives and use mediums they are familiar with.

Samuel Richmond, resident of New Delhi and director of the Centre for Advanced Religious Studies, North East Christian University, Dimapur, Nagaland

The church as the body of the Lord Jesus Christ has faced challenges within (heresies) and outside (persecution).

One of the present challenges that is confronting the church is New Age spirituality. The New Agers are trying to find God within themselves rather than looking for him who is transcendent.

Atheists believe there is no God. Christians, on the other hand, believe there is a God but deny him in their actions. We end up contradicting what we proclaim and how we live. Christian leaders preach about dependency on God but accumulate wealth, crave power, and look out for positions. Practical atheism has led to corruption where we are depending on ourselves and not depending on God.

Finally, many in the Indian church today teach and practice that if you do not have the gift of tongues, you are not saved.

Lack of education has caused people to receive whatever is served to them. In-depth teaching of Gods Word and education will help them question what is taught to them.

In the pluralistic New Age and immoral society, the proclamation of the Word of God should become the central theme of our mission. It will take the churchs boldness for the world to identify the power of the revelation of the triune God.
Christian nationalism will lead to Christian persecution, SBC President Bart Barber warns

Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber has condemned the idea that the church should be running government and warned advocates of Christian nationalism that pursuing such an agenda will result in the persecution of Christians.

It stands contrary to 400 years of Baptist history and everything I believe about religious liberty. Im opposed to the idea of Christian dominion, churchly dominion over the operations of government, Barber insisted in a wide-ranging interview with Anderson Cooper on CBS "60 Minutes" on Sunday.

I object to it because Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. I object to it because every time its been adopted it wound up persecuting people like me. It doesnt stop at persecuting people who are not Christians, he said. It eventually winds up persecuting people who are Christians for whom the flavor of their Christianity is different from that of the government.

According to Article 15 of the Baptist Faith and Message, which was adopted by messengers at the denomination's Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, in 2000, and from which professors at all six Southern Baptist seminaries teach, it is made clear that Christ is supreme.

It states: "All Christians are under the obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. ... In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. ... We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth and brotherly love."

Barbers comments come in the wake of statements from high-profile Christians such as born-again Christian Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., who insisted this summer that the Church should be running the government.

"The Church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the Church. That is not how our Founding Fathers intended it," the born-again, first-term congresswoman said during a speech at Cornerstone Christian Center in Basalt in her home state in June.

She said that she is "tired of this separation of Church and state junk," and noted that the separation of Church and state is not in the U.S. Constitution. Boebert added it was only in a letter that "means nothing like they say it does," likely referencing an 1802 letter from President Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Church Association in Connecticut stating that the First Amendment has "a wall of separation between Church and State."

The Baptist Faith and Message adds in Article 17 on religious liberty that "Church and state should be separate."

It adds: "The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. ... The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. ... A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, ..."

Barber, who was elected to the helm of Americas largest Protestant denomination in June, also addressed other controversial issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and politics, but the interview mostly focused on an internal investigation into instances of sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches, which is believed to be the impetus for the Department of Justice launching an investigation into SBC entities.

The DOJ announced its investigation after the May 22 Guidepost Solutions report found that leaders in the SBC intimidated whistleblowers and exonerated churches with credible claims of negligence of sexual abuse victims.

The SBCs newly elected president revealed leaders didnt just ignore victims, but also attacked them.

Sometimes we impugned their motives. Sometimes we attacked them. The reason why Im president of the Southern Baptist Convention is because our churches do not agree with that, and have taken action to correct those things, said Barber, who leads the 320-member First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas. Im not doing this to try to accomplish some PR objective for us. Im doing this because I want to serve God well.

Barber, who leads an average size church, not a megachurch, was elected by Southern Baptists to shepherd them through the sexual abuse crisis, an unnamed pastor told CP.

And Barber agreed to take on the mantle of leadership at the SBC because he felt like God was calling me to try to give leadership at this moment, to help Southern Baptists move forward, he told Cooper.

The SBC leader further noted that even though he voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020, he condemns the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots that endangered the lives of lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

He also said he prays for President Joe Biden consistently.

I want to be driven by the principles of Jesus Christ, Barber said. And that does not involve mob violence.

Standing firmly by his biblical values, Barber made it clear to Cooper, who is gay, that practicing homosexuality, like all other sins, is incompatible with being a biblically faithful Christian or Southern Baptist.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Gen. Sergey Surovikin to lead the country's war efforts in Ukraine amid growing discontent over the invasion of Ukraine.

The Saturday announcement comes after authorities sacked two Russian senior military commanders as Kyiv continued to regain lost territory in the northeast and south of Ukraine. Furthermore, the appointment comes as Moscow has suffered a huge blow after the partial destruction of the Kerch Bridge, which is viewed as a crucial link between Russia and Crimea.

Russia's New War Commanded

Surovikin was born in 1966 in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk and was previously appointed as the head of Russia's southern military grouping in its war on Ukraine in June. He also received the title of Hero of Russia and was awarded a medal for his exceptional service in Syria in 2017.

At the time, he led the Russian military expedition as commander of the Aerospace Forces of the country. Surovikin is known as a "ruthless" official in the Russian military, based on a report by the Jamestown Foundation, a United States defense policy think-tank, as per Aljazeera.

The report noted that the Russian general made a stellar career in the top echelons of the General Staff and defense ministry after the radical military reform in 2008. It added that Surovikin's "readiness to vigorously execute any orders" trounced any potential questions about his experiences.

However, the general has already been jailed two times, the first was for six months after soldiers under his command killed three demonstrators in Moscow during a coup in August 1991. Surovikin was later released without a trial and four years later, he received a sentence, which was overturned, for alleged illegal arms trade.

According to CNBC, Surovikin's new role will involve galvanizing Russian military troops after a series of setbacks, including heavy losses of both troops and equipment and the forfeiture of square miles of occupied territory in Ukraine.

Read Also: Russia's Crimea Bridge Explosion: Unknown Forces Attacked, Damaged Part of the Critical Infrastructure

'Ruthless' Sergey Surovikin

Furthermore, the appointment of the general follows Putin's plans to conscript hundreds of thousands of Russian men to fight in the war. The Russian president's order for approximately 300,000 citizens is the first time since World War II that Moscow has drafted civilians into the military.

The Kremlin's decision to impose a partial draft was made in part due to the series of surprising Ukrainian advances in recent weeks. President Putin declared last week that four Ukrainian regions now belonged to Russia, citing referendums, widely viewed as rigged and illegal by Western governments, held in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

On Sept. 30, Putin said that the results were well known, adding that Russia had four new regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Following the annexations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he will submit an "accelerated" application for Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance.

Prior to Surovikin being announced as the leader of Russian troops in the war, Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov was appointed overall commander of Russian forces in Ukraine in April, based on Western officials and other sources. However, the latest announcement and change of roles did not mention Dvornikov, Radio Free Europe reported.

Related Article: Russia Missile Strikes Kill 13 in Ukraine City, Death Toll in 9 Days Climbs to At Least 60 Civilians

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The stakes are very high: John Kirby doubles down on Bidens Armageddon comments

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said President Joe Bidens recent remark regarding the prospect of Armageddon over Russian President Vladimir Putins nuclear threats reflects the very high stakes that are in play right now.

ABC This Week host Martha Raddatz asked Kirby about Bidens comment last week that theres a potential nuclear Armageddon.

Kirby responded, The president was reflecting the very high stakes that are in play right now.

He continued: When you have modern nuclear power and the leader of that modern nuclear power willing to use irresponsible rhetoric the way that Mr. Putin has several times in just the last week or two, as well as the high tension in Ukraine over just the course of the last few days  so the president, I think, was accurately reflecting the fact that the stakes are very high right now.

Kirby then clarified that Bidens comments were not based on new or fresh intelligence or new indications that Mr. Putin has made a decision to use nuclear weapons and, quite frankly, we don't have any indication that he has made that kind of decision.

But he added, Nor have we seen anything that would give us pause to reconsider our own strategic nuclear posture in our efforts to defend our own national security interests and those of our allies and partners.

Kirby said the president has also said, neither we nor our allies are going to be intimidated by this.

At a Democratic fundraiser in New York City last Thursday, Biden said Putin was not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons.

We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis, he added, according to The Associated Press, which noted that the presidents remarks were the starkest warnings yet by the U.S. government about the nuclear stakes.

Biden also suggested the threat from Putin is real because his military is  you might say  significantly underperforming.

Last month, Putin said, I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction ... and when the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal. Its not a bluff, as quoted by the AP.

As the Russian invasion entered its seventh month in October, Ukraine sought an accelerated membership in NATO after Putin announced the annexation of four Ukrainian provinces: the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Putin claimed that residents in the annexed Ukrainian regions voted in a referendum to join his nation.

Ukrainian officials called the voting coerced by Russian soldiers.

The Kremlins sham referenda are a futile effort to mask what amounts to a further attempt at a land grab in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement at the time. To be clear: the results were orchestrated in Moscow and do not reflect the will of the people of Ukraine.

The U.S. has sent more than $9.8 billion in civilian and military assistance to Ukraine since Russias invasion began in February.

Late last month, Biden signed a bill that includes an additional $12.3 billion for Ukraines war effort against Russia.

Apart from Ukraine aid and funding for government agencies, the bill authorizes Biden to direct the drawdown of up to $3.7 billion for the transfer of excess weapons to Ukraine from U.S. stocks.

According to the United Nations Office for High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of Oct. 2, at least 6,114 civilians have been killed and 9,132 injured since the invasion started on Feb. 24.
Man arrested after stabbing Catholic school employee, throwing Molotov cocktail at church

An Oklahoma man has been arrested after stabbing a Catholic school employee and throwing a Molotov cocktail at a church that burst into flames and shattered windows, making it the latest incident of violence directed at churches in recent months.

On Thursday, the Tulsa, Oklahoma Police Department announced in a Facebook post that Daniel Edwards had been arrested after stabbing a school employee with a sword and making threats at a grocery store. The stabbing took place Wednesday at approximately 4 p.m. local time in front of Holy Family Cathedral Church in downtown Tulsa.

As witnesses were taking photos of children who attend school there in front of the church at the Holy Family Classical School, the man, later identified as Edwards, approached them and began speaking erratically and making threats about the children. After Edwards told one of the women that she needed to run away as fast as she could, she notified a school employee, who went after him.

Edwards pulled out a sword and slashed the employee in one of his hands. The employee managed [to] get away from Edwards, and school administrators locked the school down and got the children to safety, the Police Department said.

A statement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa identified the employee as the churchs front desk assistant, Rod Notzon. The diocese said Notzon suffered lacerations on his hands and has been treated at Saint Francis Health System, where he is recovering in stable condition.

Witnesses recalled seeing Edwards open a red cooler and pull out a jar appearing to be a Molotov cocktail. According to the police department, Edwards threw it against the side of the church and the jar burst into flames. The Diocese noted that the Molotov cocktail attack resulted in damage to some south-facing windows.

I am extremely grateful to our faculty, staff, parish and school administrators for their fast and prudent action to keep everyone safe, the Rev. Gary Kastl, rector of Holy Family Cathedral and Classical School, said in a statement. I also want to extend my gratitude to the quick response and leadership of our local law enforcement.

A Mass for Rods healing was held Friday, followed by a Eucharistic Procession around the propertys parameter, added Kastl, who invited the Tulsa community to come, pray and heal with us.

Edwards never approached nor made his way into the school and fled the scene after throwing a second Molotov cocktail at the cathedral. Although law enforcement arrived after Edwards ran away, they began a citywide search to apprehend him.

About an hour after the events that unfolded at Holy Family Cathedral and Classical School, police responded to a bomb threat at a grocery store in a different part of the city. Daniel Edwards made a threat at the store saying he had something worse than a bomb, and he was also carrying a Bible, the police department added.

Edwards reportedly refused to follow the commands of officers who confronted him at the scene, leading one law enforcement officer to deploy his taser so he could be taken into custody. They confirmed that Edwards was the same man from the downtown church incident and recovered a sword in the backseat of his car after finding it in a parking lot.

The image captured in security camera footage taken outside the church shows a man with dark gray hair and a beard and mustache wearing a yellow and black shirt with blue jeans. An image of Edwards as he was being taken into custody shows a man fitting that description. The Tulsa Police Department said Edwards will likely face charges for Assault with a Deadly weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm, Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device, and potentially other charges as well.

The attack on Holy Family Cathedral is one of several attacks on churches that have taken place following Politicos publication of a draft opinion in the United States Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which showed that a majority of justices were poised to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The attacks continued after the Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs decision on June 24, declaring that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion.

While attacks on Catholic churches have received renewed attention as the Dobbs decision has dominated national headlines, the advocacy group CatholicVote traces attacks on Catholic churches back to the days and months following the May 2020 death of George Floyd in police custody. The group has launched a $1 million ad campaign lamenting what they have characterized as the Biden administrations inadequate response to the violence against Catholic churches.
Teens wounded in shooting outside New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin's home identified

Two teenagers injured in a shooting outside of the home of New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin have been identified as concerns about crime continue to figure prominently in the upcoming election.

Zeldin, who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, is seeking to unseat New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul in the Nov. 6 election.

My 16-year-old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were at our house doing homework, while my wife, Diana, and I were in the car, having just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park, Zeldin said in a statement about the shooting outside his home in the Long Island community of Shirley at 2:18 p.m. on Sunday.

After my daughters heard the gunshots and the screaming, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911. They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them.

Zeldin said the two people who were shot were laying down under my front porch and the bushes in front of our porch. My understanding is that they have been transported to area hospitals.

On Monday, the New York Post identified the shooting victims as teenagers Joel Murphy and Elijah Robinson, both from the Long Island community of Mastic.

The victims suffered gunshot wounds to the chest, with Murphy suffering a lacerated liver and Robinson sustaining an arm wound. The shooter remains at large.

While a motive remains unclear, The NY Post reported that investigators were working to determine if the shooting might be related to a Saturday night feud at a Suffolk County recording studio.

Zeldin concluded his statement by stressing that his daughters were shaken but OK, adding that as with so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door. He elaborated on the shooting in an appearance on Fox & Friends Monday morning.

One of the bullets landed about 30 feet from where the girls were doing homework, he said. When we were getting back to the house, we had to go through crime scene tape, we were getting advised where to walk so that we werent stepping on blood.

Zeldin's home security cameras recorded the three people who were on his property, two being the victims and a third person who was not shot moving all around the property up and down the porch a couple times and through the front yard.

The shooting outside Zeldins home comes less than three months after a man attempted to stab Zeldin as he held a rally in upstate New York.

The male had a weapon in his hand, swung it toward Zeldins neck, and told him, Youre done, stated the Monroe County Sheriffs Office in July regarding the attack. Members of the audience and Rep. Zeldins campaign restrained the male until deputies arrived and took him into custody. There were no injuries.

While Zeldin and Republicans have made crime a significant focus of their campaigns in New York and across the U.S., concerns about public safety extend to Democrats as well.

In a recent appearance on WABC Radio, former New York Gov. David Paterson, a Democrat, declared For the first time in my life, even in the late '80s and '90s when the crime rate was killing 2,000 people a year, I never felt as unsafe as I do now just walking around.

Polling indicates that Zeldin faces an uphill battle to become New Yorks first Republican governor since George Pataki left office in 2007. The RealClearPolitics average of polls taken since the beginning of September shows Hochul with an 11.4-point lead over Zeldin.
Male loneliness: The new epidemic

There is a new epidemic of loneliness that is making waves across the landscape of our communities.

For the purpose of this article, I will be addressing male friendships in the context of Christian community. The research is overwhelming. Men are having an increasingly difficult time creating and maintaining close friendships. In his recent article entitled, Mens Social Circles are Shrinking, Daniel Cox relates some of the current statistics on this issue of declining male friendships:

As Americans venture back out to reclaim their social lives, a new report reveals a profound change in the nature of American friendships. One of the most important changes revealed by May American Perspectives Survey is the decline of close friendships. In the past three decades, American friendship groups have become smaller and the number of Americans without any close confidants has risen sharply. But these changes have not affected Americans equally. Men appear to have suffered a far steeper decline than women. Thirty years ago, a majority of men (55%) reported having at least six close friends. Today, that number has been cut in half. Slightly more than one in four (27%) men have six or more close friends today. Fifteen percent of men have no close friendships at all, a fivefold increase since 1990.

I find it to be staggering that most men only have three friends or fewer. I asked myself a few questions about these new realities. Is there a statistical difference in the church community? My sense is the numbers are no different for men within a faith community context. Why is there so much loneliness inside and outside of faith communities? Maybe the reason is were not sure how to create a band of brothers that we can share our lives with. In that opening short text in Ecclesiastes, we find hope and comfort in very few words two is better than one.

In an intriguing article in Psychology Today entitled, The Devastating Effects of Mens Loneliness, Dr. Arum Weiss makes a keen observation:

Research suggests that a focus on the accumulation of wealth and material goods results in less overall happiness in life and less satisfaction in intimate relationships (Baker, 2017). The Harvard Study of Adult Development (Harvard, 2017) followed a group of men for eight decades. Throughout the study, at different points in their lives, the men were asked, Who would you call in the middle of the night if you were sick or afraid? Those men who had someone to turn to were happier in their lives and their marriages, and also physically healthier over time (Psychology Today, November 21, 2021).

Later in this same article, Dr. Weiss makes the point that this acute loneliness is often associated with decreased longevity and a heightened risk of self-harm.

As many experts are agreed that loneliness is a problem in our American male culture, I have often wondered how the Christian community will respond to these shifts in culture and begin to address the critical needs that appear in front of us. How did we get here and what can be done to mitigate the risk of churches without genuine male friendships? I will use my experience as a friend and brother to offer some practical suggestions for changing the landscape in our local churches to include the beauty of men dwelling together in unity (Psalm 133:1).

Friendship is a biblical solution to the issue of loneliness. When men can find, develop, and maintain friendships, the burden of loneliness recedes and we feel whole again.

What can we do as men to wage war on loneliness and all of the negative physical and psychological effects that are within our faith communities? Over the years, I personally have learned some things that might be helpful in your journey to deep and meaningful friendships. No doubt, these principles that have been helpful in my friendship journey will be helpful to you as you move forward in building the friendships necessary for spiritual growth. While certainly not a relationship guru, Im confident that these principles are spiritually sound.

1. Be friendly

This is a biblical model shown to us in Proverbs 18:24. Although this Proverb appears an easy thing to accomplish, I am convinced that it will take energy and effort on our part. I have found that few want to take the first step and reach out first. If you want friends, make the first move! Reach out and introduce yourself first. Call an old acquaintance first and ask if they would be up for meeting at the local coffee shop for breakfast. The point here is to be the first one to make the move. Not all will respond, but if you keep trying someone will take you up on your offer, and then there is a possibility for a deeper connection.

2. Find common ground (1 Corinthians 9:22)

We must recognize that there will be differences between people in a relationship. We expect this, as clearly we were designed uniquely by our Creator. Do not emphasize the differences between you, rather look for similarities. Are there things you can talk about that both of you are passionate about? Are there hobbies you both enjoy? Are there similarities in family structures? Do you share any history together? Use these similarities as a springboard for conversations that will lead to a meaningful relationship.

3. Be authentic (Ephesians 4:25)

As you navigate the waters of friendship, make sure you are keeping it real. Tell the truth about yourself and your struggles and listen carefully to others as they do the same. Truthfully, we all have areas of our lives in which we are stuck. It might be our marriage, parenting dilemmas, or moral failure. Life presents enough room for all of us to make errors of judgment and lapses of character. Hiding and friendship are not bedfellows. In order to have the kind of relationships that are authentic and true, we must tell the truth about ourselves without filters. If we choose to engage in this manner, our friendship will grow and we will see the fruit of being loved and being seen for who we really are. In that duo comes the warmth and genuine connection that moves the mountains of loneliness in our lives.

4. Be transparent and vulnerable (2 Corinthians 6:11-13)

No one wants to develop relationships in which there is an absence of honesty. Lets choose to not hide. Frankly, although it might appear that we have it all together in all the complicated areas of our lives, we don't if were honest. God is healing us in many ways that remain just below the surface. If we present an image in our relationship to others that we have attained the epitome of perfection, then most will feel they are not worthy to be called your friend. In short, nothing is accomplished when we are not vulnerable and transparent about the struggles we face in our imperfect lives. When we communicate these issues in our relationships, we find the bond secured in self-disclosure is its own reward.

5. Make friends without an agenda (1 Corinthians 13:5)

I know in some form or fashion, we are all engaged in sales. We sell our products and services to family and friends. But, when we are looking for meaning that comes from friendships, we must be willing to look for deep connection without an agenda. If we do choose to lay aside our desire for financial gain in our meetings, it will come with the rewards of genuine authenticity. No one wants to develop a friendship knowing that eventually there will a sales pitch in the mix. If this is the case, our guards will be up and we will walk away without meaning and authentic connection. Our agenda should be genuine concern for the other person (1 Peter 2:19).

6. Keep confidences

If we choose to reveal a secret to someone outside the circle of friendship without permission, and our new friend hears about that breach, we lose trust. When trust is lost, the possibility of a close authentic relationship is not possible.

7. Be in the right context for facilitating friendships (Philippians 2:3)

Staying home and eating potato chips on the sofa while binge-watching Netflix will not get the job done. We need to be looking for situations that foster the kind of growth we seek to become the kind of men that will change our world. Is there a mens Bible study at your church you have never explored? Is there a regular mens breakfast at your local Church that could offer an opportunity for friendship? Is there a mens softball league you could join? My point is that so many opportunities are lost because we are allowing them to pass us by. What would happen if you invited some acquaintances to the local diner this Saturday morning and enjoyed a time of fellowship?

What happens when we put forth the effort required to build friendships? The short answer is that we become better men. We need to and should willfully and intentionally give our friends permission to confront us and hold us accountable for our actions. And, because we are allowing for constructive feedback, our lives are examined by another believer who can offer words of wisdom we had not yet considered (iron sharpens iron).

Oh, it might be painful to hear, but we become better men when someone who loves us speaks into our lives, and, ultimately, we become better men in the process. We often cannot see the forest for the trees in our lives. Our friends can often see things we cannot, and can address them in the context of love and concern.

Im not being a Pollyanna here, but friendship can be messy and complicated as men strive for Christ-likeness. Friends don't always agree on things, and sin can complicate the best of friendships, but in the end, the gift that was given by our creator in friendship is a solid solution to the loneliness and isolation of men in community.
Court continues block of Ohios 6-week abortion ban

Siding with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in Ohio, a judge has expanded an earlier order blocking enforcement of a law that would ban most abortions after about six weeks into a pregnancy, or around the time a baby's heartbeat can be detected.

The Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas announced Friday that it would grant a preliminary injunction on behalf of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in the state.

As a result, the six-week abortion ban will be blocked during the course of the litigation; a state law banning most abortions after around 20 weeks into a pregnancy will remain in effect.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, which is helping to represent the abortion providers, released a statement Friday celebrating the preliminary injunction.

We are thrilled with this second major victory and relieved that patients in Ohio can continue to access abortion as we work to fight this unjust and dangerous ban in court, said the ACLU and the plaintiffs in a joint statement.

The preliminary injunction will be in place for the duration of our case, which means abortions will be legal in Ohio for a period much, much longer than the temporary restraining order granted. This court ruling will provide significant relief to Ohio patients and clinics.

In 2019, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 23, also known as the Ohio Human Rights and Heartbeat Protection Act, into law.

The law bans most abortions after a baby's heartbeat can be detected.

"The essential function of government is to protect the most vulnerable among us  those who do not have a voice," DeWine said in a statement at the time.

"Government's role should be to protect life from the beginning to the end, to protect those who cannot protect themselves, such as the elderly, the unborn, those who are sick, those who have a disability, those who have a mental illness or an addiction."

The law went into effect over the summer, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had previously claimed that abortion was a constitutional right.

Less than a week after Roe was overturned, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the law firm WilmerHale filed a lawsuit seeking emergency relief from the six-week abortion ban.

On Sept. 2, the ACLU decided to withdraw its lawsuit before the state Supreme Court and file a new complaint before the lower court requesting immediate relief from the abortion ban.

Last month, Hamilton County Judge Christian Jenkins issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking the six-week abortion ban.

Center for Christian Virtue President Aaron Baer released a statement last month in response to the temporary block, calling it a disgrace that reads more like a Huffington Post blog than a judicial decision.

This nonsensical and irresponsible order must be overturned so that Ohio can go back to protecting unborn children, and to restore trust in a functioning government where legislators make law, and judges don't, Baer added.
Planned Parenthood pushes puberty blockers for kids in cartoon advertisement

Planned Parenthood is facing backlash for promoting a cartoon ad encouraging children to get on puberty blockers if they think theyre trans-identifying or nonbinary.

The Twitter handle Eye Inside the Classroom (EITC), which says that it provides receipts that refute [claims] its not happening, shared the Planned Parenthood video in a tweet.

Puberty blocker ad put out by Planned Parenthood, which tells children that they can get puberty blockers to put their puberty on hold,' EITC tweeted.

Puberty blocker ad put out by Planned Parenthood, which tells children that they can get puberty blockers to put their puberty on hold pic.twitter.com/yjHXpevEMk  ???? Inside The Classroom (@EITC_Official) October 3, 2022

The Planned Parenthood ad was originally posted to YouTube in January and tells children that puberty looks different for everyone, particularly for those who believe they are "trans, intersex or nonbinary."

The cartoon first claims that puberty might not begin for intersex people until they turn 14, and they could undergo certain changes but not others. Planned Parenthood adds that some intersex people take cross-sex hormones or undergo a series of sex-change surgeries.

For those who believe they are trans-identifying or nonbinary, Planned Parenthood claims that puberty can be uncomfortable and stressful if their experiences do not align with their preferred gender identity.

The ad then misleads children into believing that they can take puberty blockers to temporarily delay puberty, claiming that the drugs work like a stop sign.

Puberty blockers are safe and can give you more time to figure out what feels right for you, your body, and your gender identity, Planned Parenthood claims. You dont have to have all of the answers right now.

Planned Parenthood tells people who identify as trans or nonbinary that finding what feels right for them might take time, but encourages them to talk with a trusted adult, a nurse or a doctor.

Recently, Planned Parenthood has faced allegations that it willingly prescribes puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to individuals identifying as the opposite sex without a proper medical examination. One mother interviewed by The Christian Post went undercover after her daughter was prescribed testosterone without parental consent or reviewing her medical history. She herself was given a six-month testosterone prescription after a 30-minute consultation.

Helena Kerschner, a former trans-identifying woman, said in a podcast interview with Tim Pool in May that when she visited Planned Parenthood at age 18, a nurse provided her with a high dose of testosterone after an hourlong appointment.

She said that the business did not request bloodwork or medical records from her before they prescribed the testosterone; they simply needed her to pay $200.

Kerschner said on the May podcast that as a result of taking the testosterone, she started experiencing a wide spectrum of emotions.

The testosterone and the rage attacks were so intense that I ended up actually hurting myself. So I had to be hospitalized twice for these reasons, she said.

A former Planned Parenthood employee spoke out last year about the corporation dispensing cross-sex hormones in an interview with journalist Abigail Shrier. The employee said she never saw the organization deny a patient cross-sex hormones.

According to consent documents obtained in 2020 by the California Family Council from Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles, giving experimental puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to youth can cause infertility. The hospital warned patients and parental guardians that infertility is a side effect for children taking such drugs.
Samaritan's Purse deploys 1,000 volunteers to Florida to help residents recover after Hurricane Ian

The Evangelical Christian charity Samaritan's Purse has deployed 1,000 volunteers on the ground in southwest Florida to help residents recover from Hurricane Ian and to make it clear that God loves them.

Samaritans Purse CEO, the Rev. Franklin Graham, told The Christian Post that around 1,000 volunteers were deployed to southwest Florida, specifically in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and Englewood, the areas hit hardest by the hurricane.

According to the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, a project of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fort Myers had a record storm surge of 7.26 feet above ground level.

The response has been pretty strong and we just hope that it will hold up, Graham said, warning that if theres another news event and then people quit talking about Florida, then it gets even tougher to try to find volunteers to come.

I think right now, well be there through the winter and possibly through the spring. ... Theres just that much need right now.

Everything that we do, we want to do it in the name of Jesus Christ, he stressed. I want people to know that God loves them, he hasnt forgotten them. Many times in storms like this, people think that maybe Gods mad at them and hes judging them. No, I want them to know God loves us.

I want them to know that the anchor that we can hang on to in these storms is Jesus Christ, who will take us not only through this storm and the next storm but it will take us through the storms of life that all the way until we get to heaven and I want people to put their faith and trust in him.

Graham reflected on the devastation he witnessed when visiting southwest Florida earlier this week: People in these homes lost everything they owned, all of their furniture, their bedding, their pillows, their clothing, everything was soaked in this salt water and just ruined and so the only thing they can do is take it out to the street and the federal government comes in, FEMA, and theyll haul that stuff out.

On Sept. 28, Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour near Cayo Costa, Florida.

The National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service categorized it as the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States and the "strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Michael in 2018."

Graham said what Samaritans Purse volunteers are doing at this stage is helping people put their roofs back on and to get mud out their homes.

In that mud out process, you have to take the sheetrock off the wall so that air can get through the studs and then electrical wiring is going to have to be replaced, especially those sockets that got soaked in salt water, those wires are going to have to be pulled out, Graham said.

Its just going to take time, were not going to be able to fix it right away but our volunteers are there to help these families as much as we possibly can so we can help them get back on their feet.

Graham also praised Citygate Ministries, a church in Fort Myers, for providing assistance to Samaritans Purse as the organization works to minister to those impacted by the hurricane.

They have allowed Samaritans Purse to park their trucks and all of their equipment there. They took half their church, their Sunday school rooms and stuff and made that available for volunteers to sleep in, Graham said, expressing gratitude that the church allowed Samaritans Purse to use its kitchen so that we could cook and feed volunteers.

Graham recalled a conversation he had with the pastor of the church, who saw the devastating storm as an opportunity just to love people and to share with them Gods love.
Justice Dept. indicts 11 pro-life activists for blocking abortion clinic entrance

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the arrest of 11 pro-life activists for violating federal law by blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic in Tennessee.

The DOJ released a statement on Wednesday saying that an unsealed federal indictment charged 11 people with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The charges follow an indictment from a grand jury sitting in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Monday.

The DOJ identified those charged with FACE Act violations as Chester Gallagher, 73, of Lebanon, Tennessee; Heather Idoni, 58, Calvin Zastrow, 57; and Caroline Davis, 24; all from Michigan; Coleman Boyd, 51, of Bolton, Mississippi; Dennis Green, 56, of Cumberland, Virginia; Paul Vaughn, 55, of Centerville, Tennessee; Eva Edl, 87, of Aiken, South Carolina; Eva Zastro, 24, of Dover, Arkansas; James Zastro, 25, of Eldon Missouri; and Paul Place, 24, of Centerville, Tennessee.

"The indictment alleges that, beginning in February 2021, Chester Gallagher utilized social media to promote a series of anti-abortion events scheduled for March 4-7, 2021, in the Nashville area," the DOJ's statement reads.

"On March 4, 2021, Coleman Boyd and Chester [Gallagher] advertised the blockade of the Carafem Health Center Clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, which was planned for the following day."

Noting that Gallagher characterized the blockade as a "rescue" on his social media account, the DOJ contends that the "coconspirators and others blocked the clinic's entry doors and prevented a patient and an employee from entering."

The DOJ statement asserts that the 11 people "used force and physical obstruction to injure, intimidate, and interfere with employees of the clinic and a patient seeking reproductive health services."

Seven of the 11 defendants face conspiracy charges under the FACE Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The remaining defendants, charged with misdemeanors, could face up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Passed in 1994, the FACE Act subjects anyone who attempts "to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person because that person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services" to federal charges.

Randall Terry, the founder of the pro-life activist organization Operation Rescue, told The Christian Post in an earlier interview that the FACE Act "effectively broke the back of our movement."

Terry said before the act was enacted, pro-life protesters who blocked the entrances to abortion clinics would only face local trespassing charges instead of federal charges.

In a statement Thursday, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national pro-life grassroots advocacy organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, condemned the 11 indictments as the latest example of "the Biden administration's egregious abuse of the Justice Department."

"Pro-abortion Democrats will stop at nothing to protect the abortion industry that spends millions to elect them, while demonizing pro-life advocates working to save lives and turning a blind eye to violence against them," stated Dannenfelser.

Dannenfelser believes the federal government has adopted a double standard in enforcing the law, arguing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has done little to investigate the rise of vandalism and violence targeting pro-life pregnancy care centers nationwide this year.

The Christian Post has compiled lists of vandalism incidents that have occurred following the leaking of the U.S. Supreme Court's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization determining that the U.S. Constitution did not contain a right to abortion and additional vandalism that has taken place after the Dobbs decision was formally announced in June.

"Pregnancy centers have been firebombed, an elderly canvasser peacefully exercising her First Amendment rights was shot in the back, and the pro-life movement's calls for equal justice under the law have been ignored," Dannenfelser added.

"Still, the FBI refuses to conduct a transparent investigation and state whether any arrests have been made in scores of attacks since the leak of the Dobbs decision."

The latest indictments under the FACE Act come less than two weeks after the DOJ and FBI faced criticism for the early-morning arrest at pro-life activist Mark Houck's home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The DOJ announced Houck's indictment on Sept. 23, accusing him of twice assaulting a man who served as "a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort" outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia.

A fundraiser for Houck's family insisted that he peacefully prayed outside the Philadelphia clinic when the escort began to harass his son.

"When one of the escorts began harassing Mark's son they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building. The escort followed them, and when he continued yelling at Mark's son, Mark pushed him away," an entry on the fundraiser page states.

Under the terms of his release on $10,000 bail, Houck must surrender his passport and firearms in addition to refraining from traveling outside the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the legal proceedings against him are unfolding.

Houck also cannot engage in prayer or sidewalk counseling at the Planned Parenthood clinic where the altercation occurred.

As Houck faces the possibility of fines up to $350,000, the fundraiser for his family has raised over $368,000 as of Friday afternoon.
'Victory': West Virginia Supreme Court allows students to use scholarship funds for private schools

The West Virginia Supreme Court this week upheld the states Hope Scholarship Act, which gives parents money to help pay for private and faith-based schools or homeschool education if they opt to take their children out of public school.

The court reversed a circuit court injunction that blocked the Hope Scholarship Program, which allows eligible students to receive funding that is equal to 100 percent of the prior years statewide average net share aid allotted per pupil based on net enrollment adjusted for state purposes.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey called the ruling a tremendous victory for the hard-working families across West Virginia who deserve increased options for their childrens individual educational needs.

It has always been my goal to help make our state first in the nation when it comes to educational opportunities for West Virginias kids, Morrisey said in a statement.

He said the victory will make an incredible difference.

Im proud of our offices work to defend this important program and the rule of law.

In July, Judge Joanna Tabit from Kanawha County Circuit Court had struck down the scholarship program, ruling that it violated the state Constitution, and thereby put the applications of an estimated 3,000 families at risk for the 2022 school year, The Washington Times reported.

State Treasurer Riley Moore, chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, called the program's opponents out-of-state trial lawyers and liberal activists who are trying to block educational freedom and school choice for the children of our state, according to Washington Examiner.

Some opponents argue that the program diverts funding away from the public education system, while supporters maintain it helps low-income families by giving them an alternative to public education.

Enrollment in private schools has increased and public school enrollment has declined across the country after the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Between fall 2019 and fall 2020, total public school enrollment dropped 3% nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics. And the National Association of Independent Schools found that private schools saw a net growth of 1.7% between 2020 and 2022.

Recent studies ranking the education quality of states have put West Virginia among the lowest in the list, and one study placed the state at the bottom of all 50 states, the Examiner added.

The enactment of the legislation came last year at a time when some public schools faced criticism for the enactment of controversial sex education programs as well as the adoption of anti-Christian philosophies and embrace of the scandal-ridden Black Lives Matter movement.

While school choice advocates cheered the new legislation at the time, the ACLU sent a letter to the West Virginia House of Delegates urging the states lower chamber to reject it. The progressive advocacy group contended that the legislation discriminates against students because schools that discriminate on the basis of sex, gender identity, disability, and religion  would be eligible to receive funding through the state via the Hope Scholarship accounts.

Paul Hardesty, president of the West Virginia Board of Education, said in a statement after this weeks verdict that the Board of Education, which had opposed the program, would respect the courts verdict.

I am confident this Legislature and this governor will continue to fund public education at adequate levels, he said, according to Eyewitness News. It is time for the West Virginia Department of Education to focus on the basics  student achievement with a renewed focus on math, reading, writing and English language arts.

The Hope Scholarship is available to all students who were enrolled full-time and attending a public elementary or secondary school program in this state for at least 45 calendar days during an instructional term at the time of application and until an award letter is issued by the board or are eligible to be enrolled in a kindergarten program in the state.

The funds for a Hope Scholarship must be placed in a personal education savings account to be used for qualifying education expenses on behalf of the eligible recipient.
15,000 rainbow fentanyl pills found in Lego box, largest seizure of deadly drug in NYC history

A New Jersey woman was arrested after New York authorities discovered she had 15,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills inside a lego box, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency calling it the largest fentanyl seizure to date in New York City.

According to a Tuesday DEA news release, the 48-year-old suspect, Latesha Bush, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday. A criminal complaint filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (SNP) charges Bush with one count of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Bushs bail is set at $25,000 and $150,000 insurance company bond, and a $100,000 partially secured surety bond, the DEA said.

New York police officers investigating suspected narcotics trafficking reportedly observed the middle-aged woman enter a vehicle in Manhattan with a large black tote bag. The officers stopped the vehicle and found two black tote bags and a Lego container in the back seat with several brick-shaped packages inside.

One of the packages was partially opened, revealing the rainbow-colored fentanyl pills, with the other packages containing the same. Preliminary testing revealed that approximately 15,000 pills, imprinted with M and 30 to resemble Oxycodone pills, contained fentanyl.

Disguising fentanyl as candy  and concealing it in childrens toys  will never hide the fact that fentanyl is a deadly poison that harms our communities, our families, and our city, Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said in the news release.

The criminal complaint unsealed today is another example of the NYPDs relentless commitment to never stop working to rid New York City of illegal drugs and I want to thank the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the city of New York, the DEA New York Division, the New York State Police, and everyone else involved in this case for their exceptional work.

A subsequent investigation uncovered that Bush had traveled from New Jersey to Manhattan in a rental car and that the pills originated from Mexico. Investigators have noticed a connection between the case and tactics used by two Mexican drug cartels.

The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel are reportedly coloring fentanyl to disguise it as candy or other prescription drugs and to brand their products, the DEA added.

Last week, the DEA announced the results of its One Pill Can Kill initiative, which led to the seizure of more than 10.2 million fentanyl pills and approximately 980 pounds of fentanyl powder from May 23 through Sept. 8. Out of the 390 cases investigated, 51 were linked to overdose poisonings, and 35 were connected to one or both of the Mexican cartels.

New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan called efforts to disguise fentanyl to make it appear fun and harmless a new low, even for Mexican cartels. The prosecutor noted that fentanyl is responsible for more than 80% of overdose deaths in the city.

If you take any drug sold on the street or through the internet, regardless of its medicinal markings or festive appearance, you risk your life, Brennan said.

My office and our partners are committed to intercepting lethal fentanyl and ensuring that these rainbow-colored pills dont lead more people down a sad path of substance use and overdose death."

Last month, the DEA issued a warning about rainbow fentanyl, alerting parents that drug traffickers have started coloring it to resemble candy to appeal to children. The agency stated that drug cartels are using this method to sell the highly addictive drug to young people.

"Rainbow fentanyl  fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes  is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said.

"The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States."

A study published in April by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and analyzed by Science Daily found the rate of overdose deaths among U.S. teenagers doubled in 2020 and rose another 20% in the first half of 2021.
A three-year-old girl who survived last week's carnage at a daycare in northeast Thailand dozed out in a corner of a classroom as it was happening under a blanket.

Normally a light sleeper, Paveenut Supolwong, also known as 'Ammy,' was sound asleep with a blanket over her face during Thursday's naptime when the murderer broke into the nursery and started killing other kids, according to her parents.

Girl Remained Unharmed During Shooting in Thailand Day Care Center

In the wake of former police officer Panya Khamrap's rampage through the town of Uthai Sawan, which resulted in the deaths of over 30 people, largely nursery-aged children, Ammy was the only child in the nursery to uninjured to tell the tale, as per Reuters.

After Kamrap attacked on Thursday and killed 36 people, including 24 preschoolers who were taking a nap, Ammy managed to escape unharmed. When the assailant broke into the facility, the 3-year-old girl was sound asleep facing a wall and was not awakened.

According to her mother Anonpai Srithong, Kamrap, 34, thought she was already dead, which is how she survived. To prevent the three-year-old from seeing the horrific scene of murder, rescue personnel took her out of the center, News reported.

"There were about 12 kids and one pregnant teacher, all of them are dead," Ammy's mother claimed. "The person who checked my daughter didn't notice any bloodstains, so they moved on to the bodies of the other dead children. Only my child survived."

To protect Ammy from the incident, her face was covered with a blanket as she was picked up and transported upstairs. She was sleeping next to her best friend when the catastrophe occurred. Srithong talked about how happy she was to find that her daughter was still alive.

Before her mother, who lives 260 kilometers to the south and works in Bangkok, could believe she was still alive, she had to watch her on video. The couple left their three-year-old in the care of her grandmother when they relocated to the Thai capital for business, but after the incident, they made a terrifying trip back to the town.

According to Mrs. Srithong, her relative died in the carnage as well. It's still unclear how Ammy managed to survive when all of her classmates perished. She was reportedly covered by a blanket when the attacker, 34-year-old ex-cop Panya Kamrap, entered her classroom, according to earlier accounts.

Before taking his own life, the suspect allegedly killed his wife and son as well. According to Ammy's relatives, she was too little to comprehend the tragedy that was happening all around her, as per Metro.

Read Also: South Korea Scrambles 30 Fighter Jets Following Kim Jong Un's Order To Send 12 Warplanes Near Border in Bombing Drill

Another Miracle Survivor of Thailand Daycare Massacre

In addition to the girl who survived the horrible event, another youngster named Sumaee was stabbed and shot twice but lived after having two bullets extracted from his skull by expert neurosurgeons.

The mother of Sumaee, hearing the terrible news, went to the school. She recounts seeing bodies and blood all around in graphic detail. She claims, "I passed out." Then, though, her husband saw Sumaee being loaded onto an ambulance by a rescue crew.

Sumaee's mother claimed that she made an effort to devote all of her attention to comforting him. In addition, mourners have swarmed to Paweenuch, tying dozens of white, yellow, and red soul threads around her wrists in the hope that they will somehow protect her spirit from the horror, according to The Star.

Related Article: Thailand Day Care Massacre: Parents, Nation Grief After Ex-Cop Opens Fire During Kids' Nap Time Killing 24 Children

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City must pay $60K after atheist group sues to stop Lord's Prayer at council meetings

A city in West Virginia has been ordered to pay $60,000 in legal fees after being sued by a national secular legal organization that objected to the practice of opening city council meetings with the Lord's Prayer.

In an announcement Thursday, the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation said that a federal court had ordered the town of Parkersburg to pay $60,000 to cover attorney fees and other costs associated with the lawsuit filed on behalf of two nonreligious residents in 2018.

The lawsuit sought to get the Parkersburg City Council to stop a longstanding practice of reciting the Lord's Prayer, also called the "Our Father," before meetings.

U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr., an appointee of President Gerald Ford, ordered the city on Thursday to pay $58,031.40 in attorney fees and $971.28 in costs to FFRF and its two co-plaintiffs.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president, said in a statement she was "pleased" with the ruling, believing that "Parkersburg citizens who are not Christian or religious will no longer be treated like second-class citizens."

Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce told The Christian Post on Friday that he is "disappointed but not surprised" by the awarding of costs, noting that the fees "will be covered by the city's insurance carrier."

"I remain disappointed that a longstanding tradition was upended after a liberal minority filed a lawsuit over what has been a common practice in many cities and governing bodies for multiple generations," said Joyce, a Republican.

"As mayor, I respect the court's decision and city council has elected to not pursue the matter any further, a decision I also respect. Prayer remains a daily part of my life and a vital component of how I live my life and discharge my duties as a son, brother, friend and mayor."

The lawsuit against the city argued that the council's recitation of the Lord's Prayer "has the primary effect of both advancing religion and expressing Defendant's preference for Christianity above all other religions and nonreligion."

"The City Council members have coerced participation in religion by leading meeting attendees in the Lord's Prayer and intimidating nonparticipants," the litigation states.

The plaintiffs attended multiple council meetings and said they felt unwelcome due to the prayer and the alleged expectation that they participate.

In May, Copenhaver ruled in favor of the two residents, permanently blocking city officials from continuing the practice.

"By continually reciting, over a number of years, the same prayer clearly identifiable with a particular faith, without the opportunity for other faiths to be heard, the City Council impermissibly identified itself with a preferred religion," ruled Copenhaver.

"[T]he City Council wrapped itself in a single faith. That is exemplified by the unduly heightened risk of coercion by the state by virtue of the governmental identity of the prayer-givers acting in unison, the invariable nature of the sectarian prayer that is associated with and endorses Christianity, and the implicit and sometimes express invitation."

Copenhaver contrasted the Parkersburg prayer practice with that declared constitutional in the U.S. Supreme Court case Town of Greece v. Galloway, as the practices by the Town of Greece involved having clergy of different backgrounds give an invocation on behalf of officials rather than the same specific Christian prayer being offered every meeting.

Last month, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a Texas judge who allowed chaplains of different faith backgrounds to begin court sessions with invocations. The panel ruled that the judge could continue the practice because he tells attendees in advance they are not required to participate in the invocations and that not doing so wouldn't impact their cases. Additionally, the court found that prayer tradition upholds "denominational nondiscrimination."
A rift in the rainbow alliance

With media outlets in the U.K. devoting most of their attention to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, American observers of all things British may have missed a significant legal case currently before the English courts. A group called Mermaids is appealing a 2021 ruling by the U.K. Charities Commission that granted charitable status to an organization named the LGB Alliance.

The case is fascinating for a number of reasons. First, there are the rival parties. Mermaids is an organization that advocates for trans rights, particularly those of young people. The LGB Alliance advocates for the rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. The absence of the T in the groups name is significant: The LGB Alliance rejects the idea that biological men can be women and vice versa, and strongly opposes trans treatment for minors. Therein lies the point of conflict. For the U.K. government to grant charitable status to such a group is to recognize that such a stance serves the common good. The trans activists reject this; to them, the government's decision reeks of TERFs, the feminists critical of transgenderism who now occupy a place in the trans pantheon of evil only slightly above that of straight white males.

This is an instructive moment for a number of reasons. First, it indicates one way in which current cultural conflicts in the West are likely to be pursued: with legal battles designed to define the limits of charitable status along lines established by progressive sexual and gender orthodoxy. The boundaries of charitable status do reflect the deepest commitments of our societies. Which groups are granted this status and which are denied reveals how society as a whole conceives of what serves the common interest. That the so-called gender binary is being contested in this way indicates that a small group of committed activists are quite willing to make their narrow ideological claims central to the common good and that any notion of this common good is now merely rhetoric, with ownership going to the most effective legal strategists.

Second, the case also points to the obvious fault line that has existed since the moment the T and Q joined the rainbow alliance. The L, the G, and the B all assume the importance of biological sex for identity. The T and the Q deny that. Perhaps it was the common foe  the dreaded white male heteronormativity  that kept the alliance publicly intact for so long. But now that the enemy looks to be in retreat, the internal contradictions of the alliance are coming to the surface. Gay men who are not sexually attracted to men identifying as women are decried as transphobic. Lesbians who resent men invading womens private space are demonized as TERFs. And both are emerging as unusual practical allies for social conservatives.

So this situation also raises a serious question for traditional social conservatives. With the advent of the trans issue and the progressive lefts increasing embrace of the more exotic realms of identity, Christians worried about their children and the moral liquefaction of the world have found some unusual allies. One might think of J. K. Rowling, Bari Weiss, John McWhorter, and Jordan Peterson, among others. We should be grateful for their fortitude and courage. All of them in different ways have demonstrated exemplary courage in our current moment. The same applies to the LGB Alliance. We should be thankful for those willing to stand against the trans movement and its demands for hormone treatment and genital mutilation of children too young to legally obtain tattoos, let alone make decisions about whether they wish to have children in 10 or 20 years. When childrens lives are at stake, co-belligerence with all and any allies seems appropriate.

Yet the sheer wit and brilliance of many of the critics of progressive ideologies, whether critical race theory, queer theory, or transgenderism, can be seductive. The danger is that triggering the libs becomes the overriding concern, while other important issues  e.g., marriage and family  are relegated to the status of matters upon which conservatives can agree to differ. The exigencies of todays immediate crises come to reshape the nature of conservative taste. The Overton window is thereby shifted in a way that evacuates conservatism of any truly conservative content.

The struggle between Mermaids and the LBG Alliance is therefore instructive on two levels. It is a useful reminder that trans ideology is not (as yet) carrying all before it, even among the sexual revolutionaries of our day. But it is also a reminder that alliances forged to defeat a common foe do not provide a solid basis for a positive vision. Rather, they end either in sell-outs or civil war. There is a lesson there for traditional social conservatives.

Originally published at First Things.
Are big banks chasing away religious organizations?

Testifying before the Senate last month, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon spoke eloquently of what a wonderful country we live in and about the freedoms we enjoy.

We live in the greatest country in the world predicated on foundational beliefs in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise, the sanctity of the individual, and the promise of equality and opportunity for all, the CEO told the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. He even went so far as to say, These core values are the fabric that bind us as Americans, where the best of what we are shines through, especially in times of adversity.

While I was glad to hear Dimon speak proudly of America and our freedoms, I am concerned that his bank fails to live up to such lofty ideals. He referred to religious freedom as a foundational belief, but his bank recently decided to close the account of the National Committee for Religious Freedom, a nonpartisan, faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the right of everyone in America to live one's faith freely.

The NCRF is a diverse organization representing people from every faith and walk of life. Our bipartisan National Advisory Board includes members who are Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Latter-Day Saints, and Muslim.

After organizing the NCRF as a nonprofit group, our executive director and I opened a bank account at JPMorgan Chase & Co. We chose Chase because of its national footprint and the multigenerational banking relationships our team had with the bank. Our experience was initially very positive.

However, three weeks after opening our nonprofit business checking account, we received a letter notifying us that Chase had decided to end their relationship with the National Committee for Religious Freedom and that our account would be closed. The bank actually closed our account before we received the letter.

We were surprised at being canceled by Chase. When our executive director called to see if this was an error, he was informed that a note in the file read that Chase employees were not permitted to provide any further clarifying information to the customer.

Why the cancellation? Why the secrecy and lack of transparency? Why was Chase hiding its reasons and intentions for closing the account of a client that seeks to serve the public good and defend religious freedom for every person in America? After all, in the words of the banks CEO, religious freedom is a core value that forms part of the fabric that binds us together as a country. So why cancel an organization that exists to protect the most foundational of core American values?

When Chase closed our account, it triggered a chain reaction that led to other financial service accounts being closed and caused the fledgling organization to experience unexpected operational and financial challenges. Thankfully, we were able to open a new account at another bank.

The decision to cancel the NCRF was described by multiple Chase employees as one from the corporate office. It was initially explained to us by someone at the Chase corporate office that the decision was final and nonrevocable.

To this day, the NCRF does not have a clear reason as to why our account was closed after only three weeks. We certainly hadnt made any transactions in that short amount of time that would have triggered any regulatory red flags.

What shocked and surprised me the most was when someone from Chase eventually reached out to our executive director and informed him that it would be willing to reconsider doing business with the NCRF if we would provide our donor list, a list of political candidates we intended to support, and a full explanation of the criteria by which we would endorse and support those candidates. It was entirely inappropriate to ask for this type of information. Does Chase ask every customer what politicians they support and why before deciding whether or not to accept them as a customer?

Unfortunately, we do not believe this was the first time an organization has found itself facing sudden and unexplained account closures. Religious institutions, houses of worship, and people of all faiths should be greatly concerned that their business, credit, or even personal or private bank accounts could likewise be terminated for any or no reason at all.

Since finding ourselves chased away, we have begun to investigate if other organizations, public or private, have received similar cancellation letters from their financial service providers. The National Committee for Religious Freedom has launched a #ChasedAway campaign to invite comments and testimonies from others who may have found themselves canceled by financial institutions.

If I were still in the Senate, I certainly would be asking Dimon if he really meant what he said. Does he, and the bank he leads, truly respect religious freedom as a core value that binds America together? The recent actions of his bank would seem to suggest otherwise.

Originally published at The Washington Examiner.
Childless AOC lectures pro-life lawmakers with children

Social media may be able to create leftist celebrity lawmakers, but they cant imbue them with critical thinking skills. Such is the case for elected leaders like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC).

A massive 75% of Americans disapprove of Congress according to a Gallup poll in September of this year. Only 23% approve of this current Congress job performance; 2% somehow have no opinion. In another poll that measured Americans confidence in our major institutions, Congress inspires the absolute least. Only 7% responded with a great deal or quite a lot of confidence. News organizations fared slightly better with 11% for television news and 16% for newspapers.

Its because we know theyre not telling us the truth. Simple. Basic. Truths.

For instance, AOC insists men, against all known science, can get pregnant. No man ever has  or can. She says the GOP reduces women to uterus holders while she objectifies women and calls them menstruating people and birthing people. Why is a woman fighting to erase women? Not only is the radically pro-abortion AOC aggressively seeking this erasure for females born but for those yet to be born.

The Democrat lawmaker from New York declared in a House hearing that without abortion, poor and working-class people are forced to give birth against their will. She added that Corporate America is in favor of abortion restrictions (thats funny  which ones???) and that denying abortion keeps a workforce basically conscripted to large-scale employers. First of all, killing your current or future customer base is bad for business. Abortion kills that base. Secondly, theres a long list of corporations willing to fund the trafficking of people to states where abortion is legal, so Im not sure that equates to AOCs fantasy of conscription.

As a working-class father of four children (three of whom were unplanned), it should be a given that I provide for them. Its not conscription (as if anyone is drafted into the workplace); its called responsibility. If one would apply AOCs logic to real life, why should any parent be forced to provide for his or her child at all, at any age or stage? When they dont, of course, its rightfully called neglect. This is what happens when we try to sever sex from procreation. We pretend that there should be no ramifications. And our children are merely objects to be discarded so we may live a life unencumbered by causes and effects.

Children are a blessing. To fake feminism, theyre always a burden. Its why the pro-abortion movement has to dehumanize the child and make themselves the victim in a make-believe patriarchy that wants to control their bodies. What about 13% of American women who think abortion should be illegal in all cases? What about the additional 50% of American women who believe abortion should only be legal under certain circumstances?

I despise polling (while citing the statistics) because plurality doesnt mean morality. Even if only 2% of women thought abortion should be illegal for any reason, its still morally the right position. The Democrat Party has become so radicalized that it wants zero restrictions on abortions up until birth (including partial birth abortion), zero accountability for abortionists and abortion facilities, and zero responsibility for mothers and fathers whove procreated an unrepeatable human being whose life begins at conception.

AOC intentionally ignores the vast free resources available to those facing an unplanned pregnancy in our nations 2,700 pregnancy help centers, 450 maternity homes and many adoption agencies. Of course, the extreme Left wants to shut down pregnancy centers (see the Warren Crusade), demonizes maternity homes, and has waged a war against faith-based adoption agencies.

At one point in the hearing, AOC scolded Congressman Jake LaTurner (R-KS) for speaking about abortion because he never had to contend with bearing a child. LaTurner is a father of four. He knows far more about what it takes to care and provide for children than Ocasio-Cortez. AOC is childless; she never had to contend with childbearing or child-rearing.

Isnt Corporate Americas abortion trafficking ensuring that large-scale companies keep their female workforce  working? At a time when maternity and parental leave benefits have plummeted, some major corporations have no problem helping to pay for the killing of their employees unborn children. What does this say to female workers? We dont value your motherhood. We value your barrenness.

Abortion, above all else, is a moral issue. Killing the most vulnerable and defenseless is an issue of justice. In 2020, there were 930,000 innocent humans sacrificed in the name of faux choice. Representative Ocasio-Cortez is right that abortion is (in part) an economic issue, but completely wrong as to why. Abortion further impoverishes women by absolving men of any responsibility. Father absence is a leading cause of poverty. The violence of abortion does nothing to reduce the present low-income circumstances the woman is in. Around the world, reports of baby busts illuminate the profound resulting adverse economic and social consequences. Fewer humans, fewer resources.

In an increasingly progressive society that is obsessed with equity, the Left spends an insane amount of time celebrating the most violent form of injustice against the most marginalized. They keep screaming a lie. Ill keep speaking the truth.
Knife-wielding radical Muslims attack evangelists for leading people to Christ in Uganda

NAIROBI, Kenya  Two evangelists sustained deep knife wounds after leading several Muslims to Christ at debates on Islam and Christianity in eastern Uganda, sources said.

Andrew Dikusooka, 35, and 26-year-old Ronald Musasizi had debated Islamic scholars in several areas around Iganga District, and some attacked them after a Sept. 20-24 series of such debates in the districts predominantly Muslim Nampirika village, said a leader of their ministry, unnamed for security reasons.

The two evangelists are nursing terrible wounds on their sick beds in Iganga town after being attacked and beaten by radical Muslims, the leader told Morning Star News.

Dikusooka said that after the last day of the debate, well-known Muslims were among those who put their faith in Christ.

Many people gave their lives to Christ, including Muslims, witchdoctors and street vendors, Dikusooka told Morning Star News. The conversion of these people angered Muslims who began shouting to disrupt the occasion. When the meeting ended, we took the new converts aside and had a few minutes explaining the meaning of the new life in Christ and the commitment to follow Jesus Christ.

They were halfway home at about 7:30 p.m. when a group of Muslims blocked them near a railroad crossing shouting, They are the ones  beat them, beat them, he said.

They then started beating us with blunt objects, and one named Shafiki Mugendawala from Nasuuti, in Iganga, hit me with a sharp knife right on my head, Dikusooka told Morning Star News. Another named Musiitwa Manisuuli from Kigulu Iganga struck my friend in the belly and hands.

He knew the assailants because they had debated them on several occasions, he said.

Both of us fell down as a bright light flashed from a coming vehicle that appeared from the opposite direction, he said. From that time onwards, we did not know what happened. We only found ourselves in the hospital in Iganga town with deep wounds.

The driver of the vehicle was the one who rescued them and drove them to the hospital, they later learned.

At this writing the two evangelists were still recovering in the hospital.

Since we know the attackers, after our release from the hospital we shall by all means file a case against them, Dikusooka said. Please pray for us for quick healing.

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.
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.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, drew ire from Taipei and praise from Beijing after proposing the creation of a "special administrative zone" around the self-governing island of Taiwan.

Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington was quick to reprimand the tech billionaire, saying that the island nation's freedom and democracy were not up for sale. The official, Hsiao Bi-khim, posted a tweet on Saturday, saying that Taiwan sells many products, but not its freedom and democracy.

Musk on China, Taiwan Tensions

Hsiao said that any lasting proposal for the future must be determined peacefully and free from coercion while being respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan. On the other hand, China's ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, emphasized Beijing's calls for "peaceful reunification."

The official also stressed China's view of "one country, two systems" for the island nation in a tweet while thanking Musk for his idea. The situation comes a few days after the tech CEO floated a possible deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine that drew criticism from the latter, as per Yahoo News.

Musk's recent suggestion sought to resolve tensions between China and Taiwan by handing over some control of Taipei to Beijing. In an interview published on Friday, the billionaire said that a special administrative zone for Taiwan is reasonably palatable but noted that it would not make everyone happy.

Beijing has long vowed to retake control of Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to do so. However, Democratically-ruled Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says that only the island's 23 million people can decide its future.

According to The Hill, in 1997, Hong Kong won independence from England and is now governed under its one country, two systems rule. This allowed it to ostensibly operate independently from China.

Read Also: Russia Missile Strikes Kill 13 in Ukraine City, Death Toll in 9 Days Climbs to At Least 60 Civilians

Controversial Remarks

However, in the past two years, Beijing-backed leaders have orchestrated a brutal crackdown on dissent in the city-state. Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said that individual independent companies cannot take their ownership as a joke.

Other lawmakers also criticized Musk's comments as tone deaf and noted that Taiwan needs to protect its sovereign rights amid threats of a Chinese invasion. The threat became even more possible after United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-governing island nation.

On the other hand, U.S. President Joe Biden repeatedly made diplomatic waves in recent months with his pledges to send American troops to help defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese attack.

Last month, the U.S. Senate passed a bill out of committee that would authorize $4.5billion to Taipei over the course of four years. It would also designate the country as a major non-NATO ally.

Musk's comments on the Beijing and Taiwan issue followed remarks he made regarding Russia and Ukraine. He suggested on Monday that four regions that Russia annexed should hold repeat votes organized by the United Nations. Many viewed the billionaire's comments as crossing the red line, the Associated Press reported.

Related Article: Iran Intensifies Crackdown Over Nationwide Outcry, Killing At Least 2; Anti-Government Protesters Say They're 'No Longer Afraid'

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Germany got criticized by several EU states that were concerned about the inequity caused by the energy crisis by banning Russian oil and natural gas. Berlin's establishment of a 200 billion shield was a concern last Friday during a summit in Prague to hammer out a solution to the energy crunch.

EU Members Disagree on Oil Price Cap

No decisions were expected, and the talks between the EU leaders would move on to the energy question. A conclusion is expected at their regular EU summit scheduled for October 20-21, reported Euractiv.

However, factions were obvious before representatives started discussing how to decrease energy bills and guarantee cold-weather gas resources.

Before the meeting, most EU members requested that Brussels recommend a cap on wholesale gas prices. Nevertheless, EU capitals take issue with how a ceiling must be put in place, with some remaining suspicious of establishing any at all, noted the North Brief.

Those EU states opposed to the gas price cap include Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, who are concerned that such a move would force suppliers to provide the necessary gas supplies hampered by the energy crisis.

Union Needs Market Intervention

A dynamic price corridor, as recommended by Poland, Greece, Italy, and Belgium, would regulate a volatile gas market by keeping the price of gas stable, citing Yahoo! Finance.

By letting some transactions go well above the set price, the corridor might allay concerns regarding Europe's competitiveness in Russian gas marketplaces.

Read Also: Mark Zuckerberg Net Worth 2022: How Did Facebook Founder Lose $30 Billion in 1 Day?

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo added that market intervention is required because these costs are prohibitively high. There are already three members interested, bringing the total to 24 for the price limit.

Several Irish and Italian government representatives said that action must be taken to reach a deal, but the departing Italian leader, Mario Draghi, said that progress is being made.

The European Commission is also anticipated to continue discussions with providers to reduce gas prices and proclaim new revenue under the REPowerEU plan to abandon Russian petroleum products.

At the same time, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated during a media briefing that they would be searching for extra funding on a European level to ensure that all member countries have the same chance to invest in the change.

By December 2022, Brussels will propose additional strategies for restructuring the electricity market.

Disgruntlement over Germany's controversial 200 billion business funding package obscured the EU leaders' conference.

The interactions, which varied from frustration to uproar, revealed a significant gap between Berlin and those EU citizens who prefer greater unity.

Poland has accused Berlin of wrecking the Eurozone's internal market by assisting its own companies while disputing a gas price ceiling across the continent.

Mateusz Morawiecki, the prime minister of Poland, emphasizes that Berlin is taking advantage of the crisis to gain a competitive advantage.

The Polish PM said the difference between rich and poor EU nations must be equalized. Seeing Germany with more means to deal with the energy crisis, several EU states wanted a gas price cap that Berlin saw as dangerous though others saw inequity and disunity in the bloc.

Related Article: Bloc Leaders To Discuss Major Issues Including Energy Price Cap, Fallout from Loss of Stability and Security

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While Canada is seeing an uptick of employment and a slight decline in unemployment, the domestic labour market continues to shrink.

Employment rises as Canadas labour force shrinks slightly While Canada is seeing an uptick of employment and a slight decline in unemployment, the domestic labour market continues to shrink.

Employment rises as Canadas labour force shrinks slightly While Canada is seeing an uptick of employment and a slight decline in unemployment, the domestic labour market continues to shrink.

Employment rises as Canadas labour force shrinks slightly While Canada is seeing an uptick of employment and a slight decline in unemployment, the domestic labour market continues to shrink. Asheesh Moosapeta Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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The national unemployment rate fell by 0.2% to 5.2% in September. Statistics Canadas September Labour Force Survey revealed positive trends in the labour market around employment, while concerns loomed in the background regarding an aging population and ever-increasing retiree exits from the workforce.

Schedule a Free Canadian Immigration Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

Employment increased in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Yukon, and Nunavut in September; while Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and the Northwest Territories saw slight declines. Among Canadas+ core-aged population (25-54), employment increased for women (+0.8%) and remained steady for men in the same age demographic. These remain largely positive signs for general economic performance, as well as the strong hiring climate Canada is experiencing currently.

Gains in employment for educational services and health care and social assistance services were offset by losses in manufacturing, information, culture, and recreation, transportation and warehousing, and public administration. Increases in service sector industries reflect an increase in spending in these areas post-pandemic, which has aided a continued return toward pre-pandemic business levels.

Furthermore, people looking for work in Canada were spending less time unemployed, with a sharp decline of 9.7% (18,000) in long-term employment (the number of people who have been continually unemployed for 27 weeks or more).

This is yet another encouraging sign of a strong hiring climate. The need to continually address an inflated number of job vacancies, as seen since July, will remain of primary concern to the national labour market. Though these remain strong signs for economic performance and highlight opportunities within Canada, there are also some longer-term trends that are not as positive.

Labour force contraction

September saw a decrease in both the total size of the labour force (the total number of people employed or unemployed) by -0.4% and a decline in the participation rate of -0.1%. These declines are consistent with monthly and yearly trends that highlight the need for continued labour recruitment in Canada. Since 2002, the national labour force participation has declined by 2.4% cumulatively.

These measures remain extremely pertinent in the face of high job vacancies, and an aging population; the latter a significant domestic problem that Canada must continually address. However, in the face of yet another trend the decline becomes even more relevant:

In September, nearly one million people between 55-64 cited retirement as their main activity. Related to an aging population, increasing numbers of people in the workforce continue to pursue retirement, driving Canadas labour force down.

As more of Canadas working population reaches retirement age (since 2019 the number of Canadians aged 65+ grew by 11.6%, while the growth in the population of people of working age was only 3.5%), and in the face of vacancies and labour market contraction, Canada will have to take increasing measures to make sure that it does not experience a severe labour shortage and can still attain its economic and fiscal goals.

The importance of foreign workers

In the face of a labour market with high vacancies, a shrinking labour force, and an aging populationone government activity will be paramount to Canadas ability to maintain economic growth and health: immigration.

As more of the population continues to reach or approach retirement age; coupled with a low fertility rate, it is clear that Canada cannot replenish the labour pool through natural growth. The government will instead look to address labour and skills shortages in the market through its immigration programs, (already seeing increases in Gen-Z and millennial workforce).

In the face of shortages (seen for example, in the healthcare and social assistance industry) Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are looking to welcome a record 430,000 new immigrants annually.

The Canadian Government will additionally announce its immigration levels plan 2023-2025the umbrella plan for newcomer strategyby November 1st.

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The Indian Ministry of Railways has launched an internal investigation into allegations that Oracle paid about $400,000 in bribes to its officials.

The probe was initiated following a disclosure by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that Oracle used slush funds to bribe Indian Railway officials in 2019.

Yes, Indian Railways has ordered an internal inquiry, said a spokesperson of the Ministry of Railways when asked about the probe into the bribery case.

In 2019, Oracle India sales employees 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, said the SEC order that details the corrupt practices and the penalty, and was made public on September 27.

In 2019, Oracle employees had said that it would lose a deal with the Indian Railways due to competition from other vendors unless a 70% discount was made available.

However, the SEC has contended that Oracle employees used the discount scheme as a smoke screen to funnel funds. The Indian state-owned entitys publicly available procurement website indicated Oracle India faced no competition at the time because Indian Railways had mandated the use of Oracle products for the project.

Further, the US markets regulator said it found a spreadsheet, maintained by an Oracle sales employee, which indicated $67,000 as the buffer available to potentially make payments to a specific Indianofficial.

A total of approximately $330,000 was funneled to an entity with a reputation for paying SOE officials and another $62,000 was paid to an entity controlled by the sales employees responsible for the transaction, according to the SEC order.

Is Oracle probing its staff?

When Oracle was specifically asked about the probe, company spokesperson Michael Egbert said the conduct outlined by the SEC was contrary to the companys core values and clear policies and identification of such behavior will see appropriate action.

However, the company didnt confirm if it was holding any internal investigation into the matter.

As far as Oracles customers go, the imbroglio is unlikely to have any impact on Oracle customers, said an analyst with a global market research firm on condition of anonymity.

Typically, in case of such incidents, the vendor must take steps to reiterate trust in customers. However, as long as no business disruption happens at any customer enterprise, such incidents should not cause of concern to them. Regular and transparent communication is key in such cases, the analyst said.

Oracle is a repeat offender in India

This is not the first time Oracles India entity has been caught in the web of a bribery charges. In 2012, SEC had issued a public notice penalizing the company $2 million for corrupt practices in India.

Oracle was charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) as it had failed to prevent a subsidiary from setting aside funds off the companys books to make unauthorized payments to phony vendors in India.

The SEC alleges that certain employees of the India subsidiary of the Redwood Shores, Calif.-based enterprise systems firm structured transactions with Indias government on more than a dozen occasions in a way that enabled Oracle Indias distributors to hold approximately $2.2 million of the proceeds in unauthorized side funds, said the SEC notice issued on August 16, 2012.

Oracle had then agreed to pay the fine.
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Joyce Fraser (left) and launch director Suzann McLean at the BHF launch, City Hall, 2016

For small grassroots organisations, particularly Black and ethnic minority non-profits, getting funding is a constant struggle. Lack of resources, income and awareness of the work we do means that every day presents us with an existential crisis. As we celebrate Black History Month this October, it is worth looking at the issues surrounding Black funding and the many barriers faced by charities working in this field, and what we need to do to dismantle them.

Personal journey

My story started in 2014 after the death of my late husband Flip Fraser, who dedicated his life to educating, entertaining and empowering the Black community through the arts. At his funeral, many mourners told me their stories of how his work had impacted them, inspired them to dream and reach for their stars, becoming doctors, nurses, lawyers and actors, among others. To preserve my late husbands memory, I knew I needed to do something. In October 2016, we launched the Black Heroes Foundation (BHF) at City Hall with the mission to use the arts to bring joy, while telling the stories of Black heroes.
More than a sixth of chief executives at British charities were privately educated, a survey by ACEVO has revealed.

The umbrella bodys latest edition of its annual Pay and Equalities surveys also found that the gender pay gap among charity CEOs has widened to 10.8%, reversing a downward trend in recent years.

Overall, the median annual basic salary reported by sector leaders in 2022 was 56,000, down from 58,000 the year before.

Similar to previous years, just 7% of respondents were from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds, compared to around 15% of the British population.

Meanwhile, the proportion of leaders who reported having an impairment, learning condition or learning difference increased to 20%, close to the 21% of working age adults nationally.

17.5% privately educated

The 2022 Pay and Equalities Survey gathered 897 responses from charity chief executives in the UK between 4 April and 5 May 2022.

Some 17.5% of respondents said they attended an independent or fee-paying school for most of their education between the ages of 11 and 16.

This compares to around 7% of the wider population of the UK.

But some of the charity CEOs who reported that they attended private schools (around one in six) received a means-tested bursary during their studies.

And two-thirds of respondents reported that neither of their parents had attended university.

This is the first time that ACEVO has collected socio economic diversity data from its survey respondents.

Gender pay gap widens to 10.8%

Male charity leaders earn on average 10.8% more than their female counterparts, down from 7.6% last year, ACEVO found in its latest report.

On average, male bosses reporting a median salary of 60,000 compared with 53,500 for female respondents.

Some 58% of leaders reported receiving a pay rise in 2022, compared to 37% the year before.

ACEVO said it was encouraged to see that 71% of charity CEOs now benefitted from flexible working policies.

But it expressed concern about CEOs access to personal development steadily decreasing from 60% in 2018 to 50% this year.

Jane Ide, ACEVOs chief executive, said: Its encouraging that were seeing a return to some stability in senior leader pay and reward and leaders own sense of job security in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stability is important to enable leaders to plan ahead effectively with certainty.

Its to be welcomed that more flexibility in working practices is becoming the norm at senior leadership level but its concerning that the trend to invest in ongoing professional development of leaders is declining. It is important that chairs and boards return to investment in leadership development to ensure that leaders skills and knowledge keep pace with the demands of the role and that they are equipped to deal with the constant challenges that face the sector. Development is not a nice to have if leaders are to continue to make the biggest possible difference.

Its clear that increasing diversity, equity and inclusion of sector leaders is not accelerating at the necessary pace and must remain at the centre of focused attention. We need to ask ourselves what positive action we need to take to encourage greater change and accelerate progress. We remain committed at ACEVO to work to support our members and the wider sector make the biggest possible difference.

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New York authorities are struggling to implement its new gun laws as sheriffs in the state are refusing to enforce the measure, calling it "limiting."

Wayne County's new sheriff, Robert Milby, who has been in law enforcement for the majority of his adult life, has earned praise and promotions for conscientious service. Recently, however, he has gained attention for a different approach to the law; not following it.

New York's Gun Laws

Milby is among at least half a dozen sheriffs in upstate New York who have expressed that they have no intention of aggressively enforcing gun regulations that state lawmakers passed last summer. The measure forbids concealed weapons in what is considered sensitive areas.

These areas include a long list of public spaces, including, but not limited to, government buildings and religious centers, health facilities and homeless shelters, schools and subways, stadiums and state parts, and, of course, Times Square.

Milby said during a recent interview in his office in Wayne County, said that it was "basically everywhere." He noted that people would be mistaken if they thought that they would go out and take a proactive stance against it, as per the New York Times.

The situation comes as a U.S. District Court judge on Thursday blocked large portions of the law, which dealt a major blow to lawmakers in Albany. The latter sought to blaze a trail for other states after the Supreme Court struck down a century-old New York law in June that had strictly limited the carrying of weapons in public.

Now, between the court challenge and the hostility that many law enforcement officers are showing, New York's ambitious effort could be threatened. Glenn T. Suddaby agreed to a three-day delay of his order to allow an emergency appeal to a higher federal court.

According to CNN, Suddaby noted that the state has further reduced a first-class constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense into a mere "request." He added that several provisions of the law had no historical justification, which is a controversial requirement that was put forward by the high court last spring.

Read Also: Joe Biden's 'Armageddon' Warning on Russian Nuclear Threat Was 'Reckless,' Says Mike Pompeo

Concealed Firearms

At the time, Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote for a 6-3 court, said that a state had to be able to justify regulation by demonstrating that the law is "consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."

Suddaby cited, in regards to Times Square, the Supreme Court decision and said that it could be argued that historical statutes that banned the carrying of guns in "fairs or markets" are analogous to the current law. However, he said that he had only found two of such laws.

The judge previously blocked the provisions of the law that outlined new requirements for background checks for gun permits, including the disclosure of all of an applicant's social media accounts. Furthermore, he blocked the bans on guns in some public and private properties.

Suddaby's decision on Thursday granted a temporary restraining order against six provisions listed in the law. The judge took issue with New York's new background check requirements. Four out of the six provisions that were struck down were related to tough requirements for an application or renewal of a license for concealed carry, Syracuse reported.

Related Article: New York City Education Dept. Ex-LGBTQ Program Manager Admits Trans Athletes Have 'Competitive Advantage'

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Leeds Building Society Foundation

Grants available: 25,000 - 100,000

Deadline to apply: 31 October

Who is the funding for?

Leeds Building Society Foundation is offering grants to local charities who are supporting people in need of a safe and secure home. It is inviting applications from registered UK charities that deliver services in Yorkshire, Humberside and the North East regions. Charities can apply for core, project and/or capital costs.

When will you hear back?

22 November

Find out more here.

Youth Endowment Fund

Grants available: No specific limit, but estimated 500,000 - 2m

Deadline to apply: 25 November

Who is the funding for?

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has opened applications for a 12.5m pot to fund six to ten projects. This funding round, which is called a trusted adult, is looking to fund projects where trusted adult relationships are at the core of an organisations project. In particular, YEF want to support children and young people who are at risk of violence or exploitation.

When will you hear back?

February 2023

Find out more here.

Social Investment Business  Recovery Loan Fund

Grants available: 100,000 - 1.5m

Deadline to apply: Unspecified

Who is the funding for?

The Recovery Loan Fund is for UK charities and social enterprises based in England, Wales and Scotland that are improving peoples lives. To be eligible for the loan and grant, applicants must have been operating for a minimum of two years, have a minimum turnover of 400,000 in its last financial year and not be subject to any insolvency proceedings.

When will you hear back?

Unspecified

Find out more here.

Sovereign & Crowdfunder

Grants available: up to 10,000

Deadline to apply: No deadline

Who is the funding for?

In a partnership by Crowdfunder and housing company Sovereign, Sovereign is offering to pledge up to 50% of a community groups target up to 10,000. To be eligible for the match funding, applicants must have a Crowdfunding page, be delivering a project in 2022/23, be a registered charity or organisation and be located within three miles of a Sovereign Housing development.

When will you hear back?

To be confirmed



Find out more here.

Warm Somerset Spaces Fund

Grants available: up to 1,000

Deadline to apply: 31 October

Who is the funding for?

Somerset Community Foundation is offering grants to local charities to create warm spaces for people this winter. Funding will be awarded weekly to help charities respond rapidly to the cost-of-living crisis.

When will you hear back?

To be confirmed

Find out more here.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
Its newspaper-endorsement season again, and that means its Should newspapers do endorsements? season again. Last week, Alden Global Capital, the hedge fund notorious for slashing costs at its local titles, came down on the No side of the question, with editorial boards at papers that it owns stating that they will no longer endorse candidates for governor, US senator, or president. Unfortunately, as the public discourse has become increasingly acrimonious, common ground has become a no mans land between the clashing forces of the culture wars, a company editorial explaining the change read, adding that, especially online, readers often struggle to differentiate between news and opinion content, perceiving the latter as revealing a bias in the former even though the two are typically walled off from each other. The editorial said that while the no-endorsement policy would apply in races that bosses see as increasingly nationalized, it would not in more local contests, such as city councils, school boards, local initiatives, referendums and other such matters.

The new policy, predictably, generated commentary among media types, some of whom endorsed Aldens decision even as they distanced themselves from the companys broader media-ownership playbook. Others disagreed, including Casey Seiler, the editor of the (Hearst-owned) Albany Times-Union, who argued in a column that candidate interviews that the papers editorial board often conducts prior to issuing endorsements represent a valuable opportunity to ask tough questions, and that any move to convince readers that opinion pages arent, uhh, opinionated seems silly. Recapping the debate, Vanity Fairs Charlotte Klein asked whether the newspaper endorsement is dying, and called various major titles, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, in search of an answer, finding that, there at least, any endorsement-death suggestions would seem to be greatly exaggerated.

Related: Newspaper endorsements are imperiled for the same reasons theyre now urgently needed

As I intimated at the top of this newsletter, the debate as to whether newspaper editorial boards ought to endorse candidates for public office is far from new; as Katie Robertson of the Times (who was first to report on Aldens new policy) noted, the Richmond Times-Dispatch did away with endorsements in 2018citing similar reservations about these bitterly divisive times and the risk of creating a perception that complicates the job of our objective journalistswhile in 2020, the newspaper chain McClatchy ruled that its papers wouldnt endorse Joe Biden or Donald Trump for president unless they had first interviewed both men. Conversely, the same year, other titles that hadnt typically endorsed candidatesfrom Scientific American to the Puerto Rican paper El Nuevo Diacame out for Biden, often citing the exceptional danger of a second Trump term. Since then, the debate has bubbled on. Writing for Nieman Lab before Aldens new policy dropped last week, Gregory P. Perreault and Volha Kananovich, journalism professors at Appalachian State University, shared findings from research that they have conducted since 2020, when they asked dozens of journalists across a range of publications how they felt about endorsements. Many saw them as anachronistic, ineffectual, and counterproductive. Perceived bias and blurred lines between news and opinion were, again, top concerns.

Ahead of the 2020 election, I, too, weighed in on this debate, broadly coming down in defense of newspaper endorsements as a concept. I argued that they can be consequential, especially in lower-profile, down-ballot races, and that, whatever their effect, they sit within a valuable newspaper tradition of civic engagement; I also argued that, even if you contested this positive case for endorsements, it was far-fetched to believe that scrapping them would, on its own, make much of a dent in the far bigger problems of media literacy and reader trust. Id broadly stand by this position today, or at least my latter argument: its certainly legitimate to interrogate what value endorsements add, but I remain unconvinced by the claim of their centrality to questions of bias and trust. (There are, ultimately, ample non-sacrificial ways to visually differentiate news and opinion on a website.)

Id offer both similar and more specific criticisms of Aldens stated reasons for doing away with gubernatorial, senatorial, and presidential endorsements. The disappearance of common ground as public discourse becomes increasingly acrimonious could just as reasonably be held up as a reason for newspaper endorsementsas a signpost in turbulent times, with voters confronting ever higher stakesas against them. The difference between nationalized races and local ones feels arbitrary, too: plenty of hyperlocal elections have recently been supercharged by national narratives (see: school board races), and local and national politicsand politiciansultimately coexist on one porous continuum, and can never be hermetically sealed from one another. Sure, as various journalists pointed out to Perreault and Kananovich, hyperlocal elections are often nonpartisan. But to see nonpartisan endorsements as less reputationally risky than partisan ones is to indulge an ideathat political controversy is primarily rooted in party identificationthat newspapers should be challenging, not channeling.

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I certainly dont claim to have all the answers here; ultimately, the perennial endorsement debate will rumble on. Aldens intervention, however, is interesting in a second sense that has to do with the broader fate of opinion journalism at local titles, particularly those owned by major corporate chains. If local papers can legitimately reach different conclusions about the suitability of endorsements in their communities, Aldens decision looks like a centralized directive across its titlesone that some well-placed observers have interpreted through the prism of Aldens prior directives to cut costs at its papers. Quentin Young, who used to oversee endorsements at the Alden-owned Boulder Daily Camera and now edits the nonprofit Colorado Newsline, described the decision as not only a blow to democracy but also a cynical move to prop up revenue sources at the expense of free speech. Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at NYU, tweeted that he had not previously considered that an argument FOR newspapers continuing to endorse candidates could be to demonstrate that they still have a pulse as the jaws of the private equity crocodile come crunching down.

Theres a broader context here. Earlier this year, newspapers owned by Gannett, now the only US newspaper chain bigger than Alden, moved to print less opinion contentincluding syndicated columns, editorial cartoons, letters to the editor, and, yes, endorsements (which Gannett had already advised its papers to scale back, citing similar reasons to Aldens)after a committee of editors inside Gannett concluded that readers dont want us to tell them what to think, and that opinion articles are both poorly read and overrepresented among reasons for canceled subscriptions. Gannett insisted that it had not mandated that its papers scale back opinion content, but an unnamed editor at one paper told Poynters Rick Edmonds that this was bullshit, and Edmonds also reported that the cutback was motivated in part by a desire on Gannetts part to cut spiraling printing costs. Gannett, Edmonds feared, could inspire other titles to decide that, as financial pressure pinches, a full-out editorial/opinion effort may be the next thing to go.

The Gannett editors committee recommended some reforms to the chains opinion contentsigning previously unsigned editorials, for instancethat need not lead to cutbacks, and the company has also spoken of its longer-term efforts to foster community dialogue in less musty forums than newspaper opinion pages, including, in one case, a Facebook group. Innovation in how newspapers approach their obligation to serve as a public square for the exchange of arguments and ideas is welcome. But the obligation itself should not be weakened; to my mind, at least, this remains a core function of newspapers at both the national and local levels. The solution to bad local opinion content should be good local opinion content, not less local opinion content; indeed, the best opinion journalism doesnt tell people what to think, but rather presents a nuanced consideration of a public issue based on factual reporting. Ultimately, the best approach to reader confusion or anger at opinion content is not retrenchment, but reengagement.

Which brings us back to endorsements. Again, its totally fair to question whether an editorial board backing a candidate in any given race really furthers a newspapers obligation to foster a vibrant public square in 2022but any decision to scale back endorsements should result from rigorous philosophical grappling with this question, and not from more reactive reasoning around reader perception, the culture wars, or cost. Its unclear if Aldens recent decision was financially motivated (if endorsements dont take up much print space, they could conceivably drive away readers or advertisers), though given Aldens broader track record, its legitimate to pose the question. Ultimately, we shouldnt conceive of cuts to local news in purely financial terms, but in civic terms, too. Getting rid of endorsements neednt be a civic cut. Butwhen it smacks of throwing ones hands up in the face of a political climate that just got too divisivethats how it comes across.

Over the weekend, at least one Alden title, the Baltimore Sun, did issue an endorsement in a gubernatorial race. According to Robertson, of the Times, the Sun was one of three Alden titles permitted to go ahead with endorsements in banned races in this election cycle because of how far along in the process they are and because they are viewed as state newspapers of record, with the other two papers being the Chicago Tribune and the Denver Post. After Aldens new policy dropped, Megan Schrader, the opinion editor at the latter paper, confirmed to the Colorado media reporter Corey Hutchins that the paper would be barred from endorsing in future gubernatorial and US Senate races. Schrader said that she disagreed with that decision, in part because of the value of the interviews that her paper has traditionally conducted with candidates prior to issuing endorsements. The interviews, she said, probably serve a higher democratic purpose than the endorsement that comes from themjust because we are able to really drill down on issues and get specifics in a way that you dont even in debates these days.

Below, more on opinion journalism and local news:

Going local: Last year, CJRs Lauren Harris spoke with Julie Makinen, the executive editor of the Desert Sun, in California, about her efforts to organize the papers opinion section around local issues, rather than columns from a national wire service, and the challenges she faced in doing so. Editing local columns, soliciting local columns, processing letters to the editor, going back and forth with people to refine what theyre trying to express, Zooming the local editorial board, writing editorials, and getting consensus is time consuming, Makinen said. One of the values of an opinion page is that its a moderated space. People get to take turns, and its not just people in your own bubble. Its people who live in close proximity to you, but you probably dont know them.

Last year, CJRs Lauren Harris spoke with Julie Makinen, the executive editor of the Desert Sun, in California, about her efforts to organize the papers opinion section around local issues, rather than columns from a national wire service, and the challenges she faced in doing so. Editing local columns, soliciting local columns, processing letters to the editor, going back and forth with people to refine what theyre trying to express, Zooming the local editorial board, writing editorials, and getting consensus is time consuming, Makinen said. One of the values of an opinion page is that its a moderated space. People get to take turns, and its not just people in your own bubble. Its people who live in close proximity to you, but you probably dont know them. E-pluribus: Robertson, of the Times, profiled Pluribus News, a new site that aims to expand coverage of statehouses not by covering them individually, as other news organizations have done, but by covering broader policy currents coursing from one state to another. Reid Wilson, the sites founder, told Robertson that it will be funded by digital subscriptions and ad revenue, including from lobbyists. Business interests that advertise around D.C.-based publications are increasingly turning to the states because they see the opportunity to influence policy there before it comes here to D.C., he said.

Robertson, of the Times, profiled Pluribus News, a new site that aims to expand coverage of statehouses not by covering them individually, as other news organizations have done, but by covering broader policy currents coursing from one state to another. Reid Wilson, the sites founder, told Robertson that it will be funded by digital subscriptions and ad revenue, including from lobbyists. Business interests that advertise around D.C.-based publications are increasingly turning to the states because they see the opportunity to influence policy there before it comes here to D.C., he said. At home on the Range: Christa Lawler, of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, wrote about the impending launch of Iron Range Today, an online-only reporting project that will cover parts of northern Minnesota. The site will aim to eschew the fast-paced churn of daily journalism in favor of in-depth reporting, Lawler writes, with the sites two founders set to cover politics, mining, and culture, among other stories. One of the foundersJerry Burnes, who left journalism for a communications job after burning out, before deciding to return to the industrysaid that Iron Range Today will be run for free to begin with, but might switch to a nonprofit model at some future stage.



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Disinformation Weekly: How midterm newspapers are failing the electorate

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Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
Damaged infrastructure created new obstacles for claims adjusters responding to Hurricane Ian, along with widespread flooding, damaged cell phone towers and even an occasional alligator.

Sedgwick Executive Vice President Danny Miller said his company is using boats to send claims adjusters to barrier islands off Floridas Gulf coast, where they make inspections with a police escort. He said local officials are also limiting the use of drones for the time being, delaying damage assessments.

After the storm cleared, flooding is still limiting some exits off major interstate system so there could be unidentified damages still to come, Miller said. We have seen that the access to potable water, electricity, cellular service, internet are all items effecting customers and business reaching out to file their claims.

Alligators presented another problem. Miller said a Sedgwick team inspecting a local government structure encountered two alligators amid the wreckage. Sedgwick spokeswoman Judy Molnar, responding to a followup question, said the inspectors were able to navigate and safely complete their work without removing the animals.

Miller said Hurricane Ian will be a long-tail claims event because of the widespread destruction across Florida and in the Carolinas. This causes downstream issues with transportation, rental cars, rental homes and hotels, supply chains, and logistics throughout the regions the hurricane hit, he said.

Miller said Sedgwick has dispatched engineers, building consultants, forensic accountants and a contents team in addition to claims adjusters to respond to clients.

Numerous vehicles and boats were destroyed, in addition to buildings.

The marine losses are massive from small personal watercraft to yachts, Miller said. Our yacht/pleasure craft team is surveying damages related to marinas and boat sales operations. In one instance we had an inventory of 27 high-dollar watercraft, we located 12 at the facility and will spend a few days tracking down the 15 missing watercraft over the next few days, he said.

Miller said the destruction to personal residences may come as a shock. Miller said Florida home prices almost doubled from 2004 to 2022, which could cause some properties to be underinsured.

Mike Beach, senior vice president and national property director for McLarens, said in an email Thursday that helicopters and boats are the only available means of access to some areas along the coast of southwest Florida, such as Sanibel Island near Fort Myers. Other areas  including Fort Meyers Beach, Bonita Springs and Sanibel  were closed to everyone except residents.

This has impeded our ability to conduct timely inspections in some circumstances, he said.

Another obstacle: There is a state issued-ID card that adjusters must have in their vehicle to access certain areas and there are curfews in place, Beach said.

On the other hand, technological innovations are creating opportunities to resolve claims faster than ever before. State Farm, for instance, reported that its remote claims teams are using virtual inspections with claimants.

The use of aerial imagery during the first stage of the response helped us determine the areas of severe impact, said brand promotion specialist Heather Paul. This helped State Farm identify the hardest hit areas and customers, and assess where we needed to initially respond and send our first wave of resources to start handling claims for those hardest hit.

Catastrophe modelers have projected that Hurricane Ians path of destruction across the Florida peninsula will create historic losses. CoreLogic updated a wind and flood loss estimate on Thursday, saying insured damages will range from $41 to $70 billion. Uninsured losses will range from $10 billion to $17 billion, CoreLogic said.

The most serious access issues were in Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties on Floridas Gulf coast, where Ian came ashore on Sept. 29. The storm washed out a causeway that connects Sanibel Island to the mainland and a bridge that connects Pine Island.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said construction on a temporary Pine Island bridge was completed on Thursday and repairs to the Sanibel causeway are expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Claims administrators mobilized examiners from across the nation.

State Farm said its response began Sept. 26, when it sent a fleet of catastrophe response vehicles from its headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois to Birmingham, Alabama. The company said it set up an orientation center to support incoming personnel, who arrived at a rate of 100 claims handlers per hour. Each received fully-equipped laptops, printers and technical equipment to take to the field, the company said.

McLarens Director of Operations Cory Barnett said the company has dispatched about 80 adjusters to damaged areas, with 30 already on the ground as of Thursday. Teams were dispatched to Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.

He said McLarens has experienced a 1,110% increase in the number of claims notifications from Florida when compared to the same 10-day period last year.

The severity and complexity of losses is wide ranging, from habitational to condo associations, municipalities, builders risk projects, hospitality clients and more, Barnett said.

McLarens Beach said his company expects the usual wind v. flood causation disputes that have spurred litigation after past catastrophes in Florida. Catastrophe modeler Karen Clark & Co. warned of similar costs because of excess litigation.

This was a large wind and surge event, Beach said. Such disputes can often be an issue in such circumstances, so we would expect to see a similar pattern, though to what extent remains unknown at this time.

Like State Farm, McLarens is using policyholders smartphones to jumpstart the claims process. Beach said the McLarens app allows customers to stream real-time, geo-tagged and tamper-resistant image evidence.

That ability to assess and manage claims remotely when needed is a significant asset in such circumstances, he said.

Quick availability of aerial images of damaged areas also helped insurers respond quickly.

EagleView said in a blog post that it staged a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft in counties along the west coast of Florida before Ian made landfall. After the hurricane passed it sent those plans over areas that were within the storms path to capture high-resolution imagery. Images are being made available to customers in local government, insurance and construction as soon as it becomes available.

The Geospatial Insurance Consortium also provides aerial images to member insurers via post-storm flyovers in a partnership with Vexcel Data Program.

Technology has also created a new peril, one that Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis experienced personally while touring hurricane damage in Collier County on Thursday.

While he was there, an electric vehicle combusted on US Highway 41 in North Naples. Patronis tweeted a video of North Collier Fire Rescue firefighters dousing the blaze with fire hoses.

There are many EVs in Southwest Florida, and unlike a normal gas engine, saltwater corrodes those lithium batteries causing fires, Patronis said in a press release later. While EVs are nothing new, there hasnt been a lot of experience throughout the nation related to EVs catching fire as a result of salty, storm surge water.
A recent study found that colonoscopies fail to reduce the death rate among patients suffering from colon cancers despite previous long-held beliefs.

The findings come as for decades, gastroenterologists have put colonoscopies on a pedestal as a life-saving screening procedure. Clinicians believed that if everyone would get the screening just once a decade, colorectal cancer would most likely become "extinct," said a gastroenterologist and researcher in Norway, Michael Bretthauer.

Efficacy of Colonoscopes

However, the findings from a recent clinical trial that Bretthauer led have thrown the confidence in colonoscopy's dominance into doubt. The primary analysis of the trial found that the screening procedure only cut colon cancer risk by roughly one-fifth. This is far below past estimates of the test's efficacy.

Furthermore, the study did not prove any significant reduction in color cancer mortality, with gastroenterologists, such as Bretthauer, racing to the results with a mixture of shock, disappointment, and mild disbelief.

A gastroenterologist at the University of California, San Diego, Samir Gupta, said that the study was a landmark trial. It is the first randomized trial that showed outcomes of exposing people to colonoscopy screening versus no colonoscopy, as per StatNews.

Gupta noted that experts were all anticipating colonoscopy to do better than what the study's results have shown. He said that the findings raise an uncomfortable question for doctors, placing the credibility of colonoscopy in question.

However, he emphasized that the new study does not invalidate colonoscopies as a useful screening tool for colon cancers. The screening test is still a good procedure, but Gupta said it might be time to re-evaluate its standing as the gold standard of colon cancer screening.

According to CNN, the trial found only meager benefits for the group of people who were invited to the screening procedure, which was an 18% lower risk of getting colorectal cancer. It also found no significant reduction in the death rate for the disease.

Read Also: Eating at Various Times May Have Differing Effects on a Person's Health

Benefits of the Screening Procedure

Other experts have chimed in on the study, saying that despite being good, it had its limitations, and noted that the results should not prevent people from getting colonoscopies. Chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, Dr. William Dahut, said that it was hard to know the value of a screening test when the majority of people in the screening did not get it done.

When the authors of the study restricted the results to the people who actually got the procedure, which was roughly 12,000 out of the more than 28,000 who were invited to do so, the procedure was found to be more effective. It was observed to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 31% and cut the risk of death by roughly 50%.

The researchers performed a pragmatic, randomized trial that involved presumptively healthy men and women aged 55 to 64 drawn from population registries in Poland, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands between 2009 and 2014.

The participants in the study were also randomly assigned in a 1:2 ratio to either receive an invitation to undergo a colonoscopy or none at all. The researchers wanted to know the risks of colorectal cancer and related death with a secondary objective of determining the death rate in relation to the procedure, NEJM reported.

Related Article: National Institute of Health Awards 103 Grants Worth $285 Million To Support Transformative Biomedical Research

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When Kate Middleton encountered a heckler while visiting Northern Ireland, people praised her for remaining composed. The Princess of Wales was greeted by Belfast residents earlier this week and informed that she wasn't in her own country.

But during the unpleasant exchange, the Princess of Wales showed great composure, not becoming overwhelmed or irritated. Since assuming the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales upon the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this was Kate Middleton and Prince William's first trip there.

Protester Grabs Kate Middleton's Hand

The couple's most recent trip to Northern Ireland took place in February 2019 after a two-day royal tour. A woman who was interviewing Kate Middleton for a video stated, "Nice to meet you but it would be nicer if it was while you were in your own country," after shaking Kate's hand.

The Princess just smiled and greeted others in the crowd before letting go of the woman's hand and stifling a small laugh in return. She was commended for how she handled the situation by a body language specialist after the encounter, as per Mirror. Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Kate Middleton made their first journey to Northern Ireland as Prince and Princess of Wales.

However, the royal couple did make a previous two-day royal tour to Northern Ireland in February 2019. Body language expert Judi James claimed the Princess stood her ground and Kate Middleton has been lauded for maintaining her composure throughout the incident.

In an interview, James said that Kate Middleton will be a gutsy Queen as she was able to deal with the encounter calmly and stood her ground. The woman shakes Kate's hand and says, "That encounter would have been far more uncomfortable for Kate" than just hearing the protester speak.

The protester, according to James, attempted to make Kate feel helpless, but it had the opposite impact because the Princess doesn't miss a beat. The expert also examined Kate Middleton's spoken reaction, claiming that despite having perfectly heard the heckler, the Princess of Wales maintained her cool, according to Express.

Read Also: Joe Biden's 'Armageddon' Warning on Russian Nuclear Threat Was 'Reckless,' Says Mike Pompeo

Prince William Kate Middleton's Ireland Visit

The royal mother-of-three is seen pouring a cocktail in the couple's highlight film, which they also released online. Prince William is seen playing with two dogs. The pair posted the clip last night and it included several clips from the trip, including the walkabout. The footage, however, omitted the event involving the woman in the heckler.

Instead, a swarm of waving royal admirers could be seen as the camera swung past Kate Middleton embracing schoolchildren. Prince William was seen conversing with members of the public in another video.

During the pair's visit to Carrickfergus, a town in County Antrim north of Belfast, hundreds of people lined the Marine Highway. Local youngsters who had waited for hours to see the royal couple were greeted with handshakes and fist bumps.

They had already visited a neighborhood charity before being welcomed by Mid and East Antrim Mayor Noel Williams. On the morning of their 2011 wedding, the late Queen bestowed upon Prince William and Kate Middleton the titles of Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus, Daily Mail reported.

Related Article: Prince Andrew Assault: 2 Men Charged Over Abuse Against Duke of York During Queen Elizabeth II's Coffin Procession

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Taxpayers are footing the price as the White House prepares for an expanding army of personnel to stave off prospective Republican-led investigations into everything from Hunter Biden.

The White House is paying staff $265,000 a year in salary for staff whose primary responsibility will be to run communications and defend the administration from an oncoming blizzard of subpoenas to batten down the hatches should the GOP win back control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections.

Staff to Defend POTUS, First Son

Richard A. Sauber, the Department of Veterans Affairs senior lawyer, was kidnapped by the White House in May to work as a deputy counsel to the president in charge of managing House oversight inquiries. The team hired Ian Sams, a veteran of Vice President Harris' unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign, to handle official communications.

According to White House records, the two men will each receive $110,000 and $155,000 in compensation. The Washington Post reported that the squad is only anticipated to expand, meaning that its employees and operating costs would skyrocket.

Republicans in the House have promised to look into everything, including the cause of the COVID-19 and the hasty pullout of the US military from Afghanistan.

The primary focus of the party's investigation will be on Hunter Biden and any ties his father, PresidentJoe Biden, may have had to his dubious international business transactions. Despite mounting evidence that suggests this is not the case, President Biden has continuously denied any such links, according to New York Post.

Should his party retake the majority in the lower house, Rep. Jim Comer (R-Ky.) is likely to lead the oversight committee. He claimed that Hunter Biden's past and present issues, such as his drug addiction and paternity litigation, have little to do with the Republican attention on him. And it has everything to do with protecting American interests.

Comer, who recently referred to the younger Biden as a national security concern, is determined to look into the family's connections to foreign companies, which he thinks may involve peddling access. Comer has requested more information from the Treasury Department, but they have not yet provided it. Should Republicans regain a majority this fall, Hunter won't be the only issue they'll be closely examining.

They also want to look into Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security, the botched US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the origins of the COVID-19 virus, the subsequent COVID-19 school closures, administration discussions about weapon sales to Ukraine, and the expenditure of taxpayer funds on the January 6 select committee's work and products.

The Justice Department's authorization of an FBI raid of former President Donald Trump's southern club property, Mar-a-Lago, was most recently added to that list. Republicans see Hunter Biden as a window into the supposedly corrupt actions of the first family, therefore he will continue to be a major issue for the Biden White House, as per Daily Mail.

Read Also: Musk's Proposal for 'Special Administrative Zone' Around Taiwan Draws Ire From Taipei, Praise From Beijing

Could Hunter Biden Face Charges?

Hunter Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden, is being investigated by federal officials, Police have gathered sufficient proof to charge him with tax violations and lying about the acquisition of a handgun. The 52-year-old Hunter Biden, according to the agents, lied about his history of substance misuse on a form used to obtain a pistol in 2018, The Washington Post said, citing people familiar with the situation.

Hunter is said to have falsely denied using illegal substances or having a drug addiction on the form. Hunter, the lone surviving child of the US president, has been open about his battle with alcohol and illegal drugs. Prosecutions for making false representations on gun purchase paperwork do happen, though they are uncommon, a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in jail are associated with the offense.

While his father was vice president, agents from the federal government started looking into the younger Biden's international business dealings with a Ukrainian gas company. However, they focused on two potential offenses.

The choice of whether to press charges against Hunter is particularly difficult because former president Donald Trump and his allies have used the first son's business affairs as a major point of attack against Democrats in the run-up to the November midterm elections.

Republicans have pushed the Biden administration to name a special counsel to lead the investigation into Hunter, contending that doing so is necessary to maintain public trust in the investigation's findings. Trump has asserted time and time again that a left-wing media plot has stopped news about Hunter Biden from making headlines, The Telegraph via MSN reported.

Related Article: Hunter Biden To Face Tax Crimes After FBI Sends Enough Evidence To Prosecute First Son, Explosive Report Reveals

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Congress set to present road map for future

09:33, October 10, 2022 By Cao Desheng ( China Daily

Strategic tasks, major steps of the CPC hold key to modernization drive, Xi says

Amid the increasingly complex risks and challenges China is facing, the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will have the central task of presenting the Party's road map for the next five years and beyond, a key period in realizing national rejuvenation.

The 20th CPC National Congress, which is expected to open in Beijing on Sunday, is regarded as especially important as the Party is leading the Chinese people in embarking on a new journey to comprehensively build China into a modern socialist country, after the task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects was completed last year.

The seventh plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which started on Sunday in Beijing, will make preparations for the opening of the 20th CPC National Congress.

A total of 2,296 delegates have been elected to attend the Congress. In addition to setting national policy goals, it will elect a new CPC Central Committee, the Party's top leadership, and a new CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Amendments to the Party Constitution are also expected at the Congress.

The CPC could use its 20th National Congress to reiterate the people-centered governance philosophy and the need to firmly adhere to socialism with Chinese characteristics, observers said. It could also highlight the need to coordinate development and security given the new circumstances of China's development, reform and opening-up, as well as mounting external risks and challenges.

Speaking at a workshop attended by senior Party and government officials in July, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said the 20th CPC National Congress would emphasize the strategic tasks the Party will have and the major steps it will take over the next five years, which hold the key to the country's modernization drive.

An effort must be made to work out new plans and measures to tackle the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development nationwide, Xi said.

Qi Weiping, a professor of politics at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said that on the journey toward national rejuvenation, the Party will unite and lead the people in making substantial progress in tackling the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development and seeking common prosperity among more than 1.4 billion people in order to constantly meet their growing demand for a better life.

Namibian Ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo said he expected the CPC would continue to lead the Chinese people in further developing socialism with Chinese characteristics after the 20th CPC National Congress and provide a good model for other countries in choosing an independent development path.

Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China, expressed his wish that the 20th CPC National Congress would be a complete success.

"Under the guidance of the CPC, China's peaceful rise is truly historic, with positive repercussions throughout the world. This is especially impactful in the Middle East, as we witness burgeoning trade and investment from China.

"The CPC has played an integral role in transforming China from a largely agricultural, underdeveloped country to an engine of global growth. Both the UAE and China have been beneficiaries of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and we look forward to even greater achievements and prosperity in the years to come."

While pursuing high-quality development, the CPC takes national security seriously as another pillar of its governance of the country.

Speaking of the rapid evolution of profound changes in the international landscape at July's workshop, Xi said China faces fresh strategic opportunities and tasks in its new stage of development, and the risks, challenges and problems it faces are increasingly complex and complicated.

He underlined the need for the whole Party to strengthen risk awareness, prepare for the worst-case scenario, and strive to cope with the changing domestic and international situation with proper strategies.

Analysts said that over the next five years, it is essential for China to stick to the right direction under the strong leadership of the CPC amid the increasingly complicated and challenging international environment in order to maintain national security while continuing to promote development.

Amid uncertainties brought by challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the widening divide arising from geopolitical rivalry, the CPC is expected to renew its call at the Congress for countries to implement the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative to promote global peace and development as part of an effort to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, they said.

Gao Zugui, a professor at the Institute for International Strategic Studies at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said in an article in Study Times that the Party emphasizes the importance of coordinating development and security in its governance, an important philosophy that has been extended from national governance to China's active participation in global governance.

The two initiatives have been widely regarded as China's solutions to addressing the problems the world faces in the cause of peace and development. Since its inception, the Global Development Initiative has been positioned as an all-inclusive accelerant to the United Nations' agenda on sustainable development.

The initiative's relevance to a world in distress is difficult to understate at the moment as protracted conflicts, climatic spillovers, rampant poverty and wide resource shortages threaten to compound existing inequalities and adversely affect the development potential of many states, Hannan Hussain, a foreign affairs commentator and a former assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, said in an article published on the China Global Television Network website.

Adriel Kasonta, a foreign affairs analyst and commentator in London, said in an article published on the CGTN website that being the fruit of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, the Global Security Initiative provides a united response to the increasingly complex challenges faced by the international community.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
While the media has taken to making fun of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' "go-go" boots and the alleged side-eyes he and President Joe Biden exchanged at a recent press conference on Hurricane Ian, the Republican governor claimed he has been leading a historic effort to restore power and stability to the areas most affected by Hurricane Ian that claimed at least 155 lives.

On September 28, the Category 4 hurricane made landfall on Cayo Costa Island at its fiercest, tying with seven other hurricanes for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to impact the United States and leaving at least 137 people dead.

DeSantis Praised For Hurricane Ian Response

As DeSantis prepares to run for re-election in November and is frequently mentioned as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, the media has closely watched his response to the catastrophe.

After Republican county leaders in Lee County refused to evacuate citizens early, the governor briefly came under fire for the destruction in the severely affected county. DeSantis' rubber rain boots and the way he behaved during a press conference with President Joe Biden were both captured on camera as he surveyed the damage and turned into memes making fun of the Republican, as per Fox News.

Before the Florida governor's race on November 8, the hurricane served as a test for DeSantis, a Republican who was elected in 2018 and is known for his somewhat aggressive political approach.

Democratic representative Charlie Crist is taking on DeSantis in the race. DeSantis won acclaim for appearing to put political politics aside and coordinating relief operations with the White House throughout the effort. According to a new The Economist/YouGov poll that questioned 1,500 American adults from October 1 to 4, voters approved of DeSantis' hurricane response. The poll's margin of error is three percentage points.

Fifty-four percent of those surveyed expressed strong or moderate agreement with DeSantis' response to the hurricane. This showed bipartisan support for the governor, whose administration came under fire for its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak and contentious legislation, notably the "Don't Say Gay" bill put into law earlier this year. This included 80% of Republicans and 43% of Democrats.

The majority of Americans, according to the study, are content overall with how the government handled Hurricane Ian. The survey found that 60% of respondents approved of the state government's reaction to the disaster, 60% approved of the federal government's response, and 55% agreed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) reaction.

When visiting the state on Wednesday, President Joe Biden, a Democrat who has been a target of DeSantis, commended him in a show of unity while viewing hurricane devastation. During a press conference, President Joe Biden observed, "What the governor's done is fairly spectacular." "I believe he did a good job,"

The way the storm was handled, meanwhile, has drawn some criticism Lee, County officials came under fire for issuing their evacuation order on September 27 less than one day before the hurricane struck in the region that was severely devastated by the storm.

DeSantis backed the local officials, claiming that they were following the data regarding the predicted path of the storm. Additionally, he claimed that the national regime media wanted the hurricane to hit Florida to further their political goal.

Read Also: North Korea Launches Two Ballistic Missiles Due To Increased Tension with South Korea and Japan

Ron DeSantis's Migrant Surge Response

The Washington Post learns from new state documents that DeSantis' attempt to transport migrants last month may have beyond the scope of a state-designed original program. According to The Post, the state initiative, which began in July, aimed to relocate out of the state of Florida foreign nationals who are not lawfully present in the United States.

The state program did not mention the prospect of transporting migrants from Texas, according to records provided by the Florida Department of Transportation and the governor's office.

Additionally, The state documents, Florida paid Vertol Systems, a charter airline with its headquarters in Oregon, $615,000 for the September flights to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. For each of the 50 migrants on board the two aircraft, that comes out to around $12,300.

DeSantis and other state officials were sued by state senator Jason Pizzo (D) for the plan to transport migrants. He claimed that because the migrants were not doing so illegally and that their flight did not start in Florida, the plan violated state law, News Week via MSN reported.

Related Article: Florida Governor's First Lady Casey DeSantis Joins Husband in Hurricane Ian Recovery, Raises Millions in Reliefs

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An initiative of the national charity Princes Trust Australia, the Beyond Service Awards are sponsored by Commonwealth Bank as part of its support for veteran community-owned businesses.

Held at Admiralty House in Sydney on Tuesday, 4 October, the awards were hosted by Chair of the Enterprise for Veterans Advisory Council, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd), Governor-General of Australia; and Chair of Princes Trust Australia, the Honourable Julie Bishop.

Several representatives of Commonwealth Bank attended the ceremony, including Executive General Manager of Small Business Banking Clare Morgan.

Veteran-owned businesses play a valuable role in the community and it was wonderful to celebrate the collective achievements and successes of these small businesses at the Awards, said Ms Morgan.

Hearing their stories of service, and their journeys transitioning into business ownership and entrepreneurship was truly inspiring. On behalf of all of us at CBA, congratulations to the finalists and the winners.

Julie Hall  CBA business banker, proud veteran spouse and parent of a currently enlisted Defence Force member, and a judge at the awards  said the ceremony was a huge celebration in more ways than one.

Veterans are humble and highly skilled  They dont generally do what they do thinking they will be recognised via an award, she told CBA Newsroom. To be able to celebrate their achievements in front of his Excellency the Hon. David Hurley and Chair of Princes Trust Australia  Hon. Julie Bishop is one of the biggest accolades a veteran-owned business can receive.

Ms Hall added she was particularly honoured to be on the judges panel.

I got to know all the finalists together with their exceptional work and background. All high achievers  it was hard to choose our winners, she said.

Beyond Service Award winners

The Power of One Award (recognising the outstanding efforts of an individual who works on their own)  Matt Lewis, Founder of MxM  Made by Matt

(recognising the outstanding efforts of an individual who works on their own)  Matt Lewis, Founder of MxM  Made by Matt The New Mission Award (recognising the application of skills, experience and/or networks developed in service to the Australian Defence Force to a civilian business, sponsored by BAE Systems Australia)  David Ballantyne, co-founder of HomeFront Australia

(recognising the application of skills, experience and/or networks developed in service to the Australian Defence Force to a civilian business, sponsored by BAE Systems Australia)  David Ballantyne, co-founder of HomeFront Australia The Environmental Warrior Award (recognising veteran and ADF family members championing sustainability through their business)  Stuart Alexander, Co-Founder of Great Barrier Reef Safaris/Mission Beach Charters

(recognising veteran and ADF family members championing sustainability through their business)  Stuart Alexander, Co-Founder of Great Barrier Reef Safaris/Mission Beach Charters The Defence Family Business Award (recognising ADF partners and spouses in business, sponsored by PwC Australia)  Bec Waller, Founder of Australian Partners of Defence

(recognising ADF partners and spouses in business, sponsored by PwC Australia)  Bec Waller, Founder of Australian Partners of Defence The Commonwealth Bank of Australia Business of the Year Award (awarded to one of the four category winners)  Stuart Alexander, Co-Founder of Great Barrier Reef Safaris/Mission Beach Charters

Stuart Alexander has reskilled three times in his life  first as a Navy veteran, then an IT specialist, and now an eco-tourism operator, said Michelle Endacott, Chief Executive of Princes Trust Australia. His commitment to protect one of the worlds greatest natural assets alongside his partner Dr Adele Pile, is inspiring.

Visit the Beyond Service Awards site for the full list of finalists.
Four ladies have been accused of attacking two other people while wearing neon green full-body jumpsuits on the NYC subway.

The New York Post claimed that two 19-year-old women were brutally assaulted on a Times Square subway train by a group known as the 'Green Goblin Gang,' which included 34-year-old Emily Soto and 26-year-olds Mairam Cisse Issouf, Ciante Alston, and Dariana Pegueroa. Four further suspects have not had their identities made public.

Green Leotard Gang Robbed Teens in New York Subway

On October 2, when the victims were celebrating their birthdays, their bags and cellphones were also taken. The defendants had each been arrested at least 15 times, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig, who stated this during a press conference on Friday. With nine prior arrests, Peguero has the most, while Alston has only three.

Issouf has one prior arrest, while Soto has two prior detentions. According to Essig, the argument started on the metro platform and moved into the subway vehicle. According to the mother, one of the perpetrators ran into the victims as they were waiting to board the train.

The Green Goblin Gang: Women In Neon Green Leotards Attack 2 NYC Subway Riders



The assailants escaped the scene with a cellphone and a handbag, police told the New York Post. pic.twitter.com/07zzz37A8a  Ground News (@Ground_app) October 4, 2022

One of the victims was visiting her family after college while in the city. Although she was due back at school on October 3, she is still recovering from her wounds and was recently in tremendous pain, according to her mother.

She claimed her daughter was left with numerous bruises and a bite mark that showed through her clothes. Calling NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS is the best way for those with knowledge about the attack to come forward, as per The Independent.

None of the other suspects have been named. Essig claims that each of the four belongs to the Queensbridge Houses public housing project. He claimed that each of them has a criminal record. One victim's mother called what happened on the train extremely awful, and she insisted that the group in green "must be held accountable," according to Fox News.

Read Also: New York City Education Dept. Ex-LGBTQ Program Manager Admits Trans Athletes Have 'Competitive Advantage'

NY Subway Crimes

Following many stabbings over the past week, there are safety worries on the metro. On Saturday, the most recent attack took place. Six guys who attacked the 17-year-old youngster while donning black hooded sweatshirts and surgical masks need to be identified, according to police.

On Saturday afternoon, as the victim waited for the No. 6 train at East 53rd Street and Lexington Avenue station, a group of guys started hitting and kicking him in the head and body. The adolescent was then repeatedly stabbed by one suspect, according to authorities.

To combat organized crime, authorities were attempting to launch the attack. According to NYPD statistics, transit crime is up 41% from this time last year, while felony assaults are up almost 17%. Just on Thursday, three victims of different subway stabbings were stabbed. Saquan Lemons, 27, has been detained by police and is accused of killing Charles Moore, 38, at the station at 176th Street and Jerome Avenue.

Moore was allegedly attacked in the back and chest by Lemons as he approached him with a huge knife when Moore was off a northbound 4 train, according to police. The 17-year-old who was attacked, according to the police, required many stitches but is expected to recover completely, CBS News reported.

Related Article: Thailand Nursery Massacre: 3-Year-Old Survives Horrifying Tragedy After Sleeping Under a Blanket

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North Korea's latest missile launches signify a stern warning after South Korean, and United States navy maneuvers, state news agency KCNA reported Monday.

According to reports from South Korean and Japanese officials, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles early on Sunday, making it the seventh launch since September 25. as per a report from Reuters.

KCNA said that the North Korean ruling Workers' Party decided to hold the drills in reaction to the massive mobilization of US and South Korean naval assets, including an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine.

The news agency said that Kim Jong Un led nuclear strategic unit drills using ballistic missiles with simulated nuclear weapons over the last two weeks to send a powerful message of war deterrence.

The North Korea Missile Tests reportedly emulated attacks on Southern military command centers, major ports, and airports. It has also demonstrated the "effectiveness, preparedness, and practical combat capability" of the North Korean nuclear combat force to attack "any time from any location."

KCNA quoted Kim: "Even if the enemy persists in talking about dialogue and negotiations, we do not have anything to talk about and do not see the need to do so."

North Korea Views US-South Korea Military Drills as Preparation for Invasion

While the United States and South Korea maintain that their joint military exercises are defensive, North Korea views them as invasion rehearsals.

More frequent military drills between the United States and South Korea have increased security concerns for Kim's regime since a conservative government took office in Seoul in May, according to AP News.

Kim supervised the North Korea Missile Tests that saw launches of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile under a dam in the northeast, other ballistic missiles prepared to launch nuclear attacks on South Korean airfields, ports, and command facilities, and a new-type ground-to-ground ballistic missile that soared over Japan, KCNA claimed.

Read Also: Thailand Nursery Massacre: 3-Year-Old Survives Horrifying Tragedy After Sleeping Under a Blanket

It was reported that North Korea conducted its first-ever live firing and other drills using 150 planes.

South Korean private think tank Sejong Institute researcher Cheong Seong-Chang reported that North Korea had conducted its first-ever training involving army forces charged with operating tactical nuclear weapons in conjunction with the missile launches.

Increasing Concerns on North Korea's Nuclear Threat

According to reports from the US and South Korea, North Korea is considering conducting its first nuclear test in five years. It may also use this occasion to demonstrate a smaller tactical device, the type that can be carried in the missiles it has been developing, for the first time, experts warn.

North Korea has been an "irreversible" nuclear state since last month when KimJong-un changed the country's laws to allow for the use of nuclear weapons in self-defense. The prior policy limited the employment of such weapons to defensive situations.

It has also significantly increased the rate at which it fires missiles, with over 40 missile launches this year.

Analysts believe it will be more difficult to destroy the weapons in an attack if the North tests-fires them this year from various launch sites, including trains and convoys, per BBC.

State media sources on Monday called the latest launches "tactical nuclear operations units" rather than missile tests, implying North Korea has created a method of using s short-range nuclear weapons.

Related Article: Russia Missile Strikes Kill 13 in Ukraine City, Death Toll in 9 Days Climbs to At Least 60 Civilians

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Editor's note: this story was updated on Oct. 12 to clarify that the I-Fee no longer includes a fee for the EMU.

When people stayed home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Oregon campus became a ghost town. Events were canceled, buses were emptied, bikes sat unused and Incidental Fee funded programs began to return their money.

The Incidental Fee, or I-Fee, is a yearly fee each UO student pays to the university, and it is the responsibility of ASUO to manage that money. The I-Fee is spent by ASUO, distributed to student organizations and university departments or spent on contracts with companies outside of the university.

When contracts are canceled or organizations and departments don't use their money  like during the COVID-19 pandemic  it is returned to ASUO. This money is called surplus.

At the beginning of this financial year in July, the surplus fund held nearly $1.8 million, according to ASUO Senate President Irisa Mehta. ASUO student senate continued to grant surplus funding over the summer. Now, ASUO has almost $1.1 million in surplus to start the school year, Mehta said.

ASUO President Luda Isakharovs administration plans to bring it back to a sustainable level  $300,000 to $500,000  by spending it, ASUO executive finance director Brad Morin said.

The administrations goal is to spend this large sum of money on events and memorable experiences for students.

COVID is the reason we have so much money in surplus, and that's a reflection of a lot of missed events and programs that students missed, Isakharov said. We want to be intentional, reinvesting that money in things that the whole student body can enjoy.

The first measurable step was the approval of a surplus request for $250,000 by the ASUO executive branch at the ASUO senate meeting on Oct. 5. The funds will be used to host what the executive branch refers to as a headliner event at Matthew Knight Arena, featuring a musician who has yet to be decided.

Additionally, the ASUO executive branch proposed that all revenue from the concert be put into the ASUO event fund intended for concerts. According to the ASUO executive branch the fund will reduce reliance on surplus for these kinds of events.

Some of the surplus could be used to make up for a financial deficit of roughly $240,000 according to Mehta. This deficit is due to under-realization, an ASUO term meaning that UOs projection of I-Fee revenue was overestimated. This has happened for the past two years, and that deficit was covered by surplus funds last year.

Another ASUO fund that could conceivably cover the entire deficit is the prudent reserve, which is a safety net for ASUO.

Currently, the prudent reserve is $800,000, which met the funds minimum requirement when ASUO still controlled the Erb Memorial Union according to Morin. Now that the EMU isnt included in its budget, the prudent reserve minimum requirement is $400,000.

ASUO will decide how the deficit will be covered during the senate meeting on Wednesday, Mehta said.

ASUO is also responsible for managing and spending this years I-Fee. While this years I-Fee revenue is unknown as students will come and go, it was more than $18.2 million during the 2019-2020 financial year, according to the ASUO I-Fee budget book.

The budget is now smaller after the EMU was dropped from the I-Fee fund. The portion of the I-Fee that once paid for the EMU is now a separate charge called the Union Fee.

The I-Fee paid by students is now smaller but will likely grow by 3-5% each year, according to Isakharov. Despite the current surplus, this yearly increase is expected to continue.

One goal for the 2022-23 academic year outside of surplus is to improve student transportation. The ASUO Contracts Finance Committee has entered negotiations with Cascadia Mobility  the operations company for PeaceHealth Rides  in hopes of preserving student accessibility to bike share.

In February 2023, ASUO will ratify budgets for student organizations, departments, contracts and its own operation. Between now and then, they are responsible for deciding exactly what those budgets should be.

Outside of more material plans, general financial priorities have yet to be agreed upon ASUO-wide. But priorities set by the ASUO programs finance committee, the ASUO student senate and the ASUO executive branch emphasize on funding student events that will have a large-scale impact.
Though Jacob Rees- Mogg still has Nanny  the woman who looked after him as a child remains part of his household  the new Secretary of State for Business and Energy has long been a critic of the 'nanny state'. Yet less so, it now seems, than his boss, Liz Truss.

Rees-Mogg had signed off on a 15 million public information campaign to inform us how to save energy as we head into a winter which, in one scenario published last week by the National Grid, could see blackouts and energy rationing, caused by a critical shortage of gas.

But Truss blocked the scheme, according to the Minister for Climate, Graham Stuart, 'because we are not a nanny state government'.

Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg had signed off on a 15 million public information campaign to inform us how to save energy as we head into a winter which, in one scenario published last week by the National Grid, could see blackouts and energy rationing, caused by a critical shortage of gas

This rather misses the point. Nannying is telling an individual not to do something, for his or her own good. A public information programme of the sort proposed is an attempt to give people ideas of how to do something for the good of the nation as a whole.

Blackouts are a collective danger, quite distinct from whatever people are prepared to pay for their own use of gas, which is indeed a matter of individual choice.Yet the massive subsidy Truss has given all gas users, by capping the price at about 2 per therm (when the wholesale price, at the time, was 4.64 per therm) also shields consumers from reality.

Confused

The reality is that the more gas we use, the higher will rise the already vast public debt. The Government has given no idea, other than more borrowing, of how it will finance the cost of its giant handout to energy users. And, therefore, the more gas and electricity we use now, the more our tax bills will have to go up in future.

Truss did not aid the public's understanding of this point by telling three of her questioners, when she did that awkward round of BBC regional radio interviews, that the annual cost of energy bills would be 'capped at 2,500'. No! That was the figure expected to be paid by a so-called 'average' household. It is a unit charge cap, not an overall one: the more energy you use, the more you will pay, without limit.

But Prime Minister Liz Truss blocked the scheme, according to the Minister for Climate, Graham Stuart, 'because we are not a nanny state government'

"Energy sense is common sense"



In 1976 the government asked Delia Smith to front the "Save It" energy campaign to help reduce public consumption



Ministers claimed it saved the country 330m... pic.twitter.com/0eG1rjMpIy  Tides of History (@labour_history) October 7, 2022

The energy-saving campaign of the 1970s employed Delia Smith for a TV public information film showing how to use less energy 'while cooking your family Sunday lunch'

If the PM herself appeared confused about the policy she had introduced, it does suggest that the wider public could benefit from some accurate and helpful information. It is true that newspapers have been assiduous in explaining these matters, and suggesting ways of saving energy. But, unpleasant as it is to acknowledge, not everyone reads newspapers.

The anti-growth mob are a growing menace Have you heard of Kate Raworth? I hadn't until she rolled up on the BBC's Today programme, as a critic of the PM's 'growth' agenda. Turns out that Raworth is the founder of something called Doughnut Economics, which regards the very pursuit of growth as catastrophic, on environmental grounds. Interviewed with polite scepticism by Justin Webb, she went on to say it was only the richest who benefited from growth, and that 'we have not taxed the richest in society'. What? Not at all? Reality check for Kate's benefit: the highest-earning one per cent (those earning at least 160,000) pay around 30 per cent of all income tax. It is the poorest who, quite rightly, do not pay income tax (you need to be earning 12,570 before doing so). Raworth also declared: 'All the evidence shows that when economies aim to grow, it's the richest, the already rich, who are enriched.' But the most important point is that it is economic growth which has done more than anything else to lift the world's least well-off out of poverty. We are principally talking about China, but not only China. The non-partisan Centre for Economic Policy Research set this out in a paper by three of its researchers, entitled 'Growth still is good for the poor'. Analysing figures from 118 countries, they concluded: 'Our results underscore the importance of overall growth for improvements in living standards among the poorest in society. The good news is that policies that promote economic growth will, on average, also raise incomes of the poor, thereby promoting shared prosperity.' We might also quote the writer Tom Chivers, winner of an award from the Royal Statistical Society: 'Economic growth saves children's lives. That is one of the most basic, starkest facts about the modern world. There is a thing called the 'degrowth movement' which wants to stop economic growth. And yes, this would lead almost inevitably to the unnecessary deaths of thousands of children a day.' And here's another fact: Kate Raworth sits on a World Health Organisation advisory council. What a joke. Advertisement

It may be that the Prime Minister simply doesn't believe there is much chance of any blackouts and doesn't want to spend the money on a programme predicated on that possibility.

During the Tory leadership election, when asked if she ruled out energy rationing, she instantly responded: 'I do rule that out, yes.'

Well, first of all, that would not be her decision, but the National Grid's. And second, if the Grid were to be ordered not to ration under any circumstances, that would make blackouts almost inevitable, rather than merely possible.

In other countries, notably Germany, the public have been inundated with public information of the sort that Truss has scorned; and there have also been measures not taken here, such as reducing the heating in municipal swimming baths, and dialling down the thermostat in public offices. In Finland, Sweden and Norway, the saunas are doing the same.

That goes well beyond mere advice. But the Conservative MP Maria Caulfield argues that, still, the PM is 'right to question' if the 15 million cost of such a programme would be 'the best use of taxpayers' money'. Given the likely cost of the Government's subsidy to consumers in keeping down bills was estimated at around 100 billion at the time it was announced, this is laughable.

What would the information campaign have told the public? It seems that it was not going to be as stentorian as that in 1973, when the country was afflicted by a coalmining strike. That 'Switch Off' campaign told TV viewers how, in order to protect 'essential services': 'At home you can get by with less. So switch off some power, now!'

But we can certainly turn down, rather than off. One study has shown that two-thirds of British households heat their homes to more than 20 degrees, with one in ten going above 25 degrees.

Bailout

As the energy columnist known as Giga Watt observed on the Reaction website, a '20 is plenty' campaign 'could make a serious dent in the demand for gas and electricity and reduce that enormous bailout substantially.'

The energy-saving campaign of the 1970s employed Delia Smith for a TV public information film showing how to use less energy 'while cooking your family Sunday lunch'. I imagine Delia is still available, should the call come  although it doesn't take a celebrated cook to tell us that it is considerably cheaper to use a microwave rather than a conventional oven.

Unfortunately, these and other simple tips are not necessarily part of the knowledge of millions of British households, and it would hardly be pointless 'nannying' for them to be given such information in an authoritative way.

Besides, even Truss's heroine, Margaret Thatcher, was not averse to something of this sort: in 1986 her administration used TV public information films under the 'Energy Efficiency' tag, urging households to improve their home insulation.

That wouldn't be a bad idea, either.
The horrifying attacks on Ukraine yesterday  which Vladimir Putin claims were retaliation for Ukraines successful attack on the Kerch bridge  are a sign that the Russian president is, if not yet desperate, getting nearer to it.

They represent a highly significant psychological shift for the beleaguered leader. He is no longer trying to win the war: now he is simply trying not to visibly lose it.

Previously he could have defined victory however he wanted. But by annexing Ukrainian regions, he has upped the already high stakes. If he cedes so-called Russian territory, he will become the Tsar who gave away Russian land instead of the strongman who restored the empire.

And by ordering partial mobilisation on September 21 he ensured the war now touches every Russian family. Putin has made the catastrophic mistake of calling his own bluff.

Previously he could have defined victory however he wanted. But by annexing Ukrainian regions, Putin has upped the already high stakes

He realises he is fighting for his political life and, as we have seen before, he is ready to sacrifice countless lives at the altar of his own ambition. In 2000 he let 118 men die on the stricken Kursk submarine rather than accept help from the West to rescue them.

Now he is prepared to accept appallingly high casualties among the ill-trained conscripts he has sent to Ukraine.

The Russian army has been revealed as shoddy, incompetent and ill equipped. Money that should have been spent on maintenance was siphoned off. Meanwhile the Ukrainian army, equipped with 21st century weaponry by the West, and highly skilled partly thanks to British training, has inspired awe with its indomitable spirit.

Battlefield failure reflects badly on Putin personally because he has built himself up as a warrior president despite having no military experience. Some years ago, I met a group of Russian officers who, after alcohol had lubricated tongues, were scathing about Putins military pretensions. I wouldnt want a virgin telling me what to do on my wedding night, one said.

Meanwhile the Ukrainian army, equipped with 21st century weaponry by the West, and highly skilled partly thanks to British training, has inspired awe with its indomitable spirit

The Russian army has been revealed as shoddy, incompetent and ill equipped. Money that should have been spent on maintenance was siphoned off

These sentiments are becoming more widespread in Russia. Putin is coming under increasing flak from nationalists demanding stronger measures in Ukraine. He is still a rational actor, for now. But anger, self-preservation, and political pressure could alter this.

There are nightmare scenarios that he has so far kept locked away. Now, cornered like the rat he once famously chased as a boy in a St Petersburg basement, he is unlocking them. The missile strikes yesterday were calculated to sow terror  Putin knows the only way hes going to win is if he breaks Ukrainian resistance, or the Wests will to continue supporting Kyiv. We must brace ourselves for attacks nearer home.

He could unleash his cyber warfare trolls to disrupt the banking system for example. There could be more economic mischief making, interrupting global food and energy supplies. I believe that blowing up the Nordstream gas pipe was a warning: Look what I can do. Undersea internet cables are among other likely targets. And we will see more attempts to disrupt politics, such as the forthcoming American mid-term elections. Putin hasnt yet attacked supply lines bringing weapons into Ukraine for fear of Nato retaliation.

Now, cornered like the rat he once famously chased as a boy in a St Petersburg basement, he is unlocking them

But there may be more covert operations in Europe  as when Russian agents blew up an arms depot near Prague in 2014.

I believe that his nuclear threats are largely bluster. But if Ukrainians mount future attacks on Crimea, Putin could feel that he has nothing to lose, as losing the peninsula would finish him.

As a KGB officer in East Germany in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, Putin brandished a pistol at crowds surging into KGB headquarters, successfully bluffing that there were more armed troops inside. Now, he is running out of bluffs, and options.

And that is worrying for us all.

Mark Galeotti is honorary professor at the University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies and the author of 24 books on Russia, including a biography of Vladimir Putin.
A British mother has sparked a furious debate over whether she is okay to leave her 16-year-old son for a week while she goes on holiday.

Taking to British parenting platform Mumsnet, the woman explained that her son will be 16 and a half next year - and doesn't want to go on a family holiday.

The mother said she doesn't want to leave him at home as she feels neglectful - but she thinks he will be fine to be home alone for the seven day period.

But while some users said he would be fine for a week alone, others warned she shouldn't leave him, even if he really wanted it.

A British mother has sparked a furious debate over whether she is okay to leave her 16-year-old son for a week while she goes on holiday (stock image)

In the original post, the mum explained that the boy didn't want to go on holiday with the family next year.

She said: 'Dear son insists he doesn't want to go on holiday with us next year. He'll be 16 and a half.

'I don't want to leave him as I think it's too young. He's mature for 16 but doesn't cook (younger child and dear husband have food allergies so the adults cook), he knows how to make oven food like pizza/nuggets etc so wouldn't starve.

'He'd be home alone as his sister will be at university and the last thing he wants is her coming back to 'babysit'. They get along ok but he wants a week of just being by himself with nobody else home.'

In the original post, the woman explained that she felt her child was mature but that she felt neglectful leaving him alone

She continued: 'I'm not worried about him having parties etc, he's not yet into that scene and has had offers of going to parties but said they're not for him. His friends are always here anyway so it won't bother me if they visit while we are away.

'Grandparents from both sides of the family live within 10 minute walking distance, aunts like 5 minute drive away and would pop in to check if he needs anything.'

She added: 'It would be during school term so would need to get himself sorted for school but he does this anyway with no help from us.

'This is one of my main reasons for not knowing whether to allow it as it feels a bit neglectful but he says he's completely self sufficient when it comes to getting ready for school including doing his own lunch and washing his uniform so should be allowed to stay at home for the week and get himself to school every day.'

She asked the community if it was okay to leave him, or if she should force him to go with them.

The post divided Mumsnet users, however.

Some said the boy was old enough to have a job, become a father and leave home - so of course the mother should leave him alone

One said: 'He's 16 not six,' while another said they lived on their own at that age.

Another pointed out that he could be a father himself at that age, and that the mother should definitely leave him.

A fourth user said that while the holiday was in term time the boy should definitely stay at home and not go.

But others were more concerned, pointing out that although 16-year-olds can technically be fathers, leave home and get a job, most of them don't.

However others warned that they wouldn't leave their 16-year-old alone, and that the parents should try one night away instead to see how it went

And they said that even if the boy was mature, that a week was too long and might end in disaster.

Others warned that he would likely have a party, or at the very least some friends over.

In one comedy post, the user wrote that while they had never met a 16-year-old father they had met a 16-year-old who had flooded the bathroom and not locked doors.

Some said that if the grandparents would check on him then it would be okay to go, but others didn't think this was the case

The original woman explained how the grandparents could cook for the boy or call in to check on him if the boy wished.

She wrote how the boy would likely go there for meals.

And she added: 'My dad would call in each evening on his nightly walk and my mum and dad have a spare bedroom if he decided after a few nights that he didn't like being alone.'

This reassured some users who said this made a difference as it would ensure the boy was safe and having healthy meals.

One user however, who was left alone at 15, was insistent it should not happen.

They wrote: 'I resent to this day that they went on holiday without me. Some horrible kids from school found out and kept coming round.

'My grandparents lived nearby but I was scared to tell them. I wouldn't give him the choice.'
Russia unleashed a barrage of devastating airstrikes on cities throughout Ukraine on Monday, striking the core of the capital of Kyiv, which killed and hurt many civilians and damaged important infrastructure.

Missiles plowed into rush-hour congestion and smashed into power stations in cities across Ukraine, from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the northeast, in retribution for an explosion that destroyed a critical bridge linking Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula on Saturday, NBC News reported.

In a televised speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country's military had carried out a "massive" Russian missile attacks Ukraine's power, military, and communication infrastructures.

Vladimir Putin also ordered his security council to carry out retribution for what the Russian head of state branded as Ukraine's "terrorist" procedures, which included the blasting of the Kerch bridge.

Putin directly blamed Ukraine's special services for the attack, but Kyiv has not taken responsibility for the incident.

The Russian leader threatened that if terrorist strikes were attempted in the future, Russia's countermeasures would be "tough" and would match in magnitude to the severity of threats made to Russia.

Russian Retaliation for Crimean Bridge Explosion

The strikes were a surprise escalation that demonstrated Moscow still could scare Ukraine's populace, after a string of embarrassing failures in the Russia-Ukraine war that increased pressure on Putin.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other authorities have pointed the finger at Russia for the blasts that have rocked Kyiv and the surrounding area after a period of relative tranquillity. Kyiv authorities reported at least five deaths and 32 injuries.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy alleged in a video that Russian missiles and drones have targeted Ukrainian cities, killing citizens and damaging energy infrastructure across the nation.

Read Also: Musk's Proposal for 'Special Administrative Zone' Around Taiwan Draws Ire From Taipei, Praise From Beijing

He accused Moscow of planning to spread "panic and chaos" and to cause "as much damage as possible" across Ukraine.

The world once again saw the true face of a terrorist state that is killing our people. On the battlefield & in peaceful cities. A country that covers its true bloody essence & goal with talks about peace. It proves that the liberation of  is the only basis of peace & security. pic.twitter.com/U08lD1POE9    (@ZelenskyyUa) October 10, 2022

According to a report from DW, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has warned his country's citizens to brace for momentary disruptions in the delivery of power and water services after eleven "significant facilities were destroyed across eight districts and the capital.

Zelensky To Meet with G7 Leaders

Following Russia's missile attacks on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted his agreement with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's call for an emergency meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders.

German officials denounced the violence on Monday and pledged to keep standing with Ukraine following the Russian missile attacks.

According to a spokesperson, Zelenskyy will be participating in a G7 video conference on Tuesday, per Al Jazeera.

The Ukrainian leader claims he will confront Russian aggression, increase pressure on Moscow, and seek help to repair destroyed infrastructure.

During a phone chat between the two heads of state, President Macron pledged to boost military funding for Ukraine.

According to Macron's office, the French leader expressed his "deep concern" over the deadly missile attacks on civilians and reaffirmed "complete support" for Ukraine, including "military equipment" aid.

In response to Russia's missile attacks, Zelenskyy claimed he and Macron had discussed the "need for a tough European and international reaction" in a Twitter post.

Related Article: NATO Membership for Sweden and Finland Might be Jeopardized by Hungary and Turkey

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A Halloween-loving mother-of-five has turned her brood into the real-life Addams Family, converting her Surrey home into a house of horrors for four months every year.

From July to October Sarah Adams - that's her real surname - a 36-year-old stay-at-home mother from Banstead in Surrey, lets loose her 'inner child' and decorates her house with horror dolls, cobwebs and pumpkins for Halloween.

During the family's favourite time of year, spooky movies run non-stop on their TV, surrounded by over 4000 worth of decorations.

Sarah, her partner Sam Cullip, 37, a plasterer, and her five kids who share her Adams surname  Alfie, 17, Jamie, 14, Kobie, 10, Bonnie, 7, Archie, 5 - love dressing up as the Addams Family and look strikingly similar to the macabre TV clan.

After the Halloween decor is cleared, the family create a spooky Christmas, complete with Chucky - the serial killer doll from the Child's Play slasher film franchise - who has a cute festive hat and candy cane.

Sarah Adams, from Surrey, (centre) loves dressing up the entire clan so they look like the famous fictional family, including her partner Sam Cullip (right) and her children (pictured)

The family makes the most of the spooky holiday by decking out the house with 4,000-worth of decorations for four months of the year

As well dressing the house in Halloween-style decorations, the Adams enjoy watching scary films

Explaining that she missed out on Halloween when she was younger, Sarah said: 'Halloween was never really celebrated at home or generally in the 90s. So when I had children, it was my inner child coming out.

'I've got a good excuse with the kids that I'm doing it for them, but in the weirdest way I'm doing it for myself as well.

'I'm making my inner child very happy with all the decorations. I also see myself as a cool mother  maybe a bizarre mother, too  that has the Christmas tree up already and puts Halloween decorations on it.'

Sarah's love for Halloween and all things horror was born when she saw Chucky on screen for the first time aged five but growing up, she felt she was missing out on the fun.

'I would love to tell my teenage or child self that everything will be fine and that you deserve to have celebrations like Halloween eventually,' she remembered.

In 2011, when she was 27 and her older sons were 6 and 3, she began collecting horror-themed decorations to decorate the hallway and picking out trick or treating outfit with the kids.

According to Sarah (pictured), she never celebrated Halloween as a child growing up in the 90s, so now she lets out her inner child and goes all out making the most of the holiday

Now Sarah's Halloweens have become so big some of her 12,000 social media followers ask her each June if she has her spooky decorations up yet.

In fact they start 'edging their way out' from cupboards and from under her ottoman bed in early July.

Meanwhile, her nine spooky dolls are permanently and prominently displayed on a shelf above the stairs - and her favourite is Chucky.

Sarah said: 'He was the first decoration I bought in 2008 and then I officially started collecting Halloween and horror things in 2011.

'I obviously love horror and I couldn't believe when I saw the Chucky doll in a Modelzone shop in Crawley.

Sarah, pictured here with her partner Sam, explained that she started collected Halloween-related items more than 10-years-ago, in 2011

The mother-of-five (pictured) has said her love for all-things Halloween-related was sparked after watching the horror movie Chucky

'You see these things in America, but never here  so I obviously had to buy him. He was 50. A couple of years later, Tiffany, Chucky's bride, was released and I needed to get her as well. From there, this obsession started.'

The creepy doll also had sentimental value for the mum, as it was the first horror film she ever saw.

She said: 'It didn't scare me. It's a brilliant story and I just love Chucky.'

The horror family all dressed up as the Addams Family last Halloween, and she said: 'It was the first family costume we did. Normally we just all dress in costumes we pick out ourselves and it was fantastic.'

But Sarah, would like to make some improvements next time around.

'I said to everyone that we have to retake the picture of us as the Addams Family, because I couldn't find a hand to save my life.

Sarah shows off her creative talents, curating seasonal treats and decorations, which she photographs and shares on Instagram

Rustic: Sarah uses decorations she's acquired over 10 years to put together aesthetically-pleasing displays, like this rustic-style wooden cake stand

'It want Thing - that's what the hand's called - sitting on one of our shoulders. It's really bugging me that I couldn't find one, it seems incomplete, so we want to retake the picture outside with gravestones, fog and pumpkins next year.'

The Addams and Adams families don't just have their last name in common - Sarah reckons her personality is similar to Morticia Addams, her daughter Bonnie resembles Wednesday Addams and her partner Sam has lots in common with Gomez Addams.

She said: 'I'm a very black and white as a person. I don't show that many emotions, like Morticia, but at home I adore my kids over everything  they are my whole life.

'Sam is more romantic than me, he is like Mr Addams in that sense. And my daughter Bonnie, she's Wednesday 100 percent because of the way she looks.'

Details: it's not just the bigger touches that have a Halloween vibe, smaller and more thoughtful touches like mugs (pictured) are given the spooky treatment

As well as watching movies and putting up the Halloween tree, the family enjoys treats, like these decadent spooktacular drinks

In the lead up to Halloween, the Adams family has their favourite Halloween movies running in the background, like A Nightmare Before Christmas, Chucky, Annabelle and obviously The Addams Family.

Making Halloween-themed cookies, playing Cluedo, picking and carving pumpkins as well as a stockings filled with a horror-themed figurines, sweets and chocolate on Halloween morning are also on their programme.

Sarah said: 'When the second Hocus Pocus movie was released, I also threw a party for my kids with handmade cookies and other things I bought at small businesses, like their own Hocus Pocus themed cup.

'I also had biscuits in the shape of cinema tickets they could eat. They loved it  even my 17-year-old, Alfie, said it was nice.'

Sarah isn't the only one in the Adams family who likes all things horror.

Even the bathroom gets in on the action, with special touches like these orange Halloween towels bring a touch of the macabre to the room

While Alfie recently got a glow-in-the-dark Purge mark, Bonnie likes to brush Tiffany's hair and her youngest, Archie, even took Chucky to bed as a cuddly toy.

She said: 'My kids are not fazed by the decorations. The Chucky doll is on top of the stairs all year, as is the Scream Mask.

'When we watch scary movies, I always tell them it's not real and none of the decorations will come to life; I think that helps.

'But I think they're just fearless with things like this and are not the kind of kids that wake up screaming with nightmares.'

Making her house spookier doesn't stop there. The next project involves turning her stairs into an all-year horror display.

She said: 'My partner is making me coffin-shaped shelves  I will have horror stairs, but currently this is still just in my head.'

Just like Christmas, but with a twist, the children enjoy these stocking-style treat bags, decked out with pumpkins and ghosts

According to Sarah, as well as having a passion for Halloween, she 'loves decor and making everything look pretty'

Her partner of 10 years, Sam, has known Sarah for over 15 years, and supports her passion for horror and Halloween.

She said: 'He came home the other day after driving around for hours trying to find a Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas for me.

'He pretended he had to go for a job, when he was really driving around getting this surprise for me.'

Sarah now has hundreds of pieces in her spooky collection that she estimates is worth about 4000, with most coming from America through her friends or bought in the UK at TK Maxx, Asda or Sainsbury's.

She said: 'I love Rae Dunn decorations, because they've got nice writing on them. I probably own 1000 worth just of those.'

And should the space in her three-bedroom house run out, she confesses she'd rather move than get rid of any of her eerie decorations.

'I just love decor and making everything look pretty. I got hooked on it and no one can ever change my mind from it.'
Sarah Ferguson has given an update on the two corgis she adopted following the death of the Queen last month.

The Duchess of York, 61, now cares for the two dogs, Muick and Sandy, with her ex-husband Prince Andrew, 62, at their Royal Lodge home near Windsor Castle.

Speaking at the recent Henley Literary Festival, the royal described taking care of the animals as a 'big honour', according to the Telegraph.

She added that Muick and Sandy are 'national treasures', noting that they have been well-trained, describing them as having been 'taught well'.

As Sarah and Andrew already shared five Norfolk terriers, the two corgis have had to integrate with them.

Sarah Ferguson (pictured at the Queen's funeral on September 19) has given an update on the two corgis she has been looking after following the death of the monarch

The two corgis, Sandy and Muick (pictured) touched people's hearts when they were spotted outside Windsor Castle waiting for the processional of the Queen's coffin following her Westminster Abbey funeral

According to the Duchess: 'They all balance out, the carpet moves as I move but Ive got used to it now.'

The dogs were a gift to the Queen from Andrew and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.

It was believed the pair had been walking the dogs in the months leading to the Queen's death.

The late Her Majesty the Queen owned more than 30 of the sandy, short-legged dogs throughout her reign, however, had resisted taking on any new dogs in recent years not wanting to leave the dogs behind after her death.

Her Majesty's love of corgis was well-known, and after she was gifted one of the dogs for her 18th birthday, she kept the breed for the rest of her life

She was gifted her first corgi, called Susan, for her 18th birthday from her late father King George VI. Ten generations of her corgis then descended from Susan.

Her dogs were given the Royal treatment having their own rooms with elevated wicker baskets and meals of beef, chick, rabbit, liver, cabbage and rice being prepared by a chef each evening.

Sometimes the Queen herself made the dog's meals. But her late husband was said to have 'loathed' the dogs' yapping.

Muick, pronounced Mick, joined the royal family at the start of 2021 along with a so-called 'dorgi', a cross between a corgi and a dachshund, called Fergus.

Muick and Sandy will soon be settling into their new home at Royal Lodge (pictured) in Windsor with the Duke and Duchess of York

Muick had been named after Loch Muick on the Balmoral Estate, where the Queen died on Thursday. Fergus had been named after the Monarch's uncle who was killed during battle in the First World War.

Fergus died after just five months and was later replaced with a new corgi called Sandy, as a 95th birthday present from Prince Andrew and his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Speaking at the time of the new corgi arrivals, the Queen's dresser Angela Kelly, said: 'I was worried they would get under the Queens feet, but they have turned out to be a godsend.

'They are beautiful and great fun and the Queen often takes long walks with them in Home Park.'

Behaviour expert Dr Roger Mugford, who helped the Queen manage her pack of corgis over the years, recently said that the animals were 'psychologically so important' for the Queen's happiness.

The Duchess described the two dogs (pictured here waiting outside Windsor Castle for the Queen's processional on September 19) as 'national treasures'

The two corgis now live with Prince Andrew (pictured) as well as his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge in Windsor

Palace sources speaking to the Daily Mail previously revealed the beloved corgis were 'with [the Queen] in the room' at her deathbed when she died on September 8 at Balmoral.

They then touched people's hearts when they made a poignant appearance at Her Majesty's funeral on September 19.

As the late monarch's coffin made its way from London to its final resting place in Windsor, Muick and Sandy waited for the processional to pass, to see the Queen for one last time.

The dogs were seen waiting in the quadrangle with two aides before the late monarch was laid to rest in St George's Chapel.
A black mother whose daughter is mixed race has hit out at strangers who question if the pair are even related - because the baby has lighter skin than her mother.

Alex McCurry, 36, from Maryland, gave birth to her baby, whose name she has not revealed but whom she calls 'Pudge-Pudge', four months ago.

She posted a video on TikTok venting her frustration after suffering a series of bizarre encounters with people who refused to believe her daughter is related to her.

Alex McCurry, 36, posted a video slamming those who have questioned whether her four-month-old baby is related to her as she has much lighter skin than her mother

The project manager said she needed to let people know that women in interracial relationships can give birth to children 'of all colors'

Alex, who has three children with husband Rob (pictured) said the 'cumulative' impact of strangers asking her similar question that made her go public

Project manager Alex said: If you don't know the person who has the mixed kids, it's not okay to bring up the complexion of their kids.

'She is blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh.'

Addressing her baby, she added: 'One of the things about being a mixed kid is that you're going to experience colorism.

'In our family we treat everyone fairly based on who they are as a person.'

She posted her video after she was approached by a stranger who questioned whether the little girl was really her child.

Alex said: 'Someone essentially questioned whether she was my child, they just didn't understand biology, so I put it on TikTok because I was frustrated.'

She affectionately added the family nicknames the tot 'Pudge-Pudge' because she is 'adorably chubby'.

Alex said it has been a common interaction for the last five years since the birth of her first daughter.

And she said the latest experience with her four-month-old was the final straw.

Alex explained she was out with Pudge-Pudge, hugging and kissing the child, when a woman approached her, saying that the little girl was adorable, but things quickly turned sour.

The woman said: 'Is she your baby?'.

Alex said she wanted people to understand that walking up to a stranger and questioning the parentage was not acceptable

In her TikTok video she told her baby daughter she would face colorism because she was a 'mixed kid'

When Alex replied that she was, the woman was baffled and added: 'But she's so white!'

Alex said it was the 'cumulative' impact that prompted her to go public.

She added: 'I'm letting people know, mothers who are in interracial relationships and have biracial children, can have children of all colors.'

Alex said she wanted people to understand that walking up to a stranger and questioning the parentage was not acceptable.

Since the posting of the video, it has gone viral, accumulating nearly 800,000 likes and 4.9 million views.

Alex said she doesn't want to discourage interactions between people but thinks it's important to understand which questions to ask, which not to, and how to ask them.

She said: 'My frustration came in because this is a very delicate conversation to have because I don't want to discourage a sense of community.

'At the same time, you need to understand that, just because you see a black mother with a child that you don't perceive to look black, it doesn't mean that child is not hers.

'I just think people should be inclusive as possible of everyone. There are different ways for people to do different things every way, every day,' she said.

'You can honestly just let people be who they are, you can just go live your life, without potentially hurting anyone else.'

Since she posted the video, she has received several supportive comments about her actions.

One viewer said: 'As a biracial child and a mother to a biracial child, "yes" to this!'

Another said: 'I have mixed parents, people asked my mum if she was my babysitter [or] nanny.'
New series of The Crown has reportedly filmed 'intimate scenes' between pair

Penny was one of just 30 mourners invited to Prince Philip's funeral in April 2021

The pair shared a friendship spanning nearly five decades and several tragedies

Viewers of The Crown have been left in uproar over reports the upcoming series will portray Prince Philip 'pursuing an affair' with Penny Knatchbull.

The Netflix hit series, which is based on the royal family but also weaves in fictional storylines, is reported to have filmed 'intimate scenes' between the characters which will air just over two months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

It is thought the pair will be seen touching hands as Philip talks about his marriage, in a move that has been branded 'cruel rubbish' by the late Queen's former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter.

Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull (pictured at a polo match) first met in 1975 when she was engaged to Norton Knatchbull, the grandson of Philip's uncle Earl Mountbatten

The pair (pictured at the Royal Winsdor Horse show in 2009) struck up a close friendship over nearly five decades with Penny described as a 'secret keeper' for the Duke

Penny also developed a friendship with Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and bonded with her over their shared love of horses (pictured at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2022)

Natasha McElhone (pictured at the premiere for The First in LA, 2018) will play Penny Knatchbull in the upcoming series of The Crown

Penelope (Penny) Knatchbull, also known as Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who befriended Prince Philip at a polo match in 1975 when she was 20, became one of his closest confidantes despite being 32 years his junior and was pictured on walks with the Duke over the years.

Their closeness had sparked rumours of an affair over their decades-long friendship, however the pair always strenuously denied the accusation.

Also known as Lady Romsey and Lady Brabourne, Penny, 69, bonded with the late Philip over their shared love for the equestrian sport of carriage-driving.

When she met the Duke, Penny was in a relationship with Earl Mountbatten's grandson Norton Knatchbull, whom she eventually married.

Penny Knatchbull, 69, attended the funeral of the Queen today at Westminster Abbey looking demure in an all black outfit and an elegant hat

Penelope Knatchbull arrives at Windsor Castle to attend the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021 following his death at the age of 99

The wedding was delayed for five after Earl Mountbatten was murdered in an IRA bombing in Co. Sligo, 1979.

Norton, 73, is the grandson of Lord Mountbatten - who was famously close to his nephew Prince Philip. Philip was Norton's godson, while Norton is the godfather of Prince William.

Over the years, the Duke and Penny's friendship had become so close that she was one of just 30 mourners invited to his funeral in April 2021 after he passed away at the age of 99.

After the funeral, The Mail on Sunday's Caroline Graham reported Penny looked 'heartbroken' as she said goodbye to her best friend of nearly five decades.

She quoted a royal aide who said Penny was a 'keeper of secrets' for the late Duke who had confided in her throughout their friendship.

The aide said: 'Penny was one of the few friends that Philip continued to see regularly after 2017 and his withdrawal from Royal duties.

'They were brought together by tragedy but were there for each other through thick and thin. He trusted her implicitly and she adored him. She never betrayed him.

'She was a keeper of not only his secrets but those of the entire family.

'Theirs was a deep and lasting friendship. Penny was always jokingly referred to as 'and also' because whenever a list was being drawn up for a family event, be it private or public, it would be "let's invite X and Y" and then Philip would insist '"and also Penny"'

Penny Knatchbull (also known as Brabourne) became closer to the Duke and the Queen following the death of her five-year-old daughter Leonora from kidney cancer in 1991 (pictured at Prince Philip's Service of Thanksgiving, March 2022)

The Duke of Edinburgh and Countess Mountbatten of Burma (pictured riding 'easy riders' at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, 2005) remained close over five decades

After first meeting Prince Philip in the 1970s, mother-of-three Penny is said to have leaned on the Duke and the Queen in 1991 after her five-year-old daughter Leonora tragically died from kidney cancer.

Philip taught the Countess carriage-driving in 1994 and she became his regular companion for the sport. Royal insiders say her enthusiasm for carriage-driving is one of the reasons he continued to take the reins into his late 90s. He was pictured carriage-driving in the grounds of Windsor Castle as recently as 2019.

After the Duke of Edinburgh retired to Sandringham after stepping down from royal duties, Penny was a regular visitor to Wood Farm on the Norfolk Estate.

However, their close friendship was marred by rumours of an illicit romance as people suspected Prince Philip had been unfaithful with his close friend - something the Duke always strenuously denied.

In 1992, after becoming irritated by the suggestions of infidelity, the Duke told a journalist: 'Have you ever stopped to think that, for the last 40 years, I have never moved anywhere without a policeman accompanying me?

'So how the hell could I get away with anything like that?'

The rumours of a romance between the pair were somewhat quietened after Penny also developed a close relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Penny and Her late Majesty are said to have bonded over their mutual love of horse riding.

In 2010, after her husband left her for a new life and lover in The Bahamas, Penny is reported to have earnt enormous respect from the Queen, who reportedly admired how she had kept their historic estate, Broadlands in Hampshire, running as normal despite her personal turmoil.

In July 2021, while the Queen was grieving for her husband who had died a few months earlier, Penny was spotted with the late monarch at the Royal Windsor Horse Show sharing a joke with her.

The Daily Mail's Richard Eden reported at the time that the pair remained 'incredibly close' and that Penny was a 'comfort' to Her late Majesty.

She was also present at the funeral of the Queen at Westminster Abbey last month.
Sales in commemorative coins went through the roof after the Queen's death

It has her five coinage portraits on one side and a single portrait on the other

One of the first ten 10 coins that celebrates Queen Elizabeth II being the longest reigning monarch is being flogged for more than 6,400.

The coin was milled in 2015 as Queen Elizabeth overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as having the most time on the throne.

The coin has the five coinage portraits created of the Queen throughout her record 70-year reign.

Just 180 of the rare coins were minted in the Royal Mint at Llantrisant, near Cardiff.

However, you would not be able to use the coin as it is only commemorative.

Sam Spiegel, the Director of International Numismatics at Heritage Auctions, said: 'While modern British coins have been steadily increasing in popularity in recent years, we did see a notable increase since Queen Elizabeth's passing.

One of the first ten 10 coins that celebrates Queen Elizabeth II being the longest reigning monarch is being flogged for more than 6,400

The coin was milled in 2015 as Queen Elizabeth overtook her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as having the most time on the throne

The coin has the five coinage portraits created of the Queen throughout her record 70-year reign

'This increase was most noticeable on lower value coins (those less than 1,000), which suggests that the demand is coming from new collectors, outside of traditional numismatic circles, who are primarily looking for a memento or commemorative piece.'

The coin was made of .999 quality gold, with the front, a single portrait of Her Majesty, designed by James Butler MBE RA, who also designed the Queen's Great Seal of the Realm, which has been in use since 2001.

The reverse, of the Queen's five coinage portraits from throughout her reign, was created by Stephen Taylor, who has been a designer for the Royal Mint for more than 10 years.

That side also features her Royal Cypher and the words 'The Longest Reign'.

The five coinage portraits of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II from 1953, 1968, 1985, 1998 and 2015 respectively

A limited collection was released by the Royal Mint that for the first time ever features two monarchs on one coin. The most expensive item in the Royal Mint 's Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Coin Collection is a 82,950 gold coin in the 'ounce' range weighing 1kg (pictured)

Meanwhile, the legend on the front, translated from Latin, reads: 'Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God Queen Defender of the Faith'.

Sales of commemorative coins have shot up following the death of the Queen last month.

The Royal Mint has also released other coins in the last few weeks, including the first ever coin with two different monarchs of Elizabeth II and Charles III on them.

Meanwhile, coins with the profile of King Charles III have been unveiled by the Royal Mint - as the 50p is set to go into circulation before Christmas.

The new 5 Crown is one of three new designs launched by the Royal Mint as part of a Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Coin Collection

People will start to see the King's image in their change from around December, as 50p coins depicting Charles gradually enter circulation to meet demand.

During Her Majesty's reign, there were five representations of the Queen on coins in circulation, released in 1953, 1968, 1985, 1998 and 2015.

There have also been commemorative coins, such as for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.

The British monarch only started to appear on bank notes in 1960.

All UK coins bearing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II will remain legal tender and in active circulation.

Yet while the Queen's image faces to the right on current coins, new ones show the King facing left.

This is due to a tradition dating from the 17th Century to alternate the way successive monarchs are facing.

The only exception to the tradition has been Edward VIII, who wanted to face left rather than right during his 326-day spell as monarch, the shortest ever for a British monarch, from January 20, 1936, to December 11 of the same year before he abdicated.

Historically it has been commonplace for coins featuring the effigies of different monarchs to co-circulate, helping to minimise the environmental impact and cost.

The King's effigy has been created by sculptor Martin Jennings, and has been personally approved by Charles

In keeping with tradition, the King's portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction to Queen Elizabeth II

The last coin to break that tradition was Edward VIII's coin (right), which faced left even though the coin for his father George V (left) also did so before him

The King's portrait will first appear on a special 5 Crown and 50p commemorating the Queen

There are around 27 billion coins currently circulating in the UK bearing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

These will be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn and to meet demand for additional coins.

Dr Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said: 'Over the coming years it will become common for people to find coins bearing His Majesty and Queen Elizabeth II's effigy in their change, engaging new generations in the story of Britain's Royal Family.'

After George VI died, the Queen's coins did not appear until 1953  the year after her accession and the year of her coronation.
The Countess of Wessex looked radiant in blue today as she continued her Africa trip with a visit to Botswana, which will be followed by Malawi later this week.

Sophie, 57, attended a Commonwealth Points of Light Reception at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Gaborone this afternoon to celebrate the academic and community-based accomplishments of young people from across the family of nations.

The mother-of-two stunned in a white-and-blue floral dress as she handed out Points of Light awards to individuals making extraordinary change in their community.

Royal blue! The Countess of Wessex pictured at a Chevening and Commonwealth Scholars and Commonwealth Points of Light Reception, at Westminster House, Residence of the British High Commissioner, in Gaborone

The Countess of Wessex received flowers from Afilwe Sebonego, aged 11, at the British High Commissioner's residence in Gaborone

Sophie attended a Commonwealth Scholars and Commonwealth Points of Light Reception celebrating the academic and community-based accomplishments of young people from across the family of nations, including athletes who recently took part in the Commonwealth Games

This afternoon's reception follows her meeting with the President of the Republic of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, this morning.

Sophie is visiting the countries in her capacity as global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).

Ending avoidable blindness is a cause the royal, who is married to King Charles' brother Prince Edward, has long lent her name to, and she has worked with the IAPB for some 20 years.

Sophie, who was vice patron of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, which was set up in 2012 to work against avoidable blindness, and was operational (as planned) until 2020, first visited Botswana to see the legacy of the trust, which was set up in 2012 to work against avoidable blindness.

The Countess the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Lemogang Kwape, ahead of a dinner reception at the Gaborone International Convention Centre

Sophie met with Dr Lemogang Kwape and other ministers and dignitaries during the reception tonight

Dressed in a vibrant pink dress, Sophie listened closely during her meeting with Bostwana's dignitaries

The Countess looked very animated as she spoke with Dr Lemogang Kwape during tonight's dinner

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Sophie shared a long conversation at the dinner table tonight

The Countess looked elegant in the pink dress, which she paired with dropped earrings and a silver necklace

The royal, who was wearing her trademark updo, looked poised and collected during the event tonight

Sorry was wearing a glamourous makeup, with a trait of deep black eyeliner, a nude lip and some blush

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Lemogang Kwape addressed the room and delivered a friendly speech during the event

Tonight's glitzy reception was held in honour of Sophie's visit to Botswana. The Countess looked in her element as she chatted with the other guests

The Countess presented certificates to some of the recipients of the Power of Light award

Among her appointments today, Sophie met the President of the Republic of Botswana Mr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (pictured in the President's Office)

As a passionate advocate for eye health, Sophie spoke on behalf of the Pono Yame school eye health programme while visiting Molefe Primary School in Kopong today

Teachers and pupils from Molefe Primary School were photographed this morning, as they waited for the arrival of the Countess of Wessex

While in Botswana, the royal has visited Molefe Primary School in Kopong, meeting children who've benefited from treatments the Trust was involved in, including the Pono Yame school eye health programme which aims to identify and treat vision problems in young people.

She is set to attend a Chevening and Commonwealth Scholars and Commonwealth Points of Light reception later today, which will celebrate the accomplishments of young people from the family of nations.

The politician and the royal appeared to enjoy the meeting, with photographs of the appointment showing Sophie beaming

While visiting the president's office, the Countess of Wessex made sure to sign the guest book (pictured)

Beaming: both Mr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (left) and Sophie, Countess of Wessex (right) were seen smiling broadly as they shook hands

Sophie will then mark World Sight Day, on September 13, in Malawi, where she will visit a local clinic to learn about its sight saving surgeries and treatments, as well as meeting patients and hearing their stories.

These appearances follow Sophie becoming the first member of the Firm to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which she did last week, in a trip which had been planned for many months before the death of the Queen.

There, the countess's visit focused on addressing the devastating impact of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict, while supporting and empowering survivors and tackling the stigma they face.

When Sophie visited Molefe Primary School, she was treated to a performance by members of the traditional troupe Gatalatau (pictured)

The performance (pictured) by members of the traditional troupe Gatalatau was put on for the royal as well as government ministers

Sophie Wessex visited Molefe Primary School today as part of her ongoing advocacy work for avoidable blindness

The traditional dance troupe Gatalatau were photographed as they performed for the royal, politicians, and others

Sophie's solo visit to Africa has seen her make a number of appearances. She is currently in Botswana, and will visit Malawi later this week

She arrived in the country alongside Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime Minister's special representative on preventing sexual violence in conflict.

During the first day of her trip, she attended a meeting in Bukavu, South Kivu Province, with representatives from TRIAL International.

A peace agreement was signed in 2002 but violence continued in some areas, requiring a large United Nations military force to try to maintain order.

This August, Africa's second largest country faced rising regional tensions in the east, with weeks of deadly protests against UN peacekeepers.

The Countess of Wessex (pictured during today's visit to Molefe Primary School) is currently visiting Botswana as part of her advocacy work with blindness charities

Sophie, 57, met a number of children who have participated in the Pono Yame school eye health programme while visiting Molefe Primary School (pictured) today

Sophie warmly shook hands with the Minister of Health Grace Muzila during her visit to the school today

The royal also talked to Pearl Mookotsane, aged 15, who has received eye care through the Pono Yame scheme

Pearl and Sophie chatted as the schoolgirl's mother looked on. Pearl was wearing her uniform and a pair of protective sunglasses

The Countess of Wessex, who was sat next to the Health Minister of Botswana, looked in great spirits during her visit today

Sophie enthusiastically waved at some of the guests who came to attend a presentation at the school

Sophie's visit took during the run-up to the International Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Conference, which is being hosted by the UK Government in London next month, and which the countess will attend.

She publicly committed herself to supporting the UK's work helping victims of rape, sexual violence and exploitation in war in 2019.

It is a non-governmental organization which is dedicated to fighting impunity for international crimes in conflict, as well as providing legal support to survivors of conflict related violence and human rights violations as they seek justice.

Sophie Wessex (pictured) has long worked to raise awareness around avoidable blindness, and has been a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) for 20 years

During her royal visit to Molefe Primary School in Kopong today, the countess gave glasses to children who have participated in the Pono Yame school eye health programme

The royal looked delighted to meet schoolchildren today, beaming as she gave one boy a pair of glasses

The Pono Yame school eye health programme seeks to identify vision problems in schoolchildren, so they can be treated

Smiling: the royal appeared to be extremely happy as she visited Molefe Primary School, and was snapped smiling broadly

Numerous images from the primary school visit today show the countess looking delighted to be carrying out her royal work

Sophie Wessex (pictured) became the first royal to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo last week, ahead of today's trip to Botswana (pictured)

Chatty: the royal appears animated as she talks with schoolchildren during her appearance in Kopong today

In its recent history, the DRC has endured years of civil conflict in what has been called Africa's world war, with the loss of up to six million lives through fighting or disease and malnutrition.

Sophie said last year that hearing survivors' stories of sexual violence has taken her to 'some very dark places' during her work to raise awareness.

'Every story I am told is pushing me forward. I feel obligated to tell people this is happening - it is their story to tell and I support them,' she added.

Sophie, who is married to King Charles' brother Prince Edward, carried out an official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the request of the Foreign Office

Sophie's visit took place during the run-up to the International Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Conference, which will be hosted by the UK Government in London next month, and which the countess will attend

During the first day of her trip, Sophie attended a meeting in Bukavu, South Kivu Province, with representatives from TRIAL International
Prince Andrew looked in high spirits while horse-riding through the Windsor Estate this morning, as a lawyer for one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims has warned his legal woes aren't over yet.

The Duke of York, 62, who is often spotted out and about on horses on the estate, may face yet more issues as Ghislaine Maxwell has until 2023 to cooperate with prosecutors, according to lawyer Spencer Kuvin.

Mr Kuvin, who represented nine of Epstein's accusers, told a new documentary that there could yet be further revelations.

Prince Andrew, 62, beamed as he rode his horse through the Windsor Estate this morning with some friends - amid an explosive documentary which brands him an 'idiot'

The Duke of York, who is often spotted on the Windsor Estate riding horses, a great love of his, was stripped of his military titles in January 2022

Despite the warnings of more turmoil afoot, Prince Andrew appeared carefree as he rode through the estate - and was so seemingly relaxed he was even pictured driving his Range Rover without having his hands on the steering wheel.

Ghislaine Maxwell, 60, the former girlfriend of convicted paedophile Epstein, is currently living out her days in FCI Tallahassee, a low-security federal prison in Florida.

In June she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse dozens of young women.

Speaking in documentary 'Prince Andrew: Banished' which debuted on streaming service Peacock in the US last week, Mr Kuvin revealed the story 'isn't over'.

The documentary also hears from former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter, who brands the Queen's second son 'an idiot'.

Despite warnings from a lawyer representing Jeffrey Epstein's accusers that his legal woes may not yet be over, Andrew looked remarkably relaxed

The Duke appeared deep in conversation with his fellow horse-riders as they took a stroll through the Windsor Estate this morning

He tells the film crew: 'There's always one runt of the litter, and Andrew was it.'

Royal author Phil Dampier adds: 'He's never smoked or taken drugs or drunk alcohol but his one big thing is sex.'

Andrew's royal career ended in disgrace after he was forced to pay millions of pounds in an out-of-court settlement to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre earlier this year.

She claimed he sexually abused her three times in 2001 when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein, though Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The settlement was not an admission of liability, but the Queen's supposedly favorite son was stripped of his royal patronages and honorary military titles.

Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew was granted permission by his brother, King Charles, to wear his military uniform on one occasion in order to pay his respects to his late mother.

He was pictured arriving at Westminster Hall with his brother, Prince Edward, while dressed in the uniform, as the pair joined their siblings the King and Princess Anne to take part in a Vigil of the Princes around their mother's coffin.

During the vigil, which lasted for around 10 minutes, the siblings stood around the Queen's coffin to 'guard' it while she was lying in state and members of the public filed past.
The Danish royal family is facing a 'very real crisis' after the row over titles 'shattered people's image' of Queen Margrethe and her family, an expert has claimed.

The monarch, 82, revealed two weeks ago she would be removing the princely titles from her youngest son Joachim's four children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10.

The news was announced via a palace statement which said: 'As of January 1 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark ceasing to exist.'

Queen Margrethe said she wants the four children to live more normal lives, however, her decision upset Joachim and his four children, with the prince insisting his mother only gave him five days' notice - despite the Royal Household claiming the decision 'has been a long time coming'.

But as the conflict brewed between the Danish royals, Spanish magazine Vaniatis Elconfidencial claimed the real reason for the rift was because Joachim 'was deeply in love with his sister-in-law Mary'.

Now, experts have told how the ensuing public row has caused a 'real crisis', with royal expert Trine Villemann telling the Guardian: 'It has shattered peoples image of the queen, and of the family.'

The Danish royal family has found itself in the midst of a real crisis, according to an expert who said the very public row sparked by Queen Margrethe (pictured) stripping her four youngest grandchildren of their titles has shown people a different side

Prince Joachim (centre) has publicly voiced his dismay at his mother's decision to strip his children of their titles (pictured L-R: Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik and Prince Nikolai in September)

The row has been further complicated by reports that Prince Joachim (right) is in love with his sister-in-law Crown Princess Mary (centre), who is married to Crown Prince Frederik (left)

'There may have been questions of protocol, but she is a mother and a grandmother  couldnt she just have picked up the phone and said, look, we have to sort this out?'

Meanwhile Jacob Heinel Jensen, royal correspondent of the BT tabloid, said it is the public nature of the squabbling that has shocked people the most.

He explained: 'It's extremely unusual, even unprecedented.

'Not only did they quite clearly fail to talk it all over internally, but they are now washing their dirty linen in public...We all like this fairytale idea of a happy, harmonious royal family  but it turns out theyre really not.'

Prince Frederik of Denmark 'was not part of a meeting' between his mother Queen Margrethe II and his younger brother over royal titles, the Royal Household confirmed - after Prince Joachim admitted the siblings' relationship is 'complicated'. Pictured, Frederik and Joachim in August 2022

Queen Margrethe (centre, in 2015) had a meeting with Prince Joachim (right) following animosity after he said his children were 'hurt' by her decision to remove their princely titles (Left: Crown Prince Frederik)

Speaking after the public announcement was made, Prince Joachim told Ekstra Bladet his children had been 'hurt' by the decision and that he had only been given five days to break the news to them before it was publicly announced.

Meanwhile, heir to the throne Frederick and his wife Princess Mary's four children - Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 11 - remain unaffected by Margrethe's decision as they are direct descendants of the future King.

Amid the scandal, Joachim and his second wife Marie admitted their relationship with his older brother Crown Prince Frederik and his sister-in-law Crown Princess Mary is 'complicated'.

And the Spanish magazine Vaniatis Elconfidencial has since sparked more speculation around the rift, after reporting that Joachim 'was deeply in love with his sister-in-law Mary'.

A Spanish magazine reported the Prince had been 'deeply in love' with his sister-in-law and Crown Prince Frederik's wife, Princess Mary. Pictured in 2014

The Danish Royal Family tree. Prince Joachim's children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will all be losing their titles on January 1, 2023

A photograph was even published by Swedish womans weekly magazine 'Svensk Damtidning', allegedly showing Joachim trying to kiss Mary at a gala party of the Royal Guard Regiment.

The Spanish magazine recalled: 'With obvious signs of drunkenness, it seems that the youngest son of Queen Margarethe tried to stamp his lips on his sister-in-law's mouth, that she got out of the way as she could and with an unperturbed smile, while Marie witnessed the embarrassing moment.'

While Prince Joachim is understood to have since met with his mother to discuss the rift, reports say Crown Prince Frederik was not part of the meeting'.

Following the meeting, the palace confirmed that the monarch and Joachim want to 'look forward' and are trying to 'find their way through' their differences, amid the very public row.

It's been a dramatic few weeks for the Danish Royal Family after Queen Margarethe II of Denmark announced she would be removing princely titles from four of her grandchildren. (Pictured, L-R: Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Mary and Prince Frederik in 2019)

Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her eldest son refused to answer questions regarding the fallout of last week's bombshell royal titles as they arrived at the state opening of parliament on Tuesday

Queen Margrethe (pictured in blue) made the decision to strip princely titles from Prince Nikolai (left), Prince Felix (second from left), Prince Henrik (right) and Princess Athena (second from right). Also pictured: Prince Joachim and Princess Marie

A bitter royal row within the household has unfolded in recent weeks after Queen Margrethe, 82, announced she would be removing princely titles from Joachim's children, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10. Pictured, Marie, Joachim, Mary and Frederik on 11 September 2022 in Denmark

As of January 1, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, will become Counts and Countesses, and will be known as Their Excellencies, it was announced on Wednesday. Pictured, the children with Prince Joachim and Princess Marie on September 11, 2022

Last Tuesday, amid the ongoing row, Queen Margrethe and her eldest son refused to answer questions regarding the fallout as they arrived at the state opening of parliament.

Margrethe was joined by Crown Prince Frederick and his wife Princess Mary at the opening of the Folketing, in Copenhagen.

The assembled press asked a flurry of questions to all three royals on their arrival but the trio 'chose with big smiles to turn their backs to the press and talk among themselves before they entered Christiansborg', the seat of the Danish parliament, according to local news outlet BT.

It came hours after Queen Margrethe issued a public apology for her decision to strip four of her grandchildren - the sons and daughters of her youngest son, Prince Joachim - of their royal titles.

She said she was sorry for hurting her family with the 'difficult decision' but insisted it was the right choice.

Danish royal commentators said the public statement was 'completely unusual' and showed how serious the conflict within the family has become.

They added the Queen likely fears coming across as an 'ice queen', following several emotive public statements from Joachim in which he spoke of how his children had been 'harmed' by their grandmother's decision.

In a statement released online, the Queen said she had made the decision as 'a mother, grandmother and monarch' and 'no one should doubt' her family are 'her great pride and joy'

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark (pictured) have admitted their relationship with Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary is 'complicated' - and that they still haven't heard from Margrethe II after she stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles

Front: Queen Margrethe, Middle Row (left to right): Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik. Back row (left to right): Princess Benedikte, Princess Isabella, Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Christian, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, Prince Felix and Prince Nikolai in a portrait celebrating Queen Margrethe's Golden Jubilee

Speaking to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet, royal house expert Lars Hovbakke Srensen said: 'It is a completely unusual situation, it is historic, and it shows something about the seriousness that the Queen feels called to make such a personal announcement in a press release.

'It is quite unusual and she has never done this before. It shows that there is a huge conflict.'

Mr Srensen added the Queen's statement was a way of 'trying to close this conflict' and draw a line under it, following several days of turbulence between the monarch and her youngest son.

Two weeks ago, Prince Joachim told Ekstra Bladet his children had been 'hurt' by their grandmother's decision to remove their princely titles and make them counts and countesses, adding he had only had a few days to break the news to them before it was announced publicly.

Prince Joachim of Denmark (pictured) once again hit out at his mother Queen Margrethe II's decision to strip his four children of their royal titles

Speaking in Copenhagen (pictured) Crown Princess Mary of Denmark defended her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe's decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, and suggested her own children's positions might not be secure

However, according to Mr Srensen: 'You cannot have members or former members of the royal house constantly speaking in the press about the Queen's decision and discussing back and forth with each other in full public view.'

He added Queen Margrethe 'had to say something' following Prince Joachim's public comments.

Revealed: The Danish Royal Family's VERY glamorous palaces It's perhaps no surprise that a European Royal Family enjoys several castles and palaces - however for the Danish household, many of the properties are owned by the state, and run by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties. This includes the main residence of Amalienborg, the family's spring home of Fredensborg Palace, their summer house of Grasten Palace and the hunting lodge Eremitageslottet . The Danish Queen's personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, Chateau de Caix in France, and the royal hunting lodge in Jutland at Trend. Prince Joachim lives with his second wife in Paris - but when he returns home to Denmark it is sometimes to the Schackenborg Castle in southern Jutland. The estate was the prince's private residence from 1993 to 2014, before he sold the property. But since Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are on the board of the Schackenborg Castle Foundation, they occasionally return to live there for short periods of time. Amalienborg, the Danish household's main residence, pictured The family's spring home of Fredensborg Palace, pictured The Danish Queen's personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, pictured The Royal Danish family's summer residence of Grasten Slot, pictured Advertisement

In a statement, the monarch admitted she had 'underestimated' the impact of her actions but said it was 'a long time coming' and it had been made as 'a Queen, mother and grandmother.'

Another royal expert, Jacob Heinel Jensen, agreed the Queen felt 'compelled' to issue a public statement about the reported animosity and told B.T. the Queen's statement reflected the 'crazy situation' the Danish Royal Household finds itself in.

He added it is likely she did not want to make a public apology about her decision, but that Prince Joachim's public comments left her with no choice but to address the accusations.

Mr Heinel Jensen said: 'Queen Margrethe has felt compelled to [issue a statement], and it is because the Royal House is of course afraid that she will appear like an ice queen, which she has become in the past week. This is of course an attempt to say that she is not, she also feels it and is upset about the situation.'

He added he thought the Queen's decision was the right one - although he was unsure if it would calm Prince Joachim's strong feelings about his mother's decision.

The Queen's statement read: 'In recent days, there have been strong reactions to my decision on the future use of titles for Prince Joachim's four children. It obviously affects me.

'My decision has been a long time coming. With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look forward.

'It is my duty and my wish as Queen to ensure that the monarchy continues to shape itself in keeping with the times.

'It sometimes requires difficult decisions to be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment.

'Carrying a royal title entails a number of obligations and duties, which will in future be the responsibility of fewer members of the royal family.

'This adaptation, which I see as a necessary safeguard for the future of the monarchy, I want to make in my time.'

She continued: 'I have made my decision as Queen, mother and grandmother, but as a mother and grandmother I have underestimated how much my youngest son and his family feel affected. It makes a big impression, and I'm sorry for that.

'No one should be in doubt that my children, children-in-law and grandchildren are my great joy and pride.

'I now hope that we as a family can find the peace to find our way through this situation ourselves.' She signed off the note; 'MARGRETHE R.'

According to Mr Srensen, the incredibly personal statement, which includes the Queen's admission she had 'underestimated' how seriously her grandchildren would be affected by the change, shows how serious the conflict within the family is.

Meanwhile Frederik's brother Joachim and his second wife Marie admitted their relationship is 'complicated'.

Speaking to B.T. they also said Queen Margrethe has 'unfortunately not' tried to speak to them, with Joachim adding: 'It's also family. Or whatever we want to call it.'

During the interview, B.T reported that a French woman approached the royal couple and told them their children will 'always be princes and princesses to her', apparently leaving Marie and Joachim in tears.

Elsewhere, Marie, the mother of Joachim's two youngest children, told the Danish news outlet that her daughter Athena is being bullied at school after the decision was publicly announced earlier this week.

'They come and say (to Athena): Is it you who is no longer a princess?,' she said, adding that her children were put under the public spotlight and so she feels the need to defend them.

Last week, Joachim hit out at his mother Margrethe's decision, saying it 'punished' his children, as well as claiming he had only been told the news five days before it was made public - despite the Royal Household insisting the move 'has been a long time coming'.

Meanwhile, Princess Mary came out in public support of her mother-in-law's move while speaking in an interview with Ekstra Bladet in Copenhagen on Friday, saying that while 'change can be extremely difficult and can really hurt... this does not mean that the decision is not the right one'.

The oldest son of Australian-born Princess Mary, 50, and Frederik is Prince Christian, 16, who is second-in-line to the throne.

Frederick and Mary's four children - Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 11 - remain unaffected by the monarch's decision as they are direct descendants of the future King.

However Princess Mary suggested that might not always be the case, saying they will 'also look at [their] children's titles when the time comes'.

Speaking about the monarch's intention to slim down the Danish royal family, Joachim said: 'The reality must still be: whether you modernize or slim down, it must be done in a proper way. It's about children. Orderliness and children. It is a very heavy matter.'

Commenting on Princess Mary's point that her children may too lose titles in the future, Joachim said: 'I don't know how they feel if they have to think it through. Now is preparation time. We didn't have that.'

Last week, commenting on his children's reaction to the move to B.T., Joachim said his children 'don't know which leg to stand on as their identity is removed' - and questioned 'why must they be punished in that way?'.

The prince said: 'I can say that my children are sad. My kids don't know which leg to stand on. What they should believe. Why should their identity be removed? Why must they be punished in that way?'

'I don't want to engage in speculation and mudslinging,' said Joachim. 'I am telling the truth... I was given five days notice... I was given five days' notice of this. To tell my children that on New Year's their identity will be taken from them.'

He added that in May, he was presented with a plan that his 'children's identity should be taken from them when each of them turned 25', to which he asked 'to be allowed to come back with my proposal'.

But he said he was given just five days notice that the decision was to be accelerated, adding: 'I am so sorry for my children. I just demand the truth.'

Speaking at a function at the National Museum in Copenhagen on Wednesday night, pictured, Margrethe 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'

Prince Nikolai said that he is sad, shocked and confused after his royal title was stripped 'quickly'. Pictured modelling during the Dior Pre-Fall 2019 Men's Collection show on November 30, 2018 in Tokyo

His ex-wife, Countess Alexandra, the mother of his two eldest children, added in a statement to Danish magazine Se og Hr: 'This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.'

Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix's mother says she's 'in shock' by move to strip them of their royal titles Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg - Prince Joachim's ex-wife and mother to Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix - said she is 'in shock' over Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's decision to strip her sons of their royal titles. Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, along with their younger siblings Prince Henri, 13, and Princess Athen, 10, from their father's second marriage, will all have their titles of prince and princess removed from January 1 2023, the palace announced yesterday. 'We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock,' Alexandra said in a statement from her press advisor Helle von Wildenrath Lvgreen, reported Danish magazine Se og Hr. The statement continued: 'This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracised. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.' Earlier this month, Alexandra attended Queen Margrethe's Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Danish Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. Prince Joachim married his second wife Princess Marie in 2008, and they later welcomed Prince Henrik and Princess Athena Advertisement

Her spokesperson Helle von Wildenrath Lvgreen told another news organisation that Joachim learned of his children's fate via an aide.

Queen Margrethe spoke neither to her sons nor her grandchildren, it is claimed.

'The children have received the message that they are losing their titles, delivered by their father, just as Countess Alexandra was told by Prince Joachim,' the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, speaking about the decision last Wednesday, Queen Margrethe 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.'

And the Royal Household released another statement, saying: 'As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming.

'We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen's wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.'

Prince Nikolai, a model, also spoke out last week, telling Ekstra Bladet: 'My whole family and I are of course very sad. We are, as my parents have also stated, in shock at this decision and at how quickly it has actually gone.

'I am very confused as to why it has to happen like this,' he told reporters from outside the Copenhagen apartment where he lives with his girlfriend.

Countess Alexandra, Prince Joachim's ex-wife and mother to Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, is also 'very sad' and 'shocked' about the decision.

'She can't believe why and why now, because there's no good reason,' Helle von Wildenrath Lvgreen, press secretary to Countess Alexandra told CNN.

'They would lose their titles anyway when they get married one day. Her sons are young men so maybe they might get married in the near future so why shouldn't it wait until that day so that the titles would disappear on a happy day?'

Under the agreement, Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena will be known as either His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat from January 1, 2023.

However they will maintain their positions in the order of succession.

They are currently seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth, but would move down if any of Crown Prince Frederick's children were to have children.

Margrethe, who is the world's longest serving queen and celebrates her Golden Jubilee this year, 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. She was joined by her son Crown Prince Frederick at the Queen's funeral earlier this month.

The Queen seemingly enjoys a close relationship with both sons and all eight of her grandchildren, and makes regular appearances with both families. However there is now said to be an 'ice-cold air' between the Queen and her grandchildren.

Countess Alexandra's press secretary questioned why the change could not have waited until their wedding day, when her sons would 'lose their titles anyway'. Pictured, Alexandra Countess Of Frederiksborg

The move is said to have driven a wedge between Margrethe and her four grandchildren. Pictured, the Queen (centre) with sons Joachim (left) and Crown Prince Frederick (right). Also pictured: Crown Prince Frederick's wife, Crown Princess Mary (right) and son Prince Christian (in his lap) and Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix (left) who will be affected by the change

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

'There is ice-cold air between Queen Margrethe and her grandchildren after she decided that they will lose their titles as prince and princess from the New Year,' leading Danish publication Ekstra Bladet reported.

'The news, which has crushed both the four children and their parents, was not delivered by the queen herself.

'They have not been called to Amalienborg for a cold coke and an explanation as to why they must henceforth be addressed as counts and countesses. Not even that far.'

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

Queen Margrethe has a well-cushioned allowance, with the Danish Civil List granting her 800,813 a month, or 9.6 million for the year to run the royal household - including staff, properties and administration, according to Business Insider.

Meanwhile, Celebrity Net Worth lists her net worth at around 37million.

Around 183,750 per month is reportedly given to the Queen's children. Crown Prince Frederik receives the largest amount of this money, of which 10 per cent is given to his wife, Princess Mary.

Many of the Danish Royal Family's properties are owned by the state, and run by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties.

This includes the main residence of Amalienborg, their spring home of Fredensborg palace, their summer house of Grasten Palace and the hunting lodge Eremitageslottet .

The Danish Queen's personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, Chateau de Caix in France, and the royal hunting lodge in Jutland at Trend.

Prince Joachim lives with his second wife Princess Marie in Paris, where he has been working as a Defense Attache at the Danish Embassy since September 2020 - but when he returns home to Denmark it is sometimes to the Schackenborg Castle in southern Jutland.

The estate was the prince's private residence from 1993 to 2014, before he sold the property.

But since Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are on the board of the Schackenborg Castle Foundation, they occasionally return to live there for short periods of time.

In the summer of 2020, Prince Joachim suffered a stroke while holidaying in France with his family and had to be rushed into hospital for emergency brain surgery.

Prince Joachim's eldest sons, Felix and Nikolai, are Margrethe's eldest grandsons and have embraced a life in the public eye.

The 20-somethings, who both live in Denmark, both enrolled in the National Military Academy but dropped out before completing their studies.

They have enjoyed flourishing careers as models, posing for several advert campaigns and on the cover of magazines.

Both of Margrethe's grandsons turned to modelling in their late teens. Pictured with their grandmother in May 2021

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

Nikolai caught international attention in 2018 when he walked in the Burberry show at London Fashion week, before a front row that included Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Michelle Dockery, Naomi Watts, Zendaya, and Idris Elba.

He is signed to Scoop Models agency in Denmark and has been multiplying his modelling gigs.

He sent royal fans into a frenzy in February when he graced the cover of Vogue Scandinavia.

The 23-year-old oozed sophistication when appearing in the magazine and looked effortlessly stylish in a matching pink Dior jacket and trousers as he posed in front of a number of colourful flowers.

When he is not modelling, Nikolai is studying Business Administration and Service Management at the In 2019, Prince Nikolai began his B education at Copenhagen Business School.

Last year he was living in Paris as part of a school exchange, and could see his younger siblings and his dad more easily.

At the end of last year, he started training at the Royal Danish Military Academy to become an Army Lieutenant, but in October it was announced that he'd quit after just two months because it 'wasn't for him'.

Prince Felix chose to make his modelling debut for jeweller Georg Jensen, appearing in pictures and an advert promoting the new Reflect collection of necklaces, earrings and rings.

The royal is further down the line of succession, pursuing his own career path rather than being a 'working royal' was expected choice for Felix even before his grandmother's announcement, and modelling is certainly a popular choice for minor royals across the globe.

While they are growing to be their own person, Felix and Nikolai do attend royal events on occasion.

They both looked very dapper as they attended the celebrations for their grandmother's golden jubilee with their parents in early September.
Instead they stop the production of a chemical that causes pain at nerve endings

Popular Australian scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki has revealed how medicines like ibuprofen and paracetamol 'target' pain in your body.

And while many believe pain is 'sought out and numbed' my medication, Dr Karl said pain killers instead work to stop the production of prostaglandins which cause physical pain at the site of an injury to promote healing.

Dr Karl, who has degrees in medicine and biomedical engineering, discussed the topic in a TikTok video to dispel the widely held belief that pain killers target specific areas of the body.

Scroll down for video

Scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (pictured), 73, has explained how pain relief medication works to target a specific area on the body

'When my daughter was little she asked me, 'how does medicine know where it hurts so it can go just there and fix it?',' the radio host said.

'In general, the answer is that pain killers do not know.'

He said after an injury, the body manufactures 'tiny chemicals' known as prostaglandins which can cause pain and inflammation, open up blood vessels and help heal the area.

'Nurofen, the painkiller, it blocks certain enzymes and pathways that stop prostaglandins from being made - fewer prostaglandins, less pain,' he explained.

Dr Karl expanded saying if someone had a sore foot and took Nurofen, the pill wouldn't 'magically' know to travel only to the foot.

'Instead the medicine travels all over your body to block prostaglandin pathways everywhere and in the process it stops the pain in your foot,' he said.

'Because medicine has travelled all through your body, that's one of the reasons medicines can have side effects.'

Dr Karl said medications like Nurofen actually 'do not know' the exact spot in your body you're feeling sore but stops the body producing a chemical called prostaglandin that causes pain

Dr Karl warned taking pain killers will also stop the prostaglandin production in the stomach and overuse can lead to ulcers.

The celebrity scientist's video has been viewed more than 23,600 times with many in the comments thankful for the 'great explanation' while others asked further questions.

'So then it wouldn't matter if you had two or three different sore bits, it would be just as effective?' one follower queried.

Dr Karl warned taking pain killers will also stop the prostaglandin production in the stomach and overuse can lead to ulcers

'I reckon so - if all painful bits of your body had the same level of pain,' Dr Karl replied.

Another asked if pain relief gels and rubs such as Voltaren which are applied to a specific area effects the targeted spot to which Karl responded: 'Local treatments can sometimes work locally - depending'.

'Wait, why does blocking prostaglandin in your stomach cause ulcers..?' a third asked.

'Prostaglandins have many different actions which each reduce the mucus layer which stops your stomach acids from dissolving your stomach wall,' Dr Karl answered.
A young Aussie woman has revealed that she makes up to $480 a day while picking fruit in regional Australia after swapping her city life for the country.

Kirasie Tate, from Sydney, relocated to Orange to work with her father who is a full-time professional fruit picker.

The 23-year-old is originally from Lismore, New South Wales, but moved to Sydney five years ago before deciding to head back to her roots.

'I've travelled to beautiful regional towns across the East Coast that I would never usually go to,' she told FEMAIL.

'While it's definitely not a glamorous job - you're working long days and camping with shared facilities - there are upsides.'

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Kirasie Tate [pictured], from Sydney, recently relocated to Orange to work with her father who is a full-time professional fruit picker

A young Aussie woman has just revealed that she makes up to $480 a day while picking fruit in regional Australia

Tate has also been to places like Gayndah in country Queensland, and Huonville and Richmond in Tasmania for her work.

The 23-year-old told FEMAIL that the process of fruit picking is laborious - workers have to use clippers to carefully snip a fruit off from its stem and then flick it into their bags which go on to fill crates.

Fruit pickers also have to take special care as to not bruise or damage the fruit in the process.

Tate [pictured] has also been to places like Gayndah in country Queensland and Huonville and Richmond in Tasmania for her work

Tate is particularly fond of the 'beautiful' sunrises and sunsets she gets to see as part of her work, along with the additional benefits of interacting with farm animals like horses and cows.

But the part-time fruit picker revealed that certain parts of the job are less than ideal, citing an instance where she woke up with a green tree frog stuck to her cheek.

'The rain is particularly bad - as it means you cannot work and just have to take a day off.'

The mandarin season, which runs from April to June, was cut short because of the torrential downpour.

'All of the fruit just drops onto the floor,' she said.

Tate is particularly fond of the 'beautiful' sunrises and sunsets she gets to see as part of her work, along with the additional benefits of interacting with farm animals like horses and cows

Many have expressed a desire to experience Tate's nature-oriented life.

'You're living the dream - I wish I could do this and get away from the city,' one man said.

'My mother had great experiences picking fruit in her 20s, I hope to do it one day as well,' said another.
Aries (March 21 to April 19)

The full moon is in your sign which means you'll probably be strongly affected by bold, spontaneous feelings. However, do watch for emotional outbursts and impulsivity.

Your brain should be in gear before you speak so take a deep breath before communicating to avoid potential issues. On the upside, you'll probably express how you really feel by being quite direct and honest.

You may start some new projects, however, think first about what is actually required of you and get all your ducks in their respective rows. You will feel impatient to get going on things which likely require some planning first.

Energetic or impulsive feelings about changing your appearance, identity or beliefs could come up.

Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

The full moon is in your house of the subconscious, so it's a great time for time out and inner reflection. Look at your dreams and those small 'flashes' you may get in the daytime that you probably don't pay attention to.

There are likely spiritual messages for you and some spiritual healing could help. It's not a good time for getting things done so maybe don't take on anything else for a few days.

Try to relax now. In relationships, there may be a tendency to dig your toes in and not change something when a bit of compromise would serve you better.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20)

It's a great time for spontaneous get togethers with friends or groups, you could have a really good time, or perhaps not if you're overly impulsive or a bit careless.

Arguments are possible but, on the upside, you may do things with friends or associates that you normally wouldn't consider. You could be feeling rather brave, active or pioneering in some way that involves other people.

Perhaps you feel like acting on your hopes and dreams, even if there's a bit of initial turbulence. Your passion meter is probably off the charts now too, so you may consider a new friendship or romance. You could possibly meet someone special through friends or connections.

Cancer (June 21 to July 22)

It's a great time for improving your career, reputation or status. Your career may be in the public eye now. You could be working very well with the public showing care and consideration which gets you noticed.

You can probably sense the general mood of not only those around you, but also your greater community as well. This full moon is making a hard aspect to Venus, so do watch relationships with parents or authority figures... go carefully here as sometimes dear Cancer, you go where angels fear to tread.

Your care and consideration for others should keep you out of trouble in terms of arguments if you can be a little cautious and restrained.

Leo (July 23 to August 22)

Matters of travel may come into your mind. Perhaps you're thinking about going off somewhere or memories of previous travels come up.

These can help you to understand where people from different cultures are coming from. You may feel the need to bring expansion and excitement into your life either through study, spirituality or associating with people who are quite different to you.

It's time to allow yourself a bit of leeway to wander off to exotic or interesting locales. This could complicate your personal or professional life so maybe you can do a small 'taster' as a sample or trial first?

Virgo (August 23 to September 22)

Your shared resources such as tax, real estate, superannuation and other joint assets are the focus this full moon.

It's a good idea not to make important decisions too quickly when a fair bit of research and planning are actually required.

Legalities and taking care of business is vital and anything you may have to do with wills or inheritances needs special care.

Deeper levels of intimacy and the energy you share with another special person are also highlighted. There's likely more passion but equally, arguments or conflict could be on the cards.

Go slowly and carefully with both your own feelings and the feelings of another now.

Libra (September 23 to October 22)

Emotional upsets are possible in close committed relationships, however this time you're likely to handle such conflicts better than previously.

You can be rather stoic when you have to be so you can avoid throwing more fuel onto a burning fire if someone is upset. The reality is there's a deeper cause for this upset which has little to do with you.

So, stay calm and take a deep breath. On the positive side, something good could come out of such conflicts and you'll be in a better position than previously.

Women may be especially important to you now. You could have a good sense of equilibrium even if something untoward does happen  you take it in your stride.

Scorpio (October 23 to November 21)

You will meet someone who needs your help in some way through your daily routine. You're likely to be quite giving and instinctively reach out to assist.

Sometimes you may do this without really thinking first, so just be careful not to sacrifice too much of your time or energy before really considering all factors. You could be quite efficient at work even if there are upsets or turmoil going on around you.

It is you who, in some sense, can keep balance on a 'ship of fools' so to speak. If you feel yourself being drawn into trauma and drama, put an imaginary bubble of peace around you and get on to do your thing.

Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)

This full moon could ignite your passions in all sorts of ways. Creatively, you may feel quite inspired and motivated to make your ideas physical.

It's also a time of fertility. You may have more to do with children or perhaps it's your inner child who wants to come out and play.

You could be more emotionally expressive than usual, particularly where women are concerned. It's a great time for leisure and pleasure, entertainment or meeting new people spontaneously.

Go out, have some fun... you never know who you might meet. Romance could be on the cards too if you're looking and willing.

Capricorn (December 22nd to January 19)

Home and family could be the centre of your attention now. You may also be thinking about memories from the past... where you grew up or the school you went to.

Your childhood can lay down lifelong patterns, so it's a good time to ask yourself 'are these patterns serving me now?'

You may find there are various issues still outstanding with family members, particularly women. It's a great time to have some quiet time at home.

Privacy could be more important to you than usual and you could need a 'sanctuary of sorts' away from family issues. You could also wish to make your home more comfortable in some way or perhaps you're thinking of relocating to a quieter area?

Aquarius (January 20th to February 18)

You're more likely to be in touch with your feelings and intuition now and you could make decisions based on those feelings.

That's ok, do remember however if they are important decisions or involve money then it's best to use some logic and analytical ability to factor into the mix.

It could be a busy active time with lots of communications going back and forth. If you're in business, you may be involved with marketing and promotions, so do look at the data. Some field of study could also be on your mind.

You may hear something about distant family members such as cousins or siblings, especially those you haven't heard from in a while.

Pisces (February 19 to March 20)

You could be attracted to collecting things or your possessions could give you a feeling of stability. Antiques or things associated with the past could also be more important now.

Your money also features strongly, and you could feel a sense of financial turbulence or the things you value. Take a deep breath and look at your self-worth first.

You can probably improve this, and this could have important flow on effects to your finances. Reflect deeply upon your 'deservability'.

Old thought patterns may influence you to think that you're not worthy of having sufficient funds to fund your life in the way you would like. When in reality, you are worthy.

Source: Rose Smith
Refuge Bay is an off the track 'hidden gem' and accessible by trail and boat

The 'hike with it all' can be found in the heart of Ku-ring-gai National Park, NSW

Travellers are obsessed with a little known hike and bay one hour from Sydney

Travellers are obsessed with a 9.6km trail dubbed the 'hike with it all' thanks to its magical natural infinity pool, waterfall, beach bay and untouched bush surrounds.

Refuge Bay, a 'magical' beach located in the heart of Ku-ring-gai National Park in New South Wales is 30 minutes from the Sydney CBD and can be accessed by land or boat.

The moderate hike takes three hours and while hikers have said the 'lack' of signposting is difficult, the 'wow factor' makes it worth the effort.

Refuge Bay is an off the track 9.6 km loop dubbed the 'hike with it all' thanks to its natural infinity pool, waterfall, beach, bay and wild bush

The hidden gem can be accessed by trail or by boat, if accessed by trail the hike takes approximately three hours

The waterfall has been described as loved by hikers

The hike begins at the Salvation Loop which is on a maintained fire trail, which is followed for 1.7 km.

Hikers then turn left on to the signposted Wallaroo Track and take this track for 400 meters before entering the bush.

UK travel couple Cat and Joe who run the blog 'Walk My World' outlined that the beginning of the track looks 'overgrown,' but is well marked with cairns for the rest of the way.

However the couple said several parts in the bush were so overgrown they looked like 'dead ends'.

Once explorers get 4.3 km into the trail they will reach a point distinguishable by a large rock platform, they can choose several different paths to reach the different features and viewpoints, but each has a different trail and they don't connect.

The incredible hike and destination is located less than an hour outside of Sydney if travelling by car

What you need to know about Ku-ring-gai National Park * The entry fee is $12 per vehicle per day, however there is no fee for those traveling on foot or bicycle *For frequent hikers, an annual pass for a vehicle can be bought for $65 and it covers all national parks in NSW except for Kosciusko *The road to the track is only open certain hours, they vary depending on season but usually it is open sunrise to sunset. If you get locked in, it costs $50 to be let out *The track begins on West Head Road in Ku-ring-gai National Park, limited parking can be found at the trailhead for the Salvation Loop Walk (source: walkmyworld.com) Advertisement

The cascades and infinity pool are above the waterfall, and the waterfall leads onto the beach.

'The cascades are on a trail that heads west from the platform that is marked by red flags, the infinity pool is slightly northwest from the rock platform and has no markings, and the route to the beach heads north east from the rock platform following the national flags that have been tied to the trees,' Cat and Joe said.

To return, hikers should head back to the large rock platform and keep an eye out for the cairns, as the trail is harder to follow on the way back.

The amazing 'natural' infinity pools are a massive draw for travelers, bringing adventurers from all over Australia

The 13 best hikes in Ku-ring-gai National Park West Head: 1. America Bay Track (2km) - best for sunset 2. Towlers Bay Circuit (6.9km) - best secret viewpoint 3. West Head Army Track (1.36km) - best for adventure 4. Resolute Loop (6.6km) - stunning beaches 5. Koolewong Track (1km) - easy hike and beautiful track 6. The Basin and Mackerel Circuit (7km) - good for spotting wallabies 7. Lovetts Pools (3.2 km) - best spot for wild swimming (source: walkmyworld.com) The Lovetts Pools (pictured) are a perfect spot for wild swimming, but make sure you're prepared for the cold water 8. Topham Track (4km) - best to see caves 9. Flint and Steel Track (2.6km) - calm waters for swimming Bobbin Head: 10. Gibberagong Track (12.8km) - best for feeling in the wilderness 11. Sphinx Memorial to Bobbin Head Loop (10km) - peaceful hike Cowan Creek Area: 12. Berowra to Mount Ku-Ring-Gai (10km) - best views 13. Jerusalem Bay Track (14.4km)- best workout (source: walkmyworld.com) Topham Track features amazing natural caves Advertisement

The view from the top of the bay offers a pristine bay of the coast and blue waters

Travellers are ravingabout this hidden gem after discovering it.

'There are many good things in this world, like pasta, chocolate, and views like this,' one couple said after visiting.

'Nature's answer to a spa,' anther woman called it.

Others are desperate to visit the off the track destination.

'Now this looks like a bloody hike to do,' one man said.

'Looks like this place is worth a visit! By boat or foot,' a woman commented.
Research shows a surge in car crashes after the clocks fall back in autumn

An extra hour in bed could disrupt your body clock and lead to depression

An extra hour in bed may leave you feeling fresh.

But, if experts are to be believed, there might be darker consequences when clocks go back later this month.

Every spring at 1am on the last Sunday in March, an hour of sleep is robbed from us in the name of daylight saving  a tradition that began in WW1, all in a bid for longer evenings and to conserve coal.

Times revert back, this year anyway, on Sunday, October 30 at 2am.

Although only temporary and described as being like jet lag, some sleep scientists fear the effects are much more severe than that.

Experts believe the disruption may raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It has also been linked to a surge in car accidents.

That's not to mention the obvious bad mood caused by disrupted sleep, one of the most common collateral effects of tinkering with the time.

Here, MailOnline explores the science behind changing the clocks and your health.

Turning the clocks back can disrupt your body's 24-hour clock and impact your sleep. This could lead a risk of strokes, heart attacks, a chronic lack of sleep and depression as illustrated in the image above

What are circadian rhythms? Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles linked to your bodies internal clock. These rhythms are found in many different organisms including flowers to help them open and close. Nocturnal animals also use their circadian rhythm to keep them from leaving their shelter during the day. In people, circadian rhythms coordinate the digestive system, regulate hormones and it controls your sleep-wake cycles. How does it work? All the 24-hour cycles throughout the body are connected to a master clock in your brain and at different times of the day it signals to regulate activity in your body. During the day sunlight causes the brain to send awake signals to keep us alert and active. At night, the master clock in the brain sparks the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, and then keeps transmitting signals that help us stay asleep through the night. When the body's circadian rhythm is disrupted, from jet lag or shift work, the internal clock can struggle to make the body fall asleep, stay asleep and have a lie in. Advertisement

Strokes

Professor Russell Foster, of the University of Oxford, is one of the world's leading experts on the circadian rhythm, or the body's internal clock.

It sets the rhythms of our lives, affecting everything from how clearly we think and when our digestive systems are ready for food, to when our muscles are at their strongest.

During the day, sunlight causes the brain to send awake signals that keep us alert and active.

At night, the system  likened to that of the intricate mechanism inside a grandfather clock  sparks the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep.

The rhythm itself is also central to our metabolism, body temperature and hormone levels.

The clocks going back plays havoc with these processes, resulting in disruption to our sleeping pattern.

According to Professor Foster, who has penned a best-selling book on the topic, a combination of sleep deprivation and a disruption of the circadian rhythm can, potentially, trigger a stroke.

The increased risk is all down to the collateral effect of high blood pressure, in theory.

High blood pressure can cause blood clots to form and block blood flow in the arteries leading to the brain.

This causes brain cells to start dying, which triggers the tell-tale signs of a stroke, such as slurred speech and weakness down one side of the body.

Professor Foster said: 'We have this clock, and it is fine tuning every aspect of our physiology and behaviour to the 24-hour light and dark cycle.

'We see increased blood pressure ranking up. For example, between 6am and 12 noon there is a 50 per cent greater chance of having a stroke anyway.

'If you are being forced to get out of bed even earlier you are putting more stress on the system, which means you are less adapted to cope.'

He added: 'For most of us it is fine because we have got a healthy and robust metabolism, but where you are at an increased risk the transition to daylight savings time can essentially put extra stresses on our biology and makes us more prone to illnesses.'

Strokes happen when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. For the brain to function properly it needs oxygen and nutrients provided by blood. If the brain does not get this because the blood supply is cut off or restricted due to a blood clot, brain cells begin to die. This can lead to a brain injury and in some cases death

Dozens of studies support Professor Foster's warnings.

In 2016, researchers investigating the link found an 8 per cent increase in stroke hospital admissions in the two-day window after the clocks went forward or back.

Results from the study, which looked at more than 15,000 people, also showed the risk was higher for over-65s.

Dr John O'Neil is an expert in circadian rhythms based in Cambridge, he researches the 24-hour cycle in everything from cells, yeast, and algae to humans (left). Professor Russell Foster, of the University of Oxford, is one of the world's leading experts on the circadian rhythm. He has also written a book called 'Life Time', which explores the impacts of changing the clocks (right)

Heart attacks

Dr John O'Neill is another leading expert in the complicated field of circadian rhythms.

Based at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, he studies the 24-hour cycle in everything from cells in a petri dish, to humans.

His decades' worth of academia have suggested the stress caused by changing the clocks may increase the risk of heart attacks.

But he insists that changing the clocks only impacts your health on a minor scale, in a similar fashion as jet lag.

He said: 'If circadian rhythms are disrupted chronically, for example in shift work, we know that is really bad for your health in the long term.

'It is very rare that anyone drops dead from it, but the risk associated with doing shift work is the equivalent to smoking cigarettes.'

He added: 'If you fly to the states, you have a few days of jet lag where you are more vulnerable to more adverse health events, but not that much more at risk.

'That is what we see when you shift the clocks by an hour, it is just like getting an hour's jet lag.

'It is really such a modest challenge to your circadian system that the vast majority of people deal with it absolutely fine.

'But because it is happening at the level of the population you can see a slight increase in the frequency of heart attacks.'

In the days following the change in clocks there could be 40 more heart attacks than usual, according to Dr O'Neil. He explained that even though the disruption in circadian rhythm causes a stress to the body, only people who are unhealthy or susceptible to heart conditions are at risk. Image shows a man clutching his chest in pain with heart attack symptoms

An American study focusing on whether daylight savings increases the risk of heart attacks found that was, indeed, the case.

There was a 24 per cent rise in the number of heart attacks observed after the clocks went forward, compared to other Mondays throughout the year.

But the figure decreased when the clocks went back an hour, according to the research published in 2013.

Although there is a risk of heart problems from changing the clocks back, Dr O'Neill says there is a higher risk in the transition to summertime.

He said: 'The main problem with British summer time is that it increases the difference between the solar clock, which is what your biological clock will tend to lock onto, and the physical clock that determines our daily routine.'

But only people who are unhealthy or susceptible to heart conditions are at risk, he says.

On a population level in the UK, Dr John O'Neill claimed only an extra 30 to 40 heart attacks occur more than usual in the days following the change to BST.

The same science behind the slight uptick in strokes explains why there is a slight increase in heart attacks after the clocks change  high blood pressure.

The condition causes the coronary arteries serving the heart to slowly become narrowed from plaque  a build-up of fat, cholesterol and other substances.

Blood clots are more likely to form when this plaque build-up and hardens. Plaque and blood clots can disrupt the flow of blood through the heart muscle, starving the muscle of oxygen and nutrients and causing a heart attack.

Depression

Just as it can impact your physical health, changing the clocks and disrupting your sleeping pattern can knock your mental health, too.

Professor Foster highlighted that people who are susceptible to depression are at a higher risk of being struck down when they are sleep deprived.

He said: 'There is evidence that depression is intimately linked with sleep deprivation.

'If you are disrupting your sleep and getting less sleep and you are vulnerable, you are more likely to slide into that depressed state.

'If you add a disrupter, such as sleep loss or circadian rhythm disruption, you are going to be more vulnerable to slide into a dangerous state, for example a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar.'

He added: 'If you are getting less sleep, the tired brain has a tendency to remember negative experiences but forget the positive ones.

'Your world view with a lack of sleep will be distorted. Your whole view of the world may be a bit more negative.'

Changing the clocks both in spring and in the autumn can cause people who are already susceptible to slide into depression. A lack of sleep can have serious impacts on your mental health causing depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and it can exaggerate symptoms of confusion Alzheimer's. Image shows a woman depressed after struggling to sleep

How to adjust your routine when the clocks change There are ways to prepare yourself for clocks falling back an hour at the end of October. Gradually going to bed later can help you to shift your body clock. Eating an hour later than you usually would, will also help you adjust your bedtime schedule. Professor Foster said: 'You need to be aware of potential consequences, if you have a danger of high blood pressure and heart issues you need to take it carefully and make sure you are not leaping out of bed and making it worse.' He added: 'You may want to go into work a bit later. If you are going in half an hour later and you change that over the week to 15 minutes, then it is going to be easier on the system.' Dr O'Neil believes it is always important to keep good sleep hygiene and a regular routine. He said: 'The most important signals for your biological clock are the times when you see light verses darkness and the times when you eat verses fasting. 'I always have the same advice for the clocks changing as for any other time of year, that it is good to try and keep a constant routine, so you see light at around about the same time each morning, you have breakfast at about the same time and at night-time you fast and ensure you do not see any bright lights.' Advertisement

One 2018 study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found a disrupted body clock was linked with depression, bipolar disorder and other problems.

A separate study, released in the Journal of Sleep Research in 2020, also found that a lack of sleep can put us in a bad mood.

Researchers showed participants images of laughing or crying children after five nights of normal sleep and after five nights of restricted sleep.

They found those who had less sleep were more likely to have negative responses to the images.

Alzheimer's

The symptoms of Alzheimer's can become worse when the clocks spring forward and fall back, some experts believe.

Professor Foster explained the phenomenon in his book 'Life Time', which explores the impacts of changing the clocks.

He writes that clinical staff have noticed the 'sundowning' symptoms, which refers to a state of confusion, anxiety, aggression, pacing or wandering which occurs in the evening and early night, are worse when the clocks change.

The reasons why sundowning happens is not well understood.

But the Alzheimer's Society says it may be down to tiredness, hunger, pain, a lack of sunlight during the day and disturbance to a person's body clock from damage to the brain over time.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

When the clocks fall back an hour, we start to see darker evenings as we enter the colder winter months.

Fewer daylight hours in the northern hemisphere can lead to 'winter depression', or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The symptoms are similar to depression and include a persistent low mood and difficulty concentrating.

It is thought one of the causes of SAD is disruption to your body's internal clock.

Your body uses sunlight to time various important functions, such as when you wake up, so lower light levels during the winter may disrupt this and lead to symptoms of SAD, according to the NHS.

Car accidents

The extra hour in bed after the clocks fall back has been linked to an increase in car crashes as drivers adapt to the darker evenings.

That is according to research by Zurich insurance.

It analysed thousands of claims between 2018 and 2020 and found that prior to the autumn clock change, a quarter of car accidents occurred between 4-7pm.

This increased to almost a third of all crashes in November after the clocks have changed, leading them to blame the change in clocks.

However, the RAC Foundation suggests that the cold, rainy and darker evenings are to blame for this marvel rather than drivers being fatigued.

Research has revealed a shocking increase in car crashes after the clocks are turned back an hour in the autumn. Insurance company Zurich analysed thousands of car insurance claims between 2018 and 2020 and found that after the autumn clock change car accident increase by a third. Image shows a man falling asleep at the wheel of his car
Ex-staff partly blame NHS England for what they say is a growing cancer scandal

It comes as thousands of people with cancer wait too long to start treatment

Former senior staff say the closed centres could help treat 4,000 Brits a month

Thousands of Britons are needlessly missing out on crucial cancer diagnoses and treatment because a chain of private facilities are sitting gathering dust, experts have claimed.

Rutherford Health Group, which ran five cancer clinics in England and Wales, filed for liquidation in June.

Four months on, the centres, which could provide cancer tests and treatments to some 3,500 Britons per month, sit unused.

Their diagnostic machines and treatment facilities are locked away behind closed doors.

This is despite the Government declaring war on cancer in the wake of the pandemic.

NHS bosses are struggling to hit treatment targets, with only 60 per cent of patients starting cancer care within two months of an urgent referral.

This delay could make the difference between life and death for some patients, top experts fear.

Professor Karol Sikora, a world-renowned oncologist and founder of the Rutherford Health Group, told MailOnline the situation was 'scandalous'.

He said: 'We have got centres gathering dust at the time of the biggest cancer crisis of my career.'

Up to 4,000 extra Britons could benefit from the centres every month if the NHS was able to use them, Professor Sikora claimed.

The now closed Rutherford cancer could be brought back online and help diagnose and treat thousands of people with the disease, former staff say. Pictured: Rutherford Health cancer centre in Newport, South Wales. The company also has centres in Reading, Liverpool, Newcastle and Taunton

Professor Karol Sikora, who helped found the Rutherford cancer centres said they could help treat or diagnose 4,000 people per month

What is Proton Beam Therapy, what is it used for and how does it work? Proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy that aims proton beams at cancers. While conventional radiotherapy uses high energy beams of radiation to destroy cancerous cells, often damaging surrounding tissue, proton beam therapy aims radiation directly at the tumour. Because it is so highly targeted it means it can avoid healthy tissue, particularly tissues and organs behind the tumour. Radiotherapy can lead to side effects such as nausea and can sometimes disrupt how some organs function, but proton beam therapy has a lower risk of side effects. This means it is effective for treating cancer that affects critical areas, such as brain cancer. Ashya King, whose case sparked an international manhunt in 2014, underwent proton beam therapy. Brett and Naghmeh King were arrested after they took their son, then five, for brain tumour treatment abroad as the NHS initially refused to offer proton beam therapy, which his parents felt was less harmful than conventional radiotherapy. They took him from Southampton Hospital and travelled to the Czech Republic for treatment at the Proton Therapy Center. Ashya was finally allowed to undergo treatment a Prague hospital after a long legal battle fought by his parents. Eventually, he was declared cancer-free in March 2016. Source: NHS Advertisement

But health bosses have previously disputed the claims, saying that Rutherford could not provide the services needed to help tackle the backlog.

'We would save a lot of people's lives, and we'd also increase the quality of life for a lot more people by getting treatment for cancer starting in a timely fashion,' Professor Sikora said.

'We could certainly make a significant dent in the backlog.'

A longer wait between cancer diagnoses and treatment can let tumours grow larger or spread further, meaning longer bouts of grueling chemotherapy or radiotherapy are needed to treat the disease, if it remains treatable.

When operational, the centres, which cost 240million to set up, offered a range of cancer treatments.

This included proton beam therapy, as well as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

The centres were also geared up to carry out diagnostic scans, like MRIs and CTs.

The largest centres were located in South Wales, Northumberland, Liverpool and Thames Valley, with a community diagnostics centre in Somerset.

Following the liquidation of the group in June, Rutherford's assets were handed to London-based investment business Equitix to find a buyer.

But despite four bids to buy the centres, and potentially getting them restarted by Christmas, they remain unused.

Professor Sikora said Equitix have not responded to potential bidders or himself, with it believed the firm is trying to lease them to the NHS.

But ex-Rutherford staff fear NHS officials might block any arrangement.

Professor Sikora said: 'It's partly their aversion to opening up protons, they don't want protons to come out of the ration box.'

Proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy that aims a narrow beams of protons cancers.

As opposed to other forms of radiotherapy, which can damage healthy tissues as they target a broad area, proton beam therapy is extremely accurate.

The NHS only offers proton therapy in at two hospitals, one in Manchester and one in London. It is expensive, costing upwards of 25,000 per course, with multiple round of treatment sometimes needed.

Sean Sullivan, brought in to restructure Rutherford as interim chief executive, said: 'Cancer doesn't wait, in terms of large scale numbers we are talking about the deaths of thousands of people.'

An NHS England spokesperson said: 'It is untrue that NHS England has blocked the use of Rutherford facilities. At the time Rutherford entered receivership, a large number of their patients were being treated on the NHS.'

MailOnline attempted to contact Equitix but was unsuccessful.

At the time, Rutherford's bosses blamed the collapse of the centres on two reasons.

The first was cancer cases being missed due to the Covid pandemic, which led to fewer private patients

While the second was a lack of interest from the NHS in using the private sector to tackle cancer care waiting lists, even on a not-for-profit basis.

The cancer care backlog is one of the most concerning aspects of the ongoing NHS crisis.

Cancer charities estimate that 32,000 fewer patients than expected have started their first treatment in the two years since the start of the pandemic.

It comes as NHS cancer care in England continues to fail to hit targets. The latest official data shows cancer patients starting treatment within two months of an urgent referral was 61.6 per cent in July. The figure is well below the 85 per cent standard, which hasn't been hit since 2014

This was due to a combination of hospitals prioritising Covid over regular care and diagnostics, poor access to GPs during lockdowns, and patients being reluctant to come forward with potential symptoms due to fear of the virus.

Experts have said that at current treatment rates, it could be five years before the NHS catches up with cancer cases missed in the pandemic.

Delays in cancer care raise the risk of the disease spreading to other parts of the body, which slashes survival rates and reduces patients' treatment options.

And official data shows the health service is repeatedly failing to hit its own cancer targets.

NHS England aims to have 85 per cent of cancer patients starting treatment within two months of an urgent referral from their GP.

Only 61.1 per cent of patients, about 8,700 people, were treated within this timeframe, with nearly 5,500 forced to wait for longer.

While Covid exacerbated the problem in NHS cancer care, the issue predates the virus, with the two month target of 85 per cent not having been met since 2014.

Other key cancer targets are also failing to meet operational standards.

For example, only 77.8 per cent of patients got an appointment with a consultant two weeks after an urgent referral. The NHS target is 93 per cent.

Breast cancer targets are particularly bad, with only 68.5 per cent of patients with suspected breast cancer seen within two weeks. NHS guidelines say 93 per cent of these patients should be seen within this timeframe.
A drunk man needed to get a steel cup removed from his body after it became stuck when it was shoved it up his anus.

Ritesh Kumar, 22, from Bettiah, India, rushed to Patna Medical College Hospital in severe pain with a bleeding rectum on October 4.

He was suffering agonising stomach pains because the 7cm (2.75in) diameter cup was blocking his bowel movements, according to local media.

Scans revealed the 14cm (5.5in) long cup was inside his body and he went under the knife for two-and-a-half hours to have it removed from his belly.

Ritesh Kumar, 22, from Bettiah, India, had a steel cup removed from his body in surgery after it was shoved up his rectum

Patna Medical College Hospital superintendent Dr Indra Shekhar Kumar, who led the surgery, said it would be risky but a team of 11 doctors removed the cup safely. Pictured: The team hold up the cup after the operation

Revealed: The risks of putting things in your anus People most commonly shove objects into their rectum for sexual pleasure. This is partly to do with the number of nerves in the anus making it highly sensitive, and for men can simulate the prostate, an erogenous part of the male reproductive system. The insertion of objects into a rectum, also known as anal play, carries a number of risks. As well as getting stuck objects, they can also potentially perforate the bowel which can be deadly as material from the digestive tract can spill into other parts of the body, causing an infection. The NHS advises that anyone exploring anal play do so safely, and use an object with a flared base to prevent it from getting lost inside. Advertisement

Dr Indra Shekhar Kumar, who led the surgery, said the procedure was risky but a team of 11 doctors removed the cup safely.

Mr Kumar was given a colostomy  when part of the bowel is cut out and a stoma bag is fitted  to allow his wounds to heal.

Doctors aim to discharge him over the next week and will reverse his colostomy in January.

He claims he was drunk when the cup was inserted into his anus and does not remember what happened.

Dr Kumar Vaibhav Sharma, a senior resident who was part of the team of surgeons, told the Hindustan Times: 'The steel glass was inserted through the patients' anus.

'This is a very rare case, mostly seen in psychiatric patients or those who are intoxicated.

'Our surgeons removed the metal glass after performing the surgery through the patient's abdomen at 4am, within a couple of hours of his admission.'

A similar incident in August saw a man have a cup removed 10 days after it was inserted in a drunk prank.

The 45-year-old from Balipadar, India, was apparently pranked while out drinking with his friends at Surat in Gujarat, an Indian state which prohibits alcohol.

Bihar, where the most recent incident occurred, is also a dry state.

Shoving large objects up an anus can cause a host of problems, including constipation, which can lead to haemorrhoids and incontinence.

Inserting objects can also cause small tears in the anus, rectum and bowels, which can lead to deadly infections and sepsis.

If an object is too large to retrieve by taking it back out the anus, surgery usually requires cutting through the intestines.
Unlike a BBL this procedure avoids injecting fat into the muscle layer, so is safer

Now a a 'lighter' BBL called Superficial Gluteal Lipofilling is being recommended

This followed the highly publicised BBL death of British mum Leah Cambridge

British surgeons are now encouraged to carry out a 'lite' version of the dangerous Brazilian Butt Lift, health chiefs announced today.

The risky procedure, made famous by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Cardi B, was shunned by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons in 2018 after of a spate of deaths.

This included 29-year-old British mother-of-three, Leah Cambridge, who suffered three heart attacks after undergoing the procedure in Turkey.

Despite the British moratorium, hundreds of women still went abroad to get BBLs at a cheaper price, despite it being even riskier.

Now BAAPs, which creates guidelines for British plastic surgeons, has partly reversed its decision.

Surgeons in the UK are now instead encouraged to do superficial gluteal lipofilling (SGL).

This is, effectively, a lighter version of BBL but differs in that the fat is only injected below the skin.

For comparison, a BBL can see fat injected directly into the muscles of the buttocks themselves, giving them a larger, curvier form.

But while doing so, surgeons can accidentally inject the fat into the bloodstream which can cause potentially deadly blockages.

BBLs explosion in popularity has been made attributed to the appearance of celebrities like Kim Kardashian, pictured here in 2017

The dangers of BBLs were thrust into the spotlight after the death of Leah Cambridge, 29, who died from a fat clot caused by the surgery in Turkey

It is unclear how much the procedure will cost, but a BBL can be upwards of 7,000 in the UK.

BAAPS said its advice had changed because all reports of death from BBLs have been in procedures where fat was injected into the muscle layer, and therefore closer to blood vessels.

The new toned-down BBL approved by BAAPS aims to cut down on the risks and was based on four years of research.

While the procedure will still give people a curvier figure, it will not provide the same results as a BBL due to the fat not being injected as deeply.

BAAPS issued a moratorium urging its members not to carry out BBLs in the wake of Ms Cambridge's death.

But experts said the decision risked driving Britons overseas, where the surgery comes with less medical oversight.

BAAPS president Marc Pacifico said the new guidelines, circulated to the the body's 350-plus membership, will result in safer outcomes for patients.

'The deaths recorded with BBL have all had breeches of the fascia (a thin casing of connective tissue between the skin and muscles) with fat injected into the muscle,' he said.

'So, its no to BBL but yes to Superficial Gluteal Lipofilling (SGL) where the fascia is not compromised.'

However, he added that the BAAPS was still concerned about the number of Britons risking their lives flying out to get BBLs overseas.

While there is no confirmed number of Britons going abroad for BBLs, thousands of people fly-out each year as part of medical tourism.

At least 20 Britons have died after going under the knife in Turkey alone since the start of 2019.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons have now recommended a 'lite' version of a Brazilian Butt Lift that restricts the fat injection to just below the skin avoiding the muscle (stock image)

'An increasing number of UK based patients are continuing to seek this procedure by surgeons not on the GMC Specialist Register or by venturing abroad,' Dr Pacifico said.

'There is a concern regarding higher risk of exposure to risks and complications, like sepsis, poor techniques, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism.'

Dr Pacifico said he hoped the new guidelines would encourage Britons to undergo the procedures in the UK where surgery was safer.

Concerns about BBLs peaked in the UK following the death of Ms Cambridge, a mother-of-three, in August 2018.

The 29-year-old died from a a blood clot after paying 6,500 in cash to get a BBL at Elite Aftercare in Izmir, Turkey.

Her father, Craig Cambridge, 51, killed himself in April 2021, with an inquest earlier this year attributing his suicide, in part, to his daughter's death.

While research at the time of Ms Cambridge's death put the death risk of a BBL at one in 2,500 operations, this has since been revised downwards to one in 15,000.

Dozens of stories of Britons dying or suffering from infections and other surgical complications following their operation have arisen in the past few years.

But BAAPS said all deaths from BBLs have been recorded in cases where fat was injected into the muscles.

BBLs are one of the fastest growing forms of cosmetic surgery, with the number of procedures estimated to be growing 20 per cent year-on-year.

As part of its new guidelines, BAAPS emphasised surgeons should ensure a patient seeking that perfect 'hourglass figure' is presented with 'realistic expectations'.

'This is particularly important given the current widespread availability of material online, via social media and images on mainstream media that might exaggerate realistic outcomes,' it stated.
French researchers looked at people who meditated once a week for 18 months

But a study suggests switching off and meditating might be even more effective

Doctors have long recommended that people keep their minds busy in old age to protect against dementia.

But shutting off and meditating might be the key to keeping the brain sharp, a new study suggests.

People who practiced the relaxation technique for 18 months scored better in cognitive tests than people given English lessons for the same length of time to keep their minds active.

One of the lead authors of the paper, Dr Gael Chetelat, from the University of Caen-Normandy in France, said: 'Meditation was superior to non-native language training.'

It is the latest research to highlight the health benefits of mindfulness  which has also been linked to lower blood pressure and blood-sugar levels, as well as pain relief.

Meditation involves clearing the mind or focusing on a particular thought to train attention and awareness and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally stable state.

Trendy mindfulness meditation and yoga are as effective as diabetes drugs at lowering blood-sugar levels, research suggests (file image)

What is mindfulness? Think of it as fitness for your mind. Meditation calms the body, thus reducing blood pressure, stress levels and improving all over mood. The objective of practicing mind-body activities is to use your thoughts to positively impact your body's physical responses to the outside world. The practices are part of an overarching wellness trend that has been touted by celebrities and tech giants for years. These activities include.... Mindfulness The process of focusing one's breath and focus on a particular thought, object or activity to foster a stable emotional state. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of one's surroundings. A common technique is to silently focus on each of the senses in turn. Pilates and yoga They involve breathwork and coordinated, concentrated movement. Both low-impact exercises, they improve strength, flexibility and posture. In yoga, you adopt positions and hold them, or flow into a different position. Pilates sees people adopting positions and then working their core muscles by moving their arms or legs. Qigong, tai chi Martial arts which promotes physical fitness as well as mental discipline. Qigong and tai chi are traditional self-healing exercises originating from ancient China. They feature coordinated movements focused on body posture, deep breathing and mental focus. Qigong can include movement or simply sitting or standing mediation. Tai chi, on the other hand, involves complex and choreographed movements that match one's breath. Advertisement

The study  published in the journal JAMA Neurology  included 137 men and women.

They were around 69 years old and did not have dementia.

Participants were split into three groups to either meditate, take English lessons or carry on as normal for 18 months.

The meditation and English lessons were done for two hours per week.

Participants were asked to complete tests that scored their attention spans and emotional states before and after the study.

The meditation group had significantly better improvements to this than those who took the lessons.

Dr Chetelat said: 'Meditation was superior to non-native language training on 18-month changes in a global composite score capturing attention regulation, socio-emotional and self-knowledge capacities.

'The study findings confirm the feasibility of meditation and non-native language training in elderly individuals, with high adherence and very low attrition.'

Meditation may have improved attention because it allowed for 'heightened awareness and monitoring of contexts of experience without being absorbed by them', the researchers said.

The study also monitored the size of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insula  located in the front and middle of the brain  as well as blood flow to the organ.

Previous papers suggest meditation expands its size and improves blood flow.

But the scientists did not find any significant change in brain volume or blood flow between groups.

Dr Chetelat suggested this may have been because the study was too short to pick up any changes.

It also had a small sample size, which may have left it struggling to pick up changes.

Participants were recruited between November 2016 and March 2018.

The study was carried out between December 2020 and October 2021. All but one completed it.

Meditation has become increasingly popular over recent years, and has been credited with a variety of health benefits.

About 14 per cent of US adults now practice it annually, studies suggest, as it has boomed in popularity among CEOs over the mantra of 'I'll sleep when I die'.

Some research has linked it to slowing the advance of dementia by helping people stay focussed and boost happiness.

Dr Chetelat said: 'Strategies to prevent dementia are urgently needed. Mental training that targets stress and attention regulation has the potential to improve both cognitive and emotional aspects of ageing.

'Previous studies have shown mindfulness meditation improves cognition, specifically in older adults across multiple domains including attention, executive functions and self-awareness or meta-cognition.

'Mindfulness meditation can also reduce stress, anxiety and depression - including in older adults.'

The number of dementia cases worldwide will triple to over 150 million by 2050.

With no cure in sight there is an increasing focus on lifestyle factors that are protective.
They are now pointing to contamination from a now-shuttered rubber plant

Scientists are probing a mystery cluster of cancer cases in a tiny Alabama town where it is feared residents may have been drinking toxic water.

Rates of 16 different forms of the disease are markedly higher than the national average in Fruithurst, which is home to little over 400 people.

The issue first came to light when a large number of children and teens in the local school system fell sick with blood and bone cancers.

It raised concern among many locals, including the principal of the town's elementary school, who reached out to experts from various universities to investigate.

A team of researchers from the University of Kentucky, the University of Alabama, and Auburn University then surveyed over 500 households in the school district.

Nearly 50 per cent of homes sampled between 2017 to 2021 reported at least one cancer diagnosis in the family - with some types of cancer up to 10 times more common than in the rest of the country.

The chief culprit is believed to be a now-shuttered rubber making plant that sits about a mile south of the elementary school - where concentrations of toxic compounds including lead have been found.

The research team have analyzed more than two dozen sites around the area for heavy metals and radioactive material.

They found the town's water wells and soil had higher than acceptable levels of chromium, zinc, poisonous lead, toxic pesticides, the radioactive gas radon, and other heavy metals.

They also found unacceptably high rates of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a carcinogen, in two of the seven wells tested.

Scientists are probing a mystery cluster of cancer cases in a tiny Alabama town where it is feared residents may have been drinking toxic water. Rates of 16 different forms of the disease are markedly higher than the national average in Fruithurst, which is home to little over 400 people. The chief culprit is believed to be a now-shuttered rubber making plant that sits about a mile south of the elementary school

The prevalence of melanoma and lung cancer in the town compared to the national rate was particularly alarming, 6.7 times and 9.2 times the national average, respectively.

The now-shuttered rubber making plant ProBlend has been linked to higher-than-normal concentrations of contaminants in the town's well water.

Dr Loka Ashford, co-author of the study, said her team's analysis of water and soil samples in Fruithurst uncovered exceptionally high concentrations of contaminants like lead, arsenic, and radon.

When five children were diagnosed with various forms of cancer between 2014 and 2017, local Fruithurst Elementary School principal Christy Hiett went on the hunt for a cause.

She created the grassroots group Cleburne Cancer Concerns which relied on GoFundMe contributions and grant money to pay for the well water and soil testing.

What is causing increased rates of cancer in Fruithurst? Scientists have identified contaminated soil and well water samples in Cleburne county A cluster of cancer cases in children in Fruithurst, Cleburne county, Ala. alarmed a local teacher into action Soil and well water samples showed presence of many contaminants including radon, arsenic, lead, and zinc They also detected presence of carcinogenic bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a produce used in rubber manufacturing The soil samples taken in 2017 were close to dumping sites, the Problend rubber making facility, a nearby railroad, and one leukemia patients residence. Advertisement

Ms Hiett said: When children started being diagnosed with leukemia, people in the community looked to me for answers.

I became passionate about this issue because it was impacting children, and children are my passion. This tugged at my heart greatly.

Ms Hiett convened a team of scientists from the University of Kentucky, Auburn University, and University of Alabama to study samples of soil and water in the town from 2017 to 2021. Their findings were published in the journal Environmental Justice.

The team also relied on extensive interviews with the households in the town affected by the higher-than-normal prevalence of cancer.

They considered underlying risk factors such as smoking, in vitro ingestion of well water, and patient medical history in their analysis of the samples.

Dr Loka Ashwood at University of Kentuckys Department of Sociology said: Communities are gatekeepers of the most important knowledge to take on cancer clusters.

They can and should be incorporated into research, she added.

The prevalence of melanoma and lung cancer in the town compared to the national rate was particularly alarming, 6.7 times and 9.2 times the national average, respectively.

The group of sociologists and geoscientists discovered the presence of heavy metals, volatile compounds, and carcinogens in many of the towns wells which many people relied upon for water.

Some of the contaminants found at elevated levels in the water and soil samples included carcinogenic bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), lead, the pesticides naphthalene and caprolactam, radon, and zinc.

Dr Ashwood said: We identified a relationship between pesticide exposure and the drinking of well water as statistically significant in a model of environmental exposures.

Our rapid response water and soil samples also uncovered contaminants, she said.

The soil samples taken in 2017 were close to dumping sites, the Problend rubber making facility, a nearby railroad, and one leukemia patients residence.

Scientists are linking the environmental contamination to the now-shuttered Problend plant. DEHP is a common industrial chemical used in the production of plastics or rubber.

Residents of Fruithurst have successfully banded together to begin remedying the situation. Houses that were unable to connect to the less-polluted municipal water system were given reverse-osmosis water filtration systems.

Researchers will continue to collect soil and water samples in order to better understand the quality of Fruithurst's groundwater and its link to illegal dumping sites and the rubber factory.
Florida's top doctor has urged men aged 18 to 39 not to get a Covid vaccine, claiming the jab significantly raises their risk of dying from heart conditions.

Dr Joseph Ladapo, the state's surgeon general, said the mRNA jabs raise the risk of cardiac-related death by 84 per cent in young males.

The vaccine-skeptic official cited a Florida Department of Health analysis to back up his claims  but independent scientists say it contains major statistical flaws.

In a tweet that was censored by Twitter over the weekend before being reposted, Dr Ladapo said Florida would 'not be silent on the truth'.

He now becomes the most high-profile US doctor to break ranks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who says the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe for the vast majority of healthy children and adults.

The CDC recognizes the vaccines in rare cases can cause myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, but believes the benefit of protecting against Covid outweighs the risk.

Several studies have indicated the virus is more likely to cause heart problems than vaccines, which makes the argument even more nuanced.

But in recent months, as Covid death rates have trended downwards, several countries have changed their stance.

Denmark and Norway have already banned Covid vaccines for non-seniors, while next month Sweden says it will stop recommending them for 12 to 17-year-olds.

Covid jabs are credited with saving more than 300,000 lives in 2021, according to official analysis.

But the CDC's rollout of bivalent booster vaccines this winter has been sluggish with just five per cent  or 11million people  of over-12s coming forward despite the Government spending $5billion on the jabs.

Dr Joseph Ladapo, Florida's top doctor issued the warning over the Covid jabs this weekend. He is pictured above before signing a bill by Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis in 2021

The above is based on the Florida Department of Health's own analysis. It shows the risk of suffering a heart attack after getting the jab by age group and gender. It was calculated by comparing the fatality rate from the heart conditions a month after getting the vaccine, to that between one and five months later

The graph shows the number of updated Pfizer and Moderna shots in vaccine clinics

Independent scientists have criticized the Florida paper cited by Dr Ladapo, describing its methodology as 'incredibly flawed'.

One of the main problems is that it does not weed out people who tested positive for Covid  which itself can cause heart inflammation and other issues.

Revealing the controversial analysis on Friday, Dr Ladapo said it was 'important' that the risks of jabs were communicated to Floridians.

'Studying the safety and efficacy of any medications, including vaccines, is an important component of public health,' he said.

'Far less attention has been paid to safety and the concerns of many individuals have been dismissed.'

Up to one in 7,000 American teens suffered heart inflammation after their Covid vaccine Thousands of American teenagers may have suffered heart inflammation after getting a Covid jab, a study suggests. Researchers found up to one in 7,000 boys aged 12 to 15 years old developed myocarditis after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. The condition  which is mild for most but can cause a recurrent heart palpitation in rare cases  was most common after the second dose. Covid is also mild for most teenagers with only 1,745 Americans under-18 dying from the disease compared to more than 800,000 over-50s. Experts said their paper was not proof people should stop being vaccinated, adding the benefits still 'greatly outweigh' the risks. Covid itself is known to cause myocarditis, with some studies known it is more common from infections than after an inoculation. Vaccinating children has been hugely contentious during the pandemic because of the smaller risks Covid poses to them compared to older adults. Advertisement

The Florida Department of Health published the eight-page document on Friday that was not peer-reviewed and had no authors mentioned.

It included 3,400 fatalities in the state from heart conditions over five months.

The authors conducted a self-controlled case series, meaning they looked at people who had died of any cause except Covid.

They compared their risk of dying in the 28 days after getting their last Covid vaccine to their risk over the six month follow-up period.

They found in the 28 days after getting an inoculation people were less likely to die of any cause.

But most, especially young men, were more likely to die of a 'cardiac-related' cause such as a heart attack.

The Florida Department of Health said their analysis suggested an 84 per cent higher risk of death from myocarditis among men aged 18 to 39 years.

There were 20 fatalities in the first month, they said, compared to 52 over the next four months.

For comparison among women they said the risk was 59 per cent higher. This was based on 10 fatalities in the first month compared to 33 in the other.

Many scientists have been quick to blast the analysis as making 'little to no sense'.

Dr Monica Gandhi, an expert in medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told DailyMail.com today that the analysis had several 'flaws'.

'I do not think this study should be used to set policy on the mRNA vaccines in younger males,' she said.

'It has some methodological flaws including a small sample size, no described change in overall mortality and a failure to account for Covid-related mortality, a control group that was biased and a failure to look at the long-term benefits of the vaccine to younger males.'

Dr Deepti Gurdasani, an ardent Covid vaccine supporter at Queen Mary University of London in the UK, slammed it as 'incredibly flawed'.

'This study tells us nothing about the risks or benefits', she said in a Tweet.

'Vaccines have saved millions of lives, and are continuing to. Do they have side effects?  yes, they are rare, but they do happen. It's a benefit-risk calculation.'

The analysis has no listed authors online and has not been peer-reviewed by scientists, a benchmark for ensuring quality research.

It also used the ICD-10 codes from I30 to I52 to catch fatalities from heart attacks, myocarditis and other conditions.

Many doctors warn this is a generic listing often used for billing purposes, and often when the true cause of death can't be determined.

There is also no evidence that the deaths recorded under this code were actually due to the mRNA Covid vaccine. They may be down to another factor like the virus itself or an underlying health condition.

Pictured above is the tweet announcing the study. It was initially blocked by Twitter on Friday, but was restored on Sunday without any warnings

There are mounting concerns that the US may soon face another Covid wave after cases began to tick up in Europe. Pictured above is the daily case count for America

Dr Joseph Ladapo: What has he said on Covid vaccines? Dr Joseph Ladapo was appointed to the top health job in Florida in September last year by Governor Ron DeSantis. Many experts have slammed his suggestions that jabs are unsafe or don't work due to reams of evidence ot the contrary. But a number have backed his calls for children under-7 not to be jabbed. Covid vaccines are 'nothing special' Upon being appointed to Florida's top health job, Dr Ladapo said there was 'nothing special' about Covid vaccines. 'Vaccines are up to the person,' he said. 'There's nothing special about them compared to any other preventive measure.' 'It's been treated almost like a religion. It's just senseless.' Covid vaccines  developed in record time  are widely credited with bringing the pandemic to an end. They allowed people to build-up immunity to infections, helping the most at risk elderly stave off severe disease and death due to Covid. Last year alone analysis suggests they were behind more than 300,000 lives being saved. America 'doesn't know' if jabs are safe Dr Ladapo has also raised concerns over the safety of Covid jabs. He said in October last year that more information was needed on how safe the jabs were. 'You hear these stories of... nurses pregnant women who are being forced to sort of put something in their bodies that we don't know all there is to know about yet. 'No matter what people on TV tell you, it's not true. We're going to learn more about the safety of these vaccines.' All jabs are put through rigorous testing before being approved for use in people to ensure they are safe. Top health authorities in America including the CDC say they are safe to use. Health chiefs are 'scraping the bottom of the barrel' with approving vaccines for the youngest children Florida has stood out among America's 50 states over the issue of vaccinating children. It is the only one to have refused to follow the CDC in recommending them for those under seven years old, and also not to pre-order any shots for the age group. Asked why they weren't following recommendations in March, he said it was due to a lack of good data to support the move. 'Were kind of scraping at the bottom of the barrel, particularly with healthy kids,' he said. 'I don't think it's particularly radical [to not recommend jabs for the age group], I think it's very sensible'. Previously, the health chief has said he will not follow the Federal Government advice because it is regularly 'inconsistent' or 'unsuitable'. Many experts have also raised concerns over recommending Covid vaccines for the youngest children in the country. This is because of the vanishingly small risk of severe disease and death they face from the virus, as well as the higher risks of myocarditis or pericarditis  heart inflammation  in the age group. More than 86 per cent of youngsters also already have antibodies against the virus from previous infections. Advertisement

Myocarditis and pericarditis are both known side-effects of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA jabs, and are more common in young men.

Just last week a paper from healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente found up to one in 15,000 men aged 18 to 29 suffered myocarditis after a Covid booster vaccine. For comparison, among women of the same age group the rate was one in 156,000.

Most cases are mild however and normally clear up on their own, with few leading to medical treatment.

Dr Gandhi told DailyMail.com that the risks are 'quite well defined' and 'enhanced' by giving a second dose or booster too close to the first.

'It's why we recommend spacing of at least eight weeks between mRNA vaccine doses,' she added.

First and second doses are currently administered with a gap of at least eight weeks in the US, with booster administered from two months after the last jab or infection.

The CDC is currently rolling out updated bivalent boosters  which target Covid variants BA.4 and BA.5  to all adults aged over 12 years old, but is particularly targeting to over-65s who are most at risk.

Some scientists have warned, however, that younger adults should avoid getting these bivalent booster vaccines until more data becomes available.

Dr Paul Offit  a top vaccines adviser on the CDC jabs committee  said it would 'be wise' to focus on older generations only for the jabs earlier this month.

'We should be careful about overselling the bivalent vaccine as something better than the existing vaccine until more data are available,' he said.

The Australian department of health warns the risk of myocarditis after the bivalent jab is similar to that from the second or booster doses.

Both Denmark and Norway have suspended Covid vaccinations for healthy under-50s and under-65s respectively because of the low risk that either group will suffer serious illness or hospitalization from the disease.

At the start of November, Sweden says it will also stop recommending the jabs for healthy young adults because of the low risk they face.

Dr Ladapo's tweets were initially blocked by Twitter as 'misinformation', but were restored on Sunday without any warnings.

It is not the first time the top doctor's views have sparked controversy in the medical community.

When he was appointed to the post in early September last year, he branded the jabs as 'nothing special'.

He also said vaccines  credited with bringing the pandemic to a rapid end  were being treated like a 'religion' which was 'senseless'.

The following month he suggested the jabs were not safe, saying that officials needed to learn more about the jabs.

And this year he has made Florida the only state to refuse to approve Covid vaccines for children because of the small risk they face from Covid.

Asked why they weren't following the guidelines, he said it was like 'scraping at the bottom of the barrel' to approve shots for the youngest age group.

Before being appointed he campaigned for America to use hydroxychloroquine as a Covid treatment. This malaria treatment was later shown not to help patients.

About 68 per cent of Americans have got both doses of the Covid vaccines, official data shows.

But around 40 per cent of these have got their first boosters.

Broken down by age, data shows 71 per cent of over-65s came forward for the top-up shot owing to the high risk they face.

But among 18 to 24 year olds just 34 per cent came forward for the shots, while for 25 to 49 year olds 41 per cent got the extra inoculation.

Even though the latest updated jabs began to be rolled out in early September, data shows that less than five per cent of those eligible have come forward for the shots.

A month into the rollout just 11.5million of the 216million eligible have gone to get the shot, sparking concern in some medical circles.

Analysis suggests that the initial vaccine course has saved up to 300,000 lives among seniors  who are most at risk from the virus  in America alone.

And the US booster drive saved another 90,000 lives.

Concerns have been raised, however, over rolling out jabs to children as young as six months old.

Many experts has warned there is precious little evidence the age group  which is least at risk of serious disease or death from the virus  would benefit from the shots.

On the other hand there are also signs they may face a higher risk of myocarditis or pericarditis as a result of the shots.

Studies also suggest 86 per cent of children in America now have Covid fighting antibodies  mostly acquired via natural infection  meaning vaccines are only topping up existing immunity.

Other countries have avoided rolling out jabs to the youngest age groups because of the low risk they face.
A leading US health system is not disclosing how many patients' medical records were effected by what could be the largest medical cyberattack in US history.

CommonSpirit Health, the nation's fourth largest system with 142 hospitals across 21 states, was the target of a major IT ransomware attack last week.

The firm holds the medical records of up to 20million Americans, all of which may have been affected by the attack - which the firm is calling an 'IT security issue'.

When approached by DailyMail.com for an update Monday, CommonSpirit Health refused to reveal any information about the scope of the cyber breach.

One patient who had surgery on to remove a cancerous tumor delayed said it felt like being sent back to the 'stone age'.

The system did not reply to a DailyMail.com inquiry on whether it planned to notify affected patients once the scope of the breach was determined.

Cyberattacks on US health systems has greatly increased in recent years as an era of working from home means many employees are using less secure systems.

The American Association of Medical Colleges reports that there 600 US hospitals attacked in 2020 alone.

The health system operates 142 hospitals across 21 US states. It is unclear how many were affected by the attack, though there has been confirmed issues in Iowa, Washington and Tennessee

CommonSpirit Health has been hit be a ransomware attack that could affect up to 20million patients. The firm did not reveal the number of patients affected when asked by DailyMail.com. Pictured: MercyOne Des Moines Medican Center in Iowa, which was affected by the attack

CommonSpirit told DailyMail.com today it had 'identified an IT security issue that is impacting some of our facilities'.

A spokesperson added: 'We have taken certain systems offline. We are continuing to investigate this issue and follow existing protocols for system outages.

Biden warns there is 'evolving intelligence' Russia will hit US with cyberattacks The Biden administration is warning about the danger of Russian cyber attacks on U.S. businesses or infrastructure amid the war in Ukraine  and warning the U.S. will respond. A White House fact sheet from March highlights the potential for Russia to launch 'malicious cyber activity' in response to sanctions the U.S. imposed on Russia since it invaded Ukraine last month  and the administration is revealing it has seen 'preparatory activity.' 'I think the President was very clear. We're not looking for a conflict with Russia. If Russia initiates a cyber attack against the United States, we will respond,' said Senior White House cybersecurity official Anne Neuberger, who briefed reporters at the White House. The White House is not saying such an attack has occurred since the new sanctions, a matter that has surprised some Russia observers. But Moscow may be taking steps to prepare for such an event. 'There is now evolving intelligence that Russia may be exploring options for potential cyberattacks,' according to the fact sheet. Advertisement

'We are grateful to our staff and physicians, who are doing everything possible to minimize the impact to our patients.

'We take our responsibility to our patients very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience.'

Among those affected are care sites within Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and St Michael Medical Center in Washington, MercyOne Medical Center in Iowa, the CHI Memorial Hospital in Tennessee are among those confirmed to have been affected.

Among the patients affected are Kathy Kellog, from Washington, who had her operation to remove a cancerous tumor from her tongue delayed by at least five days.

Her husband Mark told KING-TV: 'Everything we do today is all on a computer, and without it youre back to the stone age writing on a tablet.'

The hospital they were attending  Virginia Mason Medical Center  is one of several that took systems offline due to the cyberattack.

Healthcare organizations are an appealing target for cyber attackers  particularly those who use ransomware.

Ransomware has remained a persistent threat for the industry, which is among the 16 sectors the US government classifies as critical infrastructure.

Health care systems in 2021 saw an unusually high amount of attacks, with 285 publicly reported worldwide, Dr Liska added.

So far, Dr Liskas firm has tracked 155 this year with an average of 20 attacks happening a month.

However, he estimated that only about 10 per cent of ransomware attacks are publicized.

Cybersecurity experts said years of work have built health care leaders trust in the FBI and other federal agencies focused on cyber crime.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on whether they were investigating the CommonSpirit Health cyberattack.

Brett Callow, a threat analyst with cybersecurity provider Emsisoft, said if all the health system's hospitals were affected the attack could be the 'most significant on the healthcare sector to date'.

The IT expert has helped curb at least 15 ransomware attacks on hospitals in the US this year.

Four-fifths of these resulted in data being stolen from hospitals, he said.

He warned these often 'represent a risk to the lives of patients' due to disruption to ambulance services and operations.

The delays caused, he said, impacts the 'long-term patient outcomes'  or chance of recovering from the procedure.

It is unclear who the perpetrator is.

The biggest ever in US history was in September 2020 when a ransomware attack arrested services at all 250 facilities  and 28 hospitals  owned by Universal Health Services.

Earlier this year President Joe Biden warned Russia could escalate its cyberattacks on US businesses because the West sided with Ukraine.
Administrative costs make up 30% of healthcare spending and half is wasted

Administrative waste in healthcare costs the US economy more than half a trillion dollars each year, a report has found.

Health Affairs, a leading health policy journal, estimates that $570billion is squandered annually on administrative costs and bloat related to billing and insurance.

This wasteful spending makes up anywhere from 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent of all healthcare costs in the US.

The report uses data from 2019 - before the Covid pandemic. Researchers fear the amount of wasteful spending only increased over the past two years.

The US spends more than triple Germany does on healthcare for each member of the population, and has 44 per cent more administrative staff than Canada.

Despite this, there is no data showing that these increased expenditures lead to higher quality care or better patient outcomes.

Administrative costs make up nearly a third of US healthcare spending in America - and half of the spending is wasted and unnecessary, a new report finds (file photo)

The research team gathered data from seven analyses of healthcare spending in America spanning from 1999 to 2019 for their study, published last week.

They found that spending on healthcare now made up 17.7 per cent of the nation's GDP in 2019 - up from 6.9 per cent in 1970.

This is more than double the spending by the average developed peer nation, which averages 8.8 per cent spending.

It is estimated that the spending now makes up nearly 20 per cent of the US GDP.

This figure was expected to be reached until 2028 - highlighting the acceleration in spending caused by the pandemic.

Administrative costs account for up to a third of this spending in the US. The team defined administrative costs as all expenses not related to care.

This includes costs paid out to insurance companies, industry middle-men and to fund billing and other departments within health systems.

Writing in the report, the researchers said: 'Even at the lower end of estimates, US spending on administrative costs annually accounts for twice the spending on care for cardiovascular disease and three times the spending for cancer care.'

While some of this spending is needed to properly run a healthcare system, around half of it is unnecessary, researchers found.

In total, the US spends around $1,055 per person each year in administrative health care costs, researchers wrote.

Germany, for comparison, only spends $306 per head - a third of America's total.

This can be attributed to the large amount of administrative staff working in America.

There are 44 per cent more administrative staff in the US than Canada, the report finds.

Physicians are bearing some of the administrative burden as well, spending 13 per cent of work time of tasks unrelated to care.

A review of studies over the two-decade span found that up to half of this work was unnecessary, and that resources used for it were being wasted.

Researchers write that creating more standardized pricing across healthcare and removing the necessity for 'pre-authorization' could help reduce the amount of waste in US care (file photo)

Researchers say in a briefing that massive shifts to US healthcare would be necessary to help reduce the burden of over-spending.

They say that standardized rates for hospital services could be a start.

Under the current system, the amount a procedure costs could vary greatly depending on the hospital, health system, and even based on a patient's insurance.

This leads to both insurers and health providers needing dedicated staff just to negotiate prices.

The research team proposes all-payer rate setting, which would set uniform costs for hospital services across the board and cut out much of the administrative burden.

They also recommend centralizing billing systems at a singular clearinghouse responsible for tackling claims from insurers and providers across the US.

This would reduce the need for each individual health system to spend so much on their own billing staff, which is less efficient than a central system.

Health Affairs researchers also recommend scaling back the system of prior-authorizations, where a health insurer decides whether care offered by doctors is necessary.

The system is widely criticized as it removes medical decision making power from doctors treating the patients and gives it to insurance actuaries.

While a person is still allowed to receive treatment without insurers approval, they will have to pay for it out-of-pocket on their own.

It can create large delays in medical care being administered and further jam up and already backed-up health system.
A report co-authored by disgraced scientist Dr Peter Daszak has claimed there is no evidence Covid was created in a laboratory.

The international group of scientists say the virus likely jumped to humans at the animal slaughter market at the epicenter in Wuhan.

They cite recent studies which found the majority of early cases visited or had links to stalls in the southwestern corner of the market, where animals that can harbor Covid were sold for meat or fur at the time.

Writing in the report, the authors said: 'The Task Force finds no verifiable or credible evidence to support the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 was created in or released from a laboratory.'

But there will be questions about the impartiality of the report given Dr Daszak's links to the Chinese lab at the center of the pandemic.

His EcoHealth Alliance research organization funneled US taxpayer money into the Wuhan Institute of Virology to carry out risky research on bat-borne coronaviruses.

The British zoologist also tried to cover-up serious inquiry into the laboratory's role in the pandemic.

He and fellow infectious disease experts Ralph Baric and Linfa Wang circulated a statement that was later published in The Lancet in which 27 prominent scientists from nine countries to strongly condemned 'conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.'

In a leaked email from 2020, Dr Daszak appeared to express gratitude to Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the US President, for downplaying the theory that the Covid-19 was created in a lab.

Dr Peter Daszak (left) pictured with Dr Anthony Fauci (right). A leaked email from 2020 showed Dr Daszak seeming to express gratitude to Dr Fauci for downplaying the theory that the Covid-19 was created in a lab in Wuhan, China

Dr Daszak is considered a potential orchestrator of the pandemic by advocates of the lab-leak theory

The scientists carried out a literature review, interviews with other scientists and had lengthy discussions to create their report.

The report, Pandemic Origins and a One Health Approach to Preparedness and Prevention: Solutions Based on SARS-CoV-2 and Other RNA Viruses, contained findings on the origin as well as how to prevent future outbreaks.

Animal viruses, including coronaviruses, have been picked up by humans for years, it said.

Outcry as EcoHealth Alliance is given ANOTHER US grant to investigate COVID US health officials have given a hugely controversial research organization another $650,000 (580k) grant to experiment on Covid-like viruses  despite fears similar risky work may have actually sparked the pandemic. EcoHealth Alliance, run by British zoologist Peter Daszak, funded studies in Wuhan  the Chinese city where the pandemic began  on manipulated coronaviruses. Such research, known as 'gain of function', can see viruses deliberately engineered to become more dangerous to humans. EcoHealth Alliance's five-year experiment will investigate 'the potential for future bat coronavirus emergence' in Asia, with scientists set to trawl caves in Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam in the hunt to prevent another viral crisis. The grant was awarded last month by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is still ran by Dr Anthony Fauci. Dr Fauci is known to be close to Dr Daszak, who thanked the American Government's departing chief medical adviser for downplaying theories that Covid may have been created in a lab. EcoHealth Alliance is said to have received $60million (53.5m) in federal cash over the past decade. Some of this money was funneled straight to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Advertisement

The risk of a pandemic rises when people and animals intermingle in new settings, driven by factors such as the wildlife trade.

The report took into account new scientific evidence that Covid spread from bats and was picked up by people in the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

The report emphasizes: The task force finds no verifiable or credible evidence to support the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 was created in or released from a laboratory.

The task force also looked at scientific findings before and during the pandemic, as well as previous virus outbreaks similar to Covid, to locate key intervention points to stop animal to human transfer.

They turned this into recommendations to halt or reduce a future outbreak, and if needed, to respond swiftly to stop regional or global spread, using a One Health approach.

This is a collaborative method working at local, nationals and global levels to get the best health outcomes by recognizing the connections and shared environments between people, animals and plants, and includes things like learning from indigenous knowledge.

The report recommended that smart surveillance should be used to pick out potential high-risk pathogens, focusing on areas where people, wildlife and domestic animals mix.

There should be incentives to keep human-animal contact to a minimum in rural locations and commercial markets, it added.

Commenting on the report, Dr Daszak said: As climate change, land use patterns, and the growing wildlife trade in certain regions continue to create opportunities for zoonotic spillover of emerging infectious diseases, the solutions in this report have crucial implications for the global community for years to come.

We must learn from past pandemics to prepare for success in anticipating, mitigating, and responding effectively to future pandemics.

Previously, Dr Daszaks EcoHealth Alliance has used the Wuhan Institute of Virology in research, particularly in gain-of-function research in which organisms are genetically altered.

The report was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A 2020 study by the University of Cambridge found that one in four Americans and Brits think that Covid being engineered in a laboratory is a reliable claim.

A more recent YouGov poll from 2021 found that 58 per cent of Americans think the pandemics origins lie in a Chinese laboratory.

This has increased from 49 per cent when YouGov first posed the question in May 2020.

Around a quarter think Covid was released from a laboratory on purpose, while 18 per cent believe it escaped by accident.

Only 13 per cent agreed that it occurred naturally and evolved into a human virus.
Astrobiologists believe the presence of laughing gas in a distant planet's atmosphere could indicate life.

Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas emitted by plants, making it a biosignature, or a compound in the atmosphere generated by a living thing.

Biosignatures typically include gases found in abundance in Earths atmosphere today.

Oxygen, which is produced by photosynthesis, and methane, which results from the decay of organic material, have been touted as the most promising biosignatures for life on exoplanets, or planets outside the Solar System.

But astrobiologists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) believe the scientific community has largely overlooked the party drug as an indicator of life.

Dr Eddie Schwieterman, an astrobiologist in UCRs Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences said: 'Fewer researchers have seriously considered nitrous oxide, but we think that may be a mistake.'

Nitrous oxide is a sedative and pain reliever commonly associated with a dentist's office.

It is also abused as a party drug - often via small cannisters called 'whippets'. It is also known as laughing gas, or simply nitrous.

The team led by Dr Schwieterman came to their conclusion after calculating how much nitrous oxide living things on a planet resembling Earth could produce.

Then, they constructed models simulating the other planet around different stars, which showed the amounts of laughing gas that could be detected on these rocky, Earth-like exoplanets by an observatory such as the James Webb Space Telescope.

Their findings were published last week in The Astrophysical Journal.

University of California Riverside scientists believe nitrous oxide in the atmosphere could offer clues about life on planets outside of the solar system.

Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is a popular party drug. N2O is emitted by living organisms like oxygen and methane, which are considered indicative of extraterrestrial life.

The Webb telescope, which will continue studying the potential presence of life on exoplanets, is capturing some of the first light emitted after the big bang.

Living things are constantly transforming other nitrogen compounds into nitrous oxide and its presence in another planet's atmosphere would insinuate life.

'In a star system like TRAPPIST-1, the nearest and best system to observe the atmosphere of rocky planets, you could potentially detect nitrous oxide at levels comparable to CO2 or methane,' Dr Schwieterman said.

Nitrous oxide has not been granted as much attention as a potential biosignature as other atmospheric compounds.

The UC Riverside scientists hope their report will garner attention from the wider scientific community.

There are certain circumstances under which the presence of nitrous oxide would not indicate life, and the UC Riverside team accounted for that in the modeling.

What can laughing gas tell us about space? Astrobiologists at UC Riverside believe the compound found in Earth's atmosphere could indicate life on planets outside of our solar system. Nitrous oxide, N2O, is a common sedative and pain reliever sometimes used in party settings Like other biosignatures (any characteristic that can be used as evidence for life) oxygen and methane, N2O is naturally derived Scientists at UC Riverside hope their report out last week will bring more attention to N2O has a viable sign of life They expect that the James Webb Telescope, the most powerful one ever built, will expand their study into N2O as an indicator for life outside our solar system Advertisement

For example, a small amount of nitrous oxide can be generated by lightning, which the modelers considered.

Lightning also creates nitrogen dioxide, which offers a clue that non-living weather or geological processes created the gas.

Scientists who have considered nitrous oxide as a biosignature have often concluded that it would be too difficult to detect from such a great distance.

They based that conclusion on how much nitrous oxide is in the Earth's atmosphere today.

The atmosphere has a very small concentration of nitrous oxide despite the billions of living organisms here that produce it, leading skeptical scientists to believe it would be too difficult to measure.

But according to Dr Schwieterman, that conclusion ignores the fact that there was a time in Earth's history 'where ocean conditions would have allowed for much greater biological release of [nitrous oxide].'

He added: 'Conditions in those periods might mirror where an exoplanet is today.'

The James Webb Telescope, the most powerful one ever built, began surveilling planets that orbit other stars over the summer.

It was dreamed up by scientists as a tool primarily to capture some of the first light in the universe emitted shortly after the big bang.

Astronomers hoped at the outset that it would answer whether some of those exoplanets harbor atmospheres that could support life.
There is an old joke that people become actuaries, devoting their careers to calculating pension risks, because they find the idea of accountancy too exciting.

After the past couple of weeks of high drama in the torpid world of final salary pension schemes, most people would prefer the normal state of tedium.

The letter sent by the Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe explaining how he and his colleagues saved the financial system reads like the script of a slightly nerdy disaster movie.

Scandal: The Liability Driven Investments debacle raises some very serious questions for the pension watchdogs

The first misgivings were heard over leveraged Liability Driven Investments or LDIs immediately after the Budget. On the Sunday evening, instead of Antiques Roadshow and Countryfile, Bank staff were hunched over their screens, stomachs churning as sterling fell on Asian markets.

LDI managers warned they would possibly have to sell up to 50billion of gilts into an illiquid market. By the Tuesday, some LDI funds said they would have to start winding up the next day, which would have presented a big risk to the financial system. Bank staff stayed up all night to produce a lifeboat, which has averted a collapse.

It is a temporary fix, due to end this week, and while it is inconceivable that it would not be extended if another doom loop were to emerge, questions remain.

There are uncomfortable echoes of the global crisis a dozen years ago, when trouble blowing up in obscure corners of the financial world heralded a wider disaster. The woes of Credit Suisse, which has bought back three billion francs worth of its own debt to shore up confidence, have added to the foreboding. Complacent, light-touch regulation epitomised the financial crisis.

Banks are in general now far better capitalised, but risk has migrated to other parts of the system including pensions and open-ended investment funds.

The LDI debacle raises some very serious questions for the pension watchdogs. The Bank of England has tried to wriggle out of blame by saying it does not regulate pensions or LDIs, which are mostly overseas. That is no reason to ignore them as the Bank seems to imply; indeed the opposite.

The Old Lady is responsible for the stability of the financial system overall, and therefore should have noticed the enormous build-up of risk from offshore LDI funds across final salary schemes.

The Budget was the trigger, but attempts to blame it all on the Government should be treated with scepticism. Pension funds addicted to LDIs were susceptible to a major gilt yield shock from any cause.

Yet the Bank seemed oblivious and indeed its own staff pension filled its boots.

The Pensions Regulator looks like a weak and captured watchdog, with senior staff who have been heavily involved in LDI.

It was heavily criticised for its feebleness over the pension fund at Carillion, whose 27,000 members were left with a 2.6billion net liability when the firm went under in 2018.

The Regulator promised that lessons would be learned and its powers in regard to reckless employers have been strengthened. The UK is no stranger to pension scandals, from Robert Maxwell to Equitable Life. But LDIs dwarf the lot combined and the Regulator is out of its depth.

This will lead to even more sponsor companies seeking to offload their final salary funds to insurance companies.
Abrdn is facing allegations of anti-money laundering failures while its boss has been accused of intimidation and aggression.

The funds giant, which just weeks ago tumbled out of the FTSE 100 for the first time, was missing documentation for some clients in its Luxembourg arm.

This led to the company having to freeze the accounts of more than 20 institutional clients, The Sunday Times reported.

Trouble at the top: Several current and former employees have accused Stephen Bird, Abrdn's chief executive, of aggressive and intimidating behaviour

The mishap comes as several current and former employees have accused Stephen Bird, Abrdn's chief executive, of aggressive and intimidating behaviour.

He has been tasked with improving the group's performance, as Abrdn has failed to impress since it was formed in 2017.

A spokesman said Bird had been forced to make 'difficult decisions... not all of [which] are popular, nor can they be'.

The spokesman said Luxembourg was 'a historic issue relating to documentation'.
Australians are being warned that touching their smartwatches while driving could result in a hefty fine.

Because a smartwatch has similar functions to a phone, it could cause a driver to become distracted or inattentive, resulting in demerit point penalties.

New South Wales

It is illegal to use smartwatches for texting, video calls, emailing, social media, or any other similar activity when worn by the driver.

Drivers face five demerit points and a $362 fine that increases to $481 when caught in a school zone - the same penalty as using a phone while driving.

Using a smartwatch for reasons other than outlined by state government laws will result in hefty fines and incur demerit points (STOCK IMAGE, man checking notifications on his smartwatch while driving)

Victoria

Victoria warns drivers not to use a smartwatch while driving, with mobile phone laws also applying to watch devices.

'When a smartwatch is worn by a driver, it should not be used while driving for making or receiving phone calls, navigation, music, text or video messaging, email or social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter),' VicRoads advises motorists.

'Smartwatches can also be used if the driver does not touch anything on the smartwatch (for example, making and receiving calls needs to be hands-free via Bluetooth or similar means), and that it is secured in a commercially designed mounting affixed to the vehicle (this may be unavailable).'

Those caught using the smartwatch illegally will be fined $484 and handed down four demerit points.

Those motorists caught using their smartwatch illegally receive an on-the-spot fine of $484 and will incur four demerit points.

Queensland

There is no smartwatch-specific rule for motorists, but anything that distracts a driver still attracts penalties.

'Smart watches are a major distraction for drivers and police can still charge a driver with driving without due care and attention,' a Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said.

'We have mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras across Queensland.

'The cameras detect illegal mobile phone use and failure to wear a seatbelt by both drivers and front-seat passengers but are not used to enforce offences relating to smartwatches.'

Drivers can be fined $1,078 and have four demerit points put on their licence for using a phone illegally.

Tasmania

Those who use their smartphone while driving in Tasmania can be penalised with an inattentive driving offence.

'Driving without due care and attention' can be punished with a $173 fine and three demerit points.

Fines for using a smartwatch illegally while driving range from $173 to $1,078 across the country (STOCK IMAGE police officer holding a radar speed gun)

South Australia

South Australia follows the Australian Road Rules around visual display units (VDUs) - which includes 'wearable computers' and smartwatches.

It is an offence to operate a VDU in a moving vehicle, if the screen is visible to the driver.

Drivers will also be fined if they are using a VDU while in a stationary car that is not parked.

Western Australia

Similar rules apply to those in South Australia, with an exception allowing drivers to use smartwatches for navigation.

Motorists using a smartwatch as an aid for navigation must mount the device rather than have it on their wrist. Drivers caught breaking the rules will incur a $300 fine and three demerit points.

While using a smartwatch to make calls or texts while in a moving vehicle incurs a $1,000 fine and four demerit points.

In most states and territories, drivers are permitted to use a smartwatch for navigation, receiving calls or playing music as long as the driver does not touch the device to access the function or the device is mounted (STOCK IMAGE, man looking at smartwatch while driving)

Northern Territory

Motorists in the state are permitted to use their smartwatches to make a phone call, provided they do not touch any part of the device.

Drivers caught touching their smartwatches receive a $500 fine.

Australian Capital Territory

Mobile phones, tablets and smartwatches can be used if they are secured and mounted and the driver does not touch the device to make phone calls, navigate or play music.

Motorists caught using the internet and checking text messages will be penalised three to four demerit points and fined between $487 to $598.
Joe Biden knew about Hunter's drug-fueled meltdown at the time his son bought a gun and lied about being a drug user on the sworn purchase form, a voicemail from the president to his son reveals.

Biden sounds close to tears in the voicemail left on Hunter's abandoned laptop on October 15 - three days after Hunter bought the gun and lied about being a drug addict - begging him to get help.

'It's Dad. I called to tell you I love you. I love you more than the whole world pal,' Joe said in the October 15 message. 'You gotta get some help. I know you don't know what to do, I don't either.'

On October 12, 2018 Hunter Biden bought a .38 caliber pistol from a Delaware gun store. About two weeks later his lover and brother's widow Hallie Biden found it 'unlocked' in his truck and threw it in a grocery store trash can. Its discovery sparked a police investigation.

The incident is reportedly one of the potential crimes that federal law enforcement have enough evidence on to charge the First Son, according to a Washington Post report Thursday.

Hunter wrote on the Firearm Transaction Record that he did not use unlawful drugs, but admitted in his memoir that he was a crack addict at the time. Lying on the federal form is a felony.

Texts on Hunter's abandoned laptop reveal Joe Biden knew his son was having a meltdown at the time. The texts reveal how Joe was sucked into his son's torrid love life and became a punching bag for Hunter's drug-fueled rants

In his memoir, Beautiful Things, Hunter admitted to his continued 'full-blown addiction' at the time of the gun incident  and in doing so, appeared to admit to the felony of lying on the firearm form. A shocking photo obtained from Hunter's laptop shows his badly damaged and worn down teeth - also known as 'meth mouth' - as he sits in a dentist chair

The FBI believes it has enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden with failure to declare income from his foreign business deals and a failure to declare he was a drug addict on a gun application

The emotional voicemail, along with frantic texts between Hunter and Hallie on the laptop, could form part of the evidence prosecutors use to build their case, should they decide to prosecute Hunter for the alleged felony.

Emails, text messages, and photographs previously published by DailyMail.com are among a wealth of evidence that prosecutors could use at trial if Hunter Biden is charged with tax crimes and lying on gun purchase documents.

The FBI believes it has enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden with failure to declare income from his foreign business deals and a failure to declare he was a drug addict on a gun application.

Agents told the Post they assembled enough evidence for a criminal case against the First Son 'months ago'  and the decision to charge now lies with federal prosecutors.

The agents claim they have sufficient proof that Hunter failed to declare income from his overseas business dealings to the IRS.

Hunter barely had the gun for a two weeks when a dangerous incident occurred. His lover and brother's widow Hallie Biden found it in his truck on October 23 and threw it in a trash can outside local grocery store Janssens, opposite a high school.

Hunter argued about the incident with Hallie in panicked text messages in the following days. 'The f***ing FBI Hallie. It's hard to believe anyone is that stupid // so what's my fault here Hallie that you speak of. Owning a gun that's in a locked car hidden on another property?,' he wrote. 'It was open unlocked and windows down and the kids search your car,' Hallie replied. 'I'm scared you would use it hunt  I'm scared for your life hunt'

In June, images emerged showing a naked Hunter casually waving around a gun as he fools around with a prostitute during a sex session in 2018, in yet another compromising photo scandal to plague the president's son

The First Son also wrote on a gun application that he was not a user of illegal drugs, but later admitted in his own memoir that he was a crack addict at the time.

On October 12, 2018 Hunter bought a .38 caliber handgun from StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington, Delaware.

The federally required Firearm Transaction Record for the purchase, obtained by DailyMail.com, asks: 'Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?'

Hunter checked the box: 'No'.

But in his memoir, Beautiful Things, he admitted to his continued 'full-blown addiction' at the time  and in doing so, appeared to admit to the felony of lying on the firearm form.

'I had returned [to the East Coast] that fall of 2018, after my most recent relapse in California, with the hope of getting clean through a new therapy and reconciling with Hallie. Neither happened,' he wrote in the 2021 autobiography.

He said he would go for regular ketamine therapy sessions as part of his rehab treatment but continued to smoke crack throughout.

It was later revealed Hunter allegedly lied on a firearm report (above) required for the transaction. A photo of the form shows the first son allegedly answered 'no' when asked if he was an 'unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance'

Hunter bought the .38 revolver from Starquest Shooters in Delaware on October 12, 2018

'The therapy's results were disastrous,' he wrote. 'I backslid. I did exactly what I'd come to Massachusetts to stop doing. I'd stay clean for a week, break away from the center to meet a connection I found in Rhode Island, smoke up, then return.

'One thing I did remarkably well during that time was fool people about whether or not I was using. Between trips up there, I even bought clean urine from a dealer in New York to pass drug tests.

'I doubt much good comes from doing ketamine while you're on crack.'

A copy of the Firearms Transaction Record and a receipt for the purchase was first obtained by news site Politico last year.

Lying on gun forms is a felony, punishable by a maximum 10 years prison and a $250,000 fine.

In March 2021 a bombshell report published by Politico revealed Hunter's sister-in-law and one-time girlfriend Hallie had found the gun in his car, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and put it in a trash can outside Janssen's Market (pictured) in Wilmington, Delaware in October 2018, because she feared he would use it to kill himself

However, not all cases are prosecuted. Of the 478 referrals for 'lying and buying' the Justice Department received in 2018, charges were filed for 298 cases, about 60%.

Hunter barely had the gun for a two weeks when a dangerous incident occurred.

His lover and brother's widow Hallie Biden found it in his truck on October 23 and threw it in a trash can outside local grocery store Janssens, opposite a high school.

It was discovered by a homeless man rifling through the trash. Local police as well as the FBI were called.

Hunter argued about the incident with Hallie in panicked text messages in the following days.

'The f***ing FBI Hallie. It's hard to believe anyone is that stupid // so what's my fault here Hallie that you speak of. Owning a gun that's in a locked car hidden on another property?,' he wrote.

'It was open unlocked and windows down and the kids search your car,' Hallie replied. 'I'm scared you would use it hunt  I'm scared for your life hunt.'

Despite the Bidens not having Secret Service protection at the time, USSS agents reportedly showed up and asked the gun store owner, Ron Palmieri, to hand over purchase documents.

Suspecting the case would be covered up, Palmieri refused and instead later gave his papers to agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, according to a March 2021 Politico report.

In texts obtained by DailyMail.com, Hunter messaged his therapist to tell him about the ordeal. 'She stole the gun out of my truck lock box and threw in a garbage can full to the top at Jansens. Then told me it was my problem to deal with,' Hunter wrote

The Secret Service has denied any involvement. But in texts from Hunter's laptop he also claimed they had a role in the debacle.

'She stole the gun out of my truck lock box and threw in a garbage can full to the top at Jansens. Then told me it was my problem to deal with,' Hunter wrote in a three-way text message with Hallie and his therapist in January 2019.

'Then when the police the FBI the secret service came on the scene she said she took it from me because she was scared I would harm myself due to my drug and alcohol problem and our volatile relationship and that she was afraid for the kids.'

Transparency organization Judicial Watch is currently suing the Secret Service over its refusal to hand over records relating to the incident under the Freedom of Information Act.

Last year the agency told Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson, who have been investigating Hunter's potential criminal activity, they weren't involved.

'The Secret Service did not provide protection to any member of the Biden family in 2018,' special agent in charge Benjamin Kramer said in a letter published by the Republican senators.

'Further, records searches concerning the reported involvement of Secret Service personnel in the alleged incident have yielded no results.'
Arizona secretary of state Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, is running for governor of Arizona

Arizona Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs was a student leader at her Catholic preparatory high school when pupils took part in a yearly tradition known as Slave Day.

Copies from past yearbooks of Seton Catholic Preparatory High School were obtained by DailyMail.com and appear to show the practice went on for nearly four decades and was last mentioned in a yearbook from 1997.

Hobbs, who played an active student body role as a member of the yearbook staff and student council for part of her tenure, went to school there from 1984 through 1988.

The tradition entails freshman students performing tasks for senior class masters that included performing embarrassing acts of servitude.

One example from the 1985 yearbook, which would have been the end of Hobbs freshman year, describes slaves in her grade wearing unbecoming hairdoes and unbecoming outfits, sporting embarrassing signs and performing embarrassing acts of servitude for senior masters for a day.

Its not clear if Hobbs participated herself in the auctions, but her 1987 Student Council page credits her and the other student leaders for having 'coordinated the many class events during Spirit Week' - when Slave Day appears to have been celebrated.

She would have likely known the tradition was celebrated and regularly featured in the Seton Catholic Prep yearbook when she joined its staff in 1987.

The 1987 yearbook mentions Slave Day four times.

Katie Hobbs' high school, Seton Catholic Preparatory School in Arizona, held a yearly tradition known as 'Slave Day' (pictured - Slave Day noted in the 1985 yearbook, when Hobbs was a freshman)

The tradition would have been well known at the school in 1987, when Hobbs was a yearbook club member and part of the student council (which the above page says 'coordinated' Spirit Week events, when Slave Day appears to have taken place)

An accompanying image shows a student on their knees while wearing a collar and leash led by what appears to be a fellow classmate.

Yearbook images show seniors are also auctioned off for a couple of dollars to freshman students.

One portion from Hobbs senior class yearbook refers to her grade paying for cruelties rendered during freshman initiation week on a day called Senior Slave Day.

Another image shows a white female student with what appears to be black paint streaked across parts of her face.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Hobbs campaign for comment via email three times but has not heard back.

Seton Catholic Preparatory High School also did not respond to inquiries about Hobbs participation or whether the Slave Day practice is still ongoing.

Slave Day is referenced at least four times in the 1987 yearbook that Hobbs was a part of

One image from the 1986 yearbook shows a girl with black paint on her face

The practice continued at least through Hobbs' senior year, as evidenced by the 1988 yearbook

Hobbs, who is currently serving as Arizonas Secretary of State, is running for governor in November against Donald Trump-backed former local TV anchor Kari Lake, a Republican.

She was previously accused of racism by a former staffer for Arizonas state Senate Democrats who maintains that Hobbs should not be Democrats nominee.

Is Katie Hobbs a racist as defined by the Oxford dictionary? Yes, she is. Is she worthy of sitting in any role of government? No, she is not, Talonya Adams said during a press conference in December 2021, according to 12 News. She condemned both Lake and Hobbs.

The Democratic candidate was forced to apologize last year after a jury sided with Adams claim that she was fired for speaking out against getting lower pay than white and male colleagues.

A new CBS News poll shows Lake and Hobbs locked in a tight race.

Both had 49 percent of support from likely Arizona voters, according to the survey, which also showed Democrat Senator Mark Kelly slightly ahead of his Trump-backed Republican challenger.
WHY IS IT DIFFERENT?

The new jab is 'bivalent', meaning that it contains genetic information from two strains of the Covid virus.

One is the original Wuhan strain, which the current jabs are based on.

The new part is material specifically related to Omicron with aim of boosting protection from newer versions of the virus.

Professor Griffin says it also appears to give extra protection against BA.4 and BA.5.

'[It] has been shown to give better protection against Omicron, including later Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 that have caused the recent waves in Australia,' Professor Griffin told SBS News.

WHY IS IT NEEDED?

Viruses like Covid evolve and change over time making the protection provided by older vaccines and infection from previous strains less effective

This increases the chances of people becoming ill with the virus and needing hospital care.

WHO CAN GET THE NEW VACCINE?

ATAGI recommends the vaccine is used as a booster in adults 18 years old and over.

Anyone who has not had a third or fourth Covid-19 booster should consider getting the Moderna bivalent as a booster shot, Professor Griffin said.

'I would certainly encourage everyone who's not completely up to date and not had their four doses - if that's what they are eligible for - if you haven't had that now, it'd be a great time to go and get your booster,' he said.

'Not only is the improved vaccine available but we are seeing rates of transmission climb in other parts of the world.'

WHAT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY HAD TWO BOOSTERS?

Professor Griffin does not recommend Aussies who have already had four doses of the vaccine to get a fifth dose.

'I wouldn't seek an additional dose at this point in time,' he said. 'There may be really specific circumstances where that may be appropriate but for most people I wouldn't seek an additional dose.'

HOW TO GET THE VACCINE

The new Moderna vaccine is available across the country. Find a location close to you using the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Like other mRNA Covid vaccines, the shot contains genetic code from the virus which is injected into the body.

This code triggers cells to produce the spike protein found on the outside of the Covid virus.

The body's immune system then learns to recognise this part of the virus and better fight it off later.

For the new jab, this includes the spike protein of the original Covid strain and that of the Omicron variant.

Omicron had more than 30 mutations which makes its spike protein different than the original Wuhan strain.

How much more effective is the new jab against Omicron?

A Moderna study of the new jab on 800 people found it boosted antibody levels against original Omicron eight-fold.

And in a separate study the jab was found to also be more effective against the currently-dominant BA.5 strain, outperforming the older version 5.4-fold.
Floods in the central Venezuela state of Aragua have left 37 people dead, the Aragua Red Cross confirmed Monday

At least 37 people have been confirmed dead after five small rivers in central Venezuela flooded due to heavy rains, the local Red Cross chapter in the state of Aragua confirmed Monday.

The downpour on Saturday night swept large tree trunks and debris from surrounding mountains into the community of Las Tejerias, 40 miles southwest of Caracas, damaging businesses and farmland.

Authorities reported that 52 residents were still missing as of Monday afternoon as rescued workers continued to search the area.

Aragua Red Cross director Dr. Juan Gualano told local news portal Cronica Uno that only 22 of the 37 people who died have been identified.

The storm dumped about a month's worth of rain over a span of eight hours, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said Sunday.

Rescue workers resumed efforts to find the 52 people who have been missing since Saturday in Las Tejerias, a town in the central Venezuelan state of Aragua that was hit by heavy rains which caused rivers to flood. At least 37 people have been confirmed dead

Residents provide solace to each other Monday following Saturday's flood in the central Venezuela town of Las Tejerias that killed 37 people. At least 52 people were still missing as of Monday

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez (center) visits an area flooded in Las Tejerias on Monday. She said the storm dumped about a month's worth of rain over a span of eight hours

Rodriguez said that pumps used to power the town's drinking water system were carried away in the flood waters.

The vice president said the priority was to locate people still trapped under mud and rocks throughout the town, while military and rescue personnel also searched the riverbanks for survivors.

'We have lost boys, girls,' Rodriguez said after touring Las Tejerias. 'What has happened in the town of Tejerias is a tragedy.'

President Nicolas Maduro said in a tweet that he had designated the area a disaster zone and had declared three days of mourning.

Residents gather in front of a home Monday to recover some of their belongings after floods damaged their homes during a storm in Las Tejerias on Saturday night

A man sits in front of his flooded home in Las Tejerias, a town of 73,000 residents in the central Venezuelan state of Aragua. At least 20,000 homes were damaged, the state's local Red Cross chapter said Monday

The streets of Las Tejerias, a town of about 73,000 inhabitants, were filled with mud, boulders and tangled tree branches and lined by boarded-up houses, according to Reuters witnesses.

Homes, businesses, and other building were were fully or partially filled with mud and other debris carried by the water. The area is currently without electricity or drinking water.

Jennifer Galindez, 46, stood in front of her two-story home waiting on news of her missing husband, Jose Segovia, 55, who suffers from severe diabetes. The flood also killed her one-year-old granddaughter, Estefania Romero.

'My husband was by the window. I couldn't help him either and the water took him away,' said Galindez said.

'The water swept me away,' she said, adding that she eventually found refuge on a platform where there was no current.

Armando Escalona, a 43-year-old taxi driver, said he was attending an evangelical church service with his family when the flood waters caught them by surprise. He said that he remembers hugging his family for a short while until an unknown object hit his head and he lost consciousness. When he woke, he couldn't find his family.

'I lost my wife and my five-year-old son. I can't even talk. We were at the service and everything happened so fast,' Escalona said.

People remove debris Monday following the flooding of five rivers due to heavy rains in Las Tejerias on Saturday night

A resident carries some of his belongings that were recovered Monday following Saturday flooding in Las Tejerias

Rescue workers search through the rubble of destroyed homes in the central Venezuela town of Las Tejerias on Monday, two days after five small rivers flooded. At least 37 people have been confirmed dead and 52 were still missing as of Monday afternoon

Gustavo Arevalo, a 58-year-old vendor who also volunteers for a civil defense corps, said that the waters began to rise quickly on Saturday, knocking down the town's telephone antenna.

'As if dam water had been released,' said Arevalo, standing in the town's center, one of the hardest hit neighborhoods.

After the flood waters receded, he tried to help others 'recover what was left of their businesses.'

One of the flooded rivers, the El Pato, swept away several houses, shops and a slaughterhouse, according to search and rescue authorities.

Carlos Perez, deputy minister for the country's civil protection system, said in a Sunday tweet that a thousand rescuers were looking for victims in the area.

The downpour also caused landslides in three other central states on Sunday morning, Rodriguez said, but claimed no victims.

The deaths bring the total killed in recent weeks to at least 40 due to heavy rains caused by the La Nina weather pattern. Venezuela has faced flooding and landslides.
Honda's first-ever full-electric SUV is taking the auto industry by storm.

The famous automaker has recently unveiled its new Prologue electric vehicle (EV) to the world as part of its wish to seek a "zero environmental footprint."

Honda was previously reported to be planning on accelerating its electrification to help it realize "the joy and freedom of mobility."

Honda Prologue Features, Specifications, Design

Honda mentioned in its announcement that its first-ever electric SUV would feature a simple and clean "Neo-Rugged" exterior and interior styling and adequate interior space for trips within and without the city.

According to the automaker, a team of young designers came up with the design of the EV's exterior and interior, with the term Neo-Rugged being the design direction to bring "the harmony of nature's elements" to the car's interior and exterior design.

The car's exterior features a North Shore Pearl exterior tint, whose color is inspired by California's Lake Tahoe. Meanwhile, its interior will have a charcoal and light gray tint taken from the look of "freshly fallen snow on the mountains."

Additionally, instead of placing the usual "H-mark" on the vehicle's rear, Honda decided to place its whole brand name in a stylized typeface to differentiate it from its internal combustion engine cars.

The company also mentioned that the brand name is typed in a stylized typeface that reflects the Prologue's design.

As for the Prologue's specifications, the car has a wheelbase of 121.8 inches and a 21-inch wheel diameter. It is also 192 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, and 64.7 inches high.

Read More: 5 Things That Make Quantum of the Seas One of the Most High-Tech Cruise Ships in the World

With these measurements put into consideration, the car is five inches wider than the 2023 Honda CR-V.

As for its interior, the Prologue has a tech-rich cabin and a fully digital 11-inch driver display panel with an 11.3-inch audio/connectivity display.

Honda has yet to release more details about the Prologue's specifications, but it promises to release updates in the coming months.

However, there may be some hints on what the car and its maker will offer customers scattered here and there. Interesting Engineering mentioned that the upcoming Honda Prologue is meant to target customers who want to enjoy the versatility of an SUV without worrying about the greenhouse gases it emits.

Meanwhile, Hot Cars reports that Honda built the Prologue on General Motors' Ultium platform, meaning it will use the same engine options as the Chevrolet Blazer EV, which features a range of 247 to 320 miles and a charging rate of up to 190kW.

Honda Prologue Release Date And Price

Honda mentioned that its Prologue EV will arrive in the North American market sometime in 2024. Unfortunately, the company didn't share a specific release date for the car.

Since it features the same platform as the Chevy Blazer EV, it could be assumed that the car will be priced similarly, with the former having a price tag of $45,000.

Related Article: Honda Wants To Launch 30 New EV Models Globally by 2030  Here Are the Details
A world-leading neurosurgeon has jumped to the defence Dr Charlie Teo to describe him as world-class as he fights to end restrictions on operating in Australia.

For the last 15 months, Dr Teo has been unable to operate without written approval from a fellow surgeon due to restrictions placed on him by the Medical Council of NSW after the body received three complaints.

As former patients and their families come out in support of the controversial surgeon, an international specialist has lodged a submission with the NSW Medical Council calling for the ruling to be overturned after seeing Dr Teo in action.

Associate Professor Yeo Tseng Tsai, head of neurosurgery at Singapore's National University Hospital, invited Dr Teo to operate on brain tumour patients, despite his reputation among Australian peers as 'a bit of a maverick and a showman.'

Dr Teo operated on five to six patients with very difficult brain tumours, which all resulted in' truly excellent outcomes' under Dr Tsai's supervision, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

There is growing support for controversial brain surgeon Dr Charlie Teo (pictured with his partner Traci Griffiths)

'I confess I lost all my scepticism of him there and then.

'Seeing is believing as they say, and I realised then that I was now observing one of the great technical neurosurgeons in the world performing at truly world class levels in our own university hospital in Singapore,' Dr Tsai said in his submission.

'My experience with him, even in these cases with a less than stellar outcome, was that he was always very upfront and honest with the patient and relatives pre-op, so that we had no issues at all with relatives and patients when the post op outcome was less than what we expected, as a very good bond of trust had been built with them.'

Dr Teo received no payment for his week-long stint working on public hospital patients in Singapore.

Dr Tsai admitted a few cases had the outcomes that were 'not really great' and that he had conflicting opinions to Dr Teo on several cases on whether to operate.

'In most of them, he was proved correct in the end,' he wrote.

The submission comes as more families of Dr Teo's former patients leap to his defence.

They include the family of teen Milli Lucas, whom Dr Teo operated on twice before the Western Australian 14-year-old lost her brave battle in January 2021.

The family of teen Milli Lucas (pictured with Dr Teo before she died in 2021) are among those who have spoken out in support of the surgeon

Neurosurgery head at Singapore's National University Hospital Associate Professor Yeo Tseng Tsai (pictured) described Dr Teo as 'one of the great technical neurosurgeons'

'Poor Charlie, seriously just let the man do his job Australia,' Milli's mum Monica Smirk recently posted on Facebook.

She says Dr Teo gave their family two extra years with Milli they wouldn't have otherwise had.

'I know the neurosurgeons in Australia think he's a cowboy and think he takes things just that little bit extra  but that should be left to the patient to choose,' Ms Smirk told news.com.au.

'I feel sorry for the people in Australia who want to be a neurosurgeon and aren't able to learn from the best in the world.'

Dr Teo is believed to have taken part in operations in South Africa, Spain and Switzerland despite being restricted in Australia.

He recently revealed despite the decision he was fielding 'daily' phone calls begging for his help.

He claims 'jealous' colleagues were restricting him from performing his 'miracle' surgeries in Australia.

Renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, 64, is unable to operate without written approval from a fellow surgeon due to restrictions placed on him by the Medical Council of NSW after receiving three complaints

'It's gang warfare,' Dr Teo recently told 2GB host Chris Smith.

'It's purely based on professional jealousy. Even a governing body has said that I'm a competent surgeon.'

'It all started from nameless, faceless, cowardly people who went to the media, made allegations and made up stories about me to try and destroy my reputation.

'If I'm as bad as surgeons say I am, if I'm offering people false hope and false promises, come out and say it... and put a face to the allegations.'

Dr Teo must provide a monthly log of names and procedures of patients and seek the second opinion of another neurosurgeon before performing rare brain conditions.
Christopher Stamat Jr., 21, was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with six felonies, including attempted first-degree murder

Florida police have arrested a man accused of shooting a family sleeping in their car, including a pregnant woman.

Tampa Police arrested Christopher Stamat Jr., 21, on Saturday in connection with the shooting which took place at around 4:30am on October 5.

Stamat allegedly shot the pregnant mother in the head, leaving her with non-life threatening injuries.

Stamat, who is being held without bond faces six felony charges for the attack, including four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of second degree attempted murder and one count of shooting into a vehicle.

In a news conference on Sunday morning, Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor said revealed how police arrested Stamat on Saturday for felony marijuana possession but was later released.

Christopher Stamat Jr., 21 as not said why he opened fire but claimed that he felt people were 'stalking and following him' in cars, on bikes and walking

Much of Stamat's social media sees him working out in the gym

He was then re-arrested later that afternoon after making the case for the shooting charge, O'Connor explained.

'Our community as a whole can sleep easier tonight knowing the suspect linked to this monstrous, random act of violence is no longer free to prey on innocent people,' O'Connor said.

'You take a gun, and you unload it on a family. We can't really sit back and try to figure out the 'why' on that. There's really zero tolerance for that kind of behavior.'

The shooting occurred in a parking lot across from the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex in the Old West Tampa neighborhood.

Stamat was identified after police traced his 2012 BMW through surveillance footage from the scene.

Dozens of photos adorn Stamat's Instagram page that show him working out

His car was found in the garage of his girlfriend's home some three miles from the scene of the attack.

Police searched Stamat's car and home after obtaining warrants whereupon they found an empty gun box for a 9mm handgun and empty shell casings matching those found at the scene of the crime.

O'Connor also told how the handgun police found was not the one Stamat allegedly used in the shooting.

The chief added how the door to his bedroom in which the shell casings were found requires finger print identification to open the door, 'so there's no doubt that these shell casings belong to him,' she said.

In a news conference on Sunday morning, Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor said revealed how police arrested Stamat on Saturday for felony marijuana possession but later released

Tampa PD tweeted these photos of the victims' car on Sunday

Detectives searched Stamat's vehicle and found an empty gun box for a 9mm handgun together with shell casings that matched those at the scene

Stamat was identified after police traced his 2012 BMW through surveillance footage from the scene.

His car was found in the garage of his girlfriend's home some three miles from the scene of the shooting

Stamat already admitted he was the only person who had used his car recently and that he was driving in the area of the crime the morning of the shooting.

Stamat, who appeared to be obsessed with weight lifting and working out, judging by photos on his social media page did not provide police a motive for the shooting but told authorities that he believed he was being stalked and followed, which his girlfriend also confirmed to police.

The father, who is in his 30s, saw another car pull up and heard gunshots. He yelled for his wife, who is in her 20s, and their three children to get down in order to dodge the bullets.

The mother, who is pregnant, was struck in the head and taken to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The children, a nine-year-old girl, a four-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl were all uninjured in the shooting, according to police. The children are now staying with other family members in Florida.

The family are said to have been living in a rental car because a relative did not have space for them. They had spent recent months of living outside of Florida.

They had covered the windows of their car with clothes making it hard for any suspect to see who was inside.

Stamat allegedly fired more than a dozen shots before fleeing.

Police said there is currently no indication of any connection between Stamat and the victims.
Tyrell Edwards was driver of ute crash that killed five teenagers in September

A young driver who was behind the wheel during a horror ute smash where five of his schoolmates died was hospitalised in a previous car accident, a court has heard.

Tyrell Edwards, 18, was driving a Nissan Navara ute when it crashed into two trees near the village of Buxton, southwest of Sydney, on September 6.

Edwards was the sole survivor of the crash. Passengers Lily van de Putte, 15, Antonio Desisto, 15, Summer Williams, 14, Tyrese Bechard, 16, and Gabby McLennan, 14, died at the scene.

Edwards has been charged with five counts of dangerous driving causing death.

His mother Renee Edwards, 37, detailed his difficult upbringing - and his past experience in a similar accident - to support his application for bail in the NSW Supreme Court.

In court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia, Mrs Edwards said her teenage son grew up with 'social anxiety', his best friend was a person he met online known as 'Sam', and that he'd been hospitalised as a result of a previous car accident in 2015, where he was not the driver.

'From a young age Tyrell presented issues with social anxiety, issues with showing emotion and social awareness,' Mrs Edwards told the court.

Renee Edwards (pictured left), the mother of Tyrell (right) who was the driver of a horror ute crash that killed five teenagers revealed her son struggled with his mental health

A teacher once caught him 'hiding under the desk' in class rather than engaging in the lesson, she said.

Ms Edwards said her son didn't have many 'stable friends' and found it difficult to maintain relationships through his formative years, which impacted his mental health.

Edwards would display behaviour including 'flapping his arms' through his adolescence, which his mother said would 'display his level of excitement' or whether he was overwhelmed, court documents said.

'Tyrell has often given into the peer pressure of his younger and more dominant siblings to please them and ease a situation,' Mrs Edwards wrote.

'Tyrell's brother often comments on his "flapping arms and jumping" when he is excited or overwhelmed.'

She said he would withdraw himself from social settings 'for no reason at all', even choosing to stay at home on his 18th birthday rather than going out and celebrating.

Ms Edwards said her son didn't have many 'stable friends' and found it difficult to maintain relationships through his formative years, which impacted his mental condition

There was a 'rapid decline' in his wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Edwards said in the affidavit.

Family members became increasingly concerned by 'depressing' posts he was making on social media.

'Tyrell was withdrawn during the Covid period, spending most of his days sleeping. Tyrrell's only real past time was to play games with his siblings and he made a friend online 'Sam',' she said.

She added that he had just 217 Facebook friends compared to the thousands his siblings had.

His 'learning difficulties' were also noted by his mother, which could trigger anxiety and see him 'retreat to his room for comfort'.

She also referred to a number of family illnesses and separation from close family members that were influences on his declining mental condition.

However, Ms Edwards said her son's outlook had recently improved after getting a job with a local excavation company.

'In the last six months Tyrell started his employment with (excavation company). In this time I have watched Tyrrell thrive and grow in himself. He has become more engaged in family life and become happier in himself,' the mother said.

Edwards, 18, was driving a Nissan Navara ute when it crashed into two trees near the Wollondilly Shire village of Buxton, southwest of Sydney in September, killing five teens

Gabriella McLennan is pictured left with her best friend, Lily van de Putte. They died together in the car crash

His father, Henry Edwards, said in his affidavit to the court that his son and wife shared an 'unbreakable bond' and often joked he was a 'mumma's boy'.

He said he would often take time off from work when Edwards was struggling with anxiety, saying his son was a 'good kid' who would 'do anything for us and anyone he knew'.

'Tyrell struggled with his levels of anxiety... Tyrell found it challenging to find words to express how it was affecting him emotionally and struggled with how to contain his emotions physically,' Mr Edwards wrote.

'If I was ever upset with Tyrell he would never argue or disobey he would more so shut down.

'Tyrell cannot handle anyone being disappointed in him, he will shut down in himself to avoid any further conflict to stop any situation.'

Edwards was the sole survivor of the crash while passengers Lily van de Putte, 15, Antonio Desisto, 15, Summer Williams, 14, Tyrese Bechard, 16, and Gabby McLennan, 14, tragically died (pictured: the funeral of Gabby McLennan)

Antonio Desisto (pictured right) and Summer Williams (left) also died in the car accident on September 6

Tyrese Bechard (pictured) died in the car accident when a Nissan ute slammed into two trees on East Parade in Buxton

Edwards was granted bail under strict conditions, which includes working at the excavation company 40 hours per week.

He must be driven to and from work by his mother. He also can only leave the family home under the supervision of Mrs Edwards and is banned from driving himself.

Justice Robert Beech-Jones said Tyrell Edwards 'feared for his life' and was badly affected by the fatal accident.

'The psychologist described the applicant as being affected by a combination of prominent distress, complex grief, anxiety, survivor guilt and shame, self condemnation and realisation of the stigma he will likely face both in the prison environment and the community,' he said.

Soon after being transferred to Silverwater's Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre it was reported Edwards' family was fearing for his life behind bars.

'I feel... in constant fear that my son will not make it through the day,' Mrs Edwards told the court in a separate affidavit.

NSW Corrective Services said in a statement the 'safety and welfare' of prisoners was its 'primary concern'.

The statement added that it reviewed management of inmates including 'vulnerable' people and those at risk because of their mental health.

For confidential crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
Students will be forced to supply a 'letter of identity' from a local land council

University of Sydney to draft new Indigenous policy for students after abuse

One of Australia's most prestigious universities has been praised for a crackdown on students 'rorting the system' by falsely claiming they are Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander.

The University of Sydney has drafted a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Status Policy which means undergraduates can no longer simply sign a statutory declaration to prove they have a First Nations background.

Instead, the university may force students to supply a 'letter of identity' from a local Aboriginal Land Council and complete the Commonwealth Government's three-part identity test.

Radio 2GB host Ben Fordham praised the university for introducing the measures and called on others to follow suit.

'Other organisations should introduce stronger checks too, because what we're seeing is wrong and it's fraudulent,' he said.

The University of Sydney have drafted a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Status Policy which determines undergraduates can no longer simply sign a statutory declaration to prove they're Aboriginal.

Ben Fordham praised Sydney Univesrity cracking down on students 'rorting the system' by falsely claiming benefits for First Nations people

The changes come after lobbying from Aboriginal land councils which allege there has been a significant increase in people applying for the benefits.

The latest Census results released in June 2021 found a 25 per cent increase in Australians identifying as Indigenous.

Indigenous groups said the way the current system is being abused is 'embarrassing'.

'It's open fraud. We say to academic students: can they pass a paper without citing a verified source?' Aboriginal Land Council CEO Nathan Moran told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Michael Mansell, Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania chairman, said poor white people were falsely identifying as Indigenous in a move he called 'identity seeking'.

"They don't attribute any value to their identity as a poor white person in Tasmania, so they are searching to attach themselves to something that has greater value and I think many of those people believe that's in being Aboriginal,' he said following the release of the Census results.

Fordham said students abusing the system for places in courses or more affordable degrees was 'wrong and fraudulent'.

'They are attending schools, they're getting jobs and taking away opportunities from people who grew up Indigenous,' the 2GB host said.

'People are falsely identifying as Indigenous when they're not - there are Indigenous voices calling out a fraud, and we should be listening to them.

'Sydney Uni should be congratulated and other organisations should be following suit. Because it's wrong and it's fraudulent. Some of the so-called First Nations people receiving benefits are as genuine as a three dollar note.'

Students however believe the change in policy could result in at-need Indigenous people missing out on places because of the red tape around new enrolment

A spokesperson for Sydney University said its review was not motivated by fraudulently claimed scholarships, but the institution wanted to ensure its program was 'in line with current community expectations'.

'[The review] was initiated in response to multiple expressions of community concern, particularly in relation to the use of statutory declarations, rather than any specific concerns about fraud,' they said.

'We are seeking feedback and further input from members of our own and the broader community, representative organisations and other universities on this culturally significant matter.'

The university has an enrolment of 0.9 per cent Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander students, which is below the national sector average of 1.72 per cent.

Students however believe the change in policy could result in at-need Indigenous people missing out on places because of the red tape around new enrolment.

'This new policy is likely to disproportionately affect Indigenous people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds,' a group of Indigenous students opposing the change said in a statement.

'In some circumstances students may come from abusive families, have been in foster care or for other reasons not be able to get family documentation to undergo the process that has been proposed.'
A man fighting for life after being hit by an ambulance in Sydney's inner-city has been identified as an Irish expat.

Eoin Sweeney (pictured) is in a critical condition after being hit by an ambulance on Sunday morning

Eion Sweeney, 32, from the north Irish town of Clonmany, was walking along Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills around 12.15am Sunday when an emergency vehicle on its way to an urgent call struck him at an intersection.

He suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a critical condition.

Mr Sweeney remains critical but stable, with his family now arranging to fly from Ireland to be by his side.

A candlelit vigil was held in Clonmany on Sunday night as locals rallied to support the family.

'Thank you to everyone who joined our candlelight vigil this evening,' Facebook group Clonmany Together wrote.

'Can we please for for prayers for Eion Sweeney from Ballyliffin who was in an accident in Australia.'

Vigils have been held in Mr Sweeney's home town as his parents fly to Sydney from Ireland

A friend has launched a GoFundMe to help the family as they grapple with his long road to recovery.

'Our very well-known and loved friend Eoin Sweeney from Clonmany, was in an accident on Saturday night and his family are currently on their way here to Sydney, Australia to be by his side for recovery,' the GoFundMe read.

'He is currently in an induced coma in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and we are hoping to raise funds to help with all medical expenses and aftercare. Thank you all in advance for all your help.'

Social media posts suggest Mr Sweeney moved to Australia around late 2019.

After the collision, police set up a crime scene and launched an investigation into the incident.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash or anyone with information to come forward.
A friend of rollercoaster victim Shylah Rodden has told how she was struggling with the pain of losing her brother at the time she was injured at the Royal Melbourne Show.

Ggypo Nawar took to Facebook last week to urge Australians to pray for the 26-year-old, who remains in a medically induced coma after being struck by the ride while trying to retrieve her phone from underneath the tracks on September 25.

Ms Rodden suffered massive brain damage and remains in a serious condition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Meanwhile, a fundraiser established to help Ms Rodden pay for her medical bills has raked in more than $10,000 over the weekend, after Daily Mail Australia revealed on Friday that it had only raised a paltry $500.

Shylah Rodden (pictured) is in a medically induced coma after being hit by a rollercoaster on September 25

In his moving post, Mr Nawar said: 'Shylah Rodden is one of my best friends (she has a) heart of gold.

'She has always been there for me and is always there for anyone not just her friends.

'I don't know her current status, but please ask anyone who sees this to make a small prayer for her and her family, even if it's as small as 'please god help them heal'.'

Mr Nawar said Ms Rodden's family were still grappling to come to terms with the loss of her brother Jason who died in late July before tragedy struck again.

'[They] were all still grieving - (I've) seen the pain this had on Shylah,' he said.

'Please people prayer works, God listens. Please pray for my friend, our friend, that she recovers and it is easy for her.

'Shylah would always try to cheer up anyone who was upset and would leave her self without to help others.'

The post attracted dozens of reactions, with many friends vowing to keep the young woman in their thoughts.

'Praying for you beautiful girl. I hope and pray you push through,' one woman wrote.

'Thinking of you daily and sending my love and strength to you and your family.'

Another added: 'Hoping for the best. Here for you Gypo, keeping her in my thoughts and prayers. You've got this Shylah!'

Ms Rodden has shown some signs of improvement, with her condition being downgraded from critical to serious.

'Everyday since everyone started (their) prayers Shylah has improved,' Mr Nawar claimed.

Mr Nawar (pictured) later revealed Ms Rodden had shown signs of improvement since he called for people to pray

On the day she was struck, Ms Rodden had been working at a friend's stall at the show when the pair decided to go on a few rides during their break.

She is believed to have dropped her phone while on the rollercoaster.

Investigators believe she walked under o the tracks of the high-speed ride to retrieve the device.

In an Instagram post in late July, Ms Rodden spoke in moving terms about the recent death of her brother, saying her 'world came crashing down'.

'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,' she wrote.

'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.

'We have so many amazing memories that I will cherish forever, and I hope you're looking down on me and are proud of how far I've come.

Mr Nawar said he had witnessed how much Ms Rodden was struggling with the death of her brother Jason

'You're gone but never forgotten, rest easy Jason.'

The show accident was not the first time Ms Rodden has been seriously injured, having been involved in a horror car crash just 18 months before the rollercoaster incident.

In January 2021, she flipped a car on the Western Ring Road in Melbourne after ploughing into a truck and a car and was flung onto the road because she was not wearing a seatbelt.

She required significant rehabilitation and had to relearn how to walk.

Her gruelling path to recovery came after yet another serious car crash in 2019.

Her family are now bracing for the possibility she may never be able to speak again as they wait for the extent of her injuries to become clear.

The GoFundMe launched by a friend to go towards medical care, therapy and rehabilitation for Ms Rodden has so far raised $10,148 of its $20,000 goal.

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman from the Royal Melbourne Hospital confirmed Shylah's condition was now listed as serious rather than critical.

But her prospects at ever living a normal life again are slim to impossible.

Shylah Rodden's condition is now listed as serious rather than critical

A friend in close contact with Shylah and her family told Daily Mail Australia the money raised from the fundraiser would go toward helping Shylah's long road to recovery.

Shylah Rodden (pictured) suffered horrific injuries when hit and dragged by a rollercoaster

'People are under the impression that this money is just for her family. But people need to know this money is for Shylah's recovery,' the friend said.

'This money will go towards her therapy, her rehabilitation, things they need to change around the house for showering and toilet needs.'

The reaction to Shylah's accident from 'keyboard warriors' has shocked her family, who remain at a bedside vigil weeks after the incident.

'People are now commenting saying horrible things and I just want to make sure the real and right reason for this fundraiser is out there,' the friend said.

The fundraiser, established by Shylah's friend Sylvia Dess, was set up days after the accident, but had been largely ignored until now.

'Channel 7 said they had a setback because it hadn't raised much money, but it's not a setback,' the friend said.

'Every donation will help, the cost of changing Shylah's family's living conditions, her rehab, her therapy - it's all the stuff they need. This fundraiser isn't just for the fun of it.'

The friend, who asked to remain anonymous, told Daily Mail Australia Shylah may need constant care for what could be the rest of her life.

'It's to help her and her family who may need to look after her 24/7,' she said.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal Shylah had turned her life around after a troubled few years that saw her struggle with substance abuse

'Shylah isn't a drug addict, she has been in rehab for almost a year,' her friend said.

'But people are so concentrated on her previous car accident where she wasn't even the driver. Her troubles were five years ago. People do change.'

The cruel commentary on Shylah's accident has rubbed salt into the wounds of her gutted family, who have struggled for years to help Shylah overcome her battles.

Ms Rodden (pictured) has been involved in three separate traffic accidents, in 2018, 2019 and 202

'They are so awful,' her friend said of the trolls. 'It's like people have nothing better to do.'

It is understood WorkSafe is now investigating what the ride's operators were doing when Shylah made her way onto the tracks.

Shylah's family have expressed gratitude for every cent the fundraiser has already received.

'They don't care if they don't get any donations, just as long as people know what it's going for and the right reasoning for it. Not just what other people are commenting and assuming what they're doing with this money,' she said.

'They are very very grateful for the amount already raised. People are ultimately very kind.'

Shocking footage released via a tasteless TikTok video showed the moment of impact.

Shylah's father told Daily Mail Australia at the time his daughter had suffered life-changing injuries.

A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed 'the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority' (pictured, the Royal Melbourne Show)

'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.'

Police revealed last week the rollercoaster was travelling at 70km/h when she was hit.

A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed 'the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority'.

The safety watchdog WorkSafe is in the process of determining if that statement is true.

The rollercoaster that struck her reopened just days after the incident.

Show management declined to comment on whether new safety procedures had been adopted in the wake of it.
Pye has complained about being locked up in a prison segregation unit

A bikie behind bars for allegedly ordering the $150,000 execution of Rebels boss Nick Martin has begged to be released from the segregation unit so he can hang out with other inmates and receive visitors.

Martin, 51, was gunned down at a drag race at Kwinana Motorplex, south of Perth, on December 12, 2020 from 300m away as he sat with his wife and stepdaughter.

Rebels-turned-Comanchero David James Pye is accused of hiring a contract killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to take out Martin.

For his alleged involvement in the assassination, Pye is currently locked up in Perth's Casuarina Prison, charged with murder.

The 40-year-old has been placed in isolation in the prison's special handling unit (SHU) because jail bosses think he'll be at risk if he's put with the general population.

Rebels-turned-Comanchero David James Pye is accused of hiring a contract killer to take out bikie boss Nick Martin

Nick Martin (pictured with wife) was assassinated at Perth Motorplex on December 12, 2020 after a contract killing that was allegedly masterminded by former Rebels associate David Pye

But Pye shut down the idea, and said the man who pulled the trigger on Martin was openly admitting his crime to other prisoners without concern of any repercussions, The West Australian reported.

'The SHU is effectively a punishment unit. They stop me from seeing visitors and I am prevented from the limited benefits that are available to you in prison,' Pye said.

He complained about only being allowed out of his cell for three hours a day, and said the West Australian prison system was influenced by the state's police force.

'They are trying to break me. I'm telling you now, they won't,' he said.

'If you misbehave in society your punishment is being in jail, not being punished inside the jail and that is what the SHU is.'

David James Pye (far right) leaves Perth District Court with Rebels president Nick Martin (left) in Perth in October, 2013. Pye has now been charged with ordering the killing of Martin

The chaos at the racetrack on December 12 in Perth after Martin was executed is pictured

Pye said he could 'do jail anywhere and anytime' but didn't understand why he was being segregated from other prisoners.

He also claimed there was no tension between bikie clubs, and that the idea was 'propaganda created by police'.

'I am not in the SHU for my own protection, I would gladly sign out of this unit and sign a disclaimer,' he said.

Martin (pictured) died in the arms of his wife Amanda as she tried to give him CPR. His last words were: 'babe, I've been shot'

Pye's lawyer also said those in the SHU only had an hour to speak with their legal teams, and given his serious charge, the 40-year-old should be allocated more time.

Martin's killer, a former Shadows of Hope sharpshooter, pleaded guilty to shooting the former Rebels leader and was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years behind bars in December last year.

Pye had allegedly initially contacted the 35-year-old man in early 2020 via encrypted messaging service Wire, asking about his experience and skills.
Woke brigade have hijacked academia

Time was when our universities were strongholds of free speech and academic rigour. These days, sadly, they more closely resemble ugly factories of ideological conformism  more preoccupied with renaming colleges and pulling down statues than producing the creators, innovators and leaders of tomorrow.

As our investigation today shows, so desperate have university academics become to appease the woke totalitarians whove overtaken their campuses, they are now going to extreme lengths to introduce Left-wing ideology into their curricula.

Already weve witnessed this in recent years with the so-called decolonising of humanities departments.

Introducing broader teachings of history or more ethnically diverse writers to a syllabus is one thing, however controversial. But the practice is now widening into subjects such as chemistry, business studies and, even more absurdly, thermodynamics.

As our investigation today shows, so desperate have university academics become to appease the woke totalitarians whove overtaken their campuses, they are now going to extreme lengths to introduce Left-wing ideology into their curricula. (Pictured: graduation ceremony at Portsmouth University, file image)

In one case, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University claimed to have decolonised her dentistry course.

Even more disturbing was the discovery that the head of mechanical engineering at Sheffield University took guidance from a representative of Black Lives Matter, a self-professed Marxist organisation.

Meanwhile, Oxbridge students  who are paying annual tuition fees of almost 10,000 to endure this dogma being introduced to the lecture hall  must attend compulsory anti-racism workshops, despite strong evidence the courses dont even work.

All of this is deeply concerning. Universities should be places of education, not indoctrination. In recent years, they have evolved into a hotbed of socialist sanctimony where cancel culture thrives and where lecturers openly push their leftist propaganda down students throats.

The Government has repeatedly promised to crack down on this disturbing orthodoxy. It must do so now as a matter of urgency.

Unite for the Union

Mutinous Tories may think things are bad now. But they should consider the chaos an unholy Labour/SNP alliance would unleash on the country. (Pictured: 'We Demand Better March And Rally', file image)

Any Conservative MPs planning on making trouble for the Prime Minister when Parliament returns tomorrow might wish to heed Nicola Sturgeons alarming comments to the BBC yesterday.

With her tiresome nationalist bile, Scotlands First Minister announced she actively detests the Tories and everything they stand for. Leave aside that these are hardly the measured words of a senior political statesman. Forget, too, that theyre also an insult to the thousands of Scots who voted Conservative at the last election.

Dont Miss Sturgeons remarks perfectly illustrate the toxicity of the coalition-in-waiting of the SNP and Labour, whose deputy leader Angela Rayner, lest we forget, once branded the Tories scum?

Mutinous Tories may think things are bad now. But they should consider the chaos an unholy Labour/SNP alliance would unleash on the country.

Class A proposal

Be in no doubt: There is nothing harmless about cannabis, whatever those such as Mr Khan might think. Countless studies have linked it to mental illness and violent psychosis. Its time to end the softly-softly approach to this pernicious drug. (Above: File image of Cannabis plant)

For years, this paper has railed against the polices increasingly relaxed stance towards cannabis. So news that Home Secretary Suella Braverman is considering upgrading it from a class B drug to a class A one marks an encouraging change of tone in this debate.

Contrast Miss Bravermans tough stance with that of Labour, whose publicity-prone mayor Sadiq Khan only recently set up a commission to examine the laws governing cannabis use while wasting 34,000 of taxpayers money travelling to Los Angeles to visit a marijuana farm.

Be in no doubt: There is nothing harmless about cannabis, whatever those such as Mr Khan might think. Countless studies have linked it to mental illness and violent psychosis. Its time to end the softly-softly approach to this pernicious drug.
Australian CNN journalist Anna Coren has been fined and threatened with deportation after being accused of a 'serious breach of journalistic ethics' for filming inside a Thai daycare centre where 37 people - including 24 children - were murdered last week.

Coren - who made her name as the host of Channel Seven's Today Tonight - and British cameraman Daniel Hodge filmed a report inside the blood-soaked building.

During the three-minute report - which has since been taken off CNN's website - Coren pointed to blood on the floor and on children's backpacks at the daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu.

'They said that they found the bodies of children and teachers spread across these three rooms and we can still see the blood stains splattered across the floor,' Coren, who is based in Hong Kong, said in the report.

Her reporting caused widespread revulsion, including from the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) which said it was 'dismayed' by the report, tweeting a photograph of Coren outside the daycare centre as Hodge jumps the fence to leave.

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand tweeted a photo of Anna Coren and Daniel Hodge climbing over a fence after filming inside a building where 37 people, including 24 children, had been murdered

The CNN team 'entered a clearly marked crime scene without permission  no matter what they claim,' the FCCT said in a statement.

'This was unprofessional and a serious breach of journalistic ethics in crime reporting.'

The group also tweeted a picture of Coren and Hodge leaving the building where the children had been murdered, which is clearly cordoned off with crime scene tape.

'It was not a scoop or an example of penetrating reporting because no other news organisation, foreign or local, was prepared to behave in this unethical manner,' the FCCT said.

'Thailand has been traumatised by this tragedy and there has been wide concern that inappropriate images should not be made public in traditional and social media.

'Simple respect for the deceased and their families is but one of the reasons.'

Anna Coren is pictured during her time presenting Today Tonight on Channel Seven

CNN initially defended the pair, saying on Twitter that 'three public health officials exiting the building spoke to the team and told them they could film inside'.

But when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, the global TV news network had changed its tone.

'The team now understands that these officials were not authorised to grant this permission,' CNN International executive vice president Mike McCarthy said.

'CNN has ceased broadcasting the report and has removed the video from its website.

'We deeply regret any distress or offence our report may have caused, and for any inconvenience to the Thai police at such a distressing time for the country,' he said.

Mr McCarthy added that when Coren and Hodge went to leave the building 'the gate to the grounds was now closed and police tape had been erected, which meant they needed to climb over the gate to exit'.

BBC's south-east Asia correspondent Jonathan Head was another to express his disgust at what Coren and Hodge had done.

'I stopped another media team climbing over the gate trying to get inside the nursery where the terrible killings took place on Thursday night,' he tweeted.

CNN reporter Anna Coren (left) and cameraman Daniel Hodge sit as they talk to Thai government officials in an administrative building near the site of a daycare centre massacre

'Entering a serious crime scene is not acceptable behaviour by journalists. Showing blood-stained rooms inside is hugely insensitive.'

Coren and Hodge were escorted from their hotel in Udon Thani by police and taken to Na Klang police station for questioning, the Thai Public Broadcasting Service reported.

Deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said the CNN journalists were fined after it was found they had worked in the country after entering on tourist visas, but they were cleared of wrongdoing for entering the daycare centre.

BBC's south-east Asia correspondent Jonathan Head expressed his disgust (pictured) at what Coren and Hodge had done

Mr Surachate said Coren and Hodge will be deported and blacklisted, but only after the completion of any legal proceedings.

They each agreed to pay fines of 5,000 baht ($208) and leave the country, Mr Surachate said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Coren seeking comment for this story.
People who leave for new jobs are paid up to 10 per cent more than loyal workers

Workers who leave their jobs for other companies are getting paid up to 10 per cent more than people who stay at their current jobs.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows 1.3million workers, almost 10 per cent of the nation's workforce, left their employer for a new job in the year to February.

However, while workers who leave their company are being rewarded with higher salaries, people who remain at their current job are unlikely to see an annual pay rise above three per cent.

The phenomenon is being called a 'loyalty tax' because workers are being paid thousands less for choosing to stick with their employer.

Loyal employees are being paid significantly less than new hires who can receive up to 10 per cent more each year

Employers have been warned the high gap between new and current employees could lead to tension and increased turnover rates at a high cost to the company since new workers cost more to hire.

An online survey by RMIT Online found 46 per cent of managers believed new hires are overpaid and 35 per cent said new employees were the highest paid.

Chief people officer at Tic:Toc, an online lender based in Adelaide, said her company avoided 'taxing' loyal staff by consistently assessing data to check for pay gaps.

'We might take a look at the market and consider all of our employees based on their performance and contribution and potential, and that might trigger a remuneration review,' she told Australian Financial Review.

Employers have been warned a large pay gap between new hires and loyal employees can lead to a high, and expensive, turnover rate

Her company also offers alternative benefits to compete with higher salaries other employers offer.

'We support (staff) to grow their career at Tic:Toc because that also creates the opportunity for them to increase their remuneration through their contribution,' Ms Virgo said.

KPMG senior economist and partner Sarah Hunter said it is likely employees changing companies are receiving the high pay jump because they have more skills than before.

'The figure from the ATO payrolls data is higher, but it is worth keeping in mind that the labour market at the end of 2021 was stronger than in 2018-2020 ... which is enabling workers to negotiate for significant pay rises when they change employer,' she said.
After Meta kicked him out from Instagram on Friday, Oct. 7, Kanye West returned to Twitter after nearly two years. But got his account by the name of Ye suspended after posting an antisemitic message.

"I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," West tweeted.

Kanye West's Post Is Antisemitic

Twitter's spokesperson told Engadget that the post violated the company's policies.

The phrase death con 3 is an ambiguation of DEFCON 3, referring to the 1973 joint attack by Egypt and Syria that resulted in what was known as the Yom Kippur War. The attack against the Jewish nation prompted the United States to place its military assets in the region under DEFCON 3.

It took some time for the company to act on the tweet. As of Sunday, the hateful post is no longer on the platform.

Instagram Suspended Kanye West

Unfortunately, West's suspension on Twitter came a day after Instagram restricted his account after he insinuated that a powerful Jewish group controlled rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs.

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) on Twitter said of West's post and his interview with Fox News as "incoherent rants laden with racist and antisemitic tones."

AJC said the anti-Jewish post was "shared with his 18 million followers on Instagram."

The group said West propagated "white supremacist slogans and classic antisemitism about Jewish power."

Read Also: Is Kanye West's Current Situation Similar to the Movie 'Get Out'?

A spokesperson for Meta said the post on Instagram was deleted because it violated the company's policies. The company also restricted West's account.

Meta, however, did not say what kind of restriction it had imposed on the account. It also kept mum on what made the post by West objectionable.

In March. Instagram had also suspended West for 24 hours after his racial slur against Trevor Noah, the host of the "Daily Show".

Kanye West Joins Other Famous People Suspended on Twitter

West is not the first celebrity whose account was suspended by Twitter.

At least six celebrities and famous people were suspended on Twitter for reasons deemed by the company as violations of its policies.

Here is the rundown of the six celebrities whose accounts were suspended by Twitter, namely:

Donald Trump. The former US president, who has more than 40 million followers on Twitter, was suspended from the platform in November 2017 for barely 11 minutes. In 2011, Twitter suspended him permanently because of the "risk of further incitement of violence." Rangoli Chandel. Twitter suspended Chandel, the sister of a Bollywood actor, after tweeting what the company deemed as hurtful to people's personal and religious sentiments. PewDiePie. One of the famous YouTubers, PewDiePie, was suspended from Twitter after he tweeted that he was a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). His tweet was not true but it went viral for its humorous and funny content deemed by Twitter as a violation of the company policies. Kamaal Rashid Khan. His Twitter account was suspended in 2017 for revealing the climax of the movie, Secret Superstar. He went further by criticizing the movie and had direct action against the actor, Aamir Khan. Kangana Ranaut. Twitter permanently suspended Ranaut's account for it repeatedly violated "Twitter Rules specifically our Hateful Conduct policy and Abusive Behaviour policy. Abhijeet Bhattacharya. He is known for his offensive comments against the people he doesn't like. Twitter suspended his account after his comment against a student activist.

It was not yet clear as of this posting if Twitter will restore Ye, West's account, on the platform.

Related Article: Kanye West Banned in Instagram for 24 Hours Over Racial Slurs
Millions of pensioners are suffering anxiety and depression in a hidden mental health epidemic among the elderly, a charity has warned.

Hospital admissions for eating disorders have doubled among women over-60 since 2015, says Age UK.

And official figures show the number requiring treatment for self-harming is up by almost 50 per cent in the same period.

The charity said the heartbreaking figures are proof the mental health of older people has long been neglected.

It warned that the problem will get worse this winter with millions worrying about rising energy and food bills.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UKs Charity Director, believes the problem has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

She said feeling depressed or anxious should not be viewed as being an inevitable part of ageing and urged anyone feeling out of sorts to see their GP.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UKs Charity Director, believes mental health problems have been exacerbated by the pandemic. (File photo)

Hospital admissions for eating disorders have doubled among women over-60 since 2015, says Age UK. (File photo)

12-week wait for help Almost a quarter of mental health patients are waiting more than 12 weeks to start treatment, three times longer than NHS targets, it has been revealed. Some become so desperate they dial 999 or go to A&E, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP). The college is calling for medical school places to rise from 7,000 to 15,000 by 2029 to tackle a shortage of psychiatrists. Dr Kate Lovett, the RCPs recruitment head, said that unless more specialists were trained waits will keep getting longer. Advertisement

She said: Its heartbreaking to think that some older people may be experiencing anxiety, depression or severe mental health problems and, for one reason or another, are not reaching out to get the help that they need and deserve.

NHS talking therapies have a higher success rate for older people than younger people, but older people are typically under-referred, she added. Despite accounting for a fifth of the population, just 5.6 per cent of referrals to NHS talking therapies last year were for people over 65.

On World Mental Health Day, Age UK has appealed for the elderly to get parity of care for mental illness as well as physical.

Data from NHS Digital shows hospital admissions for self-harming had risen among women over-60 from 5,501 in 2015 to 7,515 in 2019.

Meanwhile, those admitted for eating disorders increased from 52 in 2015 to 92 four years later, with experts suggesting this is the tip of the iceberg.

A Government spokesman said: We will invest an additional 2.3billion per year into mental well-being services by 2024, giving two million more people the help they need.

As laid out in Our Plan for Patients, we will improve the availability of mental health support for all ages  including access to NHS talking therapies  so people can get the care they need, when they need it.

A scheme to help people with anxiety and depression back into work is being rolled out nationally on the NHS. Ministers announced a 122 million package with 700 employment advisers recruited to work with therapists to help up to 100,000 people a year into jobs.

Health Secretary Therese Coffey said: Offering employment support to people under the care of NHS mental health services will help them start, stay and succeed in work  improving their wellbeing and resilience as well as growing our economy.
A thief was caught on camera pick-pocketing a man who had been crushed by a truck in New York City.

The sickening footage was caught by a passerby who videoed the crook being cheered by onlookers to take the person's wallet.

It left police without a way to easily identify the dead man in his 50s, forcing them instead to use his dental records.

'We've already lifted prints, and waiting on dental,' one NYPD source told the New York Post. 'Thankfully they didn't steal his teeth too. They took his ID so we can't ID him. He's a John Doe right now.'

The deceased man is seen wrapped up in several rags while still underneath the truck that crushed him to death as one source quipped it was good 'they didn't steal his teeth too' after a thief took his wallet

Seconds after the incident, a female thief robbed the man as he laid dead on the street. An NYPD officer is seen standing just feet away from the deceased

Footage was caught by one onlooker - in which some could be heard cheering the thief on. Several people were at the scene as cops attended

The horrific crash occurred moments earlier on Eighth Avenue at West 44th Street in Manhattan as the victim was crossing the street on Thursday morning at around 11:30am.

It saw the man being crushed under a tractor-trailer in Midtown.

While some onlookers were shocked, at least one person saw an opportunity as a woman dressed in white pants and a black jacket, made a move towards the dead man, only to quickly snatch his wallet.

'Go ahead, gangsta! Go ahead!' one man said encouraging the have-a-go thief.

Other witnesses were stunned into silence leaving the NYPD initially unable to identify the robber, now wanted for grand larceny, or the man who had been killed.

A thief in New York City could be seen robbing a man who had been crushed to death by a truck in Midtown Manhattan

The dead man's wallet was stolen from him before the NYPD arrived on the scene

The scene was later secured with crime scene tape before the body could be removed

Without use of the man's wallet, it also left police unable to notify the victim's next of kin of his untimely death.

'It's like the Gladiators. Nobody came in to stop? That's even more disturbing,' said Elma Kanefield, 83, who lived on the Upper West Side to the New York Post.

'To see somebody dead under a truck and actually do that  that's horrible,' Marco Nieves, 51, said.

'I am kinda disappointed, I didn't think New York was the kind of place where that would happen. Sure, we're used to being all grumpy and frustrated at each other, but we're also supposed to stick up for each other and not like convince each other to do terrible things,' Theo Cooper, 25, added.

'That's crazy,' sanitation worker Jake Sean said. 'How can you steal from a body on the street? That's f**ked up. You've got to be at your lowest to do that.'

'Living in New York you expect to see some weird things,' Security guard Luis Ortiz said. 'But to go through a body and steal? That's a new level. It's sad to believe you could be a person who goes through a dead person's pockets.'

The accident happened on Thursday afternoon in Midtown Manhattan

Robberies in New York City are up this year by 33.6 percent. Assaults and burglaries are up 15.9 and 31.5 percent respectively

Robberies in New York City are up this year by 33.6 percent. Assaults and burglaries are up 15.9 and 31.5 percent respectively.

While murders in New York City are down 13.5 percent from last year, overall crime has spiked by 33.6 percent.

The city has also seen rapes jump from 1,137 cases last year to 1,249 so far this year, a nearly 10 percent rise.

Although murders are less frequent this year, the city contends with daily reports of assaults, with this year seeing a high number of brutal attacks in the subway system.
Women in Britain who want to have children are delaying pregnancy principally to focus on their careers, a study has found.

Factors such as financial strain were found to be less important when considering the timing of starting a family.

A landmark shift in family life was revealed by statistics earlier this year which showed that more than half of women are childless at the age of 30.

An in-depth study set up to understand why women delay having children gave 411 participants a list of 11 options, asking them to select up to three which were important in deciding their preferred age for motherhood.

Careers were the biggest factor, followed by feeling ready and their financial situation.

Women in Britain who want to have children are delaying pregnancy principally to focus on their careers, a study has found (stock image)

The survey, led by University College London, found that 30 was the average preferred age to have a baby for the first time.

Almost half of the women, when asked for their ideal age to become a mother, and why they chose it, said they wanted to develop their career.

In comparison, just 37 per cent chose the timing of motherhood based on financial worries.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, quoted one woman who said: I feel worried about whether I will be able to have the children I want in the time I have without putting too much pressure on my career.

The researchers said many women wanted to have a baby only when their career, finances and emotions were stable, and it was the right time.

Professor Joyce Harper, lead author and author of Your Fertile Years, said: Our study shows women are still prioritising their career over having a baby, even in 2022.

Its not necessarily that they want to reach the top of the ladder or are ambitious. Instead, many are nervous because they feel their career will suffer after returning to work after having a baby.

It shows the importance of employers supporting women to progress in their career and offering decent pay, so women can afford childcare.

Professor Joyce Harper (pictured with her family), lead author and author of Your Fertile Years, said: Our study shows women are still prioritising their career over having a baby, even in 2022

The study authors warn women could run out of time to have children.

They are calling for better education so women understand that fertility declines in their thirties and IVF is not a fail-safe solution.

Women also described having to wait for their partner to be ready to have a child, and concerns over maternity leave and childcare.

The researchers noted most of the women were highly educated, which may affect their priorities.

Many women told researchers they wanted to enjoy freedom before settling down.

One said: Id like to enjoy my thirties without that kind of responsibility first.
Revenue raised from fines has gone towards safety programs and road upgrades

It's an increase of more than $70million compared to the 2020-2021 period

Motorists caught on camera paid $274.5million in fines in the financial year

Queensland drivers are being fined the equivalent of $752k for road offences

Australian motorists in one state are being fined the equivalent of $752,000 a day for road offences caught by a camera, such as speeding and phone use.

The damning figure comes from the latest Transport and Main Roads annual report for Queensland.

It found that residents paid $274.5million in fines in the previous financial year under the state's Camera Detected Offence Program.

Queensland drivers caught by cameras speeding, using their phones, running red lights or not wearing a seatbelt paid $274.5million in fines in the previous financial year (stock image)

The program encompasses cameras used to check for drivers speeding, using mobile phones, running red lights or not wearing a seatbelt.

The report revealed a 36 per cent increase in the number of offences being committed compared to the previous financial year, with drivers paying $70million more in fines.

That figure is likely due to the Camera Detected Offence Program expanding last December to include drivers using their mobile phones or not wearing their seatbelt.

There were more than 790,000 fines for speeding offences caught on camera including 580,470 for mobile speed cameras, 205,863 for fixed speed cameras and 5724 for point-to-point cameras.

A whopping 580,470 fines were issued to motorists caught using their mobile phone.

However, the report explained that the number of mobile phone offences detected on cameras had decreased from December to July.

There has been a 36 per cent increase in the amount of road offences in Queensland, with drivers paying $70million more in penalties compared to the previous financial year (pictured, a police checkpoint in the Gold Coast, Queensland)

Revenue collected by the state government from traffic offences goes back into road safety campaigns, education programs and improving sections of the road where crashes most frequently occur.

Some of the money has been to create new rest stops and upgrade the Warrego, Landsborough and Bruce Highways.

Queensland currently has the strictest road rules in the country and the highest penalties for offences.
Three members of the Los Angeles City Council were forced to apologize on Sunday after audio of its president making shocking, racist remarks about a colleague to a local labor leader were leaked earlier this month.

The October 2021 conversation between council president Nury Martinez, members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon, as well as Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, was initially about council members' remarks over maps that had been put forward by the city's redistricting commission.

In the audio, Martinez can be heard criticizing fellow colleague and council member Mike Bonin several times, first referring to him as a 'little b****,' before sensationally saying that he brings his adopted son around town with him like 'an accessory.'

De Leon seemed to agree with his colleague's comments, as he compared Bonin bringing his kid around LA to 'when Nury brings her little yard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag,' according to the leaked audio.

Further into the dialogue, Martinez described the minor as 'su negrito', a derogatory expression in Spanish for a black person, and 'ese changuito,' which translates to 'that little monkey.'

Los Angeles Council President Nury Martinez has been pressured to resign after a leaked audio file in which she called a colleague a 'little b***' and his black, three-year-old son a 'little monkey' was released on Reddit earlier this month

LA City Council member Mike Bonin (pictured) and his adoptive son (left) were unknowingly subjected to derogatory remarks from Martinez and two other city council members in an October 2021 conversation

The Democrat, who is Latina, also said Bonin had been raising his son 'like a little white kid,' who needs a 'beatdown'.

'Let me take him around the corner and then I'll bring him back,' the city council president added.

On Sunday, she apologized for the comments: 'In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry.'

'The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color,' she added. 'My work speaks for itself. I've worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.'

In reaction, Bonin told the LA Times that he felt 'disgusted and angry and heartsick' by the leaked audio.

'It's fair game to attack me but my son?' he added, calling for the resignation of all three city Latino council members. 'You have to be pretty petty and insecure and venomous to attack a child. He wasn't even 3 years old.

'Other than that, I'm speechless.'

Bonin and his husband Sean Arian said in a statement on Sunday that they felt 'disgusted and angry and heartsick' by the leaked audio

Council members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo were also part of the leaked conversation, in which Leon agreed that Bonin carried his son 'like an accessory', comparing it to Martinez wandering around with her Louis Vuitton bag

Ron Herrera - Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President - was also forced to apologize after being present in the 30-minute conversation from last year

The audio was first shared on Reddit, though it remains unclear who recorded it and how.

'Wow, you know it happens, but when you actually hear it, it's unbelievable,' a now-suspended Reddit user wrote as a caption along with the leaked audio. 'The labor movement is in bed with City Hall.'

Martinez was also caught on tape using profanity when talking about LA District Attorney George Gascon.

'F*** that guy, he's with the Blacks,' said the former member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.

On Sunday, De Leon, apologized for his comments, calling them 'wholly inappropriate,' adding that he fell 'short of the expectations we set for our leaders.'

'I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private,' he added in a statement. 'I've reached out to that colleague personally.'

Cedillo, however, told the LA Times that he didn't 'have a recollection of this conversation.'

Mike Bonin (left) and his partner Sean Arian (far right) with their adoptive son (center)

Martinez was also caught on tape saying 'F***' that guy, he's with the black,' when talking about LA District Attorney George Gascon

Herrera didn't respond to request for comment on behalf of the LA Times. His lawyer, Julie Gutman Dickinson, who also represents the LA County Federation of Labor, stated that the conversation was 'recorded in violation of California's privacy and recording laws on LA County Federation of Labor property.'

However, the LA Times countered, as its General Counsel Jeffrey Glasser said 'it is a fundamental principle in the United States that we do not prohibit or punish the receipt and publication of newsworthy information.'

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti remained tight lipped over whether the three city council members should stay in position or resign.

'There is no place in our city family for attacks on colleagues and their loved ones, and there is no place for racism anywhere in LA,' he told the LA Times.
Almost a quarter of mental health patients are waiting more than 12 weeks to start treatment, three times longer than NHS targets, it has been revealed.

Some become so desperate they dial 999 or go to A&E, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP).

The college is calling for medical school places to rise from 7,000 to 15,000 by 2029 to tackle a shortage of psychiatrists.

Dr Kate Lovett, the RCPs recruitment head, said that unless more specialists were trained waits will keep getting longer.
It is a gleaming tribute to Britains national broadcaster, depicting a mast emerging from the Earth.

And on the flip side of this commemorative coin is another special homage  to the late Queen.

This 50p coin has been released by the Royal Mint to mark the BBCs centenary and has extra sentimental value now, given its depiction of Elizabeth.

Although the Kings effigy has already been unveiled, the coin portrays his mother because it was produced before her death, and was not restruck to minimise waste or unnecessary environmental impact.

It is a gleaming tribute to Britains national broadcaster, depicting a mast emerging from the Earth

The image of the Queen is expected to create high demand among collectors. Inscribed with a banner reading inform, educate, entertain, it shows the values set out by Lord Reith when he founded the BBC in 1922.

Coins are miniature pieces of art which tell the stories of our nation, the Royal Mints Rebecca Morgan said.

The BBC has had a marked influence on our culture and broadcast some of the most extraordinary moments in British history.

BBC director-general Tim Davie said the broadcaster was honoured by the coin, which can be bought for 11 from the Royal Mints website.
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Fake heiress Anna Sorokin was pictured at her apartment in the East Village neighborhood in Manhattan on Sunday, shortly after she gave an interview to the New York Times in which she told readers to 'ask the government' how she could afford the rent.

Sorokin, 29, managed to convince a judge to let her out of prison while she fights deportation. However, Sorokin is required to remain in her home 24 hours a day and most wear her ankle monitor at all times.

On Sunday, Sorokin was pictured alongside PR guru Juda Engelmayer, smiling and waving to photographers on a sunny fall afternoon. Engelmayer brought one of his most famous clients a takeout lunch.

The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the East Village these days is around $3,800.

The Russian native was dressed in black and wore her famous glasses as she leaned out of the window of her apartment. Sorokin also hung out with her agent, Chris Martine, on the roof of the building. While on the roof, Sorokin wore a t-shirt that read 'Staff.' It was Martine who posted her $10,000 bond to release her from prison this week.

The convicted fraudster has been in an upstate New York prison for the 18 months. However, her attorneys successfully appealed to a judge to grant her release on Wednesday. Sorokin is forced to wear an ankle bracelet as one of the terms of her release.

While on the roof basking in the sunshine in Manhattan, Sorokin wore a t-shirt that read 'Staff'

Sorokin also hung out with her agent, Chris Martine, on the roof of the building

It was Martine who posted her $10,000 bond to release her from prison this week

In an interview with the New York Times following her release, Sorokin spoke about her bracelet, remarking: 'Apparently if I have any issues with it, then somebody will come fix it. Its a 24/7 service. Im thinking what I can do with it.'

On Wednesday, US Immigration Judge Charles Conroy agreed to the release, putting her on house arrest, because 'she has demonstrated interest in pursuing legitimate employment in the Untied States, pursuits that will face heavy public scrutiny.'

Judge Conroy said that because she was infamous, it would be hard for her to fly under the radar and avoid detection.

'She will be required to abide by conditions of release imposed both by the New York State Parole Board and immigration authorities, which, combined with her status as a public figure, will make it particularly difficult for her to avoid detection.

'For all of these reasons, the Court finds that [Sorokin's] risk of flight sufficiently mitigated,' he said in his ruling.

In an interview with the New York Times following her release, Sorokin spoke about her bracelet, remarking: 'Apparently if I have any issues with it, then somebody will come fix it. Its a 24/7 service. Im thinking what I can do with it'

PR guru Juda Engelmayer is seen standing behind Sorokin in her apartment on Sunday

Sorokin, who has been banned from social media as part of the terms of her release, seemed to enjoy the photographer's attention

Engelmayer took time out from delving out his PR expertise to Sorokin to wave to photographers who assembled outside of her new home

In her interview with the Times: 'Its just impossible to have been through what Ive been through without changing. I learned so much being in jail.'

Sorokin elaborated on how she got her apartment saying that her lawyer, John Sandweg, sorted out the details. She said: 'I have a great team around me, so it was all thanks to them.'

When asked about how the rent was being paid, Sorokin said: 'I guess you'll have to ask the government.' Although she later stated in the piece that the money used for her bail and the apartment was hers.

The fraudster remained coy about her future plans saying: 'I have so many projects that Im working on. Art is definitely one of them.'

She added: 'I have a lot going on. Im working on my own podcast with different guests for each episode. But its not shaped up yet. It was pretty hard to record anything high quality from jail. And then theres my book. Id love to do something with criminal-justice reform to kind of highlight the struggles of other girls.'

Engelmayer later spoke to some people on the street in front of Sorokin's East Village pad

According to our photographer, Engelmayer brought Sorokin a takeout lunch on Sunday

Sandweg said in a statement following her release: 'Immigration detention must be reserved for those who pose a danger to society or an unmanageable flight risk.

'We are gratified that, after 17 months of immigration detention, and years after she finished her prison sentence, the court recognized that such detention was no longer appropriate for Ana.

'Make no mistake, she does not get a free pass,' added Sandweg. 'She will continue to face deportation proceedings and her release will be closely monitored by the government.

'Nevertheless, as the court found, continued detention was unnecessary.'

Sorokin wants to stay in the US, despite not having a visa. She is originally from Russia but also has ties to Germany.

She sprang to notoriety in 2018 after being arrested for fleecing luxury hotels and restaurants in Manhattan out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Her crimes later became the subject of the popular Netflix series Inventing Anna.

Sorokin has been keeping busy behind bars with multiple media and podcast interviews.

She has been auctioning off her prison sketches, and has also written poetry.

On Saturday, Sorokin was seen making the most of her time on house arrest as she posed for the camera at a grotty Manhattan walk-up apartment.
Britain must limit bad migration while allowing in more skilled workers who can boost the economy, a Cabinet minister has said.

Nadhim Zahawi said that although foreign students were welcome in the UK, it was wrong that some brought as many as six family members with them.

By contrast, he claimed the public would support the arrival of hundreds more engineers to install ultra-fast broadband.

Nadhim Zahawi said that although foreign students were welcome in the UK, it was wrong that some brought as many as six family members with them

His distinction will be seen as a rebuke to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who announced last week her ultimate aspiration was to cut net migration to the tens of thousands.

She is also believed to have rejected proposals to hand out more visas to foreign workers in areas where there are large numbers of vacancies, such as floristry and hairdressing.

Asked on Sky News yesterday if the Tories growth plans risked angering voters who wanted lower levels of immigration, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr Zahawi replied: People are actually right, that we want to bear down on bad migration.

His distinction will be seen as a rebuke to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who announced last week her ultimate aspiration was to cut net migration to the tens of thousands

He cited the example of international students, who he described as a really positive thing for our universities, for our communities.

But he added: There are some people who are coming to study in the UK who are bringing five, six more people with them. Is that right? No. Because we have to make sure that theyre coming to legitimately study here.

Mr Zahawi contrasted this with projects that were trying to deliver. We need more engineers who can splice the actual technology together to deliver gigabit broadband. If we need another 200 or 300 engineers to come in to be able to do that at pace, I think people will support that.

Told that the Home Secretary would not agree with him, he said she attended his weekly meetings on legal and illegal migration.

She would agree with me when I say to you, we have to bear down on the bad migration and make sure that the economy and the big projects are delivered.
Oxbridge colleges have imposed more unconscious bias and race workshops on freshers despite calls for them to be scrapped.

The courses had been optional but increasingly students are being ordered to take part.

Freshers at Keble College had to undertake hours of courses on consent, race, LGBTQ+ and disability.

According to a 2022 timetable seen by the Daily Mail they were told it was very important they attend.

Freshers at Keble College had to undertake hours of courses on consent, race, LGBTQ+ and disability

Emmanuel College Cambridge also ran a two-and-a-half hour unconscious bias workshop that all freshers were required to take part in.

Christ Church, Oxfords grandest college, said it runs compulsory sessions for all students covering topics including diversity, respect and anti-racism, and staff involved in, for example, admissions and recruitment receive appropriate training.

Chris McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: Freshers do need to understand the laws that protect our society, but indoctrinating them with woke ideology is dangerous and irresponsible.

If there are to be workshops for new students, they should explain why much of the rest of the world does not share this creed. Young people need to be prepared for the world beyond their university campus.

Christ Church, Oxfords grandest college, said it runs compulsory sessions for all students covering topics including diversity, respect and anti-racism, and staff involved in, for example, admissions and recruitment receive appropriate training

Students at Somerville, Margaret Thatchers former college, were last year ordered to pass a test in which they had to concede that a black lecturer would be more unpopular than white colleagues. Following an outcry, the college said students would no longer be compelled to take the course.

Balliol College, alma mater of Boris Johnson, Ted Heath and Harold Macmillan, has said it was expanding the mandatory programme of unconscious bias/tackling race bias training to include all academic staff. Unconscious bias training is aimed at making people aware of  and helping them overcome  potentially harmful assumptions they hold against those from different backgrounds.

It has been described as ideological snake oil by the Free Speech Union, while the Race Commission last year called for institutions to ditch the practice.

The commissions report said the soul-searching of some organisations in the wake of Black Lives Matter had amounted to tick-box exercises that did not get results and the money would be better spent elsewhere.
Rivian recalls thousands of automobiles after a big batch of electric vehicles was found with faulty suspensions.

The electric car manufacturer voluntarily retracts their vehicles following concerns about possible loose fasteners or nuts, Gizmodo reports.

Rivian Takes Potentially Harmful Cars Back

Rivian has called upon its manufacturers to temporarily pull back on the distribution of their electric cars as a measure of caution.

Over 12,212 vehicles were sent back to Rivian for inspection after rare cases of excessive wheel tilts and separation which can lead to major loss of steering control were recorded.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, in a letter to customers, informed them of the problem, which only affected "a small percentage of vehicles;" however, the recall remains necessary.

According to Gizmodo, a spokesperson from Rivian also said that necessary adjustments are being made to the vehicles free of charge for its customers.

"We will begin immediately contacting affected customers to schedule appointments for inspections and repairs if needed," a company spokesperson, The New York Times writes.

Customers with the problem may experience excessive noise and vibration from the front suspension and even a change in harshness and steering performance that may pose risks.

However, to date, no injuries relating back to the vehicle malfunction have been reported.

Read More: Rivian R1S Deliveries to Non-Employee Customers are Reportedly on Their Way

A Paperwork Has Been Filed To NHTSA

Following the recall, the Amazon-backed manufacturer sent a notice of recall to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration immediately, according to CNN Business.

The electric vehicle manufacturer provided NHTSA with the specifics on the possible consequences of the loose fastener issue, which can endanger other motorists.

Ars Technica reported that the first incident of vehicle malfunction was discovered in mid-August, where the steering wheel had separated from the vehicle.

The company, after this, launched an investigation in September and found six more reports potentially related to the production issue.

ABC New York writes that Rivian is planning to set up "pop-up" repair services in areas with a particularly large number of Rivian owners to inspect and repair vehicles.

Meanwhile, customers who cannot visit the pop-ups may request a visit from the company's mobile service unit for a vehicle checkup.

Additionally, the repairs will last approximately 30 days, and loaner vehicles will be provided if the service goes on for an extended period.

According to NHTSA, this is the third time that Rivian has requested a recall following the return of 500 vehicles in August due to an airbag issue and 200 in May for seat belt anchors issue.

CNN Business writes that despite the controversy, the company is still planning to open another manufacturing plant in Georgia, expanding from its Illinois manufacturing plant.

Rivian, a company based in Irvine, California, has put itself in a position to rival Tesla, but it has since lost public offering as of last year, The New York Times details.

Allegedly, the company did not meet production goals because of the shortage in computer chip supply, failing the promise to its investors, plummeting sales down 67% since.

Related Article: Rivian Files Patent for 'Front Dig Mode' - What Exactly Is It?
Netflix has sparked fury after it emerged it could show scenes depicting Prince Philip pursuing an affair with close friend Penny Knatchbull in the new series of The Crown.

The hit show, which is one of the streaming giant's most popular programmes, is set to return to screens on November 9 with concern from some royal observers about this season's content.

The Sun reported that among the storylines in the coming episodes will be 'intimate scenes' between the late Duke of Edinburgh and the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, who was 30 years his junior.

It is thought the pair will be seen touching hands as Philip talks about his marriage, in a move that has been branded 'cruel rubbish' by the late Queen's former press secretary.

Dickie Arbiter, who was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's spokesman from 1988 to 2000, told the publication it was distasteful that such scenes would be played out only weeks after her funeral.

Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull had a friendship lasting decades after they bonded over a love of carriage riding. Here they are pictured at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2009

The pair sit in his car at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2009. The new season of The Crown is set to show Philip pursuing an affair with the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, it has been reported

'Coming just weeks after the nation laid Her Majesty to rest next to Prince Philip, this is very distasteful and, quite frankly, cruel rubbish,' he said.

'The truth is that Penny was a long-time friend of the whole family. Netflix are not interested in people's feelings.'

Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward added: 'It's in exceedingly bad taste.

'This is fiction. There's no way in a million years he'd discuss his marriage with anybody. The royals probably won't watch it for their own sanity.'

A Netflix source told MailOnline that reports about the content of next season are 'pure speculation'.

Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.

Prince Philip is being portrayed by veteran actor Sir Jonathan Pryce (pictured) in the new season of The Crown

British actress Natascha McElhone, pictured, will play the countess in the penultimate season of the Netflix show

Referred to as the 'second-most important woman' in his life, Philip bonded with the countess, who is now 69, over their mutual love of carriage riding and the pair had a friendship lasting decades.

Philip is said to have supported her when her five-year-old daughter Leonora died of kidney cancer in 1991.

Also previously known as Lady Romsey and Lady Brabourne, the countess was a regular visitor at Wood Farm, the cottage on the edge of the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk where the duke spent much of his time after retiring from public life in August 2017.

She was the only non-family member invited to his intimate 30-person funeral last year, reflecting just what an important role she held within Philip's life.

Indeed, the countess enjoyed such a close bond with the Queen and Philip that palace staff reportedly nicknamed her 'and also', because no guest list was considered complete without her.

The Duke of Edinburgh was said to have provided support for the countess after her five-year-old daughter died of kidney cancer. Here the pair are pictured walking together with her husband Lord Brabourne in the background in 2009

The countess was the only non-royal invited to Prince Philip's funeral. Here she attends the Service of Thanksgiving for him at Westminster Abbey in March

The Duke of Edinburgh's carriage-driving companion - one of his closest confidantes - the Countess Mountbatten of Burma (pictured together in 1975)

She also attended the Queen's funeral last month, another sign of her close ties to the Royal Family.

Penny is set to be portrayed by British actress Natascha McElhone in what will be the penultimate season of The Crown.

Many of her scenes will be opposite Sir Jonathan Pryce, who is stepping into the shoes of Tobias Menzies and Matt Smith to play Prince Philip.

The Sun reported that one episode of the upcoming season will see the Duke of Edinburgh teach the countess carriage-riding, while disclosing his marriage has its 'problems'.

Joining the cast for the show's fifth season is Imelda Staunton, who will be portraying Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, while Dominic West will play Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki will play Diana, Princess of Wales.
Palace aides are said to be discussing ways to get the duke to ditch it altogether

She said Diana would have advised her son to find a way back into the family

Royal biographer Tina Brown says there's no way back if the book deal continues

There will be 'no way back' for Prince Harry if he publishes his tell-all memoir, the former editor of Tatler and Vanity Fair has warned.

Royal biographer Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers, does not think the contentious biography will ever 'see the light of day', according to The Daily Telegraph.

'They are now in this bind, where they've taken all this money and Harry has made this book deal where he's supposed to spill everything about his horrible life as a royal, but now he's actually tortured about it because he understands there is no way back if he does it,' she said.

'If the book continues, I don't think there is any way for Harry to return. So my view has always been that the book won't see the light of day.'

The journalist, who was one of the last people to see the Princess of Wales alive in the summer of 1997, said she thinks Diana would have advised her son to find a way back into the family.

The memoir had been signed off ready for an expected autumn release, but the Duke of Sussex  who is writing the book as part of a near 40million three-title deal  allegedly asked to make some significant alterations.

Prince Harry (pictured with Meghan in Dusseldorf last month) is expected to release his tell-all memoir in the autumn but the former editor of Tatler and Vanity Fair has warned there would be 'no way back' for him if he publishes it

'Harry has thrown a spanner in the works,' a source said. 'He is keen for refinements in the light of the Queen's death, her funeral and his father Charles taking the throne.

'There may be things in the book which might not look so good if they come out so soon after these events. He wants sections changed now. It's not a total rewrite by any means. He desperately wants to make changes. But it might be too late.'

Best-selling author Jeffrey Archer said that the prince is currently writing a new chapter that will be all about his grandmother's death and the events leading up to her funeral.

Publishers Penguin Random House had already demanded a rewrite after the first draft was deemed 'too touchy-feely' and placed too much focus on mental health issues, The Mail on Sunday revealed last month.

No date has officially been announced for its release but American sources have suggested that publishers will want it in shops in time for Thanksgiving on November 24, ready for the lucrative Christmas market.

In a statement announcing the global publishing deal, Penguin Random House described it as 'an intimate and heartfelt memoir', promising that 'Prince Harry will offer an honest and captivating personal portrait'.

Royal biographer Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers, does not think the contentious biography will ever 'see the light of day'

But palace aides have reportedly been discussing ways to stop Harry from publishing the book altogether due to concerns that it will contain damaging revelations.

A friend of the King said: 'The question inside the Palace is: "Can the book be stopped?" It may be that even Harry can't stop it at this stage but the feeling at the very top is that there's no good that can come of airing grievances in public.'

Lawyers to the Royal Family at the firm Harbottle and Lewis are expected to be on standby to read the book when it comes out.

And despite claims that Harry and Meghan are planning a year-long thaw in relations with the rest of the family, their hotly-awaited Netflix series might throw another spanner in the works.

Prince Harry is reportedly scrambling to re-write the memoir and tone down his and Meghan's Netflix series in light of the Queen's death and his father Charles becoming King. Pictured: Charles, Camilla, Harry and Meghan at the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II

Harry, 38, and the Duchess of Sussex, 41, who now live in their $14million Montecito mansion with their two children, Archie, three, and one-year-old Lilibet, are working on a documentary as part of their $100million deal with the streaming service.

It was previously expected that the production would be available to watch in December, following the fifth season of The Crown on November 9, according to Page Six.

However, sources claimed last week the couple now wanted to make edits to the series, which would possibly delay its release until later in 2023, as they look to 'downplay much of what they have said about King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales'.

And now insiders have told the publication that the couple are 'having second thoughts' on the project, with one Netflix source saying: 'Harry and Meghan are panicked about trying to tone down even the most basic language. But its their story, from their own mouths.'

Tina Brown also also discussed rumours that the duchess is shopping for a 'private estate' in Hope Ranch, an affluent neighbourhood a few miles from their $14million California mansion where they live with their two children, Archie, three, and one-year-old Lilibet (pictured with the couple)

Another said: 'Theyve made significant requests to walk back content they themselves have provided  to the extent that some Netflix staff believe, if granted, it will effectively shelve the project indefinitely.'

As well as warning Harry about the risks of publishing his long-awaited autobiography, Tina Brown also discussed rumours that the duchess is shopping for a 'private estate' in Hope Ranch, an affluent neighbourhood a few miles from their current home in California.

Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival Miss Brown said: 'In Montecito, where they live, their $14million mansion is a humble cottage compared to what these other people have.'

She also joked: 'At some point it might be more than a new house shes looking for. Elon Musk is still single, thats all I have to say.'

Archewell has been contacted by the MailOnline for comment.
North Korea's recent missile tests involved 'tactical nuclear' drills to simulate hitting the South, and were overseen by leader Kim Jong Un in response to US-led joint military exercises in the region, state media said Monday.

Kim made acquiring tactical nukes -- smaller, lighter weapons designed for battlefield use -- a top priority at a key party congress in January 2021, and this year vowed to develop North Korea's nuclear forces at the fastest possible speed.

The country revised its nuclear laws last month, outlining a wide array of scenarios in which it could its nukes, with Kim declaring North Korea an 'irreversible' nuclear power -- effectively ending the possibility of negotiations over its arsenal.

Since then, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have ramped up combined military exercises, including deploying a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier to the area twice, infuriating Pyongyang, which sees such drills as rehearsals for invasion.

North Korea released multiple photographs of the recent missile launches, tests and exercises, showing Kim Jong Un overseeing them all, giving orders and posing with smiling soldiers

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects military exercises at an undisclosed location in North Korea

Leader Kim Jong Un signaled he would conduct more provocative tests in the coming weeks

In response, North Korea 'decided to organise military drills under the simulation of an actual war' that gamed out hitting South Korea's ports, airports and military command facilities, KCNA said.

North Korean army units involved in 'the operation of tactical nukes staged military drills from September 25 to October 9 in order to check and assess the war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability,' the report said.

Kim 'guided the military drills on the spot,' it said, adding he had dismissed the idea of restarting talks, saying North Korea 'felt no necessity to do so'.

The report also said that North Korea's October 4 missile launch, which flew over Japan and prompted rare evacuation warnings, involved a 'new-type ground-to-ground intermediate-range ballistic missile'.

That test aimed to 'send more powerful and clear warning to the enemies'.

North Korea's claim its missile launches are a 'response' to US-South Korea drills is part of a 'familiar spiral dynamic' on the Korean peninsula, said US-based security analyst Ankit Panda.

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is seen overseeing a missile test

Kim Jong Un is seen attending as the North Korean People's Army front-line long-range artillery division and air force squadron conducting a fire attack training exercise

North Korea's recent missile tests were "tactical nuclear" drills personally overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, state media said on Monday

Kim faces pandemic-related economic hardships, a security threat posed by the boosted U.S.-South Korean military alliance and other difficulties

'I worry that this is the start of a dangerous dynamic on the Korean Peninsula, where we have two states in a bitter rivalry and each faces strong incentives to fire first in a serious crisis,' he said.

'The North Koreans haven't yet defined what exactly they consider to be a tactical nuclear weapon or mission... but we're starting to see a picture that suggests any nuclear weapon theyd look to use early in a conflict can be defined as a 'tactical' capability,' he told AFP.

North Korea also released multiple photographs of the recent missile launches, tests and exercises showing Kim Jong Un overseeing them all, giving orders and posing with smiling soldiers.

It is also significant that North Korea was not framing the recent launches as tests of the missiles themselves, but of the units that launch them, analysts said.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen during a North Korean missile launch at an undisclosed location

This picture, released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 10, 2022 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) watching a large-scale artillery drill by the Korean People's Army long-range artillery division

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen gesturing as he instructs a North Korean missile launch drill at an undisclosed location

'That suggests these systems are deployed,' Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies wrote on Twitter.

In addition to the array of 'tactical nuclear' drills, North Korea said it had carried out 'a large-scale combined air-attack drill', which was also overseen by Kim.

KCNA said this involved 'more than 150 fighter planes' but analysts dismissed this as domestic propaganda, and Seoul said last week it had only detected 12 North Korean warplanes flying in formation.

The volley of KCNA statements about its recent tests -- which are unusual, as state media no longer routinely comments on launches -- indicates Pyongyang is concerned about the recent US-led joint drills, analysts said.

'To strengthen its self-proclaimed deterrent, it is making explicit the nuclear threat behind its recent missile launches,' said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

'The KCNA report may also be a harbinger of a forthcoming nuclear test for the kind of tactical warhead that would arm the units Kim visited in the field,' he added.

Officials in Washington and Seoul have been warning for months that North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test -- which would be the country's seventh, and first since 2017.

A picture released by North Korea purports to show missile test at an undisclosed location in North Korea, as taken sometime between September 25 and October 9

Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government which purports to show a missile test

US and South Korean marines disembark from a US marine landing ship during a joint amphibious landing exercise with their Philippine counterparts at a beach facing the South China Sea in San Antonio town, Zambales province on October 7, 2022

Soldiers are seen sprinting ashore from their landing craft in a series of beach storming exercises
A massive sell-off of fraudster Melissa Caddick's haul of diamonds, jewellery, paintings, designer clothes and other assets before Christmas is being partially objected to by her husband and family.

The sale from the swindler's jaw-dropping designer jewellery collection comprises pieces bought with the $23million she stole, mostly from family and friends, including a $250,000 necklace, named Stella, which features an outrageous 83 carat black sapphire.

A total of 72 items of jewellery, paintings by artists such as John Olsen and designer wear by Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balmain and Chanel will go to auction uncontested.

But the Federal Court of Australia heard on Monday that Caddick's husband Anthony Koletti had lodged an objection to the sale of 18 jewellery items - including his wife's earrings, necklace and bracelet and a diamond and gold cross he often wore in her company.

In court documents, Koletti claimed in court documents that items Caddick bought from her favourite jewellery designer Stefano Canturi were then 'gifted' to himself.

Melissa Caddick wearing her favourite $250K sapphire and diamond necklace which will be sold off, but husband Anthony Koletti wants to keep his cufflinks and 17 other items

Anthony Koletti has lodged an objection to the sale of 18 pieces of Stefano Canturi jewellery including the diamond and gold cross he is wearing (above) and other signature pieces

The Canturi 'Cubist' necklace worth more than a $100,000 was one of the many statement pieces the fraudster bought from her favourite jeweller and will go up for sale by the receivers

The 18 items listed are all by Canturi and include a signature Cubish 18 carat white gold ring set with 16 baguette cut black sapphires, plus a flower pendant, a black sapphire dog tag pendant and a gold pendant in the shape of a skull with diamond teeth which Caddick bought for $4500.

The court heard on Monday that Caddick's brother Adam Grimley also planned to contest the sale of a superannuation fund and he asked for extra time to mount a legal challenge to it.

It also heard that due to the fact the inquest into Melissa Caddick's death was only part heard that both the fact of the fraudster's death and the date of her death were not yet established.

The jaw-dropping necklace worth $250k that Melissa Caddick had specially made up with an 83 carat black sapphire

Anthony Koletti has requested for items from his wife's jewellery collection not be sold off in the receivers' firer sale, including Stefano Canturi earrings

The jewellery stash found in Melissa Caddick's house when she was raided a day before she went missing in November 2020 included necklaces clustered with diamonds and other stones

MELISSA CADDICK JEWELLERY HUSBAND ANTHONY KOLETTI WANTS TO KEEP 1. Canturi Signature onyx, diamond and pearl necklace 2. Canturi Signature onyx, diamond and pearl bracelet 3. Pair of Canturi diamond flower earrings 4. Canturi 18ct white gold Cubism plain dog tag and 18ct white gold curb link neck chain 5. Canturi black diamond three-quarter bangle 6. Canturi 18ct white gold black rhodium plated skull 7. Canturi Cubism Collection 18ct white gold bracelet with baguette black sapphire channel set on clasp 8. Canturi Cubism Collection 18ct white gold bracelet with three black sapphires channel set on clasp 9. Canturi Cubism Collection 18ct white gold bracelet with 104 square and baguette cut black sapphires 10. Canturi Odyssey Collection 18ct white gold diamond flower pendant and chain 11. Canturi Cubism Collection pave black sapphire dog tag pendant 12. Canturi Cubism Collection ring with baguette cut black sapphires 13. Canturi gents dress ring from New Prototype Collection 14. Canturi Labyrinth Collection gent's dress ring with black diamonds 15. Pair of Canturi Cubism 18ct white gold black onyx cufflinks 16. Canturi 18ct white gold channel set baguette and carre cut diamond cubism cross pendant 17. 18ct white gold wide Cubism ring 4.26ct black sapphires 18. Canturi Cubism 19ct white gold ring Advertisement

It is understood that Caddick's parents Ted and Barb Grimley plan to contest the sale by receivers of the Edgecliff penthouse they live in, which their daughter bought with stolen money for $2.5million in 2016.

The Dover Heights house Caddick lived in with Mr Koletti, where she was last seen alive in November 2020, is currently on the market with expectations it will sell for up to $15million.

Caddick's running shoe washed up on Bournda Beach on the NSW South Coast in February last year.

Remains found inside the shoe were identified as Ms Caddick's.

Melissa Caddick wearing some of her favourite jewellery from a massive collection mostly designed by Stefano Canturi and including sapphires, diamonds and onyx statement pieces

Receivers have 72 items of jewellery they want to sell before Christmas, and there are another 18 items which Anthony Koletti is contesting, saying he wants to keep because they were gifted to him

Melissa Caddick's parents (Barb and Ted, above) are contesting the sale of the Edgecliff penthouse their swindler daughter bought for them to live in using some of their own funds

Among the items listed to be sold by court-appointed receivers are a Cartier Panther bracelet watch, a pair of Gucci silver heart earrings and a Canturi Cubism Collection necklace - featuring aquamarine, sapphire and 165 diamonds.

An inquest into Ms Caddick's presumed death heard that Mr Canturi himself was due to deliver his latest commission, the $100,000 diamond necklace and matching bracelet, personally on Friday, November 13, 2020.

She vanished the day before, never to be seen again.
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Met Police chiefs last night accused eco-zealots behind a weekend of chaos in central London of causing 'unreasonable disruption' to people's lives.

The force said it was forced to put a 'significant' policing operation to deal with the eco-warriors, who blocked roads in the capital over the weekend as part of a month of climate protests.

Others threw paint across shops and restaurants in the city centre, after two protests poured milk across the shop floors of upmarket department stores Fortnum and Mason and Selfridges.

The Met has now revealed its officers arrested more than 100 protesters across Saturday and Sunday - the ninth day of action by militant campaign group Just Stop Oil.

How the Met Police arrested more than 100 eco-protesters during two-days of disruption On Saturday morning, a proactive vehicle stop in Berwick Street resulted in the arrest of three people linked to the Animal Rebellion group. Officers seized items including fire extinguishers filled with paint. Officers on duty in Green Park also spotted two people from the same group wanted in connection with incidents at shops in central London on Friday where milk had been poured on carpets and food displays. They were both arrested and have since been charged. Away from the main protest group, there were three incidents where damage was caused to shops and a restaurant by people emptying tins of paint onto windows and floors. Nine people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage in relation to those incidents. 18 protestors from Animal Rebellion who blocked Westminster Bridge on Saturday evening and refused to leave when requested to do so were arrested. Earlier that day, 24 protestors linked to the Just Stop Oil group were arrested for obstructing the highway after they blocked Edgware Road/Upper Berkeley Street and Marylebone Road/Baker Street. On Sunday afternoon, 47 people from the same group were arrested when they blocked roads in the vicinity of Piccadilly Circus with some using locking devices to try and delay police interventions. Advertisement

The eco-zealots, who want the Government to halt all new oil and gas projects, are urging supporters to protest throughout October as part of a call-to-action named 'Occupy Westminster'.

But last night Met chiefs took aim at the group, who they say had caused 'unreasonable disruption' to people's lives with their actions. Protests were also held by Animal Rebellion, a splinter group of Extinction Rebellion, over the weekend.

Superintendent Chris Green, who led the policing operation, said: 'This weekend we saw repeated efforts to cause damage to businesses and to unreasonably disrupt the lives of ordinary Londoners by blocking roads.

'The policing operation required to respond to these challenges is significant. It requires many officers out on the ground in key locations in addition to those who are needed to process prisoners and then carry out the investigations to turn arrests into charges and ultimately, outcomes at court.

'We fully support peaceful protest and will always try to work with organisers so that protests can go ahead safely, but the public rightly expect us to respond swiftly and effectively where protest crosses the line into criminality.

'Thanks to the dynamic and effective response of the dedicated men and women who were on duty over the past two days, we have identified offenders, prevented further incidents of criminal damage and kept disruption in central London to a minimum.'

It comes after furious motorists were pictured dragging members of the environmental group from the roads surrounding Westminster on Sunday.

Dozens of protesters blocked roads in central London around the Houses of Parliament yesterday, in a bid to force government to take action on the climate crisis.

One was filmed clambering on top of a police van which had arrived to deal with the protesters and gluing himself down to it by the hand.

But the protests left some motorists frustrated. And they took matters into their own hands - attempting to forcibly remove the protesters from the roads themselves.

The force said it was forced to put a 'significant' policing operation to deal with the eco-warriors, who blocked roads in the capital over the weekend as part of a month of climate protests. Pictured: Protesters block the road in Piccadilly Circus

The activist was later pictured being lowered down from the van after his hand was unglued from the top

Dozens of Just Stop Oil protesters marched on Westminster for the ninth day in a row yesterday and warned they will continue to do so throughout the month

The organisation plans to blockade roads around Westminster every day in October and yesterday teamed up with Animal Rebellion

A man at yesterday's protests held up a sign reading 'Don't jail the messengers' and demanding the government takes action now

One activist climbed on top of a police van in Piccadilly Circus, bringing it to a halt in the middle of the road

Police officers using cutting equipment to remove a padlock from the neck of a protester sat blocking the road

Police carry away a protester who had locked herself to another at Piccadilly Circus in London this afternoon

Just Stop Oil revealed yesterday that one protester had to have emergency medical treatment after being removed from the road by a motorist, but added: 'We are not backing down'

The Just Stop Oil protesters have also begun doubling up in lines across the road, to ensure dragging them out the way is not so straightforward

The group has revealed that one activist required emergency medical care after being removed from the road by a motorist on Saturday

According to Just Stop Oil, two women who were arrested during the protests for throwing paint on a store front are set to appear in court tomorrow

There is also footage online of a white van driving towards the protesters at speed, before slamming the brakes on and stopping just a couple of centimetres in front of them.

This driver and others were shown violently pushing and shoving protesters, as well as dragging them towards the pavement.

In one online video a driver can be heard saying: 'I have to go to hospital... stop interfering with us!'

Protesters, who held multiple banners and were all dressed in orange jackets, have vowed to disrupt roads for the rest of the month.

The Metropolitan Police says it has arrested 45 people for willful obstruction of the highway in Piccadilly yesterday, just one day after it took 24 into custody for causing similar scenes in Marylebone Road.

And there were further scenes of chaos on Saturday as vegans joined the eco-zealots by pouring milk all over the roads and covering shopfronts with paint.

The Met tweeted confirming the arrest of a man who was filmed jumping onto a police van: 'UPDATE: We are aware of a video shared earlier this afternoon showing a man running and jumping onto the top of a police van at Piccadilly Circus.

'He was brought down by specially trained officers and has since been arrested for obstruction and criminal damage.'

Just Stop Oil said that one activist was left needing 'emergency' medical care after being violently removed from the road by a motorist yesterday.

In a statement, the organisation said: 'We are not backing down.

'Occupation of Westminster entered its 9th day. Massive disruption has been caused throughout the borough with multiple bridges and key A roads repeatedly blocked.

'Yesterday, a group of Just Stop Oil supporters remained resolutely nonviolent when confronted by the understandably frustrated members of the public.

'One supporter required emergency medical treatment due to having been removed from the road by a member of the public.

'The disruption will end when the Government makes a statement that it will halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.'

They vow to continue blocking roads in Westminster every day in October.

Yesterday activists were pictured using methods to frustrate easy removal, including several lines of protesters and even locking themselves to one another using D-locks.

One protester climbed on top of a police ban with a Just Stop Oil banner, reportedly gluing himself to the roof. He told passers-by: 'I'm angry. Sad... Where's the outrage?'

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: 'A total of 45 people have been arrested for wilful obstruction of the highway after Just Stop Oil protests in Piccadilly on Sunday, 9 October. They have been taken into custody.'

Yesterday activists wearing luminous vests sat across Marylebone Road, while long queues of cars, buses and taxis angrily beeped their horns.

The Met tweeted confirming the arrest of a man who was filmed jumping onto a police van: 'UPDATE: We are aware of a video shared earlier this afternoon showing a man running and jumping onto the top of a police van at Piccadilly Circus'

Protesters at Piccadilly Circus on Sunday hold banners and appear to have locked themselves together

Police begin talking to protesters in an effort to persuade them to move out of the road before they are arrested

In part due to angry motorists, some protesters have turned to extreme measures to prevent them from being moved against their will - including locking together by the neck

A motorcycle rider reacts in frustration at the Just Stop Oil protesters blocking his path

Two protesters hold hands inside a tube while lying across the road in central London this afternoon

Police carry away an elderly Just Stop Oil protester on Saturday after the organisation teamed up with Animal Rebellion to cause travel chaos

Activists with Just Stop Oil have been blockading roads around central London for nine days now, and intend to keep going

There were 24 arrests made in relation to the Just Stop Oil protests yesterday.

One man was filmed being arrested during the protests, but told the interviewer he had simply congratulated them for their action.

He told reporters he lived 'round the corner' and simply came out to say to the activists he supports them, but quickly found himself detained by officers.

Yesterday's action followed protests in the capital every day since last Saturday, which have also seen Just Stop Oil block roads around Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge and Trafalgar Square.

The sit-down yesterday during the week of action saw some protestors gluing themselves to the road to hinder attempts to remove them, as they continue to demand the Government stops new oil and gas projects.

Yesterday Just Stop Oil teamed up with Animal Rebellion, an off-shoot of Extinction Rebellion, to bring large parts of the capital to a standstill.

Members of the environmental protest groups poured milk on Regent Street and St James's Street as they marched through central London.

The shopfront of William Evans gun room was covered with green paint and red paint was poured on the floors of Farlow's fishing, hunting and shooting supply store, as well as placing paper flowers outside.

The group say this is to expose the outdated practices of hunting, shooting and fishing, whilst also showing that a better world is possible.

While there was no sign of Animal Rebellion yesterday, the group said its acts the day before highlight the need for urgent and immediate transition towards a plant-based food system, away from the current one that includes the inefficient and unnecessary exploitation of nonhuman animals.

They also said the outside of the shop had been covered in origami flowers to represent the nature that could be restored and flourish if we move into a plant-based future, free from so-called 'blood sports'.

Robert Gordon, from York, said: 'A plant-based food system could feed more people, using less land, for less money. Instead of trapping farmers in dependence on outdated and inefficient subsidies, Ranil Jayawardena and DEFRA should be taking bold steps to assist farmers in a transition to a plant-based future with a meaningful and supportive subsidy system.

'It's time we have a government that backs farmers, rather than leaving them on their backs.'

The vegan activists who poured milk all over the floor in Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason yesterday were also arrested by police.

Vegans and Just Stop Oil eco-zealots joined forces to bring central London to a standstill yesterday by pouring milk all over the roads and covering shopfronts with paint

Protesters from the groups, offshoots of Extinction Rebellion, blocked roads and bridges in the capital yesterday in order to highlight their demand that the government stops new oil and gas projects

On Saturday the shopfront of William Evans gun room was covered with green paint and red paint was poured on the floors of Farlow's fishing, hunting and shooting supply store, as well as placing paper flowers outside

Members of the environmental protest groups Animal Rebellion and Just Stop Oil poured milk on Regent Street and St James's Street as they marched through central London yesterday

Hundreds of protestors from Animal Rebellion - an offshoot of the Extinction Rebellion group that describes itself as a 'mass movement using non-violent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system' - gathered at Green Park in London at 11am yesterday.

Before marching through central London, Sofia Fernandes Pontes from Madeira and Steve Bone from Essex, the duo who poured out milk over the two high-end London department stores in a protest against dairy products, were arrested by police.

The climate group has two demands, the first being for the Government to support farmers and fishing communities to move away from animal farming and fishing as part of an urgent and immediate transition to a plant-based food system.

Secondly the group wants the Government to commit to rewild the freed-up land and ocean as part of a broader programme of wildlife restoration and carbon drawdown.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said yesterday: 'A 40-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were arrested in Green Park on Saturday, 8 October on suspicion of criminal damage and theft. They have been taken into custody

'This relates to an incident at a business premises on Piccadilly, London, W1A on Friday, 7 October.

'At 10.20hrs on Saturday three people, a 26-year-old man and two women, aged 28 and 22, were arrested on suspicion of possession of articles to cause criminal damage. Their arrests follow a proactive vehicle stop in Berwick Street, W1 during which fire extinguishers full of paint were found.

'13 people were arrested shortly after 18:00hrs after they blocked Westminster Bridge. Efforts were made to engage with the group and a number of people left voluntarily. Those who did not were arrested.'
The two protesters involved in a 'dangerous and ugly' climate stunt that risked a priceless Picasso painting have spoken out about the bizarre action, with one of them admitting they would 'absolutely' do it again.

Retired teacher and granddad-of-five turned Extinction Rebellion Australia (ERA) protester Tony Gleeson, 59, superglued his hands to the frame of Picasso's Massacre in Korea in the National Gallery of Victoria on Sunday.

The painting last sold for $US179 million ($A280 million) back in 2015.

On Monday, Mr Gleeson said he didn't regret his actions and would gladly pull a similar stunt again.

'The decision wasn't taken lightly,' he told Melbourne radio 3AW host Neil Mitchell.

'It was carefully planned and there were more than two of us involved.

'There was a lot of security there so we took that into account, we prepared long and hard for this.

'This is pretty serious stuff, we're facing a climate and ecological emergency.'

Extinction Rebellion Australia protester Tony Gleeson (above) said he 'absolutely' would pull dangerous stunts again after being arrested for gluing his hand to a Picasso painting

Mr Gleeson was arrested alongside two other protesters on Sunday for their stunt at the National Gallery of Victoria

Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Catherine Strong apologised for the 'inconvenient' stunt on Monday.

'People can believe we're idiots all they want and maybe we are idiots, who knows? We admit that this is the sort of thing that is inconvenient for people, we don't like doing this sort of thing to people - we feel bad about it and we are so sorry,' Ms Strong told ABC Melbourne radio.

Mr Gleeson said he 'expects' he and other protesters will be charged for the protest that put a multi-million painting at risk, saying all the finer details of their plot will be 'revealed in court'.

'We accept responsibility for what we did  we will do what it takes, non-violently, to get where we need to be,' he said.

He added that his group was aware there was a protective frame on the painting at the time of the protest.

Overall, Mr Gleeson said the protest was a success and brought attention to the ERA's cause.

A specialist was brought in to remove Mr Gleeson and another woman from Picasso's Massacre in Korea

'We've had media from all over the world in response, so yeah, I guess it on all accounts would have to be considered a success,'

'In doing it, we've caused problems for a number of people.

'To be successful in this work you have to be disrupt people and there were certain people disrupted yesterday where we prefer not to do it but we figure the urgency of the situation means it's required.'

The protest has called into question to safety of Australia's art galleries and means international curators could be hesitant in the future to send over their pieces.

When asked if he realised the jeopardy he caused to Australia's art industry, Mr Gleeson urged curators to consider their protest as a feat of planning and skill rather than a fault in security.

Mr Gleeson does not regret his actions which could have a massive effect on Australia's art industry

Mr Gleeson was arrested alongside a 49-year-old woman who also glued her hand to the perspex glass.

A specialist was brought in to remove their hands without damaging the painting.

The pair stood either side of the 1951 piece each with a hand glued to the glass and above a banner reading 'climate chaos = war + famine'.

A cameraman livestreamed Mr Gleeson and the woman on Facebook as they attached themselves to the painting and began yelling.

The demonstration was the latest in the organisation's calendar of disruptive demonstrations planned for its 'Spring Rebellion '22'.

Sunday's risky protest was not advertised on the calendar.

Extinction Rebellion is notorious for its disruptive protests which has seen advocates burn the Australian flag outside a parliament house, wheel a mechanical burning koala prop through Melbourne and hang off the side of the Brisbane Story Bridge in a hammock.

Upcoming events on the group's spring calendar include protests at logging area, a parade, a 'disruptive' event in Melbourne's CBD and a blockade of the Yarra River.
Former President George H.W. Bush was never a fan of Donald Trump, so much so that during the early 1990s he hid behind a newspaper in order to avoid speaking to him.

The story was recalled by New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman who revealed how former H.W. Bush's dismissal of Donald Trump during the chance airport encounter led to decades of Trump shunning the Bushes in return.

Haberman, who also serves as a CNN analyst, is currently on tour promoting her tell-all book which was released last Tuesday, Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.

During a one-to-one with CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins at a Washington D.C. bookstore, Haberman explained how she actually left out the anecdote which goes some way to explaining Trump's long-strained relationship with the Bushes.

'It was stuff that I couldnt either confirm enough that I felt comfortable... but I heard two stories after I had finished the book that I would have included if if I could have,' Haberman teased.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, pictured, said despite writing a 608-page book there are several anecdotes that were left out of her tell-all on Trump

WATCH: Maggie Haberman Cracks Up Packed Book Event With Trump Story She Left Out of Her Book https://t.co/8t9SODzoqJ via @mediaite pic.twitter.com/RmaHhdbmgy  Tommy moderna-vaX-Topher (@tommyxtopher) October 9, 2022

'One is H.W. Bush how newly out of office maybe a year or two, is at JFK Airport. Hes getting ready to go to a speech overseas. And hes reading a newspaper, possibly a newspaper I work for. And someone comes over to him and says, Excuse me, Mr. President, Donald Trump is here and hes wondering if youd like to meet him.

'Bush pulls the paper down and says 'no', and then goes back to it. And thus began a decades-long warmth toward the Bushes,' she joked.

The response generated laughter from those present at the Politics and Prose bookstore in the nation's capital.

'Thats why he hates the bushes. So thats [the] one,' Haberman added.

Author of the book Maggie Haberman, right, was pictured being interviews by journalist and chief White House correspondent for CNN, Kaitlan Collins

The story Haberman told about the Bushes appeared to draw laughter from the audience

Then-Republican presidential hopeful VP George Bush is pictured socializing with real estate mogul Donald & Ivana Trump during campaign event at Waldorf Astoria in New York in 1988

There was famously no love lost between the Bush family and the Trumps. Pictured in 2009, former President George H. W. Bush poses with his sons former President George W. Bush and Jeb Bush

President George H.W. Bush holds a news conference at the White House in June 1989

The anecdote had been told previously by author Mark Updegrove's 2017 book called The Last Republicans. The details are similar, although the encounter occurs at Boston's Logan Airport

It is well documented how Trump has made a number disparaging remarks about the Bush family over the years and even mocked H.W.s campaign rhetoric in the past.

The anecdote had been told previously by author Mark Updegrove's 2017 book called The Last Republicans. The details are similar, although the encounter occurs at Boston Logan Airport.

The 41st President had little respect in return for Trump and was often candid about his disdain for Trump and Trumpism.

The late Bush Sr. was once quoted as saying, 'I dont like him. I dont know much about him, but I know hes a blowhard. And Im not too excited about him being a leader.'

Bush Sr., who did not endorse a candidate in the 2016 election, ending up voting for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump appears to be widely disliked within the Bush family, having belittled 'low energy' Jeb Bush, as he defeated him during the 2016 Republican primary.

Jeb fired back, remarking that he goes home to children 'who actually love me.'

The late Barbara Bush, wife of Bush Sr., called Trump a 'showman' and said she didnt understand why people liked him.

Haberman, who has broken insider scoops about the Trump administration for years, released a tell-all: Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America

Former President Donald Trump seen on stage during a rally on Sunday night in Mesa, Arizona

'Here we go again! Another Fake book is out, this one, supposedly very boring and stale, by self appointed head case, Failing (unfunded liability!) New York Times writer, Maggie Hagerman,' Trump wrote on Truth Social last month

Haberman's reporting has long flustered the former president, leading him to call her 'Maggot' Haberman, yet he agreed to sit down with her three times over the course of her reporting for the book.

'I love being with her; she's like my psychiatrist,' Trump reportedly told aides of Haberman.

'Here we go again! Another Fake book is out, this one, supposedly very boring and stale, by self appointed head case, Failing (unfunded liability!) New York Times writer, Maggie Hagerman,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.

'In it she tells many made up stories, with zero fact checking or confirmation by anyone who would know, like me. In one case she lies about me wanting to fire my daughter, Ivanka, and Jared. WRONG, pure fiction. Never even crossed my mind. Just have to fight trouble making creeps like Maggie, and all the rest!'

Last week Haberman revealed how those close to Donald Trump predict he will run again in 2024 despite many saying his 'heart's not in it.'

'The second he says he's not, he's irrelevant,' Haberman explained to Politico.

The late Barbara Bush, wife of Bush Sr., called Trump a 'showman' and said she didnt understand why people liked him

'Everyone I speak to around him says that they believe he's going to run. And, not all of them, but many of them say his heart isn't quite in it.'

The reporter added: 'Now, those two things are not mutually exclusive. You can run and have your heart not be in it. However, we have seen with other people who run when their heart isn't in it, voters actually can tell you it has an impact on how you run.'

The potential for a former president to launch another campaign amid a whole host of legal challenges and a refusal to accept the 2020 election results is 'an unprecedented situation,' Haberman said.

'I think Trump misses the pomp and legal protections that the presidency afforded him,' Haberman said in a separate interview with the New York Times.

In a separate interview the reporter who has covered Trump for decades since the height of his New York empire, Haberman said she believed the former president had 'backed himself into a corner where he has to run.'

She predicted that Trump believes a run for president could protect him legally and added it is how he raises cash.

'I think that he needs the protections that running for president (he thinks) would afford him in combating investigations that he calls a 'witch hunt.' And it is the way that he fundraises and makes money. So much of his identity now is about being a politician. So, I expect that he will run. That doesn't mean that even if he declares a candidacy, that he will stay in the whole time.'
A fugitive whose face is covered in blue tattoos spelling the word BEAST on his forehead is taunting police two weeks after they appealed for help tracking him down.

Jaimes Sutton's unique appearance led to predictions he would be quickly arrested after police released his picture on September 28 but there have been no confirmed sightings of the wanted man.

'I guess he's just keeping his head down,' a senior police source told Daily Mail Australia.

The source confirmed investigators had received 'a lot of online feedback but nothing that was very useful to us.'

After Sutton updated his Facebook profile on Saturday to show a picture with the bottom half of his face covered one woman wrote: 'Cops won't even recognize ya now bra.'

A fugitive whose face is covered in blue tattoos spelling the word BEAST on his forehead is taunting police two weeks after they appealed for help tracking him down. Jaimes Sutton (above) is wanted for domestic violence and property damage

Jaimes Sutton changed his Facebook profile picture on Saturday to this image, leading to one woman responding: 'Cops won't even recognize ya now bra'

Some online posters (pictured) made light of the fact that Sutton's distinctive facial tattoos should make him easy to find

Sutton, who is wanted for domestic assault and property damage, made national and eventually international headlines when the world was introduced to his forlorn face.

The 24-year-old is known to frequent the Deniliquin area near the New South Wales-Victoria border, Murray River Police District revealed in a Facebook post.

Sutton, who is listed to front Deniliquin Local Court on Tuesday but not expected to turn up, quickly became an internet sensation due to his unlikely ability to hide.

'If only they would release some sort of a description so the public could keep an eye open and assist them,' one social media user posted.

'Any distinguishing features so we can tell him apart from the average Joe?' another commenter wrote.

'He's with Beauty.. castles in the area need to be searched. As I'm sure she's hiding him,' a woman joked.

Sutton, who is wanted for domestic assault and property damage, made national and eventually international headlines when the world was introduced to his forlorn face. He is pictured in the mugshot released by police on September 28

Images from 2014 show Sutton's face was relatively clear, aside from a few unintelligible tattooed scrawls on his neck. By 2018, he had a series of black shapes and words on his arms, legs and chest. 'Sutto's guilty' was written in large letters over his stomach (above)

Other photographs from Sutton's social media accounts show him with tattoos across his fingers reading 'game' on his right hand and 'over' on his left.

The search for Sutton led to thousands of comments mocking his face art and made the pages of websites and newspapers including the New York Post.

Pictures posted online between 2014 and 2021 track Sutton's slow transition from baby-faced teen to heavily-inked crook.

Images from 2014 show Sutton's face was relatively clear, aside from a few unintelligible tattooed scrawls on his neck.

By 2018, he had a series of black shapes and words on his arms, legs, chest, stomach and cheeks.

Sutton is known to frequent the Deniliquin area of New South Wales, close to the Victoria border. He is listed to face Deniliquin Local Court on Tuesday but not expected to appear. Sutton has 'game' and 'over' tattooed on his his fingers (above)

One commenter (pictured) made a reference to the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast

The initial outlines of BEAST could be seen on his forehead and 'Sutto's guilty' was written in large letters over his stomach.

Three years later, Sutton had gone all-out. The only untouched areas of his face were sections above his top lip and near his jowls, around his eyes, and inside the bubble font on his forehead.

Sutton has a criminal record dating back to 2014 in courts across southern NSW in Wagga Wagga, Leeton and Deniliquin.

Two weeks before his picture was released, Sutton was due to face Deniliquin Local Court on three counts of driving with a disqualified licence and driving under the influence of drugs.

He pleaded guilty to all four charges in June but failed to show up to his sentencing in September and was slapped with a year-long licence suspension and a $900 fine.

In June, Sutton made an appearance in the same court and pleaded not guilty to one count of common assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Anyone with information about Sutton's whereabouts is urged to contact Albury police on (02) 6023 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A woman who was a devout Christian for decades has spoken about being fired from her job at a religious school after falling in love with a woman she met at church.

Sydneysider Steph Lentz, 31, thought her life was going exactly to plan when she married her now ex-husband at 23.

It was only afterwards she realised marriage wasn't the 'fairytale' she'd be sold in church.

'I was taught that marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. That the unconditional love that Jesus has, and the service that the church renders to God, are reflected in the relationship of husband and wife,' Ms Lentz said.

Steph Lentz (above) ended her marriage and fell in love with a woman from her curch after spending years as a devout Christian

'I was taught as well that men and women are both created equal by God but have different roles and that these roles are reflected in certain hierarchical orderings of life in the church and in the family, and often in broader society as well.'

Ms Lentz said she had convinced herself she was doing the right thing by marrying a man, despite it feeling wrong at the time.

'I was so involved in that complex self-deception that a lot of queer people experience that I just went along with what I thought I was supposed to do and what I thought was right,' she said.

'I think I believed because of the religious views that I held that whatever suffering or sacrifice was involved in that, that God would reward in due course.'

Just four years after her wedding, Ms Lentz fell in love with a woman she met in church and her marriage came to an end.

'Our marriage ended for a lot of complex reasons, but my sexuality is obviously a big one. So yeah, divorced now,' she said.

Ms Lentz (above) said she had convinced herself it was right to marry her now ex-husband, despite it feeling wrong at the time

Ms Lentz said she grew up in a religious household but found her own faith at a local Anglican church as a teenager.

From there, she began working as an English teacher at her non-denominational Christian school.

'At the time, and to some extent still, I held the view that it was possible to be an evangelical Christian, and to be affirming of LGBTQ people and their relationships,' she said.

'I tried to make that case to the school as well, in an effort to save my job and in an effort to also advocate for and represent those kids and families at the school, who perhaps, are or have members of the family who are LGBTQ+, and also identify as Christian in some way and belong to a Christian community.'

She said she decided to front up to the school about her sexuality because she was sick of 'hiding'.

'I was really sick of hiding and of being dishonest with myself and others and I wanted to live a life that was more transparent and authentic,' she said.

Ms Lentz (above) said she tried to convince the Christian school she worked at the LGBTQ+ community can coexist with the Christian community but was fired for her relationship with a woman

'I also know and knew at the time, that there are queer kids at that school, some of whom are known to me, and some of whom haven't, perhaps come out.

'They feel unseen, excluded, and sometimes even, yeah, victimised because of who they are or the way that they behave.'

Ms Lentz was dismissed from the school in January 2021, revealing she had been lawfully fired in an opinion piece she wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald in November 2021.

The article, and her legal termination, sparked a national debate, with the Anglican Church defending its sacking of Ms Lentz saying she was fired not because of her sexuality but because she was unable to sign the school's 'statement of belief'

Ms Lentz believes her life has taken a turn for the better and she now described herself as 'post church, post Christian' because she no longer attends church but is still on a journey of faith.

Ms Lentz will tell her story on Tuesday night's episode of Insight SBS's 'Keeping the Faith - The fight for Australia's soul, with so many people leaving religion, who's keeping the faith?'.
A company has offered to pay one lucky person to travel around Australia and New Zealand in a campervan.

US payroll company Deel is looking for a 'social media nomad' to drive around Australia or New Zealand in a campervan - that they've dubbed the 'Deel Mobeel' - for six months and document their journey online.

The hired traveller will be paid about $4425 Australian per month for the position.

They will receive another allowance for food, parking, internet and petrol during the six months and be able to work flexible hours.

US payroll company Deel is on the lookout for a 'social media nomad' to travel Australia and New Zealand in a campervan

An advertisement for the exciting position was unveiled by the company last month.

'As Deel's first Social Media Nomad, you'll earn a competitive salary and get your hands (literally) on the wheel of the Deel Mobeel,' it reads.

The listing then goes into detail about the different locations the social media nomad will visit during their trip.

'Fill up the tank to visit Wellington, the most southern capital, and be the first to see the day begin. Travel Australia's '90-Mile Straight' and even dig your toes into Jervis Bay's world's whitest sand.'

'Try spotting a kea, the world's only alpine parrot, or stare in awe at the splendor that is Uluru. Plus, catalog some of the half a million different species of the world's weirdest wildlife on the planet.'

'If youre ready to live the van life while working from anywhere across New Zealand and Australias diverse landscapes, then this could be the job for you.'

The job requires the traveller to regularly create and upload video and photos from their 'van life' and their travels to Deel's social media pages.

They'll need to talk about what it's like to work and be paid through the payroll company, interview clients for testimonials and 'host meetups' with other remote workers.

The successful applicant will drive around both countries over a period of six months while regularly uploading content to Deel's social media pages (stock image)

Deel will pay the hired traveller $5000 a month and provide a stipend for their food, internet, petrol and parking (stock image)

Deel is asking for the successful applicant to have three years experience as either a 'social media manager, influencer, or brand ambassador'.

They will need to be proficient in speaking and writing in english, have a valid passport and drivers licence and a 'love for learning new things'.

Deel will cover flight costs and will acquire the appropriate Visa and work approval documents for the successful applicant.

You can apply here.
Employers may want to be careful with who they require webcam monitoring.

A Dutch court recently found a Florida-based court to have violated the rights of a Dutch employee due to it demanding the employee to turn on their webcam during a virtual training period, per Tech Crunch.

The Florida-based company was forced to pay the employee a sum of around $73,000 as a result of the court's findings.

Dutch Employee's Case vs. Webcam Monitoring

According to a report from the NL Times, a remote Dutch telemarketer was hired by the Rijswijk branch of Chetu Inc., a software development company based in Miramar, Florida.

Although the employee started working in the company in 2019, earning a total of around $70,000 per year from their salary, commission, variable bonus, and holiday allowance, they were instructed to join a virtual training period called a "Corrective Action Program."

Although the employee didn't mention why he was chosen to take part in the program, he did feel uncomfortable with one of its requirements - remaining logged in with screen sharing and his webcam activated for the entire workday.

He mentioned that the program is an invasion of his privacy, with him explaining that Chetu Inc. can already see what he's doing thanks to his screen being shared,

Unfortunately, the Dutch employee was soon fired due to his "refusing to work" and "insubordination" three days later, which Chetu Inc. may have walked away from scot-free if the employee was living in the US, as the company was in an "at-will state."

Read More: Streamer Adriana Chechik Breaks Her Back in Two Places During TwitchCon Accident

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "at-will" means an employer can terminate an employee anytime without any reason except an illegal one or without becoming legally liable for doing so.

However, as the employee was based in the Netherlands, the employee was able to take their case to a Dutch court.

According to the court documents (which are in Dutch), the now-fired employee sued Chetu Inc. for unfair dismissal.

After some deliberation, the court found it in the employee's favor, and as such, Chetu Inc. has to pay for their former employee's court costs, back wages, a $50,000 fine, and an order to remove the former employee's non-compete clause.

Additionally, the employee will receive their wages and payment for their 23 unused vacation days, 8% statutory holiday allowance, and an additional penalty for failure to provide a payslip for the employee's services during their last month working for it.

In total, Chetu, Inc. is required to pay their former employee $72,710.25.

Why Did The Court Rule in The Employee's Favor?

The Dutch court cited the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in a similar case back on Nov. 28, 2017. According to the court, tracking an employee through a webcam/camera daily for nine hours is "disproportionate" and not allowed in the Netherlands. Additionally, the employee was very much willing to work despite already being monitored through screen sharing.

As such, the court found that Chetu Inc. did not have an urgent reason to dismiss their employee as soon as they did and probably only did so because the employee refused to submit themselves for further monitoring through their webcam.

The Rijswijk branch of Chetu Inc. was eventually deregistered from the Netherlands' Chamber of Commerce and shut down on Sept. 2.

Related Article: 5 Ways You Can Secure Your Webcam From Hackers
West Australian Police have revealed that a nine-year-old girl who went missing on Monday morning has been found safe and well.

Officers launched a desperate search to find Ruby Wood, holding concerns for her welfare.

The young girl was last seen at her Ellenbrook home at 4am on Monday morning and was wearing a 'yellow jumper, black shorts and black sneakers'.

But police released a statement later in the day with positive news.

'Nine-year-old Ruby has been located safe and well,' the statement read.

'Thank you to the community for your assistance.'
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham once told an ex-Capitol police officer who was badly injured in the January 6 insurrection that he should have used his gun to shoot Trump supporters who were rioting in the head, a new memoir reveals.

Michael Fanone, who used to work for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia from 2001 until 2021, said the South Carolina politician offered his two cents on the situation when they first met in May 2021 - four months after the attack.

'You guys should have shot them all in the head,' recalled Fanone in his memoir 'Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop's Battle for America's Soul,' which is set for publication on October 11. 'We gave you guys guns, and you should have used them. I dont understand why that didnt happen.'

The former police officer then told Graham that law enforcement officials employed at the Capitol have to abide certain rules preventing them from using weapons of deadly force on crowds.

Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and the family of Brian Sicknick, who was a cop killed a day after last year's riots, were also present during the meeting.

South Carolina's GOP senator Lindsey Graham (right) told former Capitol police officer Michael Fanone that he didn't understand why he didn't shoot Trump-supporting rioters in the head during the January 6 attack

Fanone (pictured) recalled Graham making the comment in May 2021 while pitching for a bill to Republicans to back an independent investigation into last year's Capitol insurrection

Fanone, who had suffered a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury after being stun-gunned and beaten up with a flagpole several times during the attack, said the meeting took place at a time when he was seeking Republican support for a bill calling for an independent investigation into the January 6 revolt.

Republican senators ended up blocking the bill, which would have ruled in favor for an independent panel to lead the case.

Fanone has since quit the force and is now an on-air contributor for CNN.

However, at the time, the former cop also secretly taped a meeting with House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy.

He said the California GOP member tried to downplay the Capitol riots, which he then called 'not just shocking but disgraceful,' Politico reported.

The Cover of Fanone's book: Hold the Line, which recalls the interaction between Graham and the author, is set to published October 11

Pictured: Insurrections loyal to President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in DC

Fanone, who calls himself a 'lifelong Republican' told Rolling Stone last week that McCarthy was a 'f***ing weasel b****' in an explosive interview.

McCarthy has not offered to return comment.

Meanwhile, a DC judge sentenced a rioter who assaulted Fanone to seven years behind bars on Wednesday.

Kayle Young, who was described by Judge Amy Berman Jackson as a 'one man wrecking ball' on January 6, was handed one of the harshest and longest sentences compared to other arrestees from the last year's riots.

Fanone was formerly a supporter of Donald Trump and voted for him in the 2016 United States presidential election.
A pro-Trump heckler and her husband took their protest to a comedian's performance a step too far when they flung a beer can at her head following a brief exchange on Saturday night.

Ariel Elias celebrated narrowly avoiding serious injury by chugging the beer in question, to the delight of the audience at Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.

The fiasco began when a woman in the audience demanded to know if Elias had voted for Donald Trump.

Elias said: 'Did I vote for Donald Trump? What do you think?' The woman said: 'No.'

The comedian responded: 'OK. Heres a question for you: why would you ask me that in here, knowing Im the only Jew in this room? Are you trying to get me killed?'

She went on: 'I vote in New York, my vote doesnt matter there.'

Elias pictured during the initial exchange with the heckler in which the comedian was asked who she voted for in the 2020 presidential election

Shortly after Elias attempted to move on with her show, the heckler's husband flung his beer can at the age

The can narrowly missed Elias as it smashed against the exposed brick wall

Elias reacted to avoiding injury by chugging the beer, much to the delight of the audience

A man's voice can then be heard shouting: 'It doesn't matter here either. '

Elias went on: 'It doesnt matter  guys, everybody vote for whoever you want to vote, I dont care who you voted for, Im just happy were all here together.'

The woman rejected Elias' olive branch saying: 'So you voted for Biden.'

An exasperated Elias replied: 'I dunno, why does it matter?' When the heckler persisted, Elias finally gave in and said: 'I dunno, why does it matter?'

The heckler said: 'I could just tell by your jokes, you voted for Biden.'

The fiasco began when a woman in the audience demanded to know if Ariel Elias, pictured here, had voted for Donald Trump

The Kentucky-born comedian brought the house down when she zinged the heckler with: 'Alright. I can tell by the fact that youre still talking when nobody wants you to that you voted for Trump.'

The heckler reacted badly to Elias attempting to continue with her show by saying: 'So rude! Telling me to stop talking! No one was telling me to stop.'

Elias decided to prove her point saying: 'Alright, make some noise if you want her to shut up.' That comment was met with cheers.

The comedian accepted that she had asked the audience to come at with questions during the show.

As Elias attempted to get the show back on the rails, beginning her next segment saying: 'Here, Ill tell you the rest of that bit, and then well move on. Im so insecure, I went and got an IUD.'

Then, the heckler's husband hurled a beer can at the stage, narrowly missing her and slamming against the exposed brick wall.

A man's voice can be heard saying: 'Come on, buddy, you can't do that here.' Some kind of activity then occurs off screen.

Elias retrieved what was left of the beer can and drank it to the delight of the rest of the audience.

The official Uncle Vinnie's Twitter account later tweeted that they were pressing charges against the beer thrower. He was only identified by the account as the heckler's 'white trash husband.'

Elias said in an interview that she was nervous during the exchange when Trump was brought up saying: 'I know where I am. The clubs logo uses an image of a gun instead of the letter L.'

Elias told Rolling Stone in an interview that her set was not going very well before the incident with the heckler.

She said that there was a rowdy group of around 20 people having a 'Mexican-themed birthday' who were 'wearing fake mustaches.' Elias said that they had been told to keep it down before her set began.

Speaking about her feelings when the heckling began, Elias said: 'I know where I am. The clubs logo uses an image of a gun instead of the letter L. Shes clearly trying to bait me into something, [so I thought] let me see where she tries to take it on her own, and maybe I can use it to get out of this.'

Of the beer chug, Elias said: 'I knew I had to chug it. I was so relieved that there was still some left in there after it exploded against the wall. Also my adrenaline was going crazy, so even though normally I dont drink before or during sets, I felt like this was a valid exception.'

According to her official website, Elias is a native of Kentucky and lives in New York City. The New York Times once referred to her as a 'sly young comic.'

In an interview with Buzzfeed on Sunday, Elias said that the Point Pleasant Police Department had gone to the club to collect evidence.

She told the website that fellow comedian Gianmarco Soresi hugged her after she left the stage. Elias said that she called her husband almost immediately to tell him what happened.

One of the birthday group apologized to her for their behavior and another member of the audience gave her $20, Elias told Buzzfeed.

The club's owner told Buzzfeed that the heckler and her husband quickly left the scene after the exchange.

According to her official website, Elias is a native of Kentucky and lives in New York City. The New York Times once referred to her as a 'sly young comic'

Elias' actions got some positive reactions from comedy A-listers such as Jimmy Kimmel who tweeted at her: 'Five stars for this flawless performance.'

While Patton Oswalt tweeted: 'Ariel wasnt even doing political material. The drunk heckler was craving what every MAGAt craves  grievance and revenge. And theyll alter the reality before their eyes to get it. 'You SOUND like you voted for Biden.'

Responding to a tweet in which Elias said that she had been booked to return to Uncle Vinnie's in April, Whitney Cummings tweeted: 'Excellent, can I open for you?'

Cummings tweeted the can throwing video and tweeted: 'For all yall who want to make fun of comics for saying we didnt sign up to be physically attacked and put on a pedestal, take a peekie poo. @Ariel_Comedy you're a class act.'

Star Trek star George Takei called Elias a 'hero among us' in a tweet.

Elias tweeted about the experience saying: 'I'd really appreciate it if anyone could please just let my teachers know that chugging a beer has in fact been great for my career.'

While she told Rolling Stone: 'I dont hide who I am or change how I present myself. I also dont really talk about politics on stage, its just not what I want my stand up to be.'

She added: 'But my perspective is that of a southern Jew, and I talk a lot about being a woman and body image. I really think Im good enough at this to make people who disagree with me laugh and enjoy. So yes, Ive gotten iced out by crowds, a couple of people have walked out, every now and then someone yells something. But Ive never gotten half a free beer for it.'
Transitioning to renewable energy and the shutting of coal power plants will see Australian power bills go up by 35 per cent within months, according to energy retailers.

'Next year, using the current market prices, tariffs are going up a minimum 35 per cent,' Alinta chief executive Jeff Dimery told a conference in Sydney on Monday.

'It's horrendous, it's unpalatable. We don't want energy consumers getting their power bills and setting fire to them.

'There are real issues around energy pricing that we've got right now. And I think the public are going to get more attuned to that,' he told the Energy and Climate summit.'

Alinta's chief executive officer fears customers 'setting fire to' their power bills. Pictured is a woman looking at a bill

Origin Energy CEO Frank Calabria said that 'based on current wholesale prices' electricity prices will increase sharply when new tariffs are set next July.

EnergyAustralia's chief executive Mark Collette also said surging wholesale prices would lead to far higher household bills.

'Just looking at the wholesale markets and buying as a retailer, you're selling retail energy and you have to buy the energy in the wholesale market,' he said.

'Just go back a year, wholesale electricity prices are up four times from $60 per megawatt hour to $240MWh.

'Gas is up from $10 a gigajoule to $50 on the current ACCC netback. That's four or five times, and it's massive. It's putting a lot of upward pressure on tariffs.'

Momentum Energy, one of the smaller suppliers at the summit, also agreed that there would be price hikes.

'I think we all see there are going to be big increases next year,' its managing director Lisa Chiba said.
TV legend John Westacott - who ran ratings juggernaut 60 Minutes for 16 years and was a controversial media figure - has died after a suspected medical episode on a boat in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

A keen yachtsman, Westacott, who was 73, had to be pulled from the water by NSW Police Marine Area Command after falling from a boat and into Sydney Harbour about 1.30pm on Sunday.

Watched on by alarmed crowds, NSW Ambulance paramedics treated Westacott at Vaucluse wharf for 30 minutes, but were unable to save him.

TV Legend John Westacott who ran 60 Minutes for 16 years and was a controversial media figure has died after a s suspected medical episode on a boat in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs

The television titan was on the vessel with another man around the same age who looked visibly disturbed and who was shrouded in a blanket, plus an 18-year-old man.

At one point, pictures showed an emergency services worker put a consoling arm around the bystander.

Westacott was a legend in Sydney's TV industry and was considered the master of chequebook journalism while working at 60 Minutes until 2010.

He also helmed other Nine news flagship shows such as A Current Affair and the Today Show.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated him at Vaucluse wharf for 30 minutes, but were unable to save him

NSW water police were called to rescue Mr Westacott who fell of a boat in Sydney Harbour

In 2008, Westacott hit the headlines after he was accused of making offensive and sexist remarks to female journalists.

Westacott was alleged to have told a group of female journalists at a book launch that year that they were hired only for their sex appeal.

'To make it in this industry, you gotta have f***ability. To make it in this game, women have to be f***able,' Westacott is alleged to have said.

The allegations were made by the former Nine's Los Angeles correspondent, Christine Spiteri, in an unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination claim in which she sought damages of $500,000.

Pictured: Paramedics at the scene of the incident on Sunday when TV legend John Westacott fell from a boat at Vaucluse and could not be revived

A large crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the tragedy unfold at a popular seaside area of Sydney

Westacott denied making the comment, or saying that with her name, Spiteri would be better for working for SBS.

After his long stint at 60 Minutes Westacott became Nine's director of news and current affairs in 2007, and stayed in the job until he retired in 2010, wrapping up 25 years at Nine, and four decades as a journalist and news producer.

He has been credited with inventing the 'worm' graphic used during election debates.

Westacott was hailed as a 'driving force' behind Nine's long dominance of commercial TV news and current affairs programming.

A man who was on the vessel with Westacott was comforted by an officer afterwards as paramedics failed to revive the retired TV executive

Former Nine correspondent Christine Spiteri sued the Network after she was sacked and she claimed Westacott had made sexist remarks about women in TV

'Westy was an enigma. There was no-one like him,' a statement issued by current Nine news chief Darren Wick and Head of Television Michael Healy said.

'He didn't care about political correctness and would publicly declare that.

'But, he was among the first in our industry to promote women to senior roles with 60 Minutes and ensure their voices were heard.

'He didn't care where you came from, nor about your gender, ethnicity or religious and political beliefs.

'He cared about whether you had the passion and ability to tell a great story.'

Mr Westacott has been credited with inventing 'the worm', which measures an audience's sentiment during a debate

Charles Wooley (pictured second from right) said Westacott was 'indefatigable and ceaseless' in pursuit of a story. Also in the picture are 60 Minutes reporters (from left) Liam Bartlett, Liz Hayes, George Negus and Ray Martin at the 2018 Logie Awards in Sydney.

Former 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley paid tribute to Westacott as 'as the kind of man you'd trust with your life  I'm just absolutely shattered, I've been blubbering about this to everyone I've spoken to  fair dinkum.'

'I have never met anyone more indefatigable and ceaseless in his pursuit of a story,' Wooley told The Australian.

'He would never give up and whatever he would do, he would enrich with his words and his work.'

'We're all shocked to lose him, he was brilliant and felt indestructible  it kind of feels like he "did a runner", which was Westy's term for when you leave an unpleasant situation and leave the rest to face the music.'

He is survived by his wife Cecile and two sons.
A young girl has been rushed to hospital after severing her fingertips in a horror playground accident.

Emergency services were called to a park on Homebush Road, Strathfield, in Sydney's inner west, just before 1:30pm on Monday after reports a child had been badly injured.

Paramedics and council workers arrived to find a five-year-old girl's hand had gotten stuck in a carousel in the children's play area.

A young girl has been rushed to hospital after severing her fingertips in a horror playground accident (pictured: believed to be the equipment)

Emergency services were called to a park on Homebush Road in Strathfield just before 1:30pm on Monday to find the badly injured girl

She was cared for by NSW Police and NSW Ambulance personnel while firefighters located her severed fingertips.

The five-year-old was then taken to The Children's Hospital in Westmead for emergency surgery.

More to come.
A local NSW council has faced backlash after banning Australian flags in part of its region as it announced a review into the decision.

Central Coast Council, just north of Sydney, banned the flying and displaying of the Australia flag on council assets because 'it might offend some people'.

Sky News host Chris Smith slammed the ban as 'nothing more than a woke hunch' while discussing the policy on Sunday.

'There must be something in the water on the Central Coast because the administrator has now come up with an appalling rule which effectively bans the flying of the Australian flag,' Mr Smith said.

'The council claims that this might offend some people... what those that hate this country or hate its Colonial history?

'Last time I looked, there was no crime against flying our flag nor should there ever be.'

Skynews host Chris Smith said Central Coast Council's decision to ban the flying of the Australia flag was 'nothing more than a woke hunch' (pictured)

Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Wales said the policy, which will be reviewed by council on Tuesday night, follows three years of negotiations for the right to install the flags.

Mr Wales said he had received letters of support for the Australian flag but council had made multiple excuses blocking the flag's reinstallation.

'We just don't understand the council's adamant position on preventing this from happening,' Mr Wales said.

'Council continually blamed or used excuses for why this [reinstallation] can't happen, from cost of the flags, to lack of manpower, to offending people and it being contrary to the federal government protocols for flying the flag.'

Mr Wales agreed that Umina and Gosford, two suburbs under the Central Coast Council, were 'archetypically Australian' with residents who are very proud of the Australian flag.

'We're very disappointed the Central Coast Council has made absolutely no attempt to sit down with us and come up with a solution to this problem,' Mr Wales said.

'The solution is quite simple, as long as the Australian flag banners complied with the federal government protocols why shouldn't they be flown.

'We hope the administrator will see common sense.'

The Central Coast Council confirmed in a statement that the flag ban only applies to town centre street banners and not all council assets.

'It should be noted that the recommendation in the policy's report, does not ban the flying of flags on council assets, but only relates to town centre street banners,' the statement read.

Centra Coast Council confirmed the ban only applies to town centre street banners and said it will review its policy in a council meeting (pictured, Australian flags at Parliament House, Canberra)

The council also revealed it would review and potentially update the banner and flag policy in the meeting on Tuesday.

Under the topic of 'Council refuse to fly the Australian national flag', the council explained its refusal to fly the Australian flag was a 'misconception'.

'This is a misconception of the purpose and premise of the Street Banner Policy and the Flying of Flags policy,' the council papers read.

'Council currently does and will continue to fly official and national flags on all appropriate infrastructure, including outside the Wyong Administration Building and within Chambers.

'Council will continue to support appropriate requests to fly national or official flags on open space and community facility assets provided specific flagpole infrastructure is available.'

The Australian flag hasn't flown on Umina Beach's main street (pictured) on Australia Day since 2017

The Australian flag hasn't flown on Umina Beach's main street on Australia Day since 2017, with the business chambers offer to pay for the flags knocked back once more this year.

Instead of the Australian flag, the banners flown in 2022 commemorated 100 years of the local Ocean Beach Surf Club.
An experienced bricklayer has revealed how bullying and being offered drugs instead of wages nearly caused him to abandon his apprenticeship.

Robert Dunne from Melbourne said in his first stint on a job site as a 16-year-old he was told to car pool with another tradie, who would smoke marijuana before driving.

'Lunchtime we would go back to his house and he would smoke bongs and I would wait for him in the car and then we would go back to work,' he told A Current Affair.

He said he told his father what was happening and then left that apprenticeship and went back to school.

Research shows only about 55.7 per cent of construction apprentices in Australia complete their training with many leaving to find another job (file image)

He returned to the trade later and finished his apprenticeship for a different business on the Mornington Peninsula.

But Mr Dunne said he remained concerned about the cavalier attitude of some in the industry.

'I wouldn't do it again. It wouldn't be something that I would encourage young people to do because of the lack of work safety,' he said.

'We have primary school teachers that are very heavily regulated and have a lot of checks put on them, but we've got grown men that do drugs, drink [and] drive and they're also teaching people how to build houses,' he said.

TikTok videos show Mr Dunne's problem was not unique with clips of senior tradies hazing their apprentices flooding the platform.

In one video, a tradie sprays his apprentice's hair with spray paint and in another an apprentice tiling a shower gets the water turned on, soaking him.

Robert Dunne (pictured) said he very nearly left the brick laying trade after a negative experience on his first apprenticeship

National Centre for Vocational Education Research data shows just 55.7 per cent of those who start apprenticeships complete them.

In 2021, just 77,000 apprentices across the country completed their training, the lowest number in more than 20 years.

A report by The McKell Institute released last month found bullying and wage theft were the top reasons apprentices were leaving.

The 'Working, learning: Better supporting Victorian apprentices on the job' report found that most were unaware there was state apprenticeship regulator and that complaints to the agency were in the single digits each year.

'We are in the midst of a skills shortage and yet almost half of people undertaking apprenticeships aren't completing their courses,' Michael Buckland from the McKell Institute said.

'We need all the bricklayers we can get, so the fact that people aren't looking at bricklaying as a viable profession is a real concern.'
Hours after audio in which three members of LA's City Council made racist remarks about a colleague's black son were widely reported, protesters besieged the home of the council's president, demanding her resignation.

The October 2021 conversation between council president Nury Martinez, members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon, as well as Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, was initially about council members' remarks over maps that had been put forward by the city's redistricting commission.

The clip originally leaked on Reddit earlier in October but was picked more widely when it was reported by Knock LA on Sunday

By nightfall, protesters laid siege to Martinez's home in Sun Valley chanting: 'Hey hey, ho ho, Nury Martinez has got to go.'

The protesters were there flouting a law that Martinez herself championed in 2021 that effectively banned protests in residential areas.

Los Angeles Council President Nury Martinez has been pressured to resign after a leaked audio file in which she called a colleague a 'little b***' and his black, three-year-old son a 'little monkey' was released on Reddit earlier this month

Protesters told local media outlets that they will continue their campaign at her home, her office and her church until she resigns

Protesters also blasted audio of the recordings through a loudspeaker outside of Martinez's home, shown here

Outside the home of LA City Council President Nury Martinez, protesters are asking for her resignation and playing the leaked recordings on a loudspeaker. pic.twitter.com/PJNgXOpfQG  Jon peltz (@JonnyPeltz) October 10, 2022

One protester, Jacky Rodarte, told CBS Los Angeles: 'We can't keep allowing these people to do whatever they want. It's just blatantly disrespectful, it's honestly just evil.'

Other protesters told the station that they will continue their campaign at her home, her office and her church until she resigns.

She added: 'That's why we're out here. We want to let her know that she will not be sitting there for much longer and we will get her out of office.'

Protesters also blasted audio of the recordings through a loudspeaker.

Coincidentally, in August 2021, Martinez proposed a law forbidding protesters from coming within 300 feet of a target's home, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The law passed in a 13-1 vote. Martinez was quoted by the Times as saying: 'I'm just completely done.' She went on to complain that protesters had previously shouted obscenities at her daughter and said her car was vandalized.

The group leading the most recent protest, People's City Council - Los Angeles, tweeted: 'LAPD is telling us that we cannot protest outside Nury Martinez's house. They are citing a law that we cannot engage in a targeted protest.'

The group's message went on: 'This is bulls**t! We will leave when Nury Martinez resigns!'

In the audio, Martinez can be heard criticizing fellow colleague and council member Mike Bonin several times, first referring to him as a 'little b****,' before sensationally saying that he brings his adopted son around town with him like 'an accessory.'

De Leon seemed to agree with his colleague's comments, as he compared Bonin bringing his kid around LA to 'when Nury brings her little yard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag,' according to the leaked audio.

Further into the dialogue, Martinez described the minor as 'su negrito', a derogatory expression in Spanish for a black person, and 'ese changuito,' which translates to 'that little monkey.'

LA City Council member Mike Bonin (pictured) and his adoptive son (left) were unknowingly subjected to derogatory remarks from Martinez and two other city council members in an October 2021 conversation

The Democrat, who is Latina, also said Bonin had been raising his son 'like a little white kid,' who needs a 'beatdown'.

'Let me take him around the corner and then I'll bring him back,' the city council president added.

On Sunday, she apologized for the comments: 'In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry.'

'The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color,' she added. 'My work speaks for itself. I've worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.'

In reaction, Bonin told the LA Times that he felt 'disgusted and angry and heartsick' by the leaked audio.

'It's fair game to attack me but my son?' he added, calling for the resignation of all three city Latino council members. 'You have to be pretty petty and insecure and venomous to attack a child. He wasn't even 3 years old.

'Other than that, I'm speechless.'

Bonin and his husband Sean Arian said in a statement on Sunday that they felt 'disgusted and angry and heartsick' by the leaked audio

Council members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo were also part of the leaked conversation, in which Leon agreed that Bonin carried his son 'like an accessory', comparing it to Martinez wandering around with her Louis Vuitton bag

Ron Herrera - Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President - was also forced to apologize after being present in the 30-minute conversation from last year

The audio was first shared on Reddit, though it remains unclear who recorded it and how.

'Wow, you know it happens, but when you actually hear it, it's unbelievable,' a now-suspended Reddit user wrote as a caption along with the leaked audio. 'The labor movement is in bed with City Hall.'

Martinez was also caught on tape using profanity when talking about LA District Attorney George Gascon.

'F*** that guy, he's with the Blacks,' said the former member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.

On Sunday, De Leon, apologized for his comments, calling them 'wholly inappropriate,' adding that he fell 'short of the expectations we set for our leaders.'

'I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private,' he added in a statement. 'I've reached out to that colleague personally.'

Cedillo, however, told the LA Times that he didn't 'have a recollection of this conversation.'

Incoming Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who beat Cedillo in an election this past June, has called on Martinez to resign.

She tweeted: 'Council President Nury Martinez needs to resign, councilmembers Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo should be removed from committees.'

She added: 'This is the reason why Angelenos voted out CM Gil Cedillo. We cannot have people in leadership who hold racist views, and employ them to negatively impact the lives of Angelenos.'

Mike Bonin (left) and his partner Sean Arian (far right) with their adoptive son (center)

Martinez was also caught on tape saying 'F***' that guy, he's with the black,' when talking about LA District Attorney George Gascon

Herrera didn't respond to request for comment on behalf of the LA Times. His lawyer, Julie Gutman Dickinson, who also represents the LA County Federation of Labor, stated that the conversation was 'recorded in violation of California's privacy and recording laws on LA County Federation of Labor property.'

However, the LA Times countered, as its General Counsel Jeffrey Glasser said 'it is a fundamental principle in the United States that we do not prohibit or punish the receipt and publication of newsworthy information.'

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti remained tight lipped over whether the three city council members should stay in position or resign.

'There is no place in our city family for attacks on colleagues and their loved ones, and there is no place for racism anywhere in LA,' he told the LA Times.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore said of the leaked audio: 'Todays revelation of the remarks by our members of our council leaders hurts me to my core. This is not the Los Angeles I know or reflective of the beliefs of the women and men of LAPD. Such remarks are unacceptable in any setting. A dark day for our City of Angels.'
A senior police officer said Australians must have a 'confronting conversation' about driving safety after the 'horrific and graphic' deaths of teenage girls aged 14 and 15.

The two girls died after the vehicle they were 'joyriding' in came off the road, catapulting in a row of fences and hitting a tree on the Monaro Highway, in the ACT, on Saturday night.

The boy, 16, accused of being behind the wheel, was remanded in custody on Monday morning.

Among the touching details at the crash scene were flowers and a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates left to remember the girls who died.

Detective Acting Inspector Travis Mills, officer in charge of road policing, said the 16-year-old did not apply for bail when he faced the ACT Children's Court on Monday, where he was remanded in custody.

Among the touching details at the crash scene were flowers and a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates (pictured) left to remember the girls who died

The boy is charged with a string of offences including two counts of culpable driving causing death.

He will next face court later this month.

Police were set to oppose bail if the boy applied for it.

It is alleged the teenager was driving a Toyota sedan when it crashed into a tree off the Monaro Highway at Hume on Sunday morning.

The two teenage girls were found dead at the scene.

Acting Insp Mills described the crime scene as 'horrific and graphic'.

'Please have the conversation with your families about what you are expected to do on our roads as a road user,' he said.

'It might be a confronting conversation ... but it may actually see you returning home.

Two teenage girls have died in a horrific car crash in heavy rain after the vehicle they were travelling in (pictured) came off the road catapulting into a row of fences and hitting a tree

'This was a tragic loss of life that need not have occurred.'

It is alleged the driver and another passenger known to the girls fled the crash, leaving behind the dead passengers.

Police later found the two teens alleged to have run off.

Two teenaged boys who allegedly fled the scene were later tracked down by police officers

A police spokesperson said they had received medical attention and were assisting major collision investigators with their inquiries.

The deaths bring the ACT road toll this year to 14.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
US' new chip export curbs seen as tech hegemony

09:36, October 10, 2022 By MA SI ( China Daily

An employee tests chips at a tech company in Hefei, Anhui province. [Photo by Xie Chen/for China Daily]

Washington's latest curbs on selling chips and chipmaking equipment to China are an act of technological hegemony that will wreak havoc in the highly globalized semiconductor supply chain and hurt multinationals from around the world, officials and experts said.

These measures are part of the United States government's well-calculated and systematic push to contain China's rise in technology at the expense of the interests of global semiconductor companies, including US chip enterprises that have benefited substantially from the vast Chinese market, they added.

The comments came after the US Commerce Department published a new set of export controls on Friday, including a measure to cut China off from certain semiconductor chips made anywhere in the world with US equipment, and putting more Chinese companies on an export control list.

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said on Saturday that the US' new restrictions will hinder international tech exchanges and economic cooperation, and undermine the stability of global industrial and supply chains and the recovery of the world economy.

The US' politicization and weaponization of technology, economic and trade issues will not stop China's development, and will only hurt the US itself, Mao added.

The latest US export controls include restrictions on the export of some types of chips used in artificial intelligence and supercomputing, and tightened rules on the sale of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to any Chinese company that produces advanced logic chips.

Zhong Xinlong, a senior consultant at the Beijing-based China Center for Information Industry Development Consultancy, said the new restrictions add further pressure to the global semiconductor industry, which is already suffering a steep drop in demand for personal computers and smartphone components.

The Semiconductor Industry Association, a Washington-based group representing the US semiconductor industry, urged the US government on Friday to implement the rules in a targeted way  and in collaboration with international partners  to help level the playing field and mitigate unintended harm to US innovation.

Bai Ming, deputy director of international market research at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that Washington has adopted well-calculated approaches to suppress China's chip sector, regardless of what harm these could cause across the world.

Han Xiaomin, general manager of Jiwei Insights, a semiconductor industry consultancy in Beijing, said that if the new measures are strictly implemented, it could put as much as 30 percent of some US and global chip industry giants' total revenue at risk, because, as the world's largest chip market, China accounts for about one-third of their total revenue.

"The increasingly tightened US restrictions will motivate us to double down on resources to achieve breakthroughs," said a senior executive from a Chinese chip equipment maker, who declined to be named.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
NASA wants its weather satellites in orbit, and it wants them to be there soon.

The space agency has recently announced it is looking for another space company to get its TROPICS weather satellites into Earth's orbit before the 2023 hurricane season.

The announcement follows the failed launch of Astra's Launch Vehicle 0010, which was supposed to bring two TROPICS weather satellites into orbit on June 13.

NASA's Renewed Rocket Search For Its Tropics Mission

NASA mentioned in its announcement that its search for a new space company to take its TROPICS weather satellites into Earth's orbit was due to "urgent science needs."

The urgency may be due to the effects of Hurricane Ian, which ravaged Florida and North Carolina in late September. Its imminent impact pushed the launches of NASA's Artemis 1 mission and SpaceX's Crew-5 mission back to November and Oct. 5, respectively.

Another reason why NASA is looking for a new space company to take its TROPICS weather satellites into space is Astra's withdrawal from delivering them to orbit.

The space agency stated that Astra, the space company that was initially responsible for taking the weather satellites into orbit, notified it that it will discontinue its Rocket 3.3, meaning that it would not resume launches before the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season - a period that NASA wants to cover with its TROPICS weather satellite.

Read More: DC Universe Infinite Comic Book Subscription Service Adds an Ultra Tier

Space.com mentioned in its article that NASA will consider 12 of the 13 companies it preapproved under a commercial launch services contract, also known as Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR).

These 12 companies consist of:

ABL Space Systems of El Segundo, California

Blue Origin Florida LLC of Merritt Island, Florida

L2 Solutions LLC of Houston

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation of Chandler, Arizona

Phantom Space Corporation of Tucson, Arizona

Relativity Space Inc. of Long Beach, California

Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Long Beach, California

Spaceflight Inc. of Seattle

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California

United Launch Services LLC of Centennial, Colorado

Virgin Orbit LLC of Long Beach, California

Firefly Space Transport Services of Cedar Park, Texas

Thanks to NASA's renewed search for a space company, these 12 companies can compete for the rebid of the TROPICS launch services. If successful, one of the 12 will be using their rocket to get NASA's TROPICS satellites into orbit.

Astra is not off NASA's list despite the June 13 incident. The space company agreed to modify its existing launch services contract with NASA for it to participate in the lainch of similar scientific payloads on its Rocket 4.0 in the future.

NASA's TROPICS Satellites Details

NASA's TROPICS mission, which stands for Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, aims to provide researchers the chance to view evolving tropical cyclones once an hour - a rate more frequent than what is currently possible with the weather satellites in orbit.

The satellites, which were designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory, are about the size of a loaf of bread.

However, they are equipped with instruments that would provide important data about how tropical cyclones form, intensify, and interact with their environment.

They will also give important data for storm monitoring and forecasting.

Related Article: NASA Loses Two Weather Satellites Thanks to Astra's Failed Launch
The front of the car and the truck's cabin were seriously damaged in the crash

The boys, aged between 14 and 16, were taken to hospital under police guard

Four teenage boys were rushed to hospital after crashing an allegedly stolen car

Four teenagers in an allegedly stolen car have been rushed to hospital after a horror crash with a truck.

Victoria Police said the car was travelling on Mahoneys Rd in Thomastown, 30 minutes north of Melbourne's CBD, on Monday when it hit the truck at about 1pm.

The front of the car and the truck cabin were seriously damaged in the crash.

The four boys inside the car, aged 14 to 16, were taken to hospital under police guard as investigations continue.
The devastated wife of an Australian man who died in a horror rock climbing accident has penned a heartwrenching letter to her late husband.

Daniel Heritage, 28, fell to his death in Calgary's Rocky Mountains on Wednesday, just months after he set off on the trip of a lifetime with his wife Emma.

Ms Heritage witnessed the accident and held her husband in her arms as he passed away. On Monday, she honoured her 'best friend' with an emotional tribute.

'You were my best friend, love of my life and adventure buddy,' she wrote.

The devastated wife of an Adelaide man who died in a horror rock climbing accident has penned a heartwrenching letter to her husband (pictured, Ms Heritage on her wedding day)

Daniel Heritage, 28, fell to his death in Calgary's Rocky Mountains on Wednesday, just months after he set off on the trip of a lifetime with his wife Emma

'Thank you for bringing so much joy into my life and helping me realise that I was more capable than I think.

'Thank you for inviting me into your world where anything was possible and each day was an opportunity for a new adventure.

'My heart longs for you and I'd do anything to be slow dancing to our wedding song, joking around together, exploring the world or sitting in silence reading books/movies together.'

Ms Heritage wrote that while she was upset she would no longer grow old with her husband she felt privileged to have known him.

'You were the best husband I could have ever asked for and whilst I don't know what the future looks like for me at the moment, I do know that you had a great last few months,' the letter continued.

'You were dearly loved by so many people who had just met you and those lucky enough to have known you for many years.

'I love you now and forever. Your wife, Emma.'

The couple, who recently celebrated their four-year wedding anniversary, have been hiking, camping and climbing across Canada's Rockies since March

Ms Heritage wrote that while she was upset she would no longer grow old with her late husband Daniel (pictured) she felt privileged to have known him

The couple, who recently celebrated their four-year wedding anniversary, have been hiking, camping and climbing across Canada's Rockies since March.

In the last photos of the hiking holiday pictures show Mr Heritage climbing up a frozen waterfall and watching the sunset with wild deer at Sundance Canyon.

The couple had planned to stay in Canada for two years before the trip was tragically cut short and had built a home in the Adelaide suburb of Valley View.

They were passionate about the outdoors and were constantly planning new adventures, Ms Heritage's twin sister Jessica Bartel previously told The Advertiser.

Mrs Bartel said Daniel was one of the most ambitious people she had ever known and that she had felt particularly close to him because she and her sister are twins.

Daniel Heritage is photographed rock climbing in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

In the last photos of the hiking holiday pictures show Mr Heritage (pictured) climbing up a frozen waterfall and watching the sunset with wild deer at Sundance Canyon

'He felt like my brother way before they got married,' she said.

'One thing I loved most about him was the way he cared for others.

'You always felt heard by him.'

Ms Heritage's father has flown to Canada to support her as she prepares to fly back to Australia as Mr Heritage's older sister Brianna pays tribute to her brother.

'Even though you were younger you were always the one that looked out for me. You inspired me to be more than I was,' she wrote.

'When I was sad you would let me crawl into your bed. When I was down you would always know the right thing to say. You're still the person I come to for advice.'

His younger sister Rebecca said he had been 'living his best life in Canada.

'You were the best big brother I could have ever asked for,' she said.

Ms Heritage's father has flown to Canada to support her as she prepares to fly back to Australia

Mrs Bartel, Ms Heritage's twin sister, has set up a GoFundMe page for the couple to cover funeral costs and other expenses

Mrs Bartel, Ms Heritage's twin sister, has set up a GoFundMe page for the couple to cover funeral costs and other expenses.

'There is no pressure at all to give, we just wanted to make a way for those people who desired to give,' she wrote.

'We wanted to thank everyone for your kind words, love and support so far during this challenging time.

'Please continue to pray for Emma and our families as we navigate this lifelong grief.'

The fundraiser has surpassed its goal of $10,000 with more than $30,000 raised.
A NSW Police operation is underway at a shopping centre in Bonnyrigg, in Sydney's west.

'A police operation is underway at a shopping centre on Bonnyrigg Avenue, Bonnyrigg,' a police tweet said.

'The public is advised to avoid the area for their own safety.'

The Bonnyrigg Plaza in Sydney's west has been temporarily closed because of a police operation

The management of Bonnyrigg Plaza also put out a statement on Facebook.

'Dear customers,' it said.

'Please be advised Bonnyrigg Plaza is temporarily closed due to a police operation.

'We hope to re-open shortly and will update you as soon as possible.

'Thanks for your understanding.'

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Britons got a chance to see the beautiful Hunter's Moon overnight with good visibility across the country leading to a spectacular sight for many.

The Hunter's Moon  so named because October was traditionally when game was hunted having been fattened ahead of winter - rose at 6.28pm last night, reached peak illumination at 9.54pm and set at 7.43am this morning.

Photographers captured the full moon on camera over the likes of Weymouth in Dorset, Tilbury in Essex, Dunsden in Oxfordshire, Rivington Pike in Lancashire and London City Airport.

The Hunter's Moon set as heavy downpours fell over parts of South East England this morning causing a miserable Monday commute for many - although the rain will clear later on to leave a sunny day with 17C (62F) highs.

The Hunter's Moon rises over beach huts at Mudeford Spit in Dorset yesterday evening

The full Hunter's Moon is seen early this morning surrounding by fast moving thick clouds at Dunsden in Oxfordshire

The Hunter's Moon rises over Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire last night as the spectacular sight was enjoyed across the UK

The full Hunter's Moon rises over the Portland Breakwater Fort near Weymouth in Dorset yesterday evening

The Hunter's Moon rises behind a tree across farmland in rural Essex at West Tilbury yesterday evening

The October full moon, known as the Hunter's Moon, rises over London City Airport as a plane comes into land last night

The Hunter's Moon rises over Rivington Pike in Lancashire as people across the country get to enjoy the spectacular sight

But there will still be a fresh breeze across the country, and blustery showers will affect some north-western areas of the UK with some of these potentially heavy, especially over Scotland where it will stay windy.

Forecasters then expect a north-south divide this evening, with the south set to be clear and northern areas experiencing thick cloud  but it will be a mostly dry night for the UK with only a few showers in Scotland.

Tomorrow will be a mostly dry and fine day in England and Wales, although there could be a chance for some light rain in Scotland and Northern Ireland. There will also be some isolated sunny spells but mostly cloudy.

A band of very wet weather and heavy cloud will then move across the UK throughout Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday could be drier for the south of England, but the rest of Britain will be wet.
Strike action in the courts has ended after barristers voted to accept the Government's offer of a 15% rise in fees.

The decision brings to an end months of walkouts that began in April, during which time hundreds of cases have been delayed.

There is hope that the agreement will allow this severe backlog to start being cleared, with barristers returning to work from tomorrow.

The Criminal Bar Association announced the results from its latest ballot at 8.30am this morning, with 57% of members voting to accept the pay offer.

There had been anger that a planned 15% fee rise barristers were due to receive from the end of September - meaning they will earn 7,000 more per year - would only apply to new cases and not those already sitting in the backlog waiting to be dealt with by the courts.

Barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government last month

Barristers (pictured striking last Thursday) were asked to vote on whether to end strike action in the wake of fresh Government proposals in the row over pay, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said

The body had agreed to ballot members again after talks with Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis in which he decided to propose further reforms to Government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

The offer represents 'further investment of 54 million in the criminal bar and solicitors', according to the department.

Criminal barristers in England and Wales have been taking part in a continuous walkout since September 5 after their row with the Government over fees and conditions intensified.

Before that, they had been striking on alternate weeks and refused to carry out certain types of work.

This had further stymied the court system which was already suffering a backlog of tens of thousands of cases across the country.

Mr Lewis becomes the ninth appointee to the office of the Lord Chancellor - which can be traced back to before the Norman Conquest - since the Conservatives came to power in coalition with the Liberal Democrats following the 2010 election

Outstanding trials are up from 27% in the previous quarter and at their highest level seen

Inside the barrister strike: Lawyers demand more than their 15% fee rise Barristers in England and Wales have been 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 been 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 an extra 7,000 per year. But there had been anger the proposed pay rise would not be made effective immediately and would apply only to new cases, not those already sitting in the backlog waiting to be dealt with by courts. Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis has proposed further reforms to Government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work and an investment of 54 million in the criminal bar and solicitors, the MoJ said. Advertisement

But now the MoJ has said the fee increase will apply to the 'vast majority of cases currently in the crown court' as well as provide a pay rise for solicitors, with further measures due to be announced in the coming weeks.

This is despite the department previously saying it had 'repeatedly explained' to the CBA that backdating pay would require a 'fundamental change' in how fees are paid, adding: 'That reform would cost a disproportionate amount of taxpayers' money and would take longer to implement, meaning barristers would have to wait longer for payment.'

It is understood the move requires changes to the digital system used by the Legal Aid Agency to make payments and, while officials are confident there is a solution available, they fear it may be difficult and expensive.

The pay offer came after High Court judges ruled that delays to criminal trials affected by the ongoing strike may not be a good enough reason to keep defendants in custody on remand if the dispute continues beyond the end of November.

The Ministry of Justice will make 3million of funding available for case preparation like written work and special preparation.

A further 4 million will be allocated to defence barristers involved in pre-recorded cross-examinations, which are used to reduce the trauma of a trial for vulnerable victims and witnesses.

The Ministry of Justice is also proposing a 5 million uplift per year for fees in the youth court, from the 2024/25 financial year, expected to benefit both solicitors and some junior barristers.
One of two teenage girls tragically killed in a horror car crash and allegedly abandoned by two underage boys was due to celebrate her 15th birthday the following day.

Claire, 15, and Susi, 14 were found dead by emergency services in a Toyota sedan on the Monaro Highway, in Hume, ACT, about 8.10am on Sunday.

The car they were travelling in had flown off the road, catapulted into a row of fences, then slammed into a tree.

The two girls died. The two teenage boys they were in the car with allegedly fled the scene and were tracked down to their homes hours later.

Monday marked the first day of what would have been the beginning of Term 4 for the two teenage girls - as well as Susi's 15th birthday.

The same day, the alleged driver - a 16-year-old boy - faced the ACT Children's Court charged with two counts of culpable driving causing death.

The two teenage girls who died in a horror crash on Monaro Highway, in the ACT, have been identified as Claire, 15, and Susi, 14

The teenage girls died in a horrific car crash in heavy rain after the vehicle they were travelling in (pictured) came off the road catapulting into a row of fences and hit a tree

He was also charged with a single count of breaching of bail, breaching a good behaviour order, driving as an unaccompanied learner, and failing to stop and render assistance.

His identity cannot be revealed for legal reasons.

The tragedy has rocked the local community and left loved ones reeling in grief as they flock online to pay their respects to the two 'beautiful' girls.

One friend said she would always 'hold onto the memories' she shared with Claire and Susi.

'My heart man. The only two that knew how to put a smile on my face are gone,' she wrote.

Two boys who allegedly fled the scene were later tracked down by police

Police believe the 14 and 15-year-old were 'joyriding' in the Toyota sedan on Saturday night in Hume on the the Monaro Highway with two teenage boys who fled the scene (pictured)

'Your lives were sadly taken away from us to soon. Hope yous [sic] are at peace now my babies.'

On Monday, friends took to Instagram and TikTok to wish Susi what should have been a happy birthday.

'I just wanna say happy heavenly birthday my little darling,' one friend wrote.

'Unfortunately you couldn't be on earth to celebrate with us sadly, party hard up there my girl, I'm forever missing you.'

Another said: 'I love u and u will forever be missed rip my birthday girl.'

'I love u u are in a better place now.'

Students and teachers at Calwell High School, where one of the girls was a student, have been offered counselling after the crash.

'These young girls were going to return to school today,' Acting Inspector Travis Mills told reporters on Monday.

First responders (pictured) who arrived at about 8am on Sunday are also unaware of exactly when the crash occurred but suspect it was on Saturday night

The ACT Education Directorate called it a 'difficult time'.

'ACT public schools are offering extra support to students and families affected by this tragic news,' the department said in a statement.

Bouquets of flowers, cards, and a box of Ferroro Rocher chocolates were left at the scene on Monday as the community mourns the two young lives which were tragically cut short.

Police allege there were four people in the car, the 16-year-old driver, another 16-year-old boy and the two girls.

Investigators are still unsure what time the collision occurred but believe it happened in the hours before emergency services were called to the scene at 8.10am by a passerby.

The vehicle was so badly damaged that emergency crews were unable to immediately identify the make of the car.

The two teenage girls were declared dead at the scene.

Flowers and cards were left at the scene of the crash on Monday as the community mourns the two girls

Acting Inspector Mills said the car had not been stolen and police have not ruled out more charges.

Detectives are now interviewing the two male teens about what caused the crash and whether 'severe speed might have been a factor'.

Anyone who has dashcam footage or any information about the crash is urged to contact police immediately.

The deaths of the two girls bring the ACT road toll for 2022 to 14 fatalities.

It follows a ute smash in Buxton, a village south-east of Sydney, last month where five teenagers died.
A BBC journalist was forced to take cover during a live broadcast this morning as Russian missiles slammed into Kyiv behind him.

Ukraine's capital was hit by multiple strikes today  amid reports of blasts in several other cities  as Russian president Vladimir Putin's revenge for an explosion which crippled the Crimea Bridge got under way.

At 8:18am local time, the BBC's correspondent in Kyiv, Hugo Bachega, was delivering a news report on a roof in front of the city's iconic golden-domed St. Michael's Monastery when the sound of a rocket could be heard roaring overhead.

The BBC's correspondent in Kyiv, Hugo Bachega, ducks as he delivers a news report on a roof in front of the city's iconic golden-domed St. Michael's Monastery when the sound of a rocket could be heard roaring overhead this morning

He stopped his report mid-sentence to glance behind him, before an explosion could be heard ringing out in the distance  forcing him to duck down, out of shot of the camera looking over the city.

The footage cut back to the studio, where a concerned-looking news presenter Sally Bundock told viewers that Mr Bachega was 'for obvious reasons, taking cover at that point'.

It was not immediately clear whether the rocket sound was from a missile or a jet. The correspondent was reporting when 'several' explosions rocked Kyiv city centre, the BBC said.

Mr Bachega and his crew later spoke to the BBC to confirm they were safe, the broadcaster reported. They headed to a shelter underneath their hotel and made contact with the corporation around an hour after the incident, it said.

Speaking later from the shelter, which appeared to be an underground carpark, Mr Bachega told viewers: 'We're here in the shelter of our hotel. Obviously we came here after we heard that sound of what appeared to be a missile here over Kyiv.

'It hit a location very close to our hotel here in the city centre. We understand that several explosions have happened here in the capital.

'We had an update from the emergency services saying that several people have killed and wounded as a result of these attacks that happened after eight o'clock in the morning here in Kyiv,' Mr Bachega continued.

Ukraine's capital was hit by multiple strikes today amid reports of blasts in several other cities - as Russian president Vladimir Putin's revenge for an explosion which crippled the Crimea Bridge got under way. Pictured: Mr Bachega reports from Kyiv

Mr Bachega stops his report mid-sentence to glance behind him, before an explosion could be heard ringing out in the distance - forcing him to duck down

The footage cuts back to the studio, where presenter Sally Bundock tells viewers that Mr Bachega was 'for obvious reasons, taking cover at that point'

'All morning we've been talking about the possibility and the fear here in Ukraine of a strong Russian response to that explosion on Saturday that hit the Crimea bridge.

'[It was] a very significant explosion because the bridge is very symbolic. It was opened by President Putin in 2018. It's a personal project to perhaps symbolise that Crimea was Russia, so it's very important for President Putin personally.

'There was the fear today that some response was going to come from Russia, and it seems that we are seeing it this morning  with the capital being attacked, and several cities across the country being hit.'

Meanwhile, there were reports of further strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia  where more than 40 people have been killed by shelling in recent days  and Dnipro, in central Ukraine, as well as Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in the west.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listed the areas that had suffered attacks as: 'Kyiv region; Khmelnytsky region, Lviv and Dnipro; Vinnytsia, Frankiv region; Zaporizhzhia; Sumy region; Kharkiv region; Zhytormyr region; Kirovohrad region, south.'

A number of people were killed and hurt in the Kyiv strikes, officials said, though the exact death toll is currently unclear. The capital has been spared from strikes in recent months after Ukraine's forces pushed Moscow's armies back east.

One missile struck close to a monument to Mykhailo Hrushevsky, a Ukrainian statesman, while another hit the Shevchenkivskyi district  both in the centre of the city. Videos showed cars on fire in the streets.

It is the first time in months that Kyiv has been directly struck and it comes as Putin meets with his security council today to plot his revenge for a bomb blast at the weekend that crippled the Kerch Bridge from Russia to Crimea.

Putin has blamed the blast on Ukraine and described it as an 'act of terror'.

Supporters of the Russian president had called on the despot to 'stop talking' and 'painfully beat' the Kyiv regime ahead of his security council meeting, despite the Kremlin playing down fears of a nuclear response.

Ukrainian civilians had been warned by the deputy governor of Russia's southern Stavropol region Valery Chernitsov to expect a critical response.

In a menacing video posted on Twitter, he said: 'Ukrainians, leave your cities, especially the large ones. Because a big surprise is waiting for you. Sarmat missiles are ready to strike.'

Multiple people have been killed and injured in strikes on Kyiv this morning amid reports of blasts across Ukraine. Pictured: Cars are seen on fire in the capital today

Rescue workers survey the wreckage after the Russian attack on Kyiv this morning

Smoke billows into the sky after the missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital

But it was Putin's former adviser Sergei Markov, who urged his former chief to 'punish' Ukraine as well as its allies, following the destruction of the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, The Daily Telegraph reports.

'It's time for Russia to stop talking and instead begin silently and painfully beating them,' he said, sparking fears over how Putin will react.

Mr Zelensky hit back at his counterpart's terror claims, highlighting Russian missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia which he said have killed at least 43 people this week alone.

In a video addressing the world, the Kyiv leader said: 'The constant terror against the civilian population is an obvious Russian refusal to engage in real negotiations.

'Terrorism is a crime that must be punished. Terrorism at the state level is one of the most heinous international crimes, which threatens not just someone in the world, but the entire international community.'

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said Ukrainian forces shot down at least 43 of the missiles fired at Ukraine by Russia on Monday morning. She told a briefing Russia had fired 83 missiles by 11.35 a.m.
A British journalist who claims she was sexually assaulted by Gerald Marie while working undercover to expose sex crimes in the fashion industry in a BBC documentary will call for models to have their rape allegations against the French fashion mogul heard in court.

Lisa Brinkworth, who says Marie abused her in 1998 while she was working alongside journalist Donal MacIntyre in a documentary, and eight of the 72-year-old tycoon's alleged victims will present their case for the statute of limitations in France to be extended from 20 years to MEPs this month.

The women, who call themselves Victorious Angels, claim that they are being 'thwarted' from seeking justice by the statute of limitations in France and insist it 'continues to protect our abuser'.

France's statute of limitations for prosecutions at the time stated that sexual assault had to be reported within three years, and rapes within 10 years. Though the alleged offence happened more than 20 years ago, the case in France has remained open because French lawyers argued that a BBC settlement with Marie's Elite model agency over the documentary prevented Miss Brinkworth from speaking out sooner.

Though her case is still live, Miss Brinkworth, 55, said she would not proceed with it unless all the other victims can be heard as witnesses.

Marie, the former husband of the supermodel Linda Evangelista, has strenuously denied the claims against him.

Miss Brinkworth said: 'We have all experienced violence at the hands of these former model agents. Having finally found our voices to speak out against their conduct and tell our stories about what happened to us decades ago, the Gerald Marie victims find ourselves thwarted by the statute of limitations in France, which continues to protect our abuser.

Lisa Brinkworth claims Gerald Marie sexually abused her in 1998 while she was working undercover (left) exposing sex crimes in the fashion industry in a BBC documentary

Documents submitted to a Paris court suggest that Marie hired a Russian hitman to murder Ms Brinkworth

Who is Lisa Brinkworth? Ex BBC reporter seeking fashion's #MeToo movement Lisa Brinkworth is a former BBC journalist who posed as a model in a documentary for the Donal McIntyre Investigates series in 1998. Miss Brinkworth alleges she was assaulted after a dinner with friends and Marie, when he pinned her down to a chair at a club. Her colleague Donal McIntyre and others witnessed the assault but she did not report it at the time because it would have threatened her investigation, she said. She said she was 'directed not to' at the time and she did not 'question that wisdom'. Elite Models sued the BBC after it released the documentary in 1999 and reached a settlement in which the broadcaster agreed not to air it again. Miss Brinkworth said she feels 'responsibility' to other women who have accused Marie of sexual assault and said the settlement 'sort of halted progress'. All the claims have now exhausted their statute of limitation under French law but Miss Brinworth's lawyer Anne-Claire Lejeune is arguing the fact she was prevented from seeking justice at the time means the statute should be paused. Marie has denied all the allegations against him. Advertisement

'Now we are dedicating our long-term mission to help make Europe a safer place and ensure that future victims of sexual violence have legal remedies open to them that are being denied to us.'

The conference at the European parliament is being co-ordinated by Omar Harfouch, a Lebanese businessman and politician and former Elite shareholder who has provided a witness statement against Marie to the police.

He added: 'We will be asking for a public debate around the issue of the statute of limitations.

'We will ask all member countries to harmonise laws that we are proposing to assist future generations of victims obtain justice.'

Miss Brinkworth alleges she was assaulted after a dinner with friends and Marie, when he pinned her down to a chair at a club. Her colleague Donal McIntyre and others witnessed the assault but she did not report it at the time because it would have threatened her investigation, she said.

In her complaint finally filed to the French legal authorities on September 20, 2020, Miss Brinkworth describes an 'obscene atmosphere' created by Marie, who allegedly asked her to perform a sex act on Elite executive and to 'let me f**k you' for money. (500 euros is mentioned in the legal papers, although France did not start using euros until 2002).

Miss Brinkworth was told: 'No one refuses the president of Elite and it's an honour to sleep with this man,' according to the legal papers.

Elite sued the BBC after it ran the allegations in the documentary it released in 1999, and in 2001 the Corporation agreed never to broadcast the programme again as part of a confidentiality agreement. Miss Brinkworth was not part of that agreement and so, according to legal documents, pressure was put on her by Elite to stay silent.

Paris prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into Marie in September 2020, after he was accused of rape and sexual assault. However, all of the alleged offences took place in the 1980s and 1990s, making them time barred as far as prosecutions are concerned. No charges have been brought, and Marie remains a free man.

Miss Brinkworth says she was given protection by the BBC for three years, between 1999 and 2001, and put in three safe houses, at least one of which was surrounded by electric fences.

Marie, pictured with ex-wife Linda Evangelista, has denied the allegations against him

She said she feels 'responsibility' to other women who have accused Marie of sexual assault and said the settlement 'sort of halted progress'.

All the claims have now exhausted their statute of limitation under French law but Miss Brinworth's lawyer Anne-Claire Lejeune is arguing the fact she was prevented from seeking justice at the time means the statute should be paused.

During a meeting organised in the Paris Senate in September 2021 with the other plaintiffs, Miss Brinkworth met Mr Harfouch. Mr Harfoch said he himself became a 'target for death threats' following his support for former Elite models who claimed they were sexually abused.

Celine Bekerman, a lawyer for Marie, said the attempt to repeal the statute of limitations had no chance of success, because it was 'based on fanciful arguments'.

Miss Bekerman said Miss Brinkworth 'was never a party to the agreement concluded between Elite and the BBC', and there was therefore never anything stopping her from complaining about sexual assault in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
It follows a war of words about accents with his Today colleague, Amol Rajan

The middle classes should stop apologising for not being working class, leading BBC interviewer Justin Webb has said.

Webb, who presents Radio 4's Today programme, said middle class people should not have to justify themselves or be defensive.

He argued the BBC risked falling into a 'terrible trap' if it sought to 'campaign against listeners', adding that the status was just a 'fact of life'.

Justin Webb, who presents Radio 4's Today programme, said middle class people should not have to justify themselves or be defensive

Asked at The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival why Today was so middle class, he said: 'I don't think there's anything wrong with being middle class.

'I think we fall into a terrible trap if we campaign against a) people who listen or b) against people who pay the licence fee.

'I can't, with my mother looking down from somewhere, think I'm anything other than upper middle class because that's what she told me I am.'

In his memoir, The Gift of Radio: My Childhood and Other Train Wrecks, Webb described his dysfunctional upbringing, including a mother who resolutely clung to her middle-class status despite being impoverished after being sacked from her job.

He told the audience at Cheltenham: 'The idea that "middle-class" is used as a term of abuse is fatuous... Being middle class brings in some wonderful things. And, from the example of my mother, it also brings barmy things.'

Last week Webb entered a war of words with his BBC colleague Amol Rajan who had claimed there was an 'bias' towards presenters with 'posh accents'.

Last week Webb entered a war of words with his BBC colleague Amol Rajan (pictured) who had claimed there was an 'bias' towards presenters with 'posh accents'

In his memoir, The Gift of Radio: My Childhood and Other Train Wrecks, Webb described his dysfunctional upbringing, including a mother who resolutely clung to her middle-class status despite being impoverished after being sacked from her job

According to Rajan, only 10 per cent of British people speak RP, or 'received pronunciation', as opposed to 70 per cent of news presenters.

In response, Daily Telegraph columnist Michael Deacon called Rajan's argument 'nonsense' and accused him of 'inverted snobbery'.

He also mocked Cambridge graduate Rajan's many jobs at the BBC and suggested that a bigger diversity issue is that the corporation is 'stuffed to the gills with Oxbridge graduates'.

A young Justin with his mother, Gloria

Webb shared Deacon's piece in a now deleted tweet, in which he wrote: 'Ha ha such a good piece from @MichaelPDeacon  in which he skewers the oddness of chaps pickled in punting telling us who's in charge and who isn't.'

He later added that 'speaking in a way people understand isn't classism for goodness sake'.

Webb also highlighted the fact online that Rajan is a graduate of Downing College, Cambridge, while he went to the LSE.

Webb doubled down on his defence of RP during a talk at the Henley Literary Festival last week.

'So, my argument with Amol  I wouldn't quite go so far as [to] say I want to give the guy elocution lessons because I think he is on the up and I am on the down when it comes to that  but I do think there is a basic need to be understood,' he said.

'Accents don't worry me, certainly regional accents don't concern me but the need to be understood, and the need to speak to people in a way that doesn't repel them is hugely important for all of us.'
A desperate mother-of-two who struggled with a police patrolman as he tried to stop her taking her own life on a busy dual carriageway has been ordered to pay him 100 damages and a 300 fine for the 'reckless' assault.

Florence Sutton, 31, who had been drinking heavily and was in her pyjamas, accidentally struck the PC on the nose with her elbow as she tried to run into the path of passing traffic while shouting: 'I want to die.'

Moments earlier Sutton had been arrested for drink driving after the officer attended the breakdown of her Mitsubishi SUV on the fast lane of the A556 Northwich bypass near Rostherne, Cheshire.

A desperate mother-of-two who struggled with a police patrolman as he tried to stop her taking her own life

As she was placed in the patrol car and handcuffed she began tussling with the officer and tried to push past him as he told her: 'Stop f***ing about, you are next to the live lane!'

Sutton was more than 20 miles from her home in Hyde, Greater Manchester having consumed wine with a friend.

An initial breath test showed she was over twice the alcohol limit but she blew a lower reading later.

When quizzed she said: 'I know the officer was just doing his job and I didn't mean to hurt him. I am sorry for what I did.'

At Warrington Magistrates Court, Sutton was warned she faced jail after she admitted assaulting an emergency worker and drink driving.

But she was fined 300 and ordered to pay the officer - known only as PC Crawford - 100 compensation.

She was also banned from driving for 16 months and ordered to pay a 120 victim surcharge.

Miss Sutton began tussling with the officer and tried to push past him as he told her: 'Stop f***ing about, you are next to the live lane!'

Angela Blackmore, prosecuting, said the incident on September 17 occurred after PC Crawford was deployed to assist highways traffic officers at 9.10pm following a live lane traffic breakdown of Sutton's bronze-coloured Eclipse Cross vehicle.

'The officers believed that the driver may be under the influence of something,' Mrs Blackmore said.

'The highways officers closed one lane of the dual carriageway which has a national speed limit and the officer spoke to the highways officers in relation to the matter.

'They thought something was not quite right with the defendant. Her vehicle had broken down, the clutch had burnt out and there was litter outside of her car. They believed it did not seem right.

'The officer spoke to the defendant who was wearing her pyjamas. She provided her details when requested but the officer believed she was slurring her words and she was asked for a specimen of breath at the roadside.

'She was not compliant for two attempts but then provided a reading of 71 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. She was cautioned and arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and then her behaviour changed.'

The court heard Sutton tried to push past PC Crawford to get out of his police vehicle whilst shouting: 'I do not want to be here, I want to die.'

'She didn't deliberately hurt the officer's shoulder. She knew he was just doing his job and she was sorry for what she had done', Angela Blackmore, prosecuting, said

'The officer was concerned that the defendant would get out of the vehicle into the live lane,' Mrs Blackmore continued, 'It is the national speed limit and traffic was passing at the time.

'She struggled violently with the officer, shouting that she wanted to get out and became more and more erratic.

'He did eventually manage to handcuff the defendant, but she repeated what she was saying about wanting to die.

'There was a struggle as the officer kept hold of her handcuffs to stop her getting out of the car during which he injured his shoulder and was hit on the bridge of his nose with either her elbow or her forearm.

'Though she calmed down her behaviour would escalate again as the officer continued to struggle with her until another patrol arrived to provide assistance.

'During the police interview she said she had been with a friend and drank wine and left,' Mrs Blackmore said, 'She said the the vehicle had broken down and the clutch had burnt out.

Sutton had been arrested for drink driving after the officer attended the breakdown of her Mitsubishi SUV on the fast lane of the A556 Northwich bypass near Rostherne, Cheshire

'After being arrested she said she had a panic attack and was trying to get out of the car. She didn't deliberately hurt the officer's shoulder. She knew he was just doing his job and she was sorry for what she had done.'

A subsequent breath test showed Sutton has 57 mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

Mrs Blackmore said it was accepted that her actions were the result of trying to get out of the car and that the assault was on a reckless basis.

In mitigation Sutton's lawyer Gary Schooler said that she has two young children, aged four and six, and is a full-time carer.

Her eldest child has severe autism which causes stress in the household.

Mr Schooler also said that Miss Sutton 'has significant mental health problems'.

'She suffered domestic violence at the hands of a previous partner and that has clearly had a detrimental effect on her mental health over the years.

In mitigation Sutton's lawyer Gary Schooler said that Miss Sutton 'has significant mental health problems'

'She is on medication which she takes for panic attacks. She never intended to cause the officer any physical harm but she was suffering from a panic attack.

'She started to have breathing difficulties and wanted to get out and get some fresh air. She struggled and panicked in the back of the police vehicle. She didn't strike the shoulder of the police officer. He had a hold of the central bar of the handcuffs and he is clearly being pulled during the struggle.

'He referred to discomfort but no harm was ever intended by Miss Sutton. In the context of describing the struggle he indicates that her elbow came into contact with his nose causing minor discomfort. She never intended to assault the officer and never intended to inflict the injury.

'I fully accept that the officer has stated that he did not want her to leave the vehicle. He did not know what she was going to do, especially in the context of her saying she wanted to die. The whole thing has been a very distressing incident for all involved.'

Sentencing Sutton, JP Alan Eyres told her: 'This offence could have got you sent to prison today. We could have done all sorts of things. We could have made an order that kept you in over Christmas or given you a tag so that whenever you have a drink it flags it up. You do need to realise that this kind of offence is very serious.'
EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez speaks during the opening ceremony of the European Union Film Festival 2022 at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in central Seoul, Oct. 5. Courtesy of Delegation of the EU to Korea



By Kwon Mee-yoo



A feast of European films is offered throughout October as the European Union Film Festival 2022 brings 19 award-winning titles from Europe to Korea.



The Delegation of the European Union to Korea, along with the embassies of the 18 EU member states and Ukraine, is presenting the festival at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in central Seoul on weekends through Oct. 23.



EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez emphasized that the event, returning after a two-year hiatus, is organized through cooperation among the embassies of EU member states as well as Ukraine.



"It really is a work of the Europe team, together trying to bring through culture diplomacy the realities and the cultural diversity that is certainly one of the key assets of Europeans," Castillo Fernandez said during the opening ceremony of the festival on Oct. 5.



"These are 19 films that will bring us together through our journey through the magic of cinema, because we will see the European perspective, history, language and different cultures. And it is a wide selection from dramas to thrillers and from animated films to documentaries."





Lithuanian Ambassador to Korea Ricardas Slepavicius introduces the film "Mariupolis" and its director Mantas Kvedaravicius, during the opening ceremony of the European Union Film Festival 2022 at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in Seoul, Oct. 5. Courtesy of Delegation of the EU to Korea



The ambassador said that the opening film, "Mariupolis," carries a "very strong message" from Europe.



The 2016 Lithuanian documentary, directed by Mantas Kvedaravicius, depicts everyday life in the Ukrainian port city, situated to the northeast of Crimea.



Lithuanian Ambassador to Korea Ricardas Slepavicius gave a brief introduction to the film and spoke about its creator, who passed away in Ukraine during the Russian invasion in March this year.



"Kvedaravicius studied in Lithuania but he had a girlfriend in Ukraine and he made a documentary there. When Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, Kvedaravicius headed back to the Ukrainian city to shoot a sequel," Slepavicius said.



"He brought supplies to help people in the city and tried to capture the life of people there. However, he was shot and killed in Mariupol and his girlfriend later found his dead body on the street," he said.



The sequel, "Mariupolis 2," was completed by Kvedaravicius' partner, Hanna Bilobrova, after his death.



"Kvedaravicius' film is not about war, but about life next to war and life despite war," the ambassador said.





The ambassadors of EU member states and Ukraine make a toast to Lithuanian Ambassador to Korea Ricardas Slepavicius during the opening ceremony of the European Union Film Festival 2022 at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in Seoul, Oct. 5. Courtesy of Delegation of the EU to Korea
Scottish airline Loganair has been put on the market by tycoon brothers Stephen and Peter Bond.

The Glasgow-based airline, owned by the Scottish brothers for 25 years, currently flies 44 planes to more than 40 destinations across Europe and the British Isles.

Company figures also show it operates 1,000 flights a week and employs more than 900 people.

But the airline, owned by the brothers since 2012, has now been put up for sale with the hope that new owners will take over by the middle of next year.

Loganair became the UK's biggest airline following the collapse of Flybe.

The brothers, both of whom keep a low profile, previously owned FlyBMI, which collapsed in 2019.

It left hundreds of passengers stranded across Europe and most of its 376 staff without jobs.

Some of its more lucrative routes were subsequently taken over by the Loganair.

The airlines chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said: 'The airline is trading profitably and has repaid its Covid-19 bank debt ahead of schedule.

'It will very much continue to operate as it is today, with no changes to routes, services or employment.

'Passenger numbers are growing and 50 per cent ahead of pre-pandemic levels, and our fleet renewal programme is also well advanced, continuing apace over the coming months.'

The UK's biggest regional airline Loganair, owned by brothers Stephen and Peter Bond, has been put on the market

The Glasgow-based airline, owned by the Scottish brothers for 25 years, currently flies 44 planes to more than 40 destinations across Europe

The airlines chief executive Jonathan Hinkles (pictured at Southend Airport) says the Bond brothers are 'committed to finding the right future owner'

The tycoon brothers who have owned Loganair since 1997 Scottish airline Loganair has been put on the market by tycoon brothers Stephen and Peter Bond. The brothers are said to be 'committed to finding the right future owner' who will 'act as its custodian for the next generation'. The Bonds, both of whom keep a low profile, previously owned FlyBMI, which collapsed in 2019. It left hundreds of passengers stranded across Europe and most of its 376 staff without jobs. Some of its more lucrative routes were subsequently taken over by the Loganair. The brother previously owned the helicopter firm Bond Aviation Group, which they sold to Spanish company Inaer for 300 million in 2011. The company was formed in 2001 to take advantage of booming oil and gas in the North Sea, while it also became an operator of air ambulances and police helicopters across the UK Advertisement

He added: 'The Bonds - Stephen is now 72, Peter is 61 - are committed to finding the right future owner for Loganair, who will act as its custodian for the next generation, just as they and previous owners have done.

'In the meantime, they remain wholehearted supporters of Loganair until any process is successfully concluded.'

The airline said it had doubled revenues to 161million in the year to March after flight operators took huge financial blows following the Covid pandemic.

It is also forecasting revenues of up to 240m for the current financial year as passenger numbers jump to 1.4m.

On top of passenger flights, Loganair also has a contract with Royal Mail to fly post and serves customers in offshore oil and gas.

The airline has also last week increased its flight schedule for summer next year with additional flights from Edinburgh to Southampton, Exeter, and Bergun, Norway.

Following the announcement, chief commercial officer Luke Lovegrove said: 'Loganair has experienced its busiest summer ever this year, carrying a record number of customers across the UK and Europe and we expect Summer 2023 to be no different.

'We take great pride in facilitating growth in interconnectivity across the UK and by increasing our frequency on some of our key routes, we can better serve our customers.'

Loganair also gained notoriety in July earlier this year when a travel vlogger filmed his trip on the world's shortest - and technically most expensive - commercial flight, which takes just one minute and 14 seconds.

Noel Philips, 41, shot the video flying between the islands of Papa Westray and Westray in the Scottish archipelago of Orkney - with the Loganair flight covering a distance of just 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometres).

The flight only costs 17, but its cost-per-mile ratio applied to a flight from London to Dubai would produce a 34,000 fare.
An out-of-control customer at McDonald's has launched into a wild tirade shouting obscenities at staff before throwing food and spitting at them.

Video captures the bizarre meltdown at the fast food restaurant in Hindley St, central Adelaide on Friday night at about 11:30pm.

The woman is seen reaching over the counter to grab items of food and a full drink, which she hurls at the startled workers.

A woman has launched a frenzied attack on staff working behind the counter at an Adelaide McDonald's

The woman is seen reaching behind the counter to pick up foodstuffs and other items to hurl at the fast food workers

Her motivation is unknown but the woman wearing grey tracksuit pants, a beige pullover and white trainers, scrams: 'You hit me in the face bro' at a store manager, who is on the phone.

The manager replies: 'no I did not.'

'Yes, you f**king did, there's a video you stupid f**k,' the woman yells back.

As the manager walks off to the side of the store the angry customer launches herself at the counter and spits towards him.

The woman accuses a store manager of hitting her in the face, which the man strongly denied

Shopworkers Union secretary Josh Peak condemned the 'appalling' act.

'It's disgusting, it's vile and no worker deserves to be treated like this when they are just doing their job,' Mr Peak told Nine news.

'It is simply appalling there are some members of the public that think it is reasonable to treat a fast-food worker in this way.'

Police attended the scene and said they are investigating what one officer said was a 'disgraceful' incident.

South Australia recently toughened penalties for those who attack shop staff and offenders can face up to seven years in jail in extreme cases.

'We will be calling on the authorities to look at this very closely to see if they can utilise the new powers that have been given to them,' Mr Peak said.

The disturbing incident occurred on Friday night on Hindley St, which is in central Adelaide (pictured)

He also called for more security at the McDonald's, despite it being directly opposite a new police station.

Witnesses claim there was no security in store at the time of the incident.

'Time after time we are seeing examples of workers being abused and insulted at this shop,' Mr Peak said.

'Bring back the security guards so that people don't think they can get can get away with this sort of vile behaviour.'
Monty Python legend John Cleese has told the BBC he would never work for them again  because the broadcaster would cancel him in five minutes.

Cleese, 82, said he would turn down any overtures from the corporation because he believed it would either censor or axe him almost immediately.

The Fawlty Towers creator was speaking to the BBC on Radio 4's Today programme when he was making the remarks.

He said: 'The BBC have not come to me and said would you like to have some one hour shows, and if they did I would say "not on your nelly".

'I wouldn't get five minutes into the first show before I would be cancelled or censored.'

Cleese, who is an outspoken critic of woke culture, is joining GB News to present a show alongside comedian Andrew Doyle.

It is understood it will be in a discussion format looking at issues including 'wokery' and 'cancel culture' as well as free speech.

The Monty Python legend, 82, pictured at the Social Democratic Party Conference in Manchester on Saturday, said he would turn down a return to the BBC if they asked him

Monty Python - featuring Cleese - is one of British comedy's most loved and influential shows

When questioned about his thoughts on the limits of free speech he told presenter Amol Rajan: 'Somebody once said to me: "Everyone's in favour of free speech, particularly for the ideas that they like."'

Then responding to whether free speech should extend to those spreading opinions and misinformation about public health matters, he added: 'If there's a factual response to something like that, then that should be made.

'That's the job, to put the facts out there, and then to have opinions slightly separate and have a proper argument about it, but not to try to avoid a public debate and then try and get yourself through [on] social media.'

When asked about his own personal politics and whether he belonged to either the Liberal Democrats or the SDP, Cleese said: 'No, because I find the whole thing is such a confusing mess.'

He said: 'After that appalling debate on Brexit, when I thought this country had sunk to the lowest intellectual level I can ever remember, I kind of lost interest.'

The Monty Python star added: 'I live in hotel rooms. I'm in hotel rooms ten months of the year, so I'm interested in a lot of political things everywhere. But I don't think that this country is in a good state at the moment.

Cleese speaks on a panel at the South by Southwest festival in Texas in March. He is pictured (fourth from left) alongside moderator Dan Pasternack and comics Dulce Sloan, Jim Gaffigan and Ricky Velez

The actor previously said he does not believe comedians have the freedom to be funny any more, blasting today's cancel culture as the 'death of creativity' (pictured in Monty Python's And Now For Something Completely Different)

'In fact, I think the last three Tory administrations have been progressively more and more disastrous.'

In July Cleese has slammed woke culture for having a 'disastrous' effect on comedy.

He told FreedomFest in Las Vegas that he does not believe comedians have the freedom to be funny any more, blasting today's cancel culture as the 'death of creativity'.

Cleese said: 'I think it's particularly worrying at the moment because you can only create in an atmosphere of freedom, where you're not checking everything you say critically before you move on.

'A lot of comedians now are sitting there and when they think of something, they say something like, "Can I get away with it? I don't think so. So and so got into trouble, and he said that, oh, she said that." You see what I mean? And that's the death of creativity.'

In March, Cleese had his microphone confiscated at the South by Southwest festival panel in which he suggested Italy and France owed historic reparations for enslaving Britons.

Pointing to world history being 'a history of crime', he added: 'It's a history of people who were stronger beating up people who were weaker and it's always been that. It's deeply, deeply distasteful.

'But to pretend that one lot were worse than another  you do know the British have been slaves twice, right?

Cleese explained: '[People] get competitive about this business of being oppressed. We were oppressed, the English, by the Romans from about 0 to 400.'

Despite the event being labelled a 'comedy panel', his remarks sparked horrified reactions and an awkward environment for those in attendance.
Liaison officer tells the group: 'Let me know if I can I do anything for you' as 30 activists established roadblock

Officer could be heard saying 'let us know what your plans are and if you have any queries' and offered help

Liaison officers have been helping Just Stop Oil activists who are staging a sit-down protest on The Mall

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Police have arrested 25 eco-zealots who glued themselves to each other and roads close to Buckingham Palace this morning, sparking anger from motorists who told the activists to 'get a job'.

Officers who attended the scene on The Mall said they have made 25 arrests after Just Stop Oil protesters established a roadblock at around 8.45am.

By lunchtime the final activists had been taken away in police vans, with disruption lasting for more than two hours.

A Just Stop Oil activist at the scene who did not block the road said to the final protesters as they were lifted into the vans: 'You've done really well. Solidarity.'

It comes as footage from the protest emerged showing one liaison officer telling the group, 'let me know if I can do anything for you' as the mob staged the sit-down protest.

Police at the scene they have all been arrested, taking officers over an hour to make an arrest.

There were at least 40 police officers and 10 police vehicles at the scene.

The climate activists were shouted at by irate motorists outside the Palace today as drivers resorted to weaving their way around them.

Protesters from the group attempted to block The Mall on a tenth consecutive day of demonstrations, with one van driver blasting his horn and shouting: 'Get a job.'

A taxi driver shouted at them: 'F****** load of w******. Go and get a real f****** job.' But a cyclist said: 'Go on the protesters, you're doing great work. Stay strong.'

Demonstrators in high-vis vests emblazoned with the Just Stop Oil logo sat down across the road and established a roadblock at around 8.45am amid ongoing protests about the Government's fossil fuels policy.

Pupils from Park Mains High School in Erskine, Renfrewshire, were at the scene watching the protesters. One teacher said: 'Let's get a photo with the activists!'

Another teacher told a child off for filming in a demonstrator's face. The schoolboy said: 'But they're protesters, they want the attention.' The teacher replied: 'Don't do that again. Wind your neck in.'

Police officers carry a campaigner away from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall near Buckingham Palace this morning

A woman is seen being taken away from the protest after Just Stop Oil eco zealots established a roadblock in central London at around 8.45am

Another campaigner is removed from the protest this morning on The Mall near Buckingham Palace

One police liaison officer at the scene today told the group: 'Let me know if I can I do anything for you.' The protester replied: 'Not unless you have a letter from Liz Truss.'

Another officer said: 'I don't want you to hurt yourself, sir. If you glue yourself to the road someone could drive over you and I'd hate for you to get injured whatsoever.'

A further liaison officer was seen talking to members of the group who were sat in the rain this morning, asking them whether they had 'any queries or questions'.

Specialist police officers used plastic syringes to debond the protesters. The liquid was squirted into the activists hands, which allowed the police to separate the protesters from the road or each other.

Just Stop Oil said 30 of its activists established a roadblock on The Mall at 8.45am, stopping traffic in both directions as they sat down with the group's banners.

The organisation added that 250 of its demonstrators have been arrested over the ten days so far, and there have been 1,500 arrests since its campaign began in April.

A Just Stop Oil spokesman said: 'At 8.45am this morning, 30 supporters of Just Stop Oil established a roadblock on The Mall, stopping traffic in either direction. They are sitting in the road, and some have glued themselves to the tarmac.'

And a Metropolitan Police spokesman tweeted: 'We are aware of an ongoing protest taking place in The Mall, W1 - officers are on scene and are working to remove the protesters. Part of the road remains closed. We will update with further details.'

By 10.30am, more than half of the Just Stop Oil protesters on The Mall had been removed by officers with 11 activists remaining, some of whom were glued together or to the road.

Police search a demonstrator during the Just Stop Oil protest near Buckingham Palace this morning

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London this morning

Demonstrators in high-vis vests emblazoned with the Just Stop Oil logo block the road amid ongoing protests about the Government's fossil fuels policy

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London this morning

Several officers and police liaison officers attend The Mall where they have around eight vehicles at the scene

A liaison officer was seen talking to members of the group who were sat in the rain this morning, asking them whether they had 'any queries or questions'

A taxi driver shouted at them: 'F****** load of w******. Go and get a real f****** job.' But a cyclist said: 'Go on the protesters, you're doing great work. Stay strong'

Emma Brown, 31, who lives in Glasgow and was one of the Just Stop Oil protesters blocking The Mall, said that the activists 'would walk 500 miles' to 'just stop oil'.

Miss Brown said that the protesters had come down from Scotland and that this was her first demonstration.

She said: 'We've come down because the Government is pressing ahead with over 100 new fossil fuel licences. And that is literally a death sentence for all of us here and for all of you.

'So we can't allow this to continue. We have to have a cut-off somewhere. We've seen the effects already on our doorstep. We're seeing the effects all over the globe. And this madness has to stop.'

One of the Just Stop Oil protesters blocking The Mall said that the activists 'would walk 500 miles' to 'just stop oil'

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London this morning

A group of Just Stop Oil activists sit and line a roadblock on The Mall. The organisation said 30 of its activists had been arrested today, adding that 250 of its demonstrators have been detained over the ten days of action so far

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London this morning

By 10.30am more than half of the Just Stop Oil protesters on The Mall had been removed by officers with 11 activists remaining, some of whom were glued together or to the road

Several police officers and police liaison officers were at The Mall talking to the protesters. There were eight police vehicles at the scene.

One police officer asked: 'How long are you going to be here?' A protester replied: 'Until we get a new government.'

Police then searched some protesters before beginning to remove them from The Mall. Some of the activists had glued their hands together.

Officers said they had to clear the road for the Changing of Guard, and then started arresting the protesters on The Mall.

The first two left the road of their own volition and were taken to a police van while others were physically lifted by officers to different vehicles.

An officer at the scene confirmed that some had been arrested.

The protesters, who travelled from Scotland, said they felt the need to act after the UK Government gave its backing in September to an expansion of oil and gas operations in the North Sea.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is expected to undertake a new round of oil and gas licensing this month.

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in central London this morning

The climate activists were shouted at by irate motorists outside Buckingham Palace today as drivers resorted to weaving their way around them

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London this morning

One police officer asked: 'How long are you going to be here?' One protester replied: 'Until we get a new government'

Police searched some protesters before beginning to remove them from The Mall. Some activists had glued their hands together

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said that could lead to more than 100 new licences being granted, which he claimed could 'safeguard' UK energy supplies and support more than 70,000 jobs in Scotland.

Activist Ailith Stewart, 20, a student from Edinburgh, said: 'I'm taking action with Just Stop Oil because I'm tired of feeling ignored by the Government at Westminster.

'Their decisions don't represent the best interests of the people. There is so much that can be done to mitigate the climate crisis, but this government seems intent on ignoring it all and making ordinary people suffer in the name of profit.

'If there's any chance we can show them that the people won't stand for it, I want to take it. There's more of us than there are of them, and we're where their power comes from.

'I'm taking action for my future, the future of my loved ones, children I may one day have, and every person who has to suffer the consequences of the climate crisis now without ever having been involved in a single decision about it.'

Officers said they had to clear the road for the Changing of Guard, and then started arresting some protesters on The Mall

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London this morning

The protesters said they felt the need to act after the UK Government gave its backing to an expansion of oil and gas operations in the North Sea last month

While some protesters left of their own volition at around 10am and were taken to a police van, others were physically lifted by officers to different vehicles

Just Stop Oil protesters block The Mall outside Buckingham Palace this morning

And Kevin Wing, 47, a father-of-two from Glasgow, added: 'My kids' favourite book is The Lorax  they already understand what the Eton-educated government utterly fail to grasp: that oil extraction at all costs will destroy our only home.

'I am taking action for all the families in the global south already facing the effects of climate destruction, and for the future of my children's generation.

'Rather than choosing to help desperate families during this energy crisis, the UK Government is instead providing billions of pounds of tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry death machine.

'This is making a privileged elite richer at the expense of ordinary people having to choose whether they heat their homes or have food to eat.

'I am taking non-violent direct action to fight this horrendous inequality and the UK Government's war on the poor.'

It comes after the Metropolitan Police made at least 45 arrests yesterday as the Just Stop Oil group attempted to block parts of Westminster with another sit-down protest.

Protesters block the road in a demonstration at Piccadilly Circus in central London yesterday

A man is removed by police during a Just Stop Oil protest at Green Park at the weekend

Protesters blocking Vauxhall Bridge Road in the capital last week

Just Stop Oil activists at Trafalgar Square in central London as their protests continue last week

Police speak to Just Stop Oil protesters who are blocking a road leading into Westminster last week

Climate activists from Just Stop Oil block the roads around Parliament Square last week

OCTOBER 3 -- Police try to move Just Stop Oil protesters blocking roads in Trafalgar Square

Police watch as Just Stop Oil protesters occupy Waterloo Bridge in London last week

Activists sit down at Parliament Square in central London at the start of this month

On Saturday, 24 people were arrested for wilful obstruction of the highway.

The group has also said it plans to meet daily in October at 11am outside Downing Street to 'occupy Westminster'.

There were further scenes of chaos over the weekend as vegans joined eco protesters by pouring milk over roads and covering shopfronts with paint.

A Just Stop Oil spokesman said today: 'Our supporters will be returning  today, tomorrow and the next day  and the next day after that  and every day until our demand is met: No new oil and gas in the UK.

'We will not be intimidated by changes to the law, we will not be stopped by private injunctions sought to silence peaceful people.

'Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities.'
A former public schoolgirl who was caught driving while almost twice the alcohol limit has been fined 150 after she tearfully called herself an 'irresponsible and complete idiot' in court.

Cassandra Austin-Kaye, 29, is thought to have been giving a friend a lift home when she was stopped behind the wheel of her VW Polo after officers spotted her driving erratically near the kerb.

A roadside breath test showed she had 63 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 mg. She admitted drinking two glasses of wine in the run-up to the incident.

At Chester magistrates court, Austin-Kaye - whose late father Tony was a successful jeweller in the city - admitted driving with excess alcohol and was banned from the roads for 18 months.

The arrest took place last month after Austin-Kaye - who, according to her Facebook page, attended the 37,515 per year Moreton Hall school in Oswestry, Shropshire - had a visit from a friend at her 1.1m family home in the Cheshire village of Saighton.

At Chester magistrates court, Cassandra Austin-Kaye (pictured outside court) admitted driving with excess alcohol and was banned from the roads for 18 months

Cassandra Austin-Kaye (pictured), 29, is thought to have been giving a friend a lift home when she was stopped behind the wheel of her VW Polo after officers spotted her driving erratically near the kerb

The arrest took place last month after Austin-Kaye (pictured) - who, according to her Facebook page, attended the 37,515 per year Moreton Hall school in Oswestry, Shropshire - had a visit from a friend at her 1.1m family home in the Cheshire village of Saighton

Alan Currums, prosecuting, said: 'It was 2am on Saturday, September 17. A police officer was on mobile patrol travelling along Wrexham Road heading towards the A55 when his attention was drawn to a vehicle ahead of him which was swerving in its lane.

'At one point it came very near to the kerb kicking up dust and stones. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was spoken to.

'The defendant was the driver and there was also a female in the passenger seat. The officer believed that the driver was intoxicated. She stated that she had recently had two glasses of wine.

'She gave a positive sample of breath at the roadside. She was arrested and taken to the custody suite where she fully cooperated with the breath test procedure. The defendant has no previous convictions recorded against her.'

The former public schoolgirl Austin-Kaye (pictured) who was caught driving while almost twice the alcohol limit has been fined 150 after she tearfully called herself an 'irresponsible and complete idiot' in court

The prosecutor said that due to the level of alcohol in her breath, the sentencing guidelines say she should be banned from driving for between 17 and 22 months.

The legal advisor said she would be given credit for pleading guilty and said: 'You have not prevaricated and have not wasted the court's time. That's what you get credit for today. You will also be offered the drink drive awareness course to reduce your driving disqualification.'

Representing herself, Austin-Kaye, said she does not usually drink but a friend had been visiting her.

'I know what I did was totally irresponsible,' she said. 'I was just acting like a complete idiot. I won't do that again. I am very sorry.'

She wiped tears from her eyes as magistrates also ordered her to pay costs and a victim surcharge of 180.

'We have listened to what's been said and have taken into account your prompt guilty plea,' Chairman Andrew Merrill said. 'Given the level of reading you will be disqualified for 18 months, but we will offer you the opportunity to go on the drink drive awareness course to reduce that ban by a quarter.'
Nicola Sturgeon will slam Liz Truss for lacking 'respect' today as she rallies SNP activists.

The Scottish First Minister will deliver a bullish message on independence, saying she is determined to break free of the 'Brexit-based UK economy'.

And she will blame the PM for 'causing tension and fraying the bonds between us' - despite causing anger yesterday by ranting about how she 'detests' Tories.

The keynote speech comes as the UK Supreme Court braces to start hearing legal arguments over whether the Scottish government has the power to trigger another referendum without permission from Westminster.

Experts predict that Ms Sturgeon is set to lose the case, throwing her separatist drive into disarray. The SNP leader wants to hold a vote on October 19 next year, despite agreeing that the last contest should be 'once in a generation'.

The nationalists are holding their annual conference in Aberdeen, with members pushing for concrete progress on independence despite polls suggesting Scots do not view it as a priority and a narrow majority still support the union.

Nicola Sturgeon will deliver a bullish message on independence, saying she is determined to break free of the 'Brexit-based UK economy'

Ms Sturgeon will blame Liz Truss (pictured in Prague last week) for 'causing tension and fraying the bonds between us' - despite causing anger yesterday by ranting about how she 'detests' Tories

Polls have suggested the Tories are on track to lose all their MPs in Scotland at the next general election

Ms Sturgeon has promised interventions on the cost-of-living crisis in her speech, amid criticism about the absence of policy commitments during the gathering.

Ms Sturgeon is expected to say: 'Scottish independence can reset and renew the whole notion of nations working together for the common good.

'England, Scotland, Wales, the island of Ireland. We will always be the closest of friends.

'We will always be family. But we can achieve a better relationship, a true partnership of equals, when we win Scotland's independence.'

She is also expected to accuse the UK Government of 'denial of Scottish democracy'.

'Full frontal attacks on devolution. A basic lack of respect,' she will say.

'It is these which are causing tension and fraying the bonds between us.'

She will say: 'With independence we will show how we can break with the low productivity, high inequality Brexit-based UK economy.'

Ms Sturgeon was rebuked by ministers and MPs for inflammatory language yesterday after she spewed vitriol at the Tories during an interview in which she hinted at a possible election tie-up with Keir Starmer.

The SNP leader insisted it is 'not difficult to answer' the question of whether Sir Keir or Liz Truss should be in No10, saying: 'I detest the Tories and everything they stand for.'

The comments were condemned as a disrespectful slur on a quarter of the Scottish electorate who voted Conservative at the last general election.

They also fuelled alarm that Labour and the Scottish nationalists doing a pact to get into power if there is a hung Parliament.

Ms Sturgeon admitted that her push for another independence referendum could be blocked by the UK Supreme Court this week.

Asked if a referendum 'will' definitely happen on her favoured date of October 19 next year, Ms Sturgeon pointedly only replied she is 'confident that can happen'.

She has said that if the Supreme Court deny the case the SNP will fight the next general election on a single issue of splitting from the UK.

A ruling could take around two months.
A young woman in Kyiv cheated death today when a missile exploded near her while she was filming a message to her friends.

The footage came as Russian president Vladimir Putin blitzed Ukraine with missile strikes this morning, hitting the capital Kyiv and killing civilians as revenge for an explosion which crippled the Crimea Bridge on Saturday.

At least eight people were killed and 24 were injured in just one of the Kyiv strikes, according to preliminary information, said Rostyslav Smirnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs.

This young woman in Kyiv cheated death today when a missile exploded near her while she was filming a message to her friends

The woman in the footage was lucky not to be among the victims.

She was shown recording her video message while walking down the street wearing headphones, looking shocked with her hand over her mouth. To her right, a tall terracotta-coloured wall can be seen.

Her initial speech is muffled by her hand and the sound of traffic, but she clearly tells the camera in Ukrainian: 'I just saw a rocket fly. I heard it...' before being cut off.

Suddenly, the roar of a jet is heard over her, and a split second later, an explosion.

Pictured: The woman is seen walking down the street in Kyiv, apparently near the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, during todays missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital

Pictured: The red glow of flames are seen against the young womans skin and behind her, while the shock-wave from the blast ruffles her hair. She ducks down, protecting herself from the blast. Debris is seen flying overhead

The red glow of flames are seen against her skin and behind her, while the shock-wave from the blast ruffles her hair.

She ducks down, protecting herself from the blast. Debris is seen flying overhead.

Visibly distressed, the woman covers her head and lets out a muffled scream, before running away down the street from the site of the blast, seemingly unharmed.

Based on the coloured wall, the woman was walking along a pathway near the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

It was unclear if the University was the intended target of the strikes.

The missiles hit the capital at around 8am on Monday morning, a busy time for the city as people commute to work, and children head in to school.

Blasts were reported in the city's Shevchenko district, a large area in the center of Kyiv that includes the historic old town as well as several government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

KYIV: Cars burn on the streets of the Ukrainian capital this morning after multiple missiles struck the city - the first time in months that it has been hit, and as Putin plots his revenge for strikes on the Kerch Bridge

KYIV: A dead body lies in the streets after Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital for the first time in months, torching cars and blowing up a park in a residential area

KYIV: Firefighters extinguish a burning vehicle as a dead body lies on the street (bottom right) following Russian missile strikes that targeted civilian areas and power station

Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine's parliament, posted a photo on Twitter showing that at least one explosion occurred near the main building of the Kyiv National University in central Kyiv - tallying with the video from the young woman.

After the first early morning strikes in Kyiv, more loud explosions were heard later in an intensification of Russia's attack that could spell a major escalation in the war.

The head of the Ukrainian military said Monday that Russian forces launched at least 75 missiles at Ukraine on Monday morning, with fatal strikes targeting the capital Kyiv, and cities in the south and west.

'The terrorist country, Russia, has carried out massive missile and air strikes on the territory of Ukraine, also using attack drones.

At least 83 rockets were fired, the military said, half of which were shot down but the other half of which slammed into cities across the country.

Air raid sirens sounded in every region of Ukraine, except Russia-annexed Crimea. The sirens lasted for four straight hours.

President Zelensky said a mixture of rockets and suicide drones had attacked the cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, northern Kharkiv and Sumy, central Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia, and even far-western Ternopil and Lviv.

Speaking on the streets of Kyiv even as the attacks continued, Zelensky said the Russians were targeting power stations and civilians aiming to 'sow panic and chaos'. Russia 'is trying to wipe us off the face of the earth', he added, while vowing that such tactics would not succeed.

Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the strikes showed 'the Kremlin's terrorist inadequacy' after a string of embarrassing battlefield defeats.

Oleksii Reznikov, the defence minister, said Ukraine's courage would never be broken and 'that the only thing they demolish is the future of [Russia] - a future of a globally despised rogue terrorist state.'

Videos and pictures from the Ukrainian capital showed burning cars and bodies in the streets as officials said the rockets had hit close to a well-known memorial to a famous statesman, near a children's play area in a park, and a pedestrian bridge. More footage showed an apartment block in Dnipro in flames.

Though Russia gave no immediate justification for the strikes, it is almost certainly intended as a display of might after a huge explosion crippled the Kerch Bridge.

Putin called the explosion on the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea a 'terrorist act' masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

The Russian despot is due to meet with his security cabinet today to plot his revenge amid demands from hardliners within the Russian elite that he declare full war and resort to nuclear weapons.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, denied on Sunday that the atomic option was on the table - but having already annexed occupied regions of Ukraine and mustered hundreds of thousands of men into the army, Putin is running out of options for how to escalate the war further. He has shown no sign of backing down.

DNIPRO: Bodies lie covered in blankets after Russia missiles struck the city of Dnipro, in south-central Ukraine

ZAPORIZHZHIA: Rescuers attempt to extinguish the remains of an apartment building in southern Ukraine which was hit by a Russian missile overnight

LVIV: Smoke rises over the city in far-western Ukraine that has been largely spared the worst effects of the war after Putin unleashed a barrage of strikes in revenge for the Crimea bridge being hit

Journalists in the center of Dnipro city saw the bodies of multiple people killed at an industrial site on the city's outskirts. Windows in the area had been blown out and glass littered the street.

Ukrainian media also reported explosions in a number of other locations, including the western city of Lviv that has been a refuge for many people fleeing the fighting in the east, as well as Kharkiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi.

Kharkiv was hit three times, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The strikes knocked out the electricity and water supply. Energy infrastructure was also hit in Lviv, Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said.

The multiple strikes came a few hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to hold a meeting with his security council, as Moscow's war in Ukraine approaches its eight-month milestone.

The Kremlin is reeling from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas it is trying to annex amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive in recent weeks.

A day earlier, Putin had called the attack on the Kerch Bridge to Crimea a terrorist act carried out by Ukrainian special services. In a meeting Sunday with the chairman of Russia's Investigative Committee, Putin said 'there's no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure.'

The Kerch Bridge is important to Russia strategically, as a military supply line to its forces in Ukraine, and symbolically, as an emblem of its claims on Crimea.

No one has claimed responsibility for damaging the 12-mile-long bridge, the longest in Europe.

Amid the onslaught, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his Telegram account that Russia is 'trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth.'

'Please do not leave (bomb) shelters,' he wrote. 'Let's hold on and be strong.'

Following the strikes on Kyiv, several residents were seen on the streets with blood on their clothes and hands. A young man wearing a blue jacket sat on the ground as a medic wrapped a bandage around his head.

A woman with bandages wrapped around her head had blood all over the front of her blouse. Several cars were also damaged or completely destroyed.
They instead reported the crimes to the university's department of public safety

The victims chose not to give details to police a Stanford University update said

Comes after a similar report of a rape in a Stanford campus bathroom in August

Stanford University's Department of Public Safety (DPS) is investigating claims that a woman was dragged to a basement of a campus building and raped on Friday.

The unnamed woman said she was working in her office around 12.30pm when a man entered the room, grabbed her and forced her downstairs to an empty room, where he proceeded to rape her.

Her account of the incident provided little other details other than to say the perpetrator was an 'adult male', according to a Stanford University press release published Saturday which said the victim 'has chosen not to share information about the crime with police.'

The official update said the alleged victim instead filed a complaint with a campus mandatory reporter - individuals affiliated with the university who are available to speak with victims of abuse and are legally obliged to report crimes to authorities.

Stanford University's Department of Public Safety (DPS) is investigating claims that a woman was dragged to a basement of a campus building and raped on Friday (Stanford University campus pictured)

A general view of Hoover Tower through the arches of the Main Quadrangle on the campus of Stanford University

The Stanford University update on Saturday said that the DPS is 'actively investigating' the incident and called on other university members to come forward with any additional information 'because of the limited information currently available'.

It comes just months after an alarmingly similar incident of rape was reported in a bathroom near to Wilbur Hall, a large student residence complex on campus.

The August victim reported she was grabbed in a parking lot near the student dorms around 5pm on the evening of August 9 and was dragged into a nearby bathroom and raped.

She too chose not to share details of her ordeal with police, instead making a complaint to a mandatory reporter who passed the details on to campus police and the DPS.

An official statement from Stanford Public Safety Director Laura Wilson and Title IX Coordinator Stephen Chen on Saturday acknowledged the worrying nature of the two similar incidents, but insisted neither victim wanted to speak with law enforcement.

'We know this report was alarming and unsettling, especially coming after a report of a similar nature in August near Wilbur Hall,' the statement read.

'Currently, the victim who reported being assaulted yesterday has chosen not to share information about the crime with the police at this time. This also remains the case for the August report, which remains under investigation.'

The latest rape accusation comes just two months after an alarmingly similar incident was reported in a bathroom near to Wilbur Hall, a large student residence complex on campus (pictured)

The August report provided more details - the victim claimed she had seen her alleged attacker on campus before and described him as being 6ft tall and slim, with a beard and brown eyes.

The report did not however specify whether the alleged rapist was a student or member of the university, and it is unknown whether the two incidents are connected.

Stanford University was hit with a major rape scandal in 2015 when student Brock Turner sexually assaulted a 22-year-old after a college frat party in January 2015.

He found her lying near a dumpster and sent a gloating picture of her breasts to his friends before proceeding to rape her.

Prosecutors wanted him jailed for six years, out of a maximum possible 14, but Judge Aaron Persky gave him just six months, meaning he spent just three months behind bars.
A barber is touring the UK to give out free haircuts to homeless people.

Mohammed Ali Yaquob, 26, originally from Sudan, lives in Derby where he owns the barbershop Mo's Barbers.

He has visited cities - including Birmingham, Manchester, Leicester, and London - in a mission to spread goodwill through free haircuts.

Mr Yaquob's TikTok account has gone viral, amassing over 1 million fans thanks to his generous acts of kindness.

Mohammed Ali Yaquob (left), 26, originally from Sudan, lives in Derby where he owns the barbershop Mo's Barbers

Mr Yaquob (left) has visited cities - including Birmingham, Manchester, Leicester, and London - in a mission to spread goodwill through free haircuts

The barber is touring the UK to give out free haircuts to homeless people

Two men receiving a free haircut from Mr Yaquob, who said, 'It makes me feel very happy when I provide people with a free haircut'

Mr Yaquob said: 'God has gifted me this talent to cut people's hair, so it's only right I pay it back into society for people who are in need of it.

'It makes me feel very happy when I provide people with a free haircut.

'Homeless people are not different to any of us - they all have their stories, but they have no family or friends who care for them.

'It must be a very lonely life, so if my haircuts are able to brighten their day and give them a better feeling, then that's great.

The 26-year-old approaches a man who is living on the streets to offer him a haircut

'Where I grew up in Sudan, we always looked out for one another,' said barber Mr Yaquob, who is pictured (top) giving a man a free haircut

'I work six days a week in my barber shop, and on my day off I go out to various cities and try to find people who need this kindness,' said Mr Yaquob, who is pictured (top) cutting a man's hair

Two men receiving a free haircut from Mr Yaquob, who said, 'This is a part of life - we all have to be kind and if we were, the world would be a much happier place'

Mr Yaquob's (top) TikTok account has gone viral, amassing over 1 million fans thanks to his generous acts of kindness

'Where I grew up in Sudan, we always looked out for one another. This is a part of life - we all have to be kind and if we were, the world would be a much happier place.

'I work six days a week in my barber shop, and on my day off I go out to various cities and try to find people who need this kindness.

'Once I had a queue of eight people in the street and I didn't finish until nine o'clock at night. But I was happy because I have helped people in need of genuine help.'
Host of The Project Steve Price left a climate protester who glued his hand to a Picasso masterpiece struggling for an answer when he asked why he didn' stick himself to a power station instead.

In a heated clash on Monday's episode, environmental activist Tony Gleeson defended his controversial demonstration on Sunday at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

He and another woman from the Extinction Rebellion group sealed their hands to Pablo Picasso's Massacre in Korea painting on loan from a Paris gallery and worth $280million.

Protest organisers say the odd protest was done to raise awareness about the dangers posed by climate change, but Price says the group's logic doesn't stack up.

'Why wouldn't you go and glue your silly hand to a power station rather than a painting in a gallery when that painting is worth so much money?' Price said.

In a heated clash on Monday's episode, environmental activist Tony Gleeson defended his controversial demonstration on Sunday at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (pictured)

Mr Gleeson insisted he was never going to damage the painting because it was behind perplex.

'We knew beforehand that painting was covered and it was carefully planned, we knew that it was covered and we knew that there was no chance of it being damaged,' Mr Gleeson said.

'You can frame that whichever way you want, and you will. It's your job to be provocative like that but I'm not going to wear it.'

Price said he was 'just being honest' in his criticism of the protester.

'I think I'm speaking for the majority of people who don't want vandals sticking their hands on perplex covering a Picasso with glue.'

'They would rather if you want to protest, go and do that somewhere else.'

Mr Gleeson said his radical group was going to do exactly that over the next two weeks.

'Yeah, great,' was the heavily sarcastic reply from Price.

The Project's Steve Price (pictured) said Mr Gleeson's protest was 'silly' and was not appreciated by most of the Australian public

Mr Gleeson was arrested alongside two other protesters on Sunday for their stunt at the National Gallery of Victoria

Mr Gleeson, who is a 59-year-old grandfather of five, then tried to turn the tables.

'Steve, do you have kids, grandkids. Are you worried?' he asked the conservative TV and radio presenter.

'We had an election over this Tony,' Price shot back.

'Are trying to pretend that no-one notices climate change? For goodness sake, the Government has gone everywhere they can on climate change.'

Mr Gleeson was not impressed by this argument.

'No, really?' the retired school teacher said.

'One hundred and twelve fossil fuel projects right now? You know the science, Steve cmon, you know the science.

'There are 112 fossil fuel projects in this country. Please don't try to kid people.

'The government hasn't made no difference whatsoever. They haven't dropped one of those. So get your facts straight, mate.'

'I have,' was Price's abrupt reply.

Protest organisers say the odd protest was done to raise awareness about the dangers posed by climate change, but Price says the group's logic doesn't stack up

On Sunday a specialist had to be brought in to remove the glued hands of Mr Gleeson and another unidentified female protester from the covering of the painting.

The pair stood either side of the 1951 piece each with a hand glued to the glass and above a banner reading 'climate chaos = war + famine'.

A cameraman livestreamed Mr Gleeson and the woman on Facebook as they attached themselves to the painting and began yelling.

Mr Gleeson and two other protesters were arrested.

The protest has called into question to safety of Australia's art galleries and means international curators could be hesitant in the future to send over their pieces.
This photo, provided by the Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 10 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un talking to military officials during his inspection of major drills. Yonhap



North Korea's recent missile tests were "tactical nuclear" drills personally overseen by leader Kim Jong-un, state media said Monday, adding the launches were a response to U.S.-led joint military exercises in the region.



Kim has long wanted to develop tactical nukes  smaller, lighter weapons designed for battlefield use  and made it a top priority at a key party congress in January 2021.



The country revised its nuclear laws last month, envisaging a wide array of scenarios in which it could use its nukes, with Kim declaring North Korea an "irreversible" nuclear power  effectively ending the possibility of denuclearization talks.



Since then, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have ramped up combined naval exercises, including deploying the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan to the area twice, infuriating Pyongyang, which sees the joint drills as rehearsals for invasion.



In response, North Korea "decided to organize military drills under the simulation of an actual war", the official KCNA reported.



North Korean army units involved in "the operation of tactical nukes staged military drills from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 in order to check and assess the war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability of the country," the report said.



"Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of its Central Military Commission, guided the military drills on the spot," it added.



KCNA said that "tactical nuclear operations units" had conducted seven launching drills that had allowed North Korea's nuclear forces to display their "militant effectiveness and actual war capabilities", KCNA added.



Systems deployed



North Korea also released multiple photographs of the recent missile launches, tests and exercises, showing Kim Jong-un overseeing them all, giving orders and posing with smiling soldiers.



"They're pursuing a tactical nuclear weapon for sure," said U.S.-based security analyst Ankit Panda.




The deadly tussle took place just steps from the resort's dining area

Two hippos have been caught on video rampaging in a violent battle of strength just 50 feet from gobsmacked guests at a holiday camp in Zambia.

The dramatic footage shows the two hippos fighting angrily for dominance, locking jaws in a deathly battle as they come dangerously close to the guests of the nearby resort.

The encounter was captured in July by an employee of Remote Africa Safaris, 27-year-old pilot Rory Friedman, at Tafika Camp in South Luangwa National Park.

Two hippos lock jaws in a fight at the Tafika Camp resort in Zambia in July

Two hippos fight just steps away from the Tafika Camp resort's dining area

'This scene took place in the middle of our guest area where we eat breakfast and prepare for the day's activities,' Mr Friedman said.

'I was at the bar filling water bottles for my guests when these two large males stormed up the bank of the river and onto our lawn.

'They stood off for a moment and then began chasing each other around before finally locking jaws in a brutal battle.'

'One has to be quite careful because they (hippos) are very fast and unpredictable, especially when enraged or cornered,' according to Mr Friedman.

'When they enter disputes like this they get tunnel vision and can be quite destructive to property.'

A guest looks on as two hippos fight it out at the Tafika Camp resort in Zambia in July

Hippos can be 'fast and unpredictable,' according to Mr Friedman

The two hippos locked jaws as guests were preparing for breakfast at the Zambian resort

In Africa, 500 people are killed on average each year by hippos. The Luangwa River has the highest concentration of hippos in the world, and is known for its wildlife and game-watching.

'We are indulged by the sheer abundance of wildlife in our area and so it isn't unusual to stumble upon something incredible now and then,' said Mr Friedman. 'It's all unplanned and right on our front doorstep.'
The terrifying image of Dracula has been conjured both on screen and in the minds of readers since the novel's publication in 1897.

The story of the villainous blood-sucking Count who comes to Britain from Transylvania was written by Bram Stoker and published in 1897.

But in the course of writing his novel, Stoker terrified the residents of an Aberdeenshire village by adopting a bat-like pose while perching on rocks - a historian has discovered.

Historian Mike Shepherd trawled through hotel registers, letters, press cuttings and interviews to find out more about Stoker's month-long stay in Cruden Bay, which is home to the spooky 16th Century Slains Castle.

According to The Guardian, he uncovered an interview with the author's wife Florence, who told how Stoker adopted a form of method acting in an attempt to get inside the mind of the evil Dracula.

Locals, including hotel staff and residents, were said to be frightened of him. She described how he sat 'for hours, like a great bat perched on the rocks of the shore.'

The terrifying image of Dracula has been conjured both on screen and in the minds of readers since the novel's publication in 1897. Above: Christopher Lee starring in the 1972 adaptation Dracula A.D. 1972

The story of the villainous blood-sucking Count who comes to Britain from Transylvania was written by Bram Stoker and published in 1897, Above: Stoker in 1900

She added that he would 'wander alone up and down the sand hills' as he pondered the plot of his novel.

Part of Stoker's novel was set in the Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby, which the author had been inspired by during a previous holiday.

But Stoker actually wrote much of his book while staying in Cruden Bay.

Speaking in 1927, Florence said: 'When he was at work on Dracula, we were all frightened of him.

'It was up on a lonely part of the east coast of Scotland, and he seemed to get obsessed by the spirit of the thing.

'There he would sit for hours, like a great bat, perched on the rocks of the shore, or wander alone up and down the sandhills thinking it out.'

Mr Shepherd said Stoker likely deliberately sought out the small coastal settlement so he could focus on his writing.

'He knew he wanted somewhere with bracing air, on the east coast: in 1892 he got the train to Peterhead and searched along the coast, and found exactly the place hed been looking for,' he said.

Overall, the author would make as many as 13 visits to Aberdeenshire.

Historian Mike Shepherd trawled through hotel registers, letters, press cuttings and interviews to find out more about Stoker's month-long stay in Cruden Bay, which is home to the spooky 16th Century Slains Castle (pictured)

Cruden Bay (pictured) hosted Stoker and his wife on several occasions

Whilst Cruden Bay is not named in Dracula, the book does contain apparent references to it.

A fisherman in the novel uses the Doric language dialect that is local to the area, whilst the nearby Slains Castle contains an octagonal room that matches the one described in Dracula's castle in Transylvania.

After Stoker's death in 1912, his widow contributed two recipes to a book compiled by parishioners at the village church.

One, a salad made up of ripe tomatoes and ripe plums dressed in vinegar, was named Dracula Salad.

Later this month, the first ever Festival of Darkness - looking into how the remote corner of Scotland helped shape Dracula - gets underway.

There will be screenings of famous film adaptations of the story, including the 1931 production of the first Dracula 'talkie'.

The showing will be held in the village hall at Cruden Bay, where Stoker once gave a lecture, Mr Shepherd said.

In Stoker's novel, Dracula attempts to move from his home in Transylvania to England so that he can find new victims.

Speaking in 1927, Stoker's wife Florence (pictured) said: 'When he was at work on Dracula, we were all frightened of him. It was up on a lonely part of the east coast of Scotland, and he seemed to get obsessed by the spirit of the thing'

He plagues Whitby before he is hunted down by a group led by Abraham Van Helsing.

The novel also stars English solicitor Jonathan Harker, who stays with the count on a business trip but ends up becoming his prisoner

The hotel where Stoker stayed, and where much of the book was researched, still stands and a plaque marks his time there.

Other famous film adaptations include a 1972 version starring Christopher Lee.

Gary Oldman also played the Count in 1993 film Bram Stoker's Dracula.
More than 1,000 people crossed the English Channel yesterday, adding to the record number who have made the perilous journey this year - which now stands at over 34,000.

Some 1,065 people made the treacherous crossing on Sunday in 25 boats and inflatable dinghies, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), meaning each boat carried an average of about 43 people.

With a break in the poor weather yesterday, the first groups were seen being escorted to shore by Border Force officials in the early hours of the morning.

Border Force officials escort migrants into Dover Docks, Kent. Some 1,065 people made the treacherous crossing over the Channel yesterday in 25 boats

The latest crossings take the provisional total for the year so far to 34,694, according to analysis of Government figures

Crossings continued throughout the day, with the last migrants arriving on Border Force vessel Ranger around 8pm.

The latest crossings take the provisional total for the year so far to 34,694, according to analysis of Government figures - the highest number for a single year ever recorded.

This is compared to 28,526 people who attempted to make the treacherous crossing of the 21-mile Dover Straits throughout the whole of last year.

The 1,065 figure is by far the most for a single day so far this month, with 1,693 people having arrived in the UK after making the journey this October.

Meanwhile, 367 asylum seekers were rescued by French authorities after getting into difficulty at sea.

Crossings continued throughout the day yesterday, with the last migrants arriving on Border Force vessel Ranger around 8pm

It is the fourth time in just seven weeks that more than 1,000 migrants have crossed the Channel to the UK in a single day.

The three previous occasions when the daily total recently topped 1,000 were September 22, when 1,142 people were detected making the journey; September 4, when 1,160 were recorded; and August 22, when the figure reached 1,295 - the highest number on a single day since current records began in 2018.

Conservative MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke said: 'With these shocking record numbers of illegal crossings, getting the small boats crisis under control should be a key priority.

'With the approach of winter, the seas will get rougher and the weather colder - inevitably the risk of further loss of life will increase. That's why urgent action is needed to stop these dangerous crossings.'

Conservative MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke said: 'With these shocking record numbers of illegal crossings, getting the small boats crisis under control should be a key priority'

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference on Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman vowed to stop migrants crossing the Channel.

She announced plans last week to ban anyone who is deemed to be entering the UK illegally from seeking refuge, which goes further than the Nationalities and Borders Bill announced in June.

Her predecessor, Priti Patel, who announced the Bill, also launched a scheme to send migrants on a one-way ticket to Rwanda.

But no flights have yet taken off following an intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in June.

This overrode the decision of the UK Supreme Court to throw out campaigners' bids to stop the first flight going ahead.

Various groups have launched legal challenges against the Government's plans since they were announced.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference on Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman vowed to stop migrants crossing the Channel

Charity Asylum Aid's case is due to be heard by High Court judges later this week after similar challenges were made last month.

Deportation flights are on hold while the legal disputes continue.

The court is expected to give its ruling on all of the cases at the same time, at a later date.

Since the deal with Rwanda was announced in April, 29,426 people have arrived in the UK after making the journey from France.

On Friday, the Home Secretary said that France needs to 'double' the number of migrants it stops leaving its shores in order to break the business model of people smugglers.
King Charles could travel to Canada on his first overseas trip as monarch rather than the Cop-27 climate change summit in Egypt.

The Commonwealth country has emerged as a possible alternative location for the King's first foreign visit.

It comes after claims Liz Truss had objected to Charles attending Cop-27, being held in November, during an audience at Buckingham Palace last month.

His Majesty, a keen environmentalist, was said to have wanted to deliver a speech to delegates at the climate summit at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

According to The Times, Charles was advised not to attend as ministers want his first overseas trip as monarch to align with the Government's diplomatic priorities.

It reported that Canada was now 'top of the list' of potential locations.

In March, the UK and Canada launched fresh trade negotiations.

These are aimed at building on the agreement Britain struck with Ottawa in 2020 to roll over the terms of trade the two countries had prior to Brexit.

Canada has emerged as a possible alternative location for the King's first foreign visit as monarch. He and wife Camilla visited the country in May last year

The King was said to have wanted to deliver a speech to delegates at the Cop-27 climate summit in Egypt next month

It has been claimed Liz Truss objected to Charles attending Cop-27 during an audience at Buckingham Palace last month

A senior Government figure told the newspaper: 'You only get the first overseas trip by a new monarch once and we need to make it count.

'We are going to be carefully looking at the options in close consultation with Buckingham Palace.'

A trip by Charles to Canada could also include a visit to Washington DC as well as parts of the Caribbean.

France is also said to be under consideration as a possible first overseas trip for the new King, following an invite by President Emmanuel Macron.

The Prime Minister herself was also initially claimed to be planning not to attend Cop-27 next month.

But it has since been reported that she will now stop off in Egypt on her way to a G20 summit in Bali.

There were fears that Ms Truss's snubbing of the climate gathering could be viewed as her Government turning its back on international climate change action.

Earlier this month, Number 10 said it was 'ridiculous' to suggest the PM 'gives orders' to the monarch following the reports that Charles had been told not to attend Cop-27.

But, by convention, all overseas official visits by members of the Royal Family are undertaken in accordance with advice from the Government.

John Kerry, who is climate envoy to US President Joe Biden, is claimed to have been angered by the decision for King Charles not to attend.

He had told the BBC last month he would welcome the King's involvement because he 'has the ability... to leverage the kind of action we need now on a global basis'.
Jay Z and Beyonce - who they met at a Lion King premiere in 2019 - come in at approximately 1.35bn

While the Sussexes' estimated 20m net worth isn't to be sniffed at, it pales in comparison to others nearby

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'D-list' Meghan and Harry are poor by Hollywood standards, according to former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown - who described their Montecito home as a 'humble cottage' compared to their celebrity pals.

The royal biographer, who was responding to reports the Sussexes have gone house-hunting, said the couple 'didn't have enough money' when compared to the super-rich A-listers who have made California their home, as she joked that 'Elon Musk is still single' if the duchess wants to trade up to the 193billion tycoon.

While the Sussexes' estimated 20m net worth isn't to be sniffed at, it pales in comparison to other celebs based in the Golden State.

Their neighbour Oprah Winfrey, who anchored their bombshell Megxit interview, is worth an estimated 2.26bn, while Jay Z and Beyonce - who they met at a Lion King premiere in 2019 - come in at approximately 1.35bn.

Actor Tyler Perry, who hosted the Sussexes when they first came to America, is also substantially more wealthy - with an approximate net worth of 800m. Meanwhile the fortunes of fellow California residents Ellen DeGeneres, the comedian, and Kylie Jenner, has been put at 451m and 900m respectively.

While the Sussexes' estimated 20m net worth isn't to be sniffed at, it pales in comparison to other celebs based in the Golden State

Tina Brown said Meghan and Harry (pictured in the UK last month) 'didn't have enough money' when compared to the super-rich A-listers who have made California their home

While it might not quite qualify as a 'humble cottage', the Sussexes' nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion certainly pales in comparison to other celebs based in the Golden State

According to local reports, Meghan has been shopping for a 'private estate' in Hope Ranch, a high-end community a few miles from their current home.

But speaking at the Henley Literary Festival, Brown said: 'It's not very pleasant to be a D-list celebrity who, for them, doesn't have enough money. It's a wholly different game to be with those super-rich people.

'In Montecito, where they live, their $14 million mansion is a humble cottage compared to what these other people have.'

The royal biographer, author of The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers, quipped: 'Yes, and at some point it might be more than a new house she's looking for,' before adding: 'Elon Musk is still single, that's all I have to say.'

The Telegraph also reported Brown's claim at Henley that the Duke's upcoming tell-all biography may never be published.

'They are now in this bind, where they've taken all this money and Harry has made this book deal where he's supposed to spill everything about his horrible life as a royal, but now he's actually tortured about it because he understands there is no way back if he does it,' she said.

'If the book continues, I don't think there is any way for Harry to return. So my view has always been that the book won't see the light of day.'

Brown suggested King Charles could personally refund the advance his son has already been paid.

The memoir had been signed off ready for an expected autumn release, but the Duke  who is writing the book as part of a near 40million three-title deal  allegedly asked to make some significant alterations.

'Harry has thrown a spanner in the works,' a source said. 'He is keen for refinements in the light of the Queen's death, her funeral and his father Charles taking the throne.

Tina Brown joked that 'Elon Musk is still single' if the duchess wants to trade up to the 193billion tycoon

'There may be things in the book which might not look so good if they come out so soon after these events. He wants sections changed now. It's not a total rewrite by any means. He desperately wants to make changes. But it might be too late.'

Best-selling author Jeffrey Archer said that the prince is currently writing a new chapter that will be all about his grandmother's death and the events leading up to her funeral.

Publishers Penguin Random House had already demanded a rewrite after the first draft was deemed 'too touchy-feely' and placed too much focus on mental health issues, The Mail on Sunday revealed last month.

No date has officially been announced for its release but American sources have suggested that publishers will want it in shops in time for Thanksgiving on November 24, ready for the lucrative Christmas market.

In a statement announcing the global publishing deal, Penguin Random House described it as 'an intimate and heartfelt memoir', promising that 'Prince Harry will offer an honest and captivating personal portrait'.

Palace aides have reportedly been discussing ways to stop Harry from publishing the book altogether due to concerns that it will contain damaging revelations.

A friend of the King said: 'The question inside the Palace is: 'Can the book be stopped?' It may be that even Harry can't stop it at this stage but the feeling at the very top is that there's no good that can come of airing grievances in public.'

Lawyers to the Royal Family at the firm Harbottle and Lewis are expected to be on standby to read the book when it comes out.

And despite claims that Harry and Meghan are planning a year-long thaw in relations with the rest of the family, their hotly awaited Netflix series might throw another spanner in the works.

The Sussexes are currently working on a documentary as part of their $100million deal with the streaming service which was expected to air in December, according to Page Six.

Chat show queen Oprah Winfrey's own sprawling Montecito estate is believed to be worth around 81.60m

The Sussexes, along with their then-one-year-old son, Archie, spent a few months living in Tyler Perry's 16.3m Beverly Hills mansion

Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi look set to earn a tidy profit on their Montecito home after recently placing it on the market for 12.6m

DeGeneres reportedly gave the stunning, single-story residence a small makeover, which took less than four months to complete

However, sources claimed last week the couple now wanted to make edits to the series, which would possibly delay its release until later in 2023, as they look to 'downplay much of what they have said about King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales'.

And now insiders have told the publication that the couple are 'having second thoughts' on the project, with one Netflix source saying: 'Harry and Meghan are panicked about trying to tone down even the most basic language. But it's their story, from their own mouths.'

Another said: 'They've made significant requests to walk back content they themselves have provided  to the extent that some Netflix staff believe, if granted, it will effectively shelve the project indefinitely.'

As well as warning Harry about the risks of publishing his long-awaited autobiography, Tina Brown also discussed rumours that the duchess is shopping for a 'private estate' in Hope Ranch, an affluent neighbourhood a few miles from their current home in California.

Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival Miss Brown said: 'In Montecito, where they live, their $14million mansion is a humble cottage compared to what these other people have.'

She also joked: 'At some point it might be more than a new house she's looking for. Elon Musk is still single, that's all I have to say.'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has tested positive for Covid and faces isolation in his prison cell with the next few days 'crucial' for him, his 'worried' wife has revealed.

Stella Assange told the PA news agency she is concerned for his health, which has deteriorated since he was sent to Belmarsh prison three years ago after being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

He is embroiled in a lengthy legal battle to avoid extradition to the United States.

News of the Covid infection emerged over the weekend, as thousands of people staged demonstrations in London, Washington DC and Melbourne to demand Assange's release from prison.

Mrs Assange said: 'Julian was feeling unwell last week but started feeling sick on Friday.

'He started coughing and had a fever. He was given some paracetamol. He tested positive for Covid on Saturday, the same day thousands of people came out onto the streets to support him.

Julian Assange has tested positive for Covid after he started to feel unwell last week (pictured in January 2020)

Mrs Assange said the British government should speak to authorities in the United States to end the extradition bid which was launched in 2019

One of Julian Assange's boys grinned at the reception from the crowd, some of whom carried life-size cardboard cutouts of their father

'I am obviously worried about him and the next few days will be crucial for his general health. He is now locked in his cell for 24 hours a day.'

Mrs Assange said she was overjoyed at the number of people who formed a human chain around Parliament on Saturday, estimating there were well over 5,000 in attendance.

It was the biggest event of its kind in support of the WikiLeaks founder, who has won support from human rights organisations, journalist groups and others across the world.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined hundreds of protesters outside the Palace of Westminster to demonstrate against the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange

Russell Brand also joined the protests regarding the Australian activist's extradition

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was imprisoned in Iran for six years and released earlier this year once debts had been settled, was also photographed at the protest with her husband and daughter

Mr Assange's wife Stella, accompanied by their two young sons, was applauded by protesters forming a human chain

Stella said Julian tested positive for Covid on Saturday - the same day she was out protesting to support him with many others

Supporters held hands on Westminster Bridge in central London during the weekend protest

Last month, US lawyers and journalists who visited Assange when he was at the Ecuadorian Embassy said they are suing the CIA, claiming it spied on their private conversations in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Supporters of the WikiLeaks founder demonstrated outside parliament on Saturday to demand an end to an attempt by the US to have him extradited to face criminal charges.

Hundreds, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, gathered in a line which stretched from parliament's perimeter railings and snaked across nearby Westminster Bridge to the other side of the River Thames.

Carboard cut outs were seen at the protest, where hundreds gathered outside Parliament

Mrs Assange said the UK government should speak to authorities in the US to end the extradition bid which was launched in 2019.

'It's already gone on for three-and-a-half years. It is a stain on the United Kingdom and is a stain on the Biden administration,' she said.

Assange, 51, is wanted by US authorities on 18 counts, including a spying charge, relating to WikiLeaks' release of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables.

Washington says he put lives in danger. His supporters say he has been victimised because he exposed US wrongdoing in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Assange's legal team have lodged an appeal at the High Court against London's decision to extradite him.
The US Embassy in Kyiv is urging Americans to leave Ukraine immediately after Russia increased its missile strikes on cities in retaliation for the Crimea bridge blast.

Russia launched attacks against Ukraines civilian infrastructure as well as government facilities in Kyiv and elsewhere today, the embassy warned.

More than 75 missiles and suicide drones struck across Ukraine as Vladimir Putin took revenge for Kerch Bridge, killing eight people and injuring 24.

Capital Kyiv was hit for the first time in months along with cities of Khmelnytsky, Lviv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Frankiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad and Ternopil.

In fear of escalating civilian attacks the US embassy is now warning all Americans to find shelter and then arrange to leave the country via ground transportation as soon as they can.

The US Embassy has warned Americans in Ukraine to find shelter and then leave after Russia increased its attacks on cities and civilian areas. Pictured: A residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike

The security alert said the situation in Ukraine is 'highly volatile' and may deteriorate without warning. Pictured: Rescue workers survey the scene of a Russian attack on Kyiv, with the Ukrainian capital targeted for the first time in months

The US Embassy in Kyiv issued the warning as Russia's strikes pose a 'direct threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure'

Kyiv: Firefighters extinguish a burning vehicle as a dead body lies on the street (bottom right) following Russian missile strikes

The US Embassy in Kiev said: 'Russias continued strikes in Ukraine pose a direct threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure.

'The U.S. Embassy urges US citizens to shelter in place and depart Ukraine now using privately available ground transportation options when it is safe to do so.'

The security alert also said the situation in Ukraine is 'highly volatile' and may deteriorate without warning.

Videos and pictures from the Ukrainian capital today showed burning cars and bodies in the streets as officials said the rockets had hit near to a children's play area in a park, and a pedestrian bridge.

Russia has not given an immediate justification for the strikes, but it is likely intended as a display of might following weeks of battleground losses.

The livid Russian president, who is leading a Security Council meeting today, said the blast at the Kerch bridge (pictured) was designed to destroy 'critically important civilian infrastructure

The US Embassy provided additional safety information for civilians in Ukraine who may be at risk of Russian missile attacks.

It said: 'If you hear a loud explosion or if sirens are activated, immediately seek cover.

'If in a home or a building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings.

'If you are outdoors, immediately seek cover in a hardened structure; if that is not possible, lie down and cover your head with your hands.

'Be aware that even if the incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris represents a significant risk.

'After the attack, stay away from any debris, and monitor major news outlets for official guidance.'

President Biden recently described the ongoing situation as the highest nuclear risk since 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time. Childline offers a counselling service to children who are struggling with a range of issues. Call them on 0800 1111 at any time.

Her parents Illa Tall and Jennifer Newman cannot understand why it happened

The schoolgirl was found by her sister at home in Northfleet, Kent

Alicia Tall, 11, took her own life in her bathroom at home, an inquest has heard

An 11-year-old girl practised gymnastics in her bedroom before going to the bathroom and taking her own life despite 'no prior indication' she intended to do so, an inquest has heard.

Schoolgirl Alicia Tall had no medical record of mental ill-health or depression and investigations did not find any evidence she was being bullied at school.

A coroner said there 'were none of the usual indications of low mood'.

Alicia was found by her sister who she shared a room with after she failed to return from the bathroom at their family home in Northfleet, Kent.

Her stunned parents described their daughter as a lovely girl and said they 'can't understand why it happened'.

Schoolgirl Alicia Tall, 11, took her own life in the bathroom of her family home in Kent, an inquest has heard

Alicia was the third of four daughters of Illa Tall and Jennifer Newman.

The only clue came in a post mortem examination which found historic self-harm marks.

Coroner Alan Blunsden concluded that even though she left no suicide note, Alicia had deliberately taken steps to end her own life.

He said: 'She was a bright girl and would have known that her actions were likely to result in her death.

'But in this case there were none of the usual indications of low mood, and no prior indication that she intended to take her life.'

Medics were soon on the scene and transported her to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, but doctors declared her dead an hour later (stock image)

Born in St Denis in Paris, she had moved to Britain with her family some eight years ago, and was looking forward to starting the new school year.

On the evening of May 31, she had been practicing gymnastics in the bedroom that she shared with her sister.

At one stage, she disappeared into the en-suite bathroom. After a while her sister realised that Alicia had not reappeared and went into the bathroom and found her.

Her sister and her mother immediately called 999 and attempted to revive her.

Medics were soon on the scene and transported her to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, but doctors declared her dead an hour later.

Police carried out investigations at her school, with her family, with her GP and of her computer tablet.

They found no evidence of any abuse or bullying, and no evidence that she had been visiting harmful websites.

She was said to be a happy cheerful outgoing girl from a loving family.

For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time.

Childline offers a counselling service to children who are struggling with a range of issues. Call them on 0800 1111 at any time.
Police have warned against a dangerous Snapchat challenge calling on drivers to videotape themselves zooming at 100mph.

The '100mph Snapchat challenge' encourages drivers to accelerate to top speeds while recording a video of their speedometer on their phone as proof.

They must then upload the clip to the social media site as part of the craze that North Wales Police say is growing in popularity.

Officers in Wrexham claim they have increased speed check patrols after concerns about the dangerous trend were recently raised.

The 100mph challenge has been around for several years now, but still remains as hazardous as ever.

Wales resident Lewis Morgan, 20, was killed in December 2020 after his friend, driver Meirion Roberts, crashed into a telegraph pole.

Roberts, 26, had been drinking bottles of beer while behind the wheel and showing off his speedometer on the social media platform at the time of the crash.

Police have warned against a dangerous Snapchat challenge calling on drivers to videotape themselves zooming at 100mph. The warning comes after Wales resident Lewis Morgan, 20, (not pictured) was killed in December 2020 after his friend, driver Meirion Roberts (left), crashed into a telegraph pole

'The 100mph challenge that we have been made aware of is a real concern. Nobody needs to be reminded that speeding can have devastating consequences,' Sergeant Leigh Evans, of North Wales Police, said.

'This is a warning to those who are taking part in this challenge: don't be complacent, there is no excuse for breaking the laws of the road.'

The force has stepped up speed check patrols after concerns were raised over speeding on the Llan-y-Pwll road.

Sgt Evans said: 'We are aware of the concerns raised regarding speeding and nuisance vehicles in the area. We are continuing to monitor the area closely with regular patrols.

'Speeding is an issue that concerns many residents and one that we take extremely seriously. Those who choose to ignore the speed limits can expect to be prosecuted for their actions.

'The public will say 'police need to prioritise real issues, or 'shouldn't they focus on real crimes?' - I want to stress that people are killed and seriously injured as a result of unnecessary speed, so this is quite rightly, a priority for us.

He added: 'Driving at high speeds endangers the lives of those driving and those of other road users and can put extra demands on our NHS.

'We have a robust strategy around enforcing the 'Fatal 5' offences which includes speeding. Intentionally racing on the highway is likely to attract a prosecution for dangerous driving and subsequent disqualification or imprisonment.

'We'll continue to work closely with our local policing colleagues and our partners and I would encourage the public to continue to report any issues or concerns to so that we can plan our traffic operations accordingly and make the best use of our available officers.'

Meirion Roberts (pictured after the crash) denied a charge of death by dangerous driving, but he was convicted in February 2022 following a unanimous guilty verdict. He was jailed for seven and a half years

Lewis Morgan (left) could also be seen drinking in the video

The warning comes nearly 20 months after Roberts killed Mr Morgan in the drink driving smash.

Roberts was drinking at a work party in December 2020 before he drunkenly took the wheel with Mr Morgan as his passenger.

The pair were recorded in a Snapchat video drinking bottles of beer and showing off the speedometer of the white Vauxhall Corsa they were travelling in, which recorded a speed of over 100mph.

Roberts lost control of the vehicle in December 2020 before he smashed into a telegraph pole killing Mr Morgan in Blaenau, Carmarthenshire.

The 20-year-old suffered severe head trauma in the crash and died at the scene.

Roberts gave an alcohol reading of 54mg per 100ml of blood - the legal limit being 80 - more than five hours after the smash. An expert in breath alcohol analysis, during a trial held at Swansea Crown Court, calculated that Roberts' alcohol level would have been over the legal limit when the collision occurred.

Roberts denied a charge of death by dangerous driving, but he was convicted in February 2022 following a unanimous guilty verdict.

He was jailed for seven and a half years by Judge Christopher Vosper QC.

Anyone with information about the ongoing Snapchat challenge is encouraged to contact their local police force.
Ex-Cabinet minister Sajid Javid today revealed how he still wonders if 'there's anything I could have done' to save his brother's life.

The former health secretary spoke about how his family 'just didn't see it coming' when his eldest sibling, Tariq, took his own life in 2018.

Mr Javid is calling for more Government action to tackle the suicide rate, which he said remains 'stubbornly high' in the UK.

Tariq Javid, a supermarket chain boss, was found dead in a luxury hotel room just ten minutes from his West Sussex home in July 2018.

In a radio interview to mark World Mental Health Day, Mr Javid - one of five brothers to Pakistani Punjab-born parents who migrated to the UK in the 1960s - revealed his ongoing shock over his brother's death.

He also slammed the Government for a delay in introducing new online safety laws.

Mr Javid, who is also a former home secretary and ex-Chancellor, claimed there was a 'huge gap' in online regulation of content which incites suicide.

The Conservative MP cited the tragedy of schoolgirl Molly Russell in his demand for a crackdown on pro-suicide and self-harm related material on the internet.

Ex-Cabinet minister Sajid Javid is calling for more Government action to tackle the suicide rate, which he said remains 'stubbornly high' in the UK

Tariq Javid, a supermarket chain boss, was found dead in a luxury hotel room just ten minutes from his West Sussex home in July 2018

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme of his own family's tragedy, he said: 'It was four years ago he (Tariq) took his own life.

'None of us in the family, we didn't see it coming at all. One day he was there, the next day he was gone.

'I still think, very regularly - certainly on his birthday and other special family moments that I recall with my brothers - about whether there's anything I could have done to save his life.

'Sadly he's gone.'

Mr Javid said his family's experience was 'far from unique' as he noted there were 5,000 suicides on average in England every year.

'The rate has remained stubbornly high in the UK and more needs to be done,' he added.

The politician made a plea for anyone who has suicidal thoughts, or who was worried about a friend, to 'talk to someone' such as a family member, a work colleague, another loved one or call Samaritans on 116 123.

'We just didn't see it coming - he didn't talk to anyone about this,' Mr Javid said of his brother's suicide.

Mr Javid revealed how members of the Asian community encouraged him not to talk about Tariq's suicide.

He said the 'stigma' around suicide was 'more of an issue' for 'certain communities' but added: 'It's an issue generally in any case - particularly for men. Three-quarters of suicides are men.'

Sajid Javid is one of five brothers to Pakistani Punjab-born parents who migrated to the UK in the 1960s. Basit Javid is deputy assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police

Atif Javid (left) is a property investor and developer in Bristol, while Khalid Javid is a financial advisor

Mr Javid cited the tragedy of schoolgirl Molly Russell in his demand for a crackdown on pro-suicide and self-harm related material on the internet

Last month, a senior coroner concluded Molly Russell died after suffering from 'negative effects of online content' in a landmark ruling.

The 14-year-old, from Harrow in north-west London, died in November 2017 from an act of self-harm.

Mr Javid blasted a delay in bringing forward new legislation in the Government's Online Safety Bill, which aims to tackle harmful digital content.

'It is an offence under the current suicide act to encourage or incite someone to kill themselves,' he said.

'But theres a huge gap when it comes to covering digital communication.

'We were all reminded of that just last week with the coroners report into the tragic death of Molly Russell... so that needs to happen, but the Governments taking too long.

'When I was home secretary, alongside Jeremy Wright the culture secretary, we introduced the white paper on online harm, and here we are, four years later, nothing has happened.

'Other countries have done this and nothing has happened. Four years.'
In this undated photo released on Oct. 10 by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong-un oversees a missile launch drill. The agency said North Korea conducted the missile launch drills from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 to test its tactical nuclear warfare capabilities. Yonhap



Kim Jong-un says nothing to talk about with 'enemies'



By Nam Hyun-woo



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said its recent barrage of missile launches were "tactical nuclear" drills aimed at testing its capabilities of striking targets.



The regime also revealed some details of the ballistic missiles it launched, apparently involving new technologies for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and an improved engine for intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs). Experts said the launches appear to be part of the regime's efforts to expand and upgrade its much-touted tactical nuclear capability as well as to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the North's Workers' Party of Korea.



The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday that leader Kim Jong-un oversaw military drills staged by nuclear tactical operation units from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 to "check and assess the deterrence and nuclear counterattack capabilities" as well as send "a severe warning to the enemies."



"This is the verification of the operation posture of our deterrence and, at the same time, an occasion that proved the reliability of the thorough preparedness of the state nuclear defense posture," Kim was quoted as saying in the English version of the KCNA report. "It is also an obvious warning and clear demonstration of informing the enemies of our nuclear response posture and nuclear attack capabilities."





In this undated photo released on Oct. 10 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, a missile is fired from a transporter erector launcher during a dill. The agency said North Korea conducted the missile launch drills from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 to test its tactical nuclear warfare capabilities. Yonhap



The North has fired 12 missiles in seven separate rounds since Sept. 25, including an IRBM that flew over Japan on Oct. 4.



The provocations were an expression of the North's confidence in its missile capabilities following a naval military drill between South Korea and the U.S. involving the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group staged in South Korean waters from Sept. 26 to 29, and a Seoul-Washington-Tokyo trilateral anti-submarine drill that took place on Sept. 30.



The agency stated that short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) test-fired on Sept. 25 and 28 simulated the loading of tactical nuclear warheads, and the seven launches of the missiles since Sept. 25 were targeting "the enemies' main military command facilities, main ports and airports."



"In the past, the North claimed that its nuclear weapons program was targeting the U.S., not South Korea," said Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute. "Since this year, however, the North has threatened to deploy and use tactical nuclear weapons against the South, and this time, it simulated striking South Korean airports, military facilities and ports."



A tactical nuclear weapon is designed for use in a battle in which friendly forces are in the proximity, thus having smaller explosive power than strategic nuclear weapons. The KCNA said that the North's test launches of SRBMs while simulating the loading of a tactical nuclear warhead has South Korea as its main target and were warnings after the large-scale navy drills conducted by South Korea and the U.S.



"After claiming it has miniaturized nuclear warheads small enough to fit on ballistic missiles in 2016, the North has been putting greater emphasis on tactical nuclear warheads. Thus, it is far from being something astonishingly new," said Go Myong-hyun, a senior fellow of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.




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JK Rowling's public feud with Nicola Sturgeon over trans rights escalated today as the Harry Potter author sarcastically branded the SNP leader the 'First Feminist'  as it emerged that the party's equalities officer threatened to 'beat the f*** out of terfs'.

In a string of now deleted vile tweets, Cameron Downing, 23, threatened violence against women and using the derogatory term Terf [trans-exclusionary radical feminist] declared: 'I f****** hate terfs and transphobes with such a passion they make me want to SCREAM!'

Aspiring actor Mr Downing has been an equalities officer for the SNP's London branch since August and previously worked in the same role last year. He also worked as a contact tracer at NHS Lothian.

When confronted about the Twitter posts, he said: 'I apologise for these tweets and for any offence caused to the LGBTQ+ community and have long since deleted them.'

The outburst has sparked a public backlash, with Scottish Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton thundering: 'This is abhorrent language for someone in such a position to be using in relation to this debate. Given the sensitive nature of the subject, there is an onus on everyone involved to discuss it in a respectful and civilised way  not least an equalities officer for the SNP.'

Pressure group For Women Scotland added: 'The SNP seem to actively want mindless thugs in their ranks  as long as it is only women they want to hurt.'

Miss Rowling, 57, who has faced death threats from trans activists, waded into the row today and chose to resume her ongoing war of words with Miss Sturgeon by sharing the story on Twitter and writing: 'Nicola Sturgeon's Scotland: A place where an equalities officer feels free to declare in public how much he wants to beat up non-compliant women.'

JK Rowling's public feud with Nicola Sturgeon over trans rights escalated further today

In a string of vile tweets which have since been deleted, Cameron Downing, 23, threatened violence against women and declared: 'I f****** hate terfs and transphobes with such a passion they make me want to SCREAM!'

Miss Rowling, who has faced death threats from trans activists, continued the row with Miss Sturgeon

Responding to another tweet about Miss Sturgeon's next move, the Harry Potter author sarcastically said: Oh, I'm sure the First Feminist will be all over it, what with her sterling record of taking women's concerns seriously and loudly condemning rape and death threats to members of her own party.'

Miss Rowling and the First Minister are at loggerheads over trans-issues and the Scottish Government's legislation to make it quicker and easier for individuals as young as 16 to change sex with no requirement for medical reports or evidence.

The row escalated when Edinburgh-resident Miss Rowling branded the SNP leader a 'destroyer of women's rights'  wearing a T-shirt with it as a motif.

Glasgow MSP Miss Sturgeon then ratcheted up the war of words by suggesting that the author is not a 'real feminist'  and that she is.

Miss Rowling has since liked a tweet comparing Miss Sturgeon to 'Mean Girl' school bully Regina George  a movie character.

The women have been on opposite sides of the independence debate ever since 2014 when Miss Rowling donated 1million to the campaign against Scottish independence after warning that it could be a 'historically bad mistake' to leave the UK.

Miss Sturgeon has accused Miss Rowling and others of discriminating against transgender people

How did war of words between two of Scotland's most powerful women start? JK Rowling and Nicola Sturgeon's antipathy dates back to 2014 when author donated 1m to anti-Indy cause... before clash over trans rights agenda

JK Rowling and Nicola Sturgeon's public war of words over trans rights reignited in March  the animus is likely to have started in 2014 when the author donated 1million to help bankroll the campaign against Scottish independence.

The foes have never been photographed together despite being arguably the two most influential women in Scotland  and have been on opposite sides on major issues since the Indyref eight years ago.

What is the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill  and why are JK Rowling and Nicola Sturgeon rowing about it? The SNP's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill sets out proposals to speed up the time it takes to get a gender recognition certificate (GRC). The legal update would also lower the age at which trans people can obtain the document from 18 to 16. The Bill would cut the length of time a person has to live in their acquired gender before applying from two years to three months. They would then have to undertake a mandatory three-month 'reflection period', confirming at the end of this if they wish to proceed with their application. A medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria would no longer be required, removing the need for doctors' reports. However even some in the SNP have been critical of the reforms. For Women Scotland says it campaigns to protect and strengthen women and children's rights, and aims to 'protect 'sex' in law and policy', 'help people speak up' and 'promote evidence-based discussion'. A statement on its website adds: 'We believe that there are only two sexes, that a person's sex is not a choice, nor can it be changed. Women are entitled to dignity, safety and fairness.' Advertisement

The Harry Potter author and the First Minister are currently at loggerheads over trans issues and the Scottish Government's legislation to make it quicker and easier for individuals as young as 16 to change sex with no requirement for medical reports or evidence.

The row escalated last week when Edinburgh-resident Miss Rowling branded the SNP leader a 'destroyer of women's rights'  wearing a T-shirt with it as a motif  and later Glasgow MSP Miss Sturgeon ratcheted up the row by suggesting that the author is not a 'real feminist'  and that she is.

The women have been on opposite sides of the independence debate ever since 2014 when JK Rowling donated 1million to the campaign against Scottish independence after warning that it could be a 'historically bad mistake' to leave the UK.

Her donation was made 100 days before the referendum.

It was the the biggest donation made to the pro-UK Better Together campaign, run by her friend and former neighbour, Alistair Darling, who would win 55% to 45%.

Miss Rowling said she believes Scotland is an 'exceptional' country but is convinced that independence would carry serious economic risks.

Miss Sturgeon was the SNP's deputy leader and the result led to her boss Alex Salmond leaving his job and his protege taking over.

Ever since Miss Rowling's donation sparked a torrent of vile abuse from nationalist cyber bullies  or 'cybernats'.

At one point the abuse became so vile Miss Sturgeon stepped in and urged them to stop because it could harm their cause.

As well as the 1million donation  Miss Rowling, historically a Labour supporter, even used one of her recent books, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, to slam Sturgeon's Yes campaign.

One main character in her 2020 book Troubled Blood said: 'The leaders are promising rainbows and unicorns if only they cut themselves free of London. Anyone pointing out pitfalls or difficulties is scaremongering. Experts don't know anything. Facts lie'.

Their public feud reignited in March when Miss Sturgeon introduced her Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. The controversial new laws would set up a quicker and 'less medicalised' system for trans people to change their gender  and from a younger age.

After the First Minister spoke in the Scottish Parliament, Miss Rowling made her first direct attack, tweeting: 'The law Nicola Sturgeon is trying to pass in Scotland will harm the most vulnerable women in society'.

The SNP leader came out and told the BBC she did not hold the same view as the author, saying: 'I fundamentally disagree. The rules haven't yet changed'.

And last week the author pulled the pin after protests about the new Bill outside Holyrood  calling Miss Sturgeon a 'destroyer of women's rights'.

Miss Rowling liked a tweet comparing Nicola Sturgeon to school bully Regina George, played by Rachel McAdams (left), in the Mean Girls film

FWS bosses have called on activists to 'come, lend your voice and send a message that women matter'

Miss Rowling, who has faced death threats from trans activists, posted a photo of herself wearing the motif T-shirt and wrote: 'I stand in solidarity with @ForWomenScot and all women protesting and speaking outside the Scottish parliament. #NoToSelfID'.

Asked by journalists about the post, a spokesman for the Scottish Government said he had not seen it.

The First Minister was asked directly about JK Rowling's T-shirt and dismissed her critics on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, declaring: 'Abusive men are a risk to women  that is what we should be focusing on. We shouldn't be seeking to further stigmatise and discriminate against a tiny, tiny group in society that are already one of the most stigmatised groups in society.

'There are many, many real threats to women out there right now, from attacks physical attacks, attacks of sexual violence to the removal of abortion and reproductive rights to what women in countries like Iran are going through.

'The threat to women in our society today is not from trans women, it is from abusive men, from lawmakers who want to take away our rights and that is what we should be focusing on.

'I've always thought, on this issue, where people have very strong views, we should all try to treat each other with respect, and that's what I will continue to do.'

And in a thinly veiled attack on the feminist credentials of Miss Rowling, and members of For Women Scotland (FWS), she said: 'There are no shortages of attacks on women that feminists, real feminists, as I consider myself to be, should be focusing on right now.'

Women's Rights Campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen, who designed the T-Shirt Miss Rowling and other protesters wore, said of Miss Sturgeon's attack: 'It seems utterly implausible that anyone who cannot define a woman as an adult human female could even begin to call themselves a feminist.'

Could the row between JK Rowling and Nicola Sturgeon actually date back to 2014? 2014  The Harry Potter author launched a passionate defence of the Union after revealing she donated 1million to the fight independence 2015  Nicola Sturgeon tells SNP trolls to stop attacking Rowling on social media because it will damage the cause 2020  JK Rowling uses a novel to accuse nationalists of selling unicorns to win the referendum 2022 March  Their public war of words begins over the SNP's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. Miss Rowling said: 'The law Nicola Sturgeon is trying to pass in Scotland will harm the most vulnerable women in society'. October 6  Miss Rowling donned a T-shirt branding Miss Sturgeon a 'destroyer of women's rights'. October 7  The First Minister suggests that the author is not a 'real feminist'  and that she is. October 10  Miss Rowling brands Miss Sturgeon 'the First Feminist'. Advertisement

Caroline Ffiske from Conservatives for Women said: 'Nicola Sturgeon's comments about JK Rowling not being 'a real feminist' are absurd.

'JK Rowling has been a hero and an inspiration for tens of thousands of women across the United Kingdom who have become increasingly concerned about the impact of gender ideology'.

Hundreds of women gathered outside the Scottish Parliament on Friday to oppose the changes, brandishing banners accusing the First Minister of wanting to erode rights and setting out the definition of a biological woman.

Dozens of protesters at the rally For Women Scotland (FWS) also wore the motif T-shirt, which caused a campaigner to be ejected from a parliamentary committee in June while a minister was giving evidence.

The plans have faced a backlash in recent months, with a watchdog warning this week that allowing people to self-identify could cause 'confusion' about their status in other parts of the UK.

FWS bosses called on activists to 'come, lend your voice and send a message that women matter', as a committee meeting on the issue was held.

The group says it campaigns to protect and strengthen women and children's rights, and aims to 'protect 'sex' in law and policy', 'help people speak up' and 'promote evidence-based discussion'.

A statement on its website adds: 'We believe that there are only two sexes, that a person's sex is not a choice, nor can it be changed. Women are entitled to dignity, safety and fairness.'

Speakers at last week's rally included former Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont and Maya Forstater of Sex Matters.

Miss Lamont told demonstrators that upon its establishment, the Scottish Parliament 'was a Parliament where policy, where action, where law was shaped by an understanding of what created division and inequality'.

She said: 'The particular role was for the committees, which would breach the wall of the parliament and allow the people of Scotland to participate in what the world could be. That has not happened.

'It is not their job to decide before the committee meets who they will listen to, who they will speak to, and only listen to those who already agree with them.

'I'm not saying that the committee should agree with everything that we say. But they should listen, they should challenge, they should argue, they should probe.

'They should not dismiss, because in that world of dismissal, you shoot the messenger. You ignore the message, you make bad law and other people live with the consequences.

'So my challenge is to my friends and all of the people in there who have the honour of being elected members. Your job as lawmakers is not just to put into law what you think is right, but understand the laws of unintended consequences.'

Miss Lamont said she is 'conscious' of the importance of women's rights.

She said to the crowd: 'I was told 40 years ago, by young men: 'Now is not the time. There are other campaigns that matter. There are other people that are more vulnerable'.

'I said then, if you don't address women's inequality we will never have true equality, and that is as true now as it was then.'

It comes as a majority of MSPs on the equalities, human rights and civil justice committee recommended the general principles of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill should be approved.

Committee convener Joe FitzPatrick said: 'We believe these important reforms will improve the lives and experiences of trans people.'

Papers lodged alongside the Bill by the Scottish Government estimate the changes could result in the number of people applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) increasing from 30 a year to 250-300.

Five MSPs on the committee backed the legislation but the two Conservatives  Pam Gosal and Rachael Hamilton  opposed it.

The Bill sets out plans to speed up the time it takes to obtain a GRC, and also lowers the age for obtaining one from 18 to 16.

A rally was held outside the Scottish Parliament by women's rights campaigners last week

FWS says it campaigns to protect and strengthen women and children's rights and aims to 'help people speak up' and 'promote evidence-based discussion'

A statement on its website adds: 'We believe that there are only two sexes, that a person's sex is not a choice, nor can it be changed. Women are entitled to dignity, safety and fairness'

A medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria would no longer be required, removing the requirement for doctors' reports.

The period of time someone must have lived in their 'acquired gender' before applying would be reduced from two years to three months under the legislation  although a three-month 'reflection period' would be introduced to the process.

A previous consultation by the Scottish Government found 60% of respondents backed moving to a system of self-declaration.

A majority of MSPs on the committee supported removing the need for any medical evidence or diagnosis 'believing that trans people know their own minds'.

However some on the committee were 'concerned that the removal of the requirement for gender dysphoria and the requirement for medical evidence may extend the GRC process to a large and more diverse group of people'.

The First Minister has led the fight to introduce legislation which aims to make it easier for transgender people to be legally recognised as their preferred gender

They feared this 'could potentially mean the process is open to abuse from bad faith actors, particularly predatory men'.

Concerns have also been raised about the impact the reforms could have on single-sex spaces for women and girls  such as female-only toilets or changing rooms.

The report said most MSPs on the committee agree that while such views are 'sincerely held', they are satisfied the Bill would not change any of the existing protections women have under the Equality Act 2010.

This 'includes the ability to exclude trans people from single-sex services where proportionate and appropriate'.

The committee report said: 'The majority is satisfied that the Bill will not change or remove women's rights, make changes to how toilets and changing rooms operate, redefine what a man or a woman is, nor change or expand trans people's rights.'

Mr FitzPatrick said MSPs had heard a 'wide range of views' while scrutinising the legislation.

It comes after a list of problems with the proposal, including access to services, was sent by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to the UK and Scottish governments.

The watchdog said 'practical difficulties or confusion are likely to arise in cross-border situations' if the Equality Act is passed by Holyrood.

The letter said people who changed their gender in Scotland but lived in another part of the UK would face difficulty over their 'legal status and rights'.

Officials added issues would arise regardless of whether the UK Government accepted GRCs given out in Scotland.

Both employers and services would struggle to determine a person's legal gender and may have to take the 'intrusive or offensive' measures of asking to see a birth certificate or GRC, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The watchdog urged both governments to 'work constructively together' to sort out the issues it raised before the Bill goes ahead.
Heartbroken families are furious at council cemetery bosses for tearing down any 'dangerous' headstone over 18 inches high in a health and safety purge on 50,000 graves.

Mourners tending the final resting places of relatives at first believed the plots had been vandalised by yobs.

But tiny stickers attached to the headstones told the flabbergasted families their memorials had been uprooted and laid on the ground by council workmen.

Dawn Jordan, 52, from Scarborough, only learned the headstone commemorating her mother, Bridie Jordan, 61, who died in 2003, sister Karen Jordan, who died aged 36 in 2000, and another loved one buried in the same plot, had been uprooted when she saw the rows of flattened headstones on Facebook.

She said: 'I was gutted. It is not very nice seeing your loved ones' memorial pushed over.

'I just think it's disgusting that they can just push these over without consulting anyone. A lot of people are very upset. There was a row of overturned graves near my family's.'

Council cemetery bosses at three sites in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, targetted graves during a health and safety campaign, which saw 'dangerous' headstones over 18 inches tall being knocked down. without families being told first. Pictured is an aftermath at a cemetery

Some headstones, like this one belonging to Roy Kellett, were destroyed during the health and safety checks

The memorial of Bridie Jordan (pictured), who was laid to rest at a Scarborough cemetery where the council have topple-tested, was knocked down, leaving her daughter Dawn Jordan furious

Safety checks were introduced in British cemeteries years ago to stop hefty memorials falling on people and killing them.

But many of the stones targeted at three cemeteries in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, were little over knee height and relatives are seething.

According to official guidance, the so-called 'topple tests' are meant to involve workmen standing next to memorials and pushing them to see if they are unsteady.

But pictures shared on social media have revealed any headstone over 18 inches tall has been targetted. In some cases, the bases are still in the ground and workmen have wrenched off the plaques, breaking the corners off.

Home Office rules make clear relatives should be properly informed if their loved ones' graves are disturbed.

But Scarborough Borough Council bosses have been accused of ignoring families, who only found out what had happened when they arrived to lay flowers or read about it on Facebook.

The checks, which the council say involve subjecting any memorial over 18 inches tall to a 'gentle push', have taken place at three of the town's cemeteries, including Woodlands where Jimmy Savile lies in an unmarked plot after his elaborate triple headstone was removed and sent to landfill in 2012.

Relatives will be charged 330 for stone masons to put the headstones back up but families face bills of more than 1,000 to replace those which have been broken while being dismantled.

Dawn added: 'I have to get in touch with the stone masons the Crematorium have told me to use and they have to go look at the grave and give me a quote on how much it will cost to re-erect the gravestone.

'We have no idea how much it will cost yet. But I have heard from others that they have had quotes for around 300.

'I understand the council's reasoning for it but the fact that there has been no correspondence and you get to hear and see what has happened on Facebook is out of order.

'I really couldn't tell you if there was anything wrong with the stone because the last time I was there was Christmas. But my brother was there last week and it was still upright and he said he didn't notice any problems with it. It is only about two and half foot high anyway.'

Families say they were given no warning by Scarborough Borough Council that graves were being 'topple-tested' by workers

The council says the checks involve subjecting any memorial over 18 inches tall to a 'gentle push'. Large signs - like this one - were left on the headstones that 'failed' the tests

Another disgusted relative Chelsea Louise Law said she has a number of relatives buried at one of the sites affected. She was outraged that families had not been told about the tests by council workers.

'They should be contacting the families to let them know their loved ones' headstones have failed instead of tying a label to the headstone,' she added.

'There are many that have been broken and you can clearly see they have been forcefully broken.

'We have one family member's stone that has been stuck with the label.

'Ours wasn't toppled - it just failed the tests, it is still standing. It's just wobbly [but] there was a headstone in front of ours that had been fully toppled.

'Our headstone, luckily, is still intact and just needed resetting. But the one in front has clearly been forced and snapped off.

'I can only imagine the financial impacts it is having on families.'

There was also concern about the impact on the views of toppled graves.

Janet Whittaker said: 'I saw this a few weeks ago and thought it was quite a lot of graves - and they have only done one area so far.

'If the families are not around anymore to deal with the situation it is going to get really unsightly, and Woodlands has always been so nicely kept.'

Cheryl Mann said: 'This is so sad and happened to my great-great-grandmother's grave last time they did this.'

As well as enraging relatives, the tests have also cause uproar on social media. Kate Jenkinson said: 'I am amazed. I never thought a gravestone to be that dangerous. They are not huge, and no one touches them surely. Children certainly shouldn't be playing around them.'

Pictures shared on social media have revealed any headstone over 18 inches tall has been targetted. In some cases, the bases are still in the ground and workmen have wrenched off the plaques, breaking the corners off. Pictured are some of the graves tested by council workers

Some headstones that were toppled were barely knee-high, like this one belonging to the grave of a 71-year-old man

Betty Smith commented: 'Wow I've never seen this before....seems very blunt when dealing with a loved ones resting place.'

Deborah Newlove added: 'The council have a record of who owns the plot so why are they not writing to the owner? I only looked at one section today and half of them had a label on to ring up. Think there will be a lot.'

Jayne Needham posted: 'I think it's awful and disrespectful to bang a sticker on a memorial! As someone said, I'm sure they could have just contacted people instead of wading in and destroying the resting places of peoples loved ones.'

Scarborough Borough Council said: 'A sensitive audit of memorial stones in our three cemeteries to check they are stable and don't pose a safety risk to people that visit the cemeteries and the staff that work in them, began in July and is continuing.

'Communications were carried out from early June to give people plenty of notice of the work. This included writing directly to grave owners where known, putting up signs in the cemeteries, which are still in place, and an article in the June edition of our digital newsletter, Residents' News, which goes to around 40,000 subscribers.

'We also shared a news release with print, online and broadcast media, placed information booklets at local stonemasons, added a digital version of the booklet to our website and put information on our social media channels.

'After inspection, the headstones which are laid down or are in need of attention have signs attached telling people to contact us if they have any queries.'

The digital booklet states: 'Contact with the last known grave owner will be made, if the information held is less than 30 years old. We will not write to anyone where the information is older than this, because we have no way of knowing if the owner has since died themselves and would not wish to distress relatives in this respect.

'The council is responsible for 3 cemeteries, with over 50,000 headstones and memorials. Some of these are in a poor condition and have the potential to cause danger.

'We will apply a proportionate approach to testing in each cemetery which will mean that any book, rest or footstone less, than 18 inches in height, will not be tested.'

In 2009, a Panorama investigation claimed UK councils had wasted millions on the 'topple tests' which only showed an 'over-zealous' approach to health and safety and in many cases had damaged the memorials.
A teenager has been found guilty of killing of a 15-year-old schoolboy who was stabbed on his way home from school.

Tamim Ian Habimana died from a single stab wound to the heart after he was attacked in Vincent Road, Woolwich, southeast London, on July 5 last year.

The 16-year-old killer was among a group of youths 'intent on revenge' after another 15-year-old carried out a stabbing in Dartford nine days earlier.

He was cleared of murder by an Old Bailey jury but convicted of manslaughter and wounding the other boy.

Two other boys, aged 15 and 16 at the time, were cleared of murder but convicted of conspiracy to commit violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon.

Danny Robinson, KC, prosecuting, had told the court the youths 'went to Woolwich on 5 July 2021 to carry out a revenge attack for a stabbing committed by the second victim nine days earlier.

'The defendants' group were armed with weapons, and Tamim Ian Habimana was stabbed in the heart.'

Tamim Ian Habimana died from a single stab wound to the heart after he was attacked on the way home from school

CCTV played to the court captured the five teenagers crossing Vincent Road, next to Woolwich Arsenal station.

Suddenly, one of the boys removed the metal stem from the umbrella he was carrying and the group charged toward Ian and his friends.

In an attempt to escape, Ian ran between two parked cars but seconds later was caught by his attackers.

The footage showed him reaching his hands out as his killer turned and stabbed him once in the chest.

Despite his injury, Ian managed to run a short distance up Woolwich New Road, but collapsed shortly after.

Further CCTV footage captured the attack on the second victim.

Tamim managed to run a short distance despite his injury but collapsed shortly after. Pictured is the police cordon in Woolwich

The group cornered him in the road, striking him with the umbrella stem and their fists.

Ian's killer stabbed at him, hitting him once in the back before his knife broke.

'An off-duty police officer, Mhmuda Gumanach, saw what was happening and ran across the road to stop the fight,' said the prosecutor.

'By coincidence, another police officer was also at the scene of the attack.

'The attack took place right in front of him, although it happened very quickly.

'He saw the umbrella stem and the knife being used as weapons during the attack.

'The defendants travelled to Woolwich that day with a purpose: to carry out an attack with weapons.

'The killer did not only stab the second victim once, but multiple times, continuing even when the knife had broken.'

Police cordoning off a block of shops on Woolwich New Road after the attack took place

The day after the killing one of the suspects was found using a school computer to search for reports of Ian's murder.

In a meeting with the school, he claimed he had been interested in the attack because he 'used to live in Woolwich' and had been at the cinema with friends at the time.

A member of the public called an ambulance and specialist trauma doctors were airlifted to the scene.

Despite their best efforts, they did not manage to save Ian and he was pronounced dead just after 6pm that day.

A post-mortem examination revealed that the knife had pierced his heart, leaving a 17mm wound on the surface of the skin that went 15cm deep.

Police attended the hospital where the second victim was being treated for his injuries, but the young boy refused to cooperate with the investigation.

Two other men, Daryl Bethel, 18, and Lewis Bollen, 20, were cleared by the jury of murder, attempted murder, wounding with intent and wounding.

Judge Mark Dennis, KC, will set a sentencing date later today.
Fears were raised today that Belarus could join the conflict in Ukraine after President Alexander Lukashenko announced he will deploy a 'joint military task force' with Russia on the country's western border.

The dictator said this was in response to what he said was a clear threat to Belarus from Kyiv and its backers in the West, claiming without evidence that Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine were training Belarusian 'radicals' for terror attacks.

Lukashenko's announcement sparked fury in Europe, with the European Commission urging Belarus to refrain from any involvement in Russia's 'brutal illegitimate undertaking' that violated the United Nations Charter and international law.

Specifically, it told Minsk immediately to stop allowing the territory of Belarus to serve as a launch pad for very recent missile strikes and drone attacks against Ukrainian civilians.

Fears were raised today that Belarus could join the conflict in Ukraine after President Alexander Lukashenko (pictured with Putin on September 26) announced he will deploy a 'joint military task force' with Russia on the embattled country's western border

The remarks from Lukashenko, who has held power in Belarus since 1994, indicate a potential further escalation of the war in Ukraine, possibly with a combined Russian-Belarus joint force in the north of Ukraine.

'Strikes on the territory of Belarus are not just being discussed in Ukraine today, but are also being planned,' Lukashenko said at a meeting on security, without providing evidence for the assertion.

'Their owners are pushing them to start a war against Belarus to drag us there.'

'We have been preparing for this for decades. If necessary, we will respond,' Lukashenko said, adding that he had spoken to Putin about the situation while at a meeting in St Petersburg.

Lukashenko said he had agreed with Putin to deploy a regional military group, and had started pulling forces together two days ago, apparently after an attack on Russia's road and rail bridge to Crimea early on Saturday.

He said that a warning was delivered to Belarus through unofficial channels that Ukraine planned 'Crimean Bridge 2', though he did not give details.

'My answer was simple: 'Tell the president of Ukraine and the other lunatics: if they touch one metre of our territory then the Crimean Bridge will seem to them like a walk in the park'.'

He also claimed Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine were training Belarusian 'radicals' to carry out terror attacks in his country.

'The training in Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine of Belarusian radical militants for them to carry out sabotage, terrorist attacks and to organise a military mutiny in the country is becoming a direct threat,' Lukashenko said.

Belarus's army has about 60,000 people. Earlier this year, Belarus deployed 6 battalion-tactical groups, totalling several thousand people, to the border areas.

Lukashenko (pictured speaking in July) said he had agreed with Putin to deploy a regional military group, and had started pulling forces together two days ago, apparently after an attack on Russia's road and rail bridge to Crimea early on Saturday

Pictured: Russian and Belarus tanks during joint exercises of the armed forces on February 24, days before Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine on February 24

Russian (right) and Belarus soldiers during joint exercises of the armed forces, February 19

On Sunday, the head of Belarus's border guards accused Ukraine of provocations at the border.

Russian forces used Belarus as a staging post for their Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, sending troops and equipment into northern Ukraine from bases in Belarus.

Peter Stano, a spokesperson for the European Union's executive arm, urged Belarus to refrain from getting involved in the on-going war.

'Any further actions and in particular the Belarusian military's direct involvement into this war, against the will of the vast majority of the Belarusian people, will be met by new and strong restrictive measures,' Stano said.

The news came days after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to human rights organisations in Ukraine and Russia, and to an activist jailed in Russia's ally Belarus - angering Minsk.

It also came as Russian president Vladimir Putin blitzed Ukraine with missile strikes this morning, hitting the capital Kyiv and killing civilians as revenge for an explosion which crippled the Crimea Bridge on Saturday.

At least eight people were killed and 24 were injured in just one of the Kyiv strikes, while police said 10 were killed across the country. The number is expected to rise.

Ukraine's military said 83 rockets were fired at Ukraine - half of which were shot down while the other half of which slammed into cities across the country.

KYIV: Cars burn on the streets of the Ukrainian capital this morning after multiple missiles struck the city - the first time in months that it has been hit, and as Putin plots his revenge for strikes on the Kerch Bridge

KYIV: A dead body lies in the streets after Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital for the first time in months, torching cars and blowing up a park in a residential area

KYIV: Firefighters extinguish a burning vehicle as a dead body lies on the street (bottom right) following Russian missile strikes that targeted civilian areas and power stations

The European Commission condemned Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Monday as 'barbaric'.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia's acts had 'no place in the 21st century', adding that military support for Ukraine from the bloc was on its way.

Russia pounded cities across Ukraine during rush hour in apparent revenge strikes after Putin declared a blast on Russia's bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack.

'They are barbaric and cowardly attacks... targeting innocent civilians on their way to work and school in the morning traffic,' Peter Stano, a spokesperson for the European Union's executive arm told the Commission's daily news briefing.

He described the strikes as a contravention of international humanitarian law and said Russia's political and military leadership would be held accountable for these and other war crimes.

The missiles tore into busy intersections, parks and tourist sites in the centre of downtown Kyiv with an intensity not seen even when Russian forces attempted to capture the capital early in the war.

Explosions were also reported in several other cities including Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in western Ukraine, Dnipro and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the south and Kharkiv in the east.

In a televised address, Putin said he had ordered 'massive' long-range strikes against Ukrainian energy, command and communication targets, using missiles fired from air, sea and land, in response to what he described as terrorist attacks, including Saturday's explosion at the Kerch Strait bridge.

'The Kyiv regime, with its actions, has put itself on the same level as international terrorist organisations. With the most odious groups. To leave such acts without a response is simply impossible,' Putin said.

DNIPRO: Bodies lie covered in blankets after Russia missiles struck the city of Dnipro, in south-central Ukraine

ZAPORIZHZHIA: Rescuers attempt to extinguish the remains of an apartment building in southern Ukraine which was hit by a Russian missile overnight

LVIV: Smoke rises over the city in far-western Ukraine that has been largely spared the worst effects of the war after Putin unleashed a barrage of strikes in revenge for the Crimea bridge being hit

83 Russian missiles were launched at Ukraine this morning in combination with Iranian drones, striking power stations, water supplies and civilians across the country - killing eight and wounding 24 in Kyiv alone

The Kremlin was humiliated on Saturday when an explosion damaged the only bridge over the Kerch Strait linking Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, to Russia proper. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the blast on the bridge but has celebrated it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday's rush hour attacks were deliberately timed to kill people as well as to knock out Ukraine's power grid. His prime minister said 11 major infrastructure targets were hit in eight regions, leaving swaths of the country with no power, water or heat.

In Kyiv, the body of a man in jeans lay in a street at a major intersection, surrounded by flaming cars. In a park, a soldier cut through the clothes of a woman who lay in the grass to try to treat her wounds. Two other women were bleeding nearby.

A huge crater gaped next to a children's playground in a central Kyiv park. The remains of an apparent missile were buried, smoking in the mud.

More volleys of missiles struck the capital again later in the morning. Pedestrians huddled for shelter at the entrance of Metro stations and inside parking garages.

Germany said a building housing its consulate in Kyiv had been hit in Monday's strike, though it had not been used since the war started on Feb. 24.

By mid-morning, Ukraine's defence ministry said Russia had fired 83 cruise missiles, and Ukraine's air defences had shot down 43 of them. Police said at least five people had been killed and 12 wounded in Kyiv.

Security camera footage showed shrapnel and flames engulfing a glass-bottomed footbridge across a wooded valley in the city centre, one of Kyiv's most popular tourist sites. One pedestrian ran away from the blast. Reuters later saw a huge crater beneath the bridge, which was damaged but remained standing.

'They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth,' Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app. 'The air raid sirens do not subside throughout Ukraine.'

Zelensky later filmed a video message on a mobile phone on an empty central Kyiv street. He said the strikes had two main targets: energy infrastructure and people.

'Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible,' he said.

Prime Minister Denys Shmygal promised to restore utilities as quickly as possible. Officials reported that power was down in Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv and nearby Poltava.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: 'Putin's only tactic is terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities, but he will not break Ukraine down. This is also his response to all appeasers who want to talk with him about peace: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles.'

Ramzan Kadyrov, the staunchly pro-Kremlin leader of Russia's Chechnya region who had demanded in recent days that military commanders be sacked, hailed Monday's attacks

Commentators on Russian television have increasingly been calling for massive retaliation against Ukraine, with the military leadership facing public criticism for the first time as Russian forces have been beaten back on the battlefield.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the staunchly pro-Kremlin leader of Russia's Chechnya region who had demanded in recent days that military commanders be sacked, hailed Monday's attacks: 'Now I am 100% satisfied with how the special military operation is being conducted.

'We warned you Zelensky, that Russia hasn't even got started yet, so stop complaining ... and run! Run away without looking back to the West,' he wrote.

The Kerch Bridge, which Putin personally opened, is a major supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine and a symbol of Russia's control of Crimea.

Russia has faced major setbacks on the battlefield since the start of September, with Ukrainian forces bursting through front lines and recapturing territory.

Putin responded to the losses by ordering a mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of reservists, proclaiming the annexation of occupied territory and threatening repeatedly to use nuclear weapons.
Jeb Bush slammed Donald Trump for claiming his dead father had taken White House materials to a Chinese restaurant combined with a bowling alley in a confusing defense for removing classified documents when leaving office.

During a rally in Nevada on Saturday, Trump called for investigations into deceased President George H. W. Bush, who served from 1989 to 1993, as well as former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush questioned on Twitter 'what the heck is up' with Trump, and said the comments about his father were confusing.

'George H.W. Bush took millions of documents to a former bowling alley and a former Chinese restaurant where they combined them. So they're in a bowling alley/Chinese restaurant,' Trump said during a rally in Minden, Nevada on Saturday evening.

'By contrast, I had a small number of boxes and storage at Mar-a-Lago  very small, relatively  guarded by the Great Secret Service,' the former president said as assurance the documents were in safe keeping.

Trump's new claims about the 41st president came at a point in the rally where he was tearing into the FBI for raiding his home in August in order to obtain documents he removed from the White House when he left office in January 2021.

Donald Trump claimed at a rally in Nevada on Saturday that late President George H. W. Bush brought documents to a 'Chinese restaurant/bowling alley' and said that several former presidents needs to be investigated for their handling of White House materials

Bush Sr.'s son Jeb Bush said the claim is 'confusing' despite his father's love of 'a good Chinese meal' and 'challenge of 7 10 split'

Jeb, the former governor of Florida, asked 'what the heck is up' with Trump. Pictured: Jeb hugs his father George H. W. Bush as they celebrate his victory over democratic challenger Bill McBride in Miami, Florida on November 5, 2002

DID GEROGE H. W. BUSH 'MISHANDLE' PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS, AS TRUMP CLAIMS? To really understand Trump's claims about Bush Sr.'s mishandling of data, it requires looking back to the Iran-Contra affair. George H. W. Bush was president from 1989 to 1993 and vice president to Ronald Reagan for two terms before that. The White House computers were installed with an early email prototype software in 1982. There was no precedent at the time establishing emails should be protected like other White House documents. In 1986, two men indicted for their roles in the Iran-Contra affair shredded more than 5,000 notes that were also stored in memory banks on White House computers. Following a lawsuit against Ronald Reagan by the National Security Archive (NSA) in 1989, a district judge issued an order prohibiting destruction of emails during the probe into U.S. dealings with Iranian terrorists. Another judge ruled the same year that then-President George H.W. Bush could be sued to ensure emails had the same protections as other White House documents. In 1993, the same judge ruled that email messages from Reagan and H. W. Bush administrations should be protected. He also ordered the Bush White House preserve computer records, claiming he had suspicions they were planning to destroy email files. Bush then signed a secret agreement with the head of the National Archives and Records and Administration (NARA), Don Wilson, which granted him control of the email records and led to records being lost, erased or damaged. This is what Trump meant when he talked about 'sloppy handling' and misplacement of records. The whole ordeal led to changes in the handling of electronic White House data. Advertisement

The confusing link appears to be drawing a comparison between the raid on Trump's Florida residence this summer and an unrelated story from 1993 about mishandling of computer data under George H. W. Bush.

The part about the Chinese restaurant and bowling alley comes from a 1994 Associated Press report about how Bush Sr. stored everything from his life in a warehouse-like room that was once a bowling alley and in the building next store in what used to be a Chinese restaurant.

In a Truth Social post last week, Trump said 'tapes from George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan administrations [...] were lost after having been ordered preserved by a federal judge' in 1993.

He argued in the post that Bush Sr. had been given 'exclusive control over all Presidential information' by the National Archivist.

'Compare that to how unfairly and illegally the 45th President, me, has been treated!'

At a second rally in Arizona on Sunday, Trump claimed that Obama moved over 33 million pages of documents to a former furniture store in Chicago, a claim that has been debunked by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

It is not immediately clear if there is any validity to Trump's claims about Bush Sr.

Trump said at his two rallies this weekend that many former presidents and other executive branch members have handled documents more poorly than he had.

Hillary Clinton, he noted, deleted tens of thousands of emails despite being under congressional subpoena  a line that still receives a slew of boos and jeers from the crowd of supporters.

'When will they investigate and prosecute Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, George Bush and look into what took place with George Bush's father  a very nice man  and the warehouse of documents. And what about Barack Hussein Obama. Are they under potential prosecutions? I don't think so. I don't think they are,' Trump lamented.

'A Chinese restaurant and a bowling alley, with no security and a broken front door,' he said.

Jeb Bush, one of the many GOP candidates who tried to best Trump in the 2016 primary election, replied to Trump's comments with a tweet claiming: 'I am so confused.'

'My dad enjoyed a good Chinese meal and enjoyed the challenge of 7 10 split,' the 69-year-old former governor said. 'What the heck is up with you?'

Trump (left) is pictured socializing with then-Vice President George H. W. Bush (right) in 1988 when he was campaigning for president at a Waldorf Astoria

Trump also repeated his claims about the senior Bush during his rally in Arizona just 24 hours after his Nevada event.

He claimed that H. W. 'took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant.':

'They put them together. And it had a broken front door and broken windows. Other than that it was quite secure,' he sarcastically noted.

George H. W. Bush was president for one term from 1989 to 1993 after serving as vice president for Ronald Reagan. He died in November 2018 at the age of 94.

A 1994 article from the AP said that Bush Sr.'s life was stored in the old Chimney Hill Bowl, but said that there was not enough room for the 36 million pages of documents, a million photos and 40,000 objects.

The overflow storage went into the building next door, which the article notes used to be the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant.
Jury selection begins today in Harvey Weinstein's Los Angeles trial where nine women - including Gavin Newsom's wife - will testify about how he allegedly abused them.

The trial is expected to last for months and could put Weinstein behind bars for life. In this case, he faces 11 charges relating to alleged crimes against five women. An additional four will testify as bad character witnesses.

Among the alleged victims to whom the charges pertain is Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

She alleges that Weinstein attacked her in 2005 after luring her to a meeting which turned out to be a 'trap'. It was three years before she married Newsom.

It will be the first time she describes their alleged encounter in detail.

She previously told of having 'similar' experiences with Weinstein as his other accusers, but has never given more information about the 2005 incident.

Among the alleged victims to whom the charges pertain is Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Siebel alleges that Weinstein raped her in 2005, when she was an actress. It was three years before she married Newsom

The Los Angeles Times on Monday reported for the first time that Siebel-Newsom is Jane Doe #4.

Weinstein is accused raping and forcing oral sex on her.

THE LOS ANGELES CHARGES AGAINST WEINSTEIN JANE DOE #1 - Unidentified Italian actress Forced oral copulation - February 18, 2013 Sexual penetration by foreign object - February 18, 2013 Forcible rape against the same woman on the same day - February 18, 2013 JANE DOE #2 Sexual battery - February 19, 2013 JANE DOE #3 Sexual battery by restraint - May 11, 2010. 'Weinstein unlawfully touched an intimate part of Jane Doe #3 while she was unlawfully restrained'. JANE DOE #4 - Jennifer Siebel Newsom Forcible oral copulation - September 2005 Forcible rape - September 2005 JANE DOE #5 Forcible oral copulation November - 2009 Forcible rape - November 2009 Forcible oral copulation - November 2010 Forcible rape - November 2010 Advertisement

Elizabeth Fegan, her attorney, said: 'Like many other women, my client was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at a purported business meeting that turned out to be a trap.

'She intends to testify at his trial in order to seek some measure of justice for survivors, and as part of her lifes work to improve the lives of women.'

Another of the accusers is Lauren Young, an actress and model who testified at his New York trial.

Her attorney, Gloria Allred, confirmed to DailyMal.com that she would be testifying.

Siebel Newsom first accused Weinstein of attacking her in a 2017 article for The Huffington Post.

'I was naive, new to the industry, and didnt know how to deal with his aggressive advances,' she wrote at the time.

Weinstein, 70 - whos being held at LAs notorious Twin Towers jail - pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges when he first appeared in court in July last year after being extradited from New York where hes serving a 23-year sentence for the rape and sexual assault of two women.

The LA charges against him include rape, sexual battery, forced oral copulation and forced sexual penetration involving five un-named women between 2004 and 2013.

And with more than 260 people on the prosecutions witness list, the West Coast trial is expected to last up to two months.

At a pre-trial court hearing last August, the ex-movie moguls attorney, Mark Werksman, tried to persuade Judge Lisa Lench to delay the trial, contending that a firestorm of publicity about the upcoming Brad Pitt-produced film She Said could prejudice the jury against Weinstein.

She Said, opening in theaters November 18, stars Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor who wrote an expose on Weinstein in 2017.

And Werksman claimed that billboards, other advertising and social media about the flick will highlight the lurid and negative aspects of this case and could influence a jury against his client.

But Judge Lench denied Werksmans motion to postpone the trial till at least January to allow publicity about the movie to die down.

I dont think there is gong to be a time when there is not media coverage of this case, the judge told the court.

Newsom and his wife, left. She has never spoken at length about her experience with Weinstein but is expected to take the stand. Right, Siebel Newsom in the 2008 movie April Fools Day

Judge Lench also rejected Werksmans request to delay the trial until after his appeal against his New York conviction and 23-year sentence is heard.

Two months ago, New York State of Appeals Chief Judge Janet DiFiore ruled that Weinstein - who has always insisted hes innocent - would be allowed to appeal, based on his attorneys claims that he didnt get a fair trial.

His lawyers maintain that his NY trial judge allowed several witnesses to testify about acts that Weinstein was never charged with.

And they also argued that one juror did not reveal that shed written a book about sexual predators, which his legal team say should have disqualified her from serving on the jury.

The New York ruling means that NY State of Appeals Court will hear oral arguments in Weinsteins appeal next year.

The court could uphold his conviction. But if it overturns his conviction and orders a new trial, he could be granted bail while awaiting any retrial.

Lauren Young, who testified at the New York, trial, will testify again in Los Angeles

Addressing Weinsteins Los Angeles charges in August, Werksman argued that part of the prosecutions LA case against Weinstein is based on his conviction in New York that could be toppled by appeal'.

'The (LA) prosecution should not be allowed to introduce this conviction when it could be reversed by New Yorks Court of Appeal, he said.

LA deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson told the court that while the New York Court of Appeal has agreed to hear oral arguments next year, it could still be a long time before it actually issues a ruling on whether to uphold or reverse his NY conviction.

If the start of Weinsteins LA trial was delayed until after the New York appeal decision, he said, we could be in a position of waiting years to try this case.'

Last May, prosecutors asked Judge Lench to allow 16 more alleged victims - including actresses Daryl Hannah and Rose McGowan - to testify against him at his upcoming trial.

Deputy Thompson argued that the evidence of the 16 other women was important because it showed Weinsteins MO and their experiences provided a high level of similarity with the charges Weinstein is facing in LA.

But Werksman lashed back, saying that the prosecutions aim with this long list of vile, uncharged acts was to make the jury hate Mr. Weinstein.

Weinstein's attorneys say the imminent release of She Said, a new movie about the scandal and how New York Times journalists first broke the story of Weinstein's sexual crimes

Calling 16 more women - none of whom has proven their cases in court - was a cynical ploy to overwhelm the court, said Werksman who accused prosecutors of trying to portray Weinstein as an all-purpose, all weather, 24-7 rapist.

He called the large number of extra alleged victims mind-numbing, preposterous and ridiculously prejudicial. and added, Nobody is going to remember who did what to whom, when, where and why.

'Its totally irrelevant, totally unnecessary. We have a large abundance of witnesses already in the 11 charges in Los Angeles. Prosecutors are wasting our time. Its a big feint - and your honor should not stand for it.

Judge Lench ruled that all of the pre-2000 alleged victims except for one, should be excluded, leaving only six. Hannah and McGowan are not among those six.
A 2-year-old boy in Michigan is safe thanks to the quick thinking of two school bus drivers who sprang into action during a carjacking.

In an incredible moment caught on camera, a bus driver scoops up the toddler who had been left on the side of the road by the suspect.

Just minutes earlier, the carjacker had swiped the vehicle with the toddler still inside as the boy's parents, who were waiting outside to put their other child on the bus, watched on helplessly.

A nearby school bus driver spotted the parents frantically waving in the Kentwood neighborhood and put out a call for help.

Another bus driver who had heard the call for help and spotted the child, spun her bus around and delivered him safely into his parents arms.

The stolen car was found a short time later in Grand Rapids. Police have not yet located the carjacker.

A 2-year-old boy in Kentwood, Michigan is scooped up from a driveway and returned to his parents following a carjacking, after a bus driver spotted the child and sprang in to action

After a scary 10 minutes, the toddler was safely returned to his parents

According to FOX17, the parents were outside their running car to put their child on the bus. Their 2-year-old son was in the backseat.

Suddenly a man ran to the car, got in and drove off. Their toddler was still inside the vehicle.

When Kelloggsville school bus driver Dave Skinner drove down the street, he noticed the parents frantically waving and stopped to help.

'I was heading down for my morning pickup down 48th Street,' Skinner told FOX 17. 'Glancing down the road and there was some people waving their arms, down the side of the road.'

School bus driver, Sue Figueroa, who thought she had just spotted the child, heard the call for help over the radio and scooped the child from a driveway

The child is wrapped in a blanket and held close to the driver as she gets him on the bus

Figueroa is seen on the video putting the child on her bus and driving to his parents' home

The toddler was placed on the seat of the bus and returned to his parents

Skinner called 911 and put a call out on his bus radio for other drivers to be on the lookout for the child.

'When you get close enough you can see the look in mom and dad's eyes you knew something was wrong,' Skinner said. 'It's kind of a judgment call so I stopped.'

Another school bus driver, Sue Figueroa, who thought she had just spotted the child, heard the call and turned her bus around to help.

'The direction she came from, she had seen a child standing on the side of the road with a blanket,' Skinner said. 'I'm still dealing with mom and dad. And then Kristen, she gets on the radio and tells her to turn around and go back and pick the child up.'

A tearful reunion as the bus driver delivered the toddler to his parents following the carjacking

Video captured the moment the toddler was safely back in his parents' arms

The Kelloggsville public school drivers are being hailed as heroes after the rescue

Kristen Nickelson, another co-worker, was at the office and had radioed Figueroa with the information.

Figueroa turned her bus around and returned to where she'd seen the toddler, sitting on a driveway in the area of Garland Street and Jefferson Avenue.

'It seemed like forever, but it was I bet 10 minutes, if that,' Skinner said.

Video shows the moment Figueroa steps off the bus, picks up the toddler from the driveway and tells him, 'I'm going to get you home.'

Figueroa then drove the boy home to his parents.

The stolen car was found a short time later in Grand Rapids. The carjacker has not been located. Investigators told FOX17 the carjacking appears to be random.

Kelloggsville school bus driver Dave Skinner noticed the parents frantically waving and stopped to help. He radioed other bus drivers to be on the lookout for the toddler
A dopey cat was left feline silly after getting its head stuck in a mousetrap.

The unfortunate moggy got her head wedged in the trap and had to be cut out by animal rescue officers.

The green pest-control box had to be sawn open in a late night rescue after baby oil failed to loosen her out of the trap.

Fortunately, Animal Rescue Officer Chloe Wilson, from the RSPCA, was able to free the confused kitty in Dalston, north London and return her unharmed to her owner.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: 'Animal Rescue Officer Chloe had a late night rescue in London N16, where a cat had her head stuck in a pest control box.

The cat was found with its head stuck inside the mousetrap on a patio in Dalston, north London

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Chloe Wilson managed to rescue the unlucky feline by sawing her out of the box

'She tried using baby oil to loosen her up but still couldn't get her head through the gap.

'She had to saw the box open to rescue her.

'No injuries. Returned to her owner.'

A photo shows the black and white cat with its head fully inside the box - and its body resting out on the patio.

Another picture shows the bemused puss from the inside - after Chloe had sawn the box apart.

Fortunately, the bemused black and white cat was freed from the mousetrap without any injury

Social media users expressed their relief the cat was safely rescued from the box

The third shows the cat safe and well - if a bit confused - before it was returned safely home.

The scene sparked concern with some commenters on social media after the RSPCA posted details of the incident.

One, called Barney, said: 'Must have been hungry.

'But worrying as to what is in the box.'

Another, called Lesley, said: 'Well done, glad the kitty is ok.'
Scientists have debated whether or not the discovery of alien life could spark a devastating war on Earth, with nations battling for access to communicate with extra-terrestrials.

In a paper published in the journal Space Policy, submitted on September 29, the authors critiqued an earlier paper from 2020, which predicted 'international conflict and potentially disastrous consequences' if contact with aliens were made.

The debate centres around the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, commonly referred to as SETI, which involves broadcasting radio signals into space in the hope that intelligent lifeforms will respond.

Massive radio telescopes used for SETI projects can be found all over the world, including the Lovell Telescope in the UK, LOFAR in the Netherlands, and China's FAST.

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) in Guizhou Province, China

The Lovell Telescope located in Macclesfield, Cheshire is used for SETI research

In the 2020 paper, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: A Realpolitik Consideration, it was argued that if a nation successfully opened a communications channel with extra-terrestrial life, it may seek to withhold it from others, leading to the breakout of global war as nations fight over access to alien technology.

The paper was authored by Ken Wisian, a geophysicist and former US Air Force major general, and John Traphagan, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the US.

Wisian and Traphagan claimed in the paper that information from extra-terrestrial sources would be so invaluable that the first nation to establish contact with aliens would attempt to monopolise the control of transmissions, leading to the possibility of an information arms race. This in turn would lead to war, as well as making the radio telescope facilities, and the scientists within them, direct military targets.

A counter-argument presented in the 2022 paper, however, is that such a scenario would be highly unlikely, especially since it would take hundreds of years for messages to be sent back and forth through the endless vastness of space, rendering the value of theoretical communications much lower than Wisian and Traphagan suggest.

'The stars we're targeting are hundreds or thousands of lightyears away. And so even if it is a communicative signal, even if that signal is intended for us to decode, we can't respond,' Jason Wright, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University and the paper's lead author, told the Planetary Society in a podcast.

'We can send the signal back, but if the thing is 200 lightyears away, then we say, "Oh great, we got your message. Tell us about X, Y, Z." And 400 years later we get the answer.'

Is E.T. waiting for us to phone home? Scientists say real-time communication is light years away

Referring to the unlikely scenario upon the discovery of alien life of an instant line of communication where humankind would receive all kinds of information that could immediately be put to use, Wright wrote in the paper that there may be the possibility that politicians or other leaders will misperceive the potential for an information monopoly.

'So this is not going to be the sustained contact where we ask questions, "How do your laser beams work? How do we put them on our tanks?" That's not going to happen,' he said.

In the meantime, Wright suggests that 'transparency, data sharing, and education of policymakers' is the best way forward, rather than SETI facilities having 'their security hardened,' as Wisian and Traphagan suggest in their paper.

Large-scale SETI projects go as far back as the 1960s when the US began Project Ozma, which used a radio telescope to search for extra-terrestrial radio signals. In 1994, the SETI@home project was launched, allowing volunteers to install software on their computers to analyse data from radio telescopes.
Cops said the suspects showed no remorse when they were apprehended

Three others - aged 14, 15, and 17 - were also arrested in connection to the shooting

The teens then fled in their stolen car and were pursued by cops for 10 miles before finally being apprehended

A 25-year-old woman was killed when a pair of teenagers callously blasted more than 100 bullets into the AirBnb where she was staying near San Antonio, Texas, in a vicious drive-by shooting gone wrong.

Novita Brazil was killed instantly when the two underage gunmen opened fire, but cops said the suspects likely 'hit the wrong house' and that she was innocent and uninvolved in whatever led to the shooting.

Bexar County Police pursued the shooters - aged just 14 and 15 - for over ten miles in a car chase before they were finally apprehended. Both have been charged with first degree murder.

Three others believed to be involved in the shooting were also arrested - two also aged 15 and 14, and 17-year-old Johnny Bermea. They were charged with deadly conduct with a firearm.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the boys who carried out the shooting appeared to be completely remorseless after being apprehended.

A 41-year-old woman staying in the house with Brazil was wounded in the leg, and was treated in stable condition.

Novita Brazil, 25, was killed when gunmen fired on the wrong house in a drive-by gone awry

Novita Brazil (right) and her husband of three years, Robert. The couple lived in San Antonio

17-year-old Johnny Bermea was arrested in connection with the drive-by shooting that killed Brazil

Police said Brazil had been up late working on her laptop when she was struck by the deluge of bullets just after midnight.

'She was just up, burning the midnight oil, doing some work on her computer, and now she's dead,' said Salazar, describing Brazil as 'completely innocent.'

'They hit the wrong house and it looks like a 25-year-old woman lost her life,' he added.

Photos from the scene showed the street littered with yellow evidence tags where dozens of shell casings were found during the investigation.

'The problem with that is obviously 14, 15-year-olds are doing a drive-by shooting in the dead of night,' Salazar said.

'I don't think they're showing remorse, whatsoever,' he added.

He said the car the boys were driving was likely stolen. The motive for the intended shooting remains unclear.

The crime scene showed the street outside the AirBnb where Brazil was killed littered with evidence tags where more than 100 bullet casings were found

Brazil and her husband Robert. A GoFundMe page was set up to give assistance to Brazil's family

Brazil and her husband Robert. She was born in Indonesia, and her body will be returned across seas to be buried near her family

Brazil, who went by Vita, lived in San Antonio with her husband of three years, according to a GoFundMe page.

'Vita was a beautiful 25 year old woman,' the page reads. 'She was the sweetest person you would ever meet. She was kind, selfless, funny, loving, adventurous, and had a heart of gold.'

She was born in Indonesia, and her body will be returned across seas to be buried near her family.




Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party said that the number of Koreans who went missing abroad from 2018 through the first half of this year was tallied at 2,474 while the figure of those, kidnapped or detained totaled 288 during the same period.







Noting a recent rise in overseas travel in line with eased COVID-19 restrictions, Lee stressed the need to reexamine the country's consular assistance programs to ensure citizens would not fall victim to any crimes abroad.







Of the total 2,762 cases, the country saw 607 cases in 2018, 840 in 2019, 614 in 2020 and 426 last year. This year alone, 275 cases have been registered until the first half.







By country, China topped the list with 361 cases, followed by the United States with 322, the Philippines with 279 and Japan with 200. (Yonhap)






Downing Street's energy rating plunged last year - with the heating seemingly on more as costs have surged.

The latest energy certificate for the historic buildings at 10-12 - including the flats inhabited by PM Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng - shows that they received an 'F'.

The score had gone up from 106 and an E rating to 150 in the year to June, with higher numbers representing a worse emissions performance. The average public building has a rating of 100, with the lowed 'red' level being G.

The reasons for the shift during the final year of Boris Johnson's premiership are not entirely clear, but the CO2 from heating had spiked by nearly a third from 174 to 226 tonnes.

The details of the Display Energy Certificate - required for all public buildings - emerged after the government dropped plans for a 15million public information campaign on how people can save energy.

The PM's spokesman today refused to say that Britons should be cutting their usage, and did not know whether Ms Truss herself had taken steps.

The government has vowed to cap energy bills at 2,500 for an average household for the next two years, meaning that the Treasury's liabilities rise if people use more gas and electricity.

The latest energy certificate for the historic buildings at 10-12 - including the flats inhabited by PM Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng - shows that it received an 'F'

The PM's spokesman today refused to say that Britons should be cutting their usage, and did not know whether Ms Truss (pictured) had taken steps herself

The reasons for the shift during the final year of Boris Johnson's premiership are not entirely clear, but the CO2 from heating had spiked by nearly a third from 174 to 226 tonnes

The premier does not personally face increasing bills in her Downing Street residence because all utilities there are treated as a taxable benefit capped at 10 per cent of her ministerial salary - working out at around 3,000.

The spokesman said the government is stepping up a campaign to make people aware of support available to deal with cost-of-living pressures including high energy bills.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the campaign which began in July 'will be increasing in scope, daytime TV ads started this weekend'.

'We are committed to ensuring the public has the information they need and we are using that campaign to signpost out to where there is more information, for example on Ofgem's site,' the spokesman said.

'We will continue to look at ways to use that Help For Households site and the campaign to signpost information on how the public can further cut their energy bills, we have not made final decisions on the best way to do this and discussions are ongoing.'

Asked why people were not being explicitly encouraged by the Government to use less energy, the spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister's view is that the Government's role in this is to ensure that we are providing a level of support so that these global factors are not unfairly impacting on the public.

'It is down to individuals to decide what is right for them, with all the information provided to them via things like the Help For Households site.'
Nobles revealed that Fergie - like many tweens and teenagers - is also partial to burritos, burgers and bagels and has frequented many take-out chains including Chipotle, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Wendy's

This is the bizarre moment a fast-food-loving camel waited in line at an In-N-Out drive-thru in Las Vegas for a serving of fries.

Fergie, a 12-year-old dromedary camel, was craving a snack and her handler Brandon Nobles was only too happy to oblige.

The unlikely scene was caught on camera as the pair patiently waited their turn to put in their order, drawing attention from other diners.

Fergie certainly didn't seem to mind being the star of the show for a few minutes - as drive-thru staff squealed in delight as she approached the window.

Fergie, a dromedary camel, was apparently craving some fries and Brandon Nobles, her handler was happy to spoil her. Pictured here they are standing in front of the window at In-N-Out ready to place their order

Fergie stands patiently in line at the drive thru at the In-N-Out restaurant in Las Vegas ready to order a box of extra large French fries. The bizarre yet hilarious scene took place on October 4 at the popular fast food chain

'She loves the French fries!' he said as he is seen in the video placing one French fry at a time in Fergie's mouth as onlookers gushed

'She loves the French fries!' Nobles is heard saying as he feeds Fergie fries.

Fries are not the only treats Fergie craves. She also enjoys burritos, bagels, and a good burger - and even has her own Instagram account charting her trips to various take-out joints including Chipotle, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Wendy's.

Some of the workers took out their cell phones as Fergie, who didn't appear hangry in the least, is seen leaning into the window smiling.

'Awww he's so cute,' one person said.

While some admired the lovely Fergie from afar, others wanted to know why she was not on a farm or in a zoo.

The camel, which can live to be 65, was relocated from Colorado to Nobles's farm in Nevada earlier this year.

Brandon Nobles, is Fergie's handler. Nobles said Fergie has been living in Colorado before she was relocated to his farm in Nevada

Fergie posing outside of the popular Mexican restaurant chain, Chipotle
Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams has spent over $1.2 million on private security since announcing her run for governor in December 2021, despite ties to 'defund the police' groups.

Abrams' campaign paid $400,000 between July and August to Executive Protection Agencies, an Atlanta-based private security firm, according to Fox News. That payment was on top of the $800,000 she paid to the company between December and June.

The new figure comes after a report that Abrams-founded PAC dedicated to fighting voter suppression Fair Fight also paid the agency $1.2 million over the course of 2021 for security services.

Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams has spent over $1.2 million on private security since announcing her run for governor in December 2021, despite ties to 'defund the police' groups

Abrams' campaign paid $400,000 between July and August to Executive Protection Agencies, an Atlanta-based private security firm

As of late Abrams has adamantly said she does not support defunding police. According to her campaign website she plans to raise local law enforcement salaries to 'approximately $50,000/year and offer proportionate increases based on experience, which will improve recruitment and retention efforts to address severe staffing shortages, at a two-year cost of $91M per year.' She also said she would expand training for officers who specialize in mental health.

But during the wave of protests over police brutality and racial injustice in 2020, she gave a number of interviews where she discussed reallocating funds from police departments to social justice and minority communities.

'We have to reallocate resources, so, yes,' she said, when asked in 2020 if police budgets need to be reduced. 'If there is a moment where resources are so tight that we have to choose between whether we murder Black people or serve Black people, then absolutely: Our choice must be service.'

Meanwhile, Abrams has served as a board member and co-chair of activist groups that do support defunding police. She currently serves as board member and governor of the Margeurite Casey Foundation, which tweeted #DefundThePolice in March of this year and #AbolishThePolice in February.

Abrams joined the Margeurite Casey Foundation in May 2021 and has earned at least $52,500 in income from the foundation.

Still, Abrams maintains she would fund law enforcement at a higher rate than Republican incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp.

Kemp is running five points ahead of Abrams by an average of about five points, 50.2 to 44.7 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight. The pair will face off in the November elections.
Sigma Phi Epsilon has shut down its University of Miami chapter after female students complained of having their drinks spiked at a recent pool party where fraternity brothers were filmed chanting about raping and murdering women.

The fraternity, commonly known as SigEp, is known for its hard-partying. On October 1, the fraternity's University of Miami chapter attended a party at its Coral Gables frat house to celebrate 'Adult Swim'.

Two young female attendees reported noticing white powder in their drinks. They said they then vomited more than they would normally after a night of drinking, and feared their drinks had been spiked.

The fraternity, commonly known as SigEp, is known for its hard-partying. On October 1, the fraternity's University of Miami chapter attended a party at its Coral Gables frat house to celebrate 'Adult Swim'

Female party goers noticed white powder in their drinks, which they first thought might come from foam and smoke sprayed above the crowd. They then started feeling sick.

At the same party, boys were filmed chanting about raping and murdering women, then raping their corpses.

Student newspaper The Miami Hurricane obtained the video but did not publish it.

It described members chanting about keeping rape victims in 'wooden boxes'.

Multiple young women who attended the party reported vomiting afterwards.

One, giving her name only as Aby, told the newspaper that she noticed foam in her drink at the party.

She then heard similar accounts from other girls and on student text chains about the same thing.

Hundreds of college students attended the party on October 1. None of those who came forward with allegations have been identified, nor have any of the fraternity boys who sang the chant

The fraternity has had a chapter at the University of Miami since 1949

A video of the sick chant has now been scrubbed from social media but it made its way to the fraternity's senior leadership.

In a statement, the fraternity said: 'The National Headquarters received admissible information that SigEp members violated policy and engaged in actions that are not aligned with the values of this Fraternity.

'We expect SigEp chapters to provide their members and campus community a safe and supportive environment.

'Thats the cornerstone of a positive Fraternity and university experience, so we take that expectation seriously and hold our chapters to that standard.'

No sexual assaults or other incidents have been reported from the party.

It is part of a wider trend among fraternities of cracking down on misconduct towards women and girls that for years went ignored.

Many other problematic chapter have also been shuttered for hazing young pledges.
Local residents living in a seaside town blasted tourists who 'do not treat the place with respect' in a row over campervans taking up parking spaces on the beachfront.

Tourists visiting Seaford in East Sussex are facing the wrath of longtime residents who claim that caravans and big transit vehicles park on the seafront with families living in them 'for days'.

They also claim that litter is left strewn around the town, benches are vandalised and bins are set on fire and are now calling on the council to do something about it.

Trev Homer and his wife Mary retired to Martello Mews in Seaford 18 years ago but said the situation has got 'worse since lockdown'.

Residents of Seaford have hit out at campervans and caravans parking on the seafront and staying there 'for days' because of free parking

Craig Peachey, left, and Gaynor Tatnell, right, live in Seaford. Mr Peachey said day trippers 'do not treat the place with respect'

Mr Homer said: 'It's the lack of respect. Most of them haven't got two bob to rub together and they don't spend any money in the town.

'It's got exponentially worse since lockdown and people haven't been able to go abroad.

'A lot of them are what I call stealth vehicles - converted Transit vans which people live in.'

His wife Mary said there was a problem with people coming in large campervans, parking on the side of the road and staying there 'for days'.

Tim Robinson has been living in Seaford for a long time and said you get people visiting from London and other places who 'don't care about area'

She said: 'They bring huge motor homes and live in them for days. I call it camping rather than parking because that's what it is.'

'You get some people who even camp on the beach,' Mr Homer continued.

'You get families who set up an encampment of two or three tents and just stay there for days.'

Martello Mews faces the seafront with panoramic views of the Channel and the Rampion wind farm, at the other end of the beach is a sewage treatment plant and Seaford Head.

Local residents have taken issue with campervans and caravans parking on the seafront

Seaford in East Sussex: Local residents living in the seaside town have blasted 'rude' tourists who park their campervans and block their spaces during the summer

Phil Rockwell, who also lives in the Mews, blasted tourists who he said only came for the 'free parking'.

He said: 'They don't bring any money into the town.

'They are coming here because it's free parking so they don't bring any benefit to the town at all and this is a lovely little town.

'When I've asked about the parking regulations here, I get fobbed off by the council.

'There are no parking regulations for that part of the sea front.

'There are notices but they are only advisory.'

This was echoed by Craig Peachey, an NHS worker, who added: 'Day trippers are attracted here by the lovely beach and the fact it is free parking but they do not treat the place with respect.'

Tim Robinson, a TV engineer and lifelong Seaford resident, said: 'You get people flocking down from London and they really don't care about the area.

'They chuck their rubbish everywhere and park all over the place. It's shocking.

Joan Rogers, 82, who lives on her own in a seafront flat, said: 'I wish the council would stop the bigger vehicles parking up because it really does have an impact on this road.

'There are a lot of owners who don't live here but rent their homes out to holidaymakers and that is the problem.

'If they lived here then they would care about what goes on here.'

Another resident Barbara Edwards, 69, said: 'I think the free parking is lovely because so you have to pay through the nose wherever you go these days.

'It's just such a shame people can't respect things a little more.'

Meanwhile, William Dennis, 72, said his drive was often blocked by 'inconsiderate tourists who have no respect for the people who live here.'

'The park where they want, drop litter and and generally rude. The council needs to do something about it,' he warned.

Seaford Town Council has been contacted for a comment.
Liz Truss doesn't think solar panels should be installed on productive farmland, Number 10 said today - amid claims the Prime Minister is eyeing a ban.

During this summer's Tory leadership campaign, Ms Truss insisted farmers' fields shouldn't be 'full of solar panels'.

It has now emerged that new Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena is planning to restrict the development of solar projects on farms in England.

According to the Guardian, the Cabinet minister has asked officials to redefine land categories in a move that could curb the development of new solar projects.

The newspaper said Mr Jayawardena opposes solar panels being placed on agricultural land as it impedes the boosting of food production.

During this summer's Tory leadership campaign, Liz Truss insisted farmers' fields shouldn't be 'full of solar panels'.

It has now emerged that new Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena is planning to restrict the development of solar projects on farms in England

Industry figures claimed Mr Jayawardena risked becoming part of the 'anti-growth coalition' that the PM attacked as 'enemies of enterprise' in her Tory conference speech

Asked about the report today, the Prime Minister's official spokesman pointed to Ms Truss's past comments on the issue.

'She said she doesnt think we should be putting panels on productive agricultural lands,' the spokesman said.

'Because obviously as well as the energy security issue, we face a food security issue. So we need to strike the right balance.'

Pressed on whether farmers or the Government should decide how to use farmland, the PM's spokesman said: 'Of course it is right that farmers who own farms decide how best to use it, and I think she was clear about that during the campaign.'

When asked how the tightening of planning rules fits in with Ms Trusss pro-growth agenda, he added: 'I think its important to wait for the detail rather than get into speculation.'

Chris Hewett, the chief executive of the trade association Solar Energy UK, claimed Mr Jayawardena risked becoming part of the 'anti-growth coalition' that Ms Truss attacked as 'enemies of enterprise' in her Tory conference speech.

'The UK solar sector is alarmed by attempts to put major planning rules in the way of cheap, homegrown energy,' he said.

'Solar power is the answer to so many needs and policy demands: it will cut energy bills, deliver energy security, boost growth and help rural economies.

'Ranil Jayawardenas opposition to solar farms must surely make him part of the anti-growth coalition.'

Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow climate change secretary, claimed British households would be left facing even higher energy bills.

He said: 'If the Government goes ahead with blocking solar energy, it will be yet more unilateral energy disarmament from a Government that has a 12-year record of driving up bills by blocking clean power.

'The blame for this plan lies squarely with the PM who has repeatedly opposed solar energy, the cheapest, cleanest, quickest form of power  and it will be the British people who pay the price in higher bills, higher gas imports and energy insecurity.'
A female right-wing terror suspect charged with plotting to destroy a 5G communications mast has been remanded in custody.

Christine Grayson, 59, is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage alongside Darren Reynolds, also 59.

The pair face additional charges under the Terrorism Acts. Grayson is accused of one offence of encouraging terrorism.

Reynolds is accused of encouraging terrorism, six counts of possessing material containing information likely to be useful to a person committing a terrorist act and three offences of disseminating a terrorist publication.

Victoria Smith-Swain, defending Grayson - who lives in York, today made a bail application in her clients absence during a court hearing at London's Old Bailey.

Christine Grayson, 59, is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage alongside Darren Reynolds, also 59. Pictured is the Old Bailey in London where Grayson's appeal for bail was refused by a judge

The pair have been accused of a plot to destroy a 5G communication mast. Pictured is one of the towers

The court heard that Grayson cared for hundreds of reptiles and owned a business showing animals to children at parties.

Mr Justice Sweeney refused the application and remanded Grayson into custody. Reynolds was remanded at an earlier court hearing.

The pair were detained after pre-planned and intelligence-led arrests at their home addresses in August following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North East.

A four-week trial has been fixed for April 24 next year at Leeds Crown Court.

Both terror suspects will appear for a plea and trial preparation hearing on January 27 at the same court.
President Joe Biden on Monday joined a chorus of international condemnation after Russia struck civilian targets in Ukraine, saying the missile attacks showed the 'utter brutality' of Vladmir Putin's illegal war.

At least 11 people died as missiles rained down on 10 cities, including the capital Kyiv.

'These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose,' said Biden.

'They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putin's illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

'We offer our condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were senselessly killed today, as well as our best wishes for the recovery of those who were wounded.'

Ukrainian officials said the assault included some 83 missiles, making it the most widespread assault since the war began.

They hit busy intersections, parks and tourist attractions right in the centre of Kyiv.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service said at least 11 people were killed and 64 were wounded.

Putin said they were launched in response to an attack that damaged a key Russian bridge and warned that more could follow.

President Joe Biden on Monday condemned the Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities. He is pictured here leaving Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday

Sites across Ukraine were hit by a wave of missiles, Ukraine said it counted 83 missiles. Here a rescue worker responds to a strike in Zaporizhzhia

83 Russian missiles were launched at Ukraine in combination with Iranian drones, striking power stations, water supplies and civilians across the country - killing eight and wounding 24 in Kyiv alone

Rescuers work at a site of a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia

KYIV: Cars burn after Russian military strikes on cities across Ukraine as Putin takes revenge for the Crimea bridge blast

The missiles slammed into civilian neighborhoods, or appeared to target energy infrastructure at a time when the region is preparing for the bitter cold of winter.

They come as Russian forces have been pushed back by Ukrainian resistance, triggering fears that Putin could even use nuclear weapons in an effort to shore up his troops as well as his own hold on power in Moscow.

Biden demanded that he end the war and promised more support for Ukraine.

'These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes,' he said, as he prepared to leave his Delaware home and return to the White House.

'Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom.'

Later, President Volodomyr Zelensky of Ukraine revealed that he had spoken with his American counterpart.

'Air defense is currently the number one priority in our defense cooperation,' he tweeted.

The U.S. has provided more than $16.8 billion of security assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Biden's words echoed a wave of international criticism.

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: 'This constitutes another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price.'

'Russia once again has shown to the world what it stands for. It is terror and brutality,' said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

'I know Ukrainians will not be intimidated. And Ukrainians know that we will stand by your side, their side as long as it takes.'

KYIV: A woman injured in a missile strike this morning receives treatment in the front seat of an ambulance

KYIV: Cars burn on the streets of the Ukrainian capital this morning after multiple missiles struck the city - the first time in months that it has been hit as Putin exacts revenge for strikes on the Kerch Bridge

KYIV: A dead body lies in the streets after Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital for the first time in months, setting cars on fire and blowing up a park in a residential area

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly condemned 'unacceptable' Russian strikes, calling it 'a demonstration of weakness by Putin, not strength.'

For his part, Putin said the strikes were retaliation for what he described as a 'terrorist attack' on a bridge linking Russia with Crimea.

He said Russia could continue to launch strikes against key energy and military command facilities that would be 'tough and proportionate to the level of threats,' if Ukraine kept up such attacks.

Attacks were reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in western Ukraine, Dnipro and Kremenchuk in the center of the country, Zaporizhzhia in the south and Kharkiv in the east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was intent on destroying his country.

'The 229th day of full-scale war. On the 229th day, they are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth. Completely,' he wrote on his Telegram channel.

'Destroy our people who are sleeping at home in Zaporizhzhia. Kill people on their way to work in Dnipro and Kyiv.'

KYIV: President Zelensky speaks on the streets of the capital during a missile attack by Russia to accuse the Kremlin of deliberately targeting civilians in order to sow terror

Oleksii Reznikov, the defence minister, said Ukraine's courage would never be broken and 'that the only thing they demolish is the future of [Russia] - a future of a globally despised rogue terrorist state.'

Videos and pictures from the Ukrainian capital showed burning cars and bodies in the streets as officials said rockets hit close to a well-known memorial to a famous statesman, near a children's play area in a park, and a pedestrian bridge. More footage showed an apartment block in Dnipro in flames.

Putin spoke at a meeting with his security cabinet today to plot further revenge. As the talks got underway, Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko announced that a 'joint military task force' with Russian troops would be deployed on his western border. Lukashenko has so far not committed any forces to the war.

Meanwhile hardliners within Russia demanded a declaration of full war and the use of nuclear weapons. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had ruled out the atomic option on Sunday, but that will do little to dampen fears as Putin runs out of options having already annexed occupied territory and conscripted hundreds of thousands of troops.

Ukrainian social media networks were flooded with videos of defiance in the wake of the attacks, as people in bomb shelters and in the Kyiv subway network sung the national anthem and other patriotic songs even as bombs fell.
San Francisco's exodus of rich residents during the COVID-19 pandemic led to biggest drop in household income of any US city, new census data has revealed, as office workers continue to flee the city amid a recent rise in crime and homelessness.

The data, compiled by the US Census Bureau, looked at the median income of the nation's top 25 most populous metropolises from 2019 to 2021.

The Bay Area, long been known as the home of Big Tech - as well as the wealth the industry has created - saw the biggest drop in citizens' earnings.

Median household income for the area fell from $121,551 in 2019 to $116,005 in 2021, the data shows - a reduction of 4.6 percent.

Fellow office hub New York City - which has also struggled with post-pandemic lawlessness - followed close behind, with a drop of 4.2 percent. Residents don't make nearly as much as their counterparts out West, however, with the average earnings from falling $88,130 to $84,409.

Both, however, as well as several other Democrat-run cities to top the list - such as San Diego and Baltimore - saw a major spike in homelessness throughout the pandemic, compounding the already widespread evacuation.

San Francisco's exodus of rich residents during the COVID-19 pandemic led to biggest drop in household income of any US city, new census data has revealed, as office workers continue to flee the city amid a recent rise in crime and homelessness

The Bay Area, long been known as the home of Big Tech but has since become a hive of lawlessness and debauchery, saw the biggest drop

The statistic illustrates San Francisco in particular's failure to recover following the spread of the virus, with homeless encampments and open-air drug markets since sprouting up and now becoming commonplace

The data, compiled by the US Census Bureau, looked at the median income of the nation's top 25 most populous metropolises from 2019 to 2021. The data also serves as fresh evidence of Democratic-run cities' loss of high-income earners

The statistic illustrates San Francisco in particular's failure to recover following the spread of the virus, with homeless encampments and open-air drug markets since sprouting up and becoming commonplace.

The data also serves as fresh evidence of the city's loss of its hallowed high-income earners - with over 72,000 moving out of Silicon Valley Between January 2020 and September 2021, according to University of California Consumer Credit Panel data.

That figure, which has likely swelled in the year since, is almost eight times higher than from the same span between 2018 to 2019.

Woke Mayor London Breed's office, meanwhile, recently estimated that as much as one-third of San Franciscos workforce now lives outside of the city as a result of the advent of remote work - as an increasing amount of citizens elect to work from home instead of braving the seedy San Franciscan streets.

Residents have instead flocked to less costly, conservative-run locales, such as Austin - noticeably absent from the list - or even suburbs outside their city limits, all to escape the crime and homeless camps that now prevail post-pandemic streets.

Crime is up 8.5 percent in San Francisco compared to this time last year, following two years of record crime rates during the height of the pandemic.

The mayor's office recently estimated that as much as one-third of San Franciscos workforce now lives outside of the city as a result of the advent of remote work - as an increasing amount of citizens elect to work from home instead of braving the seedy San Franciscan streets

Residents have instead flocked to less costly, conservative-run locales, such as Austin - noticeably absent from the list - or even suburbs outside their city limits, all to escape the crime and homeless camps that now prevail post-pandemic streets.

Crime is up almost all across the board in San Francisco compared to this time last year, following two years of record crime rates during the height of the pandemic

Assaults and rapes are both up by a marked 11 and 10.7 percent percent, respectively, and robberies up a similar 5 percent.

All are well over totals seen in the previous decade, prior to the pandemic and the implementation of several soft-on-crime policies by city officials that have allowed criminals to offend repeatedly and stay on the streets.

Larceny theft, meanwhile, has rocketed a concerning 16.6 percent, with 25,712 reported incidents so far this year.

While the statistics are somewhat less severe than other Democrat-run cities like New York - currently up 35 percent - and Chicago, which is up 37 percent, homicide is the only crime to see a decrease from last year in the northern California city, which serves as home to tech giants such as Twitter and Google as well as countless lucrative startups.

The city's failure to quell crime has further hampered the situation, with both Breed and new District Attorney Brooke Jenkins - who replaced the recalled Chesa Boudin - have vowed to crack down on soaring crime and increasingly prevalent open-air drug markets

Videos released on social media show just how the city has fallen - with children forced to navigate their way through filthy, open-air drug markets, rife with homeless addicts, many of whom brazenly inject drugs on the streets

The City's Castro Merchants Association, meanwhile, which represents roughly 125 businesses, sent a letter to the city government in August, threatening to withhold tax payments if the city doesn't get the homelessness issue under control

Both cities made the list of the cities to see their median incomes diminish in the years since the outset of the pandemic.

The San Fransciscan crime epidemic has gotten so out of hand, that its seen the city's former progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin nixed for his policies.

The City's Castro Merchants Association, meanwhile, which represents roughly 125 businesses, sent a letter to the city government in August, threatening to withhold tax payments if the city doesn't get the homelessness issue under control.

Other metros to top the list included other Democratic-run locales such as Portland and Washington, DC, which have both been grappling with a similar surge in homelessness and violence.

Other metros to top the list included other Democratic-run locales such as Portland and Washington, DC, which have both been grappling with a similar surge in homelessness and violence

The findings illustrate the magnitude of the loss thousands of rich young professionals from Democrat-run state for low-tax havens like Texas, Arizona, and Florida.

Tampa and Phoenix, for instance, both saw their average earnings bolstered, with residents of the Phoenix metro area seeing a 5.2 percent - or $3,777 gain - in median household income and Tampa seeing a 2.6% jump

The city, however, had the dubious distinction of lowest income among major regions.

It comes as crime continues to surge, office workers continue to feel increasingly unsafe, electing to work from the safety of their home instead of venturing outside for a conventional commute.

That recent gravitation toward remote work - coupled with mass firings - while saving money for big tech, has left small businesses in the region struggling, as they rely on the presence of the now-absent workers to turn a profit.

San Francisco's small businesses are closing down in waves as tech workers remain slow to return to the office - as employees fear traveling outside due to the city's current crime and homeless-ridden state

The mass exodus of white-collar workers has subsequently hampered the livelihood's of the city's working class, whose businesses have suffered as a result of the reduced foot traffic

Deepening the struggle are recent hiring freezes implemented as of late by some of the region's biggest companies, such as Google - leading to even less foot traffic in the city's now crime-ridden hubs.

Layoffs in the Valley are also rife, with Bay Area companies like Meta and Tesla recently firing thousands of staff to raise their bottom lines.

Other tech companies, including the Elon Musk-led Tesla, have moved out of California for tax-friendly states such as Texas and Florida. Others still have closed their offices altogether to fully embrace the recent advent of remote work, or have at least downsized in preparation for a hybrid future.

The mass exodus of white-collar workers has subsequently hampered the livelihood's of the city's working class, whose businesses have suffered as a result of the reduced foot traffic.

One such business is Marshall Lucks chiropractic and massage practice in the city's downtown area, Rincon Chiro, which has been hit particularly hard by dwindling foot-traffic.

'Most of our patient population is the larger businesses,' Luck told CNBC in an interview. 'As they return, its going to help us stay stable. Thats what were kind of hanging on for - that recovery.'

Other businesses - particularly restaurants, retail outlets, and places of healthcare - have also suffered in the city, whose desolateness has prevailed long after lockdown orders were rescinded in late 2020

The city's recovery has lagged in recent months, as the streets remain as unsafe as they were during the pandemic

Other businesses - particularly restaurants, retail outlets, and places of healthcare - have also suffered in the city, whose desolateness has prevailed long after lockdown orders were rescinded in late 2020.

Last year, that resulted in a $400 million hit to the city's tax revenue, further hindering the city's return the office - which has been markedly slower than other cities.

'Were slower than New York, were slower than Chicago, and it does have to relate to being so heavily dependent on tech,' said Cushman and Wakefields Bay Area Regional Director Robert Sammons, told CNBC.

Search giant Google was one of several San Francisco based companies that said it would pause hiring this year - leading many to wonder just how bad the situation really is

Social media platform Twitter paused hiring in May

As of September, just over three-quarters of the real estate giant's San Francisco employees have returned to the office, a trend that is widespread across the region as CEOs look to cut costs amid talks of a looming recession.

Another solution execs have turned to are hiring freezes - with both Twitter and Telsa hitting the pause button on new acquisitions this summer.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong this summer said he is planning for the worst because if a recession sets in, a 'crypto winter' is coming after laying off 18% of its nearly 4,000 employees in June, with roughly 700 staffers nixed.

Armstrong wrote in an internal memo to staffers at the time, 'I am making the difficult decision to reduce the size of our team by about 18 percent, to ensure we stay healthy during this economic downturn.'

San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin was ousted from his position in June, after critics accused him of not doing enough to keep residents and business owners safe amid a crime wave

More recently, search giant Google said it too would pause hiring earlier this week - leading many to wonder just how bad the situation really is.

Musks Tesla similalry cut 3.5% of its 100,000 workforce - a reduction of roughly 3,500. The company's main factory is based in Freemont, which is part of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Meta, meanwhile, has plans to slash hiring of engineers this year by at least 30%.

Competing social media platform Twitter paused hiring in May.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal told staffers at the time that the company had been struggling and failing to meet goals for audience building and revenue, Bloomberg reported.

The company implemented a work-from-home-forever policy during the pandemic.

It officially reopened its offices March 15, with remote work remaining an option for staffers. Since then, turnout at the social media giant has been understandably sparse.

The city's failure to quell crime has further hampered the situation, with both Breed and new District Attorney Brooke Jenkins - who replaced the recalled Chesa Boudin - have vowed to crack down on soaring crime and increasingly prevalent open-air drug markets.

Homeless encampments have become commonplace across the city, spurring many, especially tech workers, to move elsewhere and work remotely

The city's failure to quell crime has further hampered the situation, with both Breed and new District Attorney Brooke Jenkins - who replaced the recalled Chesa Boudin - have vowed to crack down on soaring crime and increasingly prevalent open-air drug markets

Videos released on social media show just how the city has fallen - with children forced to navigate their way through filthy, open-air drug markets, rife with homeless addicts, many of whom brazenly inject drugs on the streets.

Meanwhile, the mass exodus of citizens deterred by rising mortgage rates, crime, and warnings of a looming recession has caused property prices along West Coast metropolitan areas to dip, due to a glut of properties on the market,

Contributing to the rapid cooldown is the country's surging mortgage rates - which rose above a record 6 percent this summer.

Consequently, in addition to the widespread migration, the markedly less people are moving to the city amid its current state.

Since the start of the pandemic, move-ins to San Francisco are down by a marked 24 percent. The Bay Area has also failed to replace its displaced teach workers who left between March and October 2020, city data shows, restoring just 96 tech workers for every 100 tech workers that fled.

In a report by the California Policy Lab that tracks Californians credit history, research fellow Natalie Holmes labeled the phenomenon 'a unique and dramatic exodus.'

The city, meanwhile, relies on a robust office space market for revenue - and as a result, will likely continue to languish until their workforce returns in full.

The likelihood of such a return, as officials frantically strive to address the root of the rise in crime and homelessness, remains to be seen.
Ukrainian soldiers have said while the drones can devastate targets, they are vulnerable to small arms fire, and have coined the drone the 'flying lawnmower'

Ukraine on Monday accused Moscow of using Iranian-made drones as part of multiple deadly strikes that Russian forces launched across Ukraine.

Kyiv said 83 missiles or drones were launched against the country on Monday morning, striking the capital and several other cities, killing civilians in the process.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces used both missiles and Iranian-built drones - believed to have been sent from Belarus - to strike his country.

Pictured: The Iranian drone has been in service since 2021 and weighs 440lbs. On top of that it is 12ft long and 8ft wide

Ukraine on Monday accused Moscow of using Iranian-made Shahed-136 'suicide' drones as part of multiple deadly strikes on Ukraine on Monday. Pictured: A Shahed-136, used by Russian forces against Ukraine, is seen in a sky over Odesa, Ukraine on September 23

Kyiv said at 83 missiles or drones were launched against the country on Monday morning, striking the capital and several other cities, killing civilians in the process. Pictured: Cars are seen on fire after Russia's missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine October 10

Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs: Facts and figures Ukraine has accused Russia of using Iranian-made Shahed-136 UAVs - also known as suicide drones - against military and civilian targets. Tehran has denied selling the drones to Russia, but there is mounting evidence that Moscow is deploying the weapon. Here are some facts and figures about the deadly drone: Weapon type: Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) In service since: 2021

2021 Made in: Iran

Iran Maker: HESA (Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation)

HESA (Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries Corporation) Weight: 440lbs

440lbs Warhead: 80lbs

80lbs Length: 12 feet

12 feet Wingspan: 8 feet

8 feet Range: 600 miles

600 miles Flight height: 13,000ft max.

13,000ft max. Speed: 120 miles per hour

120 miles per hour Used in: Yemen, Iraq and Ukraine Iranian-made Shahed-136 UAVs Advertisement

'They want panic and chaos. They want to destroy our energy system,' Zelensky said in a video address on Telegram. He added: Russia is 'trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth.'

In a statement on Facebook, Ukraine's military specified that 'the enemy used Iranian Shahed-136 UAVs in strikes launched from the territory of Belarus' and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia, adding that nine drones were 'destroyed'.

Before Monday, Ukraine said it had already downed many of the HESA Shahed 136 loitering munitions (also known as suicide drones or kamikaze drones).

Between September 30 and October 6 alone, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said it had destroyed 24 of the weapons, which are designed to be flown directly into targets - overwhelming and evading air defences along the way.

With a range of more than 600 miles, the explosive-laden drones can 'loiter' above potential targets for hours before being slammed directly into enemy soldiers, vehicles or buildings from above - causing an explosion.

Reports coming out of Ukraine suggest the drones have inflicted serious damage to Kyiv's forces, as well as Ukrainian infrastructure.

Ukrainians who have witnessed attacks by the drones say they make a recognisable noise, and have described them as sounding like 'motorbikes' in the air, while some soldiers have taken to calling it 'the flying lawnmower'.

While the drones can be devastating to their targets, soldiers have said they a vulnerable to small arms fire. On Saturday, the General Staff of the Armed forces of Ukraine released a video on Facebook showing a smoking wreckage that it claimed to be one of the drones. The post said it had been shot down by a machine gun.

Pictured: An engine of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), what Ukrainian authorities consider to be an Iranian made suicide drone Shahed-136, are seen found after Russian strike on fuel storage facilities, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine October 6, 2022. Ukrainian soldiers have nicknamed the drone 'the flying lawnmower' on account of its engine

Between September 30 and October 6 alone, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said Shahed-136s had destroyed 24 of the weapons, which are designed to be flown directly into targets - evading air defences along the way

'This is a primitive handmade product,' Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, told Radio Free Europe (RFE) last week.

'It's not a high-tech conveyor-belt production like the [Turkish-made] Bayraktar or American and Israeli [unmanned aerial vehicles],' he added.

Ukrainian residents described the drone attacks to RFE. 'You can hear the roar. First, I just hear them, but then I saw one fly by and then explode,' one man said.

Another said: 'There was a buzz that woke me up. I remember thinking: "What's that?" The sound was approaching and then there was an explosion near the house.'

According to reports, the first recorded use of the drones was in Yemen in Houthi-controlled areas. Now, Iran is reported to have sold hundreds of the drones to Russia.

Tehran has denied that it is selling the deadly munitions to the Kremlin, but there is mounting evidence that Moscow's armies have been using them since September against the Ukrainian military to make up for a lack of artillery firepower.

Ukrainian military officials say the drones are cheaper and less sophisticated than cruise missiles - but can have a similarly devastating affect on their target.

There are concerns among Ukraine's military leaders that if they are not supplied an effective counter-measure, the drones could destroy their western-supplied artillery, which have successfully been used to push Russian forces back east.

A local resident passes by a building damaged by a Russian suicide drones strike, which local authorities consider to be Iranian made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Shahed-136, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region, Ukraine October 5, 2022

The almost 12-foot long Shahed 136 is designed with a delta-wing shape, with stabilising rudders at the top of the aircraft. The fuselage is at the centre of the drone and blended into the almost 4ft wings, giving it an elegant-looking shape.

The explosives are contained in the nose of the drone, as well as the technology that guides it to its targets for a precision strike. The engine, meanwhile, is found at the rear of the drone, and drives two bladed propellers.

It has been compared to an engine one would find on a lawnmower or a moped.

'Its motor sounds like a [motorbike]. You can spot it when it's a few kilometres away,' a Ukrainian soldier named only as Magyar told RFE.

'That's my advice to the military. They fly low and are slow, so you can shoot them down,' he said, noting the drones are usually used against larger targets. 'They carry such a load of explosives that it doesn't make sense to use them against infantry.'

Overall, the drone weighs 440lbs, and can fly at speeds of almost 120mph.

In order to overwhelm air defences, several of the drones (batches of five and above) are launched at once from the same rack. They are fired almost horizontally with rocket-launch assistance.

The rocket is jettisoned on take-off, with the engine taking over once it is airbourne.

On Friday, Oleksandr Starukh - the regional governor of Zaporizhzhia - said such drones damaged to facilities in the city. On Wednesday, other Ukrainian officials said the drones were used to target the town of Bila Tserkva - 50 miles south of Kyiv.

The attacks destroyed several buildings in the town, Newsweek reported.

The weapons are unlikely to significantly affect the course of the war, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said following last week's strikes.

'They have used many drones against civilian targets in rear areas, likely hoping to generate non-linear effects through terror. Such efforts are not succeeding,' analysts at the think tank wrote.

Drones have played a significant part in the war in Ukraine so far. The United States has supplied Ukraine's military with switchblade drones, while Kyiv has also deployed the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 - that fire guided missiles - to great effect.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivers a speech of encouragement at a dinner meeting with overseas Koreans and Korean business representatives at Hilton Americas-Houston in Texas, Sunday local time. Yonhap



By Lee Hae-rin



The government is considering lowering the age at which people are eligible for dual citizenship, according to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at a meeting with overseas Koreans in Houston, Texas, Sunday.



The prime minister's visit to the Korean community in Houston was part of his itinerary which also took him to three Latin American countries  Chile, Uruguay and Argentina  to hold talks on resource cooperation and to promote South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan. At a dinner meeting with Korean Americans and Korean business representatives at Hilton Americas-Houston, Han said he expects "good results to come out" of the plan to lower the age of eligibility for dual citizenship.



In Korea, dual citizenship is not allowed except for those who are 65 or older. Dual citizenship is granted to overseas Koreans who wish to return to Korea in their later years with the condition that they pledge not to exercise their rights as foreign nationals while residing in the country.



At the time, the minimum age was set to the retirement age due to concerns that newly returning Koreans from overseas could replace existing local Koreans in the workforce.



However, overseas Koreans have been requesting that the government lower the minimum age for dual citizenship. They believe that they can contribute to the country's development with their overseas connections and prefer to engage in such economic activities before retirement in Korea.



In response, some lawmakers are proposing a revision to meet their demands at the National Assembly.



Rep. Kim Seok-ki of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who heads the party's overseas Korean committee, proposed an amendment in April this year to the Nationality Act that lowers the minimum age from 65 to 55. Thirteen other PPP lawmakers joined Kim to support the proposal and the revised bill will be discussed in a regular session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee this year.



The prime minister also reaffirmed President Yoon Suk-yeol's interest in supporting overseas Koreans.



"President Yoon Suk-yeol truly cares about overseas Koreans," Han said. "We confirmed that we will establish an office for overseas Koreans, which has been your long-cherished wish."



On Oct. 6, the government announced its plans to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and create a new government agency for overseas Koreans under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



Overseas Korean communities have continuously expressed growing and diverse demands for government support from the Yoon administration. In March, a coalition of 92 overseas Korean groups held a press conference at the National Assembly, demanding that the incoming administration support the 7.32 million ethnic Koreans living overseas as a major government project. This support includes the establishment of a government agency for overseas Koreans and legislation to reflect their voices.



In response, Foreign Affairs Minister Park Jin announced in September that the Yoon administration has made establishing an agency for overseas Koreans one of its 100 major government projects, although the agency was not included in the initial plans for the administration as announced by the presidential transition committee this past March.


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Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to 'crack on' with securing Scottish independence even if the courts rule against her plans for a referendum on October 19 next year.

The First Minister said it is 'essential' to break up the UK if Scotland wants to escape the 'Tory misery-go-round' during a speech at the SNP's annual conference in Aberdeen today.

While Ms Sturgeon said she would respect the decision handed down by the court on a referendum next year, she added she would never give up the fight for an independent Scotland.

During her keynote speech at the conference, the 52-year-old seemed to suggest the next election could be used as a de facto referendum on the subject if the court rules against her.

She said: 'Fundamentally it will leave us with a very simple choice: put our case for independence to the people in an election or give up on Scottish democracy. I dont know about you, but I will never ever give up on Scottish democracy.

'For now, the question of process - the how of securing independence - is in the hands of judges, but its for us to crack on with answering the question why.

In the same speech she slammed Liz Truss's UK Government and hit out at the Prime Minister's 'unconscionable' economic agenda.

She also blasted 'aggressive Unionism' from Westminster as she insisted that independence was 'essential' for Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon's fresh tirade against the Conservatives came after the SNP leader suffered a furious backlash at the weekend for stating: 'I detest the Tories.'

Nicola Sturgeon used her SNP conference address to reiterate her vow to hold another Scottish independence referendum on 19th October next year

The SNP leader blasted 'aggressive Unionism' from Westminster as she insisted that independence was 'essential' for Scotland

Ms Sturgeon announced she will publish next week the first in a series of Scottish Government papers that would 'make the economic case for independence'

What does tomorrow's Supreme Court case mean for Scottish independence? From tomorrow, a panel of five judges from the UK Supreme Court are due to hear arguments in a case that is key to Nicola Sturgeon's independence push. Two days have been set aside for the hearing, which will ultimately decide whether the Scottish Parliament can legislate for a second independence referendum. What will the judges make a ruling on? At the heart of the case is proposed legislation in the Scottish Parliament called the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill. This would allow for a second vote on Scottish independence to take place next year. However, there are questions over the legality of an independence referendum which does not have a section 30 order from Westminster  the legal instrument which can grant Holyrood the power to organise a vote. Judges have been asked to decide whether the Bill relates to 'reserved matters'  meaning it is beyond the Scottish Parliaments competence. How did this come to court? When she published the Bill in June this year, Ms Sturgeon said her opponents would cast doubts on its legitimacy. The First Minister said she wanted an 'indisputably lawful' referendum to take place and sought to head off any legal challenge by referring it to the Supreme Court herself. What if the Supreme Court rules against the Scottish Government? Ms Sturgeon accepts that her legal case in the Supreme Court may not be successful. If this is the case, she says it will not be the courts fault but rather that of Westminster legislation. In this scenario, she says the SNP will fight the next general election on one issue: 'Should Scotland be an independent country?' The First Minister says this will make the next general election a 'de facto referendum'. When might there be a vote? If the Scottish Government is successful, Ms Sturgeon is proposing to hold a second independence referendum on 19th October next year. When will the Supreme Court decide? There is no set time for the judgment to be issued, meaning it could be weeks or months away. It is expected a decision will take between six to eight weeks. Advertisement

But, despite the row, the First Minister did not shy away from further attacks on Ms Truss's party in her conference speech this afternoon.

She mocked the 'chaos and catastrophe' coming from Westminster, while she also took a swipe at Sir Keir Starmer's Labour for 'aiding and abetting' the Tories.

Ms Sturgeon used her conference address to reiterate her vow, which she first made in June, to hold another Scottish independence referendum on 19th October next year.

But this is only if the UK Supreme Court - in a case due to begin tomorrow - rules her Scottish Government can hold a vote without permission from Westminster.

If judges - as expected - rule against Ms Sturgeon, the First Minister repeated that she would instead 'put our case for independence to the people in an election' as she pledged to 'never ever give up on Scottish democracy'.

Ms Sturgeon announced she will publish next week the first in a series of Scottish Government papers that would 'make the economic case for independence'.

Noting how this was her first in-person conference leader's speech since 2019, Ms Sturgeon joked how the 'only downside' of not repeating her Covid-enforced Zoom speeches of recent years was 'having to trade my slippers for these heels'.

'We last gathered together as a party in October 2019. Back then, the Tories had just elected a new leader,' the SNP leader said.

'Westminster was in meltdown. A new Prime Minister was driving through a disastrous policy agenda, despite warnings of its dire economic impact.

'And here we are, all over again. Another spin on the Tory misery-go-round.

'This time the carousel is speeding up. It took the Tories three years to realise Boris Johnson was a disaster.

'With Liz Truss, it took them just three weeks.'

Ms Sturgeon said it was 'unconscionable' that Ms Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng had sought to fund tax cuts in their recent mini-Budget through 'borrowing to be repaid by eye-watering austerity cuts and a raid on the incomes of the poorest'.

'The PMs justification is that she is going for growth,' the First Minister added.

'Let me tell you what kind of growth that will be. Growth in the gap between rich and poor.

'Growth in the rates of poverty. Growth in the pressure on our NHS and other public services.

'And, without any doubt, growth in the deep disgust the public feel for all of it.'

Ms Sturgeon insisted that Scottish independence was 'the best way' to protect the 'partnership' between UK nations.

She claimed that an 'aggressive Unionism' was currently 'undermining that partnership'.

'Westminsters denial of Scottish democracy; full frontal attacks on devolution; a basic lack of respect,' she added.

'If there is tension, that is what is causing it.

'It is Scottish independence - a new partnership of the isles - that can renew the whole idea of our nations working together for the common good.'

Telling SNP members in Aberdeen they were the 'independence generation', Ms Sturgeon said that breaking away from the UK was 'essential' - adding this was the case 'probably more than at any time in my life'.

'It is essential to escape Westminster control and mismanagement,' she said.

'Essential to get the governments we vote for. To properly protect our NHS.

'To build a new partnership of equals with the other nations on these islands.

'It is essential if we want to be back in the European Union.

'And it is essential if we want the people who live here to determine the future of this extraordinary country.'

One of the loudest cheers during Ms Sturgeon's speech came when she stated her intent to remain as First Minister for 'quite some time yet', as she sought to dispel suggestions she is already planning an exit from frontline politics.

One of the loudest cheers during Ms Sturgeon's speech came when she stated her intent to remain as First Minister for 'quite some time yet' - but not all seemed impressed

Polls have suggested the Tories are on track to lose all their MPs in Scotland at the next general election

After a new YouGov poll published last week revealed Labour benefiting from a collapse in Tory support in Scotland, Ms Sturgeon today launched an attack on Sir Keir's party.

Analysis of the survey by one polling expert showed Labour could win six more seats in Scotland at a general election, while the Tories stand to lose all six of their Scottish MPs.

But Ms Sturgeon claimed Labour were also 'letting down Scotland'.

'Labour is now just as committed to Brexit - a hard Brexit - as the Tories,' she added.

At least the Tories believe in it. Labour doesnt. Yet, rather than make the principled argument - which they could now win in England - they cower away from it.

'They abandon all principle for fear of upsetting the apple cart.

'Bluntly - they are willing to chuck Scotland under Boris Johnsons Brexit bus to get the keys to Downing Street.'
Top House Democrats recently embarked on a swanky Euro-trip to fundraise for the looming midterm elections back at home, it was reported over the weekend.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the head of House Democrats' campaign arm known as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), was photographed in Paris earlier this month along with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff.

A 'cocktail reception and dinner' to benefit the DCCC was held in Paris, France on October 1, according to invitations shared by the New York Times.

A similar invitation was sent out for a fundraiser in Geneva, Switzerland on October 3.

Both were aimed at earning donations from American expats in Europe. U.S. citizens living abroad are allowed to participate in elections back home, including voting absentee and giving money to candidates.

DCCC spokesman Chris Taylor told DailyMail.com that Maloney has been on a fundraising tour to 'help stop MAGA Republicans.'

'Chairman Maloney has been on a 10 city, 10 day fundraising swing raising millions of dollars for candidates who will help stop MAGA Republicans who want to pass a national abortion ban from gaining control of Congress,' Taylor said.

The DCCC did not respond to a question of how much was raised from American expats in the two wealthy cities.

A photo of Maloney, purportedly in Paris, was shared by his midterm opponent for New York's 17th Congressional District.

A photo of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, fundraising in Europe was shared by his GOP midterm opponent

Republican New York Assemblyman Mike Lawler, Maloney's challenger, wrote on Twitter that it was 'from [Rep. Maloney's] fundraising jaunt to Paris, Switzerland, and London.'

The DCCC did not respond to a question from DailyMail.com on whether London was a stop in the recent trip.

The 'three-city' European trip was first reported by Punchbowl News on Friday.

A clip shared on Twitter by Lawler's chief of staff Nathaniel Soule appears to show more of the Paris fundraiser.

'Theres even video of him and Schiff on a balcony in Paris sipping wine and eating hors duvres,' Soule wrote.

Schiff is visible at the beginning of the short video holding a glass of red wine. It pans to a view of the Seine while undistinguishable chatter and soft music plays in the background.

Democrats are fighting an uphill battle trying to keep their razor thin majority in the House.

New York House Republican hopeful Mike Lawler's chief of staff also shared a video of Rep. Adam Schiff supposedly at a fundraiser in Paris

The video pans from Schiff to a view of what appears to be the Seine

A litany of projections suggest Republicans are poised to gain ground in November - though that lead has shrunk amid continued fallout from the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and Biden's fiery new approach of attacking parts of the GOP as 'extremists.'

While the Senate is more of a toss-up, the GOP is still expected to retake the House with a candidates benefitting from newly-redrawn Congressional maps and endorsements from Donald Trump.

It comes as the midterms loom less than a month away - where Republicans are favored to take control of the House of Representatives

Republicans currently have 212 House members, and there are 220 Democrats. Just 218 members are needed for a majority.

The GOP is poised to go into the next Congress with 223 House members compared to 212 for Democrats, according to CBS News' most recent battleground tracker.

Maloney was recently criticized by members of his own party for the DCCC's primary election strategy of funneling cash into extremist Republican candidates, in a bid to alter the general election playing field.

It led to the ouster of Michigan GOP Rep. Peter Meijer, a moderate Republican who voted to impeach Trump over the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.

The seat was instead won by former Trump administration official John Gibbs, who once accused Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign chair John Podesta of taking part in a satanic ritual.

Meijer accused Democrats of hypocrisy in an essay published by Common Sense where he highlighted the thousands of dollars his House colleagues who lauded his impeachment vote were now funneling in to defeat him.

'Watching this unraveling inside my party has been utterly bewildering,' Meijer wrote.

'The only thing that has been more nauseating has been the capacity of my Democratic colleagues to sell out any pretense of principle for political expediency - at once decrying the downfall of democracy while rationalizing the use of their hard-raised dollars to prop up the supposed object of their fears.'
A 31-year-old man survived a gruesome shark attack on a California beach when he kicked the great white in the head after the beast chomped on his surfboard and then his right leg, leaving him with massive injuries.

Jared Trainor was surfing solo on Centerville Beach on Sunday located in Northern California's Humboldt County, a nine-mile stretch of pristine beach along the Pacific situated between cliffs and dairy farms, when the shark emerged knocking him off his surfboard, The Times-Standard newspaper in Humboldt reported.

Trainor, a serious and experienced surfer, was dragged underwater by the shark, which began feasting on his right leg.

The avid surfer said he was able to set himself free by grabbing the shark's body with one hand and kicking the shark with his uninjured leg until the beast let him go and swam away.

The quick-thinking action saved Trainor's life but not without serious injury.

During the harrowing ordeal, Trainor sustained gnarly wounds to his right leg and thigh, spanning nearly 19 inches long and as long as the jaws of the great white, that he said surgeons had to staple shut, the news outlet reported.

Trainor miraculously was able to get to the beach where he was able to call for help from a fellow surfer's cell phone.

Jared Trainor, 31, survived a gruesome shark attack after he kicked the great white in the head after the beast chomped on his surf board and than his right leg leaving him with massive injuries. Trainor is giving a thumbs up from his hospital bed

The gnarly bite wounds Trainor suffered to his right leg and thigh, were nearly 19 inches long (48 centimeters long) as long as the shark's jaws

The experiences surfer was surfing solo along Centerville Beach on Sunday located in Northern California's Humboldt County, a nine-mile stretch of beach situated between cliffs and dairy farms on the Pacific, when the shark emerged knocking him off of his surfboard

The coral-colored surfboard Trainor was on before he was knocked off by the shark on Sunday afternoon shows the vicious bite marks left behind

Though he wasn't able to recall the 'initial contact,' saying 'it happened so quickly.' Trainor said, 'I'm grateful to be alive,' the Times-Standard newspaper reported.

He added: 'I love surfing so much that I'm hoping this brings a newfound appreciation.'

Haley Martino, Trainor's sister, created a GoFundMe to help raise money for her brother's medical expenses.

He suffered several wounds to the thigh but is lucky to be alive,' she wrote.

'He recently just got married to his wife Desiray last July and they could use all the help they can get with medical expenses as this will be a long recovery!'

Martino said that her brother is home now recovering, saying in part, 'he's in pain but in good spirits!'

By Monday afternoon, nearly $13,000 has been raised towards their goal of $50,000.

On the Instagram account for The Shop, a surf store located in Arcata, Trainor wrote he 'will probably think twice before surfing by myself.'

He continued: 'Some of these locations that have a little bit more sea life are more remote.'

Many left Trainor messages of a speedy recovery and acknowledged how brave he was during the harrowing ordeal.

'Jared you r one tough guy, praying for an amazing recovery!' one person wrote.

Another person wrote: 'So glad he's ok. Shark got a nice bit. Glad e had care right away,' they said. 'Just remember ... chick's dig scars. Heal well.'

'Warrior status, glad he's ok,' another person chimed in.

Centerville Beach is located in Northern California's Humboldt County is a nine-mile stretch of beach situated between cliffs and dairy farms located outside of Ferndale, California

A photo of the shark in the ocean waters before the near -deadly attack

The Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department confirmed that the injuries Trainor sustained were from a shark bite.

'To our recollection of our membership, we have not had an incident like this. This is a reminder that there are many hazards to be aware of when you are at the beach,' the department said.

Since 1960, Humboldt County had 16 shark attacks, according to a 2017 news article in The Sacramento Bee, the Associated Press reported.

A kayaker narrowly escaped in 2020 after a great white shark surfaced in Humboldt Countys Shelter Cove, the news outlet reported.
More than two-thirds of voters are worried about Joe Biden's mental health  a figure that is growing ahead of the midterm elections after the president's biggest gaffe yet forgetting a congresswoman had died.

Sixty-four percent of American adults say they are either somewhat or very concerned about the president's mental wellbeing, according to a new Issue & Insights/TIPP Poll.

The figure is up 5 percent from the same survey done in August.

Almost all of the declining confidence in Biden's mental acuity came from his own party. In August, just 39 percent of Democratic respondents expressed concern  a figure that grew by 13 points to 52 percent in the latest poll.

The biggest difference in the two month gap between the polls is a speech celebrating a program aimed at ending hunger in the U.S. where President Biden publicly tried to locate deceased Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who tragically died in a car crash with two staffers in August.

Donald Trump has capitalized on the latest flub, which has appeared to cause a shift in those who weren't previously worried about the president's mental state and frequent gaffes.

A new poll shows that Americans  Democrats included  have growing concern over President Joe Biden's mental health after his gaffe asking 'Where's Jackie?' despite Rep. Walorski dying in a car crash with two staffers in August

The new poll shows that 15 percent of adults are 'not at all concerned' with Biden's mental health  and another 15 percent say they are 'not very concerned.' The overall figures of those without concern is down 9 percent from August, when 39 percent of respondents said they weren't concerned with Biden's mental state.

In August, only 2 percent said they were not sure when it came to the president's mental fitness, but that figure grew to 5 percent in October  exhibiting a shift toward those who have doubts.

Trump is now running a professional wrestling-style video compilation of Biden's many gaffes during his 'Make America Great Again' rallies.

The two-minute long video, which played Saturday at the former president's Nevada rally, included a clip of Biden calling out for Walorski to praise her for her efforts in putting an end to hunger and food insecurity.

'Where's Jackie?' Biden asked, despite the GOP representative and two of her staffers dying in a head-on collision in Indiana this summer.

Letters pop up on the screen alongside Biden with a crassly-worded reminder: 'Pssst....Jackie's dead.'

The poll shows that even Democrats are growing more and more concerned with Biden's mental health. The concern level was at 39% in August and grew to 52% in October following the flub about deceased Congresswoman Walorski

Biden reportedly later apologized to Walorski's family in a more private setting.

Trump rolled out the video Saturday night as the crowd roared with the voiceover opening the two-minute video with: 'Let's get ready to bumble!'  a play on WWE announcer Michael Buffer's signature phrase.

The former president has shown similar clips and images at past rallies, such as his recent event in Michigan, but Saturday's video appears to be among the lengthiest and most meticulously-produced.

Raging against the Justice Department's ongoing investigation into his handling of classified documents on Saturday night, Trump attacked Biden's mental acuity and again accused him of directing the federal government in a politicized probe.

Trump told supporters of Biden, 'He can't speak clearly, he can't think clearly' before introducing his two-minute WWE-style blooper reel video

One moment called out Biden for appearing to forget GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski had passed away

That's despite the White House and the president himself denying having a role in the investigation or the August 8 FBI raid that brought it to the public forefront.

'You could take the five worst presidents in American history and put them together, and they would not have done the damage Joe Biden has done to our nation in less than two short years,' Trump told supporters.

He claimed, 'When Biden hears me speak, he knows he can't fight back in any other way than to try and get me through these prosecutors.'

'That's the only way he can maybe get me, I don't think he can, first of all we did nothing wrong. It helps when you've done nothing wrong after six years,' Trump said in apparent reference to the myriad of investigations against him.

'He can't speak clearly, he can't think clearly, so he tells law enforcement, 'You gotta do something about this guy, he's killing me.''

Trump then asked the crowd: 'So we just had a little quick video made up, would you like to see it?'

Walorski, who was endorsed by Trump before she died, passed away earlier this year

The ensuing video shows Biden's misspeaks and verbal stumbles interspersed with clips of him tripping down Air Force One's steps and First Lady Jill Biden helping him put on a jacket.

All the while, the well-worn 1991 track 'Get Ready for This' by 2 Unlimited plays in the background.

Trump's supporters chanted 'Joe's got to go' when the video ended.

He's the latest critic of the 79-year-old president to come down on his awkward slip about Walorski, who Trump had endorsed before she died.

The White House's handling of the issue prompted a firestorm of scrutiny from much of the media.

President Trump Plays Video Of Bumbling Biden At Nevada Rally



Crowd Chants: "Joe's got to go!" pic.twitter.com/9HakdIcGWm  The Columbia Bugle  (@ColumbiaBugle) October 9, 2022

At her regular press briefing after Biden's event, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly refused to chalk it up to a mistake when asked by multiple reporters.

She repeatedly told them that Biden brought up the late congresswoman because she was 'top of mind.'

Biden himself apologized for the incident to Walorski's family, according to Indiana's South Bend Tribune.

They met with him in the Oval Office during a bill signing in Walorski's honor.

Her older brother, Keith Walorski, told the outlet that the president had been 'extremely gracious.'

'He brought the 'Where's Jackie?' comment and basically said, 'I'm sorry that that went out like it did,' and that it was basically a slip. He was the one to bring it up, he apologized and we basically told him we were fine, we had no hard feelings about that,' Keith said.
The two teens shot outside Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin's Long Island home had spent the day at a nearby recording studio known for gang activity, sources said.

The victims - identified as 17-year-olds Elijah Robinson and Joel Murphy - both suffered non-life-threatening chest wounds, police confirmed on Monday.

Authorities are investigating whether the shooting may have been sparked by a disagreement that took place at the recording studio the night before, according to The New York Post.

Lee Zeldin, candidate for New York Governor, attends the Columbus Day parade in Manhattan on Monday, a day after the shooting outside his home

Zeldin shakes hands with people in the crowd at the Columbs Day parade in Manhattan on Monday

Zeldin with supporters at the Columbus Day parade in Manhattan on Monday, a day after the shooting at his hiome

Zeldin greets the crowd while stopping by the Columbus Day parade in Manhattan on Monday

A law enforcement source told DailyMail.com that one of the teens is known to police as a suspected car thief.

The gunman also targeted a third teen at the scene who was not hit and fled after the shooting. Police are seeking to question him.

The two shooting victims were taken to Long Island Community Hospital.

Theyre not being very cooperative, the source said of the victims.

The source also confirmed that Zeldin, 42, and his family were not targets, though the victims did run across their yard to escape the gunfire.

The shooter remained at large Sunday night.

NY Rep. Lee Zeldin speaks to the press after the shooting outside his home on Sunday

The place where a bullet struck Lee Zeldin's fence during the shooting on Sunday that left two wounded on his front lawn

Zeldin told the Post that his twin daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, 16, were at home doing their homework when the shooting took place.

They are unharmed but a bit 'freaked out,' he said.

In a brief statement, Zeldin said: 'Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door.'

Zeldin told the newspaper: 'They heard the shots. Boom! They went upstairs and locked themselves in the bathroom.' He added that his daughters called 911.

According to the Suffolk County PD, two 17-year-olds were walking down the street when a dark-colored SUV pulled up alongside them and someone inside opened fire.

The pair were wounded but were able to scramble for cover in Zeldin's front yard.

Police remained stationed outside of Zeldin's Long Island home on Monday after the Sunday shooting

Police investigate the scene of the shooting on the street outside Zeldin's Long Island home

Police have confirmed that they are investigating a shooting that took place here along Saint George Drive West in Shirley, New York

Lee Zeldin with his family. His twin daughters were home at the time of the shooting and called the police to report it

According to his Twitter page, Zeldin was attending an event in the Bronx alongside his wife, Diana, as part of his campaign to unseat New York sitting Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, when the shooting took place.

The conservative has represented New York's 1st Congressional District in eastern Long Island since 2015. He has accused Democrats of being soft on criminals and overzealous in imposing safety protocols intended to fight COVID-19.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating a shooting that took place along Saint George Drive West in Shirley, New York. The conditions of the two victims are unknown.

In a statement, Zeldin said: 'The two individuals who were shot were laying down under my front porch and the bushes in front of our porch.'

He added: 'My understanding is that they have been transported to area hospitals. I do not know their identities.'

Zeldin also took time to praise the actions of his daughters: 'After my daughters heard the gunshots and the screaming, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911. They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them.'

In a statement, Zeldin said: 'The two individuals who were shot were laying down under my front porch and the bushes in front of our porch'

Latest polling shows that Zeldin is in with a chance of unseating Hochul in November

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul (left) is just two points ahead of her Republican challenger Lee Zeldin (right), currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, in a new Trafalgar Group poll

This is the second high profile instance of violent crime to impact Zeldin. In July, Zeldin was accosted while giving a speech in Rochester, New York, by a drunk Iraq veteran.

Despite initial attempts by Republicans and conservative activists to blame the attack on Democratic supporters, the perpetrator, David Jakubonis, told investigators that he did not know who Zeldin was when he got up on the stage.

Just this week, a new poll showed that Zeldin was just two points behind Hochul in what should be a blow-out race in the deep-blue state.

In September, Zeldin called for a probe into sitting Hochul's apparent dodgy dealings.

In 2021, Hochul's administration inked a deal to buy 52 million Covid-19 Carestart tests for $637 million. At the same time, the state of California made a similar purchase but paid 45 percent less than New York, according to the Albany Times Union.

The report says that the price increase was because Hochul went through a campaign donor's company to facilitate the purchase. Whereas California went straight through the manufacturer, AccessBio.

Just this week, a new poll showed that Zeldin was just two points behind Hochul in what should be a blow-out race in the deep-blue state

Zeldin departs a 'Moms 4Zeldin' town hall on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on October 7th

A Trafalgar Group survey released last week showed Hochul, who took over from disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo last August, with 44.5 percent support in the upcoming gubernatorial race.

Zeldin, an ally of former President Donald Trump, received 42.6 percent support in the survey.

About 10 percent of the electorate remains undecided, while Libertarian Larry Sharpe hovered around 3 percent.

The survey is of New York likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent. The poll was conducted September 30 through October 3.

Hochul's campaign has tried to portray Zeldin as too Trumpy, while Zeldin has used a playbook similar to other Republicans on the fall ballot and played up high crime rates.

In September, however, Zeldin's campaign admitted that one of the GOP candidate's ads included footage of crimes being committed in California - not New York - and some of the New York footage predated Hochul's tenure, according to NY1.

Hochul, however, had served as Cuomo's lieutenant governor before he resigned over allegations of sexual harassment.

The voiceover in the ad says: 'You're looking at actual violent crimes caught on camera in Kathy Hochul's New York.'

Some of the other footage in the video depicted crimes that took place before Hochul took office last year. While acknowledging a mistake, Zeldin's campaign defended the ad and said the message was clear: violent crime is out of control.

Another Zeldin ad portrayed Hochul as 'even more corrupt than Cuomo' pointing to claims that Hochul gave no-bid contracts to campaign donors.

Zeldin and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speak during a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial marking the 21st anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks

Early voting in the race begins October 29.

Despite the close poll, Zeldin's shot at the governor's mansion remains long.

Other recent polls showed Hochul with a comfortable, double-digit lead.

And the last time New York elected a Republican governor was 20 years ago, when the state elected Gov. George Pataki for a third term. Since then, the state has had four Democratic governors, with two of them - Eliot Spitzer and Andrew Cuomo - resigning in scandal.

FiveThirtyEight gave Zeldin a less than 1 percent chance of winning as of Friday.

When Zeldin won his party's nomination in March, he told an audience: 'This is a battle for the heart and soul of our state,' said Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel. 'I'm running so the people feel they are back in control of their government again.'

He has made cracking down on crime a centerpiece of his campaign, at a time when polls indicate it's a top issue for many voters.

'It's about restoring order, it's about backing the blue,' Zeldin told convention attendees, later adding: 'This is a rescue mission to save our state that will be successful.'

He called for a law enforcement bill of rights that would ensure police officers have the right to self-defense.

He has also vowed to repeal criminal justice reforms passed by the Democratic-led Legislature in recent years, including a 2019 law that barred money bail and pretrial detention for most misdemeanor and nonviolent felony charges.
No10 today poured cold water on the prospect of upgrading cannabis to Class A status after claims Home Secretary Suella Braverman was looking at the move.

The PM's spokesman said there are 'no plans' to change the classification, stressing the the government is focused on 'cracking down on illegal drugs'.

Ms Braverman was reported to be reviewing evidence and minded to agree with a group of Conservative Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) argued for an upgrade at conference last week.

According to the Sunday Times, the Cabinet minister has concerns about evidence linking the drug to serious mental and physical health issues, including psychosis, cancer and birth defects.

Cannabis is currently a Class B drug, and shifting it up the scale would have huge impacts on police forces and sentencing guidelines.

The PM's spokesman today poured cold water on the prospect of upgrading cannabis to Class A status after claims Home Secretary Suella Braverman (right) was looking at the move

The PM's official spokesman said: 'There's no plans to change the laws around cannabis.

'Our priority is on cracking down on illegal drugs and the crime they drive. We've launched a drug strategy backed by record investment to deliver a whole-system approach to tackling supply and demand.'

A Home Office source said Ms Braverman was 'receptive' to ideas put forward by the PCCs about the need for a tougher stance, but it was a 'stretch of the imagination' to say she wanted a higher classification.

'Her position on this is that effectively cannabis has been legalised by not being policed properly. We need to focus attention on changing that.'

If cannabis was Class A the maximum sentence for possession would rise from five to seven years imprisonment, while the maximum sentence for supplying the drug would rise from 14 years to life imprisonment.

The Home Secretary has previously suggested she intends to crack down on middle-class drug users, introducing more campaigns which make the link between drug use and the exploitation of vulnerable young people clear.

But pro-legalisation groups argue this is the wrong tactic to take, and that introducing a regulated market for cannabis would severely impact the criminal gangs behind county lines.

Last week at the Tory party conference, Dorset PCC David Sidwick was one of those calling for reclassification.

He said: 'We're seeing it because it's a gateway drug. If you look at the young people in treatment, the number one drug they are in treatment for is cannabis.'

He added he is against decriminalisation: 'We need tough sanctions for possession and to halt the drive towards decriminalisation.

If cannabis was Class A the maximum sentence for possession would rise from five to seven years imprisonment

'We aren't just talking about 'a bit of weed' any more, this does the same harm as crack and heroin. That's why we need the penalties for this illegal gateway drug to match those of Class A substances.'

Neil McKeganey, director of the Centre for Substance Use Research in Glasgow, told the fringe meeting that drugs pose a greater risk to society than religious extremism.

He said it was a 'serious dereliction of their responsibilities' for police chiefs to treat drug use as a health problem, adding: 'It's like trying to win a war by providing more hospitals.'

The meeting also heard from Janie Hamilton, whose son James died of cancer after cannabis-induced psychosis drove him to refuse cancer treatment.

'Let no one say that cannabis is harmless,' she told delegates.
Aspiring lawyer Ashley Wadsworth was stabbed to death at his home two days before she was due to leave

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The parents of a Canadian Mormon who was murdered by her 'possessive' and 'psychotic' boyfriend after moving to the UK to be with him have confronted the killer in the dock as he was jailed for 23 years today.

The family of Ashley Wadsworth travelled across the Atlantic to be in court today to see remorseless Jack Sepple, 23, locked behind bars for the 'brutal and cowardly' attack which took her life at his Essex home.

In a series of moving impact statements her father Kenneth Wadsworth, mother Christy Gendron and older sister Hailey Wadsworth, bravely faced the man who killed the 19-year-old just days before she was due to be reunited with them in Canada.

Sepple strangled Ms Wadworth and stabbed her more than 90 times in a vicious attack, before Facetiming his sister to show her Ms Wadworth's dead body. Policewould later find him lying in a pool of blood in bed next to her body.

Kenneth told Sepple he needs 'to know and accept the brutality of what you have done and the never-ending pain you have caused her family', while Christy said he had 'robbed Ashley and us of what would have been a beautiful life'.

Hailey emotionally revealed her sister was set to be the maid of honour at her wedding, and that her death has left the family 'broken' and 'suriviving day to day'.

As he was jailed for life at Chelmsford Crown Court today it was revealed that Sepple, who had met Ashley virtually on a dating app, had eight previous convictions, nearly all of which were for domestic violence.

As he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years and six months, a judge branded Sepple a 'dangerous individual' whose actions were 'horrifying'. The killer showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.

Ashley Wadsworth's mother Christy Gendron and her father Kenneth Wadsworth pay an emotional tribute to their daughter as killer Jack Sepple is sentenced for her murder

Ashley's family travelled across the Atlantic to confront her killer in court today. Pictured: A young Ashley (bottom left) with her father Kenneth Wadsworth (top left), mother Christy Gendron (top right) and older sister Hailey Wadsworth (bottom right)

Her mother Christy Gendron said Seddle had 'robbed Ashley and us of what would have been a beautiful life'. Pictured: A young Ashley (left) with her mother (centre) and older sister Hailey (right)

Ashely Wadsworth (pictured) was killed in a brutal and sustained assault by Sepple just days before she was due to fly back to Canada

Jack Sepple, 23, admitted killing Ashley Wadsworth, 19, at his Essex home just two weeks before Valentine's Day

Jack Sepple was abusive and controlling towwards Ashley after she moved over from Canada to be with him, with friends saying he controlled her access to social media

Police pictured outside the home of Jack Sepple in Essex. When officers arrived at his house they found him lying in a pool of blood next to Ashley's body

Ashley's parents pay tribute to their 'beautiful' daughter In a tribute to her daughter released through Essex Police, Christy Gendron said: 'My darling daughter, Ashley. My youngest child. 'Right from the day you were born, you made me proud to be your mommy. You couldn't help being adorable. 'I watched you grow up alongside your sister  my most beautiful, most precious treasures. 'I looked on as you learnt to do things by watching your big sister, Hailey. Sometimes you followed her, sometimes you overtook her. 'Nothing could hold you back. 'You weren't afraid to try anything  sports, crafts, skiing. 'No-one taught you to swim, you just jumped in and started swimming! It was amazing. 'Growing up into a beautiful, smart young woman, it was clear you were destined for a bright future and I believe studying at university would have brought you the personal rewards you deserved. I know you would've been successful in anything you wanted to do. 'I treasure the time we spent together, with you always protecting me. You were the backbone of our little family. 'Hailey and I saw how you were fiercely loyal to those you loved. 'Your moral and spiritual compass was second to none. Always wanting to help, always looking out for others. 'When you set your mind to something you believed in, no one could stop you. When you helped someone, they knew they were loved. 'Your love of and thirst for adventure brought you to the UK. Your passion for life was immense. 'Your passion for Jack knew no bounds, but it seems that your love, trust and support wasn't returned. He didn't want you to come home to those who truly loved you. 'My life will never be the same without you, Ashley. I will never be whole again. 'My baby has gone from me and my life has changed forever. 'Ashley, Mommy loves you always.' In a tribute to his daughter released through Essex Police, Kenneth Wadsworth said: 'I miss you, Ashley. 'I miss everything about you. 'I miss your beautiful face, your every breath, your chatter. 'You don't know what you will miss until it is no longer there. But I am forever grateful that I got to tell you I loved you the last time I spoke to you. I wish you were back with us. 'Ashley, you were a great kid. You were fast at doing everything - walking at seven months and playing all kinds of sports. 'And really smart too, one of the brightest in your school - a future doctor. 'I treasure the times you'd come over to mine and my wife Charmaine's house, and we would sit on the porch and just talk. 'Your sister Hailey, and your niece Paisley meant the world to you and miss you dearly every day. 'You and Charmaine's daughter, Crystal, were the best of friends. As a family we would hang out, go to the beach, do lots of walking and sports. 'We lived an outdoor life and you loved that. 'Ashley, I was so proud when you graduated from school with honours. 'You told me you wanted to take a year out to visit Jack and would then come home to go to college. 'I wasn't keen on you going to England, being away from everyone, but you are such a strong person and knew what you wanted in life, nothing I could have said would have changed your mind. I remember driving you to that airport that day, the last time I saw you in person. 'I think about why you stayed with Jack with everything that had gone on. It plays on my mind; at the same time, I know you are such a kind and loving person and would have just wanted to help him with everything that was going on. 'Ashley, you are forever in my thoughts, and missed by me, Charmaine, Crystal, Hailey and Paisley.' Advertisement

The court heard that aspiring lawyer Ashley upending her 'small-town life' to fly across the Atlantic on a six-month tourist visa to be with her new boyfriend in November last year.

But the idyllic lifestyle they tried to share online hid a dark truth. Family members said she had begged them to buy her a ticket home and spoke of Sepple's possessive and abusive behaviour in the days leading up to her death.

She was just two days away from flying back to Vernon, British Columbia, when she was found dead.

High Court Judge Mr Justice Edward Murray told the court that Sepple, who had previous convictions for offences including battery and harassment against his own mother, had displayed a 'clear pattern of violent and controlling behaviour for a number of women'.

The judge added that Sepple had written a note in prison that had 'disturbing, graphic reasons for the killing and how you felt about it'.

The court heard that Sepple had also filmed himself in the house covered in Ashley's blood with her body visible in the background, Essex Live reports.

He had apologised for what he did, and addressed the video to Ashley's sister Hailey, though there is no evidence that he tried to send it to her.

At Sepple's sentencing Hailey said Ashley was set to be the maid of honour at her wedding, but she is now an only child. She said her family is 'broken' and they are 'surviving day to day'.

She said: 'Jack took Ashley from us, [she was] strong, loving and fiercely loyal, spiritual, beautiful and completely innocent. We trusted you to care and look after her when she came to England. You broke that trust. It's had a rippled effect on the family. I hope the time you spend locked up will make you realise what you have done and that you don't get to do this to anyone else.'

Turning to Sepple in his victim impact statement, Ashley's dad Kenneth Wadsworth said: 'Jack; you need to know and accept the brutality of what you have done and the never-ending pain you have caused our family.

'It's because of your choices, I hope you sit and think long and hard about what you have done. Ashley is forever missed and loved. We recently booked a flight and the lady who was dealing with us didn't know us, but when she saw our names she started crying. I am forever grateful that I got to tell her [Ashley] that I loved her the last time I spoke to her.'

Christy also provided a statement to court, addressing her daughter's killer. She said: 'She always wanted to help him, and better him, and help him when he was in hospital, and he repaid her by taking her own life. It's had a profound impact on my life.

'I only sleep an hour or two at a time as I think about her last minutes. I walk passed her bedroom every day and I only go in when I am strong enough.. It was supposed to be me first, not her.

'Jack has robbed Ashley and us of what would have been a beautiful life. She was so far away and I couldn't see her and it took us three weeks to get her home to Canada. Ashley has been ripped away from us in the cruellest way.'

Simon Spence KC, prosecuting, earlier said Sepple was 'angered' by Ashley's decision to return home. He then 'both strangled and stabbed' her before he 'went about his daily business'.

He also revealed how Sepple FaceTimed his sister following the killing, adding: 'He went about his daily business, including a FaceTime call to his sister, where he showed her the body of Ashley.

'That's when the police entered the house. The injuries were horrific and showed an intent to kill.'

Ashley's parents made the trip from Canada to confront their daughter's killer in court today.

Her mother Christy Gendron said she had been 'ripped away in the cruellest way', adding that Sepple had robbed her of 'what would have been a beautiful life'.

Kenneth Wadsworth, Ashley's father, told Sepple that he had caused 'never ending pain' for the family, adding that he hoped the killer would 'think long and hard about what you have done'.

In a tribute following the hearing, her he said: 'I miss you, Ashley. I miss everything about you. I miss your beautiful face, your every breath, your chatter.

'You don't know what you will miss until it is no longer there. But I am forever grateful that I got to tell you I loved you the last time I spoke to you. I wish you were back with us.

'Ashley, you were a great kid. You were fast at doing everything - walking at seven months and playing all kinds of sports. And really smart too, one of the brightest in your school - a future doctor. I treasure the times you'd come over to mine and my wife Charmaine's house, and we would sit on the porch and just talk.

'Your sister Hailey, and your niece Paisley meant the world to you and miss you dearly every day. You and Charmaine's daughter, Crystal, were the best of friends.

'As a family we would hang out, go to the beach, do lots of walking and sports. We lived an outdoor life and you loved that. Ashley, I was so proud when you graduated from school with honours.

The 'possessive' boyfriend (pictured left) has been jailed for life for the murder of his 19-year-old Canadian girlfriend, Ashley Wadsworth in a brutal stabbing

An inquest hearing was told Ms Wadsworth (pictured with Sepple in London) died from multiple stab wounds to the chest

Ashley wanted to return to Vernon, British Columbia, after discovering her online boyfriend was jealous and abusive, her family says

Ashley Wadsworth, 19, was originally from Vernon in British Columbia, Canada, but moved to the UK to 'escape small-town life'. She was due to fly back to Canada to see her family days after she was murdered

Pictured: Canadian teenager Ashley Wadsworth, 19, (centre) with her family at graduation

Aspiring lawyer Ashley, who was a Mormon, had upended her 'small-town life' but had been just days away from flying back to Vernon, British Columbia when she was found dead

Parents fly from Canada to confront 'psychotic' boyfriend who killed their teenage daughter Ashley's parents made the trip from Canada to confront their daughter's killer in court today. Her mother Christy Gendron said she had been 'ripped away in the cruellest way', adding that Sepple had robbed her of 'what would have been a beautiful life'. In a victim impact statement, she said: 'She always wanted to help him, and better him, and help him when he was in hospital, and he repaid her by taking her own life. It's had a profound impact on my life. 'I only sleep an hour or two at a time as I think about her last minutes. I walk passed her bedroom every day and I only go in when I am strong enough. It was supposed to be me first, not her. 'Jack has robbed Ashley and us of what would have been a beautiful life. She was so far away and I couldn't see her and it took us three weeks to get her home to Canada. 'Ashley has been ripped away from us in the cruellest way.' In a tribute following the hearing, her father Kenneth said: 'I miss you, Ashley. I miss everything about you. I miss your beautiful face, your every breath, your chatter. 'You don't know what you will miss until it is no longer there. But I am forever grateful that I got to tell you I loved you the last time I spoke to you. I wish you were back with us. 'Ashley, you were a great kid. You were fast at doing everything - walking at seven months and playing all kinds of sports. And really smart too, one of the brightest in your school - a future doctor. I treasure the times you'd come over to mine and my wife Charmaine's house, and we would sit on the porch and just talk. 'Your sister Hailey, and your niece Paisley meant the world to you and miss you dearly every day. You and Charmaine's daughter, Crystal, were the best of friends. 'As a family we would hang out, go to the beach, do lots of walking and sports. We lived an outdoor life and you loved that. Ashley, I was so proud when you graduated from school with honours. He added: 'You told me you wanted to take a year out to visit Jack and would then come home to go to college. 'I wasn't keen on you going to England, being away from everyone, but you are such a strong person and knew what you wanted in life, nothing I could have said would have changed your mind. I remember driving you to that airport that day, the last time I saw you in person. 'I think about why you stayed with Jack with everything that had gone on. It plays on my mind; at the same time, I know you are such a kind and loving person and would have just wanted to help him with everything that was going on. 'Ashley, you are forever in my thoughts, and missed by me, Charmaine, Crystal, Hailey and Paisley.' Advertisement

He added: 'You told me you wanted to take a year out to visit Jack and would then come home to go to college.

'I wasn't keen on you going to England, being away from everyone, but you are such a strong person and knew what you wanted in life, nothing I could have said would have changed your mind. I remember driving you to that airport that day, the last time I saw you in person.

'I think about why you stayed with Jack with everything that had gone on. It plays on my mind; at the same time, I know you are such a kind and loving person and would have just wanted to help him with everything that was going on.

'Ashley, you are forever in my thoughts, and missed by me, Charmaine, Crystal, Hailey and Paisley.'

Ashley had posted photos online of her 'amazing trip to London', where she had been sightseeing with Sepple, who has the word 'Hope' inked just below his right eye and various other tattoos across his face and neck.

But her sister Hailey, 21, claims to have witnessed Sepple beating her sister while on FaceTime and accused the 'controlling' boyfriend of deleting her social media content and replacing photographs with ones that included him.

Other close friends warned Ashley was forced to set up 'secret' social media accounts to warn friends of her new boyfriend's increasingly worrying attitude after he allegedly tried to stop her speaking with friends.

Sepple later told police after he was arrested: 'I am psychotic. I am very sorry, I stabbed her and strangled her'.

After the Wadsworths scraped together enough cash to pay for a flight back to British Columbia, relatives claim Sepple's violent behaviour took a turn for the worse when Ashley told him she was returning to Canada.

Ms Wadsworth's grandfather said he had encouraged her to travel across the Atlantic for the 'trip of a lifetime' because he believed the UK was 'the safest place in the world'.

Jeff Wadsworth, 66, said that he had felt reassured about her decision to travel to the UK because he believed it was a safe place.

He said in the wake of her death: 'We're just devastated. I can't believe it. I encouraged her to go  I thought it was going to be the time of her life.

'I never thought something like this would happen in England  I thought it was the safest place in the world. And it is a safe place  this is such a not normal thing.'

Wadsworth's mother, Christy Gendron, said last month that the news of Sepple's conviction was a 'bittersweet' surprise after the horror of the last seven months that has seen her fight for justice for her daughter from a different timezone.

'I am relieved that we won't have to sit through a trial which is very public and the details... I'm spared that,' she told CBC.

'But it's bittersweet. Although this is a good outcome and I'm sure he'll get a good sentence, it doesn't bring Ashley back.'

Standing in the dock at the same court dressed in a white t-shirt when he admitted her murder last month, Sepple showed little emotion and used just two words: 'I'm guilty'.

Judge Christopher Morgan told him: 'You know that by your plea of guilty of murder there is only one sentence and that is to be passed and that is a life sentence.'

One friend, Daniel Seaman, told DailyBeast that Ashley had allegedly cried out for help using different social media accounts before her death because 'her boyfriend didn't want to talk with us a lot of the time.'

Her 18-year-old cousin, Kali, had also shared her fears that Ashley was moving halfway across the world to meet up with a stranger she had only met online.

She told DailyMail.com: 'From the beginning when she decided to go to England for a guy, I was like why are you doing that? It's really stupid.

'Obviously, I never thought something like this would happen. I was just like, wow, this is stupid  he has face tattoos, what are you doing?

'I was like, you're too good for him anyway; you could get someone awesome in your own city.'

Devastated Kali added: 'He [Sepple] had been very possessive over her belongings  her phone especially. He was going through her social media and the reason he acted out was because he had seen an old chat.

'The reason this entire fight started from the beginning was because he had seen an old chat where she flirted with somebody.

'He freaked out over it and Ashley was on FaceTime with Hailey and she watched him just start beating her.

'Then [Hailey] reached out and tried to get her an earlier plane ticket. He had logged into all her social medias, deleted all her posts and changed all her passwords and smashed her phone.

'Ashley couldn't call for help  she was in a whole different country, even if she could call for help, who would she call apart from the police? I don't know if she did but I know a few people did.'

Earlier this year, Ashley posted photos online of her 'amazing trip to London', where she had been sightseeing with Sepple, who has the word 'Hope' inked just below his right eye and various other tattoos across his face and neck

Ashley (left) in a group shot with her sister Hailey, and cousins Samantha Lovely and Kali Wadsworth

Police stand guard outside Sepple's home in Chelmsford after Ms Wandsworth was found dead there. Sepple, 23, admitted to her murder with just two words: 'I'm guilty'

The teenager's death prompted an outpouring of grief from the Chelmsford community, as well as international tributes. Vigils were held for her in local parks, and friends from Vernon were quick to share their memories of her.

In a statement released by Miss Wadsworth's family, they said she was a 'kind and beautiful woman' with an 'unforgettable laugh', while loved ones celebrated her 'spontaneous, witty, kind personality'.

Ms Wadsworth was originally from Vernon, British Colombia, and reportedly met Sepple through an online dating app.

She wrote on Facebook that she had moved to Chelmsford in November 2021. She had been due to fly home to see her family just days later.

Ms Wadsworth converted to Mormonism when she turned 18 before moving to England on November 12 to 'escape small-town life.'

She moved in with Sepple and the couple were pictured visiting many British monuments and tourist attractions together.

It is understood Sepple's family had accompanied the couple on a tour of London and a trip to Kent.

In a family tribute released by Essex Police earlier this month, Ashley's family celebrated her 'spontaneous, witty, kind personality' and remembered her 'unforgettable laugh'.

They added: 'Ashley, you are beautiful to us, and we will miss you very, very, much.'

An inquest hearing held earlier this month heard she died from multiple stab wounds to the chest.

In a brief hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday, Sepple's barrister said a psychiatrist had indicated that the defendant was fit to plead.

The court clerk read the single charge of murder and Sepple, standing in the secure dock in a long white sleeved top and with tattoos on his face and hand, replied: 'I'm guilty.'

The hearing was told that the teenager was found unresponsive and paramedics pronounced her dead at 4.38pm.

A post-mortem examination recorded her provisional medical cause of death as 'stab wounds to the chest', the coroner's officer said.

Essex's senior coroner, Lincoln Brookes, suspended the inquest proceedings pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.

Ashley Wadsworth, pictured with boyfriend Sepple, was found dead at his home in Chelmsford in early February

Jack Sepple, 23, admitted to killing Canadian teenager Ashley Wadsworth, 19, at his home in Chelmsford, Essex on February 1

Court artist sketch of Jack Sepple, of Chelmsford, appearing in court last week. He had been due to face trial in September

The teenager was described as 'fiercely loving and loyal to her family and friends'.

Ashley's older sister Hailey said she will always treasure her younger sibling as her 'best friend.'

And her niece, Paisley, called her Aunty Ashley the 'best aunty ever' and thanked her for saving up her own money to buy her a first swing set.

Her family admired the teen's sense of adventure, having travelled extensively within Canada and also to Mexico, California and England.

She developed her desire for life experience while abroad and a love of language - where she became fluent in French and Spanish.

Ashley had dreams of becoming a lawyer and had been accepted to Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. She had also discovered her faith and was excited to share that with others.

Her family previously thanked the people of Chelmsford and specifically the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Helen and the Taylor family who organised a vigil for Ashley after her death, for their support.

They said: 'It has touched us so deeply, there are truly no words to express our gratitude.

'They were able to do something for Ashley that we couldn't, and we will be forever thankful.

'How lucky are we to have people from across the world care so much about a family that they have never met?'
An 18-year-old man was arrested after allegedly attacking his parents and throwing a knife at an police officer in the Rancho Penasquitos neighborhood of San Diego.

On Sunday, the man reportedly punched his mother in the nose, bit his father and grabbed several knives in a violent outburst at their family home.

His parents called San Diego police, who attended the scene at Brassica Street, north of Ragweed Street, around 7pm.

An 18-year-old man reportedly attacked his parents at their family home on Brassica Street (pictured) in San Diego and then threw a knife at a police officer when authorities arrived

However after the arrival of officers, the man at some point threw a knife at an officer, who was not injured, San Diego police said.

After the man threw the weapon officers proceeded to surrounded the house and eventually got the man to surrender by around 8pm.

No further information was immediately available and San Diego police have been contacted for a comment.
A man charged with murdering a two-year-old girl at her home appeared at crown court today for the first time and was remanded in custody.

Michael Daymond, 26, is charged with killing Maya Louise Chappell at her home in County Durham last month.

The toddler was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after emergency services were called to reports of a medical incident at a home in Shotton Colliery in County Durham on Wednesday, September 28.

She died on Friday, September 30 after two days in intensive care at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Michael Daymond (pictured), 26, is charged with killing Maya Louise Chappell at her home in County Durham

The toddler was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after emergency services were called to reports of a medical incident at a home in Shotton Colliery in County Durham on September 28

Maya's father James Chappell earlier paid tribute to his 'beautiful brave little girl' who was 'too good for this world' on Facebook.

Michael Daymond appeared today at Teesside Crown Court charged with murdering the toddler.

Wearing a grey sweatshirt, the bearded 26-year-old defendant appeared via a video-link from HMP Leeds prison.

Judge Howard Crowson set a date for a plea and trial preparation hearing on January 13 with a provisional trial date set for March 13.

Maya's father James Chappell earlier paid tribute to his 'beautiful brave little girl' who was 'too good for this world' on Facebook

Daymond was remanded in custody until his next court appearance.

The judge told him: 'It's important you are open with your lawyers about anything you think might be relevant.'

Maya's father James previously said on Facebook: 'It breaks my heart to be writing this but sadly my beautiful brave little girl has gained her wings she was too good for this world and as a reward she's going to play in the stars.

'I love you so much Maya Louise Chappell, you are my life, my earth and my idol and I'll always look up to you and love you with all my heart. RIP baby girl.

'Anyone who would like to pay their respects via social media are more than welcome.'
A 65-year-old woman in Japan has been scammed out of 27,350 by a man claiming to be a Russian astronaut in space who needed the money to fly back to Earth to marry her.

The pair began chatting on Instagram in June, where the man's profile was filled with photos of space and said he was based on the International Space Station, according to TV Asahi.

The man shortly after began telling the unnamed woman that he was in love with and wanted to marry her, and that he wanted to move to Japan so they could start their new life together.

The man said he needed money for a rocket to fly to Japan to marry the unnamed woman

Between August 19 and September 5, the woman sent 4.4 million yen (27,350) to her apparent husband-to-be after he said he needed the money to cover the cost of a rocket and landing fees to return to Earth so the pair could tie the knot.

The woman reported the space cowboy to police after she eventually grew suspicious, and the case is currently being investigated as a romance scam.

Romance scams were put in the spotlight recently following the release of The Tinder Swindler on Netflix, a documentary about scam artist Simon Leviev, who tricked women out of millions of pounds.

Between 2017 and 2019, Mr Leviev allegedly swindled several women across Europe out of over 9 million, with many taking out bank loans or credit cards to 'loan' him money that they would never get back.

The international conman would wow his targets with his seemingly glamourous lifestyle of private jets, fancy clothes and luxury hotels  before tricking them into handing him over huge sums of money.

In a twisted Ponzi scheme, he would use the cash he stole from his victims to draw in his next target, lavishing them with trips abroad and tables in VIP clubs.

Japanese police are investigating the incident as a romance scam

Similar crimes are also on the rise in the UK, according to Action Fraud, which says as much as 92 million is lost to romance fraud in the UK each year. The organisation added that the Valentine's Day and Christmas Day periods are the most common times to fall victim to this type of crime.
Peter Moller, co-founder of Danish Korean Rights Group (DKRG) speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper's office in Seoul, Sept. 30. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Lee Hyo-jin



Adoption agency Holt International has denied allegations that it had forged adoption documents, in response to claims made by a group of Danish adoptees who said their adoption proceedings involved irregularities by Korean agencies.



In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Peter Moller, co-founder of the Danish Korean Rights Group (DKRG), claimed that two Seoul-based adoption agencies  Holt and the Korea Social Society (KSS)  fabricated many of the adoption documents of Korean children who were sent to Demark in the 1970s and 1980s.



Moller disclosed a letter sent from the KSS to a Danish adoptee in 2016, which stated, "In fact, it (the adoption file) was made up just for the adoption procedures."



The Danish adoptee speculated that Holt, the country's largest adoption agency, had also falsified or distorted documents. He claimed that some adoptees sent overseas by Holt found themselves registered as orphans, even though the agencies knew that their biological parents were very much alive.






The behavior continued even after he was placed in another courtroom

The man who allegedly ploughed through the crowd at a Wisconsin Christmas parade, killing six people, apologized to the victims' families and the court for his erratic behavior in the courtroom last week.

Darrell Brooks, 40, was thrown from the courtroom on Thursday after repeated interruptions, outbursts, and a spat with the judge - only to appear shirtless while livestreaming in from a sperate room.

But on Monday, a different Darrell Brooks appeared in court. This one had ditched the jailhouse orange and was fully dressed in a suit, with a a mask properly secured over his face, and kept a calm demeanor as he gave his apology, admitting: 'I wasn't raised that way.'

Brooks is accused of driving his car through the Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin on November 21, 2021, killing six people between the ages of eight and 81, and injuring more than 60 people.

Darrell Brooks, 40, who is accused of killing six people during a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, apologized for his erratic behavior in the courtroom last week

On Monday, a different Darrell Brooks appeared in court fully dressed in a suit, with a calm demeanor as he gave his apology, admitting: 'I wasn't raised that way'

Brooks has been acting as his own attorney since last week, when he demanded Judge Jennifer Dorow dismiss his public defenders.

Since then, he has been interrupting the judge and on Thursday was ejected soon after when he got into a spat with the judge over his decision to wear prison attire in the courtroom.

On Monday morning, a solemn Brooks appeared before the court and just before witness testimony began, he announced that he wanted to apologize to the court for his actions last week.

'I just want to state this for the record that I would like to issue the court an apology from me in regards to my actions last week during the trial,' Brooks said.

'I just want the court to understand it's very emotional right now, not only for just the whole situation of the trial, the families here that have to go through, you know, everything that's going to be involved with the trial. But also my family as well, myself, it's very, very emotional. But not to excuse my actions and I should carry myself with better respect. I wasn't raised that way. And I owe you, your honor, and the court an apology.'

Brooks continued 'And I want to stand up as a man and tell the whole court, and you your Honor, I want to apologize to the bailiffs that I want to apologize for my actions. Like I said, that's not how I was raised. I come from a Christian background. My mother did not raise me that way. She did not raise me to act out out of frustration and irritation and anger.'

'And I just wanted everyone to know that I apologize for my actions and I'm going to try my best to, whatever happens, to conduct myself with respect and with respect to the court. And I just wanted you all to know that. The prosecution, the judge, bailiffs, clerks, reporters, everybody, audience, everybody here. I just wanted you all to know that.'

Brooks was thrown from the courtroom on Thursday after repeated interruptions, outbursts, and a spat with the judge - only to appear shirtless while livestreaming in from a sperate room

Waukesha Circuit County Judge Jennifer Dorow addresses Darrell Brooks continually refused to budge on Thursday, and after sending Brooks off to another courtroom explained that she would not back down despite his attempts to make a 'mockery' of the proceedings

Opening statements and witness testimony on Thursday were delayed due to Brooks' incessant outbursts.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow continually refused to budge, and after sending Brooks off to another courtroom explained that she would not back down despite his attempts to make a 'mockery' of the proceedings.

Once there, he took off his jail uniform shirt and sat on the defense table with his back to the camera. He could be seen gesturing and jabbing the table with his finger.

'It's very clear to this court that everything that he has done as outlined by the state and as made evident the court of this proceeding that it is the sole intent of Mr. Brooks to make mockery of this process,' she said, as Brooks could be seen on a video feed with his shirtless back to the camera.

'It's important for the justice system to go forward with this proceeding. We are at the stage where we are at with Mr. Brooks muted in another courtroom because of his defiant actions, no one else,' she added.

With his microphone muted at all times except when called on to speak or answer questions, Brooks could be seen wildly gesticulating in the other courtroom, arguing with court police, and holding up his objection sign to everything Judge Dorow said.

At one point, Brooks stuffed a laminated sign reading 'objection' into the waistband of his orange prison attire after the judge muted his microphone.

Brooks also stuffed a laminated sign reading 'objection' into the waistband of his orange prison attire after the judge muted his microphone so she could read off his charges

Opening statements on Thursday were delayed due to Brooks' incessant outbursts

With his microphone muted at all times except when called on to speak or answer questions, Brooks could be seen wildly gesticulating in the other courtroom, arguing with court police, and holding up his objection sign to everything Judge Dorow said

Despite his outbursts, Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper insisted Brooks was competent to stand trial.

'At no time as has anyone in this case had a competency concern,' she said, 'I'm thoroughly convinced he is 100 percent competent to proceed trial. We are 100 percent convinced that his conduct [is]... deliberate and intentional. He is attempting to derail these proceedings.'

Judge Dorow agreed with Opper's assessment.

'I share your observations,' the judge said, adding she felt his behavior was merely an act of 'defiance' instead of a sign of poor mental health.

On day three of the Brooks' trial, he was ejected from the courtroom while he asked the court to adjourn the trial over claims he was suffering from COVID-19.

On the second day he was ejected while repeatedly interrupting jury selection proceedings, read long passages from the bible, then appeared to fall asleep on the video feed from the other courtroom.

And on the first day, he was also ejected after his disruptive behavior during jury selection.

After a judge ordered Darrell Brooks to be taken to an adjacent courtroom, he yelled at the judge, pulling down his mask to be heard more clearly

Clearly annoyed with Brooks' antics, which included reading Bible passages, Judge Dorow begged the man to cooperate so court proceedings could continue

At one point, the 40-year-old appeared to fall asleep during the middle of the day

Ordered to another room, Brooks sat almost completely alone while Judge Jennifer Dorow attempted to continue with jury selection

Brooks, a Milwaukee resident, was arrested near the scene of the attack on November 21, 2021 and has been in custody ever since.

Prosecutors say Brooks deliberately drove his car through police barricades and into the crowds participating in the annual parade in the city of Waukesha, about 15 miles west of downtown Milwaukee.

Brooks rammed through the crowd after allegedly confronting a woman outside of a motel before the parade.

Law enforcement officials said that the accused returned and punched that woman in the face and ran her over, as well.

A first responder was seen examining the crime scene after Brooks allegedly drove through a crowd of people at high speeds during a 2021 Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin

People gathered in Waukesha in 2021 following the deadly incident which claimed the lives of six people and injured dozens of others

A stroller was left at the scene where more than 60 people were injured and six were left dead

The ages of the people killed ranged from 8 to 81 years old, and more than 60 other people were injured, including at least 18 children.

Brooks, who was out on bail from a domestic abuse charge at the time of the attack, faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charges.

The man has a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 1999 when he was first arrested for aggravated battery and carrying a concealed weapon.

Since then, he's had at least 15 other run ins with the law.

Brooks has been charged with obstructing an officer multiple times, possession of a controlled substance, paternity warrants, failure to appear in court, and other charges.

One of his most aggressive charges came in 2010 when he was accused of strangulation and suffocation, as well as domestic battery.

Hundreds of people witnessed the attack, several recording cellphone videos, some of whom are expected to be called to testify by prosecutors from the Waukesha County district attorney's office.

The trial had been scheduled to last about a month, but Brooks' decision to represent himself may prolong the process even as Dorow has warned him that the court will not tolerate deliberate acts of obstruction, the Journal Sentinel reported.

This week's issues in court were not the first in this trial, however.

During an August 26 appearance, Brooks fell asleep several times, and then ranted at Dorow, WISN reported.

'You sit up here and act like you know me,' he said, as she stood with her arms folded.

'People like you don't know nothing about where I come from,' he continued.

Brooks was also heard to say that he was 'bored' by proceedings, and raged at sheriff's deputies as they led him out of court at Judge Dorow's instructions.

The accused called the trial 'political' and continued to verbally batter the judge.

At one point, Brooks told Dorow that he didn't want to be there and wanted to return to his cell.

Brooks pleaded not guilty in February.

In April, his attorneys, public defenders Anna Kees and Jeremy Perri, filed a motion seeking to push the proceedings back until at least March 2023.

The attorneys argued in the motion they need at least six months to study more than 300 videos of the parade, break down the SUV's speed throughout the incident, review the police interrogation of Brooks and reach out to potential expert witnesses.

Brooks at one point pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease, but withdrew that without explanation and pleaded not guilty. Psychological evaluations before the trial found him competent.
Twitch streamer and porn star Adriana Chechik will have to have a rod inserted into her back after breaking it in two places when she jumped into a concrete pit filled with foam cubes - a day after another woman was injured at the same spot.

Chechik, who has 803,000 followers on the streaming platform, was celebrating a win in a foam pugil stick duel when she jumped into the pit at a Lenovo Legion booth at the TwitchCon event at the San Diego Convention Center over the weekend.

Footage showed Chechik, 30, battling it out with her opponent on a three-foot high platform above the foam cubes, each trying to knock the other off-balance.

Within seconds, Chechik claimed victory and celebrated with a toe touch before landing in the pit and being unable to get up as panicked onlookers are heard shouting that she landed on her tailbone.

Chechik later posted a photo of herself in a hospital gown late Sunday night with the caption, 'I live here now.' She has to undergo surgery to get a rod inserted in her back.

In a series of tweets, she attacked Lenovo Legion for keeping the booth open after another participant said they were injured the previous day.

Porn star Adriana Chechik has to get a rod inserted into her back after she broke it while jumping onto concrete covered by foam cubes

Chechik (right) is seen with her competitor minutes before she broke her back after slamming into the foam pit. The influencer was participating in the risky activity hosted by Lenovo Legion

Footage showed Chechik and her opponent battling it out with foam pugil sticks on a three-foot platform

Chechik cheered toward the crowd in front of her while her opponent laid defeated. The adult star cheered and prepared to perform a toe touch

Chechik is seen mid-air as she cheers for her victory

Within seconds, Chechik can be seen landing the fall on her tailbone

Chechik struggled to get up while others rushed to call the medic. She was seen crunched over in pain

Chechik later posted a photo of herself glammed up in a hospital gown on late Sunday night

Video captured the moment Chechik landed and struggled to move.

'You good?' a man can be heard asking.

'I can't get up,' Chechik responded as a crowed stared at her from all around.

Multiple people rushed to her care as she struggled to move.

'No, no she's fine,' a female announcer was heard joking in the background unaware of the severity of Chechik's injuries.

'She landed on her tailbone,' another man can be heard telling the medic.

In a string of Tweets, the influencer called out the booth's operator Lenovo Legion for their 'carelessness' in allowing for the foam pit to remain open after one person previously claimed to be injured.

'Why did @LenovoLegion say here, you can dive in?' she wrote while attaching a video from the company with the two booth announcers describing the fight between two men.

'They put the pit up a second day after the 1st person injured their foot and ankle bad enough to leave #twitchcon in a brace. Multiple ppl were injured and they kept the pit open, said jump in the booty first.'

Participants were required to sign a waiver before participating in the activity.

Lenovo Legion didn't immediately respond to DailyMail.com for a comment.

Chechik recalled the moments she remained still as the medics rushed to get her out of the foam pit.

'Special shout out to the random off-work EMT who got the workers at the booth to realize how bad I was injured and to make them keep me still and calm me down until others got there. U rly kept me from crying badly.'

She later added, 'Last night was horrible, the pain I had felt like I'd rather die. This is gonna suck.'

'I broke my bad in two places and am getting surgery to put a meter rod in for support today. Send your support. When it rains it pours and I am definitely feeling the rain right now.'

Chechik has been very outspoken about her injuries on Twitter and slammed Lenovo Legion for continuing the risky actively despite another person being previously injured the day before

Another streamer, dubbed LochVaness, was also injured at Lenovo's booth on Saturday.

The streamer posted a video of herself in the same foam booth battling her opponent before she jumped the pit after winning. Rather than slamming Lenovo, she took a hit at Twitch.

'I will never be able to trust @Twitch at another convention in my entire life,' she later wrote on Twitter while sharing a video of how she got her injuries.

'Here's how I dislocated my knee and sprained my ankle at their Lenovo Legion booth.'

LochVaness can be seen jumping into the pit and quickly dropping her jaw before the video is cut out.

She was briefly hospitalized before doctors deemed she didn't break any major bones.

The streamer later posted a picture of her ankle being iced and elevated on Sunday with the caption, 'This is NOT how I wanted to spend Twitchcon Day 3.'

Another streamer, LochVaness, was also injured at Lenovo's booth on Saturday

The streamer shared a video of the horrific incident on Twitter. Rather than slamming Lenovo, she took a hit at Twitch

The streamer can be seen leaping into the foam and the moment her jaw dropped from her injury

LochVaness spent day three of the convention laying down with her sprained foot iced

Be careful on this thing guys. Im currently at the hospital seeing if I broke anything.  https://t.co/SNHHl5XZEE  LochVaness | TWITCHCON (@loch_vaness) October 9, 2022

I will never be able to trust @Twitch at another convention in my entire life.

Heres how I dislocated my knee and sprained my ankle at their Lenovo Legion booth: pic.twitter.com/uZjfkgRyWr  LochVaness | TWITCHCON (@loch_vaness) October 10, 2022

Many were outraged after the two incidents occurred at the weekend convention, especially after Twitch failed to shut down Lenovo's booth after LochVaness's injury.

'Holy sh** waiver or not, that's irresponsible as shit to not have proper protection on the floor,' one person wrote on Twitter.

'Terribly upsetting,' another wrote. 'I hope they all make a healthy recovery.'

'The pit is an act of negligence, full stop. Foam blocks on concrete? They're lucky someone didn't fall head first,' another said.

One person said they suffered minor injuries from the pit.

'Can confirm the pit was a bit shallow - I hit my knee pretty hard but not seriously the first time that I got knocked off of a podium,' one person wrote. 'Saw a lot of people purposely dive into the foam pit which was particularly concerning.'

Twitch didn't immediately respond to DailyMail.com for a comment.
A vegan activist could have caused 100,000 worth of damage at a London shop by after pouring milk over it, a court has heard.

Stephen Bone is alleged to have been one of two Animal Rebellion members who targeted the Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges store on Friday, October 7.

He, along with Sofia Fernandes Pontes, 26, is accused of taking 38 worth of milk and pouring it onto the carpet of the luxury retailer.

It came as protestors from the Extinction Rebellion offshoot and eco-zealots Just Stop Oil targeted the capital in more than a week of demonstrations.

A hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court was told today that Bone may have ended up costing Fortnum & Mason 100,000 by damaging the carpet.

Stephen Bone (pictured) is accused of causing damage that could cost a London shiop up to 100,000

The 40-year-old allegedly poured milk on the floor at Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges on Friday

Mr Bone, of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, denies tow charges of criminal damage and two charges of theft

Prosecutor Penny Ferguson said: 'At 11:30 in the morning, the defendant and a female were seen on the lower-ground floor.

'They took a basket, each filled with 20 bottles of milk, carried it up to the floor above and emptied the bottles on the carpet between the aisles displaying goods.

'Once the bottles were emptied, both parties left the store and the police were called. The carpet was re-laid a year ago at a cost of 100,000.'

The store said they may have to replace the entire carpet if they cannot replace the damaged section.

Ms Ferguson added: 'They say, if the particular part of the carpet can be replaced it could be in excess of 5,000.

'If, however, they can't find a match then the whole of the flooring will need to be replaced and will cost over 100,000.'

He is also accused of pouring milk on the floor of Selfridges the same morning, causing 273 worth of damage.

Mr Bone, of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, indicated a not guilty pleas to two charges of criminal damage and two counts of theft when appearing at court today.

The 40-year-old, who is unemployed and has a six-year-old child, was granted bail on the condition he does not visit the two stores before appearing at Southwark Crown Court on November 7.

Wearing a dark blue jacket and white t-shirt, he waved and blew a kiss to his three supporters in the public gallery as he was led out of the docks.

Sofia Fernandes Pontes (pictured) has also been charged with criminal damage following Friday's protest

Sofia Fernandes Pontes, one of the protesters, is an Islington-based psychology student at London Metropolitan University where she has been studying since last year, and is also president of the Climate Justice Society at the students' union

Ms Fernandes Pontes, of Islington, north London, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 7.

Ms Fernandes Pontes, a student and mother from the Portugese island of Madeira who teaches Zumba to young children, was bailed and will appear in court on Monday, November 7.

The 26-year-old's LinkedIn profile describes her as an 'environmentalist helping families and planet' also lists her as the founder of Parezy, an app described as a 'virtual one-stop service provider for families with children in the early years sector'.

The Zumba instructor, also known as 'fifi' on her Instagram account, has been posting activism related content since August 2021. This includes various protesting events relating to animals and fossil fuels.
A murderer who absconded from an open prison 16 years into his life sentence for killing a disabled man has been caught by police after two weeks on the run.

Lee Nevins had escaped for almost two weeks after failing to return to HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire, where he was out on day release.

Derbyshire Police were forced to launch a manhunt for the convicted murderer who was handed a life-sentence for killing disabled 20-year-old Lee Jobling in 2006.

But the force has confirmed that Nevins was tracked down by officers from Northumbria Police in Washington, Tyne and Wear, on Saturday, October 8.

A Derbyshire Police spokeswoman said: 'Lee Nevins, who we were attempting to trace after he failed to return to HMP Sudbury, is no longer being sought by officers. He was located by officers from Northumbria Police in Washington on Saturday, October 8.

'Thank you to all who shared our appeal to trace him.'

It is the second time the Gateshead killer has escaped from prison after a huge manhunt was launched in 2008 when Nevins fled during a trip from Frankland Prison to Sunderland Royal Hospital after he suffered a hand injury.

That time he managed to escape for six days before he was caught by Northumbria and Central Scotland police at an address in Tillicoultry, near Stirling, Scotland.

Convicted murderer Lee Nevins (left) has been caught by police after two weeks on the run Right: Victim Lee Jobling

Mr Joblin was killed in an unprovoked attack in his own home on Gateshead's Leam Lane estate.

Nevins was convicted of murder along with an accomplice Mark Lang and jailed for life.

On Saturday April 8, 2006, the victim had invited friends to his flat, on Cotemede, Gateshead, for a few drinks but word got out at the local pub prompting Nevins, then 23, and Lang, 24, to make their way to his home.

High on drink and drugs, the pair - who did not even know their victim - failed to leave with the other guests but instead stayed in the flat and launched the horrific prolonged attack in the early hours.

Nevins (pictured) is once again at large after absconding from an open prison in Derbyshire

The frenzied attack left Mr Jobling severely injured and he collapsed after being repeatedly punched and kicked in the head.

Nevins and Lang fled the scene leaving Mr Jobling lying unconscious and in a pool of blood in his flat.

Paramedics were called and rushed him to hospital but he died of his injuries three weeks later.

Nevins and Lang pleaded not guilty but were convicted following and handed life sentences following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Nevins, who had previous convictions for violence, was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years in prison while Lang would serve at least 16.

The horror killing came after years of Mr Jobling overcoming the odds to survive a childhood blighted by tragedy.

He was just six when his mum Shirley, who was divorced from his dad, died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage.

Mr Jobling and his two brothers went to live with his aunt and uncle, Angela and Garry Knotts, at their home in Gateshead.

Then, at just 15 years old, Lee suffered serious head injuries after falling from a bridge while out playing with friends and spent two weeks in a coma.

The accident left Lee with brain injuries, walking with a limp and suffering from memory problems.

Lee Jobling (pictured above) died after a brutal attack from Nevins and his accomplice Mark Lang

With the support of his family, Lee battled on and, although he was not well enough to work in the months before he died, he had moved into his own flat not far from his aunt's.

On the night of his death, he'd invited some friends over to celebrate his newfound independence.

Judge John Milford, who sentenced Nevins in 2006, said: 'For your own amusement, you bullied him, setting on him and causing his legs to be tied with wire.

'Later you set about him again, striking no fewer than 12 blows aimed at his head.

'The attack was prolonged and he was left in a dreadful state.

'You attacked him so you could derive pleasure from his suffering and suffer he did, of that I am sure. I have observed you throughout this case. Neither of you has shown an iota of remorse.'
An alleged sex attacker raped a woman in his 1million central London apartment after meeting her on the dating site Bumble, it was claimed in court today.

Varun Venaik, 31, kissed and touched the woman intimately without her consent before forcing himself on her, it was said.

Australian Venaik denies raping the woman at his basement flat in Upper Montagu Street, Marylebone, where some properties fetch well over 1million.

He appeared at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of his trial wearing a grey suit and a light pink shirt.

Arizuna Asante, prosecuting, said that after meeting on Bumble the pair met up at a bar in Marylebone during the afternoon of July 31 last year.

Mr Asante said: 'They chatted amicably for a few hours. After that Mr Vaneik suggests that they go back to his place.'

Varun Venaik, 31, appeared at Southwark Crown Court (pictured) today accused of raping a woman in his central London apartment

The woman had a 'small amount of wine' as they chatted.

'They starting kissing,' Mr Asante continued. 'It is important to say that that kissing was consensual.

'He moved on top of her. She told Mr Vaneik that she does not have sex on the first date.

'He moved his hand to her underwear. She moved his hand away. She said again that she does not have sex on a first date.'

Jurors heard Vaneik then touched the woman intimately with her consent.

'She said, again, that she does not have sex on a first date. He said that that was fine.'

During the evening Vaneik said he had to meet with a friend and she left his apartment.

But he then caught up with his date to say he was no longer seeing his friend and she agreed to return to his flat for more drinks.

Arizuna Asante, prosecuting, said that after meeting on Bumble the pair met up at a bar in Marylebone during the afternoon of July 31 last year. (Stock image)

'They bought some gin at the local supermarket and they went back to his apartment,' said the prosecutor.

'They started chatting and kissing.

'He tried to take down his shorts. She pulled them back up. She said that she did not want to have sex on the first date.

'In response, he said that was fine but that he would keep trying.'

He then got on top of the woman and raped her, it was said.

'To her, the weight was purposeful and uncomfortable,' said Mr Asante.

'At this point, Mr Vaneik pushed her head down with some force. He got on top of her and penetrated her vagina with his penis.'

Vaneik, of Upper Montagu Street, denies rape.

The trial continues.
Pennsylvania Democratic Senate hopeful John Fetterman continues to find it difficult to 'process what he hears,' according to a New York Magazine cover story about the 'highest-stakes' Senate race in the Keystone State.

Writer Rebecca Traister reported that she used Google Meet software to interview Fetterman, so that he could use the close captioning function to read and respond to her questions in real-time, as the Democratic lieutenant governor recovers from his May stroke.

While the profile focuses on Fetterman, Traister had some interactions with Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz's campaign too, including when she asked about the explosive Jezebel report released last week that alleged more than 300 dogs, including puppies, were killed as a result of medical experiments at Columbia under Oz's watch.

'Suppose you were the dumbest person in the world. Now suppose you were a reporter for New York Magazine. But I repeat myself,' an Oz spokesman told Traister.

Oz's spokesperson did not deny the allegations about the dead puppies.

A new New York Magazine profile of Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, vying for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat, chronicles his stroke recovery, with the writer interviewing the Democrat using Google Meet because he still has trouble processing what he hears

Writer Rebecca Traister also reveals that a spokesperson for Republican Senate hopeful Dr. Mehmet Oz equated her to the 'dumbest person in the world' when she asked about a blockbuster Jezebel report that said Oz's medical experiments killed hundreds of dogs

Fetterman told Traister that while he's 'profoundly grateful' to be recovering from the stroke he suffered just days before the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, 'running for the Senate, in the biggest race in the country, and having to recover at the same time is unprecedented.'

Doctors have said that Fetterman's cognitive abilities were not damaged by the stroke, but his ability to understand what people are saying has been impaired.

Traister described her conversation with Fetterman as 'lucid and animated, eloquent about the stakes of the race and incensed about the nasty tenor of Oz's campaign.'

She also noted that there were 'moments in which his syntax got snarled or he had trouble getting a word out.'

'I really can't hide it even if I wanted to,' Fetterman said.

In another instance, Fetterman struggled to say the word 'documented,' instead saying things like 'domicated' and 'domentated.'

'This is the stroke right here,' he told Traister, before taking a breath and getting 'documented' out.

Traister wrote that it's 'no open question' that Fetterman can't quickly process what he hears.

'He cannot do that well yet, which is why he requires closed-captioning for interviews and the upcoming debate,' she said.

Oz's campaign has directly - and through surrogates and media allies - floated that Fetterman's health is worse than he says - and he may not be up to the task to be a United States senator.

Tucker Carlson, for instance, called the Democrat 'brain damaged' and said he 'can barely speak.'

Carlson also mocked Fetterman's distinct look, saying he had 'stupid little fake tattos' and suggested it was inauthentic like a 'barista in Brooklyn dressing like a lumberjack.'

Incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Toomey held a press conference alongside Oz last month saying Fetterman 'would not be able to do the job' if he's not able to 'communicate effectively.'

'Standing up in front of 3,000 people and having to talk without a teleprompter or anything? That is the most pure example of transparency there is,' Fetterman told Traister, pushing back on the attacks.

Like the memes and stunts - like flying a banner over Jersey Shore vacationers, many of whom are from Pennsylvania, welcoming Oz home - Fetterman has used humor to make Pennsylvanians more comfortable with his stroke recovery.

At a rally in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in September Fetterman mocked Oz for blaming President Joe Biden for closing Bethlehem Steel - something that happened 27 years ago.

'And I'm the one who had the stroke!' Fetterman said.

He also told the crowd: 'I guarantee you, there's at least one person in this audience that's gonna be filming me, hoping that I miss words, that I mush two words together.'

He paused.

'Such an inspiring campaign he's running, isn't it?' Fetterman said of Oz.
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A nurse accused of murdering seven premature babies - and trying to kill ten more - tracked the families of her alleged victims on Facebook after taking up to three attempts to poison their infants by injecting insulin, milk or air into their tiny bodies, a court heard today.

Lucy Letby, 32, is alleged to have gone on a year-long killing spree while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital - including one child who died less than 90 minutes after being handed into her care.

Children's nurse Lucy Letby (pictured) appeared in court today accused of murdering seven premature baby and trying to kill 10 more

Today the specially trained ICU nurse was described as a 'constant malevolent presence' on the Cheshire children's unit where she allegedly killed and injured many vulnerable children - including twins.

She is accused of using night shifts to launch many attacks because she knew parents were unlikely to visit the neonatal ward.

Prosecutors claim she showed an 'unusual interest' in the families of her alleged victims, with evidence from her computer said to show how she would 'on occasion' search for them online 'in quick succession'.

Several babies were allegedly poisoned with insulin and one child - known as Baby E - was murdered when Letby allegedly injected him with air, Manchester Crown Court has heard.

It caused what doctors call an air embolus, which leads to strokes or heart attacks. Letby is also accused of pumping dangerous levels of milk into the premature children via feeding tubes or veins.

She allegedly targeted twins on more than one occasion - and in some cases one was murdered and their sibling survived. Letby was questioned by police during interviews over why she had tracked the families of her alleged victims on Facebook, with prosecutors saying today that this was an 'unusual interest'.

Opening the prosecution, Nick Johnson KC, said: 'Sometimes a baby that she succeeded in killing was not killed the first or even second time she tried'. He added: 'Sometimes they were injected with air  both intravenously [into the blood] and via the nasogastric tube [into the stomach]. Sometimes they were injected with milk or some other fluid. Sometimes it was insulin. But the constant presence was Lucy Letby'.

Police discovered 'a poisoner was at work' on the NHS neonatal unit after a 'significant rise' in the number of healthy babies dying or falling ill while a nurse accused of murdering seven children and trying to kill ten more was working on the ward between June 2015 and June 2016, the jury were told on the first day of her trial. She is facing 22 charges concerning 17 babies, some of whom she allegedly attempted to murder multiple times. Letby pleaded not guilty to each charge this morning.

Mr Johnson said Letby was a 'constant malevolent presence' at the 'closely restricted' neonatal unit. He added: 'It is a hospital like so many others in the UK but unlike many other hospitals in the UK, and unlike many other neo-natal units in the UK, within the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital a poisoner was at work.'

The prosecutor said two babies - referred to as Baby F and Baby L for legal reasons - were 'poisoned' by Letby 'deliberately with insulin'. They were attacked allegedly eight months apart with each of them from separate sets of twins. Both boys' blood sugar 'inexplicably dropped to dangerous levels' - but both survived 'because of the skill of the staff in the neonatal unit', the court heard.

He said both of the twins injected with insulin each had a baby brother, Baby E and Baby M, who were both also allegedly attacked by Letby. The court heard one of the means by which the Baby E was killed and Baby M was harmed, by having air injected into the bloodstream. Baby M had 'mercifully' survived.

He said: 'Babies who had not been unstable at all suddenly severely deteriorated. Sometimes babies who had been sick and then on the mend deteriorated for no apparent reason. Having searched for a cause, which they were unable to find, the consultants found the inexplicable collapses and deaths did have one common denominator. The presence of one of the neonatal nurses. That nurse was Lucy Letby.'

During the time Letby worked on the night shift, there was a rise in babies dying or falling seriously ill, Manchester Crown Court was told, and then when she moved to the day shift there were more 'inexplicable collapses and deaths'.

As the trial of Lucy Letby got underway today, the court heard:

Letby, 32, denied murdering seven premature babies and attempting to murder 10 more

Letby is alleged to have injected babies with insulin, air or pumped with milk to kill them

The nurse is alleged to have killed babies during night shifts when parents were less likely to visit

She is said to have searched for the families of her alleged victims families on Facebook

Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC described Letby as a 'constant malevolent presence' at the neonatal unit

Deaths occurred at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016 where it has been alleged that a 'poisoner was at work'

Letby was arrested three years after the death of her first alleged victim on June 8, 2015

She allegedly targeted twins on more than one occasion - and in some cases one was murdered and their sibling survived

In some cases, Letby is alleged to have tried to kill the same baby on more than one occasion

Child A, who was allegedly murdered, died less than 90 minutes after Letby came on night shift

Mr Johnson said that 'in all cases Lucy Letby was either responsible for them as their designated nurse or she got involved with them despite not being their designated nurse'

Her parents and the parents of her alleged victims watched the start of the trial at Manchester Crown Court today

Lucy Letby, 32, is alleged to have gone on a year-long killing spree while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital

Lucy Letby sketched in the dock at Manchester Crown Court with security where she is charged with the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of another ten, between June 2015 and June 2016 while working on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital

Letby, 32, allegedly tried to kill one baby girl three times and a baby boy three times - including two attempts in one day.

'Many of the events in this case occurred on the night shifts,' said Mr Johnson. 'Although when Lucy Letby was moved on to day shifts towards the end of this period the collapses and deaths moved to the day shifts'.

Referring to the alleged poisoning of both Baby F and Baby L, he added: 'Lucy Letby was on duty when both were poisoned. We allege that she was the poisoner'.

This morning she was brought into the dock at Manchester Crown Court, wearing a dark blue suit with a black blouse.

Mr Johnson said: 'Prior to January 2015, the statistics for the mortality of babies in the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester were comparable to other like units.

'However over the next 18 months or so there was a significant rise in the number of babies who were dying and in the number of serious catastrophic collapses.

'These rises were noticed by the consultants working at the Countess of Chester and they searched for a cause.'

They were concerned that babies who were dying had deteriorated unexpectedly, despite appropriate medical interventions that would normally have saved them.

He said the collapses 'defied the normal experience of the treating doctors'.

Mr Johnson said that normally babies might suffer from heart problems, infection or dehydration.

'Usually when an intervention was undertaken a positive reaction can be expected. But many of the cases you are going to hear about defied those expectations and norms', he said.

Babies who were stable suddenly deteriorated, and sometimes babies who had been sick but were on the mend suddenly deteriorated for no apparent reason.

Having searched for a cause, the consultants noticed that a single common factor was the presence of a single neonatal nurse.

'That nurse' said the barrister, 'was Lucy Letby'.

'Many of the events in this case occurred on the night shifts,' said Mr Johnson. 'Although when Lucy Letby was moved on to day shifts towards the end of this period the collapses and deaths moved to the day shifts.

'Because of the inability of doctors to find genuine medical reasons for the deaths and collapses the police were called in'.

Officers from Cheshire Constabulary commissioned a detailed review by experienced doctors with no connection to the Countess of Chester Hospital.

'That (review) suggests that from the middle of 2015 to the middle of 2016 somebody in the neonatal unit poisoned two children with insulin.

'The prosecution say that the only reasonable conclusion from the evidence will have been that somebody poisoned these babies deliberately with insulin. This was no accident'.

If the prosecution was right about that, the fact that there were two deliberate poisonings would help the jury decide whether other crimes had been committed or whether they were 'just tragic coincidences'.

Mr Johnson went on: 'We say the collapses and deaths of the 17 babies were not naturally occurring tragedies.

'They were all the work, we say, of the woman in the dock, who we say was the constant malevolent presence when things turned to the worst for these 17 children'.

Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said in the case of the two babies injected with insulin, identified only as child F and child L, their blood sugar levels dropped to dangerous levels.

But both survived due to the skill of medical staff who appreciated low blood sugar can have natural causes.

Mr Johnson added: 'What the medical staff did not realise was that in both cases, was the result of someone poisoning them with insulin.'

The prosecutor said nobody would think somebody would be trying to kill babies in a neo-natal unit.

He said both of the twins injected with insulin each had a baby brother, child E and child M, who were both also allegedly attacked by Letby - one of which did not survive.

The court heard one of the means by which the child E was killed and child M was harmed, was by having air injected into the bloodstream - what the doctors call an air embolus.

Mr Johnson added: 'As we go through my introduction of the case, we will see that similar events repeated themselves. The means by which the children in this case were harmed and killed varied.'

Children's nurse Lucy Letby (pictured) has gone on trial today accused of seven baby murders

Letby is accused of attacking two sets of twins - with insulin and with air - one child, Baby E, would die but his sibling survived

John and Susan Letby, parents of Lucy Letby, are at Manchester Crown Court for their daughter's murder trial (pictured last week)

Letby poisoned babies while on the night shift because parents would not be around, court told Lucy Letby appearing in the dock at Manchester Crown Court Lucy Letby was today accused of poisoning babies on the night shift. There tended to be fewer staff on the unit at night, and parents as well tended to visit mostly in the days. Mr Johnson continued: 'Many of the events in this case occurred on the night shifts. 'When upon Lucy Letby was moved on to day shifts, the collapses and deaths moved to the day shifts.' Mr Johnson said as medics could not account for the collapses and deaths, police were called in and conducted a 'pain-staking review'. He said: 'That review suggests that in the period between mid-2015 and the middle of 2016 somebody in the neo-natal unit poisoned two children with insulin. 'The prosecution say that the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from the evidence you will hear is that somebody poisoned these babies deliberately with insulin. This was no accident.' Advertisement

Prosecutor Mr Johnson said sometimes babies were injected with air and on other occasions they were fed with insulin or too much milk.

He told the court: 'So varying means by which these babies were attacked but the constant presence when they were fatally attacked or collapsed catastrophically was Lucy Letby.'

Jurors were shown a chart showing nurses who were present on duty when the alleged criminal incidents were said to have taken place.

Pointing out, as examples, the first three alleged offences in time he said the chart showed the only person that was present on all three occasions was the defendant.

Mr Johnson said: 'If you look at the table overall the picture is, we say, self-evidently obvious. It's a process of elimination.'

Mr Johnson went on: 'It is a complicated case by any measures. It concerns seven allegations of murder and allegations of attempted murder of 10 other children.

'We allege that sometimes Lucy Letby tried to kill the same baby more than once.

'Sometimes a baby that she succeeded in killing she did not manage to kill the first time she tried, or even the second time, and in one case even the third time.'

He said the defendant was born on January 4 1990 and was originally from Hereford.

Letby studied for her nursing degree at the University of Chester, he said, and at the time of the alleged events was a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital and had been since she had qualified a few years earlier.

She worked throughout the period in consideration at the neo-natal unit and prior to her arrest was living at an address in Chester, the court heard.

Mr Johnson told the jury: 'As you know we have 22 charges, 17 children. In all the cases Lucy Letby was either responsible for them as their designated nurse or she got involved with them despite not being their designated nurse.'

Mr Johnson then turned to the individual cases of each child, starting with Child A, which the court heard was the first to be attacked and murdered at just a day old, on June 8, 2015.

Child A, a baby boy, was born just a minute behind his twin sister at 8.31pm the previous day.

The court was told he was born early, by C-section, at 31 weeks, and admitted to the intensive care room at the neo-natal unit of the hospital.

He was in good condition and did well and by the following morning was breathing 'in air', that is, without extra oxygen and was given expressed breast milk, Mr Johnson said.

Letby came on to work on the night shift at 7.30pm for the handover from another nurse looking after Child A during the day shift, it was heard.

Judge warns jury to be 'dispassionate' in 'case bound to provoke an instinctive reaction of horror' The trial judge, Mr Justice Goss, told the empanelled jurors that all the charges relate to babies. 'Any anxiety or apprehension you may have about your role as jurors in this case. You will have apprehensions about what is to follow, but in relation to the nature of the case and your role'. Other juries up and down the country were trying very serious cases, so they should not to be anxious. They would soon become familiar with the details of the case. The judge added: 'The case is bound to provoke an instinctive reaction of horror. It is part of our characteristics as a human being. 'Whilst retaining your knowledge and understanding of human behaviour, you must put your emotions to one side and consider the evidence calmly, rationally, fairly and dispassionately'. Advertisement

At 8pm Letby became the designated nurse for Child A but at 8.26pm she called a doctor to the baby's incubator and the on-call consultant was also alerted, the court was told.

Both doctor and consultant noted an 'odd discolouration' on the child's skin, patches of pink over blue skin that appeared and disappeared, which became a 'hallmark' of the some of the cases in which Letby had allegedly injected air into the bloodstream of a victim, the court was told.

Despite resuscitation attempts, Child A was said to have been pronounced dead at 8.58pm, within 90 minutes of Letby coming on duty.

The infant's death was referred to a coroner who recorded the cause of death as 'unascertained'.

The court heard that four medical experts reviewed the case. The first said Child A was a 'well infant' before their death.

He said the fatal event was consistent with a deliberate injection of air or something else into the boy's circulation a minute or two before his collapse.

A second expert said Child A's collapse was not a natural event and added the 'most likely reason' was air administered deliberately, 'by someone who knew it would cause significant harm'.

A pathologist concluded it would be reasonable to conclude that air in Child A's circulation was most likely caused by air administration through one of two tubes already attached to the baby's body.

In her November 2020 interview it was put to Letby that she had tracked the family of Child A on Facebook. She said she had no memory of doing so but accepted it if there was evidence from her computer.

Mr Johnson told the jury: 'Her interest in the families of the children who we say she attacked is another feature of this case which we will see more of as the evidence emerges in more detail.

'We suggest it is an unusual interest and we will see in due course that on occasion she searched in quick succession for several of the families of babies whose names appear on the indictment.

Child A's twin sister, Child B, needed some resuscitation at birth but recovered quickly and stabilised.

By June 9, the day after her brother's death, she was managing periods of independent breathing. All observations were normal and she remained stable, the court heard.

According to prosecutors, around 28 hours after Child A had died, Child B was found 'blue' and 'limp' on the ward.

'She was blue, she wasn't breathing and she was limp,' said Mr Johnson.

The deaths and injuries of 17 babies were not 'naturally-occurring tragedies' - and Lucy Letby was 'the constant presence', trial hears The collapses and deaths of all the 17 children concerned were not 'naturally-occurring tragedies,' Mr Johnson said. 'They were all the work, we say, of the woman in the dock, who we say was the constant malevolent presence when things took a turn for the worse for these 17 children.' Mr Johnson said the two children poisoned with insulin, who cannot be identified, were two baby boys, both born twins; the first born in summer 2015 and the other born in spring 2016. Both were poisoned a couple of days after they were born. 'Lucy Letby was on duty when both were poisoned and we allege she was the poisoner,' Mr Johnson said. 'There's a very restricted number of people who could have been the poisoner, because entry to a neo-natal unit is closely restricted.' Advertisement

Child B 'recovered quickly' once resuscitated and survived the incident - without suffering any further consequences.

A doctor concluded she was 'subjected to some form of sabotage before or after midnight on the night of June 9/10 2015'.

Mr Johnson told jurors: 'Here you can see we have a pair of twins who were born prematurely but in pretty good condition. No-one expected them to face grave problems, yet both suffered unusual symptoms within a short time of each other.'

A second doctor observed the sudden discolouration, profound collapse and 'relatively quick recovery is rare and only explained by a dose of air administered into the bloodstream'.

Family members of some of her alleged child victims sat in the public gallery listening as the names of the children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were read out.

Earlier, three members of security staff surrounded her as she stood up to enter her pleas as her parents John and Susan watched on. Her trial could last up to six months.

Letby quietly repeated the words 'Not guilty' as each of the charges was read out to her by a clerk at Manchester Crown Court.

She was standing stock still in the glass-panelled dock of Court 7, her once blonde hair, now darkened, let down over her shoulders.

Fourteen jurors were sworn in to hear the trial. However, two of them will act as substitutes while the prosecution opening is being heard. Once that point has been reached the trial will continue with 12 jurors.

According to the indictment she tried to kill one baby girl three times and another twice. And she tried to claim the life of a baby boy on three separate occasions  two of them on the same day.

In addition to the seven murder charges, Letby faces a further 15 charges of attempted murder relating to 10 premature babies being cared for in the hospital's neonatal unit.

All of the alleged murders and attempted murders took place in a 12-month period between June 2015 and June 2016.

Letby's parents, John, 76, and Susan, 62, watched as proceedings were relayed to annexe courtrooms attended by families of the children involved and members of the press and broadcast media.

A court order prohibits the media from reporting the identities of either the surviving infants or those who died.

A court order prohibits reporting of the identities of surviving and deceased children allegedly attacked by Letby, and prohibits identifying the parents or witnesses connected with the children.

The children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be referred to as Child A to Q.

The trial, which is expected to last six months, continues.
Trump-backed Blake Masters said Republicans need to be willing to 'play hardball' when it comes to immigration and warned that if elected to the Senate he is prepared to force a government shutdown if President Joe Biden does not address the southern border crisis.

The 36-year-old Republican Arizona candidate told the Washington Times, 'I'm willing to go there'.

'By exercising that leverage, I think we will win,' Masters said in an interview from the southern border town of Nogales, Arizona. 'I think he will capitulate.'

Masters appeared alongside former President Donald Trump at his signature Make America Great Again rally in Mesa, Arizona on Sunday evening. The endorsement, along with billionaire Peter Thiel's financial backing, launched Masters through his primary race.

The Republican is now taking on Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, 58, in the 2022 midterm election in November.

As a border state, Arizona faces one of the fiercest affronts as a result of the southern border crisis, which has seen a record number of migrants cross in the last year.

GOP Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters, 36, warned that if he wins he would be willing to force a government shut down if President Joe Biden does not reverse course on migration and southern border policies

Masters appeared alongside former President Donald Trump at his rally in Mesa, Arizona on Sunday evening. The GOP candidate is taking on Democratic incumbent Senator Mark Kelly in the 2022 midterms

One Day One of his administration, Biden issues a series of executive actions, including putting an end to construction on Trump's border wall.

Arizona has started setting up some makeshift barriers with cargo shipping containers to try and stop the constant flow of illegal immigration into the Grand Canyon State.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released figures last month showing that the country hit a milestone of more than 2 million southern border crossers in Fiscal Year 2022. Figures from September are likely to released in coming weeks to reveal the grand total of encounters in the last year.

Masters, a venture capitalist, hopes to help flip the senate red in the 2022 midterms by ousting Senator Kelly, which according to the Cook Political Report is in a 'lean blue' seat  just one category from being a tossup.

The GOP candidate believes that Biden wouldn't allow a government shutdown if lawmakers put the pressure on reversing course on border policies.

August figures revealed the total number of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) migrant encounters reached more than 2 million in Fiscal Year 2022 in August  figures for September are expected to be released in coming weeks

Arizona, one of the few states bordering Mexico, faces some of the largest affronts from illegal immigration. PicturedL CBP agents detain a group of illegal immigrants at the Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona on September 28

He said that Republican senators should offer their votes for a spending bill if Biden agrees to change course on the border and implement more hardline policies.

'We're going to say, 'Hey, he's not securing the border,' Masters said. 'If Biden wants to shut the government down and tell the American people that he'd prefer to do that over having border security, that's a political loser.'

The Masters v. Kelly race, muddied only slightly by Libertarian candidate Marc Victor, is perhaps the most obvious referendum on Biden's border policies.

Kelly, the husband of gun control activist and former Representative Gabby Giffords, has tried to distance himself from the president when it comes to immigration.

He won his Senate seat in a 2020 special election, and this is his first time running for a full six-year term.

Masters is a political newcomer.

Kelly consistently leads in the polls by an average of 5-10 percent.
A travel agent pleaded guilty after she admitted defrauding friends, family and hundreds of customers who bought holidays from her in a '2.6 million' con.

Lyne Barlow claimed to her customers that she was covered by insurance and was a member of the trusted travel brand Association of British Travel Agents.

The 39-year-old was subject to a two-year investigation after victims came forward to the police in 2020 after they had not received holidays they had paid for.

She admitted theft of 500,000 from one person, 10 counts of fraud and a money laundering charge totalling 1,688,220.

Barlow also claimed to be suffering from a terminal illness while she was selling the holidays, Durham Crown Court heard.

Durham Police said after the case that the frauds related to loans, investments and holiday sales.

Lyne Barlow claimed to her customers that she was covered by insurance and was a member of the trusted travel brand Association of British Travel Agents. (Pictured left: Lyne Barlow)

Her first victims were family and friends and she used their savings before setting up an independent travel agency, in which she fraudulently sold holidays, reporting them to be ATOL and ABTA protected, the force said.

But many of her customers were to find that the holidays they booked through her business were never paid for by her.

A local travel industry source said Barlow would offer deals such as a five star all-inclusive week in Dubai for just 500.

The source said: 'She did much untold damage to local travel agents who simply could not compete at the unrealistic prices.

'We tried to tell numerous people it wasn't right but as some people were travelling and getting the holidays at these prices - she was clearly funding the shortfall with other people's money - they wouldn't believe it.

'We even contacted her ourselves and tried to call her out but she wasn't fazed in the least and actually tried to recruit us to work for her.

Her first victims were family and friends and she used their savings before setting up an independent travel agency, in which she fraudulently sold holidays, reporting them to be ATOL and ABTA protected, the force said. (Pictured: stock image of a beach)

'She lied about having the relevant licences to trade.

'We contacted police but were informed that as people were getting their holidays, at this point there was nothing they could do.

'People were literally throwing money at her.'

The industry source said: 'Barlow told her customers the reason her holidays were so cheap was because travel agents - legitimate ones - were charging large mark-ups on holidays, when in fact it was her prices that were too good to be true.'

The court heard the prosecution claimed the total of offending reached 2.6 million, though the defence will challenge that figure.

Tony Davis, defending, said some customers did receive their holidays and suffered no loss.

He asked for the court to allow a psychiatric report to be prepared and referred to the fact Barlow had told some people she had a terminal illness.

Judge James Adkin granted her bail but said she will be jailed when he passes sentence on December 12.

He said: 'It's prison, and a long prison sentence.'

The court was told that some of the victims may wish to read statements during the sentencing hearing, and half a day was allocated for the case.

Durham Police previously stated that Barlow's travel business was no longer operational, and its social media page was taken down shortly after her arrest in September 2020.

The force said 'several hundred' people came forward to make allegations against her.

After the case Detective Sergeant Alan Meehan, of the force's economic fraud unit, said: 'Fraud is an horrendous crime with such far-reaching consequences for its victims.

'So many people have been affected by her actions, lives have been changed forever and some are still feeling the effects today.

'This is one of the biggest fraud cases Durham Constabulary has ever dealt with and I would like to thank everyone who came forward for their patience and understanding while we carried out a thorough investigation.'
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may have positioned himself as one of the fiercest fighters in the nation's culture wars but on Monday his campaign put first lady Casey in the spotlight with an advert depicting him as a fighter for their family.

'When I was diagnosed with cancer and I was facing the battle for my life, he was the dad who took care of my children when I couldn't,' the 42-year-old in the ad.

'He was there to pick me off of the ground when I literally could not stand.

'He was there to fight for me when I didn't have the strength to fight for myself.'

An emotional Casey DeSantis described how husband Ron, the governor of Florida, battled for their family after her diagnosis with breast cancer

The video showed a softer side of Ron DeSantis, picturing him with the couple's three children

The ad will run statewide in Florida as DeSantis campaigns for another four-year term.

It comes after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

In March, the governor announced that after treatment and surgery his wife was cancer free.

DeSantis, 44, has already emerged as a leading contender for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election - if Donald Trump chooses not to run.

Supporters say Casey has proven to be an effective first lady, acting as an advocate for her husband's policy platform.

And she has taken a leading role in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, appearing with her husband at press conferences.

Casey married the now-governor in 2010 and the couple has three children: Madison, five, Mason, four, and Mamie, two

But with her husband's national profile growing, critics wonder whether he has the sort of grasp of retail politics - and warmth with voters in small settings - needed to make an impression in early states like Iowa and New Hampshire, which are so crucial to a presidential run.

Enter the first lady, and her campaign ad where she is seen sitting cross-legged on a sofa, surround by soft cushions and tasteful furnishings.

The video is cut with images of the governor with children hanging off his shoulders.

'I get asked all the time, who is Ron De Santis? He's the kid who grew up right here in Florida working his tail off paying his own way through school and volunteering to serve in the Navy and deploying to Iraq,' she says.

'He's the man who I fell in love with from the moment we met. And he's the dad of three very rambunctious, energetic children: Mamie, our two-year-old little comedian, Madison, our beautiful sweet five-year-old, and Mason, our four-year-old athlete.'
Children eat lunch at a kindergarten in Gwangju's Koryoin Village, March 29. About 40 children are enrolled at the center as of March. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Lee Hae-rin



A growing number of ethnic Koreans from Ukraine are settling in the southwestern city of Gwangju this year after Russia began its invasion of their country earlier this year. Their migration has led to a need for public schools to accommodate the children of the new settlers.



Rep. Kwon Eun-hee of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who is also a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, said Monday that she plans to table a bill to establish a Koryoin school to provide young Koryoin migrants a safer and more stable learning environment. Koryoin refers to ethnic Koreans from post-Soviet states.



According to reports Kwon received from the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, the area has been seeing a growing number of Koryoin migrants in recent years, resulting in higher demand for Korean language education.



In 2016 and 2017, the city's Gwangsan District, which houses a Koryoin Village, had only two classes of Koryoin students in all elementary schools combined. However, the figure doubled by 2017 and an additional class was created respectively in kindergarten, elementary and high school this year. Next year, eight more classes will open  one at a kindergarten, four at elementary schools, two at middle schools and one at a high school.



The number of students enrolled in these classes is also on the rise. In April, a total of 160 students were registered in Korean language classes at four elementary schools and a kindergarten combined. By August, the number increased by 27 percent to 204.



Rep. Kwon said that most of these students are fourth-generation Koryoin who have migrated to Korea recently to escape the war between Ukraine and Russia and their number is expected to continue to grow.



However, the current Korean language education system lacks the resources to meet their growing demands. Elementary school students ranging from first to sixth grade are often grouped together in the same classroom despite their differing education levels, and teachers have difficulties communicating with Koryoin students who speak mostly the languages of their home countries, the lawmaker said.



The central and local governments should seek solutions to improve Korean language education for the multicultural population and assist their integration in the country, Kwon said.


Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez is resigning effective immediately after being recorded making racist remarks toward a fellow council member and his black child, causing widespread outrage and demands for her firing.

The announcement, made in an email from the liberal councilwoman's office Monday afternoon, comes after the release of a recorded October 2021 conversation between Martinez, Councilman Kevin de Leon, and other city officials.

The pair were forced to apologize Sunday for the disparaging remarks on colleague Mike Bonin, including racist slurs by Martinez directed at Bonin's young son.

Martinez and the other Latino leaders present during the taped conversation were seemingly unaware they were being recorded - as Martinez, 49, criticized the white councilmember's parenting of the adopted child, saying, 'They're raising him like a little white kid,' and 'This kid needs a beatdown.'

She also described the councilman's son as 'Parece changuito' - or, 'like a monkey' - and his father, who is gay, as a 'little b****.'

Martinez added to that apology Monday morning, issuing a groveling statement in which she said she was ashamed for the comments and announced she was resigning in response to public backlash over the racist remarks.

With that said, despite stepping down as the president of the City Council, the potential mayoral candidate will continue to work for the city, keeping a seat on the board.

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez is resigning effective immediately after being recorded making racist remarks toward a fellow council member and his black child, causing widespread outrage and demands for herfiring

The announcement, made in an email from the liberal councilwoman's office Monday afternoon, comes after the release of a recorded October 2021 conversation between Martinez and other city officials

'I take responsibility for what I said and there are no excuses for those comments,' Martinez wrote in the emailed statement, which was shared just after 1pm amid protests calling for her firing. 'I'm so sorry,' the statement reads.

The elected official proceeded to apologize to those affected by the scandal, including Bonin, 55, and his partner, Sean Arian, after it surfaced Sunday when the hourlong recording was posted anonymously on Reddit.

It was shortly thereafter obtained and published by The Los Angeles Times, causing dozens of protesters to besieged the LA home of the now ex-president, calling for her resignation.

'I sincerely apologize to the people I hurt with my words: to my colleagues, their families, especially to Mike, Sean, and your son,' Martinez continued, in a statement sent out minutes after her primary opponent in the race for city mayor took to Twitter to personally ask the official to leave her post.

'As a mother, I know better and I am sorry. I am truly ashamed,' Martinez wrote.

'I know this is the result of my own actions. I'm sorry to your entire family for putting you through this.'

The was statement sent out minutes after her primary opponent in the race for city mayor, billionaire real estate mogul Rick Caruso, took to Twitter to ask the official to leave her post

The official then pleaded for forgiveness, pointing out that during her nearly three years in office she spearheaded efforts to help minorities in her communities, including an initiative launched in 2020 to assist school-aged homeless children.

'As someone who believes deeply in the empowerment of communities of color, I recognize my comments undercut that goal,' Martinez said.

'Going forward, reconciliation will be my priority. I have already reached out to many of my Black colleagues and other black leaders to express my regret in order for us to heal.'

She went on: 'I ask for forgiveness from my colleagues and from the residents of this city that I love so much. In the end, it is not my apologies that matter most; it will be the actions I take from this day forward. I hope that you will give me the opportunity to make amends.

'Therefore, effective immediately I am resigning as President of the Los Angeles City Council.'

LA City Council member Mike Bonin (pictured) and his adoptive son (left) were unknowingly subjected to derogatory remarks from Martinez and two other city council members in an October 2021 conversation

Bonin and his husband Sean Arian said in a statement on Sunday that they felt 'disgusted and angry and heartsick' by the leaked audio

Despite stepping down as the president of the City Council, the Democrat will continue to work for the city, keeping a seat on the board, her statement Monday revealed

Shortly earlier, Martinez's political rival, billionaire real estate mogul Caruso, 63 took to Twitter to chide the disgraced councilwoman, asking that she 'do the right thing and immediately resign from office.'

'The entire situation shows that city hall is fundamentally broken and dysfunctional,' the real estate mogul, who has a reported net worth of $4billion, wrote.

'Most of the people involved in this ugly episode have endorsed Karen Bass,' the political newcomer went on, referring to another Democrat rep running for office.

'I hope she'll do the right thing and demand for their accountability and renounce the endorsement of those who used hate speech,' the aspiring politician remarked.

The October 2021 conversation between Martinez, de Leon, councilmembers Gil Cedillo and de Leon, and county Labor President Ron Herrera, was initially about council members' remarks over maps that had been put forward by the city's redistricting commission.

The clip originally leaked on Reddit earlier in October but was picked more widely when it was reported by the Times on Sunday

By nightfall, protesters laid siege to Martinez's home in Sun Valley chanting: 'Hey hey, ho ho, Nury Martinez has got to go.'

The protesters were there flouting a law that Martinez herself championed in 2021 that effectively banned protests in residential areas.

The clip originally leaked on Reddit earlier in October but was picked more widely when it was reported by the Times on Sunday By nightfall, protesters laid siege to Martinez's home in Sun Valley chanting: 'Hey hey, ho ho, Nury Martinez has got to go.'

Protesters also blasted audio of the recordings through a loudspeaker outside of Martinez's home, shown here

Outside the home of LA City Council President Nury Martinez, protesters are asking for her resignation and playing the leaked recordings on a loudspeaker. pic.twitter.com/PJNgXOpfQG  Jon peltz (@JonnyPeltz) October 10, 2022

One protester, Jacky Rodarte, told CBS Los Angeles: 'We can't keep allowing these people to do whatever they want. It's just blatantly disrespectful, it's honestly just evil.'

Other protesters told the station that they will continue their campaign at her home, her office and her church until she resigns.

She added: 'That's why we're out here. We want to let her know that she will not be sitting there for much longer and we will get her out of office.'

Protesters also blasted audio of the recordings through a loudspeaker.

Coincidentally, in August 2021, Martinez proposed a law forbidding protesters from coming within 300 feet of a target's home, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The law passed in a 13-1 vote. Martinez was quoted by the Times as saying: 'I'm just completely done.' She went on to complain that protesters had previously shouted obscenities at her daughter and said her car was vandalized.

The group leading the most recent protest, People's City Council - Los Angeles, tweeted: 'LAPD is telling us that we cannot protest outside Nury Martinez's house. They are citing a law that we cannot engage in a targeted protest.'

The group's message went on: 'This is bulls**t! We will leave when Nury Martinez resigns!'

In the audio, Martinez can be heard criticizing fellow colleague and council member Mike Bonin several times, first referring to him as a 'little b****,' before sensationally saying that he brings his adopted son around town with him like 'an accessory.'

De Leon seemed to agree with his colleague's comments, as he compared Bonin bringing his kid around LA to 'when Nury brings her little yard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag,' according to the leaked audio.

Further into the dialogue, Martinez described the minor as 'su negrito', a derogatory expression in Spanish for a black person, and 'ese changuito,' which translates to 'that little monkey.'

The Democrat, who is Latina, also said Bonin had been raising his son 'like a little white kid,' who needs a 'beatdown'.

'Let me take him around the corner and then I'll bring him back,' the city council president added.

On Sunday, she apologized for the comments: 'In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry.'

'The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color,' she added. 'My work speaks for itself. I've worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.'

In reaction, Bonin told the LA Times that he felt 'disgusted and angry and heartsick' by the leaked audio.

'It's fair game to attack me but my son?' he added, calling for the resignation of all three city Latino council members. 'You have to be pretty petty and insecure and venomous to attack a child. He wasn't even 3 years old.

'Other than that, I'm speechless.'

Council members Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo were also part of the leaked conversation, in which Leon agreed that Bonin carried his son 'like an accessory', comparing it to Martinez wandering around with her Louis Vuitton bag

Ron Herrera - Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President - was also forced to apologize after being present in the 30-minute conversation from last year

The audio was first shared on Reddit, though it remains unclear who recorded it and how.

'Wow, you know it happens, but when you actually hear it, it's unbelievable,' a now-suspended Reddit user wrote as a caption along with the leaked audio. 'The labor movement is in bed with City Hall.'

Martinez was also caught on tape using profanity when talking about LA District Attorney George Gascon.

'F*** that guy, he's with the Blacks,' said the former member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.

On Sunday, De Leon, apologized for his comments, calling them 'wholly inappropriate,' adding that he fell 'short of the expectations we set for our leaders.'

'I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private,' he added in a statement. 'I've reached out to that colleague personally.'

Cedillo, however, told the LA Times that he didn't 'have a recollection of this conversation.'

Incoming Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who beat Cedillo in an election this past June, has called on Martinez to resign.

She tweeted: 'Council President Nury Martinez needs to resign, councilmembers Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo should be removed from committees.'

She added: 'This is the reason why Angelenos voted out CM Gil Cedillo. We cannot have people in leadership who hold racist views, and employ them to negatively impact the lives of Angelenos.'

Mike Bonin (left) and his partner Sean Arian (far right) with their adoptive son (center)

Martinez was also caught on tape saying 'F***' that guy, he's with the black,' when talking about LA District Attorney George Gascon

Herrera didn't respond to request for comment on behalf of the LA Times. His lawyer, Julie Gutman Dickinson, who also represents the LA County Federation of Labor, stated that the conversation was 'recorded in violation of California's privacy and recording laws on LA County Federation of Labor property.'

However, the LA Times countered, as its General Counsel Jeffrey Glasser said 'it is a fundamental principle in the United States that we do not prohibit or punish the receipt and publication of newsworthy information.'

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti remained tight lipped over whether the three city council members should stay in position or resign.

'There is no place in our city family for attacks on colleagues and their loved ones, and there is no place for racism anywhere in LA,' he told the LA Times.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore said of the leaked audio: 'Today's revelation of the remarks by our members of our council leaders hurts me to my core. This is not the Los Angeles I know or reflective of the beliefs of the women and men of LAPD. Such remarks are unacceptable in any setting. A dark day for our City of Angels.'
Families and friends of those who died in France's worst ever air disaster vented their fury in court today after Air France and Airbus denied manslaughter charges over the 2009 Atlantic plane crash which killed 228 people including five Brits.

'Shame on you!' and 'Too little, too late!' were yelled from those who have pursued a 13-year fight for justice after Air France director general Anne Rigail, 53, and Guillaume Faury, 54-year-old Chief Executive Officer of Airbus expressed their condolences.

The drama unfolded today at the Paris Criminal Court, where both companies face fines over the horror accident.

One man was also pictured holding a placard in French that translated as 'French justice, 13 years too late'.

Flight AF447 plunged into the Atlantic on June 1, 2009, on a flight from Rio to Paris after three Air France pilots panicked and failed to deal with malfunctioning equipment on an Airbus 330 during a storm.

Families and friends of those who died were disgusted by the 'not guilty' pleas from the two companies at the start of the trial.

A man at the Paris Criminal Court was pictured holding a placard in French which translated as 'French justice, 13 years too late'

CEO of Airbus Group Guillaume Faury (left) and CEO of Air France Anne Rigail (right) infuriated families of those who died after denying manslaughter charges

Lawyers and family members of the victims were seen standing together on the first day of the trial today

'Shame on you!' and 'Too little, too late!' were yelled from those who have pursued a 13-year fight for justice

Drama unfolded today at the Paris Criminal Court (pictured), where both Air France and Airbus face fines over the horror accident

Pictured: Lawyers were seen speaking to the media as the court case got underway today

People could be heard shouting from the public gallery after the names of all 228 people who died on board appeared on a screen as they were read out one by one.

Among those who died was Alexander Bjoroy, an 11-year-old boarder at Clifton College in Bristol, and PR executive Neil Warrior, 48.

Other victims included Graham Gardner, a 52-year-old oil worker from Gourock, Renfrewshire, and Arthur Coakley, 61 - an engineer from Whitby, North Yorkshire.

There were also three young Irish doctors on board who were returning from a two-week holiday in Brazil.

Air France and Airbus are on trial for manslaughter for the 2009 Rio to Paris crash in which 228 people including five British passengers died. Pictured: Rescuers retrieve debris from the jet in the Atlantic Ocean

Civil parties lawyers Alain Jakubowicz (left) and Sebastien Busy (right) want to uncover the truth

Flight AF447 plunged into the Atlantic on June 1, 2009, after pilots panicked and failed to deal with malfunctioning equipment during a storm

Eithne Walls, 29, had been working at the Eye and Ear hospital in Dublin and was on a trip with Aisling Butler, 26, and Jane Deasy, 27. The three had been friends since they met at Trinity College in Dublin.

Families who were representing all 33 nationalities onboard crowded into the Paris court room.

Sebastien Busy, a barrister representing victims' families, said: 'It's a trial where the victims must remain at the centre of debate. We don't want Airbus or Air France to turn this trial into a conference of engineers.'

Both companies face trial for 'involuntary manslaughter', but there are no actual people in the dock  only the companies.

This has infuriated families, as has the maximum fine possible of just 225,000  just under 200,000.

Among those who died on the Airbus was Graham Gardner, an oil worker from Gourock, in Renfrewshire (left), and Arthur Coakley, an engineer from Whitby in North Yorkshire (right)

Alain Jakubowicz, another lawyer for victims' families, said: 'It's not the 225,000 that will worry them. It's their reputations  that's what's at stake.

'For us it is about something else - the truth, and ensuring lessons are learned from all these great catastrophes. This trial is about restoring a human dimension.'

Prosecutors accuse Air France of failing to provide sufficient training in how pilots should react in case of malfunction of the Pitot tubes, which monitor speed.

The pilots provably reacted incorrectly when the plane stalled after the speed sensors froze over.

France's BEA crash investigation agency said in a detailed chronology of the crash that commands from the controls of the 32-year-old junior pilot on board had pulled the nose up as the aircraft became unstable and generated an audible stall warning.

This action went against the normal procedures which call for the nose to be lowered in response to an alert that the plane was about to lose lift or, in technical parlance, 'stall'.

The trial continues, and is due to conclude on December 8.
The city of Philadelphia has apologized to scores of family members and community activists for the inhumane treatment black inmates were subjected to during the 1950s through the 1970s.

Approximately 300 black prisoners at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia were offered $10 to $300 to participate in a study that involved injecting them with deadly toxins - though they were likely unaware of the significant risk they were undertaking.

The dermatological, biochemical, and pharmaceutical experiments performed by University of Pennsylvania researcher, Dr. Albert Kligman exposed the inmates to viruses, fungus, asbestos, and other chemical agents including dioxin - a component of Agent Orange.

Kligman had been given the green light by city officials to carry out the unethical medical experiments that went on for nearly two decades.

City officials said some of the inmates who participated in the study were illiterate, awaiting trial, or trying to save money for bail, the Associated Press reported.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney issued a formal apology on Thursday for those involved stating that the experiments exploited a vulnerable population and the impact of that medical racism has extended for generations.

'Without excuse, we formally and officially extend a sincere apology to those who were subjected to this inhumane and horrific abuse. 'We are also sorry it took far too long to hear these words.'

The move follows a string of apologies from various U.S. cities over historically racist policies or wrongdoing in the wake of the nationwide racial reckoning after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Pharmaceutical giant, Johnson & Johnson helped fund a 1971 study that injected inmates with asbestos to determine whether the substance was safe to use in talcum powder.

The experiments performed on them would leave them with lifelong scars and health issues.

A group of inmates filed a lawsuit against the university in 2000 and Kligman but it was ultimately thrown out because of a statute of limitations.

Kligman, who would go on to pioneer the acne and wrinkle treatment Retin-A, died in 2010 at the age of 93.

Last year, the University of Pennsylvania issued a formal apology and removed Kligman's name from some honorifics such as an annual lecture series and professorship.

The university also directed research funds to fellows focused on dermatological issues in people of color.

Dr Albert Kligman (left) is a disgraced former University of Pennsylvania doctor known for performing brutal, unethical, experiments on prisoners. One of those prisoners is Leodus Jones (right), whose daughter said her father 'turned into a monster' after seeing his injuries

Edward Anthony speaks of his time at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia and the tests in which he participated while an inmate, pictured here on Oct. 24, 2007

Kligman performed his widely condemned experiments at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (pictured)

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (pictured) issued a formal apology on Thursday for those involved stating that the experiments exploited a vulnerable population and the impact of that medical racism has extended for generations

Participants were injected with asbestos and talc - a powder that forms the base of J&J's iconic baby powder product. Asbestos is an extremely dangerous chemical that is tied to lung cancers, among other medical conditions.

Researchers hoped to determine whether asbestos could safely be used in talc-based powder without causing negative reactions from subjects.

Documents confirming the company's involvement were obtained by Bloomberg, tying the New Jersey-based company to controversial experiments led by Kligman, whose human experiments have been widely condemned as brutal and unethical.

Many participants were gravely harmed, though. One was Leodus Jones, whose daughter described his injuries as so jarring that he had turned into a 'monster'. Jones died in 2018 aged 74, having suffered a lifetime of horrific pain as a result of the experiments.

Dow Chemical, a Michigan-based chemical manufacturing company and the U.S. government have been previously tied to these experiments as well.

This is another controversy for J&J regarding its baby powder products, as the firm is already facing thousands of lawsuits in recent years regarding the use of talc and its potential for causing cancer.

The firm has already paid out billions in settlements due to its baby powder, which pushed it into filing for bankruptcy earlier this year.

Knowledge of these experiments has been in the public domain for years, as their existence was revealed in previous court cases related to Dow Chemical, Bloomberg reports, though J&J's involvement has just come to light.

'We deeply regret the conditions under which these studies were conducted, and in no way do they reflect the values or practices we employ today,' a J&J spokesperson told Bloomberg.

'As the world's largest healthcare company, our transparent, diligent approach to bioethics is at the heart of all we promise our customers and society.'

For the 1971 study, Kligman recruited ten prisoners and he injected asbestos mixed with talc into the lower backs of participants.

Those injected with chrysotile asbestos developed granulomas, sores on the body caused by inflammation that often signals a deeper medical issue, one expert witness testified.

Other studies deemed unethical included a 1968 study where talc stored in different containers was exposed to the skin of 50 prisoners - 44 of which were black - to see if the type of storage caused any negative effects on the skin of a person.

These experiments allegedly left the prisoners malformed and severely injured.

Johnson and Johnson is already facing thousands of lawsuits related to its iconic baby powder product causing cancer in some women due to asbestos exposure

Some of the injuries reported by participants in the asbestos study include granulomas, where a cluster of skin cells become inflamed, causing warts and lesions

J&J filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, citing the $3.5 billion it has paid out in lawsuit settlements

'I was four or five when I first saw my father's back and it scared me so badly, I ran to my mother and told her that daddy had turned into a monster,' Adrianne Jones-Alston, the daughter of Leodus Jones, one of the study participants, told a newspaper at the time.

The University of Pennsylvania has distanced itself from Kligman, and in 2021 issued an official apology for his actions.

'Penn Medicine apologizes for the pain Dr Kligmans work caused to incarcerated individuals, their families, and our broader community, Dr J Larry Jameson, executive vice president of the school, wrote in a letter.

'While we cannot alter this history, the actions we are announcing today as an institution will change significant aspects of how we recognize Dr Kligman and his research, and will also devote substantial resources to research focused on skin of color and to education and patient care for underserved and vulnerable populations.'

This is just another one of many issues J&J has faced regarding its iconic talc-based baby powder product in recent years.

J&J is facing thousands of lawsuits after allegations arose that some of its products that use talc - a type of mineral - often are contaminated with asbestos, which can pose a danger to its users.

Billions of dollars have already been awarded in damages to many women who developed cancer after using the products, which are popular for female hygiene.

While it is safe on its own, it is often produced from mines that contain asbestos, and cross-contamination is possible.

Asbestos is a dangerous mineral and humans that are exposed to it are at severe risk.

Inhaling asbestos can cause a variety of issues for a person. Mesothelioma, a cancerous tumor that can form on the outside of a person's lungs, heart, and other organs, is most commonly associated with the mineral.

In October 2019, the FDA recalled the J&J powder after finding traces of asbestos in a bottle.

The FDA then performed a review of J&J talc products and detected asbestos in nine of 43 samples tested.

Asbestos has been linked to ovarian cancer in some women whose genitals are exposed to the mineral. It has also been tied to lung and laryngeal cancer.

J&J has denied the link between these cancers and talc, though revealed documents show the company had been aware of the risk of asbestos contaminating its talc as far back as the 1970s.

Up until 2018, it was still denying any potential contamination of its products with asbestos.

Costly lawsuits began to roll in for the company as early as 2016, though.

In total, the company is facing nearly 40,000 lawsuits tied to potential dangers related to the use of its talc products.

While their products have already been pulled from shelves in the U.S. and Canada, they are still available in other parts of the world.

Last year, the Supreme Court turned away a different talcum powder case involving a $2 billion verdict. In total, the company has paid $3.5 billion in settlements related to the issue.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested following the City of London stabbing where three smartly-dressed 'have-a-go-heroes' were knifed while trying to stop two muggers on electric bikes.

City of London Police arrested the man in Islington, north London, this morning on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, grievous bodily harm with intent & possession of an offensive weapon.

The man will remain in custody following the incident which took place outside the 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper on October 6.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Colin Bishop, of the City of London Police major crime team, said the man was arrested by detectives investigating 'a number of serious offences connected with the attempted robbery and knife attack' in Bishopsgate last Thursday.

'He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon,' he said.

'He remains in police custody.'

A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the City of London stabbing. Pictured: Ambulance crews can be seen treating two people who were injured

Forensic officers were seen outside 22 Bishopsgate where the stabbings had taken place

Officers received reports of the incident on Bishopsgate at 9.46am and they arrived at the scene just five minutes later.

Three people were stabbed and a further person injured after being 'pushed to the floor' on the streets of the capital as passersby said they tried to prevent a theft.

The three victims, who did not suffer life-threatening injuries, were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated and an investigation was launched by the Major Crime Team.

Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

The incident took place outside the 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper last Thursday on October 6

Blood was seen on the floor at the scene after the 'heroes' had tried to step in but were knifed

Blood, paramedics' medical bags and items of clothing could all be seen left behind at the scene after the incident

A large area of Bishopsgate was cordoned off as police investigations began following the incident

City of London Police previously said the attack was not being treated as terror-related.

Charlotte Wright, 26, an administrator from Colchester who works near the scene, said: 'I feel a bit apprehensive and scared coming out to get my lunch, but also pretty secure and safe.

'I know London is a very busy city and I know that if anything were to happen, unfortunately like the guys that stepped in during this incident, there are heroes willing to do that.'
DiCaprio became unwittingly wrapped up in the scheme when Michel allegedly used illegal funds to helped produce the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street

Michel allegedly received between $8million and $40million for his role in assisting conman Jho Low embezzle funds from the Malaysian government

Michel, 49, best known for his involvement in the hip hop group Fugees, is accused of partaking in a multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme

Leonardo DiCaprio is listed as a witness in the federal trial of Pras Michel, who is accused of partaking in a multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme which helped fund DiCaprio's film The Wolf of Wall Street.

DiCaprio, 47, previously testified in Washington DC in 2019 as a witness to the scheme that came to involve the 2013 blockbuster film he produced with Martin Scorsese.

Court documents show that DiCaprio may now be called on again to testify in Michel's trial, which is due to begin on November 4.

Michel, 49, a rapper known for his involvement in the hip hop group Fugees, was tied to Jho Low, 40, the Malaysian businessman turned fugitive who allegedly embezzled billions from the Malaysian state run economic development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhard, commonly known as 1MDB.

Michel allegedly received between $8million and $40million for his role in assisting Low - who is known for his celebrity associations - in the scheme.

Others on the witness list include three Trump White House staffers - former chief of staff John Kelly, former deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, and former national security advisor H.R. McMaster.

Leonardo DiCaprio is listed as a witness in the federal trial of Pras Michel, who is accused of partaking in a multi-billion-dollar money laundering scheme which helped fund DiCaprio's film The Wolf of Wall Street

Michel, 49, a rapper known for his involvement in the hip hop group Fugees, was tied to conman billion-dollar conman Jho Low

Pras was also charged in 2019 with helping Low to defraud the US government by transferring over $21million of overseas funds.

Nearly $1million of those funds he allegedly funneled into Barack Obama's 2012 election campaign through 20 donors to avoid detection, according to The Washington Post.

DiCaprio became unwittingly wrapped up in the scheme when Michel helped fund The Wolf of Wall Street's $100,000,000 budget.

It is unclear how much money Michel provided for the film.

Jho Low, 40, is a Malaysian businessman turned fugitive who allegedly embezzled billions from the Malaysian state-run economic development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhard, commonly known as 1MDB

DiCaprio became unwittingly wrapped up in money laundering and embezzling scheme when Michel allegedly used illegal funds to helped produce the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street

When DiCaprio learned of the charges against Michel in 2019 through media reports, he immediately reached out to the Department of Justice to assist in the investigation, according to CNN.

A spokesperson for the actor said at the time that the actor was working with investigators 'to determine whether he or his foundation, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, ever received any gifts or charitable donations directly or indirectly related to these parties, and if so, to return those gifts or donations as soon as possible.'

'Both Mr. DiCaprio and LDF continue to be entirely supportive of all efforts to assure that justice is done in this matter,' the spokesperson continued. 'Mr. DiCaprio is grateful for the lead and instruction of the government on how to accomplish this.'

Michel's troubles deepened in June 2021, when he was charged with lobbying the Trump administration to drop the investigation into him and Low.

Including DiCaprio and the Trump officials, the US government's witness list includes 72 individuals.

The investigation seemed to derail a planned Fugees reunion tour - while the band announced their tour was cancelled over COVID-19 precautions, Puck reported in August that it was actually disbanded because the Justice Department refused to let Michel travel abroad.

Pras Michel (left) pictured with his Fugees bandmates. Reports suggest his legal troubles forced the band to cancel their reunion tour

Others on the witness list include three Trump White House staffers - former chief of staff John Kelly and former deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger

Though Low is also on trial with Michel, the billionaire conman will not be in the courtroom in D.C. as he whereabouts remain unclear.

The most recent reports suggest he is living feely in China, while many bemoan that the Malaysian government is doing next to nothing to find him.

'He has complete free movement and nobody can mess with him, said Wall Street Journal reporter Bradley Hope in a YouTube video discussing the conman's hiding. 'No foreign countries can interfere with Jho Low while he is in China.'

'Jho Low had helped with these deals, as a result he is somebody they [the Chinese government] have to protect. This is as simple as that,' Hope said.
Gas prices are once again creeping up across the United States after the world's oil producing countries announced last week they were cutting production.

Prices had been falling throughout the country for nearly 100 days after hitting a peak due to the war in Ukraine and ongoing disruptions to the supply chain.

But after OPEC+ announced last week that it is cutting its production by 2 million barrels, gas prices in the United States were back up on Monday to an average of $3.92.

In Michigan, where a fire took out a major petroleum plant, prices are averaging $4.35

They are up even higher in California, where a gallon costs an average of $6.33 on Monday as Gov. Gavin Newsom claims companies are price gouging. Valero, though, has hit back and said the high prices in the state are due to California's regulations and taxes.

Prices are now likely to continue to surge as crude oil prices climb, according to Patrick De Haan, the chief petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.

Gas prices are once again creeping up across the United States, averaging $3.92 on Monday

In a blog post on Monday, he wrote: 'With OPEC+ deciding to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, we've seen oil prices surge 20 percent, which is the primary factor in the national average rising for the third straight week.'

De Haan now expects prices to rise as much as $0.30 from their September lows, which would push them back up to $4 a gallon.

Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates LLC consultancy, also said he expects drivers throughout the US to soon shell out $4 a gallon, according to NBC News.

In a note to clients on Monday, he explained that gasoline reserves have plummeted across much of the United States because the lower prices have driven up demand.

The low supply has now prompted the Biden administration to consider banning exports on refined products, though analysts say such a ban would hurt European allies dealing with skyrocketing prices due to the war in Ukraine.

Biden is also said to be considering boosting production elsewhere, like in communist Venezuela, with which the United States has had deteriorating relations.

President Joe Biden is now considering banning exports on refined products, though analysts say such a ban would hurt European allies dealing with skyrocketing prices due to the war in Ukraine. He is pictured with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in July

MEMBERS OF OPEC: NATIONS WHO AGREED TO CUT PRODUCTION Permanent members of OPEC Algeria Angola Congo Ecuador Equatorial Guinea Iran Iraq Kuwait Libya Nigeria Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Venezuela Non-OPEC members involved in deal to cut production Russia Azerbaijan Bahrain Brunei Equatorial Guinea Kazakhstan Malaysia Mexico Oman Sudan South Sudan Brazil Bolivia Advertisement

The president was asked about OPEC+'s decision as he boarded Marine One ahead of a visit to hurricane-ravaged Florida following the announcement, but told reporters he 'needs to see the details.'

He said he was 'concerned' and that it was an 'unnecessary' step, according to reports.

A joint statement from White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said Biden 'is disappointed by the shortsighted decision.'

'At a time when maintaining a global supply of energy is of paramount importance, this decision will have the most negative impact on lower- and middle-income countries that are already reeling from elevated energy prices,' the statement read.

But John Kirby, the National Security Council's Coordinator for Strategic Communications, downplayed the cut's effect during an interview on Fox News Wednesday morning.

'[T]hey are adjusting back their numbers down a little bit here. OPEC plus has been saying and telling the word they're producing 3.5 million more barrels than they actually are,' Kirby said.

'So, in some ways this announced decrease really just kind of gets them back into more aligned with actual production.'

He added that there were no 'dramatic shifts in the price of oil,' noting that Wednesday's prices remain in the low 90s.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was also pressed on Tuesday about the White House's earlier victory laps over falling gas prices, which has translated into comparative silence as they creep up again.

'You said the president was responsible for gas prices coming down. Is the president responsible for gas prices going up?' Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked at Jean-Pierre's regular press briefing.

She answered, 'So, it's a lot more nuanced than that.'

Jean-Pierre pointed out that gas prices have risen across the globe and chalked the spikes up to 'the [COVID-19] pandemic and Putin's war' in Ukraine.

'We understand there is more work to do, we've never said we are done here,' the Biden official said.

'But we have seen, the reality is, we have seen the fastest decline in gasoline prices in over a decade. That's because of what this president has done.'

CALIFORNIA: California gas prices have soared in recent weeks despite a decline in other states

CALIFORNIA: Gas prices were advertised at over $8 a gallon last week

Prices in California, though, had already reached exorbitant levels last month, even as prices in the rest of the country plummeted  and officials there are now demanding to know why.

In a letter to oil executives on September 30, California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild demanded to know why gas prices have risen 'despite a sharp downturn in global crude prices, no significant unplanned refinery outages in the state and no increases in state taxes or fees.'

'Crude oil prices are down and industry profits are up, yet gas prices have increased by a record $0.84 per gallon in 10 days in California a $2.50 difference compared to US prices,' he wrote at the time.

'This degree of divergence from national prices hasn't happened before, regardless of planned or unplanned refinery maintenance, and no explanation has been provided.

California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild demanded to know why gas prices have risen in a letter to oil industry executives

'The oil industry owes Californians an answer,' Hochschild wrote, accusing the executives of not providing an 'adequate and transparent explanation for the price spike' and asking what the California state government could do to address obstacles or logistics that have contributed to the high prices.

In response, Valero Vice President of State Government Affairs Scott N Folwarkow denied that the companies were engaged in 'price conspiracies,' pointing out that a federal judge found no basis for them.

Instead, he said the price was driven by supply and demand, coupled with 'government-imposed costs and specifications.'

He noted that Valero had planned maintenance activity, but said the company had planned accordingly to meet its contractual obligation, and instead blamed the low inventories on post-COVID demand and limited supply, FOX Business reports.

Folwarkow also blamed the higher prices in California on the state being the 'most expensive operative environment in the country and [being] a very hostile regulatory environment for refining.

'California policy makers have knowingly adopted policies with the expressed intent of eliminating the refinery sector,' he wrote, adding that it requires refiners to pay 'very high carbon cap and trade fees, and burdened gasoline with [the] cost of the low carbon fuel standards.'

Making matters worse, he said, are state policies that make it difficult to increase refining capacity and have prevented supply projects to lower the operating costs of refineries.

'Adding further costs in the form of new taxes or regulatory constraints will only further strain the fuel market and adversely impact refiners, and ultimately those costs will pass to California consumers.'

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would call a special session of the state legislature in December to pass a new tax on oil company profits, to punish them for what he called 'rank price gouging.' He is pictured here speaking during a climate agreement event last week

After the letter was made public on Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would call a special session of the state legislature in December to pass a new tax on oil company profits, to punish them for what he called 'rank price gouging.'

It remains unclear how the tax would work, as Newsom said he is still working out the details with legislative leaders.

But on Friday, he made clear he wants the money to be 'returned to taxpayers' possibly by using the money from the new tax to pay for rebates.

MICHIGAN: A BP gas station is seen with a sign displaying gas for $ 0.99 per gallon on April 24, 2020 in Southgate, Michigan as demand fell during the pandemic

A fire at the BP-Husky refinery in Toledo, Ohio last month left two dead

Meanwhile, in Michigan, prices jumped 19 cents from just one week ago after a refinery fire in Toledo, Ohio left two dead.

The BP-Husky Toledo plant refines some 160,000 barrels a day, but might not reopen until December as an investigation into the blaze is ongoing.

That could mean a squeeze on supplies in the Midwest for months.

But members of warehouse buying clubs, like Costco, may see some more price stability.

On the company's second quarter earnings call last month, CFO Richard Galanti explained that the company's gasoline purchasing policy allows it to hold prices steady.

He said that is even the case if the company loses money because of customer loyalty, which sees customers specifically seeking out Costco Gas over all other gas stations that must buy gas in advance and charge a markup to boost profits.

'When prices are going up each day, when spot prices are going up each day, t's costing us a little more because we bought it today at the highest price versus four days ago,' he said.

Still, De Haan said he does not 'expect much improvement in prices for much of the country.'
A major security breach at Melbourne airport is expected to spark widespread travel chaos and delays across the country.





Qantas passengers were ordered off flights and evacuated from the terminal to be rescreened by security, sparking chaotic scenes early Tuesday morning.

Photos and footage show thousands waiting to be rescreened with queues at the security gates snaking outside the terminal.

All Qantas operations were put on hold at the airport as a precaution, with flights expected to be delayed through the morning causing knock-on effects around the country.

'A passenger appears to have inadvertently passed from an unscreened area to a screened area of the airport in Melbourne,' a statement from the airline read.

'As a precaution all Qantas operations have been put on hold and passengers in the terminal are being re-screened which is causing delays to some services this morning.

'Safety is our number one priority, but we know this disruption is causing some inconvenience for our passengers and we apologise for that. We are investigating how this incident occurred.'

Thousand of travellers at Melbourne Airport have been delayed by a major security breach. Pictured are the chaotic scenes on Tuesday morning

Tim Joyce had just boarded his Brisbane flight when the pilot ordered everyone off the plane 'a minute' from taking off.

'The pilot pretty much told us straight away that there was somebody who slipped through the terminal,' he said.

'They have evacuated every single person that has been through screening so that everybody can get rescreened,' he told the Today show.

'It seems quite serious, there are thousands of people waiting at 6am.'

He stressed communication from the airline had been great, despite the chaos.

'Essentially they've communicated that people will be screened on a boarding basis from now on, so the next flight out will be screened first,' Mr Joyce said.

'I am glad they have evacuated the terminal to make sure everyone is safe, because it is definitely worth a few hours of waiting.'

Tim Joyce (pictured) is among thousands of Qantas passengers caught up in the delays

Sue Duke had just boarded a her flight to Brisbane when the pilot ordered everyone off the plane to be rescreened in the terminal (pictured, the long queue at the security gates)

The lengthy delays tested the patience of Qantas travellers (pictured) at Melbourne on Tuesday morning. It was the airline's second security breach within a month

Sue Duke was also flying to Brisbane to catch a connecting flight to Norfolk Island.

'We're just hoping Qantas will hold that flight because there's a big tour group travelling' she told Sunrise.

Her 6am flight was delayed by an hour-and-a-half while at least seven other flights have also delayed.

Rowing Australia boss Ian Robson was also caught up in the airport mayhem while trying to fly to Canberra.

A couple of announcements made clear in the last five minutes or so there was this inadvertent security breach, apparently by a small number of passengers ,which has then meant they had to evacuate everyone who had already been security cleared, including those on planes, he told 3AW.

'It's going to be a long late morning I suggest.'

The security screening queue extended back to the international terminal (pictured, the long queue of Melbourne passengers waiting to be screened by security)

Some travellers were already on planes ready for take-off when they were ordered off to return to the terminal to be screened a second time (pictured, the lengthy queue for security screening)

Melbourne Airport says the screening of passengers in T1 had resumed by 7.30am.

'Delays are expected this morning. Qantas staff are working hard to get everyone to their destinations,' the airport said in a statement.

The Australian Federal Police is now investigating how the security breach occurred.

The incident comes just a month after passengers on an evening Qantas flight from Sydney to Melbourne were escorted off the plane by police after one passenger managed to bypass the security screening.

The error was not discovered until the flight was in the air.

A Qantas spokesman said at the time that a passenger boarded the flight after inadvertently passing from an unscreened to a screened part of the airport in Sydney.

The security breach in Melbourne (pictured on morning) is expected to spark widespread travel chaos and delays across Australia
Madoff, who died in 2021, stole more than $65 billion from thousands of investors over a period of roughly 20 years

In a recent appearance on the 'Smartless' podcast, the actor said that they had 'most of their money in Madoff'

It's unclear how much Bacon and wife Kyra Sedgwick lost, but it has been reported that the number was in the millions

Kevin Bacon says overtime he has recuperated some of the millions he lost in Bernie Madoff's infamous Ponzi scheme

Actor Kevin Bacon says he and wife Kyra Sedgwick have recouped some, but not all, of the money they lost in Bernie Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

Bacon broke his silence about being fleeced by Madoff on the 'Smartless' podcast on Monday.

The actor has previously mentioned falling victim of the scheme by describing it as a 'bad day', but admitted to hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett that he had managed to claw back some of the money lost.

It's unclear how much exactly he had invested with Madoff, but it's been reported to be in the 'millions'.

'I think people will be, not happy to hear me whining about money,' he said.

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon were defrauded out of millions by Bernie Madoff

Bacon said during a recent episode of the 'Smartless' podcast that they had 'most' of their money in Madoff before the news of the Ponzi scheme broke

Despite losing a huge chunk of their wealth, Bacon says he doesn't like to sound like he's complaining because 'the real victims' are the elderly and those who didn't know they were caught up in Madoff's scheme

When the hosts addressed the subject, they gave the 'They/Them' actor an option to opt out of speaking about it if he wasn't comfortable.

This is one of the first times that the actor has talked at length about the major financial loss since the news of the scheme broke more than 14 years ago.

'Yeah, there's obvious life lessons there. You know, if something is too good to be true, it's too good to be true,' Bacon said about being part of the scheme.

The actor had previously described the experience as a 'bad day' in his life.

In spite of the large sum the couple lost - the exact number is unknown but estimated to be as much as $100 million - Bacon said that he and Sedgwick did not let it stop them from moving on and bouncing back.

'And when something like that happens, you know, you look at each other, then you go, "Well, that sucks. Let's, roll up our sleeves and get to work, you know?"' the actor said during the podcast.

Bacon said that he and Sedgwick, who have been married since 1988, have been able to recoup some of the money lost in the infamous Ponzi scheme

The 'They/Them' actor tried not to let the loss define them after losing estimated millions, bouncing back with a 'roll up our sleeves' attitude

One estimate indicated that Sedgwick and Bacon lost $100 million in Madoff's Ponzi scheme

In an interview with The Guardian back in 2017, the 'Footloose' actor spoke about what he said at the time was a horrible experience.

Although he didn't provide too much insight, he did say that the real victims of Madoff's actions were the elderly, and those who lost their entire retirement funds.

'You know, old people, people whose retirement funds were completely, you know, decimated. So there's always gonna be somebody that's gonna have it a lot worse than you,' Bacon said.

The 'X-Men Days of Future Past' villain said he and Sedgwick had 'most' of their money in the scheme, but that they tried desperately not to let it rule their lives.

'You know, whatever the cliches all work, 'whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger' and we just rolled up our sleeves,' Bacon said.

'We've made it this far. Our kids are healthy. We're healthy. You know, let's look at  what we have that's good. We can still both work and, yeah, I mean certainly, you know, you get angry and stuff, but I have to say that, you know, that dude  there were a lot of people who were much worse off than we were,' he stated.

Bacon has only talked about the financial loss a few times over the years, including in a 2017 interview with The Guardian in which he described the period in his life as a 'bad day'

It was then that Arnett asked if they had gotten of their money back in the more than 13 years since the news of the scandal broke.

Bacon said that they did get some of their money back, but that it wasn't nearly as much as how much they lost.

Even with the reason to have a chip on his shoulder, Bacon continued, saying that he doesn't like to complain about it.

'I think people will be, not happy to hear me whining about money,' he concluded.

The 80s icon has stayed consistent in his sentiments since the 2017 interview with the Guardian.

'We were able to see all the things we had as opposed to whatever we lost, and those are the biggest cliches: children, health, love, a nice home. So we got through it together. I don't think about Madoff, like, at all,' Bacon stated.

'Let me also say, I think there's a good cautionary tale there, to be cognisant of what's happening with your money,' the actor said in 2017.

Madoff, who died in 2021, was sentenced in 2009 to 150 years in prison for defrauding investors out of more than $65 billion.

Madoff was a well respected Wall Street financier before it came out that he had defrauded more than $65 million from thousands of investors

According to Insider, roughly $3.2 billion that was stolen had been returned to investors involved in the scheme as of 2020.

Madoff only made an estimated $20 billion from the scheme, despite having taken more than $50 billion from investors.

A list of those who lost money was later published by The Wall Street Journal and can be found here.

The scheme remains the largest of its kind in American history.

R. Allen Stanford, the man who holds the number two spot for biggest Ponzi schemes in the United States, stole $7 billion, just 35 percent of what Madoff got away with.
In a speech today he suggested China were building a satellite to track people

Britain faces a sliding doors moment in history with China, whose plans for global technological dominance pose a huge threat to us all, the head of GCHQ warns today.

Sir Jeremy Fleming fears the hostile state is using key technologies to spread its influence around the world  even using surveillance from space.

In a speech today, the intelligence chief raises the prospect that China is building a satellite system capable of tracking individuals around the world.

Despite Russias invasion of Ukraine, China still poses the greater long-term threat to global security, according to Sir Jeremy.

He believes the Chinese Communist Party is learning lessons from Russias staggering losses in Ukraine, and is seeking to build a centralised digital currency to insulate itself from international sanctions if China invades Taiwan.

Sir Jeremy Fleming fears China is using key technologies to spread its influence around the world  even using surveillance from space

In the RUSI Annual Security Lecture, Sir Jeremy will set out how China is exporting technologies around the world to spy on other countries, gain influence and sway votes and policies in its favour.

He believes Chinas BeiDou satellite navigation system, which works similarly to GPS, is being developed as both a means to track people and as a secret weapon to incapacitate satellites used by rival Western nations.

BeiDou, which provides navigation to aircraft, submarines, missiles and commercial services, has already been built into Chinese exports to more than 120 countries worldwide.

He will say: Many believe that China is building a powerful anti-satellite capability, with a doctrine of denying other nations access to space in the event of a conflict. And there are fears the technology could be used to track individuals.

In a speech today, the intelligence chief raises the prospect that China is building a satellite system capable of tracking individuals around the world

Chinas great strength combined with fear is driving [it] into actions that could represent a huge threat to us all, he will say.

Referring to a pivotal point in world events, he adds: At GCHQ it is our privilege and duty to see the sliding door moments of history. This feels like one of those moments. Our future strategic technology advantage rests on what we as a community do next.

He fears China is seeking to create client economies and governments by selling technology cheaply to other countries in order to leverage influence.

In the UK, the Government has already ordered telecoms equipment from Chinese tech giant Huawei to be stripped out of the UKs 5G network due to national security concerns, but it wont happen until 2027.

Today Sir Jeremy will warn other countries they are mortgaging their future if they buy Chinese tech with hidden costs.

While the UK and its allies seek science and tech advancement to enable prosperity, the Communist Party wields it as a tool to gain advantage through control of their markets, of those in their sphere of influence and of their own citizens.

In the UK, the Government has already ordered telecoms equipment from Chinese tech giant Huawei to be stripped out of the UKs 5G network due to national security concerns, but it wont happen until 2027

They see opportunities to control the Chinese people rather than looking for ways to support and unleash their citizens potential... But underlying that belief is a sense of fear.

Fear of its own citizens, of freedom of speech, free trade, open technological standards and alliances  the whole open, democratic order and the international rules-based system.

Sir Jeremy will also deliver an excoriating verdict on Russian leader Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine, saying: Far from the inevitable Russian military victory that their propaganda machine spouted, its clear that Ukraines courageous action on the battlefield and in cyberspace is turning the tide.

They [Russia] are feeling the extent of the dreadful human cost of his war of choice.
Innocent Establishment figures who had been arrested criticised the TV stint

He had previously stoked false claims of a paedophile ring, resulting in arrests

The Labour politician who stoked false claims of a VIP paedophile ring was criticised by victims of the scandal after he appeared on TV yesterday.

Tom Watson, who is soon to be given a peerage, tried to downplay his link with jailed Carl Beech.

He admitted he had made a mistake in trusting the twisted fantasist, whose lurid lies led to innocent Establishment figures being arrested.

But the former Labour deputy leader insisted he had sought only to reassure the fraudster before he spoke to police, rather than receiving names of suspects from him.

Tom Watson who stoked false claims of a VIP paedophile ring was criticised by victims of the scandal after he appeared on TV yesterday

But his performance was blasted by a former Tory MP whose life was turned upside down by Scotland Yards Operation Midland.

Harvey Proctor said: I am appalled at ITVs Good Morning Britain providing Tom Watson with a soapbox to endorse his peerage.

It was a grossly unbalanced charade. As ever, he was economical with the truth. He is yet to apologise to me.

He challenged ITV to invite him on to the show to make his case and claimed Mr Watson had in fact interfered in the botched police investigation.

Better still, invite Tom Watson and me on to your show together  I bet you do not, he told the broadcaster online.

But his performance was blasted by former Tory MP Harvey Proctor whose life was turned upside down by Scotland Yards Operation Midland

Mr Watson had told Good Morning Britain: I did make a mistake and I have apologised.

He admitted that the widow of Leon Brittan had been most critical of him because he had written just days after the former home secretarys death that he had been accused of multiple child rape.

Mr Watson added: I hope that in the years ahead if I get the opportunity at least I can try to make amends.

When youre in public life you can only do your best and if youre an MP for 20 years and a campaigning MP that wants to see social justice for people, sometimes you do make mistakes.

Tom Watson, who is soon to be given a peerage, tried to downplay his link with jailed Carl Beech (above)

Daniel Janner KC, whose late father the politician Lord Janner was also falsely accused by Beech, said it would be more dignified if Mr Watson quietly bowed out of a peerage.

Its quite something when youve got such a cacophony of opposition to what would be seen as a hurtful appointment, he said.

I cant see how Tom Watson would have the respect of his fellow members of the House of Lords.
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon speaks during a National Assembly audit on the Ministry of Justice, Oct. 6. Yonhap



DPK lawmaker accuses justice minister of looking into opposition bigwigs' alleged links with North Korea, cryptocurrency



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon's visit to New York three months ago is belatedly rekindling the interest of some members of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). They claimed that the primary purpose of Han's visit was to investigate if there were any unlawful acts allegedly committed by President Yoon Suk-yeol's political opponents.



DPK lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom claimed during a radio interview on Sunday that Han's nine-day business trip to New York starting June 29 seems to have been related to the prosecution's investigation into several politicians, including Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the current DPK leader.



During his U.S. trip, Rep. Kim claimed that Han visited the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to find further details of the investigation results into now-jailed U.S. cryptocurrency expert Virgil Griffith.



Griffith is currently in jail after being sentenced earlier this year to more than five years behind bars and fined $100,000 after pleading guilty to conspiring to help North Korea evade U.S. sanctions using cryptocurrency. In April 2019, Griffith traveled to North Korea to speak at the Pyongyang Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference. He went ahead with the trip even though the U.S. Department of State did not give him permission.



According to the DPK lawmaker, the New York district attorney's office submitted an email correspondence between Griffith and an unnamed person based in South Korea to a New York court as evidence to support their claim that the cryptocurrency expert was guilty.



Kim went on to say that the emails contained a claim that the mayors of Seoul and Seongnam were interested in building a cryptocurrency infrastructure in their cities. The Seoul mayor referenced in the email was Park Won-soon and the Seongnam mayor is the current DPK leader.



According to the DPK lawmaker, Han went to New York to see if there are other documents that can show those politicians' possible links with North Korea's attempt to build a cryptocurrency infrastructure to evade international sanctions.



"Those emails have the names of several politicians, including then Seongnam Mayor Lee and Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and several lawmakers," Rep. Kim said.



According to him, Minister Han might have wanted to see if there were any links between those politicians and North Korea and its cryptocurrency project, and if such links really existed, he might have wanted to launch an investigation into them.



The justice minister neither confirmed nor denied the allegation. In a statement released on Sunday, he said, "If any South Korean politicians are involved in North Korea-related cryptocurrency crimes as Rep. Kim implicated, this means they are punishable."



He added, "I wonder what Rep. Kim's motives with his remarks are. Is he openly reporting a criminal case or is he trying to be a whistleblower? Or is he trying to give the prosecution investigation guidelines?"



Earlier this week, Kim raised allegations that Han had visited the U.S. as part of his plan to purge Yoon's political rivals.



Disclosing an email correspondence between Griffith and a woman named Erica Kang on June 29, 2018, during a National Assembly audit of the Ministry of Justice, Rep. Kim said it is part of some 50 to 60 pages of documents he obtained from sources. "While reading this email correspondence, I thought Minister Han would have been intrigued because of the names of two politicians, the mayors of Seoul and Seongnam. I thought he would probably have loved to know more about their possible connections," he said.



Han dismissed Kim's claim, stating what Rep. Kim obtained is part of open source information.


Midwifery degrees starting this month will teach students how to look after pregnant people and birthing parents, rather than women.

The courses, which train midwives for the NHS, have replaced references to mothers with gender neutral language to accommodate trans people.

Several degree courses starting this autumn have used the inclusive language on their websites or in course materials. However, critics said it risked dehumanising women and reducing them to bodies which give birth.

At the University of Bradford, an internal document detailing the course specifications for the 2022/23 year refers to childbearing people four times and birthing people eight times.

In contrast, the word women is mentioned just three times in the 11-page document, while mother is not mentioned at all.

At Cumbria University, all references to mothers on the course description for students starting in 2022/23 have been replaced with birthing parents.

Confusingly, Northumbria Universitys course beginning in January tries to provide a new definition for the word midwife, which has been used since the Middle Ages.

At the University of Bradford (pictured), an internal document detailing the course specifications for the 2022/23 year refers to childbearing people four times and birthing people eight times

It states: Mid Wif means with woman and this has underpinned the relationship between midwives and pregnant people for hundreds of years. The term pregnant woman is commonly used across the world, and in evidence-based guidance for maternity care, to refer to all childbearing people.

It adds: You will leave this midwifery degree as a confident graduate who is able to lead the midwifery care of childbearing people.

The midwifery course pages at Kingston and Cardiff universities also talk about birthing people and pregnant people respectively, although they do also mention women.

A spokesman for campaign group Womans Place UK said: Pregnancy and birth are experiences that are unique to women. Phrases such as birthing people and childbearing people reduce women to bodies whose sole function is to carry and give birth to babies.

It is imperative that educators and teaching materials use accurate, sex-based language that humanises women under their care. Especially when maternity services are stretched and outcomes are so variable.

At Cumbria University (pictured), all references to mothers on the course description for students starting in 2022/23 have been replaced with birthing parents

Northumbria Universitys course beginning in January tries to provide a new definition for the word midwife, which has been used since the Middle Ages - 'Mid Wif'

Last year, Bradford joined the controversial Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme, which gives advice on how to be more inclusive of LGBT+ people. A spokesman said at the time there was a commitment as a university to be vocal allies of the LGBT+ community.

Cardiff, Northumbria and Kingston are also members, as is the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which provides accreditation for midwifery degree programmes.

Last year, 460 nurses wrote to the NMC, demanding it leave the scheme, warning it risks harming the reputation of the profession.

In June, the Royal College of Midwives and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists were criticised for an inclusivity statement claiming that sex is assigned at birth, rather than observed.

A Bradford spokesman said: The new BSc (Hons) Midwifery programme was written with serious consideration of information from the Nursing and Midwifery Council, The Royal College of Midwives and Birthrights around the use of inclusive language. It is important our students are taught in an environment that is consistent with national guidelines.

Northumbria University said: While the vast majority of people who are pregnant and give birth will identify as women, we ensure that our programmes acknowledge that students may provide care for those who may not... This is in line with information set out in the NMC standards of proficiency for midwives.

Kingston declined to comment. The other universities were contacted.

Cultural revolution turning universities into factories of woke indoctrination

Commentary by Professor Frank Furedi

A new breed of cultural Taliban has taken over higher education in the UK. Under the banner of decolonisation, they seek to turn our universities into indoctrination factories churning out woke students.

Their determination to decolonise has little to do with Empire or the colonies any more. Rather, it is a warped ideology  and so widespread that it is in danger of undermining every university degree course on the grounds that they are all imbued with racist and Western values.

Even the most unlikely technical and scientific subjects have become targets of the crusade. Who would have imagined that lecturers in the department of dentistry at Newcastle University would attempt to decolonise their degree course? How does the department of mechanical engineering at Sheffield University go about decolonising our understanding of thermodynamics?

As the Daily Mail revealed yesterday, Edinburgh University recently hosted a lecture titled Decolonising the physics curriculum.

Not wishing to be left out, the vice-chancellor of Oxford University, Louise Richardson, announced plans to decolonise science and maths degrees in June 2021.

Edinburgh University (pictured) hosted a lecture in March titled Decolonising the physics curriculum: starting with thermodynamics

The description of a module at Exeter University on decolonising medicine tells undergraduates they will investigate the extent to which science and medicine...have been largely founded on colonialism, oppression, slavery, discrimination and injustice.

This could all be dismissed as absurd if it were not so insidious. Institutions across this country are now succumbing to puerile and knee-jerk self-flagellation for the supposed sins of the past  even though it is academically ludicrous to draw any equivalence between modern-day morals and those of earlier centuries.

The truth is that this project of decolonisation aims to render toxic every dimension of Western art and culture. It wishes to devalue the legacy of our history and present it through a negative light. All its great, inspiring figures, from Chaucer to Shakespeare through to Jane Austen face the charge of being too Western, too white or too racist.

And what is so terrifying is that these cultural vandals are actually succeeding in imposing their anti-British curriculum on our seats of learning. Not least because the managers who run the universities have been enthusiastic collaborators. These days you would struggle to get an academic post if you failed to show enthusiasm for the decolonisation project.

Just recently one of my academic colleagues arrived for a job interview at a Scottish university. The first questions she was asked referred to her views about diversity and decolonisation. After she hesitated to demonstrate full support for the party line her interview was cut short.

When an interview for an academic job turns into a political interview you know that higher education is in big trouble. It leads to a situation like the one revealed in the Mail today where a lecturer at Edge Hill University in Lancashire claims in a new study that efforts to improve vocabulary and promote standard English in schools are racist, classist and ableist.

The description of a module at Exeter University (pictured) on decolonising medicine tells undergraduates they will investigate the extent to which science and medicine...have been largely founded on colonialism, oppression, slavery, discrimination and injustice

So, even though the bulk of teachers say at least 40 per cent of their pupils lack the vocabulary to do well in lessons, any attempt to address this deficiency is seen as racist. The decolonisation movement exhibits many of the features of the Chinese Communist Partys Cultural Revolution. One of the aims of the Great Cultural Revolution was to mobilise young people to loathe their ancestors and to purge the past from their influence. In the case of the Chinese Cultural Revolution the purging of the past was promoted on the grounds that it was essential for the realisation of Communism.

British university bureaucrats justify the war against the nations historical figures in the name of their sacred principle of diversity.

In diversitys name even someone as central to the development of modern science as Isaac Newton  who discovered the laws of gravity and motion and invented calculus  is retrospectively humiliated.

A leaked copy of the draft inclusive curriculum development to decolonise the engineering curriculum at Sheffield University last year warned that Newton may have benefited from colonial era activity. To put matters right, the engineering faculty undertook to tackle long-standing conscious and unconscious biases among students and challenge Euro-centric and white saviour approaches to science and maths, and promote inclusive design.

A leaked copy of the draft inclusive curriculum development to decolonise the engineering curriculum at Sheffield University (pictured) last year warned that Newton may have benefited from colonial era activity

Thats another way of saying that British students and researchers must feel guilt and show their loathing for many of the founders of the science they are studying.

The lecturers at Sheffield who were happy to trash the reputation of perhaps our greatest scientist in Newton must know full well that doing so has nothing to do with academic education.

Its sole aim is to distance students from their nations past and to make them feel that there is something morally corrupt about their discipline. It is only a matter of time before individuals like Louis Pasteur, Michael Faraday or Albert Einstein become the target of this philistine revolution.

In recent years, historically illiterate diversity entrepreneurs have come for virtually every leading figure of the Western Enlightenment  the movement through which the Age Of Reason developed in the 17th and 18th centuries and which led to so much greater an understanding of the universe.

Hypocrisy is commonplace among these campaigners. Indeed, virtually every great philosopher who contributed to the development of the ideals of freedom and liberty has become a target of their crusade. The complexities and nuances of society and history are ignored, academic brilliance discarded. And dont imagine for one moment that the movement is done with its work. It has powerful friends in officialdom and sections of the political class.

If we are to save our universities, it is vital that we resist the baleful march of the new cultural Taliban.

Frank Furedi is emeritus professor of sociology at Kent University and author of The Road To Ukraine
An elite performing arts college which trained Spice Girl Mel C has asked staff to declare their pronouns on email in solidarity with trans people.

Bird College in south London is also asking employees to display the transgender rainbow flag and Black Lives Matter (BLM) logo in written correspondence.

The historic institution, founded in 1946, has trained many stars including Melanie Chisholm, who later formed the Spice Girls.

In an email to staff this month, college principal Luis De Abreu provided a signature template for them to use, writing: Please can we all have the same version as attached.

The template included his pronouns, he/him; the slogan Im #MadeByDyslexia; and the logos of the trans Pride lobby and BLM.

The email caused disquiet among some staff, who said they were uncomfortable displaying political messaging when conducting college business.

It is understood tutors were previously also asked verbally to use pronouns.

The historic institution, founded in 1946, has trained many stars including Melanie Chisholm (Pictured), who later formed the Spice Girls.

One employee, who asked not to be identified, said: Some staff members feel compelled and bullied and that they are being forced to misrepresent themselves and lie about their beliefs...

Now this email telling us all to insert pronouns into our signatures and support the various organisations shown in the template he has sent out... It is not optional. It is definitely compelled.

Staff also said there was a climate of fear in the college community, whereby students are being told they cant say that and being harassed by peers if they object to gender ideology.

The Free Speech Union (FSU) last week wrote to the college, saying declaring ones pronouns in the workplace is not a politically neutral act'.

It added: [It is] a way of expressing your support for the agenda of trans rights activists, including their insistence that a persons sex is not an immutable biological fact about them, but something that can be changed at will.

Bird College (pictured) in south London is also asking employees to display the transgender rainbow flag and Black Lives Matter (BLM) logo in written correspondence.

The FSU also pointed out that BLM has connections with Marxism, and has previously campaigned to defund the police.

When contacted by the Daily Mail, the college claimed the signature had never been compulsory.

Mr De Abreu said: We appreciate that this may have been interpreted as an instruction to include pronouns and certain logos.

It is not, and has never been, the intention of Bird College to require any staff member to declare pronouns, or to appear to support any political group in their email signature.

FSU founder Toby Young said: It sounds as if Mr De Abreu has had second thoughts about making this mandatory following receipt of our letter. Hes made the right decision.

Yesterday a Daily Mail investigation revealed how some universities are decolonising even science courses in an effort to mollify woke activists.
Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that 'no one' should go to jail for smoking marijuana over the weekend, despite the fact she oversaw 2,000 convictions as a prosecutor in San Francisco.

'We are also changing, y'all might have heard that this week, the federal government's approach to marijuana,' Harris said on Saturday at an event in Austin, Texas.

'Because the bottom line there is: Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed,' the vice president continued.

Harris was referring to President Biden's move to pardon more than 6,500 'simple' federal marijuana convictions. He urged governors to do the same for state convictions.

Harris leads a roundtable conversation on reproductive rights with Mini Timmaraju of NARAL and Julieta Garibay of the Groundswell Fund at the LBJ Library at the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday

During her stint as California attorney general from 2011 to 2016 nearly 2,000 people went to jail for marijuana related crimes, but many of those cases were prosecuted by independently elected county district attorneys.

As state attorney general she also refused to join other states' efforts in removing marijuana from the DEA's list of dangerous controlled substances.

As a San Francisco prosecutor, Harris oversaw more than 1,900 cannabis related convictions, a number which was higher than her predecessor, though only 45 of those convictions included jail time.

None of the marijuana convictions Harris' office secured are still on the books - her successor DA George Gascon expunged all of San Francisco's 9,300 marijuana convictions dating back 1975.

Harris actively fought a ballot measure for legalized pot in 2010, and stayed silent when a second ballot initiative passed in 2016.

In 2014, faced with re-election, she was asked about her Republican opponent Rick Gold's support of pot legalization. She laughed and said Gold was 'entitled to his opinion.'

While a presidential contender in 2019, Harris joked in a radio interview that of course she smoked pot.

'Half my family's from Jamaica,' Harris said at the time. 'Are you kidding me?'

The quip did not go over well with the now-vice president's father, Donald Harris.

'My dear departed grandmothers (whose extraordinary legacy I described in a recent essay on this website), as well as my deceased parents, must be turning in their grave right now to see their family's name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics,' he wrote in an unsolicited statement to Kingston-based Jamaica Global Online.

Last week President Biden pardoned more than 6,500 'simple' federal marijuana convictions

'Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty,' he added.

Asked by radio host Charlamagne Tha God of 'The Breakfast Club' whether she smoked pot in 2020.

'I have. And I inhaled,' Harris said. 'It was a long time ago.'

In addition to expunging marijuana convictions last week, Biden is having the Department of Health and Human Services and Attorney General Merrick Garland 'review expeditiously' how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

Marijuana remains a Schedule I drug - alongside heroin and ecstasy, and above fentanyl and cocaine - despite it being legal for medicinal and recreational use in many states.

The DOJ will be tasked with getting individuals a certificate acknowledging their pardon.

Officials also said that no one is currently in prison solely on an marijuana possession charge.

'Simple' marijuana possession is considered a Class A Misdemeanor that carries a $1,000 and up to a year in prison for a first-time offender.

White House officials also made clear that no one could be prosecuted with this crime at the federal level after Thursday.
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Prince William returned to Scotland to make a personal pilgrimage back to Balmoral for the first time since the funeral of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Prince of Wales is thought to have spent a weekend at Craigowan Lodge, which was one of Her Majesty's favourite boltholes on the Scottish estate and was used on less formal occasions, where he went deer stalking.

It would have been a bittersweet reunion for the first in line to the throne, who was last in Scotland just over a month ago as he rushed to be by the Queen's side as she died on the 50,000-acre estate on September 8.

A source told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'He stayed at Craigowan Lodge, where Her Majesty used to stay. He was there just for the weekend.'

By stalking deer the Prince follows in the footsteps of both his grandmother and his grandfather, Prince Philip, who introduced him and his brother Harry to it while they were boys.

Deer stalking is the act of culling ageing stags that would otherwise die in the winter, with William shooting his first when he was 14 years old, something that is said to have left him delighted at the time.

The activity, which has been a shared passion among generations of the Royal Family, was encouraged by William's father King Charles III, while Princess Diana used to jokingly call him 'my killer Wales'.

William is not thought to have been joined in Scotland by his wife Catherine, who is herself a keen markswoman, and their children. A spokesman for Kensington Palace declined to comment.

His return to the Scottish estate would have brought back memories for the Prince, with it being just over a month ago that he and other members of the Royal Family rushed to reach the Queen's side as her health failed.

William flew up to Scotland in the company of his uncles Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, but they, along with Prince Harry who made his own way there, were unable to reach Balmoral before Her Majesty died.

Prince William is said to have gone deer stalking in Balmoral over the weekend. Pictured: The Prince of Wales (left) with his father Charles (centre) and younger brother Harry (right) in Balmoral when he was teenager

The Prince of Wales was introduced to deer stalking by his grandfather Prince Philip, and his grandmother was a keen supporter of the activity. Pictured: Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral in 1972

It is the first time William has returned to Scotland since the Queen's funeral last month. Pictured: Prince William (left) drives a car containing Prince Andrew (second left), the Countess of Wessex (second right) and Prince Edward (right) into Balmoral after his grandmother's death

William is said to have stayed at Craigowan Lodge in Balmoral, which was one of the Queen's favourite boltholes. Pictured: Craigowan Lodge

The Prince of Wales has been undetaking his royal duties since the death of his grandmother last month. Pictured: William waves to the crowd during a visit to Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland on Thursday, October 6

Prince William and his brother Harry were introduced to hunting by their grandfather and their interest in the activity was encouraged by their father. Pictured: William and Harry at Balmoral when they were younger

The Prince of Wales, along with his wife, then took a key role in the days of national mourning that followed the Queen's passing at the age of 96 on September 8.

And since then he has undetaken numerous visits as part of his royal duties, including visits to Wales and Northern Ireland, where he and Catherine were both met with large crowds of adoring fans.

The couple fulfilled a number of engagements with cross-community organisations that provide support to people from all backgrounds in Northern Ireland last week.

They began with a visit to suicide prevention charity PIPS in north Belfast.

Lord mayor Tina Black and Sinn Fein MP for the constituency John Finucane were among those who welcomed the royal couple on arrival.

Inside, 12-year-old Elyse Quinn, the daughter of the charitys executive director Renee Quinn, presented the princess with a bouquet of flowers.

During their visit, William and Kate spoke with staff about their work helping people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

The charity also arranged for them to take part in an art therapy session, painting pumpkins, with some vulnerable children who have been supported by PIPS.

After the visit to PIPS, the couple travelled into Belfast city centre to view Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market where they took part in a spirited cocktail making race.

After William was declared winner, the couple heard more about the Trademarket enterprise which transformed a previously vacant site, aiming to showcase new businesses while also increasing footfall in a less visited area.

The Prince's journey up north came days before the couple announced they had recorded a special programme for BBC Radio One's Newsbeat to mark World Mental Health Day.

The pair's discussion about the importance of mental health will be broadcast on Tuesday, with the Princess of Wales telling listeners 'Newsbeat will sound slightly different' tomorrow.

The Prince of Wales then said: 'As part of World Mental Health Day, Catherine and I have recorded a special programme taking over the radio to talk about the importance of mental health.'

William added that they will talk about mental health toolboxes which can provide people with coping skills and resources to alleviate anxiety and depression.

The Prince and Princess of Wales (pictured with Emma Hardwell, Ben Cowley, Antonio Ferreria, Dr Abigail Miranda and Pria Rai) have recorded a special programme for BBC Radio One's Newsbeat to mark World Mental Health Day

William and Kate announced on Monday's Newsbeat show that their discussion (pictured) on the importance of mental health will be broadcast on Tuesday

'A toolbox is quite a useful analogy to use. A lot of people don't realise what they need until it comes along,' said the father-of-three.

He added: 'You could be living one life one minute and something massively changes and you realise you don't necessarily have the tools or the experience to be able to tackle that.'

Kate also told listeners that she would 'love to know' how they look after their own mental health, which was followed by a guest then explaining to the royal couple his approach.

'There's no right or wrong, that's the thing as well. Different things will work for different people,' she said.

The full show, recorded on World Mental Health Day at Radio 1's Live Lounge, airs on Tuesday on Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network.

During the pre-recorded programme, the prince and princess also discussed the stigmas around mental health and the pressures of social media, according to the BBC.

William said the royal couple wanted to 'have a meaningful conversation about mental health,' while his wife Kate added: 'The first step for all of us is to keep having those conversations and keep reaching out for help.'
The suspect that kidnapped and killed a Sikh family, including an eight-month-old baby girl, before dumping their bodies in a California almond orchard, has been charged in their heinous murder.

Jesus Salgado, 48, killed Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, their eight-month-old daughter Aroohi Dheri, and Jasdeep's brother, Amandeep Singh, 39 on October 3rd.

He faces four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, the Merced County District Attorney's Office announced Monday, The Associated Press reported.

If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Salgado, a former employee of the family's trucking business, had reportedly been in a longstanding dispute with them. The former ex-con had been out on parole at the time for an eerily similar crime nearly 20 years ago.

A day after the kidnapping, Salgado reportedly tried to kill himself before he was taken into custody.

Salgado's younger brother Alberto Salgado, 41, was arrested late Thursday and accused of criminal conspiracy, accessory, and destroying evidence.

Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, were killed on October 3 along with their eight-month-old daughter Aroohi Dheri

Jasdeep's brother, Amandeep Singh, 39, was also murdered on October 3

Jesus Salgado, 48, was charged on Monday in the kidnapping and killing of an 8-month-old baby, her parents and uncle, the Merced County District Attorney's Office announced Monday

Authorities also arrested Jesus' brother, Alberto Salgado, for criminal conspiracy, accessory, and destroying evidence in the deadly crime

The special circumstances allege that the slayings were committed during the commission of a kidnapping and were part of multiple killings in the same case.

Salgado was scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Last Monday, the family of three and the uncle were killed within an hour after being abducted from their business located in Merced, a city approximately 125 miles southeast of San Francisco, authorities said.

Their bodies were discovered late Wednesday by a farm worker at the almond orchard, located in a remote area of the San Joaquin Valley, California.

Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said he would not disclose the condition of the adults remains in the orchard. He said it was unclear how the baby died, but said the child had no visible trauma.

Warnke called for Salgado to face the death penalty, but District Attorney Kimberly Lewis on Monday said she would defer that decision to next year.

Salgado is also charged with arson and the possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He was previously convicted of first-degree robbery with the use of a firearm in Merced County, attempted false imprisonment, and an attempt to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness after he held a family he had worked for at gunpoint and forced them to follow his orders nearly 20 years ago.

In 2007, he was sentenced to 11 years in state prison in that case. He was released in 2015 and discharged from parole three years later, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He also has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, the department said.

Family members were distraught over the killing of their loved ones and said they were trying to live out the American Dream.

They said Jasdeep and Jasleen married just three years ago in India and were reunited two years ago when Jasleen immigrated to the US.

'This is the story of our shared American Dream gone wrong; our loving family was violently taken away from us on October 3,' the remaining family members wrote in a GoFundMe.

'As immigrants to America, they worked tirelessly for 18 years to achieve safety, security and community for themselves and their families,' wrote Jaspreet Kaur, the grieving wife of Amandeep.

Kaur wrote that 'Aman and Jasdeep were the primary bread earners for the family, supported by their elderly parents and lived under one roof.'

She said, in part: 'They were just barely starting to make memories together as a family with their baby.'

As of Monday evening, the GoFundMe has raised more than $346,000 towards their goal of $500,000.

A surveillance photo provided by the Merced County Sheriff's Office shows Jesus outside the family's trucking office on October 3
King Charles has an instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance and is deeply attuned to the cost of living crisis as he plans his Coronation next year, say royal insiders.

But, despite reports that the ceremony will be smaller and simpler than the three-hour extravaganza his late mother had in 1953, the sources were at pains last night to stress that it will not be devoid of pomp and pageantry.

It comes as more than two thirds of readers of The Mail+ said they believed there should be no wholesale slimming down of the Kings Coronation.

Seventy per cent of those who responded to our online poll answered No, pomp and pageantry is what Britain does best, while just 30 per cent declared: Yes, we dont need a lavish coronation in the 21st century. More than 1,800 readers responded.

The Mail on Sunday reported at the weekend that next years cut-down Coronation is set to last little more than an hour and will have fewer arcane rituals.

King Charles has an instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance and is deeply attuned to the cost of living crisis as he plans his Coronation next year, say royal insiders

The King, 73, is understood to want his Coronation to set the tone for a streamlined and modern monarchy, while retaining some of the pomp and majesty of his mothers lying in state and funeral.

The guest list for the ceremony, Operation Golden Orb, is likely to be slashed from 8,000 to 2,000.

Discussions have also been held about a more relaxed dress code, with peers possibly allowed to wear lounge suits instead of ceremonial robes. Ancient and time-consuming rituals  including presenting the monarch with gold ingots  will be axed to save time.

One insider told the Mail: It was always planned to be a more modest affair given the world we now live in. This direction of travel has accelerated given the economic challenges we are facing.

His Majesty is very attuned to the public mood on these things and has always had an instinctive aversion to pomp in the wrong circumstance.

Another source who had been involved in planning for the Coronation explained that Charles had always been mindful of including only what was necessary, but with one eye on tradition and history.

It comes as more than two thirds of readers of The Mail+ said they believed there should be no wholesale slimming down of the Kings Coronation

They pointed out there would naturally be significantly fewer realms involved in his anointing than the Queens.

She was head of state of 32 countries during her 70-year reign. Her son inherits just 14, with a number of Caribbean countries already indicating they are soon to go their own way. But there would still be a significant Commonwealth presence as well as a greater array of religious and ethnic diversity and more women involved.

The source also revealed that a significant amount of discussion had been going on behind the scenes around giving the new Prince of Wales a prominent role.

It will be the first time for three generations that this will have happened. Charles was just four when his mother was crowned, although he watched from a distance. The late Queen was 11 at the time of her fathers coronation. Neither had a formal role.

But Prince William is 40 and the Mail understands he will play a far more prominent part.

But, despite reports that the ceremony will be smaller and simpler than the three-hour extravaganza his late mother had in 1953, the sources were at pains last night to stress that it will not be devoid of pomp and pageantry

Speaking to BBC Radio Fours World at One, royal author Robert Lacey said he believed some aspects of the Coronation could be slimmed down and modernised. He said: Lets not forget recently we have had the immensely moving funeral of the Queen. That was an hour. And for me that the kind of thing we should be aiming at.

One has to remember too while all the reverence and gravity of the Queens funeral was very much focused on tribute to her. A Coronation is a tribute to an institution rather than a person, with whom quite a lot of thoughtful people in this country disagree.

n A leading royal biographer has said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are poor by Hollywood standards.

Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers, told the Henley Literary Festival: Its not very pleasant to be a D-list celebrity who, for them, doesnt have enough money.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Miss Brown said: Harry has made this book deal where hes supposed to spill everything about his horrible life as a royal, but now hes actually tortured about it because he understands there is no way back if he does it.
A 17-year-old boy who was shot several times by a rookie cop as he sat in his car eating a McDonald's cheeseburger is currently on life support after several of his organs were punctured during the shooting.

The family of Erik Cantu say the teenager has had to undergo a number of surgeries to repair major organs that were damaged by gunfire, according to attorney Brian Powers, who spoke to DailyMail.com

Cantu's lungs are effectively being operated by the life support machine and he remains under sedation while his body takes the time it needs to recover.

Powers said that Cantu faces a long road to recovery but that his family are thankful for the prayers they have received.

The rookie San Antonio cop, James Brennand, 25, who shot Cantu, who was unarmed, has since been fired.

Brennand is a married former soldier who was commended for his firearm skills while in the police academy.

A 17-year-old boy who was shot several times by a rookie cop as he sat in his car eating a McDonald's cheeseburger is currently on life support after several of his organs were punctured during the shooting.

Eric Cantu pictured on his Facebook page in September 2022

Erik is still in critical condition and is being monitored closely. Surgeries were performed to repair injures to a few major organs as a result of the penetration of multiple bullets

Erik Cantu was hospitalized at nearby University Hospital following the shooting. Following the shooting, Brennand administered CPR while he waited for paramedics.

'Erik and our family would like to thank all of our family, friends, the great city of San Antonio and everyone around the world that has sent their heartfelt prayers and blessings,' Powers said in a statement.

'Erik is still in critical condition and is being monitored closely. Surgeries were performed to repair injures to a few major organs as a result of the penetration of multiple bullets. Erik is currently on a life support system that is keeping his lungs operating and remains on a vast amount of sedatives to hopefully ease the discomfort and pain.

'He has a great medical staff that has been working diligently around the clock to provide him great care. Erik is struggling and we know that recovery will not be easy for him. Every moment is critical and the uncertainly is quite painful. We ask that everyone please keep Erik in your thoughts and prayers.'

Last Wednesday, the San Antonio Police Department acted swiftly in firing Brennand.

At the time of his termination, he was still in his probationary period -- which means he's not entitled to an appeal -- and had been on the job for just seven months.

Law enforcement initially laid charges against the teenager for evading arrest and assault on a police officer, but those have since been dropped.

Officer James Brennand, who has since been fired, graduated from the San Antonio Police Training Academy in 2021. On his LinkedIn page, Brennand says that he is 'in Law Enforcement, Operational Planning, Active DoD Secret Clearance, Military Operations, and Security'

According to his LinkedIn page, Brennand previously served in the US Army as a military dog handler. He enlisted in 2016. Brennand was stationed outside of Seattle

Brennand and his wife pictured in a photoshopped image created by their realtor after Arnold was not present when the pair closed on a home in 2021

Under Texas law, due to the fact that the teen had charges pending against him, his family was only permitted to be by his bedside for limited periods of time.

Prior to the release of the video, Brennand maintained he only opened fire on Cantu after the teenager hit him with his car. The new video shows otherwise.

Brennand was called to the McDonald's after a reported disturbance unrelated to Cantu. When the officer arrived at the scene, he apparently mistook the teens' car for a vehicle that evaded him the previous night.

That car had sped away from Brennand when he attempted to pull it over as its license plates did not match the car.

Brennand is no stranger to shooting - he placed fourth in the 'firearms' category in his police cadet class in 2021

Brennand approached Cantu's maroon car and called for cover, but quickly tried to take matters into his own hands and opened the car door.

Police have not confirmed whether Cantu's car was stolen.

The video shows the moment Brennand surprised Cantu and demanded the teen get out of the car.

As Cantu questioned the officer's orders, he attempted to put the car in reverse and the door catches Brennand.

Brennand quickly opened fire and shot into the driver's side of the vehicle as Cantu reversed, and the bodycam footage caught the cop shouting 'shots fired!' into his radio.

Cantu pulled out of the parking spot and tried to drive away, but Brennand continued shooting into the back of the vehicle.

The teens were then found outside the vehicle a block away from the shooting.

The former police officer has one child with his wife, Danielle Arnold, Arnold is also a dog handler with the US Army

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales confirmed that upon reviewing the video, his office instructed the police department to drop the charges against Cantu.

Gonzales also updated the public on Cantu's condition saying: 'This young man is in critical but stable condition in the hospital. There was some issue with his parents being able to have extended contact with him. I understand it's a touch-and-go situation.'

He added: 'Exercising my discretion, what I decided to do for now is dismiss this case so that his family can be by his side.'

With regards to possible charges against Officer Brennand, Gonzales said: 'That case is pending. We will have to wait until SAPD files the entire case in our office. We will then review it.'

He went on: 'My concern right now is with the health of this young man, with his parents' ability to be by his side, and so that's why we have done what we have done. It'll take some time for SAPD to file the complete case with us and then we'll make the decision.'

'I commend the San Antonio Police Department for taking the action that they did for terminating this individual because, clearly, there was concern on their part. It is commendable that members of that department saw fit to terminate this individual,' the district attorney added.

There is a possibility that Brennand could face criminal charges.

Cantu's lungs are effectively being operated by the life support machine and he remains under sedation while his body takes the time it needs to recover

According to Cantu's Facebook page, he works at The Wash Tub, a San Antonio-based car service business.

His former supervisor, Christopher Montalvo, told KSAT that Cantu worked at the business for three months earlier this year.

Montalvo said he last saw Cantu two weeks ago when he came in for a car wash. He said: 'Good laughs, just normal human being stuff. Nothing really serious. I never got a bad vibe from (Cantu). He was always a really good guy to me, and he always respected me. Every time I told him to do something, he always did it, and he worked hard.'

The supervisor was not aware that Cantu had been shot. When he was shown the video by a KSAT reporter, Montalvo said: 'That's hard to watch. That's scary. I'm speechless, honestly. (Cantu) looks scared. He looks terrified. He doesn't know what's going on. He was just in his car eating. That right there, that personally didn't look right to me.'

When Cantu reversed, the door of the vehicle reportedly hit Brennand, and the cop then draws his gun and immediately starts firing on the teen couple

Brennand shoots the drivers side window repeatedly and shouts 'shots fired' into his radio, and Cantu attempts to drive away

Even as Cantu drove away, Brennand keeps shooting into the vehicle

Posts on Cantu's Facebook page show a keen interest in cars, there are multiple pictures showing him in front of a Dodge Charger, which comments indicate he had just purchased in May.

Under that picture, his grandmother wrote: 'My boy, I'm very excited for you, I just ask you one thing, drive safely and take care of yourself, love you lots, God is good.'

He replied: 'I appreciate it Liz. You have always been like a mother to me. You always treated me like if I was your son. Can't wait to show it to you!'

In February, he posted a photo showing him behind the wheel of a Ford Bronco. While in March he posted a video showing him in the passenger side of a Ferrari.

On the Intro section of his page, Cantu wrote: 'Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. KJV Proverbs 3:5.'
Sex scandal minister John Profumo tried to get a D-notice to gag the Press over the affair that led to his downfall, newly released files reveal.

He requested a meeting with the head of MI5 and said he was 'in some trouble' over his relationship with model Christine Keeler.

Married Tory war minister Profumo and Soviet spy Yevgeny Ivanov were both having sex with Miss Keeler in 1961 when she was 19 after they were introduced to her by mutual friend Stephen Ward.

Profumo later lied to the Commons, claiming there had been no impropriety, but was forced to resign when the truth emerged and the scandal later helped to topple the government.

Sex scandal minister John Profumo (pictured leaving his home in Regent's Park in 1963) tried to get a D-notice to gag the Press over the affair that led to his downfall, newly released files reveal

He requested a meeting with the head of MI5 and said he was 'in some trouble' over his relationship with model Christine Keeler (pictured in 1964)

MP 'honked like a goose' John Profumo would 'honk like a wild goose' during intimate moments, according to claims lodged in the secret files. While Stephen Ward was working on his memoirs, he told a friend 'his was the only story worth having about the whole affair'. Ward apparently thought 'the stories of Christine [Keeler] and the other girls were really only of interest because of the intimate technical details concerning the people with whom they were involved'. The friend said: 'He added by way of example that Profumo used to honk like a wild goose at times.' Advertisement

Security service files, which are released today, reveal his attempt to obtain a D-notice  an official Whitehall instruction to the media not to print information based on national security concerns.

As the scandal threatened to engulf him, he held a meeting with MI5's director general Sir Roger Hollis in January 1963.

The files show Sir Roger's deputy Graham Mitchell thought Profumo's comments at the meeting were made 'in the hope that there might be security grounds for our taking action with the Press, by D-notice or otherwise, to prevent publication, but that this hope was a vain one'.

Before the tangled web of relationships were widely known, Profumo had been sounded out about a proposal to encourage Ivanov to defect and work for the UK.

But the papers say the minister thought that he 'ought to keep well away' from that.

Another man involved with Miss Keeler fired a revolver at osteopath Ward's home in 1962 while she was there with model Mandy Rice-Davies.

That led to the relationship between Miss Keeler, Profumo, Ivanov and Ward unravelling.

Russian spy with a taste for women and treble whiskies The Russian agent at the centre of the Profumo affair baffled UK spies with his outrageous behaviour, the security service files show. Yevgeny Ivanov drew attention by propositioning women at diplomatic parties, drinking heavily and driving recklessly. One memo said he was 'aggressively hearty and argumentative' at a cocktail event given by a US naval attache in 1960. It noted he was 'asking for treble whiskies' and was seen 'pinching sensitive portions of the anatomy' of female guests. Ivanov, left, was also described in the secret files as 'suave' but 'conceited'. Advertisement

Sir Roger wrote in a memo in January 1963: 'Mr Profumo asked me to see him last night and told me that he was in some trouble.

'He then gave me an account of his acquaintanceship with Ward in the course of which he had met Ivanov and Christine.

'He said that he had visited Ward's flat...on a number of occasions, generally when there had been parties there, but once or twice he had found Christine there alone. He then referred to the shooting incident...

'He said he had been warned that the Sunday Pictorial and the News of the World had got a story from Christine in which she alleged an association with him and might also bring in Ivanov's name saying that he was a Russian spy.'

Sir Roger thanked Profumo for letting him know, but said Ivanov had not been enlisted 'for our work'.

Shortly after Profumo resigned in June 1963, it was alleged in the Commons that an attempt had been made to issue a D-notice in respect of Ivanov.

Sir Roger said in a memo 'no consideration' had been given to it.

Ivanov was called back to Russia after the shooting.

Profumo, who devoted much of his life to charity after the scandal and was made a CBE, died in 2006 and Miss Keeler in 2017.
The Russian agent at the centre of the Profumo affair baffled UK spies with his outrageous behaviour, the security service files show.

Yevgeny Ivanov drew attention by propositioning women at diplomatic parties, drinking heavily and driving recklessly.

One memo said he was aggressively hearty and argumentative at a cocktail event given by a US naval attache in 1960.

It noted he was asking for treble whiskies and was seen pinching sensitive portions of the anatomy of female guests.

Ivanov was also described in the secret files as suave but conceited.

Yevgeny Ivanov drew attention by propositioning women at diplomatic parties, drinking heavily and driving recklessly
A notorious Mongols bikie has been dramatically arrested at an airport over an alleged assault on a rival club member in a nightclub eight years ago.

Nick 'The Knife' Forbes, who is allegedly the president of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle club, was arrested in front of travellers after stepping off a plane at Darwin Airport just after midnight on Tuesday.

Forbes, who lives in the Gold Coast, allegedly assaulted a Hells Angel bikie in the Northern Territory capital some eight years ago.

Nick 'The Knife' Forbes, who is allegedly the president of the Mongols outlaw motorcycle club, was arrested in front of travellers after stepping off a plane at Darwin Airport just after midnight on Tuesday

The bikie was also wanted by police over a failure to appear in court charge he received while in custody over a separate brawl with the Hells Angels in an Adelaide nightclub.

Forbes had flown to Darwin voluntarily to surrender to police with his lawyer Michael Gatenby.

Footage shows plain-clothed detectives leading a handcuffed Forbes out of the airport.

When asked by a reporter if he liked his welcome, the bikie replied: 'Certainly do'.

'It's not like we knew they (police) weren't coming,' he said before being placed into the back of a paddy wagon.

Forbes (right), who lives in the Gold Coast , allegedly assaulted a Hells Angel bikie in the Northern Territory capital some eight years ago

It's understood he apologised to other passengers at the airport after being taken away in cuffs.

Mr Gatenby told the ABC his client's arrest was 'over the top' and done so in such a manner due to Forbes' 'notoriety'.

'The intention is to contest the charge,' he said.

Forbes is due to appear in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday.

The Mongols National Run will also take place in the Top End this weekend.

Forbes was jailed for 27 months over his involvement in the infamous bikie brawl between the Finks and Hells Angels dubbed the Ballroom Blitz in 2006.
North Korea should stop raising tensions



North Korea has gone too far in making nuclear threats to South Korea and the United States. It conducted a series of military drills from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 in response to combined naval exercises between the South and the U.S., according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



Marking the 77th anniversary of the establishment of the ruling Workers' Party on Monday, the state media carried different photos of the drills including missile launches with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un overseeing them. What's notable is that the North's military staged "ballistic missile launching drills under the simulation of loading tactical nuclear warheads" according to the KCNA dispatch. The news agency reported that Kim guided exercises by nuclear tactical operation units over the past two weeks, using mock nuclear warheads.



The KCNA said the aim of the drills was to check and assess the "war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability" in response to the recent Seoul-Washington maritime exercises involving the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, and its strike group. The North was trying to intensify its nuclear threats against the South and the U.S. while denouncing the defensive combined drills as a rehearsal to invasion.



On Oct. 4, the Kim regime heightened tensions in East Asia by test-firing a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) which flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific. The launch, the first of its kind since 2017, was apparently in response to the trilateral naval exercise between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo which was actually held as a countermeasure against the North's escalating missile and nuclear threats.



What's worrisome is that the North is in the process of developing and deploying smaller tactical nuclear warheads for battlefield use which are designed for use on short-range ballistic missiles. Such warheads pose serious security threats to the South as they can hit virtually any target on the southern part of the peninsula. Pyongyang also raised concerns by test-firing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from a reservoir, an apparent move to evade the missile defense network of the South's military and the U.S. Forces Korea. Besides, the North flew more than 150 warplanes in formation simultaneously in a large-scale air-attack drill Saturday. It was unprecedented for the North to stage such a drill.



Those exercises and the test-firing of mock tactical warheads and an SLBM from a reservoir could be seen as a harbinger of the North's seventh nuclear test. Such moves came after the North's Supreme People's Assembly passed a bill last month that will enable Pyongyang to wage preemptive nuclear strikes.



The Kim regime seems to be using the nuclear program to tighten his grip on power and promote internal unity amid the North's economic hardship. We urge him to stop his nuclear blackmail and return to dialogue. It is regrettable that Kim has dismissed the idea of restarting talks and vowed not to give up his nuclear arsenal. He must keep in mind that his nuclear program will only deepen the North's isolation and aggravate its economic woes.














The Crown's Emma Corrin says Princess Diana was 'queer' in 'many ways' because she was the 'other' in her family as they speak about gender identity
The manager of a Melbourne brothel where a teenage girl was being sold for sex will not spend a single day behind bars for his despicable crime.

Cheng Li, 35, of Mitcham, pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria of putting the 16-year old child into sex work.

Li had been in charge of Heidelberg Angel in September 2019 when police stormed the premises and rescued the child.

The teen had been hired as a dominatrix 'assistant', but repeatedly participated in kinky sex sessions with men.

Ying Yang, 51, leaves Melbourne Magistrates' Court in 2020. She had been accused of being the madam of a brothel that employed a 16-year old as a sex worker at the Vernon Street brothel. Cheng Li can be seen directly behind her

Melbourne brothel Heidelberg Angel employed a 16-year old girl to satisfy the fetishes of men

The brothel advertised that it was the 'Best Asian Brothel' in Melbourne

Cheng Li, 35, of Mitcham, had nothing to say as he left a Melbourne court in 2020. He pleaded guilty to pimping out a teenager, but walked free from court yet again on Monday

The teenager had supposedly been under the care of Victorian child protection agency when she started work in the brothel.

The court heard the child had fudged her learner licence to dupe Li's recruiter into believing she was aged 27 - 11 years older than she actually was.

Under Li's watch, the teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, would be picked-up in an Uber and taken to work.

The cost of that ride would later be deducted from her earnings, which a court heard was as little as $100 a session.

Li was sentenced by County Court of Victoria Judge Angela Ellis to a three year community corrections order, with a condition he carry out 400 hours of unpaid work and pay a $1000 fine.

He walked free from court on Monday without serving a single minute behind bars.

In allowing Li to remain free, Judge Ellis said she accepted the long delay it took to finalise the matter and the harsh conditions prisoners face during the ongoing Covid-19 requirements in Victorian jails.

Li presented to court that he was a family man, who cooked, cleaned and cared for his young children while his wife toiled at a factory.

The court heard he had little to no remorse for how his actions impacted on his young victim, who provided a sad victim impact statement to Judge Ellis.

The teenager stated working at the brothel had had a 'profound impact' on her wellbeing, which had left her feeling hopeless for her future prospects.

The young girl said she had been 'haunted' by her time at the brothel and now struggled with anxiety and getting to sleep.

'She fears she may never heel,' Judge Ellis told the unrepentant Li.

The court heard Li had come from China to Melbourne to run the brothel for his mother, who in July had all charges against her dropped.

Upon his arrest, Li claimed to be ignorant as to the age of his teenager worker.

'Putting it generously, you turned a blind eye and in doing so allowed a vulnerable, 16-year old child to participate in sex work for your financial reward,' Judge Ellis told Li.

Judge Ellis condemned Li for his lack of remorse and constant complaint about how being charged with the crime had impacted his own life.

'I am troubled by the apparent lack of appreciation you have for the seriousness of your offending ... there appears to be very little evidence of your remorse,' she said.

'Indeed the remorse exhibited is arguably in relation to the position in which you now find yourself.'

Heidelberg Angels (pictured) was busted for employing a child as a sex worker

Heidelberg Angel listed its rates on its website. Police allege a teenage girl was being hired-off to its customers for sex

The brothel promoted itself to largely Asian clientele.

'Just 5 minutes from Northland Shopping Centre, Heidelberg Angel is one of the hottest Asian brothels you can find in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne,' it boasts.

'Heidelberg Angel is your stop-by for some gentlemans fun.'

The brothel claimed to abide by Victoria's Sex Work Act of 1994.

'To protect our girls and ensure their rights while offering our customers great gentleman fun,' it states.

'We follow every single rule of the Sex Work Act 1994 from Victoria for a legal and licensed environment to both you and our girls.'

The brothel claimed to employee girls from Australia and China, to Japan, India and the United Kingdom.

'Our angels come from all around the world to bring you an authentic sexual experience across the globe,' it claims.

Google reviews of the establishments reveals the brothel was under pressure from customers to hire younger women.

'The girls are too old and the service was too short and less than the time i paid for,' one disgruntled customer posted just under a year ago.

'Only 2 old ladies when I was there, won't come back,' another wrote.

One review received a response from the owner defending the supposedly old age of its employees.

'Dear customer, I am sorry for giving you a bad feeling! There were eight girls in their 20s at our store todayWe update girls every day, welcome to visit again,' the post stated.

Xiang Zhang, of Doncaster, is questioned by Channel 9 newshound Eliza Rugg. The 60-year old had his charges dumped
A glamorous marketing graduate accused of using multiple Airbnb properties to traffic commercial quantities of illegal drugs in a 'sophisticated' operation will go to a jury trial to contest the charges.

Tess Rowlatt, 32, allegedly switched between 16 Melbourne Airbnb rentals including the ritzy Upper West Side CBD apartments and the View Hotel St Kilda to make drug deals.

She faces more than a decade behind bars if convicted of the most serious of the drug trafficking charges laid against her.

In a minor win, Crown prosecutors on Monday withdrew more than 40 of her 100-plus charges.

Rowlatt, who appeared in court from Dame Phyllis Frost Centre via videolink, pleaded not guilty to the remainder, setting the stage for a County Court of Victoria jury trial.

Dressed in white and wearing spectacles, Rowlatt looked every part the glamourous marketing executive despite being caged behind bars.

Melbourne woman Tess Rowlatt (pictured), 32, has been charged with drug trafficking

Rowlatt (pictured) allegedly made numerous drug deals across 16 Airbnb properties between July and October 2021

Rowlatt is facing a raft of charges, including trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs and obtaining property by deception.

She appeared in Melbourne Magistrate's court in December charged with trafficking meth and 1,4-butenediol - also known as liquid fantasy - along with multiple ounce-bag drug deals at Airbnbs between July 23 and October 21 last year.

The court heard she would stay in the rented apartments for periods ranging from overnight to a few days.

Rowlatt is also accused of selling meth, GHB and heroin going back to January 2021.

On her social media, Rowlett states she graduated with a bachelor of business majoring in marketing from Monash University before going on to hold sales roles at multiple companies.

Back then, Magistrate Jelena Popovic said the alleged offending didn't appear to be carried out to fuel a drug habit.

'The businesslike approach to the whole enterprise is of extreme concern... This was an absolute money-making enterprise the likes of which I've rarely seen,' Ms Popovic said, according to The Herald Sun.

Drug squad detectives swooped on Rowlatt's Upper West Side apartment on October 21 after she allegedly organised a deal between her supplier and a buyer.

Major drug squad detective senior constable Scott Davies told the court she checked the buyer had $15,000 and then left the room and returned with drugs.

After her arrest she was denied bail at a November hearing with police saying there was evidence she would act to collect and pay alleged drug debts if released.

Police allege Tess Rowlatt (left) was running a sophisticated drug dealing operation

Ms Rowlatt was arrested at an Upper West Side (pictured) apartment in the Melbourne CBD in October 2021

While she was later released on bail into the care of a rehabilitation clinic, she found herself quickly back behind bars, where she remains.

Detective senior constable Davies also alleged the Airbnbs had been booked with fake IDs and essential worker permits and that her digital devices showed evidence of multiple drug deals including one worth $34,000.

Multiple payment apps were also used as 'tick books' to keep track of the racket, he claimed.

Police prosecutor Thomas Mills said at the time he was still adding up the amounts and the investigation was ongoing but there appeared to be more than $203,000 worth of transactions.

In a slap in the face to open justice, court documents outlining the case against Rowlatt were denied by the magistrate.

In January, Rowlatt's lawyer said his client has been grieving the death of her partner when some of the alleged offending occurred.

'The difficulty with that is she's [allegedly] engaged in high-level sophisticated deceptions and trafficking... probably the most sophisticated drug trafficking I've come across,' Ms Popovic responded.

She will appear at the County Court of Victoria next month.

Tess Rowlatt remains behind bars awaiting trial
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They are the rockets of the future.

NASA's mega moon booster the Space Launch System (SLS) and Elon Musk's highly-anticipated Starship will be blasting humans into space, to lunar orbit and the surface, and potentially even to Mars within the next few decades.

And in a quirky twist of fate, following a series of delays for both launch systems, each could actually make their official blast-off debuts next month, to usher in a new era of space exploration.

So how do both differ and what exactly will they be used for?

It doesn't help that Musk's Starship is actually the name of both the rocket and spacecraft that will sit atop it.

And it is a version of this craft that will be used by the US space agency to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in half a century in 2025  having been launched on the SLS.

Confused? It's understandable. Here, MailOnline explains how the two vehicles stack up and why there is a need for both of them.

How they stack up: NASA's mega moon booster the Space Launch System (SLS) and Elon Musk's highly-anticipated Starship will be blasting humans into space, to lunar orbit and the surface, and potentially even to Mars within the next few decades

Packing almost 25 million pounds of thrust between them, the SLS and Starship (pictured) are the world's most powerful rockets

Towering: The SLS' Block 1 configuration  the first iteration of the launch system  measures 322ft (98m) tall.

Height, weight and thrust

Packing almost 25 million pounds of thrust between them, the SLS and Starship are the world's most powerful rockets.

Musk's vehicle has the edge because it is able to generate 16 million pounds (70 Meganewtons) of thrust, while the SLS can produce 8.8 million pounds (39.1 Meganewtons).

The SLS' Block 1 configuration, meanwhile  the first iteration of the launch system  measures 322ft (98m) tall.

Starship, on the other hand, is 394ft (120m) tall, with the ship itself measuring 164ft (49m) and the booster 230ft (70m).

No surprise, but SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket and the accompanying Starship spacecraft are also the heavier of the two launch systems.

The whole thing comes in at 11 million pounds (5 million kg) when fueled, compared to 5.5 million pounds (2.5 million kg) for the SLS.

Development: The first version of the SLS will be called Block 1, before undergoing a series of upgrades over the next few years so that it can launch heavier payloads to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit

The SLS's shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters contain the propellant polybutadiene acrylonitrile and provide more than 75 per cent of the vehicles thrust during the first two minutes of flight

HOW DOES NASA'S SLS ROCKET COMPARE TO MUSK'S STARSHIP? SLS rocket First launch: November 2022? What will it be used for? Artemis program to return humans to the moon and establish a lunar base. May also go on to Mars. Height: 322ft (98m) Weight: 5.5 million pounds (2.5 million kg) Thrust: 8.8 million pounds (39.1 Meganewtons) Is it reusable? No Max payload to low-Earth orbit: 210,000 pounds (95 tonnes) Max payload to lunar orbit: 59,500 pounds (27 tonnes) - the equivalent of 11 large SUVs Solid fuel: Polybutadiene acrylonitrile Liquid fuel: Oxygen and hydrogen Engines: Four RS-25 engines sit at the base of the core stage - the same ones used on the space shuttle Crew module: Orion (capable of carrying four astronauts) Cost to build: $23 billion (19 billion) for the entire program Price per launch: $4.1 billion (3.3 billion) Where will it launch from? Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Total launches: 0 Starship First launch: November 2022? What will it be used for? Partly the lander for NASA's moon missions but also to transport humans to Mars. Height: 394ft (120m) Weight: 11 million pounds (5 million kg) Thrust: 16 million pounds (70 Meganewtons) Is it reusable? Yes Max payload to low-Earth orbit: 220,000-330,000 pounds (100-150 tonnes) Max payload to lunar orbit: 220,000 pounds (100 tonnes) Solid fuel: N/A Liquid fuel: Oxygen and methane Engines: Powered by around 32 Raptor engines Crew module: Starship (ultimately able to carry up to 100 passengers) Cost to build: $216 million (189 million) Price per launch: Ultimately around $2 million (1.7 million), according to Musk Where will it launch from? Likely the Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas. But possibly Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Total launches: 0 Advertisement

Cost and length of time to build

This is slightly hard to compare. Obviously the SLS goes hand-in-hand with NASA's Artemis program but in terms of the design of the vehicle, this was unveiled in 2011.

It then entered the formal development stage eight years ago.

Many of the delays since then have been caused by issues with the SLS itself, while the Artemis program has also been dogged by problems with the development of spacesuits and the human lander systems that will take crew to the lunar surface.

To reduce cost and development time, the US space agency has been upgrading proven hardware from the space shuttle and other exploration programs, while making use of cutting-edge tooling and manufacturing technology.

Some parts of the rocket are new and others have been upgraded with modern features that meet the needs of deep space missions.

Taking the entire program into account, Artemis is believed to have cost in the region of $23 billion (19 billion).

With Musk's Starship, the booster element has been developed over the years, from the Falcon 1 which was retired in 2009 to the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and now Super Heavy.

For this reason, it's difficult to accurately compare the SLS to Starship, in terms of its development and cost to build.

But in terms of Starship alone, it is estimated to have cost SpaceX in the region of $216 million (189 million).

The idea for the Super Heavy dates back to November 2005, when Musk first discussed his desire to create a rocket he then termed BFR or Big F***ing rocket.

Since then, other SpaceX launch vehicles have followed, all building up to the development of the Super Heavy.

How the SLS works compared to Starship

NASA's new mega rocket will be powered by a core stage that is flanked by two solid rocket boosters, and an upper stage called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage.

The SLS's shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters contain the propellant polybutadiene acrylonitrile and provide more than 75 per cent of the vehicles thrust during the first two minutes of flight.

Its core stage, meanwhile, stores 730,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that fuel the RS-25 engines.

With Musk's Starship, the booster element has been developed over the years, from the Falcon 1 which was retired in 2009 to the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and now Super Heavy

Musk has recently suggested that he believes his super heavy rocket could finally launch to space this month, although the famously optimistic billionaire also cautioned that November 'seems highly likely', if October isn't a goer

The SLS, however, is not a reusable system, while Starship aims to be SpaceX's first fully-reusable rocket. The Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy had an expendable second stage.

This is part of the reason why the flight costs for Musk's vehicle could end up 200 times cheaper per launch than most rockets.

When it is ready to land on Earth, Starship will initially re-enter the atmosphere at a 60-degree angle, before 'belly-flopping' to the ground in a horizontal position.

This type of return uses our planet's atmosphere to slow the vehicle's descent but makes it unstable.

It is for this reason that Starship will use four steel landing flaps, positioned near the front and rear of the vehicle, to control its descent, working in a similar way to how a skydiver uses their arms and legs to control a free-fall.

As Starship approaches the ground, it flips back into a vertical position and then uses its Raptor engines as retro-rockets to guide it down for a safe landing.

In November 2019, Musk claimed a Starship launch could cost just $2 million (1.8 million) each time, thanks to efficiency savings that come from reusing a rocket.

In comparison, it has been estimated that the SLS costs an eye-watering $4.1 billion (3.3 billion) per launch.

What about the crew capsules?

SLS's next-generation crew vehicle, known as Orion, will cater for four astronauts.

While November will be the first launch of the SLS, it will be the second for the Orion capsule, which was involved in a test flight in December 2014 when it went to space on a ULA Delta IV Heavy.

When it launches, Orion won't have any crew on board but will instead carry dummies to the moon and back.

These are designed to replicate human weight and give scientists and engineers insight into flight performance, without putting humans at risk.

From launch until just before re-entry, the Orion crew module is attached to the 10ft (3m) long European Service Module (ESM), which supplies air, water, electrical power, and propulsion.

If all goes to plan, Artemis II in 2024 would see a human crew fly around the moon, while Artemis III a year later would return people to the surface.

This is where there is a merger of the SLS, Orion, and Starship.

Home sweet home: SLS's next-generation crew vehicle, known as Orion (pictured in an artist's impression), will cater for four astronauts

That's because once Orion reaches lunar orbit it will dock with a landing craft in the form of Musk's Starship.

Last year, the US space agency awarded SpaceX with a $2.89 billion contract to develop Starship into a lander capable of delivering astronauts to the lunar surface this decade, known as the Starship Human Landing System

Once docked with Starship, crew members will then move from Orion to the lander, which subsequently undocks to carry its passengers down to the lunar surface.

For later missions, the plan is to have both Orion and a lander dock with a small space station in lunar orbit called Gateway, which could support more complex missions.

Starship, on the other hand, will be capable of carrying up to 100 people to the Red Planet.

For long-haul trips to Mars and back  which could take up to nine months each way  Musk is looking to install around 40 cabins in the payload area near the front of the upper stage.

'You could conceivably have five or six people per cabin, if you really wanted to crowd people in. But I think mostly we would expect to see two or three people per cabin, and so nominally about 100 people per flight to Mars,' the billionaire has said.

And the rest of the payload?

In terms of a maximum payload to low-Earth orbit, the SLS is slated to be able to carry some 210,000 pounds, the equivalent of 95 metric tonnes.

As a comparison, Starship could ultimately be able to transport 220,000-330,000 pounds (100-150 tonnes).

The former's max payload to lunar orbit, meanwhile, is 59,500 pounds (27 tonnes)  the equivalent of 11 large SUVs  while the latter's is 220,000 pounds (100 tonnes).

Although Starship wins here, the SLS payload capability is expected to grow with newer iterations of the design.

Where will the SLS and Starship launch from?

Starship is expected to launch from the Starbase facility in Texas, close to the town of Boca Chica.

However, SpaceX will first need a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration before it can blast off.

Musk had previously said that the ship could lift off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which is currently used by SpaceX for its Falcon series of rockets.

That is right next to Launch Complex 39B, where the SLS is due to lift off from.

Power: The SLS's shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters (pictured) contain the propellant polybutadiene acrylonitrile and provide more than 75 per cent of the vehicles thrust during the first two minutes of flight

Development: The first version of the SLS will be called Block 1, before undergoing a series of upgrades over the next few years so that it can launch heavier payloads to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit

When will the two make their launch debuts?

SPACEX'S STARSHIP TO GO TO THE MOON SpaceX's HLS Starship will include the company's tested Raptor engines, along with pulling inspiration from the Falcon and Dragon vehicles' designs. It will feature a spacious cabin and two airlocks for astronaut moonwalks. Work started on designing the lunar vehicle in May 2020 and work will now begin to fully build it thanks to a NASA $2.89 billion contract. The initial contract covers an uncrewed demonstration mission, and a crewed lunar landing in 2025. It is also planned future lunar landings will be made using Starship HLS. It is equipped with a complement of thrusters used on the final descent and takeoff from the surface of the moon. The final design will have a 100 day loiter capability in lunar orbit allowing for more trips to the lunar surface. It also is designed to carry extra propellant to allow for an emergency ascent from the moon. Length : 50 m (164 ft 1 in)

: 50 m (164 ft 1 in) Width : 9 m (29 ft 6 in)

: 9 m (29 ft 6 in) Payload : 100200 t (220,000440,000 lb)

: 100200 t (220,000440,000 lb) Status : In development

: In development First launch : Uncrewed 2023

: Uncrewed 2023 Applications : Reusable lunar lander Advertisement

Both launch vehicles have been plagued by a series of delays, with blast-off for each appearing to be just a few months away since the beginning of the year, only for these hopes to be dashed every time.

Musk has recently suggested that he believes his super heavy rocket could finally launch into space this month, although the famously optimistic billionaire also cautioned that November 'seems highly likely', if October isn't a goer.

Replying to a question on Twitter about when the first orbital flight of Starship might finally happen, he wrote: 'Late next month maybe, but November seems highly likely.

'We will have two boosters & ships ready for orbital flight by then, with full stack production at roughly one every two months.'

SpaceX originally planned to launch Starship into orbit in January 2022 but was forced to delay following an environmental assessment of its Texas launch site.

It had been hoped that the Artemis I mission would launch at the end of August, blasting an uncrewed Orion capsule into space and on a journey around the moon.

During the first attempt, controllers had to abort because they couldn't be sure the four big engines at the base of the core stage were at the correct operating temperature.

Unfortunately, the subsequent analysis indicated that a sensor was probably outputting inaccurate readings and the engines likely would have been able to fly.

Just under a week later a fuel leak then thwarted the second launch attempt, before Hurricane Ian's arrival in Florida delayed any hopes of lift-off in September because the vehicle had to be rolled back into its engineering workshop to protect it.

Like with Musk's Starship, it was initially hoped that Artemis I and the SLS rocket could launch at the end of this month, but the US space agency ultimately announced that it is planning to squeeze in lift-of between November 12 and 27.

What will the two rockets be used for?

Technically, both rockets are designed to send humans to Mars. But the SLS will first focus more on the moon, both in terms of returning humans to the surface, building a space station in lunar orbit, and creating a permanent base for people on Earth's only natural satellite.

Starship will also heavily be involved in this, while Musk has also promised a trip around the moon in 2023 to the Japanese online retail billionaire Yusaku Maezawa.

His vehicle could also be used for space tourism.

However, the billionaire's main vision for Starship is to go to Mars. He has even talked about building cities on the Red Planet.

That may seem ambitious, but Musk's long-term objective for Starship is for it to possibly carry people to destinations in the 'greater Solar System', including gas giants such as Jupiter.
MailOnline reveals what our shopping trolley favourites could soon look like

Many use biodegradable materials, or have gotten rid of 'best before' dates

As the world becomes more aware of the health and environmental impacts of different foods, many consumers are becoming more conscious of what goes in their trolley.

This could soon be reflected in the products themselves, as brands and retailers look to become more sustainable.

Last week, scientists recommended 'eco-labels' be applied to menus to inform diners about the sustainability of their meal choices.

Another recent study saw health experts call for the inclusion of 'calorie-burning equivalents', that reveal how many minutes of exercise is required to burn off the product, on packaging.

Many supermarkets are also phasing out 'Best Before' dates, in a bid to stop shoppers throwing out their products prematurely and reduce food waste.

Technological advances have been made in the packaging materials too, with biodegradable films and coatings already being trialled by different brands.

With all these new labels and materials, MailOnline takes a look at what your favourite food products could look like in the future.

With all these new labels and materials, MailOnline takes a look at what your favourite food products could look like in the future

WHAT COULD FOOD PACKAGING LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? Eco-labels that tell you the environmental impact of the product.

that tell you the environmental impact of the product. Calorie burning equivalents that tell you how much exercise you will have to do to burn off the food.

that tell you how much exercise you will have to do to burn off the food. No 'best before' dates , as they promote throwing a food away before it is spoiled.

, as they promote throwing a food away before it is spoiled. Spoilage sensors included in packaging that you can scan with your smart phone to know if it has gone bad.

included in packaging that you can scan with your smart phone to know if it has gone bad. Biodegradable coating sprayed onto fresh fruits and vegetables to help it stay fresh without the use of plastic.

sprayed onto fresh fruits and vegetables to help it stay fresh without the use of plastic. Containers made of grass as an alternative to plastic.

as an alternative to plastic. Bottles made of wood or paper so they can biodegrade much faster than glass or plastic.

so they can biodegrade much faster than glass or plastic. Biodegradable polymer films made from soybean oil that have the strength of spider silk. Advertisement

Eco-labels

Packaging could soon carry eco-labels that allow shoppers to check the environmental impact of their food before buying it.

Researchers at Oxford University made use of public databases to estimate the composition of 57,000 food and drink products and their environmental impact.

Individual ingredients were mapped to environmental databases with information about greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water stress and eutrophication potential.

The latter is when bodies of water become enriched with nutrients, often causing harmful algal blooms and ultimately killing other life.

The percentages of all ingredients within each product were then used to give an estimated composite environmental impact score per 100g of each whole product.

It's bad news for meat eaters, as beef and lamb top the list of worst foods for the environment, while energy drinks are among the best.

Nuts and dried fruit, coffee, cheese, fish and seafood, tea, pies, quiches and party food, jams, chocolate and ready meals also have among the worst environmental impacts.

Squash and cordial, roast potatoes, onion rings, rice, juices and olives have among the least impact, according to the international research team.

The researchers hope that the data will enable manufacturers and retailers to provide labelling that will enable consumers to make informed decisions about their food.

Packaging could soon carry eco-labels that allow shoppers to check the environmental impact of their food before buying it

Researchers at Oxford University made use of public databases to estimate the composition of 57,000 food and drink products and their environmental impact. Beef and lamb topped the list of worst foods for the environment, while fizzy drinks are among the best

In July, British consumer goods giant Unilever unveiled plans to add 'carbon footprint labels' to its products by the end of this year.

Carbon footprint labels show the carbon footprint of particular products  the total greenhouse gas emissions for which they are responsible, from 'farm to fork'.

However, a more recent study suggests that a regulated rating system for sustainability is needed across all food products.

A survey by the University of Bristol found that most people would change their takeaway order if they knew it would impact the environment through an eco-label.

However, while many participants claimed their level of motivation to act sustainably was above the mid-point, they still ate meat over six times a week.

As a result, the authors suggest people would benefit from further information about how meat products damage the environment through a 'mandatory eco-label'.

They wrote: 'A regulated traffic light eco-label, similar to standardised nutritional information on food packaging, would facilitate more sustainable choices and decrease customer confusion.'

Individual ingredients were mapped to environmental databases with information about greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water stress and eutrophication potential. The percentages of all ingredients within each product were then used to give an estimated composite environmental impact score per 100g of each whole product

Calorie burning equivalents

The inclusion of calorie-burning equivalents on packaging could help discourage consumers from purchasing unhealthy foods, experts have claimed.

These would show how many minutes or hours of exercise are needed to burn off the product, instead of just the number of calories itself.

Loughborough University researchers tested the concept, known as 'physical activity calorie equivalent' or PACE, on 2,668 consumers.

Nearly half, 49 per cent, of study participants said PACE caught their focus more, compared to just 39 per cent for the current red, yellow and green labels which warn if an item is high in salt, sugar or fat.

And 41 per cent found PACE an easier way to comprehend calories, compared to just 27 per cent for the traffic light system of warnings.

Lead researcher Professor Amanda Daley, an expert in behavioural medicine, said: 'Nutritional labels support people to make food choices and traffic light labelling is the UK standard.

'However, many people do not understand the meaning of kilocalories or grams of fat displayed on food labels.'

The study authors added : 'Our findings highlight that PACE labelling is a potentially important policy-based approach to strengthen current approaches to food labelling.'

This is what an activity equivalent label would explain to consumers about the food they eat

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'BEST BEFORE', 'USE-BY' AND 'SELL-BY'? Best before - food is safe to eat after this date, but may not be at its best Use-by - food is not safe to eat after this date, even if it smells OK Sell-by - an outdated term that is no longer suitable for use Advertisement

No 'Best Before' dates

In July, Marks & Spencer announced it was removing best before dates from hundreds of fresh products, as revealed by The Mail On Sunday.

This was in a bid to help tackle the food waste problem, as 9.5 million tonnes of it is produced in the UK every year.

The high street giant axed the labels from 85 per cent of its produce  more than 300 products  including apples, potatoes and broccoli.

Instead, staff used a code to ensure quality and freshness was maintained on the shelves.

'The best before date is about quality and not safety,' explained Dr Christian Reynolds, Senior Lecturer in Food Policy at City, University of London.

'The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good.'

This move was followed up by Waitrose, and ASDA, which removed best before labels from a combined 750 products.

Morrisons scrapped use-by dates from 90 per cent of its own-brand milk in January, encouraging its customers to use a sniff test instead.

However Tesco was the pioneer, as the supermarket giant got rid of the dates on more than 100 fresh food products in 2018.

Spoilage sensors

New technology has also been developed that could detect when food is unsafe to eat, providing more accuracy than a use by date.

Scientists at Imperial College London created prototypes in 2019 known as paper-based electrical gas sensors, or PEGS.

Made from cellulose paper and carbon electrodes, PEGS detect detect spoilage gases like ammonia and trimethylamine in meat and fish products.

The sensor data can be read by smartphones, so that people can hold their phone up to the packaging to see whether the food is safe to eat.

Plus, the sensors are biodegradeable, nontoxic and work at room temperature, meaning they do not consume vast amounts of energy to function.

They also work better than colour-changing sensors, as these run the risk of increasing food waste if consumers interpret a slight change in hue as the product being 'off'.

During laboratory test, PEGS picked up trace amounts of spoilage gases on packaged fish and chicken quicker than existing sensors.

New technology has also been developed that could detect when food is unsafe to eat, providing more accuracy than a use by date. Scientists at Imperial College London created prototypes in 2019 known as paper-based electrical gas sensors, or PEGS

The sensor data can be read by smartphones, so that people can hold their phone up to the packaging to see whether the food is safe to eat.Left: No ammonia present, tag responds. Right: Ammonia present, no response

Biodegradable coating

A new biodegradeable coating has been developed that can be sprayed on to fresh produce, and keep it fresher for 50 per cent longer.

It was developed by researchers from Rutgers School of Public Health in the US, who hope plant-based coating could soon replace plastic packaging in supermarkets.

The coating uses fibres made from polysaccharides  the most abundant carbohydrates found in food.

These fibres are spun from a heating device that resembles a hair dryer, before being 'shrink-wrapped' over foods including avocados or steaks.

Researchers from Rutgers School of Public Health have developed a coating that can be sprayed on food  and say it keeps leftovers fresh for 50 per cent longer

Once you're ready to eat the food, the coating can be rinsed off with water, and degrades in soil within three days

The fibres are laced with thyme oil, citric acid and nisin  naturally occurring antimicrobial ingredients that fight spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms such as E. coli and listeria.

The coating can not only help to prevent spoilage, but is also sturdy enough to prevent bruising, according to the team.

Once you're ready to eat the food, the coating can be rinsed off with water, and degrades in soil within three days.

A version of this type of coating, called Apeel, has already been trialled in the UK by Tesco and ASDA, which was given safety approval by the European Commission in 2019.

Apeel is made from plant-derived materials found in seeds and fruit pulp and forms a natural oxygen barrier, preventing produce from decaying.

It keeps moisture inside and oxygen out to slow the rate at which it spoils, leading to a longer shelf life and less need for cooling and packaging

It is safe to eat, and is provided as a powder that can be mixed with water. It can be applied by spray, dip, or brush-on methods.

Containers made of grass

Researchers in Denmark have created a biodegradable material made from grass fibres that could replace plastic food containers.

The project, known as SinProPack, aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 210 kilotons annually with the implementation of its plastic.

They hope to use grass, clover and peat soil as sources of fibre to turn into cellulose for the material.

Anne Christine Steenkjr Hastrup, center director at Danish Technological Institute, said: in a statement: 'Disposable packaging made of grass brings a lot of environmental benefits.

'The packaging will be 100% biodegradable, so if someone accidentally drops their packaging in nature, it will decompose naturally.'

The grass and clover will first be biorefined to extract the protein for animal feed, and the remaining fibre can be pulped for cellulose.

This project is expected to be completed in August 2023.

Researchers in Denmark have created a biodegradable material made from grass fibres that could replace plastic food containers (stock image)

Bottles made of wood or paper

Drink industry giants have trialled innovative, biodegradeable materials to hold their products.

In June, Carlsberg announced it would be testing out bottles made from wood fibres that are fully recyclable.

Known as 'The Fibre Bottle', it has the added benefit of insulative properties which can help keep beer colder for longer, compared to cans or glass bottles.

It has a plant-based polyethylene furanoate (PEF) polymer lining that is both recyclable and degrades naturally, as it is made from natural raw materials.

The material is also a 'highly effective barrier' between the beer and the fibre outer shell, according to Carlsberg.

This protects the taste and fizziness of the beer better than conventional PET plastic linings, the firm explained.

The only part of the bottle that does not biodegrade is the metal cap, but this is recyclable.

In the future, Carlsberg aims for the Fibre Bottle to achieve up to 80 per cent less carbon emissions than its current single-use glass bottles.

In June, Carlsberg announced it would be testing out bottles made from wood fibres that is fully recyclable. Known as 'The Fibre Bottle', it has the added benefit of insulative properties which can help keep beer colder for longer, compared to cans or glass bottles

Additionally, many drinks companies, including Carlsberg and Coca Cola, have trialled the use of paper bottles.

In May this year, wine brand When in Rome introduced bottles was made from 94 per cent recycled paper and included a plastic liner.

The bottles weighed just 83g, compared with 400 to 500g for conventional glass, making them easier and cheaper to transport.

Research by quality and safety assurance firm Intertek found the carbon footprint of the bottles is 84 per cent less than a glass one because of the lower energy use involved in its manufacture and transport.

Its water footprint is also at least four times lower than glass.

In the same month, Heinz trialled paper bottles for holding its famous tomato ketchup, as part of their aim to make all their packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

The tests were to find out if the paper version will keep the customary 'tapping' on the bottom of the bottle which gets the ketchup to dollop onto food.

The bottle is made from wood pulp and would be made available alongside the current classic glass and plastic bottles.

In May this year, wine brand When in Rome introduced bottles was made from 94 per cent recycled paper and included a plastic liner. The bottles weighed just 83g, compared with 400 to 500g for conventional glass, making them easier and cheaper to transport

In the same month, Heinz trialled paper bottles for holding its famous tomato ketchup, as part of their aim to make all their packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025

Polymer films made from 'vegan spider silk'

A vegan film inspired by spider silk was created by University of Cambridge scientists last year, that could replace single-use plastic versions.

It has the strength of human-made synthetic polymers in plastic bags and film wraps, but fully decomposes naturally, without harming the environment.

The team replicated the structures found on spider silk by using soy protein isolate (SPI), which is readily available as a by-product of soybean oil production.

The material is able to be composted at home, whereas other types of bioplastics require industrial composting facilities to degrade.

It will be commercialised by the company Xampla, that will introduce a range of single-use sachets and capsules which can replace the plastic ones used in everyday products, like dishwasher tablets and laundry detergent capsules.

The firm is also testing the plant-based film in food packaging like sandwich containers and salad boxes.
A stream of methane gas leaking from a 'sabotaged' pipeline in Northern Europe has been captured by satellites.

Imagery from satellite company GHGSat shows the stream of methane - which is a potent greenhouse gas - over the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden.

The methane in the image leaked from a single rupture point on Nord Stream 2 - one of two pipelines linking Russia to Germany that were thought to be deliberately damaged late last month.

Gas has been leaking at a rate of 174,000 pounds (79,000 kg) per hour from this rupture point at Nord Stream 2, equivalent to more than 2 million pounds of coal being burned in an hour.

This single leak is the 'largest emission from a single source' ever detected by GHGSat.

Images from satellite company GHGSat show methane concentration in the atmosphere on the surface of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden. Methane bubbles rose from the underwater pipes and were released into the atmosphere once reaching the water's surface

High-resolution satellite measurements by GHGSat of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline leak in the Baltic Sea on September 30, 2022, taken 2.5 hours apart

This map shows the pair of Nord Stream natural gas pipelines that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. It comprises the Nord Stream 1 pipeline running from Vyborg in northwest Russia, near Finland, and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline running from Ust-Luga in northwest Russia near Estonia. Red stars in the image depict the locations of the leaks

View of the Nord Stream gas leak seen from a Danish defence aircraft at mid-sea in Denmark September 30, 2022

WHAT HAPPENED? Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are two pipelines linking Russia and Germany, owned by Russia. A sudden loss of pressure in the pipelines was noted by operators of Nord Stream 2 overnight on Monday, September 26. 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. Advertisement

According to Swedish and Danish authorities, there were four leaks from the two Nord Stream pipes (two in the Swedish economic zone, two in the Danish economic zone).

'What our satellites observed is a significant emission coming from one of the four leaks,' said Stephane Germain, founder and CEO of GHGSat.

'Moving forward, satellite observations and data will play an increasingly important role in the detection and mitigation of significant emissions, such as this.'

Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are two pipelines linking Russia and Germany, owned by Russia. They show signs of sabotage and multiple 'detonations', Swedish authorities have said.

Neither pipeline was transporting gas at the time of the blasts, but they contained pressurised methane  the main component of natural gas  which spewed out, producing a wide stream of bubbles on the sea surface.

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.

On Sunday (October 9), the Danish Energy Agency announced that the leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines had been stopped.

According to GHGSat, one of its satellites had a clear view of Nord Stream 2 on October 3 and did not detect any emissions, confirming the Danish Energy Agency's announcement.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has also shared images of the methane impacts, as captured by satellites owned by other firms.

This radar image was captured on September 28 by Finnish microsatellite manufacturer ICEYE

On September 26, satellites owned by Planet (part of ESAs Third Party Mission Programme) captured an image of the Nord Stream Gas pipeline rupture in the Baltic Sea

GHGSat image of methane (CH4) concentrations from the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline leak in the Baltic Sea on September 30, 2022, at 10:28:12 UTC

Another GHGSat image shows the Nord Stream 2 leak a couple of hours later on the same day - at 12:56:32 UTC

As the pressurised gas leaked through the broken pipe and travelled rapidly towards the sea surface, the size of the gas bubbles increased as the pressure reduced.

On reaching the surface, the large gas bubbles disrupted the sea surface above the location of the pipeline rupture, according to the ESA.

ESA added said the Nord Stream leak 'pales in comparison' with the 80 million tonnes emitted each year by the oil and gas industry.

'The latest release is roughly equivalent to one and a half days of global methane emissions,' the space agency said.

The cause of the pipeline damage is unknown, although there are suspicions from Western leaders that it was caused deliberately by Russia.

On September 27, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the leaks were no accident and that she 'cannot rule out' sabotage.

Pictured, a large disturbance in the sea off the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm on Tuesday, September 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

Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are two pipelines linking Russia and Germany, owned by Russia. Pictured, a Nord Stream terminal in Germany

The pipelines show signs of sabotage and multiple 'detonations', Swedish authorities have said. Pictured, pipes at the landfall facilities of Nord Stream 2 in Lubmin, Germany

'It is now the clear assessment by authorities that these are deliberate actions. It was not an accident,' Frederiksen said at a press briefing in Copenhagen.

Professor Joan Cordiner, a professor of Process Engineering at the University of Sheffield, also ruled out an accidental cause.

'Pipes don't just leak catastrophically suddenly,' she said.

'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.'

An investigation into the specific cause will hopefully yield the answers, Professor Cordiner added.
It challenges the common thought that girls with brothers grow up as tomboys

Scientists have rubbished the theory that a child's personality is influenced by the gender of their siblings.

Many think that children who grow up around multiple siblings of the opposite sex are influenced by them in terms of personality well into adulthood.

For example, girls with brothers are seen as likely to become 'tomboys', while boys with sisters are seen as likely to become 'girlish', according to common belief.

But a new study suggests this way of thinking is a misconception  and that sibling gender 'does not systematically affect personality'.

Our personality as adults is not determined by whether we grow up with sisters or brothers, the new study claims. So girls with multiple brothers no more likely to grow up as 'tomboys' (file photo)

GENDER AND PERSONALITY Many think that children who grow up around multiple siblings of the opposite sex are influenced by them in terms of personality. The 'social learning' theory states that siblings learn from each other and assimilate to each other through social interactions. Therefore, having a sister would lead to more feminine characteristics; having a brother would lead to more masculine characteristics. From this, it follows that children with an opposite-gender sibling will have fewer gender-stereotypical characteristics compared with those with a same-gender sibling. Advertisement

The new study was conducted by researchers from Leipzig University, the University of Zurich and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and published in Psychological Science.

'Our findings refute the idea that growing up with brothers or sisters causes us to develop certain personality traits in the long term that are considered "typically female" or "typically male" in a society,' said study author Dr Julia Rohrer.

'Overall, current research suggests that siblings have a surprisingly small impact on personality in adulthood.'

The researchers analysed data from more than 80,000 adults from nine countries, including the UK, the US, Germany, Australia, Mexico and China.

They used national longitudinal studies that systematically collect information about people over decades, including their living conditions, personality traits and sibling genders.

They investigated the following personality traits: trust, patience, 'risk tolerance' (the amount of risk they can take) and 'locus of control' (if they feel they have control over the outcome of events in their lives).

They also investigated the 'big five' personality traits  openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.

The 'big five' personality traits are the best accepted and most commonly used model of personality in academic psychology.

The 'big five' personality traits are the best accepted and most commonly used model of personality in academic psychology

In addition, the researchers looked at something called a typical female personality (TFP) index, which was generated using five personality traits for which they observed 'systematic gender differences'.

Typically, female traits were lower risk tolerance, higher agreeableness and higher neuroticism, Dr Rohrer said.

Statistical analysis of this data showed across national borders that the personality traits are not systematically related to sibling gender.

They found 'no meaningful causal effects of the gender of the next younger sibling and no associations with the gender of the next older sibling'.

Therefore, personality as adults is not determined by whether we grow up with sisters or brothers, they claim.

However, the results of the new study do not mean that sibling gender does not play a role at all in long-term life paths.

Across all surveys, researchers found that the gender of the next younger sibling has no meaningful effects on womens or mens personality (risk tolerance, trust, patience, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, locus of control, and the TFP index. Pictured, the effect of having a next younger sister (as opposed to a younger brother) on an older siblings personality

Economic studies have shown that in the US and Denmark, women with brothers earn less when employed.

'So there do seem to be some interesting dynamics here that are related to gender, but personality is probably not part of the explanation for such effects,' said Dr Rohrer.

Previous studies by Dr Rohrer and colleagues also show that sibling position  that is, whether a person is a firstborn, lastborn or a middle-born 'sandwich child'  also does not play a major role in personality.

Their 2015 study found who we become only marginally correlates with our birth position amongst siblings.

According to public perception, firstborns are supposedly perfectionists, while middle children develop a talent for diplomacy and last-borns are expected to be rebellious.
Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique are said to be among those frustrated

Players have reportedly been angered by the 60-year-old's public comments

There's more unsettlement at Barcelona after president Joan Laporta criticised players for not taking a salary cut, according to a report.

The Catalan side have been hit by major financial struggles off the field and had to rush to register their summer signings as they struggled with Financial Fair Play limitations.

Laporta used a Members' Assembly to ask the likes of Frenkie De Jong and other senior players to reduce their salaries, and, according to Helena Condis via Cope, several of the club's stars, including Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, are said to have taken exception to the 60-year-old's comments.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta asked again senior Barcelona players to take a pay cut

The comments are said to have caused further unrest behind the scenes at the Catalan club

Players such as Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba have publicly taken salary reductions to help the club, with board members having to cut their pay so the club could register summer signing Jules Kounde in LaLiga.

It is reported that players were angered by the approach ahead of a vital week in the club's season with a game versus Inter Milan in the Champions League coming before El Clasico against Real Madrid in a top-of-the-table clash at the weekend.

Laporta said: 'We have tried it with several players and not only has it not come out but we have had to guarantee the 8.8million that [we] were missing.

'If there had been reductions of some players, that guarantee should not have been made, we accepted it with sportsmanship.'

Raphina (left) and Robert Lewandowski (right) were two of Barcelona's major summer signings

Barcelona signed Kounde, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso in a surprisingly busy summer transfer window.

They raced to register the players in time for the start of the new season, and succeeded with all but Kounde, who is now registered too.

Laporta also sold off 10 per cent of future TV rights money to American investment firm Sixth Street Partners in a deal worth 176million.

Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann said in the summer: Its the only club in the world with no money but that buys all the players they want', as criticism of the club flowed in the off-season.

The club reportedly tried to push Gerard Pique out the door in a bid to save more money

Frenkie de Jong rejected the chance to leave the club on several occasions over the summer

The five-time Champions League winners have also reportedly been trying to force several players out of the club in order to save money, such as de Jong and club legend Gerard Pique.

They lost Lionel Messi last summer because of issues surrounding his wages, though reports suggest they are interested in taking him back to the club.

Barcelona are currently top of LaLiga, leading rivals Real Madrid on goal difference with seven wins from their eight games so far.
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Above the big front door to this walkers paradise of a Lake District pub, a date is etched in curling red and black numbers: 1688.

The Horse & Farrier, originally a farmhouse before the canny farmer switched tack, has had travellers dropping by well before the days of Wordsworths lonely wanderings and the tourist boom that followed.

Back in those early days, only the hardiest would make it. In his 1720s travel book, A Tour Through The Whole Island Of Great Britain, Daniel Defoe declared on arrival at Windermere and its unpaffable hills that all the pleasant part of England was at an end, and headed back to London.

Tom Chesshyre checked into the Horse and Farrier (above), which is set right in front of Blencathra mountain in the village of Threlkeld

Magnificent: Tom describes Blencathra, pictured, as one of the Lake District's 'very finest peaks'

In his 1720s travel book, A Tour Through The Whole Island Of Great Britain, Daniel Defoe declared on arrival at Windermere and its unpaffable hills that all the pleasant part of England was at an end, and headed back to London. Above - Blencathra

Of course, the rugged mountains (or fells) were soon to become the big lure, rather than a reason to stay away.

And one of the very finest peaks, Blencathra, is right behind the Horse & Farrier, which makes a perfect base for an ascent.

From the outside, the old hostelry in the peaceful village of Threlkeld looks quaint and inviting  a terrace of whitewashed buildings with black-framed windows, flowers in hanging baskets and a colourful pub sign depicting a farrier hard at work nailing on a horseshoe.

Inside, fires flicker and a series of labyrinthine rooms with snugs and nooks stretch out beneath a low-beamed ceiling.

Tom dined on chicken madras, one of the inns classic dishes, with mango chutney, poppadoms and turmeric rice

Tom says that from the outside the Horse & Farrier looks 'quaint and inviting', and inside 'fires flicker'

The inn has a dozen or so 'smart' guest rooms, which have recently been refurbished

Walkers sheltering from a downpour sat in huddles, steam rising from fleeces as they nursed pints of Wainwright  a beer named after the famous Lakeland hiker and guidebook-writer Alfred Wainwright.

The dozen or so smart bedrooms at the independently run inn, owned by the Arkley family, have recently been refurbished. Mine was in shades of grey with a comfortable, wide bed and good linen. The bathroom was neatly arranged with olive-coloured tiles and a decent shower. Just what was required after tackling Blencathra.

But the fells are not the only local attraction. The bustling market town of Keswick can be reached along a five-mile former railway converted into a hiking path. The intriguing Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum, based in an old granite quarry, is across the way. Plus, you can pop into the Horse & Farriers jolly nearby sister pub, the Salutation (known as The Sally), for a game of darts. The Sally also has newly refurbished rooms.

Of his stay, Tom said he was 'pleased to have chosen the Horse & Farrier for the night'

Tom writes: 'Walkers sheltering from a downpour sat in huddles, steam rising from fleeces as they nursed pints of Wainwright  a beer named after the famous Lakeland hiker and guidebook-writer Alfred Wainwright'

Breakfast was 'memorable', says Tom - 'perfectly poached eggs, a generous portion of smoked salmon and excellent coffee'. Above, Blencathra lords it over the village of Threlkeld

B&B rates at the Horse & Farrier start from 110 a night. The picture above shows snow covering the summit of Blencathra

The bustling market town of Keswick, above, can be reached from the Horse & Farrier along a five-mile former railway converted into a hiking path

Good, hearty food is available at the Horse & Farrier itself  burgers, steak pies, fish and chips, lamb shank  drawing locals and tourists alike. A genial hum of conversation arose on the evening of my stay. Noticing a neighbour tucking into a delicious-smelling chicken madras, one of the inns classic dishes, I ordered the same and it was no let-down: spicy and tender, with mango chutney, poppadoms and turmeric rice.

Breakfast was equally memorable: perfectly poached eggs, a generous portion of smoked salmon and excellent coffee.

I then set off for the fells once again, a spring in my step, pleased to have chosen the Horse & Farrier for the night.
Brooke Blurton will be caught in the centre of a 'messy love triangle' on the upcoming season of Channel 10's The Challenge.

The 27-year-old shared 'a steamy pash with Megan Marx' while cameras were rolling in Buenos Aires, Argentina back in August, according to another contestant.

'Megan and Brooke kissed in front of the cameras after she hooked up with Abbie Chatfield's ex [Konrad Bien-Stephen],' they told Daily Mail Australia.

The Bachelorette's Brooke Blurton (left) will reportedly be caught in a 'messy love triangle' with Megan Marx (centre) and Konrad Bien-Stephen (right) on The Challenge Australia

The celebrity contestant, who wished to stay anonymous, said that their steamy kiss 'wasn't planned' but was captured on camera and witnessed by several contestants.

'It was really wild. It was like a messy love triangle,' they added.

'I don't know why Brooke did it... she knew that Megan hooked up with Konrad.'

Brooke, 27, (left) reportedly shared 'a steamy pash with Megan Marx' while cameras were rolling on the reality show in Buenos Aires, Argentina back in August

'Megan and Brooke kissed in front of the cameras after she hooked up with Abbie Chatfield's ex [Konrad Bien-Stephen],' a production source told Daily Mail Australia

It comes after Daily Mail Australia exclusively broke the story that Marx and her co-star Bien-Stephen had struck up a romance soon after arriving in Buenos Aires to film the show.

Two separate sources confirmed the pair's tryst, with one revealing: 'Oh, my gosh! The drama is insane. Konrad is sleeping with Megan [Marx].

'Konrad said he was single and his relationship with Abbie was over because she broke up with him.'

The production insider said that their steamy kiss 'wasn't planned' but was captured on camera and witnessed by several contestants. 'It was really wild. It was like a messy love triangle,' they added. 'I don't know why Brooke did it... she knew that Megan hooked up with Konrad'

Abbie denied the pair split in an Instagram post last month, about two hours after the story broke.

The radio host said she and Konrad were 'totally okay' but she wouldn't be commenting on the break-up until her ex gets back from Argentina.

'Hey! I've seen the articles about Konrad. He's out of the country so I won't be commenting on anything until he's home.

Daily Mail Australia exclusively broke the story that Bien-Stephen had struck up a romance with his co-star soon after arriving in Buenos Aires to film the show

'Can everyone not be so dramatic please and relax? And can the paparazzi get their daily pic of me picking up dog poo then let me get a coffee in peace also.'

Meanwhile, the source claimed Konrad and Megan couldn't keep their hands off each other once the cameras started rolling.

'On the first night of filming he hooked up with Megan. I didn't know what was happening,' they said.

Before their break-up, Abbie revealed she and Konrad would only see each other a few times a week, and that her 'kink' was letting him sleep with other women.

Before their break-up, Abbie revealed she and Konrad would only see each other a few times a week, and that her 'kink' was letting him sleep with other women

Last month, Abbie finally confirmed she split with Konrad months ago after weeks of swirling speculation.

The TV and radio host, 27, posted to Instagram to reveal their break-up had nothing to do with their open relationship status.

Admitting she felt 'anxious' about releasing a statement, Abbie said that she probably won't share her relationship publicly again.

'This is going to seem really out of the blue and really strange timing,' Abbie began.

Last month, Abbie finally confirmed she split with Konrad months ago after weeks of swirling speculation

'I guess I wanted to confirm that yeah, Konrad and I have broken up. We've been broken up for a couple of months now.

'No one did anything bad or awful, there's no drama to it,' she continued.

'It was not because we were in an open relationship. Nothing bad happened.

'I wasn't being deceitful by not telling people, there was a reason why there was a delay in telling you all,' she said of her silence up until now.

The TV and radio host, 27, posted to Instagram to reveal their break-up had nothing to do with their open relationship status

Abbie denied rumours their break-up was 'messy', adding: 'I don't really owe any of you an explanation.

'I just feel like nipping it in the bud  We're broken up, it's not a secret, it's not anything bad, it's not anything dramatic, it just is what it is,' she repeated.

'I probably won't ever share my relationship publicly again to be honest because this whole situation and the way the media have f**king reported on it  like it's a game, like my relationship is a game  it's quite f**ked,' Abbie, added of the saga.
Fruits from Xinjiang reach more consumers through Internet

People's Daily Online) 10:05, October 10, 2022

Since the beginning of September, more than 15,000 mu (1,000 hectares) of grapevines in Manas county, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have entered the harvest season. The grapes are exclusively used for wine production.

A Uygur family harvests ripe grapes in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/People's Daily Online)

"This year, I planted 190 mu of grapevines, and I've been reaping the fruits according to the degree of their maturity and the variety of the grapes. Now, it's the end of the harvest season," said a local grape grower named Fan Guangting.

Manas county, located at the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, has a history of growing grapes for wine production of over 30 years.

With new grape planting technologies now being widely used, Manas county has seen stable grape production, with the quality of the fruit continually increasing, explained Cheng Chifang, vice general manager of CITIC Guo'an Wines Xinjiang branch.

The grape planting area at the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains has reached 116,000 mu and the annual wine production capacity in the region has reached 349,000 tonnes, accounting for 70 percent of Xinjiang's annual total wine production.

The total production of fruits in Xinjiang is expected to exceed 8.7 million tonnes this year.

Apples grown in Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, which are rich in sugars, are popular among consumers. Since the beginning of September, local farmers have been busy picking and selling apples.

"I've sold dozens of tonnes of apples grown by my family on livestreaming platforms during the past two years, and I also helped my neighbors sell their apples," said Wang Sanmei, an apple grower in Aksu city, adding that in the past, local apple growers waited for fruit dealers to purchase their fruits during the harvest seasons, and these days, they receive orders directly placed by consumers online.

In recent years, more and more fruit growers in Xinjiang have started to promote their fruits through livestreaming. A person in charge of e-commerce from the commerce bureau of Aksu city explained that there are over 8,000 e-commerce companies in the city.

By the end of September, about 150,000 tonnes of plums planted on 230,000 mu of farmland in Jiashi county, Kashgar Prefecture in Xinjiang had been sold.

"I planted 7 mu of plum trees and earned more than 130,000 yuan ($21,075) by selling the fruits," said a local farmer.

The total planting area of plums in Jiashi county has reached 450,000 mu. By engaging in plum planting, over 60,000 local households have managed to increase their incomes.

At the 7th China-Eurasia Expo held in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, in September, Jiashi plums gained widespread attention, with orders worth more than 100 million yuan signed during the event.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
By Kim Sang-woo





The recent successes of the Ukrainian counter-offensive forced Russian troops to retreat from large areas of the northeastern, and southern regions of Ukraine, inflicting humiliating defeats on Russia.







The Kremlin hurried its orchestrated "referendum" in occupied areas and annexed them as Russian territories. Moscow says that it will view a Ukrainian attack on them as an act of aggression and will respond accordingly.







Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the stakes further by mobilizing reservists up to at least 300,000. But the move is proving widely unpopular, with tens of thousands fleeing the country and fueling massive nationwide protests and violence that threatens to destabilize the country.







Quickly running out of options, Putin appears to be increasingly erratic and is tempted to use nuclear weapons to avoid defeat, which could threaten his 22-year rule.







He has repeatedly talked about using nuclear weapons with terrifying ease. He has said Moscow's enemies would die before even having time to repent their sins, and acknowledged that nuclear war would be catastrophic, "but why would we need a world without Russia?"







What is happening in Ukraine is that a nuclear-armed country is carrying out major conventional military actions and expecting its nuclear capability will prevent outside intervention.







This is a serious problem for international security. The world should not allow a nuclear-armed country to conduct conventional wars with impunity, slaughter tens of thousands of people and seize and annex territory, because its nuclear arsenal prevents a strong military response.







Many experts asserted that Russia would not invade Ukraine, yet it did, highlighting the very real risk that Putin could also use nuclear weapons, particularly if Moscow continues to lose the war.







President Joe Biden recently urged Putin not to use nuclear weapons a move that would end the 77 years-long taboo and alter the course of history, with potentially horrific costs.







The idea that nuclear deterrence allows conventional aggression is not how most people think of nuclear deterrence. Most observers see deterrence based on the terrifying threat of nuclear annihilation, the ever-present risk of mutually assured destruction (MAD).







Ukraine changed that. It turns out nuclear weapons don't "keep the peace." On the contrary, they enable conventional conflicts where escalation to the "ultimate weapon" seems a real possibility.







The Ukraine war shows nuclear deterrence does not work as most often imagine, and the world is now a much more dangerous place.







North Korea has strengthened relations with Russia, blaming the U.S. for the crisis and decrying the West's "hegemonic policy" as justifying military action by Russia in Ukraine to protect itself.







North Korea also used the war as an opportunity to accelerate its own weapons development, testing dozens of missiles, including its long-range ballistic missiles since 2017, thus exploiting a divide in the United Nations Security Council, where Russia and China have blocked Washington's attempts to tighten sanctions on Pyongyang.







North Korea has heightened its testing activity with repeated threats of nuclear conflict with Seoul and Washington.







On Sept. 9, North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly passed a law that further enshrined the country's status as a nuclear power and authorized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons over a broad range of scenarios, if its leadership were to be threatened.







Sung Kim, the Biden administration's special representative for North Korea, met with his South Korean counterpart Kim Gunn in Seoul on Sept. 22, where they expressed, "serious concern" over the North's escalating nuclear doctrine spelled out in the new law, South Korea's foreign ministry said.







The diplomats reaffirmed Washington's commitment to defend South Korea in the event of a nuclear war with the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear.







They also reiterated their assessment that North Korea is gearing up to conduct its 7th nuclear test and discussed "stern" countermeasures to such an action, the ministry added.







South Korea has its own preemptive option with its "Kill Chain" system, which uses precise conventional weapons such as cruise and ballistic missiles to rapidly target North Korea's leadership before it can give a launch order to nuclear forces. Kill Chain has been in development for years, but the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has been particularly vocal about the system in recent months.







Taken together, North Korea's nuclear policy law and South Korea's Kill Chain system paint a worrying picture for nuclear stability on the Korean peninsula. In a crisis or conflict, both sides would be tempted to escalate quickly and decisively to preempt the other's preemption strategy.







South Korea has been a willing partner in the U.S.-led coalition to condemn and sanction Russia for its illegal invasion of Ukraine and the war crimes it has committed since the beginning of the war.







Moreover, South Korea is paying close attention to how the United States and others respond to the invasion of a non-nuclear country by a nuclear-armed neighbor as well as how Russia employs nuclear posturing to threaten against intervention by third parties.







The Russian submarine carrying the Poseidon nuclear bomb known as the 'apocalypse weapon' is reported to be heading out to the North Sea for testing. The train attached to the Russian Defense Ministry's department responsible for nuclear material was sighted moving to the frontlines in Ukraine.







If Putin actually carries out his threat to use nuclear weapons, and successfully achieves his intended goal of turning the course of the war, it will have serious repercussions that will also affect both the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait.







I wonder if the politicians in South Korea, bickering about mediocre issues, as if they were matters of life and death, understand the seriousness of the situation we are facing ?? what it means to our national security, and the economy. For all our sake, I sincerely hope so.









Kim Sang-woo (

), former lawmaker, is currently chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project. He is also a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation.






He's the genetically blessed geologist who was a favourite with fans on Elly and Becky Miles' season of The Bachelorette.

But despite failing to find love on the Channel 10 dating show, Adam Todd appears to be making the most of his newfound fame with an unexpected career change.

The 26-year-old recently made a cameo appearance alongside Chris Hemsworth in the latest Marvel movie, Thor: Love and Thunder.

The Bachelorette's Adam Todd (left) made an unlikely cameo appearance alongside Chris Hemsworth in the latest Marvel movie, Thor: Love and Thunder

Adam appears as a 'Zeus Pretty Boy' alongside a bevy of other handsome gods who pass out when Russell Crowe's character accidently removes all of Hemsworth's clothes.

In the blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene, Adam is seen standing topless wearing a golden sash and wrist cuffs before he faints to the floor after seeing a nude Thor.

Following the film's release, Todd updated his biography on Instagram, writing: 'Marvel Cinematic Universe | Zeus Pretty Boy'.

Adam appears as a 'Zeus Pretty Boy' alongside a bevy of other handsome gods who pass out when Russell Crowe's character accidently removes all of Hemsworth's clothes

In the blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene, Adam, is seen standing topless wearing golden sash and wrist cuffs before he faints to the floor upon being graced a nude Thor

Adam previously appeared on 2014 series, Whitney, which follows the story of a Boston mobster Whitey Bulger.

Sources close to Adam have told Daily Mail Australia that the hunky bachelor has taken an interest to acting and is 'considering auditioning for more roles'.

Todd's not the first Bachelor star to decide to make his way to the big screen.

Following the film's release, Todd updated his biography on Instagram, writing: 'Marvel Cinematic Universe | Zeus Pretty Boy'

Romy Poulier, who appeared on Nick 'the Honey Badger' Cummins' season, made a cameo in Ticket To Paradise alongside George Clooney and Julia Roberts.

Adam will soon appear make his reality TV debut in America, appearing on the US version of Bachelor In Paradise as an intruder.

Also set to make an appearance is Florence Alexandra Moerenhout.
Bella Hadid celebrated her 26th birthday by going to lunch with her boyfriend, Marc Kalman, 34, in New York City on Sunday.

The model received an affectionate hug and flowers from Marc as they enjoyed her birthday.

The fashionista was dressed for fall in a long grey coat over a denim dress made from re-purposed jeans that had been torn apart and reassembled.

It's her day: Birthday girl Bella Hadid held flowers from her boyfriend as she crossed the street in New York City on Sunday

The catwalk queen carried three bundles of lavender, pink and yellow flowers under her right arm and wore a black leather purse over her left shoulder as she crossed the street.

The star smiled from ear to ear as she got into the passenger side of a vehicle with her arms full.

Marc looked handsome in a long-sleeved patterned shirt, loose-fitting black jeans, and Doc Martin boots.

Many friends and followers wrote well wishes to the supermodel on her birthday.

Lovebirds: The duo have often been spotted being affectionate in public

Dressed to impress: The fashionista was dressed for fall in a long grey coat over a denim dress made from re-purposed jeans that had been torn apart and reassembled

Happy day: The star smiled from ear-to-ear as she got into the vehicle with her birthday flowers

Lighting up social media: Many friends and followers wrote well wishes to the supermodel on Instagram

She thanked everyone for their support by sharing a selfie with a barbed-wire heart around her face captioned, Thank you for all of the messages already Im going to try to repost them all this year, but Usually I just get too anxious (crying laughing emoji) 26 and trying !!! Thank you in advance & I love you I love you I love you.

She shared one of her surprise gifts with an image of an iced coffee captioned, someone ask @devonleecarson how she got an iced chai here @ 9am on the dot ALL THE WAY FROM LA !!!!'

Bella's mother, Yolanda Hadid posted a loving tribute with many photos of her daughter Bella as a young girl to her Instagram stories. One image was of Bella's beautiful horse wishing her owner a happy birthday with the caption, 'Happy birthday to my mom @bellahadid thank you for giving me the bestest life.'

Valuable friends: She thanked everyone for their support and added Thank you for all of the messages already Im going to try to repost them all this year'

Anxious: Bella Hadid has always been forthcoming about her battle with anxiety and depression, but the supermodel is getting more candid than ever and addresses the issue often

Surprise gift: Devon Lee Carlson is a well-known fashionista and social media sensation. Sydney Carlson, her famed YouTube vlogging sister, helped her achieve popularity

Loving mother and grandmother: Yolanda Hadid, Bella's mother posted a tribute to her daughter with multiple images of the young Bella as a child in her Instagram stories

Lori Harvey shared a birthday wish with a snap of them together with the caption, HAPPYYY BIRTHDAYYY ANGEL!!!! HOPE YOU HAVE THE MOST AMAZING DAY EVER! LOVE YOUUU SO MUCH @BELLAHADID.

Fanny Bourdette Donon shared a snap of the two beauties hugging and smiling at a dinner event with the caption, Happiest Birthday to my #1 since day 1. My little fire Libra with the biggest heart, most loyal, loving

Irina Shayk wished Bella a happy birthday and shared an image of the two all glammed up together enjoying a night out on the town in flattering outfits.

Rafael Pavarotti shared a picture of himself and Bella wearing masks at some kind of masquerade event captioned, Happy bday my dearest @bellahadid (red rose emoji). Bella responded with, Rafffyyy (heart, heart).

Flawless pair: Lori Harvey shared a birthday wish with a snap of them together with the caption, HAPPYYY BIRTHDAYYY ANGEL!!!! HOPE YOU HAVE THE MOST AMAZING DAY EVER! LOVE YOUUU SO MUCH @BELLAHADID

Fellow model: Irina Shayk is a Russian model who rose to international fame in 2007 as the face of the lingerie brand Intimissi. She wished Bella a happy bday and shared this image

Rising photographer: Rafael Pavarotti is a pioneering young Brazilian photographer in his 20s who was born in a small village deep in the Amazon Rainforest

Another adoring fashion friend: Fanny Bourdette-Donon is the international PR and special projects manager for Dior Beauty, working closely with the luxury house's brand ambassadors

This comes just one day after Kanye West sent shockwaves through social media by calling Bellas sister, Gigi Hadid a Karen and writing, YOU YOU WERE BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTH YOURE A ZOMBIE' on his Instagram.

The supermodel, 27, recently commented that Ye was 'a bully' after he responded to Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson who claimed that Ye's merchandise designed for Paris Fashion Week was 'violent' and 'dangerous.'

The rapper and the supermodel have been caught up in a war of words this week after she leapt to defend the Vogue contributor.

Another photographer friend: Alana O'Herlihy, known as Lil Mami Lani on her Instagram, is one of Bella's longtime besties and photographers

Another fashion friend: Patti Wilson, a New York City native, is a fashion stylist & consultant best known for her instinctive, provocative and visionary style wished her model muse a happy day

Lashing back: After the eccentric Vogue editor, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, called his collection 'violent' and 'dangerous,' Kanye jumped to his Instagram in response

Ye shared a photo of the Vogue writer that showed off her eccentric fashion style and wrote 'This is not a fashion person You speak on Ye Ima speak on you Ask Trevor Noah.'

Yet a day later, he insisted Karefa-Johnson was his 'sister' and said they had had a two-hour discussion about the issues raised.

'I WONDER WHAT GIGI AND VENUS'S PERESPECTIVES WERE WHEN I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE MY CHILD WAS ON HER BIRTHDAY,' he wrote, referencing his claims that his ex Kim Kardashian refused to let him see their child on her fourth birthday.
Queen Latifah was snapped for the first time publicly with her three-year-old son Rebel, who she shares with partner Eboni Nichols, as she shopped in Studio City, California Saturday at Erewhon Organic Grocers.

The 52-year-old star, who welcomed the child in 2019 with Nichols, was clad in a long-sleeved white top with baby blue shorts and white trainers.

The Newark, New Jersey native wore a white hat with a pair of sunglasses perched atop, with hoop earrings and her wavy locks in a ponytail. Rebel wore a baby blue shirt with patterns of monster trucks with black shorts and black shoes.

The latest: Queen Latifah, 52, was snapped for the first time publicly with her three-year-old son Rebel, who she shares with partner Eboni Nichols, as she shopped in Studio City, California Saturday at Erewhon Organic Grocers

The Oscar-nominated star, who had not previously been pictured with the child in public, acknowledged her son while she was awarded the BET Lifetime Achievement Award in June of 2021, saying, 'Eboni, my love. Rebel, my love.'

The veteran entertainer has past been guarded about her personal life: Speaking with the The New York Times in 2008, she said, 'I dont have a problem discussing the topic of somebody being gay, but I do have a problem discussing my personal life. I dont feel like I need to share my personal life, and I dont care if people think Im gay or not. Assume whatever you want, you do it anyway.'

The End of the Road star reportedly first crossed paths with Nichols, a one-time cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers and dance choreographer, on Dancing with the Stars in 2009 and they began dating four years later.

The multitalented performer stepped out after appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show to promote the new season of her CBS series The Equalizer.

The star was clad in a long-sleeved white top with baby blue shorts and white trainers

The Equalizer star was seen holding hands with the tot at the Southern California shopping center

She told Barrymore on the appearance that she had contractual stipulations in her projects that mandate her character cannot be killed in the storyline.

'You know, what happened at the beginning of my career  my characters died in the movies and apparently I died my a** off,' she said. 'I was like, "Wait a minute, if I keep dying in these movies, I cant do a sequel."'

She said that she subsequently told her reps, 'Yo, we got to put a no death clause in my contracts ... henceforth, we kind of threw it in there.'

Said Queen Latifah: 'I was like, "No more dying. No more getting shot up by 300 bullets in this car."'
Channel 10 reporter Pippa Sheehan has opened up about the bittersweet feeling of giving birth to a healthy baby boy after suffering six miscarriages.

The journalist, 34, told the Courier Mail on Friday she continues to grieve for her lost children as she raises her two-year-old son Alfie.

She also revealed how a simple question strangers often ask can trigger her sadness.

Channel 10 reporter Pippa Sheehan (pictured) has opened up about the bittersweet feeling of giving birth to a healthy baby boy after suffering six miscarriages

Ms Sheehan said people often ask her and her husband, 'Just the one?', when they're out with their son, which reminds her of the children she lost.

'It's lovely and we have been blessed with a beautiful little son; however, just the one visibly, yes, but I hold seven babies in my heart and it's really hard,' she said.

'They are all loved and, yes, we have just got the one, but they're all precious.'

The Brisbane native said the grief of losing her unborn babies never fully went away and she had simply developed coping strategies.

Ms Sheehan is now involved with a charity that supports those affected by pregnancy loss so she can help others going through a similar experience.

She hopes by sharing her story she will be able to provide a degree of comfort to mothers who have lost children.

'We are in a similar position to so many other families, parents and mothers who wish they could have met their babies. They're always there with us,' she said.

Ms Sheehan was flooded with support on Instagram after telling her story.

Ms Sheehan said people often ask her and her husband, 'Just the one?', when they're out with their son, which reminds her of the children she lost in the womb

One fan said it was 'important to have these conversations,' adding: 'Well done to you for being brave enough.'

Another thanked Ms Sheehan for sharing her story because 'awareness is so important'.

Pippa has worked as a journalist for Channel 10 in Brisbane for seven years.
Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil has shared graphic details of her sex life after coming out as bisexual last year.

The influencer, 29, revealed on Saturday that her understanding of 'normal sex' has chanced since she started dating women.

'Strap-ons are the new norm,' Maria proudly declared during a live Q&A at BodFest in Sydney, referring to a sexual experience she'd recently shared with a woman.

Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil has shared graphic details of her sex life after coming out as bisexual last year

'Being comfortable in my own bisexuality means I'm finding out what I like and exploring my body in a way that I couldn't when I thought it was taboo,' she added.

A 'strap-on' is a sex toy that is worn around the waist and held in place with a strap.

'Growing up that experience would not have been perceived as normal to me. It was shamed, it was taboo,' she continued.

'Strap-ons are the new norm,' Maria proudly declared during a live Q&A at BodFest in Sydney , referring to a sexual experience she'd recently shared with a woman

'But as a woman, I love that I have reclaimed sex and now it's this wonderful part of the human experience that I get to enjoy safely and consensually.'

Maria came clean about her sexuality in January while competing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

She later said she'd kept her sexuality hidden for years because there were 'many homophobic sentiments in [her] school around being a lesbian'.

'Growing up, that experience would not have been perceived as normal to me. It was shamed, it was taboo. 'But as a woman, I love that I have reclaimed sex and now it's this wonderful part of the human experience that I get to enjoy safely and consensually,' Maria said

'It is something I have felt for a very long time,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

'I grew up having crushes on girls in school and just completely invalidated it because of religion and also because there were many homophobic sentiments in my school around being a lesbian, around anything other than heteronormativity.

'You don't have a lot of bisexual visibility in popular culture and so you don't understand what it is.'

Maria came clean about her sexuality in January while competing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

'It is something I have felt for a very long time,' she told The Daily Telegraph shortly after coming out

In April, Maria revealed she was no longer scared of dating women in public, after previously admitting she was worried how it might be perceived.

'I'm no longer scared of the narrative being taken out of my hands,' she told Who magazine.

The model added: 'I've been dating casually for about a year, some men and some women, and I don't care anymore who sees or what they say.'

Maria, who is a second-generation Australian born to Indian immigrants, also discussed her passion for activism which has stemmed from her 'lived experiences'.

'I'll always be brown and queer,' she said. 'Activism isn't about a hashtag; it's about showing up for what you believe in every day.'

In April, Maria revealed she was no longer scared of dating women in public, after previously admitting she was worried how it might be perceived
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Alex Jones, Amy Dowden and Morfydd Clark lead the stars attending the BAFTA Cymru Awards in Cardiff, Wales on Sunday.

The TV presenter, 44, put on a very glamorous display in a plunging black corset top, teamed with a dazzling gold maxi skirt.

She elevated her height in a pair of gold strappy heels, while accessorising with matching drop earrings.

Stars: Alex Jones, Amy Dowden and Morfydd Clark lead the stars attending the BAFTA Cymru Awards in Cardiff, Wales on Sunday

Alex sported a glam makeup look with a nude lip, while styling her brunette locks in loose curls.

Meanwhile Amy, 32, put on a glamorous display in a teal satin slip dress as she posed up a storm on the red carpet.

The professional dancer opted for a bronzed makeup palette which accentuated her natural features, teamed with a bold red lip.

Stunning: The TV presenter, 44, put on a very glamorous display in a plunging black corset top, teamed with a dazzling gold maxi skirt

Beauty: Alex sported a glam makeup look with a nude lip, while styling her brunette locks in loose curls

Wow! Amy, 32, put on a glamorous display in a teal satin slip dress as she posed up a storm on the red carpet

Beaming: Amy took to the stage to present a BAFTA award

Looking good: She carried a dazzling silver clutch to match her jewellery

Rings Of Power star Morfydd looked nothing short of sensational a chic black gown for the St David's Hall event.

The 33-year-old actress' velvet frock featured a sculptured bodice as well as a princess skirt which she teamed with a pair of diamond earrings.

The stunner opted for a dewey make-up look complete with a slick of pillar box red lipstick.

BAFTA Cymru is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and honours work in front of and behind the camera.

Looking good: Rings Of Power star Morfydd looked nothing short of sensational a chic black gown for the St David's Hall event

Stylish: The 33-year-old actress' velvet frock featured a sculptured bodice as well as a princess skirt which she teamed with a pair of diamond earrings

Presenter: Later in the evening Morfydd took to the stage to present an award

Gorgeous: Morfydd let her blonde tresses cascade down her back in a natural wave as she posed up a storm on the red carpet

Golden girl: Myleene Klass , 41, put on a glamorous as she graced the red carpet at the BAFTA Cymru Awards

Incredible: The television personality looked incredible in a gorgeous gold gown which hugged every inch of her fantastic figure

Presenter: Later in the evening the beauty took to the stage to present an award

Incredible: Tayce Szura-Radix stood out in a glamorous black mesh gown, teamed with huge heels

Glam: Mali Ann Rees looked sensational in a gold gown with a daring thigh-high split and brown heels

Elsewhere new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa, 29, who will take on the role of the famous Time Lord next year, cut a dapper figure in a navy and black suit.

He layered the jacket over a crisp white shirt the actor completed the look with a selection of gold jewellery.

It's A Sin's Callum Scott Howells also made an appearance and showcased his unique sense of style at the swanky ceremony.

The Welsh actor donned a quirky ruched jacket which he wore with pinstripe trousers and a rope belt.

Smart: Ncuti Gatwa (right) cut a dapper figure in a navy and black suit. (pictured with Callum Scott Howells)
The Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked is headed to Sydney in 2023.

The lavish stage production, partly based on the iconic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, will be performed in Sydney for the first time next year.

NSW Minister for the Arts and Tourism Ben Franklin said it was a big win for the Harbour City as the production is set to generate millions of dollars in earnings.

The Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked is headed to Sydney in 2023

'Securing blockbuster musicals is key to our vision for the NSW visitor economy. This production will generate millions and support jobs in our arts,' he said in a media release.

He said it will also lead to significant work opportunities for the Sydney arts community.

Producer John Frost echoed his sentiments and said Sydneysiders will love seeing the extravagant musical as it has something for everyone.

The lavish stage production partly based on the iconic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz will play in Sydney for the first time next year

Rob Mills and Lucy Durack attended the official announcement in Sydney on Monday

Lucy, a veteran musical theatre star, addressed the media at the Wicked Launch event

'It appeals to everyone from 8 to 80. People love it for so many different reasons  some come for the engrossing story, some for the soaring ballads and some for the deeper messages,' he said.

Wicked is based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire, and tells the story of the witches who gave life to L. Frank Baum's books and the Judy Garland movie.

The story is a re-telling of The Wizard of Oz, told from the perspective of the Witches in the Land of Oz.

Wicked is based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire, and tells the story of the witches who gave life to L. Frank Baum's books and the Judy Garland movie

The Broadway show is the fifth-longest-running production of all time, still running after its debut in 2003, and it was just became the third Broadway production ever to gross over $1 billion.

The musical sensation has been performed in 16 different countries - including the UK, Japan and New Zealand.

Wicked first came to Australia in 2008, where it ran in Melbourne for seven consecutive years.
The Block's Omar and Oz have reportedly fled the country amid their shock 'dodgy dealing' scandal.

The best mates, who have been accused of using underhanded tactics to secure discounted goods on the show, reportedly slipped away quietly to Bali for a two-week holiday last week to avoid mounting backlash.

According to Woman's Day magazine, the pair are hoping to enjoy some much-needed R&R abroad before returning Down Under in time for auction day.

The Block's Omar and Oz (both pictured) have reportedly fled to Bali to escape rising backlash over their 'dodgy dealing' scandal on the show

They have also chosen not to document their trip on Instagram, but Oz reportedly shared a photo to his account of a plane with the word 'Ciao' last week.

Scandal broke out on The Block last week when Omar and Oz scored a $36,000 baby grand piano for just $7,509.

The pair had also been accused of breaking the rules by buying heavily discounted fixtures and using friends and family as free labour.

The best mates, who have been accused of using underhanded tactics to secure discounted goods on the show, quietly slipped away to Bali for a two-week holiday last week to avoid mounting backlash, Woman's Day magazine reports. (Pictured: Oz holidaying in Bali in 2018)

Scandal broke last week when Omar and Oz scored a $36,000 baby grand piano (pictured) for just $7,509

Their activity raised suspicions among other contestants, with Sarah-Jane even calling for a site-wide financial audit.

Omar and Oz, who are both Islamic, subsequently confronted Foreman Dan over the 'hurtful' things he and Foreman Keith had said throughout the show.

Omar, who is of Afghan heritage, and Oz, who is Australian Lebanese, said they feared they were going to be edited to be shown as 'w*gs doing dodgy s**t on TV'.

Their activity raised suspicions among other contestants, with Sarah-Jane (pictured) even calling for a site-wide financial audit

'We genuinely don't want to sit down on TV and our family and friends are watching this, and another million or so people, and they be like, 'Those two f**king w*** on the show being dodgy all season,'' added building maintenance manager Oz.

Viewers quickly praised the duo and congratulated Channel Nine for airing the scene.

'Go on Oz and Omar for letting Dan know he needs to be careful with the language he uses especially towards them and their house,' one fan said.

Omar and Oz, who are both Islamic, subsequently confronted Foreman Dan (left) over the 'hurtful' things he and Foreman Keith had said throughout the show

Omar, who is of Afghan heritage, and Oz, who is Australian Lebanese, said they feared they were going to be edited to be shown as 'w*gs doing dodgy s**t on TV'

'Omar and Oz, beautiful people. I am so sad hearing the racism they have been subjected to over their lifetime,' added another.

'Congrats to Omar and Oz for challenging the "dodgy Leb" narrative .... and to Channel Nine for airing it,' wrote a third.

Omar has previously said he wants to change people's perspectives on different cultures, with the pair observing Ramadan for their first few weeks on the show.
Farmer Wants a Wife star Harry found love with Tess Brookman during the show's finale earlier this month.

And the dairy farmer, 23, has revealed he's now left the country and relocated to the Gold Coast to live with his new girlfriend.

'I didn't take the decision lightly, but I thought you're only young once and I should go out and see the world a little more,' Harry told Woman's Day.

Farmer Wants a Wife star Harry has relocated to the CITY to live with winner Tess in history-making move

'[But] it's been an adjustment, that's for sure,' he admitted.

Harry also revealed the pair's plans to visit his dairy farm in Kyabram, Victoria, next month.

He used a stand-in property in NSW while filming the Channel Seven series.

'I didn't take the decision lightly, but I thought you're only young once and I should go out and see the world a little more,' Harry told Woman's Day

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.'

Harry also revealed the pair's plans to visit his dairy farm in Kyabram, Victoria, next month

Meanwhile, Harry confessed his love for Tess during last week's Farmer Wants a Wife finale.

He faced the ultimate choice between his feelings for Tess and Bronte Dunne.

Although wary if long distance would work with Tess, Harry couldn't deny their connection.

'I thought I knew what I wanted in a relationship and since meeting you that has just reinforced that. I do feel like you tick a lot of those boxes in someone I'm looking for a life partner. I love you and I want to be with you,' he said to Tess' delight.
HBO has announced a release date for the show Doom Patrol's fourth season, as well as released a new preview for the series featuring the show's Were-Butts.

HBO said that two episodes of the series will debut December 8, with new episodes slated to premiere weekly through January 5. In addition, six more episodes of the series are set to drop on the network sometime next year.

The show features reimagined incarnations of DC superheroes such as Robotman (Brendan Fraser); Negative Man (Matt Bomer); Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby); Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero); Cyborg (Joivan Wade); and Madame Rouge (Michelle Gomez).

The latest: HBO has announced a release date for the show Doom Patrol's fourth season, as well as a preview for the series featuring the show's Were-Butts

'Season 4 opens with the team unexpectedly traveling to the future to find an unwelcome surprise,' an official synopsis released by HBO Max read. 'Faced with their imminent demise, the Doom Patrol must decide once and for all which is more important: their own happiness or the fate of the world?'

A preview of the series was released in conjunction with a showcase for the series at New York Comic Con.

'The project you're interfacing with is highly classified,' an official is seen saying in the trailer. 'Over a year ago, we conceived of a creature that could be bred as a weaponized force of nature.'

A worker in a protective suit is then seen slain with blood dripping down their hands, before the showcase reveals the Were-Butts, performing the tune Shipoopi from the 1957 musical The Music Man.

HBO revealed a teaser showing off the Doom Patrol, presenting the premise, 'Faced with their imminent demise, the Doom Patrol must decide once and for all which is more important: their own happiness or the fate of the world?'

'The project you're interfacing with is highly classified,' an official is seen saying in the trailer. 'Over a year ago, we conceived of a creature that could be bred as a weaponized force of nature'

A worker in a protective suit is then seen slain with blood dripping down their hands

The Were-Butts performed the tune Shipoopi from the 1957 musical The Music Man

A montage of the Doom Patrol is then seen walking together and in battle with the tagline, 'Hold onto your butts.'

Doom patrol cast members Fraser, Bowlby, Gomez and Wade were on hand for the Sunday panel at the event in the Big Apple, CBR.com reported.

Bowlby said she was proud of her character's emergence as a leader in the patrol, saying, 'She is great in the role, she has a superhero costume ... I think she loves it, and she progresses into a true leader by the end of season four, I'll say.'

Asked what they like about their characters, Fraser said, 'Not to lie, I'm just kinda glad to have a job. It's a pretty good job too. It's a good gig, I love the dialogue ... the copious use of F-bombs.'

Six more episodes of the series are set to drop on the network sometime next year

The teaser was released with the log line, 'Hold on to your butts'

(L-R) Michelle Gomez, Joivan Wade, April Bowlby, Brendan Fraser and Andy Swift were seen speaking during a panel for the series on Sunday at New York Comic Con




Hyundai Mobis, Korea's leading auto parts maker, said Monday it will promote an advanced in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system jointly developed with a Swiss company for next-generation vehicles.







Hyundai Mobis and Luxoft are "at the final stage" of developing the IVI platform for future vehicles and will introduce it at the International Suppliers Fair to be held in Germany on Oct. 11, Hyundai Mobis said in a statement.







The two companies' IVI platform, named Mobis Infotainment System (MIS), can fully control six displays  digital cluster, augmented reality heads-up display, center stack display and three displays for passenger seats  the statement said.







Hyundai Mobis said it will promote the MIS platform in global markets and seek opportunities to sell it to multinational carmakers.







Hyundai Mobis is a core affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, which also has Hyundai Motor and Kia under its wing. Hyundai Mobis owns a 21.43 percent stake in Hyundai Motor.







In the January-June period, the company obtained $2.57 billion worth of parts orders from global carmakers, except for its captive buyers Hyundai Motor and Kia.







Hyundai Mobis earns about 90 percent of its sales from Hyundai Motor and Kia, with 10 percent coming from other carmakers. (Yonhap)






Michael J. Fox shared that his mom, Phyllis Fox, has passed away at the age of 92 on September 24.

The actor, 61, revealed the sad news during his appearance at the 2022 New York Comic Con over the weekend, where he also reunited with his Back to The Future co-star, Christopher Lloyd.

Michael remembered Phyllis by recalling a funny anecdote about how she didn't want him to shoot Family Ties in the daytime and Back to the Future at night in the 1980s.

Sad news: Michael J. Fox shared that his mom, Phyllis Fox, has passed away at the age of 92 on September 24; Pictured in 2014

'I was 23 years old, and I called her, she was in Canada, and I said, "They want me to do this Steven Spielberg movie, but I have to do it at night and I have to do Family Ties in the daytime." And she said, "You'll be too tired,"' he shared.

The Canadian-American star told his mom in response: 'I live for this kind of tired. It'll be okay.'

He then added, 'To this day  well, till two weeks ago  my mother thought it was a really bad idea for me to do Back to the Future. She loved the movie, [but she was right], I got tired.'

Remembering: The actor, 61, revealed the sad news during his appearance at the 2022 New York Comic Con over the weekend

According to an online obituary, Phyllis was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1929.

She is survived by sons Steve and Michael, as well as daughters Jackie and Kelli, and her nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter.

Phyllis 'took special pride in raising awareness for Diabetes and Parkinsons Disease, and in serving on the board of the Michael J Fox Theatre in Burnaby.'

Big family: Phyllis is survived by sons Steve and Michael, as well as daughters Jackie and Kelli, and her nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and a great-great-granddaughter; Michael and Phyllis pictured in 1996

The family also asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made in Phyllis' name to causes including diabetes, Parkinson's, the Burnaby General Hospital, the BC Children's Hospital and Canuck Place.

During Comic Con Michael - who revealed his Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 1998 - also shared about his own health struggles, and how he remains optimistic despite them.

'Well, in the last year I've broken my cheek, my eye socket, my hand, my elbow  my shoulder. I had a rough year of getting beat up. But that was really cool because it made me realize  with gratitude, it's sustainable,' he stated.

Concerned: Fox shared a sweet anecdote at the Comic Con panel, revealing that his mom didn't want him to shoot Family Ties in the daytime and Back to the Future at night in the 1980s, telling him: 'You'll be too tired'; Fox pictured in a still from Family Ties

Right: 'To this day  well, till two weeks ago  my mother thought it was a really bad idea for me to do Back to the Future. She loved the movie, [but she was right], I got tired,' he recalled; Pictured in a 1985 still from Back to the Future

'If you can find something to be grateful for, if you can find something and say, "Well, that's good,"  It'll always get better I'm very optimistic.'

'I'd say optimism is thinking that things are more likely to get better than they are to get worse. If you believe in that, and you are grateful for it, that'll sustain you the rest of your life,' he added.

Fox also enjoyed a reunion with Christopher Lloyd at Comic Con. They are best known for their legendary roles in Back To The Future as Marty McFly and Doctor Emmett Brown.
Kyle Sandilands has spoken for the first time about his secret sexual experience with a male friend almost four decades ago.

The radio shock jock, 51, left his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson stunned on Monday's show as he blurted out: 'I let my best mate [perform oral sex] on me when I was 15'.

Sandilands explained the encounter was his friend's idea, before noting that while his mate was likely homosexual, he is completely straight.

Kyle Sandilands, 51, (pictured) spoke for the first time about his secret sexual experience with a male friend on Monday's Kyle And Jackie O Show

'One day, behind an Anglican church in Brisbane, in the middle of the day, he said, "Oh, can I...". He asked if he could do it. And I just thought, "Hmm". I don't know why. I didn't feel gay tendencies,' the father-of-one recalled.

'And while he was doing it, I was like, "I don't know if I'm into this." But I let him finish obviously. And I never rode my bike over to his place again.

'I just never went back around there,' he concluded.

The radio shock jock left his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson (pictured) stunned as he blurted out: 'I let my best mate [perform oral sex] on me when I was 15'.

'One day, behind an Anglican church in Brisbane, in the middle of the day, he said, 'Oh, can I...'. He asked if he could do it. And I just thought, 'Hmm'. I don't know why. I didn't feel gay tendencies,' the father-of-one recalled

Sandilands immediately regretted sharing the story, uttering: 'What the hell have I done?'

'That's a big secret you've been sitting on, Kyle,' Henderson gasped.

'You know what? No one knows [about this]. I've never told anyone,' Sandilands admitted, as Henderson replied: 'You didn't say it in your book, nothing!'

Earlier in the segment, Sandilands also joked that he'd been compelled to divulge his secret thanks to the mystical powers of October's 'pink moon'.

'You know what? No one knows [about this]. I've never told anyone,' Sandilands admitted, as Henderson replied: 'You didn't say it in your book, nothing!' (Kyle pictured in his younger years)

'What the hell is this moon doing?!' Sandilands mused.

The radio hosts brought up the topic of the pink full moon after reading FEMAIL's interview with Intuitive astrologer Rose Smith on Monday.

In the exclusive chat, Rose explained the October 10 full moon in Aries is expected to supercharge everyone's emotions and compel people to 'act before they think'.

The feeling is set to linger for most of the month - before being intensified on October 25 when a partial solar eclipse will usher in a period of 'new beginnings'.

The radio hosts brought up the topic of the pink full moon after reading FEMAIL's interview with Intuitive astrologer Rose Smith (pictured) on Monday. In the exclusive chat, Rose explained the October 10 full moon in Aries is expected to supercharge everyone's emotions and compel people to 'act before they think'

The Aries full moon brings brash, risk-taking behaviour to the surface and puts a magnifying glass on seemingly insignificant problems.

'Thing will really blow up, you will have huge arguments about small things,' she said.

To add to the emotional 'fire', Ms Smith says people will likely spill secrets following Monday's pink moon.

It's not the first time Sandilands has revealed sex stories on-air (Pictured with fiancee Tegan Kynaston)

'Be cautious at this time with your skeletons in the closet the emotional charge of this full moon could result in our innermost secrets and desires being revealed  to people we don't necessarily want to know these things,' she said.

It's not the first time Sandilands has revealed sex stories on-air.

In 2015, the broadcaster revealed he'd shared a night of passion with a 'transsexual woman' back in 2000 during the Sydney Olympics.

He was mid-conversation with a ring-in guest named Amanda and abruptly announced, 'I've gone the full deal with a transsexual, bet you didn't know that?'

'I'm not attracted to blokes, just the one trannie,' he continued. 'I wasn't even attracted to it, I just wanted it.'

Sandilands has never been afraid to re-tell this story since, even sharing the tale during interviews with high-profile celebrities such as Dannii Minogue and Waleed Aly.
Bono has opened up about his marriage to wife Ali Hewson.

The U2 frontman, 62, appeared at the New Yorker Festival Friday at The Society For Ethical Culture in New York City, where he spoke about his forthcoming book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, at The Society For Ethical Culture, People reported.

Bono was asked by a member in the audience who said they are a newlywed, asking him for insight on how he's maintained his four-decade union with Hewson, 61.

The latest: Bono, 62, has opened up about his marriage to wife Ali Hewson, as the U2 frontman, 62, appeared at the New Yorker Festival Friday at The Society For Ethical Culture in NYC

The Grammy-winning rocker responded: 'It is a grand madness about us. And there's something about knowing that you're going against the odds.

'But I would say if you ask me seriously, friendship can outpace romantic love, sometimes. And friendship is what myself and Ali have. When you have romantic love and friendship, that's really something special.'

The couple, who first met at Dublin, Ireland's Mount Temple Comprehensive School 50 years ago - and celebrated their 40th anniversary this past August - are parents to four adult children: Jordan, 33, Eve, 31, Elijah, 23, and John, 21.

Bono noted how he and his spouse complement one another and are there for each other amid tough times.

The Grammy-winning rocker and his longtime spouse were snapped at the Sarajevo Film Festival last year

Bono chat with the New Yorker's David Remnick on a number of topics at the event

The veteran rocker soaked up support from the crowd at the event in the Bog Apple

'Any time either of us got lost, the other would ... be there to get the other one home,' he said. 'And I'm so grateful. And 40 years is a powerful number for me. That's a powerful number for Ali. And it was brilliant when we got to 40, and we went, "Let's not f*** this up now."'

Bono also touched on his long stint with his bandmates (The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.), saying their decision to evenly split up their finances was 'the best thing ever.'

'And those songs are made what they are because of Edge, Adam, and Larry. And I think Edge feels the same. You know, we're the lead songwriters. But Adam will come up with an incredible bassline, or Larry will come up with an amazing beat ... our manager used to say to us, "You know, it's not musical differences that break up most bands. It's the moolah." He said, "Get that right."'

He said of his marriage, 'And it was brilliant when we got to 40, and we went, "Let's not f*** this up now"'

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story is slated to be released November 1

Bono is slated to play a series of solo shows next month in promotion of the book, as he will begin at the Beacon Theatre in New York City November 2 and finish in Madrid, Spain November 28.

'I miss being onstage and the closeness of U2's audience,' Bono said in a statement. 'In these shows, I've got some stories to sing, and some songs to tell... plus I want to have some fun presenting my ME-moir, Surrender, which is really more of a WE-moir if I think of all the people who helped me get from there to here.'

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story is slated to be released November 1.
She recently broke the internet when she showed off her bulging biceps in a jaw-dropping magazine shoot.

And Nicole Kidman flaunted her equally ripped abs in a photo she posted on Instagram on Sunday.

The actress, 55, revealed her six-pack abs in a crop top as she posed backstage at one of her husband Keith Urban's country music shows in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nicole Kidman flaunted her ripped abs in a crop top as she posed backstage at one of her husband Keith Urban's country music shows in Nashville, Tennessee

The stunning Aussie star looked sensational in a black bralette teamed with black trousers and a blazer.

She accessorised with black flats and a diamond cross necklace.

The Eyes Wide Shut star rocked her natural curls and let her natural beauty shine through by wearing minimal makeup.

Last month, Nicole caused a serious stir with her magazine shoot, which saw her proudly flexing her ripped biceps and flaunting her toned abs while posing in a micro mini skirt and crop top.

Looking decades younger than her 55 years, the Oscar-winning actress and mother of four cut an imposing figure while posing for the cover of Perfect magazine - which hailed Nicole as 'the perfect icon'.

Standing with her fists raised and her biceps flexed, she also revealed her perfectly chiseled legs in the shoot, posing in a micro mini Diesel skirt that could well be mistaken for a belt, as well as a form-fitting halterneck shirt by the same brand.

Injecting even more funky flair to the shoot, Nicole eschewed her signature blonde waves in favour of an orange-red 'do that featured a blunt bob framing her face, while long straight strands hung around her shoulders and down her back.

Last month, Nicole caused a serious stir with her magazine shoot, which saw her proudly flexing her ripped biceps and flaunting her toned abs while posing in a micro mini skirt and crop top

The cover photo was one of a series of avant-garde images taken by photographer Zhong Lin for the third issue of Perfect magazine, which celebrated pop culture's greatest icons.

It came just months after The Hours actress raised eyebrows by baring her torso in a Miu Miu micro skirt and crop top on the cover of Vanity Fair's February issue.

Social media trolls panned the image, accusing the magazine of Photoshopping Nicole's physique and complexion.

Others claimed the photo shoot was too raunchy for a woman of Nicole's age and professional stature.

Speaking in conversation with Baz Luhrmann for Vogue Australia's June issue, Nicole revealed she'd actually 'begged' magazine stylist Katie Grand to let her wear the fashion house's pleated mini low-rise skirt.

Nicole explained another outfit had been picked out for her, but she'd insisted on wearing the barely there number.

'I was like, "No, no, I like this one! Am I allowed to wear that?"' she recalled, adding that Ms Grand had to ask whether she was serious.

Nicole continued: 'Katie was like, "You're willing to wear that?!" And I said, "Wear it?! I'm begging you to wear it!"'

The on-screen star has a number of projects currently in the works, including the upcoming Aquaman sequel, which will see her once again sharing the screen with Jason Momoa. The project has wrapped filming and is due for release in 2023.

Nicole is also currently working on an untitled romantic comedy for Netflix, as well as a TV series called Expats, which is described as being a 'look at the personal and professional lives of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in Hong Kong'.
She's always picture perfect whether she's on camera or posing on the red carpet.

But even Kate Ritchie has flaws, just like the rest of us.

The former Home and Away star, 43, revealed she suffers from bunions in a light-hearted Instagram post on Sunday.

Ouch, that look painful! Kate Ritchie revealed she suffered from bunions on Sunday in a light-hearted Instagram post as she shared an outtake from a photo shoot with her Australia's Got Talent co-stars Alesha Dixon and Ricki-Lee Coulter

The stunning actress posted an outtake from a photo shoot on a yacht to promote the current season of Australia's Got Talent alongside her co-judges, Ricki-Lee Coulter and Alesha Dixon.

She wrote in the caption that the photographer had promised to cut her feet out of the frame, but accidentally captured her bare tootsies.

'When the photographer says they arent going to see your feet..' she wrote along with the hashtag #nicebunions.

A bunion is a swelling on the side of the joint where the big toe meets the foot. It commonly develops as a result of wearing ill-fitting shoes or those which cramp the feet.

High heels, which push the weight of the body on to the front of the foot, or extreme points that squeeze the toes together are major offenders.

The shoe rubs against the joint, thickening skin and tissues which gradually swell up into a bunion. Women tend to develop bunions more often than men because of the shoes they wear, and because their ligaments are softer.

Meanwhile, Kate made her much anticipated debut on the premiere of Australia's Got Talent on Sunday evening.

Kate made her much anticipated debut on the premiere of Australia's Got Talent on Sunday evening

The mother-of-one's gentler side was put on show as she got somewhat emotional as she watched an act involving dads and their daughters

She showcased a softer side to herself as she shined on the star-studded panel.

The mother-of-one's gentler side was put on show as she got somewhat emotional as she watched an act involving dads and their daughters.

Kate spoke to the young girls, aged two to six, as they prepared to perform onstage in ballet tutus and crowns.

'We didn't expect all of these handsome dads to come out on stage. It must be lovely to be up there with your beautiful daughters,' Kate said on the show

What are bunions? A bunion is a swelling on the side of the joint where the big toe meets the foot. It commonly develops as a result of wearing ill-fitting shoes or those which cramp the feet. High heels, which push the weight of the body on to the front of the foot, or extreme points that squeeze the toes together are major offenders. The shoe rubs against the joint, thickening skin and tissues which gradually swell up into a bunion. Women tend to develop bunions more often than men because of the shoes they wear, and because their ligaments are softer. Advertisement

'Hello girls welcome to the stage,' Kate cooed. 'Is this all of you? We're just starting with the four of you?'

As the girls danced alongside their fathers, to the sweet surprise of the studio audience, Kate was blown away.

The ballerinas moved and swayed to the Mariah Carey classic hit, Hero, often times 'leaning' on their dad.

The TV star later told the act how impressed she was with them, saying: 'That was absolutely beautiful, thank you for filling our hearts.'

The children's author then joked with the girls about the surprise: 'You girls are very cheeky as you kept a very big secret.

'We didn't expect all of these handsome dads to come out on stage. It must be lovely to be up there with your beautiful daughters.'

Kate looked calm and composed as she sat on the judging panel for the first time after admitting she was 'nervous' about the role.

The star has had a tumultuous time of late after being caught low-range drink driving in August.

Kate was stopped by police for a random breath test in her blue Subaru station wagon at 2.45pm on Heffron Rd in Pagewood in August.

Ritchie tested positive by the roadside and was immediately arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station where she underwent a secondary breath analysis.

The Nova personality tested positive after she was stopped by police for a random breath test and was immediately arrested and taken to Maroubra Police Station in August

She returned a positive reading of 0.06, just a shade over the legal limit of 0.05.

She later made a public apology and is understood to have been fined $600 on the spot and suspended from driving for three months.

The former soap star was previously married to retired NRL player Stuart Webb, with who she shares a daughter, Mae, eight.
They sometimes were vying for the same leading man roles over the course of their long careers in Hollywood as action hero stars dating back to the 1980s.

But on Sunday Sylvester Stallone showed a united front with Arnold Schwarzenegger when he took to Instagram to heap praise on the former California governor for his philanthropic work with the After-School All-Stars (ASAS).

'Congratulations to my great friend @schwarzenegger who had a incredibly successful charity event to benefit the children THE AFTER SCHOOL ALLSTARS  Still looking strong as a Bull!' the Rocky actor, 76, shared alongside a photo of the two icons of the silver screen.

Icons together: Sylvester Stallone, 76, took to Instagram and heaped praise on Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, for his work helping raise money for the non-profit, After-School All-Stars

In the photo, the two longtime leading men are huddled up together looking similarly dressed in cowboy garb, while smoking big stogie cigars.

With a gray stubble beard, Stallone still looked fit and strong in a blue plaid shirt over a matching t-shirt and blue jeans.

The New York City native also donned a large silver belt buckle that was a perfect match with his black cowboy hat.

Major success: Schwarzenegger took to his Instagram page where he revealed he and others helped raise $5 million for the After-School All-Stars, a non-profit organization that partners with schools across the U.S. to expand the learning day for low-income children by creating after-school programs

they are pictured with fellow action hero Dolph Lundgren in July 2019

Since the Rocky star donned the black hat, it was only fitting that Schwarzenegger go with a white cowboy hat.

The native of Austria, 75, who also sported gray stubble beard, opted for a brown plaid blazer over a brown polo-style shirt and blue jeans.

To round out his country style, the Terminator star wore an even larger belt buckle, only his appeared to have a gold tint to it.

Icons: The Hollywood icons sometimes were vying for the same action hero roles dating back to the 1980s, but ended up starring in three movies together, including Escape Plan (2013)

What a team: The legendary leading men also starred together in The Expendables 2 (2012) and The Expendables 3 (2014)

It turns out the Terminator's efforts with helping raise money for ASAS was in fact a huge success.

'We raised over 5 million dollars last night for @afterschoolallstars. Thank you to all of our donors,' Schwarzenegger revealed, adding, 'I started this program with a vision of keeping kids safe and growing between 3-6pm, but we couldn't serve 100k kids in 60 cities without you.'

After-School All-Stars is a national non-profit organization that partners with schools across the United States to expand the learning day for low-income children by creating after-school programs, according to its website.

Currently, ASAS serves nearly 92,000 students on over 400 school sites in 14 regions across 10 states.

While the two longtime Hollywood tough guys were up for some of the same roles, in their later years they ended starring side-by-side in three movies: The Expendables 2 (2012), Escape Plan (2013) and The Expendables 3 (2014).
Paris Hilton went out undercover at the Melrose Flea Market on Sunday.

The 41-year-old socialite covered up in a silver wig paired with a black hat and heart shaped sunglasses, as she walked around the market in disguise.

She dressed casually in an Asian character graphic t-shirt, jeans and black sneakers.

Undercover heiress: Paris Hilton went out undercover at the Melrose Flea Market on Sunday

Blonde ambition: Her incognito look was vastly different from her normal signature blonde do

The heiress bought some fun character art while shopping at the flea market.

She captioned her posted 'bought some sick pieces of art from@icinhasan', as she encouraged fans to checkout his work by adding a link to the artist website.

Her favorite character seemed to be tweety bird, as she posed for a solo picture with the character's artwork, captioning 'Love my new Tweety Bird'

This fun outing comes weeks after the star lost her six-year-old chihuahua Diamond Baby. The pooch went missing from her Hollywood Hills home in September.

The heiress bought some fun character art while shopping at the flea market

A tweety bird fan: Paris favorite character seemed to be tweety bird, as she posed for a solo picture with the character's artwork, captioning 'Love my new Tweety Bird'

She says a part of her has 'gone' amid the search for her missing dog.

Speaking in a video posted to TikTok, she said: 'Please give me back my baby; shes my everything. A part of me is gone; I need her back.'

The 'Paris in Love' star - who tied the knot with entrepreneur Carter Reum in November 2021 - then urged her seven million followers to keep sharing the image of her missing pooch in an effort to get her home safe.

She captioned the post: '#FindDiamondBaby Lets keep sharing Diamonds picture so the person that has DB can return her to @ParisHilton.'
Eva Mendes has firmly told her fans that she never quit acting after years of not appearing in Hollywood blockbusters.

The Cuban-American actress, 48, was best known for her performances alongside Will Smith in Hitch and with Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider.

But a semi-hiatus from 2013 to 2021 saw the Latin-American model only make three stints in film and television, leaving fans wondering what had happened to her career.

Setting the record straight: Eva Mendes has firmly told her fans that she never quit acting after years of not appearing in Hollywood blockbusters (pictured in 2019)

She has now revealed exactly why she's not appeared in much over the past decade, telling her 2.9million followers on Instagram: 'I never quit acting.'

The 48-year-old, who is married and shares two children with fellow Hollywood star Ryan Gosling, 41, posted a video showing various articles from different news sites which say she 'quit acting'.

Setting the record straight, the star wrote: 'I wanted to be home with my babies and fortunately my other business ventures allowed me to do that more than acting would.'

She then went on to explain that her hiatus was partly to blame on the 'stereotypical roles' being offered to her.

Before her voice character work in animated series Bluey in 2021, Mendes last took part in a film starring as a cabaret show performer with her husband Gosling's directorial debut, Lost River.

Hay day: The Cuban-American actress, 48, was best known for her performances alongside Will Smith in Hitch (pictured) and with Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider

The pair began dating in 2011, not long before they starred together in American crime drama film The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012.

They share two daughters together - Esmeralda Amada, eight, and Amada Lee, six.

Mendes contiunued: 'Also, I was not excited about the stereotypical roles being offered to me at the time. Especially after working on the film LOST RIVER -that was a dream project.

'Thats a tough act to follow.

Reveal: She has now revealed exactly why she's not appeared in much over the past decade, telling her 2.9million followers on Instagram: 'I never quit acting'

'Whats the point of this post? To shift that narrative. I never quit.'

The post may leave fans wondering if any other projects are in the works for Mendes.

Speaking to The View in May this year, rebuffed the message that she is very specific in her choice of work.

She said: I have such a short list of what I will do. Like before kids, I kind of was up for anything  I mean, if it was a fun project.

'But now I won't do violence, I don't want to do sexuality, I don't want to do... the list is short.'

Last week, the Hollywood star and her family jetted off to Australia. She is Down Under as part of a charity promotion for McHappy Day, while her husband Ryan is filming The Fall Guy.

The Fall Guy is expected to shoot in Sydney and NSW and will inject $244 million into the Australian economy.

The actress, who is currently in Australia with her husband Ryan Gosling (right), was spotted at a popular outdoor playground with her lookalike daughter Esmeralda, eight

Eva was announced as McHappy Day National Ambassador just days ago.

'McHappy Day is a wonderful way for Aussies to support RMHC and families of seriously ill and injured children,' Eva said.

Eva was previously a national ambassador in 2020 but in a virtual capacity since border controls meant she couldn't visit Down Under.

Eva will make an appearance at McHappy Day on November 19.

McHappy Day is a fund-raiser that provides emergency care and accommodation nearby hospitals for kids and their families undergoing treatment.

The star is familiar with the organisation after her cousin's baby was sick with neuroblastoma cancer and the family had to relocate from Los Angeles to New York.

'I know this from personal experience how important it is when there is a sick family member and they need care and the family needs to stay together,' she said.
Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) has revealed that she's even more attracted to her husband Sam Worthington than when they first married.

The model, 35, tells The Daily Telegraph that the pair, who met in 2013, are enjoying getting older together.

'I always say to my husband, "You're just getting more handsome". You know, it's nice to be able to grow old together and not be worried about [appearances],' she said.

Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) has revealed that she's even more attracted to her husband Sam Worthington than when they first married. The model, 35, tells The Daily Telegraph that the pair, who met in 2013, are enjoying getting older together. Both pictured

Lara says she and Sam, 46, try and find a fine balance between their family lives and careers.

'We still very much have our life, and the kids kind of come with us,' she told the publication.

'I still really love having my own identity and so does my husband, so it definitely is a challenge, but a good challenge.'

'I always say to my husband, "You're just getting more handsome". You know, it's nice to be able to grow old together and not be worried about [appearances],' she said. Pictured in 2014

It comes after Lara revealed how she and her actor husband are a 'team'.

'As a family unit, we're all very close. We've only got each other. Sam and I are a good team. We're both Australians and we have the same values. We come at our children as a team and I think that's really important,' she told Stellar Magazine.

Lara went on to say that she and her family are 'all very close' and that she isn't too strict a parent.

Lara says she and Sam, 46, try and find a fine balance between their family lives and careers

'They always make me feel so good, especially Sam. I don't want that to ever go; I hope it doesn't,' she said.

'But being able to be a mum and [to] work definitely stems from your partner. Sam and I are on the same page, so I feel like he's 'got me' when I'm working and vice versa,' she added.

The beauty said that Sam is a 'a strong father figure' who supports her in her creative endeavors.

'We still very much have our life, and the kids kind of come with us,' she told the publication. 'I still really love having my own identity and so does my husband, so it definitely is a challenge, but a good challenge'

'The fact my husband allows me to be creative and have dreams and aspirations  that's really important,' Lara said.

Lara and her husband of eight years share three young sons, Rocket, six, Racer, four, and River, one.

The Worthington clan recently returned to the US after a long stint in Australia.
In April 2020, he confirmed that they were engaged, after popping the question during an idyllic Maldives getaway.

And on Friday, Kieran Hayler, 35, paid permanent tribute to his fiancee Michelle Penticost by having her name tattooed on his leg at pal Dan Osbourne's tattoo parlour, Ink Paradise in Bexleyheath.

The reality star ex of Katie Price then thanked wife-to-be Michelle for sticking by him and teaching him the 'true meaning of love' in a gushing social media post.

OMG! On Friday, Kieran Hayler, 35, paid permanent tribute to his fiancee Michelle Penticost by having her name tattooed on his leg

Kieran stepped out in a black Vans Off The Wall jumper, which he teamed with a pair of sporty shorts and plimsoll style trainers.

The father-of-three sat with his legs outstretched as a tattoo artist inked Michelle's name within the outline of a heart, on his right thigh.

Days after having the tattoo tribute inked on his leg, Kieran took to Instagram where he thanked his fiancee for sticking by him and teaching him the 'true meaning of love.'

Next to a photo of himself and Michelle standing together, he wrote: 'My life hasn't been the perfect road. There have been many ups and many downs.

Cheers mate: Kieran had his tattoo tribute done at pal Dan Osbourne's tattoo parlour, Ink Paradise in Bexleyheath

Voila! Kieran's thigh was cleaned after it was inked with his fiancee's name

Keeping it clean: Blood and excess ink was wiped off Kieran's leg

'A lot of lessons learnt and a lot of behaviour traits that have had to change and develop. Nobody is perfect!

'It takes a real man to accept that he has to change, a real man to step up and be a role model and father to his children and a real man to open his eyes and see the incredible woman that stands by his side through everything.

'This post isn't just a gushy love post, this post is accepting the bad I have done in my life and turning it around into something extraordinary.'

Focused: The tattoo artist looked focused as she inked Michelle's name into Kieran's thigh

Checking out out: Kieran seemed delighted with the finished result

Kieran concluded his Instagram post with a look forward to their upcoming nuptials, as he penned: 'Michelle you are the one, you have always been one. Bring on 2023 and our special day, And thank you.

'Thank you for sticking by me through everything, thank you for teaching me the true meaning of love and happiness. Thank you for being you. I love you. @michellepenti.'

In April 2020, Kieran confirmed his engagement to girlfriend Michelle Penticost after popping the question during an idyllic Maldives getaway.

Keeping it casual: Kieran stepped out in a black Vans Off The Wall jumper, which he teamed with a pair of sporty shorts and plimsoll style trainers, while Dan Osbourne was in all-blue

In progress: Kieran was inked by a female tattoo artist

Businessman: Forer TOWIE star Dan Osbourne was at his tattoo parlour during Kieran's visit

He took to share a snap of his bride-to-be's stunning engagement ring, calling it 'the best decision' as he is holed up in coronavirus lockdown.

A month earlier, MailOnline exclusively revealed that Kieran proposed to Michelle during their Maldives, as it was revealed he was just 'weeks away' from finalising his divorce from wife Katie Price.

Announcing their engagement, he wrote: 'Being locked down in isolation has made me realise this was the best decision!!!! Couples that self isolate together stay together!!!! #makingsomethinggoodoutofabadsituation #love.'


By Kim Hyun-bin



Hanwha Group has decided to withdraw from a $10 billion construction project in Iraq amid concerns that the conglomerate will have difficulty recovering its investments. Analysts say that Hanwha averted future losses by withdrawing from the project early rather than continuing the business.



Hanwha Engineering & Construction (E&C), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hanwha Corp., notified the Iraqi National Investment Commission (NIC) of the cancellation of the Bismayah New Town and Infrastructure Construction contract, Friday.



Hanwha's headquarters in Seoul / Courtesy of Hanwha Group
He's best known for his soap fame, portraying Robert Preston on Coronation Street after a four year stint on Casualty.

And Tristan Gemmill could be set to take on a royal role as he was spotted on set of The Crown with cast and crew on Saturday.

The actor, 55, was spotted in different outfits on set - arriving in a pair of jeans before changing into a suave navy suit, similar to the costumes scene on the show.

Going from the cobbles to The Crown? Corrie star Tristan Gemmill, 55, could be set for a new role as he's spotted on the set of Netflix's The Crown

A source told MailOnline: 'He was on The Crown set interacting with the cast and crew', before adding that he changed clothes.

MailOnline have contacted representatives of The Crown for comment.

Tristan donned a pair of dark wash navy jeans with a royal blue shirt and over jacket while strolling the set.

With a leather brown satchel rested across his torso, as the star clutched onto a white piece of paper.

On-screen: He's best known for his soap fame, portraying Robert Preston on Coronation Street after a four year stint on Casualty

Casual: Tristan donned a pair of dark wash navy jeans with a royal blue shirt and over jacket while strolling the set

But he was later pictured stepping out of a black car, clad in a smart three-piece suit - with a small gold-detailed broch on one side.

The ensemble was similar to that of costumes in the period drama, as Tristan held onto a bottle of water while taking to the set.

He looked a far cry from his Corrie alter-ego Robert, who was a chef and owner of the Viaduct Bistro before being shot by Derek Milligan (Craige Els) outside the Rovers Return Inn.

Looking smart: But he was later pictured stepping out of a black car, clad in a smart three-piece suit - with a small gold-detailed broch on one side

In costume? The ensemble was similar to that of costumes in the period drama, as Tristan held onto a bottle of water while taking to the set

Tristan last took to the screen for a cameo in mystery ITV drama Grantchester after his on/off time on Coronation Street.

And while it's not known what role he could be taking on in The Crown, the royal drama is currently filming for it's sixth and final season.

The show documents the life of the royal family from the 1950s up until the early 2000s, with a fictional twist.

Royal: The show documents the life of the royal family from the 1950s up until the early 2000s, with a fictional twist
Michaela Coel has revealed that she plans to build a house in her father's ancestral village in Ghana.

The award-winning actress and writer, 35, was born Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson in London to Ghanaian parents.

Speaking to American Vogue, she explained she first visited Ghana in 2018 for a television shoot and felt an immediate affinity for the west African nation.

Going back to her roots: Michaela Coel has revealed that she plans to build a house in her father's ancestral village in Ghana

She recalled: 'I'd been to Africa before - Kenya and Uganda - but when I came here I was really seeing people who looked like me.

'A friend of mine was with me, and he remembers us getting off the plane and me walking around as if I knew where I was going,' she explained.

'I remember looking at all the kids playing and it hit me, like, Wow, this could've been me and I think I would have really enjoyed that.

'Yes, there are a lot of sad things; poverty, unemployment, struggle. There's also a lot of peace, friendliness. There's a lack of anxiety.'

Ancestry: The award-winning actress and writer, 35, was born Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson in London to Ghanaian parents

Vogue interviewed and photographed her on the streets of the Ghanaian capital, Accra, alongside her father, Derek Kwesi Coel, and grandmother Jemima Andam.

Michaela explained that as well as planning to build a house in Derek's village, she was also considering buying an apartment in Accra, where she lived for six months last year.

She covered the magazine, ahead of her appearance on the big screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking on the role of a legendary LGBTQ+ hero.

The I May Destroy You talent tease her influential role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Michaela plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female crew of warriors who protect the kingdom of Wakanda.

Her character falls in love with her warrior colleague Ayo, played by Florence Kasumba.

Star power: She covered the magazine, ahead of her appearance on the big screen as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking on the role of a legendary LGBTQ+ hero

On playing a queer character in a movie set in Africa, where there are strict anti-gay policies, Michaela admitted: 'That sold me on the role, the fact that my character's queer.'

'I thought: I like that, I want to show that to Ghana... People say, "Oh, it's fine, it's just politics." But I don't think it is just politics when it affects how people get to live their daily lives.'

'That's why it felt important for me to step in and do that role because I know just by my being Ghanaian, Ghanaians will come.'

While she has not publicly addressed her sexuality, Michaela has always been an outspoken LGBTQ+ advocate.

As for her own love story off camera, Michaela said she's working hard on herself in the hope of one day finding her equal match.

'I do want a life companion. I love romance and I love when romance turns into something deeper, a relationship where there's understanding, transparency, forgiveness, openness,' she said.

'But you have to find that person, and I personally haven't seen many healthy men.'

'So I don't know if I trust myself. I'm trying to do the work. I talk about this in therapy all the time, and actually, person by person, they're getting healthier and healthier.'

Role: In the Black Panther sequel Michaela plays Aneka, a combat instructor for the Dora Milaje, the fearless all-female crew of warriors who protect the kingdom of Wakanda

Michaela landed a role in the Black Panther sequel after she was noticed by the movie's director Ryan Coogler at the London premiere of the first movie, where she confidently mingled with the cast.

Development on a sequel to the original Black Panther began shortly after the release of the original, which premiered in 2018.

Numerous cast members from the first movie expressed interest in returning for a follow-up, although plans were complicated when its star Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away from colon cancer in August of 2020.

It was later confirmed that plans for a sequel would be moving forward and that the late actor's role would not be recast.

'It felt like the entire cast was processing grief,' Michaela said of her experience on set following Boseman's passing.

'There was a sense that we have to bring this baby home in the name of Chadwick.'

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released on November 11.

Vogue's November 2022 issue is available on newsstands nationwide on October 18th.
Carrie Bickmore showed off her new tattoo during Monday's episode of The Project.

The television host bared the ink during a segment with heavily-tatted BMX rider Logan Martin.

'I look very similar to that,' the 41-year-old joked as she held up her arm to show her heart tattoos on her wrist.

Carrie Bickmore (pictured) showed off her new tattoo during Monday's episode of The Project

'I got two little love hearts on the weekend. Bad ass guys, bad ass,' she added.

'You almost have as much as I do,' Logan joked in response.

Carrie earlier revealed the hearts are a sweet tribute to her three-year-old daughter Adelaide.

She had two hearts inked on her wrist on Thursday morning.

'I go two little love hearts on the weekend. Bad ass guys, bad ass,' she said

Speaking on Hit Network's national drive show Carrie & Tommy, the TV host revealed the very special meaning behind the design.

'You may have seen on my Instagram a few weeks ago when I was away, Chris sent me a video of [her daughter] Addie,' she said.

'She was missing me and she has this little saying. She says to me, when she wants me to know that she loves me, this is what she says - '"Hi mum I love you, heart to heart."

The Project star, 41, had two hearts inked on her wrist on Thursday morning

'And she makes a little heart symbol with her fingers. I can't have her with me at all times because I've got stuff to do.

'So I thought, why not have it with me in spirit and I'll get two little hearts tattooed on my wrist so I can look down and always think of her saying, "I love you mum, heart to heart".'

Carrie has three children - she has a son Oliver, 15, with her late husband Greg Lange. She also shares two daughters, Adelaide and Evie, seven, with her partner Chris Walker.
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Elizabeth Debicki got stuck into character earlier this month as she once again transformed into the late Princess Diana to film scenes for season six of Netflix's The Crown.

The actress, 32, was the spitting image of the Princess of Wales as she sported a red mini dress, filming at the show's Mallorcan set in a lavish villa - as they appeared to recreate a 1997 holiday taken by the family, just a month before Diana's tragic passing.

She was joined by her on-screen sons for the scenes, wrapping an arm around Will Powell, who portrays a young Prince Harry, while standing alongside young Prince William actor Rufus Kampa.

While Salim Dau, who is portraying Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, the father of Diana's late partner Dodi, was also spotted in the scenes with the actress playing Heini Wathen.

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki, 32, put on a convincing display in a red mini dress as she transformed into Princess Diana while filming scenes alongside young Prince William star Rufus Kampa and Will Powell's Prince Harry (L-R) the actress playing Heini Wathen, Will Powell, Elizabeth Debicki, Rufus Kampa and Salim Dau

Elizabeth oozed chic in the red dress, which featured a silver buckle detailed belt, scooped neck and sleeveless design.

A matching pair of white kitten heels accompanied the ensemble, with the actress clutching a padded white handbag.

The blonde beauty added a highlighted wig in Diana's signature cropped style, with a radiant palette of makeup and chunky gold hoop earrings.

Nailed it: Elizabeth oozed chic in the red dress, which featured a silver buckle detailed belt, scooped neck and sleeveless design as she channeled the late princess

Recreation: They appeared to recreate a 1997 holiday taken by the family, just a month before Diana's tragic passing

Accessories: A matching pair of white kitten heels accompanied Elizabeth's ensemble, with the actress clutching a padded white handbag

Will, who has been cast as a 12-year-old Prince Harry, donned a pair of cream trousers and a blue polo shirt while standing by his on-screen mother for the scenes.

Young star Teddy Hawley took on the role of a younger version of Harry during season five, with Will making his breakout role for season six.

While stage star Rufus, who already boasts a number of performance credits, beamed for the scenes as he channeled a 15-year-old William - sporting an outfit to match his on-screen younger brother.

Spitting image: Elizabeth's (pictured left) dress appeard to be an exact replica of Diana's (pictured right), which she wore in July 1997 to open a new hospital casualty centre for children at Northwick Park Hospital

Teenage years: Stage star Rufus (left), who already boasts a number of performance credits, beamed for the scenes as he channeled a 15-year-old Prince William (right)

Good match: Will (left), who has been cast as a 12-year-old Prince Harry (right), donned a pair of cream trousers and a blue polo shirt while standing by his on-screen mother for the scenes

Real trip: It's thought that the current filming is portraying the month before the tragic accident, when the two princes famously joined their mother and her beau for a holiday (right pictures Diana, William and Harry on the real trip in 1997)

Luxurious: The filming took place against a gorgeous backdrop, looking out to the sea as the family lazed in a lavish villa

The scenes also showed Salim Dau, who is portraying Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, standing alongside the trio - the businessman being the father of the late Dodi Al-Fayed, who was Diana's romantic partner and died alongside her.

The Princess and Dodi were in a car crash while driving through the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France in August 1997 - dying later from sustained injuries during the accident.

It's thought that the current filming is portraying the month before the tragic accident, when the two princes famously joined their mother and her beau for a holiday.

Finished look: Elizabeth added a highlighted wig in Diana's signature cropped style, with a radiant palette of makeup and chunky gold hoop earrings

High spirited: While she was snapped throwing her arms out, appearing to prepare to embrace cast members

Getting along: Filming the scenes, the 'royals' appeared in high spirits, sharing a laugh amongst one another as Elizabeth placed her hands on Will's shoulders

Before: The portrayed scenes took place in real life just a month before Diana passed away in a shocking car crash in August 1997, dying from injuries sustained in the accident

Filming the scenes, the 'royals' appeared in high spirits, sharing a laugh amongst one another as Elizabeth playfully tousled Will's hair.

While she was also snapped throwing her arms out, appearing to prepare to embrace cast members - surrounded by cameras and crew prining and priming them as they were positioned by the workers.

The sixth season of the show is also it's final, with the last two series covering the Royal Family in the 1990s to 2003, which includes Diana's death.

Coming to an end: The sixth season of the show is also it's final as the drama comes to an end

So sad: The Crown recently resumed production on its sixth and final series in Barcelona after filming was paused for a single day following the death of Queen Elizabeth II (The Queen pictured in 2021)

The Crown resumed production on its sixth and final series last month in Barcelona after filming was paused for a single day following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Diana star Elizabeth was seen filming one of the late royals' final public appearances, when she visited the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, just four days after work on the series was paused following the monarch's passing.

No doubt The Crown is adhering to a strict filming schedule to ensure its sixth and final series is released by Netflix on time, having been pushed back by its day-long pause in the wake of The Queen's passing.

It was revealed that filming for The Crown been suspended for one day as a 'mark of respect to the late monarch', who passed away aged 96 on September 8 at Balmoral Castle.

Netflix had reportedly devised a plan, also named Operation London Bridge like the official funeral plan for the Queen, to outline what the production company for The Crown would do in the event of her passing.

One of the show's creators Stephen Daldry said when the show first premiered in 2016 the cast would likely stop production, saying: 'It would be a simple tribute and a mark of respect. She's a global figure and it's what we should do.'

Peter Morgan, writer of the drama, was quoted after news of the Queen's death was confirmed as saying: 'The Crown is a love letter to her and I've nothing to add for now, just silence and respect. I expect we will stop filming out of respect too.'

Working hard: No doubt The Crown is adhering to a strict filming schedule to ensure its sixth and final series is released by Netflix on time, having been pushed back by its day-long pause in the wake of The Queen's passing

Plan of action: Netflix had reportedly devised a plan, also named Operation London Bridge like the official funeral plan for the Queen, to outline what the production company for The Crown would do in the event of her passing

Packed: A multitude of crew were surrounding the actors as they worked hard to get the scenes done
Viola Davies has claimed she 'was too big and too black' when she went into the arts.

The Oscar-winning actress, 57, whose upbringing was marred by poverty, racism, sexual abuse, domestic violence and alcoholism, has said she now has the 'power' to change how Black woman in the industry are viewed.

The Woman King star, who attended New York's performing arts conservatory, Julliard for four years, said she felt she 'came in with a wrong palette' but also credits the school with finding her first trip to Africa back in the 90s.

'I was too big and too black': Viola Davis has discussed the difficulties she faced going into the arts as a Black woman and reflects on a childhood marred by sexual assault and poverty (pictured at the Woman King premiere on October 3)

While speaking to The Guardian's G2, Viola said: 'I felt I came in with a wrong palette. I was too big, I was too Black. My voice was too deep.'

Her arrival at the arts school came after a difficult upbringing. Viola said she was bullied as a child due to in part, from how poverty-stricken her family were.

She spoke about her childhood - where she lived in Rhode Island - in her best-selling memoir, Finding Me, which was released back in April.

Viola said that when the pipes froze at her home, she and her siblings had no way of cleaning themselves.

New role: Viola, who attended New York's performing arts conservatory, Julliard for four years, said she felt she 'came in with a wrong palette' but also credits the school with finding her first trip to Africa back in the 90s - pictured in her new film, The Woman King

She said they wet the bed because they were too scared to go to the rat-infested toilet at night and went to school smelling of urine, only to face more bullying.

Viola and her siblings were subjected to sexual assaults by relatives, babysitters and the neighbourhood 'dirty old men'.

Their parents were too busy trying to survive, to protect them, although she has since forgiven and reconciled with her mother and father.

Now a global success, having starred in films including The Help, The First Lady and now Fences, Viola says she wants to use her 'power' to help other 'Black women'.

She said: 'What is in my power to change is to show people that we are more than the stamp that people have put on dark-skinned women.

Now a global success, having starred in films including The Help, The First Lady and now Fences, Viola says she wants to use her 'power' to help other 'Black women'

'We are sexual, we are desirable, we can be smart, we are way more expansive and our identity is not determined by out gaze. I can change that. I can change the way Black women are seen, to some extent, within the industry.'

The Hollywood star's latest role, The Woman King, is the true story of a fierce group of female warriors who protected a West African Kingdom.

Set in the 1820s, Davis leads the cast, portraying the role of Nanisca, a general who trains the next generation of all-female warriors to fight their enemies.

It features an all black cast with Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and John Boyega starring alongside Viola.

She told Sky News that she can't 'wait for roles' to come to her else she will be pushed into 'those stereotypical' parts and won't be the 'artist I've dreamt' of.

Viola explained: 'If I waited for the sort of roles that come to me, then I would be coasting. You know, I would be relegated to those sorts of stereotypical roles.

'But because I'm in the body of a 57-year-old, dark skinned black woman with big lips and wide nose, I have had to push the button, if I don't, I will never be the artist that I've always dreamed I could be.'
A source close to Danni told MailOnline that 'she's had a truly horrible experience' and has since been 'fearful to leave the house'

Danni was exiting a newsagent in Battersea, London when the horror crash, which has left her with post-traumatic stress disorder, took place

A Place in the Sun star Danni Menzies has revealed her shocking facial injuries after being hit by a stolen moped travelling at 30mph.

The TV presenter, 35, was rushed to hospital earlier this month after two females attempting to steal an unattended moped lost control of the vehicle and hit Danni, leaving her unconscious on the pavement.

In photos taken at the scene of the horror accident, which is being investigated by the Met Police, Danni's head is covered in blood, her nose is significantly swollen, and she's covered in bloody cuts and bruises.

Danni was exiting a newsagent close to her home in Battersea, London, when she was suddenly flung off the pavement by the out of control moped, which had been left by its owner who was delivering a package nearby.

Horror crash: A Place in the Sun star Danni Menzies has revealed her shocking facial injuries after being hit by a stolen moped travelling at 30mph

'Truly horrible': The TV presenter was rushed to hospital earlier this month after two females attempting to steal an unattended moped lost control of the vehicle and hit Danni, leaving her unconscious

After being taken to hospital by an ambulance, Danni has since been recovering at home  but the incident has left her with post-traumatic stress disorder and post traumatic vertigo, which is dizziness a patient suffers following a head injury.

A source close to Danni told MailOnline: 'She's had a truly horrible experience.

'No one expects to be knocked unconscious while shopping at their local newsagent and the accident has left Danni in shock and fearful to leave the house.

'She's taking time at home and her mum is by her side  but it's been a scary ordeal.

'All she hopes now is to regain her confidence, take time offline to recover, and for her facial wounds to completely heal.'

'Scary ordeal': After being taken to hospital by an ambulance with significant facial wounds, Danni has since been recovering at home  but the incident has left her with post-traumatic stress disorder

'It's not looking pretty': Last week, Danni told her Instagram followers she had been involved in an accident and would be taking time away from social media to recover

A spokesperson for Danni told MailOnline: 'Earlier this month, Danni was hit by a stolen moped that got out of control.

'She was knocked unconscious and suffered significant facial wounds. She is recuperating at home and resting until the concussion subsides.'

Last week, Danni told her Instagram followers she had been involved in an accident and would be taking time away from social media to recover.

She said alongside a black and white image of the moped: 'So, on Saturday I was taken out (on the pavement!) by a stolen moped that lost control.

'Didn't see it coming and it's not looking pretty right now to be honest.

'I'm sure I will be fine in a few weeks but in the meantime, I might be a wee bit quiet on here.'

Passion: Danni, who found fame on Channel 4's A Place in the Sun in 2016, has been in property from a young age after helping to run her family's business

Danni found fame in 2016 on Channel 4 show A Place in the Sun, where she helped hundreds of house-hunters find their dream property abroad.

The TV host has been involved in her family property business, which started as a caravan park and now boasts over 50 buy-to-let holiday homes, from a young age.

In July, the Formula 1 fanatic called for Top Gear to recruit a female presenter and said not enough women are involved in motorsports.

She said: 'When I was growing up, I loved cars and I would have loved to have tried to do some sort of driving stuff.

'It just wasn't even something you would even think about or talk about or do because girls just didn't do it and that sucks.

'I never saw any girls when I was moving into presenting fronting anything car related.

'If I'd have seen a woman on Top Gear 10 years ago, I probably would have made different choices.'
Love Island star Antigoni Buxton is in talks to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest, MailOnline can reveal.

The reality favourite, 26, who has Greek/Cypriot heritage, has submitted three songs to the country's biggest TV channel, who broadcast the spectacle, after travelling to Athens to showcase her material.

She's been told a decision is imminent and is hopeful of getting the green light to perform at next year's showpiece in Liverpool, having been told her tracks were well received by bosses.

'I'm submitting three songs': Love Island star Antigoni Buxton is in talks to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest, MailOnline can reveal

Antigoni said: 'I'm submitting three songs but one in particular is my favourite.

'It's an up-tempo, powerful, fiery and romantic track with both Greek and English lyrics.

'Combining modern sounds and Hip-hop production with Greek traditional sounds and melodies is my style.'

The reality star admitted performing in the UK, where she resides, would make it extra special.

She added: 'I'm so proud of my Greek roots and my goal as a musician is to share Greek sounds and culture with the world.

'As the Eurovision is being held in the UK where I live, it would be an honour to be able to use my platform here to shine a light on the country I'm representing.'

'It would be an honour': The reality favourite, who has Greek/Cypriot heritage, has submitted three songs to the country's biggest TV channel, who broadcast the spectacle

Antigoni, who's the daughter of celebrity chef Tonia, enjoyed a memorable stint in the Love Island villa this summer having joined as one of the bombshell arrivals.

The North Londoner has a music background and was signed by Island Records when she was 20 by former president Darcus Beese, the man who also signed Amy Winehouse to the label.

After parting company with the firm, she set up her own independent label Sirena Records and released a single called Hit List in May.

Before entering Love Island, Antigoni was in a nine-year relationship with her childhood sweetheart before they split up so she could focus on music.

Summer of love: Antigoni, who's the daughter of celebrity chef Tonia, enjoyed a memorable stint in the Love Island villa this summer having joined as one of the bombshell arrivals

During her spell on the ITV2 series Antigoni had feelings for eventual winner Davide Sanclimenti and Jay Younger but didn't have the chance to pursue a relationship with either of them.

She said: 'I knew with Davide, if it did develop, it would have been real and if it didn't, we'd have just kept having a laugh together and getting along and whatever.

'I would have wanted to have got to know Jay, but not make it so easy for him, so Davide and I would have kept vibing and having a good time and also got to know Jay.'

Antigoni has been supporting close friend and former co-star Paige Thorne through her recent split from Adam Collard after he was accused of cheating on her.

The pair partied at Ekin-Su's Oh Polly launch last Wednesday and spent the weekend in Manchester together while Adam jetted off to a fitness retreat in Bali.
She's reportedly been revealed as the new Love Island host.

And Maya Jama looked pretty pleased with herself when she was pictured larking around in the back of a black cab on Instagram on Monday.

The presenter, 28, looked incredible wearing a silver PVC futuristic looking boob tube which she teamed with baggy cargo jeans and matching heels.

Space girl! Maya Jama wore a silver PVC boob tube and baggy cargo jeans as she larked around in a taxi on Instagram on Monday after being 'revealed as the new Love Island host'

She wrote in the caption: 'Its always greener on this side.'

She ruffled her hair with her hands and pouted her lips, writing in the caption: 'Its always greener on this side.'

In the accompanying gallery of snaps, Maya could be seen posing in her 90s inspired get-up which suited her perfectly.

She also shared a snap with a glamorous looking friend at the top of a mirrored stairwell.

Watch this space: Maya has been hotly-tipped to replace former host Laura Whitmore as the host of the popular ITV2 reality dating programme, Love Island

Her star is rising: She is said to be in the final stages of organising her contract but has agreed to the role which will kick off next year in South Africa

Maya has been hotly-tipped to replace former host Laura Whitmore as the host of the popular ITV2 reality dating programme, Love Island.

She is said to be in the final stages of organising her contract but has agreed to the role which will kick off next year in South Africa, according to The Sun.

An ITV source said: 'Maya was ITV's dream option. She is fun, beautiful and a brilliant presenter.'

An ITV spokesperson said 'we will announce in due course' when contacted by MailOnline.

Girls' night: Maya also shared a snap with a glamorous looking friend at the top of a mirrored stairwell

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Maya for comment.

Laura announced in August this year that she was quitting Love Island and will not be returning to host the next series of the ITV2 dating show.

The Irish presenter, 37, joined the show back in 2020 and has hosted the hugely popular reality programme and its spin-off Aftersun for three series.

Laura - who is mother to a 16-month-old daughter with Love Island voiceover star Iain Sterling - took to her Instagram at the time to confirm she would be leaving, saying she has found flying back and forth from the villa 'very difficult'.

Exit: Laura Whitmore announced in August this year that she was quitting Love Island and would not be returning to host the next series of the ITV2 dating show

The broadcaster's stint on the ITV2 dating show received mixed reviews this season; some viewers praised her handling of sensitive topics, while others criticised her for 'encouraging slut-shaming' in a segment which sparked 427 Ofcom complaints.

Laura replaced Caroline Flack as the presenter of Love Island when she stood down in December 2019. Caroline tragically took her own life aged 40 in February 2020.

In her statement, Laura said she was only planning to fill in for Caroline for one series, emotionally saying that she hope she did her late friend 'proud'.
George Clooney and Julia Roberts have been promoting their new movie Ticket To Paradise.

And on Monday the 61-year-old ER actor and the 54-year-old rom-com queen sat down with Hoda Kotb for Today.

The actors joked about working together again after co-starring in Ocean's 11 and its sequels as well as the drama Money Monster. And the two had a laugh when they talked about having to kiss in front of his wife, attorney Amal Clooney and their two children Alexander and Ella, twins who are age five.

New chat: George Clooney and Julia Roberts have been promoting their new movie Ticket To Paradise. And on Monday the 61-year-old ER actor and the 54-year-old rom-com queen sat down with Hoda Kotb for Today

Talking the talk: The actors joked about working together again after co-starring in Ocean's 11 and its sequels as well as the drama Money Monster

Hoda got right to the point about the romance between the two in the highly anticipated movie.

She asked the longtime friends what it was like to kiss on the set in Australia.

'Is it awkward to kiss your dear, dear friend?' asked Hoda.

An amused Clooney then quipped: 'It is when my wife and kids come by to visit!'

Opening up: George Clooney and Julia Roberts spoke about kissing in front of his children on the set of Ticket to Paradise during an interview with Hoda Kotb for Today that aired on Monday

The big smooch: Clooney is seen here kissing Julia Roberts in Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Roberts went on to express that she and her longtime friend George requested that the actor's son and daughter, Alexander and Ella, aged five, be removed from the set during the kissing scenes.

She recalled: 'That was the first day they came to visit; it's like "Papa! Auntie Juju!" It's like Ah! Get them out!'

In September they both joked that 'it took 80 takes' for them to film the single kissing scene in their upcoming romantic comedy.

While promoting their latest film together, the friends teased that their on-screen smooch took 'like, six months' to perfect.

Kissy: He had to kiss Roberts in their new film Ticket To Paradise. They both joked that 'it took 80 takes' for them to film the single kissing scene

'Yeah. I told my wife [Amal Clooney], 'It took 80 takes,' the actor told The New York Times. 'She was like, "What the hell?"'

Prompting Roberts, who is happily married to Daniel Moder, to explain: 'It took 79 takes of us laughing and then the one take of us kissing.'

'Well, we had to get it right,' Clooney, who became fast pals with the Oscar-winning actress since portraying a couple in the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, interjected.

Clooney has kissed many famous ladies on the big screen.

He kissed Julia Roberts in 2001's Ocean's Eleven. And he went in for a smooch Vera Farmiga in 2009's Up In The Air.

The star also kissed Judy Greer in the 2011 film The Descendants.

They rehearsed: While promoting their latest film together, the longtime friends teased that their on-screen smooch took 'like, six months' to perfect. 'Yeah. I told my wife [ Amal Clooney ], 'It took 80 takes,' the actor told The New York Times . 'She was like, "What the hell?"'

Parental guidance: Roberts went on to express that she and her longtime friend requested that the actor's son and daughter, Alexander and Ella, aged five, be removed from the set during the kissing scenes

Taking caution: She recalled that 'the first day they came to visit; it's like "Papa! Auntie Juju!" It's like Ah! Get them out!'

.@hodakotb: Is it awkward to kiss your dear, dear friend?



Clooney: It is when my wife and kids come by to visit!



Roberts: That was the first day they came to visit; its like Papa! Auntie Juju! Its like Ah! Get them out!



Both: Get them out! pic.twitter.com/3Ui6vYP1Bp  TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 10, 2022

Also on Today on Monday, the Erin Brockovich star also stated that she and her costar were given plenty of room to improvise on set.

'We had a fair amount of ad-libbing, especially in the drunken scenes,' she stated.

Clooney then remarked that Roberts was surprised at how aggressive their interactions looked on screen.

He said: 'I remember, when we first saw it, you said, "You're so mean to me!"'

The actress added that 'I had forgotten how some of it was kind of searing.'

Not expected: Clooney then remarked that Roberts was surprised at how aggressive their interactions looked on screen

Harsh: The actress added that 'I had forgotten how some of it was kind of searing'

Ticket To Paradise is centered on a former couple who travel to Bali in an effort to sabotage the wedding of their daughter, who is planning to marry a man she had only recently met.

Development on the feature was announced in 2021, when Clooney and Roberts signed on to lead the movie.

The pair had previously worked together on films such as Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Money Monster.

Other cast members in the feature include Billie Lourd, Kaitlyn Dever and Lucas Bravo.

Ticket To Paradise premiered in Spain on September 8, and it currently holds a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 21.
She and Phillip Schofield are regularly joined by money experts on This Morning who warn of fraudsters trying to swindle money out of people.

And, during Monday's instalment of the show, Holly Willoughby, 41, revealed that she was almost tricked into handing over her bank details by a text scammer.

The presenter recalled the scary incident, admitting it was only after she clicked through and her bank details were requested that she realised it was a scam.

OMG! During Monday's instalment of This Morning, Holly Willoughby , 41, revealed that she was almost tricked into handing over her bank details by a text scammer

During a segment on scam text messages, Holly told viewers: 'The amount of times we talk about it and I did it the other day.

'It was a text about a delivery that needed re-delivering. And I thought, ''Oh yeah, I probably do need to pay the re-delivery''.

'It was only when I clicked and saw you had to enter your bank details and I thought, ''Oh my god, don't do it'' and deleted it. Even though we talk about it all the time.'

Phillip added that Holly had gone 'a long way' into filling in the information requested by the fraudsters, before realising the truth, to which she admitted: 'I did, I did, I did.'

Regular feature: She and Phillip Schofield are regularly joined by money experts on This Morning who warn of fraudsters trying to swindle money out of people

So close! The presenter recalled the scary incident, admitting it was only after she clicked through and her bank details were requested that she realised it was a scam

Asked what made her ascertain that it was a scam, Holly replied: 'The moment I saw bank details I thought, ''Oh ok, I get this''.'

Holly's admission comes just months after Strictly star Helen Skelton revealed how she lost her 70k life savings in internet banking scam.

The Countryfile presenter admitted she felt 'really stupid' after falling for an internet banking scam in 2019, after answering a few questions during a 'dodgy' phone call from what she believed was her bank.

She explained: 'I mean, come on  even as adults it is so easy to fall victim to a fraudster. I've done it  it has happened to me. It makes you feel really stupid. But it has happened to so many people who aren't stupid.'

Awful: Holly's admission comes just months after Strictly star Helen Skelton revealed how she lost her 70k life savings in internet banking scam

Helen then explained how falling victim to a scammer is 'easily done' as everyone spends a lot of their lives online.

She penned: 'I personally know the pain of being defrauded, so it is incredibly important to me that my children are equipped to spot a scam, even in the seemingly harmless environment of a video game.'

Helen, who is mother to sons Ernie and Louis and daughter Elsie, nine months, with her ex husband, England rugby league player Richie Myler, previously revealed was looking after her children when she received the 'dodgy' phone call.

During an appearance on ITV's Lorraine three years ago, Helen recalled: 'I got phoned up by the bank, told something dodgy had been going on with my account.

'A week later, 70,000 had gone. All gone. And it was just a few questions over the phone.'

Shocking: Helen revealed in 2019 that she was scammed out of a staggering 70,000 after she answered a fake phone call she thought had come from her bank

The former Blue Peter presenter added: 'I had one kid up a tree, one wrestling the dog, another dog throwing up the kids' birthday cake, then they phoned me from the bank and said, 'Oh, something has gone on.' You don't question your bank.'

Helen explained how the scam happens 'every day of the week' to unsuspecting members of the public, adding: 'We're not talking about little old ladies who are victims who don't understand the internet, that's a massively naive assumption.

'It's happening to people and they're too embarrassed to say that it's happened.'

Detailing how she broke down after the news, Helen added: 'I cried buckets when I realised. That money was meant to be for my childrens future. I was thinking of my kids, and about how I would have to work even more and not see them to try to get it back.

'But it wasnt just about money. I felt sick when I realised that Id been speaking to the bloke robbing me. It felt like a total violation.'
A photo of a tidal wind power generation complex on Jeju Island. Korea Times file



By Lee Kyung-min



The former Moon Jae-in administration withheld a government-commissioned study that warned of damage to the fisheries industry from the planned construction of tidal wind power plants, a ruling party lawmaker said Monday.



The study by the Korea Energy Agency in March of last year concluded that the then government initiative to build 68 such plants with a combined capacity of 15.6 gigawatts in coastal regions would significantly undermine the livelihoods of over 121,000 residents, according to Rep. Ku Ja-keun of the People Power Party. They generate a combined 3.38 trillion won ($2.37 billion) in annual sales of marine products.



However, the public's access to the study was soon restricted thereafter, and it was uploaded the following month as a "classified" file to All Public Information in One (ALIO), a finance ministry-operated website where select management information on Korea's 350 state-run, quasi-governmental entities is available.



Further fanning criticism, in his view, was the former president promoting the prospect of the new power generation method in a public event in Ulsan in May, saying the tidal wind power industry will register a 100-fold growth in the global market over the next decade, all the while he was aware of the study findings.



"The construction of tidal wind power plants was and is still not compatible with the existing fisheries industry, because people simply cannot find a place for fishing activities due to the large plants occupying coastal areas," Ku said.



The government-driven investment paid little attention to the concerned voices of the fishing industries, a reason why the "growth initiative" was stalled for years, he said.



"The study clearly stated the shortcomings of the government plan, as illustrated by a clear lack of ways to seek mutual growth with fishermen in the regions," said the lawmaker on the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee. "The places for the construction were shortlisted in detail, but nowhere in the report is any mention of government assistance to offset the expected loss and reduction of income for fishermen."



The construction of the renewable power plants should undergo a thorough review, preceded by public hearings and assessments of environmental and economic damage, not to mention compensation measures for the fishing industry.



"The construction of tidal wind power plants will have a negative impact lasting at least 20 years," he said. "The government should collect opinions from fishermen whose livelihoods will be directly threatened."


He is still remembered for his role of Patrick Bateman, the murderous investment banker and lead character in the 2003 film American Psycho.

But Christian Bale has now revealed he got paid even less than the makeup artists working on the film.

In an interview with GQ, Bale, 48, recalled getting laughed at by makeup artists over the pay gap and claimed he was being paid the legally minimum amount.

'They had paid me the absolute minimum they were legally allowed': Christian Bale has revealed he was paid less than the makeup artists working on his 2003 film American Psycho

'They had paid me the absolute minimum they were legally allowed to pay me,' he told the magazine. 'And I had a house that I was sharing with my dad and my sister and that was getting repossessed.

'So the first thing was: "Holy crap. Ive got to get a bit of money," because Ive got American Psycho done, but I remember one time sitting in the make-up trailer and the make-up artists were laughing at me because I was getting paid less than any of them.

'And so that was my motivation after that. It was just: "I got to get enough that the house doesn't get repossessed."'

During the wide-ranging interview with GQ, Bale revealed the role of Patrick Bateman was first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio before the Titanic actor dropped out.

Killer role: Bale played Patrick Bateman, an investment banker by day and serial killer by night

Bale claimed DiCaprio gets first dibs on every major male movie role in Hollywood.

The Batman actor said that 'to this day, any role that anybody gets, its only because he's passed on it beforehand'.

Bale added that he and other actors in the 47-year-old Titanic star's age range owe their careers to him: 'I would suspect that almost everybody of similar age to him in Hollywood owes their careers to him passing on whatever project it is.'

Hollywood insight: Bale claimed that Leonardo DiCaprio gets first dibs on every major male movie role in Hollywood in a new interview with GQ

'It doesnt matter what anyone tells you. It doesnt matter how friendly you are with the directors. All those people that Ive worked with multiple times, they all offered every one of those roles to him first,' the English actor added.

'I had one of those people actually tell me that. So, thank you, Leo, because literally, he gets to choose everything he does. And good for him, hes phenomenal.'

The conversation came about when interviewer Zach Baron brought up the fact that DiCaprio - who started out in the movie business as a child just like Bale, and is only 10 months younger than him - was first cast in the 2000 film American Psycho ahead of Bale.

First dibs: The Batman actor, 48, said that 'to this day, any role that anybody gets, its only because he's passed on it beforehand'; (L) Bale pictured 2022, (R) DiCaprio pictured 2021

Though Bale eventually ended up starring as Patrick after DiCaprio dropped out, he had apparently lost five other movie roles to him in the 90's, including Titanic.

Bale stressed 'it's not just me' and that every male lead is first offered to the Gatsby actor.

Asked whether he took it personally, Bale replied: 'No. Do you know how grateful I am to get any damn thing? I mean, I cant do what he does. I wouldnt want the exposure that he has either.'

He offered further words of praise to the Los Angeles native, adding: 'He does it magnificently.'

Leo first: 'It doesnt matter how friendly you are with the directors. All those people that Ive worked with multiple times, they all offered every one of those roles to him first'; Pictured 2019

Phenomenal: The actor, who apparently lost five movie roles to Leo in the 90's, including Titanic, added: 'He gets to choose everything he does. And good for him, hes phenomenal'; DiCaprio pictured with Kate Winslet in a still from Titanic

There are conflicting stories on why DiCaprio exited American Psycho, with one theory being that he had creative differences with Oliver Stone, who was set to direct the movie at the time.

Another theory by the films co-writer Guinevere Turner revealed that it might have been a meeting with Gloria Steinem, who didn't approve of the violence against women in the film, that made DiCaprio drop out.

'My friend, who had just spoken to Gloria Steinem, said that Gloria Steinem took Leonardo DiCaprio to a Yankees game. I believe, she said, "Please dont do this movie. Coming off of Titanic, there is an entire planet full of 13-year-old girls waiting to see what you do next, and this is going to be a movie that has horrible violence toward women,"' she recalled in an interview with Vice in 2020.

Among other roles Bale reportedly lost to DiCaprio are This Boys Life (1993) and Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).

A silent rivalry: Among other roles Bale reportedly lost to DiCaprio are This Boys Life (1993) and Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Dicaprio pictured with Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis in What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Elsewhere in the GQ interview Bale revealed that he acted as a 'mediator' between Amy Adams and David O. Russell on the contentious set of the 2013 crime comedy American Hustle.

Years ago a leaked email from the Sony hacks alleged that David 'abused' Amy to the point where Christian had to step in. She herself has since described feeling 'devastated' on the set of the film 'most' days.

Now Christian confirmed previous claims that he got involved when tensions broke out between Amy and her director: 'If I can have some sense of understanding of where it's coming from, then I do tend to attempt to be a mediator,' Christian claimed.

'That's just in my nature, to try to say: "Hey, come on, let's go and sit down and figure that out. There's gotta be a way of making this all work."'
Rapper Chucky Chuck discovered an inventive way to entertain the crowd during his 5:20pm set at the 13th annual Kushstock Festival in Adelanto, CA last Saturday.

The 42-year-old Redondo Beach native hired a company called Smokebusters to blow massive plumes of marijuana smoke into the audience at the 21+ free event.

Smokebusters creates custom cannabis cannons out of leaf blowers affixed to cooking pots/strainers, which are then filled with handfuls of the psychoactive drug and lit with torches.

Puff, puff, pass! Rapper Chucky Chuck discovered an inventive way to entertain the crowd during his 5:20pm set at the 13th annual Kushstock Festival in Adelanto, CA last Saturday (pictured April 29)

Chucky (born Charles DeVries) generously got all the 'weed heads' packing into the Adelanto Plaza & Event Center high at the music fest, which also featured a car show.

'F*** a fog machine we had @elite_solution and @essmokebusters on deck last night at Kushstock in Adelanto,' the DGAF co-founder - who boasts 57K social media followers - wrote.

'Nothing but vibes all day mad love @kushstockcali @kushed_out_818 @garage_powder @donutz4dollarz @mikeceo1 @bvrbiexx everyone that rocked with me, performed, vended, or just came to have a good time shut out to everybody involved!'

California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, which expanded into recreational use in 2018.

420: The 42-year-old Redondo Beach native (R) hired a company called Smokebusters to blow massive plumes of marijuana smoke into the audience at the 21+ free event

Ingenuity: Smokebusters creates custom cannabis cannons out of leaf blowers affixed to cooking pots/strainers, which are then filled with handfuls of the psychoactive drug and lit with torches (pictured last Wednesday)

Foggy: Chucky (born Charles DeVries) generously got all the 'weed heads' packing into the Adelanto Plaza & Event Center high at the music fest, which also featured a car show

The DGAF co-founder wrote: 'F*** a fog machine we had @elite_solution and @essmokebusters on deck last night at Kushstock in Adelanto. Nothing but vibes all day mad love everyone that rocked with me, performed, vended, or just came to have a good time shut out to everybody involved!'

Now voters in five states - Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota - get to decide whether to legalize adult-use marijuana in next month's midterm elections.

Currently 19 states, two US territories, and Washington, DC have all legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.

And last Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that he's pardoning people charged with simple marijuana possession on a federal level, which is estimated to be around 6,500 citizens.

There's also renewed talk of declassifying marijuana as Schedule I considering other Schedule I drugs (heroin, LSD, ecstasy, methaqualone, and peyote) are potentially lethal.

Spark it up! California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, which expanded into recreational use in 2018

Engulfed: Now voters in five states - Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota - get to decide whether to legalize adult-use marijuana in next month's midterm elections just like 19 other states, two US territories, and DC

Pardon power: Last Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that he's pardoning people charged with simple marijuana possession on a federal level, which is estimated to be around 6,500 citizens
They recently hit the brakes on their divorce in order to give their marriage a second chance.

And Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney could not keep their hands off each other as they enjoyed a night out in Hollywood on Sunday.

The couple looked very much back-on as they smooched and danced the night away at Davey Wayne's bar.

It's back on! Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney could not keep their hands off each other as they enjoyed a night out in Hollywood on Sunday; pictured 2016

In video of the couple at the bar, the duo were in their own world despite being surrounded by a crowd of fellow bar goers.

They shared a passionate kiss and Michelle tenderly caressed the back of his head.

The couple looked oh-so in love as they danced close to one another and shared numerous smooches.

All the troubles of the past few months seemed to be behind the couple during their fun-filled night on the town.

Attempting reconciliation: Last month, Radar Online reported the couple paused their divorce for the next six months after Michelle filed divorce documents in August; pictured 2016

Last month, Radar Online reported the couple paused their divorce for the next six months after Michelle filed divorce documents in August.

Branch and Carney - who are both on tour this fall - will resume living together and undergo counseling sessions in an effort to mend their broken bond.

The decision came a month after the Grammy winner was arrested for slapping the five-time Grammy winner 'one or two times' at their Nashville home after accusing him of cheating.

Man and wife: Branch and Carney pictured on their wedding day in 2019

Michelle's domestic violence charges were ultimately dropped at the request of the state on August 24, according to Billboard.

'I wouldn't even call Patrick my ex yet,' Michelle told Newsweek on September 2. 'We're, you know, we're working through it by the day.'

The musical power couple only welcomed their second child - daughter Willie Jacquet - eight months ago.

Throwback: The duo pictured in 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia

Branch and Patrick are also parents of four-year-old son Rhys James and she mothered 17-year-old daughter Owen Isabelle during her decade-long marriage to bass player Teddy Landau (19 years her senior), which ended in 2015.

Branch revealed in September that she now regrets tweeting (and then deleting) an accusation that Patrick had cheated on her on August 10.

'I definitely shouldn't have taken to Twitter to say anything,' the Arizona-born told People.

'Here I am saying, "Please respect our privacy," but I'm the one who said it to the world.'
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker shared several snaps that had been taken during a birthday party for his son Landon to her Instagram account on Monday.

The 43-year-old reality television personality and the 46-year-old drummer appeared to be elated as they celebrated his eldest child's 19th birthday.

Not only did they kiss for the camera but he also grabbed her hips.

Capturing the moment: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker shared several snaps that had been taken during a birthday party for his son Landon to her Instagram account on Monday

The happy couple has been married for nearly five months and tied the knot during a lavish wedding ceremony earlier this year.

Kardashian looked lovely while wearing a sleek black dress that conformed tightly to her curvy form.

The entrepreneur paired her clothing with a matching pair of open-toed shoes.

The social media powerhouse added a bit of shine to her look with a sparkling necklace.

Her gorgeous dark brunette hair fell towards her shoulders while she celebrated Landon's birthday.

Dressed up: Kardashian looked lovely while wearing a sleek black dress that conformed tightly to her curvy form

Accessorizing well: The social media powerhouse added a bit of shine to her look with a sparkling necklace

Barker opted for a for a black shirt and a matching pair of slim-fitting pants during the celebratory event.

The Blink-182 member also rocked a set of leather shoes and a stylish pair of sunglasses.

Kardashian commented on the color of the outfits with a short message in her post's caption that read: 'Landon said "black tie."'

Barker shares his eldest child with his former wife, Shanna Moakler, whom he married in 2004.

Matching: Barker opted for a for a black shirt and a matching pair of slim-fitting pants during the celebratory event

He was previously married to Melissa Kennedy, and their marriage lasted from 2001 until 2002.

The performer went on to begin seeing his now-ex-wife, and they started a family with Landon's birth in 2003.

Barker and Moakler, 47, subsequently brought a daughter named Alabama, 16, into their lives in 2005.

Proud father: The performer went on to begin seeing his now-ex-wife, and they started a family with Landon's birth in 2003

The drummer also serves as a stepfather to his wife's daughter Atiana, 23, whom she shared with Oscar De La Hoya.

The musician later began dating Kardashian, and they made their relationship known to the public last February.

The social media powerhouse also shares sons Reign and Mason, aged seven and twelve, and daughter Penelope, aged 10, with her former partner, Scott Disick.

Letting everyone know: The musician later began dating Kardashian, and they made their relationship known to the public last February

Happy mom: The social media powerhouse also shares sons Reign and Mason, aged seven and twelve, and daughter Penelope, aged 10, with her former partner, Scott Disick

The now-married couple eventually became engaged during a trip to Montecito, California, in October of last year.

The reality television personality and the performer legally tied the knot in Santa Barbara this past May, and they held a wedding ceremony in Italy that same month.

Kardashian recently underwent IVF treatments with the intention of welcoming a child with Barker, although she recently paused the process.
They were crowned winners of Love Island just two months ago.

But fans are already worried Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti are splitting up as they appear to spend more and more time apart.

With Ekin working in Rome this week and Davide partying hard in Ibiza fans have spotted cryptic messages and deleted tweets which could suggest trouble in paradise.

'Priorities': Love Island fans worry Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti have SPLIT after spotting cryptic messages while he parties alone in Ibiza (pictured) this week

According to The Sun in a since deleted post, on Saturday Ekin cryptically wrote: 'Priorities... hmm'.

She later told her 3.2M followers: 'To all my fans supporting me all the time. I love you'.

Before adding: 'Ekin always will be making the right moves #trust #watchthisspace.'

MailOnline have contacted reps for Ekin-Su and Davide for comment.

Working hard: While her beau appeared to be relaxing Ekin-Su was working hard in Rome this week on a photo shoot

Fun times: Davide appeared happier than ever as he soaked up the sun at a Spotify event in Ibiza on Monday

Keeping cool: The Italian hunk donned a green co-ord which featured a plunging shirt and matching shorts

Davide appeared happier than ever as he soaked up the sun at a Spotify event in Ibiza on Monday.

The Italian hunk donned a green co-ord which featured a plunging shirt and matching shorts.

Shielding his eyes behind shades he slicked his hair perfectly to one side as he enjoyed a drink and danced the night away.

Party: Davide appeared happier than ever as he soaked up the sun at a Spotify event on the Island

Smart: Shielding his eyes behind shades he slicked his hair perfectly to one side as he enjoyed a drink and danced the night away

Ekin-Su offered fans a glimpse of her of her time in Italy on Friday, after paying a visit to the iconic Trevi Fountain.

Clad in a sexy brown mini dress, the Turkish model captioned her snap, 'I made a wish in Rome...' as she stood next to the Italian capital's famous landmark.

Stood side-on to the camera to showcase her enviable frame, the TV personality let her curled raven tresses wave past her shoulders and reach her waist.

Saucy snap: Ekin-Su offered fans a glimpse of her of her time in Italy on Friday, after paying a visit to the iconic Trevi Fountain

Turkish delight: She posted a clip of her in a shimmering white strappy mini dress with a glamorous statement feather skirt at the bottom

Her strapless bodycon dress perfectly shaped around her ample assets.

On her arm Ekin-Su wore a black Louis Vuitton leather shoulder bag and she gives a sensual look away from the scenery as she poses for the Instagram snap.

On her Instagram stories, the Love Islander showed herself wandering the streets of Rome at night and captioned it 'Getting lost in Rome is fun'.

Several other stories show Ekin-Su getting her glamorous makeup and hair done for what looks like photo shoots throughout the day.

She posted a clip of her in a shimmering white strappy mini dress with a glamorous statement feather skirt at the bottom, showing off her long brown locks as she wanders the Roman streets.
Former Victorias Secret model Joy Corrigan flaunted her fit figure on Instagram in a tiny two-piece green bikini on Monday.

The 27-year-old actress took advantage of the tropical Hawaiian landscape and used it as her backdrop in a campaign for Spindrift sparkling water.

The model captioned the post: 'Can you guess my favorite color?'

Tropical goddess: Former Victoria's Secret model Joy Corrigan flaunted her fit figure on Instagram in a sexy green two-piece on Monday

The fashion designer also shared a short video of the photoshoot with the caption 'Island Girl.'

Keeping her hair and makeup simple with pink pouty lips, the emphasis was on her body and outfit.

Joy is a natural in front of the camera, and oozed sex appeal as her swimsuit matched the color of the green Hawaiian landscape around her.

Fun in the sun: Corrigan spent most of her childhood on a farm in Creedmoor, North Carolina. She was homeschooled by her parents with her 6 brothers and 3 sisters

Healthy girl: The 27-year-old star - known for appearances in publications like Sports Illustrated, GQ, and Galore Magazine - was taking snaps for a Spindrift sparkling water campaign

Living her best life: When speaking to Bella Magazine, the supermodel said she's 'living the life she's always dreamed of.' Discussing her rise to fame she added, 'I dreamed of things but never actually thought they would happen, but every day since has led to a step in that direction'

Natural beauty: The fashion designer accessorized her look with a beaded necklace around her waist that matched a smaller version around her neck. She also wore a designer straw sunhat and loose white shirt she left unbuttoned

The model turned entrepreneur credited her success to her tight knit family recently in an interview with Bella Magazine saying, 'My family loves each other and there is nothing we can do wrong, so the real world was a huge shock when I moved out because not everyone is kind and loving, or wants the best for you.'

She added, 'I had to learn quickly how to navigate through different personalities.'

Recently, the beauty was seen shooting a vintage-Chanel-style campaign for What Goes Around Comes Around in Beverly Hills.

The photoshoot sought to re-create a classic Chanel black-and-white look that encapsulated old Hollywood and California cool all in one.

Adorned from head to toe in thoughtfully curated luxurious accessories, Joy personified todays Hollywood glam in the beautiful layout of images.

Classic look: Recently, the beauty was seen shooting a vintage-Chanel-style campaign for What Goes Around Comes Around in Beverly Hills

The stunning entrepreneur and entertainer who recently launched her clothing line for men and women called NakedSpecies keeps proving that there is indeed something special about this rising star.

Three weeks ago the beauty made a statement on the runway at Kourtney Kardashian's Boohoo show during the New York Fashion Week.

The beauty has been a rising star since the age of fourteen when she was scouted at a mall in Raleigh and asked if she wanted to be in a fashion show. At eighteen she moved to Florida and signed with an agency.

From her humble beginnings on a farm, to one of the most in-demand supermodels in the world, her story continues to inspire.

She has also recently shared many photos and videos of herself working out in various ensembles from Alo Yoga.
TV legend John Westacott has been remembered as a champion of women and proud opponent of political correctness following his death on Sunday.

The Channel Nine executive, 73, who ran ratings juggernaut 60 Minutes for 16 years and was a controversial media figure, suffered a suspected medical episode on a boat in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

A keen yachtsman, Westacott had to be pulled from the water by NSW Police Marine Area Command after falling from a boat into Sydney Harbour at 1.30pm on Sunday.

TV legend John Westacott (pictured in March 2002) has been remembered as a champion of women and proud opponent of political correctness following his death on Sunday

Watched on by alarmed crowds, NSW Ambulance paramedics treated Westacott at Vaucluse wharf for 30 minutes, but were unable to save him.

Former television presenter Lisa Oldfield paid tribute to Westacott on Monday, saying she was 'heartbroken' by his death.

Ms Oldfield, the ex-wife of former One Nation politician David Oldfield, worked with Westacott when she co-hosted the short-lived daytime talk show The Catch-Up.

The Catch-Up, based on the popular U.S. TV series The View, was produced by Mia Freedman and saw a panel of women discussing views, news and gossip, but was cancelled after less than a year due to low ratings.

'Absolutely heartbroken to learn John Westacott passed away,' the former Real Housewives of Sydney star wrote on Instagram.

'He was an amazing advocate of women and political incorrectness. When I co-hosted The Catch-Up in 2007 he always backed me, despite the provocative things I said. Farewell, Westy. You were an amazing human being.'

Former television presenter Lisa Oldfield (pictured) paid tribute to Westacott on Monday, saying she was 'heartbroken' by his death

Ms Oldfield (centre left), the ex-wife of former One Nation politician David Oldfield, worked with Westacott when she co-hosted the short-lived daytime talk show The Catch-Up

'He was an amazing advocate of women and political incorrectness. When I co-hosted The Catch-Up in 2007 he always backed me, despite the provocative things I said. Farewell, Westy. You were an amazing human being,' Ms Oldfield wrote on Instagram

The television titan was on the vessel with another man around the same age who looked visibly disturbed and who was shrouded in a blanket, plus an 18-year-old man.

At one point, pictures showed an emergency services worker put a consoling arm around the bystander.

Westacott was a legend in Sydney's TV industry and was considered the master of chequebook journalism while working at 60 Minutes until 2010.

He also helmed other Nine news flagship shows such as A Current Affair and the Today show.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated Westacott at Vaucluse wharf for 30 minutes, but were unable to save him

NSW water police were called to rescue Mr Westacott who fell of a boat in Sydney Harbour

In 2008, Westacott hit the headlines after he was accused of making offensive and sexist remarks to female journalists.

Westacott was alleged to have told a group of female journalists at a book launch that year that they were hired only for their sex appeal.

'To make it in this industry, you gotta have f**kability. To make it in this game, women have to be f***able,' Westacott is alleged to have said.

The allegations were made by Nine's former Los Angeles correspondent Christine Spiteri in an unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination claim in which she sought damages of $500,000.

Paramedics were at the scene of the incident on Sunday when Westacott fell from a boat at Vaucluse and could not be revived

A large crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the tragedy unfold at a popular seaside area of Sydney

Westacott denied making the comment, or saying that with her name, Spiteri would be better for working for SBS.

After his long stint at 60 Minutes, Westacott became Nine's director of news and current affairs in 2007, and stayed in the job until he retired in 2010, wrapping up 25 years at Nine, and four decades as a journalist and news producer.

He has been credited with inventing the 'worm' graphic used during election debates.

Westacott was hailed as a 'driving force' behind Nine's long dominance of commercial TV news and current affairs programming.

A man who was on the vessel with Westacott was comforted by an officer afterwards as paramedics failed to revive the retired TV executive

Former Nine correspondent Christine Spiteri (pictured) sued the Nine Network after she was sacked and claimed Westacott had made sexist remarks about women in TV

'Westy was an enigma. There was no one like him,' a statement issued by current Nine news chief Darren Wick and Head of Television Michael Healy said.

'He didn't care about political correctness and would publicly declare that.

'But, he was among the first in our industry to promote women to senior roles with 60 Minutes and ensure their voices were heard.

'He didn't care where you came from, nor about your gender, ethnicity or religious and political beliefs.

'He cared about whether you had the passion and ability to tell a great story.'

Mr Westacott has been credited with inventing 'the worm', which measures an audience's sentiment during a debate

Charles Wooley (pictured second from right) said Westacott was 'indefatigable and ceaseless' in pursuit of a story. Also in the picture are 60 Minutes reporters (from left) Liam Bartlett, Liz Hayes, George Negus and Ray Martin at the 2018 Logie Awards on the Gold Coast

Former 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley paid tribute to Westacott as 'as the kind of man you'd trust with your life I'm just absolutely shattered, I've been blubbering about this to everyone I've spoken to  fair dinkum.'

'I have never met anyone more indefatigable and ceaseless in his pursuit of a story,' Wooley told The Australian.

'He would never give up and whatever he would do, he would enrich with his words and his work.'

'We're all shocked to lose him, he was brilliant and felt indestructible  it kind of feels like he "did a runner", which was Westy's term for when you leave an unpleasant situation and leave the rest to face the music.'

He is survived by his wife Cecile and two sons.
She is starring in the upcoming retro-futuristic flick The Electric State.

But Millie Bobby Brown, 18, indulged in another iconic sci-fi series with her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi, 20.

The couple posed with Stormtroopers during a recent visit to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

May the Force be with you! Millie Bobby Brown and her boyfriend Jake Bongiovi posed with Stromtroopers at Disney World

Millie served a tough look for the camera as she posed beside her lightsaber-wielding boyfriend.

She rested a hand on his shoulder blade while two stormtroopers posed behind them, weapons in hand.

Millie wore a stylish $59.25 WeWoreWhat 'Camp Collar Oranges' linen shirt-dress and a pair of chunky black trainers.

She wove her blond locks into a singular braid that rested over her shoulder while some fringe skimmed over her eyes.

Double trouble! Brown beamed as she posed by the iconic soldiers

Her boyfriend, who is the son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, was looking trendy in a white T-shirt, powder pink trousers, and bright red sneakers.

Millie and her boyfriend first sparked romance rumors back in the summer of 2021.

Millie then introduced Jake to her followers in June 2021 with a cute photo of him posted to Instagram, but it wasn't until she posted a picture of him planting a kiss on her cheek that they were 'Instagram official.'

Out of this world! Millie served a tough look for the camera as she posed beside her lightsaber-wielding boyfriend

In August she sparked engagement speculation when she was seen wearing a gold diamond ring on her wedding finger during a PDA-packed outing with her boyfriend.

The English actress became an internationally recognized child star on the smash hit Netflix series Stranger Things.

Jake accompanied the star on the red carpet in New York, at the star-studded premiere for Stranger Things season four in May.

Fashionista! Brown wore a stylish $59.25 WeWoreWhat 'Camp Collar Oranges' linen shirt-dress with her hair woven into a singular braid

Millie's romance has gone into overdrive just as her career has flourished. She currently stars on the fourth season of the hit Netflix show.

The 1980s-set show follows a group of teens in a fictional Indiana town as they battle supernatural forces unleashed by shadowy government organizations.

Season four dropped on Netflix in two parts in May and July, and a fifth and final season will be following on afterwards.

The cast includes Winona Ryder, as well as David Harbour and Finn Wolfhard who were elevated to stardom by the series.
A lesbian Married At First Sight star has weighed in on the culture war over gender-neutral bathrooms after visiting a Melbourne bar with inclusive facilities.

Gender-neutral bathrooms have become a battleground in recent years between trans advocates, who support them, and right-wing feminists, who see them as a way for biological men to encroach on women's spaces.

Amanda Micallef criticised the venue for having a 'female and non-binary' bathroom, expressing concern over the possibility of a 'man who considers himself non-binary' using the facilities around biological women.

Lesbian Married At First Sight star Amanda Micallef (pictured) has weighed in on the culture war over gender-neutral bathrooms after visiting a Melbourne bar with inclusive facilities

'Non-binary' is an umbrella term for gender identities that are not solely male or female. Non-binary people sometimes use they/them pronouns.

'I think it's a poor move for business,' Ms Micallef added on Instagram. 'I mean, that's how I'm reading this sign?'

'Might as well just do gender-neutral toilets and really scare away a lot of people in a child-friendly business,' she added.

Ms Micallef criticised the venue for having a 'female and non-binary' bathroom, expressing concern over the possibility of a 'man who considers himself non-binary' using the facilities

The debate about gender-neutral bathrooms ranges from legitimate concerns about women being comfortable in public spaces, to bogus far-right conspiracy theories about transgender people being 'groomers'.

Women who oppose inclusive bathrooms on principle are sometimes called TERFs, or trans-exclusionary radical feminists, a term coined to describe feminists who only advocate for the rights of biological women, not trans women.

One of the most high-profile opponents of gender-neutral facilities is Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who has argued: 'When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman... then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside.'

'I think it's a poor move for business,' Ms Micallef said. 'I mean, that's how I'm reading this sign? Might as well just do gender-neutral toilets and really scare away a lot of people'

Rowling, whose views have been widely condemned by trans people and their allies, said in a 3,600-word essay in June 2020 that 'the new trans activism' erodes women and girls' rights to single-sex spaces by 'offering cover to predators', reports Reuters.

By contrast, LGBT advocates argue gender-neutral bathrooms aren't replacing women's bathrooms, but simply offer a safe option for trans and non-binary people.

The suggestion that these bathrooms and other gender-inclusive policies are part of a plan for trans people to harm or harass woman has been described as a conspiracy theory with no basis in fact.

Trans activists note the way their community is being treated today is no different to how gays and lesbians were treated with suspicion in the past.
Paris Hilton took to Instagram on Monday to share with her 20.5 Million followers 'Not only is it Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but today is also World Mental Health Day.'

Hilton posted a six-image carousel that began with the fashionista dressed in navy blue surgical scrubs with her long blonde hair tucked under a New York Yankees hat as she posed in front of a Prenuvo MRI machine.

The whole-body scanner is a radiation-free MRI machine that offers life-saving technology by way of early cancer detection.

Life-saving technology: Paris Hilton took to Instagram to share with her 20.5 Million followers a body scan procedure that could potentially save lives

The model continued her caption, My grandmother passed away from breast cancer and I miss her every single day. I can't stress how important it is for my mental health to make sure I'm being proactive and not reactive when it comes to my physical health.

'I went to @Prenuvo to get a full body scan and I was so impressed with their incredible technology and how fast I got my results! I encourage every single one of you to go get a scan and make sure you are taking care of yourselves.'

In the second snap, the reality TV star posed on the blue bed of the machine wearing matching blue shoe covers in the dust-controlled environment.

The third shot shows what the result of the scan looked like with a clear view of the DJs scan result on a large computer display screen mounted on the wall.

Getting the scan: In the second snap, the reality TV star posed as she sat on the blue bed of the machine wearing blue shoe covers in the dust-controlled environment

Internal view: The DJs full body scan result displayed on a large computer screen revealing the inner detail of her spine

Spreading the word to help people: The whole-body scan is a radiation-free MRI scan that offers life-saving technology for early cancer detection

Window glass: The reality star shared a picture of the clinic from outside the entrance

Bringing awareness to charities: Paris posts often and promotes many different organizations. On Monday, along with promoting Mental Health day she also brought awareness to a Muscular Dystrophy foundation as she posed with a boy in a wheelchair with the caption 'click below to help find the cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy #DMD

This comes after Hilton responded to a confession from one of her fans, YouTube star Gregory Brown as he explained how he robbed her vehicle in 2007.

Gregory's comedic video was captioned, 'Could Paris sue me?' The skit was rooted in the new One Thing About Me trend in which people tell a story to the beat of Nicki Minaj's Super Freaky Girl song.

The reality star responded to the post writing, 'LOL! Can you please do a reveal of the sisterhood of the traveling Paris Hilton sunglasses? #ThatsNotHot #ButThatsHilarious #ButAlsoPlsDontRobMe .'

Confession: Paris reacted to a message from one of her fans, Gregory Brown who robbed her vehicle in 2007

Her car was left unlocked: In the video Paris listened to how they got in her car and hung out for a while before they left with a pair of her expensive Christian Dior sunglasses

She made the video amid a backdrop of mannequin heads with bright-colored wigs and multiple shelves of sunglasses.

In the comments section, one fan named Nicole wrote, 'Is she in a ROOM OF SUNGLASSES? God I love her.'

The split screen video had Paris on the left watching herself listen to the story about how he found her vehicle unattended as they both attended a concert in Toronto years ago.

Funny and honest thief: He joked, 'I will happily give them back to you as long as you give them back to me'

The end: He ended his story with, 'So yes, I robbed Paris Hilton. I hope that's okay. And please don't put me in jail. You're rich'

He and his group of friends had noticed that her car was left unlocked and unattended. So, they curiously opened the doors and hung out in the vehicle before leaving with a pair of her sunglasses.

As he spoke, his words were captioned on the screen, 'Paris me so sorry, me so sorry for robbing you, these are them, you asked for a sunglasses reveal.'

On the split screen, Paris is seen shaking her head up and down and mouthing 'yes' in agreement.

He continued, 'I will happily give them back to you as long as you give them back to me.'

Paris did a stitch with the video and captioned it, 'Omg, I remember these sunglasses. They look hot on you so you can keep them! PS: They NEVER went out of style '

Earlier this week, Paris took to Instagram to share that she is InStyle Spain's October issue cover girl.

Stunning: Hilton was on the cover of InStyle Spain's October issue on Monday

The 41-year-old beauty modeled a silky $7395 Versace Medusa Corset Mini Dress that showed off her toned arms and flawless neckline.

Last week, Paris shared a playful and festive video looking amazing in her favorite Halloween past costumes: rising phoenix, Playboy Bunny, sliving gladiator, raver Furby, Mrs. Aquarius and Tinkerbell.

'October is finally here! Halloween is my favorite time of year because I love playing dress up (and because I love eating candy) What do you guys think I should be this year? #ThatsHot #ThatsSpooky #SpookySzn'
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Oct. 9. Reuters-Yonhap



Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called the attack that damaged the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea ''a terrorist act'' masterminded by Ukrainian special services.



The Kerch Bridge, which holds important strategic and symbolic value to Russia in its faltering war in Ukraine, was hit a day earlier by what Moscow has said was a truck bomb. Road and rail traffic on the bridge were temporarily halted, damaging a vital supply route for the Kremlin's forces.



''There's no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation,'' Putin said during a meeting with the chairman of Russia's Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. ''And the authors, perpetrators, and those who ordered it are the special services of Ukraine.''



Bastrykin said Ukrainian special services and citizens of Russia and other countries took part in the attack. He said a criminal investigation had been launched into an act of terror.



''We have already established the route of the truck,'' he said, saying it had been to Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia and Krasnodar, a region in southern Russia.



In Kyiv, presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak called Putin's accusation ''too cynical even for Russia.''



''Putin accuses Ukraine of terrorism?'' he said. ''It has not even been 24 hours since Russian planes fired 12 rockets into a residential area of Zaporizhzhia, killing 13 people and injuring more than 50. No, there is only one state terrorist and the whole world knows who he is.''



Podolyak referred to missile strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia overnight that brought down part of a large apartment building. The six missiles were launched from Russian-occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region, the Ukrainian air force said.



The region is one of four Russia claimed as its own this month, though its capital of the same name remains under Ukrainian control.



Russia has suffered a series of setbacks nearly eight months after invading Ukraine in a campaign many thought would be short-lived. In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have staged a counteroffensive, retaking areas in the south and east, while Moscow's decision to call up more troops has led to protests and an exodus of hundreds of thousands of Russians.



Recent fighting has focused on the regions just north of Crimea, including Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lamented the latest attack.



''Again, Zaporizhzhia. Again, merciless attacks on civilians, targeting residential buildings, in the middle of the night,'' he wrote. At least 19 people died in Russian missile strikes on apartment buildings in the city on Thursday.



''From the one who gave this order, to everyone who carried out this order: They will answer,'' he added.





People stand in front of a building that was heavily damaged after a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 9.AP-Yonhap




Mandy Moore took to Instagram on Monday with criticism for Kanye West as his anti-Semitic outburst over the weekend continued to make headlines.

'It's time for people to stop saying that man is a genius,' Moore, 38, wrote. 'Or that mental illness is an excuse for his antisemitism and anti-blackness. You can have compassion for someone's condition but also call them out. Words matter [sic].'

The Emmy-nominated actress wrote her message under a tweet from the Anti-Defamation League's director of community engagement Carly Pildis, who said West's 'actions are extremely dangerous and must be called out.'

The latest: Mandy Moore, 38, took to Instagram on Monday with criticism for Kanye West, 45, as his anti-Semitic outburst over the weekend continued to make headlines

'Kanye West has more twitter followers than there Jews in the world,' the tweet read. 'There are an estimated 14.8 million Jews and he has over 30 million followers. American Jews are experiencing a historic rise in antisemitic incidents [sic].'

West, 45, took to Twitter on Saturday after he faced restrictions on Instagram, writing, 'I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE ... The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also ... You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.'

West's latest racism controversy came less than a week after a Paris Fashion Week showcase for his Yeezy line that saw him and conservative commentator Candace Owens don tops that read White Lives Matter on the back.

Moore was one of a number of celebs to condemn West's words, as John Legend, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Silverman and Josh Gad also took to social media to call out West for his offensive remarks.

West's latest racism controversy came less than a week after a Paris Fashion Week showcase for his Yeezy line that saw him and conservative commentator Candace Owens don sweaters that read White Lives Matter on the back

West made the offensive remarks on Saturday after he faced restrictions on Instagram

West's latest racism controversy came less than a week after a Paris Fashion Week showcase for his Yeezy line that saw him and conservative commentator Candace Owens don tops that read White Lives Matter on the back

Moore (pictured last year in LA) was one of a number of celebs to condemn West's words, as John Legend, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Silverman and Josh Gad also took to social media to call out West for his offensive remarks

Legend, 43, West's one-time friend, wrote, 'Weird how all these "free, independent thinkers" always land at the same old anti blackness and anti-Semitism.'

Silverman, 51, said, 'Kanye threatened the Jews yesterday on twitter and its not even trending. Why do mostly only Jews speak up against Jewish hate? The silence is so loud.'

Curtis, 63, alluded to Yom Kippur, writing, 'The holiest day in Judaism was last week. Words matter. A threat to Jewish people ended once in a genocide. Your words hurt and incite violence. You are a father. Please stop.'

Gad, 41, said, 'More and more, I find that anti-Semitism is one of the rare forms of hate towards a specific group that is seemingly met with silence by the masses. It's heartbreaking standing with so many others on issue after issue and find those same allies consistently silence when we need them.'

On Monday, Twitter told NPR that it had locked West's account for an indefinite timeframe over policy violations.

Curtis alluded to Yom Kippur, writing, 'The holiest day in Judaism was last week. Words matter'

Legend, West's one-time friend, wrote: 'Weird how all these 'free, independent thinkers' always land at the same old anti blackness and anti-Semitism'

Sarah Silverman noted the lack of a sharp response to West's offensive remarks
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A building housing Samsung Electronics' Ukraine operation was damaged following Russia's missile attack on Kyiv on Monday, officials said.







Earlier in the day, Russia shelled several cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv, leaving at least five dead in the capital city alone, according to news reports.







An official from Samsung Electronics confirmed that some of the building's windows were shattered following the attack, although a missile did not directly hit the location but landed some 150 meters away.







"We have confirmed that no casualties were reported from our local (Ukraine) branch," the official said.







An official from South Korea's foreign ministry added no casualties of Korean nationals were reported from Monday's attack. (Yonhap)


The Hyderabad police, who are investigating the terror activities of Abdul Zahed and two associates, suspect that the accused might have received hand grenades and other weapons from Adilabad. (DC)

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police, who are investigating the terror activities of Abdul Zahed and two associates, suspect that the accused might have received hand grenades and other weapons from Adilabad.

Earlier, the Haryana police had arrested three persons for smuggling weapons to Adilabad. The weapons were brought from Pakistan.

Hyderabad police nabbed Zahed, Samiuddin and Maaz for trying to create law and order disturbances by using hand grenades and other explosive material. It was learnt that Zahed received the hand grenades from his Pakistan-based handlers. The trio was intending to hurl the grenades at public gatherings or processions in order to create communal tension. Zahed received funds from terror outfits for recruiting youth in order to carry out terror acts.

Meanwhile, the investigation officers inquired about the whereabouts of the absconding Farhathullah Ghori, 52, resident of Saidabad, Siddiqui Bin Osman, 50, resident of Talabkatta, and Zaheds brother Abdul Majeed, 34, from Moosarambagh, who all are presently residing in Rawalpindi.

Sources said that Zahed had links with the three who are absconding, who also sent money and weapons to him.

"Recently, the Haryana police nabbed three accused for smuggling weapons to Adilabad to deliver them to a suspect. Meantime, they were caught at a toll plaza with the weapons. The investigation team will probe deeper into the issue," sources said.

During interrogation, Samiuddin reportedly confessed that Zahed was in touch with Farhatullah Ghori, Majeed and Siddique, who are working for LeT-ISI.

"On September 27, Samiuddin went to meet Zahed where he took his phone and chatted through encrypted communications and showed photographs of the hand grenade consignment through Whatsapp and instructed Samiuddin to bring the consignment from Manoharabad. The next day, Samiuddin went to Manoharabad on his two-wheeler (TS11 EL 9785), brought the consignment and handed it over to Zahed at his residence. A day later, Samuiddin, Zahed and Maaz went to Al Marjaan hotel where Zahed gave grenades to them and asked them to hurl it at a public place," said a police official.
Children are becoming victims of sexual abuse in educational institutions, both government and private schools, as a consequence of lax law enforcement.. (Representational image.)

Hyderabad: Children are becoming victims of sexual abuse in educational institutions, both government and private schools, as a consequence of lax law enforcement.

In a recent case, Naga Madhu, a child helpline team member working with Divya Disha, a non-governmental organisation that works to protect childrens rights, stated that 4 to 6 girls were rescued less than a month ago from a government school in Secunderabad who were being sexually abused by their teacher.

The teacher was touching the girls inappropriately and the girls reached out to the child helpline a few days later, Madhu explained.

Several similar cases have occurred in the past too. However, since the first outbreak of the Covid, child sexual abuse cases have increased in the city, state officials said.

Both male and female teachers abuse their students, but male teachers are slightly more common, according to the Divya Disha director, Isidore Phillips. The majority of cases are reported by the victim's friends, family, or anganwadi workers.

According to the child helpline, school authorities, whether private or government, frequently try to settle the case by blaming the victim, refusing to accept the crime, blackmailing the children and parents, particularly those from low-income families, negotiating with bribes, or simply suspending the teacher in order to absolve the school of responsibility.

While it takes at least a year for government school officials to suspend the accused teacher, private schools suspend in no time.

The number of sexual abuse cases in government schools is slightly higher. Boys are victims as well, but they rarely speak up because society laughs at boys and considers them weak when they are in trouble, Phillips added.

The organisation also stated that there is a little support from government and society. Other than compensation, we dont see much else given to the child.

When asked about the action taken against teachers in such cases, D. Divya, commissioner of Women Development and Child Welfare Department, said, Each case is different. As a result, I am unable to comment broadly."

She also said that police-run Bharosa centre and funded by Women and Child Welfare Department, is a specialised facility for POCSO and the rape victims/survivors.

According to A. Rao, Hyderabad District Welfare Officer, the department provides compensation of `1 lakh in installments to victims of the POCSO cases, as well as shelter if the victims parents are unable to provide.

They provide education as needed, identify hotspots, and develop various awareness campaigns.
NEW DELHI: India is expecting shipments for the third operational squadron of air defence system S-400 to start arriving from Russia next month.

The S-400, one of the most advanced air defence missile systems, which can bring down enemy fighter jets, UAVs and incoming missiles at a distance of up to 400 km, is crucial for India now due to the ongoing military standoff with China. The S-400 is also important due to the Indian Air Forces dwindling number of fighter squadrons, that is down to 31 from the sanctioned strength of 42.

The components for the S-400 will start arriving in November from Russia, said sources in the defence establishment. India has till now received two squadrons of the S-400 from Russia. The second squadron was sent by Russia after the conflict began with Ukraine in February.

Officials said one S-400 squadron has been deployed in the north in Punjab and the second in the east around the Chickens Neck corridor, a vulnerable stretch which connects the north-eastern states with the rest of India. The S-400 will be deployed in areas which we think are vulnerable and which we need to protect. The S-400 will be used to fortify those positions, the sources said. The third squadron of S-400 is likely to be deployed in the north and one of the sites may be in Rajasthan, an official said.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has recently been carrying out aggressive exercises in the Tibet region, violating Indian airspace, and the confidence-building measures which mandate that both sides should not fly fighter warplanes within 10 km of the Line of Actual Control. In response India has also increased its air operations in the sector, including carrying out night sorties. China has also upgraded its airbases along the LAC and hiked the number of hardened shelters.

India had signed a contract in 2018 to purchase five S-400 squadrons worth Rs 35,000 crores.

The S-400 is an upgrade of the S-300 surface-to-air missile system and can detect target from up to 600 km. It is armed with four different types of missiles with ranges of 400 km, 250 km, 120 km and 40 kms.

The United States has been asking India to move away from Russian equipment and avoid any kind of acquisition which can trigger sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) 2017.
A number of counsel appearing for the petitioners had insisted that preventing the Muslim girls from wearing the hijab to the classroom will put their education in jeopardy (PTI file image)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court judgement refusing to lift the ban on hijab in educational institutions before Justice Hemant Gupta retires this week.

A bench of Justices Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia had reserved its judgement on the pleas on September 22 after hearing arguments in the matter for 10 days.

The pronouncement of judgement on these pleas is expected this week as Justice Gupta, who is heading the bench, is due to retire on October 16.

During the arguments in the apex court, a number of counsel appearing for the petitioners had insisted that preventing the Muslim girls from wearing the hijab to the classroom will put their education in jeopardy as they might stop attending classes.

Counsel for the petitioners had argued on various aspects, including on the state government's February 5, 2022 order which banned wearing clothes that disturb equality, integrity, and public order in schools and colleges.

Some advocates had also argued that the matter be referred to a five-judge constitution bench.

On the other hand, the counsel appearing for the state had argued that the Karnataka government order that kicked up a row over hijab was "religion neutral".

Insisting that the agitation in support of wearing hijab in educational institutions was not a "spontaneous act" by a few individuals, the state's counsel had argued in the apex court that the government would have been "guilty of dereliction of constitutional duty" if it had not acted the way it did.

On March 15, the high court had dismissed the petitions filed by a section of Muslim students of the Government Pre-University Girls College in Karnataka's Udupi seeking permission to wear the hijab inside classrooms, ruling it is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.

The state government's order of February 5, 2022 was challenged by some Muslim girls in the high court.

Several pleas have been filed in the apex court challenging the high court verdict.
HYDERABAD: Goshamahal legislator T. Raja Singh, who was suspended from the BJP following his arrest under the PD Act in August for alleged remarks that hurt religious sentiments, on Monday said that he did not violate any BJP rules and that cases against him were foisted by the police under the direction of the TRS government.

In a four-page response to the BJPs central disciplinary committee, which sought an explanation from him soon after his arrest, referring to the video he posted following comedian Munawar Faruquis show in the city, he said I did not use abusive language. I didnt mention the name of any individual in my video. I deliberately did not hurt sentiments of any religion.

In the letter sent from Cherlapalli prison where he is currently lodged, Singh said: I only imitated Faruqui, that too, based on the information provided on Google.

He said that he had been relentlessly fighting against the atrocities of the MIM and its partner TRS for the last eight years. As many as 100 cases were filed against me to silence me... Whenever I criticise MIM for its communal politics, they are creating an impression that I have been criticising Muslims. Since the word Muslim is part of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), they are alleging that I am criticizing the entire community.

Declaring that he never criticised the Muslim community or ever made any personal comments on them, Raja Singh said he had been exposing MIM atrocities and its staunch supporter, TRS.

Referring to the Faruqui episode, Singh said he registered his protest when the comedian, facing allegations of provoking communal tensions by making vulgar comments against Hindu deities, he appealed to the TRS government not to allow the show, but instead the TRS government provided security to the comedian with thousands of policemen, and that this act was aimed at pleasing MIM party.

Soon after the show, I made a video to make people understand how Faruqui does his show. I neither belittled any religion nor did I criticize any God, Singh said.

He urged the party to consider his response to the show cause notice he received saying that as a BJP karyakarta, he will not do anything that brings disrespect to the party.
Hyderabad: Challenging the claims of former MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy that he had resigned for the sake of constituencys development, Congress leaders campaigning in bypoll-bound Munugode Assembly constituency on Sunday asserted that the value added leader had sold himself to the BJP.

PCC chief A. Revanth Reddy, who campaigned in close to 10 villages, speaking at a road corner meeting at Peepalpahad in Choutuppal mandal, along with party candidate Palvai Sravanthi and Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, explained how Rajgopal Reddy had failed the people after being voted MLA.

What injustice has the Congress done to you, Revanth Reddy rhetorically asked Rajgopal Reddy. Was it making you MP, MLA or MLC ? Rajgopal Reddy sold himself to the BJP after the Congress added value to him, the TPCC chief said.

Revanth Reddy asked the audience if they had seen development after Rajagopal Reddys resignation. Did you get CC roads, 2BHKs or any other development? Those who benefited with his resignation are those who sold themselves for Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, he said referring to the MPTCs and sarpanchs, mostly of the Congress, who had also shifted loyalties.

Highlighting the need for a woman as legislator for the Munugode constituency, Revanth Reddy recalled that in its first term the TRS government had no woman minister in the Cabinet. When the Congress was in power there were five women ministers in the State government, he underlined.

Congress candidate Sravanthi emphasised that Rajgopal Reddy who had betrayed the party should lose the election. Give me a chance to win and represent you in the Assembly, she urged.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also targeted Rajgopal Reddy who is now the BJP candidate for the byelection. You had voted for him, but he joined the BJP. How could they even seek votes (by betraying people), he asked.
TRS supporters make representation to the chief electoral officer Vikas Raj against BJP candidate Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy for allegedly accepting Rs.18000 crore worth contract from the BJP government to join the party. (K. Durga Rao/DC)

HYDERABAD: The TRS has gone on the offensive, filing a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding action against BJP Munugode bypoll candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy for indulging in criminal 'quid pro quo'.

The TRS move comes two days after the party's working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao accused Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy of receiving mining contracts worth Rs. 18,000 crore from the Centre to quit Congress and MLAs post to join BJP and force the bypoll.

The TRS appealed to the EC to issue interim orders immediately to disqualify Rajgopal Reddy from contesting the bypoll on November 3. TRS general secretary Soma Bharat Kumar filed the complaint with TS Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj here on Sunday. In support of the partys complaint, he submitted video footage of Rajgopal Reddy's interview with a TV news channel.

"The crux of the statement of Rajgopal Reddy is that he was working for BJP while being Congress MLA for the last three years. After his family-held company was awarded with `18,000 crore worth contract by the Central government led by BJP, he joined BJP after resigning from the Congress and as Congress legislator. The voluntary admission given by Rajgopal Reddy is nothing but admission of a serious illegal offence involving criminal quid pro quo," the TRS stated in its complaint.

"His actions were not only immoral in terms of the code of conduct for the political leaders and activities but also amounting to criminal offence under Indian Penal Code and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Further, he also has committed offences under Representation of People's Act and breached the oath of office taken by him as Legislator in 2018. Thus, the EC has a duty to order a criminal investigation as well as initiate legal proceedings for debarring him from political process including debarring him from contesting the Munugode bypoll," the complaint noted.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a missile test at an undisclosed location in North Korea, as taken sometime between Sept. 25 and Oct. 9. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Seoul: North Korea said Monday its recent barrage of missile launches were tests of its tactical nuclear weapons to hit and wipe out potential South Korean and U.S. targets, state media reported Monday. Leader Kim Jong Un signaled he would conduct more provocative tests in coming weeks.

The North's statement, released on the 77th birthday of its ruling Workers' Party, is seen as an attempt to buttress a public unity behind Kim as he faces pandemic-related economic hardships, a security threat posed by the boosted U.S.-South Korean military alliance and other difficulties.

Through seven times of launching drills of the tactical nuclear operation units, the actual war capabilities of the nuclear combat forces ready to hit and wipe out the set objects at any location and any time were displayed to the full,, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said.

KCNA said the missile tests were in response to recent naval drills between U.S. and South Korean forces, which involved the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

Viewing the drills as a military threat, North Korea decided to stage the simulation of an actual war to check and improve its war deterrence and send a warning to its enemies, KCNA said.

North Korea considers U.S.-South Korean military drills as an invasion rehearsal, though the allies have steadfastly said they are defensive in nature. Since the May inauguration of a conservative government in Seoul, the U.S. and South Korean militaries have been expanding their exercises, which had been previously scaled back due to the pandemic and the now-dormant nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington.

The launches  all supervised by Kim  included a nuclear-capable ballistic missile launched under a reservoir in the northeast; another ballistic missile also simulating the loading of tactical nuclear warheads designed to strike South Korean airfield; and a new-type ground-to-ground ballistic missile that flew over Japan, KCNA reported.

Kim said the launches were an obvious warning to South Korea and the United States, informing them of North Korea's nuclear response posture and attack capabilities, KCNA said.

The U.S. and the South Korean regime's steady, intentional and irresponsible acts of escalating the tension will only invite our greater reaction, and we are always and strictly watching the situation crisis, KCNA said.

Kim also made it clear again that he has no intentions of resuming the disarmament diplomacy with the United States now and would rather focus on expanding his weapons arsenal.

Saying that the enemies have still talked about dialogue and negotiation while posing military threats to us, but we have no content for dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so, Kim was quoted as saying. Above all, we should send a clearer signal to the enemies escalating the regional situation by involving the huge armed forces in any time with more powerful and resolute will and action."

Kim said he would sternly take all unspecified military steps if necessary to respond to potential additional moves by South Korea and the United States. He also expressed conviction that the nuclear combat forces of his military would maintain their strongest nuclear response posture and further strengthen it in every way to perform their duties of defending the North's dignity and sovereign rights.

Some experts say Kim's comments suggest he could carry out more high-profile weapons tests, such as his country's first nuclear test in five years. South Korean officials recently said North Korea maintains readiness to perform its seventh nuclear test while preparing to test a new liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile and a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

U.S. officials have repeatedly urged North Korea to return to talks without any preconditions. But North Korea has said it won't do so unless the United States first drops its hostile polices on the North, in an apparent reference to regular U.S. and South Korean military drills and U.S.-led economic sanctions.

Some experts say Kim would eventually aim to use his advanced nuclear program to win a U.S. recognition of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state, which Kim sees as essential in getting crippling U.N. sanctions on his country lifted.

North Korea has multiple motivations for publishing a high-profile missile story now," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. Kim Jong Un's public appearance after a month-long absence provides a patriotic headline to mark the founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party.

Pyongyang has been concerned about military exercises by the U.S., South Korea and Japan, so to strengthen its self-proclaimed deterrent, it is making explicit the nuclear threat behind its recent missile launches. The KCNA report may also be a harbinger of a forthcoming nuclear test for the kind of tactical warhead that would arm the units Kim visited in the field," Easley said.
Time will tell whether I remain CM or not:...
By Eric Roston

Few countries are as vulnerable as Pakistan. Its cities regularly record some of the hottest temperatures in the world, including a springtime heat wave this year made 30 times more likely by greenhouse gases.

That set the stage for summer monsoons that saw rainfall reach an intensity more than 50 per cent greater than would have been the case without planet-warming pollution. Both findings come from World Weather Attribution, a leading research group that delivers rapid analysis of the link between extreme weather and climate change.

Also Read  5.7 million Pakistani flood victims to face food crisis: UN

This is one example of powerful new evidence in the moral and political argument for climate reparations. As diplomats and world leaders prepare for next months annual UN climate summit, known as COP27, theres likely to be renewed focus on the long-running dispute over who should pay for the devastation wrought by rising temperatures.

Speeches and closed-door negotiations will involve calls for payments from high-emitting countries, most of which are wealthier and less vulnerable, to their low-emitting counterparts that suffer climate impacts. The debate will be informed by the blatant suffering visible on the ground in Pakistan as well as new data on exactly who is responsible for atmospheric pollution.

Working with colleagues from Bloombergs data-visualization team, I took a deep look at cutting-edge research into economic attribution for climate damage. Two Dartmouth researchers, Christopher Callahan and Justin Mankin, recently published a study and data estimating for the first time how much economic growth, in terms of GDP, has been lost to developing countries as a result of burning fossil fuel.

Its striking to see estimated dollar figures linking the pollution by the two biggest emitters, the US and China, to more than $60 billion in economic loses for Pakistan.

Together, the US and China have created enough atmospheric impact to cost the world about $1.8 trillion. The US alone was responsible for 16.5 per cent of global GDP losses from climate change from 1990 to 2014, according to research by the Dartmouth team.

Mukwanas experience driving through flooded provinces and walking along highways that have become makeshift homes for displaced people unifies the personal and the global in ways few will ever experience. Thats because the people pushed aside by flood waters are, in part, victims of a problem even bigger than the monsoon.

UN climate negotiations for many years focused almost exclusively on preventing new emissions and the resulting rise of global average temperatures, a concept called mitigation in climate jargon.

Diplomats and politicians have also taken up the question of adaptation  how nations might find the resources to afford greater resiliency. But Pakistans crisis has renewed emphasis on a more often ignored section of the 2015 Paris Agreement that deals with a concept called loss and damage.

Since the steepest costs of todays climate continue to be borne by populations that emitted the least, recognizing loss and damage could mean that nations who gained the most from burning fossil fuel should pay compensation. Its a vision of climate reparations  and its long been opposed by wealthy nations.

When nearly 200 national delegations meet next month for COP27 in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, loss and damage is expected to eclipse most other topics on the agenda. In part this stems from the coincidence that a Pakistani diplomat is currently the leader of the largest bloc of developing nations, known as the G77+China. The Egyptian hosts of this summit are also members of the bloc.

Loss and damage has struggled to rise up the agenda for years. Developing nations last year went to COP26 talks in Glasgow, Scotland, pushing for a formal process for dispatching finance and technical help paid for by developed nations.

That summit ended with only a loosely defined dialogue on the topic. There are fresh indications that loss and damage may be treated with greater attention than ever before at COP27, even if its with diverse views on the scope and timeframes of how to tackle the issue, according to a briefing shared on Friday by Ed King, a climate media and policy strategist.

If or when countries agree on a structured way to help people deal with climate disasters, it won't come fast enough for the millions suffering from this years monsoon rains in Pakistan. Estimates of damage have tripled to $30 billion since the end of August. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which Mukwana represents in Pakistan, this week raised by a factor of five its initial aid goal, to $816 million, to pay for triage support through May 2023. Those funds might help blunt a rapidly emerging public-health crisis. But it cant compensate Pakistan for the brutal consequences of other peoples emissions.

How much can people go through these cyclical kinds of events? Mukwana asks. How much of it can people take?
Democratic nations have responsibilities to each other, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Canberra Monday, sending out a message to Ottawa for allowing 'Sikhs for Justice' (SFJ) to hold referendums in Canada to mobilise support for the secession of Khalistan from India.

As to the Khalistani issue that you have raised, you know from time to time we have engaged the Canadian government, Jaishankar said responding to a question while addressing a news conference with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. I have myself engaged my counterpart (in the Canadian Government) on this issue and we have flagged the need to ensure that freedoms in a democratic society are not misused by forces which actually advocate violence and bigotry.

The anti-India activities of the SFJ in Canada have of late once reemerged as an irritant in New Delhis relations with Ottawa.

Also read | Democratic societies should be aware freedoms may be misused: Jaishankar takes a dig at Canada

New Delhi had asked Ottawa to stop the SFJ from holding the referendum on Khalistan in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government, however, declined to do so, pointing out that any organization had the right to peacefully and democratically express its opinion in a democracy. The SFJ, known for its stand on the secession of Khalistan from India, went ahead and held the referendum in Brampton on September 18.

The SFJ is now planning to hold the second phase of referendums on the issue of 'Khalistan' in Toronto on November 6.

So, it's important, I think, for countries to understand today really how democracies should function not only at home, but also the responsibilities the democracies have to other democracies abroad, Jaishankar said in Canberra on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis government issued an advisory on September 23 last for the students and other citizens of India currently in Canada as well those planning to visit the North American country. It advised the students to exercise due caution and remain vigilant in view of the sharp increase in the incidents of hate crimes and anti-India activities in Canada.

The Modi Governments move came after the recent vandalisation of the Swaminarayan Temple and the Vishnu Temple in Toronto in Canada. The slogans like Khalistan Zindabad and Hindustan Murdabad were spray-painted on the walls of the shrines.

Ottawa already retaliated to New Delhis September 23 advisory. It updated its own advisory for the citizens of Canada, asking them to avoid travelling to territories within 10 kms of Indias border with neighbouring Pakistan, citing the presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Punjab. Canada also asked its citizens staying in India or travelling to India to exercise a high degree of caution due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country.
Indias dependence on Russia for military hardware grew over decades partially because it did not receive any defence equipment from the United States and the other Western nations for decades, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Canberra on Monday.

He subtly hit out at the United States for preferring Pakistan as a partner over India in the past.

Jaishankar turned the table on the United States, which pressed India hard to lessen its dependence on Russia for defence equipment, particularly over the past few months since President Vladimir Purin ordered the launch of special military operations in Ukraine.

When you asked about the military equipment issue  we have as you know a substantial inventory of Soviet and Russian-origin weapons, and that inventory actually grew for a variety of reasons  you know, the merits of the weapon systems themselves, but also because for multiple decades, western countries did not supply weapons to India and, in fact, saw a military dictatorship next to us as the preferred partner, the External Affairs Minister said.

Read | Ukraine conflict does not serve interests of anybody: EAM Jaishankar

He was addressing a joint news conference with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

We make judgements which are reflective of both our future interest as well as our current situation, and my sense is in terms of this current conflict, like every military conflict, there are learnings from it, and I am sure my very professional colleagues in the military would be studying it very carefully, said Jaishankar, responding to another question on the possibility of New Delhi rethinking its defence relationship with Moscow, in view of the performance of Russias weapon systems in its conflict with Ukraine.

Indias traditional defence ties with Russia has been an irritant in its ties with the US. The spectre of the US CAATSA (Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions looms large over India for its October 2018 deal to procure five S-400 air defence systems from Russia at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 39,000 crore. India overlooked the US frowns and inking an agreement with Russia to extend bilateral military technical cooperation and moving to expand defence cooperation between the two nations, citing challenges posed to its security by unprovoked aggression by China.

Also Read | US not fooling anybody with F-16 support for Pakistan, says Jaishankar

The government's refusal to toe the Biden Administrations line on Russia-Ukraine conflict added to the strains in India-US relations. India abstained from voting on several US-backed resolutions at the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Wong reiterated Australia's condemnation of Russia's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. We've expressed publicly that the annexation, socalled sham annexations, or sham referenda and the annexations are illegal, and we remain of the view that Russia's invasion is illegal, the Australian Foreign Minister added. She also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modis this is not the era of war statement during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Samarkand in Uzbekistan last month. She said that Australia welcomed the message the Prime Minister of India had delivered to the Russian President.

Jaishankar, however, declined to reveal how India would vote during the forthcoming debate at the United Nations General Assembly on Russias annexation of territories in Ukraine.
At a time the Congress is moving away from family-raj, the first families in the DMK and the RJD are reinforcing their grip on their parties with the re-election of M K Stalin and Lalu Prasad as party chiefs on Sunday.

Lalu was elected unopposed as the national president for the 12th time at a meeting of RJD National Executive in New Delhi while Stalin, who assumed charge of the DMK after his father M Karunanidhis death, was elected as party chief for the second time without any opposition at a meeting of the partys General Council in Chennai.

The re-elections of Stalin and Lalu were a foregone conclusion as no one else filed nominations for the posts and the results reinforced the families grip on the parties without any opposition.

The latest round of election of the presidents in DMK and RJD is in stark contrast to the one in Congress this time as the Gandhis have kept themselves away from the contest.

Also Read | Focus on 2024 as BJP may stoop to any level to win elections: Stalin to DMK cadre

The contest came as top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi refused to reconsider his 2019 decision  he and other Gandhis should keep away from the leadership position.

Despite demands from leaders and workers, Rahul did not budge and insisted that neither party chief and his mother Sonia Gandhi nor his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should be made president.

Senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are fighting for the president post in the October 17 elections. Kharge, however, has the support of the Gandhi family though they have publicly claimed that they remain neutral in the election.

In the DMK, Stalin also promoted his sister Kanimozhi, a Lok Sabha MP, as Deputy General Secretary. Kanimozhi presently heads the womens wing of the party and is the only woman leader in a position of power.

With his father Karunanidhi firmly putting him on the leadership pedestal, Stalin had not found it difficult in the party though a one-time No 2 in the party Vaiko had left it to form his own party. Toeing Karunanidhis line, Stalin is also promoting his son Udayanidhi Stalin as his heir and already has immense clout in the party.

Party veterans and family loyalists Duraimurugan, Water Resources Minister, and DMK Parliamentary Party Leader T R Baalu were also elected unopposed as General Secretary and Treasurer respectively for the second time.

In RJD too, it was a foregone conclusion that an ailing Lalu would be elected unopposed as the president of the party he found after splitting with the erstwhile Janata Dal. Lalu had earlier chosen his wife as Chief Minister when he went to jail in the fodder scam case, while he has now firmly established his second son Tejaswi Yadav as his political heir.

Tejaswi is currently Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and runs the party, as Lalu has chosen him over his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav.
A man who came to Derry to attend his uncle's funeral has received a suspended sentence at the local Magistrate's Court today.

John Paul Stokes (21) with an address in Romford in London appeared charged with assaulting his partner on October 8.

The court heard that police were flagged down by a member of the public at around 10.30pm on that date in Spencer Road.

They told police they had witnessed a male assault a female 'round the corner'.

Police investigated and spoke to Stokes and his partner.

The woman told them that Stokes had pulled her by the hair, bit her behind her ear and punched her in the face.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that the defendant had come from London for his uncle's funeral.

He said that both parties had taken 'a fair amount of alcohol' and had fallen out.

He said his client deserved credit for his guilty plea and asked the court to take account of the circumstances of why Stokes was in the city.

District Judge Oonagh Mullen said it was 'unfortunate' that this incident occurred when the defendant was here for a funeral.

She imposed a sentence of three months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
A candlelit vigil will be held in Dungiven tonight (Monday) in memory of the the ten people who lost their lives in the Creeslough tragedy.

Organised by Sinn Fein Councillor Sean McGlinchey, the vigil will be held at 'The Grove' at upper Main Street.

The ten victims, which included three young people, lost their lives in the explosion which happened at the Applegreen filling station in the Co Donegal village shortly after 3pm on Friday, October 7.

Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her father, Robert Garwe (50) who was originally from Zimbabwe, Catherine ODonnell (39) and her son James Monaghan (13) were among those killed.

The tragedy also claimed the lives of James OFlaherty (48), Jessica Gallagher (24), Martin McGill (49), Hugh Kelly (59), Martina Martin (49) and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

One male in his 20s remains in a critical condition in St. James Hospital, Dublin.

Seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in stable condition.

During tonight's vigil, prayers will be said and music will be played by Nodlaig Brolly and other local harpists.

Councillor McGlinchey has urged locals to come together to pay their respects to the people of Creeslough.

The vigil will commence at 8pm.
The inquest into the death of Raychel Ferguson (9) has been postponed.

Raychel, from Coshquin in the city was one of five children whose hospital treatment was examined in the Hyponatraemia Inquiry, published in January 2018.

Raychel died on June 10, 2001, at the Royal Children's Hospital in Belfast shortly after transfer from Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry following an appendectomy.

In a statement released by the family's solicitor on Monday, Desmond Doherty, Raychel's mother, Marie, said: "The fact that the start date of the October 17, 2022 for hearing live evidence at Raychels Attorney General Directed Inquest is to be postponed comes as no surprise to us.

"The Coroner had no choice and everyone involved in the case agreed to the adjournment.

"Raychels case from 2001 to date has been beset by missing documents, deliberately withheld documents and even on the eve of the publication of the Hyponatraemia Inquiry Report in 2018, newly discovered documents.

"Yet more substantial new documents have now come to light as a result of recent investigations by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

"We are also acutely aware of an ongoing police investigation of the most sensitive nature.

"This has the potential to generate even more documents on top of the documents that exist because of previous police investigations.

"When Raychels second Inquest was formally opened in January this year we welcomed it and said it was an opportunity for the Western Trust to tell the truth.

"That still remains our position and earnest hope despite the inevitable difficulties that a medical case of this magnitude raises for all those involved.

"Not one of the ninety six recommendations made by the Hyponatraemia Inquiry Report have been implemented.

"There has been no meaningful ministerial or Department of Health response.

"Since none of the recommendations have been implemented, Raychel's Inquest takes on a new significance when the court looks at how Raychel died while in the care of the Western Trust.

"We need to make sure that what happened to Raychel and how we, as parents were treated, never happens again."




An Inishowen man is in critical condition after an accident in Australia.

Clonmany native Eoin Sweeney was struck by an ambulance in Sydney. The 28-year-old has suffered serious head injuries in the crash on Saturday night.

It is believed the ambulance was responding to an urgent call when Mr Sweeney, a pedestrian, was struck shortly after midnight on Sunday at Elizabeth Street in the Surry Hills suburb.

Mr Sweeney was treated by paramedics at the scene before being transferred Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he is reported to be in a critical but stable condition.

Police have appealed for witnesses as their investigation into the crash continues.

His family are currently on their way to Australia to be by his side.

An online fundraiser has raised more than $55,000 to support Eoins medical expenses and aftercare. Visit the GoFundMe page here: https://gofund.me/0fbf7f25
Hundreds of people have attended a candle-lit vigil and prayer service in Buncrana for the victims of the Creeslough explosion.

Among those who attended Sunday nights vigil were members of the emergency services from Inishowen who took part in the major rescue operation in the aftermath of the explosion that killed ten people and left eight in hospital.

Five-year-old Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her father, Robert Garwe (50) who was originally from Zimbabwe, Catherine ODonnell (39) and her son James Monaghan (13) were among those killed in Friday's explosion at the Applegreen service station and complex of buildings on the outskirts of the village.

The tragedy also claimed the lives of James OFlaherty (48), Jessica Gallagher (24), Martin McGill (49), Hugh Kelly (59), Martina Martin (49) and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

One male in his 20s remains in critical condition in St James Hospital, Dublin.

Seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in stable condition.

Communities across Donegal have been holding vigils over the weekend in a show of sympathy and solidarity with the people of Creeslough.

Vigils were also held in Moville, Muff and Malin on Sunday following an event in Carndonagh on Saturday night.

Members of Buncranas fire service who took part in the rescue operation were at the vigil. The towns fire station sent all its available personnel, 14 in total, its two appliances and a support vehicle to Creeslough on Friday. The Garda and the ambulance service were also represented at the event which was organised by Buncrana GAA club. Traditional musicians Liz and Jim Woods and Padraig McGonigle played as the crowd assembled before 7pm at the shore front.

The word Creeslough was spelt out in lights on the ground in front of the crowd, which included many children.

Some of those gathered held lights or candles and one young boy left flowers at the light display.

A minutes silence was held as the light fell after the names of the ten victims were read out.

Rev Fr Neil McGoldrick of the Buncrana parish, Canon Judi McGaffin from the Church of Ireland in Fahan and Buncrana and Ruth Garvey Williams from Safe Haven Christian Community led the crowd of several hundred people in prayers.

Local councillor Nicholas Crossan told the gathering that the vigil was a way for the town to show its support for the people of Creeslough on another dark day in Donegal.

He paid tribute to the emergency services who took part in the rescue saying they were ordinary people who do extraordinary things when they are called on in certain circumstances.

Fr McGoldrick said it was hard to understand the magnitude of so many lives being lost so suddenly and the grief and sorrow that has been brought to so many.

Canon McGaffin said it was a time of incomprehensible sorrow.

She thanked the emergency services and medical teams in Creeslough, Letterkenny and Dublin, saying that their actions were grounded in a deep and tangible love.

Ruth Garvey Williams asked the gathering to pray for the rebuilding of the community in Creeslough.
A County Derry primary school teacher has been appointed as Deputy Leader of Irish republican political party Aontu.

Gemma Brolly, who has acted as the party's representative in East Derry for a number of years, was appointed to the position at their first party conference on Saturday in Gormanstown, Co Meath.

A teacher at Bunscoil Naomh Brid/St Brigid's PS Tirkane, Mrs Brolly polled 1,095 first preference votes in May's NI Assembly election; Aontu's first attempt at an East Derry Assembly election.

Mrs Brolly succeeds Mid Ulster District councillor Denise Mullen as the party's deputy to leader Peadar Toibin, and she expressed her gratitude to the outgoing Deputy Leader.

So humbled and privileged to become Aontu's Deputy Leader, she posted on social media following her appointment.

Huge respect and gratitude to Denise Mullen for all her courage and commitment as Deputy Leader for the past few years.

I look forward to continuing in her footsteps with determination, courage and compassion to build a better society for everyone.

Aontu currently has two elected councillors within the county's three local government districts, with Cllr Mullen in Mid Ulster and Cllr Emmet Doyle in Derry City and Strabane.
Caring gentleman Martin McGill, who was killed in the Creeslough explosion, will be laid to rest on Tuesday.

The 49-year-old was one of ten people to lose their lives in Fridays explosion.

Originally from Dunbartonshire in Scotland, Martin relocated to Creeslough to care for his parents, Joseph and Mary.

His father passed away in February of this year and Martin continued to care for his mother.

He was a regular visitor to Laffertys shop and the pharmacy in the town.

A huge Celtic fan, Martin had called to the shop to use the ATM having just ordered a takeaway nearby.

One local described him as a caring gentleman.

Martin, of Ard Cois Locha in Creeslough, is survived by Mary, sisters Marie Louise and Caroline, brothers in law, Mathew and Iain, nieces and nephews and extended family and friends.

Funeral Mass on Tuesday at 2pm in St Michaels Church, Creeslough with burial afterwards in Doe Cemetery.
Trade unions have announced plans to hold a series of town hall meetings across Northern Ireland to discuss how to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

The NIC-ICTU, an umbrella body of unions which represents more than 200,000 people across Northern Ireland, launched its Workers Demand Better campaign at Stormont on Monday.

It said the campaign is in response to the cost-of-living crisis and called for serious political solutions to challenging economic problems.

The unions intend to take their message to the public with a series of town hall meetings in communities across Northern Ireland.

It also said that rallies and protests would be held at strategic times.

Assistant general secretary Owen Reidy said: The NIC-ICTU intends to mobilise workers across Northern Ireland and lead a progressive movement that demands better for workers after a decade of pay stagnation.

Emerging from Covid-19, workers and their families expected a new approach to work and rewarding those who work.

An economy that included everyone and worked for everyone.

Many of the workers who were lauded as essential during Covid are now being treated with contempt and they have had enough and are not prepared to see their pay fall further behind, hence the unprecedented industrial action we will see across Northern Ireland in the coming period.

We intend to engage with workers and communities across Northern Ireland, lobby politicians both here and at Westminster, hold protests and rallies at strategic times and demand that we see stronger better workers rights, where unions can collective bargaining with employers and demand for a better social wage, such as better access to affordable childcare, transport and other services.

The event was addressed by SDLP MLA Matthew OToole, who called for the return of powersharing at Stormont as a means of providing direct support to workers.

He also repeated his partys call for 1,000 litres of home heating oil to be provided to every household.

Mr OToole said: The pandemic was supposed to mark a watershed in how we viewed the contribution of workers to ensuring basic civilised society for all of us  but as yet the claps and the warm words havent translated into meaningful legislation or a new approach to social partnership in this society.

In opposition we intend to hold any new executive to account for delivering on this.

In the short term, with real-terms pay cuts and political dysfunction hampering progress, we are proud to stand in solidarity with union members when they are striking not just for decent pay for themselves, but for better for everyone in this society.
By Comcores

With 5G being deployed for time-sensitive applications, security is becoming an important consideration. At the same time, Open Radio Access Networks (RAN) are gaining more interest from mobile carriers and governments. Yet, Open RAN networks have serious security challenges, especially in the RAN fronthaul where there are strict timing requirements. This paper proposes MACsec as an efficient data link layer security solution that can assist in meeting these challenges.

5G needs security

5G is now in full deployment with numerous services available across the globe. 5G provides a range of improvements over existing 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) mobile networks with regard to capacity, speed and latency. It also provides better security. Nevertheless, security risks still remain and these need to be addressed quickly to ensure that 5G can address all of the target applications that drove original specifications.

While 5G provides faster mobile broadband services compared to 4G LTE, the driving applications for 5G specifications are non-consumer services. These include massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), such as support for billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) applications like industrial automation, autonomous vehicles and eHealth.

Figure 1: 5G RAN architecture

There are already numerous examples of security breaches exploiting IoT devices. But now that 5G-connected IoT devices can be used to support critical infrastructure like electricity and water supply, security becomes a concern for governments and their national security plans.

For URLLC applications, security is a pre-requisite as these are time-sensitive applications. Industrial automation applications, like Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and industrial sensors, need to be secure at all times. It is also clear that applications like autonomous vehicles also need to be secure.

5G is poised to support the digital transformations happening across multiple industries, but in order to do so, security concerns must be addressed, including 5G RAN security challenges.

5G security enhancements

5G provides enhanced security measures compared to previous generation mobile networks [1], such as mutual authentication capabilities that confirm that the sender and receiver are trustworthy, enhanced subscriber identity protection and User Plane integrity checks between the Central Unit (CU) and User Equipment (UE).

Many of these security measures rely on upper layer security solutions, like Transport Layer Security (TLS). However, 5G networks are now based on Ethernet as the transport layer from device to 5G core. This means that attacks that target the Ethernet layer can also be used to compromise 5G networks, especially the 5G fronthaul network connecting 5G Radio Units (RUs) to Distributed Units (DUs) as shown in Figure 1.

But this also provides an opportunity. Since Ethernet is now the data link layer for 5G networks, security solutions designed for Ethernet, such as MACsec, can be used to provide security. MACsec can defend against attacks specific to the data link layer, thereby protecting upper layers.

5G fronthaul and Open RANs

As seen in Figure 1, the 5G RAN is based on a virtualized architecture where functions can be centralized close the 5G core for economy or distributed as close to the edge as possible for lower latency performance. This provides a great deal of flexibility in addressing specific service requirements, but also results in a number of new, open Ethernet-based interfaces that can pose a security risk.

While many of the interfaces between logical entities in 5G have been standardized by 3GPP, there are others, such as the interface between RUs and DUs that have not been as well defined. This is because these interfaces have typically been proprietary to the 5G RAN vendor.

In 4G LTE, the equivalent Remote Radio Unit (RRU) to BaseBand Unit (BBU) interface was based on the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) specification, which provided enough options for vendors to provide proprietary solutions. In 5G, this has been replaced by the Ethernet-based enhanced CPRI (eCPRI) interface, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: O-RAN Fronthaul data planes encapsulation over ethernet

eCPRI is more open and makes it possible for multiple vendors to provide either an RU or DU solution. However, additional specifications are needed to ensure interoperability. This has given rise to various Open RAN initiatives. The two most prominent Open RAN initiatives are the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) OpenRAN project and the Open-RAN (O-RAN) Alliance.

The TIP project was established to build open-source, cost-effective telecom equipment for deployment in less developed regions of the world and the TIP OpenRAN project is focused on building cost-effective RU, CU and DU solutions.

The O-RAN Alliance was established in 2018 to specify Open RAN solutions with specific emphasis on interfaces and implementation guidelines that are not detailed in 3GPP recommendations and are important for interoperability. The O-RAN Alliance specifies the Open Fronthaul interface between the RU and DU [2], which has enabled non-traditional telecom equipment vendors to deliver RU and DU solutions and increase competition. The Open Fronthaul Interface between the RU and DU is based on the 7.2x split in Figure 3 (below). As can be seen, the protocol stack can be split at various points enabling functionality to be deployed at various points in the network. This enables simpler, more compact and lower cost RU implementations as only the RF and lower PHY layer functions need to be supported. Since 5G will require an order of magnitude increase in the number of RUs to be deployed, this can lower deployment costs significantly.

Click to enlarge

Figure 3: 5G RAN Functional Splits

The functional splits also provide flexibility when deploying functionality allowing specific service performance requirements to be met. For example, efficient aggregation can be provided by centralizing the virtualized CU and DU functionality as close to the core as possible. On the other hand, if lower latency is required, the CU and DU functionality should be located as close to the RUs as possible.

The F1 interface between the CU and DU is defined in 3GPP specifications, but not the interface between the DU and RU, which was proprietary to the vendor in previous mobile network generations. The O-RAN Alliance Open Fronthaul interface specification enables multivendor operation based on the eCPRI interface.

With eCPRI, all of the functional split interfaces are now supported by Ethernet at the data link layer. As shown in Figure 2, the User (U), Control (C), Management (M) and Synchronization (S) Planes are all supported by Ethernet. However, this opens the 5G RAN to vulnerabilities at the Ethernet layer.

The first O-RAN Alliance specifications were released in 2019, but security was not an emphasis at the time. In 2020, the Security Focus Group (SFG) was formed to address this issue. This group, now known as WG11: Security Work Group, have provided new specifications in July 2022 (see Table 1) that address many security issues, but there are still vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.

O-RAN Security Specification Date Description O-RAN Security Protocols Specifications 3.0 Mar 2022 Specifies security protocols for O-RAN along with requirements for SSH, IPsec and (D)TLS where TLS1.3 is now mandatory O-RAN Security Requirements Specification 3.0 July 2022 Updates for Open Fronthaul security, security for Near-RT RIC xAPPs and APIs, and optional support for Open Fronthaul Point to Point LAN security using 802.1x O-RAN Security Test Specifications 2.0 July 2022 Test cases for Point-2-Point LAN Segment, SBOM, Network Protocol Fuzzing and O1 Interface Network Configuration Access Control Model (NACM) validation O-RAN Security Threat Modeling and Remediation Analysis 3.0 July 2022 Likelihood assessment of the identified threats from the threat model and remediation analysis as well as well as updated threats and risk analysis O-RAN Study on Security for Near Real Time RIC and xApps 1.0 July 2022 Security aspects and issues related to the Near-RT RIC platform and xApps, as well as the associated network and management interfaces (E2, A1, O1) and APIs O-RAN Study on Security for Non-RT-RIC 1.0 July 2022 Security aspects and issues related to the Non-RT RIC Framework, rApps, R1 interface and A1 interface O-RAN Study on Security for O-CLOUD 1.0 July 2022 Security aspects and issues related to the O-Cloud

Table 1: New O-RAN Security Specifications

Importance of O-RAN and O-RAN Security

While the O-RAN Alliance was initially driven by a mobile service provider desire to open the RAN and enable greater competition, global developments have increased the importance of Open RAN and the O-RAN Alliance in particular.

In the US and Europe, there has been growing concern over the reliance of mobile carriers on Chinese mobile network vendors, such as Huawei and ZTE. While Europe still has major mobile network vendors in Ericsson and Nokia, there are no equivalent vendors in the US.

The US has been particularly vocal in highlighting supply chain risks with regard to this fact [3]. As part of the national strategy to secure 5G, the US proposes specific countermeasures including increasing diversity in 5G component manufacturers, ideally with a high proportion of US manufacturers as well as Leadership in the field of standardization in order to influence the development standards according to US interests. Open RAN initiatives like the O-RAN Alliance are seen as critical to achieving these goals.

Both in the EU and US, dependence on a few vendors is seen as a major risk. This was also highlighted in the EU 5G Risk Analysis [4] published by the NIS Cooperation Group. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in Germany referred to the above in its recent Open RAN Risk Analysis report [5] from February 2022.

The report went on to highlight multiple Open RAN security risks. However, it was stated in the report that many of these risks were associated with service providers not implementing optional security measures outlined in 3GPP standards or recommended in O-RAN specifications.

Latest O-RAN Alliance Security Specifications address concerns

The O-RAN Alliance SFG made its first announcement in Oct 24, 2020 introducing planned SFG activities and roadmap [6]. In the announcement, the O-RAN Alliance recognized the need to secure important interfaces including the Open Fronthaul interface.

As of July 2022, there are a number of new and updated security specifications available that go a long way towards addressing the concerns highlighted in recent analyses [7], as shown in Table 1.

In the O-RAN Security Threat Modeling and Remediation Analysis 3.0, it is noted that there are specific threats and vulnerabilities associated with the Open Fronthaul interface:

An attacker penetrates O-DU and beyond through O-RU or the Fronthaul interface

Unauthorized access to Open Front Haul Ethernet L1 physical layer interface(s)

An attacker attempts to intercept the Fronthaul using a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack over the Management (M) Plane

Denial of Service (DoS) attack against a Master clock

Impersonation of a Master clock (Spoofing) within an Ethernet Precision Time Protocol (PTP) network with a fake ANNOUNCE message

A Rogue PTP Instance wanting to be a Grand Master

Selective interception and removal of PTP timing packets

Packet delay manipulation attack

Spoofing of DL C-Plane messages

Spoofing of UL C-Plane messages

An attacker attempts to intercept the Fronthaul (MITM) over U-Plane

An attacker sets up a false base station attack by attacking an O-RU masquerading as a legitimate mobile network

In the O-RAN Security Requirements Specification 3.0, specific requirements for O-CU-CP/UP, O-RUs and O-DUs are yet to be defined, but there are requirements for the Open Fronthaul interface based on the threats and vulnerabilities identified above.

These requirements address the C- and S-Planes specifically. For the U-Plane, the document states that the Open Fronthaul U-Plane traffic is protected by security mechanisms in the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) implemented in the CU protecting both C-Plane and U-Plane traffic between the CU and UE [8].

Security of the M-plane is addressed in the O-RAN Alliance O-RAN Management Plane Specification 9.0 from July 2022 where it is stated that An O-RU shall support sFTP based file transfer over SSH and FTPES based file transfer over TLS. For the O-DU, the operator may use SSH, TLS, or both.

In general, the requirements are focused mainly on authentication and less on confidentiality and integrity concerns. However, based on the threats and vulnerabilities identified, confidentiality and integrity are equally important.

As can be seen above, security aspects and issues related to the Near Real Time RIC, Non-RT-RIC and O-CLOUD 1.0 have been provided where work is continuing on security aspects and issues related to the Open Fronthaul interface. We intend to contribute to this work by showing that MACsec can address the highlighted threats and vulnerabilities as well as confidentiality, integrity and authentication needs.

Proposing MACsec as a security solution for O-RAN Fronthaul

One of the concerns of implementing security for the Open Fronthaul interface is the impact on performance. The 5G fronthaul has strict latency requirements, which can be compromised when using security mechanisms like IPsec and TLS. For an in-depth description of MACsec, see our whitepaper MACsec for Deterministic Ethernet applications.

MACsec provides authentication by ensuring that only known nodes are allowed to communicate on the network. It provides confidentiality through encryption of the data so only end-points with the correct encryption key can see the contents. Integrity is provided through a cryptographic mechanism ensuring that data has not been tampered with while in motion. Figure 4 provides an overview of the MACesc frame format.

The TAG Control Information/Association Number (TCI/AN) specifies if encryption is used

The Short Length (SL) field specifies the length of the encrypted data, if it is a short frame

The Packet Number (PN) is typically 32 bits long, but can be up to 64 bits long when eXtended Packet Number (XPN) versions are used for higher speed interfaces

The Secure Channel Identifier (SCI) specifies the Secure Channel (SC) and is a concatenation of the 48-bit source MAC address and a 16-bit port ID

Click to enlarge

Figure 4: MACsec frame format

MACsec is implemented at the port level in dedicated hardware, which enables it both to scale from Mbps to Tbps and meet strict latency requirements. MACsec provides protection against attacks specific to the Ethernet data link layer, which cannot be addressed by IPsec and TLS, which operate on the network and transport layer. Since all functional split interfaces are now based on Ethernet, MACsec can be used to protect these interfaces as well as all traffic running over Ethernet.

With regard to the specific threats and vulnerabilities identified by the O-RAN Alliance, MACsec provides a compelling solution that can also meet performance requirements.

O-RAN Fronthaul vulnerabilities addressed by MACsec

MACsec can be used to provide protection of Ethernet frames transporting CUS and M-Plane data against attacks targeting Ethernet.

Control and User Plane vulnerabilities

If an attacker gains access to a DU or RU, either using a MITM attack or through access to the device directly, he can use the C-Plane or U-Plane to perform a variety of attacks at the Ethernet layer and eCPRI interface.

First, the attacker can claim to be either an RU or DU and inject malicious control messages. These can be used to manipulate U-Plane traffic, degrade performance or cause a DoS attack. Intercepted control messages can be stored and then delayed or re-transmitted repeatedly affecting the operation of upper layer protocols.

With MACsec, each end-point of the Open Fronthaul interface is part of a MACsec Connectivity Association (CA) and authenticated using a Connectivity Association Key (CAK). Only nodes that are part of the same CA are allowed to transmit or receive Ethernet frames. In addition, each Ethernet port will have at least one Secure Association (SA) for transmit and one SA for reception of traffic from each connected end-point. The SA is protected by a short-lived Secure Association Key (SAK), which is derived from the long-lived CAK.

MACsec can thus authenticate each RU and DU and ensure that only trusted end-points with valid CAKs and SAKs can exchange information. The SAKs are used as input to the AES-GCM cipher algorithms for encrypting Ethernet frames ensuring that attackers cannot see any payload contents. They are also used for integrity generating a unique ICV that ensures that any manipulation of the frames is detected immediately.

In addition, MACsec uses incremental Packet Numbers (PN) in each SA to keep track of Packets exchanged between end-points. This ensures that re-ordering, replaying or delaying of Ethernet frames is detected.

While PDCP protects U-Plane user data at a higher network layer, eCPRI packets are normally sent in plaintext in both the C- and U-Planes. Thus, attacks at the Ethernet layer could impact C/U-Planes by manipulating eCPRI user and control packets.

Management Plane vulnerabilities

As can be seen in Figure 2, the M-Plane does not run directly over Ethernet, but uses TCP/IP. TLS can thus be used to secure M-Plane messages. Nevertheless, targeted attacks at the Ethernet layer can still impact the M-Plane in similar ways to the other planes discussed above. Ethernet frames can be corrupted, delayed, dropped or replayed and thereby disrupt management of the Open Fronthaul.

MACsec can offer the same protection for the M-Plane as other data planes and thereby complement the protection implemented with TLS.

Synchronization Plane vulnerabilities

As 5G needs to meet very strict performance requirements in relation to latency, synchronization based on ITU-T G.8275.1 PTP and Synchronous Ethernet needs to be protected. As both rely on Ethernet, they can be exposed to targeted attacks that could cause the disfunction of 5G networks and total DoS.

In ITU-T G.8273.2, requirements for timing accuracy are defined for different classes of boundary clocks in PTP nodes:

Class A: 100ns

Class B: 70ns

Class C: 30ns

Class D: 5ns

For 5G Open Fronthaul, there are use cases that can require PTP nodes to support Class C performance, as outlined in IEEE 802.1CM Ethernet TSN profile for Time-Sensitive Networking for Mobile Fronthaul, where the relative timing error needs to be lower than 65 ns between co-located RUs, 130ns for RUs sharing a clock in the same building and 260 ns for RUs sharing a clock, but situated in different buildings.

If an attacker can delay PTP packets for just a microsecond, services can be seriously disrupted. In addition, attackers can impersonate grand master clocks, boundary clocks or slaves and send malicious synchronization frames or just false frames to disrupt synchronization. This would have immediate impact on delivered services. They can also delay or repeat sync messages or adjust offsets to cause synchronization misalignments and disruption that can be hard to troubleshoot.



O-RAN Identified Threats MACsec solution O-RAN Requirements Additional MACsec security capabilities

relevant to Open Fronthaul Interface Authentication Encryption Integrity Replay Protection An attacker penetrates O-DU and beyond through O-RU or the Fronthaul interface MACsec authentication ensures that only authorized nodes can communicate with other peers X





Unauthorized access to Open Front Haul Ethernet L1 physical layer interface(s) MACsec authorization based on SAKs that are short-lived and derived from CAKs that are not accessible at the interface. X





An attacker attempts to intercept the Fronthaul using a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack over the Management (M) Plane MACsec encryption ensures that the transported headers and payload are not visible while integrity capabilities ensure that any manipulation of frames will be detected.

X X

An attacker attempts to intercept the Fronthaul (MITM) over U-Plane Denial of Service (DoS) attack against a Master clock MACsec authentication ensures that PTP nodes can only communicate if they are authenticated while encryption protects PTP messages. Integrity mechanisms detect any changes to frames as well as injection or deletion of PTP messages.

X X X

Impersonation of a Master clock (Spoofing) within an Ethernet Precision Time Protocol (PTP) network with a fake ANNOUNCE message A Rogue PTP Instance wanting to be a Grand Master Selective interception and removal of PTP timing packets MACsec encryption ensures that the content of the frame cannot be decoded so the attacker cannot see if the frame holds a PTP message or not. The attacker needs the encryption key to create a valid PTP message for injection.

X



Packet delay manipulation attack MACsec can detect out-of-order, replayed and delayed frames using the PN. But the attacker needs the encryption key to manipulate the frame.

X X X Spoofing of DL C-Plane messages MACsec authentication and confidentiality ensure that unauthorized nodes cannot communicate and that messages need to use the correct CAKs for encryption. X X



Spoofing of UL C-Plane messages An attacker sets up a false base station attack by attacking an O-RU masquerading as a legitimate mobile network

Table 2: How MACsec addresses 5G Fronthaul vulnerabilities

Again, MACsec authentication, encryption and integrity checks make it very difficult for attackers to succeed with these attacks. However, MACsec implementations need to respect the timing requirements and ensure that they are not a source of synchronization errors.

MACsec features thus protect the Open Fronthaul from the identified threats and vulnerabilities by the O-RAN Alliance as illustrated in Table 2.

Implementation challenges

Implementing security at the Open Fronthaul interface introduces new challenges that need to be addressed. Meeting latency requirements is a challenge, but can be addressed with careful planning. However, there are other implementation challenges that need to be considered with regard to the need for ensuring accurate timestamps and supporting multiple security domains. With careful implementation using MACsec, these challenges can be overcome.

Timestamp challenges

One of the challenges in implementing a high precision Ethernet port is when to time-stamp Ethernet frames. Ideally, the time-stamp should be added as close to the physical line as possible as the last action to ensure the most accurate outgoing time-stamp. Time-stamping can be done in one or two steps. In the case of a one-step PTP clock implementation, the time-stamp would need to be available at the MACsec layer in order to protect PTP messages using MACsec. This could be possible if the time-stamp is generated before the MACsec layer and the latency from that point to the physical layer is added. But for this to work, a fixed and predictable delay is required, which is a challenge in Ethernet.

The solution proposed by Comcores is to use a two-step PTP clock implementation. With a two-step solution the time-stamp is not sent with the frame, but in a separate follow-up message. This means that the accurate timestamp in the new follow-up message can be made available at the MACsec layer for protection.

The Comcores solution is depicted in Figure 5. A sideband tag is added to the PTP message. The message is then MACsec protected with confidentiality and integrity. The Time-Stamping Unit (TSU) is kept close to the physical layer. During transmission, it timestamps the frame with the PTP message and sideband tag. A Transmit buffer (TX buffer) is used to store the timestamp that can then be used to set the timestamp in the PTP follow-up message, which can then be MACsec protected with confidentiality and integrity.

During reception, the TSU timestamps all MACsec protected frames and tags each frame with a sideband tag. It stores the tag in a Receive buffer (RX buffer), and after MACsec verification, it maps the timestamp to the corresponding PTP message.

Click to enlarge

Figure 5: Precise time-stamping for MACsec

Multiple security domain challenges

At the Open Fronthaul interface, traffic from each of the CUSM planes may need to be sent separately to different nodes from a single port, sometimes over a fronthaul network, as shown in Figure 6. This results in different groups of nodes supporting each plane. For example, one group of nodes supports the C/U-Planes, while another group supports the S-Plane. Each group needs to be secured independently for security robustness including the need for different sets of keys. Thus, there is a need to support multiple security domains between a port and different destinations based on the type of traffic.

Comcores proposes a solution based on separate MACsec SecYs. As defined by the 802.1AE standard, a SecY is the entity that operates the MACsec protocol on an Ethernet port. Each SecY is associated to one port and can be part of only one Connectivity Association (CA) at a time, meaning that a port can send all its traffic to all peers that are part of the CA.

For a fronthaul unit, in order to support multiple security domains on a single physical port, multiple virtual ports and SecYs can be instantiated. This allows a port to support multiple CAs, and each CUSM Plane traffic can use an independent SecY for multiple destinations with different sets of keys.

In addition, for a fronthaul switched network, MACsec provides a VLAN in clear option to allow VLAN bridging of MACsec frames. With this option, the VLAN tag is not encrypted and is therefore visible and available to VLAN bridges. This option can be complemented with the MACsec confidentiality offset feature where IP packet, TCP and UDP header information can also be exposed.

Click to enlarge

Figure 6: Multiple security domains

Comcores Packaged MACsec solutions for 5G

Comcores is planning to provide a range of Ethernet-based Packaged IP Solutions for 5G fronthaul applications that include MACsec. The Packaged IP Solutions combine various IP cores to provide a complete, pre-tested and validated solution that can be customized to meet individual design requirements.

This provides Comcores customers with a solid foundation for secure 5G fronthaul implementations. With Packaged IP Solutions, it is possible for customers to significantly accelerate their development efforts safe in the knowledge that the Packaged IP Solution has been tested and verified. Comcores experts are available to assist with adapting and customizing the Packaged IP solutions to meet specific needs and requirements.

Comcores MACsec IP

Click to enlarge

Figure 7: Comcores MACsec IP core integrated with other IP to form Packaged IP Solution

The Comcores MACsec implementation is also available as an individual IP core. The Comcores MACsec IP core is designed to be silicon agnostic and can thus be used in any FPGA, SoC or ASIC chip design. This enables a smooth migration from FPGA to ASIC.

The MACsec IP core provides full support for the IEEE 802.1AE-2018 MACsec specification including important features, such as both AES-GCM-128 and AES-GCM-256 Cipher Suites, VLAN-in-Clear and Confidentiality Offset.

The solution is highly configurable [9] and allows multiple SecYs and Connectivity Associations (CA) per port with traffic mapping rules. The solution supports a configurable number of peers. This allows traffic differentiation per port with an independent CA for multiple traffic types and MACsec bypass for a desired traffic type. For each CA, up to 4 Secure Associations (SA) can be supported for each transmit and receive Secure Channel (SC).



Software is also provided for integration of the IEEE 802.1X MACsec Key Agreement Protocol.

Secure 5G fronthaul implementations using Comcores MACsec IP

MACsec provides a compact, yet powerful security solution that meets O-RAN Alliance security requirements for 5G Open Fronthaul as well as addressing security concerns raised about Open Fronthaul. As Open Fronthaul becomes a strategic priority for service providers and national security strategies, the time is right to implement MACsec.

With Comcores MACsec IP core integrated in Packaged IP solutions for 5G fronthaul, chip developers can accelerate their time to market with a solid, reliable and flexible design foundation that minimizes development effort. This enables Comcores customers to deliver even more secure 5G fronthaul implementations quickly and reliably.

For more information on Comcores Packaged IP solutions and access to Comcores MACsec IP core visit: www.comcores.com



[1] Source: https://www.gsma.com/security

[2] O-RAN Control, User and Synchronization Plane Specification 9.0

[3] Source: NATIONAL STRATEGY TO SECURE 5G, Mar. 2020 and BSI 5G RAN Risk Analysis

[4] Source: NIS Cooperation Group, EU coordinated risk assessment of the cybersecurity of 5G Networks, Oct. 2019 and BSI 5G RAN Risk Analysis

[5] Source: BSI 5G RAN Risk Analysis, Feb 2022

[6] Source: The O-RAN ALLIANCE Security Task Group Tackles Security Challenges on All O-RAN Interfaces and Components

[7] Source: O-RAN Downloads (orandownloadsweb.azurewebsites.net)

[8] PDCP uses sequence numbering of each Service Data Unit (SDU) received from the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer to detect duplicates and re-ordering, while ciphering and deciphering is used to protect C-Plane and U-Plane data. Integrity protection and integrity verification is provided for C-Plane Data.

[9] Depending on the target technology

If you wish to download a copy of this white paper, click here






As you enjoy the new Samsung foldable devices, do you realise that the blue part you see in Galaxy Z Flip 4 is made of repurposed fishing nets?

According to Pranveer Singh Rathore, Materials R&D Manager, Samsung Electronics, the blue part, the side key bracket, basically avoids making your phone waterproof from the side keeper and dustproof.

"So it acts as a barrier to water and dust and improves the durability of your phone. Similarly, with the receiver decode that displays connector Cap and other green parts, they act as housing to the crucial components," he told the media during an interaction.

"As they are housing the critical components, they act as a barrier and are durable so that they can withstand all kinds of climatic conditions and all kinds of stresses they are exposed to," Rathore added.

Samsung has been in the news for repurposing fishing nets and using them in smartphones.

Every year, around 640,000 tonnes of fishing nets end up in our oceans, posing a serious threat to the marine ecosystem.

Fishing nets are typically made of nylon materials, which have the basic property of absorbing moisture and water.

"Starting with Galaxy S22 earlier this year and now with the new Galaxy Foldables and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, we are scaling up the use of this innovative material," said the Samsung executive.

By the end of 2022, "we hope to prevent more than 50 tonnes of discarded fishing nets from entering our oceans".

According to Rathore, they have been researching and developing sustainable materials for over a decade.

"2017 is when we started applying post-consumer materials in inbox charges and in 2018, we applied this material across all the products and chargers. This was when we started developing a new material solution to replace fossil-based raw materials with bio-based raw materials, which are renewable," he informed.

By 2019, the company was able to develop this material, and then we applied this material to A and M series smartphones in the display frames.

Galaxy Buds 2 Pro contains mostly recycled materials. More than 90 per cent of the plastics used in Galaxy buds 2 Pro are recycled materials.

The repurposed fishing Nets are used in the internal brackets of the charging case, and the post-consumer materials are used in all the exterior parts of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

"With the Galaxy Watch 5, we also introduced post-consumer materials in the ECG and BIA keys, which you can see from the outside," said Rathore.

By 2030, Samsung plans to establish system in which minerals extracted from all collected waste batteries can be reused

"By 2030, 50 per cent of plastic used in products will incorporate recycled resin and 100 per cent by 2050. The Galaxy Z Fold4 has already been designed to incorporate plastics recycled from discarded fishing nets and other marine waste, and the success seen here will soon be expanded to additional products," according to the company.

(Except for the headline and cover image, the rest of this IANS article is un-edited)

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in.
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PRESTON  A business park at 30540 S.E. 84th St. in Preston sold last month for $4.3 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Delta Business Park LLC, a family group that acquired the land in 1985, then developed it.





. . .
MFL signs 3-year pact with Dubai's Agrifields to procure 30,000 tonnes phosphoric acid annually

India is forging partnerships with global suppliers for ensuring long term supply of fertilisers to Indian farmers and also to address the menace of cartelisation by a few global suppliers, union minister of chemicals and fertilizers, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, said on Friday.

As the international market has seen a downward trend in phosphatic fertilisers, the same trend ought to be reflected in raw materials of fertilisers like phosphoric acid, Mandaviya pointed out, adding that this, however, is not happening.

Indias partnerships with global suppliers for ensuring long term supply of fertilisers to Indian farmers will also address international cartelization, the minister stated following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by Madras Fertilisers Limited with Agrifields, Dubai.

Madras Fertilizers Limited has signed an MoU for procuring 30,000 tonnes of phosphoric acid solution from Agrifields, Dubai annually for three years, in a significant step towards improving availability of DAP and NPK fertilizers for the farming community of the country, he said.

This can be used to produce approximately 1.67 lakh tones of NPKs, he said, adding that this will fulfil the P2O5 requirement to produce 59.6 per cent of total installed capacity (2.8 lakh tonnes) of complex fertilizers of MFL.

The MoU coming in the backdrop of prevailing uncertainties in the supply of fertilisers, particularly DAP and NPKs, will play a strong role in fair play of economies rather than few global players managing through cartelisation. As the international market has seen a downward trend in Phosphatic Fertilisers, the same trend ought to be reflected in raw materials of fertilisers like phosphoric acid in the coming quarters, the minister pointed out.

Phosphoric Acid is an important raw material for manufacturing DAP and other complex NPK fertilizers. Given Indias high dependence on imports of raw material and fertiliser minerals, the government has been entering into such supply partnerships with global producers and suppliers for ensuring stable long term availability of P&K fertilizers to Indian farmers. The importance of such MOUs is accentuated by the upcoming cropping season as this will contribute towards ensuring food security not only in the country, but also help to strengthen global food security, he added.
Telecom shifts gear as PM launches 5G services

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, today, ushering in a new technological era. The prime minister also inaugurated the sixth edition of the India Mobile Congress and witnessed the IMC exhibition on the occasion.

The three major telecom operators of the country demonstrated one use case each to show the potential of 5G technology in India. Industry leaders expressed their views on this historic occasion.

Reliance Jio connected a teacher from a school in Mumbai, with students in three different locations in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Odisha. This demonstrated how 5G will facilitate education by bringing teachers closer to students, obliviating the physical distance between them. It also demonstrated the power of Augmented Reality (AR) on screen and how that is being used to teach children across the country, remotely, without the need for an AR device. The prime minister interacted with students from Dnyanjyoti Savitribai Phule School, Raigad, Maharashtra in the presence of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde.

Students from Ropda Primary School, Gandhinagar, Gujarat connected in presence of Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel. The prime minister also interacted with students from SLS Memorial School, Myurbhanj, Odisha in the presence of Odisha chief minister Navin Patnaik.

Abhimanyu Basu, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, BKC, Mumbai also demonstrated the use of 5G technology.

Vodafone Idea test case demonstrated the safety of workers in an under-construction tunnel of Delhi Metro through the creation of a Digital Twin of the tunnel on the dais. Digital Twin will help give safety alerts to workers in real time from a remote location. PM took a live demo from the dais to monitor the work in real-time through utilising VR and Artificial Intelligence.

In the Airtel demo, students from Dankaur, Uttar Pradesh witnessed a lively and immersive education experience to learn about the solar system with the help of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. A student, Khushi, shared her experience of learning with the PM by appearing on the dais through a hologram. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adiyanath connected from Rudraksh Convention Centre, Varanasi.

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani thanked the prime minister for inspiring the vision of a developed nation by 2047. He narrated the possibilities of 5G in key areas like education, education and climate etc.

Bharti Enterprise chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal remarked that the launch of 5G is the beginning of a new era and since it is happening during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it makes it even more special.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla Group, called the advent of 5G a transformational event that proves Indias prowess on the global stage and reiterates the role of telecom technology as the bedrock of India's growth. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision and leadership for a generational leap in technology that has resulted in India making a mark on the global stage.

Addressing the gathering the prime minister said the summit might be global but its repercussions and directions are local. He said today is a special day for the fast-developing India of the 21st century. Today, 130 crore Indians are getting a wonderful gift in the form of 5G from the country and from the telecom industry of the country. 5G is a knock on the doors of a new era in the country.

5G is the beginning of an infinite sky of opportunities. I congratulate every Indian for this., he added. He noted with satisfaction that in this launch of 5G and the march of technology, rural areas and workers are equal partners.

He recounted the seamless continuation of DBT, education, vaccination and health services, and work-from-home during the pandemic when many countries were finding it difficult to keep these services going.

The prime minister said when the government works with clean intentions, the intentions of citizens also undergo change. This is the key difference in the intention (niyat) of 2G and 5G, he remarked.

Bharti Airtel become the first telecom company to launch 5G services in the country. The 5G service will be available in eight cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bangalore and other cities," Mittal said. from Saturday, Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said while addressing the sixth edition of Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022.

To begin with, Reliance Jio will launch 5G services in four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani said, adding that Jio will bring 5G services to all Indians by December 2023.

Beleaguered Vodafone Idea said its 5G rollout journey will begin soon. However, it failed to specify launch date or, coverage timeline.

Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani on Saturday announced that Jio will bring 5G services to all Indians by December 2023. Addressing the sixth edition of IMC, Ambani said that Jio will ensure that "every village will enjoy 5G services by December 2023, as Jio sets to begin the roll out of 5G.

Jio 5G will be the world`s largest and most advanced 5G network. Unlike other operators, Jio`s 5G network will be stand alone with zero dependency on 4G network.
The fundamentals sustaining China's sound economic growth in the long run remain unchanged

Ecns.cn) 13:23, October 10, 2022

Chinas economy registered an average annual growth rate of 6.6% for the past decade or so, leading major economies and much higher than the global average of 2.6% and the 3.7% for developing economies over the same period. China contributed up to 38.6% on average to world economic growth, more than the G7 countries combined.

In 2021, China remained the worlds second largest economy and largest trading country, with its GDP accounting for 18.5% of the world economic aggregate and its foreign trade hitting $6.9 trillion, up by 7.2 percentage points and 56.8% respectively from a decade earlier.

The fundamentals sustaining Chinas sound economic growth in the long run remain unchanged. China remains committed to opening-up. We will continue to uphold the principle of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit and win-win results, expand high-level opening-up, share development dividends with the world and contribute more to the strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Hongyu)
The death toll from the Cresslough explosion could have been twice as high if the blast had happened five minutes earlier, a doctor has said.

Village GP Dr Paul Stewart said a group of school children had been sitting on a wall of the service station and convenience store just before it was buried by falling rubble.

A five-year-old girl and her father, who were buying a birthday cake, were among 10 people killed in the devastating explosion in Co Donegal on Friday afternoon.

Irelands police force, An Garda Siochana, continues to investigate the cause of the blast, which is being treated as a tragic accident.

A gas leak is one theory, it is believed.

Apparently, five minutes before the explosion there were a group of school kids sitting on the wall outside, Dr Stewart told BBC Radio Ulster.

They had been on a day trip. Five minutes earlier and we could have been twice the death toll.

Dr Stewart was involved in the emergency response in the aftermath of the blast. He was given the task of looking after the bodies of victims.

Sadly I was put in charge of the fatalities. We had to find a quiet building, he said.

And then I was involved in trying to identify them and bringing in family members, so that was very difficult.

The doctor added: One of the hard things, I think, to accept and come to terms with was that it was just out of the blue. You wake up in the morning and you dont come home in the evening, and that was very hard.

Its going to take us years to put this back together again. These wounds are going to take years to heal, if they ever do. This is the worst tragedy thats happened in Donegal in living memory.

Those killed were 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, 48-year-old James OFlaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

Funeral arrangements for some of the victims have already been announced.

Jessica Gallaghers funeral mass will take place at St Michaels Church in Creeslough on Tuesday morning.

Martin McGills will be in the same church on Tuesday afternoon.

James OFlahertys funeral will be in St Marys Church in Derrybeg on Wednesday.

Speaking on Monday morning, a Creeslough priest said the heart of the village has been broken by a tsunami of grief.

Father John Joe Duffy said the community has experienced a tidal wave of condolences from across the world, including from figures such as Pope Francis and UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Fr John said the bereaved relatives he has spoken to have expressed their gratitude for the people who rushed to the petrol station to help, as well as emergency services from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

This is a quiet village and the heart of this village has been broken by a tsunami of grief, he told BBC News.

But we also know we are being held in the arms of communities right across both our islands  the United Kingdom and Ireland  and beyond, as far away as Australia, there was messages of prayers coming to us, and its just like a tidal wave coming in.

Communities putting their arms around us and helping us  the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Pope Francis  and many others have sent us support. Thats whats helping us at this time.

Father John said he knew most of the victims  as did many of the first responders from the fire and ambulance services.

Also speaking with the BBC, Garry Martin, Donegal County Councils director of emergency services, added: Its not unusual for us to come across an incident where there are neighbours and friends involved, and that just adds to the challenge that we have in dealing in this type of thing.

But thats part of the job and its particularly exacerbated by the numbers and the range in this case, and its always more difficult when you have young children involved as well.

In a statement, Pope Francis said he was saddened by the blast and expressed spiritual closeness to all those suffering.

Ms Truss expressed deepest sympathies for the entire community of Creeslough.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the attack on the sprawling Kerch Bridge to Crimea a terrorist act carried out by Ukrainian special services.

A criminal terror investigation into the explosion that damaged a prominent Russian landmark has been launched by the countrys investigative committee.

What Russian authorities are calling a truck bomb on Saturday hit the huge bridge linking Russia with the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed eight years ago from Ukraine.

Road and rail traffic on the bridge were temporarily halted, damaging an important supply route for the Kremlins forces and dealing a sharp blow to Russian prestige.

Theres no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation, Mr Putin said in a video of a meeting on Sunday with the chairman of the investigative committee, Alexander Bastrykin.

And the authors, perpetrators, and those who ordered it are the special services of Ukraine.

Mr Bastrykin said Ukrainian special services and citizens of Russia and other countries took part in the attack.

We have already established the route of the truck, he said, adding it had been to Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia and Krasnodar  a region in southern Russia  among other places.

The statements followed overnight Russian missile strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia that brought down part of a large apartment building, leaving at least a dozen people dead.

The six missiles used in Sundays overnight attack were launched from Russian-occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region, the Ukrainian air force said.

The region is one of four Russia claimed as its own this month, though its capital of the same name remains under Ukrainian control.

Russia has suffered a series of setbacks nearly eight months after invading Ukraine in a campaign many thought would be short-lived.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have staged a counter-offensive, retaking areas in the south and east, while Moscows decision to call up more troops has led to protests and an exodus of tens of thousands of Russians.

Recent fighting has focused on the regions just north of Crimea, including Zaporizhzhia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lamented the latest attack in a Telegram post.

Again, Zaporizhzhia. Again, merciless attacks on civilians, targeting residential buildings, in the middle of the night, he wrote.

At least 19 people died in Russian missile strikes on apartment buildings in the city on Thursday.

From the one who gave this order, to everyone who carried out this order: They will answer, he added.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the attacks on civilians a war crime and urged an international investigation.

Mr Putin personally opened the Kerch Bridge in May 2018 by driving a truck across it as a symbol of Moscows claims on Crimea.

The bridge, the longest in Europe, is vital to sustaining Russias military operations in southern Ukraine. No-one has claimed responsibility for damaging it.

Traffic over the bridge was temporarily suspended after the blast, but both cars and trains were crossing again on Sunday. Russia also restarted a car ferry service.
The King has expressed his immense sadness at the appallingly tragic Creeslough disaster.

The monarch sent a message of condolence to the President of Ireland on Monday after 10 people were killed in the devastating explosion in the tiny village in Co Donegal on Friday afternoon.

A five-year-old girl and her father, who were buying a birthday cake, were among the locals from the close-knit rural community who died in the blast at the Applegreen service station and convenience store.

The King offered his heartfelt sympathy to those affected, adding however inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, and described his affection for Donegal after visiting in 2016.

Charles said: My wife and I were filled with immense sadness when we heard of that appallingly tragic explosion at Creeslough, County Donegal.

We remember with the greatest fondness meeting people from across Donegal when we visited in 2016 and the strong sense of community that exists there.

The Kings message to the President of Ireland following the recent explosion in Donegal. pic.twitter.com/mZ17pl4wCc  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 10, 2022

However inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, we wanted you to know that our most heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences are with those families and friends who have lost their loved ones in this devastating tragedy, together with yourself and the people of Ireland.

His message was signed Charles R.

Charles, as the Prince of Wales, has been a regular visitor to Ireland in recent years, and travelled to Glenveagh Castle and Donegal Town in Co Donegal in 2016.

In 2015, he made a landmark trip to the picturesque Mullaghmore harbour in nearby Co Sligo to visit the site where his beloved great uncle Earl Mountbatten was murdered by the IRA.

The late Queen made her first visit to Ireland in May 2011, becoming the first British monarch to travel to the Republic since the nation gained independence from Britain.

The state visit was heralded as a new era in relations between Britain and the Republic.

Irelands police force, An Garda Siochana, continues to investigate the cause of the blast, which is being treated as a tragic accident.

A gas leak is one theory, it is believed.

Those killed were 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, 48-year-old James OFlaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin and 14-year-old Leona Harper.
Macra is to deliver mental health training to agricultural college students to help tackle issues identified by young rural people which affects their mental health.

Financial pressures, farm succession and social media are some of the issues which were identified.

Over the coming weeks and months Macra through its mental health programme Make The Moove will deliver tailored specific training to students in Agricultural Colleges across the country.

The training is funded by Mental Health Ireland and supported and facilitated by Teagasc, and will run on a pilot basis between now and Christmas.

This training programme has been developed in conjunction with Mental Health Ireland and informed by the issues identified by young rural people as affecting their mental wellbeing. The issues identified included, financial pressures, succession on farm, social media and also the negative perception of farming in the general public, said John Keane, Macra National President.

This programme is a first of its kind as it is developed specifically to meet the needs of the students and is tailored to address the factors affecting their mental wellbeing.

"We hope to deliver this pilot training programme to around 150 students over three separate sessions before the end of November. We have also planned over the next number of months to expand the programme, to develop specific training programmes for older age groups working in and supporting agriculture.

"As today is world mental health day, it is important that this topic is highlighted and spoken about in rural communities across the country. We all have a role to play in breaking down the stigma and addressing the challenges that face us all," concluded Mr Keane.
The lack of places for children with autism going from primary to secondary school has been raised at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism by Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu who highlighted his sons educational journey.

The Sinn Fein deputy said he wanted to speak at the committee as he had been inundated with contacts from parents of kids with autism who are looking for services - everything from early learning through to primary, secondary and beyond.

He said: We all know the issue we had with the insufficient number of places in secondary schools. Everybody asked how it had not been planned for, in the sense that the numbers are known in advance for kids going to secondary level. We have had an increase in the number of units.

Deputy O Murchu said his autistic son is a former student at St. Joseph's National School in Muirhevnamor in Dundalk.

He said: I do not think he could have had a better educational experience without his teachers, resource teachers and special needs assistants.

That is not to say there were not difficulties, and that he did not create his own difficulties, because that can happen.

He is now in O Fiaich College in Dundalk. In fairness, the teachers, his SNA and the school are all doing their piece from the point of view of giving him the best educational outcome. We will see where it goes. It is a journey.

But there is a need for additional places at autism units in secondary schools.

He continued: Many parents have made the point that even where they have had places in primary school, that they need a separate unit, where they may have higher needs.

They are disappointed that they do not have choice when it comes to secondary school. In some cases, there is anger at certain schools that do not have provision.

Parents want their child to be in a unit and the unit is full. The parents want to know why there are not units in school X, Y or Z.

In response, Irish Primary Principals' Network CEO, Pairic Clerkin, said:

The simple answer is that we need more time.

For children with complex special educational needs, the school needs to be able to take that application 24 months in advance of the child being due to start school.

It does not compromise the admissions policy of the school. The admissions policy will still be administered the next year, as is the case currently. In most schools, it is age based so the older children are offered a place. The school will be 90% sure whether a child would get a place the next year.

The worst-case scenario is that the child is too young and he or she will have to wait another year. That means the school then has 36 months to prepare. That is what is needed to get the infrastructure in place.

The point that we are making is that section 37 does not facilitate children to attend their local school with their brothers or sisters. It is reactionary and it is not fair on those children.

The only way we will be able to address it in the longer term is to amend the Admissions Act.
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Prepared by Jan Hannes Lang and Marek Rusnak

In recent years different macroprudential sectoral risk weight policies have been used in EU countries to address systemic risk in residential real estate markets. For example, sectoral risk weight floors for domestic internal ratings-based (IRB) mortgage loans were adopted in Estonia, Finland and Sweden, while sectoral risk weight add-ons and multipliers were implemented in Belgium.[1] The use of different sectoral risk weight policy designs raises the question of how they link to policies that would change sectoral capital or leverage ratio requirements.[2]

It can be demonstrated that sectoral risk weight floors, add-ons and multipliers are similar to different sectoral capital and leverage ratio requirement policies. This conceptual similarity between different policy instruments occurs because they bring about similar changes in the minimum required capital for a given bank.[3] To illustrate this, we consider two banks that have an initial sectoral capital requirement of 10%, and no sectoral leverage ratio requirement. The two banks differ only in terms of their average sectoral risk weight, which is 10% for bank 1 and 12.5% for bank 2. The minimum capital requirement and the average risk weight together implicitly set a minimum sectoral leverage ratio (required CET1 capital/sectoral exposure) of 1% for bank 1 and 1.25% for bank 2. We then consider three different risk weight policies: a risk weight floor of 15%, a risk weight add-on of 5 percentage points, and a risk weight multiplier of 33%.

A sectoral risk weight floor is similar to imposing a common sectoral leverage ratio requirement for all banks, in addition to the risk-based capital requirement. For the example above, we consider a sectoral risk weight floor of 15%. As both banks had initial sectoral risk weights of less than 15%, the floor will be binding for the calculation of minimum capital requirements. The risk weight floor will thus give rise to an implicit minimum sectoral leverage ratio of 1.5% for both banks. Therefore, the sectoral risk weight floor acts like a minimum sectoral leverage ratio imposed on both banks, along with the sectoral risk-based capital requirement. Such a policy would be warranted if systemic risk could result in minimum unexpected losses for all sectoral exposures.

A sectoral risk weight add-on is similar to a common increase in the sectoral leverage ratio for all banks. We go on to consider that a sectoral risk weight add-on of 5 percentage points is imposed, which raises average risk weights to 15% and 17.5% for banks 1 and 2 in the example. The implicit minimum sectoral leverage ratios will now be 1.5% and 1.75%, respectively, which represents an increase of 0.5 percentage points for both banks (Chart A, panel b) and. Hence, the common risk weight add-on acts like a common increase in the implicit sectoral leverage ratio for both banks. Such a policy would be warranted if systemic risk could increase unexpected losses for all sectoral exposures by the same amount.

Chart A Sectoral risk weight floors, add-ons and multipliers are similar to different sectoral leverage ratio and capital requirement policies Source: ECB calculations.

Notes: The chart shows the changes in a sectoral risk-based capital requirement (panel a) and a sectoral leverage ratio requirement (panel b) that would bring about the same increase in required CET1 capital as a given risk weight policy design. The term sectoral leverage ratio is used to refer to the ratio of required CET1 capital to total sectoral exposure. Results for three different risk weight policy designs that apply at the portfolio level are shown: (i) a floor of 15%, (ii) an add-on of 5 pp, and (iii) a multiplier of 1.33. The exercises are performed for two hypothetical banks. Both banks are assumed to have an initial capital requirement of 10%. They only differ in terms of their average initial sectoral risk weight, which is assumed to be 10% for bank 1 and 12.5% for bank 2.

A sectoral risk weight multiplier is similar to a common increase in a sectoral risk-based capital requirement for all banks, akin to a sectoral systemic risk buffer (SyRB). Finally, we consider the application of a 1.33 risk weight multiplier. As the capital requirement remains unchanged at 10% but risk weights (and risk-weighted assets) increase by 33%, both banks in the example will face a 33% increase in required CET1 capital. In an alternative policy scenario where risk weights (and risk-weighted assets) remain at their initial levels, it is intuitive that the capital requirement of both banks would need to increase by 33% to achieve the same increase in required CET1 capital as the risk weight policy. Given the initial capital requirement of 10%, this could be considered analogous to imposing a common increase in a risk-based capital requirement of 3.3 percentage points for both banks (Chart A, panel a). If systemic risk could increase unexpected losses in proportion to the underlying (microprudential) riskiness of the exposure, then a risk weight multiplier would be appropriate.

The flexibility of risk weight policies provides a rich set of policy tools that are useful for making macroprudential policy effective and targeted to different types of underlying systemic risk. Therefore, even if the sectoral SyRB is now available under the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD) V legislative package, the flexibility provided by sectoral risk weight policies under Article 458 of the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR), which allows a targeted approach to underlying systemic risk, is still likely to be useful for macroprudential authorities in certain situations.[4]
THE number of life-threatening asthma attacks is expected to soar over the next few weeks as children have returned to school.

Asthma and Lung UK has warned that every year there are huge spikes in hospital admissions for asthma attacks in September.

September and October are the peak months for asthma attacks, when the weather becomes more cold and damp. Children go back to school and start sharing bugs and infections, and this increased exposure to viruses can trigger an asthma attack, suggests Dr Atul Gupta, a consultant respiratory paediatrician at Kings College Hospital, London.

These attacks can be life-threatening, but these tragedies are preventable.

This is what children, parents and carers can do to help prevent back-to-school asthma attacks...

1. Make sure children take their preventer medication

In the summer holidays, there are less infections and less triggers around, and the control medication, which is an asthma preventer, can get forgotten and isnt taken, Gupta says.

Its important the preventer treatment to control asthma is taken regularly - make sure children and young people take control of their medication and take it as prescribed.

Dr Andrew Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma and Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk), says taking the preventer inhaler as prescribed dampens down the inflammation in the airways that gets set off by triggers.

2. Make sure children have an up-to-date asthma review

All asthmatic children should have an annual asthma review with a medical professional. This might be done in person, on the phone or on a video call.

Once a year they should have a review, and if they havent had it they should contact their health professional to arrange it, stresses Gupta.

3. Be aware of the warning signs

Its vital that everyone who the child comes into regular contact with knows what the warning signs of asthma are, says Gupta.

If children are getting short of breath and coughing, they may need to seek appropriate medical help, he warns. Parents being aware of the signs and seeking appropriate help is very important.

4. Make sure their reliever inhaler is always to hand

Reliever or rescue inhalers, which are usually blue, work quickly to relax the muscles in the airways so asthmatics can breathe more easily. Its important that children have access to their reliever inhaler whenever they need it, as triggers and symptoms are unpredictable, warns Whittamore.

Gupta adds: If children have symptoms including a gradually persistent cough, struggling to breathe when sleeping, or asthma thats getting worse, then they should take their rescue inhaler as prescribed in the asthma action plan.

Asthma and Lung UK describes an asthma action plan as telling you and anyone with you what medicine you take every day, what to do if your symptoms are getting worse, what to do if youre having an asthma attack and when to call 999.

5. Make sure the school knows your child has asthma

Parents should inform the school at the beginning of the school year that the child has got asthma, and make sure a copy of the childs asthma action plan is given to the school, says Gupta.

Asthma and Lung UK recommends parents ask their childs doctor for an extra reliever inhaler to give to the school. It should preferably be in its original packaging, so the school can read the prescription label.

6. Be aware of your schools medical conditions policy

Whittamore says: Knowing your schools medical conditions policy and [having] good communication is crucial. This is made easier with an asthma action plan and school card - both can be downloaded from the Asthma and Lung UK website.

7. Eligible children should have a flu jab

Children who are eligible should get a flu jab in October, Gupta advises.
THE death of Ted Crosbie - a giant of Corks business and media world for decades - has been announced.

He was the chairman of Thomas Crosbie Holdings, later Landmark Media - parent company of the Irish Examiner, The Echo, and a string of other newspaper and radio interests - until its sale to the Irish Times group in 2018.

That sale marked the end of a 146-year ownership of the group by the Crosbie family.

Mr Crosbie, from Montenotte, who was 91, had been living in St Lukes Home in Cork city in recent months.

He spent more than 60 years in the newspaper business.

The late Ted Crosbie. File Picture

Teds great-grandfather, Thomas, had joined the then Cork Examiner in 1843 as a reporter, and became proprietor in 1872, starting the Crosbie link.

Born Thomas Edward Crosbie, but known to all as Ted, in April, 1931, Ted was the second eldest, the only boy in a family of four, who lived in the family home at Woodlands, Montenotte, which his grandfather had bought from the Arnott family in 1916.

He attended Christian Brothers College junior school and went on to Christians secondary school.

During his school years, Ted was encouraged to familiarise himself with the family business, and he retained a particular interest in the printing side. He spent his summer holidays at the Examiner and Echo and learned all aspects of the business.

Ted went on to study Science at UCC, received his BSc in 1952, and joined the family company full-time.

At the helm during major change in the industry

In 1976, as Technical Director, Ted led the process of changing over to the new era of Web Offset printing, placing the newspaper group at the cutting edge of the industry in Ireland, almost a decade before the Dublin papers managed it. It was perhaps his greatest achievement with the company.

Ted later led the group through major dynamic developments as Chief Executive from the early 1980s until 1993.

He married Gretchen Kelleher in 1960 and they had six children  the late Suzanne, Elizabeth, Tom, Andrew, Edward and Sophie Sadly, in 1996, Gretchen died in a car accident en route from Dublin to Cork.

Aside from family and business, Teds other great passion was sailing, which he inherited from his father. Ted became Irish National Helmsman Champion in 1950 and was Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club in the 1980s.

He was conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by UCC in 2007. He was also Chairman of the Press Association in London.

On the day his familys link to the newspaper industry was broken in 2018, Ted thanked the staff for their dedication and, in typically jovial mood, said that the dust rising during the heatwave had caused irritation to his eyes.

It gets into my eyes, and my eyes fill with tears, but I can guarantee that only 10% of those tears are for family anxiety - the other 90% are tears of joy that you fellas are carrying on with the publications.

Ted, who once described himself as a chemist by training, a shovel engineer by vocation, and a manager by desperation, also declared a great similarity between himself and the statue of Father Mathew.

The statue sitting in Patrick Street looks to make sure that Mangans clock is accurate, that buses come on time and, up to recently, looked with severity at those coming in and out of the Swan and Cygnet pub.
Ted Crosbie has been remembered as a true pioneer of modern Irish media and a mighty man with a great personality.

Tributes to Mr Crosbie were led by Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ted Crosbie, a man whose life was woven into the very fabric of his home city of Cork for more than nine decades.

Ted was one of the nicest people you could ever meet; witty, erudite, and insightful. He was good company always, Mr Martin said.

The Taoiseach described Mr Crosbie as a true pioneer of modern Irish media, with a keen scientific and business mind, and a passion for enriching the charitable, cultural, and social life of his city and country.

Teds rich legacy includes the first full-colour national newspapers produced in Ireland, as well as innovations in print and digital technologies that were years ahead of his competitors.

I know his love of newsprint and ink was matched by his love of sailing, and a long association with the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

"A true gentleman, Ted will be sorely missed in his native city and beyond.

My sympathies go to his children Tom, Liz, Andrew, Ed, and Sophie, and all his wider family and friends, Mr Martin said.

Mr Crosbie was the chairman of Thomas Crosbie Holdings, later Landmark Media  parent company of the Irish Examiner, The Echo, and other newspaper and radio interests  until its sale to the Irish Times group in 2018.

Ted Crosbie and his son Tom at home in 2018. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Paying tribute to his father, former chairman of Landmark Media, Tom Crosbie described him as a great newsman and a great newspaper man.

He knew the importance of professional journalism, the importance of independent journalism  independence with a small i, he said. He grew up in the business.

There were three generations before him and when we talk about Dads legacy, he was continuing what was passed down from previous generations, he said. Outside of his love of media, Tom said his father had two other great loves, his love of his family and his love of his homeplace, Cork.

Maurice Gubbins, editor of The Echo, said it was a privilege to have known Mr Crosbie.

Although Ted was a great age, his death comes as a shock, he said.

On behalf of everyone at The Echo, I wish to extend our sincere condolences to Mr Crosbies family on the loss of their beloved father, brother, and grandfather.

It was my privilege to have worked with Ted since 1978.

He was a mighty man, a supportive boss, and a brilliant leader. Also, he was a great colleague and was fun to be with on any occasion, said Mr Gubbins.

He was a fearless champion of independent journalism, of press freedom, and of the Cork region.

He was a technical innovator of significance and ensured both The Echo and Examiner were at the forefront of newspaper development in Ireland.

I sat opposite him in negotiations as father of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ] chapel many times and beside him later as a member of the management team.

I always found him to be thoroughly decent and respectful of all. His personal charm and mischievous sense of humour enriched our lives, he said.

Tom Fitzpatrick, editor of the Irish Examiner, said Mr Crosbie leaves an enormous legacy to Irish media.

Our staff and readers will remember Ted as a good man, a newspaper man to his core, said Mr Fitzpatrick.

He was an imposing and colourful newsroom presence who believed in the principles and integrity of journalism and supported them every day.

Mr Crosbie was announced as the first Hall of Fame recipient at the prestigious Cork Person of the Year awards in 2018.

Manus OCallaghan, Cork Person of the Year Awards organiser, said he was very sad to hear of Mr Crosbies passing.

Paying tribute, Mr OCallaghan said Mr Crosbie had a very warm personality and was always a delight to meet.

He made a huge contribution to the newspaper industry in Ireland and to business in general in Cork, he added.

Foreign Affairs Minister and Defence Minister Simon Coveney described Mr Crosbie as one of lifes great gentlemen who was an iconic figure in Cork.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Coveney lauded Mr Crosbies contribution to Irish media, which he said was very significant.

I knew him very well through sport and through media, he said.

He loved the water. He loved sitting on a boat in Cork harbour. I think thats where he found most peace and relaxation, that, and time with his family, who he was very, very close to.
LATE on the bitterly cold night of October 19, 1877, the inhabitants of Cork citys southside were startled by the sudden blare of what sounded like a lighthouse foghorn.

Perplexed, many ran to their front doors to ascertain the source of the unusual racket. Immediately, however, they were distracted by something far more tangible: a frightening glare in the sky in the north-eastern quarter of the city. As the eerie cacophony from the foghorn continued, the word soon went around: Cunninghams Provision Stores on Merchants Quay, a complex stretching from Patricks Street back to Parnell Place (think Merchants Quay Shopping Mall), was on fire!

The foghorn - for that is what it was - had been installed in the fire station on Sullivans Quay (then little more than an open yard with an office) to summon members of the newly-created Fire Brigade when an alarm call was received.

Now, the tiny, untried unit was turning out to its very first call; a task that, even today, would tax the resources of a modern brigade.

Remarkably, the little party comprising just four firemen and their Superintendent, Mark Wickham, acquitted itself very well.

Praise for their efforts was led by the Cork Examiner. Indeed, for many years, the campaign for the establishment of a firefighting force in the city had been spearheaded by the newspaper under its founder, John Francis Maguire, Mayor, Member of Parliament, and staunch defender of Catholic and Nationalist rights. Despite a series of huge fires, many with loss of life, the City Fathers at every hands turn thwarted Maguires efforts. The addition of a half-penny on the rates to fund such a service could simply not bear thinking about.

By 1877, however, the scandalous situation could no longer be ignored and, grudgingly, the decision was made to establish Cork Fire Brigade provided it could be done for less than 500 a year.

Sadly, Maguire, who had fought long and hard for such a day, did not live to see the project dear to his heart come to fruition. He passed away in 1872.

Of all the fires leading up to the decision to form the brigade, many agreed it was a horrific one on the Grand Parade, three years earlier in 1874, which unfolded before the eyes of thousands of spellbound onlookers, that proved the catalyst for the Corporations change of heart.

******

A Horsed Hose Reel in the early 20th century. BELOW: Horse drawn trams in Grand Parade, Cork in 1872, two years before the blaze there that sparked the formation of a new Cork Fire Brigade

Mary OCallaghan was a worried woman. As she hurried along the street on her way to the Courthouse accompanied by her lodger, Hannah Flint, she wore a deep frown. Just one week since, two soldiers from Cork Barracks had entered her drapers shop at Daunts Square - close to Woodford, Bournes - and, while one had kept the staff distracted, the other had been busy helping himself to some items of clothing.

They were spotted and ran off, the shop assistants pursuing them hot foot along Patrick Street. Some policemen took up the chase, and the duo were hauled, kicking, and screaming, to the Bridewell. It took six policemen to subdue them, and as they were dragged past OCallaghans shop they cursed and swore revenge. If they were gaoled, they shouted, their comrades would take revenge.

Thus, that Friday morning, October 16, 1874, she quickly blessed herself passing St Augustines, head bowed against the bitter black wind blowing down the Western Road from the Boggeraghs, and fervently whispered a quiet aspiration to her late husband to give her the strength to carry her through the day.

As the mornings court cases wore on, the sheer tediousness of it all did nothing to pacify her state of mind. She had to force herself to avert her eyes from the malevolent glare of the two accused, seated between two policemen.

Then, just as the case was about to be called, she jumped, startled, as a policeman tapped her urgently on the shoulder. Would she mind stepping outside for a minute?

******

Standing on the top of the courthouse steps, Mary gazed in dismay at the roiling clouds of dense, black smoke gathering over the northern end of the Grand Parade, which told their own story. As she ran like the wind back to her blazing premises, the frightful curses of the two soldiers rang in her ears. She was only vaguely aware of the Angelus bells booming out their call to prayer across the noonday city.

Daunts Square was a bedlam of confusion: of shouting, screaming and the crackling of flames. The crowd, already hundreds deep, stood as if riveted, watching flames spectacularly leaping from window to window up the facade of OCallaghans. Then, to their disbelief, a little old lady appeared at a window of the third floor and began to climb out.

Recounted the Cork Examiner: Exclamations of horror and prayers for her safety burst simultaneously from the crowd below.

The fire was discovered some time after 11.30am by the shop assistants.

Investigating a strange smell, they opened the door of the ground floor oil room adjacent to the stairs and were confronted by a mass of flames.

Not alone did they not take the simple precaution of closing the door to the room on fire, but they made another fatal mistake. Reacting automatically in the way they had done a thousand times before when leaving the shop unattended, they locked the door onto the street while making good their own escape. In doing so, they sealed the fate of the five people remaining on the upper floors of the building.

In that room, an insidious, deadly transformation had occurred. The fire in the closed room had, without sufficient air, burned quietly for a time, during which it gradually heated the contents to their ignition temperature. When the door was opened, the fire, suddenly satiated with life-giving oxygen, quickly spread over the whole room in the dreaded phenomenon known as a flashover.

As the flames, toxic smoke and superheated gases raced up the narrow funnel of the stairs, Arthur Flint, a 39-year-old marine dealer, swiftly considered his position. Gathering up his little daughter and son under his arms, and grabbing Mary Walsh, Mrs OCallaghans elderly servant, he decided to make a dash for it down the stairs. It was a fatal mistake.

Meanwhile, on the top floor, Eliza Grogan was climbing out onto the windowsill.

******

Alderman John Jones was among the first to spot her predicament. Calling on some men to help him, he sprinted down the Grand Parade to the English Market to procure a ladder. But, when fully extended, it fell 5ft short of Mrs Grogans window.

But, Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Sizing up the situation, a young slater from Douglas Street, William Kavanagh, skillfully climbed the ladder, guided the old ladys feet onto the uppermost rounds, and, amid great cheering, brought her to safety.

Eliza was the only one of the trapped occupants to escape entirely unharmed. She later explained that, at the first sign of trouble, and realising the stairs were impassable, she had closed her bedroom door - thus inhibiting the ingress of poisonous smoke and gases - and gone to the window to cry for help. Although she had to wait some 15 minutes for the ladder to arrive, her actions saved her life.

No.3 Grand Parade, scene of the fatal blaze in 1874.

The Flint party was less fortunate. Poor Arthur, who had sucked flames and superheated gases down through his bronchial passages, on reaching the foot of the stairs with his charges - all hideously burned - found the hall door locked. All collapsed, unconscious, just feet from the street. There they lay, their lives ebbing away, until Corporation Street Inspector Denis Lyons kicked in the door, and they were dragged out. Arthur Flint, his son, and Mary Walsh all died from their awful ordeal.

In the confusion, the little boy was initially missed. His charred remains were later discovered by the Mayor himself. The little girl lay critically ill at the North Infirmary.

It was the single greatest loss of life from fire in Cork for many years, made even more shocking by the fact it had taken place in broad daylight, the horror unfolding before thousands of horrified Corkonians.

Previous fatal fires had mostly occurred late at night or in the early hours, witnessed by few.

The cause of the fire was never established. The fact that the soldiers comrades had sworn revenge was taken seriously, but nothing was ever proved.

******

On the firefighting front that day, there was the usual interminable delay while the Corporation Office at 20, South Mall was informed. Before the Fire Brigade was established, firefighting duties were performed by the staff of the Water Department, whose ordinary work took them all over the city. Messengers had to be sent to notify them wherever they could be found.

When, eventually, the fire hydrants were put to work, the pressure was so poor that the water splashed uselessly off the windows of the burning building.

As the Cork Examiner narrated: A volley of stones and broken bottles was directed at the windows to break them, and the desired result was very soon accomplished with the able assistance of a few Cork marksmen.

William Kavanagh, who had conducted himself so courageously throughout the incident (he made several sorties off the head of the ladder trying to locate the victims), applied to the Corporation for compensation for his destroyed clothing, boots and personal effects to the amount of 6.16s.0d. Rather than commend the young man for his tireless, heroic efforts, an undignified public wrangle ensued, a number of City Fathers dismissing out of hand the awarding of any such payments. Go to the insurance companies for your money, he was told.

Eventually, grudgingly, Kavanagh was given 5.

******

Cork City Fire Brigade has, for the past 145 years, been Protecting, Preventing and Responding to the emergency needs of the citizens, evolving and developing in tandem with the great Rebel City itself.

Its role is changing, however, from being purely response to mitigation, too. The emphasis now is to work closely with the community in the reduction of hazards, while at the same time enhancing its ability to respond to emergencies of all kinds.

In its early days, the brigade had its Mission Statement emblazoned along the back of its appliances: Semper Paratus - Always Ready.

That much, at least, remains unchanged.

The final part in Pat Polands trilogy on the history of the fire and rescue service in Cork city is available now. entitled Cork City Firefighters: A Proud Record. A Visual History From 1950, it contains more than 240 black and white and colour illustrations.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Activists and supporters take part during demonstration in solidarity with the Amazon at the Dam Square on August 23, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Paulo Amorim / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Chicken raised in Brazil and sold in UK supermarkets has been linked to Amazon deforestation for the first time.

Thats the conclusion of a new investigation from Reporter Brasil and Ecostorm published Thursday which found that chickens sold to the UK by U.S.-based company JBS had been fed with soya and corn grown on cleared land that had once been home to Brazils ecologically important Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna.

This investigation shows that the purchasing procedures applied have blind spots and still cannot fully prevent mechanisms of grain laundering, the investigation found, as The Independent reported.

JBS is the worlds largest meat company and it sells Brazilian-raised chicken, beef and pork to Europe, China and the Middle East, among other international markets. It has come under fire in the past for sourcing its cattle from deforested land, according to another Reporter Brasil investigation published in 2019.

The new report claims that it is feeding chickens with soya and corn linked to deforestation in the Amazon and Cerrado, according to The Independent. In one instance, a soy farm in Brazils Mato Grosso state that supplied JBS illegally cleared 243.890 acres of land, The Guardian reported. Some of those soy-fed chickens, in turn, have ended up in the UK through JBS subsidiary Seara, which produces more than five million Brazilian chickens each day from 9,000 farms. Britain imported at least $500-worth of Seara chickens over the last three years, which were distributed via wholesale companies to grocery stores, schools, hospitals and nursing homes.

JBS maintained to Reporter Brasil that it requires all of its grain suppliers to sign the soy moratorium, which bans the sale of soy grown on land that was deforested after 2008.

JBS requires that 100% of its grain procurement contracts meet social-environmental criteria in all Brazilian biomes, the company further told The Guardian. In the case of purchases from trading companies, the contracts require that their supplier farms are not located in areas of illegal deforestation; are not under federal or state interdictions; are not located in conservation units or on indigenous or quilombola lands; or do not use labour under conditions analogous to slavery.

The company further said it required all suppliers in the Amazon biome to sign the moratorium and that three farms mentioned in the report had met their environmental standards when they sourced grains from them. When the farms were later cited for violations, the company blacklisted them.

However, JBS also continued to source cattle from deforested land after paying a 24.7-million-Brazilian-real fine for the practice, according to the 2019 Reporter Brasil investigation, which was also conducted by The Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

The news comes during an urgent time for the Brazilian Amazon, which saw record deforestation during the first six months of 2022. The country is in the midst of a presidential election which will determine if current pro-exploitation President Jair Bolsonaro will maintain power, or whether his left-wing opponent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, himself a former Brazilian president with a better Amazon track record, will win. Bolsonaros policies have pushed the Amazon towards a tipping point after which it would transform into grassland. During the first six months of 2022, deforestation was up 80 percent compared to the first six months of 2018, the year before he was elected, according to Nature World News.

The Cerrado is less well known internationally, but is also an important carbon sink that has lost around 50 percent of its native vegetation because of agricultural expansion since the 1950s.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

By Jordan Gass-Poore

Maines Androscoggin Land Trust just achieved a goal some thought it wouldnt be able to achieve: It purchased the 95-acre Camp Gustin, located about 30 miles southwest of the state capital, for $415,000. The Trust, which solicited public donations to conserve the land, was able to complete the acquisition after it secured a loan from nonprofit The Conservation Fund and a grant from the state.

Camp Gustin was named after Charles Gustin, who donated the land to the Boy Scouts of Americas Pine Tree Council in the 1940s after his sons attended a scouting camp on the coast. Gustins descendants made a public plea last year to preserve the property, which the Pine Tree Council planned to sell to the highest bidder to contribute to its share of the Boy Scouts of Americas $2.46 billion victim compensation fund tied to its now-infamous child sexual abuse cases.

Its a very proud moment for them because they were very scared that the Pine Tree Council was going to sell to developers, says Aimee Dorval, the Androscoggin Land Trusts executive director.

The acquisition is part of a larger effort by the Trust to conserve hundreds of acres of land in Maine at risk of development. Dorval says it plans to open the camp to the public for camping and other recreational activities  and will also continue to allow Boy Scouts to use the land.

The ability to preserve land like Camp Gustin remains a source of worry for many conservationists  not just in Maine but around the country.

The Boy Scouts of America and their local councils intend to sell thousands of acres of land  including properties where some of the abuse took place  to compensate sexual abuse victims.

This September a judge in Delaware allowed the national organization to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy and continue operating while settling decades of claims by more than 80,000 men who allege they were abused by troop leaders as children. The Scouts filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 amid declining membership and mounting legal costs from the lawsuits.

To help pay for the compensation fund, the Boy Scouts local councils are legally required to contribute at least $515 million.

Scouting Land

For more than a century, the Boy Scouts have acquired most of their land through gifts and charitable donations made by people who wanted these properties preserved.

Its unclear how much land belongs to the national Boy Scouts, because some properties are owned and managed by the organizations more than 250 local councils, which are separate nonprofits, distinct and financially independent from the national organization, the Boy Scouts of America says in a statement. By some estimates, the local Scout councils own 2,000 camp properties, worth billions of dollars.

The 377-acre Holcomb Valley Ranch went on the market in 2021 for $12 million. Wikimedia Commons

Each local council receives a charter, much like a franchise agreement, from the national Boy Scouts organization. A local councils charter can be revoked at any time by the national organization, according to the Boy Scouts bylaws.

Without a charter, a local councils land would become the property of the national organization.

Environmental groups and government officials are trying to find ways to conserve this land before the Boy Scouts and councils sell it off to developers. They find themselves juggling the organizations desires for quick turnover and maximum profit while also respecting the fact that some of these sites are places where horrific events took place.

If they succeed, it would further the better aspects of the Boy Scouts legacy: The Scouts have a long history of conserving land, some of which are highlighted in the organizations Conservation Handbook.

Today the Boy Scouts conservation efforts are threatened by their own debt to the thousands of people they harmed. Critics say theyre selling off land to the highest bidder without consideration for the environment  or the tenants of the organization.

After months of emails and calls, Boy Scouts of America could not be reached for comment.

But other groups went on the record.

Close Calls

Conservation groups across the country represent one of the primary efforts to buy land from the Scouts local councils.

They dont always succeed.

In 2019 the Michigan Crossroads Council of Boy Scouts sold Silver Trails Scout Reservation, a 270-acre campground near Port Huron. A nonprofit called Thumb Land Conservancy tried to buy it but lost out when the Scouts sold it to a gravel-mining company for $1.8 million.

More recently, in June, Seneca Waterways Council in New York voted to sell Camp Babcock-Hovey, a 293-acre campground on the shore of Seneca Lake that opened in 1937. The buyer of this $8 million property has not been disclosed, and calls to the national Boy Scouts press office remain unanswered.

The council will continue to operate the camp until October.

The loss of Camp Babcock-Hovey is painful, especially for those who have spent treasured weeks of their Scouting careers there, or more than that, have dedicated significant portions of their lifetimes caring for that beautiful camp and providing leadership for its staff and campers, wrote the councils executive committee in June, explaining its decision to close the camp.

Other councils in New York face similar choices.

Camp Barton, which operated as a Boy Scout camp for more than a century, is among those on the chopping block.

Fred Bonn, regional director of New York state parks in the Finger Lakes where Camp Barton is located, says the state is working with three municipalities to buy 96 of the 130 acres of the former camp.

While the state parks department will buy the land, Bonn says the property  which will become a public park  will ultimately be managed by the cities of Covert, Ulysses and Trumansburg.

The remaining 34 acres of Camp Barton have been sold, says Bonn, adding that he doesnt know if the buyer plans to develop the land or not.

Developers came close to buying the Deer Lake Scout Reservation in Killingworth, Connecticut.

After a yearlong battle, the Connecticut Yankee Boy Scouts Council agreed in September to sell Deer Lake, which was named in a 2012 lawsuit as a site where abuse took place, to Pathfinders, Inc., a local nonprofit that says it will maintain the property as a camp.

Deer Lake Scout Reservation. Wikimedia Commons

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal praised the move, writing on Twitter: This precious natural treasure will be an enduring legacy for generations of nature lovers thanks to a great activist partnership. Its a proud moment for the conservation movement.

The council previously rejected Pathfinders offer to buy the land for $2.4 million.

Fearing the land would be lost to developers, Sen. Blumenthal told the press in June that he was looking into the possibility of using federal funds from the National Park Services Land and Water Conservation Fund to help buy Deer Lake and other Boy Scout properties that are up for sale around the country.

The Federal Role  and Challenge

But getting the National Park Service involved in the purchase of Boy Scout properties can be pretty complicated, says Joel Lynch, who runs the agencys state and local assistance programs, which includes the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The federal program, funded primarily by revenue generated from offshore oil and gas leases, supports projects to protect natural resources across the country.

Lynch says the Fund is driven by state governments, which submit outdoor recreation plans to the National Park Service every five years to help fund projects that could include the purchase of former Boy Scouts properties.

I do see all the projects, so I havent necessarily seen an uptick, but Im almost expecting to see something, he says.

The only way for the National Park Service to step in, Lynch says, is if the Boy Scout property is within the boundaries of land owned by the agency.

But no one knows how many properties the Boy Scouts and their local councils own in general, let alone the amount within National Park Service boundaries.

Even if there were a list, Lynch says, all state-submitted projects still must go through an approval process to receive money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. That can often take so long that the property they want to purchase goes off the market.

A way around that, he says, is for a state to collaborate with a land conservancy. In some cases, these local organizations will purchase properties using their own funds because its simply faster.

Ironically, the Boy Scouts themselves historically worked with land conservancies, like The Trust for Public Land, to purchase properties across the country. This was the case for the William H. Pouch Scout Camp on Staten Island, which was nearly sold in 2010 when the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America, the camps owner, could no longer afford to maintain it.

The Boy Scouts have also worked with the U.S. Forest Service to preserve land when they couldnt.

Since as early as 1937, the Forest Service has acquired almost 9,000 acres of land from the Boy Scouts.

The last time the agency acquired land from the Boy Scouts was in 2016. It has no plans of acquiring more, a Forest Service spokesperson wrote in an email.

Historic Atrocities

Some Boy Scouts property could be preserved from development thanks to a growing movement calling for the return of Native lands to Native nations so they can preserve it according to Tribal values. Most, if not all, of the property owned by the Boy Scouts and their local councils is on land stolen from Indigenous peoples.

Landback is the literal reclamation of land of Indigenous peoples whove been forcibly removed from their lands on behalf of colonialism, says Krystal Two Bulls, director of NDN Collectives landback campaign. But its also the reclamation of everything stolen from us.

Two Bulls says Native nations are forming land conservancies to acquire ancestral lands. Many of these Native-led organizations dont have the necessary funds to do this on their own, so they partner with government agencies or environmental groups to share costs  although even that is, in its own way, another element of colonization.

I dont think that we should have to purchase land that was stolen from the first place, she says.

NDN Collective has a fund that lends money to tribes so they can buy their land back, including property currently owned by the Boy Scouts.

Because no one knows exactly how much property the Boy Scouts and their local councils own, its difficult to determine the land thats been stolen and the Native nation it belongs to.

Reviewing records of treaties between the U.S. and Native nations is one way to try to find out, Two Bulls says.

I think thats how primarily weve been able to know that those are traditional territories, but I dont underestimate Nations abilities to know through pre-colonial storytelling where theyre from because so many tribes have been displaced.

At least one Native nation is trying to reclaim stolen land now for sale by the Boy Scouts.

The Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, in California, has put in a bid to buy Camp Pico Blanco in Big Sur from the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council.

When the land went up for sale, the nonprofit Western Rivers Conservancy agreed to pay for the property and transfer it to the Esselen Tribe.

But despite the Tribes deep ties to the land, the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, as of September, has not yet chosen a buyer.

Eric Tarbox, the councils deputy scout executive, told the Monterey Herald in April that Camp Pico Blanco was being sold not because of the sexual-assault judgments but due to damage caused by wildfires.

Scouts are not able to use the camp and may not be able to for the foreseeable future, Tarbox told the paper. Most specifically, we are not selling it for financial need, but because Scouts cant use it.

Most of the listings for property owned by the Boy Scouts and their local councils, including Camp Pico Blanco, dont mention anything about the lands Indigenous history. They do, however, tout the organizations conservation efforts at keeping the land pristine  although others dispute that characterization.

These lands that national parks and public lands and conservation groups manage, they were not these untouched, pristine lands that need to be conserved, says Two Bulls. The reason they look the way that they do is because Native nations had been managing them and stewarding them since time immemorial. They are not untouched lands; they looked the way that they did because of us.

The loss of Indigenous land led to the separation of families, loss of cultural identity, and genocide.

Its only been since the end of the 20th century that Americans have started to confront the countrys violent history, says Amy Sodaro, author of the book Exhibiting Atrocity: Memorial Museums and the Politics of Past Violence.

These sites of atrocity have meaning and need to be dealt with more carefully, says Sodaro. I think there is starting to be a shift here, but I think in many ways were kind of behind much of the rest of the world, because weve been powerful enough to not have to face our past and to be able to kind of ignore these sites.

The Boy Scouts of America and their local councils can no longer ignore the fact that children were abused on some of their properties. Conservation groups, scouting advocates and victims have mixed feelings about what to do with this land. Whether properties continue to operate as campsites or if theyre sold  which happens on a regular basis around the country  these locations will now remain shrouded in the darkness of historic pain.

Jordan Gass-Poore is a podcast producer, investigative journalist, and cofounder of the women-led audio collective Local Switchboard NYC. Previously she worked as producer with CNN, Bloomberg and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Soon she will be executive producer and host of the investigative climate podcast she created with NJ Spotlight News and WNET called Hazard, which looks at the impact climate change has on hazardous Superfund sites in New Jersey.

Reposted with permission from The Revelator.




INVE now associated member of Sustainable Shrimp Partnership

INVE Aquaculture, a Benchmark company, has joined the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP), an industry-leading initiative created to transform the future of shrimp aquaculture.

With a growing global population, increasing pressure on natural resources and demand for healthy protein, the SSP's mission is to make shrimp aquaculture a sustainable practice for the world.

SSP was pioneered in Ecuador, the world's largest shrimp producer, where more than one million tonnes were produced in 2021. The SSP initiative is led by Ecuadorian shrimp producers who are committed to achieving and promoting the highest quality products produced to the highest social and environmental standards.

All producing members of SSP are required to meet strict criteria including ASC certification, zero antibiotic policy, full traceability and a neutral impact on water.

Collaboration, transparency and knowledge transfer is a key area of focus to drive change. With a portfolio covering hatcheries through to farms, INVE and Benchmark has a breadth of knowledge and solutions in advanced nutrition, genetics and health across the shrimp production lifecycle. The teams are dedicated to driving sustainability in aquaculture and will contribute to SSP as an associate member by sharing their technical expertise in the hatchery and nursery segment, with a focus on shrimp welfare, disease, productivity and care for the environment.

Patrick Waty, chief executive officer of INVE Aquaculture and head of Benchmark Advanced Nutrition, said: "We have been pioneering sustainable solutions for aquaculture for over 35 years to help safeguard our world's food supply and support a growing population. We are excited to join the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership and very happy to share our knowledge to help to shape an environmentally sound, ethically responsible and profitable shrimp industry."

Xavier Valdez, area manager of Ecuador, said: "Becoming a member of the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership is a testament to our commitment to sustainability both here in Ecuador and globally. We are looking forward to working with members of the SSP to create a more sustainable future for shrimp production."

Pamela Nath, director of SSP, said: "By working with partners who share our principles, we believe we can have a greater impact on the sustainability performance of the global shrimp industry. We would like to welcome INVE Aquaculture as an associate member of SSP. Incorporating their expertise will no doubt have a significant impact on the speed and impact we can have in industry improvements."



- INVE




Norway's Finance Minister adamant that controversial tax will be imposed on country's aquaculture

Norway's Finance Minister, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, remained defiant on October 6 as he prepared to deliver his first national budget which will impose extra costs worth billions of krone on the country's larger salmon and trout farmers.

With the backing of Labour Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre, Centre Party leader Vedum has thrown the normally stable industry into turmoil since he recently was forced to reveal his controversial salmon land tax plan.

The coalition government's new tax will apply to farms with production of over 5,000 tonnes a year, meaning the smaller salmon farmers would not be included.

Millions have been wiped off salmon shares  SalMar alone has lost half of its stock market value  while all the major companies have pulled or shelved ambitious investment plans.

The land tax, which is also being levied on Norway's wind power industry, is expected to raise up to kr3.8 billion (US$354.2 million) to help plug Norway's growing budget deficit. However, the salmon industry thinks it could be three times that figure.

There is even unrest within Vedum's own ranks, with several Centre Party coastal mayors urging him to rethink his plans.

However, the minister said he is not for turning. He added that he wants the industry to be profitable, pointing out that companies also get a 40% tax allowance for investments. He also intends to consult local communities about his plan.

But Vedum also told E24 that Mowi's largest shareholder John Fredriksen and SalMar founder Gustav Witze had made enormous fortunes from using Norway's fjords, so they should share more with the local communities.



- Fish Farmer
Loganair up for sale



 Copyright Thomas Nugent

The UK's largest regional airline Loganair has been put up for sale.

Scottish brothers Stephen and Peter Bond have owned the business for the last 25 years - and say they want to find the right future owner.

The company flies 44 aircraft to more than 40 destinations including the Isle of Man - and is trading profitably.
A court in the Netherlands has ruled that a US company violated a Dutch worker's human rights by forcing him to keep his webcam on during work hours, TechCrunch has reported. Hired by Florida telemarketing firm Chetu, the employee was terminated for refusing to be monitored "for nine hours per day" by a program that streamed his webcam and shared his screens.

The company said it fired the worker for "refusal to work" and "insubordination." However, the employee stated that he "didn't feel comfortable" being monitored all day. "This is an invasion of my privacy and makes me feel really uncomfortable. That is the reason why my camera is not on," he's quoted as saying in the court documents. (Chetu failed to show up for the court hearing.)

"Tracking via camera for eight hours per day is disproportionate and not permitted in the Netherlands," the verdict states, adding that it also violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court found that Chetu dismissed the employee unfairly and must pay a $50,000 fine, along with the worker's back wages, court costs, and unused vacation days. It was also required to remove a non-compete clause.

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As Florida is an at-will state, employees can be fired for any reason as long as it's not illegal. In the Netherlands and other EU countries, however, you must have a valid motive for firing someone (refusal to perform work, culpable conduct, etc.)  otherwise, the employee has grounds to dispute it.
Last week LG announced that it would allow third-party TV manufacturers to use its webOS platform and now its main rival is following suit. Samsung has revealed that it will license its Tizen OS TV platform for use in non-Samsung TV models for the first time, partnering with Akai, RCA and a bunch of other brands (Bauhn, Linsar, Sunny, Vispera) sold in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The partnership gives those manufacturers access to Tizen OS features like Samsung TV Plus (a free streaming TV and video platform), Universal Guide for discovery and personalized recommendations, and Samsung's Bixby and other voice assistants.

As we noted when LG first announced it would license webOS to other TV makers, these deals give buyers another option on lower-priced smart TVs that might otherwise run Android TV, Roku or Amazon's Fire TV. While you've probably never heard of many of the brands mentioned, the fact that Samsung is opening its Tizen platform means it could come to TVs sold in the US at some point.

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Samsung's Smart TV and LG's webOS are good options instead of Android TV, as both offer good search and personalization capabilities, a choice of multiple voice assistants (their own plus Alexa and Google) and support for Apple Airplay (though not Chromecast). Google TV is a big update from Android TV, but the majority of TVs and streaming boxes like NVIDIA's Shield TV still use the latter  though Google's plan is to eventually have all third-party devices running Google TV.
Khan's well-wishers and acquaintances have expressed concern and demanded swift action to trace him.

Zulfiqar Khan, former media executive who till recently worked for ALTBalaji as Group COO is reportedly missing from Kenya for over two months.

He was reportedly abducted near the Ole Sereni area in mid-July along with his friend Mohammed Zaid Sami Kidwai and their driver Nicodemus Mwania in an unmarked car.

Khan's well-wishers and acquaintances have expressed concern and demanded swift action from both Kenyan and Indian governments to trace him.

"Zulfiqar Khan, Ex SVP Star TV & COO of Balaji missing for over 70 days from Kenya. No concrete response from the Kenyan embassy. Request GOI to take this up strongly and bring him home," Rajiv Dubey tweeted.

Ex colleague at STAR TV Zulfiqar Khan, Ex Group COO Balaji Telefilms who had gone to Kenya, has gone missing since 2 months. Hoping for his safety & return. Please help!", Raj Nayak tweeted.

Khan's last social media post was on Instagram on July 21, just two days before he went missing. He had shared photos and videos from his trip to the renowned Masai Mara National Park.

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Etihad Airways will stay on as a minority shareholder in Air Serbia, despite a recent recapitalisation reducing its stake in the carrier to just 16.4%. The Serbian airline is Etihads last remaining equity partner following a disastrous run of investments in near-bankrupt carriers including Air Berlin and Alitalia. Etihad is Air Serbias strategic partner. It should not be forgotten that the company used its know-how, knowledge, and experience and fundamentally influenced the transformation of Jat Airways into a modern European carrier that Air Serbia is today, the Serbian airline said. It added, Our partners from Etihad shared their knowledge and resources to develop this joint project. To this day, Etihad representatives actively participate in the work of our Supervisory Board and cooperate with the companys management. Etihad Airways will stay on as a minority shareholder in Air Serbia, despite a recent recapitalisation reducing its stake in the carrier to just 16.4%. The Serbian airline is Etihads last remaining equity partner following a disastrous run of investments in near-bankrupt carriers including Air Berlin and Alitalia. Etihad is Air Serbias strategic partner. It should not be forgotten that the company used its know-how, knowledge, and experience and fundamentally influenced the transformation of Jat Airways into a modern European carrier that Air Serbia is today, the Serbian airline said. It added, Our partners from Etihad shared their knowledge and resources to develop this joint project. To this day, Etihad representatives actively participate in the work of our Supervisory Board and cooperate with the companys management.





Etihad has four members on the Air Serbia Supervisory Board, including its Senior Vice President Technical, Chief Human Resources, Chief Financial Officer, as well as Vice President for Corporate Investments and Subsidies. Furthermore, it has its authorised representative as part of the Shareholders Assembly.





Etihad, which had a 49% stake in Air Serbia just two years ago, decreased its stake to 18% in December 2020 when the Serbian government stepped in to recapitalise the airline to the tune of 100 million euros to alleviate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. In late August of this year, Air Serbia issued 1.82 million new shares which were purchased by the government, further decreasing Etihads stake. The Emirati carrier did not participate in the acquisition of the stock due to current circumstances. For its part, Etihad said, Etihad is and remains fully committed to Air Serbia and to the strategic partnership with Air Serbias majority owner, the Government of Serbia.





Etihad Airways has devested from all of its other equity partners over the past years, including Virgin Australia and Air Seychelles. Under the leadership of Tony Douglas, who has been heading the company since 2018, the carriers focus has been on returning to profitability following years of steep losses. Mr Douglas previously branded the equity investments as mistakes, noting the company was part of a failed quasi-alliance strategy. Since 2018, engagement between Air Serbia and Etihad Airways has been significantly reduced. However, Mr Douglas is set to leave the company along with many Etihad executives at the end of the year, as they are believed to be headed to Saudi Arabia to help launch the countrys ambitious new mega-carrier RIA.





Air Serbias CEO, Jiri Marek, who was the first to be selected to run the rebranded airline without Etihads direct involvement, recently said, Air Serbia has played an important role during the pandemic, supporting the Serbian government with repatriation flights, as well as the uplift of medical equipment and so on. I think we've proven that our operations do not only contribute to connectivity, but also bring significant economic benefits. We believe the government wants a strong national carrier that continues to grow. There are various models in the industry with different participation structures and different levels of state participation. Even combinations of private and state shareholding is possible. It is up to the Serbian government to find the most suitable model.




A new Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) group based in Northern Ireland has been established to strengthen native breeds in the province.

The group will tackle threats posed to rare and native breeds in NI and show why they should be central to future agricultural policy in the region.

According to the RBST, the Northern Ireland Support Group, announced on Monday (10 October), will take renewed action to support a strong future for Northern Irish native breeds.

This includes countering the challenges posed in the Northern Ireland Executives proposals for future agriculture policy and by the impacts of post-Brexit trade restrictions on vital breeding programmes.

The RBST warned that the plans in the Executives proposed agriculture policy for a 24-month beef limit would 'severely hamper' farming with the slow-growing native cattle breeds.

Another major challenge lies in post-Brexit trade restrictions making it 'very difficult and expensive' to import the new livestock, which are seen as essential to genetic diversity when a breed has low numbers.

Christopher Price, RBST chief executive, said the new group would be integral to the charity's work to tackle these challenges.

People in Northern Ireland have been working hard for decades, with a lot of enthusiasm and expertise, to support a strong future here for the UKs irreplaceable rare breeds," he said.

"We are now faced with significant and sweeping new policy challenges which call for a NI-wide response. Farming with native breeds often supports local supply chains and at very high welfare and environmental standards.

"There is a lot of support in Northern Ireland for future public funding to farms being based on environmental and animal welfare improvements."

Aaron Kirkpatrick, who keeps rare Castlemilk Moorit sheep in Ballygowan, County Down, is the new RBST Northern Ireland Support Groups Secretary.

He said more people were needed to help tackle the unique set of challenges that faced rare breeds survival in Northern Ireland.

"Our rare breeds are an irreplaceable part of our rural heritage but they also have so much to offer for a future where high quality food production goes hand in hand with the environment.

"Im keen to hear from anyone with an interest in rare livestock or equine breeds who would be interested in joining the new group."

Anyone interested in joining the group have been asked to email Aaron at northernireland@rbst.org.uk.
NFU Cymru has arranged two events for tenant farmers to discuss how the latest policy proposals from Welsh government will affect the tenanted sector.

The meetings will provide the opportunity for NFU Cymru to gather feedback from tenant farmers in order to influence the development of the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme.

The union said it wants to ensure the new policy supports all active farmers, including those who do not own the land they farm.

The introduction of Welsh governments landmark Agriculture Bill signifies a new dawn of change for Welsh farmers.

According to the government, the bill aims to support sustainable food production while conserving the Welsh countryside, culture and language.

The post-Brexit legislation seeks to "recognise the complementary objectives of supporting farmers in the sustainable production of food alongside taking action to respond to the climate and nature emergencies".

But tenant farmers in Wales have expressed disappointment over the bill's lack of ambition for the agricultural tenanted sector.

The bill does not extend protection to farm tenants occupying under Farm Business Tenancies, which now make up around half of the let land in Wales.

NFU Cymru's meetings will feature contributions and updates from union's president Aled Jones, the NFU Cymru policy team, the NFUs in-house rural surveyor and a farmer panel.

NFU Cymru Tenants Forum Representative, Elwyn Evans said it was vital that future policy worked for all farmers in Wales, including those who do not own the land that they farm.

These meetings provide an ideal opportunity for tenant farmers in Wales to hear from NFU Cymrus speakers about how this new legislation and the associated Sustainable Farming Scheme could impact those in the tenant sector.

"The event also offers the chance for tenant farmers to ask questions relating to their tenancy agreement and learn more about the NFU Cymru offer in terms of support for the sector."

The first meeting will be held at Vale of Clwyd Livestock Centre, Ruthin, LL15 1PB on 26 October at 7pm, while the second will take place at Monmouthshire Livestock Centre, Bryngwyn, Raglan, NP15 2BH on 27 October at 7pm.

Farmers wishing to attend these meetings are being asked to register beforehand by contacting the NFU Cymru office on 01982 554200.

NFU Cymru members can also register for the event on the unions website.
Police are appealing for information after ten sheep were reported stolen from farmland in North Wales, as fears grow they were illegally slaughtered.

One of the sheep was found slaughtered in nearby wasteland shortly after 6pm on Wednesday 5 October, according to North Wales Police's Rural Crime Team.

Another was found to have been shot with a crossbow bolt, while the other eight are currently missing, the force explained.

There are concerns the sheep - farmed in a field on Lower Aston Hall Lane, Aston - have been slaughtered to be sold on for human consumption.

PC Dave Allen, of the Rural Crime Team said: I am appealing to anybody who has information, or anybody who may have witnessed this incident to contact officers.

I am also appealing to anybody who is offered cheap meat not to accept it and report it to us as soon as possible.

Any meat that is suitable for human consumption needs to have followed rigorous meat processing rules and regulations.

"Anything that has not complied with the regulations is unsafe to consume.

Anyone with information are being asked to contact the police on 101, or via the website, using reference B151550.

The latest incident follows dozens of similar crimes of illegal butchery that have happened on farmers' fields across the country.

In 2020, two men pleaded guilty following the illegal slaughter of hundreds of sheep and lambs in Northamptonshire.
The trial of a former Prince William County elections chief who has been indicted on charges of corruption, lying and neglect of duty in connection with her actions in 2020 will be delayed until at least late October as a result of a judges decision Friday to extend the case.
Thecontinues to grow at high rate and it rose by 28.55 per cent to $91.733 billion in the first eight months of 2022, compared to $71.361 billion in the same period of 2021. With 24.75 per cent share China continues to be the largest supplier of textiles and clothing to the US, followed by Vietnam with 13.99 per cent.

Apparel constituted the bulk of textiles and garments imported by the US in January-August 2022, and were valued at $69.274 billion, while non-apparel imports accounted for $22.458 billion, according to the latest Major Shippers Report, released by the US department of commerce.

The import of textiles and apparel by the US continues to grow at high rate and it rose by 28.55 per cent to $91.733 billion in the first eight months of 2022, compared to $71.361 billion in the same period of 2021. With 24.75 per cent share China continues to be the largest supplier of textiles & clothing to the US, followed by Vietnam with 13.99 per cent.

Segment-wise, among the top ten apparel suppliers to the US, imports from India and Indonesia shot up by 56.90 per cent and 56.47 per cent year-on-year respectively. Imports from Bangladesh and Cambodia too grew by 53.54 per cent and 51.64 per cent respectively. Additionally, imports from Pakistan, which is among the top 10 suppliers, registered a growth of 42.16 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year.

In the non-apparel category, among the top ten suppliers, imports from Cambodia soared by 66.78 per cent year-on-year. Imports from Vietnam and Italy too climbed 27.56 per cent and 22.04 per cent respectively. On the other hand, imports from Turkey dipped by 9.23 per cent.

Of the total US textile and apparel imports of $91.733 billion during the period under review, man-made fibre products accounted for $46.868 billion, while cotton products were worth $40.048 billion, followed by $2.738 billion of wool products, and $2.077 billion of products from silk and vegetable fibres.

In 2020, the US textile and apparel imports had decreased sharply, mainly on account of the COVID-19 pandemic induced disruption, to $89.596 billion compared to imports of $111.033 billion in 2019. But imports rebounded again in 2021 to surpass the pre-pandemic level and ended at $113.938 billion.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
LAGOS, NG, Oct 9, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - NACOS has partnered with Domineum Blockchain Solutions to train 100,000+ Nigerian computing students on disruptive and emerging technologies.The Nigeria Association of Computing Students (NACOS), the umbrella body for students studying Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Software Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering, Cyber Security, and all other IT-related disciplines in all Higher Institutions of learning in Nigeria, and Domineum BlockChain Solutions, a Distributed Ledger Technology Company providing Blockchain-as-a-service solutions, with Headquarters in London, U.K., will develop and train 100,000+ Nigeria Computing Students in emerging and disruptive technologies.Announcing the national initiative at a press conference on Friday, 7 October, NACOS National President, Comr. Chihurumnanya Nwanevu GCCS, said, "The 23rd NACOS National Executive Council's primary mission is to empower computing students in Nigeria with adequate IT skills, as they will go on solve real-life problems with technology and add technological value to every sector of Nigeria's economy."Chief Executive Officer of Domineum Blockchain Solutions, Mr. Geoffrey Weli-Wosu, said "The NACOS / DOMINEUM partnership is a strategic collaboration that will bring a significant change to all students studying computer-related courses in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. Youths hold the future of IT in Nigeria, and it is paramount that they should be invested in and supported with the necessary resources, connections and opportunities to excel."NACOS is focused on equipping Nigerian youths with the digital literacy and necessary skills to further facilitate Nigeria's transition to a digital economy. As an association with Local Chapters across Nigeria's 36 States, NACOS hopes to train more students in the rural areas to achieve a digital literacy, prioritizing technology and innovation as globally developed countries do, ultimately leading the country to prosperity.NACOS and Domineum call upon ICT Stakeholders to support organizing innovative skill acquisition programs that will empower Nigerian youths to become world-class ICT personnel.Nigeria Association of Computing Students (NACOS)Domineum Blockchain Solutionshttps://nacos.org.ng, https://domineum.ioSource: DomineumNigerian Association of Computing Students (NACOS)Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.

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.
CloserStill Media today announced the Main Stage line-up for Tech Week Singapore, featuring industry leaders from AWS, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Digital Realty, Equinix, GitLab, Google Cloud, Groupon Singapore, Huawei, Lenovo, Microsoft, The Sandbox, Tencent Cloud, Visa, and more.

Tech Week Singapore brings together seven co-located events, including Big Data & AI World, Cloud Expo Asia, Cyber Security World, Data Centre World Asia, DevOps Live, eCommerce Expo Asia and Technology for Marketing.

Chi Chuan Poh, Executive Director (Exhibitions & Conferences) at Singapore Tourism Board will open the two-day event on 12 October by welcoming thousands of technology enthusiasts and visionaries at Marina Bay Sands.

"It is a great pleasure to have Chi Chuan Poh as the events Guest of Honour at Tech Week Singapore. Having the support and recognition of the Singapore Tourism Board represents the significance and importance of technology events in Singapore and Southeast Asia as a place to get inspired and find the best opportunities for businesses to ride the digital wave," said Andy Kiwanuka, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at CloserStill Media.

Answering the tech world's burning questions

Trending topics including digital waste and sustainability, Web3 and blockchain, Metaverse, and hybrid cloud transformation are amongst the many discussion points to be dissected on the Tech Week Main Stage, sponsored by Digital Realty.

May-Ann Lim, Emeritus Director at Asia Cloud Computing Association, will explore the regulatory landscape of Web3 and Metaverse with an audience of business leaders to identify future opportunities where these transformative technologies can be applied.

"I really like the physicality of in-person events. It's a valuable experience to connect humanly with people. I think that there are a lot of new and exciting industry opportunities that are really unexplored, so I would love to chat with people at Tech Week Singapore who have ideas, projects or concepts that they are testing out," said May-Ann.

The Main Stage will also feature the inspirational story of how Chris Chong dropped out of university at the age of 20, moved to Singapore, founded Beeconomic and turned it into an eight-figure buyout in 6 months.

"I'm very excited to speak at Tech Week Singapore. It is where all the pieces can come together, memories are made and new ideas turned into businesses and innovations," said Chris Chong, Co-Founder of Groupon Singapore.

Leaders from the healthcare and financial industries will present how advancing technologies can be used as a force for good.

Daniel Laverick, Chief Digital & Data Officer at Zuellig Pharma will highlight how blockchain can be used to build trust and intelligence at a time when consumer privacy is a key priority for businesses and public services.

Medhy Souidi, Metaverse Lead and Head of Innovation at DBS Bank, is set to share how Metaverse and virtual worlds can be leveraged to showcase the importance of building a better, more sustainable physical world.

Wei Ming Lim, Head of Data Architecture, Group Technology Architecture at OCBC Bank and speaker at Cloud Expo Asia said: "Data is the new growth currency in the pursuit for an immersive and connected experience. The ability to transform data into actionable insights and to personalise individual customer journeys drive efficiency. Availability, searchability and usability are all vital factors for next-generation data platforms to build an embedded ecosystem."

Tech Week Singapore will take place on 12 and 13 October 2022 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre.Tickets are free for all visitors.

About CloserStill Media

CloserStill Media organises international B2B tradeshows. In the technology markets, these events reach across five global territories, more than 70,000 delegates and over 2,500 exhibitors. Its portfolio includes some of the fastest growing and award-winning events, including Tech Show London, an umbrella brand featuring Cloud Expo Europe and Data Centre World. Having delivered unparalleled quality and relevant audiences for all exhibitions, CloserStill has been repeatedly recognised as a leading innovator. Its teams and events have been recognised in Europe and Asia, with awards including Best Marketing Manager five times in succession, Best Trade Exhibition, Best Launch Exhibition, and Rising Star two years in succession, among others. CloserStill is headquartered in London, with offices in Singapore, and across America and Europe. For more information, visit www.closerstillmedia.com.

Register your FREE ticket and get complimentary access to all 7 events: https://bit.ly/3QGqjIN

Exclusive VIP tickets are available for businesses that meet the criteria. For more information, please visit www.cloudexpoasia.com/why-visit/vip-badge-requirements

For a press pass or to arrange interviews with speakers, please contact Georgie May: g.may@closerstillmedia.com

Source: CloserStill MediaCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Novo Nordisk Foundation and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have sealed a partnership to further advance WFP's homegrown school feeding and smallholder farmer support programmes in Rwanda and Uganda. The Novo Nordisk Foundation has committed a US$4.1 million grant to improve health, nutrition, food security and incomes for marginalized and vulnerable smallholder farming communities. The objective is to build the resilience and functionality of food systems in the most food insecure regions of both countries.

Eastern Africa has been heavily impacted by the global food crisis where the devastating effects of conflict, extreme weather and economic and political crises have been exacerbated by rising prices of food, energy and fertilizer caused in part by the conflict in Ukraine. Food systems are at breaking point in the region and more than 82 million people need humanitarian assistance - up from 58 million in November 2021.

"Creating resilient food systems is central to WFP's work across Eastern Africa - from emergency relief to building sustainable livelihoods," says Michael Dunford, WFP's Regional Director for Eastern Africa.

"This exciting new partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation will leverage WFP's existing homegrown school feeding and smallholder farmer support programmes to create even greater impact by further investing in children's education while building efficient food systems to ensure food is available and affordable for all."

WFP's homegrown school feeding programme purchases food from local farmers, boosting local economies, while providing schoolchildren with a much-needed healthy meal. In 2021, WFP supported more than four million school children in Eastern Africa with daily nutritious meals - increasing student enrolment and retention rates as well as improving childhood nutrition.

With the grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, WFP will work with smallholder farmers to improve food systems by reducing dependency on imported fertilizers, eliminating post-harvest losses, strengthening market linkages, and increasing agricultural production. The grant will support 23,195 smallholder farmers in Rwanda and 15,000 in Uganda. The production from these farmers will go directly to WFP's school feeding programme, with 107,000 children in Rwanda and 165,000 children in Uganda benefiting from daily locally grown, nutritious meals.

"We are pleased to partner with the World Food Programme and contribute to advancing its existing programmes in Rwanda and Uganda, where millions of people fail to thrive due to the global food crisis. The fact that the programmes focus on offering immediate support, and also work to build sustainable food systems for the longer term, is very well aligned with how we work at the Novo Nordisk Foundation," says Flemming Konradsen, Senior Vice President, Social & Humanitarian, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

"I'm particularly excited about the prospect of bringing nutritious meals to thousands of school-aged children, since we know that this is a good incentive for them to come to school, which forms a foundation for a bright future and a better quality of life," Flemming Konradsen says.

The partnership between the Novo Nordisk Foundation and WFP will be implemented over an 18-month period and will be channeled through WFP's regional and country-level teams which have the global, regional, and local expertise required to deliver high-quality homegrown school feeding and smallholder farmer interventions.

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation

Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people's health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation's mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society. www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en

About The United Nations World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Follow us on Twitter @novonordiskfond @WFP_Africa @WFP_DK

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/novo-nordisk-foundation-and-world-food-programme-launch-partnership-to-improve-food-systems-in-rwanda-and-uganda-301643929.html
BIOCORP and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, will collaborate on the development and global distribution of a specific version of Mallya for drug delivery devices

BIOCORP and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, are extending their collaboration after an already ongoing program

BIOCORP will receive payments for the development and additional revenues from sales after launch following the completion of certain milestones.

Regulatory News:

BIOCORP (FR0012788065 ALCOR Eligible PEA-PME) (Paris:ALCOR), a French company specialized in the design, development, and manufacturing of innovative medical devices, and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science, and technology company, have entered into an agreement for the development and supply of a specific version of Mallya device as an accessory for one of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's drug delivery devices.

Manufactured in Clermont-Ferrand (France), Mallya is a Bluetooth enabled clip-on device for pen injectors that collects dose and time of each injection and transfers information in real time to a companion software. Mallya is the first in its category to receive the CE-mark (medical device) and commercial versions for insulin pen injectors are already available and distributed in Europe and other geographies. Major agreements have already been signed by BIOCORP with Sanofi, Novo Nordisk and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to develop specific versions of the technology in the field of Insulin and Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

Healthcare companies BIOCORP and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, will develop a new version of Mallya to help patients monitor their injection during their treatment. The device will automatically keep track of doses injected with timestamp and indicate that the product is administered properly, aiming to support patients with self-injections and to provide reassurance to patients.

Financial details of the partnership include payments from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, up to 5 million for the development of the product within the first three years of the collaboration. Additional revenues are estimated to reach up to 8 million during the first 5 years after launch depending on commercial milestones and adoption of Mallya devices by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany patients with further upside potential in the subsequent years.

We are delighted with this new partnership with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, extending our collaboration to additional therapeutic areas. We had already announced that there is a great opportunity for our connected device Mallya in various therapeutic areas. As in diabetes, Mallyaaims to reduce patients' stress and improve compliance with their treatments to optimize and secure the resultssaid Eric Dessertenne, CEO of BIOCORP.

ABOUT BIOCORP

Recognized for its expertise in the development and manufacture of medical devices and delivery systems, BIOCORP has today acquired a leading position in the connected medical device market thanks to Mallya. This smart sensor for insulin injection pens allows reliable monitoring of injected doses and thus offers better compliance in the treatment of patients with diabetes. Available for sale from 2020, Mallya spearheads BIOCORP's product portfolio of innovative connected solutions. The company has 74 employees. BIOCORP is listed on Euronext since July 2015 (FR0012788065 ALCOR).

For more information, please visit www.biocorpsys.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221009005016/en/

Contacts:

CONTACTS BIOCORP

Jacques Gardette

Chairman of the Board

investisseurs@biocorp.fr

Eric Dessertenne

Chief Executive Officer

Sylvaine Dessard

Marketing Communication Director

rp@biocorp.fr

+ 33 (0)6 88 69 72 85

CONTACTS ULYSSE COMMUNICATION

Bruno ARABIAN

barabian@ulysse-communication.com

+33 (0)6 87 88 47 26
eureKAREto host SynBio Day 2022 entitled

'Synthetic Biology for the Protection of our Planet'

To be held 13-14 October in person in Monaco and online; delegates can access the virtual eventhere (https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:6962339987992281088/)

More than 25 international experts to speakon harnessing synthetic biology for the benefit of our environment

Paris, France - 10October2022: eureKARE ("the Company"), a pioneering company focused on financing and building next generation biotechnology companies in the disruptive fields of synthetic biology, is hosting its annual SynBio Day on 13-14 October in person in Monaco and virtually.

Following the success of the inaugural 2021 event, SynBio Day 2022 will bring together researchers, industry partners, government representatives and investors to discuss the opportunities and challenges of applying synthetic biology solutions to tackle climate change and benefit our environment.

Synthetic biology is being explored across the spectrum of environmental challenges including innovation in greener products such as biofuels to reduce global emissions, creating bioplastics to replace plastic in furniture and packaging, and engineering bacteria to degrade synthetic materials, which could help reduce the more than 165 million tons of plastic that has contaminated the oceans.

The Scientific Centre of Monaco is a key supporter of this event. Since 1989, the centre has specialised in many areas linked to the environment including: marine biology, polar biology, environmental policy, astrophysics, and sustainable development.

Over the two-day event there will be keynote speakers, expert round tables, and a green technology and NGO showcase, covering new research, policy, commercialization, legal aspects, not-for-profit projects, and more.

The event will be hosted in Monaco, recognizing the country's avant-garde ecological example and rich maritime history, and will be available to attend online.

To attend SynBio Day 2022 virtually, please join the LinkedIn event group here.

Key presenters at SynBio Day 2022 include: Prince Albert II of Monaco; Alexandre Mouradian, Chairman and Co-Founder of eureKARE; Denis Allemand from Centre Scientifique de Monaco; Hinrich Grothe, University Professor at Vienna University of Technology, Austria; Tina Santl-Temkiv, Assistant Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark; Rachid Benchaouir, Chief Executive Officer of Coraliotech, Monaco; and Christian Voolstra, Professor at University of Konstanz, Germany.

Topics that will covered include key initiatives in ocean and atmospheric sciences such as mitigating the ecological collapse of coral reefs, ice-active proteins at the interface between marine and atmospheric environments; and high-value proteins from corals.

Please view the full program here.

Alexandre Mouradian, Chairman and Co-Founder of eureKARE, commented:"Planet health is human health, and this year'sSynBio Day will concentrateon synthetic biology for the protection of the planet. With a wide array of potential applications, synthetic biology is an unexploited toolkit which offers new solutions to tackle a variety of ongoing global issues. At eureKARE, we are proud to be facilitating the discussion and development of these synthetic biology applications through our annual SynBio event, and through our ventures and SynBio studios. We are thrilled at the calibre of speakers who will bepresenting andwho demonstrate Europe's strength in fundamental sciences, with a focus on synthetic biology as a potential solution to tackleoceanic and atmospheric challenges. It is set to be an engaging and insightful event."

- Ends-

About eureKARE

eureKARE is an investment company focused on financing and developing synthetic biology across Europe. Driven by the belief that synthetic biology holds the key to many of the world's most pressing health and environmental challenges, eureKARE's experienced team is focused on harnessing Europe's untapped leadership in the field to build the companies of the future. eureKARE is championing a new model of start-up creation and development to create a dynamic ecosystem of early and later stage ventures through its network of synthetic biology studios. Backed by a proprietary AI tool, eureKARE's studios act as a bridge between academia and industry, helping to catalyze researchers' innovations into companies with access to all the ingredients they need to grow, prosper, and bring benefits to society.

Contacts

Consilium Strategic Communications - Media Relations

Amber Fennell, SukainaVirji, Genevieve Wilson

eurekare@consilium-comms.co.uk
SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ZOVOO, the 'Best Newcomer' brand in the e-cigarette industry, has recently released its new DRAGBAR Z700 GT, which will soon be on the shelves in Morrisons, the well-known supermarket chain in the UK. This is not only an authoritative certification of ZOVOO brand and product strength within the UK e-cigarette industry, but also a high recognition of DRAGBAR products among end consumers.

Morrisons, founded in 1899, is the fourth largest supermarket chain in the UK. With 498 supermarkets and online sales platforms, Morrisons serves around 11 million customers every week.

The entry of DRAGBAR Z700 GT into Morrisons can fully take advantage of its large-scale sales network, combined online and offline retail channels, comprehensive coverage of store advantages, first-rate localized customer service, and ultra-high customer purchasing power. It enables more local consumers to buy ZOVOO products and further stimulates the market energy of ZOVOO.





DRAGBAR Z700 GT is the first ultra-thin ceramic core disposable. By integrating the subversive innovation technology GENE TREE Special Edition, it brings exceptional power efficiency and achieves the new peak of 700 puffs in 2ml disposable products on the market, greatly improving the vaping experience for users. It is highly recognized and praised by authoritative media and social media influencers in the industry, and has recently been featured in the British e-cigarette magazine Vapouround.

Morrisons has launched the DRAGBAR 600 in August, which gained huge popularity among local consumers. This is the most important factor for Morrisons to repurchase ZOVOO products in a short period of time.

DRAGBAR is the star product series of ZOVOO, which has received the attention and love of global users since its launch. It is ZOVOO's in-depth exploration of local users' needs, innovative exploration of appearance, optimization of product details and guarantee of taste that make DRAGBAR disposable products continue to attract fans in the UK.

ZOVOO always adheres to the business philosophy of "user-focus" and continues to make breakthroughs and innovations in technology to provide consumers with more forward-looking disposable products, and more pleasant vaping experience. We believe that with the support of ZOVOO team, partners and distributors, local consumers will be able to buy ZOVOO disposables in more market channels in the future!

WARNING: This product may be used with e-liquid products containing nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1917022/DRAGBAR_Z700_GT_disposable_vape.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/zovoo-dragbar-ceramic-core-disposable-is-launching-in-morrisons-301644489.html
NEUWIED, Germany and NUREMBERG, Germany, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From October 11-13, the IZB, Europe's leading trade fair for automotive suppliers, will bring the automotive industry together in Wolfsburg - and the automotive experts of adhesive tape manufacturer Lohmann will also be there with their latest product solutions. As a long-standing partner of the international automotive industry, the company supports its customers worldwide with customized adhesive tape solutions and high-precision die-cuts.





IZB 2022 focuses on "future mobility." With advancing digitalization and automation, this future is becoming increasingly electric - a development that also places higher demands on adhesive solutions that go beyond mere bonding. Lohmann offers the Multifunctional Tape portfolio for the various applications around electromobility and EV batteries. DuploCOLL EC (Electrically Conductive) solutions are used for EMI shielding, bonding conductive materials or electrical connections in low-current applications. The DuploCOLL IS (Electrically Insulating) range of foam and filmic adhesive tapes offer not only electrically insulating properties but also a damping and sealing function, thus providing protection during the lifetime of electronic devices. The thermally conductive adhesive tapes of the DuploCOLL TC (Thermally Conductive) series are used for sensors that are required for autonomous driving, among other things. They ensure optimum thermal management and efficient connections to the battery's cooling or heating element, for example.

Comfort is also more important than ever - the automotive industry sets demanding emission limits for materials and components in vehicle interiors. The double-sided pressure-sensitive tapes of the DuploCOLL LE (Low Emission) range meet the OEMs' high requirements for low VOC, fogging and odor values and comply with the defined limits for substances according to VDA 278. Thanks to low-emission adhesives, even large-area applications do not affect indoor air quality. The tapes are manufactured in an energy- and water-saving way using the 100% solvent-free TwinMelt technology and are based on UV acrylates with enhanced adhesive performance. Reduced energy consumption in the production process also reduces the carbon footprint. No gas is required as an energy source in the entire manufacturing process, so there is increased security of supply for customers in the current situation. Another step towards more sustainable manufacturing: The tapes are equipped with recyclable liners.

Digitalization is also changing vehicle interiors: infotainment systems, are being equipped with new, multifunctional and decorative surfaces. As a flexible alternative to screws and clips, the tapes adapt to different designs and decorative materials: Design plastic parts, wood decors or other novel material surfaces are reliably fixed on different substrates, including low-energy surfaces, thanks to the high initial adhesion and excellent adhesive strength. In combination with flexible and elastic PE foam carriers, the LE tapes enable the compensation of component tolerances and are easy to process due to their dimensionally stable structure. In addition, the products offer excellent temperature resistance. The broad portfolio includes a selection of transfer, paper, scrim, film and foam tapes in various thicknesses (0.09 mm-0.8 mm) and is available as rolls, spools or die-cuts in individual formats.

For exterior applications, Lohmann's automotive experts offer a portfolio of PE foam tapes. The tapes compensate for the varying thermal expansion of the substrates better than hard, foamed systems such as Acrylic Foam Tapes, and at the same time have up to four times less weight. Various product ranges are tailored to the specific requirements of surfaces such as paint, plastic or glass. They ensure reliable, weather-resistant bonds that meet, among other things, the requirements of VW TL 52018 for bonding to painted surfaces and are technically tested for clearcoat systems from other OEMs. The special adhesive of the DuploCOLL G range already contains the activator required for moisture-resistant bonding to glass. The additional pretreatment with an activator and the associated necessary control of the ambient conditions during the application process are therefore no longer necessary. In addition, Lohmann adhesive tapes offer further complementary properties - they are tolerance-compensating, sealing or damping, among others. In this way, the tapes reduce vibrations and make vehicles quieter and lighter overall.

Lohmann is certified according to IATF 16949 and has many years of experience in specification work. Meet the development partners of the automotive industry at the IZB at their booth 3219 in hall 3 and learn more in a personal conversation!

Founded in 1851, the family-owned company Lohmann GmbH & Co KG is considered a specialist in adhesive bonding technology. With annual sales of around 670 million euros, more than 1,800 employees in 24 sites and exclusive sales partners in over 50 countries, Lohmann is active around the globe. The headquarters are located in Neuwied, Germany.

The company offers high-tech adhesive solutions for applications primarily in the automotive, construction & architecture, consumer goods, electronics and graphical industries. Lohmann engineers' solutions range from multifunctional adhesive tapes to precision die-cut parts and process integration.

Lohmann GmbH und Co. KG

PR & Communications Manager

Sonja Schobitz M.A.

Irlicher Str. 55

56567 Neuwied

Tel: 02631 34 6040

Sonja.Schoebitz@lohmann-tapes.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915540/Lohmann_1.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1915541/Lohmann_Logo.jpg





View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/low-emission-adhesive-tapes-for-the-automotive-industry-lohmann-at-the-international-suppliers-fair-izb-301642996.html
The United Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group (UKCMG) has warned that the UK constitution is under increasing strain, threatening the quality and stability of our democracy.

The group is composed of leading constitutional experts including former permanent secretaries of the civil service, professors of public law and a former lord chief justice of England and Wales.

In a report covering the first seven months of 2022, the UKCMG highlighted almost 90 instances where constitutional norms of the United Kingdom had been degraded or eroded. While some of the issues identified pre-dated the Johnston administration, the report found that Johnson's government had frequently exploited and worsened them.

Revelations of failures to adhere to basic norms of conduct among ministers and civil servants, a raft of ill-considered constitutional legislation and attacks on the independence of the judiciary all contributed to a decline in the strength of the UK constitution. The report calls for greater integrity and a return to standards in public life.

The UKCMG now warns that unless action is taken by the new Prime Minister the damage to the constitution could threaten the shape and quality of democracy in the United Kingdom.

The editor of the report, Professor Andrew Blick of King's College, University of London said:

The latest report of the UKCMG has identified several areas of profound concern which have jeopardised the constitutional stability of the United Kingdom. The seven months from January to the end of July of this year saw the exposure and worsening of existing frailties in our constitution. These frailties now offer a serious threat to the strength and shape of UK democracy unless urgent action is taken.

Note:

The third report of the UKCMG will become publicly available from 12.01 AM, Tuesday 11th October, at: https://consoc.org.uk/?post_type=publications&p=5268

An embargoed copy is available for reference at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OyHKR9R7IxyMEBHthRuO3lYOMLMIRKvb/view?usp=sharing

Further comment is available from the editor of the report, Professor Andrew Blick, on: 07939 042 650.

Acting in an individual capacity, the members of the UKCMG are: Professor Linda Colley, Professor Katy Hayward, Professor Michael Kenny, Sir Thomas Legg, Professor Aileen McHarg, Sir Richard Mottram, Dr Hugh Rawlings, Professor Petra Schleiter, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd and Professor Alison Young.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005162/en/

Contacts:

Editor of the Report

Professor Andrew Blick

07939 042 650
DUBAI, Oct 10, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - Crypto Oasis, the fastest growing Web3 ecosystem in the world, announced that it had identified more than 1,450 active Web3 organisations in the UAE at the end Q3 2022. The research also identified more than 7,000 individuals working in the industry.The organisations that are active in the Blockchain space are broken down into native and non-native according to their dependency on this emerging technology. native organisations which only exist because of this technology account for 65 percent of the total number identified and non-native organisations are at 35 percent. Dubai Multi Commodities Centre(DMCC) has registered more than 460 native organisations which is more than 50% of all native Blockchain organisations in Dubai.Out of the 7,000+ individuals working in the Web3 industry, approximately 77 percent work in Blockchain native organisations and 23 percent work in non-native organisations.The Crypto Oasis Ecosystem Report is a periodic report which is now on its inaugural edition and was created in partnership with Roland Berger, one of the first top-tier strategy consulting firms to have entered the world of Blockchain and is steering their global Crypto Economy advisory out of the UAE. The Report focuses on market development and emerging technologies such as Crypto, Blockchain, Metaverse and Web3. It establishes the first quantitative and qualitative ecosystem study of the Crypto Oasis Ecosystem and identifies its various stakeholders. It includes, a deepdive into the opportunity that Web3 represents for the region, has exclusive content such as the insights on one the largest greenfield mining sites in the world being carried out by Phoenix in Abu Dhabi, as well as survey results by Roland Berger, that assesses the state of the global Crypto Economy for which they collected insights from over 150 C-level executives and innovators across 10 industries. "We strongly believe in the transition towards a crypto economy and see this reflected in the top C-Level executive agendas. The UAE is accelerating its global position as a Crypto and Web3 hub, also thanks to prime ecosystem developers like Crypto Oasis," says Pierre Samaties, Partner and global co-head of the firm's Crypto economy team.The UAE is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the global innovation economy. The growth of the Crypto Oasis Ecosystem will continue in the coming months as we can already witness how regulators in the region are welcoming innovation and disruption, making it simpler for Blockchain-related companies to secure licenses and operate. Ralf Glabischnig, Founder of the Crypto Oasis said, "We are pleased to see the UAE supporting forward-thinking organisations such as startups, service providers, investors, as well as science and research institutions in the Web3 space. We also have industry leading stakeholders like ADGM, DIFC, DMCC, Simmons and Simmons, State Street featured in our report which will provide the audience with a deeper insight into industry trends as well as educate and inform the reader of this ever growing and evolving ecosystem. Through the report, you are provided with a snapshot of the Ecosystem, which will help set the baseline from which growth can be identified in the following years as the Crypto Oasis becomes a centre of Blockchain excellence."Crypto Oasis catalyses the growth of organisations in the Crypto space and brings together Investors, Start-ups, Corporates, Researchers, Service Provider, and Government entities. It aims to advance the digital economy in the Middle East and bring distributed ledger technologies to the mainstream. Faisal Zaidi, Co-founder and CMO of the Crypto Oasis stated, "Our role is to curate the Crypto Oasis Ecosystem and our goal is to bring all stakeholders together on one playing field to assert the region as the leading global player in Web3."He added, "The Crypto Oasis Directory and the parallely launched report, are tools that we have developed and created inhouse and published, in order to create transparency and awareness of this emerging region."The report also contains insightful thought leadership articles from major players in the industry like 4ARTechnologies, Pulse, Ripple, Securrency, Singularity DAO, TDEFI, Tokengate, Virtua to name a few.Report Link: https://cryptooasis.ae/ecosystem-report-2022/Directory Link: https://cryptooasis.ae/directory/About Crypto OasisThe Crypto Oasis is a Middle East focused Blockchain Ecosystem supported by initiators of Crypto Valley Switzerland. The core elements needed for its growth are Talent, Capital, and Infrastructure. The Ecosystems stakeholders include Investors & Collectors, Start-Ups & Projects, Corporates, Science & Research Institutions, Service Providers and Government Entities & Associations. Crypto Oasis' vision is to be one of the leading Blockchain Ecosystems in the world. Today it is the fastest growing, with more than 1,450 organisations identified in the UAE alone. www.cryptooasis.aeAbout Roland BergerRoland Berger is the only management consultancy of European heritage with a strong international footprint. As an independent firm, solely owned by our partners, we operate 51 offices in all major markets. Our 2,700 employees offer a unique combination of an analytical approach and an empathic attitude. Driven by our values of entrepreneurship, excellence and empathy, we at Roland Berger are convinced that the world needs a new sustainable paradigm that takes the entire value cycle into account. Working in cross-competence teams across all relevant industries and business functions, we provide the best expertise to meet the profound challenges of today and tomorrow. www.rolandberger.comSource: Crypto OasisCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
OutFlow has announced an expanded range of deal origination solutions for investment banks, allowing them to create a continuous and predictable flow of opportunities.

Boise, Idaho--(Newsfile Corp. - October 10, 2022) - OutFlow has announced an expanded service package including precise targeting and data-driven strategies to help investment banks, private equity firms, M&A consultants, and other financial professionals find suitable targets.

More information is available at https://outflow.agency





Investment Banker Deal Origination & Sourcing Platform Announced By OutFlow

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/139738_3981cdf854d15826_001full.jpg

As studies show that the M&A failure rate is between 70% and 90%, with one of the reasons for this being poor target selection, the new solution presents investment banks with an alternative to traditional networking and research-based deal origination, utilizing precise targeting to identify the most suitable opportunities.

The digitalization of the capital markets industry has transformed the trading, sales, and communication processes, with OutFlow offering a comprehensive deal origination service that combines automated and manual processes for improved efficiency.

OutFlow aims to create a predictable and scalable stream of opportunities for its clients to be able to manage their pipelines efficiently and close more deals.

The company's deal origination process begins with targeting. OutFlow creates a database of prospects that match the client's criteria, which may include geographical markets, industry, and company size. The prospects are verified to make sure that the data is accurate and relevant.

The next step is outreach - OutFlow contacts the selected prospects on behalf of the client to find out if they are interested, and secures a meeting. This automated, hands-off approach allows M&A and investment professionals to optimize their costs and streamline their deal closing process.

"In the 3 months that my business partner and I have been using OutFlow, they have provided us with over 50 leads," said a satisfied client. "I have used many other marketing companies in my 12 years in the M&A world, and most fall far short of their promises. OutFlow has far exceeded theirs. We have found everyone in their organization to be professional, courteous and responsive."

Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://outflow.agency

Contact Info:

Name: Jason Dodd

Email: jason@outflow.agency

Organization: OutFlow

Address: 500 S 8th St, Boise, Idaho 83702, United States

Website: https://www.outflow.agency

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139738




BURNABY, BC, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clio , the world's leading provider of cloud-based legal technology, today announced the winners of the sixth annual Reisman Awards . This year's recipients include Clio customers who have demonstrated law firm excellence and innovation over the last year.

Named for Clio's first customer, Catherine Reisman, an entrepreneurial attorney whose feedback helped shape the software, the Reisman Awards celebrate the legal industry's game changers, groundbreakers, and pioneers.

"Since the launch of the Reisman Awards in 2017, we have been honored to hear the stories of Clio customers and how leveraging our platform bettered the lives of their clients, employees, and communities," said Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio. "This year's winners demonstrate a unique approach to delivering impactful legal services to their clients. They fully embrace innovation, and in doing so, expand what's possible in how we solve for better access to justice."

The 2022 Reisman Award recipients are:

Legal Innovation: Koenig|Dunne - Legal Innovation honors a practice that has successfully challenged industry norms, either through technology, delivery of legal services, or meeting the needs of a non-traditional market. Based in Omaha, Nebraska , Koenig|Dunne is 100% women-owned and dedicated to changing the legal experience for families in Nebraska who need the support of a divorce lawyer. Still, finances and lack of resources prevent their complete access to the justice system. Koenig|Dunne formed a committee of team members, met with representatives from Legal Aid and the Nebraska Volunteers Lawyer Project, and in 2019 built Untie Online, the first and only divorce service in Nebraska that provides education, information, resources, personalized legal documents, and attorney support, all at an affordable fee.

- Legal Innovation honors a practice that has successfully challenged industry norms, either through technology, delivery of legal services, or meeting the needs of a non-traditional market. Based in , Koenig|Dunne is 100% women-owned and dedicated to changing the legal experience for families in who need the support of a divorce lawyer. Still, finances and lack of resources prevent their complete access to the justice system. Koenig|Dunne formed a committee of team members, met with representatives from Legal Aid and the Nebraska Volunteers Lawyer Project, and in 2019 built Untie Online, the first and only divorce service in that provides education, information, resources, personalized legal documents, and attorney support, all at an affordable fee. Best New Law Firm: Rudder Law - Best New Law Firm honors a newcomer who has weathered the trials of entrepreneurship and come out on top. As a young Black lawyer, Andrew Rudder experienced the impact of systematic racism rooted in Canadian and American history. He took his fate into his own hands by starting his law firm, in January 2021 , around the same time he published his book, "Catastrophic Impairment Law in Canada ." Andrew started his firm not only to improve diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity in the legal profession but also for the freedom of building a company in his vision that reflects his beliefs, values, and fundamental principles.

- Best New Law Firm honors a newcomer who has weathered the trials of entrepreneurship and come out on top. As a young Black lawyer, experienced the impact of systematic racism rooted in Canadian and American history. He took his fate into his own hands by starting his law firm, in , around the same time he published his book, "Catastrophic Impairment Law in ." Andrew started his firm not only to improve diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity in the legal profession but also for the freedom of building a company in his vision that reflects his beliefs, values, and fundamental principles. Community Champion: Creedon Law PLLC - Community Champion honors firms that prioritize giving back to their communities, whether it be through pro bono work, donations, volunteering, mentorship, or another altruistic activity. Creedon Law PLLC - a legal team that builds and protects brands by providing experienced intellectual property and legal counsel - launched One Future Initiative (OFI), providing 5% of its gross revenue and 5% of its time to Good Works in its community. The firm's mission to inspire people to build one great future is keeping them on track to be the first Corp-certified law firm in Texas . Creedon Law PLLC also created the 501(c)(3) Creedon Foundation to help children pursue their passions - from the arts to sports. They provide both mentorship and financial assistance.

- Community Champion honors firms that prioritize giving back to their communities, whether it be through pro bono work, donations, volunteering, mentorship, or another altruistic activity. Creedon Law PLLC - a legal team that builds and protects brands by providing experienced intellectual property and legal counsel - launched One Future Initiative (OFI), providing 5% of its gross revenue and 5% of its time to Good Works in its community. The firm's mission to inspire people to build one great future is keeping them on track to be the first Corp-certified law firm in . Creedon Law PLLC also created the 501(c)(3) Creedon Foundation to help children pursue their passions - from the arts to sports. They provide both mentorship and financial assistance. Excellence in Client Service: The Daswani Law Co - Excellence in Client Service honors a practice that has successfully implemented a client-centered approach to running their firm that is better for their clients and their business. The Daswani Law Co focuses on serving businesses of all sizes in the Commercial Contracts and Intellectual Property space. Following a uniform process with clients, The Daswani Law Co always starts with a complimentary discovery call to determine the client's exact requirements and if its team is the best fit or not - providing a service that is thoughtful, supportive, and responsive. Beyond servicing, The Daswani Law Co also makes payment flexibility a priority, offering payment plans upon request to help clients spread the cost to alleviate the financial burden off their clients.

- Excellence in Client Service honors a practice that has successfully implemented a client-centered approach to running their firm that is better for their clients and their business. The Daswani Law Co focuses on serving businesses of all sizes in the Commercial Contracts and Intellectual Property space. Following a uniform process with clients, The Daswani Law Co always starts with a complimentary discovery call to determine the client's exact requirements and if its team is the best fit or not - providing a service that is thoughtful, supportive, and responsive. Beyond servicing, The Daswani Law Co also makes payment flexibility a priority, offering payment plans upon request to help clients spread the cost to alleviate the financial burden off their clients. Diversity and Inclusion: 402 Legal - Diversity and Inclusion, a new category in the Reisman Awards, recognizes firms driving diversity, inclusion, and the representation of marginalized communities in the legal profession. Sokpoh Law Group LLC has been a champion in the Nebraska community since its creation in 2011. It has represented hundreds of individuals in juvenile court and immigration proceedings at significantly reduced fees. Founding and managing partner Karine Sokpoh is an immigrant from Togo and has advocated for immigrants, refugees, and BIPOC in and out of court. She is also the founder and current President of the Midlands African Chamber, Inc., the only black chamber of commerce in the state of Nebraska. Sokpoh Law Group LLC supports its founder by sponsoring and providing legal services to the winners of the Pitch Black competitions, which provide opportunities for funding, mentoring, and connections to diverse entrepreneurs.

- Diversity and Inclusion, a new category in the Reisman Awards, recognizes firms driving diversity, inclusion, and the representation of marginalized communities in the legal profession. Sokpoh Law Group LLC has been a champion in the Nebraska community since its creation in 2011. It has represented hundreds of individuals in juvenile court and immigration proceedings at significantly reduced fees. Founding and managing partner Karine Sokpoh is an immigrant from Togo and has advocated for immigrants, refugees, and BIPOC in and out of court. She is also the founder and current President of the Midlands African Chamber, Inc., the only black chamber of commerce in the state of Nebraska. Sokpoh Law Group LLC supports its founder by sponsoring and providing legal services to the winners of the Pitch Black competitions, which provide opportunities for funding, mentoring, and connections to diverse entrepreneurs. Best Growth Story: Torrey Pines Law Group - Best Growth Story honors a practice that has seen success with Clio. Kevin Buckley founded Torrey Pines Law Group in 2013, an international patent attorney focusing on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and artificial intelligence innovations. Before the pandemic, Kevin's firm included only four people. However, since the firm's pivot in February 2020 in response to the impending pandemic, Torrey Pines Law Group has grown to include 22 patent attorneys, patent agents, business attorneys, FDA regulatory advisors, paralegals, and firm administrators.

- Best Growth Story honors a practice that has seen success with Clio. Kevin Buckley founded Torrey Pines Law Group in 2013, an international patent attorney focusing on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and artificial intelligence innovations. Before the pandemic, Kevin's firm included only four people. However, since the firm's pivot in February 2020 in response to the impending pandemic, Torrey Pines Law Group has grown to include 22 patent attorneys, patent agents, business attorneys, FDA regulatory advisors, paralegals, and firm administrators. Legal Impact Award: Chartier & Nyamfukudza P.L.C. - Hand-picked by Reisman's panel of judges, this award celebrates law firms who embody Clio's mission of transforming the practice of law, for good. Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C. focuses solely on criminal defense and is passionate about ridding people of the stigma of being a felon or having a conviction. The firm works with two Innocence Project Clinics in Michigan, which helps exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals and provides legal services for those individuals on a pro-bono basis. In 2020 and 2021, Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C. achieved three exonerations, returning three individuals to their families after being wrongfully convicted. In addition to people, the firm also takes on "doggy death row" cases pro-bono, helping free dogs ordered to be euthanized due to being classified as dangerous.

To learn more about the Reisman Awards or to nominate your firm for the 2023 awards, visit clio.com/the-reismans/ .

About Clio

Clio is transforming the legal experience for all by creating the world's leading cloud-based technologies for law firms-to keep lawyers and their clients better connected throughout the legal process. Firms of all sizes and practice areas use Clio products- Clio Manage , Clio Grow , and Lawyaw -to manage firm operations, streamline billing and payments, automate legal documents, and improve client experiences. Following its US$250M Series D funding, led by TCV and JMI Equity, and its US$110M Series E investment, led by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and OMERS Growth Equity, Clio has made history by becoming the first legal practice management unicorn in the world. Learn more at clio.com.

Media Contact: Juliet Mafua, Senior Public Relations Specialist, 1-800-347-8314, juliet.mafua@clio.com

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LISBON (dpa-AFX) - Portugal's foreign trade deficit widened in August, as imports grew more rapidly than exports, figures from Statistics Portugal showed on Monday. The trade deficit rose to EUR 3.50 billion in August from EUR 1.75 billion in the corresponding month last year. In June, the shortfall was EUR 2.10 billion. Exports were 32.6 percent higher in August compared to last year, faster than the 28.1 percent gain in July. The annual growth in imports also quickened to 51.9 percent in August to 29.7 percent in July. The surge in imports was mainly due to a 169.0 percent jump in inflows of fuels and lubricants amid rising natural gas purchases. 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.
TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Bridge Market research has newly released expansive study titled "Global Canned Meat Market" guarantees you will remain better informed than your competition. This study provides the broader perspective of the market place with its comprehensive market insights and analysis which eases surviving and succeeding in the market. This Canned Meat market research report provides clients with the information on their business scenario with which they can build business strategies to thrive in the market. These CAGR values play a key role in determining the costing and investment values or strategies. The Canned Meat report is a helpful resource which provides present as well as upcoming technical and financial details of the industry to 2029. All the studies conducted to generate this report are based on large group sizes and that to at the global level. The report also contains detailed profiles of market's major manufacturers and importers who are leading the market.





Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the global canned meat market will grow at a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2029.

Download Exclusive Sample of Canned Meat Market Report in PDF Version @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-canned-meat-market

Canned meat products are made by hermetically sealing (preventing air from escaping or entering) the product in a container (usually tin-coated steel cans) and thermally processing it to kill spoilage microorganisms. Canned meat is a high-quality, protein-rich food that remains stable at room temperature and is extremely convenient. Consumers can choose from a wide variety of meat-based products. Whole muscles, meat stews, luncheon meat, sausages, sauces with meat pieces, and paste products are instances of canned meat products.

Canned meat is a high-quality, protein-rich food that remains stable at room temperature and is extremely convenient. Consumers can choose from a wide variety of meat-based products. Meat is a low-acid food that must be sterilized unless other precautions are taken. Most countries have specific food and hygiene regulations governing meat slaughter and processing, and these and the relevant regulatory bodies must be followed before any meat products are produced.

The majority of canned meats are 'commercially' sterilized, which means they have been processed to kill most microorganisms and their spores. They are of good quality and have proper labelling. However, the high investment costs of canned meat and its products are expected to restrain the market growth of canned meat during the forecasted period.

Some of the major players operating in the Canned Meat market are

JBS Foods,

Tyson Food Inc.,

Danish Crown A.M.B.A.,

Hormel Foods Corporation,

Oceans Secret,

China Kuyu,

Industrial Co. Ltd.,

Pronas,

Bejing Yuanyoung Hongxing Food Co. Ltd.,

Keystone Meats,

Wild Planted Foods,

Conagra Brands, Inc.,

Zwanenberg Food Group

Get Full Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/checkout/buy/enterprise/global-canned-meat-market

Recent Development

In December 2021, Tyson Foods Inc. planned to spend more than $1.3 billion to increase automation in meat plants over the next three years. This will help the company grow and increase its production capacity

Opportunities for Key Players:

Growing preference for organic meat

Organic farming not only helps small farmers to get a fair price for their produce but it also benefits the environment by encouraging the growth of a number of natural varieties of food. Organic food contains no chemical pesticides and fertilizers and are grown naturally with the help of manure or compost. Organic food does not contains growth hormones or antibiotic residues, which therefore do not threaten a child's future.

Segmentation Covered: Canned Meat Market

The canned meat market is segmented into notable segments based on meat type, nature, application and distribution channel. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyze major growth segments in the industries and provide the users with a valuable market overview and market insights to make strategic decisions to identify core market applications.

Meat Type

Poultry

Pork

Beef

Seafood

Goat (Mutton)

Lamb (Mutton)

Others

Nature

Conventional

Organic

Application

Horeca Industry

Household/Retail

Distribution Channel

Store-based retailing

Non-Store-Based Retailing/Online Retailers

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-canned-meat-market

Important Facts about This Market Report:

This research report reveals this business overview, product overview, market share, demand and supply ratio, supply chain analysis, and import/export details

The Industry report captivates different approaches and procedures endorsed by the market key players to make crucial business decisions

This research presents some parameters such as production value, marketing strategy analysis, Distributors/Traders and effect factors are also mentioned

The historical and current data is provided in the report based on which the future projections are made and the industry analysis is performed

The import and export details along with consumption value and production capability of every region is mentioned in the report

Porter's five forces analysis, value chain analysis, SWOT analysis are some additional important parameters used for the analysis of market growth

The report provides the clients with the facts and figures about the market on the basis of evaluation of the industry through primary and secondary research methodologies

Key Industry Drivers

Growth in investments & collaborations in meat processing and canning business

The rising demand for different meat products leads to increasing investments and collaborations in the meat processing and canning market. Many of the investors have a number of approaches, such as joint venture, acquisition, new product launch, and acquisition, among others. For the meat canning market investments. Many meat companies choose to analyse from a sustainability perspective, considering the future scenario. Many companies use a range of water, climate, and land indicators to calculate their environmental and carbon footprints to inform their investment decisions. Moreover, companies are also tying up with various food research institutes for product development in the meat canning market size. Companies are investing in the meat market due to the increased popularity of healthy protein source meat products. Moreover, there has been a key understanding of the health benefits of various meat products arising from poultry, and so on.

As a result, companies are continuously acquiring, obtaining funding, and investing in new products, which is expected to propel market growth.

Preference for animal-based proteins over plant-based proteins

Adapting plant-based proteins as an alternative to meat proteins has increased allergies among some consumers. It disproportionately affects children, which considers for meat products to grow in the forecast period.

The allergies to vegan food products increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies that can cause severe effects on the health of individuals. The immunoglobulin-E-mediated food allergy rate has peaked, especially in high-income countries. The high amount of macro- and micro-nutrients present in legumes, pulses, and whole grains, among others, are one of the prime reasons that cause allergies and side effects such as bloating, nausea, and improper digestion. Due to growing allergies from the consumption of plant-based meat, consumers may tend and divert their attention back to conventional meat products due to various allergies associated with plant-based meat consumption. This is driving the market growth.

Canned Meat Market Regional Analysis/Insights:

The countries covered in the canned meat market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico, Russia, Germany, U.K., France ,Italy, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Rest of Europe, China, Japan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand, Singapore and Rest of Asia-Pacific, Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Rest of Middle East & Africa.

North America is expected to dominate the global canned meat market in terms of market share and market revenue. It is estimated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period due to the growing surge for canned meat in various industries and growing consumer demand from end users.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 01: Executive Summary

Part 02: Scope Of The Report

Part 03: Research Methodology

Part 04: Market Landscape

Part 05: Pipeline Analysis

Part 06: Market Sizing

Part 07: Five Forces Analysis

Part 08: Market Segmentation

Part 09: Customer Landscape

Part 10: Regional Landscape

Part 11: Decision Framework

Part 12: Drivers And Challenges

Part 13: Market Trends

Part 14: Vendor Landscape

Part 15: Vendor Analysis

Part 16: Appendix

For More Insights Grab TOC @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-canned-meat-market

Browse Related Reports:

North America Canned Meat Market, By Meat Type (Poultry, Pork, Beef, Seafood, Goat (Mutton), Lamb (Mutton) and Others), Nature (Organic and Conventional), Application (Horeca Industry and Household/Retail), Distribution Channel (Store-Based Retailing and Non-Store-Based Retailing/Online Retailers) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/north-america-canned-meat-market

Middle East and Africa Canned Meat Market, By Meat Type (Poultry, Pork, Beef, Seafood, Goat (Mutton), Lamb (Mutton) and Others), Nature (Organic and Conventional), Application (Horeca Industry and Household/Retail), Distribution Channel (Store-Based Retailing and Non-Store-Based Retailing/Online Retailers) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/middle-east-and-africa-canned-meat-market

Asia-Pacific Canned Meat Market, By Meat Type (Poultry, Pork, Beef, Seafood, Goat (Mutton), Lamb (Mutton) and Others), Nature (Organic and Conventional), Application (Horeca Industry and Household/Retail), Distribution Channel (Store-Based Retailing and Non-Store-Based Retailing/Online Retailers) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/asia-pacific-canned-meat-market

Europe Canned Meat Market, By Meat Type (Poultry, Pork, Beef, Seafood, Goat (Mutton), Lamb (Mutton) and Others), Nature (Organic and Conventional), Application (Horeca Industry and Household/Retail), Distribution Channel (Store-Based Retailing and Non-Store-Based Retailing/Online Retailers) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/europe-canned-meat-market

Meat Substitutes Market, By Source (Soy, Wheat, Mycoprotein, Others), Category (Frozen, Refrigerated, Shelf-Stable), Type (Tofu and Tofu Ingredients, Tempeh, Textured Vegetable Protein, Other Soy Products, Seitan, Quorn and Other Meat Substitutes), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-meat-substitutes-market

Cultured Meat Market, By Source (Poultry, Pork, Beef, Duck), End Use (Nuggets, Burgers, Meatballs, Sausages, Hot Dogs, Others) Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-cultured-meat-market

Meat Ingredients Market, By Ingredient (Binders, Extenders, Fillers, Colouring Agents, Flavouring Agents, Preservatives, Texturing Agents, Salts, Others), Meat Type (Mutton, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Others), Product Type (Fresh Processed Meat, Raw & Cooked Meat, Pre-Cooked Meat, Others), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherland, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-meat-ingredients-market

Plant-Based Meat Market, By Source (Soy, Wheat, Pea, Mycoprotein, Gluten, Others), Product Type (Burger Patties, Sausages, Strips and Nuggets, Meatballs, Others), Type (Pork, Beef, Chicken, Fish, Tofu, Tempeh, Quorn, Mushroom, Seitan, RTC/RTE, Natto, Others), Process (Grinding, Mixing, Blending, Forming/Shaping, Freezing Systems, Storage), End User (Households, Food Industry, HoReCA), Distribution Channel (Direct, Indirect), Country https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-plant-based-meat-market

Processed Meat Market, By Product Type (Beef, Pork, Goat, Lamb, Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Fish), Type (Fresh Processed Meat, Frozen Meat, Chilled Meat, Canned Meat, Dried / Semi Dried Meat, Fermented Meat, Others), Category (Cured, Uncured), Nature (Conventional, Organic), Packaging Type (Trays, Pouches, Boxes, Cannisters, Others), Packaging Material (Plastic, Glass, Paper / Cardboard, Metal, Others), End-User (Food Service Sector, Household), Distribution Channel (Store-based Retailers, Non-Store Based Retailers), Country https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-processed-meat-market

Meat Extract Market, By Product (Beef Extract, Pork Extract, Chicken Extract, Fish Extract, Lamb Extract, Other Meat Extracts), Type (Stock, Extract), Form (Powder, Paste, Liquid), Function (Flavoring Agent, Preparation of Culture Media, and Others), Category (Conventional, Organic), Application (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical/Laboratory Research), Country (U.S., Mexico, Canada, France, Russia, Netherlands, U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Switzerland, Rest of Europe, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, Rest of Asia-Pacific, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and rest of Middle East) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-meat-extract-market

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Fund will support University to develop farm solutions to increase efficiency in crop production

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation with the vision to prevent and relieve hunger through sustainable agricultural development, today announced a CHF 195,000 donation to Bern University of Applied Sciences (School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences). The donation will support the implementation of a three-year farm project that seeks to promote the application of non-tillage-based weed control methods on lightweight field robots in a cool and wet climate of Central Europe.

The project will focus on non-contact weed control methods in combination with small robots to help increase the sustainability of crop production, prevent soil compaction and minimize weed emergence. The project work will be completed within the framework of University students' engagement to complete master's and bachelor's theses on the project's focus and other related sustainability issues. Emerging knowledge findings and innovations from the project will be transferred to farmers and key stakeholders to enhance sustainable crop production and on-farm operation efficiency.

Supporting farmers to boost farm productivity becomes more important as changing climatic conditions have intensified the problems posed by weeds and continue to affect global food production. In addition, farm solutions like small and lightweight semi-autonomous field robots can potentially contribute to a significant increase in crop production efficiency while reducing soil pressure impact.

Together with the Bern University of Applied Sciences (School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences) and technical support from the AGCO Swiss Future Farm, the project will promote the use of precision-planted arable crops in rows as a substitute, making more areas available.

"Food production efficiency remains one of the world's most demanding challenges for agriculture against the background of climate events and change. We hope that by contributing to programs such as this one with Bern University, we can help meet some of these challenges and advance education in this area for the wider benefit for farming communities in Europe," commented Roger Batkin, Board Chair, AGCO Agriculture Foundation.

About AGCO

AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology. AGCO delivers customer value through its differentiated brand portfolio including core brands like Challenger, Fendt, GSI, Massey Ferguson, Precision Planting and Valtra. Powered by Fuse smart farming solutions, AGCO's full line of equipment and services help farmers sustainably feed our world. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, AGCO had net sales of approximately $11.1 billion in 2021. For more information, visit www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag AGCOIR.

About the AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF)

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), initiated by AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO) in 2018, is a private foundation with the vision to prevent and relieve hunger. The foundation initiates impactful programs that support food security, foster sustainable agricultural development and build needed agricultural infrastructure in marginalized farming communities. AAF is domiciled in Vaduz, Liechtenstein and operations are managed from Duluth, Georgia, USA. For more information, please visit https://www.agcofoundation.org/

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Contacts:

Aryn Drawdy, Corporate Communications Director

aryn.drawdy@agcocorp.com
London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - October 10, 2022) - London-based FinTech group, GaiaLens unveils its ESG reporting capability to assist companies and investors across the globe with their ESG reporting requirements. The company provides a transparent and real-time analytic platform, equipped with the latest technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning and more. The technology-enabled and data-driven platform helps institutional investors to fulfil their ESG needs such as portfolio reporting, investment screening, and deep-dive research capabilities.

ESG reporting has become all the more important across the globe recently. A number of government and legal authorities, including The European Union, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission among others, are demanding genuine ESG reporting from corporates. Investors, who are committed to Socially Responsible Investment practices are also demanding their suppliers and partners comply with mandatory ESG standards to make their investments sustainable and environment-friendly.

Realising the increasing importance of ESG, GaiaLens enables its clients to understand the details behind the numbers by optimizing the interpretations. Its unique algorithm allows the platform to gather a large volume of data to calculate overall ESG scores. While most ESG investments focus solely on the Environment aspect, the holistic approach adopted by GaiaLens gives equal importance to the other aspects and ensures robust, multi-sourced, real-time scoring for Social and Governance pillars as well. GaiaLens calculates the dynamic materiality of ESG themes at the industry level to track structural changes as they take place.

"At GaiaLens we aim to assist companies by simplifying their ESG reporting with the help of advanced technology. Our platform consists of a suite of tools and is a data-driven product, developed to compile and analyse both structured and unstructured data sets. We use Machine Learning to engineer innovative proprietary features such as diversity metrics and use Natural Language Processing to analyse and absorb news streams into its analytics platform", says Seb Kirk CFA, Co-Founder of GaiaLens.

GaiaLens is committed to ensuring that investors are provided with simple yet effective support to fulfil their requirements. Its data-driven platform compiles and analyses structured and unstructured data sets, as well as traditional financial data sets. This is to ensure that all ESG-relevant data on more than 17,000 public companies are gathered, measured for consistency and transparency, and scored in real-time across the E, S and G pillars. Being a data-driven platform, GaiaLens intends to assist investors by adopting any regulation standards including The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), EU Taxonomy, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

"Our value proposition is very clear. We support the investors throughout the whole ESG life cycle and help them save time and money while reporting. Our platform facilitates detailed research and then portfolio management that helps clients with reporting and also allows them to benchmark their performance against a chosen index. It also facilitates an instant SFDR reporting and uploading of the portfolio in seconds", says Gordon Tveito-Duncan, co-founder of GaiaLens.

About the Company

GaiaLens is a FinTech group, headquartered in London, United Kingdom and was founded in 2021 by Seb Kirk and Gordon Tveito-Duncan. The group provides a data-driven, transparent, and real-time ESG analytics platform to institutional investors. They are a group drawn from finance professionals, technologists, and academics who believe that economic value creation can and should be combined with environmental stewardship, social inclusion, and sound governance.

Media contact:

Name: Yemi Adesina

Email: info@gaia-lens.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/140038
Alva Labs, a Stockholm, Sweden-based provider of a digital hiring tool, acquired DevSkills, a Stockholm, Sweden-based creator of coding tests for evaluating technical competence of developers.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

With the acquisition, Alva Labs will give its customers access to DevSkills coding tests through its platform, and will strengthen its product offering as a digital recruitment tool.

Founded by Anton Fenske in 2020, DevSkills offers a library of practical coding tests that help assess a candidates technical skills.

Founded in 2017 by Malcolm Burenstam Linder, Peter Schierenbeck and Bjorn Strom, Alva Labs provides a digital hiring tool for qualifying and comparing job candidates using data and science-driven data-driven candidate assessments. Its two psychometric assessments (logic and personality) combine AI and machine learning with psychometrics and organisational psychology to streamline the hiring process and create a meritocratic experience for recruiters and applicants. Having navigated through the pandemic and the recent tech slowdown, the company has doubled its revenues each year since 2018. In 2022 alone, the team has grown 56%, from 48 to 75 employees, with Alva raising an 11.7m Series A funding in January. Customers included the likes of Deloitte and Northvolt.

FinSMEs

10/10/2022
Clerkenwell Health, a London, UK-based clinical psychedelics startup, raised 2.1M in Seed funding.

Backers included Lionheart Ventures, Convergence Partners, and Exceptional Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to support the operations of its clinical trials facility, Europes first commercial facility dedicated to psychedelic assisted therapies, opening this Autumn.

Led by CEO Tom McDonald, Clerkenwell Health is a clinical research organisation focused on supporting clients with the design and delivery of psychedelic-assisted therapy trials. They provide psychedelic research at scale through commercial centres of excellence which allow organisations to run clinical trials, co-develop drugs and be at the forefront of clinical innovation. They offer companies clinical trial support: scientific advisory, trial design, regulatory approvals, provision of suitable trial sites, and the monitoring and management of trials.

The company is supporting North American drug developers entering the UK. Toronto-based life sciences company Psyence (listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: PSYG) and quoted on the OTCQB (OTCQB: PSYGF), has received approval from the MHRA to kick off the first trials at Clerkenwells London site. The clinical trial will assess the efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy versus psychotherapy alone for the treatment of adjustment disorder due to an incurable cancer diagnosis.

FinSMEs

10/10/2022
FlyFeed, a Tallinn, Estonia-based insect farming startup, raised $3M in Seed funding.

The backers were not disclosed.

The company intends to use the funds to establish operations, further develop technological solutions and construct the first industrial-sized farm in Vietnam in 2023, producing affordable proteins, oils, and fertilizers from insects.

Led by CEO Arseniy Olkhovskiy, FlyFeed is an insect farming startup that produces insect protein, fat and fertilizers from black soldier flies for animal feed and pet food and, in the future, for human food.

Launched in November 2021, the company will construct its first farm in 2023 in Vietnam and is slated to have 10+ farms in Vietnam, India, and Africa by 2026. One farm is expected to produce 17.5+ thousand tonnes of insect products, including insect proteins, fats and fertilizers by processing 40K tonnes of organic waste.

The startup has signed $10M+ of pre-contracts with top-tier European feed producers.

FinSMEs

10/10/2022
K Line Europe, a Dusseldorf-Benrath, Germany-based orthodontics-at-home maker, raised 5.3m in Series A funding.

The round was led by Maki.vc.

The company intends to use the funds to expand across Europe, as well as enter the other global markets, including Asian, Middle Eastern, and North American ones.

Led by CEO Sherif Kandil, K Line Europe provides a remote orthodontics monitoring platform which features a monitoring device connected to a smartphone. This allow patients to check their teeth straightening process and perform their own aligner correction without visiting the practice.

The companys products include:

K Clear, which provides patients with 3D treatment plans and automated, precise production of aligners

ClearX, an innovative product that uses 4D technology to reduce plastic production

K SCAN, which makes scanning fast for dentists and assistants ensuring optimal comfort and reduced chair time for patients

FinSMEs

10/10/2022




Olino (fka Riskee), a Paris, France-based insurtech company, raised 2.2M in seed funding.

The round was led by Newfund, with participation from Astorya.VC, MCapital and some unnamed angels.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach, as well as further extend its offerings.

Led by CEO Quentin Fabre and COO Dorian Jorry, Olino provides an online platform building an embedded insurance service. Each professional can choose their cover according to their risks. Olino has 15 digitized insurance products, available in API to allow all platforms & services to VSEs/SMEs, to integrate insurance offers into their customer journey. The company negotiates contracts with the largest insurance companies and relies on +30 partners to meet clients needs. Olino currently partners with such companies as Silvr, Axonaut, and some neobanks.

To support policyholders in managing their contracts, the company has also developed a free SaaS platform called Le cockpit by Olino. The platform analyzes the covers to detect potential risks or duplicate guarantees and will offer the user to digitally store their contracts and additional documents such as invoices, vehicle registration documents, etc.

FinSMEs

09/10/2022
On September 21, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the opening ceremony of the second Middle East Security Forum via video link.



Wang Yi said, three years ago, China held the first Middle East Security Forum, which gathered common ground and contributed wisdom to maintaining and promoting security in the Middle East. In the past three years, the principle of adhering to multilateralism and opposing unilateralism has gained more popularity in the Middle East; the call for upholding fairness and justice and opposing hegemony and bullying has become louder in the Middle East; the idea of promoting development and cooperation and guarding common security has taken root in the Middle East; encouraging progress has been made in strengthening civilization dialogue and enhancing understanding and trust in the Middle East. Under the new circumstances, it is both the common aspiration of the Middle East countries and the due responsibility of the international community to adopt systematic and forward-looking thinking based on the actual situation in the Middle East and changes in the international environment, so as to jointly resolve the security challenges in the Middle East and join hands to promote long-term stability in the Middle East.

Wang Yi stressed, in 2018 at the opening ceremony of the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, President Xi Jinping raised the proposal to build a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture in the Middle East. It has found an important way out for the security dilemma in the Middle East. In April this year, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which gives clear answers to the question of our times about how countries can achieve common security and is of great significance to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. China is willing to take the implementation of the GSI as an opportunity to work with Middle East countries and the international community to jointly promote the construction of a new security architecture in the Middle East. Wang Yi put forward four proposals in this regard:

First, uphold the new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. We should uphold the vision of common security, pay attention to the reasonable security concerns of all countries, and should not seek unilateral absolute security. We should attach importance to a comprehensive approach, addressing both traditional security threats and non-traditional security challenges such as the pandemic, food and energy. We should adhere to cooperation and achieve security through political dialogue and peaceful negotiation, and should not have blind faith in force or unilateral actions. We should seek sustainable security, resolve conflicts through development, and eliminate the breeding ground for insecurity.

Second, clarify the dominant position of the Middle East countries. The people of the Middle East are the masters of the future and destiny of the region, and the Middle East security affairs should be in the hands of the Middle East countries. China supports the Middle East countries to independently build a regional security architecture that is in line with the reality of the region and takes into account the interests of all parties in the spirit of independence and self-reliance, and in exploring a path of long-term peace and security with characteristics of the Middle East.

Third, we should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We must implement the UN Security Council resolutions on dealing with the hotspot issues in the Middle East, especially the Palestinian question, and support the UN's mediation efforts. We must uphold the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We must reject hegemony and bullying, and oppose all unilateral sanctions and "long-arm jurisdiction" not authorized by the United Nations.

Fourth, strengthen dialogue on regional security. China advocates the resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel on the basis of the "two-state solution" as soon as possible, and calls for the convening of a more authoritative and more influential international peace conference on a larger scale. China supports countries in the Gulf region to strengthen dialogue and ease conflicts, and advocates the establishment of a Gulf security dialogue platform to build mutual trust and common security through dialogue.

Wang Yi pointed out that as a strategic partner of the Middle East countries, China has always been an important constructive force in promoting peace and supporting development in the Middle East. Over the past year, China has put forward a five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East, a four-point proposal for the political settlement of the Syrian issue, and a three-point vision for the implementation of the "two-state solution" between Palestine and Israel. At the same time, China has joined hands with the Middle East countries to combat the pandemic, advance the Belt and Road cooperation, and strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative, so as to positively help promote the development of the Middle East. China is willing to continue to work with the Middle East countries and the international community to make unremitting efforts to achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.

**********

The second Middle East Security Forum was held in Beijing on September 21 in an online-plus-offline format, themed on "Promoting a new security architecture in the Middle East to achieve common security in the region", hosted by the China Institute of International Studies.
Story Highlights Recognition is critical for employee development

Only a third of employees strongly agree they receive equitable recognition

Fair recognition affects employees' opinion of their organization's equity

Fair Employee Recognition Is Critical to Equitable Development

Opportunities and support to develop are fundamental needs of employees. Organizations have an ethical responsibility to ensure all employees receive what they need to grow -- professionally and personally. And as organizations prioritize diversity and inclusion, they should also prioritize more equitable paths to development. Plus, doing so promotes business success.

When it comes to equitable development, it is obvious for leaders to address tangible targets (e.g., equity in pay, promotion rates, and representation in leadership and senior management). These targets have hard numbers to compare and monitor, so setting goals and tracking change is straightforward.

Tangible targets lay an important foundation, but equitable development also requires intangible drivers -- like motivation, inspiration and confidence -- that propel employees forward and liberate them to grow. Equity requires mentors, advocates and champions who identify the potential in people, provide guidance and open doors.

Employers also need to take ownership for driving development -- and it's as simple as this: Recognize employees for who they are and the work they do.

Recognition provides positive reinforcement that encourages growth. It gives employees the empowerment that comes with knowing they are valued and appreciated for their unique abilities and the psychological safety to stretch and learn. Recognizing employees builds their reputations -- it can determine who gets opportunities for key experiences and assignments, who gets positive annual reviews, and, ultimately, who gets promoted.

Recognition Drives Development

A recent study of more than 7,600 U.S. employees conducted by Gallup in partnership with Workhuman identified that employee recognition is critical to employees' perception that they have support and a clear path for development.

This research indicated that the degree to which employees perceive recognition to be equitably distributed is one of the five fundamental pillars of strategic recognition. However, the study also revealed that there are lingering inequities -- including inequities by race and ethnicity -- in how employees are recognized at work.

Gallup's Center on Black Voices conducted a recent survey of nearly 9,000 working adults in the U.S. that corroborates that disparities in recognition exist and affect the development and career opportunities for U.S. workers.

Recognition Isn't "Fair"

Overall, only 32% of employees strongly agree that they receive fair and equitable recognition at work. This means that most employees in the U.S. see favoritism, inequality or even downright discrimination in how recognition is doled out in their organization.

Notably, White employees are more likely to strongly agree (34%) they receive fair and equitable recognition than are Black (30%) and Hispanic (27%) employees.

These differences are greater than the differences between genders within each race, suggesting that race and ethnicity influence how employees experience recognition at work. It also means that not all men and women are similarly experiencing recognition.

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Fair Recognition Is a Prerequisite to Employee Development

Recognition changes employees' perceptions of their development and the role their organization plays in supporting it. In fact, employees who strongly agree that they receive fair and equitable recognition at work are six times as likely to strongly agree that their employer is committed to building everyone's strengths.

They are also seven times as likely to strongly agree they have adequate opportunities for advancement and nearly eight times as likely to strongly agree they have a clear plan for development.

Most employees in the U.S. see favoritism, inequality or even downright discrimination in how recognition is doled out in their organization.

Recognition from leaders, managers and peers guides employees' performance, increases their discretionary effort and fuels their development. Organizations that know this simple secret build top talent organically by giving employees the support they need to grow and achieve.

These effects of fair recognition are even greater for women and employees who are members of race/ethnic minorities, making recognition practices a critical component of efforts to address equity in development. For example, Black employees who strongly agree that they receive fair and equitable recognition are seven times as likely to strongly agree that their employer is committed to building strengths, while women and Hispanic employees who strongly agree that recognition is fair are nine times as likely to strongly agree that they have a clear plan for development

Fair Recognition Reflects Equity in Advancement Opportunities

The presence (or absence) of fairness in recognition also radiates through employees' overall perceptions of development and advancement at their company.

Employees who strongly agree that they receive fair recognition are five times as likely to perceive equal access to opportunities for advancement in general and six times as likely to strongly agree when it comes from positions of senior leadership. They are also nearly eight times as likely to strongly agree that promotion decisions are fair.

In fact, it's not just about development. Perceptions of fair recognition are highly related to perceptions of the overall fairness of the organization. When employees can strongly agree that they receive fair and equitable recognition, they are six times as likely to strongly agree that their organization is fair to everyone.

For some groups of employees, fair recognition is especially important to their perceptions of fairness in their organization. For example, women, Black employees and Hispanic employees are nearly seven times as likely to strongly agree that their organization is fair to everyone when they strongly agree that they receive fair and equitable recognition.

And here is the silver bullet: By and large, the impacts of fair recognition appear to be just as great or greater for women and minorities -- the very groups most commonly at the center and impetus of initiatives for more equitable development.

Perceptions of fair recognition are highly related to perceptions of the overall fairness of the organization.

Conclusion

Recognition makes employees feel valued, supported and empowered to grow. It is the secret to how the best companies attract and build a culture of top talent.

It doesn't take a radical initiative. Every manager can do it day by day, with every "thank you" and "good work," every shoutout and (virtual) pat on the back. Simple gestures often speak loudest.

But managers should take note: Employees are deeply attuned to fairness in the workplace. They calibrate the recognition they receive with their own contributions and their perceptions of their coworkers' contributions and recognition. When the calculation comes up short, it shows up in their work and wellbeing.

Employees' perceptions of recognition are a critical indicator of how equitable development initiatives actually are. In a sense, fair recognition is the backbone of fair access to opportunity. It has real, tangible impacts -- for employees personally and for their company. In fact, employees who strongly agree that they receive fair and equitable recognition are four times as likely to be engaged and four times as likely to strongly agree they feel like a valued member of their team.

Make recognition a valuable part of your organizational culture.

Recommendations

Employees are constantly gauging the fairness in the recognition they receive. Leaders can help move the needle in the right direction by taking three simple steps:

Upskill managers. Train managers on the importance and impacts of recognition and best practices for providing authentic, meaningful recognition. Workhuman and Gallup recently found that about three-quarters of managers do not receive this kind of guidance, but it is critical to setting managers up for success. Invest in recognition. Create outlets -- and time -- for managers to provide recognition to their team members, and encourage them to give recognition too. If managers are giving lopsided recognition, they are likely not doing so maliciously -- they can address oversights by setting the expectation for fairness and creating opportunities to spread praise around. Recognition programs, platforms or dedicated minutes in the meeting agenda can go a long way. Use career mapping. Take the mystery out of employees' career trajectory by creating clear paths for career growth that provide a structure for ongoing conversations about development. This can help employees feel confident in their path forward and give managers a framework for constructive recognition that encourages accountability and consistency.

Make recognition a valuable part of your organizational culture. Subscribe to the Gallup at Work newsletter to get the latest workplace advice and discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about how the employee experience shapes engagement, performance and development.

Read more about how recognition is the future of work.
Chinese scientists mimic lobster eye to observe universe

Xinhua) 15:29, October 10, 2022

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Scientists eyeing the distant universe are sometimes inspired by the diverse creatures on Earth. The lobster-eye telescope developed and launched by Chinese scientists is the latest example.

The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) recently revealed the world's first batch of large-field X-ray maps of the sky captured by the lobster-eye telescope, or the Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy (LEIA).

The LEIA, launched into space in late July, is a large-field X-ray imaging telescope, the first of its kind in the world, according to the NAOC. It is expected that with the "lobster eye," people will be able to efficiently observe the mysterious transient phenomena in the universe.

SPECIAL EYE

The most special feature of LEIA is its 36 micro-pore lobster-eye glasses and 4 large-array CMOS sensors, all developed by China.

Biologists discovered early on that the lobster's eye is different from other animals. Lobster eyes are made up of numerous tiny square tubes, pointing to the same spherical center. This structure allows light from all directions to reflect in the tubes and converge on the retina, which gives the lobster a large field of view.

In 1979, an American scientist proposed that the lobster eye be simulated to create a telescope to detect X-rays in space. But this idea failed to be realized for a long time until micro-processing technology improved sufficiently to make it possible. Scientists then developed lobster-eye glasses, which are covered with tiny square holes as thick as a hair.

The X-ray Imaging Laboratory of NAOC began the research and development work on lobster-eye X-ray imaging technology in 2010, and finally made a breakthrough.

The newly launched LEIA not only features the much-anticipated lobster-eye glasses, but also pioneers in installing CMOS sensors, which can process with high spectral resolutions.

"We realized the application of CMOS sensors to X-ray astronomical observations in space for the first time. It is an important innovation in X-ray astronomy detection technology," said Ling Zhixing, a scientist of the NAOC.

WIDE-ANGLE VISION

"The biggest advantage of the lobster-eye telescope is its wide-angle vision," said Ling, who is in charge of the LEIA project.

According to Ling, the previous X-ray telescopes only had a field of view roughly the size of the Moon as seen from Earth, while this lobster-eye telescope is capable of covering a celestial region about the size of 1,000 Moons.

"Twelve such telescopes will be installed on the future Einstein Probe satellite, and their field of view could be as large as about 10,000 Moons," he added.

Scientists have found that most cosmic objects show complex variations in brightness in the X-ray band. Some objects that originally have no X-ray radiation can suddenly produce one, such as black holes that are devouring stars.

Therefore, the lobster-eye telescope enables more efficient monitoring of X-ray variations in cosmic objects and there is a greater likelihood of detecting randomly occurring cosmic extremes, Ling added.

FUTURE PROBE

As Ling has mentioned, the newly launched LEIA is an experimental module for the Einstein Probe satellite, which is expected to be launched at the end of 2023. A total of 12 modules will then be mounted on the new satellite.

The program has attracted extensive attention worldwide, with the European Space Agency and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany participating in it.

"This technology will revolutionize monitoring of the X-ray sky, and the test module shows the strong science potential of the Einstein Probe mission," said Paul O'Brien, head of Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester.

"We have finally succeeded in obtaining the observation results of the lobster-eye telescope after more than a decade of arduous efforts, and we are all very proud to be able to contribute such advanced equipment to the world's astronomical research," said Zhang Chen, assistant to the Principal Investigator of the Einstein Probe program.

According to Zhang, the Einstein Probe will carry out systematic sky surveys to monitor high-energy transient objects in the universe.

The mission is expected to discover cloaked black holes and map the distribution of black holes in the universe, and help us to study their formation and evolution.

The Einstein Probe will also be used to search for X-ray signals from gravitational wave events and pinpoint them. Moreover, it will be used in observing neutron stars, white dwarfs, supernovae, early cosmic gamma bursts and other objects and phenomena, he said.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Hongyu)
GOVERNMENT has reportedly stopped issuing clearance letters for nurses in a bid to frustrate them from leaving the country for greener pastures.

This follows mass resignations that have hit the countrys public hospitals as health professionals migrate abroad for better salaries and working conditions.

In March, government doubled application fees for nurses confirmation letters and certificates from US$150 to US$300.

Official figures show that last year alone Zimbabwe lost nearly 1 800 nurses, mainly to Britain. Thats more than 10% of all the nurses working in public hospitals.

An email sent to a nurses union leader from the United Kingdom Nursing and Midwifery Council seen by NewsDay, revealed that the government was blocking nurses wishing to travel abroad.

We have received notification that the Zimbabwe government has taken a decision to withhold issuing verification of qualification and character for its nurses who wish to join our register, the letter read.

In response to this, we are currently exploring ways in which we support applicants including alternative options where possible and whether they will provide the same assurance as verification from the nursing council.

Health ministry spokesperson Donald Mujiri directed questions to Health Service Board chairperson Paulinus Sikhosana, who said he was not the right person to comment on the issue.

My department doesnt deal with that issue. You can call the ministry secretary, Sikhosana also said.

A health expert, who requested anonymity, said although nurses were prepared to pay for verification letters, government had refused to budge.

A lot of nurses have paid for their verification letters, but nothing is happening, they are not being approved. Government is continuously taking peoples money but not approving the qualifications. We are urgently asking the government to answer all this. We need dialogue, the nurse said.

This is a very serious issue where the Ministry of Health risks international isolation. The email was sent by the UK government and this will cascade to other European countries and this is not good. Verification of qualifications is supposed to be done by the Nurses Council but the current administration changed it. It said it wanted to approve, which is, therefore, not its duty according to an Act of Parliament. So it is violating the law. Newsday
The states chief downtown revitalization agency has recognized Lebanons first Pride event among the best Main Street-backed programs in 2021.

Family Pride Day drew about 300 participants and 20 vendors to a park in June and offered a space where people with LGBTQ+ identities and allies could share stories about their experiences and celebrate diversity.

Oregon Main Street honored volunteers efforts to creating an environment that is welcoming and inviting to all during a recent annual award dinner, according to a news release.

It reinforces what many are trying to accomplish with Main Street. Thats: You are welcome. You are included, said Cassie Cruze, manager at Lebanon Downtown Association.

Oregon Main Street provides grant funding and networking and templates for policy and plans to bring businesses back to aging downtown sectors that declined in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The event came after two years of isolation in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cruze said volunteers envisioned a celebration that reached people especially hard hit by social distancing, lockdowns and filter face masks.

For people within the LGBTQ+ community, isolation can be even within your own home, Cruze said.

A group from the downtown association appeared before the Lebanon City Council in April, asking mayor Paul Aziz to proclaim June as Pride Month ahead of the event in a city that saw dozens of proclamations each year.

Pride Month has been celebrated nationwide for more than 50 years to commemorate the Stonewall uprising of 1969 in New York.

Cruze said downtown associations are questioning how to encourage inclusivity and diversity. Expanding local economies increasingly includes figuring out who isnt at the table in planning meetings, Cruze said.

Thats the moment to be inclusive, to make sure voices are being heard, she said.

Main Street managers apparently agree. Albany and Lebanon together took one-third of the 12 awards.

Albany and Lebanon have strong main street programs. We represent dynamic business owners who want to make a difference in their communities, said Lise Grato, executive director at Albany Downtown Association.

Oregon Main Street recognized Oscar and Tamalynne Hult at the annual dinner and conference for renovating the 110-year-old building where they own The Natty Dresser, a menswear shop and haberdashery in historic downtown Albany.

The time and effort theyve put into bringing it back to its former glory is incredible, Grato said.

Their renovation of the former Young & Son Department Store building transformed and preserved the corner at Broadalbin Street and Second Avenue, according to a news release.

Hannah Darling won volunteer of the year award for more than five years of work with the Albany Downtown Association. She helped with an association effort to hang flower baskets, then joined the organizations board of directors.

Darling is the organizations president for its 2021-2022 year.

Main Street also recognized the volunteer efforts of Peggy Udolf, owner of longtime association member business and women's clothier Emma Downtown. Udolf also served on the downtown association board.

Related stories:
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
ZANU PF has claimed infiltration, saying some of its members were clandestinely working with the opposition amid power struggles and disgruntlement among party stalwarts ahead of the elective congress later this month.

The ruling party has been battling fractures, with observers claiming that the partys first secretary and President Emmerson Mnangagwa had failed to consolidate his hold on power.

Zanu PF political commissar Mike Bimha said the party had roped in experts to assess the loyalty of its members suspected to be working with the opposition.

You also have those who have been disqualified because there (was) additional information to the point that probably they are not in good standing in terms of their activities and some who might not really (be) moving with us, who might probably be Zanu PF during day and opposition during the night. So, there are cases like that where you need experts to assist us to make a better assessment, Bimha said at a Press conference on Friday ahead of the partys central committee elections that were held on Saturday.

In an interview with NewsDay, Bimha said disqualifying suspected disloyal members was one of the measures that had been put in place by the party to deal with the problem of infiltration but he would not disclose the names of those fingered.

We are not worried by the so-called G40 cabal. They are not the opposition party. What we mean are the opposition parties that are in the country. There are some who claim to be Zanu PF, but are working with those opposition parties. So (when we discover that) we just stop them from holding party posts. Is that not enough? If they are not office bearers then they will not have much effect on the affairs of the party, Bimha added.

Political analyst Eldred Masunungure said the alleged infiltration was a confirmation of the fissures within the ruling party.

Disloyalty among the ruling Zanu PF members has been rumoured for a long time since 2018 in the aftermath of the coup that ousted (the late former President Robert) Mugabe, Masunungure said.

This points to the general disgruntlement of the party members against Mnangagwas leadership. It could be a reincarnation of another Bhora Musango.

Opposition parties are not good at counter infiltration. Infiltration could be orchestrated by the G40 working together with CCC just to destabilise Zanu PF.

The opposition parties which were contacted by NewsDay for comments laughed off Zanu PF claims of infiltration.

Our focus is on winning Zimbabwe for change, CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Siziba said.

National Constitutional Assembly leader party Lovemore Madhuku said his party was working to ensure that Zanu PF did not win in the upcoming election.

We have put in place so many strategies to ensure that we achieve that. But obviously, we will not disclose our strategies, Madhuku said. Newsday
The 2022 Festival of Social Science

We are delighted to share our programme for the 20th ESRC Festival of Social Science, which is taking place from Saturday 22 October - Sunday 13 November. This is a UK-wide celebration of the wide range of social science research underway and an opportunity to promote this important work to new audiences.

Our colleagues are running a wide range of events that will give people of all ages the chance to get involved and share their ideas about the world we live in.

You might be interested in exploring how wildfires happening in Bolivia impact the people who live there and why, by knowing more about our water use and how people live in other areas of the world, we can take active roles in being part of ecological solutions within our climate emergency. If so, Dr Lorenza's exhibition on Bolivian Wildfire, Professor Jude Robinson and Dr Zoe Strachan's workshop exploring water, and Dr Lisa Bradley's zine-making workshop are for you.

Perhaps you are interested in learning more about what researchers are doing to combat our housing crisis and the approaches they take to inform policymakers in order to make our homes safer for our minds and bodies. Or you may want learn more about how we design of our neighbourhoods and share ideas to make where we live better. If so, the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence research showcase, and Dr Jonathan Olsen's online neighbourhood map for young people, are not to be missed.

Understanding inequalities and working in partnership to find ways to challenge barriers include so many different areas of research. Throughout the Festival, University of Glasgow researchers have something to share with, and learn from, you. Many researchers worldwide have been studying the impacts and experiences of COVID-19. Professor Eugenio Proto's discussion will share statistics illustrating the inequalities that influence these experiences. With women's lives impacted disproportionately through COVID 19, perhaps you would also be interested in learning more about gendered experiences in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics)? If so, then be sure to sign up for Dr Preeti Dagars event. If you want to know how Dr Paul Lynch has been working with partners in Malawi through early-years education with children and young people with disabilities, then his panel session will share their learning.

Maybe you are into games? If so, Dr Chiara Cipollari's game lab is for you! With lots of research games on offer, you can meet the academics using games to communicate their ideas and get involved in playing them. If play in general is something you enjoy, don't miss Dr Joanna Wincenciak's puppetry and emotional wellbeing workshop.

Whatever the ways you wonder about the world, Social Scientists at the University of Glasgow look forward to thinking alongside you and sharing their research.

Or maybe you would like to find some moments of peace and connection? If that's the case, then Dr Yulia Nesterova's peace walk and workshops or Dr Leyla De Amicis's speed friendship events provide this space.

Alongside these free, open access events, University of Glasgow researchers will also be working with secondary school students in Glasgow and London to explore experiences of COVID (Dr Alistair Fraser).

Prof Sara Carter

Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences

Visit the ESRC website to view the full programme of activities taking place at the University of Glasgow: https://festivalofsocialscience.com/events/partner/university-of-glasgow/
FREMONT, Calif., Sept. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnerVenue, the first company to bring metal-hydrogen batteries capable of 30,000 cycles to the clean energy revolution, today announced a Master Supply Agreement with Green Energy Renewable Solutions. Under the terms of the deal, Green Energy will procure and deploy 250 MWh of EnerVenues storage solution over the next three years. Houston-based Green Energy is a recently launched company owned by Henrik Jensen and Jens Juul, both of whom own and operate Nicon Industries A/S, a leading manufacturer of steel and aluminum constructions in the wind, offshore and maritime industry. Green Energy will leverage EnerVenue battery vessels to support Nicons innovative renewable energy and storage projects.

The Master Supply Agreement will deliver 50MWh in 2023, 100MWh in 2024, and 100MWh in 2025. Green Energy will package EnerVenue battery vessels into customized building blocks for projects across Nicons onshore and offshore project portfolio. Through Green Energy, Nicon has the ambitious goal of building 1 GW of storage projects within the three years of the initial EnerVenue agreement.



EnerVenues energy storage technology will be a critical asset to Green Energy Renewable Solutions and, by association, to Nicon Industries A/S, said Henrik Jensen, CEO, Nicon Industries A/S. EnerVenues technology features exceptional longevity and durability with minimal maintenance required, and its fire-safe properties are especially critical in our expected applications. EnerVenues transformational technology will help Green Energy Renewable Solutions provide superior value to our global customer base.



Initial projects are expected to be onshore but to support Nicons long-term goals, Green Energys energy storage solutions must meet particularly strict DNV certification and CE certification mandates for systems deployed in the offshore and maritime market. EnerVenues unique metal-hydrogen technology gives Green Energy exceptionally long battery life with low maintenance requirements and zero fire propagation riskan especially crucial safety and compliance factor in offshore locations such as oil rigs.



By 2024, Nicon's forklifts will be converted from fossil fuel to electric power and will be charged with Green Energy battery containers, said Jens Juul, COO, Green Energy / Nicon Industries A/S. Additionally, the power needed for our sea fastenings jobs on wind installation vessels will be supplied from our own battery containers charged overnight with renewable energy coming from the windfarms.



Green Energys maritime and offshore renewable energy applications offer use cases where the safety, flexibility, and maintenance-free durability of our battery vessels deliver compelling business opportunities and competitive differentiators, said Randy Selesky, CRO, EnerVenue. This industry has a particularly outsized and urgent opportunity to benefit from clean energy modernization, and were proud to now work with Green Energy to bring our technology into these applications for the first time.



Many of Green Energys planned renewable energy projects are associated with a push by European Union countries to ramp up offshore wind power, decarbonize the maritime industry, move away from volatile gas imports, and more quickly and completely achieve climate goals.



The Master Supply Agreement adds to EnerVenues recent supply deals, including agreements with Pine Gate Renewables and Sonnell Power Solutions.



About EnerVenue



EnerVenue builds simple, safe, and cost-efficient energy storage solutions for the clean energy revolution. Based on technology proven over decades under the most extreme conditions, EnerVenue batteries are refined and scaled for large renewable energy integration applications. The company is headquartered in Fremont, California.

Contact

Kyle Peterson

kyle@clementpeterson.com





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2eded3bd-bb00-4b68-b9e2-91b5625dfa49
English Dutch

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Aptean , a global provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, announced its acquisition of Frontix BV, a leading provider of cloud-based Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and energy management solutions to process manufacturers in the Netherlands, Belgium and over a dozen other countries across the globe.



Founded in 1999 and based in Sassenheim, in the Netherlands, Frontixs OEE and energy monitoring solutions are used in over 200 production facilities, primarily in the food and beverage, consumer packaged goods and chemicals manufacturing industries. Frontixs software solutions deliver real-time insights into production performance, giving process manufacturers actionable data they can use to drive continuous improvement and plan attainment.

Frontixs OEE solution is highly complementary to Apteans existing offerings to process manufacturers in Benelux and enhances the companys ability to serve clients in this key industry segment. The cloud solution is noted for its rapid, implementation and ease of use for all stakeholders, including plant operators. Aptean will leverage its global scale, resources and technological expertise to bring the benefits of Frontixs OEE monitoring to additional markets.

We are pleased to add Frontixs OEE solutions to our cloud capabilities for process manufacturers in the Benelux region. This acquisition builds on Apteans investments in the region and will deepen our partnership with many Aptean Food & Beverage ERP customers who also rely on Frontixs OEE monitoring to improve efficiency in their manufacturing facilities, said Duane George, General Manager of Aptean, EMEA and APAC. By extending the range of purpose-built solutions Aptean delivers to our customers, we increase their opportunity to achieve meaningful business results.

Like Aptean, Frontix has always focused on delivering cloud-based, industry-specific software solutions that are easy to implement and easy to maintain and scale. As part of Aptean, we will have the resources to grow and our customers will have access to a greater range of solutions tailored to meet their unique needs, said Jaap de Wildt, Managing Director of Frontix.

About Frontix

Frontix provides cloud-based Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and energy monitoring solutions to process manufacturers. Founded in 1999 and located in Sassenheim in the Netherlands, the company supports the production facilities of its customers in the Netherlands, Belgium and many other countries across the globe.

About Aptean

Aptean is one of the worlds leading providers of purpose-built, industry-specific software that helps manufacturers and distributors effectively run and grow their businesses. With both cloud and on-premise deployment options, Apteans products, services and unmatched expertise help businesses of all sizes to be Ready for Whats Next, Now. Aptean is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To learn more about Aptean and the markets we serve, visit www.aptean.com.

Aptean and Ready for Whats Next, Now are Registered Trademarks of Aptean, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

For Media Inquiries Please Contact

Nicole ORourke

Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer

Nicole.ORourke@aptean.com

(770) 715-0362

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/965d587b-45ce-4cee-b950-9f840e8673c0.
Pune, India, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global stainless steel market size was USD 195.65 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 204.17 billion in 2022 to USD 298.85 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 5.6% during the 2022-2029 period. Fortune Business Insights publishes this information in a report titled, "Stainless Steel Market, 2022-2029". As per the report, the market is expected to grow during the projected period due to rising consumption of stainless steel in the construction sector.

Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/stainless-steel-market-106481

List of Key Players Profiled in the Report :

Acerinox S.A (Spain)

Aperam Stainless (Luxembourg)

ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg)

Baosteel Group (China)

Jindal Stainless (India)

Nippon Steel Corporation (Finland)

Outokumpu (Finland)

POSCO (South Korea)

ThyssenKrupp Stainless GmbH (Germany)

Yieh United Steel Corp (Taiwan)

Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast CAGR 5.6% 2029 Value Projection USD 298.85 Billion Base Year 2021 Stainless Steel Market Size in 2021 USD 195.65 Billion Historical Data 2018-2020 No. of Pages 300 Segments Covered By Category, By Type and Regional Stainless Steel Market Growth Drivers Rising Product Consumption Due to its Characteristics in the Construction Industry to Drive the Market Growth According to the BS Stainless company, the product demand is increasing to fulfill construction purposes,

COVID-19 Impact:

Closure of Construction Projects Amid Pandemic Hampered Market Growth

Stainless steel is in high demand in the construction industry. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has announced the closure of construction projects due to stringent government restrictions. Also, governments imposed restrictions on the workforce operating on projects and instructed employees to work at 50% capacity to limit the virus spread. Also, supply chain disruptions and lack of raw materials hampered the stainless steel market growth during the forecast period.

Segments:

Increasing Demand from Home Appliances Industry to Bolster Cold Rolled Flat Segmental Growth

By type, the market is classified into cold rolled flat, hot plate & sheet, cold bars & wire, hot bars & wire rod, and others. The cold rolled flat segment dominates the market share due to increasing demand for furniture and home appliances industries.

Metal Products Segment to Dominate Global Market Share During Forecast Period

Based on application, the market is categorized into metal products, electrical machinery, engineering, construction, automotive parts, and others. The metal products segment is projected to lead the market owing to its corrosion-resistant properties.

Geographically, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Inquire Before Buying This Research Report:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/stainless-steel-market-106481

Report Coverage:

The report provides complete information and insights on recent developments and trends in the market. Also, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global market is highlighted further in this report. Furthermore, the drivers and restraints affecting the market growth during the projected period are mentioned further in the report. Regional market insights on segmented market areas are provided further along with a list of key market players in the industry.

Drivers & Restraints:

Rising Product Demand from the Construction Sector to Propel Growth

The market growth is attributable to rising technological advancements due to rising carbon emission. The rising mobility and emerging automobile industry are expected to bolster the market growth due to the surging use of the product in seatbelt springs and hose clamps. Also, there is increasing consumption of this steel in the construction industry.

However, the availability of substitute products, such as carbon and aluminum steel, may hinder the market growth.

Regional Insights:

Asia Pacific Dominates Global Market Share Due to Rapid Infrastructural Development

Asia Pacific holds a dominant global stainless steel market share. The regional market stood at USD 146.53 billion in 2021. Increasing infrastructure development and rapid technological advancements are anticipated to bolster the regional market growth.

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/stainless-steel-market-106481

Detailed Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Regions Key Developments: Capacity Expansions, Acquisitions, Partnerships, etc. Latest Technological Advancement Insights on Regulatory Scenario Porters Five Forces Analysis Raw Material Analysis Qualitative Information on Grades of Stainless Steel

Qualitative Insights on Impact of COVID-19 on Global Stainless Steel Market Supply Chain Analysis & Challenges due to Covid-19 Steps taken by Government / Companies to Overcome this Impact Potential Challenges and Opportunities due to COVID-19 Outbreak



TOC Continued!

Competitive Landscape:

Expansion of Services Allow Companies to Register Growth

The prominent market players are considering forming strategic partnerships and mergers to expand their business reach and propel growth in the coming years. Also, the companies focus on increasing their product range to serve customer demands.

Key Industry Development:

June 2022: Outokumpu is divesting its plate service center in Aalten, the Netherlands, to Roba Holding, a family-owned business located in the Netherlands and a supplier of steel, steel, aluminum, and recycled metal as well as non-ferrous metals.

Speak to Our Expert:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/stainless-steel-market-106481

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1. Is the Impact of COVID-19 on Stainless Steel industry growing?

Answer: The Global stainless steel market size was USD 195.65 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 204.17 billion in 2022 to USD 298.85 billion by 2029.

2. Who are the key players in the the Impact of COVID-19 on Stainless Steel Market?

Answer: Acerinox S.A (Spain), Aperam Stainless (Luxembourg), ArcelorMittal (Luxembourg), Baosteel Group (China), Jindal Stainless.

Read Related Insights:

High Strength Steel Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA), Dual Phase (DP), Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP), Martensitic (MS), and Others), By Application (Automotive; Building & Construction; Mechanical & Heavy Equipment; Rail, Aviation & Marine; and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Steel Ingots Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Type (Stainless Steel, Mild Steel), By Application (Construction, Automotive & Aerospace, Energy, Engineering, Others), and Geography Forecast till 2022-2029

Flat Steel Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Sheets, Strips, Plates), By Material (Carbon Steel, Alloy Steel, Stainless Steel, Tool Steel), By End-Use (Building & Construction, Automotive, Mechanical Equipment, Healthcare, Domestic, Defense, Packaging, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2022-2029

About Us:

Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tara Energy, a subsidiary of Just Energy Group Inc (NEX:JE.H; OTC:JENGQ), and a longstanding member of the Texas community, has launched a campaign to partner with Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) to support the people of flood-stricken Pakistan.



More than 33 million people have been affected by catastrophic monsoon flooding since June, with extensive damage to homes and critical infrastructure. Reports cite the displacement of as many as seven million people and damage to more than 1.8 million homes.1 With the country declaring a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions, the latest threat to life includes the spread of waterborne diseases, and over three million children facing malnutrition.

In response, Tara Energy is taking action to donate a portion of their sales, from now and throughout the month of October, towards relief efforts. Specifically, the company will donate $5 for every new residential online enrollment and $25 for every new business customer enrollment2. With the help of HHRD, money will be directed to priority needs such as Dry Food Packages; Cooked Meals and Clean Water; Temporary Shelter Home Kits; Dignity Packages; and Medical Camps.

An established part of the Texas market for 20 years, Tara Energy is proud to serve a vibrant local South Asian community, says Mehnaz Zaidi, Tara Energys Senior Director of Business Development. With such a strong connection, our employees have always been among the first to step up in times of need, as they have now, with the creation of care packages and donation collections for the people of flood-ravaged Pakistan. We consider such effort as a natural extension of support for our own community close to home. In taking this further, as an organization, we seek to help even more in a larger, more impactful way. Our partnership with HHRD enables us to maximize and channel urgent and critical aid exactly where its needed most.

The campaign runs now until October 31st.

1 Source Unicef

2 donations will be made following customer payment of their first months bill.

About Tara Energy

A leading Texas retail electricity provider since 2002, Tara Energy serves both residential and commercial customers with competitively priced plans and outstanding customer experiences. Tara Energy is a subsidiary of Just Energy Group Inc. For more information, visit www.TaraEnergy.com

About Just Energy Group Inc.

Just Energy is a retail energy provider specializing in electricity and natural gas commodities and bringing energy efficient solutions, carbon offsets and renewable energy options to customers. Operating in the United States and Canada, Just Energy serves residential and commercial customers. Just Energy is the parent company of Amigo Energy, Filter Group, Hudson Energy, Interactive Energy Group, Tara Energy, and Terrapass. Visit https://investors.justenergy.com to learn more.

Media Contact:

Boyd Erman

Longview Communications and Public Affairs

Phone: 416-523-5885

berman@longviewcomms.ca

Source: Just Energy Group Inc.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Project making impact across MENA region by unlocking better security, transparency and transaction management for government transactions

October 6, 2022. Venom Foundation has been registered as the first crypto foundation in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), with a license to operate a blockchain and issue utility tokens.

ADGM is the award-winning international financial center strategically located in the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is globally recognized as a hub for fintech and financial services innovation.

Venom blockchain is an asynchronous blockchain technology with dynamic sharding, using flexible nodes that adapt to traffic changes. This leap in blockchain technology delivers boundless scalability and higher security guarantees with decentralization.

The blockchain falls under the ambit of the Venom Foundation which innovates solutions in three core areas  Essential Infrastructure, Support of Inbound Projects, and Developer-friendly Platforms. In the MENA region, the Foundation is focusing on technology enabling corporations and governments to create easy and secure transitions into Web3, while managing large transaction flows without increasing lag or network fees.

Venom Foundations main priority is to develop and support a self-sufficient blockchain ecosystem. The ecosystem will comprise the non-custodial wallet VenomWallet, a transparent transaction querying tool VenomScan, a multi-chain bridging tool VenomBridge, Validator node staking VenomPools, and easy gateway to Venom tokens VenomGet.

Venom Foundation is offering B2B services to government authorities, developers and companies, helping them roll out solutions including NFT marketplaces, derivatives exchanges, fiat-backed stablecoins and much more.

Subject to the relevant regulatory approvals, Venom Foundation will work with ecosystem participants to ensure that such products are offered in a manner compliant with ADGM regulations.

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Center in Abu Dhabi, has previously innovated a framework to regulate spot crypto asset activities, including those undertaken by exchanges (MTF), custodians, and other intermediaries in ADGM.

The Venom blockchain is being supported by leaders who have been involved in its development. Mustafa Kheriba, Dr. Kai-Uwe Steck, and Osman Sultan are among the Foundation members offering the project team full support and exceptional guidance. Mr. Kheriba is the Executive Chairman of Iceberg Capital and also serves as Executive Chairman of multilateral trading facility and digital asset custodian VENOMEX.

Dr. Steck is an attorney at law who manages Pontinova Circle Investment Group and has extensive expertise in fintech. Mr. Sultan is the CEO of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) and a thought leader in the field of connectivity and technological innovation.

The Foundation is also being supported by a panel of technology thought leaders including Peter Knez, PhD, former Global Chief Investment Officer at BlackRock, and founder of Knex Ventures; and Shahal M. Khan, founder of Burkhan World, Trinity Hospitality Holdings and CEO of Burtech.

Venom Foundations innovation in blockchain technology will accelerate the uptake of blockchains in real-world use cases while connecting multiple stakeholders in novel ways. This aligns with the Emirates Blockchain Strategy of using blockchain technology for government transactions.





For the original news story, please visit: https://prdistribution.com/spirit/app/preview-press-release.php?token=79tdazuv2ti6ep

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Belleville, Illinois, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allsup, the nations premier disability representation company, is proud to be a sponsor of the Invisible Disabilities Associations (IDA) 15th Annual Awards Gala. This years gala celebrating seven honorees will be held virtually on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, via live stream worldwide.

Time to Believe, the theme of the 2022 Awards Gala, supports IDAs mission to encourage, educate and connect people and organizations touched by illness, pain and disability around the globe. The virtual gala also culminates Invisible Disabilities Week, Oct. 16-22, 2022.

IDA Founder, President and CEO Wayne Connell said, Each year we celebrate those individuals who have shown incredible courage living and thriving with invisible disabilities, plus those who have supported initiatives through their organizations to bring attention and resources to those suffering from unseen illness, pain or disability.

IDA Awards Gala honorees include:

It is an honor to help sponsor this annual gala that celebrates these individuals who demonstrate visible courage, perseverance, innovation and volunteerism, said T.J. Geist, principal advocate for Allsup. Allsup has been a long-standing champion of IDA and its efforts to spotlight and uplift the voices of those with invisible disabilities. We strongly believe in IDAs mission and invite everyone who has been affected in some way by an invisible disability to join us in supporting this exceptional organization and the annual gala.

For more than 38 years, Allsup has helped 375,000 individuals with disabilities receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, including monthly income and access to Medicare coverage.

The health and financial challenges people with disabilities face are immense, particularly when they can no longer work, Geist said. Our experts understand the complex SSDI process and can help them navigate every step along the way from initial application to appeal, in order to help them achieve financial stability.

Learn more about IDA and its 15th Annual Awards Gala.

Find more information about how to apply for disability benefits at Allsup.com.

ABOUT IDA

The Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. IDA is about believing. We believe you! The frequently invisible nature of illness and pain may lead to disbelief about that illness or pain by those surrounding the person who lives daily with invisible disabilities. This disbelief can lead to misunderstandings, rejection by friends, family and health care providers. It may also lead to accusations of laziness or faking an illness. We are passionate about providing awareness that invisible illness, pain and disabilities are very real! Our mission is to encourage, educate and connect people and organizations touched by illness, pain and disability around the globe. Envision with us, a world where people living with illness, pain and disability will be Invisible No More.

ABOUT ALLSUP

Allsup and its subsidiaries provide nationwide Social Security disability, veterans disability appeal, return to work, and healthcare benefits services for individuals, their employers and insurance carriers. Allsup professionals deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. Founded in 1984, the company is based in Belleville, Illinois, near St. Louis. Learn more at Allsup.com and @Allsup or download a free PDF of Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance: Getting It Right The First Time.

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Do you hold Unity Software common stock? If so, please visit Unity Software, Inc. Shareholder Investigation or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com to discuss your rights.



NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, is investigating whether members of the Board of Directors of Unity Software, Inc. (Unity) (NYSE: U) breached their fiduciary duties to Unity.

If you hold Unity stock and would like to discuss your legal rights and options, please visit Unity Software, Inc. Shareholder Investigation or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com.

Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2022 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:

Peter Allocco

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

https://www.bernlieb.com

(212) 951-2030

pallocco@bernlieb.com
China-based smart electric vehicle company NIO unveiled details of its products and services for Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden at a European launch event in Berlin. This expansion follows NIOs entry into the Norwegian market last year. Three new models derived from its NIO NT2 platform, the ET7, EL7 and ET5, will be available together with a subscription models to encourage EV use.

The company also said that it plans to build 20 Power Swap Stations (PSS) in Europe this year. In 2023, this number is expected to reach 120. The PSS located in Zusmarshausen, between Munich and Stuttgart is in operation, and the PSS in Berlin is nearing completion. By 2025, NIO aims to build 1,000 PSS outside of China, most of which will be in Europe.





NIOs ET7 high-performance flagship sedan is available to order now in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden with deliveries due to start on 16 October 16th. NIO also confirmed that pre-orders for its EL7, a mid-large smart electric SUV, and the ET5, its mid-size smart electric sedan, are open now, with deliveries set to start in January and March 2023, respectively.





NIO ET7 in Berlin

The three NIO models for Europe are derived from NIOs latest NT2 platform. The NT2 advanced chassis system, coupled with comprehensive tuning for each model, offerS a dynamic yet comfortable ride. NIOs innovative CSU (Chargeable, Swappable, Upgradeable) architecture enables both charging and swapping of batteries with the ongoing opportunity to benefit from the latest battery technology or flexibility to upgrade the battery capacity.





NIO EL7

All three models are equipped with NIOs latest Banyan intelligent system. This full-stack technology comprises the vehicle computing platform, operating system, vehicle intelligent hardware, intelligent algorithms and applications, and will continue to evolve via FOTA updates.

With the help of intelligent hardware such as Aquila, NIOs sensing system comprising LiDAR, ADAM and NIOs supercomputer platform with a computing power of up to 1,016T, will ultimately be able to offer advanced safety assistance and automatic driving in scenarios such as high-speed carriageways, urban areas, parking, and charging environments.

At the same time, the three models also come with the NIO PanoCinema panoramic digital cockpit as standard powered by the on-board artificial intelligence assistant, NOMI.

New for Europe is NIOs subscription model, which is now open for users in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. NIO Subscription is designed to offer maximum flexibility and personalization to encourage EV use. With terms starting from just one month to 60 months, users will be able to choose the vehicle that best suits their needs. For all subscription models, NIO offers comprehensive insurance, maintenance, winter tires, a courtesy car and battery swapping, as well as the flexibility to upgrade battery services.

NIO is committed to a comprehensive battery charging system in the new markets. At present, NIO has access to 380,000 charging points in Europe accessible with NIO NFC cards, and a European version of NIOs charging map has also been introduced.

NIO will continue offering a direct-to-consumer model for serving European users. NIO House in Berlin is about to open, and NIO announced it is building further NIO Houses in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Gothenburg.

NIO has established a network of Authorized Service Centers in all major city areas of Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. Via the NIO App, users can access car data and book service appointments through a One Click for Service function.

NIO also confirmed its commitment to increased R&D activity in Europe. This July, NIO created the Berlin Innovation Center, with its focus on digital cockpit, autonomous driving and the R&D of new energies. In September, the first Power Swap Station manufactured in NIO Power Europe Plant located in Hungary rolled off the production line. This plant also serves the role as the manufacturing center, service and R&D facilities for NIO Power in Europe. The teams from the NIO Power Europe Plant and the Berlin Innovation Center will sit alongside growing groups of engineers at NIOs R&D and design facilities in Oxford and Munich.
Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to indicate that Ray Crisostomo has three children. Other information was provided in an earlier version.

When Ray Crisostomo pops something into his oven, his neighbors in Lompoc, California, know theyre in for a treat.

When you start putting things together and it goes into the oven then you get that nice fresh aroma, it just catches your nose from miles away, and your neighbors call you and say, Hey what you making over there, we can smell it over here, the 50-year-old culinary-trained baker said, adding hes often trading cookies and treats with his neighbors.

In a couple of weeks, the former Yona resident's neighborhood will expand to the world when he begins posting his dessert creations in The Greatest Baker online competition.

He will be competing against home bakers around the world for the grand prize of the title of Greatest Baker, a feature in Bake from Scratch Magazine and $20,000 in cash.

You can vote weekly for Crisostomo starting Oct. 24 using a link that he will share on his Facebook profile and on 671 Guam Recipes, where he regularly posts his sweet and savory creations.

Vote for your Guam favorites in Pikas Best of Guam through Oct. 28.

Making a return

Two years ago, Crisostomo entered the competition and made it to the group finals before being eliminated as fifth in his group.

In 2020 I did a lot of cakes, a lot of pastries and doughnuts, and stuff like that. This year Im going more a little sophisticated. So (for) example, like Im looking at a layered latiya  or Im thinking of a coconut milk panna cotta with probably toasted coconut or something like that. I have so many ideas right now.

Im trying to go local  Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan. And of course I gotta do some Philippine desserts because my wife and kids are from the Philippines. So I got to throw in that, too.

Latiya is one of his favorite desserts  I mean, I could make a whole platter and finish it by myself  but his signature bake is Granny Smith apple pie.

I go home with the family to Guam, theyre like, Hey Rays back, when is he making apple pies? Im like, Its already in the oven. So when I make apple pies in Guam, its usually three or four pies at a time.

Getting started

He grew up helping his mother, Terry Dante, and sister, Deanna Tenorio, in the kitchen. My favorite thing was just helping my mom and my sister. I remember making doughnuts in typhoons or latiya. I watched my brother Ron make latiya or the chicken ala king and the little cups.  But a lot of my baking has taken off when I was working for the Military Sealift Command.

The 1991 George Washington High School graduate had worked both front and back of the house in local restaurants and hotels  including Kings, KFC, Tony Romas and Planet Hollywood  before leaving island in 2007 to join the Navy division that transports troops, equipment and supplies by sea.

He spent 12 years with the Military Sealift Command as a cook and baker, undergoing culinary training in Thailand and winning food competition awards while traveling around the world.

He met his wife, a certified lab scientist, in Dubai while on a double date with a buddy and they ended up marrying in 2012. They have three kids running in age from 18 years to 16 months, and he relies on them to critique his efforts.

I get your the occasional thumbs down or thumbs up or double thumbs or sometimes its wiped out that same night, so as long as I keep baking and they like it, Ill be doing pretty good. Theyre very supportive, 100%.

Still passionate

His career has taken yet another turn, this time into health care  hes a certified nursing assistant and will be a licensed vocational nurse early next year  but remains passionate about baking.

Hes already experimenting with The Greatest Baker entries and drawing upon the flavors that reflect his Pacific roots.

Im looking at a cassava cake, Im looking at latiya, Im looking at the kalamai, Im looking at a fried banana cheesecake from Planet Hollywood, Im looking at doing a chocolate sculpture or the Guam flag  so many things.

In 2020, he had friends and family from Guam to Thailand to Dubai to the mainland U.S. rooting and voting for him, and hes hoping for the same this year.

And what does he plan to do if he wins that $20,000 prize?

Make a really big cake. Pay off nursing school, send daughter to college full time, take family to Disneyland Tokyo and take a trip back to Guam and Philippines.
Early voting for the 2022 general election opens Tuesday at the early voting center at the Westin Resort Guam and will continue until Nov. 3.

Register

Registered voters can cast their ballots from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Those who have yet to register can do so on the spot with a valid ID up until voter the registration deadline on Oct. 24.

'Don't wait'

Guam Election Commission Executive Director Maria Pangelinan advises voters who want to avoid extended wait times in line to come early, as the rush of last-minute early voters during the primary led some constituents waiting in line for up to one hour.

The last week was crazy, so dont wait until the last week, Pangelinan said.

She said the commission has been working to refine the processes at the early voting center after having some experience during the August primary election.

Satellite sites

Voters also can cast ballots closer to home with early voting satellite sites for the northern, central and southern regions of Guam.

Satellite voting stations will open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at:

Okkodo High School on Oct. 15.

Guam Community College on Oct. 22.

Merizo Martyrs Memorial School on Oct. 29.

Voters registered in any village can vote at any of the satellite stations. You can register on the spot at Okkodo and GCC, but registration will not be available at Merizo Martyrs Memorial School as voter registration closes on Oct. 24.

Homebound voting

For those who have a disability, or are unable to leave their homes, homebound voting also opens on Tuesday. Homebound voters can call the Guam Election Commission at 671-477-9791 up until Election Day on Nov. 8.

Residents also can register at their village mayor's office from Oct. 18 to Oct. 24, or online at: gec.guam.gov/register.

You must have a valid Guam driver's license or Guam ID to register online.

A total of 59,298 residents were registered to vote in the general election as of Sept. 25, according to the GEC website. GEC data shows that the only year where more voters were registered for the general election was 2002  before the Election Commission started purging voter rosters of those who had died or left island.

ExpressVote machines

Commissioners during a Monday meeting opted to only make the accessible electronic ballots available for those who make requests, after concerns were raised that the ExpressVote machines unfairly gave advantage to senatorial and gubernatorial candidates from the party that is listed first on the screen.

Members of the Democratic party, which now holds a majority in the Legislature, appear first on the machines, whereas paper ballots have candidates from both parties listed side by side.

That seems to give a built-in advantage to whoever's first. And it's not a Democrat or Republican thing,  whoever's the majority would normally be displayed first, independent commissioner Pat Civille said.

A representative from Election Systems & Software, the vendor for the machines, told commissioners that changing the format at this point would require a hand count of electronic ballots, which could open the process to more risk.

Commissioners adopted Civilles recommendation to only have ExpressVote machines available upon request.
Department of Public Health and Social Services workers conduct free COVID-19 testing at a drive-thru clinic at the old carnival grounds in Tiyan, Barrigada, June 30, 2022. The free drive-through COVID-19 testing services at the old carnival grounds in Tiyan will no longer be available, according to a news release from the Joint Information Center.




Haiti - Politic : The Senate asks the PM to postpone the intervention of a foreign armed force in Haiti





Following the resolution of the Council of Ministers of October 7, authorizing Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry to "request and obtain from Haiti's international partners effective support through the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity to stop, throughout the territory, the humanitarian crisis caused, among other things, by the insecurity resulting from the criminal actions of armed gangs and their sponsors", the Senate on October 9 voted a resolution asking the Prime Minister to postpone the execution of this decision.



Excerpts Senate Resolution:

"

Considering []

[]

The Assembly of Senators proposed and voted the following resolution:



Article 1. - The Assembly of Senators requests the de facto Prime Minister Ariel HENRY to immediately suspend the execution of the resolution of October 7, 2022 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37831-haiti-flash-towards-a-foreign-armed-intervention-in-haiti-to-eliminate-gangs.html



Article 2. - The Assembly of Senators asks the political, economic and social forces to grant the benefit of urgency to the discussions in progress in order to reach a sufficient consensus for a lasting exit from the crisis.



Article 3. - The Assembly of Senators asks the Protector of the Citizen to request the expertise of the main organizations working in the human rights sector in order to obtain, as of now, humanitarian corridors which guarantee the exit of fuel from the terminals.



Article 4. - The Assembly of Senators asks the de facto Prime Minister Ariel HENRY to grant a reprieve to the implementation of the new fuel prices at the pump to relieve small budgets and the poorest;



Article 5. - This resolution will be submitted to the Executive for the purposes of promulgation and publication in the Official Journal of the Republic, Le Moniteur.

[]

The following senators approved the resolution:



Senator of the Artibonite, Gracia DELVA

Senator of Nippes, Denis CADEAU

West Senator, Paul Patrice DUMONT

Senator of Grand 'Anse, Jean Rigaud BELIZAIRE

Center Senator, Rony CELESTIN

Northeast Senator. Wanique STONE

Northern Senator. Jean Marie Ralph FETHIERE

Southern Senator. Pierre Francois SILDOR 



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37843-haiti-security-rain-of-reactions-to-the-decision-of-an-international-armed-intervention-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37831-haiti-flash-towards-a-foreign-armed-intervention-in-haiti-to-eliminate-gangs.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Over 100,000 vehicles ply 1st Chinese-invested expressway in Cambodia

Xinhua) 16:20, October 10, 2022

PHNOM PENH, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 100,000 vehicles had travelled on Cambodia's first-ever expressway in the first nine days of its opening for a trial use, according to data released by the freeway operator on Monday.

"From Oct. 1 to 9, the total traffic volume on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was 118,376," the Cambodian PPSHV Expressway company's data showed. "In average, the daily traffic volume was about 13,153."

The data indicated that on Sunday, some 21,707 vehicles traveled on the 187-km freeway, entering and exiting through all eight stations.

The Chinese-invested Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was opened to the public on Oct. 1 for a month's trial use for free-of-charge after more than three years of construction.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport said the growing traffic volume "proves that the expressway is indeed a potential economic route."

Invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation, the expressway connects capital Phnom Penh and the deep-sea port province of Preah Sihanouk.

With two lanes for traffic in each direction plus an emergency lane on each side and paved with asphalt concrete, vehicles will be able to reach their destinations within two hours through the expressway instead of five hours on National Road 4.

Vasim Sorya, undersecretary of state and spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said the expressway is the largest single project under the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation between Cambodia and China.

"The expressway will inject new impetus into Cambodia's economic development since it links the capital to the international deep-water seaport," he told Xinhua.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Hongyu)


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Meyer Turku is presently engaged in negotiations over up to 200 million euros in emergency state financing, according to information the daily newspaper obtained from three independent sources. Rauma Marine Constructions, in turn, received a capital loan of 40 million euros in the summer due to challenges at its shipyard in Rauma, Southwest Finland.

TWO MAJOR SHIPYARDS in Finland have turned to the government for emergency financing due to financial difficulties, Helsingin Sanomat revealed on Friday.

Timo Meyer, the CEO of Meyer Turku, did not respond to a request for comment from Helsingin Sanomat on Friday.

Meyer Turku employs around 2,000 people directly and another 7,500 people through the network of sub-contractors serving its shipyard in Turku. The shipyard reported revenue of 1.1 billion euros and a net loss of more than 17 million euros in 2021.

The shipbuilding company highlighted in its financial report for last year that competition in the cruise ship space is fierce due to the establishment of new shipyards in China, Europe and South Korea. The shipyard has also had to deal with the component and material shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Rauma shipyard finds itself in greater financial difficulty mostly for the same reasons, according to Helsingin Sanomat. Finnish Industry Investment (Tesi), the newspapers sources said, granted the shipyard a capital loan of 40 million euros last summer, following a decision by the Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy.

Tesi is a state-owned venture capital firm tasked with facilitating the operations of small and medium businesses and, under certain conditions, the structural reform of industries.

Rauma Marine Constructions posted a net loss of 58.4 million euros for last year on revenue of 154.2 million euros. In addition to its staff of 210 people, about 500 employees of its sub-contractors are working at the shipyard.

The shipyard has repeatedly failed to deliver its vessels on time, a fact it has explained with the operational disruptions caused by coronavirus infections and delays in the deliveries of sub-contractors caused by the pandemic. Some sources familiar with the operations, however, view that the delivery delays are attributable to lack of expertise and poor management, wrote Helsingin Sanomat.

Rauma Marine Constructions has been assigned to build four military vessels to the Finnish Navy. Also their deliveries have been delayed significantly.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Council surprises manager with proclamation honoring his 30 years in local government

The Hendersonville City Council last week proclaimed John Connet to be a "City Manager of Distinction" a month after the International City and County Management Association honored him for 30 years of service in municipal government.

City manager here since May 2013, Connet was previously city manager of Clinton for 11 years, town manager of Winterville, NC for three years and worked for the city of Hickory for seven years as risk manager and planner. An Eagle Scout, Connet earned a bachelor's degree from Western Carolina University and master's degree in public administration from Appalachian State University. Besides his day job, he serves as an adjunct professor in WCUs Master of Public Affairs program.

He is a credentialed member of the International City/County Manager Association and a member and the past president of the North Carolina City and County Management Association. He currently serves on the Western Carolina University Alumni Association Board of Directors and previously served on the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors. In 2018, he was named a North Carolina Main Street Champion and received the Robert L. Shepherd Excellence in Local Government Award.
Attorneys set meetings for Saluda Grade Trail landowners

Attorneys Lindsay S. Brinton and Meghan S. Largent, members of a St. Louis-based firm specializing in rails to trails litigation, will host educational meetings in Tryon and Saluda, and Landrum and Inman, South Carolina, Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the potential compensation claims of landowners who own property along the Saluda Grade railroad line.

The Norfolk Southern rail line is expected to be converted to the 31-mile Saluda Grade Rail Trail under the federal rails-to-trails program. Hundreds of landowners may be eligible for compensation from the federal government for the taking of their land, the attorneys say.

At the informational meetings, the attorneys will explain why and how a claim can be made against the federal government, timing, how landowners will be represented in pursuing their takings claims and how compensation will be determined. They will also answer property pwners' questions. The meetings, which free and open to the public, will be held at:
Council surprises manager with proclamation honoring his 30 years in local government

City Manager John Connet reacts to proclamation in his honor as his daughter Lillie, council member Jennifer Hensley and Mayor Barbara Volk applaud.

The Hendersonville City Council last week proclaimed John Connet to be a "City Manager of Distinction" a month after the International City and County Management Association honored him for 30 years of service in municipal government.

City manager here since May 2013, Connet was previously city manager of Clinton for 11 years, town manager of Winterville, NC for three years and worked for the city of Hickory for seven years as risk manager and planner. An Eagle Scout, Connet earned a bachelor's degree from Western Carolina University and master's degree in public administration from Appalachian State University. Besides his day job, he serves as an adjunct professor in WCUs Master of Public Affairs program.

He is a credentialed member of the International City/County Manager Association and a member and the past president of the North Carolina City and County Management Association. He currently serves on the Western Carolina University Alumni Association Board of Directors and previously served on the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors. In 2018, he was named a North Carolina Main Street Champion and received the Robert L. Shepherd Excellence in Local Government Award.
UKRAINIAN refugees in the Henley area could be left homeless or have to live in hotels as their six-month stay with hosts comes to an end.

Many face a deadline of just five weeks to find accommodation before the Homes for Ukraine housing placement scheme ends.

They are being helped by their hosts to find new accommodation but have been left frustrated by the lack of social housing and unaffordable property prices.

The Ukrainian families, many of whom have children, are worried that they could end up with nowhere to live.

Government data shows that 27 Ukrainian households in Oxfordshire were either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by the end of August.

Anfisa Vlasova left her flat in Kharkiv with her four Yorkshire terriers at the start of the war and is now living with Jane and Rev Dr James Mather in Gallowstree Common.

Her six-month stay comes to an end on November 10 but she said many landlords were refusing her accommodation because of the dogs. She said: It is scary as otherwise I will have no home. I cannot go back to Kharkiv because of the war and I cant find anywhere here.

I dont know whats going to happen but I just have to keep looking. I have tried to contact the Mayor and I will now contact MPs. To be a frank, in a month I might be homeless.

Ms Vlasova and her hosts are part of a network of refugees and hosts across the Henley area co-ordinated by Rachel Head, from Gallowstree Common.

Ms Head, 58, is unable to host guests at her house but has facilitated the arrival of 36 refugees since the start of the war.

She has sorted their visas and matched them with hosts as well as getting them sim cards and setting up bank accounts and applying for universal credit.

Many of the Ukrainians have now found jobs while their children are settled in local primary schools. Twelve members of the group are now actively looking for housing.

As the scheme comes to an end, hosts are left with three options  extend their guests stay, become their landlords, or end the arrangement. Hosts are paid 350 a month by Oxfordshire County Council to look after their guests, which will continue if they choose to extend the arrangement.

The Government has introduced the Ukraine Extension Scheme, allowing refugees to stay for three years without requiring a sponsor and there are options to switch to a work or study visa.

But Ms Head believes it should have done more sooner.

She said: The bottom line is this is a mess. It has been a do-it-yourself situation since the beginning. The Government abdicated responsibility for helping refugees. It never wanted to do this in the first place and it hasnt thought about what the next stage is. The rest of Europe was very much quicker to put requirements in place.

We now have 95,000 people in this country under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, another 35,000 under the Families scheme and there is no thought to what we do next.

Kristina and Huib Stitt host a family of six Ukrainians at their home in Kidmore End, including three children aged three, six and 10. She has formed a close bond with her guests since they arrived in May, baking bread with grandmother Svitlana and brownies with Marharita, six.

However, as the Ukrainians six-month stay comes to an end, Mrs Stitt has begun searching for accommodation in Reading for the family.

Private housing for six people is too expensive for the family, who are on universal income, and they cannot stay in houses of multiple occupation with children.

Mrs Stitt said estate agents had told her the family would need to have an income of more than 60,000 a year to even get to the reference stage of applying for a property.

She said: The Government abdicated responsibility and thought sponsors like myself would buy them some time to get a plan in place. We are now seven months down the line and that plan is still not there and whats happening is theyve given the responsibility to the local authorities who are just playing catch-up the whole time.

The d:two centre in Market Place offers free lunches to Ukrainians on Tuesdays and there is an online support hub for refugees called MotherSisterDaughter.

The hub runs Wednesday coffee mornings at Trinity Hall in Harpsden Road and helps with donations of toiletries, clothing, and food.

Founder Gemma Birch said some refugees were panicking. She said: We had a lady in who was in tears because her term is coming to an end and she has no place else to go. She has a 12-year-old son.

These are people who have been displaced from their homes and come to our wonderful community in Henley. They have been settled with schools and jobs and are now panicking because they have nowhere to go. A lot are either single ladies or women with children.

We have tried desperately to find housing by networking with people in the area, searching for places through a friend of a friend but it is very stressful. We are desperate for people to host and for landlords with properties on their books to maybe consider staggering rental payments.

Matthew Davis, from Peppard, has hosted a family of refugees at his home in Peppard for almost six months and is urging other residents to now offer to do the same.

In a letter to this weeks Henley Standard, the retired estate agent said: We and lots of other hosts are happy for our guests to stay but for various reasons some hosts are having to say goodbye to their guests.

This means that a number of families with no immediate prospect of a return to Ukraine but who are now well settled in and around Henley will need to find new homes before Christmas.

Lots of local people intended to provide accommodation but didnt quite get round to it and may think the need has passed. Our experience of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, our lovely family and the local support has been very positive. We urge anyone who thinks they can help to take the plunge.

While some of the refugees speak basic English, others speak none. Over the summer many attended a series of English conversation clubs held at the Friends Meeting House in in Northfield End, Henley.

Organiser Diana Barnett realised there was a need for accredited English courses and up to 40 Ukrainians are now taught English as a foreign language by the Windsor Forest Colleges Group at the meeting house.

Ms Barnett said: Many of the Ukrainians we have in our midst are professional people, who have left prestigious jobs. Lots of them have part-time jobs in shops and cafes in the town. Once their English is up to a good level, they are going to be valuable employees.

South Oxfordshire District Council said it aimed to work with and support Ukrainians.

A spokeswoman said: Where guests are not ready to pay for private rental accommodation, we are encouraging both hosts and guests to discuss continuing their existing arrangement where

possible.

Where this is no longer possible, we will investigate rematching them with another host. If sponsors are unable to continue the arrangement beyond six months, they should give their guests two months notice.
HISTORY lessons are now confined to Hitler and Henry VIII, Charles Spencer told a packed audience.

The ninth Earl Spencer and custodian of Althorp, author, journalist, broadcaster and younger brother of the Late Diana, Princess of Wales, was interviewed by Clare Mulley in a fascinating chat about Anglo-Norman history.

While he is known by those of a certain age for his eloquent eulogy for his sister, he may be less so as a self-styled unacademic historian who likes to unlock forgotten history.

One of the earls bugbears is how history is taught, now a niche subject.

I only want to tell a good story, he explained while introducing his latest book, The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry Is Dream (William Collins, 2020), describing it as Game of Thrones meets the Titanic with Sliding Doors thrown in.

When the ship carrying Henrys only legitimate heir was crashed into rocks by a drunken crew killing all but one  a French butcher  it changed the course of history.

The disaster heralded the end of William the Conquerors dynasty, leading to anarchy and civil war.

While painting Henry I as a somewhat unsavoury character (among other atrocities, he blinded and cut off the noses of several granddaughters), he was a powerful king who spent a lot of his time in battle defeating the French and establishing the exchequer.

After his death, medieval society was reluctant to tolerate his daughter Matilda as Queen who was then embroiled in civil war with King Stephen.

Tantalising glimpses of future historical research were provided by the search for Henry Is remains at Reading Abbey, believed to lie beneath a classroom. This irony does not escape Charles who is campaigning for them to be dug up.

Charles, described by one critic as one of the finest narrative historians, freely admits he writes for the general reader rather than academic historians.

Not only does he make history accessible but he certainly knows how to tell a good story.

He brought this murky period to life with aplomb and humour for the audience who asked plenty of interesting questions  always the sign of a good talk.

Eveleen Hatch
Murphy will work closely with the commercial strategy stakeholders to develop key sales strategies for the brand's Waikiki Collection, Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa and other Hawaii properties.

She will collaborate with other corporate sales leaders to provide leadership and support for property sales strategy, planning and execution of the company's portfolio of branded, managed and third-party franchise properties with an emphasis on the core Hawaii-owned assets in Waikiki and Kona.

Murphy will also drive strategy and process refinement in the growing groups and wedding market segments; lead the Outrigger Expert Advisor and Outrigger Business Connection programmes; serve as overall Delphi and Hubspot champion; and lead the company services sales and North America independent contractor network.

Murphy was most recently a Global Director of Sales and Marketing Consultant for a portfolio of contracted clients in New York, Northern California, Portland and international destinations.

Before consulting, she was co-founder of non-profit Food For Change; Area Director of Sales & Marketing for Proper Hospitality and also Viceroy Hotels and Resorts; Global Director of Sales & Marketing for One&Only / Kerzner International for Australia and the U.S.; and Key Account Director for IHG for Australia, U.S. and U.K.

Murphy holds a Bachelor of Business in management from Griffith University and an honours certificate in international travel and tourism from Advanced Careers College, both institutions in Australia.
With over 22 years of experience in the luxury hospitality business with leading Indian and International chain of hotels, Rakesh brings with him expertise in the engineering and maintenance operations department while driving passion to deliver only the highest standards of service.

Rakesh commenced his career with the Hyatt Group of Hotels post his completion of academics of a B-Tech degree and a Management degree from Amity University. His most recent role as Director of Engineering, Functional Specialist (India - North) at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, allowed him extensive experience while bringing success with their brands Andaz, Grand and Regency. He achieved internal recognition with his leadership and dedication, proficiently handling people and products effectively in the area of engineering operations. His tenure with varied properties in different cities allows him to be well equipped to handle leisure resorts and urban business hotels alike.

At The St. Regis Mumbai, Rakesh will helm the high performing engineering team to enhance the luxurious experience of the discerning clientele. He will lead the back of the house and guest facing teams, from training new engineering team members to managing advanced technical projects at the 'The Best Address'. Rakesh will focus on ensuring attention to detail while driving Guest Voice through the highest standards of service excellence, maintaining the standards for BSA while ensuring the Engineering and Maintenance Division's profitability.

In his downtime, Rakesh enjoys reading and relaxing with his family. An avid bike enthusiast, he not only explores new destinations but also does social service to under privileged children with his group of bikers.
The 65th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for Africa brought together around 25 Ministers of Tourism and high-level representatives from 35 countries as well as leaders from the private sector. Taking place in Tanzania just days after UNWTO celebrated World Tourism Day, the Commission meeting embraced that days theme of Rethinking Tourism, with a focus on innovation, branding, jobs and education and partnerships.

Welcoming delegates, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili provided Members with an update of the Organizations activities and accomplishments in the 12 months since the previous Commission meeting. He said: Tourism in Africa has a long history of bouncing back. And it has shown its resilience again. Many destinations are reporting strong arrival numbers. But we must look beyond just the numbers and rethink how tourism works so that our sector can deliver on its unique potential to transform lives, drive sustainable growth and provide opportunity everywhere in Africa.

Tourism recovery underway in Africa

The Regional Commission of Africa meeting was held as tourisms recovery gets underway across the continent. According to the latest UNWTO data, for the first seven months of the year, international arrivals across Africa were 171% up on 2021 levels, driven largely by regional demand. To help Members capitalize on the sectors return, and to build greater sustainability and resilience, UNWTO is prioritizing jobs and training alongside greater and more-targeted investment in tourism. On the eve of this weeks meeting, UNWTO launched a set of Investment Guidelines focused on Tanzania, designed to support foreign investment in the country.

Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassanof Tanzania warmly welcomed all delegates and UNWTO officials, calling on them to embrace sustainability and highlighting the work Tanzania has been undertaking to protect the natural habitats and wildlife that help make it a popular destination while also increasing inclusivity in the sector. Tanzanias Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Pindi Hazara Chana, also noted that the country is looking to diversity its tourism sector in order to boost arrival numbers and revenues over the next five years.

Short-term recovery and long-term transformation

Discussions at the the Commission meeting focused on both the immediate and longer-term recovery of tourism across the continent, including through redefining the roadmap of the UNWTO Agenda for Africa 2030. Key topics highlighted by the high-level participants included accelerating tourism for inclusive growth, advancing the sustainability of the sector and the role of public-private partnerships in achieving both of these goals. Alongside this, the heightened relevance of air connectivity, including low-cost air travel within Africa, as well as the pressing need to support small businesses (SMEs) in gaining the digital tools and knowledge they need to compete, was also discussed.

To conclude the meeting, Members voted to hold the 65th session of the UNWTO Commission for Africa in Mauritius.

RELATED LINKS:

About The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency fostering tourism as a vehicle for equal, inclusive and sustainable development. Working with its Member States, international organizations and the private sector, UNWTO promotes safe and seamless travel for all. UNWTO also works to make tourism the foundation of trust and international cooperation and a central pillar of recovery. As part of the wider UN system, UNWTO is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through its ability to create decent jobs, promote equality and preserve natural and cultural heritage.

Follow UNWTO on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.

UNWTO Communications Department

+34 91 567 8100

UNWTO

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Diversity, equity, and inclusion is an area of intense focus and scrutiny across the travel and hospitality industry. Gender diversity, especially, is capturing attention because women represent a significant share of industry employees, yet a key industry theme is the challenges women face in obtaining promotions, earning the same salaries as men, and ascending into leadership positions.

Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, NAPCO Research, and the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administrations Center for Hospitality Research partnered to conduct a workplace gender diversity study based on a wide sample of industry participants. The survey-based study focused on the status of DEI efforts in the travel and hospitality industry to uncover the ways organizations are addressing gender equality, while providing a reference point to measure for future progress.

Download the report to read more about the following:

The industrys perception on gender issues and the challenges women face in advancing into leadership positions.

Industry progress over the last five years on DEI efforts.

Areas for improving gender diversity and inclusion throughout the industry, including within leadership roles.

Differences in perspective by gender on opportunities for advancement and compensation.

Tactics organizations have implemented to improve gender equality/sensitivity.

Best practices for creating gender-diverse and inclusive organizations

Get the complete survey data and analysis, as well as action items, by downloading the report. 

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT
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5 tips you need to know before releasing music

Avoid any beginner mistakes when you release your next hit with these 5 tips every musician should know.

by CHRIS ROBLEY of CD Babys DIY Musician blog

What many new artists dont know about releasing music.

I have a neighbor whos a clever and hilarious songwriter. Though he plays local gigs, he has a career outside music and has never released his own songs.

But he wants to. So last night we sat on the porch talking about how to release music.

His questions reminded me that for people whove never distributed music before, its a whole new exciting or terrifying world.

The conversation also reminded me of something else. That when youre just starting, its easy to overcomplicate simple things, and to oversimplify difficult things.

In other words, new recording artists tend to worry about the wrong stuff. So I thought itd be good to address those common points of confusion.

And to be fair to my friend, he wasnt in-the-dark on all of the points below. His questions just stoked the idea for the article, and years of conversations with new artists filled in the rest!

NOTE: None of this is legal or even life advice. Just my perspective.

5 things every new artist should understand:

1. You own your copyright already

Lots of new recording artists are afraid of someone stealing their songs. They dont want to release the track until theyve copyrighted their music.

But the truth is, when you consider that thousands of new tracks are released every day, copyright infringement is comparatively rare. Of course you should still register your copyright, but dont let that process slow you down from releasing music.

Modern music production and copyright registration move at very different speeds. Releasing music is the fast lane. Registering copyright is the slow lane.

Again, Im not saying you shouldnt protect your music. You absolutely should. But dont delay your release plans for fear of copyright infringement. Because if youve written down your lyrics, recorded a demo, or completed the track, you own the copyright to your music already!

Registering your copyright with the Library of Congress provides significant benefits if you have to take someone to court. While that application process is quick, you could be waiting nine months for your registration to be approved. Dont lose steam just because youre afraid someone will steal your music. Get your songs out there.

2. Dont put the acronyms before the horse

Theres always some music industry veteran out there warning newbies that they need to affiliate themselves with some particular association before theyre a REAL recording artist or songwriter. Telling you that you shouldnt take any steps to release your music until youre affiliated with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, the MLC, the Recording Academy, the local union, the state songwriter society, SoundExchange,

The list is long.

That list is also full of extremely valuable services for artists and songwriters, and you SHOULD affiliate with some of them! But lets remember that many of those organizations are tasked with collecting royalties for music that is already available  the songs are out there in the world being heard, used, streamed, played, placed, and performed.

So the problem isnt that the helpful industry veteran above is scamming you as a newbie, or leading you astray. Its that so much emphasis is put on these various organizations (who probably all sound the same to you because most of them are just acronyms), that you, the hopeful recording artist, get intimidated. You start worrying that you cant proceed until you have a full understanding of various realms of the music industry.

Again, dont get me wrong: Understanding your rights, how theyre monetized, and what services help you collect royalties is important. But the reason those services exist is to do the work for you. You dont need to know the finer details of mechanical royalty flow in order to get affiliated with an entity whose entire mission is to take care of all that stuff for you.

And similar to the copyright concern, its EASY to associate yourself with some of these organizations. In fact, if you use CD Baby Pro for distribution, well affiliate you with a performing rights organization such as ASCAP or BMI, register your songs, and make sure you collect all your publishing royalties. Well also collect your mechanical royalties for you, so you dont have to register with the MLC directly. And SoundExchange? Yes, theyre great. Sign up with them, which is easy. Problem solved!

Dont worry about acronyms. Get back to writing songs and releasing music.

3. Your distributor makes things manageable

Speaking of music distribution, youll need it.

Its the process of getting your music onto multiple platforms around the world. Sound complicated and expensive?

Its not. Basically, you sign up your music with one service (hopefully CD Baby!), and we deliver your tracks all over the world  to 150+ music platforms, including Spotify, TikTok, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora, and so many more.

Well, I should restate what I said above: It IS complicated.

Just not for you. CD Baby handles all the file formatting and deliveries, we collects your royalties, and we pay it all to you in one simple dashboard. For the same one-time fee, we also include sync licensing, social video monetization, and more.

Those are additional opportunities for your music that we provide as part of our standard service. But as with all the other advice Ive given, youll learn as you go. Just like any other new pursuit. So dont assume you need to become an expert in things like sync licensing or YouTube Content ID before you release your music.

4. No one will hear your music simply because its available

One thing that is a bummer to hear, but absolutely crucial for you to understand upfront, is that no one will care about your new music until you make them care.

The arrival of a new song isnt special. I mean, of course its special to YOU; but some reports say that 60k new songs are released every day. Imagine that! All the work and talent you put into your new music 60k other musicians did the same thing today?

The availability of your music, while something worth celebrating, is not an indicator of success. You have to put in extra work, find your music marketing edge, tell a compelling story, and make people care. Only then will they interrupt their day to press play and listen to the music.

THIS is the primary thing artists should be concerned about when releasing new songs: attracting listeners and gaining momentum.

And while we always have high hopes for our new music, were never gonna dig into the hard work of actually BUILDING an audience if we hold onto the naive assumption that people will automatically notice and care.

5. You are a label

This is another way of stating what Ive said above, but YOU are ultimately responsible for your musics performance in the marketplace. And yes, its a marketplace. With a rapidly-increasing supply of music to meet an increasingly limited amount of audience attention, this is no easy task.

A labels job is to fund, guide, and assist the artist. If you dont have a label, you are your OWN label. And a label is a business, with a budget, a network of connections, and a strategy. As an artist, you provide the spark, the voice, the story. As a label, you provide the plan, the effort, and maybe even monetary investment.

To be successful, youre gonna have to either wear both hats (label owner and artist) or build a trusted team of experts around your music. Both approaches will have pros and cons, but remember: youre the label. Youre the CEO of your music career. Youre in charge. No one else is going to swoop in and make you a star until youve already proven to be an artist (and business) worth their time, attention, and capital.

Dont wait around hoping to get anointed by kingmakers, tastemakers, big brands, cool blogs, or hot playlists. Get started today finding your own path to success. Once you do, all those power players will suddenly be in your corner.

The most important thing to remember about releasing music

Copyright, publishing rights, distribution, these things can feel confusing and intimidating at the start.

But remember, its just infrastructure. Its the plumbing or electrical wiring of the music industry. Its not the MAGIC!

Everything truly special about music is driven by the artist and the listener. All these services, the acronyms, your distributor, they can help bridge that gap between you and your audience, but its up to you to make the connection.

So dont wait. Dive in. Youll learn as you go.

And remember this early and often: You should always put the MOST emphasis on making great music, designing compelling cover artwork, and telling a good story about your songs.3

Chris Robley is the Editor of CD Babys DIY Musician Blog. I write Beatlesque indie-pop songs thatve been praised by No Depression, KCRW, The LA Times, & others. My poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, Prairie Schooner, The Poetry Review, & more. I live in Maine and like peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, a little too much.



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Big Y to Support Hurricane Ian Relief

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Big Y is partnering with the American Red Cross to raise donations for those affected by Hurricane Ian.

Through Wednesday, Oct. 19, Big Y customers and employees will have the opportunity to donate to American Red Cross Disaster Relief at all Big Y locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. Donation containers for cash donations will be available at all Big Y registers, with the ability to donate with credit or debit at the register or via the myExpress Checkout app.

The funds raised will support people in the communities affected by Hurricane Ian.

"The Red Cross is grateful for the support of Big Y and its customers," said Nia Rennix, executive director of the Central-Western Massachusetts chapter. "Every eight minutes, on average, the Red Cross responds to an emergency in the community. It is our volunteers, partners and supporters who make that work possible."



"We are grateful to our customers and employees for their generosity in helping those families affected by the hurricane," said President and CEO Charles L. DAmour,



Big Y, its customers and employees have a tradition of supporting those in need through the American Red Cross. The 12-plus-year partnership has raised over $1.7 million to support international and domestic disasters.
Williamstown DIRE Committee to Consider 'Purpose' Document

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The town's diversity committee last week decided it needs a little more time to respond to an evolving purpose statement its members have been discussing with members of the Select Board.

The latter body had hoped to have a response from the Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Committee in time for possible adoption of the purpose document at the Select Board's Oct. 12 meeting.

But the joint working group of the two panels was unable to sign off on the latest draft before the DIRE Committee's Oct. 3 meeting.

"Jeff [Johnson] and I wanted to not have it be a public document until there was a consensus among the four of us: Noah [Smalls], Andi [Bryant], Jeff and me," said Randy Fippinger, who fills the Select Board's seat on the DIRE Committee. "Because of schedules, we did not get that sign off in time. So, at the moment, I can't share it tonight."

The four members of the DIRE Committee at last Monday's meeting discussed whether there was time for the working group to finalize a draft and squeeze in another meeting of the full committee before Oct. 12 but ultimately decided it was not worth rushing the process. Fippinger offered to tell his Select Board colleagues on Monday that the DIRE Committee needed until its next scheduled meeting on Oct. 17 to give its final thoughts.

Although Fippinger said he could not discuss details of the latest draft of a document that faced strong scrutiny in its earlier stages, Andrew Art asked for specifics on a couple of items in earlier drafts that raised questions.

"Is the concept that the DIRE Committee suspends all its other work [to focus on creating a strategic plan] still the operative concept?" Art asked Fippinger.

""The concern about that was raised very strenuously," Fippinger said of the talks at the working group level. "That was put very high on the discussion list. People agreed that would be a big concern."

Art also asked whether the non-public discussions of the working group addressed the fact that the latest draft pitched by the Select Board did not identify the DIRE Committee by name, raising concerns that the intent was to replace the 2-year-old committee.

"That concern was also equally raised," Fippinger said.

Fippinger said he felt strongly that the working group should "sign off on it not in public," before a new draft was discussed by the committee in a public meeting. He also said he wanted the DIRE Committee to have the first shot at a public discussion of the next iteration of the purpose document.

In order to expedite that process, the DIRE Committee agreed that Shana Dixon would take over for Smalls, who did not attend Monday's meeting, in the working group, ensuring that four of the five current members of the DIRE Committee would play a role in the non-public discussions to develop a new draft document.

Art said that he appreciated the importance of developing a strategic plan and offered some resources to the working group and whatever committee is charged with developing a strategic plan in town around issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.

He spoke favorably of the plans already developed by the communities of Andover and Lincoln in Eastern Massachusetts. And Art suggested his colleagues look at DEI Guide prepared by the Massachusetts Municipal DEI Coalition, which was forwarded to the DIRE Committee by the Select Board chair and interim town manager earlier this summer.

"I think the guide is quite useful in establishing a framework for what DEI practices and strategies might look like," Art said. "It really focuses on creating shared language and shared goals. While it does talk about specific responsibilities and shared responsibilities, a lot of the focus is on trying to create a broader community of people with a common set of goals and common language around DEI work."

In other business, Art reported that he had reviewed the draft revised human resources policies for the town that resulted from a 2020-21 HR audit recommended by the DIRE Committee and commissioned by the Select Board.

Art characterized them as "much more thorough" than prior town policies and noted, in particular, language around investigations of misconduct that follow the model of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

The Select Board sought public comment on the proposed policy through the end of September before officially giving the new policy its blessing.

The DIRE Committee also decided to form a Facebook group to help disseminate information about meetings and events related to panel's work. Members agreed that the group should not allow comments on posts but instead allow members of the public to contact a page administrator with questions. The committee authorized Bryant and Dixon to be the initial administrators of the group.




iciHaiti - Haitian crisis : In no case the Dominican Rep. will accept refugees from Haiti





Sunday, October 9, 2022, at a press conference at the Ignacio Loyol Technical Institute in Dajabon, Luis Abinader, the President of the Dominican Republic declared that he "[...] will not accept in any case the approach (of the refugees)" on the Dominican territory "if the crisis of the neighboring country should require it... ""



Abinader, while reaffirming that the Dominican Republic would only play a diplomatic role in the crisis and would not participate in any possible military intervention, said the country had done enough to help Haiti saying "you don't find a country in the region that offers more humanitarian aid than we already do in our hospitals for Haitians..."



S/ iciHaiti


















Voice of America journalist Sithu Aung Myint was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour on October 7 for inciting government employees to commit crimes. The International Federation of Journalists (IJF) condemns the sentencing and calls on Myanmars military junta to cease its persecution of journalists for their independent reportage.

Sithu Aung Myint was sentenced to three years in prison for incitement on October 7, 2022. Credit: STR / AFP

Sithu Aung Myint was arrested in Yangon on August 15, 2021, along with fellow journalist Htet Htet Khine who was sentenced to three years in prison on September 15 for incitement under Section 505(a) of Myanmars penal code. The journalists lawyer indicated that he will appeal the sentence.

Sithu Aung Myint is due to appear again in court on October 13 to face two additional chargesunder Section 124 (a) of the penal code for defamation of the state, carrying up to a life in prison.

A veteran journalist in Myanmar, Sithu Aung Myint has worked for several local and international media outlets including SkyNet, Frontier Myanmar and Voice of Americas Burmese service. He has reported on a range of political and social issues and is an outspoken critic of Myanmars military junta.

The verdict comes only a day after Myanmars military court sentenced Japanese video journalist Toru Kubota to 10 years in prison for two charges on October 6, after he filmed a protest against the junta in July.

The IFJ has documented the increasing targeting of Burmese journalists, media workers and activists with allegations of incitement, defamation, and sedition to stifle opposition to the junta. In July, freelance journalist Muang Muang Myo was sentenced to six years in prison for the possession of interviews with members of insurgent groups fighting the military government. In March, junta courts sentenced three journalists, Hanthar Nyein, Than Htike Aung and Ye Yint Tun, to two years in prison each for allegedly spreading false news.

The IFJ said:Under Myanmars military junta, journalists have faced increasingly stringent censorship, attacks, harassment, arbitrary detainment and imprisonment for their independent and critical reporting. The IFJ condemns the arrest and sentencing of Sithu Aung Myint sand calls for his immediate release from prison.
Phishing incidents continue to skyrocket in Southeast Asia (SEA). The latest data from global cybersecurity company Kaspersky revealed that it only took six months for cybercriminals to exceed their phishing attacks last year against users from the region.

From January to June 2022, Kasperskys Anti-Phishing system blocked a total of 12,127,692 malicious links in SEA. It is 1 million more than the total number of phishing attacks detected here in 2021  11,260,643.

Kaspersky urges organizations to pay attention as most APT attacks infect enterprises, governments through targeted phishing

Phishing, a type of social engineering attack, remains one of the key methods used by attackers to compromise their targets  both individuals and organizations. It works as it is done on a large scale where cybercriminals send massive waves of emails purporting to be legitimate companies or personalities to promote fake pages or infect users with malicious attachments.

The end goal of a phishing attack is to steal credentials  particularly financial and login information  to steal money or worse to compromise an entire organization.

More than half of the H1 2022 phishing detections were targeting Kaspersky users in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Four out of six countries from SEA  Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam  recorded more phishing emails during the first six months of this year compared to their total number of incidents in 2021.

The first half of 2022 is eventful in good and bad ways. On a personal level, we went through the seismic shift of trying to regain our lives post-pandemic, forcing companies and organizations to welcome remote and hybrid work. The travel sector, including airlines, airports, travel agencies, and more, has also been overwhelmed by the influx of tourists wanting to travel with borders now open. Behind these shifts are networks and systems that needed to be updated and secured hastily. On the other hand, cybercriminals are all ears and with their ability to tweak their messages and infuse them with believable urgency. As a result, weve seen real, unfortunate incidents of victims losing money because of phishing attacks, comments Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.

Aside from individuals loss of money, Kasperskys elite researcher recently sounded the alarm that most of the Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups in the Asia Pacific including SEA use targeted phishing to enter into a highly-defended network.

As the name "advanced" suggests, an APT uses continuous, clandestine, and sophisticated hacking techniques to gain access to a system and remain inside for a prolonged period of time, with potentially destructive consequences.

Because of the level of effort needed to carry out such an attack, APTs are usually leveled at high-value targets, such as nation states and large corporations, with the ultimate goal of stealing information over a long period of time, rather than simply "dipping in" and leaving quickly, as many black hat hackers do during lower level cyber assaults.

Noushin Shabab, Senior Security Researcher for Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) at Kaspersky, revealed in a recent presentation that targeted phishing, also known as spear phishing, is the preferred infection vector of APT groups operating in the region.

We did a report this year which found that the majority (75%) of executives here are aware and even anticipate an APT attack against their organizations. With phishing incidents hitting the roof in just the first six months of the year, enterprises, public entities, and government agencies should understand the impact of one wrong click on their critical networks and systems. We, humans, remain the weakest link and it is time to look beyond training and awareness. Backup security plans  like incident response capabilities  should be in place to stop a phishing email from becoming the launch pad of a damaging attack to your organization, adds Yeo.

Traditional security often doesn't stop spear phishing attacks because they are so cleverly customized. As a result, they're becoming more difficult to detect. One employee mistake can have serious consequences for businesses, governments, and even nonprofit organizations.

With stolen data, fraudsters can reveal commercially sensitive information, manipulate stock prices or commit various acts of espionage. In addition, spear phishing attacks can deploy malware to hijack computers, organizing them into enormous networks called botnets that can be used for denial of service attacks.

To fight spear phishing scams, employees need to be aware of the threats, such as the possibility of bogus emails landing in their inbox. Besides education, technology that focuses on email security is necessary. Kaspersky recommends installing protective anti-phishing solutions on mail servers as well as on employee workstations.

For enterprises and organizations, Kaspersky suggests building incident response capabilities that will help manage the aftermath of an attack and to incorporate threat intelligence services to have in-depth knowledge of the evolving threat and tactics of active APT groups.
After countries including Singapore, Nepal, UAE, Bhutan, Malaysia and France began accepting payments through UPI and RuPay Cards, Oman has become the seventh nation to do so. For the uninitiated, the popular payment system UPI (Unified Payments Interface) was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI).



As recently as last month, UPI showcased its rising popularity as it clocked a record Rs 11.16 lakh crore worth of transactions alone in September. And now, another key moment has arrived for UPI, with Oman formally joining the league of nations adopting the UPI for digital transactions across platforms last week.

Happy to meet with H.E. Tahir Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman & witness signing of the historic MOU between CBO and NPCI to launch the Rupay debit card in Oman, paving the way for a new era of financial connectivity. A new milestone in the bilateral relations, V. Muraleedharan, MoS for the Union ministry of external affairs tweeted last week.

shutterstock

This comes after New Delhi and Muscat reached a consensus to expand the Indian digital payment ecosystem to the gulf region. A formal agreement in this regard was signed between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) last week.



As per ET, experts believe that the agreement will open the floodgates for Indian RuPay cards and the UPI platform in Oman for seamless digital remittances, a move that is likely to benefit Indian workers and professionals.

Oman And Indias Partnerships

Oman is Indias oldest strategic relationship in the Gulf region and a close defence and strategic partner. Oman also plays an important role in supporting Indian naval deployments in the western Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.

Moreover, India is one of the largest investors in Oman with total investments of over $7.5 billion. The bilateral trade between the two nations is reportedly on the rise with total trade in FY 2021-22 touching nearly $10 billion.

Twitter/@MOS_MEA

Also Read: Finance Ministry Refutes Plans To Levy Charges On UPI Transactions

Australia & Russias Interest In UPI

Besides these seven nations, Australia too is in advanced talks with India for early integration of UPI with the Australian New Payment Platform. Also, Russia has expressed interest in pushing dialogue on accepting UPI and Faster Payments System (FPS) of the Central Bank of Russia within their respective national payment infrastructures.

And thats not all. Earlier in September 2021, Liquid Group, a cross-border digital payment service provider, reportedly signed an agreement with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) to launch a UPI-based QR code payment system in 10 nations-Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan beginning in 2022.

678 Crore UPI Transactions In September

As per the latest NPCI data, the number of UPI transactions in September reportedly grew by over 3% to 678 crore from a month ago. In August, the total number of UPI-based digital financial transactions stood at 657 crore.

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
Workers compensation specialist Preferred Employers Insurance has announced that it has been awarded three 2022 w3 Awards, which recognize marketing excellence on the internet.

Preferred Employers three awards include a Gold for its Summer Checklist Landing Page, a digital resource for small business owners in California. Only 10% of the 3,000 submissions to the w3 Awards are selected as Gold winners by The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.
National

RB, Corvus

Specialty risk broker RB Jones announced its marine and energy division has acquired the Smart Cargo Insurance business from Boston-based managing general agent Corvus Insurance.

The Corvus ocean cargo product offers an insurtech product for temperature-sensitive cargo such as food and pharmaceuticals.

As part of the transaction, RB Jones will have exclusive access to underwrite cargo insurance policies through Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, a specialty property/casualty insurance company that provides capacity to the marine cargo industry.

The Corvus technology utilizes risk models built on multiple data points from cargo sensors to inform underwriting, coverage and rates. Additionally, the technology can be used to minimize or prevent cargo damage during transportation.

RB Jones said the analysis and application of temperature stability data will help its marine cargo clients optimize their shipping methods and routes.

John Gambino, marine underwriting manager at RB Jones, will lead the integration of the Corvus offering into the RB Jones portfolio. In addition, the company said it will welcome talent from Corvus as RB Jones associates. Zandra Brown joins as head of specialty cargo and Kevin Kempf joins as product leader of specialty cargo. Both Brown and Kempf report to Gambino.

Detroit-based H.W. Kaufman Group is the parent company to RB Jones.

Corvus specializes in technology and data-driven insurance products and digital tools. Its products include Smart Cyber Insurance and Smart Tech E+O.

Pie Insurance

Pie Insurance, an insurtech specializing in workers compensation insurance for small businesses, said it raised a $315 million Series D round of funding  the largest round of financing for any U.S. based P&C insurtech company in 2022.

The fundraise more than doubled Pies total capital raised to over $615 million. The round was led by Centerbridge Partners and Allianz X, the digital investments arm of Allianz Group.

White Mountains Insurance Group also joined as a new investor, and previous investors Gallatin Point Capital, Greycroft, Acrew Capital and others also participated in the round.

Pie recently announced it more than doubled its gross written premium, and doubled its number of policyholders and partners.

In addition, Pie expanded its coverage area into two new states, increasing its total workers comp coverage footprint to 89% of small businesses in the U.S., the company said.

Pie said it will use the funds to support its growth initiatives that directly impact its small business customers, including expanding into new lines of business, fully transitioning to a full-stack carrier, further innovating upon its advanced proprietary pricing algorithms, for small businesses and the partner agents who serve them.

East

Relation, Mobeck-Guandalini

National insurance agency Relation Insurance Services has acquired Mobeck-Guandalini Insurance, a multi-line brokerage headquartered in Branford, Connecticut.

Christopher Guandalini will continue to lead Mobeck-Guandalini Insurance under Relation going forward.

Mobeck-Guandalini Insurance transaction adds to Relations presence in Connecticut. In April, Relation acquired Guilford-based Yerkes-Stephens Insurance, which was previously part of Nationwide Mutuals exclusive distribution network. In 2021, Relation acquired The SIG Insurance Agencies in Middletown. It also owns Gary Blaustein Associates in Stamford and Southeast Agency in Jewett City.

California-headquartered Relation is ranked by Insurance Journal within the top 25 largest agencies in the country by revenue and has approximately 1,200 employees across more than 125 locations nationwide. Relation is a privately held corporation backed by Aquiline Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in New York and London.

Brown & Brown, Smithwick & Mariners Insurance

Brown & Brown of Massachusetts has acquired Maine-based Smithwick & Mariners Insurance, which includes MidCoast Insurance and Chapman & Chapman Insurance.

Originally founded in 1987 to service the marine industry, Smithwick & Mariners has grow to serve business owners and individuals throughout Maine and greater New England.

The firm, headquartered in Falmouth, Maine. also has offices in Kennebunk and in New Bedford, Massachusetts and South Hampton, New Hampshire. Its other agencies are also in Maine Chapman & Chapman is in Damariscotta, while MidCoast Insurance is in Bath.

The Smathwick & Mariners companies are led by Scott Smithwick and Chris Smithwick. Following the acquisition, the Smithwick & Mariners team will continue doing business from its existing offices in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and will operate within Brown & Browns retail segment. The Smithwicks will continue to lead the team and will report to Don McGowan, a regional president in Brown & Browns retail segment.

Brown & Brown has more than 14,500 employees in 450-plus locations.

Conner Strong & Buckelew, Armstrong, Doyle & Carroll

Camden, New Jersey-based insurance brokerage Conner Strong & Buckelew has acquired Wayne, Pennsylvania-based brokerage firm, Armstrong, Doyle & Carroll.

In business since the 1950s, Armstrong, Doyle & Carroll is a privately held firm specializing in managing national and local benefit plans, including a statewide benefits insurance program for private schools and colleges in Pennsylvania.

Michael Tiagwad, president and CEO of Conner Strong & Buckelew, said Armstrong, Doyle & Carroll will ultimately operate under Conner Strong & Buckelews brand after a brief transition period. It will be led by 30-plus year employee benefits industry veteran John Doyle.

Founded in 1959 Conner Strong & Buckelew has 450 professionals in offices around the country.

Midwest

Acrisure, B2Z Insurance

Acrisure announced it has acquired B2Z Insurance, a digitally native company that helps business owners obtain customizable insurance coverage in minutes.

The acquisition of B2Z strengthens Acrisures digital offering and complements its recent partnership with QuickInsured, a technology insurance platform that offers customers personal lines insurance policies. With B2Zs focus on providing small businesses easy access to personalized coverage online, Acrisure now has the ability to provide a more holistic suite of solutions to solve the various insurance needs of its customers.

B2Z was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to help small businesses more simply protect themselves. Specifically, B2Z uses third party data and analytics to help business owners answer time consuming application questions normally asked to bind policies. Clients can obtain quotes, purchase personalized coverage and review their coverage with a licensed Customer Experience advocate by phone, text or chat.

Through this partnership, B2Z augments and enhances Acrisures digital fulfillment capabilities and customer experience on a much bigger scale.

Risk Strategies, Beattie & Associates

Risk Strategies, a national specialty insurance brokerage and risk management firm, announced it has acquired Beattie & Associates, a retail agency in Missouri specializing in employee benefits for both individuals and employers.

Headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Missouri, Beattie & Associates is led by its principal, Tom Beattie.

Beattie offers business clients a full range of employee benefit coverages, including group health, disability, life, dental, and vision, as well as associated support services. Beatties client base is highly loyal and largely concentrated in the Midwest Region.

In addition to its base in the St. Louis region, Beattie has presence across Big Sky and Bozeman, Montana, as well as Chicago. The Montana presence represents an expansion for Risk Strategies. Beatties Chicago presence will complement existing, long-standing Risk Strategies operations.

South Central

Alera, jweinland Group Benefits

Alera Group announced the acquisition of jweinland Group Benefits, a full-service employee benefits firm specializing in the highest quality group benefits and self-funded insurance plans.

Founded in 2009 and located in Shreveport, Louisiana, jweinland Group Benefits provides Shreveport and Bossier City clients with group health insurance and employee benefits program consulting. The team has grown the agency into one of the largest independent agencies in the state.

The jweinland Group Benefits team will continue serving clients in their existing roles.

Southeast

PCF, Peak Performance Brokerage

PCF Insurance Services, a burgeoning brokerage based in Utah, has acquired Peak Performance Team, a brokerage that offers financing and insurance packages to automobile dealers in the United States.

Peak Performance Team, headquartered in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, provides custom tools for dealers, including auto warranties, service contracts on vehicles, guaranteed asset protection plans and other plans, the companies said in a news release. Michael Burgholzer is president of Peak Performance Team.

Its the latest of 112 planned or executed acquisitions this year for PCF, which said it leads the industry in the pace of mergers and acquisitions.

Headquartered in Lehi, Utah, PCF said it has a diversified revenue stream but focuses on consulting and insurance brokering for commercial, life and health, benefits and workers compensation programs. Peter Foy is chairman and founder.

PCF ranked number 13 on Insurance Journals 2022 Top 100 Agencies ranking.

West

RSS, DLP, Conexus

Westminster insurance agencies RSS Insurance Services and Day Larsen Pedersen Insurance have merged into one, local independent insurance agency serving the Colorado community.

The firms are now Conexus Insurance Partners. RSS & DLP have served the Colorado area for a combined 120 years.

Through the recent merger, the newly formed agency has spent time and effort in streamlining processes, procedures and technology.

Conexus is an independent agency with two locations in Westminster that specializes in business insurance, employee benefits and personal insurance.
Two New York hospitals have agreed to pay more than $165 million to 147 former patients who have accused a former gynecologist of sexual abuse and misconduct.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian announced the agreement Friday. Last year, the two hospitals reached a settlement to establish a $71 million compensation fund with 79 of Haddens former patients.

The doctor, Robert Hadden, surrendered his medical license after being convicted in 2016 on sex-related charges. He currently awaits trial on separate charges of sexually abusing dozens of young and unsuspecting female patients for over two decades.

The Englewood, New Jersey, resident has pleaded not guilty to six counts of inducing others to travel to engage in illegal sex acts. A message was left Friday with an attorney representing Hadden.

Prosecutors have described Hadden as a predator in a white coat, accusing him of singling out young and unsuspecting victims, including a young girl he had delivered at birth.

In a statement Friday, Columbia University Irving Medical Center said, We deeply regret the pain that Robert Haddens patients suffered and hope that these resolutions will provide some measure of support for the women he hurt. All those who came forward should be commended.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New York Numbers
City officials agreed to pay $12 million to the children of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after police held him down until he stopped breathing on a snowy street in Rochester, New York.

A federal judge approved the settlement in a court document filed Thursday. Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans said in a statement that the agreement was the best decision for the city.

It would have cost taxpayers even more to litigate, and would have placed a painful toll on our community, said Evans, who wasnt in office when Prude died in March 2020.

The settlement money, minus lawyers fees and costs, will go to Prudes five children, who are heirs to the estate, attorneys said.

I think that its an amount of money that is sufficient to show that the City of Rochester recognizes that something very bad happened and that its very important for the city to put it in the rearview mirror and move forward, said lawyer Matthew Piers, who represents the administrator of the estate.

The agreement is the latest in a number of settlements involving police killings of Black people in the U.S. in the last decade. Among them: a $27 million agreement with the family of George Floyd and a $12 million settlement with relatives of Breonna Taylor. Their 2020 deaths _ his in Minneapolis, hers in Louisville, Kentucky _ ignited protests around the country and fueled a reckoning on racial justice and policing.

A killing that became an earlier catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement _ the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri _ led to a $1.5 million settlement. In a lawsuit stemming from the chokehold death of Eric Garner that same year, New York City settled with his family for about $6 million.

Just this August, three towns on Marylands Eastern Shore reached a $5 million settlement with relatives of Anton Black, who was chased, handcuffed and shackled by police before he stopped breathing in rural Greensboro in 2018. The family is continuing to pursue a case against the state medical examiners office.

Police confronted 41-year-old Prude in March 2020 after his brother called to say the man needed mental health help. Prude had been taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation earlier that night but was released after a few hours, and later bolted from his brothers home.

After officers found him running naked through the streets, police video showed that Prude complied with police demands to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back. He became agitated as he sat, handcuffed, on the pavement.

Police then put a hood over his head to stop him from spitting and held him down for about two minutes until his breathing stopped. He died several days later after being taken off life support.

The county medical examiner said his death was a homicide caused by complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint and cited the drug PCP as a contributing factor.

The officers said they followed their training. A grand jury last year declined to bring criminal charges against them.

The relatives lawyers said that Prudes constitutional rights were violated by the police actions and what the family called an attempted cover-up by the department and city government.

Emails released showed that in June 2020, Rochester police commanders urged city officials to hold off on publicly releasing the video because they feared violent blowback if it came out during nationwide protests that were then unfolding over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Prudes family eventually obtained the video and released it in September 2020.

Photo: This image made from police body camera video, provided by Roth and Roth LLP, shows a Rochester police officer as he puts a hood over the head of Daniel Prude in Rochester, N.Y., March 23, 2020. City officials have agreed to pay $12-million to the family of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died after police held him down until he stopped breathing after encountering him running naked through the snowy streets of Rochester, NY. A federal judge approved the settlement in a court document filed Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. (Rochester Police via Roth and Roth LLP via AP, File)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement
China's tourism sees new trends during National Day holiday

People's Daily Online) 16:48, October 10, 2022

Many Chinese people visited tourist destinations that are a little bit off the beaten path, or spent their holiday leisurely at homestay hotels during the weeklong National Day holiday.

Tourists take boat tour during the week-long National Day holiday at Baofenghu scenic area in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 2, 2022. (Photo by Wu Yongbing/Xinhua)

Instead of visiting some of the most popular tourism destinations, many Chinese people turned to small cities and stayed in the top hotels there at a price far lower than that of top hotels in big cities.

According to Qunar.com, an online travel platform in China, reservations for hotels in cities that are off the beaten path went up 30 percent year-on-year, and room nights of high-end hotels in these cities increased 40 percent year-on-year.

Booking and reservations of four-star and five-star hotels in some unpopular destinations such as Linxia, in northwest China's Gansu Province, Shizuishan in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province, increased more than tenfold.

Data from Mafengwo, a Chinese travel service and social-networking platform, shows that the search volume for tours to lesser-known islands on the platform has increased by over 100 percent this year from a year earlier.

Similarly, homestay hotels have been all the rage among young Chinese, as many prefer to relax and spend their holiday leisurely instead of visiting famous tourist attractions in a hurry. During the holiday, many Beijing residents went on short-distance tours. Liu and his family checked in at a homestay hotel near the Badaling Great Wall in Yanqing District of Beijing on Oct. 3, and after a night of good sleep, they climbed the Great Wall the next day.

A report of Tujia, a short-term lodging rental platform, shows that Miyun, Huairou and Yanqing districts of Beijing are popular destinations for short trips. Homestay hotels in Huairou saw an increase in their reservation of 60 percent year-on-year.

"Today's people look for better experiences during their trips, rather than sightseeing," observed Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. Dai added that many tourists now prefer spending their holidays in a more relaxing way, instead of visiting hot tourist sites, which are usually packed with visitors.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at IQUW, Consilium, and Aon Commercial Risk Solutions in EMEA.

A summary of these new hires and promotions follows here.

IQUW Taps Former Carpenter Exec Fisher as President

Property and Specialty re/insurer IQUW announced the appointment of industry executive Kevin Fisher as president.

Reporting to Peter Bilsby, IQUW Group CEO, Fisher will bring further re/insurance strategic client management leadership to accelerate IQUWs profitable growth trajectory.

With over 40 years broking experience, most recently as chairman of UK and Global Specialities at Guy Carpenter, Fisher brings his extensive market experience, relationships and strategic know-how to IQUWs leadership team. (Carpenter revealed in June 2022 that Fisher was retiring).

In addition to Bilsby, leadership includes Group CFO Richard Hextall, Director of Underwriting David Morris, Active Underwriter Steve Tebbutt and Group Head of Reinsurance and Bermuda CEO Stephen Young.

This is a major coup for IQUW and were delighted to have persuaded Kevin to join our team. Having spent the last 18 months delivering our strategy to build a diverse multi-line portfolio, led by highly regarded underwriting and claims expertise, Kevins experience will be invaluable as we navigate our next growth phase and deepen our engagement with brokers, commented Bilsby.

I believe that Kevins knowledge and expertise, allied to our vision to combine data, automation and human expertise will enable us to differentiate and enhance our proposition to become a valued partner for brokers and their clients Bilsby added.

About IQUW

A new property and specialty insurance and reinsurance business, IQUWs insurance and reinsurance products are distributed through Lloyds syndicate 1856 and IQUW Agency in Bermuda. IQUW provides insurance cover for aviation, crisis management, cyber, cargo, marine, political risk, energy, property, D&O, financial institutions, political violence and terror and war risks, plus reinsurance for property and specialty treaty.

***

Consilium Snags 6 Financial Lines Specialists From Ed Broking

Consilium, the international re/insurance broker, part of The Aventum Group, announced that six leading financial lines specialists are joining Consilium from Ed Broking.

Neal Hughes and Nick Bachmann, previously divisional directors at Ed are appointed managing partners at Consilium. Hughes spent six years at Ed most latterly, nine years at Willis, six years at Lockton and four years at Aon.

Bachmann, based in Guernsey, spent six years at Ed and prior to that, six years at Willis where he was also divisional director, responsible for professional and financial lines broking in the Channel Islands.

Josh Plummer has been appointed partner at Consilium. He was a senior broker producer at Ed Broking and prior to that spent six years at DUAL. Lee Rogalski, also a senior broker at Ed joins Consilium as an associate partner. Duncan Childs, wording advisory manager at Ed, and Alex Atkinson, a divisional director at Ed, are both appointed partners. Atkinson spent nearly three years at Ed and before that spent two years at Capsicum, three years with Aon and five years at Willis.

Childs is a qualified lawyer with nearly 20 years experience as a practicing lawyer for Eversheds and Davies Lavery, specializing in insurance contract law. He spent the last five years at Ed, responsible for developing market leading insurance contracts and claims advocacy services.

All of the new appointments will join Consiliums Pro Ex team (Professional Executive Risks), managing professional & financial lines and cyber insurance globally for direct policyholder clients and retail and wholesale broking partners.

David Bearman, chief executive officer for Aventum, commented: Im very excited to welcome these latest appointments to our ranks. We now easily have the most experienced broking team working in the international financial centres and the investment management community. The teams combined leadership skills and particular expertise in this market, together with our inhouse legal and exciting new actuarial capabilities, makes Consilium a world leader now in global financial lines broking.

Aventum is one of the worlds leading and fastest growing independent specialty insurance groups, trading more than US$1.1 billion GWP annually, with 14 offices globally. Through its international re/insurance broking arm Consilium, and its global MGA operation, Rokstone, it offers clients a range of specialist and niche solutions in all lines of property/casualty re/insurance globally.

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Aon Promotes 2 in Commercial Risk Solutions, EMEA

Aon has promoted two senior leaders in its Commercial Risk Solutions unit in EMEA.

Luca Tassarotti has been named head of Aon Commercial Risk Solutions EMEA. Tassarotti previously was deputy global CEO and EMEA leader of Facultative, as well as representing reinsurance in the Aon EMEA EC. In this role he already collaborated closely with the EMEA Commercial Risk Solutions leadership.

Terence Williams, has been named chief broking officer, Commercial Risk, EMEA. He has led Aons South African organization for the past eight years and will continue to play an important role in the country as chairperson of the Aon South Africa Board of Directors. (He will remain CEO of South Africa, fulfilling a dual role, until a successor is found.)

We are pleased that these seasoned Aon leaders are taking on new responsibilities to continue helping organizations match risk and capital, said Lambros Lambrou, CEO of Commercial Risk for Aon. As risks become more interconnected, complex and volatile, we remain committed to innovating on behalf of our clients to help them address their biggest challenges and make better, more-informed decisions, guided by the expertise of these new leaders and our colleagues at Aon.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance Aon
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Hurricane Julia hit Nicaraguas central Caribbean coast on Sunday after lashing Colombias San Andres island, and a weakened storm was expected to emerge over the Pacific.

Julia hit as a Category 1 hurricane early Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), though its winds had dipped to 75 mph (120 kph) a few hours later as it pushed across Nicaragua with heavy rains.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Julia was centered about 115 miles (190 kilometers) east of Managua, the capital, and was moving west at 16 mph (26 kph).

It said life-threatening flash floods and mudslides were possible across Central America and southern Mexico through Tuesday, with the storm expected to bring as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain in isolated areas.

At the storm approached San Andres Island east of Nicaragua, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared a maximum alert there as well as Providencia island to the north and asked hotels to prepare space to shelter the vulnerable population. Officials on San Andres imposed a curfew to limit people in the streets. Flights to the islands were suspended.

There were no early reports on Julias impact on San Andres.

In Nicaragua, authorities alerted all types of vessels to seek safe harbor.

Guillermo Gonzalez, director of Nicaraguas Disaster Response System, told official media that people at high risk had been evacuated from coastal areas by noon Saturday. The army said it delivered humanitarian supplies to Bluefields and Laguna de Perlas for distribution to 118 temporary shelters.

In Bluefields, however, life appeared little changed Saturday night, and people expressed reluctance to leave their homes.

The storm was forecast to sweep across Nicaragua and then emerge over the Pacific and skirt the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala, a region already saturated by weeks of heavy rains.

In Guatemala, storms since early May had already caused caused at least 49 confirmed deaths, with six people missing. Roads and hundreds of homes have been damaged, Guatemalan officials say.

In El Salvador, where 19 people have died this rainy season, the worst rainfall was expected Monday and Tuesday, said Fernando Lopez, the minister of environmental and natural resources. Officials said they had opened 61 shelters with the capacity to house more than 3,000 people.

Photograph: This Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 satellite image made available by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Julia, bottom right, at 4 p.m. EDT. Julia gained strength as it headed westward in the southern Caribbean, and authorities are preparing for a possible hurricane on Colombian islands and in Nicaragua. Photo credit: NOAA via AP.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane
An addiction counselor who helped defeat a marijuana legalization proposal in North Dakota four years ago has launched a fresh opposition group seeking to do it again this November.

Kristie Spooner announced her group, Healthy and Productive North Dakota, less than five weeks before Election Day and after some major funders of the 2018 opposition had announced they would sit out the 2022 fight.

The measure would allow people over age 21 in North Dakota to use and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to three marijuana plants.

Kristie and other people in North Dakota were really concerned about the measure, said Luke Niforatos, who helped Spooner launch the group. We didnt see an organized effort take hold sooner, so were doing it before its too late.

The group had raised just $750 as of Thursday, from Niforatos contribution as executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a Virginia-based political organization against marijuana legalization. But he said the group hopes to raise at least $200,000 to put toward digital, radio and billboard advertising.

A different group that supports legalization, The New Approach, has raised about $550,000, treasurer Mark Friese said.

Niforatos said he wasnt concerned by the cash disadvantage.

I dont think we necessarily need to outrace our opponents to beat them, because 60% of North Dakotans voted against this just four years ago.

Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana. Supporters think the states 2016 vote allowing medicinal marijuana suggests they can win in conservative North Dakota.

Legalization proposals also are on the ballot so far this fall in South Dakota, Missouri and Maryland.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cannabis
An Idaho city has settled a federal discrimination lawsuit with a former library employee who said they were harassed and discriminated against because they are non-binary and transgender, the Idaho Statesman reports.

Perez filed a lawsuit against Boise, the former library director and other library and city employees in U.S. District Court in Boise last summer. Perez, who uses they/them pronouns, was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union.

In a news release Friday, the city said the settlement was reached after both parties evaluated the merits of the case and the resources required for extensive litigation.

The citys policies and practice continue to make the equitable treatment of employees a priority, the statement said. This settlement is an affirmation of that commitment.

The Statesman said it has asked the city for the settlement amount but has not yet received an answer.

The lawsuit stemmed from two separate instances in 2019.

On one occasion, the lawsuit said, then-library director Kevin Booe took action to have Perez fired after a library patron objected to a pride display Perez had organized at the library.

Perez also received a notice of intent to discipline that criticized comments they made from their personal Facebook page about a library pride event that they shared to a neighborhood group on the social media platform.

In October 2019, Perez filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Idaho Human Rights Commission, alleging sex discrimination and retaliation. In April 2020, the Human Rights Commission found that Perez was indeed sexually harassed and discriminated against while working at the library.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
A joint investigation into alleged illegal actions by bounty hunters has led to the arrest of two people.

National City Police supported by the California Department of Insurance investigators and federal and local agencies executed arrest warrants on Daniel Johnathan Hawks, 43, and Annette Bianca Garcia, 36, who worked at a company called Fugitive Warrants. One other defendant, Jesse A. Wagner, 48, has been charged as well, with a million-dollar bail ordered for his arrest. Wagner is now considered a fugitive by the National City Police Department.

Charges include multiple felony counts of kidnapping with the use of a firearm, false imprisonment, residential burglary and misdemeanor counts of false arrest under color of authority, brandishing a firearm, acting as a fugitive recovery person as a convicted felon, acting as a fugitive recovery person while unlawfully carrying weapons and failing to notify law enforcement prior to arresting a bail fugitive.

Search warrants were also executed at several locations in San Diego and Riverside County where additional evidence was recovered. More than 40 personnel from the National City Police Department, the California Department of Insurance, United States Marshal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego Violent Crime Task Force, and Riverside County Sheriffs Department were involved in the arrest and search warrant operations.

The arrests come after a joint investigation by National City Police and CDI into Fugitive Warrants, which is owned and operated by Jesse Wagner and his employees. On June 10, National City Police received a radio call from a bail fugitive recovery agent in pursuit of a woman armed with a rifle. After responding to the scene and investigating, police learned that Wagner and his team arrested their fugitive and after doing so burglarized the fugitive and his girlfriends residence.

After burglarizing the residence, the bounty hunters reportedly located the fugitives girlfriend, who was not wanted, and conducted a high-risk traffic stop on her in a car driven by her father. Wagner and his team falsely imprisoned them and transported her back to her house. Wagner and his team falsely imprisoned them in an attempt to locate the fugitives firearms. The joint investigation found that Wagner, Hawks, and Garcia were working illegally as bail fugitive recovery persons throughout this encounter.

The CDI assisted National City Police Department in the subsequent follow-up investigation into Fugitive Warrants and its alleged unlawful activities. The CDI regulates existing bail licensees and works closely with other law enforcement agencies to protect the public.

Bounty hunters are required under the Bail Fugitive Recovery Persons Act to undergo training and meet other conditions. While bail agents and sureties who hire bounty hunters are required to be licensed by the California Department of Insurance, bounty hunters currently are not.

Topics California
Thomas Edward Crosbie, Corks quintessential newspaperman and the dominant force for more than three decades in the Irish Examiner group of newspapers, always had a way with words, once describing himself as: a chemist by training, a shovel engineer by vocation, and a manager by desperation.

Such self-deprecation belied the skills of a man who steered the group through the most fundamental technical changes in how the paper was printed since its foundation in 1841.

He always had not just a fascination with words, but how they were put together in a newspaper context. He was one of the fourth generation of his family to have been involved in the ownership of the media group, and was still a director of Landmark Media at the time that the company was bought by The Irish Times in 2018.

Early years

As a young man shortly after the end of World War II, Ted, as he was known, could be seen darting in and around the printing presses at the offices in Academy St, at a time when the then Cork Examiner, Evening Echo and Cork Weekly Examiner were printed on old linotype machines, using molten lead. It was not the safest place for a youngster, but he revelled in it.

He went to school at Christian Brothers College in Cork, but most of his summer holidays were spent at the Examiner office, where he gained an insiders knowledge of how the printing presses and linotype machines worked.

He learned the business from the ground up, especially from the fitters, whose ingenuity was taxed to keeping the old machines functioning in the absence of spares, replacements, and lubricants during and shortly after the war.

By the 1950s, his skills were honed to such an extent that he could take a problem printing press to pieces, have it fixed, and put it back together again.

Before joining the company, he went to Sweden for work experience in the paper mills which supplied the newspaper group. He later went on to study science at University College Cork.

A new age

He soon realised, however, that the days of hot metal printing were numbered, so in the 1970s, as technical director, Ted began the process of designing, commissioning, and training for the change-over to the new era of web offset printing.

This happened literally overnight, and came smoothly into service in May 1976, placing the Examiner group at the cutting edge of the industry in Ireland.

A decade later the Examiner was also the first Irish paper to have full colour, and Examiner journalists became the first in Ireland to input their stories directly into a computer system in 1986.

Ted led the group through major dynamic developments as chief executive from the early 1980s until 1993, when he was succeeded by his cousin Alan.

While visionary in his understanding of the role various new technologies played in modern communications, Ted was also committed to quality journalism and to editorial excellence.

The Examiner group's first go at web offset printing in 1976, a pioneering move by Ted. Picture: Irish Examiner archive

Even into his late 80s, he could be found every day walking the editorial floor of the newspaper, talking to reporters and news editors, sharing story ideas with a twinkling good humour.

But while he always was quick with a supportive word, he never interferred.

Tim Vaughan who was editor of the Irish Examiner for 15 years, remembered Ted as the perfect owner and chairman.

He truly believed in the importance of editorial independence and whenever there was a particularly tricky situation you knew he had your back. Hed walk up to my desk, put his hand on my shoulder and quietly say, Tim, you have my full support. For an editor it doesnt get better than that.

He was always proud of his familys roots, declaring that it wasnt blood that flowed through his veins, but ink.

He was also keenly aware of the Examiner's importance to the community, its relationship with Cork  a city he loved. Aware too of the Examiner legacy of the three generations of family that went before him, and the ethos of those who served before him.

The Cork Examiner was founded in 1841, by John Francis Maguire, Nationalist MP, at the beginning of the decade which also saw the establishment of Queens College, Cork, in 1845, later becoming UCC.

Ted was the great-grandson of Thomas Crosbie, who joined the Cork Examiner as a reporter in 1842 at the age of 15, eventually becoming editor and later proprietor.

Thomas was an enterprising newspaperman, often sailing out in a small boat to pick up news and American newspapers from ships calling at Cork harbour.

It was in this way that he got his most famous scoop by learning from the crew of a US vessel that the American Civil War was over.

Media pioneer

Outside of the newspaper group, Ted had a wide range of interests and associations. He was involved in many other aspects of Cork business and cultural life, including the Cork 800 celebrations in the 1980s, Cork's year as European Capital of Culture, Cork Opera, and Threshold, the homeless charity.

The impact he had on a city he was proud to call home was remembered by Taoiseach Micheal Martin, describing him as "a man whose life was woven into the very fabric of his home city of Cork for more than nine decades".

As chief executive of the newspaper group including the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo, Ted was a true pioneer of modern Irish media, with a keen scientific and business mind, and a passion for enriching the charitable, cultural and social life of his city and country.

A lifelong sailing enthusiast, Ted began sailing dinghies as a 10-year-old in 1941, becoming admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club more than 40 years later.

Anyone who either worked with him or sailed with him will remember Teds wicked sense of humour. When in the 1980s the family acquired a wayward puppy, Ted would hear his wife, Gretchen, shout: Out, out, out

Ted named the dog Thatcher, insisting that it wasnt because she was a bitch, but because out, out, out was the British prime ministers response to proposals on Northern Ireland made by the Irish government.

In 2018, at a ceremony to mark the ending of the Crosbie family relationship, he retained his sense of mischief, declaring a great similarity between himself and the statue of Father Mathew, the apostle of temperance, in the centre of Cork.

The statue sitting in Patrick Street looks to make sure that Mangans clock is accurate, that buses come on time and, up to recently, looked with severity at those coming in and out of the Swan and Cygnet pub.

He had his fill of tragedy when his beloved wife was killed in a car accident in October, 1996 and his daughter Suzanne died in December, 2007. While always deeply saddened by his dual loss, he bore it with stoicism and courage.

While he will be remembered as the quintessential newspaperman, Ted Crosbie always exhibited a wider engagement with the world.

If he was a shovel engineer by vocation he was also a humanitarian by nature.

In a wide-ranging article for the Examiner to mark the new millennium, he wrote: The relief of third world poverty and the defeat of fundamentalism of all kinds must be top of Humanitys Agenda for the first 100 years of the Millennium.

"If, in setting our sights on these two objectives, we remember that the greatest human virtue is charity and charitable outlook, then the deficiencies in Irish society, like our potholes, will be filled in.
Asia Thai Nursery Massacre Families Pray to Free Children's Souls

Relatives sit in front of the coffins of victims of the nursery mass shooting at Wat Si Uthai temple in Nong Bua Lam Phu province on October 8, 2022 to hold funeral rites for those killed in the massacre. / AFP

NA KLANG, ThailandMourning families knelt Sunday outside a Thai nursery where their children were murdered, performing a Buddhist ceremony to put their souls at rest.

Sacked police officer Panya Khamrab killed 36 people  24 of them children  on Thursday in a gun and knife rampage in northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province, in one of the kingdoms worst-ever mass killings.

Saffron-robed monks led prayers for the dead Sunday on a second day of ritual mourning at a temple close to the nursery in Na Klang district, a quiet farming area torn apart by Thursdays bloodshed.

Earlier, families wept as they knelt outside the nursery in a ceremony to help release their childrens souls. Some clutched their childrens portraits, beloved toys and favourite food, which they placed outside the compound as offerings.

Around a low fence surrounding the single-storey, pink-roofed nursery where just a few days ago youngsters played happily, piles of flowers built up.

The sweet aroma of incense scented the air as the assembled crowd, including many well-wishers from the close-knit local community, bowed their heads in prayer, a low crackle of thunder echoing in the distance.

Officials solemnly carried childrens treasured possessions out of the nursery to return to families  favourite blankets and much-loved toys, each carefully placed in name-tagged bags.

When I see the tears of the families, I just feel very sad I cant describe it. I feel really bad (about) whats happened in my hometown, Rutt, 57, told AFP after joining her fellow villagers in supporting the bereaved.

The carnage began when the attacker forced his way in during the childrens nap time at about 12:30 pm on Thursday, opening fire with his own legally owned 9mm pistol and slashing with a knife.

Afterwards, the 34-year-old went home to murder his wife and son before taking his own life, police said, ending the rampage at about 3:00 pm.

Most of the victims died from knife injuries or gunfire, and relatives told AFP of the horrific wounds inflicted on their little ones.

Kings support

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who was due to join prayers Sunday evening, has ordered a swift investigation and police have said they expect to interview about 180 witnesses in the coming days.

Panya was sacked as a police sergeant earlier this year for drug abuse and locals say they suspected he was a methamphetamine addict, although preliminary tests found no drugs in his system.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn met survivors and relatives at a hospital late on Friday in a rare public interaction for the monarch, who is officially regarded as semi-divine.

The king said he shared the grief of the families and pledged to support them.

The attack stunned Thailand and caused horror around the world. On Saturday, the Thai community in Melbourne, Australia, held a candlelit vigil to mourn the victims.
Burma Meet Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, the Man in Charge of Myanmar Juntas Torture Chambers

Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo at the 18th ASEAN Military Intelligence videoconference meeting in March, 2021. / Cincds

Following its bloody crackdowns on peaceful protesters against military rule last year, the junta has turned to committing atrocities against detained dissidents, especially during interrogations. The questionings are carried out mainly by the Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs (OCMSA), a successor of Myanmars notorious Military Intelligence (MI), which was run by General Khin Nyunt.

Like their predecessors, OCMSA members excel in using torture to extract information from detainees. Violence is used without any care whether victims die during questioning. Documented OCMSA torture methods include pouring boiling liquid or chemical solution into the victims mouth and sending the disfigured dead body back to the family, apparently to intimidate anyone who opposes military rule. Other torture methods include sodomy, according to recent testimony of a Frontier Myanmar journalist who faced OCMSA interrogation.

OCMSA operatives are believed to have tortured thousands of detainees, while hundreds have been killed in military custody in post-coup Myanmar. The parallel civilian National Unity Government (NUG)s Human Rights Ministry estimates the death toll at interrogation centers has risen to more than 200 since the coup last year.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP) has recorded a total of 707 deaths in junta custody. That number includes those killed at interrogation centers, in jails across the country and others killed in custody awaiting transfer. Victims include members of People Defense Forces (PDFs), Myanmars ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) and civilians detained during raids on villages by junta troops.

The man who oversees the interrogation centers is Chief of Military Security Affairs Lieutenant General Ye Win Oo  head of the regimes torture chambers.

Who is Ye Win Oo?

Despite his frequent appearances with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in regime media broadcasts, Ye Win Oo is often overlooked.

Instead, many view the juntas No 2, Vice Senior General Soe Win, as Min Aung Hlaings No 1 accomplice in the military regime.

But Ye Win Oo has earned greater trust from Min Aung Hlaing for his role in gathering intelligence on the resistance movement via torture chambers.

Ye Win Oo is a confidant not only of Min Aung Hlaing but also the coup leaders family. His wife, Daw Nilar, like the wives of other generals, is on the US Treasurys sanctions list.

He was a cohort of the 77th intake at Officer Training School (OTS), contemporaries of the 30th Defense Services Academy intake.

Ye Win Oo has been close to Min Aung Hlaing and his family since being appointed a General Staff Officer (G 1) in Yangon Command about 10 years ago.

He and his wife are known to be well-liked by Kyu Kyu Hla, the wife of Min Aung Hlaing. Ye Win Oo won rapid promotions thanks to his ties with Min Aung Hlaings family, serving as commandant of the Defense Services Medical Academy and chief of Southwestern Command before being appointed to head the OCMSA.

He has no distinguished military record. He was given a position close to him [Min Aung Hlaing] because he is his confidant, said a military analyst based in Myanmar, speaking on condition of anonymity over security concerns.

The fact that Ye Win Oo is the only OTS graduate in a military leadership dominated by DSA alumni demonstrates how much Min Aung Hlaing trusts him.

He is also a joint secretary in the State Administration Council (SAC), or junta government. It appears that the junta chief favors him over Aung Lin Dwe, another Min Aung Hlaing henchman who serves as SAC secretary.

In meetings with international diplomats, Min Aung Hlaing keeps Ye Win Oo beside him over foreign affairs minister U Wunna Maung Lwin.

In evening newscasts aired on junta-controlled media, Ye Win Oo can be seen noting down what Min Aung Hlaing dictates.

Though Ye Win Oo has done nothing remarkable in the Myanmar militarys fight against ethnic armed revolutionary groups, he did play a significant role in last years coup. In what was likely his greatest contribution to Min Aung Hlaings cause, he oversaw the arrest of National League for Democracy government leaders.

Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo and Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun led raids on the Presidential Residence and Daw Aung San Suu Kyis residence on Mya Nan Bon Thar Street in Naypyitaw, ousted President U Win Myint told a junta-controlled court.

His military record shows little indication of front-line action against armed ethnic rebels. But to unarmed protesters, Ye Win Oo shows no mercy.

Hellish Interrogation Camps

Some 12,534 people were under junta detention as of last month, according to the AAPP. Those arrests were made possible by military personnel under the command of Ye Win Oo.

In many cases, detainees died overnight in military custody with the Army informing the family members of victims to retrieve their bodies the following day. The regime routinely turns a blind eye and takes no punitive action against personnel involved in fatal interrogations.

Even men are subjected to sexual torture at interrogation camps. Frontier Myanmar journalist Ye Mon was beaten and raped by regime soldiers during interrogation in December 2021 after being detained at Yangon International Airport. On female detainees, nothing more needs to be said.

Min Aung Hlaings Eyes and Ears

Min Aung Hlaing has given full support to Ye Win Oos brutal crackdown on anti-coup forces, as a way of maintaining his grip on power seized from a democratically elected government.

The junta boss relies on the OCMSA to gather information about people, business owners, the NUG, the PDFs and the ethnic armed organizations who oppose his regime.

More importantly, Ye Win Oo plays a key role in fending off any mutiny against Min Aung Hlaing.

Ye Win Oo handles intelligence gathering at home and abroad as well as inside the military, said an OCMSA source.

Ye Win Oo accompanies Min Aung Hlaing at all cabinet meetings, talks with diplomats and trips at home and abroad. He accompanied Min Aung Hlaing when the junta boss visited ex-spy chief Khin Nyunt in December last year. Former military intelligence personnel from Khin Nyunts time are believed to be helping the junta chief with intelligence gathering.

Second in command at the OCMSA is Major General Toe Yi.

Following the coup, the office was expanded into two divisions, one responsible for Upper Myanmar, and the other for Lower Myanmar. The Upper Myanmar office is headed by Maj-Gen Aung Kyaw Kyaw and the Lower Myanmar office by Maj-Gen Kyaw Kyaw Lwin.

Since the coup, the OCMSA has transformed into a force of evil, and the primary responsibility lies with Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo.
Australias national science agency, CSIRO, has announced it is helping to tackle the growing threat of cyber attacks facing Australia by providing free research and development support to businesses working in the cyber security sector.

The CSIRO said today that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) working on new cyber security solutions can join the free, 10-week online Innovate to Grow program, being offered to support their idea with research and development expertise.

And on completion of the program, participants may be able to access support, through CSIRO, to connect to research expertise nationally, along with dollar-matched R&D funding.

CSIROs Data 61 Group Leader Surya Nepal said cyber security attacks were a growing threat across the world impacting many different types of sectors.

Cyber criminals are constantly finding new ways to carry our cyber-attacks, which can have devastating impacts for companies and consumers, Dr Nepal said.

The CSIRO notes that according to the Australian Cyber Security Centre, there was an annual increase of 13 per cent of reports of cybercrime in the 2020-21 financial year, and CSIROs SME Connect Deputy Director George Feast said to stay ahead of these, new solutions are required.

Much of this can be driven by SMEs - who make up 99.8 per cent of all businesses in Australia - developing new cyber products and services powered by R&D, Dr Feast said.

However, R&D can be an expensive undertaking for businesses and risky for those without the right guidance and support.

Through our Innovate to Grow program, we invite participants to come with a specific cyber security commercial idea theyd like to explore. Over 10 weeks well step businesses through how to refine their idea, to understand its research viability, and begin engaging a university or research institution to deliver a collaborative R&D project, he said.

Research released by CSIRO last year found that despite collaboration being key to drive strong R&D outcomes, less than 15 per cent of Australian businesses engage universities or research institutions for their innovation activities.

Our goal is to up that percentage, Dr Feast said.

Under the program business will also tap into CSIROs own cyber security expertise through Data61, CSIROs data and digital specialist arm, and be exposed to industry knowledge, hear from innovation and industry experts, and work with an R&D mentor.

Rezilens Operations Project Manager Corey Fraser, whose company helps make enterprise-level cybersecurity both affordable and accessible to Australian SMEs, completed the Innovate to Grow: Cyber Security program earlier this year.

This was essentially our first opportunity to pursue formal R&D, as we're still fairly young - just under two years in operation, Corey Fraser said.

What was really appealing for us through this program was the exposure to academics and NGOs in the security space, along with the associated benefit of learning from their industry expertise. And finding out about how we could access potential funding opportunities.

Id recommend this program for other start-ups who typically lack the capital and time to pursue these sorts of activities. Having the experience coordinated by CSIRO really aided in the structure and consistency of the program, and the lack of associated costs was a huge plus as well.

The CSIRO says that eligible companies can be working directly in cyber security or other industries that offer online solutions to their customers - such as agriculture and health - and want to improve the cyber security aspect of their offering.

CSIROs Innovate to Grow: Cyber Security program, commences 1 December and is available for 20-25 Small and Medium Enterprises (SME).

CSIRO says the program will pause over the Christmas/New Year break, and applications close 7 November: https://www.csiro.au/Cyber-Security

The program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the Cyber Security Skills Partnership Innovation Fund.
Unified identity security provider One Identity has announced it has joined forces with Microsoft to deliver Zero Trust through a collaboration between both enterprises.

According to One Identity Zero Trust has become a more prevalent security strategy in the last two years due to the increase of remote and hybrid working - and the industry has also found that many organisations have made a mass migration to cloud, resulting in a significant increase in breaches and security risks.

To tackle this issue, One Identity and Microsoft announced today that they have implemented a set of solutions addressing Zero Trust which assumes that every enterprise has already been or will be compromised by malicious threat actors.

A fundamental shift in the Zero Trust model is that we assume that attackers will get in rather than our ability to always keep the attackers at bay, said Serkan Cetin, APJ Technical Director at One Identity. The strategy starts with the premise that everything cannot be protected.

We have come to the view that simply setting up security models is not enough, hence companies need to be on constant alert and proactively maintain their Zero Trust strategy.

One Iderntity, notes that on the recent Better Together podcast David Totten, Microsofts CTO of Global Partner Solutions explained that for Microsoft, Zero Trust is a proactive, very intentional integrated approach to multi layers of security.

We want everybody to have access to their information wherever they are, particularly with people working remotely or from different offices. What that does is it increases the threat to vector ratio, creating a never-ending stream of entry points.

A recent global survey conducted by One Identity has found that Zero Trust is a main security priority for most organisations, with 75% recognising Zero Trust as being critically or very important to bolstering their overall cybersecurity posture.

However, One Identity says that only 14% report that they have fully implemented a solution, while another 39% of organisations have begun to address Zero Trust, and an additional 22% noted that they plan to implement Zero Trust over the course of this year.

Serkan Cetin said: We use Azure as a platform quite publicly because we believe this is a great way to innovate on top of Azure, but also expand our reach.

One Identity is confident there is a certain set of security models that Microsoft and Azure have already incorporated in their platform; therefore, we can innovate on top of that.

David Totten, Microsoft CTO of Global Partner Solutions said: Microsoft is grateful we have partners like One Identity that help us define, with our customers, that bouncing ball of access and identity throughout all of those services to make sure that we can maintain the Zero Trust position.

We rely on partners like One Identity to execute similar strategies with us.
GUEST RESEARCH: Secureworks (NASDAQ:SCWX), published its annual State of the Threat Report today, revealing that the exploitation in remote services has become the primary initial access vector (IAV) in ransomware attacks over the past year, accounting for 52% of ransomware incidents analysed by Secureworks over the period (overtaking credentials-based attacks from 2021). Alongside this, there has also been a 150% rise in the use of infostealers, making them a key precursor to ransomware. Both these factors keep ransomware the primary threat for organisations, who must fight to stay abreast of the demands of new vulnerability prioritisation and patching.

The 2022 State of the Threat Report from Secureworks provides an overview of how the global cybersecurity threat landscape has evolved over the last 12 months, with a focus on the Secureworks Counter Threat Units (CTU) first hand observations of threat actor tooling and behaviors.

We conduct thousands of incident response engagements every year. While ransomware remains the most prominent threat to businesses, we are tracking notable shifts in threat actor behaviors and their approach to campaigns. Its too simple to claim that ransomware as a service is slowing. Our research clearly shows a rise in Infostealers use and an evolution of tools and adversaries. The threat is changing, but it is not going away, states Barry Hensley, chief threat intelligence officer, Secureworks. Its critical for organisations to stay ahead of the adversary with solutions that effectively prioritise risk, based on the most up-to-date intelligence. When businesses understand the nature of the threat, they can better focus resources and move quickly to optimise response.

Highlights from the Report Include:

Shift to exploiting vulnerabilities as primary initial access vector (IAV) over credentials-based attacks

Accelerated use of Infostealers as a means of enabling ransomware operations

Insights into the changing groups and threats associated with the continued dominance of ransomware

Changes and newcomers in the loader landscape

Tools and tactics of hostile government-sponsored groups across the world

The Onward March of Ransomware

Ransomware continues to remain the primary threat facing organisations accounting for more than a quarter of all attacks. Despite a series of high-profile law enforcement interventions and public leaks, and a small slow down over the summer months, ransomware operators have maintained high levels of activity.

The median detection window in 2022 is four and a half days, compared to five days in 2021. The mean dwell time in 2021 was 22 days but so far in 2022 is down at 11 days. Companies effectively have one working week to respond to and mitigate damage.

The number of victims listed on public Name and Shame sites continues to remain high with no year-over-year reduction. Despite some monthly fluctuations, the number of victims named in the first six months of 2022 is slightly higher at 1,307 than the 1,170 named in the first six months of 2021.

This years Biggest Offenders based on Secureworks incident response engagements are GOLD MYSTIC, GOLD BLAZER, GOLD MATADOR and GOLD HAWTHORNE. Notably, all of these groups are tied to Russia.

In some instances, the adversaries are making use of the fear surrounding ransomware to undertake lower tech crimes. Hack and leak operations where data is stolen and a ransom is demanded but no ransomware is deployed continued into 2022, with GOLD TOMAHAWK and GOLD RAINFOREST among the top culprits.

Vulnerabilities in Remote Services become the Biggest Issue

The 2022 State of the Threat Report from Secureworks also highlights that exploitation of vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems has become the most common initial access vector (IAV) observed. This is a change from 2021, when the dominant IAV was the use of stolen or guessed credentials.

As new vulnerabilities are discovered, developers of widely available offensive security tools used by threat actors are quick to incorporate new vulnerabilities into their tools, often meaning that even less sophisticated threat actors are able to exploit new vulnerabilities before security teams can patch.

The Rise of Infostealers

CTU researchers have seen an increase in the sale of network access sourced from credentials acquired by information stealers. In a single day in June 2022, CTU researchers observed over 2.2 million credentials obtained by Infostealers available for sale on just one underground marketplace; last year this figure on the same market with respect to the same stealers was 878,429. Thats an increase year on year of over 150%.

The three main stealer markets include: Genesis Market, Russian Market and 2easy. There is a plethora of stealers for sale on underground forums but some of the major ones include Redline, Vidar, Raccoon, Taurus, and AZORult.

Infostealers provide the means to quickly and easily obtain credentials that can be used for initial access, making them a major enabler of ransomware operations. Innovative distribution methods for Infostealers have included cloned websites and trojanised installers for messaging apps such as Signal.

A Change in the Loader Landscape

Between July 2021 and June 2022, two big names in the loader landscape disappeared (Trickbot and IceID) and two returned (Emotet and Quakbot). This indicates that groups are moving away from the complex, fully featured botnets that evolved from the early banking trojans towards more lightweight loaders that are easier to develop and maintain  a trend that has only increased with the use of post-exploitation tools such as Cobalt Strike.

Understanding the Nation-state Threat

The Secureworks CTU has tracked several significant activities which can be attributed to nation-state sponsored threat groups, including their motivations, behaviors and tactics

China: Chinese government sponsored groups are some of the most prolific and well-resourced threats in cybersecurity. Over the course of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict, observed threat activity from Chinese government sponsored groups has targeted both Russia and Ukraine. A notable behavior from these adversaries is the use of ransomware as a smokescreen for intellectual property theft and cyberespionage, rather than for financial gain.

Chinese government sponsored groups are some of the most prolific and well-resourced threats in cybersecurity. Over the course of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict, observed threat activity from Chinese government sponsored groups has targeted both Russia and Ukraine. A notable behavior from these adversaries is the use of ransomware as a smokescreen for intellectual property theft and cyberespionage, rather than for financial gain. Russia : The war against Ukraine has been revealing for Russias cyber capabilities. At the outset of the conflict there were wide fears of destructive attacks with wide scale repercussions as was seen with NotPetya in 2017. However, despite a steady cadence of cyber activity directed against Ukrainian targets, some of which is identifiably from Russian government-sponsored threat actors, no widely disruptive attacks have been successful. The most visible Russian threat group tracked by the CTU over the past year has been IRON TILDEN. This group is notable for spearphishing attacks conducted primarily against Ukraine but also against Latvias parliament in April.

: The war against Ukraine has been revealing for Russias cyber capabilities. At the outset of the conflict there were wide fears of destructive attacks with wide scale repercussions as was seen with NotPetya in 2017. However, despite a steady cadence of cyber activity directed against Ukrainian targets, some of which is identifiably from Russian government-sponsored threat actors, no widely disruptive attacks have been successful. The most visible Russian threat group tracked by the CTU over the past year has been IRON TILDEN. This group is notable for spearphishing attacks conducted primarily against Ukraine but also against Latvias parliament in April. Iran: Links of Iranian threat groups to government have become clearer over the past year. Ransomware continues to develop as a theme across Iranian threat group activity although often it appears with the purpose of disruption rather than financial gain. Over the past year Secureworks incident responders have investigated COBALT MIRAGE identify the individuals

Links of Iranian threat groups to government have become clearer over the past year. Ransomware continues to develop as a theme across Iranian threat group activity although often it appears with the purpose of disruption rather than financial gain. Over the past year Secureworks incident responders have investigated North Korea: Multiple ransomware families have been linked to North Korea over the past 12 months, including TFlower, Maui, VHD Locker, PXJ, BEAF, ZZZZ, and ChiChi. The continued emergence and evolution of these ransomware families strongly suggests it is a stream of revenue that operators in the region will continue to pursue. Cryptocurrency and decentralised finance organisations have been a major focus of activity, and North Korean threat groups have reportedly stolen over $200 million USD from crypto exchanges since 2018.

State of the Threat 2022

The Secureworks CTU 2022 State of the Threat Report can be read in full via: https://www.secureworks.com/resources/rp-state-of-the-threat-2022

About Secureworks

Secureworks (NASDAQ: SCWX) is a global cybersecurity leader that protects customer progress with Secureworks Taegis, a cloud-native security analytics platform built on 20+ years of real-world threat intelligence and research, improving customers ability to detect advanced threats, streamline and collaborate on investigations, and automate the right actions.

Connect with Secureworks via Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and Read the Secureworks Blog
Apple has managed to get two-thirds of a fine of 1.1 billion (A$1.7 billion) levied on it by French authorities knocked off by a court.

The company will now have to pay 372 million.

Apple was fined by the French anti-competition watchdog in 2020 for alleged anti-competitive behaviour against its distribution and retail network, the news agency Reuters reported, citing two sources who were said to have knowledge of the matter.

The fine was the biggest levied by the regulator.

Apple appealed against the fine but the appeals court, despite backing the anti-trust charge, threw out the charge of price-fixing.

The court also cut down the rate at which the fine had been calculated.

But the company is not satisfied with paying even the reduced fine.

"While the court correctly reversed part of the French Competition Authority's decision, we believe it should be overturned in full and plan to appeal," it said in a statement.

"The decision relates to practices from more than a decade ago that even the (French authority) recognised are no longer in use."
COMPANY NEWS: ManageEngine, the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation, has announced that ADSelfService Plus, an identity security solution with MFA, SSO, and self-service password management capabilities, has released MFA for Windows User Account Control (UAC) prompts that require credentials for added security. This feature is available as part of the product's Endpoint MFA add-on.

A recent report published by Verizon states that up to 40% of data breaches are the result of stolen credentials. MFA remains one of the top-runners for mitigating credential theft. When implementing MFA to protect the enterprise network, logins to machines, VPNs and cloud applications are usually considered. However, comprehensive security policies do not stop with just login protection. UAC prompts, especially Run as administrator prompts, are another major function that requires protection, as these prompts provide non-privileged user accounts with privileged permissions to perform tasks they wouldn't be able to otherwise.

NIST SP 800-171 mandates using MFA to protect local and network access to privileged accounts, which includes UAC prompts. An increasing number of cyber liability insurance providers are also instating MFA for all network access attempts as a prerequisite for insurance eligibility or renewal.

"When implementing MFA for a stringent security framework like Zero Trust, enterprises must leave no stone unturned. Protecting UAC prompts with MFA is crucial, as misuse of administrator credentials can provide elevated permissions into the domain network and lead to sensitive data exposure and theft," said ADSelfService Plus director of product management Parthiban Paramasivam. "ADSelfService Plus helps secure UAC prompts and thwarts bad actors from gaining privileged domain access, without disrupting the workflow of genuine users."

Using ADSelfService Plus' MFA feature to secure UAC prompts

ADSelfService Plus supports up to 18 different authentication methods for its MFA feature. Admins can leverage the myriad of options including biometrics, TOTP and hardware keys, and tailor the solution to fit organisational requirements.

Other unique attributes of ADSelfService Plus' MFA feature include:

Automated adaptation of authentication policies based on the user's time of access, geolocation, IP address and device.

Comprehensive reports to track authentication attempts and failures.

Apart from UAC, ADSelfService Plus helps protects machine logins (Windows, Linux, macOS); VPNs and other network endpoints using Radius; and OWA and other IIS web applications using MFA. ADSelfService Plus also helps enforce advanced password policies that go a step above the existing domain password policy through rules like banned use of palindromes, patterns and dictionary words.

Pricing and availability

MFA for UAC is available immediately in the latest edition of ADSelfService Plus as part of the Endpoint MFA add-on available for its Standard and Professional editions. Pricing for the Endpoint MFA add-on of ADSelfService Plus starts at US$395 ($537) annually for 500 users.

Pricing for the Standard and Professional editions starts at US$595 ($809) and US$1,195 ($1,624), respectively. ADSelfService Plus also offers a Free edition for up to 50 users. The Free edition offers major features of the product including SSO, self-service password management, password expiration notifications and advanced password policies. It can be downloaded here. A fully functional, 30-day trial version is available for download here.

About ADSelfService Plus

ADSelfService Plus is an identity security solution to ensure secure and seamless access to enterprise resources and establish a Zero Trust environment. With capabilities such as adaptive multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, self-service password management, a password policy enhancer, remote work enablement and workforce self-service, ADSelfService Plus provides your employees with secure, simple access to the resources they need. ADSelfService Plus helps keep identity-based threats out, fast-tracks application onboarding, improves password security, reduces help desk tickets and empowers remote workforces. For more information about ADSelfService Plus, click here.

About ManageEngine

ManageEngine is the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation. Established and emerging enterprisesincluding 9 of every 10 Fortune 100 organizationsrely on ManageEngine's real-time IT management tools to ensure optimal performance of their IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, applications, endpoints and more. ManageEngine has offices worldwide, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, India, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, China and Australia, as well as 200+ global partners to help organizations tightly align their business and IT. For more information, click here, follow the company blog and get connected on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
With the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro smartphones, one of Google's main aims appears to be stemming the flow of users from Android to iOS, a technology analyst with the company Counterpoint Research claims.

In a blog post, Maurice Klaehne provided figures to show that in the US, the main market for the Pixel, there was a bigger flow of users from Android to iOS than the other way round.

He said the pattern of switching had been of concern to many Android OEMs. "Google is walking a fine line with its Pixel series. It wants to promote Android as much as possible, but it doesnt want to take away share from other Android OEMs," Klaehne added.

Google released the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro last week, along with a watch and earbuds. The Pixel phones serve as a reference model for Google, so that it can see exactly how software features work in practice.

Klaehne pointed out that about 50% of the Pixel sales were in the US, adding that while the company could expand sales to more countries, it also had to avoid potentially displacing smaller OEMs in such countries.

With the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, Google is increasing the number of countries in which the devices will be available, adding the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and India.

Courtesy: Counterpont Research

Earlier Pixel models were only available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, the UK and US.

As it has been for all smartphone vendors, Klaehne said the pandemic period had been difficult for Google. But he was puzzled as to why the company could not command more than a 5% share in the US, with global sales being even lower.

"This has been a puzzle for many enthusiasts and media given the continuous R&D Google is investing in its Pixel series," he said.

Klaehne said his understanding was that "Googles growth ambitions are not just for itself but for Android as a whole".

"Of course, it wants to make (and sell) a strong and competitive product, but it does so in the name of overall Android growth and not just its own," he added.

"Google is invested in the success of all Android OEMs and will continue to walk this path with the latest Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Watch, showcasing Androids strengths and innovations to the best of its ability."
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France's first trial of a participant in Liberia's bloody civil wars opens on Monday, with former rebel commander Kunti Kamara facing charges of crimes against humanity, including torture.

The allegations before the Paris criminal court against Kamara, 47, date back to 1993 and 1994, early years in the back-to-back conflicts that would ultimately kill 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003.

The conflicts were marked by mass murders, rape and mutilations, in many cases by child soldiers conscripted by warlords.

Atrocities against civilians were common, with drugged fighters chopping off people's limbs.

A truth and reconciliation commission was set up in 2006 to probe crimes committed during the war, but its recommendations, published in 2009, have remained largely unimplemented in the name of keeping the peace.

And many warlords who were incriminated are still considered heroes in their communities.

"Liberia is a country where total impunity for these crimes still prevails," said Sabrina Delattre, a lawyer representing several Liberians and the Civitas Maxima aid group, which is also a plaintiff in the case.

Killing, rape and looting

Kamara was a regional commander of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), a rebel group that fought the National Patriotic Front of ex-president Charles Taylor.

According to investigators, he headed an ULIMO faction in Lofa county, a strategic area in northwest Liberia.

As well as torture, he is also accused of involvement in "mass and systematic practices of inhumane acts... for both political and ethnic motives", including killing, gang rape and looting.

He faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

In a statement, prosecutors laid out graphic details of Kamara's alleged methods, including killing a whistle-blower with an axe before eating his heart.

The charge sheet also alleges that young women were raped and kept as sex slaves under Kamara's authority.

Kamara, who was arrested near Paris in September 2018, denies the charges.

"He has acknowledged that he was an ULIMO soldier but has always denied committing atrocities against civilians," his lawyer Marlyne Secci said.

Kamara is "approaching this court case as someone who will be tried in a country that is not his own," she added.

The case was brought by the crimes against humanity division of the Paris court, which was set up in 2012 to try suspected perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide detained on French soil, irrespective of where their alleged crimes were committed.

Set to last until November 4, this is the first case taken by the unit that is not related to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

Rare convictions

So far, efforts to establish a war crimes court in the country have stalled.

Former Liberian warlord-turned-president Taylor was imprisoned in 2012, but for war crimes committed in neighbouring Sierra Leone, not in his own country, where he also rampaged.

Other former participants in the Liberian wars have been tried abroad in recent years.

In Finland, suspected warlord Gibril Massaquoi was acquitted in April over alleged crimes in the later years of the second war.

A Swiss court last year sentenced former ULIMO leader Alieu Kosiah to 20 years in prison for war crimes.

And in the United States, the former warlord Mohammed Jabateh was jailed for 30 years in 2018 -- albeit for lying on his asylum application rather than for his alleged crimes.

"The victims are still very traumatised and need this justice, but they fear pressure from former rebels who still have powerful networks in Liberia," Delattre said.
The EU believes Russia's missile attacks on civilians in Ukraine "amounts to a war crime," a spokesman for the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday.

"Indiscriminately targeting people in a cowardly, heinous hail of missiles on civilian targets is indeed a further escalation," the spokesman, Peter Stano, said.

"The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms these heinous attacks on the civilians and civilian infrastructure... This is something which is against international humanitarian law and this indiscriminate targeting of civilians amounts to a war crime," he said.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called the attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities "vicious".

"Russia once again has shown to the world what it stands for -- it is terror and brutality. Those who are responsible have to be held accountable," she said in a statement.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Twitter he was "deeply shocked" by Russia's attacks on civilians.

"Such acts have no place in (the) 21st century. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms," he said.

He added that "additional military support from the EU is on its way" for Ukraine, referring to a new 500-million-euro ($486-million) tranche of funding the EU is looking to agree for Kyiv's military purchases from bloc members.

Asked about Russia's ally Belarus agreeing to deploy a "regional grouping" of Russian and Belarusian troops to an unspecified theatre, Stano warned Minsk to "refrain" from further helping Moscow in Ukraine.

"We don't have the details (on the joint deployment) but if this proceeds, this will be yet another escalation" of the "illegal war" in Ukraine," Stano said.

"And this will not be unanswered from the side of the European Union," he warned.

The EU has already imposed sanctions on Belarus for providing its territory for Russia to launch part of its invasion of Ukraine, and has said it stands ready to add to them if Minsk provides more help to Moscow.

The European bloc has imposed eight rounds of sanctions on Russia for its war in Ukraine, severely hitting its economy.
France's first trial of a participant in Liberia's bloody civil wars began on Monday, with former rebel commander Kunti Kamara facing charges of crimes against humanity, including torture.

The allegations before the Paris criminal court against Kamara, 47, date back to 1993 and 1994, early years in the back-to-back conflicts that would ultimately kill 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003.

The conflicts were marked by mass murders, rape and mutilations, in many cases by child soldiers conscripted by warlords.

Atrocities against civilians were common, with drugged fighters chopping off people's limbs.

A truth and reconciliation commission was set up in 2006 to probe crimes committed during the war, but its recommendations, published in 2009, have remained largely unimplemented in the name of keeping the peace.

And many warlords who were incriminated are still considered heroes in their communities.

"Liberia is a country where total impunity for these crimes still prevails," said Sabrina Delattre, a lawyer representing several Liberians and the Civitas Maxima aid group, which is also a plaintiff in the case.

- Killing, rape and looting -

Kamara was a regional commander of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), a rebel group that fought the National Patriotic Front of ex-president Charles Taylor.

According to investigators, he headed an ULIMO faction in Lofa county, a strategic area in northwest Liberia.

As well as torture, he is also accused of involvement in "mass and systematic practices of inhumane acts... for both political and ethnic motives", including killing, gang rape and looting.

Kamara, shaven headed and with a black moustache, spoke to confirm his name to the court, where he faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.

In a statement, prosecutors laid out graphic details of Kamara's alleged methods, including killing a whistle-blower with an axe before eating his heart.

The charge sheet also alleges that young women were raped and kept as sex slaves under Kamara's authority.

Kamara, who was arrested near Paris in September 2018, denies the charges.

"He has acknowledged that he was an ULIMO soldier but has always denied committing atrocities against civilians," his lawyer Marlyne Secci said.

Kamara is "approaching this court case as someone who will be tried in a country that is not his own," she added.

The case was brought by the crimes against humanity division of the Paris court, which was set up in 2012 to try suspected perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide detained on French soil, irrespective of where their alleged crimes were committed.

Set to last until November 4, this is the first case taken by the unit that is not related to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

"This trial is a significant step for justice for victims of atrocities committed in Liberia's first civil war," said Benedicte Jeannerod, director of Human Rights Watch in France.

But she added that further reforms were needed to allow French proceedings for more victims of foreign atrocities.

- Rare convictions -

So far only a handful of people have been convicted in Liberia itself for their part in the conflict, and efforts to establish a war crimes court in the country have stalled.

Former Liberian warlord-turned-president Taylor was imprisoned in 2012, but for war crimes committed in neighbouring Sierra Leone, not in his own country, where he also rampaged.

Other former participants in the Liberian wars have been tried abroad in recent years.

In Finland, suspected warlord Gibril Massaquoi was acquitted in April over alleged crimes in the later years of the second war.

A Swiss court last year sentenced former ULIMO leader Alieu Kosiah to 20 years in prison for war crimes.

And in the United States, the former warlord Mohammed Jabateh was jailed for 30 years in 2018 -- albeit for lying on his asylum application rather than for his alleged crimes.

"The victims are still very traumatised and need this justice, but they fear pressure from former rebels who still have powerful networks in Liberia," Delattre said.
After Russia fired a barrage of missiles at Ukraine on Monday and Belarus issued fresh threats against Kyiv, President Vladimir Putin is trying to escalate the nearly eight-month war and make up for humiliating recent casualties, Western analysts say.

According to Ukrainian authorities, 41 of 75 rockets were intercepted, but the rest hit cities across the country, including the capital Kyiv and western Lviv, near the border with Poland.

Putin warned Ukraine he was ready to authorize more heavy attacks, while Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the first episode has been played. There will be more.

UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the strikes as another unacceptable escalation, while French leader Emmanuel Macron called them a profound change in the nature of this war.

Analysts said the strikes appeared to be in response to an explosion Saturday on the Kerch Bridge, which connects the occupied Crimea peninsula with Russia and was inaugurated by Putin himself in 2018.

Jordan Bozhilov, director of the Bulgarian think tank Sofia Security Forum, called the explosion that brought down one of the sections of the road the first personal humiliation for Putin.

The attack  which was not claimed by Ukraine but was immediately blamed by Russia on Kyiv  came after major battlefield setbacks for Russian troops around Lyman in north-eastern Ukraine and Kherson in the south in recent weeks.

Russia has shown that it can still escalate the conflict, but it can only escalate by attacking more and more civilian targets, said Wojciech Lorenz, head of the international security program at the Polish Institute of International Affairs.

The Russian regime has been pressured by its own propagandists and some opinion-makers to demonstrate that it is capable of responding to Ukrainian offensives, he told AFP.

 Belarus 

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close Putin ally, also issued fresh threats against Kyiv on Monday, raising fears he may be preparing to finally join Russias offensive against its neighbor.

Lukashenko has granted Russia the use of its territory but refuses to send troops directly into battle.

He said Monday he had agreed to deploy a regional grouping that would shuffle Russian and Belarusian troops, but did not say where they would be sent.

I am skeptical that Belarus will enter the conflict. Belarusian troops are mainly concerned with repressing their own people, said William Alberque, a military expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

Lorenz said he also had doubts about Belarus direct involvement, but said that Ukraine needs to devote some resources to defending its border.

It is better to concentrate these resources in the east (against Russia) without having to spare thousands of troops in the west and north, he said.

 Options 

Forcing Belarus to become more involved, raising nuclear threats and increasing the brutality of attacks on Ukraine are seen as some of the few short-term options available to Putin if he seeks to change the dynamics of the battlefield.

Alberque viewed Mondays rocket attacks as part of Putins strategy to increase pressure on Ukraine and the West.

Russia has entered a cycle of shock and peak violence. It started with mobilization and annexation, then nuclear threats, and now indiscriminate attacks on civilians, he said.

Despite recent setbacks, Putin officially annexed four Ukrainian regions at the end of September and ordered a partial mobilization of up to 300,000 men.

Putin is trying both to put pressure on Ukrainian society by destroying power plants and civilian infrastructure, and to put pressure on Western countries to try to undermine their unity, added Bozhilov of the Sofia Security Forum.

Attacks on civilians also help him present himself as someone who is ready for anything.

But Lorenz stressed that large-scale missile attacks like Mondays by Russian forces could not be repeated on a regular basis and that Western nations are now likely to bolster Ukraines air defenses to help protect major cities.

Russias precision strike capabilities are limited and due to international sanctions, it is able to rebuild them quickly, he said.
Beneath the waters off Egypts Red Sea coast, life teems in a kaleidoscopic ecosystem that could become the worlds last coral haven as global warming obliterates reefs elsewhere, researchers say.

Most of the shallow-water corals battered and bleached white by repeated ocean heat waves are unlikely to survive the century, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said this year.

This threatens to be a devastating loss for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who depend on the fish stocks that live and breed in these fragile ecosystems.

Even if global warming is limited within the Paris climate targets of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 99 percent of the worlds corals may not recover, experts say.

But the Red Seas coral reefs, unlike those elsewhere, have proven to be very tolerant of rising sea temperatures, said Mahmoud Hanafy, a professor of marine biology at Egypts Suez Canal University.

Scientists hope at least some of the Red Seas corals  five percent of all the worlds remaining coral  could hold on amid an otherwise looming global collapse.

There is very strong evidence that this reef is humanitys hope for a coral reef ecosystem in the future, Hanafy said.

Eslam Osman of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia said: It is vital that we conserve the northern Red Sea as one of the last coral reserves as it could be a seed bank for future recovery efforts.

 livelihood for millions 

The impact of coral loss is devastating: it covers just 0.2 percent of the sea floor, but is home to at least a quarter of all marine life and plants, and helps sustain the livelihoods of half a billion people worldwide.

Global warming, along with dynamite fishing and pollution, wiped out a staggering 14 percent of the worlds coral reefs between 2009 and 2018, according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

Where once vibrant and biodiverse ecosystems thrived, now cemeteries of bleached coral skeletons remain.

Recent studies have shown that northern Red Sea corals are better able to withstand the ravages of hot water.

We have a buffer temperature before the coral bleaches, Osman said. One, two, even three degrees (Celsius) warming, were still on the safe side.

Osman said one theory explaining corals apparent resilience to heat stems from evolutionary memory developed many thousands of years ago when coral larvae migrated north from the Indian Ocean.

In the southern Red Sea, coral larvae had to pass through very warm water, which acted as a filter and only let through species that could survive up to 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit), Osman said.

But scientists warn that even if Red Sea corals survive rising water temperatures, they are at risk of damage from non-climatic threats  pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction, including from coastal development and mass tourism.

As non-climate threats increase, so does vulnerability to climate change, Osman said.

 Global Responsibility 

Reefs off Egypt are very popular with divers, and some Red Sea dive sites operate at up to 40 times their recommended capacity, Hanafy said.

Fisheries, another major pressure, must drop to one-sixth of current rates to become sustainable, he said.

For Hanafy, protecting the reef is a global responsibility and one that Red Sea tourism companies  which make up 65 percent of Egypts vital tourism industry  must share.

Local experts say they have already observed damage to parts of the delicate ecosystem.

One solution, Hanafy said, is for the environment ministry to step up protection of a 400-square-kilometer area of ??coral known as Egypts Great Fringing Reef.

More than half already lies in protected areas or ecologically managed areas, but creating a continuous protected area would support the corals by regulating activities and fisheries, implementing carrying capacity plans, and banning pollution, Hanafy said.

Further south, off Sudan, a near-lack of tourism has protected pristine coral from polluting boats and the wandering fins of divers.

But despite their greater resilience, the corals are far from immune to climate change, and the reefs there have experienced multiple bleaching events over the past three decades.

For Sudan, a country mired in severe economic and political crises including a military coup last year, monitoring the coral without funding is difficult, Sudans Supreme Council on Environment and Natural Resources said.

Corals off both the Egyptian and Saudi coasts face coastal development threats, including sewage and sediment from construction runoff, Osman warned.
In "Blind" episode 8, Ryu Sung Joon (Ok Taecyeon), Ryu Sung Hoon (Ha Seok Jin), and Jo Eun Ki (Jung Eun Ji) joined forces again to save the juror's life.

'Blind' Episode 8: Ryu Sung Joon, Ryu Sung Hoon, Jo Eun Ki Investigate Ahn Tae Ho's Case

New developments unfolded as Ryu Sung Joon, Ryu Sung Hoon, and Jo Eun Ki, and jurors forced Ahn Tae Ho (Chae Dong Hyun) to enter the survival game.

Meanwhile, the wedding hall soon turned into a creepy place when Kang Young Ki's (Kim Ha Kyun) daughter, who had just married was killed. The police immediately looked for Ahn Tae Ho as CCTV footage showed him just getting out of the venue.

Sung Joon, who witnessed Ahn Tae Ho at the wedding hall, told Sung Hoon about it and they felt anxious about the different methods of investigation.

Jo Eun Ki, on the other hand, who arrived at the hideout, observed the two brothers who were quarreling. Sung Joon and Sung Hoon just calmed down when Eun Ki scolded them to stop, and immediately went out together to look for Tae Ho.

During the investigation, Ahn Tae Ho, who was accused as a suspect was found and revealed that he was raised by a single parent, and due to his poor status he was dragged into a living hell. But not many know, he was traveling around the province to create shelters. His good deeds made him think about his bad decisions in life again.

The police also arrived at the hiding place, but the trio was able to make their investigation in advance even before the authorities came.

Meanwhile, the trio received a strange message that Tae Ho was in danger and was about to be killed.

Ryu Sung Hoon Plots What The Culprit Wants To Do With Ahn Tae Ho

As the noose tightened Tae Ho became more tense, he is struggles to live in a state of great fear caused wistful anger. Sung Hoon said that the mastermind was playing a game with Tae Ho and the police for Tae Ho to apologize to Jung Yoon Jae.

Sung Joon immediately went to look for Ahn Tae Ho's whereabouts to save him. On his way to Tae Ho, the detective found a suspicious man in a black raincoat whom he think was the culprit behind the survival game.

Ryu Sung Joon tried to go after him. Viewers are now curious whether Sung Joon will be able to catch the stranger who visited Ahn Tae Ho. And will he be able to save Tae Ho's life?

Let's all find out in the drama's next episodes on tvN.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Blind' Episode 7: Ha Seok Jin's Cold Behavior Alarms Jung Eun Ji

What are your thoughts about "Blind" episode 8? Tell us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramastars.

KDramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Being 101 years old didnt stop Lillian Jilk from joining the American Legion two years ago.

And being 103 didnt stop her from being present and smiling when Legion Post 21 honored her for her two years as a continuous member and presented her with a lifetime membership and a Certificate of Honor in recognition of her World War II service.

Jilk was one of two centenarian women that the post honored Monday morning at the Casa del Mare Assisted Living and Memory Care facility on Kenoshas north side.

Florence Klappa, 102, received a certificate and pin in honor of her 50 years of continuous membership of the American Legion Auxiliary.

We just wanted to thank you for your service and everything youve done, said Post 21 Commander Matt Christensen, during a brief ceremony complete with cake and well wishes from American Legion members and some of the ladies Casa del Mare neighbors.

At 103, Jilk is Post 21s oldest current member. A native of Minnesota and now a longtime resident of Kenosha, she joined the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps in 1942.

Stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes and later at a boot camp in Idaho and the Naval Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., she recalls treating sailors shrapnel wounds and other maladies.

It was a good experience, she said.

During Mondays event, Kenosha County Veterans Services Director Ali Nelson saluted Jilk for her service.

That was a pivotal time in our history, Nelson said. Because without World War II veterans, we likely wouldnt even have a country today.

Sitting beside Jilk, Klappa wore a pin on her sweater  a spent 50-caliber machine gun shell that her late husband, Roger, created during his World War II service as a B-29 mechanic. Earlier this year, Klappa had the opportunity to see the plane her husband serviced when it was part of a traveling tour of World War II aircraft that made a stop at the Kenosha Regional Airport.

Despite becoming a widow in 1980, Klappa remained a consistent member of the American Legion Auxiliary post in Stevens Point, where she and her husband lived before moving to Kenosha in 1958.

Im more of a backseat person, Klappa said, of her honors Monday morning.

On being 102, she said, I feel good  its just my bones that dont cooperate.
Spotlighting the importance of voting, decrying racism and supporting social justice, the national Black Voters Matter tour rolled into Kenosha Monday morning to encourage area residents to make their voices heard.

Participants later spoke with neighborhood residents about key elections on Nov. 8 and how to prepare to cast their votes.

Barbara Arnwine, president and founder of the Washington D.C.-based Transformative Justice Coalition, said it was especially important to stop in Kenosha.

This tour is going to cover 14 states, 26 cities, and Kenosha is on that list because of the great work that the people here have done to uplift to the nation the fight for justice, Arnwine said. Its all because we respect and love justice fighters, and thats who Kenosha is and thats who Kenosha represents for those of us throughout the world.

Grace Welcome Center, 2006 60th St., welcomed three busloads of local and national activists, and hosted a press conference on the grounds of Grace Lutheran Church.

Arnwine said those on the buses are helping to facilitate a votercade to help spread news and awareness about fall elections, and help voters learn whether they are registered to vote.

Daryl Jones, board chair for the Transformative Justice Coalition, expressed similar sentiments.

What this really is a celebration of the vote, a celebration of the right to vote. What were doing is encouraging people to come out, he said.

Jones said voters must hold their elected officials accountable with their ballots in each and every election.

We are winning

Wanda Mosley, the national field director for Black Voters Matter, said one of their main messages is expressed with the hashtag #WeWontBlackDown.

We were intentional with this naming because this is a call for action for our people. We know all of our rights, so many of our rights, are under attack right now. But we are a resilient people, and we have to remember that We Will Not Black Down. We know that we are in this fight, Mosley said.

Mosley said attacks are happening because we are winning.

We are changing and transforming this country, state by state, starting I would say in 2017 with the special election for U.S. Senate in the State of Alabama, and then we saw what happened in Georgia in 2020 and 2021. All of that backlash is because we Black people have the audacity to take back power, she said. But all of your attacks do nothing but fuel us and make us work even harder. We are going to fight like everything to hold what we have now.

She said the 2022 election has so many things on the ballot.

Environmental justice is one of those things; reproductive freedom is on the ballot, she said.

Many partners

Along with the Transformative Justice Coalition, Black Voters Matter also partnered with the Rainbow Push Coalition, the League of Women Voters, the African American Policy Forum, the National Newspaper Publishers Association and Leaders of Kenosha.

We work tirelessly on all things voting, said Tanya McLean, executive director of Leaders of Kenosha. All things voting are super important to LOK. Were constantly working with our state partners to ensure that were doing all we can for this community to make sure that anyone who wants to vote has the ability to vote without it being impeded on because of the color of their skin.

The tour began in Minnesota and will continue through the Midwest and South. Participants also offer free novels, childrens books and essays that have been banned in libraries and school districts across the nation in recent years.

The deadline for early registration to vote (registering online or by mail) in Wisconsin is Oct. 19. Eligible voters can also register to vote in person at their polling places on Nov. 8.
I went to Ukraine to help. Heres what you can do.

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I went to Poland and Ukraine in April and May of 2022, hoping to support the Ukrainian people in their defense of their country and democracy itself.

Vladimir Putin had put the world in a vise.

Let me do what I want, or you will risk nuclear war, was the implication. Weve seen this before, I thought. Putin is Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin all rolled into one, and he needs to be stopped. Before long, he will also take Georgia, Moldova, Poland and Lithuania. Then we are on track for World War III.

Democracy is threatened enough by division in many democratic nations, including Hungary, Britain, France, Brazil, and, sadly, the U.S. But it is democracy that sustains it, so the invasion of Ukraine needs to be stopped, and Ukraine defended.

So, I went to Poland and Ukraine in April and May to do primary care, working with an organization called Humanity First, at Medyka, at the border between Poland and Ukraine, where thousands crossed every day.

We practiced out of a tent on the walkway between the countries, as people who crossed the border walked to buses taking them to a nearby small city with trains to Warsaw, Krakow, Berlin, and many other places in Europe.

We saw people who had run out without their medications and wanted us to check their blood pressure and refill their meds, which we did from a hodgepodge of donated medications from all over the world. We saw people with coughs and sinus congestion, UTIs, back pain and headaches.

One guy had a history of pancreatitis and profuse vomiting. A woman had a fractured fibula, broken during a fall when she was fleeing a Russian missile in Mariupol. We saw people who couldnt sleep  lots and lots of people who couldnt sleep.

There are challenges, of course, in doing this work. The biggest challenge is translating for those of us who are not speakers of Ukrainian or Russian (which many Ukrainians speak, particularly those from the East. Although now they speak it reluctantly).

Some Ukrainians speak English, and most NGOs doing medical care and working with international medical volunteers provide translators. (We recruited a third-year Ukrainian medical student who was working at the border when I was there. She learned a little medicine, while I got a little better at Ukrainian because of her help. Finding an NGO that needs clinicians when you are free to go takes time and persistence. Though many NGOs are registered with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, the links between those NGOs and the Ukrainian health care system arent always strong, so immunization supplies and referral processes are sometimes difficult to figure out.

But its not clear, at the moment, that NGOs or the Ukrainian Ministry of Health is looking for U.S. physicians to come.

But that doesnt mean you cant help in other ways.

There are lots of organizations:

Razom, Unicef, World Center Kitchen, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the International Medical Corps, the International Rescue Committee, HIAS, The International Committee of the Red Cross, and Save the Children are all NGOs providing medical care, food, and other needed supplies to the people of Ukraine. As of this writing, seven million have been pushed out of their homes and are refugees inside Ukraine itself. Donations of funds and material help, and much more will be needed as winter comes on and the nights grow cold again.

And you can speak about Ukraine and the courage of the Ukrainian people as you talk to colleagues and patients. The U.S. may be divided now, but we can speak as one supporting democracy in Ukraine.

When you speak as a clinician, you are a trusted voice helping to unite your community and keep that community focused on values we share, values that give the patient care we do meaning.

Imagine the health consequences of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, something Vladimir Putin repeatedly threatens. Imagine the health consequences of political violence in the U.S. By speaking up and uniting our communities, we make democracy stronger, allowing us to do our jobs and build a healthier America and a healthier world.

Michael Fine is a family physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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In response to a medication administration error that led to the death of a 75-year-old patient, RaDonda Vaught, a registered nurse working in Tennessee, was recently found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and gross negligence of an impaired adult.

As a result, she was sentenced to three years of probation with the promise that her criminal record would be expunged if she successfully completes the sentence.

Months after this sentencing, the world of nursing is still reeling from these charges, with the American Nurses Association offering a webinar on the topic since many nurses are afraid that mistakes can result in prosecution or even imprisonment.

After reviewing the case and watching the six-hour Tennessee State Board of Nursing hearing, it seems clear nurse error was not the sole factor leading to the tragic death of patient Charlene Murphey. Recognizing this is key to ensuring the safety of future patients. The cause of the error was not just an individuals negligence but the lack of safety checks that can lead to human errors. Human mistakes are common, with an estimated quarter million medical errors annually.

Vaught did not follow the standard of care for nurses, which is a manual check of the five rights of medication administration. She failed to check the vial of medication labeled paralytic agent and mistook vecuronium with midazolam, a sedative meant to reduce anxiety, prescribed for Mrs. Murphey so that she could lay still in a PET scanner.

Here, the first human error is evident: Mrs. Murphey had been sent to the scan without being monitored since the ordering physician discontinued the monitoring orders.

The administration of a sedative during a procedure requires a nurse to be continually present and assess the patients response to the medication, including their vital signs.

According to testimony, both the primary nurse and Vaught, who was assigned as the help all nurse, noticed the absence of a monitoring order. But neither insisted on questioning the doctor or monitoring the patient, which would have been within their scope of practice.

This aspect of the case was not discussed during the hearing but merits further attention, as nurses provide a critical safety check for doctors, who are often overworked and, like everyone, prone to lapses.

These were the second and third human errors.

The following safety check designed to help prevent human error is through the hospitals automated medication dispensing cabinet. Multiple nurses testified that the automated dispensing system was being overhauled and switched from one system to another.

Due to delays, the staff had been instructed by hospital administrators to use the override feature to circumvent interruptions during the system upgrade. During testimony, she and other nurses admitted that frequent overrides led them to become complacent about them. In fact, during the three days Mrs. Murphey was in the hospital, twenty different medications were dispensed via the override function. Instead of overriding error messages, the new systems rollout may have been phased in or temporarily reverted to a manual system.

Hand-held electronic scanners scan barcodes on medications and check them against a barcode imprinted on the patients wristband. This identifies if the wrong medication or the wrong patient, but they were not in use in the radiology and PET scan areas, failing to alert Vaught to the wrong medication.

Why werent scanners used in this department?

It would be easy to dismiss the Vaught case as an anomaly, an example of a swiss cheese model of medical errors, meaning multiple errors perfectly align to cause a devastating patient outcome.

But doing that would be a mistake, neglecting the larger picture of a looming problem at hospitals which, if not addressed, may lead to many more reported and unreported medication errors and lapses in patient safety.

Before the pandemic, the nursing profession faced extraordinary challenges, including an estimated annual shortage of nearly 200,000 nurses needed to handle the United States current medical needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an already stressed workforce to be strained to the breaking point with widespread burnout and record rates of attrition, with the shortage of nurses projected to reach 1.2 million by 2030.

Medical centers are rushing to train and install nurses to meet the demands of an aging and sicker population. Taking care of patients with increasingly complex illnesses has led to what the Nurse Advisory Board has called an experience-complexity gap. This means its much harder to acquire the skills necessary for basic competence. But it is a real problem, reflected by the fact that 35 to 60 percent of nurses leave their first job within the first year of employment, many citing high levels of stress relating to an orientation process that left them feeling unprepared to care for patients.

Yes, RaDonda Vaught made a devastating error in judgment by not checking the label on the vial.

She is not the first caregiver to make this error, nor will she be the last.

As we move toward more reliance on technology to check us, these errors will become more and more common. Technology can aid in the prevention of medical errors, but if faulty and the nurse is using workarounds to compensate, these systems will be partly responsible for causing errors.

Nurses, approximately 90 percent of whom are women, are shouldering the consequences of widespread system failures and inventing workarounds to provide patient care.

Charging nurse Vaught with a crime may cause future errors to go unreported, so we may lose the opportunity to identify system failures and address them appropriately. Instead, the death of Mrs. Murphey should be a warning signal for hospitals onboarding new nurses to take the time to teach critical thinking and patient assessment, using technology as an aid  but not a replacement  for high-quality care and patient safety.

Carmen Presti is a nurse practitioner.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has stated that if Waterford Airport gets a runway capable of taking jet planes, then the airline would likely offer a route from there.

O'Leary made the comments when speaking to media, politicians and civil servants about the airline's economic contribution to the nation in Dublin recently.

He added, however, that he wouldnt want to be an investor in Waterford Airport despite that being where Ryanair originally launched its first route from.

"If they open a jet runway in Waterford, we will probably service Waterford to and from London," he said.

"However, this eats into Dublins catchment area and Corks catchment area. Cork and Shannon struggle because now increasingly more and more people will drive to Dublin because Dublin has a wider choice of flights."

Kilkenny County Council has stated in the past that it supports the development of Waterford Airport as an important regional transport asset and would like to see the return of scheduled passenger services.
Skillnet Ireland in partnership with the University of Limerick (UL) are launching the first enterprise-led, micro-credential programmes dedicated to climate action in Ireland.

The stackable micro-credentials, developed by Skillnet Irelands Climate Ready Academy, will enable participants to develop tailored sustainability charters and action plans for their organisation across the areas of energy, sustainability and waste and circularity while also achieving recognised third-level certification on the National Framework of Qualifications. The micro-credentials may be stacked, over time, leading to a full Level 7 award accredited by the University of Limerick.

Micro-credentials are small, accredited courses designed to meet the demands of learners, enterprise, and organisations.

The programmes launched are the Energy Leaders, the Waste and Circular Economy Leaders and the Sustainability Leaders programmes which are designed to incentivise and support employees in developing practical environmental improvements for their businesses.

Paul Healy, Chief Executive, Skillnet Ireland, said: The climate action leadership programmes launched today play a pivotal role in developing the talent needed by industry and in meeting the targets of the Governments Climate Action Plan.



These new micro-credentials offer participants the opportunity to achieve a level 7 Certificate. This expertise will be used by leaders in practical ways to make their businesses more sustainable and climate ready. We look forward to working with industry and academic institutions as we develop more programmes through our Climate Ready Academy, added Healy.



Earlier this year, Skillnet Ireland published research on Talent for the Green Economy in partnership with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The report found specific skills gaps which are holding back businesses when it comes to developing and implementing sustainability strategies. The new programmes are one of Skillnet Irelands targeted initiatives designed for removing these barriers.



Ken Stockil, Director of Climate Ready Academy, said: This new suite of Climate Action Micro credentials will play a critical role in helping organisations transition to a more sustainable future. They will benefit individuals in building recognised third level qualifications in areas such as Energy Management, Circularity and broader Sustainability and will benefit businesses by offering them a powerful mechanism to upskill employees and develop tangible actions to tackle climate change within their business.




A motorist driving in Kilkenny had a surprise encounter with a deer recently as multiple agencies continue to warn about the potential dangers of roaming deer.

"Came across this big fellow between Gowran and Clashwilliam Cross," Brian Ireland said.

"Be careful folks they are on the move."

It is currently deer rutting season and male fallow deer are known to be unpredictable at this time of year, often traveling several miles a day in search of a mate, crossing roads in the process.

The Irish Deer Commission have asked road users to be aware that the most common times for deer to roam are at dawn and dusk, which coincides with the morning and evening rush-hours in October.

Drivers should beware of deer causing fatal accidents by bolting across roads.

A road safety official has urged motorists to be cautious and drive a little slower at this time of the year, especially on rural and semi-rural roads.

Drivers should also be prepared to stop but are being asked never to swerve as you could hit another obstacle or vehicle.

The advice is to dip your headlights when you see a deer as full beam lights may cause the animal to freeze.

If one deer has crossed in front of your vehicle, others may follow, so stay aware.
The death toll from the Cresslough explosion could have been twice as high if the blast had happened five minutes earlier, a doctor has said.

Village GP Dr Paul Stewart said a group of school children had been sitting on a wall of the service station and convenience store just before it was buried by falling rubble.

A five-year-old girl and her father, who were buying a birthday cake, were among 10 people killed in the devastating explosion in Co Donegal on Friday afternoon.

An Garda Siochana continues to investigate the cause of the blast, which is being treated as a tragic accident.

A gas leak is one theory, it is believed.

Apparently, five minutes before the explosion there were a group of school kids sitting on the wall outside, Dr Stewart told BBC Radio Ulster.

They had been on a day trip. Five minutes earlier and we could have been twice the death toll.

Dr Stewart was involved in the emergency response in the aftermath of the blast. He was given the task of looking after the bodies of victims.

Sadly I was put in charge of the fatalities. We had to find a quiet building, he said.

And then I was involved in trying to identify them and bringing in family members, so that was very difficult.

The doctor added: One of the hard things, I think, to accept and come to terms with was that it was just out of the blue. You wake up in the morning and you dont come home in the evening, and that was very hard.

Its going to take us years to put this back together again. These wounds are going to take years to heal, if they ever do. This is the worst tragedy thats happened in Donegal in living memory.

Those killed were 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, 48-year-old James OFlaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

Funeral arrangements for some of the victims have already been announced.

Jessica Gallaghers funeral mass will take place at St Michaels Church in Creeslough on Tuesday morning.

Martin McGills will be in the same church on Tuesday afternoon.

James OFlahertys funeral will be in St Marys Church in Derrybeg on Wednesday.

Speaking on Monday morning, a Creeslough priest said the heart of the village has been broken by a tsunami of grief.

Father John Joe Duffy said the community has experienced a tidal wave of condolences from across the world, including from figures such as Pope Francis and UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Fr John said the bereaved relatives he has spoken to have expressed their gratitude for the people who rushed to the petrol station to help, as well as emergency services from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

This is a quiet village and the heart of this village has been broken by a tsunami of grief, he told BBC News.

Father John said he knew most of the victims  as did many of the first responders from the fire and ambulance services.

In a statement, Pope Francis said he was saddened by the blast and expressed spiritual closeness to all those suffering.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss has expressed deepest sympathies for the entire community of Creeslough.
Two men from Co Donegal have spoken of their frantic efforts to rescue people caught up in the explosion that took the lives of 10 locals.

Colin Kilpatrick was just metres from the petrol station in Creeslough when the blast ripped through the building on Friday.

The impact of the explosion knocked him over.

I was making delivery at the creamery when the explosion happened and I fell over but I presumed the lorry or the trailer had a problem, that there was a blow-out in the tyre, he told the PA news agency.

I got out of the lorry and saw the shop and then I knew what happened. We ran to the shop and there was a young girl there and she was squealing that her sisters or friends were still inside.

We got her across the road then went back and and there was a man stuck under the door. I shouted for the jack of a car and we got the door off him.

We couldnt lift it without the jack; you think you are strong but we couldnt move it. We stayed with him until the ambulance came just to comfort him.

Mr Kilpatrick and fellow Donegal man Bernard McGinley, among many others, worked for hours lifting heavy debris to free people trapped underneath.

One of the men Mr Kilpatrick helped remove from the scene, James OFlaherty, tragically passed away.

We just kept working to get people out  between everyone it was a big help, Mr Kilpatrick added.

We took lorries up and worked right through until everyone was out.

We got the girl out and two men and spent hours moving stuff to clear the exit.

Ten precious lives lost. The heartbreak and trauma in #Creeslough is unspeakable. We stand with victims, survivors, families and community. None of this makes sense. Our human vulnerability exposed. In the end all we have is love. pic.twitter.com/NMnHXdwCO3  Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) October 9, 2022

He said the scene was difficult to describe.

I would say when we got the young girl out first the reality hit and you are thinking, this is a petrol station too so youre waiting for a bang at the same time. So its just unreal, just as they say, like a movie, he added.

We are sore and taking pain killers because we worked and pulled at heavy stuff we are not used to. I was lifting heavy blocks and not even thinking about it.

Everyone was taking turns to get stuff moved out of the way.

Mr Kilpatrick and Mr McGinley met Archbishop Eamon Martin on Monday, who visited the scene in Creeslough.

Mr McGinley, who appeared within minutes of the explosion, said he arrived at a scene of total and utter carnage.

There were people walking about dazed, people injured, people frantically looking for friends and partners. It was unimaginable. There were cars blown across the forecourt, people trapped, he added.

There were fatalities almost instantly.

On the forecourt it was straightforward. Most people were trapped and it was a matter of taking debris off them and we put them in cars and helped them up. They had broken limbs.

Inside it was a different scenario.

Mr McGinleys daughter works in the shop during the summer holidays and at weekends, but was not working at the time of the explosion.

It hit me that my daughter could have been there, he added.

I knew everyone in the shop. It hits hard.

The first man Colin tried to rescue died in his arms. My memory is better because it is rescuing a little girl and she is OK. Thats what I will hang on to.

Mr McGinley said he does not know how the small community will recover from the devastation.

This little village will need help for a long time and the severity is so far-reaching, he added.

We dont have anywhere to get a carton of milk, or a loaf of bread. Its just devastating.

People have been ringing me from everywhere asking what can they do. Everyone wants to help so a structure needs to be put in place as to how we help everyone and help this community recover.
Seven food businesses across Ireland received closure orders in September for breaches of food safety legislation.

That's according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), which today (October 10) confirmed the closure orders were served pursuant to the FSAI Act 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

Two orders were served under the former Act to Bow Lane Restaurant and Rustic Stone (Restaurant/Cafe), both in Dublin 2.

Five further orders were served under the latter to Lee Kee Chinese Restaurant in Dublin 1, Ocean Palace (Take Away) in Meath, Homesavers (closed activities: The storage, display and sale of all foodstuffs on the entire premises shall be ceased with immediate effect) in Limerick, Swift Fine Foods in Monaghan, and King Pizza (Take Away) in Cork.

Reasons for closures include the presence of dead mice, flies and rodent faeces in several locations throughout one premises, including on food products and food contact materials, the presence of large cobwebs and holes on ceilings, food stored at incorrect temperatures, inappropriate preparation areas, dirty and inappropriate protective clothing among staff, and a lack of knowledge regarding safe food preparation, storage and handling practices.

Commenting on the closure orders, Chief Executive of the FSAI, Dr Pamela Byrne, said that a lack of pest control procedures is unacceptable.

She said, "It is a legal requirement for all food businesses to have a robust food safety management system in place that also ensures a high level of pest control. However, time after time, environmental health officers are finding incidents of rodent infestations and filthy premises highlighting a disregard for basic food safety and hygiene.

"All food businesses have a legal obligation to ensure that the food they are processing, serving or selling is safe to eat at all times. Consumers have a right to safe food and we would urge anyone who is concerned or suspect there is unusual activity being demonstrated by a food business, to contact us via our online complaint form and we will investigate."
People all over the world are stunned by the tragic and horrific explosion at a Co Donegal service station that killed 10 people, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland has said.

Archbishop Eamon Martin visited the scene of the blast in the tiny village of Creeslough on Monday.

Irelands police force, An Garda Siochana, continues to investigate the cause of the explosion, which is being treated as a tragic accident.

The archbishop said: Like many people all over the country and all over the world weve been stunned by the tragic and horrific events here at Creeslough on Friday afternoon.

I wanted to come here to express my concern, my love for the people here and also our deep gratitude to so many people who helped particularly on Friday evening and on Saturday to try to do what they could to recover, to rescue and to comfort all of those who are grieving or were injured.

Mr Martin said seeing the empty shell of the service station and adjoining buildings conjured the emptiness in the community.

Words are really not enough, sometimes you just have to be here and be present, and thats what Ive been trying to do, he said.

Just looking up there at that building, which I think many of us would have visited many times when were down in this very beautiful part of the world, just to see the empty shell thats there, for me, it conjures up the emptiness that there must be in so many homes, in schools, in workplaces and in the community that empty space.

He said that emptiness has been filled by love, by care, by prayer, by faith and also by some hope in the midst of the awful disaster.

Archbishop Martin said there was deep sadness and a deep sense of grief evident in the community, and that he had huge admiration and respect for all those who had helped at the scene.

Mr Martin said during his visit he wanted to spend time in prayer with the 10 candles that have been lit in the local church for each of the 10 people who lost their lives.

The archbishop added that the message church ministers, priests and bishops are trying to convey is that the Lord walks with you in your suffering in these horrific moments, offering you the hope of his resurrection.

There are so many biblical verses that speak of terrible trauma like this, Mr Martin said.

Im sure people all over the country are recalling their own sadnesses and their own losses at a time like this.

It is at these times that we do reach out for God and for faith and for prayer and hope, Christian hope in the midst of it all.
With CSA certificate, tech pioneer pushes to apply for EU sales license

Tinavi Medical Technologies Co Ltd, a Chinese pioneer in medical robots, is applying for the CE marking in Europe as part of its broader push to break into overseas markets.

The CE marking is an abbreviation of the French phrase "Conformite Europeenne", which translates as "European Conformity". It is a conformity mark used to monitor and regulate goods sold within the European Union.

Ma Min, president of Tinavi, said: "We are in the middle and late stages of applying for the CE marking, and we hope to get approved for the EU sales license in the near future."

The move marks big progress for Tinavi, which has brought China's first homegrown orthopedic surgical robot to the market. By the end of last year, the company's orthopedic surgical robots had been used in more than 20,000 orthopedic surgeries in China.

In December, Tinavi's TiRobot II, a robotics-guided orthopedic surgical system, obtained the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) certificate, which the company said made it the first orthopedic surgical robot from China with technology qualified for entry into the North American market.

The CSA is a not-for-profit membership-based association headquartered in Toronto. It develops consensus standards to help protect the health and safety of Canadians and is also recognized around the world.

The robotics-guided orthopedic surgical system is applied in trauma surgery on the cervical spine, thorax, lumbar area, sacrum, pelvis and limbs. It was certified under the latest industry standards, including product safety regulations, medical software, availability and specialized robot performance standards, the company said.

"The surgical robot's complexity is an aggregation of many modern high-tech elements," said Ge Yanqing, vice-president of the Canadian Standards Association Group. "The surgical robot is more technologically sophisticated and precise, with higher added value, than other robots. In China, surgical robots have been applied to orthopedics, neurosurgery, cardiology, gynecology and other operations."

Xu Jin, CEO of Tinavi, said it is well known that medical standards and requirements in North America are among the strictest in the world. "Therefore, the CSA Group certificate is a recognition of the company's techniques and quality, and may pave the way for Tinavi to obtain necessary approvals to enter the international market," Xu said.

Huang Junhui, secretary of the board of directors at Tinavi, said the CSA certification is equivalent to a prerequisite for applying to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"The CSA is a certification body recognized by the FDA. After this certification, we have the qualifications to apply to the FDA."

Tinavi, founded in 2006, holds over 100 patents, the company said. It was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange in July 2020 and became the first listed medical robot enterprise in China, raising about 448 million yuan ($61.8 million).

This year, a new integrated surgical treatment called Viper Prime& TiRobot was launched in the market. This new product was jointly developed by US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson and Tinavi, and it has integrated TiRobot and Viper Prime, an advanced, minimally invasive implant system of Johnson & Johnson. The companies said it provides surgeons with efficient and intelligent services and will benefit more patients with spinal problems.

The move marked the latest step in cooperation between Johnson &Johnson and Tinavi. In October 2019, the two sides signed an agreement on business and research cooperation.

Tian Wei, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said traditional bone surgeries typically demand a high degree of steady surgical experience, as well as high precision and a clear view of the injuries. In such cases, the need for deep incisions and exposure to multiple X-rays may elevate medical risks.

Robots can apply minimally invasive orthopedic solutions to these difficulties, Tian said.

Tian conducted the world's first robot-assisted surgery on the upper cervical vertebrae in 2015 by using Tinavi's robots. Back then, Tian was the president of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital.

He said, it is notable that midsized hospitals in China are more eager to buy orthopedic surgery robots than large hospitals.

"In the past, midsized hospitals did not dare to perform very sophisticated operations, and they would recommend patients to transfer to larger hospitals. But now, surgical robots can provide a great deal of assistance in carrying out such surgeries," Tian said.




By Yi Whan-woo







An Indonesian bank controlled by KB Kookmin Bank has received virtually the highest rating from Indonesia's financial watchdog, the Korean lender said Sunday.







KB Bukopin moved up its risk-based bank rating (RBBR) to Level 2 from Level 3 on a five-point grading scale from Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJT), an Indonesian government agency that regulates and supervises the financial industry.







The rating was developed to measure Indonesian commercial banks' liquidity, corporate governance and other factors concerning financial soundness.







No commercial bank operating in Indonesia has received a Level 1 rating so far, according to KB Kookmin Bank, meaning KB Bukopin currently holds the highest grade among its competitors.







"The elevation in KB Bukopin's rating is anticipated to let the firm introduce a wide range of new services, especially in the digital banking sector," KB Kookmin Bank said in a press release.







KB Kookmin Bank has invested about 800 billion won ($561.4 million) in KB Bukopin to acquire its stake since 2018.







The Korean lender has held a majority 67-percent stake in KB Bukopin since July 2020 and possesses managerial rights.







The years-long investment comes as KB Financial Group, the parent of KB Kookmin Bank, targets Indonesia as a new major market outside Korea and concentrates on expanding its businesses.







Along with banking services, KB Financial Group has credit card, securities, insurance and other non-banking operations as Korea's largest financial services group.







Established in 1970, KB Bukopin is ranked 19th among 115 commercial banks in Indonesia.







It is the largest Indonesian lender owned by a Korean firm to date.


Liang Kuang-chung, representative of the Taipei Mission in Korea, delivers a speech during a reception commemorating Taiwan's 111th national day at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Oct. 6. Courtesy of Taipei Mission in Korea



By Kwon Mee-yoo



The Taipei Mission in Korea celebrated the country's 111th national day with an event at a hotel in Seoul, Oct. 6.



Also known as Double Ten Day, the day falls on Oct. 10, commemorating the beginning of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, which brought an end to the Qing Dynasty and led the establishment of the Republic of China.



Taiwan's Envoy to Korea Liang Kuang-chung welcomed the return of the celebration after a two-year hiatus since his arrival in Korea in July.



He introduced how both Korea and Taiwan are coping with the pandemic.



"With the efforts of the government and the people, Korean society is gradually getting back to normal by implementing the Living with COVID-19 policy Taiwan has shown the world how to effectively fight the pandemic while complementing liberal democracy and economic resilience," Liang said.



The Taiwanese diplomat noted that Taiwan and Korea are democratic and economic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.



"In recent years, our exchanges and cooperation in various fields have grown steadily, and have had fruitful and visible gains," he said.



"In terms of economy and trade, Taiwan and Korea are each other's fifth-largest trading partners. Despite the epidemic, the total bilateral trade volume still bucked the trend... It shows that Taiwan and Korea are solid and mutually beneficial trading partners."



The two countries are also closely intertwined as the economy and security are inseparable nowadays.



"Taiwan and Korea are both major semiconductor producers and indispensable members of the global supply chain," Liang said, adding that he hopes to sign further agreements on bilateral investment and economic cooperation to improve bilateral economic cooperation mechanisms and maintain the resilience of the global supply chain.



Taiwan resumed visa-free entry for Korean passport holders on Sept. 29 and will move from a three-day mandatory quarantine to a seven-day self-health management system, which is hoped to help bring back Korean visitors.



Before the pandemic, the number of mutual visits between Taiwan and Korea exceeded 2.45 million in 2019 with more than 300 flights a week.



Liang expressed Taiwan's hope that exchanges and interactions between the two countries will be more active than ever.



The envoy also voiced support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.



"Taiwan notices the 'audacious initiative' issued by the government of ROK. We welcome the efforts made by the Korean government to build sustainable peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Northeast Asian region and support the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue," he said.



"In the future, we look forward to continuing working with like-minded countries to jointly safeguard universal values and maintain a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."


Akmal Saidov, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan





By Akmal Saidov







The public discussion of the draft constitutional law, "On Amendments and Additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan," is being held based on the principles, "The people are the only source and author of laws," and "All important decisions are made on the basis of direct dialogue with the people and taking into account public opinion."







Updated Constitution as legal basis for establishing new Uzbekistan







At the meeting with the members of the Constitutional Commission in June of this year, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that the updated Constitution should create a solid legal basis and a reliable guarantee for the long-term development strategies of our country, as well as for the future prosperous life of our country and people.







It should be noted that the idea of "For human dignity" put forward by the president, as well as the main principle of the fundamental reforms implemented in New Uzbekistan, the "Man-society-state" approach, deeply embedded in the content of our Constitution, the constitutional law "On Amendments and Additions to the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan" became the priority task of creating the project.







Our Constitution has been improved over the years based on the needs of our people, the demands of reforms and the times we live in. Now, the wide-scale tasks defined in the development strategy of New Uzbekistan, the establishment of a people-friendly state, the more effective provision of human rights and interests, and the value of human dignity, create the need to create a new constitutional and legal space suitable for fundamental reforms in our country.







Also, the global problems that are happening in the world and international events, which are changing day by day, require the implementation of new and extremely important life tasks that cannot be delayed in solving large-scale issues such as the further modernization of our country, ensuring peace, stable development, and improving the legal foundations of foreign policy.







Today, the new Uzbekistan has become a state based on democratic principles, universally recognized principles and norms regarding human rights and freedoms, and the ultimate goal of which is to create a free and prosperous life for the people.







It should be noted that any reform is based on a strong constitutional-legal basis, and will achieve the noble goals and noble tasks and effective results. In fact, looking at the experience of Uzbekistan and the world, it can be observed that constitutional reforms were implemented during the period of radical change, and that reforms become irreversible only when they are supported by the people and serve to realize the people's hopes and dreams.







Updated Constitution is truly people's Constitution







As President Mirziyoyev noted, "If we implement the constitutional reform on the basis of the opinion and support of our citizens, through a referendum, it will literally be an expression of the will of our people - a real people's Constitution."







The main author and creator of our updated Constitution is literally the people of Uzbekistan. This conclusion is based on:







First, the idea of implementing constitutional reforms and its importance in the development of the state and society was proposed for the first time by the population and voters who know that "New Uzbekistan needs a renewed Constitution."







After all, during the presidential election of Uzbekistan in October 2021, during the meeting of the candidates with representatives of the electorate, an important proposal, which is a logical continuation of the democratic reforms in our country - the implementation of the constitutional reform - was put on the agenda.







This shows, on the one hand, that the policy of democratic reforms within the framework of the strategy of the president of a new Uzbekistan is widely supported, and on the other hand, that the voters are interested in fundamental changes in the country.







Secondly, in order to generalize, systematize, in-depth analysis of the ideas put forward by the people, and at this stage of the country's development, in order to create New Uzbekistan and the foundations of the Third Renaissance, to radically improve the activities in the field of society and state administration, the president defined the priority directions of constitutional reforms.







Thirdly, the deputies and senators of the Oliy Majlis, directly elected by the people, are leading the implementation of constitutional reforms. Also, the inclusion of representatives of the academic community, non-governmental non-profit organizations and other institutions of civil society in the Constitutional Commission formed by the parliament, along with the participation of people's representatives in the constitutional reforms, serves to ensure its populism and conformity with democratic principles and rules recognized in the world.







Fourthly, more than 150,000 proposals were received on the basis of traditional appeals and collective proposals through the collective center, direct reception of citizens, the "Meningkonstitutsiyam.uz" platform, and traditional appeals. This is more than 25 times more than the 1992 public hearing. About 56 percent of these suggestions were made by men, 40 percent by women, and 4 percent were made anonymously. Proposals sent by compatriots abroad were also taken into account, discussed in detail with the participation of the scientific community, and presented to the Constitutional Commission.







Fifthly, the analysis of opinions, initiatives and proposals expressed by citizens at local meetings shows that our people are not indifferent to the changes in the new Uzbekistan, but are becoming an active and interested participant in reforms, especially constitutional reforms.







Sixth, it is necessary to recognize the active participation of non-governmental non-profit organizations, mass media and other institutions of civil society, legal scholars, academic community, "think tanks" in constitutional reforms. Institutions of civil society closely supported the activities of the Constitutional Commission:







More than 400 global and regional conventions, declarations, resolutions and international experience in constitutional development adopted within the framework of the UN, OSCE, SCO, EU, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Organization of Turkic States and other international organizations were studied, constitutions of 193 countries, constitutional reforms were systematically was analyzed;







More than 10 works such as "Constitutions of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states," "World constitutions," "Constitutional reforms: experience of world countries" (five volumes) were created on the basis of deep analysis and studies of international and foreign experience. Based on them, opinions, proposals and recommendations regarding the constitutional law draft and reforms were developed.







Proposals of civil society institutions, including "glorification of human dignity and value," consistent implementation of the new "man-society-state" paradigm in life, establishment of a populist, just and social state, constitutional strengthening of the role and status of civil society institutions, children, women-included areas such as ensuring freedoms, rights and legal interests of girls and persons with disabilities, solving environmental problems.







For the first time in the history of independent Uzbekistan, the draft constitutional law, based on the direct participation and initiative of civil institutions, protects the public, gender, children's rights, human rights, in particular, the dignity, rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities, builds a social state, supports entrepreneurship. A number of directions, such as support and protection of private property, as well as anti-corruption and linguistic expertise, were conducted. More than 300 non-governmental non-profit organizations participated in public expertise.







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Openness and transparency are important principles of Constitutional reforms







The Constitutional Commission conducted its activities strictly based on the principles of openness and transparency. In particular, representatives of scientific research institutions, relevant state and non-governmental non-profit organizations, neighborhoods, other institutions of civil society, national and international experts in the field were actively involved in this commission.







The activity of the Press Service of the Constitutional Commission took a special place in this. In particular, the Press Service is particularly active in conveying the importance, priorities and main directions of the constitutional reforms, the innovations introduced into the Constitution for our citizens in a simple and understandable language. The participation of journalists and bloggers is ensured in the work of widely introducing the draft constitutional law to the population, organizing a wide public discussion of each article in the mass media, the Internet and social networks, studying the opinion of citizens, and ensuring strong relations between the population and the Constitutional Commission in this regard.







In this regard, the Press Service carries out its activities in two directions:







firstly, coverage of constitutional reforms in mass media and social networks:



13 thousand 824 films, interviews, informative and special programs were broadcasted on state and non-state TV channels, 3730 informative and special broadcasts were organized on radio channels;







1,303 articles were published in printed publications, 7,122 were published in Internet publications, and 49,545 information materials were published on social networks such as Telegram, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.







Information materials published on the Internet alone were viewed by users more than 245 million times and more than 109 thousand comments were left. Also, the official pages of the Press Service on social networks and the Internet portal www.meningkonstitutsiyam.uz are posting information about the activities of the Commission and constitutional reforms. To date, more than 1000 information materials (in Uzbek, Karakalpak, Russian and English) have been posted. Today, the number of users of this portal has increased dramatically, reaching 73,600 people. 15 thousand 872 comments and 384 additional suggestions were left by the users of the portal to the proposals received from citizens;







secondly, to help ensure the openness and transparency of the work of the Constitutional Commission:







Organization of briefings and press conferences dedicated to the activities of the Constitutional Commission and working groups was systematically launched;







More than 490 reports and videos aimed at promoting constitutional reforms are being prepared and widely covered in mass media and social networks. Also, a total of 77 "Backstage" reports in special Uzbek and Russian languages ??reflecting the activities of the Commission, the work processes of the groups under the commission, and the processes of receiving proposals from citizens, are being filmed and widely promoted in the mass media and social networks;







Fourteen issues of analytical comments entitled, "Constitutional reforms from the perspective of newspapers," were prepared and widely covered in order to familiarize newspaper subscribers with constitutional reforms, their content and opinions expressed by experts in the field, commission members, and active public representatives;







It was organized to send SMS-notifications to citizens through all mobile communication operators aimed at being active in the process of constitutional reforms with their suggestions. These SMS were sent to 30 million subscribers.







It is worth noting that political parties are carrying out productive activities during the process of constitutional reforms. According to the analysis, more than 17,000 events were held by 5 political parties, 657,000 citizens took part in them, and more than 24,000 proposals were collected aimed at further improving the draft constitutional law and deepening democratic reforms in our country.







Most importantly, various issues, which were previously called "the most difficult," "inconvenient" and "extremely sensitive" were brought up in the discussions, regardless of whether they are related to the economic, social, political, legal or environmental, humanitarian and other areas were placed at the center of the discussion. Diversity of thoughts and ideas in the society, competition between them was clearly demonstrated.







Undoubtedly, all this is a unique democratic indicator, which serves to ensure that the updated Constitution of Uzbekistan is a real people's Constitution and polish every article taking into account the opinion of the population.







Draft constitutional law is recognized by international community







In creating the draft constitutional law, the recommendations of the United Nations on constitutional reforms, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the "Paris Charter for a New Europe" of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the "European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights" of the European Union, the international and regional legal documents adopted within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other international structures on the involvement of representatives of all levels of society in the processes of state and community management were taken into account.







More than 100 national and more than 40 international forums, including in foreign countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Korea and Poland) dedicated to constitutional reform and various innovations of the draft constitutional law in cooperation with state and non-governmental non-profit organizations, academic community, international and foreign non-governmental organizations, (Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Japan and India) were held.







More than 500 international and foreign experts, members of parliament, state and public figures, political scientists participated in them and gave their positive opinions and practical recommendations regarding the draft constitutional law and reforms.







Permanent representatives and experts of the missions of more than 40 member states in the regions of Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Africa, as well as employees of various UN structures, took part in the international roundtable discussion on constitutional reforms in Uzbekistan at the headquarters of the UN in New York alone. At the event, a unique experience in the history of Uzbekistan  the fact that the constitutional law is being discussed by the whole nation, that the constitutional reform corresponds to the interests of every citizen, regardless of nationality, religion, age, gender, and social status, and the efforts aimed at ensuring the inclusiveness of the reform were specially recognized.







In particular, Azerbaijan's permanent representative to the UN, Yashar Aliyev, and Mitsuta, an expert of Japan's mission to the UN, highly appreciated the work of the Constitutional Commission on the in-depth study of advanced international experience in the field of constitutional law-making. He firmly believed that the constitutional reforms will be successfully completed with the support of the people through the referendum.







Counselor of Germany's Permanent Mission to the UN, Marcus Koll, noted that the approach used by Uzbekistan in updating the Constitution is a bright example of ensuring the inclusiveness and comprehensiveness of the reforms and effectively solving the tasks facing the state.







The participants of this international roundtable specifically noted that the amendments to the new Constitution of Uzbekistan are consistent with the goals of the UN's agenda for sustainable development until 2030.







The General Secretary of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Martin Chungong, stated that the constitutional reforms in our country were positively evaluated and supported by more than 30 international organizations that participated in the roundtable discussion on "Constitutional reforms: ensuring human dignity and rights" organized at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.







Chungong paid special attention to the fact that one of the priorities of the constitutional reforms is the further development of the constitutional-legal basis for ensuring the effective protection of the dignity, rights, freedoms and legal interests of women and girls. The proposed amendments and additions to our Constitution emphasized full compliance with the norms and principles of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action.







It should be noted that, for the first time in the history of independent Uzbekistan, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights received official comments and suggestions on the draft constitutional law.







A number of international organizations and experts are fully aware of the national discussion of the constitutional law, the relevant recommendations of the United Nations on constitutional reforms, the relevant documents of other international and regional organizations, the priority trends of modern constitutional development in the world, as well as the priority principle "The people are the only source and author of laws." is considered to have been carried out in compliance. At the same time, he emphasizes the expediency of adopting this constitutional law on the basis of a national referendum.











Akmal Saidov is First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan.


Anvar Nasirov, director of the International Institute for Central Asia





By Anvar Nasirov







There is no doubt that the Summit held in the ancient, great and eternally young city of Samarkand became an important milestone in the dynamic development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The relevance of discussing the results of this forum and the practical agreements reached at the event is dictated by the reasons that our participants have already defined and I think will still define:







First, is the serious geopolitical changes that all of humanity has faced. As the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted in his article published in almost all the leading media of the world, Uzbekistan's chairmanship in the SCO has fallen during a dynamic period, fraught with various events and trends  the period of the "historical rift," when one era comes to an end and another begins  thus far unpredictable and unknown;







Second, the aggravation of economic and financial problems, instability in the global energy sector, jeopardizing the well-being of a large number of countries, climate change, shortage of water and natural resources, the ongoing socio-economic consequences of the pandemic, the emergence of threats to world food security, breaks or threats to disrupt established value and supply chains.







And finally, third, the importance of mitigating the consequences of rapid changes in international relations and the global economy, actualizing the issues of joining efforts in strengthening the foundations of international law and security in the world.







Since the establishment of the SCO, the active work of the member states of this Organization to implement its goals and objectives has contributed to the formation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an authoritative and influential multilateral association.







The close and constructive dialogue between its member states, observers and dialogue partners, despite any external circumstances and long distances, contributed not only to the development of effective cooperation, but also was a factor that began to have a positive impact on the situation and condition of each state individually. The meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States held on September 15-16 was certainly the achievement of the successful chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the Organization and a major political-diplomatic event that can rightfully be viewed through the prism of the global dimension.







One of the pearls not only of Uzbekistan, but of the world  the ancient city of Samarkand gathered the leaders of the Eurasian space, became a center of concentration of international politics and economics, a platform where the architecture of a new, inclusive interaction based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, trust and constructive cooperation was discussed and laid.







The results of the work of this multilateral forum can be regarded as historical.







The Samarkand Declaration adopted following the summit makes an important contribution to restoring confidence in the system of international relations, becomes a kind of starting point for the beginning of a new stage of interstate and multilateral cooperation based on dialogue and mutual understanding. In the consolidated document, all SCO member states confirm several fundamental principles on which the Organization's work has been and will continue to be built.







First, the exclusion of block, ideologized, confrontational approaches to solving problems of international and regional development.







Second, respect for the right of people to an independent and democratic choice of ways of their political and socio-economic development.







Third, respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity of states and non-interference in internal affairs.







Fourth, non-use of force or threat of use of force, as well as a commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes between countries through dialogue and consultations.







Fifth, the SCO is not directed against other states and international organizations and is open to broad cooperation with them by the goals and principles of the UN Charter, the SCO Charter and international law.







Strictly following these principles and effectively interacting with international organizations in solving current issues, in recent years the SCO has emerged as an important and attractive pole of attraction.







During the year of its presidency, Uzbekistan managed to preserve the "Shanghai Spirit." This is evidenced by the wide representation of states and international organizations at the Samarkand Summit.







Moreover, the "Samarkand Platform" has launched the process of "replenishment" of the SCO by dialogue partners and observers. Among them are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain and Maldives.







A Memorandum of Commitment with the Islamic Republic of Iran was also signed in Samarkand, which opens the final stage to the full membership of this country in the SCO. In addition, the procedure for the accession of the Republic of Belarus as a full member of the SCO has been launched. This is evidence of the expansion of the economic, political-diplomatic and cultural-humanitarian geography of the Organization.







The 2022 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit was held in Uzbekistan's second-largest city Samarkand. Courtesy of Embassy of Uzbekistan in Korea





There are not so many international and regional organizations in the world today that have established themselves as successful platforms capable of uniting various states at the same table and offering an effective way of joint development. Taking this into account, within the framework of the SCO Uzbekistan put forward the Samarkand Solidarity Initiative in the name of common security and prosperity.







The main goal is to involve all interested states in the global intercivilizational inclusive dialogue, search for coordinated approaches and solutions to current issues of our time, restore mutual trust, remove global tension, uncertainty and unpredictability to establish international cooperation.







This fully meets the needs of our peoples and states, namely, to pass on to future generations the centuries-old cultural and civilizational values and a prosperous world.







I think I will not be mistaken that it is the Samarkand Initiative that creates a favorable basis for achieving the set goals for the long term, will ensure the strength and reliability of equal and mutually beneficial cooperation for the benefit of all peoples and states.







Undoubtedly, the intention demonstrated by the participants to strengthen cooperation, according to the apt expression of the President of Uzbekistan, has become a development of the "Samarkand Spirit," which fully complements and strengthens the principles of the "Shanghai Spirit."







Today, we can say that the results of the Summit in Uzbekistan, related both to the expansion of the membership of the Organization and the adoption of a solid package of documents, lay the foundations for the rebirth of the SCO into a new type of structure, the demand for which will only increase.







Holding the International Samarkand Forum on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev next year with the participation of political leaders, authoritative representatives of the public, business, academic and expert circles will make it possible to develop practical recommendations for further promotion of the ideas of peace and development.







Undoubtedly, the SCO's entry into a new stage of development is impossible without the cohesion and effective cooperation of the Central Asian states, which act as the core of the Organization. This was again clearly stated in the final document of the Summit.







In the adopted Samarkand Declaration, the SCO member states supported the efforts of the countries of the region aimed at ensuring peace, sustainable development and the formation of a space of good neighborliness, trust and friendship.







The Heads of state called for further strengthening the SCO's role in strengthening stability and socio-economic development of our region, welcomed the holding of regular Consultative meetings of the heads of Central Asian states, the initiative of which belongs to the President of Uzbekistan.







Here I would especially like to emphasize that four Central Asian States  the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan  are the founders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.



But it is very gratifying that fraternal Turkmenistan, which does not have official status in the Organization, also shows great interest in cooperation with the SCO, which has always acted as a platform capable of providing conditions for solving current issues related to socio-economic, transport and communication development, ensuring security, strengthening and increasing humanitarian contacts. A vivid confirmation of this is the participation of the President of Turkmenistan as an honorary guest at the Samarkand Summit and the initiatives he announced to enhance practical cooperation in the SCO space.







If we take the statistics for the last five years, the total number of initiatives and proposals made by the leaders of the Central Asian states is more than 160 in total. The President of Uzbekistan put forward almost 70 initiatives envisaging strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships not only in traditional areas, but also establishing cooperation in completely new areas, such as innovation and digital development, connectivity and logistics, expanding industrial cooperation, fighting poverty, developing cooperation in sports, people's diplomacy and many others.







The analysis of proposals from the leaders of our region demonstrates that most of them are aimed at solving not only the tasks that are directly "tied" to Central Asia and the SCO, but in some cases global in nature.







In this context, it is important to mention initiatives related to the settlement of the situation, as well as the socio-economic development of Afghanistan, countering terrorist threats, taking joint practical measures to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic, addressing food security issues, developing measures to mitigate the effects of global climate change, and others.







I would like to note that thanks to Uzbekistan's foreign policy, in recent years it has been possible to radically change the political climate in the region, create a completely new atmosphere of cooperation and remove most of the issues that have been an obstacle to the development of Central Asia for many years.







During this short period, conditions were created for the gradual completion of the legal registration of borders, the work of checkpoints was resumed, mutual trips of citizens were facilitated, transport links were restored and new routes were launched.







Moreover, investment cooperation has intensified, the implementation of significant cooperation projects in trade, industry, energy, transport, agriculture and other sectors of the economy has begun.







The general economic indicators serve as a demonstration of the growing dynamics of relations. As a result of targeted measures, Uzbekistan's trade turnover with Central Asian countries increased by more than 2.6 times to $6.4 billion from 2016 to 2021, has reached a historical maximum. We are pleased that this positive dynamic continues this year.







The consequence of such changes was the consistent development of coordinated positions by countries on intraregional issues and close coordination on international platforms. The unified position of the Central Asian states began to be voiced within the framework of the UN, CIS, SCO, OIC, ECO, OTS and other venues. At the same time, the most significant event was the holding of regular Consultative meetings of the Heads of the Central Asian States, which I have already mentioned above.







The launching of this format has become an indicator that the region has reached the level of developing joint approaches to solving the most pressing common problems and initiating projects that ensure mutual growth and sustainable development.







I would not be mistaken if I note that the consistent development of this vector will serve not only to strengthen the connectivity between Central Asian countries, but also even greater solidity and cohesion of the SCO.















Anvar Nasirov is the director of the International Institute for Central Asia in Uzbekistan.


Yoido Full Gospel Church Senior Pastor Lee Young-hoon delivers a speech during the 25th Pentecostal World Conference hosted in Calgary, Canada, from Aug. 27 to 30, 2019. Courtesy of the Yoido Full Gospel Church



By Park Han-sol



Thousands of representatives and congregants of Pentecostal denominations from some 170 nations around the globe  known as the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF)  will flock to Seoul this week for the global triennial spiritual conference.



The 26th Pentecostal World Conference (PWC), running from Oct. 12 to 14, is organized by the Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest Protestant church in South Korea.



This year is the third time for the PWC, which has been held since 1947, to land in Seoul, after the first and second times in 1973 and 1998 respectively.



Themed "Pentecostal Revival in the Next Generation," it aims to be a religious assembly focusing on the role and future of Pentecostalism  and Protestant Christianity as a whole  to pass on the spiritual legacy to the succeeding generation.



Throughout the three-day conference, five plenary sessions are set to be held at the megachurch in Yeongdeungpo District, kicking off with the session jointly led by Yoido Full Gospel Church Senior Pastor Lee Young-hoon and PWF Chairman William Wilson. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon are scheduled to appear to deliver congratulatory speeches.



Another event to unfold is a series of workshops, themed around 11 timely topics, including evangelism in the 21st century and accelerated change in the church during the pandemic.



On Oct. 13, a forum centering on two themes will take place: "Pentecostal Revival in the Next Generation" and "Pentecostal Leadership Challenges and Opportunities."



The climax of Seoul's conference will be marked by the "DMZ Crusade" the next day. Some 20,000 believers  including 5,000 Pentecostal church officials and leaders worldwide and other Korean congregants  are to gather at the Pyeonghwa Nuri Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, located just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), for a mass prayer rally.



It will be a place to pray for the restoration of peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue, according to the Yoido Full Gospel Church.



Other in-person and videotaped congratulatory addresses are scheduled to be given by National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, ruling People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung.



While the 26th PWC is set to mainly span two venues  the Yoido Full Gospel Church and the Pyeonghwa Nuri Park  all events taking place throughout the conference will also be livestreamed on YouTube, with multilingual interpretation offered.


By Andrew Hammond





Brazil went to the polls on Oct. 1, with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva besting Jair Bolsonaro in the first-round contest for the presidency. Yet, it was more than the presidential candidates on the ballot in what are the nation's most important elections this month since the restoration of democracy in the 1980s.



The election offers Brazil, as a nation, the opportunity to restore international trust and enter a new political era if Lula eventually wins the process in the second round. Bolsonaro  sometimes known as the "Tropical Trump"  has been a key part of the populism phenomenon sweeping the world.



A former aide to Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, said recently that "Bolsonaro is a great hero for all of us  as someone that has stood for sovereignty and really grassroots."



While populism in South America tends to be of the left-of-center variety, what has been unusual about Bolsonaro's period of rule is that he has been stridently right-wing. Additionally, he has brought in policies that have shocked global opinion such as the intensification of deforestation in the Amazon.



He has also challenged the power of countervailing institutions, including the Supreme Court and Congress. Moreover, Bolsonaro has repeated accusations of electoral fraud, yet Brazil has had electronic voting machines since 1996, and no systematic fraud has ever been recorded.



So there is a growing sense that the election, should Lula emerge victorious this month, could begin the path toward rebuilding Brazil's damaged democratic institutions. Brazil is badly in need of a brand makeover and the 2022 elections could enable this.



Lula has highlighted that a key goal for him is to forge a vision of Brazil to the world again of a modern, vibrant democracy and stable emerging market that is a prime destination for future investment and tourism. He has also, therefore, asserted that Brazil "can be a great country" after a troubled time of economic challenges, the health emergency of the pandemic, and political turmoil to boot.



For the difficult situation that Brazil finds itself in represents a dramatic change from the country of a decade ago when it was seen as an emerging democracy rising in global importance. Then, extreme poverty had been reduced through innovative welfare programs and the nation's diplomatic influence expanded across the world, including via membership in the BRICS, referring to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.



Two major questions arise from the potential pivot point that Brazil now finds itself in. Firstly, can a country's reputation be enhanced in the same way as a corporate (or other organizations) might do? And, secondly, can this have a significant, sustainable national social and economic impact?



On the first issue, competition for the attention of stakeholders like investors and tourists is intensifying, and national reputation can therefore be a prized asset or a big liability, with a direct effect on future political, economic, and social fortunes.



Boosting a country's reputation is therefore an ever-common ambition in what is an overcrowded global information marketplace, and a number of countries have successfully used key elections to rejuvenate themselves, including Spain after its transition to democracy after the Franco dictatorship.



Yet, the simple fact is that many nations fail to fully capitalize, reputationally or economically, upon such major political moments.



To maximize prospects of Brazil benefiting, reputationally, in the midst of the country's current malaise, it must pursue a concerted reputation and economic strategy that aligns all key national stakeholders around a single, coherent vision for its country brand. So this exercise should not just be the preserve of government but must involve the private and third sectors too.



A key part of this must be connecting the end of Bolsonaro's rule, if indeed that is what happens at the election, to a wider story that showcases Brazil's strengths so as to increase favorability of international perceptions of the country, politically, economically and socially.



Major positives here include the fact that the country is a vibrant, diverse, multicultural state that has the potential to kick off its longstanding tag as a "sleeping giant" to become a regional superpower fueled by its status as one of the world's largest countries by area and population.



Brazilian decision-makers would do well to act on this fast as they seek to capitalize upon the opportunities on the horizon. In the midst of the hurly-burly of the next few days and weeks, the long-term opportunities of the election should not be sidelined.



For, in the midst of its current troubles, the nation now has a significant opportunity to use this latest democratic moment for a positive brand makeover that could produce a lasting legacy for the country.



Andrew Hammond (andrewkorea@outlook.com) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.






By Kim Jae-heun







LG Electronics is stepping up its guide robot business expansion overseas by supplying those products to Japan's largest shopping mall, Aeon, the Korean company said Sunday.







The multinational electronics company recently supplied two "LG CLOi GuideBot" to an Aeon store in Toki, Gifu Prefecture. Last month, it also sold guide robots to Aeon mall at Narita International Airport.







Japan is a representative industrial robot powerhouse along with the United States and Germany. The autonomous robot market has grown rapidly with the recent increase in demand for contactless services and many newcomers in the business are competing fiercely to introduce their products. LG Electronics' consecutive supply of its guide robots to Japan shows its product is well-recognized in the global market for its capabilities.







"The company is expanding its supply of CLOi GuideBot optimized for contactless services, not only in Korea, but also abroad. We will provide new experiences with robots and their value to our customers both in and outside of the country," a LG Electronics official said.







LG Electronics started its overseas business with autonomous robots in May, when it began supplying the CLOi GuideBot to large discount stores and restaurants in the United States and Japan. It also started pilot operations of a quarantine-customized robot called CLOi UV-C at a hospital in Karatsu, Japan.







LG CLOi GuideBot has a variety of functions prioritizing customers' safety. Its artificial intelligence-based autonomous driving system allows the machine to travel indoors by avoiding obstacles and providing necessary information to visitors. The robot's sensors attached on the top and bottom of its body change its travel route when encountering people in a building.







The machine also supports multilingual guidance in English, Japanese and Chinese based on its natural language-processing technology that converts human voices to its own language.


Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk walks next to a screen showing an image of Tesla Model 3 car during an opening ceremony for Tesla China-made Model Y program in Shanghai, China Jan. 7, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap



China's ambassador to the United States thanked Elon Musk for proposing a special administration zone for Taiwan, while Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington reprimanded the billionaire saying its "freedom and democracy are not for sale."



"Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale," Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington, tweeted on Saturday. "Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan."



China's ambassador to the United States, Qin Gang, stressed Beijing's call for "peaceful reunification and 'one country, two systems'" for the island in a tweet on Saturday while thanking Musk.



Days after floating a possible deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine that drew condemnation in Ukraine, Musk suggested tensions between China and Taiwan could be resolved by handing over some control of Taiwan to Beijing.



"My recommendation?.?.?. ?would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won't make everyone happy," Musk told the Financial Times in an interview published on Friday.



Musk was responding to a question about China, where his Tesla electric car company operates a large factory.



Beijing, which claims Taiwan as one of its provinces, has long vowed to bring Taiwan under its control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so. Democratically ruled Taiwan's government strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's 23 million people can decide its future.



In tweets posted on Saturday, the Chinese ambassador wrote: "I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan."



"Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question ... and the best approach to realizing national reunification," he added.



"Provided that China's sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development," the ambassador wrote.



China has offered Taiwan a "one country, two systems" model of autonomy similar to what Hong Kong has, but that has been rejected by all mainstream political parties in Taiwan and has very little public support, especially after Beijing imposed a tough National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020. (Reuters)




Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Rain and snow this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Low 33F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%..

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Rain and snow this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Low 33F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

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Rain likely. Low around 35F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Higher wind gusts possible..

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During their 2022 Fact Music Awards performance, IVE was interrupted mid-performance. Following the incident, many demand an apology from the award show organizers. Keep on reading for all the details.

IVE Cut Off Mid-Performance During 2022 Fact Music Awards

IVE was one of the most anticipated acts during the 2022 Fact Music Awards. However, the group was suddenly interrupted during their performance. This has sparked outrage amongst DIVEs, who now demand an apology for the group.

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IVE started their performance with an outstanding dance solo from members Ahn Yujin and Gaeul. It then transitioned into a group performance of IVE's two high singles, "LOVE DIVE" and "After LIKE."

The performance started without any problems. However, while the group was performing "After LIKE," a staff member was seen rushing on stage and cutting IVE's performance short.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: IVE's Stylists Under Fire for Gaeul's Concerning Shoes at 2022 The Fact Music Awards

Following the interruption, IVE was seen walking off stage. The light was shut off, and viewers could just barely see the members waving as they left the stage mid-performance. Some speculated that it was not due to an error, as IVE did not appear overly surprised by the interruption. Viewers believe that The Fact Music Awards planned to air a pre-recorded performance for IVE all along.

This sparked debate on why IVE was asked to perform live at the award show if they would not let them complete both songs in the first place.

                  ,,        pic.twitter.com/Jnq3fjVS4k     (@choicovva) October 8, 2022

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Other artists' performances were also cut short such as TREASURE. While TREASURE performed, the lights suddenly shut off. They were still dancing when the lights suddenly went dark.

whats so heartbreaking was the boys not only performed in someone elses set, they continued to give their all even when the lights went off ugh pic.twitter.com/NYukkUBQXN   (@3pjh14) October 8, 2022

Many are demanding an apology for not allowing IVE and other artists to complete their performance despite taking time in their schedule to attend, as well as spending countless hours practicing their choreography.

IVE did not appear too fazed by the interruption. The girl group took home the "Artists of the Year" and "Rookie of the Year" awards during the award show. Congratulations, IVE!

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

IVE Recent Activities

On September 19, IVE released the Japanese version of "ELEVEN." They are set to make their official Japanese debut in the fall of 2022, according to their announcement on IVE's official Japanese website.

On August 23, IVE released their third single album, "After LIKE."

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns This

Written by Alexa Lewis
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Our shared goal is to get students excited about the worlds hydrogen future and demonstrate how liquid hydrogen is the key to advanced clean energy and electricity generation - James Fesmire, Chief Architect GenH2

GenH2, a premier provider of hydrogen infrastructure, announced today that the company has been invited to celebrate World Space Week. The daylong event takes place October 10, 2022 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. World Space Week programs are held in more than 100 countries featuring hundreds of education-related activities for teachers and students.

The GenH2 booth located on the bottom floor of Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will showcase the promise of hydrogen. Additionally, the companys Chief Architect James Fesmire will present a program on Space & Sustainability, geared toward both children and adults, in Journey To Mars on October 10 at 2:00 PM, Liquid Hydrogen: The Key to Space Exploration and Sustainable Energy. Fesmire is also a NASA Hall of Fame Inventor and the founder of the NASA Cryogenic Test Lab.

We are thrilled to join Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in emphasizing the importance of bringing space technology to the general public because World Space Week illustrates the many ways that the future is now, said Cody Bateman, Founder and CEO of GenH2. James presentation and the educational materials at our booth will show how and why hydrogen production, liquefaction, storage and dispensing provide a critical piece in alternative energy solutions.

Many of the patents GenH2 has licensed from NASA are the foundation for the exciting technology that Fesmire will present, including a model hydrogen fuel cell car that is powered by converting water into electricity. Guests will also be treated to some of the eye-popping features of other chemical elements such as liquid nitrogen, and they will hear about the hydrogen fuel cell that has generated electricity for rockets since the launch of Gemini in the 1960s.

Ive been doing my signature show & tell programs in area elementary schools on behalf of NASA for many years, said Fesmire. Our shared goal is to get students excited about the worlds hydrogen future and demonstrate how liquid hydrogen is the key to advanced clean energy and electricity generation.

For more information, please visit http://www.DiscoverHydrogen.com.

About GenH2

GenH2 is an industry leader in hydrogen infrastructure solutions. The Titusville, Florida-headquartered technology company includes former NASA researchers and developers who possess decades of experience researching, engineering, and producing hydrogen solutions. GenH2 is focused on the mass production of infrastructure equipment necessary for the transition to a clean energy economy. GenH2 technology will allow safe onsite production, storage, and distribution of liquid or gaseous hydrogen, making the product accessible for everyday use; the company has plans to deliver its product to hundreds of locations across the country in the coming years. Learn more about GenH2 at http://www.DiscoverHydrogen.com.
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New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Defence firm Bharat Forge Ltd on Monday said it sent 16 Kalyani M4 armoured personnel carrier vehicles to the Indian Army for deployment in UN Peacekeeping missions.

The Kalyani M4 is a state-of-the-art armoured personnel carrier that provides protection to the occupants against high threats, including severe mine blasts and grenades. The vehicle is capable of carrying an infantry platoon in full combat gear.

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"Bharat Forge Ltd today dispatched 16 world-class and Made-in-India Kalyani M4 vehicles to the Indian Army for United Nations Peacekeeping deployment," the company said.

It said Kalyani M4 successfully completed a series of extreme vehicle trials in some of the toughest environments in India. The trials were conducted in the freezing terrains of Leh and Ladakh, and the unforgiving deserts of Rann of Kutch.

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Speaking on the occasion, Baba N Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge Ltd, said, "We are proud to be delivering the Made-in-India Kalyani M4 for UN Peacekeeping missions."

"This encourages us to work for the benefit of our armed forces and it reinforces our commitment to harness our Prime Minister's vision for atmanirbharata and self-reliance in the defence sector," he said.

Amit Kalyani, Deputy Managing Director, Bharat Forge Ltd, added, "Keeping crew safety and vehicle performance as paramount factors, Kalyani M4 has been ergonomically and aesthetically designed to allow the crew to perform their duties in an optimum manner."

The Kalyani M4 is equipped with modern military-grade power terrain with all-time situational awareness.

Recently, the Indian Army's northern command inducted the Kalyani M4 to its fleet of armoured vehicles under an emergency procurement, the company said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday granted two more weeks to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to come up with modalities for payment of the arbitral award to the Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary's Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL).

The DMRC on Monday, in its short affidavit, informed the court that it has written to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and to the Government of NCT Delhi, requesting an infusion of funds as Grant/Equity/Interest-free Subordinate Debt to DMRC, for payment of balance Arbitral Award amount.

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"It is expected that both the Governments will respond in terms of their respective liabilities under the Metro Policy, 2017, consequently any further directions in regard to the execution of the Award will have to necessarily await the deliberations by both the Governments," stated DMRC affidavit.

The Attorney General of India R Venkatramani appeared for DMRC in Delhi High Court and sought more time for DMRC. AG informed the court that if DMRC were to raise funds through loans from banks, it would fall into a 'debt trap'.

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Noting down the submissions, the Bench of Justice V Kameshwar Rao granted two more week time to DMRC and fixed the date of October 31, 2022, for the next hearing.The same bench on the last date of the hearing made clear that if the amount is not paid within time, the Court shall be constrained to call the appearance of the Managing Director of the DMRC before this Court.

Earlier in March this year, the Delhi HC had passed a Judgement and said, "Out of the funds available under the head total DMRC Funds of Rupees 1,452.10 cores, the judgment debtor is directed to keep aside an amount of Rupees 628 crores (Rs.514+ Rs.114 crores) towards statutory expenses as mentioned herein above and from the remaining amount, part payment of decretal amount be made within two weeks."

"For the remaining outstanding amount, the judgment debtor is directed to make the payments in two equal instalments within two months. The first instalment shall be paid on or before April 30, 2022, and the second instalment shall be made on or before May 31, 2022," said the judgement.

"The award dated May 11, 2017, has attained finality and cannot be allowed to remain as a paper award, therefore, the judgment debtor is duty bound to either divert its finds shown to be available in different heads mentioned in the affidavit of February 2, 2022, after seeking permission of the Central Government, if necessary or raise loans to satisfy the award," the judgment further said.

The Delhi High Court earlier had directed DMRC to provide details of funds in its bank account in connection with a Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary's (DAMEPL) plea for the execution of an arbitral award against it.

The Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL) had filed an application requesting Delhi High Court to direct Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) to deposit Rupees 6,208 crores available in its various bank accounts into the project escrow account without any delay.

DAMEPL, in its application, had rejected any out-of-court negotiations/ settlement or assignment of debt to the DMRC.

DAMEPL plea states, "The Decree Holder is not agreeable to settling the matter out of the Court. Accordingly, no alternate proposal by DMRC is acceptable to Decree Holder and it presses for the execution on merits at the earliest."

The plea further stated that the delay in payment by DMRC is causing immense prejudice to DAMEPL and its Promoter, Reliance Infrastructure Limited. In case the reliefs as sought are not granted, the Decree Holder shall suffer irreparable loss and injury.

Earlier, DAMEPL had filed an execution petition in the Delhi HC on September 12, 2021, seeking the court's directions to DMRC to honour the SC order and pay Rupees 7,200 crores to the company. DMRC, out of Rupees 7200 crores, has so far paid only Rupees 1000 crores.The Supreme Court (SC), on September 7, 2021, upheld the arbitration award of Rupees 7,200 crores in favour of DAMEPL.

In 2008, DAMEPL entered into a contract with DMRC for running the airport metro line till 2038. As disputes arose between the parties, DAMEPL stopped operating the metro on the airport line and invoked the arbitration clause against DMRC alleging violation of contract, and sought a termination fee. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 10 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 23 development projects worth about Rs 62 crore for the Kinnaur Assembly constituency, and said that the state government is working "by staying close to the poor".

The Chief Minister also presided over the 'Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna ke 75 Varsh' function.

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While addressing the largely attended public meeting at Chholtu, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' on the completion of 75 years of India's independence to express gratitude to the freedom fighters who had made sacrifices for the cause of independence. He said that this campaign was carried out comprehensively in the whole country including Himachal.

"Our state had also entered the 75th year of its formation. To acknowledge the contribution of hardworking and honest people and great leaders who had played an active role in the progress and prosperity of the state, the state government had organized the 'Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna ke 75 Varsh' function across Himachal," he said.

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Lauding PM Modi's leadership, the Chief Minister said that the country has withstood the testing times of COVID and also was successful in manufacturing indigenous vaccines.

"Apart from this, the world's largest vaccination campaign was also successfully concluded in the country," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the opposition parties were very upset over the public welfare schemes and programs of the state government and they were trying to mislead the people.

"The state government had been working by staying close to the poor. Keeping in view the hardships and needs of weaker sections of society, the government had started schemes like Mukhyamantri Sahara, Himcare, Mukhyamantri Shagun with resolve to benefit the underprivileged," he said.

Thakur said that fulfilling the needs and the development of this tribal district has always been the priority for his government and is working to provide a quality life to the people of the area.

"The government had approved 344 cases of Forest Rights Act (FRA) which were pending since the year 2008. under the Tribal Area Development Program, a budget provision of Rs 140 crore had been made for Kinnaur district in the financial year 2022-23, which is Rs 35 crore more than the previous financial year," Thakur said.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated 18 development projects worth Rs 42.15 crore on the occasion. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his sorrow at the death of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, calling him as an illustrious political leader.

The 82-year-old socialist leader died at a Gurugram hospital on Monday morning after a prolonged illness.

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"Deeply pained by the passing away of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji. He was an illustrious political leader who dedicated his life to the service of the people," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Dhankhar.

Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu also expressed his grief at the former defence minister's demise.

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"I had a long association with Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav over many years. He was a stalwart in national politics & an earthy leader of the masses," Naidu tweeted.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) After Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned BJP workers against the Congress' "silent" canvassing and strategy in poll-bound Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday wondered if he was campaigning for the state's main opposition party.

Addressing a rally at Vallabh Vidyanagar in the state, where assembly polls are due in the next few months, Modi stressed on the need to slightly modify the BJP's poll strategy to counter, what he termed, a "conspiracy"of the Congress.

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"Is the prime minister campaigning for the Congress in Gujarat?" Kejriwal, who is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, said in a tweet, reacting to Modi's remarks.

Modi also said that the Congress appears to have changed its strategy this time in Gujarat. "I need to warn you because it appears to me that this time the Congress has adopted a new strategy. I have not probed, but that is what appears to me at first glance," he said.

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Modi said in the previous assembly elections, the Congress used to make a lot of noise and boast about "finishing" the BJP, which has been in power in the state for more than two decades.

"But we did not fall (get defeated) in 20 years, so they have done something new, which is why we need to remain alert," said Modi, who was chief minister of Gujarat for 13 years.

The prime minister said the Congress, once a dominant political force in Gujarat, is not saying anything openly, but working "silently" by going to villages and adopting its old "manipulative" tricks.

"Therefore, don't be confused because they are not appearing in the press, nor conducting any press conference or making speeches. Beware... the Congress is trying to infiltrate with a new strategy. It does not speak, but is reaching out to villages, holding meetings," Modi said.

He said BJP workers needed to remain alert and counter this new strategy of the main opposition party in Gujarat.

"Do not assess them on the basis of the fact that they have not conducted public meetings, press conferences, or made statements...There is a need for you to remain alert for the coming elections," the prime minister said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 10 (ANI): One terrorist was killed in an encounter that broke out in the Tangpawa area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag on Sunday evening, according to the police.

The operation is still underway.

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"#Anantnag EncounterUpdate: 01 #terrorist killed. #Operation going on. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted on Monday morning.

Last week, four terrorists were eliminated in two separate encounters conducted in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir, said the police.

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Three terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Drach area of Shopian district on Tuesday night, police said on Wednesday.

Another local terrorist was killed in the encounter underway in the Moolu area of Shopian.

"Jt op launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice today. Area cordoned & contact established. Firefight ensued & 01 terrorist eliminated. 01 soldier injured, evacuated to 92 BH & stable. 01xAK Rifle & other war like stores recovered.

One soldier was injured in the exchange of fire between terrorist and security forces.

In the first encounter that broke out last evening in the Drach area of Shopian, three local terrorists linked with the proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were killed. In contrast, in the second encounter between the security forces and the terrorists in the Moolu area of Shopian early morning today, one local terrorist with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was neutralised.

Two killed terrorists in the Drach encounter were identified as Hanan Bin Yaqoob and Jamshed. They, according to the police were involved in the recent killing of special police officer Javed Dar in Pulwama.

"Killed #terrorists Hanan Bin Yaqoob & Jamshed were involved in recent #killing of SPO Javed Dar on October 2 at Pinglana in #Pulwama & an outside labourer from West Bengal on September 24 in Pulwama," tweeted the police.

On October 2, a local terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was neutralised by the police in a joint operation with security forces in the Baskuchan area of Shopian in J-K.

The terrorist was identified as Naseer Ahmad Bhat of Nowpora Baskuchan, Shopian, according to ADGP Kashmir. (ANI)

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Bengaluru, Oct 10 (PTI) Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday launched the National Tele Mental Health Programme named as Tele MANAS to improve mental health service delivery in the country.

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The service was launched during the 26th convocation of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).

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"The primary objective of this ambitious programme is to provide universal access to equitable, accessible, affordable and quality mental healthcare through tele-mental health services across the Indian States and UTs with assured linkages," a government statement said.

The initiative includes a network of Tele MANAS Cells, Mental Health Centres of Excellence and Regional Coordinating Centres encompassing NIMHANS, Bengaluru; IHBAS Delhi; PGIMER, Chandigarh; CIP Ranchi and LGBRIMH, Tezpur, the statement read.

The NIMHANS will serve as the Apex Nodal Coordinating Centre, while International Institute of Information Technology, Bengaluru (IIIT-B) will provide technological support, it said.

National Health Systems Resources Centre (NHSRC), Delhi will be another Apex Centre to guide the States and UTs on health systems. All these agencies will work in collaboration with the 51 Tele MANAS Cells in States and Union Territories.

"Tele MANAS Cells will provide basic support, counselling and mental health services, as well as linkages with mental health professionals, eSanjeevani, Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres and Emergency Psychiatric facilities. Ultimately, this will become a programme focused on the entire spectrum of mental wellness and illness and integrate all systems that provide mental health care," the statement said.

Further it said the Tele MANAS services will begin in 20 States, Union Territories and eventually be expanded across the country.

Toll-free helpline numbers: 14416 or 1-800-891-4416 have been set up in various parts of the country, allowing callers to select the language of their choice for availing the services. The calls would be routed to Tele MANAS Cells in the respective State and Union Territory, the statement read.

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said the Union government has launched the brand new T-Manas programme which is based on Karnataka's E-Manas platform.

The State initially launched a tele-counselling programme in association with NIMHANS when the pandemic first struck, Sudhakar said adding that the primary objective was to address the stress caused due to COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

The initiative saw immense success and the Karnataka government also experimented an online counselling for students at a time when the class 10 results were announced in the State. Karnataka has completed 23 lakh tele-counselling till date, he added.

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 10 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao expressed grief over the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying the veteran politician worked for the welfare of the poor all his life.

Conveying his deepest condolences to Mulayam Singh's son Akhilesh Yadav and family members, Rao said the Samajwadi party founder was a secularist who came into politics with the inspiration of great leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia and Raj Narayan, according to an official statement.

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The Telangana CM added that Mulayam Singh worked for the welfare of the poor and weaker sections throughout his life.

Janata Dal (Secular) national president H D Devegowda also condoled Mulayam Singh's death.

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"I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my long-time colleague and friend Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav. My condolences to his family and followers. He was deeply committed to secular and socialist political traditions. Will miss him very much," he tweeted.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, too, expressed grief. He said "netaji" has played an important role in national politics and was revered by marginalised sections and minorities. According to an official statement, Jagan Reddy conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members.

TDP leader and former Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu called Mulayam Singh a "gentleman" and added the SP chief was an "OBC stalwart".

"Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji. I lost a dear brother today. Over 4 decades, I have had the fortune of spending plenty of time with the OBC stalwart who always impressed me with his charm, humility & deep understanding of Indian politics," tweeted Naidu.

"A rare gentleman, he was polite, and quietly went about achieving his socialist goals that transformed the lives of millions, becoming a much-loved mass leader in the journey. Deepest condolences to Yadav Akhilesh Ji, his family and the people of Uttar Pradesh. Om Shanthi," he added.

Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away at a Gurugram Hospital on Monday aged 82. The SP leader was in critical condition for the past few days.

Born on November 22, 1939, he was one of the most prominent leaders of Uttar Pradesh who served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice and has also served in the Union Government as the Minister of Defence. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) The CBI has summoned private secretary to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday in connection with land-for-jobs scam in the railways when RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was the railway minister, officials said.

Sanjay Yadav, the private secretary who was questioned on Saturday, was again called to appear for questioning on Monday but he skipped the notice, they said.

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The agency has now asked him to show up for questioning on Wednesday, the officials said.

Sanjay, who served as Tejashwi's PS during his first tenure as deputy CM in 2015 as well, was summoned earlier also but he had challenged the CBI notices before the Delhi High Court, they said.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently filed a charge sheet before a special court here against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misa Bharti, former general manager of Central Railways Sowmya Raghvan, former CPO of Central Railways Kamal Deep Mainrai, seven aspirants appointed as substitutes and four private individuals.

"During investigation, it has been found that the accused, in conspiracy with the then GM Central Railways and CPO, Central Railways, engaged persons as substitutes in lieu of land either in their name or in the name of their close relatives," a CBI spokesperson had said in a statement.

The agency has kept the investigation open with respect to other suspects, the officials said.

"This land was acquired at prices lower than the prevailing circle rate and much lower than the market rate. It was also alleged that the candidates have used false TC and submitted false attested documents to the Ministry of Railways," the spokesperson said.

During the probe, the agency claimed to have found a hard disc from 10 Circular Road Patna, the then camp office of Lalu Prasad Yadav when he was the railway minister, carrying a list of 1,458 candidates who were engaged in railways during his tenure.

The CBI has alleged that residents of Patna, Bihar, were appointed as "substitutes" in Group-D posts in different zones of Indian Railways who were regularised during the period 2004-09.

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New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) The Supreme Court Monday said it will hear on Tuesday a plea filed by Delhi minister Satyendar Jain challenging the Delhi High Court verdict dismissing his petition against a lower court order to transfer the money laundering case, in which he is under arrest, to another court.

The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Chief Justice U U Lalit and Justice S R Bhat, which said it will be heard tomorrow.

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On October 1, the high court had dismissed Jain's plea, saying all facts were duly considered by the Principal District and Sessions Judge while transferring the case, which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and it cannot be held that the decision suffered from any illegality or needed interference.

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Jain had moved the high court challenging the September 23 order of Principal District and Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Gupta transferring the money laundering case to another judge over alleged bias.

The district judge's order was passed on an application for transfer moved by the anti-money laundering agency.

The agency, in its transfer application before the district judge, had argued that while there was no complaint against the judge hearing the matter, it was "a case of probable bias" in favour of the Delhi minister and there was an apprehension that it might not get an independent and impartial hearing.

The AAP leader had argued before the high court that the ED cannot be allowed to "brow beat" a judge and seek transfer of the money laundering case citing "bias" without any basis.

The ED had arrested Jain and two others in the money laundering case based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR lodged against the AAP leader in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Jain is accused of having laundered money through four companies linked to him. He has denied the allegations.

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Bhopal, Oct 10 (PTI) The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh reached 10,54,455 on Monday after the detection of nine cases at a positivity rate of 0.3 per cent, a health official said.

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The death toll stood unchanged at 10,773, while the recovery count increased by 20 to touch 10,43,593, leaving the state with 89 active cases, he said.

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With 2,986 samples examined during the day, the number of coronavirus tests in MP touched 3,00,76,507, he added.

A government release said 13,32,08,709 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 14,861 on Monday.

Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,54,455, new cases 09, death toll 10,773, recoveries 10,43,593, active cases 89 number of tests so far 3,00,76,507.

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Kolkata, Oct 10 (PTI) Describing deceased former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav as a leader of the whole country, Samajwadi Party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda on Monday said that he had all the qualities to be a prime minister.

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, also a former defence minister of India, died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after a prolonged illness.

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"Mulayam Singh had the capability to run the country efficiently as a prime minister," he told PTI.

Nanda, who was a minister in the erstwhile Left Front government in West Bengal, said that he was with Yadav when the Samajwadi Party was formed in 1992.

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Nanda who is now in Kolkata said that Yadav was very astute and one of the top-most politicians in present-day India.

Yadav had a very close association with Kolkata, he said adding that the Samajwadi Party held its national committee meeting on five occasions in the city since its formation.

"He had a personal relationship with Jyoti Basu. The former chief minister of West Bengal liked him very much," Nanda said.

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New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Rajanth Singh on Monday expressed grief over the demise of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, describing him as a grassroot leader.

Yadav died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after prolonged illness.

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In a series of tweets, Singh said Yadav played a prominent role in politics of Uttar Pradesh.

"Mulayam ji had good relations with his opponents. Whenever met him, he discussed various issues with open heart," Singh said.

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He contributed for the development of country and society, his death is painful, Singh said. http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg We bring the World to you" Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you.

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Patna, Oct 10 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday expressed grief over the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

In his condolence message, Kumar recounted the long political journey of Yadav who was the Defence Minister in the United Front government of 1990s, besides having served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice.

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"He was a towering socialist leader who never compromised with the interests of the poor and the farmers", said Kumar, who had met the ailing SP founder at the hospital where the latter was admitted during a visit to Delhi last month.

Yadav died on Monday at a hospital in Gurugram after a prolonged illness.

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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)
New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed sadness at the death of famous litterateur Temsula Ao, saying she played a pivotal role in popularising the Naga culture through her literary works.

A recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award and Padma Shri, Ao wrote in English and emerged as a leading poet and short story writer from the north east. She was 76.

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Modi tweeted, "Saddened by the passing away of Dr. Temsula Ao, who played a pivotal role in popularising the wonderful Naga culture through her literary works. Her efforts in the fields of education and culture were noteworthy. Condolences to her family and friends. May her soul rest in peace."

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh, Oct 10 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday reviewed arrangements for a G20 meeting slated to be held at Amritsar in March next year.

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies.

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It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union (EU).

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India will assume the presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023 and is expected to host over 200 meetings across the country.

Chairing a meeting in this regard here, the chief minister said the Amritsar meeting will take place in March and leading countries of the world will be participating, according to an official release.

He said the state is fortunate to have got the opportunity to host the event, in which deliberations will be held on education by the leading countries.

Mann said elaborate arrangements have to be put in place for making this global event a success.

He said with the entire city to be divided into five major sectors, senior officers of the civil and police administration will be deployed in these sectors for effective management.

Mann said these officers will be responsible for a smooth conduct of the entire activity during the summit in the area under their jurisdiction.

The CM also constituted a cabinet sub-committee to monitor the day-to-day arrangements of the event.

Mann also constituted a high-powered committee headed by Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to facilitate the cabinet sub-committee in smooth and hassle-free conduct of the event.

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Chandigarh, Oct 10 (PTI) The Congress on Monday protested across Punjab demanding the dismissal of state minister Fauja Singh Sarari over an audio clip in which he was purportedly heard discussing ways to "extort" money from some contractors.

The purported audio clip of the alleged conversation between Sarari and his former close aide had surfaced last month.

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They were allegedly heard discussing ways to trap some contractors involved in foodgrain transportation through some officials to "extort money" from them.

Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, slammed the AAP government for not dismissing Sarari.

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The Congress leader said it was high time that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stop protecting his minister.

Bajwa, along with senior party leaders and former ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Aruna Chaudhari, staged a dharna outside the office of the Gurdaspur deputy commissioner and submitted a memorandum to him.

Bajwa said the Congress party had raised the Sarari issue in the recently held Assembly session but the treasury benches led by CM Mann refused to act against the minister.

"We even tried to persuade Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhawan to allow the opposition to have a thorough debate on the issue but the former denied it," said Bajwa.

The Qadian MLA reminded CM Mann of former health minister Vijay Singla, who was sacked and later arrested on the basis of an audio clip, which was never made public by the AAP government.

"Though it was a different matter that Vijay Singla continued to enjoy full support of AAP and has not yet been sacked from the primary membership of the party," said Bajwa.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring led the protest in Patiala and hit out at the government for not acting against the minister.

Warring demanded the arrest of Sarari.

Sarari, the minister for food processing and defence services welfare, had earlier denied the charge but Opposition parties have sought his dismissal and arrest.

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New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) The Delhi Police will question former minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Tuesday over his presence at a religious conversion event where Hindu deities were allegedly denounced, senior officials said.

He has been issued a notice to appear for questioning along with some others, a senior police official said.

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The former minister will be questioned about his presence in the event and details will be sought from him regarding what actually happened there, he said.

Gautam resigned from his post on Sunday amid a controversy over his presence at the religious conversion event.

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The BJP had used the issue to attack AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal during the election campaigning in Gujarat and accused him of being "anti-Hindu".

In a letter shared on Twitter, Gautam said he attended the event in his personal capacity and it had nothing to do with his party or the ministry. He lashed out at the BJP for targeting Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging the saffron party was doing "dirty politics" on the issue.

Gautam, who was the Minister for Social Welfare, SC and ST, Registrar of Co-operative Societies and Gurudwara Elections, said he is resigning as minister as he does not want his leader or AAP to be in trouble because of him.

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Kolkata, Oct 10 (PTI) A special court here on Monday extended the judicial remand of former West Bengal School Service Commission chairman Subires Bhattacharyya, arrested by the CBI in connection with its probe into a school job scam, till October 19.

The court rejected the bail prayer of Bhattacharyya, the ex-vice chancellor of North Bengal University.

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He was arrested on September 19 and has been in judicial custody after being in CBI remand till September 26.

The special CBI court at Alipore here remanded Bhattacharyya to further judicial custody for nine days till October 19.

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Opposing the CBI's prayer for another 14-day judicial custody of Bhattacharyya, his counsel Tamal Mukherjee submitted that the central agency has not made any new allegation against him in connection with the case and that he be released on bail.

The CBI alleged that he was involved in the manipulation of scores of candidates before a panel was prepared for providing teaching jobs in state government-sponsored and -aided schools to undeserving persons.

Bhattacharyya was the chairman of SSC from 2014 to 2018, when Partha Chatterjee was the state's education minister.

Chatterjee, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its investigation into the alleged money trail in the SSC recruitment scam, is, at present, in judicial custody.

Bhattacharyya was the vice-chancellor of North Bengal University (NBU) from February, 2018 till he was replaced by the West Bengal government in the last week of September following his arrest.

The state government appointed Jadavpur University professor Omprakash Mishra as the interim vice-chancellor of NBU.

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Lucknow, Oct 10 (PTI) Samajwadi Party candidate Vinay Tiwari on Monday filed his nomination papers for the bye-election to be held in the Gola Gokarnnath assembly constituency, the chief electoral officer of UP said in a statement here.

Bye-election to Gola Gokarnnath assembly constituency has been necessitated following the death of the sitting BJP MLA Arvind Giri.

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According to the Election Commission, the notification for the by-poll was issued on October 7. October 14 is the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on October 15 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 17.

Polling will be held on November 3, while counting of votes will be held on November 6, the ECI said.

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Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Aman Giri, son of Arvind Giri from the same seat.

Arvind Giri (65) died due to cardiac arrest on September 6, a party leader said.

According to party leaders, he was travelling to Lucknow in his car when he felt uneasy and was taken to a hospital in Sidhauli where he died.

Giri was elected from the Hyderabad assembly constituency in Lakhimpur Kheri district on the Samajwadi Party ticket in 1996, 2022 and 2007. Then in 2017 and 2022, he was elected from the Gola Gokarnnath constituency on the BJP ticket.

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Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 10 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday extended greetings on Valmiki Jayanti and said that the Valmiki community is "lagging behind", noting that the community has to come forward.

The RSS chief's remarks came while addressing the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

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"Valmiki community is still very weak and is lagging behind. It has to come forward. Babasaheb Ambedkar, while giving the Constitution in Parliament, had said that those who were considered backward till now will not remain backward. Dr Ambedkar had said that now the Dalits would sit with everyone. We made this provision, but merely making the provision will not be enough. The mindset has to be transformed," he said.

"He had said that he has provided political and economic freedom by making arrangements... But it will be realized only when social freedom will come and hence the second Dr Saheb worked to bring that spirit from Nagpur from 1925 through Sangh," Bhagwat added.

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He mentioned that the occasion (Valmiki Jayanti) is important for anybody who wishes to become a "human being".

"If you want to learn affinity, read Valmiki Ramayan which mentions the character of Lord Ram. It is a vital and prideful moment for any person who wants to become a better human being," the RSS chief said.

"Anybody who has this feeling of affinity and wants to stay united could even sit over a leaf of tamarind," he added quoting a Bengali proverb.

Valmiki Jayanti is observed on October 9 every year.

The day marks the birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki who is credited with writing the original Ramayana during the lifetime of Lord Ram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended greetings on the occasion by tweeting, "Happy Valmiki Jayanti to the countrymen." (ANI)

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New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Kaynes Technology India Limited (KTIL) has received capital markets regulator Sebi's go ahead to raise funds through an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

The IPO consists of a fresh issue of equity shares aggregating to Rs 650 crore, and an Offer For Sale (OFS) of up to 72 lakh equity shares by a promoter and an existing shareholder, according to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP).

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The OFS comprises sale of up to 37 lakh equity shares by promoter Ramesh Kunhikannan and up to 35 lakh equity shares by existing shareholder Freny Firoze Irani.

The company, which filed preliminary IPO papers with Sebi in April, obtained its observations letter on October 6, an update with the regulator showed on Monday.

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In Sebi's parlance, the observation implies its go ahead to launch IPO.

Going by the draft papers, proceeds from the fresh issue worth Rs 130 crore will be used to repay debt and Rs 98.93 crore will be utilised for funding capital expenditure for its manufacturing facilities at Mysore and Manesar.

Also, the company plans to use Rs 149.30 crore towards investment in its arm Kaynes Electronics Manufacturing Pvt Ltd for setting up a new facility at Chamarajanagar in Karnataka. It will use up to Rs 114.74 crore for funding working capital requirement and general corporate proposes.

Mysore-based Kaynes Technology is a leading end-to-end and IoT (Internet of Things) solutions-enabled integrated electronics manufacturing player, having capabilities across the entire spectrum of electronics system design and manufacturing services.

It has experience in providing conceptual design, process engineering, integrated manufacturing and life-cycle support for major players in the automotive, industrial, aerospace and defence, outer-space, nuclear, medical, railways, IoT, Information Technology (IT) and other segments.

The company has eight production plants in Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand. It has a total capacity of approximately 600 million components as of December 2021.

For FY21, the company posted a revenue of Rs 420.63 crore as against Rs 368.24 crore in the preceding fiscal. Net profit for the period under review was at Rs 9.73 crore as compared to Rs 9.35 crore in the previous financial year.

DAM Capital Advisors and IIFL Securities are the book-running lead managers to the issue.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, Oct 10 (PTI) Mulayam Singh Yadav has been in and out of hospitals in recent years, triggering scares over his health each time. On Monday, the Samajwadi Party founder, who famously trained to be a wrestler in his younger days, lost the final bout.

The patriarch died at a Gurugram hospital six weeks short of his 83rd birthday.

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Born on November 22, 1939 into a farming family in Saifai near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav spawned the states most prominent political clan.

He was elected an MLA 10 times and an MP, mostly from Mainpuri and Azamgarh, seven times. He was also the Defence Minister (1996-98), and chief minister thrice (198991, 199395, and 200307). And briefly, he even appeared to have a shot at the prime ministers post.

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For decades, he enjoyed the stature of a national leader but UP largely remained the akhara where Yadav played out his politics, beginning as a teenager who was influenced by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia.

For party workers, even when he was no longer the SP president  the mantle passed on to his son Akhilesh Yadav in 2017  the patriarch remained Netaji, the leader. And his presence on the scene provided the glue that held the Yadav clan together, at least to a degree.

A socialist, Yadav was open to possibilities in politics. Thanks often to mergers and splits, he had been affiliated with a series of parties -- Lohias Sanyukt Socialist Party, Charan Singhs Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Bharatiya Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party. He founded his own SP in 1992.

Yadav struck deals with the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress whenever needed to form or save the governments led by him in Uttar Pradesh.

In 2019, Netaji sprang a surprise by praising Narendra Modi in Parliament, wishing that he would return as prime minister after the next election. This, when his party saw Modis BJP as its main rival in UP. The remark baffled analysts.

Just as another comment, back in 2014 at a rally, triggered outrage when he spoke against the death sentence for rapists, saying boys make mistakes. And then, there was his advocacy of the idea that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should form a confederation.

Yadav, who took part in student union agitations and briefly taught at an inter college after getting a Political Science degree, first became an MLA in 1967.

The story goes that Nathu Singh, the Socialist Party MLA from Jaswantnagar, wanted him to fight for the seat in the next election. He was impressed with Mulayam after meeting him at a wrestling contest.

During his second term as MLA from the same constituency, Indira Gandhi declared Emergency and Yadav was sent to jail, like many opposition leaders.

Back in the ring after the 1975-77 Emergency, Yadav became the state president of the Lok Dal. When the party split, he headed one faction of the state unit.

Yadav was leader of Opposition in the UP Legislative Council and then in the state assembly, before becoming the chief minister in 1989 with the BJP extending outside support to his Janata Dal government.

When the saffron party withdrew support over the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue in 1990, the Congress kept his government afloat for some months.

The BJP still rakes up the 1990 episode when police opened fire at kar sevaks heading towards Ayodhyas Babri Masjid, which they wanted demolished.

Kar sevaks razed the 16th century mosque in December 1992, the same year Yadav founded the SP, which began to be seen as an ally of the Muslim community. In November 1993, Yadav again headed a government in UP, supported by the BSP. It collapsed when the ally pulled the rug.

The SP leader then moved to the national stage, being elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 from Mainpuri.

As opposition parties tried to form a non-BJP alternative to the Congress, Yadav briefly appeared to be in the fray for the prime ministers post.

But he ended up becoming the defence minister in the United Front government headed by H D Deve Gowda -- the Sukhoi fighter jet deal with Russia was finalised during his term. Years later, he would be part of short-lived coalition of Janata Parivar parties that hoped to fight the 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar together.

In 2003, Yadav became UP chief minister for the third time after the collapse of a short-lived BSP-BJP coalition government.

In 2012, the SP was again in a position to form the UP government. But the senior Yadav stepped aside so that his son Akhilesh could become the states youngest CM at 38.

But squabbling in the party and the family led to a coup of sorts by Akhilesh Yadav in 2017. Akhilesh, the son from his first wife Malti Devi  he later married Sadhna Gupta  was at loggerheads with the old guard that included uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav.

As chief minister, the younger Yadav enjoyed popular support within the party as well and wrested it from his father at an SP convention. While the former wrestlers supporters cried foul, the son projected the takeover as a tough but necessary move.

In the final years of his life, the ailing patriarch played a diminishing role in the affairs of the party that he had founded. They still called him Netaji, though.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Canberra, Oct 10 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday visited the Australian War Memorial here and laid a wreath in memory of the members of the Australia's armed forces, including Shimla-born Indian soldier Nain Singh Sailani, who laid their lives during the two World Wars.

After concluding his first-ever visit to New Zealand, Jaishankar was given a "Tiranga welcome" in the Australian capital on Sunday.

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"Visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Laid a wreath in honour of all those who made the supreme sacrifice including Private Nain Singh Sailani," Jaishankar said in a tweet.

Sailani, who was born in Shimla, volunteered to serve in the Australian Imperial Force during World War-I.

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June 1, 2017, marked the centenary of the Sailani's death, which was commemorated at the Perth War Memorial's King Park by an event organised by the Australian Sikh Heritage Association and the Indian Consulate in Perth.

Speaking at a joint press conference here on Monday along with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong, Jaishankar said, "Thank you very much and let me begin by, first of all, thanking you really for a very nice welcome because when I came to Canberra yesterday, I saw the old Parliament building lit up in our national colours."

Calling it a "warm gesture" and recalling Australia's participation in the celebration of India's 75th Independence, he said, "And it wasn't a one-off. Because, as we celebrated our 75th anniversary of Independence, in fact, we saw that in Australia, across the country at different iconic sites, you celebrated along with us, and I was particularly struck by the image of the Sydney Opera House in our tricolour. So, I think it was a good gesture that spoke of a very warm sentiment, I appreciate that."

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar wrote, "Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament House of Australia in our national colours."

After concluding his first-ever visit to New Zealand, Jaishankar is in Australia to strengthen bilateral ties.

This is his second visit to Australia this year.

The first visit was in February 2022 when he attended Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne.

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Berlin, Oct 10 (AP) A government-appointed expert panel on Monday proposed a two-stage system for distributing some of the up to 200 billion euros ($195 billion) in subsidies Germany has announced to ease the strain of high energy prices, a plan that the group said would still encourage people to save gas.

The panel suggested that the state take on the cost of natural gas customers' monthly bill in December, followed by a price subsidy for part of their consumption starting next spring.

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That gas and heating price brake" would kick in next March and apply until April 2024, panel co-chair Veronika Grimm said.

Private gas customers would pay 0.12 euros per kilowatt hour for the first 80% of the amount they used in 2021.

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That corresponds roughly to the price level that is expected in the future, Grimm said, telling reporters in Berlin that the plan aims to introduce a new normal but prevent price rises beyond that.

It's not going to be the case that the price goes back down to 7 cents in the future  we won't receive Russian gas for a long time.

Grimm argued that the plan still incentivises people to save gas, because people who do so will avoid paying higher prices beyond the cap level.

She noted that Germany, which has Europe's biggest economy, needs to reduce its previous gas consumption by about 20% to prevent a potential shortage this winter.

Co-chair Siegfried Russwurm, the head of the Federation of German Industries, said the proposal foresees businesses paying 0.07 euros per kilowatt hour for 70% of their 2021 gas use, starting at the beginning of January.

Russwurm said that gas price rises are posing an existential threat to an increasing number of companies.

This is not just about the fate of individual companies and their jobs; it is about the strength and the export successes of German industry, because they are the backbone of the German economy, he said.

The panel, which included representatives of industry and labour unions, scientists and lawmakers, earlier Monday presented its conclusions to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country's economy and finance ministers.

It put the cost of the proposed gas price subsidies at about 90 billion euros.

Many European countries have proposed similar subsidies on fossil fuels, prices for which have increased sharply worldwide in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine.

But some of Germany's neighbours have criticised the huge sum Berlin is setting aside, arguing that it will price others out of the market.

Scholz argues that the criticism is based on a misunderstanding of his government's plans and says Germany's subsidy will prevent a shortage of gas that might occur under a system of enforced price caps proposed by other countries. He also has noted that it applies to a relatively long period.

The government will work very quickly on implementing the proposals by the panel, Scholz spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said.

He noted that a check on whether they comply with European Union law will be necessary, and said that Germany will act in European solidarity.

Russia started reducing gas supplies to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the main supply route, in June and cut them off completely over a month ago. The pipeline has since been damaged by underwater explosions.

Germany got a bit over a third of its gas supplies from Russia before the supply disruptions started, and previously more than that. (AP)

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Sydney (Australia), October 10 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and exchanged views on regional and global security.

"Exchanged views on regional and global security. Our growing defence & security cooperation ensures a peaceful, prosperous & rules-based Indo-Pacific," Jaishankar said in a tweet.

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Marles is also the Defence Minister of Australia.

Jaishankar also met Australia's Education Minister Jason Clare.

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"Glad to meet Australia's Education Minister @JasonClareMP today afternoon in Canberra. Discussed the importance of quality education, need for an international outlook and preparation for the global workplace," Jaishankar said in the tweet.

Jaishankar visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

"Visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Laid a wreath in honour of all those who made the supreme sacrifice including Private Nain Singh Sailani," he tweeted.

Jaishankar arrived in Canberra on Monday "to a Tiranga welcome".

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong welcomed External Affairs Minister to Sydney for the annual Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue.

It is EAM's second visit to Australia this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
San Francisco, Oct 10 (PTI) The grieving relatives of the four Indian-origin Sikhs killed in the US have raised more than USD 300,000 to support their families in California but also their elderly parents back in India.

The Sikh family of four, 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her 27-year-old mother Jasleen Kaur, her 36-year-old father Jasdeep Singh, and her 39-year-old uncle Amandeep Singh were kidnapped and killed by a former employee of their trucking company last week.

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A GoFundMe fundraiser is collecting funds for the Singhs' extended family and has raised more than USD 300,000, according to abc7news.com.

Jaspreet Kaur, Amandeep's widow, said in the fundraiser that her husband and his brother had been in the United States for 18 years and supported not only their families in California but also their elderly parents back in India.

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"This is the story of our shared American dream gone wrong," she wrote. "Our loving family was violently taken away from us on October 3rd," the family's GoFundMe page said.

The funds would go towards helping Aroohi's grandparents and the family of Amandeep Singh, his wife Jaspreet Kaur, and their two kids, both under the age of 10.

The family, originally from Harsi Pind in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, was kidnapped at a business in Merced County, California, on October 3.

The bodies of all four were found two days later on October 5.

A four-day vigil observed for the victims in Merced ended on Sunday.

Jesus Salgado, the man involved in the kidnapping and killing was arrested on October 6.

On Friday Salgado's younger brother, Alberto Salgado, was arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy and destroying evidence.

Investigators are still trying to determine a motive, but Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said he believes it could relate to money, adding there was no evidence to suggest the incident may have been a hate crime.

Salgado was a former employee of the family who had a longstanding dispute with them that "got pretty nasty," authorities said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kathmandu [Nepal], October 10 (ANI): Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital Kathmandu, tested positive for COVID-19, a hospital official said on Sunday.

The president, who was admitted to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital on Saturday, tested positive for COVID-19 in a PCR test, said Dr Dinesh Kafle, executive director of the hospital.

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"President Bhandari has tested positive for Covid-19," Dr Dinesh Kafle told The Kathmandu Post. "Her condition is better today (Sunday) compared to Saturday." Doctors attending to the head of state said she was given intravenous fluids on Saturday, and started oral medicines from Sunday."

According to Dr Kafle, the Nepal president may need medical attention for a few more days at the hospital. "As she has been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, we are hopeful that no serious complication will arise in her health."

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Tika Dhakal, a media expert at the Office of the President, said that the president had also undergone tests for dengue and seasonal flu but the reports were negative, according to the Post.

The total confirmed active COVID-19 cases in Nepal stood at 570 by Sunday, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.

On Saturday, Nepal's President was admitted to Tribhuwan University Hospital after her health deteriorated.

The 61-year-old President was hospitalised after she developed cold-like symptoms and fever, Bhesh Raj Adhikari, President's Secretary confirmed to ANI. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Moscow [Russia], October 10 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday convened a meeting of the permanent members of the security council amid calls for reprisals over the attack that damaged a key Crimea supply route on Saturday.

The President held a briefing session with permanent members of the security council, via videoconference.

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Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov, reported Kremlin.

Putin accused Ukraine of being behind the Kerch bridge explosion, masterminding an "act of terrorism" that destroyed part of the crucial link between Russia and the annexed territory of Crimea, as calls grow for reprisals.

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"The forensic and other expert data, as well as operational information, show that the October 8 explosion was an act of terrorism aimed at destroying Russia's civilian and critical infrastructure," said Putin.

"It is also clear that the Ukrainian special services were the organisers and perpetrators of the attack. The Kyiv regime has long been using terrorist methods, including murders of public figures, journalists and scientists, both in Ukraine and in Russia. And terrorist attacks on towns in Donbas, which have been going on for more than eight years. And also acts of nuclear terrorism, by which I mean missile and artillery strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," he added.

Putin further stated at the meeting that Ukraine's special services have also carried out three terrorist acts against Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, repeatedly blowing up the plant's high-voltage lines.

"The third such terrorist attack damaged three of those lines at once. The damage was repaired in the shortest possible time and there were no serious consequences, "said the Russian President.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin reported Putin on the first results of the investigation into the act of sabotage on the Crimean Bridge.

In what appears to be the heaviest wave of missile and rocket attacks since the opening week of the war, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were rocked by deadly Russian strikes on Monday.

Officials said they targeted critical energy infrastructure and several regions of Ukraine are now suffering power outages.

The Kremlin said today that a huge missile salvo across Ukraine launched by its forces was within the framework of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

"This morning, at the proposal of the Defence Ministry and in accordance with the plan of Russia's General Staff, a massive strike was launched with long-range precision air, sea and land-based weapons against Ukrainian energy, military and communications facilities," said Putin.

He further stated that in the event of more attempts to stage terrorist attacks on our territory, Russia's response will be harsh and commensurate with the threats posed to the Russian Federation. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Colombo [Sri Lanka], October 10 (ANI): Months after Russia's Aeroflot suspended its commercial flights to Colombo over a legal row, it resumed services between Colombo and Moscow on Monday, media reports said.

The Aeroflot flight landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday, the Daily Mirror reported. Among those who were present to welcome the flight crew and passengers were government officials, Minister of Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, and Tourism Authority officials, it added.

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On June 4, Russia's Aeroflot suspended its commercial flights to Colombo after Sri Lankan authorities detained its Airbus A330 jet.

"Aeroflot is suspending commercial flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the immediate period due to an unreliable situation in terms of the airline's unobstructed flights to Sri Lanka. The sales of tickets for flights to Colombo have been temporarily shut down," the statement noted.

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Sri Lanka's Airport and Aviation Services had issued a statement in which it stated that the flight to Moscow, which was scheduled to take off on June 2, has been restrained due to the absence of a permit from Sri Lanka's aviation authorities.

According to the release, the Commercial High Court had noted that the dispute between Aeroflot-Russian Airlines and Celestial Aviation Trading Limited was purely a matter of a commercial nature which should be dealt with between the said two parties and no involvement of the state was emphasised.

The Russian Foreign Ministry had also said it had summoned Ambassador of Sri Lanka Janitha Abeywickrama Liyanage and had protested in connection with the detention of an Aeroflot plane at the Bandaranaike airport, Daily Mirror reported. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, October 10: In yet another shocking incident, a man was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants in the Bindapur area of Delhi early Monday, police said.

Mohit Arora, 32, was attacked when he was returning home in Manas Kunj in Uttam Nagar from his shop on a two-wheeler around 12.30 am, they said, adding that one of the assailants opened fire at Arora leaving him gravely injured. Video: Businessman Shot Dead by Unknown Assailants in Delhis Uttam Nagar, Murder Caught on Camera.

Watch CCTV Video Below:

#Delhi : 32-year old businessman, Mohit Arora shot dead in Uttam Nagar area early on Monday. His elder bro was riding d scooty while he was pillion. In just 30 seconds the assailants, forced the brothers to stop, fired at the younger one and fled. CCTV footage of the incident pic.twitter.com/4Flv5KKwbr  Sakshi Chand (@SakshiChand08) October 11, 2022

Arora was rushed to an area hospital but was declared brought dead by doctors, an official said. "Police reached the spot after a call was received and a case has been registered against the unidentified accused," the official said. UP Shocker: 21-Year-Old Student Abducted, Gang-Raped by Three Persons in Sultanpur, Accused Still Absconding.

Delhi Police have formed teams to nab the accused and further investigation is underway. Recently, two persons, aged 18, were arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with a murder in Jahangirpuri. The accused, identified as Noni and Sachin, had allegedly stabbed a person in the chest in the same area. Another person was killed during a firing incident in Raju Park in the Devli area in South Delhi.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thane, October 10: A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has acquitted a 34-year-old woman accused of killing her newborn child, giving her the benefit of doubt. Kalyan court's Additional Sessions Judge Shaukat S Gorwade, in the October 4 order, which was made available on Monday, held that the prosecution failed to prove the charge against the woman under Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder).

Additional Public Prosecutor S R Kulkarni told the court that the woman, who already had two daughters, delivered a baby girl on April 15, 2018 and was discharged from hospital on April 17. Mumbai Shocker: Woman Fakes Husband's Death, Submits 'Autopsy Report' To Claim Rs 50 Lakh Insurance.

On April 21, 2018, the woman, hailing from Umbarde village in Kalyan town, went with her husband and newborn baby to the Civil Hospital where doctors declared the child brought dead. The Khadakpada police conducted a probe into the matter and alleged that the woman strangulated and gagged the baby to death as she had delivered the third girl child.

The police registered a case against her under IPC Section 302.

The judge in his order said the prosecution has not led any evidence to prove the nail marks found on the throat and neck of the deceased are of the accused. Mumbai Shocker: Teen Found Murdered in Under-Construction Buildings Swimming Pool in Vikhroli, Probe On. Mumbai Shocker: Teen Found Murdered in Under-Construction Buildings Swimming Pool in Vikhroli, Probe On.

"Palpably, the accused and her husband were with the deceased when they brought the child to the hospital. Therefore, there is doubt about the murder of the deceased. There is no witness who can prove that the accused pressed the mouth and neck of the deceased and caused her murder. There is no chain at all which establishes a nexus between the crime and the accused," the judge said.

Except the confessional statement of the accused, that too recorded by the police, is inadmissible in evidence, the court said. There is neither oral nor documentary evidence brought on record by the prosecution to link the accused with the crime, it said.

"Though the prosecution proved that the deceased died a homicidal death, the prosecution has not linked the accused with the crime. Hence, for want of evidence, the prosecution failed to prove that the accused had committed the murder of the deceased," the court said. Hence, the woman needs to be acquitted, the court added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Jaipur, October 10: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asserted that there's no division in the Congress after industrialist Gautam Adani promised massive investment in the state and alleged the opposition was misleading people on the issue.

Gehlot has been battling criticism since sharing the stage with Adani during the two-day "Invest Rajasthan Summit" last week as the BJP asked him why he was accepting investments from an industrialist who Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has attacked. Gandhi has often questioned Adani's "close ties" with the BJP. Gautam Adani Announces Investments Worth Rs 65,000 Crore in Rajasthan.

"Were the 3,000 delegates from Congress? We don't make divisions on the basis of who is from the BJP and who is from Congress. Whoever brings investment, will give something to the state...it's the government's duty to give them approval," Gehlot clarified on Sunday. He also stressed that the opposition BJP would pay a heavy price for "deceiving" people on the issue.

"Gautam Adani came and spoke about Rs 60,000 crore investment. That has been turned into an issue. BJP leaders are misleading people, they have to pay a heavy price for it," the chief minister added.

Earlier on October 8, after the criticism, Rahul Gandhi had backed up Gehlot and clarified his stance, saying that he was against monopoly and not against any corporates. He also said that no state chief would refuse the deal offered to the Rajasthan chief minister Gehlot. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Says New Generation Should Get a Chance To Lead the Show.

"Mr Adani gave a proposal of Rs 60,000 crore to Rajasthan. No CM would refuse such a proposal. The Rajasthan chief minister didn't give any preferential treatment to Adani or use his political power to help his business," Gandhi told reporters in Karnataka, where he is leading his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The Adani Group has promised to invest Rs 65,000 crore in Rajasthan over the next 5-7 years by setting up 10,000 MW solar power capacity and creating over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
The deceased is identified as Rinky Devi, a native of Pateria village under Bhagwanpur police station, had a heated exchange of words with her husband on Sunday night.
Islamabad, Oct 10: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a warning that Indian hackers are trying to steal data from Islamabad's diplomatic missions abroad.

The Pakistani missions in Brunei, Nepal, Argentina, and Azerbaijan have received virus-infected emails, Samaa TV reported citing thr PTA as saying.

According to the Authority, the purpose of the attack is to steal the data of the consulates and espionage. Video: Iran-state TV Hacked by Anti-Government Protesters During Live Broadcast Amid Unrest Over Mahsa Amini's Death.

The PTA has directed to train the diplomatic staff about handling suspicious emails and social engineering.

It said that the hacker group sends malicious links and viruses through emails, Samaa TV reported. Video: BBC Reporter, Live on Air, Witnesses Moment When Russian Missiles Hit Ukraine Capital Kyiv.

They send links to websites that look similar to official government websites and lure the victims to click it, the Authority claimed.

The PTA has asked the institutions to report the email addresses involved in malicious activities and identify fake and suspicious websites.
Jerusalem, October 10: The Israeli top court has overturned a ban preventing the Arab party of Balad from running in the country's parliamentary elections due on November 1.

The Supreme Court's nine-judge panel unanimously decided to cancel the decision by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Balad from running in the elections, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement released by the court that did not mention reasons for the decision. Israel Stampede: At least 38 Killed During Lag B'Omer Festival Celebrations.

On September 29, the Central Elections Committee, the body that authorizes parties and candidates ahead of votes and is made up of lawmakers from several political parties, voted nine-to-five to disqualify the Arab party.

Hassan Jabareen, general director of Adalah, an Israeli Arab rights group that petitioned the Supreme Court on behalf of Balad, said in a statement that the Central Elections Committee has tried to ban other Arab lists and candidates ahead of each of the election rounds over the past few years.

"The purpose of the moves by the committee is to incite against Arab political representatives and push them beyond the boundaries of legitimate political discourse," he said. Israel-Hamas Conflict: Ultranationalist Jews Target Arabs & Palestinian Business As Violence Escalates.

Arab citizens of Israel, which compose about 20 per cent of the country's population, are Palestinians who remained in the territory after Israel's Independence War in 1948.

The judges also overturned another decision by the Elections Committee, ruling that former lawmaker Amichai Chikli, who ran in 2021 with the Yamina party, could run in the upcoming elections with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party.

Chikli was ousted from Yamina, a pro-settler party headed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in April after he refused to vote for the coalition. About two months later the narrow coalition collapsed, triggering unprecedented fifth elections in fewer than four years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2022 08:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
From eliminating abject poverty to a moderately well-off society in all respects, China's path to modernization reflects its people-centered approach. Despite being a country with a population of more than 1.4 billion, China will continue to address its unbalanced and inadequate development, and strive for common prosperity for all.

What is common prosperity? Why is it vital to China's modernization? What's the significance of China's common prosperity for people in the country and beyond? Five experts discuss the issue.

Please click the video to see what they say!
By SA Commercial Prop News

Accelerate Property Fund acquires roughly half of the Port side office building, the tallest skyscraper in Cape Town.



Accelerate Property Fund acquires roughly half of the Port side office building, the tallest skyscraper in Cape Town, which houses banking group FirstRands regional head office in the central business district.

Accelerate, which listed on the JSE in late 2013, is rolling out an aggressive growth plan that has included some significant office acquisitions.

The fund said yesterday that it had entered into a binding agreement with Old Mutual Life Assurance Company to acquire the letting enterprise conducted in certain sectional title units in the sectional title scheme known as Portside. Old Mutual effectively owns half of the building, Accelerate chief operating officer Andrew Costa said.

The acquisition consideration was R840m plus value added tax (VAT). Old Mutual would provide Accelerate with a rental guarantee amounting to R120.1m plus VAT.

Accelerate was entitled to use the rental guarantee at its sole discretion, which was intended to bridge any shortfall in rental income that may arise from vacancies. In addition to the rental guarantee, Old Mutual would pay R35m plus VAT to Accelerate as a contribution towards tenant installations, over and above the existing structures in place.

Effectively Old Mutual owns 50% of the Portside. FirstRand owns the other half and we are acquiring Old Mutuals half, Mr Costa said.

He said the deal was opportunistic given that Accelerate was committed to acquiring a top-end retail portfolio.

We remain a fund that has a focus on retail assets but we take up good and unusual opportunities like this when they arise.

Accelerate owns offices valued at R1.766bn. The fund, meanwhile, has retail assets of R5.573bn and industrial properties valued at R281m. Portside is located in a prime location in the emerging financial district on the Foreshore and straddles a city block. It is the tallest building in Cape Town, at 139m. It has more than 57,000m of office space and 1,444 parking bays. Accelerate is acquiring 27,900m of this total space.

Keillen Ndlovu, head of listed property funds at Stanlib, said the deal was well-structured. It looks like Accelerate have structured and packaged the deal well. The pricing and assumptions sound reasonable for this iconic asset. The building will not be filled overnight but rental guarantees give some comfort as well as the fact that management understand the Cape Town CBD market well.
A Texas mom who left her 7-year-old bedridden daughter to go out and party was sentenced to capital murder for her daughter's death. Lauren Kay Dean, 26, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the murder of her daughter, Jordynn Barrera, more than two years ago.

According to Fox News, Dean was not only sentenced to life imprisonment but was also sentenced to an additional 20 years for two counts of abandonment and endangering a child. That sentence will be running concurrently with her life imprisonment sentence.

Texas Mom Lauren Kay Dean Left Her Bedridden Daughter at Home With Other Young Children

The incident happened in Bay City in Matagorda County, Texas on January 31, 2020. The complaint said the mother left her 5-year-old child, her 3-month-old baby, and bedridden Jordynn alone at home to go to the nearby Shade's Bar.

KTRK reported that the Bay City Police responded to a welfare check at the family's apartment in the 2200 block of Bordeaux at around 2:36 p.m.

Dean, who had already returned home from partying all night, then invited a police officer into the apartment to show them that her three children were fine. However, when the police started their inspections, Jordynn was found dead.

According to reports, the child was non-communicative and diagnosed with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. She was also on a feeding tube, investigators said. The Texas mom reportedly left her in the care of her younger siblings.

Dean was immediately arrested following the discovery and booked into the Matagorda County Jail. She was charged with second-degree felony charges, including abandonment, endangering a child, and imminent danger bodily injury.

Court documents also showed that Lauren Kay Dean failed to provide the necessary medical care for her child, who was suffering from such delicate medical conditions. This neglect reportedly led to the child's death.

READ NEXT: Jeffrey Dahmer's Cuban-Born Inmate Reveals the Real Reason Why He Tried to Kill Milwaukee's Terrifying Cannibal Serial Killer

Texas Mom's Other Children Removed From Home After Her Arrest

According to prosecutors, Jordynn Barrera died after Lauren Kay Dean left her at their apartment. It was not reported whether she checked on Jordynn when she arrived after partying.

KHOU-11 reported that following her arrest, Bay City Police removed her two other children from her home. However, they did not confirm whether the two children were injured at that time.

A witness from the same apartment building was the one who reported that the Texas mom was neglecting her children and had called Child Protective Services to do the welfare check.

The incident has left the family's other neighbors in shock, with one of them telling KTRK that she wondered how that sort of neglect happened without anybody else knowing.

READ MORE: Idaho Mother Accused of Killing Own Kids for Social Benefits Asks Court To Change Charges Because They Are Confusing

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Police Say Mom of Child Found Dead Left Kids Alone to Go to Bar - From KTRK
Kanye West got his Instagram and Twitter accounts locked for posting anti-Semitic tweets over the weekend. According to The Guardian, Kanye, who changed his name to Ye, recently came under fire for wearing a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt during Paris fashion week.

He also wore the shirt that the Anti-Defamation League refers to as a "hate slogan" on models. On its website, the league, which keeps an eye on violent radicals, said that white supremacist groups have been using the phrase. However, Kanye noted that he found the shirt "funny" and "the obvious thing to do."

"I said, 'I thought the shirt was a funny shirt; I thought the idea of me wearing it was funny,'" he told Fox News host Tucker Carlson. "And I said, 'Dad, why did you think it was funny?' He said, 'Just a Black man stating the obvious'," he added.

In the same interview, Kanye told Carlson that former president Donald Trump's Jewish son-in-law, Jared Kushner, negotiated peace deals in the Middle East "to make money."

It also received backlash as it was perceived as perpetuating Jewish stereotypes. The rapper has been open about his mental health problems since he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years ago.

READ NEXT: Khloe Kardashian Fires Back at Kanye West for 'Tearing' Down Kim Kardashian: 'Please STOP'

Kanye West Instagram Got Restricted

A Meta representative confirmed that the company took down content from the rapper's @kanyewest-branded Instagram account. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the official also told THR that the account is still visible, but restriction has been placed on it.

Meta has a policy of limiting users who break the rules too often, which could mean the user cannot share posts, leave comments, or send direct messages for a while. However, the Meta rep did not clarify what was taken out or how long the restriction would last.

Kanye West recently posted on Instagram what he said was a conversation he had with Diddy, in which he allegedly used anti-Semitic language criticized by other social media users.

The post has been taken down since then. Advocacy group American Jewish Committee has also ripped Kanye West for his "rants laden with racist and antisemitic undertones" and "anti-Jewish posts."

Kanye West Twitter Got Restricted as Well

Kanye West went on Twitter on Friday night for the first time since November 2020. He tweeted, "Look at this Mark, How you gone kick me off instagram," with a blurry picture of himself and Meta's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, singing karaoke.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, the future owner of Twitter, promptly intervened to welcome Kanye back to the service despite the controversial artist's most recent antisemitic statements.

Welcome back to Twitter, my friend!  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2022

However, the rapper seemed to have regarded Musk's gracious reception as green light as barely 12 hours later, he expanded on his antisemitic conspiracies in a tweet.

"I'm a bit sleepy tonight, but when I wake up, I'm going death [sic] con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," Kanye tweeted Saturday night." "You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda," he added.

Despite Elon Musk's endorsement, Twitter locked Kanye West's account and deleted the comment about anti-Jewish prejudices frequently expressed by white nationalists, a Twitter representative told TechCrunch.

READ MORE: Elon Musk-Twitter Deal Gets Shocking Twist: Tesla CEO Will Push Through Sale on One Condition

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Kanye West Exclusive: Rapper Tells Tucker Carlson Story Behind White Lives Matter Shirt - From Fox News
After Hurricane Fiona devastated Puerto Rico and Hurricane Ian destroyed homes in Cuba, Florida, and North Carolina, Hurricane Julia hit the Americas and, this time, in Nicaragua and parts of Colombia.

According to the Associated Press, this new hurricane hit Nicaragua's central Caribbean coast on Sunday. It poured torrential rains across Central America and is expected to reemerge over the Pacific.

Julia hit the Americas as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph). As it pushed through Nicaragua, its winds became a bit weaker to a tropical storm force of 50 mph (85 kph).

READ NEXT: Florida: Joe Biden and Ron DeSantis Put Differences Aside, Show Unity After Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Julia Blows Off Roofs in Colombia, Evacuations Happening in Nicaragua

San Andres Island in Colombia was one of the first areas to feel Hurricane Julia's fury. The Colombian National Disaster Agency reported that the hurricane blew off the roofs of several houses as it passed through the Colombian island. It also managed to knock over several trees.

According to Accuweather, the damage was only light on San Andres Island and nearby Providencia Island. Before the hurricane hit, Colombia President Gustavo Petro had already announced that the government had prepared several shelters already. They also imposed curfews as the storm began approaching on Saturday.

In Nicaragua, local media showed images of trees toppled across roads and flooding. Vice President Rosario Murillo, who is also the first lady to President Daniel Ortega, released a statement and said there had been no reported deaths so far.

Nicaragua also experienced power outages, and communications were cut in several areas. According to the vice president, around 9,500 people were also being evacuated into shelters. The Guardian reported that all types of vessels were ordered to seek safe harbor.

Nicaraguan soldiers were also deployed to evacuate inhabitants of several Nicaraguan islands around Sandy Bay Sirpi. A total of 118 temporary shelters were set up, with humanitarian supplies already delivered by the military to areas such as Bluefields and Laguna de Perlas.

Flash Flood and Mudslide Warnings in Other Parts of Central America Due to Hurricane Julia

Hurricane Julia is expected to bring not just problems for Nicaragua and Colombia but also in other parts of the Americas. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said life-threatening flash floods and mudslide warnings were possible in Central America and southern Mexico through Tuesday.

The storm is expected to emerge on the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala, which have already suffered weeks of heavy rainfall. In Guatemala, at least 49 people have been confirmed dead, with six missing, due to landslides and severe flooding. Guatemalan officials have also confirmed that roads and hundreds of homes have been damaged due to the heavy rain.

In El Salvador, things are also not as good, as 19 people have been confirmed dead in this rainy season alone. Fernando Lopez, the minister of environmental and natural resources, said the worst rainfall is expected on Monday and Tuesday. El Salvadoran officials have now opened 61 shelters and are expected to hold over 3,000 evacuees.

READ MORE: Hurricane Fiona Update: Joe Biden Promises 100% Help for Puerto Rico After Major Disaster

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WATCH: Hurricane Julia Makes Landfall in Nicaragua - From First Coast News
Officials said the main worry of SNAP benefits' eligible recipients in Hawaii was that the minimum wage hike in the state could affect their benefits.

SNAP benefits in Hawaii might be affected since it is a program based on the recipient's gross monthly income. However, the deputy director of the state Department of Human Services (DHS), Joseph Campos, noted that gross monthly income is not the only factor they would consider when determining an applicant's eligibility, Hawaii News reported.

Campos said "various things," such as medical expenses and household size, are also being considered on the applicant's eligibility for SNAP benefits in Hawaii. He added that the agency will help those on the edge of losing their benefits due to the minimum wage hike when the time comes for their review.

Campos said the federal government could have offset the wage increase when they upped the requirement for those receiving food stamp payments. The DHS reviews the eligibility of its beneficiaries in Hawaii every six months.

READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits Update: You Can Get SNAP Replacement If You Lost Food During Hurricane Ian [Here's How]

SNAP Benefits Hawaii

Hawaii is among the states that would be getting emergency allotments in SNAP benefits payments, according to Low Income Relief. On its website, the DHS in Hawaii said the October 2022 SNAP benefits emergency allotment will be made available for eligible recipients on November 16.

Aside from the emergency allotments, SNAP benefits' maximum allotments for a family of four in Hawaii have increased to $1,794 following the cost-of-living adjustment rate (COLA), which started last October 1.

Reports said the COLA raised the benefits by 12.5%. Resource limits will also be adjusted, including maximum homeless shelter deduction and shelter cap value.

SNAP benefits Hawaii eligibility is reviewed based on gross income, net income, and assets. To qualify for SNAP benefits in Hawaii, you must have a current bank balance under $2,001, both savings and checking combined.

You can also qualify for the food stamps payments if you have a current bank balance under $3,001 and share your household with a person age 60 and above or a person with a disability, as stated by the Government Benefits website. SNAP benefits in Hawaii are being distributed through an Electronic Benefits Transfer card.

Minimum Wage Hike in Hawaii

Last September, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) said in a press release that the minimum wage in Hawaii will increase to $12.00 per hour starting on October 1.

It was the first minimum wage hike since 2019 when the minimum wage rate was set at $10.10 per hour. DLIR Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio said the minimum wage law's purpose was to protect the "health, efficiency, and general well-being of workers."

In 2024, the minimum wage rate in Hawaii will increase to $14.00 per hour, and in 2026, it will be $16.00. The minimum wage hike was made possible with the enactment of Act 114, Session Laws of Hawaii.

READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022 Update: $301.8 Million Texas Payments Confirmed for July 2022

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: SNAP Benefits Extended for Hawaii Residents - From KITV
Anna "Delvey" Sorokin, the fake heiress who scammed wealthy New Yorkers into giving her money, has been released from prison, but her lawyer says she can't use social media.

The 31-year-old "German heiress" con artist has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since March 2021.

She also went by the name Anna Delvey and is the subject of the Netflix documentary Inventing Anna, The Guardian noted.

While fighting deportation, U.S. immigration judge Charles Conroy approved her release from detention to house confinement earlier this week.

READ NEXT: Baby Formula Scam: Miami Man, 2 Others Get 18-Year Jail Time Over $115 Million Fraud

That's Exactly What I Wanted, Says Fake Heiress Anna "Delvey" Sorokin

Anna "Delvey" Sorokin, the con artist pretending to be a German heiress, claims that she exactly got what she wanted after her release from jail.

In her first interview after her release, she told the New York Times that she was "really happy" to be free and that "nothing was guaranteed."

Sorokin was given a $10,000 bond and let out of jail on Friday. She is under home arrest and has a social media restriction.

"They denied bail before. It was an exercise in perseverance," the fake heiress told the newspaper.

"So many immigration lawyers told me I'd get deported to Mars before I'd get out in New York."

Sorokin will be staying in New York until her immigration case is over. She said that she is happy about what happened, that is what she wanted, and she is hoping for more freedom.

Sky News reported that the fake heiress now lives in a one-bedroom apartment in the city's East Village area.

She also said the money used for her $10,000 bond and apartment lease is hers.

How Did Anna "Delvey" Sorokin Become a Con Artist?

Sorokin was born in Russia, moved to Germany at 16 and later dropped out of college. Then, she moved to New York in 2013 after working as an intern for a fashion magazine in Paris.

Over the next few years, she stole $275,000 from restaurants, hotels, banks, and people by saying she was a German heiress with a $60 million trust fund.

Sorokin slept in some of New York's most luxurious hotels for months, piling up massive bills for food and lodging and promising to pay by wire transfer. However, this did not occur.

The fake heiress also tried to get $22 million in loans from City National Bank and Fortress Investment Group by making up fake bank documents. She wanted to use the money to open the Anna Delvey Foundation, a social club similar to Soho House.

According to Yahoo, Sorokin even convinced a City National Bank employee to allow her to overdraw her account to obtain a $100,000 loan.

In the summer of 2018, Vanity Fair and The Cut wrote about her plan and found out about the scams.

Sorokin, the con artist, was found guilty on eight counts in 2019, including attempted grand larceny for trying to borrow $22 million from a bank.

READ MORE: Planned Parenthood to Open Mobile Abortion Clinic in Illinois to Provide Services to Neighboring States

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Fake Heiress Anna Sorokin Released From Jail, Faces Deportation - From TODAY
The U.N. chief has supported the request of Haiti for immediate deployment of an armed force in the country to take back control of its areas from Haitian gangs.

The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, proposed in a letter to the Security Council the quick armed force deployment to Haiti, which will be composed of military personnel from one or more foreign nations, according to a Miami Herald report.

Guterres noted that the quick deployment of military force would help the Haiti National Police get fuel and water flowing in the country again. The blockade of the Varreux fuel terminal has prevented critical services required to prevent the quick spread of cholera in Haiti.

Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement that the most vulnerable sectors of the Haitian population are those hit the hardest. Dujarric noted that the U.N. chief urged the international community to consider the matter of urgency after the request of the Haitian government for immediate deployment of armed forces.

Guterres wrote in the 11-page letter that a return of United Nations peacekeeping force "was not the preferred option of the authorities" in Haiti.

READ NEXT: Haiti Gang Violence, Protests Engulf Nation; Joe Biden Aide Saying Strikes Financed by Economic Actors

Haiti's Request for Armed Force

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry called for international help during a televised speech, urging the international community to support Haiti "in every necessary way to avoid the situation worsening."

CNN reported that Henry said they need to be able to distribute water and medicine as cholera is making a comeback in Haiti.

Aside from armed forces deployment, the U.N. Secretary-General may also employ other U.N. capacities to "support a ceasefire or humanitarian arrangements."

The letter also suggested two options for Haiti such as establishing an international police task force to help and advise local officers or creating a special force to fight Haitian gangs, as reported by ABC News Go.

The letter stated that if member states do not step forward for "bilateral support and financing," the U.N. operation may be an alternative.

The Secretary-General also acknowledged that Haiti is currently experiencing an outbreak of cholera amid "a dramatic deterioration in security."

Henry's request for military deployment came after one of Haiti's most powerful gangs surrounded a key fuel terminal in Port-au-Prince. It prevented the distribution of around 10 million gallons of diesel and gasoline.

Haiti's Cholera Outbreak

UNICEF representative, Bruno Maes, said in an Aljazeera report that 1.2 million Haitian children are threatened due to the resurgence of the illness in the capital. Local health authorities have reported dozens of suspected cases since the start of October.

Maes said that many of the poorest Haitian families have no option but to drink and use unsafe water, adding that "garbage is not collected in the streets" while hospitals are closed or unable to provide services.

Between October 1 and October 4, five cholera cases had been confirmed, according to Haiti's Public Health and Population Ministry.

The health ministry of Haiti also reported 52 suspected cases of cholera, of which 15 were children aged four and under.

READ MORE: 4 of Haiti President Jovenel Moise's 'Presumed Assassins' Killed, 2 Arrested by Police

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Haitian President Ariel Henry calls for military assistance from abroad - from TRT World


Paris Hilton has forgiven a fan who admitted to robbing her Christian Dior sunglasses more than ten years ago.

Gregory Brown, one of the two @asapscience influencers, took part in the "Super Freaky Girl" challenge earlier this week. In this challenge, contestants rap about a crazy thing that happened to them over the instrumental of the Nick Minaj song.

According to Yahoo, Brown started by admitting he once robbed Hilton and hoped she never saw his TikTok as he could end up in jail.

READ NEXT: Paris Hilton Marries Carter Reum in Star-Studded Wedding Ceremony in Los Angeles

Gregory Brown Steals Paris Hilton's Christian Dior Sunglasses

In a TikTok freestyle rap video that follows the "One Thing About Me" trend, Brown told a story about how he "robbed" an heiress of a pair of expensive sunglasses while they were partying.

Paris was one of many celebrities targeted by a group of thieves called the "Bling Ring." She doesn't seem upset about it, and she even responded to a video about it from the 2000s in a very 1920s way: with a TikTok "duet."

"One thing about me is that I once robbed Paris Hilton, and I hope she never sees this because I could go to jail. The slammer," Greg, 34, said in his TikTok

"I was at an M.I.A. concert. The musician. It was great. I was drinking and [makes a smoking gesture]. I left the concert, and then a big, black car pulled up, and all these people screamed, and Paris Hilton got out."

Brown said that Hilton's car was still parked outside when everyone went inside the club, known as the Guvernment in Toronto. They checked it out, opened the door, and no one was there.

He continued by saying Daniel Powter's 2005 song "Bad Day" was still playing inside the heiress' car, where they found Hilton's script for the 2005 House of Wax.

E! Online noted that Brown said her friend stole Hilton's Christian Dior sunglasses and screamed run! Brown thought cops were coming, so they ran, and his friend was screaming out of joy.

He ended the video by saying, "So yes, I robbed Paris Hilton. I hope that's okay, and please don't put me in jail. You're rich."

Paris Hilton's Response to Gregory Brown's TikTok

Hilton also reacted hilariously, uploading a video version in which she laughs and nods along to his video with the caption, "L.O.L.! Can you please do a reveal of the sisterhood of the traveling Paris Hilton sunglasses?"

The statute of limitations on this kind of crime in California is three years, so Brown is safe regardless.

After Brown accepts her duet's offer to return the sunglasses, Hilton says she forgives him, and he can have the sunglasses.

She said she would not break the tradition of the sisterhood of the traveling Paris Hilton sunglasses, Paper Mag reported.

Brown put out a second video in which he can be seen wearing the famous black Dior frames. Hilton reposted this and wrote, "Omg, I remember these sunglasses. They look hot on you, so you can keep them! P.S. They never went out of style #Sliving."

RREAD MORE: Michael Pena Net Worth: How the Mexican-American Struggling Actor Became One of Hollywood's Most Bankable Stars

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Paris Hilton Closes Versace's Runway Show at Milan Fashion Week! - From Paris Hilton
The Oregon serial rapist with the moniker "jogger rapist" will be released from prison in December after he served around 36 years, which was almost the entirety of his maximum sentence.

Fox News reported that the jogger rapist is known as Richard Gillmore. He was arrested in 1986 and was found guilty in 1987 by a jury.

Prison officials noted that the jogger rapist was transferred in August from Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla to the maximum-security Columbia River Correctional Institution in Portland. The transfer was in preparation for his release into society. He will be 63 on his release in December.

The sentence that was given to Gillmore was at least 30 years, with a 60-year maximum. However, a parole board decided to half his sentence a year after he was convicted.

He has also been identified as a sex offender with a low risk of reoffending. In addition, he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life due to his rape conviction.

READ NEXT: Florida Cop Shot Dead by Fellow Police Officer While Serving Arrest Warrant

Oregon Serial Rapist Victims

Gillmore got his moniker "jogger rapist" as he stalked out victims as he ran by their homes. The serial rapist had admitted to raping nine girls in the Portland area in the 1970s and 80s, according to an NBC News report. However, he was only convicted in one case due to the statute of limitations.

The jury managed to convict him of raping 13-year-old Tiffany Edens. Edens was the last known victim in December 1986.

Edens has spoken publicly about the assault and recently wrote on social media that she received information in August from the state's Victim Information and Notification Service telling her of Gillmore's release.

It was reported that Gillmore will remain under supervision under 2034 and could be sent back to prison if he violates his parole.

Danielle Tudor, a victim of Gillmore in 1979, has spoken against Gillmore's release from prison.

Tudor said that if Gillmore had been charged for all the rapes he committed, he would be never getting out.

Other victims of the jogger rapist were also angered after Gillmore was not considered a high-risk sex offender, which would require notification to the community wherever he lives or moves.

Tudor said that Gillmore was designated as a "dangerous offender at trial."

Oregon Serial Rapist Release

Multnomah County Spokesperson Jessica Morkert-Shibley said the county has not solidified plans for Gillmore's post-prison supervision.

Mortkert-Shibley also noted that it has not yet been confirmed where the Oregon serial rapist will live, as reported by the Oregon Live.

Executive director of the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision, Dylan Arthur, said Gillmore will be on active supervision for a minimum of three years.

Gillmore will be required to report regularly to a parole officer or be subject to home visits.

The jogger rapist will also be required to have no contact with his victims, be under GPS monitoring or get treatment once paroled.

Arthur said that he "understands and emphatizes with" Gillmore's victims. He explained that an assessment tool was used on Gillmore to gauge the sexual recidivism rate for sex crime prisoners.

Gillmore reportedly fit the low-level classification, adding that his age at release was also factored in.

READ MORE: Florida Teen May Be Forced to Go Through Pregnancy After Deemed Not 'Mature' Enough for Abortion, Court Rules

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WATCH: Jogger Rapist set for prison release after 36 years - from KOIN 6


Nury Martinez, President of the Los Angeles City Council, and other city leaders are on fire after an audio recording with racist remarks leaked Sunday.

The most offensive comments were made by Martinez, who appeared to confirm the 2021 recording by apologizing to constituents.

According to NBC News, Martinez compared Mike Bonin's 2-year-old son to an animal and suggested that the county's progressive district attorney should not be supported because Black Angelenos might like him.

The audio from a political strategy meeting that a few Latino Democrats on the council went to on Sunday was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

This month, it was on a Reddit forum, but it was taken down. No one knows where the recording came from, and NBC News does not know if it has been edited.

READ NEXT: Nury Martinez Makes History as the First Latina Council President of Los Angeles

Mike Bonin Calls City Council to Remove President of the Los Angeles City Council, Nury Martinez

Nury Martinez made rude comments about Bonin, a white man with a Black son, and criticized the boy for misbehaving at a Martin Luther King Day parade.

She said that Bonin's son was acting up on a float that might have toppled over if she and others on the float had not intervened to "parent this kid."

"They're raising him like a little white kid," Martinez said. "I was like, 'This kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner, and then I'll bring him back."'

Fox 11 noted that Martinez called the child "ese changuito," Spanish for "that little monkey."

In a statement released on Sunday, Bonin asked Martinez to step down from her position on the City Council and asked the City Council to get rid of her as president.

He said that Kevin de Leon and union leader Ron Herrera, both in the conversation, should quit their jobs. He also said that Councilman Gil Cedillo's "tacit approval" of the comments upset him.

"We are appalled, angry and absolutely disgusted that Nury Martinez attacked our son with horrific racist slurs, and talked about her desire to physically harm him," Bonin and his partner, Sean Arian, wrote in a statement. "It's vile, abhorrent, and utterly disgraceful."

Nury Martinez, Kevin de Leon Apologize

Martinez apologized for her remarks in a statement. She said she takes responsibility for her comments since she made them in a moment of "intense frustration and anger. "For that, I am sorry," Martinez said.

"The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color," her statement continues. "My work speaks for itself. I've worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time."

De Leon also made an apology Sunday, ABC 7 reported.

He stated that remarks made at that meeting were utterly inappropriate, and he apologized for seeming to support and even take part in specific offensive comments against a colleague and his family. He also said that he had reached out to them.

READ MORE: Tim Ryan Rakes Over $17M in Campaign Donations, Some Come From Drug Companies in Opioid Crisis

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Written by: Bert Hoover

Watch: Protestors line up outside LA City Council President Nury Martinez's home - From CBS Los Angeles
A Texas teen enjoying his burger in his car in McDonald's parking lot was now fighting for his life when a San Antonio police officer shot him several times.

On the evening of October 2 in San Antonio, Erik Cantu, 17, and a female companion of the same age were riding in a car with the engine running when suddenly his driver's seat door was flung open.

According to News of San Antonio, a police officer told them to get out of the car.

Cantu quickly put the car in reverse and tried to drive away, but as he did so, his open door hit the officer.

Then, the San Antonio police, identified as James Brennand, shot Cantu ten times. The gruesome incident was caught on a police body camera.

The exchange took place in less than eight seconds, but it was long enough for Cantu to sustain critical injuries and for authorities to sack Brennand.

READ NEXT: Texas Teen Shot 15-Year-Old Ex-Girlfriend 22 Times in the Back After She Confronted Him About Cheating

What Caused the San Antonio Police to Shoot the Texas Teen in McDonald's?

According to the department's training commander, Capt. Alyssa Campos, Brennand was trying to get information from witnesses when he noticed the vehicle that had evaded him the day before. He tried to stop the car as its registered plate did not match the vehicle.

However, Campos made it clear that Cantu's car was not the subject of the disturbance call.

She said the officer called for help after deciding that the car had been stolen, but the officer went to the car first. Campos says the officer "abruptly" opened the driver's door and told Cantu to get out of the vehicle.

NBC News noted that several gunshots can be heard in the footage as the maroon car moves away and the driver's door shuts. The video shows that more rounds are fired as the vehicle leaves the parking area.

The Texas teen and his friend were found almost a block away, and the girl did not get hurt. However, the police did not confirm if the car was stolen.

Police accused Cantu of assaulting a peace officer and using a car to evade arrest. Meanwhile, the online court documents say the charges were dropped, and the case is now closed.

San Antonio Police Chief Responds to Shooting at McDonald's Parking Lot

"There is nothing I can say in defense of that officer's actions that night," San Antonio Police Chief William McManus told News 4 San Antonio.

"I think what happened, initially, there was some contact made, but that did not justify the shooting."

McManus says the officer should not have fired his gun, even if the car door had hit him.

Brennand, the San Antonio police, was still on probation after seven months, which is customary for San Antonio police officers who were just out of the police academy.

"The former Officer's actions are indefensible and do not align with our training, tactics and procedures," McManus said. "As such, I terminated him. I will withhold further comment as this incident is still under investigation."

READ MORE: Texas School Shooting: Uvalde School District Hits Police Force with Severe Punishment Over Tragedy

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: RAW | San Antonio Police Department: Critical Incident Video Release 11700 Blanco - From San Antonio Police Department
By SA Commercial Prop News

According to Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene's 2015/16 budget, KwaZulu-Natal province would receive R82.2 billion for 2015/16, followed by Gauteng with R73.4bn, and the Eastern Cape with R54.3bn.



The KwaZulu-Natal province will receive the largest share of the budget of all the provinces in terms of equitable share, according to Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene's 2015/16 budget tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The province would receive R82.2 billion for 2015/16, followed by Gauteng with R73.4bn, and the Eastern Cape with R54.3bn.



Limpopo would receive R45.3bn, the Western Cape R38.2bn, Mpumalanga R31bn, and the North West R26.1bn.



The provinces with the lowest budgets were the Free State with R21.7bn and the Northern Cape with R10.1bn.



In total, provincial government was allocated 42.9 percent of nationally raised revenue in 2015/16, compared to 43.4 percent the previous financial year.



According to the 2015 Budget Review document, the growth rate of the equitable share depended on population growth and demand for services.



As an example, Gauteng had experienced significant in-migration and thus had the fastest-growing equitable share. The slowest-growing equitable share was that of the Free State.



Provinces would receive conditional grants over the medium-term to the value of R274bn.



Growth in some priority grants -- such as the education infrastructure grant, the comprehensive HIV/Aids grant, and the community library services grant -- exceeded 12 percent a year.



Provinces also generated their own revenue, with over half of the money coming from motor vehicle licences.



Local government had been allocated 9.1 percent of available funds (or R99.7bn).


file photo President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed condolences on the demise of Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed condolences on the demise of Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.



President Droupadi Murmu in a tweet in Hindi described Yadav as a tall grassroots level leader who rose to prominence from a simple background.



She further described the former defence minister as a leader with extraordinary abilities and said that his demise was a "great loss" to the nation.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was pained by Yadav's demise and recalled his long association with the socialist leader.



"I had many interactions with Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji when we served as Chief Ministers of our respective states. The close association continued and I always looked forward to hearing his views. His demise pains me. Condolences to his family and lakhs of supporters. Om Shanti," he tweeted.



"He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr. Lohia," the Prime Minister tweeted further.



Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari offered his condolences to Yadav's family and recalled that he personally received lots of affection from the departed leader.



Gadkari said that he got Yadav's full support for his policy initiatives on regularising e-rickshaws in the country.



Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh described Mulayam Singh Yadav as a stalwart Lohiaite, who had admirers across political spectrum.



"Mulayam Singh Yadav was a stalwart Lohiaite but had admirers across political spectrum. His tenures as CM of UP were very consequential. He played a key national role on 2 occasions: Deve Gowda & Gujral govts as Defence Min,& in 2002 when he proposed APJ Abdul Kalam for President," Ramesh tweeted.




Campaigners in Rathdowney are concerned at the transfer of patients out of mental health residential facility they are fight to save in the Laois town.

The Rathdowney Action Group Against the Eviction (RAGE) are campaigning against the closure of Erkina House in the town. The HSE announced its closure earlier this year but the decision was stalled after local people, residents and their families rejected the move.

Now however, the action group are worried that the process of closure may be happening despite being reassured by the HSE that nothing would happen until an independent report was completed.

They say two residents of Erkina House have been removed in recent weeks. The campaign group say they were not notified of any changes. The transfer means there are now just 10 residents in the building.

They say one resident is now in a nursing home in Stradbally. The campaign group claim there had been no deterioration in his physical well-being and no need for him to be moved out of Erkina House.

"It was traumatic and frightening for him," said a statement.

They say the other relocated resident was sent to Portlaoise for further management, but instead of returning her to Erkina House they sent her to another facility.

They said both these residents were very vocal at the public meeting earlier this year which was called to allow the public, residents and their family give their views on the HSE plan.

The RAGE group believe that other resides are worried.

"We have been informed that all of the other residents are upset and anxious and worried about who will be moved next.

The action group are in the process of contacting all the families of the residents and we are asking them to ring immediately for an appointment to demand that their family resident is not removed from Erkina house," they said.

The campaign group say the submission of the HSE commissioned report on the future of Erkina House was delayed to allow the inclusion of an architects report.

"However we are aware that, due to these recent events, the report and the recommendations by the commissioned company is being submitted immediately without the accompanying architects report," they said.

RAGE say they have once again contacted Laois TDs Brian Stanley, Sean Fleming and Charlie Flannagan as well as local councillor John King to highlight recent developments.

They say Minister of State Mary Butler has also been contacted.

The group say they are making contact with the Irish Advocacy Network to try and get someone to be assigned to represent residents who have been transferred out of Erkina House.

The HSE announced in April, 2022, of its intention to shut Erkina House and transfer residents to Silver Lodge Tullamore. Management maintained the Rathdowney facility was unsuitable for its use at present.

The Mental Health Commission previously found four high risks identified upon inspection of Silver Lodge in Tullamore. They were in therapeutic services and programmes, premises, staffing and individual care plans.

The HSE put relocation on hold pending consultation and the preparation of costs to overhaul Erkina house.

The terms of reference for the review were: to develop clear pathways for housing of existing residents of Erkina House; Explore primarily from the perspective of residents the most favourable options and how practically any change could best meet their needs; To engage with wider stakeholders to record their perspectives; To work with local decision makers to develop recommendations that aim to support client goals and needs.
A classic car restorer who was caught driving at 172kmh in Laois will keep his licence if he pays 500 and a fine of 300.

Adam McIvor, 27, of Asdilis Lodge, Spricklestown, The Ward, Dublin admitted driving at 172kmh in a 120kmh zone on the motorway at Ballydavis, Portlaoise on November 20, 2021.

Sgt JJ Kirby said the original charge of dangerous driving related to the speed. The defendant had no previous convictions, he added.

Judge Andrew Cody reduced the charge to careless driving as the defendant had no previous.

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client had worked in corporate finance but has now registered a company which restores classic cars.

On the date in question, he was driving a car which he was not familiar with, she explained. He was watching the rev counter and not the speed gauge, she added. Ms Fitzpatrick said the man employs three people in the business.

Judge Andrew Cody suggested a contribution. He put the case back to December 1 and said a 300 fine and no disqualification would apply subject to the payment of 500.
The Croi Conaithe scheme which helps with the refurbishment of vacant properties in towns is to be extended to all cities and rural areas, Laois TD Charlie Flanagan has said.

Under the scheme, grants of up to 50,000 are available to bring a property back into use as a principal private residence.

Dep Flanagan, who has previously called for the scheme to be extended to rural areas, said the decision to extend was essential in these times of high house prices and limited availability of rental properties in rural areas. Up to now the scheme has been restricted to towns with a population over 400.

The expansion of Croi Conaithe from towns to cities and rural areas is the right step to take he said.

We need to open the scheme up to vacant or derelict property, regardless of whether the property is in or outside the town. We all know this is where some of the very best value can be achieved for home buyers, Dep Flanagan said.

The public have seen what is possible from TV programmes such as Cheap Irish Homes, Room to Improve and the Great House Revival and the appetite is there to see such properties being restored for current and future generations of families in county Laois, he remarked.

The decision to extend the eligibility for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was confirmed in the Seanad last week and is expected to be in place for November.

This is something which all my colleagues in Fine Gael sought following the launch of the scheme. I welcome the decision which has been made and thank Minister Peter Burke for the proactive decision which has been taken on this matter."

The scope is now there to bring in far more than the target of 2,000 properties by 2025. I know young individuals and couples will welcome this change to the schemes criteria and it will allow many families the opportunity to live in their childhood communities and be near older family members, said Dep Flanagan.

It will unquestionably have a positive impact on rural communities, here in Laois. When the vacant property refurbishment grant is combined with SEAI grant assistance, it makes taking on a vacant or derelict property a more feasible and affordable option, he concluded.
For the community of Creeslough, things will never be the same again.

Ten members of their community were taken from them when the main shop in the village  the deli, the post office and a hairdressers  was ripped apart.

Among those who died were a father and his five-year-old daughter, a mother and her teenage son, a young girl, and a man who was not from here, but had chosen Creeslough as his home.

These people lost their lives doing something many of us do every day, in what Gardai are treating as an accident.

Despite the harrowing scenes many of them have witnessed, the community pulled together to look after one another, and to feed and host the emergency services at the scene and the crowd gathered outside the cordon.

After darkness fell on Saturday night, a man stood in the doorway of a building with blown-out windows and offered people the use of his toilet.

The Coffee Pod cafe across from the scene filled shelves with sandwiches, soup, chocolate bars and tea and coffee, ceaselessly handing them out to anyone who needed them.

Its natural for us in these communities to do that, Father John Joe Duffy told the PA news agency, echoing the words of Superintendent David Kelly, who said that looking after one another is what it means to live in Donegal.

Despite this show of kindness in the face of tragedy, Father Duffy expressed concern for his community that has a heavy burden of grief before them.

This includes the locals who rushed to the scene to pull people out from the debris at the confused scene, some using their bare hands to clear the rubble.

Others began using heavy machinery to lift away the rubble.

The trauma of what they experienced can be seen in their face or eyes, he said.

You dont imagine this would happen when you walk into a shop.

I was in a shop in the neighbouring village and I was just in the middle of the shop when it dawned on me that this happened in our shop in Creeslough. Its sort of unbelievable.

There are momentary blips where I think oh I must go to the shop, and then I realise the shops not there, the post office is not there.

He said that the community was like an extended family and they had lost several members of that family.

On Sunday, people were seen braving the bad weather to visit St Michaels Church while a vigil in the nearby town of Milford saw hundreds attend to help process the scale of the loss.

Parents hugged their children and people carried candles at the gathering at the top of the town.

I found it really difficult at mass this morning, Father Duffy said.

I knew some of the children involved in this tragedy and it just struck me, it was like a knife going into your heart, it was very hard to hold it together.

The families that have lost a family member, that is the most tragic of all, but others have lost an extended family member  members of the community have lost an extended family member.

One source of comfort has been the wide-ranging support from people across the island, the UK and further afield, including the cross-community support from the emergency services.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had received a number of text messages from politicians in Northern Ireland and the UK expressing their sympathies.

SDLP leader Column Eastwood, who attended the service on Saturday night, told PA it was important to stand with their neighbours in the aftermath of an unspeakable event.

It must be so difficult for families to get their head around how this could happen in an instant, he said. I do think its important that were here and that we stand with people.

Father Duffy said that as a small rural community, theres certain strength within us.

I believe that we will get through this, and we will get through this by the prayer and goodwill, and by the strength, of what makes us unique.

In a way, were like a large family. Theres a certain strength in that.
Maths Week 2022 is almost here and Kildare schools are ready to go for whats sure to be a great week of events and activities. Now in its 17th year, the all-island festival of maths and numeracy kicks off on Saturday 15th October and runs until Sunday 23rd October. 37 schools and over 15,046 pupils from all over Kildare have signed up adding to the nearly 330,000 registered participants nationwide with more registering each day.

Maths Week is designed to promote a positive attitude towards maths and its applications. Last year over 400,000 people, including 386,000 students, participated in Maths Week and this year promises to be as popular as ever with already over 142,000 pupils signed up to take part, along with more than 60 organisations including the universities, institutes of technology, libraries, schools, training colleges and employers.

After two years online, Maths Week will be returning to classrooms, museums, universities, theatres, libraries, and auditoriums all over the country from Carrickfergus to Carrigaline. Such was the success of the online events, Maths Week Covid Editions, a number of online events are also programmed, to make the event as accessible as possible.

MathsWeekTV is scheduled to broadcast daily shows online for primary and secondary schools across the island. It will feature well known presenters such as UK TV presenter and maths teacher Bobby Seagull and childrens author and maths teacher Sally Lunt. Presenters from north and south will be joined by presenters from Britain, France, Spain, USA, Catalonia, and South Africa.

Cross-border participation is a very important element of the festival with schools from both sides of the border connecting with fun maths activities. Activities will not only be based in the classroom; the popular Puzzles in the Park will return to parks around the island.

A Maths at Work campaign will present role models from diverse backgrounds in a wide variety of careers, showing how they use maths in their jobs. A new initiative Im a mathematician get me out of here will connect professionals with classrooms across the Island.

Maths Week is co-ordinated by Calmast, South East Technological Universitys STEM Engagement centre and supported by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Discover Programme, the Department of Education, and Business in the Community Northern Ireland. The full programme and details of how to get involved are available on the Maths Week website www.mathsweek.ie.

For event and programme updates follow @MathsWeek on Facebook, @mathsireland on Instagram, @mathsweek on TikTok and @mathsweek and #mathsweek2022 on Twitter.
A new opt-out pension scheme will turn the present system "on its head".

That's according to the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, who today (October 10) announced government approval of an Automatic Enrolment scheme to simplify the pension decisions of Irish workers.

Under the General Scheme of the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System Bill, employees will have access to a workplace pension savings scheme which is co-funded by their employer and the State.

Although participation is voluntary, it operates on an opt-out rather than an opt-in basis.

Speaking about the news, Minister Humphreys said, "The delivery of Auto Enrolment has been a key priority for me since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection. Earlier this year I published the final design principles for the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System for Ireland.

"Since then, a lot of work has been undertaken in progressing its implementation. This includes the drafting of the Heads of Bill which I am pleased to say have now been approved by Government. This represents a historic milestone in the journey towards enabling people who are currently without occupational pension coverage to save for their retirement.

"After decades of talking about Auto Enrolment in this country, I am pleased to say the AE train is now very firmly on the tracks and leaving the Station ahead of its introduction in early 2024."

Seven hundred and fifty thousand workers will be enrolled in the new scheme on a voluntary basis initially, with workers given the ability to opt-out or suspend participation for periods of time.

The scheme will include matching employer contributions and a State top-up, meaning for every 3 saved by a worker, a further 4 will be credited to their savings account.

Minister Huphreys concluded: "People are living longer and healthier lives and through AE I want to ensure they can enjoy their retirement years with some financial security. I know for many people retirement seems a long way away and they think they have a lot of time before they need to think about a pension. Pensions are complicated and so we all tend to put it on the long finger  its something Ill get round to next year or maybe even the year after.

"AE is a generational reform in the Irish pensions landscape. It will combat pension inertia by turning the present system on its head to one where people will have to consciously 'opt-out' of supplementary pension coverage rather than 'opting in. It is intended not just to get people saving earlier but to support them in that saving process by simplifying the pension choices and importantly by providing for significant employer and State contributions as well.
People have been urged to talk about the Creeslough tragedy as the horror of the explosion that killed 10 people continues to sink in.

Crowds of people turned out in Letterkenny, a short distance away in Co Donegal, for a candlelit vigil on Monday evening.

Photographs of the 10 victims were placed in the middle of Market Square along with candles.

Photographs of the ten people killed in the Creeslough service station tragedy displayed at Market Square in nearby Letterkenny ahead of a vigil this evening pic.twitter.com/6pWeOQdW8C  Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) October 10, 2022

Gerry McMonagle, one of the directors of the Letterkenny Community Development Project (CDP), thanked attendees for turning out, and said it will be a solace to the bereaved families.

This is our way of helping and assisting the families here tonight, and we want to thank you on behalf of the CDP for coming out here and remembering those families, and being there for them, he said.

Prayers were said by two ministers.

Many in attendance held candles during a moments silence, and placed the candles beside the photographs afterwards.

In Gweedore, around 100 people attended a similar vigil next to a childrens park, 30 minutes west of Creeslough.

A priest led the vigil with prayers and told those who attended there would be difficult days and weeks ahead and urged everyone to pray for the victims and their families.

The crowd huddled together in the cold October evening and recited prayers in Gaeilge in the Irish-speaking parish. Many clutched candles with their heads bowed as they listened to a musician play songs in memory of those who died.

Pictures of the victims were placed in frames and dotted throughout a makeshift shrine.

Ten red candles and 10 red roses were placed in a semi-circle, one for each victim, and a picture of Creeslough was placed in the centre.

Dozens of people walked silently around the shrine and placed candles next to a bunch of white lilies.

Adults placed comforting arms around young teenagers and children as they struggled with the tragedy.

Pensioners sat on a bench with blankets wrapped around their legs as they spoke quietly about how the village would cope.

Local Garda members and firefighters also attended the vigil, standing side by side in a sign of the joint rescue effort at Fridays incident.

Hundreds of people also turned out for a vigil in Derry led by mayor Sandra Duffy.

The Allegri and Rosemount Male Voice Choirs performed at the event, and journalist and presenter Frank Galligan shared a poem reflecting on the tragedy.

After the gathering in Letterkenny Mr McMonagle said it is important to talk.

I think this is what people need after such a tragedy to try and process it. This was an awful incident, I think the randomness of it, it could have happened to any one of us, and that brought it home to people, he told the PA news agency.

So I think its important that we come together and be there in solidarity and sympathies with the families affected, either those who died or those who were injured, so we as a community can show our support and can talk and discuss this.

Its very important at times like this to have an outlet, its very important to talk to our friends and family about what happened, such a tragic occurrence that had reverberations right across our local community.

Thats very noticeable by the demographics of who was affected  we had senior citizens, we had school children, we had teenagers and young mothers and fathers.

It affected the whole community and we can all relate to it, so I think thats why its important we talk about that, and that we help and support one another to get through it.

Mr McGonagle said the mood in Letterkenny has been very sombre.

But there is a resilience there to help and assist those families. I think the whole community has come out, not just in Letterkenny but across Donegal, and I know that that will stand to the families in the weeks and the months ahead, he said.

In this crowd tonight, everyone will know someone who was affected by this. It is such a tight-knit community, when one hurts we all hurt. Thats why were all here tonight in solidarity and sympathy with those families.
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Midlands-North-West MEP Maria Walsh has, this morning announced, that she will lead a historic debate on mental health when the European Parliament sits in Strasbourg next week. Walsh has championed the mental health campaign at European level since her election in 2019 and has been campaigning to get the subject on the Strasbourg calendar ever since. It is fitting therefore, on World Mental Health Day, that she has succeeded in bringing the matter to the top of the agenda.

On Tuesday next, October 18, Walsh will open the mental health session in Strasbourg, addressing her parliamentary colleagues, as well as the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, and representatives from the Council of the European Union. She will use the opportunity to appeal for further support around mental health services, and call for the current EU legislation to be updated.

I have been campaigning for this debate since my election and I am delighted to have the support of European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, in bringing this debate to Parliament. Very early on, I was told mental health was not a competency of the EU and I knew I needed to do something to change this. I immediately began working on getting mental health to the forefront of the EU agenda and I am delighted it is finally getting the time and attention it deserves. It is great to be able to announce this today, on World Mental Health Day, said MEP Walsh.

There is no doubt that the COVID pandemic further highlighted and exacerbated a critical, and widening, gap in mental health care across Europe. According to a recent OECD report, an estimated one-in-two people experienced a mental health condition at some point in their lifetime prior to the pandemic, with one-in-five living with mental ill-health at any given time. Since the crisis, levels of mental distress have increased, with the prevalence of anxiety and depression even doubling in some countries.

At Government level here in Ireland, and also on the European stage, we must work together to tackle mental health issues. Early intervention is key and the mental health of our citizens should be at the core of our work. In Europe, mental health needs to be urgently tackled, through a comprehensive EU Mental Health Strategy. This will be one of my primary focuses when I stand before Parliament on Tuesday next, she added.

A passionate mental health advocate, MEP Walsh is Co-Chair of MHEs Coalition for Mental Health and Wellbeing, and throughout this year, she had also called for 2023 to be designated as the European Year Dedicated to Mental Health. She had been optimistic that her proposal would be ratified in Parliament last month, but instead it was announced that 2023 would be the Year of Education and Training.

Of course, I was disappointed initially, but I absolutely see the value in the Year of Education and Training and I was delighted with the announcement that mental health will be one of the European Citizens' Panels in the Conference on the Future of Europe. The Panels are a key feature of the Conference and are organised to allow citizens to work together on how mental health needs to be addressed in the European Union. Mental health will be one of four priority areas involving 200 citizens from 27 member states, with a third of the panel made up of young people, she said.

Earlier this year, Walsh also led the first report dedicated to mental health in Parliament  entitled 'Mental Health in the Digital World of Work'  and received overwhelming support. The document called for updated EU legislation to ensure collective EU mental health policies are in place. It also called on the Commission to propose a legislative initiative on the management of psychosocial risks and well-being at work.

In bringing the report before Parliament, the Fine Gael MEP called on the European Commission to create a comprehensive EU mental health strategy and a legislative framework to establish minimum requirements for teleworking across the EU. In addition, she asked that Member States and the Commission include measures to address mental health in their health crisis and pandemic emergency response and preparedness plans. The report noted that the pandemic saw politicians and governments protecting the physical health of citizens. We need to see mental health tackled with the same urgency, she stressed.

Looking ahead to Strasbourg next week, Walsh welcomed the fact that mental health is finally moving up the political agenda. I am excited about next weeks debate and also about getting involved in discussions and ideas around the Conference on the Future of Europe. I am encouraged, too, when I think about the increased awareness that the Citizens Panel can bring to mental health. I will continue to work to ensure mental health care is affordable and accessible for every citizen, regardless of their location within the European Union.

Mental health, according to MEP Walsh, has got to be a priority in Ireland, and in Europe. There can be no debate or policy discussion on health, on care, on the future of our European Union, without the mental health of our citizens at its very core. I very much intend to keep the mental health of all of our citizens, front and centre on the EU agenda. We cannot continue to stigmatise mental health, yet mourn the loss of it, she concluded.
North Korea's recent missile tests were "tactical nuclear" drills personally overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, state media said Monday, October 10, adding that the launches were a response to US-led joint military exercises in the region.

Kim Jong Un has long wanted to develop tactical nukes  smaller, lighter weapons designed for battlefield use  and made it a top priority at a key party congress in January 2021.

The country revised its nuclear laws last month, envisaging a wide array of scenarios in which it could use its nukes, with Kim declaring North Korea an "irreversible" nuclear power  effectively ending the possibility of denuclearisation talks.

Read more North Korea continues flurry of missile launches toward sea

Since then, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have ramped up combined naval exercises, including deploying the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan to the area twice, infuriating Pyongyang, which sees the joint drills as rehearsals for invasion.

In response, North Korea "decided to organize military drills under the simulation of an actual war," the official KCNA reported.

'Militant effectiveness and actual war capabilities'

North Korean army units involved in "the operation of tactical nukes staged military drills from September 25 to October 9 in order to check and assess the war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability of the country," the report said. "Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of its Central Military Commission, guided the military drills on the spot," it added.

KCNA said that "tactical nuclear operations units" had conducted seven launching drills that had allowed North Korea's nuclear forces to display their "militant effectiveness and actual war capabilities," KCNA added.

North Korea also released multiple photographs of the recent missile launches, tests and exercises, showing Kim Jong Un overseeing them all, giving orders and posing with smiling soldiers.

"They're pursuing a tactical nuclear weapon for sure," said US-based security analyst Ankit Panda. "I suspect they'll gradually nuclearize many of their new short-range missiles, including the maneuvering missiles."

The fact that North Korea has described all seven of its recent missile launches as being linked to "tactical nuclear operations units" is significant, he added. "This is interesting because this includes [everything] from short-range ballistic missiles to IRBMs [intermediate-range ballistic missile]..." he wrote on Twitter.

North Korea describes all seven of its recent missile launch events as having to do with "tactical nuclear operatio https://t.co/JQLXJM4uxY  nktpnd (@Ankit Panda)

The fact that North Korea was not framing the recent launches as tests of the missiles themselves, but of the units that launch them, was also significant, analysts said. "That suggests these systems are deployed," Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies wrote on Twitter.

With talks long stalled, Pyongyang has doubled down on its banned weapons programs, firing an IRBM over Japan last week, with officials and analysts warning it had completed preparations for another nuclear test.

The United States redeployed the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to waters east of South Korea as part of a broad-ranging military response to Pyongyang's IRBM test, which also included joint bombing and missile drills.

US 'openly posing a military threat'

North Korea has repeatedly slammed the carrier's redeployment, saying Monday that the US was "openly posing a military threat to the DPRK," KCNA said, using the North's official name.

North Korea also said it had carried out "a large-scale combined air-attack drill," also overseen by Kim, in which it said, "more than 150 fighter planes of different missions took off simultaneously for the first time in history."

Seoul's military said it had scrambled 30 fighter jets Thursday after 12 North Korean warplanes staged a rare "formation flight north of the inter-Korean air boundary [and] conducted air-to-surface firing drills."

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"Kim probably wants to tell the US and South Korea that any demonstrations of alliance solidarity and readiness will be in vain," Rand corporation analyst Soo Kim told French new agency Agence France-Presse. "We probably won't see North Korea backing down anytime soon, and from all appearances, it appears the allies may not fold easily this time, either."

Read more Subscribers only Cold war climate strains relations between North and South Korea

Le Monde with AFP
InvestigationThe trial of a commander of a rebel group of the Liberian civil war has opened before a Paris court, at which he will answer charges of torture and crimes against humanity.

They have been waiting for this moment for a long time  ever since their country, Liberia, was plunged into a violent civil war at the end of the 20th century. On Monday, October 10, three men and one woman from the West African state sat in a Paris court. Stephen C, Jasper C, Fayah G and Rebecca K will describe to the judges and jury the atrocities they witnessed, and experienced, in the Liberian county of Lofa in 1993 and 1994.

They will be facing a compatriot they thought they would never see again: Kunti Kamara, 47, a former commander of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), one of the armed groups whose struggle for power left 250,000 dead between 1989 and 2003.

His accusers say he is a murderer, a torturer and a cannibal, while his defence says he is innocent. The charges are serious  "aggravated acts of torture and barbarism" and "crimes against humanity"  and could lead to a life sentence.

Colonel Kamara  alias "CO Kunti" (commanding officer Kunti)  most likely never imagined that he would one day have to account for the horrors perpetrated in Lofa, where the ULIMO fought against former president Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).

During those years of bloodshed and terror, far from prying eyes and television cameras, the warring factions one-upped each other in the cruelty they inflicted on civilians, whose ethnicity meant allegiance to one side or the other: pregnant women were disemboweled, men castrated, intestines used as barriers at checkpoints, human body parts offered to stunned villagers with cries of "Who wants to buy beef?"

The 2009 report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) revealed the extent of the horrors and highlighted ULIMO-occupied Lofa as one of the most violent regions during the war. Yet the Liberian justice system never held the remaining former warlords or their henchmen accountable for these crimes. It took the courage of a few victims and the tenacity of Swiss NGO Civitas Maxima, created in 2012, to document the barbarity of this forgotten conflict and bring it to light.

A quiet life in Belgium

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In October 2017, the first warning shot was fired: former ULIMO commander Mohammed Jabbateh  known as "Jungle Jabbah"  a refugee in the United States, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for lying about his past to US immigration authorities.

In June 2021, another ULIMO leader named Alieu Kosiah was sentenced in Switzerland to 20 years in prison  his appeal trial will open in January 2023. "This Swiss procedure opened in 2014 brought Kunti to our attention, because Kosiah wanted him to be heard," said Alain Werner, a lawyer and the founder of Civitas Maxima. This marked the beginning of CO Kunti's legal troubles  at the time he was living a quiet life in Belgium.

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From left, Tore Ellingsen, Hans Ellegren and John Hassler, members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announce the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2022 during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden. October 10, 2022. ANDERS WIKLUND / AP

This years Nobel Prize in economic sciences has been awarded to the former chair of the US Federal Reserve, Ben S. Bernanke, and two US-based economists, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig, "for research on banks and financial crises."

The prize was announced on Monday, October 10, by the Nobel panel at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The committee said their work had shown in their research "why avoiding bank collapses is vital."

"Their analyses have been of great practical importance in regulating financial markets and dealing with financial crises," it added.

Nobel prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on December 10.

Unlike the other prizes, the economics award wasnt established in Alfred Nobels will of 1895 but by the Swedish central bank in his memory. The first winner was selected in 1969.

Last year, half of the award went to David Card for his research on how the minimum wage, immigration and education affect the labor market. The other half was shared by Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens for proposing how to study issues that don't easily fit traditional scientific methods.

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off October 3 with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system.

Three scientists jointly won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger had shown that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information.

Read more Subscribers only Nobel Prize winner Alain Aspect reflects on a career of scientific discoveries

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of "snapping molecules together" that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely.

French author Annie Ernaux won this years Nobel Prize in literature Thursday. The panel commended her for blending fiction and autobiography in books that fearlessly mine her experiences as a working-class woman to explore life in France since the 1940s.

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The Nobel Peace Prize went to jailed Belarus human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties on Friday.

Read more Subscribers only Alexander Cherkasov: 'This Nobel Peace Prize is a wonderful symbol of solidarity'

Le Monde with AP
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THE HOUSING crisis has become so bad for students that some, attended colleges in Limerick, are even sleeping in tents.

Thats according to Luke OGorman, the welfare officer of Mary Immaculate College Students' Union, who will join their counterparts across the country in staging a protest against the lack of housing, on Thursday.

At 11am, those taking part in lectures will leave these, and gather in the grounds outside the college for the demonstration designed to raise attention to the low number of beds for young people moving away from home for the first time.

Mr OGorman said: Its tough for a lot of students. We are in dire straits at the moment. Some students have resorted to living in tents, in their cars, or hotel accommodation which is very overpriced too.

Its just not sustainable for students.

You would always think there would be accommodation for students. But its not looking like its going to happen any time soon, he said.

The welfare officer said there is frustration at the move by the High Court to overturn planning permission for a multi-storey student halls complex opposite Punchs Cross in the vicinity of the college.

It would have been ideal for students to be able to have their base there.

It will be raised at the protest this week, at how dissatisfied the students are, he told Limerick Live.
A LIMERICK man will be showcasing the benefits of equine assisted therapies on the next episode of RTEs Nationwide.

Equine therapist Joe Slattery of JS Equine Assisted Therapies will be discussing helping people with a variety of challenges on the show and growing up in Southill.

Equine assisted therapy involves a range of treatments focused on activities with horses and other equines to promote human physical and mental health.

In a preview of the episode posted to social media Joe discusses a former patient of his.

We had a group come in, people that would have been recovering from substance abuse, Joe said.

We had one guy in particular and I had a horse who is quite sensitive and if you have very high energy or in her face you couldnt get anywhere near her, he continued.

He kept trying to get with her and she kept trying to get away and he ended up exploding and saying that horse is stuck up and loads of profanity and he stormed off, Joe said.

Joe continued: He came back down after a while anyway and he came in and the group was there and we said okay what happened there? He said that horse is stuck up! Other people in the group went well maybe the horse is shy or maybe the horse is nervous.

I just happened to say, I wonder if there have been other times in your life where you thought someone was stuck up but really they were shy or nervous and felt intimidated by your approach and he just thought about it, Joe said.

Joe will appear on tonight, Monday, October 10s episode of Nationwide on RTE One at 7pm.
A LIMERICK store was ordered to stop selling food products for a number of weeks last month, the Food Safety of Authority of Ireland has revealed.

A closure order was served on the operator of the Homesavers store at City East Retail Park, Ballysimon, Limerick on September 9 following an inspection by Environmental Health Officers.

"Mouse droppings were observed on the floor underneath shelving where food items were displayed for sale," states a report which was prepared following the inspection.

"It was not possible to verify the pest control procedures in place on site as access to pest control records was denied by

management," adds the report which has been published this Monday.

While the store was allowed to remain open following the inspection, the "storage, display and sale of all foodstuffs on the entire premises" was prohibited with immediate effect.

According to the FSAI website, the closure order, under EU food regulations, was formally lifted on September 23 after the issues of concern were rectified by the retailer - Centz Stores 6 LTD.

The Homesavers premises in Limerick was one of seven across the country which were the subject of closure orders during September.

The other premises were located in Dublin (3), Cork, Meath and Monaghan.

Commenting on the closure orders served during September, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive of FSAI, said a lack of pest control procedures is unacceptable.

It is a legal requirement for all food businesses to have a robust food safety management system in place that also ensures a high level of pest control. However, time after time, environmental health officers are finding incidents of rodent infestations and filthy premises highlighting a disregard for basic food safety and hygiene. All food businesses have a legal obligation to ensure that the food they are processing, serving or selling is safe to eat at all times. Consumers have a right to safe food and we would urge anyone who is concerned or suspect there is unusual activity being demonstrated by a food business, to contact us via our online complaint form and we will investigate," she said.
BOOKS of evidence have been served on two Limerick women and a Limerick man who are accused of laundering significant amounts of cash over a three-year period.

Sandra Hehir, aged 54, who has an address at Assumpta Park, Island Road, Limerick city; Vicky Hehir, aged 29, of Bruach Na Sionna, Castleconnell and Warren Hehir, aged 32, also of Bruach Na Sionna, Castleconnell appeared before the three-judge court earlier this Monday.

Sandra Hehir is charged with nine non-scheduled offences, Vicky Hehir is charged with four non-scheduled offences and Mr Hehir is charged with two non-scheduled offences. All the offences are contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Justice 2010 and relate to money laundering and terrorist financing within the State.

Under Section 7 of the Act, "a person commits an offence if the person engages in acts in relation to property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct in concealing or disguising the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of the property in converting, transferring, handling, acquiring, possessing the property".

The offences all alleged to have occurred at locations in Limerick between January 1, 2017 and June 18, 2020.

The three defendants are all charged with "possessing, using, converting, transferring or handling" cash to the value of 59,000, "knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property, was the proceeds of criminal conduct" in discharging sums due and owing in respect of works carried out on Kilmurry Court, Garryowen, Limerick between August 8, 2019 and June 17, 2020.

Sandra Hehir is also charged with "handling, acquiring and/or possessing" cash to the value of 124,055 at Assumpta Park, Island Road, Limerick on June 17, 2020, "knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct".

She is further charged with unlawfully possessing a controlled drug, to wit, cannabis, for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying it to another at Assumpta Park, Island Road, Limerick on the same date.

Vicky Hehir is also charged with "handling, acquiring and/or possessing a woman's Rolex watch; knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct" at The Path, Garryowen, Limerick on June 17, 2020.

Mr Hehir is also charged with handling, acquiring and/or possessing a man's Rolex watch; "knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct" at the same location on the same date.

During this Monday's brief hearing, State solicitor Michael O'Donovan, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the non-jury court that three books of evidence were ready to be served on the accused persons who were each granted legal aid.

Sandra Hehir's bail terms were also varied by the Special Criminal Court and she is now required to now 'sign on' at a named garda station three days a week as opposed to seven days.

Ms Justice Tara Burns, presiding, remanded the Hehirs on continuing bail until November 14, when their cases are listed for mention again.
A SPECIAL Mass and a Book of Condolence have been set up in Limerick to remember the lives lost in the tragic Creeslough explosion in Donegal.

The ten victims who lost their lives in Friday's explosion at an Applegreen petrol station will be remembered at a Mass held by The Redemptorists at Mount Saint Alphonsus Church on South Circular Road, Limerick city.

Fr Seamus Enright, Redemptorist Rector, is encouraging Limerick people to join in prayer at 7.15pm on Tuesday, October 11.

He said that for a lot of people "faith helps them survive a time like this."

"Even in the midst of something awful it helps people find meaning and purpose in life again," he added.

Details of the lives of the ten victims who were killed in the tragedy last week have been remembered in the media, including the deaths of a 24-year-old fashion designer, a 14-year-old girl and a 49-year-old mother of four children.

The Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Francis Foley has opened an online Book of Condolence for the citizens of Limerick to extend their sympathies to the victim's families following the tragic loss of lives in Creeslough, Donegal.

The Book of Condolence is open online from today, Monday, October 10, for one week. All messages of sympathy will be printed and forwarded in a Book of Condolence form to the community of the Donegal village.

Mayor Francis Foley said: On behalf of the people of Limerick, I would like to extend my sympathies to the families in Creeslough, who are dealing with such tragic loss. The thoughts of the people of Limerick are with them at this difficult time. Ar Dheis De go raibh a n-anamacha dilse.

The book of condolence is available on Limerick.ie.
Seven food businesses received closure orders in September for breaches of food safety legislation.

That's according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), which today (October 10) confirmed the closure orders were served pursuant to the FSAI Act 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

Two orders were served under the former Act to Bow Lane Restaurant and Rustic Stone (Restaurant/Cafe), both in Dublin 2.

Five further orders were served under the latter to Lee Kee Chinese Restaurant in Dublin 1, Ocean Palace (Take Away) in Meath, Homesavers (closed activities: The storage, display and sale of all foodstuffs on the entire premises shall be ceased with immediate effect) in Limerick, Swift Fine Foods in Monaghan, and King Pizza (Take Away) in Cork.

Reasons for closures include the presence of dead mice, flies and rodent faeces in several locations throughout one premises, including on food products and food contact materials, the presence of large cobwebs and holes on ceilings, food stored at incorrect temperatures, inappropriate preparation areas, dirty and inappropriate protective clothing among staff, and a lack of knowledge regarding safe food preparation, storage and handling practices.

Commenting on the closure orders, Chief Executive of the FSAI, Dr Pamela Byrne, said that a lack of pest control procedures is unacceptable.

She said, "It is a legal requirement for all food businesses to have a robust food safety management system in place that also ensures a high level of pest control. However, time after time, environmental health officers are finding incidents of rodent infestations and filthy premises highlighting a disregard for basic food safety and hygiene.

"All food businesses have a legal obligation to ensure that the food they are processing, serving or selling is safe to eat at all times. Consumers have a right to safe food and we would urge anyone who is concerned or suspect there is unusual activity being demonstrated by a food business, to contact us via our online complaint form and we will investigate."

The full report is available here.
Emergency services have praised members of the community who helped at the scene of a devastating explosion in Co Donegal which left 10 people dead.

HSE Western Region chief ambulance officer JJ McGowan paid tribute to the many volunteers who had come to the assistance of first responders in Creeslough.

Mr McGowan told RTE News: They were doing momentous work. People in flip-flops, shorts, t-shirts removing rubble and debris.

This (recovery operation) lasted up to 22, 24 hours, and that was very difficult for the crews on scene.

(For) the community here in Creeslough, it really is a momentous task what they have to deal with in the next few days ahead to get over this and try and bring back any sense of normality to the lives of the people here.

It comes as hundreds of people gathered at vigils in memory of the 10 people lost in Fridays blast.

A five-year-old girl and her father were among those killed at a complex that includes residential apartments and a petrol station.

An Garda Siochana continues to investigate the cause, though at this stage it is being treated as a tragic accident.

Those who died were 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe; 48-year-old James OFlaherty; 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher; 49-year-old Martin McGill; 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; 59-year-old Hugh Kelly; 49-year-old Martina Martin; and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

One of the first funerals confirmed will take place on Wednesday  for James OFlaherty in St Marys Church in Derrybeg.

Garda said a man in his 20s remains in a critical condition at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin.

Seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition.

Almost 20 vigils were organised across Co Donegal on Sunday.

One of the first took place in the town of Milford, half an hours drive from the scene of the tragedy.

Parents hugged their children, people carried candles, prayers were said and music was played, including a song called Creeslough, written and played by a local musician.

The vigil ended with the crowd singing Irish language hymn A Mhuire Mhathair.

Parish priest Father Stephen Gorman read a statement sent on behalf of Pope Francis, expressing his sadness at the loss of life and sending his condolences to the people of Ireland.

A statement sent by his representative to Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian read: His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion in Creeslough and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy.

While entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of almighty god, His Holiness implores the divine blessings of consolation and healing upon the injured, the displaced and the families coping with pain of loss.

As a pledge of strength and peace in the lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing to all the people of Ireland.

Later, there were similar scenes in the town of Castlefinn.

Local cleric Ciaran Hegarty led a moment of prayer before those gathered held a two-minute silence.

Musician Marian Harper-Coleman played the song Cutting The Corn In Creeslough on the button accordion.

Earlier on Sunday, Irish premier Micheal Martin met those who were admitted to hospital, the medical team which was on duty on the day of the explosion and members of Letterkenny fire station.

Joining Mr Martin were Irelands deputy premier Leo Varadkar and Agriculture Minister and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue.

The remains of the victims are at the hospital in Letterkenny, where post-mortem examinations will continue over the next few days.

Police said results will not be released for operational reasons.

The Garda Technical Bureau, with assistance from other agencies, will continue to examine the scene, which remains cordoned off.

Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty told reporters that what has happened will have a significant impact on the small rural community.

They are all local people. They are all very much involved in the community. They were all people who were shopping in their local shop, he said.

We have very, very young children. The schools are going to be impacted, the GAA clubs are going to be impacted, the local church, in general the community is going to be severely impacted by this incident.

But it is a very strong community, as was seen here on Friday afternoon with the response of families, friends and neighbours who came to peoples rescue.

So, I am sure the community will come together and will support each other.
Books of condolence are being opened across the island of Ireland for the victims of the Creeslough tragedy.

People will be able to pay tribute to the 10 people who lost their lives in an explosion in the small village at locations across Donegal, including at St Michaels Church and Creeslough Day Centre.

Books have also been opened at Donegal county council offices from 9am-4.30pm at Lifford, Letterkenny, Carndonagh, Donegal town, Dungloe and Milford.

In Dublin, Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy has opened an online book of condolence, as has the Mayor of Limerick Francis Foley.

A book was also opened at Cork City Hall by Lord Mayor Deirdre Forde.

A number of books of condolence will also be opened to the public across Northern Ireland, including at Belfast City Hall, Stormont and the Guildhall in Derry.

Stormont speaker Alex Maskey was the first to sign the book of condolence at Parliament Buildings, followed by Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill and DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots.

Ms ONeill said: My thoughts are very much with the families who lost loved ones in Creeslough.

The country is certainly in mourning at this time at what has been such a tragic and random event.

I visited on Saturday evening, I had a chance to speak to some of the local residents.

Someone as young as young Shauna (Flanagan Garwe), five years of age, it is just beyond belief and heart-breaking and just devastating for all those families in that wider circle.

So our thoughts are very much with the community in the days ahead, because they certainly have a long journey ahead of them in terms of coming to terms with whats happened as they lay their loved ones to rest.

Opening the book in Belfast City Hall, Lord Mayor Tina Black said: I want to say we are devastated here in Belfast for the people of Creeslough.

We obviously have deep historical connections to Donegal. It was always viewed as a place of sanctuary.

I cannot imagine the immeasurable grief the families and the wider community are feeling.

I know that the community will be strong and will be united.

I want the Creeslough community to know that Belfast is thinking of them all. We are praying for you all and we are so, so sorry that this devastation has befallen you.

She added: I wanted to open this book of condolence in the City Hall today.

I would encourage all people to come in and send a message to those in Creeslough.

Send a message of support, send a message of solidarity and also to showcase how much the citizens of Belfast truly sympathise with the Creeslough community.

I also want to thank all the emergency services from Donegal and here who worked under such traumatic circumstances in the search and recovery operation.

A book will open at the Guildhall in Derry at 3pm and there will be a candlelit vigil in the city at 8pm.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Sandra Duffy, said it had been a sad weekend for the north west.

She added: It has been a deeply sad weekend for the people of Donegal, Derry and Tyrone as we watched in disbelief details of the tragedy unfold in Creeslough.

There are no words for the sadness and grief we all feel.

Our hearts are sore for the victims families and the wider community in Creeslough for their terrible loss.

It is a small rural community and for a tragedy of this magnitude to happen is just unthinkable.
NEW DELHI : A consortium of state-run ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOCL) is in talks with Tullow Oil Plc to jointly acquire around 50% participating interest in the latters $3.4 billion oil project in Kenya, two people aware of the development said. Executives of all three companies met in Nairobi in July to discuss the plan, the people said on condition of anonymity.

Tullow Oil, an independent energy firm based in London but operating in Africa and South America, is planning to induct a strategic partner for its Project Oil Kenya. Tullow Oils proposed merger with Capricorn Energy Plc was recently shelved, with Capricorn choosing a combination with NewMed Energy Ltd Partnership.

Tullow is listed on London, Irish and Ghana stock exchanges and has 30 exploration and production licences across 11 countries.

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Tullow Oil Plcs Kenyan oil project is an interesting opportunity that the Indian state-run consortium is actively pursuing. Diversifying energy supplies and securing equity energy is an important focus area for the Indian government," said one of the two people cited above, requesting anonymity.

With India dependent on imports for as much as 85% of its oil needs and 55% of its natural gas demand, the government has stepped up efforts to acquire equity energy at a time energy prices have become very unpredictable.

OVL is the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) and has been investing in oil and gas assets. OVL owns a participating interest in 33 oil and gas assets in 15 countries and has produced around 9.4% of oil and natural gas of Indias domestic production in FY22.

An OVL spokesperson, in an emailed response, said, As per company policy, we do not respond to market speculations." Queries emailed to the spokespersons of Tullow Oil, and Indian Oil Corp. remained unanswered till press time.

A sharp output cut by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) amid record high prices of fuels in India has raised concerns among Indian policy planners, with the worlds third-largest oil consumer, particularly at a disadvantage; as any increase in global prices can affect the countrys import bill, stoke inflation and widen its trade deficit.

In December 2021, as per the licence extension obligations provided by the government of Kenya in September 2020, the Project Oil Kenya JV Partners submitted a field development plan for the 10BB and 13T licences, including the additional exploration and appraisal (E&A) opportunities within the 10BB and 13T licences. The E&A plan for 10BA was also submitted," according to the information available on Tullow Oil website.

Indias energy security efforts have been gaining traction. A case in point is OVL looking to invest around $1 billion in a Brazilian offshore hydrocarbon block with Brazils state-run Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) as the operator and raise its stake in the block, as reported by Mint earlier. India has been trying to diversify its energy supplies and access equity oil, with Indian Oil Corp. recently signing separate long-term contracts to procure crude oil from Colombias state-run Ecopetrol SA and Petrobras, respectively. Also, India is in talks with Angola and Algeria to procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) on long-term contracts.

Elsewhere in Mint

In Opinion, Raghuram G. Rajan & Viral Acharya write how QT shocks made QE so hard to reverse. Madan Sabnavis says this years Economics Nobel will ignite debate on reining in the financial system. Pramit Bhattacharya says Indias citizens need to know the whole truth about the 7th economic census. Long Story profiles one of India's most unsafe workplaces.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that his administration had repealed about 2,000 antiquated laws from the British era that had led to industrialists being imprisoned for relatively minor offences.

Listing achievements of his government, PM Modi stated that despite "upheaval" in some developed economies, India, the fifth-largest economy in the world, is making steady progress. He said, India's position in the World Banks annual ranking of countries for their ease of doing business jumped massively - from 142 to 63 in five years.

The Prime Minister, who is on a three-day visit to his home state of Gujarat ahead of the election, said at a rally there that he wants to see India ranked among the top-50 nations in the assessment report and launched a subtly critical attack on the Congress for upholding antiquated laws.

The PM said, God save us from what previous governments were doing. There was a law stating that if you have a factory with a toilet, and if you did not wash it for six months and if the government learnt about it, you will be sent to jail for six months. Now, six months in jail for not plastering the toilet! The (outdated) laws continued from the time of the British rule, and I (on becoming PM) roped in an entire team (for review of such legislation) because I did want to send businesspersons behind bars (over trivial issues). We scrapped 2,000 such laws. I have to do more, and if traders sitting here know of such a law, let me know."

Modi said that locking someone up for trivial offences reflects a slave mentality, so he has started a campaign to eradicate this way of thinking. "The campaign will run unabated. I will continue with this 'swachhata abhiyan' (cleanliness campaign)," he said at the rally on the second day of his visit to the state, Assembly polls are due in the next few months.

Speaking further about the "ease of doing business," Modi claimed that prior administrations had not made any mention of the idea, but that this changed after his administration took office more than eight years ago.

"We changed the laws and revamped the system, which helped us considerably improve our rankings. When I became Prime Minister (in 2014), India was ranked 142 (in ease of doing business list). We worked hard for 5 to 6 years and we reached the 63rd position. If we push hard, we will go below-50. Such a massive improvement is not confined only on papers....small businesses are helping improve things on the ground," the PM said.

The British and American economies, he claimed, are struggling with high inflation rates not seen in 45 and 50 years, respectively, while the Indian economy has maintained itself. Interest rates have increased and growth has slowed.

"There is an upheaval in the world economy. Indian economy is the only one which is going ahead with stability and tenacity," he said, adding India, which ranked 10th in 2014 in terms of its economic size in the world, has jumped to 5th position now.

He praised Gujarat's new industrial policy, saying it will advance the development of the BJP-ruled state and contribute to the creation of thousands of jobs.

"In this (industrial policy), arrangements have been made for start-ups and MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)...they will benefit immensely. Because of this, many youths will become entrepreneurs and create lakhs of jobs. Youths should study the new industrial policy and benefit from it," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said Jamnagar's coast is home to a variety of aquatic mammals, and the Center's "Project Dolphin" will aid in their preservation.

"Words regarding cheetahs (brought to MP's Kuno National Park from Namibia) have reached all over...now we are paying attention to conservation and development of dolphins and big projects are underway for this. Eco-tourism will emerge as a big area along the coasts of Jamnagar, Dwarka, Bet Dwarka," Modi said.

The PM mentioned the late Maharaja Digvijay Singh, the former king of Jamnagar, and the assistance he provided to the Polish people during World War II.

Even today India continues to benefit from the deep relationship that Maharaja Digvijay Singh forged with the people of Poland during the Second World War through his work. When Indian students were stranded in Ukraine (after war broke out in February 2022), thousands of students were to be rescued." PM Modi said.

"Crisis was huge, but we managed to bring them out (of Ukraine) because of the relations we developed (with Poland). The help provided by Poland (in evacuating Indian students) was reminiscent of the kind nature displayed by (late Jamnagar ruler) Digvijay Singh," he added.

The PM also discussed a campaign against encroachment carried out by authorities in Bet Dwarka and claimed it was the result of the state government's perseverance.

He said, "Everyone benefits from following law and order. Gujarat has seen peace in the last 20 years, and this has opened the door of prosperity, brotherhood. Gujarat is going ahead with a pledge of unity, otherwise there was a time when clashes were not uncommon and Jamnagar was also not spared. Today, we have got rid of this."

The prime minister claimed that his administration cared for the underprivileged and protected them during the coronavirus pandemics. He added that the Center's "One Nation, One Ration" programme will benefit migrant workers.

(With inputs from PTI)
North Korea's recent missile tests were designed to simulate showering the South with tactical nuclear weapons as a warning after large-scale navy drills by South Korean and US forces, state news agency KCNA said on Monday.

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles early on Sunday, officials in Seoul and Tokyo said, making it the seventh such launch since 25 September.

"Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of its Central Military Commission, guided the military drills on the spot," it added.

KCNA said that "tactical nuclear operations units" had conducted seven launching drills that had allowed North Korea's nuclear forces to display their "militant effectiveness and actual war capabilities", KCNA added.

Kim has long wanted to develop tactical nukes -- smaller, lighter weapons designed for battlefield use -- and made it a top priority at a key party congress in January 2021.

The country revised its nuclear laws last month, envisaging a wide array of scenarios in which it could use its nukes, with Kim declaring North Korea an "irreversible" nuclear power -- effectively ending the possibility of denuclearisation talks.

Since then, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have ramped up combined naval exercises, including deploying the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan to the area twice, infuriating Pyongyang, which sees the joint drills as rehearsals for invasion.

In response, North Korea "decided to organise military drills under the simulation of an actual war", the official KCNA reported.

The report shed light on Kims activities during an unusual monthlong absence from state media, which prompted speculation about health and whereabouts. The publication came on a day that North Korea celebrates the founding of the ruling Workers Party of Korea, an event that is often marked with displays of military might.

North Korea also said it had carried out "a large-scale combined air-attack drill", also overseen by Kim, in which it said "more than 150 fighter planes of different missions took off simultaneously for the first time in history".

Seoul's military said it had scrambled 30 fighter jets Thursday after 12 North Korean warplanes staged a rare "formation flight north of the inter-Korean air boundary [and] conducted air-to-surface firing drills".

"Kim probably wants to tell the US and South Korea that any demonstrations of alliance solidarity and readiness will be in vain," Rand corporation analyst Soo Kim told AFP.

"We probably won't see North Korea backing down anytime soon, and from all appearances, it appears the allies may not fold easily this time, either."

(With inputs from agencies)
President Vladimir Putin has called a meeting of the Russian Security Council for Monday, media reports said. The reason for the gathering wasnt immediately announced.

Tomorrow the president has a planned meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council, news agency AFP reported quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

It will come two days after the key Crimea-Russia bridge was damaged in a blast in what was seen as a significant security failure for Russia.

The council is composed of top state officials and the heads of Russias defense and security agencies, charged with coordinating national security matters.

Meanwhile, a dozen Russian missile strikes on apartment buildings and other targets in Zaporizhzhia killed at least 12 civilians and injured dozens more. The southeastern city, about 50 kilometers from the namesake nuclear power plant, has been under escalating attacks but Sundays strikes were the deadliest so far. Ukrainian officials stepped up their calls for air missile defense systems from Western allies.

In its latest shakeup, Russias defense ministry named General Sergey Surovikin as commander of all its troops fighting in Ukraine, a week after Moscows forces withdrew from a key Donetsk town and faced losses on the southern front, and as the military prepares to integrate some 300,000 new conscripts.

The 19-kilometer Kerch Strait Bridge between annexed Crimea and the Russian mainland was damaged Saturday in a blast that caused the partial collapse of the roadway. Russia said Sunday that passenger and freight trains are moving on the span again. Limited car and truck traffic has also resumed.
The UN General Assembly meets Monday hours after Russia launched a deadly barrage of missile strikes at cities across Ukraine, as Western powers condemned Moscow's latest attacks and sought to underscore its isolation.

The United Nations called the urgent meeting to discuss Russia's declared annexation of four partly occupied Ukrainian regions, but the debate was set to be overshadowed by the attacks on Kyiv and other cities in one of the most punishing assaults on Ukraine in months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed even more "severe" retaliation after the recent explosion that damaged a key bridge in Moscow-annexed Crimea -- an attack the Kremlin has blamed on Kyiv.

Ahead of the General Assembly session, and with tensions at a boiling point, UN chief Antonio Guterres described Russia's attacks as an "unacceptable escalation of the war," his spokesman said.

US President Joe Biden meanwhile condemned the strikes in stark terms, saying they "demonstrate the utter brutality" of Putin's "illegal war."

"The United States strongly condemns Russia's missile strikes today across Ukraine," he said in a statement.

Illegal annexations

With Putin's actions in the spotlight, UN debate will open on a draft resolution denouncing what has been widely seen in the West as Russia's illegal seizure of Ukrainian land.

The decision to bring the annexation matter before the General Assembly, where the 193 UN members have one vote each -- and no one wields veto power -- was taken after Russia used its veto in a Security Council meeting September 30 to block a similar proposal.

The vote is expected no sooner than Wednesday.

"It's extremely important," said Olof Skoog, who, as EU ambassador to the world body, drafted the text in cooperation with Ukraine and other countries.

The international community will be in "a very, very bad place," the Swedish diplomat told reporters, "unless the UN system and the international community through the General Assembly react to this kind of illegal attempt."

A failure by the General Assembly to act would give "carte blanche to other countries to do likewise or to give recognition to what Russia has done," he added.

A resolution draft seen by AFP condemns Russia's "attempted illegal annexations" of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson following "so-called referendums," and it stresses these actions have "no validity under international law."

It calls on all states, international organizations and agencies not to recognize the annexations, and demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

In response to the resolution, Russia has written to all member states in a letter attacking "Western delegations" whose actions "have nothing to do with protection of international law and the principles of the UN Charter."

"They only pursue their own geopolitical objectives," said the letter, signed by Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.

Nebenzia said that given the circumstances, the General Assembly should vote by secret ballot -- a highly unusual procedure normally reserved for matters like electing the rotating members of the Security Council.

A bit of desperation

"It doesn't suggest a high degree of confidence in the outcome if Russia is seeking to obscure the vote count," a senior official in US President Joe Biden's administration told reporters. "It does suggest a bit of desperation."

Guterres himself has bluntly denounced the annexations as being "against everything the international community is meant to stand for," he said.

"It has no place in the modern world. It must not be accepted."

During last month's Security Council vote, no other country sided with Russia, though four delegations -- China, India, Brazil and Gabon -- abstained.

Some developing countries have complained the West is devoting all its attention to Ukraine, and others might be tempted to join them this week.

The vote will provide a clear picture of exactly how isolated Russia has become. Given the high stakes, backers of the draft are going all out to win over potential abstentionists.

On Monday, Ukrainian diplomat Dmytro Kuleba issued a plea to African nations to get off the fence.

"Neutrality will only encourage Russia to continue its aggression and malign activities across the world, including in Africa," he said.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
An explosion on a Russian-built bridge connecting Crimea to Russian mainland threatens to escalate the war in Ukraine. Moscow has accused Kyiv of terrorism on the Kerch Bridge, a vital logistical asset damaged by truck bombing. Mint explains the latest event in the war.

Why is the Kerch Bridge important?

This bridge is understood to be a pet project of Russian President Vladimir Putin and was inaugurated in 2018. Built at a cost of $3.6 billion, Kerch was the only bridge connecting the Russian mainland to Crimea after the province was annexed in 2014. The 19-kilometre long structure serves as a key artery for the supply of military assets and supplies to the Russian armed forces currently stationed in Crimea. It also has enormous political significance given Putins personal interest in the project. The bridge, which has helped solidify Moscows control over Crimea, has been a key symbol of Russian rule.

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What exactly happened?

On 8 October, a massive explosion rocked the bridge. The exact cause is being hotly debated with some claiming a missile strike by Ukraine. However, analysts point to CCTV footage that shows that a truck drove onto the bridge before exploding. Three people were killed and a part of the road bridge collapsed. The fires from the explosion spread to oil tankers on the bridge and also engulfed the railway tracks which run parallel to the roads. In the aftermath of the incident, Moscow claims that traffic on both the rail and road bridges has resumed. Repairs are ongoing on the section of the bridge that collapsed.

View Full Image Russian President Vladimir Putin called the bombing an act of terror and blamed Ukrainian special services

Who is responsible for the bridges destruction?

Putin called the bombing an act of terror and blamed Ukrainian special services. While Ukraine has not officially taken responsibility for the act, senior figures from the country have praised the action. These include the parliamentary leader of President Zelenskyys political party, a key adviser and the secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council.

What does this mean for the war?

At a tactical level, the bombing of Kerch Bridge reveals Moscows weak and exposed supply lines in Crimea. While supplies into Crimea will not stop, Russia will rely heavily on the sole remaining supply route through Melitopol. The success of the attack points to massive failures in Russian intelligence and reinforces the perception that Russia has lost control of the war. Given how closely the project was associated with Putin, it is also a major blow to the Russian presidents personal prestige.

What could happen next in the war?

Russia responded to the bombing with a series of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities like Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Lviv. This may point to an ugly turn in the war with attacks on civilian infrastructure becoming increasingly more common. Experts are also worried over the appointment of General Sergei Surovikin as overall commander of the Russian war effort in Ukraine. Surovikin, who also commanded Russian forces in Syria, has been accused in the past of excessive brutality against civilian targets.

Elsewhere in Mint

In Opinion, Raghuram G. Rajan & Viral Acharya write how QT shocks made QE so hard to reverse. Madan Sabnavis says this years Economics Nobel will ignite debate on reining in the financial system. Pramit Bhattacharya says Indias citizens need to know the whole truth about the 7th economic census. Long Story profiles one of India's most unsafe workplaces.
On September 8, the East Wing will announce that Vanessa Valdivia has been tapped as Jill Biden's new press secretary. The First Lady is pictured here on June 28 in Madrid, Spain.
An arsonist who set fire to a house late at night has lost an appeal against his six-year jail sentence.

Lee Goodchild had appealed a sentence imposed in July, 2021 at Mullingar Circuit Court by Judge Keenan Johnson, who had jailed Goodchild over the arson offence, contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act. The offence occurred on August 26, 2019, at Rattan Ash Road, Mullingar, Westmeath.

Mr Goodchild, of Lisbrack Road, Longford, was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment backdated to April 16, 2021, with the final 18 months suspended for 10 years.

The appellant had argued that the trial erred in law and principle when identifying a headline sentence of 10 years.

Mr Goodchild, now 22, had pleaded guilty to the arson while his co-accused had pleaded not guilty. He was both out on bail and serving the suspended portion of a separate sentence at the time of the offending.

The court heard that 1,500 worth of damage was done to the door of the house without any compensation being paid.

The court heard that Mr Goodchild and a co-accused man met in a pub on the night and that Goodchild had told gardai, when interviewed: "It wasn't very well-planned, it was stupid. Something we put together there in the pub, something to scare her into giving my stuff back."

Mr Goodchild was caught on CCTV filling petrol into a container at a nearby forecourt before placing a rag on the letterbox of the house. A flash was then seen.



Today (Monday, October 10), at the Court of Appeal, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said that arson carried a range of options for the trial judge that included anything from a non-custodial sentence to life imprisonment.



She said the judge did not err in identifying 10 years' imprisonment as a headline sentence for a "pre-planned" offence by Goodchild who carried out the attack at a house at night when it was "reasonable" to think the occupants were asleep.

She said the offence caused "considerable impact" to the occupant who had to jump out a front window to put out the blaze.

Ms Justice Kennedy said the trial judge did not err when sentencing Mr Goodchild to seven-and-a-half years and noted that he was on bail and on a suspended sentence at the time.

She further noted that Mr Goodchild had two criminal damages convictions at the time of the arson and had little possibility of paying any compensation.

She then dismissed the appeal.
Hundreds of people have gathered at vigils in memory of the 10 people who died in a devastating explosion in an Irish village.

A five-year-old girl and her father were among those killed in Fridays blast in Creeslough, Co Donegal, at a complex that includes residential apartments and a petrol station.

The huge explosion claimed the lives of 10 local people who were named by police on Sunday.

Irelands police force, An Garda Siochana, continue to investigate the cause though at this stage it is being treated as a tragic accident.

Those who died were 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, 48-year-old James OFlaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine ODonnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin, and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

One of the first funerals confirmed will take place on Wednesday  for James OFlaherty in St Marys Church in Derrybeg.

The Garda said a man in his 20s remains in a critical condition at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin.

The seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition.

Almost 20 vigils were organised across Co Donegal on Sunday.

One of the first took place in the town of Milford, half an hours drive from the scene of the tragedy.

Parents hugged their children, people carried candles, prayers were said and music was played, including a song called Creeslough, written and played by a local musician.

The vigil ended with the crowd singing Irish language hymn A Mhuire Mhathair.

Parish priest Father Stephen Gorman read a statement sent on behalf of Pope Francis, expressing his sadness at the loss of life and sending his condolences to the people of Ireland.

A statement sent by his representative to Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian read: His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the explosion in Creeslough and he expresses his spiritual closeness to all those suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy.

While entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of almighty god, His Holiness implores the divine blessings of consolation and healing upon the injured, the displaced and the families coping with pain of loss.

As a pledge of strength and peace in the lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing to all the people of Ireland.

Later there were similar scenes in the town of Castlefinn.

Local cleric Ciaran Hegarty led a moment of prayer before those gathered held a two-minute silence.

Musician Marian Harper-Coleman played the song Cutting The Corn In Creeslough on the button accordion.

Earlier on Sunday, Irish premier Micheal Martin met those who were admitted to hospital, the medical team which was on duty on the day of the explosion, and members of Letterkenny fire station.

Joining Mr Martin were Irelands deputy premier Leo Varadkar and Agriculture Minister and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue.

The remains of the victims are at the hospital in Letterkenny where post-mortem examinations will continue over the next few days.

Police said results will not be released for operational reasons.

The Garda Technical Bureau, with assistance from other agencies, will continue to examine the scene, which remains cordoned off.

Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty told reporters that what has happened will have a significant impact on the small rural community.

They are all local people. They are all very much involved in the community. They were all people who were shopping in their local shop, he said.

We have very, very young children. The schools are going to be impacted, the GAA clubs are going to be impacted, the local church, in general the community is going to be severely impacted by this incident.

But it is a very strong community as was seen here on Friday afternoon with the response of families, friends and neighbours who came to peoples rescue.

So I am sure the community will come together and will support each other.
The Tanaiste has unequivocally rejected defamation claims made by the Village magazine editor and says he will defend them fully.

Defamation proceedings have been issued against Leo Varadkar over material published in the Sunday Times in August.

The legal proceeding was launched by Michael Smith in the High Court on Friday.

Belfast law firm KRW Law LLP confirmed it is acting for Michael Smith in relation to defamatory statements made by Mr Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste and Minister for Trade and Employment, contained within the published print and online editions of the Sunday Times newspaper dated 21 August 2022.

In a statement the firm said a High Court plenary summons was issued against Mr Varadkar.

As proceedings have now issued it would be inappropriate to comment any further other than to say that the case is taken in order to protect our clients good name and reputation.

A statement on behalf of Mr Varadkar said: The Tanaiste rejects these claims unequivocally.

A spokesman said Mr Smith has been an opponent of the Tanaiste for years, adding: This is just the latest instalment.

The Tanaistes legal advice is that the claims are baseless. They will be fully defended.
(Sharecast News) - Fund manager Abrdn has reportedly suspended a number of client accounts after it discovered anti-money laundering failures.

According to the Sunday Times, an audit at the firm's Luxembourg subsidiary revealed missing documentation for some clients in two of its Sicavs European umbrella funds, which hold investment products.

In response, Abrdn informed the local regulator and immediately suspended some client accounts.

In an internal email, Calum Wallace, Abrdn's regional head of client services, said the board had "taken the decision to immediately partially block the accounts of 40 high-risk accounts".

The final number was 23, the newspaper noted, 18 of which were deemed high-risk and five because they were missing documentation. Some of the high-risk accounts are thought to be connected to politically-exposed people such as government officials, the Sunday Times added.

Abrdn told the paper: "We are working with a small number of clients in our Luxembourg business to resolve a historic issue relating to documentation. We maintain a routine of regular engagement with the relevant regulators, who have been kept informed throughout."

The report coincided with Abrdn asking Martin Gilbert, the firm's co-founder, to step down from the boards of two Luxembourg-based Sicavs because of potential conflicts of interest. The firm told the FT that his departure was not, however, related to the issues surrounding the funds' anti-money laundering processes.

Gilbert co-founded Aberdeen Asset Management in 1983. In 2017, Aberdeen merged with Standard Life before being rebranded last year as Abrdn by chief executive Stephen Bird, who joined in 2020.

Its share price has plummeted since the merger, however, and last month Abrdn was demoted from the FTSE 100. As at 1115 BST on Monday, shares in the fund manager were ahead nearly 1% at 133.85p. The stock has lost 46% so far this year.
McColl's Retail Group PLC - Brentwood, Essex-based convenience store chain - the UK Competition & Markets Authority says it is "minded to accept" an offer from Morrisons to sell 28 McColl's stores to address competition concerns in the areas where those stores are located.

"The CMA is now consulting on the proposals  known as undertakings  for the sale of these stores. If the CMA accepts the proposals, the deal would be cleared to proceed," the regulator says.

In July, the CMA said that it was launching an enquiry into Wm Morrison Supermarkets' planned takeover of McColl's. The CMA said it was investigating the completed acquisition of certain assets of McColls Retail Group PLC, Martin McColl Ltd, Clark Retail Ltd, Dillons Stores Ltd, Smile Stores Ltd, Charnwait Management Ltd, and Martin Retail Group Ltd. Back in May, McColl's had slid into administration, after the failure of financing talks with lenders.

Current stock price: suspended

By Abby Amoakuh; abbyamoakuh@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Thor Mining PLC - Australia-focused exploration and development company - Begins drilling at Kelly's prospect in the Ragged Range project in Eastern Pilbara. Drilling targets the sheared contact of Euro Basalts and Boobina Porphyry that forms a silicified ridge extending over 1 kilometre. Drilling follows up on rock chip samples returning up to 16 grams per tonne of gold and 55 grams per tonne of silver.

Managing Director Nicole Galloway Warland said: "We are very pleased to report that a 2,000-metre drilling program is now underway at the Kelly's prospect at Ragged Range. Historically, exploration activities across the area have only focused on copper, despite encouraging gold indications, such as a 1.5 metre at 22.97 grams per tonne of gold intercept drilled in 1969."

Current stock price: 0.50 pence

12-month change: down 45%

By Chris Dorrell; chrisdorrell@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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There is no Opposition in India. Only I am the defacto opposition today.

A few days after his visit to Sri Lanka, a controversial politician and well-known economist Dr. Subramanian Swamy talked to Sri Lanka Guardian about prevailing situation of both countries briefly.

Subramanian Swamy is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. He was one of the founding members of the Janata Party. He was the partys president since its inception in 1990 till 2013, when it merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

File Photo: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. [ Photo Credit: PTI]

Before Swamy entered politics, he was a Professor of Mathematical Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he was asked to leave his position for promoting liberal economic policies.

Excerpts of the interview;

Question(Q): Dr. Swamy, you were in Colombo a few days ago, do you see any positive development in terms of political and economic sustainability of the country?

Answer (A): As for as the mob-disturbed law & order in concerned, there is complete restoration of sanity. But economy needs expert handling since the debt, especially foreign debt is very high.

Q: You have met former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Would you like to share the details of the meeting?

A: I broadly discussed what was the accusation against him in the media and mob propaganda. I found these accusations flippant and silly. I am opposed to legally elected official being forced to flee by mobs. I admire Gotabaya Rajapaksa & Mahinda for finishing off the LTTE.

Q: Do you think President Wickremesinghe will be able to overcome the current economic challenges?

A: Yes he is a very articulate politician. If he stays in coalition with the Rajapaksas, then he will stabilize Sri Lanka.

Q: You are a senior BJP leader. However, we see that the ruling BJP is not keen to maintain a strong relationship with President Wickremesinghe. Wonder if you can give us an insight into this political development?

A: It is not BJP, but the bureaucrats of Ministry of External Affairs and National Security who are poisoning the PM. Our Colombo-based new High Commissioner is very good, however.

Q: Election for Congress party President to be held soon. What is your take? Will this political move by main opposition change Indias political landscape?

A: No. There is no Opposition. Only I am the defacto opposition today.
The Southeast Asian countrys two-decade-long journey to nuclear capability was made possible by Russia after a series of engagements that accelerated under the current junta and its military predecessor.

by Arpita Hazarika

Southeast Asia is going to be vulnerable permanently if Myanmar continues to pursue its long-cherished nuclear ambitions. Definitely, the military junta would use the weapons against various ethnic rivals, and insurgents. Not only so that, but the whole Southeast Asian region would also be volatile, and unstable for the stupidity of the Myanmar junta. Myanmars aggressive behaviour would be growing day by day. Recent border tensions between Myanmar-Bangladesh are the best example to understand and realize that. Myanmars military is so brutal, and cruel that it has been carrying out airstrikes upon its own people. Thus, the nuclear weapons in the hand of the Myanmar military are more dangerous than North Korea even.

Myanmar Commando soldiers stand ready for a drill during a joint military exercises in the Ayeyarwaddy Region in February 2018 (Photo  EPA/Myanmar Now)

An agreement signed by Myanmars military regime and Russias state-owned nuclear energy corporation to jointly assess building a small reactor in the Southeast Asian country underscores the juntas long-term pursuit of nuclear weapons, analysts said.

Myo Thein Kyaw, the regimes minister of science and technology; Thuang Han, minister of electric power; and Alexey Likhachev, chief executive officer at Russias State Atomic Energy Corporation, signed the roadmap for cooperation upon its own citizens while they attended the Eastern Economic Forum on Sept. 5-8 in Vladivostok. Junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing oversaw the signing of the agreement.

The deal would further Russian-Myanmar cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, and assess the feasibility of a small-scale nuclear reactor project in Myanmar, Rosatom said in a statement issued Sept. 6.

The same day, the junta announced that it would use nuclear energy for electricity generation, scientific research, medicine production and industry.

There is no doubt Myanmar has a nuclear program. It sent scientists, technicians and army officers to Russia for training in recent years. And Moscow has agreed to supply Myanmar, formerly Burma, with a small nuclear reactor for civilian use. The question is, why the world is silent in this regard? Why does not ASEAN raise the concern this time?

Myanmar (Burma) has been carrying out rudimentary steps toward developing nuclear weapons, a documentary released in June by an opposition group alleges. The documentary by the Democratic Voice of Burma featured information provided by Sai Thein Win, a former officer in the Myanmar army. Win claimed to have been deputy manager of special machine tool factories involved in Myanmars secret nuclear weapons efforts and ballistic missile development program.

The opposition group also issued a corresponding report on June 3 featuring an analysis of Wins information by former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspector Robert Kelley. Kelley claimed in the report that, taken collectively, the technology featured in Wins information is only for nuclear weapons and not civilian use or nuclear power.

Burmas nuclear ambitions, spotlighted by last months announcement that Russia has agreed to help the regime build a nuclear research facility, date back at least seven years. In December 1995, the junta signed the Bangkok Treaty, banning the development, manufacture, possession, control, stationing, transport, testing or use of nuclear weapons under the terms of the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Five years later, after a visit to Moscow by Burmas minister for science and technology, U Thaung, the juntas nuclear plans became clearerThe juntas recent confirmation that it will build a small-scale nuclear power plant in the next few years caps Myanmars long pursuit of nuclear technology dating back to early 2000.

The Southeast Asian countrys two-decade-long journey to nuclear capability was made possible by Russia after a series of engagements that accelerated under the current junta and its military predecessor.

Though the current regime insists nuclear energy would be used for peaceful purposes in Myanmar, which has been hit by chronic electricity shortages, many believe this is the first step in a plan to utilize nuclear energy for military purposes including the production of nuclear weapons.

In 2009, it was reported that Myanmar was suspected to have initiated a nuclear weapons program. If such a program does exist, Burmas technical and financial limitations may make it difficult for the program to succeed. The United States expressed concern in 2011 about potential violations of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), though by 2012 these concerns had been partially allayed. Burma has faced persistent accusations of using chemical weapons.

In 2007, Russia and Burma did a controversial nuclear research centre deal. According to them, The centre will comprise a 10MW light-water reactor working on 20%-enriched uranium-235, an activation analysis laboratory, a medical isotope production laboratory, silicon doping system, nuclear waste treatment and burial facilities.

According to an August 2009 report published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Burma had been working to develop a nuclear weapon by 2014. The reported effort, purportedly being undertaken with assistance from North Korea, involves the construction of a nuclear reactor and plutonium extraction facilities in caves tunnelled into a mountain at Naung Laing, a village in the Mandalay division. The information cited in the newspaper story reportedly originated from two high-ranking defectors who had settled in Australia.

On June 3, 2010, a five-year investigation by an anti-government Myanmar broadcaster, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), found evidence that allegedly shows the countrys military regime began a programme to develop nuclear weapons. The DVB said evidence of Myanmars nuclear programme came from top-secret documents smuggled out of the country over several years, including hundreds of files and other evidence provided by Sai Thein Win, a former major in the military of Myanmar. A UN report said there was evidence that North Korea had been exporting nuclear technology to Burma, Iran and Syria. Now, Russia supports Myanmars nuclear program openly.

Based on Wins evidence, Robert Kelley, a former weapons inspector, said he believed Burma has the intent to go nuclear and it is expending huge resources along the way. But as of 2010, experts said that Burma was a long way from succeeding, given the poor quality of its current materials. Despite Kelleys analysis, some experts are uncertain that a nuclear weapons programme exists; for example, the Institute for Science and International Security notes ambiguity as to whether certain equipment is used for uranium production, or for innocently producing rare earth metals or metals such as titanium or vanadium. The U.S. expressed concern in 2011 about possible NPT violations, but by 2012 stated that its concerns had been partially allayed.

Myanmar signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on September 26, 2018, but has not ratified it.

On 15 December 1995, ASEAN Member States signed the Treaty of Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty) as a commitment to preserve the Southeast Asian region as a region free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The Treaty is also known as the Bangkok Treaty. Through this treaty, ASEAN reaffirms the importance of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and in contributing towards international peace and security. It also marks the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) in Southeast Asia  one among five NWFZs in the world. The other four NWFZs are in Latin America and the Caribbean, South Pacific, Africa, and Central Asia.

The Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty welcomes the signing and early ratification of the Nuclear Weapon States (NWS), which will contribute to the promotion of the realisation of a Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. Efforts are underway towards the accession of the NWS to the Protocol.

Myanmars attitude is contradictory to the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty. Whatever may be the truth, the fact remains that nuclear Myanmar is not in India or China, but all neighbouring countries interests. They cannot afford to have another nuclear power along its border. Other regional countries would definitely feel insecure. The direct nuclear threat from Myanmar would destabilize the whole region in the long run. If nuclear deterrence works, then the arms race is a must in the region. Myanmars this dangerous ambition would take a relaxation from all stakeholders in the region. West should join with all regional countries and ASEAN to pressure Myanmar to give up its nuclear (weapons) ambitions. They must take action like in the Iran case, Otherwise, the world is going to see another nuclear threat in the Southeast region. Instead of developing nuclear weapons, the world must compel Myanmar to focus on bringing back democracy and resolving problems like HIV AIDS, human trafficking, rape, drug abuse, child soldiers, forced labour, ethnic crisis, refugee issues and corruption.

Dr Arpita Hazarika is a Gauhati University, Assam, India-based researcher. She is interested in refugee affairs, political economy, security and strategic affairs, and foreign policies of the Asia-Pacific region. With numerous foreign exposures, she has conducted research works on India-Bangladesh affairs.
South Africa: Social Development Month to address social ills

The Social Development portfolio will this month engage on various community outreach programmes mainly focusing on social security, active ageing and child headed households.

The programmes will also address social ills such as gender-based violence, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, human trafficking and homelessness.

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said that during this month the department will also showcase the various services that it renders in various districts and metropolitan municipalities and communities throughout the country.

I am also going to conduct an Imbizo where, together with the Deputy Minister and senior programme managers, I will be having conversations with ordinary South Africans on various issues that are relevant to the Social Development mandate, Minister Zulu said.

The Minister was providing the programme for the Social Development Month during a media briefing held in Pretoria on Monday.

October is Social Development Month and this years commemoration is taking place under the theme United in the Fight Against Poverty and Other Social ills.

Pursuant of the 2022 Social Development Month, the Minister said that the relevant programmes are expected to prioritise and resource implementation through each of the countrys 52 district and metropolitan municipalities.

Because social development is about the people, Minister Zulu said the success of this years programme will be evident in the portfolios interventions as follows:

resonating with the priorities of the people in the communities where they are being carried out (in other words, active citizenship is the key ingredient because there is nothing about the people without the people.

being relevant to the communities where they are being implemented while also being responsive to the felt needs of these communities; and

the deployment of programmes pursuant of this years Social Development Month must mark the material shift and realisation of the One District, One Budget and One Plan in the fifty-two district and metropolitan municipalities (in other words, the resources for the implementation of the relevant programmes must shift to the concerned municipalities).

As a build-up to the Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide that is taking place next month, the portfolio will, working together with civil society organisations, be conducting a series of interactive public conversations.

This will be in line with our implementation of Pillar 4 of the GBVF National Strategic Plan which focuses on the provision and strengthening of an integrated community and institutional response, care, support and healing to GBVF survivors and their families, Minister Zulu said.

The Social Development Month takes place during the month when the country is also commemorating Mental Health Month.

This is the month wherein the global community is also observing the International Day for Older Persons; the World Food Day; the World Rural Womens Day; and the International Day of the Eradication of Poverty.

It is against this backdrop that we are urging for the necessary resources to be entrusted to the district and metropolitan municipality sphere of government for them to, owing to their proximity to the people, attend to these and related social challenges.

In support of our societys socio-economic reconstruction and recovery following the series of social, health and climate change shocks, we affirm our support of programmes and people-public-private-civic-academic-multilateral partnerships that are carried out towards the full realisation of the capabilities and prospects of each and every South African, Minister Zulu said.

Still this month, the portfolio will also host the Shelter Indaba to engage and highlight the importance of protecting women against gender-based violence and femicide.

We will close the month by hosting the annual Active Ageing Week, aimed at ensuring that our senior citizens lead active and productive lives. Active Ageing is a year-long programme, the Minister said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China's GDP growth rate will be lower but the quality of the economy will be better, said Michele Geraci, former undersecretary of state at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, as he explained several economic issues with Straight Talk.
View Vacancy - HR Officer EO (07/22 KSH)

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The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

Job Category: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Job Subcategory: Estates

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job:

Delivering HR related services to staff based in Kinshasa and Goma while ensuring the compliance with the FCDO regulations and the local labour law. Prepare the payroll files for a timely and accurate payment of salaries. Ensure that the Embassy meets its obligations toward the pension contributions payment and declaration, and all CNSS processes. Liaise with the HLA on legal cases and queries. Work as the point of contact for medical services delivered to staff and participate to the medical contract tendering process. Support internal and external recruitment.

Roles and responsibilities:

Supported by the People Services Manager and Head of the People & Platform team, the HR Officer leads on the following:

Provide administrative support to People and platform department in regard with HR management.

Ensure that the stakeholders fully and timely complete all payroll procedures at post and that salaries are monthly paid as per the T&Cs.

Act as the point of contact with the CNSS and ensure Post meets its statutory obligations in relation with CBS pension contributions.

Act as the point of contact of local institutions regarding legal requirements in terms of employment.

Ensure that all new staffs integration and end of service processes (including retirement) for CBS are completed.

Work with the HR Hub on CBS recruitment and other HR matters.

Participate to the medical contract tendering exercise in collaboration with the Procurement Hub.

Effective management of the CBS medical insurance contract.

Providing support on the UKB children schools as per the HR policies

Work on medical related duties such as organise the vaccination campaigns

Acting as Post PM Champion and ensuring that the learning culture is implemented at post. Member of the L&D Committee.

Acting as the Contact Point on legal matters by liaising with the Honorary Legal Advisor (HLA), drafting letters and note verbal's and also updating the legal cases files

Budget Management of the L&D, Medical and salaries lines

Line Management responsibilities of 1 AO Protocol Officer and 1 AA Corporate Services Coordinator

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): L&D, Medical and CBS Salaries Budgets Monitoring

The successful candidate should be an excellent communicator with great influencing skills able to build exceptional working relationships across all levels, confident in challenging unacceptable HR matters and/or behaviour.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Experience of working in HR and Procurement roles

Ability to be proactive, and able to work in a fast-paced environment, managing their own time and priorities effectively

Ability to keep confidentiality

Customer care experience

Confidence in putting forward own points of view whilst remaining resilient in the face of challenge

Work without close supervision, but a good team player

Working knowledge of all Microsoft Office suite of programmes

Fluent written and spoken English  This will be tested as part of the recruitment process

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Experience of working in a multicultural environment

Experience in budget management

Required behaviours

Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Working Together, Developing Self and Others

Application deadline 24 October 2022

Grade : Executive Officer (EO)

Type of Position: Permanent

Working hours per week: 36 hours

Region: Africa

Country/Territory: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Location (City): Kinshasa

Type of Post: British Embassy

Number of vacancies: 1

Salary: Gross USD 1,606.29 paid 13 times per year, plus additional 30% of Monthly (Basic) Housing allowance paid 12 times per year & USD 189.95 Transport allowance paid 12 times per year

Start Date: 1 December 2022

Other benefits and conditions of employment



Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

Learning and development will be discussed with the successful applicant upon appointment, and delivered in partnership with the hub in Pretoria where appropriate.

There will be opportunities to learn on the job.

Working patterns:

5 days a week Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 16:00 and Friday 08:00 to 14:00

Additional information

Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.

Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.

The British Embassy will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.

request any payment or fees to apply for a position. Employees recruited locally by the British Embassy in Kinshasa are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Democratic Republic of Congo.

All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.

The British Embassy does not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.

Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Please note: AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5

Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

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The World Health Organization is calling for members in the South-East Asia Region to do more for quality mental health. They're asking for countries to match the recently adopted Declaration on universal access to people-centered mental health care and services, as well as make World Mental Health Day about more than just raising awareness.



Impact of COVID on Mental Health

Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, said that globally before the COVID-19 pandemic, around 1 in 8 people lived with a mental health condition. The gaps in treatment were unacceptably large, especially in low-and middle-income countries."The COVID-19 crisis has impacted almost all areas of health, but few as profoundly as mental health. In 2020, cases of major depressive disorder are estimated to have increased by more than 27 percent globally, and cases of anxiety disorders by more than 25 percent, adding to the 1 billion people who were already living with a mental disorder," said Poonam Khetrapal Singh.
An Army base in Washington state spent part of the long holiday weekend searching for a missing part to a .50-caliber machine gun, the latest incident after the service was criticized for lost weapons.

Soldiers with Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, or "Ghost" Brigade, had their four-day weekend cut short on Friday for what soldiers lamented as a classic Army debacle involving the missing piece of equipment, a firestorm of rumors and what one soldier described as an out-of-season "Easter egg hunt."

The receiver assembly of an M2 .50-caliber machine gun went missing from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment's staff duty area and triggered an all-hands search that, for most of the rank and file, lasted a little over 12 hours. But it resulted in an Army investigation that was still ongoing Monday.

Read Next: Senior Leaders Should Stay Out of 'Culture Wars' on Social Media, Army Secretary Says

The receiver assembly is essentially useless on its own but had not been found, according to 7th Infantry Division spokesperson Maj. Bryen Freigo. A judge advocate's recommendation for a search of the base indicated the weapon component had likely been stolen.

The Department of Defense, specifically the Army, has come under criticism over its firearm safekeeping over the last year following reporting by The Associated Press exposing a decade-long effort to downplay the number of lost or stolen firearms from units across the country.

For 2-3 Infantry, along with sister battalions in 1-2 SBCT, the scare started as soldiers were gearing up for the unit's upcoming Expert Infantry and Expert Soldier Badge qualifications, two Army special skills badges. Operation of an M2 .50-caliber machine gun is part of the qualification.

According to Freigo, the plan was to leave the gun with staff duty -- a 24-hour posting that typically includes one noncommissioned officer, two soldiers and one officer meant to field emergencies or reports after duty hours -- in the event that off-duty troops wanted to practice operating the weapon during the four-day weekend.

"In preparation for testing, an M2 had been signed over to staff duty to allow soldiers to train for testing through the weekend," Freigo told Military.com over email.

A soldier allegedly took the receiver, which was out of the sight of the staff duty troops. This "created an opportunity for one awful person to create chaos," one soldier involved in the search told Military.com. It is unclear why or exactly when the soldier took the component.

Freigo said that staff duty discovered the component was missing and notified their chain of command. "Per policy, the brigade had been recalled to aid in the search for the sensitive item," he added.

In official statements, the Army did not say that the weapon was stolen, but the day it went missing, the brigade judge advocate recommended a probable cause search in a memo to 1-2 SBCT commander Col. Kwenton Kuhlman that was posted online and verified by Military.com.

"Based on the sworn statements positively identifying a servicemember attempting to carry a .50-cal weapon system into the barracks and the fact that we have information that the weapon system has since moved around the footprint to circumvent discovery, you have probable cause to search the entire host footprint for the .50-cal weapon system that went missing from 2-3 IN's Staff Duty Desk this morning, to include offices, barracks, motor pools, parking lots, and vehicles parked in those parking lots," the memo said.

A search for the receiver ensued, and soldiers from 2-3 Infantry were called in to look for it. Later in the day, when it still hadn't been found, the rest of "Ghost" Brigade was recalled to look too.

A culprit was identified that afternoon, according to a soldier involved in the search. By evening, the soldier had allegedly confessed to tossing the receiver into a dumpster. At some point, the trash bin had been emptied and its contents -- including the machine gun part -- had been hauled away.

"Everyone obviously looked in their own arms room [but] very early on there were indicators that the dumpsters were important," the soldier told Military.com. "Whether they were full or whether they were empty, obviously it sucked.  That culminated in an hour.

"I mean, there's only so many places you can f---ing look," the soldier added.

While the search authorization memo said ".50-cal system," Freigo confirmed to Military.com that it was just the receiver, a part of the weapon that houses the components that make it fire.

"Unit personnel were released later in the day after an extensive search of the brigade area was unsuccessful," Freigo said. "The receiver has not been recovered as of Oct. 10, and an investigation remains ongoing."

The chaos resulted in many soldiers taking to social media to feed and stoke the rumor mill. In the Army, when equipment gets lost, the response is typically to gather a group of soldiers to find the item that grows larger the longer the item remains missing.

The shared punishment often results in frustration among those ripped from other tasks -- or in this case, a day off. But it also leads to what many service members call RUMINT, or rumor intelligence, about the event and alleged perpetrator.

One of the first instances of online scuttlebutt was a Reddit post titled, "Who else lost their four-day weekend to a stolen 50?" From there, several soldiers tapped into social media to weigh in -- some alleging to know the rank and the state of mind of the alleged perpetrator, as well as what staff duty was doing when the component went missing.

Military.com cannot independently confirm these rumors, and the spokesperson for 7th ID, Freigo, did not comment on them, presumably because the investigation is ongoing.

The M2 is a belt-fed heavy machine gun that fires a .50-caliber round. The system can be used for both dismounted and mounted operations. For an organization like 1-2 SBCT, it is one of the primary methods of direct contact at the line level.

"A .50 cal is nuts to go missing," the soldier told Military.com, though it was only the receiver. "The searching was silly. ... The guidance was to go walk around and look for it like you're doing an Easter egg hunt.

"And then the part that was frustrating for everybody was once it was confirmed that there was somebody in custody," he added. "There was a long time between when that allegedly happened and when people were allowed to go home."

While details are still coming to light, what many might see as a frustrating and fruitless saga at the unit level tapped into an organization-wide issue of weapon accountability.

The AP, in its reporting last year, found the Army had by far the highest number of weapons go missing from arms rooms across the force in the 2010s.

Could a missing receiver from JBLM end up on the street in a crime? Chances are slim, but the AP investigation revealed that the circumstances in which weapons go missing can vary and, at the very least, the systems that account for them can be deeply flawed.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Civilian Finds Rifle Left in Unlocked Vehicle by Guardsman on Border Mission
Dozens of gun-control advocacy groups claim the Biden administration's appeal of a court ruling that found the Air Force partly responsible for a 2017 mass shooting in a Texas church is hurting victims' families.

The 37 groups penned a letter to the Justice Department on Oct. 6 urging it to abandon the legal challenge after a federal judge earlier this year ordered the service to pay more than $230 million to the survivors and families of the 26 people killed and injured by an Air Force veteran in the mass shooting.

A judgment issued last year found the Air Force 60% responsible for the events because the service failed to report the gunman's criminal history to authorities, which would have stopped him from buying the firearm he used to gun down the parishioners at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

Read Next: Senior Leaders Should Stay Out of 'Culture Wars' on Social Media, Army Secretary Says

"The families of the 26 people who were killed and the 22 more who were wounded have spent almost five years fighting for justice, a process that has been retraumatizing, painful, and needlessly protracted," the letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland says. It was signed by groups such as Brady United Against Gun Violence, March for Our Lives and Women Against Gun Violence.

"Please allow these victims to finally close this horrific chapter of their lives and move forward. Please make this country a safer place. Please withdraw your appeal. Please deliver justice," the letter continues.

The Justice Department filed an appeal this summer to overturn the judgment.

The ruling against the military explained that the shooter, Devin P. Kelley, was not flagged in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, after he made threats of violence to his Air Force superiors, assaulted his wife and child, attempted to smuggle firearms onto Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, and escaped from a behavioral health facility while awaiting court-martial in 2012. He received a bad conduct discharge from the service in 2014.

Kelley died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the Sutherland Springs attack.

Military.com spoke with one of the victims' parents, Chancie McMahan, this past June. McMahan is the mother of Ryland Ward, who was severely wounded during the shooting.

Ward, who was five years old at the time of the massacre, suffered four gunshot wounds, with one causing severe blood loss. Among other severe injuries, his femur was fractured in several places, an injury that required extensive surgery.

"Even after extensive physical therapy, [Ward] cannot make full use of his left arm or leg," the earlier ruling against the Air Force said, "because the injuries to his hip and femur destroyed his growth plate, [Ward's] leg will not grow from the hip."

The judge in the trial, Judge Xavier Rodriguez, wrote in the July 2021 ruling that found the Air Force partial responsible, "Had the government done its job and properly reported [the shooter's] information into the background check system -- it is more likely than not that [the shooter] would have been deterred from carrying out the church shooting."

Shortly after the shooting, the Air Force also acknowledged that "had his information been in the database, it should have prevented gun sales" to Kelley.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond Monday to a phone call and an email requesting comment.

After the 2017 shooting, Air Force officials claimed they would make immediate reforms.

That year, a Pentagon inspector general's report found that all military services "consistently" failed to submit fingerprint data for 24% of the convicted offenders reviewed. Notably, one of the Air Force's law enforcement offices failed to report 60% of the fingerprint and final disposition reports for convicts, the review detailed.

Then-Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told Washington officials in 2017 that local offices were now required to loop in higher levels of command before closing criminal cases and that officers must verify that the records have been added to the FBI's database. In 2019, the Air Force acquired a new program for crime reporting that replaced an outdated computer system that had been around since the 1990s.

It is not clear whether the Justice Department's appeal is aimed at reducing the compensation or disputing the government's overall culpability.

"The government must accept responsibility for its failures that enabled the Sutherland Springs gunman to erroneously pass a background check and obtain the murder weapon. ... The undersigned respectfully request that you withdraw your appeal. As the court determined, the government's actions and inactions caused many to die, and many more to be injured. The entire community continues to suffer irreparable trauma," the letter from the advocacy groups says.

-- Drew F. Lawrence and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Biden Administration Appeals $230 Million Ruling Against Military Following Texas Mass Shooting
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Monday she is concerned about a public perception that the service's top leadership is partisan following an inspector general investigation of a general who stood up to right-wing criticism of women in the military on Twitter.

Wormuth, who spoke to reporters at an annual Army conference, said the service needs to have a "broad appeal" to attract new recruits and that senior leaders are expected to remain out of polarized politics and use good judgment online.

Public controversy erupted this month after the Army watchdog investigation found Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe's Twitter bouts with Fox News host Tucker Carlson and other right-wing personalities online -- posts defending female troops -- were in poor taste and drew unwanted national attention to the service, according to a copy of the report reviewed by Military.com.

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"The key for senior leaders in an environment that is as politicized, unfortunately, as the one that we're all operating in is to exercise good judgment," Wormuth said at the Association of the U.S. Army conference in Washington, D.C. "You know, one of the things I think that's most important to [Army Chief Gen. James McConville] and I is the Army being apolitical and keeping it out of the culture wars because, frankly, we have got to be able to have a broad appeal."

Last year during his primetime program, Carlson ridiculed female service members for their "new hairstyles and maternity flights suits," claiming "pregnant women are going to fight our wars."

The segment claiming the U.S. military is becoming feminized dovetailed into a movement on the political right and among some Republican lawmakers claiming the military has become "woke" and is adhering to progressive ideology as it seeks to be more inclusive of women -- who were granted full access to all military roles less than a decade ago -- and minorities.

Carlson's criticism was condemned by the Pentagon spokesman at the time. Other Army leaders also pushed back, including Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, who said on Twitter, "Women lead our most lethal units with character. They will dominate any future battlefield we're called to fight on. Tucker Carlson's words are divisive, don't reflect our values."

Donahoe was investigated by the inspector general after he posted a video of him reenlisting a noncommissioned officer on top of a tank and wrote, "Just a reminder that Tucker Carlson couldn't be more wrong." Investigators said that tweet "exhibited poor judgment" and kicked off subsequent news coverage that "cast the Army in a negative light."

Donahoe also engaged with female service members on Twitter, often congratulating them for their accomplishments. The IG found that was also in "poor judgment" and could have been seen as giving them preferential treatment over his other subordinates.

Lt. Gen. Donna Martin, the Army's inspector general, told Military.com she could not comment on an ongoing investigation when questioned about the subject.

When asked whether the Army's vague social media guidance should be updated, Wormuth suggested those rules should be reviewed, but said she was not familiar with the specifics of the guidelines.

"I confess I'm not intimately familiar with what our guidance says right now," she said. "I think senior leaders need to be careful about not getting engaged in partisan discussions over social media or in public remarks."

Donahoe's fate hasn't yet been determined following the IG report. He had planned to retire over the summer, but that was delayed by the investigation.

But the IG's findings were widely viewed across the force as an affront to recent progress by women in the Army -- that simply defending a woman's right to serve in uniform is seen as partisan. Some senior Army officials interviewed by Military.com also saw the report's findings as evidence the service is not yet able to engage in an environment littered with disinformation.

"Intentionally or not, this whole thing showed women that we are not worth defending," one noncommissioned officer told Military.com. "If he can get slapped for this, why would anyone defend women in public?"

It remains unclear why Donahoe was singled out, given other service leaders retweeted his comment to Carlson and wrote their own messages. Some of those leaders, including Grinston, frequently use their online presence to congratulate or otherwise encourage soldiers who share their positive Army experiences on Twitter.

"We chuckle sometimes because a statement one or the other of us will make is criticized both from the left and from the right," Wormuth said, referencing herself and McConville. "So, I think it just demonstrates the difficulty, frankly, of being in the public arena, and not being accused of taking a partisan side."

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: 'The Army Gave a Hunting Permit to Radical Partisans': What a General's Bout with Fox Could Mean for Women
PINE GROVE, Pa. -- Rafael "Ray" Madrigal snapped to attention, removed his hat and bowed his head as his great-grandson, Matthew Madrigal, slipped a red, white and blue ribbon around his neck Saturday in the Oak Grove Sportsmen's Club.

A medallion on the ribbon read "Honored Vietnam Veteran: Schuylkill County," but retired Sgt. 1st Class Madrigal couldn't have been prouder had it been a Silver Star.

In a precious sight, a 9-year-old boy and a 95-year-old Army veteran saluted each other in the presence of family members and veterans from American Legion Post 374 in Pine Grove.

It was the crowning moment of a special day to honor Madrigal, whose military career spanned the World War II, Korean and Vietnam eras.

Ted Brown, president of Just 4 Vets, presented Madrigal with a triangular box containing an American flag, a photo of him in uniform and a series of medals he earned, including a Bronze Star.

Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary J. Hess read a proclamation on the county's behalf.

Addressing Madrigal and the Post 374 veterans, several in their 80s and 90s, Hess credited their sacrifices with bringing about the freedom the nation enjoys today.

"We thank you for your outstanding service," Hess said. "Your heart is with your country, and we salute you."

About 100 people attended the service, including a delegation of Madrigal's family.

William Madrigal, of Pottsville, and Robert Madrigal, of Schuylkill Haven, Ray's sons, honored their father.

Robert, 73, who served in the Marine Corps and the Army, suffered a broken leg and broken back in a helicopter crash in Alaska in 1974.

"What my father did for his country is amazing," Robert said.

Looking Back

Nineteen-year-old Rafael Madrigal left his home in Blue Island, Illinois, for the Army in December 1946.

He would eventually be assigned to a unit in occupied Japan, where Gen. Douglas MacArthur commanded Allied forces.

MacArthur was a flamboyant officer who wore aviator sunglasses and smoked a corn cob pipe.

"You'd see Gen. MacArthur every now and then in Tokyo," Madrigal recalled. "People would gather around to see him."

Participating in the Korean War, Madrigal said, was the most difficult assignment of his career.

In 1950, the year the war started, Madrigal found himself with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea.

The unit participated in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in November 1950, where American forces were surrounded by 120,000 Chinese troops.

"It was freezing weather, and we didn't have winter uniforms," he said. "We arrived in September, and we still had summer uniforms."

Madrigal did three tours in Korea: before, during and after the war.

In 1965, when he was 39, then-Staff Sgt. Madrigal was assigned to Cu Chi Base Camp, northwest of Saigon in Vietnam.

He supervised a crew of mechanics, repairing Huey helicopters damaged during combat.

"When you choose to make the service a career," he said, "you have to take the bad with the good."

Still Going Strong

After retiring in 1967, Madrigal settled his family in Pottsville.

He worked at the Exxon plastics plant near Minersville.

Madrigal currently lives in Tremont, where he maintains an active lifestyle.

Despite his age, he still cuts his grass, chops wood and works around the house. He's a regular at the senior citizens center in Tremont and is a proud member of Post 374.

William Madrigal Jr. marveled at his grandfather's military record.

"You don't realize until you're older what he did, the sacrifices he made," said Madrigal, 39, who works at D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. brewery.

As is common with his generation, Ray Madrigal downplayed his dedication to serving his country.

In brief remarks after being presented with the tricorner box containing an American flag, Madrigal said: "It was an honor and a privilege to have served my country."

(c) 2022 the Republican & Herald (Pottsville, Pa.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Since the beginning of this year, people around the world have felt the pressure of rising prices. Not only the rise in oil prices but also different industries have seen soaring prices. According to the latest data, from August 2021 to the present,
The Blue Jays enter the offseason on the heels of one of the most epic collapses in postseason history. Toronto led the Mariners by a score of 8-1 in the sixth inning of Game 2 of their Wild Card series before Seattle rallied for nine runs in the final four innings en route to a 10-9 series-clinching victory. Saturdays Game 2 is only the third playoff game ever in which a team came back to win from a deficit of seven runs or more, and holds the record for the largest deficit surmounted in a playoff comeback by a road team.

As the Mariners head to Houston to take on their division rivals in the ALDS, the Blue Jays head into the offseason with a decent idea of what their roster will look like in 2023. Torontos current active roster only contains four players, Anthony Bass, David Phelps, Ross Stripling, and Jackie Bradley Jr., who will be free agents this offseason. Since Bradley Jr.s .524 OPS with the Blue Jays will probably not warrant another opportunity in Toronto, Ross Stripling is the free agent that will receive the majority of the front offices attention.

Stripling was fantastic in his role as a rotation replacement for Hyun-Jin Ryu, who went down in June with a UCL injury that ultimately resulted in Tommy John surgery. Over 24 starts for the Jays, Stripling accumulated a 2.92 ERA and struck out 100 batters, while walking only 14. Ryus injury will likely keep him out for most, if not all of 2023, depending on the speed of his recovery. It seems possible, then, that Stripling could return to Toronto on a multi-year deal and fill a spot in their rotation long-term, since Ryus contract expires after 2023.

On the bullpen side, Bass is coming off his finest big-league season in which he posted a cumulative 1.54 ERA out of the bullpen in 70 1/3 innings split between the Miami Marlins and the Blue Jays. Toronto has a $3 million option on Bass for 2023, which they are almost sure to pick up. Phelps also had a fine 2022 out of the pen for the Jays, logging a 2.83 ERA in 63 2/3 innings. If they are unable to retain Phelps, they may seek external bullpen help from what is shaping up to be a fairly rich market for free agent relievers.

From a positional perspective, much of the Blue Jays offseason discourse will center around locking up their young stars long-term. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will head into his second year of arbitration, and is due for a big pay raise. Guerrero Jr. has said publicly that he is open to a long-term extension with the Jays and that he hopes something can be done during this offseason. Keeping their franchise cornerstone in Toronto is going to require Jays ownership to dole out the largest contract in franchise history. A theoretical extension for Guerrero Jr., age 23, ought to take him well into his mid-30s and would dwarf the $150 million in total cash handed to George Springer two years ago. Bo Bichette, who is entering his first year of arbitration, is another extension candidate that the Jays would surely love to keep in Toronto.

The biggest question surrounding Torontos offseason is not one regarding players, but of their manager. John Schneider was named interim manager after Charlie Montoyo was fired on July 13. Under Schneider, the Jays went 46-28 and went from holding a half game lead for the third and final AL wild card spot to securing the first wild card spot by a two-game margin. According to Mitch Bannon of SI.com (via Twitter), there is overwhelming support from Blue Jays players for Schneider to return as their manager. Third baseman Matt Chapman was vocal about his support for Schneider after the Jays Game 2 loss, saying that Schneider is great for the Jays and understands the pulse of the players (via Twitter).

Regardless of whether or not Schneider returns to manage the Blue Jays, Torontos roster looks primed to compete for another postseason spot in 2023.
The Cubs are facing the potential free agent departures of a pair of veteran starters, with both Drew Smyly and Wade Miley headed towards the open market a month from now. Miley will be a free agent, while Smylys contract contains a $10MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout for the 2023 campaign.

Theoretically, a team will only exercise its end of a mutual option if it feels the price is at or below the players market value. The player, conversely, will typically only trigger his end if he feels the option price is at or above what he could find on the open market. Thus, mutual options are almost never exercised by both parties. In the vast majority of cases, players with mutual options are essentially impending free agents.

Thats the case for Smyly, but theres a chance he doesnt remain unsigned until free agency. Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports the Cubs are planning to meet with the left-handers representatives at Frontline later this month to discuss a potential new contract. Lee notes its unlikely Smyly will return on the terms of the mutual option itself but its possible the sides can line up on a new deal. As is the case with all impending free agents, the Cubs will have an exclusive negotiating window with Smyly until five days after the end of the World Series.

Smyly has technically had a pair of stints as a Cub, although he didnt throw a pitch with Chicago until 2022. He signed a two-year deal heading into the 2018 season, with the Cubs aware hed miss all of that season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. After the 18 campaign, Chicago dealt him to the Rangers. Smyly pitched for four different teams from 2019-21 before returning to the Cubs on a one-year deal this spring. He received a $4.25MM salary for this past season and will be guaranteed another $1MM on the option buyout.

The 33-year-old had a generally solid return season to the North Siders. He missed a month mid-summer with a right oblique strain, but he otherwise stayed healthy enough to take the ball 22 times. Across 106 1/3 innings, Smyly posted a 3.47 ERA. He struck out a career-worst 20.4% of opponents, leading to less favorable reviews from fielding independent estimators. On the plus side, he only walked 5.8% of batters faced (below the 7.5% league average for starters) and held opponents to a meager 86.7 MPH average exit velocity. Smylys 12.4% swinging strike rate was an above-average mark that suggests he was somewhat unfortunate to generate his mediocre strikeout percentage, and he absolutely stifled left-handed opponents to the tune of a .191/.277/.326 line through 101 plate appearances.

Smyly doesnt have eye-popping velocity, and his below-average ground-ball numbers have contributed to home run troubles in prior years. The longball wasnt much of an issue this season, though, and hes generally posted solid strikeout and walk numbers throughout his career. Hes spent time on the injured list each year since 2016, failing to reach 130 innings in any of the past six seasons. Hes not been a prototypical innings eater, but hes pitched to a decent 3.96 ERA in 259 1/3 frames going back to the start of 2020.

The Cubs didnt seem to aggressively market and/or find much trade interest in Smyly this summer. Despite his being a rental on a non-competitive team, there werent many public trade rumors leading up to the deadline. Smyly pitched to a sparkling 2.28 ERA in nine starts after the deadline, however, sending him towards free agency on the heels of a strong final couple months.

Whether thatll be enough for the Arkansas product to find a multi-year deal heading into his age-34 season remains to be seen. Alex Cobb received a two-year, $20MM pact at the same age last winter. Cobb was coming off 98 1/3 innings of 3.76 ERA ball through 18 starts. He had a similar swinging strike rate in 2021 as Smyly did this season, but Cobb finished off more strikeouts and had an excellent 53.3% grounder rate. It seems unlikely Smyly will get quite to that level as a result, but theres recent precedent for a multi-year deal for a pitcher coming off a broadly similar showing at the same age.

As another recent comparison point, Corey Kluber landed a one-year, $8MM guarantee (with incentives that could take the deals value to $13MM) after pitching 80 innings with a 3.83 ERA and a 12.5% swinging strike percentage last year. Kluber, a two-time Cy Young winner, has had a far more accomplished career than Smyly, but his 2021 production wasnt far off Smylys 2022 numbers.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer didnt address contract specifics, but he did broadly suggest the Cubs would have interest in retaining both Smyly and Miley. With both guys, in the right setup, wed love to have them back, Hoyer told reporters this afternoon (via Lee). They both have a really positive impact on the organization. And theres no finish line when it comes to adding guys that can make starts in the big leagues and that can add to your culture.

Among in-house options, the Cubs are certain to pencil Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks into the Opening Day rotation. Left-hander Justin Steele pitched well enough through 24 starts to likely earn a spot as well, but the back of the rotation is mostly up for grabs. Hayden Wesneski, acquired from the Yankees in the Scott Effross deadline deal, pitched well through his first four big league starts. Hes in the mix with Keegan Thompson and journeyman Adrian Sampson for back-end roles, but theres certainly an opportunity for Hoyer and his staff to bolster the group this offseason.
08.10.2022 LISTEN

Mr Henry Antwi, an Australian-based Ghanaian Mining Consultant and Mineral Economist has called for due diligence in a bid to promote investment for the development of Ghana's iron and steel.

It is laudable to promote Ghana's mineral and metal potential at international conferences, however, we need to get back to the drawing board and first re-evaluate our strategy to secure good commercial terms for the nation, he argued.

From his perspective, the government should strive to engage the services of a competent and qualified institution or person in iron ore exploration and geological resource estimation to lead the exploration campaign for the Ghana Integrated and Steel Development Corporation (GISSDEC).

Mr Antwi made the call in a document presented to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Accra, on his views on the nation's campaign to woo investors for Ghana's iron ore exploration.

According to him, it was appropriate that we moved Ghana's iron ore potential to a minimum of indicated resource under the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) Code, a professional code of practice that sets minimum standards for public reporting of mineral exploration results, mineral resources, and ore reserves, or any of the internationally accepted codes.

Getting the resource to indicated category and complying with an international quality assurance and quality control standard will engender confidence in investors, he emphasized.

Additionally, getting the resource estimated under an internationally accepted code, by a competent person, is also a corporate disclosure requirement should public listing be considered for raising capital.

This will ensure that pre-feasibility studies are completed to determine the economic and technical viability, coupled with a better understanding of the quality and contaminant levels of the iron ore, and to determine the ideal route for value addition.

Once this is established with transparency and corporate governance principles, GIISDEC can then develop an information memorandum to potential local and international investors to tender on a competitive basis, Mr Antwi stated.

With this in place, it would then allow the government to dictate the transaction terms, having de-risked the project, and this would ensure a reasonable entry fee payment by the joint venture partner, the Mining Consultant and Mineral Economist advised.

In his analysis, he indicated that it made more economic sense to develop the iron ore into pellets than the steelmaking route being considered.

This is because the high capital cost and price of gas-based energy did not make steel making economically attractive as compared to a pelletizing plant at the time of evaluation.

The capacity of the pelletizing plant could be easily expanded to feed both international and domestic steel-making plants when the economics make it justifiable for a domestic plant, Mr Antwi said.

He stressed that consideration is given to the capital requirements, quantum of gas and price, and the overall economics when deciding on a steel plant versus pelletizing plant at the initial stage.

Later, the government can consider the addition of steel-making using cash flow from the pellet plant as part of the funding strategy for the steel plant.

In his submission, the Mining Consultant and Mineral Economist stressed that iron ore beneficiation plant and steel-making technologies should be assessed as part of the pre-feasibility study and the best technical and economic option taken through the detailed feasibility stage with the joint venture partners.

He said the selected joint venture partner should have a proven record of accomplishment in iron and steel making to derive good returns for the country.

GNA
From left, is Emmanuelle Osae, in the middle is Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, her immediate left is Gifty Kwakye and other officials

10.10.2022 LISTEN

Emmanuelle Osae, is a 21-year-old petty trader and a mother of two, a beneficiary of government's Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) who hawks boiled eggs.

She lives at Obo Adaka, a rural community in Akwapim South in the Eastern Region.

According to Emmanuelle, her business started with the first grant received from government through the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP).

She said, the egg business has changed her worsening economic situation, and she is now able to cater for her kids.

The Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) is an initiative of the Government of Ghana to support pro-poor and the vulnerable in society.

Government has released GHS54.7 million to be disbursed to LEAP beneficiaries for two cycles across the country.

About GHS1.7million of the population are currently enrolled on the LEAP grant across the country, according to Minister, Hon Cecilia Abena Dapaah, caretaker of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP).

At Obo Adakaa, a rural community, about 90 beneficiaries received their grants for the two cycles.

Some received GHS120, others GHS76, GHS152 and GHS228.

During a monitoring exercise by caretaker Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah and the team on Wednesday 5, October, Emmanuelle said the father of the children is not taking responsibility for the kids and she has to work to support herself and the children.

Although the amount appears scanty, Emmanuelle said, it has improved her economic situation.

Another beneficiary, Gifty Kwakye, a mother of five who sells porridge said, she started her business with the grant and that has really helped her.

"For this money, my economic situation would have worsened. The father of the children is no more with us and does not support us, but for government I and my children would have been extremely vulnerable. The grant has really helped me a lot and I'm grateful to government," she stated.

Gifty Kwakye was enrolled onto the programme three years ago and has since been benefiting.

She however appealed to government to increase the amount to enable her cater for the five children.

"Some of my children are currently out of school. The amount given to me today GHS120 would be used to settle part payment of GHS150 educational bills of one of the children currently in JHS 1. GHS70 will be used to settle part payment for another child in primary three owing GHS100. Then am left with another child in KG, to cater for so the remaining two are home, so I'm appealing to government to increase the amount to enable the rest have access to education," she stated.

For the two cycles, Gifty Kwakye received an amount of GHS200.

Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah in an interview said, in spite of government's financial constraints, it is committed to ensuring the betterment of the vulnerable in society.

She advised beneficiaries to utilize the grants sustainably.

She urged persons who received monies on behalf of the aged to present the exact amount as given by government.

According to her, the monitoring exercise is to witness the payment of the LEAP grant.

Colson Akambise, Head of Communications for LEAP at the ministry said his outfit has a monitoring mechanism such as the post payment monitoring system, working with focal persons and collaborating with community members and Assembly members to ensure actual beneficiaries receive the grants.

According to him, research has proven that the grant has promoted the reintegration of the vulnerable and neglected into society.

He added that however, politicization and misinformation about undeserving people being enrolled on the programme has been a challenge.

He explained that in cases where a beneficiary is incapacitated the family nominates another person to receive the grant on behalf of the beneficiary.

Assemblyman for Obo Adakaa Hon. Alex Afriyie on his part said the introduction of LEAP in the community has helped tremendously in poverty eradication in Obo Adakaa electoral area.

He said, prior to the grant feeding was a serious economic challenge to some families but that has changed.

He added that the grant has helped many children to go back to school and minimized child labour in the area.
British-Iranian correspondent Ramita Navai was in Bayeux, Normandy on Thursday to present the premiere of her documentary "Afghanistan: No Country for Women", a harrowing look at life under the Taliban. Often using a hidden camera, she witnessed the daily struggle women face to stay alive.

We're going to a place where women are disappearing, Ramita Navai's voice says at the opening of the documentary. She is travelling at night in a car, and immediately we get a feel for the clandestine nature of her project.

It is one of several films screened as part of the annual week-long event, celebrating the work of war correspondents from around the world.

It's November 2021, just a few months since the Taliban took back control after the US-led military coalition pulled out after more than 20 years in the country. The economy is in tatters, most women have lost their jobs and only a few schools have reopened, despite promises made by the Taliban.

Wearing a veil over her head, Navai and her director-cameraman Karim Shah travel to Herat in western Afghanistan. They meet a family whose adult daughter has gone missing. She was last seen entering a police station to help her friends who had been arrested for so-called "immoral behaviour".

Under strict Islamic law, women must cover their faces, and especially their hair. Not a strand must be out of place. They are not allowed to travel without a male escort from their family.

The young woman, known as 'Maryam' is eventually able to send a letter to her family, describing the interrogation and abuse with a taser gun.

The investigation leads the journalists to a jail, where women are being held without trial or charge.

Secret camera

At first Navai and Shah are granted access to the men's wing, escorted by 12 armed Taliban soldiers.

The prison director insists that no one is mistreated and everyone gets the justice they deserve. The problem is that these women are not recorded in any formal register  it's as if they don't exist.

The journalists are not allowed to speak to the prisoners, but after some negotiation, Navai is granted access to the women's wing.

The guards don't know she has a hidden camera. She sidles up to the 30 or so women huddled in a courtyard. Maryam is among them and they are able to exchange fleeting words.

My heart was beating doubly fast as that moment, Navai told the audience after the film screening, recalling the emotions she felt at the time.

Luckily, Karim, being a man, was able to chat to the guards and distract them so they didn't notice me turning on my equipment, she explains.

The moral code of sharia law weighs heavily on the men, and those who refuse to give up information about the activities of women in their families face beatings, torture and imprisonment.

The honour of a man, of his family, is valued above all else in the Taliban's Islamic vision, Navai explains.

The women are even afraid of the men in their own families, she recounts. If a woman has been singled out or accused, she brings shame on the rest of the household, causing the men to resent them. Domestic abuse is rife.

Suicide on the rise

In the northern town of Faizabad, girls and women are being forced into marriage with Taliban soldiers, much older than themselves  a fate worse than death, one anonymous male witness tells the journalists, describing his cousin's experience.

Throughout the documentary, there are stories each more harrowing than the last.

Navai admits she is haunted by the story of a young woman who tried to commit suicide by self-immolation because she was beaten by her husband. The hospital treating her said records had not been properly kept, but female suicides are on the rise since the Taliban came back to power.

Fast-forward to March 2022, and Navai meets the chief of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which has replaced the Department of Women's Affairs.

He does not want to appear in the same shot as Navai, who very boldly confronts him with the allegations of abuse and torture she has uncovered.

Like all the other officials interviewed in the documentary, he insists any claims of abuse are false, and no man would mistreat a woman if he were following strict Islamic law.

Pockets of resistance

Navai says she and her cameraman were able to film and interview relatively freely because they are foreigners, and not considered to be under the same moral code.

However, with this form of freedom comes great responsibility, as Shah pointed out. I was always fearful that the people who took risks to speak to us would get into trouble, he told the audience.

The film cannot hide the desperation in the provinces, where sharia law is harsh, coupled with extreme drought, that exacerbates poverty and hardship. It seems that the only real hope is to leave the country  like the key women in the film  who find refuge in Europe.

Despite this bleak outlook, Navai reiterates that there are pockets of resistance, even in the tiniest of forms. Only time will tell if a new, more educated generation will help women and girls exit this dire stalemate.

The plight of women and girls in Afghanistan is also the focus of a free outdoor exhibition with photographs by Kiana Hayeri, until 30 October.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrived in Algeria on Sunday with a top-level delegation for a visit aimed at improving ties with the former French colony and major gas exporter.

Her two-day trip along with more than a dozen ministers comes just six weeks after President Emmanuel Macron concluded a three-day visit that sought to end months of tensions with Algiers.

Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane welcomed the delegation at the capital's main airport, and the pair later presided over a high-level meeting mainly addressing economic cooperation.

French and Algerian ministers present signed around a dozen texts including "declarations of intent" on employment, industrial cooperation and tourism.

Earlier in the day, Borne had laid a wreath at a monument to martyrs of Algeria's eight-year war for independence, and visited a cemetery for French nationals who lived in Algeria during France's 132-year rule, which ended in 1962.

Ties between the North African country and its former colonial ruler had seen months of tensions after Macron last year questioned Algeria's existence as a nation before the French occupation, accusing the government of fomenting "hatred towards France".

Borne is expected to sign deals on economic cooperation, including energy -- although deliveries of natural gas to France are 'not on the table', according to her office. By Alain JOCARD (AFP)

But during his visit in August, Macron and his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune drew a line under the spat.

On Sunday, the two spoke on the phone and confirmed their "satisfaction with the positive direction" of ties, Tebboune's office said.

Borne is set to meet with the president on Monday.

In an interview with news website Tout Sur l'Algerie (TSA), she said the visit would focus on "education, culture, the ecological transition and the economy".

"More cooperation will be a source of growth for our two countries," Borne said.

But deliveries of natural gas to France are "not on the table", according to her office.

Gas supplies to Europe

Map of Algeria locating the capital Algiers.. By (AFP)

The contentious subject of the two countries' history, particularly during the war, will not feature prominently on her agenda.

During Macron's visit, the president had announced the creation of a joint commission of historians to examine the colonial period, including the war. France says the panel is still being set up.

Macron has ruled out a state apology for acts committed during the colonial period.

Borne and her cohort are the latest in a string of top European officials to visit Algeria, Africa's top natural gas exporter, in search of alternatives to Russian energy supplies since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Algeria's Sonatrach signed a $4-billion oil and gas production deal with Italian, French and US majors in July, but experts have cast doubt over Algeria's ability to ramp up capacity in the short term.

In her interview with TSA, Borne noted that France does not depend heavily on natural gas.

But she said Paris wants to develop joint projects in the sector with Algeria "to increase the efficiency of its gas production capacity, which will increase its export capacity to Europe".

The European Union's energy commissioner Kadri Simson is also expected in Algiers on Monday and Tuesday.
Regional Director for Africa, Kwabena Frimpong has revealed that currently, the weather is the greatest cause of yield loss for farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa because agriculture is largely rain-fed.

He explained that weather causes 20 - 80% of all yield loss in Sub-Saharan Africa, in comparison to yield loss due to pests, diseases and weeds, which is estimated at 26-30%.

Ignitias weather forecast tools provide farmers and agribusinesses with vital information needed to mitigate risk and create resilience in farming business.

"The technology company is the worlds first and most accurate tropical weather forecasting company and has over 84% reliability.

"The forecast can be delivered through SMS directly to farmers, web and mobile platforms for tech ready farmers, extension agents and agribusiness, as well as through APIs for Agtech platforms, he said.

At an open house conference held in Tamale by Ignitia Ghana Limited, dubbed From Thunderstorm Predictions to Brainstorming Climate Smart Agriculture Solutions stakeholders within the agricultural sector, deliberated on the utilization of weather intelligence provided by Ignitia, and its relevance to stakeholders in the era of Climate, COVID-19, and conflicts, notably referred to as the 3Cs.

The Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in the Northern Region, Hajia Hawa Musah said farmers in the five Northern Regions are grappling with low crop yield owing to unpredictable weather patterns.

Its time farmers are educated on the need to farm smart and be resilient to climate variability by subscribing and paying for weather forecasting services. Knowing when to plant, apply fertilizer, weed control and harvesting saves a lot of time and resources she indicated.

The Chief Science Officer at Ignitia, Andreas Vallgren said farmers in Africa are often portrayed as unintelligent, but that is not the case; rather, farmers need reliable information, and access to technology in order to make more informed decisions.

He explained that farmers in his opinion know how to farm, and Ignitia is simply giving farmers a tool to improve farming practices for improved yield and income.

Weather affects industries across the globe. Each year, billions of dollars are lost due to weather variability, he revealed.

The Director of Agricultural Extension Service at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Paul Siameh said the Ministry has begun a pilot programme to support smallholder farmers with information on weather patterns in the five northern regions of Ghana.

We are targeting about 1.7 million smallholder farmers to register them for this exercise; our aim is to help them boost their agronomic and technology expertise in the Agriculture Value Chain and be able to withstand the vagaries of climate change, he said.

Team leader, Private Sector EU - GIZ Dr. Andrew Harberd said Agricultural businesses are experiencing first-hand the effects of our changing climate.

Having more accurate, long-term weather tools that go far beyond what's possible today gives farmers a critical advantage for resource planning and preparedness in the face of increasing climate disruptions; and we are excited Ignitia has introduced this tool, he added.

The Deputy Chief of Party at USAID Market System Resilience being implemented by ACDI VOCA, Cecil Osei said the adoption of climate-smart farming practices, such as the weather forecast service, carries the potential benefits of improved productivity, high income, and improved household food security for smallholder farmers.

We are committed to promoting the sustainability of these practices and technologies to enhance resilience and adaptation to climate change.

The high costs involved in farming, coupled with numerous constraints in production, it is imperative for farmers to adopt new ways of farming in order to make profits and build sustainable agribusiness enterprises, he said.

A farmer in the Eastern Region of Ghana where the tool was piloted revealed that Ignitias tool has helped him to better plan when to plant, apply fertilizer, spray pesticide and harvest.

About three years ago, I lost bags of fertilizer because heavy rain fell, right after I had applied fertilizer to my farm. This was despite all indications showing that there was no chance of rain.

I could not afford to buy any more fertilizer and that really affected my yield that year, its not just about me; this is what we go through as farmers every planting season.

Since I started using the weather alert services from Ignitia, my yield has increased significantly because I do not only apply fertilizer at the right time, but Im also able to plan my planting, weeding, and harvesting periods as per the weather. I see up to 80% increase in my income, due to decreased risk and loss, he added.

About Ignitia

We developed the Worlds First Most Accurate Tropical Weather Forecasting Model. Ignitias services have been adopted by over 2 million subscribers in eight West African countries; Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, Togo, and Senegal. Ignitia seeks partners to put our weather data to the test and to co-design new agtech tools, which leverages on our innovative technology. This flagship project was supported by our partner, the Water & Energy for Food (WE4F) project by the GIZ.
10.10.2022 LISTEN

The International relations secretary for the Ghana Union of Professional Students, Honorable Charity Teye has admonished student leaders in the country to develop systematic collaborations.

This, according to her will help various blocs leaders in the educational system to have an equal voice in achieving success in their respective roles as student leaders.

She bemoaned the lack of transparency, accountability, and cordiality among student leaders which is retarding the progress of the various blocs as far as student unions are concerned.

In her speech delivered during the Russian NUGs state of the union address, she said, "it will be detrimental to various Unions in the country and abroad if they fail to find extensive ways of collaborating among themselves."

It's not encouraging that you go into other countries and you realize Ghanaian students there have not formed any union, this makes it difficult for the government to offer any support when the need arises, it's worth applauding NUGS Russia and Ukraine for organizing themselves and having a voice, it's the reason the government of Ghana was able to organize them during the hard times, she stressed.

She called on professional students studying abroad to also reorganize themselves and collaborate with other blocs.

How can we achieve this, the mother Union of all students blocs should recognize the Ghana Union of Professional students and other blocs in collaborative action in whatever the Union embarks on, this juxtaposed the Unity and togetherness we are all yearning for," she added.
10.10.2022 LISTEN

By Mad Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK

Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat.

Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of reason, or "Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad".

I am sure many readers will be dismayed, disappointed or even angry with the title of my article and accuse me of being arrogant, disrespectful and insulting to Ghana and Ghanaians and demand that I render an unqualified apology. They may be right but I disagree with them for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I am a Ghanaian and therefore if Ghana and Ghanaians are mad, I am equally insane. Second, any rational observer of what is currently happening in Ghana, will conclude that there is no word to describe it other than madness and for these two reasons alone, I make no apology for the choice of words. You can call a problem or difficulty, a challenge but I wouldnt.

I have not written and posted article on Modernghana or Ghanaweb since the first week of July 2022 because I have almost given up on Ghana. However, day after day, things seem to go from bad to worse to the point of no return and I can no longer stay silent whilst my motherland is under attack from foreigners aided by politicians, the rich, powerful and the connected. I used to be a very proud Ghanaian but not any longer. I am ashamed of what is being done to Ghana by some Chinese in Ghana.

I watched Newsfile on 9 October 2022 and could not believe what illegal mining has done and is doing to Ghana and Ghanaians. Ghana is now a country without leaders. Its everyone for himself/herself and God for us all. How could we allow illegality to descend into this level? Even towns and villages are mined to the extent that the residents are unable to enter their own homes.

Cocoa farms, the cash cow of Ghana have been mined and destroyed by foreigners in broad day light. According the video shown on the programme, sometimes cocoa farms are forcibly taken and mined. How could a nation and her citizens allow such insanity by foreigners to prevail, unless we are mad or as the proverb at the beginning says, we have been deprived of reason?

The Chinese who are doing this to Ghana and Ghanaian cannot do same in their own country because they would be executed in China if they did what they are doing in Ghana. How could Ghana and Ghanaian allow foreigners to have more say over our land and minerals resources in Ghana. Is that not insane?

I am not against foreigners in Ghana because I am a foreigner in Europe. I am also not against small scale mining, however, the gospel fact is that, there is nothing small scale in what is happening in Ghana but illegal large scale mining involving the wanton decimation and destruction of land, cash and food crops, rivers and the environment at epic proportions. Yet, Ghanaians have become willing accomplices in the destruction of Ghana and her future by some Chinese citizens. If we are not mad, what are we? Insanity, lunacy, stupidity or what?

Almost all rivers in mining areas in Ghana are polluted with harmful chemicals. The land is contaminated by the same dangerous chemicals used in the illegal mining. Illegal mining is out of control in Ghana but elected and unelected leaders are not only impotent to act but unwilling to act to control and stop it because they are all involved. Indeed, that is how the political elite survive in Ghana through the deliberate abrogation of their duties. Despite countless ministers, MMDCEs, heads of Land Commission, Environmental Agency and others including the Police, Immigration all being paid huge salaries and remuneration, they allow such carnage in Ghana in order to benefit from it.

What is tragic about this epidemic in Ghana is the ostrich mentality by all of us. That is, we seem to be oblivious to the negative impact on Ghana and Ghanaians of the madness to allow some Chinese to enrich themselves in Ghana at whatever cost to us. Very soon if not already our yam, plantain, cocoyam, cassava, maize, vegetables and other food crops grown in those areas will all be contaminated and dangerous to consume. All such agricultural products could be banned from exports because of contamination. In fact, there are reports that the EU plans to ban Ghanas cocoa due to suspected contamination. Ghanaians are slowly eating dangerous chemicals that will result in deceases, death and women giving birth to babies with abnormalities, etc. The risk of drinking and using river water containing dangerous chemicals is unimaginable. In reality, some parts of Ghana could become a ghost area in decades to come if this madness is allowed to continue.

At same time that we allow and assist the Chinese to destroy our lands, cocoa, farms, river bodies and the environment with pollution and dangerous chemicals, there are reports that China has grown cocoa and will soon export cocoa. In fact, this week, I also saw on social media boxes of what is alleged to be yam from China in a shop in London. I do not know if that is fact but what is certain is that when Ghanaian cocoa and yams are banned from exports, China will take Ghanas place. Then Ghana will import yam from China. How dump could we be?

Apart from the future health threat to Ghana and Ghanaians, there is also immediate security risk to Ghana from this madness we have lost control of. I saw a video of men with arms fighting the military in an illegal mining area in Ghana. Its reminiscent of scenes in Liberia and Sierra Leone during their civil war. In the Newsfile video, it was said that the Chinese and Ghanaian illegal miners are armed and that is why they are able to forcibly take over lands and farms including towns and villages to mine. Another sign or warning of a country sleep walking into civil conflict, if this impunity continues.

Another irony of this is that the mineral wealth extracted do not benefit Ghana as a country because they are taken out of the country by the Chinese without the payment of taxes. I do not even believe that Ghanaians who are involved also pay taxes. For example, I once saw the Asante Regional NPP Chairman in a video clip with gold bars at a radio station. How much did he make from the sale of the gold bars and how much tax did he pay to Ghana?

Why this madness in Ghana? There is only one explanation and its very simple. That is, law and order or lack of it. I have been preaching about enforcement and compliance of law and order since 2010 to no avail. One thing I have observed living, studying and working in Western Europe is that, the difference between the developed world and the developing countries is the enforcement of law and order without fear or favour. This makes them appear to be better humans than others but that is not true, they are not better humans but better managers of their affairs through effective enforcement and compliance of law and order.

Every society is better off if its able to enforce law and order without fear or favour. For example, the last British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson had the belief that he was special and therefore the laws, rules and regulations should not apply to him. So, he broke COVID19 restrictions and was fined for it. He made decisions that by the laws, rules and regulations of the country and his office were wrong. For these reasons, despite his huge parliamentary majority as well as his popularity among his party, MPs and the country, he was removed from office by his own MPs. This is because, no one is above the law. In Ghana, he would have won a second term because he will be above the law.

Sadly, in Ghana, we practise animal farm when it comes to law and order enforcement and compliance. The laws, rules and regulations are not enforced by the authorities, neither are they complied with by the people. When enforced, it is done selectively, so only the poor, weak and vulnerable are at the mercy of the laws, rules and regulations. Until Ghana and Ghanaians act collectively to enforce and comply with the laws, rules and regulations without fear or favour, Ghana is doomed as a nation state and Ghanaians are doomed as a people.

The three arms of government in Ghana are ineffective when it comes to law enforcement and compliance. The Executive is paralysed in enforcing the laws, rule and regulations. In fact, they are first to break the law instead of setting good examples. They are all above the law. The Legislature is no good either. They are only interested in rubberstamping what the Executive takes to them, approving loans and receiving their ex-gratia every four years instead of holding the Executive accountable. The last bastion of accountability and rule of law, the Judiciary is equally defective. Trials go on for years without end and decisions often lack reasoning and transparency. For example, an MP was murdered and a suspect arrested. Yet over five years now the trial is still ongoing. Last week, it was reported that the prosecution failed to turn up in court in another high profile murder trial, yet the judge did not reprimand prosecutors for not turning up. In this day and age, one wonders why state prosecution did not inform the court in advance of the absence so that the hearing could have been postponed? It appears judges are even afraid to criticise the Executive.

Justice delayed is justice denied and justice should not only be done but must also be seen to be done. The Chief Justice advised judges to ignore public sentiments on judicial decisions. He is wrong because when the people believe that the judiciary is not administering justice, some may take the law into their own hands. Instead of the Judiciary supervising the work of the Executive and Legislature with independent judicial decisions, its often seen by the public as being on one side, the government of the day. Justice has therefore become, scratch my back and I scratch yours.

Ghanaians are deluded if they believe that there is an ongoing fight against illegal mining. There is nothing like that because illegal mining has not only gone up since the so-called fight was launched but it has gone out of control. What is required is not a fight but a war on illegal mining in Ghana. The president who put his presidency on fighting illegal mining won the 2020 presidential election but the menace has got worst. His own appointees are heavily involved and that is why he pretends not to know what is happening and that is part of the madness.

For the above reasons, I proposed the following actions:

An immediate moratorium or complete ban on small scale mining throughout Ghana for three to six months because what is happening is not small scale mining. Small scale mining should only involve pick axe and shovel, buckets and pans. No heavy equipment whatsoever. A complete ban on the involvement of foreigners in small scale mining throughout Ghana.

All foreigners involved in illegal mining MUST be arrested, prosecuted and deported after serving their sentences. All Ghanaians including state officials such as ministers, MMDCEs, Land Commission officials, the police, military, chiefs, etc who are involved in illegal mining should also be arrested and prosecuted with fear of favour.

A new arrangement for small scale mining which involves land reclamation and mining at specified distances from rivers, farms and human habitation be developed for only Ghanaians. No river bed should be mined and no water from rivers should be used for mining. Instead, miners should pump water from abandoned ponds for mining and properly dispose of any water containing chemicals.

Finally, all laws, rules and regulations on mining and land use in Ghana MUST be strictly enforced without fear of favour. Otherwise, the madness will continue and Ghana as a mad nation state with mad people will be official. If one is not mad at what is happening in Ghana, you should already be in a mental institution.

Mad Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK
French president Emmanuel Macron led the tributes to the French philosopher and social scientist Bruno Latour who died on Sunday at the age of 75.

Macron praised Latour for his inspirational writings and his inquiring mind.

"Bruno Latour was a humanist and plural spirit, recognised throughout the world before being so in France," said Macron.

"His reflections, his writings, will continue to inspire us with new relationships to the world."

Yannick Jadot, the environmental activist who ran in the 2022 French presidential elections, saluted Latour's extraordinary humanity.

"France, the world and ecology are losing an immense intellectual. We are losing a man who, with each exchange, with each reading, made us more intelligent, more alive!"

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who is on a visit to Algeria, also highlighted Latour's humanity

"A great figure of ecological thought, he leaves us works that will continue to awaken our consciences."

Born in 1947 in Beaune to a family of Burgundy wine merchants, Latour earned his PhD degree in philosophical theology at the University of Tours in 1975.

He took up a post at the Centre de sociologie de l'innovation at the Ecole des Mines in Paris and stayed there for more than two decades before moving in 2006 to Sciences Po in Paris to become the first occupant of a chair named in honour of the 19th century French sociologist Gabriel Tarde.

Latour also ventured outside academia by serving as a curator at the Zentrum fur Kunst und Medientechnologie in Karlsruhe, Germany.

The awards flowed during a career that brought international recognition and lecturing tours to Germany and the United States.

In 2013 he received the Holberg Prize, an accolade handed out since 2004 to a scholar who has made outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social science, law or theology.

In 2021, Latour won the Kyoto Prize.

The citation read: "Bruno Latour has developed a philosophy that breathes new life into our view of science by treating nature, humans, laboratory equipment, and other entities as equal actors, and describing technoscience as the hybrid network of these actors.

"Latour has proposed an alternative perspective of the world and nature, which is centred on the terrestrial that is interwoven within various Earthbounds, including humans, animals, plants, topographical features, climates, and other material beings in the biosphere (i.e., a thin film that covers the surface of the earth and is several kilometers in thickness).

"He has suggested the necessity for reorganizing the political and social system by standing atop this terrestrial perspective."

In 2021, just after the publication of his book Ou suis-je?, he told the French news agency AFP that the crises of climate change and pandemics had revealed a struggle between geo-social classes.

He added: "Capitalism has dug its own grave. Now it is a question of repairing it."
The French and Algerian prime ministers on Sunday declared a wish to "deepen" their countries' ties as Paris seeks to repair relations with the former colony and major gas exporter.

Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane personally welcomed French Premier Elisabeth Borne's delegation before a top-level meeting mainly addressing economic cooperation.

French and Algerian ministers present signed around a dozen texts including "declarations of intent" on employment, industrial cooperation and tourism.

"This is a step to build even deeper cooperation between France and Algeria," Borne told reporters afterwards.

Borne's two-day trip to the North African country comes just six weeks after President Emmanuel Macron concluded his own three-day visit as part of a rapprochement drive.

Ties between the North African country and its former colonial ruler had deteriorated after Macron last year questioned Algeria's existence as a nation before the French occupation, and accused the government of fomenting "hatred towards France".

But the contentious subject of the two countries' history, particularly during the war, were not set to feature prominently on Borne's agenda.

Borne and her cohort are the latest in a string of top European officials to visit Algeria, Africa's top natural gas exporter, as officials search out alternatives to Russian energy supplies since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Ahead of her trip, Borne's office said deliveries of natural gas to France were "not on the table".

French and Algerian ministers present signed around a dozen texts including 'declarations of intent' on employment, industrial cooperation and tourism. By Alain JOCARD (AFP)

Instead, the visit would focus on "education, culture, the ecological transition and the economy", she told news website Tout Sur l'Algerie (TSA).

She is set to meet with the president on Monday.

'Positive direction'

Borne said the three pillars of the "strengthened" partnership with Algeria were the economy -- pointing to the desire to "develop trade, innovation and create jobs" -- mobility and visas, with a focus on greater educational and cultural cooperation for youth.

During Macron's visit this summer, Algerian entrepreneurs had quizzed him on the difficulties of getting visas to France after their numbers fell significantly in autumn 2021.

On Sunday, Macron and his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune spoke on the phone and confirmed their "satisfaction with the positive direction" of ties, Algiers said.

Earlier in the day, Borne had laid a wreath at a monument to martyrs of Algeria's eight-year war for independence, and visited a cemetery for French nationals who lived in Algeria during France's 132-year rule, which ended in 1962.

Map of Algeria locating the capital Algiers.. By (AFP)

The two countries have agreed to create a joint commission of historians to examine the colonial period, including the war.

Borne on Sunday said both sides were still working on the make-up of the commission.

Benabderrahmane underlined the "importance of continuing joint work", through this commission and "the establishment of mixed working groups concerned with issues of memory".

Macron has ruled out a state apology for acts committed during the colonial period.

Gas supplies to Europe

Macron and Borne have both de-emphasised the role gas supplies play as Paris attempts to repair ties with Algiers.

In her interview with TSA, Borne noted France does not depend heavily on natural gas.

But she said Paris wanted to develop joint projects in the sector with Algeria "to increase the efficiency of its gas production capacity, which will increase its export capacity to Europe".

Algeria's Sonatrach signed a $4 billion oil and gas production deal with Italian, French and US majors in July, but experts have cast doubt over Algeria's ability to ramp up capacity in the short term.

The European Union's energy commissioner, Kadri Simson, is also expected in Algiers on Monday and Tuesday.
A column of brand-new armoured vehicles is parked outside what remains of a government building in Quionga, a village in Mozambique's restive northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, Mozambican soldiers stare at the convoy -- an unusual sight in this northern settlement, which just a year ago was controlled by Islamist insurgents who have wreaked havoc across the region.

Senior Rwandan officers are visiting today.

They have come to oversee a joint military operation with their more poorly equipped local counterparts, a show of force to impress residents and the journalists accompanying them.

"We can say to a large extent that the insurgents have been defeated," says Rwandan army spokesman, general Ronald Rwivanga.

But the display of confidence belies a still precarious security situation in the gas-rich region. Only last week, the United Nations warned that the conflict had not subsided.

Mozambique. By Kun TIAN (AFP)

It has been five years since jihadists affiliated to the Islamic State launched an insurgency that monitoring groups say has killed more than 4,000 people.

Forces from Rwanda and other African countries, deployed in July 2021 after years of jihadist attacks, have helped Mozambique retake control of much of the province.

The militants had raided Quionga last year, burning down the local government office and setting up shop in the village. They were using it as a base to carry out attacks on both sides of the nearby Tanzanian border.

Rwandan forces eventually ousted them in August 2021.

'Isolated attacks'

A year on, calm has returned to the area, and so have most of Quionga's inhabitants.

Outside a field hospital for civilians, Rwandan and Mozambican generals pat each other on the shoulder.

Rwandan troops have secured the key districts of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia, formerly jihadist strongholds.

"The only incidents recorded are now isolated attacks involving very few individuals," says general Rwivanga. "The insurgents no longer have major bases."

French oil giant TotalEnergies' base is a heavily protected enclave built on the Afungi peninsula. By Camille LAFFONT (AFP)

Yet only last week, conflict tracker ACLED recorded a string of attacks, including the beheading of a farmer, and clashes between the militants and security forces.

Known locally as al-Shabab ('the young ones'), analysts say the jihadist group has splintered into smaller cells and started to stage incursions further south.

"The conflict has now spilled into the neighbouring province of Nampula, which witnessed four attacks by armed groups in September affecting at least 47,000 people and displacing 12,000," the UN said in a statement last week.

Since 2017, almost a million people have been forced to flee their homes because of the fighting, it added.

Gas and checkpoints

The government is hoping energy giants will resume work on gas projects in the region, where the largest deposits south of the Sahara were found in 2010.

TotalEnergies halted a $20 billion project last year, after a deadly raid on the coastal town of Palma.

The French oil giant's base is a heavily protected enclave built on the sandy coast of the Afungi peninsula.

Its powerful neon lights shine through the night, creating a halo that can be seen for miles.

The government is hoping energy giants will resume work on gas projects in the region. By Camille LAFFONT (AFP)

Some excavators are still at work near the shore, where building barges lie waiting to be shipped offshore where the gas extraction is to take place.

Inside the compound, the large dormitories and a high-end gym stand empty.

Mozambican and Rwandan soldiers guarding the facilities, as well as the few employees who remain on site, are instructed not to give interviews.

Rumours at the camp hold that operations could soon resume.

But last month TotalEnergies said that would not happen until "security and safety conditions have been permanently restored in the region".

The jihadists' leaders are yet to be apprehended and the group's inner working remain a mystery.

"We do not understand how they work and how they manage to entice the population, there is a lack of intelligence," said Mirko Manzoni, the UN's special envoy to Mozambique.

Mozambican forces mistrusted

Mozambique's security forces are ill-trained and equipped compared to their Rwandan colleagues -- and they are little trusted by locals.

Outside some villages, makeshift checkpoints made of wooden poles are guarded with old rifles. Some soldiers wait for passing vehicles sitting under the vegetation.

Mozambique's security forces are ill-trained and equipped compared to their Rwandan colleagues. By Camille LAFFONT (AFP)

"Who are they going to arrest with this? It's only to tax local people," said one Rwandan officer on condition of anonymity.

Mozambican forces are responsible for about 20 percent of the incidents reported in the area, according to ACLED.

As AFP visited the village of Mute, residents gathered to discuss the funeral of an old man beaten to death by a soldier.

The European Union is training Mozambican troops and Rwanda has also pledged assistance to smoothen a future handover to local forces.

But asked when that might happen, general Rwivanga is evasive.

"I don't think I can give a timeline, it's a long process," he said.
The conflict in Ukraine was central to six out of ten winning reports at the Bayeux Calvados Normandy Awards for war correspondents this weekend. The civilian revolution in Sudan, and the plight of women in Afghanistan and Burkina Faso also drew the jury's praise.

"It is really important that this story is visible. It's heartbreaking, it's our life, our people. It's important that journalists give them a voice". The words of Evgeniy Maloletka were practically drowned out by the applause of a standing ovation.

The young Ukrainian photographer's work during the siege of Mariupol earned him the Nikon Photo trophy at the Bayeux Calvados Normandy Awards for war correspondents. His work was chosen by an international jury presided over by Thomas Dworzak.

Maloletka's photograph of an injured pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher by Ukrainian emergency workers after the bombing of a maternity hospital in early March was seen across the globe. Neither the woman nor her baby survived.

Maloletka's work is inseparable from that of his colleague, friend and fellow Ukrainian, Mstyslav Chernov, who won the Bayeux Video Image trophy, (awarded by Arte, France Televisions and France 24), as well as second prize in the television short format category (Amnesty International) for his work in Mariupol.

They were the only two journalists to witness and document the tragedy unfolding at the beginning of the attack on the southern city. Their images and videos for Associated Press dispelled any doubt about the scale of the carnage brought about by Russian bombing.

"The story of war is complex. It's not over. Hopefully our work will change something and help bring about an end to this war," Chernov solemnly told the audience. Their work is on display to the public at the Chapel of the Bayeux Tapestry until the end of October.

African continent not forgotten

African conflicts were not forgotten among the prize winning topics this year, with reports from Sudan and Burkina Faso drawing the Jury's attention.

British correspondent Philip Cox's documentary "The Spider-man of Sudan" for The Guardian won the Grand Format Television Trophy, sponsored by the International Crisis Group.

After seeing the colourful, acrobatic antics of the revolutionary on social media in 2021, Cox decided to investigate.

The result is a surprising and moving report which prompts smiles and a few giggles, without taking away from the seriousness of the subject matter.

Spider-man lifts spirits

Based in Sudan since 2004, Cox has had time to establish solid relationships with the Sudanese. This sense of ease comes across in the documentary in which he follows 'Spidey' on his motorbike to demonstrations and revolutionary council meetings, dressed in his signature red and blue outfit.

Spidey takes selfies with the crowds, hugs children, but in his quieter moments, he mourns the death of a close friend at the frontlines of the civilian uprising. He was killed when soldiers fired on crowds gathered in Khartoum.

Sudan has been in the grip of a political and social crisis since street protests in 2019 brought about the ouster of longtime leader Omar al Bashir. Then, in October 2021, a coup overturned the civilian transitional administration, again provoking protests.

"The real story is about the young scientist, working with children, teaching them confidence. It's a positive story," Cox explained to the audience who came to the French premiere in Bayeux on Sunday morning.

"Anyone who resists oppression is a hero," Spidey says in the film, shrugging off the notion of being singled out. It's just his way of joining the fight. Why a spider? He refers to a story he heard about the Prophet Mohammed who was once saved by a spider.

"I hope one day a spider will save me," he says.

Also focusing on the uprising in Sudan, Franco-Syrian journalist Abdulmonam Eassa won the Young Reporter trophy for photography, (awarded by Credit Agricole Normandie) for his report "La rage pacifique ne meurt pas" (Peaceful Rage will never die).

Youth are at the heart of the revolution, and Eassa's eye allows us to travel through the crowds, picking up on the anger and the energy as well as the violence and destruction.

Displaced women suffer in silence

The First prize in the written press category (awarded by the Department of Calvados) went to Burkina Faso journalist Mariam Ouedraogo for her report "La route de l'enfer des femmes deplacees internes" ("The hellish road for internally displaced women") for Editions Sidwaya.

Joining the prize ceremony by video call from Ouagadougou, the young woman had trouble hiding her emotion. She expressed gratitude for the exposure the award will draw to the conflict.

Ouedraogo's report zeroes in on the women who have been forced to flee their homes because of jihadist attacks, but then find themselves attacked by other militia groups.

The six major exhibitions from the Bayeux Calvados Normandy Award for war correspondents are open to the public until 30 October.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed that Kpembe Nursing Training College in Salaga in the East Gonja District has been given the approval by the Ministry of Health to run BSc in Nursing and BSc in Public Health programmes, and pending ratification by the Ghana Tertiary Education Council, the courses should start to run next year.

Dr Bawumia revealed this when he called on the Kpembe Wura and his elders over the weekend as part of his continued working tour of the Northern regions.

In the Savannah Region, he called on Chiefs and people of communities such as Kpashei, Kpalbi and Salaga respectively.

He commissioned and also inspected on-going Government projects in these communities, including the Agenda 111 District Hospital at Kpalbi in the North East Gonja District, the Fufulso-Bunjai road, water projects, and other infrastructure projects for the people.

Finally, he commissioned a market complex in Salaga, and assured the people that under the Government of President Akufo-Addo and the NPP, the newly-created Savannah Region will continue to see accelerated and unprecedented development.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Former President, John Dramani Mahama is urging the country's various agencies to provide services in the best interests of all Ghanaians.

He said the Judiciary, Police Service, Electoral Commission, and the Media exist to serve the people.

In a social media post, the former President admonished the judiciary to be impartial and conduct thorough investigations on issues to provide good and impartial judgement.

The 2020 NDC Presidential candidate urged police to protect Ghanaians rather than inflict anguish on them.

A judiciary owes it a duty to deliver impartial justice to the people; an Ombudsman owes a duty of care to the people to investigate all issues of malfeasance; a police force should exist to serve the people and not rein terror on them, portion of his post reads.

The former President also admonished the Electoral Commission not to do the bidding of the current government to disenfranchise citizens.

He urged the EC to be fair and give every citizen the right to vote and be voted for in an election.

Mr. Mahama told the media, which is considered the fourth estate of the land, to be fair and keep the government on its toes.

An electoral commission owes a sacred duty of care to the people by ensuring they are included in the electoral process & not excluded in the interest of the incumbent admin; an independent media owes it to the people to not only report facts without bias, but to hold the govt of the day accountable, Mr. Mahamas post concluded.
For the African continent to develop and solve every systemic issue, the 2020 presidential candidate of the main opposition party, NDC, John Dramani Mahama has suggested effective ways to achieve that goal.

He proposed that the African continent make absolute accountability to the people a habit at all levels.

In a social media post seen by Modernghana News, the former President stated that doing so will restore confidence while resolving issues confronting systems in various African environments.

Absolute accountability, not just by government but by the institutions of state in service to the people and not themselves, will go a long way to remedy many of the systemic problems that affect our African people, he wrote.

In furtherance, Mr. Mahama stated that Africa must adopt ethical and moral values and make them guiding principles.

He noted that it must be committed to actuality without any consideration and bias.

In Africa, we need ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles, and a stoic fidelity to the truth and to do right by our people above all other considerations, his post concluded.
Former Ghana President, John Dramani Mahama has stressed that it is important for state institutions to serve the people and also avail themselves to be accountable.

According to him, this is a sure way to address the systematic problems of Ghana and other African countries as well.

Absolute accountability, not just by government but by the institutions of state in service to the people and not themselves, will go a long way to remedy many of the systemic problems that affect our African people, John Dramani Mahama has posted on his Twitter page

According to the 2020 candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), African countries need to adopt moral uprightness as a guiding principle to inspire lacking development and progress.

The former President proposes that In Africa, we need ethical and moral uprightness as guiding principles, and a stoic fidelity to the truth and to do right by our people above all other considerations.

For several decades, Ghana and many other countries on the continent have lacked behind, leaving the people to suffer dire economic hardships.

Although various efforts have been pursued by different governments in Ghana, hardship persists.

Systematic failure which continues to let the country down is not just in Ghana but is seen in almost every other African country.
The Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU of TUC (Gh) have announced that they will embark on strike this week.

In an official release, TEWU stresses that it shares the pain of labour unions in the Public Universities in the country over the blatant unilateral variation of agreed conditions of service in the face of hostile economic conditions

According to the leadership of TEWU, its members will join all five labour unions in public universities to go on strike on Thursday, August 13.

Leadership of the Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU of TUC (Gh) support and would actively participate in the intended strike action declared by labour unions in the Public Universities in Ghana with effect from Thursday, 13th October 2022, a TEWU statement has said.

The statement adds, We hope that the employer and all Stakeholders of Tertiary Education in Ghana will ensure a reversal of the directive that seeks to negatively compromise the Conditions of Service of Public University Workers in Ghana.

Meanwhile, TEWU is entreating members in Public Universities to be calm and look up to leadership for further directives in these trying moments.

The unions being joined by TEWU for the striker action include the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Tertiary Education Workers Union (TEWU), Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), and the Ghana Association of University Administration (GAUA).

Below is a copy of the TEWU statement:
Business Engage, a non-profit organization has organized the first-ever Gender Mainstreaming Awards (GMAs) ceremony to celebrate and reward persons actively accelerating equality in their place of work.

The event which was held at the Holiday Inn in Accra highlighted the impact of gender mainstreaming in Africa.

The country representative, Dr. Rejoice Wodomdedzi Foli, who is an astute Senior Project Manager at Absa Bank and CEO of G-Wealth Consult, welcomed and thanked everyone for making it to the event.

In her opening remarks, she stated that GMAs initiatives enable it identify organizations and leaders who actively work towards making Africa the gender hub from which they can export stories of success and impact.

"We celebrate gender mainstreaming champions from East, West and Southern African organisations and individuals recognised by the judges as being at the forefront of advancing the business case for gender mainstreaming," she adds.

Dr. Rejoice Wodomdedzi Foli further shared that, "Business Engage aims to do this by inspiring change via the multitude of stories we accumulate year on year."

According to her, they are also doing this to encourage private sector players to buy into achieving more meaningful representation of women in the mainstream of business.

The awards are part of a much bigger initiative in gender mainstreaming being driven across Africa, one that encourages men to also be part of the movement, she emphasized.

She disclosed that this year, they had a 60% increase in the number of entries, incorporating some wonderful stories. She added that the growth of companies and the sustainability of programmes during this period is evident in the companies that will be awarded champions, category winners and finalists.

Chief Executive Officer of Business Engage, Colleen Larsen, also present at the ceremony stated that their organization intends to celebrate gender mainstreaming champions across the African continent with the main aim of getting it entrenched as a working ethic within the labour force.

Touching on Accenture in Africa, she underscored that, "They believe that issues of gender mainstreaming organizations must move beyond simply talking about it and create a workplace environment that genuinely supports the advancement of women and promotes equality."

In wrapping up the event, Dr. Wodomdedzi Foli Rejoice added that the individual categories, especially the Positive Role Model Award, have proven to have been a huge success. Therefore, they added a category to reward female leaders in their various sectors.

I thank our sponsor, Accenture, Silver sponsor JSE, and Assupol, East Africa Breweries Ltd., Imperial, RMB and TigerBrands. They have played a big part in making this possible. I also profusely thank the judges because I believe that an awards ceremony cannot be possible without the judges giving off their time and wisdom," she stated.

She adds, "We appreciate EABL, the 2021 East Africa Gender Mainstreaming Champion; TigerBrands, the 2021 Southern Africa Gender Mainstreaming Champion; and EY, the 2021 Africa Gender Mainstreaming Champion and also sincerely thank Lexis Bills for agreeing to be our MC for the occasion.

"Congratulations to you all for what you have achieved and thank you for being amazing ambassadors for the initiative during the 2022 year. We look forward to having you involved as we expand even further and to see what else you accomplish."
A problem that exists in numerous locations around Ghana, is the money-doubling scam that one Patricia Asiedua, also known as Agradaa, has committed against church members. However, it is a problem that Ghana cannot control because many of those involved in such shady financial schemes are close friends with the country's most powerful politicians and also take advantage of the ineffective court system.

People in this world are extremely ungrateful when it comes to money, and only a select handfuls have the compassion to assist someone financially. Therefore, you need to act quickly to avoid being taken advantage of when someone promises to offer you enough money through money-doubling but even though many Ghanaians claim to be devout Christians, they are unable to distinguish between the voice of God and the con artist.

Despite being linked to numerous money fraud schemes, Patricia Asiedua has never faced charges or legal action for her crimes. Therefore, we must determine why a criminal is committing crimes while eluding capture. No one should hold the victims of Agradaa's money-doubling frauds accountable since many Ghanaians lack psychological stability.



There is no mention of Jesus doubling money anywhere in the Bible, even though he performed numerous other miracles like feeding the five thousand and giving sight to the blind. Therefore, genuine Christians need to awaken. Photo credit: Rev. June Wilkins

Many individuals take advantage of the chance to conduct financial crimes without consequence while being protected by potent Ghanaian politicians. Crime increases in any nation with a weak legal system. We live in a country where corrupt politicians never serve time in prison and are kept in office to serve the country, making it possible for con artists like Agradaa to defraud Ghanaians without consequence.

Although crime is unavoidable, it can be controlled. However, when the judicial system fails to function properly, everything goes awry. Many people never expected to see Ghana in its current fragile and violent situation. When all of the appointed judges, including the top justice, have ties to corruption, how can the law function? More significantly, the police chief, George Dampare, has also been implicated in a murder case.

It is difficult to comprehend why people with little money, despite the lack of employment, wouldn't find something better to do with it than to believe in doubling money by a con pastor. The fact that this woman is using God's name to deceive her followers and tarnishing the reputation of the devout pastors in Ghana is what disturbs me the most.

Everyone educated or not should be aware that money-doubling is a swindle. Jesus did many miracles, including turning water into wine and feeding 5,000 people, yet nowhere in the Bible is it mentioned that He also doubled the money. This event demonstrates that some people who identify as Christians are not; if they were, they would be aware of what the Bible says.

Investigations into financial crimes in Ghana are fruitless because they are invariably connected to the nation's political gurus. For example, Nana Appiah Mensah, also known as NAM 1, the Chief Executive Officer of Menzgold Ghana Limited, caused financial losses to numerous Ghanaians, some of whom were unable to manage it and committed suicide; nonetheless, the guy is still free in Ghana.

Before Agradaa was detained, police issued a caution, requesting that no one should attack her while they look into the report of a money-doubling scam. "Later, the police told the victims that "Anyone who is a victim of the suspected money doubling fraud should report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further action to assist the investigation," however; this investigation will not reach anywhere, everyone knows that.

We all know that top offenders in Ghana or those who are shielded by politicians never serve time in prison, thus this lawsuit will never progress. Similar to how Agradaa quickly gained attention, her situation will be forgotten about without any resolution. If Dampare, who has been implicated in a murder case, is unable to defend himself, then obviously, he can't prosecute Agradaa.

One day, I hope that a wise Ghanaian leader will come and revamp the system in Ghana, getting rid of all the criminals and dishonest politicians, judges, journalists, and police, who are ruining our country in the name of tribalism.



Patricia Aisedua's soul is so severely defiled and ruined, she can't repent. She has to be charged with a crime and imprisoned to serve as a warning to others, but that won't happen in Ghana, so she'll carry out the same money-doubling fraud again tomorrow with no repercussions.
10.10.2022 LISTEN

Evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa has reacted to allegations of fraud.

She denies defrauding or swindling her church members.

Explaining herself in a video, she said, she actually invited church members for service last Friday and gave out money to help them with their various businesses.

She said she also invited anyone who was interested in being helped, to come to church on Friday (October 7, 2022), convert to Christianity and become a church member.

As usual of a church, she said there was also fundraising through offertory last Friday.

And so if new members, who were attending church for the first time and wrote their names, offered money to support the church and did not receive anything in return from her, they should count that as new members, their opportune time will surely come and therefore should not attribute that to fraud.

She disagreed with the allegation that the GH1000, GH800, GH700, and coins offertory by members who attended the church service and willingly donated, should be interpreted as fraud. Police arrest

The police on Sunday arrested Nana Agradaa, the Founder of the Heaven Way Church at Weija in Accra, over an alleged money doubling scam charge levelled against her by some church members.

That followed viral social media reports showing members of the church, both new and old, who had thronged the church premises to demand their money.

In a statement issued on October 9, 2022, the police said the suspect was assisting the police in investigations into the matter.

The police have, therefore, urged victims of the alleged money-doubling scam to report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further investigations.

A viral video last Saturday showed aggrieved members of the church alleging that their leader, a one-time traditional priestess, had swindled them.

According to them, Nana Agradaa, also known as Mama Pat, had promised to double their money through her special spiritual purifications.

Consequently, the church members said, they gave her various sums of money, only to find out that the promise was a hoax.

First arrest

This is not the first time Nana Agradaa has been in the grip of the police over an alleged scam.

She was arrested in April 2021 after a joint team from the police and the National Security, in collaboration with the National Communications Authority (NCA), had raided the premises of her two TV stations at Kasoa in the Central Region.

Nana Agradaa was said to have admitted to the illegality and was placed in police custody initially to assist with further investigations.

The team also seized equipment used in the transmission of television signals from both stations.

Nana Agradaa denounces her sika gari deity

Her arrest was part of an operation that led to the closure of 49 television stations in the country on a single day.

However, Nana Agradaa was subsequently sentenced by an Accra Circuit Court to a fine of GH36,000 for operating a television channel without licence and displaying charlatanic materials.

Source: graphic.com.gh
In the wake of Monday's intense Russian bombardment of targets across Ukraine, French leader Emmanuel Macron has told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky of his extreme concern. Macron has promised increased military aid.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his "extreme concern" about Russian missile strikes on Ukraine on Monday during a call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Macon promised that France will increase military aid.

"The president spoke of his extreme concern about strikes that have caused civilian victims," Macron's office said in a statement. "He reaffirmed his full and complete support for President Zelensky and the commitment of France to increase its support for Ukraine, in line with the needs expressed by Kyiv, including in terms of military equipment."

The Kremlin has refused comment on the massive missile barrage on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

Widespread power cuts

Power outages were reported in several regions across Ukraine following multiple Russian strikes on Monday morning that targeted energy infrastructure, regional officials said.

In the east, electricity cuts hit Ukraine's second city Kharkiv and its surrounding region.

G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky will hold emergency talks on Tuesday to discuss the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine, according to sources in Berlin.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has assured Zelensky "of the solidarity of Germany and the other G7 states".

Crimea bridge badly damaged

Kyiv was heavily bombed early Monday, a day after Moscow blamed Ukraine for an attack which seriously damaged the bridge linking Crimea to Russia. The western city of Lviv has also been targeted. There are reports of dead and injured across Ukraine.

The Russian strikes hit several city-centre targets before dawn. These were the first attacks on the Ukrainian capital since June.

There have been "several explosions in the Shevchenkivskyi district -- in the centre of the capital," Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on social media.

Internet videos show black smoke rising above many areas in the city.

Ambulances have been heard heading towards the bombed parts of Kyiv, but there has been no information on the number of casualties.

Strikes have also hit Lviv in western Ukraine. President Zelensky says there are "dead and wounded across Ukraine".

Putin blames Ukraine for bridge attack

The explosion on the bridge linking Crimea to Russia left three people dead.

"The authors, perpetrators and sponsors are the Ukrainian secret services," Russian President Vladimir Putin said of Saturday's Crimea bridge bombing, which he described as a "terrorist act".

The lorry believed to have triggered the explosion was registered in Russia.

Putin is to meet his Security Council later Monday.

The bridge blast sparked celebrations from Ukrainians and others on social media.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his nightly address on Saturday, did not directly mention the incident, and officials in Kyiv have made no direct claim of responsibility.

On Saturday, Russia said some road and rail traffic had resumed over the strategic link, a symbol of the Kremlin's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

The 19-kilometre bridge is a vital supply link between Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Moldova concerned by missile paths

Moldova said on Monday that Russian cruise missiles targeting Ukraine had crossed its airspace, and summoned Moscow's envoy to demand an explanation.

"Three cruise missiles launched on Ukraine this morning from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova's airspace," Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said on Twitter.

"I have instructed that Russia's ambassador be summoned to provide an explanation."

Moldova is a former part of the Soviet Union with a pro-Western government.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have flooded into the country since Russia sent troops into Ukraine.

Moldova was granted candidate status by the European Union in a show of support in the face of Russia's offensive.

Moldova has a small breakaway region, Transnistria, which is armed and supported by Russia.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has said it has commenced an investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of illegal mining (Galamsey).

A statement issued by the OSP on Monday October 10 said the investigations targets some officials of the Ministry of Lands and natural Resources and the Forestry Commission.

It also targets the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of seizure and management of excavators, machinery, road vehicles and gold nuggets.

The investigations include the active and ongoing inquiry into allegations of use of public office for profits against Charles Bissue during his tenure as Secretary to the IMCIM arising from an investigative documentary titled Galamsey Fraud Part 1, published by Tiger Eye PI.

The investigations further target activities of the Akonta Mining Limited and other companies nationals of foreign countries allegedly involved in illegal mining and allegations of corruption and corruption related offence against Municipal and District Chief Executives political party officials.

This comes just few days after Charles Bissue descended heavily on Anas Aremeyaw Anas for recently revisiting his issue on galamsey.

Charles Bissue, a former Western Region Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), had been mentioned by the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a candidate of imprisonment over his involvement in small-scale illegal mining as captured in the work of Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

The former Presidential Staffer then replied Sammy Gyamfi, accusing him and the NDC of misleading Ghanaians.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Lagging vaccination timetables in poor countries mars positive short-term outlook for global trade - Okonjo-Iweala

But Anas's Tiger Eye PI then revisited the issue.

It was this that goaded Mr Bissue to issue a statement dated Friday, October 7, 2022.

He sought to clarify the content of the 2018 investigative documentary.

I did not demand any money from the applicant with promise of fast tracking or facilitating the process, he refuted Anas's allegations, describing his work as corrupted.

The money in question was a donation from Bernard Antwi Boasiako [alias Chairman Wontumi] for a party activity. I did not grant the company any rights to resume mining when at the time, the ban was in force as published by Tiger Eye P.I.

He added: For the record, I don't consider your work as an entrapment. In fact, it is hollow and a failed attempt to smear my reputation with lies, just as you've done to your victims in the past.

I dare say, and I repeat that you are a liar, and should Ghanaians entertain your deceitful antics, this fight will never yield any results.

3news.com
I HAD the occasion to discuss the exploits of a pimp who once ensured that prostitution was the order of the day in this country. I'm compelled to revisit the issue because the unrepentant pimp continues to make very ridiculous claims.

To refresh your memory, a pimp is a man who controls prostitutes and arranges clients for them, taking a percentage of their earnings in return.

This country once witnessed the exploits of one of the greatest pimps to ever set foot on its shores. He was proud of the nefarious acts of his damsels and did not hide his admiration for their whorish exploits. He also left no stone unturned in his determination to protect his wayward girls. All that mattered to him were the cowries the ladies brought. He epitomised the traits of those Dr. Jerry Boom once described as 'greedy bastards'.

After working as assistant pimp for over two-years and subsequently as chief pimp for 4-years, his cup became full. He was arrested by the security authorities and incarcerated for 4-years. How we all jubilated over his incarceration!

Less than two-years into his incarceration, the chief pimp publicly announced that he would rid the country of prostitution after serving his sentence. After serving his time, he was incarcerated for another four-year term. Ironically, he is still claiming to be the only one to rid the country of prostitution.

We would have believed his cock and bull story if he had confessed his crimes and asked for forgiveness. But we can't believe him when he still maintains his damsels did no wrong in selling their bodies in return for cowries.

So, you see, his desire cannot be genuine since he still believes in the pimping business. Obviously, his proclamation is nothing but an attempt to hoodwink his compatriots into sympathising with him.

The Chief Pimp, President Ogwanfunu, was a president who institutionalised, created, looted and shared in this country. Not only did he look the other way when his appointees dabbled in corrupt practices, but was also caught 'in flagrante delicto' (red-handed) engaging in corrupt acts.

In case you've forgotten, he was the only sitting vice-president in this country to have had a committee set up by his own boss to investigate him for corruption. The committee, set up to investigate the shady Embraer jet deal, is what I refer to.

Again, President Ogwanfunu is the only president in the whole world to have been implicated in numerous court-certified scams. After a long wait, he finally admitted, albeit subtly, that he was 'Government Official 1' as mentioned in the stinking Airbus scandal. The same man was also mentioned for his role in the messy Goldman Sachs deal. How corrupt can a man be!

Was he also not the one who received a $100,000 Ford from Djibril Kanazoe, the Burkinabe contractor? Call it what you wish, but we all know the so-called gift was a 'thank you' from the Burkinabe contractor for the Ghana Embassy contract in his homeland.

It is, therefore, funny to hear such a man accuse others of engaging in 'sakawa'  a Ghanaian term for 'scams'. Yes, 'sakawa' was his favourite term before the 2020 polls. It was indeed very rich coming from a man fully drenched in corruption.

I'm sure Abusuapanin remembers the six so-called mobile clinics procured by President Ogwanfunu at a unit cost of $80,000 but became white elephants because these weren't fit for purpose. The trucks are currently overgrown with weeds in a junk yard somewhere around Korle-Gonno.

Was President Ogwanfunu not the one who presided over the stealing of more than $12 million of our taxes on salvaged 207 buses, fitted with kitchen cabinets, as ambulances? It's refreshing to know that a certain Forson, and two others, had been dragged to the courts to answer for their respective roles in the unadulterated thievery.

Sometimes I wonder if President Ogwanfunu has the word 'shame' in his lexicon. If he had, he would be the last person in this country to accuse others of 'sakawa' or corruption.

But I do understand him. He still deludes himself that his compatriots have short memories. So, he erroneously thinks we have forgotten about the numerous create, loot and share schemes under his watch.

Of course, some do have very short memories. But those of us with long memories will not shirk our responsibility of reminding our compatriots of the ills of the Ogwanfunu government, in order not to repeat the mistake it made in the 2008 polls.

President Ogwanfunu epitomises the proverbial thief who, being chased by a mob, also starts shouting thief, thief to deflect attention from himself. But his scream will not do the trick because he has already soiled himself after eating bad food. Even those who have difficulties perceiving smell could tell that his stool has an unusually strong, fetid smell.

See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!
Illegal mining or galamsey has never attracted such attention from a cross section of Ghanaians. While the national conversation the subject has triggered is good, we shudder to state, however, that the discussions have been contaminated with excessive partisanship.

This is not time to apportion blames or award marks for who has done better at managing what by all standards is now a national menace threatening to eat at the fabric of the nation ecologically and spiritually.

We are beginning to learn about how the Atlantic Ocean bordering and a major source of food is also taking its share of the contamination of the water bodies hosting the illegal mining activities. With the rivers finding their way to the ocean, they carry along the poisonous chemicals used by the illegal miners.

Of course, marine life are going to perish as a result of the poisonous chemicals they ingest. Cyanide and other chemicals the illegal miners use recklessly without thoughts about its repercussions are going to have dismal effect on fishing, the livelihood of many and the source of protein for all of us.

The menace confronting us goes beyond the political gossips, name calling and lies we often engage in. Illegal mining is about the life of the nation and so we must gird our loins and fight it head-on.

When matters of this magnitude crop up, it is for us to drop partisanship and consider ourselves as one people, which we are anyway and confront it.

The President has warned his appointees especially the MMDCEs whose areas are illegal mining hotspots that, he would not protect them when they are caught.

We have reached a stage where the President cannot do anything about any reckless appointees who is seen doing galamsey. Such people would soon be stripped naked and exposed to public opprobrium.

With climate change taking its toll across the world, the recent Weija Dam incident occasioned by an unusual collection of water from up-country, we do not have the capacity to contain a heightened illegal mining activity. That will be too much for us to bear.

Even more worrying is the fact that areas which were hitherto outside the scope of the illegal miners are now hosting them; some parts of the Northern regions are now illegal mining spots. As for rivers, every such water body is considered an El Dorado and therefore fit for muddying poisoning.

We have also learnt about babies born with bizarre deformities in areas in the proximity of illegal mining activities.

The picture of a scramble for gold with some of actors originating from neigbouring countries and continents is a worrying trend.

An unusual trend begets an unusual approach to address.

As we pointed out in an earlier commentary, all the templates used so far have failed to address the menace. We cannot continue to apply the unworkable templates to tackle such a national challenge with far-reaching repercussions and steeped in technology-driven sophistication.

Our country is under threat. We repeat: declare war on illegal mining. We are referring to battle order operations with orders to shoot to maim those who show any form of resistance.
The World Bank has assured that it will always be available to play its part in supporting Ghana.

However, it has stressed that addressing the economic challenges of the country requires that government works together with Ghanaians to come up with needed solutions.

Speaking at the re-launch of the World Bank/ IMF Parliamentary Network, World Bank Country Director Pierre Laporte indicated that his outfit can only do a small part to help.

Today, we bring approximately $500 million annually in support of various sectors including roads, energy, water, health, education and skills, governance, name it.to assist to improve the business environment. But in the end, we are only part of the solution.

The solution really lies with Ghana, Ghana, and its people. We will be there with whatever we can do to support the new thinking to contribute to the development and to provide financing, Pierre Laporte emphasised.

He added, High fiscal deficit and increasing public debt have elevated Ghanas country risks, limited foreign direct investments in non-commodity sectors, and increased the cost of finance for many private businesses. But despite these challenges, I am convinced that Ghana can sustain its lower middle-income country status to become a fully-fledged middle-income country. The World Bank Group will continue to support that process. I believe the World Bank has played a significant and positive role in Ghana.

Over the years, the World Bank has been a major supporter of the Ghana government.

Recently during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Bank supported the government financially to fight the pandemic.

It has stressed its willingness to assist government to come out of its current economic crisis.

In the midst of the crisis, the government is already in advanced talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a support programme.
President Akufo-Addo , has charged Member States of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to ensure that education remains a priority in the common development agenda of countries.

As the recently appointed Domestic Financing champion of the Global Partnership for Education , President Akufo-Addo sought the co-operation and support of UNESCO to work towards developing sustainable homegrown financial solutions, so we can develop the educational system for the future we want in our various countries.

Addressing the 215th Meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO, on Monday, 10th October 2021, in Paris, France, the President noted that the world does not have the luxury to pick and choose which crises it wants to fix.

At this moment, we cannot pick and choose between funding guns and education. We cannot pick and choose between the interests of the present generation and the future of our girls and boys. We cannot choose geopolitical concerns over preserving our cherished cultural heritages, lest we perish universally, he said.

Due to global instability, however, President Akufo-Addo noted that, education has become one of many competing priorities of domestic budgets, with development aid to the education sector also seriously under pressure.

Indeed, countries reduced their spending on education after the onset of the COVID-19, and, at the same time, direct aid to education by bilateral donors fell by some three hundred and fifty-nine million dollars ($359 million), which is not compatible with the objectives of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for financing sustainable development and the goals of the SDGs, he said.

The President continued, We are further informed that prospects for reaching funding target, through voluntary contributions, are uncertain as several long-term donors have already reduced significantly their voluntary contributions to UNESCO due to a change in development cooperation priorities, thereby significantly impacting our planned programme implementation.

In spite of these challenges, President Akufo-Addo commended UNESCO for the lead role it played in ensuring the success of the Transforming Education Summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September this year.

Necessitated by the seminal Futures of Education report from UNESCO, the President indicated that the Transforming Education Summit, and, indeed, the pre-summit held here in Paris, have been extremely successful in getting the world to reflect deeply on the trajectory of educational systems, and how to addresses the challenges of our time.

Touching on Global Priority Africa Programme, which has been adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 41st Session, President Akufo-Addo was delighted that UNESCO has made Africa a Global Priority, and was delighted to see UNESCO's flagship programmes as being relevant to achieving the objectives of the Africa Union's Agenda 2063, i.e. The Africa We Want.

He also urged UNESCO's Executive Board to help win the fight against Climate Change, especially as the planet is heading towards a dangerous tipping point as a result of climate change.

In furtherance of this, he commended UNESCO for the effort to strengthen the Man and Biosphere Programme, whose goal is to help protect nature and biodiversity loss globally, through the Biosphere Reserve Concept.

I urge UNESCO Member States to strengthen measures, at their respective national levels, that recognise formally the contribution of Biosphere Reserves, and designate more biosphere reserves and geoparks as a sure way for solving the climate crisis, he added.

In concluding, the President informed the Executive Board of the news that Accra has been named as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2023, making Accra part of the prestigious World Book Capital Cities Network.

This, he stated, is an acknowledgement of the giant strides Ghana and Africa are making in developing Ghana's book and creative arts industry.

The year-long programme to celebrate this honor done us by UNESCO will commence from 23rd April 2023, which is celebrated globally as the World Book and Copyright Day. I wish to use this opportunity to invite you all to join Ghana in this year-long celebrations, the President added.

 3news.com
Managing Director of Ghana Re, Mr. George Mensah

10.10.2022 LISTEN

Enterprise Insurance has won the Ghana Reinsurace companys 13th  Cedants of the year, award held at Kempinski hotel last Friday in Accra.

The Cedants awards night was established to show appreciation to the local insurance companies for their diligent efforts, loyalty and support for Ghana Re and the industry as a whole.

The 13th Cedants awards night rewarded clients who have contributed to the financial growth of the company in the 2021 financial year.

This years event climaxed the Ghana Reinsurance Companys 50th anniversary celebration which was under the theme:  Celebrating 50 years of Ghana Re as your reinsurer of choice.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Ghana Re, Mr. George Mensah, said the company has remained profitable even in its difficult periods and has consistently paid its dividend to its shareholders over the years.

 Ghana Re for all these years has remained profitable and contributed to the socio-economic growth of our country by consistently paying dividend to its shareholders over the years. What makes our story even more interesting is that during our turbulent periods, Ghana Re stayed profitable he said.

 Ironically, in 2021 when some companies are financially challenged as a result of COVID-19, Ghana Re paid a dividend of Ghc 12 million to the government of Ghana he added.

According to Mr. Mensah, Ghana Re for the past 50 years have contributed immensely to the growth and development of the expertise in the re/insurance and related fields through the provision of capacity building programmes and seminars for professionals in the industry both in Ghana and across Africa thereby making the company a store house of professionals who serve resource person for training institutions both local and international.

Mr. Mensah, on the occasion thanked past and present workers of the company for contributing to the success story and has assured of greater success in the next 50 years.

The Director General of the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) and chairman of the event, Mr. George Boateng commended Ghana Re for consistently contributing immensely to the socio-economic development and growth of the country by paying its dividend.

Mr. Boateng noted that Ghana Re success story over the past 50 years is a testimony of vision, dedication, commitment to excellence by past and present leaders and staff.

He indicated that Ghana Res mandate remains as relevant as ever and has reiterated SIGAs commitment to ensure the continuous growth of the company.

Ghana Union Assurance Company, Horlard Insurance, Prudential Life Insurance, are other winners on the night.
Chad junta chief Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Monday said a "government of national union" would be created in the coming days to steer the course toward elections, following a forum on the country's future.

The government "will put its heart and soul into ensuring that the will of the Chadian people is fully upheld," said Deby at ceremonies where he was appointed "transitional president" after the forum which ended on Saturday.

Chad, one of the world's poorest countries, has endured repeated uprisings and unrest since gaining independence from France in 1960.

Deby, a 38-year-old five-star general, took the helm in April 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled with an iron fist for three decades, was killed during an operation against rebels.

Parliament was dissolved and the constitution suspended as Deby was proclaimed president.

He headed a junta of 15 generals that, he said, would rule for 18 months -- a period that without extension would have ended this month.

Deby then organised a "national inclusive dialogue" that he said would chart the country's return to civilian rule.

It wound up on Saturday after endorsing a further two-year period leading to elections during which Deby would become "transitional president" and be allowed to stand as a candidate in the future polls.

The conference opened on August 20 after repeated delays and was boycotted by the main political opposition movement and by two out of the three biggest armed rebel groups.

Deby on Monday said the government would be formed "in the next few days" and oversee what he called "the second phase of transition... (leading to) the strengthening of our democracy".

"Elections will be held, transparently and peacefully, to enable the men and women of Chad to put an end to the transition and ensure the return to constitutional order," he said.

VIPs who attended his inauguration included Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and ministers from Niger, the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.

France, the former colonial power and long-term ally of Deby's father, was represented by its ambassador, as was the European Union (EU).

Deby had initially pledged an 18-month transition period and said he would not run in the presidential elections that followed.

Bu in June 2021, he floated the possibility of extending the transition by a further 18 months "if the Chadians do not manage to reach an agreement" on the way forward.

He also said he would leave the question of his presidential candidacy to God.
10.10.2022 LISTEN

Ghana is set to host Power Energy Ghana Exhibition.

The event which is organised by BIG4SURE EVENTS FZCO is a complete international exhibition of the power sector shall be taking place from 14-16 Nov 2022 in Ghana, at the Accra International Conference Center.

The conference is under the auspices of Ministry of Energy with the support of Ministry of Trade and Industry including key stakeholder organizations and associations in the country.

The event will bring together the manufacturers, exporters, wholesalers, dealers and distributors of the power electrical energy equipments, gadgets and products, including transformers, wires, solar panels, battery invertors, generators, to everything in the electrical industry, in the West African region in Ghana, hosting close to 100 exhibitors in the expo from India, Turkey, Nigeria, Italy, UAE, UK, France, Ghana, other countries and 4000+ visitors from Ghana and West Africa.

Power and Energy is one of the most significant sectors supporting the growth and sustainability of the Ghanaian economy and industries and also contributing significantly towards the income of the country by the way of electricity exports.

The exhibition is expected to address the power and energy supplies demand and issues in the country so that robust power sector in the country can be built & developed, that goes hand in hand with the vision of the Government of Ghana to have a strong industrial support infrastructure for export and job creation.
Fetish priestess turned preacher, Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa has been arraigned before court today, October 10.

The Founder of Heaven Way Church at Weija was arrested by the Police on Sunday following allegations of a money-doubling scam by several members of her church.

The Police have arrested Patricia Asiedua alias Nana Agradaa following allegations of money doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public, parts of a police statement said on Sunday.

Today, the police arraigned Nana Agradaa before the Accra Circuit Court for her case to be heard.

In court, the self-styled pastor has been denied bail and remanded into police custody for three days.

She is to reappear in court on Thursday, October 13.

Meanwhile, the police are urging anyone who is a victim of the alleged money-doubling scam to report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further action to assist in the investigation.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Member States of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to prioritise education in the development agenda of countries.

President Akufo-Addo said the support of UNESCO towards developing sustainable homegrown financial solutions was imperative in developing the educational system for the future we want in our various countries.

Addressing the 215th Meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO, on Monday in Paris, President Akufo-Addo, who is the Domestic Financing champion of the Global Partnership for Education, said the world does not have the luxury to pick and choose which crises it wants to fix.

At this moment, we cannot pick and choose between funding guns and education. We cannot pick and choose between the interests of the present generation and the future of our girls and boys. We cannot choose geopolitical concerns over preserving our cherished cultural heritages, lest we perish universally, he said.

The President said due to global instability, education has become a major competing priority of domestic budgets, with development aid to the education sector seriously under pressure.

He said countries, immediately after the insurgent of the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced their spending on education while at the same time, direct aid to education by bilateral donors fell by some $359 million, a situation, incompatible with the objectives of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for financing sustainable development and the goals of the SDGs.

President Akufo-Addo disclosed that prospects for reaching the funding target, through voluntary contributions, were uncertain, as several long-term donors had reduced significantly their voluntary contributions to UNESCO due to changes in development cooperation priorities.

That, he indicated, had significantly impacted our planned programme implementation.

Despite these challenges, the President commended UNESCO for its lead role in ensuring the success of the Transforming Education Summit, which was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, this year.

The Transforming Education Summit, and the pre-summit held in Paris, according to President Akufo-Addo, had been extremely successful in getting the world to reflect deeply on the trajectory of educational systems, and how to address the challenges.

Speaking to the Global Priority Africa Programme, adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 41st Session, the President commended UNESCO for making Africa a Global Priority, and more importantly UNESCOs flagship programmes relevant to achieving the objectives of the Africa Unions Agenda 2063.

He also urged UNESCOs Executive Board to help win the fight against Climate Change, especially as the planet was heading towards a dangerous tipping point as a result of climate change.

President Akufo-Addo applauded UNESCO for the effort to strengthen the Man and Biosphere Programme, whose goal is to help protect nature and biodiversity loss globally, through the Biosphere Reserve Concept.

I urge the UNESCO Member States to strengthen measures, at their respective national levels, that recognise formally the contribution of Biosphere Reserves, and designate more biosphere reserves and geoparks as a sure way for solving the climate crisis, he added.

President Akufo-Addo announced that Accra has been named the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2023, making Accra part of the prestigious World Book Capital Cities Network.

That, the President indicated, was an acknowledgement of the giant strides Ghana and Africa are making to develop Ghanas book and creative arts industry.

The year-long programme to celebrate the honour done to Ghana by UNESCO, according to President Akufo-Addo, would commence on 23rd April 2023, a day celebrated globally as World Book and Copyright Day.

I wish to use this opportunity to invite you all to join Ghana in this year-long celebration, the President added.
The Oti Regional Minister, Joshua G. Makuba, has disclosed that the creation of the Oti Region has led to significant development for the people of the region.

The Minister stated that the government has completed several road projects, including the rehabilitation of the Nkonya Wurupong - Kwamekrom road (21km), the reconstruction of the Hohoe - Jasikan road (30km), the construction of the Jasikan - Dodo Pepeso road, and the Phase II upgrade of the Kete Krachi - Buya road (26.8km).

The Minister, who was addressing the media in Accra on Sunday, said road networks are a key element for the economic growth of every country.

It is essential to project a strategic and sustained expansion and adequate maintenance of these networks to guarantee quality connections between the different parts of a geographical territory. In addition, providing access to employment, social, health and education services makes a road network crucial in fighting against poverty. Roads open up more areas and stimulate economic and social development, he stated.

On governance and administration, he said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) has started the construction of its administration block at Dambai and Senior staff bungalows to accommodate its key staff.

In the education sector, Mr Makuba said the RCC has started several activities to improve education in the region. With the implementation of the free SHS flagship programme, enrolment figures have increased drastically from 15,285 in 2016 to 25,483 in 2022 representing 66.72 % change thereby bridging the accessibility gap at the SHS level.

Only 3 out of 29 SHS in the region are transition schools. (Bueman SHS, Kadjebi Asato SHS and St. Marys Seminary SHS, he added.

On economic development in the region, he stated that the RCC was implementing a lot of government flagship policies such as the One District, One Factory (1D1F), One District, One Warehouse (1D1W), Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Savanna Investment Program (SIP) and Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ).
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday left Ghana for Paris, France for a six-day working visit.

The President will on Monday, 10th October 2022, receive an Honorary Award of Doctor Honoris Causa from Sorbonne University in Paris. It will be the third Honorary Doctorate Degree to be conferred on him.

The first Honorary Doctor of Law Degree conferred on President Akufo-Addo was in May 2016, from the Fort Hare University of South Africa and the second, was in December 2017, an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Liberia.

Before the receipt of the Honorary Doctorate from Sorbonne University, President Akufo-Addo will address the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 215th Session.

Whilst in France, he will also address the Asia Society Forum on the theme, To Act in Troubled Times: new perspectives from France, Asia, Africa and the world, and commission the refurbished Chancery building of Ghana's Embassy in Paris.

President Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.

The President will return to Ghana on Friday, 14th October 2020.
The Oti Regional Minister, Mr Joshua G. Makuba, has disclosed that iron ore has been discovered in five districts of the region.

He indicated that the mineral was discovered in the Guan, Biakoye, Jasikan, Kadjebi, and Krachi East districts.

The Minister who was addressing the media in Accra on Sunday said the discovery would propel Ghana from its current state to a highly industrialized nation.

I want to advise people in Accra to start looking for land in the Oti Region because what is going to take Ghana from our current state to a very industrialized nation has been found in the Oti Region and that is the iron ore, he emphasized.

He noted that the Ghana Geological Survey Authority led the discovery of the iron ore deposits which is 55.22 weight per cent (fe) and of a higher grade.

The government is determined to provide value addition to its raw commodity and would ensure that the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development work closely with the GGSA and the communities to ensure that full value chain is retained in the region and the country, he added.

The Minister urged potential investors to come and make investments, pointing out that the region has untapped investment opportunities and potentials that can be explored.

The Oti Regional Coordinating Council will provide enabling environment for investors to maximize their investments in the Region, he added.
Jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza has won this year's Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize for what the Council of Europe called his bravery in standing up to Russia's leaders.

Kara-Murza, who holds both British and Russian citizenship, was imprisoned in April for denouncing the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.

The longtime critic of President Vladimir Putin has since been charged with high treason, which could see him detained for two decades.

Courage

"It takes incredible courage in today's Russia to stand against the power in place," said Tiny Kox, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

"Today, Kara-Murza is showing this courage, from his prison cell."

The prize was handed to Kara-Murza's wife, Yevgenia Kara-Muza, at a ceremony in Strasbourg, France, where the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly is based.

"The current Russian authorities  without intending to do so  have painted the portrait of a true patriot, Yevgeniya said as she received the award on his behalf.

Vladimir Putin's government sees such people as traitors.

Russia quit the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, in March.

(with wires)
The Founder of the United Front Party (UFP), Akwasi Addai Odike has implored President Akufo-Addo to stand on an Executive Instrument to ban all forms of surface mining in the country.

In an interview on Monday, October 10, the former presidential candidate urged the President to tour illegal mining (galamsey) sites and see for himself the level of destruction being done to forests and water bodies.

He is of the view that this way, it will strike the President to show more commitment to fighting the galamsey menace in the country,

I was expecting the president to take a fact-finding working day to go and ascertain the level of destruction at the galamsey sites. Then he will know how to deal with it, Akwasi Addai Odike told Joy News while adding, We must find lasting solutions to the problem.

The UFP leader continued, If I was president I will use the Executive Instrument to put a ban on illegal mining. At this point, we dont have the mechanism to regulate mining. Companies come for licenses in Accra and end up engaging in illegal mining because they just mine anyhow.

Commenting on President Akufo-Addos meeting with the National House of Chiefs last week, Akwasi Addai Odike said he was not impressed with the outcome.

According to him, the President should have met the Chiefs with solutions including how his government plans to reclaim lands and water bodies that have been destroyed by the activities of illegal miners,

Are you telling me the president went to Kumasi on a serious mission? No!... There should be a ban on all surface mining

Come with solutions to reclaim destroyed land and water bodies, Odike shared.
Our mandates are to deliver justice to our citizens expeditiously, efficiently, and using fair processes, Lady Justice Imani Daud Aboud, President of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights has stated.

She emphasized that its the mandate of the African Court to monitor respect for human rights on the African continent in line with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other human rights instruments.

Lady Justice Aboud stated during the ongoing retreat at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between the African Court and the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights which aimed at strengthening the complementarity between the two institutions as monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema.

The African Court President, therefore, charged African Union Organs to continue to work closely and mutually to protect and promote human rights in Africa.

She stressed that the broad objective of the retreat which is expected to end on October 14 is to enable these two African Union Organs to develop practical and positive solutions for the realistic implementation of the complementarity between the two important institutions.

It is my strong belief, and that of all our colleagues at the African Court, that these two institutions will continue to work very closely and mutually to protect and promote human rights in Africa.

Lady Justice Aboud, reiterated that recent developments in Africas socio-political and legal landscape unequivocally demand that African leaders reaffirm their commitment to justice.

Whether to terrorism, armed conflicts, famine, political violence, under development, or poverty, justice continue to stand as the agreed solution.

In fact, and as Agenda 2063 clearly acknowledges, the aim of government is human development through social justice. It can therefore not be denied that judges and courts have a role to play in achieving development justice whether by enforcing political, socio-economic or development rights, Lady Justice Aboud stated.

The African Court President explained that the way for African Governments to reaffirm commitments to justice was through legal and judicial knowledge sharing.

In other words, to best administer justice on legal issues that are insistently becoming global yet with domestic application, we judge, and courts need to engage in consistent trading of legal and judicial solutions.

As regional courts, our role is to harmonize and unify the domestic application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, she said.

Lady Justice Aboud said, I name terrorism and its socio-political and economic consequences, but I also name pandemics, technology, social media; and more structural questions such as free and fair elections, governance and states cooperation with international human rights courts and tribunals.
10.10.2022 LISTEN

Ministry of Finance is grateful to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission team for its visit, and the resultant progress made in discussions toward possible support for governments Programme for Economic Growth.

The Public Relations office of the Finance Minister in a statement expressed how encouraged government is by the progress made so far.

We look forward to continuing our engagement and remain committed to working tirelessly to create a stable and resilient macroeconomic environment, ensure debt sustainability, and maintain social cohesion.

Ghana is at a pivotal moment in her history and we are grateful for the IMF's support, and indeed the support of all Ghanaians, as we work together to bolster Ghana's build-back effort, he added.

It reiterated governments steadfastness in its resolve to fast-track negotiations with the IMF.

Discussions with the fund will, therefore, continue earnestly in the coming weeks, during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, commencing on Monday 10th October 2022, in Washington D.C.

A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday, October 7, 2022, concluded a two-week working visit to Accra.

During the visit, the IMF delegation called on H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; and held high-level meetings with H.E. Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia, Finance Minister Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, and their teams.

The IMF delegation also met with Parliament's Finance Committee, the Trades Union Congress, the private sector, civil society, and development partners.

---citinewsroom
The most talked about issue in the country for the past three days has been the alleged money-doubling scam by former fetish priestess Nana Agradaa, now an evangelist with the name Patricia Asiedua aka Mama Pat.

Some citizens who claim to be members of Nana Agradaas Heavenwave Chapel were seen in several videos lamenting how the once-repented fraudster has once again duped them after promising to double their money.

The Ghana Police Service quickly intervened and arrested the former fetish priestess on Sunday, October 9, who was arraigned before the court today, October 10 She has been remanded for three days after pleading not guilty to the charges against her.

Sharing his thoughts on this on the Ghana Kasa show aired on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo TV today, October 10, Christian Kwabena Andrews, better known as Osofo Kyiri Abosom, has blamed the victims for negligence.

The founder of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) political party and 2020 presidential candidate said Agradaa will continue to steal many Ghanaians if they do not turn away from their greedy and lazy ways.

According to him, the victims were not forced but went out of their own greediness and quest for quick money.

Most Ghanaians are greedy, they dont like to work hard to earn money. How on earth will you go to a church where free money is promised to congregants? Not even Jesus shared money when he came to this earth, he said.

Osofo Kyiri Abosom advised you need to work hard to get money, you fish for money for yourself. I dont know what is wrong with some Ghanaians who are driven by greed. Agraada never forced anyone to come to her, people went there out of greed and so they should bear the consequence of their actions.
The Ghana Charismatic Bishops Conference has called on the relevant authorities to enforce the laws against fraud allegations were levelled against Leader of the Heaven Way Church Patricia Oduro, alias Nana Agradaa if found culpable.

This follows the arrest of Nana Agradaa over allegations she ran a money-doubling scheme that defrauded her congregants.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast show, The General Secretary of the Ghana Charismatic Bishops Conference, Rev. Kwesi Deh believes that law enforcement agencies must act to bring such unlawful actions in the name of God to an end.

It is possible for people in the name of religion to commit crime and fraud. Thank God Ghana is a very civilized society and there are laws governing all these crimes. Therefore I think that the laws should deal with this issue.

The Ghana Charismatic Bishops Conference further kicked against calls for the regulation of Churches and their activities in the country.

Churches in this country are the most orderly set. Yes, there are miscreants. Also, churches are not afraid of regulation, it is the type of regulation that is being talked about that we are against. Many churches are registered. What we are against are laws that will define the practice of things.

If someone involves in a money-doubling scam, that should not bring up the issue of regulation of churches. It is not a religious action in the first place.

By Citi Newsroom
10.10.2022 LISTEN

The operations of China Mall on the Spintex Road have been halted following the failure of management to comply with the new VAT system introduced by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

On Monday, October 19, the enforcement team of the GRA locked the Chinese retail shop and its warehouses on Spintex Road and Ashaiman in the Greater Accra region.

It can be recalled that on October 1, the Ghana Revenue Authority commenced the implementation of an Electronic VAT system aimed at sealing leakages leading to revenue losses.

Today, the enforcement team of the GRA paid a visit to China Mall to ascertain whether the electronic VAT system is being complied with.

Due to the management of the retail centres inability to fix their tax electronic collection system to enable the GRA to access the data, the Mall has been locked.

Speaking to the media, GRA Accra Area Enforcement Manager Joseph Annan stressed that the action is very necessary.

This is just for them to fix their system for the electronic VAT. We have engaged them on several occasions to get this simple system fixed. The place shall be sealed and locked until they comply with the law. This is part of the Enforcement exercise which we are doing at all the China Mall branches, Joseph Annan shared.

During the exercise today, the enforcement team of GRA was met with a demonstration by some workers but remained resolute.

According to the GRA officials, the exercise will be extended to all other branches of China Mall.
The most talked about issue in the country for the past three days has been the alleged money-doubling scam by former fetish priestess Nana Agradaa, now an evangelist with the name Patricia Asiedua aka Mama Pat.

Many never thought she would go back to her tricks after being left to walk freely over her alleged "Sika Gari" scam.

But some citizens who claimed to be members of Nana Agradaas Heavenwave Chapel were seen in several videos lamenting how the once-repented Agradaa has once again duped them after promising to double their money.

The Ghana Police Service quickly intervened, arrested the former fetish priestess on Sunday, October 9 who was arraigned before the court today, October 10 She has been remanded for three days after pleading not guilty to the charges against her.

Reacting to the issue on social media, popular Ghanaian broadcaster, Bridget Otoo, has blamed the victims for being greedy to the extent of thinking about exchanging GHS1,000 for GHS1billion.

According to the journalist, those victims deserve to be scammed on any day for being so greedy.

Bring 1,000ghc for 1billion and you gave it to Agradaaa .. some of you deserve to be scammed! she yelled in a tweet.
The Founder of the United Front Party (UFP), Akwasi Addai Odike says he is saddened men of God in the country have not taken a keen interest in the fight against illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey.

According to him, pastors who are representatives of God should be leading the fight against illegal mining.

Speaking in an interview on the Pulse on Joy News, Akwasi Addai Odike argued that pastors should be interested especially when galamsey activities are destroying nature, the creation of God.

The former presidential candidate opines that pastors are scared of President Akufo-Addo more than they are of God.

God in his wisdom created nature before he created mankind. So this nature is the work of God and we must appreciate and thank God, not destroy it.

Why are the pastors who are representatives of God quiet over these nefarious activities of illegal mining? Have you heard any pastor issuing a statement to condemn this? They should have been the front liners but they are quiet, Akwasi Addai Odike shared.

The UFP leader continued, They are afraid of Akufo-Addo more than God. The pastors, they are afraid of Akufo-Addo more than God.

Im speaking from a religious point of view. Nature belongs to God. If you are ambassadors of God and you sit aloof for the properties of the one who sent you [to be destroyed] its unfair.

The Ghanaian politician and businessman propose that government should come up with solutions tailored towards reclaiming destroyed forest reserves and water bodies.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Judiciary to take a keen interest in investigating criminal cases and delivering impartial justice.

The former President, in a tweet on Sunday, was not excited about the execution of works by some institutions while asking them to do better.

A judiciary owes it a duty to deliver impartial justice to the people; an Ombudsman owes a duty of care to the people to investigate all issues of malfeasance; a police force should exist to serve the people and not rein terror on them.

In the same tweet, he added that the Electoral Commission (EC) must also take responsibility to include citizens in the electoral processes and desist from satisfying the interest of the incumbent government.

An electoral commission owes a sacred duty of care to the people by ensuring they are included in the electoral process & not excluded in the interest of the incumbent administration; an independent media owes it to the people to not only report facts without bias, but to hold the government of the day accountable.
10.10.2022 LISTEN

A circuit court at Anyinam in the Eastern Region has sentenced two workers of an Oil Marketing Company (OMC), Ready Oil, to a total of 15 years imprisonment for stealing GHS102,000.

Emmanuel Ohene Amankwah, 27, and Douglas Twumasi, 25, will serve eight and seven-year jail terms, respectively.

They pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit crime  to wit, stealing.

The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Joseph Damfei, told the court the first convict is the Kwabeng branch manager of Ready Oil while the second is a fuel pump attendant.

The complainant in the case is Samuel Kwaku Owusu-Manu, CEO of Ready Oil Limited.

According to him, on May 20, 2022, at about 10:20 pm when he had returned to Kwabeng from Accra, he spotted someone siphoning fuel into a tipper truck at his station at Kwabeng.

Mr Owusu-Manu met the first convict but the driver of the tipper truck bolted upon seeing him.

The prosecutor said when the complainant confronted Ohene Amankwah, he told him all the workers were aware of what was going on at the fuel station.

Chief Inspector Damfei explained that on May 21, the complainant went back to the station to check on the previous days sales and it was GHS48,000 but the convicts could account for only GHS17,617.

Mr Owusu-Manu confronted the second convict who claimed to have sold the fuel to one Awudu and accounted to the first convict, the manager.

The police prosecutor added that the complainant also detected petrol and diesel shortage in the underground tank valuing GHS19,109.50.

An audit inquiry revealed that the convicts could also not account for fuel sold on credit to Tommy, Richard and Gandhi at GHS31,000.00, GHS20,000 and GHS2,800, respectively.

Tommy and Richard denied ever buying fuel on credit from the station.

Gandhi, however, confirmed buying on credit at GHS1,400 and not GHS2,800.

In his ruling, Franklin Titus Glover, the Anyinam Circuit court judge directed that an unregistered Toyota Camry the manager had bought should be sold to offset part of the cost.

The CEO of Ready Oil Limited, Samuel Kwaku Owusu-Manu, after the court proceedings lamented how most Ghanaian businesses are struggling due to cases of theft by workers.

According to him, the development has either discouraged a lot more people from investing locally or collapsed existing businesses.

Source: classfmonline.com
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has warned against encroachment on the Osei Kyeretwie Senior High school (OKESS) lands in the Ashanti Region.

He said perpetrators will not be spared this time.

The king, who is an alumnus of the school said the negative development was adverse to the future expansion agenda of the school.

I condemn it in no uncertain terms and strongly send a note of caution to all those involved in it to desist from it or face my wrath, he cautioned while addressing the 85th-anniversary celebration of OKESS, in the Kumasi metropolis.

According to him, all lands in Asanteman, including that of OKESS, were vested in the custody of the Manhyia Palace, therefore, he would not countenance any form of invasion given the critical role land resources would play in the expansion agenda of the institution.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II further assured the school of his preparedness to reconstruct a girls washroom which is in a deplorable state.

He also gave an unspecified amount as a donation towards the completion of the science laboratory.

He reminded the school authorities to let him know about anything that bothers the school so that he can be of help.

He charged the students to study hard to become prominent in future.

The headmaster of the school, Mr Micheal Mensah, during his speech disclosed some challenges confronting the school including furniture in a deplorable state.

He then appealed to the government, old students, and individuals to come to their aid.

Source: classfmonline.com
10.10.2022 LISTEN

The No Business as Usual Project-Youth Empowerment Center (NBU-YEC) has been launched at Asokore Mampong.

It is a 2-year project, a second phase of the ended NBU project (implemented from 2017 to 2021 within the municipality) and unlike the former, funded by SOS Childrens Villages-Netherlands to sustain the gains achieved under the previous project.

Present at the launch which happened on Thursday, 6th October 2022 were the Municipal Chief Executive Officer for Asokore Mampong Municipality Hon Kennedy Kankam, Representative of the Chief of Asokore Mampong,Civil Society Organizations, religious leaders, past beneficiaries of NBU project, etc.

ABOUT NBU-YEC

The aim is to reach out to 400 disadvantaged young people.

Out of the figure, NBU-YEC is looking at covering 50% males and 50% females in Kumasi.

200 youth of the number as indicated by Mr. Benard Amoako (Programme Director-SOS CV, Kumasi location) at the launch are already part of the alternative care and family strengthening programs of SOS Childrens Villages in Ghana whiles the remaining 200 are expected from Kumasi and surrounding areas.

General objective is to contribute to improving inclusive employability for disadvantaged young people.

Active participation in activities of NBU-YEC will result in at least 400 disadvantaged young people

1. Making positive life choices

2. Taking actions to change their lives and

3. Having improved income and livelihood.

The project targets all categories of young people aged 18 to 35 and per the plans of the training, participants will be categorized into the following groups; Alpha, Betta and Gamma.

Mr. Benard Amaoko explained that the Alpha group consist of young people with little or no education, marginalized young people and people with disabilities.

Betta consists of SHS graduates or drop outs with little or low skills whereas the

Gamma group also comprises unemployed tertiary school graduates.

Highly motivated young people who will go through the recruitment process successfully will be offered soft skills training at the hub. Curriculum with modules on Core life skills, Employability and Entrepreneurship program that were successfully used in the NBU project will be adopted.

He assured that the NBU-YEC project will provide all round support to young people to help them achieve their goals of acquiring descent jobs, or starting up strong business within the region.

Mr. Alexander Mar Kekula (SOS CV Ghana) brought to light in his address that after a deep thought consequent to the expiration of the old NBU project, officials of SOS Childrens Villages-Netherlands saw the need to roll out NBU-YEC so as to impact a larger group of the youth within the Kumasi Metropolis.

though the NBU project ended, SOS Netherlands did not relent in its efforts to ensure a project extension.

He thanked SOS Childrens Villages-Netherlands team for providing funding and other efforts which contributed to making the second phase a reality.

Mr. Kekula also thanked the Managing Director of SOS CV, Netherlands for the approval of the fund.

He therefore appealed to the vulnerable youth within Kumasi to take full advantage of the project by participating to equip themselves.

MCE for Asokore Mampong Hon Kennedy Kankam shared in his address that he was saddened when he was told by his predecessor (former MCE Hon Alidu Seidu) when he took office that the previous project has ended.

so after hearing it and knowing very well that the thing has come to an end was one of the saddest moments after my appointment.

He however said he was excited when news came in that the project has been given an extension by the sponsors of the project.

and I can tell you that, that day was one of the happiest days in my life.

Hon Kankam placed on record that the NBU Project has been so beneficial to the municipality because it has lifted a lot of burden from the shoulders of most of the youth and unemployed people within the Municipality.

AT THE LAUCH

At the event, officials used the occasion to unveil the NBU logo. Room was also offered for the exhibition of products made by past beneficiaries of the NBU project.

By Enock Akonnor ( [email protected] )
The Ejura Traditional Council has officially commenced the 2022 edition of Ejura Yam Festival with a Moslem prayer and a cleanup exercise.

The annual event which is dubbed, "Sekyerene Festival" was formally opened on Friday October 7, 2022 with a special Moslem prayer led by the Council of Zongo Chiefs in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality.

Hundreds of Ejura residents including traditional authorities and religious leaders attended the prayer to seek God's blessing for the Ejura community and Ghana as a whole.

The weeklong event immediately followed with a mammoth clean-up exercise on Saturday October 8,2022.

The exercise, which began at 7am throughout Ejura Traditional Area lasted over four hours with shops and markets closed to pave way for successful work.

In an exclusive interview with this reporter the Chief of Ejura Traditional Area Barima Osei Hwedie II appealed to all corporate organizations, development-oriented groups and other stakeholders to make it a point to join the other remaining activities of the festival.

He pledged his commitment to developing the entire Ejura land and urged his subjects to rally behind the traditional council.

The Festival is marked every year by the chiefs and people to thank God, ancestors and the traditional stool for providing them with bumper harvest of fresh yams in the year gone by.
11.10.2022 LISTEN

The Breast Care Center at the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region has raised concern over the rising cases of breast cancer in the region.

According to the center, breast cancers are on the rise in the Region affecting hundreds of both men and women.

A Nursing Officer at KATH's Breast Care Center, Mariama Amadu said 90 per cent of people who reported to the center for biopsy in the last three years turned out to be serious breast cancer cases.

Mariama Amadu was speaking on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM's Health show, "Apomuden Ahotoso" on Sunday October 9, 2022.

"The rate at which we are recording breast cancer in the past few years is frightening and should be of concern to all stakeholders," she told the host of the show, Kate Appiah Boateng (Radio Nurse).

Medical Check Up

Mariama Amadu urged Ghanaians to regularly do a self-examination of their breast and seek early treatment if they detect any anomalies.

"Early detection was the surest way to win the fight against breast cancer infections," she stated.

She stressed the need for individuals to report any changes in their breasts at health facilities to ensure early treatment.

The nurse however pleaded with men to support their wives when they notice any changes in their breasts and not to abandon them.
10.10.2022 LISTEN

Every year, in October, South Africa and the world is flooded with pink ribbons in remembrance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But breast cancer is more than just wearing a pink ribbon and going to a Fun Run. Breast cancer is one of the deadliest diseases facing women across the globe. Locally, from 2017 to 2022, medical scheme Profmed found that 10% of female members who claimed breast cancer pay-outs had passed on from the disease.

Unfortunately, breast cancer cannot be prevented. However, Clinical Executive at Profmed Medical Scheme, Justine Lacy, Detecting breast cancer early increases your chance of survival, as more treatment options are available.

For this reason, Lacy recommends self-examination and routine mammograms as the foundation of every woman's life. Women between the ages of 40 and 54 years should make an appointment for a mammogram at least once a year, and those 55 years and over should continue getting mammograms every 1 to 2 years. Beyond that, women of all ages should be performing a self-examination at least once a month to be safe, says Lacy.

Lacy advises women not to be complacent about their health. "Don't wait until you show symptoms to take action. Take responsibility for your health and schedule a mammogram as soon as possible."

For her, it all starts with education. Justine Lacy is keen to provide her insights regarding:

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer Prevalence of breast cancer in South Africa Breast cancer trends according to Profmed statistics What to do when you are diagnosed Various treatment options are available What to expect when you go for a mammogram

Should you be interested in scheduling an interview with Lacy or require additional information, please let me know and I will assist accordingly.

Keneilwe Motshabi
The Ghana Railways Development Authority (GRDA) has earmarked some scrap items in their entity for disposal by public auction.

The private Valuation company at the Inter City State Transport Company (ICSTC) has conducted Valuation on the items in the various locations throughout the country for GRDA.

It places a tonnage of the scrap item at GHC 1,820 at the prevailing market rate.

A letter sighted, which has been signed for on behalf of the Chief Of Staff at the presidency dated 6th September 2022 placed a rail lines at Kumasi Locoshed of 610.91 tonnage at both ICSTC and Jubilee House Valuation at GHC 1,111.856 and 1,119.90 respectively instead of GHC 1,111,856.20 according to the market value.

This is a calculated fraud on one of the auction contracts. Similar fraud can appear in the contract for the six (6) auctioneers appointed.

ACT OF ILLEGALITIES IN THE WHOLE PROCESS

According to a letter signed by the Minister Of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta dated 15th March, 2022 and circulated to all the MDA's place authority and approval of all auction sales under him (Minister Of Finance) per section 158(1)(b) and 158 (4) of the Public Financial Management Regulations 2019, L.I. 2378.

The officer in charge of the Valuation at the Jubilee House never goes to the various sites of the Railways scrap items for physical Inspection and Valuation. He sat at his office and only used the State Transport Company's valuation report for his values.

Information gathered also suggests that people paid GHC 50,000.00 before the contract to auction was given to them.

There is a syndicate at the Presidency whom always takes vehicles from every auction as protocol for the Chief of Staff. They then resell the protocol vehicles from the list for their selfish gain. This has been their practice.

It has derived the state from the needed revenue.

Valuations at the Jubilee House (Office of the President) mostly are based on the ICSTC values which are not consistent with realities.

The Railways scrap items were underestimated in terms of quantities for personal gain.

The President of the State Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Railways are hereby urged to as a matter of urgency suspend the auction and set a committee for reassessment and valuation for the benefit of Ghana.
The Central University chapter of the Graduate Students' Association of Ghana (GRASAG) swore in new Executives for the 2022/2023 academic year on Sunday, October 2, 2022 at the University's Christ Temple campus.

The names of the executives are Mr. Eugene Senumape Adonu, President; Mr. Wisdom Agorsor, Vice President; Mr. Mensah Gademor, General Secretary; Mr. Emmanuel Yaw Marb-Organizer; Mr. Saviour Ahiataku, Financial Secretary and Ms. Nana Ama Frimpomaa, Womens Commissioner.

The ceremony was attended by Dr. Gloria Dzeha, Dean of Students at the University, Dr. Evans Sokro, GRASAG Patron, and Mr. Emmanuel Owusu, GRASAG National PRO, who presented Mr. Thomas Elorm Tagbortor, GRASAG National President.

In her speech, Dr. Gloria Dzeha charged the new executives to create programs that are relevant to the needs of graduate students. She emphasized the importance of publicizing GRASAG programs and activities as a means of projecting the Central University Graduate School.

Mr. Abednego Quarshie, the outgoing President, thanked his team for their cooperation and unity, as well as the Dean of Students and the GRASAG Patron for their immense support during their tenure. Some of his administration's accomplishments included uniting and coordinating graduate students from the three University campuses; Miotso, Christ Temple and Kumasi, and producing some souvenirs to generate revenue for GRASAG activities.

Mr. Eugene Senumape Adonu, President of GRASAG, congratulated the outgoing President, Mr. Abednego Quashie, and his team on their commendable efforts, dedication and commitment to making GRASAG Central University vibrant during their tenure.

He also emphasized the importance of graduate education, saying, "Mr. Chairman, Graduate students form a unique group of individuals who defy all odds to pursue further education in the quest to gain knowledge that can transform their lives, careers, and the country."

He assures that his administration will ensure the continuation of previous projects started by his predecessors and improve GRASAG's image on campus and beyond.

Dr. Evans Sokro, the patron, also congratulated the outgoing and new executives. He advised the executives not to let their leadership responsibilities interfere with their course work because that was the primary reason they were in school. He assured the executives of his unwavering support and his availability for consultation on their intended programs.

Mr. Emmanuel Owusu the GRASAG National PRO delivered a speech on behalf of the National President, Mr. Tagbortor.

In his speech, he hinted at projects the national secretariat is currently working on to benefit postgraduate students in Ghana. Some of these projects include a Laptop Project with unlimited data for academic work, Jobs opportunities for postgraduate students through a private HR firm and the recently rolled out Graduate Research Trust Fund, a fund that will sponsor policy-oriented research for national development. He also encouraged the new executives to be involved in the activities of GRASAG National.

The program ended with the Dean of Students, the Patron, outgoing executives, and some key University staff receiving awards and citations.
Thousands of consumers who thronged to Kumasi City for trading activities were left stranded following the closure of over 500 shops at Adum in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti region.

Most of the locked-up shops had red bands tied on them as traders say the protest will last for three days.

Members of the Adum Traders Association on Monday October 10 embarked on a sit-down strike over what they termed as an "archaic tax system".

The protest brought activities at the business hub of Kumasi, to a halt affecting over 25,000 people in the trading value chain.

Speaking to this reporter, a leading member of the Adum Traders Association Mr Christian Appiah said the current system of tax collection from the traders was not helping both government and the traders.

"What we are doing is in the interest of both parties, government has asked traders to collect 18. 5 percent tax from the final consumer which is causing many problems for us.

"The truth is, we as traders cannot collect that 18 percent tax for government and so we are asking the authorities to meet the traders and discuss the best way to resolve this matter.

"Now the Ghana Revenue Authority is chasing some of our members to forcefully take the taxes from them, and these traders are sometimes forced to pay tax from thier capital, killing their businesses," he laments.

Scores of traders who traveled from other parts of the country to purchase goods expressed worry over the situation and called on the government to immediately resolve the problem.
11.10.2022 LISTEN

Police in the Ashanti Region have arrested 80 foreign nationals believed to be illegally living at Kenyase-Duase in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region.

The 80 foreigners believed to be Nigerians were all living in a chamber and hall apartment at Duase.

Speaking on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM's social program, "Asem Bebe Dabi" on Monday October 15, 2022 the Unit Committee Secretary for the area, Mr Kofi Kakari said suspicious moves by the suspects forced some residents in the area to report them to police.

"Ironically all these 80 individuals are living in the chamber and hall apartment which beats our imagination. Some opinion leaders after learning about the presence of these immigrants followed up and questioned them on their activities in the area but they failed to give a tangible reason.

"This arrest is a joint action by community members who have observed the suspicious activities of the persons for months and thus decided to hand them over to the police for further investigations to be conducted," he told host of the show, Krobea Nana Yaw Asante.

Mr Kofi Kakari disclosed that they saw some of these foreigners in their numbers joining their counterparts who were already lodging in the area causing fear and panic among residents.

"We called for the arrest of the foreigners because we believe they pose a security threat and as such, we want the relevant authorities to probe their operations," he stated.

The arrest marks the second time the police have rounded up a large number of suspected foreigners who entered the country illegally.
[ASX:CXO] has officially opened its Finniss lithium mine, the first lithium mine in production in the Northern Territory.

[ASX:CXO] has officially opened its Finniss lithium mine, the first lithium mine in production in the Northern Territory.

CXO also announced it awarded Primero a five-year operations and maintenance contract.

Primero is a wholly-owned subsidiary of fellow ASX-lister NRW Holdings [ASX:NWH].

CXO shares were flat on the news, but are up 80% year-to-date:

www.TradingView.com

New contracts for Finniss DMS plant

Core Lithiums new contract awarded to Primero comes in the shape of a five-year Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract with an estimated value of $60 million.

The contract enables the companies to begin execution of Finniss project activities immediately.

Core also stated that the contract was devised in such a way as to cover the companys Tailing Storage Facilities (TSF) for infrastructure at the Finniss site, as well as the DMS processing facilities.

Now commissioning of the DMS plant can begin, with a forecasted lithium concentrate first production date to commence in H1 2023.

Primero has personnel ready to get to work this month, with recruitment and operational activities to officially begin in December.

The companies are looking forward to reaching first production of the lithium spodumene concentrate in the new year.

Core CEO Gareth Manderson said:

The O & M contract award to Primero extends the relationship Core has with Primero from beyond the Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contract. Significantly Primero are not only building the projects DMS facility, they now back their workmanship through the O & M.

CXO officially opens Finniss lithium mine

Today, CXO officially opened its Finniss lithium mine.

CXO said Finniss is set to become the first Australian lithium mine in production outside Western Australia.

Core will employ about 300 staff directly and indirectly. More than 80% of its contractors and direct employees live in Darwin and work at Finniss.

Manderson continued:

Core is bringing production online at a time of high lithium prices, strong global demand and constrained supply. The Core team has done a fantastic job quickly transitioning from discovery and exploration to construction and shortly supply of high-grade lithium concentrate to a global market in just six years. The first four years of production from the Finniss Lithium project is already secured with approximately 80% sold to offtake partners, including Ganfeng Lithium and Sichuan Yahua who have provided tremendous support during our development phase.

Last Monday, Core also made its first spodumene direct shipping ore tender on a digital exchange auctioning platform.

It sold 15,000 dmt (dry metric tonnes) of the lithium spodumene product for US$951/dmt, a result which had Manderson claiming was an indication of strong demand for lithium.

The lithium developer is set for nearer-term realisation of its lithium development goals, securing buyers, and working painstakingly with partners to fast-track its development and profitable targets.

To this end, Core has been raising further funds, hoping to fast-track its efforts through the recent completion of a $100 million placement.

Overlooked ASX lithium stocks

Junior lithium stocks have enjoyed a strong run in recent yearsbut as 2023 approaches, its worth asking whether the easy money has now been made in the sector.

Have the easy gains been exhausted? And, if so, where should investors turn?

Are there any lithium stocks the market is overlooking?

Yes, according to Money Mornings recent research report on the local lithium sector.

In fact, the research report profiles three neglected ASX lithium stocks. Read further here.

Regards,

Kiryll Prakapenka

For Money Morning
Yet more bad news out of Europe Last week it was Credit Suisse. The week before, UK pensions fund bailouts amidst a plummeting British pound. This week? A pivotal moment in the energy-driven German economic slowdown.

And as Ill explain shortly, the start of a chain reaction potentially leading to the break-up of the euro currency.

Big call, I know!

But if Im right about this, the future will look very different. Not just for Europe but the entire world of money and markets.

(All this feeds into my new Bitcoin to US$1 Million timeline. If youve not tracked through it with me yet, you can watch the whole thing here.)

Let me explain more

Big consequences

OK, so whats gone wrong this time?

This chart explains it:

What youre looking at is Germanys trade surplus about to go negative (black line).

That means itll be importing more than it exports. Which essentially means its turning into a net spender rather than a net saver.

Why does that matter?

Well, German savings basically help fund their more debt-laden Eurozone neighbours. Countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece.

In good times, this works out OK for all sides.

The payoff for Germanys generosity is that they get the benefits of a weaker currency (than, say, the Deutsche Mark would be), which helps make their exports competitive.

Meanwhile, their less fiscally responsible neighbours can use Germanys strength (as a guarantor of last resort) to keep their own borrowing costs down.

This chart shows this might be all about to change

Rocketing energy costs (as well as simply not having enough energy supply) are killing Germanys manufacturing-based growth hub. This hurts their terms of trade and makes their exports uncompetitive.

Its a double whammy.

And it means Germany cant afford to carry the load for other countries for much longer.

As Robin Brooks, Chief economist at the IIF, noted:

The German trade surplus is gone. While Germany retools its growth model, it will draw down its fiscal space, so there will be less to go around for everyone else. Europe hasnt realized this yet, but structural reforms in labor & product markets are about to make a big comeback.

In other words, Germany will be faced with a choice.

Use its savings to support its own economy?

Or to continue to fund its southern neighbours?

I think we know which option theyll ultimately choose

End of the World author Peter Zeihan also noted this important moment, tweeting:

Germany is rapidly shifting from the EUs largest funder to a taker. I think its safe to say Europe is not prepared.

But why is this such an existential threat to the euro currency?

Lets move to that point next

A major part of my new thesis for the next seven years

Last week I released a hypothetical timeline for Bitcoin [BTC] to reach US$1 million by 2030.

It may seem like an outlandish prediction, given where crypto markets sit right now.

But a collapse  or a structural shift in the euro currency  is a big driver behind this thesis. And that seems a more distinct possibility than most acknowledge.

As I predicted in the presentation:

2025 will be the year the euro experiment finally falls apart under the weight of member monetary imbalances. Once more, Im not going to get too deep into the quicksand of macroeconomics. Were looking at basic assumptions here. And a basic assumption is Germany, facing an economic crisis of its own, refuses to support Italy, Spain, and other debtor nations. This is how things look right now:

How long can frugal Germans support their big-spending EU partners? Maybe when things are going well, they will happily do it. But my prediction is by 2025, things will not be going well. Were seeing things start to unravel already, with surging energy prices providing the trigger point:

German manufacturing is at a crisis point even today. As Bloomberg pointed out:





As this plays out, what comes next?

Its funny, but in four short weeks after I wrote this, it doesnt seem half as crazy now!

So

What comes next?

The trillion-dollar question

Its a dogs breakfast everywhere you look in Europe.

War on the doorstep, rising energy costs, debt costs soaring, and their most economically powerful member starting to weaken fast.

Even worse, I dont think the Germans are going to get any help from their main ally, the US.

Indeed, just last Friday, a German minister was openly criticising the US over natural gas prices, saying:

Some countries, including friendly ones, sometimes achieve astronomical prices [for their gas]. Of course, that brings with it problems that we have to talk about.

Well see how the US responds, but the OPEC decision to cut oil production last week wont help matters.

And on the monetary front, the Federal Reserve clearly isnt considering Europe at all in their decisions.

Fed member Christopher Waller said on Friday:

Its not the Feds responsibility to tackle the issues of other countries.

Meaning more rate hikes leading to a stronger US dollar  and all the big problems thats causing in the rest of the world  look set to continue.

On a side note, economist Lyn Alden responded on Twitter to Wallers comments, noting:

Its a great point

I mean, why would any country  friend or foe  go back to investing in US debt after all this?

And what does that mean for the US reserve currency status long term?

Big questions thatll play out over the next decade.

But back to the European situation.

Even within the block, tensions are starting to appear because of what Germany might do next.

As the Financial Times reported on Friday:

Spain and Belgium have issued warnings about the consequences of Germanys huge fiscal stimulus package for the EU single market as the bloc attempts to muster a unified response to soaring energy prices. The announcement of a 200bn fiscal stimulus package by Germany last week has prompted other EU member states to warn of unfair competitive distortions if individual states, particularly those with deep pockets, pursue large support measures.

Can the Eurozone survive intact?

Itll be hard.

History suggests European nations move further apart  to the political extremes  when tough economic times hit.

And the recent Italian election of far-right candidate Giorgia Meloni suggests that process is already underway on the ground.

Interesting times ahead

Good investing,

Ryan Dinse,

Editor, Money Morning

PS: If Im right on how this all plays out, were in the early stage of a monumental decade-long run for bitcoin.

Watch the full timeline presentation here and decide for yourself.
October 10, 2022

Russia, Having 'Run Out Of Missiles', Launches Barrage On Ukraine

Back in March I had warned that Lies Do Not Win Wars. Here is another practical example.

After allegedly having 'run out of missiles' and, more importantly, patience, the leadership of the Russian Federation decided to de-electrify Ukrainian cities with a 'barrage of missile strikes'.

But first came the propaganda blubber:

---

Then a warning:

'We Haven't Started Yet,' Putin Says in Hawkish Speech on Ukraine Invasion - Haaretz - Jul 7, 2022

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia had barely got started in Ukraine and dared the West to try to defeat it on the battlefield, while insisting that Moscow was still open to the idea of peace talks.

...

"Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try," he said. "We have heard many times that the West wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this."

...

"Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven't started anything yet in earnest," he added. "At the same time, we don't reject peace talks. But those who reject them should know that the further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us."

---

Total disregard:

U.S. Believes Ukrainians Were Behind an Assassination in Russia - NY Times - Oct 5, 2020

American officials said they were not aware of the plan ahead of time for the attack that killed Daria Dugina and that they had admonished Ukraine over it.

UN: Ukraine nuclear power plant loses external power link - ABC News - Oct 8, 2022

The U.N. nuclear watchdog says that Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the biggest in Europe, has lost its last remaining external power source as a result of renewed shelling and is now relying on emergency diesel generators

Ukraine unveils stamps celebrating Kerch bridge explosion - hours after the attack - Telegraph - Oct 8, 2022

Timing of the Post Office announcement, just hours after the Crimea bridge was destroyed, raises questions about the nature of the damage

---

Consequences:

Russia Unleashes Biggest Barrage of Strikes on Ukraine Since Invasion - WSJ - Oct 10, 2022

Cities throughout Ukraine, including Kyiv, are bombarded after Putin slams Ukraine over Crimea bridge blast

KYIV, UkraineRussia carried out waves of strikes on several Ukrainian cities including the capital in the broadest and most intense onslaught since the start of the invasion, after President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of a terrorist attack on a critical bridge connecting Russias mainland to the occupied Crimean Peninsula. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had carried out dozens of strikes using missiles as well as Iranian-made drones to target civilian and power infrastructure. They want panic and chaos, he said. They want to destroy our energy system.

Ukraine "under missile attack" as explosions rock Kyiv and other cities - CBSNews - Oct 10, 2022

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president's office, said on social media Monday that, "Ukraine is under missile attack. There is information about strikes in many cities of our country." General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said on Twitter that Russia had launched 75 missiles at Ukraine but that "41 of them were neutralized by our air defence." Zelenskyy later emerged onto a street in Kyiv to record a selfie video with a message to his people and the world, denouncing Russia for the barrage of missiles which he said had targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and its civilians.

Kiev, Lviv, Karkov, Dnipropetrovsk, Krivoy Rog all report damage to their electricity infrastructure.

Posted by b on October 10, 2022 at 10:00 UTC | Permalink

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This image released by 20th Century Studios shows, clockwise from left, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Christian Bale, Robert De Niro and Margot Robbie in a scene from "Amsterdam."
A view of fiords as they melt due to climate change near Svalbard Islands, in the Arctic Ocean in Norway on July 19, 2022.Photo:VCG

By Zhang Hui and Wan Hengyi

With the Biden administration revealing a new Arctic strategy, tension between the US-led NATO and Russia is building in the Arctic region as the US takes advantage of Russia's conflict with Ukraine to seize this geostrategic high ground and militarize and privatize the region with its allies, Chinese analysts said.

Biden's new strategy, citing the increasing strategic competition in the Arctic with China and Russia, actually aims to ensure the US' dominance and control in the region, analysts noted, stressing that the pressing task for the international community is to uphold the international system with the UN at its core and establish rules of conduct in the Arctic region, which will be the most powerful tool to deter the US from seeking hegemony there.

The US' new strategy for the Arctic region, an update of its 2013 predecessor, accounts for increasing strategic competition in the Arctic and seeks to position the US to both effectively compete and manage tensions, according to a statement by the White House on Friday, which mentioned both China and Russia.

The strategy said that the US will "deter threats" to the US homeland and allies by enhancing the required capabilities, while coordinating shared approaches to security with allies and partners.

The US' new Arctic strategy was released less than two months after the Biden administration announced plans to name an ambassador-at-large for the Arctic.

There is a direct correlation between the US' national strategy for the Arctic Region and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies. Cui noted that tension between the US and Russia, and between NATO and Russia, is building in the Arctic Region.

After Finland and Sweden joined NATO, tension in the Baltic Sea will be escalated and will then extend to the Arctic region, Cui told the Global Times.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned in August about Russia's military buildup in the Arctic and China's increasing interest in the Far North, hyping the threats posed by the two countries, media reports said.

Yang Xiyu, senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Saturday that the US has been trying to expand its interests and taking control of the Arctic, while Russia was busy with its conflict with Ukraine.

The US has been politicizing China's and Russia's activities in the Arctic and using the "increased competition" as an excuse in trying to control the region after seeing its increasingly prominent economic and military value, analysts said.

China, as a "Near-Arctic State," has vowed to participate in Arctic affairs in accordance with the basic principles of "respect, cooperation, win-win result and sustainability."

China would like to build and maintain "a just, reasonable and well-organized Arctic governance system," according to a white paper on China's Arctic policy released in 2018.

The melting Arctic has provided economic opportunity as well as a shortcut for the use of strategic weapons, and the US has attempted to control this shortcut to strategically suppress and even attack China and Russia, Yang said.

US media has also noted Biden's strategy for countering China and Russia. The Hill reported on Friday that the US' strategy called for more military exercises to counter the two countries, and it said the US already has "more than 22,000 active-duty troops in Alaska, with a base in Denmark-ruled Greenland."

The report claimed that the US has increasingly looked to the Arctic as an area "where military activity will likely grow," and the Pentagon established an Arctic Strategy and Global Resilience Office in September.

Yang said that the US is likely to militarize and privatize the region in future moves with its allies in the NATO, pushing the region to a dangerous crossroad.

That makes forming international rules on peacefully developing the Arctic an urgent task for the international community, analysts said, noting the rules should guarantee that the Arctic is a public region rather than the private asset of some countries, and that development and cooperation in the region should be peaceful and equal.
Does Chief Injustice Francis Saye Korkpor really expect laurels from the public for his dismal and corrupt performance?



A laundry list of his dirty deeds committed while in that noble office is too long to detail here.



Under his watch, judicial workers went unpaid for prolonged periods. They protested on the grounds of the Temple of Justice but Mr. Chief Injustice, Francis Saye Korkpor, remained indifferent showing no concern.



The protesters were instead met by vigorous Police action under his orders. He had first issued threats of arrest against the protest leader, Archie Ponpon.



This prompted Archie Ponpon to set himself ablaze, and were it not for bystanders who rushed to his aid and took him to the hospital, he would have died from his injuries.



Chief Injustice Korkpor, displaying a strong lack of compassion and empathy, never even visited Archie Ponpon in the hospital neither did the Judiciary under his watch foot his hospital bill.



Another instance was the depletion of Amos Brosius LBDI US$5m account by corrupt judicial officials. Although the Judicial Inquiry Committee(JIC) found Commercial Court Chief Judge Eva Mappy guilty of official misconduct, nothing happened to her.



Still, yet another was his handling of Associate Justice Janeh who was illegally removed from office under his watch.



Further, he told a bald-faced lie through his teeth claiming that he was not aware that those detained at the Monrovia Central Prison in the wake of the April 14, Rice Riots were political prisoners.



In 1979 following the April 14 Rice Riots, hundreds of Liberians were arrested and detained. Most of them were incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison.



Amongst those locked in the murder cell were David Karn Carlor, James Logan, Dr. Henry Boima Fahnbulleh, Samuel P. Jackson, Oscar Quiah, Dusty Wolokolie, James Fromayan, James Yarsiah, Conmany Wesseh, the late Counsellors Francis Garlawolu and Flawgaa McFarland(my brother-in-law) and the writer of this piece, John H. T. Stewart.



The above-listed men including myself were placed in the murder cell. Others were detained/crammed under sub-human conditions in the cell block known as 4B. We were all officially charged with Treason.



During that period, the gallows at the prison were given an overhaul thus conveying the distinct impression that death by hanging awaited us following conviction in what would have been a sham but a widely unpopular trial.



At the time, Chief Injustice Francis Saye Korkpor was serving as Chief Security and Assistant Superintendent of the Monrovia Central Prison and he paid visits to our cell block virtually every day from April 21, the day I was placed under arrest and incarcerated, until June 26, 1979, when we were granted unconditionally amnesty by President Tolbert.



Additionally, he made life very difficult for us.



For example, he would order all visitors out of the Prison even before the elapse of the official 3:00 pm visiting period.



However, there were at the time Correction officers serving under him who were sympathetic and sometimes went out of their way to help us. Two of them have since become well-known practicing lawyers.



Forty-three years later Chief Injustice Francis Korkpor is now lying through his teeth, denying involvement in the torture of prisoners at the time.



His loyal servant was Kyne. He had the habit of administering electric shocks to prisoners with a special baton. And all this happened under his watch.



More to that, he has also lied that he was not aware of the presence of Political prisoners at the time. He knew nearly every one of those detained in the murder cell because we had all been schoolmates at the University of Liberia.



The fact is we were political prisoners with whom he interacted daily. Nearly the entire country knew that we were not common criminals but political prisoners.



It was not surprising therefore that crowds thronged the grounds of the Monrovia Central Prison almost immediately following President Tolberts June declaration of unconditional amnesty for all detainees.



Two of the first individuals that entered the Prison compound that day were Emmanuel Bowier(RIP) and Wilson Tarpeh. At the time, we had heard of the amnesty from a small radio that had been smuggled into the cell but we remained under lock and key under the orders of Assistant Prison Superintendent and Chief Injustice, Francis Korkpor.



And when we saw Wilson Tarpeh and Emmanuel Bowier approaching our cell block, we knew right away that our release was imminent but we were not released from prison until some minutes before 6:00 pm.



Now that he has retired from his high throne, the question is where he goes from here. It is an open secret that even in his hometown, Ganta, he hardly has friends let alone in Monrovia. Lawyers have accused him of appointing his known surrogate and a very corrupt judge to fill the vacancy on the Bench.



Additionally, the criminal expropriation of Amos Brosius US$5m by judicial officials will continue to haunt him. He shall have no rest because at every turn he will be consistently reminded of his corrupt deeds while in office- about how justice under his leadership was denied to many especially Amos Brosius and Kabineh Janeh.



He will also be reminded of the "illegal sale" to Adolphus Dolo of a 500-acre rubber farm, situated right outside of Ganta, owned by the late former Nimba representative John Nyema Constance. His law firm served as the lawyer for Dolo.



The farm was allegedly sold by John Nyema Constance who, at the time, was ill and mentally incompetent. At the time his 90 yr old mother, was a refugee in Guinea.



I know this because the late J Nyema Constance Jr. was my personal friend from childhood.



Chief Injustice Francis must remember that the evil he has done to others will follow him except there is no God. He claims to be a surrogate son of the late revered Catholic Archbishop Michael Francis.



Yet by his dishonest and unprincipled conduct in public service, he has shamed the legacy of the late Archbishop.



I say this because I had known the Archbishop since 1963 when I served as an altar boy during his ordination ceremony as a priest.



The following year, 1964, I arrived at the Catholic Compound in Saniquellie, Nimba County for boarding school.



There I met the Archbishop, then an ordinary priest who introduced me to the late Aaron Brown as my dormitory mate. Aaron and I were to remain lifelong friends until his passing a few years ago.



The late Archbishop was then second in charge to Father OReagan, an Irish priest. He was a strict disciplinarian and for two years 1964, and 1965 lived in the dormitory serving Mass daily and saying evening Rosary prayers together.



Therefore, I can say without fear of contradiction that Chief Injustice Francis Saye Korkpor is a disgrace to the honor of the late esteemed, and revered Archbishop.



I say this because I am convinced in my heart of hearts that the Archbishop would never have countenanced nor supported such corrupt behavior and ethical transgressions against the law.



Former Chief Injustice Francis Saye Korkpor is indeed a sore eye that brought disgrace to the Liberian judiciary. He shall one day pay for his sins and transgressions against the Rule of Law.






Island residents and community leaders gathered at the Palauan Cultural Center Saturday to commemorate and celebrate the independence of the Republic of Palau, which gained its sovereignty Oct. 1, 1994.
Settlement amount for victim survivors of clergy sexual abuse to be in range of at least $34M-$45M
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Twitter, Instagram block Kanye West over antisemitic posts View Photo

NEW YORK (AP)  Kanye West once suggested slavery was a choice. He called the COVID-19 vaccine the mark of the beast. Earlier this month, he was criticized for wearing a White Lives Matter T-shirt to his collection at Paris Fashion Week.

Now the rapper who is legally known as Ye is again embroiled in controversy  locked out of Twitter and Instagram over antisemetic posts that the social networks said Sunday violated their policies. In one post on Twitter, Ye said he would soon go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE, according to internet archive records, making an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness condition scale known as DEFCON.

You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda, he said in the same tweet posted late Saturday, which was removed by Twitter.

The comment drew a sharp rebuke from the Anti-Defamation League, which called the tweet deeply troubling, dangerous, and antisemitic, period.

There is no excuse for his propagating of white supremacist slogans and classic antisemitism about Jewish power, especially with the platform he has, a statement said.

Representatives for Ye did not return requests for comment.

Ye has alienated even ardent fans in recent years, teasing and long tinkering with albums that havent been met with the critical or commercial success of his earlier recordings. Those close to him, like ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her family, have ceased publicly defending him after the couples bitter divorce and his unsettling posts about her recent relationship with comedian Pete Davidson.

But the social media lockouts cap a whirlwind week for Ye, even by his standards. On Oct. 3 he wore a White Lives Matter T-shirt while debuting his latest fashion line in Paris, prompting harsh criticism. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, White Lives Matter is a neo-Nazi group.

Rapper Sean Diddy Combs posted a video on Instagram saying he didnt support the shirt, and urged people not to buy it. On Instagram, Ye posted a screenshot of a text conversation with Diddy and suggested he was controlled by Jewish people, according to media reports.

Adidas said Thursday that it was placing its lucrative sneaker deal with Ye under review. And on Saturday, Instagram locked out posts by the rapper-entrepreneur over content violations. His Twitter account was locked Sunday, just a day after he returned to the platform following a nearly two-year hiatus and was welcomed back by Elon Musk.

Welcome back to Twitter, my friend, posted Musk, who last week renewed his $44 billion offer to buy Twitter following a monthslong legal battle with the company. The billionaire and Tesla CEO has said he would remake Twitter into a free speech haven and relax restrictions, although its impossible to know precisely how he would run the influential network if he were to take over.

The social media policies for Twitter and Instagram prohibit posting offensive language.

Yes Twitter account is still active but he cant post until the lockout ends. Sanctions by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, may include temporary restrictions on posting, commenting or sending direct messages. Such muzzles can last as little as 12 hours or for days, depending on how serious the violation was or how many other times the account broke the rules.

While a step below a full account suspension, enough of these restrictions can eventually lead to a person being kicked off of the social media platforms  temporarily or, in rare circumstances, permanently.

As of Monday afternoon, neither account had posted anything, indicating that Ye is still restricted. Neither Twitter nor Meta would say how long they will restrict Yes accounts  or how close he might be to becoming suspended or even permanently booted.

Ye has earned a reputation less for his music and more for stirring up controversy since 2016, when he was hospitalized in Los Angeles because of what his team called stress and exhaustion. It was later revealed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

That year, he ended a show in Sacramento, California, after just four songs but not before a 10-minute tirade about Beyonce, Jay-Z, Hillary Clinton, Mark Zuckerberg, the radio and MTV. West soon decided to scrap the entire tour.

Since then he has regularly made headlines: Running for president, continuing his running feud with Taylor Swift, causing an uproar when he suggested slavery was a choice, publicly defending R. Kelly and once inviting Marilyn Manson and DaBaby on stage with him as they faced sexual assault and anti-gay allegations, respectively.

Yes involvement aside, social media restrictions like this incident have been largely routine for the platforms. Twitter took action on nearly 4.3 million accounts between July and December of 2021, the latest available data from a transparency report it publishes twice a year. About 1.3 million accounts were suspended in the same period.

But with Twitter on the likely brink of being sold to Musk, advocacy groups fear the platform will revert back to the days when it was known as a cesspool of abuse and hate, especially for women, minorities and members of the LGBTQ community. While there is still hateful content on Twitter, the company has spent years trying to detect and remove threats, abuse, racism, violence and other harmful material.

By The Associated Press
Calls mount for Filipino ex-senator freedom after jail riot View Photo

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Human rights activists pressed their call Monday for the immediate release of a former Philippine opposition senator after she was taken hostage in a rampage by three Muslim militants in a failed attempt to escape from a maximum-security jail.

Police killed three Islamic State group-linked militants behind Sundays violence in which a police officer was stabbed and former Sen. Leila de Lima was briefly taken hostage. The militants tried to escape from the jail for high-profile inmates at the national police headquarters in metropolitan Manila, police said.

National police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. acknowledged there were security lapses in the detention center and said its commander has been removed as part of an investigation.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch separately expressed deep alarm over the violence and the hostage-taking of de Lima. The groups call for her immediate release.

That she has had to endure this traumatizing and frightening experience on top of being arbitrarily detained for over five years now is the height of outrage, negligence and injustice, Amnesty International Philippine director Butch Olano said.

About two dozen supporters held a protest for de Lima, who was brought to a metropolitan Manila trial court Monday for a hearing, which was postponed.

We condemned what happened yesterday, said protester Charito del Carmen. Its painful for us because if she got killed what would happen to the fight for justice that weve been waging for her?

One of the three inmates stabbed a police officer who was delivering breakfast after dawn in an open area, where inmates can exercise outdoors. A guard in a sentry tower fired warning shots then shot and killed two of the prisoners when they refused to yield, police said.

The third inmate ran to de Limas cell and briefly held her hostage, Azurin said.

De Lima, 63, told investigators the hostage-taker tied her hands and feet, blindfolded her and pressed a pointed weapon to her chest and demanded access to journalists and a military aircraft to take him to southern Sulu province, where the Muslim militant group Abu Sayyaf has long had a presence.

The man continually threatened to kill her until he was gunned down by a police negotiator, she told investigators.

Following the jail violence, Filibon Tacardon said he and other de Lima lawyers were hoping the court would now grant her appeal for bail. There have also been appeals to place de Lima under house arrest.

De Lima has been detained since 2017 on drug charges she says were fabricated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials in an attempt to muzzle her criticism of his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. It left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead and sparked an International Criminal Court investigation as a possible crime against humanity.

She has been cleared in one of three cases, and at least two witnesses have retracted their allegations against her.

Duterte, who has insisted on de Limas guilt, stepped down from office on June 30 at the end of his turbulent six-year term.

Newly elected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talked to de Lima, who was confined in a hospital, by telephone and asked if she wanted to be transferred to another detention site but she rejected the offer, Azurin said.

Even before the jail violence, the European Union Parliament, some American legislators and United Nations human rights watchdogs have demanded that de Lima be freed immediately.

___

Associated Press journalist Aaron Favila contributed to this report.

By JIM GOMEZ and JOEAL CALUPITAN

Associated Press
Germany opens investigation of Baltic gas pipeline blasts View Photo

BERLIN (AP)  German prosecutors on Monday opened an investigation into the suspected sabotage of two gas pipelines built to bring Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

Undersea explosions late last month ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which until Russia cut off supplies at the end of August was its main supply route to Germany. They also damaged the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which never entered service as Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

German federal prosecutors, who investigate national security cases, said they have opened an investigation against persons unknown on suspicion of deliberately causing an explosion and anticonstitutional sabotage.

Prosecutors said that there is sufficient evidence that the pipelines were damaged by at least two deliberate detonations, and the aim of their investigation is to help identify the perpetrator or perpetrators as well as a possible motive.

The German investigation comes on top of a probe in Sweden. A prosecutor there said last week that evidence had been seized at the site.

The governments of Denmark and Sweden previously said they suspected that several hundred pounds of explosives were involved in carrying out a deliberate act of sabotage. The leaks from Nord Stream 1 and 2 discharged huge amounts of methane into the air.

German federal prosecutors said the reason for them getting involved as well is that an attack on energy supplies could affect Germanys external and domestic security. On Sunday, authorities said that two German boats had set off for the area where the leaks occurred to look into what happened.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of attacking the pipelines, which the United States and its allies vehemently denied.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office Vehicle View Photo

Jenny Lind, CA  Calaveras County Sheriffs officials report there was an officer-involved shooting early this morning in Jenny Lind.

Shots were fired between the suspect and law enforcement officials.

It was 2 a.m. when the phone banks in the Calaveras County Dispatch 911 Center started to light up. Callers reported a person shooting in an unsafe manner. Sheriffs spokesperson Lt. Greg Stark detailed, While checking the 7000 block of Gabor Road in Jenny Lind, the suspect shot at deputies.

For public safety and to contain the suspect deputies immediately set up a perimeter around the area, added Lt. Stark. Back up, which consisted of the Calaveras County SWAT, Tuolumne SWAT and the California Highway Patrol San Andreas Unit were called to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Lt. Stark disclosed, During the investigation, there was an Officer Involved Shooting.

A multi-agency officer-involved shooting protocol investigation is being conducted. To maintain the integrity of the investigation, there is no further information to release at this time.
Sacramento, CA  Governor Gavin Newsom says he wants to place a new tax on oil company profits, in an effort to reduce price gouging.

Newsom is planning to call a special session of the legislature to address the matter, and opponents are voicing concerns.

Californias average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is nearly $6.40 per gallon, which is $2.58 higher than the national average. California has the second highest excise gas tax in the country at around 54-cents per gallon (Pennsylvania is highest at 57-cents) and state environmental restrictions that impact the price of fuel.

However, Newsom says those factors do not justify a price of $2.58 higher than other states. Speaking to reporters, Newsom stated, Its time to get serious. Im sick of this. He indicated that he would like the revenue raised (from a tax increase on profits) returned to taxpayers in the form of rebates.

The Western States Petroleum Association has put out a statement in opposition that California should look at its energy policies, rather than implement a new tax.

Republican Assembly leader James Gallagher is also raising concerns, arguing that a tax increase is not the right approach to bring down gas prices.

The legislative session runs from January to August, so the special session would likely come sometime before that. Newsom has not stated when it will take place.
Tim Robertson and Marie Alvarado-Gil View Photo

Sonora, CA  Clarke Broadcasting will host the two candidates running for California Senate District Four in an upcoming radio forum.

The Mother Lode has been represented by Republicans in the California Senate over recent decades, but next year it will be a Democrat as the top two vote-getters in the June Primary were Tim Robertson and Marie Alvarado-Gil.

Both Robertson and Alvarado-Gil have agreed to take part in the radio forum. They will appear together at the Clarke Broadcasting studios in downtown Sonora for the recording next week, and it will air in its entirety on Wednesday, October 19 at 6pm on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML and streamed on myMotherLode.com (It will also be archived on myMotherLode.com for playback at any time).

One aspect of the forum will feature questions from the community. If you have a question for the Senate District Four candidates that you would like to submit for consideration, send it to news@clarkebroadcasting.com by this Friday, October 14.

As part of redistricting, the new Senate District Four seat covers all or parts of the counties of Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mono, Alpine, Inyo, Stanislaus, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Merced and Madera.

It will air the day before a Clarke Broadcasting Congressional Forum, with Republican Tom McClintock and Democrat Mike Barkley, click here for information. The General Election is on November 8.
Uvalde school chief plans to resign after community outrage View Photo

UVALDE, Texas (AP)  Uvaldes school district superintendent announced Monday he plans to resign by the end of the academic year, following months of community outrage over the handling of the United States deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade.

My heart was broken on May 24th, Hal Harrell said in a statement.

The Uvalde school board voted unanimously Monday evening to begin the search for Harrells successor.

Harrell, law enforcement, the school board, and other school officials have faced heavy criticism over their actions  and inaction  during the massacre of 19 fourth-graders and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. Officers allowed the shooter to remain inside a classroom for more than 70 minutes.

Texas lawmakers issued a damning report this summer that found systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making by both police and school officials.

Harrells resignation statement was posted on his wifes Facebook page because he said he doesnt have an account.

I have been blessed to work among amazing educators and staff who believe in education for more than 30 years, which have all been in our beautiful community. These next steps for our future are being taken after much reflection, and is completely my choice, he wrote.

The Facebook post, first reported by CNN, was initially made public on Monday but was no longer accessible a few hours later. The Uvalde school board did not respond to requests for a copy of Harrells statement.

The superintendents announcement comes a week after school district officials suspended the entire school police force.

Just a day earlier, the district fired a recently hired school police officer who had been a Texas state trooper on the scene at Robb Elementary when the shooting took place. The district hired the ex-trooper, Crimson Elizondo, even though school officials knew she was one of seven troopers on the scene, all of whom are under internal investigation for their actions that day. She had quit the Texas Department of Public Safety.

That these developments all come just a month into the new school year underscores the sustained pressure that families of some of the slain children and teachers have kept on the district.

In July, the Uvalde school board called a special meeting to hear from parents. At that meeting, Harrell apologized for previously being too formal and not letting victims families say their piece.

___

For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
Malaysian PM dissolves Parliament, calls snap polls View Photo

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Parliament will be dissolved Monday, paving the way for general elections that are expected to be held in early November.

The elections come nine months before Parliaments term expires, following calls for early polls from Ismails United Malays National Organization. UMNO, the biggest party in the ruling coalition, was feuding with its allies and is aiming for a big win on its own.

Ismail said he met Sunday with King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who consented to the dissolution. He said he decided to call early polls to counter criticism over the legitimacy of his government  the third since 2018 polls.

With this announcement, the mandate will be returned to the people. The peoples mandate is a powerful antidote to create a firm and stable government, Ismail said in a televised announcement.

The Election Commission is expected to meet within the week to announce a date for the vote, which must be held within 60 days from Parliaments dissolution.

In a statement issued by the palace, Sultan Abdullah voiced hope that the election will be held swiftly as the year-end monsoon season that starts mid-November often brings devastating floods. The monarch, who left late Sunday for a visit to London, said he has no choice but to approve Ismails request so people could vote for a stable government.

UMNOs allies in the government and opposition parties have protested plans for elections during the monsoon season, which last year killed more than 50 people and displaced thousands. But UMNOs top leaders decided recently that polls must be called this year for UMNO to capitalize on support of ethnic Malay voters, an opposition in disarray and before an expected softening in the economy next year.

Ismail Sabri has succumbed to pressure by his party UMNO, serving the shortest tenure as a PM, and entering the country into polls during a dangerous season of monsoon floods, said Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert with Malaysias Nottingham University.

UMNO believes it has the advantage with early polls and has maintained pressure as they hope to return to power as the dominant party, she said.

UMNO led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, but was brought down in 2018 elections by a multibillion-dollar financial scandal that saw ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak imprisoned for 12 years for graft. The partys current president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is also on trial for graft.

UMNO returned to power in March 2020 as part of a mainly Muslim coalition government after the reformist alliance led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad collapsed due to defections.

The new government was unstable due to a razor-thin majority in Parliament, and then-Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was forced to resign 17 months later after some UMNO lawmakers withdrew support for him.

Ismail, who was Muhyiddins deputy, was appointed by the king in August 2021 to take over the helm, returning the premiership to UMNO. But UMNO remained at odds with Muhyiddins Bersatu and another Islamic ally, who all vie for support from ethnic Malay Muslims who account for over 60% of Malaysias 33 million people.

In his speech Monday, Ismail also called for the dissolution of state assemblies to allow state polls to be held at the same time. Three UMNO-run states will follow suit but six other states controlled by the opposition and ally parties in Ismails government have said they would wait until next year. Four of the countrys 13 states had held polls earlier.

Unlike in 2018, when the opposition united under Mahathir, UMNO believes it has an edge with a fragmented opposition. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahims Hope Alliance, which won the 2018 polls, is the main contender but without Mahathirs support. Mahathir has formed his own Malay party, and a number of other smaller parties have also emerged.

UMNOs victory in several by-elections also led it to believe that Malays, who voted for Mahathir in 2018, are back with the party. Some critics accuse Zahid of hastening elections to seek a favorable outcome for his trial, which he denied.

This is an UMNO versus the people election. It is about Zahid becoming prime minister to resurrect the old order that was defeated in the 2018 election, said opposition lawmaker Liew Chin Tong.

The dissolution came three days after Ismails government unveiled a proposed 2023 budget that promised cash handouts and other benefits. The budget hasnt been passed by Parliament and a new government will have to prepare a new proposal. UMNO is expected to use generous budgetary promises to win over electoral support, with Ismail saying Monday that everyone will benefit from it.

Still, UMNO may face public wrath for rushing the polls amid the monsoon season. Heavy rains and thunderstorms already have caused floods in some parts of the country.

Mahathirs Pejuang party slammed UMNO for calling snap polls despite flood risks. It urged people to reject UMNO and send a clear message to them that the country belongs to the people.

One irony is that by going ahead (with elections), the opposition has been given a boost, said Welsh.

By EILEEN NG

Associated Press
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Patient readers, this Water Cooler will be light, because I was finishing up my smoking gun post on hospitals and airborne transmission. lambert

Bird Song of the Day

White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern), Roy H. Park Preserve, Tompkins, New York, United States.

* * *

Politics

But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51

Heres food for thought, had Ahab time to think; but Ahab never thinks; he only feels, feels, feels Herman Melville, Moby Dick

The logic of the insult and the logic of scientific classification represent the two extreme poles of what a classification may be in the social world. Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

Capitol Seizure

Text messages reveal what, exactly, the Jan. 6 crowd wanted Trump to do [Politico]. Central to prosecutors allegations is Rhodes and, more plainly, what his perceptions were of Trump in those critical moments. The Yale Law-educated Rhodes came to see political and courtroom paths as doomed for keeping Trump in power and the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act as the only viable way. So, the right-wing activist began promoting the Insurrection Act among fellow Oath Keepers, privately and publicly, urging them to also loudly call on Trump to take the extreme step of using the military and citizen militias to remain in office. But Rhodes also had a backup plan, according to the prosecution. If Trump failed to act, Rhodes said in the messages, the Oath Keepers would be ready to take matters into their own hands  even if it meant a bloody Civil War. The trial, as well as a parallel case prosecutors are building against the leaders of the pro-Trump Proud Boys, underscored the degree to which right wing extremist groups sought to operate in tandem with Trump. Ultimately, the prosecution alleges, they saw validation in his rhetoric as they maneuvered to prevent Joe Bidens inauguration. Rhodes defense lawyers have suggested that much of his fiery language, particularly in a pair of open letters he addressed to Trump, amounted to little more than hyperbole aimed at fundraising for the Oath Keepers. Ultimately, they note, Rhodes didnt enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, nor did he bring weapons with him. Instead, he remained just outside the building while the others can be seen on video joining the mob that surged into the building after police lines collapsed. But Rhodes own rhetoric alarmed even some members of his group, at least one of whom passed recordings and tips to the FBI  tips that werent acted upon until after Jan. 6.  And did Trump do those things?

Biden Administration

Pentagon: No sign Putin is planning to use nukes after Bidens Armageddon comment [Politico].  When the adults in the room are at the Pentagon, you know youre in trouble. Not bad: Biden names names of Republicans who voted against infrastructure and then asked for money. The President said, "I was surprised to see so many socialists in the Republican caucus." pic.twitter.com/CLz94aCGNb  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 7, 2022

2022

* * * PA: Why Senate hopeful John Fettermans masterful online trolling of Dr. Oz is working [Fast Company]. John Fetterman had a neat way of saying Hi everybody! to his entire electorate recently. The Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate tweeted a video comparing his opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, to The Simpsons quack Dr. Nick Rivieraan alumnus of Hollywood Upstairs Medical Collegeusing clips of Ozs many dubious miracle cures. The video proved so brutally effective that a wide array of media outlets contributed to its virality, doing the candidates work for him. Its just the latest example of Fettermans mastery of the comedic political hit job. His campaign has proven over and over again that, in the right candidates hands, Twitter trolling can have a devastating impact and a reach that goes far beyond the platform.  Show me the votes, though Again, I urge the theory that the real value of the online trolling is to distract the press with bright shiny objects (not a bad thing). I have yet to be shown it moves votes. PA: On Pennsylvanias campaign trail, the doctor will see you now [Politico]. Physicians across Pennsylvania are politicking in unprecedented ways with less than a month to go before the midterm election, making the case that the abortion restrictions proposed by Republicans would threaten one of the states most important economic sectors. Theyre flanking Democrats at campaign rallies and knocking on doors in flippable state legislative districts. They are registering patients and colleagues to vote. At town halls and in ads, they warn that doctors, residents and medical students will avoid a state where they could be prosecuted for helping a patient terminate a pregnancy  damaging one of the largest and most recession-proof pieces of the economy. Typically cautious establishment groups, such as the Pennsylvania Medical Society, are also sounding the alarm about the potential criminalization of physicians and urging lawmakers considering new abortion restrictions to stay out of the exam room, while doctors and doctors-in-training are forming newer advocacy groups like Medical Students for Choice, Physicians for Democratic Principles, Physicians for Shapiro and Fetterman, the Committee to Protect Health Care and VoteER.  Now do #MedicareForAll. Democrats need new blood, congresswoman says [Politico]. We need a new generation, Slotkin, who is 46, said. We need new blood, period, across the Democratic Party in the House, the Senate and the White House.'  A CIA Democrat

2024

Youngkin declines to say if he will run for president: 2024 is a long way away [The Hill]. I am focused on getting some Republican congressional candidates elected in Virginia and some governors elected around the nation, Youngkin said on CNN. 2024 is a long way away. And Im really humbled by the speculation, but right now Im very focused on Virginia.'  Humbled!

Democrats en Deshabille

Patient readers, it seems that people are actually reading the back-dated post! But I have not updated it, and there are many updates. So I will have to do that. lambert I have moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Party (the Democrat Party is a rotting corpse that cant bury itself) to a separate, back-dated post, to which I will periodically add material, summarizing the addition here in a live Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It turns out that defining the Democrat Party is, in fact, a hard problem. I do think the paragraph that follows is on point all the way back to 2016, if not before: The Democrat Party is the political expression of the class power of PMC, their base (lucidly explained by Thomas Frank in Listen, Liberal!). It follows that the Democrat Party is as unreformable as the PMC is unreformable ; if the Democrat Party did not exist, the PMC would have to invent it. If the Democrat Party fails to govern, thats because the PMC lacks the capability to govern . (PMC modulo class expatriates, of course.) Second, all the working parts of the Party reinforce each other. Leave aside characterizing the relationships between elements of the Party (ka-ching, but not entirely) those elements comprise a network  a Flex Net? An iron octagon?  of funders, vendors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with assets in the press and the intelligence community. Note, of course, that the class power of the PMC both expresses and is limited by other classes; oligarchs and American gentry (see industrial model of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to mind. Suck up, kick down. * * *

Republican Funhouse

A majority of GOP nominees  299 in all  deny the 2020 election results [WaPo]. Candidates who have challenged or refused to accept Joe Bidens victory  53 percent of the 569 analyzed by The Post  are running in every region of the country and in nearly every state. Republican voters in three states nominated election deniers in all federal and statewide races The Post examined. Far from repudiating candidates who embrace Trumps false fraud claims, GOP primary voters have empowered them.. The Republican fervor to elevate election deniers this midterm cycle comes at a time when pro-Trump allies and activists are continuing to doubt the administration of elections in the United States, demanding investigations of voter fraud and accusing state and local election officials of rigging races or using fraudulent voting equipment.  The difficulty here is fundamental: There is no way to prove that compiled code does not yield fraudulent results. Falsehoods, harassment stress local election offices in US [Associated Press]. Yet ever since former President Donald Trump began falsely claiming that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, Mickley, Whipkey and local election workers like them across the country have been inundated with conspiracy theories and election falsehoods, and hounded with harassment. Theyve been targeted by threats, stressed by rising workloads and stretched budgets. The stress and vitriol have driven many workers away, creating shortages of election office staff and poll workers. During Ohios second primary in August  an added burden for election officials stemming from partisan feuding over redistricting  Mickleys two clerks darted around the county all day filling in for absent poll workers. Two staff members husbands were enlisted to help. And then theres the stream of misinformation falsely alleging that voting systems across the country are riddled with fraud. Unfounded conspiracy theories about voting machines, manipulation of elections by artificial intelligence or ballot fixing have found a wide audience among Republicans.

Realignment and Legitimacy

Gloria Steinem, spook: in her memoirs, after countless stories of the CIA sponsoring torture, overthrowing governments, assassinating dissidents, and supporting genocides, steinem stated: the agency was completely different from its image; it was liberal, nonviolent and honorable." pic.twitter.com/a33WRPbCh1  marina oswald (@marina0swald) October 9, 2022 The whole thread is wild. NGOs as a counter-insurgency operation, for sure.

#COVID19

Patient readers: Friday I reconfigured the Covid-19 section. Since CDC will now make case data available only weekly, that data will become entirely useless for early warning purposes, instead of only partially useless, so I eliminated that section entirely. I will retain CDCs wastewater chart (still daily), and Walgreens positivity chart (still daily). For transmission, CDC also made Rapid Riser and Hospitalization weekly, so I have eliminated them, too. I will retain the CDC community transmission map (the red map), the CDC and Walgreens variant data, and the death rate (for as long as CDC supports them).

The net result is that the best early warning system for an oncoming surge will be wastewater, which has (a) spotty national coverage and (b) is routed through CDC with no check (except for the Biobot regional chart, which I gave up on because of its constant backward revisions). All this is a recipe for tragedy, especially when we consider that the only system that CDC explicitly built for early warning was the horrid and deceptive community levels metric (the green map), which by incorporating a lagging indicator (hospitalization), didnt provide early warning at all.

I will continue to aggregate Tweets, as before; modulo censorship, the Twitter may end up being the best early warning system we have. Meanwhile, if some experts are correct, we should get whatever the UK is having in a month or so. But maybe not! If we still seem to be on a plateau after Thanksgiving travel, I will reconfigure again, back to more emphasis on the economy (because I have sorely neglected business news).

 A success story:

In spring 2020, when other countries closed all schools, Sweden kept primary schools open, with mandatory in-person attendance and without protective measures such as testing or quarantines. Sweden then told the world COVID didn't spread in schools. It wasn't true.  https://t.co/U6KDY4mfSM  Virpi Flyg (@VirpiFlyg) October 8, 2022

* * *

 CDC: Nearly Every American Can Drop Wearing Masks Indoors [US News]. And the deck: COVID-19 transmission levels, however, remain high across the majority of the country. Good job, whatever beacon of sanity got that deck in there. More: According to CDC data, less than 1% of Americans live in a county with a high COVID-19 community level , where masking is recommended while inside. The majority of the country  79%  lives in a county with a low level, while 20% of the population lives in a medium level, where masking should be considered by those at-risk for severe COVID-19. CDC pushing its deranged and lethal community levels metric [bangs head on desk]. At least theyre committed to the bit! More sanity: Additionally, COVID-19 transmission levels remain high across the majority of the country, and a fall and winter COVID-19 surge is expected in the U.S. One warning sign of a coming surge is increasing coronavirus infections in Europe. Fifteen countries in the region are reporting increasing cases. Its the first spike in coronavirus cases across the region since the most recent BA.5 wave began, according to a report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.  To be fair, it looks like BA.4.6 is taking over here, not BA.5. But maybe that infection sink over there in the UK will have something entirely new in store for us! Just-in-time demasking, Rochelle, good job. Commentary:

There goes last shred of respect I had for cdc. I have a frontline colleague, just returned to work after months of absence due covid related heart failure. They'll get to be terrified for 40+ hours a week while seeing 100s of ppl a day smile in their face w/ CDC blessing.  plainol blackman (@PlainolBlackman) October 9, 2022

Im not the only one fed up to my back teeth with this smile power trip, then.

 And while were on CDC:

They asked us to make personal decisions about risk based on the data then lied about the risk and removed the data.  tern (@1goodtern) October 9, 2022

Yep, no question.

 So we go with the data we have:

 Yankee Candle reviews indicate that COVID is about surge again pic.twitter.com/b6j7qhaFob  Dr. Jorge Caballero stands with  (@DataDrivenMD) October 9, 2022

 There Is No Scent! What Yankee Candle Reviews Can Tell Us About Covid-19 Trends (press release) [Northeastern]. From June, still germane: Beauchamp took the Twitter joke and turned it into a full paperpresented at this weeks International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Mediathat examines the clear link between the no smell reviews and upticks in COVID-19 cases. The work follows a rising trend of researchers using online clues known as breadcrumbssuch as Google searches for restaurants that deliver chicken noodle soupto help predict the next surge in COVID-19 cases. In theory, if one follows trends like this, it could give us information that other data, like the number of hospitalizations in a given period, cannot.  However, Yankee Candle went viral. So now the test population is self-aware. Interesting article, though!

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 Maskstravaganza:

People are really making decisions and living life as if there's not an infectious disease out there that can kill or disable them. The next surges are going to be nasty AF. Masking requires so little, but our selfish hearts refuse to give.  Shay Stewart Bouley (@blackgirlinmain) October 9, 2022

This whole thread is quite bracing.

 Maskstravaganza: Since anecdotes are what we have now:

Keep masking, be safe. This isn't over. Thread to collect anecdotes of infection:#COVIDisAirborne  Jonathan Mesiano-Crookston #COVIDisAirborne (@jmcrookston) June 20, 2021

* * *

 Oh dear. Gastrointestinal symptoms:

Literally watching all my contacts in social media get sick over and over till they can't work or till they die, smiling the whole time and convinced it was food poisoning. This is astounding. Fucking America. Convincing people they can fake-grin their way out of a pandemic. FUCK  NY Times Bestselling Author Alisa Lynn Valdes  (@AlisaValdesRod1) October 9, 2022

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 Now, of course, we know that indeed children get sick from Covid. Too late for Sweden, sadly:

In spring 2020, when other countries closed all schools, Sweden kept primary schools open, with mandatory in-person attendance and without protective measures such as testing or quarantines. Sweden then told the world COVID didn't spread in schools. It wasn't true.  https://t.co/U6KDY4mfSM  Virpi Flyg (@VirpiFlyg) October 8, 2022

Wastewater

Wastewater data (CDC), October 4:

October 3:

An alert reader suggested taking a look at the MWRA data from the Boston area, and lo and behold:

Lambert here: This seems to have stalled. Then again, its a long weekend.

This is a seven-day average, mind you, so the rise is no fluke. (MRWA is divided into north and south sewersheds. Both are rising.) Let us also remember that the Boston area is not only the home of many, many students, its also a PMC center, and we have already seen one ginormous superspreader event from the conference in Boston. Boston also has a major international airport, another cause of spread.

Positivity

UPDATED From the Walgreens test positivity tracker, October 5:

-0.9%.

Readers, please click through on this, if you have a minute. Since Walgreens did the right thing, lets give this project some stats.

Transmission

Here is CDCs interactive map by county set to community transmission. (This is the map CDC wants only hospitals to look at, not you.)

Lambert here: I have to say, Im seeing more yellow and more blue, which continues to please. But is the pandemic over? Well.

NOTE: The case data driving this map has always been weekly, so it is not affected by CDCs decision.

Variants

Lambert here: Its beyond frustrating how slow the variant data is. I looked for more charts: California doesnt to a BA.4/BA.5 breakdown. New York does but it, too, is on a molasses-like two-week cycle. Does nobody in the public health establishment get a promotion for tracking variants? Are there no grants? Is there a single lab that does this work, and everybody gets the results from them? Additional sources from readers welcome [grinds teeth, bangs head on desk].

Variant data, national (Walgreens), September 24:

First appearance of BA.2.75 at Walgreens, confirming CDC data below.

UPDATED Variant data, national (CDC), September 17 (Nowcast off):

 Good framing:

Once more slowly for those at the back: Covid will be able to mutate past our immunity Covid will not be able to mutate past hepa filters  tern (@1goodtern) October 8, 2022

Deaths

Death rate (Our World in Data):

Total: 1,087,880  1,087,350 = 530 (530 * 365 = 193,450, which is todays LivingWith* number (quite a bit higher than the minimizers would like, though they can talk themselves into anything. Fluctuates quite a bit, but even the low numbers are bad). I have added an anti-triumphalist black Fauci Line. NOTE I may need to configure this as well. But I have reconfigured enough for one day.

Its nice that for deaths I have a simple, daily chart that just keeps chugging along, unlike everything else CDC and the White House are screwing up or letting go dark, good job.

 Theyre not enormous. Theyre normal:

The case fatality risk (the probability of dying upon being diagnosed) of COVID19 was estimated to be around 1% in early 2022. *Today*, if you're *triply vaccinated*, you have a *higher risk* of extended disability upon diagnosis of COVID19. https://t.co/mfOw6CYCGg  Chris J. Maddison (@cjmaddison) October 8, 2022

Learn to live with it.

The Gallery

My goodness:

Heading out this October Saturday? Leonora Carrington#womenartists pic.twitter.com/QqEW3vc58j  Mary Gregory (@MGregoryWriter) October 8, 2022

I had the idea, from the books on Bloomsbury and Woolfs circle I read when much younger, that Carringtoin was some sort of lightweight. Oops!

Guillotine Watch

Former Fed Chair Bernanke shares Nobel for research on banks [Associated Press].  I hate this timeline. Then again, is The Bernanke smarter than Yellen? Probably.

News of the Wired

Sadly, I am not feeling wired today. Perhaps tomorrow.

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Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From HH:

HH: From Canyon of the Eagles, in the Texas Hill Country about 60 miles northwest of Austin on the weekend of August 22, 2020. Fantastic! But why is a live oak called live?

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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:







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If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. William Shakespear, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 4.

So far, in the United States, we have been limited to teasing out the motivations for official denial or resistance to the aerosol/airborne transmission paradigm in hospital infection control from vague hints in published documents; in fact, from footnotes in official documents. To the best of my knowledge  and I do try to keep track  weve never had an official come right out and say Were not dealing with airborne transmission in hospitals because that would cost too much money. Well, now one has. Granted, the smoking gun is in Denmark. In this short and sweet post, Ill contextualize and present a Twitter thread where the smoking gun official appears.

To be fair, Eric Feigl-Ding amplified the thread, although I had flagged it previously in my meanderings through the aerosol community:

Basically, if they admit that #CovidisAirborne, then retrofitting hospitals and office buildings and schools just gets expensive and inconvenient on corporate / govt budgets. https://t.co/rDa280xwHU  Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 9, 2022

However, I am not the sort of person to be satisfied with context-free images of tweets, especially where I dont know the players. So herewith the context.

Here are the protagonists in the thread amplified by Feigl-Ding (as I have excerpted and translated it)[1]. There are four laypeople:

1) Fritze Heisterberg @fcandersen (joined 2011); 2) Marianne Ern @ErnoeMarianne (2011); 3) Christina Brndsholm Andersen @CBroendsholmA (2017), a choregrapher; 4) Peter Favrholdt @pfavr (2009), a cookware entrepreneur.

(I give the dates they joined to show were not dealing with trolls. Also, my Danish search skills are bad, so I cant dope out anything about Heisterberg and Ern beyond their Twitter profiles.

Finally, there is:

5) Stinus Lindgreen @stinuslindgreen (2009), a Danish scientist and politician, and a member of the Folketing [Parliament] for the Social Liberal Party. More importantly for our purposes, Lindgreen is chair of Denmarks Epidemic Committee[2], hence an elected, hence also a reasonably high official in a position to speak with authority about the inner workings of government decision-making in the pandemic.

The thread takes place during and/or in response to a one-day workshop on aerosols at Denmarks Statens Serum Institut on October 4, 2020. Lindgreen attended, and in his first tweet below supplies a shot of the schedule (aerosol smitte/aerosol infection) and a shot of a presenter and venue:

And now to the interesting part: The transcript. What we have here, it feels like to me, is a ordinary citizens badgering one of their electeds about aerosols, and cornering him into some interesting admissions. (The population of Denmark is a bit under six million, a scale which permits such a thing.[3]) The original Tweets, in Danish, are italic. Google translations follow in Roman. Lindgreens name is bold. His two smoking guns are underlined.

Fritze Heisterberg / @fcandersen Oct 4 j jeg gad godt vre en flue pa vggen og hre @AKiversen fortlle om aerosolsmitte og den uenighed @stinuslindgreen mener der var om det emnedet er alligevel imponerende den uenighed fortstter! Oh, Id love to be a fly on the wall and hear @AKiversen talk about aerosol contamination and the disagreement @stinuslindgreen thinks there was on that topicits still impressive that the disagreement continues! Stinus Lindgreen / @stinuslindgreen Oct 4 Efter den officielle abning af Folketinget sidder jeg nu pa @SSI_dk til en hel dags workshop om bekmpelse af aerosolsmitte. Indtil videre rigtig spndende indlg om udluftning, filtrering og smitterisiko. #dkpol #sundpol After the official opening of the Folketinget, I am now sitting at @SSI_dk for a full-day workshop on combating aerosol infection. So far, really interesting posts about ventilation, filtration and risk of infection. #dkpol #sundpol Stinus Lindgreen / @stinuslindgreen Oct 4 Jeg sagde ikke, der var uenighed om, hvorvidt smitten er luftbaren eller ej. Det handlede mere om balancer i handteringen. I didnt say there was disagreement about whether the infection is airborne or not. It was more about balance in handling. Fritze Heisterberg / @fcandersen Oct 4 Hvilken smitte prcist mener du for pt omtales Covid-19 ikke som luftbaren smitte i dansk regi/udadtil til danskerne! Og tak for prciseringville godt have vret der alligevel Which infection exactly do you mean because currently Covid-19 is not referred to as an airborne infection under Danish auspices/externally to the Danes! And thanks for the clarificationwould have been there anyway Stinus Lindgreen / @stinuslindgreen Oct 4 Det er en strid om ord  ogsa i denne forsamling. Men enighed om at smitten sker via den luft, vi deler. It is a dispute about words  also in this assembly. But agreement that the infection occurs via the air we share. Fritze Heisterberg / @fcandersen Oct 4 Overfor befolkningen er det rligtalt ikke ok! Og det er jo ikke bare en strid pa ord det handler jo ogsa om hvordan der handles i hverdagen. For man kan ikke undga luftbaren smitte med handvask eller? In front of the population, it is honestly not ok! And its not just a dispute about words, its also about how you act in everyday life. Because you cant avoid airborne infection with hand washing, can you? Stinus Lindgreen / @stinuslindgreen Oct 4 Det handler mere om, hvad det betyder for praktikken pa hospitaler. It is more about what it means for practice in hospitals .

Above is Smoking Gun #1. Apparently, theres some practice more important than protecting patients from a highly infectious airborne disease. (Id speculate this is Hospital Infection Control, in hospitals and at WHO, but I cant back that up yet.)

Fritze Heisterberg / @fcandersen Oct 4 Men som sagt det handler ikke bare om . Men om smitteforbyggelse generelt hele vejen rundt i samfundet og eks offtenlig transport. En del af smitteforbyggelsen er i [Denmark flag] ogsa man for fortalt hvordan covid-19 og influenza smitter. For pt bliver der rabt handvask fr udluftning! But as I said, its not just about . But about infection prevention in general throughout society and e.g. public transport. Part of infection prevention is in [Denmark flag] also telling how covid-19 and influenza are contagious. For now, hand washing before venting is being shouted at! Stinus Lindgreen / @stinuslindgreen Oct 4 Betegnelsen luftbaren betyder i dansk kontekst noget for, hvilke krav det stilles til indretning af isolationsstuer osv. Det var pointen. Konsekvensen af de mudrede udmeldinger kender vi. In the Danish context, the term airborne means something for the requirements for the design of isolation rooms, etc. That was the point. We know the consequences of the muddy announcements. Peter Favrholdt / @pfavr Oct 5 Det betyder ogsa meget for hvordan vi indretter os udenfor hospitalerne. Udluftning, HEPA, eller man kan ga udendrs. Hvad med skoler? It also means a lot to how we arrange ourselves outside the hospitals. Ventilation, HEPA, or you can go outdoors. What about schools? Fritze Heisterberg / @fcandersen Oct 5 Prcis! Exactly! Stinus Lindgreen / @stinuslindgreen Oct 4 Men derudover er jeg ikke uenig med dig. Jeg har rejst sprgsmalet utallige gange, og det tog som bekendt lang tid, fr udluftning blev en del af de officielle anbefalinger. But other than that, I dont disagree with you. I have raised the issue countless times and as you know it took a long time for venting to become part of the official recommendations .

Seems familiar!

Christina Brndsholm Andersen / @CBroendsholmA Oct 4 Det er ikke godt nok nsten 3 ar inde i pandemien. De danske sundhedsmyndigheder ma kommunikere klart ud at den primre smittevej er luftbaren og at den bedste beskyttelse er ventilation, HEPA luftrensere og FFP2/3 masker. Danskerne spritter fortsat hnder mod en luftbaren virus It is not good enough almost 3 years into the pandemic. The Danish health authorities must communicate clearly that the primary route of infection is airborne and that the best protection is ventilation, HEPA air purifiers and FFP2/3 masks. The Danes continue to spread their hands against an airborne virus Marianne Ern / @ErnoeMarianne Oct 4 Sgu da ikke bare pa hospitaler!! Har du ingenting forstaet? Dont just go to hospitals!! Didnt you understand anything? Stinus Lindgreen / @stinuslindgreen Oct 4 Jeg prver bare at forklare, hvorfor man ikke brugte denne betegnelse i Danmark  fordi det ville have konsekvenser for indretningen af hospitaler. Im just trying to explain why this designation was not used in Denmark  because it would have consequences for the layout of hospitals .

Above is Smoking Gun #2. Health of patients not the first concern of hospitals, apparently.
By Asher Elbein, a writer based in Austin, Texas. His work has appeared in The Oxford American, the Texas Observer, and The Bitter Southerner. Originally published at Undark.

A little over a decade ago, Jason Gleditsch was removing Asian honeysuckle when he noticed the birds. Robins and gray catbirds flocked around the thickets in autumn, attracted by the fat, ripe fruits. Originally introduced as ornamental plants in the early 20th century, Asian honeysuckle rapidly spread across the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, growing in dense stands that can shade out native plants. Conservationists often destroy these clumps. But Gleditsch, then an undergrad at Pennsylvania State University, noted something interesting: Native bird species seemed more drawn to the honeysuckle patches.

Intrigued, Gleditsch conducted a set of experiments  removing honeysuckle in some places, placing potted native plants in others, and counting birds. Not only did many native bird species adore honeysuckle, he wrote in a 2010 paper, they also consumed the fruits of native plants placed near the thickets at a noticeably higher rate, potentially helping increase the spread of their seeds.

The response was immediate. While some biologists were interested by the findings, Gleditsch said, others dismissed them as unimportant. And angry emails and handwritten letters arrived calling him a hack. It was kind of difficult, to be honest, Gleditsch told Undark in a recent interview. And it showed how emotionally charged this topic can be.

Over the last century, biologists have warned of the dire consequences of introducing alien organisms into new ecosystems; a whole field of study, called invasion science, has extensively cataloged the resulting damage. When some researchers, like Gleditsch, have suggested that certain alien species may help ecosystems, theyve been met with fierce debate from invasion scientists who worry that such studies are a distraction from real damage. Researchers on the other side of the debate, however, argue that the relentless focus on the damage risks missing equally important data, and could lead to management decisions that do more harm than good.

In August, an international group of experts in invasion biology weighed in, suggesting in the journal PLOS Biology a new framework for classifying the positive impacts of alien species. Its an attempt some researchers feel marks a shift in the field toward a more holistic approach  and one that many agree could have serious implications for how invasive species are studied and managed.

The field of invasion science arose in the late 1950s, a time of growing awareness that ecosystems across the world were under serious threat. Introduced species were a kind of natural experiment, said Daniel Simberloff, a prominent invasion biologist now at the University of Tennessee, and the results didnt look good. Insects like the emerald ash borer and fungi like chestnut blight have devastated American forests. Mesquite took over South African rangeland. Rabbits and cats chewed up flora and fauna in the Australian bush, while feral hogs rooted through farmers fields throughout the American South.

Conservationists have tried to tamp down these flare-ups with targeted campaigns of suppression and extermination. But these strategies can be expensive, Simberloff said, and global trade continually brings organisms into new landscapes. In 2014, the need for a simple, usable framework to measure harm caused by non-native organisms  and thus help with their control  led to the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa, or EICAT, a standardized global tool for assessing the species negative effects.

But while the damage done by some invasives was clear, the notion that they were always an inherent threat to native ecosystems troubled some researchers, said Jens-Christian Svenning, a researcher with the Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World at Swedens Aarhus University. A few critics of the field saw a heavy, unthinking bias toward nativism and, perhaps, xenophobia. Others pointed out that ecosystems might be more receptive to some alien species than the field assumed, Svenning said, noting potential biases in how scientists measured damage, and asked whether the benefits alien species might offer were going unstudied.

Some of these criticisms provoked furious responses. The nativism question in particular rankled: In a fiery 2003 paper, Simberloff accused those raising such criticism of ignoring damage done by invasives and declared nativism allegations unconvincing if not tortuous. A 2016 paper raised hackles by declaring much of the criticism a form of science denial.

Still, the possibility that positive impacts were being overlooked wasnt so easily ignored, and a growing movement of researchers began asking for a framework that could help measure them, said Giovanni Vimercati, an invasion biologist at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland and lead author on the recent PLOS Biology paper. Vimercati worked with a team of prominent invasion biologists  including several whod helped write the EICAT  to create the EICAT+ in order to collate these sorts of findings. The team gathered papers on over 100 alien organisms with reported positive impacts: giant tortoises that had helped native trees on the Mascarene islands, east of Madagascar, vegetation like exotic lovegrass and saltcedar that helped birds thrive in Arizona, and alien trees in Puerto Rico that helped repair soil structure and provide vital cover for native animals.

Vimercati and his colleagues scored the papers based the replicability of the data and the intensity of the aliens effects on native populations, through mechanisms such as providing food, shelter, or helping species disperse. Were measuring the impacts on native species, Vimercati said, which is allowing us to compare species that arent closely related to each other.

Minor changes to a new ecosystem  an alien plant attracting pollinators to nearby native plants, for example  might help individuals from a native species without boosting their population numbers. A moderate change, such as Pennsylvanian birds thriving on Asian honeysuckle fruit, helps grow a native species population. The much rarer major and massive changes occurred when aliens led to native species expanding their territory or being saved from extinction  for example, when introduced ladybugs helped to devour pests afflicting native trees on the island of St. Helena.

One issue the study has run into, Vimercati acknowledged, is a severe lack of data. In general, most introduced species havent been subjected to close scrutiny. (There are only so many grad students willing to devote a decade to studying an animal that may or may not be a problem, and small things  from insects to microbes  often get short shrift.) And of the papers that do exist, some suggest benefits of invasive species without providing much supporting evidence.

But theres also a bit of unconscious bias at play, Vimercati said. For decades, invasion biologists have focused their attention on negative impacts, and as a result, accumulated a lot of data pointing in that direction. Now, he added, were reaching a moment where were considering positive impacts that in the past were simply overlooked.

For some researchers, the idea that invasion science is shifting at all is overblown. The field has long acknowledged the potential for positive impacts, said Simberloff. To name one example: In 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture called for a halt on eradication efforts of the invasive saltcedar, a deciduous shrub found throughout the southwest. While the saltcedar may reshape desert streams, it also serves as habitat for the endangered willow flycatcher. Usually were trying to deal with the negative impact, but I cant think of a case where we didnt bear in mind that there may be other factors, especially for species that are long established, Simberloff said. EICAT+ simply represents a formalization of that process.

It suggests that, Oh, weve been doing it all wrong, weve been thinking about it all wrong all this time. You see, invasive species are really good, she said. Theres a camp thats been beating that drum for quite a long time, and there are many of us in the field that find that problematic. I think that in terms of language, we have to be very careful about how we describe EICAT+.

Other researchers, however, pointed out a noticeable change over the past few years in the tenor of both arguments and research questions. Several noted that the 26 authors of the EICAT+ are prominent, well-respected invasion scientists, many of whom who participated in shaping the EICAT. People are less conservative, said Ross Shackleton, a biologist with the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research. Previously species have been labeled as harmful simply because they werent native, he said, whereas today theres increasing acceptance that some species are worse than others.

In May 2022, a survey of 698 invasion scientists and practitioners published by Shackleton and colleagues  including Vimercati  suggested that the field is still split by active and contentious debate. But notably, the survey found broad agreement that alien species should be regulated as innocent until proven guilty (76 percent agree) and that the field desperately needs more consistency and clarity on definitions for terms like invasive (81 percent agree). And more than half of respondents supported the idea that invasiveness should be defined by impact, not just by spread, and that they may have biological benefits.

Despite these findings, the field will still explore the negative effects of invasive species. Several researchers pointed out that its often better to hedge when it comes to newly emerging non-native species and try to control them early. Theres a lot that we dont know, Meyerson said. But we do know that some invasions have been incredibly harmful and expensive, and have caused many extinctions in the past, she said: her concern is that we dont disregard that  we work carefully, rationally, and reasonably and deal with what the datas telling us.

But just as recognizing potential positive impacts doesnt cancel out negative ones, Vimercati said, the reverse is also true: Alien organisms interactions with native ecosystems can be extremely complex, and taking a more holistic view is vital for making careful management decisions. What if, for example, researchers seeking to remove alien species accidentally get rid of an organism thats helping declining natives? In the Ogasawara islands of Japan, a 2010 study found that native land snails were hiding from invasive rats in groves of invasive trees. Where the trees were cut down, the snail populations declined.

Or consider the disturbed rainforests of Hawaii, Gleditsch said, where most native birds have long since been wiped out, and alien birds now act as the primary seed dispersers. So if you remove the non-native birds, he said, theres not going to be anything to disperse seeds, which is critical for forest stability and functioning.

This is where everything becomes complicated, Vimercati said. And thats why we think we need this kind of scheme.
Frustrated with their inability to sink the Russian economy as sanctions blowback continues to bite the so-called collective West, the US and EU have been trying to find new ways to impose costs on Russia. The latest is in the scraping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel eight round of EU sanctions on Russia, of sanctioning a third country that tries selling a product to the EU that has Russian steel in it. Except there could be some method in this seeming madness. It may be another measure to punish Turkiye, which in the eyes of the US and the other NATO members, has gotten altogether too cozy with Russia.

Since your humble blogger is not a steel expert, any reader input very much appreciated.

As much as the US/NATO countries fulminated about how other countries should not do business with nasty Russia and have saber-rattled about imposing secondary sanctions, so far theyve gotten a lot of mileage without trying secondary sanctions, which risk being ignored, or in the case of China, retaliation. Bank sanctions, sanctions on Russian tankers, and self sanctioning has had plenty of impact on commerce, but not in the way the West intended in terms of who is bearing the big costs. For instance, African countries have made clear that sanctions on financial institution have made it hard for them to buy fertilizer, yet the US takes the position that they havent sanctions Russian fertilizer, so they have nothing to do with the other impediments to buying it (much the less the resulting increase in hunger).

As The Diplomat explained in March:

Secondary sanctions are highly controversial. Unlike primary sanctions, which prohibit companies and individuals in the sanctioning country from engaging with their counterparts in the sanctioned country, secondary sanctions have extraterritoriality and presuppose that the third nation has adopted a neutral position. As a result, secondary sanctions are often interpreted as U.S. overreach.

China, India, the Saudis, Turkiye, and the Global South have for the most part ignored US pressure to stop doing business with Russia, particularly purchases of energy. Notice on this supposedly top-priority initiative, the G-7 is not attempting to impose secondary sanctions. The US has repeatedly tried arm-twisting countries to follow the G-7 oil cap scheme, which is still scheduled to go into effect, despite the most likely result being a spike in oil prices and a fracturing of the oil market. It will soon be a misnomer to call many important Russian raw materials commodities if markets for them become balkanized.

So what to make of the generally-ignored steel sanctions in the eighth EU package? Two factors to keep in mind: steel has generally been in global oversupply. European steel is set to be very uncompetitive as a result of high energy costs. Thus just the way the EU cutting itself off from Russia energy will lead to de-industrialization, blocking access to Russian energy-intensive products will only make matters worse.

Politico depicted the steel sanctions as leaky:

Ukrainian officials are demanding that the EU crack down on sanctions loopholes. A gaping one still allows Europeans to trade steel worth billions that enriches some of Russian President Vladimir Putins closest allies. There are more than 3,500 different types of steel products used in manufacturing, construction and the car industry. The EU banned Russian finished steel products, but Russian semi-finished steel products, known as semis, are not on the sanctions list A handful of European companies, in particular those in the re-rolling business rely heavily on Russian imports. These days, European companies are buying Russian steel semis about 30 percent cheaper than the same product made in the EU, according to the industry player, in large part because of energy prices skyrocketing within the bloc since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Even the normally detail-oriented Hellenic News did not mention the secondary sanctions but found other problems:

The European Council has adopted its eighth sanctions package against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which expands its ban on the import of Russian steel products to include semi-finished steel, the European Commission said in an Oct. 6 statement. The EU previously banned imports of finished steel from Russia as part of sanctions imposed in March, while some semi-finished and raw material suppliers had also been previously hit by sanctions imposed on specific companies and individuals However, nine large companies, including European steel rerollers and traders, sent a joint letter to the EC Sept. 27 underlining the risk of sanctioning input materials for the rerolling business model in Europe. According to the letter, any import ban on semi-finished steel products, such as slabs, billets, and blooms from Russia would have consequences for the industry, such as unemployment and price spikes, as there were no other real options for substituting the supply with alternative producers.

However, Twitterati caught the secondary sanctions:

EUs eighth sanctions package includes a so-called melt and pour clause which will prohibit imports of finished steel products from third countries made with the use of Russian substrate in a year. The decision will close the loopholes of the previous package regarding steel.  Metal Expert (@MetalExpert) October 9, 2022

I cannot stress this enough. This is BIG. Essentially, under Russian sanctions, the EU is banning imports of certain steel and iron products from ANY COUNTRY, if they are made from Russian steel and iron. These are secondary sanctions, in a way. Extraterritorial. /31  Tomasz Wlostowski (@TomWlost) October 7, 2022

But who imports steel from Russia and exports things that might contain steel to Europe? Looks like this is aimed at Turkiye. This is dated but one assumes Turkiye remains a significant export market for Russian steel:

2020 data shows that Turkiyes leading exports to the EU sure look like theyd have a fair bit of steel in them:

The EUs imports from Turkey were worth 62.6 billion and were led by machinery and transport equipment (24.1 billion, 38.5%), clothing (8.3 billion, 13.3%), and agriculture and raw materials (5.3 billion, 8.5%).

Recall that the US and EU are furious that NATO member Turkiye signed a big economic deal with Russia and is also agreed to buy a second batch of the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system. The US threatened to sanction Turkiye banks and kick them off SWIFT if they adopted Russias Mir card and they all backed off. Nevertheless, Russia and Turkiye are looking at other arrangements, albeit likely more combersome.

Former British civil servant David thinks this scheme is fraught:

The obvious issues are how the fact that the steel is of Russian origin would be known/policed in practice (are all steel products coming into the EU going to be tested? Are they going to disassemble washing machines?) and whether they even have the right to do this under WTO rules. This effectively makes other nations into agents of the EU in enforcing sanctions. How are the Chinese going to like this?

Keep your eyes out as to if and when other shoes drop. Turkiye has never gotten much respect from Europe despite its geopolitical importance. Ironically, one big reason Turkiye might continue to accept this abuse is that it will want NATO and the EU as a counterweight to Russia if Russia takes Odessa.
Yves here. John Helmers sources contend that Russia has been taking out more of Ukraines electricity generating capacity than is widely acknowledged and is doing what amounts to reconnaissance in force on Ukraines power infrastructure.

Notice the scenario below of an electricity winter. No electricity = not enough heat = burst pipes. Normally frozen pipes are a not-too-costly problem, but that presupposes the owner/tenant is home or back soon and turns off the main. I invite experts to comment.but it seems as if much greater damage could result, and not infrequently, due to leaking. And theres a second order problem, that differences in degree are differences in kind. Widespread burst pipes will put pressure on supplies and professionals. And remember Ukraines GDP contraction is depression-level, so its not as if there will be a lot of money around to fix things.

Russia is having an emergency security council meeting tomorrow and Western press outlets are reporting that it will decide what retaliatory measures to take in response to the Kerch bridge attack. Larry Johnson argues Putin wont stoop to that, but sentiment in Russia is running high. Yours truly thought Russia might hit Ukraines electrical grid again, as it did after the Kharkiv offensive, although those strikes looked as if Russia choses its targets so as to only do readily repaired damage. However, an alternative would be to take out a bridge (as opposed to merely damage it). As Alexander Mercouris has repeatedly pointed out, bridges are hard to destroy because they are so overengineered. However, a hypersonic missile could do it, and strikes by some of Russias more powerful ballistic missiles probably could too.

Update: As you likely know by now (shortly after this post went live), Russia has launched 75 missiles so far at Ukraine cities, per the BBC, and this attack may not be over.

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

In the propaganda war the Ukrainian-supplied western media, led by Rupert Murdochs newspapers, have just announced the discovery of a box of gold teeth in a suspected [sic] Russian torture chamber, prompting claims [sic] they were wrenched from victims [sic] of President Putins occupying forces in Kharkov [sic]. .

They are concealing that the Ukrainians of Kharkov whose teeth are fully intact inside their mouths can no longer operate their electric tooth brushes. Theres no electricity. Not for torture. Just enough for the allegations to be fabricated, published, and transmitted on the internet.

According to Ukrainian sources, about 1,700 cities, towns and villages, with about 1 million consumers, were without power in mid-March; the most seriously affected were the regions of Sumy, Chernigov, Nikolaev and Donetsk. . On May 3, Ukrainian and western media reported a missile strike against power plants in the western Galicia region capital of Lvov; sub-stations supplying electricity to the railway system in the region were also hit. The biggest of the Russian attacks on Ukrainian electricity plants was reported in the western press, again quoting Kiev sources, on September 11-12. Power plants in Kharkov, Sumy, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk regions were stopped.

A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), issued on October 6, confirms there was a sharp fall in consumer demand for electricity following these attacks; this appears as a gap in the data chart between September 11 and 13. Kiev officials claimthat the generating plants were repaired and power restored. The IEA report, which relies and repeats data provided by the state utility Ukrenergo, claims that just before the Russians strikes, demand was running at 9.07 GW on Saturday, September 10, and that by the following Tuesday it was 13.56 GW.

According to the IEA, Ukraines electricity demand has fallen by about 40% since Russias invasion with no sign of recovery. Demand keeps decreasing slowly every week. The resulting decline in power generation has mainly taken place in nuclear. But coal-fired generation has also decreased. An IEA chart of power generation figures shows that from a peak of 21.87 GW on January 25, the production of electricity reported on October 5 had fallen to 11.41 GW  a cut of 48%.

However, the same IEA report claims that since a low point was reached on June 26 of 9.13 GW, Ukrenergo has also been managing to restore output by 25%.

A North American military specialist in infrastructure demolition and salvage, now retired, says these data are being faked by Ukrenergo. The Russian strikes also interrupt data recording and reporting. The Ukrainians are not too keen to show weakness as they are anxious to be seen as a reliable supplier of electricity.

Slowly but surely, but also secretly, the war is destroying the electric generation on which the Ukraine depends for everything  trains, water pumps, sewage treatment, light, heat, mobile telephones, refrigerators, radio and television, not to mention production lines in factories, in abattoirs, sausage making and other farm and food processing.

However, there remains electricity for the Ukrainian military operations to continue on the eastern front, and for cross-border trains to run into Lvov from Poland with fresh arms, ammunition, and rotating allied military staff advisers, together with NATO politicians and journalists keen to advertise their support.

In the wake of the attack on the Crimean Bridge, the electric war can now be expected to escalate.

In this Ukrainian report of March 2022, the base installed generating capacity of the country was reported at 56GW at 2020  64% from thermal power plants, 25% nuclear and 10% hydro. The remaining 1%, offset by some hydro storage, was accounted for by solar, wind and other small generators.

Source: Olga Sushyk, Deputy Director of the Centre for European Studies at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law, and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv: Ukraines Power System: Power and War, published on March 17, 2022.

Source for enlarged view: file:///D:/Backups/Downloads/

Source: Lyudmila Vlasenko, Head of Electricity Sector Development Unit, Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and Coal Sector  report titled Power System of Ukraine: Today and Tomorrow, July 2013. Since July of this year DTEK, the generation company owned by Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, has reported that about 90% of Ukraine's wind capacity and 30% of solar parks are offline because they are in occupied territories.

The Sushyk-Shevchenko report says that due to damage to the electricity infrastructure, as of March 16, 2022, more than 1,679 Ukrainian localities remained without electricity  thats about 928,000 consumers. The worst situation with electricity supply is in Sumy, Chernigov, Nikolaev, Kiev, and Donetsk regions.

An earlier background briefing paper from the International Energy Agency (IEA), dated 2021, confirms the pre-war details. Heres IEAs backgrounder on Ukrainian electricity generation, apparently as of 2018.

The IEA also publishes daily updated charts of the collapse of Ukrainian electricity production; these are based on data supplied by Ukrenergo. These charts show the losses as of October 9.

The same source also shows this chart of Ukrainian electricity demand; demand responds to the cutoff of coal, gas and nuclear fired generating plants by increasing use of domestic electrical heaters and back-up electrical generators.

Source: https://www.iea.org/

Since 2014 Ukraine has lost a third of its energy generation which had been located in the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Another 10 power plants were lost in 2014-2015, and seventeen more in 2022, according to a new assessment publishedlast Friday in Vzglyad of Moscow by Nikolai Storozhenko.

Zaporozhye NPP [Nuclear Power Plant] stands out among them, of course. But this does not mean that the others are not worth attention. For example, the Zaporozhye thermal power plant (Energodar) has an installed capacity of more than 3,500 MW and can potentially produce 23-25 billion kWh (the annual plan for the NPP for 2022 was 37 billion kWh). In other words, the loss of this energy supply is a hole which, practically, the Ukraine can do nothing to close, and which will largely determine the problems of the Ukrainian winter of 2022/23.

Ukraine lost another 4% of electricity generation as a result of the fighting from February to September, according to the assessment of the National Council for the Restoration of Ukraine. However, it is obvious that these data do not take into account the blows to the energy infrastructure which were inflicted on September 11-12 (Kharkov CHPP-5, Zmievskaya CHPP, Pavlodar CHPP-3, Kremenchug CHPP). In general, the damage and reduction in the capacity of the energy system looks enormous for Ukraine and it is not entirely clear how Zelensky manages to sell electricity to Europe against this background.

But, firstly, sales [to Europe] will soon stop, which Zelensky has already warned Europe about, declaring recently: We will not have enough volume to heat our homes, and this time is approaching. Secondly, Ukraines energy system is losing power simultaneously with a decrease in consumptionYury Korolchuk, an expert at the Institute of Energy Strategies [Kiev], is urging consumers to be ready for five to six-hour rolling blackouts. Rolling blackouts are not news for Ukraine, but the realities of the last few years. Moreover, this year in the reports on the procurement of fuel for the winter, firewood began to appearand the mayor of Lvov said in August that the city is buying and stocking wood for fuel.

What about gas supply? In the summer, Naftogaz asked for several billion dollars to purchase 5-7 billion cubic meters of gas  to bring reserves to 19 billion cubic meters. But there was no money for this  and to date, only 14 billion cubic meters have been accumulated. On the one hand, the situation for gas is about the same as with electricity: consumption is falling. Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkov regions are either completely written off, or their supplies will be cut to a minimum. In most cities of Kharkov, Donetsk, Nikolaev, Sumy, Chernogov regions and Zaporozhye there will be no heating. There will be no gas in winter, there will be light periodically  such a frightening forecast was published in the Telegram channelhalf of this sources forecasts come true  and they shout loudly about them. The second half does not come true  and no one remembers about them.

But in this case, the forecast is not groundless.[Ukrainian state] Naftogaz is delaying the conclusion of gas supply contracts with the gas distribution companies in the Kharkov and Dniepropetrovsk regions. At this point, it is worth remembering how, back in early summer, Zelenskys office directly told the residents of the Donetsk region: go wherever you want, there will be no heating in winter.

In other words, the Ukrainian strategy is something like this. There are the combat areas and those adjacent to them. There the population has already dispersed or has greatly decreased; there is a risk of attacks on the facilities themselves and fuel depots. So, it is in these areas that it will be hardest to winter. It will be more comfortable for Kiev which has its own thermal power plants and there is an opportunity to add power from western Ukrainian nuclear power plants, and for the Galician region of western Ukraine [Lvov]. Also, there are about three to four million internally displaced people in Ukraine who have resettled mainly in these regions. Who should be kept without electricity and gas: the half-empty areas of the Zaporozhye region or Kiev? The choice is obvious.

This is how the Ukrainian energy experts view their choice from Kiev. The strategic options for the Russian General Staff and Kremlin remain secret, if not undecided.

In the aftermath of the Crimean Bridge attack, Moscow television figures like Vladimir Soloviev have broadcast calls to extend the military campaign westward to Lvov and the Polish border. It is obvious, Soloviev said on Saturday, that the NATO command took part in the development of this [Crimean Bridge] sabotage What is our plan? Not to follow the enemys scenario, but to disrupt their plans, striking unexpected blows in directions where the enemy is not anticipating them. Ukraine should be plunged into dark times. Bridges, dams, railways, thermal power plants, and other infrastructure facilities should be destroyed throughout the territory of Ukraine. There should be no administrative office building operating in both Kiev and Lvov. And not only that.

Left: a screen shot of a Kharkov substation after the September 11-12 attacks. Centre: Vladimir Soloviev, Moscow broadcaster and advocate for escalation. Russian and Crimean government officials are quieting the tone by announcing that train traffic on the Crimean Bridge has already resumed; that one road span is undamaged and will resume operation shortly; and replacement of the damaged road span will follow.

A combined US and European Union (EU) plan to link the Ukrainian electricity grid to the EU system, and thus provide supply back-up in case the Ukrainian grid was attacked by the Russian Army, has already failed. A US publication headlined the attempt The Race to Rescue Ukraines Power Grid From Russia; click to read.

The test was years in the making, one of the final rituals in a drawn-out courtship between the Ukrainian and European power grids known as synchronization. But before it could join with Europe, Ukrenergo first had to prove it could keep the lights on without its connections to Belarus and Russiain island mode. The plan was to reconnect with its neighbours after a few days. Then in 2023 it would switch on the links with Europe.

Thats not what happened. Instead, on February 24, the same day as the test, Russia invaded. Since noon that day, Ukrainein coordination with its southern neighbour Moldovahas been powering itself solo. Its a balancing act. Changing where the power comes from and where it goes means some lines suddenly get clogged with electrons while others dry up. It can be difficult to maintain balance for any length of time. So far, the Ukrainian grid is humming along at a frequency of 50 Hertzstable, in other wordsa Ukrenergo spokesperson told WIRED by email. But its risky to continue that way indefinitely, especially during a war. When stuff breaks in the power grid, the whole system has to absorb the shock and rebalance. And right now, a lot is breaking across UkraineLast week, Kadri Simson, the European commissioner for energy, said the group representing the regions transmission operators, will come to the rescue, potentially within weeks.

This was wishful thinking on the part of the Latvian official in Brussels. For Simsons record of faking on the EUs gas substitution schemes, and the Russian response, read this report from October 2021.

The assessment of the North American expert on military operations against energy infrastructure focuses on the Russian sides strategy until now, before considering the military options for the future. In addition to covering up the evidence of power generation losses by the Ukrainians which the source reports from Urkrenergo and IEA, he says the Russians have limited their attacks until now to a form of reconnaissance by force. Their purpose, he believes, has been to determine what generating capacity remains, what can be repaired, how to interdict the human repair logistics, what is irreparably lost, and then to attrite the remaining Ukrainian materiel and human resources as the winter season approaches.

It appears to me that the Ukrainians are extremely hard-pressed to maintain and restore their electrical grid, most especially in the eastern regions. They are just as concerned to the point of adding and testing back-up generators at key nodes of the grid, especially in Kiev. By the way, the precedent for the Russian General Staff and Kremlin for destroying a countrys electrical grid was set during the NATO bombing of Serbia and then by the US air bombing of Iraq.

For a history of US Air Force (USAF) strategy in attacking electric generation and distribution grids, read this USAF University thesis, entitled Strategic Attack of National Electrical Systems, dated 1994: The USAF has long favoured attacking electrical power systems. Electric power has been considered a critical target in every war since World War II, and will likely be nominated in the future The evidence shows that the only sound reason for attacking electrical power is to affect the production of war materiel in a war of attrition against a self-supporting nation-state without outside assistance.

Left: Major Thomas Griffiths USAF study of 1994. Centre: Iraqi electric relay unit bombed by the US Air Force in Operation Desert Storm in 1990-91. Right: Serbian generating plant damage after the USAF and European bombing campaign of May 1999.

The western military source again: War is war, whether you want to use terms like hybrid war or proxy war. It means destroying the enemys capacity to make war. Shutting off the power in the rump Ukrainian state will do just that to the Ukrainians. If they then start to flee for refuge to Poland and Germany, this will be a disaster unparalleled in recent European history. Just the attendant collapse in telecommunications will make the place a madhouse. You can well imagine the rest. Already there are queues for water in Nikolaev, and who knows where else. How does queueing for water, if there is any, in temperatures of minus-20C to minus-40C sound? This wont be like the blackouts from US sanctions and attacks in Cuba or Venezuela  there they didnt have to worry about freezing to death, the pipes bursting, or irreparable damage being done to billions of dollars worth of pumping, electrical, and other equipment due to freezing.

How many people realize that a sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) circuit breaker, commonly used in electrical substations, requires an electric heating blanket to be functional in sub-zero weather? Most westerners dont. They are common in high voltage substations which ultimately feed the grid lines with power. In the Ukrainian case, I suspect there is a mixture of those and older style oil circuit breakers (OCB), along with oil-filled large power transformers (LPT), which are essential to electrical distribution. And guess where most of the oil comes from to fill these devices?

I suspect that most of Zelenskys officials and officials in the supporting EU governments have persuaded themselves with their own propaganda. They arent daring to think through these questions, any more than they care to understand that the housing of the pumps delivering their water and treating their sewage will freeze and split apart if they are not heated via electrical means. Even if the gas is on  and it wont be  electricity is needed to ignite, then control, furnaces. How many of these officials understand the long lead times, compounded by manufacturing shutdowns due to high energy costs, which you must have to replace and restore everything?

Who then will stand with Ukraine when the gas and electricity rationing and unpayable consumer bills roll over the Ukrainian border and into Poland, Germany, France, and the UK, as they are already doing?

The Russians have been hitting the Ukrainian electrical distribution system for months now. As we know, they started with the rail traction power yards which are largely branches of the wider electric grid. Now they have moved to the substations and so-called thermal power plants, hitting them in what seems to be pellmell fashion. I expect that the Russians are gathering intelligence now on repair times, re-equipment availability, deliveries, repair crew composition and coordination.

Source: https://transformers-magazine.com/

So lets imagine this. Winter arrives. The power is cut in Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Pavlovsk, Nikolaev etc. and due to the unavailability of spares, repair crews, respite from attack, or all three, the outlook for the power outage is indefinite. What do people do? They migrate to where there is power, running water, heat etc For millions this means west. So off they go. And when enough of them get there, bam! the power goes off there too.

Source for enlarged view: https://eneken.ieej.or.jp -- page 6.

Reading the grid maps of the Ukraine, the source says it is obvious that the real vulnerability, in my estimation, lies in the approximately 88 substations for 330kV distribution and 33 substations for 220kV distribution. Note the nodes or junctions. Those are substations connecting the distribution lines which crisscross the Ukraine. These substations contain large power transformers, switchgear, DCS equipment [Distributed Control System] and other power quality and control equipment, spares etc. Widespread coordinated strikes on these substations will quickly overwhelm the Ukrainian ability to effect repairs and re-balance the loads on the generation stations. This will create a cascade effect whereby overloaded power plants, and distribution gear will trip out over wide swathes of the country  if the protection between the Ukrainian and EU grids does not operate in time, or there is wild voltage/frequency oscillations there could be large interruptions in the EU countries being fed from Ukrainian sources.

Any repair efforts will also be severely hampered, if not crippled, if utility yards where spare cables and other gear, as well as vehicles (bucket and line trucks, cranes etc.) are stored and parked are struck. Personnel losses among the finite number of utility crew members due to follow-up attacks and the inevitable mishaps that come with interacting with damaged or compromised high voltage electrical equipment, will quickly mount. If the attacks are launched during the hard winter months, the impact will be exponential, increasingly unmanageable and catastrophic as the hours go by.
My job with the Post has evolved since October 2000, when I began work with The City Paper. In 2008, both publications became aligned via former owner SouthComm Inc. I have served as Post managing editor since 2011.

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BHUNYA  As the world commemorates the 19th World Day Against the Death Penalty today, a former death row prisoner has relived how he escaped the hangman.

Andreas Msibi, popularly known as Njandini, who is now a reverend, narrated the events that led to him being removed from the death row. Njandini is a name that is used by gang members to describe one of their own whom they regard as a hardcore criminal. The now 82-year-old Msibi stated that he was sentenced to death in 1973. Reverend Msibi was among 22 death row prisoners at the time awaiting to be executed at the Matsapha Correctional Services, including three women. He said it was on April 1, 1977, when they were to be taken for execution during the night. I was fast asleep when a group of officers arrived in my cell, roughly awaking and telling me to take my blankets and come out of the cell.

He said when they arrived outside, they found vehicles belonging to the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS). Msibi said the officers had surrounded the building to ensure that the prisoners did not escape. He said the officers who held his hand left him and he sat down on the blankets and watched. I heard cries from the prisoners whom we were with as they were loaded into the vehicles, handcuffed. Msibi said the officers loaded the vans and when they were fully loaded, another van was brought in until all the prisoners were taken away, except for him. He said he saw the vehicles driving out of the prison and wondered when he would be loaded. After the last vehicle had left, the commissioner who was called Sigweva, came to him and informed him that he had been pardoned by the King, who was Sobhuza II at that time. I was told that I would not be hanged but instead serve a life sentence.

Msibi said the moment the commissioner communicated the message to him, he had a voice telling him to preach more while inside prison and that the time he would serve was very limited. On April 17, 1986, he was released from jail after serving 13 years. Msibi said Gods Word was fulfilled and he was meant to watch the death row prisoners being taken for execution as the Lord wanted to show him that He had saved him. He said when everything happened, he thought it was not real but a vision.

Meanwhile, he said God had communicated the pardon when he had a vision instructing him to read the book of Isaiah 45 and assuring him that whatever he would read there, he would experience. According to Msibi, he was arrested following an armed robbery, where he was with two other men. Msibi said he was employed as a security guard at Bhunya at the time.

He added that during the robbery, they were fighting to get a cash box which they later discovered had coins amounting to around E300. Msibi added that he was carrying a gun and pulled the trigger and killed a man during the robbery. Msibi said after a few months of the robbery, they were finally arrested in 1972.

Judge

He further mentioned that they stayed in jail the entire year until they were sentenced the following year in 1973, where the judge issued a ruling of execution. Msibi said during his jail time, he was a very heartless and stubborn person. During the same year, Msibi said he filed an appeal, where the judges felt he deserved the punishment. He said before the appeal, he had a vision where he was visited by an unknown man inside the cell, while he was asleep. The reverend stated that he went for the appeal as a born again person. In January 1974, he said while asleep, he had a vision where he saw the door of his cell open and a man whose face he could not see told him that from now onwards, he should pray and never quit. Msibi said before he was saved, he was someone who regarded Christianity as a stupid thing and whenever they came to preach inside the cell, he would request the police to give him a cigarette to smoke.

Responding to his visitor inside the cell, Msibi said he told him that he could not pray, but the man repeated the command three times. However, on the third instance, he told the man that ever since he was born, he had never prayed. This is when the visitor took one step backward and raised his right hand and like the biblical Saul, and he was struck by a bolt of lightning and fell down and felt his spirit leave. The man then came towards me walking very fast and raised a finger and touched my lips before disappearing. Msibi said he was shaken by the mans action and woke up from the dream. While awake, he said his body shook terribly from his feet to the head. I tried requesting the officers to give me a cigarette and they did likewise but I failed to smoke it as I continued shaking and it fell down.

According to Msibi, this was when the pastors had come to preach in the prison cells. He said the police got worried by his condition as he continued shaking for close to an hour. The reverend said it was the last time he smoked a cigarette. Msibi said, he then started hearing the voice of the man speak from within him to do what he had been told. He said the following day, after breakfast, he again heard the voice speak to him to borrow a Bible from the people he called stupid and read it. These, he said, were the pastors who preached at the prison cells. Msibi said he fought trying to disregard the voice and finally gave in. I looked through the cell and requested an officer to lend me a Bible and he did so. Msibi said when the officer gave him the Bible, they actually laughed and did not believe it, even thought that he had lost his mind.

Bible

He said one of the inmates shouted and asked if he was really borrowing the Bible and he confirmed it. Msibi said for the first time in his life, he opened randomly in the book of John, chapter 11, where the story of Lazarus was told when he was raised from the tomb by Christ. He said God was talking to him that he would no longer hang or die. On the same day, he said the voice persisted that he was supposed to preach to his fellow prisoners and again, he tried to ignore. Msibi said the voice strengthened and when the preaching time approached, he peeped through his cell and told the inmates that he would be leading the service. They gave me the Bible, but I cannot recall which verse I read but from that moment, I started preaching and never looked back.

Msibi said he then wanted to be in control and wanted to preach at all times not giving other prisoners a chance. He said one of the prisoners who was very old asked him if he was once a Christian and backslided, which he responded to the negative. Msibi said while relating his story, the officers and other prisoners then got to understand his behaviour. He also noted that ever since he accepted Christ, everything changed in his life, even the burden of the death sentence was removed. Msibi now leads KaLuhleko Evangelical Church.
KateLynn White graduated from Tennessee State University, where she was an editor of the student newspaper. She interned for The Tennessean and The Tennessee Tribune before joining the Nashville Post in 2022. She also contributes to the Nashville Scene.

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Kim Kellys new book, Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor, tours 200 years of organizing and campaigning in the United States. Kelly specifically highlights what the labor movement owes to individuals who often get left out of its histories  women, people of color, sex workers, incarcerated people, queer people and many, many more.

The American Federation of Musicians Local 257 will host Kelly on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 6:30 p.m. Kelly spoke with the Scene by phone. Read a condensed transcript of our interview below.

Is there something specifically exciting to you, or journalistically interesting, about the labor movement evolving in the South?

I keep going back and forth to Alabama because I've been covering this coal miner strike in Brookwood  Tuscaloosa County  for the past 18 months. It's still going on, which is just brutal.

Prior to that, the first trip I took down there was to cover the Amazon workers organizing at a warehouse in Bessemer, Ala. I've seen how little attention is paid to the struggles that they're enduring and the work they're putting in. Its not fair. I figure, since I've built up this platform or whatever, sometimes its easier for someone who's at least close to New York to get people to pay attention.

Birmingham has this rich civil rights history, but it also has a really rich labor history. The United Mine Workers of America, who represent the Warrior Met Miners, opened their first office in Alabama in 1890. They've been out here. It didn't just appear in 2020. It just takes a little bit more effort sometimes to get people to dig into that history and find out what's really gone on in the South.

Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor By Kim Kelly Simon and Schuster 448 pages, $28 Kelly will appear 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the American Federation of Musicians Local 257, 11 Music Circle N.

Have you noticed that organizing in the South is treated differently than organizing in other parts of the country?

So many incredible people are doing everything they can in their power, working against these horrible gerrymandered, racist, every-negative-thing-you-can-think-of structures that are in place, and the people in power are continuing to subjugate all the poor and working class people of Alabama and other Southern states. And people in the South are fighting like hell to be treated the way they deserve. Its an uphill battle in so many ways. A lot of Southern states are right-to-work  that sure doesn't help. A lot of Southern states don't have this assumed liberal pro-union bent that some of the more Northern places, especially a place like New York, likes to at least say they have.

All the bad things that happen in the South happen up North too, they just get written about differently and portrayed differently because there's so many stereotypes and prejudices against the South and against people that live and work and organize in the South.

You write a lot about solidarity and how workers have united against a common enemy  employers, the boss, capitalists. This is an element of successful organizing regardless of political identity. How do you think politics interacts with organizing and solidarity with and between workers?

I have a lot of thoughts about this. Basically every labor story, when it comes down to its core, is workers versus bosses. Labor versus capital. Good versus evil.

When it comes to the Warrior Met workers on strike, this is a multiracial, multigendered group. I think it has the most diverse UMWA membership in the country. Its not just a bunch of white guys. There's a lot of 'em, but it's not just a bunch of white guys. Anyhow, the predominantly straight, white, cis dudes are more politically and culturally conservative. And a lot of 'em probably voted for Trump and are very religious. Most are parents. Being a coal miner in Tuscaloosa County is a pretty good job in terms of being able to support your family and pay your bills. You make a lot more money than at a fast food restaurant or at Walmart, the only other options.

And they also work in coal, a dirty fossil fuel. When you look at it in terms of two bullshit political parties: Republicans do not pay attention to them or support them or show them any love. Workers on strike are not OK in the Republican playbook. In terms of Democratic support, there have been a couple smaller overtures. I think a couple state reps have shown up, but by and large, this strike hasn't gotten any attention from that side of the aisle either. Maybe because they mine coal. Or because Democrats dont see them as potential voters  that's how the political machinations at play work. Both of these two political sides are garbage. But socialists have shown up and labor activists have shown up, and I think that says a lot.

Reading your book had me reflecting on my own lens for understanding labor. At first I thought it was about a bunch of people causing trouble  and I think theres a reflex to see labor as causing trouble, strikes as disruptive that kind of thing. Why dont we see the actions taken by owners, like wage cuts or mass layoffs, as equally disruptive?

It comes down to who gets to write the narrative and how it's delivered, right? Why is it always the workers' fault? Why isn't it the bosses or the corporation or capital?

If the people in charge had merely acquiesced to workers demands or requests earlier on, there wouldn't have been a strike. The workers don't want to be on strike. They don't want to be in conflict with their employer. They don't wanna have to deal with this shit. They want to make their paycheck and go home to their families.

That perspective isn't necessarily represented in major newspapers or on major cable networks. That's the position we're in. That's why independent media and labor media are so important.

Your book cuts a path through history, from the 19th century to the present. Whats the situation in the American labor movement right now? Whats historically unique about this moment and what remains the same?

It's so interesting to be living through this current moment of renewed energy around organizing and unions. Younger, more diverse people are getting involved and taking the lead because it's a sort of everything old is new again moment.

We have new tools  the internet, social media  but so many of the old evils are still present.

The primary example there that I point to is union busting. Back in the day, it was a little bloodier and a little more in-your-face. Companies could hire Pinkertons and armed guards to just mow you down or make you disappear. Look at the West Virginia Mine Wars.

Jeff Bezos or Howard Schultz  kinder, gentler, nerdy-looking billionaires  are busting the hell out of Amazon and Starbucks with surveillance and intimidation and retaliation, captive-audience meetings, propaganda. All of these old tactics have been streamlined.

We're still dealing with the age-old impulse that's encouraged by the bosses and sometimes even embraced by some of the labor movement to separate workers by identity or by country of origin, by language, by craft, and act as though some workers are more deserving of union protection and benefits than others. Almost all of the same problems that plagued people a couple hundred years ago are still here. Perhaps they look and act and walk a little bit different, but they're still here.

A recent dimension of labor organizing in Tennessee has put more focus on new unions in smaller retail spots, like Three Brothers Coffee, which recently won a union, and Nelsons Green Brier Distillery, which is still fighting for one. What do you make of that?

I think those places feel a little bit more achievable. Theyre smaller, they push a line of, Oh, we're a family. We're independent, we're not corporate. We care about each other. The workers take that and say, OK, well you care about us. You know us. We expect you to treat us like human beings.

That is obviously not the way that the employers receive the petition or the idea of a union. They crack down on it, the same as any corporate asshole. But at smaller places, I think there's a little bit more cohesion among the workforce in terms of building solidarity and relationships and knowing who you work with.

Try organizing, say, the Amazon facility in Nashville. That's thousands of people and a lot of turnover. That's the full force of Amazon's anti-union apparatus crashing down on top of you. That's not to say that people aren't gonna do it  I hope they do  but that's a much bigger lift than something that's smaller and more independent. It just makes practical sense.

Thanks for talking with us Kim  were excited to have you in Nashville. Anything else you wanted to mention?

Actually yes! There's a specific Tennessee example that I thought would be fun to share, because its sick. Do you know about the Coal Creek War? It's in chapter five. In the 1890s, there was a war between striking coal miners and their employers. The employers kept using convict labor to try and break the strike. Convict leasing was a huge deal in a lot of Southern states during that post-Reconstruction era. So bosses kept bringing in strike breakers who were Black, incarcerated men to try and break the strike for these white coal miners who were on strike. The bosses built these stockades to house the Black incarcerated workers.

And every time they would bring in a trainload of these incarcerated workers, the white coal miners would come in and free everybody and burn down the stockade. They did this back and forth a bunch of different times for months. At the end of it, the last time they burned the stockade and set everyone free, a bunch of them escaped to freedom. It was part of the beginning of the end of convict leasing in the South. Tennessee was actually one of the first Southern states to abolish it in 1896.

In the space of five years, some minds were perhaps changed or at least some people got free. There is such a thing as real solidarity between workers, even if the people in charge don't want us to know it.

+6 State of the Union: The State of Labor in Tennessee This article is part of a two-story cover package on labor in Tennessee. See also: "Right-to-Work Policy Makes Its Way to the State Constituti
(Natural News) The corporate-controlled media is complaining that not even 50 percent of America is planning to get vaccinated for seasonal influenza this year. We, on the other hand, are surprised that anyone wants to get jabbed after all the revelations about covid jab injuries and deaths.

You would think that more people would be skeptical about all vaccines after what has transpired over the past several years, but the reality is that about half the country is beyond all hope when it comes to learning and changing  to their own demise.

CNBC is upset that only 49 percent of adults in the United States are planning to roll up their sleeves for a flu injection this season, according to a survey conducted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

The fake financial news outlet, which routinely shills for Big Pharma, laments the fact that 20 percent of those considered to be at higher risk for influenza-related complications are foregoing the shots this year.

This writer finds that factoid encouraging because it shows that at least some people are waking up  and good for them! As for the rest, well, you apparently cannot fix stupid. (Related: Big Pharma is pushing for the creation of a two-in-one injection for both the flu and covid.)

Americans are growing weary of Big Pharmas vaccines

Rochelle Walensky of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) piped in during the recent NFID conference to claim that flu vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and your family from flu, pretending as though anyone with a brain still takes her seriously.

According to CNBC, nearly 70 percent of Americans agree, though far fewer than this are willing to get jabbed this year. Only about 70 percent of that 70 percent are still planning to get the shot anymore, which has the finance industry and its pharmaceutical partners worried.

Big Pharma is a cash cow, in case you were unaware. A huge percentage of deep state funding is trafficked through the pharmaceutical industry, which churns out poison after poison for top dollar while calling it medicine.

The fact that far fewer people are planning to get flu-jabbed this year means that less money will flow into the coffers of flu jab manufacturers. The powers that be simply cannot allow this.

CNBC, however, is celebrating the claim that about 58 percent of Americans still plan to wear a mask this flu season  even though masks do nothing to stop the spread of any disease.

According to the fake financial news outlet, 41 percent of those opposed to getting flu-jabbed this year believe that the injections dont work very well while 39 percent are concerned about potential side effects.

Twenty-eight percent say they have never gotten a flu shot while 24 percent are fearful of developing flu symptoms because of the shot, this being a common occurrence.

One in five Americans who does not want a flu shot says influenza is not a serious enough illness to warrant getting injected.

Another reason speculated by CNBC is that people who opted for the so-called omicron-specific version of the covid booster do not want to also get a flu shot because getting both injections at one time might be dangerous.

CNBC of course insists that flu shots are safe and effective simply because the CDC affirms this. Walensky also added that even if someone gets sick or injured from a flu shot, most of those cases are resolved really quite quickly.

People, just say NO to all vaccines, wrote a commenter at Natural News.

More news stories like this one can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

CNBC.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) We have received word that California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law Assembly Bill 2098, which aims to remove the medical licenses of all doctors throughout the state who question or in any way defy official government edicts and claims about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

Newsom had until September 30 to sign the bill, which many expected he did. And now begins the aggressive work of the Golden State legislature who are dead-set in ridding the state of all physicians who oppose face masks and express skepticism about Fauci Flu shot vaccines.

Assembly Bill 2098 [empowers] the Medical Board of California to go after the licenses of physicians who disseminate misinformation or disinformation regarding Covid-19, reports civil rights attorney Laura Powell, writing for Great Game India.

The bill in its latest iteration defines misinformation as false information that is contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care. The inscrutability of this definition lies at the core of the bills opponents concerns.

Authored by Assemblymember Evan Low, AB 2098 is the worst thing that could have happened for medical freedom in California, which is fast becoming the nations most medically oppressive state. (Related: Some California doctors tried but failed to push back against AB 2098.)

Time to SUE California over AB 2098s unconstitutional provisions

It is important to note that AB 2098 only had one hearing, which took place on June 26. Lasting just over an hour, that hearing revealed that nobody seems to know exactly how the bill will be enforced, or even what its various terminology means in practical terms.

Some argued that only bad doctors would be targeted (whatever that means), while others warned that presumably any doctor who fails to repeat and dispense verbatim all approved guidelines for covid will now be on the chopping block.

No clear scientific consensus exists with respect to this novel virus, and even if it did, it may be proven incorrect later, Powell notes. Without clear guidance regarding what would constitute misinformation, physicians can only guess if they risk losing their licenses for expressing their good-faith disagreements with positions of public health officials.

Even if in practice, the Medical Board only applied the law to speech that the First Amendment does not protect, the laws vagueness would render it unconstitutional, because it would tend to cause doctors to censor themselves.

It is precisely the aforementioned free speech violations that need to be the subject of lawsuits against AB 2098. Time is of the essence to deconstruct this abominable monstrosity, which is certain to be used as a weapon against practitioners who refuse to promote the status quo.

The California Medical Association is behind AB 2098, as is the taxpayer-funded lobbying group County Health Executives Association of California.

Numerous members of the Medical Board of California (MBC) are confused about how AB 2098 will be applied in real life. MBC President Kristina Lawson, an attorney who aggressively pushed for the bills passage, says she knows the answers but is refusing to share them except in private.

Assembly Bill 2098 was not the brainchild of Assembly member Low or any other California lawmakers, warns Powell. Its part of an effort to enact similar policies around the country, sparked in large part by a declaration from the Federation of State Medical Boards in July 2021.

California is often described as a bellwether: As California goes, so goes the nation. That saying rings especially true with respect to Assembly Bill 2098, given that this is a test case for a national movement and that Governor Gavin Newsom has obvious presidential aspirations.

The latest news about the growing trend of medical tyranny can be found at MedicalFascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

KUSI.com

GreatGameIndia.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in California is capturing peoples private utility data and handing it over to local law enforcement without a warrant or even the suspicion of wrongdoing, alleges a new lawsuit.

SMUD, the suit claims, is scouring entire zip codes worth of private data and using it to create leads for police to pursue particularly Asian homeowners, says the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the law firm Vallejo, Antolin, Agarwal and Kanter LLP, which filed the suit on behalf of the Asian American Liberation Network, a Sacramento-based nonprofit, and Khurshid Khoja, an Asian resident of Sacramento and cannabis industry attorney.

SMUDs policies claim that privacy is fundamental and that it strictly enforces privacy safeguards, but in reality, its standard practice has been to hand over its extensive trove of customer data whenever police request it, says EFF staff attorney Saira Hussain.

Doing so violates utility customers privacy rights under state law and the California Constitution while disproportionately subjecting Asian and Asian American communities to police scrutiny.

Utility data can be analyzed to determine what kinds of activities are taking place inside a home, especially when smart systems are involved. Smart meters allow for such data to be transferred automatically at regular increments straight to utility companies, which in this case is then passed on to police.

As that data accumulates over time, it can provide inferences about private daily routines such as what devices are being used, when they are in use, and how this changes over time, one report explains. (Related: Smart meters have been shown to damage the heart.)

California law prohibits utilities from sharing data to third parties except as required under federal or state law

If a household is suspected of wrongdoing, then there is a protocol in place for law enforcement to obtain a warrant. Then, and only then, is a utility allowed to hand over private data to a third party.

The California Public Utilities Code explicitly states that utilities shall not share, disclose, or otherwise make accessible to any third party a customers electrical consumption data  except as required under federal or state law, or [u]pon court order or the request of a law enforcement agency relative to an ongoing investigation.

Privacy, not discrimination, was what SMUD promised when it rolled out smart meters, says Monty Agarwal, EFFs counsel at Vallejo, Antolin, Agarwal and Kanter LLP.

It turns out that the Sacramento Police Department has been asking utilities for years now to hand over protected consumer data in violation of the law. There are no warrants, no court orders, nothing  just a demand, and utility companies are complying.

The focus of these operations is cannabis, a plant that has long been used by law enforcement to violate Americans constitutional rights. In this case, predominantly Asian growers, many of whom are doing so illegally, are the primary targets.

Beginning in 2017, Sacramento police started issuing penalties to owners of properties where cannabis is found in violation of established limits. The program generated nearly $100 million in fines in just two years  money once again being law enforcements goal.

The suit claims that police officers are selectively targeting Asian residents with these stings.

California voters rejected discriminatory enforcement of cannabis laws in 2016, while the Sacramento Police Department and SMUD conduct illegal dragnets through utility customer data to continue these abuses to this day, says Khoja, a self-proclaimed cannabis rights advocate.

This must stop.

Megan Sapigao, co-executive director of the Asian American Liberation Network, added that local police in Sacramento are carelessly flout[ing] state law and utility customers privacy rights.

More related news coverage can be found at SmartMeters.news.

Sources for this article include:

Technocracy.news

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) American stocks are down big time from their recent all-time highs, but they have a whole lot more to fall before bottoming out, according to Michael Burry, an investor featured in the film The Big Short.

According to Burry, who is constantly tweeting, then un-tweeting, cryptic stock-related messages, the current downturn is only just the beginning. What is soon to come will be much, much worse  perhaps the collapse to end all collapses.

On Friday, Burry tweeted that there are currently 218 companies with a primary stock listing in the United States; a market capitalization north of $1 billion; and yet have annual losses exceeding $100 million. Of these, 29 boast market caps over $10 million, and are worth a combined $655 billion.

Saying it again, Burry wrote. ALL the silliness must go.

This tweet was a nod to an earlier tweet of Burrys back in August that complained about all the COVID-era silliness that he says has returned to the markets. What he seems to have meant by this is that the bubble of everything has only gotten bigger  meaning an even bigger pop is on the way (Related: Ron Paul has been warning for years that eventually the corrupt and fraudulent stock markets will collapse).

Burry believes the S&P could plunge another 48 percent, hitting around 1,900 points

On Saturday, Burry, who heads Scion Asset Management, tweeted that 13.48 percent of all U.S. stocks closed above their 200-day moving average the previous day. When the markets bottomed out in 2009, that figure was just 1.2 percent, and in 2020 it was 2.8 percent.

Currently at December 2007 levels, Burry added, referring to the time frame before the infamous crash of 2008.

So far this year, the S&P 500 is down about 25 percent. Burry believes there could be another 48 percent drop, bringing the index down to around 1,900 points.

On Sunday, Burry tweeted again, this time about how he believes current market conditions are reflective of what happened during the second half of 2000 when the so-called dot-com bubble burst.

Another feeling Im getting is mid-late 2000, Burry wrote.

Free cash flow totally on sale and ignored while former momentum stocks are coming down, but not far enough, and darling better businesses still had a way to fall. Value was about to take off for years, housing bubble despite more crashes on the way.

In yet another tweet, Burry accused index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) of driving up asset prices mindlessly. He then compared the current market to a packed theater where, once the gunshots go off, will result in everyone trying to make an exit all at the same time, leaving some people crushed.

Difference between now and 2000 is the passive investing bubble that inflated steadily over the last decade, he wrote. All theaters are overcrowded and the only way anyone can get out is by trampling each other. And still the door is only so big.

Burry is best known for the billion-dollar bet he made against the mid-2000s housing bubble, which is the focus behind The Big Short. Burry has also made bets against Elon Musks Tesla and Cathie Woods Ark Innovation Fund. Burry also invested in GameStop prior to its early 2021 run-up.

Burry is convinced that a much larger market collapse is soon to come. He describes it as the greatest speculative bubble of all time in all things, warning that it will soon culminate as the mother of all crashes.

The American Dream bubble is about to burst! wrote a commenter at Natural News to a story we published several years back that seems to be coming to fruition for many. Get ready to wake up to cold, hard reality. Welcome to hell.

More related news coverage can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources include:

BusinessInsider.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Anti-government speech has become a four-letter word.

(Article by John & Nisha Whitehead republished from Rutherford.org)

In more and more cases, the government is declaring war on what should be protected political speech whenever it challenges the governments power, reveals the governments corruption, exposes the governments lies, and encourages the citizenry to push back against the governments many injustices.

Indeed, there is a long and growing list of the kinds of speech that the government considers dangerous enough to red flag and subject to censorship, surveillance, investigation and prosecution: hate speech, conspiratorial speech, treasonous speech, threatening speech, inflammatory speech, radical speech, anti-government speech, extremist speech, etc.

Things are about to get even dicier for those who believe in fully exercising their right to political expression.

Indeed, the governments seditious conspiracy charges against Stewart Rhodes, the founder of Oath Keepers, and several of his associates for their alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots puts the entire concept of anti-government political expression on trial.

Enacted during the Civil War to prosecute secessionists, seditious conspiracy makes it a crime for two or more individuals to conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the U.S. government, or to levy war against it, or to oppose by force and try to prevent the execution of any law.

Its a hard charge to prove, and the governments track record hasnt been the greatest.

Its been almost a decade since the government tried to make a seditious conspiracy charge stickagainst a small Christian militia accused of plotting to kill a police officer and attack attendees at his funeral in order to start a civil warand it lost the case.

Although the government was able to show that the Hutaree had strong anti-government views, the judge ruled in U.S. v. Stone that [O]ffensive speech and a conspiracy to do something other than forcibly resist a positive show of authority by the Federal Government is not enough to sustain a charge of seditious conspiracy.

Whether or not prosecutors are able to prove their case that Rhodes and his followers intended to actually overthrow the government, the blowback will be felt far and wide by anyone whose political views can be labeled anti-government.

All of us are in danger.

In recent years, the government has used the phrase domestic terrorist interchangeably with anti-government, extremist and terrorist to describe anyone who might fall somewhere on a very broad spectrum of viewpoints that could be considered dangerous.

The ramifications are so far-reaching as to render almost every American with an opinion about the government or who knows someone with an opinion about the government an extremist in word, deed, thought or by association.

You see, the government doesnt care if you or someone you know has a legitimate grievance. It doesnt care if your criticisms are well-founded. And it certainly doesnt care if you have a First Amendment right to speak truth to power.

What the government cares about is whether what youre thinking or speaking or sharing or consuming as information has the potential to challenge its stranglehold on power.

Why else would the FBI, CIA, NSA and other government agencies be investing in corporate surveillance technologies that can mine constitutionally protected speech on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram?

Why else would the Biden Administration be likening those who share false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories, and other forms of mis- dis- and mal-information to terrorists?

According to the Department of Homeland Securitys terrorism bulletin, [T]hreat actors seek to exacerbate societal friction to sow discord and undermine public trust in government institutions to encourage unrest, which could potentially inspire acts of violence.

By the governments own definition, Americas founders would be considered domestic extremists for the heavily charged rhetoric they used to birth this nation.

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin would certainly be placed on a terrorist watch list for suggesting that Americans should not only take up arms but be prepared to shed blood in order to protect their liberties.

What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms, declared Jefferson. He also concluded that the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

Observed Franklin: Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!

Thomas Paine, Marquis De Lafayette, John Adams and Patrick Henry would certainly be labelled domestic extremists for exhorting Americans to defend themselves against the government if it violates their rights.

It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government, insisted Paine.

When the government violates the peoples rights, Lafayette warned, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensable of duties.

Adams cautioned, A settled plan to deprive the people of all the benefits, blessings and ends of the contract, to subvert the fundamentals of the constitution, to deprive them of all share in making and executing laws, will justify a revolution.

And who could forget Patrick Henry with his ultimatum: Give me liberty or give me death!

Conduct your own experiment into the governments tolerance of speech that challenges its authority, and see for yourself: stand on a street corneror in a courtroom, at a city council meeting or on a university campus and try denouncing the government with some of the founders rhetoric.

My guess is that you wont last long before you get thrown out, shut up, threatened with arrest or at the very least accused of being a radical, a troublemaker, a sovereign citizen, a conspiratorialist or an extremist.

Or maybe youll just be fined.

Its happening all across the country.

In Punta Gorda, Florida, for instance, two political activists were fined $3000 for displaying protest flags with political messages that violated the citys ordinance banning signs, clothing and other graphic displays containing words that the city deems indecent.

During the first month of the new ordinance being enacted, Andrew Sheets was cited four times by police for violating the ordinance by displaying phrases which said [email protected]#k Policing 4 Profit, [email protected]#k Trump, and [email protected]#k Biden. Richard Massey was cited for violating the ordinance by displaying a sign which proclaimed, [email protected]#k Punta Gorda, trying to illegally kill free speech.

Coming to the defense of the two activists, The Rutherford Institute challenged the City of Punta Gordas ban on indecent speech as unconstitutionally vague and a violation of the First Amendments safeguards for political speech that may not be censored or punished by the government.

We won the first round, with the Charlotte County Circuit Court ruling against the City, noting that the ordinance was designed to cause the preemptive self-silencing of speakers whose messages are entitled to constitutional protection.

In other words, as the court recognized, the ordinance was clearly designed to chill political speech, which is protected under the First Amendment.

You see, the right of political free speech is the basis of all liberty.

No matter what ones political persuasion might be, every American has a First Amendment right to protest government programs or policies with which they might disagree.

The right to disagree with and speak out against the government is the quintessential freedom.

Every individual has a right to speak truth to power using every nonviolent means available.

This is why the First Amendment is so critical. It gives the citizenry the right to speak freely, protest peacefully, expose government wrongdoing, and criticize the government without fear of reprisal.

Americans of all stripes would do well to remember that those who question the motives of government provide a necessary counterpoint to those who would blindly follow where politicians choose to lead.

We dont have to agree with every criticism of the government, but we must defend the rights of all individuals to speak freely without fear of punishment or threat of banishment.

This is how freedom rises or falls.

As comedian Lenny Bruce, a lifelong champion of free speech, remarked, If you cant say [email protected]#k you cant say, [email protected]#k the government.

Bruce, foul-mouthed, insightful, irreverent, and incredibly funny, was one of the First Amendments greatest champions who dared to speak the unspeakable about race, religion, sexuality and politics. As Village Voice writer Nat Hentoff attests, Bruce was not only a paladin of free speech but also a still-penetrating, woundingly hilarious speaker of truth to the powerful and the complacent.

Bruce died in 1966, but not before being convicted of alleged obscenity for challenging his audiences covert prejudices by brandishing unmentionable words that, if uttered today, would not only get you ostracized but could get you arrested and charged with a hate crime.

Hentoff, who testified in Bruces defense at his trial, recounts that Lenny used to say, What I wanted people to dig is the lie. Certain words were suppressed to keep the lie going. But if you do them, you should be able to say the words.

Not much has changed in the 50-plus years since Bruce died. In fact, its gotten worse.

What were dealing with today is a government that wants to suppress dangerous wordswords about its warring empire, words about its land grabs, words about its militarized police, words about its killing, its poisoning and its corruptionin order to keep its lies going.

What we are witnessing is a nation undergoing a nervous breakdown over this growing tension between our increasingly untenable reality and the lies being perpetrated by a government that has grown too power-hungry, egotistical, militaristic and disconnected from its revolutionary birthright.

The only therapy is the truth and nothing but the truth.

If the government censors get their way, there will be no more First Amendment.

There will be no more Bill of Rights.

And, as I point out in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, there will be no more freedom in America as we have known it.

WC: 1700

Read more at: Rutherford.org
Experts warned that Tropical Storm Julia, which developed near the Colombian coast on Friday, could rapidly intensify into a hurricane covering the Caribbean Sea before wreaking havoc on the coasts of Nicaragua this weekend.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded the disturbance AccuWeather has been tracking for more than a week and labeled a tropical rainstorm on Tuesday to Tropical Depression 13 two nights later. The NHC reported that the depression had intensified into the 10th tropical storm of this year's season at noon on Friday.

On Friday at 2:00 PM EDT, Julia had maximum sustained winds reaching 40 mph while moving toward the west at a speed of 24 km/h. Julia was roughly 240 km northeast of Barranquilla, and 815 km east of Isla de Providencia. Both places are located in Colombia.

Nicaragua Hurricane Watch, Warnings

Parts of Nicaragua and Colombia's offshore islands are under hurricane watches and warnings, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm's proximity to the South American coast has been the only thing preventing it from intensifying for the majority of this week. The system caused early-week flooding and torrential rain in Trinidad and Tobago's Windward Islands as it moved steadily westward throughout the week. In the middle of this week, torrential downpours swept across Venezuela's northern coast and the ABC Islands.

Mark Mancuso, a senior on-air meteorologist from AccuWeather, said that the system could intensify quickly into a hurricane as it advances westward and enters the area of open waters, the southwestern Caribbean, on Friday evening and Saturday.

Category 2 Hurricane

Maximum sustained winds for a Category 2 hurricane range from 154 to 177 km/h.

The likelihood of Sunday morning's landfall along Nicaragua's central coast is increasing, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. Before Julia arrives later on Saturday and into Saturday night, the seas will rise, the winds will pick up, and the rain will intensify.

The AccuWeather RealImpactTM Scale for Hurricanes has assigned Julia a rating of 2 due to its anticipated effects in Nicaragua this weekend and into the first half of next week.

Category 1 Hurricane

In northeastern Nicaragua, where a StormMaxTM of 175 km/h is most likely, recurring wind gusts between 100 and 130 km/h are expected factors of a Category 1 hurricane. Strong winds like this one are likely to cause a lot of downed trees, power outages, and property damage.

Forecast models at this time strongly recommend taking preventative actions to safeguard lives and property, and operators of commercial and recreational fishing vessels as well as cruise ships are advised to steer clear of the storm's path.

Near and immediately to the north of where the storm's eye moves ashore along Nicaragua's coast, a possibly dangerous storm surge of a few meters is possible.

Torrential Rainfall

Flooding in Central America is likely to pose the biggest risks to people's lives and property. Central and western Nicaragua is expected to receive 200-300 mm on average, along with portions of southern Honduras and possibly eastern parts of El Salvador, in which an AccuWeather Local StormMaxTM of 500 mm is anticipated. This much rain will cause major river flooding, and flash flooding in cities and small streams, and there is a chance of mudslides in the mountainous terrain.

Later this weekend into early next week, flooding, heavy rain, and isolated strong winds will move westward and then northward over Central America and then into southern Mexico.

Read also: Powerful Autumn Storm to Barrel Towards Alaska in the Coming Days [NWS]

Possibilities for Julia

If Julia intensifies into a hurricane, the effects of the wind, rainfall, and other factors will be much more extreme and widespread in Central America.

Once inland, AccuWeather meteorologists are researching several potential outcomes. In the oceans around southern Mexico and Central America, Julia might recur as a tropical rainstorm.

The possibility exists that Julia's original center survives and moves on to the eastern Pacific or even the southwest Gulf of Mexico before reorganizing or strengthening early next week. The storm would still go by its original name in this scenario. However, a new system with a different name might develop if the old Julia circulation center completely disappears.

Dan Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist from AccuWeather, said that the storm could either redevelop in the southwest Gulf of Mexico or the eastern Pacific, or it could simply weaken early next week.

The region extending out from the southern Gulf of Mexico into the central and western Caribbean Sea may continue to be a tropical trouble spot after early next week. Forecasters predict that a front will enter the area and stall. While this might cause undesirable wind shear, it might also contribute to more spin in the area, which might let a new tropical system develop. As a result, AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to keep a close eye on the area.

Another One

Another tropical system may develop over the west of the Azores, in the north-central Atlantic, around the middle of the month, according to some indications. The US wouldn't be in danger from this system. Although Julia does not currently pose a threat to the United States, there is a remote possibility that a newly revived Julia or a brand-new system could stray near the Gulf Coast or off the coast east of Florida in the middle of October, Newsbreak reports.

Related article: Brewing Tropical System Could Slam Central America and Expected to Become Hurricane
A group of scientists overcame a breakthrough expedition after reaching the elusive and tallest building in the Amazon forest.

The goal to reach the tallest tree began when the researchers noticed the enormous tree in the satellite images in 2019, which was part of a 3D mapping project. From that day, scientists felt the urge to find and reach the tree, which took years of planning before they finally made it.

Amazon forest

Based on the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the amazon is rich in animal life and ecosystems, with 1.4 billion acres of forest spanning over eight countries, such as Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname.

The World Wildlife Fund explained that the Amazon rainforest helps the environment by containing tons of carbon ranging from 90 to 140 billion tons. The 3,977-mile-long Amazon is considered the longest river on the planet.

The contribution of the Amazon forest on Earth is immense because it shelters millions of animal species. Some are still undescribed and undiscovered. According to the World Wildlife Fund, Amazon has a vast diversity, including over 370,00 types of reptiles, 2,400 freshwater fish, and 40,000 plant species. Meanwhile, WWF added that Amazon also has communities with over 30 million people, consisting of diverse indigenous and ethnic groups, who depend on the forest for their livelihood and food source.

Also Read: New Report Reveals Declining Population of Gray Whale Off Western U.S

The expedition in the tallest tree was worth it as it will help unveil discoveries and research in the area. Amazon is rich in biodiversity, and some are still undiscovered.

Reaching the tallest tree

Climbing and reaching the tallest tree, the size of a 25-story building, was not easy. The scientists planned the initiative for over three years before finally going to Amazon.

According to the report, the gigantic tree called angelim Vermelho, or the scientific name Dinizia excelsa majestically extends to the canopy in the Iratapuru River Nature Reserve in northern Brazil. Scientists said the tallest tree is measured 290 feet tall (88.5 meters).

The article said that the team consisted of environmentalists, academics, and locals, and they started with a 10-day trek traveling the tallest tree. The expedition from September 12 to 25 made it, embarking on the journey over 155 miles (250 kilometers) by boat and another 20 kilometers on the mountainous terrain.

Forest Engineer Diego Armando Silva said the expedition to the Amazon forest was worth it. He is also from Amapa Federal University.

After reaching the tallest tree in Amazon, they gathered samples to analyze the tree's age and the amount of carbon it stored. According to Silva, they estimated that the tallest tree could be 400 to 600 years.

Amazon threat

Amazone forests store a large amount of carbon that helps the environment fight climate change. However, the forests and animals living there have faced threats.

World Wildlife Fund noted that Amazon has suffered from increasing deforestation, affecting the animals living in the area.

In addition, Amazon is known to be rich in natural resources resulting in mining activities, and overharvesting aquatic resources can harm the environment.

Amazon conservation is crucial in the environment to mitigate climate change.

Related Article: Forecasts Suggest Tropical Storm Julia Could Impact East Pacific or the Gulf of Mexico

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News
MANZINI  This week, junior police officers and warders, are planning to deliver petitiones to the Prime Minister, Cleopas Sipho Dlamini and two other ministers.

This was a resolution taken in a meeting by over 50 law enforcement officers following the protracted salary restructuring exercise, which saw their leaders getting an increment. In the latest twist of events, junior officers of His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS) and those from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS), summoned the task team assigned to deal with the the impact of the non-implementation of this phase. However, the meeting was open to junior REPS and Correctional Services officers. In the meeting, the junior law enforcers from both entities were reportedly angry, with some shedding tears over the frustrations they had endured regarding their anticipation of Phase II of the restructuring exercise. The junior officers reportedly thanked the task team for what they had done in dealing with the matter and subsequently informed them that they (junior officers) would now use their discretion in dealing with the issue moving forward.

Appreciated

It was gathered that the junior officers informed the task team that they appreciated that they had been respectful in their engagements; however, the said respect was supposedly not reciprocated. Impeccable sources said the officers reportedly informed the task team that they had not, at any instance, stated that they would not engage in industrial action. A day before the police staff association met the Minister of Public Service Mabulala Maseko, it was gathered, they were summoned by their supervisors, who allegedly threatened them about their action. It was also gathered that the staff association was then made to communicate that they (police officers) would never engage in a strike. Subsequent to this, the junior officers said there should be a statement which shall explicitly communicate that they had never said they would not protest or engage in a strike. It was gathered that the officers recited a resolution they expressed when the restructuring exercise started, which was to seek legal recourse regarding the salary restructuring exercise, write to the minister of Public Service and lastly, pay a courtesy call on His Majesty King Mswati III.

Meeting

However, during the meeting, the lowly ranked law enforcers said they could not engage in their first resolution (seeking legal recourse) because when their task team engaged the minister, he said the document would not be implemented. The officers collectively emphasised that they ought to benefit from the salary restructuring exercise as they engaged in dangerous work and they were currently at the receiving end of violence meted supposedly by a clique against the current system of governance. The officers said they will petition the minister (of Public Service Mabulala Maseko) who releases the circulars dealing with remuneration in the civil service, the PM and the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu, the source said.

Meanwhile, the officers were supposedly not specific on the day the petitions were to be delivered; but said it should be this week. In fact, sources claimed that the junior officers dubbed this week as one of action. Police Staff Association (PSA) Secretary Sergeant Dumisile Khumalo confirmed that there was a meeting convened by the junior officers. She said they were informed that the junior officers would deal with the matter. Khumalo also acknowledged the resolutions taken by the junior officers but said as an association they could not say much.

There is nothing much we can say as the meeting was convened by the junior officers from both camps. What I personally observed was that they were very angry, Khumalo said. The concerns of the junior officers are the prolonged implementation of the Phase II of the restructuring exercise of 2014.

Another concern was the joint task team report, which recommended that junior officers who occupied lower ranks (sergeants /sergeant instructors, warder instructors and constables/warders) in the police and Correctional services should get three per cent compensation from the Phase II of the restructuring exercise of 2014, while those in the ranks between assistant inspectors/assistant chief officers and superintendents should enjoy a salary upgrade that would range between 8.1 per cent and 22.6 per cent. The matter started in July 7, 2014 when government, through the Ministry of Public Service, issued Circular No.2 of 2014 for the implementation of the restructuring programme for the REPS and HMCS. This was structured to be in two phases; Phase I, which covered the strategic levels of the two services and Phase II being the tactical layer. Phase I was implemented, while Phase II was not.
A frontal system will make its way to the Pacific Northwest, bring relatively colder temperatures once again, according to US weather authorities.

Rainfall will develop over parts the region, from the Northwest and into the Northern Rockies earlier part of the upcoming week.

Mixed precipitation is also possible in higher elevations by Tuesday, October 11, especially over portions of the Northern Rockies and Northern High Plains.

There is a potential flooding due to the forecasted showers, particularly in low-lying areas.

The Northwest outlook is part of a multi-weather forecast for other regions of the country, including the Southwest US, Midwest, and the Northeast.

In general, a calmer weather is expected in the coming days following the trail of destruction left behind by Hurricane Ian in Florida and its nearby states from late September until early October.

NWS Multi-Weather Forecast

The National Weather Service (NWS) - Weather Prediction Center (WPC) at 3:46 p.m. EDT (local time) on Sunday, October 9, forecasted that a frontal system will move onshore the Pacific Northwest by Monday evening, October 10.

This will bring relief to arid weather and hot temperatures, bringing an end to warm and dry conditions.

The NWS - WPC also said there is a pleasant weather in the eastern third of the US as temperatures climb closer to average.

This relative cooldown was forecasted before since a cold front moved toward offshore the US East Coast, bringing November-like or late fall weather in the Northeast, which experienced a recent Nor'easter and temporary warm weather last week.

In addition, the US weather agency reports the continuance of a "very tranquil weather weekend" with no significant hazards and storm systems.

However, there is an anticipated threat of localized heavy to excessive rainfall from portions of Arizona and New Mexico into west Texas, as well the southern High Plains until Monday.

Furthermore, the agency issued a warning on a powerful storm that impacted parts of southern Alaska.

Previous forecasts revealed that a storm over the Bering Sea will impact the state, causing coastal flooding due to storm surges, heavy rainfall, and strong winds.

Also Read: Weather Forecast: National Weather Service Says Severe Thunderstorms are Possible Across the Central US

Wake of Hurricane Ian

The multi-weather forecast comes days after Hurricane Ian struck the Southeast US when it made landfall in southwestern Florida on September 28, bringing widespread destruction due to torrential rain and flooding, as well as damaging winds.

The storm also led to massive power outages and unprecedented evacuations spearheaded by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis prior to its landfall.

The death toll has reached over 100, including at least 117 fatalities in Florida, according to local officials, as cited by ABC News.

The hurricane also made its second landfall on September 30 in South Carolina, with no reported deaths.

However, its neighboring North Carolina state incurred five storm-related deaths, wherein three involved vehicular accidents and another involved an outage-related carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator.

The cause of the fifth death remains unclear.

Many of Ian's victims were older adults who drowned from the floodwaters, according to The New York Times.

Related Article: National Weather Service Issued a Warning on Flash Floods in Illinois and Chicago
According to Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection, not only has the conflict in Ukraine cost lives, but Russia's invasion has also seriously harmed the ecosystem.

Ruslan Strilets told Euronews that Ukraine's natural world has been ravaged since the beginning of the conflict in February, at a cost of more than 36 billion.

War has inflicted 36bn damage on Ukraine's environment

The minister stated that almost 2,000 examples of environmental damage had been registered by authorities throughout the seven months of the grinding battle, adding that soil degradation and air pollution alone faced "vast" expenditures of 11.4 and 24.6 billion, respectively, as per Euronews.

According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, as of August, 30% of Ukraine's protected natural areas, totaling 3 million acres, have been bombed, poisoned, burned, or targeted by military maneuvers.

Strilets stated that the European Commission, in collaboration with the US State Department, is funding programs to assist Ukraine regain its natural environment in the future.

According to Strilets, one outcome of the conflict was that Ukraine increased its environmental monitoring.

Following allegations of Russian soldiers burning agricultural grounds earlier this spring, the nation established a special task force known as the State Environmental Inspectorate to monitor how the fighting is affecting the natural world.

Nobody had the same methods before the war, the minister told Euronews, adding that he "hoped" no one would need it in the future.

He emphasized how Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic were assisting Kyiv in implementing new environmental legislation, which he believed would help Ukraine join the European Union (EU).

"We strive harder to improve our legislation and synchronize it with European Union legislation so that we may become full members of the EU in the future," he added.

Ukraine filed for EU membership on February 28, four days after being invaded by Russia.

Concerns have been raised that the nation does not match the EU's qualifying standards, notably in terms of its political institutions and economy.

The fact that Ukraine is at war further complicates matters.

In view of Ukraine's recent ground successes in the country's east, which had routed Russian soldiers in, Strilets was sure that Ukraine would win the conflict.

Also Read: Russia-Ukraine War: Around 4,000 Wild Animals Trapped at Mykolaiv Zoo due to Ongoing Gunfire and Rocket Attacks

What the Russia-Ukraine conflict implies for Asia's climate objectives

The majority of Asian countries prioritize energy security over climate goals.

For wealthy nations, such as South Korea and Japan, this means experimenting with nuclear energy, as per Business Mirror.

In the medium term, it involves depending on polluting coal power to meet China and India's vast energy requirements.

However, the fight is having a disproportionate impact on developing nations with already stretched budgets, according to Kanika Chawla of the United Nations' sustainable energy section.

The path Asian nations take will have repercussions: they might either double down on renewable energy or decide not to phase out fossil fuels soon.

Sri Lanka is an extreme illustration of the situation that poor countries face.

Massive debts restrict it from purchasing energy on credit, requiring it to limit gasoline for essential industries, with shortages expected in the next year.

Sri Lanka has established a goal of obtaining 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, with the goal of reaching net zero (balancing the quantity of greenhouse gas emitted with the amount taken out of the environment) by 2050.

Its dual demands of ensuring energy while lowering prices mean it has "no other alternative" than to wean itself off fossil fuels, according to Aruna Kulatunga, author of a government report on Sri Lanka's clean energy targets.

Others, however, such as Murtaza Jafferjee, head of the research tank Advocata Institute, argue that these aims are "more aspirational than practical" since the present electrical system is incapable of handling renewable energy.

Renewable energy grids must be more agile because, unlike fossil fuels, wind and solar energy fluctuate, potentially stressing transmission grids.

The economic crisis has reduced energy demand in Sri Lanka. While there are still power outages, the country's current energy sources-coal and oil-fired facilities, hydropower, and some solar-are keeping up.

Related article: UN Worried That Russia-Ukraine Crisis May Direly Impact Global Heat Goals
Flood risk continues to threaten New South Wales, Australia, even if heavy rain has started to ease, according to reports.

Sydney, as well as other cities and towns, across the state are still at risk of sudden rise of floodwaters.

New South Wales Flooding

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) at 12:30 p.m. AEDT (local time) on Sunday, October 9, issued the following flood alerts, forecasting these areas could reach major or near major flood levels in the coming days:

Warren along the Macquarie River

Cottons Weir, Euabalong, Forbes, Jemalong, and Nanami along the Lachlan River

Gundagai along the Murrumbidgee River

Weilmoringle along the Culoga River

Tilpa along the Darling River

The BoM said some catchments east of the Divide are experiencing renewed flooding from the rainfall event, including the Hawkesbury and Nepean areas.

Although heavy rain is no longer expected in the next few days, areas situated east of the Divide will experience patches of rain.

The Australian Government's weather agency added that the temporary calmer weather is short-lived as another system will bring rain from Wednesday to Friday, October 12 to October 14.

The agency also retained flood watches and flood warnings.

The Bureau advised the public to be updated on the latest local weather developments and that communities should follow the advice of emergency services.

Also Read: Australia: Bureau of Meteorology Issues Storm Warnings and Flood Warnings for Lismore This Week

Eastern Australia Flooding

Over the past week, New South Wales and other areas across Eastern Australia experienced a new surge of flooding, which is hastened by full dams and rivers.

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet told reported there is a significant risk of flash flooding across the state.

The rapid rise of floodwaters is evident due to conditions of the said dams and rivers, which immediately serve as a catch basin during a heavy rain, as cited by Reuters.

Australia's most populous state on Saturday, October 8, was bracing for more torrential rain and potential flooding as the number of issued weather warnings increased to 64.

Local authorities also urged the public to exercise extreme care and avoid travel.

This comes as weather officials said that rain since October 5 in some parts of New South Wales raised the levels of nearby and inland rivers, putting Sydney and other locations at risk and prompting the issuance of flood warnings.

In spite of the forecasted easing of rain in New South Wales, flood warning will still continue, Channel News Asia reported.

Riverine Flooding

The localized flood threat in Eastern Australia highlights riverine flooding, which pertains to the overflow of water levels among inland bodies of water like rivers, streams, and lakes.

Since the start of 2022, the eastern half of the country experienced similar weather hazards fueled due to a La Nina weather event for a third straight years.

The event brought above-average precipitation, which is expected until the remainder of the year.

Last week, Sydney recorded its wettest year since recordings began in 1858.

Aside from flooding, there is also a risk of landslips and fallen trees.

Related Article: Storm Alert: Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms Forecasted for Eastern Australia This Week
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon set a new monthly record in September, continuing a trend that has intensified under the country's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

According to satellite data from the Brazilian space research agency INPE, around 1,455 square kilometers (562 square miles) of rainforest were destroyed in September.

This is up 48% from a year ago and surpasses the September 2019 record in a data period that began in 2015.

Under Bolsonaro, Amazon deforestation hits new September record

Since Bolsonaro entered power in 2019, average deforestation in the critical environment has grown by 75% compared to the preceding decade, as per Al Jazeera.

The report of increased deforestation comes as Brazil prepares for a controversial election on October 30, in which Bolsonaro will face former left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has pledged to cut down on deforestation.

Anyone concerned about the future of the rainforest, Indigenous peoples' livelihoods, or the prospect of a habitable world should vote to remove Bolsonaro, said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of the Climate Observatory, a network of environmental organizations, in a statement.

Lula won the first round last week but fell short of the 50% level required to avoid a run-off.

Environmentalists are concerned by Bolsonaro's shockingly good performance in the first round, which many expected him to lose entirely.

Many people feel that the approaching election will determine the fate of the Amazon, a critical resource in the battle against climate change.

Brazil is home to over 60% of the Amazon.

Bolsonaro, a friend of Brazil's strong agriculture industry, has presided over unprecedented deforestation of the rainforest as ranchers and loggers cut and burn vast sections of it.

During his first year in government in 2019, the worst year on record, 9,178 square kilometers (3,543 square miles) of land were devastated.

With three months left in the year, 2022 is now the second worst, with more than 8,590 square kilometers (3,316 square miles) damaged.

According to Reuters, the Brazilian justice ministry has stated that it is launching enforcement operations to combat illicit deforestation and burning.

However, fires have increased as agribusinesses strive to clear land for cropland and grazing pastures.

Brazil established a five-year high for the number of fires burning in the Amazon in early September, and campaigners have complained that enforcement has been lax under Bolsonaro.

According to a July analysis by the Igarape Institute, a Brazilian think tank, authorities are doing nothing to reduce deforestation in the Amazon.

The research looked at 302 environmental crime raids conducted by federal police in the Amazon between 2016 and 2021 and discovered that just 2% of them were targeting those unlawfully taking undesignated public properties.

Indigenous peoples and environmental land protectors have also been attacked and abused.

The president has justified his policies by claiming that they "balance environmental conservation with equitable and sustainable economic growth."

Also Read: Dams Induce Widespread Species Extinction in the Amazon Forest, Research Says

Effects Of Deforestation On The Amazon

What happens to the Amazon when the trees are chopped down? Not only does the Amazon have an impact on our planet, as per Amazon Aid Foundation.

However, forest loss has an impact on the region and its animals, plants, and people.

Disruption of Amazonian Peoples' Livelihoods - Forest deforestation immediately impacts and lowers forest natural resources and ecosystem services.

Cutting down rainforests may harm habitat, reduce biodiversity and food supplies, degrade soil, pollute rivers and lands, and cause regions to dry out, reducing overall productivity for the people and animals who live there.

Less rain and moisture, and more flames - As weather patterns shift from east to west, the Amazon's trees produce their own rainfall.

The Amazon dumps 20 billion tons of moisture into the atmosphere every day, fertilizing the clouds with rain. Deforestation dries up the forest, which can lead to drought and wildfires.

Biodiversity loss - Forest degradation damages the homes, habitat, and food supplies of the animals that reside there.

Every year, it is believed that 100,000 species become extinct in tropical forests. The extinction of one species in an ecosystem has an impact on the other species that rely on it.

The more biodiversity there is in a system, the healthier and more robust it is.

Temperatures will rise - The Amazon is already quite hot. Removing trees causes more sunshine to enter the forest floor, causing it to dry out and heat up.

When trees are burned, the carbon stored in their trunks, roots, branches, and leaves is released into the atmosphere, contributing to the thermal layer that retains and absorbs heat on the planet.



Related article: Preserving 80% of Amazon Rainforest Can Save it for the Future Generations
A wanted tiger, known as the "man-eater of Champaran" and for killing at least nine people in Bihar, India, was shot down during an operation involving hundreds of people.

As a result, a widespread tiger hunt occurred over the weekend and led to the death of the wild animal.

The event alone is one of the largest operations in India against a single tiger, whose last victims were a mother and her son.

Man-Eater of Champaran

The Indian police shot dead a tiger that was responsible for killing at least nine people in Champaran district in Bihar state.

The man-eater of Champaran was killed after a hunt was carried out by approximately 200 members of the police forces and district officials.

Some police officers patrolled while riding elephants to find it. The beast is known for terrorizing communities at the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.

The mass tiger hunt lasted for seven hours on Saturday, October 8, and was led by the Bihar police, who surrounded a sugarcane field near the Sitaltola Baluwa village to killed the three-year-old tiger known as "T-104," which likely stands for tiger no. 104.

The special operation needed to come to an end since T-104, which was identified as "dangerous to human lives," was gunned down by Bihar police jawan at 3:15 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to chief wildlife warden Bihar Prabhat Kumar Gupta, who told the Times of India.

The operation was triggered shortly after the news broke out that the man-eating tiger mauled to death a woman named Parvati Devi, 35, and her son Shivam Yadam, 8, from Balua village.

Also Read: China Plans to Teach Tiger Cubs in 'Kindergarten' on How to be a Proper Wild Cat

India Tiger Attacks

India is home to over 70% of the world's wild tigers, including the ferocious Bengal tiger.

The South Asian country's tiger reserves, protected areas where the wild animals can live have not expanded at the same rate of its population growth.

This has led to some of the big cats to stumble on human settlements for survival, including preying on livestock and sometimes on humans, the BBC reported.

Tigers in India kill around 40 to 50 people each year, according to government data in 2019 by India's Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

Between 2015 and 2018, the data showed that the following Indian states have incurred tiger attacks:

Assam

Karnataka

Kerala

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Mizoram

Odisha

Tamil Nadu

Uttar Pradesh

Uttarakhand

West Bengal

Based on the government tally, the state with the highest number of human fatalities was recorded in Maharashtra, having six deaths in 2015, six in 2016, 24 in 2017, and 15 in 2018.

Tiger attacks are common across India, especially in areas where there is a close proximity between tiger population and human settlements.

Considered to be an extreme form of human-wildlife conflict, tiger attacks across the nation have been increasing in recent years.

In April 2022, the Indian government stated a total of 108 people died nationwide due to tiger attacks between 2019 and 2021, the Times of India reported.

Related Article: Unidentified Wild Animal Kills Teenage Boy at the Sanjay Tiger Reserve in India
A picture taken on August 18, 2019 shows a damselfish (Chromis chromis) swimming over a peacock alga (Padina)inthe Roustaud reef near La Ciotat, southern France (Photo : Photo credit should read BORIS HORVAT/AFP via Getty Images)

How else would researchers strengthen the adaptive capacity of the coastal and marine environment on the globe, which are under threat from a variety of pressures, which would include huge decolorization episodes connected to greenhouse gas emissions?

Algae-Eating Fish

Several other academics, funding agencies, as well as environmentalists propose restoring urban areas of algae-eating sea creatures like parrotfish.

In accordance with this theory, which itself is documented as fish-mediated adaptive capacity, trying to safeguard the fish that regulate algae in overall positive effect to healthy and balanced aquatic plants and therefore can aid the rehabilitation of troubled reefs, as per Journal Break.

However, truly innovative research that looked at long-term relevant information from 57 coral reefs on the French Polynesian inland sea of Mo'orea calls this marine reef ecological canon into question.

To help stop algae abnormal growth as well as aquatic damage, supporters of fish-mediated marine conservation adaptive capacity have called for restrictive measures on bycatch for algae-eating reef fish.

A wide range of descriptive statistics were performed on coastal marine information recorded throughout 2006 as well as 2017 by two long-term surveillance initiatives: the Mo'orea Coral Reef Ecosystem LTER and the Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement.

Mo'orea coral reefs were extensively damaged by two major interferences mostly throughout in the 2006-17 data-collection period included in the research project: an epidemic of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish as well as a lightning strike from Cyclone Oli in winter 2010.

Most of the other oldest uninterrupted observational data of fishery resources as noted frfom Newsbreak, as well as algae development on coastal ecosystems may be found in the Mo'orea coastal ecosystems records.

Unscrupulous life forms, agricultural runoff, anaerobic fermentation of the oceans, biodiversity loss, sedimentation, as well as marine whitening, which is triggered by persistent, warmer-than-average sea ground conditions, are all threats to coastal ecosystems.

Also read: Ancient Armored Worm That Scuttled Along the Ocean is Ancestor to Three Animal Groups

Coral Reef Sustainability





According to the investigators, it seems to be more rationale to sustain policies that encourage the protection of multiple ecosystems and coral reef species at differing levels of deterioration.

Moreover, as claim by University of Michigan maritime biologist as well as research co-senior writer Jacob Allgeier, the research project, set for academic journal Oct. 3 in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, presents convincing additional facts that fish do not control sea life through history.

Young adults have still been arguing for the last few years so that humanity can be able to safeguard aquatic plants though the aquaculture stewardship, as well as the research project on Mo'orea reefs indicates that this is improbable to succeed are a plethora of other activities happening upon.

In keeping with the authors of the new study, expert stated that of that kind well-intentioned but mistaken long term performance might have major ramifications for the millions of community members who rely on coral-reef fisheries for money as well as sustenance, the ScienceX posted.

While in his statement Allgeier, an adjunct lecturer in the University of Michigan's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology remarked that this work potentially drastically revolutionizes how humans conceive regarding coastal marine wildlife management.

Researchers definitely really have to regulate fishing industry in these environments, but rather of implementing measures like sweeping freshwater fish limits, researchers must examine administration activities that encourage financially viable collection all through the nutrition supply chain to scatter the consequences of fish stocks.

Related article: New Research Shows How Coral Algae help the Environment
According to information published by Global Times on October 10, 2022, the Youhao hospital ship of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently completed its first round of visits to islands and reefs of Xisha and Nansha in the South China Sea.

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Chinese Type 919 hospital ship Youhao. (Picture source: Loongnaval)

Having sailed for 18 days through nearly 4,000 nautical miles, the Youhao visited 13 islands and reefs of Xisha and Nansha, providing medical services to more than 5,000 people, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.

This is the first time that the Youhao has embarked on such a mission since its commissioning in November 2020, CCTV said.

More than 40 experts in multiple medical fields including critical cases and psychology from the PLA Southern Theater Command Navy First Hospital traveled with the ship, with Xisha's and Nansha's special environments including high temperatures, high humidity and high salinity in mind, the report said.

The experts on the ship also shared their knowledge and experience with medical staff members stationed on the islands and reefs as well as other vessels in the region, as they analyzed the distribution of diseases and medical needs, and provided training programs, CCTV reported.

China has built hospitals on Yongshu, Zhubi and Meiji reefs, and the routine deployment of the Youhao marks an additional mobile medical force that will fill in the gaps of medical services in Nansha's waters, building a complete rescue chain in the region, the report said.

As a key complement to the local hospitals, the hospital ship can be equipped with more types of medical equipment, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator.

About the Chinese Type 9191

Type 919 hospital ship is a type of hospital ship (AH) built in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Type 919 hospital ship has received NATO reporting name Anshen class (meaning soothing the nerves). Two ships have been built by end of 2021.

Displaced more than four thousand tons when fully loaded, Type 919 hospital ship is designed to fill the gap between smaller Qiongsha-class ambulance transport (APH) and much larger Type 920 hospital ship (AH).

Type 919 hospital ship is equipped with more than a hundred hospital beds, internal medicine, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, psychology and surgery departments, and can support three surgeries to be performed onboard simultaneously. In addition, the ship is also equipped with helipad.
MBABANE  Apart from heavily relying on government subventions, five parastatals are facing financial challenges with glaring deficits and there is a strong need for financial assistance.

Some of these government parastatals are profit-making entities, which are supposed to be revenue-generating and boosting government coffers but that is not the case.

These are the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Eswatini Television Authority (ESTVA), Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority (ESWACAA), Piggs Peak Hotel and Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP). These entities have a combined deficit of E2.6 billion and the Auditor General (AG) Timothy Matsebula, through the compliance audit report, has asserted that government might be indebted to rescue the public enterprises.

ESWACAA has the biggest deficit of the five parastatals, which stands at E1 348 832 659. Matsebula, through the report, stated that this means the entire investment made by the shareholder (government) was at risk of being drained and the shareholder might be indebted to rescue the public enterprise. The controlling officer in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Thulani Mkhaliphi, concurred with Matsebulas observation and he stated that the ESWACAAs reliance on the subvention grant from the Government of Eswatini was correct. He said the authority suffered a reduction of about E7.5 million in landing, overflight, parking and permit fees, while airport tax collections were reduced by about E2.3 million as a result of the reduced activity that was necessitated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Loss

Financial statements indicated that UNESWA incurred a net loss of E189 172 410 during the year ended March 31, 2021. In the previous financial year ended March 31, 2020, the university had made a loss of E146 902 465. As a result of incurring losses over the years, the university had an accumulated loss of E1 087 171 217 as at March 31, 2021. Matsebula said this meant that the university was spending beyond its income and, therefore, struggling to meet its obligations, hence depending (trusting) on the government to rescue it. His concern was that if the situation did not change for the better, this important service that the university was created for would not be sustainable in the foreseeable future. Coming out to openly declare that they needed a bailout from government was ESTVA, whose newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andreas Dlamini, revealed that they needed at least E200 million. Matsebula revealed that there were material uncertainties which threatened the ability of the TV station to continue delivering services to the public and achieve its mandate.

Uncertainties

The AG submitted that the indications of existence of material uncertainties included a cumulative loss of E115.6 million, a negative equity investment balance of E108 million, an employee costs exceeded the total income received by the authority by E567 585. It also include an employee pension liability of 17.5 million, trade payables of E116.4 million, current liabilities exceeded current assets by E94.2 million, unremitted taxes amounting to E82 759 507 to the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) and liabilities exceeded assets by E108 million.

Government ministries and parastatals were cited as the main perpetrators in Piggs Peak Hotels E6.7 million expected credit losses which were deemed irrecoverable.

According to the compliance audit report, the expected credit losses whose exact amount is E6 749 395, are estimated irrecoverable receivables from the outstanding balance of E7 007 905, which management of the hotel believes that they might not be recoverable. On RSTP, Matsebula said the public enterprise continued to make significant deficits that were far higher than the subvention received from the government and the cumulative retained deficits amounting to E278 071 175 at the year-end.

According to a recent analysis of the performance of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Eswatini, which was prepared by the Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis and Research Centre (ESERPAC), SOEs working within the tough openly competitive and purely commercial markets yet without the requisite institutional infrastructure do struggle to keep afloat and the best was would be to restructure them and set them on pathways as purely commercial entities, run by corporatised codes of conduct and practice. The analysis depicts that the government of Eswatini should avoid setting up SOEs to compete with the private sector, which in most cases ends up crowding out the already thin private sector. It states that government should set up SOEs to provide services where the private sector would not, to create new markets and to induce growth that will expand the private sector and, thereby increase the economic and tax base.

Remuneration

The analysis comes with a recommendation that the public enterprise unit needs to develop performance measurement system (PMS) appropriate contracts and remuneration structure for executives of the public enterprises. A critical element of the PMS is to ensure that key performance indicators align with the mandates of the public enterprises, reads the recommendation. Another recommendation states,that the public enterprises governance structures need to be reformed to improve performance and accountability. Board members need to understand that their fiduciary responsibility in the public enterprises is to serve the interests of government and the overall sustainability of the public enterprises. Meanwhile, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg stated that entities like ESWACAA and RSTP were in deficits not because they were reckless in spending, but these were funds that government pumped in to build the entities.

He made an example that at ESWACAA, the liabilities were in respect of funding to build the airport and at RSTP, it was the infrastructure and in their books they recognised the monies that government pumped in. It is UNESWA that the minister said got themselves in trouble as they are not paying pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) and were employing people when they felt like doing so. The minister then stated that there would be a supplementary budget in December like the country normally did and application for funds from these entities would be considered on their urgency.
MANZINI  It is saddening that whenever we raise the shortage of drugs and that weve nothing to work with, it is politicised. There are just no drugs in hospitals!

Secretary General (SG) of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) Mayibongwe Masangane said the drug shortage in the country was no longer an issue that needed only lip service, but a time frame for government to deliver. In fact, he expressed no shock about the said amount of drugs in a stock-out in various public health facilities. Instead, Masangane supposed that there could be more drugs on stock-out. Weve told government that patients are dying due to the shortage of drugs and requested them to do something, he said. Masangane claimed that the stock-outs were mostly caused by the high volumes of short deliveries of medicines from the Central Medical Stores (CMS). He said various health facilities had placed orders for medication and it was either not delivered in time and or something not listed on the order was supplied. He also bemoaned that there was seemingly incoherent systems of communication between health facilities and the CMS, which resulted in the inadequate monitoring of stock reorder levels.

Prescriptions

After having paid clinic fees for the medication, many patients are asked to buy their prescriptions at retail pharmacies. This option is not affordable to the elderly with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as they get grants that cant sustain them, given the current cost of living, Masangane said. He said what was disheartening to many nurses was that they had to turn back patients who travelled long distances to health facilities. The SG insisted that there should be three months buffer stock to ensure that the health facilities dont run out of medication. Furthermore, Masangane said there was a shortage of pharmacists and pharm technicians in most clinics, which resulted in the failure to keep records of drugs in stock. He said as a union, they had received reports in various instances that there was a shortage of pharmacists and pharm technicians who could be responsible for keeping records of the stock in public health facilities.

The SG said pharmacists or pharm technicians were best equipped for the management and distribution of pharmaceuticals and their absence resulted in the responsibility being executed by nurses who were also expected to engage in their duties. Government should hire more personnel as per the need in order to afford the citizenry adequate healthcare. If this is not solved, the shortage of medication and failure to render this service will persist, Masangane said.
MANZINI  As government is investigating the shortage of drugs, there is no law to specifically deal with the perpetrators who steal drugs in public health facilities.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, when asked about the unaccounted for medical drugs and pharmaceuticals in hospitals. She said the ministry was pinning its hopes on the Pharmacy Bill, which would deal specifically with those found to be contributing to the recurrent shortage of medical drugs and pharmaceuticals. Nkosi said claiming that medication was not stolen would be untruthful. She said she was hopeful that the Bill would pass in Parliament so that it could deal with some of the causes of the perennial shortage of medical drugs and pharmaceuticals. Nkosi said the ministry had a great system at the Central Medical Stores (CMS), which accounted for drugs; however, the challenge was once the medication was distributed to health facilities, it was hard to monitor.

Quantified

The minister said the CMS was audited annually and the unaccounted for drugs quantified. She said this was then published in the AGs report. She said investigations were initiated to establish the challenge. She said the Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula, recently had another audit which quantified cumulative losses, which included the obsolete drugs and donated drugs that were rendered unsuitable for use by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Some of the drugs, the minister said, were those that had been donated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nkosi said the donors were convinced that they (drugs) would help in the fight against the pandemic; however, WHO said they should be discarded. The minister said at the moment, there were personnel within the ministry who were caught stealing medication and due to the current legislation, these individuals were suspended; but continued to draw salaries monthly.

Suspended

They are suspended instead of being in jail for stealing drugs, which has serious consequences on the public health system, the minister said. She said the Pharmacy Bill would assist the ministry in cleaning up the health sector as it would criminalise being found with medication without a licence. Nkosi said it would also assist in arresting people who shall be found in possession of medication without a licence. This, she said, would assist in dealing with the mushrooming pharmacies in the country. In the absence of this law, this publication has gathered that over E150 million drugs are unaccounted for in public health facilities. This figure was said to be a projection of all public health facilities, following an audit which was instituted by the AG, Timothy Matsebula.

Impeccable sources have claimed that in two years, there was missing stock of medicines or unaccounted for pharmaceuticals amounting to E18.79 million. It was gathered that about a fraction of the amount was missing stock from the CMS, amounting to over E5.9 million. This stock was gathered to have been unaccounted for in 2021 and this year. The sources further claimed that various health facilities had unaccounted for stock of medical drugs and pharmaceuticals. This publication recently reported that at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital, medical drugs worth over E250 000 had gone missing. The loss at RFM Hospital was said to be a discovery made during the audit by Matsebula.

Uncovered

It is worth noting that this publication has recently reported that there were more pharmacies than registered pharmacists with the Eswatini Medical and Dental Council. This was uncovered by this publication in an independent investigation, which also the Ministry of Health made similar findings in its survey. Meanwhile, the minister said: The hike in the number of unaccounted for drugs shall be solved by the Pharmacy Bill, which shall be inclusive of the criminal aspect to deal with those found stealing pharmaceuticals in public health facilities.

Nkosi said instead of individuals being suspended from work, the Bill would seek that they be arrested and subsequently their services terminated from the civil service for stealing. She said at the moment, those found to be in possession of pharmaceuticals yet they were not qualified to dispense them were able to pay an admission of guilt; however, with the new legislation, these individuals would be arrested and the pharmaceuticals in their possession would be destroyed. Nkosi said the ministry was pinning its hopes on this Bill. It is worth noting that this publication recently reported that the disappearance of the drugs was caused by some missing stock cards, which had the transactions.

The proposed Pharmacy Bill No. 8 of 2021 states that the sale of pharmaceutical products by individuals or companies that are unregistered could come with a fine of E50 000 or imprisonment not exceeding two years. The object of the Bill is meant to regulate the pharmacy protection and to establish the Pharmacy Council. Section 55 of the Pharmacy Bill, No. 8 of 2021, proposes that offences under the anticipated Act are to the effect that a person who, not being registered, yet carries on a business as a pharmacist or allows to be described as a pharmacist, commits an offence and may face two years imprisonment.
Research from The University of Queensland has found no link between community water fluoridation and adverse effects on children's brain development.

Professor Loc Do from UQ's School of Dentistry said the study examined the difference between the brain development and function of children who'd been exposed to fluoridated water in early childhood with those who weren't.

We found emotional and behavioral development, and functions such as memory and self-control, were at least equivalent to those who had no exposure to fluoridated water. In other words, there was no difference in child development and function related to fluoridated water. This finding shows that consuming water with fluoride at levels used for public supplies in Australia is safe and it supports continuing and expanding fluoridation programs." Loc Do, Professor, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland

Currently, approximately 90 per cent of the Australian population has access to fluoridated water, although in Queensland it is 71 per cent.

Many regional Queensland areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are not covered by a fluoridation program.

"A small but vocal group of people sometimes claims that water fluoridation can have adverse neurodevelopment effects, especially in young children," Professor Do said.

"This concern can impact community and public health support for the practice, but our research provides reassurance that it is safe and supports its expansion into more communities.

"This is an important message because fluoride is extremely effective in preventing tooth decay and its use in water and toothpaste is credited with significant improvements in child dental health in Australia."

Dental caries (also known as tooth decay or dental cavities) is the most common chronic childhood disease worldwide causing pain and infection and can lead to tooth extraction.

The UQ study followed up child participants of Australia's National Child Oral Health study 2012-2014 when they were aged 12 to 17 years.

It measured their emotional and behavioral development using a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and executive brain function using the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function - both instruments widely used in population health surveys.

The study was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Project grant, and it is a collaboration between The University of Queensland, University of Adelaide and University of Western Australia in Australia, along with the University of Bristol in the UK.
A study at the University of Jyvaskyla found that men are biologically older than women. The observed sex difference is partially explained by men's more frequent smoking and larger body size.

In the Western world, life expectancy rapidly increased in the twentieth century, but still women have longer life expectancy than men. In Finland, women live on average five years longer than men. The gap between the sexes was greatest in the 1970s, when life expectancy at birth was almost 10 years higher for women than for men. However, in recent decades, this gap has gradually narrowed. The difference between the sexes can also be seen in biological aging, as a recently published study reveals.

The study investigated whether there are differences in biological aging between men and women and whether the potential differences can be explained by lifestyle-related factors. These differences were investigated in young and older adults.

Several epigenetic clocks were used as measures of biological ageing. Epigenetic clocks enable studying lifespan-related factors during an individual's lifetime. They provide an estimate for biological age in years using DNA methylation levels determined from a blood sample.

We found that men are biologically older than women of the same chronological age, and the difference is considerably larger in older participants." Anna Kankaanpaa, Doctoral Researcher, Gerontology Research Center and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

More frequent smoking among men explained the sex gap in aging in older but not in young adult twins. In addition, men's larger body size explained a small part of the sex gap in both age groups.

"We observed a sex difference in aging pace, which was not explained by lifestyle-related factors," says Kankaanpaa.

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"In our study, we also used a quite rare study design and compared aging pace among opposite-sex twin pairs. A similar difference was also observed among these pairs of twins. The male sibling was about one year biologically older than his female co-twin. These pairs have grown in the same environment and share half of their genes. The difference may be explained, for example, by sex differences in genetic factors and the beneficial effects of the female sex hormone estrogen on health," Kankaanpaa continues.

The results help to understand lifestyle behaviors and sex differences related to biological aging and life expectancy. The results suggest that the decline in smoking among men partly explains why the sex gap in life expectancy has narrowed in recent decades.

The research was carried out in collaboration with the University of Jyvaskyla and the University of Helsinki. The subjects were younger (2142 years) and older (5076 years) adult twins from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Lifestyle-related factors including education, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity, were measured using questionnaires.

The AGE-X research project is led by academy researcher Elina Sillanpaa. The project was conducted at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla in co-operation with the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), the University of Helsinki, and the Methodology Center for Human Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla. The research has been funded by the Academy of Finland, the EC GenomEUtwin project and the foundations of Sigrid Juselius, Yrjo Jahnsson and Juho Vainio.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers investigated the breadth and longevity of immunity induced by natural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure among the Kenyan population.

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), the most well-established correlate of protection against all infectious pathogens. These nAbs confer protection against viruses via several mechanisms - neutralization, opsonization, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.

SARS-CoV-2-induced nAbs trigger robust immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA antibody responses. However, only a few have a neutralization function. Of nAbs with neutralization function, over 90% target the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein.

Previous studies surveying the general population of high-income countries (e.g., European countries) have shown that anti-SARS-CoV-2 nAbs could be short-lived. Some COVID-19 patients remain seronegative despite being SARS-CoV-2 positive. These observations raise the possibility of inter-population differences in peoples abilities to generate and maintain antiSARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

In sub-Saharan countries, for instance, Kenya, the COVID-19 vaccine coverage is poor. Nearly 70% of the Kenyan population was unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 as of September 2022, providing a unique setting to understand naturally acquired immunity to SARS-CoV-2.

Comparing anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses between patients from different geographical locations and clinical phenotypes could help find potential correlates of COVID-19 disease severity. Moreover, it could help determine the presence and longevity of antibody neutralization function in those who have acquired immunity through natural infection rather than vaccination.

About the study

In the present study, researchers determined the kinetics of naturally acquired anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in a cohort of Kenyan patients with varying degrees of COVID-19 severity. They followed up with these patients for six months following COVID-19 diagnosis to assess the titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 binding and neutralizing antibodies and their subsequent waning.

The team sampled the recruited patients at baseline, referred to as day 0. Then, they collected blood samples on days 7, 14, 28, and 180 (6 months) of a positive COVID-19 test. Further, they graded COVID-19 presentations of all patients per the National institute of health (NIH) guidelines into asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severely sick. The team used an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) targeting the full-length trimeric S to measure the level of IgG antibodies in patient-provided serum samples.

Study findings

From 309 patients, the researchers collected 585 blood samples across the five-time points of the study. The study cohort had 70% male patients, with most patients belonging to the mild and severe groups, 121/309 and 141/309, respectively.

The antibody neutralization potency increased until day 28 and then declined until day 180 in the participants recruited before April 2021. Conversely, for those recruited post-April 2021, the immune responses were more heterogenous, with nAb levels increasing until day 28 and then plateauing between day 28 and day 180. Infection-induced nAbs were more potent against the Wuhan-Hu1 strain than SARS-CoV-2 VOCs that became prevalent later. Also, the results pointed to a strong correlation between the antibody binding levels, neutralizing potencies, and an increase in disease severity.

Only a few studies have determined the kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody kinetics in the Sub-Saharan African population for a longer duration. For instance, a South African study quantified IgG antibodies weekly over three months among COVID-19 patients and demonstrated rapid waning of anti-SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgA and IgM nAbs.

However, the current study results showed the significance of longer durations of follow-ups in longitudinal studies ascertaining anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody kinetics following infection.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with neutralizing function decayed three-fold by the sixth month of follow-up. It explains possible re-infections in the current study cohort, where a few patients had binding and neutralizing antibodies increasing after day 28 of COVID-19 diagnosis without vaccination. Similarly, other studies have shown occurrences of SARS-CoV-2 re-infections.

Conclusions

The study results showed that anti-SARS-CoV-2 nAbs are short-lived, while other antibodies may be long-lasting. During recovery, binding antibodies are not an accurate surrogate of neutralizing function. Antibodies work via cellular cytotoxicity and complement deposition mechanisms, and mediate viral clearance. However, such roles remain unexplored for SARS-CoV-2.

It is crucial to investigate these mechanisms because COVID-19 vaccines use them for viral clearance, which contributes more to sterile immunity. Understanding the magnitude and functional aspects of antibody kinetics would inform the development of next-generation COVID-19 vaccines that could offer much-needed long-term protection.

Finally, even in sub-Saharan African populations, vaccine boosters will help sustain the high levels of neutralizing antibodies that peak after acute infection. Thus, concerted efforts to vaccinate the sub-Saharan African population could help broaden and extend their current levels of naturally acquired anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity.

*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.
Data from a new pan-European study on the burden of digestive diseases, presented today at UEG Week 2022 and published in the United European Gastroenterology Journal, highlights a worrying increase in the prevalence of several digestive diseases since 2000. These include chronic liver diseases, pancreatitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, vascular intestinal disorders and coeliac disease in children. In addition, the incidence and mortality rates for all digestive cancers combined have increased by 26% and 17% respectively in the period 2000-2019.

The report identifies that digestive diseases affect over 300 million people across Europe and the Mediterranean area and that the associated economic costs are substantial. The incidence and prevalence of many digestive diseases are highest amongst the very young and the elderly and, as the European population ages, this disease burden will inevitably increase.

Age-standardized incidence and mortality are shown to have increased for liver and pancreatic cancer in the majority of European countries since 2000, with alcohol use, obesity and other modifiable lifestyle factors identified as key contributors towards a large share of the overall burden of these digestive disorders. Increasing incidence of colorectal cancer amongst young adults is also an area of concern.

Researchers from the University of Liverpool, UK, who conducted the study on behalf of UEG, observed increasing trends in digestive disease burden due to high body mass index (BMI) across the continent. And, whilst some progress has been made to reduce alcohol attributable burden since the year 2000, alcohol use remains a major contributor to disease burden. One element of positive news to come out of the study is the decrease in health burden related to smoking across almost all European countries, following national intervention strategies.

A key factor highlighted in the report is that population-level social and economic differences between countries explain much of the differences in digestive disease burden, with more disadvantaged countries, as measured by the Human Development Index, experiencing a greater burden from most digestive diseases.

In terms of the economic burden of digestive diseases, the UEG report finds that, on average, the estimated cost of inpatient health service delivery (excluding treatment and diagnostics) for digestive diseases as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 0.12% across the 31 countries included in the study. This translates to a potential cost across the EU of approximately $20 billion in 2021.

"The health, economic and social burden of digestive diseases is increasing at an alarming rate", says Helena Cortez-Pinto, President of UEG. "Our healthcare systems and economies are already in a fragile state and urgent action is required to tackle these burdens, through public education, modulation of lifestyle choices and research, in order to reverse these alarming trends".

According to the report, if, across the 31 European countries, digestive disease related premature mortality could be reduced by 25% then the estimated savings from the prevention of productivity losses would amount to a total of 11.4 billion (in 2019). This rises to 22.8b and 34.2b for reductions of 50% and 75% respectively.

The burden of digestive diseases, as measured by Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), tends to be higher amongst Central and Eastern Europe countries compared to Western and Southern Europe, particularly for chronic liver diseases, pancreatitis, gastritis and duodenitis, vascular intestinal disorders and peptic ulcer disease.

Stark health inequalities remain across Europe and, with emerging economic challenges, we expect these inequalities to be further exacerbated. Unfortunately, despite their substantial prevalence and global impact, many digestive diseases are still poorly understood and attract relatively little attention from either a policy or funding perspective." Luigi Ricciardiello, Research Committee Chair, United European Gastroenterology

UEG conducted a similar study in 2014 which highlighted similar burdens and, with limited improvements since, the results and outcomes of this latest UEG study will assist in accelerating progress in reducing the burden of digestive disorders. It will also help to identify priority areas where research and investment are required across the whole of Europe as well as individual nations.

Tanith Rose, Principal Investigator of the UEG-commissioned study, concludes "The lack of progress over the last two decades in reducing the incidence of digestive diseases underscores the need for greater adoption of effective preventative strategies. Social and economic factors contribute to important differences in the burden of most digestive diseases, and efforts to reduce the burden which fail to account for these factors are likely to have limited success".
The recent spread of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) outside its known endemic regions has led to a recent global public health crisis. In fact, on July 23, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current MPXV outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Study: Monkeypox outbreak: Wastewater and environmental surveillance perspective. Image Credit: APIWAN BORRIKONRATCHATA / Shutterstock.com

The current MPXV outbreak

MPXD cases have rapidly increased beyond endemic regions since May 2022. As of October 9, 2022, over 70,000 MPXD cases have been reported from 106 countries, over 98% of which have no previous records of MPXV. The United States has reported the greatest number of MPXV cases in the current outbreak, followed by Brazil and Spain.

A new Science of the Total Environment study reviews the advantages and current challenges associated with wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) of MPXV.

What is MPXV?

MPXV is a double-stranded, enveloped DNA virus that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. MPXV comprises two genetic clades, which include Clade I and II.

Formerly known as the central African or Congo Basin clade, Clade I is associated with more severe and contagious disease. Comparatively, Clade II, which was previously referred to as the western African clade, causes a less severe and contagious form of MPXD.

Poxviruses are capable of causing widespread infections in animals and mammals. Zoonotic transmission to humans can occur through direct contact with bodily fluids, blood, as well as mucosal or cutaneous lesions of infected animals or contaminated materials. Consumption of improperly cooked meat and other animal products of infected animals can also increase the risk for transmission.

Animal hosts for MPXV include various rodents and non-human primates such as rope squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, tree squirrels, dormice, and different monkey species. Currently, rodents are believed to be the natural reservoir for MPXV.

MPXV symptoms, characteristics, and treatment

The first case of monkeypox disease (MPXD) in humans was identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. Thereafter, several cases emerged in the rainforest regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as other western and central African countries.

The first outbreak of MPXD outside of its endemic region occurred in the U.S. in 2003. This was linked to captive prairie dogs exposed to imported rodents from Ghana.

MPXV infections are mostly self-limiting, with the infection lasting between two and four weeks. However, some cases might be fatal.

Common symptoms of MPXV infection include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes. Immunocompromised individuals and children are most vulnerable to severe infection. The incubation period for MPXV infection can range from five to 21 days.

Many MPXV cases reported during the current outbreak have atypical features that include the absence of skin lesions in some cases, the presence of only a few or even just a single lesion, anal pain and bleeding, the appearance of lesions before the onset of fever, lesions at different stages of development, and lesions in the genital or perineal/perianal area that do not spread beyond these localized areas.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that clinical confirmation of MPXV cases must include monitoring of both lesion and non-lesion materials. Buccal and throat swabs, skin lesions, blood, urine, and oral fluid samples are collected by clinical laboratories for confirmation of MPXV through-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR).

Recently, the vaccinia virus-based ACAM2000 vaccine that was used against smallpox has received a license from WHO to prevent MPXD in at-risk populations. Certain antiviral drugs such as Brincidofovir and tecovirimat (TPOXX) can also be used to treat immunocompromised and critically ill patients infected with MPXV in clinical settings.

WBS to monitor MPXV

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WBS is an important technique used to detect and monitor the spread of notable pathogens within a community. This approach can help estimate the temporal and spatial distribution, genetic diversity, and prevalence of various pathogens.

WBS has previously been used for the eradication of polio and to monitor the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). WBS has also been used for several other pathogens including hepatitis E, hepatitis A, adenovirus, influenza A virus, noroviruses, dengue virus, and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens that circulate at the population level.

Wastewater is suitable for monitoring communicable diseases at the community level because it comprises biological materials such as lesions, body fluids, and skin rashes of infected people in a community. WBS is capable of providing real-time evidence of genetic components of infectious agents and/or their shedding in the sewage system days before the onset of symptoms or infected individuals seek care.

The global emergence of MPXD highlights the importance of laboratory and epidemiological surveillance systems that can help prevent and control infections in high-risk areas and populations. Clinical surveillance is associated with certain challenges, including social stigma, cost, and availability of clinical testing, as well as providing an accurate representation of disease prevalence. WBS can overcome such limitations and, as a result, serve as a better approach for monitoring communicable diseases such as MPXD.

Several studies have reported the presence of MPXV markers in saliva, semen, urine, nasopharyngeal, rectal, and feces samples. MPXV DNA has also been identified in the upper respiratory tract and urine of clinical patients in the United Kingdom.

The defoliation of skin, epithelial tissues, and skin lesions during baths is an important shedding route of MXPV into wastewater systems. Thus, WBS can be critical for monitoring and containing critical MPXD cases.

Current WBS methods to monitor MPXV

Currently, several laboratories throughout the world have started MPXV DNA monitoring in wastewater to assess the role of WBS as a management tool. To this end, two different assays have primarily been used. The G2R_G assay, for example, targets the OPG002 gene for all MPXV strains, whereas the G2R_WA assay targets the OPG002 gene of Clade II only.

Several studies have reported the detection of MPXV DNA in wastewater samples with 103-times higher virus concentrations in solid fractions as compared to the liquid fraction of wastewater.

The findings from these studies indicate that monitoring MPXV with WBS can be possible; however, many of these studies remain at the proof-of-concept level. Notably, MPXV levels were found to be lower than the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) levels detected elsewhere.

Challenges

There are several challenges associated with the use of WBS for monitoring MPXV in communities. In addition to the lack of standard methodologies and procedures, detection assays must be 100% inclusive and not react with other Orthopoxvirus or non-targeted species.

Information on viral DNA loads in asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals is unknown. Additionally, the lack of data on MPXV infections makes establishing a relationship or prediction model between WBS data and clinical cases difficult.

An additional challenge is that the detection of MPXV signals in wastewater can be affected by many factors, such as the complexity of the wastewater matrix, process, and analytical detection limits, shedding of the virus by infected individuals, and infection rates. Viral release from animal reservoirs can also interfere with data on human cases.

The transmission of MPXV from water matrices is unknown, and there is a lack of sewerage in low- and middle-income countries. Monitoring a small population is also difficult, as it can cause ethical issues and stigmatize the population.

Conclusions

WBS can play an effective role in the surveillance of MPXV infections to ultimately mitigate the spread of MPXV.

Further research is needed to address current challenges to allow MPXV DNA to be accurately detected from wastewater. This information will subsequently help identify the infectivity among populations before the onset of symptoms.
Thought Leaders Professor Charlotte Hanlon Psychiatrist and Epidemiologist King's College London

To commemorate World Mental Health Day 2022, News-Medical speaks to Prof. Charlotte Hanlon, psychiatrist and researcher, about her work within the field of Global Mental Health and the importance of raising awareness around this year's theme, "Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority."

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us about your background in psychiatry and mental health research?

I trained as a psychiatrist in the UK, and then I came to Ethiopia to do my Ph.D., which involved looking at the epidemiology and the impacts of perinatal depression on women and their children. I've lived and worked in Ethiopia for 15 years. My work has shifted direction, and now I'm more focused on expanding access to care for people with mental health conditions. That tends to involve the co-development, testing, and implementation of different sorts of psychological interventions, service models, and health systems strengthening approaches.

Earlier this year, you were appointed as one of the new directors of the Centre for Global Mental Health. Could you tell us about the center's mission, vision, and approach?

I'm one of three directors with Professor Crick Lund and Dr. Ritsuko Kakuma. The center started in 2009 and was very much focused on addressing inequities experienced by people with mental health conditions around the world, particularly focusing on low and middle-income countries. That remains still at the heart of the center's mission and vision.

The focus of the Centre is to enable people with lived experience of mental health conditions to attain the highest possible level of health and to participate fully in society and at work, free from stigmatization and discrimination. So very much focused on putting people with lived experience at the center.

There are three strands to what the center does. There's the research strand around producing contextually relevant evidence that can be relevant for local settings but also have a global impact. Secondly, to strengthen capacity when we work with partners in low and middle-income countries and to work to establish equitable partnerships. Thirdly, to work across stakeholder groups. So to engage not just in the research community but also involve people with lived experience, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Perhaps one of the distinctive things that marks out our center compared to others is that two directors are not based in London. I'm in Ethiopia, and Crick is in South Africa. We very much see that as part of the first step in recognizing that the center is a distributed center across our many partners and collaborations around the globe. The focus that we have is on shifting that center of gravity to our low and middle-income country partners because we very much recognize that global mental health needs to have really strong leadership from the global south.

You have lived and worked in Ethiopia for over 10 years. What has your work taught you about the current state of global mental health? What are the main obstacles you currently face in your work?

There've been so many encouraging developments in the field, but we certainly have a long way to go. Not just in Ethiopia or Africa more broadly but also globally. The pandemic brought mental health into people's homes and certainly increased awareness that this was a neglected problem, but that has not necessarily translated into greater commitment or funding to expand care or promote the human rights of people with mental health conditions, and those key gaps remain.

We've managed to develop a great deal more knowledge about how to expand access to mental healthcare in culturally and contextually relevant ways. For example, the UK AID-funded PRIME project, the Program for Improving Mental health carE, which worked in Ethiopia and also four other low and middle-income countries to integrate mental health into primary care. We showed how this approach can work in practice and that it can deliver benefits as well for people with mental health conditions and their families.

Another example in Ethiopia, as part of an NIH-funded Africa focus on intervention research, we ran a randomized clinical trial that showed that mental health delivered in primary care by primary healthcare workers was both safe and effective.

Those studies really help us when we're advocating; they strengthen our arguments for expanding access to care, and they also help to give implementers some kind of sense of what needs to be done. More broadly, there are some really positive changes, like more donors now supporting implementation, not just small research projects. The service user mobilization is much greater, so the voices of people with lived experience are much better represented.

Image Credit: Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock.com

Compared to 15 years ago, there are so many people working in this area now, and they come from different backgrounds, they've got different approaches, so there's a lot more diversity and creativity in the way that we sort try to address these big problems that we have to overcome. So in that sense, there's quite a lot of momentum and a much stronger platform for change.

A key obstacle that we face in Ethiopia, which is also a factor in many other countries, is that mental health goes hand-in-hand with poverty. One leads to the other and sets up a vicious cycle. We can't adequately respond to the needs of people with mental health conditions just by providing treatment. We need much more of a multi-sectorial response, for example, including economic interventions. But systems are not very well set up for multi-sectional organization and coordination. It does need much stronger commitment, and I think that is probably the biggest thing we need to address now.

Even though most people affected by mental illness live in low and middle-income countries, most mental health care resources are located in high-income countries. How does the resultant 'treatment gap' affect individuals, and what can be done to close the gap?

The lack of access to care and protection of human rights that somebody experiencing mental health condition may be exposed to can have profound effects. The key ones I would highlight are discrimination and human rights abuses, impoverishment and mortality, or premature mortality. Clearly, human rights abuses against people with mental health conditions occur around the globe. They're not specific to low and middle-income countries. Still, in poorly resourced settings, poorly resourced in terms of services, these violations of rights do get exacerbated by people not being able to access adequate and effective care.

For example, a person may be restrained by their family in the home because families have run out of options and don't see any alternatives. We've done work showing that family members don't want to do this. They just see it as they've got no other choice.

In terms of poverty, in Ethiopia, our research has shown that households that include a person who's got a severe mental health condition like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder are twice as likely to have severe food insecurity, and that's because of several factors. Partly they spend a lot of money searching for treatments that can help. Those could be traditional and religious healing settings, or it could be the scarce mental healthcare. There are the lost earnings from caregivers and the person themself. Of course, crucially, societal exclusion compounds poverty because people cannot access sort of opportunities for their livelihoods or share economic burdens within communities.

My Ethiopian colleagues have a long history of working on research with people with mental health conditions. They showed that, even in rural Ethiopia, a person with a severe mental health problem is at substantially higher risk of premature death. That is partly due to non-accidental death but mostly due to infectious disease and undernutrition, again reflecting the lack of access to care and discrimination.

On the more positive side, in the PRIME project in Ethiopia, when we expanded people's access to mental healthcare within the primary healthcare setting, we showed that 12 months in, people were less likely to have been restrained in the home setting, that the households were substantially less likely to have food insecurity, and they reported much less discrimination.

Treatment alone is not enough. We need multi-sectoral support to respond.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the reach of mental health interventions, especially in low and middle-income countries?

I've been able to co-lead a project looking at this, co-led with Professor Sir Graham Thornicroft, and working with teams from seven low- and middle-income countries to examine the pandemic's impact on mental health services. We worked in Chile, Ethiopia, Georgia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine. There's been a lot of talk about the impacts at the general population level. There's been much less scrutiny of the impacts on people with existing mental health conditions and services.

Image Credit: Lightspring/Shutterstock.com

We found profound effects of the pandemic on access to care, mostly due to interruptions in that service and the availability of those services. Also, there was obviously a contribution from transport restrictions and people being fearful of coming to health facilities. Across all of those countries, those countries who had mental health care integrated within primary healthcare settings pre-pandemic or were able to expand such provision appeared better able to maintain mental healthcare and withstand the disruptions.

It wasn't just whether care was there or not. In our study, respondents noted that care became more narrowly biomedical, just about treatment prescriptions, and that psychological therapies were quickly canceled, social interventions disappeared, and that they took a long time to be reinstated, a long time after the acute phase of the pandemic.

There were some positive impacts in terms of people thinking of creative ways to overcome the difficulties in delivering care. That did include some examples of different technological approaches. It was interesting that it was much more difficult for that to be successful in low-income countries. Even in upper-middle-income countries, they reported that it was difficult to get to the people who most needed it. Those more marginalized populations were less likely to have access to technology even though they were also those least able to access mental health care. So, technology is not a panacea on its own.

Perhaps one of the best ways to be resilient to a situation like the pandemic that overwhelmed mental health systems is to strengthen the primary care setting, which allows mental health care to be much closer to people's homes, so there's much more chance that they'd be able to access it if transport and moving around becomes difficult.

The theme of 2022's World Mental Health Day is 'Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority.' What does this theme mean for you personally, and how can we participate in actualizing this goal on a societal level?

For me, this is about ensuring that those with the greatest needs are not ignored. What I'm focusing on in this World Mental Health Day call is the for all part. One of the key things that I feel very strongly that I will do all I can to support is strengthening the voices of people with lived experiences of mental health problems.

So in Ethiopia, we are doing some work with our mental health service user association, and we've got some new funds to co-develop some interventions around raising awareness and reducing stigma. That work would involve supporting and equipping people with lived experience of mental health conditions to advocate, present their testimonies and see if they can increase prioritization and commitment to mental health care and better inclusion of people with mental health conditions.

How can we all participate? We can sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, but there's always something that can be done at the individual level. We can always do more to try and recognize within ourselves and our families, our friends, and our colleagues when things are not going well and when people are perhaps at risk of developing mental health problems or seem to clearly have symptoms of mental health conditions. We can respond in a way that can enable people to seek help.

Image Credit: melitas/Shutterstock.com

Perhaps most important of all is to try to stay with people through their mental health journey rather than separating away. I think sometimes we may only be able to walk alongside people when they have mental health problems. We may not feel able to do anything else, but that can be really important.

Despite mental and physical health playing equal roles in overall wellbeing, there is still a societal stigma around mental health. Why do you believe this stigma remains in present-day society?

I would like to bring to attention The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health, which is taking place on World Mental Health Day. It lays out that stigma associated with mental health problems is often reported as being worse than the effects of the illness itself. As you suggest, the corrosive effects of stigma are persistent in all societies in one form or another.

So why is that? I do think that it's a complex problem. There are many contributors, but I think a big contribution comes from inadequacies in providing health and social care to people with mental health conditions. Because when people can access care in a timely way that meets their needs and enables them to recover, the general public can see that, and that's an extremely potent antidote to stigma. I think seeing people supported and able to live in the community, a rubbing of shoulders with everybody else, is perhaps one of the key things that can help reduce stigma.

The Lancet Commission is a great report that was co-produced with people with lived experiences. You can see as you read through the scientific component of it, you can see many examples of people's experiences, their poems, and the way they've responded to stigma, for example. It sets out what we can do and what can be done worldwide to address stigma.

How do you believe that commemorative days like World Mental Health Day help alleviate the stigma around mental health and wellbeing globally?

It's always good to talk, and I do firmly believe that the more discussions there are around mental health, the more it becomes a mainstream concern and the more likely that is to erode stigma. This year, the WHO launched its World Mental Health report, and that's the first such report that's taken place in 20 years. They'll be referring to that and showcasing that in a mental health forum, which involves a really diverse number of stakeholders from the member states of the World Health Assembly, so policymakers, but also people lived experience and implementers as well.

It sets out a blueprint for transforming mental health for all. It's written in a very accessible way and has the potential to be useful for a wide range of people who are somehow involved in trying to improve mental health. We can use many important messages and information to challenge stigma and strengthen our advocacy for mental health. So World Mental Health Day is a good opportunity for us to look at these initiatives. I think 2022 is a particularly important year because we've got this seminal WHO report that sets out things that could be done over the next 10, or 20 years.

While these commemorative days help to focus our attention, of course, we do need to remember that mental health is a concern for people around the world every day, and so our response needs to be sustained across the whole year.

What is next for yourself and your research?

We've got a really exciting new project (HOPE) that is working in the area of homelessness and severe mental illness, which is a very visible problem in every country of the world, and yet still manages to be overlooked in terms of response. People who have a mental illness and are also homeless are often systematically excluded from mainstream services and may often have complicated needs that require a coordinated approach.

In HOPE, we'll be working in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Kenya with a diverse group of people, including mental health service user associations, policymakers or collaborators, and the WHO. We'll be looking at rights-based approaches within the community to try to respond to these complex needs and the priorities and the preferences of people who are on the streets and have a mental health problem.

We've also got a project called SCOPE, where we are studying the context of psychosis in Ethiopia to improve outcomes. We are trying to inject some urgency into the way that we respond to psychosis so that we achieve earlier and better care.

In Ethiopia, the average time from developing symptoms to getting treatment is five years, which is associated with poorer outcomes. We are looking for ways to reduce that long period and work out what kinds of early interventions would help people recover more quickly and completely. This will not look anything like an early intervention for psychosis programs in the west or high-income countries.

Part of the focus of the project is to recognise that we have much less information about what psychosis is in non-Western settings and what the particular needs of people might be, particularly in the early phases of developing psychosis. A particular area of focus will be on family-based interventions, the role of traditional and religious leaders, and peer support.

The third stream of work I'm involved in, in Ethiopia is evaluating the World Health Organization's caregiver skills training package for children with developmental disabilities.

About Prof. Charlotte Hanlon

I am a British psychiatrist who lives and works in Ethiopia. I am a Professor of Global Mental Health at Kings College London, co-director of the Centre for Global Mental Health, and co-director of the WHO collaborating center for mental health research and training at KCL. I have an adjunct position with the Department of Psychiatry and the Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.

The main focus of my work is on developing, testing, and implementing interventions that seek to improve the lives of people with mental health conditions in low- and middle-income countries. I have a particular interest in working with people affected by severe mental health conditions, including psychoses and developmental disabilities. I was co-editor (with Professor Vikram Patel) of the revised edition of Where there is no Psychiatrist, which is free to download (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/where-there-is-no-psychiatrist/47578A845CAFC7E23A181749A4190B54). I led the first service trial in a low-income African country for people with severe mental health conditions, showing that primary care workers could deliver mental health care as safely and effectively as mental health professionals (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00384-9/fulltext).

Current projects include HOPE, an NIHR global health research group on homelessness and severe mental illness (co-PI with Professor Atalay Alem), SCOPE, a Wellcome Trust-funded study of the context of psychosis in Ethiopia to inform outcomes (PI), PROMISE, a Wellcome Trust-funded study on improving detection and care for people with psychosis in Malawi (PI Professor Stephen Lawrie), and PRIZE, an MRC-funded project to pilot a peer support intervention for people with psychosis in South Africa (co-PIs Dr. Laura Asher, Dr. Carrie Brook-Sumner). I am country PI on SPARK, an NIHR funded cluster randomized controlled trial of WHOs caregiver skills training for children with developmental disabilities in Ethiopia and Kenya (PIs Dr. Rosa Hoekstra, Prof. Amina Abubaker): https://www.thesparkproject.net/home. I am a commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma and Discrimination in Mental health (launch 10th October 2022) and on the Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Psychoses in Global Context (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00234-0/fulltext).
MBABANE  PUDEMO wants answers from veteran political activist Mphandlana Shongwe on his utterances he made in Canada.

This is after our sister publication, the Times Sunday, reported that the senior member of the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) said removing the Monarch could risk the nations culture and traditions. Speaking while in Canada on a political visit, Shongwe said the King should soon lead the political reforms to avoid eroding Eswatini culture and traditions, with the institution of the monarchy.

Identity

He stated that he was revived to the importance of culture and traditions in cementing the identity of the nation by the Canadians. He said the Monarch was a cultural symbol and the country ran the risk of losing its cultural identity and traditions if the institution of the monarchy was to be totally eradicated. He said the Monarch should be the one leading the reforms in order for it to remain relevant and for the countrys history to be preserved. In response to his statement, Secretary General of the political party, Wandile Dludlu, said Shongwe knew very well the principles and values of PUDEMO. He said Shongwe was yet to be given a chance by the organisation to explain what he really said in Canada. We have not yet been able to get an audience with Shongwe as he is currently very far to explain what he really said. We will not just believe what the media has reported. No member does not know the position of PUDEMO. One of the key principles is that we want a constitutional multiparty democracy, not to preserve the monarchy. We are not fighting the Monarch, but we want a supreme law of the land to be drafted by emaSwati, said Dludlu.

Traditions

He added; Our understanding is that culture and traditions belong to emaSwati, not the Monarch or royal family. We believe in dynamic cultures and traditions, which means those cultures and traditions that conform to the way people live nowadays, not oppressive and in-line with multiparty democracy. He said it was impossible to live in a democratic society and at the same time preserve your culture and traditions. He said they knew Shongwe and believed in freedom of expression. The secretary general said the political activist would be engaged to explain his position once available and they would not rush on being judgmental. He knows PUDEMO, he respects the organisation and he knows its fundamental principles to just go against all of them, said Dludlu.

Shongwe was quoted by our sister publication saying he was discovering that they were not wrong to say the Monarch must elevate itself above politics and leave governance to political formations. He added that while in Canada, he had learnt the importance of the preservation of culture and traditions and it had since assisted him to discover the truth behind the calls for the King to leave governance to political parties and assume an elevated position. He narrated on his experience in Canada, where he was served a traditional dish and joined a conference to deliberate on issues similar to those affecting the continent. Shongwe said the experience was a sign for him that they needed to consider the discussion around preservation of culture and traditions.

Cultured

He indicated that like emaSwati, the people of Canada were cultured and believed in God and ancestors. He said he immediately learnt that democracy, culture and traditions could co-exist. He said in Eswatini, it was paramount for the Monarch to be the one allowing political reforms and helping the nation to embrace democratic means of governance. Shongwe mentioned that his political organisation, PUDEMO, was not against culture and traditions, but was calling for the identity of emaSwati to be preserved, so that the country could have a lasting image in the world. He said in their pursuit for democracy, the issue of culture and its traditional apparatus had been left unattended or explained.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Interior Ministry is committed to protecting security, public order and safety in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

This was emphasised by Assistant Chief of Public Security for Operations and Training Affairs, Brigadier Mohammed Abdullah Al Haram, as he received a delegation from the US Senate.

Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Organisation Shaikha Mashael bint Khalifa Al Khalifa attended the meeting.

Al Haram said that in the last four years, the crime rates have been reduced by 30%, attributing the reason to the directives and support of the Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, to enhance competency and security capabilities.

He also directed to enhance performance through training, modern technology and openness to the expertise of developed countries.

The Assistant Chief also hailed the support of the Chief of Public Security to implement the directives.

The delegation was also briefed about efforts to expand the Alternative Sanctions and Measures Law and the implementation of the Open Prisons Programme, along with the promotion of the community partnership for active interaction between police personnel and members of society.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A joint statement was issued yesterday following the visit of the President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Saleh to Bahrain.

1. Within the framework of long-standing relations and friendship which tie Bahrain and the Republic of Maldives, and in line with the aspiration to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, official discussions were held between His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Republic of Maldives, at Gudaibiya Palace.

2. The two sides discussed the value of close bilateral relations, new areas of cooperation, and ways to develop and enhance existing ties that serve mutual interests. The two sides stressed a common desire to strengthen economic, trade, and investment cooperation, as well as the importance of supporting the private sector to contribute to economic growth for the benefit of both countries and their peoples.

3. The talks provided a welcome opportunity to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation in mutually beneficial fields and to further strengthen political and economic relations, and particularly within the fields of trade, food security, the environment, communications, culture, tourism, youth development, and sport.

4. The parties agreed to increase tourist travel between the two countries. In this context, the two sides stressed the importance of the Air Services Agreement signed in 2019 to increase tourism.

5. Both sides stressed the importance of an early and successful conclusion to on-going discussions on a Visa Waiver Agreement designed to facilitate ease of entry, enable travel, encourage commerce and people-to-people contacts.

6. Both sides acknowledged the importance of cooperating to address the challenges posed by climate change and a rise in sea levels for the environment, the economy, and global stability. Both parties agreed to strengthen coordination on these issues and in policy formulation on their respective response measures.

7. In this context, several Memorandums of Understanding were signed during the visit, encompassing cooperation in political consultations and diplomatic training, youth development and sport, climate change, and advisory and consultancy services between telecommunications operators.

8. Both sides welcomed the designation of the Republic of Maldives as a Global-Sea-to-Air Logistics Partner of the Kingdom of Bahrain. This will faciltate the provision of logistics support services between the two countries. They also welcomed the decision to grant the Maldives jurisdiction over its entities data hosted in cloud centres based in Bahrain.

9. Regional and international developments of common interest were discussed, including the challenges facing the countries of the region. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of dialogue, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and those enshrined in the UN Charter, foremost among which is the principle of good-neighbourliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

10. Both sides denounced terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, reaffirming their desire to strengthen cooperation, at the bilateral and multilateral levels in the fight against terrorism and its financing, combating transnational organised crime, and enhancing cyber security cooperation, in the interest of maintaining international security and stability.

11. Both sides reiterated the importance of ensuring maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean, to maintain security and stability in the region, and to protect international trade.

12. Regarding the rights of Palestinians, the two sides stressed the need to intensify efforts to reach a comprehensive and just settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the principle of a two-state solution and in line with international resolutions.

13. On the crisis in Yemen, the two sides expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its continuous support aimed at bringing peace and stability to the Republic of Yemen, and expressed their condemnation of the Houthi terrorist groups refusal to extend the truce in Yemen proposed by the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, which was approved by the Yemeni government. Both sides reaffirmed their support for all efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to the Yemeni crisis in accordance with the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference and UN Security Council Resolution No. 2216, in a manner that achieves peace, security and stability for the Yemeni people.

14. On Iran, both sides reiterated the importance of compliance with the United Nations Charter and international law, the principles of good neighbourliness, and non-interference in the affairs of other nations, of respecting the sovereignty of states and their religious and cultural values, and refraining from the use or threat of force, and called upon Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and to work to make the Middle East, including the Arabian Gulf, free from weapons of mass destruction.

15. The two sides reviewed the latest developments in Ukraine and stressed the need for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict by peaceful means. They also affirmed support for international efforts to protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access, enable the export of grain to ensure food security, and all efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict, to maintain security and peace in Europe and the world.

16. His Excellency Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Republic of Maldives, thanked His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

The President of the Republic of Maldives extended invitations to His Majesty the King and to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister to visit the Republic of Maldives at their earliest convenience, which were gladly accepted.
Agencies | New Delhi

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Indian pharma company Maiden Pharmaceuticals on Saturday expressed shock over the media reports regarding the deaths of 66 children in the Gambia after consuming cough syrup manufactured by them.

In an exclusive input to ANI, the pharma company said: "We are shocked to hear the media reports regarding the deaths and deeply saddened by this incident. But we received the official information from our agent in the Gambia on October 5, 2022, and on the subsequent date, World Health Organisation alert was issued against us."

Maiden Pharmaceuticals has come under scanner after 66 children died in the Gambia after consuming cough syrup produced in India.
NAGOYA, Oct 10 ( NHK ) - A Japanese student who was fatally shot in the United States 30 years ago was remembered in his home city, where his parents renewed their appeal for the world without gun crimes.

About 100 people took part in the ceremony for Hattori Yoshihiro in Nagoya City, central Japan, on Sunday.

The 16-year-old was studying in the US state of Louisiana in October 1992. He was on his way to a Halloween party when he went to the wrong house, whose owner mistook him for an invader and fatally shot him.

Hattori's parents have been campaigning for US gun control since their son's death.

The victim's mother, Hattori Mieko, said she has been trying to promote the cause so that her son's death would never be in vain.

The controversy over gun control is dividing the public in the US, which has been plagued by mass shootings. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first firearm regulation law in 28 years, was enacted in June.

But that same month, the US Supreme Court overturned a New York state law that restricted firearms carried outside the home. The ruling found that the law infringed on the constitutional right to possess guns. ...continue reading
MBABANE  For the first time since POCA became operational, government will sell by public auction assets that were found to have been used as instrumentality for criminal activities or acquired through illegitimate means.

The Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA) was put in place in 2018 and since its inception, the State has seized and subsequently forfeited a number of assets that are believed to have been acquired through criminal activities or used as instrumentality for criminal activities. The Act came into operation on June 6, 2018. The money that will be generated from the sale of the assets will be deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account, established under Section 65 of the POCA, held at the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE). A majority of those who have been casualties of this Act include those who had been involved in several organised crimes including fraud, armed robberies and drug trafficking, to mention a few.

Outsource

The Assets Recovery Committee, with the assistance of Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Agency (ESPPRA) underwent a process to outsource disposal service through public auction. As per the notice of intention to award that was published, Swazi Auctioneers (Pty) Ltd emerged a successful tenderer for the services. The auctioneers have since published an advert for the disposal of the assets and the auction is scheduled for October 17, 2022 at His Majestys Correctional Services (HMCS) in Matsapha. The items that will be sold include but are not limited to trucks, mini trucks, bakkies and sedans. Some of the assets to be sold belong to an employee of the Office of the Master of the High Court, who was arrested for allegedly stealing an amount of over E900 000 from different estates. The duo is alleged to have also stolen a sum of E682 778.85 belonging to the estate of the late Patrick Bafana Sihlongonyane.

Suspects

The implicated suspects, Thandeka Xondile Maphalala, who is employed at the Office of the Master and Thabani Derrick Sibanyoni who are both out on bail, were fingered as the kingpins in the theft of estate monies. Other items which will go under the hammer were seized from Chinese nationals. A police raid on a large mansion at the high-end Tubungu Estate in Matsapha led to the busting of the Chinese syndicate who dealt in illegal gambling machines. An amount of E205 312.66 in E2 coins, nine slot machines with their various components, 506 mobile phones and five motor vehicles were recovered by the police during the raid. Also to be found in one of the rooms were electronic components which were used for programming the gambling machines. Some of the lottery gambling machines were retrieved from two motor vehicles.

The motor vehicles were reportedly used to run the gambling business by transporting the slot machines to shops, as well as collecting the proceeds received from running the business.

The investigations by the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) came after there was an outcry in Matsapha concerning pupils who were absconding classes to gamble in the nearest shops. The six Chinese nationals who were found inside the mansion claimed to be working for a big boss who lived in China. It was discovered that some of them were staying in the Kingdom of Eswatini without valid permits.

Mansion

According to the police, the Chinese nationals, who were found in the mansion are; Jiafei Cheng, Gen Cheing, Chen Shuxiang, Wang Xunnan, Wang Xunjie and Lin Wei. Inside the mansion there were also five emaSwati who, upon been interviewed by the police, indicated that they were employed by the Chinese as drivers. As per Section 42 of POCA 2018, the State obtained an order to seize all the items that were found in possession of the five Chinese nationals, including the money. The motor vehicles which were reportedly used to operate the illegal gambling business are part of the assets that will be sold through public auction. Viewing of the assets, according to an advert that has been issued by the auctioneers, will be on October, 12, 13 and 14, 2022, and for registration a sum of E5 000, which will be refundable, will be required from the interested buyers. According to the auctioneers, this is the first leg of the disposal and an advert for the sale of immovable and other movables will be published in the coming week.
Editor's Note: The delegates to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) are outstanding Party members with remarkable achievements. They are selected from and trusted by more than 96 million members and more than 4.9 million grass-roots organizations of the CPC, embodying the pioneering nature of the CPC and carrying the expectations of the Chinese people. China Military Online is publishing a series of stories to elaborate the outstanding deeds of some delegates.

By Zou Fei and Fang Lei

Sha Ziga at construction site. (Photo by Wei Yulin)

"Three, two, one, go" A lieutenant colonel with a walkie-talkie in hand was instructing the soldiers to install and test a piece of equipment at the construction site of a national defense project.

The lieutenant colonel is Sha Ziga, a battalion commander of a brigade of the PLA Rocket Force.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Sha Ziga's battalion has undertaken a more diverse range of tasks. "We must obtain the capability of carrying out construction of different types of national defense projects in different regions in order to adapt to new situations and challenges," said Sha.

Once in the construction of a national defense project, Sha Ziga and his men encountered a special kind of rock for which traditional explosive approaches didn't work very well. Based on long years of experience, Sha Ziga looked up information extensively and figured out a new explosive method that can notably accelerate the project schedule. Zhang Jun, a veteran in Sha's battalion, said the battalion commander was always capable of turning problems in construction work into new opportunities for combat effectiveness improvement.

As the engineering unit of the Rocket Force has introduced new equipment and technologies in recent years, Sha Ziga has been thinking about how to put them into full play in the construction work.

"The past decade has seen our engineering unit going through immense changes. Traditional engineering troops are now tech-savvy, labor-intensive work model is replaced by high-tech and efficient model, he expounded. Since he joined the military 20 years ago, Sha has been dedicated to the frontline of national defense construction. He has participated in the construction of more than ten national defense projects, working as commando leader and successfully handling collapse accidents more than 20 times. He has been honored as "National Excellent CPC Member", and awarded one first-class merit citation, two second-class merit citations, and three third-class merit citations.

Knowing that he has been selected as a deputy to the 20th CPC National Congress, Sha Ziga said with excitement, "I was born in a village of Yi ethnic group in the Daliang Mountains, and have grown up and become a military officer thanks to the Party's care and cultivation. As our motherland is walking along the great journey of building a strong military, I will work with my comrades-in-arms to create more top-quality defense projects."
Dr Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, the running mate to Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has advised party members in the country t...

Dr Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, the running mate to Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has advised party members in the country to shun ethnic and religious politics for peaceful coexistence.

Making the call while addressing party members in Bauchi, Baba-Ahmed stated that they should focus on credible candidates without religious and ethnic sentiments for the countrys interest.

He also advised members of the party to shun religious politics and avoid the instigation of ethnicity but to conduct themselves in an orderly manner ahead of the general elections in 2023.

The presidential running mate said, I am in Bauchi to encourage you people not to relent on the efforts you are putting in for the labour party in the country.

He urged them not to be confused with religious and ethnicity issues, explaining that politics is not about religion else, they should allow the clerics to rule.

Baba-Ahmed is the opinion that if Nigerians shunned religious and ethnic politics, it would not only promote peace but lead to the emergence of competent leaders in the country for its rapid development.

The Chairman, Labour Party Bauchi State, Mr Hussaini Saraki, assured of continued mobilisation of members and the public on the credentials of the presidential candidate and his running mate for their victory in the 2023 election.

The Chairman OBIDATTI Coalition, Mr Abel Musa, explained that the coalition was going on with contact and mobilisation of voters for the party and its candidates towards ensuring the success of the party in the 2023 election.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, has warned politicians against mo...





The Chairman, Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, has warned politicians against money politics, insisting that with the passing of the 2022 Electoral Law, that act is over.





Senator Gaya, who was the brain behind the bill, said the new law has taken cognitive measures against vote buying and insensitive usage of money to get to power.





Gaya, said, this Law you see has taken care of so many things that are negatively happenings during elections, in fact at a time we were afraid that we have shot ourselves in the foot because so many of our people were blocked from contesting and voting during the primaries of our parties.





Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya who was speaking to newsmen at his Kano country home, Monday while answering questions said he was recontesting the Senate for the fifth term to become a ranking Senator because the more you are there the more one becomes a top Senator.





He said it is only when he becomes a ranking senator that he would be able to have something for his people in terms of constituency projects.





You can see that as a Ranking Senator, I was behind the Bill that ensured the formation of the Northeast Development Commission, infact somebody was asking why Im sponsoring that bill because I come from Northwest, I told him Im a Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator.





Senator Gaya further allayed the fear of his constituents that APC might lose the state with the emergence of Kwankwaso NNPP, narrating that the party is nothing but an offshoot of PDP, and still Kano is strictly between the ruling APC and the split PDP.





In Kano, we are united we know who is who when it comes to politics, all that is happening is nothing but a bunch of hired crowds of hangers-on, so when the chips are down, you will know who actually owns the ancient city, Gaya boasted.





Senator Kabiru Gaya who was the Campaign Director for Vice President, Yomi Osinbajo during the APC primary contest, also denied any rift between the vice president and the partys presidential candidate, Bola Ahmad Tunubu, adding that the failure of Osinbajo to be in the campaign council was nothing but a pure understanding that President Buhari wants him in the office because they have too much to handle.
Labour Party members came under attack again on Sunday in Enugu State. The latest incident, which occurred at Umuida, Enugu-Ezike, in ...





Labour Party members came under attack again on Sunday in Enugu State.

The latest incident, which occurred at Umuida, Enugu-Ezike, in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the State makes it four of such attacks within the past few months.

The party has been attacked in Aninri, Awgu, Oji River and now Igbo-Eze North.

A source, who witnessed the Igbo-Eze North attack, same they were in a ward meeting when four armed men arrived on motorbike.

According to him, they started shooting randomly forcing every party member to flee from the meeting venue.

As they were shooting, they were busy setting tricycles and motorcycles ablaze.

Two members who forgot their car keys, the hoodlums drove off with the cars. But they also set one ablaze when it stopped them apparently owing to security. Two of the hoodlums just came down and set it on fire.

As of the time of filing this report, the police are yet to issue an official statement.

It is still unclear why Labour Party has been facing gunmen attacks in the State.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied singing the praise of former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu. Obasanjo declared that from h...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied singing the praise of former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu.

Obasanjo declared that from his experience, only military-trained personnel were good managers of people.

The rebuttal by the ex-Head of State was issued on Sunday by spokesperson, Kehinde Akinyemi.

Obasanjo stated that he could not have made any remark at the expense of his noble military profession.

A viral WhatsApp message by a group, National Patriots, claimed that the retired General described Tinubu as a super politician.

If you are looking for a thoroughbred politician of masters class, visit Lagos Bourdillon, he was quoted saying.

Obasanjo stressed that only individuals trained by the armed forces had the capability to properly manage men and materials.

I cannot disparage my noble profession for politics that has no formal training. This is false and fake, he said.
Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says his removal was a result of corruption fig...





Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says his removal was a result of corruption fighting back.

Magu said this at an award ceremony held in his honour by the Northern Female Students Association on Sunday in Abuja.

I am a victim of corruption fighting back, but I am happy that recent events are revealing the truth to Nigerians, he said.

Represented by his son, Mohammad-Saeed Ibrahim-Magu, the former EFCC acting chairman thanked the association for bestowing upon him the accolade of achiever per excellence and expressed his happiness at receiving the honour.

Magu was said to have been picked for the prize because of his commitment to national service, according to Aisha Nasir, spokesperson for the union.

The anti-corruption fight in Nigeria is a binding moral duty that requires seeing beyond political affiliations or preferences, she said.

Love him or hate him, Ibrahim Magu took the anti-corruption fight to uncharted levels that many people thought could never be attained.

Magu attracted continental and global commendations for tackling what had been described as the leading factor hindering growth and development of African nations and economies.

In July 2020, when Magu was still at the helm of affairs in the EFCC, he was arrested, detained, and suspended as the acting chairman of the anti-graft agency  after he appeared before a panel probing allegations of gross misconduct

The panel, led by Ayo Salami, a former judge, subsequently recommended his removal for failing to properly account for N431,000,000.00 security votes/information fund released to the office of the Executive Chairman of EFCC between November 2015 and May 2020.

In August 2022, the panel indicted Magu for allegedly killing high-profile cases while chasing after internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Boys.

The panel also accused Magu of abandoning 14 procurement fraud cases involving N118 billion and $309 million.

He was also said to have failed to remit another N48 billion loot in foreign and local currencies recovered from suspects.
The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has said that he will not succumb to intimidation or blackmail just because of his senatorial ambi...





The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has said that he will not succumb to intimidation or blackmail just because of his senatorial ambition.





He also insisted that he will never trade the interest of the state to gain political power.





Governor Ortom spoke during an enlarged meeting with Jemgbagh PDP Elders Forum comprising Gboko, Tarka and Buruku Local Government Areas held on Sunday, October 9th, 2022 at the Gboko residence of Hon. Mike Mku.





The meeting was at the instance of the Jemgbagh PDP Elders Forum, which sought to get clarifications on the cold war between the Governor and the National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu following calls by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike that the national chairman should resign.





Giving details of what snowballed into the current crises, the Governor dispelled insinuations that he is pulling down a Jemgbagh son.





Rather, he explained how he rallied support for the election of Senator Ayu against all odds.





He pointed out that he will never succumb to blackmail and keep silent in the face of injustice perpetrated by the PDP under Senator Ayus leadership.





Already, some pseudo-groups claiming to be speaking on behalf of the Jemgbagh political block have been stoking public blackmail against the Governor whom they accused of working against the interest of Ayu.





The Governor in a lucid narrative, took time to explain his role in the emergence of the PDP National Chairman, Senator Ayu and his position on the travails the Chairman is facing over calls for his resignation.





Governor Ortom maintained that power is given by God and No one should blackmail me because of my senatorial ambition. Nobody should think he will intimidate me because of the senate election.





According to the Governor, If God ordains me to be elected Senator for the Benue North-West Senatorial zone, no amount of blackmail or intimidation could prevent me from winning.





The Governor told the Jemgbagh PDP Elders that Senator Ayu who is also from the Jemgbagh political bloc has mounted a smear campaign and blackmail against his person and office when he met members of the Board of Trustees of the PDP.





Governor Ortom noted that since he is contesting for the Benue North-West Senatorial district seat, he has become a subject of intimidation and blackmail by some Jemgbagh stakeholders as a result of the internal crisis rocking the party with Ayu as the helmsman.





He said following the post-PDP Presidential convention with emerging internal wranglings, he advised Senator Ayu to reach out to aggrieved leaders of the party and plead for their understanding over calls for his resignation.





Rather than take his counsel, Governor Ortom lamented that Senator Ayu chose to take the ignoble path of disuniting the party by his actions and utterances.





The Governor insisted that the National Chairman did not maintain neutrality in handling the affairs leading to the PDP national convention, which produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party.





He stressed that Ayu himself committed to resigning should a northern presidential candidate emerge at the northern caucus at the Bauchi State lodge.





The Governor wondered why Senator Ayu is now reneging on his promise, which he voluntarily made before all the northern leaders of the party.





He explained that contrary to speculations that he is working at cross purposes with Ayu, he had actively rallied support from his PDP Governors colleagues and other critical stakeholders for the emergence of the national chairman with the interest of the state, especially to place Benue in national politics.





The Governor told the Jemgbagh stakeholders to also invite Senator Ayu and himself to a meeting so that they could both present their positions on the matter.





He insisted that despite the betrayals, intimidation and blackmail, he would continue to stand for justice for his people.





Chairman of the Jemgbagh PDP Elders Forum, Barrister Sam Tsumba said the Forum will invite Senator Ayu and Governor Ortom to further find a way to resolve the conflict.
Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau state, says his imprisonment for N1.126bn fraud was politically motivated. He spoke in an ...

Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau state, says his imprisonment for N1.126bn fraud was politically motivated.

He spoke in an interview on Channels Televisions Newsnight, a pre-recorded show which airs every Monday.

Dariye was governor of Plateau between 1999 and 2007.

In 2007, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Dariye over allegations of diverting N1.126 billion from the Plateau governments ecological fund.

In June 2018, Adebukola Banjoko, judge of a federal capital territory (FCT) high court, sentenced Dariye to 14 years imprisonment.

A court of appeal in Abuja, in November 2018, reduced the sentence to 10 years.

The supreme court also affirmed the conviction and the jail term of the appeal court in March 2021.

Speaking on the development, the former Plateau governor said as a chartered accountant, he would not have stolen in that manner.

My issue was political in the sense that the same charge was taken to Kaduna high court, Justice Liman dismissed that case, he said in the interview.

They were not happy, they carried the same document to the Plateau state house of assembly and the whole amount we are talking about is N1.1 billion.

The judge asked if Mr Dariye wanted to convert money into his personal use, will he use his letterhead and write the bank Pls distribute as follows?

I am a chartered accountant and I wouldnt have been that foolish. If I wanted to steal, I would have lodged the money in commission and turnover but that never happened.

But because it was politically motivated, the other vehicle of prosecution  EFCC  became the only veritable tool. I dont think there was any sense of justice but I leave the rest to God. Time will tell.

In April, the council of state meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari pardoned Dariye and Jolly Nyame, former Taraba governor.

The former governors were granted pardons on the grounds of age and ill health.
Former Deputy Governor to the immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, Yetunde Onanuga, has joined the incumbent Governor Dap...





Former Deputy Governor to the immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, Yetunde Onanuga, has joined the incumbent Governor Dapo Abioduns camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.





Onanuga was said to have also pledged her support for the second-term ambition of the Abiodun administration.





The former Deputy Governor was first seen with Abiodun during the celebration of the nations independence on October 1, fueling speculations that she had left the Ogun Central Senator.





On Sunday, Abiodun formally announced that the woman and her husband, Abiodun Onanuga, were accepted into the APC mainstream in Ogun State.





This afternoon, I received the former Deputy Governor under the immediate past administration, Her Excellency, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga as she returns back to the mainstream of the All Progressives Congress, APC and also expressed her deepest commitment towards our quest for a second term in office. She was accompanied by her husband, Otunba (Giwa) Abiodun Onanuga, the Governor revealed.





It was reported that the APC in Ogun is divided between Abiodun and Amosun factions.





But for the 2023 general elections, those in the Abiodun camp were nominated as candidates of the party in all the 40 elective positions in the state.





Members of the Amosun political family who obtained the APC forms said they were schemed out in arranging things.





According to them, the governor did not implement a sharing formula recommended by the partys national reconciliation committee to unite both camps.





Today, supporters of the former governor are behind the governorship candidacy of Barrister Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).





Otegbeye, is an indigene of Ogun West, a zone that has not produced a governor since the creation of Ogun State in 1976.





Many suspect this may not go well with Onanuga, who is from the same Ogun East as Gov Abiodun.





It is also being rumoured that the former deputy governors husband might have prevailed on her to dump his former principal in order to support Ijebu/Remo agenda instead of Yewa/Aworis Otegbeye, who is running in another party different from the APC.
International Holding Company, the diversified Abu Dhabi-based conglomerate, today (October 10) announced a capital investment of AED734 million ($200 million) in Lulo Colombia, which is also the holding company of Colombias first regulated digital bank, Lulo Bank, through one of IHCs subsidiaries.

One of the fast-growing banks and a new player entering the field of neobanks in the Colombian market, Lulo Bank was founded by Jaime Gilinski, a Colombian businessman with over 45 years of banking experience in Latin America, North America, and Europe. It now plans to expand into other Latin American markets.

According to IHC, the Colombia is the fourth global market in which IHC has expanded its investment activities into this year after the United Kingdom, India and Turkey.

"The fintech ecosystem in Latin America has risen quickly over the past couple of years with sustained growth observed in all segments and in the number of active fintech companies, especially digital banking which has witnessed the most substantial growth at an average annual rate of 57% between 2017 and 2021 to reach 60%," said its CEO Syed Basar Shueb on the strategic acquisition.

"In the case of Colombia, it has made significant progress in terms of financial inclusion with the increase in access to financial products, which rose to 87%," noted Sheub.

"Its critical for us to align any transaction with our growth strategies, whether to acquire new capabilities or consolidate, and Lulo Colombia sits very well with our expansion plans in Latin America," he added.

Lulo Bank is Columbias first fully digitalised bank that has signed up more than 120,000 active users since it was launched in June and is set to complete more than 200,000 users applications by year-end. The bank aims to achieve a customer base of 1 million in Colombia within the next three years.

Chairman Benjamin Gilinski said: "Digital banking has come a long way in Colombia. Adoption of new behaviours and new technologies takes time, but its already dramatically changed how consumers interact with financial products in our market."

"The financial companies that win in the future will be those that understand that human behaviour is constantly changing and keep on investing in new technologies. We are thrilled to have IHC join our mission of revolutionising the financial landscape in Latin America," noted Gilinski.

"Earlier this year, Lulo received the prestigious, iF Design Award 2022, a global design award in the 'Interfaces for Digital Media category. This is the first time a company in the financial sector has received this recognition in Colombia. In the past, the iF Award has honoured big brands like Apple and Google," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Russia has reportedly fired 75 missiles at various cities across Ukraine. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the Presid...





Russia has reportedly fired 75 missiles at various cities across Ukraine.





Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, who gave the figure on Telegram, said 41 of them were shot down by air defence systems.





He described the rain of missiles that fell on the country as the death twitches of a wounded animal.





The attacks on the centres of Ukrainian cities had once again shown the terrorist nature of the Russian regime, he continued.





The masks have fallen: This is targeted mass killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure.





He added that the struggling Russian army has no idea how to fight on the battlefield and is therefore firing rockets at people.





There were a series of rocket attacks on the centre of Ukraines capital, Kyiv, on Monday morning. Explosions were also reported in several other major cities.





Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said energy infrastructure was among the targets.





He urged residents to take shelter as an air raid alert was in effect across much of the country.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Rain showers early with clear skies overnight. Low around 35F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Rain showers early with clear skies overnight. Low around 35F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 49F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low around 35F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Its Halloween season in New Orleans, so lets talk about vampires.

But not Anne Rices bloodsucking dandies, which are already getting their fair share of adulation right now thanks to AMCs Interview with the Vampire TV series. And not Bram Stokers aristocratic, garlic-fearing Transylvanian, either.

Lets talk about the undead souls that legend suggests were the original New Orleans vampires.

Like most good legends, this one starts with a kernel of truth, which is then swathed in the fantastical and wrapped in the sublimely ridiculous.

Adding to that intrigue: a dose of history, a dash of religion and an intriguing hint of innocence lost  followed by 300 years of implied gore.

Yes, Im talking about the casket girls.

And the nuns shall lead them

To tell the story of the casket girls, one must start with the story of the Ursuline nuns, who were dispatched by Frances King Louis XV to class up the fledgling colony at Nouvelle Orleans by caring for its sick and providing an education to the daughters of its well-heeled.

The sisters arrived in July 1727  there were 12 of them  after a five-month sea voyage. Immediately, they set about fulfilling their mission.

That started with building a convent. Over the years, they would build four.

Theres the Nashville Avenue home they currently occupy. Theres the no-longer-existing 9th Ward home they lived in before that. Theres also, of course, the iconic Old Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter, which was built in 1751 and which is today a local landmark.

And then there was the old, old Ursuline convent  the nuns first permanent home in New Orleans  which was completed in 1734, less than two decades after the founding of the city.

It didnt last long.

Designed partly by Ignace Francois Broutin, the colonys engineer to the king, and constructed in the brick-between-posts style common to the era, it was a handsome three-story structure with a low-pitched roof and a central belfry. But it would soon fall victim to Broutins preferred aesthetic of leaving bricks in such buildings uncovered  and thus unprotected against the brutal Louisiana humidity.

By 1745, just 11 years after its completion, the old convent was crumbling to such an extent that Broutin found himself designing a second convent. That one, built on the site of the first and slathered in stucco, would last.

Starting over

Completed in 1751 and incorporating materials from the original convent, the Old Ursuline Convent, as it is known, still stands on Chartres Street. It is recognized as the oldest surviving building in New Orleans  and, indeed, in the Mississippi Valley.

Today, it is a museum. At other times in its history, it served as a school, as the archbishopric, the Louisiana State House and a seminary.

If legend is to be believed, it would also become home to the casket girls  which is where the whole vampire thing comes in.

Birth of a legend

The Ursulines were great, but in 1728, New Orleans needed different women  the marrying kind.

The crown had sent over a shipload of virtuous young women to tame the passions of the mostly male colonists in Mobile in 1704. More arrived in Biloxi in 1719 and, as the story goes, in New Orleans in 1728.

They were the casket girls, and over the years, they have become among the most romanticized figures from early New Orleans history, despite the questionable veracity of many of the details covered in the more popular versions of their stories.

That starts with the decidedly macabre nickname, which comes from the French filles a la casquette, a moniker given ostensibly because of the shape of the luggage with which they supposedly arrived.

Truth be told, the casket girls didnt really come carrying anything like caskets. Rather, they came with cassettes, smallish trunks in which to carry their wardrobes: two dresses, two petticoats, six headdresses and underwear.

The actual name given to them was filles a la cassettes  or, roughly, girls with luggage  but that would become distorted to filles a la casquettes, or casket girls. The name stuck, presumably because of the irresistible image it conjures.

The newer interpretation

Adding yet more intrigue for some is the legend with which the casket girls have become associated in recent years.

According to that version of the casket girls' story, those trunks the girls carried were, indeed, caskets  each of which held a vampire. Those vampires, the stories go, were kept up in the sealed-off third story of the Old Ursuline Convent, the shutters of which were closed and secured with nails blessed by a pope.

Another version holds that the casket girls themselves were the vampires.

Either way, the legends bottom line is that the casket girls took up residence in the convent and  whether directly or indirectly  provided competition to Louisianas mosquitoes.

Skeptical sticks-in-the-mud might point out that, despite what the legend says, the casket girls couldnt have lived in the Old Ursuline Convent upon their arrival in 1728  because it wouldnt be built for another 23 years.

Details, details.

Blame the phenomenal success in the 1970s and 1980s of Rices Vampire Chronicles novels, which fanned the flames of pop-culture interest in vampires, and specifically in vampires from New Orleans.

That flame still burns in the pages of books like New Orleans writer Alys Ardens Casquette Girls series of young reader novels, which plays off the vampires-in-the-convent-attic myth. So does the CW TV series The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff series The Originals, which goes so far as to have its characters take part in a plausible but  alas  entirely fictional Casket Girl Festival.

Undoubtedly to the Ursulines undying chagrin.

Sources: The Times-Picayune archive; Religious Architecture in French Colonial Louisiana, by Samuel Wilson; National Register of Historic Places; The French Quarter: An Information History of the New Orleans Underworld, by Herbert Asbury; New Orleans: The Place and the People, by Grace King

Know of a New Orleans building worth profiling in this column, or just curious about one? Contact Mike Scott at moviegoermike@gmail.com.
Benefit, a leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced the successful completion of its latest innovation challenge Open Banking for Consumer Lending as part of Benefits FinTech Award Hackathon series 2022 in partnership with Central Bank of Bahrain and Fintech Galaxy.

The Benefit FinTech Award hackathon is a themed series that invites participants to build value creation Fintech applications that aims to tackle challenges in the sector and could potentially serve as a foundation of a reputable business.

In its current version, the award is part of the Bahrain Supernova Challenges 2022; which is the second annual innovation challenge from the Central Bank of Bahrain's Digital Lab, FinHub 973, that aims to foster open innovation across the Financial Services industry.

The theme of this year's hackathon is Open Banking, which aims to bridge the gap between fintech enthusiasts and corporates while also offering the Bahrain financial services landscape with cutting-edge insights into innovative techniques.

The competition, inspired by Bahrain's competitive consumer lending ecosystem, invites participants to use open banking API to tackle the issue that borrowers face when it comes to loan settlement and buyout between banks when they wish to obtain a debt consolidation loan.

The hackathon awards the winner with a prize of $5000.

The competition gathered a total of 11 submissions, resulting in 8 shortlisted candidates, 5 finalists, and 1 winner.

NF Innova Fintense, the winner demonstrated how the consumer can find the perfect loan offer from several banks on the platform  utilising its embedded open banking API -, then selects the most appropriate offer and apply for it instantly.

The entire online loan application from start to finish  including KYC and salary verification - only takes several minutes and at the end of the process the money is disbursed instantly to the consumers bank account.

The finalists from Bahrain, United States, Estonia, India and Austria competed in demonstrating concepts and solutions for consumer lending.

Hanan Hasan, Assistant Manager, Marketing, PR and Innovation, Benefit, said, With Bahrain at the forefront of the Open Banking movement in the MENA region, this challenge empowers both local and international financial technology companies to explore new and original solutions in a pioneering regulatory landscape. At Benefit, we are honored to be supporting an increasingly vital role in the implementation of innovative fintech solutions, and our hackathon aims to foster the growth of Bahrain's FinTech sector while bringing together individuals with varied skill sets.-TradeArabia News Service
Faimon Roberts III covers rural communities in Louisiana. His work is supported by a reporting grant from the Microsoft Journalism Initiative and is administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

He can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.
The UAE cabinet, under the chairmanship of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the federal budget 2023-2026 with a total estimated expenditure of AED252.3 billion ($68.6 billion) and estimated revenues of AED255.7 billion ($69 billion), reported Wam.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance; and Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.

Sheikh Mohammed said the federal budget was a major driver of the governments development ambitions and plans.

As per budget estimates, the UAE revenue growth for the fiscal year 2023 is likely to hit 11% with a growth rate of 3.9% in expenditures, he added.

"We reviewed the UAE Railway Programme... the largest infrastructure project in the UAE, linking 11 cities, 7 logistics centres and 4 international ports in the country... Under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Etihad Rail, this project will change the infrastructure map in the country," he stated.

On the Federal General Budget 2023-2026, Sheikh Mohammed said: "A budget for the year 2023 has been allocated, with total estimated expenses of AED63.066 billion, and total estimated revenues of AED63.613 billion."

As per budget estimates, the UAE's revenue growth in the fiscal year 2023 will hit 11% with a growth rate of 3.9 percent in expenditures, reported Wam.

The social development and benefits represent the largest proportion of the UAE Federal Budget 2023 at 39.3 percent, followed by the government affairs with 38 percent of the budget.

The rest of the budget was distributed to the infrastructure and economic resources by 3.8 percent, and the financial assets and investments by 3.4 percent. Other federal expenses amount to 15.5 percent of the 2023 Federal Budget, stated the report.

The UAE Cabinet also reviewed the developments of the UAE Railway Programme, which will work continuously to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70-80 percent over the next 50 years, and support the country's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, it added.
Emirates has been presented with the Presidents Tourism Gold Award for its role in growing Maldives tourism industry at a recent awards gala ceremony to mark National Tourism Day in the idyllic archipelago.



As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Ministry of Tourism Maldives, Emirates received the prestigious recognition for Outstanding Contributions to the Development of Tourism in the Maldives, highlighting its 35 years of service to the country, with flights to and from Male since 1987.



This is the second prestigious award presented to Emirates within the last three months in appreciation of the role it has played in the growth of tourism in the Maldives. In July, Emirates was honoured by the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), the oldest tourism-related association in the Maldives, with the 50 years of Tourism Award by MATI.



The Presidents Tourism Gold Awards aims to recognise the services of individuals and establishments that have contributed to the development of the nations tourism industry over the years.



In 2021, Emirates renewed its long-standing partnership with the Maldives by extending a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Tourism. The agreement reaffirmed the airlines commitment to the Maldives and outlined various initiatives to promote trade and tourism to the country. Emirates was recognised as the top airline for the Maldives, in terms of passenger numbers, carrying 265,000 passengers in one year alone and supporting the remarkable recovery of the nations tourism industry following the lifting of Covid-19 related travel restrictions.



Emirates has played an integral role in the socio-economic development of the Maldives over the past 35 years and has consistently contributed to the growth of its tourism industry, a pillar of its economy. The award-winning international airline commenced services to Male on 27th May 1987, and has operated more than 29,000 round trip flights to the Maldives, logging approximately 135 million kilometres on the route and carrying 8.5 million passengers to and from the destination.



Today, Emirates operates 28 flights a week between Dubai and the Maldives, connecting travellers and exporters to a network of over 140 passenger and cargo destinations. In addition, Emirates provides a daily service between Male and Colombo. Emirates has restored more over 90% of its pre-Covid route network, providing connectivity across six continents.  TradeArabia News Service
Bahrains Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, has delivered a workshop on improving the mechanisms behind gathering tourism statistics in the kingdom.

Over 20 government and tourism experts were in attendance.

iGA Director of Economic Statistics, Noora Khamis Al-Saadoon, said the workshop, which reflects the strong partnership between the iGA and the ministry, is part of ongoing efforts towards improving the tourism sector, one of the most important contributors to the kingdoms national economy.

Since 2015, Bahrains tourism statistics have been digitized as part of a multi-phased strategy to develop the sector. This has led to enhancements in data sources in line with the recommendations of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the creation of a comprehensive statistics and information database, compiled from government entities using the Bahrain Open Data Portal (data.gov.bh). She highlighted the importance of indices and data in assisting government organizations and decision-makers in achieving national objectives and supporting the Kingdoms development.

Al-Saadoon added that the main objective behind the workshop was to explore and exchange ideas on how to further develop data collection and production in coordination with relevant tourism entities.

The workshop also discussed the technical aspects of the deployment of advanced technologies and improving government administrative records, which are necessary for meeting national, regional, and global statistical data collection standards, and tourism statistics in particular. This is in addition to providing the data entries necessary for the implementation of Bahrains tourism strategy and supporting decision-makers.

During her presentation on the current status of tourism statistics, Al-Saadoon covered the different stages of the national tourism statistics project, from the launch of the Kingdoms tourism establishment surveys up until the present day. She highlighted a number of achievements by the iGA, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, including the creation of a comprehensive database for tourism demand (visits, classifications, and expenditures of tourists), supply (products offered to tourists), and Tourism satellite Account (internationally approved accounting tool for calculating the contribution of tourism to the national economy), all of which help achieve the sustainable development goals and Bahrains Economic Vision 2030.

She added that statistical work underwent changes during the pandemic, which presented challenges in collecting field data using traditional surveys. This necessitated the exploration of alternative methods which utilise Big Data resources and administrative records. The iGAs deployment of advanced technologies streamlined the collection of field data through the use of modern methods.

iGA tourism expert Dr Ahmed Rajab talked about the non-traditional data sources used in the collection and production of tourism statistics, as well as the main standards used in gauging incoming tourism. He highlighted some of the latest methods, including the monitoring of administrative, mobile phone, and bank card records.

Ministry of Tourism Director of Monitoring and Licensing, Sinan Al Jaberi gave a presentation on the tourism data and statistical requirements of the ministry, where he emphasised the importance of keeping pace with current trends related to the monitoring of tourism data and statistics.  TradeArabia News Service
LAPORTE COUNTY  Firefighters from two counties fought a house fire in unincorporated Otis in LaPorte County Saturday night.

The Westville Community Volunteer Fire Department, Liberty Township Fire Department and Pines Fire Department battled the blaze on the 100 block of Snyder Road in the small community in New Durham Township.

The fire was reported just after 6 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release from the Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department.

The Liberty Township Fire Department sent an engine crew and tanker to help shuttle water to the scene for hours on Saturday night. The Westville Community Fire Department had jurisdiction over the house fire.

Firefighters eventually extinguished the fire. They were still on the scene putting out hotspots and making sure the fire hadn't spread as of 10 p.m. Saturday night.
MERRILLVILLE  Several types of residential rental units are coming to the Liberty Estates community.

Representatives from two different development teams are seeking final planned unit development (PUD) approval from the Plan Commission to construct apartments in the neighborhood near U.S. 30 and Whitcomb Street.

FRS Merrillville LLC is expected to build 16 three-story apartment buildings on about 17 acres in Liberty Estates.

The first building could be delivered in a little more than a year and then subsequent buildings would be done weeks after each building is delivered, a project representative said during a Plan Commission workshop.

Eight floor plans will be available there. One-bedroom apartments start at 840 square feet, two-bedroom at 1,085 square feet and three-bedroom units at 1,350 square feet.

Its estimated monthly rent could be between $1,550 and $2,250, depending on the unit.

In addition to that project, Redwood is planning to build single-story two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment homes with attached two-car private garages in Liberty Estates.

Ali Karolczak, director of acquisitions for Redwood, said six floor plans are available. The units range from 1,300 to 1,600 square feet.

Starting rent is expected to be about $2,000 each month.

Karolczak said Redwood formed about 30 years ago, and the company has built more than 15,000 apartment homes since then.

We have only ever done this product, she said of the single-story apartments.

Randy Hall, president of Luxor Homes, planned the Liberty Estates project, and he said the Redwood apartments could appeal to many people, including retirees.

They dont exclusively do retiree products, but it really kind of screams for someone who wants zero maintenance, Hall said. It could be someone in the medical field that works long hours. Very quiet community, totally self-maintained.

The commission took no action on the PUD requests for the apartment construction during Tuesdays session because it was a workshop. It's expected to vote on the topics during its Oct. 18 meeting.
Frye Andrade State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) and Rep. Mike Andrade (D-Munster) address representatives of Lake County police departments at a public s

GARY  Ahead of the 2023 Indiana Legislative session, police from Lake County had the opportunity to make their voices heard.

Officers from more than 10 local departments joined State Rep. Mike Andrade (D-Munster) and State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg), chairman of the Veterans Affairs and Public Safety committees, Thursday at the Sage-Popovich Hangar at the Gary Chicago Airport to discuss pressing public safety issues in Lake County, and how legislators can help.

Departments represented were: Munster, Merrillville, St. John, Cedar Lake, Schererville, Chesterton, Hobart, Highland, Hammond, Griffith and Gary.

In the 2022 legislative session, Frye sponsored House Bills 1004 and 1314, which updated requirements for placement in community corrections programs and improving multiple components of public safety, respectively.

Andrade and Frye sponsored Senate Bills 0158 and 0294, supplying basic training requirements for public safety telecommunications professionals and requiring changes to members of the law enforcement training board, including best policies and training programs, respectively.

Lake County has seen an increase in homicides, vehicular pursuits, carjackings and robberies in 2022, according to Andrade.

Compared to this time last year, there has been a 42% increase in homicides, 16% increase in vehicular pursuits, an 11% increase in carjackings and a 10% increase in robberies, according to data from Spillman crime logs shared by St. John Police Chief Steve Flores.

Auto thefts have decreased slightly, data shows, but still make up a large portion of crime in Lake County.

Gary police Chief Brian Evans said his department is seeing an increase in the number of juveniles who commit crimes. Juveniles are often released to their parents after their involvement in a crime. He said it is a public safety issue when juveniles aren't given consequences.

Letting them back out over and over again encourages them to keep doing it, Evans said.

Flores said he believes the increase is due to an issue of risk vs. reward for juvenile offenders. Without the high risk of a consequence, he said, there is nothing stopping them from committing the same crimes again.

"Juveniles who commit felonies or are repeat offenders should not be released to their parents immediately," Flores said. "Our courts, our juvenile systems, need to do a better job at holding on to these kids."

A large percentage of offenders, Flores and Evans said, come from Illinois. When legislators asked what could be done to combat crime in Lake County, Evans jokingly said, "build a wall between Indiana and Illinois."

Flores said legislators can help by re-examining the issue of bonds for arrested individuals.

"We spend all this time trying to catch these people," Flores said. "As soon as we put them in jail, they're being let out. It's very frustrating for us."

The 2023 Indiana Legislative Session will begin Jan. 9.
BURNHAM  A formerly empty lot on the west side of town is now more welcoming to birds, bees and other wildlife.

The lot, one of several parcels bought up by Green Grease Environmental owner and Bee Haven founder Tony Demma near the company's facility, was the sight of a tree-planting event on Thursday afternoon.

Volunteers guided by representatives of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative planted 22 native trees to make the plot  sandwiched between railroad tracks, a small industrial area and a residential neighborhood north of State Street  more nature-friendly.

"We reached out to Bee Haven to try to create a native pollinator habitat in this space here," said Mia Howerton, Chicago Region Tree Initiative steward. "We reached out because part of our mission is to increase the urban tree canopy cover and the species diversity of the region."

Among the trees planted were red buds, cedars and oaks.

"We really like to try to emphasize species that will attract insects," Howerton said.

Howerton said CRTI found out about Bee Haven via Instagram and one thing led to another culminating in Thursday's project. Demma, whose company recycles used cooking oil into biofuel, was glad to gain another collaborator.

"We're doing a lot of different small restoration projects of native habitat this year and this is one of them," he said. "We're trying to create native habitat that's good for the wildlife, be it insects, be it birds, even deer ... because obviously development's chasing a lot of that out. So we're trying to create spaces again for nature."

Demma said he created the Bee Haven nonprofit in order to scale up the conservation work he was doing already.

"It's like, if we're doing this anyway, let's make it a not-for-profit so we can get a tax deduction by funding it," he said. "But now it's going to a charity and and other people have the opportunity to contribute to get more land going."

More projects like this are needed, according to Demma.

"The Lake Calumet area is a very important ecosystem here," he said. "It's great for migrating birds, you've got fresh water year-round. And this area has traditionally been industrial so there's a lot of polluted stuff and a lot of demolition. It's an important area to help."
MICHIGAN CITY  It was a busy night for firefighters on the night shift in Michigan City.

The Michigan City Fire Department battled two overnight blazes early Sunday morning.

At around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, the Michigan City Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Ohio Street, the department said in a social media post. Crews had not yet extinguished the fire when the fire department was called out again at 3:47 a.m. for another structure fire on East Homer Street.

Dramatic photos from the scene show one home fully engulfed in flames and the other house with a large fire burning through windows on the second floor. Both of the homes appeared to be damaged to the point where they were no longer habitable.

Michigan City resident Billy Greene saw a Michigan City Police Department officer arrive at the Homer Street home before the other agencies show up, bust into the house and save a man's life by leading him out of the burning building.

"The homeowner was asleep upstairs and I witnessed Officer Angelo Davenport trying to gain entry to the home but no one answered," he said. "Officer Davenport then smashed the front doors open on the porch and ran into the home getting the homeowner out in time and making sure there were no other humans or pets in there."

Greene said the officer guided the homeowner down the stairs and out of the burning house to safety.

It was a hectic night for first responders in Michigan City, Greene said.

"A big shoutout to all that was involved at that hour last night when at that time, many things were happening in Michigan City," he said.

The cause of both fires remains under investigation.

"At this time, this is all the information we can release," the Michigan City Fire Department said in a statement.
VALPARAISO  The city of Valparaiso hosts an Art Walk and Talk at 4 p.m. Tuesday,.

It's at the Art Walk located at Cumberland Crossing near the Valparaiso Family YMCA.

Artist Martha Cares, creator of the current 40+ piece exhibit, will share insights and lead the free Walk & Talk event.

Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and meet near the BikeShare bike rack on Cumberland Crossing, just south of the YMCA parking lot. Light refreshments will be served, including coffee provided by Biggby Coffee of Chesterton.

The Valparaiso Art Walk is in its 11th year, thanks to the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission and community sponsors.

The current exhibit by Cares, of Sawyer, Michigan, is on display through next May.

Cares is gaining acclaim in the world of Pop Art for the simplicity, spontaneity and honesty of her work. Her iconic red My Rescue Dog is recognized nationally as a symbol of rescue education and awareness. The exhibit at Valparaisos Art Walk features pets and rescue animals.
When Dana Elise McKinneys father introduced her to David Emanuel White Jr. at an event in October 2016, Ms. McKinney said she thought Mr. White was slightly full of himself.

Mr. White had a different first impression of her.

I definitely noticed how beautiful she was, and it was clear that she was brilliant as well, he said. But when youre meeting a woman with her father for the first time, its not the most opportune time to ask her out.

The two, then both students at Harvard, were at a dinner in Boston hosted by the local chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. Mr. White was there on behalf of Harvard Law Schools Black Law Students Association, where he served as communications director, and Ms. McKinney to represent the Harvard Graduate School of Designs African American Student Union, where she served as president. She brought her father as her guest, and he introduced her to Mr. White after striking up a conversation with him.

Though both were active in Black student life on campus  and taking the same Vision and Justice course that fall  neither had noticed the other before. And after that night, another year would pass before they saw one another again.
By the 1590s, Elizabeth has grown into an ageless, almost sacrilegious icon, clutching a rainbow in her outstretched hand. In the final portrait here  done by an English painting studio and of no great technical distinction; even by 1599 the locals were still pretty clumsy  she stands upright, with stiff, wired wings like a guardian angel, wearing a dress embroidered with all the worlds flora and fauna. She has become the source of all life, and blessed herself with life everlasting.

Not really, though: Elizabeth died four years later, depressed and tormented in her palace at Richmond. The Tudor dynasty died with her, and her cousin James came down from Scotland to sit at last on the English throne. But the Stuarts have never captured the modern imagination quite like the Tudors still do, with Paul Scofield kneeling before the executioner in A Man for All Seasons and Cate Blanchett dancing the volta in Elizabeth, with their doublet-ripping soap operas and timbered facades in Great Neck or Los Feliz.

My own favorite Tudor indulgence, even more than Wolf Hall, is the big confrontation scene in Friedrich Schillers play Maria Stuart, where Elizabeth faces down her Scottish rival in an operatic queen-on-queen showdown (they never met in real life). Mary is the prisoner, but Elizabeth is the one who is not free  and beneath the jewels and the face paint she knows it. What we appear is subject to the judgment of all mankind, Schillers Elizabeth regrets, and what we are, of no man.

The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England

Oct. 10 through Jan. 8, 2023, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, 212-535-7710; metmuseum.org.
Two teenagers were wounded in a shooting on Sunday outside the home of Representative Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for governor of New York, the candidate said on Twitter.

The Suffolk County Police Department said that detectives were investigating the shooting, outside a home in Shirley on Long Island at 2:20 p.m. The two 17-year-old boys, who are from Mastic and Mastic Beach, were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, the department said.

At a news conference late Sunday, Mr. Zeldin said that the teenagers could be seen on security-camera footage hiding underneath his porch and near a bush in front of his porch. Mr. Zeldin said that they were likely shot before they entered the frame of his security cameras.

Mr. Zeldin said that he did not know the teenagers. The authorities also said there was no connection between the injured and the residents of the home.
The pressures Metas business is facing in 2022 are acute, significant and not metaverse-related, said Matthew Ball, an investor and metaverse expert whose advice Mr. Zuckerberg has sought. And there is a risk that almost everything Mark has outlined about the metaverse is right, except the timing is farther out than he imagined.

In a statement, Andy Stone, a Meta spokesman, said the company believed it was still on the right path.

Being a cynic about new and innovative technology is easy, Mr. Stone said. Actually building it is a lot harder  but thats what were doing because we believe the metaverse is the future of computing.

Mr. Zuckerberg successfully overhauled his company a decade ago, getting it to focus on how its products worked on smartphones instead of desktops. He signaled a similar shift last year, saying that investing in the metaverse would allow Meta to make the leap from one technological era to the next.

There are some signs that Metas bet has put it ahead of competitors. The companys consumer V.R. headset, the Quest 2, is the most popular V.R. headset on the market with more than 15 million sold, according to outside estimates. Its Oculus V.R. app  which has since been rebranded Meta Quest  has been installed over 21 million times on iOS and Android devices, according to an estimate by Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm.

But Metas future success depends on the companys ability to bring virtual and augmented reality tools to far more people.

Meta said in February that its Horizon Worlds game had grown to roughly 300,000 monthly active users  an increase from a few months earlier, but minuscule in comparison with Facebooks more than 2.9 billion monthly active users. The company declined to provide more up-to-date figures for Horizon Worlds.
The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the worlds most ambitious regenerative tourism project coming up in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's ultra-luxury destination Amaala, have confirmed daa International as the operator at its uniquely regenerative airport Red Sea International (RSI), which is on track to become the regions first-ever carbon-neutral airport.

The latest agreement covers operations and general maintenance services worth close to SR1 billion ($266.3 million) and is set to propel the airport on its journey towards environmental sustainability powered by 100% renewable energy, said the statement from TRSDC.

As per the deal, daa International will serve as the airport operator for RSI in 2023, overseeing design consultancy, management, and operations in accordance with the provisions of Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Services will also enable the seamless integration of green technology and waste and resource management, aligned with the highest standards of sustainability, while prioritizing safety and security, it stated.

"Ahead of welcoming our first guests early next year, Red Sea International is ushering in a carbon-neutral, net-zero era for airport designs and operations," remarked John Pagano, Group CEO of TRSDC.

"As the regions first-ever airport powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, RSI will serve as an innovative blueprint for decarbonised urban destinations of the future," he stated even as he welcomed a delegation of Irish dignitaries to TRSDC offices in Riyadh to celebrate the signing of the agreement.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport in Ireland Hildegarde Naughton TD, and Irelands Ambassador to the Kingdom, Gerry Cunningham were both present, alongside Enterprise Ireland, the countrys trade organisation. Additionally, the event was attended by GACA President Abdul Azeer bin Abdullah Al Duailej.

"Our agreement with leading industry player daa International, with a proven track-record of excelling in international aviation, marks our latest step towards materializing a sustainable, regenerative gateway that will open this under-explored region of Saudi Arabia to the world," noted Pagano.

Nicholas Cole, the CEO of daa International, said: "The Red Sea International airport is primed to deliver luxury guest experiences unlike any other. We are thrilled to partner with TSRDC to bring to life a seamless, ultra-premium, highly personalized experience for each passenger traveling through this unique gateway, underpinned by stringent sustainability goals."

According to Cole, the partnership will harness daa Internationals extensive credentials in airport operations.

"Together with TRSDC, collective efforts will integrate innovative solutions across all RSI operations to eliminate and offset carbon emissions, optimize energy consumption, and advance efficiencies in resource and waste management," he stated.

RSI is a uniquely regenerative airport, designed by international architecture firm Foster + Partners to provide an unforgettable aviation experience. The project is on track to welcome its first passengers in 2023, with capabilities to serve an estimated one million domestic and international tourists per year by 2030  at a peak of 900 travelers per hour.

TRSDC said it will be working together with daa International towards ACI Europes Airport Carbon Accreditation Program with the intention of securing the highest current standard Level 4+, which would make RSI the first new airport to ever secure this standard before operations commence.

Discussions are currently under way with regards to creating a new Level 5 standard, in turn to make RSI the first airport in the world to acquire this new industry leading rating.

The airport was successfully registered with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and recently completed test landings and take-offs on the 3.7km main runway. The team also celebrated eight million safe man-hours with 2,400 workers, it stated.

According to TRSDC, the RSI will be the first and only airport in the region with a dedicated runway for seaplanes and water aerodromes, regulated by a new set of GACA safety guidelines.

The destination will also service hydrogen-powered seaplane variants, supplied by hydrogen-electric aviation firm ZeroAvia, as well as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft technology.-TradeArabia News Service
Follow for live updates on the Los Angeles City Council controversy.

LOS ANGELES  The head of one of Los Angeles Countys most powerful labor organizations resigned on Monday night amid a nationwide furor over a leaked audio recording that revealed his involvement in a racist and disparaging conversation with two members of the Los Angeles City Council and the council president.

The official, Ron Herrera, resigned at a meeting of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labors executive board, according to Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, head of the California Labor Federation. His resignation came hours after the City Council president, Nury Martinez, had stepped down from her leadership role Monday morning amid fallout from remarks she had made about the Black child of a white fellow council member and about Indigenous immigrants in the citys Koreatown neighborhood.

I take responsibility for what I said, and there are no excuses for those comments, Ms. Martinez said in a statement on Monday announcing that she would resign from the leadership role but not from the council. As a mother, I know better and I am sorry. I am truly ashamed, she added.

The comments, which Ms. Martinez made last year during a meeting with two other council members and a labor official, exposed longstanding racial tensions in the governance of one of the nations most multicultural cities, as well as fault lines among the citys Democrats. Calls continued on Monday for her to resign from the council entirely.
Heavy rains and landslides have left dozens of people dead and dozens more missing in a single town in north-central Venezuela, officials said Sunday.

The authorities believe that an unknown number of other people in the town, Las Tejerias, remain trapped in their homes by the mud.

The Venezuelan armed forces planned to deploy canines and drones to find the missing residents and to deliver food and medicine, one top military officer, Remigio Ceballos, said at the news conference in Las Tejerias, about 40 miles southwest of the capital, Caracas.

Venezuelas vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, said at the news conference that the authorities were making every effort to get them out alive, but almost two dozen people were known to be dead. We have lost children, girls, all very regrettable, Ms. Rodriguez said.
This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions.

sabrina tavernise

From The New York Times Im Sabrina Tavernise, and this is The Daily. [MUSIC PLAYING] If Vladimir Putin ever follows through with his threat to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, hes likely to use a very particular kind of nuclear weapon. Today, I talk to my colleague, Bill Broad on what that weapon is, how it works, and what it would mean to deploy it. [MUSIC PLAYING] Its Friday, October 7th. So Bill, two weeks ago, we did an episode with our colleague Anton. And he told us that Putin had effectively declared a chunk of Ukraine Russian territory. And he said that if it was attacked, he would fight back. And he kind of hinted that he would use his nuclear arsenal. So this whole week, the Ukrainians are making a lot of military advances in that very area that Putin was talking about. And so everyone, you know Im in DC here, is talking about this and kind of on edge. Are we in a new, more dangerous moment in the world? So we wanted to ask you, Bill, what would an attack like this look like? I mean, when I think of nuclear weapons, I think of a mushroom cloud? Is that what were talking about?

bill broad

Were not, although that tends to be the thing that we all conjure up in our minds, these big horrible things. We saw one over Hiroshima. Weve seen pictures of tests around the globe where these frightening huge things would scare and intimidate everybody into all these unthinkable scenarios. What were talking about now is extremely different. Its a whole different dark universe that grew up in parallel to this ginormous scary world of mushroom clouds.

sabrina tavernise

OK, different universe, they grew up in parallel. So tell me about that, Bill. How are the nuclear weapons of today different from the ones that we have in our mind?

bill broad

Theyre fundamentally much, much, much, much smaller. They call them tactical nukes. They are tiny fractions of the strength of the Hiroshima bomb and tiny, tiny little fractions of the super bombs and the city busters that everybody worried about during the Cold War. In comparison to all that and to everything weve known and thought about publicly for a long time, they are minuscule.

sabrina tavernise

So how did these smaller ones, in this new world youre talking about, come to be?

bill broad

Well, they all grew out of the very first atomic weapons. The one we all remember, was Hiroshima. [EXPLOSION] 1945 ended World War II.

archived recording The city of Hiroshima lies prostrate after the withering blast which wiped out 53,000 of its population.

bill broad

The big mushroom cloud over this Japanese city and one over Nagasaki too.

archived recording Four square miles of buildings leveled by the first of two small bombs that decided the fate of Japan. Thats whats indelibly imprinted on our minds.

sabrina tavernise

Right.

archived recording Another evidence of the enemys final inability to wage war.

bill broad

Well, after that, we went into the next chapter of the Cold War, where there was this global race for bigger and better and more terrible weapons.

archived recording History turns its most ominous page far out in mid-pacific, where in the Enewetak Atoll, the worlds most awesome weapon is readied for detonation.

bill broad

And they got enormously large compared to Hiroshima. They were called H-bombs.

archived recording Here on a Elugelab Island, the cab or housing for the first hydrogen bomb takes shape after months of preparation.

bill broad

And we popped our first one in 1952.

archived recording The pictures you are about to see have been released by the Department of Defense under presidential order.

bill broad

They put a device on an Island in the South Pacific. And they tested it.

archived recording Five-er, four, three, two, one T zero. [DRAMATIC MUSIC] The ball of fire is three miles across as it shatters both land and sea.

bill broad

And it was 700 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb with a mushroom cloud that just went into the stratosphere. [DRAMATIC MUSIC]

archived recording In seconds, the fireball erupts into a geyser the towers 25 miles into the stratosphere spreading into 100-mile wide mushroom cloud.

bill broad

I mean, it was so big it just blew peoples minds.

archived recording Rising with the cloud are millions of cubic feet of radioactive ash. A virulent byproduct of the fusion bomb that will shower down over the area in approximately one hour.

bill broad

But the Soviets, not wanting to be outdone in this great race,

archived recording [SPEAKING RUSSIAN]

bill broad

Detonated one that was [EXPLOSION] 3,000 times bigger than the Hiroshima bomb

archived recording [SPEAKING RUSSIAN]

bill broad

I mean, imagine that one weapon, something you could fit in your closet there or it would sit comfortably in your living room, having the destructive power of 3,000 Hiroshimas. [MUSIC PLAYING]

sabrina tavernise

And this was the United States and the Soviet Union making these bigger and better bombs.

bill broad

Both of us in a big race. And this is the part of the history that we all kind of intuitively know. There was a race to make these super bombs and these city busters, and we got into this kind of straitjacket of mutually assured destruction, where nobody could do anything because if we did X theyd do Y, and wed annihilate each other. And because of how unthinkable the whole situation was, It was a standoff.

sabrina tavernise

OK, so those were the big bombs of the Cold War era, of the arms race, but what you said were talking about today is something different, right? Something smaller. So tell me about that.

bill broad

So while we were popping all these enormous big bombs that got everybodys attention, there was a whole parallel effort, under the radar, that the public really wasnt aware of, and I wasnt aware of as a reporter until late in my career, in which they developed bombs that were incredibly small. Were talking about things like a big toaster. One of them was called the Davy Crockett, after the great frontiersman and American folk hero. It was like a watermelon with fins on the back.

sabrina tavernise

But that means also, presumably, that they werent as strong, right?

bill broad

No, thats it. They werent as strong. Their blasts were a tiny fraction of the Hiroshima bomb. The Davy Crockett, this little watermelon with fins, it was 1,000th of the power of the Hiroshima bomb, but these bombs were not meant to blow up cities. They were meant for the battlefield. They were small, portable but still powerful enough to blow up a bridge or take out a dam or destroy a train yard or a storage tank or a command bunker vaporizing it, gone, off the battlefield. And it was all from nuclear technology, which put into a tiny little package the power of a ginormous conventional weapon. It just put a huge amount of power in your hands.

sabrina tavernise

But, Bill, why though? I mean, why did they feel like they needed these small things?

bill broad

They needed them for Europe. It was a techie fix for a terrible situation. They wanted little bombs that could stop the Soviet hordes cold. The Soviets could, with a snap of their fingers, create armies with millions of men, and they did. Their standing army was something like 4 or 5 million people. We couldnt do that in the West. The democracies couldnt get that many people up on the front lines. So rather than turning ourselves into dictatorships and forcing everybody to march to the front lines, we went, hey, guys, lets make teeny-weeny little bombs thatll intimidate the Soviets and stop these hordes. Theyll know about it. Well advertise it. Well send signals. Well let them know that our planes are practicing with this. That we have nuclear artillery shells 8-inches wide that exactly look like conventional shells but guess what? Theyre nuclear. Itll be a real bad day on the invasion front.

sabrina tavernise

So the West is essentially thinking, OK, we dont have the manpower to counter the Soviets who can just get everybody in their country to fight, and instead, they were going to use this newfangled and potentially, quite devastating new weapon to stop them.

bill broad

Right, and they went wild with it. [MUSIC PLAYING] NATO, our Western European partners, put, get this, 7,400, 7400 of these weapons all across Western Europe at the peak of the Cold War. It was like you could have one in every kitchen. They were everywhere. And they were ready to go, at a moments notice, to try to counteract the hordes. [MUSIC PLAYING]

sabrina tavernise

And what about the Soviets, bill? Did they also develop these smaller tactical nuclear weapons?

bill broad

They did, but it took a while. Typically, in the history of the arms races, we have always been the leaders. We developed the first H-bombs. We developed the first A-bombs. The Soviets always would lag a few to many years behind, but they eventually started doing this too. And we kind of got into yet another arms race. A tit-for-tat race with smaller bombs that the public didnt really follow that was another kind of invisible part of the East-West standoff. [MUSIC PLAYING]

sabrina tavernise

So eventually, the Soviet Union collapses Cold War ends. What happens to all these things?

bill broad

Well, we come to agreements to cut back our very big arsenals with these city busters that would get flung halfway around the world. We went from tens of thousands of these things down to what today, in East and West, are big long-range arsenals of about 1,500 weapons.

sabrina tavernise

Wow.

bill broad

But the little stuff has a more checkered history. Right at the end of the Cold War, we both agreed to get these off the battlefield because they were so small, we didnt want terrorists and crazy people running off with them.

sabrina tavernise

It was the time of Osama bin Laden and of rising Islamic terrorism.

bill broad

Absolutely, so there was a big push, a bilateral push, to get these things in safe places. And the result of that is that in the West, a lot of these small weapons got disassembled and taken to bunkers, where they sit today. Theyre in parts and pieces and maybe some of the material turned back into just handy-dandy material for the day we might want it. We now have on the order of 100 tactical weapons in Western Europe.

sabrina tavernise

Just 100?

bill broad

Just 100, right.

sabrina tavernise

Why did NATO keep so few. What was the thinking there?

bill broad

The thinking, it was that these things were dangerous because they were so small. They were easy to lose and easy to be misplaced. And they didnt have the serious, serious command and control functions that we had for these big super weapons and city busters that would go on top of intercontinental ballistic missiles. So the decision was made to just downsize radically, which they did.

sabrina tavernise

And what about the Russians? Did they reciprocate?

bill broad

They did in the sense that they pulled a lot of these tacticals off the battlefield and put them into storage areas, but unlike the US, they didnt disassemble them. So these weapons are still around. 2000 of them ready to go.

sabrina tavernise

Wow. Thats a lot more.

bill broad

Yes, it could make for a terrible bad day if they started going off.

sabrina tavernise

Its kind of surprising that the US would just voluntarily get rid of these things while Russia kept theirs. Wasnt this process governed by the same type of treaties and arrangements that they use for the big bombs?

bill broad

No, and thats one of the surprising parts of this whole story. These things were never regulated by treaties. We just decided to ditch them. The Cold War was over. The Soviet Union collapsed. Their military apparatus was a shambles. Their economy was crippled. War was not going to break out. The much feared invasion of West Germany and Western Europe was not about to happen. They could barely feed their soldiers, much less marshal a group of them to invade Europe. We didnt need these weapons anymore, and nukes are unimaginably dangerous. Nobody wanted to use these things.

sabrina tavernise

OK, so we decided we didnt need them. We got rid of most of them, even though we had no guarantee that Russia would reciprocate.

bill broad

Right, so nobody thought about this a lot in public. In the secret councils of Washington, in the National Security Council and the Pentagon, they were just old news. [MUSIC PLAYING] Until Russia, in recent years, emerged as a major aggressor on the world stage plowing into Ukraine and starting to make all these threats again about its great nuclear arsenal. [MUSIC PLAYING]

sabrina tavernise

Well be right back. So, Bill, the Russians have a lot of these smaller, tactical, nuclear weapons. If Putin decides he wants to use one, what does that actually look like? What are his options?

bill broad

Well, it all depends, right? The one that analysts talk about over and over is the shock-and-awe technique, where Putin says, let me take one of these things. Theyre not so big. The world wont end, but Ill take it and Ill pop it off over the Baltic or the Black Sea. No mushroom cloud, just this instantaneous bright flash like all of a sudden a second sun. The satellites will notice. The West will notice. NATO and the US will notice. And it will send a terrifying message that Im willing to break the nuclear taboo thats been in place for 77 years. Or, if he wanted to take out, say, a Ukrainian military base, one of his main options would be this missile that our NATO partners know very well called the Iskander. It has a range of about 300 miles. It has two big tactical rockets that can get carried on a truck. Usually, the Iskanders have conventional warheads, but they also take nuclear warheads. So Putin could order the nuclear Iskander warheads to be taken out of storage, run up in Russia to somewhere relatively close to the front lines, and aim it toward that base. Now, thats not the end of the story because all these detonations of nuclear weapons have lots of options, mainly, the height of the burst.

sabrina tavernise

So there are all these different dimensions to how this thing could actually be used, including where it physically explodes.

bill broad

Yes, lets say you just wanted to scare the bejesus out of them. Maybe youd detonate it 1,000 feet above the base. Maybe you just start some fires in the surrounding woods and kill maybe 100 people rather than 1,000 or something. But if you really want to create a nightmare for somebody, make sure its a ground burst. Because then all the stuff that gets vaporized on the ground becomes radioactive. So you multiply the radiation many, many, many times over if you do a ground burst, which is why sites can be uninhabitable for a long time. The Hiroshima bomb was detonated at a height of 1,500 feet. There was prompt radiation. It happened very quickly, and that killed a lot of people, but there wasnt this radiation that lasted for years and decades. They went around with Geiger counters through Hiroshima afterwards, and there was very little residual radiation. So how these things are detonated is as important as what they are.

sabrina tavernise

Im remembering now, Chernobyl. And I actually have a friend who was living in Belarus at the time and said that the wind carried the radiation toward him as a child and that everybody remembers that. And I guess Im thinking if Putin explodes a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, wouldnt that be a risk for him as well? The wind carrying the radiation and effectively, making parts of Russia toxic?

bill broad

Right, thats a great question. And the answer is it depends on what mother nature is thinking that day. Usually, at the latitude of Kyiv, youre right smack dab in what they call the westerlies. These are trade winds. They blow constantly from west to east. And thats what you would normally have had over Chernobyl, which is very close to Kyiv. On that day, however, instead of the westerlies blowing, which would have taken the radiation to Kazakhstan, the winds were coming out of the south and the southeast. So the radiation got blown north to Belarus and to Russia. So its this fickle aspect of nature that really has the final vote in all this.

sabrina tavernise

So it sounds like Putin has a lot of options for how he could actually use these tactical weapons, but at the same time, theres a significant element of risk for him.

bill broad

Exactly right, huge uncertainty, technical uncertainty, political uncertainty, right? Hes going into this world that we havent been in in modern times. Its full of all kinds of scary unknowns.

sabrina tavernise

Well, so lets talk about that. What are the consequences if Putin actually does this? If he actually detonates a bomb in Ukraine or anywhere in the region, say, what would be the response from the rest of the world?

bill broad

Well, Russias hoping that they would escalate to deescalate, which is a kind of a fancy way of saying that, well, the shock and awe of it would mean that everybody on the other side would basically throw up their hands and surrender.

sabrina tavernise

And would that happen?

bill broad

My understanding is that the Biden administration has thought about it a lot. And they think that the civilized world would be so appalled that even Putins best buddies, China and India and these dictatorial countries that get in bed with Russia, they would all be so appalled that he would suddenly be losing huge political support. Sanctions, all of a sudden, would come in with huge force, and the administrations game plan, as I understand it, often through the eyes of my good colleague David Sanger, who reports on this stuff deeply in Washington, is that they would not respond with a nuclear detonation.

sabrina tavernise

And is the reason because they dont have any of those tactical nukes anymore, the small ones, or is it because theyre afraid of escalation?

bill broad

I think its both those things. We dont have those tactical nuclear weapons to be able to climb that little escalatory ladder anymore, which was the thing in the Cold War. There was this whole theory of escalatory cycles which were supposed to deter the attacks. They pop a five-kiloton bomb, we pop a five-kiloton bomb, but now, I think the thought process is, we dont want to get into a tit for tat where suddenly one of the few tactical weapons that we have in Europe gets used on a Russian city and Putin decides to take out Chicago or Los Angeles. So the prevailing wisdom in the administration appears to be that we would use our conventional firepower to retaliate or share that conventional firepower with Ukraine, so they could retaliate. And we do have this unbelievable arsenal of conventional weapons, which are hugely precise, incredibly smart, filled with chips, guided by satellites, and could rain down on Mother Russia in a way that she would never forget.

sabrina tavernise

One thing that I dont really get about Putin and the nuclear scenario is that his whole goal is to actually take over Ukraine is to sort of have it as Russian territory. Thats what hes trying to do. So why would he risk poisoning a whole lot of the territory of the country hes trying to take over? It just doesnt really make any sense.

bill broad

Right, none of it, really to me, makes a whole lot of sense. The only thing that makes sense is not using it on a battlefield using it as a shock and awe technique to say, Im willing to cross the line. Are you? Now, the thing to keep in mind is throughout all the escalations in this war, the United States has found zero evidence that nuclear weapons that are in storage units are being taken out. Submarines, in their pens, are not being put out to sea with nuclear missiles, which would happen if we were facing Armageddon. Special trucks are not pulling up to cruise-missile batteries with nuclear warheads.

sabrina tavernise

But whats that telling us?

bill broad

Its telling us that were in this period of bluff and bluster.

sabrina tavernise

Hmm.

bill broad

There are no concrete preparations, that Im aware of, that Washingtons aware of, to wage a nuclear war, not even with one of these little babies. Its still this great drama that Putin is running, and it has to do with scare tactics.

sabrina tavernise

Its almost like the threats themselves are his power, right?

bill broad

Right.

sabrina tavernise

Hes in peak power now, and as soon as he uses them 

bill broad

It goes away. And not only goes away, he, as a force on the world stage, collapses.

sabrina tavernise

Right.

bill broad

Thats the US playbook, and I think theres something to it.

sabrina tavernise

Which makes me think he wont actually use them, right?

bill broad

Oh, I hope so. To the extent that hes a rational player, he wont, but the thing about Vladimir Putin, hes unpredictable. And hes using that to his advantage, right?

sabrina tavernise

Indeed.

bill broad

Primarily, with this invasion, which all the experts said wouldnt happen. And it did.

sabrina tavernise

Right, the wild card is he surprised us a lot, and thats the real danger.

bill broad

Right, the danger is that Vladimir Putin would usher us into an unpredictable new age. Would this start a chain reaction of events? Would people start rearming themselves. Would people start popping bombs. And what if it was a small bomb? And oh, it wasnt so bad. He crossed this line, and maybe we should start using these in other conflicts, and who knows where that goes? You could go up the escalatory chain reaction and they get bigger and bigger and next thing you know, theyre dusting off the old super bombs from the Cold War and starting to think about vaporizing big cities. It goes to so many potentially bad places, you quickly get back into that unthinkable territory, which was the thing that made the Cold War work. [MUSIC PLAYING] Because on both sides it was unthinkable. There was a game plan. And everybody knew the rules. The Soviet embassy and the American embassy people would all get together on holidays, and their children went to the same schools in Moscow. And everybody knew the game. We were comfortable with the standoff. But now, youre starting in a asymmetrical situation rather than the standoff. We dont know where this game goes. And thats what makes it so frightening to me as a reporter who watches this stuff. It just seems like its a chain reaction you dont want to start because you have no idea where its going to go. [MUSIC PLAYING]

sabrina tavernise

Bill, thank you.

bill broad

Thank you.

sabrina tavernise

On Thursday night, President Joe Biden said the risk of, quote nuclear Armageddon is at its highest since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Biden, who was speaking at a fundraiser in New York City, said, that Putin was quote not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons. [OMINOUS MUSIC] Well be right back. [MUSIC PLAYING] Heres what else you should know today.

archived recording (joe biden) As I said when I ran for president, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana.

sabrina tavernise

On Thursday, President Biden pardoned all people convicted of marijuana possession charges under federal law clearing about 6,500 people who were convicted between 1992 and 2021.

archived recording (joe biden) There are thousands of people who were convicted for marijuana possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result of that conviction. My pardon will remove this burden on them.

sabrina tavernise

Marijuana is fully legal in about 20 states. And Biden said he wanted to stop sending people to jail for conduct that is already permitted in a lot of the country. The vast majority of simple marijuana possession charges are brought by the states, not the federal government. And Biden encouraged states to follow suit noting, that there were racial disparities around prosecution and conviction.

archived recording (joe biden) Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Its time that we right these wrongs.

sabrina tavernise
When President Biden delivered a blunt warning at a fund-raiser last Thursday that the war in Ukraine could devolve into a nuclear Armageddon, he raised a terrifying prospect that many Americans had not worried much about since the end of the Cold War.

White House officials did not walk back Mr. Bidens statement; they knew it reflected a deep concern that has sent Pentagon and intelligence officials gaming out different scenarios, from a test detonation over the Black Sea to the use of a nuclear weapon against, say, a Ukrainian military base. But the White House emphasized on Friday that the United States has seen no signs that Russia is gearing up to use nuclear weapons.

But it has been 30 years since most Americans have talked about nuclear deterrence, the difference between tactical and strategic weapons and what havoc a 10 kiloton bomb can trigger versus a 100 kiloton one. So what was the president talking about?

Here is what we know:

As his army loses ground, Putin has been rattling his nuclear saber.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, in an angry speech last month full of bluster and anti-American rhetoric, clearly raised the specter of using nuclear weapons to hold on to his slipping territorial gains in Ukraine.
LONDON  A monumental mural of a notorious child murderer painted with childrens hand prints. A tent embroidered with the names of all the lovers the artist had slept with. A 14-foot-long tiger shark embalmed in a tank of formaldehyde. Mannequins made to look like mutilated corpses tied to a tree.

Britains exhibition-going public had never seen anything like it.

This fall is the 25th anniversary of Sensation, the famously provocative exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London that alerted the world to the radically new kind of art being made by young graduates like Angus Fairhurst, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Jake and Dinos Chapman. The 1997 exhibition showcased pieces owned by the advertising mogul Charles Saatchi, Britains most voraciously acquisitive contemporary art collector at the time. It drew 300,000 visitors and set off a media storm.

A quarter of a century later, international V.I.P.s will attend the preview this week of the citys 19th edition of Frieze, the highly successful commercial art fair. For years, Frieze and the various satellite fairs, exhibitions and auctions that cluster around it during Frieze Week have capitalized on the sense of cutting-edge cool generated by the Sensation generation of artists. Maybe its worth reminding ourselves how that sense was created in the first place.
Harvest seasons here. This spice-filled bundt cake, made from grated apples and toasted nuts then soaked in whiskey syrup, defies the cliche of the Thanksgiving dessert.

What to Read

Illuminations, the comic book titan Alan Moores first short story collection, finds Moore working on a smaller scale than his maximalist novels but still swinging for the firmament, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz writes in a review.

What to Try

A bidet is a better way to clean yourself, writes the TV writer and producer Muna Mire.

Now Time to Play

Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Babys neckwear (3 letters).

Here are the Wordle and the Spelling Bee.

You can find all our puzzles here.

Thats all this morning. See you tomorrow.  Dan

P.S. The word jilky  a paranormal species in a story by Alan Moore  appeared for the first time in The Times yesterday.

Listen to the most recent episode of The Daily, about tactical nuclear weapons and whether Russia could use them.

You can reach Dan and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.
Douglas W. Diamond and Philip Dybvig have had enormously successful academic careers studying how things can go wrong with banks, and much of their work stems from a highly influential paper they wrote nearly 40 years ago, early in their careers.

The paper showed how banks create liquidity in the economy, and how this liquidity subjects banks to sudden, panicked withdrawals by customers if there is no deposit insurance or other protection.

It is one of the most widely cited papers in finance and economics, the Washington University in St. Louis, where Mr. Dybvig is an economics professor, wrote in a statement.

The two economists developed the Diamond-Dybvig model showing that deposits used to finance business loans may be unstable and give rise to bank runs. Banks may need a government safety net, like deposit insurance, more than borrowers do.
ENSCHEDE, the Netherlands  The story of the Netherlands centuries of struggle against water is written all over its boggy, low-lying landscape. Windmills pumped water out of sodden farmland and canals whisked it away. Dikes stopped more from flooding in.

Now, climate change is drying out great stretches of Europe, and, once again, the Dutch are hoping to engineer their way to safety  only this time, by figuring out how to hold onto more water instead of flushing it out.

From California and Texas to India and China, many parts of the world are grappling with widening swings between very wet conditions and very dry ones. The extra heat near the earths surface from global warming is, in many regions, increasing the chances of both punishing droughts and violent rainstorms. Societies like the Netherlands must now plan for both extremes, even though the best preparations for one can be at odds with the best preparations for the other.

We are world champions in making land dry, said Peter van Dijk, a blueberry grower based in the countrys south. Now we are trying to turn that system around, because we overshot.
Sony has announced a partnership with WS Audiology Denmark, one of the big five hearing aid manufacturers, but has not revealed specifics. Bose Corporation and Lexie Hearing will introduce a new self-fitted over-the-counter aid for about $900, well below traditional prices but still a price point people will think twice about, Ms. Kelley said.

Prices are likely to fall over time, like everything else in consumer electronics, especially as competition increases, Dr. Lin said. For now, many of the available over-the-counter products have already been offered online, but companies are likely to unveil new devices in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The potential market is enormous. Self-perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, the condition that these devices are designed to address, affects about one-quarter of people in their 60s, half of those in their 70s and three-quarters of those over 80.

People with mild to moderate hearing loss may experience problems understanding conversations when they are in groups, when there is background noise and when they are on the phone; they may have to ask others to speak louder or repeat themselves, and turn up the television volume.

Untreated hearing loss can increase the risks of social isolation and depression and contribute to falls. The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care identified it as the single greatest potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia.

Yet, a 2018 study of Americans over 70 found that although hearing aid use had increased over several years, only 18.5 percent owned and used them, with still lower rates among low-income and Black respondents.

Price has been a major obstacle, although not the only one. Traditional Medicare does not cover hearing aids; Medicare Advantage plans usually include some hearing coverage, yet beneficiaries still wind up paying 79 percent of their costs out of pocket.
A woman was arrested on Monday in the fatal stabbing of a passenger on a New York City bus in the Bronx  the first homicide on a city bus in about eight years, officials said.

The woman, Ebony Jackson, and another man were engaged in a dispute with the bus rider on Sunday evening while aboard the bus near East 149th Street and Gerard Avenue in Mott Haven, according to the Police Department.

At about 8:30 p.m., Ms. Jackson and the man, whose identity has not been made public, stabbed the commuter, Lamont Barkley, in the torso, the police said. Ms. Jackson and the man ran from the scene before officers arrived. He is still being sought by the police.

Mr. Barkley, 55, was taken to Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

It was unclear on Monday whether Ms. Jackson, 42, and the man knew Mr. Barkley, and the police did not describe the nature of the dispute.
Canberra, Oct 10 (UNI) External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday held broad ranging discussions with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong on the Ukraine conflict and its impact on the Indo-Pacific region.

The two addressed a joint press conference as they held the 13th India-Australia Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue here.

"We have discussed Ukraine and its repercussions in the Indo Pacific region, the progress in Quad, G-20 issues, our trilateral, some things related to IAEA and climate finance sustainable development goals," Dr Jaishankar said.

Wong said India and Australia should resolve issues in the Indo-Pacific region together.

"We spoke about a whole lot of issues -- trade, economy, education, defence and security, clean energy and among the many agreements and understandings we reached. It is in our mutual interest to expand the diplomatic footprint in each other's country," Jaishankar said.

During the 13th Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue, the two Ministers took stock of the steady progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including important Ministerial visits in recent months and agreed to work closely together in Quad, trilaterals, G20, UN and other important forums.

"India and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners. We are Quad partners. We partner in many other ways... We don't want to see any country dominating and any country being dominated," said Wong.

Wong announced that Australia was looking to open a consulate general in Bengaluru "sometime next year."

The visit by Dr Jaishankar is his second to Australia this year. He came in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Melbourne.

Dr Jaishankar also met Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.

"Exchanged views on regional and global security. Our growing defence and security cooperation ensures a peaceful, prosperous and rules based Indo-Pacific," he tweeted.

UNI ASU MR
Caught up in one of the purges of the Mao era, Mr. Xis father was under house arrest for years, politically rehabilitated only after Mao died. During the Cultural Revolution, Maoist student militants ransacked the familys home; one of Mr. Xis sisters died in the mayhem. Paraded publicly as an enemy of the people, his own mother was forced to denounce him. Mr. Xi eventually spent seven years exiled to the countryside as part of Maos exhortation to learn from the peasants.

Although hardened by the experience, Mr. Xi kept faith. A friend of his during those troubled times recalled a young man with an aura of destiny, a Communist princeling who regarded party leadership as his birthright and had his eyes on the prize, according to a classified 2009 report compiled by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Convinced that only the party could restore Chinas strength, Mr. Xi was not corruptible by material gain, his old friend said. The question was whether he would succumb to the intoxication of power.

By the time he took over in 2012, Chinas capitalist transition was complete, but new problems had emerged. The decade under his predecessor, Hu Jintao, was one of missed opportunity, the grand mission of national restoration seemingly forgotten. Corrupt local officials governed their turf like petty tyrants, and protests raged over government heavy-handedness, rampant corruption, poor labor conditions and colossal pollution.

The anti-corruption campaigns that dominated Mr. Xis first few years in power were often seen as cover for eliminating opponents. But he was primarily motivated by a larger mission to make the party more efficient and restore its image.

It is striking how little meaningful pushback he has encountered. Formidable as Mao was, even he encountered opposition to his destructive utopian policies. Deng Xiaoping faced resistance to his market reforms and Jiang Zemin contended with forces that wanted even greater reform. But with Mr. Xi, there has been almost no party dissent apart from occasional rumors of internal grumbling and some lower-level defections.

Part of the reason is the potency of the nationalist mission, which appeals to Chinese citizens far more than the cold logic of Marxism-Leninism. The displays of patriotic pride during the Beijing Winter Olympics last February were sincere, as were feelings of wounded anger when the United States and others blamed China for the pandemic. Even Chinese who may be averse to Communist Party rule still love their country.

Mr. Xi has been lucky to be able to build on the progress of his forbears. But he has been skillful, too. The internet could have threatened centralized authoritarian rule, but Mr. Xis government has used algorithms, face recognition and mass electronic surveillance to more pervasively assert party power. A technology backwater for much of the 20th century, China now has the worlds most advanced techno-autocracy.
After Maria, the Federal Emergency Management Agency sank more than $1 billion into a doomed program called Tu Hogar Renace, or Your Home Reborn, which was meant to provide essential repairs to affected residences in Puerto Rico, reducing the demand for other shelter options. The program focused on basic repairs like fixing broken windows and doors but didnt prepare structures to withstand future storms. Worse, it was gamed by contractors who charged exorbitant prices for shoddy subcontracted work.

Public works have been similarly challenged. The most visible example is a temporary bridge, built by FEMA contractors in Ohio and placed in the town of Utuado in 2018, at a cost of nearly $3 million. It was supposed to last 75 years, but last month, Fionas surging floodwaters washed it down the river. The irony is that the bridge Maria had destroyed was also a temporary one, built after Hurricane Georges in 1998.

Puerto Ricans deserve more than Band-Aids that will be ripped away by the next disaster. We also need and deserve a faster recovery. It is unjustifiable and untenable that after a storm, residents are expected to spend weeks without electricity and years living under blue tarps. In the early months of the Covid pandemic, cash payments were released by the federal government with little bureaucratic friction because there was a clear sense of urgency. The same urgency needs to be brought to attending to a natural disaster.

Last week, President Biden said that people in Puerto Rico would be able to register to get $700 to help cover the essentials, but the application is not straightforward, and many fear their applications will be denied.

It has been widely documented that the already slow bureaucracy of federal assistance was delayed after Hurricane Maria, but it is important to note that applicants were also overly scrutinized. A recently released report by the United States Commission on Civil Rights showed that FEMA placed unnecessary requirements on Puerto Rico residents. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, hundreds of thousands of families were denied the federal assistance they had sought, most often because they were unable to prove ownership of their homes  even though homeownership is not a requirement for aid and various forms of documentation could have been accepted.
To the Editor:

Re Putin Says Mass Strike on Ukraine Is Revenge for Bridge Attack (nytimes.com, Oct. 10):

The knee-jerk reaction to these attacks  strike back at the barbarian Russians  must be held in check. Instead, now is the time for renewed pressure for a cease-fire.

In the age of nuclear weapons, all accepted modes of just war  self-defense, justice and punishment for wrongdoers, recovery of international borders; in essence, all notions of right and wrong  are irrelevant. It really doesnt matter who was the aggressor, who the aggrieved, who committed crimes against civilians, who was merely acting in self-defense.

In an asymmetrical exchange of nuclear missiles in which hundreds of millions could die, it does not really matter who was right and who was wrong. No historians will survive to tell the story.

President Biden should publicly muse about alternatives and dispatch his diplomats immediately to Russia to give Vladimir Putin off ramps. An immediate cease-fire must occur, and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine must be pressured to agree.
Pakistans dam-building frenzy dates back to the 1960s and has carried on apace, serving the energy needs of the upriver Punjab Province and disregarding the lives of us downriver, in Sindh. The dams have radically increased our vulnerability to climate change, both because of the way they have caused the Indus River delta to recede and because of the way they can overflow when the monsoon is heavy, worsening floods.

The altered river has caused the land to dry and made it too salty to farm in places. When this happens, rural people flock to cities. Because there is little housing for them there (and often, they are treated with contempt), they end up in spots no one else wants. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, one of Pakistans foremost climate experts, recently explained what those who are displaced face. In their own areas, they at least have social capital, he said, in new areas, they become marginalized. There is no security net in terms of money and backup.

I have watched as similar conditions have challenged Sabu Buriro. In past years, our arable land has become less productive, as drainage systems have poisoned our soil with effluent from upstream. My familys cattle herd, like almost everyones in the village, has also shrunk dramatically over the course of my lifetime. This is directly because of climate change: our drying land cannot sustain as many animals as it used to.

It has been devastating, in these past weeks, to grapple with the displacement of my own family and that of my neighbors from the floods. Many now live in tents or in the open along roads. Some, like my mother and siblings, are squatting with family members in the nearest city, Qambar, where conditions are cramped and unsanitary. When will they be able to return to Sabu Buriro  and when they get back, what will they find?

As a result of the flood, 90 percent of Sindhs crops were ruined. My brother is a farmer, and he tells me that there is no chance the waters will recede in time to plant this years wheat crop, which must happen in October. My family and others in the village have lost cattle to the waterborne illnesses that are ripping through our herds. Cattle are our most important source of nutrition. They are our bank accounts, too: essential to sell or give away if there is a wedding or a health emergency, or to sacrifice in annual Eid rituals.
In a little discussed pending Supreme Court case, National Pork Producers Council v. Ross, the conditions of pork production are being debated. The case is ostensibly about the limits that one state  California  can impose on food production in other states, but it is also about the grim realities of pig farming, which have largely been hidden from a pork-eating public.

Pigs and people once lived on intimate terms. Whereas cattle and sheep lived on pasture outside town, many people kept pigs in backyard sties and came to admire pigs intelligence and curiosity. The pig dined on leftovers of family meals, functioning as a sort of edible pet  first coddled, then killed. When her beloved pig was slaughtered, the English author Flora Thompson crawled into bed and cried, but the next day she ate pork gravy. She was just a girl, she wrote, learning to live in this world of compromises.

It was a complex relationship, but an honest one. Today, we see pigs mostly on the plate. The life of many pigs, never rosy, has become miserable: They are hidden away in sheds with no dirt to root in, no straw for bedding, and no access to the outdoors. Breeding sows spend much of their lives in tiny pens called gestation crates. At 2 by 7 feet, the crates are barely bigger than the sows, leaving the animals unable to even turn around. The conditions are such that industry groups have promoted laws that prohibit whistle-blower recordings of how farm animals live.

In 2018, 63 percent of California voters approved Proposition 12, which effectively bans the sale of pork from farms that use gestation crates. The pork industry filed suit to invalidate the law. (Prop. 12 sets standards for the confinement of laying hens and veal calves as well, but those restrictions have proved less controversial.)
Corruption undermines society as surely as termites undermine houses. Ukraine suffers from corruption. So how has Ukrainian society nonetheless managed to stymie a Russian invasion, and even turn the tables on its invaders?

I asked experts inside and outside Ukraine for their answers to this pivotal question and heard several interesting theories. The most intriguing is that its possible in certain situations to be simultaneously corrupt and patriotic.

Here are some of the explanations:

Ukraine is corrupt, but the enemy is even more corrupt. On Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index, Ukraine was 122nd of 180 countries last year (higher numbers are worse). Pretty bad, but Russia was ranked even worse, at 136th. In May the U.S. State Department said, While it may be too early to draw definitive conclusions, we have seen open-source reporting about expired rations, lack of fuel and outdated and poorly maintained equipment that point to the waste, misuse and abuse of public resources designated for Russias military.

Ukraine has become a little less corrupt. It has shown statistically significant improvement since 2012, Transparency International said in releasing its 2021 ranking. Ukraine has been told it needs to clean up its act to get into the European Union. To meet the requirements of the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and others, Ukraine has created two anti-corruption agencies, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.
For the last century the biggest bar fight in science has been between Albert Einstein and himself.

On one side is the Einstein who in 1915 conceived general relativity, which describes gravity as the warping of space-time by matter and energy. That theory predicted that space-time could bend, expand, rip, quiver like a bowl of Jell-O and disappear into those bottomless pits of nothingness known as black holes.

On the other side is the Einstein who, starting in 1905, laid the foundation for quantum mechanics, the nonintuitive rules that inject randomness into the world  rules that Einstein never accepted. According to quantum mechanics, a subatomic particle like an electron can be anywhere and everywhere at once, and a cat can be both alive and dead until it is observed. God doesnt play dice, Einstein often complained.

Gravity rules outer space, shaping galaxies and indeed the whole universe, whereas quantum mechanics rules inner space, the arena of atoms and elementary particles. The two realms long seemed to have nothing to do with each other; this left scientists ill-equipped to understand what happens in an extreme situation like a black hole or the beginning of the universe.

But a blizzard of research in the last decade on the inner lives of black holes has revealed unexpected connections between the two views of the cosmos. The implications are mind-bending, including the possibility that our three-dimensional universe  and we ourselves  may be holograms, like the ghostly anti-counterfeiting images that appear on some credit cards and drivers licenses. In this version of the cosmos, there is no difference between here and there, cause and effect, inside and outside or perhaps even then and now; household cats can be conjured in empty space. We can all be Dr. Strange.
Thomas Bargers puffy pastel chairs and whimsical ruffled tables only look soft; in reality, the designer and artist makes his furniture by molding a slurry of paper and sawdust onto wooden frames, then sanding and painting them until theyre flawlessly smooth. I want them to feel almost manufactured, he says of his pieces, which he began making in 2016.

Yet as Barger expanded his practice to include sculpture and wall art, he became interested in subverting, rather than striving for, perfect surfaces. After years of patterning his furniture with neat, even grids of holes  for an effect reminiscent of saltine crackers  he recently started exploring how such openings can, in his words, interrupt, rather than adorn, a piece. In one of his newest works, which can be seen in a solo show that opens in November at New Yorks Salon 94 Design, woven baskets and perforated circles pierce through an enormous wall panel painted to resemble folksy farmhouse gingham. Barger sees the holes as a sexual element disrupting the reference to his conservative Midwestern roots. Growing up queer on a cattle farm in rural Illinois, he says he used to feel uncomfortable expressing a sexual side. Now 30 and based in Brooklyn, hes embracing his identity. As a whole person, he says, you have to accept parts of yourself that you used to not like.  Gillian Brassil
At that time, European immigrants made small amounts of corn whiskey at farm distilleries in Kentucky and sent it across the river to Cincinnati, where big distilleries known as rectifiers redistilled the harsh spirit and blended it to make it more palatable.

Today, spirits tourism is big business, especially in Kentucky. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, established in 1999 by the Kentucky Distillers Association, maps an itinerary that connects 18 historical distilleries within a 35-mile radius. Its success inspired the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, which was introduced in 2012 and highlights 23 smaller distilleries, most of which range in age from two to 14 years, and one of which is older than 80 years. According to the K.D.A., more than 1.5 million tours were given at distilleries on the K.B.T. and its Craft Tour arm in 2021, indicative of a strong recovery from the attendance record of 1.7 million set in 2019.

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, there are more than 2,300 distilleries nationwide today, up from 50 in 2005. In June, the council launched Destination Distillery, a website that catalogs 43 distillery trails, from Delaware to Utah. But as distilleries pop up in new places, Northern Kentucky remains a particularly exciting destination, since it honors a bourbon heritage in a pocket of America with a rich distilling history  one that isnt as well known as those in other parts of Kentucky and Tennessee.

Thats changing now. The B-Line, a self-guided Northern Kentucky bourbon trail that consists of five distilleries, eight bars and six restaurants, was introduced in 2018. Participants can get a digital passport stamped at all of the sites and, after submitting it, can receive bourbon paraphernalia as a reward.

This is a good time to note that bourbon is a particular style of whiskey. Legislation passed in 1964 proclaimed it a distinct product of the United States. By law, bourbon must contain at least 51 percent corn in its mash bill, or grain recipe, be aged in new charred-oak casks and be made in the U.S.A. There is no requirement that it be produced in Kentucky, but about 95 percent of it is. As further indication of how deeply woven it is in American culture and history, Congress passed a resolution in 2007 that established September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. (It was sponsored by then-Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky.)

When I visited the region in May, intent on visiting the five distilleries included on The B-Lines list, I chose Covington, Ky., as my home base. The city has a lively downtown and is within walking distance of seven B-Line bars and restaurants. It takes 25 minutes to walk to Cincinnati over the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, which the celebrated engineer designed before his more famous Brooklyn Bridge. And it takes less than 15 minutes to drive to New Riff Distilling, in Newport, Ky.
Now the Comptons  she at 77, he at 81  are resigned to abandoning their retirement dream. They will return to their native Louisville, Ky., in the coming weeks to stay with their daughter and figure out their next steps, though they are loath to leave their beloved church community and friends. Spending their twilight years in Florida seems suddenly out of reach.

We have talked about it, we have argued about it, we have screamed about it, we have cried about it, said Ms. Compton, sitting outside the church where the couple has stayed with the one box of sentimental treasures they managed to salvage. Our bubble has been burst.

Official tallies of deaths related to the storm suggest that older Americans died in disproportionate numbers. Ages or approximate ages have been released for 96 of the hurricanes 126 victims in Florida and North Carolina. At least 70 people who died were 60 or older. Many victims were found dead at their homes. But Ian not only killed more older people; it also created uniquely wrenching situations for those who survived.

Even if they can afford to rebuild, those people may not have the time or energy required for such a difficult task and the prospect of tighter building codes might make that more expensive than ever. Many, like the Comptons, live on fixed incomes, lack flood insurance or purchased their homes before the housing boom of the last decade, when the region was far more affordable. Recapturing their paradise may not be possible  a cruel and abrupt blow.
Dhaka, Oct 9 (UNI) Teesta is one of the 54 rivers that enter Bangladesh from India. After originating from Solamo Lake in India, it flows over Sikkim and West Bengal and enters Bangladesh through Rangpur region.

Later it joins the Brahmaputra river near Chilmari in Kurigram district. For many years there has been a demand for a Teesta agreement on the sharing of Teesta water. But the agreement is stuck due to India's delay and various excuses. Because of this, the people of the northern part of Rangpur Bangladesh are now dreaming about the Teesta Master Plan.

The Teesta Agreement was to be signed during the then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in 2011. But it stalled in the face of opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Then in 2015 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh with Mamata Banerjee. There he assured that a compromise would be reached on Teesta water sharing. But the Teesta problem has not been solved.
LOS ANGELES  The second sex crimes trial of Harvey Weinstein is underway in Los Angeles and among the witnesses expected to testify is Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a filmmaker, former actress and the wife of Californias governor, Gavin Newsom.

Ms. Siebel Newsom is one of the many women who came forward to describe an encounter with Mr. Weinstein. Her involvement was confirmed on Monday by her lawyer, as jury selection began in a case where the once-powerful film producer faces four counts each of rape and forcible oral copulation.

Ms. Siebel Newsom, who was working as an actor and documentary filmmaker, wrote an essay for HuffPost in 2017 in which she mentioned a meeting with Mr. Weinstein during her earlier years in the industry. The article was published a day after The New York Times broke the news that he had paid off women accusing him of sexual misconduct for decades.

I believe every word that was written in the New York Times, because very similar things happened to me, read the headline on the essay.
The story is not an isolated example of embellishment.

The exaggerated biography that Mr. Biden tells includes having been a fierce civil rights activist who was repeatedly arrested. He has claimed to have been an award-winning student who earned three degrees. And last week, speaking on the hurricane-devastated island of Puerto Rico, he said he had been raised in the Puerto Rican community at home, politically.

For more than four decades, Mr. Biden has embraced storytelling as a way of connecting with his audience, often emphasizing the truth of his account by adding, Not a joke! in the middle of a story. But Mr. Bidens folksiness can veer into folklore, with dates that dont quite add up and details that are exaggerated or wrong, the factual edges shaved off to make them more powerful for audiences.

Mr. Bidens instances of exaggeration and falsehood fall far well short of those of his predecessor, who during four years in office delivered what the Washington Post fact checker called a tsunami of untruths and CNN described as a staggering avalanche of daily wrongness.

Former President Donald J. Trump lied constantly, not only about trivial details (like insisting it hadnt rained during his inauguration when it clearly had) but also about consequential moments  misleading about the pandemic, perpetrating the big lie that Mr. Biden stole the 2020 election, and claiming falsely that the Capitol was not attacked by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.

Mr. Bidens fictions are nowhere near that scale. But they are emblematic of how the president, over nearly five decades in public life, has been unable to break himself of the habit of spinning embellished narratives, sometimes only loosely based on the facts, to weave together his political identity. And they provide political ammunition for Republicans eager to tar him as too feeble to run for re-election in two years.
WASHINGTON  At her confirmation hearings in March, Ketanji Brown Jackson declared herself to be an originalist, meaning, she explained, that she would interpret the Constitution based on how it was understood at the time it was adopted.

I look at the text to determine what it meant to those who drafted it, she said.

Conservatives were pleased she had said this, but some wondered whether she had meant it. On Tuesday, during her second day of hearing arguments as a member of the Supreme Court, Justice Jackson demonstrated that she was serious  and that she believes originalism can require liberal outcomes.

She spoke during an argument over the meaning of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a civil rights landmark. The immediate question in the case was whether a congressional map drawn by Alabama lawmakers had violated the act by diminishing Black voters power.

But a larger question loomed in the background: Was the act itself in tension with the 14th Amendments equal protection clause, which was adopted after the Civil War?
MERION STATION, Pa.  Four years after the massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue, believed to be the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, has rattled a diverse swath of the states Jewish community, alarming liberal Jews with his remarks and far-right associations, and giving pause to more conservative ones.

Some of those voters have recoiled from Mr. Mastrianos opposition to abortion rights under any circumstance, or from his strident election denialism. But the race between Mr. Mastriano, a state senator, and his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Shapiro  a Jewish day school alum who features challah in his advertising and routinely borrows from Pirkei Avot, a collection of Jewish ethics  has also centered to an extraordinary degree on Mr. Shapiros religion.

Mr. Mastriano, who promotes Christian power and disdains the separation of church and state, has repeatedly lashed Mr. Shapiro for attending and sending his children to what Mr. Mastriano calls a privileged, exclusive, elite school, suggesting to one audience that it evinced Mr. Shapiros disdain for people like us.

It is a Jewish day school, where students are given both secular and religious instruction. But Mr. Mastrianos language in portraying it as an elitist reserve seemed to be a dog whistle.
Mr. Meggs also played an instrumental role in the Oath Keepers getting the job of providing security to Roger J. Stone Jr., Mr. Trumps longtime political adviser, who was scheduled to speak at rallies on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6. Lawyers for the group have used the security job as part of their defense strategy, suggesting the Oath Keepers did not go to Washington to attack the Capitol, but rather to protect pro-Trump dignitaries.

On Jan. 6 itself, Mr. Meggs was part of a military-style stack that entered the east side of the Capitol and, according to prosecutors, moved through the Rotunda toward the House of Representatives in search of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Should Mr. Rhodes testify at the trial, as expected, he is likely to say that Mr. Meggs went off mission by going into the building and that he did so without instructions from any Oath Keepers leaders.

KENNETH HARRELSON

Two days before the Capitol attack, Mr. Meggs named Mr. Harrelson, a welder and Army veteran from Titusville, Fla., as the leader of his ground team, prosecutors say.

But not much is known about Mr. Harrelsons activities or beliefs in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, in large part because he had no social media accounts and deleted most of his cellphone messages after the Oath Keepers left Washington that day.

How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process.

The jury will eventually hear evidence that Mr. Harrelson brought rifles to a Comfort Inn in Arlington, Va., as part of a so-called quick reaction force designed to rush into Washington and aid the Oath Keepers at the Capitol if things went wrong.

The jurors will also likely hear how Mr. Harrelson entered the building with one of the military stacks and joined Mr. Meggs in search of Ms. Pelosi.

Mr. Harrelsons lawyers chose not to give an opening statement to the jury, but they have said he had no idea the Oath Keepers intended to storm the Capitol and had only gone to Washington to take part in the groups security work. The quick reaction force also never brought their weapons from Virginia into Washington.
But Mr. Flemings warning is another reminder of the speed at which the Western allies have come to view themselves as in direct competition, and sometimes in conflict, with both of the worlds other major nuclear superpowers. Of the two, he clearly regards Russia as the more manageable.

Until recent years, most European nations have been muted in their public critiques of Beijing and its ambitions, because trade with China became critical to growth, especially for Germany. Britain even permitted Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant that the United States fears could pose a security threat, to provide some 5G equipment to Britains communications network  under some strict conditions  until sanctions imposed on the company by the United States made that impossible.

Mr. Flemings warnings about the strategies behind Chinas investment in new technologies, and its effort to create client economies and governments, sound much like speeches given by his American counterparts for the past five or more years. But he spoke just before the opening of a Communist Party congress starting in Beijing on Sunday at which Xi Jinping is expected to be named to a third five-year term as the countrys top leader.

Mr. Fleming said that in the case of China, this could be the sliding-doors moment in history, in which the United States and its allies may soon discover that they are too far behind in a series of critical technologies to maintain a military or technological edge over Beijing.

He described Chinas move to develop central bank digital currencies that could be used to track transactions as a shift that could also enable China to partially evade the sort of international sanctions currently being applied to Putins regime in Russia. He said that was one example of how China was learning the lessons from the war in Ukraine, presumably to apply them if it decided to move against Taiwan and prompted further efforts by the U.S. and its allies to isolate it economically.

Mr. Fleming also described Chinas moves to build a powerful antisatellite capability, with a doctrine of denying other nations access to space in the event of a conflict. And he accused China of trying to alter international technology standards to ease the tracking of individuals, part of its effort to repress dissent, even the speech of Chinese citizens living abroad.

But his biggest warning surrounded dependence on Chinese companies that are closely linked to the state, or that would have no choice but to turn over data on individuals upon demand by the Chinese authorities. The Huawei experience, he said in the interview, opened our eyes to the extent to which even the biggest businesses in China are ultimately wrapped up with the Chinese state and have no choice but to comply because of the way in which the Communist Party works and the national security laws operate.
SEOUL  North Korea broke its silence on a recent flurry of missile tests on Monday as its state media reported that the countrys leader, Kim Jong-un, had overseen the test launches of several nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missiles, including one that was fired from an underwater silo.

The report was the first time that North Korea claimed it was building underwater nuclear weapons silos, suggesting that the country was developing technology that would make its missiles more difficult to detect and intercept.

North Korean news media also published photos that purported to show a ballistic missile rising from under the waters of a reservoir. One of the recent tests, it said, was a rehearsal for firing nuclear weapons at airports in South Korea.

The North has launched 12 ballistic missiles in seven weapons tests in the last two weeks. All of them have been short-range missiles, except the intermediate-range ballistic missile launched on Oct. 4 that flew over Japan, triggering alarms across the countrys north.
Investigators later determined that the flights bewildered pilots had faced a barrage of alarms and conflicting data from instruments in the cockpit. In a period that did not even last five minutes, they struggled to regain control of the plane as it stalled, went into a free fall, and slammed into the ocean between Brazil and West Africa.

None of the 216 passengers and 12 crew members survived. The victims included dancers, doctors, engineers and executives from nations throughout Europe as well as from Africa, Asia, Canada, South America and the United States. Some were on business trips, others were on vacation. Many were parents, and eight were children.

A procession of experts is scheduled to testify at the trial, which is expected to delve deeply into the intricacies of flight safety, airplane piloting and aviation regulations over the course of two months. But families of the victims, who bristle at any suggestion that the pilots were the only ones responsible for the crash, want the trial to show the crashs human toll as well.

It is a trial that is going to be very technical, said Mr. Linguet. When the lawyers start to quibble, when the experts start using words that we dont understand, we have to put humanity back at the center, he added.

Air France is accused of insufficiently training its pilots on how to react when the sensor malfunctioned. Prosecutors say Airbus underestimated the threat to safety in the event of failure by the sensors, known as Pitot tubes  small cylinders that sit outside the body of the plane to calculate airspeed.
WARSAW  President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus announced on Monday that Russian troops would return to his country in large numbers, a replay of the military buildup there that preceded Russias February invasion of Ukraine.

This wont be just a thousand troops, Mr. Lukashenko told senior military and security officials in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, after a meeting over the weekend with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in St. Petersburg.

In rambling remarks reported by the state news agency Belta, Mr. Lukashenko said that work had already started on the formation of what he called a joint regional group of troops to counter possible aggression against our country by NATO and Ukraine.

The Belarusian strongman, who has so far resisted pressure from Moscow to send in his own troops, accused Ukraine, which shares a long border with Belarus, of planning attacks from the south, without citing evidence.

Ukraine doesnt pose a threat to Belarus. Its a lie, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a Belarusian opposition leader, said. I urge the Belarusian military: dont follow criminal orders, refuse to participate in Putins war against our neighbors.

Statements by Mr. Lukashenko, an eccentric and highly erratic dictator, are rarely an accurate guide to current or future events. Just days before Russian troops stationed in Belarus attacked Ukraine in February, he emphatically denied that his territory would be used by Russia, a close ally, to attack his countrys southern neighbor.

The establishment of a joint force with Russia will reinforce the view in Ukraine that Belarus is clearly a co-aggressor, a label that Mr. Lukashenko has rejected but which took on new force on Monday after a barrage of Russian missile attacks on Kyiv and elsewhere, some of them launched from Belarusian territory, according to Ukrainian officials.

He gave no details on Monday of the size or precise purpose of the new joint force, stirring speculation that Belarus might send troops into Ukraine to help Russias flailing military campaign. Alternatively, he could be preparing his country for the arrival of thousands of freshly drafted Russian soldiers, some of them former convicts and many of them ill trained.

Be ready to receive these people in the near future and place them where necessary, according to our plan, Mr. Lukashenko told his military chiefs.

During his visit to St. Petersburg, Belarusian state media reported that Mr. Lukashenko had stressed the need to take measures in case of the deployment of nuclear weapons in Poland, a remark that some analysts interpreted as preparing the ground for the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, something that he has long said would never happen.

Artyom Shraibman, a Belarusian political analyst now in exile in Warsaw, said Mr. Lukashenko would likely try to resist deploying his own troops in Ukraine because that would be so dangerous for him on so many levels. It would be catastrophic politically.

But, Mr. Shraibman added, it is clear that what is left of his autonomy is eroding as we speak.

Heavily dependent on Moscow for money, fuel and security assistance, all vital to his own survival after 28 years in power, Mr. Lukashenko is widely believed to be under growing Russian pressure to get more involved in the Ukraine war.

Russia massed tens of thousands of troops in Belarus before its February invasion and used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for its initial, unsuccessful assault on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Moscow still has hundreds of troops in Belarus, from which it launches missiles and bombing raids, but their number is now expected to increase sharply.

Andrei Sannikov, who served as deputy foreign minister under Mr. Lukashenko during his early period in power but fled into exile after being jailed, said Mr. Lukashenko was running scared, caught between pressure from Russia to help its demoralized forces in Ukraine and the knowledge that sending in Belarusian troops would be hugely unpopular, even among his loyalists.

He predicted that ultimately his boots will inevitably be on the ground in Ukraine because Mr. Lukashenko has no real choice.

He is not taking decisions on the war. Putin takes all the decisions and tells Lukashenko what to do, Mr. Sannikov said.
WASHINGTON  President Biden on Monday condemned the missile strikes across Ukraine launched by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, saying they served no military purpose and again demonstrated the utter brutality of Mr. Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

Mr. Biden did not announce any new measures from the United States or its allies in response to the attacks. In a short written statement issued by the White House, Mr. Biden reaffirmed his commitment to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia.

These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes, Mr. Biden said.

The White House said that Mr. Biden spoke with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Monday to express his condolences for those killed and injured in the senseless attack.

President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems, it said in a statement.

The American president is expected to attend a virtual meeting on Tuesday of the leaders of the Group of 7 nations, which includes the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The group will discuss the missile attacks and the latest developments in Ukraine, according to a European Union official.

State Department officials said that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke on Monday to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about Russias missile strikes, telling his counterpart that the attack was horrific.

The Secretary commended Ukraine for not allowing President Putin to break Ukraines spirit and reaffirmed U.S. resolve to support Ukraine, said Ned Price, a State Department spokesman.
Bristol Photojournalism Presentation Wyomings Heritage to the Rails Oct. 21 at UW

This is one of the photos of Wyoming railroads that are the focus of Vanta Coda IIIs Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship presentation at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, in Room 506 of UWs Coe Library. (Vanta Coda III Photo)

The Union Pacific Railroad has been a staple of Wyomings history since 1867 and helped establish it as a state. Now, a University of Wyoming student is showing that it is not an artifact from a bygone era, but it is still an important industry today.

Vanta Coda III, the recipient of the 2022 Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship, spent the summer photographing the legacy of the Union Pacific in Wyoming and understanding its modern-day importance. Coda will give a public presentation about his experience at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, in Room 506 of Coe Library. This will be followed by a viewing of his photos in the librarys third-floor gallery. The show will be available to the public through Dec. 2.

The Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship is an annual award for UW students to support strong visual storytelling projects. It is named in honor of Larsh Bristol, a UW journalism alumnus who died in 2006.

Having a father who worked for the railroad, Codas inspiration for his presentation, Wyomings Heritage to the Rails, came from a place of childhood wonder. He saw the beautiful stories encapsulated in the railroad and the people who help it function.

I wanted to show people that the railway is still here and still positively impacts people, Coda says. It is not just about the trains. It is about the people who work behind the scenes on the railroad who are not recognized enough.

During the summer, the environment and natural resources, and communication major from Duluth, Minn., focused on capturing moments and experiences from the eyes of Union Pacific workers and enthusiasts.

Places like old town sites will be with us forever, but people move like the wind, so they will not always be here, he says. I took it upon myself to shed light and talk to as many retirees as possible while also looking toward the future of the railroads.

The Larsh Bristol Photojournalism Fellowship has been hosted by UWs Department of Communication and Journalism since 2008.

Vantas presentation showcases the quality photojournalism that Larsh Bristol stood for and moves it into the 21st century, says Department Head Cindy Price Schultz. The public can see these photos for themselves in the library for the next six weeks, so they can see the impact of the railways in Wyoming.

For more information, email Price Schultz at cprice@uwyo.edu.
Ukrainians had been bracing for a severe Russian response after an explosion on Saturday damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge, which links Russia to Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Ukraine did not officially claim responsibility, but two senior Ukrainian officials told The New York Times that Ukrainian intelligence services had been behind the attack. And President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia did not hesitate to point a finger at Ukraine.

There is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack aimed at destroying the critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation, he said on Sunday.
NEW DELHI  India and China, two powers that have offered Russia some relief in the face of Western sanctions, expressed concern after the deadly missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday and renewed calls for de-escalation and dialogue.

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, told a press briefing that all countries deserve respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity and that support should be given to all efforts that are conducive to peacefully resolving the crisis.

Arindam Bagchi, the spokesman for Indias Ministry of External Affairs, said New Delhi would offer support for efforts to calm the fighting.

India is deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians, Mr. Bagchi said.

As the war in Ukraine has dragged on, President Vladimir V. Putins continued aggression has put his remaining allies in a difficult position. China and India have increasingly sought to distance themselves from the Russian leader, even as they have avoided directly condemning his invasion of Ukraine and continued to engage with Moscow economically  especially by purchasing more Russian oil as Europe has moved to reduce its imports.

At a summit in Uzbekistan last month that was meant to be a show of force for Mr. Putin, the Russian leader acknowledged that President Xi Jinping of China had raised questions and concerns about the war. Indias prime minister, Narendra Modi, was more public and direct, describing how the war has exacerbated challenges for developing countries. He told Mr. Putin at the summit that their meeting would be a chance to discuss how we can move forward on the path of peace.
Mr. and Ms. Penza had recently renovated their apartment. They installed beautiful crown moldings and antique furniture, trying to conjure a bit of southern France with a mural in their kitchen depicting a quaint village alleyway with purple bougainvillea.

We renovated and thought we were going to be living well, Ms. Penza said.

The first missiles hit central Kyiv at around 8 a.m., just a few blocks from the couples home; Ms. Penza initially tried to convince herself that there had been a car accident. She said she looked out the window at the school across from her building and saw a young boy there looking up at the sky. Thats when she knew it was an attack  but she decided to go to work anyway. She and her husband own a business supplying and servicing fire extinguishers. Her clients, she said, were counting on her to keep the days appointments.

Then another missile, maybe two, exploded right outside. Ms. Penza had just stepped into the bathroom and was shielded from flying glass. Her husband was able to duck into a corridor and avoid injury as well.

Some of their neighbors were less fortunate. With cars in the courtyard still ablaze, they stumbled in a daze out of the building, some with blood streaming from wounds, others trying to corral terrified children and pets. The force of the blast blew the heavy steel doors to the buildings lobby off their hinges and stripped much of the glass from one side of the large high-rise across the courtyard.
MOSCOW  In the Russian capital, there was little awareness of the missile strikes that targeted Ukraine on Monday morning.

Most people who were asked by a reporter for The New York Times for a reaction to the strikes said they didnt follow the news and didnt know what had happened. People soaked up the sun in the central Tsvetnoy boulevard, a chic neighborhood in the capital. Many Muscovites were getting on with their lives, rushing to work or appointments. Outside an expensive shopping mall selling designer clothes and cosmetics, a woman wearing a black furry hat posed for a photo.

One man, who like many of those interviewed declined to share even his first name, said he had heard there was some shelling in Ukraine but hadnt sought out more information.

Vladimir, a 37-year old army veteran who works in construction, cheered the destruction in Ukraine, calling it just a little warning shot, and said he hoped it would escalate further. But he said Russias real enemy was Ukraines ally the United States.

It is important to strike not Ukraine  because it is a dependent country that isnt guilty of very much  but directly on America, because America is in charge of everything and is destroying everything, he said. They cannot attack Russia directly, which is why they are using different countries such as Ukraine, he said, repeating an argument that Mr. Putin has made.

Some younger Russians expressed sadness about the missile strikes in civilian areas, but were not ready to put the blame squarely on the Kremlin.

It is bad when people are killed for any reason, said Sasha, 19, a university student in psychology. Still, she went on, In any fight, both sides are responsible.

Several people said they hoped the war would end soon, although they did not assign blame.

I feel like I am in a trance, in shock, said a woman who gave her name as Ekaterina, 34. She said she was frustrated at the Wests punishment of Moscow with sanctions and isolation.

Its all like a bad dream, and we dont know how to keep on living, she said. We are all people without a future.

But she also said she had no idea how to change anything inside Russia because she had lost faith in protests a long time ago.
The shift was a possible signal that the Russian leader was interested in controlling the escalation of the war, and that he was not on the verge of provoking a direct conflict with NATO.

Still, the deadly and seemingly indiscriminate strikes, while satisfying the bloodthirstiness of Russian hawks, carry some risk for Mr. Putin, not least because they clash with the Kremlins claims that Russia was not targeting Ukrainian civilians and was simply conducting a special military operation.

They could also put pressure on Mr. Putin to escalate further in the case of additional Ukrainian attacks or frontline successes, potentially increasing the discord within Russias ruling elite over how hard to push in Ukraine.

Indeed, pro-Kremlin figures, while celebrating the strikes, struggled to explain the incongruence of the fiery assault on cities that, in Mr. Putins telling, are core to Russias cultural heritage. Some justified the mayhem by blaming Ukraine and the West.

It is bitter for us to see missile attacks on one of the most beautiful cities in the world, our Kyiv, Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin commentator who is frequently on state television, wrote on Telegram. All responsibility for the attacks on Kyiv lies with the occupiers and their collaborators. That is, on Biden and Zelensky personally.

Inside Russia, few voices on Monday urged restraint. Even as the hawks praised the attacks, some lamented that Mr. Putin did not go far enough; Dmitri A. Medvedev, the former Russian president and current vice chairman of Mr. Putins Security Council, said on Telegram that the only way to protect Russia was to completely dismantle the government in Ukraine.

Some signs pointed to Mr. Putins being prepared for a wider escalation of the war. On Saturday, he appointed a general known for his ruthlessness, Sergei Surovikin, to lead the war effort in Ukraine. And Mr. Putins closest international ally, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus, declared on Monday that thousands of Russian soldiers would soon arrive in the country to form a joint military group with Belarusian forces  creating the specter of a new threat to Ukraines north.
KYIV, Ukraine  Five charred vehicles sat outside a university, and the windows of a building were blown out in central Kyiv. The smell of gas and fire wafted through the air, and torrents of water bubbled up from a large crater in the center of the street.

A body lay covered in a gold foil blanket. At another location, curtains billowed from the windows of a high-rise tower where the glass had been shattered by the force of the explosion. People stumbled in a daze out of damaged residential buildings, some with blood streaming from wounds, others trying to corral terrified children and pets.

In many ways, the fighting in Ukraine had felt far from Kyiv over the past few months as the rhythm of life shifted to a new sort of normal after Russian forces retreated from the suburbs and other areas in Ukraines northeast in the spring. But Monday brought many residents back to the fear of imminent attack, to the uncertainty of war.

By late morning, after a barrage of Russian strikes, at least five people were dead, dozens of others were injured, and Ukraines capital, Kyiv, was grappling with a series of seemingly indiscriminate attacks at its heart. Countrywide, at least 14 people were killed on Monday, the Ukrainian authorities said, by attacks that also knocked out power and other key services in multiple cities.
Russian hard-liners celebrated on Monday as missiles rained down on Ukrainian cities, saying the attacks were retaliation for the blast that partially destroyed Moscows bridge to Crimea and were a long-awaited sign that the Kremlin was intensifying its attacks against Ukraines critical infrastructure.

Ramzan Kadyrov  the bellicose leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya, who just days ago had railed against the military leadership in Moscow for ordering a retreat from a key city in eastern Ukraine  cheered that he was finally satisfied with how the special military operation is ongoing, using Russias official term for the war in Ukraine.

Sergei Aksynov, the head of Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, said the attacks demonstrated that Russias approach to the war had changed. Had the Russian military targeted Ukraines civilian infrastructure every day since the first day of the special military operation, we would have ended it all in May, he wrote on Telegram.

For months, Russian state media, in tune with the official Kremlin line, has been claiming that Russian forces were only hitting military targets in Ukraine. That changed on Monday with Channel One, one of the countrys two main television networks, reporting the strikes against Ukrainian cities as their top story.
Electricity was out across wide swaths of Ukraine on Monday, as President Vladimir V. Putin said that Russia had deliberately targeted Ukraines energy system in a series of strikes across the country in response to an attack on a critical bridge linking Russia and Crimea that Mr. Putin blamed on Ukraine.

The flurry of missile strikes rained down on more than 10 cities from Kharkiv to Kyiv, a move that Ukrainian officials said was aimed crippling the nations energy system as winter nears.

Ukraines emergency services said that five regions  Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv and Ternopil  were without power. Internet and heating outages also were reported.

The cities of Lviv, Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr and Kharkiv were all hit by strikes on Monday morning, leaving them without electricity and central heating. In the western city of Lviv, electrical outages forced the shutdown of central heating stations. In Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, the municipal waterworks shut down. Local officials in Kharkiv and Zhytomyr said electrical infrastructure had been hit.
VELYKA OLEKSANDRIVKA, Ukraine  As Ukrainian soldiers patrolled the streets of a small village they had retaken from the Russian army just days earlier, they found messages scrawled on walls and fences so dark and cryptic they pointed at least to poor morale, and possibly more serious mental stress.

Give us back our people killed by witches, one note painted on a wall said. Another message read, Whatever we do we wont leave this life alive.

Nearby there were more tangible signs of a Russian army under assault: a blown-up bridge on the edge of town, and the obliterated remains of an armored personnel carrier littered on the street, its chunks of metal scattered about and burned to a rich orange color.

The Russian military pulled out of Velyka Oleksandrivka, one of 29 towns and villages Ukraine has reclaimed in the southern Kherson region, last week; the few remaining older residents emerged from basements to greet Ukrainian soldiers.


US cyber warfare officers are processing intelligence.

American media recently revealed that some social media companies have discovered and shut down huge amounts of fake accounts that are suspected to be operated by the US military to carry out secret information warfare in order to better manipulate overseas audiences. As a matter of fact, the American militarys secret information warfare is no news anymore and relevant combat forces have already formed a primary scale and are likely to exert negative impacts on global security and stability.

Weaponization of social media

What the US media recently revealed about the militarys information warfare is just the tip of the iceberg. From Operation Mockingbird launched during the Cold War to buy the media to manipulate public opinions to the washing powder and white helmet activities in the new century that gave the excuse to start wars on Iraq and Syria, the US has become pretty adept at fabricating and spreading disinformation to get what it wants. Within the US military, information warfare and psychological warfare have become important forms of combat. The US Commandant of the Marine Corps David Berger said the Marines Corps hope to take the upper hand in the information race because controlling, understanding and using the information usually puts them at an advantage.

Regarding top-level design, the US DoD has guided the army, navy and air force since 2015 to release their revised manuals on social media management and use, and the Marines Corps and National Guard have also released such manuals. After Biden came into office, he re-evaluated the security status of the militarys social network management and gave orders that specify the rules and requirements regarding social medias confidentiality issue, logging in on social media platforms, and online information.

In practice, the US military has conducted targeted information warfare for different scenarios and with different effects. This is particularly effective in regions with a less developed network. For instance, due to the low literacy rate, lack of Internet, and the confiscation of smart phones by anti-government armed forces, the information environment in rural Somalia is extremely controlled. The US psychological warfare team and Somalian National Army disseminated brochures, posters, stickers and leaflets there along with explanatory pictures, which has have taken some effect.

Normalized use of information warfare in the future

German writer Michael Luders pointed out in his book Die scheinheiligeSupermacht (The Hypocritical Superpower) that the US government is very adept at selecting and distorting facts, limiting the source of information and polarizing public opinions in order to blur the facts and influence peoples judgment . Going forward, the US military may continue to step up the execution of psychological warfare, whose potential consequences shall not be underestimated.

On the one hand, the technologies and skills may be updated. The US military will continue to use AI, big data, cloud computing, and other tools to make information warfare more effective. For example, the US Army Futures Command is busy setting up a software plant to train its software developers and platform engineers. The United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) is also putting together a cyber military intelligence group to develop complex information environments.

On the other hand, the negative impacts may keep emerging. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once said without mincing words that hackers can support the Internet civilians protesting on the street of Russia. Thats what we did during the Arab Spring. I was the Secretary of State then, and I thought we could attack the network of Russian government bodies. Americas smearing of other countries, concoction of fake news, and spread of lies and rumors will all come back to hurt itself. As New York Times commented, the US has lost its credibility.
Local Entrepreneurs Win $37,500 in Funding From Sweetwater County Innovation Launchpad

Winners of the Sweetwater County Innovation Launchpad were announced during a Pitch Night event in Rock Springs Sept. 27. Pictured, from left, are Monica Patten, IMPACT Sweetwater assistant director; Cody and Brittany Gray, founders of High Desert Technology LLC; Dylan Covington, founder of Shop Dog Custom; Amanda Finch, founder of Meridical Health Solutions; Mindy and Glen Reddon, founders of GM Valley Processing; Justin Hood, founder of Wyoming Apparatus; and Nick Walrath, one of the founders of Wild Sage Market. (Christy Austin Photo)

Six Sweetwater County startup companies won $37,500 in funding at the first Sweetwater County Innovation Launchpad (SCIL) Pitch Night Sept. 27 at the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs.

SCIL is a competition for local entrepreneurs that provides valuable mentorship from the University of Wyomings IMPACT 307 and local professionals. It is administered by IMPACT Sweetwater, a collaboration between IMPACT 307 and Western Wyoming Community College. It is made possible by an Economic Development Administrations Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant.

SCILs program is sponsored by the Wyoming Business Council, Gov. Mark Gordons Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP), Rock Springs Main Street Urban Renewal Authority, Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Green River Chamber of Commerce.

The six companies that will receive seed funding are:

-- GM Valley Processing, started by Glen and Mindy Reddon, is a custom meats processing facility in Farson. Born and raised in Wyoming, the Reddons strive to close the gap in their area for domestic meat processing.

-- High Desert Technology LLC, founded by Cody and Brittany Gray, is a startup technology company specializing in safety and reliability for the recreational and automotive industry. Cody is a controls engineer for Enterprise Products. He is a graduate of Western Wyoming Community College and a member of the schools Electrical and Instrumentation Advisory Board. Brittany is the director of stewardship for Climb Wyoming. She is a UW graduate, a UW Alumni Association board member and a Leadership Wyoming graduate.

-- Meridical Health Solutions was founded by Amanda Finch, a board-certified holistic health care practitioner, certified functional nutrition counselor, certified personal trainer and a functional nutrition specialist. Finch uncovers the root causes of symptoms and develops customized lifestyle programs -- focused on prevention and mediation -- to improve her clients health. She has 24 years of experience in fitness and 12 years of nutritive intervention.

-- Shop Dog Custom, founded by Dylan Covington, is a woodworking business that focuses on custom cabinetry and built-ins. Covington says he came up with the idea for his company when he waited several months for kitchen cabinets from a big-box store. When the shipment arrived, several of the units were badly damaged. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/shopdogcw.

-- Wild Sage Market is increasing access to locally produced foods and other healthy products by opening a community-owned grocery store. Memberships provide the initial capital needed to develop the business and open the store. Founders include Nick Walrath, Stacey Dolinar, James Chavez, Aaron Slaton, Megan McComas, Chelsie Naylor, Pete Rust and Laurie Carollo. For more information, go to www.WildSageGreenRiver.com.

-- Wyoming Apparatus was founded by Justin Hood in 2020 as an avenue for small fire departments to maintain older equipment. Today, the company offers a multitude of services centered on fire trucks throughout Wyoming. Wyoming Apparatus helps fire departments achieve and maintain National Fire Protection Association compliance for Wyoming emergency vehicles. For more information, go to www.wyomingapparatus.com, or follow on Facebook or Instagram.

Seed funding, which amounts to $36,500, will be released as the companies meet milestones advancing their businesses. Seed funding is made possible by WIP, JPMorgan Chase, First Bank of Wyoming, State Bank, Commerce Bank of Wyoming, RSNB Bank and Rocky Mountain Power. Seed funding awards were determined by local judges Cody Bateman, CEO and director of State Bank; David Caplan, director of communications for Genesis Alkali; Rick Dalgarno, principal application engineer for Markforged; Rocco ONeill, director of community and economic development for the city of Evanston; and Robin Sessions Cooley, director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.

Additionally, two $500 awards were determined by audience voting. Meridical Health Solutions won the Audience Choice Award, which was presented by Commerce Bank of Wyoming. Wild Sage Market won the Job Creator Award, which State Bank presented.

Melissa Atkinson, a business teacher at Green River High School, took several students on a field trip to watch the SCIL Pitch Night event live. To view the Pitch Night recording, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSam1bEO8S4.

IMPACT 307 is a statewide network of innovation-driven business incubators committed to growing and strengthening Wyomings entrepreneurial community by providing resources and support for founders to thrive.

For more information, call Monica Patten, IMPACT Sweetwater assistant director, at (307) 466-3963 or email monica.patten@uwyo.edu. Patten provides free mentorship to entrepreneurs.

The next SCIL application period is expected to open in April 2023. For more information, go to www.impact307.org/sweetwater-county.
Lewis Woodward

Lewis Woodward, former global communications leader at EY, comes on board at Bain & Company as an EVP with responsibility for heading up its worldwide external relations, a newly created role.

He was most recently global head of brand and communications at the real estate and investment management business JLL. He has also led marketing efforts at companies including Informa and StepStone.

Based in London, Woodward will support Bain & Companys partners around the world in presenting and communicating the firms business model, capabilities, values and culture to build and strengthen its brand.

He will advise management and partners on communications strategies to support all the firms key practice areas.

Lewiss deep experience and expertise as a communications, brand and corporate affairs leader are important to further enhancing our global marketing capabilities. His role will be pivotal to ensuring Bain and its brand remain pre-eminent in global management consulting across all aspects of our reputation, said Erika Serow, partner and chief marketing officer at Bain & Company.
Andrey Liscovich

Andrey Liscovich, former CEO of Uber Works staffing agency, has signed on as an unpaid advisor to the Government of Ukraine.

He plans to lobby US decisionmakers to secure the purchase of non-lethal military equipment to aid Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion.

Liscovich is a native of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. He attended Moscow University before getting a PhD from Harvard University.

He left San Francisco in March and returned to his hometown and enlisted in Ukraines volunteer army to fight the Russians.

Liscovich soon realized that his high-tech background and supply chain management experience could be put to better use.

He co-created the Ukraine Defense Fund, which has raised more than $4.5M to buy/distribute boots, clothing, radios, helmets, body armor and food for the volunteer army.

Liscovich is coordinating his lobbying efforts with with major general Yevken Stepanenko, who is commander of Ukraines communications and cyber security forces.

His goal is to create positive PR and sympathetic media coverage surrounding the ongoing defense of Ukraine.

Liscovich also served as Uber's head of special projects, consumer data science; VP-data science at Shuddie; technology director at RA Capital Management; and teaching fellow at Harvard.
THE President of the Technological University of the Shannon, Professor Vincent Cunnane has paid tribute to TUSs All-Ireland winning Worldskills champions mechanical automation apprentice from Tullamore, Reece Seery, and Limericks culinary arts student Jack Rice  at a special ceremony at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Moylish Campus.

The TUS students were awarded the Worldskills Ireland titles following a three-day competition at the RDS in Dublin, during which they battled off stiff competition to take home the top prize in their respective categories.

Both Jack and Reece now qualify to go on to represent Ireland at the final of the Euro Skills in Gdansk in 2023 and the Worldskills competition in Lyon in 2024.

Congratulating the All Ireland winners and their mentors, Professor Cunnane said, We are very proud of Reece and Jack as they go on to represent TUS and Ireland on the international stage. With the support of their TUS mentors they have worked tirelessly and with great skill and determination to achieve this huge accolade. They also represent TUSs commitment to active learning and our undertaking to develop highly skilled, work ready graduates. With their proven skill and ambition, I know Jack and Reece will continue to do us proud in this global competition, and I would like to wish them the best of luck in the next phase.

Jack and Reece have had success previously at Worldskills having both won silver in different competitions, before bringing home the gold this academic year.

Mechanical automation and maintenance fitter apprentice, Offaly native Reece, said he was thrilled to be named the National Industrial Mechanic at the Worldskills Ireland.

I appreciate and would like to acknowledge the support of Keith OBrien and Garret Walsh who have supported me during phase four of my apprenticeship. They made sure I was solid for the 2021 competition but unfortunately, I came second in the final that year. However, they both drove me on to give it another go in the 2022 competition, and this had been of huge benefit to me, he said.

Meanwhile TUS third year culinary arts student Jack was also spurred on from his silver win at the national finals of the World Skills Ireland (WSI) cookery competition to do for gold at the Worldskills 2022.

Paying tribute to his mentors Jim OMeara and Eithne Gavigan, he said, I was delighted to win the competition as I came second last year and felt I could go one better. And then I did. Its a tough competition but I would urge people to do it, as it is a great challenge.

Worldskills Ireland is a partnership between enterprise, industry, education, training and government to raise the profile and recognition of skills and apprenticeships in Ireland.
Offaly has the lowest number of women elected in Local Government in Ireland with just one female Councillor out of 19. To help address this deficit, a new initiative to inspire, equip and support women in Offaly to get involved in politics is launching next week in Tullamore.

Offaly County Council has partnered with Women for Election to launch the Supporting More Women for Local Election Programme. The programme has been designed and delivered by Women for Election on behalf of Offaly County Council and is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Increasing the number of women elected is an objective of The Programme for Government  Our Shared Future.

The programme will launch in Tullamore Court Hotel on Tuesday, October 18 from 7pm-9pm. Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett will both speak at the event. Following the launch there will be a series of training programmes which aim to inspire, equip and support women to get more involved in politics and to consider running for election or supporting another woman to run.

The series of training events kicks off with an online Introduction to Politics workshop the 19th of October and in person in Tullamore on the evening of the 26th of October. This workshop offers a fantastic opportunity for women in Offaly to learn more about Irish politics including the local and national political structures. An inspiring leadership workshop entitled Be The Leader focuses on participants reflecting on the type of leader they would like to be in their community. This event will run online on the evening of the 2nd of November with acclaimed entrepreneur and broadcaster Margaret E Ward. This phase of the initiative will end with the immensely popular INSPIRE Campaign School being delivered in Tullamore for the first time on November 12th. This Campaign School will run for a full day with a focus on building confidence, increasing communications skills, and learning about campaigning. There is something for every woman in the programme, which is all offered without cost.

Caitriona Gleeson, CEO of Women for Election said: Currently the representation of female Councillors in Offaly stands at just 5%. We are delighted to be working with Offaly County Council on this initiative. We invite members of the community to register and join us on the 18th of October to officially launch this important and timely programme.!

The launch on the 18th of October is open to all members of the public and registration is via Eventbrite. A video that forms part of the campaign will be previewed on the night, and there will be a panel discussion with local and national politicians.

To learn more about this campaign and register for any of the trainings or the launch, please head to https://www.womenforelection.ie/offaly/
A farmer under stress is more likely to be involved in a farm safety incident according to a minister with responsibility for farm safety, as he highlighted that farmers also face a disproportionate burden of mental health problems.

The importance of mental health and wellbeing for those in the farming community was stressed to mark World Mental Health Day, taking place today, October 10.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine with responsibility for Farm Safety Martin Heydon TD put special focus on farmers mental health and wellbeing this week, stating: Poor mental health can have a serious impact on farmers quality of life. A farmer under stress is at greater risk of being involved in a farm safety incident and is more predisposed to other illnesses.

"Farmers unfortunately experience a disproportionate burden of health problems related to mental health and research has found that they are less likely than the general public to seek help for mental health difficulties.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has several evidence led initiatives to improve farm safety and wellness among the farming community.

Speaking on these initiatives, Minister Heydon said: I am pleased to have secured increased dedicated funding of 2.5m for 2023 for farm safety, health and wellbeing. This will enable my Department to continue to deliver new and existing initiatives including those that support farmers mental health and removing the barriers that can prevent farmers from seeking help.

Chief among these is On Feirm Ground. This initiative, co-funded by the HSE and Department of Health, is a farmers physical and mental health awareness programme to help farm advisors engage with farmers on health issues and signpost them to the necessary supports.

To mark Mental Health Day, Minister Heydon announced that the initiative is to be extended to other professionals working with farmers: The On Feirm Ground initiative has been very successful to date, training hundreds of advisors on how to support their farm clients when it comes to physical and mental wellbeing. We should never miss an opportunity when engaging with farmers to spot someone who may be showing signs of distress. That is why we plan to engage with other professionals coming in regular contact with farmers to expand this programme further.

The Department has also funded four farm safety European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) focused on mental health in the farming community. The projects focus on addressing challenges around farm safety, health and well-being through innovative approaches which encourage a change in behaviour from the bottom up.

Minister Heydon reminded the farming community of the need to be vigilant around their mental wellbeing. He said:

I am asking farmers and everyone working with farmers to look out for each other and seek help and support if feeling overwhelmed or experiencing poor mental health. As is the case with every health issue, the road to recovery to full health begins with seeking help. There are a number of organisations providing invaluable supports to farmers and non-farmers experiencing poor mental health and their confidential services should be availed of, if needed.
Solomon Lew is an Australian businessman. His principal commercial activities involve importing apparel, toys and other goods into Australia from China and investments, mainly in retail companies.
Sir Jeremy Fleming said that Putins actions were that of a leader losing, not winning, a war because of his own strategic errors.
The interior minister wants to fire the country's cybersecurity chief, according to German media. Reports allege Arne Schonbohm had contacts with individuals connected to Russia's spy agency.
UW, Wyoming SBDC Network to Host Lunch and Learn Construction Program

Small-business owners in Wyoming can learn how to secure construction bid contracts during a Lunch and Learn webinar hosted by the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Networks Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

Janean Forsyth Lefevre, Wyoming PTAC program manager, will discuss the basics of finding construction contracting during a webinar titled Staying on Top of Construction Opportunities Wednesday, Oct. 12, from noon-1 p.m. Forsyth Lefevre also will offer a new free tool provided by Wyoming PTAC to help connect contractors to construction bid opportunities.

To register, go here. Registration is free.

For more information, call Maureen Johnson, CARES Act recovery program manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email mjohn125@uwyo.edu.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Russia's president has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the blast on Kerch Bridge. The UN General Assembly is to hold a debate on Moscow's illegal annexations of Ukrainian regions on Monday. Follow DW for the latest.
A central district in the Ukrainian capital was hit by "several explosions." Meanwhile, Russia's president has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the blast on Kerch Bridge. Follow DW for the latest.
Ukrainian officials said dozens of Russian missiles targeted civilian infrastructure in several cities. Russia's president said the strikes were in response to the blast on the Kerch Bridge to Crimea. DW has the latest.
Austria has launched legal action against Brussels over its classification of nuclear and gas-powered electricity generation as sustainable. Officials described the label as "irresponsible and unreasonable."
German federal prosecutors announced an investigation into suspected blasts that damaged gas pipelines between Russia and Europe. Berlin has now joined Denmark and Sweden in gathering clues about the Baltic Sea leaks.
The billionaire wins China's praise for comments but Taipei says freedom is "not for sale".

BBC News 10 Oct 2022
Armed confrontation between Taiwan and China is "absolutely not an option", Taiwan's president has said.
North Korean state media said some of the ballistic missiles were equipped with mock nuclear warheads. Kim Jong-un called this "an obvious" warning to the enemy.
Vladimir Putin has said Monday's deadly missile strikes targeting cities in Ukraine were in retaliation for its "terrorist action" against Russian territory.
The King has said he and Camilla were "filled with immense sadness" by the explosion at an Irish petrol station that killed 10 people.
UW Distinguished Alum to Speak Oct. 21

Joseph Leimkuhler

Joseph Leimkuhler, the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences 2022 Homecoming Distinguished Alumnus, will speak Friday, Oct. 21, about current trends and the future of the oil and gas industry.

Leimkuhler, the chief operating officer of Beacon Offshore Energy, will present American Oil and Gas 2022: A Forward View at 11:30 a.m. in the Engineering Education and Research Building atrium. The event is free and open to the public, and an informal reception will immediately follow the talk.

Leimkuhler was nominated for this years award for his outstanding academic and professional career, as well as his passionate commitment to the future success of students. In addition to his honor from the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, he is one of this years UW Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.

After earning his undergraduate degree in geology and forestry from the University of Montana in 1981, Leimkuhler went to work as a mud engineer on drilling rigs in Wyoming. It was there that he met Jack Evers, the former head of petroleum engineering at UW, when Evers brought students for a tour of a rig in the Snowy Range.

Leimkuhler was going to head to law school, but Evers had other ideas. Evers encouraged Leimkuhler to complete the undergraduate engineering coursework needed for graduate school admission -- which he did via correspondence while continuing to work on rigs all over the state. Leimkuhler, his wife, Stephanie, and their two children then moved to Laramie, where Leimkuhler completed his masters degree in petroleum engineering in 1987.

Joe Leimkuhler has long provided exemplary dedication to our colleges mission and goals, says Cameron Wright, UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Carrell Family Dean. He cares deeply about our students and their education, and he has played an integral role in preparing them for careers within the petroleum industry. He has more than earned the recognition of being a UW Distinguished Alumnus.

Leimkuhler has positive memories from his time at UW.

When you left this place, you knew how to run a rig, Leimkuhler says. I had internships working with students from bigger schools like Stanford, USC and Texas A&M, and they all asked me how I knew so much more about the practical side of drilling engineering. It was obvious they did not have Jack Evers as a professor.

That UW education allowed him to hit the ground running, working for Shell in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico.

We were drilling wells at 7,000 feet of water, which was the deepest in the world at the time, Leimkuhler says. I was always just thrilled to be doing what I was doing at the time because it was always unique, always a challenge. I managed to progress and eventually led that organization. Sometimes you wake up and pinch yourself: How did I get here?

At Shell, he worked his way up to offshore well delivery manager for the Americas. In 2012, Leimkuhler left Shell and joined LLOG Exploration Co., where he served as vice president of drilling, helping grow the company into the largest private oil producer in the U.S. and the fourth-largest offshore producer.

In 2019, a new challenge came his way -- shepherding Beacon Offshore Energy from the ground up as the chief operating officer. Beacon is based in both Houston, Texas, and Covington, La., and currently operates six subsea fields and one drilling rig in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico and is executing development of Shenandoah, the highest-pressure offshore oil field in the U.S.

Leimkuhler and his wife live in Mandeville, La. He serves on several boards and has earned a number of awards, including the American Petroleum Institutes Meritorious Service Award, the American Association of Drilling Engineers Lifetime Outstanding Service Award and the UW Eminent Engineer Award.

Leimkuhler serves on the Deans Advisory Council for the UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the Petroleum Engineering Industrial Advisory Board. He and Stephanie also support UW with their philanthropy through the Joseph and Stephanie Leimkuhler Petroleum Engineering Deans Excellence Fund that goes to undergraduate student scholarships, graduate student stipends, undergraduate student enrichment experiences and faculty awards to those who distinguish themselves in scholarly work, as well as other areas of UW.

To view a complete list of previous Distinguished Alumni Award winners, visit www.uwyo.edu/ceas/development/awards.
Russian bombardments in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Monday morning followed months of relative calm in the capital. The president said civilians and energy facilites were deliberately targeted.
Rumble 10 Oct 2022

Two people were shot outside the Long Island home of Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee in the race for governor of New York, on..
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that President Joe Biden's "armageddon" warning regarding Russia's nuclear capabilities during a fundraiser was "reckless."
Dozens of civilians were killed and several others wounded in a wave of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine on Monday morning. At least eight people were killed in capital Kyiv, which came under attack after a gap of many months. Casualties were also reported in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where a missile destroyed an apartment block. Russian forces also targeted Kharkiv, Lviv, Myk
Steve Rotheram says he did not want anybody prevented from visiting Liverpool because of the cost.

BBC News 11 Oct 2022
Edinburghs Christmas has been saved after another company stepped in to run the citys famous festive attractions when the original firm pulled out.
The head of Britains GCHQ spy agency warned that the West should not lose sight of the technological challenge from China as it deals with the immediate problem of Russias invasion of Ukraine.
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Appearing on Real America's Voice, former President Donald Trump accused the US of provoking Vladimir Putin into invading Ukraine with "dumb" rhetoric.
Footage of a television reporter ducking for cover as Russia's missiles struck Kyiv on Monday has shown a snippet of the carnage in..

New Zealand Herald 10 Oct 2022
President Joe Biden says civilian deaths caused by missile attacks across Ukraine illustrate the "utter brutality" of the war led by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The United States strongly condemns Russia's missile strikes...
Russia has carried out a barrage of air-strikes across Ukraine in retaliation says Moscow for an attack on a key bridge over the weekend.
Matthias Knab, Opalesque: After two virtual productions, the 2022 Longevity Investors Conference welcomed at its first physical format about 130 investors and researchers from leading universities and institutions at the stylish Grand Bellevue Hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland. Speakers included prominent longevity experts such as George Church, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Nir Barzilai, Director, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Aubrey de Grey, Chief Science Officer at SENS Research Foundation; Brian Kennedy, Director, Centre for Healthy Longevity and Professor Departments of Biochemistry and Physiology, National University of Singapore, and Charles Brenner, Alfred E Mann Family Foundation Chair of Diabetes & Cancer Metabolism, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope. The conference was initiated by Dr. Tobias Reichmuth and Marc P. Bernegger, two successful serial entrepreneurs as the only "investors'' conference in the longevity space. The longevity industry will be one of the biggest investment opportunities during the next decade - expected to be worth at least $600 billion by 2025. Nir Barzilai kicked off the meeting with the first keynote, "How to Die Young at a Very Old Age", explaining that in spite of the dramatic improvement of life expectancy at birth humanity still has room improve lifespan and foremost healthspan - the total number of years spent in good health. The Hallmarks of Aging However, over time, almost all living organisms experience a gradual and irreversible increase in senescence (the process of deterioration with age) and an associated loss of proper function of the bodily systems. As aging is the primary risk factor for major human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, it is important to describe and classify the types of changes that it entails. One concept to better understand and address human aging are the Hallmarks of Aging which describe the types of biochemical changes that occur in all organisms that experience biological aging and lead to a progressive loss of physiological integrity, impaired function and, eventually, death. Let's just recall that according to her death certificate, "old age" was given as the cause of death of the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II. But, again, how do we age, and what are the actual processes involved? A paper published in 2013 conceptualized the essence of biological aging and its underlying mechanisms as follows: Primary Hallmarks of Aging (causes of damage): Genome instability

Telomere shortening

Epigenetic alterations

Loss of proteostasis Antagonistic Hallmarks (responses to damage): Deregulated nutrient sensing

Mitochondrial dysfunction

Cellular senescence Integrative Hallmarks (functional result of the previous two): Stem cell exhaustion

Altered intercellular communication In this context, primary hallmarks are the primary causes of cellular damage. Antagonistic hallmarks are antagonistic or compensatory responses to the manifestation of the primary hallmarks. Integrative hallmarks are the functional result of the previous two groups of hallmarks that lead to further operational deterioration associated with aging. Nir Barzilai went on to explain how Metformin, a drug he described as safe, with few side effects, generic and cheap, would target all nine Hallmarks of Aging, sharing data how the drug extends healthspan and lifespan in animals. Barzilai added that for humans, in clinical and other trails Metformin has been proven to prevent diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, cognitive decline, and improve overall mortality. In another keynote address, Manuel Blanco, a Managing Director at Credit Suisse and Co-Founder of Impact Gstaad, explained why the bank identified longevity along with the "Silver Economy" as one of six supertrends investors should be aware of and engage in. Booming "Silver Economy" The "Silver Economy" theme can be broken into four sub sectors: Therapeutics & devices, care & facilities, health & life insurance, and senior consumer choices. The overriding driver of the Silver Economy is, of course, the tidal demographic change that will double the world's senior (60+) population from now to 2050. Already now, the elderly consume a disproportionate amount of healthcare resources, and 80% have at least one chronic disease. This issue is no longer contained to developed markets as accelerated aging in emerging markets changes the lay of the land there as well and creates new insurance and pension needs. Thanks to accumulation of wealth over the course of the life and late-in-life inheritances, seniors have substantial buying power. With that, healthcare spending per capita and also per age band - the older, the higher - is only going up, possibly to levels that could constitute a risk of overburdening public budgets. Comparing the MSCI World Health Care versus MSCI World, health care has outperformed over the short and long term and is therefore one of Credit Suisse's preferred equity sectors in current markets. The conference also highlighted in a "pitch" format multiple investment opportunities in promising start-ups, drug developments and medical devices. The audience was also updated on the the latest applications of AI in research and medicine. Dr. Tobias Reichmuth explained his approach how to invest in longevity "while avoiding (binary) biotech risk", which is the approach he follows with his longevity company builder (incubator) Maximon. At a glamorous award dinner, Dr. Elsa Logarinho was announced as the 1st Winner of the Maximon Longevity Prize for Translational Research. The prize recognizes outstanding breakthrough research in the field of longevity that can be translated for clinical or non-clinical applications and has the potential to substantially increase health span or life span of humans. "I never have been happier handing over CHF 50,000!", said Dr. Tobias Reichmuth, who is well known in Switzerland as a "lion" at the investor-show "Hohle der Lowen", the local version of the popular Shark-Tank television format. "If people get 120 years old and stay healthy until they die, everything changes, our entire social systems will change. This also means that we will see many huge investment opportunities in different industries and sectors. This topic is one which moves people. Next to making a nice profit, they share the interest of staying healthy and living longer. With their investments, they support research we will all benefit from. Longevity investments therefore provide a double dividend, not only a financial return, but also support scientific progress. I think this is the motivation of many of the investors in that field," Dr. Reichmuth said. For more information and to apply for the 2023 Longevity Investors conference, visit https://www.longevityinvestors.ch/
Opalesque Industry Update - 100 Women in Finance (100WF), a global finance industry organization, announced that Carol Kim, Senior Managing Director and Asia Pacific Head of Institutional Client Solutions at Blackstone, will receive its 2022 APAC Industry Leadership Award. The Award is presented annually in recognition of exemplary professional talent, business ethics, and passion for investing that further define and advance the industry's standards of excellence. Ms. Kim will be honored for this achievement at the 100WF Gala on November 17th at the St. Regis Hotel in Hong Kong. Carol Kim is a Senior Managing Director and Asia Pacific Head of Institutional Client Solutions and is based in Hong Kong. Since joining Blackstone in 2008, Ms. Kim has led investor relations and new business development efforts in Asia. She is also Asia Pacific Chair of the Blackstone Women's Network. Prior to joining Blackstone, Ms. Kim was based in New York as a Vice President in the Absolute Return Strategies Group at Lehman Brothers, where she was responsible for client communications and reporting to its hedge fund and fund of hedge funds clients. Prior to joining Lehman, she was Director of Marketing at Continuity Capital, LLC and a Marketing Associate at P. Schoenfeld Asset Management. Ms. Kim began her career in investor relations at LG Electronics in Seoul, South Korea and Allied Properties in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Kim received a BA in Urban and Economic Studies from the University of Toronto. She is a Co-Founder and Board Member Emeritus of 100 Women in Finance. "100WF is delighted to recognize Carol as this year's Award honoree." Amanda Pullinger, 100WF CEO, stated. She continued, "Carol is highly regarded in the finance industry, particularly in Asia, not only for her accomplishments and leadership but also her commitment to building long-term partnerships. Carol has also been an integral part of this organization, as Co-Founder of 100WF, and continues to champion our mission as we move towards realizing our Vision 30/40." "I am truly humbled and appreciative of this recognition from my peers. There are so many men and women that have supported me throughout my career. In turn, I take great joy in sharing my experiences with the next generation of women in finance. 100WF has been with me every step of my financial career and I am so proud and grateful of the positive impact that we as an organization have made on our industry."
Gibraltar Literature Week Tickets Released

Tickets for Gibraltar Literature Week are now available with the public encouraged to support and be a part of this community event.

Mark Sanchez, Ele Fountain, and Jamie Reid are three of this years overseas contributors. In its 3rd edition, the event organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and sponsored by the John Mackintosh Educational Trust, will run between the 7th and 12th November 2022 and will see a jam-packed programme featuring many local authors and a variety of initiatives and events.

GCS will be producing a week-long programme dedicated to literature to give a platform to local authors and generate interest in reading, writing and literature. Discussions & debate, workshops, features, radio interviews, press articles, storytelling and book launches are just some of the highlights. The talks by Mark Sanchez and Jamie Reid will feature on Saturday 12th November. Ele Fountain will target the schools earlier in the week and will also host a public event on Tuesday 8th November. Tickets will be required for all events and these will be priced at 6. Students go free, and these will also need to be reserved. More details available on buytickets.gi.

The popular An Audience With offering returns too, with nine varied sessions over the week. The morning and evening discussions will centre on a variety of topics to include sustainability, natural history, Gibraltars changing landscape, women on the Rock and will include both fiction and research-based publications. Featuring Ayelet Mamo Shay, Giordano Durante & Humbert Hernandez, Robert Santos, Prof Daniella Tilbury, Prof Clive & Dr Geraldine & Dr Stewart Finlayson, Manolo Galliano & Victor Hermida, Jackie Anderson & Rebecca Calderon, Giselle Green and Richard Garcia.

There will also be a special lightning talks session on the Friday evening with more details released soon.

All talks and An Audience With will be held at Gibraltars cultural hub, the John Mackintosh Hall.

Tickets for Gibraltar Literature Week are now on sale at www.buytickets.gi.

These can also be purchased from GCS at the John Mackintosh Hall reception from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Mark Sanchez

Born and raised in Gibraltar, M. G. Sanchez is the author of fifteen Gibraltar-themed books, among them novels, journals, memoirs, historical studies, and collections of short stories. Over the last ten years he has spoken about his Gibraltarian writings at many European universities and in the US, with essays and reviews on his work appearing in major scholarly and literary journals. In this one- hour session, he will be talking with Humbert Hernandez about his books, his travels, the influences on his writing, his efforts to promote Gibraltarian culture abroad, his latest novel Marlboro Man and what he thinks should be done to develop Gibraltars nascent literary scene.

Ele Fountain

Ele Fountain is a multi-award-winning author of Junior Fiction, shortlisted for the Waterstones Childrens Book Prize. Ele will deliver a public session under the theme Adventures that bring the world home, featuring subjects which appear in the news, and are happening around us right now. She promises to disclose a few author secrets too... The session will be 45 minutes with a Q&A.

Jamie Reid

Jamie Reid, the writer of Put Your Life On It, the authorised biography of Victor Chandler, will discuss the life story of the bookmaker from the early challenges in the 20th century to becoming the successful businessman he is today. Jamies other works include Doped a gripping, true story racing thriller and Blown another atmospheric true story about John Goldsmith, the racehorse trainer, gambler, and wartime secret agent who set off from Gibraltar to occupied France in WW2. He will delve into his publications and share insights and anecdotes about the world of gambling.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Government of National Unity has strongly condemned the "terrorist" attack against Djibouti's security forces that left seven soldiers dead
Brussels, Belgium (PANA)  Governments, UN agencies, and humanitarian organisations should take concrete steps to develop and invest in psychosocial support for people affected by armed conflicts, Human Rights Watch said on Monday
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Amnesty International has thrown its weight behind the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNRC) to extend the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE)
Photo: (Photo : Stefan Keller)

Dr. Daniel S. Schechter, the study's principal, investigator, and director of the Infant-Family Service at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, told NYP that horror films negatively impact a younger audience. Kids younger than five tend to develop anxiety and sleeping disorders and might also grow violent toward other people. Horror films show brutal scenes, which is probably not a good idea.

Children at a young age are apt to mimic what they are watching, thinking everything they see is right and just.

Dr. Schechter, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, added that even watching or having too much exposure to television is also alarming, as it can cause their eyes to have future complications.

Parents should limit their kids from watching television for too long. Not more than 30 minutes for kids aged under six and not more than two hours a day for school-aged kids is probably a big help.

Read Also: Massachusetts Man in Custody for Killing His Mom, Chokes Himself to Death

Horror movies can bring trauma to kids

"Younger brains are more plastic, thus, the negative impact (of watching something scary) will be more dramatic," said Min Zhuo, a professor of Physiology at the University of Toronto. Scary films could cause traumatic experiences for children.

All the violent acts they keep seeing are not much different from experiencing them in real life. Though scary movies are exciting and get the adrenaline flowing, these temporary feelings could leave permanent trauma, especially to children at a young age.

Most horror films use a representation that kids love. One example of it is clowns. Many of us know that clowns give a happy vibe at the party, but movies changed kids' perspectives of clowns.

Kids find it hard to differentiate fiction from reality, so they might impulsively copy actions they see in videos. Fear is an unpleasant emotion, and people sometimes try to avoid such a negative sensation, per Medium. When that kind of trauma is experienced at a young age, it gets carried into adulthood, which might be linked to obesity and tobacco use.

How scary movies appear to be addicting?

Why do kids become so fascinated by these films? People tend to get more, even though this could give a negative sensation. That's how addicting scary movies are. People might not want to feel these sensations, but horror is necessary. Addictions come in many guises. Commonly, children over 16 are ready more than we think. This age knows how to handle psychological and dramatic suspense.

However, when a person watches a terrifying movie, the brain momentarily gives a break. It doesn't use the motor areas as the body is relaxing, which causes a person to jump out of their seat when watching these movies. Nevertheless, there is not enough evidence that supports the claim that horror movies can speed up brain activity but only advances the level of adrenaline that releases neurotransmitters in the brain, according to GBHBL.

Related Article: Study: Too Much Screen Time is Harmful to Children's Overall Health
Angela Mensah-Poku, the Director of Digital Transformation and Commercial Operations at Vodafone Ghana, has said that the human touch is the most important part of the customer experience.



Even though digitization has made client interactions faster and more efficient, she believes that quality and targeted human interactions will always win out.



Speaking at the 2022 edition of the CXP Conference held at the Labadi Beach Hotel, she stated: As much as I love technology, the human side of customer experience will never go away. The thing we have to remember is that we have different people who make up our customers. It is never one size fits all. 



Angela Mensah-Poku said that for customers to experience great service, they should be able to choose whether they want to use a digital channel or talk to a person.



Speaking about how Vodafone Ghana promotes inclusiveness in customer experience, she explained that while data shows 80 percent of people who call their customer service use smartphones, Vodafone Ghana never forces these customers to use digital channels in their interactions with the organisations customer service.



Any choice to modify customer service at Vodafone Ghana, she claims, is based on consumer input. She also said that her team at Vodafone Ghana is always looking for feedback to improve and make sure customers have a smooth experience.



The Director went on to say that providing a good customer experience is a journey that always humbles its practitioners. According to her, an organisation may believe it is implementing all of the necessary services to improve customer service, but only real-time feedback from consumers may expose or provide insights into what truly satisfies customers.



Angela used the event to remind everyone that Vodafone is committed to coming up with new ways to improve the customer experience journey, meet customers expectations, and give customers a better overall experience.



Vodafone Ghana has designated October as the month to commemorate its Care Month initiatives. The event is a way to appreciate both employees who consistently make customers happy and customers who help the business grow.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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

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A new report says more than 10 million children across East Africa are suffering from malnutrition, and more than 300,000 people are at risk of dying from hunger.



The study, commissioned by the regional bloc, Igad, warned the food crisis would get worse if rains failed for a fifth year running.



Igad executive director Workneh Gebeyehu added that conflict across the region had disrupted food production, worsening the crisis further.



He also appealed for help from the international community as East Africa experiences its longest dry spell in 40 years, and fourth drought in a decade.

Source: GNA









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

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GHA Campaign to Dispose of Unused Medicines Properly

The Gibraltar Health Authority have launched a campaign calling on the public to dispose of unused medicines properly as part of the Reset, Restart, Recover strategy.

The campaign aims to gauge the scale of unused medicines in Gibraltar, with a view to reducing waste and unnecessary prescriptions.

The Chief Pharmacist estimates that the GHA is spending anywhere between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on prescribing medications that go unused by patients.

As well as the cost to the GHA of unused prescriptions, out-of-date medication that is not disposed of correctly poses Public Health risks as well as Environmental Hazards.

Members of the public are asked to take their unused and unwanted medicines to a local pharmacy, the Primary Care Centre or St Bernards hospital and place them in special green bins. These will then be valued before being disposed of in the proper manner.

The Chief Pharmacist, Ed Freestone, said: Unused or out-of-date medicines can build up in the home for a variety of reasons. Storing these long-term is not safe and can pose a number of risks including accidental poisonings, inappropriate sharing of medicines and environmental damage if they are not disposed of correctly.

Please go through your medicine cabinets for any medicines that you no longer need, want or are out of date, and take them to the special green bins at your local pharmacy or the GHA.

Collecting such medicines via this campaign will provide quantitative data which will allow the GHA to estimate the cost to the taxpayer of unused, wasted medicines. This is money that can be put to far better use elsewhere in the GHA, for equipment and treatments that meet the needs of patients.

The Director General, Prof Patrick Geoghegan OBE, said: It is important the public recognise that every penny the GHA wastes in relation to medication is money we dont have to provide essential services. We need you, the public, to help us address this problem and I look forward to knowing the total monetary value of the medications that we will be disposing of as part of this campaign.
The principal of Agogo Presbyterian Women's College of Education (APWC), Rev.Dr.Mrs.Grace Sintim Adasi has made a passionate appeal to philanthropists, NGOs, entrepreneurs to intervene in the security situation at Agogo Presbyterian Women's College which has been occasioned by land encroachments and the lack of adequate residential facilities on the campus.



Speaking to the media at the launch of the Homecoming and Maiden Founders Day ceremony under the theme Enhancing the Presbyterian values through the provision of Quality female Teacher Education, the principal indicated that due to the encroachment on the school lands, which has resulted in a merger of the indigenous community and the student body of the school, a serious security situation exists and needs to be addressed urgently.



She also said the students are unsafe on campus because they do not have enough walls around the school compound.



The principal further stated that the college would appreciate the construction of a 24-seater toilet and plus a disability friendly facilities on campus by Ghana Gas.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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

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The Police have arrested Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa following allegations of money doubling scam levelled against her by some members of the public.



This was contained in a post by the Police Service on their twitter page Sunday afteroon.



The suspect is currently assisting police investigation.



The announcement of her arrest comes less than 24 hours after the Police commenced an investigation into an alleged money-doubling scam allegedly perpetrated against some members of the Heaven Way Church in Weija, Accra, by the founder, 'Nana Agradaa'.



The investigation was initiated following reports that have come to the attention of the Police on the matter.



We would like to urge anyone with information that can assist the investigation to report to the Accra Regional Police Command at Accra Central close to the COCOBOD building, a police statement Saturday night on their twitter page said.



While investigation continues, we urge everyone, especially those who might have been affected to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands, it added.



On Saturday, social media was awash with videos of aggrieved church members of Nana Agradaa, accusing their leader of swindling them.



The betrayed congregants said they took her for her words and gave out various sums of money with the hopes of receiving multiple folds as she had promised.



Some of the victims of the supposed scam said they have traveled from very long distances to meet Nana Agrada to collect their money after her promises failed.



Conversion to Christianity



In April 2021, Agradaa said she had converted to Christianity and denounced her "sika gari" deity, said to have money doubling powers in various broadcast she showcased on television on her Thunder and Ice1 TV stations.



The stations were shut down by the National Communications Authority (NCA) for operating without authorisation.



She was arrested after a joint team of officers from the police and National Security, in collaboration with the National Communications Authority, raided the premises of her two TV stations at Kasoa in the Central Region.



Nana Agradaa was said to have admitted to the illegality, and was placed in police custody initially to assist with further investigations.



The team also seized equipment used in the transmission of television signals from both stations.



Her arrest was part of an operation that led to the closure of 49 television stations without authorisation in Ghana in a single day.



In June 2021, she was sentenced to a fine of GH36,000 for operating a television channel without licence and GH10,000 displaying charlatanic materials.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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

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Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known in political circles as Abronye DC says Evangelist Patricia Asiedua a.k.a Nana Agradaa is not the only pastor scamming church members in Ghana.



The outspoken politician failed to mention names of other 'men of God' perpetrating such acts, but said the arrest of 'Nana Agradaa' will not yield any positive results.



Dont be surprised to see her walking free by tomorrow. She is not the only one into this scamming church business, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie'.



The Evangelist has been arraigned before the court following allegations of money doubling scam levelled against her by some members of her congregation.



Earlier, in some videos that went viral, Nana Agradaas aggrieved congregants said they trusted her words and gave out various sums of money hoping to receive multiple folds as she had promised.



The incident has since sparked concerns as several netizens have criticized the affected church members for being gullible to the self-styled Evangelist, who has a history of swindling people.

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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Senior Psychologist, Professor Joseph Osafo, has advised the Minister for Oti Region, Joshua G. Makuba, not to allow the iron ore in his Region to be exploited by illegal miners.



The Regional Minister, on Sunday, announced to the press that iron ore has been discovered in the Region.



I want to advise people in Accra to start looking for land in the Oti Region because what is going to take Ghana from our current state to a very industrialised nation has been found in the Oti Region and that is the iron ore, he said.



The Minister, also speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Monday morning, detailed when and how the iron ore will be utilized.



" . . there are about six (6) companies at the Oti Region doing the mineral resource estimation. The last time we had an engagement in Oti Region, GIADEC, Geological Survey Authority and investors were there and told us it will take about six to eight months to do the mineral resource estimation...by somewhere January or February, at least they should come out with that results and then when that is done, the rest will be those who are coming in to mine," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.



He further discolsed that mining of the iron ore will commence next year.



Touching on this mineral discovery, Prof. Osafo cautioned the residents not to turn the communities where the ore is located into galamsey sites.



"Let us not hear that this one has also turned into galamsey . . . The youth in Oti Region should set a good example for us and I think that the Regional Minister and his people have a challenge to set a good example," he advised.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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Evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa has reacted to allegations of fraud and denied defrauding or swindling church members.

Explaining herself in a video, she said, she actually invited church members for a service last Friday and indeed gave out money to help them with their various businesses.



She said she also invited anyone who was interested in being helped, to come to church on Friday (October 7, 2022), convert into Christianity and become a church member.





As usual of a church, she said there was also a fundraising through offertory last Friday.



And so if new members, who were attending church for the first time and wrote their names, offered money to support the church and did not receive anything in return from her, they should count that as new members, their opportune time will surely come and therefore should not attribute that to fraud. [VIDEO ATTACHED BELOW]



She disagreed with the allegation that the GH1000, GH800, GH700 and coins offertory by members who attended the church service and willingly donated, should be interpreted as fraud.



Police arrest



The police on Sunday arrested Nana Agradaa, who is the Founder of the Heaven Way Church at Weija in Accra over an alleged money doubling scam charge levelled against her by some of her church members.



That followed viral social media reports showing members of the church, both new and old, who had thronged the premises of the church to demand their money.



In a statement issued on October 9, 2022 the police said the suspect was assisting the police in investigations into the matter.



The police have, therefore, urged victims of the alleged money-doubling scam to report to the Accra Regional Police Command for further investigations.



A viral video last Saturday showed aggrieved members of the church alleging that their leader, a one-time traditional priestess, had swindled them.



According to them, Nana Agradaa, also known as Mama Pat, had promised to double their money through her special spiritual purifications.



Consequently, the church members said, they gave her various sums of money, only to find out that the promise was a hoax.



First arrest



This is not the first time Nana Agradaa has been in the grip of the police over an alleged scam.



She was arrested in April 2021 after a joint team from the police and the National Security, in collaboration with the National Communications Authority (NCA), had raided the premises of her two TV stations at Kasoa in the Central Region.



Nana Agradaa was said to have admitted to the illegality and was placed in police custody initially to assist with further investigations.



The team also seized equipment used in the transmission of television signals from both stations.



Nana Agradaa denounces her 'sika gari' deity

Her arrest was part of an operation that led to the closure of 49 television stations in the country on a single day.



However, Nana Agradaa was subsequently sentenced by an Accra Circuit Court to a fine of GH36,000 for operating a television channel without licence and displaying charlatanic materials.



Nana Agradaa convicted; fined GH36,000 for operating TV station without licence





The advert #Agradaa put out that got church members trooping to Heaven Chapel to give her money for the alleged money doubling scam. Police commence investigations into alleged money-doubling scam https://t.co/kEjnL9GWe8 pic.twitter.com/hWR8z2J4ab  GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) October 9, 2022





Watch a video of Agradaa explaining the issue in the video attached below



Source: graphiconline.com









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

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The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the government to prosecute all persons involved in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, irrespective of their political affiliation.

The party claimed it had enough evidence to prove that some politicians were  neck deep' in the illicit activity.



Addressing a press conference held in Accra yesterday, the National Communications Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, stated that the NDC was not against mining in principle, however, it abhorred illegal mining, and particularly mining in water bodies and irresponsible mining that destroyed the environment without any plan of reclamation.



What we are vehemently against is hypocrisy of government officials, who after destroying the businesses of legal small miners, have turned around and engage in the menace with brazen impunity, he emphasised.



Mr Gyamfi, however, consented that any leader set out to battle a certain crime in society, be it illegal mining, corruption, drug trafficking or any other vice, was bound to face resistance from dark forces, including those who benefitting directly from those crimes.



However, what distinguishes leaders who succeed from those who fail is the genuine political will not only to bring sunshine on those crimes but to severely punish the culprits in order to serve as a deterrent to like-minded persons who may contemplate those crimes, he added.



Mr Gyamfi therefore encouraged the government to demonstrate political will in its fight against the menace by prosecuting perpetrators irrespective of their party affiliations.



Benefit



Mr Gyamfi further state that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had taken no interest in investigating various reports that allegedly depicted known culprits of galamsey despite being privy to these reports.



He, therefore, alleged that the New Paritiotic Party (NPP) government was unwilling to fight the galamsey menace because the party also benefited from the illicit activities.



Shifting blame



In addition, he urged the government to accept that it had failed in its fight against illegal mining and not to shift the blame on traditional rulers.



Instead of accepting responsibility for his failed galamsey fight, President Akufo-Addo aided by his Minister of Lands and Naturals Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had resorted to shifting the blame to the chieftaincy institution.



This latest attempt by the Akufo-Addo government to blame the failed Galamsey fight on chiefs and community leaders must be condemned in no uncertain terms, Mr Gyamfi said.



The NDC Communications Director therefore stated that the President's fight against galamsey would always remain a mirage and he would be remembered by prosperity as the President who promoted illegal mining until he takes the appropriate actions.







Source: graphiconline.com









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

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Dr King Uchiha Winter, born Richard Osei |Agyemang is a Ghanaian Social media Influencer born on February 24, 1997. He has been very influential and has made his mark on social media, particularly Twitter.



Dr King Uchiha Winter had his primary education at the St. Lawrence Junior high school from where he proceeded to the Opoku Ware School for his secondary school education where he pursued a program in General Science.



Currently, he is pursuing a Masters Degree in Finance at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He read his Bachelors Degree in Geomatics Engineering at KNUST.



His contribution and presence on social media, especially TWITTER, have helped many brands attain their peak by being able to gain access to a diverse clientele.



Additionally, he has been an influencer for several projects such as soliciting funds for the sick and less privileged people in society who share their grievances.



Being a vibrant and successful social media influencer/promoter, Dr Winter has been featured on several traditional media to share and educate the youth on the importance of social media.



"At first my motive was to just come on Twitter, read tweets, laugh and leave but I got an idea from my friend in 2019 who advised me to get to a certain number of followers and I can earn money from brands. So I started pushing from late 2019 and started main influencer

campaigns in 2010," Dr Winter told us in an interview.



He realized his dream by earning a brand ambassadorial deal with Jiji Ghana and has gone further to work with major prominent companies and notable brands like Pepsodent Ghana, Pulse Ghana, Absa Bank, IxBet, 22bet, Msport, MasterCard, MozzartBet, Bolt and also personalities and musicians like Tiwa Savage, Kofi Mole, Wendy Shay, Fiifi Adinkra and Sablar.



Dr. Winter has also utilized his popularity on Twitter to host a Twitter space called the "Break-Up Space" where those who have experienced heartbreaks in the past may share their experiences and get assistance from a team of specialists on how to overcome these heartbreaks and eliminate suicidal thoughts and low self-esteem.



Through his massive influence on social media, Dr King Uchiha Winter has been able to bring businesses to light, he has been able to help brands reach a certain level of audience and also making him one of the best Twitter influencers we have in this country. His social media presence has made him one of the top influencers in this country and with the brands that he has worked with, hes one of the best in this game which has made Dr King Uchiha Winter to be seen as one of the most prominent people on Twitter.



You can reach out to Dr. King Uchiha Winter through his business email on [email protected] or his Twitter account on @I_Am_Winter.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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UK Europe Minister in Gibraltar

The UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty MP arrived in Gibraltar this afternoon.

He was shown around the airport and the air terminal by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, who explained the operation of potential Gibraltar and Schengen border controls on site.

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia then took the Minister to view the vehicular entrance and exit points at the border, and he outlined the plans for the extension to the pedestrian entry point with the installation of e-gates as part of the preparations for a No Negotiated Outcome (NNO).

Mr Docherty will be involved in further working meetings about the ongoing negotiations with the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Attorney General. He will also meet the Minister for Economic Development Sir Joe Bossano and the Minister for Digital and Financial Services Albert Isola.

The Minister returns to London tomorrow.
Police tape is shown in Toronto on May 2, 2017.Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after a 25-year-old man in Vaughan, Ont., was shot and killed by a York Regional Police officer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
On 10 October 2022, at the invitation of Mr. Anuntasilpa Patchara, Director General of the Thai Customs Department, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), attended the virtual ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a WCO Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Thailand.

The ceremony took place both online and at the Thai Customs Academy in Bangkok. By way of background, during the Regional Heads of Customs Administrations Conference in the Asia/Pacific Region, held in Bali, Indonesia in May 2022, the Academy was selected as the most suitable body in Thailand for hosting the tenth RTC in the WCO Asia/Pacific (A/P) region, given that it was already being used to hold training activities for Thai Customs officials.

Secretary General Mikuriya expressed his appreciation to Thai Customs for its willingness to share its experience in Customs matters by hosting this new RTC. He also highlighted the importance of the network of WCO RTCs and other regional entities in supporting the WCOs regional approach towards building Customs capacities. He encouraged Thailand to play an active role in this network and thereby further contribute to Customs modernization efforts in the A/P region.

The new RTC will host its first regional workshop on the topic of risk management in November 2022.
Hands of the Week: Death By Quads in Level 1 of RGPS JACK Cleveland; Jack-Four Shenanigans

October 10, 2022 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

PokerNews is known throughout the world for our industry-leading live updates for both live and online events. In fact, right now we're offering various updates right here.

Over the years, weve captured memorable hands, many of which have become a part of poker history. In this column, we will bring you some of the biggest hands that took place during the recently-completed RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) JACK Cleveland $800 Main Event, a tournament that attracted 712 entries and offered up a $491,280 prize pool.

Remember, if youre playing an event PokerNews is covering, you can get in the updates via the MyStack App. You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.

Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android.

Find out who won the RGPS JACK Cleveland here!

Zhu Hits Miracle Running Cards

Connor Zhu

On Day 1a in Level 9 (1,000/1,500/1,500), Connor Zhu ran away with the chip lead after eliminating Tom Eidmann, who eliminated Zhu on his first bullet before he went on his insane second-bullet run.

The cards were on their backs and Zhu was dragging another 100,000+ chip pot as Eidmann was leaving the table.

As retold by the table, Zhu jammed from the small blind on a flop and was snap-called by Eidmann in late position. Despite being in awful shape, Zhu would again find a way to scoop the pot.

Tom Eidmann:

Connor Zhu:

Zhu's aggression got him caught as his ace-high was well behind Eidmann's set of threes.

That wouldn't stop the young sun-runner, as the dealer then dropped the on the turn and the on the river to give Zhu a running Broadway straight to eliminate Eidmann in horrific fashion and extend his already massive chip lead.

Carbone Takes Chip Lead from Zhu in Biggest Pot of the Day

Anthony Carbone

On Day 1a in Level 13 (2,000/4,000/4,000), after steamrolling the field all day long, Connor Zhu's aggression backfired on him in a massive pot at the end of the day.

Anthony Carbone raised to 9,000 on the button and was met by a three-bet to 20,000 by Zhu in the big blind.

Carbone moved all in for 250,000 and Zhu called for a 500,000 chip pot.

Anthony Carbone:

Connor Zhu:

The board ran out , doubling Carbone into the chip lead on the last hand of the night.

Survivor's Boston Rob Mariano Wins RGPS JACK Cleveland Bounty Ring Event

Death by Quads in First Level

Albert Augustine

In the first level of Day 1b, there was a raise to 1,100 from middle position, and a call from the hijack before Albert Augustine called on the button.

DeMarcus Ivy then three-bet to 2,600 from the small blind and got calls from all three of his opponents.

The flop came and Ivy continued for 5,000. Augustine accidentally called out of turn, with the middle-position player and the hijack then folding.

Augustine's call stayed in the pot and the fell on the turn. Ivy now check-called a bet of 10,000 from Augustine, leaving himself approximately 17,000 behind.

On the river, Ivy flicked out a bet of 5,000 and Augustine moved all in. Ivy called to see Augustine's for quad tens. Ivy showed and left the table as his chips were pushed to Augustine.

Stone Regains Chip Lead With Ace-King Cooler

Chad Stone

On Day 1b of the tournament, it was Level 11 (1,500/2,500/2,500) when a commotion was heard at Table 21 as a large pot was being pushed to Chad Stone, whose stack has moved above 300,000 after an incredible runout.

Stone and his opponent got 65,000 in before the flop with Stone's opponent at risk. Stone held and the at-risk player held .

The flop couldn't have been better for Stone, bringing him a flush draw.

The turn brought no help, but after Stone called for one more diamond, in it slid with the on the river to give Stone the unlikely pot.

Check out the RGPS Hub on PokerNews here!

Holloway Eliminated One Away From Bubble

Chad Holloway

With 74 players remaining and just 72 getting paid, it was Level 16 (4,000/8,000/8,000) when PokerNews' own Chad Holloway moved all in from early position for 83,000 and was called on the button by Raymond Ezzie.

Chad Holloway:

Raymond Ezzie:

Holloway was in great shape as the board ran out , but then the dealer dropped the on the river, eliminating Holloway in horrific fashion, just two spots away from the money.

Swartz Tries to Burst Bubble With Jack-Four

Bubble boy Ronald Bell.

On Day 2, the money bubble was in full effect when Daniel Swartz got creative trying to burst the bubble as he jammed his big stack from the button into the small stacks in the blinds, getting a caller in Mark Lewandowski for a bit over 100,000.

Once the hands were revealed, the hand everyone in poker is talking about had the chance to burst the bubble.

Mark Lewandowski:

Daniel Swartz:

Indeed, Swartz had jammed the jack-four offsuit, but he had been picked off by aces.

The board ran out , bringing no help to Swartz as Lewandowski's aces held up to survive.

Just one hand later though, Swartz got it in again with another customer in the form of Ronald Bell for roughly another 100,000.

This time it was a straight-up cooler.

Ronald Bell:

Daniel Swartz:

It was Swartz will the aces this time, with Bell running into the worst possible situation for his kings.

The dealer gave him all the help in the world though with a flop of for a straight flush draw. Swartz held the though so a royal flush wouldn't be possible.

The turn and river however quelled the drama, awarding Swartz the pot and eliminating Bell on a very exciting bubble.

Sharelines Check out some of the biggest & game-changing hands from the @RGPokerSeries @JACKClePKR Main Event.
Arrests Made as Texas Poker Club Raided in Middle of $100K Tournament; Players Fined

October 10, 2022 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

On Sunday, the Watauga Social Lounge Poker Club in Watauga, Texas  situated between Fort Worth and Dallas  was raided by local authorities with players being fined and at least half a dozen staff members being arrested and booked in the county jail.

I thought it was security actually because we asked for two security to come in, but I guess they didnt realize we started the tournament at 1 p.m. as they normally come in at 6 p.m. but when they told me to raise my hands I realized it wasnt security, an anonymous staff member told PokerNews.

The room opened in January and even hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended Watauga Mayor Arthur L. Miner. The room was even a stop on PokerNews Texas Road Trip back in March.

Assets Seized

According to a warrant Authorizing the search of a gambling establishment obtained by PokerNews, Tarrant County, authorities were authorized to seize currency, gambling proceeds, financial instruments, and or other items of value  relating to obtaining, transferring, secreting or spending large sums of money made from engaging in specified unlawful activities.

As well as Tickets, papers, bank bags, receipts, money, gift certificates, coupons, credit card receipts showing documentation of entries, add-on plays, dealer/staff appreciation, administrative fees, payoffs, and checks cashed by player.

A look inside the Watauga Social Club.

The warrant, which Judge George Gallagher signed on Friday, October 7, 2022 at 7:55 a.m., more than two days before the execution of the raid, described the venues as: All of the windows for the poker room are  preventing anyone from seeing inside. On either side of the door are large images of playing cards [with] black, blue, and white poker style playing chips, reads

The warrant also indicated that authorities were looking for non-poker related gambling apparatuses such as dice, roulette wheels, video gambling devices, etc. in violation of Texas Penal Code, Chapter 47.

Today the Watauga Poker Club just outside Dallas, Texas was raided. Heres a look at the search warrant that was ex https://t.co/ge7uU4ArSB  Chad Holloway (@ChadAHolloway)

While no other gambling games operated at the venue, authorizes apparently stripped the property which included loading tables, chairs, and other equipment into the back of county trucks.

Tournament Interrupted; Players Fined

The raid occurred during Day 2 of the venues Fall Classic Poker $420 buy-in, $100K GTD Main Event. That tournament featured a $20 optional dealer add-on, offered six starting flights, and had planned to live-stream the final table.

A citation that was issued to players.

The tournament attracted 369 entries who generated a $132,840 prize pool. Day 2 saw 53 players return to action with Randi Lister (942,000), Ethan Wilson (676,000), and Johnny Marlow (626,000) as the big stacks. The raid apparently took place in Level 16 (3,000/6,000/6,000) with 49 players remaining.

Unfortunately, that prize pool, along with an undisclosed amount of cash on hand, was seized by authorities. Making matters worse, all of the players in attendance were each fined a reported $360.

They were also asked the following questions:

How long have you played here?

Are you a member (daily, monthly, yearly)?

How much did you pay to enter the tournament?

What was the breakdown of the entry fee?

Did you tip the dealer $20.00 to receive an additional 15,000 chips for the tournament?

What Are the Best Poker Rooms in Texas?

What Does It Mean?

Watauga Social Lounge is no longer open.

While Watauga isnt the first poker room in Texas to be raided, it is arguably the largest and most well-known. The room is not without controversy, however. Back in February, a poker player claimed to be banned from the room after calling it a rathole and complaining about what he alleged was a hidden rake on add-ons.

As it stands, poker social clubs operate throughout Texas and are subject to primarily city and county authorities. Most law enforcement seems to accept the rooms without much resistance, but raids in certain jurisdictions have occurred.

The raid on Watauga Social Lounge Poker Club comes at a precarious time for poker in Texas as a Dallas lawsuit challenging the operation of Texas Card House is expected to make its way to the states Supreme Court. If it does, the ultimate ruling could set a precedent for all rooms throughout the state.

With funds and assets seized, its safe to assume that Watauga Social Lounge Poker Club will be closed for the foreseeable future if not indefinitely. Owners of the venue have said they will issue a statement in the coming days once they learn more about the charges. PokerNews will have more on this story as it develops.

Sharelines On Sunday, the Watauga Social Lounge Poker Club in Watauga, Texas was raided by local authorities.
Two Poker Pros Say Ian O'Hara Scammed Them Out of Six Figures

October 09, 2022 Connor Richards Editor & Live Reporter U.S.

Yet another controversy has reached the poker world this week as two prominent players accused pro Ian O'Hara of scamming them out of six figures and more recently pocketing thousands of dollars that was supposed to pay for tournament entries.

Former poker pro and commentator Kane Kalas took to Twitter on Oct. 4 to make the allegations, which date back to 2020 and stem from backing arrangements with himself, O'Hara and Jonathan Jaffe.

Scammer Alert: Ian OHara @ianohara2 https://t.co/AZ1gTby1df  Kane Kalas (@KaneKalas)

Find out what Robbi Jade Lew had to say about the HCL controversy on the PokerNews Podcast!

"Fabricating Data" to "Finance His Lifestyle"

In a four-part statement, Kalas alleged that O'Hara, a Florida pro with $4 million in live earnings, according to The Hendon Mob, had reached out to him in 2020 for a tournament and cash game stake "and we entered into a 50/50 staking arrangement."

After "months of consistent losses," he discovered O'Hara was also being staked by fellow pro Jaffe, something that was never disclosed to Kalas.

Part 1 of Kane Kalas' statement on Twitter about Ian O'Hara

While O'Hara wasn't over-selling action, Kalas became suspicious about "the extent of Ian's losses" and the fact that he didn't disclose his staking relationship with Jaffe, both of which he said "raised questions."

"After reviewing the numbers, Jon and I discovered that Ian was reporting conflicting information regarding wins/losses," wrote Kalas. "The discrepancies were far too numerous and egregious to be typos or errors; in fact, there were frequent instances of Ian reporting a game to one of us that was never even reported to the other."

Kalas further alleged that "there were instances of Ian reporting losses that were later verified to be wins."

"It became clear that Ian was fabricating data on the state, in order to finance his lifestyle," he wrote.

All said and done, O'Hara allegedly "scammed us to the tune of a combined mid six-figures."

Kane Kalas alleged Ian O'Hara scammed him and Jonathan Jaffe out of six figures

"A Pattern of Untruthful Behavior"

After becoming aware of the situation, Kalas and Jaffe terminated the stake and confronted O'Hara, who "assured us that he had never done anything like this before but had recently suffered particularly bad circumstances in life."

"He promised to repay us the amount that he had stolen from us and promised there was a 0% chance that anything like this would ever happen again," Kalas wrote. "Ian pleaded with us to not go public with this information and give him time to make things right."

Since they both found O'Hara to be "genuinely remorseful" but were still concerned he "might resort to unethical behavior again in the future," the two agreed to not go public with the information on the condition that O'Hara "make consist payments" to them to pay off his debts and disclose to them "ALL transactional business Ian conducts within poker."

Part 2 of Kane Kalas' statement on Twitter about Ian O'Hara

"For some time, things seemed to be on the up-and-up," wrote Kalas, who noted that O'Hara reported all of his poker transactions and repaid around 40% of his debt.

That changed this week, according to Kalas, who alleged that "Ian recently sold action for the Poker Masters tournament series, which he never disclosed to me and Jon."

Kalas further claimed that O'Hara didn't even play in the Poker Masters events, but rather "sold action, sent screenshots of old tournament ticket receipts along with pictures of a random stack in the tournament, then claimed he had busted."

Jonathan Jaffe

"He lied about playing the tournament in order to pocket the action," said Kalas. "At this point, Ian has demonstrated a pattern of untruthful, manipulative, and destructive behavior."

Kalas said he believed O'Hara to be "truly remorseful" but added that "it is now clear that his remorse fails to outweigh his selfishly opportunistic tendencies" and "strongly advise(d) against doing business with Ian."

O'Hara Comes Clean

O'Hara made no effort to deny Kalas' allegations. In fact, he replied to Kalas tweet on Oct. 5 and said he was "very sorry to all I have (affected) with my decisions."

"I made these choices on my own and I must now face the consequences," O'Hara wrote. "I will do everything in my power to rectify the situation as much as possible. I will do better in every aspect of life moving forward."

@KaneKalas Im very sorry to all I have effected with my decisions. I made these choices on my own and I must now f https://t.co/IkN50HmbNo  Ian G. OHara (@ianohara2)

A handful of poker players said they were sad to see the allegations against O'Hara, including Doug Polk, who said he "liked Ian from our few interactions and he seemed like an upstanding guy."

Brandon Shack-Harris agreed that O'Hara "seems like a talented kid" but thanked Kalas "for bringing it to the communities attention."

Shaun Deeb, who had previously been publicly critical of O'Hara, was less sympathetic and said he "feel(s) bad for his (O'Hara's) most recent scammed people."

"But this is why you don't let people rob Peter to pay Paul," Deeb tweeted.

O'Hara is a regular at both the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and World Poker Tour (WPT). His biggest score came in 2015 in a $25,400 High Roller at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open in Hollywood, FL, where he finished second for $527,313 after a heads-up deal with Jason Mercier.

O'Hara did not respond to a request for comment from PokerNews at the time of publication.
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Actually, Trump left Jimmy Carter out of his demand. Nice of him. But he did ask when DOJ was going to investigate every other living president.

From Mediaite:

At his Saturday rally in Nevada, ex-president Donald Trump spent a lot of time telling the crowd that former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Barack Obama  not to mention Hillary Clinton  were all much worse about retaining documents, and that the Mar-a-Lago raid and subsequent investigations are a hoax.

When will they investigate and prosecute Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, George Bush, and look into what took place with George Bushs father, a very nice man, asked Trump rhetorically. And what about Barack Hussein Obama? They should give me back everything that theyve taken, he added.

Trump either cannot understand the distinction between presidential libraries and his scenario or is incapable of seeing the difference because it ruins his excuse.

Barack Hussein Obama moved more than 20 truckloads, over 33 million pages of documents, both classified and unclassified, to a poorly built and unsafe former furniture store located in a bad neighborhood in Chicago. With no security, by the way,

No. Barack Hussein Obama (Trump loves his open racism) didnt move anything. Obama didnt assert any ownership and didnt pick which documents would be taken. The federal government, through the National Archives, did it in contemplation of going into the Obama museum, which becomes a federal repository the moment it is complete, and the documents still dont belong to Obama, never did, and never will.

Trump has always believed that everyone sees the world the way he does and everyone shares his values and outlook. He fundamentally cannot understand why a president wouldnt assert ownership of what they want coming out of the White House.

Trump also complained that other ex-presidents get treated with deference, and they take a long time negotiating who gets what. To the extent thats true, Trump failed to notice that he was given over a year and a half and the National Archives did all but raid Mar-a-Lago, pressing to get the files back lawfully. They are still telling Trumps attorneys that they dont believe Trump has given them all back.

Again, it all gets back to Trumps need to be a victim and his belief that everyone is the same as him in what they care about. He probably sincerely believes that other presidents wanted to keep super-secret files in order to use in the future and did get to keep them.

Trump wants to know when will they prosecute Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, George Bush(and look into his father), and what about Obama pic.twitter.com/OqHSQ36ozO  Acyn (@Acyn) October 9, 2022
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The Justice Department is talking to Trump lawyer Christina Bobb about the false certification that she signed that all classified documents had been returned.

NBC News reported:

Christina Bobb, the attorney who signed a letter certifying that all sensitive records in former President Donald Trumps possession had been returned to the government, spoke to federal investigators Friday and named two other Trump attorneys involved with the case, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The certification statement, signed June 3 by Bobb, indicated that Trump was in compliance with a May grand jury subpoena and no longer had possession of a host of documents with classification markings at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, according to the three sources who do not want to comment publicly because of the sensitive nature of the sprawling federal investigation.

Trump world is insisting that Bobb is not criminally liable because she signed the certification based on information provided to her by another Trump lawyer.

The situation is that whoever allowed Trump to put the lie into writing that all of the documents had been returned is likely in hot water. The odds are that Trump lied to his lawyers, and instead of confirming the information for themselves, someone on Trumps legal team put the lie into writing. Bobb signed the document, but she had concerns and had the document revised twice, and now the DOJ is investigating who lied to them.

Trumps lawyers need lawyers, as the government documents case is so rife with potential illegality that it may swallow up the Trump legal team.
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John Fetterman drew a crowd of 1,203 people in Bucks County, PA, and Dr. Oz drew a dozen people for an event in Philadelphia.

Here is the Fetterman crowd in Bucks County on Sunday:

Bucks County! 1,230 of you on a beautiful Sunday. I'm so grateful  And look, I swear I didnt plan this  but if you look across the river, you can literally see NJ aka The Land of Oz. pic.twitter.com/pAGHLd23vl  John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 9, 2022

Here is Oz in Philadelphia:

So much energy in Philly today! pic.twitter.com/0jXcffbwXS  Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) October 9, 2022

The Fetterman campaign noted in a statement to PoliticusUSA, In the weeks after the Montgomery County rally, Fetterman has drawn crowds of 1,043 in Scranton, 500 in Indiana, 609 in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, 1,025 in the Lehigh Valley, over 600 in the pouring rain in Pittsburgh, 838 in deep-red York, and yesterdays massive turnout of 1,230 in Bucks CountyIn the same period of time, Dr. Oz has not held a single public event with a large crowd. He fundraised in Florida, appeared in front of Hitlers car in California, and held a small event in Franklin County, but otherwise, has only been seen with a handful of people at a time.

Oz has only done small events. For example, in Indiana, PA, Fetterman drew more than 500 people for a rally while Oz walked through a local restaurant. This pattern has been playing out across Pennsylvania. Oz has not held large-scale events, probably because they dont think their candidate can draw a crowd.

The media keeps suggesting that the Pennsylvania Senate race is a toss-up, but the polls and events on the ground indicate that John Fetterman is winning.

Because of partisan polarization, the election might not be a blowout, but there is nothing to suggest that Dr. Oz is winning in Pennsylvania.
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One of the most tedious things about following the dangerous Trump movement is keeping watch over rallies. One gets a sense of the drift of the movement, but it takes watching a lot of repetitive speeches. Not last night, though. Sundays Arizona rally spun off course very early, leaving the rest of the speech practically uncovered as the Democratic commentariat sorted out what just happened.

As said, it happened early in the speech. Trump admitted to the crime in front of thousands and on camera:

Trump: I had a small number of boxes in storage There is no crime. They should give me immediately back everything they have taken from me because its mine. pic.twitter.com/nSR2MjmAMk  Acyn (@Acyn) October 10, 2022

Its meaning was easily absorbed by one of Americas most experienced and elite prosecutors:

This is what we call a summation exhibit.

Proof from the defendants own mouth. And on video. https://t.co/896a89GJdj  Andrew Weissmann  (@AWeissmann_) October 10, 2022

It may seem as though Trump has said such before. But no, not in those clear, unequivocal words, and his attorneys have sidestepped possession of the files the entire time, with one bad exception. Regardless, he said more.

After claiming the documents are his, he circles back to say some are planted:

Oh my god. He is utterly crazed tonight. He is making it so the DOJ has zero choice but to indict him. Spewing out dangerously insane nonsense and lies on a topic he shouldnt be saying a word about. His lawyers must want to choke himoh wait they are incompetent imbeciles. https://t.co/NWilh1nsiY  Spiro Agnews Ghost (@SpiroAgnewGhost) October 10, 2022

It seemed as though that last night, Trump wanted to get out ahead of possible criminal charges by setting them out publicly. Remember, Trump believes that if he does it openly in front of the cameras, it is not a crime.

He made himself the victim without looking at what hed said:

Trump: Just look at how every other President has been treated when they left office. Theyve been treated beautifully. All they need to do is leave office.. pic.twitter.com/oypZ417OI6  Acyn (@Acyn) October 10, 2022

He continues to make absurd claims about the law.

THE EXACT OPPOSITE IS LITERALLY TRUE. He must know he is 100% fucked in this casethe stuff they seized must be off the charts bad. https://t.co/HeKI8NToxd  Spiro Agnews Ghost (@SpiroAgnewGhost) October 10, 2022

But at that point, coverage of the actual rally all but stopped as people absorbed what just happened:

As I've long said, his pronouns are I/me/mine. https://t.co/6btF8XrB9h  George Conway (@gtconway3d) October 10, 2022

He admitted stealing documents and they cheered. https://t.co/oRZSo0zybC  Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) October 10, 2022

There is more than ample evidence to indict Trump for crimes listed in the FBI search warrant. The question will come down to aggravating factors for Garland DOJ to consider. Outrageous, open defiance of the law  like this  must surely rank high among those factors. https://t.co/KXQgQlpJzc  Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) October 10, 2022

I am so confused. My dad enjoyed a good Chinese meal and enjoyed the challenge of 7 10 split. What the heck is up with you? https://t.co/LT1jET2kor  Jeb Bush (@JebBush) October 10, 2022

BREAKING  At his Arizona rally today, Trump was totally unhinged, telling the FBI to give him back the Mar-a-Lago documents they took back, because "it's mine". Merrick Garland: Book him already!!  CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) October 10, 2022

Trump has essentially confessed to stealing nuclear documents by accusing the FBI of planting nuclear documents. https://t.co/8jXx1L0Sh0  Duty To Warn  (@duty2warn) October 10, 2022

As you can see, this was not just another rally. Trump exhibited more fear, more insanity, and more desperation than at any point in his public life. The above is nothing more than a sample. It stopped the Left in its tracks on Twitter.
Hope is what people will see as they take a walk down The Alley in downtown Aiken.

The Overflow Foundation has placed a new mural in downtown Aiken as a way to raise awareness and prevention on mental health and suicide. The project is part of the organization's effort to decrease the stigma often associated with both.

It was where our son kind of got his music career off the ground ... playing Amp the Alley on Thursday evenings," said Terry Lee, Overflow Foundation founder and executive director. So it is very special to us in being able to put a mural down there.

The mural is located between Lionel Smith Ltd. clothing store and Aiken Brewing Company.

The mural will also have a QR Code with the new 988 hotline number, so people can scan if they are dealing with a mental health issue or seeking help.

The 988 number is the new suicide and mental illness number in South Carolina for people to call.

The Overflow Foundation was founded by Lee in 2019 while she was grieving the loss of her eldest son, Phillip Lee Jr. After being diagnosed with substance use disorder and bipolar disorder, he died by suicide on Sept. 6, 2018.

The mission of the organization is to raise awareness about suicide, mental illness and spreading the message of hope.

Lee decided to do a mural after seeing the love mural on Newberry Street.

The mural was painted by April Henry King, who had a personal connection to Phillip Lee Jr.

The artist remembers how he was friends with her and her husband and would listen to him sing at a coffee shop in Augusta. As way to cope, she painted a picture of him.

She said Phillip Lee Jr. would be happy she did the mural because he loved her artwork and mentioned it before he died.

She said Terry Lee came up with the message, while she came up with the visual elements to the mural. The message is spiritual and also can speak to those dealing with any issues.

It is going to be so helpful to people that are having some of the issues he was having, she said.

Lee said the goal of the mural is to point people to hope and that things are going to be OK with hope.

It is a mural with a greater purpose, Lee said.
Caitlin Ashworth is a crime reporter for The Post and Courier in Columbia. She spent several years in Thailand before moving to South Carolina.
A local group that has greatly influenced recent Charleston County School Board races has endorsed eight candidates in next months election, though an equal number in the crowded field said they intentionally ignored inquiries from the Charleston Coalition for Kids.

The coalition organized four years ago. Of the nine candidates it backed in the past two elections, six won board seats.

Our slate represents the strongest people in every single race, said Dustin Daniels, the coalitions new executive director. They pass the eye test, they pass the credentials test, they pass the passion test.

The coalition began reaching out to the field of more than 30 candidates in late August with a request to complete a questionnaire, continuing with requests to interview some. Half of all candidates did not complete the survey, Daniels said. At least eight  a quarter of those running  told The Post and Courier that they declined to respond because of their opposition to the group.

Those opponents say the poor engagement could be a sign the coalitions power is waning. Daniels said his organization is just introducing itself to the community and that the coalition had no problem filling its slate: all eight candidates offered the groups endorsement accepted, he said.

The nonprofit group's mission on its federal tax form states: "We advocate for changes to unlock the power of public education for every student. We identify qualified school board members and hold them accountable for change we know is possible."

Its stated purpose is to work to inform school board members on key policy issues related to educating all children and build public awareness around school board elections. The coalition says that it "recruits, identifies and supports qualified candidates" running for the Charleston County School Board.

Coalition for Kids launched five months before the 2018 election and had a successful first year. It endorsed four candidates. All four won.

The coalition is supported by entrepreneur and Meeting Street Schools founder Ben Navarro along with other funders who have chosen to remain anonymous, as is allowed by South Carolina law.

In 2020, Coalition for Kids backed five candidates in Charleston County. Two won. In that election cycle, the group spent more to support its slate than all other candidates combined, records show.

This years race is different.

Gov. Henry McMaster in 2020 signed a bill assigning the Charleston school board into single-member districts instead of at-large seats. All nine board positions are up for grabs.

Three incumbents are still on the ballot, with the coalition endorsing two of those.

Vying for board control

The coalition recommends electing Keith Grybowski in District 1, Grace Bouldin Cowan in District 2, Ashley Peele in District 3, Courtney Waters (incumbent) in District 4, Eric Thome in District 6, Jen Mieras in District 7, Helen Davis-Frazier (incumbent) in District 8, and Graham Smith in District 9. The coalition did not endorse any candidates in the District 5 race.

Grybowski also is endorsed by the Charleston County Republican Party and the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, making him one of two candidates to be endorsed by three of the four groups that have released broad slates. The other is the Charleston County Democratic Party.

District 6 candidate Lee Runyon also received three endorsements, from both county political parties and Moms for Liberty.

The Democratic and Republican parties also both endorsed Kevin Hollinshead in District 4 and Darlene Dunmeyer in District 8.

Moms for Liberty, a conservative parent group known for advocating against COVID-19 mask policies and vaccine mandates in schools across the country, did not respond to a request for comment. In addition to Grybowski and Runyon, the group also endorsed Ed Kelley in District 2, Pam McKinney in District 3, Carlotte Bailey in District 5, Leah Whatley in District 7, Travis Bedson in District 8 and Forrest Bjork in District 9. They did not endorse any candidates in District 4.

Along with Moms for Liberty, the GOP also endorsed Bailey, Bjork and Kelley.

Other than Grybowski, Coalition for Kids endorsed candidates are not backed by the other groups.

Aside from its slate and others who responded to its questionnaire, Daniels said some candidates tried to negotiate with the coalition, asking to meet and talk instead of filling out the survey.

The Post and Courier reached out to all 32 candidates. Of those, 19 responded that they had received the survey. Eight said they declined to fill it out because they disagreed with the coalitions politics. Two said it was because they werent answering any groups surveys during this years increasingly partisan election.

Runyon said he received the survey and chose not to complete it or seek the groups endorsement.

While I do know several Charlestonians who have supported CFK, and I believe those I know to be well intentioned, collectively CFK as an organization does not resonate with me, Runyon said. I have observed their group's divisive work in Charleston education and its politics since their inception  and see no improvements as a result of their efforts.

The coalition endorsed Thome in the District 6 race. He was one of the organizations founding members and said he was proud of the work the coalition had done in the community. He expected to receive their support.

"I believe in the coalitions mission to support board members that will put students first and will work to ensure quality education outcomes for all students," Thome said.

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Waters in District 4 previously received the coalition's support and has again accepted its endorsement.

"I'll continue to work with any organization that believes all children deserve opportunity and that leadership and strong governance create conditions to narrow the gap in opportunity that exists for over half our system," Waters said.

Leah Whatley, in District 7, said she turned down all political surveys.

I wish to avoid the polarizing issue that seems to follow the political parties these days. As I am sure youre aware, CFK also seems to have that affect (sic), she said. I am genuinely running to serve my community. I am attempting to avoid the noise that would cloud my true intentions.

Responding to criticism

Daniels said the coalition operates similarly to South Carolina member-based organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, but undergoes much more scrutiny.

The coalition has been pegged as this organization that's doing something wrong or doing something unethically, and that's just, in my opinion, unequivocally false, he said. If folks want to be super critical of how we operate, just keep that same energy about the same organizations that I mentioned.

Daniels said the coalition has chosen not to disclose their donors to prevent unfair public scrutiny during this heightened sort of partisan environment. He declined to say who was on the coalitions selection committee.

Sarah Shad Johnson, a District 2 candidate endorsed by the local Democratic Party, is an education advocate who has rallied against the coalition since previously participating in its questionnaire and interview process.

Johnson said she received an unsigned email from the coalition on Sept. 8. After inquiries about who was sending the survey went unanswered, Johnson chose not to complete it.

I do not want the support of an anonymous group that has spent an unlimited amount of untraceable dollars to influence our school board elections and school district, she said.

The coalition endorsed Grace Bouldin Cowan in District 2. She did not respond to an email about this story.

Daniels said he believes his groups most outspoken adversaries, such as Johnson, are people who previously wanted its support.

I think there are candidates like that who, for whatever reason, sought our support and didn't receive it in the past and so they have a little bit of an ax to grind, Daniels said.

Johnson disputed that. She said she participated in their process when she ran for school board in 2018  before she knew the full scope of the organizations goals and operations. Johnson lost that race. She also unsuccessfully ran for the school board in 2014, though she was elected to the District 2 constituent board in 2016.

Chance to tell our own story

Daniels knows he is stepping in to lead the Charleston Coalition for Kids during a tumultuous time  right before an incredibly unique election, while the district searches for a new superintendent and after distrust has grown about his group.

It is fair to say that the coalition hasn't done a good job of telling its own story, he said. That's what I am coming in to change. We're going to tell our own story.

But Daniels rebukes the idea that Charlestonians dont trust the coalition. He said that most people still dont know who they are. Thats why he views this year as an educational opportunity for the community to learn more about the coalition.

If people knew and understood, I think that we'd have a lot of a lot of support, he said.

Since last summer, Daniel worked for a year as a consultant for Charleston County School Districts Acceleration Schools. He officially moved to Charleston this summer. In the consulting job, he said he forged strong bonds that he hopes will be valuable in his new role  and gained insight into what needs to change at CCSD.

He mentioned that some CCSD administrators have been promoted out of loyalty instead of qualifications, and as a result, are out of touch with the education world outside of Charleston.

Thats why new leadership on the board is essential, Daniels said  change starts at the top.

The election is Nov. 8.

Editor's note: A version of this story was posted online and was temporarily removed. It has been republished following additional reporting and editing.
A Charleston restaurant that keeps a reservation waitlist of thousands at any given time is offering a full night of tables to a certain sect of guests.

American Express card-holders will get an exclusive chance to book reservations at FIG for one day only. The booking process starts at 10 a.m. Oct. 11, and the reservations can be cashed in on Nov. 1.

It's part of a nationwide initiative that offers special access to around 200 in-demand restaurants that use booking service Resy.

FIG is one of the featured restaurants in Charleston. Others across the United States include Trivoli Tavern in Chicago, L'Artusi in New York City and Elephante in Los Angeles.

Exploring new restaurants and dining out continues to be something our card members really enjoy, said Stacy Poritzky, vice president of enterprise brand and marketing strategy at American Express. With FIG being one of the most popular restaurants on Resy in Charleston, we are excited to provide card members with additional access to this beloved spot.

FIG owner and James Beard Award-winning chef Mike Lata said he hopes locals who have been waiting for a reservation to open up will be able to snag this opportunity.

He added that the restaurant typically does not offer deals like this, but many of the restaurant's guests are American Express holders, so he found it fitting.

"Given the popularity of American Express with our guests I think I wouldnt sleep on making a reservation for Nov. 1," he said. "Theres sure to be a wait list."

Lata opened FIG in 2003, and the restaurant has since received a laudable reputation, booking out months in advance for locals and tourists alike. The dining experience offers premium hospitality in a not overly formal setting.

Certainly the red walls, leather benches, white tablecloths and low lighting lend themselves to a certain atmosphere. But Lata said the focus is all on creating the best possible experience and dishes to match.

"We're the kind of restaurant that is not pretentious, but your expectations are exceeded," said Lata. "We focus on the level of comfort, hospitality and food quality."

The daily changing menu hones in on the freshest, most local ingredients to really showcase Charleston's flavors of nature, from oysters and fish to collard greens and okra. Carolina gold rice and locally foraged King Trumpet mushrooms have recently marked the menu, along with South Carolina coastal catches, like shrimp, triggerfish, grouper and snapper.

Nov. 1 will be just another typical day at the restaurant, but with a special gift for guests upon entry. It's business as usual.

"On this particular day, if we tried to outdo ourselves, wed have a better chance of messing it up," said Lata. "We always strive to make sure everything anyone has exceeds their expectations and gives them an idea of what the palette of Charleston has to offer."

Almost 20 years in at FIG, Lata said he stays inspired by the great chefs and staff that surrounds him as they continue to grow and develop their own creative skills in the kitchen.

"We're a locals restaurant in a tourist town," said Lata. "The secret got out at some point, so now it's enjoyed by both parties. People come from all over the world to eat at our humble little restaurant, and we have an obligation to them, the craft and our team to stay inspired."

When asked what guests should order, Lata said he usually asks them to close their eyes and place their finger down on the menu.

"Go with where it landed, and be confident you'll enjoy it," he said.

Reservations go live at 10 a.m. Oct. 11 for American Express holders at resy.com/amexmemberweek.
GREENVILLE  The Salvation Army uses four words  doing the most good  to describe its commitment to wisely spend every dollar donated toward its mission of helping those in need.

Those same four words are part of the title of a new Upcountry History Museum exhibit. It tells the story of the Salvation Armys 118-year history in the Upstate, a history that began in 1904 with a religious message and music shared under a tent at Brown and Washington streets.

Among the photographs and memorabilia on display are uniforms and hats, musical instruments and songbooks from religious services, and a red kettle, one of the nonprofits most recognizable fundraising vehicles. The items came from the Salvation Army of Greenvilles archives and the Salvation Army Southern Historical Center at Evangeline Booth College in Atlanta.

Weve tried to give a timeline and highlights of the things that they do within the community, said Kristina Hornback, the museums curator of collections.

Parts of the exhibition also show how the Salvation Army began in England with Methodist minister William Booth, how it came to the United States, and how it uses military terminology and structures to carry out its mission.

The Salvation Armys impact in Greenville goes back to its opening of the Bruner Home for orphaned and abandoned children in 1917. In 1921, it established the Emma Moss Booth Memorial Hospital, which became Saint Francis Hospital when it was sold 10 years later. It formed the Red Shield Boys Club  it included girls in its various activities  in 1938 with the help of local candy manufacturer, P.D. Medors. The club was the precursor to todays Boys & Girls Club.

Now operating out of its area command offices at 417 Rutherford St., as well as service centers in Pickens and Oconee counties, the Salvation Army helps about 200 families a month with rent and utilities.

It provides weekly services at its two Corps, the name given to its churches. One on Rutherford Street ministers primarily to homeless citizens. The other operates in the Kroc Center on Westfield Street. The community center, which also houses the Boys & Girls Club, was built in 2011 after Joan Kroc bequeathed $1.6 billion to the Salvation Army for 26 community centers across the country.

Doing the Most Good  The Salvation Army in Greenville runs through Feb. 5, and comes ahead of a capital campaign thats in the planning stages. Expected to kick off sometime in 2023, it has a $9 million fundraising goal to build new facilities at the Salvation Armys Rutherford Street campus.

Were just excited about the fact that we have this opportunity to help the community to recognize how much the Salvation Army has been a part of the Greenville network, said Maj. Andrew Kelly, area commander of The Salvation Army of Greenville.

The Upcountry History Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit upcountryhistory.org.
A rash of threatening calls that locked down more than a dozen South Carolina schools on Oct. 5 will become part of a federal investigation into similar hoaxes being perpetrated across the country, authorities told The Post and Courier.

Since Sept. 9, false reports of active shooters at schools have been made in at least 19 states and the District of Columbia, according to news reports compiled by the National Association of School Resource Officers.

An FBI field office is leading a national investigation into the false reports, which appear to share commonalities across the different states, according to sources familiar with the case.

For instance, a wave of active-shooter reports Sept. 21 caused lockdowns in more than a dozen school districts in Minnesota, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. All of the reports there were similar in nature  calls from an internet-based phone number with an out-of-state area code, the newspaper reported.

A total of 17 "swatting" incidents were reported Sept. 21 to state authorities, said Bonney Bowman, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Bowman said Minnesota investigators believe South Carolina was targeted by the same person, or persons, that disrupted schools in the North Star State.

"The person or persons who called said there was an active shooter at the school and often named a specific school room," Bowman said. "Our agents checked and it appears the individual and method is the same in (South Carolina) as the incidents here in Minnesota."

Minnesota investigators believe one person was responsible for the calls, but it is possible that several people used voice modulators to sound the same, Bowman said. She said they have not had any similar swatting incidents since Sept. 21.

Active shooter hoaxes also targeted schools in other states that week, including clusters of reports in Ohio and Louisiana.

On Oct. 5, at least 17 schools were impacted in South Carolina. The first false report appeared to have been made at Burke High School in Charleston, but calls then began coming in for public schools across the state.

Most agencies responding to the chaos did not need to call in off-duty personnel or deploy additional resources such as a SWAT team, authorities said. The incident didn't incur extra costs for the agencies, they added.

Some departments, however, deployed extra team members, fearing the worst. More than 80 law enforcement officers responded to Beaufort High School, including off-duty special agents from the SWAT, bomb and K-9 teams, said Beaufort County Maj. Angela Viens.

"While the incident demanded a large response, we do not put a price or cost on public safety," she said.

Beaufort Police Chief Dale McDorman called any extra money spent a "minor issue," considering it was for children's safety, he said.

The Anderson County Sheriff's Office also sent a SWAT team to help clear classrooms inside Robert Anderson Middle School, spokeswoman Shale Remien said. The hoax call came only days after the anniversary of a 2016 school shooting at Townville Elementary School, bringing back painful memories for residents.

On Oct. 7, Gov. Henry McMaster asked the State Law Enforcement Division to review how local law enforcement agencies responded to the hoax and determine best practices for future responses.

"We must use this unfortunate event to identify all of our strengths and vulnerabilities and address any gaps identified to ensure that our children, teachers and staff are safe at school," he wrote in a letter.

Officials for several local law enforcement agencies declined to answer questions about the nature of the Oct. 5 hoax calls. A Charleston County spokeswoman said city police have requested that the county's 911 Center not release recordings of the calls. Charleston police Inspector Mike Gillooly said he could not answer questions about the threatening calls due to "the sensitivity of the active investigations."

Sgt. Brittany Hart from Richland County Sheriff's Department said the hoax active shooter call that led to the evacuation of Blythewood High School appeared to be coming from the school. She declined to answer further questions, but the department released a recording Oct. 10 of the false threat.

A man with a thick accent, who claims his name is "Robert Paul," repeatedly states that there is an active shooter at Blythewood High during the nearly three-minute call.

He tells the dispatcher he is in room 118, located on the second floor of the school. He says a white male suspect has shot several students in a classroom next door.

"He is still there," the caller says, breathing heavily. "He's trying to shoot more students."

The call sounds similar to others obtained by National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, which published a story Oct. 8 about the national trend. Odette Yousef, NPR's domestic extremism correspondent, said she obtained recordings of false active shooter calls that were made within days of each other in Virginia, Minnesota and Ohio.

As in the Richland County call, a man with a heavy accent is heard in those calls repeatedly claiming there is an active shooter in the local school. In all the calls, the man's voice is staticky and sometimes difficult to understand.

Chesterfield County Deputy Chief Chris Page said two phony active shooter calls caused brief lockdowns around noon Oct. 5 at Chesterfield and Central high schools. Page said they sent the recordings to SLED agents, who said the calls made across the state appeared to be from the same person. He said his investigators were split on whether the calls were live or prerecorded. He said there seemed to be two different speakers in the calls made in Chesterfield County.

"We're hoping SLED might be able to track them down through their technology," Page said.

He said they did not get any further hoax calls after Oct. 5, but other counties have not been so lucky.

Beaufort County authorities were sent scrambling Oct. 6 due to two new and unrelated threats of violence that temporarily placed a couple of schools in the county on lockdown.

Battery Creek High School went into lockdown at the start of the school day as the Sheriff's Office investigated a report of an armed student on campus, per a sheriffs advisory. Deputies determined the suspect  a 14-year-old boy  had carried a gun to school the previous day. He was taken into custody by the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Roughly 30 minutes after the day had ended at Whale Branch Middle School, the campus was put under lockdown. Beaufort County deputies investigated a reported threat of gun violence, which proved unfounded, per another advisory.

Viens said investigators do not believe the threat of gun violence made against the middle school, which was placed by a caller outside the county, came from the same source as the Oct. 5 swatting.

On Oct. 10, the Richland County Sheriffs Department responded to another hoax shooting call at Lower Richland School, located in a rural area of southeastern Richland County outside Columbia. The school was placed on lockdown for the remainder of the school day.

The FBI is working with local and state law enforcement agencies to determine how many hoax phone calls were made in South Carolina, but it was at least a dozen, said Kevin Wheeler, spokesman for the agency's Columbia field office.

He declined to comment on specifics of the investigation, including a claim made last week by McMaster that the calls may be coming from another country.

"The FBI does not comment on what evidence is obtained in investigative matters," Wheeler said.

U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs said in a statement she could not comment on the hoax calls, but added that her office takes threats to children seriously.

"Every young person deserves a safe space to learn and grow," she said.

It is a federal crime to transmit violent threats across state lines.

In June, a 22-year-old Belton man was charged in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina with sending threatening messages by fax and email to several schools in Anderson County. A federal judge ordered a psychiatric exam last month for the man.

Ema Rose Schumer and Jocelyn Grzeszczak contributed to this report from Charleston.
U.S. Sen Lindsey Graham called for increases to the military budget to pay for a host of items, from more Navy ships and Air Force flight crews to better starting pay to address recruiting shortfalls and technology spending to develop better weapons using artificial intelligence.

South Carolina's senior senator was in the region Oct. 10 to meet with a group of business executives, military officers and local elected officials to discuss defense needs and the economy. Before speaking at a Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce luncheon in North Charleston, the Upstate Republican visited Folly Beach to see erosion caused by Hurricane Ian.

Graham said the best way to deter war with other nations is convince them they could never win.

"I want to rebuild our military. It's been a long, hard war on terror and our military needs are not lessening. They're actually growing," Graham said, adding that he hopes Congress will pass a new funding bill in December before new members are sworn in.

Graham also called for the U.S. to keep sending weapons and economic aid to Ukraine. He said he also is pushing for increased sanctions against Russia and Vladimir Putin, including classifying Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Graham said he soon will visit The Hague for a meeting to discuss how the U.S. can provide evidence to prosecute Russian generals and soldiers for war crimes.

"Helping Ukraine is in our own interest. Putin will not stop in Ukraine. If you don't believe me, listen to his own speeches," Graham said. "No problem here at home gets better if Putin wins in Ukraine. ... From an American point of view, you pay now or you pay later."

A spike in food prices caused by the loss of another planting season in Ukraine and rising gas prices because OPEC decided to cut production are likely to lead to a recession, Graham said. He expects a "blowout year" in the midterms, predicting Republicans will take back the Senate and hold at least a 30-seat majority in the House.

In that scenario, he said, the first order of business ought to be meeting with Biden about border security.

Graham said the Chamber of Commerce meeting was a chance for him to hear what local officials think he ought to be doing in Washington and discuss the local needs of the military. But that discussion occurred behind closed doors.

Graham took questions from reporters before the luncheon. Following his opening remarks, reporters were asked to leave the room before he took questions from the audience.

"Moving to closed press allows for a honest and frank discussion among the attendees. Not every attendee wants their question or thoughts to be the subject of a news report," Graham spokesman Kevin Bishop said in an email. "Its always a balancing act, but we feel that we are more open than most elected officials."

Before the meeting, Graham joined U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Isle of Palms, and Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin to see the condition of the dunes and beach in the wake of the recent hurricane. With high tide coming just before 9 a.m., there wasn't much beach to see. The Army Corps of Engineers is working on its analysis of sand loss at beaches across the state.

Graham said he and Mace are working with federal agencies to try to resolve problems around taking sand from a nearby river to place on the beach instead of pumping it in from the ocean floor.

Anything that affects the South Carolina coast affects the whole state, he said, calling the area the state's "cash cow." The beach should be considered critical infrastructure just like roads and sewers, he said.

Visitors to coastal counties in the Palmetto State spent almost $10 billion, or almost twice as much as they did in every other part of the state in 2019.

Graham said he believes climate change is real and should be reflected in plans for the coast, but he doesn't want to destroy the economy to save the environment.

"We do need to realize that, I think we're going to have have more weather events and the oceans are actually rising. We can deal with that, but we've got to have a plan," he said. "Denial is not a plan. The Green New Deal sucks. So somewhere in between there is where I want to be."

Graham said he will push for federal emergency funding for Hurricane Ian when Congress reconvenes next month.
An Upstate Army veteran charged with storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, wants his case dismissed, arguing that prosecuting him for his mere presence inside the Capitol violates the First Amendments free-speech protections.

If the charges must go forward, Derek Cooper Gunby has asked for his upcoming trial to be moved to Greenville from Washington, D.C. He claims jurors in the nation's capital are biased against him because of his devotion to former President Donald Trump and their own loyalty to the Democratic Party.

Those requests, made in a barrage of recent court filings by Gunbys defense attorney, are unlikely to be granted, based on a Post and Courier review of hundreds of other Jan. 6 cases.

But the Oct. 7 filings underscore the Anderson natives commitment to fighting the four misdemeanor charges the Department of Justice filed against him in August 2021. And they reveal much about his strategy ahead of an expected December trial.

Gunby, 42, stands alone among South Carolinas 16 Capitol defendants. Nine of them have already pleaded guilty to participating in the historic assault on the seat of U.S. democracy by Trump supporters who erroneously believed the 2020 presidential election was stolen. One more, Citadel cadet Elias Irizarry, plans to plead guilty later this month.

Seven have been sentenced, with four getting prison time ranging from 14 days to 44 months. Six others are still weighing the charges against them, most of which were filed in recent months.

But only Gunby has rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors and vowed to take on the federal government in a trial.

Gunby has never denied his participation in the Jan. 6 uprising, though he stresses he is not accused of assaulting police or vandalizing the Capitol, as many other defendants are. In social media posts since the riot, he has spread unfounded conspiracies that Black Lives Matter and the FBI infiltrated the crowd that day and instigated the violence on police.

The people stayed peaceful. I dont care what the media is telling you," Gunby said on a livestream after the riot.

In recent legal filings, Gunbys lawyer argues the case should be thrown out because Gunby had a right to protest that day as Congress met to formally certify Democrat Joe Bidens election victory.

The Capitol is open to the public, Harvard-educated attorney John Pierce wrote. The California lawyer claimed prosecuting Gunby chills the free speech, advocacy rights and petitioning rights of every American, in violation of the First Amendment.

Pierce also asserted Gunby wasnt trespassing in the Capitol because no one stopped him from entering the building, and no signage warned him he wasnt allowed there.

Pierce, a Jan. 6 conspiracy theorist himself who is representing nearly two dozen Capitol defendants, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But so far, Jan. 6 defendants havent had much luck fighting their charges.

Nearly 400 of the more than 870 defendants have pleaded guilty. Of the 19 to go to trial, 18 were convicted, according to a database maintained by George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism.

Just one, a Trump supporter from New Mexico, was acquitted after an April 2022 bench trial. In that case, the Trump-appointed judge wasnt convinced the defendant knew he wasnt allowed to be inside the Capitol.

Gunby appears to have adopted this defense.

If a judge refuses to dismiss the case, Gunby wants a jury trial in Greenville instead of Washington, Pierce wrote in court filings.

Echoing arguments from other Jan. 6 defendants, Pierce wrote that nearly 96 percent of Washington, D.C., residents voted against Trump in 2016 and nearly 95 percent voted against him in 2020. One-third of the districts residents are employed by the government, he wrote. Washington residents view Jan. 6 as an attack on themselves, Pierce said, and have been exposed to heightened levels of media attention focusing on the Capitol incident.

Defendants have a constitutional right to a trial by a jury of their peers. But the D.C. jury pool are the peers of the prosecutor rather than the defendant, Pierce wrote.

Gunby, no doubt, believes he would face better odds in a trial with jurors drawn from across South Carolina, where Trump won by nearly 12 percentage points in 2020.

The effort is a long shot, Pierce conceded in a recent hearing.

Such transfers of venue are rare. Federal judges have yet to approve one in a Jan. 6 case  shooting down requests from at least 14 defendants so far.

Gunby has a backup plan if the request is denied. He will ask for a bench trial, putting his fate in the hands of a single judge rather than a Washington jury.

In an online plea for donations to fund his legal defense, Gunby said he had fired his public defender and secured an attorney "willing to go up against this tyrannical government overreach." The page has so far raised $5,100.
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WALTERBORO  A 42-year-old Summerville man was given three life sentences for crimes committed across the Lowcountry, including a man's murder just last month at his Cottageville home.

In a remarkably swift application of justice, Circuit Judge Carmen T. Mullen sentenced Richard Brian Campodonico on Oct. 10 to serve two sentences of life without parole after he pleaded guilty to fatally shooting 39-year-old Michael Staton and burglarizing his home.

Murder cases traditionally can take months or years to get through a courthouse, though the guilty plea sped the hearing along.

Campodonico was out on bail in a Charleston County criminal case at the time of the Cottageville killing. Mullen also ordered the defendant to serve life without parole for first-degree burglary in that case.

Campodonico tried to break into a man's shed after 10 p.m. Sept. 6 on Rhode Drive in Cottageville, according to Jeff Kidd, a spokesman for the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office. The man noticed the break-in on a trail camera and called 911, causing Campodonico to flee into the woods.

Campodonico then arrived at Staton's home, Kidd said. He approached Staton's wife, who was on the porch smoking a cigarette, and demanded she give him the keys to the family's car.

The wife fled inside, but Campodonico followed, forcing his way into the house. Staton awoke during the commotion and wrestled with Campodonico, who shot the man with a small pistol.

Campodonico ran from the house with a set of keys, but he returned moments later after realizing he grabbed the wrong set. Staton's wife gave him the keys to the family's Honda Accord and he drove off, Kidd said.

Staton's 12-year-old daughter was in the house when her father was killed.

Campodonico was arrested the next day in Georgia. By then, he had burned the car and the gun used to kill Staton.

Campodonico was accused in that case of breaking down a door Jan. 2, 2021, to gain entry to a house on Evans Way on Johns Island. The Summerville man ordered two women inside the home to give him the keys to a Jeep Wrangler, grabbing one woman so tightly he caused her arm to bleed.

He drove off in the stolen Jeep, leading Charleston County sheriff's deputies on a pursuit that ended after he crashed into a fence and finally a ditch.

Campodonico was charged with first-degree burglary, failure to stop for a blue light and strong-arm robbery, along with a slew of other charges. His bail was set at about $180,000, which he posted in September 2021.

Campodonico entered his guilty pleas Oct. 10 at the Colleton County courthouse. Besides the life sentences, Campodonico also received 30 years for armed robbery and five years for a gun charge.

Fourteenth Circuit Assistant Solicitor Tameaka A. Legette helped prosecute the cases.

Im thankful to God that the defendant took responsibility for his actions and spared the victims in these cases the trauma and stress of years of litigation and a trial, she said.

Campodonico previously served 20 years in state prison after he was convicted in 2002 for armed robbery and second-degree burglary, Kidd said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Campodonico was required to wear an ankle monitor as a condition of bail in the Charleston County burglary case.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Spartanburg High School won the rights to perform the Broadway version of Disneys Frozen musical.

The school is the first and only high school in South Carolina to win the "The United States of Frozen: Love Is an Open Door" competition.

The new competition is a partnership between the Educational Theatre Association, Music Theatre International and Disney Theatrical Group and gives one high school in every U.S. state and territory exclusive rights to perform Disneys Frozen: The Broadway Musical.

Its not only going to be an amazing musical theater experience but also an important opportunity to support and celebrate District Sevens focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, said Terry Pruitt, chief academic officer for Spartanburg School District 7 and musical director for the show. We are working to ensure every student has access to this production either by performing on stage or experiencing the show in our audience thanks to the support of several community partners who are joining forces with us to make 'Frozen' a reality.

Performances will be the week of April 24 at the D7 Fine Arts Center on the campus of Spartanburg High.

Auditions for grades 6-12 will be held from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 17-18 at the D7 Fine Arts Center. The school district will soon announce information related to elementary students auditions.

With the theme Love Is an Open Door, the contest seeks to promote inclusion and outreach in high school theater programs. Through an online application process, participants were asked to demonstrate how they will use their production of Frozen to strengthen their school community, provide outreach to underserved groups, and support inclusive and diverse theater programs.

Schools were given rights to produce three free performances of Frozen. Additional performances can be presented with paid royalties. Winners were given a free digital script, score, 21-piece orchestration, free logo pack and a free video license.

The more 50 winning productions from the contest nationwide will be the first school productions of Frozen anywhere in the world. Based on the 2013 animated film, Disney's stage adaptation of Frozen opened on Broadway in 2018. The film's co-director and screenwriter, Jennifer Lee, wrote the musical's book, and movie songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote new music for the stage adaptation.
Ambassador Chantale Wong, the United States Director of the Asian Development Bank and a 1976 Academy of Our Lady of Guam graduate who recently returned to the island for a brief visit, was welcomed back to her alma mater.

The all-female school supports the holistic development of a varied community of young women by encouraging academic success, responsible leadership, global awareness, social justice and compassionate service for all in the Catholic tradition, AOLG stated in a press release.

When she was a child, Wong's grandmother "smuggled" her from Shanghai to Hong Kong. She then attended boarding school on the island of Macao before arriving in Guam to enroll in high school while residing with family.

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Wong discussed the importance of lifetime public service and gave advice during a general assembly set up for students to meet and greet the ambassador and hear about her life.

The alumna discussed her diverse experiences and several initiatives she worked on to help those in need both nationally and internationally.

In her speech, she advised the young women to pursue their lives according to "the Ps": Persistence, Public Purpose, Passion, Patience and Partnership.
If you think your town or city is badly governed, remember that it could be worse: you could live in Los Angeles.

Appalling ignorance, racism, corruption and political greed came to light when someone recorded a conversation among three members of the Los Angeles City Council and the citys most powerful labor leader. The Los Angeles Times covers a story that must be painful for the paper, since everyone involved is a Democrat:

Three Latino members of the Los Angeles City Council and a top county labor official held a conversation last fall that included racist remarks, derisive statements about their colleagues and council President Nury Martinez saying a white councilman handled his young Black son as though he were an accessory, according to a recording of the meeting reviewed by The Times. Martinez, while discussing Councilman Mike Bonins child, said, Parece changuito, or Hes like a monkey, soon afterward. A few minutes after Martinez discussed Bonins son, the topic of conversation moved to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon, who was facing growing political opposition. F that guy, Martinez said, followed by something inaudible. Hes with the Blacks.

The Democrats coalition seems to be fraying.

During the conversation with Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, Martinez also described Bonin at one point as a little bitch. De Leon appeared to compare Bonins handling of his child to Martinez holding a Louis Vuitton handbag. He also referred to Bonin as the councils fourth Black member.

Charming. Bonin is white, but of course he is still a minority:

On Sunday, Bonin and his husband, Sean Arian, called on Martinez, De Leon and Herrera to resign. The entirety of the recorded conversation,  displayed a repeated and vulgar anti-Black sentiment, and a coordinated effort to weaken Black political representation in Los Angeles, they said in a statement.

The rot goes deeper and deeper.

Theyre [Bonin and his husband] raising him like a little white kid, Martinez said. I was like, this kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner and then Ill bring him back. Martinezs reference to Bonins child as changuito occurred during that part of the conversation.

Another member of the City Council apparently was taking bribes:

At another point in the conversation, the group discussed Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas indictment and whether he would step down or fight to hold onto his seat. A few minutes later, Martinez said she explained to another council member that if Ridley-Thomas were to be suspended, City Controller Ron Galperin would decide whether he still gets paid. You need to go talk to that white guy, she says. Its not us. Its the white members on this council that will motherf you in a heartbeat. (The council later suspended Ridley-Thomas, who is awaiting trial on a federal bribery charge.)

The context of the conversation was redistricting. The conversation was even more corrupt than you might have expected:

The group heavily criticized the maps created by the citys redistricting commission. Martinez voiced frustration that the panel had proposed removing a number of economic assets from her San Fernando Valley district, including the Van Nuys Airport and the Anheuser-Busch brewery. If youre going to talk about Latino districts, what kind of districts are you trying to create? she asked. Because youre taking away our assets. Youre just going to create poor Latino districts with nothing? At another point, Cedillo said there were certain council members who do not merit rescuing during the redistricting process. He then made clear that he was referring to Nithya Raman, who had been fighting to ensure her Hollywood Hills district was not moved to the west Valley. She is not our ally. She is not going to help us, he said. Later in the conversation, the group talked about how Koreatown  a largely Latino neighborhood  should be handled in redistricting. Martinez said the area was in Council District 10, which was Ridley-Thomas district. Martinez then noted that Raman wants a play for K-Town but said that would not happen because she didnt want beef with Ridley-Thomas. Martinez said that giving Raman what could amount to a safer council district would not be good for Martinez and her allies. It serves us to not give her all of K-Town, Martinez said, referring to Raman. Because if you do that solidifies her renters district and that is not a good thing for any of us. You have to keep her on the fence.

I suppose redistricting conversations like this one go on among Democrats every ten years. But this one has an added twist of racism:

The group then questioned whether Shatto Place, a small street, and Lafayette Park are in Koreatown. I see a lot of little short dark people, Martinez said of that section of Koreatown, employing stereotypes long used against Oaxacans in Mexico and in the United States. I was like, I dont know where these people are from, I dont know what village they came [from], how they got here, Martinez said, before adding Tan feos  Theyre ugly.

Why are Democrat-run cities such cesspits of racism? But back to redistricting:

Herrera then interjected to bring the group back to their broader strategy. I get what we have to do, right? Just massage to create districts that benefit you all. And the future. But we got to figure out Marks seat too, Herrera said, referring to Ridley-Thomas. If he resigns and the African Americans look at this as a hostile takeover because hes gone, well have to figure that s out, Martinez said of Ridley-Thomas. Because politically, theyre going to come after us. Herrera, the labor official, later said that removing Ridley-Thomas was necessary regardless of potential political blowback, arguing the scandal would hurt all incumbents and make people think that the councils corrupt.

Gosh, how might people get that impression?

There is no doubt about the authenticity of the recording. City Council President Martinez has apologized, sort of:

On Sunday, after this article was published online, Martinez issued a statement apologizing for her comments, saying, In a moment of intense frustration and anger

The conversation reflects cold, cynical political calculation, not frustration and anger.

I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments.

Will she hold herself accountable by resigning? Just kidding.

The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color, she added. My work speaks for itself. Ive worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.

Communities of color is Democrat-speak, but in fact the recorded conversation was largely about how Los Angeles Latinos can gain at the expense of blacks, and it included racist epithets directed at a two year old black boy.

If, like me, you have wondered how Democrat-controlled cities can possibly be such a mess, this story suggests an answer: the corruption that prevails is beyond anything a normal person can imagine.

STEVE adds: John is being too kind to call these people mere fools. It is much worse: it explains why liberalism is obsessed with racism, because it is liberals who are the principal racists in America today. Liberals really do believe that minorities are inferior and cant possibly make it on their own, cant possibly be expected to be judged according to the same standards as whites (or Asians). This clashes badly with their core egalitarian principle, which compels them thus to lie about everything and blame systemic racism. The racism expressed in this episode stems directly from the endless condescension liberals have for minorities. Which they then project on to everyone else, poisoning American politics.
Updating Johns item last night about the recording of blatantly racist remarks by Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez and others, the latest news is that Martinez has resigned as council presidentbut has not resigned as a member of the council. I wonder if her $207,000 salarythe highest city council salary in the nationhas something to do with it. Like most political hacks, it is doubtful Martinez could ever command such a salary anywhere in the private sector.

If you Google LA City Council right now, you find this little bit of low comedy:

Well see if Martinez can hang on to her seat. AFSCME, the public sector union, is demanding Martinez resign from the council, releasing the following statement:

The recently revealed anti-black and anti-Indigenous sentiments expressed during a meeting of several LA public officials and a labor leader are reprehensible. We condemn these attacks and stand in solidarity with our communities who experience the harms of colorism and anti-black racism. President Kathryn Lyberger issued the following statement: In the labor movement, we must hold ourselves to the core principle of solidarity and live the credo: An Injury to One is an Injury to All. This is central to building the trust and unity that is the bedrock of workers power. Today, that trust and unity is broken. It has been broken before, and rooting out racism requires constant work and acts of solidarity from everyone in labor. It is incumbent on our leaders to repair beyond apology, with action and accountability. Those individuals who are implicated in the recording and who are elected to represent the people must resign now. Labor must hold labor accountable but resignation is the only way to restore the trust that has been broken. Anti-blackness and colorism must be called out and confronted everywhere. Justice for all workers can only come when all workers can trust that they are welcome in the house of labor.

Well update this story if there are further developments. For the time being, some questions: Who taped and leaked this conversation? Someone who has it in for Martinez and perhaps other hispanics on the council? Someone out for revenge for a slight of some kind? What does this tell us about the internal contradictions of the lefts coalition of people of color? In a system that divides the spoils politically, blacks are likely on the losing end of LAs distributional politics. One can only speculate how common are contemptuous comments like this in the private conversations among LAs hispanic politicians.

Investigators usually start with motives. It will be interesting to see whether there may be other recordings waiting in the shadows. To modify the old Latin phrase, Cui Bonin?
One of the hideouts of Bello Turji (or Muhammad Bellow), a famous terrorist, was bombed by the Nigerian Air Force in September. A media report on Turjis reaction to the military action suggests he was disappointed that the government had reneged on a purported agreement to embrace peace. The bombardment also seemed to contradict a statement by the deputy governor of Zamfara state that Turji had repented and embraced peace overtures by the state government.

To be clear, Turji had committed mass atrocities and ought to have been brought to justice. However, this case raises broader issues about the micro-mechanics of Nigerias national security.

There are numerous instances of lack of coordination, poor communication and outright scattergun approaches within specific entities and in the relationship among components of the security architecture. For example, a letter sent to all service chiefs by Babagana Monguno, the national security adviser leaked in February 2020. The letter provided a sobering picture of major divisions within Nigerias national security top echelon. Monguno articulated undue and dangerous interference by Abba Kyari, who was the Chief of Staff to the president at the time. He criticised Kyari for giving orders that contradicted the presidents directives to military chiefs, arguing that such acts and continued meddlesomeness by chief of staff have not only ruptured our security and defence efforts, but have slowed down any meaningful gain that Mr President has sought to achieve. Kyari is long gone but chaos continues.

Dapchi and other school kidnappings, the Kuje prison attack, Kaduna train kidnapping incident and other security issues point to a level of dysfunction that supports the instructive notion that the fish rots from the head. The presidency is making giant strides in political intrigues and theatre, while there appears to be minimal interest in or concern for the safety of all Nigerians. The signals from the president have been largely vacuous rhetoric, unfulfilled ultimatums and a clear demonstration of lack of basic clues about governance.

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The problematique may be distilled to various levels. These include disarray within the Presidency in and of itself on one hand and its direction to the national security apparatus on the other. There is also mayhem within each branch of the armed forces. For example, there is poor communication between the troops on the frontlines and the headquarters of each service. In addition, the relationship among the armed services is confused and confusing. One hand rarely knows what the other is doing. There is also bedlam between the Federal Government and state governments on security matters. The 1999 Constitution is clear about who has control of the police and the military. The Federal Government is yet to move towards a decentralised policing structure, therefore, it takes the largest share of blame for the cheapening of human lives in Nigeria.

The level of coordination between the Federal Government and security services as responsible entities and families of kidnap victims is also appalling. It shows insouciance to the trauma and suffering of the affected families. A recent report that President Buhari credits his government for the release of victims of the Kaduna train incident, six months after the attack, is vivid illustration that the standards of this government and the presidents performance threshold are too low and may continue to lead Nigeria deeper in the crucible of internal degeneracy. The attack should never have happened and the ensuing plan to have military helicopters accompany trains to and from Kaduna is proof of the poor quality of leadership in Nigeria. Nigerians are paying for it in tears and blood.

While there have been attempts to communicate with the public in recent times, such interactions remain sporadic and piecemeal, rather than part of a larger robust engagement vis-a-vis overall direction of security matters. The reluctance or in several cases illogical refusal to fire non-performing officials is another part of the security puzzle. This has sent too many Nigerians to kidnappers dens and early graves.

It is unfortunate to have to conclude after over seven years that this government has yet to definitively demonstrate it has the capacity and interest to govern. This is an issue that will be studied in the coming years, given the military background of the president and at least 16 years of running for office.

Security apparatchiks often speak of the need for an all-of-government and all-of-society approach. That presupposes a reasonable entity responsible for governance and national security. At the current rate, this government is racing towards being remembered for one major thing: The disembowelment of Nigeria.
PT: Youve just retired as Resident Electoral Commissioner, what role should Nigerians expect from you as the country prepares for a crucial election in 2023?

Igini: Well, l think I should first correct this erroneous use of the term retirement for someone who was or is a political appointee whose tenure in office elapsed being referred to as retired. It is career civil servants that have spent either 35 years or attained the age of 60, whichever one comes first, that are appropriately referred to as retirees with benefits and pension. As a Commissioner in INEC, a political appointee, l have only spent ten years in the service of the country and have not attained the age of sixty years (60) but far below that age.

With respect to the forthcoming 2023 elections and having being an umpire in the last 10 years, l will stick to that disposition and maintain neutrality in all my engagements on issues and matters pertaining to the 2023 elections. But surely, the office of the citizen will be active in partnership, but not-partisanship, with well-meaning Nigerians, to educating voters on why they must vote in 2023 election. I will in the days ahead through various public lectures invite, educate and guide Nigerians on the various provisions of the 2022 Act and, more importantly, what they should know about the various innovations that will secure their votes. Just last Thursday, on 22 September, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies organised a Roundtable, which I participated as one of the speakers, on the topic, Electoral Democracy in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities in the new 2022 Electoral Act.

We join in the efforts to clear some of the fears and doubts that are deliberately being created to dissuade or discourage people from participating in the elections.

PT: What are the laws that guide political campaigns under the new 2022 Act?

Igini: Thematically, the laws that regulate and guide political campaigns are very clear and unambiguous and should be adhered strictly during the campaign periods. In fact, the entire provisions of sections 91, 92, 93, 94, 95 and 96 are intended to deal with the recurrent issues, denial of access to public facilities and media platforms. Hence, they are mandates for unhindered access to the use of state owned or publicly owned venues and event centres like stadia, civic centers that may be used as venues for rallies or other such political events, as well as access to publicly owned media platforms and also provisions for equal airtime parity for candidates at prime time news slots. Hence, no candidates should be denied access to state-owned facilities for use in the forthcoming political campaigns leading to the 2023 elections because these facilities belong to all Nigerians, whether as members of any ruling party or as members of opposition parties.

The laws also restrain hate speeches that we are already being treated to with, given some volatile comments from supporters of political interest groups on social media.

PT: But reports from different parts of the country show that candidates of political parties are being denied access to some of these facilities, and that the police are preventing the holding of political rallies?

Igini: I have read some of these reports. Its quite unfortunate that political intolerance is already being exhibited. And more disturbing, if not worrisome, is the report concerning the action of policemen that are statutorily mandated under the new Act to always provide adequate security for political rallies and processions for political parties and their candidates, upon notice of such rallies.

In fact, Section 91 emphatically says the Commissioner of Police in each state shall provide adequate protection for political rallies and shall be supported by personnel of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps. Im shocked to read some of these reports that you have referenced because Sub-section (4) of this section itself says, No registered political party in Nigeria, its aspirants or candidate shall be prevented from holding rallies, procession or meeting at any time for their constitutional political purposes and the police shall resolve any conflict of time and venue between and amongst parties where such arises in a consultative manner and not imposition. Barring whatever l may have omitted, those are words of the 2022 Electoral Act that must be adhered to.

PT: Are you saying that a police permit is not needed for political rallies or procession?

Igini: Its not what Im saying but what the 2022 Electoral Act has declared emphatically and unequivocally that political parties and their candidates do not need police permit to organise political rallies. This provision is consistent with a plethora of decisions of superior courts of the land that citizens do not need police permit to organise rallies. In fact, Sub-section (3) made it abundantly clear that notwithstanding any provision of the Police Act, the Public Order Act or any other law, the role of the Police and Civil Defence Corps that has been statutorily mandated to work with police on matters of political rallies is limited to the provision of adequate security only. Therefore, notification to police to provide security does not mean seeking permission from police authorities.

PT: What are your expectations of the judiciary, in the light of the novel provisions of the 2022 Act with respect to ongoing pre-election party primaries litigations and post 2023 election petitions adjudication?

Igini: Its necessary to emphasise that the judiciary remains the bedrock of any democracy. If it fails to demonstrate courage by interpreting the provisions of the Electoral Act strictly in order to give meaning and purpose to the ballot as the best means of the expression of the will of the people and thus hold both the political parties and the Election Management Body accountable where there are violations and breach of the laws, it will have failed the Nigerian people.

The starting point of demonstrating judicial courage and commitment to electoral justice would be the ongoing pre-election cases that emanated from the party primaries in the various Federal High Courts. We are all witnesses to the impunity of political leaders imposition of individuals that didnt participate and emerged from party primaries monitored by INEC in line with Section 84 of the 2022 Act and the shocking decisions coming from the courts at the moment.

Let me be clear, the way and manner our colleagues in the bench handle these matters will give Nigerians insight to how the judiciary will deal with the outcome of 2023 election petitions. The question on the lips of Nigerians now is, will our judges pander to vested political interest or stand on the side of strict interpretation of the provisions of the 2022 Act, Regulations and Guidelines of INEC and uphold the rule of law for the growth and sustenance of our democracy?

PT: You have bemoaned the problem of Nigeria as rooted on the greed of leadership. Why do you hold that view?

Igini: The undeniable truth is that everything rises and falls with leadership. We started on a very hopeful and promising note at the beginning in 1960. But painfully after 62 years what have we achieved for ourselves and what do we see around us? A country of missed opportunities, littered with the debris of squandered opportunities. We have people with pedigree who are not greedy that can turn around the fortune of this country but Nigeria appears to be a country that is cursed with a refrain of having the best individuals never allowed to be on the saddle. Great countries are not built on the greed of its leaders but on their sacrifices for their people and the thoughtfulness for the future. We need people who really care for the ordinary people of Nigeria and the countrys future. We cannot continue to make misfortune the heirloom of the Nigerian people.

PT: How can INEC innovations berth the emergence of credible leaders?

Igini: Credibility is about trustworthiness and confidence that make constituents or people follow or accept the leadership of others. All the innovations are designed to give meaning and purpose to the ballot as the best means of the expression of the will of the people in a democracy. They are intended to compel those who seek to govern them pay attention to their needs because leadership is about relationship and service.

PT: One of the problems that has retarded Nigerias progress is the issue of our inability to manage our diversities. What is your view?

Igini: The truth is that diversities can be a source of blessings to any society if well managed. But where leaders are unable to integrate diverse viewpoints and affirm unifying themes, diversity can lead to a breakdown of law and order. We have to acknowledge and respect our diversities in appreciation of the fact that the broad outline of the 21st century offers opportunities for those who can live together and develop new ties that bind them together. Shared values is a key to peaceful coexistence because it reduces opportunistic behavior amongst diverse people and promote harmony of interest of constituents.

PT: Given the dire situation in the country, with every group kicking and the elite in disarray, what should leaders across all strata of our society do at the moment?

Igini: Leaders must find common grounds to build a peaceful community by resolving problems on the basis of principles, not positions. There is a pervasive air of arrogance in the land, total disregard for truth and anger everywhere. At great moments of challenge, frustration and hopelessness, leaders must lift peoples spirits and restore belief in the future. We all, as leaders, must sustain hope by taking charge and demonstrate the courage of our conviction, by arousing positive thoughts and images by doing the right thing and putting the country on the part of social harmony. Credible and committed true leaders must keep hope alive for the citizens. This is a task because at the end, only people with hope will achieve greatness.

PT: But people seem to have lost hope in leaders and our public institutions. How can these same people give hope?

Igini: Its true that around the world, people have lost faith in their institutions and the individuals who lead them. But is it leaders we have lost faith in or ourselves? One hallmark of an optimistic people is a belief that one, or a few committed individuals can make a difference by turning around the misfortune of a society. That is why the 2023 election provides yet another opportunity for the renewal of the choices of leaders we want to recruit, given the array of some of the people we see going round the country. Even though we are going through difficult times and somehow we dont seem as convinced as we once were that we can each become whatever we hope to be and overcome, l still believe that we will overcome.

PT: On the flipside of leaders-people relationship is the issue of bad followers responsible for the emergence of leaders we complain about. Whats your view?

Igini: The people have a role to play but unfortunately poverty and the level of understanding of what their role should be is a problem. That is why they sell their votes during election. Otherwise leadership is a web of mutual responsibility and collaboration, a seamless partnership and a mutual commitment for common good. People or citizens should not be treated by politicians as people to be brought on Election Day or as mere followers of the vision and values of leaders but as participants in creating them.

PT: What do you make of the growing culture of sycophancy in the country as a result of leaders demanding loyalty for themselves and not loyalty to the country?

Igini: Its unfortunate and its a clear indication of lack of understanding of what they are demanding from those appointed to serve public interest. Loyalty is not something that should be demanded by leaders or bosses but granted by constituents to leaders who have earned it. The fact that you are in a position to make appointments by virtue of a constitutional provision that requires to do so does not mean that the appointee should be loyal to you as a person, instead of the country. However, all appointees should be sincere and committed to the overall success of their leaders for the good of the country.

PT: Nigerians are not satisfied with leaders and public service delivery institutions like INEC and others. Whats your reaction?

Igini: What you said cannot be wholly correct about INEC because the commission is the most innovative and improved public service delivery agency in Nigeria, even though we are still not where we want to be in delivery of credible elections determine finally at polling units and not at tribunals. We are aware that various books on quality service prescribed that the first step in quality-planning process is identifying customers and finding out what their needs are and satisfy them. This is what the commission has been doing and if elected political office holders that made promises on the basis of which they were elected fulfill their commitment, the people will be happy. Elected and appointed public office holders must commit to what the Nigerian people want and treat them as customers that must be satisfied.

This is the first in the two-part interview with Mr Igini. Watch out for the second part.
The US, Japan and ROK hold the joint anti-submarine exercise.

By Ling Yunzhi

According to media reports of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the US, ROK and Japan recently staged joint anti-submarine exercises against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) in waters roughly 150 kilometers from the easternmost Dokdo (known as "Takeshima" in Japan) in the East Sea. The trilateral anti-submarine exercises are designed to improve their capability to respond to increasing threats from DPRKs submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). However, in essence, the US is vigorously promoting the establishment of a military alliance of the US, Japan and the ROK, realizing the comprehensive advantages of the US in the Asia Pacific region, especially in Northeast Asia, and making it a deterrent position at the forefront against the so-called "expanding influence of China and Russia".

The US vigorously promoting the formation of the "trilateral alliance"

As we all know, the US has been building and expanding its alliance system in the Asia Pacific region as a way to maintain its hegemony over the region. Due to the multiple US military bases and garrisons stationed, and relatively close geographical locations to each other, the ROK and Japan can facilitate the US to implement its strategic containment to the maximum, and so have served as the core members of the US Asia Pacific alliance system.

However, Japan and the ROK have always been at odds given both historical and realistic factors. For this, the US has been promoting the reconciliation between the ROK and Japan in recent years, intending to develop a "trilateral alliance" on the basis of existing bilateral alliances, and play an important role as a link.

The trilateral anti-submarine exercises also indicate ever-deepening defense cooperation between the three countries. As we all know, in anti-submarine or air defense operations, the sonar signals from submarines are the most sensitive information, and the sonar performance of helicopters and surface warships in anti-submarine operations, as well as their ability to search for and attack submarines, are also the core secrets of all militaries. In the exercises, the three participating parties have sent aircraft carrier strike group or destroyers to detect and chase the submarine of an imagery enemy, completing the simulated confrontation in the subjects of anti-submarine operations, search and attack of submarines, etc. They also exchanged relevant information and confirmed interoperability. All these indicate that under the leadership of the US, the defense cooperation between the US, ROK and Japan is moving to a new high.

Prospect of the "trilateral alliance" is complicated and volatile

As the security situation over the Asia Pacific region becomes increasingly complicated, the US is sure to further strengthen its cooperation with its allies including Japan and ROK in various fields, and constantly pull the US-Japan-ROK "trilateral" relationship closer. The overall strike force is thereby to be expanded as a whole, resulting in more effective deterrent at a higher level. While, on the other hand, the complexity, volatility and vulnerability of the trilateral alliance system are further highlighted with manifested cooperation displayed.

For the joint anti-submarine exercises, the ROK and Japan have had their own plans, with great differences in demand. As for the ROK, it intends to strengthen its own anti-submarine capability via the cooperation with Japan in anti-submarine warfare, because the Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF) mastered strong anti-submarine combat capability against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and such cooperation with Japan in this field will help deal with the latest "threat" posed by the DPRKs submarines and series of missile tests. Therefore, the exercises will function to deter the DPRK.

However, due to historical grievances and other reasons, the anti-Japanese sentiment in the ROK is still high. Even before the exercises, there had been opposition voices in the ROK. In particular, the exercise location is close to the sensitive area under dispute between the two countries, and this has been more offensive to the ROK people, who believed that the ROK has acquiesced in the JSDF's involvement in the situation on Korean Peninsula. In all, the ROK people are unwilling to allow its government to deepen military cooperation with Japan.

As for Japan, more complex factors are involved in developing relations with the ROK, including its domestic political motivation for expanding and strengthening its military. In essence, it is to break through the restrictions of the Peace Constitution and improve its strategic position over the Asia Pacific region. Therefore, Japan has kept sticking to its position stubbornly in the face of historical issues of great concern to the ROK and has been rather perfunctory in improving bilateral relations. For example, the ROK has played up the positive influence of the meeting between ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, while the Japanese side responded insipidly, even unwilling to admit that it was a formal meeting. This has to a certain extent shown that Japan is not keen on improving the bilateral relations.

Therefore, despite the recent elevated high-level communications between the ROK and Japan, the deepening of bilateral cooperation in the future still faces great resistance, and it is unlikely for the bilateral relations to make substantive breakthroughs in the short term. What is even more worrying is that the US government has not taken into full account the dynamic changes and complexity of the regional security situation when promoting the deepening of defense cooperation with the ROK and Japan. With the increasing trilateral military cooperation between the ROK, the US and Japan, the DPRK side is bound to make more intense responses, which in turn tends to lead to the escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula.

Editor's note: Originally published on thepaper.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari will announce a deal reached with the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday.

Mr Gbajabiamila disclosed this on Monday after a closed-door meeting between the leadership of the union and the lawmakers at the National Assembly complex.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr Gbajabiamila said Mr Buhari has agreed to some demands of the lecturers after two meetings he (president) had with the House leadership.

That meeting was even better than the first one we had with him, and Mr President had agreed to settle things. I am not going to talk about that now, and that he would disclose whatever it is tomorrow, Tuesday which is tomorrow.

The President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, in his speech, said the leadership of the union is expected to get a deal from the federal government and present it to its members.

He said the deal should be ready in 48 hours.

He stated that the ASUU leadership cannot make any announcement on any deal without the consent of the members.

We met briefly in the speakers office. We have taken note of what they have covered. As you know, in my union, we operate bottom-up, we dont take decisions on their behalf without taking their consent.

We have agreed that between now and tomorrow, we are going to get some documentationsigned that we can take to our members. We will do that as soon as possible for the interest of Nigerians, he said.

Mr Osodeke however condemned the federal government for allowing the industrial action to linger for over eight months.

ASUU strike

Lecturers of public universities in Nigeria embarked on strike on 14 February, over the federal governments refusal to implement the 2009 agreement on matters bordering on increased funding of universities and increasing lecturers salaries.

Following its inability to resolve the dispute with ASUU through negotiations, the federal government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, referred the matter to the industrial court for resolution.

The government asked the court to determine the legality or otherwise of the strike.

The government also asked the court to determine whether ASUU members are entitled to emoluments for the period they have been on strike.

The Nigerian government wanted the court to adjudicate on the propriety or otherwise of the strike.

The court, in its judgement, directed the union to return to work. The judgement was confirmed by the Court of Appeal.

In a bid to break ASUU, the government, a few days ago, formally registered two new university unions, the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA).

President Muhammadu Buhari also announced during budget presentation on Friday, that his government will not sign any agreement with the union unless it is sure of being able to implement such.

Mr Buhari also announced that N470 billion has been allocated for salary enhancement for tertiary institutions and the revitalisation of the schools.
A group of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors led by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, were conspicuously absent at the flag-off of the partys presidential campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Monday.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu; Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia; Seyi Makinde, Oyo; and Samuel Ortom, Benue, were absent at the event.

Members of the group were also absent at the inauguration of the partys presidential campaign council last month.

Although the event, held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, attracted a large crowd and also went on successfully, it showed that the PDP crisis was far from being over.

The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the campaign flag-off, vowed to banish hunger in Nigeria.

Today we have inaugurated our campaign to rescue Nigeria from hunger, poverty, and also to bring back the unity that we require in this country.

If you vote for PDP, it will be a return to prosperity, unity. There will be no more hunger and there will be security.

I swear, if you vote for PDP you will all go back to school. You will get jobs, Mr Atiku said at the event.

Crisis

The PDP has been enmeshed in leadership crisis after its presidential primary, which was won by the former Vice President Mr Atiku

Mr Wike, who was a presidential aspirant of the party, is leading a group of party loyalists who are demanding the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, in order to achieve a regional balance since Messrs Ayu and Atiku are both from the north.

But Mr Ayu has insisted he would not resign because he was elected for a four year-term.

The Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Walid Jibrin, who is from Nasarawa State in the north, resigned a few weeks ago, apparently to placate Mr Wike and his group.

Mr Wabara, a former president of the Senate, from Abia State in the South-east, had since stepped in to replace Mr Jibrin.

However, Mr Wikes camp is not impressed with Mr Jibrins resignation. They insist that Mr Ayu must step down from his position.

The crisis worsened when Mr Wikes allies who were appointed into the PDP presidential campaign committee last month, announced their withdrawal from the committee.
A notorious terrorist in Kaduna State, Ali Dogo, and scores of his fighters have reportedly been killed by a Nigerian Air Forces strike in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna.

The raid was reportedly carried out by the Air Component of Operation WHIRL Punch, last weekend.

A security source told PRNigeria that Mr Dogo and accomplices fled Niger State to Giwa Local Government Area in Kaduna following intensified airstrikes on their former hideout.

The terrorists were hiding at the residence of one Alhaji Gwarzo at Yadi in the Giwa council area before they were eliminated by the airstrikes.

The source reportedly said: Unfortunately for Yellow and his fighters, while they were having a meeting, NAF aircraft struck Alhaji Gwarzos house, leaving everybody in the building dead including Yellow, the newspaper quoted the source as saying.

Meanwhile, separate airstrikes targeted a terrorists location 33km North-west of Mando in Kaduna, also resulting in the killing of many of the terrorists.

Following credible intelligence of terrorist leaders and their foot soldiers converging under tree covers at the location for a meeting, the location was struck with several terrorists killed, a security source also told PRNigeria.

The Nigerian Air Forces spokesperson, Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the airstrikes to PRNigeria adding that the Air Component is keeping with the directive of the Chief of Air Staff, Oladayo Amao, to sustain the offensive against the terrorists.

He said the operation in collaboration with the land component and other security agencies will rid the Joint Operations Area and indeed the entire North-west of terrorism and other crimes.
The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke, has said that the union will soon call off its eight-month-old strike.

Mr Osodeke said this at a meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives on Monday in Abuja.

He said that from what the union had seen at the meeting there is light at the end of the tunnel.

This time around it is hoped that there would not be any persons or group to create issues that would make the union run into any hitch, he said.

He further hoped that the intervention by the leadership of the House would be the final for the sake of the students, adding that ASUUs struggle was for the educational and university system in the country.

We hope that in the next few days, we will put an end to this strike. We want to have a system where the renumeration is enough to attract lecturers all over the world to our universities, Mr Osodeke said.

He said that Nigerian universities should also be paid in hard currencies for attracting foreign students, while expressing worry over some good lecturers that were leaving the country.

We are the giant of Africa and we must live by that. We thank the speaker for this intervention and we must work together so that every Nigerian will be proud of the universities we have, he further said.

He said that the strike should not have gone beyond two weeks, if the National Assembly had intervened before now.

The Speaker of the House of Reps, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the intervention by the leadership of the House was fruitful.

Mr Gbajabiamila also said that the meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari was far-reaching.

He said that rhe presidents decision would be made known to the union and the public on 11 October.

He said that the leadership of the House were able to ensure that all the demands of ASUU in terms of revitalisation and salaries, among others, had been provided for in the 2023 budget.

He said that N470 billion had been included in the 2023 budget to accommodate ASUUs demand.

The issue of UTAS been resolved as both the government and ASUU have agreed and both will sit to agree to include all the peculiarities required by ASUU on the IPPIS payment platform.

I believe we have covered ground, and its basically what we have agreed on. ASUU would have called off the strike today and hopefully in the next couple of days.

We thank ASUU for responding at every moment we have called them.

We have met in my office and it was positive. We did this for the sake of our students, he said

(NAN)
In less than a decade, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Is-haq Oloyede, a Professor of Islamic Studies, would be having on his well-stocked award shelves, three medals of Nigerias national honour.

Just a day after his 68th birthday on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari will be conferring on him the Commander of the Order of Niger (CON). It is apparently in recognition of his sterling performances at the examination board and general contributions to national growth and development.

The new feat has, therefore, been described by many of his associates, mentees, friends, and well-wishers as another feather befitting of a well-decorated cap.

Some of these individuals who applauded the governments decision include a former Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Olanrewaju Fagbohun; the Vice-Chancellor of Ahman Pategi University, Kwara State, Mahfouz Adedimeji; Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University (SSANU), University of Ilorin chapter, Olusola Falowo, and a Professor of Mass Communicatuon at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Ismail Ibraheem.

Familiar terrain

Mr Oloyede is not new to national honour, and it is arguable that he is the first educationist in the country to receive three national honours within a space of a decade.

In 2014, about three years after his tenure as the vice-chancellor of his alma mater, University of Ilorin, Mr Oloyede was conferred with the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The governments action was said to be in recognition of the turnaround recorded at the university during his five-year tenure between 2007 and 2011. Within the period, the ivory tower was dubbed Nigerias most sought-after university due largely to heavy subscription by admission seekers.

The national honour could not have been based on Mr Oloyedes achievements at the university alone as he also flew the nations flag at national, regional, continental and global levels, advancing the cause of quality and affordable education.

While serving as the UNILORIN helmsman, the Islamic scholar also served as the chairman of Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), President of the Association of African Universities, Secretary of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of West African Universities, and was a member of the board of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

In 2019, Nigerias Ministry of Labour and Employment awarded Mr Oloyede the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) award.

His letter of nomination had read in part; The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the conferment of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award on you in recognition of your high productivity, hard work and excellence.

With the deployment of technology in the management of his agency, the registrar has introduced diverse innovations and transparency in the nations public service space. He has continued to remit huge returns to the government cover, a development that was hitherto strange to the agency.

Unde Mr Oloyedes watch, JAMB has become a reference point in the country with various leadership and productivity awards bestowed on him by different organisations including media companies.

Commendation

Speaking on the latest award, Mr Fagbohun said he was not surprised, noting that only the likes of Mr Oloyede whom the whole nation can attest to his credibility should be so honoured.

He said; It speaks volume to who Professor Oloyede is. How I wish as a nation we are more rigorous in ensuring that only the likes of Oloyede who the whole country can attest to his credibility, integrity and resourcefulness are those on whom the Honour is bestowed. Sadly, that is not the case. It continues to feature the good, the bad and the ugly.

I heartily congratulate Prof Oloyede for consistently reflecting himself as a true patriot. In the public service space, he has earned the rank of excellence by sheer innovativeness, integrity and hardwork. I pray that his success continue to endure. Together with my family, we join the world and his lovely family in celebrating him.

Also in his tribute to the honoree on the occasion of his 68th birthday, Mr Adedimeji said Mr Oloyede is just living up to his well-known credentials of administrative acumen, financial discipline and legendary transparency in public service.

He said; Indeed, Prof. Oloyedes trajectory is a study in service excellence, administrative acumen, religious commitment to the achievement of set goals, and unapologetic insistence on fairness for all. This much has been duly acknowledged by dispassionate watchers of his rising profile since he emerged the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, especially with his sterling track records of achievements.

On his part, Mr Ibraheem said the hounour is well deserved, noting that the awardee has demonstrated a consistent performance above the threshold of what I consider outstanding.

He thanked the government for bestowing a national honour on this global icon.

The SSANU official described Mr Oloyede as an excellent leader, saying his actions are creating a legacy that inspires us to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.

With my interaction with him, he is a leader that walk the talk. Many years after leaving university of Ilorin his lagacy remains unbeatable. It is therefore an award that is worthwhile.
The police in Osun on Sunday said it arrested a commercial motorcyclist and three others in connection with the abduction and killing of a traditional chief in Oraigbomina, Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun.

Yemisi Opalola, the police spokesperson in the state, said the suspects were arrested after the son of the late traditional chief reported the case of a missing person to the police.

On Saturday, at about 12:30 p.m., one Oladepo Olasunkanmi of Kereja Area, Oraigbomina, under Oke Ila Police Division, reported that his father, Chief Oladepo Asaolu was missing.

He said his father left his house at Kereja, at about 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, with an unknown commercial motorcyclist and he was yet to return home after four days, she said.

Ms Opalola said police intelligence and investigation later led to the arrest of the commercial motorcyclist who conveyed the missing chief on the day he was last seen.

She said the arrested motorcyclist confessed that the chief had been killed and also took the police to the forest where the victims body was dumped.

The Divisional Police Officer of Oke Ila lead a team of policemen and some vigilantes in search for the remains of victim.

The suspect led the police to the forest where the victims body was dumped and his already decomposing body was found.

The arrest of the commercial motorcyclist also led to the arrest of three other persons who confessed to have been involved in the kidnap and killing of the victim, she said.

The police spokesperson, however, added that arrangement was in progress to move the body to the nearest morgue.

She said the suspects and the case had all been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo for further investigation.

(NAN)
The Anambra State Government says the ongoing flooding in parts of the state has assumed a monumental dimension.

The Deputy Governor of the state, Onyekachukwu Ibezim, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday.

Mr Ibezim said the deaths, destruction of property and livelihood were no longer tolerable and that time had come for the federal government to engage Cameroonian authorities in diplomatic discussions for the systematic release of water from their dams.

He said the dredging of the River Niger had become imperative as a strategy to reduce the effect of flood sustainably and reduce the volume of overflow.

This is monumental. It is the worst we have seen in recent times. Lives have been lost, properties have been destroyed and economic activities, including farmlands, have been washed away by this flood.

Time has come for the federal government to discuss with the Cameroonian authorities on how to manage the release of water from their dams. This should not be allowed anymore, he said.

READ ALSO:

Mr Ibezim said the volume of the flood had overstretched the rescue and intervention plan of the state as each day came with new challenges.

He said the state government was doing its best with help from the private sector, noting that it was time the federal government waded in to help contain the situation.

According to him, some of the IDP camps have been flooded, while others have been submerged.

Intervention needs are increasing; we are supplying live jackets to reduce the risk for those using boats and canoes to migrate; we are providing water to those in camps because there is no potable water in all the affected local government areas.

Food demand has increased because the farms have been cut off while more people are entering the camps. They need medicals, beddings and other items, he said.

Mr Ibezim urged friends and relations of affected people to graciously extend invitations to them and welcome them if they sought accommodation in their homes to reduce the pressure in the holding camps across the state.

(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in NDjamena, joined the celebrations of the people of Republic of Chad in inaugurating their interim administration to lead the country to elections and the formation of a democratic government.

The Nigerian leader, who is the current Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Countries (LCBC), had earlier held a bilateral meeting with the Chadian Head of State, Mahamat Deby,

A statement by Garba Shehu, the presidents spokesperson, on Monday in Abuja, said the meeting between the two leaders was held shortly before the inauguration of Deby Itno as the Head of the Transition Government to oversee the transition process.

Mr Buhari congratulated the countrys leader on behalf of the LCBC for earning the trust of the majority of Chadians to head the transition process to fruition.

The president equally congratulated the participants of the just-concluded Inclusive National Dialogue for the patriotism they demonstrated in reclaiming their country from the path of instability and repositioning it for sustainable governance and development.

He expressed hope that the event would, hopefully bring to closure, the painful phase of the Chadian political history which led to the sad passage of one of Chads most illustrious sons, late Marshal Idriss Deby itno.

Mr Buhari extolled the Chadian states responsible engagement within the sub-region and beyond.

He cited the countrys very active involvement in the collective activities for peace within the LCBC and MNJTF, the Sahel and in the reactivation of her relationship with Sudan, which he said, were exemplary.

The president expressed his hope and that of the LCBC, which he chairs, that todays event will usher in another period of peace and stability within Chad and our sub-region in order to build on the gains of previous efforts.

He urged all stakeholders in the Chadian political process to work towards consolidating and re-establishing a resolute, resilient and sustainable democracy for the benefit of the good people of Chad.

At the ceremony, the head of the transition government thanked Mr Buhari for the warmth and friendliness he had demonstrated towards the country and sub-region, especially in ensuring peace and stability.

Mr Itno commended the chairman of the LCBC for historic interventions in upholding the interest of the Chad Basin and Africa in general.

He noted that Mr Buharis leadership had been impactful.

The Chadian leader promised to put in place a transition process that would reflect the will of the people.

He also pledged to focus more on ameliorating poverty through provision of quality education, better health facilities and sustainable infrastructure.

Mr Buhari has since returned to Abuja after the ceremony in NDjamena.

(NAN)
The driver of the boat that capsized on Friday at Ogbaru in Anambra State says he had 48 passengers on board and not 85 as it was reported.

The driver, Desmond Amaugo, stated this on Sunday at Atani, headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area, while briefing government officials on the circumstances that led to the accident.

Nine passengers have been seen alive, while 20 corpses have been recovered so far from the accident. Ten of the corpses were recovered on Sunday.

The driver said the majority of the passengers he had on board were women and children trying to escape from their flooded communities.

Mr Amaugo narrated how he sailed into a heavy wave, which affected the smooth operation of the boat and resulted in it hitting one of the pillars supporting the Umunnakwe/Ossomala Bridge.

He said his spirited efforts to manoeuvre the boat away from danger were unsuccessful as he lost control of the boat before it capsized.

The driver also said some of the women had besieged his house very early on Friday and persuaded him to ferry them to Ogbakuba, another location that was not submerged by flood.

Family members who identified some of the corpses were seen lamenting their losses.

One of them, Bernard Achonu, said he lost his wife and three children.

My wife and the children were moving to a safe place because our house was already submerged, he said.

The Executive Secretary, Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Paul Odenigbo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the search for more victims was still ongoing.

ALSO READ: Many feared dead as boat capsizes in Anambra

He confirmed that nine people survived the accident.

When this kind of accident occurs, it usually take little time before the bodies start to float; we hope that once that happens, all the remaining bodies will be recovered, he said.

Meanwhile, a flooded worship place in a primary school at Iyiowa- Odekpe collapsed on Sunday.

Peter Okala, a resident, told NAN that many buildings in the area were already submerged.

As I speak with you, many buildings in Odekpe are covered by water, including my house, the worship place and many other structures.

The ground floors of most of the buildings are already covered by water and several people are passing through harrowing experiences.

Let Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the relevant federal government agencies come to our help because, with more rains, the situation will deteriorate, he said.

(NAN)
The immediate past governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, has publicly thrown his weight behind the candidacy of the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ogun State.

Mr Amosun, an APC Senator representing Ogun Central in the National Assembly, spoke during an interview with BBC Yoruba on Monday.

He stated that although he will campaign and vote for the presidential candidate of the ruling party, he will work against the governorship candidate, Governor Dapo Abiodun.

The senator stepped down his presidential ambition for Bola Tinubu during the June 6-8 national convention of the party.

Mr Amosun, who did not give details of the reason for his stance, fell out with the governor in 2019, prior to the APC primaries in the state.

Mr Abiodun became the APC candidate in Ogun through a parallel primary election held in the state.

The faceoff forced Mr Amosun to field his anointed candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Mr Akinlade later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, where he may be running as the deputy governorship candidate of the party.

Following the defection of Mr Akinlade, Mr Amosun backed an Ogun west senatorial district born, Biyi Otegbeye, under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for governor.

If you are talking of the presidential election I will support the presidential candidate of the APC, you all know me, whatever I say is what I always do. But for the governorship race, I and my supporters are not supporting the APC governorship candidate here, Mr Amosun told BBC Yoruba.

Asked to mention who he will be supporting, he said, It is Biyi Otegbeye, that is the person I am supporting. Otegbeye of the ADC.

Mr Otegbeye, a managing director at Regency Alliance Insurance PLC and his Ogun waterside born running mate, Olatunde Awonuga, made the final list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

When asked if the APC is not afraid of the Labour Partys #Obidatti# movement, Mr Amosun described the partys movement as a tactic in politics that best suits a new party willing to show strength.

He added that the APC had been around in politics for a while and might necessarily not embark on a procession.

Even in this Abeokuta now, if I asked those who believe in the candidacy of the APC presidential candidate to come out, everywhere will be filled up, you (interviewer) might not even be able to get here today.
The incumbent member representing Bakori at the Katsina State House of Assembly, Aminu Kurami, is dead.

Mr Kurami died in a Saudi Arabian hospital Sunday night.

He was said to have died around 2:15 p.m. Nigerian time.

A top aide of the lawmaker, who sought anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said the lawmaker went to Saudi Arabia for umrah but had to be rushed to a hospital when he became sick.

He was not seriously sick because I spoke with him the same day (Sunday). We later got to know that he was rushed to a hospital before the family was later informed that he had died,the aide, who is in Katsina, said.

The aide said he could not confirm whether the corpse will be returned to Nigeria for funeral. Were still mourning and you know decisions like that are made by the immediate family members, he said.

Some members of the House including AbdulJalal Runka (representing Safana area) have taken to Facebook to mourn their departed colleague.

Mr Runka, who posted in the Hausa language, said Mr Kurami died in Madina city.

The deceased was elected into the House of Assembly in 2020 when Abdurrazaq Tsiga died in May 2020.

Mr Kurami was a Doctor before he delved into politics.

The lawmaker, on several occasions, escaped being kidnapped by terrorists.

In 2021, the terrorists succeeded in abducting his wife and two children that were later released after payment of ransom.

Calls and SMS sent to the spokesperson of the State House of Assembly, Ahmad Mukhtar  Yantaba were not responded to.
Chimaroke Nnamani, senator representing Enugu East on the platform of the opposition PDP, says the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is hale and hearty.

Mr Nnamani, a medical doctor, made the assertion on Monday in a statement in Abuja.

The former governor of Enugu State said Mr Tinubu had no health challenge as erroneously being speculated, saying that the former Lagos state governors health was not encumbered in any way.

 I join millions of our people in welcoming Tinubu home. It is to Gods Glory that he returned in superb health.

 I continue to strongly condemn those who wallow in ignorance in celebration of real and phantom infirmities.

 I lend my voice in celebration of his giant strides in governance, reforms and locality administration in all its spheres. I salute his political deftness and sagacity.

Mr Nnamani said as a medical professional with honour, he attested to Mr Tinubus good health and capacity.

Tinubu has a robust general system, acute awareness of his holistic environment, political and in all ramifications.

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A bubbling and vivacious personality, his confidence is easily apparent, sharing and transferable, engaging him clearly demonstrates good health, energy and readiness to rumble.

He said his acquaintance with Mr Tinubu over the years was without prejudice to his current political commitments.

Despite being in PDP, Mr Nnamani, who is seeking reelection to the senate on the ticket of the PDP, is on the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign council ahead of the 2023 elections.

His inclusion on the campaign council of the ruling party has continued to generate mixed reactions among Nigerians, especially those in the political class.
Arsonists on Monday morning set ablaze a section of Ezza North Local Government Council secretariat in Ebonyi State, South-east Nigeria, destroying valuable items and documents.

The Chairperson of the local council, Ali Nomeh, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

He said the arsonists, numbering over 20, stormed the area around 1 a.m. and set ablaze the store in the secretariat.

The police, who shot at some of them before they escaped, resisted the arsonists, Mr Nomeh said.

The fire destroyed new air conditioners bought for the renovation of the council, some documents, a generating set, and some furniture, he said.

Mr Nomeh said the community vigilante and security agencies were on the trail of the arsonists, some of whom sustained gunshot wounds.

He said security has been beefed up at the secretariat area after the incident.

Ebonyi, like other states in the South-east, has been plagued by insecurity for some years now.

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Gunmen on Sunday shot dead a Chinese expatriate in the Izzi Local Government Area of the state.

Three people were shot dead in June by gunmen during an attack on Ngbo community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.

Four people were similarly killed in May in the state when gunmen attacked and set ablaze some buildings in the country home of a local council chairperson. Those killed in the attack were relatives of the chairperson.

The security situation in South-east Nigeria has continued to deteriorate, with armed men carrying out frequent attacks on security officials and security facilities.

Most of the attacks in the region have been attributed to a separatist group, IPOB.

Two people, including a police officer, were killed in Enugu State on Sunday when gunmen attacked a police facility in the state.
A popular Kano-based Islamic cleric, Aminu Daurawa, has revealed how a Chinese, Geng Quandong, who killed his Nigerian girlfriend, Ummulkulsum Buhari, converted to Islam to marry her but the ladys parents did not approve of the union.

Mr Daurawa, who was speaking at a religious gathering, said the late Ms Buhari, told him after Mr Quandong converted to Islam to marry her.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Quandong, 47, allegedly murdered Ummukulsum, 23, at Janbalu quarters on 17th September for allegedly refusing his hand in marriage and exploiting him.

The police arraigned Mr Quandong before High Court No.17 at Miller Road in Kanos metropolis. He is being charged with culpable homicide.

Mr Daurawa said a week before she was killed, Ms Buhari called in on the telephone asking for his counsel after Mr Quandong converted to Islam.

Your parents said the right thing because you cant marry someone without knowing his background, he claimed to have told her.

Mr Daurawa said he supported the marriage but advised that certain things must be considered before the marriage because Islam is against racism and tribalism.

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Islam is against racism and tribalism but make sure you involved Nigeria Immigration in the marriage process because I witnessed how men with unknown family backgrounds got married and fled, leaving women with childrens responsibilities, the cleric narrated the phone conversation between him and the deceased.

You have to contact Immigration whether he is legally staying in Nigeria, the business he is into, involved the Chinese Community in Kano authentic where he comes from, his background is important, Mr Daurawa added.

He said he also advised her to notify the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria about the planned wedding and involve the Kano Hisbah board to teach him how to practice Islam.

Mr Daurawa said once these steps are completed, he will meet with her parents to convince them to allow the marriage to take place.

Its unfortunate, one week later, I leant that she was killed, its a very sad development, may her soul rest in peace, the cleric prayed.

He urged Nigerian authorities to ensure that justice is served to serve as a deterrent to others and prevent the reoccurrence of the ugly incident.
Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has defended the huge foreign indebtedness of Nigeria, saying that the situation with the country is not hopeless.

The governor, who is also the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, the umbrella body of all governors of the All Progressives Congress(APC), spoke in Ado- Ekiti on Monday at a valedictory conference in honour of the outgoing governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.

Mr Fayemis tenure as governor ends on Saturday, the 15th of October.

Governor Bagudu said the level of Nigerias indebtedness should not be a reason for people to be hopeless about the country.

The Debt Management Office had put Nigerias total public debt at N41.6trillion at the end of the second quarter of 2022 and is predicted to rise to N45 trillion by the end of the year.

The Federal Government is said to have spent N1.94trillion on debt servicing within the same period.

President Muhammadu Buharis 2023 budget comes with a deficit of N11.30trillion, projecting borrowing as one of the ways to fund the deficit.

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The government has already finalised plans to borrow another N11trillion for that purpose.

But Mr Bagudu said Nigerians should not despair or be disillusioned over the situation.

Even great nations like the USA, who are even more economically advanced than Nigeria are even more indebted than Nigeria, Mr Bagudu said.

What we need now are investments through global partnerships for over 200million population, to build our economy and build our people.

Speaking further at the conference, the governor appealed to the incoming governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, to rejig governance in Ekiti by consolidating the gains already brought by Mr Fayemi to the people, describing this as the best way to build an economically virile state.

Continuity in governance is key and germane to economic development. I charge the incoming Governor, Biodun Oyebanji to build on the legacy of his predecessor. Sustainability in governance is an essential ingredient of democracy, he said.

Governor Fayemi is one leader that is committed to the Nigerian dream. He is one leader that believes in the unity of this nation. He believes in progressive ideas. His utmost aim is to ensure that people get dividends of democracy.

Also speaking at the conference, the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, urged Mr Oyebanji to invest in a knowledge-driven economy and fight poverty that is ravaging the people, for his administration to be indelible in the annals of history.

Mr Zulum added that Mr Oyebanji must focus attention on the infrastructural deficit in roads and other public utilities that can benefit the populace while superintending over the state, describing this as a pivot and boost to economic development.

Every serious-minded government today in Nigeria must focus attention on poverty reduction, infrastructural deficit and the emerging climate change to curb incidences of natural disasters, he said.

The incoming governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has got the experience, having been part of this government and the expectation is that he will continue where Governor Fayemi stopped.

In his lecture titled: A Scholar in Power: Reflections on Power, Democracy And the Future of Nigeria, a Professor of Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania, USA, Adewale Adebamwi, said no federal system can be perfect, harping on the need for the current weak Nigerian system to be rejigged and strengthened.

He said the only way was for the people to be secured and all the strata of the Nigerian society well protected.

Mr Adebanwi said the most daring thing to an average Nigerian is good governance, which he said some agitators, whom he described as reformists, thought would turn Nigeria into a perfect society.
The Queens College Old Girls Association (QCOGA) has launched a N10 billion endowment fund towards improving the school and contributing to the education of the girl-child and overall national development.

The fundraising initiative, launched Monday at the Gymnasium Hall of Queens College Lagos, is part of a week-long programme to mark the schools 95th anniversary.

The programme started on 5 October with the celebration of World Teachers Day, followed by a fundraising walkathon and will end with elders fun and banter on 29 October.

In her opening remarks at the fundraising luncheon, the President of QCOGA, Ifueko Okauru, said the old girls association is committed to supporting the continuous growth and development of the school.

Mrs Okauru, who graduated from the school in 1978, emphasised the need for the QCOGA to collaborate with the Nigerian government. She said the plan is to achieve a N500 billion endowment fund by 2029.

She said: One critical part of our goal was to establish the school as one with a N500 billion endowment fund to give the association the muscle to work with the government to establish a school of excellence. Schools of excellence around the world set this as the benchmark. Schools without the required funding infrastructure to support its development and the right governance around the funding raise cannot sustain excellence.

We are launching today, the first step towards achieving our N500 billion target by starting with raising N10 billion endowment by 2029. We believe we can count on our members, our stakeholders and our networks to make this happen.

The chartered accountant added that to achieve its plans, the association first elected a board of trustees (BOT) through a credible and transparent process by 2020/21, faithful to the provisions of the QCOGA constitution as redrafted and approved in 2018.

More goals by 2029

The president also highlighted that the old students association will leverage on the national and international networks to achieve a set of goals by 2029 which include: the re-establishment of QC as the number one ranked Secondary School in Nigeria by the year 2029, on infrastructure, education content and teacher quality measures.

She said that by 2029 they will be the Old Students Association of Reference in Nigeria with a full-time administrative secretariat, its building and a N500 billion endowment fund for the upkeep of the school to 22nd century standards and upliftment of our communities, especially girl-child education.

She added that the association will significantly empower the old girls by first: raising financial/active membership from the current 250 (estimate) to 5,000 by 2029 and achieving a life expectancy rate of 85 years of members.

Mrs Okauru also noted that they will ensure at least 50 per cent of positions held by women across all sectors and levels are held by old students of QCL and that women represent no less than 50 per cent of the total positions available.

Education for all

In her remarks, the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Binta Abdulkadir, said that the ministry recognises the QCOGA for their support and initiative in organizing a series of events to mark the 95th anniversary of their Alma Mater.

The several landmark achievements of this association over the years in this college are noted and highly commended by the ministry. I wish to congratulate the president and her team for keeping the flag flying and putting together this all-important ceremony despite the economic difficulty facing the country.

There is no doubt, this great occasion constitutes a happy reunion for many of the old students who may not have seen one another since they left school. I have no doubt that they have all made a huge towards the success of this event, she said.

The director also appreciated schools Parent Teacher Association (PTA), School Based Management Committee (SBMC), and corporate organizations. She noted that the education ministry is aware of all the projects executed to improve the lives of the students and staff.

We must wake up to the saying that Education for All is the responsibility of all, she said.

Founders Day service

Before the fundraising luncheon, the old girls, special guests, current students, as well as teaching and non-teaching staff members converged at the Theresa Chukwuma hall in the morning to celebrate the school which was established on 10 October 1927.

The service was graced by the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo; the immediate former principal, Tokunbo Yakubu-Oyinloye; the current principal, Adetutu Obabori, and the Chairman of Queens College Parents and Teachers Association (QCPTA), Adedamola Adewuyi, among others.

A pastor, Ituah Ighodalo, and an imam, Saeed Salman, gave the word of exhortation and the service also featured the rendition of songs by the schools choir.

In his remarks, Mr Ighodalo of Trinity House said his relationship with the foremost girls school dates back to 1966 when he, as a student of Kings College, accompanied his sister who gained admission to the school for debate competitions.

He urged the students to take charge of their lives and decisions, noting that every one that is born of a woman has a special assignment from God.

Everything starts with your thoughts and as long as you cannot control your thoughts, you cannot control your destiny, your thoughts are based on your beliefs which are based on your knowledge. And that is where a critical institution like Queens College comes in.

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Queens College should be a foundation for raising ladies that are greater than Queens; ladies that will rule the world and make Nigeria a better place, he said.

On his part, Mr Salman charged the students to be committed to serving humanity, and never discriminate against people based on religion or beliefs, adding that the student should also try to be morally upright in all endeavours.

QCOGA old girls

Some of the old students spoke to PREMIUM TIMES.

Clementina Oshiyemi who left the school in 1958, hailed the school for its achievement over the years and how it has blessed her with a network of successful women.

Queens College has always been a great school for the training of women. Women are not only trained to read and write, they are trained to be responsible women or mothers.

I am very proud to have attended Queens College and Im very proud of my sisters. Even though we are all over 80, we are still girls. There is nobody below 82 years here. I am proud and privileged to have known these girls and to have associated with them for over 60 years, she said.

Another woman, Comfort Ogedengbe, who noted that she studied at Queens College on scholarship, said she is forever grateful to the school for the foundation it provided her.

I am passionate about Queens College because I was a beneficiary of a school scholarship. Throughout five years in Queens College, nothing was paid.

I left school in 1959 and I am very proud because even in England when they ask about the school I attended, Queens College was recognised and appreciated.

Two of the old students who are twins, Taiwo and Kehinde Akinsumade, said they were moved from the old school premises in Onikan to Yaba Lagos in 1958. They said the foundation and knowledge from the school made them women of value and that is why one of them enrolled her three daughters who are now members of QCOGA.
Barely two months after he was awarded the multi-billion naira oil security contract in the Niger Delta region, Government Ekpemupolo has discovered at least 58 illegal points in Delta and Bayelsa States where crude oil is being stolen.

Mr Ekpemupolo who is popularly known as Tompolo, disclosed this on Sunday at Oporoza, Delta State while briefing reporters on the discovery of a 4km illegal oil pipeline in the Forcados area of the state according to a report by Channels television.

I think we have found over 58 points that have been tapped in both Delta and Bayelsa states, the former leader of militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, said.

You know, we are doing this work together with the security agencies. We are only providing intelligence for the security people to assist to do the work. So, everybody  both the NNPC and others, we are working together in good spirit.

Mr Ekpemupolo told reporters that the aquatic life of the area is gone and added that he was doing everything possible in collaboration with authorities to reduce the menace to a bare minimum.

The Federal Government in August awarded a pipeline surveillance contract reportedly worth N48 billion per year (N4 billion per month) to Mr Ekpemupolo to check massive oil theft in the region.

Mele Kyari, the chief executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, while explaining why the contract was awarded to the ex-militant leader, had argued that it was not the first time such a contract was awarded to individuals in the region.

The contract has angered some groups in the region who threatened to sabotage the deal.

But Mr Kyari in justifying its decision said the federal government was not dealing directly with Mr Ekpemupolo but a private contractors company which he has interest in.

Oil theft, illegal refineries in the region, and its negative impact on the countrys economy have been a source of concern to the Nigerian government over the years.

PREMIUM TIMES in January reported how the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, accused a police chief in the state of operating an illegal refinery and demanded his redeployment from the state.

He must leave this state. I cant be governor here and the security man owns an illegal refinery. No, it is not possible. Take him to wherever they allow bunkering, Mr Wike had said.
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a party of termites that must not be allowed to return to power.

Mr Tinubu said this during the inauguration of the APC womens campaign council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.

The former Lagos State governor described the main opposition party as the party of looters, adding that the 16 years of PDP were rudderless and without progress in infrastructure development.

Mr Tinubu also claimed that the PDP failed to make payment for rail infrastructure.

A nation is not built on abusive language 16 years of rudderless and ditching the wool  PDP shall never come back again. Never again.

Our opponents spent 16 years, they had forgotten that the highway is an economy, electricity is mandatory for industrialisation. They dont understand the transmission lines and the need for maintenance.

They couldnt make a down payment for the rail track. They are a political party of termites, he said.

Despite over seven years in power, the ruling party is known for blaming the PDP, which ruled for 16 years.

Mr Tinubu also informed the audience that the symbol on his cap means broken shackle. He said he will break the shackle of poverty.

The design on this cap is a broken shackle. We are breaking the shackle of poverty and destitution. In the last eight years, it has been a party that inherited a troublesome nation under the weight of uncertainty, he said.

He added that We took over the worst pricing of crude oil but still, the very determined, focused person (Buhari) was able to bail 36 states of this country which were not able to pay salaries.

Campaigns for the 2023 presidential elections commenced on 28 September.

The 2023 campaign has commenced as some of the candidates have commenced campaigns.

Women campaign team

The womens campaign team is headed by the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, who is the grand patron.

Mr Tinubus wife, Remi, and Nana Shettima, wife of the vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, will serve as chair and co-chairperson.

Asabe Villita, a former member of the House of Representatives from Borno State, was appointed the national coordinator of the team with Lauretta Onochie, Mr Buharis controversial aide, as her deputy.
What do boys do, other than court challenges? Lanre not only courted, but dragged us, friends and colleagues, into what has turned to be an endless struggle. Since 1984, Buhari, then head of a military government, had stoked some fiery instinct in us Today, Lanre and several friends remain eternally charged with much of the sustenance and support from the likes of my darling King of Boys.

Gals  and our younger Lanruze used to have a large army of them  may also insist hes theirs. Perhaps, he belonged to them more Lanre, who now carries a clean skull, used to flaunt a fairly curly hair on the head. And he really could be meticulous taming it. I used to wonder, during our National Concord days, how the tough former NANS guy could spare enough time to tend to the head.

But candidly, Lanruze, the one who shares the same birthday anniversary with Wole Kongi Soyinka, is masculine in every sense, reiterating the strength of the spirit of the day he shares with the Nobel laureate. Thrice  yes  three distinct times, Lanre led me through perilous but fulfilling paths. What do boys do, other than court challenges? Blanket greetings of gentlemen of the press for the males and females in journalism seemed to have foreseen the entry of the likes of Lanre. Lanre not only courted, but dragged us, friends and colleagues, into what has turned to be an endless struggle. Since 1984, Buhari, then head of a military government, had stoked some fiery instinct in us Today, Lanre and several friends remain eternally charged with much of the sustenance and support from the likes of my darling King of Boys.

In 1984, the brutal and parochial military government of Buhari/Idiagbon could not think out of the box but fell for a policy that would victimise perhaps the most helpless among the weaklings in society, the students. That government, at the end of the nationally fairly stable academic year, ordered the very final stoppage of subsidy to the cafeterias of the universities in Nigeria. It ushered in a most challenging era for students who, until that time, had only insufficient on-campus accommodation to battle with. The NANS leadership, therefore, had to activate its consultation machinery afterwards, before arriving at what action could be taken to liberate the sinking ship of the students.

The authorities of my University of Ilorin would have none of it. Sola (Mike) Olorunyomi, now a professor, who held sway as the president of the union was all for the NANS big meeting. Newspapers and other media kept on running NANS insistence on a fight-back, as being advocated by the Lanre Arogundade leadership. The intolerant government soon got Lanre arrested and detained for months. Sola Mike, for defying the authorities to host NANS meeting, got expelled. Other Unilorin students leaders handed suspension in various measures were Secretary-General Mathew Keyi, ASG Femi Straightaway Ibrahim and PRO Joseph Abereoran. All universities were shut down indefinitely, leaving the country somewhat hopeless. No be today dem start o! The universities were later reopened without recalling the union leaders and even with very strict conditions for the rest of us.

Never an armchair editor, Lanre led me and a few others, including the inimitable poet, Sam Omatseye, to conduct what turned out to be the last major interview with the winner of the 12th June 1993 presidential election, Basorun MKO Abiola at the height of the debacle. Abiola openly hailed my boss, Activi-st! MKO later led only Lanre into a private room for an intimate discussion as a show of love and proper acknowledgement.

But the obstinate Ijesha-Ekiti boy with the unmistakably suggestive surname, which speaks to an addiction to struggle, could not be stopped. He had become what, in his Yoruba culture, could be labeled ageku ejo, with its own extreme venom. The struggle had become his life, as was and still is, for most of us. We had been toughened to, not only be impatient with injustice, but to also have zero tolerance for it.

Lanre eventually sought his way into mainstream journalism and became an editor at the defunct The Republic newspaper. A few years afterwards, he found his way to National Concord where, again, we became collaborators in the never-ending struggle for a better Nigeria.

Lanre later became the Features Editor, captaining my team, a model team. The team comprised energetic and creative hands like Sam Nwanze, Jide Orintunsin, Beifoh Osewele, as well as bevy of beautiful gals who came for internship, turning the desk to the most frequented by Concord male staff from adjoining editorial units and other departments.

Lanre had a unique editing style: He would rather source a replacement for an unsuitable intro from the same report, thus strengthening the reporters self-confidence and cultivating another budding editor at the same time. Lanre never hid his admiration and respect for anyone who crafted flawless, poetic prose either. He was no less strong on keen competition with features published by Concords only rival then, The Guardian. Akin Adesokan of The Guardians feature desk then, now a professor in the US, had done a feature on the political crisis in Osun State when Governor Adetunji Adeleke was the governor in 1991. Commissioned by Lanre, I did another, published the same week. While The Guardians was titled Osun State: Handshake Beyond the Elbow, Concords was headlined Osun State: Whither Runs the Living Spring? Osun State is otherwise referred to as the State of the Living Spring. Our review meeting for the week openly acknowledged that we were surely not in want of wits under Editor Lanre.

Relentless Lanre has soared even beyond the local level. He has since cultivated and keeps nurturing and leading about the most good corporate governance compliant media development organisation in Nigeria today, the International Press Centre (IPC). His invaluable presence in the media community now cannot be over-emphasised at a time the digitech induced distruptions effect on the finances of the media industry and professionals is most stifling.

Never an armchair editor, Lanre led me and a few others, including the inimitable poet, Sam Omatseye, to conduct what turned out to be the last major interview with the winner of the 12th June 1993 presidential election, Basorun MKO Abiola at the height of the debacle. Abiola openly hailed my boss, Activi-st! MKO later led only Lanre into a private room for an intimate discussion as a show of love and proper acknowledgement. Beyond being sheer reporters, our activism also attracted heavy patronage to Concord newspaper too. The very day soldiers came to seal up the premises, following the proscription order by the military government of the tyrannical Abacha, late Didi Adodo and Olaitan Oyerinde, both of them Secretary-General and Assistant Secretary-General of the Iron and Steel Assocaition of Nigeria respectively then, passed on to us a full page advert from their union. Following the forced closure the same day, not only did it become impossible for us to run the ad, the cash for the advert was also trapped in there for several months

Beyond the confines of his employers, Lanre was most sought after and subsequently emerged as the Chair of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ). Obviously still as strong spirited as he was during his NANS leadership, Lanres tenure as NUJ leader in Lagos State has incontrovertibly remained the most politically accomplished and, in particular, indomitably intellectually refreshing. Journalism in Nigeria: Issues and Perspectives edited by Olatunji Dare and Adidi Uyo, conceptualised and published by the Lanre administration, has turned out to be globally well received. I got this confirmed in far away Harlem, New York, specifically at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. While on a fellowship at Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in 1998, I needed to do a presentation for which that book seemed indispensable. A librarian at Columbia University thus suggested the centre to me. It was the most authoritative book there at that time on any aspect of Nigerian media history. Though due for a revised edition, that publication remains an outstanding history resource on the Nigerian media.

Coming next to Ladi Lawals regime bedeviled by the challenges of the proscription of newspapers, Lanre not only braced up but rolled out a reassuring programme for colleagues who were faced with threat of uncertainty, following the proscription of all titles on the stables of Concord, The Guardian and The PUNCH. In spite of the rancour unleashed by some timid and envious rivals, long time after leaving office, Lanre remains the central issue in NUJ politics in Lagos State till date.

Relentless Lanre has soared even beyond the local level. He has since cultivated and keeps nurturing and leading about the most good corporate governance compliant media development organisation in Nigeria today, the International Press Centre (IPC). His invaluable presence in the media community now cannot be over-emphasised at a time the digitech induced distruptions effect on the finances of the media industry and professionals is most stifling. IPC provides assorted refuge for many in the media across the industry and the academia. Lanre is indeed only a little short of the last man standing in the sector, really. Sixty hearty cheers to the uncommon leader.

Tunde Akanni, an associate professor of Journalism, doubles as the pioneer director of the Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) of the Lagos State University. Follow him via:tundeakanni.com and @AkintundeAkanni (Twitter)
When providence beckoned on Alhaji Yahaya Bello to become Governor of Kogi State in 2015, on the podium of his inauguration, he made a solemn pledge that reads; My Administration shall exist for the sole purpose of serving the superseding interests of the people of Kogi State to the very best of its capabilities. We also undertake to never lend our capacities to servicing the avarice of anyone or groupwhether from Kogi State or elsewhere. This was his pledge to the people of Kogi state and stoically, he has stuck to this vow. Part of this is the demand for fairness, truth and justice in the utilization of the state resources either by government, organisations or individuals.

Since becoming the governor of Kogi State, Bello has demonstrated uncommon bravery numerous times, doing the unimaginable and upsetting the status quo. Overall, he performs his duties with such tact, covert calmness, and absolute grandeur that even the more experienced politicians who were present prior to his entry are completely awestruck and fascinated. Governor Bello is a man who does not fight for no genuine reasons. Being a brave man, he only starts a fight when its necessary to dispel numerous myths. How he managed the COVID-19 imbroglio is still well-remembered by many. Kogi did not experience the socioeconomic upheavals associated to the crisis management approach employed by other governors because he protected the Kogi people from the COVID-19 onslaught. Bello kept his cool and breezed through. Unlike many of his governor colleagues who could not resist the fragrance of dollars from international donor agencies, Bello stood firmly for Kogi people as he refused to be dragged through the mud.

Governor Yahaya Bello has recently made headlines once more, giving him another chance to show off his uncommon bravery. This time around, the Kogi government which Bello superintends, is in a face-off with the Dangote Group, which is arguably one of the most powerful corporate-capitalist entities in Africa. In addition to defending the law, Bello often aligns his interests with the desires of the Kogi people for whom he fights. He was Nigerias sole governor who was COVID-19 resistive. He would not succumb to the allure of money because for him, COVID-19 was a fraud and a ploy to siphon public funds. He did not leave his people while the plague raged; he stuck out to be seen and physically counted.

Many commentators compare the tense standoff between the Kogi State government and Dangote to Governor Yahaya Bellos unconventional handling of the COVID-19. The face-off between the Kogi State government and Dangote is already generating hot media reactions from different quarters. As expected, there are many paid propagandists who have been recruited to shape public opinion in favour of Dangote Group. One of such persons is one Festus Babiyalla Adedayo, an Ibadan-based journalist and lawyer. Festus Adedayo may have been forgotten by many people. A simple reminder suffices. He is that perennial political appointment seeker who the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan dropped from consideration as Special Adviser on Media, after the news of his appointment had flooded the media space. He has finally gotten a job. His new responsibility is to execute a hatchet job for Dangote Group by spreading false information on Governor Yahaya Bello and the Kogi State Government.

A misnomer being perpetrated by the Dangote Group in Kogi is being lauded and sustained by people who ordinarily should be the pulse of conscience but deadly subsumed by the avarice of belly food  for how do they survive if not from running errand for their oppressors. Festus Adedayo fell so cheap for the porridge that comes from a capitalist lord and decided to turn truth on its head. Even with facts poking in the face, the hatchet merchant looked away and decided to paint white the grotesque traces of Dangote Group in Kogi. It should, however, be noted, that those who turn truth to lies will be referenced in the hallmark of shame and infamy.

In Adedayos hasty errand, he muddled logic and shot his paymaster in the foot when he wrote that on paper, the plant belongs to Dangote Industries Limited. Formerly known as Obajana Cement Plc, it changed name to Dangote Cement Plc in July, 2010, becoming a subsidiary of the Dangote Group. Obajana Cement, before the acquisition, was solely owned by the Kogi State government, having been incorporated in 1992. In 2010, it got listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The company said that between 2007 and 2012, its founder, Dangote, invested the sum of US$6.5 billion into the company and cement production and trading constitute a large chunk of the Dangote Groups core businesses. If this was the case, how did a company wholly founded and 100% owned by the Kogi State Government long before Dangote Cement Plc came into the State become a sole entity of the Dangote Group? The concession that gave sole mining right to Dangote Group recognised the shareholding structure of the state on the board of the Group, what then happenned to these legal rights? The obliteration of the existing legal rights of Kogi State in the new acquisition by the Dangote Group calls for concern but rabid undertakers like Adedayo are blind to this.

In trying to justify the unfair exploitation of the Dangote Group, Adedayo went to the blackmailing lane by stating the production capacity of Dangote Cement Plant in Obajana. What he failed to state is how deprived the people of Obajana are, how the plant has impoverished them and the menacing effect of the factory telling severely on the health of the people. While the writer whips up sentiment on the four deaths recorded in the unfortunate flood disaster, he failed to tell the world how Dangotes truck drivers have sacrificed countless lives of Kogites to make billions of dollars for their company. People who utilize the roads in Kogi are aware that Dangote truck drivers are solely focused on getting cements delivered promptly and are not concerned about the safety of other road users. Kogi State has seen a high number of fatalities as a result of the location of the cement factory in Obajana.

The media space is filled with many reports of how Dangote trucks have sent many Kogi people to their early graves. A quick google search will reveal many. For instance, the Guardian newspaper report that on 3rd February, 2017, tragedy occurred in Lokoja, Kogi State capital when a truck belonging to the Dangote Group rammed into an oncoming motorcycle, killing the two passengers. The victims, Caleb Idakwo and Prosper Ojodale, until their death, were students of Kogi State Polytechnic (See Guardian, 04 February 2017: https://guardian.ng/news/dangote-truck-crushes-two-in-kogi/).

In another report titled Protest as Dangote truck kills four in Lokoja the Punch newspaper reports that a female student of the Kogi State Polytechnic and two others were killed on the spot while eight others who sustained varying degrees of injury were evacuated to the state Specialist Hospital, Lokoja for treatment. (See link https://punchng.com/protest-as-dangote-truck-kills-four-in-lokoja/).

Another media story report says: Kogi Poly students on rampage as truck kills four students, others (Vanguard Newspaper: See link: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/09/kogi-poly-students-rampage-truck-kills-four-students-others/). According to the Vanguard newspaper report More than five persons have been reported killed in Lokoja Wednesday when a truck, laden with cement and belonging to Dangote Cement Company, Obajana, allegedly ran into a tricycle Keke NAPEP few distance from the state polytechnic. Among those killed were three school children and some occupants of the Keke NAPEP on their way to school including a student of Kogi State Polytechnic

A lot of people, including Babiyalla Adedayo, are asking why Bello is acting now, having spent seven years as Governor of Kogi State. Let me ask, is there a wrong time for doing the right thing? Dangote Group is no doubt, one of the most sophisticated corporate entities in Africa, and the Obajana Cement is one of its biggest investments in Nigeria. Asking such an enterprise to do the right thing requires tact and strategy. Rather than being reprimanded, Bello should be applauded for standing on the side of justice and Kogi people. As a courageous leader, Bello deploys his tact whenever he thinks is the most appropriate. If successive governors, as alleged by Adedayo, always get from every bag of cement that comes out of the Obajana plant, then Bello has once against demonstrated, just like he did during COVID-19 debacle, that he is for Kogi people rather than his personal pocket.

If you want to know how Dangote Group treats Kogi State and her people with disdain and contempt, just pay a visit to any of the tertiary institutions in Kogi State, including Kogi State University (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), Anyigba; Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, College of Education, Ankpa, Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, among others. There is nothing to show that the Dangote Group is socially responsible to Kogi people. Kogi people deserve reciprocal respect in corporate social responsibility like he has done in Bayero University, Kano, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The goose that lays the golden eggs deserves a habitable shelter.

Without sounding like the mouthpiece of Kogi Government but a bonafide scion of the state, I thus conclude by saying, what the present Kogi State Government under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello is simply saying has nothing to do with the person of Mr Aliko Dangote or restricting investments but asking to know when, how a entity and mining licenses, CofO belonging to Kogi State and her people became wholly Dangotes and by what consideration? This isnt too much a question for a business guru like Dangote to answer. Clearly using the media to keep a clean posture cant bury this obvious rip-off of the good people of Kogi State.

Abdullahi O. Haruna wrote from Lokoja, Kogi State.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians to vote for the party in the 2023 elections.

He said: there will be no more hunger in the country if voted into power.

Mr Atiku stated this on Monday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at the flag-off of the PDP presidential campaign.

Today we have inaugurated our campaign to rescue Nigeria from hunger, Poverty, and also to bring back the unity that we require in this country.

If you vote for PDP it will be a return to prosperity, unity. There will be no more hunger and there will be security.

I swear, if you vote for PDP you will all go back to school. You will get jobs.

Mr Atiku, a former Vice President of Nigeria defeated 12 other candidates in a keenly contested presidential primary held in May at Abuja to emerge as the partys presidential flag bearer.

He polled 371 votes while his closest challenger, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, came second with 237 votes.

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A former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, scored 70 votes to occupy the third position while Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, came fourth with 38 votes.

Speaking amidst cheers from party supporters, Atiku reminded the people that when the PDP came to power in 1999, it lifted Nigeria from bottom to top and that the country became the biggest economy in Africa.

When PDP came to power in 1999, we met Nigeria in a state of poverty, insecurity, hunger and lack of education. We lifted Nigeria from the bottom to the top. We became the biggest economy in Africa.

We had peace, we had progress and Nigerians said they wanted change. They voted for change in 2015, what have we seen?  Poverty, insecurity, lack of job and disunity. Our children are no longer going to school, he said.
Located in Wallajah Taluk, Ranipet, the new station was inaugurated by Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. M.K. Stalin

VELLORE, India, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AG&P Pratham, a leading player in the Indian City Gas Distribution (CGD) industry, has launched Tamil Nadu's first Liquified Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) station near Manthangal Village, Walajah Taluk, Ranipet District. The LCNG Station was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. M.K. Stalin, in a virtual event which was also graced by Thiru. Thangam Thennarasu, Honourable Minister of Industries and Thiru. V Irai Anbu , IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu.

AG&P PRATHAM LAUNCHES TAMILNADUS FIRST LIQUIFIED & COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (LCNG)

Speaking at the event Shri Abhilesh Gupta - Managing Director & CEO mentioned that the LCNG Station is the first of its kind in Tamil Nadu and that the commissioning of this facility is a significant step toward transitioning Vellore & Ranipet cities and surrounding areas into a gas-based ecosystem, fueling industry growth and prosperity in the region. The facility will cater to the piped natural gas requirements of domestic households, industries, commercial establishments and CNG for the transport sector. The company will be developing 300 km of pipeline network in Vellore-Ranipet area by the end of FY23. The new station will benefit 30000+ households and 325 industrial and commercial establishments across Vellore, Ranipet and Thirupattur.

AG&P Pratham is developing CGD networks in 6 districts of Tamil Nadu including Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu & South East Chennai, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Ramanathapuram. By consistently expanding its footprint in the state, AG&P Pratham aims to cover 1 lakh domestic connections within a year and shall cover 22 lakh households across Tamil Nadu in the next eight years. To date, AG&P Pratham has launched 27 CNG stations in Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu Districts & South East Chennai, 3 in Ramanathapuram District and 14 in Vellore & Ranipet Districts. The company plans to launch 22 more CNG stations in the state by March 2023.

Shri Gupta further said that AG&P Pratham is grateful for the continued support from the State government and local authorities in helping AG&P strengthen the CNG infrastructure in TN and for their sustained pursuit of cleaner energy sources. We are working aggressively at the grassroots level to further the Government's vision of migrating towards a gas-based economy. With the new LCNG station, the area will now have easy access to natural gas which is a cleaner and affordable fuel for households, industries, commercial establishments and vehicular transport.

With AG&P Pratham's constant endeavor to create an environmental friendly ecosystem, we are promoting the use of CNG which has several merits over traditional fuels like diesel and petrol. CNG has the strongest safety record and compelling economic benefits to vehicle owners. Natural Gas helps reduce air pollution caused by vehicles and industries and helps the country move towards responsible growth and energy sufficiency.

About AG&P

AG&P Pratham has authorizations to develop CGD networks across 12 Geographical Areas covering 34 districts across 8% of India and 64 million people in the states of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. In its twelve Geographical Areas, AG&P Pratham is developing and operating CNG stations for vehicles, piped natural gas to homes, industries and commercial establishments. AG&P Pratham through its India-wide CGD network, plans to cover more than 278,000 and will have over 1,500 CNG stations and more than 17,000 inch-km of pipelines. AG&P Pratham has recently won the India 2022 'Energy Company of the Year' at 'The Economic Times Energy Leadership Awards'.

AG&P Pratham is presently operating CNG Stations in the districts of Andhra Pradesh: Anantapur, Kadapa, Chittoor, Sri Sathya Sai, Sri Balaji, Annamayya and Nellore Districts; Karnataka: Kolar, Mysuru, Mandya, Chamrajnagar, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Bagalkot, Koppal, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada and Haveri; Tamil Nadu: Kanchipuram, Chengalpet, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Ramanathapuram; Kerala: Alappuzha, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram; Rajasthan: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Barmer.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1917361/Wallajah_LCNG_Launch_AG_P_Pratham.jpg

SOURCE AG&P Pratham
Following an award-winning film festival run, season one of Reciprocity Project is now streaming for free on Reciprocity.org and REI's YouTube Channel

SEATTLE, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique series of original films made by Indigenous creators on their homelands is now free for all to watch. These seven short films make up the first season of Reciprocity Project, which answers the question: "What does 'reciprocity' mean to your community?" In honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, the films are free to stream starting today at reciprocity.org and on REI's YouTube channel. Reciprocity Project is a collaboration between Nia Tero and Upstander Project in association with REI Co-op Studios.

"With the Reciprocity Project films as a guide, we ask ourselves  and you: what kind of ancestor do you want to be?" Tweet this A moment from "Diiyeghan naii Taii Treedaa (We Will Walk the Trail of our Ancestors)" by Princess Daazhraii Johnson and Alisha Carlson (Gwichin), one of the seven Indigenous-made short films in Season One of Reciprocity Project.

"Stories from Indigenous peoples about being in reciprocity with the Earth are essential in delivering messages of truth, healing, and transformative change," said executive producer Tracy Rector, who is also Managing Director, Storytelling, at Nia Tero. "Our survival is the result of the efforts of many ancestors that have come before us, and with the Reciprocity Project films as a guide, we ask ourselves  and you: what kind of ancestor do you want to be?"

Reciprocity Project season one showcases films created within Indigenous communities across Turtle Island in the U.S. and Colombia. The filmmakers worked alongside community partners, infusing the films with unique perspectives on reciprocity and relationship to land and animals.

"Our shared vision is a paradigm shift toward each of us living in reciprocity  taking good care of each other, our families, neighbors and communities," said Reciprocity Project producer Adam Mazo, who is also Creative Director at Upstander Project.

As the world navigates an escalating climate crisis, Reciprocity Project films uplift Indigenous value systems that have bolstered communities since time immemorial.

"We believe stories can inspire a more equitable, empathetic outdoor community, and we are committed to elevating diversity and representation in the storytellers we partner with," says Paolo Mottola, REI Co-op's Director of Content and Media.

The Reciprocity Project is now in production for its second season with a new cohort of Indigenous filmmakers from Kenya, Finland, Sierra Leone, Rotuma, Taiwan, United States , and beyond.

In addition to watching the films, you can read more information about the filmmakers and view discussion guides on the Reciprocity Project website: reciprocity.org.

Press Inquiries: [email protected]

SOURCE Nia Tero
AM General is proud of its long-standing partnership with the U.S. Army, having delivered world-class and combat proven solutions with a wide range of vehicles including the iconic 5-ton trucks, 2.5-ton trucks, and the HUMVEE family of vehicles. The company's extensive manufacturing expertise coupled with its IATF 16949 certification (the premier standard for automotive production) makes them an elite automotive manufacturer in the world.

IDV is currently partnered to provide the United States Marine Corps with the new generation of Amphibious Combat Vehicles and has delivered innovative automotive and protection solutions to meet the needs of military customers worldwide. AM General is leveraging IDV's well-established, commercially available vehicles that incorporate leading automotive enhancements and advanced technologies such as drive by wire and fuel efficiency capabilities to meet CTT requirements, which provide ample opportunity for continuous innovation.

The team's High Mobility Range Vehicle architecture for CTT will be based on a newly launched highly modular range of trucks, specifically designed for military use. When designing this new range of trucks, IDV benefitted from the company's significant experience acquired over the years by constantly responding to the needs expressed by the customers in over 100 countries. The vehicles guarantee their users state-of-the-art safety through high-level ballistic and anti-mine protection wherever required. They span from 4x4 to 10x10 with different types of cabins and the ability to fulfil a variety of roles. This ensures a high level of commonality to reduce the logistical footprint envisioned for the CTT program.

"We are glad to join AM General on the CTT program, and we are looking forward to uniting forces and to contributing to this partnership with our experience in designing and building multi-purpose, protected, and armored military solutions. Together with AM General, we will be able to deliver innovative automotive and protection solutions to meet the requirements and needs of the U.S. Army", said Claudio Catalano, CEO of IDV. "The solutions developed are a concrete proof of the commitment and the proactive approach that IDV and AM General have developed thanks to this strategic partnership".

The competition for the CTT program is a consequential, "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to overhaul how Medium and Heavy Tactical Trucks are utilized on the battlefield. The U.S. Army has long relied on four different legacy platforms to perform key critical functions that apply to everyday mission roles. From load handling systems to fuel delivery, towing, and hauling of critical parts and supplies, these platforms must be upgraded to provide better support to the Warfighter to create a safer, more effective, and interoperable environment. As proven partners to the US Government and Allied forces, AM General and IDV are proud of the quality military vehicles they have delivered and sustained, including AM General's 400,000 light tactical vehicles in over 70 countries  more than any other manufacturer in the world. The team's CTT prototypes aim at providing the most capable and reliable platform to meet the Army's requirements of enhanced safety, increased efficiency for sustainability, and interoperability.

About AM General

AM General engineers, manufactures, and supports specialized vehicles for military and commercial customers. Their global presence of diverse product offerings in over 70 countries uniquely positions them to enhance interoperability across Allies and build on their long-standing defense industry and automotive partnerships. AM General's innovative spirit delivers advanced, rugged, resilient, and dependable mobility solutions that will move you. From the iconic HUMVEE vehicles to the next-generation HUMVEE Saber light tactical truck that has enhanced levels of protection, and the revolutionary soft recoil technology for mobile platforms, AM General strives to offer continuous improvement that is ready now. AM General has extensive experience meeting the changing needs of the defense and automotive industries, supported by its employees at major facilities in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, and a strong supplier base that stretches across 43 states. Please see more information about AM General at www.amgeneral.com.

About IDV

IDV, a company of Iveco Group, is dedicated to delivering innovative automotive and protection solutions to meet the needs of military customers worldwide. The company manufactures specialist logistic, protected, and armored vehicles in its facility in Bolzano in Northern Italy, and markets as well IVECO's full commercial range, adapted as necessary to meet the demands of the military user. In consequence, IDV has a full range of vehicles to meet a broad spectrum of defense applications. www.idvgroup.com

AM General Media Contact: Deborah Reyes, Sr. Director, Global Marketing and Strategic Communications

E-mail: [email protected]

IDV Media Contact: Elisa Casagrande, Event and Communications Manager

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE AM General LLC
Open House will Highlight Zero Percent Financing for 48 Months

NORTH ARLINGTON, N.J., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark will host several open house events throughout Essex, Union, Bergen, Hudson, and Middlesex counties this fall to help Catholics gain knowledge and confidence before a difficult time arises for families.

Explore the beauty and magnificence of Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum, winner of the 2017-2018 American Cemetery Excellence Award, in North Arlington, New Jersey. Go to the link to learn more https://www.rcancem.org/open-house-weekend-holy-cross/ Explore the beauty and magnificence of Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum, winner of the 2017-2018 American Cemetery Excellence Award, in North Arlington, New Jersey. Click the link to learn more https://www.rcancem.org/open-house-weekend-holy-cross/ Explore the beauty and magnificence of Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum, winner of the 2017-2018 American Cemetery Excellence Award, in North Arlington, New Jersey. Click the link to learn more https://www.rcancem.org/open-house-weekend-holy-cross/

"A time of loss is a time of confusion, and final arrangements do not have to add to the uncertainty," says Andrew P. Schafer, Executive Director of the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark. "The worries of last-minute burial arrangements should not become part of a family's grieving process, especially when experiencing profound sorrow. We reach out regularly to families to inform them about the valuable benefits of pre-planning."

The next open house weekend will take place Saturday, October 15, and Sunday, October 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum in North Arlington, N.J. in Bergen County, just 10 miles from New York City. During the open house, visitors will learn the long-term benefits of pre-planning, including protecting their loved one's legacy and access to financing options such as 0 percent interest for 48 months.

Holy Cross Cemetery is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2017-2018 American Cemetery Excellence Award. The award, presented by American Cemetery & Cremation magazine, a funeral and cemetery industry publication, recognizes the most outstanding cemeteries worldwide. It offers a park-like setting, exquisite artwork, modern technology, and a faith-inspired atmosphere with grand views of the New York City skyline.

To learn more, watch the new drone video at www.HolyCross-Cemetery.org or stop by the cemetery. Memorial planning advisors will meet with visitors to share information about burial and cremation options, memorialization, and financial planning. There is no obligation or appointment necessary.

The Catholic Cemeteries' fall open houses are as follows:

October 15 & 16: Holy Cross Cemetery & Mausoleum, 340 Ridge Rd., North Arlington, NJ 07031, (888) 467-8903.

October 29 & 30: St. Gertrude Cemetery & Mausoleum, 53 Inman Ave., Colonia, NJ 07067, (888) 444-2791.

November 12 & 13: Holy Name Cemetery & Mausoleum, 823 West Side Ave., Jersey City, N.J. 07306, (888) 621-0337.

About Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark

Catholic Cemeteries assist individuals and families before, during, and after losing a loved one. They also provide Monthly Masses of Remembrance celebrated at archdiocesan Catholic cemeteries throughout the year, typically during the first week of each month and on special days. Contact a caring and professional Memorial Planning Advisor at [email protected] or learn more at www.CatholicJourney.org.

SOURCE Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark
Solution Supports Real-Time Transactions, Benefiting Consumers and Merchants

LONDON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America's innovative online payment solution, Pay by Bank, is now available for euro currency payments. Delivered in conjunction with Banked Ltd., this development follows the UK launch of Pay by Bank in February this year and allows customers of e-commerce companies to pay directly from their bank account. This expansion illustrates how Bank of America is focused on delivering relevant C2B tools to help give its clients a competitive edge.

"Pay by Bank is a great example of how we develop technology with our clients' business models top of mind," said Chris Jameson, head of Product Management, GTS EMEA at Bank of America. "For example, the Pay by Bank interface can be adapted by European market location and country which in turn, optimises the local user experience."

Pay by Bank transactions, which are based on the concept of Open Banking, take place in real-time and require no credit or debit card details. This creates a simple, fast and secure online checkout process that benefits consumers as well as merchants.

"Our Merchant Services clients annually process 8.7 billion transactions (USD 438.3B by volume) online and in store, in the US, Canada and Europe," said Natalie Willems-Rosman, head of EMEA Merchant Services at Bank of America. "We are pleased to expand Pay by Bank for euro currency payments and continue to offer consumers more choice with how payments can be made online."

Key capabilities of Pay by Bank include:

Reduces customer data storage  since a card is not required and it is an online 'account to account' payment, companies do not need to obtain and store customer card data.

Streamlines reconciliation  incoming payments are added to a company's receivables, so they can view everything together in one place.

Provides an enhanced customer experience  the user interface can be adapted by market location and country.

Makes online checkout simpler, faster and more secure:

easy and quick to set up by connecting to a company's existing payment system using APIs.



leverages the customer's bank authentication network.



avoids card processing fees.

Watch the Pay by Bank video to find out how it works.

Pay by Bank euro currency payments will initially be available in France, Germany and Spain and will continue in 2023 with the addition of new countries and currencies.

Bank of America is an award-winning provider of global transaction services and was most recently named the World's Best Bank for Payment and Treasury by Euromoney for the second year in a row.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,000 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs and award-winning digital banking with approximately 55 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking, and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

www.bankofamerica.com

Reporters may contact:

Megan Pearson, Bank of America

Phone: +44 (0)20 7995 6977

[email protected]

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation
NOIDA, India, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Cocoa Butter Market was valued at more than USD 2.3 million in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 8% from 2021-2027. The analysis has been segmented into Type (Natural, Deodorized, Semi-Deodorized); Form (Blocks, Powder, Liquid); End-user (Food and Beverage Industry, Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care and Cosmetics, Others); Distribution Channel (Retail Stores, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, E-Commerce, Others); Region/Country.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/cocoa-butter-market/

The Cocoa Butter 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 Cocoa Butter market. The Cocoa Butter 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 Cocoa Butter market at the global and regional levels.

Request for Sample Pages

https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=23017

Market Overview

The surging consumption of chocolates across countries is one of the prominent reasons driving the demand for cocoa butter. The global chocolate consumption was estimated at 8 million tons in 2021 and the global per capita chocolate consumption stands at 0.9 kg per year. Chocolates are made from cocoa beans which are roasted and processed. According to National Confectioners Association, approximately 800 cocoa beans are needed to make one kilogram of chocolate. Each cocoa tree produces about 2,500 beans in a year.

Demand for chocolate is driving deforestation in the Ivory Coast, which produces more than 30% of the world's cocoa, and around 90% of the country's forests have been destroyed since 1960. Chocolate consumption has been scientifically linked to a longer life. A few pieces of chocolate every month may make your life both sweeter and longer, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A survey of healthy 65-year-old men revealed that those who ate sweets containing chocolate reportedly lived longer. Mortality was lowest among those consuming chocolate 1-3 times a month and higher among those who indulged in the habit 3 or more times a week. Surprisingly, non-consumers had the highest mortality of all. As with most things in life, moderation seems to be paramount.

COVID-19 Impact

COVID-19 first began in China in December 2019 and since then it has spread at a fast pace across the globe. The US, India, Brazil, Russia, France, the UK, Turkey, Italy, and Spain are some of the worst affected countries in terms confirmed cases and reported deaths. The food and beverages industry are one of the major industries suffering serious disruptions, such as supply chain breaks, technology events cancellations, and office shutdowns, as a result of this pandemic. The shutdown of various plants and factories in leading regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa has affected the global supply chain and negatively impacted the manufacturing, delivery schedules, and sales of various goods. Furthermore, various companies have already announced possible delays in product deliveries and slump in future sales of their products.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/cocoa-butter-market/

The global Cocoa Butter market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on end-user, the market is classified into Food and Beverage Industry, Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care and Cosmetics, and Others. The food and beverage segment grabbed the major market share and dominated the market in 2020. The growing number of home bakers, higher appeal of artisanal bakers, and launch of new products will up the consumption of cocoa in this industry contributing to the growing share of this segment.

Based on distribution channels, the market is categorized into Retail Stores, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, E-Commerce, and Others. Among these hypermarkets/supermarkets, the segment grabbed the major market share and dominated the market in 2020. However, the e-commerce segment would witness the highest CAGR during the forthcoming years.

Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/cocoa-butter-market/

Cocoa Butter 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 , Australia , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

For a better understanding of the market adoption of the Cocoa butter industry, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in the countries such as North America (US, Canada, Rest of North America); Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific), and Rest of World. The Europe region dominated the global cocoa butter market in 2020. But, North America is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to the emerging number of food and beverage plants and growing demand for processed food and bakery items in the countries such as the united states and Canada.

The major players targeting the market include

Chr. Hansen Holding A/S

Naturex

Cargill, Incorporated

Natra S.A.

Barry Callebaut AG

Bolmay Cocoa

SunOpta Inc.

Olam International Ltd.

ECOM Agroindustrial Corporation

JB Foods Ltd.

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 Cocoa Butter 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 Cocoa Butter market?

Which factors are influencing the Cocoa Butter market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the Cocoa Butter market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the Cocoa Butter market?

What are the demanding global regions of the Cocoa Butter 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

Cocoa Butter Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2027 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 8% Market size 2020 USD 2.3 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region Europe to Dominate the Global Cocoa Butter Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, India, and Australia Companies profiled Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, Naturex, Cargill, Incorporated, Natra S.A., Barry Callebaut AG, Bolmay Cocoa, SunOpta, Inc., Olam International Ltd, ECOM Agroindustrial Corporation, JB Foods Ltd. Report Scope Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling Segments Covered By Type; By Form; By End-Users; By Distribution Channel; 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.
Cindy Jaudon appointed Chief Operating Officer for IFS's Global Customer Organization

MIAMI, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IFS, the global cloud enterprise applications provider, announces the appointment of David Spencer as Regional President North America. IFS's current USA lead Cindy Jaudon will extend her responsibilities and move to a global role as Chief Operating Officer for the company's Global Customer Organization. The appointments follow several consecutive years of considerable growth in the region, and will see Jaudon's leadership, operational, and best-practice know-how drive success with IFS's customers, employees and partners communities globally.

As President for IFS North America, David Spencer will focus on further scaling IFS's performance in the region. Spencer joins IFS from data management software provider, Syniti, where the company experienced significant growth under his leadership and stretched its reach into enterprise-size customers while building a significantly stronger ecosystem. Prior to Syniti, Spencer held several executive roles at SAP, including COO for North America.

IFS's Chief Revenue Officer, Simon Niesler, commented: "North America is a hugely significant market for us and we are committed to investing in all areas of the organization. I am therefore, delighted to have David join my team and accelerate our growth in the region." Niesler continued: "I am equally delighted to have the opportunity to bring Cindy Jaudon into a global role; nurturing and investing in our own talent is key value at IFS, and in her new role Cindy will add value to the broader organization through her years of learnings which will directly benefit customers and partners."

Commenting on his new appointment as Regional President for North America, David Spencer said: "I am excited to join IFS at an important time in the company's growth journey. We have all the ingredients we need to succeed: a differentiated and compelling proposition, advanced product capabilities, and a strong team. I believe my experience, approach, and ambitions are well aligned to enable us to capitalize on the opportunity that lies ahead of us in North America. I also want to recognize the strength of the business Cindy is handing over, which, together with the team, I am committed to taking to the next level."

Cindy Jaudon, Chief Operating Officer for IFS's Global Customer Organization, added: "I am hugely proud of the achievements of the North American organization over the years I've had the honor to lead the team. I am excited for David to be joining and look forward to working with him as we continue to grow our footprint. With more and more of our customers being truly global organizations, it is natural for us to organize accordingly. I am committed to further advancing IFS's global customer organization so that we can effectively serve our customers as they themselves grow and scale."

The appointments of Spencer and Jaudon follow last week's appointment of Silicon Valley based John Walsh as a non-executive Board director of IFS. For more information about the IFS's leadership team, please visit: https://www.ifs.com/about/leadership

About IFS

IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within our single platform, our industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that our customers can be their best when it really matters to their customers-at the Moment of Service. The industry expertise of our people and of our growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 5,000 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness and collaboration in how we support our 10,000+ customers. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com.

Contact information:

EUROPE / MEA / APJ:

Adam Gillbe

IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 7775 114 856

NORTH AMERICA / LATAM:

Mairi Morgan

IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 520 396 2155

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/ifs/r/ifs-appoints-david-spencer-as-regional-president-ifs-north-america,c3645407

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Public/855/3645407/8f8e1a5c812c76de.pdf US management appointments PR https://news.cision.com/ifs/i/us-management-appointments-pr-,c3098692 US management appointments PR

SOURCE IFS
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the research report, the Organic Honey Market will witness a YOY growth of 7.7% in 2022 at a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period. The report is segmented by distribution channel (offline and online) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa).

For more insights on YOY and CAGR, Read FREE Sample Report.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Organic Honey Market 2022-2026

Vendor Insights

Global Organic Honey Market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying various organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.

The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services. Some vendors are also adopting inorganic growth strategies such as M&As to remain competitive in the market.

The report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including

Absolute Organic

Allied Natural Product

Apis India Limited

Barkman Honey LLC

Beechworth Honey

Beehive Farms Pvt Ltd.

Citadelle producers cooperative

Dabur India Ltd.

Dewars Honey

Fairfield Organics LLC

FEWSTERS FARM

Find additional highlights on the growth strategies adopted by vendors and their product offerings, Buy Sample Report.

Geographical Market Analysis

Europe will account for 36% of market growth. The main markets in Europe for organic honey are Germany, the UK, and France. Compared to the Middle East and Africa, this region's market will increase more quickly. Over the projection period, a number of product launches will support market expansion for organic honey in Europe.

Furthermore, countries such as the US, China, Germany, UK, and France are expected to emerge as prominent markets for Organic Honey Market during the forecast period.

Key Segment Analysis

The offline segment will significantly increase its market share of organic honey. Hypermarkets, supermarkets, grocery and convenience stores are just a few examples of the different offline channel types. The two main offline distribution channels for organic goods, including organic honey, are hypermarkets and supermarkets. This allows customers to select from a variety of organic honey flavors based on their preferences. These offline store-related variables will accelerate market expansion during the anticipated timeframe.

Key Market Drivers & Challenges:

One of the factors fueling the growth of the organic honey market is the rising use of organic honey in beauty products. When used regularly, organic honey relieves dry skin, minimizes acne and scars, and gives the skin a healthy glow. In its health products like Immune Guard, Beauty Enhancer, and Vision Shield, for instance, Manuka Health uses organic honey as an active ingredient. Wedderspoon also sells wellness items made with Manuka honey, like Manuka Honey Gentle Facial Cleanser and Manuka Honey Hydrating Day Cream.

As a result, the market will experience growth during the projected period due to the rising use of organic honey as a significant ingredient in cosmetic and personal care products. However, factors such as stringent regulations may impede the market growth.

Download a free sample for highlights on market Drivers & Challenges affecting the Organic Honey Market.

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Organic Honey Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 8.1% Market growth 2022-2026 $532.95 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 7.7 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 36% Key consumer countries US, China, Germany, UK, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, Competitive Strategies, Consumer engagement scope Key companies profiled Absolute Organic, Allied Natural Product, Apis India Limited, Barkman Honey LLC, Beechworth Honey, Beehive Farms Pvt Ltd., Citadelle producers cooperative, Dabur India Ltd., Dewars Honey, Fairfield Organics LLC, FEWSTERS FARM, HoneyTree Inc., Indigenous Honey, Madhava Ltd., Marico Limited, Mehrotra Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd., Nature Nates, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., Riaan Wellness Pvt. Ltd., UTTAMAYURVEDA, Wedderspoon Organic Inc., and Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. 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

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 Distribution Channel



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Distribution Channel



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Distribution Channel

5.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Distribution Channel

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 43: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 44: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 45: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 50: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



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 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 68: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 72: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on China - 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 ($ million)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



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 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 80: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 87: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Citadelle producers cooperative

Exhibit 89: Citadelle producers cooperative - Overview



Exhibit 90: Citadelle producers cooperative - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: Citadelle producers cooperative - Key offerings

10.4 Dabur India Ltd.

Exhibit 92: Dabur India Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 93: Dabur India Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 94: Dabur India Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 95: Dabur India Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 96: Dabur India Ltd. - Segment focus

10.5 Fairfield Organics LLC

Exhibit 97: Fairfield Organics LLC - Overview



Exhibit 98: Fairfield Organics LLC - Product / Service



Exhibit 99: Fairfield Organics LLC - Key offerings

10.6 Indigenous Honey

Exhibit 100: Indigenous Honey - Overview



Exhibit 101: Indigenous Honey - Product / Service



Exhibit 102: Indigenous Honey - Key offerings

10.7 Madhava Ltd.

Exhibit 103: Madhava Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 104: Madhava Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 105: Madhava Ltd. - Key offerings

10.8 Marico Limited

Exhibit 106: Marico Limited - Overview



Exhibit 107: Marico Limited - Business segments



Exhibit 108: Marico Limited - Key news



Exhibit 109: Marico Limited - Key offerings



Exhibit 110: Marico Limited - Segment focus

10.9 Mehrotra Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 111: Mehrotra Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 112: Mehrotra Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 113: Mehrotra Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

10.10 Nature Nates

Exhibit 114: Nature Nates - Overview



Exhibit 115: Nature Nates - Product / Service



Exhibit 116: Nature Nates - Key offerings

10.11 Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.

Exhibit 117: Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 118: Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 119: Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. - Key offerings

10.12 Wholesome Sweeteners Inc.

Exhibit 120: Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 121: Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 122: Wholesome Sweeteners Inc. - Key offerings

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 123: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 124: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 125: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 126: Research methodology



Exhibit 127: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 128: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 129: List of abbreviations

About Us:

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

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UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
GLASGOW, Scotland, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Probe Test Solutions Ltd (PTSL), headquartered in Glasgow Scotland, is an established high growth company and a world-leader in delivering advanced ATE test hardware solutions, today announces the closing of a $30m investment from Tikehau Capital. Additionally, four semiconductor industry executives, Jalal Bagherli, Mark Tyndall, Alex McCann, and Jacky McNulty, together with Corinne Philipps from Tikehau Capital, are joining the board, with Jalal Bagherli appointed as chairman.

PTSL team

Tikehau Capital's $30 million investment is made via its pan-European growth impact private equity strategy. The strategy's investment philosophy is focused on providing partnership capital to high growth, purpose-led companies that are critical to the resilience of the European economy. Through this partnership, Tikehau Capital will provide PTSL with the operational and strategic support needed to accelerate further international expansion, including appropriate acquisitions in the ongoing consolidation of the semiconductor market.

Commenting, Jordan Mackellar, CEO of PTSL said:

"This financial investment is a massive vote of confidence in the company, our people and the strategy. The investment will enable PTSL to accelerate its innovative advanced technology roadmap, positioning the company ahead of ATE industry trends and strengthening our ability to make significant Capex investments to support our planned growth.

Having worked very closely with Jalal, Mark, Alex, and Jacky for some months to refine our strategic path forward, including raising this investment, I am proud to now have them as board members together with Corinne from Tikehau Capital. This board complements the strong PTSL management and the relentlessly determined wider PTSL team."

Tikehau Capital Executive Director, Corinne Phillips, said:

"We are delighted to partner with PTSL as it embarks on its next chapter of growth. The company's differentiated business model has enabled it to carve out a solid position in a rapidly growing market. We look forward to working with Jordan, the wider PTSL team and the rest of the Board, leveraging our expertise and presence in key global markets to accelerate its international expansion and to help them execute their transition to being an industry benchmark on sustainability."

PTSL Chairman Jalal Bagherli added:

"PTSL is an opportunity that comes along ever so rarely. It has an incredibly talented team who are determined to continue their growth and market share gains in the ATE industry while creating new job opportunities in Scotland and beyond. Furthermore, I am grateful to Jordan for selecting me as the chairman and I look forward to supporting the company's strategy together with this new team of directors."

Board Biographies

Jalal Bagherli was most recently CEO of the power management specialist Dialog Semiconductor, leading the company over 16 years before the sale of the company to Renesas Electronics. He currently serves as Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries' backed Williams Advanced Engineering.

was most recently CEO of the power management specialist Dialog Semiconductor, leading the company over 16 years before the sale of the company to Renesas Electronics. He currently serves as Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries' backed Williams Advanced Engineering. Corinne Philipps , Executive Director and Head of UK Private Equity at Tikehau Capital, led the investment into PTSL. Corinne has over 20 years' experience in UK private equity, initially at Duke Street and since 2018, at Tikehau Capital. Corinne has held a number of board positions across sectors during this time, as well as providing operational and strategic advisory services to portfolio companies. She currently holds board director positions at Medtrade Products and Up and Co.

, Executive Director and Head of UK Private Equity at Tikehau Capital, led the investment into PTSL. Corinne has over 20 years' experience in UK private equity, initially at Duke Street and since 2018, at Tikehau Capital. Corinne has held a number of board positions across sectors during this time, as well as providing operational and strategic advisory services to portfolio companies. She currently holds board director positions at Medtrade Products and Up and Co. Alexander McCann , Semiconductor Partner at Alexa-Capital and President of Fortan Advisors, was the former COO and member of the executive leadership team at Linear Technology Corp and was on the executive leadership team at Dialog Semiconductor.

, Semiconductor Partner at Alexa-Capital and President of Fortan Advisors, was the former COO and member of the executive leadership team at Linear Technology Corp and was on the executive leadership team at Dialog Semiconductor. Mark Tyndall , Semiconductor Partner at Alexa-Capital with former senior leadership roles at Dialog Semiconductor, MIPS and Infineon Technologies. Additionally, Mark is currently holding strategic advisory roles at companies including Indie Semiconductor and Azoteq (Pty).

, Semiconductor Partner at Alexa-Capital with former senior leadership roles at Dialog Semiconductor, MIPS and Infineon Technologies. Additionally, Mark is currently holding strategic advisory roles at companies including Indie Semiconductor and Azoteq (Pty). Jacky McNulty was Senior Vice President/Chief Procurement Officer and Head of Global Real Estate for NXP Semiconductors. Earlier in her career, Jacky held management roles in Motorola Semiconductors, Chartered Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices and GlobalFoundries. She currently serves on the board of several startup companies.

About PTSL

Probe Test Solutions Limited (PTSL, founded in 2009, headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland) designs and manufactures probe cards and is one of the fastest growing Automated Test Equipment (ATE) suppliers in the semiconductor industry with an innovative product offering, experienced technical team, and a diverse customer base across the globe. https://probetestsolutions.com/

About Tikehau Capital

Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group with 36.8 billion of assets under management (at 30 June 2022).

Tikehau Capital has developed a wide range of expertise across four asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies) as well as multi-asset and special opportunities strategies.

Tikehau Capital is a founder led team with a differentiated business model, a strong balance sheet, proprietary global deal flow and a track record of backing high quality companies and executives. Deeply rooted in the real economy, Tikehau Capital provides bespoke and innovative alternative financing solutions to companies it invests in and seeks to create long-term value for its investors, while generating positive impacts on society. Leveraging its strong equity base (3.1 billion of shareholders' equity at 30 June 2022), the firm invests its own capital alongside its investor-clients within each of its strategies.

Controlled by its managers alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital is guided by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and DNA, shared by its 725 employees (at 30 June 2022) across its 13 offices in Europe, Asia and North America.

Tikehau Capital is listed in compartment A of the regulated Euronext Paris market. For more information, please visit: www.tikehaucapital.com.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1916792/PTSL_Team.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1916791/PTSL_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Probe Test Solutions Ltd
BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MEDSIR , an international independent oncology research company, signed on October 7th 2022, at its headquarters in Barcelona, a strategic alliance with Oncoclinicas, the leading oncology group in Brazil and Latin America. An operation whose objective is to promote independent cancer research worldwide. The alliance opens the doors of Brazil to MEDSIR, the country with the greatest research potential in South America.

From left to right: Maria Campos, Bruno Ferrari, Javier Cortes, Antonio Llombart, Raoni Larena

The signing of the agreement brought together in Barcelona Bruno Ferrari, medical oncologist, CEO and founder of Oncoclinicas, Javier Cortes and Antonio Llombart, medical oncologists and co-founders of MEDSIR, and Maria Campos, also co-founder of MEDSIR.

Investment of 2,75 M into MEDSIR capital

With this agreement, Oncoclinicas acquires 49% of MEDSIR, for a fixed price of 5.75 million euros and an additional variable price of 3.5 million which will be accrued in the coming years subject to the achievement of specific business goals. The initial transaction includes the direct capital investment of 2.75 million euros in MEDSIR, thus allowing the company to accelerate its international expansion both in Latin America and in the United States, where it was already present.

Likewise, the agreement also contemplates the possibility of additional equity investments over the next years, showing a clear commitment of Oncoclinicas on MEDSIR's differential business model in the oncological clinical trials industry. This agreement also reflects the global commitment of Oncoclinicas to the fight against cancer and the support for independent research.

Maria Campos, CEO and co-founder of MEDSIR, has stated that "it is a strategic agreement to accelerate independent oncology research, so that companies that investigates new treatments can benefit from using an environment of clinical and molecular data verified by medical expertise. It will also facilitate the development of intelligent tests that allow us to work through a disruptive model of continuous interaction in the research activities".

Dr. Bruno Ferrari, medical oncologist, CEO and founder of Oncoclinicas, has highlighted that "the Alliance strengthens the set of skills of the genomics and diagnosis platform of Oncoclinicas Precision Medicine (OCPM), by adding MEDSIR experience in precision medicine and in the creation of international clinical trials".

One of the world's largest oncology research networks

With the entry of Oncoclinicas capital, MEDSIR accelerates its international expansion, which began five years ago, and goes on to lead one of the largest global research networks in oncology. Going forward the company will count on the medical expertise of more than 1,900 specialists, on the genomics and diagnostics platform to design new trials based on artificial intelligence, and with the infrastructure to be able to offer oncology research to many patients in Brazil.

Dr. Javier Cortes, oncologist and co-founder of MEDSIR, highlighted "the benefit for cancer patients of counting on the excellent international research resulting from the Alliance between MEDSIR and Oncoclinicas". Additionally, Dr. Antonio Llombart, oncologist and co-founder of MEDSIR, has insisted that "the international collaboration in the fight against cancer and promoting oncology research is key, allowing patients to benefit from the access and participation in world-renowned clinical trials".

The new agreement represents an extension and improvement of Oncoclinicas' current services portfolio (radiotherapy, personalized medicine, telemedicine and complementary treatments) by now adding to it the most innovative clinical and molecular research, while broadening its range of scientific collaborations, which so far includes the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston) and the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel).

SOURCE MEDSIR
DUBLIN, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Tele Intensive Care Unit Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global tele intensive care unit market reached a value of US$ 4.2 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 11.16 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 17.69% during 2021-2027.

Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

Tele intensive care unit (tele ICU) refers to an application of telemedicine that aids in the interaction of the critical care team at a distant location with the bedside ICU crew via audio-visual communication and monitoring systems. The medical data collected and transmitted by this ICU system primarily comprise of patients' physiological status, medications, and past records.

Tele ICU increases efficiency in healthcare delivery and enables real-time access to the patient's clinical information. As a result, these ICUs are being widely adopted in hospitals, treatment centers, advanced clinics, etc.

The expanding geriatric population with chronic care requirements coupled with the increasing need for remote patient monitoring is primarily driving the global tele intensive care unit market. In addition to this, the growing adoption of tele ICU to enhance patient care, reduce the length of hospital stays, improve recovery period, facilitate efficient healthcare delivery, etc., is also propelling the market growth.

Moreover, the continuous advancements in healthcare IT infrastructures along with the rising penetration of cloud-based storage systems for patient data are further augmenting the global market. Besides this, government bodies across several nations are promoting the incorporation of advanced ICU systems that allow remote patient monitoring through high-speed internet and electronic medical devices.

Additionally, the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the demand for tele ICUs to establish a centralized remote patient monitoring system to provide high-quality patient care, reduce transfers while maximizing bed utilization, support healthcare professionals, etc. In the coming years, continuous upgradation of healthcare infrastructures along with extensive research and development (R&D) activities in the field of medical sciences will continue to drive the global tele ICU market.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Apollo Telehealth Services Private Limited, Banner Health, CLEW Medical, Eagle Telemedicine, Hicuity Health, Inova Health Care Services, INTeleICU, Intercept Telemed, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Soc Telemed Inc., Teladoc Health Inc., T-ICU Co. Ltd. and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global tele intensive care unit market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global tele intensive care unit market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the component?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global tele intensive care unit market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:

1 Preface

2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends

5 Global Tele Intensive Care Unit Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast

6 Market Breakup by Component

6.1 Hardware

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Key Segments

6.1.2.1 Therapeutic Devices

6.1.2.2 Communication Lines

6.1.2.3 Computer Systems

6.1.2.4 Physiological Monitors

6.1.2.5 Display Panels

6.1.2.6 Video Feed

6.1.2.7 Other

6.1.3 Market Forecast

6.2 Software and Services

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

7 Market Breakup by Type

7.1 Centralized Models

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Decentralized Models

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

8 Market Breakup by End User

8.1 Hospitals

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Clinics

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Others

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

9 Market Breakup by Region

10 SWOT Analysis

11 Value Chain Analysis

12 Porters Five Forces Analysis

13 Price Analysis

14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Apollo Telehealth Services Private Limited

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2 Banner Health

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.3 CLEW Medical

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Eagle Telemedicine

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5 Hicuity Health

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6 Inova Health Care Services

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 INTeleICU

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 Intercept Telemed

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9 Koninklijke Philips N.V.

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9.3 Financials

14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.10 Soc Telemed Inc.

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11 Teladoc Health Inc.

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11.3 Financials

14.3.12 T-ICU Co. Ltd.

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13 University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

14.3.13.1 Company Overview

14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13.3 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/e7q9iv

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NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on " GMP Testing Service Market Size, Share, Revenue, Growth Strategy, Industry Trends and Forecast to 2028  COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis  by Service Type, End User, and Region," the global GMP testing service market size was valued at USD 1.83 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 2.86 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2028.



Download Sample PDF Brochure of GMP Testing Service Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00029684/

Global GMP Testing Service Market Report Scope, Segmentations, Regional & Country Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in USD 1.83 Billion in 2021 Market Size Value by USD 2.86 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 6.7% from 2022 to 2028 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Base Year 2021 No. of Pages 250 No. of Tables 57 No. of Charts & Figures 71 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Service Type and End User Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Companies Covered Eurofins Scientific; Almac Group; Intertek Group Plc; WuXi AppTec; Sartorius AG; North American Science Associates, Inc.; Nelson Laboratories LLC; Boston Analytical; Pace Analytical Services; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (PPD Inc.) Key Research Capabilities Global Market Assessment, Business Development Strategies, Competitive Landscape, Opportunity Analysis, Regional and Country Level Market Analysis, Market Entry Strategies, Market Dynamics, Risk and Return Assessments, Pricing Analysis, Market Size and Forecasting, Company Profiling, Value Chain Analysis, Expansion Strategies, SWOT Analysis, New Product Development Global GMP Testing Service Market Forecast to 2028 - Latest COVID-19 Analysis https://www.theinsightpartners.com/covid-analysis-sample/TIPRE00029684/



Browse key market insights spread across 250 pages with 57 list of tables & 71 list of figures from the report, "GMP Testing Service Market Forecast to 2028  COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis  by Service Type (Product Validation Testing, Bioanalytical Services, Packaging & Shelf-Life Testing, and Other Services Type) and End User (Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Companies, and Medical Device Companies)" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/gmp-testing-service-market

Global GMP Testing Service Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments

The GMP testing service market includes Eurofins Scientific; North American Sciences Associates, LLC; Almac Group; PPD, Inc; Intertek Group Plc; Nelson Laboratories; Wuxi Apptec; Sartorius AG; Boston Analytical Services; and Pace Analytical Services. These players are focusing on expanding, diversifying their market presence, and acquiring a novel customer base, thereby tapping into prevailing business opportunities.

In June 2022, Almac Diagnostic Services, a member of the Almac Group, signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) with AstraZeneca to develop and commercialize multiple companion diagnostic (CDx) products. Almac would support AstraZeneca in its drive to bring new therapies to patients in areas with high unmet needs.

In April 2022, Almac Group announced an investment worth $ 536682.50 in the NMR technology to enhance the security, flexibility, and capacity of its analytical services. High-resolution NMR is a key technology that delivers advanced characterization and purity assessment abilities, meeting all necessary regulatory requirements. The service helps deliver comprehensive solutions to support active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and drug product development programs, from the early phases to commercialization.

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In August 2022, Eurofins Scientific acquired a majority stake in the QSAI Analysis and Research Center Co., Ltd. (QARC). The acquisition will complement the Eurofins network's extensive food testing capabilities with pesticide, veterinary drug, foreign object, and sensory testing services. The acquisition will further strengthen Eurofins' presence in Japan and the Eurofins network's offering to customers importing and exporting food products.

In April 2022, the Tubingen analytics group of Berghof Analytik und Umwelt Engineering GmbH is now part of the Eurofins network of companies. A new GMP analytics site has been established under the name Eurofins Food Testing Sud GmbH, which focuses on residue analysis of herbal raw materials and extracts, along with pharmacopeia analysis.

In 2021, North America held the largest share of the GMP testing service market. The growing pharmaceutical industry and surging government spending on healthcare; and the increasing need for novel drugs and medical devices, and the outsourcing for quality assurance activities of medical products favor the market expansion in this region. Further, government support accelerates the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical and healthcare products in the US. The country has various potential pharmaceutical and medical device market players, including Pfizer, Novartis, Boston Scientific, Integra LifeSciences, Amgen, and Abbott, holding numerous patents for their innovations in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. These drugs and devices are regulated by current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) during the manufacturing and trial stages. Thus, the growth of pharmaceutical and medical device giants in the healthcare sector boosts the GMP testing service market in the US.

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Continuous Proliferation of Pharmaceuticals Industry Drives GMP Testing Service Market:

The research, development, production, and distribution of medicinal drugs and other pharmaceutical products are the major areas of the pharmaceutical industry. According to an article by Torreya, pharmaceutical expenditure was US$ 1,042 billion in 2017, and it is expected to reach US$ 1,671 billion by 2030. Further, global pharmaceutical consumption is elevating with the increasing need for drugs for the treatment of age-related diseases and chronic diseases. According to Bayer, the global number of elderly people, aged 65 or above, is projected to double from 2021 to 2050, reaching ~1.5 billion by 2050. A rise in the population of this demographic group is contributing to a surge in the prevalence of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and diabetes mellitus, as the elderly population is susceptible to such diseases. Thus, these chronic diseases have been a major area of focus for pharmaceutical companies.

New drug development is a resource-, cost-, and time-intensive process, where later clinical stages result in significant costs. It takes over 1015 years and costs on average over US$ 12 billion to discover a drug and obtain regulatory approval. Therefore, to lower the attrition rate in drug research & development, pharmaceutical companies are focusing on following the GMPs set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other major regulatory organizations. Several pharmaceutical companies are opting for bioanalytical GMP testing services for drug development and validation of assays at both clinical and preclinical stages. Generic and branded drug compounds are mostly small molecules. Generic manufacturers conduct and submit bioanalytical GMP testing results to overcome the issue of patent expiration. Thus, with the proliferation of the pharmaceutical industry, the implementation of GMP testing in drug development is fueling the growth of the GMP testing services market.

GMP Testing Service Market: Segmental Overview

Based on service type, the GMP testing service market is segmented into product validation testing, bioanalytical services, packaging and shelf-life testing, and other service types. The product validation testing segment held the largest market share in 2021. Moreover, it is expected to register the highest CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period.

Based on end user, the GMP testing service market is segmented into pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, and medical devices companies. The pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies segment held a larger market share in 2021. Moreover, the market for this segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period.

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According to the US International Trade Administration, the need for new medical devices and pharmaceuticals to combat the COVID-19 pandemic increased in many private and public health facilities. Major players in the market also revamped their growth strategies during the global health crisis. For instance, in 2020, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing Italy opened a new dedicated virucidal testing laboratory in its Milan campus to carry out virucidal testing and studies on disinfectant products in response to the increasing global demand for such services. Likewise, in April 2021, PPD, Inc., a leading global contract research organization, expanded its Ireland GMP laboratory, significantly increasing the size of its current facility as well as adding cell and gene therapy testing to its portfolio of services. Thus, the increased demand for GMP testing services for vaccines has boosted the GMP testing service market growth.

Go through further research published by The Insight Partners:

GMP Cytokines Market - The global GMP cytokines market size is expected to reach US$ 158.13 million in 2027 from US$ 84.72 million in 2019; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.1% from 2020 to 2027.

Seam Welding Machine Market - The global seam welding machine market size was valued US$ 1,142.87 million in 2022, it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% from 2022 to 2028.

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Lithium Compounds Market -The global lithium compounds market size is expected to grow from US$ 6.3 billion in 2021 to US$ 25.1 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 22.0% between 2022 and 2028.

Commercial Greenhouse Market - The global commercial greenhouse market size is expected to grow from US$ 38 billion in 2022 to US$ 62 billion by 2028; it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2022 to 2028.

Smart Coatings Market - The global smart coatings market size is expected to grow from US$ 5.5 billion in 2021 to US$ 23.1 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 24.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Self-healing Materials Market  The global self-healing materials market size is expected to grow from US$ 435 million in 2021 to US$ 2,100 million by 2028 at a CAGR of 27% between 2022 and 2028.

Microencapsulation Market - The global microencapsulation market size accounted for ~US$ 7.5 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 17.5 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Coconut Derivatives Market - The global coconut derivatives market size accounted for approximately US$ 14 billion in 2022 and is projected to exceed US$ 23 billion by 2028; it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% between 2022 and 2028.

Biopesticides Market - The global biopesticides market size is expected to grow from US$ 4,600 million in 2022 to US$ 14,000 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.5% from 2022 to 2028.

Bioethanol Market  The global bioethanol market size is expected to grow from US$ 110 billion in 2022 to more than US$ 190 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 9.5% between 2022 and 2028.

Bioadhesives Market - The global bioadhesives market size is expected to grow from US$ 700 million in 2022 to US$ 1080 million by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% between 2022 and 2028.

Bioactive Materials Market -The global bioactive materials market size is expected to grow from US$ 2,000 Million in 2022 to US$ 5,500 Million by 2028, with an estimated CAGR of 13.0% from 2022 to 2028.

Advanced Composites Market - The global advanced composites market size is expected to grow from US$ 36.1 billion in 2021 to US$ 68.9 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2022 to 2028.

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LANSING, Mich., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Accident Fund, a provider of exceptional workers' compensation insurance, loss prevention strategies and superior claims service, has expanded into Pennsylvania, bringing more than 100 years of expertise to businesses that operate in the state.

This expansion represents the continued growth of Accident Fund's footprint in the U.S., which now includes 24 core states. Accident Fund also joins fellow AF Group Workers' Compensation Division brands United Heartland and Third Coast Underwriters in Pennsylvania.

AF Group logo. (PRNewsFoto/AF Group)

"Our expansion into Pennsylvania demonstrates the strength of Accident Fund and our commitment to providing superior workers' compensation products and services to our agent partners and mutual customers," said Steve Cooper, president, Workers' Compensation Division. "In addition to significant savings, Accident Fund can now provide businesses in Pennsylvania with specialty loss control, claims and medical management services with the compassionate care that we are known for in the industry."

The expansion is further demonstration of Accident Fund's financial strength as a part of AF Group, which is rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best, is a Ward's 50 company, and is ranked the 7th largest workers' compensation writer among private insurers (based on net written premium) according to SNL Financial.

"This announcement will provide tremendous growth opportunities for our agent partners," said Mike Valiante, vice president of Business Development and Operations for Accident Fund. "Our goal is always to connect with agents and businesses to help create and maintain a safe and productive workplace. We are so pleased to now provide that security and care to help injured workers in Pennsylvania."

To learn more about Accident Fund, visit AccidentFund.com.

About Accident Fund

Accident Fund has provided exceptional workers' compensation insurance, loss prevention strategies and superior claims service for more than 100 years, with a focus on customer experience and innovation to achieve the best outcomes for customers and their injured workers. Accident Fund is a division of AF Group. All policies are underwritten by a licensed insurer subsidiary. For more information, visit afgroup.com.  AF Group.

Contact:

Marissa Sura

(517) 896-3707

[email protected]

AFGroup.com

SOURCE Accident Fund Insurance Company of America
About 3-pounds of toxic chemicals are sprayed on your food, per person, every year due to a farming system that's in crisis

CORONA, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Container Technologies, Inc (Ticker: ACTX), announced that GrowPods  the company's unique Controlled Environment Farms, can help provide new income streams for farmers, along with a host of other significant benefits.

According to Regenerate America, farmers are in crisis. Each year, farmer debt increases by 4%, and farmers are consistently among the highest suicide rate profession in the U.S.

With costs at record highs, extreme weather events occurring more frequently, and consolidation among large agribusinesses, farmers' livelihoods are being threatened.

Additionally, degraded soils are exacerbating these issues. Heavily degraded and rapidly eroding soils are causing increased susceptibility to crop failure. Depleted soils also lead to nutrient deficient food, and increased use of chemicals and pesticides.

3 pounds of toxic chemicals are sprayed on our food, per person, every year in the U.S. Many fruits and vegetables contain 90% fewer nutrients than at the start of this century.

Doug Heldoorn, CEO of ACTX, said this crisis must be addressed.

"Our food system is in peril and we can no longer keep going on as if everything is fine," he said. "It's time for farmers to look to new ways of growing crops that don't depend on soil, and don't require chemicals or pesticides."

GrowPods are hydroponic controlled environment farms that can grow about an acre of food with about a third of the water used in traditional farming. With state-of-the-art automation, GrowPods provide farmers, businesses, organizations, and individuals the ability to grow ultra-clean food that is even better than organic.

Fast Company reported that controlled environment farms are "100 times more productive than traditional agriculture."

JobsOhio said, "Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is reshaping how we think about farming. CEA uses advanced horticultural and engineering techniques to optimize crop production, quality, and efficiency. Its approach is transforming agriculture, growing plants and produce indoors in places where traditional farming may experience challenges."

Heldoorn summarized: "Our nation's farmers need new tools and techniques to survive," he said. "GrowPods offer a pathway forward to a more sustainable future."

For more information, call (951) 381-2555 or visit the company's website at: www.AdvancedContainerTechnologies.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of U.S. Securities Acts. Forward-Looking Statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and actual results can differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements All information is as of the date of this press release, and ACTX undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Media:

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SOURCE Advanced Container Technologies, Inc.
Innovative program helps employers mitigate costs of gene therapy treatment

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amwins Group Benefits released its new Gene Therapy Solutions program exclusively available through Stealth Partner Group , an Amwins company. This new solution when coupled with stop-loss coverage, provides a sustainable, revolutionary strategy that prepares employers to face unexpected, high-dollar gene therapy claims with confidence.

"Our goal is to help employer groups navigate the future of gene therapy while providing unrivaled knowledge and expertise to help mitigate their financial risk," said Harley Barnes, Jr., co-chief executive officer at Stealth Partner Group. "We're launching the Gene Therapy Solutions program to empower employers as they implement smart, practical and complete risk management programs and strategies for their employees."

Amwins Gene Therapy Solution offers unique program advantages like easy billing, seamless contract management, portability between carriers, and meaningful first-dollar protection to the employer. The Gene Therapy Solution provides coverage for three Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatments:

Luxturna treatment for hereditary blindness up to $850,000

Zolgensma treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) $2,200,000

Spinraza treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) up to $2,200,000

Luxturna is a curative treatment for a rare form of inherited vision loss. Zolgensma is a curative treatment for children under two years of age for SMA conditions that were previously fatal. Spinraza is proven to significantly slow the progression of spinal muscular atrophy in pre-symptomatic infants.

"Developments in gene and cell therapies have the potential to provide life-changing treatments, but also present significant financial risk to self-funded plan sponsors," said Josh McGee, vice president Amwins Accident & Health Underwriters, who is responsible for proprietary program development for Stealth Partner Group. "Our mission is to support our retail partners by providing meaningful solutions that protect employers as they face the ever-evolving and complex gene therapy landscape."

According to the FDA, there are 22 cellular and gene therapies in the market today of which include 18 cellular treatments and four gene therapy treatments ranging in price from $500,000 to $3,000,000 and seven approved treatments predicted by next year. Costs for these gene therapies are expected to rise beyond $3,000,000 within the next 12-18 months. Amwins anticipates adding coverage for additional treatments as they are approved and available in the market.

To learn more visit: https://www.amwins.com/solutions/group-benefits/self-funded/cost-containment/gene-therapy-solutions

About Amwins Group, Inc.

Amwins is the largest independent wholesale distributor of specialty insurance products in the U.S., dedicated to serving retail insurance agents by providing property and casualty products, specialty group benefit products, and administrative services. Based in Charlotte, NC, the company operates more than 155 offices globally and handles premium placements in excess of $29 billion annually. To learn more, visit amwins.com .

About Stealth Partner Group

Stealth Partner Group, an Amwins Company, was founded in 2009 and has grown to be one of the largest specialized general agencies in the country. The firm partners with brokers, consultants, and third-party administrators (TPAs) to negotiate, implement, and assist in managing medical stop-loss and ancillary benefits with the nation's top-tier carriers. With 15 offices across the U.S., Stealth offers its clients more than 150 years of collective experience in the stop-loss and ancillary insurance marketplace. For more information, visit stealthpartnergroup.com.

For further information contact:

Amwins Group, Inc.

Rebecca Kelley

Telephone: 704.212.1332

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Amwins Group Benefits
Appointment of Antti Gr o nlund strengthens Appian's finance team and demonstrates the Company's leading private equity expertise

Antti will be a Managing Director at the Company, heading Appian's finance team and helping oversee private equity investments across the business

Formerly a longstanding executive with experience in transactions, direct private equity investment as well as a focus on natural resources and energy

LONDON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Appian Capital Advisory LLP ("Appian" or the "Company"), the investment advisor to long-term value-focused private equity funds that invest solely in mining and mining-related companies, today announces the appointment of Antti Gronlund as Managing Director, Private Equity.

Antti Gronlund, Managing Director, Private Equity, Appian Capital Advisory.

Based in London, UK, Antti will play a critical part in Appian's strategy and operations. He will be responsible for originating, evaluating, structuring, executing, and monitoring private equity investments at the firm, as well as overseeing the global finance team. With 18 years of transaction experience, and a decade focused particularly on energy and natural resources, Antti is well-positioned to support Appian as it continues to consolidate its market-leading position in mining private equity.

Prior to his current role, Antti spent three years as Head of Energy & Resources at Triton Partners, a private equity investor. He has also held private equity investment roles at First Reserve and Quadrangle Capital with focus on investing and developing industrial and infrastructure businesses. Antti started his career at JPMorgan, working in London and New York across its investment banking division.

Antti graduated with an MSc Degree from the Helsinki School of Economics ('HSE') and a joint CEMS Management Master's Degree from HSE/London School of Economics.

Michael W. Scherb, Founder and CEO of Appian, commented: "Antti's appointment further strengthens our finance team and demonstrates Appian's continued ability to attract the most senior advisers in private equity. His strong track-record across energy and natural resources, at several notable private equity investors, will play an important part in Appian's growth ambitions over the coming years. I look forward to working closely with Antti as we continue to deliver value for our investors across the firm's strategic investments."

Antti Gronlund, Managing Director, Private Equity at Appian, said: "I am delighted to join Appian. The Company has grown into a clear market leader in investing in mining assets and the related infrastructure and services, thanks to its global presence, innovative model and strategic leadership  all of which are unrivalled in the sector. I look forward to getting started with the finance team and working closely with Michael to ensure we continue to execute on Appian's business strategy."

About Appian Capital Advisory LLP

Appian Capital Advisory LLP is the investment advisor to long-term value-focused private equity funds that invest solely in mining and mining-related companies.

Appian is a leading investment advisor in the metals and mining industry, with global experience across South America, North America, Australia and Africa and a successful track record of supporting companies to achieve their development targets, with a global operating portfolio overseeing nearly 5,000 employees.

Appian has a global team of 58 experienced professionals with presences in London, Toronto, Vancouver, Lima, Belo Horizonte, Montreal and Perth.

For more information please visit www.appiancapitaladvisory.com, or find us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.

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SOURCE Appian Capital Advisory LLP
The pandemic and the associated fallout from numerous redundancies and furloughs has left the aviation industry struggling to find skilled and qualified personnel to support the ever-increasing demand for flights. Here, Jim Scott from component supply specialists Artemis Aerospace, provides his views on how the industry can build momentum in highlighting careers in the sector and tackling the growing gap in relevant skillsets

WISTON, England , Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this year there was much furore when airlines were forced to cancel numerous flights due to a shortage of staff. While the shortage was in the most part due to staff illness, much of the blame was laid squarely at the feet of the airline carriers, who were accused of creating packed flight schedules they knew they couldn't fulfil.

Artemis Aerospace discusses the skills gap in the aviation industry

However, the staff shortage issue runs far deeper than illness or even the pandemic. It's true that the pandemic was a catalyst for thousands of staff leaving the industry and, consequently, many have made a conscious decision never to return, citing job insecurity as a prominent reason for this decision. In reality, the aviation industry has been experiencing a downturn in skilled workers across all job roles for many years.

Research carried out by GOOSE Recruitment, in partnership with FlightGlobal, revealed that in 2019, a strong global demand for aviation services meant that many regions, including China, South America and North America, were experiencing an acute skills shortage in the supply of experienced flight crew, and that this had been the case for almost two decades. It also revealed that, despite the impact of the pandemic, 43% of pilots surveyed believed there would not be enough experienced pilots to meet demand in five years' time.

The problem isn't isolated to pilots or flight crew. Research carried out in 2017 by Oliver Wyman's MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) survey showed that there was an urgent shortage of skilled technicians in the aviation industry, and that demand far outweighed the number of workers needed to keep up with requirements.

At that time, the Oliver Wyman MRO survey also stated that 42% of industry leaders identified a labour shortage in the maintenance technician field as the most urgent challenge in the aerospace and aviation sector and that global demand was set to overtake supply by 2027. They identified two key reasons for this: a lack of interest in aviation from younger talent pools and an ageing workforce creating a gap that wasn't being filled.

It's clear there needs to be greater collaboration across the whole industry to reach out to younger people in more targeted, creative and compelling ways that will inspire them to seek out a career in aviation. Disadvantaged and minority groups are also incredibly valuable sources of talent.

Community outreach programmes, visiting and speaking in schools, sign-up incentives, open houses and workshops are all ways that the aviation sector can improve its ability and opportunity to attract new talent.

There are numerous recruitment options for young starters in the industry and communicating these is key. While traditionally many young people might only consider becoming a pilot or taking up a role as flight crew, other less prominent opportunities, such as technician and air traffic controller positions, need to be highlighted to young adults much more extensively.

One way this is being achieved in the UK is through increasing the recruitment of apprentices and graduates into the UK workforce. Airbus, along with other major companies, including Atkins, MBDA and Babcock, have committed to QinetiQ's 'The 5% Club', which pledges to have 5% of their overall UK headcount on a formalised apprentice, sponsored student and/or graduate programme.

In 2021, two new apprenticeship standards were approved for aviation: aviation customer service operative and ground handler. These provide direct entry into the sector and vital operational knowledge to aid future progression.

In the US, Tulsa Tech, which offers a programme of aviation-related workforce training and development courses and classes, has used a strategy of community outreach programmes to reach students in primary and secondary schools with the aim of piquing their interest at a young age. As well as school visits, Tulsa Tech regularly holds open houses at their facilities, hosting various meetings and events to raise awareness of the courses they have on offer for aspiring students.

Tapping into the power of social media has been critical for reaching out to women, minority groups and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The action group, Women in Aviation International, is actively harnessing social media to reach out to young girls while highlighting the wide range of opportunities on offer and encouraging them to seek roles without limitations.

One example is Kenya's Irene Koki Mutungi, Africa's first female captain of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, who uses her personal Twitter account to tell the world about women in the industry.

Whoever and wherever someone is in the world, attracting fresh talent takes time, effort and consistent communication across all levels is key. It's only by being its own best advocate that the aviation industry can reap the benefits of appealing to the next generation of workers and continue to enjoy successful global growth in a highly rewarding and exciting industry.

Website: www.artemisaerospace.com

Sources

https://www.flightglobal.com/jobs/most-commercial-pilots-no-longer-flying/142026.article

https://www.oliverwyman.com/content/dam/oliver-wyman/v2/publications/2017/apr/MRO_Survey_2017.pdf

https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/aviation-skills-shortage-solution

https://people1st.co.uk/external-blogs/apprenticeships-set-to-deliver-the-future-skills-n/

https://tulsatech.edu/

https://www.amazonswatchmagazine.com/happenings/women-in-aviation-use-social-media-to-inspire-younger-generation/

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1902969/Artemis_Aerospace.jpg

SOURCE Artemis Aerospace
BASEL, Switzerland, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascensia Diabetes Care, a global diabetes care company, maker of the CONTOUR blood glucose monitoring (BGM) system portfolio and exclusive distributor of Eversense Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Systems, announces that it has successfully completed the initial European launch of the next-generation Eversense E3 CGM System. The unique benefits of this fully-implantable, long-term CGM system are now available to people with diabetes in all launch markets across Europe, as planned.



Following the successful US launch in April 2022, the Eversense E3 CGM System has been undergoing a phased roll-out across Europe since August, in line with timings announced with the CE Mark approval in June. The system is now available in Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Andorra.

Developed by Senseonics Holdings, Inc., the Eversense E3 CGM System was designed to build on the benefits of the previously available Eversense XL CGM System but with further improvements to enhance user experience. These improvements include reduced frequency of calibration, enhanced sensor survivability and non-adjunctive use  allowing people to make treatment decisions without confirmation of glucose levels through a fingerstick test. The next-generation system offers people with diabetes:

A long-term CGM option, with up to 6-month sensor wear duration and essentially two sensor insertion and removal procedures per year

Exceptional accuracy, with a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of 8.5%* demonstrated in the PROMISE Study 1 for the duration of sensor wear

for the duration of sensor wear An ability to make treatment decisions without fingerstick testing, due to non-adjunctive label

Fewer calibrations, with primarily one calibration required per day after three weeks of use 1

A fully implantable fluorescence-based sensor, with a removable smart transmitter** that provides discreet on-body vibratory alerts and transmits data to a mobile app

An innovative design modification to enhance sensor survivability up to 6 months

Torstein Myhre, Region Head of Europe at Ascensia Diabetes Care, commented: "We are proud to have successfully brought the Eversense E3 to Europe, where we believe it can make a big difference in the lives of people with diabetes. The Eversense E3 CGM System makes managing diabetes easier, offering unparalleled convenience and flexibility alongside exceptional accuracy. With a six-month sensor lifespan, the system frees patients from frequent sensor insertions, and its other features have been specifically designed to address improvements desired by the diabetes community. We are looking forward to bringing these benefits to more people than ever."

People with diabetes and healthcare providers interested in learning more about Eversense E3 can find out more at www.ascensia.com/eversense.

* Overall MARD evaluated vs YSI for glucose between 40-400mg/dl

** There is no glucose data generated when the transmitter is removed.

[1] Garg S. et al. Evaluation of Accuracy and Safety of the Next-Generation Up to 180-Day Long-Term Implantable Eversense Continuous Glucose Monitoring System: The PROMISE Study. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics 2021; 24(2): 1-9.DOI: 10.1089/dia.2021.0182

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SOURCE Ascensia Diabetes Care
Funds from the animal health company will be used to support VHF's mission to bring awareness and hope to the veterinary community

DULUTH, Ga., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. is honored to support the Veterinary Hope Foundation (VHF) with a $225,000 sponsorship. The VHF is a not-for-profit focused on providing education and connection programs to benefit the health of the veterinary community. The sponsorship will support VHF's mission, including funding small groups to provide veterinary professionals with resources, information and community support to better handle the stressors and mental health issues unique to the profession. With this contribution, Boehringer Ingelheim becomes a founding sponsor of the Veterinary Hope Foundation.

The Veterinary Hope Foundation's support groups provide veterinary professionals--who are three times more likely1 than the general population to die by suicide--with early intervention efforts and allow them to connect in a safe, confidential and caring space. These groups, led by a licensed mental health professional, focus on topics meaningful to practicing veterinarians and their teams such as communicating with troubled clients, balancing family and work, handling grief and cultivating emotional resilience.

"We are tremendously thankful for the partnership of Boehringer Ingelheim and the support of our mission to provide resources to those in the animal care community," said Dr. Blair McConnel, veterinarian and president of the board of the Veterinary Hope Foundation. "I look forward to working with the passionate team at Boehringer Ingelheim. I hope that this sponsorship will spur other pet care and animal health companies into necessary action."

In addition to the sponsorship, Boehringer Ingelheim will advocate and share VHF's mission as their teams visit veterinary clinics across the country. The teams will leave behind information about resources available to help the clinic spread awareness of the VHF's cause and how veterinarians and their teams can get involved. Boehringer Ingelheim continued to elevate VHF's mission during the 2022 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), the world's largest veterinary conference, held Jan. 15-19. Boehringer Ingelheim helped VHF spread hope to over 12,000 conference attendees by giving booth space to VHF's informational pamphlets.

"We are proud to be a founding sponsor of the Veterinary Hope Foundation and partner to help bring to life their mission of raising awareness and providing resources to those in the animal care community who may be facing struggles we don't see," said Shawn Hooker, Head of Pet Business at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. "Each day, veterinarians are there for us. This is one way we are choosing to illustrate our dedication to supporting veterinarians and their teams."

Results from the first support groups are overwhelmingly positive. One veterinarian noted, "It's exactly what I didn't know I needed, but [the group] provided me with more insight than months of 1:1 therapy." All support group participants who were polled said they would strongly recommend this program to other veterinarians.

You can learn more about the foundation, its mission, and how you or your organization can join the cause at VeterinaryHope.org.

About the Veterinary Hope Foundation

Founded in May 2021, the Veterinary Hope Foundation (VHF) is a not-for-profit focused on early intervention, education and connection programs tailored for the animal care community. Built on the belief that there's hope for veterinarians in crisis, VHF provides veterinarians with the tools and support they need to navigate the common stressors unique to their profession. With veterinarians about three times more likely1 than the general population to die by suicide, VHF aims to generate broad awareness of the issue and generate lasting change through its public awareness campaign. Governed by a board of directors and advisory panel composed of mental health experts, practicing veterinarians and animal lovers, VHF is uniquely positioned to impact the future of the veterinarian profession. To learn more about VHF, please visit VeterinaryHope.org and follow us on Facebook , Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram .

About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA

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, producers, 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 the 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.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has deep roots in the U.S. From a start in St. Joseph, Missouri, more than 100 years ago, it has grown to encompass seven sites. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health's portfolio contains widely used and well-respected vaccines, parasite-control products and therapeutics for pets, horses and livestock including NexGard (afoxolaner) Chewables, HEARTGARD Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel) Chewables, Pyramid 5 + Presponse SQ, VAXXITEK, CircoFLEX, and Prascend (pergolide tablets).

Learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA at bi-animalhealth.com

NexGard is a registered trademark of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group.

HEARTGARD, PYRAMID, VAXXITEK, and PRESPONSE are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. INGELVAC CIRCOFLEX and PRASCEND are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner. 2022 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-PET-0393-2022-V2.

1. Tomasi SE, Fechter-Leggett ED, Edwards NT, Reddish AD, Crosby AE, Nett RJ. Suicide among veterinarians in the United States from 1979 through 2015. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2019;254(1):104-112.

Media Contacts:

Chrissy Jones

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health

U.S. Communications

(516) 527-5456

[email protected]

Blair McConnel

Veterinary Hope Foundation

[email protected]

646-831-0614

SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim
BANGALORE, India , Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Breast Pump Industry is Segmented By Product Type (Closed System Breast Pumps, Open System Breast Pumps), By Technology (Manual Breast Pumps, Electric Breast Pumps), By Application (Personal Use Pumps, Hospital Grade Pumps): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030.

The global breast pumps market was valued at USD 461.1 Million in 2020 and is estimated to reach USD 890.73 Million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2021 to 2030.

Major factors driving the growth of the breast pumps market are:

Increased birth rates, especially in emerging nations, signal a rise in the number of breastfeeding moms, who could become a major market for breast pumps. A rise in mothers' purchasing power as a result of an increase in the number of dual-income households has a beneficial impact on the breast pump market.

Additionally, lactating moms are becoming more and more aware of the advantages and significance of breastfeeding. Due to the global rise in literacy rates, people are now eager to incorporate new medical technologies into their daily lives.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE BREAST PUMP MARKET

There are several breast pumps available that meet the demands of nursing mothers, giving consumers more options for affordable purchases. Additionally, lactating moms are becoming more and more aware of the advantages and significance of breastfeeding. Due to the global rise in literacy rates, people are now eager to incorporate new medical technologies into their daily lives. High adoption rates are indicated by the great economic growth in developing markets. Therefore, the market for breast pumps is growing due to increased knowledge of breastfeeding, an increase in disposable income, and technical developments. The market for breast pumps has expanded as a result of the increased availability of technologically improved breast pumps, such as single and double electric pumps, as well as increased knowledge of the advantages of breastfeeding.

The timing of feedings can be managed by caretakers by pumping milk. They can choose a schedule that works for them and stick to it, pumping as needed. Controlling feeding times can make it easier to go back to work and possibly free up more time. This factor is expected to drive the breast pump market growth.

One method of addressing problems with breast milk supply is by pumping, and this factor is expected to further increase the use of breast pumps thereby driving the market. To enhance their supply, some people decide to pump after every breastfeeding session. If someone is worried about their milk supply, pumping can also help them accumulate a freezer supply.

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BREAST MARKET SHARE:

Based on type, the open-system breast pump market was the most popular since it was more widely available and used. The barrier ensures that your breast milk goes through an entirely hygienic system by preventing leakage into the pump. A pump with an open system has no barrier. Before operating the pump again, care must be taken to thoroughly clean the tubing and make sure it has totally dried out.

The electric breast pump segment is expected to be the most lucrative, due to the widespread availability of single and double-electric-based breast pumps. For women who express frequently or exclusively, an electric breast pump is the best option because it is quicker than a manual pump, allowing you to express and retain more breast milk in less time. This is especially ideal for mothers who must express themselves at work but may only have a short window of time to do so.

Because of the large number of baby boomers, rising disposable incomes, and unfulfilled demand in the region, analysts predict that the Asia Pacific will expand. Furthermore, the APAC breast pump business anticipates that India and Japan would experience rapid growth.

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Key Market Players

Medela AG

Koninklijke Philips N.V..

Pigeon Corporation

Hygeia Health

Linco Baby Merchandise Works Co. Ltd.

Babybelle Asia Ltd.

Ardo Medical AG.

Willow Innovations, Inc.

Albert Manufacturing US

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Burlington hosts their annual in-store fundraising campaign helping to provide life-saving funds for leading-edge research to benefit pediatric cancer patients

RYE BROOK, N.Y., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the global leader in the fight against blood cancer, and Burlington Stores, a major off-price retailer offering WOW deals on customers' favorite brands for the entire family and home, are once again teaming up to raise critical funds for lifesaving research, care, and treatment for children with blood cancer. Funds raised in Burlington store locations nationwide will not only further support LLS's goal of helping blood cancer patients survive and thrive but will benefit their Dare To Dream Project, supporting children and their families impacted by blood cancer.

Starting today through November 14, 2022, Burlington is encouraging customers to donate at checkout in their more than 870 stores nationwide. A donation made at checkout can help to support cutting-edge blood cancer research and help improve the lives of children.

LLS's Dare To Dream Project is dedicated to transforming treatment and care for children with blood cancer, advancing safer, more effective treatments with fewer long-term side effects than traditional chemotherapy which can harm healthy cells. Through research, patient education and support, as well as policy and advocacy efforts, LLS strives to help every child with blood cancer get accessible, affordable, quality healthcare.

"For more than two decades, Burlington has been a valued partner, contributing to LLS's investment of more than $1.5 billion in cutting-edge cancer research," said Louis J. DeGennaro, PhD, President and CEO, LLS. "Burlington's in-store fundraising campaign provides essential funds that pave the way for new discoveries and patient support services, that could lead to better outcomes for patients. Thanks to Burlington and their customers, we can continue to fund LLS's mission and the critical work we are doing in the pediatric cancer space through The Dare To Dream Project."

"We are excited to continue our partnership with LLS, raising critical funds from our generous customers and associates for life-saving research and treatments," said Michael O'Sullivan, CEO, Burlington Stores. "This year, we are pleased to further our support of children and their families impacted by blood cancer through the organization's Dare To Dream Project."

To learn more, visit LLS.org and Burlington.com.

ABOUT BURLINGTON STORES, INC.

Burlington Stores, Inc., headquartered in New Jersey, is a nationally recognized off-price retailer with Fiscal 2021 net sales of $9.3 billion. The Company is a Fortune 500 company and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "BURL." The Company operated 877 stores as of the end of the second quarter of Fiscal 2022, in 46 states and Puerto Rico, principally under the name Burlington Stores. At Burlington, customers will be amazed to find their favorite brands and the latest trends at a fantastic value with fresh, seasonal items arriving regularly. The Company delivers savings at up to 60% off other retailers' prices every day on a wide assortment of merchandise including everything for ladies, men, kids, baby, along with home decor. Shoppers are sure to discover amazing finds at wow prices in store every day. For more information about the Company, visit www.burlington.com .

ABOUT THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the global leader in the fight against blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has regions throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

For additional information visit lls.org/lls-newsnetwork. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

LLS's Dare To Dream Project

LLS is deepening its commitment to pediatric blood cancer by increasing its investment to $175M over the next five years. The Dare to Dream Project will fund research and the first global pediatric leukemia master clinical trial to accelerate better treatment and care. And LLS will grow its education and support services and advocacy efforts to help every child with blood cancer get accessible, affordable, quality healthcare.

Learn more at https://www.lls.org/dare-to-dream.

Media Contacts:



Kristin Hoose

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

914-821-8973

[email protected]

Jenn Glassey

Tierney

215-790-4126

[email protected]

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
Protecting California homes from extreme heat and the social consequences of the state's housing crisis are among topics to be addressed.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS' (C.A.R.) Center for California Real Estate (CCRE) is partnering with the University of California Center Sacramento to sponsor two upcoming events aimed at exploring solutions to critical issues in California real estate.

"Protecting California Homes from Extreme Heat," held via Zoom on Oct. 19, noon-1 p.m., is part of the UC Center Sacramento's (UCCS) weekly public lecture series by UC faculty on a variety of public policy issues. California's housing is unprepared for extreme heat today, and climate change will only increase in duration and intensity in the future. Featured speaker, Professor V. Kelly Turner, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Geography, UCLA Co-Director of the Luskin Center for Innovation, will discuss her recommended interconnected actions to protect Californians where they live:

Update habitability standards and residential building codes for a hotter future. Bolster funding for the installation and use of home cooling strategies. Address policy and programming gaps to protect the most heat-vulnerable populations.

Professor Turner's research addresses the relationship between institutions, urban design, and the environment. Dr. Turner's work on water resources has investigated the co-benefits of heat mitigation and water conservation through sustainable design. More recently, Professor Turner is investigating the role of policy, planning, and social norms in driving adoption of green versus grey stormwater control measures in several U.S. cities and the cumulative effects on watershed hydrology through a collaborative study.

The second event, "California's Housing Crisis: Policies for a More Affordable, Equitable and Sustainable Housing Future," will be held via Zoom and limited in-person seating on Nov. 9, 12 p.m.- 1 p.m. As California faces a housing crisis of extraordinary scale and complexity, high rents and home prices  coupled with the lingering impacts of the COVID pandemic  are contributing to housing insecurity and high rates of homelessness, which are all deepening racial inequality.

Dr. Carolina K. Reid, I. Donald Terner Distinguished Professor in Affordable Housing and Urban Policy in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California at Berkeley, will review the origins of California's housing crisis, its implications, and lift up the policies that will be needed to chart a course to improved affordability, greater household stability, increased racial equity and reduced homelessness across the state.

Through its Center for California Real Estate, C.A.R. engages experts in substantive conversations to bring clarity to the policy challenges and economic opportunities that will shape the future of housing. Attendees will include UCCS students, legislative staff, employees of state agencies and departments, advocates and the general public.

Event details :



Protecting California Homes from Extreme Heat Wednesday, Oct. 19, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Zoom registration: https://uccs.ucdavis.edu/registrations/2022-October-19-Turner

California's Housing Crisis: Policies for a More Affordable, Equitable and Sustainable Housing Future Wednesday, Nov. 2, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

UC Center Sacramento, 1130 K Street, Rm. LL22

(916) 445-5100

Zoom registration: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o02fm0LVQuKukBrwwt7tOA

In-person registration: https://uccs.ucdavis.edu/registrations/2022-November-9-Reid

The Center for California Real Estate (CCRE) (centerforcaliforniarealestate.org) is an institute from the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS dedicated to advancing real estate knowledge. The goal of the center is to arm C.A.R.'s 217,000 members with ideas that help them become more knowledgeable, professional, and insightful in their work as practitioners and stakeholders in the future of real estate. To fulfill this goal, CCRE regularly enlists the foremost experts on topics of pertinent interest to the industry.

UC Center Sacramento educates California's future leaders in the craft of politics and policymaking, while making the expertise of faculty of the nation's leading university available to decision-makers in the legislative and executive branches of government.

Leading the way... in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 217,000, members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

SOURCE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (C.A.R.)
Now in its eighth year and impacting 144 schools in 37 states, the Care Counts laundry program continues to grow and boost attendance rates across the U.S.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- While students have been back to in-person learning for about a year, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact attendance rates nationwide. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 72% U.S. of public schools reported an increase in chronic absenteeism among their students compared to the 2020-2021 school year1. To continue its effort to lower absenteeism rates among elementary school students, the Care Counts laundry program by Whirlpool brand continues to provide washers and dryers to selected schools across the country with high percentages of absenteeism rates. As a result, 84% of participating high-risk elementary school students2 enrolled in the program were reported by teachers to feel connected to their school during the 2021-2022 academic year.

With the support of long-time collaborator, Teach For America, the Care Counts laundry program works with participating schools to find ways to ensure children have access to clean clothes throughout the school year. Over the years, the program has contributed to decreases in chronic absenteeism, and increases in attendance rates, grades and engagement levels among participating at-risk students. In analyzing the most recent data from the 2021-2022 school year, Whirlpool brand found that:

Nearly 70% of participating high-risk elementary school students 3 saw an increase in attendance.

saw an increase in attendance. Participating high-risk elementary school students 4 saw an average increase in attendance by 12 more days than the previous academic year.

saw an average increase in attendance by 12 more days than the previous academic year. Nearly 60% of participating high-risk elementary school students5 decreased their level of chronic absenteeism while in the Care Counts laundry program, and 30% of participating high-risk students6 were no longer at risk for chronic absenteeism at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year.

"We're proud to continue growing the Care Counts laundry program, particularly at a time when we're seeing the detrimental impact the pandemic continues to have on the ability of our young students to attend school," said Nelly Martinez, senior brand manager for Whirlpool brand. "We're incredibly thankful for the school leaders and volunteers across the nation who are integral in keeping this program running, staying connected with students and their families, and providing more vulnerable people with access to clean clothes."

Now entering its eighth year, the Care Counts laundry program by Whirlpool brand has expanded its presence to five new states in the 2022-2023 school year: Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Virginia, Delaware and Hawaii. It will continue to work with schools that are participating in a second year of the program in five regions: Idaho, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

"The impact of the washer and dryer is truly incredible," said Krishna Barroso, principal at AVON Avenue School in Newark, NJ. "These two simple machines that most people take for granted provide essential access to clean clothes, which builds pride, confidence, and improves attendance for our students."

The Care Counts laundry program by Whirlpool brand is designed to remove one small but important barrier to attendance - access to clean clothes - by installing washers and dryers in select schools nationwide. To learn more about the Care Counts Laundry Program by Whirlpool brand, visit https://www.whirlpool.com/care-counts .

About Whirlpool Brand

For more than one hundred years, Whirlpool brand has been inspired by how people care for their families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are focused on improving how families give and get the care they need with the latest technologies and innovations  whether that means flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs, induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or laundry pairs that sense and adapt to clothes with the latest in connected technologies. Whirlpool brand created and continues outpacing goals of its Care Counts Laundry Program, through which the brand is committed to helping create educational equality by installing washers and dryers in schools to help remove one small but important barrier to attendance  access to clean clothes. Whirlpool brand is part of Whirlpool Corporation, a leading appliance manufacturer committed to being the best global kitchen and laundry company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. For more information on Whirlpool, please visit whirlpool.com or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/whirlpoolusa , Instagram at @whirlpoolusa , or TikTok at @whirlpoolusa . Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com .

1 Source: https://nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/press_releases/07_06_2022.asp

2 High-risk elementary school students are defined as elementary students at risk of missing 10% or more days of school during a reporting period

3 High-risk elementary school students are defined as elementary students at risk of missing 10% or more days of school during a reporting period

4 High-risk elementary school students are defined as elementary students at risk of missing 10% or more days of school during a reporting period

5 High-risk elementary school students are defined as elementary students at risk of missing 10% or more days of school during a reporting period

6 High-risk elementary school students are defined as elementary students at risk of missing 10% or more days of school during a reporting period

SOURCE Whirlpool Brand
ChenMed ranked as #8 among 100 U.S. companies recognized for outstanding employee sentiment and satisfaction; as #1 in healthcare

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek today announced its annual rankings of the Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces, and ChenMed was ranked #8 overall and first in healthcare. The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces list is the result of a collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company.

"We put love first when it comes to our team members, our patients and the communities we serve." - Stephanie Chen Tweet this ChenMed was chosen #1 among healthcare providers in the 2022 Newsweek list of "America's Most Loved Workplaces."

The results were determined after surveying more than 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. The list recognizes companies that put respect, caring, and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them.

"We consider it a great honor to repeat as a Newsweek Most Loved Workplace," says Christopher Chen, M.D., CEO of ChenMed, a privately-owned national leader in primary care. "The love and respect, camaraderie and collaboration demonstrated by our employees every day is what fuels our company's rapid growth and unrivaled value to patients' health and well-being."

How positive workers feel about their future at the company, career achievement, how much employer values align with employee values, respect at all levels, and the level of collaboration at the company they work at were the five critical areas measured to gauge employee sentiment. Plus, at ChenMed, employees surveyed expressed pride in how visionary their medical practice is, earning ChenMed extra recognition as one of 10 "Most Visionary" companies on the just released Newsweek list.

"We're transforming healthcare for the neediest populations and we can't do that successfully if we're not leading with love," says Stephanie Chen, chief legal and culture officer. "We put love first when it comes to our team members, our patients and the communities we serve. When you show care, respect and appreciation, you receive trust, passion and hard work in return."

In addition, areas such as inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging, and company response and adaptability to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as return-to-office rules, were identified and analyzed in relation to the five critical areas measured by Newsweek/BPI.

"As a result of 'The Great Resignation,' more companies recognize the importance of focusing on employee satisfaction to not only attract but retain top talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek. "The businesses on this year's list clearly demonstrated that commitment."

"We empower doctors and care teams to do whatever it takes to transform care for the underserved seniors we are blessed to serve," explains Susan Schayes, M.D., MPH, FAAFP, ChenMed chief transformation officer. "Plus, we offer amazing opportunities for career advancement in every part and every level of our hyper-growth business." For example, the physician-led practice offers the nation's first Fellowship in Transformative Care (FIT), that's specifically designed to elevate primary care and train ChenMed physician leaders of the future.

"The companies on this list represent the best at placing love at the center of their employee's experience," said Louis Carter, CEO, Best Practice Institute. "The number of applications this year and analysis of survey data reinforces our original findings that love is the strongest predictor of the strength of a company's culture, employee engagement, and satisfaction."

For the full Newsweek list of 2022's Most Loved Workplaces, please visit: https://mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/chenmed/

Methodology

To identify the top 100 companies for the Newsweek ranking, companies were evaluated and scored as follows: 35 percent of the initial score was based on employee survey responses; 25 percent was derived from analysis of external public ratings from sites such as Comparably, Careerbliss, Glassdoor, Indeed and Google; and 40 percent came from direct interviews with and written responses from company officials. Newsweek then conducted additional research into every company on the list, as well as the top runners-up, to determine the final list of 100 companies and their ranking. (The list includes both U.S. firms and companies with a strong U.S. presence that are based overseas.)

About ChenMed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates more than 100 senior medical centers in 15 states. Twice named a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek Magazine ( October 6, 2022 and 2021) , while also named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, and a certified Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center, JenCare Senior Medical Center, and IntuneHealthTM. Thanks to its leading healthcare technology organization, Curity, ChenMed was recently named a "Best Place to Work in IT" by IDG's Insider Pro and ComputerWorld.

About Newsweek

Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.

About Best Practice Institute

Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership and organization development center, benchmark research company, think tank, and solutions provider. BPI is the certifying body for Most Loved Workplace and conducted the original research to create the model and criteria for becoming a Most Loved Workplace. BPI's research proves that Most Loved Workplaces produce 3-4 times better customer service, employee performance, and retention than companies not loved by their employees.

For more information on how to apply to become a certified Most Loved Workplace in 2023, go to: http://www.mostlovedworkplace.com

SOURCE ChenMed
Organizers Plan to Bring Chicago Drives Electric to the 2023 Chicago Auto Show

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), the area's new-car dealer association and producer of the Chicago Auto Show, successfully concluded Chicago Drives Electricits first-ever electric vehicle experiential test drive and educational event. Due to the event's overwhelming success among EV intenders, organizers plan to bring Chicago Drives Electric indoors to the 2023 Chicago Auto Show this February, 11-20, at McCormick Place.

In alignment with National Drive Electric week, Chicago Drives Electric aimed to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles and help consumers understand how EVs can fit individual needs and lifestyles. Featured brands and vehicles included: Alfa Romeo Tonale; Chrysler Pacifica PHEV; Chevrolet Bolt EV; Chevrolet Bolt EUV; Ford F-150 Lightning; Ford Mustang Mach-E; Ford E-transit; Hyundai IONIQ 5; Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV; Hyundai Tucson PHEV; Hyundai Kona EV; Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe PHEV; Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEV; Kia EV6; Volkswagen ID.4; Volvo C40 Recharge; Volvo XC40 Recharge; Volvo XC60 Recharge PHEV; and Volvo XC90 Recharge PHEV.

Due to the event's success, organizers plan to bring Chicago Drives Electric indoors to the 2023 Chicago Auto Show. Tweet this

In addition to putting interested parties behind the wheel of some of the latest EVs, event organizers brought in a variety of experts to help break down the various aspects of EV ownership and tackle complex topics such as range anxiety; at-home charging solutions; on-the-go charging and infrastructure; tax credits and incentives; and where people can begin their search. On-hand experts included Cars.com, Charge Enterprises, ComEd and Powering Chicago.

Organizers anticipated a range of 750-1,000 attendees. Over the course of the weekend, the event netted 947 total registered drivers and nearly 3,000 in-vehicle experiences, surpassing expectations. The buzz generated from the event carried over to social media; Chicago Drives Electric reached 4.5 million, according to initial results from media measurement firm Meltwater.

"We invited previous Chicago Auto Show ticket purchasers, in the form of one email, to preregister for their preferred date and two-hour timeslot," said CATA Chairman JC Phelan. "We were shocked to find all the timeslots filled overnight! The response and interest were overwhelming, in a very good way, which is why we're looking to enhance our indoor EV track at the Chicago Auto Show and incorporate elements of Chicago Drives Electric including consumer education and resources."

"We're planning to triple the size of our indoor EV track, adding more brands and vehicles, and building out the surrounding area with educational exhibits and panel discussions featuring industry experts," said Chicago Auto Show Co-General Manager Jennifer Morand. "All of that rich content will translate well to social media where we'll take in-person panel discussions and broadcast them live on our Facebook and Instagram channels, create educational Instagram Reels and TikTok videos, and partner with key influencers in the space to take over our social media channels throughout the show."

"Chicago Drives Electric validated to us the public's enthusiasm to further their knowledge about EVs," continued Morand. "There are many complexities associated with the topic, which is why personal service and education is needed now more than ever, and the Chicagoland new-car dealers are dedicated to assisting consumers in their EV journey."

According to the 2022 EVForward Dealer DeepDive study by independent analytics firm Escalent, the dealership will remain a pivotal part of an EV intender's shopping experience. The DeepDive survey found that 74 percent of respondents prefer to buy an EV at a dealership, rather than from an auto manufacturer or third party. This research proves that the franchise dealership model works just as well for EVs as it does for traditional vehicles.

"The Chicagoland dealers have been behind the Chicago Auto Show for nearly a century, and we are so proud to lead the way in this EV revolution into the future," said Phelan. "This next stage of EV adoption will look more like getting average consumers into mass-market vehicles they depend on to get to work and manage family life. Dealers will remain critical in this process to bring EVs to scale."

For Chicago Drives Electric b-roll, visit: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/zqf2uiypxgbqb/2022_Chicago_Drives_Electric. For more information on the 2023 Chicago Auto Show, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com. For additional information on Chicago Drives Electric and a resource hub, click here.

About the Chicago Auto Show

First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the nation's longest running auto exposition in North America. The show is produced by the Chicagoland's new-car dealer association, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which has staged the show since 1935. The 2023 public show is Feb. 11-20 at McCormick Place. For more information and the latest updates, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com or Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.com.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association

Founded in 1904 and located in Oakbrook Terrace, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is comprised of more than 400 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information, please visit www.CATA.info.

SOURCE Chicago Auto Show
BEIJING, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With less than 40 years' history as a prefecture-level city, Dongguan has witnessed the milestones of China's historical and economic development.

180 years ago, the Opium War took place in Humen Township in Dongguan, an epoch-making event that marks an important phase of China's modern history. In the 1970's, Dongguan began its leapfrog development in economy and technology, in compliance with the reform and opening up policies that put China on track as an economic superpower kicked into gear.

Dongguan: Forefront of China's Opening-up and Innovation

Located in southern China's coastal region, Dongguan has produced one third of the world's accessories and daily goods, and one out of six phones in the world is made from here. Today, Dongguan is transferring from the "factory of the world" to a high-end manufacturing hub that is pivoted to innovation.

Dongguan's Songshan Lake Science and Technology Park, as a crucial example, has been devoted to developing and applying new technology to everyday products.

Why has this city been leading the pack after all these years? How has Dongguan stayed at the forefront of Chinese history for so long? In this video, American video host Jack heads to Dongguan to find the answers.

He heads to Dongguan looking for the answer. Starting from the Humen Beach where the Opium Wars broke out, he seeks to understand the city's spirit. At the Taiping Handbag Factory, he learns how to craft a handbag with a local worker. He wraps up his trip with a test at the lab for new zinc-based batteries that are deemed 100% safe.

Contact:

Jack Klumpp

Tel008610-68996566

E-mail[email protected]

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nw-CSV2Blk

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1735490/China_Matters_Logo.jpg

SOURCE China Matters
ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc . (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, will report its 2022 third quarter earnings results at approximately 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Monday, November 7, 2022. The company will also hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. EST, during which Patrick Pacious, president and chief executive officer, and Dominic Dragisich, chief financial officer, Choice Hotels, will discuss the company's performance.

Choice Hotels International. (PRNewsFoto/Choice Hotels International) (PRNewsfoto/CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL)

To participate in the teleconference, please dial (888) 349-0087 (domestic) or (412) 317-5259 (international) and request the Choice Hotels International call. A live webcast will also be available under the Financial Performance and Presentations tab of the company's investor relations website, www.investor.choicehotels.com.

The call will be recorded and available for replay on the investor relations website by 11 a.m. EST on November 7, 2022. In addition, the call will be archived on the investor relations website and can be accessed via the Financial Performance and Presentations tab.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. Choice recently acquired Radisson Hotels Americas, adding nine brands, more than 600 hotels, and approximately 67,000 rooms in the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada to its portfolio. With 22 brands, Choice Hotels has more than 7,500 hotels, and nearly 650,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories as of August 11, 2022. The Choice family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a broad range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upper upscale, upper mid-scale, midscale, extended-stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges loyalty program offers members a faster way to rewards, with personalized benefits starting on day one. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com.

 2022 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.
Monte Nido & Affiliates Expands Access to Care with New California Location

YORBA LINDA, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Monte Nido & Affiliates, one of the largest and leading eating disorder platforms in the country, announces today the opening of its newest residential eating disorder center in California. Clementine Orange County provides care for adolescents of all genders with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and/or exercise addiction.

Clementine Orange County provides personalized, evidence-based care. Tweet this Clementine Orange County, a new residential eating disorder treatment program for adolescents in Yorba Linda, Calif.

"With eating disorders on the rise among adolescents, expanding access to life-saving care is more important than ever," said Candy Henderson, MS, Chief Executive Officer of Monte Nido & Affiliates. "This new facility will allow more teens in the Orange County area to receive the treatment they need and increase their opportunity to attain full recovery."

Clementine Orange County provides personalized, evidence-based care focused on restoring physiological and nutritional balance in the comfort of a home-like setting. The programming also implements mindful eating, 24-hour nursing, and academic and family support. Adolescents of all ages, genders and body types can be affected by eating disorders. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, making early intervention key in the recovery process.

"The Clementine model of care was created using evidence-based modalities backed by research outcomes in order to meet the very specific developmental needs of adolescents," said Melissa Spann, PhD, LMHC, CEDS-S, Chief Clinical Officer of Monte Nido & Affiliates. "Early intervention is important, and with the right tools and support, recovery is possible no matter what stage a person is in with their eating disorder."

Monte Nido opened its original location, Monte Nido Malibu, in a secluded home in Calabasas in 1996. Connecting back to Monte Nido & Affiliates' California roots, Clementine Orange County marks the seventh program in the state and will complement Clementine Malibu Lake, the company's program for adolescent girls located just outside of Los Angeles.

For more information, or to inquire about treatment at Clementine Orange County, please visit www.clementineprograms.com or call 855-900-2221.

About Monte Nido & Affiliates

Monte Nido & Affiliates is one of the country's largest and leading eating disorder platforms, offering inpatient, residential, and day treatment programs for eating disorders. Founded in 1996, Monte Nido & Affiliates currently operates forty-eight programs in fourteen states, with residential programs being Joint Commission accredited. Monte Nido & Affiliates includes five distinct eating disorder program brands: Monte Nido, Walden Behavioral Care, Rosewood Centers, Oliver-Pyatt Centers, and Clementine.

Contact: Claire Vartabedian or Abigail Cox

L.C. Williams & Associates

312-565-3900

[email protected]

SOURCE Monte Nido & Affiliates
Seniors Can Learn About their Medicare Options from Home

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Baby boomers who are aging into Medicare or want to explore their options for 2023 can attend a virtual seminar from the comfort of their own homes. Preferred Primary Care Physicians (PPCP) is offering a Virtual Medicare Shop & Compare Expo, 1 to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.

The online seminar is an excellent opportunity for seniors to learn more about the differences between Medicare and Medicare Advantage and the many plan options available to them. Registration is desired, but not required. To register, visit PreferredSeniorCareAdvantage.com.

The webinar will include several sessions, including a physician panel entitled "The Benefits of Value-Based Healthcare;" Medicare 101 sessions by independent, licensed brokers; as well as insurance company presentations. The event is hosted by Preferred Senior Care Advantage, a program offered by the Preferred Primary Care Physicians.

Don't worry if you miss the webinar. You can still log on to PreferredSeniorCareAdvantage.com to watch the Medicare information program.

About Preferred Senior Care Advantage

Preferred Senior Care Advantage is a collaborative approach to care deliver that focuses on preventive care and providing care coordination resources. This program is open to senior patients of Preferred Primary Care Physicians. More information about Preferred Senior Care Advantage and Medicare informational resources are available at PreferredSeniorCareAdvantage.com.

SOURCE Preferred Senior Care Advantage
REDDITCH, England, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Concentric AB has appointed Jennifer Todd-Wilson as Vice President Human Resources & Sustainability, effective January 1, 2023.

Jennifer holds a Diploma of Business from the Toyota Training Institute as well as a Bachelor of Commerce in Industrial Relations from University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.

Martin Kunz, President and CEO of Concentric AB commented, "We are extremely pleased that Jennifer will join Concentric as she brings a wealth of international senior leadership experience in human resources, sustainability and business management. With a proven track record of implementing creative HR programs and sustainability initiatives across global engineered products and manufacturing organisations, Jennifer will be a key member of the Group Senior Leadership Team. She will be pivotal in developing further the Group's HR practices and talent management program and driving forward Concentric's sustainability strategy".

Deborah Clayton will leave the Company to pursue opportunities outside of the Concentric Group and we thank her for her contribution to the business.

CONTACT:

For additional information please contact Martin Kunz, telephone +44-121-445 6545

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/concentric-ab/r/concentric-ab-appoints-jennifer-todd-wilson-as-vice-president-human-resources---sustainability,c3645567

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Concentric AB
BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Connected Nation's Ashley Hitt, Vice President, GeoAnalytics, begins her one-year term this week as President of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) following the GIS-Pro 2022 conference in Boise, Idaho. URISA is an international nonprofit association that connects people and resources in the geospatial community.

"Geospatial data is crucial to every aspect of Connected Nation's mission, as well as everything that drives today's digital society," said Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, Connected Nation. "URISA is the premiere organization for geospatial practitioners, and we are thrilled to see Ashley lend her leadership talents to this esteemed delegation."

Geospatial data is crucial to every aspect of our mission, as well as everything that drives today's digital society. Tweet this

Last year, Hitt was voted by URISA members as President-Elect. She will now step into the role of President for the upcoming year, alongside newly elected President-Elect Thomas Fisher, and Directors Josiah Burkett, Bernadette de Leon, and Matthew J. Gerike.

"I am incredibly honored and excited to serve URISA as President," said Hitt. "There is so much amazing work the organization and members do for the geospatial industry. URISA has a strong vision and strategic goals for the profession, for all students and professionals, and for the organization itself. This is an amazing association that has provided so many opportunities and solutions for everything geospatial. I am also incredibly grateful that Connected Nation provides so much support for professional development opportunities such as this. I look forward to the next year as URISA President!"

A photo of Hitt is available upon request. Contact Jessica Denson at [email protected]. Head to this website to learn more about URISA.

About Us: Connected Nation celebrated 20 years of service in 2021. The national nonprofit's mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation.

For more information, please visit: connectednation.org and follow Connected Nation on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Connected Nation
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EVOTEK, America's premier enabler of digital business, announced today that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company , has named EVOTEK as a 2022 Triple Crown Award winner. The Triple Crown Award is reserved for those select few companies that earn a spot on all three of CRN's prestigious solution provider award lists in the same calendar year.

EVOTEK Wins CRN Triple Crown

Now in its ninth year, the CRN Triple Crown Award spotlights top North American solution providers for displaying a tireless commitment to achieving high revenue, company growth, and unparalleled technical expertise within the IT channel.

To qualify for the CRN Triple Crown Award, companies must earn a place on CRN's Solution Provider 500, a ranking of the largest IT solution providers by revenue in North America; the Fast Growth 150, a ranking of high-growth organizations in the channel; and the Tech Elite 250, which recognizes solution providers that have attained top-level certifications from leading technology vendors in the industry. Being chosen for even one of these prestigious lists is an honor worth celebrating but meriting a spot on all three lists in a single year demonstrates a rare combination of tremendous achievement, sales acumen, and technical prowess.

EVOTEK has made an impact in the industry through its hyper-growth trajectory and market leadership. With practice areas across Date Center, Network, Cloud, Communications, and Security, EVOTEK is at the forefront of connecting data centers to the next generation of secure multi-cloud. The company was founded to pursue a disruptive new vision: to provide technology leadership in innovated channels that safely thrive in the digital world. With that goal in mind, EVOTEK is helping organizations through advisory services and technology solutions to consistently optimize performance and scalability to the highest caliber; regardless of where the infrastructure resides.

"EVOTEK is in its 8th year as a company and our team continues to reach new heights," said Cesar Enciso, CEO and Founder. "We hold ourselves to high standards for our partners and customers and I am excited to see what the future holds for our amazing organization."

"The solution providers that have earned this year's Triple Crown Award have demonstrated an unceasing enthusiasm towards technical mastery, innovative thinking, consistent growth, and high-caliber customer service within the North American IT industry," said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. "This award represents a chosen company's ability to go above and beyond, and we're excited to see where their dedication, their expertise, and their passion will take them as we venture forward into the future of the IT channel industry."

This year's Triple Crown Award winners will be featured in the October 2022 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/triplecrown.

About EVOTEK

EVOTEK is the nation's premier enabler of digital business with a focus on innovation. With technology offerings in data center and cloud, EVOTEK is uniquely equipped to enable customers with the industry shift from traditional IT computing to secure multi-cloud. With services practices in cybersecurity, mobility, platform engineering, and AIOps, EVOTEK is moving up the value chain, closer to the part of digital business that matters most. EVOTEK was named to Inc. Magazine's "Best Places to Work" in 2018, 2020, and 2022. For seven consecutive years, from 2016-2022, EVOTEK was listed in The San Diego Business Journal's "Best Places to Work" and recognized in CRN's "Solution Provider 500" list, CRN's "Next-Generation 250" list, CRN's "Triple Crown" and highlighted as CRN's "Top 150 Growth Companies", holding the #1 spot in 2017 as the fastest-growing system integrator in the country.

Follow EVOTEK: LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK, and TWITTER

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook .

 2022 The Channel Company, LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Channel Company Contact:

Jennifer Hogan

The Channel Company

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Mike Mayo

(858) 362-5083

[email protected]

SOURCE EVOTEK
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crowell & Moring today called on the City of Manhattan Beach to reject plans to build a 4-story, luxury apartment complex with six low-income units next to an active, century-old oil refinery without an appropriate environmental, health and safety review.

In a letter sent to the Manhattan Beach City Council on behalf of pro bono client Chill The Build, Northwestern University constitutional scholar and Crowell lawyer Martin Redish wrote: "The constitutional issues here are quite clear. Manhattan Beach needs to fully consider the health and welfare concerns of its residents. A construction project taking place next to an active oil refinery is rife with danger and fraught with potential disaster."

Redish added, "we encourage the city to conduct a thorough environmental review to understand the project's consequences and the harm they may be enacting on the community. Failure to conduct a full environmental review in light of the specific facts of this matter is not only reckless; it is highly likely to violate the due process rights of the citizens of the community and therefore be enforceable in court."

The opposition to the 79-apartment HighRose Project stems from the lack of due process and a thorough environmental review. The city claims such a review is not required because of California's Density Bonus Law, a measure that gives developers favorable development rules in exchange for building affordable housing.

Nearby citizens are concerned about environmental dangers to Manhattan Beach resulting from the project's excavation and construction on land that has not been disturbed for nearly half a century.

In addition to Redish, Crowell partners Evan Chuck and Rick McNeil are representing Chill The Build on a pro bono basis.

Commentary from Evan Chuck, partner, Crowell & Moring

"The City of Manhattan Beach is considering accepting the developer's position that the City should blind itself and refrain from conducting a full environmental review of property that has not been touched for 50 years  before the EPA or many of our environmental protection law were established. California laws like CEQA and the Coastal Act provide the legal mechanism to conduct the needed review. On September 28, 2022, Governor Newsom signed the "Affordable Housing and High Roads Jobs Act of 2022" ("AB 2011") recognizing that building affordable housing within 3200 feet of a refinery is inherently dangerous without appropriate environmental review. The City's acceptance of the developer's position violates due process as explained by Professor Redish's remarks. It would also put the City of Manhattan Beach in conflict with the 3,200 foot setback policy behind the enactment of AB 2011  a position that the Governor's office championed on behalf of environmental and social justice advocates concerned about perptuating a cycle of social injustice by shoving historically black and brown communities into affordable housing next to oil drilling and gas refining facilities."

To speak with Redish or Chuck about the opposition to the construction project and the legal implications of moving forward, please reach out to [email protected].

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with offices in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and corporate and transactional issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service and its programs and initiatives to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

Media Contact:

Rebecca Carr

Communications Director

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP
MAUMEE, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) will release its 2022 third-quarter financial results on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. A press release will be issued at approximately 7 a.m. EDT, followed by a conference call and webcast at 9 a.m. EDT. Members of the company's senior management team will be available at that time to discuss the results and answer related questions.

The conference call can be accessed by telephone from both domestic and international locations using the information provided below:

Conference ID: 2476721

Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number: 1-888-330-2502

Participant Toll Dial-In Number: 1-240-789-2713

Audio streaming and slides will be available online via a link provided on the Dana investor website: www.dana.com/investors .

A webcast replay can be accessed via Dana's investor website following the call.

About Dana Incorporated

Dana is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly efficient propulsion and energy-management solutions that power vehicles and machines in all mobility markets across the globe. The company is shaping sustainable progress through its conventional and clean-energy solutions that support nearly every vehicle manufacturer with drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies, including software and controls; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions.

Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, the company reported sales of $8.9 billion in 2021 with 40,000 people in 31 countries across six continents. Founded in 1904, Dana was named one of "America's Most Responsible Companies 2022" by Newsweek for its emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility. The company is driven by a high-performance culture that focuses on valuing others, inspiring innovation, growing responsibly, and winning together, earning it global recognition as a top employer. Learn more at dana.com.

SOURCE Dana Incorporated
Datametica Solutions, a Google Cloud Partner, will share cloud migration best practices in a session at Google Cloud Next '22

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Datametica, a global leader in data warehouse migration and modernization, will participate at Google Cloud Next '22, on October 1114. Google Cloud Next brings valuable perspectives and insights from industry leaders and partners with engaging keynotes, panel discussion, and breakout sessions.

As a signature sponsor, Datametica will host an on-demand session titled "How Datametica Automates Modernization of EDW, ETL, BI to GCP" delivered by Dr. Phil Shelley, Co-founder & President, Datametica along with Rajesh Rai, Vice President, Strategy & Solutions Engineering, Datametica. This session highlights cloud migration challenges and best practices and includes a discussion on how to make the transition to the cloud faster, with fewer risks and at lower cost.

Dr. Shelley says, "The world is in a cloud-first model. Datametica leads best practices for data warehouse migration to Google Cloud, and we are excited to showcase our automation tools that accelerate and simplify the modernization process at a significantly lower cost and with higher accuracy."

Rajesh Rai states, "Google Cloud Next is a great platform to demonstrate aligned commitments of both Datametica and Google Cloud. Digital transformation and automation have become the center of every business discussion, and we aim to showcase our capabilities and success stories. Together, we can build a better cloud-first digital world."

About Our Speakers:

Dr. Phil Shelley, Co-Founder and President at Datametica Solutions

Dr. Phil Shelley is a seasoned executive and co-founded Datametica in 2013. His experience of more than three decades in the big data and technology fields includes being EVP, CIO, CEO, and CTO with international experience, having worked in the USA, Germany, and the UK. Through his visionary leadership, Dr. Shelley has led Datametica in its continuous journey of innovation and technology advancement and established it as a leader in the cloud technology domain.

Rajesh Rai, Vice President, Strategy & Solutions Engineering at Datametica Solutions

Rajesh Rai is an innovative and entrepreneurial technology leader with over three decades of experience in big data and analytics. He is passionate about enhancing customers' digital transformation journeys. He enables companies to effectively, efficiently, and responsibly leverage massive amounts of data to drive innovation and growth through analytics, models, and algorithms.

Catch this on-demand session and complete the event live by registering for Google Cloud Next. You can also watch the on-demand session of our speakers on Datametica's YouTube channel.

About Datametica Solutions:

Datametica is a Google Cloud migration partner for enterprises moving their Data warehouses to the Google Cloud. Datametica brings automation and expertise in transforming legacy Teradata, Oracle, Hadoop, Netezza, DataStage, Informatica, and repointing BI solutions, to a Google Cloud-based data warehouse, data engineering, and advanced analytics solutions. Using Eagle  Automated Data warehouse Assessment & Google Cloud migration planning Product, Raven  Automated Workload (SQL, ETL & Script) Conversion Product, Pelican  Automated Data Validation Product.

Contact:

Dr Phil Shelley

President at Datametica

[email protected]

+1 (847) 505-9933

SOURCE Datametica
ATLANTA, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- David M. Williams, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Healthcare Professional in the Medical field, acknowledging his group practice accomplishments at Southside Medical Center.

With over 40 years of experience in medicine, David M. Williams, MD, is a board-certified family practitioner practicing at Southside Medical Center in Atlanta, GA. A trusted family physician, Dr. Williams has been the President and CEO of Southside Medical Center since 1997. He started his career in public health as an epidemiologist with the State of Georgia and was the first Director of the Georgia AIDS Program.

Southside Medical Center is a leader in organizing, providing, and supporting affordable health care and related services to the public through diversified business activities. Founded in 1967 as the Atlanta Southside Comprehensive Health Center, it is committed to providing exceptional primary health care and related services to the medically underserved of Atlanta. Dr. Williams performs a primarily administrative role in this extensive group practice with over 60 medical professionals. He focuses on preventative medicine and sees patients in his other practices, working with them on age management medicine and weight loss.

Before embarking on his professional journey, Dr. Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in biology and completed his Medical Doctor degree at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. He received his Master of Public Health degree and did his residencies in family practice and preventative medicine at Emory University's Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Additionally, the doctor completed an Access to Community Health fellowship at the National Association of Community Health Centers and a fellowship in educating other physicians at Morehouse. The doctor is board certified in family practice.

Dr. Williams serves as President of Choice Healthcare Network, an Independent Physician Association (IPA) in Georgia, among his other roles. He is also Chairman of the Georgia State School of Public Health Board. He is active in the Peach State Healthcare Board, a board member of the towns of Summerhill and Mechanicsville, and serves as Vice-Chair of the Atlanta Community Access Board.

Among his professional memberships and affiliations, Dr. Williams is a member of the American Medical Association, the Georgia State Medical Association, and the Georgia Primary Healthcare Association. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and has been an active member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. The doctor volunteers for the Peachtree Roadrace in his spare time.

In light of this recognition, Dr. Williams would like to acknowledge his father, Robert Williams, MD.

For more information, visit www.southsidemedical.net.





Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
SAINT-CLOUD, France, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Supervisory Board appointed Denis DELVAL as CEO of the Ethypharm Group.

Denis DELVAL, Doctor of Pharmacy, graduate of ESSEC and INSEAD, has an impressive range of experience in the pharmaceutical industry where he has spent his entire career in France and internationally in large and medium-sized groups (Bayer, Fournier Pharma, ALK, LFB).

Le Conseil de Surveillance a nomme Denis DELVAL comme PDG du Groupe Ethypharm.

He has held positions of increasing importance in marketing, sales, strategy and general management, notably at ALK, the leading Danish company in allergy desensitisation treatments, where he was responsible for the French subsidiary and then Senior Vice-President Europe.

In 2017, he was appointed President of LFB, a biopharmaceutical group that develops, manufactures and markets medicinal products derived from living matter. He has profoundly changed the company and has committed it at all levels to a transformation process based on shared values.

"I am proud to join Ethypharm, a European company with French roots, specialising in Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases and hospital injectables. I look forward to mobilising energies and continuing the development of the Group", Denis DELVAL announced.

About the Ethypharm Group

Ethypharm is a European pharmaceutical company specialising in two areas: the Central Nervous System and Hospital Injectable Medicines. Ethypharm markets its medicines directly in Europe and China, and works with partners in North America and the Middle East where its medicines are in high demand. The Group employs more than 1,750 people, mainly based in Europe and China.

Ethypharm works closely with the authorities and health professionals to ensure the appropriate use of and access to its medicines for as many people as possible.

For more information on Ethypharm, please visit www.ethypharm.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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Press contact

Avril PONNELLE

[email protected]

SOURCE Ethypharm Digital Therapy
HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A carbon compensated crude oil cargo sold by Ecopetrol and purchased by CITGO Petroleum Corporation is currently making its way to the CITGO Corpus Christi refinery for processing. The recent transaction supports Ecopetrol's objectives on energy transition and decarbonization.

The 500,000 barrel cargo of Ecopetrol Castilla Blend is the company's flagship crude oil and one of the main references of heavy crude in the region and the international market.

"We plan to sell a total of four carbon-compensated crude oil cargoes this year," said Pedro Manrique, Ecopetrol Commercial Vice President, "and we hope to achieve this goal by working closely with companies like CITGO and others who share our vision on energy transition and decarbonization. It is essential as an industry to contribute to the goals that the world has set for climate change mitigation."

As part of the transaction, Ecopetrol has arranged for carbon offsets for both the emissions of the cargo itself, equivalent to 16,000 tons of CO2e and, for the first time, the emissions associated with the maritime transportation of the crude to the CITGO terminal in the U.S. Gulf Coast (USGC), estimated on 1.110 tons of CO2e. Both will be offset by carbon credits generated through a Verified Carbon Standard ("VCS") certified natural climate solutions project located in Colombias western region. The project reduces deforestation and degradation of forests, protects its biodiversity, and supports local communities.

"CITGO is pleased to participate in this important initiative that protects the environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions," said Karl Schmidt, CITGO Vice President Supply and Marketing. "Purchasing this cargo from Ecopetrol, a great partner with a firm commitment to decarbonization, inspires us to advance our efforts in this area."

The carbon compensation for the Ecopetrol/CITGO transaction offsets direct emissions generated along the crude oil value chain, which includes production, dilution, transportation into the Covenas terminal located on the Atlantic Coast of Colombia and maritime transportation to Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Ecopetrol Group plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2050.

About Ecopetrol

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector.

About CITGO

CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the well-known CITGO brand. CITGO owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 38 active terminals, six pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,300 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO ranks as the fifth-largest and is one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products, and supplies a network of approximately 4,300 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.

SOURCE CITGO Corporation
CHICAGO, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EMI Shielding Market size is expected to grow from USD 6.6 billion in 2022 to USD 8.6 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 5.4% according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The increasing usage of EMI shielding solutions in consumer electronics, automotive, telecommunications & information technology is the key factors boosting the growth of the market.

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Telecommunications & information technology segment to account second-largest market share during the forecast period.

The EMI shielding market for the telecommunications & information technology accounts the second-largest markets share and is expected to grow at a considerable rate during the forecast period. In the telecommunications & information technology industry, the application of EMI shielding solutions is primarily due to implementation of 5G. 5G technology is more industry-centric than preceding technologies, such as 3G and 4G. 5G will transform the design of the current cellular system, which involves many devices such as small cells, radio access networks, and 5G chipsets. This, in turn, will create a large requirement for EMI shielding solutions to protect the devices from EMI, consequently boosting the EMI shielding market. Furthermore, the use of wireless consumer products has also increased. Due to rapid advances in wireless technology and the ongoing miniaturization of electronic devices, the EMI shielding market for the telecommunications industry continues to grow rapidly.

Conductive polymer is projected to hold a significant share of the EMI shielding market during the forecast year.

The use of conductive compounds, including conductive polymers and plastics, is increasing. When an electrical charge needs to be transferred in the material, polymers and compounds are modified to increase the conductivity, as most plastics are non-conductive. This has resulted in the development of conductive compounds with high conductive and shielding properties. Conductive polymers are flexible, lightweight, anti-corrosive materials with good surface conductivity. These are further categorized into conductive elastomers and conductive plastics. Conductive elastomers are widely used to design gaskets in various industries, and they provide both EMI shielding and environmental seals. Conductive plastics are used when the key concerns are the weight, form factor, and product design. As a result of their vast usage, conductive polymers are expected to contribute a significant share in the said market

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China to account for a significant market share of Asia Pacific from 2022 to 2027.

China is projected to account for the major share of the EMI shielding market in Asia Pacific from 2022 to 2027. The country is a key manufacturer of consumer electronics as well as automotive. The country is also know for low cost automotive product manufacturing. Additionally, China is making notable strides towards the promotion of electric vehicles and the development of its supporting infrastructure. It is the most significant economy in the region. All these factors are pushing the growth of the EMI shielding market in China.

Parker Hannifin (US), PPG Industries (US), Henkel (Germany), 3M (US) and Laird Performance Materials (UK), are the top five players in the EMI shielding market globally.

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About MarketsandMarkets

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
Atlanta-Based EnviroSpark wins GSA contract to install EV charging stations across Southeastern U.S., earns highest overall technical ranking among 10 vendors selected

ATLANTA, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia-based electric vehicle (EV) charging company EnviroSpark was awarded a federal government contract to design and install EV charging stations at locations run by federal agencies throughout the Southeast region of the United States. The contract, which includes a $500 million dollar budget ceiling for the region, came from the General Services Administration (GSA) amid a nationwide push for expanded EV infrastructure.

EnviroSpark earned the highest technical ranking among the 10 small business vendors awarded contracts in the region, which includes 13 states and Puerto Rico. Additionally, EnviroSpark is the only selected vendor that received the overall technical ranking of "excellent," due to their extensive prior experience and past performance on relevant projects. EnviroSpark is also the only vendor selected in the southeast whose business specialization is exclusively focused on building and installing EV infrastructure.

"It is an honor to be selected to serve on such an important and high-profile project," said EnviroSpark Co-founder and CEO Aaron Luque. "Being named the highest-rated company among all the applicants is truly a testament to all of the hard work and dedication the EnviroSpark team has put in over the last 8 years, and I couldn't be prouder of them."

As part of GSA's "one-stop shop" initiative to support the transition of the federal fleet to a 100 percent zero-emission vehicle fleet, GSA established the government-wide Design/Build and Construction Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts to support Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) installation and related infrastructure improvements at federal locations nationwide.

"We are thrilled to be part of this federal push for improved EV infrastructure in the region and country," EnviroSpark Co-founder and Chief Government Affairs Officer Stephanie Luque said. "In order to increase EV adoption rates and reap the benefits of lower carbon emissions, we must first build out charging infrastructure. EnviroSpark is committed to that mission, and we are proud to be partnering with the GSA to bring EV access to federal agencies."

The GSA contracts are designed to be innovative, flexible and easy to use. Services under these IDIQ contracts include:

Electric vehicle supply equipment installation

Feasibility studies and site assessments

Construction and design-build services

Utility company coordination

Electrical infrastructure upgrades (e.g., switchgear, transformers, etc.)

Site work services (e.g., trenching, bollards, signage, pavement markings, etc.)

Equipment testing and commissioning

As a selected contractor, EnviroSpark, who specializes in turnkey EV solutions, will conduct a host of studies, tests and inspections to design, construct, and implement infrastructure improvements and install charging stations at federal agency locations across the region.

To date, EnviroSpark is responsible for more than 5,500 charging ports for customers such as Georgia Power, Tesla and Electrify America in addition to partnering with government entities such as cities and municipalities, but this marks the organization's first federal contract.

About EnviroSpark

Founded in 2014, EnviroSpark is an industry leader in the turnkey design, installation, and operation of EV charging solutions. The company was founded with two missions: to raise awareness of the benefits of electric vehicles and to increase the availability of EV charging infrastructure. The company is responsible for the installation of more than 5,500 charging ports to date. EnviroSpark addresses the pain points of property owners and drivers from coast to coast by enhancing EV accessibility in a customer-friendly way.

SOURCE EnviroSpark
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A newly-released Special Report from Adaptation Leader focuses on the lack of attention to climate adaptation and resilience as a critical component of climate action and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment strategies.

In the run-up to COP 27, the report Climate Change Adaptation  ESG Investing's Most Important Missing Piece? posits that the adaptation side of climate action -- the effective management of emerging risks and corresponding business opportunities of a changing climate  remains a significant ESG challenge for the investment community and financial sectors.

The Special Report points to a climate adaptation and resilience gap in the context of ESG and climate disclosure. Tweet this

While climate adaptation is gaining attention as a complementary strategy to climate mitigation, Peter Soyka and Ira Feldman, authors of the report, point to an adaptation and resilience gap in the context of ESG and climate disclosure. "There remains a huge disparity between mitigation and adaptation in terms of awareness, available finance, and metrics to measure implementation success," explained Feldman, founder and managing director of Adaptation Leader.

The report emphasizes the need for new ways of thinking in the private sector to facilitate the development and implementation of adaptation strategies and policies that holistically address climate risks. Such approaches will include a commitment to public-private partnerships and the prioritization of inclusivity, collaboration, and innovation.

"We see little evidence that current capital investment decisions reflect an understanding of how the changing climate poses severe risks to typical business activities and to society. This must change," emphasized Soyka, an Adaptation Leader board member.

Examining the role of corporations, institutional investors, and insurers in the ESG space, the report offers pragmatic strategies for meaningful, effective approaches to address and manage business risks and societal impacts resulting from climate change. Soyka added, "Institutional investors and data providers alike can play a vital, catalytic role in increasing awareness of and urging action on climate adaptation. We call on the players in the ESG community to step up their game on adaptation and resilience, as they have on the mitigation side of climate."

Adaptation Leader's Special Report follows the extensive comments the organization submitted to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) imploring SEC staff to enhance provisions relating to adaptation and resilience in the agency's proposed climate risk disclosure rule.

Feldman noted, "significant changes to the reporting requirements in the proposed rule are needed to ensure that adaptation receives attention (from both disclosing companies and investors) commensurate with that focused on GHG mitigation."

Adaptation Leader invites interested stakeholders to join its efforts in setting the climate adaptation research and policy agenda and developing innovative approaches and tools for adaptation and resilience solutions.

About Adaptation Leader

Adaptation Leader is a Section 501(c)(3) and IRS tax-exempt not-for-profit organization. It serves as a catalyst for widespread, enhanced, and effective implementation of approaches to climate adaptation, thereby improving organizational, community, and societal resilience and sustainability.

SOURCE Adaptation Leader
Kal Gullapalli transitions to an active Board of Directors member role

GREENWICH, Conn., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EWC Growth Partners, LLC ("EWC Growth" or "the Company"), one of the largest developers and operators of centers under the European Wax Center brand, today announced the appointment of Robert Fish as Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Fish brings to EWC Growth over 20 years of executive and operational experience in multi-unit health, wellness and retail. Most recently, Mr. Fish served as President and CEO of PCRK Group, the largest franchisee of Massage Envy with 95 locations across 11 states. Previously, Mr. Fish served as Vice President of National Operations at Massage Envy Franchising LLC where he was also Director of Operations Support. Prior to that Mr. Fish served in numerous operating roles at FedEx / Kinko's. He also serves on the Board of Directors of C&G Franchise Development, a franchisor of several brands including Hammer & Nails, Wow Wow Lemonade Stand, Tipout and BPL Supplies.

EWC Growth was founded in partnership between North Castle Partners, a leading private equity firm that has focused on consumer business that promote Healthy, Active and Sustainable Living for more than 20 years, Kal Gullapalli and NB Group. The company has 45 locations across Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut.

"Since we partnered with Kal in 2020, EWC Growth's organization and footprint has grown three-fold. The fact that the company has been able to realize this level of growth through a global pandemic is a testament to the strength of Kal's leadership and the culture he's built. We're thrilled to partner with Robert who we believe is the perfect leader to spearhead the next phase of the company's rapid growth," said David Weston, Partner at North Castle Partners.

Mr. Fish said, "European Wax Center is one of the largest and faster growing out-of-home waxing brands in the United States, providing guests with an unparalleled, professional personal care experience administered by highly trained wax specialists within the privacy of clean, individual waxing suites. North Castle Partners and the leadership team at EWC Growth have built one of the top franchisees in the European Wax Center system and I am humbled to be partnering with them to help execute their ambitious growth plans."

Kal Gullapalli, who has served as CEO since the founding of the company in 2020, will transition into an active member of the Board of Directors role and continue to oversee development on an interim basis. The transition allows Mr. Gullapalli more time for family and other entrepreneurial pursuits.

"We're proud of the culture we have built at EWC Growth over the last few years and of the growth our team has achieved together. Robert's leadership and skill set fit perfectly to take over day-to-day leadership of the company and continue our focus on culture inside the walls of our centers for clients and employees. I am pleased to continue to support Robert, the Board and the rest of the EWC Growth leadership team as they move the business forward," said Mr. Gullapalli.

About EWC Growth

EWC Growth is one of the largest European Wax Center franchisees, currently operating 45 locations across Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. European Wax Center continues to revolutionize the waxing industry with their innovative Comfort Wax formulated with the highest quality ingredients to make waxing a more efficient and relatively painless experience. Delivering a 360-degree guest experience, they also offer a collection of proprietary products to help enhance and extend waxing results.

About North Castle Partners

North Castle Partners is a leading private equity firm focused on investments in consumer driven product and service businesses that promote healthy, active, and sustainable living. North Castle is a hands-on, value-added investor in high-growth, middle-market companies in the (i) fitness, recreation & sports, (ii) consumer health, (iii) beauty & personal care, (iv) home & leisure and (v) nutrition sectors, among others. North Castle's current portfolio includes well-known brands such as Barry's Bootcamp, Encore Vet Group, Glow Recipe, Genexa, VitaCup, Mack Weldon and Echelon. Prior portfolio company holdings include Equinox Fitness, Curves / Jenny Craig, Octane Fitness, Atkins Nutritionals, Contigo, Cascade, EAS, Doctor's Dermatologic Formula, Naked Juice, Flatout Flatbread and Avalon Organics / Alba Botanicals. North Castle partners with management teams and entrepreneurial founders to bring a wide range of strategic and operational capabilities to build world class companies by unlocking the exponential power of full potential partnerships. North Castle is headquartered in Greenwich, CT.

SOURCE EWC Growth
Netflix mini documentary features the Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project to highlight success of community-centered forest and biodiversity conservation

Wildlife Works' Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project has been showcased in a new Netflix mini-documentary spotlighting how REDD+ is a scalable and effective model for stopping deforestation and is part of the company's strategy to achieve net-zero ambitions

Conservation marketing company Everland, and project developer Wildlife Works, worked in partnership with Netflix and Freeborne Media to create the explainer video, premiering it in collaboration with Kenya's Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife, Kenya Wildlife Service, and Kenya Tourism Board at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi

Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife, Kenya Wildlife Service, and Kenya Tourism Board at the Magical Kenya Travel Expo in In conjunction with the world premiere of the mini-documentary, a panel discussion featuring representatives from the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project explored the importance of REDD+ as a community and wildlife-centered market-based solution that works to end deforestation, one of the leading causes of carbon emissions

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the Magical Kenya Expo in Nairobi, Netflix premiered a new mini documentary highlighting its sustainability efforts through its partnership with the Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project located in Southeastern Kenya, between Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks.

The Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project  set up and managed by Wildlife Works  protects over 200,000 hectares of dryland forest, with over 11,000 wild elephants living in the ecosystem, and is home to 120,000 community members.

The video, narrated by actor Patricia Allison, and produced by conservation marketing company Everland, Wildlife Works, Freeborne Media, and Netflix, is part of an effort to underline how REDD+ is an effective and scalable market-based solution integral for companies to implement to meet their net-zero goals.

During the premiere, Netflix hosted a panel discussion moderated by actor Sarah Hassan featuring Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project representatives; Jane Okoth, Media and Communications Officer, Joseph Mwakima, Community Relations Officer, and Constance Mwandaa, Ranger and Head of Training, to explore the Project's impact over time.

In her opening remarks, Shola Sanni, Director of Public Policy, SSA at Netflix, said

"At Netflix, we strive to contribute positively to local economies, culture, and creative communities, and thereby are dedicated to understanding and minimizing our environmental impact wherever we operate, across the globe, and many of our top creators see sustainability as a source for creative excellence and authentic storytelling that attracts vast audiences - particularly young audiences"

Emphasizing the impact of the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project for the community, Jane Okoth, Media and Communications Officer at Wildlife Works, said: "We have to amplify community voices when talking about solutions related to climate change, the communities are the most effective guardians of the forest. Keeping the Forest intact will ensure greater access to health, education and clean water."

Reflecting on the documentary, Josh Tosteson, President of Everland, said, 'This documentary highlights a universal truth, that community-based conservation is the most effective and immediate way to help bring an end to deforestation today.'

The Netflix documentary is available on the WeAreNetflix and AfricaOnNetflix YouTube channels.

Notes to editors

About Everland

Everland represents the world's largest portfolio of high-impact forest conservation (REDD+) projects in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Everland brings forest communities and corporations together in a common cause to protect some of the world's most important and vulnerable forests.



https://everland.earth/

About Wildlife Works

Wildlife Works is a community-centered wildlife conservation company that implements market-based initiatives to protect the planet's threatened wilderness and endangered wildlife. The company was founded on the premise that if we want wildlife in our world, it has to work for local communities who share their environment. Wildlife Works' conservation projects drive direct financing to forest communities to fund their self-determined economic development and prevent millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere annually.



https://www.wildlifeworks.com/

Media contacts

Mandy Miranda

[email protected]

Aisha Ali

[email protected]

Assets

The documentary can be viewed on the AfricaOnNetflix YouTube channel here: Our Great National Parks | Kenya + Netflix Sustainability Efforts - YouTube

SOURCE Everland
Alongside Fifth Wall, the firm has developed interactive resources to help companies understand and reduce their carbon emissions

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced its collaboration with Fifth Wall, a venture capital firm focused on technology for the global real estate industry, to increase awareness and mitigation of real estate's impact on climate change with a suite of interactive tools to further companies' understanding of their carbon footprint and reduce their emissions. As a leading contributor to climate change, the real estate industry must play a major role in decreasing our planet's carbon footprint.

EY and Fifth Wall lead the charge toward a climate-positive future for real estate

Commercial buildings account for approximately two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions in New York, and recent New York legislation aims to make the city carbon-neutral by 2050. In response, EY US and Fifth Wall teamed up to develop an interactive website, A Climate-Positive Future for Real Estate, to help companies across the US manage and reduce their carbon footprints.

"Our goal is to help companies create their own sustainable future," said Mark Grinis, EY Americas Real Estate, Hospitality & Construction Leader. "By providing three frameworks for decarbonization  legislation, carbon strategy and reporting, and technology  we are thrilled to be working with Fifth Wall to help organizations navigate the journey to net zero, whether they've already taken steps to reducing their carbon footprint or are just getting started."

The website includes:

An interactive map to assess a company's potential carbon tax exposure

A carbon calculator to understand how an emission tax on real estate could impact a company's bottom line

Tips and tools to help develop a carbon reporting strategy

Information on how technology can reduce carbon emissions within a company's real estate investment

"We're on a mission to decarbonize real estate and are thrilled to join forces with EY to help companies across the US manage and reduce their carbon footprints," said Greg Smithies, Partner and Co-Lead of Climate Tech at Fifth Wall. "The carbon agenda needs to be top of mind for all companies, and a great place to start is by implementing technology that lowers energy usage and allows for better insights into properties. Only then, we will start to see meaningful change."

For more information and for website access, visit ey.com: https://pub.ey.com/public/2021/2104/2104-3769511/rhccarbonemission/index.html

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com .

Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited operating in the US.

About Fifth Wall

Founded in 2016, Fifth Wall, a Certified B Corporation, is the largest venture capital firm focused on technology for the global real estate industry. With approximately $3.2 billion in commitments and capital under management, Fifth Wall connects many of the world's largest owners and operators of real estate with the entrepreneurs who are redefining the future of the Built World. Fifth Wall is backed by a global mix of more than 100 strategic limited partners (LPs) from more than 15 countries, including BNP Paribas Real Estate, British Land, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Hilton, Host Hotels & Resorts, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Kimco Realty Corporation, Lennar, Lowe's Home Improvement, Marriott International, MetLife Investment Management, MGM Resorts, Related Companies, Starwood Capital, Toll Brothers, and others. Fifth Wall believes this consortium represents one of the largest groups of potential partners in the global Built World ecosystem, which can result in transformational investments and collaborations with promising portfolio companies. For more information about Fifth Wall, its LPs, and portfolio, visit www.fifthwall.com.

Contact:

Elizabeth Feigenbaum

[email protected]

SOURCE EY
TIAA Ventures, Dinerstein Companies, Foulger-Pratt and others back CrowdStreet

With this support, "we can accelerate our efforts to provide even more investing products, helping our investors build their financial freedom through direct real estate investing," CEO says

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CrowdStreet, Inc. ("CrowdStreet"), an award-winning1 online real estate investing platform, today announced it has raised $43 million in equity and debt capital to help fund the company's growth and make the market for online real estate investing.

Equity capital came from a prominent group of strategic investors including Fortune 100 financial services company TIAA, which is making an investment through its newly launched TIAA Ventures program that seeks investments in promising fintech companies, as well as commercial real estate industry heavyweights such as Cypress Equity Investments, The Dinerstein Companies, and Foulger-Pratt. Existing venture capital partners Grotech Ventures, Rally Ventures, Seven Peaks Ventures, and Green Visor Capital also participated in the funding.

"We are pleased to count so many of these leaders from across the industry as customers, partners, and now, with their participation in this fundraising round, strategic investors. They know us better than anyone and share our vision for the future of commercial real estate investing," said Tore Steen, Chief Executive Officer of CrowdStreet, Inc. "With their support, we can accelerate our efforts to provide even more investing products, helping investors build their financial freedom through direct real estate investing."

CrowdStreet will use the influx of new capital to improve the technology that powers its platform, and evolve the investing experience and investment management tools used by investors every day. "We've watched for several years as CrowdStreet has evolved its fintech platform to better serve real estate project sponsors and its community of investors," said Shawn Lese, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Real Estate Funds Management, Americas, at Nuveen, an investment affiliate of TIAA. "CrowdStreet's innovation is modernizing, demystifying, and streamlining access to commercial real estate so that more investors have the potential to reap the benefits of investment in the asset class."

This $43 million investment will also help CrowdStreet expand into the wealth management channel, allowing financial advisors to help their clients easily add commercial real estate, a valuable alternative asset, to their portfolios.

CrowdStreet is looking to expand its product and service offerings, giving even more individual investors and financial advisors new ways to access private commercial real estate. This will accelerate the efforts already undertaken by CrowdStreet Advisors, which currently manages over $400 million in client assets across private real estate funds and separately managed accounts. In 2022, CrowdStreet Advisors launched its flagship fund, CrowdStreet REIT I, Inc. (C-REIT), which combines the best of private real estate funds and public REITs, providing investors with a simple way to invest in more than 20 projects across the nation. These real estate funds give investors priority access to some of the most sought-after individual deals on the CrowdStreet Marketplace, as well as an opportunity to invest in projects not made available to the broader investor community.

Since its inception, CrowdStreet has raised over $3.6 billion for 670+ commercial real estate projects across the U.S. In 2021, the company achieved its first billion-dollar year, when its investor community funded $1.2 billion across single-property deals, professionally-managed funds, and separately managed accounts. As of August 2022 , 138 investments on the platform have been fully realized, generating an average 17.5% IRR and an average equity multiple of 1.50x.

About CrowdStreet

CrowdStreet, the nation's largest online private equity real estate investing platform*, provides investors direct access to a diverse range of investment opportunities, offering the ability to invest with ease and convenience. Real estate firms benefit from a highly efficient way to connect with investors to raise capital and manage investor relations. CrowdStreet is creating a community where investors and experienced real estate firms can work together to expand participation in the commercial real estate market to build and preserve wealth. Learn more at https://www.crowdstreet.com/ .

* As reported by Dr. Adam Gower in Best Real Estate Syndication Platforms | Gower Crowd - UNLEASHED, published 2022, based on dollars raised by individual investors.

CrowdStreet, Inc. ("CrowdStreet") offers investment opportunities and financial services on this website. Broker dealer services provided in connection with an investment are offered through CrowdStreet Capital LLC ("CrowdStreet Capital"), a broker dealer registered with FINRA and a member of SIPC . Information on all FINRA registered representatives can be found on FINRA's BrokerCheck . Advisory services are offered through CrowdStreet Advisors, LLC ("CrowdStreet Advisors"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CrowdStreet and a federally registered investment adviser. CrowdStreet Advisors provides investment advisory services exclusively to privately managed accounts and private funds and does not otherwise provide investment advisory services to the CrowdStreet Marketplace or its users.

This communication is for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as a recommendation, an offer to sell securities, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any investment products, financial products, or services. Information in this communication, including information regarding targeted returns and investment performance, is subject to change. Forward-looking statements, hypothetical information or calculations, financial estimates, and targeted returns are inherently uncertain. Such information should not be used as a primary basis for an investor's decision to invest. An investment in CrowdStreet Private Equity REIT I, Inc. (the "Fund") is speculative and involves substantial risk. You should not invest in the Fund unless you can sustain the risk of loss of capital, including the risk of total loss of capital. No guarantee or representation is made that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives or that investors will receive any return on their investment. Investors should consult with a financial advisor, attorney, accountant, and any other professional that can help you to understand and assess the risks associated with any investment opportunity. All investors should review the Fund's Prospectus and all referenced documents carefully.

We calculate IRR, or Internal Rate of Return, for individual realized deals based on the aggregate investor cash flows, utilizing the XIRR function in Microsoft Excel and with reference to the effective capital contribution dates of each individual investor and the distribution dates by the issuer. The aggregate IRR of all realized deals is based on aggregated cash flows of individual realized deals, as described above, and similarly calculated utilizing the XIRR function. IRR figures listed on this page are net of the most onerous fees charged to clients of CrowdStreet Advisors, LLC, our registered investment advisor subsidiary; an investor's actual IRR on a realized investment may differ. We utilize a consistent methodology for calculating returns. However, in most cases, the applicable issuing entity provides the distribution information used for our IRR calculations. While we take reasonable steps to verify this information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy.



1 CrowdStreet was named Best Overall Real Estate Crowdfunding Site by Investopedia for 2021 and 2022. Investopedia chose the Best Real Estate Crowdfunding Sites by conducting an independent review process based on a variety of factors including: Investment minimums, Platform fees, Total number of investors, Total investor dividends, Historical annual returns, Reinvestment opportunities, Website transparency (how easy it is to find platform fees, minimums, and redemption options), Better Business Bureau ratings, and educational offerings. They also investigate each company's online reputationincluding average monthly search volume, recent news, customer reviews, and complaintsto ensure the platform is well respected and legitimate. https://www.investopedia.com/review-process-4802351

Media contacts for more information:

Cary Brazeman, 310-205-3590, [email protected]

Victoria Ozols, 310-205-3590, [email protected]

SOURCE CrowdStreet, Inc.
The integration brings together banks and corporates globally through a common digital network ecosystem, increasing access to trade finance while enabling seamless and secure transactions

LONDON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at Sibos 2022 in Amsterdam, Finastra announced a strategic collaboration to integrate its Fusion Trade Innovation software with Contour, the global digital trade finance network, providing banks and corporates with a streamlined end-to-end back-office workflow. Users may access their data through either platform, providing banks with increased efficiency and faster turnaround times when processing Letter of Credit transactions. Ultimately, it opens the door for increased access to trade finance and stronger returns for banks.

Carl Wegner, CEO of Contour commented, "Our partnership with Finastra is an important step forward in breaking down barriers to adoption and increasing access to trade finance. By integrating with Finastra's Fusion Trade Innovation, financial institutions and corporates will have access to an end-to-end ecosystem of services that will enable them to transact seamlessly and securely."

Global trade is a multi-trillion-dollar industry that corporates and consumers rely upon daily. To increase efficiencies, many financial institutions have sought a network to support collaborative workflows between trade participants. Finastra and Contour address this need via this new integration, enabling digital adoption while decreasing client costs, reducing reliance on paper transactions, and reducing risk.

Together, Finastra and Contour will further accelerate adoption of digital trade solutions by linking together the two key components of digital trade finance  a deeply integrated core banking platform for internal processes, and an external decentralized network for bank and corporate customer communication. The solution offers full transparency and visibility, reducing the Letter of Credit lifecycle by up to seven days, freeing up working capital for corporates and improving returns for banks.

Isabel Fernandez, EVP, Lending Business Unit at Finastra said, "We are excited to connect with Contour, an innovative leader in this space, in our journey to orchestrate the digital trade ecosystem for our clients. Finastra is focused on making it simple for our financial institution clients to connect seamlessly to the global trade ecosystem so they can maximize business efficiency and develop new business opportunities. We're pleased that this collaboration enables corporates, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), access to trade and working capital finance where they transact."

Visit us at Sibos this year at Finastra booth #E57 and Contour booth #DIS40. Contour is hosting a daily demo onsite at 2pm CET for anyone who would like to join.

For further information please contact:

Caroline Duff Adeline Ee McNary

Global Head of PR Head of Marketing and Communications

T +44 (0)7917 613586 T +1 206-890-9622

E [email protected] E [email protected]

finastra.com contour.network

About Contour

Contour is a Singapore-headquartered, global digital trade finance network that is building the global standard for trade by bringing together the world's banks, corporates and ecosystem partners, onto a common, digital, and trusted network. Powered by innovation, trust and collaboration, Contour uses decentralised technology to offer seamless integration with market-leading digital document systems and other digital networks, enabling the instant flow of trusted data across the world's trade routes and current fragmented ecosystems. Contour won the CorporateTreasurer House Awards  Service Providers (Asia Pacific) for Digital Innovation in 2022. It was also named Best Fintech in Trade in 2022 and Leader in Trade for Digitalisation in 2021 by GTR, and recognised by Treasury Management International as Best Trade Finance Solution in 2021. www.contour.network

About Finastra

Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning software solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Universal Banking (Retail, Digital and Commercial Banking) for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by ~8,600 institutions, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks.

For more information, visit finastra.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1916021/FINASTRA_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Finastra
AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to purchase Ohio-compliant Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for its Ohio utilities  Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison. The purchases will help meet the companies' 2022 renewable energy targets established under Ohio's alternative energy law.

RECs sought in this RFP must be eligible for compliance with the companies' 2022 renewable energy obligations, be sourced from generating facilities certified in accordance with rules and procedures put forth by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), be deliverable through PJM Environmental Information System Generation Attribute Tracking System (EIS GATS), and generated between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022. The companies plan to purchase 470,000 RECs, which can include solar renewable energy credits.

One REC represents the environmental attributes of one megawatt hour of generation from a PUCO-qualified renewable generating facility. The cost of the RECs is recovered from the utility's standard service offer customers through a monthly charge filed quarterly with the PUCO.

No energy or capacity will be purchased under the RFP. The number of individual bidders is not limited. Participants in the RFP must meet and maintain specific credit and security qualifications and must be able to prove their REC generating facilities are certified or in the process of becoming certified by the PUCO.

The RFP is a competitive process managed by Guidehouse Inc., an independent evaluator and a global consulting firm with expertise in energy markets, renewables and competitive procurements. Based on the RFP results, the Ohio utilities will enter into agreement(s) with winning suppliers to purchase the necessary quantities of RECs.

FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities have a website, http://www.FEOhioRECRFP.com, to provide bidders with a central source of documents, data and other information for the RFP process.

On Oct. 17, 2022, at 11 a.m. EPT, the FirstEnergy Ohio utilities and their consultant, Guidehouse, will conduct a webinar to outline the RFP process and the terms of the agreement, as well as to provide a forum to submit any questions. Questions also may be submitted during the RFP process directly through the RFP website.

To participate in the RFP, potential bidders are encouraged to submit credit applications by Nov. 1, 2022, and proposals are due Nov. 9, 2022 by 5 p.m. EPT.

The RFP Manager is Dan Bradley, Partner at Guidehouse. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
Upgrades allow for defeat of drones the size and speed of the Russian Orlan-10 and Iranian Shahed-136.

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortem Technologies , Inc., a leader in airspace security and defense for detecting and defeating dangerous drones, today announced it has launched upgrades to the DroneHunter F700 platform. These upgrades allow for improved operational ease and the ability to effectively defeat drones faster and larger threats like the Russian Orlan-10 and Iranian Shahed-136 drones.

Key improvements to the DrogueNet chute allow for improved capabilities to capture and drop larger and faster drones in the lower range of the Group 3 classification via the DrogueNet's tethered chute. The DroneHunter has already logged many successful captures of Group 3 drones using this method at greater than 85 percent effectiveness. Coupled with the DroneHunter's ability to defeat more than one drone per mission and its quick relaunch time of under 3 minutes, can make it an extremely affordable and effective solution.

Additionally, the DroneHunter platform now has upgraded sensors that provide more situational awareness for the operator. The sensors confirm with the operator that a drone has been captured and detect the weight to validate the captured object is light enough to tow back to the drop zone or it can be configured to auto-release with a parachute. These updates also continue to improve the DroneHunter's loiter capability which utilizes radar to sense, adapt and react more quickly while in flight. The DroneHunter F700 platform now additionally houses a larger safety parachute, allowing the drone interceptor to descend slower in emergency situations.

"At Fortem, we want to provide our customers with the best technology available as it continues to evolve," said Timothy Bean, President and COO of Fortem Technologies. "We're always looking for ways to improve our already successful DroneHunter, and this update is one we're really proud of. We are always working to defeat dangerous drones of increasing speed, size, and number and these upgrades are a huge step in that direction. We're thrilled to offer it to our existing and new customers."

The changes to F700 allow for easier repairs on site as the shell of the DroneHunter can be removed and replaced without affecting water resistance. Labels have also been added to every switch, making the RC transmitter even more user friendly. All new updates in the technology and sensors resulted in a reduction of weight by 10 percent.

If you're interested in learning more or joining the team, please visit www.fortemtech.com .

About Fortem Technologies, Inc.

Fortem Technologies is a leader in airspace security and defense for detecting and defeating dangerous drones. Through an advanced ecosystem of distributed radar, AI at-the-edge, deep sensor integration and autonomous drone capture, Fortem monitors, protects, and defends the world's corridors, venues, infrastructures, borders, and regions from dangerous or malicious drone threats. The same ecosystem is accelerating the safety of the world's airspace for urban air mobility. Based in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the company is privately held and backed by Toshiba, Boeing, DCVC, Signia Venture Partners, and others. For more information, please visit www.fortemtech.com .

Contact:

BAM for Fortem Technologies

[email protected]

SOURCE Fortem Technologies, Inc.
The CARE Award Honors Frontline Dialysis Workers for Exemplifying the Company's Core Values

WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresenius Kidney Care, the nation's leading provider of kidney care services, applauds our nephrology frontline care team members during a crucial period in healthcare delivery and is recognizing employees' commitment to its core values of collaboration, proactivity, reliability, and excellence in care. Fresenius Kidney Care will present The Caring About Renal Excellence (CARE) Award to those who excel in any of the five clinical pillars: quality and safety, growth, clinical leadership, clinical excellence, and patient experience.

In its inaugural year, Fresenius Kidney Care will recognize 250 nephrology technicians and technologists with CARE Awards across the United States as part of National Dialysis Technician Recognition Week. CARE Award winners will receive a personalized certificate and an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Association of Nephrology Technicians (NANT) DialysisTechConneXion (DTX) conference in March 2023.

The CARE Award Honors Frontline Dialysis Workers for Exemplifying the Company's Core Values Tweet this

"This National Dialysis Technician Recognition Week, we express gratitude for the care our technicians take to ensure the best outcomes for people living with chronic kidney disease," said Kathleen Belmonte, Fresenius Kidney Care Chief Nursing Officer. "Dialysis technicians and technologists are essential to what we do. They are each an integral part of helping our patients and people living with kidney disease live their best lives. This is an important time each year to celebrate the care shown by our incredible frontline workers."

Fresenius Kidney Care's more than 21,000 dialysis technicians and technologists make up one third of the company's workforce. These employees devote their time to ensure safe and comfortable delivery of dialysis treatment to patients whose needs differ based on the type of treatment required, daily schedules, comorbidities, and other unique needs.

Observed October 10 through 15 this year, National Dialysis Technician Recognition Week celebrates the difference dialysis technicians make in the lives of people living with chronic kidney disease. Dialysis technicians make treatment as effective as possible and seek to improve patients' quality of life.

People on dialysis treatment often form strong connections with dialysis technicians and technologists through daily interaction and communication. The technical expertise and emotional intelligence required from dialysis technicians makes this position an essential role for Fresenius Kidney Care. Fresenius Kidney Care remains dedicated to growing the nephrology technician and technologist profession.

The National Association of Nephrology Technicians (NANT) celebrates Dialysis Technician Recognition Week by acknowledging that dialysis technicians are passionate, optimistic, worthy, enthusiastic, and resilient. During Technician Recognition Week, NANT thanks dialysis technicians for the work they do to improve the lives of people receiving dialysis treatment. Fresenius Kidney Care partners with NANT, with Fresenius Kidney Care purchasing NANT memberships for its employees.

About Fresenius Kidney Care

Fresenius Kidney Care, a division of Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), provides kidney disease education, dialysis treatment, and support services to more than 200,000 people with kidney disease every year whether in their own homes or at more than 2,600 facilities nationwide. Fresenius Kidney Care's dedicated teams help address the physical and emotional aspects of kidney disease through personalized care, education, and lifestyle support services. For more information about Fresenius Kidney Care, visit www.FreseniusKidneyCare.com.

About Fresenius Medical Care North America

Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the premier healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities and outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, Fresenius Medical Care North America provides coordinated healthcare services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world's largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website.

Media Contact:

Fresenius Medical Care

Scott Sayres

Corporate Communications

[email protected]

+1 (940) 297-5678

SOURCE Fresenius Medical Care North America
Co-authored by international best-selling authors Radu Palamariu and Knut Alicke (Amazon  Business Leadership), "From Source to Sold" brings together insightful stories from 26 of the world's leading supply chain executives, CEOs, and thought leaders.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At only one week from the global launch, the "From Source to Sold" book (Grammar Factory Publishing, October 4, 2022), is ranked Amazon #1 in multiple categories and countries.

This book brings a new and significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge in supply chain and logistics. The title brings together stories, insights, and opinion from 26 of the world's leading supply chain executives and subject matter experts and is available in hardcover and eBook formats at leading online book retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Kobo, and independent bookstores through Indie Bound, with Carturesti in Romania being the first to offer it across its network.

What makes a great supply chain leader? What lessons can we learn from the best supply chain leaders across varied industries? How can you reach the CEO chair or boardroom table from a supply chain role? In "From Source to Sold", respected industry connectors Radu Palamariu (Alcott Global) and Knut Alicke (McKinsey & Company) uncover fascinating answers to these important questions and many more through interviews with more than two dozen veteran supply chain leaders.

The book includes firsthand accounts and insightful lessons from supply chain experts, thought leaders, and industry disruptors who are steering businesses ranging from large multinationals to innovative start-ups at the leading edge of their industries. Readers hear about remarkable career journeys and discover the smart business strategies and specific techniques that today's best supply chain leaders have used to make their organizations great, and  in some cases  elevate themselves to the C-suite.

The result is an invaluable compendium of leadership wisdom and field-specific knowledge, and a compass for guiding business through our ever more disruptive times. Whether just setting out in supply chain or already a seasoned expert in the field, From Source to Sold equips readers with the global perspective and leadership mindset needed to take their career to new heights.

To mark its launch, Radu Palamariu is carrying out a European Book Tour that included London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen last week and will continue with the following locations:

Berlin  October 10th

 Geneva  October 11th

 Munich  October 12th  13th

Additionally, both Radu Palamariu and Knut Alicke will be in Kitzbuhel, Austria on October 14th.

The launch is also being supported by a PR campaign and outdoor advertising in Asia, Europe and the United States.

THE CHAIN LEADERSHIP MODEL

From the authors' conversations with the expert contributors in "From Source to Sold", it's clear that there is no 'one path' to success in supply chain. These contributors have varying personal and professional backgrounds. They lead supply chains through varied experiences in different cultural and geographical contexts. Yet, there are some pronounced themes running through each of their leadership stories, which offer important insights into what it takes to be a successful supply chain leader. And these themes have been neatly summarized through what the authors call the CHAIN Model for Supply Chain Leadership, or Chain (C-H-A-I-N) which stands for: Collaborative, Holistic, Adaptable, Influential, Narrative.

As a bonus, "From Source to Sold" readers will discover a QR code within the book that grants access to exclusive bonus content they can use with their teams to further explore the CHAIN Model and the concepts and insights covered in the book.

To follow the book's journey the authors invite you to follow the book page https://sourcetosold.com/ or write to them directly at [email protected] and [email protected] .

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

RADU PALAMARIU is the managing director of Alcott Global, the leading global executive search firm focused on operations and supply chain. He works on C-level assignments with Fortune 500 companies and local conglomerates in manufacturing, logistics, transportation, supply chain management and eCommerce.

KNUT ALICKE is a partner at McKinsey & Company, part of the global supply chain leadership team, and a visiting professor of supply chain at the University of Cologne. He advises clients on a variety of topics around supply chain, including digital supply chains, risk and resilience, advanced analytics, and supply chain transformations.

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

Yossi Sheffi, Director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics

Ivanka Janssen, Chief Supply Chain Officer/EVP, Philips

Ernest Nicolas, Chief Supply Chain Officer, HP Inc.

Sandra MacQuillan, EVP and CSCO, Mondelez International

Jim Rowan, CEO and President, Volvo Cars

Tan Chong Meng, Group Chief Executive Officer, PSA International (PSA)

Thomas Netzer, Global COO, Wayfair

Lynn Torrel, Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer, Flex

Pier Luigi Sigismondi, President (Worldwide Food & Beverage Group), Dole Sunshine Company

Sami Naffakh, Chief Supply Officer, Reckitt

Tommy Rahbek Nielsen, Executive Vice President & COO, Vestas

Essa Al-Saleh, CEO and Board Member, Volta Trucks

Deepak Garg, CEO & Founder, RIVIGO

Ken Allen, Board Member, DP DHL

Vikram Agarwal, Chief Operations Officer, Danone

Beatrix Praeceptor, Chief Procurement Officer, Mondi Group

Michael Corbo, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Colgate-Palmolive

Andres Krinninger, President Industrial Trucks & Services EMEA, KION Group

Jay Lee, Former Foxconn Vice Chair

Bonnie Fetch, VP and Head of Supply Chain and Manufacturing, Cummins Inc.

Achim Duennwald, Board Member, Advisor, VC Investor

Dirk Holbach, CSCO Beauty/Laundry & Home Care, CSVP, MD, Henkel

Donna Warton, CVP Supply Chain and Sustainability, Microsoft

Sascha Menges, CEO, TTS Tooltechnic Systems Holding AG

Chouaib Rokbi, Executive Vice President  Digital Transformation and IT, STMicroelectronics

Claudio Strobl, Senior Vice President Operations, Cargotec

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1916005/Best_Seller_Promo.jpg

SOURCE Alcott Global
TAIPEI, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the arrival of AMD's Ryzen 7000 series desktop processors based on the new Zen 4 architecture, the world's leading computer brand, GIGABYTE today announces its B650E and B650 motherboards ready to power these next-gen CPUs. Sporting the new AM5 socket, the AORUS B650E and B650 gaming motherboards are equipped with a direct digital power design and a full-covered cooling module to keep the circuitry cool. These AORUS motherboards come with PCIe 5.0 connectivity and support for DDR5 memory, which are AMD EXPO and Intel XMP capable of up to DDR5-6600 and beyond. The AORUS gaming motherboards are also equipped with the DIY-friendly PCIe and M.2 device fast installation and removal design, making future upgrades quick and easy.

GIGABYTE B650 SERIES MOTHERBOARDS PRIMED TO POWER MAINSTREAM AMD GAMING BUILDS

Power delivery and thermal design have always been the top factors when it comes to CPU performance. To meet the needs of gamers looking for powerful yet stable system performance, the AORUS B650E and B650 gaming motherboards are designed with a maximum 16+2+2-phase twin digital power, covered by a massive heatsink that has four times more surface than the previous generation to ensure the smoothest power delivery even under loads. Other thermal designs, such as 8mm mega-heatpipes and dedicated heatsinks on key components, greatly improves the system's stability and overall performance. With the friendly design of PCIe and M.2 EZ-Latch features on the AORUS B650 gaming motherboards, GIGABYTE makes components swapping a whole lot easier.

GIGABYTE launches a total of 14 motherboards, including B650E AORUS TACHYON, B650E AORUS MASTER, B650 AORUS ELITE AX, B650 AERO G, B650I AORUS ULTRA, etc., which are on sale starting October 10th. For more information about GIGABYTE AORUS B650 series motherboards, please visit: https://bit.ly/AMD_B650

All customers in North America region purchasing new GIGABYTE AORUS AMD AM5 series motherboards will receive an automatic extended 2-year warranty, expanding from the leading 3-year warranty to a total of 5 years.

SOURCE GIGABYTE
ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of the 10th Anniversary of International Day of the Girl on October 11, Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys is offering free membership for all new girl members who join between October 10-14.

International Day of the Girl is a day to spotlight girl voices, girl stories, and girl action. At Girl Scouts, we know that each girl has the power to change the community and the world, and we celebrate to give them a platform to speak out and to champion their achievements.

"At Girl Scouts, every day is the day of the girl," said Tish Bolger, Girl Scouts' CEO. "We're going to shine a light on Girl Scouts who use their voices to advocate for issues they care about. From environmental issues to mental health concerns, our youth can and do lead with confidence and character. We want every family to experience the life-changing experience that is Girl Scouts."

International Day of the Girl strives to increase awareness of issues faced by girls around the world and to promote girls' empowerment so that girls can reach their full potential. Girl Scouts annually celebrates this important holiday, and this year, we're pleased to join many councils nationwide in offering free girl membership in honor of this important day.

From October 10-14 new families can visit GirlScoutsRV.org/Join, select a K-12 girl membership, and the discount will be automatically applied.

About Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys

Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys' work is supported by 7,000 volunteers who deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to 19,000 girls in southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and one county in Iowa. Girl Scouts River Valleys is one of 111 Girl Scout councils that make up the national Girl Scout Movement, sharing the mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place

For more information, visit GirlScoutsRV.org.

We Are Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challengeswhether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit Girl Scouts River Valleys at girlscoutsrv.org.

Contact:

Kristen Neurer, Vice President of Member Engagement

Girl Scouts River Valleys

651-280-8009

[email protected]

SOURCE Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys
Glassdoor Users Can Now Search for Companies by Workplace Factors or Demographic Group Ratings

43% of Employees Have Witnessed or Experienced Discrimination at Work; 1 in 5 (21%) Plan to Quit Their Job in the Next Six Months

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glassdoor , the worldwide leader on insights about jobs and companies, today launched advanced filters for Company Explorer , a tool that allows people to easily search for companies based on location, industry, company size, overall company rating and more. With the new advanced filters, users can customize their job search by workplace factor ratings such as Work/Life Balance, Culture & Values, Diversity & Inclusion and more, or by overall ratings from demographic groups including Race/Ethnicity, Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation and more. The advanced filtering capabilities allow job seekers to easily search for companies based on millions of insights publicly available on Glassdoor.

According to a new Glassdoor survey conducted by The Harris Poll1, 43% of U.S. employees have witnessed or experienced discrimination (e.g., racism, ageism, sexism, homophobia) at work and 30% say their current employer does not match their values. When it comes to searching for a job and company to work for, 36% of employees ages 18-44 say diversity & inclusion policies/practices are an important factor. Glassdoor's new advanced filtering capabilities can help match job seekers with companies that align to their unique experiences and values.

"Glassdoor is deeply committed to leveraging our products and resources to help achieve equity in and out of the workplace," said Christian Sutherland-Wong, Glassdoor Chief Executive Officer. "We know that each individual job seeker has different values driving their job search, from healthier work/life balance to career growth, to being able to compare ratings of different employee demographic groups. The new advanced filters for Company Explorer aim to make it easier for people to uncover companies that align with their unique values and experiences, and can help them make even more informed decisions about where to work."

The advanced filters come at a time when more than 1 in 3 employees (35%) believe it would be difficult to find an employer that aligns with their values. These advanced filters help job seekers expand their company search in two core areas:

By Workplace Factor Ratings: Glassdoor users can search for companies by filtering Glassdoor's workplace factor ratings. These workplace factor ratings include Overall Rating, Career Opportunities, Compensation and Benefits, Culture & Values, Diversity & Inclusion, Senior Management or Work/Life Balance. These advanced filters by workplace factor ratings are available in the U.S. and across all 23 Glassdoor global domains.

Glassdoor users can search for companies by filtering Glassdoor's workplace factor ratings. These workplace factor ratings include Overall Rating, Career Opportunities, Compensation and Benefits, Culture & Values, Diversity & Inclusion, Senior Management or Work/Life Balance. These advanced filters by workplace factor ratings are available in the U.S. and across all 23 Glassdoor global domains. By Employee Demographic Ratings: Glassdoor users can search for companies by filtering overall ratings from demographics groups. These demographic groups include Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Parent of Family Caregiver, People with Disabilities, Sexual Orientation or Veterans. These advanced filters by overall ratings from demographics groups are only available in the U.S.

When users apply the advanced filters to their search, the results will display the companies that closely match their search criteria. For instance, if filtering companies by LGBTQ+ employee ratings, the results will display companies that are highly rated according to LGBTQ+ employees and also have a high number of current job openings on Glassdoor.

According to the Glassdoor survey, nearly 3 in 4 (71%) of employees say work/life balance is an important workplace factor when it comes to searching for jobs and companies to work for, and we're seeing companies like Salesforce , Johnson & Johnson and Hubspot rank highly for work/life balance when using these advanced filters. The survey also revealed that 70% of employees say compensation & benefits is an important workplace factor when searching for jobs and companies to work for, followed by career growth (58%) and company culture & values (44%).

To explore companies based on millions of ratings from employees, visit https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/index.htm

About Glassdoor

Glassdoor is revolutionizing how people everywhere find jobs and companies they love by providing deeper workplace transparency. Professionals turn to Glassdoor to research ratings, reviews, salaries and more at millions of employers, and to Fishbowl by Glassdoor to engage in candid workplace conversations. Companies use Glassdoor to post jobs and attract talent through employer branding and employee insights products . Glassdoor is a subsidiary of Recruit Holdings, a leading global technology company, and a part of its fast-growing HR Technology business unit. For more information, visit www.glassdoor.com .

"Glassdoor" and logo are proprietary trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.

1 This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor from September 8-12, 2022, among 2,013 adults ages 18+, among whom 1,064 are currently employed full or part time. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected] .

SOURCE Glassdoor
DUBLIN, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

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

and 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/d9r6wd

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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/pdvp9

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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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

- U.S. Europe - France , Germany , Russia , U.K., and Rest-of- Europe

- , , , U.K., and Rest-of- Asia-Pacific - China , India , and Rest-of- Asia-Pacific

- , , and Rest-of- 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/q0ia1x

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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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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

region is expected to dominate the industry during the forecast period. The presence of large consumer base for polyolefins in 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/hef1b9

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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SOURCE Research and Markets
From Fulfillment to Marketing and More, DTC Food Businesses Find Their Best Solutions Working with the Leading Strategist in the Perishable Foods Space

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gray Growth Logistics helps e-commerce brands that sell refrigerated or frozen food products with various business aspects, so they can achieve success in the highly competitive perishable food industry. Whether it is bringing an idea to market or businesses looking to scale, Gray Growth Logistics provides seamless solutions for operations, fulfillment, marketing, and more to meet the needs of any size company.

The DTC channel offers significant benefits, such as convenience, better control of profits by manufacturers, a more efficient response to fast-changing consumer needs, increased consumer loyalty, and a more personalized experience for consumers. Post pandemic, consumers have become accustomed to the convenience of ordering perishable foods online. As incomes rise, people become increasingly willing to exchange money for time. Convenience at a reasonable price becomes just another living expense.

Richard Gray, the founder of Gray Growth Logistics, is a leading strategist in global direct-to-consumer marketing and business model creation. He is an acknowledged expert in every area of strategic growth, including product development, logistics, merchandising, marketing, and channel integration.

Gray and his team at Gray Growth Logistics advise food and beverage brands large and small on launching and scaling in the fast-paced e-commerce world. They have helped develop DTC programs for some of the nation's top food and meal delivery services. Clients have included Vital Choice Seafood, Farmers Dog, QVC-Emeril Lagasse, and Atkins to name a few.

"We truly care about our clients. We care about their products and the businesses we help them build. We care because we honestly love what we do. It's something we do every day," said Gray.

Gray Growth Logistics' most sought-after specialty is its shipping services for e-commerce companies selling frozen foods on platforms such as Amazon and Shopify. With strategically placed frozen food fulfillment centers across the country, brands can ship products to customers quickly, seamlessly, and affordably.

"Our relationships with the top shipping partners and leading cold storage companies become your assets," said Gray. "We've developed all the necessary relationships to provide you with the perfect solution for your DTC frozen food business."

Gray Growth Logistics develops a full logistics strategy to ensure their clients' customers receive food orders in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. From production, packaging, and labeling to storage, fulfillment, and shipping, they bring perishable products to market and get them consumer ready.

"We're committed to building you a great business with a unique set of disciplines  from operational to strategic and marketing  to migrate your concept or prototype into a full-fledged commerce-ready product," said Gray.

For entrepreneurs interested in the DTC perishable goods niche, Richard Gray's most recent book, 'Appetite for Convenience: How to Sell Perishable Food Direct to Consumers,' was written to give readers a clear understanding of how this industry works. When selling perishable products, processes such as inventory management, sourcing, and shipping are very real challenges. This book breaks down the process into bite-size chunks that are easily digestible so businesses can learn how to operate successfully in this growing niche. 'Appetite for Success' is now available online at Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.

With over 30 years of consulting experience in food production and marketing, Gray Growth Logistics knows what it takes to succeed in this industry. Their turnkey services can streamline product development, marketing, and ultimately sales to transform any DTC perishable food venture into a success. To learn more about their services or to schedule a consultation, visit graygrowth.com.

Contact Info

Gray Growth Logistics

150 Central Park South

Suite 3210

New York, NY 10019-1566

888-998-8762 / 212-247-1800

www.graygrowth.com

SOURCE Gray Growth Logistics
HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI) ("Group 1" or the "Company"), an international, Fortune 300 automotive retailer with 203 dealerships located in the U.S. and U.K., today announced that it will release financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022 on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, before market open. Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1's chief executive officer, and the Company's senior management team will host a conference call to discuss the results later that morning at 10:00 a.m. ET.

The conference call will be simulcast live on the Internet at http://www.group1corp.com/events. A webcast replay will be available for 30 days. A copy of the Company's presentation will also be made available at http://www.group1corp.com/company-presentations.

The conference call will also be available live by dialing in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call at:

Domestic: 1-888-317-6003 International: 1-412-317-6061 Passcode: 6646921

A telephonic replay will be available following the call through November 2, 2022, by dialing:

Domestic: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Replay Code: 8172086

ABOUT GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

Group 1 owns and operates 203 automotive dealerships, 273 franchises, and 47 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 35 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships and omni-channel platform, the Company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related vehicle financing; sells service and insurance contracts; provides automotive maintenance and repair services; and sells vehicle parts.

Group 1 discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations at www.group1corp.com , www.group1auto.com , www.group1collision.com , www.acceleride.com , www.facebook.com/group1auto , and www.twitter.com/group1auto .

Investor contacts:

Jason Babbitt

Vice President, Treasurer

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

[email protected]

Media contacts:

Pete DeLongchamps

Senior Vice President, Manufacturer Relations, Financial Services and Public Affairs

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

[email protected]

or

Clint Woods

Pierpont Communications, Inc.

713-627-2223

[email protected]

SOURCE Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
All 12 law firm partners make prestigious publication's 2023 listing

HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hicks Thomas LLP is pleased to announce that the respected legal media company Lawdragon has singled out all the partners at the firm for excellence in commercial litigation.

"It is especially satisfying to see that all our partners made this list," said Hicks Thomas partner John Thomas. "Knowing how much hard work my colleagues put in for our clients, it is a great feeling to know that those efforts are being recognized by the team at Lawdragon."

This is the first year that Lawdragon has published a list of leading commercial litigators, but the guide presents several top 500 guides each year highlighting lawyers and firms based on practice area.

The inaugural best litigators guide features lawyers primarily from the defense side of the following practice categories: Antitrust, Securities, Financial, M&A, Product Liability, Mass Tort, Intellectual Property, White Collar, Cybersecurity, Energy, and Government Investigations.

Hicks Thomas attorneys honored by Lawdragon for their commercial litigation work include:

Mr. Thomas and Mr. Grant are also being recognized for excellence in Intellectual Property litigation.

Lawdragon honorees are chosen based on an open nomination process, independent journalistic research, and a rigorous vetting process from a team with more than 100 years of experience in legal reporting and analysis, along with editorial advisors who specialize in litigation practice. The complete Lawdragon list of 500 Leading Litigators in America can be viewed here.

Founded in 1997, Texas-based Hicks Thomas LLP is a premier litigation firm representing plaintiffs and defendants across the nation. With offices in Houston, Austin, Beaumont, Amarillo, and Sacramento, California, the firm provides in-depth experience in cases involving oil and gas, environmental, complex commercial, toxic tort, construction, products liability, corporate governance, securities, banking, insurance coverage, transportation, trade secrets and business litigation. Visit the firm at http://www.hicks-thomas.com.

Media Contact:

April Arias

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Hicks Thomas LLP
HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HMT LLC, the global leader in above-ground storage tank solutions, is excited to announce that Veronique Trudeau will join its team as the new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Joe Burgess, who will become the Chairman of the Board. Trudeau comes to HMT with an extensive background in engineering, operations, process optimization and finance.

Veronique HMT Headshot

Trudeau joins HMT from Johnson Controls in Atlanta, where she was Vice President of Services/Operation for Fire and led a billion-dollar services business. She was previously General Manager of Global Renewable at FieldCore, a GE affiliate, where she developed and implemented global strategies to enable growth. She also helped established FieldCore at the early stages to better serve GE and optimize the field force productivity and impact. Earlier in her career at GE, she earned her Six Sigma Master Black Belt for lean workplace effectiveness and led a team focused on increasing revenue with positive customer experience.

"HMT's role in the energy industry has never been more important, as companies anticipate and meet safety and environmental regulations and meaningfully reduce current and future hydrocarbon emissions. In that context, Veronique Trudeau's 20 years of engineering, quality, operations and finance experience will position HMT to continue to excel in product and service quality --and in partnering with customers to ensure proper storage and emissions reduction as the energy industry evolves," said Burgess.

Said Trudeau, "I am delighted to be at HMT, not only because of the tremendous opportunities for growth facing it and its potential to help the energy industry meet new and rigorous environmental, safety, efficiency and profitability goals, but also because of HMT's people. It is clearly a talent-driven enterprise throughout all its operations, where innovative thinkers and engineers are pushing limits to create the best technologies and solutions for customers. I'm excited for the collaboration."

Trudeau holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA in strategy and finance from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. She also holds degrees from Waterloo University and College Andre-Laurendeau in Canada.

About HMT LLC

HMT is the global leader in above-ground storage tank solutions. Through its products and services, HMT makes oil and gas storage safer and more cost-effective and helps reduce tank emissions. Among HMT's products are internal and external seal systems, including gas-tight primary seals; floating suction and drain systems; aluminum dome roofs; pontoon floating roofs; full contact floating roofs; seamless compositive roofs, and emissions reduction devices. In addition, HMT offers design, construction, maintenance, inspection and repair services that optimize tank efficiency, safety and performance. The company is based in Houston and has approximately 1,200 employees in its operations around the world.

CONTACT

Frank Sommerfield

917-836-1971

[email protected]

Erin Cornell

516-712-4596

[email protected]

SOURCE HMT LLC
Honda and COSI partner to create new hands-on science kit and launch a national roadshow that will distribute 20,000 kits and meals to at-risk and in-need students across the country

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), a nationally renowned science museum, are coming together to launch a nationwide initiativethe Honda Engineering Roadshowto deliver 20,000 hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) kits, called Engineering Learning Lunchboxes, to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Distribution of the kits will take place in collaboration with local food banks across the country to help feed hungry lives and hungry minds.

Honda and COSI kicked of the Honda Engineering Roadshow with a distribution event in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Honda and COSI collaborated on the new Engineering Learning Lunchbox, which contains 10 hours of STEAM content and provides five engineering-focused learning activities that showcase the diversity of STEAM careers at Honda.

The new Engineering Learning Lunchbox was created in partnership with and as a result of a contribution from Honda, using funds raised via the auction of the first Acura NSX Type S supercar. In 2021, Honda donated all proceeds from the $1.1 million auction of the very first serial production 2022 Acura NSX Type S supercar to charitable organizations, including COSI to support STEAM youth education across the U.S.

Each Engineering Learning Lunchbox contains 10 hours of STEAM content and provides five engineering-focused learning activities showcasing the diversity of STEAM careers at Honda, from aerospace to electrical engineering. It also includes a "Honda Career Connections" game to drive home the importance of engineering education for future career opportunities at modern manufacturing companies like Honda.

"The goal of our Honda Engineering Roadshow partnership with COSI is to inspire young people to consider a STEAM career path," said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "When students get to experience real-world applications of STEAM for themselves, they have a better understanding of what opportunities are available to them in the future."

The Honda Engineering Roadshow includes stops across the nation, from California to North Carolina, over the next year. Distribution of the 20,000 Engineering Learning Lunchboxes will take place in partnership with local food banks across the country to help feed hungry lives and hungry minds. This innovative, community-based model will bring together other science centers and museums, after-school providers and community leaders to highlight the importance of STEAM.

At the first Honda Engineering Roadshow stop today in Bellefontaine, Ohio, 750 people experienced science experiments with COSI Education Team Members and received the free Engineering Learning Lunchboxes along with a food donation from Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties.

"COSI is grateful to have an incredible partnership with Honda, which helps fuel our mission to engage, inspire and transform lives and communities," said Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of COSI. "STEAM education is critically important, and the new Engineering Learning Lunchbox kit, built in partnership with Honda, will bring access and exposure to STEAM to young learners across the country."

Along with the new Engineering Learning Lunchbox, the Engineering COSI Connects Kit is now available for purchase online.

Media Link Only: To download high quality images and video of the event, please click here. Please credit all assets, "Courtesy of COSI."

About COSI

COSI, the "#1 Science Museum in the Country" as voted by USA Today's 10Best, is an esteemed science center that has delighted Central Ohio, with all things science for 58 years, inspiring interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics and delivering our experiential, "hands-on fun" brand of learning. COSI has been awarded five EMMY awards for its effective science communication television and video productions impacting science literacy for people of all ages. As a trusted educational resource for families, schools and community partners, COSI is an essential element of our regional and national community, engaging millions of people annually through onsite, offsite and online experiences.

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.
AUSTIN, Minn., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, today announced the appointment of Katie Larson as senior vice president of human resources. Larson assumes responsibility for leading the global human resources function at the company, bringing more than 20 years of experience in human resources leadership at Hormel Foods. Larson will continue the world-class employer philosophy at Hormel Foods, leading business-focused people strategies. Hormel Foods employs more than 20,000 team members around the globe and has been recognized as a World's Best Employer by Forbes.

Katie Larson

"For more than 20 years, Katie has been an instrumental driver of human resources strategy and programs at Hormel Foods," said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods. "She has in-depth knowledge of our people and our uncommon culture, deep understanding of the importance of a people-first strategy and an unwavering dedication to our team members who work in our manufacturing facilities globally. Katie demonstrated incredible leadership during the pandemic, with a clear focus on safety first for our global team. Congratulations to Katie on this well-deserved promotion."

Larson most recently served as director of human resources for Hormel Foods, with oversight of the company's global human resources function and human capital strategy. She joined Hormel Foods in 1999 and has held leadership roles in labor and employee relations, human resources services, diversity and inclusion, and organizational development. Prior to joining Hormel Foods, Larson was director of human resources for a public utility and led human resources for a municipality.

Larson received her bachelor's degree in public administration from Winona State University and her master's degree in urban and regional studies from Mankato State University. Larson is active in women's leadership initiatives as well as other community organizations.

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $11 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters, SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus, Jennie-O and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement  Inspired People. Inspired Food.  to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

Contact: Media Relations

Hormel Foods

507-434-6352

[email protected]

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation
NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Technavio has been monitoring the hosting infrastructure services market, operating in the Information Technology industry. The report estimates the market to register an incremental growth of USD 186.39 billion, at a CAGR of 10.79% during the forecast period.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Hosting Infrastructure Services Market 2022-2026

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.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Aruba Spa, AT, and T Inc., Colt Technology Services Group Ltd., Daisy Group Ltd., DreamHost LLC, Fujitsu Ltd., GoDaddy Inc., Internap Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., NetApp Inc., NTT Communications Corp., United Internet AG, VMware Inc., and Wipro Ltd. are among some of the major market participants. Request Free Sample Report.

Hosting Infrastructure Services Market Segmentation

Based on geographic segmentation, 46% of the market's originated from North America during the forecast period. In addition, segment 2, led the growth under the segment 2 name. This report provides an accurate prediction of the contribution of all the segments to the growth of the superfood powders market size.

End-user

BFSI



IT and telecommunication



Government



Retail and E-commerce



Others

Geographic

North America



Europe



APAC



Middle East And Africa



South America

To know additional highlights and key points on various market segments and their impact in coming years, Buy Sample Report.

Hosting Infrastructure Services Market Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The hosting infrastructure services market report covers the following areas:

Hosting Infrastructure Services Market Size

Hosting Infrastructure Services Market Trends

Hosting Infrastructure Services Market Industry Analysis

This study identifies the rise in the adoption of hybrid cloud storage systems as one of the prime reasons driving the Hosting Infrastructure Services Market growth during the next few years. Download Free Sample Report.

Hosting Infrastructure Services Market Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will assist hosting infrastructure services market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the hosting infrastructure services market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the hosting infrastructure services market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of hosting infrastructure services market, vendors

Related Reports

IoT Analytics Market by Component, End-user, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The IoT analytics market share is expected to increase by USD 49.04 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 27.48%.

Shared Services Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The shared services market share is expected to increase by USD 123.64 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 17.77%.

Hosting Infrastructure Services Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 10.79% Market growth 2022-2026 $186.39 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 9.52 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 46% Key consumer countries US, Japan, China, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Aruba Spa, AT and T Inc., Colt Technology Services Group Ltd., Daisy Group Ltd., DreamHost LLC, Fujitsu Ltd., GoDaddy Inc., Internap Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Lumen Technologies Inc., Microsoft Corp., NetApp Inc., NTT Communications Corp., Rackspace Technology Inc., United Internet AG, VMware Inc., and Wipro Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market Overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ 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 End-user

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

5.3 BFSI - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on BFSI - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on BFSI - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 30: Chart on BFSI - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on BFSI - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 IT and telecommunication - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on IT and telecommunication - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on IT and telecommunication - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 34: Chart on IT and telecommunication - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on IT and telecommunication - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Government - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 36: Chart on Government - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Government - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 38: Chart on Government - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Government - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Retail and e-commerce - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 40: Chart on Retail and e-commerce - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Retail and e-commerce - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 42: Chart on Retail and e-commerce - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Retail and e-commerce - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 44: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 46: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.8 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 48: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 49: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 50: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 52: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 56: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: 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 58: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 60: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 62: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 64: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: 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 66: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 68: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: 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 70: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 72: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 74: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 76: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 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 (%)

7.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 82: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 83: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 84: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 85: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 86: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 87: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 88: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 89: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 90: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 91: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 92: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 93: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 94: 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 95: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 96: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 97: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 98: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 99: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 100: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Alphabet Inc.

Exhibit 101: Alphabet Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 102: Alphabet Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 103: Alphabet Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 104: Alphabet Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 105: Alphabet Inc. - Segment focus

10.4 Amazon.com Inc.

Exhibit 106: Amazon.com Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 107: Amazon.com Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 108: Amazon.com Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 109: Amazon.com Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 110: Amazon.com Inc. - Segment focus

10.5 AT and T Inc.

Exhibit 111: AT and T Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 112: AT and T Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 113: AT and T Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 114: AT and T Inc. - Segment focus

10.6 Colt Technology Services Group Ltd.

Exhibit 115: Colt Technology Services Group Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 116: Colt Technology Services Group Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 117: Colt Technology Services Group Ltd. - Key offerings

10.7 Fujitsu Ltd.

Exhibit 118: Fujitsu Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 119: Fujitsu Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 120: Fujitsu Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 121: Fujitsu Ltd. - Segment focus

10.8 GoDaddy Inc.

Exhibit 122: GoDaddy Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 123: GoDaddy Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 124: GoDaddy Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 125: GoDaddy Inc. - Segment focus

10.9 International Business Machines Corp.

Exhibit 126: International Business Machines Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 127: International Business Machines Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 128: International Business Machines Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 129: International Business Machines Corp. - Segment focus

10.10 Lumen Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 130: Lumen Technologies Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 131: Lumen Technologies Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 132: Lumen Technologies Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 133: Lumen Technologies Inc. - Segment focus

10.11 Microsoft Corp.

Exhibit 134: Microsoft Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 135: Microsoft Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 136: Microsoft Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 137: Microsoft Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 138: Microsoft Corp. - Segment focus

10.12 Rackspace Technology Inc.

Exhibit 139: Rackspace Technology Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 140: Rackspace Technology Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 141: Rackspace Technology Inc. - Key offerings

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 142: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 143: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 144: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 145: Research methodology



Exhibit 146: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 147: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 148: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Local children with disabilities will have a safe, inclusive and accessible environment to enjoy Halloween this year with a special Trunk-Or-Treat in San Bernardino.

The second annual Trunk-Or-Treat event is the result of a partnership between Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) and Southern California Resource Services for Independent Living (SCRS-IL) and will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 5-8 p.m. at the SCRS-IL's San Bernardino office at 1950 S. Sunwest Lane.

The second annual Trunk-Or-Treat event is the result of a partnership between IEHP and Southern California Resource Services for Independent Living (SCRS-IL) and will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 5-8 p.m. at the SCRS-ILs San Bernardino office at 1950 S. Sunwest Lane.

"This is the only Inland Empire event serving our disabled community in the month of October," said SCRS-IL Chief Executive Officer Rudy Contreras, who organized the inaugural Trunk-Or-Treat in just 30 days last year after learning the community needed a Halloween activity for children with disabilities during the pandemic.

The Trunk-Or-Treat will feature carnival games, candy, accessible spooky mazes, snacks, refreshments, community resources and a vaccine clinic.

"Last year's event was a reopening of inclusivity, and this year, we're building on that with more sponsors, games, prizes, booths and even more community," added Contreras. "With partners like IEHP, we're able to make that happen and create safe, inclusive spaces that celebrate the diversity of our community."

Attendees who receive a vaccine at the event will receive a free cooler or beach chair, and IEHP members ages 6 and older who receive their first vaccine will be given a $50 gift card.

Grocery boxes will also be provided to the first 150 families in attendance.

"When community partners and organizations come together and support the needs of our neighbors and communities, we move one step closer to ensuring vibrant health to those we serve," said IEHP Independent Living and Diversity Services Community Health Representative Jose Solorzano. "It doesn't get any better than that."

For more information, visit https://www.scrs-ilc.org/trunkortreat.

About IEHP

With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 26th year, IEHP is supporting more than 1.5 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,800 providers and nearly 3,000 team members. Through dynamic partnerships with providers and community organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org.

SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)
Announcement made as part of IFS UNLEASHED provides free access to IFS assyst for the full year of 2023

The move will help companies accelerate process digitization and simplify workflows across the enterprise

MIAMI, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IFS, the global cloud enterprise software company, announced that it will offer a free year on IFS assyst, its flagship service management solution. Launched at IFS Unleashed, the 'Free for 23' initiative enables customers to implement business critical automation spanning Enterprise Service Management (ESM), IT Service Management (ITSM), and IT Operations Management (ITOM).

Digitizing essential processes and workflows is key to every digital transformation initiative, but achieving this across the entire enterprise has often been complex and expensive. With this free IFS assyst offer, users will be able to experience how effective service management capabilities can help them standardize, improve, and automate workflows across all devices simply and easily.

"In today's hyper-connected digital landscape, providing employees and customers with high quality services is essential to create a competitive advantage," said Martin Schirmer, President, Enterprise Service Management business unit. "By offering IFS assyst free of charge, we're advancing our mission to democratize service management, reducing barriers to entry when it comes to cost. With our best-of-breed capabilities, organizations can streamline workflows and deliver rich omnichannel digital experiences anytime, anywhere."

As part of the initiative, IFS customers will be able to leverage all the assyst modules, including ITSM, ITOM and ESM. No credit card is required to sign up and an enterprise-grade version of IFS assyst is available from the get-go with a 3-year business transformation commitment.

Sign up for the free IFS assyst license today. Find out more here.

*T&Cs apply

About IFS

IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build, and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within our single platform, our industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that our customers can be their best when it really matters to their customersat the Moment of Service. The industry expertise of our people and of our growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 5,000 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness and collaboration in how we support our 10,000+ customers. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com.

Contact information

EUROPE / MEA / APJ: Adam Gillbe

IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 7775 114 856

NORTH AMERICA / LATAM: Mairi Morgan

IFS, Director of Corporate & Executive Communications

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 520 396 2155

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/ifs/r/ifs-announces-free-ifs-assyst-licenses-throughout-2023,c3645557

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Public/855/3645557/952a79b75ff0c2aa.pdf 7 10 IFS assyst Free for 23 release AR

SOURCE IFS
MUMBAI, India, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Educate Girls conducted a comprehensive study with mothers, girls and boys from 900+ households across villages of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in India, to understand how the pandemic impacted the education of girls aged 5-18.

Increasing household chores and early marriage are preventing girls from staying in school, according to study by Educate Girls

In November and December 2021, Educate Girls, an Indian non-profit working towards girls' education in rural India, conducted a comprehensive study to estimate the impact of the pandemic on girls aged 5-18 in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This study was conducted with the support from Dalberg International Advisors, by surveying mothers and over 3,200 girls and boys from 900+ households.

Educate Girls wanted to understand the changes brought about by the pandemic in the lives of such vulnerable girls in India and how it may have affected their chances to return to school.

Biggest roadblocks preventing girls from resuming or staying in school

Increased financial distress and school attendance

In villages where schools had opened , about 94% girls and 96% boys said they are attending school. However, the proportion of adolescent girls not attending school (23%) was nearly double that of adolescent boys not attending school.

Increased burden of household chores

For all girls, the number of hours spent on household chores has increased by more than 1 hour a day to an average of over 3.5 hours per day. Most of this increase is in chores that need to be done in the morning before they go to school.

Burden of early marriage

In Uttar Pradesh, roughly 30% of participating girls were either married or engaged. Many girls mentioned aggravated poverty during lockdown, coupled with other circumstances, have left them at risk of early marriage.

"The findings of the study are clear - the barriers to girls' education are greater than ever before and we need to fight greater odds to ensure these girls go to school, don't drop out, and continue learning. The impact is most acute for adolescent girls. The study also highlights the stories of girls and the long-term effect the pandemic has left on their lives," says Safeena Husain, Founder and Board Director, Educate Girls.

The findings of this study have been compiled in a report titled 'Impact of Covid-19 in rural India and its effect on girls'. It outlines the opportunities that lay ahead, which involves teachers and peers keeping adolescent girls connected to learning and bringing them back to school.

About Educate Girls

Educate Girls is a non-profit that focuses on mobilising communities for girls' education in India's rural and educationally backward areas. Working in partnership with the Government, Educate Girls currently operates successfully in over 20,000 villages of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and has brought 1.1 million+ girls back to school till date. By engaging with a huge base of community volunteers, Educate Girls helps to identify, enrol, and retain out-of-school girls and to improve foundational skills in literacy and numeracy for all children (both girls and boys).

Learn more: www.EducateGirls.ngo

Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Blog | YouTube

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1917023/Educate_Girls.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1359275/Educate_Girls_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Educate Girls
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane Ian has flooded neighborhoods throughout Florida and has devastated many. In the wake of this natural disaster, Island Fin Poke Co. believes everyone must come together like family, or Ohana, and help each other in times of need. In support of the Florida community, the franchise will collect non-perishables and canned foods throughout the month for its local food pantries and Second Harvest, a central Florida food bank.

Staying true to their brand, Island Fin Poke Co. looks to support the community in as many ways as they can. Tweet this

Island Fin Poke Co. is a Florida-based fast-casual concept known for its Hawaiian-style build-your-own poke bowls that are more than just a bowl, they're a lifestyle. The Island Fin Poke Co. brand is built on the principle of treating everyone like Ohana and is focused on offering a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, so each guest feels special during every visit, from the moment they walk through the doors until the time they leave.

Since the beginning of October, Island Fin Poke Co. has been collecting canned foods and non-perishables to donate to surrounding food pantries. In addition, at Island Fin's Lake Nona, Orlando, Fl. location, all donations will be donated to Second Harvest food bank because of the company's regular established collection times for donations.

"The damage from Hurricane Ian weighs heavy on our hearts and we continue to keep those who are impacted in our thoughts as the restoration efforts begin," says Island Fin Poke Co. CEO and co-owner, Mark Setterington. "We all must come together and support our communities by donating and helping those affected by this disaster."

Staying true to their brand, Island Fin Poke Co. looks to support the community in as many ways as they can, and collects and donates to local food banks twice a year. We all must come together and support our communities by donating and helping those affected by this disaster."

Guests who would like to help donate can drop off food items at any local Island Fin Poke Co. when the months of donations are announced. From there, Island Fin Poke Co. will work with local pantries to get the items where they need to go.

The company believes in not only offering healthy and customized poke bowls, but also in coming together during devasting times. To learn more about Island Fin Poke Co. and their locations to donate and help other Floridians, please visit https://www.islandfinpoke.com/. For media inquiries, contact [email protected].

About Island Fin Poke Co.

Island Fin Poke Co. is a Florida-based fast-casual concept known for its Hawaiian-style build-your-own poke bowls. From farm-to-fork, the brand uses the freshest ingredients to bring traditional flavors from the islands to local communities nationwide. Founded in 2017, Island Fin Poke Co. has 24+ locations open, with numerous others in various stages of development. Island Fin Poke Co. was listed in Fast Casual's 2022 Movers & Shakers List. For more information, or if interested in joining the brand's Ohana, please visit https://www.islandfinpoke.com/.

SOURCE Island Fin Poke Co.
Cox Automotive recognizes up-and-coming leaders that demonstrate strong commitment and contributions to the auto industry and their local community.

This recognition emphasizes the importance of diversity in the automotive industry.

Cox Automotive is donating $5,000 to each winner's charity of choice.

ATLANTA, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Automotive, in partnership with the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD), awarded two Rising Star Awards at the Annual NAMAD Conference in Miami on Friday, October 7. The 2022 award recipients are Jarryd Carver, chief executive officer, Winners Circle Automotive Group, headquartered in Hampton, Virginia, and Michael Lee, dealer principal, Freedom Kia of Morgantown, in West Virginia. Recipients were chosen based on nomination criteria, including being under the age of 45 and a NAMAD member, operating within the automotive industry, and demonstrating a strong commitment to their local community and/or minority populations along with contributing to the automotive industry.

Sherrie Tanner, Cox Automotive marketing director, was joined by NAMAD President Damon Lester to honor the recipients during the awards dinner at the 42nd annual membership meeting. Tanner said: "On behalf of Cox Automotive and in partnership with NAMAD, I am honored to recognize Jarryd Carver and Michael Lee as the 2022 Rising Stars. Jarryd and Michael truly exemplify the words 'rising star' as well as the core values of Cox and the Cox family  building a better community and a better world."

Cox Automotive award two Rising Star Awards in partnership with the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers. Tweet this

Cox Automotive Donates $5,000 to Each Award Recipient's Charity of Choice

Cox Automotive is donating $5,000 to The Sharon Carver Foundation, which was created in 2016 and named after Jarryd Carver's late aunt Sharon who was a victim of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The foundation honors Sharon Carver's commitment to mentorship by creating opportunities for underserved communities to afford education and through scholarships for students in need at Hampton University, one of the top historically Black universities in the world, located in Hampton, Virginia.

On behalf of Lee, Cox Automotive is donating $5,000 to Chestnut Mountain Ranch, a faith-based retreat for boys who are experiencing challenges in life located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The children live on the ranch's 225-acre grounds and focus on healing and family reunification. In addition to donations, Chestnut Mountain Ranch is funded by The Ranch Quick Lube, a Valvoline Express Care owned by Chestnut Mountain Ranch, as well as The Ranch Community Store, a high-end thrift store that provides gently used merchandise to the community.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using vehicles easier for everyone. The global company's more than 27,000 team members and family of brands, including Autotrader, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, VinSolutions, vAuto and Xtime, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of nearly $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

SOURCE Cox Automotive
America's largest grocery retailer invites private brand suppliers across categories to apply

CINCINNATI, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, today announced the launch of its Our Brands Innovation Summit, a program to enhance and accelerate the selection of private brand items sold across the Kroger Family of Companies. The program is open to store brand suppliers of food and beverage, health and beauty, packaging and more.

The summit supports the ongoing mission of Kroger's Our Brands portfolio by partnering with select suppliers to provide high-quality, innovative items that meet current and future market trends and uplift the company's brand promise, to be Fresh for Everyone.

Beginning today through October 31, 2022, at 11:59 PM PDT, suppliers can apply for the opportunity to participate in virtual meetings with Kroger buyers. The meetings will be held January 24 through January 26, 2023, on ECRM's virtual meeting platform, ECRM Connect.

"At Kroger, we're constantly innovating, studying customer data and working to stay ahead of trends so we can provide customers with the highest quality products they're looking for at affordable prices," said Juan De Paoli, Kroger's vice president of Our Brands. "By inviting private brand suppliers to apply for this opportunity, we're confident we will find fresh ideas and innovative products to expand our portfolio of offerings and support the growth of new businesses we bring into our supplier network."

Kroger welcomes suppliers in all categories, excluding general merchandise, hard goods, textiles and apparel.

To apply and learn more about the Kroger Our Brands Innovation Summit, click here.

About Kroger

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit. We are, across our family of companies nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.
To meet the growing need for highly trained social work professionals, KU's School of Social Welfare offers a convenient, online format to earn an MSW

LAWRENCE, Kan., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As social services across the country adapt to address changing health policies, an aging workforce, and shifting social justice theories, the need for well-qualified social work professionals has never been higher. Overall employment of social workers nationwide is projected to grow 12% from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To help meet growing demand nationwide, the University of Kansas is now delivering its highly ranked Master of Social Work (MSW) program in a convenient, online format. Offered through KU's School of Social Welfare, the MSW program has consistently ranked in the top 12% of public institution social work graduate programs by U.S. News & World Report, making it the top ranked program in Kansas. As the longest-running program in the state, its history includes more than 75% of MSW graduates exceeding national licensure first-time pass rates, and 85% gaining full-time employment immediately after graduation.

"Our online MSW courses will be taught by the same team of faculty and instructors as our on-campus programs," says Michelle Mohr Carney, dean of KU's School of Social Welfare. "Graduates who earn their MSW online are equipped with the knowledge to provide counseling and direct services to individuals, families, and groups; make changes in organizations and communities; and help shape policies that affect large populations in our society."

A master's degree in social work prepares graduates for advanced social work practice in one of two broad specializations  either clinical social work practice with individuals, families, and groups; or social work macro practice aimed at social service administration, social policy development, and social advocacy. The MSW curriculum was designed with community and student input to ensure a dynamic, educational experience that incorporates real-world learning experiences and prepares graduates to practice with competency and integrity.

"The School of Social Welfare strives to be a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion within the university and in our community," says Carney. "We want to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff feel safe, heard, and valued. In turn, they will promote these values in their careers."

Through Jayhawk Global, the University's new education innovation center, KU plans to offer many more online degree opportunities giving students the chance to earn a globally recognized degree from anywhere in the world.

About the University of Kansas

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. Its mission is to lift students and society by educating leaders, building healthy communities, and making discoveries that change the world.

For more information contact:

Valerie Hawley at [email protected] or 785-864-3804

SOURCE University of Kansas
Italian contemporary artist Andrea Bonaceto builds interactive NFT artwork on the Algorand blockchain

SINGAPORE, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Algorand Foundation, whose mission is to grow the ecosystem of Algorand, the carbon-negative Layer 1 blockchain invented by Turing Award winner and MIT professor Silvio Micali, is pleased to share that art auctioneer Christie's will feature Italian contemporary artist Andrea Bonaceto's AB Infinite 1 NFT artwork, built on the Algorand blockchain, in its upcoming auction. Christie's 20th / 21st century evening sale in London will take place during Frieze Week on October 13th.

The work represents an interactive snapshot of Bonaceto's life in the eternal cycle that goes "ab infinite" (Latin for "from infinity") to the origin, symbolised by the number "1". Algorand's technology enables AB Infinite 1 to be interactive. Members of the public can alter the digital artwork through a specially designed AI mechanism that collects viewer interactions through social media channels. Reactions or suggestions are turned into visual responses which appear as part of the piece.

People can view AB Infinite 1 as it morphs through time on the artwork's website www.abinfinite1. Users can become part of AB Infinite 1 in two steps:

Share Twitter / Instagram account in the appropriate section of the website. Hashtag #abinfinite1 on Twitter / Instagram for AI incorporation in the piece.

"Christie's support of NFTs built on the Algorand blockchain demonstrates accelerating acceptance of digital art," said Shamir Ozery, Head of Web3 of the Algorand Foundation. "Exposing collectors who frequent Christie's auctions to Algorand blockchain will set a new standard for NFTs as the industry experiences a renaissance of digital art, redefining what art is and what it can do."

AB Infinite 1 explores the concept of authenticity and the freedom of expression. Bonaceto's portraits reflect this signature vibrant style and his landscapes appear surrealist with references to artistic greats such as Kandinsky and Picasso. The most important factor behind Bonaceto's work is to achieve an honest attempt to express a true feeling.

"I'm humbled to see AB Infinite 1 included in Christie's prestigious Evening Sale next to traditional art masterpieces," said artist Andrea Bonaceto. "I see NFTs as a tool to express artistically profound concepts, not only as certificates of authenticity but as a new brush in the hand of artists to craft unique concepts. For AB Infinite 1, Algorand's latest ARC-19 standard for NFTs has been the technical brush that made it possible for the NFT artwork to upgrade on-chain following people's interaction on social networks."

About Algorand Foundation

The Algorand blockchain  designed by MIT professor and Turing Award winning cryptographer Silvio Micali  is uniquely capable of delivering on the promise of a borderless global economy. It achieves transaction throughputs at the speed of traditional finance, but with immediate finality, near zero transaction costs, and on a 24/7 basis. Its carbon-neutral platform and unique pure proof-of-stake consensus mechanism solves for the "blockchain trilemma" by achieving both security and scalability on a decentralized protocol, and without a second of downtime since it went live in 2019.

The Algorand Foundation is dedicated to helping fulfill the global promise of the Algorand blockchain by taking responsibility for its sound monetary supply economics, decentralized governance, and healthy and prosperous open-source ecosystem. For more information, visit https://algorand.foundation

About Andrea Bonaceto

Andrea Bonaceto is an Italian contemporary artist. He believes visual art, music and poetry can melt into a new art form. Through NFTs, AI and programmable art he is trying to bring the audience into his abstract works and iconic portraits.

Andrea is creating at the intersection of art and technology. He counts artistic collaborations with the likes of Sophia The Robot and Corriere Della Sera among others. His work has been featured in mainstream media and museum exhibitions worldwide.

Andrea has been involved in the blockchain and NFT space since the early days. He is among the Founding Partners at Eterna Capital, a leading investment company focused on blockchain technology. In addition, Andrea is the Co-Founder of AoRisT, a next-generation cultural institution supporting a climate forward NFT marketplace for artists creating at the edge of art and technology. Andrea is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).

About Christie's

Founded in 1766, Christie's is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie's offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie's has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).

Christie's auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. In recent years, Christie's has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, 2017), for a 20th century artwork (Andy Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, 2022) and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons' Rabbit, 2019). Christie's is also recognised as a reference for prestigious single owner collections, having auctioned 8 of the 10 most important collections in history.

Christie's Private Sales offers a seamless service for buying and selling art, jewellery and watches outside of the auction calendar, working exclusively with Christie's specialists at a client's individual pace.

Recent innovations at Christie's include the groundbreaking sale of the first NFT for a digital work of art ever offered at a major auction house (Beeple's Everydays, March 2021), with the unprecedented acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie's also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the business of art, including use of hologram technology to tour life-size 3D objects around the world, and the creation of viewing and bidding experiences that integrate augmented reality, global livestreaming, buy-now channels, and hybrid sales formats.

Christie's is dedicated to advancing responsible culture throughout its business and communities worldwide, including achieving sustainability through net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and actively using its platform in the art world to amplify under-represented voices and support positive change.

Browse, bid, discover, and join us for the best of art and luxury at: www.christies.com or by downloading Christie's apps. The COVID-related re-opening status of our global locations is available here.

Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Algorand Foundation
Forbes Technology Council Is an Invitation-Only Community for Technology Executives

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Richard Lebovitz, Founder and CEO of LeanDNA, a leading inventory optimization and execution platform, has been accepted into Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives. Richard has been invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.

Richard's Forbes profile includes a short biography, skills, and recent contributions. This includes his first article, " The Essential Ingredients For Digital Transformation Of Factory Operations ," published on Friday.

Richard was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. A proven track record of successfully improving business growth metrics and distinguished personal and professional achievements are required criteria to be accepted.

"We are honored to welcome Richard Lebovitz into the community," said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Agency Council. "Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world."

Richard brings 30 years of unique experience in manufacturing, operations, and global supply chain technology to Forbes. He is a board member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and a contributor to Manufacturing Today, Supply Chain Brain, Industry Today, Aerospace Manufacturing and Design, Future of Sourcing Digital, Wards Auto, and more. In 2001, Richard was named Supply and Demand Chain Executive's Pro to Know of the Year.

"I'm excited to share my perspective on leadership, supply chain management, and factory optimization with a broader audience," said Lebovitz. "And I've already enjoyed exchanging ideas with other Forbes Technology Council members."

About Forbes Councils

Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive. For more information about Forbes Technology Council, visit forbestechcouncil.com . To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com .

About LeanDNA

LeanDNA is a leading inventory optimization and execution platform that is solving the execution gap in the supply chain. This cloud-based platform synchronizes execution across the supply chain, empowering manufacturers to prioritize and collaborate to resolve critical material shortages and excesses. With LeanDNA, manufacturers in industries that include aerospace, industrial, automotive, and medical know they will get the right part in the right place at the right time. Learn more at leandna.com .

SOURCE LeanDNA Inc
The picture shows a service member gets treatment on board the PLAN hospital ship Youhao (Hull 862).

BEIJING, Oct. 10 -- Recently, the PLA Navy (PLAN) hospital ship Youhao (Hull 862) docked at Zhanjiang Port, Guangdong Province, after completing the first medical tour on the Xisha and Nansha islands and reefs in South China Sea.

Forty experts from the First Naval Hospital of the PLA Southern Theater Command had accomplished a medical tour on 13 islands and reefs of Xisha and Nansha islands in 18 days, with a voyage of nearly 4,000 nautical miles. They had provided medical services to more than 5,000 people, with more than 60 operations of various types made.

The medical team conducted physical examinations for the troops stationed on every island and reef they arrived. The arrival of the hospital ship helps a lot to the troops on islands and reefs, said Petty Officer First Class Liang Guodong, a soldier assigned to the PLA Nansha Garrison who stationed on the Dongmen Reef.

At the same time, the medical team also carried out in-depth research on common diseases occurring on islands and reefs, while carrying out the medical tour missions. They used big data to analyze the distribution of common diseases on islands and reefs, as well as the demand for diagnosis and treatment in need, and reviewed other health needs of these troops.

Commander Wang Jiwu, Political Commissar of the hospital ship Youhao, said that the ship would carry out regular service activities on the islands and reefs in the South China Sea for the military personnel, civilians, fishermen and passing commercial ships therein.

It is learnt that the PLAN hospital ship Youhao was commissioned in the PLA Southern Theater Command in November 2020. It has filled the gap of maritime medical service in the waters off the Nansha Islands, following the building of hospitals on Yongshu Reef, Zhubi Reef and Meiji Reef.

The picture shows the PLA Navy's hospital ship Youhao (Hull 862).
Fetch Pandemic-Driven Insights on Management Consulting Services Market

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, and a detailed explanation of the pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPIs to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

www.spendedge.com/sample-report/management-consulting-services-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Insights Into Supplier Selection and Evaluation:

Profile and service capabilities of the service provider, industry specialization of the service providers, reputation of service providers, and assessment of value-added services are some of the most critical parameters that buyers use to shortlist the suppliers in Management Consulting Services.

This report evaluates suppliers based on quality and purity tests of product samples, production capacity, certifications and accreditations, and geographical presence. In addition, suppliers are also shortlisted based on business needs, technical specifications, operational requirements, security compliance, regulatory mandates, working environment, quality control, SLA nuances, acceptance criteria, legal requirements, change management procedures, pricing models, and penalty clauses.

For More Insights on Buyer Strategies and Tactical Negotiation Levers: www.spendedge.com/sample-report/management-consulting-services-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants have resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 2%-4%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Management Consulting Services TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

Some of the Top Management Consulting Services Market Suppliers Listed in This Report:

This Management Consulting Services procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.

Ernst & Young Global Ltd

Smart Procurement Starts Here:

SpendEdge's procurement intelligence platform is the go-to tool for companies looking to access the latest procurement research insights and supplier data on an easy-to-use platform:

Signup for our subscription services now for FREE!, to get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment.

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles market in the U.S. is expected to reach about US$ 15,128.3 Mn by end of the year 2032. Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles market in Germany is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.1% during the forecast period

NEWARK, Del., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global metal & metal nanoparticles market is anticipated to register remarkable growth over the projection period ranging from 2022 to 2032. The global market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 29,958.8 Mn by the year 2022 and Sales prospects of Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles are expected to expand CAGR of 11.6% and to top a valuation of US$ 89,894.6 Mn by 2032. Rising awareness about health, hygiene & well-being is the major factor propelling the demand for personal care products, which in turn is expected to boost the demand for metal & metal oxide nanoparticles.

In the wake of surging desire for personal care products, the global metal & metal oxide nanoparticles market is projected to directly affect the personal care & cosmetics sector. There is a drastic surge in the number of new nanoparticle characterization products attributed to the global expenditure on nanotechnology research rises. The global metal and metal oxide nanoparticles market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.

Owing to the rapidly expanding application scopes of metal nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles are widely used within end-use industries such as pharmaceuticals and healthcare, personal care and cosmetics, chemicals, transportation, and others. According to the current estimations, the market growth for personal care products & pharmaceuticals drugs is expected to bolster the demand for Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles during the projected period.

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Key Takeaways

Several types and forms of nanomaterials are employed in the cosmetics business. It is a fact that rapid evaluation of a rising number of nanostructures is taking place owing to the advancements in research and development activities in the cosmetics sector.

For several companies, it has been a clear goal to find the best suitable and affordable nanomaterials in order to employ them in aesthetic applications. As opposed to cosmetics made on a smaller scale, nanoparticle-based products have certain distinct benefits.

The cosmetics industry uses nanoparticles (NMs) in order to achieve more stability and long-lasting effects. There is a large surface area of nanoparticles which is why the active components can be transported more effectively into the skin. New color components, transparency (like in sunscreens), and long-lasting effects (like in nail paint and lipstick) are other major applications of nanoparticles in cosmetics.

During the utilization process of NMs, the ultimate objective of the cosmetics industry is to administer the appropriate dosage of chemicals to the targeted body areas and to achieve long-term stability. NMs are now used frequently in skin care products, specifically, as UV filters in sunscreens.

Owing to the rising global spending on nanotechnology research, there is a quick surge in the number of novel nanoparticle characterization products. Several nations across the globe are now investing significant public funds in nanotechnology research and development initiatives. Hefty public investments were made in the business throughout the past decade. The U.S. makes considerable investments in the study of nanotechnology.

Competitive Landscape

The global metal & metal oxide nanoparticles market is an immensely fragmented market with the presence of dominant market players all over the world. Key players are concentrating on expansion & partnership activities to boost their sales & global footprints. While other key players are concentrating to enhance their regional as well as global presence.

Key Companies Profiled in Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Market include American Elements, U.S. Research & Nanomaterials Inc., Nanoshel LLC, Meliorum Technologies Ltd, Nanostructured & Amorphous Materials, Inc., Nanophase Technologies Corporation, Showa Denko KK, NanoComposix Inc., Tekna Systemes Plasma Inc., Sigma-Aldrich Co LLC, Shanghai Huzheng Nanotechnology Co., Ltd

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More Insights into the Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Market

The United States is anticipated to dominate the North American region attributed of the better healthcare infrastructure & high investment in the healthcare segment. An important benefit of using nanoparticles for medical applications comprises their capacity to transport active ingredients. One advantage of this is that therapeutic molecules can be anchored to their surface due to their large surface area. The Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles market in the U.S. is expected to reach about US$ 15,128.3 Mn by end of the year 2032.

European cosmetics and personal care market is anticipated to go alongside the U.S. The largest national market for cosmetics and personal care products within Europe is Germany according to Cosmetics Europe Association. Therefore, the Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles market in Germany is expected to expand at a CAGR of 14.1% during the forecast period.

Metal & Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Market Segmentation

By Type:

Metal Nanoparticles

Titanium



Silicon



Aluminum



Iron



Gold



Copper



Silver



Magnesium



Platinum



Zinc



Others

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

Titanium Oxide



Bismuth Oxide



Zinc Oxide



Magnesium Oxide



Aluminum Oxide



Iron Oxide



Copper Oxide



Tungsten Oxide



Others

By End-use:

Chemicals & Coatings

Pharma & Healthcare

Transportation

Automobile



Marine



Aviation

Personal Care & Cosmetics

Electrical & Electronics

Defense

Others

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Table of Content

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand Side Trends

1.3. Supply Side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Key Market Trends

3.1. Key Trends Impacting the Market

3.2. Product Innovation / Development Trends

4. Key Success Factors

4.1. Product Adoption / Usage Analysis

4.2. Product USPs / Features

4.3. Strategic Promotional Strategies

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Explore FMI's related ongoing Coverage on Chemicals & Materials Domain

Nanomaterials Market Size: Nanomaterials demand is anticipated to be valued at US$ 11 Billion in 2022, forecast to grow at a CAGR of 15% to be valued at US$ 45 Billion from 2022 to 2032.

Bismuth Oxide Market Share: Bismuth oxide market is set to embark on a steady growth trajectory, expanding at a 6.9% value CAGR from 2022 to 2032.

Calcium Oxide Market Analysis: Calcium Oxide demand is anticipated to be valued at US$ 4.5 Billion in 2022, forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% to be valued at US$ 7.5 Billion from 2022 to 2032.

Amine Oxide Market Demand: Amine oxides are amphoteric surfactants that are widely used in conjunction with various other surfactants.

Ceramic Coating Market Trends: Ceramic coating market is set to expand its roots at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2022 to 2032, while it is anticipated to reach a value of US$ 21.82 Billion.

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SOURCE Future Market Insights
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Technavio has been monitoring the metalworking machinery accessories market. The report estimates the market to register an incremental growth of USD 15.11 billion at a CAGR of 7.49% during the forecast period.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market 2022-2026

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.

Apar Industries Ltd, Chevron Corp., Columbia Petro Chem Pvt. Ltd., Daljit Machines, DM Italia S.r.l., Dover Corp., Enerpac Tool Group Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., FUCHS PETROLUB SE, Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd., Jergens Inc, Jiangsu Dongcheng M and E Tools Co Ltd, Kurt Manufacturing, Makita USA Inc., Sandvik AB, Sturmer Maschinen GmbH, The Lubrizol Corp., and TotalEnergies SE are among some of the major market participants.

Augmented innovative workholding methods to drive productivity have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the growth of the second-hand machine market might hamper the market growth. Request Free Sample Report.

Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market Segmentation

Based on geographic segmentation, 48% of the market's originated from APAC during the forecast period. In addition, the workholding category led the growth under the application segment. This report provides an accurate prediction of the contribution of all the segments to the growth of the superfood powders market size.

Application

Workholding



Metalworking Fluids



Power Tools Accessories

Geographic

APAC



North America



Europe



South America



Middle East And Africa

The workholding sector will significantly increase its market share in metalworking machinery accessories. Workholding is essential for maximizing all aspects of machining operations. Utilizing adhesives or replacing the dead center and three-jaw chuck arrangement with a face driver are two examples of creative workholding methods that can boost production and cut expenses. Buy Sample Report.

Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The metalworking machinery accessories market report covers the following areas:

Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market Size

Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market Trends

Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market Industry Analysis

This study identifies the emergence of adhesive fixturing for common workholding challenges as one of the prime reasons driving the Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market growth during the next few years. Download Free Sample Report.

Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will assist metalworking machinery accessories market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the metalworking machinery accessories market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the metalworking machinery accessories market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of metalworking machinery accessories market, vendors

Related Reports

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Metalworking Machinery Accessories Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.49% Market growth 2022-2026 $15.11 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 7.05 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 48% Key consumer countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Apar Industries Ltd, Chevron Corp., Columbia Petro Chem Pvt. Ltd., Daljit Machines, DM Italia S.r.l., Dover Corp., Enerpac Tool Group Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., FUCHS PETROLUB SE, Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd., Jergens Inc, Jiangsu Dongcheng M and E Tools Co Ltd, Kurt Manufacturing, Makita USA Inc., PJSC LUKOIL, Robert Bosch GmbH, Sandvik AB, Sturmer Maschinen GmbH, The Lubrizol Corp., and TotalEnergies 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 Application



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Application

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 Workholding - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Workholding - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Workholding - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Workholding - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Workholding - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Metalworking fluids - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Metalworking fluids - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Metalworking fluids - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Metalworking fluids - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Metalworking fluids - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Powertools accessories - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 36: Chart on Powertools accessories - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Powertools accessories - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Chart on Powertools accessories - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Powertools accessories - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by Application ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 41: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 42: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 44: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 46: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 51: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 52: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 53: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 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 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

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 (%)

7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 63: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 64: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 65: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 66: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 67: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 68: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 69: 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 70: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 72: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 76: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 80: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 82: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 84: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 85: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 86: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 87: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 88: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 89: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 90: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 91: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 92: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Chevron Corp.

Exhibit 93: Chevron Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 94: Chevron Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 95: Chevron Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 96: Chevron Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 97: Chevron Corp. - Segment focus

10.4 Dover Corp.

Exhibit 98: Dover Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 99: Dover Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 100: Dover Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 101: Dover Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 102: Dover Corp. - Segment focus

10.5 Enerpac Tool Group Corp.

Exhibit 103: Enerpac Tool Group Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 104: Enerpac Tool Group Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 105: Enerpac Tool Group Corp. - Key offerings

10.6 Exxon Mobil Corp.

Exhibit 106: Exxon Mobil Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 107: Exxon Mobil Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 108: Exxon Mobil Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 109: Exxon Mobil Corp. - Segment focus

10.7 FUCHS PETROLUB SE

Exhibit 110: FUCHS PETROLUB SE - Overview



Exhibit 111: FUCHS PETROLUB SE - Business segments



Exhibit 112: FUCHS PETROLUB SE - Key news



Exhibit 113: FUCHS PETROLUB SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 114: FUCHS PETROLUB SE - Segment focus

10.8 Jergens Inc

Exhibit 115: Jergens Inc - Overview



Exhibit 116: Jergens Inc - Product / Service



Exhibit 117: Jergens Inc - Key offerings

10.9 Makita USA Inc.

Inc. Exhibit 118: Makita USA Inc. - Overview

Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 119: Makita USA Inc. - Product / Service

Inc. - Product / Service

Exhibit 120: Makita USA Inc. - Key offerings

10.10 Robert Bosch GmbH

Exhibit 121: Robert Bosch GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 122: Robert Bosch GmbH - Business segments



Exhibit 123: Robert Bosch GmbH - Key news



Exhibit 124: Robert Bosch GmbH - Key offerings



Exhibit 125: Robert Bosch GmbH - Segment focus

10.11 The Lubrizol Corp.

Exhibit 126: The Lubrizol Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 127: The Lubrizol Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 128: The Lubrizol Corp. - Key offerings

10.12 TotalEnergies SE

Exhibit 129: TotalEnergies SE - Overview



Exhibit 130: TotalEnergies SE - Business segments



Exhibit 131: TotalEnergies SE - Key news



Exhibit 132: TotalEnergies SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 133: TotalEnergies SE - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 134: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 135: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 136: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 137: Research methodology



Exhibit 138: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 139: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 140: List of abbreviations

in manufacturing industry: Market dynamics in some major processes and discrete industries are changing drastically, and manufacturers are gradually feeling the brunt of excessive demand fluctuations. The fluctuating prices of oil and gas and metals in the global market and the shortage of a skilled workforce worldwide have directly affected the profitability of manufacturing companies. A sudden and unexpected shift in market dynamics can drastically impact manufacturing processes and investments in capital goods.

slowdown in the automotive industry: High motorization rates in North America and Europe , the increase in tariffs on imported vehicles in the US and China , and the global economic slowdown are likely to reduce vehicle sales in the coming years. Anticipating a decline in vehicle sales, several vehicle manufacturers are halting their vehicle production. For instance, in March 2019 , Ford announced the shutdown of its three vehicle-manufacturing sites in Russia . Similarly, in August 2019 , Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. stopped vehicle production at its manufacturing units in India for 8-14 days. During the same month, Maruti Suzuki announced that it had cut its vehicle production for the sixth consecutive month in 2019. In August 2019 , Honda announced a halt in car production at its Argentina -based manufacturing plants. Such a slowdown in the automotive industry is expected to hamper the growth of the market during the forecast period.

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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SOURCE Technavio
Leading HVAC manufacturer recommends proactive maintenance ahead of winter season

RACINE, Wis., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Modine Manufacturing Company (NYSE: MOD), a leader in technology in the HVAC industry, is recognizing October as Indoor Air Quality Month by recommending that K-12 schools showcase their dedication to providing a comfortable, safe learning environment by keeping IAQ top of mind.

As seasonal allergies and viruses increase, it will be important for schools to have the right HVAC solution in place to provide clean air for children.

Modine Manufacturing Company is recognizing October as Indoor Air Quality Month by recommending that K-12 schools showcase their dedication to providing a comfortable, safe learning environment by keeping IAQ top of mind.

"The COVID-19 pandemic brought much-needed recognition to the importance of indoor air quality. While the concerns about COVID have decreased over the past few months, it is still vital to equip your school with the proper equipment to combat cold and flu viruses," said Emily Wright, Business Development Manager for the IAQ division at Modine. K-12 school leaders need to ensure their HVAC units are built to provide maximum efficiency and create clean air for students, and what better time to reassess your system than Indoor Air Quality Month? In addition, there are federal monies available through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund that schools can utilize for HVAC projects.

"At Modine, we dedicate ourselves to being proactive by developing innovative solutions that are designed to create safe, comfortable environments inside the classroom. From the Airedale ClassMate to the Airedale Sentinel, we provide products that were crafted with K-12 schools in mind."

In addition to having the proper IAQ solution, Modine recommends that K-12 schools regularly service their HVAC equipment ahead of the change in season. This helps ensure the unit is operating properly when cold temperatures strike.

"It is just as important to regularly service your unit as it is to have the right one installed. Regular maintenance can help ensure clean, healthy air is delivered to classrooms, extend the life of your system as well as reduce energy costs," Wright said. "In many cases, it is an excellent decision to have a service agreement in place to ensure your system is running at optimal levels. Having trained support on hand and planned preventative maintenance will help keep your HVAC unit running efficiently throughout the year.

"There are benefits to having a service plan including priority service, system optimization, reduced running cost due to regular maintenance, minimal downtime, and warranty protection. This provides your K-12 school with the necessary tools to keep air clean for students and faculty alike."

To learn more about Modine HVAC solutions, please visit https://www.modinehvac.com/.

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 environmentally-friendly 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.

Media Contact: Heather Ripley

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SOURCE Modine Manufacturing Company
Compliance Week's 10th annual European conference returns in person in Scotland with a highly researched schedule of sessions and more than a handful of planned networking opportunities.

BOSTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Compliance Week, a business intelligence service on corporate governance, risk, and compliance, announced highlights from the agenda of its annual European Conference, to be held Oct. 26-27 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Compliance Week Europe

Now in its 10th year, Compliance Week Europe is created for compliance, risk, and ethics officers to come together for two days dedicated to the sharing of knowledge and experiences from an international perspective. The year's event, taking place at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa, marks Compliance Week's return in person in Europe for the first time since 2019.

The conference will get underway Oct. 26 with a keynote address delivered by David Hamilton, author of Amazon best-seller "The Five Side Effects of Kindness." Hamilton has a PhD in organic chemistry and spent four years in the pharmaceutical industry developing drugs for cardiovascular disease and cancer before changing gears to write books and educate people on how they can harness their mind and emotions to improve their health. Hamilton will speak on training and company culture.

Afternoon sessions will feature concurrent discussions on compliance and ethics and environmental, social, and governance (ESG), followed by a look at the latest developments around the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

On Oct. 27, Mary Inman of law firm Constantine Cannon will sit down for a fireside chat with Xavier Andre Justo, the whistleblower who helped exposed one of the largest financial frauds in history at in 1MDB. Justo, who served time in prison for speaking out, will share his journey as a whistleblower and his perspective on the outcome of the 1MDB scandal.

Other speakers at the event include the chief compliance officer of Danske Bank and associate director of policy and ethics at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Compliance Week Europe showcases thought leadership from around the world with focused content curated for compliance, global governance, risk, and audit professionals. The conference features 20 highly researched agenda topics and more than a handful of planned networking opportunities, including a Women in Compliance Breakfast held Oct. 27.

Click here to see the full agenda, roster of speakers, and registration information.

About Compliance Week

Compliance Week, published by Wilmington plc, is a business intelligence service on corporate governance, risk, and compliance that features daily news and analysis, a quarterly print magazine, proprietary databases, industry-leading events, and a variety of interactive features and forums. Compliance Week is located in Boston, Mass.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Compliance Week
ATLANTA, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The producers of the inaugural Jazz Music Awards and Jazz 91.9 WCLK will present three dynamic Jazz master classes and workshops on the campus of the historic Clark Atlanta University on Friday, October 21, 2022, beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET, at the Juanita Baranco Multi-Purpose Room in the Bishop Cornelius Henderson Student Center at 223 James P. Bawley Drive SW, in Atlanta, Georgia. Featuring some of the best-known names in the world of Jazz today  including multiple Grammy Award winners and NEA Jazz Masters Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, and Terri Lyne Carrington  these educational masterclasses and workshops are free and open to the public and take place the day before the inaugural Jazz Music Awards ceremony.

Other participants are three-time Grammy-nominated artist Jazzmeia Horn and preeminent jazz, gospel, and blues vocalist Lizz Wright, DJ and Grammy-nominated Jazz musician Kassa Overall; award-winning documentary filmmaker, and cultural curator Jason Orr, and percussionist, drummer, and educator Lil' John Roberts. These sure-to-be enlightening sessions will be moderated by beloved on-air personalities from Jazz 91.9 WCLK and have been programmed to give Jazz fans, young musicians, and casual listeners a window into how and why Jazz is so key to American culture. The sessions and noted panelists are as follows:

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

"MASTERING JAZZ"

Three accomplished women, all of whom are recipients of the NEA Jazz Master title  the highest honor given in Jazz music  team up for this informative and inspiring session. Three-time Grammy-winning drummer, author, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington, Grammy and Tony Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater, and five-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves will discuss the ins and outs of mastering a successful career and maintaining longevity in the jazz field. Moderated by Debb Moore, host of Jazz 91.9 WCLK's "Jazz at Sundown" and "Jazz Suite," the panel guests will offer insights on taking your love for the music and parlaying it into a successful rewarding business career.

10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.

"VOICE IS THE ORIGINAL INSTRUMENT"

Two of the Jazz world's most dynamic vocal powerhouses, Lizz Wright and Jazzmeia Horn, will discuss the voice as an important instrument in jazz and will share their techniques for boosting projection, improvising, and connecting to the heart of the song. The acclaimed vocalists will exchange views on how to develop a unique style, best practices for maintaining vocal health, and individual pathways for pursuing a musical career. The panel will be moderated by Ms. Rivablue of Jazz 91.9 WCLK's "Midday Jazz."

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

"JAZZ AS CULTURAL CURRENCY"

DJ and percussionist Kassa Overall; documentary filmmaker, writer, and festival producer Jason Orr (FunkJazz Kafe Arts & Music Festival and Life Arts Documentary Film Festival + Music Conference); and in-demand drummer Lil' John Roberts join forces to discuss what's happening currently in jazz, as well as the future of the art form. The session will examine the history of Jazz and its influence on Black music, from bebop to hip-hop, and will also explore how the vibrancy and cultural currency of Jazz can be maintained for the future. Moderated by Jamal Ahmad, host of the nationally syndicated "Soul of Jazz" on Jazz 91.9 WCLK, this panel will offer fresh insights into the exciting prospects for carrying Jazz further into the 21st Century.

For updates and information on the awards ceremony, please visit jazzmusicawards.com.

SOURCE Clark Atlanta University
Fragrances and filters, pet accessories, and new software features allow consumers to curate their cleaning routine

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neato Robotics , the Silicon Valley based consumer robotics company, today announces its "Customize Your Clean" initiative including the global launch of Neato Fragrance Pods and filters for the Neato D-Series intelligent robot vacuums. The new accessories join an already impressive lineup of bespoke features and accessories including the new Neato Pet Brush, Neato Fragrance Pods, and software updates enabling consumers to create a personalized cleaning experience tailored to their individual homes and lifestyles.

Neato Robotics announces its Customize Your Clean initiative including the global launch of Neato Fragrance Pods and filters for the Neato D-Series intelligent robot vacuums.

Recognizing that no two homes are alike, Neato Robotics is catering to different home layout sizes, floor types, and household needs by encouraging consumers to mix and match the robot vacuum, accessories, and features that are right for them. A bonus for pet owners, those that work-at-home and allergy sufferers, the new accessories and software features will enable users to tailor their cleaning experiences with custom smart maps to clean their unique homes effectively. The latest upgrades and features include:

Neato Fragrance Pods + Filters for that 'Just Cleaned' Smell

Neato Robotics is the first robot vacuum brand to offer three different Neato fragrance scents on a global scale. The new scents available are 'Sweet' (Apple Melon), 'Calm' (Gentle Lavender), and 'Fresh' (Citrus). The Neato Fragrance Pods will support customers in freshening stale, musty air, while the robot vacuums Dirt, Dust, and Dander from their floors. Now with Neato D-Series intelligent robot vacuums, it will not just be visually apparent that a room has been cleaned, the fragrance will ensure the room smells fresh too. The Fragrance Pods are compatible with the Neato Robotics Ultra- Performance and True HEPA filters, the latter of which are as efficient as an N99 mask at capturing up to 99.97% of allergens and fine dust particles down to 0.3 microns.

Neato Pet Brush to Help Clean up our Furry Friends

The newly launched Neato Pet Brush was designed specifically for pet owners who have pets with short or medium length fur. The Pet Brush brings customized home cleaning to the next level, with a wider brush to cover a larger surface area and picks up 25% more hair than the regular brush. Compatible with the Fragrance Pods and interchangeable filters, this Pet Brush helps get rid of unwanted hair and provides customers with more leisure time with their pets. The Pet Brush joins the Neato Helix Multi-Surface Brush, which boasts a 50% quieter clean on hard surfaces, as well as the Spiral Combo Brush, which is a great all-purpose brush and ships standard on Neato D8 models.

Software Features to Personalize your Clean Even More

The new software feature updates enable users to tailor their premium cleaning experience to reflect how they use their home. Enabled by the MyNeato app, users can now schedule cleaning routines and create cleaning across multiple zones, enabling users to designate which rooms of their house get cleaned in which order, how frequently, and which cleaning mode depending on the type of surface it has, and the noise level present during cleaning. Neato Robotics also rolled out a "surprise and delight" feature via over-the-air-updates to all users called Quick Boost charging. Quick Boost can shave minutes or even hours off of a cleaning run by using machine learning and AI to calculate the amount of space left to clean. The robot will then be recharged only as much as necessary to complete the job as opposed to charging to 100%.

"We always strive to be a leader in innovation to reach the next level of a home cleaning experience," said Thomas Nedder, CEO, Neato Robotics. "At Neato Robotics we understand that no two homes are the same. There is no one-size-fits all cleaning solution. We believe that a premium product should be a bespoke one, like a custom-tailored suit, matched to each user's preference."

Neato Fragrance Pods and True HEPA and Ultra-Performance filters are compatible with all Neato D-Series models and available for purchase in packs of 6 (Neato Fragrance Pods) and 4 (Filters) In North America, the Neato Fragrance Pods ($19.99) and Neato Pet Brush ($39.99) are available respectively on https://neatorobotics.com/pages/custom-clean , as well as on Amazon with more retailers coming soon.

About Neato Robotics

Neato Robotics is the leading provider of premium intelligent robot vacuums for the home. The product experience combines Silicon Valley innovation and German quality. With features like LaserSmart LIDAR-based navigation, D-shape design, smart home connectivity, and superior cleaning efficacy, Neato creates "The Ultimate Cleaning Machine." Neato's mission is to improve everyday life through robotics by performing household tasks as intelligently as humans. For more information, visit www.neatorobotics.com and join Neato Robotics on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Media Contact:

Clarity Global for Neato Robotics

[email protected]

David Vespremi

Neato Robotics

[email protected]

SOURCE Neato Robotics
Developed by psychologists with context supplements for faith leaders, TriumphOverTrauma.info increases awareness of crisis prevention and services.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Harper Hill Global in partnership with National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) is broadening resources to individuals experiencing crisis by engaging diverse faith organizations including churches, mosques, and synagogues, and providing training for facilitators of trauma-focused educational groups.

New mental health resources are free to download at TriumphOverTrauma.info. Tweet this New (free) mental health resources are available for individual, family, and group use.

"The United States is seeing an unprecedented rise in anxiety and depression caused by the pandemic, mass shootings, and civil unrest. By offering our resources to faith communities, we are enhancing crisis services and can prevent people from getting to the point of mental health crisis," said Joan Gillece, Ph.D., director of NASMHPD Center for Innovation in Health Policy and Practice.

Triumph Over Trauma includes a 7-week adaptation of TAMAR (Trauma, Addiction, Mental health, And Recovery), which has been in use for two decades in US correctional facilities, psychiatric hospitals, juvenile justice facilities, substance-use recovery programs, and community services. Faith-based supplements for Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and Native American communities provide an opportunity for spiritual-insight integration using education and self-soothing techniques. Resources are free to download at TriumphOverTrauma.info.

The 7-week program helps participants understand the physical effects caused by traumatizing experiences, identify individual symptoms/triggers, and learn healthy coping skills.

Violence in Memphis, Tennessee, has been in the national spotlight recently, with a string of shootings, the kidnapping and killing of a kindergarten teacher, and the murder of Rev. Dr. Autura Eason-Williams, a regional and national faith leader in The United Methodist Church.

"At times, it feels like there's so little we can do after our communities are affected by violence," said Rev. Kimberlynn Alexander, Saint Matthews UMC, Memphis. "Triumph Over Trauma resources help us help others understand the lasting damage of trauma. This program can be one key to an abundant life."

Integrating mental health awareness in light of faith traditions and spirituality can also lessen the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health and illness. "Depression and trauma do not discriminate," said Imam Ossama Bahloul, Ph.D., resident scholar of the Islamic Center of Nashville, Tennessee. "There is an obvious need, especially after going through Covid-19, for each one of us to do his or her best in comforting others."

The Triumph Over Trauma resource bundle also includes a guide to inclusion addressing intergenerational trauma caused by racism and a debriefing guide to help those facilitating groups.

"Faith communities are often the first place someone turns to in times of crisis, yet leaders are ill-equipped to handle the depths and breadth of congregational mental health needs. Referrals to professional therapists go unanswered due to a lack of insurance. Triumph Over Trauma helps us stand in the gap by providing essential life skills that make a big difference," said Rev. N. Neelley Hicks, Harper Hill Global Executive Director, and Consultant, NASMHPD Faith-Based Initiatives.

The free resource bundle is available for download at TriumphOverTrauma.info.

Harper Hill Global (HHG) is a US-based 501c3 that serves as a bridge partner with governmental and faith-based initiatives. HHG empowers the human spirit through media, messaging, and mobile solutions for a better world.

SOURCE Harper Hill Global
BEIJING, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. ("New Oriental" or the "Company") (NYSE: EDU and SEHK: 9901), a provider of private educational services in China, today updates its status under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the "HFCAA"). The Company filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2022 with the SEC on September 29, 2022 and was provisionally named by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as a Commission-Identified Issuer on October 6, 2022, U.S. Eastern Time, following such filing.

This is the first time that the Company was named so after the SEC started to make such identification pursuant to the HFCAA and its implementation rules issued thereunder. The Company understands that this identification indicates that the SEC determines that the Company used an auditor whose working paper cannot be inspected or investigated completely by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States (the "PCAOB") to issue the audit opinion for its financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2022.

In accordance with the HFCAA, the SEC shall prohibit a company's shares or American depositary shares ("ADSs") from being traded on a national stock exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States if the company has been identified by the SEC for three consecutive years due to PCAOB's inability to inspect the auditor's working paper.

The Company has been actively exploring possible solutions to protect the interest of its stakeholders. The Company's common shares have been listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since November 2020 and the ADSs and common shares are fully fungible. The Company will continue to comply with applicable laws and regulations in both China and the United States.

About New Oriental

New Oriental is a provider of private educational services in China offering a wide range of educational programs, services and products to a varied student population throughout China. New Oriental's program, service and product offerings mainly consist of educational services and test preparation courses, online education and other services, overseas study consulting services, and educational materials and distribution. New Oriental is listed on NYSE (NYSE: EDU) and SEHK (9901.SEHK), respectively. New Oriental's ADSs, each of which represents ten common shares. The Hong Kong-listed shares are fully fungible with the ADSs listed on NYSE.

For more information about New Oriental, please visit http://www.neworiental.org/english/.

Contacts

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Rita Fong

FTI Consulting

Tel: +852 3768 4548

Email: [email protected]

Ms. Sisi Zhao

New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc.

Tel: +86-10-6260-5568

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Net has once again been named by Newsweek to the annual "America's Best Customer Service 2023" ranking. This is the second year in a row the company ranked number one among health insurance plans.

This year's honor is noteworthy as Newsweek surveyed consumers during the trying and challenging times of the pandemic. Health Net is one of the state's most experienced health plans, serving Californians for over 40 years.

Health Net Ranks #1 for "America's Best Customer Service 2023"

"We are proud and honored to be recognized as a company that puts our members first. This recognition reflects our dedication to those we serve, especially during unprecedented public health emergencies," said Brian Ternan, President and CEO of Health Net.

Rankings are based on a vast, independent survey by Statista Inc. This year, insurance brands were among the highest customer service scores.

Commitment to Health Equity

Health Net also recently announced that it is one of nine healthcare organizations in the nation to receive the first-ever Health Equity Accreditation Plus by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The new designation builds on NCQA's foundational Health Equity Accreditation program. It sets a strong framework to improve health equity and help organizations find and close care gaps.

Both recognitions show Health Net's devotion to its core values. These include embracing health equity, culturally-centered care and deliver exceptional customer service to support members. Health Net works with local partners to transform the health of Californians. They make programs and solutions that improve health, one person at a time. This is done through partnerships with community-based organizations, clinics, hospitals, local public health departments, education and justice systems and more.

"Health Net brings focused and unmatched knowledge of the diverse and specific needs of the people we serve," said Dr. Pooja Mittal, Chief Health Equity Officer for Health Net. "Combining that with the experience of local organizations, we work together to break down barriers and give people the tools they need to lead healthier lives."

A CalAIM Partner to Transform Medi-Cal

As part of their work to increase health equity, Health Net has eagerly helped develop the state's new groundbreaking CalAIM program. The company has led in its execution across its statewide footprint and has leveraged their expertise to come up with solutions that transform care delivery. In doing so, California's healthcare safety net has been enhanced.

Health Net's impact in California communities has been vital to improve the health of residents. Over recent years, the company has:

Invested more than $100 million in over 500 community-based organizations: This has helped pilot and move forward promising ideas. It's also helped build a foundation for providing Community Supports and keeping important resources.

This has helped pilot and move forward promising ideas. It's also helped build a foundation for providing Community Supports and keeping important resources. Awarded $13.4 million to 138 Medi-Cal providers across California : This collaboration with the California Department of Managed Health Care helped providers set up or expand their digital health practice so they could bring telehealth to underserved patients.

This collaboration with the California Department of Managed Health Care helped providers set up or expand their digital health practice so they could bring telehealth to underserved patients. Invested $4 million to upskill practitioners and bring new providers into the Medi-Cal system: This investment ensures local providers better reflect the communities they serve. It also helped reach new patients, especially those who may not have been comfortable accessing care.

This investment ensures local providers better reflect the communities they serve. It also helped reach new patients, especially those who may not have been comfortable accessing care. Provided a $3 million grant to the national leader in school-based telehealth: This grant helped Hazel Health expand to support California children at K-12 schools. It closed equity gaps and advanced education through increased access to medical care and behavioral support.

A critical part of communities up and down the state, Health Net is a proven leader in healthcare. Their industry-leading efforts continue to build collaborative, whole-person solutions that reach community residents where they are. Without their presence, members would undoubtedly see a decrease in access to the high-quality care and services they currently receive and deserve.

About Health Net:

At Health Net, we believe every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Founded in California more than 40 years ago, we're dedicated to transforming the health of our community, one person at a time. Today, Health Net's 2,600 employees and 90,000 network providers serve 3 million members. That's nearly 1 in 12 Californians. We provide health plans for individuals, families, businesses of every size and people who qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare  Coverage for Every Stage of Life. Health Net also offers access to substance abuse programs, behavioral health services, employee assistance programs and managed health care products related to prescription drugs. We offer these health plans and services through Health Net, LLC and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a Fortune 25 company that offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation. For more information, visit www.HealthNet.com.

SOURCE Health Net
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest market research report published by P&S Intelligence, the size of the next-generation antibody therapeutics market was about $5,620 million in 2021, which will reach about $15,309 million by 2030, at a growth rate of 12%.

Oncology Category Leading the Way

Oncology had the larger share, of about 80%, in the past, and it will demonstrate a growth rate of approximately 13%, in the near future. This is due to the increasing occurrence of breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and brain cancer.

AntibodyDrug Conjugate Demand Will Grow Fastest

ADCs had the largest revenue share in 2021, and their revenue contribution will grow at a rate of around 12%. This is because of the high requirement for antibody-based cancer therapy, in part, due to the increasing occurrence of breast cancer and technical progressions in oncologic therapy.

The acceptance of the cleavable linker technology will provide momentous growth prospects to the category because of its high constancy in the bloodstream for a long period and the effective discharge of cytotoxins from ADCs at the tumor site.

Additionally, the surge in the pharma investment by private and public organizations, for producing novel ADCs, will drive the industry in the coming years.

Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/next-generation-antibody-market/report-sample

Moreover, recently, there has been an increase in the occurrence of multiple myeloma globally, driving the requirement for ADCs. Furthermore, the initiatives by federal agencies for supporting these therapeutic candidates will boost the proceeds for biopharma and pharma firms.

North America has the highest revenue, of approximately $2.5 billion , because of the increase in the funds for R&D by private and government institutions. This is essentially due to the rising incidence of chronic diseases, which create a high demand for novel solutions.

has the highest revenue, of approximately , because of the increase in the funds for R&D by private and government institutions. This is essentially due to the rising incidence of chronic diseases, which create a high demand for novel solutions. The U.S., followed by Canada , will dominate the industry in the future, driven by the growing per capita healthcare spending.

, will dominate the industry in the future, driven by the growing per capita healthcare spending. The presence of key players, increase in the approvals for next-gen antibody therapeutics, and existence of notable research facilities drive the growth of the industry.

APAC will have the highest growth rate, of approximately 13%, in the future, chiefly credited to the increasing count of partnerships among the prominent players.

Europe also had a prominent share in 2021, because of the growing funding in biotech. This has brought about the high acceptance of next-gen antibody therapeutics for lasting inflammatory and autoimmune ailments.

Browse detailed report on Global Next-Generation Antibody Therapeutics Market Size, Share and Growth Forecast Report, 2030

ADCs To Revolutionize Cancer Treatment?

The ADC technology is becoming popular, as the cytotoxic nature of antibodies is potentially beneficial in chemotherapy. This property is articulated and its effectiveness and specificity are controlled by these conjugates. Because of the high competence delivered by ADCs, pharma and biotech companies are progressively concentrating on their development.

Next-Generation Antibody Therapeutics Market Report Coverage

By Therapeutic Area

Oncology

Autoimmune/Inflammatory

By Technology

AntibodyDrug Conjugates (ADCs)

Bispecific Antibodies

Fc-Engineered Antibodies

Antibody Fragments and Antibody-Like Proteins

Biosimilar Antibody Products

Regional Analysis

North America

U.S.



Canada

Europe

Germany



U.K.



France



Italy



Spain

Asia-Pacific

China



India



Japan



Australia



South Korea

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico

Middle East and Africa

and Saudi Arabia



South Africa

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About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence provides market research and consulting services to a vast array of industries across the world. As an enterprising research and consulting company, P&S believes in providing thorough insights on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. P&S keeps the interest of its clients at heart, which is why the insights we provide are both honest and accurate. Our long list of satisfied clients includes entry-level firms as well as multi-million-dollar businesses and government agencies.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Phone: +1-347-960-6455

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com

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SOURCE P&S Intelligence
NOIDA, India, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Nicotine Patch Market is expected to witness a incremental growth of USD 400 million at a CAGR of around 7% from 2022-2028. The analysis has been segmented into Product (24-Hour Nicotine Patch and 16-Hour Nicotine Patch); Distribution Channel (Online and Offline); Region/Country.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/nicotine-patch-market/

The nicotine patch 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 nicotine patch market. The nicotine patch 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 nicotine patch market at the global and regional levels.

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Market Overview

A nicotine patch is a transdermal patch that is impregnated with nicotine. These patches release nicotine into the body through the skin which reduces the desire for tobacco. The nicotine patch market is growing on account of rising awareness regarding the benefits of using nicotine patches and an increase in the number of people who want to eliminate the urge to smoke and reduce tobacco consumption. For instance, according to the National Cancer Institute, in 2020, 53.9% of adult smokers attempted to quit smoking within the past year. Also, as per the Healthy People 2030 Target, the proportion of adult smokers (aged 18 years and older) who successfully quit smoking is increased to 10.2%.

The Nicotine Patch Market is expected to grow at a steady rate of around 7% during the projected timeframe. Factors such as an increase in the number of anti-smoking awareness programs by the government & other organizations, and the launch of innovative products 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 GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis AG, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Perrigo Company plc, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Cipla Health Ltd., Cigna, Habitrol, CVS Health Corp, Rusan Pharma Ltd.

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 healthcare industry and has transformed the way healthcare is delivered. The nicotine patch market has been moderately impacted during these times owing to increased awareness among the population to quit smoking and anti-smoking awareness programs by the government.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/nicotine-patch-market/

The global nicotine patch market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on the product, the nicotine patch market is segmented into 24-hour nicotine patch and 16-hour nicotine patch. The 24-hour nicotine patch segment accounted for a significant market share in 2020 and it is estimated that it will grow rapidly during the projected timeframe owing to rising demand for these patches in different variants such as 7mg, 14 mg, and 21 mg. Furthermore, the 24-hour nicotine patch are more effective than 16-hour nicotine patch in reducing the positive reinforcing dimension of smoking urges which is also driving the growth of this segment.

On the basis of distribution channels, the market is fragmented into online and offline. Among these, the offline segment held a significant share in the market in 2020. This is mainly due to the wide availability of nicotine patches in various retail chains and the increasing preference of smokers to buy them from retail stores. However, the online segment is expected to witness significant growth owing to the rise in the number of internet users globally and the buy-it-now attitude of users.

Have a Look at the Chapters - https://univdatos.com/report/nicotine-patch-market/

Nicotine patch 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

North America is anticipated to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. The major factors such as well-established healthcare infrastructure and the rising burden of diseases caused due to smoking such as lung diseases, cancer, stroke, and heart diseases, among others. For instance, according to the American Lung Association, almost 37 million Americans live with chronic lung diseases like asthma and COPD, which include emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Furthermore, an increase in government initiatives and the growing adoption of these patches are also driving the market.

The major players targeting the market include

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Novartis AG

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.

Perrigo Company plc

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.

Cipla Health Ltd.

Cigna

Habitrol

CVS Health Corp

Rusan Pharma Ltd.

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 Nicotine patch 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 nicotine patch market?

Which factors are influencing the nicotine patch market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the nicotine patch market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the nicotine patch market?

What are the demanding global regions of the nicotine patch 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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Nicotine Patch Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 7% Incremental Growth (2022-2028) USD 400 million Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Global Nicotine Path Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis AG, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Perrigo Company plc, Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Cipla Health Ltd., Cigna, Habitrol, CVS Health Corp, Rusan Pharma Ltd. 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 Product; By Distribution Channel; By Region/Country

About UnivDatos Market Insights

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SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
CEO and Executive Chairman Mark A. Smith to Discuss NioCorp's Proposed Scandium Production in Southeast Nebraska and Prospective Scandium Markets

Conference Also Features Panel Discussion with NioCorp, Rio Tinto, Project Blue, and Traxys

CENTENNIAL, Colo., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NioCorp Developments Ltd. ("NioCorp" or the "Company") (TSX:NB) (OTCQX:NIOBF) is pleased to announce that CEO and Executive Chairman Mark Smith will present on its Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project (the "Project") at the 2022 International Scandium Symposium, which will take place at the Westgate Resort Hotel in Las Vegas on Thursday, October 20, 2022.

The conference will feature presentations from NioCorp, Rio Tinto, and other prospective scandium producers from around the world. Information on the conference can be seen here: https://metalevents.com/events/international-scandium-symposium

Mr. Smith's presentation, entitled "Nebraska Scandium: American-Made and Climate-Smart," begins at 1 p.m. Eastern and will be followed by a question-and-answer period with the conference audience. Presentations at the conference will not be broadcast live but are expected to be made available for video replay.

A panel discussion also will be held at 2:45 p.m. Eastern on October 20th, featuring Mr. Smith; Wagner Oliveira, General Manager, Strategic Resource, Development and Mine Technical Services, Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium Canada; Nils Backeberg, Founder & Director, Project Blue, South Africa; and a representative from Traxys North America ("Traxys").

Subject to the receipt of necessary project financing and commencement of operations, the Project in southeast Nebraska positions the Company to emerge as a large prospective U.S. producer of scandium, with an estimated average production of 104 tonnes per year of Scandium over the Project's 38-year mine life.

NioCorp has executed a commercial sales agreement with Traxys for up to 120 tonnes of scandium trioxide over the first 10 years of operation of NioCorp's planned production, subject to the receipt of necessary project financing and commencement of operations at the Project. The NioCorpTraxys scandium contract is thought to be the largest single offtake agreement for scandium ever executed.

NioCorp is currently operating a demonstration plant in Quebec, Canada to test the technical feasibility of a simplified process for producing niobium, scandium, and titanium, as well as extracting and separating high-purity Neodymium-Praseodymium ("NdPr") Oxide, Dysprosium Oxide, and Terbium Oxide.

Qualified Persons

Scott Honan, M.Sc., SME-RM, COO of NioCorp Developments Ltd., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in the news release.

For More Information:

Jim Sims, Corporate Communications Officer, NioCorp Developments Ltd., 720-639-4650, [email protected]

@NioCorp $NB.TO $NIOBF $BR3 #Niobium #Scandium #rareearth #neodymium #dysprosium #terbium #ElkCreek #EV #electricvehicle

About NioCorp

NioCorp is developing a critical minerals project in Southeast Nebraska that will produce niobium, scandium, and titanium. The Company also is evaluating the potential to produce several rare earths from the Project. Niobium is used to produce specialty alloys as well as High Strength, Low Alloy ("HSLA") steel, which is a lighter, stronger steel used in automotive, structural, and pipeline applications. Scandium is a specialty metal that can be combined with Aluminum to make alloys with increased strength and improved corrosion resistance. Scandium is also a critical component of advanced solid oxide fuel cells. Titanium is used in various lightweight alloys and is a key component of pigments used in paper, paint and plastics and is also used for aerospace applications, armor, and medical implants. Magnetic rare earths, such as neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium are critical to the making of Neodymium-Iron-Boron ("NdFeB") magnets, which are used across a wide variety of defense and civilian applications.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this document may constitute forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements related to the Company's expectations that the Project will reach production stage if it is able to secure project financing, and its ability to produce its planned products commercially, including potential production of rare earths. Such forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause a change in such assumptions and the actual outcomes and estimates to be materially different from those estimated or anticipated future results, achievements or position expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause NioCorp's plans or prospects to change include risks related to NioCorp's ability to operate as a going concern; NioCorp's requirement of significant additional capital; NioCorp's limited operating history; NioCorp's history of losses; cost increases for NioCorp's exploration and, if warranted, development projects; a disruption in, or failure of, NioCorp's information technology systems, including those related to cybersecurity; equipment and supply shortages; current and future offtake agreements, joint ventures, and partnerships; NioCorp's ability to attract qualified management; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic or other global health crises on NioCorp's business plans, financial condition and liquidity; estimates of mineral resources and reserves; mineral exploration and production activities; feasibility study results; changes in demand for and price of commodities (such as fuel and electricity) and currencies; changes or disruptions in the securities markets; legislative, political or economic developments; the need to obtain permits and comply with laws and regulations and other regulatory requirements; the possibility that actual results of work may differ from projections/expectations or may not realize the perceived potential of NioCorp's projects; risks of accidents, equipment breakdowns, and labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in development programs; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, mining, or development activities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves and resources; claims on the title to NioCorp's properties; potential future litigation; NioCorp's lack of insurance covering all of NioCorp's operations; and the risks set forth in the Company's filings with the SEC at www.sec.gov. NioCorp disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE NioCorp Developments Ltd.
"821" Overlay Area Code Assigned to Northern Area of South Carolina

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Somos, Inc., a leading registry management and data solutions company, serving in its capacity as the Federal Communications Commission's neutral third-party North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), announced today that an additional area code, 821, has been assigned to overlay the existing 864 area code that serves the northern area of South Carolina. This includes the larger cities of Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson and other smaller communities.

The Public Service Commission of South Carolina approved an area code overlay on September 27, 2022, to ensure the availability of telephone numbering resources. The new 821 area code will cover the same geographic area as the 864 area code. All existing customers will retain the 864 area code and will not need to change their telephone numbers. Ten-digit local dialing will be required by all customers within the area covered by the 864 and new 821 area codes.

For more information on the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, visit the NANPA website here. For more information about area code relief planning, visit here.

About Somos, Inc.

As the world becomes more interconnected, Somos enables brands, consumers, and communities to communicate in an environment of greater trust and convenience. Somos is a global source of number administration, routing data, identity verification, and identity management services for the telecommunications ecosystem. As the trusted administrator of the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA), Toll-Free Numbering (TFNA), and the Reassigned Number Database (RNDA), we support over 1,400 service providers in North America and manage over 7 billion numbers to enable seamless communications between enterprises and consumers.

Through our portfolio of products and services, and a collaborative approach in everything we do, Somos helps ensure trust in an increasingly digital world while delivering value, innovation, and results to consumers. To learn more about Somos, please visit www.somos.com.

SOURCE Somos, Inc.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark , Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Novo Nordisk Foundation is expanding and extending its Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme, thereby enabling ambitious researchers in the natural and technical sciences and life sciences to boost their careers with a research stay at one of several top international universities.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation wants to give researchers in Denmark the opportunity to seek inspiration and acquire new knowledge and skills by supporting their research stays at top international research institutions. To facilitate this, the Foundation has just entered into strategic partnerships with several internationally leading research actors. This especially benefits the Foundation's Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme. A new programme budget of DKK 96 million over a 3-year period will boost the Programme while offering attractive fellowships with improved benefits and research opportunities at one of these top international universities.

The Foundation launched the Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme in 2015 through collaboration with Stanford Bio-X (USA). The fruitful experience has led to the expansion of the Programme, and the decision of the Foundation to establishing collaboration agreements with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, USA), the University of Oxford (United Kingdom) and the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel), in addition to Stanford Bio-X.

The purpose of the Programme is to boost the professional and personal development of talented researchers through 3 years of international experience and networking in a world-leading research community. In addition to the career-promoting aspect for the individual researcher, the Programme has the additional benefit that it facilitates the researcher's reintegration into the Danish research environment by supporting the fourth and final year of the project period at their affiliated university in Denmark and thus brings back innovation, networks and experience.

In addition, the Programme promotes building human bridges and valuable relationships between Danish and international universities. The new expansion builds on the success of the Programme so far.

Lene Oddershede, Senior Vice President, Natural & Technical Sciences, Novo Nordisk Foundation, says: "At the Novo Nordisk Foundation, we want to promote quality research and innovation at the highest international level and to bring novel research expertise to Denmark. We have had really good experience in sending young researchers to Stanford University, and we therefore want to expand the mobility opportunities with more top international universities. This is an investment in the growth layer of researchers in Denmark who will contribute positively to research and development in the future."

"Internationalisation leads to increased creativity and creates innovation and value in research communities in Denmark. However, young researchers can face practical challenges when travelling abroad; finances can especially be a barrier for researchers with families and children. We seek to remedy this by covering health insurance costs, both for the fellows and their family and for example, by subsidising childcare costs in the programme at MIT. Thus, pursuing the dream of obtaining international research experience at a leading university will become more attractive and realistic, also for young researchers with families," adds Lene Oddershede.

Innovative research communities

"The Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme will promote building bridges between Danish and international universities and thus help to lay the foundations for making it easier for researchers in Denmark to seek experience outside Denmark in the future, but also the other way around. Therefore, another ambition is that the Programme acts as a branding of Danish research," explains Mikkel Skovborg, Senior Vice President, Innovation, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

"Denmark has a long and proud tradition of world-class research, and although many research communities recognise this already, we think that a new initiative boosting researchers in Denmark will be of great benefit. We hope to pave the way for a future where even more meaningful exchange programmes can be established across national borders and researchers in Denmark can obtain access to innovative research communities abroad. This has been a key factor in deciding which universities the Foundation should include in the Programme," says Mikkel Skovborg, adding that:

"The four universities that are now part of the Programme are all internationally recognised for their high level of interdisciplinarity and for their innovative approach to research and development. This means that the grant recipients will be able to conduct research in an exceptionally educational and fruitful environment and hopefully achieve exciting new breakthroughs in their research."

An important aspect of the new version of the Programme is that, after the grant ends, the recipients can apply for a proof-of-concept grant that will enable them to exploit translation of their discovery or invention to eventual commercialisation in Denmark.

Selection criteria

Before applying for a Fellowship Programme grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

The applicant will have obtained a PhD within 5 years of the fellowship start date.

The applicant must have a solid education in the natural sciences, the technical sciences or the life sciences.

The applicant must have established contact with a faculty member at one of the four hosting universities, who has committed to being the primary research mentor for the duration of the fellowship.

The applicant must have had significant association to Denmark's educational system or a research community in Denmark , such as by having a graduated from a university in Denmark , and a clear intention of returning to Denmark after the stay abroad.

educational system or a research community in , such as by having a graduated from a university in , and a clear intention of returning to after the stay abroad. Applicants must confirm that a university in Denmark will host the researcher when they return to Denmark , which also entails employing the fellow during the grant period and administering the grant.

Read more about the application process here: Fellowships at MIT, Fellowships at Stanford Bio-X, Fellowships at University of Oxford and Fellowships at Weizmann Institute of Science.

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation

Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people's health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation's mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.

www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en

SOURCE Novo Holdings
The Super-Limited Rum Features French Oak Apple Brandy Cask Finish, Immersive Augmented Reality Experience, and Partnership with Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

KEY WEST, Fla., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Papa's Pilar Rum, the ultra-premium rum brand inspired by Ernest Hemingway, announces its 2022 Legacy Edition release, the second in its series of limited-quantity special bottlings.

Papa's Pilar's 2022 Legacy Edition release honors 70th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea Papa's Pilar's 2022 Legacy Edition release honors 70th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

Now officially available for pre-order, the 2022 Legacy Edition showcases Papa's Pilar's dedication to innovation both in and out of the barrel, and celebrates the 70th anniversary of the publishing of Hemingway's acclaimed literary masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea. The liquid inside the bottle consists of nine different rums from five sources - Barbados, Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela, Florida - which is then expertly finished in hand-selected French Oak Apple Brandy barrels.

"I'm inspired by Papa Hemingway daily and the 2022 Legacy Edition was a way for me to tap into that inspiration even further while celebrating his life's work and highlighting innovative rum finishing techniques," said Master Distiller Ron Call. "I hand-selected some of the most unique barrels for finishing: French Oak Apple Brandy casks. These brandy casks produce apple-forward characteristics, which is rare in rum. You'll also find notes of vanilla with a touch of honeysuckle and a dark rich honey finish. The result is a rum unlike anything you've tasted."

According to literary lore, The Old Man and the Sea was finished while Hemingway was aboard his beloved boat, the Pilar. To bring the novel to life for the anniversary and to pay homage to Hemingway's "Never a Spectator" spirit in an interactive way, the brand created an immersive AR experience that tells the story of The Old Man and the Sea narrated by artist and conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey , and shows Harvey's first-ever sketches, which were inspired by the book.

For every bottle (SRP: $102.99) sold, Papa's Pilar will donate $20 to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation , which supports reef conservation, restoration and education, a year-round effort for the rum brand. The bottle itself also serves as a keepsake, wrapped in genuine leather made to resemble the shape of the iconic WWII canteen bottle, and features a pocket on the back that includes a writer's notebook embossed with the "Never a Spectator" stamp, the motto of Papa's Pilar Rum. Attached to the side is a black and copper pen for rum and Hemingway enthusiasts to write about their own adventures, also made to match the copper details of the bottle.

Papa's Pilar 2022 Legacy Edition is now available for presale purchase at www.papaspilar.com/pages/legacy-edition-2022 . The release will become available in select retailers starting Tuesday, November 1. An Anniversary Bundle, which includes a bottle of the 2022 Legacy Edition, a copy of The Old Man and the Sea, and a branded ice sphere mold (SRP: $132.99) will also be available as of October 8 in limited quantities. For more information, visit the website or follow Papa's Pilar on Instagram @papaspilar.

About Papa's Pilar Rum

Papa's Pilar Rum is an ultra-premium rum brand whose blends are hand-selected and artfully blended by 7th generation Master Distiller Ron Call. All 3 of Papa's Pilar flagship rum offerings, the dark rum, blonde rum, and the sherry-finished rum, are molasses based and undergo a Solera blending process. The brand was created alongside the Hemingway family to celebrate his life as a captivating adventurer and his "Never a spectator" mindset. The Papa's Pilar Distillery is located in Key West, Florida where they offer tours, cocktail classes and rum tastings. The Hemingway family & Papa's Pilar Rum have collectively contributed millions of dollars to causes & communities that advance literacy, water conservation, reef restoration and other worthy initiatives that would make Papa proud.

SOURCE Papas Pilar Rum
Pennsylvania utility honored for innovative work in wooden pole inspections and helping to improve overall safety, reliability and efficiency

ALLENTOWN, Pa., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Electric Utilities is proud to announce it has won a pair of Achievement Awards from the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC). The awards recognize revolutionary innovations to PPL Electric's wooden utility pole inspection process and its application of a distribution settings automation tool that increases the safety, reliability and efficiency of its electric grid. Both awards were presented on October 6 at the 2022 AEIC annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Pictured (from left to right) are: PPL Electric Utilities Project Manager Eric Resch, PPL Electric Utilities Vice President of Distribution Operations Sal Salet and PPL Electric Utilities Support Engineer Arun Doodnauth.

"Becoming one of the top utilities in the country doesn't happen overnight," said PPL Electric Utilities President Steph Raymond. "It takes innovation and a questioning mindset. That's what allows us to continue to find new ways of doing things and breakthroughs in processes in non-traditional places. These awards are perfect examples of our continuous drive to innovate on behalf of our customers."

For researching and implementing a technological leap in wooden utility pole inspections, PPL Electric was awarded the AEIC President's Award, the organization's highest recognition. Using resistance drill-based wood pole inspection technology, PPL Electric ran three pilot programs to map the extent of the condition for external decay, then developed and tested a new drill bit design, along with software improvements, to automatically calculate the exterior and interior decay.

This comprehensive resistance drill-based inspection  which is unique to PPL Electric  has improved detection of pole failures and decay as well as reduced the cost and duration of inspections. What used to take a five-person crew a week to complete can now be accomplished in just two days with a two-person crew. The increased inspection efficiency allows PPL Electric to be more responsive to emergent needs and achieve annual inspection goals faster, more accurately, and at a lower cost.

PPL Electric also received an AEIC Achievement Award for its work in implementing an adaptive Distribution Protection Analysis Toolkit (DPAT) that automates processes and increases the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the electric grid.

Through a supported partnership, PPL Electric used Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) DPAT to create an automated system that develops and routinely checks settings on its distribution network. This enables the overall system to work more efficiently and helps avoid unnecessary disruptions in service that could be caused by incorrect settings.

In addition, the tool can identify gaps in settings, as well as in system design and configuration, to clear potential faults from the system. This helps prevent safety risks to employees, customers, and the public.

"AEIC is proud to recognize PPL Electric Utilities with two awards this year for projects that significantly improve utility operations in key areas," said AEIC CEO Steve Hauser. "Their unique approach to pole inspection leadership and innovation in power system analysis is improving operational efficiency exponentially."

PPL Electric Utilities delivers safe, reliable and affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in eastern and central Pennsylvania. It regularly ranks among the country's best utility companies for reliability and customer satisfaction. PPL Electric Utilities is a major employer and an active supporter of the communities it serves. It is a part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies. Visit pplelectric.com or connect on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for energy efficiency tips, bill help information, guidance on shopping for an electricity supplier, storm updates and more.

Founded by Thomas Edison and his associates in 1885, AEIC is the electric utility industry's longest-serving and preeminent association. Today, AEIC's members work closely together to share knowledge and provide guidance to the industry essential to achieving a modernized grid that delivers a secure energy future for all. To learn more about AEIC, its technical committees, and member companies, visit https://aeic.org/.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news and background about PPL Corporation.

Contact: For news media: Russ Hryvnak, 570-807-2229, [email protected]

PPL Electric Utilities

SOURCE PPL Electric Utilities
Latest release to Dataproc offers customers ability to discover and secure sensitive data sets across numerous GCP data services

FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Privacera, the only open-standards based data security governance leader founded by the creators of Apache Ranger, today announced native support for Dataproc. This integration allows users to define and enforce fine-grained level access control to Dataproc with Apache Hive, Apache Spark, and Presto. Privacera already natively integrates and supports a number of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services such as BigQuery and Google Cloud Storage. Privacera helps enterprise data teams protect sensitive data and enable privacy across all on-premise, hybrid and multi-cloud data sources while reducing time to insights by automating outdated, manual governance processes.

With the availability of Privacera's native integration to Dataproc, organizations will be able to accelerate their migration to GCP by securely managing data access policies across diverse on-premise and GCP data sources. This will significantly reduce the efforts around data migrations to the cloud through increased automation and consistent policy management, and the ability to ensure compliance through an open, consistent and proven standard.

For users of Apache Ranger who are looking to build new secure data applications in the cloud, with Privacera, they can now leverage the same security and governance capabilities that they are familiar with to more sources, at enterprise scale, and greater functionality, since Privacera is based on Apache Ranger open standards.

"Expanding the sources that we support and contributing to the Apache Ranger community increases the ability for our customers to leverage their existing investments in secure and consistent data access policies," said Privacera CEO Balaji Ganesan. "Our customers, including a large consumer credit reporting agency that uses GCP and Privacera as part of their modern data stack, can now extend their capabilities to discover and secure sensitive data sets across numerous GCP data services while migrating safely to the cloud."

Privacera offers Dataproc users the following extended privacy and governance capabilities:

Centralized management and enforcement of tag-based data access control policies across GCP and other cloud data services

Policies for fine-grained access controls for Apache Hive, Apache Spark,and Presto

Customizable, out-of-the-box compliance, audit, and governance reports for CCPA, GDPR, LGPD, HIPAA, RTBF, and more

Dynamic encryption, decryption, and masking (column masking and row filtering)

Broad integrations with identity management systems like corporate AD/LDAP, Okta, and SCIM

SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, enterprise-grade SaaS data access governance solution that can be configured in minutes

Hardened deployment of Apache Ranger with high-availability

Recently, Privacera announced fine-grained data access and privacy control for BigQuery.

For organizations interested in the latest data security innovations, sign up to keep pace.

To learn more about Privacera, request a demo .

About Privacera

Founded in 2016 by the creators of Apache Ranger, Privacera's SaaS-based data security and access governance platform enables data and security teams to simplify data access, security, and privacy for data applications and analytical workloads. The Privacera platform supports compliance with regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and HIPAA. Privacera provides a unified view and control for securing sensitive data across multiple cloud services such as AWS, Azure, Databricks, GCP, Snowflake, and Starburst. The Privacera platform is utilized by Fortune 500 customers across finance, insurance, life sciences, retail, media, and consumer industries, as well as government agencies to automate sensitive data discovery, mask sensitive data, and manage high-fidelity policies at petabyte scale on-premises and in the cloud.

SOURCE Privacera
Company Marks Fire Prevention Week with Best Practices for Safely Managing Impairments

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With National Fire Prevention Week taking place October 9-15 this year, insurance leader QBE North America is offering tips to help businesses prevent fires and mitigate losses if a fire does occur. Firefighters in the US respond to a fire every 23 seconds and a fire occurs in a structure at the rate of one every 65 seconds, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). With an increasing number of employees back to working in physical office spaces and places of business, it is critical business owners make fire safety and education a priority.

"Fires can be one of the most devastating events to happen to a business but being prepared can make all the difference in keeping people safe and minimizing potential damage," said Robert Tull, AVP Risk Solutions, QBE North America. "Companies have undergone significant challenges and changes over the last several years, making now a great time to revisit emergency processes and plans for events such as a fire."

One of the most vulnerable times for a business is when the fire protection or detection systems are impaired or shut down, as this severely diminishes the ability to withstand or contain a fire. In fact, from 2017-2019, working, automatic extinguishers were present in only 22 percent of fires in nonresidential buildings such as restaurants, office spaces and retail stores according to the U.S. Fire Administration, and only half did have working smoke alarm detectors. As such, properly managing and maintaining fire protection systems is vital to safeguard against catastrophic destruction. Maintaining these systems means planning for impairments or downtime during inspection and testing. Precautions should be taken to provide temporary protection, reduce hazards and ensure prompt restoration.

QBE's Risk Solutions team suggests business owners or managers take the following steps to help minimize the risk of fire occurrence and severity during system impairments:

BEFORE

Plan for an impairment to your system by performing a detailed risk assessment to spot vulnerabilities and ensuring any nearby hazards can be protected, contained or eliminated.

Confirm that you have the right materials  and staff  available before the impairment begins to shorten the length of the shutdown.

Notify key operations personnel, emergency response teams, local fire and rescue services and your remote alarm monitoring station as to when you're planning a shutdown period.

Hang 'Out of Service' tags on equipment that is, or will be, affected during this time.

DURING

Keep a watchful eye for fire hazards in or around the area where the fire control equipment is impaired.

Be sure employees and contractors understand that the fire control is impaired and prevent them from performing unnecessary hazardous activities. Halt hazardous production processes and prohibit 'hot work' in the area.

Work on the job continuously until completed, if possible. If it must be left overnight, ensure security patrols the area and other precautions are maintained.

AFTER IMPAIRMENT

When the impaired fire control equipment is restored, inspect the area and witness a performance test or sprinkler alarm test to verify that it has been properly returned to service.

Re-lock valves, reset control panels, and inform your remote monitoring station.

Remove the 'Out of Service' tags from functioning equipment.

Businesses should also check in with their insurer as soon as possible after an emergency or unplanned impairment, or in advance of a planned impairment. As part of its fire prevention toolkit, QBE offers a Guide to Fire Protection Impairment with helpful information and recommended steps, and Fire Safety Inspection Checklist, as performing routine fire safety inspections is an integral part of an effective fire prevention and control plan. QBE Risk Solutions also offers a variety of additional tools and tips to help businesses prevent fires in the workplace.

QBE North America's Risk Solutions teams are experts in risk and delivering loss prevention and loss protection services. Their focused commitment to service and technical acumen helps customers identify, evaluate, and reduce their potential for losses and business risk. By getting to know their customers, their business operations, priorities, and concerns, they can help deliver the best possible outcomes.

About QBE

QBE North America is a global insurance leader focused on helping customers solve unique risks, so they can focus on what matters most. Part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, QBE North America reported Gross Written Premiums in 2020 of $4.775 billion. QBE Insurance Group's 2020 results can be found at www.qbe.com.

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 27 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business through its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries.

The actual terms and coverage for all lines of business are subject to the language of the policies as issued. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found at www.qbe.com/us or follow QBE North America on LinkedIn and Twitter.

QBE makes no warranty, representation, or guarantee regarding the information herein or the suitability of these suggestions or information for any particular purpose. QBE hereby disclaims any and all liability concerning the information contained herein and the suggestions herein made. Moreover, it cannot be assumed that every acceptable risk transfer procedure is contained herein or that unusual or abnormal circumstances may not warrant or require further or additional risk transfer policies and/or procedures. The use of any of the information or suggestions described herein does not amend, modify, or supplement any insurance policy. Consult the actual policy or your agent for details about your coverage. QBE and the links logo are registered service marks of QBE Insurance Group Limited.  2021 QBE Holdings, Inc.

SOURCE QBE North America
BURNABY, BC, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Clio , the world's leading provider of cloud-based legal technology, today announced the winners of the sixth annual Reisman Awards . This year's recipients include Clio customers who have demonstrated law firm excellence and innovation over the last year.

Named for Clio's first customer, Catherine Reisman, an entrepreneurial attorney whose feedback helped shape the software, the Reisman Awards celebrate the legal industry's game changers, groundbreakers, and pioneers.

Clios annual awards program recognizes extraordinary customers for displaying excellence in their fields and making an impact in their communities (CNW Group/Clio)

"Since the launch of the Reisman Awards in 2017, we have been honored to hear the stories of Clio customers and how leveraging our platform bettered the lives of their clients, employees, and communities," said Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio. "This year's winners demonstrate a unique approach to delivering impactful legal services to their clients. They fully embrace innovation, and in doing so, expand what's possible in how we solve for better access to justice."

The 2022 Reisman Award recipients are:

Legal Innovation: Koenig|Dunne  Legal Innovation honors a practice that has successfully challenged industry norms, either through technology, delivery of legal services, or meeting the needs of a non-traditional market. Based in Omaha, Nebraska , Koenig|Dunne is 100% women-owned and dedicated to changing the legal experience for families in Nebraska who need the support of a divorce lawyer. Still, finances and lack of resources prevent their complete access to the justice system. Koenig|Dunne formed a committee of team members, met with representatives from Legal Aid and the Nebraska Volunteers Lawyer Project, and in 2019 built Untie Online, the first and only divorce service in Nebraska that provides education, information, resources, personalized legal documents, and attorney support, all at an affordable fee.

 Legal Innovation honors a practice that has successfully challenged industry norms, either through technology, delivery of legal services, or meeting the needs of a non-traditional market. Based in , Koenig|Dunne is 100% women-owned and dedicated to changing the legal experience for families in who need the support of a divorce lawyer. Still, finances and lack of resources prevent their complete access to the justice system. Koenig|Dunne formed a committee of team members, met with representatives from Legal Aid and the Nebraska Volunteers Lawyer Project, and in 2019 built Untie Online, the first and only divorce service in that provides education, information, resources, personalized legal documents, and attorney support, all at an affordable fee. Best New Law Firm: Rudder Law  Best New Law Firm honors a newcomer who has weathered the trials of entrepreneurship and come out on top. As a young Black lawyer, Andrew Rudder experienced the impact of systematic racism rooted in Canadian and American history. He took his fate into his own hands by starting his law firm, in January 2021 , around the same time he published his book, "Catastrophic Impairment Law in Canada ." Andrew started his firm not only to improve diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity in the legal profession but also for the freedom of building a company in his vision that reflects his beliefs, values, and fundamental principles.

 Best New Law Firm honors a newcomer who has weathered the trials of entrepreneurship and come out on top. As a young Black lawyer, experienced the impact of systematic racism rooted in Canadian and American history. He took his fate into his own hands by starting his law firm, in , around the same time he published his book, "Catastrophic Impairment Law in ." Andrew started his firm not only to improve diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity in the legal profession but also for the freedom of building a company in his vision that reflects his beliefs, values, and fundamental principles. Community Champion: Creedon Law PLLC  Community Champion honors firms that prioritize giving back to their communities, whether it be through pro bono work, donations, volunteering, mentorship, or another altruistic activity. Creedon Law PLLC - a legal team that builds and protects brands by providing experienced intellectual property and legal counsel - launched One Future Initiative (OFI), providing 5% of its gross revenue and 5% of its time to Good Works in its community. The firm's mission to inspire people to build one great future is keeping them on track to be the first Corp-certified law firm in Texas . Creedon Law PLLC also created the 501(c)(3) Creedon Foundation to help children pursue their passions  from the arts to sports. They provide both mentorship and financial assistance.

 Community Champion honors firms that prioritize giving back to their communities, whether it be through pro bono work, donations, volunteering, mentorship, or another altruistic activity. Creedon Law PLLC - a legal team that builds and protects brands by providing experienced intellectual property and legal counsel - launched One Future Initiative (OFI), providing 5% of its gross revenue and 5% of its time to Good Works in its community. The firm's mission to inspire people to build one great future is keeping them on track to be the first Corp-certified law firm in . Creedon Law PLLC also created the 501(c)(3) Creedon Foundation to help children pursue their passions  from the arts to sports. They provide both mentorship and financial assistance. Excellence in Client Service: The Daswani Law Co  Excellence in Client Service honors a practice that has successfully implemented a client-centered approach to running their firm that is better for their clients and their business. The Daswani Law Co focuses on serving businesses of all sizes in the Commercial Contracts and Intellectual Property space. Following a uniform process with clients, The Daswani Law Co always starts with a complimentary discovery call to determine the client's exact requirements and if its team is the best fit or not  providing a service that is thoughtful, supportive, and responsive. Beyond servicing, The Daswani Law Co also makes payment flexibility a priority, offering payment plans upon request to help clients spread the cost to alleviate the financial burden off their clients.

 Excellence in Client Service honors a practice that has successfully implemented a client-centered approach to running their firm that is better for their clients and their business. The Daswani Law Co focuses on serving businesses of all sizes in the Commercial Contracts and Intellectual Property space. Following a uniform process with clients, The Daswani Law Co always starts with a complimentary discovery call to determine the client's exact requirements and if its team is the best fit or not  providing a service that is thoughtful, supportive, and responsive. Beyond servicing, The Daswani Law Co also makes payment flexibility a priority, offering payment plans upon request to help clients spread the cost to alleviate the financial burden off their clients. Diversity and Inclusion: 402 Legal  Diversity and Inclusion, a new category in the Reisman Awards, recognizes firms driving diversity, inclusion, and the representation of marginalized communities in the legal profession. Sokpoh Law Group LLC has been a champion in the Nebraska community since its creation in 2011. It has represented hundreds of individuals in juvenile court and immigration proceedings at significantly reduced fees. Founding and managing partner Karine Sokpoh is an immigrant from Togo and has advocated for immigrants, refugees, and BIPOC in and out of court. She is also the founder and current President of the Midlands African Chamber, Inc., the only black chamber of commerce in the state of Nebraska. Sokpoh Law Group LLC supports its founder by sponsoring and providing legal services to the winners of the Pitch Black competitions, which provide opportunities for funding, mentoring, and connections to diverse entrepreneurs.

 Diversity and Inclusion, a new category in the Reisman Awards, recognizes firms driving diversity, inclusion, and the representation of marginalized communities in the legal profession. Sokpoh Law Group LLC has been a champion in the Nebraska community since its creation in 2011. It has represented hundreds of individuals in juvenile court and immigration proceedings at significantly reduced fees. Founding and managing partner Karine Sokpoh is an immigrant from Togo and has advocated for immigrants, refugees, and BIPOC in and out of court. She is also the founder and current President of the Midlands African Chamber, Inc., the only black chamber of commerce in the state of Nebraska. Sokpoh Law Group LLC supports its founder by sponsoring and providing legal services to the winners of the Pitch Black competitions, which provide opportunities for funding, mentoring, and connections to diverse entrepreneurs. Best Growth Story: Torrey Pines Law Group  Best Growth Story honors a practice that has seen success with Clio. Kevin Buckley founded Torrey Pines Law Group in 2013, an international patent attorney focusing on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and artificial intelligence innovations. Before the pandemic, Kevin's firm included only four people. However, since the firm's pivot in February 2020 in response to the impending pandemic, Torrey Pines Law Group has grown to include 22 patent attorneys, patent agents, business attorneys, FDA regulatory advisors, paralegals, and firm administrators.

 Best Growth Story honors a practice that has seen success with Clio. Kevin Buckley founded Torrey Pines Law Group in 2013, an international patent attorney focusing on biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and artificial intelligence innovations. Before the pandemic, Kevin's firm included only four people. However, since the firm's pivot in February 2020 in response to the impending pandemic, Torrey Pines Law Group has grown to include 22 patent attorneys, patent agents, business attorneys, FDA regulatory advisors, paralegals, and firm administrators. Legal Impact Award: Chartier & Nyamfukudza P.L.C.  Hand-picked by Reisman's panel of judges, this award celebrates law firms who embody Clio's mission of transforming the practice of law, for good. Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C. focuses solely on criminal defense and is passionate about ridding people of the stigma of being a felon or having a conviction. The firm works with two Innocence Project Clinics in Michigan, which helps exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals and provides legal services for those individuals on a pro-bono basis. In 2020 and 2021, Chartier & Nyamfukudza, P.L.C. achieved three exonerations, returning three individuals to their families after being wrongfully convicted. In addition to people, the firm also takes on "doggy death row" cases pro-bono, helping free dogs ordered to be euthanized due to being classified as dangerous.

To learn more about the Reisman Awards or to nominate your firm for the 2023 awards, visit clio.com/the-reismans/ .

About Clio

Clio is transforming the legal experience for all by creating the world's leading cloud-based technologies for law firmsto keep lawyers and their clients better connected throughout the legal process. Firms of all sizes and practice areas use Clio products Clio Manage , Clio Grow , and Lawyaw to manage firm operations, streamline billing and payments, automate legal documents, and improve client experiences. Following its US$250M Series D funding, led by TCV and JMI Equity, and its US$110M Series E investment, led by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and OMERS Growth Equity, Clio has made history by becoming the first legal practice management unicorn in the world. Learn more at clio.com.

SOURCE Clio
New Kelly Education report projects an educator talent gap of more than half a million and illuminates widespread concern among America's business leaders  as well as their support for solutions

TROY, Mich., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Without swift and substantive interventions to improve working conditions and attract qualified individuals to the profession, the educator talent gap in the U.S. could double by 2025, according to a report released today by Kelly Education, America's largest education staffing provider.

The 2022 Education Workforce Insights Report, the first of its kind from Kelly Education  a specialty business of global staffing firm Kelly  explores the myriad factors driving the national educator shortage, which encompasses growing vacancies for teachers and other critical school staff such as paraprofessionals, counselors, and mental health professionals. The report projects thatif current conditions are left unchecked and unchangedthe number of education-related job openings will swell to 854,000, while the average number of education-related hires will grow to just 336,000. That's a talent gap of 518,000 educatorsor one missing teacher or staff member for every 100 school-aged children.

91% of business leaders stated the educator shortage has already or will lead to a generation of unprepared workers. Tweet this

"America's education system is at a turning point. How we choose to respond will impact the success of students, their families, our communities, and our economy at large. Our report findings should serve as a major wakeup call for anyone who cares about our children's  and our country's  future," said Nicola Soares, president of Kelly Education. "The good news is, there is broad consensus around solutions that can improve the profession. Addressing the educator shortage is everyone's responsibility, and this report offers a roadmap for popular measures that states and districts can take to ensure every child has the caring educators and resources they need for a bright future."

The report also includes the findings of a national survey of more than 2,000 business leaders across the country on their concerns about the educator shortage and support for solutions that can strengthen the talent pipeline and restore respect for the profession. The survey oversampled business leaders in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Florida  states with high demand for substitute teaching talent.

Key findings from the report include:

Without urgent and widespread intervention, the educator shortage will double by 2025. While national, real-time data of educator vacancies does not yet exist, the Kelly Education report includes an analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) to forecast how pronounced the educator talent gap will be, unless widespread and intentional policy and practice change is made. With two complete years of pandemic-era labor market data available, the Kelly Education report factors in the adverse impacts of the global health crisis on teacher and school staff attraction and retention. If the current trend of job openings versus hires in public education and education services continues, the educator talent gap will double from 2021 to 2025.

While national, real-time data of educator vacancies does not yet exist, the Kelly Education report includes an analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) to forecast how pronounced the educator talent gap will be, unless widespread and intentional policy and practice change is made. With two complete years of pandemic-era labor market data available, the Kelly Education report factors in the adverse impacts of the global health crisis on teacher and school staff attraction and retention. If the current trend of job openings versus hires in public education and education services continues, the educator talent gap will double from 2021 to 2025. America's business leaders are highly concerned about the educator shortage and its impacts on their current and future workforce. Almost all (96%) business leaders surveyed expressed concern about the projected educator shortage, with 75% saying they are moderately or extremely concerned about it. Additionally, more than 9 in 10 (91%) business leaders stated the educator shortage has already or will lead to a generation of unprepared workers within five years or sooner.

Almost all (96%) business leaders surveyed expressed concern about the projected educator shortage, with 75% saying they are moderately or extremely concerned about it. Additionally, more than 9 in 10 (91%) business leaders stated the educator shortage has already or will lead to a generation of unprepared workers within five years or sooner. Business leaders are calling for urgent action to address the educator shortage and the myriad factors influencing the talent gap. An overwhelming 86% of business leaders believe policymakers should act now to make the education profession more accessible, rewarding, and sustainable. Nearly half (48%) support increasing educator pay and benefits, and many are in favor of efforts to improve school culture and working conditions  including developing teacher residency programs and mentoring initiatives with veteran educators (47%), improving in-school mental and behavioral health services (43%), and creating a national tuition subsidy for prospective educators pursuing credentials in education (40%).

An overwhelming 86% of business leaders believe policymakers should act now to make the education profession more accessible, rewarding, and sustainable. Nearly half (48%) support increasing educator pay and benefits, and many are in favor of efforts to improve school culture and working conditions including developing teacher residency programs and mentoring initiatives with veteran educators (47%), improving in-school mental and behavioral health services (43%), and creating a national tuition subsidy for prospective educators pursuing credentials in education (40%). Business leaders want to be part of the solution to tackle the teacher and school staff shortage. More than three in four (78%) survey respondents said companies should contribute more towards comprehensive educator preparation. They also believe businesses can help offset wage issues by offering year-round discounts to educators (85% in favor), supporting affordable housing subsidies (81% in favor), and funding affordable housing to essential, public-sector employees such as educators (76% in favor).

To read the full report and additional insights, visit educationworkforceinsights.com.

About Kelly Education

Kelly Education powers the future of learning through customized workforce solutions, including hiring and recruiting, business management, professional development, academic, and social-emotional support across the full continuum of educationfrom early childhood, PK-12, special education, and therapeutic services to higher education, executive search, and beyond. Kelly Education is a business of Kelly, a global workforce solutions provider that's always asking what's next in the world of work. Learn more at kellyeducation.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Media Contact: Danielle Nixon, [email protected]

SOURCE Kelly Education
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert L. Doyle, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Trusted Healthcare Professional in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry field, acknowledging his professional excellence at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital.

Robert L. Doyle, MD

An established child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Doyle began his career in 1998. He maintained an active outpatient practice at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital while focusing on research. The doctor spent five years working with faculty and staff at Harvard University Health Services before changing direction to primarily inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry. He has extensive experience treating ADHD mood disorders and anxiety disorders as a clinical researcher in the Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Doyle is the Assistant Medical Director of the McLean-Franciscan Child and Adolescent Inpatient Program and works part-time as an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Doyle knew he wanted to be in the medical field from a young age. He first became a dentist and worked in the dental field for about four years when he decided to return to school and become a psychiatrist. He is passionate about his work and does research in many areas, including how inflammation affects the body.

In the early days of his academic career, Dr. Doyle graduated with his Bachelor of Science degrees in Microbiology and Zoology and a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Louisiana State University. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. He then received his Medical Degree from the Louisiana State University Medical Center and his Master of Arts degree in Humanities from the Louisiana State University Graduate School. Wanting to further his education, Dr. Doyle completed his residency in Psychiatry and his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in 1996 and 1998, respectively. Finally, he completed an additional fellowship in psychosomatic medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1999. The doctor is board-certified in psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). The ABPN is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to serving the professions of psychiatry and neurology.

Among his other roles, the doctor is on the Editorial Board of The International Journal of Immunology and Pharmacology, recently cited as one of Italy's top ten scientific journals. In his first two years of practice at Mass General and McLean Hospital, he was honored with three Mass General Brigham in Excellence Awards.

In addition to his medical and teaching excellence, Dr. Doyle also enjoys design, such as architecture and interior design.

For more information, visit www.mcleanhospital.org/profile/robert-doyle.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Abbott Laboratories ("Abbott" or the "Company") (NYSE: ABT). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Abbott and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On February 17, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") announced its investigation into four consumer complaints of infant illness related to powdered infant formula produced by Abbott in its Sturgis, Michigan facility. Among other things, the FDA indicated that it had already found several positive contamination results from onsite environmental samples for a bacteria linked to infant illnesses and death. The same day, Abbott recalled certain popular infant formula products manufactured in the Sturgis facility.

On this news, Abbott's stock price fell $3.79 per share, or 3.14%, to close at $116.79 per share on February 18, 2022.

On March 22, 2022, the FDA reported its findings that, among other things, Abbott had failed to establish adequate process controls for its infant formula related to the presence of microorganisms and to prevent environmental contamination.

On this news, Abbott's stock price fell $4.97 per share, or 4%, to close at $116.92 per share on March 23, 2022.

On April 22, 2022, a redacted copy of a whistleblower complaint sent to the FDA in October 2021 was made public, revealing, among other things, that previous issues with the Sturgis facility were known to Abbott's management far earlier.

On this news, Abbott's stock price fell $4.51 per share, or 3.8%, to close at $113.50 per share on April 29, 2022.

Then, on June 8, 2022, investors learned that, contrary to the Company's repeated denials, Abbott was aware of the whistleblower's formal allegations in early 2021, when it was reported that the FDA whistleblower had filed a complaint in February 2021 with the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety & Health Administration ("OSHA"), and that OSHA delivered that complaint to Abbott and the FDA during the same month.

On this news, Abbott's stock price fell $4.17 per share, or 3.5%, to close at $112.71 per share on June 9, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Barclays PLC (""Barclays" or the "Company") (NYSE: BCS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Barclays and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On March 28, 2022, Barclays announced that Barclays Bank PLC ("BBPLC") had issued approximately $15.2 billion in unregistered securities under an August 2019 shelf registration statement, that BBPLC would commence a rescission offer for those unregistered securities, and that Barclays expected the rescission losses to be approximately 450m.

On this news, Barclays' American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $0.96 per ADR, or 10.61%, to close at $8.09 per ADR on March 28, 2022.

Then, on July 28, 2022, Barclays issued interim financial results for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 and announced for the first time that BBPLC had also over-issued unregistered securities under a second BBPLC shelf registration statement. The July 28, 2022 financial results announcement also informed investors that Barclays had provisioned "1,592m [approximately $1.940 billion] (December 2021: 220m) related to the overissuance of structured notes and 165m [approximately $201 million] (December 2021: nil) related to liabilities that could be incurred arising out of ongoing discussions in respect of a potential SEC resolution."

On this news, Barclays' ADR price fell $0.41 per ADR, or 5.2%, to close at $7.48 per ADR on July 28, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
LONDON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SharpCloud, a powerful visual tool for strategic business alignment, today announced that it has become an Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) member. As a partner member, SharpCloud delivers data-driven visualization and collaboration solutions to ensure project-led enterprise companies can align project work to their long-term business goals. SharpCloud complements Oracle's Enterprise level project management product system (Oracle Primavera Cloud, Oracle Primavera P6 EPPM, Oracle Primavera Unifier, Oracle Aconex, Oracle Textura, Gateway, Primavera Analytics).

SharpCloud is a unique business alignment platform that supports both top-down and bottom-up decision-making discussions, through its ability to dynamically visualize cost and schedule information across multiple views so that users can see the relationships of their work to goals. SharpCloud provides a shared workspace that connects data and people and ensures a greater connection between strategy design and delivery.

Organizations around the world waste roughly $2 trillion a year due to the ineffective implementation of business strategy, according to PMI's 2018 Pulse of the Profession study.

"This PMI study supports our understanding that many organizations continue to have poor alignment between business goals and their in-progress project delivery schedule," said Sarim Khan, CEO, and Co-Founder of SharpCloud. "This is a huge issue for project-led organizations, where so much money and effort are just wasted. We can help Oracle Primavera customers quickly visualize and leverage the relationships and connections between their project data and business goals. This increased visibility allows them to see where they need to focus and the impact of their decisions and provides their leadership with a holistic view of the business."

"As an OPN member, SharpCloud adds the benefit of visualizing business goals that provide a natural strategic extension to the Oracle product suite," said Oracle's Dave Bullard, Senior Director Industry Innovation. "Being able to dynamically see the relationships across the different layers of a business, such as organizational goals and risks, etc., allows customers to analyze the different perspectives they need to consider in order to discuss alignment and make the right decisions."

Sarim says, "We are thrilled to be an OPN member and excited to help organizations draw connections to otherwise siloed areas of their business and better understand how their roadmap connects to the overall business direction and strategy. We want to be their go-to tool when they discuss alignment questions such as: Are we delivering against our organizational goals? Are we doing the right work? Do we know our major risks and are we dealing with them? That visibility alone is worth millions of dollars for large enterprise where projects can be worth tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars."

About SharpCloud

SharpCloud is visual business alignment software helping companies to visualize key information to inform strategic business decisions. Founded in 2012, SharpCloud has grown to service over 100 companies globally and has over 18,000 users.

Designed for decision-makers, the SharpCloud platform empowers you to view interdependencies, filter out the noise and prepare you with new insights before you take action, helping to visualize your business as a whole and keep activities and strategy aligned. Typical use cases include business road-mapping, innovation and portfolio management, and risk management.

Through smarter, more informed decisions, SharpCloud enables you to increase business agility, solve business challenges and innovate faster across the organization.

Learn more at www.sharpcloud.com or follow @SharpCloud

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle's products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program  an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partners.

Contact : Lou Troilo, US GM, M +1 610 909 1234, [email protected]

SOURCE SharpCloud Software Limited
PLEASANTON, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: SSD), an industry leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, announced today that it will report its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022 on Monday, October 24, 2022 at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. Karen Colonias, Simpson's Chief Executive Officer, and Brian Magstadt, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, will host a conference call that same day at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The call will be broadcast live over the Internet hosted on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at ir.simpsonmfg.com.

Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc.'s Third Quarter 2022 Conference Call Details

DATE: Monday, October 24, 2022



TIME: 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time

4:00 p.m. Central Time

5:00 p.m. Eastern Time



DIAL-IN: (877) 407-0792 (U.S. and Canada)

(201) 689-8263 (International)



CONFERENCE ID: 13733303



WEBCAST: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1573952&tp_key=bb5a74da29

For those unable to participate during the live broadcast, a replay of the call will also be available beginning that same day at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 7, 2022, by dialing (844) 512-2921 (U.S. and Canada) or (412) 317-6671 (International) and entering the conference ID: 13733303. The webcast will remain posted on the Investor Relations section of Simpson's website at ir.simpsonmfg.com for 90 days.

About Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc., headquartered in Pleasanton, California, through its subsidiaries, including Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc., designs, engineers and is a leading manufacturer of wood construction products, including connectors, truss plates, fastening systems, fasteners and shear walls, and concrete construction products, including adhesives, specialty chemicals, mechanical anchors, powder actuated tools and reinforcing fiber materials. The Company primarily supplies its building product solutions to both the residential and commercial markets in North America and Europe. The Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SSD."

CONTACT:

Addo Investor Relations

[email protected]

(310) 829-5400

SOURCE Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc.
SANTA FE, N.M., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys from leading fire litigation law firm Singleton Schreiber are pleased to announce an exciting partnership with Julio P. Garcia and Ambrosio E. Castellano Jr., of ADVISE Law Firm to better serve those impacted by the fires, particularly in Northern New Mexico.

Julio and Ambrosio are highly regarded for their legal work in New Mexico and building a client-centered law firm. Julio and Ambrosio have earned their reputation for exceeding client needs by putting their clients' first and embracing technological tools to deliver legal representation that is efficient, accessible, and affordable.

"Our main priority is to provide high-level legal representation to every client in New Mexico, and working with ADVISE Law Firm will allow us to do just that," said Gerald Singleton, Managing Partner of Singleton Schreiber. "From our work in the Hermits Peak Fire litigation, to all other personal injury and mass tort fire cases our firms handle, we look forward to obtaining top results for everyone we represent."

Julio P. Garcia has a wide range of experience representing clients in civil matters, which has aided in his overall vision for ADVISE. His vision stems from his journey through the legal industry over the past decade and his goal to ensure his clients are represented by a skillful attorney in, and out of, court.

Ambrosio E. Castellano Jr., brings a unique perspective to the variety of practice areas that he effectively handles that include various criminal and civil matters from his experience as a law clerk for the First Judicial District Attorney's Office, a probation and parole officer for the Department of Corrections, and private practice.

"Ambrosio and I were born, raised, and educated in Northern New Mexico and we are indebted to this community to give back and help. We believe that the community deserves the best representation to assist our people through this time. With Singleton Schreiber's expertise and experience, we are confident that this legal team is best suited to represent Northern NM to get the help it is entitled to receive," said attorney Julie P. Garcia of ADVISE Law Firm.

CONTACT:

Joe Marchelewski

[email protected]

SOURCE Singleton Schreiber
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The solar panels market size is expected to grow by USD 44.96 billion from 2021 to 2026. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will accelerate at a CAGR of 7.61% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. The increasing investments in the renewable energy sector are driving the solar panels market growth. However, factors such as the intermittent nature of solar power may challenge market growth.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Solar Panels Market 2022-2026

View a comprehensive report summary that describes the market size and forecast along with the research methodology. The FREE sample report is available in PDF format

Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Scope

The solar panels market report covers the following areas:

Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the solar panels market, including Adani Group, Antec Solar GmbH, Canadian Solar Inc., First Solar Inc., Flisom AG, Hanergy Holding Group Ltd., JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., Kaneka Corp., Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd, Risen Energy Co. Ltd., Shell plc, Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd, Soltecture GmbH, Suzhou Talesun Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd., Tesla Inc., Trina Solar Co. Ltd., Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd., and SoloPower Systems Inc.

Subscribe to our "Basic Plan" billed annually at USD 5000 that enables to download 5 and view 100 reports per month

Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Segmentation

End-user

Power Utilities: The power utilities segment will be the largest contributor to market growth during the forecast period. The installation of large-scale solar power plants is increasing. These plants help generate clean energy and reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, favorable solar policies and incentives are expected to fuel the growth of this segment during the forecast period.



Commercial



Residential

Type

Crystalline Panel



Thin-film Panel

Geography

APAC: APAC will account for 42% of the market's growth during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to factors such as increasing environmental concerns, supportive government regulations, growing energy demand, and a decline in the cost of solar PV. China , India , and Japan are the key countries for the solar panels market in APAC. Moreover, market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions.

, , and are the key countries for the solar panels market in APAC. Moreover, market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions.

Europe



North America



Middle East And Africa



South America

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a FREE PDF Sample Report

Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist solar panels market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the solar panels market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the solar panels market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of solar panels market vendors

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Solar Panels Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.61% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 44.96 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 7.2 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 42% Key consumer countries US, China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, and Italy Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Adani Group, Antec Solar GmbH, Canadian Solar Inc., First Solar Inc., Flisom AG, Hanergy Holding Group Ltd., JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., Kaneka Corp., Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd, Risen Energy Co. Ltd., Shell plc, Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd, Soltecture GmbH, Suzhou Talesun Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd., Tesla Inc., Trina Solar Co. Ltd., Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd., and SoloPower Systems Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse Utilities Market Reports

Table Of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 18: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 19: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 20: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 21: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 22: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 23: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 24: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by End-user

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 25: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 26: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 27: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 28: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

5.3 Power utilities - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 29: Chart on Power utilities - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Power utilities - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 31: Chart on Power utilities - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Power utilities - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 33: Chart on Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Commercial - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Commercial - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 37: Chart on Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Chart on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 41: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)

6 Market Segmentation by Type

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 42: Chart on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Type - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 44: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Comparison by Type

6.3 Crystalline panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 46: Chart on Crystalline panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Crystalline panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 48: Chart on Crystalline panel - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Crystalline panel - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.4 Thin-film panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 50: Chart on Thin-film panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Thin-film panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Chart on Thin-film panel - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Thin-film panel - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 54: Market opportunity by Type ($ billion)

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 55: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

8 Geographic Landscape

8.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 56: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

8.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 58: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 59: Data Table on Geographic comparison

8.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 60: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 62: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 64: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 65: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 66: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.5 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 68: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 70: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 72: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 74: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 76: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 78: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.8 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 80: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 82: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.9 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 84: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 85: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)



Exhibit 86: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 87: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.10 South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 88: Chart on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 89: Data Table on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 90: Chart on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 91: Data Table on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 92: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 93: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 94: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 95: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.12 Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 96: Chart on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 97: Data Table on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 98: Chart on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 99: Data Table on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.13 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 100: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 101: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ billion)

Exhibit 102: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 103: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

8.14 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 104: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 105: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

9.4 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 106: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

10.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 107: Overview on factors of disruption

10.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 108: Impact of key risks on business

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 109: Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 110: Matrix on vendor position and classification

11.3 Canadian Solar Inc.

Exhibit 111: Canadian Solar Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 112: Canadian Solar Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 113: Canadian Solar Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 114: Canadian Solar Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 115: Canadian Solar Inc. - Segment focus

11.4 First Solar Inc.

Exhibit 116: First Solar Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 117: First Solar Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 118: First Solar Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 119: First Solar Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 120: First Solar Inc. - Segment focus

11.5 JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 121: JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 122: JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 123: JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.6 JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 124: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 125: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 126: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 127: JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.7 Kaneka Corp.

Exhibit 128: Kaneka Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 129: Kaneka Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 130: Kaneka Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 131: Kaneka Corp. - Segment focus

11.8 Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd

Exhibit 132: Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd - Overview



Exhibit 133: Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd - Product / Service



Exhibit 134: Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd - Key offerings

11.9 Risen Energy Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 135: Risen Energy Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 136: Risen Energy Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 137: Risen Energy Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

11.10 Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd

Exhibit 138: Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd - Overview



Exhibit 139: Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd - Product / Service



Exhibit 140: Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd - Key offerings

11.11 Trina Solar Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 141: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 142: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 143: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 144: Trina Solar Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

11.12 Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 145: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 146: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 147: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 148: Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

12 Appendix

12.1 Scope of the report

12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 149: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 150: Exclusions checklist

12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 151: Currency conversion rates for US$

12.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 152: Research methodology



Exhibit 153: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 154: Information sources

12.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 155: 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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SOURCE Technavio
Increase in demand for drones and industry-specific solutions, and rise in spending to procure defense equipment globally, rise in adoption of autonomous aircraft, and increase in demand for air-to-air refueling are expected to drive the growth of the global special mission aircraft market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report titled, "Special Mission Aircraft Market by Application (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Command and Control, Communication and Navigation, Others), by Platform (Military Aviation, Commercial Aviation, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), by End-User (Defence, Commercial and Civil, Space), by Point of Sale (OEM, Aftermarket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". According to the report, the global special mission aircraft industry generated $15.3 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $26.5 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2022 to 2031.

Download FREE Report Sample (371 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/9605

Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities

Increase in demand for drones and industry-specific solutions, and rise in spending to procure defense equipment globally, rise in adoption of autonomous aircrafts, and increase in demand for air-to-air refueling are expected to drive the growth of the global special mission aircraft market. On the other hand, lack of skilled and trained personnel is expected to hinder the growth to some extent. However, extensive applications of mission-specific systems for conducting search-and-rescue, maritime patrol, medical evacuation, VIP transportation, and other duties are expected to create ample opportunities for the industry.

COVID-19 Scenario

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had harmed the global special mission aircraft market, owing to the occurrence of lockdowns in various countries across the globe.

Lockdown resulted in the closure of various manufacturing facilities, including aircraft manufacturing facilities, impacted the growth of the market.

In addition, all sorts of flight operations were canceled during the pandemic due to stringent social distancing restrictions imposed by the government.

Furthermore, shortage of raw materials due to trade ban further aggravated the impact on the market.

The military aviation segment to dominate

Based on platform, the military aviation segment held the largest market share in 2021, holding nearly three-fourths of the global special mission aircraft market. In addition, the same segment is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is mainly due to increase in use of special mission aircraft for tracking enemies, rescue missions, delivering supplies, and gathering intelligence data.

The intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) segment to lead the trail

Based on application, the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) segment held the largest market share in 2021, holding more than one-third of the global special mission aircraft market. In addition, the same segment is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period. This is mainly due to increased demand for the acquisition of surveillance aircraft due to factors such as drug trafficking and deep-sea piracy.

The defense segment to occupy a dominating share

Based on end-user, the defense segment held the largest market share in 2021, holding around three-fourths of the global special mission aircraft market. In addition, the same segment is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. This is because of increase in use of special mission aircraft in political and territorial disputes.

The OEM segment to dominate

Based on point of sale, the OEM segment held the largest market share in 2021, holding nearly three-fourths of the global special mission aircraft market. The growth of this segment is mainly due to increase in procurement of technologically advanced aircraft from military and commercial applications. The aftermarket segment, on the other hand, is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. This is mainly due to rise in upgradation and refurbishment activities of the special mission aircraft.

The Asia-Pacific region to occupy the lion's share

Based on region, the global special mission aircraft market across the Asia-Pacific region held the largest market share in 2021, holding more than one-third of the global market. In addition, the same segment is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period. The growth is because of surge in defense expenditure across various countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Interested to Procure the Data with Actionable Strategy & Insights? Inquire Before Buying - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/9605

Prominent Players of the Market

Elbit Systems Ltd.

BAE Systems

Bombardier Inc.

Dassault Aviation

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.

Leonardo S.p.A.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Saab SA

Textron Aviation

Tales Group

The Boeing Company

The report analyzes these key players in the global special mission aircraft market. These players have implemented key business strategies such as strategic expansion, new product launches, alliances, and joint ventures for enhancing market penetration and reinforcing their position in the industry. The report helps the target audience in determining the market performance, performance of each segment, product portfolio development in the market, and contributions made by each player to the market expansion.

Similar Reports We Have on Aerospace Industry:

More Electric Aircraft Market Expected to Reach $4.61 Billion, at 15.5% CAGR During 2022-2031

Helicopters Market Expected to Reach $39.87 Billion, at 7.3% CAGR During 2022-2031

Connected Aircraft Market Research Report 20212031

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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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Kelsey Hightower, Principal Engineer and Developer Advocate at Google, giving Opening Remarks; event will include hands-on workshops, keynotes, happy hours, and more

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Continuous Delivery Foundation (CDF), the open source software foundation that seeks to improve the world's capacity to deliver software with security and speed, today announced sixth annual Spinnaker Summit will be co-located with KubeCon NA and the CD Summit, being held in Detroit on October 24-25, 2022 .

Keynotes, talks and a Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) panel, moderated by Kelsey Hightower, are held on Monday, October 24. Workshops and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) on Tuesday, October 25.

Lower price one-day passes and academic discounts are now available. Virtual attendees can register for $25. To register now see: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/spinnaker-summit/register/

The sixth annual Spinnaker Summit will bring together a global community of software collaborators who support the open source, multi-cloud continuous delivery platform. Companies releasing hundreds of thousands of changes into production include industry-leading companies like Adobe, Airbnb, Cisco, Comcast, Grubhub, The Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase, Netflix, Salesforce, SAP, Sony PlayStation, Target, and Waze.

Special thanks to event sponsors Armory, OpsMx, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, and Salesforce.

"Spinnaker prides itself on its open governance and open communications with the incredible community that supports development. Come join us in Detroit  or join us virtually  and get involved. You'll find a welcoming environment, and many ways you can contribute," said Cameron Motevasselani, Chair of the Spinnaker Technical Oversight Committee and Technical Team Lead at Armory. "Looking forward to seeing you soon!"

"Spinnaker is a CD Foundation success story, and I look forward to participating in the robust debate that characterizes Spinnaker Summits every year," said Fatih Degirmenci, Continuous Delivery Foundation Executive Director. "If you're involved in application delivery, deployment, and management, you should attend the upcoming Spinnaker Summit."

Further news from Spinnaker

The Spinnaker OSS project is run by a group of appointed members and managed by the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC). A new TOC that absorbs the responsibilities of the Steering Committee has been formed. The TOC's new responsibilities include the continual shaping of the governance structure of Spinnaker to best serve the project's needs as well as the responsibility for the overall technical management of the project. New duties also include addressing questions or concerns from the community about project culture, structure, and clarifications of roles, responsibilities, and duties. As well as ratifying new Special Interest Groups (SIGs). TOC members from different companies are being announced as the next step in Spinnaker's efforts to provide open governance. For more information see: https://github.com/spinnaker/governance/blob/master/governance.md#technical-oversight-committee

To find out more information about the Spinnaker Summit and register today, see: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/spinnaker-summit/

Additional CD Foundation Resources

About the CD Foundation

The Continuous Delivery Foundation (CDF) seeks to improve the world's capacity to deliver software with security and speed. The CDF is a vendor-neutral organization that is establishing best practices of software delivery automation, propelling education and adoption of CD tools, and facilitating cross-pollination across emerging technologies. The CDF is home to many of the fastest-growing projects for CD, including Jenkins, Jenkins X, Tekton, and Spinnaker. The CDF is part of the Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization. For more information about the CDF, please visit https://cd.foundation .

About Spinnaker

Spinnaker is an open source, multi-cloud continuous delivery platform for releasing software changes with high velocity and confidence. Created at Netflix, it has been battle-tested in production by hundreds of teams over millions of deployments. It combines a powerful and flexible pipeline management system with integrations to the major cloud providers. Learn more at www.spinnaker.io

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage . Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact: Jesse Casman, [email protected]

SOURCE CD Foundation
Premiere IT Consulting and Recruiting Firm Unveils Peterson Tech Partners Global and Consulting Division, Offering Clients Expanded Recruitment Options and Software Solutions

CHICAGO, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Peterson Technology Partners (PTP), a premier IT consulting and recruiting firm, today announced a new Global and Consulting division to be led by Swadheen Sehgal, recently hired Chief Consulting Officer. This division will offer end-to-end, cutting-edge client solutions for enterprise projects and will help PTP's clients bring their recruitment practices into emerging markets to best support their talent needs. Sehgal will bring more than 25 years of experience to this role and will be responsible for PTP's client's digital integration, transformation, IT infrastructure, security and growth.

Swadheen Sehgal

"Swadheen has a clear vision of where we need to go as an organization and will help us build on strategies that are already in place," said Nick Shah, founder and chief executive officer of Peterson Tech Partners. "His years of defining and delivering IT solutions for multinational companies across the globe perfectly positions him for this role, and we're excited to see how he helps us reach the ambitious goals that we have for the future."

As Chief Consulting Officer of Peterson's Global and Consulting division, Sehgal will use PTP's extensive knowledge base to build unique and personalized client solutions, spanning artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, DevOps, AWS and Salesforce. He will work closely with organizational leaders and C-suite executives to define their IT needs and deploy strategies that will help them move their business objectives forward and focus some of Peterson's work on augmented and virtual reality.

Additionally, Sehgal will consult on building onsite and offshore teams, often from the ground up. This will allow PTP to provide their clients with even better, more technically sound, solutions.

"Peterson's leadership team has a deep understanding of the current market, and their clients, so they knew that now is the time to launch this new division,' said Swadheen Sehgal, newly hired chief consulting officer for Peterson Tech Partners. "This is a tremendous opportunity, and I'm thrilled to have been chosen to lead the charge - as Peterson continues to provide new services that enable their clients, and partners, to reach their highest potential through innovation and new recruiting practices."

PTP has offered IT recruiting solutions to Fortune 100 companies across the United States for the past 24 years. The company leverages the best of traditional recruiting practices, while also employing a proprietary AI-powered tool, called Gabi, that quickly identifies and vets top talent  helping their clients stay competitive in any job market.

For more information on Peterson Tech Partners and Peterson Tech Partners Global and Consulting division, visit https://www.ptechpartners.com/.

About Peterson Tech Partners

Peterson Tech Partners (PTP) is a premier IT consulting and recruiting firm that specializes in sourcing top talent in artificial intelligence, cloud, data science, cyber security, DevOps and others. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, PTP has over two decades of experience in providing staffing solutions for Fortune 100 companies and provides winning talent for the broad spectrum of IT projects. With proprietary AI-powered recruiting technology, and an expert team of recruiters, PTP addresses the most challenging staffing initiatives, and is strategically investing in new initiatives to continue to offer best-in-class solutions for their partners and clients.

Media Contact

Samantha Rubenstein

[email protected]

(650) 200-6110

SOURCE Peterson Technology Partners
ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson // Becker, PLLC is a nationwide products liability law firm with extensive experience representing victims of pressure cooker explosions. The firm has represented over 500 clients who have been severely burned by exploding pressure cookers designed and sold by numerous manufacturers.

Johnson//Becker filed this Complaint against manufacturer Sensio, Inc., on behalf of Terry Tatum, a resident of Clerburne, Texas alleging that a malfunctioning Bella Electric Pressure Cooker burned Ms. Tatum in October 2020.

According to the complaint, the Bella pressure cooker explosion was the result of the lid opening while still under pressure, sending its "scalding hot contents" onto Ms. Tatum. In its owner's manual, Bella claims its "safety locking lid" cannot be opened while the unit is still pressurized. A video on the Johnson//Becker website demonstrates how easily, and dangerously, this claim is proven to be untrue. Bella "pressure cookers possess defects that make them unreasonably dangerous for their intended use," according to the Complaint, and Sensio, Inc. "knew or should have known that its pressure cookers possessed defects that pose a serious safety risk."

This suit is filed by Adam J. Kress of Johnson // Becker, PLLC. Adam exclusively handles injury cases, with an emphasis on national products liability litigation, including cases involving burn injuries from defective products.

Questions about a Bella pressure cooker Lawsuit? Contact a Johnson//Becker lawyer today for a free case review.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective Bella Multicooker, you may want to speak with the lawyers at Johnson//Becker. We are filing new Bella pressure cooker lawsuits across the country, and you may be entitled to financial compensation for your defective pressure cooker injuries.

We offer a free case evaluation. To learn more about Johnson // Becker's product liability cases, or to arrange a free, no obligation case review, please visit Johnson // Becker at https://www.johnsonbecker.com/product-liability/pressure-cooker-lawsuit/, https://www.johnsonbecker.com/product-liability/bella-pressure-cooker-lawsuit/ or contact Johnson // Becker directly at (800) 279-6386.

SOURCE Johnson // Becker, PLLC
GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 15th, the 132nd Canton Fair will open with the theme of "connecting the domestic and international circulations". This session, over 35,000 enterprises are expected to participate in the virtual event featuring 16 different product categories and 50 exhibition sections. With its updated website enabling more efficient product search and various supplier-buyer matchmaking events, the 132nd Canton Fair will provide a smooth trading experience and better services for businesses around the globe.

Buyers can now find needed products in a more targeted manner due to search optimization, specifically an updated search algorithm. Also, thanks to the greater number of filtering options such as trade modes, export destinations, visitors can use the Fair's online platform with increased accuracy. New functions have been developed in instant communication; visitors can now send files and business cards in instant messaging for more convenient networking. The Fair has gone above and beyond to ensure that the website functionality, service, and activities help create a better experience for users.

In addition, the 132nd Canton Fair will organize well-designed and tailored events to allow more efficient buy and sell experience. Over 40 "Trade Bridge" Global Trade Promotion events aim to bridge large-scale multinational sourcing firms with Chinese suppliers of different industries, covering Canton Fair's key markets such as Belt and Road countries, RCEP members and top buyer source countries.

"Canton Fair gathers outstanding companies of different localities in China and facilitates trade matchmaking with global buyers, a premium platform for reciprocal cooperation of business communities around the world", said Michael Schumann, President of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA) said in the first "Trade Bridge" matchmaking event for new energy products in Germany.

In the meanwhile, "Discover Canton Fair with Bee and Honey" event featuring 8-10 product category, livestreamed in the Fair's social media, will bring buyers with virtual tours of multi-dimensioned product display, factory visit, explanations of manufacturing techniques, etc,. These supporting activities will showcase the progress China has made in the upgrading and transformation of foreign trade, and improve the productiveness of trade matchmaking for suppliers and buyers alike.

Only a few more days until the 132nd Canton Fair kicks off  make sure to take a few moments to sign up for what will be one of the best trade events of the year!

https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index?utm_source=rwyx#/foreign-email

SOURCE Canton Fair
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of World Mental Health Day, The glowmedia project , a nonprofit that educates teens, their families, and educators in an effort to reduce stigma, correct misconceptions, and reinforce the reality that mental health affects everyone, announces the special premiers of two new films written and directed by Angela Cohen of Charley Bear Productions.

Unimaginable: Amidst an unprecedented pandemic, teenagers faced a staggering rise in mental health issues and a precarious, uncertain future. This uplifting documentary provides surprising insights into the creative coping mechanisms of three socioeconomically and racially disparate teens during this period of isolation.

Two new short films addressing youth mental health to premier on October 12 in Silver Spring, MD Tweet this

There Can Be Light: With support from the deNovo Initiative, and filmed in collaboration with a high school in Los Angeles, There Can Be Light addresses teen suicide prevention and postvention. The script was workshopped by high school film class students, and reviewed by the school's team of psychologists and social workers.

We are partnering with EveryMind of Montgomery County on this premier event. Rachel Larkin, Director of Hotline Outreach and Partnerships, will participate on the post screening discussion panel, along with Angela Cohen, the films' director, and school psychologists and students. Mental health resources and information on the new 988 suicide and crisis lifeline will be available.

information for the special premiers

Marci Wiseman, of The deNovo Initiative states, "The deNovo Initiative is excited to support the films and work of the glowmedia project. Our teens are living in an unprecedented time, navigating situations and pressures with which the adults in their lives have little to no experience. Glowmedia's films provide a 21st century communication tool to address mental health issues with this vulnerable population."

ABOUT THE GLOWMEDIA PROJECT

With over 1 million views of its films, the glowmedia project educates youth, their families, and educators in an effort to reduce stigma, correct misconceptions, and reinforce the reality that mental health affects everyone.

ABOUT THE DENOVO INITIATIVE

The deNovo Initiative is a private foundation that supports filmmakers who challenge our preconceptions and use their films as catalysts to overcome political polarization, racism, anti-immigrant anger, ageism, ableism, and cultural divisions.

ABOUT CHARLEY BEAR PRODUCTIONS

The mission of Charley Bear Productions is to lead social change by telling unique and diverse stories showcasing the female voice.

CONTACT:

Amanda Russell Bradley

(757) 710-2449

SOURCE The glowmedia project
A One-of-a-kind Overwater Resort in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global hospitality group The Lux Collective and P Q Hai Quoc Joint Stock Company have signed a hotel management agreement to build a luxury overwater resort under the LUX* Resorts & Hotels brand on the island of Phu Quoc, Vietnam. Named LUXNAM* Phu Quoc, the resort is set in one of Asia's most sought-after destinations and is expected to open in late 2024.

The Lux Collective Signs First Southeast Asia Hotel Management Agreement in Vietnam

"We are honoured to partner with the P Q Hai Quoc Joint Stock Company to manage this new built overwater resort located on the remote Northern coast of Phu Quoc, which is adjacent to a UNESCO-listed Biosphere Reserve spanning over 314,000 square metres of flora and fauna, evergreen forest and dense mountain range. Inspired by the iconic Maldivian-style overwater resorts, this is a first for Vietnam and the region," said Mr Paul Jones, Chief Executive Officer of The Lux Collective.

"We are delighted to be the first strategic partner of The Lux Collective in Southeast Asia. Collaborating on the LUX* flagship luxury brand, we envision LUXNAM* Phu Quoc to become one of Southeast Asia's top luxury resort destinations with its unique overwater design and extraordinary experiences," said Mr Duy Tran, Chief Executive Officer of P Q Hai Quoc Joint Stock Company.

"We are proud to work with The Lux Collective on the stunning LUXNAM* Phu Quoc project. We are certain that this long-term strategic alliance will help to promote Phu Quoc - mapping it as the Maldives of Vietnam - among global travellers," said Mr Bao Vu, Chairman of P Q Hai Quoc Joint Stock Company.

One-of-a-kind in Asia, LUXNAM* Phu Quoc is an eye-catching overwater resort on a jungle-draped island off the coast of Vietnam. Tucked away between a pristine beach and tropical jungle, the dragon-shaped resort consists of two areas connected by a 4-kilometre long jetty over the lagoon.

An unexpected, modernist Maldivian-style resort, LUXNAM* Phu Quoc sits above the shallow waters and coral reefs of Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve. Its design inspiration originates from reimagined Vietnamese traditions with a minimalist twist.Building in harmony with nature and biodiversity, the Group's sustainability DNA is thoughtfully incorporated throughout the resort.

Overseeing panoramic seaviews, the 126-villa only resort includes 109 overwater villas (most with private pool), 13 beach pool villas, 2 penthouses and 2 beachfront pool mansions. Set overwater on stilts are intimate and private one- to five-bedroom villas and penthouses, exuding elegant comfort along with the personalised service that is a hallmark of LUX*. It will also feature restaurants with innovative world-class cuisine, spa, fitness centre, four swimming pools, a children's playground and other modern facilities and amenities. With a holistic approach to wellbeing and conscious travel, LUXNAM* Phu Quoc is set to define the new take on Vietnamese luxury for global travellers and in-the-know locals.

SOURCE The Lux Collective
SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the Chinese National Day holiday, "Qi Xiaomo", the first naked-eye 3D virtual human character created by Wuhan Windows Century Media Technology and Unilumin, appeared in Hanyang district of Wuhan City.

Unilumin had applied integrated particle fluid system and self-developed dynamic capture technology (UAction system) to complete the whole process from character setting, image creation, storyboard design, to three-dimensional production and rendering synthesis, successfully making an amazing appearance of "Qi Xiaomo". Named after the cultural connotation of "Qiyu", she is the first naked-eye 3D Metaverse virtual human character in China. As an ambassador of brand marketing and local culture spreading, "Qi Xiaomo" has great potential to promote the surrounding commercial development.

As the largest naked-eye 3D display in the whole region of Central China, "The Eyes of the Three Towns" has successfully become a new landmark in the business district. So far, the topic of it has soared in popularity on microblog and other platforms. Dozens of bloggers have uploaded relevant videos that were viewed tens of millions of times.

"We want to build a social, stylish and luxurious place in Hanyang District." The chairman of Wuhan Hanyang Investment and Development Group said that the naked-eye 3D display (Unilumin LED commercial display UfixII) could provide the traditional business district with a full sense of technology.

Nowadays, with the popularity of the Metaverse, the image production and promotion of digital virtual human has become a trend of the industry. The industry of digital Metaverse is expected to have a market scale of more than 270 billion yuan by 2030.

With the launch of the adorable cat and the girl "Qi Xiaomo", Unilumin will continue to expand the "digital virtual human Metaverse family" through continuously upgrading the technology of digital virtual human. In the future, Unilumin will present more wonderful visual effects, and deliver a fresh and intelligent way of life to the public.

Founded in 2004, Unilumin Group Co., Ltd was listed on the ShenZhen Stock Exchange in 2011. Unilumin has established R&D centers in China, Japan and the United States, expanding its sales and service networks to more than 160 countries around the world.

SOURCE Unilumin Group
The Silicon Valley-based children's coding program encourages students to participate in the Congressional App Challenge

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- theCoderSchool, a Silicon Valley-based children's coding and programming afterschool program, is challenging students nationwide to participate in the Congressional App Challenge (CAC), a district-specific competition for middle and high school students to submit original coding applications for a chance to attend a reception and science fair on Capitol Hill in early 2023.

theCoderSchool encourages its students to submit original apps to the Congressional App Challenge as part of its partnership with the competition sponsored by the U.S. Congress.

"theCoderSchool is committed to inspiring young people to learn coding as a way to boost their problem-solving and logic skills, and our partnership with the Congressional App Challenge helps encourage this," said Hansel Lynn, owner and co-founder of theCoderSchool. "This competition not only encourages future generations to develop these skills, but it also shows kids how practical applications can be used to solve real-world problems."

Every year, the CAC offers students across the United States the opportunity to create and submit their original apps for a chance to be recognized by their local U.S. House of Representative members and at the U.S. Capitol Building. Each district selects a winner who is invited to attend the House of Code reception and science fair.

Students can build projects in any programming language, on any platform, about a topic of their choice. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 1. The CAC contest started in 2015 and has inspired more than 40,000 students in all 50 states to code for Congress since its inception.

theCoderSchool has taught several winners over the past seven years. Winning apps have included a drone/Artificial Intelligence (AI) app to assist with social distancing, an app to make healthy food choices and a note-taking app for online learning, among others.

"The Congressional App Challenge is transforming how our Congress views computer science and STEM," Lynn said. "This competition allows our representatives to see how crucial coding and STEM skills are to boosting our economic prosperity, driving innovation and even protecting our nation from cyber-attacks. We consider the Challenge the premier competition of this kind and remain proud of our students' ongoing participation in this competition."

For more information on theCoderSchool's partnership with the CAC, visit https://www.thecoderschool.com/congressionalappchallenge/.

About theCoderSchool

Founded in 2014 and franchising since 2016, theCoderSchool, a Silicon Valley-based children's enterprise franchise, provides computer coding and programming lessons to children ages 6 to 18. Identified as one of Entrepreneur magazine's hottest post-pandemic brands, theCoderSchool has more than 50 schools operating in more than 15 states. It continues to expand its national footprint with several franchise locations in development in major U.S. markets. For more information, visit https://www.thecoderschool.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

865-977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE theCoderSchool
Los Angeles-based shoe company's golden brown ballet flat features foiled scales and sparks intense interest from Tieks fan base across the kingdoms

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Los Angeles-based shoemaker Tieks launched its Ember ballet flat, the company's second shoe in the House Gavrieli collection, which sparked extraordinary interest from its loyal fan base. The shoe is made of specially treated Italian leather, dyed, and coated with smooth foiled scales in a dark brown color with copper markings.

The shoe's whimsical backstory began in 2019 when House Gavrieli regaled fans with the legend of Drago - a mythical tale about the last surviving dragon. Tieks' Drago ballet flats - made of Italian leather dyed black as a raven's feathers and coated with smooth, foiled scales in shades of steel silver and hints of glacial blue - are inspired by this legend.

The fantastical tale of House Gavrieli continued when a mysterious chest appeared on the Tieks website. Tieks fans joined the countdown and watched their screens in suspense as the chest opened to reveal a dragon egg and the story of Ember - a prequel to the legend of Drago, when dragons were still a myth before House Gavrieli hatched the first known dragon of its kind. Ember Tieks are named for the smoldering embers that miraculously sustained the dragon egg through decades of battle after being stolen in a treasonous mutiny.

"We are glad to have come into possession of Ember. Ember offers another chance for our community to share their passion for Tieks and prove their alliance to House Gavrieli at the same time. We can't wait to see Ember Tieks spreading like wildfire," said Tieks CEO Kfir Gavrieli.

In early April 2022, a pair of one-of-a-kind dragon Tieks - in the same family as Drago and Ember - was available as part of a #TieksforUkraine auction to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees. In total, the auction raised upwards of $87,000 worth of funds - $6000 coming from the sale of the unreleased dragon Tieks - 100% of which went to World Central Kitchen's #ChefsforUkraine initiative, an on-the-ground organization providing millions of meals to families across eight border crossings including Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Hungary.

Ember Tieks sold out within the first three days of launching. Join the wait list on the Tieks website to be notified when Ember is restocked.

About Tieks:

Stylish, comfortable, durable, and foldable, Tieks are the most versatile flats in the world. Tieks is committed to women's empowerment and, through the Gavrieli Foundation, has become the largest individual lender in the world on Kiva, sending over $10,000,000 to women entrepreneurs living in poverty around the world.

SOURCE Tieks by Gavrieli
The online, fund-raising auction features one-of-a-kind items such as a vintage Volkswagen pick-up, an overnight stay at the Tillamook Creamery, and a year's worth of groceries  all to help support the future of farming

TILLAMOOK, Ore., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA)  a 113-year-old farmer-led and owned dairy co-operative  announced today its 2022 All For Farmers initiative. All For Farmers is devoted to preserving farmland, assisting farmers in financial need, and supporting the overall future of farming. Now in its third year, funds generated by the TCCA All For Farmers initiative have been used to help permanently protect more than 10,000 acres of farmland nationwide.

Tillamook County Creamery Association announces first-ever virtual ALL FOR FARMERS AUCTION featuring one-of-a-kind items such as a vintage Volkswagen pick-up, an overnight stay at the Tillamook Creamery, and a years worth of groceries  all to help support the future of farming. Tillamook County Creamery Association announces first-ever virtual ALL FOR FARMERS AUCTION featuring one-of-a-kind items such as a vintage Volkswagen pick-up, an overnight stay at the Tillamook Creamery, and a years worth of groceries  all to help support the future of farming. Tillamook County Creamery Association announces first-ever virtual ALL FOR FARMERS AUCTION featuring one-of-a-kind items such as a vintage Volkswagen pick-up, an overnight stay at the Tillamook Creamery, and a years worth of groceries  all to help support the future of farming.

The 2022 edition of All For Farmers will feature a one-of-a-kind virtual auction including a range of never-before-offered items and exclusive experiences. All proceeds from the auction will be donated directly to American Farmland Trust (AFT)  a national non-profit dedicated to preserving farmland and helping farmers thrive. The All For Farmers Auction bidding will open Wednesday, October 12 at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT on eBay and will close on Wednesday, October 19 at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT for these auction items:

Night at the Tillamook Creamery  Pack up the sleeping bags and pick 24 besties for an exclusive, first-time-ever overnight at the Creamery in the heart of Tillamook County near the beautiful Oregon Coast. TCCA will provide dinner, dessert, snacks, breakfast, and specially curated activities and swag for the whole crew. Opening bid: $1,500 .





 Pack up the sleeping bags and pick 24 besties for an exclusive, first-time-ever overnight at the Creamery in the heart of near the beautiful Oregon Coast. TCCA will provide dinner, dessert, snacks, breakfast, and specially curated activities and swag for the whole crew. Opening bid: . 1962 Volkswagen Type 2 Double Cab Tillamook-Branded Bus i  Turn heads when rolling through town in this one-of-a-kind restored, vintage VW pick-up  a retired member of the iconic TCCA "Yum Bus" fleet. Ideal for the auto enthusiast or those looking for a cute classic to cruise to the farmers market, this truck is sure to bring a smile to the streets. Opening bid: $20,000 .





 Turn heads when rolling through town in this one-of-a-kind restored, vintage VW pick-up  a retired member of the iconic TCCA "Yum Bus" fleet. Ideal for the auto enthusiast or those looking for a cute classic to cruise to the farmers market, this truck is sure to bring a smile to the streets. Opening bid: . Summer Weekend Stay at Maine's Turner Farm  A two-night stay for four at the Turner Farm Guest House in picturesque North Haven, Maine . This relaxing weekend away includes farm-to-table culinary experiences, exploring the nature preserve and scenic views, and private beach and dock access. Opening bid: $450 .





 A two-night stay for four at the Turner Farm Guest House in picturesque . This relaxing weekend away includes farm-to-table culinary experiences, exploring the nature preserve and scenic views, and private beach and dock access. Opening bid: . SMEG Fridge Stocked With Tillamook Cheddar  A true super fan needs a special fridge just for cheese. This Orange mini SMEG fridge is fully stocked and packed with 15 pounds of assorted Tillamook cheeses, just in time for the holidays ahead. Opening bid: $250 .





 A true super fan needs a special fridge just for cheese. This Orange mini SMEG fridge is fully stocked and packed with 15 pounds of assorted cheeses, just in time for the holidays ahead. Opening bid: . 2012 Maker's Reserve Mother Loaf  Aged for a decade, this 40-pound block is TCCA's longest-aged cheddar, and the sharpest, boldest, biggest block ever released. This one-of-a-kind Mother Loaf is the perfect secret weapon for everything from holiday hosting to decadent snacking. Opening bid: $150 .





 Aged for a decade, this 40-pound block is TCCA's longest-aged cheddar, and the sharpest, boldest, biggest block ever released. This one-of-a-kind Mother Loaf is the perfect secret weapon for everything from holiday hosting to decadent snacking. Opening bid: . A Year's Worth of Groceries from Giant Food  For food lovers in the mid-Atlantic: the chance to win a year's worth of groceries from Giant Food  you read that right. Auction item contains 52 gift cards with $100 value each that can be redeemed at any Giant Food store within Delaware , DC, Maryland , and Virginia . Opening bid: $500 .

The TCCA All For Farmers initiative benefits AFT and its Brighter Future Fund grant program. Since the Brighter Future Fund's creation in 2020, TCCA and AFT's partnership has generated $3.2 million for AFT efforts to support farmers from coast-to-coast through fund-raising efforts and direct corporate giving. In turn, the AFT Brighter Future Fund has helped 330 farmers in more than 44 states and Puerto Rico, including many that are under-served in agriculture, such as farmers of color, female, and LGBTQ+ farmers.

"As a farmer-owned co-op and a Certified B Corporation (B Corp), TCCA is dedicated to being a force for good in the world," said Jocelyn Bridson, Director of Environment & Community Impact at TCCA. "Doing right by the cows and farms, people and products, and for the community and the environment is not just about staying true to our core values, it's about supporting farms and underrepresented farmers across the country to do the same, for generations to come."

Visitors at the Tillamook Creamery can also support the initiative, with the option to round up and donate to AFT on every purchase made. Direct donations to the AFT Brighter Future Fund can also be made at AllForFarmers.com

"American Farmland Trust is grateful for the generous support from Tillamook and our brand partners," said Ryan Lauer, Director of Corporate Partnerships at AFT. "The proceeds from these fantastic auction items will enable marginalized farmers across the US to build resiliency, access land, and improve farm viability."

Auction items are available for viewing now at ebay.com/AllForFarmersAuction. To learn more about the issues that farmers face and to read stories about farmers who have been supported by the All For Farmers campaign and the Brighter Future Fund, visit AllForFarmers.com.

About Tillamook County Creamery Association

Founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) recently achieved the distinction as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp) and prides itself on its commitment to bringing to market the most consistent, best tasting, highest quality dairy products made in the most natural way possible. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves real food that makes them feel good every day, Tillamook produces internationally recognized, award-winning cheese as well as exceptional ice cream, butter, cream cheese spreads, yogurt and sour cream, made with unwavering values that never sacrifice or compromise quality for profit. TCCA is owned by a group of farming families, primarily based in Tillamook County, Oregon. TCCA operates production facilities in Tillamook and Boardman, Oregon and employs more than 900 people throughout the state. The Tillamook Creamery is the largest tourist attraction on the coast of Oregon and one of the most popular in the state, attracting more than one million visitors each year. For more information on TCCA and Tillamook, visit Tillamook.com.

About American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through its No Farms, No Food message. Since its founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and supported thousands of farm families. Learn more at https://farmland.org/.

i Purchase of the VW bus is subject to the winning bidder's execution of TCCA's Purchase Agreement and Bill of Sale, a copy of which will be available to view from the auction page.

Media Contact:

Jenna Faller, FleishmanHillard

[email protected]

SOURCE Tillamook County Creamery Association
The New York Family Office Forum, which begins tomorrow and continues until 6 pm on Wednesday 12 th October, takes place at the prestigious Harvard Club in New York City. The Tutors International team is certain to entertain their audience with their 30-minute presentation on the advantages of specialist private tutoring , which occurs in the ' Family (Office) Governance  Learn From Peers ' section of the day's informative programme. Each of the panel will draw on their personal and professional experience in private tutoring and will offer their ultra-high net-worth audience and peers an authoritative and illuminating insight into the advantages of high-end specialist private tuition.

More About the Tutors International Expert Panel

Adam Caller is an expert in private tutoring, an entrepreneur, and a highly respected education consultant. In 1999, he founded Tutors International, a world-class private tutoring company for UHNWIs that specialises in full-time residential private tuition.

A former schoolteacher, Adam has academic excellence at the heart of his company. This, combined with his entrepreneurial acumen, has earned Tutors International a reputation for skilfully merging superlative standards and educational innovation. From sourcing tutors for families living on superyachts, to founding micro-schools in the Puerto Rican mountains, Adam has the expertise to support the most unique requests to suit lifestyles and educational ambitions across a wide range of families.

Adam has extensive experience with students of all ages and backgrounds. He began teaching in 1987 while still an undergraduate at Glasgow University, before receiving his teaching qualification from the University of York in 1991. He has received specialist training in the non-medicinal management of dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder. Adam has also worked as a private tutor for prestigious families across Europe. His experience, insight and drive ensure that he is at the forefront of improving standards across the industry and a leading voice in education affairs globally.

To distinguish himself and his company, Adam is committed to delivering a level of personalised service that is unmatched by other private tutoring firms. A customised global search is conducted for every tutor according to the individual specifications of each Client.

Adam is highly sensitive to the educational and personal needs of children. Having worked for high-net-worth families himself, he is adept at building rapport with all stakeholders, garnering a thorough understanding of the unique aspects of UHNW living.

Victoria Gibbs is the COO at Tutors International. With a background in audit from PwC, Victoria joined the corporate team at Tutors International in 2011. She had a pivotal role in the structural transformation of the company and continues to facilitate its evolution as a growing enterprise. Within the company, she is known for her calm and measured approach to problem solving, her diplomatic skills and her continuous pursuit of knowledge.

As COO of Tutors International, Victoria is involved with a range of projects, from the tiny details of daily operations right up to company structure, mergers, and acquisitions. She is a natural connector-of-people, and a capable generalist with the ability to fulfil many different functions and specialities within the company.

Victoria is passionate about education and is a self-proclaimed life-long-learner. She completed her TEFL and TESOL qualifications (teaching English to speakers of other languages) during her gap year, where she also sailed in the Tall Ships Races and discovered a love of sailing. She speaks reasonable Swedish and is currently brushing up her French and Spanish skills.

She read Politics with European Studies at the University of Exeter. Victoria went on to study an MA in War and Society and was elected Vice President of the Post Graduate Guild of Students. She has most recently completed an MA in Education from the University of Bath.

Victoria's professional interests lie in the intersection between education and the future of work, with a particular focus on the role of educators in preparing children for remote working positions. She volunteers as a co-opted governor at her local primary school and serves as the honorary secretary for a local charity which combats homelessness.

Joanna Dunckley Phillips has worked with Tutors International for over 12 years, initially as a full-time tutor and, more recently, working on the corporate side in the role of Client Account Manager.

As a daughter of teachers, Joanna was brought up in an educationally conscious environment. She started tutoring mathematics and flute to her peers, aged 16, and has been teaching or learning ever since. She is fully fluent in French, Spanish and English.

Having studied Marine Sciences at Southampton University, and having completed a Maitrise in Oceanography at the Universite de Bordeaux, Joanna embarked upon several years of travelling, volunteering and working as a marine scientist and diving instructor in Indonesia, the Seychelles and Fiji before she settled into a career as an educator on a full-time basis.

Joanna finished her PGCE in London, where she focused on secondary mathematics. In addition to being a maths specialist, Joanna is highly experienced across all the sciences, as well as several languages. This all-roundedness has seen her teach a wide variety of subjects and students, all around the globe, most notably onboard a superyacht in the South Pacific, as well as two years in Mustique.

Joanna particularly enjoys teaching through practical experiences and travelling with her students to bring learning to life. She believes a well-rounded education is so much more than just what happens in the classroom.

Her wealth of experience, working closely with UHNW families and depth of understanding of the bespoke nature of each tutoring role, is now being directed toward ensuring the all-important match between the client family and their tutor.

Nathaniel Hannan is a private tutor and independent educational consultant who has served families spanning thirteen countries since 2006. Nathaniel specialises in delivering the full range of the USA high school curriculum as well as university-level instruction to only one student, full time, and has achieved particular success in transforming the educational experiences of students who have special educational needs. A true all-rounder, Nathaniel also prepares students for American standardised tests and assists them in achieving university admission.

Having graduated from both the University of Notre Dame and Oxford University, he began teaching in traditional classrooms in the Washington DC area at Trinity School and DeMatha High School before transitioning to private service. In the years since, his track record of building successful educational pathways for students has been recognised in the Financial Times, The Guardian, CNBC, NBC News, and numerous other media outlets.

Tutors International  Experts in Full-Time Residential Private Tuition

Tutors International is a special private tutoring company, with expertise in full-time private tuition for a clientele of high net-worth families. Unlike other tutoring companies, Tutors International conducts a customised global search for each Tutor, in accordance with each individual requirements of each Client. This exquisite attention to detail ensures that the private home tutor and the family are perfectly matched and that the ideal Tutor is working in each placement.

Tutors International also provides a unique service where an account manager is on hand to support Clients and Tutors for the duration of the contract, and often beyond. In fact, Tutors International provides the highest level of service of any tutoring company. Tutors International's approach honours traditional educational excellence through cutting edge and highly personalised relationships.

Specialising in high-quality personalised tuition, Tutors International has extensive experience placing superb private tutors in full-time positions. Whether Clients want a live-in Tutor, a full-time educator to work alongside mainstream education, or a home-school Tutor able to incorporate extra-curricular expertise, we will find the perfect Tutor for the student(s) and their family. From one-to-one tuition to cutting edge micro-schools, Tutors International recruits the best private tutor for the job. If needed, Tutors International has access to more specialist help, including a Harley Street educational psychologist.

Tutors International maintain that the perfect Tutor should provide and nurture academic brilliance, align with the family's values, and complement their lifestyle. As well as positions in traditional settings, Tutors International can source travelling tutors and yacht-based residencies.

Attending the Prestel & Partner Family Office Forum New York 2022

There's still time to secure a place at the Family Office Forum and benefit from Tutors International's experience and expertise in high-end private tuition. Should you wish to attend the conference, follow the instructions on page 10 of the 2022 conference agenda. Admission is free for Family Offices and UHNWIs.

About Tutors International

Tutors International provides an unparalleled private tutoring service that matches the right private home tutor with the right child, in order for the student to fully reach their personal potential and academic excellence. Delivering an international private tuition service for children of all ages at different points in their educational journeys, Tutors International is founded on a commitment to finding the perfect tutor to realise the specific goals and aspirations of each student. Tutors are available for residential full-time positions, after-school assistance, and home-schooling.

Founded in 1999 by Adam Caller, Tutors International is a private company based in Oxford, a city renowned for academic excellence. Our select clientele receives a personally tailored service, with discretion and confidentiality guaranteed.

Contact Details

Web: www.tutors-international.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 (0) 1865 435 135

Tutors International

Clarendon House

52 Cornmarket Street

Oxford

OX1 3HJ

UK

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SOURCE Tutors International
DUBLIN, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Final days to register for the "Today's U.S. Electric Power Industry, ISO Markets, Power Transactions, and Renewable Energy Resources" training course that has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

If you want to truly understand the U.S. electric power industry, this course is for you.

This in-depth program provides a comprehensive and clear explanation of the structure, function, and current status of today's U. S. electric power industry; the many industry topics listed below; and how PPAs and other power transactions are done.

Each part of this complex industry will be explained piece-by-piece, and then the pieces will be integrated so that you will leave the seminar with an understanding of "how it all fits together."

What You Will Learn

The structure and function of the electric service system, its terminology and units, and the properties of electricity.

How the North American power grid is structured, how it operates and what the different types of electric generation are.

How control areas, balancing authorities, spinning reserves, AGC and security constrained environmental economic dispatch work.

Who the key players in the industry are, and why the industry is so difficult to restructure.

How cost-of-service utility ratemaking and open access deregulated markets work, and why open access retail electricity markets are finally developing in states that permit them.

What ISOs, RTOs, ITCs and merchant transmission companies are, and how they operate.

What the smart grid, demand side management ("DSM"), distributed energy resources ("DER") and demand response ("DR") are, and how these forms of "virtual generation" and renewable energy resources are disrupting the U.S. power industry.

The opportunities and challenges associated with wind, solar and other renewables.

How ISO Day-Ahead energy auction markets operate in PJM, New York , Texas , California , MISO and other ISO areas;

, , , MISO and other ISO areas; What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is and why it is important; how Day-Ahead and Real Time LMP is applied in the ISO markets, and why FTRs, TCCs, CRRs, TCRs, virtual bids ("Incs & Decs") and convergence bidding are important to understand.

What capacity markets and resource adequacy are, and how this important issue relates to demand response, DER ,and demand side management and affects the integration of wind, solar and other renewables into the existing power grid.

An overview of Utility scale solar, rooftop solar, and net metering, and wind and other renewable energy resources.

What the Western Grid "Energy Imbalance Market" is, and why it is important to understand Community Choice Aggregators, the California "Duck Curve" and "FRAC-MOO."

Who Should Attend:

Among those who will benefit from this seminar include energy and electric power executives; attorneys; government regulators; traders & trading support staff; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants & auditors; plant operators; engineers; and corporate planners.

Types of companies that typically attend this program include energy producers and marketers; utilities; banks & financial houses; industrial companies; accounting, consulting & law firms; municipal utilities; government regulators and electric generators.

Key Topics Covered:

DAY 1

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc.

An overview of the electric service system, and how it works.

The structure and function of the North American power grid.

How control areas & balancing authorities operate, what spinning reserves are, and how the lights are kept on.

The pros and cons of different sources of electric generation ( coal, natural gas, nuclear, renewables ), and how they work.

How cost-of-service ratemaking and retail open access markets work

Why open access retail electricity markets are finally developing in states that permit them.

Who the various industry participants are and their roles.

Why restructuring today's power markets is such a complicated task.

The difference between ISOs, RTOs, ITCs and merchant transmission companies.

Why it is so difficult to build new high voltage power lines.

How ISO Day-Ahead energy energy auction markets operate in PJM, New York , Texas , California , MISO and other ISO areas.

, , , MISO and other ISO areas. What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why it is important.

How Day-Ahead and Real Time LMP applied and managed in the ISO markets.

Virtual bids ("Incs & Decs") and convergence bidding and what their purpose is.

Financial transmission rights ("FTRs"), congestion revenue rights ("CRRs"), TCCs, TCRs and TRs.

Forward capacity markets, resource adequacy and generation reserve margins.

DAY 2

Wind, utility scale solar, rooftop solar, community solar, and the net metering debate.

The opportunities, challenges and risks associated with wind, solar and other renewables.

The smart grid, demand side management ("DSM"), distributed energy resources ("DER") and demand response ("DR"), and why these assets are forms of "virtual" electric generation..

How wind, solar, DER, DSM, demand response and conservation are disrupting the U.S. power industry

The Western Grid "Energy Imbalance Market," The California "Duck Curve" and California's "FRAC-MOO."

"FRAC-MOO." The fundamentals of bilateral power transaction-units, concepts and terminology.

Common contract language used for bilateral power transactions.

Point-to-Point Firm, Network Firm, and Non-Firm transmission service, and how to buy transmission contracts on OASIS.

How to transport physical power using purchased transmission service and the purpose of NERC tags.

What "seller's choice" and "buyer's choice" are, and how forward "daisy chains" form at virtual trading hubs.

The difference between physical, scheduled and contract path power flows, and why power transactions have nothing to do with the flow of electrons.

How trading floors and futures exchanges help commercial players manage risk.

How and why physical power transactions are often "booked-out" and settled in cash.

How any why companies often move physical power financially causing it to 'jump' between regions.

An introduction to electricity cash settled futures, swaps, and CFDs, and how these products relate to ISO administered financial transmission rights (FTRs), congestion revenue rights (CRRs) and TCCs.

Detailed examples of how to execute wholesale and retail power marketing transactions both within and outside of an ISO area-- including commonly used contract language & NERC tags; how to manage price, LMP, basis, delivery, volumetric, intermittency and operational risks; and the importance of including NITS, TAC, UCAP, resource adequacy and ancillary service charges.

The difference between operating, economic, market and negotiated heat rates, and what the terms spark spread, dark spread and bark spread mean.

What "tolling deals" are, and how the powerful technique of heat-rate-linked power transactions can be used.

How a natural gas-fired generating plant is a call option on the spark spread, what "optionality" means, and a simple rule to use to optimize the economics of a natural gas or coal -fired merchant generating

For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dyhgzp

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

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SOURCE Research and Markets
ABU DHABI, UAE, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Venom Foundation has been registered as the first crypto foundation in the ADGM, with a license to operate a blockchain and issuing utility tokens. ADGM is known as a fintech oasis for investors and financial services firms around the globe. The next essential step of Venom Blockchain is to be announced in the upcoming month.

Venom blockchain has an asynchronous blockchain technology of dynamical sharding, that has made an unprecedented leap in blockchain technology development globally, bringing to the market boundless scalability, and higher security guarantees with decentralization.

Venom Foundation is leading among three core directions, such as Essential Infrastructure, Support of Inbound Projects, Developer-friendly Platform, each to offer novel solutions for solving earlier existing issues on the crypto market. Though, the most valuable feature for the MENA region market is the technology that enables major corporations and companies to conduct an easy and secure transition into Web3 globalization, managing the gross data transaction flows without faltering by increasing fees and transaction times.

Venom Foundation main priority to develop and support a self-sufficient blockchain ecosystem has already yielded significant results: non-custodial Wallet (VenomWallet mobile application and Desktop Browser Extension) with a Multisig accounts option and Ledger support, VenomScan (to keep everything transparent with access to transactions history), VenomBridge (allowing the interchain transactions to be made fast, while low price), VenomPools (to stake on Validator nodes), VenomGet (an easy gateway to Venom tokens), Web3.World (native decentralized exchange) has been built. Individual developers, companies, and government authorities will be able to engage Venom Foundation to establish new products such as NFT marketplace, Derivative Exchange, fiat-backed stablecoin, and many others to come with the potential to become a bridge toward wide adoption of CBDC in the UAE, other MENA countries and Global adoption in future. Subject to the relevant regulatory approvals, Venom Foundation will work with ecosystem participants to ensure that such products are offered in complaint manner within the trusted and well- regulated environment of ADGM."

Nowadays, MENA region entrepreneurs are considered the pioneers of the global crypto trends adoption, thus there is a vital need for companies to think of decentralized globalization of the data flows for businesses as well as governmental and social projects. Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Center in Abu Dhabi, has previously launched its framework to regulate spot crypto asset activities, including those undertaken by exchanges (MTF), custodians, and other intermediaries in ADGM. This follows the need to mitigate the full range of potential risks associated with crypto asset activities and shows that security is still the number one priority for the market trend itself. The Venom blockchain is an attractive project not only for visionaries, but there are also great specialists in the industry involved in its development and striving. Mustafa Kheriba, Dr. Kai-Uwe Steck, and Osman Sultan have become Foundation members and have given the project's team full support and their unique and unparalleled expertise.

Mustafa Kheriba is known as Executive Chairman and CEO of Iceberg Capital; Executive Chairman of VENOMEX, a multilateral trading facility and a custodian of digital assets that is fully licensed by the financial regulator of the ADGM, member of the Board of Directors of Mirabank, Australian Gulf Capital, Quantum Age Corporation; and Member of the Steering Committee Pathway 20 initiative and Dr. Kai-Uwe Steck is Swiss/German attorney at law, who runs Pontinova Circle investment group. Mustafa Kheriba was named as a top 50 Mena Fund Manager two years running and is well known for creating and building value within firms. He has held key positions across organizations in the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, KSA, and the UK; and was a member of the Board of Directors of several locally listed entities, whereas Dr. Kai's expertise in FinTech is backed by the network of Pontinova in Switzerland, the EU, and the UAE. Having both a live interest in the project's future, they also believe as veterans of this field that in the nearest future this project would become among the leading blockchain platforms due to its team's dedication to the constant updates for improvement and better usability.

Widely known across the MENA region, an influential figure and expert in the telecommunication field with 35 years of experience, DU Telecom ex-CEO, Osman Sultan has become the board adviser of the Venom Foundation. He forecasts that the industry needs to look for a blockchain platform that will be flexible enough to outreach and bridge different dimensions of the market actors through its customized service, he said  "All industries are currently going through a profound transformation, one that is enabled by the acceleration of capabilities offered by technology. The astonishing disruption induced by social networks is driven by the quest to find economically viable ecosystems. We should now focus on establishing the right platforms to allow the emergence of the new conversations needed for these ecosystems tackling the intersections between the technological, economical, and societal dimensions to make way for a more technologically efficient and humanly rewarding future during all these rapid changes."

The Venom blockchain is claimed to become a platform that will bring novel customized approaches to the market all over the Globe.

SOURCE Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vietnam Travel Airlines JSC (Vietravel Airlines), a member of Asia's leading travel & airline group, was honored to receive the international "Inspirational Brand Award" at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2022. Established at the end of 2019 with its first commercial flight on January 25, 2021, Vietravel Airlines is the leading new airline in the country and one of the fastest-growing airlines in the South-East Asia region.

Safe, efficient, and responsible corporate citizen

Vietravel Airlines Receives Prestigious Inspirational Brand Award at Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2022

Vietravel Corp has constantly strived to create and come up with solutions to operate safely, economically, and efficiently while bringing unique experiences to customers to enjoy tourism and culture in Vietnam. Vietravel Airlines has also been proud to be one of the pioneering businesses operating in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, including donating PPE to the Ministry of Health in Vietnam.

Today, the company has proudly been recognized by the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2022. The internationally prestigious award for leading entrepreneurs and businesses throughout the Asia Pacific region chose Vietravel Airlines in the 'Inspirational Brand Award' category. This recognition is awarded to brands with solid transformations, promoting sustainability and good values for the community. The award also recognizes the dedication and breakthrough of the Vietravel Airlines brand in the aviation and tourism market in Vietnam and the region.

Vietnam to the world

Vietravel Airlines has become synonymous with bringing cultural and tourist experiences to global travelers across the region in and out of Vietnam. Vietravel Airlines flights include in-flight spa services, snacks & drinks based on local culture, flight guides, etc., highly appreciated and supported by customers and partners with a consistently high flight occupancy rate. The company boasts over 92%, and the overall punctuality index reached over 93% in the top 3 airlines in Vietnam during the first nine months of 2022.

2022 is particularly special for Vietravel Airlines. For the first time, the airline has received two prestigious awards described as the 'Oscars' of the tourism and aviation industry in a row. These two awards included 'Asia's Leading New Airline' from the World Travel Awards (WTA) and 'World's Best Leisure Airlines' by SkyTrax, the latter widely considered the airline industry's highest honor.

Representative of Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards  Mr. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, said at the award ceremony, "Congratulations to Vietravel Airlines for completing the rigorous evaluation process and surpassing more than 200 other nominations to receive the Inspirational Brand Award. We appreciate the dedication and breakthrough of the new airline travel brand with many groundbreaking products and services imbued with cultural identity. We hope the airline will continue to promote creativity to fulfill its mission of inspiring tourism and accompanying community initiatives in the future."

On route to continued global expansion

Mr. Vu Duc Bien - General Director of Vietravel Airlines, shared, "The Inspirational Brand Award is the result of our daily efforts to overcome difficulties to fulfill the mission of a touring airline. The first in Vietnam was born in the context of the country and the world facing difficulties due to the epidemic. We will continue to promote and innovate in our role of connecting, creating and inspiring tourism."

By the end of 2022, Vietravel Airlines strives to increase the total number of routes to 26 (18 domestic and 8 international). The airline will expand its fleet to 12 aircraft by 2023, aiming to reach the milestone of 15 million domestic and international passengers in the next two years, following the development roadmap previously set out. At the same time, the airline continues to build aviation products and services full of cultural experiences combined with technology to bring the best travel experience to travelers.

About Vietravel Airlines

Vietravel Airlines (IATA code: VU) offers a multi-dimensional tourism ecosystem with a multimodal transport combining aviation and tourism. Backed by the largest travel group in Asia, Vietravel Corporation (UPCOM stock market: VTR), the airline operated its first commercial flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi in January 2021. Vietravel Airlines flies on domestic and international routes in Asia mainly Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore while doubling its A321 fleet in the next year.

Media Contact:

PR Department: [email protected]

SOURCE Vietravel Airlines
BEIJING, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 7, 2022, the Future China Global Forum 2022 was held in Singapore. Mr. Peng Shen, Founder and CEO of Waterdrop, attended the forum via video link and introduced the Company's operations in Singapore.

Initiated by Singapore's former prime minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew in 2010, the Future China Global Forum is an international exchange platform that gathers leaders and experts from political, industrial, business, and academic circles. Themed "Stability Amidst Turbulence", the 2022 session invited over 30 guest speakers, including celebrities like Lawrence Wong, Singapore's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Liu Shijin, Deputy Director of the Economic Affairs Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and Vice Chairman of China Development Research Foundation, Jia Qingguo, Director of the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding of Peking University, Danny Quah, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, and Li Shimo, founder, and executive partner of Chengwei Capital.

In terms of investment in Southeast Asia, Shen Peng said Waterdrop has been an active player in the Belt and Road Initiative by expanding its presence in the countries along the routes. In 2019, Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding raises donations through the Internet in collaboration with Singapore local charitable organizations to help people in need.

In 2022, Waterdrop decided to make Singapore an operating and management center for its operations under the Belt and Road Initiative, as Singapore has the geographical location, infrastructure, economic and cultural environment, and a talent pool ideal for Chinese companies to pursue global development.

Shen Peng said, "In their global move, Chinese enterprises should adjust operations to local conditions, and do what they are best at in a new market. Only by focusing on 'basic skills' can they serve local people well, win user recognition, build competitive edges and take roots locally."

About Waterdrop Inc.

Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) is a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact. Founded in 2016, with the comprehensive coverage of Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace and Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding, Waterdrop aims to bring insurance and healthcare service to billions through technology. For more information, please visit www.waterdrop-inc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Waterdrop's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Waterdrop's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Waterdrop does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Waterdrop Inc.
The Business Research Company's travel insurance market research report expands on key drivers, trends, and growth opportunities in the market.

LONDON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The rise in tourism is contributing to the growth of the travel insurance market. Travel insurance helps the tourism sector by providing financial help through certain packages that help travelers in medical emergencies, passport loss, flight cancellation, and misplaced or lost luggage. For instance, in 2019, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a Spain-based specialized agency, globally, 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals were recorded, a 4% increase compared to the previous year. Therefore, the rise in tourism is driving the growth of the travel insurance market.

The global travel insurance market size is expected to grow from $16.05 billion in 2021 to $18.81 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.2%. The global travel insurance market share is expected to grow to $32.61 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 14.7%.

Request a free sample of the Travel Insurance Market Report

Incorporation Of Advanced Technologies  A Key Trend In The Travel Insurance Market

The incorporation of advanced technologies is gaining popularity among the travel insurance market trends. Major companies operating in the travel insurance sector are focused on new technologies to strengthen their position in the market. For instance, in May 2019, ICICI Lombard, an India-based insurance company, introduced the artificial intelligence (AI)-based cashless claims settlement process. Through ICICI Lombard's AI-based cashless claims settlement, the complete claim authorization process has been automated. The company has utilized various algorithms using Cognitive Computing along with Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in this tech-enabled innovation.

Major Players In The Travel Insurance Market

Major players in the travel insurance market are Allianz SE, American Express Company, American International Group Inc., Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A, Atlas Travel Insurance, Aviva plc, Axa S.A., Bajaj Finserv Limited, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, Chubb Limited, Generali Group, Insure & Go Insurance Services Limited, MAPFRE, Prudential Financial Inc., Saga Plc, Seven Corners Inc., Crum & Forster, Travelex Insurance Services Inc., USI Affinity Inc., Zurich Insurance, and Arch Capital Group Ltd.

Travel Insurance Market Segmentation

The global travel insurance market is segmented -

1) By Type: Domestic, International

2) By Insurance Cover: Single-Trip Travel Insurance, Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance, Long-Stay Travel Insurance

3) By Coverage: Medical Expenses, Trip Cancellation, Trip Delay, Property Damage, Others

4) By End User: Senior Citizens, Corporate Travelers, Family Travelers, Education Travelers, Others

5) By Distribution Channel: Insurance Intermediaries, Insurance Companies, Banks, Insurance Brokers, Others

See more on the Travel Insurance Market Report

Check out similar market reports:

Travel Retail Global Market Report 2022  By Product Type (Perfume And Cosmetics, Wine And Spirit, Electronics, Luxury Goods, Food, Confectionery, And Catering, Tobacco, Others Products), By Channel (Airports, Cruise Lines, Border, Down Town And Hotel Shops, Railway Stations, Other Channels), By End Users (Children (Less Than 18 Years Old), Youth (18-30 Years Old), Middle-Aged (18-59 Years Old), The Elder (Greater Than 60 Years Old))  Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026

Travel Arrangement And Reservation Services Global Market Report 2022  By Type (Travel Agencies, Tour Operators, Convention And Visitors Bureaus), By Mode Of Travel (Domestic Travel, Foreign Travel), By Mode Of Booking (Online, Online)  Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026

Insurance Providers Global Market Report 2022  By Type (Life Insurance Providers, Property And Casualty Insurance Providers, Health And Medical Insurance Providers), By End User (Corporate, Individual), By Mode (Online, Offline)  Market Size, Trends, And Global Forecast 2022-2026

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SOURCE The Business Research Company
With the Announcement of their Merger Zwiesel Kristallglas AG and Fortessa Tableware Solutions, LLC Further Solidify their Nearly 20-year Partnership

ASHBURN, Va. and ZWIESEL, Germany, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The combined strengths of Zwiesel Glas & Fortessa Tableware Solutions create a unique presence within the tableware industry. With headquarters in Bavaria and Virginia, respectively, the group brings together their multiple existing businesses to achieve a new level of leadership in creating meaningful dining experiences.

Image Caption: Prof. Dr. Andreas Buske (left), CEO of Zwiesel Glas, and Scott Hamberger, CEO of Fortessa, announce the merger of their two companies. They toast the occasion with the anniversary glass series Journey. Photographer: Michael Weston Fortessa Tableware Solutions

As a global market leader in crystal glassware for upscale hotels & lifestyle retailers, Zwiesel Glas brings 150 years of glassmaking history to the group. Fortessa Tableware Solutions, a US-based tableware provider of dinnerware flatware and glassware, can be found in 80 percent of the North American 45 star hotels, in thousands of retail locations and online. Most recently the companies partnered on the launch of United Tables by Zwiesel to bring their comprehensive tabletop offering to the commercial foodservice market in Europe and the Middle East.

For Zwiesel Glas and Fortessa Tableware Solutions, the merger is a logical next step in their partnership. "We share a strong vision for our future: We want to be the worldwide brands for all moments that make life special," says Prof. Dr. Buske, CEO of Zwiesel Glas. "Through the merger, around 900 people will work in the future to turn this vision into a reality."

Fortessa's CEO, Scott Hamberger, adds, "That aside from the shared vision, the partnership brings promising economic opportunities. This is even more important in such challenging times as these. Together we can offer our customers, our companies, our brands and all the people who we work with strength and security into the future."

The existing companies Zwiesel Kristallglas AG and Fortessa Tableware Solutions will continue to operate independently in the future. Prof. Dr. Buske will continue to act as a member of the Management Board of Zwiesel Glas and as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Fortessa. Scott Hamberger will remain CEO of Fortessa and become Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Zwiesel Glas.

Jointly, both partners are doing their part to secure their global positioning as the go-to brands for glass and tableware that elevate everyday experiences.

ABOUT FORTESSA TABLEWARE SOLUTIONS: Fortessa Tableware Solutions believes some of the happiest memories are born around the table  shared stories, good food, and warm laughter. In 1993, the founders fell in love with European ceramics and began directly importing them to the U.S., building relationships and changing the way tableware products were distributed.

Today, FORTESSA dinnerware, flatware, and drinkware is proudly found in over 80% of 4 and 5 star hotels, in thousands of restaurants worldwide, in approximately 6,000 retail locations and 80 websites. The name FORTESSA  derived from the Italian word for strength, forte  reflects the pride in quality products and lasting relationships.

To learn more visit www.fortessa.com and follow us @fortessatableware on Instagram and LinkedIn.

ABOUT ZWIESEL GLAS: Zwiesel Glas is dedicated to the most discerning guests and the best hosts in the world. For 150 years, the company has been using the highest manufacturing and craftsmanship skills to create unique products that add a special touch to every table setting and are literally part of good taste around the world. In the anniversary year 2022, Zwiesel Glas was honored with several prestigious awards: the German Brand Award as "Winner" and "Special Mention" and the renewed selection as "World Market Leader Champion 2022" in the segment "Crystal Glass for Upscale Hotels and Restaurants".

Further information at www.zwiesel-glas.com

ABOUT UNITED TABLES BY ZWIESEL: Since April 2022, the extensive quality ranges of the Fortessa brand from the tableware and cutlery product categories and the wide range of crystal glassware series and table accessories of the Zwiesel Glas and Schott Zwiesel brands have been offered under the umbrella of the corporate brand United Tables by Zwiesel, thus combining the best of two worlds. With United Tables, the new food and beverage trends can be implemented in one go without the time-consuming search for suitable articles.

Further information at www.united-tables.de

SOURCE Fortessa Tableware Solutions
Algiers, Oct 10 : French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has arrived in Algiers for a two-day visit to boost cooperation with Algeria.

Leading a delegation of 16 senior officials, she held talks with her Algerian counterpart Ayman Benabderrahmane and laid a wreath of flowers before the Martyrs' Memorial to commemorate the victims of the Algerian War of Independence, which lasted from 1954 to 1962, Xinhua news agency reported.

Amid the ongoing international energy crisis, analysts say Borne's visit aims to boost cooperation between France and Algeria, notably in the gas field.

Her visit to Algeria came six weeks after the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in late August.
Madrid, Oct 10 : A man has been arrested after one person was killed and at least seven injured as a car drove into two terrace bars in the town of Gibraleon in the southwest of Spain.

Spanish Civil Guards confirmed they had arrested the man after the incident, Xinhua news agency reported.

Witnesses said that a car drove into the terraces and then fled at high speed.

Emergency services confirmed that one person had died and three people were taken to hospital by ambulance, with others also travelling to hospital by their own means.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation.
Vienna, Oct 10 : Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen was set to win a second term as he was projected to get over 50 per cent of the votes at the presidential election and thus avoid a run-off vote.

Projections from Austrian broadcaster ORF on Sunday night showed that Van der Bellen won more than 56 per cent of the votes in the election involving seven candidates, Xinhua news agency reported.

Van der Bellen's closest rival, Walter Rosenkranz from the Freedom Party of Austria, was expected to get around 18 per cent of the votes.

The 78-year-old will serve another six years as the Austrian President in his second term.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Sunday night congratulated Van der Bellen on his re-election on social media and said he looked forward to "continued good cooperation" with the Austrian President.

In December 2016, Van der Bellen beat Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer in a tight presidential race.

Austria's president traditionally plays a ceremonial role, but the president has the power to dissolve the National Council, the lower house of parliament, under the constitution.
Jerusalem, Oct 10 : The Israeli top court has overturned a ban preventing the Arab party of Balad from running in the country's parliamentary elections due on November 1.

The Supreme Court's nine-judge panel unanimously decided to cancel the decision by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Balad from running in the elections, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement released by the court that did not mention reasons for the decision.

On September 29, the Central Elections Committee, the body that authorizes parties and candidates ahead of votes and is made up of lawmakers from several political parties, voted nine-to-five to disqualify the Arab party.

Hassan Jabareen, general director of Adalah, an Israeli Arab rights group that petitioned the Supreme Court on behalf of Balad, said in a statement that the Central Elections Committee has tried to ban other Arab lists and candidates ahead of each of the election rounds over the past few years.

"The purpose of the moves by the committee is to incite against Arab political representatives and push them beyond the boundaries of legitimate political discourse," he said.

Arab citizens of Israel, which compose about 20 per cent of the country's population, are Palestinians who remained in the territory after Israel's Independence War in 1948.

The judges also overturned another decision by the Elections Committee, ruling that former lawmaker Amichai Chikli, who ran in 2021 with the Yamina party, could run in the upcoming elections with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party.

Chikli was ousted from Yamina, a pro-settler party headed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in April after he refused to vote for the coalition. About two months later the narrow coalition collapsed, triggering unprecedented fifth elections in fewer than four years.
Lucknow, Oct 10 : Three police personnel have been suspended in connection with the custodial death of a 30-year-old Dalit man in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district.

An FIR has been lodged against the three suspended cops and four other unidentified policemen on charges of murder and under relevant sections of the SC/ST Act based on the complaint filed by the victim's mother.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, superintendent of police, Radhanagar police station, Fatehpur, said that the victim, Satyendra Kumar, was picked up by cops on Saturday after his name surfaced in a probe related to a forgery case of 14 ATM cards.

On Sunday morning, cops rushed Kumar to the district hospital.

According to reports, his condition had deteriorated due to the alleged torture during interrogation. He succumbed to his wounds during treatment.

Subsequently, a panel of doctors conducted the post-mortem examination. Later in the day, the deceased was cremated in presence of police personnel.

The three cops who have been suspended for their alleged role in the man's killing are -- Sunil Singh, station in-charge of Radhanagar police station, sub-inspector Vikas Singh, and constable Devendra Yadav.

A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered into the incident.

Besides, the additional SP will conduct a separate investigation into the killing.

Meanwhile, Arvind Singh, elder brother of the victim, has alleged that the cops had demanded Rs 3 lakh in bribe in lieu of releasing his brother when he went to the police station on Saturday night to meet him.
Bareilly, Oct 10 : A Lucknow-based businessman was shot dead by the salesman at a petrol pump in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly disctrict on late Sunday night.

The business, Arvind Dwiwedi, 42, was returning to Lucknow from Moradabad with his friends when he stopped at the petrol pump in Kesarpur to get petrol.

The salesman at the petrol station refused to give petrol saying that it was past 11 p.m.

This led to an argument between the two during which the salesman whipped out a gun and shot the businessman in the chest and fled.

Dwiwedi was taken to the CHC where the doctors declared him brought dead.

Shubham Bajpai, who was accompanying the businessman, narrated the sequence of events to the police.

Circle Officer Gaurav Singh said that efforts are being made to arrest the salesman. He said that two persons had been detained in the case.
Lucknow, Oct 10 : At least 25 people have died in separate rain-related incidents across Uttar Pradesh till late on Sunday night.

Most of the deaths have been reported in cases of house collapse.

Water levels are rising in all major rivers in the state following uninterrupted rain during the past 48 hours.

The state met department has issued a warning of moderate to heavy rainfall on Monday in eastern, central parts of the state, Bundelkhand, Terai Belt and Rohilkhand areas.

District magistrates in Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Rampur and Meerut decided to close all schools till class 12 on Monday while Agra and Aligarh administrations have declared school holidays on Monday and Tuesday.

Nearly 400 villages in Balrampur district have been flooded and two persons were swept away after a boat capsized in Barhalganj in Gorakhpur.

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation has asked people to remain vigilant and advised people to avoid crowded places and dilapidated buildings.

Several districts have opened up helplines for people affected by rainfall related problems.
Wellington, Oct 10 : India's External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar, addressing the Indian community in New Zealand, said that there are possibilities for increased cooperation between the two nations in various sectors like business, digital and education.

"Stronger cooperation will ensure peace, prosperity and progress of our common region. Possibilities abound in business, digital, agriculture, education, skills, traditional medicine and maritime security domains," Jaishankar, wrapping up his first visit to New Zealand, tweeted.

While inaugurating the new Indian High Commission Chancery in Wellington on Sunday, the minister said that the relationship between both countries is "due for an update", and "due for refresh".

India is New Zealand's 11th largest two-way trading partner with total two-way trade valued at $1.80 billion during the year ending September 2020. Education and tourism are New Zealand's growth sectors with India.

The primary imports from India consists of logs and forestry products, wood pulp, wool and edible fruit & nuts. Indian exports to New Zealand mostly are pharmaceuticals/medications, precious metals and gems, textiles and motor vehicles and non-knitted apparel and accessories.

"The more sensible way of growing our relationship is really to play with each other's strengths. We must find ways for doing more business because, at the end of the day, business is good for any relationship. For once if there is a strong business foundation to a business relationship, that relationship is truly strong and steady," he said, inaugurating the new Indian High Commission Chancery in Wellington.

Several New Zealand companies such as Rakon, Glidepath and RML Engineering have taken the Indian government's invitation to "Make in India" and have invested towards establishing operations in the country, according to media reports.

"India is open for business, that we would like to see more of New Zealand, and there are areas where you have experiences, best practices and capabilities that make a big difference. And if those in some way be deployed in India, can be deployed through your own initiatives, partnerships with Indians and joint ventures it would be something that we would value and you will benefit from," Jaishankar said.

Earlier, while participating in the 'Vishwa Sadbhavana' event which was a part of the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame awards, Jaishankar said, "The love and respect for the Indian diaspora is now an important part of India's foreign policy." Indians make up five per cent of the New Zealand population. According to a Ministry of External Affairs report, there are 240,000 Indians residing in New Zealand, out of which there are 1.6 lakh people of Indian origin and 80,000 NRIs. Hindi is the fifth most spoken language in New Zealand.
Srinagar, Oct 10 : Two terrorists were killed in an overnight encounter in South Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said on Monday.

Confirming the development, the police said that an operation is currently underway in the district's Tangpawa area.

After receiving a tip-off about the presence of terrorists, a joint team of police and security forces cordoned off the area on Sunday night.
Seoul, Oct 10 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected an exercise of tactical nuclear operation units held in order to check and assess the "war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability" in response to recent joint military trainings by South Korea and the US, Pyongyang's state media said on Monday.

The drills were conducted from September 25 to October 9 while the South and the US were staging a large-scale combined naval exercise in the waters near the peninsula involving the nuclear-powered Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North's military staged "ballistic missile launching drills under the simulation of loading tactical nuclear warheads", Yonhap News Agency quoted the KCNA as saying.

It also held a series of live-fire "striking" exercises, including "super-large" caliber missile firing drills targeting major ports of its enemies on Sunday, with long-range artillery and aviation units mobilized.

The KCNA further said Kim made clear that he is not interested in talks with the US and South Korea, vowing to strengthen his regime's nuclear force.

"We have no content for dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so," Kim said, as Pyongyang's state-controlled media carried reports on his public activity for the first time in about a month.

The KCNA revealed that the North staged large-scale air-attack drills on Saturday, during which more than 150 warplanes took off simultaneously "for the first time in history".

Meanwhile, concerns were growing that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future, with the South's state intelligence agency saying that it may be slated for between October 16 and November 7.

The North conducted a string of key weapon tests, including the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan on October 4.

The US soon redeployed the aircraft carrier to the East Sea and had another round of joint naval trainings with South Korea and Japan.
Bengaluru, Oct 10 : The Karnataka Police have formed special teams to nab the doctor, who has gone absconding after misbehaving with a 19-year-old patient in Bengaluru, police said on Monday.

Dr Udedulla, who runs a clinic in Arundhatinagar near Chandra Layout, is the accused doctor. The teams are gathering clues about the accused doctor to nab him at the earliest considering the seriousness of the case.

Police said that the accused doctor is a resident of Pension Mohalla in Cottonpet locality in Bengaluru and a married man.

The girl had complained after when she visited the accused doctor for the treatment of stomach ache in the last week of September. "I went to the clinic with my mother on the night of September 28.

The doctor had touched me inappropriately. On September 29, when I visited for the second time, the accused doctor while giving glucose touched my cheek inappropriately. On September 30, I went to him with my brother.

The accused doctor sent him out and asked me to sleep on the bed in the clinic. He started sexually harassing me, I protested and started crying," the victim girl told police.

The Chandra Layout police in Bengaluru have booked an FIR against the accused Dr Udedulla. The victim had claimed that the accused doctor had sexually harassed her during the treatment and threatened her not to divulge the matter, police said.

The incident came to light when the victim refused to go to the accused doctor's clinic. When her family persisted to take her to the accused, she narrated her ordeal at the clinic to her parents.

The brothers of the victim then went to the clinic and confronted the doctor. They broke the furniture and damaged his clinic. The accused doctor then disappeared after the incident. Further investigation is on.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : Three persons were killed, including a 4-year-old girl and nine were rescued when a building collapsed in Central Delhi's Lahori Gate , said police on Monday.

The building collapsed on Sunday night due to heavy rainfall.

The Delhi Police have lodged an FIR under sections 304A, 336, 337 and 338 of the IPC.

A fire official said that it was a three-storey building. Initially, they got a call of roof collapse but when they reached the spot they found that the whole building had collapsed.

The fire department said that they received a call about the collapse in the Lahori Gate area at around 7.30 p.m. The caller said that the roof of a house had collapsed in the Frash khana area.

Initially, five fire engines were rushed to the spot and later on more fire engines were sent when they learnt that the entire building had fallen.

"Five persons who were trapped in the debris were fished out and were removed to the hospital. The rescue operation is still going on," said the official.

The local police also reached the spot and were assisting the fire fighters.

Later on four more persons were rescued from the debris and were sent to the hospital.

"Total nine persons were admitted to LNJP Hospital. Injured were identified as Amara (45), Nilofar (50), Mohd Imran (40), Sukhbir (34), Ankit (28), Ashok (40) and Sayaid Jishan (30). All are undergoing treatment," said the official.

The dead included a 4-year-old child, identified as Khusi, who was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : A businessman was shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Dwarka's Bindapura area here, police said on Monday.

A senior police official said that the incident occurred during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.

"At about 12:30 a.m, information regarding a firing incident was received at PS Bindapur. A team was sent to the spot which rushed the victim to a nearby government hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead," the official said.

The deceased was identified as Mohit Arora (32), a resident of Manas Kunj in Uttam Nagar.

Arora was returning home from his office on a two-wheeler, along with his brother, when he was attacked.

"Two bike-borne armed assailants came from the opposite side and waylaid them. One of them took out a weapon and fired at Arora," the official said.

A case under sections 302, 34 of IPCA read with sections 25/27 of Arms Act has been registered at PS Bindapur.

Multiple teams have been formed to nab the accused, police said.

"Nothing has been robbed in the incident. We are probing it from all angles. Also, the brother of deceased has categorically denied about getting any extortion demand," the official said.

Further probe in the matter is on.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 10 : Former Defence Minister A.K.Antony on Monday recalled Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had served in the same portfolio before him, as a far-sighted politician and statesman.

The SP patriarch passed away at the age of 82 this morning, his son and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tweeted.

"Even though Yadav was the Defence Minister for a brief period, none can forget his far sightedness as during every discussion on defence in Parliament, he had just one thing to say 'be wary of China', if not, it will be difficult to tackle. See how right he was," the country's longest serving Defence Minister said.

Even though Yadav - the only 'Netaji' in Uttar Pradesh was a few months elder to him, they always shared a very good relation like two brothers.

"His contribution to the country as Defence Minister will always be remembered as he used to give a lot of confidence and support to the forces," added Antony.

With regards to his role in national politics, he was always a force to reckon with and none could keep him out in any manner, as he was a very tall leader.

"With regards to his contribution to UP, it was he who was the key supporter to the backward communities and the minorities and his service to his state will always be remembered," added Antony.

Yadav, who was undergoing treatment at the Medanta hospital in Gurugram since August 22, had been on life support system for the past one week.
Chennai, Oct 10 : Central intelligence agencies and the elite 'Q' branch of the Tamil Nadu police are interrogating a 24-year-old Sri Lankan youth who swam to reach Dhanushkodi from Palk Strait on Sunday.

According to Tamil Nadu coastal police, Hassan Khan of Mannar district in Sri Lanka jumped into the sea at Palk Strait after the Sri Lankan navy fired at a boat illegally carrying him and five others to Indian shores. To dodge the bullets, he jumped into the water and swam to Dhanushkodi.

On reaching the shores of Ramanathapuram, the other passengers of the boat told the coastal police about Khan who had jumped into the sea. Coastal police on search found him in the sea and rescued him.

However, Central agencies are not clear on the actual motive of Khan and are questioning him. According to officers of the Tamil Nadu police, he had informed the officers that his parents lived in Puducherry and he had escaped to India to overcome the acute financial issues in the island nation.

The police and central agencies are verifying his statement and if found satisfactory, he would be lodged at the Mandapam rescue camp where 175 people who reached India after the crisis erupted in Sri Lanka are staying.

Police sources told IANS that with the LTTE trying to regroup, the agencies are skeptical of anyone who reaches Indian shores from Lanka and that if satisfactory answers are not provided, anyone who reaches Indian shores through illegal ferrying will be subjected to detailed interrogation.
Chennai, Oct 10 : The ultra-Tamil nationalist movement, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) is planning widespread protests across Tamil Nadu for the retrieval of 'Panchami' lands for the Dalits.

Party founder Seeman told IANS that the protests would be against the usurping of 12 lakh acres of Dalit land which was sanctioned by the British.

"Where has that 12 lakh acres of Dalit land donated by the British for the Dalit communities of Tamil Nadu gone?" The fiery leader also said that successive Dravidian governments of Tamil Nadu were responsible for the disappearance of the Panchami lands.

He said that massive protests will take place from next months, adding that he himself would also address each meeting on the issue.

Seeman further said that he wanted to know about the present situation of the committees set up by successive governments to study the loss of Dalit lands.

A senior leader of the party told IANS that the NTK has started focusing on issues and will not take up general issues.

NTK and Seeman are against the second airport in Chennai coming up at Parandur.
Hyderabad, Oct 10 : Five persons, including a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader, were killed in three separate road accidents in Telangana on Monday.

BJYM leader Satyanarayana Rao was killed when the car in which he was travelling overturned.

The accident occurred at Bokkalagutta in Mandamarri of Mancherial district.

Police said four persons lost their lives in two separate accidents on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

In the first, two men from Jharkhand were killed near Himayat Sagar.

Police said the accident occurred when a speeding car hit a motorbike. Both the men riding the bike died on the spot.

They were identified as Jitender Kumar (30) Kadeswar Goud (60). They were working for a security firm and were returning home from duty when the car hit their bike. The bodies shifted to Osmania Hospital for autopsy.

In another accident at L.B. Nagar, two youths were killed. The accident occurred at Hastinapuram when the motorbike they were riding hit the road divider. Both the youth died on the spot.

The deceased were identified as Harishwara Chary and Madhu, both aged 21.

In another incident on the outskirts of Hyderabad, six persons had a narrow escape when the car in which they were travelling suddenly caught fire.

The incident occurred at Pedda Amberpet in Rangareddy district.

All the six occupants managed to come out before the fire engulfed the vehicle. They were returning to Hyderabad from Visakhapatnam.
Ahmedabad, Oct 10 : The National Commission for Women (NCW) in a notice has asked AAP's Gujarat president Gopal Italia to appear before the commission on October 13 for a personal hearing.

The notice was issued in connection with Italia's old video clip in which he is using abusive words for the Prime Minister of India. The Commission took cognizance of this video on Sunday, after the clip was shared on Twitter by BJP leader Tajinder Bagga. The Commission in the notice stated, "The language used by Italia is language bias, misogynistic and extremely shameful, condemnable and unbecoming of you." Defending Italia, AAP Gujarat's co-incharge and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha on Monday morning said, "If Italia has committed any mistake, take action in accordance with law, but the fact is BJP has started feeling that it is losing ground in Gujarat, because Arvind Kejriwal and AAP's popularity is increasing every day, and the ruling party is not in a position to give satisfactory answers on core issues, and so to divert people's attention, it is pulling out old video clip to fix AAP leader in false case." BJP media coordinator Yagnesh Dave came down heavily on Italia alleging that this showed AAP and Italia's culture, "such a person does not have any right to live in India, who insults the Prime Minister of India," Dave said.
Bhopal, Oct 10 : A 50-year-old man, who runs a Madrasa in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district, has been booked for molesting a 15-year-old girl, police said on Monday.

His two sons were also booked for assaulting the girl's kin, when they went to complain about the matter.

The matter came to the fore on Sunday after the victim, along with her parents lodged a complaint against the madrasa owner accusing him of alleged molestation. In her complaint, the victim told the police that she had joined the madrasa one-and-a-half months back.

The man used to call the victim to a separate room of the building and touch her inappropriately. The victim told her parents about the incident, following which they went to the educational institute to enquire about it. However, the madrasa owner along with his two sons thrashed them following which they lodged a complaint in Chandan Nagar Police station in Indore on Sunday.

A Police official in Chandan Nagar Police station said around 15-20 girl children are enrolled in that particular madrasa. "The victim has lodged a complaint against the madrasa owner and two of his sons. While one of the accused has been detained, search for the other two is underway," police official said.

There are two separate cases - one related with molestation and other with thrashing. "On the basis of the victim's complaint, we have booked the madrasa owner under section 354 of IPC. As the subject pertaining to molestation of a minor girl, we are investigating the matter and action would be taken accordingly. In another case, one of the accused, who is the son of the madrasa owner, has been arrested for thrashing the victim's kin."
Greater Noida, Oct 10 : A teacher has been accused of beating a student to death in a private school in Gautam Buddha Nagar of Greater Noida and an FIR has been registered against the absconding accused.

According to information received from the police, the 12-year-old victim studied in class five at the Captain Sanwalia Public School located on the Bambawad-Mahavad road.

The accused teacher, Soren, had asked students to prepare a subject for a test on October 6.

The next day when the victim was unable to answer some questions, the accused teacher got angry after which he beat the boy mercilessly on his head and back, following which the latter fainted, said officials.

After being admitted to Naveen Hospital in Dadri, the victim was transferred to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, Delhi.

It was later revealed by the doctors that three veins of the boy's head ruptured due to the severe blows.

The victim was pronounced dead late Sunday evening.

A search is underway for the absconding teaher.
United Nations, Oct 10 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the deployment of an international specialised armed force in Haiti to help address the humanitarian crisis, said his spokesman.

The Secretary-General remains gravely concerned about the situation in Haiti, which is facing a cholera outbreak amid a dramatic deterioration in security that has paralyzed the country, Xinhua news agency quoted spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying in a statement.

As gangs controlled the strategically important Varreux fuel terminal in the capital of Port-au-Prince, critical services, including the distributions of potable water, food and medical supplies, are required to prevent the rapid spread of the disease, the statement said, noting that the priority is to save lives.

Guterres on Sunday submitted to the Security Council a letter with options for enhanced security support to Haiti, it added.

The UN chief calls on Haitian stakeholders to rise above their differences and to engage in a peaceful and inclusive dialogue as early as possible.

Since September, a group of powerful gangs have blocked the country's main Varreux fuel terminal, crippling its basic supplies like water and food.

Some hospitals have shut, while businesses and transport services stopped working in protest of destitution.

The Haitian government authorised Prime Minister Ariel Henry to request armed help due to "the risk of a major humanitarian crisis".

Civil unrest escalated since Henry announced an end to government fuel subsidies on September 11, which sent petrol and diesel prices skyrocketing.

Since then, protests and looting have intensified, with the capital, Port-au-Prince, at the heart of it.

Food aid warehouses have been targeted, with an estimated $5 million worth of food aid lost in repeated attacks, according to Haiti's UN envoy.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 10 : Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in Kerala gold smuggling case is all set to make some explosive revelations in her autobiography.

Her 'marriage' with M. Sivasankar -- top bureaucrat and powerful secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the role of Vijayan's daughter in making millions through Sprinklr data sale, and she (Suresh) being forced to give an audio statement that the state government had no role in the gold smuggling are all part of the autobiography.

Titled as 'Chathiyude Chakravyuhem (Padmavyuha of betrayal)' in Malayalam published by Trissur headquartered Current Books, is expected to hit the stands later this week. And. is certain to create another round of controversies for Vijayan in particular and his government in general.

The book contains the details of all that happened before and after the gold smuggling incident came out in the open.

One fresh revelation, which is coming out for the first time, is -- she claims that Sivasankar had tied the knot with her at a temple in Chennai.

While on an official trip to Chennai, both of them visited the temple in Chennai and he tied the knot with her there. She goes on to add that the 'mangalsutra' was there on her neck, when both she and Sivasankar were called in for questioning by the NIA, after she was arrested.

Even though most of all what she has revealed in the book has been mentioned on each occasion she met the media. One fresh information which is there in the book is when she states that there was no sexual advances made from any quarters, but, a former state Minister and a legislator who was a regular visitor to the UAE Consulate, where she worked, had invited her a few times to a hotel and all his chat messages are saved and have been seen by the probe agencies.

With the revelations in the book, the question that arises is now how will Vijayan be affected by this.

According to those in the know of things, the book will hit the stands, the day when Vijayan and his family will return from their European trip.
Colombo, Oct 10 : Russian flag carrier Aeroflot resumed commercial operations to Sri Lanka on Monday, the first time since June this year.

The first Aeroflot flight since June 4 landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport Monday morning with Russian tourists, reports Xinhua news agency.

Aeroflot had suspended its commercial flights to Colombo after Sri Lankan authorities detained its Airbus A330 jet with over 200 people on board over a commercial dispute with an Irish company.

The Russian House in Colombo said that Moscow is the main source market for Sri Lankan tourism and that the recommencement of the flights is a boost for the island nation's economy.

The Russian House said the relationship between the two nations will be further strengthened by the resumption of flights.

In protest against grounding the flight, the Russian Foreign Ministry had also summoned the Sri Lankan envoy in Moscow to express its strong objection.

The Aeroflot Airbus SU 289 landed at the Colombo airport on June 2 with 191 passengers and 13 crew members on board.

The plane was stopped from leaving for Moscow following a court order obtained by Irish aircraft leasing company, Celestial Aviation Trading.

The court order to ground the plane was obtained over a commercial dispute with the Irish company which has leased the aircraft to Aeroflot.

The passengers and the crew were taken to hotels.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Kiev, Oct 10 : For the first time in months, the Ukrainian capital Kiev has been targeted by missile strikes for the, with central areas struck, the media reported on Monday.

Explosions were reported in many other places across the country in what appears to be the most widespread set of Russian attacks since the early weeks of the war, says the BBC.

At least two blasts were heard in central Kiev shortly after 8 a.m., and more have followed since.

The rare blasts in the capital follow further strikes overnight in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia and in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the BBC reported.

"A multi-storey residential building was destroyed again. There are victims," posted Zaporizhzhia regional governor Oleksandr Starukh on the Telegram messaging app.

Emergency services attended the scene, he added.

Ukrainian officials say a number of people have been wounded in further missile attacks on Zaporizhzhia overnight.

Zaporizhzhia has been hit repeatedly in recent weeks, with dozens of people killed.

Meanwhile, it was a "night of massive attacks" in Dnipropetrovsk, according to an update from the region's own governor Valentyn Reznichenko, who accuses Russia of shelling multiple regions.

Ukraine's Defence Minister says Russian attacks will not deter Ukrainians from the fight The wave of attacks comes two days after the only bridge linking Russia with occupied Crimea was damaged in a blast.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to chair a meeting of his security council on Monday to discuss the explosion on the Crimean bridge.
Bengaluru, Oct 10 : Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday resumed the anti-encroachment drive in the Mahadevapura zone of the city after being pulled up by the state High Court.

Mahadevapura zone houses major IT parks and companies and also shelters a large chunk of techie population. The zone was one of the worst hit areas due to heavy rainfall in the city.

Political interference and resistance from public and corporate companies had led to halting of the demolition drive for two weeks. The officers maintain that the drive was stopped in view of Vijaya Dashami (Navratri) festival.

BBMP has taken up the demolition exercise following collapse of infrastructure due to rain fury. The civic agency and ruling BJP government had to face flank from all corners.

BBMP is taking up demolition drives with the Revenue and Police department. The survey is being carried out and encroachments have been marked by BBMP. The sources stated that encroachment of luxury villas and an auditorium in Mahadevapura zone will be cleared.

The operation against villas will continue on Tuesday as well. The demolition will be taken up in such a way that there is no damage caused to neighbouring buildings, BBMP officers explained.

Earlier, the High Court of Karnataka had objected to the targetting of properties of poor people and turning a blind eye to the encroachments by the rich and influential. The court had taken the civic agency to task and ordered it to get rid of encroachments of storm water drains by October 25.

As per BBMP sources, in the Bengaluru East Division, 110 encroachments of storm water drains have been identified for demolition. In the West division one encroachment has been removed and 58 are pending.

In the South division, action needs to be taken against 20 encroachments. In Yelahanka zone, authorities have cleared 12 and 84 encroachments are pending; in Mahadevapura Zone 48 encroachments are removed while 133 remain.

A total of 75 encroachments are pending in Bommanahalli zone and 17 encroachments are cleared. Six are pending and three encroachments are removed in RR Nagar zone. Dasarahalli zone has 113 pending and BBMP had removed 13.

Koramangala valley region has three encroachments pending. In total eight zones of the city more than 600 encroachments remain untouched, explain sources.
New Delhi, Oct 10: The Rs 1 crore extortion case registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau against Ashish Kapoor, commandant of IRB battalion, Pathankot, also accused of rape, is getting murkier by the day. Serious chinks have been pointed out in the SIT report that exonerated Kapoor, a former Vigilance Bureau AIG and recommended the cancellation of an FIR registered against him in 2019.

Startling facts are also now pouring in confirming that Ashish Kapoor, first parked large sums of his black money in the bank accounts of the complainant Poonam Rajan, 34, and the members of her family as he planned to marry her in 2017. But once his love affair with Poonam went sour, he used his influence to get an immigration fraud case registered against Poonam and the members of her family to get his money back, reveals an officer once very close to the AIG.

The Police Complaints Authority, Punjab, headed by Satish Chandra, IAS (retd), has summoned the SIT Chief Sharad Satya Chauhan, ADGP, to explain why the specific allegation of extortion of Rs 1 crore levelled by Poonam was not addressed in the report. He has been asked to appear before the Authority on October 14.

Sources disclosed that the Kapoor-Poonam matter was raised before DGP Gaurav Yadav in his office today by some senior IPS officers. They had taken offense at VB's DSP Barjinder Singh Gill who brushed aside the SIT report based on the findings of two ADGPs and went ahead to register an FIR against Kapoor. "Let the law take its own course," said the DGP and added that the courts were there to see if something legally wrong had been done by anybody.

SIT Chief ADGP Chauhan did not respond to telephone calls and WhatsApp messages for the last two days after his report came under the cloud.

A perusal of SIT report dealing with Poonam's allegations emanating from FIR number 3 dated May 1, 2019, and FIR number 151 dated May 5, 2018, shows that a total of 7 issues were addressed.

While dismissing all the allegations, including one of custodial rape by Ashish Kapoor, the then Superintendent of Amritsar Jail, SIT, however, did not touch the grave issue of extortion. The handwritten statement of Poonam dated June 8, 2019, given to Kunwar Vijay Partap IG (available with this reporter), clearly mentioned extortion and her physical torture at the Zirakpur police station.

She also alleged in the High Court that Kapoor - accompanied by Inspector (now DSP) Samarpal Singh and the then SHO Pawan Kumar and ASI Harjinder Singh - raided her residence in Kurukshetra and several others of her relatives in Punjab and Haryana to "loot money" when she, her mother and brother were in the custody of Zirakpur police.

As the controversy over love-gone-sour-saga rages, Indianarrative.com scrambled through files pertaining to Poonam's divorce case in a Gurgaon court, two of her petitions in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the order of her conviction (along with Prem Lata and Kuldip Singh) passed by a Dera Bassi court and the 4 FIRs. These FIRs covered a period from 2011 to 2018 and were registered mainly on charges of immigration fraud and criminal conspiracy. The places of registration of these FIRs were the police stations of Thanesar Sadar, Kurukshetra, the Civil Lines, Karnal, the Civil Lines, Amritsar, and the police station of Zirakpur, Mohali.

A detailed study of these court documents shows that Poonam has been flip-flopping in her statements before various courts. In one court defending Kapoor, she denies an extra-marital relationship with him while in another she alleges that he had been raping her from 2016 to 2018. In yet another court, she accepts that she "consented" to a physical relationship with Kapoor.

Intriguingly, on May 11, 2018, in Gurgaon's family court of Sudhir Parmar, Poonam opposed an application moved by Komal Kapoor wife of Ashish Kapoor that sought impleading of the AIG as a party in the case on the ground that Poonam was his de-facto wife. "I do not have any adulterous relationship with Ashish Kapoor," Poonam said on the court record.

Again on May 28, 2018, she, through her counsel in the Gurgaon family court of Sangeeta Rai Sahdev denied that she had any extra-marital relationship with Kapoor. During custody in Amritsar jail for 23 months from May 7, 2015, to March 3, 2017, Kapoor "helped me on humanitarian grounds within the framework of official duty," she stated.

Surprisingly, on August 8, 2018, seeking strict action against Ashish Kapoor, Poonam told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that she and Ashish were in a love relationship and had been married for over two years. But, under pressure from his wife Komal Kapoor the AIG got a false FIR registered against her and the members of her family in Zirakpur.

In one other place, while going into the background of her story she told the High Court that ".... she consented to have a physical relationship with Ashish Kapoor as he had proposed to marry me." Further, in the same petition before the High Court, she alleges that Ashish Kapoor and his comrades during the raids on her residence in Kurukshetra took away Rs 2 crore in cash, besides 450 grams of gold from the bank lockers. Another Rs 1 crore was taken through three cheques issued by her mother, Prem Lata.

Gaurav Dutta, Judicial Magistrate 1st class, Dera Bassi while convicting Poonam and 2 members of her family on August 2, 2019, recorded that the accused had indeed cheated the complainants by falsely promising to get them US visas. During the raids, the police found 3 passports and 3 fake visas of some aspiring immigrants lying at the Kurukshetra residence of the accused. It showed that the accused were veterans in the fake visa field. Money transaction of Rs 30 lakh stood proved.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Chennai, Oct 10 : The makers of 'Last Film Show' ('Chhello Show'), have chosen to celebrate the fact that the film is India's official entry to the 95th Oscars by releasing the film in 95 cinemas on Thursday night, a day before its actual date of release, and fixing the price of tickets for the show at a nominal Rs 95 each! Celebrating the magic of cinema, and considering the massive buzz around the title, the makers of 'Last Film Show' ('Chhello Show') are releasing the film on the last shows of Thursday, October 13.

Image Source: IANS News

While the Gujarati-language coming-of-age drama was set to release theatrically across India on Friday (October 14), audiences can now catch it in advance on Thursday night itself.

In keeping with its selection for the 95th Academy Awards, Last Film Show will now open across 95 cinemas at a ticket price of Rs 95! Sharing the news, director Pan Nalin said: "There has been immense excitement among fans for our film 'Last Film Show' ('Chhello Show') and we are all too happy to release it on the 'Last Show' of Thursday. Also, what better way to celebrate its selection at the 95th Oscars than by releasing it in 95 cinemas at a wonderful price of Rs. 95!" Producers Siddharth Roy Kapur of Roy Kapur Films and Dheer Momaya of Jugaad Motion Pictures jointly said: "We are thrilled that our film 'Last Film Show' ('Chhello Show') is finally reaching its appropriate destination-the cinematic big screen. With our exhibitors on board, we are releasing the film in the final shows of Thursday across 95 cinemas at a Rs 95 ticket price. This is our humble way of honouring the love and excitement audiences across India have shown for our film." The makers have clarified that the price of Rs 95 per ticket will be only for the shows on Thursday.

'Last Film Show' is produced by Roy Kapur Films, Jugaad Motion Pictures, Monsoon Films and Chhello Show LLP. Roy Kapur Films in partnership with PVR is distributing the film in India. The film will be released by Samuel Goldwyn Films in the USA and by Orange Studio in France. Shochiku Studios and Medusa are bringing the film to Japanese and Italian cinemas respectively.

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, Oct 10 : The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has told the Delhi High Court that if prayers made by Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Ltd (DAMEPL), are granted then its operations would come to complete standstill, which would be prejudicial to the public interest - considering that approximately 48 lakh journey's take place daily on the metro system maintained by DMRC in the NCR.

Recently, the DMRC sought a sum of Rs 3,500 crore from the Centre in the form of grant/equity interest free subordinate debt to comply with the high court's directions in the case of DAMEPL.

In an additional affidavit filed in the high court, DMRC's general manager, legal, said: "It is respectfully submitted that if any of the prayers as prayed for by the decree holder are granted by this court, at this juncture, the operations of the DMRC would come to complete standstill, which would be prejudicial to the public interest - considering that approximately 48 lakh journey's take place daily on the metro system maintained by DMRC in the NCR." It further added that DMRC has already tendered an amount of approx. Rs 2,600 crore to the decree holder and is expecting funds infusion from its shareholders so as to satisfy the payment of remaining amount of the arbitral award.

In September, the Delhi High Court had directed the DMRC to pay the money it owes to Reliance Infrastructure-promoted Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL) in four weeks in compliance with the 2017 arbitral award, in connection with the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line.

The DMRC, in the additional affidavit, added that apart from the running expenditure required for effective operation and maintenance of the assets of DMRC, ensuring the efficient operation of the metro line in NCR, DMRC also requires considerable funds for carrying out regular refurbishment activities of the assets, so as to maintain their useful life cycle as also to replace the said assets such as replacement of signalling old assets; replacement of telecommunication assets/ replacement of worn out rails and turnouts, etc.

"For carrying out the said activities an asset replacement fund was created out of the Operation & Maintenance surplus, over a period of time. However, this fund got completely depleted due to the payment of Rs 2599.17 crore to the Decree Holder, which is likely to jeopardise the safe operations of Metro Services by DMRC," added the affidavit.

The affidavit said the company wrote letter dated September 22, 2022, to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and to government of NCT of Delhi for infusion of funds in DMRC, so as to enable DMRC to pay of the outstanding amount, payable under arbitral award dated May 11, 2017.

"It is expected that both the governments will respond in terms of their respective liabilities under the Metro Policy, 2017, consequently any further directions in regard to the execution of the award will have to necessarily await the deliberations by both the governments. Endeavour will certainly be made to pursue the subject expeditiously," said the affidavit.

The Delhi High Court is likely to take up the matter this day in the afternoon.
Shimla, Oct 10 : With a generational shift in the state leadership by the BJP, decades of politics over donning headgear that reflects the ideology and loyalties -- from politicians to sarkari babus (from top to bottom) -- has literally been given a farewell.

BJP's Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, the youngest politician to be at the helm, is the first who does not indulge in cap politics in his almost five-year stint. He prefers to remain bareheaded.

Five-time legislator Thakur, who rose through the ranks and is known for his humble, clean and low-profile nature, is the 14th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

Soon after taking the helm on December 24, 2017, Thakur, who advocates the need to brand state handicrafts and products like the woollen Himachali cap and shawls, said the "time has come to bid farewell to cap politics in the state".

For him, flaunting political loyalty on the head reflect a symbol of political divisions between the BJP and the Congress and areas too -- old and new Himachal.

How does the cap reflect one's ideology? If your cap is maroon in front, then you must be a BJP supporter. And if it's green, then you are with the Congress.

The round Bushehri cap -- named after an erstwhile princely state in the state -- has a green front flap.

The concepts of "green" and "maroon" stem from upper and lower areas of the state. The green symbolises descendants of upper Himachal, while the maroon one represents lower Himachal.

It started with the late six-time Congress Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. He loved to don a green flap headgear, even during the summer. His supporters too prefer to wear this colour of cap to express their political solidarity with him.

Likewise, BJP leader and two-time Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has made the maroon flap his trademark in both stints. He is now virtually in political exile after his defeat in the previous Assembly polls.

"Normally the Chief Minister does not prefer to wear any cap. He believes the cap is not only just a headgear but a symbol of pride and holds a special place in people's hearts. It should not be a symbol of regional divide," a close aide of Thakur told IANS on Monday.

"Whenever he gets an opportunity, especially at public functions, he loves to don a green flap cap as he believes green reflects the state's pristine natural beauty," he adds.

While inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of 23 developmental projects costing about Rs 62 crore in the Kinnaur Assembly constituency on Sunday, Chief Minister Thakur was seen donning a green cap.

Later addressing a function organised by officers and employees of Seraj, his home constituency, at Thunag in Mandi district, the Chief Minister was seen donning the green cap.

Presenting a shawl and a Himachali cap is a common practice at official and public functions.

As the hill state is heading for an election to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly likely slated in November, the BJP is garnering support on the social media through photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing the traditional Himachali multi-coloured 'topi'.

On earlier occasions, cap politics often ignited anger and annoyance.

At a function in the state capital in 2017, well ahead of the Assembly polls on November 9, state Health Minister Kaul Singh had welcomed Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh by offering a Himachali maroon flap cap and a shawl. At that function Union Minister J.P. Nadda was also present.

Seeing the BJP's trademark colour, the infuriated Chief Minister removed it immediately and wore his own green flap cap that he was holding.

Contrary to this, Modi, at an another function in 2017, didn't lose his patience when he was offered a Congress 'ideology' cap by Virbhadra Singh at the foundation laying ceremony of a Rs 1,350 crore 750-bed AIIMS hospital in Bilaspur town.

From the colour of passion maroon to the shade of envy green, Modi immediately changed the colour of his cap while addressing a public meeting just after the official function.

In 2009, a BJP legislator had sold his collection of caps to raise funds for charity.

Tejwant Negi, a legislator from tribal Kinnaur district, had sold more than 600 Himachal caps at various auctions organised in his constituency and generated Rs 81,000 from its sale. The amount collected was given to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

With the end of 'topi' politics largely, the political ideology of caps is not changing moods at all in these Assembly polls, a political observer told IANS.

The voters will decide which a "riot of colour" -- green, maroon or multicoloured -- will flutter again in the secretariat.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Bharuch : , Oct 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday promised to set up an airport in Ankleshwar to aid the economic and industrial growth of the Bharuch district.

While addressing a gathering at Amod in Bharuch district of the state, Prime Minister Modi dedicated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth Rs 8200 crore at the Reva Sugar Factory campus. "Bharuch, once known for peanuts (salted peanuts), has now emerged as the hub of industries. Its contribution in the state economy is very high, to meet the needs of industries, the district needs an airport, which the government plans to develop in Ankleshwar." He also said that the development of Gujarat has reached a new height because of which a golden era for youth has begun.

Without naming any political leader or party, he attacked urban Naxals and thanked the tribals for not being a handy tool of Naxalites and never allowing the Naxal movement to flourish in the tribal belt. But now, he said some urban Naxals are landing in Gujarat, but the people will never entertain them.

Remembering his old days, Modi said during those days, curfew was very common in Bharuch, and local residents were threatened to sell their properties, but since BJP has come to power, it has become history, new generation does not even know the meaning of curfew or have never witnessed it.

The Prime Minister urged the people to buy Indian crackers and refrain from buying Chinese crackers to celebrate Diwali. It is possible that Indian crackers may not make a big sound or lighten Diwali like Chinese crackers, but at least it would have been manufactured by Indians, he added.
Kiev, Oct 10 : Multiple missile strikes targeted Ukrainian cities all across the country on Monday, according to local officials and media, which attributed the attacks to Russia.

This comes two days after a bomb damaged the strategic Crimean bridge, which Moscow called a Ukrainian terrorist attack, reports RT news.

President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the attacks on the capital, Kiev and the cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, before urging people to take shelter. Local officials in Lviv, Kharkiv and Odesa also reported that their cities came under fire.

In Kiev, damage from the strikes was reported near the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), which is located in the government area of the capital.

City officials halted operations of the metro system, and the stations are now being used as shelters for civilians, RT reported.

The head of Lviv Region, Maksim Kozitsky, reported that elements of the western province's energy infrastructure came under attack.

Vitaly Kim, who heads the southern Nikolaev region which borders Kherson, reported dozens of projectiles and a number of kamikaze drones coming from Russian troops.

He claimed that Moscow was targeting "critical infrastructure" throughout the country.

With similar accounts coming in from many parts of the country, senior Ukrainian officials have expressed determination to fight Russia.

"Our courage will never be destroyed by terrorists' missiles, even when they hit the heart of our capital," Defence Minister Aleksey Reznikov tweeted, also claiming that Russia's future is that of "a globally despised rogue terrorist state".

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Oct 10 : Indian-origin doctor Avindra Dayanand has been charged with murder in South Africa after one of his patients died following a gall bladder surgery on the operating table.

Dayanand, 35, who is out on a bail of 10,000 rands, turned himself over to the police after the death of Monique Vandayar, a 35-year-old businesswoman and a mother of two. She was referred to Dayanand as a patient in 2019.

The case is adjourned to November 8 for his legal team to make representations to the director of public prosecutions.

Under South African law, a murder conviction hinges on the offender's intention to kill, according to criminal law expert Mannie Witz.

Without intention, the killing is ruled as manslaughter, or culpable homicide as it is known in South Africa.

Dayanand is expected to be tried under the concept of 'dolus eventualis' (legal intention).

What is dolus eventualis? It refers to the situation where committing a crime was not the accused actual aim, however they nevertheless foresaw it as a consequence of achieving their objective and persisted anyway.

For example, according to USlegal.com, you want to kill Bob, so you bomb his office, knowing that it's likely that other people will die.

Also known as common murder, in essence it means that you are responsible for the foreseeable consequences of your action.

According to South African law, intent in the form of dolus eventualis means it is enough to find someone guilty of murder if the perpetrator objectively foresees the possibility of his or her act causing death and persists regardless of the consequences, an Independent report, said.

To prove dolus, the State has to prove that the perpetrator committed the act that led to the victim's death with the intention to kill.

Under South African law, there are two forms of dolus -- directus and eventualis. The former describes the direct intention to kill, and the latter rests on the idea that the perpetrator may have foreseen that someone would be killed by their actions, and went ahead.

Origins The definition of dolus eventualis (Latin) in South African law originated in 1963 from the case of State v Malinga but it became popular when the State accused Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius of the cold-blooded murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.

State prosecutors argued that trial judge, Thokozile Masipa, had erred in her application of the legal principle of dolus eventualis in Pistorious' case. He was convicted of murder in 2015 and ultimately sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison.

Sentences may range from eight to 25 years in prison.

Why the hue and cry Determining a perpetrator's necessary intent in the form of dolus eventualis has proved to be a predicament in South African jurisprudence

Dr Dayanand's trial under dolus eventualis has triggered massive outrage among the medical practitioners in South Africa, with doctors arguing that their premature criminalisation is negatively affecting the ability of healthcare workers to save lives and negating the trust in the law to protect the public.

Dr Graham Howarth, Medical Protection Society (MPS) head of Medical Services for Africa has asked why doctors, on occasion, were charged with murder when they clearly didn't intend to kill.

"The problem with South Africa is the concept of dolus eventualis, where recklessness can come close to intent. If you reconcile yourself to the risk involved and continue regardless, then this is a form of intent and can lead to a murder conviction," Howarth told biznews.com.

A study of South African criminal history suggests that determining a perpetrator's necessary intent in the form of dolus eventualis has proved to be a predicament in the country's jurisprudence.

"Doctors are at high risk of civil or criminal action and mitigation requires urgent legal reform, proper informed consent, peer review and early open dialogue with patients' families and professional associations," Chris Bateman, who worked for the SA Medical Journal, told Biz News.

Only a combination of these, plus discussions with National Prosecuting Authority, the SA Police Services and the Health Department, will prevent unwitting doctors from facing the nightmare of prosecution on either culpable homicide or murder charges, as has been happening with increasing frequency of late in South Africa," he added.

(Meenakshi Iyer can be reached at meenakshi.i@ians.in)
Kolkata, Oct 10 : Kiranmoy Nanda, the Samajwadi Party's vice president, who had served as the fisheries minister of West Bengal for a long time during the previous Left Front regime, became nostalgic in Kolkata, recollecting his memories of interactions between Mulayam Singh Yadav and the nonagenarian Indian Marxist patriarch, Late Jyoti Basu.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of Samajwadi party (SP) and three-time Chief Minister and former Defence Minister passed away on Monday in a Gurugram hospital in Haryana.

The SP was a part of the Left Front alliance in West Bengal, and Nanda had held the important portfolio of the state fisheries minister for 20 years from 1991 to 2011 under the leadership of both Late Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

"His personal equation with Jyoti Basu was extremely cordial. They both had mutual admiration towards each other which had been reflected on several occasions," Nanda said.

Nanda came to Kolkata from New Delhi on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday after getting the news of Mulayam Singh Yadav's demise, hurriedly left for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata to leave for New Delhi. Nanda also pointed out that the fact that Samajwadi Party had held its national conference in Kolkata on several occasions following the insistence of late Mulayam Singh Yadav was an example of the latter's close connections with the city.

In fact, Mulayam Singh vociferously criticized CPI(M) when the party's politburo and central committee declined to give nod to an offer made to Jyoti Basu to become the Indian Prime minister in 1996.

"Had his own party allowed Jyoti Basu to become the Prime Minister, the country would have benefitted. A leader of his stature is above all party lines. His followers could have followed his example at a later stage, Singh had said then, recollected Nanda.

In fact, at a later stage Basu himself also described that decision of the party as an 'historic blunder'.
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 10 : Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Monday announced the dissolution of the country's Parliament, paving the way for fresh elections which must be held within the next 60 days.

In a televised speech, Ismail Sabri said he had received the consent of the country's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in accordance with the country's constitution, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Prime Minister said the past years have seen several unprecedented developments after the national elections in 2018, including political uncertainties with the changes of several prime ministers and the Covid-19 pandemic, which together have harmed the country's socio-economic and political situation.

"With this announcement, the mandate will be returned to the people. The people's mandate is a powerful antidote for the country to restore political stability and create a government which is firm, stable and respected after the elections," he said.

The date of polling day is yet to be announced by the Election Commission of Malaysia.

Normally, a general election should be held no later than two months after the dissolution of Parliament.

Voters will elect the 222-member Dewan Rakyat, or the House of Representatives.

The possibility of national elections have been hotly discussed over recent months with United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the biggest party in the ruling coalition, calling for elections to end the political uncertainty which has seen two Prime Ministers appointed since 2020 following the resignation of former premier Mahathir Mohamad in February of that year.

Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in as the Prime Minister on March 1, 2020 but later resigned following the withdrawal of support by MPs from his own coalition.

Ismail Sabri was then appointed as the Prime Minister on August 21, 2021.
Bengaluru, Oct 10 : Ruling BJP in Karnataka is all set to launch Jan Sankalp Yatra in the state on Tuesday in joint leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Central Parliamentary Board Member and former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa to counter Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra.

BJP is planning to rope in 50,000 party workers and common people for the yatra, which will begin from Gillesuguru village of Raichur district of the state.

The party has strategised to take maximum credit for enhancing reservations for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. The organisers are planning a mega felicitation programme for the Chief Minister Bommai at Raichur during the yatra.

The yatra will be taken up till December 25. The tour will also be taken up separately under the leadership of state in-charge Arun Singh, State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah will visit Raichur on Monday and hold a press conference to avoid possible damage to be caused by ruling BJP regarding the goodwill created among people for Bharat Jodo Yatra. He will also be holding a meeting with party leaders.

The Congress is also preparing to take up three separate padayatra in the state after Bharat Jodo Yatra completed in Karnataka. The focus would be on irrigation, border issues and development. The leaders want to touch upon all assembly constituencies.

Another major party, JD(S) will be launching Pancharatna Yatra on November 1 in the state. The political parties are geared up for upcoming assembly elections scheduled in 2023. Ruling BJP wants to retain power on Hindutva agenda while Opposition Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor. JD(S) wants to win maximum seats to become a kingmaker.
Hyderabad, Oct 10 : Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, the BJP's candidate in Telangana's Munugode Assembly constituency, on Monday filed his nomination and dared Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his son K.T. Rama Rao to contest against him.

Rajagopal Reddy reached the office of returning officer in Chandur in a huge rally of his supporters and submitted his nomination papers.

Hundreds of BJP workers holding party flags participated in the huge rally. The saffron party turned the occasion into a massive show of strength.

Rajagopal Reddy was accompanied by BJP general secretary incharge of party affairs in Telangana Tarun Chug, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, party MLAs Eatala Rajender, Raghunandan Rao and others.

Addressing the rally after filing nomination, Rajagopal Reddy changed KCR or KTR, as the two are popularly known, to contest the by-election against him.

He alleged that the chief minister looted the wealth of Telangana people and said BJP would send him to jail.

The by-election is scheduled to be held on November 3. The vacancy arose after sitting MLA Rajagopal Reddy resigned from the Assembly and also Congress party to join BJP.

He joined the BJP at a public meeting in Munugode on August 21, which was addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The constituency is set to see a three-cornered contest among ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and opposition BJP and Congress.

The TRS has named Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy as its candidate while Congress party has fielded Palvai Sravanti.

All the three major contestants have exuded confidence of a win in the by-election, considered significant ahead of the next year's Assembly elections.

The TRS had on Sunday demanded disqualification of Rajagopal Reddy following his statement that his company received Rs 18,000 contract from the Central government.

A delegation of TRS leaders called on State Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj and submitted a representation, demanding disqualification of Rajagopal Reddy for the by-election.

The delegation brought to the notice of the CEO that Rajagopal Reddy revealed in an interview to a television channel that he joined the BJP after his company received the contract.

In 2018 elections, Rajagopal Reddy had won the seat on Congress party ticket. He had defeated Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy of TRS by 23,552 votes.

Rajagopal Reddy had polled 99,239A while Prabhakar Reddy had garnered 61,687 votes. BJP's G. Manohar Reddy was a distant third with 12,725 votes.

Munugode, a traditional stronghold of Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI), was wrested from CPI by the TRS in 2014. Prabhakar Reddy was then elected as the TRS candidate.

This time, both the CPI and CPI-M have declared their support to TRS. The Left parties said they took the decision to defeat BJP.
Islamabad, Oct 10 : The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a warning that Indian hackers are trying to steal data from Islamabad's diplomatic missions abroad.

The Pakistani missions in Brunei, Nepal, Argentina, and Azerbaijan have received virus-infected emails, Samaa TV reported citing thr PTA as saying.

According to the Authority, the purpose of the attack is to steal the data of the consulates and espionage.

The PTA has directed to train the diplomatic staff about handling suspicious emails and social engineering.

It said that the hacker group sends malicious links and viruses through emails, Samaa TV reported.

They send links to websites that look similar to official government websites and lure the victims to click it, the Authority claimed.

The PTA has asked the institutions to report the email addresses involved in malicious activities and identify fake and suspicious websites.
Chennai, Oct 10 : Fishermen associations on Monday staged a protest in Rameswaram against the regular attack on their community members and boats by the Sri Lankan Navy.

They demanded urgent action by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government against the attacks being carried out by the Navy in Palk Strait and in waters close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

R. Sahayam of Xavier Fishermen association of Rameswaram while speaking to mediapersons pointed out, "We are being subjected to regular attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy leading to damage of the boats which end up in huge losses to us." He said that the fisherfolk of Rameswaram are scared to venture out into the sea following regular attacks and that this was leading to poverty on the shores. Their leader also called sought the Centre's intervention in the matter and to ensure that the fishermen are fishing in Palk bay area safely.

Notably, several fishermen were arrested for crossing the IMBL and lodged in Sri Lankan prisons. The mechanised fishing boats that cost more than Rs 1 crore each are confiscated leading to the boats getting destroyed. There were even cases of the Sri Lankan Navy putting advertisements in local newspapers announcing the sale of confiscated fishing vessels.

R. Sahayam, who is also the treasurer of the Rameswaram All Mechanized Fishing boat association, told mediapersons that without immediate intervention from the Union and State government, the fisherfolk will not be able to venture out into the seas. He also said that each boat that is venturing out into the sea has an expenditure anywhere between Rs 35,000 to Rs 75,000 per voyage.

Shanmukhanadhan. S, another fishermen leader, told IANS that the fishermen will have to resort to strong protests including blocking of roads in Rameswaram if there are no interventions.
Tumakuru, : Oct 10 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is leading Bharat Jodo Yatra in the state, on Monday condoled the death of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Rahul Gandhi took a break from the padayatra in Tumakuru and paid floral tribute to the portrait of the SP patriarch. He, along with other leaders, observed a two-minute silence in the honour of the departed leader.

Rajya Sabha member Digvijay Singh, Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, senior leader K.C. Venugopal, State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar and Opposition leader in the Legislative Council B.K. Hariprasad joined the former Congress president in paying tributes.

Recalling him as a born fighter, D.Shivakumar stated that Mulayam Singh Yadav believed in secular values and dedicated his life to the upliftment of oppressed classes. He came from a humble background and created his place in the national politics of India.

The respect he commanded from leaders of rival political parties is an indicator of his personality. His demise is a loss to the nation. He stood for socialistic values and let him rest in peace, Shivakumar maintained.
Mumbai, Oct 10 : South actor Mahat Raghavendra, who is known for his work in Tamil and Telugu cinema will now be seen along with Bollywood actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi in the film 'Double XL' Mahat, known for his movies such as 'Mankatha', 'Backbench Student', 'Jilla', talks about being part of the film and said: "I came down to Mumbai to meet the team. When I heard the film's story, I knew I just had to be a part of it." On working with the entire cast of the film, Mahat added: "It was such a great experience working with everyone. This is something I shall always treasure. During the process, I've made some friends for life. I am really proud to be a part of a film like 'Double XL'. Such stories are rare to find." The movie is all about two plus size women played by Sonakshi and Huma and it is an attempt to come out of the set parameters of beauty and break the stereotypes in the society.

Director Satram Ramani, who is known for movies such as 'Bodyguard', 'Helmet', and 'Ready' shares the reason for making Mahat part of the film and why he felt that he fits in the role.

"One of the important lead characters in the film hails from Chennai. We thought of taking a young actor from Chennai for the part. We saw some of Mahat's work and felt he was best suited for the role. He's an amazing actor and has done a fantastic job in the film," he added.

'Double XL' is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vipul D. Shah, Ashwin Varde, Rajesh Bahl, Saqib Saleem, Huma Qureshi and Mudassar Aziz. It also features Zaheer Iqbal and Mahat Raghavendra.

The film releases on November 4.
Mumbai, Oct 10 : Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday expressed optimism that a new symbol could prove to be 'revolutionary' for the party, revitalise and make it even stronger in future.

Informally interacting with the mediapersons outside the court where he was brought for his bail case plea, Raut was asked for his reaction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) freezing the Sena's iconic 'bow and arrow' symbol and its name (Shiv Sena) last week.

"This is not the first time... In the past even Indira Gandhi had gone through a similar situation and the Congress symbol was frozen thrice and the Janata Dal also had been through one such experience," Raut said.

On the freezing of the 'Shiv Sena' party name by ECI (October 8), he said that it will make no difference as 'the spirit of the party' remains the same, and the people already know who the party belongs to.

"It won't be so easy for the Group of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to get the Shiv Sena name and party symbol before the upcoming Andheri East by-elections... Entire Maharashtra is upset with the Shinde faction..." claimed Raut.

The firebrand Sena MP is currently in judicial custody since his arrest on August 1 by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged case pertaining to money-laundering and other charges.

Meanwhile, both -- the Thackeray Group and Shinde faction -- submitted three names and three symbols for the consideration of the ECI.

The Thackeray side has given a 'Trishul', 'Rising Sun' and 'Flaming Torch' and names 'Shiv Sena - Prabodhan Thackeray', 'Shiv Sena - Balasaheb P. Thackeray' and 'Shiv Sena - Uddhav B. Thackeray'.

The Shinde side is understood to have given symbols like 'Trident', 'Rising Sun' (akin to the Thackeray Group) and 'Mace' (against the Thackeray Group's 'Flaming Torch'), weaving in combinations of the late Balasaheb Thackeray' in its three name options for his faction.
Bengaluru, Oct 10 : Top leaders from Karnataka condoled the death of senior politician and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated, "Saddened at the demise of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party patriarch, three-time Chief Minister of UP and country's ex-Defense Minister. A true son of soil, he was a leader of the masses. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace." Bommai further said, "Mulayam Singh Yadav came to limelight under the guidance of leaders like Ram Manohar Lohiya, Raj Narayan. The country has lost a statesman." Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda said, "I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my longtime colleague and friend Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav. My condolences to his family and followers." He was deeply committed to secular, social political traditions. Will miss him very much," he stated.

"Saddened to hear the passing away of former Uttar Pradesh chief miister and founder of Samajwadi Party Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav. He was one of the strong forces in our country's fight against communal politics. My deepest condolences to all his family members and well-wishers," Opposition leader Siddaramaiah maintained.

Former chief minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Board Committee member B.S. Yediyurappa said, "I am deeply saddened about the passing away of the Samajwadi Party leader, former Union Minister and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji. His demise is a loss to the national polity. My deepest condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti."
China sees further rise in international influence, ability to inspire, power to shape

From:(People's Daily | 2022-10-10 16:31

China today is more than the country itself; it is very much a part of the world.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, socialism with Chinese characteristics has crossed the threshold into a new era.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, China has overcome many obstacles and challenges, accomplished a great number of big, important undertakings, and scored ground-breaking historic achievements on all fronts.

With a further rise in international influence, ability to inspire, and power to shape, China has written a splendid chapter of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

Today, the international balance of power is undergoing profound adjustments, unilateralism, protectionism, hegemonism, and power politics are posing greater threats to world peace and development, and the anti-globalization trend is growing. The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation.

Facing complex and severe international situations and unprecedented external challenges, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has implemented the national rejuvenation strategy within the wider context of once-in-a-century changes taking place in the world.

It is holding high the banner of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and focusing on the central task of serving national rejuvenation and promoting the human progress, to advance major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

China in the new era follows a path of peaceful development, promotes the building of a new type of international relations, and injects positive energy into the healthy development of international relations.

With a broad vision for the future of the world, China has proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, which marks the deep interaction and close relation between China and the rest of the world.

China advocates forging a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, equity, justice and win-win cooperation, and embarks on a new path of state-to-state relations with the preference of dialogue over confrontation and partnership over alliance.

China has actively explored and facilitated the building of a framework of major-country relations that is generally stable and balanced, The country adheres to the policy of building friendship and partnership with neighboring countries and follows the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in conducting neighborhood diplomacy, and stays committed to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the approach of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in cooperation with other developing countries.

It has forged partnerships with over 110 countries and regional organizations in various forms, building a comprehensive, multilevel, and multifaceted network of global partnerships. The constantly expanding "circle of friends" mirrors the unprecedented frequency of China's interaction with the rest of the world.

China in the new era remains committed to a win-win strategy of opening-up, injecting new strength into the common development of the world.

Major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has made important contributions to building a world of common prosperity by promoting open cooperation.

For instance, the major decision to launch the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific process was made at the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, drawing a new blueprint for Asia-Pacific connectivity.

A total of 28 specific outcome documents were issued during the G20 Hangzhou Summit, including the first time to give priority to development in global macro policy framework, the first time to draft an action plan for the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the first time to take collective actions to aid the industrialization of Africa and least developed countries, setting up a new "global benchmark" to the international community.

Besides, China has held four consecutive sessions of the China International Import Expo, during which a series of new measures of opening up were announced.

Over the past 10 years, China has been working actively to promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. It has established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the New Development Bank, and the Silk Road Fund and pushed for the high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

It is believed globally that China, by promoting common development with other countries, is creating a brighter future for global development.

China in the new era holds high the banner of true multilateralism and actively joins the reform of the global governance system.

As the world's largest developing country and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China firmly safeguards the basic norms governing international relations, promotes democracy in international relations, opposes hegemonism and power politics, and safeguards international equity and justice.

China proposed to build a community of common health for mankind, providing a basis for safeguarding the lives and health of mankind.

With unprecedented ambition and actions to cope with climate change and protect biodiversity, the country charts the course for global ecological civilization and builds a community of life for man and nature.

By proposing and implementing the Global Development Initiative, and the vision of building a global community of development with a shared future, China is steering global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth.

The country has put forward the Global Security Initiative, and is joining hands with all relevant parties to tackle governance issues. The initiative is a vivid practice of the concept of the community with a shared future for mankind in the security area.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appreciates China's key role in supporting multilateralism and promoting international cooperation and sustainable development. He said the UN's partnership with China is an important pillar supporting the organization and multilateralism.

"Boundless is the ocean where we sail with the wind." Chinese ideas, commitments, responsibilities and wisdom help the world cope with present challenges and eye on the building of a better future.

China will always adhere to the path of peaceful, open, cooperative, win-win and inclusive development, and work with the rest of the world to make new contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common progress.
Mumbai, Oct 10 : Filmmaker Karan Johar on Monday said goodbye to Twitter as he wants to make space for more positive energies.

Karan took to the micro-blogging website to share the news with his fans and followers.

"Making space for more positive energies only and this is step one towards that. Goodbye Twitter!," he wrote.

It is not clear as to what made Karan take the step. However, the filmmaker has often been trolled on social media platforms over his movies and castings.

On the work front, Karan recently finished the seventh season of 'Koffee With Karan' on Disney+ Hostar. He is currently busy with his next directorial 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani'. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra.

Latest updates on Koffee With Karan Season 7
New Delhi, Oct 10 : South Korean tech giant Samsung may launch its next-generation flagship smartphone -- Galaxy S23 -- with big battery support and a 6.1 inch screen.

The vanilla-coloured Galaxy S23 might offer a 3,900mAh battery (Galaxy S22 had 3,700mAh battery), which is an upgrade over its predecessor Galaxy S22, reports GSMArena.

The screen might feature 6.1-inch with Full HD+ resolution, the report said.

The device will reportedly feature 25W charging and is expected to come in a new design and chipsets.

Earlier, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the Galaxy S23 series will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 exclusively.

"We were 75 per cent on Galaxy S22 before the agreement. You should be thinking about we are going to be much better than that on Galaxy S23 and beyond," said Amon.

A report recently said Samsung Galaxy S23 series will not come with an under-display camera (UDC) technology, which also means that users may have to wait until the Galaxy S24 for the UDC technology.

The Galaxy S23 series is expected to come with an upgraded 12MP selfie camera.

Both the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23+ are likely to use the same 10 MP resolution for the telephoto camera as the S22 and S22+.
Sydney, Oct 10 : Although the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) got a brief respite from days of intense rain, local authorities and meteorologists warned on Monday that more severe weather conditions are predicted in the next few days.

"My message is please don't be deceived," NSW Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said.

"We may see a reprieve for a few days but...(we) will be heading into some more difficult conditions towards the end of the week." Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) meteorologist Dean Narramore told local media that relief from the rain on Monday did not signal the end of flooding, reports Xinhua news agency.

"NSW could brace for widespread rains of up to 100 mm from Wednesday, and it might lead to moderate or possible major riverine flooding," the expert noted.

Currently, more than 100 flood warnings are remaining across NSW, while the State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to over 1,000 calls for assistance and 44 flood rescues since October 7.

Farmers and landholders are being encouraged to plan ahead and report any flood damage.

NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said flood danger persisted after the rain stopped, with people, animals, crops, pastures, roads and railway lines all potentially affected.

He urged people to be extra careful this summer, as the full force of a third consecutive La Nina was felt.
Mumbai, Oct 10 : As megastar Amitabh Bachchan turns 80 on October 11, the tickets of his latest release 'Goodbye' has been priced at Rs. 80 to celebrate the thespians birthday.

A post from Balaji Motion Pictures on Instagram read: "Big B turns 80 tomorrow and this calls for a grand celebration Celebrate his 80th birthday, his legacy, and his fandom by watching his latest film #Goodbye with your family in cinemas near you at the price of only Rs 80/- on 11th October 2022, Book your tickets now: link in bio!" Released on October 7, 'Goodbye' revolves around the dysfunctional Bhalla family.

The film, directed by Vikas Bahl also stars Neena Gupta with Rashmika Mandanna (in her Hindi film debut), Sunil Grover, Pavail Gulati, Ashish Vidyarthi, Elli AvrRam, Sahil Mehta, Shivin Narang, Shayank Shukla, newcomer Abhishekh Khan and Arun Bali play supporting roles.

'Goodbye' is a story that touches every emotional chord in your heart and makes you realise the importance of your loved ones along with the downturns of life.

The film is produced by Ektaa R Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures in association with Good Co.
Anand : , Oct 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday warned the BJP workers as well as the voters against the attempts by the Congress to divide the people on caste basis.

He said his party will have to redesign campaign strategy in view of the Congress' tricks.

He said, "If you don't see their public rallies, don't see Congress leaders addressing mediapersons, it does not mean that the party is not in the picture, it is silently spreading its message through 'Khatla Parisad' (Chaupal meetings).

Modi was addressing a gathering at Anand town, and said, "I need to alert you, the Congress party is effectively and silently working in villages by organising 'Khatla Parisad' through which it is playing casteist politics to divide the society. This is the Congress party's new dirty trick. We have to be careful about the dangerous design of this anti-Gujarat campaign." "Don't misunderstand or misinterpret my warning, leave it to the media, they will interpret my warning as they wish," he said.

"Some 20 to 25 years ago, it was not safe for women to go out at night, they could hardly venture out for garba in the night. But, since the BJP is in power, the girl/women's security is not an issue. Now parents do not fear or worry even if their daughter goes for late night garba," said the Prime Minister.

Attacking the past governments, he said, the earlier governments did construct dams, but never developed the canal networks, because of which the irrigation benefits never reached the farmers. This work was started by the BJP government 20 years ago and also completed.
Kolkata, Oct 10 : More than 30 people have been detained in connection with sporadic clashes that broke out between two communities in South Kolkata's Mominpur, sources said on Monday.

A huge police contingent has been deployed in the troubled area to prevent further eruption of clashes that started late on Sunday night and continued till this morning.

Local residents have informed the police that what started as verbal spats between two groups resulted in clashes. Some houses in Mominpur and adjacent Mayurbhanj Roads were also ransacked. The police tried to control the situation and in that process some cops, including a deputy commissioner of police, were also injured. A group of people also staged a protest in front of the local Ekbalpur police station.

On Monday, after the BJP state president in West Bengal and party MP Sukanta Majumdar started moving towards the troubled zone, a huge police contingent stopped him from approaching that spot. Majumdar, along with four of his associates, was also detained.

Leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding deployment of central forces personnel at the troubled zones in the city.

He also criticised the city police detaining Sukanta Majumdar and denying his democratic right to reach the troubled zone. "Try as much as you can. But you will not be able to stop the BJP," Adhikari said.
Amaravati, Oct 10 : The police in Bapatla district of Andhra Pradesh on Monday seized over 400 kg of donkey meat.

The meat was seized during early morning raids conducted by police on illegal donkey meat trade with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and local groups.

Following a complaint from PETA India, the Bapatla police in a joint operation with PETA India and local activists from Andhra Pradesh conducted four raids across Bapatla district and seized over 400 kg of donkey meat.

Gopal Surabathula of Animal Rescue Organisation, Tejovanth Anupoju of Help for Animals Society, and Vijay Kishore Palika of East Godavari SPCA were part of the raids.

Two locations in Uzilipet, one in Vetapalem, and one in the jurisdiction of 2 Town police station were raided, and donkey meat and discarded body parts, including heads, legs, and flesh attached to tails, were seized by the police.

First information reports have been registered by 1 Town police station, 2 Town police station, and Vetapalem police station under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

All persons involved in the illegal trade and slaughter have also been arrested.

"Donkeys are sensitive animals who form deep bonds with their families and friends and communicate with each other through a variety of sounds. Yet in Andhra Pradesh, these animals are being hacked up for meat," says PETA India Manager of Cruelty Response Projects Meet Ashar.

"PETA India is calling on everyone to report illegal donkey slaughter to authorities and to extend compassion to all animals by eating vegan." Accordingly, India's donkey population has declined by 61 during last seven years.

According to PETA, killing donkeys and eating donkey meat violates various laws.

Donkey slaughter violates Section 429 of the IPC, 1860, and is punishable with a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both. Killing donkeys is also an offence under Section 11(1)(a) and (l) of the PCA Act, 1960.

Consumption of donkey meat is illegal under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and slaughtering animals in public places is banned under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : With the rapidly growing space ecosystem, the space launch segment in India prepared to grow to $13 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 6 per cent, a report showed on Monday.

The space launch segment in the country is spurred by growing private participation, latest technology adoption and the low-cost of launch services, said the report by Indian Space Association (ISpA) and EY.

"I'm glad our Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged us to go ahead as space domain became open for the public-private participation, also preparing players and the outcome is that the sector is today attracting increasing number of startups," Union Earth Sciences Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, said.

"On a global level, India has also emerged as a very strong player in the geospatial technology. I'm glad to know that ISpA has lived up to their role of reform implementation while articulating the industry opinion, industry stakes and also the industry participation," he added.

ISRO Chairman S. Somnath said that India has reached a point where we need to take the space sector to the next level and this is where the whole idea of opening up the space where the most important part is the knowledge base.

"The space sector can solve a lot of problems and important issues of climate, mapping, internet services. These are few emerging markets which we will see growing," he said.

ISpA is now a 50-member strong association, starting from just seven members a year back.

"We believe as India looks forward to the new Space Policy, the private industry's role is set to create a revolution in the current value chain of the space economy," IspA Chairman Jayant D. Patil said.

Prashant Singhal, Emerging Markets TMT Leader, EY said that space-based communication will be one of the primary mechanisms to narrow the digital divide in the country.

"Opening up of the space economy to private participation in India heralds an era of growth and innovation," he added.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 10 : The Congress' Kerala unit on Monday slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's trip to Europe, terming it nothing but one wasting the state's resources as nothing so far has come out from previous similar trips.: Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan told the media that there is no transparency in this trip of Vijayan, ministers, their families, and officials.

"We, the Opposition, do not know why he has gone, the people do not know what's the purpose of this visit. There is absolutely no transparency. It's from media reports that we hear that he has gone to attend Loka Kerala Sabha meetings," he said.

The Loka Kerala Sabha was formed by Vijayan soon after he took over in 2016 and is basically a meeting of the diaspora. Three editions were held here when the rich and mighty of the diaspora attended and this came under heavy opposition onslaught, including the boycotts, on the grounds that it does not address the real diaspora, who are the ones who work hard, especially in the Middle East.

"We all know Vijayan had made similar trips in the past and we were told Rs 300 crore investments will take place and the fact of the matter is not even Rs 3 crores has come as investment. What we oppose is everything is kept under wraps. No one here knows what's the agenda for these trip, what are being discussed and what is the follow up and what happened on account of the few such visits he undertook," Satheesan said.

Vijayan is accompanied by his wife, and his young grandson, state Education Minister V. Sivankutty is accompanied by his wife Parvathy, and there is a batch of officials also.

"We are not opposed to foreign trips, but what we want is as such the people are not very happy with such things, hence everything should be transparent on why and what is the benefit for spending so much of money. We want an explanation to all these," said Satheesan.

Meanwhile with criticism being aired in the media, Vijayan, presently in London, informed the meeting that the expenses for the tours is met by the Loka Kerala Sabha global chapters of the respective places.

He had left for Norway, hours after the funeral of his party and politburo colleague Kodiyeri Balakrishnan at Kannur last Monday.

Following the demise, Vijayan and the Ministers dropped travelling to Finland, while the officials attended.

The entire team returns to the state capital after winding up the United Kingdom trip on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, social media is buzz with activity over the trip and a TV channel came out in its weekly satire episode clearly asking was the trip an essential thing for the families and asked a question, what would the youth wing of the CPI-M done, if such a trip was undertaken by a Congress Chief Minister.
Chandigarh, Oct 10 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday reviewed the arrangements for an event of the G-20 summit slated to be held at holy city Amritsar in March 2023.

Chairing a meeting, he said this summit will take place in March and leading countries of the world will be participating.

He said the state is fortunate to have got the opportunity to host this mega event in which deliberations will be held on education. Mann said elaborate arrangements have to be put in place for making the global event a huge success.

The Chief Minister said for making this event a success the entire holy city will be divided into five major sectors. Senior officers of the state civil and police administration will be deployed in these sectors for effective management.

Mann said these officers will be responsible for the smooth conduct of the entire activity during the summit in the area under their jurisdiction.

The Chief Minister also constituted a Cabinet sub-committee comprising Local Government Minister Inderbir Singh Nijjer, Public Works Department Harbhajan Singh, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, and Tourism Minister Anmol Gagan Mann.

He said the sub-committee will monitor the day-to-day arrangements of the event to ensure its flawless execution.

Mann also constituted a high powered committee headed by Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua to facilitate the Cabinet sub-committee in smooth and hassle-free conduct of the event.
Ahmedabad, Oct 10 : The Gram Bharati 2022 exhibition which brought together women from self-help groups across India, housed a wide range of stalls that saw an array of beautiful handicrafts, artefacts, jewelleries, and delicious food products.

For many of these women, the journey has been full of life-altering challenges and extraordinary struggles which they overcame with perseverance, hard work, and dedication. These difficulties taught them to become self-sufficient and rely on learning livelihood skills with the help of organisations like the Adani Foundation.

The recently held Gram Bharati 2022 exhibition, served as a platform to showcase the promising talent of several such remarkable female entrepreneurs.

Various women's self-help groups from different parts of the country such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh affiliated with the Adani Foundation participated in this program. However, the handicrafts exhibited by the self-help group hailing from Mundra (Gujarat) were the most talked about.

The exhibition was organised at the Adani Corporate House, Ahmedabad, and was inaugurated by Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, on the first day of Navratri.

The visionary leader also launched a book, 'Pragati', which talks about success stories of 75 female entrepreneurs from Mundra. Also present at the inaugural event was Dr. Priti Adani, chairperson of the Adani Foundation. The power couple was seen visiting the stalls and interacting with the budding entrepreneurs.

Some of the notable handicrafts from the Kutch district that was showcased at the event included the well-known suf bharat embroidery, wall hangings, bags, dresses, lacework, mud work, lamps, frames, Kutch dhadki, pearl work, various woollen products along with several lip-smacking local snacks. The 3-day event witnessed tremendous footfall.

The exhibition also saw women entrepreneurs participating from the hinterland of India. The women of Umarpada village of Surat district presented delicious varieties of bamboo pickles.

These tribal women who have been making bamboo pickles at home for years now are now being professionally trained by various self-help groups and organisations like the Adani Foundation and Mission Mangalam, on how to preserve these pickles for a longer time and commercialize it. They are also trained in making papad, other types of pickles, and spices.

Sugantben and Rajilaben of the Dhanvad self-help group, who presented the products made by these tribal women were elated to be at such a prestigious event. "It's been a dream come true, to be present at such a large-scale exhibition and we have been getting so many pickle orders.

"It's heartwarming to witness so much support and we are now certain that this is going to be beneficial for all the 35 members associated with our self-help group." Sharing her experience, Nitaben Koka of the Meghdhanush Group, who participated in the event, says, "It's been an enthralling experience to show our work to such a huge audience and at such a prestigious platform. I'm grateful to the Adani Foundation for giving us this opportunity, which will certainly help us shape ourselves and make our image stronger in society." Prajna of Kapaya's Shraddha Saheli Group adds, "We all were in for a surprise when Gautam Adani sir bought our product after tasting it.

"Undoubtedly it was the most cherished moment for us." The Mundra-based self-help group earned more than Rs 1.50 lakhs within two days of the exhibition and were able to secure orders worth around Rs 1 lakh.

Also present at the exhibition were V.S. Gadhavi, executive director, of Adani Foundation, and Chandra Shekhar Gowda, chief operating officer, of Adani Foundation. Along with Rakshit Shah, executive director of the Adani Ports & SEZ (APSEZ), Panktiben Shah, CSR head, Adani Foundation (Mundra), Devalben Gadhvi, Kutch Women's Empowerment Project Officer played pivotal roles in making this exhibition a success.
Chennai, Oct 10 : Newly anointed Deputy General Secretary of DMK, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, is planning a state-wide meet of women leaders at the grassroot levels. According to sources in the party, the DMK leader has chalked out a roadmap for preparing grassroot women leaders for the 2024 general elections.

While addressing the new office bearers of the party, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin asked them not to waste any time on the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The DMK president also called upon the party leaders and cadres to win all 40 seats in the Lok Sabha which include 39 from Tamil Nadu and one from the Union Territory of Puducherry.

In 2019 general elections, the DMK won 38 Lok Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu with the lone seat going to AIADMK being the Theni seat where O. Panneerselvam's son, P. Ravindranath Kumar won. The DMK wants a repeat of that performance and Stalin's speech after assuming office as party President for the second time in a row was aimed at motivating the party leaders and cadres for a repeat.

Sources said Kanimozhi is planning to conduct a meeting of women leaders on a regional basis with north, south, east and west Tamil Nadu. The meeting will have participation from booth-level leaders of the women's wing and in each meeting, the DMK is planning to bring in one or two ministers who will explain on the grassroot developments in his ministry.

Kanimozhi who is also the woman wing's secretary of the DMK will be travelling extensively across the state and meeting prominent people in each town. The party also has to shed its image of a rough and tough party to a suave one and Kanimozhi's elevation is considered by many party cadres and political observers as a step in the right direction.

While speaking to IANS, R. Padmanabhan, Director of Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think-tank based out of Madurai, said, "Kanimozhi is suave, astute and has excellent interpersonal skills and Stalin has done it right to elevate her to the post of Deputy General Secretary of the party. This move will help party stride ahead, given her astuteness and the manner in which she is handling her constituency, is a clear indication as to what she can do in politics." While some have levelled charges of dynasty politics after Kanimozhi's appointment as Deputy General Secretary, most of the cadres rubbished the charge, saying that she had wrested the sitting bastion of the AIADMK, Thoothukudi.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain has moved the Supreme Court against the transfer of his bail plea in a money laundering case to another judge, on the ED's request, and the case will be heard on Tuesday.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit and the top court agreed to list the matter for hearing on Tuesday.

The bench said: "List the matter tomorrow as the first item on board." Jain has moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court, which declined to entertain his plea in connection with the transfer of proceedings in a money laundering case.

Jain had moved the high court against the order passed by Principal District and Sessions Court allowing the ED's plea for transfer of Jain's case from special judge Geejanjali Goel to special judge Vikas Dhull. In May, the ED arrested Jain under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Dismissing Jain's plea on October 1, the high court noted that the question is about an apprehension in the mind of a party.

On September 21, the Supreme Court had directed a sessions court to consider a plea by the Enforcement Directorate seeking transfer of Jain's bail hearing, in a money laundering case, to another judge.

Earlier, Principal District and Sessions judge Vinay Kumar Gupta stayed the proceedings of the bail hearing before special judge Geetanjali Goel and issued notice to Jain and other co-accused in the case. The judge sought replies from the respondents in the case - on an application by ED seeking transfer of the case to another judge -- by September 30.

Jain, whose bail has been denied in various hearings since his arrest in the PMLA case on May 30, is presently lodged in Tihar jail. As per the earlier submissions of ED, Jain was in de-facto control of shell companies used for alleged money laundering, and the co-accused persons Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain were just dummies.

The ED had raised certain contentions in connection with the bail arguments being heard by the special judge.
Moscow, Oct 10 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any further Ukrainian "terrorist" assaults on Russian soil will be met with a significant military response. He was speaking after a wave of missiles struck Ukraine on Monday morning, the media reported.

Putin confirmed that Russian troops carried out "massive strikes with long-range precision weapons on Ukrainian objects of energy, and military control and communications". The response came two days after an explosion damaged the strategic Crimean Bridge, for which officials in Kiev claimed responsibility, RT reported.

"If there are further attempts to conduct terrorist attacks on our soil, Russia will respond firmly and on a scale corresponding to the threats created against Russia," Putin added, RT reported.

Earlier in the day, multiple regions of Ukraine came under missile strikes, with at least 11 key infrastructure facilities damaged, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal. Putin stated that Russia was retaliating for a number of attempts to strike Russian infrastructure that have been attributed to Kiev.

Among other things, Ukraine has damaged high-voltage power lines that transmit electricity generated by the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, tried to sabotage the TurkStream natural gas pipeline, and was behind Saturday's explosion that damaged the Crimean Bridge, Putin stated.

"The Kiev regime has been using terrorist methods for a very long time," the Russian president said, citing targeted assassinations of public figures, the indiscriminate shelling of Donbass cities and of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant as examples of such actions.

"De facto, the Kiev regime has put itself on par with international terrorist groups, the most odious of them. Leaving such crimes without a response has become impossible," he stressed, before confirming that Russia had attacked Ukrainian infrastructure, RT reported.

In addition to blaming Ukraine for the series of attacks on Russian infrastructure, Putin mentioned the disabling of the Nord Stream undersea pipelines. He said that Russia was being barred by European nations from investigating the sabotage and reiterated that "we all know well the ultimate beneficiary of that crime".

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Chitradurga : , Oct 10 (IANS) Karnataka local court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of rape accused Lingayat seer Dr Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru till October 21.

The seer was produced before the Second Additional District and Sessions' Court and judge B.K. Komala extended his judicial custody rejecting his pleas for granting bail.

The accused seer was arrested on September 1 on charges of raping two minor girls staying at the Murugha mutt hostel.

The High Court had recently approved getting signatures on cheques from the accused seer. It had also directed the counsel of the accused seer to make arrangements of transfer of the power of attorney of giving power of signatures to another person and submit a petition to the local court in this regard.

The accused seer is refusing to step down even now and the followers and community leaders have conducted a meeting to discuss appointment of a new seer to protect the honour and historical heritage of the Murugha mutt.

Murugha mutt is the richest religious mutt in terms of properties and it has 3,000 branches all over the country. It also runs more than 150 reputed education institutions. The mutt also plays an important role in state politics.
New Delhi, Oct 10: President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan has said that China's actions have led to rising tensions in Taiwan Strait and the region. Speaking on the country's "National Day", Tsai said that military confrontation is "absolutely not an option" as she urged China to respect Taiwan's sovereignty.

In her address, President Tsai said: "It is regrettable that in recent years the Beijing authorities' escalation of their military intimidation, diplomatic pressure, trade obstructions, and attempts to erase the sovereignty of the ROC have threatened the status quo of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region." Taiwan, which lies barely 180 km to China's east across the Taiwan Strait, is standing up to frequent acts of Chinese military assertion in its air space and territorial waters. The violations have increased since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. Beijing even carried out naval exercises around the island and is sending its military planes almost daily into Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Taiwanese media reported that in a warning to China, President Tsai said: "The Beijing authorities should not make any misjudgment on account of Taiwan's vigorous democratic system," nor should they attempt to "divide Taiwanese society by exploiting the fierce competition between our political parties." In order to harmonise relations with Beijing, she even urged China to resume cross-border people-to-people exchanges with reduction in the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The communist neighbour greatly reduced visits between people of the two nations after Tsai assumed office through democratic elections in 2016, only to extend the curbs under the guise of the pandemic spread.

The Taiwanese President also stressed that after the people from mainland China relocated to Taiwan, the people have formed a strong sense of identity as they have lived and grown together. She urged China to respect the values that the Taiwanese people have built.

The Taiwanese people have formed a distinct identity through their liberal and democratic principles as opposed to communist rule in China.

Tsai reiterated that the threat of an invasion of Taiwan from China is real and the island will defend its democracy stoutly. "We are ramping up the mass production of precision missiles and high-performance naval vessels," she said, adding: "In addition, we are working to acquire various small, highly mobile precision weapons that will help us develop comprehensive asymmetric warfare capabilities..." Taiwan, like other countries in the region, is revamping its defences as well as procuring weapons from the US to ward off China. The island nation is also training its civilians in civil defence in case China actually attacks it.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Srinagar Oct 10 : A delegation of Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association here on Monday called on J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar and apprised him of various issues of students and youth-related programmes, policies in the Union territory.

During the meeting, the delegation led by the National Convenor of Association, Nasir Khuehami, shared various issues faced by the students. Those who were part of delegation include National Spokesperson Ummar Jamal, National Secretary Davood Peer and tribal leader Showkat Choudhary.

The delegation submitted a memorandum of demands pertaining to the welfare of student community of J&K including establishment of National Law University; introduction of training course for teachers of higher education; establishment of Women Degree College in Bandipora; enhancing PG seats in medical colleges in J&K and fast-tracking of recruitment process.

In a statement, national convenor of association, Nasir Khuehami said, "We brought the issue of delayed exams and delayed results to the kind notice of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, results are not uploaded on time, examinations are not held as per schedule, academic calendar is not followed in letter and spirit & there is strong need of changing this system of delayed exams and delayed degrees in Kashmir University." "'One Person, One Post Policy' is not followed in Kashmir University due to which the students have to suffer academically. Faculty members are being appointed on administrative positions. Nearly a dozen teachers and officers are holding administrative positions as additional charge," he added.

The other main demands put forward by the delegation include favouritism and nepotism prevalent in Kashmir University. Replying to it Lieutenant Governor assured that, it will be uprooted soon. Khuehami brought long pending demand of students of Bandipora to establish a Women's Degree College there in his notice.

"Bandipora, which is known for Alim (knowledge), Adab (Habits and literature) and Aab (water), has been unfortunately neglected by successive governments vis-a-vis establishment of women's degree college. Female students of Bandipora have to either go to Srinagar or Baramulla for further studies as result of which large number of students give up their studies after passing their 12th class. Students from Ajas, Gamroo, Aragam, Papachan, Nadihal and other adjoining areas have to travel all along to Srinagar for higher education after Class 12 as it takes less time to reach Srinagar than to GDC Bandipora," Khuehami said.

National Spokesperson of the association Ummar Jamal apprised Lieutenant Governor that, J&K is in strong need of National Law University (NLU). He informed the LG that Karnataka got its National Law University in 1988, but J&K is yet to get one even after interlude of 34 odd years after establishment of first NLU. "Twenty one states in India have established NLUs. J&K despite being the 12th largest among the 37 State/UT in terms of geographical area and 19th in terms of population with more than 14 million people is yet to have its own National Law University," he stated.

Jamal requested the Lieutenant Governor to soon set up National law University in order to bring J&K at par with other states which already have national law universities. He also requested the LG for introduction of training course for teachers of higher education; increasing 3 to 4 supernumerary and reservation seats in each prestigious universities Responding to the requests of association, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha gave patient hearing to the problems and assured that all possible steps are being taken for them and would be looked into and addressed on merit. He informed that the J&K government has reconstituted the Higher Education Council (HEC) for two years to guide the government on policy-making and innovations in the Higher Education Department, which will be headed by himself by introducing such measure here. J&K can become first state in India to introduce such a revolutionary measure in higher education department.

Davood Peer, National Secretary of Association, extended gratitude to the Lieutenant Governor for patient hearing and hoped that all the issues brought to his notice will be redressed as soon as possible. He requested Lieutenant Governor for fast-track recruitment process so that students appearing for different competitive examinations don't suffer. He also entreated him to enhance PG seats in medical colleges across Jammu and Kashmir. While interacting with the delegation of J&K Students' Association, the Lieutenant Governor observed that the UT Government is making dedicated efforts to ensure access to quality education for all.

"We are implementing the National Education Policy in letter and spirit and ensuring that all the educational institutions maintain academic standards and empower students to be a key driver of socio-economic growth of the Union territory of J&K and the nation," said the Lieutenant Governor. He informed that he has been closely monitoring the situation and student issues and offered all possible support.

Lieutenant Governor assured delegation that the administration is going to conduct the re-examinations of J&K Sub-Inspector, Finance Account Assistant and JE posts at the earliest, hopefully by the month of November. He made it clear that gone are the days when people will be selected by running a racket. Culprits will not be spared, few have been arrested and are behind bars and there won't be any compromise on merit. Students will be provided best of the support in every regard, he assured delegation.

Tribal Leader Showkat Choudhary extended his gratitude for the steps taken by LG administration since being in office for empowerment of tribal students through education by introducing new initiatives like 'Star-100', 'Host-50', modernisation of tribal student hostels etc. The association also thanked administration for addressing Pahari Student issues on merit. However, more work needs to be done on poor physical facilities, expensive schooling, lack of teaching staff and punitive practices in educational institutions falling in tribal areas.
Aurangabad, Oct 10 : Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday invited industries to locate in the modern and well-planned Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) in Maharashtra to help power the country's manufacturing sector.

AURIC is a state-centre initiative with dedicated residential spaces and an investment of over Rs 7,000 crore, making it the beacon of industrialisation of the backward Marathwada region.

Goyal said that AURIC also plans to develop a MITRA textile park, a mega food park and an international convention centre here, making it a truly global investment destination.

Urging investors to come there, the Union Minister said the government is committed to keep logistics costs low and increase the ease of doing business besides doing everything to address the requirements of various stakeholders.

Discussing the National Single Window System for Business Approvals, Goyal said the aim is to ensure that a person sitting anywhere in the world should be able to get all approvals to locate their business in India, buy land, or set up business at the click of a button.

Additionally, the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) - a Special Purpose Vehicle - envisages to establish, promote and facilitate development of the NICDC programme to develop new industrial cities as "smart cities" and converging next generation technologies across infrastructure sectors.

The programme is aimed at providing impetus to planned urbanisation in India with manufacturing as the key driver, Goyal said.

Reiterating the significance of the infrastructure sector for the economy, he said there are various examples wherein infrastructure has created power and economy and brought alive new opportunities.

"We have nearly Rs 111 lakh crore worth of National Infrastructure Pipeline and a large part of it is in Maharashtra. The metro projects, the trans-harbour link, the coastal road project and the expansion of expressways are landmark projects that will benefit Maharashtra in a big way," said Goyal.

The Minister told the investors that macroeconomic fundamentals are strong, infrastructure is being built at a rapid pace, India is the destination the world is looking up to and "together we can make India the future of the world".

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also addressed the investors meeting along with Goyal and other top officials.
Jaipur, Oct 10 : It was a different scene in the Jhalawar-bound train from Jaipur on Monday as passengers were seen queuing up to take selfie with former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot.

Pilot reached Jhalawar on Monday after three and a half years in the midst of the ongoing political drama for the CM's chair in Rajasthan. He left from Jaipur railway station in the morning.

Passengers in the 3-tier AC compartment were surprised to see Pilot travelling with them.

They started taking selfies with him. As the train reached Sawai Madhopur, supporters reached the station with drums and raised slogans cheering 'Sachin Pilot Zindabad' and 'I love you'.

Pilot then landed in Jhalawar to participate in the Akhil Bhartiya Yadav Yuva Mahasabha.

Jhalawar is known to be the stronghold of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Political experts are busy exploring the meaning for Pilot to visit Jhalawar in the middle of a political crisis going in the desert state.

Thousands of workers welcomed him on his visit. Pilot left from Jaipur Junction at 9.55 a.m. on Monday. The passengers of the train could not stop themselves from seeing Pilot and requested him for a selfie.

Even Pilot could not refuse them. During this, a crowd of supporters with drums gathered to welcome Pilot at Sawai Madhopur railway station at around 12:25 p.m. Pilot's supporters raised slogans of 'Sachin Pilot Zindabad' and Sachin Pilot 'I love you'.

Pilot reached Kota railway station at around 2.45 p.m. Here too, a huge crowd of supporters gathered to welcome him. From here, Pilot left for Jhalrapatan by car.

Addressing the gathering in Kota, Pilot said, "We have come to power because of our workers. When I was PCC President, we fought a lot for the poor and farmers. We lived up to their expectations. We are working together in the same direction. In the elections of 2023, the Congress government should be formed again." This is his first major programme in the Hadoti division before the 2023 assembly elections. The way preparations were made to welcome him from Kota to Jhalawar, many political meanings are being extracted. While some say Pilot's visit suggests that he is preparing for the return of Congress in Rajasthan in 2023, it also suggests that it comes as a challenge for former CM Vasundhara Raje.

Pilot's mother Rama Pilot contested against former CM Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan assembly seat in 2003. However, at that time she had to face defeat.
Shillong, Oct 10 : Following the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) earlier, the district administrations of East Jaintia Hills District on Monday once again promulgated prohibitory orders banning rat hole coal mining in the district, officials said.

A district administration official said that the prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC was issued also against illegal transportation and dumping of coal in noncompliance with the directions issued by the NGT earlier.

"Action would be taken against transportation of coal without valid challan or documents or permission, license issued by the competent authority to and from the district," the official said.

The DM's notification said that violation of the order shall attract penal actions under Section 188 of IPC apart from the other relevant laws.

Environmental activists in Meghalaya and Assam have said that despite the orders and recommendations of the Supreme Court and NGT, banning the indiscriminate and hazardous rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya, the mining continued unlawfully and exported to Bangladesh and other places with the authorities turning a blind eye.

Expressing strong displeasure, a three-member bench of the Meghalaya High Court led by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee recently asked the state Chief Secretary to ensure that illegal coal mining activities are stopped at once and a committee free from political interference be set up to monitor the execution of Supreme Court and NGT's directions and recommendations.

In April 2014, NGT had banned the indiscriminate and hazardous rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya. Many workers got trapped in the illegal and unsafe mines and subsequently died - five in May/June last year but only three bodies were retrieved from the flooded coal mine after hectic efforts for over 27 days in East Jaintia Hills district; in December 2018, in a major tragedy in the same district, 15 migrant miners from Assam died inside in an abandoned coal mine. The 15 miners, whose bodies were never found, had been stuck in the coal mine at a depth of nearly 370 feet after a tunnel was flooded with water from the nearby Lytein river.

Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills district shares borders with Assam and Bangladesh.
Mumbai, Oct 10 : As the crisis within the Shiv Sena deepens between the two rival factions, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has issued a virtual 'gag order' banning his partymen from talking about the political upheavals in any manner to the media.

Raj Thackeray is the nephew of Shiv Sena founder the late Balasaheb Thackeray -- and estranged cousin of ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray -- and had quit the party in 2005 to launch the MNS in 2006.

He issued an appeal to all his party leaders and workers "not to speak to the media on the issues (in Shiv Sena) or make posts on the social media".

"None of my MNS soldiers should talk or write on any media or social media about the ongoing political developments. I will present the party's position on all this in due course," Raj said.

Raj is a bitter political opponent of Uddhav though he enjoys excellent relations with the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Bharatiya Janata Party's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders.

In a setback to Uddhav Thackeray ahead of the upcoming Andheri East assembly by-election, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday froze his party's name (Shiv Sena) and symbol (bow-and-arrow).

Simultaneously, the factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde Group, were asked to submit three alternative names and symbols, which they have done, even as both parties are battling it out in the courts while the EC decision is awaited.

The Thackeray side has given a 'Trishul', 'Rising Sun' and 'Flaming Torch' and names 'Shiv Sena - Prabodhan Thackeray', 'Shiv Sena - Balasaheb P. Thackeray' and 'Shiv Sena - Uddhav B. Thackeray'.

The Shinde side -- which is not contesting the by-polls - is understood to have given symbols like 'Trident', 'Rising Sun' (akin to the Thackeray Group) and 'Mace' (against the Thackeray Group's 'Flaming Torch'), weaving in combinations of the late Bal Thackeray in its three name options for his faction.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Kerala government on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate seeking transfer of the trial in the gold smuggling case from the state to Karnataka.

The ED has alleged that "free and fair trial" of the case is not possible in Kerala due to the close nexus between the accused and top officials and functionaries in the Kerala government.

A bench headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice S. Ravindra Bhat scheduled the matter for further hearing next week and allowed the application filed by the Kerala government seeking impleadment in the ED's petition and issued notice to the state government.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, referred to the averments made by Kerala government in its impleading application that the statements of accused Swapna Suresh regarding the involvement of those holding high political offices created riots in the state. He alleged that these statements are enough to conclude that free and fair trial is impossible in Kerala.

Mehta submitted that Kerala Police lodged an FIR against ED alleging fabrication of evidence, which was quashed by the Kerala High Court, and also cited allegations made by accused Swapna Suresh and other accused regarding pressure exerted by the state police.

After hearing the matter, the top court allowed the Kerala government to file its reply by the end of this week and said it will dispose of the matter on the next hearing.

The Kerala government, in its impleadment application, said: "It is submitted that if the transfer is allowed on the allegations now raised, it will have an adverse effect on the governance of the state. The State of Kerala is, therefore a proper and necessary party to this transfer petition. In so far as the transfer will have a bearing on the proposed 340 Cr PC enquiry before the special court, the state and its officers were necessary parties to the transfer petition." The state government contended that nothing has been placed on record nor was it possible to allege that the whole of the state of Kerala cannot ensure a free, fair, and impartial trial.

"The Enforcement Directorate has not substantiated with evidence that the investigation carried on by them for more than one and half years has been hindered. There has not been a single incident in which Investigating Officers of the Enforcement Directorate were prevented from discharging their duties. They have been freely summoning witnesses and examining them. These include public servants holding important positions," added the state government, opposing ED's plea to transfer the case to Karnataka.
Patna Oct 10 : A 12-year-old boy died in Mahavir Medical Science Institute (MMSI) in Bihar's Nalanda district on Monday; the family members of the deceased claim that the death happened due to the negligence of doctors and medical staff.

The intern doctors also broke the windshield of a car where the family members kept the body of the deceased.

The 12-year-old boy, identified as Golden Kumar, had fallen from a bicycle on Sunday evening and sustained injuries on his hip. He was admitted in MMSI's emergency ward located in Pawapuri.

"The doctors gave preliminary treatment. The temperature of his body went low at night. It may be possible that the doctors wrongly diagnosed him. I repeatedly requested doctors and staff nurses to look after him and provide adequate treatment but none of the medical staff came at night. The doctors were present in the chamber but they scolded me and other relatives. My grandson succumbed on Monday morning," said Gyan Bahadur Singh, grandfather of the deceased.

Hearing of the death of Golden, a large number of villagers assembled in the hospital and were involved in heated exchange of words with the medical staff. The intern doctors present in the hospital violently reacted to the villagers and launched assaults on them.

"They locked the main door of the hospital and brutally assaulted us. We managed to take away the dead body of my grandson and put it inside the car. But the intern doctor also attacked it and broke the windshield. We somehow escaped from the hospital without conducting the postmortem," Singh said.

The hospital administration, however, claimed that the villagers went inside the room of the medical superintendent and misbehaved with him. The intern doctors retaliated after the misbehaviour of villagers.
Bhubaneswar, Oct 10 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to attend a roadshow of investors in Hyderabad on October 17, officials said here on Monday.

"To woo investors & present investment opportunities in #Odisha, CM @Naveen_Odisha will hold one-on-one meetings with business tycoons at the Odisha Investors' Meet in Hyderabad on Oct 17," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a tweet.

According to officials, the Chief Minister is likely to hold one-to-one meetings with several industrial captains including the Hyderabad-based investors in the daytime while a mega roadshow for the investors will be organised in the evening.

During the meeting, the focus will be given to attract more investors in IT, pharma, health care and textile sectors towards Odisha, they said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had participated in investors' meetings at Dubai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Notably, the Odisha government is going to organise the third edition of Make-in-Odisha conclave from November 30 to December 4, 2022 to showcase the diverse business-friendly ecosystem of Odisha to potential investors who could invest in the state.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday said that a bank loan rating by rating agencies not having lenders' names won't be considered for capital computation by banks.

Such loans will have to be treated by banks as unrated and they will assign risk weights to them.

In a circular issued to all banks on Monday, the RBI noted that disclosures relating to lenders' details are not available in a large number of Press Releases (PRs) issued by external credit assessment institutions (ECAIs) due to the absence of requisite consent by the borrowers to the ECAIs.

"It is, therefore, advised that a bank loan rating without the above disclosure by the ECAI shall not be eligible for being reckoned for capital computation by banks... They (banks) shall treat such exposures as unrated and assign applicable risk weights," the RBI said.

It cautioned that if the relevant information is not provided, then banks would have to assign risk weights to such unrated exposures.

This could further lead to lowering of provision for capital and underpricing of risks, the central bank cautioned further.
Chennai, Oct 10 : India Cements Ltd on Monday said it has sold its subsidiary Springway Mining Private Ltd (SMPL) owning limestone land for Rs.476.87 crore to JSW Cement Ltd.

Springway Mining was in the process of setting up a cement mill in Madhya Pradesh.

According to India Cements, out of the total consideration, a sum of Rs 373.87 crore has been received on Monday.

The balance Rs 103 crore will be received on completion of certain conditions of the Share Purchase Agreement, on or before December 31, 2022.

In June this year, India Cements had said it has acquired the entire paid-up equity and preference share capital of Springway Mining Private Ltd for Rs 182.89 crore. As a result, the company became its wholly-owned subsidiary.
London, Oct 10 : A man who had punched a 62-year-old Sikh in Manchester "without any justifiable reason" and left him for dead has been jailed for three years.

Claudio Campos, 28, attacked Avtar Singh in broad daylight as he was walking home from work through the Tib Street area of the City Centre on June 23.

Campos, who was with his partner at the time, proceeded to walk up behind Avtar before violently punching him to the head. Singh fell into the middle of the road where he stayed unconscious until a passer-by called for an ambulance.

Singh had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, a stroke caused by bleeding on the brain and multiple fractures to his cheek, jaw and eye socket as a result of the attack, the BBC reported.

He remains in hospital requiring 24-hour nursing and medical care.

"This was a horrific attack on a much loved family member and community leader which deeply shocked the public. I hope today's verdict gives Mr. Singh's family some relief that the person who has harmed their husband and father has now faced justice and will be sent to prison," Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said.

Campos was located with the help of CCTV footage and taken into custody by the GMP in September, where he admitted the assault.

Sentencing Campos, Judge Hilary Manley told him he had attacked Singh "without any justifiable reason".

"As a direct result of your decision to attack him, his life, and the lives of his family, are forever traumatised, changed and diminished. He gave you no reason at all to do what you did," Manley was quoted as saying in the BBC.

The judge rejected the defendant's claim that he was "very sorry".

"When our dad came to this country over 30 years ago, he never imagined that he would be the subject of such a heinous attack which has left him bed bound and in hospital for as long as he has been," Singh's children said in a release issued by the GMP.

"As a family, we are truly heartbroken and still struggle to come to terms with the reality of his future and the truth behind this crime," they said.
Jaipur, Oct 10 : Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday made a scathing attack on Rajasthan government questioning its silence on the rising incidents of communal frenzy being reported in the state.

"The way communal frenzy is spreading in the state and no action is being taken against the fanatics, it is clear that the Gehlot government is indirectly giving shelter to such people. The law and order situation in the state is deteriorating day by day. Crimes against women are increasing and the government is playing 'Kissa Kursi Ka'," he said.

While interacting with the media, Shekhawat said that 'Sar Tan Se Juda' slogans were raised in the Chief Minister's home turf that is in Jodhpur. If such slogans are raised in the home district of CM, who is also the Home Minister, and if no action is seen, then the public will definitely be forced to live in the shadow of fear," he said.

On occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi on Sunday, a procession was taken out in Pipad town of district Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in which 'Sar Tan Se Juda' slogans were raised.

On the allegations of misuse of agencies like ED and CBI, Union Minister said that I want to thank the honourable CM that at least this time, he did not blame the Central agencies and the BJP when 'Kissa Kursi Ka' is going on in Rajasthan.

Speaking on CM statement that Jai Shah, Ambani will be welcomed if they come with investment, Shekhawat said that when these people go to some other state and work, they are accused of being fed by Central government, but when the same entrepreneurs invest in Rajasthan, a red carpet is laid in front of them. This is a dual mindset, he added.

"In such conditions, Congress government is claiming to repeat however, they have no base ready for them to repeat their government. No announcement has been implemented on grounds. Congress MLAs are questioning their own govt's Chiranjeevi scheme. Just by giving a good budget and praising it doesn't work," he said.

Speaking on Eastern Rajasthan Canal Projects (ERCP), Shekhawat said, "The Gehlot government is spreading confusion on it. Despite repeated requests, Gehlot is conspiring to complicate this project by not working in accordance with the set norms of the Government of India. The government is misleading people of these 13 districts for their political gains. They claim to complete this project on their own, which they will never be able to do." Shekhawat said, "Madhya Pradesh has been continuously objecting to it. The day it goes to court, this project will stop. Later, Gehlot will walk away by saying 'the matter is in court'. Their only objective, if any, regarding ERCP is how to get political mileage out of it?"
Srinagar, Oct 10 : This month, that which could only happen in the parallel universe, something which may sound bizarre, has taken place in Kashmir -- the celebrations of Hindi Pakhwada.

Such news is hardly covered by the media but Kashmir is enthusiastic about learning Hindi. The 15-day event at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar focussed on Hindi being the connecting language of the nation along with the mother tongue Kashmiri, and how together the two will help to rediscover the rich literary heritage of Kashmir.

Kashmir has birthed major literary figures - poets and scholars such as Dinanath Nadim, Zinda Kaul, and Som Nath Zutshi who have contributed greatly to Hindi/Kashmiri literature.

As a connecting language, Hindi will bridge the cultural gap that was intentionally created to isolate and alienate Kashmir from India. Hundreds of years ago it was in Kashmir that saints and scholars wrote some of the best Sanskrit literature the world has known.

Sanskrit (Hindi) has a significant history in the Valley that was put to rest with a greater agenda - to annihilate the ethos of the Kashmiri society. Kashmiri culture and language have been based on Sanskrit with a large influence from Central Asian languages.

NIT Srinagar's Registrar, Prof Syed Prof Kaiser Bukhari, said that Hindi is among the world's oldest languages and its rich literature cannot be underestimated.

Last month, Kashmir University celebrated the Hindi Divas, an enthusiastic annual affair of the university.

It is noteworthy to mention that in recent years, more students, especially females, have opted for Hindi literature and research programs. Some of their work has been taken up for translation into other languages.

The Dean of the School of Arts Languages and Literature added at the event that one must not adopt the "parochial mindset of looking at a language from any other prism other than the sole prism of language".

The department is running its Hindi courses including diploma programs at full capacity. State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) too organised multiple programmes across the state to mark the day.

After the recognition of Hindi and Kashmir as the official languages of the Union Territory along with erstwhile Dogri and Urdu, governance is easier. More people can be accounted for their actions and official document work will have greater scope.

The present generation of young adults, people who started school in the early 90s were reprimanded in schools for speaking Kashmiri, their mother tongue. It was not until they entered their mid-20s that they would speak Kashmiri fluently and without shame. It is a relief to the older generation that Kashmiri has finally been given official status after 7 long years.

Urdu is not the mother tongue of anybody and yet somehow due to external influence it proliferated through the weave of Koshur and Kashmiriyat.

Urdu was conveniently made the official language by the rulers from Punjab because their administration was well-versed in Urdu and trading was easier. It was nobody's first language but somehow it sidelined Kashmiri and made its way into the mainstream.

It is interesting to note that in the first and only detailed account of Kashmir, the Rajatarangini was written in scholarly Sanskrit and not Kashmiri! Kashmir in those days was the highest seat of Sanskrit before it amalgamated with the languages of the foreign invaders.

The region was slowly poisoned into adopting a culture that was not theirs. And it was only possible by bringing a replacement language -- a sinister agenda to desiccate the Kashmiri history and heritage.

When creating an uproar for 'self-determination' local separatist movements do not use Kashmiri as a medium. They use Urdu. Because there is no place for separatism through violence in Kashmiri ethos.

The medieval Kashmiri scholars such as Vamana, Abhinavagupta, and Rudrata, made Kashmir an essential part of the Indic world. The only accounts of Kashmir ever written are in Sanskrit, before the 17th-century Persian portrayals. In fact, the names of many places in Kashmir are derivatives of Sanskrit names mentioned in Rajatarangini more than 900 years ago.

For example, Baramulla was Varhamula, Tulmul was Tulyamulya, Bijbehara was Vijbror, Sopore was Suyyapura, and Wular was Ullol.

When a language disappears, an entire population of our ancestors and their knowledge are forgotten forever. A reintroduction to Hindi with vernacular Kashmiri will take us back in time, and refresh our perspective of Kashmir as it was in its prime.
Mumbai/New Delhi, Oct 10 : The Election Commission on Monday allotted new names and symbol to the two factions of the erstwhile Shiv Sena, which split into Chief Minister Eknath Shinde group and ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray group.

Accordingly, the Thackeray group has been given the name of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and it has been allotted a new symbol of a flaming torch.

Similarly, the breakaway Shinde group has allotted the identity of "Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena" and it has been ordered to submit new options for a symbol by 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

The developments came two days after the ECI froze the name of Shiv Sena and its iconic bow-and-arrow symbol ahead of the upcoming by-elections to the Andheri East constituency.

Shiv Sena-UBT Deputy Leader Sushma Andheri has welcomed the EC's decision and said nobody needs an introduction to Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena now led by Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray.

South Mumbai MP of the Sena-UBT Arvind Sawant also hailed the move and said Uddhav Thackeray is "the face of the party", and accused the Shinde faction of "stealing everything, the party, is symbol, the Thackeray family name, etc.", but now the EC decision has cleared the air.

Other Shiv Sena-UBT leaders like Kishore Tiwari, Kishori Pednekar also gave a warm reception to the party's new credentials and a brand new symbol.

The ECI rejected the symbols - trident and mace - demanded by the two factions on grounds that they had religious connotations.

Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre said that these are stop-gap arrangements till the assembly elections and the Shinde group will get the original name and symbol later.

--IANS qn/vd

A
Moscow, Oct 10 : In wake of the large-scale air strikes across Ukraine, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned "there will be others", the media reported.

The close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin signalled that the ramp up in attacks could be the start of a further escalation in the war on Russia's part, BBC reported.

"Ukraine would be a constant, direct and clear threat to Russia," he wrote. "The aim of our future actions must be the full dismantling of the political regime in Ukraine." A statement of this nature suggests that, if this is indeed the view of the Kremlin, Russia may want to push on with the war until it makes sure the whole of Ukraine is back in Russia's orbit, BBC reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any further Ukrainian "terrorist" assaults on Russian soil will be met with a significant military response. He was speaking after a wave of missiles struck Ukraine on Monday morning, RT reported.

Putin confirmed that Russian troops carried out "massive strikes with long-range precision weapons on Ukrainian objects of energy, and military control and communications". The response came two days after an explosion damaged the strategic Crimean Bridge, for which officials in Kiev claimed responsibility.

"If there are further attempts to conduct terrorist attacks on our soil, Russia will respond firmly and on a scale corresponding to the threats created against Russia," Putin added, RT reported.

Earlier on Monday, multiple regions of Ukraine came under missile strikes, with at least 11 key infrastructure facilities damaged, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal.

Putin stated that Russia was retaliating for a number of attempts to strike Russian infrastructure that have been attributed to Kiev.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Bhopal, Oct 10 : A woman was pulled out from her home and paraded in half-naked position for hours by a group of men hailing from a family in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district, police said on Monday.

The shameful act of men was executed in revenge on broad daylight, more ironically, people of the village (Khera village where incident took place on Saturday) witnessed the helpless woman being paraded and abused on street as mute spectators.

The village, where this incident happend, falls under Maihar Police station in Satna district, around 500 km from the state capital Bhopal. Three persons, who have been identified as Rishi Patel, Shivkumar Patel and Mahendra Patel, on Saturday barged into the woman's house, pulled her out and started parading her naked while abusing her.

As per the police, the accused (Patel family) did it in revenge of a police complaint made against them by the woman few days back.

"Earlier on October 6, the three had come to the house of the victim in an inebriated state and created a ruckus on some issue. The woman complained about it to the Dial-100," said a police official.

They were detained on the basis of woman's complaint but released on bail soon. After getting bail, the trio again reached the house of the woman and committed the crime in revenge.

"During the parade, the sari of the victim fell down and she was in her petticoat and blouse. One of the accused Mahendra kept the sari in his hand and proudly flaunted it. The kin of the woman tried to intervene but the miscreants kept on thrashing her," said a senior police official.

"All three accused involved in the case have been arrested and they have been booked under Sections 294, 323, 506, 354, 452 and 34 of IPC. Further investigation is underway," Police official added.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday urged the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) to create an interface with the startup ecosystem. This will help them grow faster and encourage domestic capital into the startups, he said.

Goyal said this while attending the listing celebration of the 400th company in BSE SME platform in Mumbai.

With the listing of eight new companies in the exchange's SME platform, the BSE SME platform has achieved the milestone of 400 listed companies.

The minister also rang the ceremonious bell to mark the special occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Goyal said: "Indian investors are able to hold the Indian market strong. This has demonstrated the equity culture and that capacity of Indian investors to take risks has increased." BSE could also offer technology services to the companies which could add lustre to the SME exchange, he added.

BSE Ltd had set up the BSE SME platform in March 2012 as per the rules and regulations laid down by SEBI.

It offers an entrepreneur and investor friendly environment, which enables listing of SMEs from the unorganised sector scattered throughout India, into a regulated and organised sector.

The listed SMEs step into the threshold of BSE SME Platform and foray in to the world of finance for further growth and development.

BSE SME assists small and medium enterprises in raising equity capital for their growth and expansion, which would help them turn into full-fledged companies.

In due course, this would enable such entities to migrate into the Main Board of BSE as per the existing rules and regulations.
Hyderabad, Oct 10 : Raj Bhavan, the official residence of Telangana Governor, was illuminated in pink for a third consecutive year on Monday to spread the message of hope and courage in the fight against breast cancer.

The illumination in pink is an initiative of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation headed by eminent breast cancer surgeon, Dr. P. Raghu Ram.

Impressed with the innovative breast cancer awareness initiatives spearheaded by Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation over the past 15 years, and the state of the art surgical care provided by Dr Raghu Ram at KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases in KIMS Hospitals, a breast cancer survivor's family has donated Rs 60 lakh to the Foundation.

Image Source: IANS News

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan was the chief guest at an event organised at Raj Bhavan to commemorate International Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).

Motaparthy Chandra Subbarao contributed Rs 60 lakh to Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation. The seed donation has been matched with a philanthropic contribution of over Rs 5 crore from KIMS Hospitals, which would touch the lives of 150 underprivileged patients over the next few months.

"I have pledged to waive my fee for all patients requiring surgery under this initiative. Furthermore, underprivileged patients would be receiving chemotherapy & Anti HER2 targeted therapy (which are the most expensive components of cancer care) free of cost, which are also absolutely vital to ensure survival and quality of life benefit," said Dr Raghu Ram, Founder & CEO of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and Director & Consultant Surgeon at KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases at KIMS Hospitals.

He said since 2009 as a result of the consistent and determined efforts of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation, Hyderabad has been turning pink to mark the beginning of International Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Dr Bhaskar Rao, Chairman & Managing Director of KIMS Hospitals said that over the past 15 years, Dr Raghu Ram has been working with missionary zeal towards creating awareness about early detection of breast cancer through a number of impactful initiatives.

The Governor said this philanthropic initiative will serve as an inspiration to many more people in the community to come forward to help those who are less fortunate.

"Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand Dr Raghu Ram's dynamic efforts and landmark initiatives that he has championed under the auspices of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation. I commend him and in appreciation of his unstinting efforts, I have given permission for Raj Bhavan to be illuminated in pink for the third consecutive year to further create the much needed awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer," she said.

The Governor said during this festive season, men should gift their loved ones a screening mammogram. "Women over 40 must have an annual screening mammogram, which helps to detect breast cancer in the very early stages. Early detection saves lives. Let us dedicate this International Breast Cancer Awareness Month to spread this message," she said.

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, Oct 10 : Amid reports of fresh and intensified attacks against multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine on Monday issued an advisory warning Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel.

The alert has come as several blasts hit the centre of Kyiv on Monday smashing civilian targets, including downtown Kyiv.

In view of the current escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine. They must strictly follow the safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian Government and local authorities, the advisory said.

"Indian nationals are requested to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the Embassy to reach out to them, where required," it said.

As per reports, Russia on Monday unleashed strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities in which at least 10 civilians died and nearly 60 were injured.

Meanwhile, India has said it is deeply concerned over the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and called for "immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue".

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a statement, said: "India is deeply concerned over the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians.

"We reiterate that escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and the urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation." "India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states," Bagchi said.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Panaji, Oct 10 : Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai on Monday advised those Goans settled in other places to return back to the state and work here in the interest of the people.

Pillai was speaking during Goa Sampurna Yatra Programme at St. Andre Constituency in North Goa.

He said that Goa is developing every passing day and it is a good thing. "But the people who leave Goa to seek employment and settle down there is not fair. They should return back to Goa and work here in the interest of the people," he said.

Pillai said that the representatives of the people need to work hard to keep up their word of assurances and fulfil the demands of people on time.

"We have to fulfil the basic needs of the public like health, education, shelter and reach out to the last person to make our freedom meaningful," Pillai said.

He interacted with the local representatives of village Panchayats of St. Andre Constituency. The Governor said village people are good at heart and hard working.

The Governor urged everyone to work together and strive to resolve the problems faced by the people. "We have to serve our people in the best possible way. There are many people suffering from various diseases and hence those who need help should be extended all possible help," he added.

Under Goa Sampurna Yatra Programme, the Governor informed that he has almost visited most of the village Panchayats of Goa and have interacted with their representatives, experienced their spirit and zeal to work in the interest of the people.
Bengaluru, Oct 10 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal-S (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday came down heavily on the Central government, saying the ruling BJP is "conspiring to make Bharat a Hindistan by imposing Hindi language".

Kumaraswamy has slammed that the report submitted by the Parliamentary Committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to President Droupadi Murmu. Reacting to the report -- which recommends making Hindi a compulsory medium of instruction -- the JD-S leader said "it will ensure destruction of federalism in the country".

"The Union government is enacting a fake drama to control the whole of India through a hidden agenda. After reading the recommendations, I was shocked," he said.

"With the mindset of a dictator, it is being conspired to make India Hindistan by trampling Kannada and regional languages. The recommendations of the report have potential to break the federal structure into pieces," the former Chief Minister said.

"Amit Shah has an agenda of destroying federal structure through his policy of one nation, one language and one religion. India will not agree to the dominance of one language. This might lead to the breaking of the country," he added.

He said the "Central government should take back the report and uphold the objectives of the constitution".

"The people who speak non-Hindi languages are more in numbers in this nation. Knowing this fact well, the BJP is imposing Hindi. This is a conspiracy," he said, adding: "The Union government has come forward to finish off regional languages like Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia and others.

"All states, especially southern states must protest this and get united to fight. BJP in Karnataka only talks Kannada at the outset, but it is imposing Hindi language in the state. BJP can't be trusted with protection of regional languages," he stated.

"If Hindi is imposed on India just because BJP has got a majority, India is going to suffer in the name of language. Bharat does not stand for Hindu and Hindi. It belongs to all," Kumaraswamy added.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : Delhi Police has summoned Aam Aadmi Party MLA and ex-minister Rajendra Pal Gautam to join the investigation in connection with the religion conversion programme controversy where anti-Hindu God slogans were raised.

Gautam will have to join the investigation on Tuesday. This is the first summon which has been issued to him. After getting mired into controversy, Gautam had resigned from the minister's post.

BJP's Delhi President Adesh Gupta had lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Gautam, for the alleged conversion programme where anti-Hindu God slogans were raised.

Gupta had requested the Delhi Police to lodge the FIR under sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 298, 505, 506 of Indian Penal Code.

According to the information, the programme was held at Ambedkar Bhawan in Central Delhi.

"They made the video of the programme and made it viral. The video was exasperating and mischievous in nature. These social media posts are created with the obvious motive of inciting violence and promoting hatred," read the complaint of Gupta.

Gupta had alleged that during the anti-NRC protests, same tactics were used to incite violence by the AAP leaders.

The complaint read that a Sabha was held at Ambedkar Bhawan on October 6. This Sabha was organised under the aegis of AAP and their concerned leaders where some oaths were administered which continuously demeaned various Hindu God and Goddess and subsequently everyone was asked not to follow Hinduism considering it to be a bad religion.

"That videos were made of such speech and were subsequently shared in various social media platforms to get maximum reach and propagation so that the religious sentiments of people of entire Hindu religion may be attacked and subsequently a state of riot and disturbance be created on a national level," the complaint read.

The Delhi Police said that they were looking into the matter.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : The Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was launched on Monday on occasion of the World Mental Health Day.

The initiative was launched virtually by Thawar Chand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, in the presence of K. Sudhakar, Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education, Karnataka & Vice-President, NIMHANS.

Acknowledging the mental health crisis in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and an urgent need to establish a digital mental health network that will withstand the challenges amplified by the pandemic, the Central government announced National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) in the Union Budget 2022-23.

"Good mental health with Tele MANAS! PM @NarendraModi Ji's Govt launches 'Tele Mental Health Assistance & Networking Across States' to provide all access to affordable mental health care in every State/UT. It will serve as the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme," Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a tweet.

Tele-MANAS aims to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas.

The programme includes a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence, with NIMHANS being the nodal centre and International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB) providing technology support.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bengaluru and National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHRSC) will provide the technical support.

The Central government aims to open at least one Tele-MANAS Cell in each State/UT.

A toll-free, 24/7 helpline number (14416) has been set up across the country allowing callers to select the language of choice for availing services.

The calls would be routed to Tele-MANAS cells in the respective state and union territory.

Tele-MANAS will be organised in two tier system -- Tier 1 comprises of state Tele-MANAS cells which include trained counsellors and mental health specialists. Tier 2 will comprise of specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio visual consultation.

Currently, there are 5 regional coordination centres along with 51 state and UTs Tele-MANAS cells.

The initial rollout providing basic support and counselling through centralised Interactive Voice Response system (IVRS) is being customised for use across all States and UTs.

Specialised care is being envisioned through the programme by linking Tele-MANAS with other services like National tele-consultation service, e-Sanjeevani, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, mental health professionals, Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres and emergency psychiatric facilities.

The NIMHANS has conducted training for 900 Tele MANAS counsellors from majority of states/UTs.
Guwahati, Oct 10 : Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday took an indirect jibe towards his rival candidate Shashi Tharoor while visiting Assam to campaign for the upcoming Congress presidential election.

"Some people have been roaming with their own manifesto, but, why should I have it? In the Udaipur Chintan Shivir, a detailed roadmap for the party was prepared by the various internal committees. I have those declarations with me and once I sit in the Congress president's chair, I will implement these one by one." "Decisions taken at Udaipur have declarations for all wings of Congress party like Youth Congress, Mahila Congress, etc. I will try to materialise those declarations taken by the leaders of our party," he said.

Stressing on his credentials for the Congress President's post, Kharge said that he has more than 50 years of experience working from the block level to a Congress Working Committee member to end as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

The veteran Congress leader also launched a sharp attack on BJP saying that the ruling party is doing a 'Bharat Todo' exercise in the country.

Citing his reason to contesting for the top party post, Kharge said that interim party chief Sonia Gandhi clearly declared that nobody from Gandhi family will compete for the post and party delegates will decide the next Congress President. She will not interfere in the whole process.

"Then our senior leaders and party workers reached out to me with a request to fight for the post because the BJP has been continuously instigating fights between communities, religion, etc. The democratic institutions are facing a threat from the ruling party and they have been undermining the country's constitution too," he said.

The senior Congress leader alleged that BJP has been trying to break the Congress in almost every state.

"They broke our government in at least 6-7 states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Arunachal, etc. In Gujarat, we had given them a strong fight in the last Assembly election, but there also, the BJP tried to do the same thing." "When a party MLA or MP does not fall into their trap, BJP uses the ED, or the CBI against them or lure opposition leaders by promising to give some big responsibilities. This is a total insult to democracy. (Pandit Jawaharlal) Nehru ji was Prime Minister for such a long time but he never did such malicious things, instead, he used to show respect for opposition party leaders," Kharge told reporters here.

The Congress presidential candidate also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his desperation to campaign for the party.

"If Prime Minister has charisma, why he had to go for the campaign even in the corporation elections," he questioned.
Bengaluru, Oct 10 : The Congress party in Karnataka buoyed by the response of the party's ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi is planning to rope in another Gandhi family member -- Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for its Ballary convention.

Sources in Congress said the party leaders are upbeat about the grand old party's prospect in the upcoming assembly elections.

Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi has joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra recently in Mandya district of Karnataka.

The Congress had come to power in 2013 assembly elections after holding a massive convention in Ballary against the mining mafia and then ruling BJP government.

The Congress managed to garner a simple majority in the elections and Siddaramaiah went on to become the Chief Minister.

The Congress leaders believe if Priyanka Gandhi joins padayatra in Ballary district and addresses the convention there, it would help boosting the party's chances in the central as well as the northern Karnataka region.

'Bharat Jodo Yatra' will cover a total distance of 511 km across 21 days in Karnataka covering eight districts. The only public rally in the state as part of the yatra will be organised in Ballary.

The party is trying to bring in over lakh people for the rally.

Party insiders say that Rahul Gandhi was keen on including Ballary in the route of Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The yatra is scheduled to reach Ballary on October 19.

The convention is organised on the next day.

Ballary is also special to Gandhi family as it had given a major boost to Sonia Gandhi's political career when she contested from here against BJP's late former union minister Sushma Swaraj.
New Delhi, Oct 10 : A Muslim organisation on Monday demanded action against BJP's Delhi MP Parvesh Varma for a hate speech on Saturday where he asked to boycott a particular community economically and socially.

In his speech at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally called to show support to the family of a murdered youth, the MP, as per a video going viral, said in order to teach them (the community in question) a lesson, boycott them, do not give them work or purchase from their shops.

In a tweet, tagging the Prime Minister and sharing the video, Navaid Hamid of Majlis-e-Mushawarat asked if the BJP MP's call for "for economic & social genocide of Muslims is the official policy of your government?" Noting that the "atrocious call is bound to attract international scrutiny", he asked if any action was considered against Verma.

The Delhi Police has lodged an FIR against the organisers of the rally.
Chennai, Oct 10 : Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said that an inquiry will be conducted following a row that emerged over the twin babies born to south Indian superstar Nayanthara and her husband and director Vignesh Sivan.

The couple announced on Sunday that they have become parents of twin boys. Even as the couple did not make any official statement, there were reports that the babies were conceived through surrogacy.

Several questions were raised as to whether the surrogacy laws applicable in the country were followed by Nayanthara and Vignesh. It may be noted that the couple got married four months ago.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister, Ma Subramanian during a press conference on Monday evening said that surrogacy law is itself subjected to a lot of debates.

He said that those who are above 21 years of age but under 36 are eligible for surrogacy with the consent of their families.

The Health Minister said that an inquiry will be conducted and he would instruct the Director of Medical Services to conduct an inquiry.

Subramanian told IANS: "An inquiry will be conducted and I will be directing the Medical Services Directorate to conduct an inquiry into the same." In India, commercial surrogacy is banned and the criteria are that the surrogate should be at least married once and should have her own child.

According to the latest surrogacy regulation bill, with effect from January 25, 2022, the idea is the prohibition of commercial surrogacy.

Only altruistic surrogacy would be allowed wherein except for the medical expenses and the insurance cover of the surrogate, no other charges or expenses would be covered by the couple who engages the surrogate.
Chennai, Oct 10 : Even as the Meteorological Department has predicted the arrival of the northeast monsoon in Tamil Nadu by the last week of October, cyclonic depressions have led to heavy rains in many parts of the state.

In the districts of Erode, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Salem and Tiruvannamalai where Kuruvai paddy cultivation is done, incessant rains have taken a toll on the harvesting of paddy and storing of the harvested crop. With the incessant and continuous rains, many paddy fields are inundated leading to the harvesting machines not being operated due to the water stagnation in the fields.

Another issue that is creating heartburn for the farmers is the Direct Procurement Centres not buying the paddy citing the increase in moisture content. The DPCs have told farmers that the moisture content has overshot the stipulated 17 per cent and that the paddy has to be dried and then sold. With incessant rains, this will not happen and paddy in large volumes is bound to be lost.

R. Sukumaran, a Kuruvai paddy farmer in Thanjavur, told IANS that already the farmers in many parts of the taluk were not able to sell the paddy as DPCs were not taking the crop citing that the moisture content is above the stipulated percentage.

"With the heavy rains since Saturday till now, the possibility of these harvested crops being bought by the DPCs is becoming a mirage." A group of farmers has also sought support from the Central government to relax the moisture content to 20 per cent so that the DPCs could buy the crop.

However, a group of farmers who have just sowed the Samba cultivation welcomed the rains as the fields were non-irrigated and the heavy rains have given them hope that the cultivation would take off.

Erode, Namakkal, and Salem districts witnessed heavy rains since Saturday. However, no untoward incidents have been reported from these districts.

The average rainfall in Namakkal district was 63.16 mm while that of Erode district was 54.60 mm and that of Salem 29.51 mm.

The copious rains have led to almost all the reservoirs in the state getting ample water before the northeast monsoon.
Dubai, Oct 11 : More than 200 Indian ICT companies and startups are participating in "GITEX GLOBAL 2022". Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) is ensuring Indian participation in a big way at five-day long the international technology show being held between October 10 and 14 in Dubai.

Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai inaugurated India Pavilion at GITEX on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, Puri said, "This year is the largest participation of Indian companies in GITEX and we are proud of it. India and UAE share strong cultural and economic links that have got a further boost with the signing of CEPA earlier this year. He said that Dubai has emerged as the most significant partner for Indian companies from the electronics and IT sector. GITEX is a playground for Indian Startup companies, who can get international exposure from different other parts of the world. This the platform where Made in India products are showing their strength to the world." "GITEX is continuing to emerge as the largest and the most impressive ICT event of its kind in the Middle East. Naturally, India has a great stake in the booming Middle East, Africa, Asia (WANA Region), and European markets for which Dubai is the gateway. Thus the event provides the participating Indian ICT companies opportunities for scouting the expanding Middle East market," asserts Gurmeet Singh, Executive Director, ESC.

"ESC has been facilitating Indian participation on a regular basis at GITEX to take advantage of the booming IT market in the Gulf and leveraging that association for getting businesses for Indian IT companies from a multitude of large global corporations, which are executing projects in the region," says Kamal Vachani, Regional Director, Middle East, ESC.

One of the participants, ShreeJee Infosolution Pvt Ltd, Business Head- Zoeb Fatemi said, "GITEX is an international platform, and our company is participating first time here. I have global productsand this is the best place to showcase them to the world, where I am expecting a good response and partnerships." India pavilion is highlighting innovative ICT products & services including Cyber Security Solutions, Mobile Tablets, Software Products on E-Commerce, E-Learning Systems, CMS, CRM, HR & Finance Solutions, Project Management Systems, Tailor-Made Vertical, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Cloud Computing, Telecommunication Products, Energy Sector, Banking, Financial Inclusions, Digital Signage, Enterprise Asset Management/CMMS, Web Portal Development, BPO, etc.

India is witnessing a very high growth in exports of electronics hardware. It is estimated that the country's electronics goods export to Middle East during 2021-22 is valued at $3,323 million.

UAE is the second top destination for India's electronics export globally with a share of 16 per cent. In value terms, the electronics export to the UAE is estimated at $2,468 million. The export of software and related services to the Middle East has reached a level of $3,300 million in 2021-22.

India's total export of electronics hardware during 2021-22 is estimated to be $15.69 billion up from $11.03 billion estimated in 2020-21 registering a growth of 42 per cent. India's export of computer software and services is estimated to be $172 billion in 2021-22 up from $146 billion in 2020-21 registering a growth of 17.75 per cent.

To further strengthen the electronics and IT relations between India and the Middle East, the Council is inviting a large delegation from the Middle East to visit India for INDIA SOFT 2023 scheduled on March 27-28, 2023 at New Delhi, India.

At INDIA SOFT, the most prominent IT global networking event in India, around 500 software & services and electronics buyers from over 75 countries will be present at this business-to-business (B2B) partnering forum from North America, Europe, Middle East, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Africa, CIS, ASEAN region, etc.

"Comprising of International Exhibition and Conference, INDIA SOFT 2023 meant to facilitate joint ventures, collaboration and strategic alliances for outsourcing with overseas buyers," says Narula, adding that the event will provide participants an opportunity to broaden their vision and take the business to the growth trajectory.
Bhopal, Oct 11 : As many as 2,600 persons were so far booked for operating illegal liquor business in Madhya Pradesh under the state government's 'Nashamukti' operation that was launched on Friday.

Over 2,500 persons involved in the illegal business of drugs and liquor were detained, while over 200 people were booked under Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act. Similarly, around 200 people were booked under Tobacco Prohibition Act. As per the official information, around 2,500 locations were raided since Saturday.

Superintendents of Police (SPs) of all districts in the state, besides submitting the details of actions to the Police Headquarters in Bhopal, also uploaded it on social media accounts, mentioning that the action was carried on the direction of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Charing a meeting with senior police and administrative officials to take stock of the operation, Chouhan praised the police for strict action in all districts. "We have decided to take action against the nexus operating illegal business of liquor and other narcotics. Operation Nashamukthi has been started in many districts and it will be followed in other remaining districts in the coming days. I would thank to Madhya Pradesh Police for their efforts," Chouhan said on Monday.

Interestingly, while the ruling BJP has been busy thumping its back claiming that the government has taken action against the nexus operating illegal liquor business and narcotics, the opposition Congress has raised questions on the timing of the action.

Congress leaders said the operation came when the elections are not very far and the BJP government wants to make its good image while the fact is that the law and order situation in the state has been very poor.

The Congress also raised questions on whether the state police was waiting for a signal from Chief Minister to kick start an operation. "Action against illegal sale of liquor and drugs are daily activities of the police. Why the police should wait for Chief Minister's order to take action against illegal activities? All places where raids were conducted have not been established all of sudden. They were operational for several years. It's good that action was carried out, but the BJP government should also tell names of people who are operating these illegal businesses," said Sangeeta Sharma, vice-president of the state Congress media cell.

Reacting over the operation, former Chief Minister and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Monday said, "The entire BJP is under the intoxication of power. They did nothing for 17 years and when the elections are nearing, the Chief Minister doing all these things to turn the attention of people from real issues." Incidentally, the action came within a week after senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti announced to kickstart a two-month-long yatra as a symbolic protest against illegal activities, including the sale of liquor and drugs. Bharti would start her march against the state government's liquor policy on November 7, which would conclude by January next year.

In an attempt to make her presence felt in state politics, Bharti has been cornering Chouhan and state BJP president V. D. Sharma through the liquor policy issue, however, before she could start her movement for the same, Chouhan kicked start the mega operation.
This microgrid will help safeguard our students, faculty, and staff; protect critical operations from energy disruptions; and enable the University to further its sustainability goals. Al Delia, FSU Vice President for Regional Development and Engagement

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has awarded Optimize Renewables client Frostburg State University (FSU) a $750,000 grant from its inaugural Resilient Maryland Capital Development (RMCD) Program. FSU was announced as the first recipient of funding under this innovative MEA pilot program.

For Frostburg State, the impact of this award is enabling for the project, situated as it is in Allegany County, part of the States Appalachian Western Region where proximity to the longstanding extraction economy make such projects more difficult to finance than in other regions of the country.

This Capital Development grant will help to cover the costs of installing a resilient microgrid to serve the needs of our campus, said Al Delia, FSU Vice President for Regional Development and Engagement. We wouldnt be able to move forward without it.

This microgrid will help safeguard our students, faculty, and staff; protect critical operations from energy disruptions; and enable the University to further its sustainability goals, Delia continued. It will also enable us to establish our Harold J. Cordts Physical Education Center as an easily-accessible emergency shelter for both our campus and for the local Frostburg community.

FSU developed its microgrid plan after receiving an MEA Resilient Maryland Planning Grant in 2020. That original award enabled the University, with the support of Optimize Renewables, to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study including technical analysis, pre-construction planning, and financial modeling. The resulting plan demonstrated the viability of the campus microgrid and the resilience it will provide for the University and the broader Frostburg community. The new award recognizes and builds upon the success of the first.

The campus microgrid will deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy under normal conditions and ensure critical loads remain operational when the electric grid is down.

Were quite proud of Frostburg State. This grant award is truly a community-wide, collaborative achievement, based on a public-private-university business model that we began working toward together back in 2019, said Optimize Renewables CEO Len Jornlin. Its a model that designs and delivers The Right Mix of energy, as well as education, training, and lasting impacts in the heart of coal country.

The integrated system includes rooftop and ground-mounted solar arrays, and solar parking lot canopies, some with integrated electric vehicle charging stations. Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)-powered fuel cells will produce electricity and generate thermal energy that will be used to heat the pool in the Cordts Center, while also creating chilled water using an absorption chiller. An advanced microgrid control system will ensure that all of these technologies operate as effectively together as the Team responsible for the microgrid plan.

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to apply our culture of innovative deployment leadership with local partners, Jornlin continued. It enables the kind of collaboration necessary to transform clients and communities alike, providing a long-term return-on-investment to public and private investors, as well as for multiple stakeholders in the region.

The impact of the FSU RMCD Grant is further leveraged as the microgrid project continues to foster a new clean energy academic ecosystem in Western Maryland, creating opportunities for workforce development and economic expansion. The microgrid project has already resulted in numerous student internships, while an integrated array of clean energy certification, coursework, and degree programs are currently under development across the region.

Optimize Renewables is pleased to work with customers such as Frostburg State University as they implement innovative, all-of-the-above energy strategies with resilient infrastructure and applied training opportunities in projects across the region.

###

About Frostburg State University

Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit http://www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.

About Optimize Renewables

Optimize Renewables is dedicated to delivering a new balance of power for organizations across North America, especially in underserved markets. A better balance, built on the optimal integration of proven, clean, distributed-generation technologies and energy-management solutions, with financing. A balance that works with the existing utility infrastructure to deliver eciency, savings, sustainability, and resiliency. A balance that puts customers in control of their energy future while enhancing and stacking public and private investor returns. For more information, visit http://www.OptimizeRenewables.com.

About Len Jornlin

Len Jornlins lifelong passion and career focus on five continents has been on solving meaningful societal problems (e.g., energy, water, housing) profitably and sustainably in emerging markets. He is the CEO of Optimize Renewables, the Energy Innovation Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Frostburg State University and was named an Appalachian Leadership Fellow by the Appalachian Regional Commission, co-chaired by Gayle Manchin and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. Jornlins teams were early pioneers and successfully exited multiple sustainable manufacturing, development, and financing companies and public-private consortiums from clean coal to clean economy. He graduated from the University of Chicago in International Business with a concentration in economic development. A dedicated husband, father, and outdoor enthusiast, Jornlin lives with his family and the mountains in Appalachian Western Maryland.
Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town This gift to Phoenix Art Museum is the latest instance of the long- standing relationship between our organizations and will empower the museum to provide the community with unique, high-quality exhibitions, said Joel Coen, Men's Arts Council President.

Phoenix Art Museum was recently surprised with a $175,000 check from the Mens Art Council, a non-profit member organization of Valley philanthropists devoted to supporting the museum's community outreach initiatives via annual contributions. Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town, the museum's upcoming exhibition, will be the first of many to benefit from this generous donation.

This gift to Phoenix Art Museum is the latest instance of the long- standing relationship between our organizations and will empower the museum to provide the community with unique, high-quality exhibitions, said Joel Coen, Men's Arts Council President.

Mr. premieres Friday, November 4 from 5 to 9 p.m., headlining Phoenix Art Museum's November First Friday celebration. The exhibition explores the vivid, chaotic, and manga-inspired world of one of todays most popular Japanese artists. Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town is the first U.S. solo exhibition in more than five years to exclusively showcase the imaginative and visually complex works of contemporary Japanese artist Mr. A self-described member of the otaku subculture - characterized by obsessive interests in anime, manga, and reclusion into virtual fantasy worlds - Mr. creates feverish, graffiti-inspired paintings and cartoon-like sculptures, installations, and video works that combine high and low culture to examine themes of desire, fantasy, and trauma within Japanese society and among a global audience obsessed with social media.

We are very grateful to Mens Arts Council for their ongoing support of the Museums exhibitions, said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO of Phoenix Art Museum. For more than 55 years, MACs generosity has helped bring art from around the world to engage audiences in Arizona. With their support of Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town and the exhibitions admission-free First Friday opening celebration, MAC is ensuring community members and visitors are exposed to artworks by one of Japans most popular living artists.

Many of Phoenix Art Museum's exhibitions are generously funded by the Men's Arts Council (MAC), which was founded in 1967 to back the museum's programs and activities. MAC can support the museum in a number of ways thanks to the efforts of its over 200 members. The funds provided for this $175,000 donation were raised via recent MAC events, including the Copperstate 1000, Lost Negatives of Rock & Roll, and the Copperstate Overland.

The Mr. First Friday evening event will include free entry to Phoenix Art Museum, drinks and food trucks, live music, arts-engagement activities, and more. Details will be posted on phxart.org and the Museum's social media outlets as they become available. Mr.: You Can Hear the Song of This Town runs from November 2022 to March 2023.

About Mens Arts Council

The Mens Arts Council (MAC) of Phoenix Art Museum, founded in January 1967, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the Museums programs and activities through unique events such as the Copperstate Overland. The Mens Arts Councils efforts enable the organization to make annual contributions to Phoenix Art Museums operating budget and financially sponsor exhibitions. For more information, visit mensartscouncil.com.
the3rd Logo Were honoured to partner with Alibaba.com and were confident in our ability to help Alibaba.com unlock Germanys market potential and drive more growth opportunities for our joint B2B clients, said Wansong Li, Managing Director of the3rd GmbH.

Berlin-based marketing and branding agency, the3rd GmbH, has signed a cooperation agreement with one of the leading global B2B eCommerce platforms, Alibaba.com. According to the agreement, the3rd will officially become one of the first Certified Partners of Alibaba.com in Germany.

Providing its clients with integrated, modular, and tailored branding, marketing, and go-to-market solutions, the3rd has built a strong reputation for helping businesses unlock their market potential on the national and global stage.

As one of the first Certified Partners of Alibaba.com in Germany, the3rd will support Alibaba.coms development and expansion into the German market as it forges ahead with a pan-European growth program. The3rd will also drive more growth potential for new and existing B2B clients by providing them with a full-link solution integrating branding, marketing, and B2B sales opportunities.

Were honoured to partner with Alibaba.com and were confident in our ability to help Alibaba.com unlock Germanys market potential and drive more growth opportunities for our joint B2B clients, said Wansong Li, Managing Director of the3rd GmbH.

The cooperation with Alibaba.com is an important milestone in the3rd's business journey, thanks to its strong network, customer base, and flawless reputation. For more information, visit https://the3rd.de.

About

The3rd GmbH

the3rd GmbH is a dynamic and fast-growing marketing and branding service provider that helps brands and businesses grow and stand out locally and internationally. the3rds client roster includes notable names from the worlds of real estate, finance, IT, biotech, urban mobility vehicles, home products, fashion, and more.

Business and Media Contact

Wansong Li

Managing Director

wansong.li@the3rd.de

+49 (0) 162 4623 932
Mona announces today that The Globee Awards, organizers of the worlds premier business awards programs and business ranking lists, has named Mona, a Gold Winner in the 12th Annual 2022 Business Excellence Awards for Startup Achievement in Artificial Intelligence.

Mona provides the most intelligent and flexible AI monitoring platform. Using Mona, data teams are able to gain complete visibility into the performance of their data, machine learning models and processes for their AI applications. Automatically surface and resolve performance issues early in order to avoid negative impacts on both the business and customers.

The coveted annual Business Excellence Awards is the worlds premier awards program honoring employer excellence that focuses on achievements. This annual awards program celebrates the teams who set industry benchmarks for excellence.

It is exciting to be recognized for our work for what is clearly the important, emerging field of MLOps in the AI vertical, says Yotam Oren, CEO & Co-Founder of Mona. Im proud of our team for building an inspiring product and delivering great value to customers.

Judges from around the world representing a wide spectrum of industry experts participated in the judging process. See the complete list of 2022 winners here: https://globeeawards.com/business-excellence-awards/winners/

Learn more about Monas intelligent AI monitoring platform and schedule a demo at http://www.monalabs.io.

About Mona

About 3 years ago, we ventured on a mission to empower data teams to make AI more impactful and reliable and to raise the collective confidence of business and technology leaders in their ability to make the most out of AI. Mona enables teams to continuously collect, transform and analyze data from all parts of the AI system to track performance metrics in a robust dashboard, be proactively alerted on anomalous behavior, diagnose model issues, conduct A/B tests, and more.

About the Globee Awards

Globee Awards are conferred in nine programs and competitions: the American Best in Business Awards, Business Excellence Awards, CEO World Awards, Cyber Security Global Excellence Awards, Disruptor Company Awards, Golden Bridge Awards, Information Technology World Awards, Sales, Marketing, Service, & Operations Excellence Awards, and Women World Awards. Learn more about the Globee Awards at https://globeeawards.com.
Today, at the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative's (UNEP FI) Global Round Table 2022, we are launching the Principles for Responsible Banking Academy to train all bankers about the climate emergency and sustainability.



To truly align banks strategy and practice with the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, the global banking sector must urgently upskill bank employees to ensure sustainability is considered in all strategic, lending, product and other decisions.

The aim of the Principles for Responsible Banking Academy is to give all bankers from the back-office to boardrooms the tools needed to apply a sustainability lens to their professional practice.

The new Academy has been designed in partnership with banks to help signatories to the Principles for Responsible Banking implement the sustainability framework across all their business activities.

Over the next 5 years, it is expected that all 300 plus signatories will make the Academy available to their several million employees. The Academy will be launched as an online platform to reach as wide an audience as possible via digital channels and is available to banks around the world on a scale never seen before.

For the first time, banks around the world can offer all employees access to high-quality, dedicated training to equip them with knowledge and skills that are essential to manage todays challenges - through the new Principles for Responsible Banking Academy (PRB Academy).

Aligning banks strategy and practice with the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement will require urgently building the capacity and capabilities of the banking sector globally. The objective of the PRB Academy, which launched today at UNEP FIs Global Roundtable, is to upskill banking professionals around the world and prepare them for the huge challenges they, their businesses and their customers are facing from climate change, nature loss, pollution and social issues.

Every banker needs at least a basic knowledge of these matters and to be able to apply this in the context of their daily work. The PRB Academy will help banking professionals to understand how responsible banking practices can play a part in securing an equitable and sustainable future for the planet.

The PRB Academy curriculum has been designed to help bankers apply their new knowledge across a range of roles in their day-to-day work as well as integrating sustainability into strategic decision-making, regardless of their role or seniority, including a module aimed at C-suite and non-executives to help them facilitate the embedding of responsible banking at the very heart of their organisation.

The training uses a practical and applied approach, providing all bankers with the tools needed to apply a responsible banking lens to their professional practice. The modules will also enable bankers to unlock their curiosity towards developing future skills, as well as preparing banks to proactively engage with societal expectations, incoming national laws and regulations relating to sustainability, in addition to helping them identify the opportunities that a sustainable transition offers.

Over the next five years, the Academy aims to provide training to millions of bankers worldwide and as such will become an important benchmark to demonstrate a responsible and sustainable mindset. Designed for the 300 plus banks who are signatories to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking, which collectively represent around 45% of global banking assets, it will also be available to all banks worldwide. By making the Academys education and training so widely accessible across developed, developing and emerging economies, it aims to provide an inclusive approach for the development of banking skills and knowledge regardless of location.

At its launch, the Academy will offer four training modules aimed at everyone working in banking, regardless of their career level or expertise covering the broad foundations of responsible banking; deeper insights into climate-related issues and how these topics influence banking services and operations; and a unit for bankers working with clients and customers that want to evolve as responsible businesses entities. A module has also been developed specifically for Board members and senior executives to help them facilitate the embedding of responsible banking at the very heart of their organisation.

Developed by the worlds most established professional banking institute, the Chartered Banker Institute, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and working with a range of banks from across the world, the PRB Academy has developed a wide-ranging curriculum that is offered via a range of accessible training modules.

Simon Thompson, Chief Executive of the Chartered Banker Institute commented:

Aligning banking with societys goals as set out in the UN SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement requires building the capacity and capabilities of banks and bankers so that responsible banking isnt just best practice; it becomes standard practice worldwide. This doesnt mean we need all bankers to become experts in sustainability, but we do need all bankers to develop their knowledge of sustainability and apply it in the context of their role  in lending and investment decisions, in risk assessment, in designing new products and services, and in the advice they give to clients and customers. The PRB Academy aims to reach and teach all bankers worldwide, so that all banking becomes responsible banking. This is an extremely ambitious undertaking, but without vision, ambition and the leadership of UNEP FI, GIZ and the Chartered Banker Institute we will not succeed in aligning banking with societys goals.

Eric Usher, Head of UNEP FI added:

Banks have a unique and critical role to play in pivoting the global economic system. Using their lending and financing decisions and client relationships, banks have the power to redirect capital to accelerate the pace and scale of positive change across entire economies. The Principles for Responsible Banking and its Academy provide an avenue for them to do this by enabling bank employees to align their professional practice, and the strategies and operations of their organisations with the objectives of societys goals as reflected in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Axel Klaphake, Director Economic and Social Development, Digitalisation at GIZ commented:

Emerging markets and developing countries play a crucial role in achieving the global climate and development goals. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), GIZ supports partner countries in the Global South in transforming their financial systems and anchor sustainability practices in the financial industry. This unique partnership with UNEP FI and Chartered Banker Institute is a significant boost to build the required awareness and technical skills at scale.

Antoni Ballabriga, Global Head of Responsible Business Sustainability at BBVA, UNEP FI Global Steering Committee Co-Chair, and one of the contributors to the Executive module, added:

"Sustainability is a new set of knowledge for bankers. Capability building will be a source of competitive advantage and the PRB Academy will play a key role to help banks and their teams in this journey."

Ayse Nazlca, Sustainability Coordinator at Turkiye Snai Kalknma Bankas, another contributor to the Executive module, further added:

As a mission bank, we emphasize the importance of knowledge sharing and capacity building to leverage our expertise with a greater influence on the culture of our workplace as well as to contribute to the country's sustainable and inclusive economic development. To this end, we closely follow sustainability efforts in the international arena as a member of various initiatives such as the PRB Academy. Beyond our membership at UNEP FI since 2009, we are a Founding Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Banking and an active supporter of the UNEP FI Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Richard Winder, UK Head of Sustainability at Handelsbanken, another contributor to the Executive module, further added:

"We're committed to driving rapid progress to a sustainable economy, and we believe the Responsible Banking Academy offers the sector two crucial catalysts to achieving this: learning and perspective. Within Handelsbanken, the focus on learning and development has never been sharper, led by our ambitious sustainability goals and underpinned by a deep-rooted culture of individual and corporate responsibility."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS For more information about the PRB Academy and how individuals and organisations can register their interest, please visit https://www.charteredbanker.com/prbacademy.html

About the UN Principles for Responsible Banking

The Principles for Responsible Banking is a unique framework for ensuring that signatory banks strategy and practice align with the vision society has set out for its future in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

The framework consists of 6 Principles designed to bring purpose, vision and ambition to sustainable finance. They were created in 2019 through a partnership between founding banks and the United Nations Environment Programmes Finance Initiative. Signatory banks commit to embedding these 6 principles across all business areas, at the strategic, portfolio and transactional levels.

UNEP Finance Initiative brings together a large network of banks, insurers and investors that collectively catalyses action across the financial system to deliver more sustainable global economies. Convened by a Geneva, Switzerland-based secretariat, more than 400 banks and insurers with assets exceeding US$100 trillion work together to facilitate the implementation of UNEP FIs Principles for Responsible Banking and Principles for Sustainable Insurance, as well as three UN-convened net-zero alliances. Financial institutions work with UNEP FI on a voluntary basis and we help them to apply the industry frameworks and develop practical guidance and tools to position their businesses for the transition to a sustainable and inclusive economy.

About the Chartered Banker Institute

The Chartered Banker Institute (the Institute) is the oldest professional banking institute in the world. The Institute was founded in 1875, operates globally, with over 33,000 members in over 100 different countries and nearly 1,000 financial institutions worldwide. The Institute has driven an agenda of ethical professionalism throughout its existence; promoting professional standards for bankers, providing professional qualifications for retail, commercial and private bankers, and offering professional membership to qualified individuals. For more information, please visit http://www.charteredbanker.com

For further information contact:

Sally Wootton, Communications Lead, UNEP FI

E-mail: sally.wootton@un.org

Matthew Ball, Head of Public Affairs, Chartered Banker Institute

Tel: +44 (0) 7720 684226

E-mail: matthew.ball@charteredbanker.com
The Texas Education Agency (TEA), partnering with Learning List, reviewed Studies Weekly Texas K-6 Social Studies curriculum in English and Spanish as a resource for remote learning. The organization concluded that Studies Weeklys digital material offers Texas educators valuable online tools for independent learning, progress monitoring, and teacher training.

Studies Weekly Texas K-6 Social Studies is a core curriculum with strong TEKS alignment and assessment questions that reflect STAAR Reading stems. Publications are available in print and online through Studies Weeklys robust digital learning platform: Studies Weekly Online.

The TEAs review stated that Studies Weeklys online curriculum provides remote students with a learning experience that is equitable to that of in-person students by providing videos, tools, such as the ones listed above, and motivational games. Remote students can read the same articles and take the same assessments as in-class students with the bonus of an interactive index and highlighting and annotating tools.

Teachers can provide feedback for students in assignments, the TEA review noted. Interactive activities give students multiple opportunities to select the correct answer, display the correct and incorrect answers, and repeat the questions in the same order when students select an incorrect answer.

Students can interact with each other as they would in a classroom, thanks to Google Classroom, Canvas, and Schoology integrations.

Online tools available in Studies Weekly Texas for students include:



Audio narration with highlighting and variable speed control

Large print reader

Single-word narration

Narrated test questions

High contrast colors

Closed captioning for videos

For teacher training and support, the Texas curriculum offers:

Tech support

Teacher guide

How-to webinars

Video model lessons

Help center with frequently asked questions

Grade level support meetings

Differentiation guidance

The Texas Social Studies Teacher Edition is available in Spanish and English with all other training and support provided in English. In addition to lesson plans, resources include guidance on scaffolding and differentiation to support special populations.

TEA contracted with Learning List, an instructional materials review service, to develop these reviews.

Working with TEA, we structured these reviews to help teachers identify how well a material would support a student who is learning outside of a traditional classroom for any reason, such as a prolonged illness, extra-curricular activities, or travel, said Jackie Lain, president of Learning List. Thus, while the Covid pandemic may have been the impetus for these reviews, educators and parents will find the reviews valuable long after this pandemic ends.

Educators can read the entire review for Studies Weekly K-6 Social Studies in English here. For the review of the Spanish curriculum, click here.

The review is also available in [The Learning List: Free Directory of K-12 Curriculum.
Jobma Wins Multiple Awards in Video Interviewing Category from G2

Jobma was recognized as a Leader, High Performer - Mid Market, and High Performer - Enterprise in the recently announced Fall 2022 awards from G2, the worlds leading business solutions review website. The High Performer - Mid Market and High Performer - Enterprise awards demonstrate Jobmas strength in providing exceptional value to companies in those verticals. The Leader 2022 award signifies that Jobma is the industrys leading Digital interview platform.

G2s awards are based on customer reviews, market presence, growth, and user engagement. These awards also take into consideration a products Ease of doing business, Quality of support, Ease of setup, Ease of use, and the likelihood of its users recommending it to others.

We are ecstatic with the results of G2 Fall Awards 2022 and to receive this recognition by our users, said Jobmas Managing Partner Krishna Kant These awards show the power Video interviews have in connecting hiring teams to great talent. Delighting our customers is a huge motivating factor for our team and it is thrilling to see our efforts being acknowledged by our users. We will continue to innovate and add new features to empower our customers to hire better talent faster.

About Jobma

Jobma is a digital interviewing platform, designed to save HR teams time and money when screening and hiring employees. Jobmas innovative use of pre-recorded & live video interviews, audio interviews, and digital assessments give employers the capability to drastically improve their quality of hire. Jobma currently works with over 800 clients in 50 countries, 14 different languages, and growing, their goal is to democratize access to HR technology by offering affordable rates at a global scale. Jobma is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota

About G2

G2 is the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace. More than 60 million people annually - including employees at all of the FORTUNE 500 - use G2 to make smarter software decisions based on authentic peer reviews. Thousands of software and services companies of all sizes partner with G2 to build their reputation, manage their software spending, and grow their business. To learn more, visit: http://www.g2.com
BCA, Boston Conveyor & Automation, today announced its presence at the Pack Expo International event in October 23-26, 2022 in Chicago, IL

The company will be exhibiting in a 600 square foot booth LU 8728. In the booth the company will be showcasing the FANUC 20iB/25C Robot. M-20iB series, was built with the intent to meet the standard requirements (IP67 standard) for demanding food environments - with no compromise of robot speed and repeatability. Based on its slim, entirely encapsulated design, the robot reaches high flexibility levels, adding versatility to its ability to perform applications within compact cells. As a FANUC Tier III partner, BCA has access to the newest FANUC robotics like the Fanuc 20iB/25c that is designed for the sanitary requirements of the food industry.

BCA has developed an integrated approach to automation, robotics and conveyance systems that has positioned the company for continued growth. We have seen a lot of success with our picking, stacking, and packing applications allowing companies to increase throughput and reduce critical labor. Said Jim Laverdiere, President & CEO of BCA.

Laverdiere said market economics, combined with changing customer needs, have led to an expansion for all the companies services including, automation, robotics and integrated conveyor systems that are designed and manufactured at the companies Newburyport, MA headquarters.

About BCA

BCA is an American company providing automation, robotics and conveyor systems for the food & beverage, life sciences and general industry. With in-house engineering and manufacturing, BCA develops and implements automated systems that meet or exceed our customers goals for improved productivity and reduced costs.

http://www.bcasystems.com

Media contacts:

Nate Tennant

ntennant@bcasystems.com

978-255-1921
Carrier Details is not an application, but rather a resource of epic FMCSA data to power applications", explains Kathy Sardelli, Director of Business Development and co-founder.

Carrier Details LLC has announced the launch of its data distribution business for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and other trucking industry details. The new company aggregates, processes, manages, and distributes FMCSA SAFER, Census, Insurance, Safety, Inspection, and Other related industry details in standard daily or customized datasets. Carrier Details is led by co-founders, Mark Draeb and Kathy Sardelli, who previously worked together at SaferWatch.

FMCSA and other related industry data are regarded as critical components for the foundation of transportation industry technology. Recognizing the market need for a trusted source for organized, updated, consumable transportation industry data to support businesses and their technology needs, I asked Kathy to help build Carrier Details, shared Mark Draeb, president and CEO of the new company.

FMCSA data is available from the United States government but is challenging to aggregate and manage. With over 30 years of combined experience in the transportation industry understanding and managing the idiosyncrasies of transportation data, the Carrier Details team has brought to market a new data product for industry participants to use to power their businesses.

Businesses that rely on FMCSA and other trucking company details want a trusted source, stated Draeb. They want to feel confident that the team they are entrusting to provide this data has the experience to manage the inevitable exceptions and provide consistent carrier data.

Carrier Details is available as daily standard distribution file sets of all FMCSA and related trucking data or as customized lead and report files. We are not an application, but rather a resource of epic data to power applications and business technology in the transportation space, explained Kathy Sardelli, Director of Business Development and co-founder.

Partnering With the Best

Like previous business ventures, co-founders Draeb and Sardelli continued their partnership with Vision37 Marketing Group to develop an engaging website and deliver an excellent user experience while ensuring high brand visibility through Search Engine rankings.

About Carrier Details, LLC

Carrier Details LLC is a data aggregation and distribution company that specializes in Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and related transportation industry details. Carrier Details maintains a complete database for every entity with a United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number. Carrier Details datasets are available in file format and via third-party integrations with technology providers in the transportation and related industries.

Connect with Carrier Details at http://www.CarrierDetails.com or call 701-645-3252.

About Vision37 Marketing Group

Vision37 Marketing Group is an innovative full-service Web Design, Hosting, and SEO Agency. We specialize in helping customers increase their brand visibility and generate high-quality leads.

Connect with Vision37 Marketing Group at Vision37.com or call 701-390-1023.
I am proud that our work helps vulnerable New Yorkers participate in their communities, acquire critical public health information, and access opportunities for stable housing and employment, said Vigdis Eriksen, Founder and CEO.

Eriksen Translations Inc. (http://www.eriksen.com), a leading Language Services Provider, received the WBEC Metro NY Done Deals Access New York City Award and Access New York State Award at the Women's Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) Metro New York Annual Breakthrough Breakfast on October 7. The awards honor the Women Business Enterprise (WBE) that reported the most Done Deals with the City and State of New York during the challenge period.

Eriksen Translations provides language services to help New York City and State agencies make public services and programs accessible to people with Limited English Proficiency. This years awards recognize Eriksens work with a variety of public agencies, including the NYC Civic Engagement Commission, NYC Department of Sanitation, NYC Housing Authority, NYC Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs, and NYC Department of Environmental Protection, along with the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the New York State Department of Health.

I am honored to have received this award from WBEC New York and grateful for our ongoing partnerships with New York City and State agencies, said Vigdis Eriksen, Founder and CEO. I am proud that our work helps vulnerable New Yorkers participate in their communities, acquire critical public health information, and access opportunities for stable housing and employment.

The Done Deals Challenge was developed to celebrate and publicize business conducted between WBEs and WBEC Metro NY corporate sponsors, as well as the public sector. Eriksen was also named as a finalist for two additional awards, the WBE Done Deals Champion and Connection Awards, recognizing the companys work with WBEC Metro NY corporate sponsors and other certified WBEs. This is the tenth year that Eriksen has been recognized with Done Deals awards, attesting to the companys leadership as a woman-owned business.

Eriksen is certified as a woman-owned business enterprise (WBE) by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the City and State of New York, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

ABOUT ERIKSEN TRANSLATIONS INC.

Eriksen Translations delivers best-in-class multilingual services in 100+ languages. Founded in Brooklyn in 1986, Eriksen supports clients worldwide with a full range of services, including translation, typesetting, web and multimedia localization, transcreation, transcription, voiceover and subtitling, and live Zoom interpreting. In addition to New York City and State agencies, Eriksen supports clients in finance, creative services, education, healthcare, and law, as well as nonprofits and leading museums and cultural institutions. For more information, visit http://www.eriksen.com / @eriksentrans.

ABOUT WBEC METRO NEW YORK

WBEC Metro NY is a dynamic community of certified women-owned businesses, building on their success through mutually beneficial partnerships with Fortune 1000 corporations and other WBEs. The organization provides WBENC certificationthe gold standard in diversity certificationat the regional level and serves as an advocate for certified women-owned businesses in the New York and Washington, D.C. regions, offering them educational programs, networking opportunities, and recognition. For more information, please visit http://www.wbenc.org/rpo/wbec-metro-ny
Search engine optimisation (SEO) often seems unnecessary to small business owners, particularly when weighing up the costs involved. For small businesses looking to compete in an increasingly digitised market, however, SEO remains a primary avenue through which to reach potential customers. Thats why Premium SEO offers clients tailor-made solutions that actually deliver results.

One key avenue where Premium SEO differs from a lot of other SEO companies is in its focus on local SEO. Premium SEO specifically understands the local market in which New Zealand small businesses operate and can, therefore, provide SEO approaches that best target local markets. Instead of investing in broad-based packages, most small businesses find the greatest SEO success when honing their endeavours to a niche market that can easily and physically access their brick-and-mortar stores.

Thats because almost half of all online business searches are for local, accessible companies, with many consumers still wishing to view products or talk about services with representatives in person. Thus, while online purchases are popular, small businesses that primarily target their local clientele have a greater chance of converting both online and in-store queries into actual sales.

Premium SEO understands this dynamic and the psychology behind local customers seeking out local businesses. And its this understanding that has made it possible for Premium SEO to continue enabling small businesses to grow, despite the current economic downturn, thanks to the companys ability to heighten their clients online visibility.

Once small businesses have built a dedicated local client base, they can then look to casting a wider SEO net. But, for small businesses looking to grow and compete in the digital space, their first port of call should always be consulting with a reputable company like Premium SEO that is well-versed in local SEO.
"We have something to share about who we are (Home Pros Family), but more importantly, where we are going! It's a new day for agents in El Paso to list & sell real estate!" - Frank Gay

El Paso's Home Pros Family of Companies has some BIG NEWS!

Company founders, Penny & Ted Moore, announced this week that they had entered into a strategic ownership partnership, encompassing Home Pros Real Estate Group, Streamline Home Loans, and Clear Title of El Paso, with industry veteran, Frank Gay III & his wife, Lauren Gay.

In front of a packed house of agents, El Paso real estate icon, Penny Moore, introduced Mr. Gay, explaining the partners vision for the future and why this strategic partnership made sense.

We stole Frank from the big guys, and with his expertise as an industry insider, we plan to take the Home Pros Family of Companies, along with the El Paso real estate market, to the next level, Penny Moore explained. Im excited.

Gay now serves as CEO of the conglomerate, where he plans to focus on agent development, increased agent productivity, agent connectivity, and merger & acquisition expansion. He will also lead the efforts (along with the ancillary leadership teams) to increase internal agent capture and external market share for the affiliated mortgage & title companies. Franks wife, Lauren, an experienced real estate agent and social media personality will work to promote the organization and its agents through community outreach, press releases, social media, event coordination, and building B2B partnerships throughout the El Paso Market.

Penny & Ted Moore will continue to serve in strategic leadership roles across the organization. Penny will remain as Broker-in-Charge and oversee all compliance & licensing for the brokerage throughout Texas & New Mexico. As a co-owner and valued advisor to Frank, she will have continued involvement across all aspects of the company, including the organization's aggressive growth strategy. Ted Moore, who has served as the company's CFO, will oversee the partnership transition, regarding all operational and financial processes. Ted will also retain an advisory role, assisting Frank, Penny, and the entire leadership team as they work together to take the family of companies to the next level.

Prior to this weeks CEO appointment, Frank Gay served as the CEO of The Simply Group, where he helped identify and secure a network of premier real estate brokerage partners across North America to vertically integrate mortgage, as well as title & escrow. Gay began his career over twenty-five years ago as a top-producing agent and quickly built a large, multi-office real estate brokerage, with offices in the US and abroad. Over the last decade, Gay has held senior executive leadership roles with some of the largest real estate organizations, both in North America and globally. He is often requested to speak at industry events, as well as participate in strategic masterminds surrounding the brokerage business.

In closing, Gay proclaimed, There is something magnificent about El Paso. The culture, beauty, and especially the people, invigorate me. I am so excited to immerse myself in the El Paso real estate market. With that being said, my one-year strat plan is to personally connect with all 3,000 members of GEPAR (Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS). We have something to share about who we are (Home Pros Family), but more importantly, where we are going! It's a new day for agents in El Paso to list & sell real estate!"

The Home Pros Family of Companies is the parent company of Home Pros Real Estate Group, El Paso's most productive and number one real estate brokerage. The combined entities have over 200 family members and participated in over 2,500 transactions in 2021. The El Paso Streamline Home Loans and Clear Title operations are sister companies within the conglomerate, conveniently located next door to the Home Pros Real Estate Group headquarters located at 1035 Belvidere Street, Suite 200, El Paso, TX 79912.

For more information, please visit http://www.homeprosrealestategroup.com.
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon is a great destination for both business and leisure In the not so distant future, gas-powered cars will no longer be necessary as they once were, so it is a crucial time to support corporations helping to propel projects focused on mass transit, electric vehicles, and green technology, said Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Alejandro Garcia Sepulveda.

In recent years, Nuevo Leon, Mexicos capital of industry, has made significant efforts to position itself as a leading destination for foreign investment in green automotive technology. As a result, the state will host the first-ever Future Mobility exhibition and summit to take place in the Americas in June 2023. The event will address topics including electromobility, smart transportation, new energy vehicles, infrastructure, and sustainable logistics.

The event is part of an agreement between the Government of the State of Nuevo Leon, through the Ministry of Economy, and the German company Deutsche Messe, which seeks to strengthen Nuevo Leons capital city of Monterrey as a global hub for smart mobility.

In the not-so-distant future, gas-powered cars will no longer be necessary as they once were, so it is a crucial time to support corporations helping to propel projects focused on mass transit, electric vehicles, and green technology, said Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Alejandro Garcia Sepulveda. We are honored to bring the top minds in these areas together in our state for this important gathering.

In addition to discussing the future of transportation and mobility, conference delegates will have the chance to learn about all Monterrey has to offer visitors and residents alike, including museums, traditional architecture, outdoors and adventure, and more.

For more information on investing in Nuevo Leon, visit investmonterrey.com.
Red Wing Shoes commitment to its customers is in perfect alignment with Semarchys commitment to customer success. We are excited to equip this outstanding brand with a data platform equal in caliber to their products and reputation.

Semarchy, a leader in data integration and master data management, was selected by Red Wing Shoes to develop a central data hub to manage customer data generated from the explosive growth of the companys e-commerce sales. Leveraging Semarchys unified data platform, Red Wing Shoes will deliver on its customer-centric retail strategy by creating a 360 view to enable its divisions to improve their customer knowledge across all departments.

Semarchy is honored to be selected as the data partner of choice by Red Wing Shoes, whose service and quality are unmatched in its industry, said TH Herbert, CEO of Semarchy. Red Wing Shoes commitment to its customers is in perfect alignment with Semarchys commitment to customer success. We are excited to equip this outstanding brand with a data platform equal in caliber to their products and reputation.

Red Wing Shoes approached Semarchy with challenges including data quality, data visibility, data management, and reporting and analytics. Other business drivers included developing data strategy, minimizing administrative and overhead costs, and establishing a golden record for customers before implementing new POS and e-commerce platforms. After reviewing multiple companies, Red Wing Shoes chose Semarchy for its flexibility, expertise, and unified data platform as well as cultural fit.

When Red Wing Shoes started their data journey, the first asset they aimed to master was their customer data across all their platforms for a complete view of customers across North America and Europe. One of their greatest challenges was ensuring the company understood who their customer was well enough to market to and service them effectively. With more than 9 million individual records, Red Wing Shoes needed a tool to allow the company to intelligently connect all transactions to the right customer.

With our old systems, if you had a customer that bought shoes in three different stores and online, they would look like four different $300 customers to us, instead of one $1,200 customer, said Jay Wardle, director, enterprise data at Red Wing Shoe Company. With Semarchy, we solved our data quality and master data management issues with one system. Now our customer data contains a single golden record for everyone, making it easy for marketing, sales, and customer service to see the data in real-time.

Leveraging Semarchys unified data platform, Red Wings business units are now empowered with the right data to be proactive with marketing and customer support to serve their customers needs with real-time, accurate data. Now that the company has achieved one golden record per customer, the marketing department is able to market to customers based on their level of engagement, purchase history, and locations to establish data-driven marketing campaigns, for example, and other departments can derive similar benefits.

We are delighted that Semarchy was able to fulfill the data needs of Red Wing Shoes various departments and to enhance the customer experience overall, said Brett Hansen, chief growth officer at Semarchy. It is a joy to see how Semarchys unified data platform can transform a great brand into a data-driven powerhouse equipped for maximum responsiveness to customer demands and marketing opportunities.

Red Wing Shoes continues to work with Semarchy on innovating new ways to leverage the unified data platform to reduce business complexity and increase efficiencies for their global business; including additional marketing projects, establishing a new POS and e-commerce system with clean data, and improving customer data for their wholesale/industrial customer B2B2C segments.

About Semarchy

Semarchy, a leader in the data integration and master data management markets, enables organizations to rapidly generate business value from their data. Its unified platform enables organizations of any size to quickly discover, govern, manage, integrate and visualize critical information scattered across applications. Semarchy is available as an on-premises platform and is natively available on popular cloud marketplaces such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Semarchy is also managed as a service and supported by a rich ecosystem of software-as-a service and professional service partners. Semarchy is based in Phoenix, USA, with offices in London, UK, Lyon, France, and Mexico City, Mexico. For more information, visit http://www.semarchy.com.
Sogolytics at CUNA ELL! Employee experience is really a differentiator in determining whether team members will stick around and continue to grow with the organization or if theyll look elsewhere.

CUNA, the Credit Union National Association, hosted its annual Experience Learning Live! conference in San Diego last week. Sogolytics, leader in feedback and experience management, sponsored the event.

ELL!, which brought together training and development professionals from across the country, focused on new ideas and best practices for improving employee development programs. The impacts of the pandemic, the Great Resignation, and the challenging economic climate were highlighted and examined.

Employee experience is really a differentiator in determining whether team members will stick around and continue to grow with the organization or if theyll look elsewhere, said Laurie Flanders, VP of Strategic Sales at Sogolytics.

Yesterdays Training Strategy Wont Solve Tomorrows Problems, a session facilitated by Flanders, drilled down on the value of mapping exercises and other feedback collection strategies to truly understand the employee training journey. Participants shared their best practices, offered resources, and engaged in a lively discussion on opportunities for growth.

Cooperation and celebration were key themes of the event, including a give-back community service activity and the ELLy award recognitions, highlighting outstanding innovations and leaders in the credit union training community.

The care is clear, shared Melissa Krut, VP of Success at Sogolytics. We love partnering with CUNA and connecting with leaders in the credit union community because they are truly dedicated to their mission.

To learn more about CUNA, start here. To learn more about how Sogolytics can help support your teams success, request a free demo.

About Sogolytics

Founded on the belief that better data leads to better decisions, Sogolytics, formerly SoGoSurvey, is on a mission to help make that data accessible to more teams. From customer experience initiatives to employee engagement and all points between, Sogolytics enables organizations to collect the feedback they need to make a difference while having their back every step of the way. Learn more at Sogolytics.com.
Spine Navigation and Robotics: Exclusive Strategic Partnership We plan to have a technically advanced navigation platform to improve spine procedural efficiency and be economically feasible for the growing number of ASCs and specialty hospitals throughout the United States.

Captiva Spine is a medical device organization located in Jupiter, Florida, dedicated to delivering smart, elegant, and intuitive spinal fusion solutions. They announced today its long-term exclusive strategic partnership with REMEX Medical, a developer of advanced navigation and robotics technologies located in Taichung, Taiwan; for spine navigation with future developments in practical robotic solutions.

Captiva Spine looks forward to serving the substantial need and demand for both navigation and surgical robots for spinal applications. For underserved hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) throughout the U.S., the technology will serve as a platform to expand the company's products and services with enhanced enabling technology to support MIS technology; specifically starting with their CapLOX Pedicle Screws, TowerLOX-EXT MIS Extended Tab Pedicle Screws, and TransFasten Posterior SI joint fusion system.

Nelson Lin, CEO of REMEX Medical, said, we are very pleased to enter the US marketplace with our new strategic partner, Captiva Spine. We share an enthusiasm and commitment to providing ongoing advancements for the betterment of spine care. REMEX has been researching and developing this platform for eight years with proven clinical performance.

The navigation system has 510(k) clearance from the FDA (U. S. Food and Drug Administration) and is available for commercial use. The navigation unit is a small on-site unit for more facilities looking to take advantage of the benefits of readily available, easy-to-use spine navigation. This model offers physicians, orthopedics, and neurosurgeons easy-to-use, cutting-edge technology to pre-plan and visualize their surgical approach. This platform utilizes preoperative CT scans and rapid intraoperative registration for accurate real-time 3D navigation with limited radiation exposure to staff and patients.

This platform for navigation helps fulfill our commitment to being a clinical and economical solution with advanced enabling technology for spine care, said Dale Mitchell, President of Captiva Spine. "We plan to have a technically advanced navigation platform to improve spine procedural efficiency and be economically feasible for the growing number of ASCs and specialty hospitals throughout the United States, Mitchell continued.

The spine navigation platform will be demonstrated at Captiva Spines booth (#3731) at the 2022 North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL, October 12-14.

Spine Navigation allows surgeons to oversee the precise placement of MIS pedicle screws while situated directly at the operation site, guided by navigation technology. "Our goal is to provide a technology for reproducibility of screw accuracy and placement with higher confidence and safety in difficult areas is also a goal in mind, as well as improving screw insertion times, especially in cases of difficult anatomy," said Mitchell.

Captiva Spine is planning to expand the systems capabilities to include robotics. Both platforms are intended to improve the reproducibility and accuracy of applicable procedures to meet the growing demand for enabling solutions worldwide.

Inquiries from physicians and industry professionals looking to incorporate intelligent and innovative technologies into their offerings are always welcome. Captiva Spine can be contacted directly by phone at 561-277-9480.

Discover strength through connections at http://www.captivaspine.com.

About Captiva Spine, Inc.

Captiva Spine is a privately owned medical device organization founded in 2007. Captiva Spine supports spine surgeons, tenured spine distributors, and healthcare facilities. In providing patients with progressive spinal care and an obsessive focus on quality, they strive to create and maintain sincere, honest, collaborative relationships. Valuing their relationships fosters the mutual trust and openness needed for Captiva Spine to be a conduit of high-quality, smart, elegant, and intuitive patient solutions. Captiva Spine operates as a family of industry professionals that take pride in delivering these solutions responsibly and ethically. While never losing sight of what they refer to as the Human Factor, they find joy in their daily lives and serve the needs of their customers with sincere, professional enthusiasm.
"LightBeams offer empowers businesses to pursue growth with the confidence of complying with data privacy regulations.

LightBeam.ai, a pioneer in data security and privacy automation, is announcing a new PrivacyOps Pro module at no cost* to help organizations of all sizes and industries meet specific requirements of international, national, and state data privacy laws.

Data Privacy regulations have become a critical bottleneck for businesses, limiting their ability to expand into newer markets and geographies. While the regulations themselves are welcomed universally among consumers, and are a massive step in the right direction, the disparate nature of these regulations have left businesses confused and apprehensive of expanding their operations. Case in point is the United States where lack of a federal privacy law has resulted in states such as California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia promulgating their own privacy regulations. Often, businesses have to rely on third-party consultants to figure out the paperwork needed and checkboxes to be filled in.

This situation becomes even murkier as businesses look to grow internationally. While General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) covers many European countries, the UK, Canada, United Arab Emirates (UAE) among others have their own data privacy regulations and requirements creating a variety of layers to be navigated and synchronized into a complete privacy program.

A fragmented privacy regulatory environment has encouraged rent-seeking behavior from unscrupulous groups looking to maximize this complexity to their advantage, said Mark Pilon, Vice President of Business Development at ITI, Canada. It is ludicrous that businesses are often asked to pay tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars just for the privilege of filling out forms every quarter. LightBeams offer empowers businesses to pursue growth with the confidence of complying with data privacy regulations.

The LightBeam PrivacyOps module addresses the need for a global data privacy compliance solution and removes commercial impediments in complying with data privacy regulations worldwide. The PrivacyOps Pro module provides businesses the following capabilities:



Quarterly Records of Processing Activities (RoPA) reports - Keeping RoPA reports up to date helps businesses comply with GDPR Article 30 and helps strengthen their compliance for other jurisdictions as well. The RoPA reports can be generated as per the nature of individual businesses and their roles in the business processes, e.g. whether a business is a controller or a processor, or if there is a cross-border data transfer, among other considerations.

Data Subject Rights (DSR) Requests - Multiple privacy regulations including the GDPR in Europe, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), Quebecs Law 25 empower consumers (and in some cases, employees) to access, and erase their personal data. To be prepared, businesses have to license expensive software just to be ready to respond to such requests. With the LightBeam PrivacyOps Pro module, businesses can respond to up to 25 requests per year at no charge, eliminating the need for many businesses to ever spend resources on privacy tools.

As information security leaders, we are always concerned about sensitive data getting exposed. A typical financial institution could have many applications with both structured and unstructured data, stated Matt Davis, Manager of Information Security at ESL Federal Credit Union. LightBeams approach of providing a holistic sensitive data operating system gives us visibility, helps contain exposure, and automates compliance.

Our goal is to enable every business to expand and grow to its fullest potential. CEOs and CXOs should not have to study the fine print of privacy regulations, assess vendors, spend money - all just to be ready for an eventual data subject request, said Himanshu Shukla, Co-Founder and CEO at LightBeam. We welcome leaders to fully realize their potential and dreams, and not let lack of data privacy regulation readiness be a blocker to market expansion.

Customers can register to get on-boarded on the LightBeam PrivacyOps module starting October 10, 2022 by sending an email to complynow@lightbeam.ai. Additional information including valuable resources on privacy regulations is available at http://www.lightbeam.ai/privacyops.

For more information, please visit booth 506 at the IAPP PSR summit in Austin, TX where LightBeam subject matter experts will be available to answer any questions from Oct 12 - Oct 14, 2022.

About LightBeam

LightBeam is on a mission to create a secure privacy-first world helping customers automate compliance against a patchwork of existing and emerging regulations. A leader in the security and privacy automation category, LightBeam has rapidly gained customers trust by pioneering a unique identity-centric and automation-first approach to data security and privacy compliance. LightBeams self-learning AI platform natively secures sensitive data, and keeps customers in continuous compliance for audits. Unlike siloed solutions, LightBeam ties together sensitive data discovery, cataloging, and governance providing a unified solution for observability, access control and compliance.

 2022 LIGHTBEAM.AI, INC. All rights reserved.

*LightBeam PrivacyOps Pro module is being made available at no cost to qualified customers where customer qualification is at the sole discretion of LightBeam. LightBeam reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time without notice. Terms and conditions apply.

Company Contact

Jessie Adams-Shore

complynow@lightbeam.ai

SOURCE LightBeam

Related Links

http://www.lightbeam.ai

http://www.lightbeam.ai/privacyops
HydroFleet Website Launch We know that changing to a zero-emission fleet can make a huge difference to the world. - Scott Moe, President and CEO

HydroFleet today launched a new, captivating website celebrating their mission to create a greener world through zero-emission vehicle fleets. Their pioneering efforts in developing a straight-forward zero-emission vehicle fleet ecosystem, that makes taking the leap from fossil fuels more achievable than ever before, is told through a moving visual experience enhanced by an informative and emotive brand story.

In addition to improved functionality and navigation, the site debuts a buzzword-free exploration of zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell technology, examining its impact on the growth and success of business as well as society, and the potential it has to drive emissions-free commerce. Viewers can explore the evolution of hydrogen as a power source, understand how it works as fuel for vehicles, and examine hydrogen advances and industry-altering potential. From the initial page, visitors are immersed in a lush, earth-meets-sky color palette journey created to highlight the beauty of the natural world HydroFleet is working to preserve.

The calm and streamlined aesthetic of the site reflects the simplicity and ease of HydroFleets revolutionary end-to-end hydrogen fleet ecosystem. The sites educational resources, cohesive myth-busting based on the latest scientific evidence, and comprehensive equipment portfolio underpins the companys unique approach to embracing and advancing hydrogen as a power source for transportation. With the incentivized support of Government, the hydrogen fuel cell market is poised to grow 100-fold this decade, and HydroFleet is at the vanguard of this boom. The new website reflects this pioneering, innovative spirit and demonstrates how HydroFleets uniquely effortless all-inclusive fleet model, coupled with their return-on-investment analysis, is helping forward-thinking companies with ESG goals transition to zero-emission, sustainable vehicle fleets.

Gas-powered fleets can generate in excess of 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. In contrast, hydrogen-powered fleets generate zero carbon dioxide; the only emission is water. HydroFleet is leading the way in making hydrogen a key component of the great energy transition. Fleets powered by hydrogen can help companies meet strict KPIs and strike a balance between sustainability and profitability.

We know that changing to a zero-emission fleet can make a huge difference to the world, said company president and CEO Scott Moe. We also know that todays business leaders are searching for ways to operate more sustainably, but concerns about the complexity and cost of change can discourage even the most forward-thinking innovators from taking steps towards a better, greener future. Weve proved that being good to the planet is good for the bottom line, so it was important for us to present a compelling look at why we are all-in on hydrogen fuel technology. Its not only possible but effortless to balance sustainability and profitability, and thats reflected in our all-inclusive model and in our new branding and site design.

HydroFleet dares to state that to make a difference, you have to be different and with a new brand slogan POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE and a content-rich, stunning new website, different is exactly what they are focused on being.

About HydroFleet

From lift trucks to long haul 18-wheelers, hydrogen is the ideal power source. HydroFleet simplifies the transition from traditional fuels to a zero-emission power alternative with a true turnkey approach. HydroFleets current offering is focused on industrial lift trucks for manufacturing and distribution with over-the-road heavy trucks and local delivery vehicles coming soon. To see where zero-emission, hydrogen technology can lead your enterprise, visit the newly launched site at http://www.hydrofleet.com
Let Go and... Hold On!!!: Let Go of Brokenness Let Healing Begin: a heartfelt message of hope for those in need of healing. Let Go and... Hold On!!!: Let Go of Brokenness Let Healing Begin is the creation of published author Antonina Caprino Bell, a dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother who is an avid volunteer in the community serving as Board member of Nonprofit organizations, including the UCAN City Mission. She is the Founder and Director of Women of EnCOURAGEment, a ministry under the umbrella of The Better Place, Inc., where she has served as a Board Member since 2010.

Bell shares, Through the rhythm and rhyme of poetry, Let Go andHold On is the compilation of over 45 years of soul-searching writings that will help shine the light on the difficult and sometimes defeating circumstances that life offers. This book is not a woe is me story, but it is about the pain that brought Nina to a spiritual patha path that revealed the wounded places deep down inside.

Raised in a dysfunctional family with two narcissistic parents and then marrying an alcoholic, these poems are the stories that shaped her life. Walk through the pages to see how oftentimes people and circumstances were used to bring Nina to an end of her emotionally crippled self and to bring her to a place of awareness and willingness to let it all go.

Nina shows us that it is in our vulnerability and imperfections that make us human. Let Go andHold On reveals the struggles and victories of an ordinary woman who stayed the course and faced her battles through faith in God and a determination to never give up.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Antonina Caprino Bells new book will encourage and motivate readers through a series of spiritually motivating poems.

Bell brings readers an engaging selection of poetry that takes readers through key moments in the authors life in hopes of aiding others on their journey to wholeness and fulfillment.

Consumers can purchase Let Go and... Hold On!!!: Let Go of Brokenness Let Healing Begin at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Let Go and... Hold On!!!: Let Go of Brokenness Let Healing Begin, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Inspired by a particularly difficult time in his life, author Jacob Tanner spent the last six years working with his mother, Cindy Tanner, to share his story. Diagnosed at age four with high-functioning autism, Tanner, along with his family began to chronicle the events in his life. The culmination is his new book I Wonder Why I Have Autism.

I want this book to be a tool of inspiration, Tanner said. It can be used to give hope to kids who have similar struggles, and to their parents, who need guidance to help.

In I Wonder Why I Have Autism, Tanner tells his story and what living with high-functioning autism is like. Written from his perspective, he shares his experiences, struggles, and his successes with school, friends, pets, and teachers. The book also includes insights from Tanners parents and friends.

Tanner credits his faith for helping him and his family understand and overcome the struggles that can come with an autism diagnosis.

I want to thank God, Tanner said. Without him, I would not have overcome anything and would not have the strength to continue working through struggles that come my way.

I Wonder Why I Have Autism

By Jacob Tanner with Cindy Tanner

ISBN: 9781664270763 (softcover); 9781664270770 (electronic)

Available at Westbow Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Jacob Tanner is 15 years old, lives in Auburn, Kan., and attends Manhattan Virtual School. He is passionate about animals and is involved in clubs at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, Kan., as well as the Topeka Zoo where was president of his middle school eco club.

Tanner works at Hidden Hill Farms. He enjoys attending youth group at his church, learning to play percussion instruments, and doing CrossFit. He really enjoys hanging out with some of the friends mentioned in the book, building Lego, and writing scripts for YouTube videos.

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General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Ashley Fletcher

afletcher@lavidge.com
We consider Capstone a valuable partner and a critical part of our M&A process and team. Their experience and focus in the not-for-sale marketplace is a real differentiator. The Juniper deal is another solid output of our partnership."

Capstone Strategic, Inc. (Capstone) announced today that credit union service organization PSCU of St. Petersburg, Florida has acquired Juniper Payments, LLC, the largest cloud-based non-bank third-party provider of inter-bank transaction and reporting systems in the United States. Capstone advised PSCU on the acquisition of Juniper from PITECO S.p.A. and two principal owners, who will continue with the company under PSCU.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Juniper serves financial institutions and correspondents through an automated banking ecosystem. Their transaction services provide key interfaces and automation to financial institutions by leveraging the companys payment entry, transaction management and connectivity to the Federal Reserve and third-party providers. Through the acquisition, PSCU will add multi-tiered payments  including ACH processing and domestic/international wire remittance  to its solutions set.

Capstone played a critical role in making this happen. As a result, we are excited to join PSCU, a company whose values and culture are aligned with our own, said Jon Budd, CEO, Juniper Payments. As an integrated financial technology solutions provider, PSCUs resources and end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services will provide added value for our clients. PSCU will continue to invest in the Juniper business and technology, which Im confident will further unlock Junipers potential to enable financial institutions of all sizes to be competitive in this evolving space.

We consider Capstone a valuable partner and a critical part of our M&A process and team. Their experience and focus in the not-for-sale marketplace is a real differentiator. The Juniper deal is another solid output of our partnership, added Vel Davidov, SVP Finance and M&A at PSCU.

As the leader in CUSO deals, Capstone is honored to be the go-to advisor for PSCU to help achieve their growth strategy through acquisition, said Capstone Partner John Dearing. Our long-term and on-going relationship with PSCUs leadership team goes back many years and encompasses many successful deals. The acquisition of Juniper is in alignment with their vision of expanding their financial services offerings while helping to provide enhanced experiences downstream for the members of the credit unions they serve. Capstone was pleased to be part of the process.

About Capstone Strategic, Inc.

Capstone Strategic, Inc. is the leader in mergers and acquisitions for credit union service organizations (CUSOs). The firm has helped numerous credit unions and CUSO leaders develop, evaluate, and implement initiatives for growth. Established in 1995 by CEO David Braun, Capstone specializes in strategic not-for-sale acquisitions and corporate growth strategies and has facilitated over $1 billion in transactions in more than 100 industries. For additional information go to the Capstone website at https://www.capstonestrategic.com or call 703-854-1910.

About PSCU

PSCU has leveraged its influence on behalf of credit unions and their members for more than 40 years. As the nations premier payments CUSO, PSCU supports the success of 1,900 credit unions representing nearly 7 billion transactions annually. PSCUs payment processing, risk management, data and analytics, loyalty programs, digital banking, marketing, strategic consulting and mobile platforms help deliver possibilities and seamless member experiences. 24/7/365 member support is provided by contact centers located throughout the United States. Today, PSCU provides an end-to-end, competitive advantage that enables credit unions to securely grow and meet evolving consumer demands. For more information, visit pscu.com


The Rotary Club of Carroll Creek will host its first private celebration of the Carroll Creek Kinetic Art Promenade at Union Mills Public House (340 East Patrick Street, Frederick Maryland) on Carroll Creek to celebrate the first three years of presenting public kinetic art in Carroll Creek. This private celebration event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. Artists, Sponsors, Partners and engaged community members will come together to experience the first three successful years and the plans for the next three years.

The Carroll Creek Kinetic Art Promenade is a not-for-profit privately funded project initiated and managed by the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek. While expressing a blend of moving water and wind, the Carroll Creek Kinetic Art Promenade displays the beauty of nature in Carroll Creek, and hosts kinetic artwork from regional artisans, bringing dazzling colors and movement to all visitors and residents in Downtown Frederick.

Carroll Creek Kinetic Art Promenade adds beautification to Downtown Frederick, Maryland by offering residents and organizations the opportunity to sponsor regional artisans in the creation of kinetic art sculptures or to partner their resources towards the display of artwork in the middle of Carroll Creek year around.

The display of eight kinetic art sculptures may be found along the segment of Carroll Creek Linear Park located east of East Street in historic Downtown Frederick.

To learn more about the Carroll Creek Kinetic Art Promenade, visit the website at: https://carrollcreekkineticart.org/

Rotary Club of Carroll Creek is the sponsoring organization for Kinetic Arts on Carroll Creek. Since its inception in 1993 in Frederick, Maryland, this Rotary Club has made Carroll Creek part of its mission. For more information on Rotary Club of Carroll Creek, visit http://www.carrollcreekrotary.org
Dr. Brian Levine, M.D. leads the industry in normalizing open dialogue about infertility a medical condition affecting 1 in 8 couples and educates prospective parents on a national level.

The founding partner and practice director of CCRM New York. He is board-certified in both reproductive endocrinology and infertility and obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Brian Levine, M.D. leads the industry in normalizing open dialogue about infertility a medical condition affecting 1 in 8 couples and educates prospective parents on a national level.

Over the years, Dr. Levine has been cited as one of the nations leading fertility experts in The New Yorker, New York Post, NBC, CNN, Avenue Magazine among others, offering valuable insight on everything from fertility misconceptions, egg-freezing 101, to how men can boost their fertility.

Dr. Levine attended the New York University School of Medicine, served as the President of the NYU Alumni Association, and was the only physician on NYUs Board of Trustees during his 7-year tenure. Recently he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award, the highest award bestowed upon an alumnus for their extraordinary service and continuing devotion to NYU and who embodies the University motto: To Persevere and to Excel.

Dr. Levine completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital  Columbia University Medical Center and then completed his fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at New York-Presbyterian Hospital  Weill Cornell Medical College.

In 2015 he was awarded the highest prize by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine for his assisted reproductive technology submission on 3D sperm imaging techniques and frequently consults on new and disruptive fertility-related technologies.

In 2017, Dr. Levine was honored with the Doctors of Distinction award in Westchester County, was also named a Rising Star by Super Doctors in 2017 and 2018, a New York Super Doctor in 2019 & 2020, and a Castle and Connolly Top Doctor in 2019 & 2020.

Dr. Levine resides in Manhattan with his wife Alexis and daughter Izabel. In his off time, he is a fervent daily reader and enjoys running in Central Park.

About CCRM Fertility:

CCRM Fertility is a global pioneer in fertility science, research, and treatment, offering access to a network of award-winning fertility doctors, a full suite of fertility services, innovative technologies, and cutting-edge labs. CCRM proudly operates 11 state-of-the-art IVF labs and 25 fertility clinics across the U.S. and Canada, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, Northern Virginia/D.C., Minneapolis, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto. CCRM specializes in the most advanced fertility treatments, with deep expertise in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility assessment, fertility preservation, LGBTQ family building, genetic testing, third party reproduction, and egg donation.

Learn more about Dr. Brian A. Levine. by visiting:

https://hauteliving.com/hautebeauty/mdmember/dr-brian-a-levine/

ABOUT HAUTE MD NETWORK:

Haute Beauty is affiliated with the luxury lifestyle publication Haute Living. As a section of Haute Living magazine, Haute Beauty covers the latest advancements in health and wellness, providing readers with expert advice on aesthetic and medical treatments through its network of acclaimed doctors and beauty experts.

For more about Haute MD, visit https://hauteliving.com/hautebeauty/mdmember/
Curse of the Luckpenny: a gripping tale of a fight for survival. Curse of the Luckpenny is the creation of published author Dwayne Mosby, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a 1987 graduate of Emerson College, earning a BFA in creative writing. He currently lives in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Mosby shares, Sixteen-year-old Ellen Willis has lived a life of constant misfortune and humiliating loss, and she is sick of it. Everything she tries to do is a complete disaster: she can never measure up to her beautiful and accomplished sister; boys avoid her like the plague; and her lifelong dreamthe one thing she is actually good atis taken from her by a horrific accident. She believes that God has cursed her life to be a sad comedy of errors and puts to him the challenge that if the power of fate were in her hands, she would be the one to do what he obviously isnt: make all things right with the world.

But Ellen gets more than she bargains for when she meets a mysterious woman named Tyche, who gives her a penny from the towns wishing well, promising that her luck will change. Ellen doesnt believe it at first, but when a series of miraculous fortune befalls herseemingly at the hands of the pennyshe is convinced that the power of fate is finally in her hands, and whatever divine favor God may have for her is no longer needed or wanted. Yet it is at this challenge that events take a drastic and frightening turnagain seemingly at the hands of the penny, when it is now severe bad luck that comes against Ellen with a terrifying vengeance that nearly costs her her life. Ellen has no idea what is happening, and in a desperate attempt to research the pennys origin, she learns that she has reopened a centuries-old curse, one that only she can reverse, and the shocking true identity of Tyche. Spurred on by this new revelation, Ellen fights to defeat the pennys evil, but before she can do so, it is stolen by vindictive teen heiress Linda Levenson, who also knows of the pennys power and plots to use it against those innocent ones who have disrupted her plans for world domination, the result of which promise deadly consequences. Ellen must get the penny back and disarm it soon, for if she fails to do so ere midnight the Witchs Sabbath next, the forces of darkness will prevail, and whatever evil the penny brought forth will remain forever.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Dwayne Mosbys new book will captivate the imagination as readers brace themselves for an epic battle against evil.

Consumers can purchase Curse of the Luckpenny at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Curse of the Luckpenny, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Current world events. Chris had two tours of combat in Iraq.

The author team of K.C. Lindberg treats readers of their first riveting fictional book with a sequel called Mighty Men Rising ($16.99, paperback, 9781662826672; $7.99, e-book, 9781662826689).

K.C. Lindbergs sequel to Rise of the Red Crescent is sure to delight fans of the first book that featured a storyline about terrorist attacks. This new book follows the pursuit and elimination of the primary terrorist. John Banks and his team of retired warriors continue their investigation into additional terrorist attacks on U.S. soil at the behest of the U.S. President. Readers will be captivated as the team of specialists based out of Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, investigate the ongoing terrorism to discover a pattern linking the attacks, the perpetrators and the mastermind. Will the team discover a key link in the terrorist chain?

When asked what inspired this sequel, Lindberg said, Current world events. Chris had two tours of combat in Iraq.

K. C. Lindberg is a mother-son writing team. The K is for Kitty Lindberg who is a retired nurse and retired Director of the North Alabama Crisis Pregnancy Center. She has published a few writing pieces throughout the years and is currently the mother of two and grandmother of nine. The C of K.C. Lindberg stands for Chris Lindberg, Kittys only son. He is a former Major in the U.S. Army and currently works for the Army as a Department of the Army Civilian at Redstone Arsenal, Al. He is the father of five and has a degree in radio, television and film. As mentioned, the writing pair has published one previous book, The Rise of the Red Crescent.

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Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Mighty Men Rising is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.


Beth brings added depth and experience to the team, said Mark Williamson, leader of the firms Business Transactions Practice Group. For over a decade, she has provided lenders and borrowers astute advice in their lending transactions.

Lathrop GPM is pleased to welcome Elizabeth Beth Haden to its Business Transactions Practice Group as a partner in the Kansas City office. Haden is the second female partner to join the firms Kansas City office in recent months.

Haden represents both borrowers and lenders in lending transactions and is a seasoned attorney with significant experience assisting clients with all forms of financing matters, including structuring deals, document negotiation, and complex closings, through loan enforcements and workouts. She regularly represents clients in single-bank, club and syndicated credit facilities, with areas of emphasis in commercial and industrial, real estate, unsecured, agricultural, construction and asset-based loans.

Beth brings added depth and experience to the team, said Mark Williamson, leader of the firms Business Transactions Practice Group. For over a decade, she has provided lenders and borrowers astute advice in their lending transactions.

An active member of the community, Haden is on the board of directors of the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) and the Childrens Center Campus. She is a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Class of 2020, and currently serves on the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Business for Education Committee. She was recently recognized in the 24th class of Ingrams 40 Under Forty.

Beth is a powerhouse in the legal industry and in the community, said Cameron Garrison, Managing Partner of Lathrop GPM. Her dedication to her clients and others is inspiring and I look forward to all that she will bring to Lathrop GPM and our clients.

Haden earned her J.D. from the University of Missouri in 2009, her L.L.M. in Taxation from Boston University in 2010 and her B.S.B.A from the University of Missouri in 2006.

About Lathrop GPM

Lathrop GPM is a full-service, Am Law 200 law firm with offices in Boston, Boulder, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Jefferson City, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Overland Park, St. Cloud, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Our attorneys help businesses, organizations and individuals grow and succeed, anticipate trends, plan for challenges and bring their visions to life. For more information, visit http://www.lathropgpm.com.
Robert M. Goldich, a shareholder in global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Philadelphia and Phoenix offices, is among the professionals recognized on the 2022 City & State Pennsylvania Fifty Over 50 list. The magazine touts the compilation as leaders who have a record of achievement worthy of recognition, providing an overview of some of the commonwealths most steadfast leaders aged 50 or over in various industries. The award winners will be celebrated at an event Oct. 11 at Philadelphias Moshulu.

Goldich, a member of the firms Labor & Employment Practice, has more than four decades of experience as an employment lawyer and litigator, and labor lawyer. He continues to represent clients across the country in matters involving collective bargaining, the defense of employment discrimination actions, the defense of whistleblower and employment tort actions, and class and collective actions alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Goldich is a member of the American Bar Associations (ABA) Labor and Employment Law Section and is a fellow of the College of Labor Employment Lawyers. His experience has garnered him numerous industry accolades and recognition including being listed in The Best Lawyers in America under employment and labor law since 2009. He has co-authored chapters in three treatises on ERISA and employment litigation and spoken regularly at ABA conferences and continuing legal education programs.

About Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia Office: Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia office has grown from an initial three-attorney Public Finance Practice to include more than 60 attorneys whose practices include Real Estate; Litigation; Intellectual Property; Labor & Employment; Environmental; Government Law & Policy; Restructuring & Bankruptcy; White Collar Defense & Special Investigations; Corporate; Investment Management & Regulation; Immigration & Compliance; Health Care & FDA; and Tax. The Philadelphia office represents a broad range of clients in real estate, manufacturing, health care, financial, and insurance industries, as well as state and local governments, professional services, and energy firms. The office also is known for its pro bono work and community service/social action initiatives in the Philadelphia region.

About Greenberg Traurigs Labor & Employment Practice: Greenberg Traurigs Global Labor & Employment Practice serves clients from offices throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Members of the practice have had numerous trial wins and are frequently called upon to handle complex, bet-the-company, and large high-stake cases, including nationwide class and collective actions. On the labor side, a leading group of lawyers regularly represents management with labor-relations matters. Labor & Employment team members assist clients with complex employment issues, and design practical, proactive strategies that can be readily implemented by todays human resources professionals. In addition, the practice is recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the areas of Labor and Employment Litigation, Labor-Management Relations, ERISA Litigation, Workplace & Employment Counseling, and Trade Secrets Litigation. Visit Greenberg Traurigs Labor & Employment Blog for insights and analysis of the latest labor and employment developments, including legislation, regulations, cases, policies, and trends.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2500 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021 and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, and NLJ 250. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy program certifies that the firms U.S. offices are 100% powered by renewable energy. The firm is often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com.
X-Rite ERX130 inline spectrophotometer The spectral measurement from X-Rite performs our task with the utmost precision, taking non-contact measurements from the cooled regranulates on the vibrating chute and sending the results to the machine control system.

X-Rite Incorporated and Pantone LLC, global leaders in color science and technology, announced that KraussMaffei, a leading supplier of machinery and systems for producing and processing plastics, is utilizing the X-Rite ERX130 inline spectrophotometer as part of its ColorAdjust solution. By combining inline spectral measurement with machine control systems, the ColorAdjust solution provides compounders with accurate and repeatable color production during compounding for a more efficient and sustainable production process. The solution will be on display at K 2022, October 19-26, in Dusseldorf in the KraussMaffei booth C 24 to D 24 in Hall 15.

The KraussMaffei ColorAdjust system is designed for contactless monitoring of color variations and can directly adjust the precise color setpoint to compensate for minor deviations in production. This gives compound processors high reproducibility, even when processing input materials of varying color spectrum. In addition, the system helps get to precise color quickly when restarting the compounding process after a stop or in the event of a color change. This reduces the amount of start-up scrap and rejected materials when restarting the compounding process, creating a more sustainable workflow that saves raw materials.

The ColorAdjust system uses the X-Rite ERX130 non-contact inline reflectance spectrophotometer to capture the spectral data of the cooled, reclaimed pellets in the vibration chute and transmits the results directly to the machine control system. The color data is used to automatically control the color metering units which are equipped with four or six colors to cover the entire color spectrum. The system can then adjust the precise color setpoint automatically without operator intervention.

The spectral measurement from X-Rite performs our task with the utmost precision, taking non-contact measurements from the cooled regranulates on the vibrating chute and sending the results to the machine control system, explains Lars Darnedde, Process Engineering Development, KraussMaffei. This in turn controls the second unit, the color metering unit, which is equipped with at least four colors and four metering units.

We are excited to be working with KraussMaffei, who is designing manufacturing solutions with sustainability in mind, said Michael Saeger, General Manager, Inline Measurement Solutions, X-Rite. Monitoring color inline throughout the production process makes it easier for companies to use recycled or bio-sourced raw material and maintain color consistency. The system can identify color drift and make changes before the batch is ruined, avoiding costly line errors and rework.

For more information about the X-Rite ERX130 visit, https://www.xrite.com/erx130

About X-Rite

Founded in 1958, X-Rite Incorporated is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance. With Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries. The companys corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes. X-Rite products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries. For further information, please visit http://www.xrite.com.

About Pantone

Pantone provides the universal language of color that enables color-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers. More than 10 million designers and producers around the world rely on Pantone products and services to help define, communicate and control color from inspiration to realization  leveraging advanced X-Rite technology to achieve color consistency across various materials and finishes for graphics, fashion and product design. Pantone Standards feature digital and physical color specification and workflow tools. The Pantone Color Institute provides customized color standards, brand identity and product color consulting as well as trend forecasting inclusive of Pantone Color of the Year, Fashion Runway Color Trend Reports, color psychology and more. Pantone B2B Licensing incorporates the Pantone Color System into different products and services, enabling licensees to communicate and reproduce certified Pantone values and improve efficiencies for their users. Pantone Lifestyle brings color and design together across apparel, home, and accessories. Learn more at http://www.pantone.com.

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2022 X-Rite, Inc. All rights reserved.
Author Lucile McConnell has released the second book in Mr. Pennys adventure series, Mr. Penny for President: A Fable of Global Citizenship. In this family-oriented picture book, Mr. Penny highlights the importance of addressing the climate crisis, and provides a way for readers to take action.

The hero of the story is a humble penny, who feels insignificant and overwhelmed in the face of the climate crisis. In his adventure he finds the strength within himself to rally all the coins of the Land of Us to save Lady Liberty from the rising tides of the climate crisis. Mr. Penny learns that the solution to the climate crisis is in everyone  through the connection to Mother Nature, to each other, and to the common good.

As we look to the future, I want to inspire readers to realize the power of positive individual citizen participation that Mr. Penny symbolizes, McConnell said. By combining our individual participation, we can meet the challenges facing our nation.

In Mr. Penny for President McConnell fuses the concepts of economic, environmental and intergenerational stewardship. She aims to motivate readers to be the positive change that they want to see to save the Earth by their participation on an individual creative basis. McConnell wants to use Mr. Pennys story to not only encourage discussion about this critical issue, but to give readers hope.

50% of all proceeds from sales of Mr. Penny for President go to support environmental non-profits and the other 50% go to the UNICEF relief fund for Ukrainian refugee children out of respect for the books illustrator, Igor Malov, a Ukrainian artist.

As Mr. Penny says, We are the heroes that we have been looking for.

Mr. Penny for President: A Fable of Global Citizenship

By Lucile McConnell

ISBN: 9781982278236 (softcover); 9781982278243 (electronic)

Available at Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Lucile McConnell believes in the Five Pillars of Democracy: Choice, unity, stewardship, reciprocity and equality. She is a retired commercial transactions attorney who graduated cum laude from Cornell Law School and with honors in economics from the University of Chicago. She founded The Fund to End the Deficit and rallied citizens, under Public Law 87-58 (P.L. 87- 58), to make voluntary contributions, amounting to over $20,000,000, to retire Americas National Debt. McConnell has been featured in The Washington Post, USA Today Sunday Magazine and has appeared on Good Morning, America! She is now focusing her talents on uniting America to take on the challenge of the climate crisis. For more information, visit https://www.mrpenny.net/.

###

General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Ashley Fletcher

afletcher@lavidge.com


To obtain an embargoed copy of the white paper, please contact Sheena Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, Express Employment Professionals will release a new white paper, titled The Great Divide: The Chasm Standing Between Job Seekers and Employers, exploring 10 key barriers that get in the way of workers who want jobs.

The fact is America has plenty of job openings. But something is standing in the way for the 6 million unemployed Americans and the 5.6 million more who say they want a job but are no longer actively searching for one. The paper will also offer some ideas of how to eliminate these barriersif that is even possible.

These barriers include:

1. Child care

2. Elder care

3. Unpredictable business needs

4. Job training and skills

5. Work history and criminal history

6. Transportation and geography

7. Health issues and concerns

8. Communication issues

9. Workplace culture expectations

10. Wage expectations

Drawing from the real-life experiences of Express Employment Professionals franchise owners and the companies they serve, as well as exclusive survey data prepared by The Harris Poll for Express and recent economic data, this paper examines who is struggling to rejoin the labor force and why.

***

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic or an embargoed copy of the white paper, please contact Sheena Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, were in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 586,000 people globally in 2021 and 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com, and find more employment insights at ExpressPros.com/AmericaEmployed.
Mr. Carnick, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Malackowski will speak on "Commercializing Innovation," the business of IP licensing.

Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held, announces three experts scheduled to speak in San Francisco next week in conjunction with the Licensing Executives Society (LES) USA/Canada annual meeting. Ocean Tomo Senior Managing Director James E. Malackowski, Managing Director Justin Lewis and Senior Director Eric Carnick will represent the firm speaking on topics related to Commercializing Innovation, the business of intellectual property (IP) licensing event theme.

Eric Carnick, Senior Director in the Intellectual Property Disputes Financial Expert Testimony practice, who serves as the Secretary of the Valuation and Pricing Committee for LES USA/Canada will join the panel Beauty (Or Value) is in the Eye of the Beholder. According to Mr. Carnick, the panel will explore IP value across a spectrum of IP monetization scenarios, including in the context of litigation, deployment in commerce and as part of a transaction.

Justin Lewis is a Managing Director in the Intellectual Property Disputes Financial Expert Testimony practice and leads the Risk Management and License Compliance groups for Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held. Mr. Lewis will join a panel to explore current trends in trademark and copyright litigation and valuation. According to Mr. Lewis, the panel will include important updates for copyright and trademark holders across a number of industry sectors.

James E. Malackowski, Senior Managing Director and Past President of the Licensing Executives Society International and LES USA/Canada, will participate in a special session of the Standards Development Organization Board of the Licensing Executives Society USA/Canada, the governing voluntary consensus-based professional practices that are guided in their development by the American National Standards Institutes (ANSIs) Essential Requirements. According to Mr. Malackowski, LES standards are designed to encourage and teach consensus practices in many of the business process aspects of intellectual capital management.

For the first time in three years, the Licensing Executives Society USA/Canada Annual Meeting is taking place in person on October 16-19, 2022, in San Francisco, California. Further information about the event can be found at https://web.cvent.com/event/8aaa6401-1b5b-4ece-8ce2-0203ce4db460/summary.

About Ocean Tomo

Ocean Tomo LLC provides Expert Opinion, Management Consulting, and Advisory services focused on matters involving intellectual property (IP) and other intangible assets. Practice offerings address economic damage calculations and testimony; business licensing strategy and contract interpretation; trade secret reasonable measures; asset and business valuation; strategy and risk management consulting; merger and acquisition advisory; debt and equity private placement; and IP brokerage.

Ocean Tomo experts are routinely qualified in U.S. courts, international courts, and arbitration tribunals on questions relating to intellectual property economics. The firms professionals have provided expert opinions on IP valuation, reasonable royalty, lost profits, price erosion, commercial success, corrective advertising, creditor allocations, business licensing terms including RAND obligations, venture financing, and equities of a potential injunction. The firms experience extends to commercial disputes, domestic and foreign, as well as policy issues affecting international technology transfer and economic matters before the International Trade Commission.

Intangible assets comprise 90 percent of business value but are subject to significant impairment due to enterprise and regulatory compliance risk. Our services are built upon more than three decades of experience assessing intellectual property in the most rigorous of venues.

Subsidiaries of the firm include Ocean Tomo Investments Group, LLC, a registered broker-dealer. As a part of J.S. Held, Ocean Tomo works alongside more than 1500 professionals globally and assists clients  corporations, insurers, law firms, governments, and institutional investors  on complex technical, scientific, and financial matters across all assets and value at risk.
Rural Route Four: The Good Ol Days Were Never Better: a heartfelt collection of personal stories that are certain to resonate with many. Rural Route Four: The Good Ol Days Were Never Better is the creation of published author Phillip Burgess, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who graduated from the University of Alabama and became vice president of communications and government relations for a large nonprofit association

Burgess shares, Rural Route Four is a mail route that serves folks living in the small community of Needmore, Alabama, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. But its much more. Its where generation after generation lives a simple life where the work is hard and days are long.

Dirt roads there lead to small farms where corn and cotton grow in long, winding rows. Its where folks sit under oak trees in the backyard after supper and talk about the news of the day.

Its home to a rambunctious boy who wanders its forests with his dogs, Pup, Prissy, and Pedro. Its where the barn loft magically becomes a fort, where the farmers gather at Rips Needmore Grocery to share tall tales, and where the watermelons are sweet and plentiful.

Life on Rural Route Four makes for intriguing stories. And the boy who lived there, now retired after a career in media and public relations, fondly recalls the stories of his youth.

In Rural Route Four: The Good Ol Days Were Never Better, he sews together his memories into a quilt of his life.

Pour yourself a tall glass of sweet tea, relax, and take a trip to Rural Route Four. Youll enjoy it!

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Phillip Burgesss new book offers a unique exploration of the authors most cherished memories.

Burgess brings the past to the present with a series of vividly recalled moments that have shaped a life of close family ties, community pride, and dedicated faith.

Consumers can purchase Rural Route Four: The Good Ol Days Were Never Better at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Rural Route Four: The Good Ol Days Were Never Better, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Rare Cannabinoid Company celebrates the launch of their new THC + CBC Mood Gummies by giving away free packets containing 10 gummies each. We want everyone to experience the blissful relaxation of THC, CBC, and CBD

Rare Cannabinoid Company announced the launch of their latest product: the worlds first hemp THC gummies with high levels of CBC for improved mood and CBD for the entourage effect.

To celebrate, the premium Hawaiian brand is giving away thousands of packets containing 10 THC gummies each, which normally cost $25. Free THC Gummies can be found here.

We want everyone to experience the blissful relaxation of THC, CBC, and CBD, said a company spokesperson.

Theres no purchase necessary. Recipients just need to pay shipping and can only receive one free THC gummies packet per address. Or, if they spend just $50, they will get free shipping and a free packet of extra strength THCV gummies for energy and appetite suppression (2 THCV gummies and 2 CBD gummies).

The new Mood Gummies are made with a full spectrum hemp extract chosen for its specific cannabinoid make up. This is because Delta-9-THC and CBC (cannabichromene) were found to offer the most antidepressant-like effects of all cannabinoids, followed by CBD (cannabidiol), in this study.

Each gummy contains 5 mg Delta-9-THC for relaxation and relief from occasional discomfort and nausea. Meanwhile, CBC oil raises levels of a brain molecule called anandamide, which is Sanskrit for contentment, happiness, and bliss. CBD oil offers stress relief and promotes the effectiveness of the Delta-9-THC and CBC through the entourage effect.

Our Mood Gummies are all-natural, vegan, and are flavored with real fresh lime and mint, said the company spokesperson.

We believe these are the best THC gummies on the market as, unlike pure THC gummies or CBD gummies with THC, ours contain this special cannabinoid blend with CBC designed to improve ones mood.

In addition to the 10-gummy packets, Rare Cannabinoid Company also sells bottles of 30 Delta-9-THC gummies with CBC and CBD for $49.

THC gummies are sold online and in many of the 250 stores that stock Rare Cannabinoid Company products across the United States. You can see the Rare Cannabinoid Company store locator here.

They are legally sold outside cannabis dispensaries because the Delta-9-THC in the gummies comes from federally legal hemp, not cannabis, and is a natural extract. This means that the Delta-9-THC has not been converted or synthesized from CBD or any other cannabinoid. Also, gummies contain less than 0.3% THC by dry weight. However, sales are restricted to adults and THC gummies cannot be shipped internationally.

The new gummies can be taken alone or combined with the Hawaiian brands large selection of cannabinoid oils and gummies. These range from THCV, which boosts energy levels and reduces hunger to CBDV which is being studied for autism spectrum disorder and ADHD, and CBN, which promotes rest and sleep. Their full range includes: CBC, CBDA, CBD, CBDV, CBGA, CBG, CBN, THCV, terpene-only tinctures, and broad and full spectrum Hawaiian CBD oils.

All products are produced in a current Good Manufacturing Practices certified facility and have lab test results readily available online and via QR code on product packaging.

Rare Cannabinoid Company recently joined with its sister brand, luxury CBD line, Hawaiian Choice. Both product lines can be found at rarecannabinoidco.com. Brick-and-mortar stores interested in stocking either or both brands can fill out a wholesale application form at Wellness Orders.
Mike Schwartz will serve as Regional Manager of The Agency San Diego. Were delighted to continue The Agencys expansion throughout Southern California, and are confident that La Jolla will hold great synergy with The Agencys boutique brand, unparalleled marketing resources, and cutting-edge agent and client solutions. said Mauricio Umansky.

Global real estate brokerage, The Agency proudly announces the launch of its first office in San Diego, California. Industry leader Mike Schwartz will serve as Regional Manager of The Agency San Diego and continue to spearhead new market strategies for the brokerage. Prominently located in La Jolla and intentionally designed to elevate the service for todays agent, this office marks the firms 63rd location and 21st California outpost.

Mike Schwartzs industry expertise and leadership make him the perfect steward to debut The Agencys global network to the booming destination of San Diego, said Mauricio Umansky, CEO and Founder of The Agency. Were delighted to continue The Agencys expansion throughout Southern California, and are confident that La Jolla will hold great synergy with The Agencys boutique brand, unparalleled marketing resources, and cutting-edge agent and client solutions.

With nearly two decades of real estate experience, Schwartz joins The Agency after holding managerial positions at Coldwell Banker, and most recently Compass. Previously serving as Sales Manager at Compass, Schwartz oversaw approximately 400 agents in offices spanning the areas of Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, and Orinda and was responsible for record-breaking production including exceeding $3B in annual production in 2021 alone. As the first-ever sales manager appointed to Compass in the Bay Area, Schwartz is an expert in strategic growth and brokerage management. He also held positions within the firms Diversity Council and strives to include equity and inclusion in professional and personal endeavors. Before his time at Compass, he served as Sales Manager at Coldwell Banker where he was one of the top recruiters in the nation, doubling the size of the Berkeley office within one year. In addition to his managerial experience, Schwartz is also recognized for his impressive residential sales achievements having served as a top-producing broker at Coldwell Banker prior to transitioning to managerial roles. A born and raised New Yorker, Schwartz has a passion for culture, arts, reading, and comedy. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and two sons.

Mike Schwartz is a well-respected leader who will serve as a guiding force as we usher in a new era of luxury real estate to the highly-sought aftermarket of San Diego, said Rainy Hake Austin, President at The Agency. With this office expansion, we took into great consideration today's modern agent. The result is an intentional transformation and welcomed departure from the traditional, oversized, and underutilized real estate office space. The Agency San Diego operation not only doubles down on the agent/client experience but also was designed to create greater flexibility in how and where agents work and provide seamless support, integrated technology, and varied spaces for collaboration. With our San Diego office as the first of this signature model, we intend to continue elevating the in-person service experience as we expand into new markets.

With solid infrastructure and a renowned brand that is featured on international television shows including Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Buying Beverly Hills, debuting on Netflix this fall, The Agency has grown to over 60 corporately-owned and franchise offices across the globe, making it one of the fastest-growing luxury boutique brokerages in the world. Poised for further expansion with like-minded partners in strategic markets, The Agency is noted by The Financial Times as one of Americas Fastest Growing Companies and has ranked among Inc. 5000s list of fastest-growing private companies in the country for six consecutive years. Recently, The Agency ranked 21st on the 2022 RealTrends 500 list, and led the top 50 firms in average sales price by sides with a whopping $2.5 million average sales price. In August 2022, Inman was named The Agency Luxury Brokerage of the year.

I couldnt be more honored and thrilled than to bring The Agencys unmatched global network and modern, collaborative approach to San Diego County, says Mike Schwartz. I am looking forward to propelling The Agencys distinctive culture of collaboration in this market and helping advance the firms mission to provide best-in-class service and a seamless approach to buying and selling real estate. The La Jolla office is unparalleled in providing both an exceptional location for agents to operate from with a near non-stop flow of foot traffic as well as a support staff committed to furthering their success on a daily basis. It is a fantastic opportunity to launch this modern office, which will maintain a ceaseless commitment to support above all else.

The Agency San Diego is located in the heart of La Jolla at 1025 Prospect Street, Suite 110, San Diego, CA 92037. For more information on The Agency, please visit http://www.theagencyre.com.

The Agency

The Agency is an agent-first, tech-driven boutique luxury global brokerage representing clients worldwide in a broad spectrum of classes, including residential, new development, resort real estate, luxury leasing, and vacation rentals. Breaking away from the traditional brokerage model, The Agency takes a collaborative approach to the business, fostering a culture of partnership in which all clients and listings are represented in a collaborative environment. Agents and clients benefit from the shared resources and networks of the entire global team, including in-house creative, public relations, and cutting-edge technology divisions. The Agency has closed more than $41 billion in real estate transactions since 2011, comprising over 60 offices in five countries, and counting, as one of the fastest-growing boutique, luxury real estate franchise brands in the world.
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China to keep working with rest of world to build community with shared future for mankind

From:People's Daily | 2022-10-10 16:33

Some say it is a wild crop; some say it is a lifeline. Oh, it is an amazing crop. It is food, medicine and hope...

So goes a Lesothos folk song about Juncao, literally meaning fungus grass in Chinese, which was developed by Chinese scientists after decades of research and cultivation.

The Juncao technology has been shared by China with over 100 countries, becoming a grass of happiness that benefits the people in developing countries. It is a miniature of Chinas joining hands with other countries to pursue common development in the new era, and it mirrors Chinas sincerity and ceaseless efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has constantly gained new connotations, and the paths to it have become increasingly clearer. It is a correct approach with practical nature and well suits todays world, serving as a great banner pointing the way forward for our times and humanity.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind conforms to the trend of history and the times. It responds to the universal aspiration of all countries for development and progress, and captures the greatest common denominator among the people of all nations in aspiring to a better world.

The vision has been incorporated in multiple bilateral and multilateral documents as well as UN resolutions, building broad consensus around the world and demonstrating strong vitality and appeal.

Many international personages said that the Communist Party of China can always catch the signal of the evolution of the times, and some said the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind mirrors a worldview going beyond national ideologies and builds a new path to world peace and development.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, taking building a new type of international relations as a premise, has blazed a new trail of international relations.

While promoting the vision, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the world to forge a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. China holds that all countries and all peoples should enjoy dignity and security and share development fruits.

On national governance, China has proposed to build a community of shared future in cyberspace, a community of common health for mankind, a community of life for man and nature and a maritime community with a shared future.

At the bilateral level, China is working with a number of countries to build a community with a shared future, including Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

At the regional level, China is committed to building a community with a shared future with neighbors, an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future, a China-ASEAN community with a shared future, a Shanghai Cooperation Organization community with a shared future, a China-Africa community with a shared future, a China-Arab community with a shared future and a China-Latin American and Caribbean community with a shared future.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind is to continuously build global consensus in safeguarding and practicing multilateralism, and enhancing global governance. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once said that the goal of practicing multilateralism is to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind is an inevitable choice for the world to cope with global challenges. It has paved a broad path for all people in the world to pursue a better life.

A leader of a foreign political party noted that the vision aims at the common interests of mankind and draws a blueprint for human development in the future. What he said revealed the profound significance of the vision.

To build a community with a shared future for mankind, China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the world's broadest-based and largest platform for international cooperation. The country has launched the most intensive and wide-ranging emergency humanitarian operation since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, injecting constant strength into the global fight against COVID-19.

China proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), which has been responded by over 100 countries and multiple international organizations, including the UN. More than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI. Besides, the China-proposed Global Security Initiative is also widely welcomed around the world.

The Chinese actions to build a community with a shared future for mankind fully demonstrated the countrys sense of responsibility and have turned peoples aspiration for a better life into reality. Guided by the vision, employees working in the Chinese-invested Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, Cambodia are embracing a better life; millions of Pakistani families are connected to a safe and stable power supply; the Smederevo steel plant, Serbia is revitalized; and modern rail services are brought to the people in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a beautiful goal that calls for efforts to be made by generations. China will keep working with relevant parties to jointly pursue this goal and build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.
Iraq raises November OSPs for Asia, trims Europe as court delays KRG ruling

Quantum Commodity Intelligence - Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization has raised Official Selling Prices for Asia in November while trimming Dated Brent-related premiums to Europe, according to a document sent to customers.

SOMO set the OSP for Basrah Medium, its primary export grade, to Asia at Platts Dubai/Oman +$1.70/b, compared to +$1.40/b for October, while Basrah Heavy to Asia was lifted to -$2.20/b from -$2.50/b.

The increases broadly followed the direction of the OSP cuts that Saudi Arabia announced last week. For medium and heavy barrels, Arab Medium was tweaked up to $4/b from +$3.75/b, while Arab Heavy was set at +$2.45/b versus +$2.20/b for October barrels.

Middle East OSPs, which include two months of market structure, widened as the key M1/M3 Dubai cash spread averaged $5.36/b in September compared to $4.89/b in August, according to Quantum data.

For Europe, which prices against Platts Dated Brent, Basrah Medium was cut by $0.20/b to -$9.20/b, while Basrah Heavy was cut $0.40/b to -$13.95/b and reflected the relative strength of the Dated Brent market. Kirkuk crude for Europe was down by $0.75/b to -$3.50/b.

Europe-bound Kirkuk crude was cut $0.10/b to -$3.60/b under the Dated Brent quote.

Basrah Medium bound for the US was up $0.10/b at -$2/b to the Argus ASCI benchmark, while Heavy was reduced by $0.45/b to -$6.05/b.

Exports

According to the Iraq Oil Report, Iraq's nationwide exports edged up to 3.692 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, a slight increase over 3.667 million bpd in August.

Federal government's exports averaged 3.292 million bpd, including 72,000 bpd from the Turkish port of Ceyhan  a partial recovery in northern exports from an August dip to 36,000 bpd. The semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) exported 400,000 bpd, according to tanker loading data obtained by Iraq Oil Report, up from 381,000 bpd the prior month.

The IOR also reported that a court in Baghdad has again delayed the federal government's lawsuits seeking to annul several of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government's oil contracts.

At a hearing last week, the court said cases would be postponed because many companies have not yet been served with summonses and because the court needs time to process a request by the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources.
The Connected Nations autumn update from the UK's communications and broadcast regulator took data from 58 fixed line operators and 26 fixed wireless access providers- such as wireless internet service providers and mobile network operators - to compile availability figures as of May 2022.Superfast broadband coverage across the UK, that is offering a download speed of 30 Mbps or more, remained at 96%, with Northern Ireland seeing an increase of a percentage point in superfast coverage. The number of premises unable to get decent broadband, when factoring in fixed wireless and fixed line, dropped from 99,500 to 83,000 premises since Ofcoms Spring update and those unable to achieve decent broadband over a fixed line has increased from 506,0001 to 513,000 over the same period.The availability of broadband capable of delivering gigabit 2 speeds for consumers continues to improve at a rapid pace, with nearly 20.2 million UK homes (68%) now able to access these faster services, up from 19.3 million homes (66%) reported in the regulators update in Spring 2022. This was said to have been driven by the continued rollout of full-fibre broadband by many network operators, both well established and new market entrants. The study noted that V irgin Media O2s upgrade programme has now concluded and the rate of growth of this coverage metric has slowed compared with deployment in previous period.More than a third (37%) of homes have access to full fibre services, with coverage now at just over 11 million, up from 9.6 million (33%) reported in Spring 2022 . This growth was driven predominantly through deployments by the larger fibre infrastructure operators but supported by a number of smaller providers across the UK serving individual communities and regions.Of those switching a communications service in the last two years, the study found that finding a cheaper deal was the main reason for doing so, while those that did not switch cited high satisfaction with their current provider as a reason for staying put.Despite the added momentum of service rollout over the last year, one of the key, and hotly contested, issues of the UK broadband market has been accessibility in so-called hard-to-reach locations. The Connected Nations autumn update found that those in rural UK locations were almost twice as likely to be dissatisfied with the reliability of their internet service (15% vs. 8%) compared with their urban counterparts. When it came to mobile reception, this was a factor of four, namely 12% vs. 3%.
The companies say that the threat of climate change requires drastically reducing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the next few years, with internet data traffic responsible for more than half of digital technology's global impact. As such, the GAIA research project will look to develop an adaptive video streaming platform that provides complete energy awareness and accountability, including energy consumption and GHG emissions, along the entire delivery chain.GAIA will aim to identify ways to improve sustainability and reduce energy consumption across the end-to-end video streaming chain by enabling energy awareness and accountability, including benchmarking and predicting energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions across the entire delivery chain, from content creation and server-side encoding to video transmission and client-side rendering. It will also investigate reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through advanced analytics and optimsations on all phases of the video delivery chain.Previous project collaborations between the University of Klagenfurt and Bitmovin have evaluated the HEVC codec and looked at adaptive streaming over HTTP and emerging networked multimedia services. The have also investigated ting potential new tools and methodologies for encoding, transport and playback of live and on-demand video using the HTTP Adaptive Streaming protocol.The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) will co-fund the 3.3million project, providing an initial 460,000 in funding for the first year.With quick action needed against climate change, our work on project GAIA with the University of Klagenfurt will pave the way for climate-friendly video streaming consumption, commented Stefan Lederer, CEO and Founder at Bitmovin Discussing the GAIA research project. The funding received from FFG not only enables us to find a solution to the 306 million tons of CO2 that streaming and video processing generates and bears testament to the impactful research we have done in partnership with Klagenfurt previously.Added Christian Timmerer, associate professor at the Institute of Information Technology (ITEC) at the University of Klagenfurt and laboratory director: "Everyone should be doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint, including the video streaming industry. The partnership between Bitmovin and the University of Klagenfurt helps address the industry's need for more accurate ways to quantify and predict energy consumption and emitted greenhouse gases across the video delivery chain, helping ensure the industry is doing its part to become more sustainable."
It never ceases to amaze the chutzpah that white Europeans (and Europhile Americans) exhibit when pompously telling Africa that it must not develop its bountiful hydrocarbon resources  at least for use by Africans in Africa. The latest example of eco-neocolonialism comes from a webinar sponsored by the Wharton Africa Student Association and the Wharton Energy & Climate Club.

The webinar posed an appropriate question: Clean Energy Africa: Unfair & Impractical? Moral and Practical Perspectives and the Critical Role of Private Capital. And the hosts did invite energy lawyer NJ Ayuk, executive chairman of the Africa Energy Chamber and an advocate for Africans ignoring the worlds green agenda.

The two other panelists were white people who want Africans to abandon fossil fuels in favor of subsidized clean energy  Gareth Phillips, Chief Climate Change and Green Officer in the African Development Banks Environment and Climate Change Division, and former Peace Corps volunteer Jessica Stephens, Chief Executive Officer at Africa Mini-grid Developers Association (AMDA).

The moderator was another white woman, Susanna Berkouwer, who is an assistant professor of business economics and public policy at the Wharton School. Her chief contribution to the discussion was to recognize the need for eliminating regulatory bottlenecks and providing financing for African development projects.

Ayuk startled the panel by focusing on the 600 million Africans with no access to electricity and the 900 million who still rely on wood and dung for cooking  families cut off from the world economy in nations with ample resources of oil, coal, natural gas and even uranium and thorium. He talked about clean energys reliance on slave labor in African nations, including the child cobalt miners in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Seemingly, his exposure of the hypocrisy of the bankers and wind and solar profiteers fell on deaf ears. Phillips claimed that the Africans Ayuk cited are the most impacted by climate change, a spurious comment he did not back with data. He lamented that lack of access to renewable energy forces many to consume their natural environment (wood and dung).

He lauded the availability of grants for renewable energy projects from the African Development Bank and other European-centered financial institutions. He said that Africans need to submit to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) mandated by the Paris climate agreement that each signatory nation must establish as part of long-term strategies for achieving Net Zero.

English translation for this gobbledygook: Our five-year plans [shades of the Soviet Union] are much more important than the short-term needs of Africas billion who live in energy poverty.

In Phillips imaginary world, renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels as the price of solar panels drops (but none are made by Africans) and energy storage is almost an accomplished fact (hardly the case). Is Phillips unaware that Africa comprises 20 percent of the worlds land area, that the continent has the fewest highways, and the least developed electric grids, and that its widely diverse peoples are just now beginning to work together to change their futures?

While admitting that the Paris agreement does not completely ban any use of fossil fuels, Phillips argued against Africans building any refinery infrastructure (which no European banker would ever finance) that might soon become a stranded asset, given the self-righteous (and likely unmet) mandates to end fossil fuel use by 2035 or thereabouts.

Phillips even argued that the lack of refinery infrastructure makes it even more responsible (to Europe?) for Africa to shift to green hydrogen, which unlike wind and solar can be used to make urea, steel, and cement. He ignored the fact that in-country refineries enable industries to use byproducts of oil refining to manufacture petrochemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, clothing, fertilizers, and a myriad of other products that build national economies.

In sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria and Angola have long been major oil and gas producers, but exploration and development operations in recent years have revealed significant resources that could bring new wealth to multiple other nations and provide energy both domestically and for export to an energy-starved Europe (and beyond).

In 2021 alone, there were five major new oil discoveries in sub-Saharan Africa. In April a Canadian company released preliminary results from exploratory wells in the Kavango Basin in Namibia that revealed an active petroleum system possibly as large as Texas Permian Basin  uncovering a potential 120 billion barrels of oil that may soon bring an oil boom. Other sizable discoveries were made in Cote dIvoire, Angola, Ghana, and Gabon.

Stephens, unlike Phillips, is an entrepreneur of sorts, eager to utilize the free flow of green grant money to capitalize the mini-grid industry and help create pockets of industrial activity that one day might be linked to broader grids. She lamented that in Nigeria and other East African nations, commercial and industrial projects are pulling from the existing power grid with a resulting decrease in grid stability in urban and rural areas.

She further complained that it is far easier to obtain financing for major projects like huge transmission lines than for mini-grids that can power a local industry and local residences. While she is on the renewables side, she recognizes the short-term (15- to 20-year) need for natural gas, ignoring the reality that oil and gas (and nuclear) facilities have a much longer lifespan than solar arrays or wind turbines.

Ayuk, by contrast, argued for monetizing natural gas in Africa for the 1.3 billion Africans now linked via the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. He condemned the chokehold exercised by Europeans and Americans on financing of oil and gas and other infrastructure projects that would meet African needs but not those of the Paris agreement, which continue to focus on export of African raw goods to Europe for processing.

The World Bank, Ayuk said, are the worst people to invest in Africa. They think they are gods. The reality is that most of the grants from the African Development Bank and other European-focused lenders have gone to white people to fund European investments.

Stephens role notwithstanding, Ayuk charged that the renewables industry in Africa is run mostly by white males rather than by African entrepreneurs and that the African Development Bank is a major offender. Financiers focused on Africa, he argued, ought to be enabling black Africans [women in particular] to build their own Africa-centered businesses.

Ayuk was livid that Europe is burning coal [some of it from Tanzania] and condemning Africans for burning natural gas. Why should Africa, he chided, follow Europeans into doubling or tripling of energy prices by following the religion of climate change? Africans are a resilient people who do not need lectures.

Ayuk wants to see an African energy bank and suggested that if Europe and the Americans continue to balk, Africans will increasingly have to turn to China and even Russia for help in self-development. Africans have to exercise pragmatism and not comply with extremely radical mandates that have created chaos in world markets.

Africans, he concluded, worry about stranded lives, not stranded assets. We are not going to buy into the green narrative at the cost of African lives and its chances for a prosperous future.

The responses to Ayuks comments were silently deafening.
Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood titan who was convicted of a criminal sexual act and third-degree rape in New York, faces a second criminal trial that begins in Los Angeles on Monday.

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Jury selection in his trial began Monday in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, records show.

Weinstein, 70, was first charged with sexual assault in Los Angeles in 2020 as the film producer's trial in New York was beginning.

At the time, Weinstein was accused of raping one woman and sexually assaulting another over a two-day period in 2013 and charged with four counts, one each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint.

"We believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then commit violent crimes against them," then-Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said at the time.

"I want to commend the victims who have come forward and bravely recounted what happened to them. It is my hope that all victims of sexual violence find strength and healing as they move forward."

Los Angeles prosecutors added an additional charge in April 2020 based on a 2010 alleged incident in Beverly Hills as Weinstein began serving his 23-year-sentence for his conviction in the New York trial.

Later that year, prosecutors again added six new charges -- three counts each of forcible rape and forcible oral copulation -- for additional accusations including that he raped a woman at a Beverly Hills hotel room in 2004 and another woman in 2009 and 2010.

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He was later indicted by a grand jury working with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in July 2021. The grand jury found that there was enough evidence to charge Weinstein with the sexual assault of the five women over nearly a decade.

"Anyone who abuses their power and influence to prey upon others will be brought to justice," District Attorney George Gascon said at the time.

All told, Weinstein now faces 11 charges in the Los Angeles trial which comes just over a month after he was granted an appeal of his New York conviction.

Court records show that Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all 11 charges. He faces a life sentence if convicted in the Los Angeles case.

The five women are expected to each testify during the trial as Jane Doe to keep their identities secret, though one of the women has been named by the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times after self-identifying publicly as Jennifer Siebel Newsom -- the wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Judge Lisa B. Lench, who is presiding over the case, has allowed four other women to also testify as witnesses but has excluded Daryl Hannah and Rose McGowan from testifying, Variety reported.

Weinstein's trial and his New York appeal could be a reckoning five years into the #MeToo movement, which was kickstarted after accusations against the film titan first surfaced in 2017.

It also comes after a Pennsylvania court overturned a conviction of Bill Cosby, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee.
Production is underway on the new film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

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The new installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot film series has started filming at Disney Studios Australia, formerly Fox Studios Australia, in Sydney, Australia.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes, released in 2017. The reboot series also includes Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014).

The Planet of the Apes franchise is based on the Pierre Boulle novel. The original film adaptation was released in 1968 and was followed by four sequels released in the 1970s.

The franchise takes place in a world where humans and intelligent apes clash for control.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is written by Josh Friedman Amanda Silver and Patrick Aison, and directed by Wes Ball (The Maze Runner). Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon Eka Darville and Kevin Durand star.

The film will receive $17 million AUD ($10 million) in support from the Australian government, along with funding from Screen NSW's "Made in NSW" fund. The project will provide more than 400 local jobs and inject $128 million AUD ($80 million) into the Australian economy.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will open in theaters in 2024.
TV and film icon Michael J. Fox said at New York Comic Con this weekend that his mother, Phyllis, had died two weeks ago at the age of 92.

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Fox reunited with his former co-star Christopher Lloyd to discuss their blockbuster sci-fi comedy, Back to the Future, which was released in 1985 and was followed by two sequels.

Fox mentioned his mother's death while recalling what it was like to get the job on Back to the Future while he was still starring on the sitcom Family Ties.

"I was 23 years old, and I called her, she was in Canada, and I said, 'They want me to do this Steven Spielberg movie, but I have to do it at night and I have to do Family Ties in the daytime.' And she said, 'You'll be too tired,'" Fox said.

He remembered telling his mom: "I live for this kind of tired. It'll be OK."

"To this day -- well, til two weeks ago -- my mother thought it was a really bad idea for me to do Back to the Future. She loved the movie, I got tired."

An online obituary said Phyllis Fox died Sept. 24. The mother of six children dedicated her time to raising awareness about diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and served on the board of the Michael J Fox Theatre in Burnaby, Canada.

Fox, who has battled Parkinson's disease since he was 29, said at the NYCC panel that he is trying to remain positive following a period of personal heartbreaks and misfortunes.

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"Well, in the last year, I've broken my cheek, my eye socket, my hand, my elbow ... my shoulder," he said.

"I had a rough year of getting beat up. But that was really cool because it made me realize ... with gratitude, it's sustainable. If you can find something to be grateful for, if you can find something and say, 'Well, that's good.' ... It'll always get better... I'm very optimistic."
Monty Python comedy legend and free speech advocate John Cleese has signed on to host a new chat program for Britain's GB News next year.

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The show's executive producer is comedian and writer Andrew Doyle, host of Free Speech Nation and executive producer of Headliners on GB News.

"John will have complete creative freedom to have the conversations he wants to have with the people who interest him most," Doyle said Monday. "Like John himself, it will be far from predictable."

Cleese, 82, last appeared on British screens in the sitcom Hold the Sunset in 2019. In addition to his years as a Monty Python troupe member, Cleese has also played roles in the comedies Fawlty Towers, A Fish Called Wanda, Time Bandits and Rat Race, as well as in the Harry Potter and Shrek franchises.

Cleese tweeted Monday that a "massive" amount of important information gets censored, both in TV and in the press.

"In my new show, I'll be talking about a lot of it," he said. "You should be prepared to be shocked."

He also talked about the show on the BBC's Today program, describing himself as an "old-fashioned liberal" and dismissing the categorization of GB as "a right-wing channel."

"It's a free speech channel," he said.
Brattleboro Museum & Art Center held its 15th Annual Domino Toppling Extravaganza on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. Veteran domino toppler and YouTube superstar Lily Hevesh returned with her team to assemble over 25,000 dominos in two and half days that covered the museums Wolf Kahn & Emil
Photographer / Multimedia Editor

Has been working as a photojournalist since 2007, before moving into newspapers, he worked with an NGO called Project HOPE. He then went to work for the Press and Sun-Bulletin in New York, and then in New England working for the Brattleboro Reformer.
Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen fired his agriculture minister over the weekend, following the loss of tens of thousands of hectares of rice paddies and other crops in torrential flooding  a move farm groups welcomed Monday as a sign of more government attention to their plight.

Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon was replaced on Saturday by Aun Pornmoniroth, deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance, who is now also acting minister of agriculture.

I call for an urgent cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and subnational authorities such as the National Disaster Management Committee to jointly make assessments on the scale of the damage and to prepare for transporting rice seeds and other plant seeds to be distributed to target areas, Hun San said in a public audio message on Oct. 8. It is a necessity, and we have to do it urgently.

A royal decree dated Oct. 8 and signed by King Norodom Sihamoni formally terminated Veng Sakhon without providing a reason and said that Hun Sen was in charge of implementing the decree.

Farm groups and civil society activists welcomed the firing, and urged Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party to take similar actions with senior officials at other ministries who have been inactive and unresponsive to the needs of the people.

Theng Savoeun, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community, noted that Hun Sen warned Veng Sakhon about his inaction on several occasions.

His sacking could relate to several factors that some of our farmers are facing with issues of lacking access to market, while others have been affected by the floods without proper intervention, [and] the failure to help provide seeds to farmers in times of need, he told RFAs. It shows the lack of responsibility during his term.

Theng Savoeun urged the government to consider sacking other officials at the Agriculture Ministry who are not performing their duties.

Devastating floods caused by torrential rains following a severe drought in the Southeast Asian nation have destroyed almost 24,700 hectares of rice fields nationwide, according to a report by the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC). More than 770 communes in 22 provinces across Cambodia had been affected, especially in the northern part of the country.

Additionally, the floods damaged more than 133,230 hectares of rice paddy fields and nearly 11,850 hectares of mixed crops, the NDMC said. At least 20 people have died, and over 1,700 families have had to be evacuated.

The NDMC said the rainy season, which usually ends in October, would continue until December this year due to the La Nina phenomenon that cools ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and results in heavy rains in Southeast Asia every three to five years.

The situation hasnt boded well for farmers, hit hard first by the drought and now by heavy rains and flooding, given that agricultural activities are the main source of income for many Cambodians living in rural areas.

Hun Sen requested that Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, arrange a vote of confidence for Dith Tyna, the current secretary of state of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to become the new agriculture minister.

Yang Saing Koma, an agriculture expert-turned-politician and the current chairman of the board of directors of the Grassroots Democracy Party, told RFA that Veng Sakhon appeared to be out of touch and had difficulty working with civil society and political parties.

It reflects the reality not just inside the Ministry of Agriculture, he said. Likewise, it happens among other ministries. It is just the fact that the Agriculture Ministry plays a vital role in Cambodia given the fact that it relates to so many people who are farmers and to the countrys economy, he said.

RFA could not reach Veng Sakhon for comment.

Veng Sakhon faced criticism for irregularities during the bidding of licenses for importing pork to local markets and the seizure of thousands of acres of forest land by the wealthy around Lake Tonle Sap for their personal interest or ownership.

The former minister also was involved in granting protected land near the Phnom Tamao Zoo to a private company for development, resulting in the clearance of several hectares of protected forest land. The project was later revoked by Hun Sen following public outcry on social media.

Translated by Sovannarith Keo for RFA Khmer. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech during National Day celebrations in front of the Presidential Building in Taipei, Taiwan, Oct. 10, 2022.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday called for talks with Beijing on an equal footing and warned the mainland not to misjudge the self-governing island's willingness to defend itself.

In a speech to mark Taiwan's National Day, Tsai offered to work with Beijing to ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait, but on the basis of "equality and mutual respect" as a sovereign government, terms that are highly unlikely to be accepted by Beijing.

"Russia continues its war against Ukraine, while China's military activity in the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," Tsai said in her Oct. 10 holiday address marking the start of a 1911 uprising that led to the establishment of the Republic of China the following year.

"We absolutely cannot ignore the challenge that these military expansions pose to the free and democratic world order. These developments are inextricably connected with Taiwan," she said.

"We cannot leave things to chance," Tsai warned. "Instead, we must stand up for our democracy, and prepare prudently and sufficiently to respond to any possible contingency."

To that end, the Taiwanese president said her government was ramping up production of precision missiles and high-performance naval vessels, as well as acquiring "small, highly mobile precision weapons" to develop asymmetric warfare capabilities.

"The Beijing authorities should not make any misjudgment on account of Taiwan's vigorous democratic system," she said.

"They must not mistake that there is room for compromise in the Taiwanese people's commitment to democracy and freedom, and thus attempt to divide Taiwanese society by exploiting the fierce competition between our political parties.

Taiwanese honor guards perform to mark the island's National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan, Oct. 10, 2022. Credit: AFP Democratic values

Tsai said Taiwans protection was key to upholding regional stability and democratic values.

"The destruction of Taiwan's democracy and freedom would be a grave defeat for the world's democracies," Tsai told the island of 23 million who opinion polls show have no wish to be ruled by Beijing.

Tsai's speech came as Chinese President Xi Jinping gears up to hold his party's five-yearly national congress, following years of increasingly hard-line rhetoric and military exercises and incursions targeting Taiwan.

Last week, Taiwan's representative to the United States, Bi-khim Hsiao, told a National Day reception that China's military exercises are becoming an increasing danger to the people of Taiwan.

"The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has recently begun more dangerous activities around Taiwan that are a threat both to us and to regional security," she said, adding that the ratcheting up of tensions was in addition to ongoing cyber attacks and political interference from Beijing.

"Taiwan will resolutely defend our sovereignty and security," Hsiao said. "We won't provoke, but we will not succumb to coercion."

Speaking at an Asia Society event in Los Angeles on Friday, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also said cross-strait tensions had been exacerbated by the Biden administrations moves to scrap the longstanding U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity over whether it would come to the defense of Taiwan in the case of an attack by Beijing.

Japanese lawmakers attend National Day celebrations in front of the Presidential Building in Taipei, Taiwan, Oct. 10, 2022. Credit: AP Reopening exchanges

Rudd said the assumption that Uncle Sam is simply there with a universal, unqualified strategic guarantee to defend Taiwan may lead to a no-holds-barred primary in Tsais ruling party next year, with candidates tussling to be more anti-Beijing ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

It's time for Taiwan to begin thinking about opening up lines of political dialogue with the mainland again, he said, calling for the United States to take a more background role.

At present, this relationship is so raw, it is so non-insulated, it is so volatile that whenever there is a problem or a crisis it immediately defaults to the U.S-China relationship, and immediately defaults to the military channel, because there's no political channel anymore, he said.

China Studies associate professor Chang Wu-ueh, of Taiwan's Tamkang University, said now that Taiwan has eased quarantine restrictions on inbound passengers, there could be a growing number of non-government exchanges and contact between the mainland and Taiwan, which could help to ease tensions.

But he said Tsai's offer of negotiations was unlikely to be well-received in Beijing.

"Non-governmental exchanges, once the border controls are relaxed, are a more feasible option at this stage," Chang told RFA. "It also demonstrates goodwill to the other side."

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Additional reporting by Alex Willemyns.
Citizens without a flag will have to buy one, sometimes at great personal expense.

A North Korean national flag is hung out of a window of an apartment building, Sunday, July 27, 2014, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

A North Korean order that citizens fly the national flag at their homes for the ruling partys 77th anniversary on Monday has triggered complaints about the financial burden of buying flags when people cant afford food, sources in the country told RFA.

North Korea has flown the blue-and-red-striped flag with the red star emblem since its establishment in 1948, and Monday marks the 77th anniversary of the 1945 formation of the precursor to the ruling Korean Workers Party.

Ahead of the anniversary, citizens who do not own flags had to buy one to comply with the order, a resident of the capital Pyongyang told RFAs Korean Service last week on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The residents of Pyongyang were told to put up the national flag in their homes on the upcoming Party Foundation Day [on October 10], she said. The order was delivered by a party official during a lecture where the theme was putting our nation first means putting our great leader [Kim Jong Un] first.

Flying the flag at government buildings, law enforcement agencies and state-run factories has been standard procedure in North Korea, but sources told RFA that this is the first time that the authorities are making the citizens join them in the act of forced patriotism.

From now on, Pyongyang citizens will have to raise the flag on their homes whenever there is a national holiday or major anniversary. The citizens will have to buy the flags themselves, said the source.

The flags are available only at state-run stores and department stores. Small paper flags can cost 1,000 won (U.S.$0.12) and large cloth flags can cost about 10,000 won ($1.20). The average North Korean monthly salary is between 5,000 and 10,000 won, according to a report by South Korea-based NK News.

Citizens must raise the flags at their homes two days ahead of Party Foundation Day, a resident of South Pyongan province, north of Pyongyang, told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

Not only for Party Foundation Day, but also when national holidays and anniversaries approach, residents are urged to display the national flag at their homes in recognition for their love of the nation, the flag, and the Highest Dignity, she said, using an honorific term for Kim Jong Un.

When they heard that they would have to go purchase the flags themselves they began to complain, saying Does rice or money fall out of the national flag? Its hard to make a living right now, so why are the authorities forcing us to buy flags? the second source said.

Once the order went public, shops at the Pyongsong marketplace began selling flags, according to the second source.

There are about 10 national holidays each year in North Korea, and these include the birthdays of previous leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the grandfather and father of Kim Jong Un.

Authorities will begin asking neighborhood watch unit leaders to report which homes did not raise the flag on each holiday, so they can be punished, according to the source.

Punishment can be as mild as public criticism, but it can also be devastating. In the case of the relatively privileged citizens of Pyongyang, a failure to raise the flag at home can result in banishment from the capital and forced relocation to a rural part of the country.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Lake Ya Base is the second junta base captured by the Arakan Army since fighting resumed in July.

Arakan Army forces captured weapons and personnel at the Myanmar juntas Lake Ya border post in the northern part of Maung Taw township in Rakhine state.

The rebel Arakan Army fighting Myanmars military junta on Monday captured an outpost on the country's border with Bangladesh, killing 30 soldiers and capturing three more, sources told Radio Free Asia.

The capture of Lake Ya Border Patrol Base in Maungdaw township in northwestern Rakhine state is the second such outpost the rebel group has overrun since fighting between the two sides resumed in July.

The skirmish is the latest in the on-again, off-again conflict that has been going on for more than a decade, driven by the ethnic Rakhine rebel groups desire for autonomy.

Wed been hearing repeated attacks since 2 a.m.  medium and heavy artillery  until dawn. The Arakan Army was attacking Lake Ya base, which isnt very large, a local source told RFAs Burmese Service, asking for anonymity for fear of persecution, adding that the rebel group had captured the outposts commander and some police.

Arakan Army spokesperson Khine Thukha confirmed the bases capture with local media, saying 30 junta soldiers were killed, including the deputy commander. A press statement from the group released Monday evening said three soldiers had been taken prisoner, and added that the base was for soldiers who manned artillery.

The junta has yet to issue a statement on the attack.

Fighting between the two sides resumed after a two-year lull on July 18 in Maungdaw township, and has since spread to Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Minbyar, Mrauk-U and Taungoke townships in Rakhine State and Paletwa township in Chin State.

The rebel group said in a news release on Oct. 7 that they confronted the military junta in Buthidaung and Minbyar townships during the first week of October in more than 20 battles, killing more than 40 junta soldiers. RFA is still trying to confirm the list of the military juntas casualties as released by the Arakan Army.

Sources told RFA that the military is currently attacking areas in the region with artillery.

Also on Monday, Sira Zaw Dein, a 37-year-old Rohingya civilian, died when an artillery strike from the juntas Maungdaw region Base No. 4 hit his village, according to the Arakan Express News, a local online news agency in Maungdaw.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Lina Lenberg completed a Ph.D. program in May at the University of San Francisco, where she studied and wrote about genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs in northwestern Chinas Xinjiang region and the Uyghur diasporas resistance to Chinese state violence. Lenbergs work is the first academic dissertation in the West that is solely dedicated to the Uyghur crisis. An educator for over 20 years and Northern California representative for the group Human Rights Educators USA, Lenberg recently spoke to reporter Kurban Niyaz of RFA Uyghur about her dissertation and activities on behalf of the Uyghurs. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RFA: What inspired you to work on this topic?

Lenberg: I used to work at an international school in San Francisco, and we had lots of Chinese and other students from different countries. There was a year when two Uyghur brothers came with Chinese passports. I had traveled to China, but at the time, I didn't know anything about Uyghurs. So, I just started talking to them and asking [questions]. I didn't know that there was this ethnic group in China. I was only familiar with Han [Chinese]. I had heard about Tibet by that point, but I had never heard of Uyghurs, and I didn't know anything about Xinjiang.

I started hearing more and more about some of the struggles that their families had experienced and that they themselves as kids had experienced with their Han Chinese classmates. I became interested in wanting to learn more. As I met more Uyghur adults in the Bay Area who were connected to these students and to other people, I started to hear these stories of incredible discrimination and oppression. This was before anyone was talking about the genocide. I then went back to school in 2016 to do my doctorate in human rights education. As a human rights educator, I teach all about social justice. All my students now know about the Uyghurs.

In 2017, all the news started to come out about the camps and everything else. I've been very closely following all of this news since 2017. [When] I decided that I had to write my dissertation, I felt like there was not enough attention being given to this issue. China continues to deny everything, so I felt an obligation to the Uyghur community here, who have become my friends, and to myself [as] a Jewish person born in Russia who came to the U.S. as a child because of my own family's religious persecution. And [with] the Holocaust, I grew up hearing, Never again! And here we are, and it's happening [again]. I hope my dissertation can be used as a advocacy piece.

RFA: When we talk about a genocide, most people tend to link it with mass murder similar to what occurred during World War II. But considering the lack of evidence of mass murder in the Uyghur region, some experts refuse to call it a genocide. What do you think about this?

Lenberg: Thats wrong. That is incorrect because [it fits] the internationally accepted definition of genocide, which is what the United Nations intentionally created after the Holocaust to prevent these things from happening again. The Genocide Convention, to which China is a signatory, [contains] the internationally accepted definition of genocide. The Genocide Convention [has] a list of things that can be considered genocide, and we can see that all the things on the list right now are being committed in China. I think people have a common misconception that genocide simply means the mass killing of people, but in fact, it's any act or set of acts which are intended to destroy an ethnic group.

Here again it's the same pattern of dispossession, oppression and destruction of an ethnic group. China is doing it not only by separating children and families and controlling the population, but also by destroying Uyghur culture. This is something I feel like people don't talk about. Theres a lot of discussion about forced labor and things having to do with economic issues. But if we look at what is going on and what has been going on for years, there's a clear intentional destruction of Uyghur culture and identity [with] the destruction of mosques and cemeteries, the limiting of the naming of children, the prohibition of doing anything related to Islam, and not being able to grow a beard  all these things are what I suggest are mechanisms of control of the Uyghur population, social control, and destruction of Uyghur identity, and so that's also part of genocide.

RFA: What similarities and differences do you see between the Holocaust and the Uyghur genocide?

Lenberg: A major difference was that when the Holocaust was happening, a lot of people didn't know that it was happening until it was too late. But now the world knows what is happening. There is so much information from scholars, from journalists, from witnesses and from survivors of the camps. There are so many consistent testimonies  hundreds of consistent testimonies  so, I feel like the world has no excuse right now. I feel like there is enough evidence to show that there is genocide [thats] been ongoing since at least 2017.

People are denying this because of economic relations with China, particularly connected to the Belt and Road [Initiative]. All the countries in which China has already built infrastructure are now indebted to China. It's really an issue of denial in favor of economic interests over human rights. It is a very dangerous way for the international community to deal with these kinds of issues.

We can see now that other countries that are allied with China are doing things also with impunity that are causing mass suffering, and I fear that this enables other authoritarian regimes around the world to feel like they can do whatever they want without consequence and with impunity.

RFA: In your dissertation, you wrote that diaspora Uyghurs believe that Chinas genocidal crimes began a relatively long time ago. Why do they believe this?

Lenberg: I completely trust what the Uyghurs in the diaspora are saying. I don't think that there's any reason for them to be lying. They are very concerned about their family members, many of whom are still in China, most of whom they cannot communicate with anymore. There's enough evidence both historically and from the present day that shows that this is Chinas goal. It appears that all of these actions that they're taking within Chinese society indicate that there's no regard for Uyghur life, culture or identity.

RFA: Given Chinas power and the worlds silence, what can members of the Uyghur diaspora do to try to stop the atrocities?

Lenberg: This brings up a whole other issue, which is the fear of persecution of people's relatives who are still in East Turkestan. What I've heard widely from Uyghurs of the diaspora is that they recognize that their activism, that their resistance to Chinese state violence, is limited by these fears of reprisals against their relatives, and people have been threatened directly, [so that] they stop their political activism. Uyghurs from the diaspora all over the world and organizations like the World Uyghur Congress, Uyghur Human Rights Project and Campaign for Uyghurs have been very active in doing what they can by speaking out and organizing protests. We need to really remember that they're doing it at great risk to themselves and their family members. Diaspora members have been very active in different ways, especially through organizations, to try to raise awareness, to publish reports, to work with the United Nations, and to work with different world governments, such as organizing a Uyghur tribunal. All these things have been happening, [but] still, there's been very little response on the part of the international community.

Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A former senior official of the Communist Party of Vietnams Central Commission of Internal Affairs has accused the Chief Judge of the Hanoi People's Court, Nguyen Huu Chinh, of covering up the crimes of his subordinates who were handling a case that has lasted more than ten years.

Lawyer Le Van Hoa defends two leaders of the Laos-Vietnam Mineral Joint Venture Company who were convicted by the People's Court of Ba Dinh District, Hanoi of "faking the seal" of the joint venture.

In the third first-instance hearing this February, Thai Luong Tri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, was sentenced to 2 years, 10 months and 21 days, while Duong Minh Hai was sentenced to 4 years, 5 months and 12 days. The prison terms are equal to the time the two were detained for investigation in 2009.

Lawyer Hoa said straight after the trial he sent a petition to the Supreme People's Procuracy and the Supreme People's Court to denounce the Trial Panel of the People's Court of Ba Dinh district and two individuals: Nguyen Quang Trung, Director of the People's Procuracy of Ba Dinh district and his deputy, Tran Manh Ha. He said they prosecuted two innocent individuals and ignored the crimes of others.

The lawyer also denounced the district court and the two officials for serious violations of the Criminal Procedure Code, 2015. He said according to its provisions, the district court does not have the authority to try Vietnamese people committing crimes abroad, only a provincial, city or higher court can do that.

The Supreme People's Procuracy transferred my denunciation to Nguyen Huu Chinh, Chief Judge of the Hanoi Court for settlement due to his competence, Hoa told RFA.

For more than half a year [he] has not replied to my denunciation. Until today [he] did not answer whether or not [he would consider] my petition, so I think [he] is seriously violating the law by covering up [for] his subordinates, the lawyer said, adding that he had sent his petition to leaders of the Communist Party, the State and other authorities as part of his denunciation of Chinh.

'Forging the seal of Laos'

Hoa told RFA the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy are also guilty of letting the People's Court of Ba Dinh district hear the case of "forging the seal of Laos."

In this case, board chairman Thai Luong Tri is considered the main defendant. He is from Nghe An province, and a director of the Thai Duong Company, which is based in the province.

Hoa said according to Vietnamese law, the People's Court of Nghe An province should have been the body to hear Tri's case.

He added that his clients are completely innocent and said he would maintain his defense in the upcoming appeal session to be held by the People's Court of Hanoi.

Hoe said he will use the evidence that the Ministry of Security of Laos has an official document confirming Tri and Hai did not use a fake seal for the joint venture.

He said the document, dated May 30, confirms the seal of the Laos-Vietnam Mineral Joint Stock Company, which was used to sign the investment contract between the Lao government and the company in 2008, was made "in accordance with the rules and regulations."

The translation of the statement is stamped with a consular legalization certificate from the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos.

To verify the information, RFA contacted Chief Judge Nguyen Huu Chinh, the Deputy Chief Procurator of the People's Procuracy of Ba Dinh District Tran Manh Ha and the Deputy Chief Judge of the People's Court of Bac Tu Liem district Le Thi Minh Hue, who presided over the trial in February, but none of them answered the phone.

Hoa's 10-year defense

Over the past 10 years, lawyer Hoa has successfully defended Thai Luong Tri and Duong Minh Hai from charges of "abusing trust to appropriate property" related to the investment of Thai Duong Co. in a mine in Xiangkhouang Province, Laos.

In the first instance court on July 14, 2011, the Hanoi People's Court convicted Tri and Hai of "abusing trust to appropriate property" and "Forging the seal of Laos" and sentenced Tri to 23 years in prison and Hai to 17 years in prison.

More than two years later, the Supreme People's Court annulled the first-instance judgment for a re-investigation.

In 2016, Tri and Hai were respectively sentenced to 20 years in prison and 15 years in prison for the two crimes. However, in the second appeal hearing a year later, the Higher People's Court in Hanoi annulled the second-instance judgment and requested a re-investigation.

In 2019, the Security Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam stopped the investigation into the allegations of "abuse of trust to appropriate property" against the two men.

Only the charge of "Forging the seal of Laos" remained and the Supreme People's Procuracy transferred this case to the People's Court of Ba Dinh district for trial.

Tri and Hai were detained for a total of eight years and were later released on bail.

The Ba Dinh District Court handed down the same judgement to the two men for "Forging seals and documents of organizations and agencies" which Hoa said made him think that this is a form of legalizing the detention of his two clients.

In 2012, when he was a deputy director of the Internal Affairs Department of the partys Central Office, Hoa said he discovered wrongdoing in the case of Thai Luong Tri. In December that year he proposed that the Politburo take charge of clarifying his concerns.

Hoa renounced his communist party membership in 2017 "to protest against the leaders of the Central Office and the Central Commission for Internal Affairs for failing to deal with his petition in the Thai Luong Tri case."
Russian air strikes have destroyed almost one-third of Ukraine's power stations since October 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on October 18 as Moscow launched a fresh wave of air attacks that hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, targeting residential areas and energy infrastructure.

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.

Zelenskiy tweeted that the attacks had caused massive blackouts across Ukraine and that there was "no space left for negotiations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Another kind of Russian terrorist attacks: targeting (Ukraine's) energy & critical infrastructure. Since Oct 10, 30 [percent] of Ukraines power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country. No space left for negotiations with Putin's regime," Zelenskiy wrote.

The Kyiv prosecutor's office said two people were killed in the October 18 strikes in the Ukrainian capital after five others lost their lives in drone attacks the previous day.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will deliver air-defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days.

Speaking at a security conference in Berlin, Stoltenberg said the systems would help Ukraine defend itself against attacks, including by drones made in Iran that have been used in a new wave of lethal kamikaze drone strikes across the country.

"The most important thing we can do is deliver on what allies have promised, to step up and deliver even more air-defense systems," Stoltenberg said.

Earlier on October 18, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said there had been three Russian strikes on an unspecified energy facility in northern Kyiv.

"The situation is critical now across the country. It's necessary for the whole country to prepare for electricity, water, and heating outages," Tymoshenko told Ukrainian television.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack was on "critical infrastructure."

The northern Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr was left without water and electricity supply after Russian air strikes, but its mayor told RFE/RL that the services had been largely restored.

"Around noon, we connected the main sewage plant, and the water supply was more or less operational. Currently, approximately 80 percent of the city has electricity, but the central part of the city remains without it," he said.

Russian troops also shelled energy facilities in Dnipro and blasts were reported in Kharkiv.



Explosions also shook the cities of Kriviy Rih and Mykolayiv, local officials said, a day after Russia launched waves of kamikaze drone strikes that killed at least seven people, four of them in Kyiv, and damaged infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital and several other cities across the country.

"Kriviy Rih. Explosions in the northern part of the city. We are in shelters," Oleksandr Vilkul the head of the central Ukrainian city's military administration said on social media, adding that so far there were no reports of casualties or damage.

In the southern port of Mykolayiv overnight shelling killed at least one person, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkovych said early on October 18.

The same day, British intelligence identified the drones used by Russia in the attacks as being Iranian-made.

In its daily intelligence bulletin on October 18, the British Ministry of Defense said that Russia's heightened tempo of long-range strikes over the past week against targets across Ukraine included so-called kamikaze drones provided by Iran.

"[Strikes] have been conducted by cruise missiles, air defense missiles in a surface-to-surface role, and Iranian-provided Shahed-136 one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles," British intelligence said.

U.S. President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters that the White House strongly condemns Russias missile strikes and said the attacks continue "to demonstrate [Russian President Vladimir] Putins brutality.

She said the United States "will continue to impose costs on Russia, hold them accountable for its war crimes."

The United States, Britain, and France agreed that Iran supplying drones to Russia would violate a UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six powers.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on October 17 that more than 100 such drones had struck Ukraine in the past week, hitting power stations, sewage treatment plants, bridges, and playgrounds.

"A third of Ukraine's energy infrastructure was affected," a ministry statement said.

Both Russia and Iran have repeatedly denied that Iranian drones are being supplied to Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on October 18 that Moscow had no information about whether or not Iranian drones were used in attacks against Ukraine earlier this week.

On October 17, Iran also stuck to its denial that it is supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented.

Asked for comment, the Iranian mission to the United Nations repeated a statement issued by the government on October 14 that said it supports upholding the UN Charter and the UN attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.

The United States warned on October 17 that it would "not hesitate to use sanctions or take actions" against companies and countries working with Iran's drone program.

"Anyone doing business with Iran that could have any link to UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or ballistic missile developments or the flow of arms from Iran to Russia should be very careful and do their due diligence -- the U.S. will not hesitate to use sanctions or take actions against perpetrators," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

"Russia deepening an alliance with Iran is something the whole world -- especially those in the region and across the world, frankly -- should be seeing as a profound threat," Patel said.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP
A businessman in the western Kazakh city of Aqtobe has opened a shelter for Russians fleeing President Vladimir Putin's mobilization of troops for the war in Ukraine. People will be able to stay at the shelter for up to three days, with some residents arriving from hospitals after being treated for hypothermia. Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry estimates that some 200,000 Russians have entered the country since the September 21 mobilization order.
BUDAPEST -- Jozsef had something of an epiphany while watching the Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator around two decades ago in Hungary.

He marveled at the garb, the weapons, and other accoutrements of the Roman warriors depicted in the Ridley Scott film and wondered how he could acquire such artifacts himself.

"I wasn't interested in the history behind the objects, but in owning them, having them in my own display case, and because of that I began like crazy to research where I could find them," Jozsef, who requested his real name not be used, recently recounted to RFE/RL's Hungarian Service.

Jozsef soon realized that such artifacts could be had, but only those buried under the ground for centuries. He joined up with a friend, bought a metal detector, and began prospecting for treasure.

"I bought a metal detector and it wasn't long before I was finding things. But I wasn't really too happy because I was only interested in the Roman era, nothing else," he explained.

Centuries ago, the frontiers of the Roman Empire cut across today's Hungary with the Danube River effectively serving as a dividing line. To the east, the archeological sites and treasures to be found mostly originated with the Avars, the Huns, and the Hungarian royals from the House of Arpad, who reigned from 1000 to 1301.

To the west, the ancient objects in the ground are often of Roman origin. These are the treasures that are valued more on the market and much of it is traded illegally.

In the communist era, treasure hunters equipped with metal detectors were a rarity in Hungary, although the activity did gain some traction in the 1980s. Nevertheless, as a result, there is still much untouched archeological treasure to be had in Hungary, experts say, although it is vanishing fast.

Treasure hunters are digging up coins, statues, and gold objects, taking everything that can be moved, experts warn. The more valuable pieces are either sold in Budapest or taken to Vienna, largely recognized as the center of the Eastern European and Balkan illegal art and antiquities market. Small-time treasure hunters hawk their wares online in Hungary.

Almost a decade ago, you could even buy a Roman-era sarcophagus online. Anyone can buy a metal detector in Hungary, but the law practically prohibits its use -- but almost no one obeys the law, and the authorities have bigger worries than hunting down illegal metal detectors.

Archaeologists are not happy. They have now found themselves competing with treasure hunters, but fear they probably lost the battle long ago. Experts call for stronger laws, but acknowledge that tougher legislation likely won't eliminate the illegal trade in the country's heritage.

"Over the past two decades, legislation has tried to address this metal-detector activity, but a new approach is definitely needed. The Heritage Protection Act is now into its 66th version, but is barely 21 years old and its regulations cover in different ways what and how instruments can be used at an archaeological site," said Gabor Viragos, deputy director general of Hungary's National Archaeological Institute, in comments to RFE/RL.

According to Jozsef, who now lives in a village near Szekesfehervar, a city in central Hungary, people equipped with metal detectors can be found everywhere.

"In every village, there is someone who has a metal detector. There are probably at least 2,300 active treasure hunters in this country, although the number is probably much higher than that. Very often, the local commissioner himself [is one of them], since he is the only police officer in the area, is not checked by anyone at all, since he is the local chief there, who monitors everyone else, but can rob as he pleases."

Jozsef moved to the area years ago, knowing it was awash with antiquities buried under the ground. After scoping out all the local archeological sites, he gave up his old life -- details of which he declined to divulge -- deciding instead to live off the gains from trading antiquities on the black market.

Also handy for him was an 11-tome series on the archeological topography of Hungary, with the fifth, seventh, and ninth parts especially enlightening, mapping out choice archeological sites in the Pest and Komarom counties, which were especially rich in Roman ruins and relics.

However, since hundreds of others had consulted the same books, those mapped-out areas turned out to be largely tapped out of treasure, Jozsef said.

Lacking the proper paperwork and permits, Jozsef said he and his partner acted in stealth.

"Wherever we went, we scouted the terrain well beforehand using satellite images and maps, and we always tried to work in such a way as not to be seen. If a car came by, we watched from a distance, [and] we always told each other on walkie-talkies if we saw any suspicious movement while we were digging. We always hid our car so that if there was trouble and we had to run, we could reach it before they caught us. We left the car in the village and walked out into the field or the forest," he explained.

Although they rarely returned empty handed, Jozsef said the loot they found was rarely lucrative.

"I didn't find as much as I thought I would, and it started to not be worth it in terms of time and money. My hands hurt, I was muddy, and in half a day I regularly found nothing more than four small bronze coins," he complained.

"But I wanted to find much better ones, and more beautiful ones, and I really liked fibulae (Roman brooches or pins), the ones that are special, the ones shaped like an animal, or the enameled ones. Well, these are the ones I wanted to find, clean them, and put them in the display case."

After six years of treasure hunting, Jozsef packed it in, selling off his equipment worth thousands of dollars and began an even more profitable business as a broker of ancient coins.

"I bought 1,000 or 2,000 coins a week. In five or six years, I earned $500,000-$700,000 on Roman coins alone," Jozsef said, adding that he ultimately traded the Roman coins for modern Hungarian ones, earning not only extra profit but easing his ability to "withdraw this money legally."

Tougher Measures, Largely Unenforced

Those maneuvers, he said, were largely dictated by the tightening of EU legislation in 2018 to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, confounding illegal art dealers, especially those operating on eBay, the online auction website. As a result of the changes, in Hungary, for example, any transaction between PayPal and a bank account of over 2 million forints ($4,680) could mean the tax authorities were notified.

Despite the tougher oversight, Viragos explained, illegal treasure hunters have nothing to fear even though the laws on the books -- even on owning a metal detector -- are stringent. "Even though the regulations are relatively strict, nobody can or wants to enforce them effectively at the moment," said Viragos.

According to the law on the protection of cultural heritage sites, everything buried in the ground in Hungary is the property of the state. Moreover, although anyone can buy a metal detector in Hungary, a 2015 law effectively banned their use. That's because a private individual must obtain a permit to use a metal detector outside of an archaeological site, which are, naturally, out of bounds. However, the process is so convoluted that almost no one is ever granted one, encouraging many to forego the process.

Archeological Sites Being Stripped

There are more than 100,000 protected archaeological sites in Hungary, which have been systematically looted since the 1980s -- and not only by Hungarians, experts say.

"Artifacts have disappeared from the top layer of the earth. Larger objects and coins were stolen first. Metal detectors are now more and more sophisticated, they can see deeper and deeper into the ground. The disappearance of artifacts has accelerated. And there is not much left in the fields 40 or 50 centimeters deep. They are practically empty," said Istvan Vida, the head of the coin department of the Hungarian National Museum.

"If it continues like this, in 10 to 15 years the top 20 to 30 centimeters of the soil will be vacuumed up in Hungary. New finds will only appear if they plow down to a depth of 80 centimeters. The damage is incalculable," added Viragos. "There are still illegal excavations today. In the past, all the finds from an Arpad-era cemetery were excavated and stolen. But the Roman villas are also looted to this day."
More than 1,000 workers at the Bushehr and Damavand petrochemical plants have joined in protests in Iran as demonstrators angry over the death of a young woman detained over an alleged Islamic dress code violation continued to defy a violent crackdown on dissent.

According to reports by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, the oil workers blocked access roads and chanted slogans, such as "Death to the dictator!" as they gathered on October 10 with a heavy security presence nearby.

Striking workers have been reported in several cities across the country in recent days, especially in heavily Kurdish areas where public outcry was initially strongest when word spread that 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died on September 16, three days after being picked up in the capital by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing a head scarf, or hijab, "improperly."

WATCH: More than 1,000 Iranian oil workers have joined in nationwide protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained over an alleged Islamic dress code violation and died in custody.

The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights says that at least 92 protesters have been killed by the security forces, although other groups cite death figures of 160 or more, along with hundreds more injured and thousands arrested.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kaanani told a televised news conference on October 10 that visitors to Iran should respect local laws, a vague reference to earlier statements by officials that the West was fomenting the unrest.

Eyewitness accounts said that Amini had been beaten during her arrest, while her father has said she suffered bruises to her legs and has held the police responsible for her death.

The state-controlled ISNA news agency said on October 7 that Iran's Forensic Medicine Organization had determined "underlying diseases" were the cause of Amini's death, while making no mention of whether she had suffered any injuries.

A report on state television added that the forensic report showed Amini's death was related to "surgery for a brain tumor at the age of 8."

Iran's political leadership held a crisis meeting on October 9 where officials called on the people to preserve national unity and stand against the "hostile plots" of the enemies of the Islamic system.

A day earlier, activist hackers disrupted a live state television broadcast by airing images and messages in support of the protests.

The activist group Edaalate Ali (Ali's justice) claimed responsibility for the attack. A mask associated with the Anonymous collective, which has hacked several Iranian authorities in recent weeks, was also shown on screen.
Umbriel Temiraliev, the head of Kyrgyzstans National Investment Agency, has said during the current Russia-Kyrgyzstan Investment Forum that numerous Russian companies are interested in partial localization of their production in Kyrgyzstan, and that national Kyrgyz authorities are prepared to create the necessary conditions to accommodate this.

With the European market non-energy cut off from Russian exporters, Russian manufacturers and traders are looking east to new markets. While Russia remains Kyrgyzstans largest exports market, this is closely followed by China. Kyrgyz international trade is up nearly 20% this year, and the country is rapidly developing an e-commerce industry, again with the assistance of China. It could be a smart move for Russian companies to expand their operations to the country as it also has trade and investment agreements with regional neighbours Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It is also part of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia.

The Kyrgyz Republic has also signed double-taxation treaties with 27 countries including Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The U.S.-U.S.S.R. treaty on double taxation, which was signed in 1973, remains in effect between the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan.

The Kyrgyz investment agency is interested in assisting large and small Russian companies with partial localization of production or those thinking about entering the nations market.

Kyrgyz authorities are proposing the option of Russian companies working in free economic zones or preferential territories. A public-private partnership mechanism is being proposed for implementation.

Temiralev stated that just last week, a Russian company wants to partially transfer its enterprise here. They would like to launch assembly of transport equipment, including electric public transport.

Russian businesses looking to export to China, including from Kyrgyzstan, may contact Dezan Shira & Associates www.dezshira.com to discuss the export and import protocols from the China end. The firm has 30 years of experience, and 13 offices throughout China. Email Maria Kotova: china@dezshira.com

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Jose Luis Rodriguez spent only about a year and a half working at San Diego Countys Lincoln Acres branch library, but his memory has endured for 10 years more and may never yet fade away.

Jose was one of two people killed in three shootings within 40 minutes in Chula Vista and San Diego on Nov. 23, 2007, the night before his 18th birthday. The assailant was never found, and no motive for the shooting ever was established.

This past Saturday (Dec. 2), the library awarded the Jose Luis Rodriguez Scholarship to help a graduating senior from Sweetwater High School pursue the college education that Jose, a student worker at the branch, never was able to complete.

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County Supervisor Greg Cox presented the $500 scholarship to Alison Morales, who hopes to attend UC Riverside and major in psychology. The scholarship was presented at the branchs 10th annual Celebration of Life.

Jose, who graduated from Sweetwater in 1996, was attending San Diego City College when he was killed. He worked part-time at the small branch in Lincoln Acres, a small community of just 227 acres between National City and Chula Vista.

At the library, Jose was known for the time he spent with children: storytelling and crafts, leading games and tutoring. So fittingly, Saturdays event includes several activities for little ones, including face painting, balloon animals, crafts and pictures with Santa Claus.

I think Jose would have liked for us to do something like this, said branch manager Jose Ocadiz, who supervised the student worker. He was all about education, about family, about community.

He was a bright young man with a bright future ahead of him.

The childrens area of the library was named the Jose Luis Rodriguez Family Discovery Center and is decorated with a mosaic in his honor, depicting a boy walking hand-in-hand with his sister.

With a recipient selected by a committee, the scholarship is paid for from a portion of used book sales and other donations to Friends of the Library. Applicants write essays on what motivates them to go to college.

Fourteen scholarships have been awarded since 2009.

The first two recipients, Janet Nava and Mayra Bernachi, both graduated from UC Santa Barbara and are now social workers.

Yolanda Salomon, now attending Biola University in La Miranda, expects to graduate next year with a degree in nursing.

Jose Luis believed libraries can enrich people and change their lives for the better, and the scholarships we have given in his name have helped local students pursue their academic goals and dreams, Cox said.
Terzan 1 is a globular cluster about 21,800 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Scorpius.

Terzan 1, also known as ESO 455-23 and Terzan 1966, is a heavily obscured globular cluster located in the constellation Scorpius.

Of the 150 globular clusters belonging to our Milky Way Galaxy, about 70 lie within 13,000 light-years from the Galactic center where their density tends to peak.

Terzan 1 has the smallest projected distance to the Milky Ways center among all known globulars. It is only 4,200 light-years from the center but 21,800 light-years from Earth.

Terzan 1 is one of 11 globular clusters that were discovered by the Turkish-Armenian astronomer Agop Terzan between 1966 and 1971 when he was working in France, based mostly at Lyon Observatory, Hubble astronomers explained.

Somewhat confusingly, 11 globular clusters are numbered from Terzan 1 to Terzan 12.

This is due to an error made by Terzan in 1971, when he rediscovered Terzan 5  a cluster he had already discovered and reported back in 1968  and named it Terzan 11. He published its discovery alongside those of Terzan 9, 10 and 12.

He quickly realized his mistake, and attempted to have Terzan 12 renamed as Terzan 11. Unfortunately, he did not make it clear that Terzan 5 and Terzan 11 were one and the same, although another astronomer, Ivan Robert King, did publish a note to try and clear up the confusion.

Nowadays, most papers recognize the original Terzan 5 and Terzan 12, and accept the oddity that there is no Terzan 11.

Terzan 1 is not a new target for Hubble  an image of the cluster was released back in 2015, taken by Hubbles Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2).

The newly-released image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instruments.

It is based on data obtained through one visible light and two infrared filters. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
CX agents and employees can better devote their time to tasks that need a human touch, such as those that require higher-order thinking or collaborative effort, and will allow for a higher volume of tickets to be resolved at a much higher efficiency. In a recent conversation with the Editor of siliconindia, Vasudeva Rao Munnaluri, RVP India and SAARC, Zendesk, shared his thoughts on role of CX in current market.

Focusing on the customer makes a company more resilient, according to Jeff Bezos' well-known adage. For a customer relationship to be strengthened, a positive customer experience is necessary. As a result, CX's function became crucial.

CX is significant since it can make the difference between retaining customers and losing them to competitors. Any firm should make enhancing the customer experience a top priority since it can increase brand loyalty and repeat business.

The quality of the product, ease of use, and customer service are just a few of the many elements that affect the customer experience. Understanding what drives customers at each point of the customer journey is necessary for developing a pleasant customer experience.

Zendesk started the customer experience revolution in 2007 by enabling any business around the world to take their customer service online. Today, Zendesk is the champion of great service everywhere for everyone, and powers billions of conversations, connecting more than 100,000 brands with hundreds of millions of customers over telephony, chat, email, messaging, social channels, communities, review sites and help centers. Zendesk products are built with love to be loved. The company was conceived in Copenhagen, Denmark, built and grown in California, taken public in New York City, and today employs more than 6,000 people across the world.

Share your thoughts on CX drives the success of the brand

In a digital-first economy, the way customers want to interact with brands has changed. Its not enough to just have great products. Brands need to deliver great experiences too - and do so consistently - in order to earn and retain customer loyalty. Across organisations in India and Asia Pacific, were seeing customer experience (CX) gaining importance as part of the business strategy. In fact, our recent CX Accelerator report found that 79% of Indian companies say CX drives revenue. A similar proportion (82%) believe that without continual improvement to their CX capabilities, they would lose business to more customer-centric competitors. Customers have more options than ever before today, and delivering exceptional customer experience as a point of differentiation is crucial to business success and growth.

Why is it crucial to balance automation and human touch in accelerating Customer Experience?

There is a long-held, widespread belief that support agents and AI dont get along, stemming from the apprehension that artificial intelligence (AI) is here to replace humans. This line of thinking couldnt be more wrong. By thinking about agents and automation as opposing forces, businesses often miss out on a huge opportunity to grow. A balanced human-automation strategy needs to consider how AI and automation can serve customers while also enabling agents.

AI can help agents address the most common and often repetitive queries. With high-quality data that is timely, tangible and accurate, the margins of error are low while answering more commonly asked customer queries. This means CX agents and employees can better devote their time to tasks that need a human touch, such as those that require higher-order thinking or collaborative effort, and will allow for a higher volume of tickets to be resolved at a much higher efficiency.

AI can also provide better context to agents before an inquiry even reaches them. Context is the key to delivering great CX. Using AI-powered tools provides context for agents, helping them meet customers expectations and provide a consistent user experience. A balanced strategy also ensures seamless handoffs from automated chat to human support, giving agents a detailed transcript of the conversation, allowing them to catch up with ease without needing the customer to repeat themselves. When done right, automation can deliver a better human support experience, which enables businesses to deploy agents wisely and also reduce churn and burnout.

Companies are rethinking their CX data strategy and technology. How do these play a vital role in accelerating CX adoption?

Customer data often comes from multiple systems. This is unavoidable as businesses rightly provide various touch points for customer interactions, to allow customers to reach out on any preferred platform. It is through these support touchpoints that businesses can capture customer interactions and tune into the directly-expressed needs, interests, and concerns of their consumer market. This adds a layer of personalization that goes beyond just superficial data points to truly understanding them. Staying on the pulse of customer expectations also allows businesses to translate insights into actionable trends, ensuring they consistently deliver the best brand experiences.

Were at a point in time where data is incredibly dynamic, and customers who demand their privacy is not compromised. They have a lot of power to decide what information they want to share or withhold. Organisations therefore need to invest in modern systems, especially in the right data architecture and analytical tools. Doing so helps them identify gaps in the customer experience so the teams can work on areas of improvement. Having strong data architecture becomes critical to success in CX. To avoid silos, businesses need CX technology that connects all data sources through an open, flexible platform.

For businesses to gain actionable insights, they must be able to quickly compile and analyse real-time data. Agility and adaptability become indispensable qualities for businesses for long-term success.

What is the impact of personalisation on customer experience? What are the steps that enable personalised CX?

Personalisation makes customers feel more valued, which inturn inspires brand loyalty.

Companies provide personalised service by gathering customer data and interactions, then leveraging that information to deliver unique experiences suited to said customers.

Customer support data is a treasure trove of customer insights that tells businesses exactly what customers want, how they want it, and when they expect it to be delivered. Businesses can use these insights to drive conversions more effectively. For instance, understanding the major concerns of first-time buyers helps businesses develop compelling messages for campaigns that can bring in new customers. Offering the right deals and promotions based on what customers want and expect strengthens customer confidence in your brand.

Customer experience has taken on a new definition during the global pandemic. What were the challenges faced and what steps were initiated to overcome those challenges?

Much like our customers, we felt the challenges that COVID-19 created too, especially in the early days. Customer demands changed quickly as a new wave of digital transformation took over businesses across many industries. Speed, simplicity and agility have become key factors in how we overcome these challenges.

Through these times of change, we realised that consumers really just want to communicate better with companies and use platforms they are already familiar with  like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram. Putting the customer first has never been more important. Business leaders who recognise the importance of CX need to ensure their organisations are equipped with the right tools and strategies to deal with changes.

This was part of the inspiration for our focus on building a conversational CRM. We are focused on connecting customer service to everything it needs to be successful. This means access to a full range of intelligent, real-time data and services because customers want to engage with brands on their terms. And they want these engagements to be quick and convenient. Ultimately, we want to provide businesses with the ability to staff support teams appropriately, and deal with any foreseen or unforeseen changes with flexibility and agility.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon commence limited pilot launches of the digital rupee for specific use cases, the central bank said today in a concept paper. The concept paper was released on Friday as it tests the digital currency in India. The Reserve Bank of India has been exploring the pros and cons of a central bank digital currency for some time and is currently engaged in working towards a phased implementation strategy, the bank said.

The central bank also said that Concept Note on Central Bank Digital Currency was issued to create awareness about Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in general and the planned features of the Digital Rupee.

The RBI, in its concept paper on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), said that use cases are being examined for an e-rupee in a way that there is minimal or no disruption to the financial system. In February, the Central government had said that a digital rupee will be launched during the course of the current financial year.

"As the extent and scope of such pilot launches expand, RBI will continue to communicate about the specific features and benefits of e-rupee, from time to time," the RBIs concept note said.

The concept note also discusses key considerations such as technology and design choices, possible uses of the digital rupee, and issuance mechanisms. The RBI concept note also examines the implications of the introduction of CBDC on the banking system, monetary policy, and financial stability, and analyses privacy issues.

"It is the responsibility of central bank to provide its citizens with a risk free central bank digital money which will provide the users the same experience of dealing in currency in digital form, without any risks associated with private cryptocurrencies," the Reserve Bank of India said.

The central bank said there's merit in both retail and wholesale digital currency, indicating that it may consider both.

The digital rupee seeks to replicate the features of cash. It wouldn't, however, pay interest, unlike the bank deposits.
Co-powered by Lightstorm, and supported by NITI Aayog, the 18th edition of the World Cloud Show  Indiaconcluded after a day filled with understanding of the next phase of cloud transformation and data centers in India.

The India edition of World Cloud Showcatalyzed the development of the Indian government's Cloud Vision, shedding light on several initiatives for the development of Cloud Computing and Data Centers in India, as well as the economic contribution that organizations supporting cloud computing are making to the country. Government officials, tech sector titans, and a stellar lineup of over 25 esteemed speakers from top international organizations were present at this event to provide their insightful feedback.

The conference's main themes were adapting to the new normal and managing the upcoming Cloud and Data Centerstransformation. It presented divergent perspectives from a diversified industry by exchanging ideas, addressing significant learning and emphasizing recent advancements from the corporate, government, and professional sectors.

Some of the top speakers who took the center stage included:

Suresh Sankaranarayanan ; Senior EVP & CTO, Kotak General Insurance

; Senior EVP & CTO, Kotak General Insurance Nikunj Jain; CIO & Digital Leader, P&G India

CIO & Digital Leader, P&G India Ekhlaque Bari ; CIO Jubilant Food Works

; CIO Jubilant Food Works Dr Avadhut Parab ; Chief Information Officer, Parle Agro

; Chief Information Officer, Parle Agro Sourav Das ; Chief Digital & Information Officer, Essel Mining  Aditya Birla Group

; Chief Digital & Information Officer, Essel Mining  Aditya Birla Group Viral Davde ; Chief Technology Officer, NCDEX

; Chief Technology Officer, NCDEX Ananth Kumar; Engineering Leader, Site24x7

Engineering Leader, Site24x7 Vinod Kumar ; EVP & Chief Information Officer, Fino Payments Bank

; EVP & Chief Information Officer, Fino Payments Bank Ninad Raje ; Director & Chief Information Officer, Health Assure

; Director & Chief Information Officer, Health Assure Amajit Gupta ; CEO, Lightstorm

; CEO, Lightstorm Vamsi Krishna Ithamraju ; Chief Technology Officer, Axis Mutual fund

; Chief Technology Officer, Axis Mutual fund Abhishek Sukhwal ; Head Cloud Center of Excellence, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

; Head Cloud Center of Excellence, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Rajgopal Nayak ; Chief Technology Officer, Metro Brands

; Chief Technology Officer, Metro Brands Ashish Sharma; Strategy Head Special Projects, Web Werks

Strategy Head Special Projects, Web Werks Roberto Frongia; Strategy & Operations Director Technology and Digital Compute & Innovation NEOM KSA

Strategy & Operations Director Technology and Digital Compute & Innovation NEOM KSA Suresh Chandrasekaran ; Executive Vice President, Denodo

; Executive Vice President, Denodo Manish Kishore; Global CIO Wockhardt ltd

Global CIO Wockhardt ltd Nasreen Khan; Head  Cloud & Cloud Security, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

Ninad Raje, Director & CIO, Health Assure, remarks, "If cloud technology is the soil, then Data Centers are the pipeline that supplies the water to the soil." While shedding light on the exponential expansion of the data center market at the World Cloud Show  India, Ninad added," In the Indian market, Data Centers are unquestionably here to stay and are committed to the long term."

Dr Avadhut Parab, CIO, Parle Agro, offered significant insights on the application of AI and ML," Machine learning and artificial intelligence are no longer myths. The improvement of customer service and experience through data augmentation based on customer feedback increases brand recognition. IT and business operations are now run much more efficiently, thanks to AI and ML.

Suresh Chandrasekaran, Executive Vice President, Denodo, took part in a panel discussion and listed top three takeaways from the current environment in the data center industry, and said,"Before collecting data, organizations must continually connect the data. Data literacy and unified data control are required for every organization, as is the decoupling of business transformation and IT operations."

The various cloud models and services enabling enterprises to implement the cloud in different ways andeffectively invest in technology were one of the major topics of discussion at the event. The speakers on this panel included Suresh Sankaranarayanan, Senior EVP & CTO, Kotak General Insurance; Nikunj Jain, CIO & Digital Leader, P&G India; Prasanna C, Head of Product & Marketing, Lightstorm; and Manish Kishore, Global CIO, Wockhardt Ltd.

In this panel discussion, panellists talked about the best cloud migration approaches for companies in a variety of industries. The panel also discussed heavily on the value proposition of Kubernetes in the modern workspace and edge computing.

Another notable panel discussion during the event covered the topic of Data Centers Reimagined: AI, ML, Edge & Virtualization. The panel examined cutting-edge data center technology and how organizations can use it to maximize the value of their data. The speakers of the panel included Dr Avadhut Parad, CIO, and Parle Agro; Sourav Das, CIDO, Aditya Birla Group.Viral Davde, CTO, NCDEX; Vinod Kumar, EVP & CIO, Fino Payments Bank.

The panel talked about the rapid expansion of ML and AI in the Indian market. Panellists gave insights on the various tools used for the functioning of Data Centers, whilst also shedding light on the role of edge in sustainability initiatives.

Large enterprises have diversified business functions, converged technologies have given enterprises the scalability while significantly reducing time to market,quoted Sourav Das, CIDO, Aditya Birla Groupas he shared his thoughts on converged technologies at Trescons World Cloud Show  India.

Lightstorm's Amajit Gupta gave a comprehensive presentation on the theme of powering the inevitable network. He emphasized how important it is for a network to be able to adapt to the rapidly changing environment in which we live. For organizations to succeed, modern networks and the speed at which information is sent to them are essential.Every business owner wants to be at the vanguard of a digital revolution, stated Mr Amajit Gupta, CEO of Lightstorm, while discussing new technological developments at Trescons World Cloud Show. He added, It is a logical progression given that businesses can now sell everywhere thanks to cloud technologies. Instead of increasing their physical footprint, businesses will concentrate on growing their digital footprint.

Ananth Kumar, Engineering Leader, Site24x7gave another very impactful presentation to the audience about choosing a monitoring system and various factors to consider. He highlighted the distinctions between on-prem and SaaS solutions by emphasizing the business's cost, time, skill, and requirements.

Basil Dhange, CISO of Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd., shared his top tips for moving to the cloud, and quoted,It is critical to identify pain-points of on-premise before migrating to the cloud, also very important to understand your data and then embark on your cloud journey."

We need to switch from a smart approach to one that is more holistic and cognitive. We are looking for innovation in every corner of the world. The Indian market is highly valued by NEOM and we intend to utilize it to advance our endeavour to accelerate human progress, Rober to Frongia, Strategy & Operations Director Technology and Digital Compute & Innovation NEOM KSA.

Presenting the hybrid cloud platform of Web Werks, which scales with the expansion of businesses was Ashish Kumar, Strategy Head of Projects at Web Werks. Among the subjects covered by Mr Ashish Sharma were the data fabric, contemporary data management technologies and integration, and augmented or automated data management. A thorough presentation that addressed all the concerns and questions that several decision-makers had.

Nasreen Khan, Head of Cloud & Cloud Security, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., commented as she moderated the panel discussion on cloud security, and said, "Cloud has a huge range. Like the weather, it is a dynamic environment that changes. As soon as your company makes the major switch to the cloud, I suggest doing routine data audits."



The 18th global edition of World Cloud Show is officially sponsored by:
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After a sometimes controversial decade as the creative director of Dark Mofo, Leigh Carmichael is stepping down from Tasmanias popular winter festival, which will run June 8-22 next year.

Carmichael has led the midwinter arts and music festival since its establishment in 2013. Next year  the tenth instalment of the Tasmanian tradition  will be his last standing at the creative helm, with a new artistic director to take over from 2024 onwards.

Dark Mofos Leigh Carmichael will step down from his role as creative director after the 2023 festival. Credit:Amy Brown

I feel that after ten years curating the Dark Mofo program, its time for new energy and new ideas to move the festival forward, Carmichael said in a statement on Monday. Dark Mofo occupies an important place in the Australian arts landscape, and I am confident that it will continue to provide opportunities for artists and audiences to experience challenging art in the darkest weeks of the year.

Carmichaels tenure with the unconventional festival has faced some controversy, most notably in 2021 when the festivals team was criticised for their plans to show Spanish artist Santiago Sierras artwork, Union Flag  a Union Jack flag soaked in the donated blood of First Nations peoples from colonised territories.
The banking regulator says highly indebted borrowers and people who locked in record low fixed mortgage rates will be among the most vulnerable mortgage customers as interest rates rise.

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday that a key focus for the regulator was how the housing market responded to large and relatively rapid interest rate rises.

Byres played down the risks to financial stability from housing, but said there would be pockets of stress due to rising interest rates and the falls in house prices.

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Byres, who is stepping down from the role at the end of this month, said one group that would be vulnerable to rising rates were those who had taken advantage of the rock-bottom fixed mortgage rates during the earlier phases of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When I think about the pockets  I think it will be people who had very low servicing capacity even at low rates, people who borrowed at very high debt-to-income ratios, and there will be people who took advantage of the very low fixed rates that were on offer in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Byres told the House of Representatives economics committee.

Many of those will be two and three year fixed rate loans which will over the next 12 months need to be refinanced. And for those people there will be a significant repayment shock as they have to refinance their fixed rates into higher rates, and the gradual increase in interest rates that variable rate borrowers have experienced will come in one hit to those fixed rate borrowers.

So theyre the sort of types of loans that, I think, will be particularly vulnerable.

Following the mass data breach at Optus, Byres also underlined the cybersecurity risks in banking, saying the issue presented banks with a constant challenge. Byres said banks had spent huge sums improving their cyber defences, but an attack would happen at some point.

I think we would probably say that financial institutions are, at least in a broader context quite advanced, but what we also know is that at some point, some sort of event will happen, he said.
Two former senior managers at the Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC), an iconic Australian firm that has won major federal government projects, have been charged with corruption over bribes allegedly given to overseas officials.

Court records have confirmed that SMECs former executive director for South Asia, Panjak Patel, and a second ex-senior manager of the companys international subsidiary, Sornalingam Ragavan, have been charged by the Australian Federal Police for allegedly bribing Sri Lankan government officials.

Two former senior managers at the Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation have been charged with corruption over bribes allegedly given to overseas officials. Credit:Australian Federal Police

The pair is accused of making corrupt payments to win two infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka worth more than $14 million. They will appear in a Sydney court on Tuesday.

The AFP alleges that between 2009 and 2016, the two conspired to pay bribes worth more than $304,000. If convicted, the men could face up to 10 years in jail.
New and emerging occupations over last 10 years: online ride-hailing driver

From:english.eastday.com | 2022-10-10 10:01

Wang Xin first learned about taxi-hailing apps a decade ago, when he was commuting between Beijing and Tianjin for a business company. At that time, one could get a cab faster during peak commuting hours via taxi-hailing apps. In the years that followed, the online ride-hailing service market grew rapidly due to this improved convenience. Wang's curiosity was piqued by the rapid promotion of online ride-hailing services and the appearance of a large number of high-grade car models available to hail. At the beginning, the subsidies given by online car-hailing platforms were so large that many middle-tier, advanced-models and even luxury car owners began to provide online car-hailing service in their spare time. Wang left the business company and went to work for a freight carrier company, and became a part-time onlineride-hailingdriver.

China's online car-hailing industry has emerged since 2010. In May 2010, Yidao Yongche was established in Beijing, taking the lead in launching a tailored taxi service. Subsequently, Kuaidi Dache and Didi Dache came online one after another. In 2014, Uber officially entered Chinese market.

When recalling his early experience in online ride-hailing, Wang Xin said the part-time job accounted for an increasing proportion of his income."In those years, my salary was more than 3,000 yuan and I could earn more than 2,000 yuan as an onlineride-hailingdriver," he said. But even though his income had nearly caught up with his regular job, the part-time job as an online ride-hailing driver was still not respected by his senior family members and relatives.

Fortunately, with greater importance attached to intelligent technology and continuous flexible innovation in policy in many cities, a number of online ride-hailing platforms, including Didi, Shouqi Limousine, Shenzhou Zhuanche, Caocao Zhuanche, got online ride-hailing licenses in 2017.This made many part-time drivers like Wang Xin see a bright career future. More and more drivers started to sign up for training, apply for qualifications, and become licensed drivers. Wang Xin also left the poorly run freight company and logistics company and officially became a full-time online ride-hailing driver. Before the pandemic, his monthly income had doubled or even tripled his previous so-called "stable" job. Over the past decade, more than 31 million drivers and car owners have earned money as online ride-hailing drivers, among whom more than 21 percent live on this income as their sole source of household income, according to data from Didi.

Last year, Wang Xin's family moved from their old house into a new one. He said that his new career as an online ride-hailing driver has brought him not only an increase in income, but also a change in lifestyle and philosophy. For example, the flexible working hours allow him more time to pick up and drop off his children, and he also had more time to take online classes with his children during the epidemic prevention and control period. At the same time, he no longer has to worry about commuting time. His improvement in work and life has made his elders and relatives gradually accept and identify with his professional identity as a full-time online ride-hailing driver. In the past decade, ride-hailing drivers like Wang Xin have been enjoying the dividends of the smart era. The definition of "stable" career is no longer a nine-to-five job sitting in the office. Keeping up with the pace of the times makes them more able to maintain stable happiness.
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A man who kept pigs near the outback NSW town of Walgett with accused wife killer John Bowie was in Queensland when Roxlyn Bowie vanished, a Supreme Court jury has been told.

Bowie, 72, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Roxlyn, his first wife, who was 31 when she disappeared on the night of June 5, 1982.

John and Roxlyn Bowie, who were married in 1971. Credit:NSW Police Media

The Crown alleges Bowie, a retired ambulance officer, killed Roxlyn to pursue an unfettered, serious relationship with another woman, and possibly disposed of the body by feeding her to pigs.

In his opening address in Sydney last month, Crown prosecutor Alex Morris said Bowie had regularly fed the pigs at the kangaroo meatworks outside Walgett, including by fetching kangaroo carcasses from a bone pit and boiling them with wheat and slurry.
A Mosman swimming instructor has told a jury he overheard police calling him a disgusting pedo after his arrest on allegations of child sexual abuse, and has no recollection of teaching six of the nine students who are the subject of the charges against him.

Kyle James Henk Daniels, 23, has pleaded not guilty in Sydneys Downing Centre District Court to five counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged under 10, eight counts of sexual touching of a child and eight counts of indecent assault, including two considered alternative counts.

Kyle Daniels outside Downing Centre District Court last week during his trial over allegations of child abuse. Credit:Rhett Wyman

The Crown alleges Daniels has a sexual interest in young girls and acted on it by deliberately touching the vaginas of nine students, aged five to 10, between 2018 and 2019 at Mosman Swim Centre. The defence has argued Daniels neither knowingly nor intentionally touched the girls in a sexual or indecent manner.

Returning to the witness box on Monday, Daniels was taken through each alleged incident by his barrister Leslie Nicholls.
When Reddam House students Jamie Holdcroft and Daniel van Heerde returned to school after lockdown last year and noticed the school canteen had shut up shop, they hatched a plan to take it over themselves.

Principal Dave Pitcairn admits he didnt think they would be successful  external providers had tried and failed  but was happy to let them have a go.

Reddam House year 11 students Jamie Holdcroft and Daniel van Heerde run their school canteen. Credit: Louise Kennerley

The then year 10 students created a business plan, surveyed students on their preferred menus, and invested about $1000 of their own money into supplies and equipment.

A year later, the boys are taking in about $80 a day in revenue, up to $50 of which can be profit.
As prime minister of Great Britain, Theresa May often came across as joyless and wooden.

As a backbencher, May is getting to have a little fun. Before the no-doubt delicious schadenfreude of watching her successor Boris Johnsons political demise, there was the matter of Mays trip to Australia in February this year.

<> Credit:John Shakespeare

During her nine-day jaunt, May was hosted by garbage millionaire-turned-yacht broker Ian Malouf on his plush 52-metre vessel Mischief for a harbour cruise (valued at 30,600, or $53,626). We wonder how May, who once said the naughtiest thing shed ever done was run through fields of wheat as a child, coped with Mischiefs famously risque artwork.

Her date with Malouf wasnt the only bit of generosity May received. Her flights and accommodation were paid for by the Victorian division of the Liberal Party at a cost of 38,700, according to her register of interests.
The number of Victorian secondary schools offering accelerated learning programs has risen to 40, despite the Department of Education restricting access.

As of this year, schools which use select entry accelerated learning (SEAL) programs to fast-track highly capable students are only allowed to test or interview children who have already accepted a place at their school.

Year 9 student Flynn Megahan does the accelerated learning program SEAL at Brighton Secondary School. Credit:Scott McNaughton

As part of the policy shift intended to ensure that gifted students can excel at their local school rather than be concentrated in SEAL programs, the department has also confined enrolments to students who live within a schools designated zone.

The changes are designed to ensure students can attend their zoned high school and schools do not cherry-pick the brightest young people from outside their boundary to boost their academic results.
The purchase of eight nuclear submarines under the AUKUS pact is expected to add at least another $100 billion to the nations already ballooning defence bill, as the Albanese government seeks to rein in cost blowouts and delays of major military projects.

The government went on the attack over defence spending on Monday, accusing the Coalition of bungling the portfolio in government by focussing on new project announcements rather than delivering the assets required to keep the nation safe.

Australias decision to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines will add to the budget pressures.

The government released an analysis showing the Australian Defence Force has 28 major projects running behind schedule, with cumulative delays of 97 years and a total cost blowout of $6.5 billion.

Defence spending is set to hit $80 billion a year by the end of the decade, up from $49 billion currently. Crucially, that figure does not include the cost of nuclear submarines or an expansion in Australian Defence Force personnel.
A cybersecurity breach has impacted a second Australian business owned by Singaporean telco giant SingTel, following the leak of millions of Optus customers private information last month.

On Monday, Dialog  one of Australias largest IT services companies, which was purchased by SingTel in March for $325 million  disclosed that company data had been stolen from its servers and posted online.

Dialog has been operating since 1979, and its clients include National Australia Bank, Virgin Australia and several government departments. Its owned by NCS, the services-focused subsidiary of Optus owner SingTel. Credit:Bloomberg

The company said it was alerted to the breach on September 10, but believed no data had been accessed. However, a very small sample was published online on October 7, indicating an attacker did indeed access and copy some information. Dialog said it believed the issue affected 1000 current employees, as well as former employees, but fewer than 20 of its clients.

We are doing our utmost to address the situation and, as a precaution, we are actively engaging with potentially impacted stakeholders to share information, support and advice, Dialog said.
Denpasar: Indonesian polices anti-terror chief has hailed the reform of Bali bomb maker Umar Patek as a success story in the countrys fight against Islamic extremism but concedes there is always a risk of militants returning to their old networks after being released from prison.

The prospect of the former explosives guru walking free only 11 years into his 20-year jail term prompted outrage from people who lost family members and friends in the 2002 Bali terror attack and brought objections from the Australian government.

Umar Patek. Credit:Lapassurabaya

Patek, who admitted mixing chemicals for devices that killed 202 people including 88 Australians, became eligible for parole in August after a series of reductions to his sentence and his release has been approved by Indonesias counter-terrorism forces.

He has remained in custody in East Java, with Indonesias ministry of law unwilling to issue a final sign-off in the lead-up to the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings on Wednesday.
Jerusalem: Three Saudi Arabian tribesmen who refused to leave their homes to make way for a futuristic $700 billion mega city have been sentenced to death.

Shadli, Ibrahim and Ataullah al-Howeiti were condemned to death last week after being jailed in 2020 for complaining about the development known as Neom, according to exiled activists.

A still from a promotional video at neom.com about The Line and Neom city in Saudi Arabia.

It is understood one of the men posted messages on social media in which he refused to accept compensation for leaving the homes on their land.

On Oct 2, the Specialised Criminal Court sentenced Shadli, Ataullah and Ibrahim Saleh al-Huwaiti to death, ALQST, a Saudi human rights group, wrote on Twitter.
PHILIPSBURG:--- An inspection by the Law Enforcement Council has shown that the approach of judicial authorities in Sint Maarten to combating money laundering and terrorism financing is insufficient and requires more attention.

In its report, the Law Enforcement Council (Council) assessed the approach of the judicial authorities in combating money laundering and terrorism financing. Just as in its previous reports regarding (other forms of) cross-border crime the Council observed that there are various bottlenecks impeding an effective (joint) approach to money laundering and terrorism financing by authorities.

According to the Council, the continuous lack of resources specifically hampers the authorities from achieving the desired results, as well as further professionalizing their organizations and executing their lawful tasks.

Far-reaching consequences

Cross-border crimes such as money laundering and terrorism financing, if not combated sufficiently, can have far-reaching consequences for the image of a country, its economy and undermines the democratic legal order.

Given the nature of cross-border crimes and that these forms of crime also greatly impact local crime, it is imperative that the Minister of Justice makes the necessary investments to better enable authorities to apply countermeasures.

Also, given the need of the country to comply with the recommendations of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) on the subject of money laundering and terrorism financing by 2024, the Council stresses that a determined effort by the Minister of Justice is necessary in order to carry out the recommendations of the Council as soon as possible.

It is imperative that countries live up to international obligations set to address the phenomenon of money laundering and terrorism financing and that countermeasures and mechanisms based on these are being utilized by the judicial authorities to combat the phenomenon in Sint Maarten.

Nature and scope

The crime analysis of 2011 painted a picture of a government/judicial system in which money laundering was allowed to flourish due to the inability of authorities to combat these crimes. Little has changed since then, the Council concluded. The fact that money laundering continues to go unchecked is worrisome, as this form of crime is often how other forms of crime, such as drug trafficking and arms trafficking, are funded. The complexity of money laundering combined with a lack of resources, for example financial expertise, at the authorities is one of the main causes why it cannot be combated effectively. As such, the scale of money laundering, just as in 2011, remains guesswork. However, authorities still suspect that it continues to happen on a large scale.

In as far as terrorism financing is concerned, the Council noted that authorities currently have not observed any concrete signs of terrorism financing in Sint Maarten. However, this is possibly due to the lack of oversight. It is therefore possible that it also takes place.

Legislation and policy

The Sint Maarten Government still has work to do in drafting policy and updating some of the regulations in the area of combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Council found that the Ministry of Justice has not yet established a specific policy to combat money laundering and terrorism as stipulated in the law but has since (2020) drawn upon the reforms stipulated in the country package as a guideline. The soon to be established National Risk Assessment can aid authorities in drafting said policy and the Council encourages all efforts in this regard.

The protocols currently in place regarding border control and detective cooperation as well as the country reforms present opportunities to strengthen authorities in combating cross- border crimes such as money laundering and terrorism financing.

The Council also considered it positive that the focus is on border control, because other cross-border crimes, such as drug trafficking, can indirectly contribute to crimes of money laundering. Another positive aspect is that all the partners in the judicial chain are cognizant of the situation and highly aware that this is a major threat that needs to be addressed effectively.

Judicial and administrative approach

The Council is of the opinion that the approach to combating money laundering and terrorism financing would benefit from a common goal and long-term vision. The Council therefore encourages the Ministry of Justice and other relevant ministries and their departments to come together to ensure that the judicial approach as well as the administrative approach does not fall behind. To successfully create barriers to combat money laundering and terrorism financing it is conditional that all tools available are utilized. Therefore, a criminal justice approach alone cannot achieve the desired results.

Limited capacity

Local investigative authorities are only able to carry out limited investigations into money laundering, whether as a stand-alone offence or as a component of a criminal investigation, due to their lack of financial investigative capacity. But the Council has also established that, despite suffering from a staff shortage, the FIU, for example, is able to produce reports of suspicious transactions.

On the other hand, the Anti-Corruption Taskforce (TBO), having specialist expertise and sufficient capacity, has been able to conduct large scale criminal investigations and was able to apprehend and prosecute key subversive figures. In some of these cases money laundering formed a component.

The Asset Recovery Team (ART) was established as a control mechanism to deprive criminals of their gains after conviction. The concept entailed a multidisciplinary team, under the authority of the Public Prosecutors Office, comprising of the Tax Office, Customs, Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard and the Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM). Although the concept of the ART has proven unfeasible in practice, the effectiveness of the team is hampered due to bottlenecks in the area of lack of participation and expertise.

Conclusion

The Council pointed out the importance of authorities giving sufficient priority to money laundering and terrorism financing. The Council acknowledged the constraints of the organizations, due to a lack of resources (financing, materials, capacity, trainings, information, cooperation), but noted that the consequences of these forms of cross-border crimes going unchecked were not to be overlooked. The Council therefore presented 12 recommendations to the Minister of Justice to address the issues.




Last weeks episode opened with an armed robbery in the Diamond District in New York City, leaving three dead - two armed guards and one assailant. The team interviews the owner of the jewelry store and he seems suspicious as hes reported an exact amount of income to evade taxes and recently increased his insurance policy.

The team is led to believe its a cartel job and Kristin and Ray track down one of the suspects, Chato Flores. While at his residence, they find a young woman, Elena, hiding under the bed with wounds across her back. During her questioning of Elena, Kristin learns that she was trafficked into the country and believes that its tied to the man that actually tortured her from her days in Miami. Kristin was on an undercover mission when the FBI raided the boat and her attacker, Oscar Zamora, escaped. In a raw and emotional moment, Kristin actually lifts up the back of her shirt to reveal the matching back scars. Remy checks in with her to make sure shes doing okay, and the team embarks on the search for Oscar.It all begins to unravel as the unit meets up with his family members. Oscars dad, Rafael, the cartels boss, is killed under DEA custody. Kristin then agrees to meet with his sister, Lucia, who she has a connection to from her undercover mission. Lucia is scared of her brother because she betrayed their family by befriending Kristin and he might try to kill her as well. During the meet, shots are fired from a roof and Ray attempts to track the shooter down, but he flees the scene in a car. To avoid anything further going south, Lucia and Elena are moved to a safe house.Now, the team moves onto the other Zamora brother, Manuel, who is currently at an art auction. Remy and Kristin go undercover and eventually find Manuel, only to learn that he doesnt know where his brother is. However, Manuel lied to them as we see him meet up with his brother in the back of a car. Simultaneously at the safe house, Lucia passes out and shes rushed to the hospital where its revealed she was roofied.Throughout the entire case, everyone has been mentioning Christmas. What is this? An event, a delivery, something else? It is finally revealed to be a delivery of 500 kgs of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl arriving later that night.The entire unit shows up on the boat and Kristin eventually tracks down Oscar. She throws him a pair of handcuffs and just when she thinks its all over, he puts her into a chokehold and they toss each other back and forth. Finally, she breaks free and kills him with a wire. It only took five years, but Oscar Zamora can no longer hurt Kristin or anyone else.Remy and Kristin share a conversation in the car on the drive away from the scene and she opens up to him about how her cover was blown back in Miami. Why am I getting a romantic relationship vibe between these two? I really hope thats not the direction theyre going in, but they are definitely getting more personal scenes together compared to the rest of the characters.The episode is then brought full circle as Kristin ends up at a tattoo shop, something her daughter was pushing her towards at the beginning of the hour. Maybe covering up her scars and knowing that Oscar is dead can help her get some closure and move on a bit from that part of her life.I enjoyed the episode, but I thought we would dive more into Kristins past and her trauma and I feel like they barely scratched the surface.
Sports Mole provides score predictions and previews for all of today's Premier League fixtures, including Arsenal vs. Liverpool.

 Reuters

Crystal Palace and Leeds United square off in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon with both clubs looking to end their respective four-match winless streaks.

While Leeds still sit in 12th position in the standings, Palace are down in 17th spot with three points fewer than the visitors to Selhurst Park.

We say: Crystal Palace 1-1 Leeds United

With the pressure increasing on both managers when it comes to getting points on the board, they can ill-afford another setback here. With that in mind, we feel that a low-scoring draw is the most likely result, one which will keep their tallies ticking over.

Our tipster partners are predicting over 2.5 goals.

> Click here to read our full preview for this match



 Reuters

West Ham United can move one point behind Fulham in the Premier League table by beating them at the London Stadium on Sunday.

The visitors have performed above expectations so far this season, but head into this London derby off the back of a demoralising 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United.

We say: West Ham United 2-0 Fulham

Despite being the fresher team having not competed in midweek, we think the likely absence of Mitrovic could have a seriously negative impact on Fulham's chances of avoiding defeat.

West Ham appear to have some influential players finally hitting form, and we can see them securing a second successive home win on Sunday.

Our tipster partners are predicting over 2.5 goals.

> Click here to read our full preview for this match



 Reuters

League leaders Arsenal will be looking to make it eight wins from nine matches when they take on Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The visitors, meanwhile, are aiming to return to winning ways having drawn their last two league matches.

We say: Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool

It is hard to see beyond goals being scored at both ends at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with both teams potentially deadly in attack on their day.

Liverpool have a strong record against Arsenal in recent seasons, and we expect them to come away from North London with a positive result despite their recent woes.

Our tipster partners are predicting over 2.5 goals.

> Click here to read our full preview for this match

> How Arsenal could line up against Liverpool

> How Liverpool could line up against Arsenal

> Arsenal injury, suspension list vs. Liverpool

> Liverpool injury, suspension list vs. Arsenal



 Reuters

Everton will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches when they host Manchester United at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The visitors, meanwhile, saw their streak of four successive league wins come to an end away to their city rivals Manchester City last weekend.

We say: Everton 1-1 Manchester United

We can envisage a tight game on Sunday, with all of Everton's matches so far this season either ending as draws or only one goal apart.

Man Utd may be fatigued after enduring a tougher game than many expected in Cyprus on Thursday, so we think the Toffees can extend their unbeaten run.

Our tipster partners are predicting over 2.5 goals.

> Click here to read our full preview for this match

> How Man Utd could line up against Everton

> Man United injury, suspension list vs. Everton

> Cristiano Ronaldo's record vs. Everton

> Marcus Rashford's record vs. Everton
New York (United Nations), 10 October 2022 (SPS) - French human rights activist Claude Mangin-Asfari, from the Association of Friends of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (AARSD), called before the 4th Commission of the UN General Assembly, in New York, for extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include human rights monitoring for all Sahrawis living in the area occupied by Morocco.



Mangin-Asfari also stressed, before this Committee on Special Political and Decolonization, the necessity that Morocco implements international humanitarian law and technical visits by the High Council for Human Rights as well as visits to prisons, guarantees the application of the decisions of the Committee against torture until all Sahrawi political prisoners in arbitrary custody in Morocco are released.



The representative of AARASD mentioned the case of her husband Naama Asfari, a Sahrawi political prisoner in detention in Morocco for 12 years, after unfair trials during which justice was manipulated.



062/SPS/APS
A Village Museum, having amassed hundreds of objects, some almost 300 years old was opened, with European funds, in Vizantea Livezile commune, eastern Vrancea County, out of the need to preserve and transmit to new generations the values and traditions of the village of old.

The museum is located on the site of the former CAP (former socialist agricultural production cooperative), in the immediate vicinity of the former Vizantea monastery, a class A historical monument.

"Currently, we have hundreds of pieces in the museum, some of them almost 300 years old," declared for AGERPRES, the mayor of Vizantea Livezile commune, Dragos Ciobotaru, Agerpres informs.

The building also houses the sculpture workshop of Florin Cristea, one of the most important contemporary sculptors in the country, who is also the curator of the museum. An economist by profession, Florin Cristea is passionate about archaeology, history and sculpture, so for him, every object in the museum has its own story.

"(...) we seek, as much as possible, to save as many objects as possible, to save the collective memory of this community (...) a grindstone for crushing the grains, popular costumes from the beginning of the 20th century (...) pots made form gourds, water or wine vessels, dowry boxes waiting to be refurbished and saved (...) We have items from the First and Second World Wars, we have clothing items from the beginning of the last century," said Florin Cristea.

And because Vizantea Livezi wants to regain its status as a national spa resort, the Village Museum in the locality wants to be one of the points of cultural attraction for those who will come to treatment here, along with about ten archaeological sites dating back to the Neolithic, identified during an archaeological study for the zonal urban plan.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, announces, in a message on Twitter, that the staff of the Romanian embassy in Kyiv is safe and condemns the Russian attacks on the capital of Ukraine.

''I strongly condemn Russia's missile strikes against civilian objectives in Kyiv's centre and other Ukrainian cities, in blatant violation of international humanitarian law, resulting in loss of human lives. Glad that the personnel of Romania's Embassy is safe, even if one strike hit only 850m away of its HQ,'' Aurescu wrote on Twitter, told Agerpres.

Several explosions took place on Monday morning in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as well as in the cities of Lviv, Ternopil and Dnipro, after Moscow accused Ukraine of orchestrating the powerful explosion that damaged the key bridge connecting Russia and the Crimean Peninsula.
Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, will be received on Tuesday at the Cotroceni Palace by President Klaus Iohannis, on the occasion of her official visit to Romania.

The visit of President Salome Zourabichvili to Bucharest will take place in an anniversary context, as this year Romania and Georgia are marking 30 years since the restoration of diplomatic relations, told Agerpres.

According to the Presidential Administration, the political consultations of Presidents Klaus Iohannis and Salome Zourabichvili will focus on the recent developments and transformations at the regional and international level, especially the profound change in the security environment of the Black Sea region, against the background of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

Also, the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Madrid, with relevance in this area, and respectively at the June European Council in Brussels regarding Georgia's European perspective, will be addressed.

The discussions with President Salome Zourabichvili will also focus on concrete ways to increase connectivity between Romania and Georgia, with capitalizing on the transit potential between Europe and Asia of the two countries, in terms of transport, energy and interpersonal contacts.

At the end of the talks, the two presidents will sign the Joint Declaration on the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between Romania and Georgia.

The President of Georgia is making an official visit to Romania at the invitation of President Klaus Iohannis.
A number of six people have been vaccinated against monkeypox, the Health Ministry (MS) informed on Monday.

According to the MS, in the past week, in Romania, no new cases of monkeypox were confirmed.

"According to the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), a total of 6 people have been vaccinated against monkeypox," the quoted source mentions, told Agerpres.

To date, Romania recorded a number of 40 cases of monkeypox.
On Monday, President Klaus Iohannis "firmly" condemned Russia's missile attacks on cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

"I strongly condemn Russia's horrific missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure. The killing of innocent people must stop. We will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against the Kremlin's aggression," the head of state wrote on Twitter, Agerpres informs.
An exhibition called "Korean Beauty in Poster Art" will celebrate Korean Culture Week at Art Safari, at Dacia-Romania Palace.

On display are posters made by Byoung-il Sun inspired by Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and Korean culture.

This is the peak moment of the "Korean Week" (October 10-16), a cultural event organised annually by the Korean Embassy to increase visibility and interest in Korean culture. This year, the creator of the works, Byoung-il Sun, will visit Art Safari to meet his Romanian public and guide them to discover the contemporary values hidden in Korean traditions, through his innovative artistic technique, told Agerpres.

As part of the "Korean Beauty in Poster Art" exhibition, two special events will take place at Art Safari: a Hangul Typo Stencil T-Shirts Design Class, dedicated exclusively to Art students, on Wednesday, and a Hangul calligraphy event, open to Art Safari visitors on Thursday evening, both held by Byoung-il Sun.

Art Safari quotes Korean ambassador to Romania Kap-soo Rim as saying he hopes that the Korean artist, together with Romanian students and public will collaborate, sharing their spirit and artistic sense, because he believes that mutual understanding and communication are the basis for increasing the visibility of Korea in Romania.

Art Safari is open September 23 through December 11, Thursday to Sunday, at Dacia-Romania Palace, in downtown Bucharest, 12:00hrs to 21:00hrs. Night Tours are organised every Friday and Saturday, between 22:00hrs and 01:00 hrs, as special visiting experiences that include guided tours of the exhibition, live music and prosecco.

In the spirit of the Korean holiday, the Night Tours theme October 14-15 is K-pop. Art Safari also offers thematic guided tours by day, including in English and French. Tickets are available on the Art Safari website, and also at the venue.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, received, on Monday, Jose Antonio Hernandez Perez-Solorzano, the agreed ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Romania, for the presentation of copies of the letters of credence, on which occasion the Romanian official welcomed the "high" level of the bilateral commercial exchanges.

The exchanges reached a new record at the end of 2021, of 4.68 billion euros, the positive trend being maintained in the first six months of this year, when there was an increase of almost 28 percent compared to the same period in 2021, something that proves the "special" potential of bilateral economic cooperation, reads a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to AGERPRES.

At the same time, Minister Aurescu mentioned the desire of the members of the Romanian community to obtain Spanish citizenship without renouncing the Romanian one, and consequently, the timeliness for a solution to be identified to this end, Agerpres informs.

Minister Bogdan Aurescu and ambassador Jose Antonio Hernandez Perez-Solozano evoked the importance of a tighter coordination at the level of the European Union and within NATO.

Both sides agreed on the importance of the unity and solidarity of the Euro-Atlantic community in managing the security crisis generated by the war in Ukraine. Aurescu thanked for the measures taken by Spain to consolidate the Eastern Flank, including the air policing programs carried out by the Spanish side over Romania's airspace in 2021.
The missiles that crossed the airspace of the Republic of Moldova and hit targets in Ukraine were most likely launched from Crimea, the National Defence Ministry (MApN) said in a statement.

"The structures of the Air Force General Staff tasked with permanently monitoring Romania's airspace, detected on Monday, October 10, between 8:05 - 9:09 a.m., three aerial targets that moved across the sky above the north-western Black Sea basin, towards Ukraine (Odessa and Vinnytsia regions). The aerial targets also flew through the Republic of Moldova's airspace," the cited source said, Agerpres informs.

The Defence Ministry adds that the analysis of the aerial targets' trajectories and flight parameters shows that they were most likely cruise missiles launched from naval or land platforms in the west of the Crimean Peninsula.

The said aerial targets did not pose a danger to Romania's territory or to the safety of Romania's and NATO's air traffic, the Romanian Ministry adds, pointing out that the surveillance and reconnaissance radars of the Romanian Air Force are part of the national and NATO command and control system and ensure the information and early warning of Romanian and Alliance military and political decision-makers.
Director of the National Library of Romania, Adrian Cioroianu, announced on Monday that the doctoral thesis of Interior Minister Lucian Bode titled "Energy security and resource management at the beginning of the 21st century; Romania in the current European context" will be made available in the coming days for the public to see and that "not for a moment has it been classified".

"Minister L.N. Bode's book is kept at the National Library of Romania, it wasn't classified for a moment, but was just in the normal data processing flow. As a matter of exception, I ordered that this book be processed with priority, so that a copy will be available to the public starting the next days. In the normal workflow, the book would have been processed in the next 6-8 weeks," Cioroianu wrote on Facebook, Agerpres informs.

He added that of the seven copies put out, four will go to the Bucharest Academy Library and the Central University Libraries in Cluj, Iasi and Timisoara.

"The remaining three copies, just like in the case of any other book, will be assigned as follows: one copy enters the Intangible Legal Deposit, one copy is available for consultation on the shelf, and one copy is intended for exchange with other libraries. Every month, some 1,800 - 2,500 book titles arrive at the National Library of Romania (I repeat: every month), each in seven copies, plus several hundred university textbooks and approximately 2,000 - 2,500 periodicals. Needless to say that their processing and transport throughout the country are very time-consuming," Cioroianu explained.

According to him, the National Library is "just the keeper of the books and has no verification, validation or control responsibility".

Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies' Culture Committee, Save Romania Union MP Iulian Bulai, invited National Library director Adrian Cioroianu to Parliament on Monday to discuss the "current obstruction" to accessing the doctoral theses kept at the library and identify legal and administrative solutions to this situation.
Romania's Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has condemned Russia's massive missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, stressing that these actions represent "war crimes" that violate the UN Charter, told Agerpres.

"I strongly condemn the massive Russian missile attacks on civilian Ukrainian infrastructures and peaceful cities. These war crimes, the death of innocent civilians bring so much sufferance and break the Charter of the United Nations," Ciuca said wrote on Twitter on Monday.

According to the Reuters news agency, Ukraine's top general says Ukrainian forces shot down at least 41 missiles that were fired at Ukraine by Russia on Monday morning.

"This morning, 75 missiles were launched. 41 of them were neutralised by our air defence," General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, wrote on Twitter.

Several explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the cities of Lviv, Ternopil and Dnipro on Monday, after Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating a powerful blast that damaged a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea, according to Reuters.
Tariffs for postal parcels between Romania and the Republic of Moldova are reduced by 25%, from the beginning of October, as a result of the bilateral agreement signed between the two operators on August 12, 2022, according to a press release from the Romanian Post, sent to AGERPRES on Monday.

The final goal is the equalization of all postal rates between the two countries to create a unique postal space between the two countries and ensure their sustainable economic development, Agerpres informs.

At the same time, the protocol follows the development of import and export between the two countries, using the postal networks and the logistic infrastructure of the two postal operators.

The postal administrations of the two countries continue to look for modern solutions for the delivery of products, at reduced prices, through which the citizens of the Republic of Moldova can benefit from the entire range of services and postal products on the Romanian market, the reciprocal also being valid for Romanian customers.
The Parliaments of Romania and of the Republic of Moldova will convene in a new joint session until the end of the year, announced the President of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Grosu.

In an interview for AGERPRES, the official emphasizes the importance of the two parliaments' meetings, showing that the previous meeting in Chisinau "had a significant impact on the decision to grant the status of EU candidate country" to the Republic of Moldova.

At the same time, Igor Grosu affirms that the pro-European path of his country "is not yet irreversible" and that the political formation he leads, the Party of Action and Solidarity, has the task of ensuring the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the European Union, Agerpres informs.

The President of the Parliament also talks about the priorities of the authorities in Chisinau (justice reform, the energy crisis, combating disinformation, manipulation, propaganda, the situation in Ukraine, investments, the anti-oligarch law), but also about the way they manage the tense situation in Transnistria.

As regards the Russian propaganda, the President of the Parliament in Chisinau recalls "a comical moment" when the Russian ambassador to Moldova "had the nerve to publish a call, an announcement on the Embassy's page with the message that, if Russian speakers are intimidated or wronged, they should notify the embassy immediately at a certain e-mail address, and I witnessed a wave of comments from Russian ethnic speakers saying: 'Please don't take care of us!', 'Please leave us in peace!', 'Don't release us! We feel good in Moldova, we don't need your care'".

Igor Grosu also says, in the interview granted to AGERPRES, "After February 24, the world split into two very clear parts, somehow that shade of gray disappeared, a bit of democracy or a bit of dictatorship. Things became very clear. There is the world of war, chaos, atrocities and there is the space of civilization, peace, stability, values, human rights and so on, which is the western space, the European Union, of which we want to be a part and will be a part. People can tell the difference."
National leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday that he refuses to believe that Romania will not enter the Schengen Area, adding that the time has come for Europe to "stand in solidarity" with Romania.

Ciolacu mentioned that a meeting of the coalition leaders with Romanian MEPs takes place at the Government on Monday, in which the accession to the Schengen Area is discussed.

"I think everyone has been was invited, I know that the People's Movement Party (PMP) was also invited. (...) It's a moment when we all have to speak in one voice. I simply, mentally, refuse to believe that Romania will not enter the Schengen Area. I mean, we have made such great efforts, we are meeting all the conditions; I think the Romanian state throughout the conflict in Ukraine has been exemplary, we helped even when we upset the Romanian farmers that we got grain out of Ukraine as a priority. I think it's time for Europe to stand in solidarity with Romania," said Ciolacu at the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture, told Agerpres.

He added that it is difficult for him to accept that a lawmaker elected by the Romanians "is doing something against the Romanians."

"It is hard for me to accept that a lawmaker elected by the Romanians does something against Romania, and those who do this are committing treason," said Ciolacu.
The Republic of Turkey represents, in terms of exports, the main absorption market of goods sent from Romania outside the EU, and, in terms of import, it is the 2nd market of origin of goods entering our country from outside the EU, after the People's Republic of China, the representatives of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB) argued, told Agerpres.

"At the headquarters of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIB) a meeting took place between Chamber President Iuliu Stocklosa and representatives of the business milieu in Turkey, namely Senior Manager, Investments & Project Management of ODS Consulting Group Niyazi Gunes Atay and vice president of the EkoAvrasya association (Eurasia Economic Relations Association) Kemal Kurnaz, also having businesses in tourism, real estate and consulting," the press release states.

According to the quoted source, the main goal of the meeting was aimed at identifying collaboration opportunities and highlighting the potential of the two business communities.

In this context, the CCIB President pointed out the special relations developed by the Bucharest Chamber with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism, with Romanian diplomats abroad, but also with the foreigners accredited in Romania.

Moreover, CCIB President Iuliu Stocklaosa voiced the interest in developing the economic and commercial relations with Turkey, proof of this being the seven cooperation agreements concluded by the CCIB with similar organizations from Turkey.

ODS Consulting Group representative Niyazi Gunes Atay carried out an extensive presentation of the mentioned company and the main areas in which the team has a relevant experience, with an emphasis on the consultation in respect to business internationalization, export, engineering and technology; drafting and management of projects financed by European funds; corporate development; recruitment and talent management; online trade.

The ODS Consulting Group representative mentioned that the company operates in various regions of Turkey, but also abroad, and voice the desire to endorse, through relevant services, the Romanian companies interested in developing businesses abroad and running European projects.

Moreover, within the meeting also highlighted were the business connections of the Eurasia Economic Relations Association, mentioning the opportunities provided by companies from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. It was estimated that Romania could be a gateway for the products from the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus toward the European Union.

On 31 July 2022, the total volume of Romanian-Turkish trade (data available) was 5.7 billion US dollars (+22pct compared to the same period last year), of which 1.8 billion US dollars represented exports (+2pct) ) and 3.9 billion US dollars represented imports (+34pct). Also on 31 July 2022, a number of 17,223 companies with Turkish capital were registered in Romania, with a subscribed capital worth 900 million US dollars, which ranks Turkey on 15th place among the states that have invested in Romania.
As many as 444 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, up 144 from the previous day, with over 7,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Monday, told Agerpres.

Of the new cases, 83 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 - 102, and in Cluj County - 75.

The highest 14-day notification rate is in Bucharest City - 1.24, followed by Cluj County - 1.21, and Timis County- 1.11.

As of Monday, 3,276,020 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.

- Hospitalisations -

As many as 1,132 people with COVID-19, up 29 from the previous reporting, including 69 minors, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.

Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 118 are in intensive care.

Of the 118 patients admitted to ICU, 103 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

- Deaths -

According to the ministry, two Romanians, both men, are reported dead in the last 24 hours.

Of the two deaths, both were recorded in the age group 70-79 years.

Both deaths were in patients with comorbidities, and one death was in a vaccinated patient.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 67,084 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
The total volume of trade between Romania and Kazakhstan amounted to 1.8 billion USD in the first seven months of 2022, increasing by 73pct compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT) announced on Monday.

"Kazakhstan is Romania's first trade partner in Central Asia and an important investor in the Romanian economy. In the first seven months of 2022, the total volume of Romania's trade with Kazakhstan was 1.8 billion USD (+73pct compared to the same period of 2021), with exports totaling 40 million USD (+308pct) and imports standing at 1.8 billion USD (+71pct)," the press release mentions, told Agerpres.

According to the quoted source, the balance was 1.8 billion USD in favor of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Romania's imports from this country consisting of crude oil, namely 96pct.

A number of 46 Romanian-Kazakh mixed companies are registered in Romania, the volume of invested capital standing at 292,300 USD.

"The Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT), through the Department of Foreign Trade (DCE), ensured the organization and secretariat works of the 16th session of the Romanian-Kazakh Intergovernmental Joint Committee for economic collaboration, held over October 6-7 , in Nur-Sultan, the Republic of Kazakhstan. The delegation of the relevant institution was led by Secretary of State Dimitrie-Horatiu Clepan," the press release mentions.

Furthermore, State Secretary Dimitrie-Horatiu Clepan coordinated the negotiations at expert level for the Joint Committee Protocol, a document that includes bilateral cooperation projects in areas such as: trade, investments, SMEs, tourism, energy, transport, work, agriculture, environment, health, culture.

The protocol was signed, at the end of the works, by the two co-presidents of the Joint Committee, namely by Romania's Energy Minister Virgil-Daniel Popescu and Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov.

On the sidelines of the Joint Committee, State Secretary Dimitrie-Horatiu Clepan deepened the bilateral dialogue through discussions with Kazakh counterparts in the areas of entrepreneurship - First Deputy Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhaksylykov Timur Mekeshevich, Deputy Minister of Tourism Yerzhan Yerkinbayev and Chairman of the Kazakh Tourism National Company Talgat Amanbayev.
Romania's FOB/CIF trade balance in the first eight months of 2022 widened by 7.381 billion euros, to 22 billion euros, as exports rose by 25.1%, and imports increased by 31%, according to data with the National Institute of Statistics (INS) published on Monday.

According to INS, August 2022 FOB exports totalled 7.618 billion euros, and CIF imports 10.841 billion euros, resulting in a deficit of 3.222 billion euros. Compared with August 2021, exports in August 2022 increased by 34.3%, and imports by 46.5%, told Agerpres.

Between January 1 and August 31, 2022, FOB exports totalled 60.291 billion euros and CIF imports 82.292 billion euros.

In the first eight months of 2022, important share in the composition of exports and imports are held by the product groups: machinery and transport equipment (41.3% in exports and 32.1% in imports) and other manufactured goods (30.3% in exports and 29.0% in imports).

The value of Romania's intra-EU27 trade in goods January 1 - August 31, 2022 was 43.533 billion euros worth of exports and 57.761 billion euros worth of imports, making up 72.2% of total exports and 70.2% of total imports.

The value of Romania's extra-EU27 trade in goods in the first eight months was 16.758 billion euros worth of exports and 24.531 billion euros worth of imports, making up 27.8% of total exports and 29.8% of total imports.
The Centennial of the Coronation in Alba Iulia will also be marked by a symbolic journey that will be made by the Royal Train, from Cluj-Napoca to Alba Iulia, by Her Majesty Margareta and His Royal Highness Prince Radu, together with Her Royal Highness Princess Sofia, during October 14-15, told Agerpres.

The members of the Royal Family will be in Alba Iulia on Saturday, where they will take part in a series of events dedicated to the centennial of the Coronation, on October 15, 1922, of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria.

"On the occasion of the centenary of the Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria in Alba Iulia, the Royal Train will make a symbolic journey from Cluj-Napoca to Alba Iulia, on October 14-15, 2022. Her Majesty Margareta and His Royal Highness Prince Radu, together with Her Royal Highness Princess Sofia, will make this trip with the Royal Train in honor of a historical moment with deep significance for the development of the modern Romanian state," reads a press release from the Press Office of Her Majesty Crown Custodian's House, sent to AGERPRES on Monday.

The Royal Train will leave Cluj-Napoca on October 14 and will stop at Campia Turzii, Aiud, Teius. On October 15, the Royal Train will enter Alba Iulia.

During the journey with the Royal Train, the Royal Family will be accompanied by volunteers of the Romanian Red Cross, Olympiad pupils and representatives of projects under high royal patronage.

The Royal Train will depart from Cluj-Napoca Station on Friday, October 14, at 1:05 p.m. At 12:50 p.m., a military ceremony will take place on the station platform. The first stop of the Royal Train will take place in Campia Turzii Station, at 2:08 p.m., followed by Aiud, at 2:55 p.m., and Teius, at 3:20 p.m. In each of these stations, the Royal Train will stop for ten minutes, and the public will have access to the platforms.

The Royal Train will enter Alba Iulia Station on Saturday, October 15, at 10:30 a.m., access to the station platform being free. After the end of the ceremonial arrival at Alba Iulia, the Royal Train will be able to be visited by the public, that day, between 11:00 and 18:00.

In the continuation of the day, starting at 11:00, the Royal Family will take part in a Te Deum at the Orthodox Cathedral of the Coronation in Alba Iulia and in the Coronation Parade, on Mihai Viteazul Square, as well as in the presentation of royal volumes in the Union Hall, the press release informs.
Romania has checked the technical criteria to be in Schengen for a long time, declared, on Monday, the Acting president of the Senate, Alina Gorghiu, who added that it is "an obligation" of the European partners to grant our country the right to be part of this space.

"For a very long time, Romania has checked the technical criteria to be in Schengen. Unfortunately, certain political restrictions prevented us from being there. It is, indeed, an extraordinarily large collective effort carried out in the last period of all the democratic political forces in Romania. From the level of the Presidency and the Government to the level of parliamentary diplomacy, the subject of Schengen was on everyone's lips," Gorghiu stated, in the Senate, Agerpres.ro informs.

She expressed her hope for the formalization of Romania's entry into the Schengen area, adding that even in the difficult conditions of a war, Romania proved that it can secure the eastern border of the European Union.

"With Romania in Schengen, there is no doubt that the European Union will be stronger and its security increased. We have been checking all the technical conditions since 2011 and it is our right to travel without border controls," Gorghiu also conveyed in a Facebook post.
The Save Romania Union Chamber of Deputies group requests Defence Minister Vasile Dincu to attend the Government's Question Time in Parliament to explain his statements regarding Ukraine's peace negotiations, which cause prejudice to Romania's partnerships with the EU and NATO, the political formation informs according to a release.

"It's not the first time that the Defence Minister fully proves his incompetence, but his latest statements according to which NATO and the US should negotiate with Russia, because Ukrainian politicians cannot allow the loss of territories are crossing a red line. We understand that the Social Democratic Party - just like the other parties from the old political class - is full of Russian mouthpieces, but it is unacceptable for the Romanian Minister of Defence to publicly express positions that are in dissonance with our European and international partners. We are waiting for Mr. Dincu to explain in Parliament why he is increasingly embracing Kremlin's rhetoric, as we are also waiting for Mr. Ciuca and Mr. Ciolacu to take a stand against the increasingly deplorable performance of Minister Vasile Dincu," USR Lower House floor leader Ionut Mosteanu said, Agerpres informs.

Vasile Dincu declared on October 8 at private broadcaster Prima TV that negotiation is the only chance for Russia to make peace with Ukraine. According to him, Russia has the resources to carry on with the war.

"It would be ideal to reach a situation of negotiation, even if this were to result in a frozen conflict, negotiation would still be better than what is happening now, with all this destruction of human lives and property," Dincu said.
MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- As the 988 crisis line debuts across the United States, a new Harris Poll shows that Americans are ready to make mental health and suicide prevention a top priority.

Over eight in 10 adults now believe it's more important than ever to consider suicide prevention a national public health crisis, according to the poll sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

Unfortunately, the poll also revealed some major misconceptions about how the 988 line actually works, as well as potential barriers that could keep people from reaching out for the help they need.

The good news? Nearly everyone who responded to the poll (94%) sees suicide as a preventable public health issue.

More people during the pandemic talked about mental health. In the early days of the pandemic, we frequently saw mental health as the headline in newspapers, said Colleen Carr, director of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP). Ten years ago, I dont think we would have seen mental health front and center at the beginning of a global pandemic, and we really did see that this time.

The successful launch this summer of the 988 crisis line reflects this new emphasis on mental health.

Nearly three in five Americans are familiar with 988, even though its only been in place for two and a half months, the poll found.

I thought it was very interesting that even though 988 only came out in July, already more than half of people have heard of it, said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The effort to get that information out has been successful. Im hopeful that people will know the number is there and will use it if they need it, whether for themselves or somebody else.

In fact, nearly three out of four people would be comfortable contacting a crisis line to help either themselves or someone they know, according to the poll.

Cal Beyer, a member of NAASP's executive committee and vice president of workforce risk and worker well-being at Holmes Murphy and Associates in Iowa, knows about both kinds of crisis calls, first having dialed a suicide hotline back when he was a teen in crisis. Since then, the 61-year-old Seattle resident has become a staunch advocate for suicide prevention, reaching out for help not only when he needs it, but also helping others make the call.

"I grew up in a family of five children. My parents sat me down when I was 12, let me know that mental health challenges ran on both sides of the family tree, to not be embarrassed," Beyer said during a HealthDay Now interview.

"I shared with my parents a couple years later that I was going through some tough times... in the end, my mom gave me contact information for a hotline in my hometown of Madison, Wisc. I believe I was 14 or 15," Beyer said. "The first time I made that telephone call, I didn't talk about it a whole lot. But it was life-changing for me and I encourage people to make those types of calls all the time," he added.

"Don't wait for a crisis to happen," Beyer stressed. "Make the call when you first feel isolated, you know, rejected, alone. Don't wait for a crisis. Reach out. It's a lifeline. It is hope. It is help."

Cal Beyer

Despite growing awareness that suicide and mental health issues have become pressing, there are still issues in addressing suicide and mental health crises, the poll showed.

The 988 crisis line is anonymous, and 98% of the time that call to a trained counselor is the intervention. Thats the support they need, Carr noted. Its fewer than 2% of calls to the Lifeline network that require connection to emergency services.

However, two-thirds of people polled said that if they call a crisis line they would expect police (64%) or emergency medical services (66%) to show up at their door.

The concern is that some groups  Black Americans, for example  might be hesitant to call a crisis line if they expect a police response.

We need to help people understand that it is unusual for a person to show up, Harkavy-Friedman said. The idea of a crisis line is to help de-escalate the crisis so that you can get help or so the people around you could help you get help. Its very unusual for the police to be called in. Keep in mind, they dont even know who you are or where you are unless you tell them.

Carr noted that its important to recognize that part of the value of our crisis call center network across the country is that it really is a place where people are connecting with a trained counselor who is providing the support that they need in the moment.

Making sure that every American has at least some training to respond to a cry for help is another top concern for suicide prevention experts.

Most people coping with suicide would turn to a trained professional for help  most often either a mental health provider (56%), a family doctor (43%) or a crisis line (38%), the poll found.

But the poll also found that those in crisis would also consider reaching out to a wide variety of others.

Nearly one-quarter said they would trust a faith leader, a spouse or significant other or a friend, while 7% said theyd talk to a coworker.

Most Americans want to help, but many don't know how

Thats really important to know, that we all can play a role in suicide prevention, Harkavy-Friedman said. It doesnt mean you have to become a therapist, but it does mean that if somebody connects with you and says that they or someone they know is thinking about suicide, we all have to learn what to do and where to go to help that person  because people will show up.

People do seem to understand theres a knowledge gap there, the poll found.

Three-quarters of the poll participants believed that most people show signs before suicide, but only one in three felt they personally could tell when someone is considering suicide. And nearly four out of five believed that training and education for professionals would be the most helpful for reducing the number of people who die by suicide.

The heartening news is that most people do want to help those in need around them. About 83% said they would be interested in learning how they might be able to play a role in helping someone who is suicidal, the poll found.

The vast majority of people would want to do something to help someone else, Harkavy-Friedman said. People are learning that if you're worried about someone you can call 988, either with them in the room or without, to find out what to do so that you can help them.

The U.S. health care system and its lack of emphasis on mental health is another barrier to good mental health care, the poll found.

Carr said that about 92% reported that they value mental health as much as or more than physical health, but 51% still feel that physical health is treated as more important than mental health by our health care system."

People are also concerned about being able to find or afford the help they need.

Nearly half of U.S. adults said that inability to afford treatment keeps people who are thinking about suicide from seeking help. Another 44% are worried about being able to access treatment.

Thats where the 988 line can play an immediate role, said Kim Torguson, the NAASPs director of engagement and communications.

One of the main reasons we wanted to make it a three-digit number is we wanted to make it easy, much more accessible, confidential and free of charge, Torguson said. Its important to reinforce that while we have to address these other shortages and issues, we do have a line that is accessible and affordable for those who are struggling.

Overall, Carr noted, the poll results show that the public is ready and hungry for a comprehensive response to suicide and mental health crises.

I think thats a really great place to be, and its incumbent on all of us to make sure that the moment is not lost and that real, tangible change is made, so five years from now were not talking about the same systemic barriers to accessing care, she added.

The Harris Poll, which involved just over 2,000 U.S. adults, was conducted from July 18 to 20.

More information

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has more about suicide prevention and how the crisis line works.

SOURCES: Colleen Carr, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention; Kim Torguson, director, engagement and communication, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP); Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, senior vice president, research, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Cal Beyer, member, NAASP's executive committee, and vice president, workforce risk and worker well-being, Holmes Murphy and Associates, Waukee, Iowa; The Harris Poll, September 2022
GENEVA (AP)  Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the U.N. refugee agencys top award on Monday and gave credit to the people behind the welcome of more than 1 million refugees, mostly from Syria, after she opened Germanys doors to them in 2015 and 2016.

Merkel said she would donate the $150,000 prize for the UNHCRs Nansen Refugee Award to four other regional laureates who were also recognized at a Geneva ceremony.

Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, welcomed Merkel and presented her with the award after hailing her leadership, her courage, her compassion, her positive, principled influence in Europe and in the world."

Merkel, who has not made many public appearances since leaving office in December, praised others for the welcome that she oversaw at a time when many Syrians were fleeing entrenched conflict at home  a conflict that continues today.

From my point of view, this honor I am receiving here today goes above all to the countless people who pitched in then, and whom we have to thank for the fact that we coped with the situation, she said.

She also praised Turkey, Syrias northern neighbor, for taking in 3.8 million refugees, and pointed to the huge numbers of Syrian refugees taken in by Lebanon and Jordan relative to their populations.

For Germany, the situation back then was a challenge, but we know that other countries were faced with even bigger tasks," Merkel said.

The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award honors individuals, groups or organizations that go above and beyond the call of duty to protect refugees and other displaced and stateless people.

More than 60 laureates have received the award since it was founded in 1954 to celebrate Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, explorer and diplomat who was the first commissioner for refugees in the League of Nations  the predecessor of the the United Nations.

Past laureates including U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, opera star Luciano Pavarotti and the Doctors Without Borders humanitarian agency.

Follow all AP stories about global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.
ST. LOUIS  A 14-year-old boy shot in the back was found critically injured in a St. Louis gangway Sunday night, authorities said.

He was discovered lying between two buildings in the 6500 block of Elmbank Avenue about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

The boy was so badly hurt he couldn't talk to officers, but a witness told investigators the boy was shot while walking on Elmbank Avenue, near Marcus Avenue.

Police have no suspects.

The scene is on the border of the Greater Ville and the Kingsway East neighborhoods of north St. Louis.

As of Sunday night, the boy is among at least 73 children to be injured by gunfire across the metropolitan area this year. Seventeen other children in the region have died after being shot this year. Nearly all of them were in St. Louis.
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouri agriculture officials are looking to hire a platoon of workers to handle the inspection process for a burgeoning new crop being harvested in the southeast part of the state.

In a budget request by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the agency is seeking $306,000 to ramp up the departments involvement in the peanut growing industry.

According to the agency, peanut acreage has been steadily increasing in the states Bootheel region. Estimates put the ground under peanuts at about 25,000 acres.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture designated Missouri as a primary peanut-producing state, joining peanut-producing stalwarts like Georgia, Texas and Alabama. In order to stay on that list, Missouri must maintain a three-year average production of at least 10,000 tons of peanuts.

The budget request for the fiscal year beginning next July 1 asks for two full-time grain inspectors, five part-time inspectors and 25 part-time peanut workers at a time when the program is seeing expanding inspections in other crops.

This is being caused by increases in rail, container and barge usage for export and a growing customer base, the department said.

Like other state agencies, as well as Gov. Mike Parson, the department also is worried about high turnover rates among its employees.

With the increase in inspections and a growing customer base, (the grain inspection division) is seeing burnout becoming a factor in our grain inspectors and our part-time grain inspection workers, the request notes.

According to ag officials, the grain inspection program has seen 100% turnover among agricultural inspectors and 25% turnover among senior inspectors, despite efforts by Parson and the Legislature to boost the pay of state employees.

Parson this week pledged to push for another round of raises in next years budget.

Ag spokeswoman Christi Miller said the inspectors will help producers in the sale of the product.

The primary function of grain inspection is to facilitate the marketing and sale of grain by providing accurate and consistent inspection and weighing information that describes the quantity and quality of grain being bought and sold, Miller said.

The growth of the peanut industry in Missouri has been fueled by Delta Peanut, which is headquartered in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The company, which is owned by peanut farmers, broke ground last year on a $50 million processing facility in Dunklin County that will employ about 50 people.

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the peanut facility currently is only acting as a buying station. But in the next two to three years, the facility is expected to become a shelling facility which will require additional inspectors and workers.

For these reasons, the Grain Inspection Services program requests to expand our grain inspection team, our grain inspection workers and our peanut inspection workers to cover the needs from a growing grain inspection customer base and the additional requirements of providing Specialty Crop functions, the department said.
MARION, Ill.  Stumping for votes in conservative southern Illinois, Republican governor hopeful Darren Bailey took the same stage as Donald Trump Jr. on Saturday night, with the former presidents son encouraging those in attendance to back Bailey while Bailey stuck to his campaign speech and didnt publicly acknowledge the younger Trumps presence.

The scene was markedly different from the one that unfolded in the waning days of the GOP primary this summer, when former President Donald Trump endorsed Bailey. Since that endorsement, however, Bailey has slowly tried to distance himself from Trump as Bailey faces a general electorate in Illinois that twice rejected the former president by a 17% margin.

On Saturday, Trump Jr. and Bailey both appeared at the Williamson County GOPs 11th annual Ronald Reagan Tribute Dinner Gala, where the former presidents son was the keynote speaker.

But Bailey never gave a shoutout to Trump Jr. or alluded to his fathers support of him. Instead, the state senator from Xenia told stories about his encounters on the campaign trail and decried unsafe streets in Chicago, out-of-control taxes, high gas prices and failed schools during Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzkers nearly four years in office.

Acknowledging the heavy presence of Republicans in the audience gathered inside an airy banquet hall in this town east of Carbondale, Bailey pleaded with the crowd to continue supporting him and called on unregistered voters in Williamson County, a heavily Republican county, to register to vote.

I know I cant do this on my own. I understand that. But heres what I do know: We can, and we will. And thats going to be the story of Illinois, friends. Were hearing this story everywhere we go. Im talking about Chicago. Im talking about Wheaton. Im talking about Naperville, Libertyville, the South Side, the West Side, Bailey said. Weve got 30 days to go, and I stand here as bold and confident as I ever have been about anything to tell you that yes, were going to win.

He also poked fun at Pritzkers inability to answer a question at the end of last weeks first broadcast debate when both candidates were asked what their walk-up song would be.

Ive got one for him: Hit the Road Jack. Dont you come back no more, no more, Bailey said to applause. Dont ask me to sing it or yall will leave.

Bailey won the GOP nomination to take on Pritzker in part with the help of the former presidents endorsement  support Bailey embraced at the time, noting there was no daylight between him and Trump. But since the general election campaign got underway in earnest, Bailey has tried to create some separation while still trying to connect with Trumps base of voters in Illinois.

When asked recently about how aligned he was with Trump, Bailey told the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board that he mostly supported Trumps policies that led to a robust economy, adding he was honored to have his endorsement, obviously, but hes not on the ballot. Im on the ballot.

At Saturday nights event, Bailey appeared to have limited interaction with Trump Jr. In a VIP gathering room next to the hall, while Trump Jr. for a time stood in front of a backdrop apparently to take photos with guests, Bailey stood apart, chatting with his aides, his wife, Cindy, and other attendees.

But during his keynote, Trump Jr. made several nods to Bailey, including once by name when Trump Jr. talked about how his father faced unprecedented Democrat attacks during his presidency with sort of unprecedented lack of assistance from Republicans who were too weak to fight.

And thats why we need a push for strong Republicans in all of these offices. Darren Baileys in this room right now. You have a chance to do that here, Trump Jr. said as the crowd erupted in applause. If theres ever a chance you can unseat the lunatic in your Governors Mansion right now, its this year. Because people are looking at every little thing thats going on and theyre saying, What the hell is happening to our country?

While Bailey repeatedly centers his campaign on his Christian faith and says his religious values will affect how hed run Illinois as governor, Trump Jr. turned one of the most famous Christian beliefs on its head during his speech.

Were sick of turning the other cheek, Trump Jr. said. Were sick of the live-and-let-live while theyre out there every day trying to destroy our values, our beliefs, our freedoms and our Constitution.

Trump Jr. also drew laughs from the crowd when he took an off-color swipe at Chicago, saying, its sort of nice to be in Illinois and actually not have to worry about getting shot.

Sitting at a table beside his wife not far from stage, Bailey, who himself has repeatedly referred to Chicago as a hellhole in his campaign rhetoric about the citys violence, nodded in approval to some of Trump Jr.s remarks at a variety of points throughout his speech.

Here in Illinois, get him to the Governors Mansion, Trump Jr. said. This a war of attrition guys, and like I said, every aspect of your existence is on the table.

Among his last gestures before leaving the stage was when he pointed at Bailey and exclaimed, Get this man elected governor!
OLIVETTE  St. Louis Countys animal control department has destroyed roughly 20,000 pounds of paper records without proper permission after cockroaches and mice infested the documents, county public health officials said on Monday.

The destruction comes as the county faces three lawsuits and open records requests related to its animal shelter. Some of the records sought in those lawsuits have been destroyed, said Mark Pedroli, an attorney who filed suit against the county and its animal control department on behalf of two clients.

This has never happened, Pedroli said. Ive never had somebody destroy 20,000 pounds of documents in the middle of litigations.

County officials said no one realized roaches and mice had infested roughly 400 cardboard boxes in a storage room in the animal shelter near North Lindbergh and Baur boulevards. About 250 have already been destroyed.

The problem was discovered in late September. The Animal Protective Association of Missouri, the nonprofit thats taking over management of the animal shelter, started going through boxes, said Christopher Ave, a spokesman for the health department.

Personnel files, vaccination records, case investigation reports, kennel reports and performance appraisals dating from the 1980s to this year were destroyed, according to an Oct. 7 letter from a county records compliance manager to County Council members.

The nonprofit and the county each brought in their own pest control experts to take a look at the damage.

Both said the same thing, Ave said, This stuff needed to be cleaned up immediately.

Animal control notified acting public health Co-Director Kate Donaldson about the problem.

Donaldson went over to the building on Oct. 3 with public health staffers and began immediately the process of going through the records and going through the schedule of retention, Ave said. The county is required to retain records for a certain amount of time depending on the type of document, according to county ordinance.

The infestation was so bad that Donaldson, a longtime public health staffer, immediately ordered the records that had met their retention be destroyed because they were a health hazard, Ave said.

But Donaldson didnt know County Council must approve the destruction of records, Ave said. Approving the destruction of old records is routine at weekly council meetings.

Donaldson was not available for comment on Monday.

Did the county violate any laws?

State law says if a lawsuit is pending and someone has requested records as part of that suit, the records shouldnt be destroyed, said Jean Maneke, an attorney with the Missouri Press Association and an expert in Missouri open records law.

Pedroli, the attorney, said he was seeking rabies records that were destroyed as part of his clients whistleblower lawsuit. Mandy Ryan, who worked as a county animal population manager from December 2019 to December 2020, claimed in her suit, among other things, that veterinarians in St. Louis County complained they hadnt received rabies tags from animal control.

Rabies records from 2004 to 2018 and 2020 to 2022 were destroyed, according to the letter from the county records compliance manager.

In another lawsuit, Webster Groves resident Erin Bulfin sued the county after animal control euthanized her familys dog, Daisy. The dog had nipped Bulfins daughter, and the family complied with county ordinance by then bringing Daisy to animal control for quarantine. The family told animal control they did not want Daisy euthanized, according to the suit.

St. Louis County attempted to control what information Bulfin shared about the case, asking a judge to issue a gag order, Pedroli said. The judge denied that request, first reported by television station KSDK (Channel 5). Records on animal intake are relevant to that case, Pedroli said  but the county letter said intake cards from 1987 to 2020 were destroyed, too.

Why couldnt they just decontaminate? Pedroli asked. Why didnt they just move them?

Im just pulling my hair out.

Critics blast St. Louis County for no-kill reversal at dog shelter St. Louis County Executive Sam Page defended the decision, saying animal control had little choice but to begin killing unadoptable dogs.
The western border of Atchison County, Missouri, follows the twisting path of the Missouri River. Acres of corn and soy fields once lined its shores, but after a nearby levee suffered seven breaches in a 2019 flood, the cropland was ruined.

Instead of rebuilding the levee and replanting the crops, Atchison County decided to let the floodplain be a floodplain. Knee-high prairie grass now covers the open space, providing a greener, more sustainable form of flood control.

Its nuts how bad things were, said Regan Griffin, a local farmer and Atchison Levee Board member. But how quickly nature reclaimed stuff. ... Here we are, everythings growing back already.

People have lived along the river for millennia, the benefits competing with the risks. Modern levee systems built in response to past disasters like the floods of 1927 or 1993 arent designed for the newest risk: increased rainfall caused by climate change.

For instance, flash flooding in St. Louis broke a century-old rainfall record this summer. Increased rainfall overwhelmed the main water treatment facility in Jackson, Mississippi. Historic flooding left Eastern Kentucky communities decimated and searching for protection against climate change.

Everyone agrees theres more water, said journalist Tyler J. Kelley, who authored Holding Back the River: The Struggle Against Nature on Americas Waterways.

The question is, what do you do about it?

With rivers pushed to the brink, municipalities have struggled to keep their residents safe. Many across the basin  like Atchison  are shifting away from traditional mitigation tactics to make room for the water instead. Creative, nature-based solutions might mean river communities look a lot different in 100 years: greener, safer and more sustainable. But for these efforts to become widespread, theyll need support and resources.

An engineered past

Before humans tampered with its flow, the Mississippi River meandered. High waters bathed thousands of square miles of floodplain, bringing rich sediment to swamps and forests.

Flooding was a natural, almost yearly phenomenon, not a devastating occurrence at intervals of decades, historian and author Albert E. Cowdrey wrote in a 1979 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report.

Indigenous peoples adapted to the Mississippis unpredictability. But early European settlers restrained rivers  raising natural levees and cutting off access to floodplains  for navigation, agriculture and development.

As settlers along the river go from subsistence farming to raising surplus crops for sale, they need a place to ship, said John Anfinson, author of The River We Have Wrought: A History Of The Upper Mississippi. Rivers are the natural conduit of American expansion.

The Army Corps of Engineers built channels and levees for navigation throughout the late 1800s. When it began managing flood control, it prioritized protecting agricultural lands built in floodplains, which often meant building or expanding levees.

These protective measures proved fruitless against the Great Flood of 1927.

It was tremendously destructive, Kelley, the journalist, said. There were levees all up and down the whole river by 27. But they werent equipped for floods like that.

Months of heavy rainfall plunged 27,000 square miles of land underwater after the levee system collapsed. Flood waters didnt subside for months, killing as many as 1,000 people and displacing more than half a million from Illinois to Louisiana. The overall damage was equivalent to around one-third of the federal budget at the time.

While the flood of 1927 largely impacted the Lower Mississippi, the Upper Mississippi had its own reckoning during the Great Flood of 1993. Increased rainfall claimed 50 victims and around $15 billion in damages across nine states.

More recently, floods in 2011 and 2019 also rocked the region  their relative proximity to each other underscored the growing influence of climate change, Anfinson said.

The countrys primary reaction to these major floods was to continue fortifying levees to protect agricultural and urban areas. That historical infrastructure still defines the basins contours. But its aging, like much American infrastructure, and not built to withstand new threats.

It wasnt that the levees are broken, Kelley said. Its just that they arent really built for the weather of the future.

From mitigation to adaptation

The Cedar River runs through the heart of Cedar Rapids, Iowas second-most-populous city. During the flood in 2008, the river drowned the city. Existing levees couldnt protect the area from the record-setting 31-foot crest.

The Cedar River flood caused an estimated $7 billion in damage and destroyed properties, and residents feared the day the water would rise again. Their new plan? Making more room for the river and integrating flood infrastructure into plain sight.

A new amphitheater, encircled by a berm, doubles as a basin designed to take on water. Further downstream, a levee was moved back a few blocks. Bridges, trails and buildings are being raised to temper future flooding. Altogether, the city is opening up 77 acres of floodplain after purchasing 1,400 properties.

Rob Davis helped restore damaged buildings after the flood surged through the city. Now, he is heading efforts to combine flood control, recreation and nature as Cedar Rapids flood control program manager.

Were working with the environment, but weve not lost the community aspect or the business aspect, he said.

Other municipalities across the basin are also embracing waterways in the form of green infrastructure or nature-based solutions, said Laura Lightbody, project director of The Pew Charitable Trusts Flood-Prepared Communities program.

Communities are opening up floodplains. Cities and towns can enact building restrictions in flood-prone areas. Governments also buy flood-prone properties, letting residents relocate to safer locations while converting the areas back to green space.

Research has found that these nature-based solutions successfully mitigate flooding. Proactive buyouts provide permanent solutions for communities in harms way. When paired with those buyouts, levee setbacks reduced flood risks in every studied scenario in the Mississippi River. The resulting floodplains offer opportunities for recreation, ecotourism and increased ecosystem services.

Theres more and more research thats making it more compelling ... and its often less costly, Lightbody said. I think thats why were seeing more of it.

Changing infrastructure takes resources  and action

Although several cities and counties across the basin are shifting away from trying to control rivers, experts say there isnt enough widespread support yet because of local political and economic interests.

Proactive flood control measures arent always politically popular, especially when policymakers must decide which areas to revert back to floodplains. Giving rivers that room often means taking space away from future development in seemingly prime riverfront real estate. Implementing the appropriate zoning changes takes time.

The answer is simple, right? Dont keep building new communities in these flood-risk areas, Lightbody said.

Infrastructure updates are also expensive, and many small towns lack the capital.

Congress has slowly begun to direct agencies to craft programs that offer communities more support. For instance, in 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program geared toward funding locally led projects that fortify areas before disasters strike.

This October, FEMA will have $2.3 billion for such projects  a windfall compared to past years, but still a fraction of the $460 billion spent on disaster response between 2005 and 2019.

So far, Mississippi River communities have also received a smaller percentage of BRIC dollars than coastal states, according to a Headwaters Economics analysis.

A FEMA official told the Ag & Water Desk the agency was working to make the money more accessible to small towns like those in the river basin.

The Army Corps of Engineers is also working on adapting its programs, operations and policies to be more proactive. It has established a Responses to Climate Change program, which aims to ensure that future mitigation projects are built with resiliency in mind.

Robert Matya, the corps Omaha districts project manager, helped with Atchisons levee setback.

Our current efforts are really to investigate and build innovative climate resilient infrastructure that protects communities and the ecosystems in the places we serve and live, he said.

When it comes to protecting against future flood risk for Mississippi River basin communities, experts agree: Levees and floodwalls alone arent working anymore. Flood risk will continue to increase, and communities will need to make room for the water  and the time to act is now.

Locks and dams are the concrete and steel embodiment of past visions for the river, author John Anfinson said. What is our 21st century vision?

This story is part of When it Rains, a special series from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and the Society of Environmental Journalists, funded by the Walton Family Foundation.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri NAACP, breaking with chapters in the St. Louis area, is asking voters to reject a measure on the Nov. 8 ballot that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

In a news release dated Thursday, the Missouri NAACP said the legalization question, Amendment 3, would prevent minorities from entering the cannabis industry.

For too long, money and interest have misused political power and taken advantage of working families, said Nimrod Rod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri NAACP.

The statewide organizations position on marijuana legalization is a break with the St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County chapters of the NAACP, which have all endorsed Amendment 3.

Chapel said members voted last week to oppose all five questions appearing on the November ballot, including Amendment 3.

Amendment 3 would give the first comprehensive marijuana business licenses to existing medical marijuana companies.

The state chapter noted the amendment does not increase the number of available full market licenses and calls a program that would give micro business licenses to disadvantaged groups very limited.

Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis NAACP, last week touted a chief equity officer position created under the amendment to provide oversight of the microlicense program.

This will allow communities that have traditionally struggled to gain a foothold in the marijuana industry to more fully participate in this emerging market, he said.

Amendment 3 also states that someone who possesses, cultivates, delivers without consideration or possesses with intent to distribute more than 3 ounces of marijuana but less than 6 ounces on their third offense would be subject to a misdemeanor.

The state NAACP said the amendment creates a constitutional crime, which it opposes.

But the amendment doesnt include any other criminal penalties, according to the Legal Missouri 2022 campaign. Someone arrested on their third offense would face felony charges under current law, the campaign said.

The state NAACP also casts doubt on the validity of the expungement program created under the measure, saying it would be dependent on legislative authorization funding.

But the Legal Missouri campaign said the courts would be required to begin expungements under the amendment.

We are proud to have the endorsement of the Saint Louis City, Saint Louis County, Saint Charles County, and Columbia branches of the NAACP, John Payne, campaign manager, said in a statement, adding the St. Louis city and county branches were active participants in drafting Amendment 3.

They helped ensure that the amendment contains strong criminal justice reforms and equity provisions, Payne said.
With election season entering its final month, a host of the regions high-profile political leaders, candidates or their surrogates attended a forum Sunday in a north St. Louis church  an event where their primary role was to listen, rather than be heard, as a handful of citizens called attention to prominent issues they and their community face, such as homelessness, drug addiction, poor access to affordable housing and more.

The event at Centennial Christian Church in the citys Fountain Park neighborhood was coordinated by the church, along with the nearby Trinity Episcopal Church in the Central West End, and Metropolitan Congregations United.

We want these elected officials to hear the stories of real people going through real issues in the community, said the Very Rev. Jon Stratton, from Trinity Episcopal, who helped lead the forum.

The Rev. Derrick Perkins, of Centennial Christian Church, another leader of the event, lamented how much political advertising and discussion is aimed at stoking fear and focused on things that arent true problems facing local communities.

They have very little to do with the problems and the issues that we see with our own eyes, said Perkins. I really want folks to acknowledge the stuff happening right in our faces.

Organizers invited more than 30 candidates and elected leaders to the event  from the city, county and state levels of government, as well as contenders for Missouris seat in the U.S. Senate race.

A handful of people chosen as featured speakers, or witnesses, rose to briefly describe how they and others, contend with specific  but sometimes intertwined  problems, before the events leaders asked some basic questions of the elected officials and candidates. Then, the featured political guests had one-minute windows to address the crowd in the church and briefly speak to each of the issues at hand.

For instance, on the subject of access to affordable housing, Megan Green, running for president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, said the city is currently seeing an imbalance of residential construction that leans far too heavily toward luxury units.

I dont think thats right, she said. We need inclusionary zoning policies.

On other topics, political figures such as St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said that he would not prosecute people under a new state law that criminalizes homelessness.

Were not going to prosecute poverty, said Bell.

He said that stance is merely a continuation of the approach he has brought to the office over the past several years  aiming to connect various nonviolent offenders to resources for help that are outside the criminal justice system.

This is what I ran on, Bell said.

Trudy Busch Valentine, the Democratic Partys nominee for Missouris U.S. Senate seat in Novembers election, could not attend the forum due to other engagements but stopped by the church immediately beforehand.

She said that she has been personally affected by issues such as drug addiction, as her son died of an opioid overdose.

I understand how hard all of this is, she told the Post-Dispatch. We have to stop the shame and stigma of mental health illnesses and addiction.

She also briefly spoke to some other issues that were not focal points of Sundays event, including abortion access.

Women want the freedom to choose the health care they need, she said. Ive heard about this all over Missouri.

Some people attending the event were displeased with its format, with one woman in the crowd interrupting near the end to criticize the lack of opportunities for the candidates to have in-depth discussions of the issues.

Different candidates and organizers agreed that the issues  and others  warrant further discussion and that frustration about them is justified. Some therefore urged the crowd to stay engaged on the issues that animate them well past their trip to the polls on Election Day.

Dont just vote  organize, said Stratton. Vote with your feet. Vote with your actions.
Christopher Bell saved his title chances with an overtime win Sunday on the road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a stunning finish that knocked reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs. Bell entered the race 11th in the standings with four drivers set to be eliminated as NASCARs playoff field was trimmed to eight. He took the lead in overtime and drove away as all the drama was further in the field for the final transfer spot into the round of eight. Chase Briscoe bulldozed his way to a ninth-place finish to knock Larson out of the playoffs by two points. Also eliminated were Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez and Larson's teammate, Alex Bowman.
After being dropped by two major pay-TV distributors this year, One America News is attempting a comeback by leveraging an old technology: the antenna.

The conservative channel, which has been accused of spreading misinformation about the 2020 election and praised by former President Donald Trump, lost millions of homes when DirecTV and Verizon Communications Inc. stopped carrying it.

To replace them, OAN is signing up partners to broadcast on so-called "subchannels." OAN airs on free, over-the-air channels in about 30 markets and plans to be in about 100 by the end of this year, according to a person familiar with the company's strategy who asked not to be identified because the plans aren't public. The markets include Pittsburgh; Las Vegas; Wichita, Kansas; Jacksonville, Florida; and Birmingham, Alabama.

Subchannels, which are sometimes called "multicasts" or "diginets," are a little-noticed corner of the TV business. But they've been growing as more people cancel cable-TV and use antennas to supplement their Netflix binges with free broadcast stations. About 15% of US households use antennas, up from 10% in 2010, according to Nielsen.

Over a decade ago, a government-mandated switch to digital broadcasting freed up airwaves for TV station owners to create multiple channels where just one existed previously. Their viewers are typically cord-cutters who use digital antennas. In Pittsburgh, for example, OAN reached a deal in July to air on channel 61.8.

Vernon Van Winkle, chief executive officer of KPVM, a broadcast station in the Las Vegas market, has been carrying OAN as a subchannel for about a year. As part of the agreement, he shares advertising inventory equally with OAN. His signal reaches 875,000 households in southern Nevada.

"Viewers absolutely love it," he said of OAN. "If my signal goes down for a second my phone lines are blowing up with people asking 'What's going on?'"

Digging deeper

Van Winkle, who believes Trump won the 2020 presidential election, said OAN "shows more of the truth" than other news channels.

"OAN is able to dig deeper without a message that's edited by the major market broadcasters," said Van Winkle, whose closely held station was the subject of an HBO docuseries.

In Pittsburgh, OAN airs on a subchannel owned by a local production company called the Videohouse Inc., whose signal reaches over 1.6 million households. About 160,000 homes in the Pittsburgh market are using antennas, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Ron Bruno, president of the Videohouse, said he carries OAN to give antenna users a range of political views.

"I'm trying get as much programming as I can so the people of Pittsburgh don't have to suffer once they leave cable," he said.

Charles Herring, the president of OAN's owner, Herring Networks Inc., said the channel being distributed over-the-air is a free, ad-supported one called OAN Plus that's different from the cable network.

Many subchannels carry reruns. They often host networks like Cozi TV, which airs old sitcoms such as "Roseanne" and "Frasier"; Buzzr, which features game shows; and Bounce TV, which caters to Black audiences with programs like "The Bernie Mac Show."

It's hard to determine how many people are watching OAN. Nielsen, which measures TV viewers, doesn't report OAN's audience, though it is reportedly far smaller than Fox News.

The ad revenue from subchannels isn't likely to be as lucrative as the subscriber fees that OAN once got from DirecTV. In 2020, an OAN lawyer said in court that if the channel's DirecTV contract ended, "the company would go out of business tomorrow," Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, OAN still faces lawsuits from Smartmatic Corp. and Dominion Voting Systems Inc. alleging the network made false claims that their voting machines were rigged in the 2020 presidential election.

Subchannels are part of OAN's broader strategy to reach fans outside cable TV. It's also offering free three-month trials of its streaming service and recently announced distribution deals with Tivify, a streaming service in Spain, and Zito Media, a TV and Internet provider with more than 75,000 subscribers. It also appears on Pluto TV, a free streaming service owned by Paramount Global.

Deploying correspondents

OAN's strategy seems to be "let's find as many distribution partners as we can," said Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, a nonprofit watchdog group.

The approach may not be making OAN much money, he said, but it could help it stay relevant with fans and make the case to get carried by a larger TV provider. The network has "developed an ability to be nimble and adaptable, and that's allowed them to survive," he said.

In a statement announcing the distribution agreement with Zito in September, OAN said it was moving quickly to get its signal out there before the "critical" midterm elections. Part of the strategy includes deploying correspondents in political hotspots across the country, the company said.
The start of a new Supreme Court term isnt something that most Americans put on their calendars. But after the last term demonstrated just how eager the courts conservative majority is to reshape the nation in its ideological image, the new term that started Oct. 3 bears watching  with trepidation. Numerous hot-button topics are on the courts docket this term, indicating the majority isnt done fiddling with settled law in service to one side in the culture wars.

The courts decision last term eliminating the constitutional right to abortion was such a thunderclap that it was easy to overlook the broader narrative: On other key ideological issues as well  separation of church and state, the federal governments environmental authority, local gun-safety laws  the newly empowered majority behaved less like unbiased arbiters of the law than Republican politicians in robes. The cases the court has agreed to hear this term indicate more of the same may be in store.

A case out of North Carolina could protect the partisan gerrymandering that has helped red-state legislatures to seat Republicans in Congress beyond their actual level of public support. State courts have at times blocked that strategy. Here, plaintiffs are asking the Supreme Court to validate a fringe legal theory that says state courts dont have jurisdiction over legislative redistricting decisions  that these fervently partisan state lawmakers should be unrestrained in their partisan mischief, in other words.

The court is also hearing an Alabama voting-rights case with strong racial implications. The legislatures gerrymandered map of its seven congressional districts created just one predominantly Black district, even though Alabama itself is more than one-quarter Black. A lower court ordered the state to create a second predominantly Black district to address that clear imbalance. The state argues that the map should be race-blind  as if the obvious underrepresentation of Blacks in the original map was unintentional.

Two other cases ask the court to reconsider the longstanding principle that colleges and universities can consider race in student applications as a means of creating diversity on campus. Again, the right dresses this up as an appeal to leave race out of such decisions while ignoring the real-world fact that racism is inherent in these institutions and will dominate them if it isnt countered with diversity policies.

Some of these and other high-profile cases the court will hear this term have either been settled by long precedent or involve conflicts that havent yet played out in local jurisdictions. As with last terms abortion ruling, the right-tilting court appears anxious to weigh in on culture-war issues even before its role as final arbiter is legally or logically necessary. Thats not conservatism, its activism. The courts majority should consider how that looks to a nation already losing faith in this tattered institution.
LAS VEGAS  The suspect in a stabbing rampage on the Las Vegas Strip that left two people dead and six injured was in Los Angeles soliciting employment from strangers two days before the attack, according to a California TV station.

In a video taken Tuesday by photographer Jorge Lopez for NBCLA sister station Telemundo 52, a man who identified himself as Yoni Barrios approached Lopez outside Los Angeles City Hall and asked for help, saying he had lost his home and everything he had.

"He kept telling me, 'I just want an opportunity, I just want to start from scratch,'" said Lopez, who was in downtown Los Angeles on assignment at the time.

BRIEFLY

TROPICAL WEATHER: Hurricane Julia hit Nicaragua's central Caribbean coast on Sunday and dumped torrential rains across Central America before an expected reemergence over the Pacific. Julia hit as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, though its winds had dipped to tropical storm force of 50 mph by late afternoon.

PENNSYLVANIA: A 15-year-old was arrested in last month's shooting at a western Pennsylvania amusement park that wounded three people, including two teenagers. Allegheny County and West Mifflin police said last week the teenager is being charged as an adult with aggravated assault, reckless endangering and firearms crimes in the Sept. 24 incident.

ISRAEL: Israeli police arrested at least three Palestinian suspects Sunday in connection with a deadly shooting at a Jerusalem checkpoint, as security forces searched for the suspected gunman. The shooter opened fire on a military checkpoint in east Jerusalem late Saturday, killing a female Israeli soldier and wounding three other soldiers, one of them seriously.

MILITARY DRILLS: The Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan on Sunday unilaterally canceled joint military drills between the six nations that make up the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), less than a day before they were due to start on its territory.

ARIZONA: Wild horse rights advocates called on authorities to prosecute whoever is responsible for the reported killing of more than a dozen wild horses in northeastern Arizona. U.S. Forest Service officials announced Friday that they were investigating the horse deaths.

PHILIPPINES: Philippine police killed three detained militants linked to the Islamic State group after they staged a jail rampage Sunday that saw a police officer stabbed and a former opposition senator briefly held hostage in a failed escape attempt from the maximum-security facility in Manila, police said.

 Associated Press
Anna Qabale Duba encourages nurses to participate in Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2022 while speaking at the 6th European Nursing Congress

The winner of the first edition of Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award shared her life story at the European Nursing Congress which held the Future Proof Nursing Summit virtually from 4th -7th October 2022

The Future Proof Nursing Summit was a four-day conference attended by healthcare leaders from across the world who presented an overview about the latest developments in nursing research, practice, education and prevention; Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2023 worth USD 250,000 is now open for nomination for nurses from across the world. Nurses can use this link to apply directly: https://www.AsterGuardians.com/

Millions of nurses around the world impact patient lives and outcomes. No matter where nurses work, future-proofing healthcare requires transforming care, education and research. The European Nursing Congress discussed some of these topics which are of pressing priority for the healthcare sector. It has established itself as a major event for nurses, researchers, and policy makers from Europe and all parts of the globe.

Nurse Anna Qabale Duba was a speaker at the Future Proof Nursing Summit which was held virtually from 4th - 7th October 2022 with world leaders in nursing participating. Anna, who works at Marsabit County Referral Hospital in Kenya, was the first female graduate from her village and the only educated woman in her family. During the summit, Anna spoke to the 800+ participants about her journey. During her nursing studies, she won the Miss Tourism Kenya 2013. She used her influence to advocate for gender equality and education in her community. Under the Qabale Duba Foundation, she built a school in her village where children could study in the morning and adults in the afternoon. The community literacy program currently has over 150 children and 100 adult learners. Anna, who was named the winner of the $250,000 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2022, is now utilizing the opportunity to build a school for children and adult learning in the remote village of Turbi in Kenya. Hailing from the same village she plans to bridge the literacy gap among nomadic rural communities in North Kenya.

I am extremely thankful to the team at Future Proof Nursing Summit who gave me an opportunity to tell my story and speak alongside industry veterans and global leaders in Nursing. It is a privilege to be able to tell ones journey in front of the world and I really hope to inspire more people to join nursing and serve the community. I encourage nurses around the world to utilise the opportunity presented by Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award to share their amazing stories with the world. The award of USD 250,000 will empower the winner to turn their dreams into a reality, said Nurse Anna.

In its continued efforts to recognize the contribution of nurses to mankind and to the healthcare community, Aster DM Healthcare has recently announced the next edition of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award. The award invites registered nurses from across the world to apply for the award by submitting nomination of their work on the mentioned site directly. Registered nurses can now start applying in their preferred language - English, Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic or Tagalog via www.AsterGuardians.com by November 30, 2022. To know more, please visit: https://www.AsterGuardians.com/.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aster DM Healthcare.
Morgan Stanleys top U.S. equity strategist, Michael Wilson, has reiterated his stance that the market is yet to hit ultimate lows.

The M2, a measure of the U.S. money stock, growth is now into the danger zone where financial/economic stress occurs, Wilson warned clients. While the Fed could fix M2 growth by restarting Q2, the central bank still cant stop the oncoming earnings recession.

The oncoming earnings recession is likely to pick up steam this earnings season or next. The host of macro risks that have emerged (Europe weakness, dollar strength, higher rates, China reopening uncertainty, etc.) are likely to be in focus in corporate commentary, Wilson wrote in a client note.

As a result, Morgan Stanley remains bearish and sellers of rallies in equities until EPS forecasts de-rate, and the price is right.

Hartnett again reiterated that it is too soon to call the end and the S&P 500, as well as other major indexes, are yet to hit THE low.

PMIs remain in the 50s, forward earnings estimates are down just 1%, and the equity risk premium is 50+ basis points below where it was at the June S&P price low. Further, the Fed continues to tighten and dollar strength poses further risk to earnings, Wilson concluded.

Morgan Stanleys June 2023 price target for the S&P 500 remains 3900, while the bear case calls for a drop to 3350.

By Senad Karaahmetovic
Cate Grinney and her team have access to the firms vast resources to grow their practice and serve their clients needs

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Financial advisor Cate Grinney, CFP, ChFC recently joined the independent channel of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) from Edward Jones in Faribault, Minnesota with $331 million in client assets. Grinney was attracted to Ameriprises commitment to supporting women advisors, deep expertise in financial planning, and vast resources to grow her practice and meet her clients specific goals.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005664/en/

Financial advisor Cate Grinney, CFP, ChFC recently joined the independent channel of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. in Faribault, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Cate Grinney.

Grinney conducted extensive due diligence before moving firms, looking for one with an inclusive client-first culture, robust financial planning capabilities, a wide array of products, and support to build out her team. She discovered that Ameriprise met her criteria after she was invited to attend the firms annual 2022 Womens Advisor Summit, where she met many members of senior leadership and other women advisors.

Ameriprise has developed an impressive community for women advisors. The womens event was inspiring, with so many top peers sharing good ideas for how we can better serve our clients, said Grinney, who has 24 years of experience in the industry. Im energized by the opportunity to form a team practice, which will help us grow and serve clients well while also providing a clear succession plan to benefit their futures for decades. I started my career as an advisor in a team setting because I worked in my fathers practice for 13 years before his retirement. Ameriprises vast resources to support team building will allow me to mentor and develop the rest of my team in a similar inclusive setting.

We are truly delighted to welcome Cate and her clients to the Ameriprise family, said Timari Robison, Ameriprise National Womens Recruiting Director. Ameriprise has deeply invested in the capabilities advisors need to grow their practices and help their clients achieve their biggest dreams. Were excited to get to work helping Cate and her team harness the power of our resources and expertise to take their business to the next level.

Grinneys team also includes financial advisor Kailee Davis, MBA, RICP, and support staff Beth Sammon and Bridgette Hallcock. The team, which operates under the name Cate Grinney & Kailee Davis Group, is supported by Ameriprise franchise field vice president Marcus Ranger.

Earlier this year, Cate Grinney was named to Forbes 2022 Americas Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State list1, which recognizes the industrys top women advisors based on several factors, including levels of ethical standards, professionalism, and success in the business.

Ameriprise has continued to attract experienced, productive financial advisors, with approximately 1,600 joining the firm in the last 5 years.2 Nine out of ten advisors who joined Ameriprise say the firms technology, financial planning capabilities and ability to acquire clients is better than their previous firm.3 To find out why experienced financial advisors are joining Ameriprise, visit ameriprise.com/why.

About Ameriprise Financial

At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With extensive investment advice, asset management and insurance capabilities and a nationwide network of approximately 10,000 financial advisors4, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of individual and institutional investors' financial needs.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Boards initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value.

Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC.

 2022 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

_____________________________

1 Source: Forbes, Americas Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State, Feb. 4, 2022. The Forbes Top Women, Best-in-State Women and Best-in-State Wealth Advisor rankings are developed by SHOOK Research and are created using an algorithm that includes both qualitative (in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings; client impact; industry experience; review of best practices and compliance records; and firm nominations) and quantitative (assets under management and revenue generated for their firms) data. Certain awards include a demographic component to qualify. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. These rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC, are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one clients experience and are based on data from the previous calendar year. Forbes magazine and SHOOK Research do not receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information: www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.

2 Ameriprise Financial 2021 10-K.

3 Ameriprise asked experienced advisors who moved their book of business to the firm in the last one-to-five years to compare its support, resources, and capabilities to their previous firm and state their satisfaction with their experience. The survey results identified the top ways Ameriprise stands out compared to competitors. 294 advisors responded to the Ultimate Advisor Partnership survey, which was conducted in November 2021.

4 Ameriprise Financial Q2 2022 Earnings Release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005664/en/

Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

Stephanie Siegle, Media Relations

612.671.2593

[email protected]

Source: Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
Sprinklrs AI-powered platform helps Nakheel optimize customer experience management across more than 50 social media accounts.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sprinklr (NYSE: CXM), the unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform for modern enterprises, today announced that Nakheel, one of the worlds largest property developers, is leveraging Sprinklr to unify its customer experience and marketing strategy across more than 50 social media accounts.

We are committed to getting to know our customers and providing a personalized level of customer support. As such, we are excited to unify our marketing and customer support strategy on one Sprinklr platform, and transform our social media activity into actionable insights that can improve customer experiences and accelerate our growth, said Omar Khoory, Chief Assets Officer, Nakheel.

With more than 50 social media accounts tied to the companys portfolio of properties across the residential, retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, optimizing marketing and customer support strategy is a focus for Nakheel. The company wanted to unify its customer data, understand customer sentiment across locations, gain competitive insights, and create a personalized and proactive engagement strategy.

Nakheel is leveraging multiple products across two of Sprinklrs major customer-facing suites  Research and Social Engagement & Sales  including Social Publishing & Engagement, Location Insights, and Competitive Benchmarking to help create a program for omnichannel marketing and customer support:

Sprinklr is committed to helping brands accelerate their customer experience management strategies by empowering them to reach, engage, and listen to customers. Were thrilled to support Nakheels efforts to streamline its marketing and customer support on one Unified-CXM Sprinklr platform, consolidate its public customer data from more than 50 social media accounts, and turn this data into valuable insights, said Haitham Elkhatib, Vice President of MEA, Sprinklr.

For more Sprinklr customer news, visit Sprinklr Customer Stories.

About Sprinklr

Sprinklr is a leading enterprise software company for all customer-facing functions. With advanced AI, Sprinklr's unified customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform helps companies deliver human experiences to every customer, every time, across any modern channel. Headquartered in New York City with employees around the world, Sprinklr works with more than 1,000 of the worlds most valuable enterprises  global brands like Microsoft, P&G, Samsung and more than 50% of the Fortune 100.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221009005002/en/

Press:

Austin DeArman

[email protected]

Source: Sprinklr
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Famous Footwear, one of the Caleres (NYSE: CAL) brands, is partnering with actress, model, podcaster and lifestyle influencer Caitlin McHugh Stamos for its 2022 fall campaign.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005481/en/

Famous Footwear Partners with Caitlin McHugh Stamos for Fall Fashion Campaign (Photo: Business Wire)

The partnership with Stamos celebrates Famous Footwear as the shopping destination for all the best brands and must-have shoes for fall. The campaign features Stamos showcasing styles from the leading fall fashion trends and how she is styling each one. From western boots, block heels, lug soles to classic dress heels and the classic white court sneaker, Stamos shares how these versatile styles fit her life.

In addition to being a successful author and actress, Stamos has established her own business and podcast, and is a leader for organizations rooted in advocating for women. Through her podcast, How Can I Help, Stamos identifies nonprofits, businesses and individuals who are making a positive impact in the world and works to further their causes.

Famous Footwear always has so many name-brand and on-trend options for my lifestyle, said McHugh Stamos. Im always on the go and have found Famous to be an amazing resource for fashionable and versatile shoes that take me from day to night.

Our consumer wants adaptable styles that can easily transition between dress and casual for a variety of outfits, said Holly Campbell, senior vice president, marketing. Caitlins style and authenticity mirror our consumers and make her the perfect person to share that she can find the right trends, the right styles and the best brands at Famous Footwear.

The campaign will run across all digital channels for Famous Footwear. Customers can shop her looks on Instagram and TikTok, where all her styling tips will be shared, as well as a chance to win her five featured must-have fall footwear trends.

Famous Footwear will continue to partner with fashion content creators to connect with consumers in a relatable way. This is part of a larger campaign initiative for Famous Footwear that celebrates creativity and individuality.

About Famous Footwear

Famous Footwear was founded on one simple idea: everyone deserves to feel the joy that comes from a new pair of shoes. And today, with nearly 900 stores across the US and Canada, and online at famousfootwear.com and famousfootwear.ca, Famous Footwear is the local family footwear shop, where youll always find the right shoes from everyones favorite brands, including Nike, Hey Dude, Converse, Birkenstock, Steve Madden, LifeStride, Naturalizer, Dr. Martens, and many more. Famous Footwear  helping individuals, families and communities step into their own unique joy.

About Caleres

Caleres (NYSE: CAL) is a diverse portfolio of global footwear brands that include Famous Footwear, Naturalizer, Sam Edelman, Allen Edmonds, Vionic, Vince, Franco Sarto, Dr. Scholls Shoes, LifeStride, Blowfish Malibu, Bzees, Circus by Sam Edelman and Ryka. Our products are available virtually everywhere - in the nearly 1,000 retail stores we operate, in hundreds of major department and specialty stores, on our branded e-commerce sites, and on many additional third-party retail websites. Combined, these brands make Caleres a company with both a legacy and a mission. Our legacy is our more than 140 years of craftsmanship and our passion for fit, while our mission is to continue to inspire people to feel great feet first. Visit caleres.com to learn more about us.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005481/en/

Holly Campbell

[email protected]

Source: Caleres
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Flashpoint Venture Capital, an international technology investment firm that manages equity and debt funds that are focused on US and international tech start-ups originating in Emerging Europe and Israel, has opened a new office in New York. The office opening will provide a focal point for Flashpoints activities as it seeks to increase its on-the-ground presence in the US.

Currently, approximately 50% of Flashpoints portfolio revenue is generated in the United States and, approximately 25% of capital raised in its latest funds has been sourced from the Americas.

Flashpoints US portfolio now includes 16 companies, including successful companies such as Chili Piper, Booksy, Traceair, IntelliBoard, Qmenta, TestRigor, Allset and others. Flashpoint funds have completed a number of exits in the US, including such notable transactions as the sale of Shazam to Apple, Chess.com to General Atlantic and Marketman to MealTicket.

Flashpoints New York office will be managed by Tony Fedorov, Partner at Flashpoint, who has been managing Flashpoints operations in Israel. Tony joined Flashpoint in 2014 and sits on the board of directors of several software companies, including Comeet, TraceAir, Gaviti, Particula, and others. Tony has worked on transactions including Guesty, Borzo, as well as numerous exits that include Chess.com, and Getintent. Tony is the Director of SummerSaaS - annual VC Forum initiated by Flashpoint in 2020 having attracted over 3,000 attendees and hundreds of top-tier VCs since then.

Alex Konoplyasty, General Partner at Flashpoint commented: The opening of our New York office is a very natural step in our growth plans. We execute many deals in the US and a large portion of our portfolio companies are also physically present there.

Michael Szalontay, General Partner at Flashpoint followed: We are already working with a number of investors in the US both at our portfolio company level and limited partners supporting our funds. We would like to intensify our efforts in this regard and opening a permanent office also supports our ability to provide a bridge for founders from Emerging Europe into the US.

This latest investment office opening in New York increases Flashpoint presence to 7 cities, complementing existing offices in London, Warsaw, Budapest, Riga, Tel-Aviv and Nicosia.

About Flashpoint

Flashpoint is an international investment group with over . US$450m AuM and a focus on Western Tech Companies founded by expats from Emerging Europe & Israel. Flashpoint manages six venture funds: four VC funds, a Venture Debt Fund, and a Secondary Fund. Flashpoints funds have more than 130 investors, including European institutional investors, major family offices and HNWIs. The company has offices in London, Tel-Aviv, Budapest, Warsaw, Riga, and Nicosia. The funds have made investments in over 55 companies including names such as Guesty, Chili Piper, Booksy, Preply, Dispelix, etc.. Flashpoint has completed twelve exits, including the sale of its stakes in Shazam (to Apple), Chess.com (to PokerStars founders and General Atlantic) and Marketman (to MealTicket / PSG).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221009005048/en/

Maria Eliseeva

[email protected]



Mark Walter

[email protected]

Source: Flashpoint Venture Capital
Since 2010, over 860 grants totaling over $856,000 have been awarded to Illinois fire and emergency organizations in the Companys service area.

BELLEVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Over $96,000 will be shared by over 90 Illinois fire departments through Illinois American Waters 2022 Firefighter Grant Program. Since the program was created in 2010, over 860 grants totaling over $856,000 have been awarded to fire and emergency organizations serving customers in Illinois American Waters service area.

We know how important water is in protecting homes and businesses. We also understand resources to our local heroes can run short. This is why we approved every grant we received in full this year, supporting our heroes in a meaningful way, said Justin Ladner, Illinois American Water President. The departments will utilize these funds to keep our customers and communities safe in emergency situations.

Illinois American Waters Firefighter Grant Program awards grants to provide personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, water handling equipment, training materials and classroom programs. To view the list of fire departments receiving grants across the state, please visit the News section of Illinois American Waters website at www.illinoisamwater.com.

The firefighter grants are being announced in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 9- Oct. 15, 2022, to raise awareness about the importance of fire prevention and emergency planning. This years Fire Prevention Week theme is Fire wont wait. Plan your escape. It educates about simple but important actions everyone can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires. Learn more at www.nfpa.org.

About Illinois American Water

Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ILLINOIS AMERICAN WATER WAS RANKED HIGHEST IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH LARGE WATER UTILITIES IN THE MIDWEST THREE YEARS IN A ROW!

For J.D. Power 2022 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005771/en/

Media: Karen Cotton, Sr. Manager External Communications, [email protected]

Source: Illinois American Water
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- KBRA releases a report that examines CMBS 2.0 office lease expirations scheduled in 2023 and also over the next five years. The report highlights lease expirations within the top 25 markets and transactions with the most CMBS office exposure. The piece also looks at lease rollover exposure that these transactions have to various market demand/supply metrics. In addition, we share our views on office exposure in new issue CMBS.

Key highlights from the report include the following:

Lease Expirations

Over 100 million square feet (sf) of office leases among the top five tenants in properties underlying CMBS transactions have scheduled expiration dates in 2023 and 2024. An additional 140.5 million sf is scheduled to come due through 2027.

Geographic Exposure

Miami has the highest percentage of top-five tenant sf expiring in 2023 (19.4%) but has fairly favorable market metrics, with over 600,000 sf of positive net absorption as of the year-to-date (YTD) period through Q2 2022.

Minneapolis has the highest percentage of top-five tenant space rolling over the next five years, at 72.3%, and is second only to New York in terms of negative net absorption, at just over 1 million sf.

Transaction Analysis

The deal with the most top-five tenant office sf expiring in 2023, at 18.6%, is GSMS 2017-GS7. On top of the high concentration of lease roll, the expiring sf is in three markets that are experiencing negative net absorption and negative quarterly rent growth.

The deal with the highest percentage of top-five tenant sf expiring over the next five years (63.9%), but slightly lower as calculated by allocated principal balance (51.8% of office loan balance), is BANK 2017-BNK 8.

Office Issuance

Post-global financial crisis (GFC) CMBS office exposure peaked in 2020 at 37.2% and then fell to 28.9% in 2021. As of YTD September 2022, this exposure has declined to 21.9%, which so far this year is tracking to have its lowest percentage since 2014.

The report includes an annual office lease expiration table and tables showing the top 25 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) and top 25 transactions by office balance. It also contains the top 25 markets demand/supply metrics, as well as an office issuance chart.

Click here to view the report.

Related Publications

About KBRA

KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU, and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRAs ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005507/en/

Larry Kay, Senior Director

+1 (646) 731-2452

[email protected]



Roy Chun, Senior Managing Director

+1 (646) 731-2376

[email protected]



Nitin Bhasin, CFA, Senior Managing Director

+1 (646) 731-2334

[email protected]



Eric Thompson, Senior Managing Director, Head of Global Structured Finance Ratings

+1 (646) 731-2355

[email protected]



Business Development



Michele Patterson, Managing Director

+1 (646) 731-2397

[email protected]

Source: KBRA
Company to hold conference call and webcast to discuss third quarter financial results

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Global real estate investment company Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) will release its third quarter 2022 financial results on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 after the market closes. The company will hold a live conference call and webcast to discuss results at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 3, 2022.

The direct dial-in number for the conference call is (844) 340-4761 for U.S. callers and +1 (412) 717-9616 for international callers.

A replay of the call will be available for one week beginning one hour after the live call and can be accessed at (877) 344-7529 for U.S. callers and +1 (412) 317-0088 for international callers. The passcode for the replay is 3347300.

The webcast will be available at: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=Aw6zcKs1. A replay of the webcast will be available one hour after the original webcast on the Companys investor relations web site for three months.

About Kennedy Wilson

Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) is a leading global real estate investment company. The company owns, operates, and invests in real estate through the balance sheet and through an investment management platform across the Western United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Kennedy Wilson primarily focuses on multifamily and office properties as well as industrial and debt investments in the investment management business. For more information on Kennedy Wilson, please visit: www.kennedywilson.com.

KW-IR

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005014/en/

Investors

Daven Bhavsar, CFA

Vice President of Investor Relations

(310) 887-3431

[email protected]

Source: Kennedy Wilson
Highlights:

L3Harris third-generation sight systems reduce size, weight and power requirements

Supports future technology integration, upgrades with open-systems approach

Shrinks crew requirement; delivers powerful processors and collaborative targeting

MELBOURNE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) battlefield awareness systems will enable faster identification and targeting capabilities, providing increased lethality for American Rheinmetall Vehicles Lynx Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005179/en/

The Lynx Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle designed by American Rheinmetall Vehicles features L3Harris technology that increases battlefield awareness and lethality. (Image: American Rheinmetall Vehicles)

Using digitally engineered systems provided by L3Harris, the Lynx OMFV can detect and engage battlefield threats faster and at greater distances while reducing crew members needed from three to two.

L3Harris capabilities on Lynx OMFV provide mission-critical battlefield awareness for U.S. Army soldiers, said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. These systems enable greater lethality by increasing detection and reducing time to engagement.

The American Rheinmetall Vehicles Lynx OMFV features L3Harris third-generation sights with reduced size, weight and power requirements, enabling early, enhanced threat identification. Crew members receive information faster as a result of more powerful processors and artificial intelligence capabilities. L3Harris also provides secure, high-capacity communication systems and data links to improve command and control and collaborative targeting.

Lynx OMFV provides warfighters with leading-edge technology to dominate future battlefields, said Matt Warnick, Managing Director for American Rheinmetall Vehicles. A big part of retaining overmatch is modular open systems approaches and digital engineering, which L3Harris is a partner in providing, a strength of the American Rheinmetall Vehicles team and a benefit to the soldiers.

Digital engineering and modular open systems approaches in Lynx OMFV meet U.S. Army Ground Combat Systems Common Infrastructure Architecture requirements  allowing integration of new technologies and subsystems updates faster while lowering vehicle lifecycle costs.

The OMFV, the U.S. Armys first ground combat vehicle designed using modern digital engineering tools and techniques, will replace the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, in service since 1981. L3Harris is an advanced technology partner designing and building Lynx OMFV with American Rheinmetall Vehicles, Raytheon Technologies, Textron Systems, Allison Transmissions and Anduril.

About L3Harris Technologies

L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across space, air, land, sea and cyber domains. L3Harris has more than $17 billion in annual revenue and 47,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005179/en/

Matt Grimison

Space and Airborne Systems

[email protected]

321-213-8927

Paul Swiergosz

Corporate

[email protected]

321-378-5631

Source: L3Harris Technologies
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Integrated Dermatology, one of the nations largest providers of dermatology services, recently announced that Sarika Snell, MD, FAAD, has been named managing director and partner of Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street. The downtown Washington, D.C. office, located at 1145 19th St NW, Suite 301, provides comprehensive dermatological care to patients throughout the DMV.

Dr. Snell, who has been an integral part of the practice for the past six years, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her new role. She is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in general and surgical dermatology. The DC-area native earned her medical degree from Georgetown University and completed her specialty training in dermatology at Montefiore Hospital, which is affiliated with the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She then completed an oncology fellowship, with a focus on melanoma, at Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Snell possesses a special interest in skin cancer detection and treating medical dermatological conditions; however, she is also passionate about cosmetic dermatology and enjoys performing aesthetic treatments. Additionally, Dr. Snell has the distinction of having been named a Washingtonian Top Doctor the past four consecutive years.

At the practice, Dr. Snell will be supported by Tinatin Gotsiridze, MD, FAAD, Clinzo Mickle, MD, FAAD, and Urvi Gonzales, MD, FAAD, all of whom are board-certified dermatologists and Fellows of the American Academy of Dermatology.

An expert in medical and surgical dermatology, Dr. Gotsiridze received her bachelors degree in Biology and masters degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and then obtained her medical degree from SUNY at Buffalo. She completed her internship at Georgetown University Hospital and received her dermatology training at Saint Louis University in Missouri.

Dr. Mickle is a highly skilled cosmetic dermatologist who completed a prestigious fellowship in laser, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology in Boston. After earning his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Mickle completed his intern year at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia before a specialized research fellowship in dermatology at Duke University Medical Center. He also completed a one-year Melanoma Clinical Fellowship at the Washington Hospital Center before starting his dermatology training at Howard University Hospital where he was elected Chief Resident.

After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Gonzales completed a research year at Harvard Medical School before being chosen to attend a Dartmouth-Brown combined medical program, earning her medical degree from Brown Medical School. Prior to starting her internship at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Dr. Gonzales spent a year conducting research at Northwestern University. She finalized her residency training in dermatology at the University of Rochester.

As the new medical director of Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street, Dr. Snell shared that our commitment to patients and our community remains as strong as ever. We will continue to help diagnose and treat all medical dermatologic diseases including melanoma, acne, alopecia, eczema, and psoriasis, as well as provide a whole array of cosmetic services including Botox, fillers and lasers.

Jeff Queen, CEO of Integrated Dermatology, said the company has enjoyed its relationship with Dr. Snell and looks forward to supporting her efforts in growing the practice.

Dr. Snell and her team have built Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street into a thriving practice providing exceptional dermatological care to patients living in our nations capital, Queen said.

For appointments or more information on Integrated Dermatology of 19th Street, visit https://www.id19derm.com/.

About Integrated Dermatology

Headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., Integrated Dermatology is one of the largest providers of dermatology services, empowering doctors nationwide through practice acquisitions, physician partnerships and new practice formations. Founded in 2004, the company operates in more than 25 states and enables its dermatologists to maintain their medical autonomy. With a doctor-driven philosophy and focus on high-quality patient care, Integrated Dermatology provides unparalleled back-office support, including accounting, payroll, human resources and much more. The company also offers career opportunities for dermatologists seeking to join an established practice. For additional information, visit mydermgroup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221007005568/en/

Jeff Queen

Integrated Dermatology

(561) 314-2000, ext. 1038

[email protected]

Source: Integrated Dermatology
SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Burgiss, a leading provider of private capital market data and analytics, announced today that Shinhan Asset Management, one of the largest asset management companies in South Korea, has chosen Burgiss to aid in its journey toward developing more robust and relevant benchmarking analytics.

Like many other Korean asset owners, Shinhan Asset Managements rapidly growing allocation toward alternative assets has created a need for more reliable and comparable performance data. Shinhan Asset Management selected Burgiss because it offers the most comprehensive and accurate dataset of private capital funds, funds of funds, and their holdings available globally, with since inception quarterly returns and cash flow data for over 12,000 private funds that represent more than USD 9.6 trillion in committed capital. Shinhan will use this valuable data to support its fund selection across various domestic and international fund strategies, including Private Equity, Infrastructure, Real Estate, and Private Debt. Burgiss data will also be used to identify asset allocation ideas for Shinhan Asset Management in order to enhance its investment decision processes, thereby benefiting its end clients.

Kyuhuhn Yeon, Head of Global Alternative Investments, Shinhan Asset Management:

With the increasing allocation into alternatives and its popularity amongst our clients, it is important that we have unbiased, comprehensive data that enable us to make the right investment decisions. We are pleased with the quality of data that we can get through Burgiss that we dont see elsewhere.

Wyn James, Head of Client Coverage APAC, Burgiss:

We are excited to expand our presence in South Korea and have Shinhan Asset Management join the Burgiss community. Shinhan has identified the unparalleled quality of Burgiss private capital market data and analytics, and we look forward to working with their team to further improve their high-quality investment management processes.

About Shinhan Asset Management

Shinhan Asset Management, headquartered in Seoul, is one of the largest asset management companies in South Korea, with KRW 111.12 trillion (approx. USD 77.8 billion) in assets under management as of September 23, 2022. It is a subsidiary of the Shinhan Financial Group and was the first private equity fund management firm in South Korea. Shinhan Asset Management has been providing financial products that meet the diverse investment needs of customers and managing assets since its establishment in August 1996. Shinhan Asset Management is creating outcomes that customers can trust and be satisfied with, and is growing into a top ESG company that expands the horizon of socially responsible investment.

About Burgiss

Burgiss is a global, market-leading provider of data and analytics solutions for investors. With over 30 years of expertise in alternative investments, we offer unrivaled data, analytics, and transparency that enable asset owners, asset managers, and financial intermediaries to evaluate and manage complex portfolios. Burgiss solutions serve 1,000+ clients in more than 30 countries, delivering data that represents over USD 15 trillion in assets.

With offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, we leverage our network and expertise so that we can service our clients by focusing on their varying needs across regions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221009005003/en/

Wyn James, Head of Client Coverage, APAC

[email protected]

Source: Burgiss
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Starry Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: STRY) (the Company or Starry), a licensed fixed wireless technology developer and internet service provider, today announced it has been named to Fortunes Change the World list for 2022.

It's an incredible honor to be named to Fortunes Change the World list, said Chet Kanojia, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Starry. Broadband access is essential, which is why Starry set out to develop technology that would lower the cost of deploying broadband networks and reimagine how consumers connect to the internet. By making high-quality, home internet access more available and more affordable, were reinvigorating - through technology innovation and competition - a broadband marketplace that has been largely dominated by near-monopoly incumbent providers. It has not been easy, but making world changing impacts rarely is. Were honored to be recognized by Fortune for our efforts to advance digital equity and connectivity across the US.

Since its founding, Starry has been committed to delivering on its mission  offering customers a superior internet service experience that is fast, reliable, uncapped and competitively-priced, while also working to improve digital access and equity in our most under-served communities. Starry has successfully deployed its licensed fixed wireless gigabit network in six U.S. cities including Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Denver, and Columbus, OH  covering more than 5.7 million households. Starry announced that it will launch a seventh city, Las Vegas, this year.

Fortunes Change the World list recognizes companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. Honorees are assessed on their impact on one or more specific societal problems, the impact this work has on the companys business function and how innovative the efforts are. The eighth edition of the list is available at: https://fortune.com/change-the-world/.

About Starry Group Holdings, Inc.

At Starry (NYSE: STRY), we believe the future is built on connectivity and that connecting people and communities to high-speed, broadband internet should be simple and affordable. Using our innovative, wideband hybrid-fiber fixed wireless technology, Starry is deploying gigabit capable broadband to the home without bundles, data caps, or long-term contracts. Starry is a different kind of internet service provider. Were building a platform for the future by putting our customers first, protecting their privacy, ensuring access to an open and neutral net, and making affordable connectivity and digital equity a priority. Headquartered in Boston, Starry is currently available in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Denver, and Columbus, OH and is expanding to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2022. To learn more about Starry or to join our team and help us build a better internet, visit: https://starry.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied forward-looking statements relating to our receipt of government subsidies from the RDOF Phase I program and our expectations regarding our strategy, competitive position and opportunities in the marketplace, and our anticipated business and financial performance. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include the risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005398/en/

Media Contacts:

Mimi Ryals, Starry

[email protected]

[email protected]

Investor Contacts:

Ben Barrett, Starry

[email protected]

[email protected]

Source: Starry, Inc.
Memorandum of understanding also includes the exploration of new products in ESG, ETFs and digital assets

NEW YORK & JOHANNESBURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The New York Stock Exchange, part of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) today announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the dual listing of companies on both exchanges.

The NYSE and the JSE also agreed to jointly explore the development of new products and share knowledge around ESG, ETFs and digital assets.

The agreement was finalized during a visit to the NYSE by a South African delegation including JSE Group CEO Dr. Leila Fourie and South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago. The signing ceremony took place shortly before the delegation rang the Closing Bell, followed by a keynote address by Kganyago on monetary policy.

The New York Stock Exchange is pleased to sign this collaboration agreement with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in support of the important economic and trade relationship between our two markets, said Lynn Martin, NYSE President. Exploring the dual listings of companies on our two exchanges stands to increase opportunities for investors on both continents, underscoring the value public companies and our capital markets generate in the global economy. We look forward to collaborating on new product development with the JSE team and to the innovation that comes when two great organizations work together.

The agreement that we have signed today with the NYSE will unlock opportunities for investors and issuers of both bourses, said Dr. Fourie. This is the beginning of a new chapter and I am excited about the opportunities we will explore together as we find synergies to grow both our markets. For the JSE, as the largest stock exchange on the African continent with unparalleled market depth and liquidity, we aim to create world-class solutions for both local and international investors.

The United States ranks as one of South Africas largest trading partners and this agreement is designed to help support the economic relationship between the two nations. Today, about 600 U.S. companies operate in South Africa in sectors including manufacturing, technology, finance, insurance and wholesale trade.

About NYSE Group

NYSE Group is a subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology and market infrastructure. NYSE Groups equity exchanges -- the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE American, NYSE Arca, NYSE Chicago and NYSE National -- trade more U.S. equity volume than any other exchange group. The NYSE, an ICE exchange, is the premier global venue for capital raising. NYSE Arca Options and NYSE Amex Options are leading equity options exchanges. To learn more, visit nyse.com.

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds and operates digital networks to connect people to opportunity. We provide financial technology and data services across major asset classes that offer our customers access to mission-critical workflow tools that increase transparency and operational efficiencies. We operate exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, and clearing houses that help people invest, raise capital and manage risk across multiple asset classes. Our comprehensive fixed income data services and execution capabilities provide information, analytics and platforms that help our customers capitalize on opportunities and operate more efficiently. At ICE Mortgage Technology, we are transforming and digitizing the U.S. residential mortgage process, from consumer engagement through loan registration. Together, we transform, streamline and automate industries to connect our customers to opportunity.

Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located here. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading Key Information Documents (KIDS).

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as filed with the SEC on February 3, 2022.

About the JSE

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has a well-established history of operating as a marketplace for trading financial products. It is a pioneering, globally-connected exchange group that enables inclusive economic growth through trusted, world-class, socially responsible products, and services for the investor of the future. It offers secure and efficient primary and secondary capital markets across a diverse range of securities, spanning equities, derivatives, and debt markets. It prides itself on being the market of choice for local and international investors looking to gain exposure to leading capital markets on the African continent. The JSE is currently ranked in the Top 20 largest stock exchanges in the world by market capitalisation, and is the largest stock exchange in Africa, having been in operation for 130 years. As a leading global exchange, the JSE co-creates, unlocks value & makes real connections happen.

www.jse.co.za

Category: NYSE

ICE-CORP

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005789/en/

NYSE Media Contact:

Bridget Walsh

[email protected]

(212) 656-2298

ICE Investor Contact:

Katia Gonzalez

[email protected]

(678) 981-3882

JSE General Enquiries:

Email: [email protected]

011 520 7000

JSE Media Contact:

Paballo Makhetha

Communication Specialist

011 520 7331

066 261 7405 (mobile)

[email protected]

Source: Intercontinental Exchange
SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA) today announced that third quarter results will be released after the close of market on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. Shortly following the issuance of the Companys earnings release, the Company will post its Management Commentary document on the Companys website (http://ir.usana.com) under the Investor Relations section of the site. USANA will hold a conference call to discuss this announcement with analysts and institutional investors the following morning, Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The call will be broadcast over the Internet and can be accessed at http://ir.usana.com.

About USANA

USANA develops and manufactures high-quality nutritional supplements, healthy foods and personal care products that are sold directly to Associates and Preferred Customers throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Thailand, France, Belgium, Colombia, Indonesia, Italy, Romania, Spain, and Germany. More information on USANA can be found at www.usana.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005720/en/

Investor contact:

USANA Investor Relations

(801) 954-7210

[email protected]

Source: USANA Health Sciences, Inc.
The partnership with Alaskas leading resource for vocational training will help drive the transition to a safer, more efficient lifting environment.

Practical training in the use of the Vita Load Navigator and other construction courses will be offered in Alaska and Colorado.

BROOMFIELD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vita Industrial has announced a Strategic Business Combination with NIT Alaska, furthering its mission of becoming a leading provider of technology, servicing, and training for the lifting industry.

As the states leading resource for vocational training, NIT Alaskas strong focus on the construction industry will aid Vita in promoting the effective use of its lifting system as a key means of preventing injuries and saving lives on jobsites, in addition to providing means to upskill and reskill operators through education and training services.

We are proud to pair our training services with such a forward-thinking company, said Joey Crum, CEO, NIT Alaska. Vita Industrials ambition of eliminating taglines to create a safer lifting environment will require an emphasis on training and re-education. We look forward to expanding our training services to meet their mission.

Vitas vision with this Strategic Business Combination is focused on three main phases: online training and certification, live training and certification, and the development of new training and additional continuing education courses for the industry. Online courses will cover practical rigging, signaling, data record management, and OSHA certifications. Live and in-person Rigger and Crane certification training will be offered from Alaska and a crane yard close to Vitas headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado. Future class offerings will focus on emerging technologies, including telematics, IoT, predictive maintenance, and Building Information Modeling (BIM). Recertifications will be Vita-controlled, with current and future customers associating the Vita name with education in addition to innovation.

Our mission is to be recognized as a comprehensive lifting partner. Providing the finest instruction from one of the most respected training locations in the country is another big step towards that goal, added Caleb Carr, Chairman and CEO of Vita Inclinata. This combination will enable Vita to train the future of crane operators and riggers within the United States.

With this Strategic Business Combination, Vita Industrial is now spearheading the industrial modernization of the lifting industry, providing a complete construction training program to previous, current, and future customers. As the crane industry continues to grow and put new technologies to use, Vita is committed to providing crane operators with the proper training to match new capabilities, retain their workforce, and achieve operational excellence.

Course pre-registration began October 1st, 2022. Apply here.

About Vita Inclinata

A friends 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, Vitas 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.

Vita Inclinata Technologies, Inc.

295 Interlocken Blvd, #175

Broomfield, CO 80021

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221006005921/en/

Scott Slack

Marketing Director

720-840-8448  vitatech.co

[email protected]

Source: Vita Industrial
Deepening integrations with leading practice management software, Weave continues to make scheduling easier for small practices

LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Weave, the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small business, today announced a slate of new features in its Online Scheduling tool.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005155/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

The new Online Scheduling & Text Connect features, originally launched in 2021 as Web Assistant, give small practices a way to let patients schedule appointments directly from their website, saving staff time and letting them capture more business each day. Using Weave Online Scheduling, offices can customize their online calendar with appointment types, providers, and schedule availability, giving patients what they need to book the right appointment without picking up the phone.

Todays announcement also adds new functionality and compatibility with leading practice management systems in the dental and optometry space: OpenDental, Eaglesoft, Crystal PMS and OfficeMate. Once an appointment is confirmed in Weave, its automatically created on the integrated practice management systems calendar and a text confirmation is sent to the patient using Weave Texting.

Delivering a delightful patient experience begins with getting an appointment on the schedule, said Brett White, Interim CEO of Weave. With the latest updates and additional features to Online Scheduling & Text Connect, Weave is leveraging its powerful VoIP platform and two-way texting capabilities to help more offices delight new and existing patients at every interaction.

These latest feature additions to Weaves all-in-one platform come on the heels of several new product launches this year, including Review Analytics, Insurance Verification and Buy Now, Pay-Over-Time payment options. To learn more about Weaves platform and its impact on 23,000+ customers, visit getweave.com/weave-works/.

About Weave

Weave is the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small business. From the first phone call to the final invoice and every touchpoint in between, Weave connects the entire customer journey. Weaves software solutions transform how local businesses attract, communicate with and engage customers to grow their business. Weave has set the bar for Utah startup achievement & work culture. In the past year, Weave has been named a member of the Forbes Cloud 100, a Certified Great Place to Work, and a G2 leader in Patient Engagement, Optometry, Dental Practice Management and Patient Relationship Management software. To learn more, visit www.getweave.com/newsroom/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005155/en/

Kali Geldis

Sr. Director of Communications, Weave

[email protected]

Source: Weave




Disclosure Of Trading In Own Shares For September 2022

CLICHY , FRANCE October 07, 2022

In compliance with general regulation on share buy-backs, SOCIETE BIC declares below the transactions made on its own shares for September 2022 :





Date



Number of shares Average weighted price in 



Amount in  01/09/2022 2 660 55,9896 148 932,34 02/09/2022 2 610 57,2695 149 473,40 05/09/2022 2 600 57,3181 149 027,06 06/09/2022 2 600 57,1435 148 573,10 07/09/2022 2 620 56,8590 148 970,58 08/09/2022 25 000 56,4500 1 411 250,00 08/09/2022 2 610 56,4675 147 380,18 09/09/2022 2 650 56,1207 148 719,86 12/09/2022 2 640 56,3634 148 799,38 13/09/2022 2 630 56,7025 149 127,58 14/09/2022 2 615 56,7107 148 298,48 15/09/2022 2 640 55,9396 147 680,54 16/09/2022 2 670 56,1065 149 804,36 19/09/2022 2 620 56,9053 149 091,89 20/09/2022 2 600 58,1169 151 103,94 21/09/2022 10 000 57,3000 573 000,00 21/09/2022 2 585 57,6507 149 027,06 22/09/2022 2 580 57,6522 148 742,68 23/09/2022 2 520 59,1584 149 079,17 26/09/2022 2 500 59,5758 148 939,50 27/09/2022 2 360 63,1163 148 954,47 28/09/2022 2 380 62,4288 148 580,54 29/09/2022 2 096 63,0261 132 102,71 29/09/2022 264 63,0261 16 638,89 30/09/2022 2 300 64,6673 148 734,79 TOTAL 91 350 57,5811 5 260 032,46









ABOUT BIC

A world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday Life. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC Kids, BIC FlexTM, BodyMark by BICTM, Cello, Djeep, Lucky Stationery, Rocketbook, Soleil, Tipp-Ex, Us. TM, Wite-Out, Inkbox and more. In 2021, BIC Net Sales were 1,831.9 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris"," is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP. For more, visit www.bic.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

CONTACT

Sophie Palliez-Capian

VP, Corporate Stakeholder Engagement

+33 1 45 19 55 28

+ 33 87 89 3351

[email protected]



Michele Ventura

Senior Manager, Investor Relations

+ 33 1 45 19 52 98

[email protected] Albane de La Tour dArtaise

Senior Manager, Institutional Press Relations

+ 33 1 45 19 51 51

+ 33 7 85 88 19 48

[email protected]







Isabelle de Segonzac Image 7

+ 33 6 89 87 61 39

[email protected]

Attachment
Rugeley, UK, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bytebus is a cloud mining platform that gives crypto enthusiasts the ability to mine cryptocurrency in a remote fashion. The platform has continued to scale its infrastructure by offering an easy-to-use UI, various cloud mining tiers, and a referral program to fuel user adoption.

Mining has come a long way since the early days of Bitcoin when individuals could use their home computers to mine coins. These days, miners rely on expensive hardware and large-scale operations to generate new coins. But what if there was a way to participate in mining without having to invest in expensive hardware? Cloud mining is an option that allows you to do just that.

Cloud mining is the process of mining cryptocurrencies using a remote data center with shared processing power. This type of mining allows users to mine cryptocurrencies without having to invest in expensive mining hardware or deal with the associated challenges of solo mining.

With cloud mining, all you need to do is sign up for an account with a service provider and pay a fee in order to start mining. The service provider will then use their own equipment to mine the coins on your behalf, and you will receive a portion of the mined coins based on the hash rate that you have purchased.

Bytebus.com - The most trusted cloud mining platform in 2022

Bytebus was one of the early companies to offer cloud mining services when it was established in 2018, and it has gained the confidence of more than 360,000 individuals all around the world. Participating in cloud mining is made simple and uncomplicated by the act of enrolling and joining Bytebus.

Bytebus gives customers an easy-to-use web interface, which makes it simple for customers to sign up and verify their accounts. In addition, as a new user, you are eligible to get a sign-up bonus of ten dollars. In addition, Bytebus offers a referral program via which customers may receive a 3% incentive for suggesting Bytebus to their friends and family.

Bytebus now offers a wide variety of plan choices for cloud mining, including $10, $100, $1,600, and $6,000, amongst others. Every one of these agreements has a different duration and provides a different rate of return on investment.

Can I make money by not investing?

Yes, no investment is required from you, anyone can participate in this event for free. We have a free experience plan that gives you $10 when you register. You can use $10 to buy the free plan and get $1 per day. When you reach $100, you can withdraw money.

Flexible investment options

Bytebus currently offers several distinct cloud mining pricing plans, including $10, $100, $1600 and $6000 plans, etc. Each of these has its own contract duration and each offers a distinctive Return on Investment.

A plan that costs $100 with a contract length of three days yields a return of $6.

An investment plan that costs $480 and has a contract term of 10 days; the return on this plan is $102.

An investment plan of $6,000 with a contract term of fifty days yields a return of $7,400. It's possible that daily rates may reach 2.47 percent!

Because payments are issued on a daily basis, you can count on receiving a payment each day. No matter how long an investment is held, the same level of returns will always be received. At the end of the allotted time period specified in the contract, you will either be able to withdraw the cash or continue investing. Every investment made with Bytebus comes with a full principal and interest guarantee from the company.

How to use the referral program?

You can start earning money even if you do not invest. Every Bytebus user has a unique referral link, which can be shared with anyone, copy your referral link and share this link to get bonuses. Any new user, who registers using your referral link becomes a lifetime referral. As a referrer, you are eligible to receive 3% referral commission bonus for every purchase made by any of your referrals. For example, if someone purchases a $100 order using your referral code, you'll get $3 for free.

About Bytebus

Bytebus is a regulated crypto mining platform and follows FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) regulation, the FCA regulates financial services, firms, and markets for the fair treatment of consumers.

Bytebus is currently operating large data centers in Kazakhstan, Myanmar, and Iceland. Bytebus is also the only company in the world that has been granted a license to support land lease and exploitation by the Kazakhstan government within 5 years.

We've developed the world's Top cloud mining platform with the most advanced deployment technology, Offering 2%-10% of the world's cloud mining Hash Rate. More new product plans and services are in our pipeline.

In conclusion, if you are looking at a legitimate source of steady, passive income via cryptocurrency investment, then you should leverage the services of Bytebus.

To learn more about Bytebus and purchase cloud mining plans, visit its website at https://bytebus.com/

PR Contact:

Tracy Wade

contact (at) bytebus.com

Tracy Wade contact (at) bytebus.com

Source: Bytebus
Media relations:

Sam Connatty

Tel.: +44 (0)370 904 3601

[email protected]

Investor relations:

Vincent Biraud

Tel.: +33 1 47 54 50 87

[email protected]

Capgemini acquires Quorsus to reinforce its capital markets service offerings

Paris, October 10, 2022  Capgemini announced today the acquisition of Quorsus, a UK-based firm specializing in consultancy services to financial institutions in post-trade technologies, operations, regulatory solutions, and market infrastructure. Its specific industry focus and expertise will allow Capgemini to further support its capital markets clients in addressing not only increasing regulatory requirements, but the need for strategic yet efficient operations across the trading lifecycle.

Headquartered in London, the team at Quorsus works across the financial ecosystem, applying their extensive post-trade capital markets knowledge and delivery capabilities to support clients in regulatory reporting, financial market infrastructure and securities processing. Since its inception in 2019, demand for its services has seen Quorsus achieve rapid growth across a broad portfolio of clients that includes some of the largest, and most prominent, global market participants, market infrastructure providers and industry associations within capital markets.

While the landscape for financial institutions is re-shaping rapidly due to consolidations, new technologies, and changing operating models, compliance continues to be key. The acquisition of Quorsus brings to our team a set of in-demand specialist expertise to reinforce our capital markets services for financial institutions, said Anirban Bose, CEO of Capgeminis Financial Services Strategic Business Unit and Group Executive Board Member. With Quorsus we are strengthening further our ability to deliver end-to-end business transformation to clients in financial services.

Comments Ryan Baccus, CEO of Quorsus, We are very much looking forward to being part of the Capgemini Group. Our current clients will benefit from the Groups global scale and breadth of services, which we believe will be critical to ensure our clients can meet both their strategic transformation and regulatory driven change requirements. Our team members will also benefit from the career opportunities that come with joining a global leader.

About Capgemini

Capgemini is a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of over 350,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported in 2021 global revenues of 18 billion.

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For all the lofty talk, dirty deeds remain the hallmark of US policy: China Daily editorial

From:China Daily | 2022-10-10 16:38

United States President Joe Biden has on many occasions claimed his government doesn't seek a new Cold War with China. His administration's China policy, as Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have both repeatedly maintained, is to compete and cooperate wherever necessary.

US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said the other day that the US administration doesn't have a policy to decouple from China.

Things would be a lot better for both countries if those claims held true. But that's not the case, at least in the technology sector, where the US government is doubling down on its efforts to throttle Chinese ambitions for advancement.

On Wednesday, in a bid to "highlight and counter the People's Republic of China's military-civil fusion strategy", the US Defense Department added 13 more Chinese companies, including the civilian drone maker DJI Technology, to a blacklist that subjects them to an investment ban.

On Friday, the US Commerce Department announced a sweeping set of more aggressive export controls aimed at limiting Chinese access to the most advanced chips and the tools needed to develop its own. Under the new rules, toolmakers will have to stop shipping equipment to wholly Chinese-owned factories producing advanced logic chips, and chipmakers will be prohibited from providing advanced chips made anywhere with US equipment.

Also on Friday, 31 other Chinese tech companies, such as leading domestic chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp, were put on a list of entities that US officials "cannot inspect" and may face tougher restrictions for that reason.

The moves are the latest in a series allegedly targeted at the "nefarious end use" of technology and with the aim of ensuring "companies across the globe operate on a level playing field". In reality the latest slew of US hurdles are meant to substantially slow down the pace of Chinese technological progress particularly in relation to supercomputing and military applications.

No wonder a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called the move an abuse of trade measures designed to reinforce the US'"technological hegemony". They are not fair play, but straightforward, undisguised suppression.

Contrary to its rhetoric, the current US administration has actually maneuvered the biggest shift in US policy on technological exchanges with China since the 1990s. But while the US moves will no doubt disrupt global supplies and frustrate the Chinese chip sector in the short term, they are unlikely to impede China's technological advancement in the long run.

And China will not be the only victim. The US tech sector, which has benefited tremendously from the robust Chinese market, will also suffer, as the US government's abusive use of the foreign direct product rule, on which the US controls are based, will gradually erode the advantages of US technologies.

Unless the US government can make sure it has watertight control over global technological progress and the international market, the rigid control regime will ultimately undermine US companies' competitiveness and hence US technological leadership.
NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minerals Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MTX) (MTI or the Company) announced today that it will release results for its third quarter ended October 2, 2022, on Thursday, October 27, 2022, after the market close. The Company will host a conference call on Friday, October 28, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss these results.

The conference call will be webcast and can be accessed at Minerals Technologies website at www.mineralstech.com. To listen to the call, go to the MTI website and click on "Investor Relations," then click on "Quarterly Results & Conference Calls."

About Minerals Technologies Inc.New York-based Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI) is a global resource- and technology-based company that develops, produces, and markets a broad range of specialty mineral, mineral-based and synthetic mineral products and related systems and services. MTI serves the consumer products, paper & packaging, foundry, steel, construction, environmental, energy, and polymer industries. The Company reported sales of $1.9 billion in 2021. For further information, please visit our website at www.mineralstech.com. (MTI-G)

Contact:Erik Aldag, (212) 878-1831

Source: Minerals Technologies Inc.
ALAMO, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synergys Biotherapeutics, a preclinical stage biotherapeutics company developing Vasculogenic Mimicry (VM)-blocking antibody fusion drugs, announced today that it has been awarded a Phase I/Phase II Fast-Track grant from the National Cancer Institute under the auspices of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Institutes of Health. The grant will support ongoing preclinical development of the Companys lead biological drug candidate, SYN-001, as a treatment for Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). SYN-001 is a novel antibody fusion therapeutic that links an anti-EGFR antibody to a highly anti-angiogenic dimeric mutant endostatin as its fusion partner.

The Fast-Track grant includes a 1-year Phase l funding for efficacy studies of SYN-001 in TNBC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models which will supplement efficacy results already obtained from TNBC cell line based xenografts that were recently published in the journal CELLS (Cells 2021,10,2904. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10112904). Contingent on Phase I success, Phase II funds for 2 years will be allowed to carry out further studies essential for filing an IND.

SYN-001 is an exciting new and innovative targeted immuno-anti-vasculogenesis therapeutic for prevention of TNBC growth and metastases. In addition to anti-angiogenic activity directed at endothelial cells, SYN-001 is uniquely capable of inhibiting vasculogenic mimicry, i.e. the direct formation of vascular channels by TNBC cells. SYN-001 also inhibits TNBC tumor cell motility, migration and metastasis, and retains ADCC activity. Unlike SYN-001, most currently-marketed anti-angiogenic drugs lack significant VM-inhibitory activity.

Synergys will develop SYN-001 in collaboration with Joseph Rosenblatt, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Sundaram Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery, both from the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL. The laboratory of Dr. Rosenblatt, the academic co-PI of the project, originally designed the SYN-001 fusion protein and demonstrated the ability of SYN-001 to block VM and metastases by TNBC cells.

Regarding the award, Dr. Rosenblatt notes, "We are delighted that NCI has continued its recognition of our collaborative research with Synergys on inhibition of Vasculogenic Mimicry in TNBC by SYN-001. The current Fast-Track award has followed on the heels of two recently completed Phase I SBIR grant, one of which involved the development of SYN-001 for TNBC. We look forward to expanding our highly productive collaboration with Synergys for the preclinical development of SYN-001.

"We are highly thankful to the NCI grant review committee for recognizing Synergys vastly impactful research towards providing a new therapeutic treatment for TNBC, stated Rathin Das, Ph.D, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Synergys. The planned studies for which NCI has awarded us the Fast Track grant will facilitate progress in preclinical development of SYN-001 for submission of an IND as a first-in-class biotherapeutic for human testing involving TNBC patients.

Dr. Das further said, "We will continue to aggressively pursue securing government grants as non-dilutive funding in addition to external investment and partnerships for developing our pipeline candidates.

About Synergys BiotherapeuticsSynergys is a preclinical stage biotherapeutics company developing Vasculogenic Mimicry-blocking Antibody Fusion products for treatment of various cancers. The Companys most advanced product candidate, Anti-EGFR-TAP (SYN-001) is currently in preclinical development for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Additionally, a second candidate, Anti-HER2-TAP (SYN-002) is being developed for ovarian cancer. Both candidates were derived from the technology termed A-TAP (Antibody-Targeted Anti-vascularization Payload). Synergys utilizes a virtual business model and works with its academic partners and various CROs for the development of its therapeutic candidates.

ContactsDr. Rathin C. DasChief Executive OfficerSynergys Biotherapeutics, Inc.Ph: 925-575-0181email: [email protected]https://www.Synergysbio.com

Source: Synergys Biotherapeutics, Inc.
HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A carbon compensated crude oil cargo sold by Ecopetrol and purchased by CITGO Petroleum Corporation is currently making its way to the CITGO Corpus Christi refinery for processing. The recent transaction supports Ecopetrol's objectives on energy transition and decarbonization.

The 500,000 barrel cargo of Ecopetrol Castilla Blend is the company's flagship crude oil and one of the main references of heavy crude in the region and the international market.

"We plan to sell a total of four carbon-compensated crude oil cargoes this year," said Pedro Manrique, Ecopetrol Commercial Vice President, "and we hope to achieve this goal by working closely with companies like CITGO and others who share our vision on energy transition and decarbonization. It is essential as an industry to contribute to the goals that the world has set for climate change mitigation."

As part of the transaction, Ecopetrol has arranged for carbon offsets for both the emissions of the cargo itself, equivalent to 16,000 tons of CO2e and, for the first time, the emissions associated with the maritime transportation of the crude to the CITGO terminal in the U.S. Gulf Coast (USGC), estimated on 1.110 tons of CO2e. Both will be offset by carbon credits generated through a Verified Carbon Standard ("VCS") certified natural climate solutions project located in Colombias western region. The project reduces deforestation and degradation of forests, protects its biodiversity, and supports local communities.

"CITGO is pleased to participate in this important initiative that protects the environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions," said Karl Schmidt, CITGO Vice President Supply and Marketing. "Purchasing this cargo from Ecopetrol, a great partner with a firm commitment to decarbonization, inspires us to advance our efforts in this area."

The carbon compensation for the Ecopetrol/CITGO transaction offsets direct emissions generated along the crude oil value chain, which includes production, dilution, transportation into the Covenas terminal located on the Atlantic Coast of Colombia and maritime transportation to Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Ecopetrol Group plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2050.

About Ecopetrol

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector.

About CITGO

CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the well-known CITGO brand. CITGO owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 38 active terminals, six pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,300 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO ranks as the fifth-largest and is one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products, and supplies a network of approximately 4,300 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ecopetrol-and-citgo-transaction-to-offset-carbon-301644785.html

SOURCE CITGO Corporation
The rate of clinical remission was 47.9 percent in patients who received combination induction therapy with guselkumab and golimumab compared with either treatment alone (31.0 percent and 20.8 percent, respectively) at 38 weeks1

SPRING HOUSE, Pa., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced data from an ongoing analysis of a Phase 2a clinical trial showing adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who received 12 weeks of combination induction therapy with guselkumab and golimumab, followed by a transition to guselkumab alone for maintenance, achieved a clinical remission ratea (based on the modified Mayo score [mMayo])b at week 38 of 47.9 percent, a higher rate than induction and maintenance treatment with either guselkumab alone (31.0 percent) or golimumab alone (20.8 percent).1,2 Patients had comparable rates of adverse events (AEs) across the treatment groups.1 Guselkumab alone, or the combination of guselkumab and golimumab are under clinical investigation and not approved for the treatment of adults with UC in the U.S.

The VEGA study is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with an interleukin (IL)-23p19 subunit antagonist (guselkumab) and a tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) antagonist (golimumab) in UC.3,4 Detailed results were presented today as an oral presentation (OP087) at the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2022 congress taking place in-person in Vienna, Austria and virtually from October 8-11.1

"Exploring combinations of advanced therapies is an important step in continuing to innovate for the many patients living with ulcerative colitis," said Bruce E. Sands, M.D., M.S., Chief of the Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai, Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and VEGA Steering Committee member.c "These new data from the VEGA trial build upon and affirm our initial 12-week findings showing the potential clinical benefit of combining guselkumab and golimumab in treating adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis."

In the VEGA study, patients with moderately to severely active UC were randomized (1:1:1) to receive combination therapy with guselkumab and golimumab, guselkumab monotherapy, or golimumab monotherapy.1 After endpoints were evaluated at week 12, patients in the monotherapy groups continued their initially assigned treatment, while patients randomized to the combination therapy group transitioned to guselkumab alone as a maintenance therapy.1 Patients remained blinded and received their respective therapies through the final efficacy assessment at week 38. Clinical remissiona,d was assessed based on the modified Mayo score (mMayo),b as well as the total Mayo score.e Symptomatic remission,f endoscopic improvement,g endoscopic remission,h histologic remission,i and composite histologic-endoscopic endpointsg,i were also assessed at week 38 in an exploratory analysis.1 Safety was evaluated through week 50 (16 weeks after the final dose of study intervention at week 34).1

Patients who received combination therapy with guselkumab and golimumab followed by maintenance treatment with guselkumab achieved clinical remissiona (mMayob) at week 38 (47.9 percent [34/71]) versus 31.0 percent (22/71) and 20.8 percent (15/72) of patients who received guselkumab or golimumab alone, respectively (nominal p=

Rates of clinical remissiond as defined by the total Mayo scoree at week 38 were similar to those based on the mMayo,a,b with 43.7 percent (31/71) in the combination therapy followed by guselkumab group achieving this endpoint, compared to either the guselkumab or golimumab monotherapy groups, (31.0 percent [22/71] and 22.2 percent [16/72], respectively).1

Also, patients receiving combination therapy followed by guselkumab had the following outcomes at week 38:1

Endoscopic improvementg and the composite histologic-endoscopic endpointg,i were higher in patients who received combination therapy followed by treatment with guselkumab compared to patients who received guselkumab or golimumab alone.

Endoscopic remissionh and histologic remissioni were higher in patients who received combination therapy followed by treatment with guselkumab compared to patients who received golimumab alone.

Patients receiving combination therapy followed by maintenance treatment with guselkumab and patients receiving treatment only with guselkumab monotherapy achieved the same rate of symptomatic remissionf of 69 percent at week 38, which was greater than the golimumab monotherapy group of 59.7 percent.1

Rates of AEs were comparable through week 50 of the study.1 Respectively, the combination therapy followed by guselkumab, guselkumab alone, and golimumab alone groups had AE rates of 63.4, 64.8, and 76.4 percent and infection rates of 31.0, 23.9, and 31.9 percent.1 All groups had the same serious AE rates of 5.6 percent and the same serious infection rates of 2.8 percent.1 Overall, 13.1 percent of patients discontinued their treatment prior to the final dose of study intervention.1

"The 38-week VEGA data suggest the potential that guselkumab and golimumab combination therapy has in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis for whom previous conventional treatments have inadequately managed their disease or improved their well-being," said Jan Wehkamp, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President, Gastroenterology Disease Area Leader, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "We thank the patients who participated in the VEGA study, as their contribution helps us get closer to our goal of developing therapies that will bring meaningful improvements to patients with ulcerative colitis."

Janssen previously announced the 12-week data of patient outcomes from the VEGA study at the 17th Congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation on February 19, 2022.2

Editor's Notes:

a. Clinical remission (based on the mMayo) is defined as a stool frequency subscore of 0 or 1, where the stool frequency subscore has not increased from baseline, a rectal bleeding subscore of 0, and an endoscopy subscore of 0 or 1 with no friability present on endoscopy.1

b. Modified Mayo score consists of three of the four components of the full Mayo score: stool frequency, rectal bleeding, and endoscopic score. The physician global assessment score is not included.5

c. Dr. Sands is a paid consultant for Janssen. He has not been compensated for any media work.

d. Clinical remission is defined as a Mayo score 2, with no individual subscore >1.1

e. The total Mayo score is the sum of four subscores  stool frequency, rectal bleeding, physician's global assessment, and endoscopy findings  that are scored from normal (0) to severe (3).3

f. Symptomatic remission is defined as Mayo stool frequency subscore of 0 or 1, where the stool frequency subscore has not increased from baseline, and a rectal bleeding subscore of 0.1

g. Endoscopic improvement is defined as an endoscopy subscore of 0 or 1 with no friability present on the endoscopy.1

h. Endoscopic remission is defined as an endoscopy subscore of 0.1

i. Histologic remission is defined as absence of neutrophils from the mucosa (both lamina propria and epithelium), no crypt destruction, and no erosions, ulcerations or granulation tissue according to the Geboes grading system.1

About VEGA (NCT03662542; EudraCT 2018-001510-15)

VEGA was a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, parallel group, global multicenter Phase 2a proof-of-concept study evaluating the efficacy and safety of combination induction therapy with guselkumab and golimumab, followed by a transition to guselkumab monotherapy for maintenance, in patients with moderately to severely active UC as defined by a Mayo score of 6 to 12 inclusive and an endoscopy subscore of 2 or greater as determined by central read.3,4

Study participants were naive to TNF, IL-12/23, and IL-23p19 antagonists and had to be refractory or intolerant to conventional therapy (e.g. immunosuppressants and/or corticosteroids).1 Participants were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive guselkumab monotherapy dosed at 200 milligrams (mg) intravenously (IV) at weeks 0, 4, and 8 followed by 100 mg every 8 weeks (q8w) subcutaneous (SC) (n=71); golimumab SC monotherapy dosed at 200 mg at week 0 followed by 100 mg SC at weeks 2, 6, and 10 followed by 100 mg every 4 weeks SC monotherapy (n=72); or a combination of 200 mg IV guselkumab plus 200 mg SC golimumab at week 0, 100 mg SC golimumab at weeks 2, 6, and 10, and 200 mg IV guselkumab at weeks 4 and 8 (n=71) followed by 100 mg guselkumab SC q8w thereafter.1 After week 12, participants in the monotherapy groups continued their initially assigned treatment, while patients randomized to the combination group transitioned to guselkumab 100 mg SC q8w as a maintenance therapy.1 The participants received their respective therapies through week 34 with final efficacy assessments at week 38.1

The primary endpoint was clinical response at week 12, defined as a decrease from baseline in the Mayo score by 30 percent or more and 3 or more points, with either a decrease in rectal bleeding subscore of 1 or more or rectal bleeding subscore of 0 or 1. The trial's major secondary endpoint was clinical remission at week 12, defined as Mayo score less than or equal to 2, with no individual subscore more than 1. No adjustments were made for multiple comparisons.2,3 Other key endpoints evaluated at week 12 were clinical remission (based on components of the mMayo score), symptomatic remission, endoscopic improvement, endoscopic remission, histologic remission, composite histologic-endoscopic endpoints, and biomarker outcomes.1

About Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and UC, affect as many as 1.6 million people in the United States.6 UC is a chronic disease of the large intestine, also known as the colon, in which the lining of the colon becomes inflamed and develops tiny open sores, or ulcers, that produce pus and mucus.7 It is the result of the immune system's overactive response.7 Symptoms vary, but may include loose and more urgent bowel movements, persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloody stool, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue.8

About guselkumab

Developed by Janssen, guselkumab (which is marketed under the brand name TREMFYA) is the first approved fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the p19 subunit of IL-23 and inhibits its interaction with the IL-23 receptor.9 TREMFYA is approved in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and a number of other countries worldwide for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet light), and for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).9 It is also approved in the EU for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque PsO in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy and for the treatment of active PsA in adult patients who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy.9

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson maintain exclusive worldwide marketing rights to TREMFYA.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about TREMFYA?TREMFYA is a prescription medicine that may cause serious side effects, including:

Serious Allergic Reactions. Stop using TREMFYA and get emergency medical help right away if you develop any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction:

Stop using TREMFYA and get emergency medical help right away if you develop any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure)



swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue or throat



trouble breathing or throat tightness



chest tightness



skin rash, hives



itching

Infections. TREMFYA may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your healthcare provider should check you for infections and tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with TREMFYA and may treat you for TB before you begin treatment with TREMFYA if you have a history of TB or have active TB. Your healthcare provider should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during and after treatment with TREMFYA.Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, including:

TREMFYA may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your healthcare provider should check you for infections and tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with TREMFYA and may treat you for TB before you begin treatment with TREMFYA if you have a history of TB or have active TB. Your healthcare provider should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during and after treatment with TREMFYA.Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, including: fever, sweats, or chills



muscle aches



weight loss



cough



warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body different from your psoriasis



diarrhea or stomach pain



shortness of breath



blood in your phlegm (mucus)



burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal

Do not take TREMFYA if you have had a serious allergic reaction to guselkumab or any of the ingredients in TREMFYA.

Before using TREMFYA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have any of the conditions or symptoms listed in the section "What is the most important information I should know about TREMFYA?"

have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back.

have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB.

have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). You should avoid receiving live vaccines during treatment with TREMFYA.

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TREMFYA can harm your unborn baby.

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TREMFYA passes into your breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of TREMFYA?

TREMFYA may cause serious side effects. See "What is the most important information I should know about TREMFYA?"

The most common side effects of TREMFYA include: upper respiratory infections, headache, injection site reactions, joint pain (arthralgia), diarrhea, stomach flu (gastroenteritis), fungal skin infections, herpes simplex infections, and bronchitis.

These are not all the possible side effects of TREMFYA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Use TREMFYA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to use it.

Please read the full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide for TREMFYA, and discuss any questions that you have with your doctor.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

cp-82626v3

About golimumab10

Golimumab (marketed as SIMPONI) is a prescription medicine for adults with:

Moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with the medicine methotrexate (MTX)

Active PsA, alone or with the medicine MTX

Active ankylosing spondylitis

Moderately to severely active UC when certain other UC medicines have not worked well enough or cannot be tolerated, or if it is necessary to continue taking steroid medicines

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

SERIOUS INFECTIONS

SIMPONI (golimumab) is a prescription medicine. SIMPONI can lower your ability to fight infections. There are reports of serious infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses that have spread throughout the body, including tuberculosis (TB) and histoplasmosis. Some of these infections have been fatal. Your doctor will test you for TB before starting SIMPONI and will monitor you for signs of TB during treatment. Tell your doctor if you have been in close contact with people with TB. Tell your doctor if you have been in a region (such as the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys and the Southwest) where certain fungal infections like histoplasmosis or coccidioidomycosis are common.

You should not start SIMPONI if you have any kind of infection. Tell your doctor if you are prone to or have a history of infections or have diabetes, HIV or a weak immune system. You should also tell your doctor if you are currently being treated for an infection or if you have or develop any signs of an infection such as:

fever, sweat, or chills

muscle aches

cough

shortness of breath

blood in phlegm

weight loss

warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body

diarrhea or stomach pain

burning when you urinate or urinate more than normal

feel very tired

Your doctor will examine you for TB and perform a test to see if you have TB. If your doctor feels that you are at risk for TB, you may be treated with medicine for TB before you begin treatment with SIMPONI and during treatment with SIMPONI. Even if your TB test is negative, your doctor should carefully monitor you for TB infections while you are taking SIMPONI. People who had a negative TB skin test before receiving SIMPONI have developed active TB. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms while taking or after taking SIMPONI:

cough that does not go away

low grade fever

weight loss

loss of body fat and muscle (wasting)

CANCER

Unusual cancers have been reported in children and teenage patients taking TNFblocker medicines. For children and adults taking TNF blockers, including SIMPONI, the chances for getting lymphoma or other cancers may increase. Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and fatal lymphoma, has occurred mostly in teenage or young adult males with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who were taking other TNF blockers with azathioprine or 6mercaptopurine. You should tell your doctor if you have had or develop lymphoma or other cancers.

Some people treated with SIMPONI have developed certain kinds of skin cancer. If any changes in the appearance of your skin or growths on your skin occur during or after your treatment with SIMPONI, tell your doctor.

USE WITH OTHER DRUGS

Tell your doctor about all the medications you take including ORENCIA (abatacept), KINERET (anakinra), ACTEMRA (tocilizumab), RITUXAN (rituximab), or another TNF blocker, or if you are scheduled to or recently received a vaccine. People taking SIMPONI should not receive live vaccines or treatment with a weakened bacteria (such as BCG for bladder cancer).

HEPATITIS B INFECTION

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus has been reported in patients who are carriers of this virus and are taking TNF-blocker medicines, such as SIMPONI. Some of these cases have been fatal. Your doctor should do blood tests before and after you start treatment with SIMPONI. Tell your doctor if you know or think you may be a carrier of hepatitis B virus or if you experience signs of hepatitis B infection, such as:

feel very tired

dark urine

skin or eyes look yellow

little or no appetite

vomiting

muscle aches

clay-colored bowel movements

fevers

chills

stomach discomfort

skin rash

HEART FAILURE

Heart failure can occur or get worse in people who use TNF blockers, including SIMPONI. If you develop new or worsening heart failure with SIMPONI, you may need treatment in a hospital, and it may result in death. Your doctor will closely monitor you if you have heart failure. Tell your doctor right away if you get new or worsening symptoms of heart failure like shortness of breath, swelling of your lower legs or feet, or sudden weight gain.

NERVOUS SYSTEM PROBLEMS

Rarely, people using TNF blockers, including SIMPONI, can have nervous system problems such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barre syndrome. Tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms like vision changes, weakness in your arms or legs, or numbness or tingling in any part of your body.

IMMUNE SYSTEM PROBLEMS

Rarely, people using TNF blockers have developed lupus-like symptoms. Tell your doctor if you have any symptoms such as a rash on your cheeks or other parts of the body, sensitivity to the sun, new joint or muscle pain, becoming very tired, chest pain or shortness of breath, swelling of the feet, ankles, and/or legs.

LIVER PROBLEMS

Serious liver problems can happen in people using TNF blockers, including SIMPONI. Contact your doctor immediately if you develop symptoms such as feeling very tired, skin or eyes look yellow, poor appetite or vomiting, or pain on the right side of your stomach.

BLOOD PROBLEMS

Low blood counts have been seen with SIMPONI. If this occurs, your body may not make enough blood cells to help fight infections or help stop bleeding. Your doctor will check your blood counts before and during treatment. Tell your doctor if you have signs such as fever, bruising, bleeding easily, or paleness.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to rubber or latex. The needle cover contains dry natural rubber.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding or have a baby and were using SIMPONI during pregnancy. Tell your baby's doctor before your baby receives any vaccine because of an increased risk of infection for up to 6 months after birth.

ALLERGIC REACTIONS

Allergic reactions can happen in people who use TNF-blocker medicines, including SIMPONI. Tell your doctor if you have any symptoms of an allergic reaction while taking SIMPONI such as hives, swollen face, breathing trouble, or chest pain. Some reactions can be serious and life-threatening.

Common side effects of SIMPONI include: upper respiratory tract infection, reaction at site of injection, and viral infections.

PSORIASIS

New or worse psoriasis symptoms may occur. Tell your doctor if you develop red scaly patches or raised bumps that are filled with pus.

Please read the full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for SIMPONI and discuss any questions you have with your doctor.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

cp-51591v2

About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular, Metabolism & Retina; Immunology; Infectious Diseases & Vaccines; Neuroscience; Oncology; and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Learn more at www.janssen.com.Follow us at www.twitter.com/JanssenGlobal.

Janssen Research & Development, LLC is part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding guselkumab and golimumab product development. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2022, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in Johnson & Johnson's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.

References

Panes J, et al. Induction Combination Therapy with Guselkumab and Golimumab Followed by Guselkumab Monotherapy Maintenance: Results of the Phase 2a, Randomized, Double-blind, Proof-of-concept VEGA Study (Abstract OP087). Presented at the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week, October 10, 2022. Sands BE, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Combination Induction Therapy with Guselkumab and Golimumab in Participants with Moderately-to-Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis: Results Through Week 12 of a Phase 2a Randomized, Double-blind, Active-controlled, Parallel-group, Multicenter, Proof-of-concept Study (Abstract OP36). Presented at the 17th Congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO), February 16-19, 2022. Clinicaltrials.gov. A Study of Efficacy and Safety of Combination Therapy With Guselkumab and Golimumab in Participants With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis (VEGA). Identifier: NCT03662542. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03662542. Accessed September 2022. EU Clinical Trials Register. A Phase 2a Randomized, Double-blind, Active-controlled, Parallel-group, Multicenter, Proof-of-concept Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Combination Therapy With Guselkumab and Golimumab in Participants With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis. Available at: https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2018-001510-15/DE. Accessed September 2022. Naegeli, et al. Full, Partial, and Modified Permutations of the Mayo Score: Characterizing Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Ulcerative Colitis Patients. Crohn's and Colitis 360: 2021;3;1-8. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. The Facts About Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Available at https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/Updated%20IBD%20Factbook.pdf. Accessed September 2022. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. What is Ulcerative Colitis? Available at: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-ulcerative-colitis. Accessed August 2022. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. Signs and Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis. Available at: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-ulcerative-colitis/symptoms. Accessed September 2022. TREMFYA Prescribing Information. Available at: https://www.janssenlabels.com/package-insert/product-monograph/prescribing-information/TREMFYA-pi.pdf. Accessed September 2022. SIMPONI Prescribing Information. Available at: https://www.janssenlabels.com/package-insert/product-monograph/prescribing-information/SIMPONI-pi.pdf. Accessed September 2022.

Media contact:Craig StoltzMobile: (609) 730-2922

Investor Contact:Raychel KruperOffice: (732) 524-6164

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SOURCE Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
DALLAS, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellar Service Brands ("Stellar"), a multi-brand residential and commercial service organization that includes Restoration 1, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, The Driveway Company and Softroc, has named Caleb Ward its Vice President of Finance. As a key member of the finance team, Ward will be integral in setting the strategy for and overseeing financial planning and analysis across all the brands.

"I am pleased to welcome Caleb to our leadership team; he will play a pivotal role in driving strategic growth and innovation for Stellar Service Brands," said Sherry Rose, chief executive officer of Stellar Service Brands. "Our recent relocation to Dallas has allowed us to attract top talent as we continue to expand. Caleb has a wealth of experience in the finance industry and his leadership skills will be a tremendous asset to the company as he joins the finance team under Jessica Wescott, chief operating officer and chief financial officer."

Prior to joining Stellar Service Brands, Ward worked as a director of retail production and finance at Cardinal Financial Corp. Throughout his career, Ward has worked in various roles for Supreme Lending, Gold Medal Pools, and Reach Restaurant Group. Ward is a native Texan who received his Bachelor of Science in Finance, cum laude, from the University of Texas.

"I am excited to join a company that not only possesses a number of reputable brands, but also has the potential for substantial growth over the course of many years," said Ward. "I look forward to working with Sherry, Jessica and the team to move Stellar Service Brands forward in its financial, operational, and cultural transformation."

To learn more about Stellar Service Brands, visit Stellarservicebrands.com

About Stellar Service BrandsBased in Dallas, Texas, Stellar Service Brands is a holding company that includes Restoration 1, an award-winning franchise that specializes in a wide array of emergency mitigations, restoration and reconstructions services; bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, a trusted franchise in plumbing repair and installation; The Driveway Company, a leading franchise for concrete driveway repair and maintenance; and Softroc, a provider of poured in place rubber surfacing. Together, they include nearly 500 franchise locations awarded across the U.S. With the investment and support of MPK Equity Partners, Stellar plans to continue expanding by adding brands that share the company's goal of providing exceptional home and commercial services.

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SOURCE Stellar Service Brands
NEW ORLEANS  Two people from a sunken fishing boat were fending off sharks in the Gulf of Mexico when a crew rescued them and one other person from waters off the Louisiana coastline, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard launched a search after a relative reported the three people failed to return from a fishing trip Saturday evening.

The 24-foot, center-console fishing boat sank about 10 a.m. Saturday and stranded the three people without communication devices, the Coast Guard said in a news release.

The three were wearing lifejackets and one was showing signs of hypothermia when they were rescued Sunday about 25 miles offshore from Empire, Louisiana, a small community southeast of New Orleans. They had been in the water more than 24 hours.

The news release said a Coast Guard boat crew saw two of the people fending off sharks, and both of them had injured hands. The crew pulled them from the water, and the two were lifted onto a helicopter. The helicopter crew lifted the third boater from the water.

The two injured people were taken to University Medical Center New Orleans, where they were listed as stable. The Coast Guard did not release their names and did not specify whether the injuries were from bites, from being scraped against sharks' sandpaper-like skin or from another cause.

"If the family member had not notified the Coast Guard, and if these three boaters were not wearing life jackets, this could've been a completely different outcome," said Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Keefe, a Coast Guard search and rescue mission coordinator in New Orleans.

The news release said Coast Guard crews in two boats, two planes and a helicopter searched about 1,250 square miles of water, slightly larger than the size of Rhode Island.
(Tribune News Service)  A surprising  and mysterious  piece of World War II history has emerged from Lake Shasta as the California drought unearths long-submerged relics from the water.

Shasta-Trinity National Forest announced Sunday that a boat was found in the desiccating lake bed, hidden from view likely for decades. The 31-17 marking on it linked it back to the USS Monrovia, an attack transport ship used in both the European and Pacific theaters of WWII.

Built in 1942, the USS Monrovia sailed first to the Mediterranean. There, it was boarded by then-Lt. Gen. George S. Patton and other troops headed for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. After its stint in Europe, the Monrovia steamed toward the Pacific, transporting Marines to the battles of Tarawa, Guam, Okinawa and more. Upon the wars end, thousands of troops sailed home to the States aboard the Monrovia. The ship earned seven battle stars during the conflict.

The Monrovia stayed busy throughout the Cold War, participating in regular drills and occasionally deploying when things threatened to turn hot.

The maintenance of a defensive readiness throughout this period enabled her to react positively during the many intervening crises such as occurred at Beirut, Lebanon, July 1958; Cuba, October, 1962; and the Panama Canal Zone, January 1964, according to Naval History and Heritage Command.

In October 1968, the Monrovia was decommissioned by the U.S. Navy and sold for scrap. One of those pieces of scrap, a troop transport vessel, somehow made it to Northern California. It went for one last joyride on Lake Shasta before sinking, although no one knows when. The circumstance of its sinking remains a mystery, reads a tweet from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest account.

Lake Shasta is well below its historical average capacity. According to the California Department of Water Resources, Lake Shasta is currently at 33% of its total capacity; normally at this time of year, its at 59%. Its the largest reservoir in the state.

Area reservoirs remain well below their historic averages for this time of year given the ongoing drought, the Bay Areas National Weather Service office tweeted Sunday, and occasionally, interesting things appear.

(c)2022 SFGate, San Francisco

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Recently, my husband, Francis, mentored a young man attending Officer Candidate School at Naval Station Newport, R.I. He received his commission last month, and his parents invited Francis and me out to a celebratory dinner.

During the meal, Francis regaled the new ensign with stories from his early years in the Navy. Oooh, honey! I recalled excitedly, what about the time your first commanding officer ordered you to be the Easter Bunny at the command picnic, and you refused! Francis relayed the hilarious tale of receiving a much-deserved verbal pummeling from his Prowler squadron CO, expletives deleted of course.

Francis told about offering his furious OCS drill sergeant lame excuses for his unpolished belt buckle, swimming through vats of soupy kitchen scraps for his Wog Day initiation onboard the USS Independence, and, thankfully, not being present at the ill-fated Tailhook conference with the rest of his squadron in 1991.

At times, Francis noticed looks of confusion or alarm on the faces of the new ensign and his parents. Oh, dont worry, Francis assured them, that isnt done in the Navy anymore.

On our way home that night, Francis and I realized that the Navy is a very old institution with a long and storied history.

Fortunately, Im quite familiar with old.

Im a resident of old Rhode Island, which became an original colony in 1636 and the 13th state in 1790. I live in an old village, where colonists made arrangements with the native Narragansett tribe to graze sheep in 1638. I live in an old house built in 1891. My house is filled with old things, such as antiques I bought during overseas tours, the gooseneck rocking chair from the Salvation Army in which I rocked all three of our babies, and the ugly afghan crocheted by my husbands Aunt Millie in 1972 that may still smell like her cigarettes.

And although Im technically middle-aged, I feel older than dirt.

More to the point, the Navy turns 247 years old next week. Just like our old town and our old house and my old rocker, the Navy has a long, unique history with both good times and bad.

Interestingly, in August of 1775, it was my old state that suggested the Continental Congress create a naval force. Rhode Island, which has more registered boats than residents, had already established its own tiny navy with two armed vessels to defend local merchant ships. Rhode Island's delegates to the Continental Congress called for a larger fleet for the protection of these colonies, and for employing them in such a manner and places as will most effectively annoy our enemies. ..."

John Adams liked the plan, fighting other delegates who thought it was the maddest idea in the world. After much debate, the resolution finally passed on Oct. 13, 1775, establishing the Continental Navy. After the Revolutionary War, Americas first president, George Washington, signed the Naval Act of 1794 creating a permanent standing US Navy.

Since then, Navy sailors have valiantly fought in every battle from the Quasi War (1798-1800) to Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2014), and all other military conflicts for the past 247 years.

Certainly, the Navy has had low moments, from the decline of Civil War ironclads in the 1890s and the Navys role in deploying the atomic bomb during WWII, to the Tailhook sexual harassment scandal in 1991 and the Fat Leonard bribery and corruption cases still being investigated today.

As I know all too well, everything old has its blemishes. Strength and endurance are attained through a willingness to change to meet new demands. Nearly two and a half centuries of remarkable achievements, growth and modernization have made our US Navy the strongest and most respected seafaring military force in the world.

I am so grateful for the experiences, adventures, rewards and hardships our family had during Francis 28 years in the Navy. From the old porch on our old house, I sometimes hear the national anthem playing from the Navy base across the bay, and no matter how old I get, it still puts a lump in my throat.

Happy birthday, ol Navy. Wishing you many more years of fair winds and following seas.
GUATEMALA CITY  Former Hurricane Julia has dissipated but is still drenching Guatemala and El Salvador with torrential rains Monday after it reemerged in the Pacific following a pounding of Nicaragua.

At least 19 people were reported dead as a direct or indirect result of the storm.

Guatemala's disaster prevention agency said five people died after a hillside collapsed on their house in Alta Verapaz province, burying them.

Authorities in El Salvador said five Salvadoran army soldiers died after a wall collapsed at a house where they sought refuge in the town of Comasagua, where hundreds of police and soldiers have been conducting anti-gang raids. Another soldier was injured.

Two other people died in the eastern El Salvador town of Guatajiagua after heavy rains caused a wall of their home to collapse. Another man in El Salvador died when he was swept away by a current, and another died when a tree fell on him.

Rivers overflowed their banks and El Salvador declared a state of emergency and opened 80 storm shelters.

In neighboring Honduras, a 22-year-old woman died when she was swept away by currents, and three people died when their boat swamped or capsized in northern Honduras. A man in Nicaragua was killed by a falling tree.

Julia hit Nicaragua's central Caribbean coast early Sunday as a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and survived the passage over the country's mountainous terrain, entering the Pacific late in the day as a tropical storm..

By Monday, Julia had moved inland over Guatemala and its winds were down to 30 mph.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Julia was centered about 80 miles west-northwest of Guatemala City, and was moving west-northwest at 15 mph.

The center said floods and mudslides were possible across Central America and southern Mexico through Tuesday, with the storm expected to bring as much as 15 inches of rain in isolated areas.

In Guatemala, two people were listed as missing and two were hospitalized, and about 1,300 people had to leave their homes because of flooding and rising streams.

Julia was expected to dissipate later Monday as it passes along the Guatemalan coast.

Colombia's national disaster agency reported Sunday that Julia blew the roofs off several houses and knocked over trees as it blasted past San Andres Island east of Nicaragua. There were no immediate reports of fatalities

In Nicaragua, Vice President Rosario Murillo told TN8 television that 9,500 people had been evacuated to shelters.

Heavy rains and evacuations were also reported in Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica, where some highways were closed due to the downpours.
MEXICO CITY  Hurricane Julia hit Nicaragua's central Caribbean coast and dumped torrential rains across Central America before reemerging over the Pacific as a tropical storm. It was forecast to travel parallel to the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala on Monday.

Julia hit Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, though its winds had dipped to tropical storm force of 40 mph by Sunday night as it moved past Nicaragua.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Julia was centered about 95 miles southeast of San Salvador, El Salvador and was moving west at 15 mph.

It said life-threatening flash floods and mudslides were possible across Central America and southern Mexico through Tuesday, with the storm expected to bring as much as 15 inches of rain in isolated areas.

Colombia's national disaster agency reported Sunday that Julia blew the roofs off several houses and knocked over trees as it blasted past San Andres Island east of Nicaragua. There were no immediate reports of fatalities

In Nicaragua, Vice President Rosario Murillo told TN8 television that there had been no reports of deaths so far, but power and communications were cut to some areas. She said that 9,500 people had been evacuated to shelters.

Local news media showed images of trees toppled across roads and local flooding.

Heavy rains and evacuations were also reported in Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica, where some highways were closed due to the downpours.

Guillermo Gonzalez, director of Nicaraguas Disaster Response System, told official media that people at high risk had been evacuated from coastal areas by noon Saturday. The army said it delivered humanitarian supplies to Bluefields and Laguna de Perlas for distribution to 118 temporary shelters.

The storm was forecast to emerge over the Pacific and skirt the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala, a region already saturated by weeks of heavy rains. It was expected to dissipate by Monday night.

In Guatemala, storms since early May had already caused caused at least 49 confirmed deaths, with six people missing. Roads and hundreds of homes have been damaged, Guatemalan officials say.

In El Salvador, where 19 people have died this rainy season, the worst rainfall was expected Monday and Tuesday, said Fernando Lopez, the minister of environmental and natural resources. Officials said they had opened 61 shelters with the capacity to house more than 3,000 people.
MEXICO CITY  The Mexican government filed another U.S. gun lawsuit Monday, this time against five U.S. gun shops and distributors it claims are responsible for the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico.

Mexico's first lawsuit, which was recently dismissed, targeted U.S. gun manufacturers. The second, which Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said was filed in Arizona's federal district court Monday, targets gun dealers.

We are suing them because clearly there is a pattern, we contend that it is obvious that there is weapons trafficking and that it is known that these guns are going to our country, Ebrard said.

Ebrard promised last week the new lawsuit would target gun shops or dealers in U.S. border states who sell guns to straw purchasers who pass them on to smugglers, who then take the weapons into Mexico.

Mexico is suing for unspecified monetary damages and to demand the gun stores hire independent monitors to ensure that U.S. federal laws are followed in gun purchases.

Alejandro Celorio Alcantara, the legal adviser to Mexico's Foreign Relations Department, said Mexico had chosen the five worst stores" to name in the lawsuit, including three gun outlets in Tucson, one in Phoenix and one in Yuma, Arizona.

They are not careful when they sell products, so they allow straw purchasers to buy guns, said Celorio Alcantara, adding they sold multiple guns, multiple times to some purchasers. We are saying they are negligent and facilitate straw purchasers, to the point of being accomplices.

He claimed that U.S. criminal investigations had traced weapons purchases back to the stores, and said there was evidence that the shops had not filed required information on some purchases.

The main argument of our lawsuit is that these businesses are an organized part of a criminal enterprise, a mechanism, to facilitate criminals and cartels in Mexico being able to use their weapons, said Celorio Alcantara.

He said the first hearing on the suit might not come until the summer.

Ebrard said about 60% of the weapons seized in Mexico in recent years were believed to have been sold in 10 U.S. counties, mostly along the border. Mexico has very strict restrictions on weapon possession, but drug cartel violence has cost hundreds of thousands of lives in the country in recent years.

We are going to show that many of these outlets where they sell these products in these counties I mentioned, are dealing with straw purchasers, and criminal charges have to be brought, Ebrard said last week in an appearance before the Mexican Senate.

A recently enacted U.S. law defines straw purchasing as a crime, and sets out sentences of as much as 15 to 25 years if the offense is related to drug trafficking.

Celorio Alcantara said that was a key difference between this and Mexico's earlier lawsuit: in the Arizona suit, Mexico is arguing a violation of U.S. laws.

The announcement comes several days after a U.S. federal judge dismissed Mexicos first lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers; Mexico has said it will appeal that decision.

The judge ruled Mexicos claims against the gun makers did not overcome the broad protection provided to firearms manufacturers by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act passed in 2005.

The law shields gun manufacturers from damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm.

Mexico was seeking at least $10 billion in compensation, but legal experts had viewed the lawsuit as a long shot.

The Mexican government estimates 70% of the weapons trafficked into Mexico come from the U.S., according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry. It said that in 2019 alone, at least 17,000 homicides in Mexico were linked to trafficked weapons.
TAIPEI, Taiwan  China's threats of military action against Taiwan are "absolutely not an option" and will "only push our two sides further from each other," Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Monday.

Speaking on Taiwan's National Day, Tsai said China should not mistake competition within Taiwan's multiparty democratic political system for weakness and "attempt to divide Taiwanese society."

"I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides," Tsai said.

"Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait," she said.

Fighter jets and a Chinook helicopter displaying Taiwan's flag flew overhead while the band from Taipei's First Girls' High School played hits ranging from the Beatles to Lady Gaga.

National Day included international guests such as Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr., whose country's blue and yellow flag flew alongside Taiwan's red banner with its blue square and white star.

Despite its expression of Taiwan's endurance as an independent political entity with a thriving democracy and free press, the holiday  generally known as "Double Ten" in Taiwan  commemorates a 1911 uprising by troops in the Chinese city of Wuhan that eventually led to downfall of the Qing Dynasty. China's Communist Party swept the Nationalist government from the mainland amid civil war in 1949 and continues to claim the island.

Tsai's speech focused largely on Taiwan's success in strengthening the social security net for an aging society and continuing to grow its high-tech economy despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

But she also emphasized Taiwan's boosted efforts to protect itself from China's threat, both with increased imports of foreign hardware and the revitalization of the domestic arms industry and upgraded training for reserves. Tsai singled out Taiwan's submarine development program and the delivery of its first domestically developed and constructed 10,000-ton landing platform dock Yushan as particular successes.

Russia's war on Ukraine has refocused attention on China and methods by which Taiwan can resist a much larger and more powerful foe equipped with the world's largest standing army and a huge arsenal of missiles.

That was further underscored when China launched threatening military exercises around the island in response to an early August visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Those included sending ships and planes across the midline of the Taiwan Strait that had long been a buffer zone between the sides. China also declared testing zones around the island in some of the world's most heavily traveled shipping lanes and fired at least four missiles over Taiwan, some of them landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Japan issued diplomatic protests over the missile firings and signed on to a statement from the Group of Seven industrialized countries criticizing the threatening war games.

Despite Beijing's threats, U.S. and other foreign diplomats have continued to visit Taiwan and Washington's commitment to Taiwan's defense has only appeared to grow.

Although Taipei and Washington have no formal diplomatic relations  a concession made to Beijing on the establishment of official ties in 1979  U.S. law requires that Taipei has the ability to defend itself. It also requires Washington to regard all threats to the island as matters of "grave concern."

That commitment has long rested on the concept of "strategic ambiguity"  that, while Washington wants to see Taiwan's status resolved peacefully, it doesn't say whether U.S. forces might be sent in response to a Chinese attack  which has gradually eroded as China's threat has sharpened.

U.S. President Joe Biden, in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview last month, said that "U.S. forces, U.S. men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion."

The White House said after the interview that U.S. policy toward Taiwan hasn't changed.

Last month, the Biden administration announced a $1.09 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including $355 million for Harpoon air-to-sea missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, the State Department said.

The largest portion of the sale, however, is a $655 million logistics support package for Taiwan's surveillance radar program, which provides air defense warnings.

The State Department said the equipment is necessary for Taiwan to "maintain a sufficient self-defense capability."

After Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Party swept him from the mainland amid civil war in 1949, Taiwan's flag and other political traditions were transported to Taiwan, a former Japanese colony, as the island was restored to Chinese rule at the end of World War II.

Chiang ruled with an iron fist until his death in 1975, and with the end of martial law in 1987, Taiwan gradually took on the trappings of a modern democracy.

China, however, has refused to acknowledge Taiwanese self-determination, and has refused to acknowledge Tsai's government or have any formal contacts with it since her first of two terms began in 2016.

Along with exerting military pressure, Beijing has blocked Taiwan from taking part in international health, economic and cultural forums and has banned some imports from the island in apparent violation of World Trade Organization rules.
KYIV, Ukraine  The first blasts of the day hit at a central intersection during the downtown morning rush hour, killing a police officer driving to work, and leaving several cars mangled and in flames near a historic university complex and the country's education ministry.

Another hit one of the Ukrainian capital's most popular parks, leaving a crater next to a playground that only the day before was packed with children and families enjoying a mild fall weekend.

Later, there was an explosion next to a pedestrian and bicycle bridge beloved by tourists. A huge orange fireball followed by a cloud of white and black smoke briefly enveloped but did not destroy the glass-bottomed walkway, which provides views of the city and the Dnieper River.

The wave of Russian airstrikes that rocked Kyiv on Monday morning shattered months of calm, thrusting the city back into the center of the nearly eight-month-old war.

Many of the city's normal rhythms had resumed after Russia's effort to invade the capital and topple the Ukrainian government failed last spring.

And across the city on Monday, Ukrainians expressed anger and fear over the strikes that slammed into civilian sites in retaliation for a blast on Saturday that damaged the Crimean Bridge, a highly strategic link between mainland Russia and the illegally-annexed Crimea region on Saturday.

The bridge is a key logistical conduit for the Russian military and of huge symbolic value to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has not taken official responsibility for the bridge attack but Putin has accused Ukraine's special services of organizing it.

Many Kyiv residents also voiced defiance in the face of the likelihood of continued attacks, which Putin threatened as he boasted of a "massive strike" on Ukraine in retaliation for the bridge attack.

In central Kyiv, Ekateryna Puzanova, 46, was unloading morning deliveries at the grocery store where she works when a giant explosion shook the building, throwing colleagues onto the floor and jolting her so hard that the contents of her pockets spilled onto the floor.

Some colleagues ran into a windowless kitchen; others were thrown onto the ground.

She had fled to Kyiv early in the war from the eastern Donetsk region, an area that Russia illegally annexed last month. Growing emotional as she thought of her husband and son, she was resolute: she would stay.

"I've already left my place once," she said. "Kyiv is home for us now."

Across Kyiv, residents said they were better prepared after the initial months of the war, more accustomed to the wartime routine of sheltering, cleaning up, and moving on with their lives.

After Putin's Feb. 24 invasion, much of the city slept in shelters or subway stations for weeks as residential areas regularly took incoming Russian fire, until the invading forces were finally forced to retreat after their failed assault on the capital.

But Monday's attack appeared to cross previous boundaries set by Russia, as the missile strike for the first time hit in the very heart of Kyiv, near government ministries, pedestrian streets and commercial zones.

Kyiv residents who for months had shrugged off air raid sirens rushed into basements, protected rooms or hallways and especially deep underground subway stations, seen as the safest place to wait out the attacks.

The Vokzalna subway station, adjacent to Kyiv's central passenger railroad station, was crowded with hundreds of people in the hours after the first blasts hit Kyiv, some of them carrying suitcases or pets in small carriers.

Olesya Rogatynska, 39, had just arrived in Kyiv by train on Monday morning after seven months in Georgia, where she and her family had sought shelter from the war. With Kyiv apparently peaceful for months, Rogatynska made the decision to return with her 61-year-old mother and 4-year-old son. But as soon as her train pulled into Kyiv, they were rushed into the metro station.

Tears spilled from Rogatynska's eyes as she spoke. "I feel terrified now. I really couldn't stay any longer in another country, but now it's too risky stay in Kyiv again," she said. "I have no idea what to do next."

Rogatynska raised her hands with uncertainty thinking about her choices ahead. She said her family would wait at her home in Kyiv and see what the night would bring. If more strikes occur, she said, "I will just jump into the car with my son and drive to Poland."

At a bike shop in central Kyiv, Oleksiy Milkovskiy was among those cleaning up the wreckage caused by a strike that, as Putin suggested, appeared to target a major power station across the road.

The blast blew out windows of adjacent apartment blocks and offices.

A tall office building nearby was badly damaged, with nearly an entire facade of windows blown out, and the interior of offices and building materials dangling in the open air. Emergency service workers and military personnel quickly sealed off the area.

Milkovskiy, 27, said the morning's attacks gave him flashbacks to February, but said that he would not consider leaving. His face hardened when he asked whether the Crimean Bridge explosion was worthwhile considering the price Kyiv was paying now.

He said he did not think the Ukrainian government had carried out the attack  some Ukrainian officials assert that it was done by Russia itself. For his part, Milkovskiy said he believed Russia was set on destruction no matter what.

"Actually it doesn't matter," he said. "No matter what we Ukrainians do here or at the front line, they are just terrorists, attacking civilians with missiles."
LONDON  The Russian missiles that rained down Monday on cities across Ukraine, bringing fear and destruction to areas that had seen months of relative calm, are an escalation in Moscow's war against its neighbor.

But military analysts say it's far from clear whether the strikes mark a turning point in a war that has killed thousands of Ukrainians and sent millions fleeing from their homes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attacks were retaliation for a blast Saturday that damaged a showpiece bridge linking Russia to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014. Putin called the Kerch Bridge attack an "act of terrorism" and vowed a "tough" response to any further attacks that threaten Russia's security.

Simon Smith, a former British ambassador to Ukraine, said the Russian leader was trying to send "a 'You ain't seen nothing yet' message" to Ukraine.

Smith said the hail of Russian missiles onto civilian areas was "psychological and physical intimidation"  but also "an act of desperation" from a Russian leader whose troops are losing territory in parts of eastern Ukraine that Moscow has already annexed.

"This is very much Putin on the back foot," said Smith, who heads the Ukraine Forum at the think-tank Chatham House. "He is on the defensive."

Russia's defense ministry said it had targeted "military command and communication facilities and energy infrastructure," but Ukraine accused Moscow of indiscriminately hitting civilian areas. Ukrainian authorities said Russia fired 84 missiles against 10 cities, with 56 of them neutralized by air defenses. At least a dozen people were killed and over 60 wounded in the missile strikes, officials said.

"Russia is seeking to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses," Justin Crump, chief executive of security consultancy Sibylline, told the BBC. "That's something they have tried throughout the conflict, but never on this scale."

Crump said Ukraine will likely seek more surface-to-air missiles from Western allies to strengthen its air defenses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to speak Tuesday to Group of Seven leaders during a video conference.

Michael Clarke, a visiting professor in war studies at King's College London, said Monday's attacks, while brutal, likely were not a turning point in the war, "because in a way, the Russians are already doing their worst."

Ukrainians are finding mass graves and evidence of torture  and are undertaking war crimes investigations  in cities and towns recaptured after months of Russian occupation.

"In increasing the worst, all they do is bring more civilian misery to Ukraine, which will harden the resolve (of Ukrainians)," Clarke said. "And they are still losing on the ground."

Monday's fierce bombardment came two days after Putin put air force chief Gen. Sergei Surovikin in command of all Russian forces in Ukraine. Surovikin previously led Russian forces in Syria and was accused of overseeing a brutal bombardment that destroyed much of the city of Aleppo.

Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at military think-tank the Royal United Services Institute, said Surovikin's appointment probably will not bring a major change to Russia's military campaign.

"He has had a career that's been blighted by accusations of both corruption and brutality," Kaushal said. "So that may be some insight into how he will approach it. But then again, the Russian approach has already been quite brutal."

Kaushal said Russia had "used a pretty phenomenal number of missiles" in the war so far and could run short of some of modern precision weapons. But he said Russia had "large numbers of stockpiled holdovers from the Soviet era" and still retained a capacity to inflict heavy damage on Ukraine.

"Given the sheer number of targets, and given that overall, the Russian missiles in terms of their accuracy and performance have been reasonably good, you would expect at least some bits of Ukrainian critical infrastructure, some things like power grids, to be destroyed over the course of the campaign," Kaushal said.

Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, said Russia was seeking "to psychologically break Ukrainians, to make us wish the war ended no matter how."

But Ukraine said it would not back down.

Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility for the Crimea bridge attack, but Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, Vadym Prystaiko, on Monday called the bridge a legitimate military target and said Kyiv's forces would strike more sites of high military significance to Russia.

"We are not targeting Russian civilian infrastructure anywhere, especially beyond the Ukrainian official borders with Russia," he told Times Radio. "But to achieve the victory, we will have to push further and further."

Smith, the former ambassador, said Monday's attacks were not "game-changing." But he said Putin, faced with Ukrainian advances on the ground, had opened up "a new dimension" in the war.

"If Putin knows that deploying hundreds of thousands of his armed forces in Ukraine is going to be a dead loss because they are so poorly commanded and poorly equipped, then he is going to be looking for ways of visiting death and destruction on Ukraine from a greater distance," Smith said  and that raises significant questions for Ukraine's Western allies.

"The countries supporting Ukraine need to think about the ways they can help Ukraine defend itself against that," Smith said.
BRUSSELS  The string of strikes against Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure on Monday galvanized long-standing calls from the government to its allies for more sophisticated air defense systems and longer-range weapons.

The Russian attacks appeared to signal a significant escalation, raising pressure on the United States and other European countries that have been reluctant to provide Ukraine with the latest in military technology.

In a bid to avoid direct military conflict with Russia, Western allies have been slow to provide Ukrainian forces with the most advanced weapons systems  a trend that has persisted even as the Kremlin has repeatedly declared that its fight is not just with Ukraine, but against the United States and NATO.

Within hours of the strikes, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held emergency phone calls with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss air defense and other military aid. Zelenskyy said he will address an emergency meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Tuesday.

Amid the rush of diplomacy, Russian President Vladimir Putin effectively made Zelenskys case for air defense by threatening additional strikes.

The best response to Russian missile terror is the supply of antiaircraft and antimissile systems to Ukraine  protect the sky over Ukraine! Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted Monday. This will protect our cities and our people. This will protect the future of Europe.

Even before the strikes Monday, the countrys top officials were loudly proclaiming the need to boost air defenses.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Sunday after Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia that we urgently need more modern air defense and missile defense systems to save innocent lives. I urge partners to speed up deliveries.

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that instead of talking we need air defense, MLRS, longer-range projectiles, referring to multiple-launch rocket systems.

Estonias Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, in a video message delivered with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday said we have to deliver air defenses from the allied side so that Ukrainians can protect their cities and civilians because Russia is definitely escalating to harming civilians.

Ukraines military said that in Mondays attack, its air defenses took down 43 of the 83 missiles launched at it.

The German Defense Ministry said Monday that the first of four IRIS-T air defense systems promised to Ukraine would arrive in the next few days, and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Germany is doing everything we can to quickly reinforce Ukraine.

Residents of Kyiv in fear of death in the morning traffic. An impact crater next to a playground, she tweeted. It is vile & unjustifiable that Putin is firing rockets at cities and civilians.

In the phone call with Zelensky on Monday morning, Macron pledged increased support for Ukraine, including more military equipment, but there are growing questions over the extent to which the French are actually living up to their promises.

A recent ranking by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy concluded that France has spent less on announced weapons deliveries to Ukraine than much smaller European nations like Estonia and the Czech Republic. Overall, France ranked as only the 11th-biggest global supplier of Ukrainian military aid by August  a humiliating result for a country that views itself as the E.U.s leading military power, critics say.

Ukraine is interested in air defense systems used by the French military, including the SAMP/T. The Le Monde newspaper reported that one reason for Frances hesitation has been that the country has a limited stock of the necessary batteries.

French government officials have defended the extent of their support, citing discretion and suggesting that they have not disclosed all their supplies. They have also argued that their deliveries  including 18 highly accurate CAESAR self-propelled howitzer cannons  have been key additions on the battlefield. France is in negotiations to divert additional CAESAR cannons that were originally ordered by Denmark to Ukraine.

But the criticism that France has fallen behind smaller allies in aiding Ukraine appears to have struck a nerve at the Elysee Palace in recent days. As Macron met with other E.U. leaders in Prague on Friday, he announced the creation of a 100 million euro ($97 million) fund that will allow Ukraine to buy its own military equipment.

The fund is in addition to around $230 million France had committed to military aid but far behind the more than $17 billion that the Biden administration has sent Ukraine since February.

The Pentagon said in late September that it will deliver two advanced antiaircraft systems, called the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, or NASAMS, within the next two months  something Ukraine had long been asking for.

Noack reported from France, Morris from Berlin.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered unmarked troops to Ukraine in 2014, first in Crimea and then the eastern borderlands of Donbas, they were better equipped, trained and organized - and they crushed their opponents.

Eight years on, the roles are reversed. That's due to a multitude of factors: The modern weapons and training provided to Ukraine by its allies, the vastly better morale of its military, the caliber of its commanders, intelligence and planning aid from the US, plus catastrophic tactical errors by the Kremlin and its generals.

One cause, however, stands out: The very different ways in which two armies both with Soviet roots have learned to fight.

The impact on and off the battlefield has been profound, with Ukrainian forces able to conduct rapid, combined force operations in a September drive from Kharkiv in the northeast to the Donbas region that, just months earlier, had proved beyond the capabilities of their Russian adversaries.

In the southern Kherson region, Ukraine has added a third major front where is forcing Russian troops into retreat, following Kharkiv and, back in April, the capital, Kyiv. On Saturday, a huge explosion hit the bridge Putin built to connect Crimea with the mainland.

"He is not joking," U.S. President Biden said Thursday, of Putin's threats to deploy tactical nuclear weapons. "Because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming."

The poor Russian performance has sparked a backlash at home, with hawkish figures from Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov to reputed mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin lashing out at the failures of military commanders. On Saturday, Putin for the first time publicly put a single general - Sergei Surovikin - in command of the entire Ukraine operation. Surovikin heads Russia's air force and had been in charge of the invasion's southern theater.

People close to the Russian defense ministry said they recognized the efficiency of Ukraine's more devolved command structure from the early stages of the war. Russian military bloggers, meanwhile, have described the disorienting effect of attacks from the rear by small, mobile Ukrainian units, because it's difficult to know in real time how big the threat of encirclement is.

After its 2015 defeat, Ukraine's regular army had to be rebuilt almost from scratch. Hollowed out by decades of underfunding, corruption and later deliberate degradation under the pro-Russian former president Viktor Yanukovych, it could field just 6,000 combat ready troops against Russia's hybrid forces.

A clutch of defense ministers Yanukovych appointed before being forced from office in 2014 have since been prosecuted; in one case the charge was "treason in the interests of the Russian Federation." By the time Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a civilian entrepreneur, was parachuted into the ministry to drive reform in 2015, it was clear to him that a Russian plan to "demilitarize" Ukraine had been underway for years.

"It was never just about the Donbas," said Zagorodnyuk, interviewed in Kyiv. "It was from the start about controlling all of Ukraine."

When Putin launched his invasion earlier this year, it was with a military that for eight years had been lavished with extra spending and equipment. If the U.S. agreed with the Kremlin on anything, it was that Ukraine's defense force was outclassed and that Kyiv could fall in a matter of days.

That didn't happen in part because at the core of Ukraine's military reform, according to Zagorodnyuk, was the principle of "mission task command," in which decision-making is handed to the lowest possible level.

"It is exactly the opposite of what happened in the post-Soviet and Russian armed forces," said Zagorodnyuk, who served as defense minister from 2019 to 2020. He traced a 30-year post-independence trajectory in which both nations - including their militaries - were learning from very different pasts: One authoritarian and imperial, the other rebellious and individualistic. "It's the same reason why the war is being fought."

The military was among the last institutions in Ukraine to change. Still, according to Zagorodnyuk, the reforms were "transformational." Add NATO training, the development of a new U.S.-style corps of noncommissioned officers with decision-making powers and accorded greater respect, plus eight years of experience fighting in Donbas, and the profile of Ukraine's military has become dramatically different from Russia's.

On Sunday, the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported the European Union has agreed to train a further 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers in EU countries, starting with Germany and Poland.

According to Zagorodnyuk, as many as 500,000 Ukrainian men and women cycled through the trenches along the 2015 Donbas cease-fire line, where fighting continued daily despite the truce, right up to Putin's Feb. 24 invasion.

After intervening directly, if covertly, to decide the 2014-2015 Donbas conflict, Russia mostly sent officers to coordinate the fight in the trenches. As a result, it never had that training ground for its troops. Whereas the vast majority of Russian soldiers who came to Ukraine in February had never been to war, Ukraine had both a serving military and deep bench of reserves that had.

At least as important are the young officers who served in Donbas from 2014, trained with NATO and rose to become generals - including the 49-year-old commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.

That difference has significant implications as Putin orders a mobilization of fighting age men that have at some point served in the armed forces, months after Ukraine ordered its own draft. Russia's mobilization aims to raise about 300,000 recruits, but there are few qualified officers available to train them into a fighting force, and no empowered NCOs to mentor them within units.

Nor can the rigid, top down nature of the Russian military command structure be easily altered in the political system Putin has created since coming to power more than 20 years ago.

While the war's outcome is far from decided and Russia's armed forces retain advantages in key areas such as sheer quantities of artillery, long range missiles and aircraft, they have for now lost the initiative to Ukraine.

"I think our experience since 1991 contributed a lot," says Mykola Bielieskov, research fellow at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, a Ukraine government think tank. That includes the 2004 Orange and 2014 Maidan popular revolts, as well as the Donbas conflict that followed, when Ukrainians instantly self-organized to feed protesters, form militias or crowdfund basic medical and military supplies.

By February, when Ukraine came under attack from a vastly larger and better equipped Russian force, it was only the instinct to self-organize that saved cities like Kharkiv, Mykolayiv and Kryvyi Rih from being overwhelmed, because in many cases there was little or no regular army to defend them.

"We needed to improvise to survive," Bielieskov said. If people had waited for orders from Kyiv, or "we'd fought the way the Russians do, we'd have been quickly overwhelmed."

As Ukraine has moved onto the offensive, those advantages have been on display again. Like Russia, it has faced the challenge of having to break through defensive lines without the air superiority needed to protect its forces from ambush or counterattack.

Reliant on slow moving artillery, Russia could only pound Ukraine's defenses and then edge slowly forward in Donbas. In its drive east from Kharkiv, by contrast, Ukraine, could bring its heavy guns forward in real time to perform the role of air cover, according to Bielieskov.

That was partly down to having some mobile systems like the French Caesar and Polish Krab self-propelled howitzers to deploy. But it was also because Ukraine's gunners had learned to rapidly dismantle and reassemble the much more plentiful, static, U.S. M777 howitzers.

"I think the Russians made a big mistake giving us eight years to prepare," said Bielieskov.

(c) 2022, Bloomberg.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russia retaliated Monday for an attack on a critical bridge it claimed was carried out by Ukraine by unleashing its most widespread strikes in months. The lethal barrage against multiple Ukrainian cities smashed civilian targets, knocking out power and water, shattering buildings and killing at least 14 people.

Ukraines Emergency Service said nearly 100 people were wounded in the morning rush hour attacks that Russia launched from the air, sea and land against at least 14 regions, spanning from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the east. Many of the attacks occurred far from the wars front lines.

Though Russia said missiles targeted military and energy facilities, some struck civilian areas while people were heading to work and school. One hit a playground in downtown Kyiv and another struck a university.

The attacks plunged much of the country into a blackout, depriving hundreds of thousands of people of electricity into Monday night and creating a shortage so severe Ukrainian authorities announced they will stop power exports to Europe starting Tuesday. Power outages also often deprive residents of water, given the systems reliance on electricity to run pumps and other equipment.

Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the strikes had no practical military sense and that Russias goal was to cause a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces used precision weapons to target key energy infrastructure and military command facilities in retaliation for what he claimed was Kyivs terrorist actions  a reference to Ukraines attempts to repel Moscows invasion, including an attack Saturday on a key bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula that Putin said was masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

Putin vowed a tough and proportionate response should Ukraine carry out further attacks that threaten Russias security. No one should have any doubts about it, he told Russias Security Council by video.

The Russian president has been under intense domestic pressure to take more aggressive action to stop a largely successful Ukrainian counteroffensive and to react forcefully to Saturdays attack on the Kerch bridge, whose construction he used to cement his 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Putins increasingly frequent descriptions of Ukraines actions as terrorist could portend even more bold and draconian actions. But in Mondays speech, Putin  whose partial troop mobilization order last month triggered an exodus of hundreds of thousands of men of fighting age  stopped short of escalating his special military operation to a counterterrorism campaign or martial law. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on world leaders to declare Russia a terrorist state because of its attacks on civilians and alleged war crimes.

Moscows war in Ukraine is approaching its eight-month mark, and the Kremlin has been reeling from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas of eastern Ukraine it is trying to annex.

The head of Ukraines law enforcement said Mondays attacks damaged 70 infrastructure sites, of which 29 are critical. Zelenskyy said that of the 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones Russia fired, Ukrainian forces shot down 56.

Blasts struck in the capitals Shevchenko district, which includes the historic old town and government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Some of the strikes hit near the government quarter in the capitals symbolic heart, where parliament and other major landmarks are located. A glass-covered office tower was significantly damaged, with most of its blue-tinted windows blown out.

Zelenskyy, in a video address, referred to the rush hour timing of Mondays attacks, saying Russia chose such a time and such targets on purpose to inflict the most damage.

The strikes sent residents of Ukraines two largest cities  Kyiv and Kharkiv  into bomb shelters, including subway stations.

Zelenskyys wife, Olena, posted a video showing people sheltering on the stairs of a Kyiv subway station singing a Ukrainian folk song, In a Cherry Garden, whose final lines are: My dear mother, you are old and Im happy and young. I want to live, to love.

While air raid sirens have continued throughout the war, in Kyiv and elsewhere many Ukrainians had been ignoring the warnings after months of calm.

Just as traffic was picking up Monday morning, a commuter minibus was struck near Kyiv National University. Nearby, at least one missile landed in Shevchenko Park, leaving a large hole near a childrens playground.

Another target was the Klitschko pedestrian bridge  a central Kyiv landmark with glass panels. Video footage showed a huge explosion under the bridge, with smoke rising, and a man running away, apparently unhurt. The mayor posted a video later while walking on the bridge, pointing out a crater on a sidewalk below and broken glass and missile fragments on the bridge surface.

Air raid sirens sounded in every region of Ukraine except Russia-annexed Crimea for four straight hours.

Associated Press journalists saw bodies at an industrial site on the outskirts of Dnipro. Four people were killed and 19 injured in the city, officials said. Witnesses said one missile landed in front of a bus during the morning rush hour, damaging the vehicle but not killing any passengers.

Natalia Nesterenko, a mathematician, saw one missile fly by her Dnipro apartment balcony as she was in her kitchen, then she heard two explosions.

Its very dangerous. I immediately called my kids to see how they are because anyone can be hit  women, children, she said.

Kharkiv was hit three times, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The strikes knocked out the electricity and water supply. Energy infrastructure was also hit in Lviv, regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi said.

Three cruise missiles launched against Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldovas airspace, said the countrys foreign affairs minister, Nicu Popescu.

The attacks prompted fresh international condemnation of Russia.

The Group of Seven industrial powers scheduled a video conference Tuesday on the situation, which Zelenskyy will address.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement the missile attacks that killed civilians again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

He said the United States and its allies will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom.

In a phone call later Monday, Biden told Zelenskyy the United States agreed to his request to provide advanced air defense systems.

French President Emanuel Macron expressed extreme concern. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted that Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable.

Some feared Mondays attacks may mark the start of a new Russian offensive. As a precautionary measure, Ukraine switched all schools to online learning.

In an ominous move, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced Monday that he and Putin have agreed to create a joint regional grouping of troops. He offered no details.

Lukashenko repeated his claims that Ukraine is plotting an attack on Belarus, sparking fears he would take preemptive action. His defense minister, Viktor Khrenin, later issued a video warning Ukraine not to provoke Belarus, but added: We dont want to fight.

Sabra Ayres in Kyiv, Vasilisa Stepanenko in Kharkiv, and Justin Spike and Yesica Fisch in Dnipro, contributed to this report.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Workers at the site of a major complex of refineries crucial for Iran's massive offshore natural gas field protested Monday over the death of a 22-year-old woman, online videos appeared to show.

The demonstrations at Asaluyeh mark the first time the unrest surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini threatened the coffers of Iran's long-sanctioned theocratic government  its oil and gas industry.

While it remains unclear if other workers will follow, the protests come as demonstrations rage on in cities, towns and villages across Iran over the Sept. 16 death of Amini after her arrest by the country's morality police in Tehran. Early on Monday, the sound of apparent gunshots and explosions echoed through the streets of a city in western Iran, while security forces reportedly killed one man in a nearby village, activists said.

Iran's government insists Amini was not mistreated, but her family says her body showed bruises and other signs of beating. Subsequent videos have shown security forces beating and shoving female protesters, including women who have torn off their mandatory headscarf, or hijab.

From Tehran and elsewhere, online videos have emerged despite authorities disrupting the internet. Videos showed some women marching through the streets without headscarves, while others confronted authorities and lit fires in the street as the protests continue into a fourth week. The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges to Iran's theocracy since the 2009 Green Movement protests.

Online videos analyzed by The Associated Press showed dozens of workers gathered at the refineries in Asaluyeh, some 575 miles south of the capital, Tehran, on the Persian Gulf. The vast complex takes in natural gas from the massive offshore natural gas field that Iran shares with Qatar.

In one video, the gathered workers  some with their faces covered  chant "shameless" and "death to the dictator." The chants have been features across protests dealing with Amini's death.

Others show them gathered around the massive network of tanks and industrial features, as well as on a nearby roadway. The details in the videos correspond with each and to known features of the facility compared against satellite photos taken Sunday.

Iran did not acknowledge any disruption at the facility, though the semiofficial Tasnim news agency described the incident as a salary dispute. Iran is one of the world's top natural gas suppliers, just after the U.S. and Russia.

The violence early Monday in western Iran occurred in Sanandaj, the capital of Iran's Kurdistan province, as well as in the village of Salas Babajani near the border with Iraq, according to a Kurdish group called the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. Amini was Kurdish and her death has been felt particularly in Iran's Kurdish region, where demonstrations began Sept. 17 at her funeral there.

Hengaw posted footage it described as smoke rising in one neighborhood in Sanandaj, with what sounded like rapid rifle fire echoing through the night sky. The shouts of people could be heard.

There was no immediate word if people had been hurt in the violence. Hengaw later posted a video online of what appeared to be collected shell casings from rifles and shotguns, as well as spent tear gas canisters.

Authorities offered no immediate explanation about the violence early Monday in Sanandaj, some 250 miles west of Tehran. Esmail Zarei Kousha, the governor of Iran's Kurdistan province, alleged without providing evidence that unknown groups "plotted to kill young people on the streets" on Saturday, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported Monday.

Kousha also accused these unnamed groups that day of shooting a young man in the head and killing him  an attack that activists have roundly blamed on Iranian security forces. They say Iranian forces opened fire after the man honked his car horn at them. Honking has become one of the ways activists have been expressing civil disobedience  an action that has seen riot police in other videos smashing the windshields of passing vehicles.

In the village of Salas Babajani, some 60 miles southwest of Sanandaj, Iranian security forces repeatedly shot a 22-year-old man protesting there who later died of his wounds, Hengaw said. It said others had been wounded in the shooting.

It remains unclear how many people have been killed in the demonstrations or by the security force crackdown targeting them. State television last suggested at least 41 people had been killed in the demonstrations as of Sept. 24. In the over two weeks since, there's been no update from Iran's government.

An Oslo-based group, Iran Human Rights, estimates at least 185 people have been killed. This includes an estimated 90 people killed in violence in the eastern Iranian city of Zahedan amid demonstrations against a police officer accused of rape in a separate case.

Amnesty International said security forces killed 66 people in Zahedan on Sept. 30, and that more people were killed in the area in subsequent incidents. Iranian authorities have described the Zahedan violence as involving unnamed separatists, without providing details or evidence.

Meanwhile, a prison riot has struck the city of Rasht, killing several inmates there, a prosecutor reportedly said. It wasn't immediately clear if the riot at Lakan Prison was linked to the ongoing protests, though Rasht has seen heavy demonstrations in recent weeks since Amini's death.

The semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted Gilan provincial prosecutor Mehdi Fallah Miri as saying, "some prisoners died because of their wounds as the electricity was cut (at the prison) because of the damage." He also alleged prisoners refused to allow authorities access to those wounded.

Miri described the riot as breaking out in a wing of a prison housing death penalty inmates.
BEIRUT  A U.S.-led coalition drone strike in northeastern Syria on Monday killed an Islamic State group militant, a a Kurdish-Syrian security official said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, the official told The Associated Press that the strike targeted the IS member driving a motorcycle in the village of Hamam al-Turkman. The village is controlled by Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces near Tel Abyad. No other casualties were reported.

Photos from local media surfaced on social media showing what is reportedly the remains of the militant's body next to the destroyed motorcycle.

U.S. Central Command did not immediately issue a statement on the drone attack and did not immediately respond to an Associated Press inquiry on the matter.

The U.S. last week announced it killed three IS leaders in two separate operations, including a rare ground raid in a part of northeast Syria under government control.

There are some 900 U.S. forces in Syria supporting Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against the Islamic State group. They have frequently targeted IS militants mostly in parts of northeastern Syria under Kurdish control.

Despite their defeat in Syria in 2019, when ISIS lost the last sliver of land its fighters once controlled, the extremists' sleeper cells have continued to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq. ISIS fighters once held large parts of the two countries.
(Tribune News Service)  President Joe Biden blasted Russia on Monday for its barrage of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities  and vowed to stand by Kyiv to repel the invasion.

The United States strongly condemns Russias missile strikes today across Ukraine, Biden said in a statement released by the White House. They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of (Vladimir) Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

The president insisted the attacks would not deter the U.S. from defending Ukraine.

These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes, Biden said.

Russia unleashed a volley of 84 missiles at Ukrainian civilian targets overnight Monday. Putin framed the attack as a response to Ukraines attack on a bridge linking Russia to the breakaway Ukrainian region of Crimea.

The U.S. and its allies have already sent billions of dollars in military and other assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in the winter.

Biden said the attacks would galvanize Western resolve to stay the course and strengthen sanctions against Moscow to force it to end its invasion.

We will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, Biden said. We again call on Russia to end this unprovoked aggression immediately and remove its troops from Ukraine.

2022 New York Daily News.

Visit at nydailynews.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
PHILADELPHIA  A statue of Christopher Columbus in Philadelphia remains hidden by a plywood box while its fate is decided in the courts, but the box has now been painted with the colors of the Italian flag.

City officials told the news station KYW that they painted the box covering the 146-year-old statue in south Philadelphia's Marconi Plaza with green, white and red stripes at the request of Councilmember Mark Squilla, who represents the district.

The new look came just in time for Columbus Day, the holiday now celebrated in Philadelphia and elsewhere as Indigenous Peoples Day.

Thomas DeFino, one of the residents who gathered in the park Sunday afternoon to celebrate their Italian American heritage with a parade and festival, welcomed the change, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

"They did it for us  the Italians. It made us feel a little bit better," DeFino said. "It's to honor our heritage. They had to pull some strings to paint it."

While he appreciated the gesture, DeFino said, he noted that the statue was "still in a box."

"He should have been taken out at least for one day," he said.

Mabel Negrete, executive director of Indigenous Peoples' Day Philly Inc., told the Inquirer it was "unfortunate" that some Italian Americans in the city continued to celebrate Columbus. The painting of the box in colors of the Italian flag, she said, "undermines intentions to move forward."

Supporters in Philadelphia, a city with a deep Italian heritage, say they consider Columbus an emblem of that heritage.

Mayor Jim Kenney said Columbus was venerated for centuries as an explorer but had a "much more infamous" history, enslaving Indigenous people and imposing punishments such as severing limbs or even death.

After protests about racial injustice began in June 2020 and some focused on the statue, Kenney ordered its removal, calling it a matter of public safety. A judge last year, however, reversed the city's decision, saying it had failed to provide evidence that the statue's removal was necessary to protect the public.

A lawsuit settlement announced last year allowed another 106-foot-tall Christopher Columbus monument at Penn's Landing on the Delaware River to remain in place with coverings removed for the foreseeable future, the Inquirer reported.
The accused, of Poplar Row, Ballybough, is charged with assault causing harm to a woman at Ballybough Road, Dublin 3.

A Dublin woman accused of tearing hair from another womans head in an attack on board a bus has pleaded not guilty.

Jennifer Donnelly (41) is accused of assaulting and injuring the woman when she spotted her on the Dublin Bus and had a row with her.

Ms Donnellys case was adjourned for hearing in March next year at Dublin District Court.

The accused, of Poplar Row, Ballybough, is charged with assault causing harm to a woman at Ballybough Road, Dublin 3.

The case had been adjourned previously and when it came back before Judge Bryan Smyth, defence solicitor Rory Staines said Ms Donnelly was pleading not guilty.

The court heard there would be two prosecution witnesses in the hearing and no CCTV evidence.

The accused was remanded on continuing bail.

On an earlier court date, when the prosecutions case was outlined, it was alleged the accused spotted the alleged victim on a bus and became aggressive toward her.

It was alleged that a row took place during which the accused struck the woman on the face and tore a handful of hair from her scalp.

The alleged victim exited the bus and gardai were later called to deal with the complaint.

The woman had made a recovery from her injuries, the court heard.

The charge against the accused is under section three of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
Lorcan Fahey from Dublin has a previous conviction for the same offence from ten years ago.

A man who was caught with three images and eight movie files of child abuse material has been jailed for 15 months.

Lorcan Fahey (42) of Saint John Street, Blackpits, Dublin 8 pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to being in possession of child pornography at his home on May 30, 2020. He has a previous conviction for the same offence from ten years ago.

Det Gda Richard Mostyn told Emmet Nolan BL, prosecuting that a warrant was secured to search Faheys home and 11 items were seized including two smart phones.

During the search Fahey told gardai I cant not see my kid again, but I did it. He didnt elaborate any further and said nothing further to gardai in interviews in October that year.

The phones were technically examined in August 2020 and the three image files and eight movie files were recovered. The content involved boys and girls between two and 17 years old either posing naked or in some instances engaged in sexual activity.

Det Gda Mostyn agreed with Philipp Rahn SC, defending that Fahey has a nine-year-old son.

He accepted that there was no suggestion of any contact offending by Fahey nor did he pay for any of the material.

Det Gda Mostyn further accepted that the majority of the files fall into the less explicit category.

Mr Rahn said his client is a good father and a trusted uncle and handed in a number of testimonials to support that.

He said a psychological report concluded that he was in the medium range of re-offending and there was no evidence to suggest that he experienced sexual attraction to prepubescent children.

Mr Rahn said his client had abused alcohol and compulsively viewed pornography which led to a desensitization towards adult pornography.

He said Fahey was willing and keen to engage in therapy and appears to be remorseful and have insight into his offending behaviour.

Judge Martin Nolan noted that Fahey has a previous conviction for possession of images of child abuse and said he deserves a custodial term.

He acknowledged that Fahey had co-operated with the gardai and freely handed over his mobile phones to be examined during a search of his home. Fahey was also registered as a sex offender and must comply with all the reporting requirements as deemed necessary for ten years.
Organisers brought out a 4ft weed cannon  a leaf blower that was turned into a giant bong

Martin Condon said there will be two more events planned for Dublin and Cork

Cannabis dealers and users turned a Dublin venue into what they described as Irelands first indoor cannabis market and social lounge where drugs were openly sold.

Ten suppliers set up stalls at the event and openly sold a host of illegal products including weed and hash, edible cannabis products such as jellies and chocolates, oils and cannabis- infused lemonade.

There was also a tea and coffee stand but attendees said that was just normal tea and coffee.

The venue was divided into two sections. Downstairs there was a market where various suppliers had their own stands along with menus showing what different strains of the drug they had and price lists accompanying them.

Upstairs was a lounge area where smokers sat around getting stoned and listening to music.

Around 200 people attended the invite-only event at a secret location in Dublin at the end of last month.

The leaf blower

Cannabis campaigner Martin Condon, who helped promote the event which was organised by the Major Group for Cannabis Reform, told the Sunday World there was probably around 100,000 worth of the drug at the event.

Despite the strong smell of the drug alerting a nearby restaurant and Martin livestreaming from the event, gardai were unaware it was taking place and didnt raid the venue.

It would have been quite a significant haul to be fair. The lads downstairs [the sellers] had a nice bit on offer but upstairs, while a lot of people came to buy stuff, they came with stuff already with them.

Between the almost 200 people who were there Id say you had over 100,000 worth, maybe more.

The Dublin-based Major Group for Cannabis Reform is planning another event around November time, while Martin, who is from Cork, is planning to organise a similar event in Cork before Christmas.

During the event, organisers brought out a 4ft weed cannon  a leaf blower that was turned into a giant bong  and filled the entire room with cannabis smoke.

The weed canon was a little finisher for the end of the day as we were winding down to finish off with that, Martin said.

I think it was a Black and Decker leaf blower and they have an attachment on the back where something else is supposed to go and theres a metal cone and it effectively acts like a big bong.

In a live recording he made of the weed cannon being used, a person can be seen running for the emergency exit to get away from all the smoke.

Its more novelty than anything. It was a bit over the top, to be fair, Martin said.

Drugs

While gardai were unaware the event was taking place, staff at a restaurant near the venue became aware what was happening after smelling so much weed wafting through the air.

They could smell our presence. For the first few hours we had the windows open before the leaf blower came out.

Once we got word there was a bit of a smell drifting down to a nearby restaurant, we closed the window and there was no more complaints from that place.

Most of the drugs on offer at the event, which lasted around six hours, were imported.

The only criticism I had was that a lot of the stuff on offer would have been imported. Even the distillate would have been all brought in from overseas and they use that to make the edibles.

Martin said the event was not linked to large organised crime groups.

A lot of the cannabis coming in was imported but we gave people the opportunity not to be buying from some of the larger organised crime groups out there and buying from smaller people who might have just been buying stuff for themselves and just selling a little bit extra to cover the cost of their own stuff.

There was no large organised crime groups associated with our events and we intend to keep it that way because were not really supportive of them.

He said he will encourage people who grow their own to sell it and host a competition to decide the best product similar at the event in Cork in December.

Martin has been behind several high profile incidents of what he describes as civil disobedience as part of his campaign to decriminalise cannabis.

He is currently appealing a two-month custodial sentence handed down at Waterford District Court in July after he walked into a garda station with a joint in protest over gardai targeting the ReLeaf CBD cafe in Dungarvan.

Martin also planted cannabis plants in various public locations, including outside garda stations and TDs offices, last year as part of his campaign.

He is due before Cork District Court in relation to an incident last year where he walked into Anglesea Street Garda Station with a cannabis seedling and 10 wraps of CBD cannabis flower and handed them to a garda, telling him he was in possession of the items.

I was trying to push the envelope a bit and see if theyd do me for sale or supply. I was saying theres 10 there for all of the guards.

I didnt get done for supply.

They did me for possession of cannabis and possession of a cannabis plant.

He said he doesnt want to go to jail and if he does he is considering going on hunger strike.

Martin said the criminalisation of cannabis users is a waste of garda resources and of the entire justice system.

He has previously spent five days in prison after being convicted of cannabis possession and refusing to pay a fine.

Martin said his only conviction relates to cannabis possession.
Former Garda superintendent caught with 260K of drugs stashed in his Dublin home

The former senior garda jailed on drugs offences was still a serving officer when he was unexpectedly found socialising in a criminals house with cocaine on the table during a garda raid sources have said.

Former Superintendent John Spud Murphy (63) was sentenced to six-and-a-half years behind bars this week after pleading guilty to possession of 260,000 worth of cannabis at his Dublin home last year and is likely to face further charges in relation to confidential information being passed onto the Hutch gang.

Gardai were surprised to find the drugs when they arrested Murphy last September on suspicion of enhancing the ability of a criminal organisation to commit or facilitate a serious offence.

Murphy is suspected of working with the Hutch gang and providing them with confidential Garda information through his contacts in the force.

The investigation into leaking of information to the Hutch gang is ongoing and sources say there are expected to be further charges in the case. Two serving officers were suspended from the force as part of the investigation, but they have not been charged with any offences.

Murphys links to the Hutch gang are believed to stretch back to when he was still a serving officer.

He rose through the ranks to the position of superintendent before he unexpectedly retired early at the age of 50 in 2010.

Sources say he was encouraged to go early by senior officers who were worried by his behaviour.

John Spud Murphy

There were several issues of concern about him while he was in the force.

Sources say one of the incidents related to officers unexpectedly coming across Murphy when they carried out a raid targeting a criminal figure.

They went in and Spud was sitting at a table drinking with the target and a few women and there were lines of coke on the table.

The source said some of the women present were suspected of being prostitutes.

The bizarre incident was just one of many which raised red flags about Murphys behaviour and is believed to have influenced his decision to retire early.

Murphy spent much of his career as a detective in Dublin and subsequently as a detective inspector in Raheny and Pearse Street before being promoted to superintendent, where he had a stint in Cavan before moving to traffic and eventually to the Bridewell station.

His handling of intelligence sources raised eyebrows in the force and he was subject to a number of internal disciplinary inquiries and had been fined for bringing the job into disrepute.

According to sources, during another incident, a drug dealer who was caught importing drugs into Ireland told the arresting officers that he was working as an informant for Murphy, who was aware of the operation.

The source said gardai went to Murphy to demand to know why the informant wasnt registered.

He claimed that it was all upfront, but he couldnt name the dealer because he refused to be officially registered and this was the only way hed work with him. He was insisting he didnt do anything wrong.

Another one of Murphys sources was serious criminal Sean Dunne, from Donaghmede, in north Dublin, who went missing in Alicante in 2004 and is believed to have been murdered.

Dunne was a well-known figure in the underworld who graduated through the criminal ranks from armed robber to international drug trafficker at the time of his death.

Dunnes drugs operation grew from strength to strength over the years and he amassed a multi-million euro fortune from criminality before his death.

Murphy also had a reputation for squaring road traffic tickets, particularly from his time in traffic onwards. Sources say he was one of the most prolific members of the force engaged in the practice of quashing motoring offences and would regularly ask regular gardai to cancel tickets.

Despite rising to a high position in the force, Murphy found plenty of time for outside interests while still serving.

He owned six taxi plates, which at the time cost tens of thousands each and rented them out to drivers. While he garnered a high income from renting out the plates, he is understood to have lost money when deregulation came in and the value of the plates plummeted.

His barrister said this week that Murphy had to re-mortgage his house as a result of the loss on his investment. He also used to work as a barman in a pub in Malahide, north Dublin, while still in the force.

Sources described Murphy as money hungry and said he was always trying to make money through various business schemes.

He was involved in several business ventures but his barrister claimed this week he had the opposite of the Midas touch and was currently hundreds of thousands of euro in debt.

When he retired from the force with a full pension in 2010 a host of well-known figures in Irish life turned up at a glitzy leaving party at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

He didnt invite any of his friends from the criminal fraternity to the bash but forged even closer links to them after his retirement.

Gardai started to investigate Murphys links to the Hutch crime gang some time before his arrest last September.

They were expecting to find evidence relating to the leaking of information to the Hutch gang but were surprised to find 260,000 worth of cannabis in the home, in Murphys car and the coal shed out the back.

While he admitted possession of the drugs immediately, the investigation into his leaking of information to the Hutch gang remains ongoing and further charges are likely to be brought.

It is understood evidence has been garnered from communication devices which implicates Murphy.
The 14-year-old was one of ten people who were killed in the explosion at the service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal on Friday afternoon.

The parents of Creeslough tragedy victim Leona Harper have remembered their daughter as a very special girl who loved life.

The 14-year-old was one of ten people who were killed in the explosion at the service station in Creeslough, Co Donegal on Friday afternoon.

Leonas parents, Hugh and Donna, had a long and painful wait following the blast after they were informed that their daughter may be trapped underneath the wreckage or had already been taken to hospital.

Her body was the last to be removed from the scene.

Speaking on the Nine till Noon Show on Highland Radio, Donna thanked those who helped recover and treat their daughter.

I didnt personally know the digger driver but [I want to say] a massive thank you to him because he just didnt stop until he got her. It was 24 hours before they got her. She was the last taken out, the bereaved mum said.

Leona Harper, 14, one of the ten victims of explosion at Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday. Picture date: Sunday October 9, 2022.   PA

But again, the doctors and everybody was amazing. They treated the whole scene from start to finish with nothing more than respect.

Meanwhile, Leonas father Hugh paid tribute to his little girl, saying: Leona was a little gem. She was very outgoing, very friendly, a lovely person.

"She was very quiet, laidback, loved life, loved the outdoors, walking through fields, going fishing, spending time with her friends or going to car shows.

She, like everybody elses daughter to their own, was very special. She will be very sorely missed.

Leonas brother Anthony had previously taken to social media to remember his sister.

I dont know where to begin, he wrote on Facebook on Saturday night.

I couldnt have asked for a better little sister. I love you so much and we all love you so much.

It comes after hundreds of people attended vigils across Donegal on Sunday evening in memory of the victims of the blast.

During the vigil in Milford, half an hour's drive from the scene of the tragedy, prayers were said and music was played, including a song called Creeslough, which was written and played by a local musician.

Parish priest Father Stephen Gorman read a statement sent on behalf of Pope Francis, expressing his sadness at the tragic loss of life and sending his condolences to the people of Ireland.
She was a great little character. Everyone loved her. What more can you say? She was just five years of age.

Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe died in the Creeslough blast. Photo: An Garda Siochana/PA Wire   PA

A relative of two victims of the Creeslough explosion has told how the awfulness of pure human tragedy has torn the community apart.

Shauna Flanagan Garwe and her father Robert Garwe were killed in the explosion that tore through the Applegreen filling station in the town of Creeslough in Co Donegal last Friday afternoon.

Gardai are continuing to investigate the blast which is being treated as a tragic accident.

Shauna, who was only five years old, was the youngest of the 10 victims. Her mother Aine has now lost her partner and only child.

Aines brother Killian told how the family had decided to postpone celebrations for Aines birthday last week until the weekend.

That is how Shauna and Robert came to be in the service station on Friday afternoon, to buy a cake.

It was Aines birthday during the week, and they decided to celebrate it at the weekend, and Shauna was excited about going down to buy a birthday cake for her mum, and this happened. It was as random as that, Killian told the Irish Independent.

She was a great little character. Everyone loved her.

What more can you say? She was just five years of age. What more do you say to a five-year-olds death? Its traumatic.

Shauna Flanagan Garwe

Killian Flanagan said word of the explosion spread very quickly around the town on Friday afternoon.

Then he described the awful waiting game relatives had to endure to find out if their loved ones were trapped in the rubble.

Theres no other way to tell the story other than its a pure human tragedy, he said.

He added that the randomness of the tragedy is what has triggered the consciousness of the nation.

There was nobody that had to be there at that point. Ill go in and buy a coffee or Ill go in and buy a card. It could have been an hour later or two hours later. It was just awful, tragic timing, and this town will never recover from this, he added.

Aine is numb. Its a birthday shell never forget.

Its awful. The whole town is distraught. Devastated. Were from Dublin originally. Aines been living here a few years and she has a lot of family, like cousins and aunts and uncles around here.

Its a small area with a very close community. Ive never witnessed anything like this community before. I really havent.

This community is incredible. Im married into a family from rural Ireland and I have never seen anything like this. The offers of accommodation, food, the offers of help.

We could put half of Dublin up with the offers of accommodation weve had. Its unbelievable. They are the nicest people, the most friendly people.

Those who died in the explosion were formally named by An Garda Siochana yesterday. They included three children.

As well as Robert Garwe (50) and little Shauna, James OFlaherty (48), Jessica Gallagher (24), Martin McGill (49), Catherine ODonnell (39) and her son James Monaghan (13), Hugh Kelly (59), Martina Martin (49) and Leona Harper (14) also died in the blast.

A man in his 20s remained in a critical condition at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin last night.

The seven other surviving casualties continue to receive treatment in Letterkenny University Hospital and remain in a stable condition.

Two pupils of Mulroy College in Milford and two mothers of pupils were killed in the explosion. James Monaghan and Leona Harper were the students, and Catherine ODonnell and Martina Martin were the mothers who died. There were other pupils from the school who suffered injuries at the scene.

Principal Fiona Temple said the school, staff and pupils had been left devastated by the tragedy.

We are numbed by this overwhelming sadness and will work together to support all members of our school community in the coming days, weeks and months ahead, she said.

The students, staff, board of management and parents of Mulroy College have sent their deepest sympathies to families who have tragically lost a loved one.

We also hope that all those injured will make a full recovery, a spokesperson for Donegal ETB said.

Parents hugged their children and people carried candles at vigils across Donegal last night as communities gathered to remember the dead.

The county is now braced for a harrowing week of funerals, with James OFlahertys first to be announced. His removal will take place tomorrow with funeral mass in St Marys Church in Derrybeg on Wednesday.
My wife and I were filled with immense sadness when we heard of that appallingly tragic explosion at Creeslough, County Donegal

King Charles III has expressed his condolences to the people of Ireland following the Donegal tragedy   PA

Britains King Charles has extended his condolences to the people of Ireland following the "appallingly tragic" explosion at a Co Donegal service station that killed 10 people.

A five-year-old girl and her father, who were buying a birthday cake, were among those who died in the devastating explosion in the village of Creeslough on Friday afternoon.

In a message to the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, the British King said his and the Queen Consort's sympathies are with those who have lost loved ones.

"My wife and I were filled with immense sadness when we heard of that appallingly tragic explosion at Creeslough, County Donegal," he said.

"We remember with the greatest fondness meeting people from across Donegal when we visited in 2016 and the strong sense of community that exists there.

"However inadequate this may be under such shattering circumstances, we wanted you to know that our most heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences are with those families and friends who have lost their loved ones in this devastating tragedy, together with yourself and the people of Ireland."

Earlier on Monday a doctor said the death toll from the explosion could have been twice as high if the blast had happened five minutes earlier.

Village GP Dr Paul Stewart said a group of school children had been sitting on a wall of the service station and convenience store just before it was buried by falling rubble.

An Garda Siochana, continues to investigate the cause of the blast, which is being treated as a "tragic accident".

A gas leak is one theory, it is believed.

"Apparently, five minutes before the explosion there were a group of school kids sitting on the wall outside," Dr Stewart told BBC Radio Ulster.

"They had been on a day trip. Five minutes earlier and we could have been twice the death toll."

Dr Stewart was involved in the emergency response in the aftermath of the blast. He was given the task of looking after the bodies of victims.

"Sadly I was put in charge of the fatalities. We had to find a quiet building," he said.

"And then I was involved in trying to identify them and bringing in family members, so that was very difficult."

The doctor added: "One of the hard things, I think, to accept and come to terms with was that it was just out of the blue. You wake up in the morning and you don't come home in the evening, and that was very hard.

"It's going to take us years to put this back together again. These wounds are going to take years to heal, if they ever do. This is the worst tragedy that's happened in Donegal in living memory."

Those killed were 50-year-old Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan Garwe, 48-year-old James O'Flaherty, 24-year-old Jessica Gallagher, 49-year-old Martin McGill, 39-year-old Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, 59-year-old Hugh Kelly, 49-year-old Martina Martin and 14-year-old Leona Harper.

Funeral arrangements for some of the victims have already been announced.

Jessica Gallagher's funeral mass will take place at St Michael's Church in Creeslough on Tuesday morning.

Martin McGill's will be in the same church on Tuesday afternoon.

James O'Flaherty's funeral will be in St Mary's Church in Derrybeg on Wednesday.

Speaking on Monday morning, a Creeslough priest said the heart of the village has been broken by a "tsunami of grief".

Father John Joe Duffy said the community has experienced a "tidal wave" of condolences from across the world, including from figures such as Pope Francis and UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Fr John said the bereaved relatives he has spoken to have expressed their gratitude for the people who rushed to the petrol station to help, as well as emergency services from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

"This is a quiet village and the heart of this village has been broken by a tsunami of grief," he told BBC News.

"But we also know we are being held in the arms of communities right across both our islands - the United Kingdom and Ireland - and beyond, as far away as Australia, there was messages of prayers coming to us, and it's just like a tidal wave coming in.

"Communities putting their arms around us and helping us - the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Pope Francis - and many others have sent us support. That's what's helping us at this time."

Father John said he knew "most" of the victims - as did many of the first responders from the fire and ambulance services.

Also speaking with the BBC, Garry Martin, Donegal County Council's director of emergency services, added: "It's not unusual for us to come across an incident where there are neighbours and friends involved, and that just adds to the challenge that we have in dealing in this type of thing.

"But that's part of the job and it's particularly exacerbated by the numbers and the range in this case, and it's always more difficult when you have young children involved as well."

In a statement, Pope Francis said he was "saddened" by the blast and expressed "spiritual closeness to all those suffering".

Ms Truss expressed "deepest sympathies" for "the entire community of Creeslough".
The case is being taken by Michael Smith, editor of Village magazine, the publication which revealed Mr Varadkar allegedly leaked a document concerning a confidential doctors pay deal

A magazine editor has issued defamation proceedings against Leo Varadkar over comments made by the Tanaiste in a Sunday newspaper.

The case is being taken by Michael Smith, editor of Village magazine, the publication which revealed Mr Varadkar leaked a document concerning a confidential doctors pay deal while he was Taoiseach in 2019.

The article, published in October 2020, led to a Garda investigation which ultimately resulted in no criminal charges being brought against Mr Varadkar.

According to a statement issued by his solicitors, Mr Smith has taken issue with comments made by the Tanaiste in an interview with the Sunday Times, published last August.

During the interview Mr Varadkar made certain claims against people who he alleged had been promoting allegations against him.

Belfast law firm KRW Law said it acted for Mr Smith and that a High Court plenary summons had issued on Friday.

As proceedings have now issued it would be inappropriate to comment any further other than to say that the case is taken in order to protect our clients good name and reputation, the statement said.

A spokesman for Mr Varadkar said the Tanaiste rejected the claim that he had defamed Mr Smith. He said the proceedings would be fully defended.

Mr Varadkar admitted sending a copy of a contract agreed with the Irish Medical Organisation to the then-president of a rival organisation, the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP), Dr Maitiu O Tuathail, while he was Taoiseach in April 2019.

After the leaking of the document was revealed by Village magazine, Mr Varadkar apologised to the Dail for errors of judgement. However, he insisted there was nothing corrupt in his actions and that he had not handed the NAGP any unfair commercial advantage.

Mr Varadkar said he had been working to get as much support for the deal among doctors as possible.

Following a lengthy Garda investigation, the Director of Public Prosecutions directed in July that Mr Varadkar was not to face any charges.

The DPP also decided Dr O Tuathail had no criminal case to answer.

A spokesman for Mr Varadkar said the Tanaiste unequivocally rejected the defamation claim.

Mr Smith is an opponent of the Tanaiste, and has been heaping opprobrium on him for years since outing him in his magazine in 2014. This is just the latest instalment, the spokesman said.

"The Tanaistes legal advice is that the claims are baseless. They will be fully defended.
The man was transferred to University Hospital Limerick where he is receiving treatment for his injuries.

The man was brought to University Hospital Limerick

Gardai are investigating after a man was found with serious injuries in Limerick last night.

Gardai and emergency services were called to the scene on Thomas Street, Limerick shortly before midnight yesterday, Sunday 9 October, where an injured man was discovered.

The man was transferred to University Hospital Limerick where he is receiving treatment for his injuries.

A garda spokesperson confirmed that a technical examination of the scene took place this morning, 10 October.

Preliminary enquiries are underway to establish the cause of the injuries, the spokesperson added.
Jo Mathers was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks before last Christmas and is grateful to Tauranga Breast Cancer Support service for helping her along her ongoing cancer journey.

The 64-year-old says the news of her diagnosis came after a she got a mammogram late-2021.

It was a week of waiting around Christmas time which wasnt a very good time. Then I got a consult with the surgeon to tell me that it was cancer, says Jo.

She says the cancer she has, known as HER2-Positive, was very small and luckily detected early. The surgeon told me they could get it out and he didnt think it was in the lymph nodes.

Help in other ways

Receiving a breast cancer information packet from her surgeon during her diagnosis, Jo discovered Breast Cancer Support Taurangas pamphlet. As a charity where cancer survivors support those who are newly diagnosed, Jos daughter Lana encouraged her to get in touch with them.

My daughter said: Mum theres going to be no better support than someone who has been through it.

Jo says that surgeons, nurses and oncologists give medical knowledge and support, whereas Breast Cancer Support Tauranga gives help in other ways. What breast cancer support does is just listen and offer support as much or as little as you want.

Every step

After going through breast surgery in January, Jo received a heart pillow from BCST to help with post-surgery discomfort. Then I went through six weeks of recovering from the surgery and then went straight into chemotherapy which was pretty gruelling, says Jo.

BCST was with her every step of the way, checking in on her with phone calls and offering her meals when she didnt feel up to it. I just have absolute gratitude for Breast Cancer Support Tauranga because theres nothing like someone who has been through the journey themselves, says Jo.

Jo Mathers receiving chemotherapy. Photo: supplied.

Having gone through surgery, chemotherapy as well radiotherapy, Jo is now receiving Herceptin  a drug that prevents further cancer growth  which she will receive until March 2023.

We dont know were going to get something like cancer, we dont expect it but if we know theres support there, it really helps a lot, says Jo, who also thanks her family, friends and medical professionals helping her through her treatments.

If you are going through breast cancer, or awaiting diagnostic test results and need support, visit: https://www.breastcancerbop.org.nz/
An upgrade of Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park will highlight its historical significance.

Not only is Bay of Plenty Regional Council constructing a new carpark to cope with the rapidly growing popularity of the walking tracks, but its also adding signage and a bronze replica of the landscape for a more immersive experience.

Visitor numbers have grown hugely, says BOPRC coastal catchments manager Pim de Monchy. In 2016 the annual visitor numbers were around 60,000  and last year we hit 115,000.

What that means is that the carpark is regularly at capacity even at times you wouldnt expect it to be. We needed to do something to cater for that growth in numbers.

There are more than 1600 archaeological features in the park including terraces and platforms, pits, middens and defensive earthworks such as ditches.

The Papamoa hills are among the most significant cultural and archaeological landscapes in New Zealand situated in an area with a density of features and number of iwi who date back to the arrival of the Arawa canoe around 1350, says Pim. Weve never really told that story.

The number of archaeological features in such a small area is unusual. Weve worked hard with mana whenua to come up with the story that should be told at each site.

Te Uepu is the shared decision-making entity for the Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park and is made up of representatives from Toi Moana, Ngati He, Te Kapu o Waitaha, Nga Potiki and Ngati Pukenga.

The new carpark is expected to be completed in May-June 2023 and is around 400 metres north of the old one, which will give easy access to some lesser-used tracks.

Ninety-five per cent of users go straight up to the top and back  so were excited about opening the other trails in the 173-hectare park, says Pim.

There will be a new toilet block, a new wheelchair-friendly loop trail and a new track that links to the existing network up to Maraeroa Ridge where there are two pa sites.

Aside from the fitness benefits for our existing users, we hope theyll become more aware of its cultural and historical significance as well.

With Tauranga growing and with cruise ships returning and tourists returning post-Covid, I think we can expect many more visitors to the park in the years to come. Find out more about the park at: https://www.boprc.govt.nz/living-in-the-bay/our-places/regional-parks/papamoa-hills-cultural-heritage-regional-park
Kiwis love gathering seafood, but one expert is calling for more consideration of the impacts of our enthusiasm in the wake of a summer of devastation for Kaikouras paua population, combined with increasing stress on marine species.

A free public talk presented by Distinguished Professor David Schiel, from the University of Canterburys School of Biological Sciences, will explain the challenges and explore solutions for sustainable seas at the inaugural Titohu Turoa Sustainability Showcase on October 28 at the University of Canterbury and online.

We have to start doing better, says Professor Schiel.

If we think about sustainability collectively as a society, we have to understand where the problems lie, what parts can be managed and whether we actually want to leave something for our kids and grandkids.

One of the challenges he will discuss at the showcase is the absolute pillage of the paua fishery which had been closed for five years due to post-earthquake damage to Kaikouras seabed.

Recreational fishing enthusiasts took an additional 38 tonnes of paua over the allocation of five tonne. At 3000 paua to a tonne, thats overfishing of some 114,000 paua, a species that takes eight years to reach harvestable size. The daily limit in Kaikoura is five blackfoot paua per person with a minimum legal size of 125mm.

There was not enough management. We warned officials, but it was just open slather, and it took an additional seven years worth of paua out of that environment, he says.

Overly enthusiastic and sometimes illegal seafood collection is not the only problem threatening our marine species. There are risks from warming seas, marine heatwaves and land-based activities.

Usually when people think about sustainability, they think about turning off their lights, and other personal behaviours. But I deal with large-scale issues involving cross-ecosystem effects on the near-shore marine environment, and there are increasing impacts because of our land-use intensification, sediments from forestry and other outcomes from how we use the land near the sea, says Professor Schiel.

New Zealands a maritime nation. We all love the sea, but we dont treat the sea very well at times. We currently have little cross-ecosystem, holistic ways of managing the marine environment.

Professor Schiel is an accomplished researcher and science communicator who works with government and regional councils to ensure policy planning is based on the latest science.

He has published hundreds of papers within his research interests of marine intertidal and subtidal ecology and aquaculture, and is a world expert on kelp forests and temperate reefs.

Among many honours, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, won New Zealand Science Communicator of the Year in 2015, the same year he was appointed a Distinguished Professor, and was awarded the UC Research Medal in 2016.

Despite seeing first-hand evidence that many key species are getting beyond their physiological limit, Professor Schiel says he remains optimistic.

The majority of people want to know the science, and government departments rely on what we do.

But he says it will take a holistic approach to stop loving our oceans to death. Anyone who thinks there are simple solutions hasnt been paying attention.

Professor Schiels talk  Through the ordinary and extraordinary, are we loving our ocean resources to death?  is part of Titohu Turoa Sustainability Showcase, organised by UC and the Christchurch City Council (CCC) to explore the latest research and action on sustainability challenges across transport, food systems, affordable energy, urban forestry plans, use of our coastal resources, and more. UC, CCC and local industry experts will join forces to share the latest from their areas of knowledge.

Guest speakers include:

Dr Rod Carr, Chairperson, Climate Change Commission, on Carbon Rush: Can Canterbury cash in on the changing Climate?

Professor Te Maire Tau, Pou Whakarae, Ngai Tahu Centre, on Whakaora te Awa | River Restoration

Malcolm Johns, Chief Executive, Christchurch International Airport Ltd, on Carbon, Ambition & Reality

Titohu Turoa Sustainability Showcase is on Friday October 28 2022 from 9.15am to 5pm at the Engineering Core, University of Canterbury Ilam Campus. Join one session or join many, online or in person. See the programme and book your free tickets here.
The Attendance Service has investigated 16,771 new cases of serious truancy in the first half of this year.

During the same period it resolved 12,726 cases - nearly half of them, because the child in question was found to be already enrolled in another school.

The new cases included 9838 students who were removed from their school's roll and classed as "non-enrolled" after being absent for about 20 days.

The remaining 6933 cases were "unjustified absence", essentially persistent truants.

The number of new non-enrolled cases opened in the first half of 2022 was close to the 10,727 cases opened in all of 2021.

The Attendance Service closed 7877 non-enrolled cases in terms 1 and 2, half of them because the children were found to already be enrolled at another school, while a quarter were helped to re-enrol by the attendance service, and 13 percent turned 16 and could legally leave school.

Nearly half of the 4849 "unjustified absence" cases closed in the first half of the year were closed by helping children return to school.

More than a quarter of the unjustified absence closed cases, 1284, were reclassified as non-enrolled, and 13 percent, 646, had already returned to school.

The Education Ministry says more non-enrolled cases were opened in term 1 than in term 2, which it attributed to the covid-19 Omicron outbreak.

It says fewer cases were opened in the second term and more cases were closed, which was a positive trend.

"As the country moved away from the traffic light system, as well as mask mandates being loosened, non-enrolment resolutions were easier," it says.

Principals' Federation President Cherie Taylor-Patel says primary school principals were worried about the relatively high number of families that had "gone missing" in the first two terms of this year.

"Principals were really concerned about students that had disappeared from their school that they didn't know where the families had gone," she says.

She says the illegal occupation of Parliament grounds and related protests increased some people's distrust in society and that prompted some to take their children out of school.

Taylor-Patel says recent efforts to encourage families to get children back to school appeared to be working.

"There's been a really big focus on getting students and families re-engaged in school and it's been really successful in a lot of instances," she says.

Figures for the full 2021 year showed most students referred to the Attendance Service had not been referred before but a small number, which was redacted, had been referred six or seven times.

About a fifth of the non-enrolled and a quarter of the unjustified absence cases last year were for students who last attended a decile 1 school and more than 60 percent of the cases involved Maori students.

This year's government budget included a boost of $1.5 million per year to increase Attendance Service providers' capacity.

- John Gerritsen/RNZ.
Bay of Plenty Police are very concerned about the four fatalities that happened over the weekend in the district.

Road policing manager Inspector Brent Crowe says any death on our roads is an absolute tragedy, let alone multiple fatalities, over such a short period of time.

Police are now working hard to understand why these crashes occurred and our focus is on supporting the families and providing them with answers.

Such a sudden loss of life is extremely hard for families to come to terms with and is life changing, knowing a loved one is gone.

The impact is also keenly felt by the emergency services who attend.

Police urge all drivers to drive with care.

Brent says every time someone gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, they have a responsibility to themselves and other road users to drive safely, free from impairment, securely restrained and completely focused on the task at hand.

In large part the answer to reducing trauma on our roads rests with those behind the wheel.
Weeding isnt usually a fun job but that didnt stop 185 students recently removing 30 large bags of tradescantia, also known as wandering willie, at IAnson Bush Reserve in Te Puna.

The students from four local schools are part of the Bay Conservation Alliance Education programme that is funded by Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

The Programme covers a new topic each term with the schools, and works in partnership with Manaaki Taiao Ltd. and in collaboration with local groups and experts, such as Friends of IAnson Bush Reserve.

This term, the focus ecosystem was wetlands and the schools received an in-class workshop on wetland trees and birds.

The field trip to IAnson Bush Reserve included activities on wetland monitoring, bird, eel and freshwater bug identification, and a guided plant walk.

The field trips were during conservation week, hence the opportunity for the students to give back to nature by participating in a weeding activity.

IAnson Bush Reserve was gifted to the Queen Elizabeth II Trust in 1987 by local residents Keith and Takiko IAnson.

The reserve is home to more than 200,000 native trees planted by volunteers 35 years ago and two lakes with adjoining wetlands.

Its maintained by Western BOP District Council and a group of enthusiastic volunteers who focus on animal and plant pest removal.

The students did a fantastic job of weeding a small area in the Reserve. It was great to see a big smile on their muddy faces as they got stuck in, says Kate Loman-Smith, volunteer coordinator at IAnson Bush Reserve.

The next BCA education field trips in November will be to the estuary below the reserve to show the impact of sediment flowing down the catchment to the harbour and the importance of wetlands, such as at IAnson Bush Reserve.
darthvader001 BHPian



Join Date: Dec 2021 Location: Bangalore Posts: 49 Thanked: 82 Times

Re: Bangalore bans Uber, Ola, and Rapido 3-wheeler services There is some truth in what people have complained about the fares ( see below example) -



I just did a verification myself today. From my Apartment to Royal Meenakshi Mall is 4km (alternate route shows 5km) in google maps. Either way going by the auto fare rules, it should be 30rs for first 2km and thereon 15rs each kilometre. So the fare must be 60rs for route 1 and 75rs for the alternate route. However when I checked in Ola it showed 96rs for route 1. There is no option to change route in Ola so I'm assuming it will be ~110-120rs for alternate route.



This shows clearly that Ola is charging more. For sure the charges might be Ola service charge except that they don't state it upfront. They should be more transparent here so it will be users choice whether they want to hail the ride service or not. Transparent meaning, how much is going to the driver and how much Ola charging for using their platform (because Ola needs money to maintain their App, servers, customer care, executives and Engineering team etc.). Ola/Uber should learn from make my trip App where they show their charges separately. Last edited by darthvader001 : 8th October 2022 at 16:07 . Reason: Updated
alokk0912 BHPian

Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: Pune Posts: 171 Thanked: 359 Times

Re: Mahindra Scorpio-N Review



1. Drive and Handling is very easy and smooth both at low and high speed

2. Gear shift is noticeable especially for lower ones. Hopefully, will settle down after couple of thousand of KMs

3. I read about the busy ride at 100 KMPH hence was watching this. I observed that RPM moves beyond 2100 when shifting gears. However, it settles around 1700 rpm real quick after the gear change and you can cruise at this RPM even at 100+ speed which makes it a great mile muncher

4. Can do crazy speeds very easily without batting an eyelid. Word of caution to fellow members who are riding BOF for the first time. Please remember that this is BOF with high centre of gravity and should be driven accordingly. Be careful at corners and curves considering that you will not even feel you are at 120

5. Still retains the ruff and tuff feel which I expect from Scorpio and I personally love that feel and makes it worth every dime

6. I was wary of MRF typres mostly in terms of noise at highway speed. However, was pleasantly surprised. Did not use the infotainment system at all to check on the NVH and it was just super. Please note that my benchmark is other BOF vehicles across price segments and not the Korean and German cars. I am sorry but I really get irritated when I see comparison with anything under the Sun

7. I am not features guy so I feel that it just had way too many!! Best part I like is that while voice alerts in my previous scorpio was of a man, this time it is a sweet voice of a lady. Finally, even Scorpio got it that men will listen more to a lady and lady will anyways listen to a lady Quick observations after first 200 Km highway ride on my Scorpio N, Z8L, Petrol AT..1. Drive and Handling is very easy and smooth both at low and high speed2. Gear shift is noticeable especially for lower ones. Hopefully, will settle down after couple of thousand of KMs3. I read about the busy ride at 100 KMPH hence was watching this. I observed that RPM moves beyond 2100 when shifting gears. However, it settles around 1700 rpm real quick after the gear change and you can cruise at this RPM even at 100+ speed which makes it a great mile muncher4. Can do crazy speeds very easily without batting an eyelid. Word of caution to fellow members who are riding BOF for the first time. Please remember that this is BOF with high centre of gravity and should be driven accordingly. Be careful at corners and curves considering that you will not even feel you are at 1205. Still retains the ruff and tuff feel which I expect from Scorpio and I personally love that feel and makes it worth every dime6. I was wary of MRF typres mostly in terms of noise at highway speed. However, was pleasantly surprised. Did not use the infotainment system at all to check on the NVH and it was just super. Please note that my benchmark is other BOF vehicles across price segments and not the Korean and German cars. I am sorry but I really get irritated when I see comparison with anything under the Sun7. I am not features guy so I feel that it just had way too many!! Best part I like is that while voice alerts in my previous scorpio was of a man, this time it is a sweet voice of a lady. Finally, even Scorpio got it that men will listen more to a lady and lady will anyways listen to a lady
anti21 BHPian

Join Date: Jun 2022 Location: Raipur Posts: 31 Thanked: 253 Times

Re: Jobs, Attrition and IT companies Quote: Samurai Originally Posted by Does this work both ways? I mean if the demand goes down after you joined at X amount, will you accept reduced salary?



An employee always has to provide a minimum 2x value of what he is being paid. If he is not, the company will most probably make him redundant. This is just the reality of economics as businesses are also not charitable institutions. I know if I am not able to deliver a value of 2X of what I am being paid, I will be laid off. Generally companies don't tend to reduce salaries because they know it will make employee uncomfortable and they will anyway start looking out for jobs. Instead, they just sack them. If you being underpaid, most the companies will not bring you upto market standards unless you bring a competing offer. So yes, it kind of goes both ways.



Quote: Samurai Originally Posted by I see what you are trying to do. You are trying to behave like a business. That model has been around for many decades. It is called independent consultant or contract worker. They usually get better pay than full time employees and can join and leave with limited fuss. They usually have readily usable skills, very up to date skills, they can be productive on day one. And either party can part with a short notice. I have worked with such people in the past, they are very common in USA. But they are expected to be professional, as in complete the project before leaving. Otherwise, they never get a repeat gig.



What I find strange is that you are applying those rules in a full-time employment scenario. I can understand you may want PF, gratuity, group insurance. Then you should join a placement company, which will give you PF/Gratuity/Insurance, but will place you in different companies as a contract worker for short durations according to your market value. Of course, they will take a cut for overhead and their margins. Still, you may make more than an employee and will be able to switch companies fast as market value raises and falls. You could also be a one-man company, to offer your short-term services according to market value.



In fact I am against short term gigs because there the target is just do deliver X by Y no matter how you do it. So to achieve the target date, a long term thinking is not implemented where you try to forsee the problems which might occur 1,2 or even 3 years down the line and you make changes now to deal with it. In shot term gigs, the long term issues becomes someone else's problem. In a full time gig, you know it will be your problem so better to solve it now because there isn't contractually bound deliver by Y date. It lets you do a better job and makes you a better engineer.



In summary, I am just saying you don't owe loyalty to a company just like company doesn't owe you a loyalty (seen time and again). You are just one meeting away from being asked to leave.



Quote: Samurai Originally Posted by Exactly. Some roles require high stability, especially product development, where the value of a long-term employee is hard to overstate. However, web development can be a short-term gig, and resource is rarely required after the work is done. Then there are jobs that are occasional, like network administration, where after the initial setup, you may need them only once in a month or so. It is cheaper to outsource that than hire a full-time employee or contract worker who won't have any work.



The employees that need to really stay long term (5-10 years) are the CXOs and the VPs/Directors as these are the people who drive the long term vision of the company. They should be there when it is executed. If it fails, to take the blame and if it succeeds to distribute the credit.



Quote: Samurai Originally Posted by However, most IT work is not transactional like a doctor or a dentist. You could change doctor/dentist every month and still get good service. But for most IT work, prior knowledge of codebase/architecture is very necessary. Otherwise, the engineer has to spend months to become fully productive, and that time/expense is the investment made by the employer in the hope that the engineer will stay in the job long enough to justify the investment. Therefore, stability is one of the most important attribute an employer expects from a full-time employee. Full-time employees who don't have any plans to offer stability are a nightmare for employers. Such engineers should stick to independent consultant roles offering high value skills on short term basis. Well COVID was a very good example where many IT companies reduced employee salaries/stopped their bonuses/provided minimum hikes. We all know the record profits many of them made but they never gave back employees the back pay.An employee always has to provide a minimum 2x value of what he is being paid. If he is not, the company will most probably make him redundant. This is just the reality of economics as businesses are also not charitable institutions. I know if I am not able to deliver a value of 2X of what I am being paid, I will be laid off. Generally companies don't tend to reduce salaries because they know it will make employee uncomfortable and they will anyway start looking out for jobs. Instead, they just sack them. If you being underpaid, most the companies will not bring you upto market standards unless you bring a competing offer. So yes, it kind of goes both ways.No sir, this is not what I am saying. I am not advocating for switching hard and fast just for market value. Market value is just one of the components that you should consider. There are others like tech stack, quality of work, work life balance, independence giving, ability to try and fail, blameless postmortems etc. Some of these might be worth upto 20-40% of CTC in terms of value i.e. even if you get a 40% hike on your current CTC, you might not want to leave because your current company has this. What I am saying is ideally give 3-5 interviews in an year, even if you have no intention on leaving your company. This keeps you updated on your interviewing skills, keeps you aware of what the market is demanding, the trend it is moving towards and keep opportunities in pipeline if you are sacked suddenly. You can apply all this in your existing job also and see if your tech stack is updated with the market. This might improve you tech and result in saving costs. Also going with the tech prevalent in the market, makes hiring easy.In fact I am against short term gigs because there the target is just do deliver X by Y no matter how you do it. So to achieve the target date, a long term thinking is not implemented where you try to forsee the problems which might occur 1,2 or even 3 years down the line and you make changes now to deal with it. In shot term gigs, the long term issues becomes someone else's problem. In a full time gig, you know it will be your problem so better to solve it now because there isn't contractually bound deliver by Y date. It lets you do a better job and makes you a better engineer.In summary, I am just saying you don't owe loyalty to a company just like company doesn't owe you a loyalty (seen time and again). You are just one meeting away from being asked to leave.Yeah, I agree with you kind of there. Product companies need long term employees. Even the networking administration part has shifted to cloud and now you need to generate is a code when an where required. So even they need a long term. But the definition of long term has changed. It shouldn't take more than 2 weeks to get up to date on the codebase and architecture for a new developer if you have proper documentation. So if you are in a role of 1-2 years, you've already satisfied the criteria for long term in Engineering job.The employees that need to really stay long term (5-10 years) are the CXOs and the VPs/Directors as these are the people who drive the long term vision of the company. They should be there when it is executed. If it fails, to take the blame and if it succeeds to distribute the credit.Honestly, if it is taking months for an engineer to become fully productive, there needs to be a serious relook into the on-boarding and hiring process (Unless a company is using in-house developed language which does not follow coding conventions and a running it on your own in house developed OS in a data center and have zero or old documentation). Most of the good engineers should be able to start working on day 1, and be uptodate within 2 weeks while working with some help on bugs/small tasks and 4 weeks where they don't need any help anymore and can easily pick up big tasks/improvements/epics. For this to happen, you need to have an up to date documentation on each of your services, your updated architecture and code flow, a defined coding convention, proper CI checks, proper local environment for devs to tinker on, and one click dev setup on a new laptop. They should get a laptop and all the rights they need on first day itself (ideally shipped to them before they join), have a reference to see what is where (which cloud, where are pipelines, how deployment happens, how to spin up local environment, how to setup your laptop to begin developing, how to commit, how to test, CI checks criteria, how to document etc). A buddy should be assigned who can clear their doubts that they will have. A good engineering manager should establish these as base practices in the company. Trust me, it has great benefits over long term.
In brief: Frontier, the world's most powerful supercomputer, is online but still far from operational. Its director has confirmed reports that it is experiencing a system failure every few hours, but insists that's par for the course.

Frontier is in a class of its own. It has 9,408 HPE Cray EX235a nodes, each powered by an AMD Trento 7A53 Epyc 64-core CPU equipped with 512 GB of DDR4, and four AMD Instinct MI250X GPUs / accelerators each equipped with 128 GB of HBM2e. Summed, the system has 602,112 CPU cores and 8,138,240 GPU cores in total, and 4.6 PB of both DDR4 and HBM2e.

In May, Frontier joined the TOP500 as the first supercomputer to break the exascale barrier after it completed the HPL benchmark with a score of 1.102 ExaFlops/s. Since then, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, which manages the supercomputer, has been readying it for scientific research scheduled to start in January.

However, there have been reports that the launch of Frontier could be waylaid by excessive hardware failures. Seeking answers, Inside HPC organized an interview with the Program Director at Oak Ridge, Justin Whitt. In the interview, he confirmed Frontier was experiencing daily system failures but asserted that was inevitable in such a large system.

"Mean time between failure on a system this size is hours, it's not days," he said. "So you need to make sure you understand what those failures are and that there's no patterns to those failures that you need to be concerned with." Whitt added that going a day without a failure "would be outstanding."

"Our goal is still hours."

There were rumors that the hardware problems were being caused by the new AMD Instinct MI250X, but Whitt refuted them. The MI250X is AMD's most powerful GPU/accelerator, and it only sells it to select partners. It has 220 CUs containing 14,080 cores clocked at 1700 MHz in a 500 W package.

"The issues span a lot of different categories, the GPUs are just one," Whitt remarked. "It's been a pretty good spread among common culprits of parts failures that have been a big part of it. I don't think that at this point that we have a lot of concern over the AMD products," he added.

"We're dealing with a lot of the early-life kind of things we've seen with other machines that we've deployed, so it's nothing too out of the ordinary."

Whitt conceded that the unprecedented scale of Frontier had made fine tuning it "a little bit harder" but said they were still following the schedule set back in 2018-19 despite delays caused by the pandemic.

Head over to Inside HPC to read the full interview.
A hot potato: Days after he caused controversy over his peace plan for Ukraine, Elon Musk has found himself in the middle of another geopolitical hot topic. This time, it's the tension between China and Taiwan. The world's richest person said the two nations could reach a "reasonably palatable" arrangement over the island, which has brought praise from China and anger from Taiwan.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Financial Times, Musk was asked about China, where the Shanghai Gigafactory produces between 30% - 50% of Tesla's EVs. He believes that conflict between the country and Taiwan, which is self-ruled but Beijing claims is part of its territory, is inevitable, adding that it would cause a 30% hit to the global economy, with Apple suffering more than most.

Musk also offered his solution to the problem: "figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable." He added that Taiwan could have "an arrangement that's more lenient than Hong Kong."

In August, Musk revealed that Tesla had produced over 3 million vehicles, one million of which came from the Shanghai factory. There were 83,000 Tesla's sold in China last month, a new record.

Congrats Giga Shanghai on making millionth car! Total Teslas made now over 3M. pic.twitter.com/2Aee6slCuv  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 14, 2022

China's ambassador to the US, Qin Gang, thanked Musk for his suggestion while reiterating his country's plans. "Peaceful reunification and 'one country two systems' are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question [] and the best approach to realising national reunification," said Gang.

Taiwan wasn't as pleased with Musk's suggestion. Its de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, said the country's "freedom and democracy are not for sale."

"Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan."

Former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou weighed in with, "Elon Musk's opinion means 'one country two systems. I cannot accept this."

Musk also talked about the SpaceX Starlink system. The satellites have been provided to Ukraine since the war with Russia started in Februarysome officials in Putin's government have warned they could become a targetbut it seems China, which refuses to call Russia's attack an invasion, disapproves.

The FT writes that Beijing sought assurances from Musk that he would not sell Starlink in China, though it never revealed if he agreed to the request. This isn't too much of surprise given that researchers in the country called for the development of weapons to destroy the satellites back in May.

This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end  just a question of how many die before then  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022

Musk gave his opinion on the Russia/Ukraine war last week when he tweeted a poll to gauge reaction to his peace plan, which brought plenty of international criticism. After almost 3 million votes, just under 60% of participants oppose his idea.
Facepalm: Distance might make the heart grow fonder, but one could argue it also makes the brain grow dimmer. Exhibit A would be the lady who paid $30,000 to bring her love back home from the ISS.

A woman from Japan became enamored with a man on Instagram who claimed to be a Russian cosmonaut stationed on the International Space Station (ISS). Japanese news outlet Yomiuri Shimbun reports that during the very long-distance relationship, the man convinced her that he could not get back home because he could not afford a "return ticket to Earth."

They began their romance on Instagram on June 28, and as love scams go, he was the first to say those three little words that mean so much --- I love you.

"I want to start my life in Japan," he said. "I can't understand it even if I say it 1000 times, but I keep saying it. I love you [machine translated]."

He also told her he wanted to marry her as soon as he was back on Earth but could not afford the ride home.

The woman agreed to send him money to pay for the expensive trip. Between August 19 and September 5, the woman sent the fake astronaut five wire transfers totaling 4.4 million yen ($30,000 US). She finally got suspicious and called the police after the man continued asking for more and more money.

The victim of the out-of-this-world con job was convinced of the scammer's sincerity by the many orbital pictures he posted and his frequent mentions of NASA and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). However, throughout their correspondence, there were several red flags that the lady overlooked.

For example, he claimed a lapse in his messages was caused by the poor cellular reception aboard the ISS. Not only does the ISS have no cellular reception, but its only mode of communication is through agency-controlled satellites with ground personnel.

It is also common knowledge that astronauts stationed on the ISS are sent by their countries on the government's dime. Of course, some confusion is understandable with the privatizing of space flight by companies like Blue Origin and Space X. However, rest assured that whether it's a private company or the government, nobody is buying or selling one-way tickets to space. Well, at least not until we start colonizing something up there, be it the Moon, Mars, or something else.

The Shiga Prefectural Police in Higashiomi City is investigating the crime as an "international romance scam." Authorities have released no other information on their investigation.
Dr. Katherine Gast is a co-director at the University of Wisconsin-UW Madison's Health gender services program, which performs gender affirmation operations on her transgender patients.

According to NBC News, she has become accustomed to receiving the occasional comment on social media or email from a person who does not support or understand her operations. However, the latest reaction that came from a tweet about her work caught her off guard as dissatisfied people came for her.

The Controversial Tweet Post

On Sept. 23, a video of Gast detailing gender-affirming surgeries was shared on Twitter by the account Libs of TikTok, operated by right-wing provocateur Chaya Raichik. The media account describes itself as a news service that serves as an outrage content factory for conservatives.

The video, which lasted for two minutes, was captioned, "Gast happily describes some of the 'gender affirming' surgeries she offers to adolescents including vaginoplasties, phalloplasties, and double mastectomies."

The post was just one of eight tweets that made up a thread about Gast and the patients she sees at UW Health. And that original post received about a half million views.

Within an hour, dozens of Twitter accounts had commented on and retweeted Raichik's thread. Among them was the account of Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Cruz added an incendiary flourish to his message by writing, "She does this to children. They are sterilized and then mutilated. Before they reach the age where they can provide informed consent."

Gast's Side of Story: Was it a Misinformation Campaign?

NBC News made a follow-up with Raichik, and in the emailed response, she stands by her definition of medical professionals who work in transgender health care.

On the other hand, it is reported that minors are not candidates for genital surgery performed by Gast.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the term "adolescent" can refer to anyone between the ages of 10 and 19. Meanwhile, Gast will only do what is commonly referred to as "top surgery" on older teens after they have been examined by medical professionals and mental health care providers, and then only with the approval of their parents.

Right-Wing War Against LGBTQ

The advent of the tweet's responses came quickly. Gast stated that a flood of messages across social media reiterated the false accusations that had been made about her professional practice. It resulted in sharing private information about her and her family and demonizing the gender services department at UW Health.

As a victim of a national misinformation campaign and online harassment, Gast described it as "scary and overwhelming."

Gast's experience is a new expense for transgender doctors. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in Florida, Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee are being targeted as part of a right-wing campaign against LGBTQ people and communities, as well as the people and institutions who serve them.

Before attacking physicians, these conservative online influencers and media celebrities targeted teachers and librarians, labeling them as pedophiles or "groomers" over books, drag shows, and Pride events.

Monday, Oct. 3, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Children's Hospital Association urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the threats.

Related Article: Transgender Surgeries On The Rise In The US, Says Study

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The Online Safety Bill's delay may put young people's lives at risk, claims a father. She shared his opinion after his beloved daughter died.

(Photo : Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Lt. Mike Baute from Florida's Child Predator CyberCrime Unit talks with people on instant messenger during the unveiling of a new CyberCrimes office March 7, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The U.K. government presented the Online Safety Bill as a solution to increasing online harmful content.

This bill specifically aims to require tech firms to protect users, especially young ones, from harmful content.

However, it seems like the Online Safety Bill will still take some time before it can become law. Because of this, Ian Russel shared his concerns.

Online Safety Bill Delay Risks Young People's Safety

According to The Guardian's latest report, Ian Russel's daughter, Molly Russell, died after she was exposed to harmful content.

(Photo : Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)

Chinese youngsters play online games overnight at an internet cafe on June 11, 2005 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. There are near 2,000 internet cafes in Wuhan, and the largest one has more than 1,000 computers. Most of the customers are students from middle schools and colleges.

Also Read: China COVID-19: Cyberspace Administration to Remove Fake News, Misinformation

Authorities said that the 14-year-old girl took her own life back in 2017. They added that Molly watched extensive amounts of content about depression, self-harm, anxiety, and suicide.

She saw most of this content on Pinterest and Instagram. Because of this, her father worries that the Online Safety Bill delay could put children's life at risk.

"If we wait around and chase perfection, we're endangering young people in particular, who are exposed to harmful content," said the man.

What's Delaying Online Safety Bill

ET Magazine stated that the Online Safety Bill is delayed because human rights lawyers want the U.K. government to adjust the bill.

Dr. Susie Alegre, an international human rights lawyer, said she wrote a legal opinion to warn the U.K. regarding the internet safety law.

She explained that the Online Safety Bill doesn't address the root causes of harmful online content.

The lawyer further stated that it could damage the freedom of speech if it's fixed before becoming law.

If you want to learn more about the concerns of human rights lawyers regarding the Online Safety Bill, you can visit this link.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government recently proposed the new AI Bill of Rights.

Previously, the Google Translate service was disabled in China.

For more news updates about the Online Safety Bill and other internet topics, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: The Molly Russell Inquest: Social Media Firms, Including Meta, Must Re-Evaluate Their Safety Measures

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The new supercontinent Amasia is expected to form based on the findings of a study.

Involved researchers used a supercomputer simulation to show this giant land mass could form.

(Photo : Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)

This satellite handout from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Bonnie making landfall on the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Charley heads across the Cayman Islands towards Cuba the morning of August 12.

Scientists at Peking University in China and University in Australia explained that the Pacific Ocean might be receding around an inch each year.

Because of this, they believe that America and Asia will soon combine, forming the new supercontinent Amasia, as reported by Wion.

Supercontinent Amasia Expected to Form?

According to SciTech Daily's latest report, the supercontinent may take around 200 to 300 million years to form.

(Photo : Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The planet Venus shines behind artist Luke Jerram's 'Floating Earth' at Pennington Flash on November 22, 2021 in Wigan, England. The floating Earth will hover over Pennington Flash for 10 days from November 19, as part of a celebration of Wigan and Leigh's watercourses and is the first time one of Jerram's globes has been floated on an open expanse of water.

Also Read: NASA Hubble's 3D View of Cat Eye Nebula May Have Unveiled Double Stars Hidden in its Heart

Dr. Chuan Huang, the lead author of the new study, said that their findings from the supercomputer simulation could help experts to know what might happen to Earth after the next 200 million years.

"Over the past two billion years, Earth's continents have collided together to form a supercontinent every 600 million years, known as the supercontinent cycle," said the researcher from Curtin's Earth Dynamics Research Group.

He added that existing continents might create a new supercontinent after a couple of hundred of million years.

On the other hand, other involved researchers claimed that Amasia might form on top of the Earth, around the south of the equator.

Other Things Revealed by the Simulation

Dr. Huang said that they used the supercomputer simulation to simulate how the Earth's tectonic plates may evolve after millions of years.

He added that in less than 300 years, the Pacific Ocean would likely close. Once this happens, the Amasia supercontinent could start to form.

Now, if ever their prediction comes true, the Earth will experience drastic changes that could affect life.

John Curtin Distinguished Professor Zheng-Xiang Li, the study's co-author, explained that a single continental mass could drastically alter the environment and ecosystem of the planet.

In other stories, astronomers explained how supernovas may have formed the so-called ultrafast space clouds.

Meanwhile, a new study showed the possibility of space-based advertisements.

For more news updates about the supercontinent Amasia and other related space topics, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Supercomputer Simulation Shows Possible Moon Origin; Earth's Natural Satellite Formed Faster?

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North Korea is now in the final stages of a nuclear weapons test preparation, as reported by Nikkei Asia. To make way for this, there is a need to excavate an underground tunnel and test triggering devices.

(Photo : ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)

A sticker that reads "Pyongyang", the North Korean capital, is displayed on a window at the landmark Namsan Tower in Seoul on October 6, 2022.

Continuous Movements in North Korea

The UNSC Panel of Experts reported movements involving its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests that have been observed in line with how the North's Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea has announced that it would "promptly examine the issue of restarting all temporarily suspended activities" in January, according to The Korea Herald.

In addition to these recent developments, North Korea has also expanded its production capability for nuclear fissile materials at the Yongbyon nuclear testing site.

In March 2022, the country began the excavation at the entrance to Tunnel 3 t the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. They also reconstructed the dismantled support buildings there.

Also, according to the panel, Pyongyang continued to use the 5-megawatt rector based on satellite imagery that showed the reactor discharging cooling water since July 2021. There were also vehicles spotted moving around the reactor.

Pyongyang just fired a missile over Japan for the first time in five years while they find ways to evade international sanctions. Although the activities are nonbinding, they could prompt the Security Council or UN member nations to call for tougher sanctions.

Moreover, North Korea is accused of its continuous petroleum product importation that violates international sanctions. This leads to the possibility that the cargo has ballast tanks and has been reconfigured into multiple oil tanks with concrete installed in the vessel's bottom to avoid detection.

It also has been reported that Pyongyang continued with its cyber activities with two major hacks that took place this year. There were also North Korean students abroad that are sending back technical information on weapons to their countries.

Also Read: North Korea's Nuclear Tests Could Bring Dormant Mount Paektu Back To Life, Cause 'Catastrophic Eruption,' Experts Warn

The UNSC Panel was established in 2009 to support the council's sanctions committee on North Korea. Members include experts from the US, China, France, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom. The report is published twice a year.

The panel's report stated that North Korea is violating resolutions passed by the United Nations unanimously. It also mentioned that the international sanctions are not stringent enough to really punish Pyongyang for its weapons.

North Korea has long argued that it needs nuclear weapon capability and has no interest in denuclearization. They considered the capability as their only leverage to deal with the US. The country made a nuclear test as a reaction to what they considered a threat from the US.

Moreover, North Korea also said that they are nuclear weapons are the only strategic asset they have in order to counter their enemies. They are also willing to trade away their capability if they are guaranteed security by their enemies.

Related Article: North Korea Nuclear Plant Appears Active in Planet Labs' Latest Satellite Images | More Nukes To Be Developed?

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Elon Musk wants to help Ukraine, and the tech CEO has been contemplating how to do it over the weekend as he revealed it to the world, with one of its services, Starlink, already running in the country. There is only an approximation of 25,000 terminals of Starlink present in Ukraine now, but Musk suggests a way to expand the experience for more to utilize.

Despite only owning one Starlink terminal for an area, many will be able to use it via an internet uplink using a cell tower.

Elon Musk: Starlink May Expand Availability via Cell Towers

(Photo : YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)

A Starlink satellite-based broadband system is seen at a mobile passport application station installed by the State Migration Service in Shevchenk, Kharkiv region, on September 29, 2022.

Elon Musk said that he has not been having any sleep lately, as he is trying to think of ways to "de-escalate the war" that is currently happening between Ukraine and Russia. While it is not Musk's responsibility to stop this, he feels like his actions may contribute to greater impacts that may help in ending the conflict between the European neighbors.

With this, Musk also brings new ways to help Ukrainians connect to the internet with Starlink, and it furthers the experience for those who do not have terminals yet in their homes.

At the present, the Starlink CEO confirmed that there are approximately 25,000 terminals of the satellite internet service, but he said that more may use its offers with this new hack.

The hack is to use the terminals to create an internet uplink using cell towers to maximize the use of a single receiver for thousands to gain access to or utilize.

Read Also: Elon Musk's Starlink Shows Impressive Airline Speeds of About 100Mbps; Is This The Best WiFi in Cosmos?

There are ~25k terminals in Ukraine, but each terminal can be used to provide an Internet uplink to a cell phone tower, so potentially several thousand people can be served by a single terminal  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2022

This Internet Uplink May Help Ukraine

Musk's new suggestion and internet hack for Ukraine aims to expand more of the service without necessarily having more terminals distributed among the public, as not all can afford or avail of it. Additionally, it helps more Ukrainians to connect to the internet via their networks, with Starlink powering them, like how it partnered with T-Mobile for the venture.

Starlink and its Features

Starlink and Elon Musk were among the first to deliver internet service for Ukraine when the country lost one, and it is because their communication devices were destroyed by Russians when this erupted. Musk claimed that the company's satellites will include Ukraine's region in its orbit, with Starlink also sending terminals to receive the satellite internet connections.

One of the most special things that Starlink brings to the market is that it is available in a global reach for many users to experience its high-speed and uninterrupted internet services. The company aims to deliver a stable internet connection that may deliver 1GBps as its standard connection for what it offers the world.

Musk is continuously looking for ways to help Ukraine get an edge during this war and stop it altogether, but more importantly, the tech CEO wants to help innocent citizens as they suffer from their nation's conflict. The new Starlink hack is a way to expand the service among users despite not having terminals, and using one device for cell towers to reach different places.

Related Article: SpaceX's Starlink Speed Slows Down Due to Satellite Congestion, Astronomers to Put a Stop to It?

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Apple AirPods and Mac accessories are supporting USB-C by 2024, ditching the Lightning cable.

It looks like Apple is looking to adopt the more widely used USB-C among its devices in the next two years, a recent report discloses.

(Photo : Stephen Lam/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 07: An attendee wears an Apple AirPods during a launch event on September 7, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Apple Inc. unveiled the latest iterations of its smart phone, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the Apple Watch Series 2, as well as AirPods, the tech giant's first wireless headphones.

Apple AirPods, Mac Accessories to Start Support USB-C Cables in 2024

As per the latest report by Engadget, the Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman revealed in its latest Power On newsletter that Apple plans to implement an update to its AirPods and Mac accessories moving forward.

Gurman claims that Apple is looking to adopt USB-C support for its next-generation AirPods in 2024. Not to mention that the accessories of Macs, such as the sleek-looking Magic Mouse, are also set to ditch the Lightning cable in favor of the more widely-used option.

The Bloomberg journalist notes that the upcoming wireless earbuds of the iPhone maker, including the AirPods and AirPods Pro, might start offering USB-C support as early as 2024.

On the other hand, Gurman believes Mac accessories, specifically the Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard, would start adopting the new charging standard much earlier. These accessories might start supporting USB-C by next year or in 2023.

Meanwhile, Magic Mouse users might have to wait two more years before it ditches the Lightning cable.

The journalist further notes in his Bloomberg newsletter that Apple plans to release a USB-C AirPods even before the European Union officially mandates USB-C as the standard charging option for various devices.

So if the latest report is to be taken at face value, Apple fanboys could get rid of their Lightning cables once they purchase the new product offerings of the Cupertino giant by 2024.

EU USB-C Mandate Pushes Apple to Let Go of Lightning Cable

According to a news story by The Verge, the rumored plan of Apple to adopt USB-C charging comes as the European Parliament has approved the proposal that seeks to mandate a standard charging option.

It should mandate smartphones, tablets, and headphones to start adopting USB-C ports.

Read Also: Apple AirPods Pro 2 Scan Reveals Lanyard Loop is Connected to Lightning Port - But Why?

USB-C iPhones

Gurman predicts as early as May that Apple is already working on an iPhone that already supports USB-C charging. During that time, the EU is already looking to adopt a standard charging option.

(Photo : Stephen Lam/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 07: Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller introduces a Lightning to 3.5 mm audio jack adapter during a launch event on September 7, 2016 in San Francisco, California.

The Bloomberg journalist claims that Apple is gearing up to release the upcoming iPhone 15 series with a USB-C port instead of the Lightning. He went on to note that the next-generation flagship phone "is essentially a lock" to support the proposed charging standard, Engadget highlights in its report.

Related Article: Apple AirPods Pro Lanyard Sells Faster Than the iPhone 14 in China

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An announcement from Amazon states that the company will be innovating its approach to achieving net-zero carbon.

(Photo : Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 25: An Amazon delivery vans are seen leaving the Amazon's JFK8 Staten Island fulfillment center in Staten Island on March 25, 2022 in New York City. Workers at Amazon's Staten Island fulfillment center will be holding in-person voting over the course of the next five days on whether to unionize. If it succeeds, this could be the first U.S. union in Amazon's 27-year history.

More Electric Vehicles for Deliveries

Electrek reported that Amazon would be investing $974.8 Million (1 billion) in electric vehicles, such as trucks and vans, for its delivery fleet in Europe. The company aims to help the transportation industry and encourage other companies on investing to electric vehicles.

Ten thousand vans will be purchased by 2025, which is triple the amount of EVs that Amazon currently has. The company also plans to fund its "micro-mobility" delivery hubs. It enables delivery by cargo bike and on foot and is currently operating in 20 European countries.

For large deliveries, Amazon will be buying heavy-duty electric trucks like Tesla Semi, Freightliner eCascadia, and Volvo VNR electric. The last on the list for the company's investment is the installation of chargers to Amazon facilities around Europe.

Previous EV Purchases

No specific brands have been detailed by Amazon on what they have purchased for this investment. But based on a report from Reuters, 100,000 Rivian Electric Delivery Vans have been ordered by Amazon as of the moment. This was part of the $700 million investment in Rivian back in 2019.

Just last week, Amazon also purchased 20 electric trucks from Volvo, as announced by the Swedish car manufacturer in a press release. The company stated, "Volvo Trucks will deliver fully electric heavy-duty trucks to Amazon in Germany by year-end. The 20 Volvo FH Electric are expected to drive more than one million road kilometers annually, fuelled with electricity instead of diesel."

Amazon also confirmed through Vice President of Transportation Services Europe Andreas Marschener that this is the company's dedication to reducing the number of emissions of carbon dioxide produced by the company's delivery fleets.

Aside from the two mentioned purchases by Amazon, the company also recently made orders for other EV producers, such as Mercedez-Benz and Lion Electric.

Also Read: Amazon Purchases 20 Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks From Volvo

Amazon will also be spending $1 billion for the increase of wages for hourly workers in the United States, according to a report from Engadget. This decision was very timely for the company to implement as they have been criticized by many for its labor policies.

Because of this, the majority of front-line warehouse and transportation workers' starting wages will be over $19 per hour. Meanwhile, $16 per hour will be increased for staff in fulfillment and other areas of the company.

Related Article: Amazon Will Spend Nearly $1 Billion to Increase Wages For Hourly Workers in the US





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Following the Optus hack last month, SingTel suffered from another massive data breach in its Australian business. The second Singaporean-owned company said that some of the data from its clients and staff have been linked to the Dark Web.

SingTel Confirms Security Breach

(Photo : ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

After the Optus data breach last September, Singtel suffered from another cyberattack that endangers Dialog customers and staff.

According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, Octo, 10, Australia-based IT company Dialog said that some of the company data had been compromised from its servers. The hackers have leaked them online.

SingTel acquired the company for $325 million seven months ago. The technology consulting firm said that there was a "very small sample of "data that was detected last Oct. 7. They discovered that it contained the personal information of employees.

The company said that the first attack took place on Sept. 10. At that time, SingTel did not believe that the hackers accessed any of the data.

"We are doing our utmost to address the situation and, as a precaution, we are actively engaging with potentially impacted stakeholders to share information, support, and advice," Dialog said.

SingTel's Cyber Security Protection at Risk

According to The Strait Times, SingTel might be in question because of how it handles cybersecurity breaches. With the recent incident that struck Dialog, it's a matter of time before it improves its security measures after the Optus hack.

In September, about 9.8 million data from Optus customers were leaked. The authorities considered this the biggest cybersecurity hack that occurred in the country so far.

At the time, the hackers had compromised over two million document numbers from the users. Experts warned that cybercriminals might steal their financial account information for fraud.

Related Article: iPhone Users Who Have Optus Account Urged to Run a System Check - Here's How

Optus and Dialog Hacks Have No Connection

SingTel confirmed that the recent attack in Dialog is not connected to the Optus data breach. The company said that no evidence was found that will show their link.

It was stated on the official website of Dialog that the company is serving the best-known companies across Australia such as Virgin Australia and National Australia Bank.

With the continuous hacks surrounding SingTel, the Singaporean business needs to revamp its security to protect customers and employees from data theft.

Last week, Tech Times reported that the Australian government was planning to make the myGov digital ID system centralized to all Aussie users.

Although the single digital authentication service will be a convenient feature for all citizens, security experts warned that this could lapse in the long run.

Apparently, the critics said that when hackers gain access to this storage, all the stored personal and financial data will be easily hacked, prompting questions about its vulnerability.

Read Also: Optus to Offer Free 12-Month Subscription For the 'Most Affected' Customers



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Written by Joseph Henry

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The Dutch Court rules that employers demanding employees to turn on their webcams violates their human rights. The decision could change how companies deal with employees working from home.

Florida-Based Chetu Company Decided to Hire a Telemarketer in Netherlands

According to Tech Crunch's story, the case started with the Florida-based Chetu hiring a telemarketer in the Netherlands. The company reportedly required the employee to turn on their webcam.

The employee was reportedly unhappy with the decision and did not want to be monitored for what he described as "9 hours per day." The employee had to be monitored through a program that works by streaming his webcam and screen-sharing.

Company Tagged His Actions as Insubordination and Refusal to Work

When he said he did not want to agree to their demands, he was fired per the public court documents regarding the case. The company then tagged his actions as insubordination and refusal to work.

The court, however, disagreed with the company's decision and said that the instructions for employees to keep their webcam on are in direct conflict with "respect for the privacy of the workers."

Employee Shared that They Weren't Comfortable Being Monitored for 9 Hours a Day Through Camera

The verdict resulted in the court even suggesting that demanding webcam surveillance is a violation of human rights. The court documents included a direct quote from the employee saying, "I don't feel comfortable being monitored for 9 hours a day by a camera."

The documents note that the company decided to fire the employee, and although it could have worked in Florida, the home state for Chetu, labor laws are different in other parts of the world. The company was then taken to court by the employee for unfair dismissal.

Court Ruled that the Company had to Pay the Employee for Their Decision to Terminate Him

The court's findings were in favor of the employee, which resulted in the employee's court costs having to be paid, back wages, and even a fine worth $50,000. There was also an order for the company to remove the non-compete clause of the employee.

The court reportedly gave the ruling that the company needs to pay the wages of the employee, their unused vacation days, and even several different costs as well. The court noted that tracking through a camera for 8 days is disproportionate and not permitted in the Netherlands.

Read Also: Apple French Antitrust Fine Reduced by Two-Thirds! Here's Why Court Adjusts Billion-Dollar Penalty

The company was a No Show for the Case Against Them

It was also noted that the monitoring was against the employee's human rights. There was also a quote taken from the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

The quote specifically noted that "video surveillance of an employee in the workplace, be it covert or not, must be considered a considerable intrusion into the employee's private life." The interesting thing about the case was that the company, Chetu, was a no-show for the case against them.

Related Article: Google Under Fire For Allegedly Kicking Contract Workers Engaging in Union Activity

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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that China does not show any interest in selling his Starlink service across the country.

In an interview with The Financial Times (FT), the tech boss clarified that Beijing has disapproved of the potential availability of his satellite internet.

Starlink Internet Service is a Big No in China

(Photo : Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images)

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says that China does not want to sell his Starlink internet in the country.

Musk has seen a massive rollout of his satellite internet in various countries this year. However, as he looks forward to penetrating a bigger market, he is challenged by the decisions imposed by the Chinese government.

According to the tycoon, Beijing expressed disagreement upon SpaceX's distribution of Starlink in Ukraine. The move took place amid the ongoing conflict of the latter with Russia.

The South African entrepreneur added that Beijing has clearly assured that China won't allow the selling of its satellite internet services in the country.

"Musk says Beijing has made clear its disapproval of his recent rollout of Starlink, SpaceX's satellite communications system, in Ukraine to help the military circumvent Russia's cut-off of the internet," FT wrote in its "Lunch with the FT" column last week.

In another report by CNBC, the FT did not indicate Musk's side if he agrees or not with the decision of the Chinese government.

Starlink Internet Service in Iran

Aside from the ongoing tension between Ukraine and Russia, there's another conflict that is brewing in Iran. Tehran wants to restrict all people in using social media apps, thus, promoting censorship for internet users.

Iran wants to clarify that the US should not interfere in giving internet service to the citizens. The country imposed sanctions on America, yet the US Treasury Department continues to help Iranians in accessing the internet.

However, Musk wants to give what's best for Iranians despite the restrictions from the government. With the protests all happening at once, some residents took their fight to social media.

Elon quickly noticed their concerns online and promised that he would look for solutions for this issue. Additionally, he said that he would think of some ways to bypass the restrictions and have proper authorization to operate his Starlink internet satellite service in Iran.

Related Article: Elon Musk: Starlink Terminals May Provide Internet Uplink via Cell Towers for More to Connect in Ukraine

Russian Soldiers Are Hitting Starlink in Ukraine

Per Eurasian Times, two anonymous government officials said that Ukrainian soldiers are facing a huge problem when it comes to connectivity.

The news outlet reported that some experts have speculated about the potential involvement of SpaceX employees who disrupt the Russian military groups from utilizing this service.

However, Elon Musk tweeted that only a small percentage were paid for the Starlink terminals. He added that the rest of the events that are happening on the battlefield are classified.

Another side of the story from the Russian outlet noted that Russian troops are using a Tirada-2S jamming system that disturbs Starlink's signal.

At the moment, the satellite communications electronic system is believed to be established around 2001. It can potentially block all signals from aircraft transceivers and even the ground-based terminals connected to the satellites.

Read Also: Elon Musk's Starlink Shows Impressive Airline Speeds of About 100Mbps; Is This The Best WiFi in Cosmos?



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The ultimate responsibility of what is transpiring in Haiti right now, falls squarely with the U.S., after interfering in Haiti's internal affairs for decades.

The island is one and indivisible Toussaint LOuverture prophetically pronounced over three centuries ago, not knowing what Destiny and Providence had in store for both peoples of Hispaniola on this tumultuous Twenty First Century.

Dominican Republic stands today in astronomically stark contrast, to Haitis chaotic instability, simultaneously beholden to the fiery trials of el pais vecino, or the neighboring country, as Dominicans sometimes refer to Haiti, hoping subconsciously that its neighbors many ills do not penetrate their territory, along with the increasing exodus of Haitians over its porous border, yearning for better life.

The increasingly bloody violence, massacres, mass evictions, kidnappings, etc., by paramilitary armed groups in 2021 and early 2022, limited at first to neighborhoods in Port Au Prince, spreading further as far as Artibonite, and en route Croix des Bouquets, with its highway connecting Malpasse and Jimani on the Dominican side of the border, all this began to loudly ring alarm bells in nearby Dominican Republic.

President Abinader thus took the unusual step in November, 2021, of suspending automatic yearly renewals for Haitian student visas, due to his concerns that armed groups members could infiltrate D. R., under guise of students.

In addition, Dominican defense authorities took the precautionary measures of deploying up to 12,000 troops along the border, due to Haitis deteriorating security. Dominican military contingents included special forces, and elite mountain troops (somewhat similar to U. S. ARMY Rangers). Other forces are equipped with armored halftracks and ATVs mounting heavy machine guns.

Why we must say No to another US/UN/OAS invasion and occupation of Haiti  with @theconvocouch pic.twitter.com/tX0hos9aQ0  Danny Shaw (@dannyshawcuny) October 10, 2022

Helicopter and Super Tucano aircraft overflights have also taken place along the border area, and the border is being reinforced with the latest surveillance technology, besides regular patrols, and a new border wall is being built along the northern Dajabon perimeter.

However, all these increased Dominican security measures, could not guarantee a worst case scenario from unraveling in el pais vecino, directly impacting its territory and citizens. For instance, it was disclosed recently there were was a Dominican embedded in one Haitian armed band, and as the saying goes where theres smoke theres fire.

And although Dominican authorities vehemently claimed, that the case of a Dominican apprehended by Haitian police, in connection with an armed band was an isolated case, they likewise cannot guarantee there are not more Dominicans operating with Haitis armed groups, since it is open knowledge there are Dominicans living in Haiti, in spite of that countrys unstable political climate.

As a matter of fact, the aforementioned Dominican apprehended by Haitian police, surnamed "Ortiz Mieses" (also known in Kreyol as "Neg ate a"), who was embedded in the "Ti Lapli" gang, astonishingly confessed there were other Dominicans operating with the bands, including one named "Joselito".

In addition, Haitian police disclosed, it had recently apprehended persons connected with illegal arms trafficking, through the border crossings of Belladere and Ounaminthe. So in reality, this is a multi-dimensional scenario, with the possibility however remote, of Haitian armed groups with embedded Dominicans, crossing the border, while guns are being smuggled in Haiti's direction, from the Dominican side.

50+ organizations came together today in Washington, DC to protest against US policies in #Haiti. Let Haitians decide their own future!! pic.twitter.com/Bp3grZSIZE  Lunionsuite  (@LunionSuite) October 9, 2022

Another source revealed, that kidnapped Haitians being held in one armed band's safehouse, could overhear some band members speaking in Spanish, lending credence to the claim, of more Dominicans embedded within Haitian armed groups.

Furthermore, the same source stated, although there is no official confirmation, that other Latin Americans have arived in Haiti, to conduct training with the "Ti Lapli" and "Izo 5 Segonds" bands. This training consisted of weapons handling, driving vehicles, and use of technology. Such training was in the context of the deployment of these bands, regarding the kidnapping business, which is a very lucrative form of revenue for them.

With these dark clouds hanging menacingly over Dominican Republic, presidential pre-candidate Francisco Dominguez Brito of the PLD Party (Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana), recently conducted a very sobering press conference in Santo Domingo.

Dominguez Brito publicly requested of President Abinader to immediately invoke proactive measures, in order to prevent the possibility of Haitian armed bands crossing into Dominican territory, to conduct kidnappings or much worse, just as theyve been doing in Haiti with impunity.

We are convinced Mr. Dominguez Brito was not issuing a mere electioneering statement, given his proven stature as former Attorney General of the Republic under former Presidents Fernandez and Medina.

His statement called for creating a special unit, counteracting Haitis armed groups, stipulating specific actions such as the creation of an intelligence database, and the interception of telephone communications.

In other words, Mr. Dominguez Brito was recommending employment by the Dominican state, of IMSI Catcher/Stingray equipment, as operated by law enforcement and security agencies in North America and Europe, in order to conduct cellphone monitoring and tracking, of criminal suspects believed to be a threat to the state, and public safety.

Adding to Dominguez Brito's dire warnings, former Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas publicly declared that insecurity in Haiti represented a "real threat" to Dominican Republic. He further stated that Haiti's insecurity situation was worsening rapidly, and the power vaccum placed that nation on the verge of civil war, posing a real threat to Dominican Republic.

Speaking in defense of Julian Assange, @haiti_liberte publisher Berthony Dupont runs down the shocking examples of of US meddling in Haitian democracy exposed by @wikileaks. Full story coming on @TheRealNews. pic.twitter.com/cDqD7m36kC  Jaisal Noor (@jaisalnoor) October 9, 2022

As usually in the past, whenever Haiti comes to national attention, Dominican nationalist groups have energized themselves, projecting their cause publicly, in order to persuade public opinion. The "Marcha Patriotica" action on August 6 was thus organized by the "Instituto Duartiano", and other civic society organizations and personalities.

The August 6 nationalist action was both quantitatively and qualitatively superior to similar activities in the past. Hundreds attended the march in downtown Santo Domingo. Additionally, on any given day hashtag #MarchaPatrioticaRD trends quite heavily, especially on its action date, and currently there is another such activity planned for Santiago in October.

A tragic coincidence occurred on the same date as the "Marcha Patriotica" of August 6, the hate crime stabbing death of an Afro-Dominican man in Santo Domingo. This hate crime happened on a bus, pursuant to an argument by two passengers, concerning a subject "regarding Haitians".

The Metropolitan Bus Authority (OMSA) Communications Director, callously stated regarding this hate crime, that it had been an "isolated act", knowing fully well that the morning of August 6, the anti-Haitian "Marcha Patriotica" had taken place in the Capital, and later in the afternoon this hate crime happened.

And to makes matters worse, the "OMSA" did not immediately release the videos of this hate crime, according to testimony from the victim's family, leading one to reasonably conclude, of evidence tampering or obstructing justice, on the part of the authorities.

Thus, the entire circumstances regarding this hate crime stabbing death of an Afro-Dominican man, coinciding on the same date as the anti-Haitian "Marcha Patriotica", coupled with the callous statement by the "OMSA" Communications Director, and with the aggravating prima facie evidence of official evidence tampering and obstruction of justice, merely validates the culture of racism and xenophobia, pervading in Dominican Republic to this day.

This is basically the reason why all Latin America is salty about the US.

First of all, this is the number of interventions (dark purple shows direct interventions, wars, invasions, and impositions of new regimes) the US has had in Latin America. pic.twitter.com/vTbfIjTx8Y  Tenshi  (@TenshiAngelina) October 29, 2020

Regarding the Haitian diaspora in Dominican Republic, census figures vary from over half a million by UN accounts, to as many as one million or more, by other references. Recent statistics indicate, that sometimes as many as 7,000 forced repatriations of Haitians per month or more, occur from Dominican territory.

With the increasingly deteriorating situation in Haiti, it is obvious that the more recent influx of Haitians into Dominican Republic, defines them as "displaced persons" fleeing armed conflict, somewhat similar to that of refugees, escaping conflict areas in the Horn of Africa.

And by that extreme standard, indeed the entire Haitian diaspora in Dominican Republic, could fit that description, thus forced repatriations of Haitians from Dominican Republic, places that population in extreme peril, since in the words of Dominican President Abinader, Haiti is undergoing a "low intensity civil war".

As we stated initially, Dominican Republic is indeed at a historical crossroads, regarding the dire and unpredictable situation in "el pais vecino". However, the ultimate responsibility of what is transpiring in Haiti right now, falls squarely with the U.S., after interfering in Haiti's internal affairs for decades. And to be more fair, Uncle Sam is historically responsible for the Haitian debacle, going back to the Era of Gunboat Diplomacy during the Twentieth Century.

Exactly how will Dominican Republic extricate itself from this conundrum, remains to be seen at this time. The one remaining constant throughout all this, are Toussaint L'Overture's prophetic words over three centuries ago... "The island is one and indivisible".
"We cannot share poverty, and we cannot share hunger, but we can share opportunities and prosperity," President Ruto said.

Regional leaders attending Uganda's 60th independence anniversary from colonial rule on Sunday called for unity among states to fast-track the well-being of their citizens.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni who presided over the celebrations attended by five heads of state from eastern Africa called for value addition on agricultural products.

"In Uganda, we have had fights with political actors over value addition. Everything is got from outside yet the raw materials are available. At least we have started producing our own processed milk, fertilizers, and some textiles," Museveni said, emphasizing that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline will go on as planned.

Visiting Kenyan President William Ruto called on traders and investors to take advantage of the vast regional market to supply what is produced in excess in the different countries.

Our beautiful UGANDA celebrates 60 years of self rule, today.



Happy Independence Day. pic.twitter.com/ACFPLKucYt  Rambura Safaris (@Ramburasafaris) October 9, 2022

"As a region, it is clear to us that we cannot share poverty, and we cannot share hunger, but we can share opportunities and prosperity. We have the challenge to ensure a borderless East African Community where goods and services can move across Africa in free trade," Ruto said.

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye thanked Museveni for his contribution to establishing peace in the region. "We can only be stronger if we work together. For the sake of peace, nothing should stand in our way," he said.

The celebrations were also attended by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and Tanzania's Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi. Several diplomats and other officials also attended the celebrations held at the same place where Britain handed over power to Uganda on Oct. 9, 1962.
The Spanish fan who traveled on foot to Qatar to watch the World Cup has disappeared: "We fear that he is being held in Iran due to the political situation"
Marine archeologist Alton Saltus, left, guest speaker at the Oct. 1 meeting of the Edward Livingston Historical Association, focused on the role that watercraft played in the development of communities in the Florida Parishes region of Louisiana. At the meetings conclusion, Saltus was presented with a book on the history of Livingston Parish by Clark Forrest, president of the association. The two are holding one of the boat models Saltus used in his lecture.
South Africa: EC Cogta MEC condemns attacks on councillors

Eastern Cape MEC Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Zolile Williams, has condemned a rising trend of attacks on public representative in the provinces.

This comes after the MEC on Monday was made aware of another torching and shooting incident on Sunday evening against a councillor in the Port St. Johns Local Municipality.

His office, in a statement, said Cllr Xolile Moni came under attack from unknown assailants who shot at him, injuring his son, and set his house alight.

The latest incident follows earlier attacks against the Mayor and Speaker of Council in Port St Johns Local Municipality. In the evening of 4 October 2022, the residence of the Mayor, Cllr Nomvuzo Mlombile-Cingo, was set alight at night by unknown arsonists, said Ministry spokesperson Pheello Oliphant.

This was immediately followed by the torching down of the residence of the Speaker of Council, Cllr Cebisa Mazuza.

On 16 September 2022, Cllr Fundisile Ranai of Ingquza Hill Municipality together with his son were fatally shot at their home in Lusikisiki. The attackers are still at large.

Williams was monitoring the trend with concern and condemned in the strongest possible terms the unfolding violence.

On 6 October 2022, Williams wrote to the Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lt-General Lillian Mene, requesting a meeting to discuss a responsive security plan to deal with this growing trend of violence against elected public officials at local government level in especially the OR Tambo District.

Oliphant said the request was agreed to by Lt-General Mene and the meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 20 October 2022.

In preparation for this meeting, the MEC had planned to undertake a visit to the OR Tambo District on 14 October 2022 with a view of discussing the evolving situation with the district leadership and all local municipalities.

However, considering the recent incident, Williams has decided to bring forward this visit to Tuesday, 11 October 2022.

The MEC will meet the full council of the Port St Johns Local Municipality to discuss the issues that may be underlying the violence. This will be followed up by a meeting with local stakeholders and the police in the Port St Johns locality in a bid to find a community-based peace and stability plan that can help end the violence.

The MEC will be accompanied by the Executive Mayor of O.R. Tambo District Municipality, Cllr. Mesuli Ngqondwana, said Oliphant.

The MEC said it wished to see the end of the violence which could be avoided by roundtable talks.

Violence is no substitute to constructive engagements, reads the statement.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-10-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, speaks with reporters at a news conference where it was announced that Republican Attorneys General of 21 states submitted a letter to the Senate to reject the two articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Standing from left are, Leslie Rutledge, Ark. Curtis Hill, Ind. Alan Wilson, S.C., and Steve Marshall, Ala.. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
The aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Dulac. Louisiana's private insurers have dwindled since last April, as nearly a dozen withdrawing from the market and several others have gone insolvent. The state's insurer of last resort, Louisiana Citizens, and other agencies have stepped in to assume residents' homeowners policies.
States are not in lock-step on energy shocks and carbon emissions  but theyre more certain about progress than ever before.

Queensland will no longer be a drag on Australias energy and climate responsibilities, the states Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni told a business conference on Monday.

A solar farm in Lilyvale, Queensland. Credit:Gransolar

The most fossil fuel-dependent state, with some of the highest-emitting citizens in the world, now has an ambition to be among the lowest emitters, he told the Australian Financial Review Energy and Climate Summit.

Queenslands ambitious energy plan announced last month is aiming for 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032.
Most of Melissa Caddicks $2 million jewellery collection along with her luxury designer clothes and accessories are set to hit Sydneys auction rooms before Christmas, the Federal Court has heard.

The missing fraudster used funds stolen from her investors to acquire jewellery, mainly from Stefano Canturi. One of the key pieces set to hit the auction rooms is her Canturi Cubism necklace, valued at more than $400,000, which features 165 diamonds, a 12.39 cabochon cut sapphire, 47 aquamarines and 25 Ceylon sapphires. Another diamond and sapphire necklace, known as the Stella, is valued at $370,000.

One of the Canturi statement pieces commissioned by Melissa Caddick which was seized during the raid on her house.

Caddick, 49, who disappeared in November 2020, stole $23 million from her family and friends who thought she was investing in shares on their behalf. Hours before her disappearance, her Dover Heights home was raided by the corporate regulator ASIC and the Federal Police. Items shed purchased with stolen funds were seized during the raid.
Two Brisbane police officers have faced court after allegedly using excessive force against a man in their custody.

Senior Constables John David Wilkins, 59, and Giuseppe Cotroneo, 51, have each been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm over the incident on August 3.

Brisbane police officers Giuseppe Cotroneo (top) and John David Wilkins (below) front Brisbane Arrests Court. Credit:Nine News/Brisbane Times

The incident occurred in on the corner of Harry Street and Stewart Road in Ashgrove in Brisbanes north.

The Brisbane Region officers have been stood down from duty during the legal proceedings.
Second man charged with murder over Brisbane shooting

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With another deluge on the way this week, the Bureau of Meteorology is concerned rainfalls of up to 100 millimetres could cause major flooding in Victoria.

While Melbourne is forecast to bask in sunny conditions and a maximum of 22 degrees on Tuesday, by Thursday the top temperature will drop back to the teens and fairly heavy rainfall will arrive.

Heavy rain caused flooding on the Nepean Highway near St Kilda on Friday, and there could be similar scenes on Victorian roads on Thursday this week when more heavy downpours are expected. Credit:Simon Schluter

The Bureau of Meteorologys Christie Johnson said there would be moderate rain in northern and western Victoria on Wednesday, before widespread falls of 20 to 50 millimetres across the state on Thursday.

The duty forecaster said there was the possibility of falls of between 60 and 100 millimetres on Thursday, in Victorias North Central, North Country and North-East regions.
A security breach at Melbourne Airport has caused delays on Tuesday morning, just over one month after armed federal police escorted Qantas passengers through the terminal in a similar incident.

All passengers inside the secure section of Qantas terminal at Melbourne Airport had to exit and be rescreened after a person inadvertently bypassed security, a Qantas spokesperson said.

Qantas passengers queue after a security breach forced everyone in its terminal to be rescreened by security. Credit:AAP

As a precaution, all Qantas operations were put on hold and passengers in the terminal are being rescreened, which is causing delays to some services this morning, a Qantas spokesperson said.

The queues had returned to normal by 9.30am.
Kevin Reids family say they have no doubt he died before being transferred in a body bag to the hospital morgue despite a doctor lodging a complaint with the coroner over concerns he might have still been alive.

Brother Jamie Reid told Nine News Perth he appreciated the death had received a lot of public attention due to the inherent fear of being buried alive, but that he attended hospital shortly after the death and saw he had left this life.

At 10.37pm, on the fifth of September, I received a call from my mum to say that one of the lovely ladies who had been helping take care of Kevin had rang to let her know that Kevin had passed away, he said.

I drove to my mums house to pick her up, and we went straight to the hospital from there. We spent about 45 minutes in the room with Kevin. And I know that he had left this life and was no longer with us.
The NSW government is proposing a legislated cap on yearly increases to land tax to protect first homebuyers from bill spikes, as Premier Dominic Perrottet accuses Labor of a Mediscare-style campaign designed to sink his ambitious stamp duty reforms.

As part of Perrottets landmark stamp duty reform legislation, to be introduced to NSW parliament this week, annual land tax payments will not rise by more than 4 per cent if buyers opt to pay the yearly levy rather than upfront stamp duty.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean and Premier Dominic Perrottet say their stamp duty reforms will make housing more affordable for young people. Credit:Peter Rae

Perrottets policy, announced in the June state budget, is targeted at first home buyers, giving them the option of paying the annual tax instead of stamp duty on properties worth up to $1.5 million.

The changes are due to be introduced from January 16.
A secret Victoria Police report has criticised the forces handling of a domestic violence case involving a serving policeman after police leaked the victims escape plan to the perpetrator, potentially putting her at risk of more violence or even murder.

The confidential police report is one of several files which also raise questions about the handling of the case by the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission, which is supposed to oversee the force.

Mother of two Jay* was subject to abuse at the hands of her policeman husband Senior Constable Darren Hanegraaf.

The victim at the centre of the case, Jay*, was repeatedly subjected to serious violence at the hands of her partner, Darren Hanegraaf, while he was a serving police officer.

On one occasion, Hanegraaf grabbed Jay, dragged her down the driveway, slammed her head against a letterbox and bashed her unconscious. During another incident, which was previously detailed by Jay in The Age and on 60 Minutes, she was choked until she passed out.
Read more of our population pressure coverage See all 7 stories .

The Victorian opposition has pledged to halve V/Line fares for regional public transport trips for four years, if elected at the state election in November.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and shadow public transport minister Danny OBriens announcement on Tuesday morning follows the Coalitions promise on Sunday to set $2-a-day public transport price caps in metropolitan areas.

Matthew Guy has promised to slash V/Line train fares if elected. Credit:The Age

Planning and transport experts warned on Sunday that the Coalitions promise to limit myki fares to $2 a day would disproportionately benefit wealthier areas and starve the government of funds needed to improve outer suburban services.

Professor Jago Dodson, director of urban research at RMIT University, said on Sunday free public transport was an economically regressive policy and risked worsening social inequalities by benefiting wealthier households.
WAs solar panels, coupled with recent mild spring weather and little demand for heating or cooling, have caused demand for the states major power grid to drop sharply, putting the system under stress.

At 12.30pm on Saturday power sold, or operational demand, on the South West grid fell to a record low of 707 megawatts as gas generation was curtailed to allow households to generate 71 per cent of the power needed.

WAs solar panels, coupled with recent mild weather, have caused the states major power grid demand to drop sharply, putting the system at risk of failing. Credit:Getty

If the operational demand, which has hit successive record lows three times in the past month, reduces too much the grid can have insufficient heavy rotating coal and gas-driven generators to keep the power system stable.

Mild cloud-free weekend days in spring and autumn are a challenge for the Australian Energy Market Operators Perth team led by manager for WA Kate Ryan.
Apple has agreed to hold further meetings with the union representatives on a new workplace agreement, putting the brakes on the technology heavyweights attempt to rush through a deal that the unions say could leave staff worse off.

In a win for Apples 4000 Australian staff, the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) said on Monday that they had successfully stalled a substandard employee agreement by Apple for its Australian workers.

Apple stores in Australia began stocking the iPhone 14 in September. Credit:AP

The unions had accused Apple of acting in bad faith by not informing them that the proposed workforce agreement had entered its access period  the mandatory seven-day period before workers vote on any deal  on September 19.

The access period gives workers sufficient time to mull over the pros and cons of any workplace agreement, the unions complained that Apple had bypassed them and instead moved to deal directly with the workers.
Russian Ground Forces General Alexander Dvornikov, who over a 44-year military career was best-known for scorched-earth tactics in campaigns he led in Syria and Chechnya, was named overall operational commander of the war in Ukraine in April. He lasted about seven weeks before being dismissed as part of a wider shake-up in response to heavy losses and strategic failures.

Around the same time, Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, another four-decade serviceman, the commander in chief of the elite airborne troops, was stripped of his post after nearly all divisions of the airborne forces suffered major losses.

Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016, was in charge of Russias war in Ukraine for seven weeks before being dumped. Credit:AP

And just last week Colonel general Alexander Zhuravlev, the head of the Western Military District responsible for Kharkiv, where Russian forces lost huge swaths of territory in early September, was removed after four years on the job, according to Russian business daily RBC.

Far from bestowing glory on Russias military brass, the war in Ukraine is proving toxic for top commanders, with at least eight generals fired, reassigned or otherwise sidelined since the start of the invasion on February 24. Western governments have said that at least 10 others were killed in battle, a remarkably high number that military analysts say is evidence of grievous strategic errors.
London: The head of Britains foreign signals intelligence agency says Ukraines courageous actions on the battlefield and online are turning the tide against their Russian invaders.

In excerpts of RUSIs annual security lecture, to be delivered by Sir Jeremy Fleming  the head of GCHQ, on Tuesday, Fleming will say that Russian supplies and munitions are running out.

Russian President Vladimir Putins actions were that of a leader losing, not winning, says Jeremy Fleming. Credit:AP

His comments were released after a furious Vladimir Putin pounded Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, with missiles, in retaliation for the destruction of the huge bridge he built linking Russia with Crimea, after he illegally annexed the territory in 2014.

The attack constituted the biggest set of air strikes that Russia has unleashed on Ukraine since the start of the war in February.
A pro-Russian group is claiming credit for a series of disruptions that temporarily knocked the websites of some US airports offline.

The group, called Killnet, has engaged in a series of cyberattacks in recent months against Western targets, including incidents that temporarily rendered some state government websites offline last week, according to cybersecurity experts.

Airplanes wait on the tarmac during a power outage at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. Credit:AP

Los Angeles International Airport issued a statement saying its website was partially disrupted and that the interruption was limited to portions of the public-facing website. There were no disruptions to internal airport systems nor were there any operational difficulties, according to the statement.

The site for LaGuardia Airport was also affected, in addition to Des Moines International Airport, ABC News reported. Websites for OHare and Midway airports in Chicago were offline on Monday, according to a statement from the Chicago Department of Aviation, but no airport operations were affected.
Just last week, Andrew Lloyd Webber introduced Linedy Genao as the performer who will lead the Broadway transfer of his new musical, Bad Cinderella. But before you give Sir Andrew all the credit for discovering this rising Broadway star, you should head to Paper Mill Playhouse to see Genao pay homage to the woman who truly launched her unexpected career.

Less than a decade ago, Genao was a banker who, on a whim, went to an open call for the lab of On Your Feet!, the Gloria Estefan musical. Her reasoning, as she recalls, was simple: "I grew up on her music. I'm Latina. I don't have to pretend to be anyone else." Suddenly, she found herself in Broadway boot camp where she learned everything from how to bevel to prop etiquette  "You're not allowed to touch props unless they're given to you," she can now explain with the wisdom of hindsight. "I went one time to grab my prop and I kind of got yelled at."

By 2015, Genao was in a Broadway ensemble, and soon after, center stage as Gloria herself, understudying the show's original star Ana Villafane. She looks back on this time as one filled with both immense excitement and looming anxiety with imposter syndrome rearing its head at every turn. It's been five years since closing the Broadway production, and with an established and blossoming career underfoot, she returns to the musical at Paper Mill Playhouse  now as its one-and-only Gloria  with a sweet balance of nostalgia and anticipation to claim the space she finally knows she deserves.



( Matthew Murphy)

You've been involved with On Your Feet! since its early workshop days. Tell me about how the show first came into your life.

I have a pretty unique story. I went to college for business and worked in banking. I loved to sing since I was little but I never pursued it professionally because I didn't think I was good enough. I only had theater experience from high school and community theater in my hometown of Hamden, Connecticut. A friend of mine sent me a Facebook message that said, "Hey, they're having an open call for the lab of On Your Feet!, the Gloria and Emilio Estefan musical," and I was like, "Let me just try." So I took a selfie on my iPhone 4, printed it at Walgreens, and that was my headshot. I went to the open call with a bunch of bags because at the time I was living with my grandmother in Brooklyn Monday through Friday. I was working in the city at a bank and was commuting back home to Connecticut on weekends to switch out all of my clothes. So I went to the open call, and from there I was chosen to be a part of the lab in the ensemble originating my own track and understudying Gloria for the out-of-town run in Chicago and on Broadway.

What was it like transitioning so suddenly into a professional career as a performer?

You can ask anyone. I literally cried at rehearsal every single day because I could not believe that my dream came true. I learned everything on that show. Literally, they would give me Broadway 101 classes. This show has a very, very special place in my heart and for eight years I've been able to make this my career. I mean, I went back to banking during the pandemic, which I'm grateful for. But I don't want to go back to banking.

What were some of the most impactful things you learned during that period of time?

Vocal health. My biggest challenge over the years has been going from singing because you love to sing to singing because it's your job. I didn't think about placement, I didn't think about breath support, I didn't think about anything, which has its pros and cons of course. For so long I would just sing whatever came out of my body, whatever I felt in my heart. And now, I can't always do that because maybe I won't be able to do eight shows a week if I do it that way. When you do shows in high school and in your community they run for what, three weekends? I had no idea what it was like to do eight shows a week  the toll it takes on your body and also your mental health. I went from working Monday to Friday, nine to five, having weekends off, seeing my family all the time, to the heartbreak of "You're gonna miss the birthday and you're gonna miss the wedding and then you're gonna miss this funeral"  the sacrifices we have to make in this industry. That was very, very difficult for me.

Linedy Genao (far right) with fellow ensemble members at the Broadway opening of On Your Feet! in 2015.

( David Gordon)

I remember Gloria and Emilio Estefan were both extremely involved in the original development of the show. Were they around to lend advice or support?

I will never forget. It was 2014 when we were doing the lab and Gloria and Emilio showed up. I look up and I see that they entered the room and I start hysterically crying. It kind of slapped me in the face when I saw her and it was like, this is real. I'm here. I am about to meet Gloria Estefan. And then she came up to me and gave me the biggest hug and consoled me. It makes me cry thinking about it. She was like, "I'm so proud of you, I'm so grateful that you're a part of this and I cannot wait to see what you bring to this show." It was a really, really special moment.

How does it feel coming back to this show five years after closing the Broadway run?

Coming into the show when I was 24 years old, the imposter syndrome was real. That's why I would cry everyday. I was like, "Why am I here? There are so many other people who are much more qualified than I am." Even the first time I went on as Gloria  I will never forget I was hiding under the fountain for "Tradicion" for the reveal where Little Gloria transforms into Big Gloria, and started hysterically crying. The dancers  we had a little window in the back of the fountain and they could see me crying and they're like, "Linedy, you're gonna be OK. Just breathe." I had to put on my brave face but that was a very difficult show for me. That's when I really got in my head and was like, "I have no experience, what am I doing here?" Coming back to this show now as a real adult, my whole life experience is so different. Even in the scene work that we're doing, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, how did I not think of this?" Because I was a naive, excited, emotional little girl who was shot out of a cannon. It's been really beautiful to discover things that I never did because of maturity and life that I hadn't experienced yet.

I hope there's some good nostalgia involved too.

It's bringing back so many beautiful memories. I love that I get to see and wear those costumes again. Some of them still say my name. I totally geeked out too because opening this script for the first time  the main ensemble character that I played on Broadway was Rachel, but in the script, she's listed as "Linedy." So anyone having my track is playing a character named "Linedy." I literally almost fainted. I guess I was a character myself and that was good enough.
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(L-R) Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Tore Ellingsen, Hans Ellegren, and John Hassler announce the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2022, during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm on Oct. 10, 2022. (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency via AP)

3 Economists, Including Former Fed Chair Bernanke, Win Nobel Prize

STOCKHOLMFormer U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke won the Nobel Prize in economic sciences along with two other U.S.-based economists for their research into bank failures.

The Nobel panel at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognized Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond, and Philip Dybvig on Monday for research that shows why avoiding bank collapses is vital.

Their findings in the early 1980s laid the foundations for regulating financial markets, the panel said.

Financial crises and depressions are kind of the worst thing that can happen to the economy, said John Hassler of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences. We need to have an understanding of the mechanism behind those and what to do about it. And the laureates this year provide that.

Bernanke, 68, examined the Great Depression of the 1930s when he was a professor at Stanford University, showing the danger of bank runswhen panicked people withdraw their savingsand how bank collapses led to widespread economic devastation. He was Fed chair from early 2006 to early 2014 and is now with the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke attends a ceremony awarding him with the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 7, 2017. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

Before Bernanke, economists saw bank failures as a consequence, not a cause, of economic downturns.

Diamond, 68, based at the University of Chicago, and Dybvig, 67, based at Washington University in St. Louis, showed how government guarantees on deposits can prevent a spiraling of financial crises.

The economics award capped a week of Nobel Prize announcements in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and peace. They carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10.

Unlike the other prizes, the economics award wasnt established in Alfred Nobels will of 1895 but by the Swedish central bank in his memory. The first winner was selected in 1969.
Future of Child Transgender Surgeries to Be Decided in Pivotal Trial

39 states take sides in challenge of Arkansas ban on transgender treatments of minors

Combatants on both sides of the war over gender-altering drugs and surgeries for minors are crying out, Weve got to help these distressed children!

However, trying to chart a course toward that goal is like trying to see clearly through a dust storm.

Arguments over medical standards, morality, and money are swirling through statehouses and courthouses, schools and churches, hospitals and homes. Undisputed facts are in short supply, obscured by waves of emotion and evolving, politicized terminology.

At the same time, a rising tide of juveniles experiencing gender dysphoria, a persistent dissatisfaction with ones gender, demands urgent attention.

Against that backdrop, officials in Arkansashome of the nations first ban on gender-altering procedures for children under 18will see if the law holds up in court.

The laws constitutionality goes on trial in Little Rock starting Oct. 17, less than three weeks after a very different law became official, declaring California the first sanctuary state, where out-of-state minors can come for transgender-related medical treatments.

The California law will likely face a court challenge, too, as a conflicting patchwork of legislation on the issue blankets the nation.

For now, the spotlight is glaring on Arkansas Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, as forces line up to prop it up or defeat it.

As the case heads for trial, the SAFE Act counts 19 states, primarily Republican, in its corner, along with some two dozen other groups, transgender people, and doctors.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which sued to overturn the act, counts 20 predominantly Democratic states in its corner, plus dozens of families with transgender children and several dozen medical societies and activist groups that promote human rights and LGBT rights nationally and globally.

The laws fate could greatly influence how America responds to a small but widening pool of families and children in turmoil over a childs gender dysphoria.

Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old woman who regrets surgically removing her breasts, holds testosterone medication used for transgender patients, in Northern California on Aug. 26, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

No Middle Ground

The complex debate has split into two opposite groups, each with its own set of catchphrases.

One group favors making puberty-blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones, and gender-altering surgeries available to youths, saying such procedures constitute medically necessary, life-saving, gender-affirming care. Those phrases repeatedly appear in court filings opposing the Arkansas law.

In the other camp, supporters of the SAFE Act and similar legislation decry the medicalization, manipulation, and mutilation of vulnerable children, driven by groupthink and profit motives of a new, multibillion-dollar gender-transition industry.

The nations largest medical groups support the gender-affirming approach and have thrown their support behind the ACLUs lawsuit, which says a well-established medical consensus guides treatment plans for gender dysphoria and doesnt always advocate medical intervention.

Critics say the medical establishment has silenced dissenters concerns about altering children and teens developing bodies when the science is far from settled; long-term effects remain unknown. They question the wisdom of rushing the procedures, citing studies showing the vast majority of transgender-identifying youths later desist and revert to the gender that matches their biological sex.

State Rep. Robin Lundstrum, who introduced the SAFE Act, said, There have been plenty of times in the past when medicine had said, This is the right thing to do, but theyve been wrong, and common sense and science have won out.

Arkansas Rep. Robin Lundstrum, a Republican who sponsored the nations first law to ban medical gender-transition procedures for minors, speaks at a legislative session on Feb. 15, 2022. (Courtesy of Robin Lundstrum)

Politics

By all indications, the number of children and teens identifying as an alternative gender is surging, perhaps because of social contagion, under the influence of peers and internet sites that glorify transitioning.

According to a Reuters report released this month, 42,000 U.S. children and teens were diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2021, a caseload that nearly tripled since 2017.

The Gender Mapping Project, which calls itself an educational resource for anyone who has been affected by the gender industry, says a handful of gender clinics for children existed in North America a decade ago.

The number now exceeds 400, as confirmed by a force of unpaid volunteers who work in secret to gather evidence on the clinics activities.

Advocates argue that the availability of gender-affirming care can tamp down suicides and attempted suicides, which occur at alarming rates among gender-dysphoric youths.

In this photo illustration, a teenager in distress poses for a picture in Arlington, Va. on June 11, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

In Arkansas, a half-dozen transgender adolescents attempted suicide within a few weeks after the SAFE Acts passage, the ALCU said in a court filing, implying that the impending ban may have pushed those teens over the edge.

Lundstrums reaction: If you have children wanting to kill themselves, there are some serious underlying issues that need to be addressed. Anyone who is suicidal needs to go to an emergency room and a counselors office, not to a plastic surgery suite or an endocrinologists office, Lundstrum said.

She cites a lack of solid, long-term studies showing that medical interventions help the suicide rate among transgender juveniles. And, she said, theres convincing proof that sex-reassignment surgeries worsened the problem among adults. A respected, 30-year Swedish study showed sex-transitioned adults committed suicide at a rate 19 times greater than the control group.

The Republican lawmaker notes that the warring factions in this controversy have split along political party lines. She noted that few Democrats in Arkansasor elsewhere in the U.S.have spoken out.

When Lundstrum heard about a Democratic lawmaker willing to oppose transgender treatments for minors in Georgia, she contacted his office to offer moral support. But a staffer told her that the legislator faced immense blowback, so he bowed out.

Leaders need to set aside political agendas, Lundstrum said, and drill down to the core issue: What influences might be compelling children to feel they need to change their bodies dramatically?

We should be locking arms across the political aisle and telling these kids they are incredible just the way they are, she said. If we dont, I think that, in 10 years or less, as the science comes out, people are going to look back and say, I cant believe what weve done.

Unlikely Ally

After taking one glance at the SAFE Act and its sponsor, a Southern Baptist from a red state, some people assumed that Lundstrum surely must be misguided, anti-transgender, or transphobic.

But those labels, lobbed at Lundstrum and her legislation, are laughably inaccurate, says Scott Newgent, a biological woman who medically transitioned to appear male. Newgent calls Lundstrum a friend.

Scott Newgent, 49, of Texas, opposes transgender surgeries and drugs for youths, citing regret over transitioning. Undated photo provided in 2022.(Courtesy of Scott Newgent)

Now living in Texas, Newgent, 49, became medically masculinized at 42. Since then, Newgent has undergone eight surgeries, endured repeated complications, and amassed $1.2 million in medical bills. The costs will continue climbing for the rest of Newgents lifespan.

Doctors brushed off Newgents questions about the risks of transition procedures; many gender-affirming advocates do that, too, Newgent said, blinding gender-dysphoric children and their parents to the dangers of the proposed panacea.

Newgent says the transgender-rights movement is not motivated by love and acceptance, as society was led to believe. Instead, its about making money. Every child that they say is transgender equals $1.3 million for the medical and pharmaceutical industries, Newgent said.

A parent of three children, Newgent vehemently opposes medical transitions for minors. Newgents transgender journey and impassioned pleas to shield children have drawn international attention.

Surprised Skeptic

Upon hearing about Lundstrums bill, Newgent agreed with its stated intent but was prepared to hate it.

Many people in Lundstrums primary political sphere are conservative, heterosexual, and presumably clueless about the thorny issues entangling medical gender transition, Newgent said. Without that understanding, it would be impossible for her to produce a well-crafted piece of legislation to restrict the procedures.

Newgent also was skeptical of Lundstrums motives. Had she latched onto the hot-button issue of the day to make political hay?

After investigating, Newgent was pleasantly surprised about the bill and its sponsor.

Newgent found the SAFE Act was worded accurately, backed by research, and potentially very effective. I say, Bravo. A few tweaks and this could be a nationwide HALT to medical transitioning children, Newgent wrote in a May 2021 blog post.

Newgent commended Lundstrum for citing the experimental nature of using puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones on children. The SAFE Act also lists serious known risks of these drugs legal but off-label use, including blood clots, osteoporosis, diseases of major organs, and irreversible infertility.

Newgent contacted Lundstrum to apologize for unfairly prejudging her.

Over the phone, the two struck up a friendship; they communicate often but have not yet met in person. Despite coming from starkly divergent backgrounds, Newgent and Lundstrum found common ground.

Imagine me, Scott Newgent, a fully transitioned transman, saying the words of Robin Lundstrum: Those kids are precious. Some of them may choose to be transgender when theyre older. Thats OK. . But when theyre under 18, they need to grow up first. Thats a big decision; theres no going back, Newgent wrote.

In fact, Newgent wrote, I have said almost these exact words, many times now.

Arkansas Rep. Robin Lundstrum wears a T-shirt supporting TreVoices.org, which transgender man Scott Newgent runs to advocate on behalf of youths struggling with gender identity and sexual orientation. (Courtesy of Robin Lundstrum)

In its lawsuit against the SAFE Act, the ACLU declares that a persons gender identity, or sense of belonging to a particular gender, is durable and cannot be altered through medical intervention. If thats so, how can people declare they are gender-fluid and frequently change their genders?

Newgents take: Gender is not fluid. Masculinity and femininity are fluid. But neither of those attributes replaces a biological fact, Newgent said: DNA imprints a persons sex as male or female, and no amount of drugs or surgeries can change that.

I will never be a man, despite outward appearances, Newgent said.

A high percentage of the young people who declare, I am trans, are autistic, abused, mentally ill, or just oddballs who feel lost and isolated, Newgent said. Proponents of medical transition are selling them a fantasy: They can be cured of this oddity, Newgent said.

Lots of these people later come to important realizations, Newgent said. They see their deep mental and emotional scars remain after the procedures. Some recognize their confusion was over sexual orientation rather than gender identity. That helps explain why some gays and lesbians have sided with Lundstrum, a mother of two and grandmother of four whose political base is populated with Christian evangelicals, Newgent said.

Lundstrum said some people overemphasize her religion.

People think Im going to thump them over the head with a Bible, she said, with a laugh. Im not that way.

Newgent said Lundstrum has demonstrated that she doesnt have to be in lockstep with her base.

She does what is right and doesnt back away from it.

A LGBT activist holds pins about gender pronouns, on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie, Wyoming, on August 13. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Like Seeing a Car Wreck and Not Calling 911

Unbeknownst to Newgent and most others, Lundstrums educational background influenced her to propose the SAFE Act.

She holds a doctorate in health sciences and has always been keenly interested in childrens studies and human sexuality. She worked as a rape crisis counselor and educator for a hospital. She also taught at John Brown University in northwest Arkansas.

After leaving academics and becoming a state lawmaker in 2015, Lundstrum stayed abreast of her former field of study.

Never in a million years did I think my political life and academia would merge like thisnever, Lundstrum said in an interview.

But in late 2020, Lundstrum and other Republican women gathered for The Dream Big Caucus. They brainstormed legislation that would have the most significant impact on Arkansans.

Lundstrum piped up, You know, theres a lot going on in human sexuality.

She mentioned learning about minors chemical and surgical transition in other states, particularly along the east and west coasts.

She recalled saying: What Im seeing is really terrifying because these kids have no clue whats going on  Is anybody else seeing this? Yes, her fellow lawmakers responded, telling her that it was happening in their state, too.

And I was like, Whoa, whoa  not in Arkansas, Lundstrum, a near-lifelong resident, said. She found websites proving that Arkansas hospitals were promoting transition processes for minors.

Lundstrum dug around and was alarmed when she saw the procedures were becoming more common than most people knew. Then she saw post-surgery pictures of teens. It is brutal. Its cruel. It looks like something out of a Nazi camp. And I dont think thats an exaggeration, she said. No 13-year-old should ever have their breasts removed. And no 17-year-old boy should ever have his penis and scrotum removed.

She felt compelled to act: Its kind of like seeing a car wreck and not calling 911. When you see a car wreck, you call 911.

Act Passed Swiftly

A few months later, in February 2021, Lundstrum introduced the SAFE Act. Within weeks, it passed the House, 70-22, and the Senate, 28-7. One Democrat Senator broke rank; Republicans cast all the other votes.

In April 2021, Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, at the urging of medical groups, vetoed the SAFE Act, calling it government overreach. He said parents and doctors should make treatment decisions for juveniles, not the government. The next day, both chambers of the Arkansas Statehouse voted to override the veto.

The bill proved timely. In May 2021, Swedens Karolinska Hospital ranked as the eighth-best in the world, made an announcement that sent shockwaves through the transgender treatment realm. The hospital said it would stop using puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones as treatments for youths.

This is a watershed moment, the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine said. The Swedish decision reflected a dawning global awareness of the low quality of evidence in studies investigating benefits of the treatments for youths, the Society said. As a result, efforts to help gender-dysphoric children may move away from medical interventions and toward ethical psychological treatments and support, the Society said.

The Swedish announcement made some supporters of the SAFE Act do a virtual I-told-you-so dance. The Family Council, a Christian advocacy group that influenced Lundstrums bill, wrote that the Swedish hospitals shift in policy is just more evidence that Arkansas was right to pass the SAFE Act.

Several states responded by proposing bills patterned after the SAFE Act; the ACLU responded with its lawsuit.

Unconstitutional Discrimination Alleged

In its initial federal court complaint, filed in May 2021, the ACLU said it was representing four Arkansas families with gender-dysphoric youths, plus a pair of doctors who treat that condition. The SAFE Act threatens the health and well-being of transgender youth in Arkansas and also is unconstitutional, the ACLU alleges.

It discriminates on the basis of sex and transgender status, the ACLU said, noting the law forbids certain treatments only for transgender patients and only when the care is related to gender transition.

The plaintiff families in the lawsuit have transgender children who were ages 9-16 when the suit was filed. The youngest, Brooke Dennis, was designated as male on her birth certificate, but her gender identity is female, the suit says.

Brooke always knew who she was, the suit says, describing affinity toward activities and clothing traditionally considered feminine since age 2. Brooke went to a school counselor due to stress over gender issues, including classmates debates over which sex-segregated restroom Brooke should use.

After adopting female pronouns and a new name, Brooke has returned to being the happy, bright-eyed child she used to be. Brooke was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in late 2020 and expressed anxiety over going through a typical male puberty and having a male body.

She recently cried and told her mom that she didnt want to get an Adams apple, the suit says.

Given all of that, Brookes parents were intending to start puberty-delaying treatment at the first signs of puberty, the suit said. The family has contemplated moving out-of-state to get treatment for Brooke if the SAFE Act is enforced.

Lundstrum expresses compassion for such families. But she cant help but wonder what the future might look like for these children, especially because she has heard so many stories of regret.

Chloe Cole, now 18, is one teen who has gone public with a cautionary tale. She was born female but hated girls clothing. Discussions on social media sites convinced her she was transgender. She revealed that belief at 12. At 13, she got puberty-blocking injections, followed by testosterone, and eventually a double mastectomy. She now calls her transition brutal, and embraces her femininity while regretting the damage to her body.

She has started a group called Detrans United, to support fellow detransitioners. Cole isnt listed among the official supporters of the Arkansas law, but she has publicly stated she supports a proposed nationwide ban on medical transitions for youths.

Chloe Cole (L) and Scott Newgent (R), who both regret undergoing masculinizing gender-transition procedures, are pictured with another protester at the First Do No Harm Rally against the medical transition of youths in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of TreVoices.org/Scott Newgent)

Deep Pockets

In July 2021, before the Arkansas law took effect, U.S. District Court Judge James Moody Jr. granted the ACLUs request to block Arkansas from enforcing the law, pending the lawsuits outcome.

A federal appeals court recently sided with Moody and kept the temporary injunction in place, cueing a preliminary victory lap for the ACLU.

In a statement applauding the decision, Chase Strangio, an ACLU lawyer on the case, said the ruling showed the states ban on care does not advance any important government interest, and the states defense of the law is lacking in legal or evidentiary support.

Some fuel for the ACLUs fight comes from its Jon L. Stryker and Slobodan Randjelovic LGBT & HIV Project.

In 2021, Stryker and Randjelovic bestowed the ACLU with a $15 million endowment to fund that project, the ACLU said in another release.

The gift is the largest LGBT rights-focused gift in the ACLUs history, the release said.

Stryker is the founder and president of the Arcus Foundation, the largest non-governmental organization devoted to the LGBT cause, according to Jennifer Bilek, a journalist who has spent years tracking how money is connected to transgender activism.

Bilek believes that billionaires are behind the scenes, pushing for global acceptance of gender identity and transgender ideologies. The goal, she said, is to create new markets for medical services and products. Bilek has called the transgender crusade big business dressed up in civil rights clothes.

Body Art Illegal

In response to the ACLUs filings, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge pointed out that laws commonly forbid juveniles from making choices that are perfectly legal for adults.

Under Arkansas law, minors are barred from buying certain cold medicines. They cant legally play bingo or the lottery. They cant bet on horse races or dog races. And they also cannot have their nipples and genitals pierced or tattooednot even with parental consent.

So thats why it seemed logical to outlaw removing or altering those parts of a childs body for gender-transition reasons, Lundstrum said. She sees the SAFE Act as a logical extension of the states child-protection measures.

There is a huge list of all the things that we do to protect minors. .You cant drive until 16. And you cant vote until 18, she said. But we will chemically castrate our children without thinking about counseling first, without finding out what the problem is, finding out why a child would want to disavow the sex that they were born with? Its the irony and the sickness of that.

Lundstrum says her legislation prompted great conversations with many transgender people. A few have told her that transitioning made them feel more comfortable about their identities, but the pain, the long-term issues have cost them dearly, she said.

One of the most poignant observations came from a male who medically transitioned to female and told Lundstrum, So Im living two lives at the same time, with all the health complications that come with living both genders.

States that are listed in support of the Arkansas ban on transgender procedures for minors are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. In addition, Ohio has proposed a similar law, but isnt listed among the official supporters of the SAFE Act.

The states that have sided with the ACLUs fight to overturn the Arkansas ban are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The District of Columbia also listed.
A man is arrested by the Guardia Civil and the National Crime Agency in Madrid, Spain, on Oct. 4, 2022. (National Crime Agency)

Anglo-Spanish Police Operation Smashes Albanian People Trafficking Gang

A joint operation between Britains National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Guardia Civil in Spain has led to the arrest of seven men from an Albanian organised crime group who were allegedly involved in smuggling illegal immigrants into the UK on board freight lorries.

The NCA said the gang brought in around 50 illegal immigrantsmainly Albanianson ferries between the Spanish ports of Bilbao and Santander and Portsmouth, Southampton, and Liverpool in England.

Some of the Albanians had flown directly to Spain from Tirana, while other illegal immigrants had been found and recruited in camps near Bilbao and Santander.

The Spanish prosecutors said the fee charged was between 3,000 ($2,900) and 15,000 euros ($14,500) and the gang provided the illegal immigrants with food and accommodation before smuggling them on board the ferries in the back of lorries.

Seven arrests were madetwo in Madrid and the rest in the Basque countrybetween Oct. 3 and 5, but the details only emerged on Monday.

The Guardia Civil seized several mobile phones, computers, bank cards, and passports which may be crucial to the investigation.

Dangers of Smuggling People in Lorries Are Self-Evident

NCA International Regional Manager Steve Reynolds said, We were faced with a crime group who were prepared to smuggle migrants in lorries over one of the longer ferry and freight crossings into the UK.

The dangers of that are self-evident, he said, in a veiled reference to the 39 Vietnamese illegal immigrants who suffocated and died in October 2019 in the back of a lorry bringing them into England from Belgium.

Reynolds said, Working closely with our Spanish counterparts we have been able to dismantle their operation and prevent further lives being put at risk.

This operation demonstrates how the NCA is determined to take action against people smugglers at every step of the route towards the UK, including upstream in transit countries like Spain, he added.

The seven who were arrested, who include the alleged ringleader, will all face trial in Spain.

When the pandemic began and international freight traffic fell, people traffickers switched to bringing people across the English Channel in boats, but the resumption of trade has seen a gradual resumption in the smuggling of people on board trucks.

Graham Hancock, who leads the Invigor UK Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce, added, Organised immigration crime is something which is constantly evolving, and we are always alive to the changes in the threat, whether that be different routes or methods used by the criminal networks involved.

Albania is a key source of illegal immigrants heading to England and on Oct. 7, an Albanian man was arrested in London in connection with the trafficking of people in small boats across the English Channel.
This photo shows a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Bivalent, at AltaMed Medical clinic in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images)

Australia Begins Rollout of Modernas Bivalent Omicron Booster

Australia has introduced Modernas bivalent vaccine into the COVID-19 booster program, which is anticipated to provide more protection against the Omicron variants.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended that the Moderna bivalent vaccine, that targets both the original Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant BA. 1, be used as a booster dose in people aged 18 and over.

Both bivalent and original vaccines result in an improvement in the immune response against BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 Omicron subvariants, with the Moderna bivalent vaccine showing a small incremental benefit over the original vaccine for Omicron neutralisation, ATAGI said in a statement released in September.

Modernas bivalent vaccine is Australias first available combination shot and is currently only registered for use as a booster.

It was provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in September.

ATAGI recommends waiting as least three months after the most recent COVID-19 vaccine dose or infection.

Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, told Sky News Australia that the updated booster shot was better targeted at Omicron.

This one of the next generation vaccines weve been waiting for, she said. Its been developed to include not just the ancestral variant but also components of the later omicron variant.

Effectiveness of the Updated Moderna Booster

The Moderna bivalent combination shot uses mRNA technology and has a similar safety and reactogenicity profile to the original Moderna vaccine, based on data from an ongoing clinical study, the TGA said.

However, according to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine and funded by Moderna, the new booster shot was not more effective at preventing COVID-19 infection.

Researchers recorded more participants contracting COVID-19 in the group who received the updated booster.

In a breakdown of those without prior COVID-19 infection, more participants in the updated booster group got COVID-1911 or 3.2 percentthan those who received the old booster5 or 1.9 percent.

Researchers said the measurements showed a better immune response after the updated booster, which indicate that bivalent vaccines may be a new tool in the response to emerging variants.

The Food and Drug Administration in the United States has also authorised the use of Pfizers bivalent COVID-19 that targets the Omicron BA. 4 and BA. 5 subvariants.

Pfizers bivalent COVID-19 vaccine has yet to receive provisional approval in Australia.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Austrian President Secures Reelection With Clear Win, Avoiding Runoff: Projections

VIENNAAustrian President Alexander Van der Bellen secured a second six-year term in office on Sunday by winning a clear majority of votes in an election to avoid a runoff, according to projections based on almost all votes cast except postal ballots.

The 78-year-old former leader of the Greens has garnered broad popularity by projecting calm during times of national crisis, including the collapse of the government in 2019 and the resignation of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz a year ago over corruption allegations that Kurz denies.

The right-wing Freedom Party (FPO) was the only party in parliament to field a candidate against Van der Bellen, who won a much tighter race against an FPO opponent in 2016. Grandees from all other parties in parliament backed the president.

The Austrian president performs a largely ceremonial role, but also has sweeping powers that mean overseeing periods of transition and turbulence. The president is the commander in chef of the army and can sack the whole government or the chancellor.

A majority is easily said, but an absolute majority means more votes than all others [candidates] combined, and one must take that very seriously. I was not at all sure that it would happen but it did, and I am very pleased, Van der Bellen told national broadcaster ORF. He faced an all-male field of six opponents.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen talks to journalists outside the polling station with his wife Doris Schmidauer during presidential elections in Vienna, Austria, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters)

With 95 percent of the votes cast in polling stations counted, a projection by pollster SORA for ORF based on that count put Van der Bellen on 56.1 percent with a margin of error of 1.1 percentage points. His nearest rival was the FPOs Walter Rosenkranz on 17.9 percent.

Alexander Van der Bellen really managed to ensure in the first round that he will be the next president. I congratulate him on that, Rosenkranz told ORF.

The votes counted on Sunday do not include postal ballots, which will be counted on Monday, but projections are for the result as a whole, including postal ballots. Those projections have proved highly reliable in the past.

A separate projection by ARGE Wahlen for news agency APA produced nearly identical results to SORAs, putting Van der Bellen on 56 percent and Rosenkranz on 17.6 percent, based on a count of 88 percent of votes cast in polling stations
California Man Sues Makers of Texas Pete Hot Sauce After Realizing Product Made in North Carolina

The makers of Texas Pete hot sauce are being sued by a man who was left disappointed after purchasing the product only to discover that it is not actually made in Texas.

Los Angeles resident Phillip White filed a lawsuit in September in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against the producers of the hot sauce, North Carolina-based T.W. Garner Food Co.

The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to act in accordance with a fundamental precept of truth in advertising and fair play in the marketplace by implying that the product was made in Texas when it is actually manufactured in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

According to the lawsuit, White purchased a bottle of Texas Pete at a Ralphs supermarket in Los Angeles in September 2021, believing that it was made in Texas. The bottle cost about $3.

In making his purchase decision, White relied upon the language and images displayed on the front label of the product, and at the time of purchase understood the product to be a Texas product, the lawsuit states.

White later discovered the hot sauce was not actually made in Texas.

His lawyers argue that he would not have purchased the sauce, or would have paid significantly less for it, had he known it was not made in Texas.

Nothing Texas About Them

White spent money to purchase a product that was different than that which he expected, and White did not receive the benefit of his bargain, his lawyers wrote. White may want to purchase the product again in the future if he could be sure that the product were compliant with California and federal consumer protection and advertising laws.

By representing that its Texas Pete brand hot sauce products are Texas products, when they are not, Defendant has cheated its way to a market-leading position in the $3 billion-dollar hot-sauce industry at the expense of law-abiding competitors and consumers nationwide who desire authentic Texas hot sauce and reasonably, but incorrectly, believe that is what they are getting when they purchase Texas Pete, the lawsuit further states.

Although Defendant brands the products Texas Pete, there is surprisingly nothing Texas about them: unknown to consumers, the products are standard Louisiana-style hot sauces, made with ingredients sourced outside the state of Texas, at a factory in North Carolina, it adds.

The lawsuit also states that the makers of Texas Pete hot sauce use a deceptive labeling scheme, adorning the packaging with distinctly Texan imagery: the white lone star from the Texas flag and a cowboy using a lasso.

Defendant designed the misleading name and imagery to comprise the entire front label, repeated the deception on the prominent product seal, and then etched the Texan imagery into the glass on the front of the bottle, the lawsuit states.

By way of its false marketing and labeling, Defendant knowingly and intentionally capitalizes on consumers desire to partake in the culture and authentic cuisine of one of the most prideful states in America, lawyers for the plaintiff wrote.

The lawsuit is asking that a judge rule that T.W. Garner Food Co.s conduct violates unfair competition law, false advertising law, and the consumer legal remedies act, which allows individuals to bring private civil actions against companies that use false advertising or other unlawful practices.

White is also asking the court to force the company to immediately stop selling the unlawful products in violation of law and to enjoin the company from continuing to market, advertise, distribute, and sell the products in the unlawful manner described in the lawsuit.

It is also seeking punitive damages.

According to Texas Petes official website, the companys founder, Sam Garner, decided to name the sauce Texas Pete in part due to his son Harold, whose nickname was Pete, and the states reputation for spicy cuisine. The sauce was created in 1929.

A spokesperson for T.W. Garner Food Co. told the Epoch Times in an emailed statement: We are aware of the current lawsuit that has been filed against our company regarding the Texas Pete brand name. We are currently investigating these assertions with our legal counsel to find the clearest and most effective way to respond.
The body of the shooter Panya Khamrap inside a body bag at Na Klang Hospital following a rampage in the town of Uthai Sawan in the province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, Thailand, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

CNN Pulls Unethical and Insensitive Report on Thailand Daycare Killings

CNN has apologized for a report on the massacre at a nursery in Thailand that left 37 dead and pulled the story off air following criticism over how its journalists filmed the crime scene.

The networks apology came after its report, which featured graphic images of the bloodstained floor at the nursery, was condemned by the Thai Journalists Association and the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT).

Police have since launched an inquiry into the matter amid allegations that CNN crew members had failed to receive authorization before entering the site to film.

The Thai Journalists Association branded CNNs actions unethical and insensitive, and called for an internal company investigation of the incident in addition to the official Thai probe.

In a statement on Twitter, FCCT said it was dismayed by the report filmed at the daycare center in Nong Bua Lamphu and that a CNN team had entered a clearly marked crime scene without permissionno matter what they may claim.

FCCT shared a photo alongside the post showing an individual climbing over a fence at the front of the daycare center while a police cordon can be seen surrounding the front of the building.

This was unprofessional and a serious breach of journalistic ethics in crime reporting, FCCT added.

Relatives of the victims of a mass killing attack gather for a Buddhist ceremony in front of the Young Childrens Development Center in the rural town of Uthai Sawan, north eastern Thailand, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo)

Reporters Entered Building in Good Faith

In an initial response to the backlash, CNN said in a statement on Twitter that its reporters had been granted permission to film inside the building by three public health officials after the police cordon at the nursery had been removed.

The team gathered footage inside the center for around 15 minutes, then left. During this time, the cordon had been set back in place, so the team needed to climb over the fence at the center to leave, the news agency said.

However, CNN Internationals Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike McCarthy issued another statement on Saturday apologizing for the incident.

CNNs team reporting from the scene of the tragic event in Nong Bua Lamphu sought permission from Thailand Health Department officials present there to enter the daycare center, the statement reads. The team now understands that these officials were not authorized to grant this permission. If the team had understood that the building and its rooms were off-limits, they would not have entered. It was never their intention to contravene any rules.

The team entered the compound through an open gate to the yard, where other journalists were already present. There was no police tape on the scene at the time. After working carefully and respectfully inside the building for around 15 minutes the team went to leave, however the gate to the grounds was now closed and police tape had been erected, which meant they needed to climb over the gate to exit, the statement continued.

The team entered the building in good faith, to gain a fuller impression of what transpired inside and to humanize the scale of the tragedy for their audience  we deeply regret any distress or offense our report may have caused, McCarthy said.

People gather outside of daycare center in the town of Uthai Sawan, 500 kilometers (310 miles) northeast of Bangkok in the province of Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Sakdipat Boonsom/Handout via Reuters)

Deadliest Massacre in History

Meanwhile, the two CNN journalists involved in the matter were fined 5,000 baht ($133) each and had to leave the country after authorities discovered they had been working despite entering on tourist visas.

However, officials found that the reporters had not intended to trespass and were cleared of any wrongdoing for entering the daycare center.

Both the CNN members, Australian reporter Anna Coren and cameraman Daniel Hodge, also issued video messages expressing their regret over the incident and apologizing for causing more pain and suffering to the families of the victims.

The shooting at the nursery last Thursday marked the countrys deadliest massacre in its history, with 24 children aged from 2 to 5 among the 37 killed after gunman Panya Kamrab stormed the building, opened fire, and stabbed people.

Officials say Kamrab was a 34-year-old former policeman who was suspended last year over drug allegations and was expected to stand trial for illegal possession of amphetamine, ThaiPBS reported.

The death toll includes the attacker, his wife, and his child.

The Associated Press and Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.
Confrontation between pro-life supporters and pro-abortion protesters in Washington on June 26, 2022. (Nathan Worcester/The Epoch Times)

Delaying Injunctions and Prosecutor Vetoes Are Among Abortion Wars Latest Strategies

The Supreme Court ended Roe v. Wade. But ending abortion will likely prove a far harder battle, pro-life leaders say.

Pro-choice groups have a wide range of tactics that could keep abortion accessible even in states that voted it illegal.

Some of these maneuvers are last-ditch options that will likely only slow pro-life victories. But other options could allow elected officials to effectively ignore pro-life laws after their passage.

Were looking at many months, if not years, of litigation going forward, as you know, things settled down from state to state, said Eric Scheidler, the executive director of the Pro-Life Action League.

Pro-choice forces are winning the opening salvos of the post-Roe abortion battle by casting pro-lifers as extremists, he said.

Theyve really accomplished a lot in terms of moving public opinion against the pro-life movement, Scheidler said. I hope that doesnt stay.

Injunction Campaign

Injunctions are the first option to thwart pro-life laws, said Scheidler. Many states had trigger laws in place designed to end abortion swiftly after the demise of Roe v. Wade.

An injunction court order instantly blocks a possible injustice or irreparable harm to a plaintiff. With the harm stopped, courts then work out the legal details.

Pro-abortion groups used injunctions as the first way to block trigger laws. Many of these injunctions were lifted quickly.

Alongside the injunctions, pro-abortion groups sued to overturn pro-life laws, Scheidler added. But these lawsuits have yet to overturn an abortion ban.

Anything that will work, even if it works temporarily, or works in a more modest way, theyre going to try again someplace else, said Scheidler.

If lawyers lose, ballots may beat pro-life laws, said Thomas Glessner, the founder and president of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates. Through referendums, elections, and other methods, the abortion fight is now on the state ballot, Glessner added.

When the legislators meet in January, its going to be a huge battle in the states on legislation, he said. The other side is going to come after it and try to get the law removed and get Roe v. Wade on the state level.

Thomas Glessner, the founder and president of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, speaks before the Supreme Court. (Courtesy of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates)

In this context, pro-abortion groups have a series of myths and misconceptions that advantage them, Glessner said.

Many Americans believe that pro-life laws will be extremely harsh, he said. Some people believe pro-life laws will punish women for miscarriages, jail women for abortions, or force women to die from ectopic pregnancies, he said.

Abortion supporters have highly exaggerated the number of deaths from back-alley abortions, he said.

Planned Parenthoods president suggested that thousands of women would die by illegal abortion every year if abortion were outlawed. But research reveals that this figure dates from estimates dating from 1936.

At that time, pro-abortion gynecologist Frederick Taussig estimated that 10,000 women died from abortion every year. But in his day, antibiotic use was rare, and medicine was far less advanced.

These statements are all lies or misrepresentations, Glessner said. But they nevertheless inform voters.

They perpetuate a lie as if its fact. And then the lie becomes fact and gets spread, he stated. And then you have pro-life people calling crisis centers and saying, Well, you know, I just dont want women prosecuted for having miscarriages.

Real laws against abortion target abortion providers, not women, he said. But these misconceptions might have real-world impacts, he said.

Perception is reality, Glessner said.

Prosecutor Strike

Even if courts and voters end abortion, prosecutors could simply choose to not enforce pro-life laws, Scheidler said.

Already, prosecutors from 29 states have agreed not to prosecute abortion providers.

Not all of us agree on a personal or moral level on the issue of abortion. But we stand together in our firm belief that prosecutors have a responsibility to refrain from using limited criminal legal system resources to criminalize personal medical decisions, their statement reads.

Many prosecutors effectively veto laws passed by state and local legislatures by refusing to press charges.

One of the hallmarks of the rogue prosecutor movement has been its blatant usurpation of the constitutional role of state legislatures.

Elected rogue prosecutors have refused to prosecute entire categories of crimes that are on the books in their states, claiming that they are empowered to refuse under the fig leaf of prosecutorial discretion, a Heritage Foundation report reads.

Prosecutors are elected officials. In some states, no one can remove a prosecutor until the next election. But in others, governors can remove them from office.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis removed a rogue prosecutor from office for refusing to prosecute Florida laws. Photo taken in Hialeah, Fla., on Aug. 5, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

There was a notable case in Florida where Governor DeSantis actually stripped a district attorney of their authority and removed them from office for saying that they would not uphold the laws in that state with regard to abortion, said Scheidler.

Federal Abortion Ban?

The end of Roe v. Wade opens the door to fighting abortion on a federal level, Students for Life of America president Kristan Hawkins wrote in a letter.

The federal government currently leans in favor of abortion providers, Hawkins wrote.

Our federal government is far from abortion neutral. Pro-abortion policy and funding are intertwined throughout our federal government like a cancer, siphoning taxpayer resources for policies that end in the death of the preborn.

Abortion policies thread through the federal government from the Department of Defense to the Federal Trade Commission, she added. Those leading the Democratic Party have made it clear that abortion policy is also federal policyno matter what is also attempted by the states.

In response, pro-life groups should pursue federal limits on abortion, she wrote.

We call on Congress to get out of business with Corporate Abortion and fully defund them; to protect the freedom and conscience rights of pro-life Americans, particularly on school campuses and in the healthcare industry; to build and defend a strong support system for young families; and to end the bias in favor of abortion vendors in policy and programming, she concluded.

The Epoch Times contacted Planned Parenthood, pro-abortion website Abortion Funds, abortion website Plan C Pills, pro-abortion website If/When/How, and pro-abortion website I Need an A, but received no response.
Ground crew unload weapons and other military hardware delivered by the U.S. military at Boryspil Airport near Kyiv, in Boryspil, Ukraine, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Did US Weakness Provoke a Russian Nuclear Threat?

Commentary

According to President Joe Biden, the prospect of armageddon is higher than it has been since 1962. Thats when Washington and Moscow stared each other down over the Cuban missile crisis. Sixty years later, Biden says, the two powers may again be on the verge of starting World War III.

Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has destabilized Europe and the aftershocks have left global markets reeling. As for Biden, since taking office in January 2021, his actions have illustrated the maxim that weakness invites aggression. The world is a dangerous place because of hard men like Putin, and men like Biden make it more dangerous.

In the Oct. 4 episode of Over the Target, Brendon Fallon and I discuss the possible U.S. responses in the event Putin does deploy tactical nuclear weapons, and how Biden raised the stakes in Ukraine.

Retired four-star Gen. David Petraeus says that if Russia uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the United States would take out every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine and also in Crimea and every ship in the Black Sea.

Thats possible. The billions the Biden administration has spent on Ukraines defense is evidence that Washington sees Kyiv as a U.S. proxy, and it may feel moved to act in the event of a weapon of mass destruction attack. But Petraeuss threat should be seen in a broader context: The Biden White House has yet to respond to a massive attack on the U.S. homeland that, it says, killed more than a million Americans and sickened dozens of millions more.

COVID-19 also was a weapon of mass destruction. Whether or not the Chinese Communist Party released it intentionally is irrelevant. The fact that Beijing lied about its origins and threatened retaliation if the U.S. government investigated them makes COVID-19 an instrument of the regimes doctrine of unrestricted warfare. And Biden hasnt done anything to deter China from trying it again.

Bidens short-sightedness raises several important questions: First, did the White House fail to anticipate the possible consequences of sending arms to Russias border? U.S. policymakers have long known that Russia might use nuclear weapons, if only in a limited mannerMoscows military doctrine provides for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.

Moscow and Washingtons nuclear doctrines diverged soon after the Cuban missile crisis. At the time, the United States had a superior nuclear arsenal and, according to the late military strategist Angelo Codevilla, could have devastated the Soviet Unions few, highly vulnerable missile-launching pads, as well as much of its long-range aviation.

That changed after the crisis when Moscow put its missiles in underground silos. As Codevilla explains in his 2006 book War: Ends and Means, the United States would either have to increase the capacity and yield of its missiles as a counterforce against the Soviets arsenal, or change strategy. It chose the latter.

Henceforth, U.S. planners targeted what they could see plainly on the map: Soviet cities. The Kennedy administration reasoned that major war, Codevilla writes, could be exorcised forever by the threat of mutual suicide.

Thus was born the doctrine of mutually assured destruction, or MAD. The fear that the two superpowers were inching toward armageddon gave rise to a style of thinking that shaped Cold War American films and books. As Bidens warning indicates, it still informs U.S. military strategy.

And here we come to the second question regarding Bidens failure to look ahead: Why didnt he see what was likely to happen by dropping sanctions on Nord Stream 2?

The pipeline carrying Russian natural gas to Germany has been in the news after an explosion led to speculation that it might have been sabotaged. Some think the Biden administration did it; others say it was the Russians themselves. As evidence for the former, some have pointed to a video of the president threatening to stop Nord Stream 2. But that, too, needs to be understood in context.

Nord Stream 2 was built to circumvent Ukraine. As long as the pipeline wasnt complete, Putin couldnt be sure he had a way to move energy to Europe. In 2019, sanctions were imposed on Nord Stream 2 and construction was stopped. Capitol Hill sources tell me this helped deter Putin from moving against Ukraine.

When Biden came to office, he undid those sanctions despite warnings. The White House was eager to repay and reward a friend, Angela Merkel.

The former German chancellor was one of the leading anti-Trump voices on the international stage, and Nord Stream 2 represented a major political win for her and a vital strategic play for Germany.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline goes directly from Russia to the easternmost deep-water port in Germany, Mukran. The port is located in Sassnitz, a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the state Merkel represented when she was in the German Parliament. Turning Sassnitz into a corridor for European energy was good for Merkels political patrons and clients.

It also gives Germany an advantage over the rest of the European Union. By charging tariffs on natural gas leaving Germany, Berlin makes energy more expensive for European industrial competitors.

So Biden waived the Nord Stream 2 sanctions. With Russian troops massing on Ukraines border, Biden was asked why hed given away the one instrument that might stop Putin from attacking his neighbor. All he could muster was tough talk.

If Russia invades, Biden said, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2, we will bring an end to it.

Senior State Department official Victoria Nuland echoed her bosss threats, saying, If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.

But as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned, applying Nord Stream 2 sanctions after a Russian invasion would make them meaningless. With Biden forecasting a possible nuclear holocaust, its important to keep in mind how his short-sightedness helped to lead us to this threshold.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Thomas and Dawn Munn of Borger, Texas, with four of their eight children in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. DOJ/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

DOJ Seeks to Jail 5 Members of Texas Family for 52-Minute Walk Through the US Capitol on Jan. 6

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to jail five members of a Texas family for their 52-minute walk through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, under a plea deal for parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Members of the Munn family of Borger, Texas, did not commit violent acts, damage property, or harass police in the Capitol, but prosecutors argue jail is needed for general deterrence so Jan. 6 never happens again.

Being sentenced on Oct. 12 in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. will be parents Thomas Vincent Munn, 55, and Dawn Marie Munn, 57; with their children Kristi Marie Munn, 30; Joshua Munn, 25; and Kayli Munn, 20.

Prosecutors are seeking 30 days in jail for each parent and 21 days in jail for each of the children. Attorneys for the defendants said probation is the more appropriate sentence. The final decision rests with U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell. Parading is a petty misdemeanor under federal law.

This Was Not a Protest

The need for general deterrence weighs heavily in favor of incarceration in nearly every case arising out of the violent riot at the Capitol, wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rozzoni. Indeed, general deterrence may be the most compelling reason to impose a sentence of incarceration. Future would-be rioters must be deterred.

The gravity of these offenses demands deterrence, she wrote. This was not a protest.

Kristi Munn films protesters from inside a U.S. Senate conference room on Jan. 6, 2021. Her time in the Capitol could cost her 21 days in jail. (U.S. DOJ/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Rozzoni filed 164 pages of sentencing memoranda justifying the 123 days of jail time for the Munn family. The prosecution is also seeking three years of probation for each family member, 60 hours of community service, and $500 restitution.

According to court records, the Munns took four of their children to Washington D.C. as a civics lesson in election integrity. Another of their children was a minor at the time and was not charged in the case.

It was also a family trip to celebrate two upcoming high school graduations. The family had a full itinerary to visit the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, Dawn Munn said in a letter to the court.

The Munns entered the Capitol at 2:25 p.m. through a broken window next to the Senate wing doors, according to prosecutors. They made their way to the Crypt and later to an area near the Visitors Center. A footnote in the sentencing memoranda says, It does appear from the video that the family helped pick up trash while in the Visitor Center area.

They next went to Senate conference room S-145, which is considered a sensitive area by U.S. Capitol Police. A photo in the sentencing documents shows Kristi Munn using her phone to film a police line and a large crowd outside the conference room window.

Rozzoni faulted the Munns not just for going into the Capitol, but also for their speech before, during, and after Jan. 6.

Dawn Munn posted this to Facebook on Jan. 3, 2021, with the caption: Monday we load up as a family to stand for all now and future generations to come! (U.S. DOJ/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Dawn Munn was cited for bragging on Facebook, We went in and stormed capital [sic]! She said in one social post that the media made the Capitol look like Beirut, turning the day into a bunch of lies.

When asked if she would go into the Capitol again if given the opportunity, defendant Munn responded, Most definitely, the DOJ sentencing memo said.

Thomas Munn was criticized for minimizing his participation in the Jan. 6 unrest.

He posted this on Facebook on Jan. 6: Nothing inside the capital [sic] was damaged. I can tell you, patriots NEVER made it to the chamber. There was no violence in the capital building, the crowd was NOT out of control  they were ANGRY!!!

The Department of Justices 35-page sentencing memorandum for Thomas Munn includes one photo taken inside the Capitol with the notation: In Figure 3 it appears that defendant Munn is smoking a cigarette.

Federal public defender Maureen Scott Franco told the court in Thomas Munns sentencing memo: He admits that he was wrong to enter the Capitol Building with the larger crowd that day. It is undisputed that he and his family were only briefly inside the building, engaged in no vandalism or violence, actually attempted to clean up trash they found, and very quickly sought out security so that they could leave.

Kristi Munn at least initially  perpetuated a false narrative about the realities of January 6, and did so not only in private messages but on her social media status generally, the governments sentencing memo said.

Kristi Munns attorney, federal public defender A.J. Kramer, said the decision to enter the Capitol was not premeditated or even discussed between the family memberswhen they approached the building and observed others entering freely through an open window, they simply did the same.

Kayli Munn, a college student, texted a sibling who did not go on the trip that the march was [Expletive] great! Holy [expletive] we were inside the [expletive] Capitol!

Before the trip, someone warned Kayli Munn in a private Facebook message not to get arrested. She responded, No promises, prosecutors said.

Rapped for False Information

Joshua Munn told the court in a letter that he didnt want to go on the trip to Washington D.C., but was talked into it by his family.

The DOJ faulted Joshua Munn for posting false information about Jan. 6 on social media.

After the attack on the Capitol, defendant Munn used Facebook to spread false information that the attack on the Capitol was in some way instigated by law enforcement, Rozzoni wrote.

The DOJ sentencing memo for Thomas Munn called him out for having a cigarette inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. DOJ/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

In speaking to another Facebook user, defendant said, There was no violence from the protesters at all it all came from the police believe it or not It was super cool everything was cool till the cop used tear gas that is when people got mad but still never hurt anyone.

Joshua Munn has since moved to Wisconsin to live with one of his sisters and has little contact with the rest of the family, the DOJ memo said. His defense attorney said his client has great remorse for being at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

It must be noted that he did not act violently or maliciously while [in] the Capitol and he never confronted, threatened, or taunted any police officer working there that day, attorney Richard Stern wrote. His only contact with any police officer was to ask for directions on how to leave the building.

The family exited the Capitol through a broken window on the other side of the Senate wing doors at 3:17 p.m. Rozzoni said video evidence suggests the family was told by police to exit through the broken window.
Dr. David Williams on Managing Chronic Pain

Excerpts from our conversation with Dr. Williams, associate director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan

NIHNiH: Your team does research into using types of talk therapy to help people manage chronic pain. How do people tend to feel when a psychological therapy is suggested for their pain?

Williams: People have grown up in a world where when you get sick, you go to the doctor and they give you a pill to feel better. Thats what people are used to. But chronic pain doesnt necessarily respond to that model and isnt necessarily a problem in the location that hurts. Pain is processed in the brain even though it may be felt somewhere else in the body. Treatment of chronic pain needs to take into account how the brain processes pain.

A decade ago, many people with pain were very resistant to the idea of cognitive behavioral therapy or seeing a psychologist for pain. Wed hear I have real pain, I want real medicine. The fact is, however, talk therapy is real medicine. It has effects on the neurotransmitters and areas of the brain that process pain. You dont always need a pill to alter the perception of pain. The whole field of behavioral medicine is founded on the concept that changing how you think and behave can have real effects on ones physiology.

NIHNiH: How can addressing whats happening in the brain change pain management?

Williams: Sometimes we can stop pain by fixing bones and tissues but other times we need to treat pain by going to where it is produced: in the brain. Treatment of chronic pain often needs to focus more on altering the perception of pain than fixing some area of the body. Perceptions are made up of thoughts, emotions, memories, and reactions to current events and behaviors. Thus successful treatment of chronic pain needs to include these factors as well as understanding the underlying physiological anomaly if one exists.

NIHNiH: What are some other things that can help with chronic pain that dont require taking a pill?

Williams: Theres lots of evidence behind aerobic exercise. It hits a lot of the targets that are associated with chronic pain, whether its mood or sleep or fatigue. Of course, people find it to be difficult to exercise even if you dont have pain. But exercise doesnt have to be strenuous things like going to the gym. Recently there have been studies supporting the use of movement therapies like yoga and simply expanding your regular lifestyle activities. What these things all have in common is a foundation of being healthy. If you have a good foundation of health, youre going to be able to manage pain more effectively over time.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas 2022 (ONS) meeting in Stavanger, Norway, on Aug. 29, 2022. (Carina Johansen/NTB/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk Praised by Beijing, Draws Ire From Taipei for His Taiwan Proposal

After Elon Musk said Taiwan could be made into a special administrative zone under the Chinese regimes control, he was praised by Beijing, but Taipei had a different response.

Neither Taiwan nor any other country would accept a proposal to change a democratic country into a special administrative region of an authoritarian-led country to benefit corporate investment, Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council stated on Oct. 9, according to Taiwans Central News Agency.

The council stated that Musks proposal is based on business interests and invited the chief executive officer of Tesla and SpaceX to visit democratic Taiwan.

We welcome Musk and other international business people to visit Taiwan and learn the democracy, freedom, innovation, and development in Taiwan  which are starkly different from the authoritarian market system and malicious coercion and suppression under the [Chinese] Communist Party.

The response comes after Musk weighed in on tensions regarding Taiwan in an interview with Financial Times that was published on Oct. 7.

Musk suggested that conflict over Taiwan is inevitable. He also discussed how Tesla, which has a factory in Shanghai that manufactures up to half of the companys electric cars, and other global companies would be affected if China invades Taiwan.

My recommendation  would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably wont make everyone happy, he said. And its possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement thats more lenient than Hong Kong.

Hong Kong reverted from the UKs rule to communist Chinas rule in 1997, when the two countries signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Beijing pledged to allow the city to maintain its civil liberties that other mainland Chinese cities dont enjoy until 2047 under a one country, two systems model. But the United States, the UK, and other Western countries have accused the Chinese regime of breaching the legal deal in the wake of Beijing stifling dissent in Hong Kongs Legislature, civil society, and media.

On Oct. 8, Taiwans de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, also dismissed the tech billionaires comment.

Taiwan sells many products, but our freedom and democracy are not for sale, Hsiao wrote on Twitter. Any lasting proposal for our future must be determined peacefully, free from coercion, and respectful of the democratic wishes of the people of Taiwan.

Praised by Beijing

Despite criticism from Taiwan, the Chinese regime praised Musks recommendation over the weekend.

Qin Gang, Chinese ambassador to the United States, applauded Musks suggestion on Twitter.

I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan, the ambassador wrote on Oct. 8.

Gang wrote that the One Country, Two Systems system is the principle for resolving the Taiwan issue.

Hours later, Mao Ning, spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, reaffirmed the regimes stance on Taiwan when asked about Musks comment and Taiwans response.

Provided that national sovereignty, security, and development interests are assured, Taiwan can adopt a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, Mao said at a regular briefing on Oct. 9.

The Chinese regime claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, to be taken by force if necessary. It has ramped up political and military pressures over Taipei in recent years. In August, Beijing started live fire drills and launched 11 ballistic missiles into the waters around Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited the island.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a ceremony marking the islands National Day in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on Oct. 10, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Facing increasing assertiveness from China, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen made clear that there was no room for compromise over the self-ruled islands sovereignty and its peoples freedom and democracy.

The broadest consensus among the Taiwanese people and our various political parties is that we must defend our national sovereignty and our free and democratic way of life, Tsai said in an Oct. 10 speech marking National Day. On this point, we have no room for compromise.

I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides. Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom, can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait.
Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, speaks during an event at the London School of Economics, London, England, on Mar. 25, 2013. (Jason Alden - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Ex-Treasury Secretary Blasts Hostile Fossil Fuel Policies: We Made a Mistake

Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, warns that the U.S. government has made a mistake by taking a hostile approach toward fossil fuels.

We made a mistake by canceling the Keystone pipeline. We made a mistake by slowing down all kinds of permitting activity. We made a mistake by being hostile as a country to natural gas, Summers said in an interview with Bloomberg, aired on Oct. 7. We need a different kind of energy strategy than the one that weve had. We need a strategy that is balanced, rather than an unbalanced strategy of total hostility to fossil fuels.

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden revoked permits to build the 1,179-mile-long Keystone XL pipeline, which was expected to carry around 800,000 barrels of oil per day into the United States. The pipeline construction was scheduled to be completed in just a few months.

Biden then went on to sign multiple executive orders that halted natural gas and oil leases on all public lands. Under his administration, the country has issued the fewest oil leases since the Second World War.

A recent study by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity found that President Bidens anti-fossil fuel policies have cost Americans dearly.

If former President Donald Trumps policies were still in place, the United States would be producing an extra two to three million barrels of oil per day, the report states.

In addition, the country would have also seen an additional 2025 billion cubic feet of natural gas output. This translates into an economic lossor tax on the American economyof roughly $100 billion a year.

OPEC+ Cuts, Manchins Fossil Fuel Push

Summerss observations came while responding to OPECs recent announcement to cut down oil output by two million barrels per day.

President Biden is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ at a time when the global economy is dealing with the negative effects of Russias invasion of Ukraine, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said in a statement.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) called the OPEC+ decision the reason why the United States must become energy independent and energy secure so that it cannot be intimidated by foreign advisories.

We have been blessed with an abundance of domestic energy resources, which we can produce cleaner than elsewhere in the world, and with that we have the ability to ensure energy independence and security for ourselves and our allies, Manchin told Fox News.

Manchin also called for reforming the fossil fuel-permitting process so that such permits are issued faster. Currently, the process takes several years.

The senator has in the past sided with Republicans to end the moratorium on federal oil and gas leases as well as restart the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
An undated image of Alex Male, who was arrested at Lisbon Airport in Portugal on April 30, 2022, but has since been released. (National Crime Agency)

EXCLUSIVE: One of UKs Most Wanted Criminals Is Released by Supreme Court in Portugal

Alex Male had been accused of using EncroChat to distribute Class A drugs

One of the UKs most wanted men, whos suspected of distributing large amounts of Class A drugs in the southwest portion of England, has been allowed to walk free by the authorities in Portugal, despite an extradition request by the UK.

Alex Male, 30, was arrested at Lisbon Airport on April 30 on suspicion of using a fraudulent passport.

He had been refused entry into Turkey because of the allegedly bogus document and immediately flew to Portugal.

But a spokesman for the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) told The Epoch Times in an email: We have been made aware that following a habeas corpus application to Portugals Supreme Court, Alex Males release was authorised following the expiry of his custody time limit in the country.

We are liaising with partners in the UK and Portugal to assess the ruling and its implications. UK law enforcement remains determined to find fugitives and return them to face justice.

Habeas corpus is a Latin term meaning you shall have the body and is a legal term for when a court orders that a person in custody be presented and either charged or released.

The details of how Male came to be released arent yet clear, but the release comes as a major blow to the NCA, which heralded his arrest earlier this year as a fantastic result.

Male, who was from the town of Weston-super-Mare, near Bristol, is wanted as part of a South West Regional Organised Crime Unit investigation into drugs supply.

He was one of a number of people who were arrested as part of the NCAs Operation Venetic after allegedly using the encrypted communications platform EncroChat to conduct criminal business.

In May the NCA stated that Male had been based in the Spanish resort of Marbella.

When he was arrested, the agencys international liaison officer, Phil Robinson, said: Male naively believed he could travel across international borders using fraudulent documentation and remain undetected by law enforcement. But he underestimated the vigilance and expertise of the Turkish border police, which enabled the Portuguese authorities to act.

Any arrest of a fugitive is a fantastic result, even more so since Male had only recently been added to our most wanted list. He is wanted in connection with dangerous crimes, which have a devastating impact on communities, so Im delighted he has been caught.

At one time 50,000 peoplemore than 9,000 of them in the UKwere using EncroChat to send and receive secure messages.

But in March 2020, French police, using malware in the form of a software update, managed to hack into EncroChats network, which was hosted on a server in the town of Roubaix in France, and infiltrated tens of thousands of encrypted messages.

The messages were shared with the NCA in the UK, which launched Operation Venetic and claimed to have identified hundreds of criminals who were dealing in drugs and guns and plotting murders.
Florida Surgeon Generals Warning About COVID Vaccines Blocked Then Restored by Twitter

Twitter blocked a post from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo that promoted an analysis that asserts there were a high number of cardiac-related deaths among men who took an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The website restored the post hours later.

Our current misleading information policies cover: synthetic and manipulated media, COVID-19, and civic integrity, Twitter wrote in its post that had blocked Ladapos post. If we determine a Tweet contains misleading or disputed information per our policies that could lead to harm, we may add a label to the content to provide context and additional information.

But the company restored Ladapos tweet as of Sunday morning.

The post reads: Today, we released an analysis on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines the public needs to be aware of. This analysis showed an increased risk of cardiac-related death among men 18-39. FL will not be silent on the truth. It also linked to guidance and a news release regarding the analysis.

What It Says

The analysiss news release said that there is an 84 percent increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death among males between the ages of 18 and 39 within 28 days of getting the mRNA vaccine.

With a high level of global immunity to COVID-19, the release said, the benefit of vaccination is likely outweighed by this abnormally high risk of cardiac-related death among men in this age group.

As such, the State Surgeon General recommends against males aged 18 to 39 from receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, it said. Those with preexisting cardiac conditions, such as myocarditis and pericarditis, should take particular caution when making this decision.

A COVID-19 vaccine is prepared in a file image. (Stephen Zenner/Getty Images)

Far less attention has been paid to safety and the concerns of many individuals have been dismissedthese are important findings that should be communicated to Floridians, Ladapo said in a statement, referring to the vaccine study.

The mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and from Moderna have both been linked with heart inflammation, including myocarditis and pericarditis, data from around the world have suggested. Younger populations, especially young men, have been observed to experience these conditions at much higher than expected rates, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previously suggested. A number of deaths from heart inflammation after COVID-19 vaccination have also been reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Mayo Clinic, and other institutions have said that mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna are safe and frequently tell members of the public to receive them.

Criticism

Several members of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss administration criticized Twitter for blocking Ladapos post. The Republican governor, who has not issued a comment on the matter, appointed Ladapo to become his surgeon general in 2021.

Twitter has not explained WHY the study findings constitute misinformation nor proven them wrong, wrote DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw on Twitter this weekend.

This is an unacceptable and Orwellian move for narrative over fact, Bryan Griffin, the governors press secretary, wrote on Twitter. In a follow-up tweet later Sunday after Twitter restored the post, he thanked people for bringing attention to it.

Since the start of the pandemic, DeSantis has consistently rejected the implementation of COVID-19 rules, including vaccine mandates, vaccine passports, masking in schools, and COVID-19 policies for cruise ships departing Florida ports.

After his Twitter post was restored, Ladapo commented on the incident Monday morning.

I love the discussion that weve stimulated. Isnt it great when we discuss science transparently instead of trying to cancel one another? Im going to respond to the more substantive critiques, he wrote.

Twitter has not responded to a request for comment.

Mimi Nguyen-Ly contributed to this report.
An adult acute care hospital in Calgary is seen on April 1, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

Doctors Bemoan Increased Penalization of Health Professionals Who Criticized Pandemic Measures

Encroachment on physicians autonomy and erosion of their independence escalated during the pandemic, while provincial regulators have been increasingly penalizing health professionals who dont agree with the medical authorities dictates, doctors said in a panel discussion.

The Oct. 5 virtual roundtable, held by Citizens Hearing: Examining Canadas Covid Response, featured Dr. Richard Schabas, former chief medical officer of health in Ontario; Dr. Chris Milburn, former head of ER for the Eastern Zone of the Nova Scotia Health Authority; and Dr. Eric Payne, a pediatric neurologist and researcher who practises in Alberta.

Both Milburn and Payne have faced repercussions for questioning COVID-19 restrictions and mandatory vaccination policy.

Milburn was fired as head of emergency medicine in June 2021 after criticizing his provinces vaccination and pandemic response measures. Speaking about the impacts within the medical system, he told the panelists that the measures accelerated the gradual erosion doctors independence in the way they treat their patients that began 20-30 years ago.

Ive had the college suggest to me in very clear terms that I should probably shut up, he said, referring to the regulatory college for medical doctors.

My take on it is that medicare was doomed to be a failure because it gives centralized control to bureaucrats who do not understand how medicine works at the coalfacethey dont understand how doctors actually interact with patients, they cant adjust to unique community needs, Milburn said.

That system cant self-correct and self-adjust because you have this big government bureaucracy in the middle of all of it making all of the decisions, and making really bad decisions over and over again.

Milburn pointed to the directives and guidelines issued by provincial Colleges of Physician and Surgeons or chief medical officers during the pandemic, saying people became increasingly reliant on following those who are deemed experts.

We call the medical officer of health the top doctor, which is really funny to me, because theyre generally people whove maybe not done well in clinical care and maybe dont interact that well with patients on an individual level, so they end up in this job, he said.

It was doctors working on the front lines whove made decisions and looked after patients, but suddenly these people got elevated to godlike status and they told us all exactly what we had to do, he added. We had to vaccinate our patients, we had to put them in masks, we had to tell them to stay home. We had to tell them they were bad people unless they did all that. And most of us just fell in line.

Ministry of Truth

Payne echoed Milburns remarks, while calling for an end to fearmongering and penalizing physicians who dare to speak out against medical authorities.

Weve got to stop this fear, weve got to be able to talk truth without being punished for speaking, he said, pointing to data he compiled from Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario that showed those who received three doses of COVID-19 vaccines have accounted for the most deaths in the past few months.

Those who had received three shots were more likely to die, be hospitalized, be hospitalized in an ICU, and get COVID. Ninety percent of deaths in mid-March to the first week of April in B.C. were the triple-vaxxed, he said.

So thats where were at right now, trying to get that message out and really trying to push back on any sort of mandate with respect to these genetic vaccines and children.

Payne was previously threatened with being placed on unpaid leave for non-compliance with the Alberta Health Services mandatory vaccination order that required all staff, physicians, and volunteers to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 31, 2021.

He noted that similar encroachment on physicians autonomy is also seen in the United States, pointing to legislation that was signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30, which bars physicians in the state from spreading misinformation or disinformation related to COVID-19.

According to the law, misinformation means false information that is contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care, while disinformation means misinformation that the licensee deliberately disseminated with malicious intent or an intent to mislead.

Physicians who allegedly disseminate COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation during discussions with their patients directly related to COVID-19 treatment will risk losing their medical licence, the law says.

What theyve created in California now are doctors who are state doctorsyou are now practicing on behalf of the state, you are not representing your patients, Payne told the panel.

They have formally created an enforceable Ministry of Truth.
Hong Kong Students Suspended for Being Late to Assembly Playing CCP Anthem

On Oct. 5, 14 students from Hong Kong St. Francis Xaviers School were told to immediately leave the school and were suspended for three days because they were late to the assembly at which the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) anthem is played while its flag is raised. The school alleged that the students were disrespecting the school and violating National Security Law.

The school involved is St. Francis Xavier School, a traditional Catholic boys school in Tsuen Wan, a town on the western edge of Hong Kong.

Mrs. Chan, whose son attends the school, told The Epoch Times that in the early morning of Oct. 5, some students were still having breakfast in the dining area, although students are strictly required to attend the daily assembly at 8:05 a.m. When the CCP anthem began, 14 students from Form 2 and Form 6, hadnt gone to the auditorium.

Vice-principal Law went to the dining area, reprimanded the students, and ordered them to stay where they were and wait for the director of student affairs. Law and the student affairs director told the students they would hand them to the police. In the end, Principal Ho Chi-wang fined the students and suspended them from attending classes.

Mrs. Chan criticized the school for being too harsh. Most of the students involved were Form 6 students who will take the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination in 2023. She said the punishment was excessive and will put a huge psychological pressure on the students.

She worried that the school has now set a precedent and other schools will inevitably follow suit. Mrs. Chan said that after the incident, her son was afraid to go to school and did not want to do his homework. My son and other students didnt know what was going on at the time.

Some parents are worried that the school has set a precedent and other schools will follow suit, which will put psychological pressure on the students. Oct. 10, 2022. (Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

One of the students involved in the incident told the media that he did not know there was a flag-raising ceremony until the flag-raiser entered the auditorium when the incident occurred, so he failed to stand up in time. Eventually, the principal interpreted the incident as not standing for the CCP anthem when the flag was raised, so the student was suspended and given a warning.

The school issued a clarification to parents online on Oct. 10, stating that the school has an assembly at 8 a.m. every day, and last Wednesday was the weekly flag-raising ceremony required by the Education Bureau. Some students were reluctant to return to the classroom or assemble on the playground after the morning assembly, so the school deemed that they violated school rules and decided to suspend them from classes.

The Epoch Times reporter contacted the school about the incident. A school staff member said that the teacher in charge would call back. However, no reply was received by press time.

Jail for 3 Years or Fine of $6,370

After implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, freedoms of speech and expression were severely restricted. The CCP National Anthem Ordinance is a Hong Kong legislation subsequently published in July 2019 with the intention to criminalize insults to the national anthem of China. Under the law, a person who publicly and intentionally insults the anthem faces up to three years in jail or a maximum fine of HK$50,000 (about $6,368).

On July 30, 2021, Hong Kong police arrested a 40-year-old man for booing the national anthem in a shopping mall that was broadcasting live the citys first Olympic gold medal win in 25 years.
Is Green Hydrogen Americas Next Big Renewable Energy Gamble?

As the strained U.S. electric grid labors under the soaring demand for renewable energy, green hydrogen is ramping up and has stepped into the investor spotlight.

Producing green hydrogen is pretty straightforward at a glance.

Adherents claim facilities use renewably generated electricity to split water molecules. Afterward, the hydrogen is stored and distributed with net zero emissions.

At face value, the growing industry touts itself as a fossil fuel free path toward cleaner energy. However, enthusiasts must overcome significant hurdles to make this dream a reality.

In the business, green hydrogen distinguishes itself from other forms of hydrogen energy like blue or grey because it doesnt require natural gas or other fossil fuels to break water molecules and produce energy.

Green hydrogen is produced through a process called electrolysis  The advantage over grey hydrogen is that it doesnt release any carbon emissions during the production phase, senior business development manager for Destinus, Martina Lofqvist, told The Epoch Times.

Innovating hypersonic aviation, Lofqvist explained Destinus has big plans for green hydrogen fuel. We plan to use liquid hydrogen, which is a cryogenic fuel, meaning that it needs to be stored at extremely low temperatures.

A 2,500 cubic-meter tank containing liquid hydrogen at Kobe Port Island plant in Kobe, Japan on Oct. 26, 2020. (Etienne Balmer/AFP via Getty Images)

She noted that, due to temperature requirements, keeping the hydrogen at subzero temperatures is an expensive challenge. Though Lofqvist also says airports and hydrogen producers are collaborating to ensure infrastructure will become more cost effective in time.

But for the moment, the price tag is a major setback for production everywhere.

Green hydrogen is more expensive than alternative production techniques, such as grey hydrogen that comes from fossil fuels, Lofqvist explained, adding, This is primarily due to the costs of renewable energy.

Compared to its fossil fuel derived rivals, green hydrogen is roughly three times more expensive. That equals higher electric bills in the mailbox for those on the receiving end. However, with a by-product of only pure water, supporters point to drastically reduced carbon emissions as the payout.

Though some energy insiders assert it will take years for green hydrogen to reach a high enough production output to make it a truly price competitive option, in spite of the drastic spike in fossil fuel prices this year.

In July, the price of green hydrogen skyrocketed, topping out at nearly $17 per kilogram. Thats almost three times higher than other recent price comparisons. By contrast, it averaged around $6 per kilogram in April.

Due to reliance on inputs like natural gas or renewable electricity, the cost of hydrogen, in general, has risen alongside other resources according to the head of energy transition and pricing for S&P Global Commodity Insights, Alan Hayes.

Infrastructure Challenges

Like most aspiring game changers, there are many somedays and forecasted dates sewn into the rhetoric surrounding green hydrogen. Phrases like by 2030, prices could drop and by 2050, the costs should be even lower echo throughout the industry.

Regardless, some renewable advocates arent convinced. Naysayers within the green community claim using renewable energy to produce hydrogen is 20 to 40 percent less efficient than using a source like wind or solar directly.

Another potential pitfall for the green hydrogen gambit is electrolysis. Research shows the U.S. electric grid requires up to $7 trillion dollars in upgrades to support the existing demand for renewable energies.

Thats a critical lynchpin for the industry. Green hydrogen requires a lot of electricity to meet Americas energy demands.

One analysis showed an efficient electrolysis system requires 39 kWh of electricity to produce one kilogram of hydrogen. Yet the majority of devices currently in operation are much less efficient. A more realistic figure is 48 kWh to make one kilogram of hydrogen.

So additional strain on the existing grid could result in more blackouts and energy usage alerts during peak hours and seasonal temperature swings. Critics of the green hydrogen movement have also cited concerns about volatility, transmission, and storage capacity.

In the United States, around 96 percent of existing gas transmission pipelines are steel. Hydrogen passage could damage the metal through whats known as embrittlement, causing the pipes to crack.

The takeaway: Nearly all of the current transmission pipelines in the United States are structurally unsafe for transporting high volumes of hydrogen. The industry would need either a costly overhaul or entirely new transportation lines.

Along that same thread, theres also an increased storage puzzle to solve.

There are a few ways to store hydrogen, but the most common is using high pressure tanks. These tanks can be expensive and difficult to maintain, which makes them impractical for many applications, green energy advocate Adam Roper told The Epoch Times.

Roper is passionate about renewable energy and sustainability. Having also worked in the green sector, Roper pointed out that storage is a hurdle for green hydrogen development.

Another option is to store hydrogen in underground caverns, but this can be difficult to scale up, he explained.

While often thought of as the most promising method due to its scalability, it has its own challenges  its unclear how long the storage would be safe and secure.

Roper also noted that, in the event of a leak, public safety would be at risk.

Hydrogen storage tank concept. (magann/Adobe Stock)

The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy admits that applicable codes and standards for hydrogen storage systems and interface technologies have not been established.

Further, the office notes that hydrogen presents two main safety concerns: combustion and exposure burns. With a lower ignition point than either natural gas or gasoline, the department stated adequate ventilation and leak detection are important elements in the design of safe hydrogen systems.

Though some industry experts remain undaunted and insist that green is still the future of hydrogen.

Hydrogen is easy to store, which allows it to be used, subsequently, for other purposes and at times other than immediately after production, Cody Bateman, CEO of GenH2, told The Epoch Times.

Bateman says hydrogen offers a key advantage over other energy storage technologieslike lithium-ion batteriesbecause adding capacity is relatively cheap.

With hydrogen, you just need to build a bigger tank, he said, further noting that hydrogen is Safe, reliable, and plentiful, which makes it the strongest option as the new clean energy source.

The Next Big Boom?

Infrastructure debates aside, the train appears to have left the station. Expanded green hydrogen production is already sparking interest and turning the heads of some very big investors.

At present, the United States is the worlds second largest producer and consumer of hydrogen energy, accounting for 13 percent of total demand. Subsequently, industry promoters are aiming to make the country a superpower for future green hydrogen production.

Wasting no time, financiers unveiled plans for the worlds largest green hydrogen plant in March this year.

Green Hydrogen Internationalthe worlds leading developer in the fieldannounced via press release it would build a 60 GW facility near the Piedras Pintas salt dome in Texas. The station will be capable of producing 2.5 billion kilograms of green hydrogen annually.

Corporate chemical giant Linde also announced plans on Sept. 8 to install a 35-megawatt proton exchange membrane electrolyzer. The new facility will produce green hydrogen in Niagara Falls, New York.

Fossil fuel based hydrogen energy is already an established and growing industry. Last year, global hydrogen productions value totaled $130 billion and is projected to grow more than 9 percent by 2030.

The United States currently produces 10 million metric tons of the worlds estimated 87 million ton demand for hydrogen energy.
Whether youre going for a few days or a week or more, we think that Kirkland, Washington is a great family destination. We had the opportunity to go there in April for three glorious days and we loved. In fact we loved it so much and discovered that there were a ton of things to see and do that I cant possibly tell you all about it in one article so were doing a fun series. Our first one is to introduce you to Kirkland, Washington and to give you a peek of the fun things we did and discovered about this great destination.

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

Travelling has always been one of my passions. Theres just something incredible about leaving your home behind and embarking on an adventure to someplace new. As much as I loved travelling abroad to see the place that Id always dreamed of seeing, I also love travelling closer to home. Destinations where we can hop in our car and get there within a few hours are perfect for weekends or better yet a long weekend. Since we live in the Metro Vancouver area we quite frequently cross the Washington state border and go go Blaine, Bellingham and downtown Seattle. In fact downtown Seattle is a frequent destination as my father-in-law lives there and it only takes us about three hours to get there. However, I dont know how after so many countless trips to Seattle that we have never checked out Kirkland. Its only 15 minutes east of Seattle and its a lakefront paradise for family fun, great good, small town feel and so much more.

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

It is a beautiful suburb and is located in King county, Washington, Kirkland is located on Lake Washington and offers a beautiful view to visitors and residents alike. Today the population currently sits at 85,763, offering travelers and residents an endless supply of things to do and see during their stay. It was definitely a city worth making the trip too and totally fed my thirst for adventure while we were visiting. It was also the ideal setting for a family trip, something that we also consider closely when deciding on whether were going to book a trip or not.

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

With their assortment of restaurants and water activities there wasnt a dull moment during the entire trip. One of the things I enjoyed most was the feel of Kirkland itself. Although it boasts the title of being the 12th biggest city in Washington, the hometown feeling it gave reflected just the opposite feeling. Instead of feeling like a the big city it actually is, Kirkland seemed for all the world like a small town which was something that counted big for me. I can survive in a city setting but I just adore the ambiance of a small town.

Heres my daughter walking downtown Kirkland. Dont you love the brick sidewalks? (Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

During our stay my family and I were able to indulge in some of the finest experiences that Kirkland had to offer its guests. Some of key opportunities that we took advantage of during our stay are listed below. Im not going to go into great detail on each one as they will be talked about in full in our future articles as part of this series.

We stayed at the Heathman Hotel our first night. Its conveniently on Kirkland Avenue, walking distance to downtown Kirklands shops, restaurants and more. Walking in town was where you really had the small town feel with the unique shops (no big box stores in sight), tons of restaurants and when it was sunny everyone and their dog was out walking, literally. There were families everywhere those with strollers, little ones walking with the, walking their dogs and more. Trellis, a restaurant located in the Heathman hotel, was a delectable trip for the entire family. Keep in mind that the Heathman is kind of a big deal in Kirkland, quite the fancy establishment.

Heres a preview of what the Trellis Restaurant has to offer. These Crinkle Cookies with a chocolate dipping sauce were nothing short of decadent! I still dream of their deliciousness.

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland, is the only hotel on the picturesque shores of Lake Washington. It is not downtown but as I said its on the the shores of Lake Washington and the views are amazing. its a great area for walking around and just enjoying the lake, or go for a sail and more. We spent two nights at this hotel and our first night there was a wedding but even though our balcony looks down at the tent below when our windows were closed we did not hear a thing.

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

Northwest Cellars. While visiting my husband and I were able to participate in a wine tasting, something that we both enjoy a lot. A good glass of wine, that is. While we were there we chatted with the owner, Bob, who was friendly and surprisingly enough a former resident of our hometown, Vancouver. I thought that was a pretty neat twist to our visit. Its always fun to bump into someone from the same town as you while adventuring in a new place.

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

CANVAS! Paint and Sip Studio was a family outing that we enjoyed taking part in. I would definitely recommend this kind of experience with your family. As this was a family session it was all paint and fun and no sipping

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

Isarn Soul Kitchen. If youre ever in the area, this restaurant is the place to go if youre a Thai lover. Everything smelled so yummy but unfortunately we couldnt possibly sample everything they had to offer. Everything we tried was yummy, especially the dessert!

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

Washington State is one of the most beautiful places that weve had the pleasure of visiting in the US. Kirkland itself was lovely and there wasnt a dull moment in the entire trip. I cant recommend Kirkland enough especially to my fellow Vancouvervites, its not far to go and yet you truly feel like your on vacation and somewhere new when you go to Kirkland. From the restaurants to the water activities right down to the multiple hiking trails, there were so many things to do during our stay. Unfortunately we werent able to see and do everything but theres always next time!

(Courtesy of Michelle Sutter)

This article was originally published on powered-by-mom.com.

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A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture on April 14, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Kremlin Praises OPEC+ for Countering US Mayhem

MOSCOWThe Kremlin on Sunday praised OPEC+ for agreeing on production cuts that had successfully countered the mayhem sown by the United States in global energy markets.

The White House pushed hard to prevent the output cut. Biden hopes to keep U.S. gasoline prices from spiking again ahead of midterm elections in which his Democratic party is struggling to maintain control of the U.S. Congress.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was very good that such balanced, thoughtful and planned work of the countries, which take a responsible position within OPEC, is opposed to the actions of the U.S.

This at least balances the mayhem that the Americans are causing, Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said a decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production was unhelpful and unwise for the global economy, the Financial Times reported.

Peskov said that the United States had begun to lose its composure over the OPEC decision and was even trying to push additional volumes of its reserves into the market.

They are trying to manipulate with their oil reserves by throwing additional volumes into the market. Such a game will not lead to anything good, Peskov said.
Smoke rises over the city after a Russian missile strike, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Oleksandr Klymenko/Reuters)

Kyiv, Other Ukraine Cities Hit as Putin Orders Revenge for Crimea Bridge

KYIV, UkraineRussia fired cruise missiles at cities across Ukraine during morning rush hour on Oct. 10, knocking out power and heat, in what President Vladimir Putin declared to be revenge for Ukrainian attacks, including on a bridge to Crimea.

The missiles tore into busy intersections, parks, and tourist sites in the center of downtown Kyiv with an intensity not seen since Russian forces tried to capture the capital early in the war.

Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil, and Zhytomyr in western Ukraine, Dnipro and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the south, and Kharkiv in the east. At least 10 people were killed and scores injured, and swaths of the country were left without power, Ukrainian officials said.

In a televised address, Putin said that he ordered massive long-range strikes against Ukrainian energy, command, and communication targets, using missiles fired from air, sea, and land, in response to what he described as terrorist attacks, including the Oct. 8 explosion on the Kerch Strait bridge.

The Kyiv regime, with its actions, has put itself on the same level as international terrorist organizations. With the most odious groups, Putin said, threatening more strikes if Ukraine hits Russian territory. To leave such acts without a response is simply impossible.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed the Oct. 10 attacks were deliberately timed to kill people as well as to knock out Ukraines power grid. His prime minister said 11 major infrastructure targets were hit in eight regions, leaving swaths of the country with no power, water, or heat.

More volleys of missiles struck the capital again later in the morning. Pedestrians huddled for shelter at the entrance of Metro stations and inside parking garages.

Germany said a building housing its consulate in Kyiv was hit on Oct. 10, though it hadnt been used since the start of the war on Feb. 24.

By mid-morning, Ukraines defense ministry claimed Russia had fired 81 cruise missiles, and Ukraines air defenses had shot down 43 of them.

Security camera footage showed shrapnel and flames engulfing a glass-bottomed footbridge across a wooded valley in the city center. One pedestrian could be seen running from the blast. Reuters later saw a huge crater below the bridge, which was damaged but remained standing.

They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth, Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app. The air raid sirens do not subside throughout Ukraine.

Officials reported that power was out in Ukraines second-largest city Kharkiv and nearby Poltava, and Prime Minister Denys Shmygal promised to restore utilities as quickly as possible.

Cars are seen on fire after Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

Belarus Escalation

In another sign of possible escalation, Putins closest ally, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, said on Oct. 10 that he had ordered troops to deploy jointly with Russian forces near Ukraine, which he accused of planning attacks on Belarus with its Western backers.

Their owners are pushing them to start a war against Belarus to drag us there, he said. Lukashenko allowed Belarus to be used as a staging ground for Russia early in the war but hasnt sent his troops to fight.

Within Russia, the strikes were cheered by hawks. Ramzan Kadyrov, the staunchly pro-Kremlin leader of Russias Chechnya region who had demanded in recent days that military commanders be sacked, hailed the Oct. 10 attacks:

Now, I am 100 percent satisfied with how the special military operation is being conducted.

By Max Hunder and Jonathan Landay
The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, England, on Dec. 29, 2017. (Reuters/Toby Melville/File Photo)

London Stock Exchange Sets Listing Rules for Firms Financing Carbon-Reduction Projects

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) established listing rules for companies that finance carbon-reduction projects in a bid to ensure greater transparency in the market.

According to the new rules, a company or fund intending to finance a project aimed at reducing carbon emissions must issue a prospectuscontaining details of the projectvetted by the Financial Conduct Authority. What this brings is proper transparency, proper due diligence, and proper disclosure, so corporates and other investors truly know what theyre buying. Thats something that the voluntary carbon markets havent had before, LSE Chief Executive Julia Hoggett said to Reuters.

LSEs push to boost the voluntary carbon market comes as the sector is expected to balloon over the next decade. The annual global size of the voluntary carbon market was around $2 billion in 2021, according to Ecosystem Marketplace. McKinsey is expecting the market size to expand to $50 billion by 2030.

At present, the voluntary carbon market is only minuscule when compared to the compliance carbon market, which was valued at $736 billion in 2021.

While the compliance carbon market is created as a result of regional, national, or international policy or regulatory requirements, the voluntary carbon market is created through the buying and selling of carbon credits on a voluntary basis.

According to Hogget, an investment fund backing the voluntary carbon market is expected to be listed in 2022, with a few others joining in next year. Later on, companies that operate carbon-reduction projects will be added.

Economics of Carbon-Reduction Projects

Once a carbon-reduction project generates carbon creditscalculated according to the amount of carbon dioxide the project removes from the atmospherethe shareholders receive these credits as dividends.

Alternatively, the project can sell the carbon credits, collect cash, and distribute the cash as dividends to shareholders. Other firms can buy carbon credits to offset the greenhouse gasses they emit.

During an interview with Financial News, Mark Kember, co-executive director for external affairs at the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative, pointed out that latent demand in the voluntary carbon market has been growing steadily since 2015.

This is especially true when considering the last two to three years as firms are being requested, encouraged, or obliged to achieve net zero emissions.

Kember pointed out that companies are mostly looking to invest in high-quality projects. If youre doing this voluntarily and youre spending money that you could spend on other things, most companies have realized that it is pretty crazy to buy something that is substandard, Kember said.

In a write-up at The Epoch Times, Guy K. Mitchell, Jr., criticizes carbon credits and offsets as a way for global investment firms to make profits. The system of carbon credits can also end up making businesses in developed regions like the European Union pay higher costs for energy, which will affect their ability to compete in the global market.
Tony DeLuca, Longtime Pennsylvania State Lawmaker, Dies at 85

DeLuca was the oldest, longest-serving member of the state's House of Representatives

Pennsylvania state Rep. Anthony M. Tony DeLuca died on Oct. 9 at his Penn Hills home after a brief battle with lymphoma, a disease he had beaten two times previously, the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus has announced.

At 85, DeLuca was the oldest and longest-serving member of the states House of Representatives.

The Democratic lawmaker held the seat for 39 years, the longest state House tenure in Pennsylvania history. He represented the 32nd District, comprising the communities of Penn Hills Townshipwhere he lived for more than 60 yearsVerona Borough, the majority of Plum Borough andas a result of the recent legislative redistrictingOakmont Borough, all of which are in Allegheny County.

DeLuca was the ranking Democrat on the House Insurance Committee for more than 20 years. After his first lymphoma diagnosis and following his late wife Connies breast cancer diagnosis, he became an advocate for cancer awareness and early detection. He introduced legislation to increase funding for cancer research, better treatment procedures, and care following a diagnosis, the House Democrats said in a statement.

He was the prime sponsor of more than 100 pieces of legislation during just the 20212022 session. In July, he advocated for suspending Pennsylvanias 58-cent tax per gallon of gasoline until the end of 2022. In May, he proposed allowing schools to restrict student use of smartphones during the school day.

In 2018, DeLuca championed the Life Insurance Database Act to help Pennsylvanians learn if they were beneficiaries of a life insurance policy following a loved ones death. The program has connected families with $5 million annually.

Commitment to Service

DeLuca believed serving as a state representative was a full-time commitment both in the Capitol and in the district and did not have outside employment, the House Democrats said in their statement. While others his age retired and enjoyed their golden years, DeLuca remained deeply committed to his legislative responsibilitiesserving his constituents, particularly seniors and families, and being a staunch supporter and defender of labor unions and firefighters.

Until just a few days before his death, he remotely participated in House floor sessions and voted on legislation.

In addition to the House Insurance Committee, DeLuca was a member of the Democratic Policy Committee and several other caucuses including Autism, Cancer, Firefighters and Emergency Services, Mental Health, Sportsmen, and Steel.

DeLuca was proud of his Italian heritage and was one of the original co-founders, and eventual longtime chairman, of the Pennsylvania Legislative AmericanItalian Caucus, created to combat social injustice and discrimination against Italian Americans.

Before being elected as a state representative, DeLuca served five years as a Penn Hills councilman, then two years as Penn Hills deputy mayor.

He leaves behind four children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. In addition to his late wife of 66 years, he was preceded in death by his brother Larry and his parents.
Over 600 Falun Gong practitioners from Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam gathered together to create a unique spectacle representing peace, hope, and faith.

Dressed in yellow, practitioners were arranged to make up four giant Chinese characters  (the Buddha Fa rectifying the human world) at Jubilee Park, Sydney, on Oct. 8

The four characters glowed in bright yellow amid the green of the park.

The event led up to an experience-sharing conference in Sydney.

First introduced in China in 1992, Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a Buddhist practice consisting of five sets of meditation exercises and moral teachings centred on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

The practice quickly drew tens of millions of adherents in the 1990s and became one of the largest spiritual communities in the country. However, in 1999, the Chinese Communist Party deemed it a threat to its control and banned the practice.

The nationwide persecution has led to waves of practitioners being thrown into prisons, labour camps, and brainwashing centres, where many have experienced torture and abuse and have even died from forced organ harvesting.

Li Yuanhua, the event coordinator, said the preparatory work lasted for two to three months, including designing the pattern, investigating the venue, and procuring supporting materials.

Honouring a Tradition

The spectacle, known as character formation, is a decades-old tradition that started in China in the 1990s when Falun Gong practitioners could still freely practice the exercises in public parks across the country.

Since the persecution started in 1999, overseas practitioners have taken up the torch to keep the tradition alive, with Taiwan and the United States having the grandest sights, given a large number of adherents there.

In New York City, character formations have become an annual custom since 2013, and the number of participants keeps growing yearly.

Falun Gong practitioners gathered at Jubilee Park, Sydney, on Oct. 8 to form four giant Chinese characters. (Xu Shengkun/The Epoch Times)

Falun Gong practitioners gathered at Jubilee Park, Sydney, on Oct. 8 to form four giant Chinese characters. (Lingxiao/The Epoch Times)

Participant: Spread the Message Through the Event

Jason Uttley, a company owner from northern New South Wales, started practicing Dafa three and a half years ago. However, this is his first time attending a character formation.

Uttley said he wanted to help spread the beauty of Falun Dafa through the event. Meanwhile, he also wanted to make people aware of the persecution that is still taking place in China and the brutal nature of the CCP.

We went to a lot of effort to bring this message out, and hopefully, people will be aware of that, he said.

Uttley used to have back pain and scoliosis, which was hard to manage, and he had to go to a chiropractor every month, but after practising Falun Dafa for six months, he didnt need any more treatment.

Jason Uttley participated in the character formation in Sydney on Oct. 8, 2022. (Li Xinran/Epoch Times)

Its completely recovered, he said. Its deeply relaxing, cultivates your energy, and gets you to feel more energized.

The spiritual practice has also helped Uttley develop a more harmonious family life.

It does make you more tolerant, and you try and be more compassionate, he said. You look at the positive side of things of the hardships that you face.

Living According to the Three Principles

Michele Webster from Western Australia also participated in the event.

Webster started to practice Falun Dafa in 2012 after seeing an advertisement for an art exhibit and was immediately drawn to the three principles of the practice, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. She started practicing a week later after visiting the exhibition.

Webster said she used to be impatient.

Ive always been a very impatient person. I always thought I wasnt [tolerant] until I started practicing, she said. Ive certainly become a lot more patient, a lot more tolerant to different people, different things.

Michelle Webster participated in the character formation in Sydney on Oct. 8, 2022. (Li Xinran/Epoch Times)

Websters relationship with her children has also improved dramatically since the practice.

Her daughter, according to Webster, is prone to anger, anxiety, and depression. She always felt Webster was unable to help her as a mother.

After starting cultivating, however, Webster tried to use stronger moral values to influence her children, and they have slowly changed in the process.

I was trying to bring them up with moral values, and even so more when I started practicing, she said. Those morals for me became stronger.

Now Im the one whos a helper in her life, she continued. When it comes down to serious things, she takes my opinions, my thoughts, and my advice more seriously.

Eva, a local resident praised the character formation event by Falun Gong practitioners. (An Pingya/The Epoch Times)

The character formation also attracted the attention and interest of local residents.

Eva, a local resident originally from Poland, said shes not a stranger to communist regimes and has learned about the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Eva said what adherents say and do is inspiring and courageous. She is glad that Falun Gong practitioners are free to practice their faith in Australia.

Eva Fu contributed to this report.
Major US Airport Websites Taken Offline

The websites of airports in Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as those of other airports, were taken offline on Oct. 10 as officials blamed Russian hackers for the disruption.

We noticed this morning that the external website was down, and our IT and security people are in the process of investigating, Andrew Gobeil, a spokesman for Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, told The Associated Press. There has been no impact on operations.

The Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement that the OHare and Midway airport websites went offline on Oct. 10. No operations or flights were affected.

Early Monday, FlyChicago.com and related websites for OHare and Midway international airports went offline, the statement reads. City of Chicago IT staff are currently working to restore the websites functionality. The Citys Information Security Office at the Department of Assets, Information & Services is investigating the cause of the outage.

Parts of the Los Angeles International Airport website were also disrupted, spokeswoman Victoria Spilabotte told media outlets on Oct. 10.

No internal airport systems were compromised and there were no operational disruptions, she said.

A spokesperson for St. Louis International Airport told KSDK that the airport website also went down early on Oct. 10. Staff is working to restore the website, he said, noting that the outage isnt affecting operations.

Theres no indication that U.S. flights have been affected by the disruptions, according to an official with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is run by the Department of Homeland Security.

Obviously, were tracking that, and theres no concern about operations being disrupted, Kiersten Todt, chief of staff for CISA, told a conference in Georgia on Oct. 10, according to CNN.

More than a dozen airport websites were targeted in the attack, John Hultquist, head of intelligence analysis at cybersecurity company Mandiant, told ABC News.

We are pretty clear its a Russian cyber group that claimed responsibility, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told ABC News on Oct. 10. We are asking our authorities to confirm who did it and then take the appropriate strong action, so the Russians know they cannot get away with this.

A Russian hacking group, Killnet, posted to Telegram a list of U.S. airports that could be targeted by hackers. In another post, the group stated that it wants people to commit DDoS [distributed denial of service] on the civilian network infrastructure of the United States of America, including all airports, logistics facilities, weather centers, health care systems, subways, and trading systems.

The same group claimed responsibility for hacking several state government websites last week, and it has also previously targeted NATO-affiliated countries since the start of the RussiaUkraine war in February. In July, the group claimed responsibility for downing the U.S. Congress website for a brief period of time.

Transportation Security Administration officials didnt respond by press time to a request for comment.
An electronic shop worker watches a speech by Malaysia's new Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on television in Shah Alam, Malaysia on Aug. 22, 2021. (Lai Seng Sin/AP Photo)

Malaysia to Hold Early Election After Prime Minister Dissolves Parliament

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has dissolved the countrys Parliament, paving the way for an early election amid calls from his ruling coalition to hold the vote ahead of the deadline due to infighting.

Ismail announced on Oct. 10 that he had obtained King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shahs approval to dissolve the current Parliament ahead of the expiration of its five-year term in July 2023.

The Malaysian Election Commission will determine the date of the 15th General Election (GE15), which must take place within 60 days of the dissolution of Parliament.

With this announcement, the mandate will be returned to the people. The peoples mandate is a powerful antidote to manifest political stability and to form a strong, stable, and respected government after GE15, Ismail said in a national address.

The announcement of the parliament dissolution was made to put a stop to all the voices questioning the legitimacy of the alleged backdoor government, he added, according to The Malaysian Reserve.

Ismail also called for the dissolution of state assemblies and to have state elections be held simultaneously with the GE15.

It is only right for the state elections to be held simultaneously to ensure that the people will not be burdened, besides ensuring smooth democratic process and reducing the overall costs, he said.

A total of 222 parliamentary seats will be contested in the GE15 to allow for the formation of a new government. Four of the countrys 13 statesincluding Sabah, Melaka, Sarawak, and Johorhad held elections earlier.

Ismails United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the biggest party in the ruling coalition, was feuding with its allies and opposition parties over its calls for elections during the monsoon season, which killed more than 50 people and displaced thousands last year.

But UMNOs top leaders decided recently that elections must be called this year for UMNO to capitalize on the support of ethnic Malay voters, an opposition in disarray, and before an expected softening in the economy next year.

The 2023 Budget

The dissolution came after the government unveiled its planned 2023 budget on Oct. 7, which allocates 372 billion Malaysian ringgit ($80 billion) for 2023. The proposed budget is pending approval in Parliament.

Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has said that the 2023 budget could be tabled until after the elections, despite claims by critics that it would be futile if Parliament is dissolved before the budget is passed.

This has happened before, you can refer back to what happened in 1999. The budget was presented and there was dissolution, and then the budget was represented again, he told reporters, according to Malay Mail.

The countrys current political crisis began when the Pakatan Harapan, a reformist alliance led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, collapsed due to defections in February 2020.

That coalition was replaced by the Perikatan Nasional coalition led by then-Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned in August 2021 after losing the majority in Parliament. Ismail, who was Muhyiddins deputy, was appointed as his successor, returning the premiership to UMNO.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In this illustration photo taken in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2021, a person watches on a smartphone Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveil the META logo. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)

Metaverse a Huge Gamble for Zuckerberg: Business Expert

Mark Zuckerbergs Metaverse is a huge gamble on the part of the tech giant to recapture declining user numbers, according to Prof. Barney Tan at the University of New South Wales.

Tan, also head of the School of Information Systems and Technology Management, said what Zuckerbergs company Meta is proposing is to develop a virtual world of unprecedented sophistication and scale that will attempt to mesh virtual and physical realities together.

Its prospects of success depend on how many complementary service providers, co-developers, and users they are able to attract into its eco-system because Meta cannot do everything on its own, he told The Epoch Times in an email.

It is certainly helpful that it is a company as big as Meta spearheading the move into the Metaverse, but at the same time, Meta does not have the best of reputation among tech firms.

There are many who have expressed the concern that Meta will use behavioural data from the Metaverse for marketing purposes. The key to attracting these [tech firms] is making sure that there is high value and low costs, or risks in participationthe bigger this ratio is, the better.

However, Tan noted that there were easier ways to arrest Facebooks declining user numbers.

They could, as they have done in the past, acquire new and interesting social media platforms, or imitate and innovate on what other popular social media platforms are offering.

Capturing the Youth

Meta is endeavouring to create a virtual world to capture more of the youth audience that is opting out of its platform and instead moving to apps like the Chinese-backed TikTok. The Meta-owned Instagram even adopted features of the app.

Metaverse is reminiscent of the earlier online platform Second Life which allowed users to create avatars to live out a second life in a virtual world.

The platform will attempt to build on this concept and integrate the individuals experience more deeply with billions being invested into the project and developments in virtual reality sets.

However, there have been questions over the positive or negative impact of a wide-scale Metaverse engaging millions of people, with some experts pointing to already prevalent problems such as online bullying and addictionan opium for the masses.

Jason Miller, the founder of the social media app Gettr, shared a similar assessment.

It seems to be a computerised extension of identity politics, he previously told The Epoch Times. Hey, Im going to live online and have this different person or version of who I am. By the way, I can go and buy things when Im online to make my online person cooler and different.

Its not real life, and I think theres a certain point where you start getting into transhumanism and all kinds of weirdo stuff. Its not that big of a leap, he said.
Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Turns Negative Within Months: Study

The effectiveness of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine against infection turns negative over time, according to a new study that was funded by the vaccine maker.

The effectiveness of three dosesa primary series and a boosteragainst infection remained above 50 percent after 150 days against BA.1, a subvariant of the Omicron virus variant, researchers estimated.

However, against more recent strains, including the currently dominant BA.5, the effectiveness turned negative. Against BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5, the effectiveness went negative after 150 days; against BA.1.12.1, the effectiveness turned negative after 91 days.

Negative effectiveness means that a vaccinated person is more likely to contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, than an unvaccinated person.

Researchers with Moderna and Kaiser Permanente, which carried out the study, also found that people who received three Moderna doses were more likely to become infected when compared to people who received just two doses.

Researchers said that they attempted to reduce potential bias by taking actions such as adjusting for comorbidities, but that some confounding may remain.

They said that some of the negative effectiveness estimates could be due to differential risk behaviors among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals when protection from antibodies becomes minimal.

Hung Fu Tseng, a researcher with Kaiser Permanente Southern California and the studys corresponding author, declined to provide evidence for the statement or otherwise comment on the negative effectiveness estimates.

The manuscript is under review by a journal. I cant comment on your questions now. I can, however, answer your question[s] when it is accepted, Tseng told The Epoch Times in an email.

The study was published ahead of peer review on medRxiv, a preprint server. Researchers reached the numbers after analyzing data from Kaiser Permanente Southern California, which provides health care and insurance to millions of members.

Moderna officials didnt respond to a request for comment.

While researchers did estimate that the vaccine remains protective against severe illness, they didnt separate the effectiveness estimates by time since vaccination.

A slew of other studies and analyses have found that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines turns negative over time, including a study that estimated the protection for children aged 5 to 11 turned negative after 18 or 20 weeks, and an analysis of data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testing program that estimated the shielding turned negative around six months.

Swedish researchers in September concluded that effectiveness turned negative within several months.

Somewhat implausibly, we even observed a negative VE against Omicron infection from week 14, indicating that vaccinated individuals experienced a higher risk of infection than those unvaccinated, they wrote in a preprint paper. This may relate to harvesting bias in this analysis of the first event of a common outcome (as infection with Omicron is getting close to ubiquitous in many areas now). More unvaccinated individuals had already been infected, leaving a larger pool of vaccinated individuals susceptible to their first infection later by Omicron.

As a result, a higher risk among vaccinated individuals might be observed for a limited time period.

The CDC continues to recommend vaccination for virtually every person aged 6 months or older.
Falun Gong practitioners attend a parade in Brooklyn, New York City, on Oct. 2 to call an end to the Chinese regime's persecution. (Zhang Jingchu/The Epoch Times).

Nearly 100 Residents in Chinese City Detained for Their Beliefs in One-Day Operation, Including 98-Year-Old Woman: Report

Police in Chinas northeastern Daqing City of Heilongjiang Province detained almost 100 Falun Gong practitioners on July 12 for their faith, raided their homes, and took away their money and personal belongings, according to a report published on Minghui.org.

Minghui.org is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that reports on the ongoing persecution of the Buddhist-school spiritual belief Falun Gong in China.

More than 20 Falun Gong practitioners are over 70 years of age, including one 98-year-old female.

The sweep was part of a provincial-level operation, Minghui reported, citing police who participated in the campaign

Organized Raids

According to the Sept. 26 report, 15 police branches in Daqing city participated in the citywide campaign, with police across the city moving simultaneously for the one day operation. Police were following orders from the ruling Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) Gestapo-like 610 Office.

Five sacked 610 Office directors/deputy directors. (The Epoch Times)

An earlier Minghui report on Sept. 13 reveals that the Heilongjiang provincial police department distributed the names of Falun Gong practitioners to each municipal police bureau, which in turn handed out the names to each branch and then to each police station.

The police had been preparing for the illegal arrests for more than nine months, Minghui reported. The police had been stalking and videotaping all the Falun Gong practitioners on the lists for the last nine months. They then deployed police forces outside each practitioners residence for over a week to guarantee that they could catch them on July 12.

This is a recent suppression action taken by the Chinese communist regime targeting Falun Gong adherents. The CCPs persecution of Falun Gong began in July 1999 and is ongoing today.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice consisting of five gentle exercises and moral teachings promoting the values truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Its popularity surged in the 1990s after it was spread nationwide due to significant physical and spiritual benefits. The number of Falun Gong adherents in China was estimated to be from 70 million to 100 million by the end of the decade.

The 610 Office is an extra-legal body set up on June 10, 1999, by former CCP leader Jiang Zemin to specifically eradicate Falun Gong believers. It was named according to the date it was established.

Jiang was concerned about the popularity of the spiritual group and launched a nationwide suppression of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. The persecution is ongoing till today.

Over 20 Senior Practitioners Targeted

More than 20 of the Falun Gong practitioners detained are over 70 years old, over a dozen of whom are over 80 years old. The eldest detained is a 98-year-old female Falun Gong practitioner surnamed Li. Minghuis report didnt disclose her full name.

In July and August, Heilongjiang Province arrested and detained 235 Falun Gong practitionersthe most of all provinces in China during this period.

The 98-year-old Ms. Li has been released; Minghui didnt mention when she was released.

Early Morning Raids

Oil painting Homeless (partial screenshot) A little girl came home from school and found that her parents had been arrested for practicing Falun Gong. The door was sealed by the 610 Office. In China, many children are deprived of normal education and work opportunities because their parents or relatives practice Falun Gong. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

On July 12, the police raided at least 70 Falun Gong practitioners residences and took away their personal belongings, including laptops, printers, media players, Falun Gong books, and mobile phones, as reported by Minghui.org on Sept. 26.

Wang Fengzhen heard someone knocking on her door at 5:30 a.m. and saying that they were from the pandemic control and prevention center. When Wang opened her door, a group of police pushed in and took Wang to the branch police bureau of the Daqing high-tech development zone. The police raided her home and took away more than a dozen Falun Gong books.

Gao Xijiang was tricked by police to leave his home at 6 a.m., after they told him that his car was scratched. When Gao came outside, the police arrested him. Gaos wife refused to open the door, and the police tried to pick the lock and saw off multiple steel window guardrails. They couldnt enter Gaos home despite all their violent efforts, Minghui said.

Li Guilian is an 84-year-old Falun Gong practitioner. The police opened her home with a key at 7 a.m. and took away her Falun Gong books and a media player that she used to play the music for the Falun Gong qigong exercises. She refused to go with the police, but the police forced her to provide her fingerprints on many documents. They didnt leave until late in the afternoon.

The police from the Lindian County police branch detained Falun Gong practitioner Zhao Li from her home and then had it ransacked. After they left, her family members found that 9,000 yuan ($1,265) of cash and a gold necklace were missing. They suspect the police stole them. Zhao is under arrest and is currently detained in Daqing No. 1 Detention Station.

In the torture called tiger bench depicted in this drawing, the elevation of the legs over time causes excruciating pain. Torture is routinely used in Chinas labor camps, and also in the brainwashing centers to which prisoners of conscience will be sent, now that China has officially abolished the labor camps. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Minghui reports more detailed persecution cases on its website.

However, it explains that its data is incomplete as it is difficult for its reporters to communicate with practitioners in China due to the CCPs information blockade and that the actual number of Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted is likely much higher than that disclosed.

Police Refuse to Present Warrants

The police who participated in the illegal arrests and detention of Falun Gong practitioners on July 12 didnt show any warrant or their IDs, according to the report.

When Falun Gong practitioners asked them for their warrants and IDs, some police replied that these were state secrets, which they said couldnt be leaked online. Minghui condemned the police for the illegal actions targeting Falun Gong practitioners, adding that the police were afraid of their illegal actions being exposed by Minghui.org.

According to Minghui, at least eight Falun Gong practitioners are still detained in Daqing No. 2 detention center and one Falun Gong practitioner in Daqing No. 1 detention center.

A Chinese lawyer who wants to stay anonymous told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that the CCPs persecution of Falun Gong is illegal.

As long as you are a Falun Gong practitioner, no matter how senior your age may be and whether your physical condition is suitable for detention, the CCP will still arrest, detain, and put Falun Gong practitioners on trial, the lawyer said.

Li Jiesi contributed to the article.
Falun Dafa practitioners carry a banner celebrating 400 million withdrawals from the CCP as part of the Tuidang Movement in China, during a march through the center of Warsaw, Poland, on Sept. 9, 2022. (Mihut Savu/The Epoch Times)

New York State Assemblyman Commends Global Movement to Quit the Chinese Communist Party

A member of the New York State Assembly has joined the ranks of public officials who acknowledge the Tuidang Movement as one of the most peaceful and important initiatives in human civilization. Tuidang means quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and is arguably the largest grassroots movement in human history with 400 million participants and growing.

New York State Assemblyman Jarett C. Gandolfo issues a Citation acknowledging the Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party on Sept. 15, 2022. (The Epoch Times)

In a Citation dated Sept. 15, Assemblyman Jarett C. Gandolfo recognized the Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP and its volunteers for coordinating the global movement to help Chinese people quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations and helping educate people around the world as to the criminal nature of communism.

An Oath to the CCP

Unlike the pledge of allegiance in the United States that is to the country and not any political party, the CCP makes people pledge loyalty to the communist party. The ceremony usually involves a number of people standing facing the communist hammer and sickle flag and with a fist raised by their head. People then recite a vow to devote their entire life to communism and be ready to die for the CCP.

This pledge can be given by children in China as young as 5 years old when they begin attending elementary school.

A Chinese elementary school boy named Wang Fuman in Chinas southwestern Yunnan Province on Jan. 11, 2018. The red scarf indicates that he is a member of the Chinese Communist Young Pioneers League. (AFP/Getty Images)

Gandolfos citation says, Chinese people have lived through decades of mind control, brainwashing, and terror under the CCP. In communist China, from childhood to middle school, high school, and university, a Chinese person may have joined and pledged allegiance to one or more of CCPs organizations, otherwise one may find oneself at risk of being excluded from the mainstream society. When they do they take this oath, it is not to china, but to the CCP.

Yi Rong, President of The Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party (the Tuidang Center) explained why this pledge is dangerous, A promise like this will follow the person his or her entire life, which is the biggest tragedy for a Chinese person, since the CCP is a cultish gang and will ultimately face its demise brought about by the heavens. Anyone who is affiliated with it will be implicated and punished.

Renouncing the Pledge

In November 2004, the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times published Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party an editorial series that provides a comprehensive look back at the CCPs history and fully exposes its wickedness. We hope that those who are still deceived by the CCP will now see its nature clearly, purge its poison from their spirits, extricate their minds from its evil control, free themselves from the shackles of terror, and abandon for good all illusions about it.

The series triggered the Tuidang Movement, in which people denounced and severed their ties to the CCP and its affiliated organizations, effectively removing the oath from their lives.

Dozens of copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, produced in Shijiazhuang, China. Overnight, Falun Gong practitioners in China will slip them into mailboxes. (The Epoch Times)

The Tuidang Center was established in 2005. Based in New York, its volunteers are scattered around the world, with the majority of them in mainland China. Over the past 17 years, they have been distributing the Nine Commentaries and helping the Chinese people to quit the CCP.

Peaceful Movement

By August 2022, 400 million Chinese people have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. The Citation calls it a grand milestone.

For the last 18 years, hundreds of thousands of its volunteers, both in china and overseas, have distributed the Nine Commentaries and helped the Chinese people renounce the CCP. This movement has reached a grand milestone400 million Chinese people have quite the CCP. Its been one of the most peaceful and important initiatives in human civilization.

Meanwhile, the Nine Commentaries has been translated into 33 languages and published in book form.

The CCP is not only destroying the Chinese culture and persecuting the Chinese people, it is gaining control of the world via infiltration and demoralization of the western societies, said Yi Rong, and thats why the worlds people should know about the evil of communism and reject it in their own ways.

Website of the Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP, tuidang.org, shows the total number of people who have denounced one or more CCP organizations on Oct. 7, 2022. (tuidang.org/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The Tuidang Center initiated a global petition calling for an end to the CCP. As of September 2022, almost 3 million signatures from around the world supporting the petition are on EndCCP.com.

The Citation says, There is a growing awareness of the CCPs eminent threat to the world, the international community has realized the importance of stopping the tyranny of communist China and ending the CCPs global threat.

Behind the Numbers

Wang He, a political commentator at the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, published his analysis of the tuidang numbers.

The CCP puts its membership at around 100 million; yet 400 million plus people have quit the CCP. Wang He said that this number is the sum of those who have quit the CCP, the Chinese Communist Youth League, and the Young Pioneers League over 18 years. The 100 million CCP members do not include those who are members of its other organizations.

On July 21, about 2,000 Falun Gong practitioners in Washington DC, the capital of the United States, held a march against the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) persecution of their faith. They demanded that the CCP immediately stop the persecution;\, and congratulated the millions of Chinese people who withdrew from the Party and its affiliated organizations. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)

Based on the official numbers, Wang He estimates there were 0.928 billion people aged 6 to 14 who joined the Young Pioneers League, 0.23 billion people aged 14 to 28 who joined the Communist Youth, and 0.11 billion people aged 18 and up who joined the Communist Party, between 2004 and 2021. Of course, a person can join multiple organizations, so there is some overlap in the numbers.

A very rough estimate puts the total number of people who are members of one or more CCP organizations at 1 billion.

Therefore, it is easy to understand that 40 percent (400 million) have quit one or more CCP organizations.

The number is tallied and displayed by a counter on the tuidang website. But, to see the numbers, a person in China has to use software to bypass the firewall set up in the CCPs internet blockade.

The majority of the tuidang volunteers are Falun Gong practitioners who risk their lives to help people to quit the CCP. They believe that there are many more people who wish to denounce the CCP but arent yet included on the tuidang website.

Chinese people living abroad who publicly denounced the CCP, hold tuidang certificates during the celebration of 200 million people denouncing the CCP in New York, in April 2015. (Courtesy of the Tuidang Center)

The tuidang movement has been ongoing for 18 years. It took 6 years and 9 months to reach the first milestone of 100 million people quitting the CCP in August 2011; 3 years and 8 months to reach 200 million (April 2015), 2 years and 11 months to reach 300 million (March 2018), and 4 years 5 months to record 400 million withdrawals (August 2022).
The New York Times building in New York City on Aug. 31, 2021. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

New York Times Updates Article That Claimed Conspiracy Theory Against Election Software Company After Charges Announced

The New York Times has added an editors note to an article it published on Oct. 3 claiming that allegations against a Michigan-based election software company were a conspiracy theory.

One day later, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon announced charges against the CEO of Konnech, the company, for allegedly stealing and storing election worker data on servers in China.

After this article was published, the chief executive of Konnech, Eugene Yu, was arrested in connection with an investigation into the possible theft of personal information about poll workers, the New York Times note says.

In communications with The Times for this article, neither Mr. Yu nor a spokesman for Konnech said that the company was the subject of an investigation. They also asserted that all the companys data was stored on servers in the United States; prosecutors in Los Angeles, who brought the charges against Mr. Yu, said that they had found some company data stored on servers in China. The Times is continuing to report on this story, it added.

A New York Times spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Stuart A. Thompson, a New York Times reporter who says he focuses on misinformation and disinformation, penned the Oct. 3 article as well as an article on the charges against Konnech.

In the former, Thompson claimed that an election integrity group, True the Vote, and others had threadbare evidence, or none at all, against Konnech.

He opined that the allegations demonstrate how far-right election deniers are also giving more attention to new and more secondary companies and groups.

The only evidence backing Thompsons article were statements from Konnech and Dele Lowman Smith, the chair of the election board in DeKalb County, Georgia.

That board signed a contract with Konnech in September.

Its a completely fabricated issue, Smith told the New York Times. Its absolutely bizarre, but its part of the tone and tenor of what were having to deal with leading up to the elections.

The board was holding a special meeting on Oct. 10 to discuss the contract in the wake of the charges being filed. Another county, in Virginia, has already halted its use of Konnech software.

Gascon, a Democrat, alleged that Yu, the Konnech CEO, stole personal identifying information of Los Angeles County election workers and stored the data on servers in China. Konnech did not respond to a request for comment.

Data breaches are an ongoing threat to our digital way of life. When we entrust a company to hold our confidential data, they must be willing and able to protect our personal identifying information from theft. Otherwise, we are all victims, Gascon said in a statement.

Thompson, the New York Times reporter, wrote a story on Oct. 4 about the charges. He said that Konnech had denied keeping data outside the United States and that the company had rebutted claims that it stored data on servers in China. He referred to Catherine Engelbrecht, the founder of True the Vote, as an election denier. But he did not use the term conspiracy theory in the new article.

True the Vote said in a statement that Yu was arrested based on alleged evidence of the very activities he and his organization attempted to suppress.

Konnech was assisted by many reporters who unblinkingly accepted their now discredited claims as fact, and simply repeated them, it added.

Thompson could not be reached. He has not alerted followers on Twitter to the editors note. His last posts are boosting people who shared his original article.
A real estate sign is seen at a property in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 6, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

NSW Pushes to Convince Residents to Opt out of Stamp Duty for Land Tax

The New South Wales (NSW) government has launched an online calculator to allow first home buyers in the Australian state to see how much money they would save by switching to an ongoing land tax instead of the current stamp duty.

This comes as the NSW government is set to introduce legislation to trial the First Home Buyer Choice scheme in January 2023.

The scheme is part of a multi-billion-dollar package to improve housing affordability in the state.

Under the scheme, instead of paying a stamp duty upfrontin the realm of tens of thousands of dollarswhen purchasing their first home, NSW residents will be able to pay an annual fee of $400 (US$255) plus 0.3 percent of the land value if the property is their primary residence.

The tax rate will increase to $1,500 plus 1.1 percent of the land value if the property is used for investment purposes.

For the scheme to be applicable, the value of the property purchased must not exceed $1.5 million.

The NSW government said around 84 percent of homes sold in the state fell under this cap.

The online calculator is now available on the ServiceNSW website. Prospective buyers can use it to compare what they would pay for stamp duty and land tax.

How Do First Home Buyers Benefit from the Scheme?

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the calculator would help first home buyers make decisions based on their circumstances and that most of them would end up paying less by switching to the land tax.

Treasury analysis indicates half of all owner-occupiers sell their home within 10.5 years, with first homebuyers likely to sell even sooner, he said.

A sold real estate sign is seen outside a high-rise apartment block in Sydney, Australia, on May 8, 2021. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

A quick calculation showed that a $1.35 million house with a land value of $810,000 would attract $2,830 in land tax in the first year, compared to $58,450 for stamp duty.

As land values usually rise over time, first home buyers will likely be forced to pay higher land taxes in later years.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottets argument is buyers can save for a deposit and obtain their first home sooner with the ongoing land tax system.

Home ownership is the investment that starts paying dividends from the moment you walk through your front door for the first time, and we dont want people to have to wait an extra couple of years to reap those benefits, he said.

The state government will put aside $728.6 million for the trial over a four-year period. It said the scheme would cost the budget in the short term but provide a more predictable revenue stream compared to stamp duty, which relies heavily on property transactions rather than ongoing ownership.

Meanwhile, the opposition has yet to release its housing policy for the upcoming election in March 2023. However, it did not approve of the land tax trial and called it a forever tax on the family home.
NYC Mayors About-Face on Illegal Immigration Is Hypocritical, Abbott Says

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told The Center Square that New York Citys mayor and other Democratic leaders are hypocritical for criticizing him for helping out our local communities by busing out migrants to sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C., New York City, and Chicago. His comments were in response to New York City Mayor Eric Adams declaring an emergency Friday over a humanitarian crisis stemming from illegal immigration at the southern border.

Adams first criticized Abbott for busing illegal immigrants to New York City at a time when Texas was being overrun by a surge in illegal immigration at the southern border. Abbott first started busing illegal aliens to Washington, whose mayor also criticized the Texas governor. Abbott said it was President Joe Biden and his administration moving migrants themselves in the middle of the night, adding that Texas recently busing people to so-called sanctuary cities is really nothing different than what the Biden administration is doing.

After millions of illegal immigrants began pouring through the southern border after the Biden administration altered immigration and enforcement policies established by Congress, it also began flying them to locations across the country without notifying elected officials in those states, prompting Florida to sue. After Abbott began busing them north, Democrats like Adams said doing so was inhumane.

Adams declared an emergency over Abbotts busing initiative on Friday. In response, Abbott said, Sanctuary cities like New York City experience a FRACTION of what Texas border communities face every day. Well continue busing migrants to NYC, DC, & Chicago to relieve our overwhelmed border towns until Biden does his job to secure the border.

Adams says roughly 17,000 asylum seekers who have arrived in New York City since the spring will fill the citys shelters by over 100,000 before the end of the calendar year and cost taxpayers $1 billion.

But this is a fraction of what the humanitarian crisis at the southern border is costing Texans, Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith argues. Last year, Smith sounded the alarm after criminal foreign nationals began pouring through his small hometown of Brackettville. Kinney County was the first to declare a disaster in April 2021. Other counties also issued disaster declarations and continue to do so; Abbott issued a disaster declaration in May 2021.

In March 2021, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star to increase state resources at the border after the surge in illegal border crossings when Biden first took office. The Texas Legislature initially allocated more than $4 billion to border security efforts. Abbott and other Republican governors called on the president to secure the border but received no response.

As Texas border communities declared disasters, last October, NYC Mayor Adams wrote on Twitter, We should protect our immigrants. Yes. New York City will remain a sanctuary city under an Adams administration.

One year later, Adams declared an emergency over 17,000 illegal immigrants arriving in New York City, the majority of whom havent been transported there by Texas. He said on Friday, We have not asked for this. There was never any agreement to take on the job of supporting thousands of asylum seekers.

Multiple county judges in Texas whove declared disasters and 33 whove declared an invasion agree, Texas did not ask to be overwhelmed and overrun by what is now more than 100,000 people illegally entering a month, they argue. The Texas GOP likens what is happening to the equivalent of 156,000 allied D-Day forces landing in Texas every month for the past 18 months.

Abbott says that its been Texas law enforcementnot federal, not New Yorkfunded by Texas taxpayers who since last March have apprehended more than 311,000 people illegally entering Texas through Mexico. Theyve also made more than 20,500 criminal arrests, including on more than 18,000 felony charges. Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) alone has seized over 337 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill everyone in the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents have confiscated enough lethal doses of fentanyl to kill 5 billion people, a fraction, they argue, of what is coming through from Mexico.

Abbott says he will not sit by and do nothing, and has increasingly expanded border security efforts. Hes the only Texas governor to build a wall on Texas soil and sign memorandums of understanding with four Mexican governors. In addition to leading inter-state compacts with multiple Republican governors, he and the legislature beefed up penalties for human traffickers and those manufacturing and distributing fentanyl. He also designated specific Mexican cartels operating along the border and in Texas as terrorist organizations and instructed DPS to go after gangs and others working with them to the greatest extent of the law.

In April, Abbott first instructed the Texas Department of Emergency Management to begin busing illegal immigrants to Washington and, most recently, to outside of Vice President Kamala Harris residence. Biden appointed Harris the federal governments border czar last year. Since April, more than 8,200 people have been bused to Washington. Since Aug. 5, more than 3,100 have been bused to New York City. Since Aug. 31, more than 920 have been bused to Chicago.

The busing mission is providing much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities, Abbott said. Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administrations refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Bidens open border policies.

Abbott press secretary Renae Eze also called the NYC mayor a hypocrite. She told The Center Square, Mayor Adams is an absolute hypocrite. In a city with a population of over 8 million, hes claiming an emergency for just over 3,100 migrants being bused into his self-declared sanctuary city. Thats not even 1 percent of the population of New York City.

The true emergency is on our nations southern border where small Texas border towns are overrun and overwhelmed by hundreds of migrants every single day as the Biden Administration dumps them in their communities. Instead of fear-mongering and complaining about a few thousand migrants in his sanctuary city, Mayor Adams should call on President Biden to do his job and secure the bordersomething the president continues failing to do. Gov. Abbotts invitation is still open for Mayor Adams to visit the border and see the actual crisis firsthand.

Abbott says the mayor has never contacted him or responded to his invitation to come to the TexasMexico border.

By Bethany Blankley
Organization Offers Students Legal Support After Western University Denies Religious Vaccine Exemption Letters

Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC) is helping students request religious exemptions from vaccination after Western University announced that a third COVID-19 booster dose is needed to be considered vaccinated.

As of Sept. 28, Western was the only university in Canada to require all its students, faculty, and staff to have a third dose of the vaccine. The University of Toronto had a three-dose vaccine requirement, but only for those living on campus, and out of 8,400 students, 1 percent requested an exemption.

While we cant predict when the next wave of COVID-19 might come, we believe these measures will help us protect the in-person experience that Western is known for, Florentine Strzelczyk, provost and vice president at Western, said in an August press release, where the university touts its past mandate and how it led to a 99 percent vaccination rate.

But many staff and students objected to the third dose requirement. The University of Western Ontario Staff Association opposed, saying it violated their collective agreement and the provinces human rights laws. Further, hundreds of students marched around campus protesting the mandate on Aug. 27.

On Sept. 6, Western pushed back its deadline for having a third dose from October 2022 to January 2023.

Legal Challenge

LCC is a Christian-affiliated organization that advocates for human rights and constitutional freedoms with legal backing. The organization says part of its mission is to offer legal support to Canadians who are having their lawful freedoms challenged.

In a Facebook post on Oct. 6, LCC said Western had denied many requests from Christian students who wanted a religious exemption. Some of the students who requested had their first two doses, while others did not have any doses.

It said one student was granted permission to be exempt from the vaccination through the efforts of its chief litigator, James Kitchen, but others were not.

Through its lawyers, Western has refused to reverse these denials. The reason? According to Westerns lawyers, these students Christian beliefs must not be uniquely personal to them because they are shared by other students. Apparently, according to Western, when Christian students share similar Christian beliefs, those beliefs are no longer protected by the law, LCC said.

Liberty Coalition Canada is stepping up to help these students by providing free legal representation through James Kitchen.

The Epoch Times reached out to Western University for a comment but did not immediately hear back by publication time.

LCC posted its correspondence (pdf) with Western on its website. In Westerns letter denying one students request, the school cited Syndicat Northcrest v. Amselem.

Here, the Court held that one must examine whether an individuals belief has a nexus with religion, in which an individual demonstrates he or she sincerely believes or is sincerely undertaking in order to connect with the divine or as a function of his or her spiritual faith. This requires the individual to demonstrate their sincere personal belief and that their belief, and any required act or omission, has a nexus with religion.

It said that the appeal did not speak to the students personal, sincerely held beliefs and said that the request was a template affidavit and that it had received multiple identical affidavits.

At the end of the letter, it requested the student submit additional information and said it would carefully review it.

Andrew Chen and Noe Chartier contributed to this report.
Ottawa Gets First Taste of the Alberta Sovereignty Act

The history of Western Canada is tainted with jurisdictional transgressions, punitive violations, and overreach from Ottawa

Commentary

In mid-September, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney openly disagreed with then-UCP leadership hopeful Danielle Smith over her proposed Alberta Sovereignty Act (ASA), calling the legislation destabilizing, unconstitutional, and a disaster for Alberta.

Kenneys former principal secretary, Howard Anglin, in fact, said ASA should stand for the Alberta suicide act.

Accused of meddling in the selection of his successor, Kenney reminded everyone that, as premier, his job is to defend the vital interests of Alberta, thereby suggesting that the proposed ASA would do the opposite.

A week later, however, Alberta Solicitor General Tylor Shandro notified the federal government and the RCMP of his governments intention not to cooperate with Ottawas plan to confiscate Albertans lawfully procured firearms, dismissing the federal policy as politically motivated.

He ordered the RCMP, under the authority of the 2011 Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA), to disregard Ottawas instructions for the buyback. Ottawas plan, Shandro said, did not follow Albertas priorities. Under section D of the PPSA, the federal cops are bound to respect Albertas constitutional jurisdiction over the administration of justice and, under section G, to implement the provincial policing objectives, priorities and goals. Shandro also announced Albertas intentions to intervene in the relevant court cases against Ottawa.

Shandros move could be construed as the opening salvo of the Alberta Sovereignty Act, with Alberta using its jurisdictional authority to push back against Ottawa when Ottawa is perceived to be acting against the interests of Albertans. In a sense, the Alberta government is stepping into a line of fire to shield the rights of individual Albertans.

Such spirited defence of Albertans rights is, in significant part, what Smiths proposed ASA aims to do. Its announcement, surprisingly, represents Kenneys tacit endorsement of Smiths proposal.

Albertans who may have been wondering about the rationale and virtue of implementing the ASA now have a concrete example for an answer. In a nutshell, the ASA is a response to the Ottawa problem, which is its tendency to hinder provincial authority and development through a combination of inaction, obstruction, and intrusion. In recent examples, Ottawas inaction allowed unconstitutional blockades to Albertas exports; Ottawa obstructed new energy developments such as Teck Frontier; and Ottawa intruded in Albertas jurisdiction with its desire to grab the lawful property of Albertans.

The ASA simply asserts Albertas authority to refuse provincial enforcement of specific federal policies or laws that violate the jurisdictional rights of Alberta under the Constitution or that breach the charter rights of Albertans.

The ASA is not an instrument for independence, as some have wrongly suggested. Alberta has every right to occupy the fullness of the jurisdictional spaces that the Constitution confers to provinces. Canadas Constitution divides the countrys sovereignty into specific jurisdictions, some of which are the exclusive domain of each level of government, and some of which are shared.

For example, education is an exclusive provincial jurisdiction, and Ottawa has zero authority to make laws regarding education. Foreign and monetary policies, on the other hand, are Ottawas exclusively. Immigration and transportation are examples of shared areas, adding even more tension to the mix.

While inherent tensions exist in federal structures, they are magnified in Canada when Ottawa is actively hostile toward a province or region. Faced with such open hostility, Western provinces must be proactive in shielding their citizens against intrusions or punitive abuses.

The history of Western Canada is tainted with jurisdictional transgressions, punitive violations, and overreach from Ottawa to the detriment of provinces. The ASA is simply a defence of the constitutional authority Canadas Constitution gives to provinces under sections 92-95 of the 1982 Constitution. All provinces enjoy such sovereignty to govern their own affairs without external interference. And doing so is lawful, constitutional, and, in Kenneys words, a vital interest of each jurisdiction.

Shandros defence of Albertas rights is, without a doubt, the most important development in Canadian constitutional affairs in decades. Already emulated by Saskatchewan and Manitoba (New Brunswick may be next), it sets a precedent for provinces to defend their constitutionally-apportioned sovereignty. And it lays the ground for Danielle Smith to introduce her legislation now that shes premier.

How Ottawa reacts will have significant implications for the federation. Specifically, how the RCMP responds may determine the future of the federal police acting in provincial spaces in Western Canada.

 Troy Media

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Descendants of a noteworthy paper manufacturer unearthed his collection of rare 19th-century gold coins during a house clearance. The treasure was auctioned off in London, England, fetching over half a million dollars and rocking the coin-collecting world in the process.

The collection consisted of 13 gold coins in a custom box, a full United States proof set from the U.S. Mint, dated 1888, once belonging to John Robert Fletcher, a third-generation award-winning tissue paper manufacturer from Stoneclough, Manchester.

The late September auction, which was managed by Londons Spink & Son, marked the first sale of its kind, with collectors from both the UK and the United States in attendance.

Prebidding surpassed the initial guide price of $200,000, and as the gavel hit the block, an extraordinary winning bid of $560,000 was confirmed.

Gregory Edmund, head of the coin department and senior auctioneer at Spink & Son, said in a statement: For these precious 13 coins to have survived untouched in their original presentation box through two world wars, numerous economic crashes, and the great rigors of time, is truly remarkable, to do so within the care of the same family, absolutely unprecedented.

Having journeyed across America over the summer in pursuit of their origins, I can tell you that every researcher I met with shared the same gobsmacked expression I had when I first opened their custom-made presentation box to reveal these extraordinary coins. He added that the rare lot promised to rewrite several history books from the onset.

Researchers at the National Archives in Philadelphia have pieced together the story of the coins, which Fletcher purchased during a working visit to Philadelphia from the UK in 1888.

Fletcher was a specialist producer of anti-tarnish, anti-scratch tissue paper, which proved ideal for the protection of silverware amongst the jewelry quarters of Birmingham and Sheffield. His product caught the attention of U.S. Mint officials. The Mint had previously come under fire for poor quality control practices, so the superintendent was authorized to buy specialty tissue paper from Philadelphia to help protect their limited edition proof coins.

Fletcher secured the commission, and it was during this trip that he bought a set of proof coins for himself, directly from the Mint, for $46.

In February 1889, weeks after Fletchers return from the United States, his uncle, the family paper companys managing director, was murdered in broad daylight in Manchester. Dubbed the Manchester Hansom Cab Murder, the mystery was solved expediently by Detective Chief Inspector Jerome Caminada, who is fabled to have inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyles eponymous Sherlock Holmes, since both men are said to have imprisoned exactly 1,225 criminals.

The re-emergence of Fletchers rare coins has shed new light on this extraordinary family history. Edmund believes their connection to the origin story of one of the worlds most famous detectives renders these otherwise niche coins extremely cool.

Spink & Son auction house believes that only 30 of these proof sets could ever have been made, or sold, at the command of the superintendent of the U.S. Mint. Most sets were spent, lost, or divided during the Great Depression, or melted down after the Great Recall under President Roosevelt, who prohibited the private ownership of gold.

Allegedly, the chief cashier of the Bank of England, Frank May, requested a set in February 1889 but was turned down. Edmund said: Its not every day one can have the chance to own something that the Bank of England was officially denied!

Since 1888, only three of the possible 30 minted coin sets have been recorded: one is on display at the Smithsonian Institution, a second was donated to the American Numismatic Society by the renowned financier John Pierrepoint Morgan, and a third set was separated in error in March 1976.

Fletchers, therefore, is the only intact and original 1888 proof set in private ownership.

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A top bank CEO is warning that a U.S. recession is coming in less than a yearand a major stock index could fall again big-time.

Ben Bernanke wins the Nobel Prize for economics, almost 15 years after the Great Recession. What are the results of his 15-year long experiment?

Elon Musk weighs in on tensions between China and Taiwan, taking the Chinese Communist Partys view. We take a deep dive on what it could mean if Taiwan became a part of China.

The iPhones new crash detection feature is reportedly causing problems at theme parkssetting off false alarms for emergency workers.

Electric automaker Rivian is recalling thousands of vehicles over a loose piece. What should you do if you own one?

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PayPal Stock Plunges Despite Pulling Controversial Policy Fining Users $2,500 for Misinformation

PayPals stock dropped more than 6 percentage points on Monday after reports emerged that the firm may attempt to fine people $2,500 for spreading misinformation via the platform.

Over the weekend, the company told The Epoch Times that PayPal is not fining people for misinformation and this language was never intended to be inserted in our policy, adding, An [acceptable use policy] notice recently went out in error that included incorrect information, the statement said.

But before, the firm had expanded its policy to prohibit the sending, posting, or publication of any messages, content, or materials that promote misinformation or present a risk to user safety or wellbeing.

Individuals who violated the policy could face a fine of $2,500 taken from their PayPal account for each violation. That policy was supposed to go into effect on Nov. 3.

Users were directed to PayPals user agreement, which states in part that PayPal can take a number of actions if users participate in restricted activities, such as holding their money in balance indefinitely. It also says that you will be liable to PayPal for the amount of PayPals damages caused by your violation of the Acceptable Use Policy at the amount of $2,500 per violation.

That money will cover internal administrative costs for PayPal to monitor and track violations and damage to PayPals brand, among other costs, according to the agreement.

Criticism

Former high-level executives at PayPal sharply criticized the policy.

A private company now gets to decide to take your money if you say something they disagree with. Insanity, former PayPal President David Marcus wrote on Twitter.

Elon Musk, the head of Telsa who co-founded PayPal decades ago, said that he agreed with Marcuss Twitter post.

Over the weekend, users on Twitter called for a boycott of PayPal and users indicated that they stopped using the payment companys services. After PayPals mea culpa, critics of the firm did not appear convinced that the policy was issued in error.

Dan Held, the former chief of growth marketing for cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, wrote that users should delete accounts with the payment services provider.

PayPal freezing funds for thought crimes is despicable, he wrote over the weekend.

As of Monday morning trading, the San Jose, California-based firms stock slumped 5.5 percent. Its down more than 50 percent in 2022.

Several weeks ago, PayPal banned a group named Gays Against Groomers that some LGBT activists claimed to be a hate group.

The Epoch Times has contacted PayPal for comment.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Police keep watch as an ambulance is parked outside the PNP Custodial Compound in Camp Crame police headquarters, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Gerard Carreon/AP Photo)

Philippine Former Senator Briefly Held Hostage in Jail Rampage

MANILA, PhilippinesPhilippine police killed three detained terrorists linked to ISIS after they staged a jail rampage Sunday that saw a police officer stabbed and a former opposition senator briefly held hostage in a failed escape attempt from the maximum-security facility in the police headquarters in the capital, police said.

National police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said former Sen. Leila de Lima was unhurt and taken to a hospital for a checkup following the brazen escape attempt and hostage-taking at the detention center for high-profile inmates at the main police camp in Metropolitan Manila.

One of the three inmates stabbed a police officer who was delivering breakfast after dawn in an open area, where inmates can exercise outdoors. A police officer in a sentry tower fired warning shots, and then shot and killed two of the prisoners, including Abu Sayyaf commander Idang Susukan, when they refused to yield, police said.

The third inmate ran to de Limas cell and briefly held her hostage, but he was also gunned down by police commandos, Azurin said.

Shes safe. We were able to quickly resolve the incident inside the custodial center, Azurin told reporters and justified police action to shoot the inmates. Sen. De Lima was already being held hostage so should we let that very critical situation drag on?

Susukan, who had been blamed for dozens of killings and beheadings of hostages, including foreign tourists, and other terrorist attacks was arrested two years ago in southern Davao city.

The other two inmates, Arnel Cabintoy and Feliciano Sulayao Jr., were suspected members of the Dawlah Islamiyah, a Muslim extremist group that has been linked to bombings and other deadly attacks in the countrys south. They were arrested in 2019 in suburban Quezon city in the capital region, and were facing non-bailable charges like Susukan, police officials said.

Many fighters belonging to Abu Sayyaf, which the United States and the Philippines have blacklisted as a terrorist organization, and the Dawlah Islamiyah have aligned themselves with the ISIS terrorist group.

The police officer who was stabbed with an improvised knife was in serious condition at a hospital, Azurin said. Another inmate was injured in the rampage, police said.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said the three slain inmates staged the rampage in an attempt to escape and did not specifically target de Lima.

After the two terrorists were shot and killed, the third inmate ran to de Limas cell and took her hostage, blindfolding her and aiming a blunt object at her chest. The inmate demanded a helicopter for him to escape during a brief negotiation and later asked for water, giving a police officer a chance to shoot him while handing him water, Abalos said.

De Lima told opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who visited her, that she feared she would be killed during the incident. Why would I die now when I may get freed soon? Hontiveros quoted de Lima as telling her. And something inside her told her to stay still.

De Lima has been detained since 2017 and has been facing a trial for drug charges she says were fabricated by former President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials in an attempt to muzzle her criticism of his deadly crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead and sparked an International Criminal Court investigation as a possible crime against humanity.

Philippine then opposition Senator Leila de Lima arrives at a regional trial court for a brief personal appearance in Paranaque city southeast of Manila, Philippines on Feb. 24, 2017. (AP Photo)

She has been cleared in one of three cases, and at least two witnesses have withdrawn their testimonies against her, her aides say.

Duterte, who has insisted on de Limas guilt, stepped down from office on June 30 at the end of his six-year term and was succeeded by Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of a former dictator who was ousted in a 1986 pro-democracy uprising.

Abalos visited de Lima and relayed an offer by the president for her to be transferred to another detention site but she rejected the offer, Abalos said, adding that steps would be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring again.

In 2005, detained Abu Sayyaf Muslim fighters led a siege of a maximum-security jail in another Metro-Manila police camp where special forces were based in another botched escape attempt. Police launched a major assault with tear-gas canisters and assault rifles after the terrorists refused to surrender, killing 22 inmates, including top Abu Sayyaf commanders.

In a court-authorized interview with The Associated Press in the jail compound in March, de Lima appeared undaunted by her yearslong detention in the old facility, which is ringed by a maze of high concrete walls and topped by rusty barbed wire and sentry towers. Jail guards armed with assault rifles constantly roamed and kept watch.

Im a fighter, the bespectacled former human rights commission chief and justice secretary told an AP journalist then. Its tough, but I can manage.

I can never lose hope, said de Lima, 63.

De Limas yearslong detention has sparked calls for her immediate release from the European Union Parliament, some U.S. legislators and U.N. human rights experts and international watchdogs.

By Jim Gomez
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz holds a press conference with U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) in Philadelphia, on Sept. 6, 2022. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Philly Democrat Endorses Oz for Senate, Says Public Safety More Important Than Party Affiliation

A Philadelphia Democrat has decided to endorse Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania race for U.S. Senate, citing concerns over public safety and crime in his city.

Tom Knox, who once served as deputy mayor under Democrat Ed Rendell, said in a statement obtained by Townhall on Oct. 7 that he is a lifelong Democrat, but he had to cross party lines and oppose his partys nominee for the Senate, current Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

I have met with John Fetterman, and I personally like him, Knox stated. But I am sad to say, as a resident of Philadelphia, that our city has become increasingly dangerous, and John Fettermans policies on crime will make things much worse.

Philadelphia, with 416 homicides so far in 2022, is on pace to exceed last years record of 562 murders.

Knox, who has run for mayor of Philadelphia as well as for governor, criticized Fetterman for what he sees as a soft-on-crime agenda.

His push as Lieutenant Governor to release more dangerous criminalsafter we have already seen a gruesome increase in violent crimeand promote heroin injection sites in our neighborhoods are radical ideas that would make our streets less safe, Knox added.

Democratic Pennsylvania U.S. Senate nominee John Fetterman holds a rally with U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Mary Gay Scanlon at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2022. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

According to the Republican National Committee, Fetterman advocated for the release of one-third of Pennsylvanias prisoners at least 11 times in 2020 and 2021.

I love Philadelphia, and I am saddened by what is happening to it, Knox stated. I am encouraging Democrats who share my concerns with Fettermans long-standing policies to put party affiliation aside and support Dr. Oz for U.S. Senate.

Dr. Oz is smart, hard-working, and a man of integrity who will work tirelessly to make our streets and city safe once again.

Oz welcomed Knoxs endorsement, telling Townhall in a statement that Pennsylvanians should come together now more than ever, regardless of party, as we face one of the highest homicide rates ever recorded in Philadelphia and our commonwealth suffers from one of the largest increases in violent crime rates and the fourth-highest number of deaths from fentanyl in the country.

The Fetterman camp recently released an ad in which Montgomery County Sheriff Sean Kilkenny pushed back against Republicans crime-focused criticism of the Democratic candidate.

Im sick of Oz talking about John Fetterman and crime, Kilkenny said. Heres the truth. John gave a second chance to those who deserved it. Nonviolent offenders, marijuana users. He voted with law enforcement experts nearly 90 percent of the time.

Dr. Oz doesnt know a thing about crime. He only knows how to help himself.

Police Union Endorsements

Recently, two police unions have recently endorsed Oz. On Sept. 28, the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association described the GOP nominee as a strong champion for law enforcement officers and their families in Pennsylvania, in its statement (pdf).

At a time when the law enforcement community is facing its greatest challenges, we need people who will advocate for the tools and resources that will keep the men and women of the Pennsylvania State Police safe as they serve our commonwealth, the association added.

A day earlier, the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 threw its support behind Oz.

Dr. Ozs history as a police surgeon and his demonstrated outreach to listen to police is a stark contrast to his opponent, who has a long history of anti-police rhetoric and advocacy for policies that make communities less safe, John McNesby, the groups president, said during a press conference.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz greets supporters after the primary race resulted in an automatic recount owing to close results, in Newtown, Pa., on May 17, 2022. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

With just weeks to go before the Nov. 8 elections, Oz has cut Fettermans once sizable polling lead. According to the RealClearPolitics poll average, Fettermans 8.7 percentage point lead in August has shrunk to 3.7 points.

Fettermans support stood at 46 percent, leading Oz by about 6 percentage points, in a recent Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network poll (pdf), which was conducted for four days ending on Sept. 30.

The poll also found that 43.8 percent said the economy was their top concern, followed by abortion rights at 25.2 percent, and gun control at 10.2 percent.

Mehmet Oz is finally solidifying Republicans after a very divided Republican primary in the spring, David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said in a statement accompanying the poll. Now, the October battleground for both candidates will be that narrow swath of independents who could swing the Pennsylvania election, which has important implications for the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

The Cook Political Report changed its rating for the Pennsylvania Senate race to toss-up from lean Democrat on Oct. 4.

In recent days, Oz and Fetterman both took to Twitter to rally their supporters.

If elected, Fetterman said he will vote to codify Roe v. Wade, expand access to health care while lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and raise the minimum wage.

Its time for change, Pennsylvania, Oz wrote. We cant afford more of the same far-left radical policies that have hurt our businesses, families, and communities.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, left, talks to reporters with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in Washington in an April 26, 2022, file image. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Plaintiffs to Seek Depositions of Top Biden Administration Officials in Big Tech Censorship Case

Plaintiffs in a case charging that the Biden administration was deeply involved in censoring users across Big Tech platforms are preparing to ask a judge to allow them to depose top government officials.

The Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana said on Oct. 10 that they will file a motion soon asking U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee overseeing the case, for the depositions.

The plaintiffs have provided an initial list of people they want to depose to the Department of Justice, which is representing the government in the case. They said the motion will ask Doughty to greenlight depositions of a number of key defendants, according to a statement from Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitts office.

A spokesman for Schmitt, who brought the case with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, declined to provide more details.

The most well-known defendants are President Joe Biden, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, presidential adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The case was filed earlier this year, and discovery produced after Doughty rejected the administrations attempt to get the case dismissed bolstered the evidence of Big Techgovernment collusion, including a series of exchanges between White House and Facebook officials concerning cracking down on users who posted alleged misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

While 20 officials or agencies were named as defendants in an earlier version of the case, an updated complaint filed on Oct. 6 identified 47 more, including the FBI, the Food and Drug Administration, and Rob Flaherty, a White House deputy assistant.

Messages showed Flaherty pressuring Facebook workers to step up content moderation, leading to meetings between Facebook and the White House.

We remain concerned about mis -and -disinformation [sic] on feed and in groups, and the wide reach of hesitancy-inducing content across your platform, Flaherty wrote in one message to a Facebook employee, whose name was redacted.

Additionally, Facebook began steering regular reports to Flaherty and other White House officials outlining how many posts were deleted, labeled, or demoted for violating COVID-19 and vaccine policies.

Missouri and Louisiana filed a landmark lawsuit, seeking to expose that the federal government has worked hand-in-hand with social media companies to censor freedom of speech on their platforms. Our lawsuit has done exactly thatweve found a staggering censorship enterprise that extends to a multitude of federal agencies and implicates government officials at the highest levels of government, but were not done yet, Schmitt said in a statement.

Now, weve added 47 additional defendants to our lawsuit, including several FBI agents and more top-ranking White House officials. Were also asking the Court to allow our offices to take depositions to question these officials under oath. Were only just getting started.
Political Consultant Convicted of Coercion in 2020 Texas House Race: DA

A political consultant was convicted of coercion for a scheme that was designed to affect the outcome of a Texas state race during the 2020 election cycle, Harris County officials said.

Democratic consultant Damien Jones, 38, of Houston, was convicted of coercion of a public servant for sending anonymous threatening text messages to then-State Rep. Gina Calanni, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. Those messages, Ogg said, were designed to get Calanni to resign and not run for reelection in District 132.

He made those threats just days before the 2020 election filing deadline, Ogg added.

At a time when threats against public servants are at an all-time high, it is critical to hold accountable those who would try to subvert the will of the people by coercing a state representative into dropping out of an election, Ogg told local media outlet ABC13. We thank the jurors for their service.

Jones had served as a regional political director for former Rep. Beto ORourkes (D-Texas) failed bid for the U.S. Senate. He also worked with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Jones, who was indicted in late 2020, was convicted of a Class A misdemeanor and faces up to one year in the Harris County Jail and up to a $4,000 fine. He also received one year of probation.

Meanwhile, his attorney, Oliver Jason Brown, suggested to the Chronicle that Joness constitutional rights were violated.

This is a First Amendment case, Brown said. People need to take caution, that based off of conviction and how the law is written, you could theoretically charge anyone who threatens to bring hatred, contempt or embarrassment on a public official. Thats how the law is written. Its written incorrectly.

The message to Calanni was actually a heads up, Brown added. She was getting a heads up that was what they were going to run. She took it as a threat, and now hes criminally convicted.

Joness messages crossed the line into criminal conduct. By trying to coerce a politician into resigning, he illegally sought to influence an election, prosecutor Michael Levine told local media.

This goes beyond just expressing your opinion. This was a threat, prosecutor Kimberly Smith told Click2Houston. This is a prime example of showing that no matter what your profession is, you are going to be held responsible for what you say and do.
Pro-abortion activists chant while marching from City Hall to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Santa Monica, Calif., on July 16, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Pro-Life Group Wins as NC City Admits 1st Amendment Protects Public Prayer at Abortion Clinic

Officials in Greensboro, North Carolina, agreed that a group of pro-life citizens praying outside a local abortion clinic had been illegally arrested for their exercise of constitutionally protected First Amendment rights, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

Eight members of the Love Life Christian ministry were arrested outside a Greensboro abortion clinic on March 28, 2020, the day after local officials had adopted a COVID-inspired public health proclamation that banned mass gatherings of 10 people or more, required patrons to walk to exempted businesses allowed to remain open, and stipulated that social distancing was to be maintained at all times during all activities.

Violation of the proclamation could result in up to 60 days in jail and fines of as much as $1,000.

The eight Love Life ministry volunteers were told that they were being arrested because they had violated the proclamations travel requirements, [traveling] to a non-essential function/[purpose].

The volunteers, who were represented by the ADF, had ensured that no more than eight individuals were involved in the praying at any one time and had maintained social distancing at all times.

In a lawsuit filed on April 4, 2021, naming both the City of Greensboro and Guilford County, North Carolina, the Love Life volunteers told the court that they were seeking to protect the right of a pro-life, faith-based public charity and pro-life, religious individuals to exercise their religious beliefs and to speak about those beliefs so they can help women with concerns about pregnancy and motherhood, and help meet the needs of vulnerable mothers and babies.

They also told the court that they sought redress for violations of Plaintiff Individuals Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unlawful stop, unlawful arrest, and unlawful detention that resulted from enforcement of the anti-COVID-19 proclamation.

The volunteers agreed to withdraw their litigation in light of the citys settlement agreement.

According to Greensboro officials, praying while walking was not allowed because of COVID-19. Clearly, this case was never about public health and safety; it was about the government silencing people because it didnt like what they had to say, ADF senior counsel Denise Harle, director of the ADF Center for Life, said in a statement announcing the settlement.

That said, we commend the city for finally agreeing to respect the free speech rights of Love Life members and acknowledge their freedom to pray and speak in the public square, just like every other citizens.

The text of the settlement wasnt published, but ADF described its major terms in the statement.

As part of the settlement, the city agreed that the First Amendment protects engaging in pro-life advocacy on public sidewalks and further agreed to uphold citizens First Amendment rights in any future proclamation order related to a public health emergency like COVID-19, the statement reads.

Based on the citys admission of wrongdoing and guarantees of future protections, the pro-life advocatesmembers of the Christian, pro-life ministry Love Lifeagreed to forgo seeking damages from the city.

The Love Life members include Justin Reeder, Carl Ubinas, Jason Oesterreich, Isaiah Burner, Andre Gonzalez, Leroy Stokes Jr., Richard Whittier, and Jon McAtee.

In light of the settlement, ADF attorneys filed a joint stipulation of dismissal  in the case, Global Impact Ministries v. City of Greensboro. Guilford County settled its portion of the lawsuit in February.

The Greensboro settlement comes in the wake of the arrest of 11 individuals for allegedly violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) at a Tennessee abortion clinic.

As The Epoch Times previously reported, civil rights law prohibits two or more people conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person  in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

The FACE Act bars obstructing people from obtaining reproductive health services, including abortions.

If convicted, those charged with conspiracy face up to 11 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Those charged with FACE Act violations face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
People sit near a television showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on Oct. 6, 2022. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

Recent North Korean Missile Tests Involved Tactical Nukes: State Media

North Korea used tactical nuclear missiles in its recent blitz of tests to enhance and warn the enemies of its nuclear counterattack capabilities, state-run media reported on Oct. 10.

State mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally guided the launches, which involved loading tactical nuclear warheads at a silo.

The recent tactical nuclear drills have demonstrated that North Koreas nuclear combat forces are fully prepared to hit and destroy targets at any time from any designated location, according to the report.

Various types of tactical ballistic missiles launched on Sept. 29 and Oct. 1 hit the targets with the combination of air explosion and direct precision and dispersion strike, proving the accuracy of our weapon systems, KCNA stated.

According to the report, Kim ordered the drills under the simulation of an actual war in response to the United States and South Koreas joint naval drills on the Korean Peninsula, which involved a U.S. aircraft carrier.

We should send a clear signal to the enemies escalating the regional situation by involving armed forces with more powerful and resolute action, the authoritarian leader was quoted as saying by KCNA.

Kim added that his country has no intention of engaging in dialogue with enemies that pose military threats to North Korea, despite their continued efforts to do so, it added.

North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the sea on Oct. 9 after the South Korean navy began two days of joint naval drills with the United States USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group, marking its seventh launch in two weeks.

Japans Defense Ministry said the missiles flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) at an altitude of 100 km (62 miles) before landing outside Japans Exclusive Economic Zone.

The U.S. aircraft carrier group earlier participated in trilateral ballistic missile defense drills alongside Japanese and South Korean warships in response to North Koreas missile launch over Japan on Oct. 4.

Nuclear Test Preparations Near Completion

In its latest report, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said that North Korea is in the last stages of completing its preparations for a seventh nuclear test, citing the excavation of underground tunnels at the Yongbyon site.

It claimed that North Korea obtained petroleum products through ship-to-ship cargo transfers, violating Security Council sanctions, and used non-fungible token technology to raise money for its weapons program, Nikkei Asia reported.

The U.S. Treasury Department last week sanctioned two individuals and three entities involved in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum to North Korea, which it said directly supports the authoritarian regimes weapons program.

North Korea earlier adopted a new law allowing it to conduct a nuclear strike automatically against any hostile forces posing an imminent threat. Kim vowed to never give up nuclear weapons even if North Korea is subjected to 100 years of sanctions.
Service members of pro-Russian troops drive tanks in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict near the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine July 29, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Russia Hammers Ukraine With Air Strikes After Bridge Explosion

Russia rained cruise missiles down on Ukrainian cities Monday following the destruction of a bridge spanning Ukraine and Crimea over the weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday accused Ukraines security services of perpetuating the attack on the bridge and said it would be met with a significant military response.

If there are further attempts to conduct terrorist attacks on our soil, Russia will respond firmly and on a scale corresponding to the threats created against Russia, Putin added, according to state-run media. There will be massive strikes with long-range precision weapons on Ukrainian objects of energy, and military control and communications, he said.

Putin then said that the Kyiv government has put itself on par with international terrorist groups, the most odious of them and leaving such crimes without a response has become impossible. He confirmed Russia attacked Ukrainian infrastructure on Monday.

A blast damaged the bridge it built after seizing Crimea in 2014. Ukraine, which views the bridge as a military target sustaining Russias war effort, celebrated the blast without officially claiming responsibility.

More volleys of missiles struck the capital again later in the morning. Pedestrians huddled for shelter at the entrance of Metro stations and inside parking garages, Reuters reported.

Workers restore the railway tracks on the Kerch bridge that links Crimea to Russia, near Kerch, on Oct. 9, 2022, a day after it was damaged by a blast. (AFP via Getty Images)

By mid-morning, Ukraines defence ministry said Russia had fired 81 cruise missiles, and Ukraines air defences had shot down 43 of them. Russias defence ministry said it had hit all its intended targets.

US Responds

These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes, Biden said in a statement Monday. Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also claimed Russia was engaging in horrific & indiscriminate attacks against Ukraine.

Adding that he met with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter that the Kremlin is allegedly carrying out unprovoked aggression against an independent sovereign nation.

A view shows a fire on the Crimean Bridge, also called the Kerch bridge, at sunrise in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, on Oct. 8, 2022. (Stringer/Reuters)

Ukrainian officials said at least 11 people were killed and scores injured, with swathes of the country left without power.

In another sign of possible escalation, Putins closest ally, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, said he had ordered troops to deploy jointly with Russian forces near Ukraine, which he accused of planning attacks on Belarus with its Western backers. He allowed Russia to use Belarus as a staging ground early in the war but has not sent in his troops.

Russia has faced several setbacks since the start of September, with Ukrainian forces bursting through the front lines and recapturing territory. Putin responded by ordering a mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists, proclaiming the annexation of occupied territory, and other officials have said Russia would use nuclear weapons.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Escalated shipwrecks along the Pacific coast during the 19th and 20th centuries lead to the creation of the Wests two tallest lighthouses

Ive been sailing for 23 years commercially  but your light got me home last night. Ive never had to navigate off of a lighthouse, but I did last night.  Thank you for having that light on.  Dont ever turn that light off. Anonymous mariner who called in to Point Arena Lighthouse, March 2017.

In the modern age of GPS and satellite navigation, it is understandable to question the usefulness of lighthouses. While many may see them merely as antiquated relics or landmarks for historical preservation, there are people who have continued to rely on their light. When more advanced technology fails us, a simple beam of light can illuminate the darkness and guide the way. Lighthouses have been illuminating the rocky coastlines of the United States since before we became a nation in the early 1700s. The California gold rush led to increased population and demand for imports and exports. Shipwrecks naturally followed, and Congress appropriated funds for lighthouses on the west coast.

The first known lighthouse existed in Egypt around 300 B.C. Considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the 450-foot-high Pharos of Alexandria lighthouse was destroyed in the 1300s. To put this in perspective, the massive structure was slightly taller than any lighthouse that exists anywhere in the world today. The oldest lighthouse in America is Sandy Hook Lighthouse, which is still operational in New Jersey. By 1852, the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment had built over 300 lighthouses around the country. Pigeon Point Light Station and Point Arena Lighthouse are tied for the tallest of the west coast, both measuring in at 115 feet tall.

(Jeff Perkin for American Essence)

(Jeff Perkin for American Essence)

Becoming Pigeon Point

In 1853, a 175-foot-long clipper ship called the Carrier Pigeon wrecked on the rocks off the coast of Pescadero, California. The ships hull was broken wide open on the jagged rocks of the coast. The crew made it safely to shore, but the massive ship was destroyed and reduced to only about 3 percent of its initial value. The site of the wreck was subsequently chosen for the construction of a lighthouse, which was named Pigeon Point in honor of the fallen clipper ship. Congress appropriated $90,000 to build several lighthouses on the northern California coast in 1868, of which Pigeon Point and Point Arena were the tallest twins.

Heavy fog on the northern coast of California makes the rocky shoreline all the more treacherous. Even with lighthouses and fog horns, the unforgiving coastline was still the site of numerous shipwrecks throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. It was a risk that was necessitated by the large-scale lumber and whaling operations that were happening in the area at the time. Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park now protects a 4.5-acre area that included Whalers Cove. Whales were killed to render and sell whale oil, some of which was originally used to power lighthouse lamps. By the late 1860s, California lighthouses had been converted to lard oil due to a tragic decline in the sperm whale population.

(Jeff Perkin for American Essence)

Another famous wreck occurred at Pigeon Point on August 9, 1913, when a steam schooner called the Point Arena ran onto the rocks. A hole was torn in the hull, and the ship sank as it was loading tanbark in rough seas. The wreckage sticking out of the water was burned since it just would not have looked good to have a wrecked ship in front of a lighthouse. Today, Pigeon Point lighthouse is in the process of having architectural plans updated for a rehabilitation project as it approaches its 150th anniversary next year. Continuous corrosion endured over its century-and-a-half existence has necessitated the restoration or replacement of ironwork in addition to other rehabilitation efforts.

Point Arena Lighthouse

North of San Francisco, the Point Arena lighthouse preceded Pigeon Point by two years. An earthquake in April 1906 devastated the original lighthouse and keepers residence to the extent that they were condemned and torn down. A new lighthouse was completed by October 1908 with steel reinforcement rods encased in concrete. It was the first lighthouse to be constructed in this manner in order to protect it from future earthquakesa necessary precaution so close to the San Andreas fault line.

(Jeff Perkin for American Essence)

Pigeon Point and Point Arena were both of a newer generation of lighthouses that received first-order Fresnel lenses. Augustin Fresnel was a French physicist who designed a system of prisms to bend, fold and focus the light out to sea. The result of this technological breakthrough was a light that was 70,000-plus candlepower, which could be seen for 21.5 nautical miles. The 1908 Fresnel lens at Point Arena weighs 4,700 pounds, is made up of 258 glass prisms, and was appraised at $3.5 million. Carefully dismantled and lowered from its tower over a decade ago, the lens is displayed in the museum to see up close at ground level. Down the road, the lighthouse now employs an 8-tier VLB-44 LED array to shine its beacon out to sea.

Surrounding the magnificent Fresnel lens in the Point Arena Light Station Museum are photographs and documents that preserve its history. Several photographs document the shipwrecks that took place there in the early-to-mid 20th century. Looking at the rock formations that jut out of the Pacific at Point Arena, it is easy to understand why. Point Arena lighthouse used to differ from Pigeon Point, pre-pandemic, when visitors had the opportunity to climb the interior spiral staircase to gain a view overlooking the coastline. The tower was repaired and repainted from 2008 to 2010 and is now in great shape for visitors. A climb to the top is not available as of this writing, but virtual tours on their website realistically recreate impressive 360-degree views of the areas stunning surroundings.
Sen. Lindsey Graham Wants Nebraska Governor to Take Over Senate Seat Left Vacant by Sasse Resignation

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is pushing for Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts to fill the vacant seat left by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), who recently announced his retirement.

Sasse confirmed on Oct. 6 that he will retire early from the Senate and will likely take a position as president of the University of Florida.

Now, Graham wants Ricketts to take Sasses place in the Senatea position to which Ricketts could theoretically appoint himself. Under Nebraska law, the governor appoints a new senator if a vacancy arises in the middle of a term.

However, Ricketts has been clear that he does not intend to appoint himself, though he did still leave open the prospect of joining the U.S. Senate when his term is over.

If I choose to pursue the appointment, I will leave the appointment decision to the next governor and will follow the process established for all interested candidates, Ricketts said. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the governor of Nebraska. It is the greatest job in the world, and it will remain my number one focus for the remainder of my term.

Rickettss second and final term expires in early 2023.

Ricketts may be moving to Washington for a few years, Graham told a gathered crowd during a stop in Nebraska, the Cornhusker State.

To the Ricketts family, Graham said, youre the American dream, too.

I didnt buy his dads book, but I dont buy anybodys book, dont take it personal, Graham joked, referencing a book by Rickettss father and TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. But he told me his story, his fathers story, and his familys story, and thats a story that could only happen in America.

So Pete, I hope youll think about it, sit down with your family and pray on it, and if that opportunity comes, maybe you can take the competency and the caring and the conservativism youve demonstrated here in Nebraska and bring it to help us in Washington, Graham wrapped up. Think about it.

Though reports of Sasses impending retirement began to circulate on Oct. 6, Ricketts said he did not learn of the decision until Oct. 8, when he was informed by Sasse that he would be retiring early.

Because his second and final term is up next year, Ricketts is not running for reelection to the office. Rather, Republican Jim Pillen, backed by Ricketts, is vying to replace Ricketts against Democrat Carol Blood.

Nebraska has not had a Democrat governor since 1999, and it is likely that Pillen will win.

Media reports said Sasse planned to resign before the end of the year, but Sasses office declined to comment. Sasse said in a statement he was interested in the University of Florida job but did not offer timing for when he might leave the Senate. The University of Florida announced this week that its presidential search committee recommended only one person, Sasse, to the schools Board of Trustees.

In an interview with National Review, Sasse was asked what he would tell Nebraskans disappointed by his leaving the Senate in the middle of a term.

Nebraskans have well understood that I didnt expect to be in politics as a lifelong calling, Sasse said. I need to get back to building stuff. The best picture in the dome of the U.S. Capitol is Washington surrendering power.

His Vote to Convict Donald Trump

Sasse was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict and remove President Donald Trump from office, a decision which has haunted other Republicans.

Among the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trumpincluding Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), and David Valadao (R-Calif.)eight have either been defeated in a primary by GOP challengers or have announced that they would not seek reelection.

In the Senate, the second and final impeachment effort in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally won the support of seven senators, including Sasse. Others on that list included Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

Burr and Toomey have said they will not seek reelection after their current term ends.

Only one, Murkowski, is up for reelection this year, and is facing a steep primary challenge by Trump-endorsed Kelly Tshibaka. Murkowski was able to take some solace from the results of the ranked choice primary this year, where she came in first place with 45.05 percent of the vote to Tshibakas 38.55 percent.

Still, the real test for Murkowski is ahead, and the results will be the first indication of whether voters will be as tough on senators who voted to impeach Trump as theyve been on House members.

It is unclear what role this consideration had in Sasses decision to leave the Senate before his term ends in 2027.

Ricketts has been an ally to the former president, and has been critical of Democrats impeachment efforts.

At the time, Ricketts called the impeachment proceedings a partisan impeachment parade and lauded the final vote acquitting Trump.

Because it remains unclear when Sasse will retire formally, Ricketts may be out of office before the seat is vacated. In either case, the governor of Nebraska will need to fill the vacancy by appointment within 45 days of Sasse leaving the upper chamber. This appointee would represent Nebraskans in the upper chamber until at least 2024, when the governor will need to call a special election to finish out Sasses term.

As Nebraska is considered deep red state, this will likely have no impact on the composition of the Senate.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Convicted rapist Richard Gillmore is pictured during his parole hearing in Salem, Ore., in this 2008 photo. (Ross William Hamilton/The Oregonian via AP)

Serial Jogger Rapist to Be Released From Oregon Prison

PORTLAND, Ore.An Oregon serial rapist is set to be released from prison in mid-December after serving nearly 36 years behind bars, almost all of his maximum sentence.

Richard Gillmore, arrested in 1986 and called the jogger rapist because he staked out victims as he ran by their homes, admitted to raping nine girls in the Portland area in the 1970s and 80s but was only convicted in one case because of the statute of limitations. In 1987, a jury found him guilty of raping 13-year-old Tiffany Edens, his last known victim, in December 1986.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly. Edens has spoken out about the assault and recently wrote on social media that she received a voicemail in August from the states Victim Information and Notification Service telling her of his impending release.

I have been slowly processing the reality of it all, she wrote.

The Oregonian, citing prison officials, reported that Gillmore was transferred in August from Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla to the minimum-security Columbia River Correctional Institution in Portland to help him prepare for his re-entry into the community. He will be 63 at the time of his release in December.

KOIN, which first reported his upcoming release, said Gillmore will remain under supervision until 2034 and could be sent back to prison if he violates his parole.

A judge in the Edens case sentenced Gillmore to at least 30 years in prison with a 60-year maximum. But a parole board cut his sentence in half in 1988, the year after he was convicted.

Danielle Tudor, who has said she was a teenager when Gillmore raped her in 1979, has spoken out against his release.

If he had been able to have been charged for all the rapes he committed, hed never be getting out, Tudor told KOIN.

Gillmore has been classified as a sex offender at the lowest risk of reoffending. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life due to his rape conviction, but the classification means the state and county arent required to notify surrounding residents that hes living near them.

His victims are angered that Gillmore isnt considered a high-risk sex offender, which would require notification to the community wherever he lives or moves.

The Oregonian reported that Tudor said she didnt understand why he was being classified as a low-level sex offender.

He was designated as a dangerous offender at trial, Tudor said.
New York GOP Candidate for Governor Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) speaks during his election night party at the Coral House in Baldwin, N.Y., on June 28, 2022. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Shooting Reported at NY Gov. Candidate Lee Zeldins Home, Family Unhurt

A shooting was reported outside gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldins (R-N.Y.) home in New York, he confirmed, adding that his family members were not harmed.

My 16-year-old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were at our house doing homework, while my wife, Diana, and I were in the car, having just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park, Zeldin said in a statement on Sunday night to several news outlets.

Zeldin stated that two people who were shot were laying down underneath Zeldins front porch and in bushes near the porch.

After my daughters heard the gunshots and the screaming, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911, the lawmaker said. They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them.

Authorities with Suffolk County Police said that the shooting was not linked to Zeldin or his family. A spokesperson told news outlets that the two people who were shot and injured were taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.

Zeldin then stated that crime is out of control in New York state. In his campaign against Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is up for reelection, Zeldin has often focused on crime.

My daughters are shaken, but ok, the Republican said. Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door. My family is grateful to all who have reached out and we will provide another update when we can.

Other Incidents

In July, a man armed with what appeared to be a bladed device accosted Zeldin while he was speaking in Upstate New York. Zeldin was not harmed in the incident, but he accurately predicted that the man would be released because of the states bail reform laws. He was later arrested on federal charges.

In this image taken from video, David Jakubonis (L) is subdued as he brandishes a sharp object during an attack on Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) as the Republican candidate for New York governor delivers a speech in Perinton, N.Y., on July 21, 2022. (WHEC-TV via AP)

The gubernatorial candidate has repeatedly called for state lawmakers in the Democrat-led legislature to repeal the states bail reform laws.

[Hochul]s been pandering to pro-criminal allies and shes been on the wrong side of these issues one after the other, Zeldin told Fox News on Friday. Kathy Hochul cant confront this head-on because she hasnt actually been doing anything about it.

The Suffolk County Police Department issued a brief statement saying it was investigating the shooting. Police had no information about who fired the shots, a spokeswoman told The Associated Press.
Taiwan Rejects Hong Kong Immigrants Who Work for Companies With China Links

Since the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL), there has been a wave of emigration from Hong Kong. In addition to the United Kingdom and Canada, Taiwan is also one of the famous spots for immigration. However, the Taiwan government has handled more than 70 administrative complaints for Hong Kong residents to apply for residency and settlement in the past two years, all of which were rejected by the Executive Yuan in Taiwan, pertaining to a risk of prejudice to national security or interests. Current affairs commentator Ng Chi-sum said that sometimes it is difficult to understand the Taiwan governments decision, describing Taiwans immigration policy as really tight.

The Epoch Times reporter looked up some of the appeal decisions on the website of the Executive Yuan in Taiwan and found that the Executive Yuans reasons for rejecting the appeal of applicants from Hong Kong were mainly related to their previous employment in Hong Kong. Also, some companies set up by immigrant investors in Taiwan have been accused of having suspicious accounts.

For example, in case No. 1110181703, which was processed on Sept. 15, the applicant was an employee of PCCW Global Business. The person continues to work from home in the PCCW Global in Taiwan. The residence permit for dependents, which was approved in 2021, was revoked because of the risk of harm to national security or interests.

Case No. 1110186201 was processed on Sept. 7. The applicant used to work for Cathay Pacific Catering Services (Hong Kong) Limited (Cathay Pacific), the Hospital Authority, and Maxims Caterers Limited (Maxim). The Executive Yuan pointed out that Cathay Pacific is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), and the major shareholders of CPA include Air China and the Hong Kong government; Hospital Authority is a Hong Kong public organization; the shareholders of the Maxim have publicly supported the Hong Kong police and criticized the anti-extradition bill movement, an enormous social movement in Hong Kong in 2019, so it is difficult to rule out the connection of those companies with mainland China. Furthermore, the sales volume of the tea company established by the applicant in Taiwan does not match the amount in the bank book, so the application for settlement by investment immigrants was not approved.

Case No. 1110186105 was processed on Sept. 7. The applicant used to work in the Nursing School of Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong and Pok Oi Hospital in Hong Kong. The Executive Yuan pointed out that the two institutions were public hospitals, and the actual expenses of the applicants other company in Taiwan did not match the bank account withdrawal fee, so the application for investment immigrant settlement was not approved.

Case No. 1110174609 was processed on June 8. The applicant used to work as an assistant clerical officer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) for only 2 years. The Executive Yuan pointed out that CUHK receives funding from the University Grants Committee (UGC), and the UGC secretariat is a government department, it is difficult to rule out the connection with the government and there is a risk of harming national interests, so the application for investment immigrant settlement was not approved. The document mentions that he and his spouse have lived in Taiwan for more than 700 days.

MAC: National Security Is Not the Only Factor

In response to a media inquiry, Taiwans MAC stated that the extremely low percentage of Hong Kong people who failed the examination was not pertaining to the single factor of national security, but mostly due to lack of operational performance and non-compliance with the required documents. The Taiwan Immigration Service stated that it has approved many Hong Kong and Macau residents and Hong Kong civil servants born in mainland China to go to Taiwan according to the mechanism; not all of them are denied permission.

According to statistics from the Taiwan Immigration Service, the number of Hong Kong people who have obtained Residence Permit has soared from 4,057 in 2016 to 10,813 in 2020 and 11,173 in 2021, while the number of Hong Kong people who have obtained Settlement Permit has remained at about 1,000 to 1,600 cases per year, rising from 1,086 in 2016 to 1,685 in 2021.

Hong Kong people who would like to immigrate to Taiwan through investment must open a physical company in Taiwan, invest at least 6 million Taiwan dollars US$190,000), continuously employ at least two local full-time employees, and operate for at least three years. Settlement can be applied if the person has stayed in Taiwan continuously for one year and has been out of the country for less than 30 days in one year; or has lived in Taiwan for two consecutive years and has lived in Taiwan for at least 270 days each year.

Taiwans Central News Agency reported in July that the Taiwan government has relaxed immigration measures. Hong Kong people who have worked and resided for five years can apply for settlement if their monthly salary reaches 1.5 times the basic salary in Taiwan.

Ng Chi-sum: Sometimes It Is Difficult to Understand

Ng Chi-sum, a current affairs commentator, said on his YouTube channel that it is sometimes difficult to understand the Taiwanese governments decisions. He specifically mentioned an immigration case involving a former CUHK clerical assistant. He believed that the reasons for the dismissal of the case were unclear. He also pointed out that primary schools, secondary schools, and kindergartens in Hong Kong were all subsidized by the government. He questioned whether all Hong Kong people working in public institutions were unable to immigrate to Taiwan, reflecting that Taiwans immigration policy is very tight.

Regarding Hongkongers born in mainland China may not be able to immigrate to Taiwan, Ng pointed out that Hong Kong independence activists Edward Leung and Nathan Law were both born in mainland China, and questioned what the Taiwan governments standards were, Whats the difference between the current Taiwan government and the Kuomintang government decades ago which often suspect people are Chinese Communist agent?

Ng also revealed that many Hong Kong people who plan to immigrate to Taiwan have become discouraged and instead immigrate to other countries because the Taiwan government has changed the game rules. Many Hong Kong people have already bought properties in Taiwan, and their children are studying in Taiwan, but they are not approved to settle down after living in Taiwan for a year, so they end their business in Taiwan and move to the UK instead.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen delivers a speech during National Day celebrations in front of the Presidential Building in Taipei, Taiwan on Oct. 10, 2020. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo)

Taiwans President Tells China That War Is Absolutely Not an Option

Taiwans president has ruled out armed confrontation with China, saying that her government is willing to engage with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to reach a mutually agreeable arrangement.

In her national address on Monday, President Tsai Ing-wen said it was regrettable that China had escalated its military intimidation, diplomatic pressure, and trade obstructions to remove Taiwans sovereignty.

I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides, Tsai remarked.

Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait, she added.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory despite Taiwan being a sovereign nation with a democratically elected government, and has vowed to conquer Taiwan by force if necessary.

The CCP has launched military drills near Taiwan after a controversial visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in August, firing multiple ballistic missiles over Taiwan and imposing a blockade of its international sea.

Tsai said that Taiwan is willing to negotiate with China to restore peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but that it must not compromise the freedom and democracy of the Taiwanese people.

The broadest consensus among the Taiwanese people and our various political parties is that we must defend our national sovereignty and our free and democratic way of life. On this point, we have no room for compromise, she said.

Bolstering Defense Capabilities

Tsai has made bolstering Taiwans defense capabilities as a top priority as she seeks to ensure that her country is fully prepared to respond to external military threats.

Taiwan has been boosting defense spending and increasing its mass production of precision missiles and high-performance naval vessels, as well as its military modernization efforts, the president said.

Through our actions, we are sending a message to the international community that Taiwan will take responsibility for our own self-defense, that we will not leave anything to fate, and that we will work with our allies to jointly maintain security and stability in the region, she said.

Carl Schuster, former director of operations at U.S. Pacific Commands Joint Intelligence Center, said that the Chinese leadership hopes to force Taiwan to accept reunification without the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) having to invade the island by amphibious assault.

I believe the PLA hopes that air and missile strikes will break Taiwans political will, he told The Epoch Times on Sept. 30. Historically, that hasnt happened. Looking back on the Battle of Britain, the Germans hoped the same thing.

Schuster believes that if Taiwan actively builds up its military, maintains the readiness and strength of its forces, and the United States stands firm in its commitment to Taiwan, Beijing will not take action because they want a quick, easy victory.

China has to overcome minefields both in the water and on the beach, and Taiwanese people are committed to their defense, he continued, saying that he doesnt believe the CCP will succeed by 2030.

Jenny Li contributed to this report.
The Demise of American Cities and the Rule of Law

Commentary

As voting in the midterm elections gets underway, crime and safety are the key issues. In cities across the country, the nightly news has endless scenes of store lootings, carjackings, and random attacks on innocents without consequences for the offenders.

Chicago stands out as a prime example in the current wave of lawlessness. Chicago Police Department (CPD) reports show murders in the first nine months of 2022 are up by 32 percent and all crimes are up by 22 percent since 2019. However, these numbers understate the actual number of crimes because, presumably, so many go unreported. Chicagos police reports list only the most serious crime in any instance. Federal requirements will soon force the city to list all crimes.

In an emergency when seconds count, police recordings show that 911 calls often take two hours or more for police to respond. By that time, the damage is often done.

Looting of businesses, carjackings, muggings, and shootings along Michigan Avenue and State Street have led some store owners to abandon their businesses and board up once-thriving stores. Many Chicagoans no longer come to the city to shop or to work. Although this year the use of public transportation and tourism has been gradually increasing, Chicago Metra, the citys commuter rail system, reported that August ridership was still down by 60 percent from the pre-pandemic level in August 2019, a clear sign of a massive exodus.

Chicagos home and commercial real estate values have plummeted. As tenants leave, the citys tax base declines. Many of Chicagos wealthier homeowners are forced to either move or hire private security firms to protect their lives and property.

The root cause of the rapid decline of what was a great world-class city resulted from a conscious decision to abandon the rule of law. Economists cite certain requirements for a city, state, or country to grow and prosper. One stands above all others: the rule of law.

Theres No Liberty Without Law

When people first decide to form a government, theres an implicit social contract in which people relinquish some of their freedom to the state in return for the protection of the people and their property. While we ask government to perform other functions, the first and most essential priority is defenseprotection. When government fails to do so, it breaks the social contract and undermines all other principles of good governance.

Chicagos decision to not enforce the law was deliberate. Members of the CPD have told us that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered police to stand down if they saw bad guys breaking into an establishmenttheir orders were to avoid a confrontation.

Ordering police to not do their job was one of the most egregious examples of permissive progressivism, but that wasnt the only way Chicago indirectly encouraged lawlessness. Prosecutors, for example, failed to prosecute crimes, and judges immediately released those charged with crimes. Police said arrests were often meaningless because those they arrested would be back on the streets the following day.

City officials, prosecutors, and judges are all allegedly complicit in promoting lawlessness. When political leaders tell the police to stand down, when prosecutors fail to prosecute, and when judges fail to enforce the law, theyre abrogating the most basic requirement for a civilized society.

Fortunately for Chicago and the rest of Illinois, there always has been a solution to restoring the rule of law. Elected politicians, prosecutors, and judges can be voted out of office. For Illinois, however, this option may no longer be available. Last year, Illinois passed a destructive 700-page law: the Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today Act (or shortly, the Safe-T Act).

As with so many historical laws, this one has the opposite effect of what its name purports to do. Instead of making citizens safe, the Safety Act is woke legislation designed to protect the rights of those arrested for disobeying the law rather than protecting citizens from criminals. In protecting the rights of those arrested instead, the Safe-T Act places legal barriers in the way of police, prosecutors, and judges. These barriers make it more difficult to enforce the law. The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) media outlet stated that 100 out of 102 Illinois states attorneys oppose the Safe-T Act.

The Safe-T Act permits criminals to go about their business with little or no fear of being arrested, detained, or convicted. In Chicago, this has reached the point of lunacy. The act eliminates cash bail requirements, placing those arrested back on the street with no monetary guarantee of their return. The act also lists numerous offenses and provisions that allow those arrested to be released into the community instead of being kept in jail. Among offenses that wouldnt be subject to detainment are second-degree murder, arson, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and aggravated battery.

In addition, the Safe-T Act intends to undermine the police by ending a policy known as qualified immunity, which limits police liability to violations of clearly established statutory or constitutional rights. Qualified immunity protects police from frivolous civil lawsuits in which those arrested claim the police violated a persons rights simply by virtue of making an arrest.

Without qualified immunity, police become personally liable civilly. In addition to putting their lives on the line, police put their finances on the line as they risk personal liability for fines and legal expenses. At a time when recruiting and retaining police has become far more difficult, the Safe-T Act will deplete police forces, many of which are down by 25 percent from their targeted strength.

As an economist, Ive been asked to place a price on the cost to Chicago and other cities from abandoning the rule of law. Quantifying the full cost of damages doesnt even matter, nor can it be done in good conscience. When people, businesses, and property arent safe, the absence of law undermines the basic fabric that holds a civilized society together. What remains is anarchy and an uncivilized society with little in the way of true value.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Residents clean a mudslide in a road while Tropical Storm Julia hits with wind and rain, in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Jose Cabezas/Reuters)

Tropical Storm Julia Kills 25 in Central America as It Churns Toward Mexico

SAN SALVADORThe death toll from storm Julia rose to at least 25 on Monday, officials said, with most victims in El Salvador and Guatemala, as the weakening storm dumped heavy rain on a swath of Central America and southern Mexico.

Salvadoran authorities reported the deaths of 10 people, including five soldiers, and said more than 1,000 people were evacuated.

In Guatemala, eight were killed between Sunday and Monday, according to officials, while seven were injured and hundreds more affected by the storm.

Authorities in both El Salvador and Guatemala also canceled classes on Monday.

In Honduras, five victims have been confirmed including a woman who died Sunday after she was swept away by flood waters, and a four-year-old boy in a boat that capsized near the Nicaragua border on Saturday night, officials said.

Panamas emergency services confirmed later on Monday two deaths as a result of heavy rains, with around 300 people evacuated from communities near the countrys border with Costa Rica.

Julia made landfall Sunday on Nicaraguas Caribbean coast before crossing into the Pacific Ocean.

People get into a pickup truck to be transported to a safe zone while Hurricane Julia hits the coasts with wind and rain, in Bluefields, Nicaragua, on Oct. 8, 2022. (Maynor Valenzuela/Reuters)

By Monday afternoon, Julia had dissipated and what was left of the storm was moving northwest at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) over Guatemala near the border with Mexico, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The Miami-based NHC estimated Julias maximum sustained winds at about 30 mph (45 km/h).

The NHC warned of life-threatening surf and rip conditions along the coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala, while heavy rain could still cause flash flooding.

It predicted an additional one to four inches of rain in El Salvador and southern Guatemala, and three to six inches on Mexicos Tehuantepec isthmus.

The storm system is expected to weaken further Monday, the NHC said.

Honduran authorities added that 9,200 people sought refuge in shelters.

In Nicaragua, Julia left a million people without power and heavy rains and floods forced the evacuations of more than 13,000 families.

By Nelson Renteria
A protester holds a sign on Wellington St. during the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa on Feb. 12, 2022. (Noe Chartier/The Epoch Times)

Trudeau, Convoy Leaders Expected to Testify Before Emergencies Act Inquiry Commission

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several prominent Freedom Convoy organizers are expected to testify before the upcoming public inquiry starting on Oct. 13 into the federal governments use of the Emergencies Act in February, according to multiple media sources.

The Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14, granting police extraordinary powers to clear out convoy protesters from Ottawas downtown area and granting banks the power to freeze the accounts of convoy organizers and supporters.

Trudeau announced in April the creation of the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) to investigate the circumstances leading up to the governments Emergencies Act invocation.

He named Ontario Appeal Court Justice Paul S. Rouleau as the POECs commissioner, who initially announced that the commission would run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 28, but later announced a postponement until Oct. 13 due to health issues and a surgery appointment.

A spokesperson with the POEC told The Epoch Times that it hasnt yet released an official list of witnesses. The commission had said previously it will call a wide variety of witnesses ranging from convoy protesters to government officials to testify.

Rouleau has said holding the government accountable for the Emergencies Act is one of the Commissions primary responsibilities.

I intend to conduct the hearings in as open and transparent a manner as possible to help Canadians gain a better understanding of the events of February 2022 and their impact across the country, he said in a statement.

Witnesses

(LR) Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti, and President of the Queens Privy Council for Canada and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair stand behind Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as he announces the Emergencies Act will be invoked to deal with protests, in Ottawa on Feb. 14, 2022. (Hailey Sani/Public Domain)

Besides Trudeau and convoy organizers, the list of potential witnesses also includes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.

The list could also include Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and other city officials, members of the Ottawa Police Services Board, past and present chiefs of Ottawa police, and the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Civil society groups who were opposed to the invocation of the act will also be addressing the commission.

Convoy organizers have asked a court to release $450,000 in frozen fundspart of the over $10 million donated to the convoy through the crowdfunding platforms GoFundMe and GiveSendGoso that they can afford legal defence in the upcoming public inquiry.

The organizers are currently involved in a lawsuit launched by Ottawa resident Zexi Li along with other downtown [Ottawa] residents, businesses, and workers who are seeking a total of $306 million in damages.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Feb. 17 issued a Mareva order to put more than $5 million of donations into escrow pending the outcome of a proposed class action lawsuit.

The Freedom Convoy movement began on Jan. 29 as a demonstration by truck drivers opposing the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border travel but grew exponentially when supporters from across the country joined in to call for an end to various other COVID-19 mandates and restrictions as well.

The commissions final report, complete with its findings and recommendations, will be presented in the House of Commons and the Senate by Feb. 20, 2023, at the latest.

The Canadian Press and Andrew Chen contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump speaks at the March for Life on the National Mall in Washington on Jan. 24, 2020. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)

Trump Says Republicans Should Clarify Their Support for Exceptions to Abortion Bans

Former President Donald Trump said Republicans need to do a better job of explaining their positions on abortionwith exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the motherand to contrast that with the pro-abortion Democrat Party platform.

In an interview with talk show host Wayne Allyn Root, Trump said abortion bans must provide exemptions for situations like incest, rape, and protecting the life of the mother, a position that was upheld by former President Ronald Reagan as well. A certain standard on abortion exceptions is necessary and you have to talk about it, he said.

The problem is a lot of people arent explaining it well, and I think having the exceptions is a very important thing, he said. Trump called Democrats the radical ones with regard to the abortion issue.

Trumps advice comes as abortion is one of the key issues expected to influence the midterm elections. According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted in September, abortion was the second most important issue in voters minds.

While only 10 percent of Republicans saw abortion as a top issue, 35 percent of Democrats saw it as the biggest issue. Among independents, who are critical in swing districts and states, abortion was the key issue among 22 percent of respondents.

In addition, 58 percent of independents said the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has made it more likely for them to vote.

Three of the conservative judges on the Supreme Court when Roe was overturned were appointed by Trump.

This is following the Constitution, and giving rights back when they should have been given long ago, Trump said to Fox News at the time.

Targeting Conservatives

During a rally in Nevada on Saturday, Trump criticized the Biden administration for targeting pro-life supporters. His criticism came after the FBI arrested several high profile pro-life activists. Trump warned that Biden and the left-wing activists were turning America into a police state.

The Department of Justice has charged 11 pro-life advocates for a protest they had held at an abortion clinic in Tennessee in 2021.

The former president called out the Biden administrations double standards by pointing out that the government ignored attacks on pro-life clinics following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe. Yet, the pro-life activists who were protesting peacefully are now in jail, he said.

They were protesting outside of abortion clinics and [the government] are charging them with crimes punishable with up to 11 years in prison. In many cases, theyre grandparents and elderly people, Trump stated.

According to an analysis by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, 66 clinics in 15 states stopped offering abortions after Roe was overturned by enacting either complete abortion bans or prohibiting the procedure after the sixth week of pregnancy.

Of those 15 states, Georgia is the only one with clinics still performing the procedure. In 2020, there were about 41,600 abortions performed in Georgia while the remaining 14 states had over 125,000 abortions.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Minden-Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nevada, on Oct. 8, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Trump Says the Biden Administration Must Confront China Over US Fentanyl Crisis

Former President Donald Trump says it is imperative that the Biden administration confronts China now over the U.S. fentanyl crisis.

Must immediately meet with China on Fentanyl, and what they are doing in pouring it into the U.S. It is ripping our Country apart, Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Oct. 6.

Trump estimated the U.S. death rate caused by fentanyl to be around 250,000 people a year. While official reports have indicated the rate to be increasing, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that death involving fentanyl rose 23 percent to 71,238 in 2021. The CDC estimated that a total of 107,622 drug overdose deaths last year.

This crisis CANNOT CONTINUE, Trump added.

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged between 18 and 45, surpassing suicide, car accidents, and COVID-19, according to a December 2021 report from the U.S. advocacy group Families Against Fentanyl.

Most states in the United States are seeing a surge in fentanyl deaths. According to the groups report published in February, fentanyl fatalities doubled in 30 states, tripled in 15 states, and nearly five times in six states, in the last two years. Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, California, and Texas are the six states seeing a nearly five-fold increase in fentanyl deaths.

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)

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin.

Trumps urgent call came a week after Chinas ambassador to the United States Qin Gang defended the Chinese regime in an interview with Newsweek, saying that the U.S. fentanyl crisis was not created by China.

Qin accused some Americans and the U.S. media of making false and misleading claims about how China is the primary source of fentanyl in the United States.

Last month, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) told The Epoch Times sister media outlet NTD that Qin has tried to lobby congressmen sitting on the House Intelligence Committee, getting them to defect blame away from China for causing the flow of illicit fentanyl into America.

China

Qins claims are not supported by facts, considering findings by two U.S. government reports.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in its January 2020 report (pdf), laid out clearly that China was the primary source of fentanyl trafficked into the United States.

China remains the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail and express consignment operations environment, as well as the main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States, the DEA report says.

Eight months before the publication of the DEA report, the Chinese regime designated fentanyl and many of its analogs as controlled substances, meaning that the production and sales of these opioids would be banned.

The DEA officials expressed optimism about the communist regimes drug control measure, saying in the report that it had the potential to severely limit fentanyl production and trafficking from China.

Anne Milgram (R), administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, accompanied by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland (L), answers questions about the extradition and unsealing of an indictment charging former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, at the Department of Justice in Washington, on April 21, 2022. (Win McNamee/AFP via Getty Images)

But in February, the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, established by the 2020 defense policy bill, published a report saying that transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) in Mexico are buying precursor chemicals from China.

Instead of shipping finished product to the United States, chemical and pharmaceutical businesses (or individuals within them) in the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] either knowingly or unknowingly started sending other, controlled and uncontrolled chemical precursors from the PRC to Mexican TCOs that illegally synthesize fentanyl for U.S. markets, the Commissions report says.

The report singled out two particular TCOsthe Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The report added that Chinese regional officials eschew enforcement of the drug control measure and other regulatory efforts because they have a greater interest in seeing pharmaceutical and chemical sectors in their regions grow, which prop up local economies. Moreover, corruption could also have played a role in diminishing the bans effectiveness in fentanyl production, according to the report.

They [China] need to take industry oversight and enforcement of rules more seriously. Authorities will need to penalize those who break rules or continue to engage in illegal activity, the report says.

With precursor chemicals from China, the two Mexico cartels can make an unlimited amount of fentanyl, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram told CBS in August. She added that the two TCOs are killing Americans with fentanyl at catastrophic and record rates like we have never seen before.

We have to stop it before it comes from China to Mexico to the U.S., Milgram said.

Bidens Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 12,303 pounds of fentanyl during the current fiscal year, which started in October last year. That amount was up from 10,586 pounds of seized fentanyl in the fiscal year 2021, 4,558 pounds in the fiscal year 2020, and 2,633 pounds in the fiscal year 2019.

On Oct. 4, DEA agents announced that a New Jersey woman had been arrested in Manhattan, who was concealing 15,000 candy-colored fentanyl pills inside a LEGO box. The DEA said it was the largest fentanyl bust ever in New York City.

Many Republican lawmakers say President Joe Bidens border policies are fueling the lethal influx of fentanyl.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference at The Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 25, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Some GOP lawmakers have introduced bills aimed at tackling the fentanyl crisis. In September, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) introduced legislation that would make the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death a felony murder offense.

On Sep. 30, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) introduced a bill that would grant agents within the Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, independent authority to enforce Americas drug laws.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has said that Republican lawmakers will act decisively to deal with the crisis, should the GOP retake Congress in November.

The number of Americans dying from Chinese fentanyl amounts to a commercial jet crashing every single day, McCarthy wrote on Twitter on Sept. 16.

This is a crisis. China must be held accountableand Republicans will act decisively if we are entrusted with a majority in the next Congress.
Lawyers from the Criminal Bar Association, which represents barristers in England and Wales, set up a picket line outside the Old Bailey in central London, on the first day of a strike over legal aid funding on June 27, 2022. (PA)

UK Barristers Strike Ends as Criminal Lawyers Accept New Government Offer

The barristers strike, which crippled courts in England and Wales, is over after the members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) accepted the governments new pay offer.

The CBA announced on Twitter: The Criminal Bar has voted to accept the proposal made by the government. With 57% voting to accept the offer made by Government, action is suspended from 18.00hrs this evening.

The CBA began taking industrial action in June in protest at the governments refusal to offer any increase in legal aid pay for existing cases.

From Sept. 5 they began an all-out strike, which led to the postponement of hundreds of trials and other hearings around the country.

But when Liz Truss replaced Boris Johnson as prime minister she replaced Justice Secretary Dominic Raab with Brandon Lewis and he began talks with CBA Chair, Kirsty Brimelow KC.

On Sept. 29 the Ministry of Justice made a new offer which, it said, includes an extra 54 million ($60 million) for the criminal bar and solicitors.

Of the 2,605 criminal barristers who voted, 1,488 (56.74 percent) accepted the offer and 1,117 (43.26 percent) rejected it.

The Criminal Justice System Remains Chronically Underfunded

The CBA added on Twitter: The criminal justice system remains chronically underfunded. As a democratic organisation, we take our mandate from you. Your engagement has been overwhelming and we know that you remain committed to achieve a strong, sustainable, independent criminal bar for the future.

Barristers will be back in court on Tuesday and will be accepting instructions from new clients.

Lewis said: My priority in these first few weeks as Lord Chancellor has been to end CBA strike action and reduce delays for victims, and Im glad that barristers have now agreed to return to work.

This breakthrough is a result of coming together and restarting what I hope to be a constructive relationship as we work to drive down the backlog and ensure victims see justice done sooner, he added.

But barrister Chris Daw, KC, wrote on Twitter: We must unite once again to push for a better deal for the most junior criminal barristers. Many will still be in an unsustainable financial position, despite the increase in fees.

The government had originally agreed the 15 percent fee rise at the end of September only to new cases but they have now relented and the Ministry of Justice said the increase would now apply to the vast majority of cases currently in the crown court.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Campaigners from Just Stop Oil during a protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Jonathan Brady/PA Media)

UK Climate Activists Arrested After Blocking Road Outside Buckingham Palace

Over two dozen climate activists from Just Stop Oil have been arrested after they blocked The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in protest against the expansion of oil and gas projects in the UK.

The Metropolitan Police said 25 arrests had been made at The Mall, after members of Just Stop Oil, a spin-off from Extinction Rebellion, blocked the road for two hours and 15 minutes.

The protesters, who travelled from Scotland, said they felt the need to act after the UK government gave its backing in September to an expansion of oil and gas operations in the North Sea.

Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Jonathan Brady/PA Media)

Just Stop Oil has been urging the government to begin the process of winding down fossil fuel production in the country.

We will continue in civil resistance because it is the right thing to do when faced with a harmful government, a spokesman for the group said on Friday. The coming weeks will see the disruption in the capital increase until the government makes a statement to end new oil and gas.

Energy Security

More than 100 licenses may be awarded for the exploration and potential development of 898 blocks and part-blocks in the North Sea, according to the North Sea Transition Authority.

Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said the new licensing round will boost jobs, energy security, and the UK economy.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg is seen in Westminster, London, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Rob Pinney/Getty Images)

He also said domestic production of gas has a lower carbon footprint than importing from abroad.

The UK governments Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said that could the new licences could safeguard UK energy supplies and support more than 70,000 jobs in Scotland.

Cross the Line

Just Stop Oil began blockading fuel terminals on April 1, leading to more than 1,000 arrests.

The group was also filmed blockading petrol stations and damaging petrol pumps. On Aug. 26, Just Stop Oil stated on Twitter that they decommissioned pumps at 7 stations in central London.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman speaking during the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham on Oct. 4, 2022. (Jacob King/PA Media)

Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the Conservative Party conference on Oct. 4 that shell be tough on guerrilla protests by climate protesters and other rioters.

You cant just start a riot or glue yourself to the roads and get away with it, Braverman said. So whether youre Just Stop Oil or Insulate Britain or Extinction Rebellion, you cross the line when you break the law, and thats why well keep putting you behind bars.

PA Media contributed to this report.
An aerial photograph shows the Sycamore Farm Solar Farm, in Old Romeny, southeast England, on April 18, 2022. (Ben Stansall /AFP via Getty Images)

UK Prime Minister Opposes Placing Solar Panels on Farmland, Downing Street Says

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss does not think solar panels should be installed on productive agricultural lands, Downing Street has said.

According to a report in The Guardian, Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena wants to protect farmland amid concerns over food security and is seeking to restrict the development of solar projects on farms in England.

Asked about the report on Monday, the prime ministers official spokesperson did not confirm or deny the claims, but pointed to what Truss said about solar panels in September.

Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers her keynote speech at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Jacob King/PA Media)

She said she doesnt think we should be putting solar panels on productive agricultural lands, because obviously as well as the energy security issue, we face a food security issue. So we need to strike the right balance, said the spokesperson.

Pressed on whether farmers should decide how to use their land or the government, the spokesperson said: Of course it is right that farmers who own farms decide how best to use it, and I think she was clear about that during the campaign.

Food Security

Truss has previously expressed doubts about the depressing spread of solar power paraphernalia on agricultural land.

Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has also argued against developing solar power at the expense of food security.

Jacob Rees-Mogg is seen in Westminster, London, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Rob Pinney/Getty Images)

At a fringe event at the Conservative Party annual conference held in Birmingham last week, he dismissed the idea that sheep and cattle could graze in fields with the panels, saying the grass under them would be of poor nutritional value.

I think we need to have some concern about food security, and therefore maintaining highly productive agricultural land is quite a sensible interest, he added.

But the solar industry has criticised the governments reported intentions to restrict solar projects.

Solar Energy UK CEO Chris Hewett said: The UK solar sector is alarmed by attempts to put major planning rules in the way of cheap, home-grown energy. Solar power is the answer to so many needs and policy demands: it will cut energy bills, deliver energy security, boost growth, and help rural economies.

He called opposition to solar farms anti-growth.

Fossil Fuel Boost

In the face of the energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UK government has loosened restrictions on fossil fuel projects.

Last month, the government lifted the ban on fracking in England, arguing that the war in Ukraine had meant Britain needed to wean itself off imported gas.

The government also plans to issue more than 100 licenses for the oil and gas exploration and potential development of 898 blocks and part-blocks in the North Sea.

Rees-Mogg said the new licensing round will boost jobs, energy security, and the UK economy, adding that domestic production of gas has a lower carbon footprint than importing from abroad.

PA Media contributed to this report.
The Beijing regime implemented the National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020. The US Congressional and Executive Committee on China (CECC) released a report on the changes in Hong Kong's civil society since the law was passed. The report concluded that the CCP has dismantled Hong Kong's civil society and crushed the foundation of social resistance. (Courtesy of the CECC)

US Congress Report Shows CCP Has Turned Hong Kong Into a City of Fear

The National Security Law used to repress citizens

On Sept. 4, the U.S. Congressional and Executive Committee on China (CECC) released a report (pdf) titled Hong Kongs Civil Society: From an Open City to a City of Fear.

The report cover shows logos of various civil organizations or groups that have been dissolved or disbanded in the past two years. These organizations include the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, (HKCTU), Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union (HKPTU), Stand News, and Hong Kong Alliance In Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HK Alliance).

The CECC interviewed 42 people, either currently or formerly living in Hong Kong, including attorneys, former Legislative Council members, and university professors, and published 33 of the interviews in the report.

The cover of the CECC report shows logos of Hong Kong civil groups or organizations that the National Security Law has disbanded in the past two years. (Courtesy of the CECC)

Interviews in the CECC report explore how suppression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has changed Hong Kongs civil society. It exposes the challenges and political persecution that dissenters and arrestees face for publicly opposing the Hong Kong government. The CECC also discussed the impact of the Hong Kong governments clampdown on Hong Kong residents, including those who have left the city.

Some of the respondents wanted to remain anonymous. They feared they might be accused of colluding with foreign forces under the National Security Law, putting their families, former colleagues, or activists at risk.

The report argues that the CCP has wholly demolished civil society in Hong Kong. During the anti-extradition movement in 2019, the development of Hong Kong as a civil society reached a new height. However, the regime strangled and silenced influential civil organizations, leaders, and professionals, through the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Police Force.

The CECC state in the report that the Hong Kong National Security Law, set in stone in 2020, allows the authorities to prosecute democrats and dissidents by accusing them of subversion, separatism, and collusion with foreign forces. The report also mentions a person being charged by a colonial-era law just for applauding in court.

The regime has also strengthened its surveillance of professional organizations.

An unnamed university professor who resides in Hong Kong said, Hong Kong has changed from an open society to one in which people are gripped by fear. And the fear is encompassing.

A former functional sector member of the Legislative Council expressed solid evidence that the Hong Kong government can easily interfere with professional groups, not just through licensing and qualification requirements, but also through election governing boards. The regime also disrupts council elections organized by social committees.

The report discloses the Hong Kong authorities ways of controlling and manipulating lawyers, teachers, social workers, accountants, and health care workers.

Another legislator points out, The CCP governments crackdown on Hong Kong today is far more serious than the British governments repression of communist riots, as there was no crime in speaking then.

A former editor, who worked at the now shut down Apple Daily newspaper for over 20 years, shared that the Hong Kong government has always wanted to control the freedom and independence of journalism in Hong Kong. The policies rapidly deteriorated in 2021 to eliminate uncontrollable media, such as, pro-democratic former Apple Daily and Stand News.

On Sept. 5, the Hong Kong authorities responded to the report saying they strongly oppose the report made by CECC.
The America ChangLe Association in New York on Oct. 6, 2022. An overseas Chinese police outpost in New York, called the Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, is located inside the association building. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

US Government Not Prepared for Chinas Transnational Suppression: Human Rights Advocate

The United States government is not prepared to face the Chinese regimes transnational suppression, according to human rights advocate Levi Browde.

Unfortunately, by their own admission, our government, Western governments around the world really are wholly unprepared for this [act of the Chinese regime,] because normally, when theyre dealing with an adversarial country, it comes in the form of just their diplomats or their military or something like that, Browde told China in Focus program on NTD news, The Epoch Timess sister outlet.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has weaponized absolutely everything in their country, including their corporations, their citizens, and even overseas students to support this campaign of oppression, he noted.

As the executive director of the New York-based nonprofit organization Falun Dafa Information Center, Browde pointed to the cases of Falun Gong practitioners being harassed on U.S. soil to prove this point.

Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center, at a Falun Gong rally at City Hall in New York on May 11, 2016. (The Epoch Times)

Thuggery

We had people here in Manhattan, whose apartments were ransacked several times. One of them actually had to leave and go into hiding, because of Chinese thugs, obviously, hired by the Chinese government and the consulate here was attacking them physically, he said in the Oct. 8 interview.

In another cited case, an IT man who developed software that allows Chinese people to break through state censorship technology was beaten up and had his computers and hard drives stolen by Chinese-speaking people when he was at his Atlanta home.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline with meditative exercises and moral teachings centered around the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It grew in popularity during the 1990s leading to up to 100 million people practicing in China by the end of the decade. Perceiving this to be a threat, the Chinese regime in 1999 launched a nationwide campaign seeking to eradicate the practice.

So this kind of thuggery has been a hallmark of their transnational repression, Browde stressed.

But the suppression of Falun Gong abroad is far more sophisticated than that these days, he noted.

They use their diplomatic corps all around the world to go after Falun Gong, pressuring our legislators, pressuring our governments or governors or mayors, not to support Falun Gong, not to speak out against the persecution in China, he said.

Browde pointed out that American businesses, including our media, have enormous deals inside China. As a result, he said, that has coincided with an alarming silence on the Falun Gong issue.

Largest Whistleblower of the CCPs Crimes

In his opinion, the CCP sees the Falun Gong community as an existential threat.

This is the group that, first of all, was 100 million people strong, including military leaders, government leaders, that can expose them in a way that no other group can, he contended.

Browde singled out a male Falun Gong practitioner identified as Fang Bin who acted as a citizen journalist in Wuhan, the city in China where the first cases of COVID-19 were reported.

When COVID first hit in Wuhan, he became one of the leading and most visible voices reporting what was happening when the CCP was saying, Ah, its very minor and nothings happening, he said.

Hes the one whose footage was showing body bags, piles of body bags, what was happening with the crematoriums, and that was on CNN, [and] all over the place, he added.

Consequently, the journalist was quickly found, captured, and very likely still alive under the custody of the regime, according to the advocate.

This community has become the single largest whistleblower of the CCPs crimes on the world stage. And so it is a top priority and always has been for the CCP to silence the Falun Gong community, Browde noted.

Reports continue to emerge that the rampant persecution of Falun Gong adherents by the Chinese regime, including brutal violence, detainment, and state-sanctioned live organ harvesting, is still ongoing.

Thus, America and the West should see the Falun Gong issue as a canary in the coal mine for the regimes capability and what they could do to the rest of us, according to the advocate.

That really is a demonstration of their capability and their will to violate every single international norm, if its gonna be about retaining their own power, he said.

And if we think this is going to stop, or it has stopped at Falun Gong, or some of the other dissident groups, thats where were really going to run into trouble, he argued.

Countermeasures

To counter the threat from the CCP, Browde suggested getting Chinese media and corporations operating in the United States registered as foreign agents.

They should be monitored as foreign agents, because thats really what theyre doing here, he said.

The advocate pointed to the Falun Gong Protection Act (H.R.6319) and the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act (H.R.1592) that were introduced last year.

Browde called for concerned Americans to contact their representatives asking them to support the bills.

Because they can have a real impact on stemming or curtailing or hopefully stopping the horrific practice of organ harvesting in China, and also raising the visibility of Falun Gong, he said.

And if we raise the visibility of Falun Gong, we are raising the voice that is going to alert us as to the danger were under, Browde added.

Hannah Ng Reporter Follow Hannah Ng is a reporter covering U.S. and China news. She holds a master's degree in international and development economics from the University of Applied Science Berlin.
US Warns Hong Kong May Be Used as a Safe Haven for Sanctioned Russian Tycoon Yachts

Superyacht Nord believed to be owned by Alexei Mordashov, the Russian steel oligarch who is sanctioned by many countries, was docked in Hong Kong waters on Oct. 5. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of State was quoted by the Financial Times as saying that some people might use Hong Kong as a safe haven to avoid sanctions, which would raise questions about the transparency of Hong Kongs business environment.

Sanctioned Russian tycoon Mordashovs superyacht Nord found moored on Hong Kong waters on Oct. 5, 2022. (Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

The superyacht Nord believed to be owned by Mordashov entered the Hong Kong waters on Oct. 5 and was docked on the southwestern side of Stonecutters Island.

When the Hong Kong Marine Department responded to the media inquiry, they said that they did not comment on individual ships entering Hong Kong.

They also replied that certain countries may impose unilateral sanctions against certain entities, and the government of Hong Kong does not have the legal authority to take action on unilateral sanctions imposed by other jurisdictions.

A spokesman of the State Department is quoted as telling the Financial Times on Friday, Oct. 7, that Hong Kongs reputation as a financial center depends on the adherence to international laws and standards, and warned that some people may use Hong Kong as a haven to avoid sanctions, which would raise questions about the transparency of Hong Kongs business environment.

In the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, many countries such as the U.S., the UK, the European Union, and Japan imposed sanctions on Alexei Mordashov, who is regarded as an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Lady M, his other yacht, worth around US$68 million, was detained in Italy earlier.
(L-R) California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier John Horgan hold up signed climate agreements during a press conference in San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

West Coast Leaders Sign Climate Agreement in San Francisco

California Gov. Gavin Newsom ramped up attacks on oil companies and vowed on Oct. 7 to double down on aggressive clean energy plans while renewing a climate action agreement with officials from the states of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

The members of the Pacific Coast Collaborativean international governmental agency formed by the three U.S. states and the Canadian province in 2008are facing droughts, excessive heat, and smoke from large wildfires, their leaders said. By signing a new statement of cooperation, they planned for a more aggressive transition to low-carbon emissions, investments in electric vehicle charging stations along interstate highways, and a clean electric grid.

(L-R) California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and British Columbia Premier John Horgan meet before a press conference in San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Newsom said his push to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy is about economics and competition in the energy sector, especially in light of rising gasoline prices.

This is not about electric power, Newsom said. This is about economic power. This is about dominating the next big global industry.

The electric vehicle industry is a trillion-dollar industry and opportunity, Newsom asserted.

California enacted some of the nations most aggressive climate measures last month. The states spending plan for 202223 includes $54 billion for new clean-energy programs and regulations. The state also decided in August to phase out sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

An electric car owner prepares to charge his car at a station in Corte Madera, Calif., on Sept. 23, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, California drivers have seen record gas-price increases this year and were asked last month to cut back on their electricity use when the state struggled to keep the lights on during a prolonged heat wave. Lawmakers also decided this summer to extend the life of the states last nuclear power plant to avoid future electricity blackouts.

Fuel prices were expected to continue rising after an announcement Oct. 5 by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)a group of 23 countries that decides how much crude oil to sell on the world marketthat it plans to cut global output by 2 million barrels a day starting in November. California gets more than half of its oil from foreign countries.

Newsom said thats further evidence of why the West Coast needs to dominate the green energy industry.

Were not going to cede that to other jurisdictions, other parts of this country and globe, Newsom said. We want to dominate that.

Container ships and oil tankers wait in the ocean outside the Port of Long Beach-Port of Los Angeles complex, amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Los Angeles on April 7, 2021. (Lucy Nicholson/File/Reuters)

Newsom also called for a special session of the California Legislature to address the greed of oil companies, he wrote on Twitter. Gas prices are too high. Time to enact a windfall profit tax directly on oil companies that are ripping you off at the pump. The session is set for Dec. 5, when the Legislature is back in session for the 202324 legislative season.

Some industry experts warn that such a windfall tax could add more cost for consumers and destabilize oil businesses.

State Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) called on the governor to immediately withdraw the proposal.

The only reason why a Special Legislative Session would be warranted would be to suspend the gas tax, reduce the fees and regulations that make California gas so much more expensive, and allow permits to increase production to lower gas prices, Gallagher said in a letter to Newsom and the Democratic leadership.

Gas prices over $7.00 a gallon are displayed at a Chevron gas station in Mill Valley, Calif., on Oct. 3, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Gallagher cited a report saying Californians pay about $2.50 more per gallon than consumers in other states, which he said has reached a new record price, and called for an audit of the states gas-tax expenditures.

The Pacific Coast region is home to about 57 million people who generate about $3.5 trillion a year in goods and services. The climate collaborative also represents the cities of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles.

The leaders met to sign the agreement at San Franciscos Presidio Tunnel Tops, a new park at a former military base overlooking the bay.

(L-R) California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and British Columbia Premier John Horgan sign climate agreements during a press conference in San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said the climate agenda is the best economic development strategy and would put people to work building lithium-silicon batteries for renewable energy storage, and solar cells, he said.

We have watched, we have smelled, we have suffered through the smoke, he said. We understand what its doing to our communities. We understand what its doing to the health of our children. We understand its economic disadvantage to our economies.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who cant run for reelection because of term limits, said the coalition can be a pioneer in climate action.

We absolutely can make change, she said. The West Coast, the left coast, the best coastwhatever you want to call us. We can lead the nation.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (C) speaks as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (L) and British Columbia Premier John Horgan (R) look on during a press conference in San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Oregon plans to transition to 100 percent clean energy by 2041, which is the most ambitious goal in the nation.

This years gubernatorial race in Oregon could decide whether Browns policies stay in place. In the latest polls, Republican candidate Christine Drazan, who has promised to roll back some of the mandates, is slightly favored to win. One of her opponents is Democrat Tina Kotek, the states House speaker who has played a leading role in passing many of the states climate policies.

British Columbia Premier John Horgan said unprecedented fires have wiped out cities while heat waves have profoundly impacted residents.

However, the British Columbia Wildfire Services just-issued seasonal report said the region experienced lower-than-average fires and damage in 2022. The service did order some evacuations, but reported no cities severely damaged by wildfires.

In order to address those challenges, we have to collaborate, we have to work together, Horgan said.

An aerial view of the Keremeos Creek wildfire in British Columbia on July 29, 2022. (The Canadian Press/HO/BC Wildfire Service).

The province has put in place low-carbon fuel standards and retrofitted buildings with clean energy. The country has also invested in hydroelectricity, he added.

British Columbia is blessed with an abundance of hydroelectricity that, of course, ravaged complete valleys and displaced populations as they were being built, Horgan said. But now, 50 or 60 years later, that clean, green energy is the backbone of all of the alternatives that were bringing forwardbe it wind, solar, and other technologies.

The province is happy to share that with the U.S. and the world, Horgan said.

Its that innovation, working with people from every corner of the planet, that will get us to where we need to be.
FBS: Trusted Broker in Thailand

In todays world, trading has only been gaining popularity over the years. There are many reasons for this.



By In Conjunction

Monday 10 October 2022, 12:24PM

First of all, there is no strict work schedule or bosses. And a laptop and a reliable Internet connection is all you need to access the exchange and the news feed.

But apart from the advantages, there are also risks. That is why you need a reliable broker, such as FBS Broker in Thailand.

What is FBS: company details

FBS is an international broker located in Limassol, Cyprus.The company was founded in 2009 and has spread to 150 countries since it began operations. Its services are used by 23 million traders around the world, and it has received more than 75 international awards. The reliability of the company is confirmed by the IFSC regulation, license number IFSC/000102/310.

FBS is not just an intermediary between the trader and the market. It is a full-fledged assistant and advisor who will be with you every step of your way to success. All the apps, tools and educational materials are designed by professionals for your comfort, and if you have any questions, 24/7 chat support is always on standby.

FBS trading instruments

With FBS, Thai traders have access to all the most popular trading tools:

Forex

Metals

Indices

Energies

Stocks

Forex Exotic

Crypto

Welcome bonuses

For successful and enjoyable trading, FBS has developed several enjoyable bonus offers.

100% Deposit Bonus

After creating a Cent, Standard, Micro or Zero Spread account, you can claim a 100% Deposit Bonus in the FBS Personal Area.

You only need to make any deposit, activate the bonus, and then your deposit will be doubled. Once you have traded the required amount of lots and made a double profit, you can withdraw the bonus via your preferred payment system.

Cashback

FBS Cashback Bonus is an exclusive offer for FBS customers. You can get cashback of up to $15 for every lot traded. All you have to do is check one box in the Personal Area. You can activate the service at any time, the duration of the promotion is unlimited, and the amount of profit depends only on the volume you trade per month.

FBS League

Every two months, FBS holds a demo contest to reward the most successful traders for their efforts. You can participate in the FBS League on your own or as part of a team. Open a Demo contest account and get $10,000 in it. Then you join the match, hit the top 5 most profitable traders, and withdraw your reward.

FBS Gift Season

FBS celebrates the New Year together with its customers. To plunge into the magic atmosphere, you can launch your own Gift Factory. Here all your deposits and traded lots will turn into useful prizes. The more you deposit, the more prizes will be available, and traded lots can be exchanged for unlocked prizes.

FBS Birthday Party

Another holiday does not go without gifts - the FBS anniversary. You can get a bunch of guaranteed gifts from the company, and maybe even something way cooler.

As soon as you join the FBS Birthday Party promo, you get a ticket for every lot traded or $50 invested. Tickets compete in the Super Raffle, where you can win super prizes. And for the first 5 tickets you can get a guaranteed prize.

Moreover, traders in Thailand can participate in the FBS special loyalty programs.

FBS IB program

The FBS IB program is a special program for promoting and representing FBS in Thailand. By joining the IB Program, you become an FBS Partner. Using a referral link you attract clients to the company. When new people sign up through the link and start trading, you get paid a commission for their trades.

FBS: trading for beginners and professionals

If you are still inexperienced and want to learn the basics of trading thoroughly first, FBS has your back. For starters, take advantage of these features:

large base of educational materials;

opportunity to open a demo account;

special cent account with low risks;

bonus gifts and promotions for newbies.

But for seasoned market players, FBS also has an ace up its sleeve. Consider this:

powerful analytics tools: Economic Calendar, Forex Calculators, Currency Converter;

wide range of global payment systems;

3 trading platforms for different OS;

loyalty programs.

The benefits of trading with FBS

FBS is a company that provides some of the highest quality brokerage services in Thailand. Besides the above mentioned, here is a list of advantages of the FBS broker that you can take advantage of:

24/7 multilingual customer support;

a wide variety of accounts;

covered commissions;

no requotes;

5 digits precision for all accounts;

any expert advisor and strategies allowed;

leverage up to 1:3000;

bonuses and promotions;

exclusive materials by finance experts.

In addition to bonus and promotional programs, FBS provides convenient and efficient trading applications, a wide range of trading tools and instruments and most importantly, they approach their work professionally and thoroughly.

You can be sure of the quality of the FBS services, as its operations are licensed in Thailand. FBS works with reliable systems for payments and offers the best trading conditions for both beginners and professionals.
Four tragedy survivors recovering well

NONG BUA LAM PHU: The conditions of four wounded survivors from last Thursdays (Oct 6) tragedy in Nong Bua Lam Phu are improving, according to doctors.

deathcrimeviolencepolice

By Bangkok Post

Monday 10 October 2022, 09:02AM

Privyy councilors visit the families of massacre victims at Udon Thani Hospital in Udon Thani province on Friday (Oct 7). Photo: Bureau of the Royal Household

Two boys and two adults are being treated in intensive care units at Nong Bua Lam Phu Hospital in Muang district of the northeastern province, reports the Bangkok Post.

The mobility of a boy named Thanatpong Somparn, or Nong Suma-ie, is starting to improve and he can now act on the instructions of doctors.

Kanpong Sueana, or Nong Kan, is also moving after undergoing an operation to treat a cerebral haemorrhage, and the result of the operation was satisfactory, according to doctors.

As for the two adults, Charoen Chaikrueans condition was also improving as she is beginning to move more easily and is no longer dependent on a ventilator.

The second adult, Benjawan Panlert, has regained consciousness, is also now moving and can now breathe without a ventilator.

Dr Phaithoon Baiprasert, director of the hospital, said the overall condition of the four survivors is satisfactory.

He added that Nong Suma-ie is responding well to treatment and doctors are trying to help him breathe without the use of a ventilator, while Nong Kan was recovering after the operation.

Manatchaya Somparn, the mother of Nong Suma-ie, said her son was showing a positive response to treatment.

He tried to open his mouth to speak to me. Doctors then told him to make a victory sign with his fingers, and he could do it.

He wanted to move his legs. Doctors said he still needs a lot of rest, she said.

Kamolthip Sueana, the mother of Nong Kan, said her son has regained consciousness after a one-hour operation. She said she appreciates all the moral support from people nationwide.

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said young patients are likely to make a quick recovery, though they must be looked after closely.

All patients have received assistance from Their Majesties the King and Queen, who have sponsored their medical treatment.

We must try as best as we can to ensure the patients make full recoveries and resume back to their normal lives, Anutin said.

He also said the Department of Mental Health will send a mental health crisis assessment and treatment team made up of more than 60 psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, and social workers to provide help to the families of the victims and residents traumatised by the tragedy.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on led cabinet ministers yesterday to visit the families of the victims and attend the funeral rites in Nong Bua Lam Phu.

Pol Maj Gen Archayon Kraithong, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas will travel to Nong Bua Lam Phu to hand more than B7.8 million gathered from public donations to the relatives of victims tomorrow.

Visas for CNN duo withdrawn

Meanwhile, the Immigration Bureau has withdrawn visas issued for two CNN reporters after they entered the off-limits childcare centre where the mass shooting took place.

Pol Maj Gen Archayon Kraithong said yesterday the visas for the two had been revoked on the ground they were not eligible to work in the country.

They entered Thailand on tourist visas which did not allow them to work here, said Pol Maj Gen Archayon, who is also the spokesman of the Royal Thai Police.

The officer referred to reporter Anna Marguerite Coren, 47, an Australian citizen and cameraman Daniel John Hodge, 34, a British national. The two arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on Thursday and were permitted to stay until Nov 19 as tourists.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said yesterday after questioning the CNN duo that they had no intention of trespassing on state property.

He said his police had studied the CNN coverage on Saturday from inside the childcare centre operated by the Uthai Sawan tambon administration organisation (TAO) in Na Klang district. The crime scene was cordoned off to allow police to compile evidence.

An investigation found the two sought permission from state officials at the daycare centre after they saw the gate of the centre open. The officials said they could enter, Pol Gen Surachate said.

The two spent some time taking photos inside the daycare centre. But when they finished and came out they saw the gate closed and they decided to climb over the fence. They had no intention of trespassing on state property or violating the state order or getting involved with any evidence.

The pair were willing to apologise to Thais for what they did unintentionally and they are ready to return to their home countries without being deported or blacklisted, Pol Gen Surachate said.

The president of the Uthai Sawan TAO, Danaichoke Boonsom, yesterday filed complaints with Na Klang police accusing the two CNN crew members of trespassing.

The CNN report was filmed from inside the crime scene at the daycare centre. A photo taken by a Thai journalist showed the team climbing over the fence out of the centre.

Their coverage and intrusion into the cordoned area drew ire from the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) and Thai Journalists Association (TJA).

The FCCT said its members are dismayed by recent CNN coverage of the mass killings. A CNN team entered a clearly marked crime scene without permission, no matter what they may claim. This was unprofessional and a serious breach of journalistic ethics.

Thailand has been traumatised by this tragedy and there has been wide concern that inappropriate images should not be made public. Simple respect for the deceased and their families is but one reason, the FCCT said.

CNN, meanwhile, should answer a simple question. Would one of their crew have behaved in the same way at a serious crime scene in the United States? the FCCT asked.

Mongkol Bangprapa, president of the TJA, called on CNN to launch an internal probe and provide an explanation regarding the matter while Thiranai Jaruwas, vice-president of the TJA, slammed the CNN reporters coverage as unethical.

Mike McCarthy, CNN Internationals executive vice president & general manager said CNNs team sought permission from Thailand Health Department officials to enter the daycare centre. The team now understands these officials were not authorised to grant this permission.

If the team had understood the building was off-limits, they would not have entered. It was never their intention to break the rules. CNN has ceased broadcasting the report and has removed the video from its website.
Man suffering hallucinations taken into safe custody

PHUKET: A man who was later confirmed to suffer hallucinations was taken into safe custody today after concerned residents notified police this morning (Oct 10).

healthSafetypolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 10 October 2022, 05:38PM

Police help the man alight from the police pickup at Kathu Police Station earlier today (Oct 10). Photo: Kathu Police

Lt Col Sawat Phon-on of the Kathu Police said officers were notified of the mans behaviour by concerned local residents at 6:30am.

Police along with Kathu Deputy Mayor Atthapong Chan Rattanawong and emergency responders from the Khao Yai Rescue foundation arrived at the scene to find the man roaming Soi Lake View Apartments, just before Soi Kathu Soi 3.

The man was wearing a navy jacket and black jeans, but no shoes. He was walking around in circles.

The man did not respond to questions from the officers, who believed the man had not slept all night.

A search found no illegal items on his person, police confirmed

Officers took the man into custody and took him to Kathu Police Station, where they learned his name was Mr Nadol (family name withheld), 32, a resident of Koh Panyee in Phang Nga Province.

Officers said they presumed Mr Nadol was suffering hallucinations from continual long-term drug abuse.

However, the officers did not report any legal action against Mr Nadol for drug use. Instead, the officers contacted his relatives to have them come and collect him.

While waiting for his relatives to arrive, the man appeared to be more at ease by continuing to walk in circles at the police station, officers noted.
Phuket welcomes Myanmar flights

PHUKET: Staff at Phuket International Airport welcomed to Phuket the inaugural flight of the Myanmar Airways International (MAI) twice-a-week service from Yangon yesterday (Oct 9).

tourismtransportMyanmar

By The Phuket News

Monday 10 October 2022, 12:23PM

Flight 8M354 touched down at 9:25am, bringing 90 passengers on board, reported the Airports of Thailand Phuket office (AoT Phuket).

The office was proud to announce that the arrivals all received a souvenir waterproof bag emblazoned with HKT WE CARE.

The new service will operate on Thursdays and Sundays, with a plane arriving at Phuket airport at 9.25am and departing at 10:25am.

MAI announced its latest direct route from the Myanmar capital Yangon to Phuket at a press briefing on Saturday, reports the Bangkok Post.

The event was joined by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong and MAI Chief Commercial Officer Tanes Kumar, along with a host of public officials and business operators in Phuket, said the report.

Our research indicates that tourists in Phuket have a higher purchasing power, said Sathit Rodnimit, MAI Sales and Marketing Manager.

Moreover, there are legal migrant workers who wish to visit their hometowns in Myanmar, he added.

"Our return to Phuket will meet the demands of various groups of customers," Mr Sathit said, adding that the airline was also targeting foreign tourists in Phuket, such as Europeans.

The price for a round-trip ticket starts at B6,000 with 30kg of checked-in luggage, he said.

And for migrant workers who want to [return home], a one-way ticket costs B4,700.

According to Vice Governor Pichet, about 47,000 migrant workers in Phuket are currently having their work permit applications processed.

He said they were key customers for MAI, which will operate more regular flights between Yangon and Phuket in the future, adding he also has high hopes for high-income tourists coming from Myanmar.

Hopefully, [the tourists] will find Phuket as a great destination for holidays, Vice Governor Pichet said.
Scranton, PA (18503)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 34F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 34F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Financial publisher and events group Bonhill is considering putting itself up for sale after warning it will slump to a loss this year as clients increasingly cut back on marketing spend.

Bonhill, which produces magazines, data analytics, and organises events for the financial sector, said it has decided to launch a strategic review which may result in the sale of the group, or parts of it.

It announced the potential formal sales process alongside a profit warning and a new loan facility worth 800,000.

Financial publisher Bonhill blamed 'market turbulence' for a weakening in traditional media and content projects, as clients 'held off on discretionary marketing spend'

The London-based group now forecasts full-year revenues to be 15million, compared to previous guidance of 15.5million, and losses of 350,000, instead of 300,000 profit.

In June, the group blamed 'market turbulence' for a weakening in traditional media and content projects, as clients 'held off on discretionary marketing spend'.

Today, it said trading conditions have continued to deteriorate, resulting in weaker-than-expected digital revenues, particularly in the US.

'The board believes that the expected strong events performance and robustness in the rest of the group's business, as outlined in the interim results, will not now be enough to offset the weak trading in the US,' it explained.

London-listed Bonhill shares tumbled 29 per cent to 4.08p in morning trading on Monday. They have lost around 64 per cent of their value over the past year.

The media company said it has not yet received any takeover approach, nor it is in talks with any potential buyer and will update the market 'in due course' regarding timings for the sale process.

As a 'precautionary measure', Bonhill has also entered into a 'standby' loan facility worth 800,000 that runs until May next year.

It said it doesn't expect to have to draw upon the facility 'until February at the earliest'.
Fashion brand Quiz has seen revenues surpass forecasts thanks to a lack of trading restrictions on clothing stores.

The womenswear specialist's total sales climbed by 37.2 per cent year-on-year to 49.4million between the start of April and the end of September, 'marginally ahead' of what bosses anticipated.

Revenues in its UK stores and concessions, where the group derives half of overall turnover, jumped by nearly half to 24.6million, with like-for-like trade consistently higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Growing trade: Womenswear specialist Quiz revealed its sales climbed by 37.2 per cent to 49.4million between the start of April and the end of September

At the same time, sales expanded by more than a quarter both online and overseas, although an increased level of customer returns partially offset a rise in the size of average e-commerce orders.

Quiz said these impressive results reflected the 'strong reputation amongst its customers for dressy and occasion wear,' growing demand for full-price products and the absence of Covid-related social distancing rules.

They were also achieved against a progressively weaker economic backdrop, which caused growth to soften in September and October.

Guidance for the financial year ending 31 March has stayed unchanged but heavily dependent on how well it performs over the crucial Christmas trading period.

Its sales during last year's festive season were robust despite the Omicron variant leading to the reimposition of Covid-19 restrictions and many businesses scrapping their annual Christmas parties for the second year in a row.

However, the company observed trade slumping in the second half of December and a much higher rate of partywear being returned to shops.

Party time: Quiz said its half-year results partly reflected the 'strong reputation amongst its customers for dressy and occasion wear' and growing demand for full-price products

Quiz told investors on Monday: 'Management remain confident that the product proposition and commitment to providing glamorous looks at value prices will continue to appeal.

High street apparel sellers were severely affected in the first half of the pandemic era by the temporary enforced closure of their shops and the enormous rise in people working from home.

Retailers like Quiz were further hurt by the cancellation of social gatherings hitting purchases of occasion wear, like cocktail dresses, suits and heels.

This had a knock-on effect on Quiz's online clothing sales, even though e-commerce apparel demand has skyrocketed in the past two years.

Founded three decades ago, the company is now one of Britain's most prominent fashion brands, employing over 1,500 people and operating from over 300 stores, concessions and partnerships.

The group has collaborated on collections with multiple stars from reality television shows, such as Love Island, Geordie Shore, and The Only Way is Essex and is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM Index.

Quiz shares were down 6.7 per cent to 10.75p at 4pm on Monday, meaning their value has fallen by around 30 per cent in the past 12 months.
It has been synonymous with shipbuilding for more than 150 years.

On the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow, the yard at Govan rings with the bashing of metal and the sparks of welders.

Today it has 3,500 workers busy turning out three Type 26 warships, but over the last couple of decades the site's future has been uncertain.

Future: A blueprint of the new Type 26 frigate. Three of the warships are currently being built at the Govan shipyard in Glasgow

Now, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister  pledging an increase in defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP  has changed the outlook for defence contractors.

BAE Systems, Govan's owner, is recruiting nearly 1,200 more workers across its UK shipbuilding division, 400 of them at Govan.

The yard stands on the cusp of more than a decade's worth of orders as ministers prepare to sign off on a deal for five more Type 26 class vessels.

At the same time, ways of working dating back to the 1950s are being dragged into the 2050s with an investment of more than 100million in a vast ship-building hall that will, for the first time, allow two enormous vessels to be built alongside each other.

On a sunny day when the Mail visited Govan recently, a towering mass of scaffolding and sheets loomed over the yard's hard-standing, while in the background the Clyde shimmered.

Behind the facade was HMS Glasgow, the ship that will be the first in a line of eight submarine-hunting Type 26 frigates to be built for the Royal Navy.

Two more  HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast  are being assembled in the giant warehouses that face out onto the yard.

BAE, Britain's biggest defence contractor, began work on the ships in 2017. Overall, 4,000 workers are involved in the Type 26 programme across the UK.

HMS Cardiff is still in two parts and under cover, its steel structure being readied for the next stage when it is taken outside and welded together.

HMS Glasgow sits by the water where it is in the last few months of preparation before it is ready to float.

Above it rises a Dalek-like mast structure  a piece of fibreglass made in Norway.

Part of the work left to do is in the wiring  470 miles of it, enough to stretch between Glasgow and Portsmouth.

A vast space in the middle of the ship, the mission bay, is one of the Type 26's key innovations.

It can be used to turn the submarine-hunting ship to various uses, with enough space to hold dozens of special forces soldiers, amphibious landing craft or even a Merlin helicopter.

In humanitarian crises, it could house facilities to produce clean water for a population of 40,000.

History: The WWII Aircraft Carrier HMS Indefatigable is launched from Govan in December 1942

Key to the ship's core task of submarine-hunting is its quietness. Sir Simon Lister, BAE's managing director of naval ships, says: 'The trick is to make both the equipment you have in the ship quieter in the first place and then to prevent what noise remains reaching the water.'

Helping designers to guide the work is a state-of-the-art computer system using millions of data points, updated daily.

That allows them to roam around a virtual model of the ship at each stage of its creation on a screen illustrated in garish colours in a room adjacent to the yard.

In contrast to the increasingly hi-tech process is the scene on the hard-standing in front of the ship, where construction equipment and pallets lie spread out like a monumental Ikea set in the open air.

That way of working will come to an end when Govan's new shipbuilding hall is ready.

'Frankly, we need to stop building outside  and using construction techniques that may well have served past decades,' says Nadia Savage, the Type 26 programme director.

'Investing in that, we will improve safety, improve health, and be able to deliver that much more attractive workplace.'

If all goes to plan, HMS Cardiff will be the last ship to be completed outside at Govan.

HMS Glasgow is expected to enter service in the mid-2020s. Things were very different when BAE rescued Govan in 1999 after Anglo-Norwegian group Kvaerner pulled out.

Modern skills: A worker cuts metal sheeting for the Type 26 warship HMS Glasgow which is currently under construction at Govan

At the time of the sale, however, the site employed a core staff of just 800.

'In the past, it's no secret that shipbuilding, like many other industries, has gone through quite cyclical boom and quite a long period of lull  I won't say bust because we're all still here building ships in the UK,' said Savage.

'But certainly it's not been an easy journey through the last couple of decades.

'That has had an impact on skills not just in shipbuilding but across manufacturing generally.'

A big boost came in 2013 when a review by the company and the Ministry of Defence concluded that Glasgow would be the best location to build Type 26 ships.

That was at the expense of Portsmouth  where shipbuilding came to an end  but allowed the tradition on the Clyde to continue.

The region has produced thousands of naval, merchant and passenger ships since the 18th century and the yard in Govan, then known as Fairfields, was founded in 1864.

BAE's investment at the site could mean more ships are built not just for the Royal Navy, but for customers abroad too.

Savage said it could mean 'export programmes potentially delivered from the Clyde not just exporting design expertise but exporting vessels again'.
Massive explosions shook the Ukrainian capital and other cities during the morning rush hour on Monday in apparent Russian revenge strikes after President Vladimir Putin declared an explosion on the bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack.

The attacks were the most intense to hit the Ukrainian capital since the early days of the war and sent residents fleeing for bomb shelters and thick smoke billowing skywards.

Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in Ukraines west, and in Dnipro in central Ukraine.

At one of Kyivs busiest road junctions, a massive crater had been blown in the intersection. Cars were blown out, buildings were damaged and emergency workers were on the scene. Two cars and a van near the crater were completely wrecked, blacked and pitted from shrapnel.

Windows had been blown out of buildings at Kyivs main Taras Shevchenko University. National Guard troops in full combat gear and carrying assault rifles were lined up outside an education union building.The capital is under attack from Russian terrorists! The missiles hit objects in the city centre (in the Shevchenkivskyi district) and in the Solomyanskyi district. The air raids sirens are going off, and therefore the threat, continues, mayor Vitali Klitschko posted on social media.

The central streets of Kyiv have been blocked by law enforcement officers, rescue services are working.

A spokesperson for the state emergency services said there were dead and wounded, though provided no immediate figures.

Putin said on Sunday that the blast, which damaged the only bridge over the Kerch Strait to the Crimea peninsula, was an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure.

This was devised, carried out and ordered by the Ukrainian special services, he said in a video on the Kremlins Telegram channel.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the blast but has celebrated it. Senior Russian officials demanded a swift response from the Kremlin ahead of a meeting of Putins security council on Monday.

The bridge is a major supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine and a symbol of Russias control of Crimea, the peninsula it proclaimed annexed after its troops seized it in 2014.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said ahead of the meeting that Russia should kill the terrorists responsible for the attack.

Russia can only respond to this crime by directly killing terrorists, as is the custom elsewhere in the world. This is what Russian citizens expect, he was quoted as saying by state news agency Tass.

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russias Investigative Committee, said on Sunday a vehicle had exploded on the bridge causing a fire.

The vehicle had travelled through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia and Russias Krasnodar region before reaching the bridge, he said. Among those who helped Ukrainian special services prepare the attack were citizens of Russia and foreign countries, Bastrykin added in the video on the Kremlins Telegram channel.

Russias defence ministry said on Saturday its forces in southern Ukraine could be fully supplied through existing land and sea routes.

FRESH ATTACK ON ZAPORIZHZHIA

In southeastern Ukraine, Russian shelling overnight destroyed another apartment building in the city of Zaporizhzhia, regional Governor Oleksandr Starukh said early on Monday. At least one person died and five where injured in the attack, a city official said.

The pre-dawn strikes were the third Russian missile attack against apartment buildings in the city in four days. The city, which Russian forces never captured, is the capital of one of four partially occupied regions Russia claims to have annexed this month.

A strike on an apartment in the city on Sunday killed at least 13 people and injured 87 others, including 10 children, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned that attack as absolute evil.

This was a deliberate hit. Whoever gave the order and whoever carried it out knew what they were targeting, he said in a video address.

Russia denies targeting civilians. Vladimir Rogov, an official in the Russian-installed administration in Zaporizhzhia, said without evidence that Ukrainian forces had shelled the city for propaganda purposes.

Russia has faced major setbacks on the battlefield since the start of September, with Ukrainian forces bursting through the front lines and recapturing territory in the northeast and the south.

Putin responded to the losses by ordering a mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of reservists, proclaiming the annexation of occupied territory and threatening repeatedly to use nuclear weapons.

Russian troops are focusing their efforts on the eastern town of Bakhmut, having advanced up to 2 km (1.2 miles) towards the town over the last week, a British intelligence update said on Monday.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday accused Ukraine of orchestrating the powerful blast that damaged a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea the day before, describing the explosion as an act of terrorism.

There is no doubt. This is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure, Putin said in a video on the Kremlins Telegram channel.

This was devised, carried out and ordered by the Ukrainian special services, Putin said.

His statement came after a Russian missile attack early on Sunday struck an apartment block and other residential buildings in Ukraines southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 13 people and wounding 89 others, Ukrainian officials said.

The pre-dawn strikes were the second such attack against the city in three days.

Putin was meeting Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russias Investigative Committee, who presented findings of an inquiry into what he said was Saturdays explosion of a vehicle and subsequent fire on the bridge.

The blast on the bridge over the Kerch Strait, a key supply route for Moscows forces in southern Ukraine, had prompted gleeful messages from Ukrainian officials on Saturday but no claim of responsibility.

The bridge is also a major artery for the port of Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Sea fleet is based.

Speaking on camera, Bastrykin said investigators had established the route that the vehicle had taken and the individuals who were involved in its movements.

He said that it had gone through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, South Ossetia and Russias Krasnodar region before arriving on the bridge.

The damage to the bridge, which had been an imposing symbol of Russias annexation of the Crimean peninsula, came amid battlefield defeats for Russia, and could further cloud Kremlin reassurances that the conflict is going to plan.

Rail services and partial road traffic resumed a day after the blast. Images showed half of a section of the bridges roadway blown away, with the other half still attached.

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and the 19-km (12-mile) bridge linking the region to its transport network was opened with great fanfare four years later by Putin.

Crimeas Russian governor, Sergei Aksyonov, told reporters, that residents would manage despite the damage to the bridge. Of course, emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to seek revenge, he said.

Aksyonov has said Crimea had a months worth of fuel and more than two months worth of food. Russias defence ministry said on Saturday its forces in southern Ukraine could be fully supplied through existing land and sea routes.

ATTACK ON ZAPORIZHZHIA

In the Zaporizhzhia attack, Russian aircraft launched at least 12 missiles, partially destroying a nine-storey apartment block, levelling five other residential buildings and damaging many more, Oleksandr Starukh, governor of the region, said on state-run television.

Sixty wounded people were hospitalized, Ukrainian officials said. They included 11 children.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack as absolute evil by people he called savages and terrorists, vowing those responsible would be brought to justice.

Zaporizhzhia city, about 52 km (30 miles) from a Russian-held nuclear power plant, has been under frequent shelling in recent weeks, with 19 people killed on Thursday.

Emergency workers and firefighters cordoned off the nine-storey building and dug for survivors and casualties in the smouldering rubble of a massive central section that had collapsed.

The blast wrecked cars and left torn metal window frames, balconies and air conditioners dangling from the buildings shrapnel-pitted facade.

Most of the Zaporizhzhia region, including the nuclear plant, have been under Russian control since the early days of Russias invasion in February. The capital of the region, Zaporizhzhia city, remains under Ukrainian control.

U.S. TO CONTINUE ARMING UKRAINE

The White House on Sunday declined direct comment on the Crimea Bridge blast but said the United States would continue to arm Ukraine.

Kyiv demands that Russian forces leave the Black Sea peninsula, as well as Ukrainian territory they have seized in the invasion Putin launched in February.

Ukraine has recaptured more than 1,170 square kilometres (450 square miles) of land in its southern Kherson region since launching the start of its counterattack against Russia in late August, a military spokesperson said on Sunday.

Ukraine achieved lightning success with its offensive in the northeast, but its drive in the south to wipe out a Russian foothold on the west bank of the vast Dnipro river has been less rapid.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Small groups of people huddled close together, many clutching bunches of flowers to lay at the scene where 10 people lost their lives in Creeslough, Co Donegal.

Shock and disbelief are etched across their faces as they look on at the crumbled building which was once the hub of their local community, a place where people went to buy milk and bread and catch up with neighbours.

Friends and family members of those killed in the blast stood metres from the Applegreen shop and handed over floral tributes to waiting Garda members.

The collection of flowers grew throughout the day as many locals gathered at the scene to pay their respects.

The shop will now be a stark reminder of the devastating loss that has left the heart torn out of a village that is home to only 400 people.

There were small indications that life has to continue as buses dropped schoolchildren off at various points of the village and coffee shops opened their doors to members of the public.

Workers erected a 6ft wall on Monday around the outskirts of the shops forecourt, as work continues to establish the exact cause of Fridays blast.

Many residents of Creeslough spoke of how the shop was the central point of the village and how it has now been left without a place to buy bread or milk.

Archbishop Eamon Martin also visited the scene on Monday, where he spoke to gardai and a number of people who were first on the scene.

He surveyed the full scale of the damage before meeting with a number of residents.

He spoke to a group of young girls and formed a huddle to say a prayer together.

The reality of the days ahead became clear when a local undertaker put up a wake sign to direct people to the home of Martin McGills mother.

It marked the start of many wakes and funerals for the small village.

Creeslough parish priest Father John Joe Duffy said he has barely slept since Friday.

Looking at the 10 candles burning in St Michaels Church, he said the people of Creeslough would like to thank everyone for the support they have shown.

I would like to offer my thanks on behalf of this community to all who were there and responded, but those continual offers of support that are coming towards us from this community, the outer communities around and about us, from across the country but beyond the shores of Ireland, from the United Kingdom, from the United States, from Sydney, people from here who are in the Middle East and different places, he added.

Their want to unite with us, the candle vigils, the support from Pope Francis, the kind messages from King Charles and the Queen Consort, to the President of Ireland, and words expressed by the British Prime Minister, and across all political and religious denominations that are coming towards us.

That level of support that is coming from shops outside this area, as there is now no shop in this area, and people sending in food and so on.

Just a genuine outpouring towards us which is like a tidal wave lifting us and trying to float us out of the tsunami of grief. We appreciate that so very much.

The priest now has the difficult task of officiating at several funerals, including that of 13-year-old James Monaghan, who he remembers making his Confirmation in the church just two years ago.
A Las Vegas synagogue that is believed to be the first Jewish place of worship in the New Mexico Territory is back in the hands of the Jewish community
Officials say owners of a company that produces organic eggs plan to invest more than $30 million to establish their first manufacturing operations in the east Tennessee city of Morristown
A sign of the times and a local fight over corporate coffee cont'd.

Alternative headline . . .

METH TOWN COFFEE GRINDS DOWN AMID LABOR UPRISING!!!

But that's probably a bit too dramatic for a story that might just be another instance of locals protesting themselves out of a job.



Here's today's update . . .



"Sunday's strike featured full participation of the store, with around 20 employees in attendance, according to Miller. The goal was to meet in bargaining, stop unjust firings and investigations and fully respect the Weingarten Rights of the employees."



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Independence, Missouri, Starbucks 'shut down' Sunday due to strike KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Starbucks located at East 39th Street and Arrowhead Avenue in Independence, Missouri, was "shut down" Sunday due to an unfair labor practices strike, according to Workers United/SEIU organizer Mari Orrego. CJ Miller, a former Starbucks employee, says he was fired after an investigation by Starbucks.

Starbucks workers in Independence holding strike Sunday INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - Workers at the Starbucks located on 39th and Arrowhead in Independence, Missouri, shut down the location Sunday due to an unfair labor practices strike according to Workers United Organizer Mari Orrego. The picket began at 9 a.m. and Orrego said it would go until 1 p.m.

Related reading . . .

Howard Schultz's fight to stop a Starbucks barista uprising SEATTLE - Howard Schultz, the billionaire founder of Starbucks, stood alone beside the auditorium stage at the company's global headquarters. The room was packed with 200 of his top executives, all waiting for him to speak. But first Schultz wanted them to hear from their employees across the country.

Developing . . .
Reminder . . .

It's election season and progressives are suffering a great deal of embarrassment across the nation amid historic rising violence. Of course the most effective tactic is to deny the problem.

Moreover . . .

Here in Kansas City, Missouri the homicide count has reached historic levels and we're on pace to endure the 2nd most deadly year in our history. Again.

There are people who should be held accountable for this nightmare beyond police and media.



And so . . .

We love his jokes and would like to believe everything this Brit fancyboi claims.

But the reality is impossible to ignore.

Moreover . . .

It's easy to be distracted by racially-charged chatter and politicized hack humor . . . In fact, it's our favorite distraction.

However . . .

Our blog uses police press releases as a resource (amongst other KICK-ASS INSIDERS & TIPSTERS) because their info is consistently accurate and backed up by statistical proof almost daily.

Also . . . Imagining a vast conspiracy against people of color is an election year ploy.

In fact, there are a great many people who follow local crime reporting and hope that the news serves as a tool to curb killing in urban and minority communities. More than anything, we write for these people and do our best to ignore haters trying to work out their inadequacies.



For a few cheap laughs and to allay concerns about rising violence . . . John Oliver's talk show commentary is undoubtedly clever but sadly ignores a very real slaughter that is ongoing in places like KCMO and across the nation.



Nevertheless . . . It's worth checking out for those who haven't seen it already . . .



"John Oliver discusses the outlets that cover crime, the incentives that drive them, the flawed sources they rely upon, and an alternative name for Miss Piggy."

Take a look via www.TonysKansasCity.com link/embed . . .
The smarter denizens of our blog community predicted as much . . .

The strategic reserves are starting to run out.



Meanwhile, the OPEC is cutting back production and American oil companies aren't looking to pump up their supply either.

And so . . .



Here's the damage arriving for the holiday season . . .



An average gallon of gasoline in the metro now costs $3.39. That is 16 cents higher than a month ago, and 42 cents higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy, an organization that compiles gas prices from around the country.



That rise is on-par with the national trend, as gas costs nationwide rose 13.8 cents in the past week, and 22.5 cents in the past month. National gas prices are up 67 cents in the past year.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Right now, once again for Monday, hottie Demi inspires our peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

X-mas Cash Check . . .

UPS hiring 2,000 seasonal workers in Kansas City area ahead of holidays If you're looking to make some extra cash for the upcoming holiday season, UPS wants to hire you. They're looking for around 2,000 seasonal workers in the Kansas City area. KMBC 9 stopped by a hiring event this week to find out what the company needs to make sure everyone gets their gifts on time.

Burning Sensation Monday

Fire damages 2 homes in Kansas City, Missouri KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A fire damaged two homes overnight in the 2300 block of Askew in Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department was called to the block around 1:45 a.m. Firefighters say the fire started in one home and then spread to a house just to the north of it.

Show-Me Weed Double Take

Two perspectives on Missouri's legal marijuana amendment In just a few weeks, Missouri voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana, but some supporters of legal weed says the amendment on November's ballot is not the way to do it. Up To Date host Steve Kraske spoke with John Payne, campaign manager for Legal MO 2022, to discuss the specifics of how the Missouri marijuana industry would change under this initiative, and with state Rep.

Rock Chalk Drug Talk

As election looms, Kansas Republicans rally around fentanyl crisis - Kansas Reflector TOPEKA - At national and local levels, Kansas Republicans are rallying around the issue of battling fentanyl to win over voters in a close race. During Wednesday's GOP rally in Topeka, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall told the crowd that, unlike Gov. Laura Kelly, Attorney General Derek Schmidt would take fentanyl off the streets.

This Store Should've Been Called Pancho's Panchos!!!

Pancho's Blanket working to keep Latin culture alive, give back to community through Mexican garments KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Brothers Jonathan and Joseph Garvey are designing a new way to appreciate their culture with Pancho's Blanket . "Pancho's Blanket is a clothing brand," Jonathan Garvey said. "We sell garments that are ethical and hand-made in Mexico."

Brits Still Celebrate Hotness

Demi Rose branded a 'goddess' as she wows in tiny thong and bra for racy snaps Demi Rose has left fans speechless with her recent Instagram post where she was branded a "goddess". The OnlyFans beauty amazed her 19.9 million followers as she looked like an ethereal princess posing in a sizzling baby pink lingerie set.

Prez Biden Builds Hope

Biden contends a 'historic manufacturing boom' is underway - and can act as a bulwark for American democracy WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden is working to create a manufacturing revival - even helping to put factory jobs in Republican territory under the belief it can restore faith in U.S. democracy. The Micron investment announcement represented a commitment in a Republican congressional district that Biden and the company credited to the recently enacted $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act.

Even Libs Don't Like White House

ABC correspondent claims people don't want Biden around for midterm elections ABC senior national correspondent Terry Moran was less confident about the Democratic Party's candidates this November during "This Week" Sunday. The main topic was the 2022 midterm elections which are less than one month away and could decide which political party will control Congress.

Commander-In-Chief Sends Message Of Support Loud & Clear

Biden condemns Russia missile strikes, reinforces support for Ukraine President Biden on Monday condemned the Russian military's missile strikes in Kyiv and multiple regions of Ukraine, reiterating the United States' commitment to supporting Ukraine amid the escalating war. "These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.

MAGA Might Make Case

Trump Mar-a-Lago case latest to land on Supreme Court's 'shadow docket' The Supreme Court is expected this week to make a ruling on whether the government can start to review the documents seized from former President Trump's home in its criminal investigation, a case it agreed to take under its so-called "shadow docket."

Swallowing Critique

A Comedian Was Heckled By A Trump Supporter And Had A Beer Can Thrown At Her - Then She Chugged It Elias said she was overcome with adrenaline, but she was determined to finish her set - if only to hit her final punchline which is printed on some of the merchandise she sells after her show. "I was like, Well, I mean, I still want to make extra money tonight so I have to do the joke!"

MAGA Makes Friends???

'Trump is the man': trial paints a White House plagued by foreign influence rump is the man," Thomas "Tom" Barrack, a wealthy investor friend of Donald Trump's, wrote to someone in a foreign government, in 2016, as Trump's likelihood of being named the Republican nominee for president began to become a certainty. Barrack added, cryptically, that someone called "HH" should be ready to travel.

GOP Vs. The Don Again

Jeb Bush Fires Back at Trump's Call to Probe His Dead Father 2016 Republican presidential hopeful and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush fired back at Donald Trump's calls to investigate his late father, former President George H.W. Bush. At a rally Sunday evening in Arizona, Trump claimed that George H.W. Bush "took millions and millions of documents to a former bowling alley pieced together with what was then an old and broken Chinese restaurant."

Explaining Conservative Slap Fighting

A New Documentary Gives Us a Glimpse Into the Lincoln Project's Hypocrisy The thing is, she's right - Trump begat Dobbs, which killed Roe - and her logic underscores the limits of the Lincoln Project's grand ambitions and sweeping rhetoric. "Today, the dividing line in American politics is not between conservatives and liberals.

Vlad Steps Up Bombing

Shock and horror after Russia's wave of strikes across Ukraine For those of us who were here when Russia's full-scale invasion began in February, there's an element of deja vu. We've been told to spend as much time as we can in the basement, as further attacks, using missiles and drones, are expected.

Far East Pandemic Redux

China imposes lockdowns as COVID-19 surges after holiday BEIJING -- Chinese cities were imposing fresh lockdowns and travel restrictions after the number of new daily COVID-19 cases tripled during a weeklong holiday, ahead of a major Communist Party meeting in Beijing next week. The latest lockdown started Monday in Fenyang city in northern China's Shanxi province after a preliminary positive case was found in citywide testing the previous day, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Kansas City Voting Suggestions Framed As 'Guidance' For Gullible Peeps



KC Election Guide: What Voters Need to Know About the 2022 Ballot Missouri's General Election ballot is chock-full of important issues and candidates to consider. For Kansas City voters, three KC-specific ballot questions also merit attention. Questions 1 and 2 are bond measures to upgrade pools and parks, to renovate the Kansas City Convention Center and to help fund more affordable housing.

Go On Cowtown Java Trip



KC's Discover Coffee Tours brew business in international coffee tourism A coffee tasting setup for Panama varieties. // Courtesy of Wendy Eaton How do you take your morning cup of coffee? With a splash of cream and honey to sweeten? A shot of espresso? Perhaps an iced latte is more your speed? Whatever suits your fancy, coffee is a familiar ritual in many people's lives.

Staying In South Side

A place to stay in downtown Martin City: Decorator opens AirBnB If you're looking for a location landmark, "Right across from Jess and Jim's" in Martin City is a pretty good one. Every carnivore in the metro area knows the famous steakhouse. And right across the street is the Little Green Acre. A century old, the clapboard structure was built to serve as a stopover station for railroad workers.

Kansas Loves Indie Icon

Photos: Ani DiFranco at Liberty Hall Ani DiFranco/ // phot by Chris Ortiz Ani DiFranco with Jess Nolan Liberty Hall Saturday, October 8 Alt-folk artist Ani DiFranco took to the Liberty Hall stage Saturday night for a show that saw her debut a new song, "Baby Roe," as well as a couple getting engaged in the audience.

Katie Weather Monday . . .

Sunny and warm to start off your week, before rain chances move in Today: Sunny & Warm, 81 S 10-20 mphChiefs Game: Mostly cloudy 70's.Tuesday: IMPACT DAY: Few showers /storms early Tuesday morning mainly east of I-35. Tuesday afternoon, sunny & warm 80. Very windy: S 20 g35 mph.Wednesday: IMPACT DAY: Early morning (midnight-5 AM) Strong-severe storms with 60 mph gusts possible & small hail.

The Black Angels - Empires Falling is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
We notice the big part of upcoming weed legislation is forgiveness of misdeeds that will now be irrelevant.



Check more context . . .



According to FBI data, in 2020 law enforcement made over 10,000 arrests in Missouri for marijuana possession. In 2021, more than 9,000 arrests were made.



Next month Missouri voters will vote on Amendment 3 to decide if recreational marijuana will become legal.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

MARIJUANA IN MISSOURI: Legal implications of recreational marijuana ballot amendment PRES. BIDEN: TOO MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN UPENDED BECAUSE OF OUR FAILED APPROACH TO MARIJUANA. IT IS TIME THAT WE RIGHT THESE WRONGS. CODY: THIS PAST WEEK, PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE A MAJOR MOVE ANNOUNCING THE PARDONING OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS CONVICTED UNDER FEDERAL LAW FOR SIMPLE MARIJUANA POSSESSION.

Legalizing recreational marijuana could expand Missouri workforce, advocates say ST. LOUIS (KMOV) - Legalizing recreational marijuana will remove barriers into the workforce, according to advocates of legalizing recreational marijuana in Missouri. On Thursday President Joe Biden pardoned individuals with simple marijuana possession convictions at the federal level. Biden also encourage U.S. governors to expunge records in their respective states.

Develop8ing . . .
This morning , we kick off the show today with someone who is no stranger to the Morning Edi
As the rubble is being further cleared on the sites of the Russian deadly missile attack on the residential areas in Zaporizhia overnight Sunday, at least 14 civilians have been confirmed dead.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this in an address to the nation on Sunday, Ukrinform reports.

"This night, as a result of Russian strikes on ordinary residential buildings in Zaporizhia, at least 14 people were killed. Unfortunately, the death toll may increase as strike site clearance is still ongoing," Zelensky said.

The president added that the night's strikes were the latest in a series of Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia, which have already killed at least 43 people since October 3.

"And there were also strikes on Kharkiv, the cities of Donbas, and other cities across Ukraine... There were also strikes by Iranian drones, and airstrikes," the president added.

Zelensky emphasized that the absolute majority of these attacks targeted civilian infrastructure and civilian residents.

Constant terror against the civilian population testifies to Russias obvious refusal from real negotiations, Zelensky emphasized.

The Ukrainian leader added that terror is a crime that must be punished. State-sponsored terror is one of the most terrible international crimes, which threatens not someone particular but the entire international community, the president added.

Zelensky also thanked everyone who helps Ukraine repel terror and those who fight and work for peace to return to Ukraine.

As reported, on the night of October 9, the invaders attacked the residential quarters of Zaporizhia, launching S-300 and Kh-22 missiles. Dozens of households, two apartment buildings, and other civilian infrastructure came under fire. Tentative reports said at least 13 were killed in the attack, while 60 were injured, including six children.
Russian terrorists have two targets in Ukraine: energy facilities and people.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The full text of the speech is provided below:

Ukrainians!

The morning is tough. We are dealing with terrorists.

Dozens of missiles, Iranian "Shaheds". They have two targets.

Energy facilities throughout the country. Kyiv region and Khmelnytskyi region, Lviv and Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kirovohrad region, the south of the country.

They want panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system. They are incorrigible.

The second target is people.

Such a time and such goals were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible.

But. We are Ukrainians. We help each other. We believe in ourselves. We restore everything destroyed.

There may be temporary power outages now, but there will never be an outage of our confidence - our confidence in victory.

Why such strikes exactly? The enemy wants us to be afraid, wants to make people run. But we can only run forward - and we demonstrate this on the battlefield. It will continue to be so.

Rescuers are working now. Our air defense system is working. 38 aerial targets have already been shot down.

Please stay in shelters today. Thanks to the help of our military, everything will be fine.

Always follow the safety rules. And always remember: Ukraine existed before this enemy appeared, and Ukraine will exist after it.

Glory to Ukraine!

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
The self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, says Belarus and Russia have begun the deployment of a regional grouping of the Union State.

Thats according to Reform.by, Ukrinform reports.

"In connection with the escalation on the western borders of the Union State, we agreed on the deployment of the regional grouping of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. This is all in line with our documents. If the threat reaches the current level, the one were seeing now, we begin to engage allied groupings. The basis of this grouping is the army, the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus," Lukashenko said.

He added that the formation of the grouping has already begun.

"It has been going on for two days, I think. I issued the order to start forming this grouping," Lukashenko added.

He also accused Ukraine of allegedly plotting an attack on Belarus and threatened "serious measures" in response.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 10, Lukashenko was expected to hold an urgent meeting with countrys military and security forces.
Ukraines Defense Forces have repelled enemy attacks in five settlements. In the Southern Bug direction, Russian invaders are increasingly using tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery. Russian missiles have caused damage to infrastructure across 20 settlements over the past day.

The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The Russian occupation army, having no achievements on the battlefield, uses a terror tactics against Ukrainian civilians. In violation of international humanitarian law, the laws and customs of war, they strike critical infrastructure and residential houses, the report states.

Russian troops again launched missile and air strikes on populous peaceful Ukrainian cities. As a result of the massive missile attack, civilians have been harmed and infrastructure damaged across more than 20 settlements over the past day, namely in Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Pryluky, Nizhyn, Konotop, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Odesa. Russian invaders again killed civilians.

Over the past day, Russian occupiers have launched over 84 missile and air strikes. According to the General Staff, the enemy used cruise, ballistic, anti-aircraft guided missiles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to attack Ukrainian cities and villages. Ukraines Air Force and the anti-aircraft defense units of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 56 air targets, namely 43 cruise missiles and 13 UAVs. The threat of enemy air and missile strikes is persisting all over Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russian troops are trying to hold the temporarily occupied areas and opening fire on Ukrainian positions. The enemy is focusing efforts on attempts to disrupt the active actions of Ukraines Defense Forces in certain directions and is conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut direction and the Avdiivka direction.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the situation remained rather unchanged. The regime of the self-proclaimed President of Belarus continues to support Russias armed aggression and provide a bridgehead and weapons to attack Ukraines territory. At the same time, an offensive group has not being formed, and there was no threat of launching the offensive from the territory of Belarus as of October 10, 2022.

In other directions, Russian troops opened fire as follows:

in the Siverskyi direction  near such settlements as Yanzhulivka, Tymonovychi, Mykhalchyna Sloboda, Virnopillia and Myropillia, with mortars and cannon artillery;

in the Slobozhanskyi direction  near Ivashky, Strilecha, Hurivka, Kamianka, Dvorichna and Stelmakhivka, with mortars, cannon and rocket artillery, tanks;

in the Kramatorsk direction  all over the contact line, with tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery, namely near Bilohorivka;

in the Bakhmut direction  near Siversk, Soledar, Bakhmut, Maiorsk, Kurdiumivka and New York;

in the Avdiivka direction  near Pervomaiskyi, Vuhledar, Nevelskyi and Maryinka, with tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery.

In the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian troops did not conduct active offensive actions. Such settlements as Zaliznychne, Bilohiria, Vremivka, Dorozhnianka, Temyrivka and Chervone came under enemy fire.

In the Southern Bug direction, Russian invaders intensified shelling with tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery. Over the past day, Russian troops have launched over 93 artillery strikes, which is three times as many as yesterday. Such settlements as Nikopol, Vyshchetarasivka and Novokyivka suffered from enemy strikes the most.

At the same time, Russian troops continue to suffer losses. As of October 9, 2022, the battalion tactical group of Russias 150th motorized rifle division, which operated in the Kherson direction and consisted mainly of demobilized servicemen, lost over 520 soldiers killed.

In order to meet the needs of health facilities in the temporarily occupied areas, which are actively used by Russian invaders as hospitals, additional teams of medical workers are coming.

In the childrens hospital in one of settlements in the Luhansk region, Russian occupiers placed their wounded together with sick children. Among them, there are former prisoners, representatives of the Wagner private military company. Sometimes children are not treated and discharged to free up beds.

Russian troops continue to use civilians as a living shield. In some educational institutions in the Donetsk regions Yasynuvata district, Russian forces are accommodated amid the educational process.

Over the past day, Ukraines Defense Forces have repelled enemy attacks near Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Maiorsk, Soledar and Pervomaiske.

Ukraines Air Force struck enemy positions five times. According to the confirmed data, the following targets were hit: three enemy ammunition and military equipment clusters, two air defense missile systems.

Ukraines missile and artillery units also struck a Russian command post, three enemy personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters and one S-300 air defense missile system.

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Ukraine cannot be intimidated, and Ukrainians united even more instead. Ukraine cannot be stopped, and Ukrainians are convinced even more that terrorists must be neutralized.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The full text of the speech is provided below:

Fellow Ukrainians!

Another day of our defense. A difficult day.

Restoration work is currently underway across the country. We will restore all objects that were damaged by today's attack by Russian terrorists. It's only a matter of time. I tasked all structures of our state to ensure recovery as fast as possible.

In some cities and regions, where there were blackouts due to shelling, the electricity supply has already been restored.

As of now: Kharkiv region - 50% of energy supply has been restored. Energy crews need several hours to restore electricity supply to the majority of districts.

Poltava region - restored almost everywhere. Mykolaiv region, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa region - connected. Cherkasy - connected. Khmelnytskyi - there is light in most parts of the city.

In some cities and districts, efforts are still needed to give people electricity. Chernihiv region, Sumy region, Kyiv and Kyiv region, Lviv region, Ternopil region, Dnipropetrovsk region - we are working. Somewhere it takes hours, somewhere you have to wait a little longer, but the result will be everywhere.

Unfortunately, 12 people died today in this terrorist attack. More than 80 were wounded or injured. Everyone who applied for help gets it.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine and all those involved in the defense of our state also perform their tasks.

Of the 84 Russian missiles launched against Ukraine, 43 were shot down. Out of 24 Russian drones, 13 were shot down. And even after that, every ten minutes I get a message about the downing of Iranian "Shaheds".

Only in the last hours...

16:28  "Shahed" was destroyed, Litky district.

17:26  Kremenchuk, "Shahed" was destroyed.

17:36  Cherkasy, "Shahed" was destroyed.

17:40  Dovhyntseve, Kryvyi Rih, "Shahed" was destroyed.

17:50  Apostolove, "Shahed" was destroyed.

And its like that all day long. Now as I speak I continue to receive such messages. Therefore, please follow the safety rules and pay attention to the air alarm. The danger is still there. But we are fighting.

I am grateful to our Air Forces and Ground Forces units that were involved today!

The leaders of the terrorists say that they hit all the targets they planned.

First, they lie, as usual.

Secondly, they lie, as usual. Take a look at their real targets, apart from energy facilities. Look at just one example of our capital...

The crossroads in Kyiv where I stand. The crossroads of Volodymyrska Street and Shevchenko Boulevard. That's the target.

Seven hundred meters from here is the bell tower of St. Sophias Cathedral. Moscow did not yet exist when it was already standing.

A little further there is Volodymyrs Hill, a place that became the source of Christianity and culture for Eastern Europe. In particular, for the territory that much later came to be called Russia.

Next to me are the buildings of the Shevchenko University, which will soon celebrate its 190th anniversary. They are damaged now by this Russian strike. But we will restore everything.

The Teacher's House was also damaged today. At one time, the Central Council of Ukraine worked there, and for Ukrainians this place will always be a place of memory about our glorious history of statehood.

And right behind me there is a playground in Shevchenko Park, which also became a target for a Russian missile. But it is not just in Shevchenko Park. It is on one of the main museum streets of Kyiv. In particular, the Khanenko Art Museum was damaged by this attack by terrorists.

And its like this in all the cities of our state - civil, cultural, educational facilities. Who can fight all this? Who can rejoice at strikes on such objects and such land?

They say they want to push Ukraine back into the XVIII century. But they pushed themselves back into a much older era, in the era of savages, which they became quite consciously.

And Ukraine will still remain in the XXI century.

Kyiv saw various strangers. And survived them all. Kyiv will also survive this onslaught of terrorists who have no history, no tradition, no culture. They are temporary. And even if they live for 70 years, they still don't have enough time to understand anything.

Ukraine cannot be intimidated. We united even more instead. Ukraine cannot be stopped. We are convinced even more that terrorists must be neutralized.

The Russian army carried out these strikes during the morning rush hour on purpose. This is a typical terrorist tactic. They wanted to incite more fear and affect more people. They affected. They affected the whole world.

Today I have already spoken with the Chancellor of Germany, the President of France, the Emir of Qatar, the President of Poland, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

I had a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador. Now I have conversations scheduled with the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States. Tomorrow - with the Prime Minister of Italy.

I am grateful to all for the unambiguous support!

Were consolidating the world. And I feel that the world is with us. An extraordinary meeting of the G7 is already scheduled for tomorrow. We are working on a resolution for the UN General Assembly to condemn Russia for all its escalating steps, for its terror. Terror inevitably receives a global response. And the blatant nature of Russian terror only encourages everyone to be more determined.

Regarding energy. We will do everything to restore normal production and supply of electricity. We need electricity to be supplied for all families, regardless of any manifestations of Russian terror. We need energy to be supplied to all our homes, in all regions.

Therefore, we need a reasonable consumption of electricity now. There are hours of peak load on the power system - from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. I am asking you, please, at this time, consume electricity in such a way as not to overload the power system. Please postpone washing, ironing, repairing and using other electrical appliances that consume a lot of energy before 5 p.m. or after 10 p.m. A strong request.

The more Ukrainians consume electricity in this way, the more stable our energy system will be.

We are doing everything to get modern air defense systems. And I am grateful to the partners who are already speeding up the delivery.

We are doing everything to strengthen our Armed Forces. And now the occupiers already cannot oppose us on the battlefield, that is why they resort to this terror. Well, well make the battlefield even more excruciating for the enemy. And we will restore everything that was destroyed.

Please help each other! Please take care of those who are left alone in such circumstances! Believe in yourself, in Ukraine, in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in our victory!

Glory to Ukraine!
From October 11, Ukraine suspends electricity exports in order to stabilize its energy system.

The Ministry of Energy said this in a statement posted on its Facebook page, Ukrinform reports.

"Today's missile attacks, which affected the thermal power generation and electrical substations, force Ukraine to suspend electricity exports from October 11, 2022 in order to stabilize its own energy system," the report reads.

The ministry stressed that Russia continues to carry out energy terror against Ukraine and increases energy pressure on the European Union.

As reported, the Russian forces launched a massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities on the morning of October 10. In total, more than 80 missiles were fired.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone the strengthening of Ukraine's air defense systems and the need for a tough European and wider international response to Russian aggression.

The head of the Ukrainian state announced this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"Also had an urgent call with @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed the strengthening of our air defense, the need for a tough European and international reaction, as well as increased pressure on the Russian Federation. France stands with Ukraine," Zelenskyi tweeted.

As reported, on Monday morning, Russia launched massive missile strikes on Ukraine.

In a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Volodymyr Zelensky ensured that Germany convenes an urgent G7 meeting to address the latest strikes Russian launched at multiple critical infrastructure and civilian targets across Ukraine.

Photo: Ukrainian Presidents Office
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call with British Prime Minister Liz Truss said that he counts on the United Kingdom's leadership in the matter of protecting Ukrainian skies.

Zelensky said this in a statement on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"I've spoken with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Liz Truss. We count on Great Britain's leadership in strengthening international political and defense support for Ukraine, in particular regarding the protection of our skies," Zelensky said.

Both parties discussed further resolute actions to increase pressure on Russia.

On October 10, Russian troops launched multiple air strikes against towns and cities in Ukrainian. In total, 84 missiles were fired at Ukraine. Eleven people were killed and 64 injured in the strikes.
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed the strengthening of Ukraine's defense capabilities and new sanctions against the Russian Federation.

Kuleba wrote this on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports.

U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken and I agreed that Russia must not get away with its inhumane missile attacks on Ukraine. I raised a number of important issues, including the strengthening of Ukraines defense capabilities, new sanctions on Russia, and holding Moscow accountable for its terrorism, Kuleba wrote.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba is cutting short his African tour in connection with Russia's mass missile attacks and immediately returning to Ukraine.

On the morning of October 10, Russia launched a massive missile attack across Ukraine. At least 11 people were killed, 89 were injured.

Photo: MFA

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Ukraine needs an air shield to protect civilians and critical infrastructure.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Twitter, following his phone call with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Had a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Stressed the importance of a strong G7 reaction to the Russian missile terror. Ukraine needs an air shield to protect civilians and critical infrastructure, Zelensky wrote.

A reminder that, in the morning of October 10, 2022, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraines territory. As of 05:00 p.m., eleven civilians were reported killed and about 90 injured. About 70 objects were damaged, including 29 critical infrastructure facilities.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian troops used 84 cruise missiles and 24 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including 13 Iranian-manufactured Shahed-136 suicide drones. The Ukrainian military destroyed 56 air targets, namely 43 cruise missiles and 13 UAVs (including 10 suicide drones).

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

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UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi speaks during the 73rd session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme in Geneva.  UNHCR/Pierre Albouy

GENEVA  Governments inability to prevent conflict and tackle crises including COVID-19, climate change and the rising cost of living is increasing hardship for more than 100 million forcibly displaced people and leading more to flee their homes, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned at a high-level meeting on Monday.

In such a complex world, we need to work together, Filippo Grandi said at the opening of UNHCRs annual Executive Committee meeting in Geneva. Unfortunately, the international community has become quite unable to do so: unable to make peace, or even prevent predictable catastrophes. To share vaccines. To reduce risks from the climate emergency. To spend a little now  money, political capital, or both  to avoid much greater expense in the future.

In response to record displacement, the High Commissioner urged governments to work towards finding solutions that have remained, for far too many and for far too long, elusive.

Russias invasion of Ukraine in February has pushed global displacement to unprecedented levels, triggering Europes largest and fastest refugee crisis since the Second World War.

UNHCR is striving to assist Ukrainians wherever they have been displaced, Grandi said. He praised the leadership of the Ukrainian authorities and the response of countries that have together received more than 7 million refugees.

But he warned that the situation inside Ukraine remains grave, with more than 6.2 million people internally displaced and many more in need of humanitarian assistance.

I share the governments concerns about the looming winter, the High Commissioner said. This requires an all-hands-on-deck approach  Millions of Ukrainians, especially the aged and disabled, are counting on us.

High Commissioner's opening statement to the 73rd session of the UNHCR Executive Committee

He added that the response to the Ukraine crisis has debunked myths put forward by some politicians that Europe is unable to accommodate those fleeing violence and persecution, or that public opinion is against taking in more refugees.

We must not accept the denial of access to territory for those seeking asylum, often through violent pushbacks; we must not normalize attempts to outsource asylum responsibilities, Grandi said.

I also reject what we have heard some politicians on this continent tell their voters: that Ukrainians are real refugees while others  fleeing similar horrors, but from different parts of the world  are not. There is only one word to define this attitude: racist, he added.

"We cannot pay attention only to the latest crisis at the expense of the rest."

The High Commissioner shared his deep concern over UNHCRs funding levels for other emergencies and the impact of underfunding on refugees and host communities around the world.

We cannot pay attention only to the latest crisis at the expense of the rest, he warned. Emergencies in Afghanistan and Ethiopia and long-running crises affecting Rohingya and Syrian refugees and countries in the Sahel mean millions still require urgent help, with resources lagging far behind their needs.

If we do not receive at least an additional US$700 million, especially for our most underfunded operations, between now and the end of this year, we will be forced to make severe cuts with negative and sometimes drastic consequences for refugees and host communities, Grandi warned.

See also: Funding shortfall forces UNHCR to cut vital programmes in DR Congo

Concerted action is also needed to find solutions for tens of millions of people displaced within the borders of their own countries by conflict and violence, and to end the scourge of statelessness for millions more.

Despite the worrying global picture, there are pockets of hope. The High Commissioner pointed to Cote dIvoire, where more than 96 per cent of refugees have returned home after years of civil strife. Despite challenges, more than 600,000 former refugees have also returned to South Sudan.

Refugees and migrants from Venezuela, meanwhile, have benefited from the temporary protection mechanism established by Colombia and similar regularization efforts being undertaken by Ecuador and other countries in the region.

Grandi encouraged governments to take inspiration from such achievements as they prepare for the second Global Refugee Forum in Geneva at the end of 2023. The first forum in December 2019 resulted in more than 1,400 pledges  and more since  by governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and others to find new ways to support forcibly displaced people and their hosts.

Grandi urged countries to make good on the pledges of the last Forum and prepare the ground for more pledges at the next.

He concluded: The redoubling of that action, that drive and determination to help, to assist, and mostly to resolve, must be done together  as United Nations  and that must start today.
Ukrainian psychologist Inna Chapko (left) providing information about psychosocial services at a Blue Dot Hub in Warsaw.  UNHCR/Tarik Argaz

When Ukrainians were forced to flee in the days and weeks after the war began, every train heading west was filled to bursting with anxious, exhausted, and terrified civilians. Inna Chapko, a Ukrainian psychologist, was among them, leaving her home in the capital, Kyiv, a few weeks after the start of the war in February. Leaving was one of the most difficult decisions Ive ever taken, she said.



During the long hours of travel in crammed train carriages, Inna put her professional skills to use. She improvised a game based on stress relief techniques that helped calm the minds of the tired, hungry, and scared children. She gathered them together and showed them how to cross their arms and clasp their shoulders, then breathe deeply through their noses while tapping rhythmically with their hands. As the children calmed down, parents joined in too, and soon the cries subsided and the rumbling of the train on the tracks was all that could be heard.



Once safe in Warsaw, Inna decided to use her expertise to help fellow Ukrainians who, like herself, have suffered the trauma and hardship of displacement. Today, she works at one of Polands six Blue Dot hubs  support centres for refugees, established by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund. The hubs offer mental health services in addition to social support, legal aid, administrative support, referrals to specialized services, and areas designed for children to play and relax.



Nearly one in 10 of the refugees approaching the Blue Dots have questions on mental health and psychosocial services, said Inna, who runs weekly stress relief sessions and grounding exercises for women, as well as individual counselling sessions, and art therapy groups.

At a Blue Dot hub in Warsaw, Inna Chapko (second from the left) regularly receives refugees interested in therapy sessions and looking for information about psychosocial services.  UNHCR/Tarik Argaz

Inna provides information about referrals to psychosocial services at Polish healthcare centres.  UNHCR/Tarik Argaz

Inna demonstrates a "butterfly hug" as part of a stress relief therapy session at the Blue Dot hub in Warsaw.  UNHCR/Tarik Argaz

Inna puts her expertise to use at one of six Blue Dot hubs for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.  UNHCR/Tarik Argaz

At the Blue Dot hub, she met Natasha* who had fled the town of Irpin, outside Kyiv, in March, telling her children, Two weeks and we will be back! as she hastily locked their apartment door before running for safety between waves of artillery shelling.



The 34-year-old has been living in Poland ever since, waiting until it is safe enough to return home. Natasha had never left Ukraine before, nor travelled without her husband, and as the months went by, the costs, challenges, and responsibilities of bringing up two young sons alone in a foreign country have weighed heavier by the day.



Shortly after settling in Poland, Natasha heard about the death of her aunt in Ukraine, and the news pushed her to the brink, triggering overwhelming feelings of grief and anxiety  She was like a second mother to me, Natasha said  so she sought help at a Blue Dot.



There, Inna listened to Natashas story and helped her manage her stress and emotions before guiding her through the different services available, as well as how to access those provided by the Polish healthcare system.



No one is prepared for such experiences, Inna said of the trauma Ukrainians have suffered over the last eight months, but most refugees who go through stressful events dont think to ask for help. They continue living with the survival mindset that they developed during times of crisis, and their wounds only deepen.



She continued, There is a time to be strong and brave, and a time to settle, relax, and accept the need to process the negative thinking, emotions, and memories into something neutral, or even positive. Talking  and being heard  is a crucial first step.

Poland, unlike many other refugee-hosting countries worldwide, has a well-established healthcare system even though people with mental health issues sometimes face difficulties with their referral to specialists. The role of Blue Dots is key, but primarily as a first port of call for struggling refugees, helping them to access public services.



UNHCR is also working with other organizations and national mental health professionals to provide training and guidance on specific groups of refugees, including survivors of violence, women and girls at risk, and unaccompanied or separated children.



Natasha said that talking with Inna was her first time meeting a mental health expert, and that it had provided a vital lifeline as she tries to find her feet in a new country. Our thoughts are in Ukraine, she said, but we need to make the most of our stay here in Poland, to sustain ourselves.



Since March, over 36,400 refugees from Ukraine have received support at Polands six Blue Dot hubs, but Inna said there is still more that mental health professionals such as herself can do, including by striving to be more proactive in order to reach more people in need.



At the Blue Dot, we often need to take the first step, she said, and go towards refugees who may need support, as opposed to waiting for them to approach us first.



*Name changed for protection purposes



About Blue Dots

Blue Dots are support hubs that bring together critical protection services and information for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, with a particular focus on children and those at greatest risk. These include unaccompanied and separated children, persons with disabilities, cases of suspected trafficking, survivors of sexual or gender-based violence and refugees from the LGBTIQ+ community. Established by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and UNICEF, the UN Childrens Fund, together with local authorities and partners along the major crossing points and transit routes, Blue Dots provide a safe space, support and referrals for health

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October 10 2022

A Glasgow science park is expanding with the submission of plans for twin extensions of an existing pavilion to accommodate expanded open-plan office space and laboratories.

Halliday Fraser Munro proposes to expand the Curia science facility at the West of Scotland Science Park with a two-storey addition to meet the demands of future operations.

Acting on behalf of Kadans the work will support an expanding business, using red brick to match the existing elevations on separate extensions to the northwest and northeast of the current building.

Situated off Acre Road the project includes the expansion of an existing yard area to service the enlarged building, complete with a new set of entrance gates.

Kadans are also delivering a 6,000sq/m health innovation hub in Govan.
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WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) US Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna are proposing new legislation to stop providing weapons to Saudi Arabia, in response to Riyadh's decision to back OPEC+ cuts to oil production.

"The Saudi decision was a pointed blow to the U.S., but the U.S. also has a way to respond: It can promptly pause the massive transfer of American warfare technology into the eager hands of the Saudis," Blumenthal, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Khanna said in a Sunday article for Politico.

They argued that what Washington perceives as Saudi Arabia's support for Russia merits a "far-reaching review of the US-Saudi relationship."

Blumenthal and Khanna emphasized that Saudi Arabia largely depends on US defense assistance and will be forced to "come back to the table and negotiate with the U.S. in good faith" if Washington deprives Riyadh of arms supplies.

"...we are proposing bicameral legislation in the Senate and House on Tuesday that will immediately halt all U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia," the US lawmakers said, adding that the proposed pause of US military supplies should include "the controversial, new and hastily planned Red Sands testing facilities in Saudi Arabia.

"

If faced with a ban on arms sales, the Saudis will find it very challenging to find foreign replacements, according to Blumenthal and Khanna.

"And any ban could be temporary  until Saudi Arabia reconsiders its embrace of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," the US lawmakers said in their article for Politico.

On Wednesday, the OPEC+ group of countries agreed to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day from the August production levels starting in November.

The White House immediately reacted by accusing OPEC of partnering up with Russia.

On Friday, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said the decision to cut production was not politically motivated and not related to the confrontation between some countries, but came from assessments of high recession risks.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Fox news on Friday that his country's decision to back OPEC+ cuts to oil production was not meant to harm the United States but to stabilize the global market amid a slowing economy.
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Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Oct, 2022 ) :A French trial of Air France and Airbus began Monday on charges of involuntary manslaughter over the fatal 2009 crash of a jet heading to Paris from Brazil, killing all 228 people aboard.

Victims' families and some aviation experts say the pilots were insufficiently trained to handle a loss of speed readings caused by crucial equipment freezing over in a storm.

Around 50 relatives of the victims sat on the benches in the packed Paris criminal court, while Airbus's chief executive Guillaume Faury and Air France boss Anne Rigail also attended.

Judges read out the charges before listing aloud the Names of every person killed in the crash.

Flight AF 447 from Rio de Janeiro plunged into the Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of June 1, 2009, after entering a zone near the Equator known for strong turbulence.

The Airbus A330 was carrying 12 crew members and 216 passengers. It was the carrier's deadliest crash.

It took nearly two years to locate the bulk of the fuselage and recover the "black box" flight recorders.

French flagship carrier Air France and aircraft maker Airbus were charged as the inquiry progressed.

Experts determined the crash resulted from mistakes made by pilots disorientated by so-called Pitot speed-monitoring tubes that had frozen over in thick cloud.

But investigating magistrates overseeing the case dropped the charges in 2019, a decision that infuriated victims' families.

Prosecutors appealed against the decision and in 2021 a Paris court ruled there was sufficient evidence for a trial to go ahead.

Ophelie Toulliou, who lost her brother on the flight, said it was essential "the truth come out, and that the sentences, if deserved, are handed down".

"But the message is also to make companies that think they're untouchable understand 'You're like everyone else and if you make mistakes, they will be punished,'" she told AFP.

- 'Lost our speeds' - The court will hear testimony from dozens of aviation experts and pilots over two months of hearings, and each company faces a maximum fine of 225,000 Euros ($220,000).

There will also be analysis of the final minutes in the cockpit before the plane went into free-fall after entering a so-called "intertropical convergence zone" that often produces volatile storms with heavy precipitation.

In the cold, the Pitot tubes froze, a problem that had already been reported by other pilots. The tubes were quickly replaced on planes worldwide in the months after the accident.

"We've lost our speeds," one pilot is heard saying in the flight recordings, before other indicators mistakenly show a loss of altitude and a series of alarm messages appear on the cockpit screens.

The pilots start climbing and even though a "STALL" alert sounds, reach 11,600 metres (38,060 feet).

"I don't know what's happening," one of the pilots is heard saying as the stall begins.

- Training overhaul - Air France pilots' union SPAF said it was now "indispensable for a court to hear all the parties and decide where responsibility lies in a public hearing".

The crash prompted an overhaul of training protocols across the industry, in particular to prepare pilots to handle the intense stress of unforeseen circumstances.

Pilots are also now required to continually practise stall responses on simulators.

"That was the big change after this accident for all civil airline companies. Before, it was something pilots learned in basic training and then they were never trained again," one airline executive told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

Testimony will also be heard from some of the 476 members of victims' families who are civil plaintiffs in the case.

But Nelson Faria Marinho, president of the Brazilian association of victims' relatives, said: "I'm not expecting anything from this trial.""Even if there is a conviction, who will be punished? The CEOs? They were changed at Airbus and Air France a long time ago," he told AFP during an interview at his Rio home.

He will be represented by former French pilot Gerard Arnoux, who has advised several of the victims' families and wrote a book titled "Rio-Paris Is Not Responding: AF447, the Crash that Should Not Have Happened".
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Berlin, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2022 ) :Germany is planning to fire Arne Schoenbohm, the head of the BSI national cyber security agency, after reports he had contacts with Russian intelligence services, government sources told AFP on Monday.

The interior ministry said it is "taking reports seriously" and "investigating them comprehensively".

Schoenbohm in 2012 co-founded a Berlin-based association known as the Cyber Security Council Germany, which advises businesses, government agencies and policymakers on cyber security issues.

That association is now under fire over alleged contacts to Russian secret services.

The Handelsblatt daily reported that there was "great annoyance" within the government over the allegations.

The interior ministry is "examining all options on how to deal with the situation", it said.

The Cyber Security Council Germany denied the allegations in a statement on its website on Monday, calling them "absurd".
Quionga, Mozambique, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2022 ) :A column of brand-new armoured vehicles is parked outside what remains of a government building in Quionga, a village in Mozambique's restive northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, Mozambican soldiers stare at the convoy -- an unusual sight in this northern settlement, which just a year ago was controlled by insurgents who have wreaked havoc across the region.

Senior Rwandan officers are visiting today.

They have come to oversee a joint military operation with their more poorly equipped local counterparts, a show of force to impress residents and the journalists accompanying them.

"We can say to a large extent that the insurgents have been defeated," says Rwandan army spokesman, general Ronald Rwivanga.

But the display of confidence belies a still precarious security situation in the gas-rich region. Only last week, the United Nations warned that the conflict had not subsided.

It has been five years since militants affiliated to the Islamic State launched an insurgency that monitoring groups say has killed more than 4,000 people.

Forces from Rwanda and other African countries, deployed in July 2021 after years of militants attacks, have helped Mozambique retake control of much of the province.

The militants had raided Quionga last year, burning down the local government office and setting up shop in the village. They were using it as a base to carry out attacks on both sides of the nearby Tanzanian border.

Rwandan forces eventually ousted them in August 2021.
Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday urged the opposition parties to support relief and rehabilitation works for the flood victims and avoid playing politics over it

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2022 ) :Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday urged the opposition parties to support relief and rehabilitation works for the flood victims and avoid playing politics over it.

All the Opposition members should brush aside political differences and initiate work for resolving problems of flood-stricken people, he said while talking to a news channel.

The whole world had expressed desire to contribute for Pakistani flood affected families but politicians were engaged in settling petty issues with rival parties, he added.

It is the responsibility of every citizen including politicians to come forward for extending relief and rehabilitation works for flood victims, he stated.

In reply to a question about the judicial role in adjudicating political matters, he said that political parties should settle their disputes themselves and avoid dragging important institutions into politics.

To a question about a life time disqualification, according to the article 62 (1) (f) of the constitution, he said that an amendment to this clause should be made. He, however, said that all the public interest matters should be discussed at the parliament.

In replying to a question about Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, he said, the newly sworn-in Governor was nominated following the consultation with the coalition partners.

To a question about leaked audios, he said a joint investigation team had been constituted to probe the matter.
A group of UN Disarmament Fellows, comprising of officers from 24 countries, currently on a visit to Pakistan from October 8-10 as part of their international study tour under the auspices of UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNoDA), visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2022 ) :A group of UN Disarmament Fellows, comprising of officers from 24 countries, currently on a visit to Pakistan from October 8-10 as part of their international study tour under the auspices of UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNoDA), visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the visit, they received a briefing on Pakistan's perspective on Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nuclear Non-Proliferation as well as the imperative of unhindered access to dual-use technologies for peaceful socio-economic applications, a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday said.

The group of UN Disarmament Fellow comprised of officers from 24 countries including Algeria, Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iran, Libya, Montenegro, Pakistan, Palau, Poland, Saint Kits & Nevis, Togo, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.

During the October 8-10 tour, the Fellows will also be visiting Pakistan Centre of Excellence on Nuclear Security (PCENS), Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH), National Institute of Health (NIH), Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Defence Science & Technology Organization (DESTO) and Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) to witness the application of nuclear and space technologies in the area of public health, industry, agriculture, food security, power generation etc.

At PCENS and PNRA, Fellows will receive briefings on Pakistan nuclear safety & security architecture, regulatory mechanisms and safeguards introduced by the Government of Pakistan in line with global standards which have been internationally recognized and acknowledged by the IAEA.

The Fellows will also be visiting different laboratories, globally acknowledged reference libraries and state-of-the-art facilities at DESTO and NIH.

At SUPARCO, the participants will get acquainted with Pakistan's space programme and its utility for the socio-economic development of the country.

The UN Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament was launched by the General Assembly at its First Special Session devoted to Disarmament in 1978. It is for the first time that Pakistan is hosting such an international study tour for UN Disarmament Fellows.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2022 ) :The annual week-long space festivity, World Space Week 2022, organized by Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad, in collaboration with the National Center of GIS and Space Applications, concluded impacting over 2000 students from over 40 schools and colleges across Pakistan.

With the preliminary round conducted online from Sept 19-23, 2022, the final round of the WSW 2022 was held on-ground at IST, from Oct 6-8, 2022.

As part of the global celebration and acknowledgment of the contributions of Space Technology towards betterment of humankind, World Space Week is celebrated every year in more than 100 countries worldwide.

It is the largest annual space event of the world aimed to build up the workforce of tomorrow by inspiring students and educating all segments of the society on the bounties of space, motivating young space enthusiasts towards the career streams in Space Technology.

Pakistan is one of the major contributors in the WSW space festivities, with activities and events arranged across Pakistan. Institute of Space Technology has been celebrating World Space Week since 2005.

Following the theme titled "Space and Sustainability", the National Center of GIS and Space Applications organized over 100 activities and competitions around the theme, highlighting the significance of developing sustainable solutions using space technology.

The modules were divided under 12 different categories, including Space Recitations, Space Quiz, Space Creative Writing, Space Applications, Space Innovation, Space Technology Demonstration, Space Models and Collectables, Space Fine Arts, Space Performing Arts, Space Architectures, Space for UN SDGs and Space Life.

With the centric theme of harnessing space technology for developing sustainable solutions, the categories were designed to entice and inspire students with different interests and talents.

Encouraging young space enthusiasts to pursue career in the multifaceted field of space technology, these categories rendered the creative, artistic, entrepreneurial, technical, academic, literary and research skills of the participants, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of this field.

To encompass all segments of society, the 3-day event also featured informative sessions including workshops, seminars and observation sessions to enrich understanding of space technology and help young space fanatics develop broader concepts of different domains of space sciences.

The competitions were followed by a lengthy adjudication process, wherein over 50 qualified Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from public and private, academic and research institutions of Pakistan contributed to the efforts for space education and popularization by dedicating their time.

The final day ended with an acknowledgement ceremony to honor the participants, and particularly the winners of the competitions.

Souvenirs were awarded to winners of each competition by the honorable guests, Dr. Syed Wilayat Husain and Dr. Ihtzaz Qamar for members of Dr. A. Q. Khan Research Laboratories.

While addressing the participating student and teachers, the guests highlighted the importance of space technology for the sustainable development of the country, and expressed their hope in the future of Pakistan by seeing a healthy participation of young students in the competitions. Speaking in the ceremony, Dr. Najam Abbas Naqvi (Chairman NCGSA) paid gratitude to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for setting up a conducive environment for higher education institutions to layout such initiatives.

He also highlighted the efforts of the student management team of IST in managing the whole event.

Siddeeq Public school and College, Rawalpindi was declared as the Space Champion for the World Space Week 2022 at Institute of Space Technology.

Certificates of the participation were also awarded to all the participants of WSW 2022.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday called Turkey, India, Brazil and several other countries "swing states" that do not always follow the Western agenda and change sides based on their interest.

"Look at Turkey, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia, they are middle powers. They are swing states, they vote on one side or the other according with their interest, not only the theoretical values. But these people are players on poles and this creates this messy multipolarity, these people are there and not always following us," Borrell said at the annual conference of EU Ambassadors in Brussels.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine in response to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. Western countries responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Moscow while also ramping up their military support for Kiev.

At the same time, Turkey has maintained a precarious balance in order to save its ties with various states and tried to mediate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. India continues to increase trade with Russia in a number of goods categories, despite sanctions. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said last week that cooperation with Russia is vital for the country.
Germany will help Moldova purchase military drones and other equipment for Moldovan forces, as Berlin is ready to further strengthen its cooperation with Chisinau, German Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht said on Saturday

CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st October, 2022) Germany will help Moldova purchase military drones and other equipment for Moldovan forces, as Berlin is ready to further strengthen its cooperation with Chisinau, German Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht said on Saturday.

"It is no secret if I say that Germany will help Moldova buy military drones and other military equipment for the national army (of Moldova). I will not give details, it is not the right time, but I assure you that we will take good decisions on this matter," Lambrecht stated during a briefing at a meeting with her Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatii, in Chisinau.

Lambrecht also said that Germany was willing to intensify its military partnership with Moldova.

Nosatii, in turn, welcomed the German assistance to his country, saying that Germany had provided military transport to the Moldovan military and trained a number of its officers.

The Moldovan government reinforced efforts to strengthen its military amid the crisis in neighboring Ukraine. In June, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Moldova would receive an additional 40 million Euros ($39 million) from the European Defence Fund to double its military budget. Moldovan officials have stated the country would acquire modern drones, armored vehicles and other equipment with the support of the EU.

Moldova is a neutral country according to its constitution but has been cooperating with NATO since 1994 within the alliance's so-called Partnership for Peace program.
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CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) An Israeli boat has breached the territorial waters of Lebanon off Cape Naqoura, the Lebanese tv channel LBC reports, citing the country's military.

The Israeli army boat was in the Lebanese territorial waters for 35 minutes, covering about 259 meters (0.1 nautical miles) while there, LBC said.

On October 1, Lebanese President Michel Aoun received an official response from Israel regarding the demarcation of the common maritime border, including disputed points regarding the division of the border's offshore gas fields.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid was briefed on the new points Lebanon is seeking to add to the maritime border demarcation agreement and told the negotiating team to reject them.

Israel and Lebanon have been trying to resolve an overlap between the two rival nations' territorial waters situated over large oil and gas deposits beneath the Mediterranean seabed since 1996. US-mediated negotiations between the two countries began in 2020.
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MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) Poland is able to deploy troops near its border with Belarus in just a few hours, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday.

"They (Poland) have withdrawn their troops up to hundreds of kilometers from the border, and are re-equipping with the most modern NATO weapons.

At the X moment, they will transfer their troops within two to three hours again to the border, to the positions where they should be," Lukashenko told government and military officials during a meeting.
SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tactical nuclear exercises from September 25 to October 9 and led the drills of long-range artillery units and air squadrons of the Korean People's Army (KPA) this weekend, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reports.

Pyongyang staged "ballistic missile launching drills under the simulation of loading tactical nuclear warheads," in order to check and assess the "war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability," in response to joint US-South Korea military training, Yonhap said on Monday, citing the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

According to KCNA, North Korea also held live-fire "striking" exercises, involving long-range artillery and aviation on Sunday.

On Saturday, Pyongyang held large-scale air-attack drills, involving over 150 warplanes.

Kim vowed to strengthen North Korea's nuclear force and said, as quoted by Yonhap on Monday, that Pyongyang was not interested in "dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so."

Since September 25, North Korea has carried out six test launches, bringing the total number of missile tests conducted by Pyongyang this year to 23. North Korea has emphasized that its test launches are being carried out in response to US and South Korea's refusal to stop their joint military drills, which threaten regional stability.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) Speculations as to whether the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge falls under the scope of Russia's nuclear doctrine are an incorrect way of putting the question, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik on Sunday.

"No.

You are putting the question wrong," Peskov said when asked if a recent announcement that the Crimean Bridge blast was aimed at destroying Russia's critical civilian infrastructure means that Russia may deploy its nuclear capabilities and if this terrorist act falls under the national nuclear doctrine.

Earlier on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Russian investigative chief Alexander Bastrykin and called the explosion on the Crimean Bridge "a terrorist attack aimed at destroying critical civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation."
As an acknowledgment of the proactive leadership and the global efforts of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on the climate change action plan, the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 has announced to hand him over the vice-chairmanship of the conference, which will be jointly chaired by the prime minister along with Egyptian Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2022 ) :As an acknowledgment of the proactive leadership and the global efforts of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on the climate change action plan, the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 has announced to hand him over the vice-chairmanship of the conference, which will be jointly chaired by the prime minister along with Egyptian Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

Becoming a vice president of the UN Conference of Parties (COP27) has been a global recognition for the efforts led by Pakistan over the drastic measures to cope with the climate change. Among 195-member countries of the United Nations, Pakistan has received the honour as a result of the effective voice raised by PM Shehbaz Sharif at the global and regional forums, regarding the need for an urgent climate action plan.

Egypt's President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi has invited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to co-chair the COP-27 meeting, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release on Monday.

The meeting, being held in Egypt's Sharm-el-Sheikh from November 6-8, will be attended by the world leaders, think-tanks, and the heads of governments and international financial institutions. This will be the 27th meeting organized by the United Nations regarding the problems of climate change and the need for sustainable solutions.

Following the recent floods in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif effectively voiced for immediate action on the challenges of climate change at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State and Government, Samarkand, and the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York.

The prime minister's proposal for global cooperation in addressing the challenge of climate change had received endorsement by the SCO member countries. The SCO summit was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 15-16.

The unusual monsoon downpour pattern had affected one third of Pakistan, inundating large swaths of Sindh and Balochistan provinces, besides affecting few districts of the Southern Punjab.

PM Shehbaz, soon after the heavy rainfall spells in Sindh and Balochistan that led to the devastating floods, galvanized the Federal and provincial governments and all the relevant institutions, and constituted the 'National Flood Relief and Response Center' so that with collective efforts, the dire situation could be tackled and advanced the national agenda by accelerating the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations.

Soon after the natural calamity, the prime minister started visiting the flood-affected areas on daily basis to ensure that all the required measures were in place. As emergency measures, payment of cash amount and provision of food, tents, blankets and other basic required items, were ensured.

Upon Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's appeal, the Islamic countries, global leaders and the humanitarian organizations promptly supplied the humanitarian assistance.

The time-tested friendly countries, including China, Turkiye and the brotherly Arab countries also started supplying relief assistance without any delay to express solidarity with Pakistan.

The visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Pakistan also proved significant in the pending challenge of rehabilitation of 33 million flood affected people. Guterres personally visited the flood-affected areas to oversee the scale of damages and assess the country's post-flood requirements.

After reviewing the situation, the UN Flood Flash Appeal of $160 million was scaled up to $816 million.

The UN secretary general had very effectively advocated the urgent need to support Pakistan and stressed upon the climate justice for the flood devastated country.

The prime minister, on his part, had adequately highlighted the destruction wrought by the climate changes during his addresses at the SCO summit and the 77th UNGA session, and stressed upon the developed countries to immediately support Pakistan and devise a clear future approach for those countries that might be bracing the impacts of climate changes.

French President Macron, during a meeting with the prime minister in New York, expressed his grief over the flood destruction in Pakistan and announced to host an international conference in which the significance of assisting Pakistan to overcome the challenges of rehabilitation and reconstruction through a long-term basis, would be highlighted.

The upcoming COP27 will be another important opportunity for the prime minister to highlight the global climate change devastation issue effectively. He will urge the developed countries to abide by the provisions of the Paris Agreement 2015, in which the industrialized countries had committed to mobilizing $100 billion per year to support the developing countries on a climate action plan.

On the sidelines of the event, the prime minister will also hold meetings with the different heads of the government, heads of global financial entities and representatives of think-tanks, and will discuss the future strategy to cope with the environmental challenges.

This year, Pakistan is chairing the Group of 77 and China, an influential bloc of 134 developing states. In its deliberations, Pakistan intends to pitch establishing a 'loss and damage' financial facility for those countries which are most vulnerable to climate change.

To lead by example domestically and to limit carbon emissions, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already launched an initiative to diversify Pakistan's energy mix in the future by generating 10,000 MW solar power into the national grid, aiming to transition from the use of fossil fuel to green energy.

Becoming a vice president of the UN Conference of Parties (COP27) has been a global recognition for the efforts led by Pakistan over the urgent need for drastic measures to tackle the climate changes.
Ukraine halts electricity exports to the EU from October 11 due to recent missile attacks, the country's energy ministry said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) Ukraine halts electricity exports to the EU from October 11 due to recent missile attacks, the country's energy ministry said.

Earlier, the Civil Service for Emergency Situations of Ukraine stated that five regions were completely de-energized after the morning strikes, the remaining regions were partially de-energized. Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office urged the Ukrainians to reduce energy consumption as much as possible in the evening.

"Ukraine stops exporting electricity due to Russian missile attacks on energy facilities," the ministry said on Facebook (banned in Russia as an extremist social network).

The ministry noted that Kiev was exporting electricity to the EU, as well as "through separate lines to Moldova and Poland."

"Today's missile attacks hit thermal generation and electrical substations, forcing Ukraine to stop exporting electricity from October 11, 2022, to stabilize its own energy system," the ministry said.
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UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to consider Haiti's request for the deployment of an international contingent in the country, which faces a cholera outbreak amid a deteriorating security situation.

"The Secretary-General urges the international community, including the members of the Security Council, to consider as of matter of urgency the request by the Haitian Government for the immediate deployment of an international specialized armed force to address the humanitarian crisis, including securing the free movement of water, fuel, food and medical supplies from main ports and airports to communities and health care facilities," Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said in a Sunday statement.

According to the spokesman, Guterres submitted a letter to the Security Council on Sunday, with options for enhanced security support to Haiti.

"The Secretary-General remains gravely concerned about the situation in Haiti, which is facing an outbreak of cholera amid a dramatic deterioration in security that has paralyzed the country," Dujarric said, calling on Haitian stakeholders to engage in peaceful dialogue.

Earlier this month, the Organization of American States (OAS) condemned the ongoing gang violence in Haiti which is beset by water and fuel shortages coupled with a cholera outbreak.

As Port-au-Prince faces serious challenges to its internal security, the OAS committed to helping Haitian authorities, including the Haitian National Police, with "robust" security assistance.

Haiti has long experienced social, political, and financial instability. The woes only deepened after the devastating 2010 earthquake and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.

Since the assassination of Moise, the country's already understaffed law enforcement agencies have struggled to keep crime at bay as gangs continue to gain in strength.
The four-month deal on exporting grains from Ukraine agreed with Moscow and Kyiv, which runs out on November 22, should be extended for a year, a UN chief said Monday

Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Oct, 2022 ) :The four-month deal on exporting grains from Ukraine agreed with Moscow and Kyiv, which runs out on November 22, should be extended for a year, a UN chief said Monday.

The United Nations' humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said he was "reasonably confident" that the Black Sea Grain Initiative deal would be renewed.

Two agreements brokered by the UN and Turkey were signed on July 22 -- to allow the export of Ukrainian grain blocked by Russia's war in the country, and the export of Russian food and fertilisers despite Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.

"It needs to go beyond the four-month cycle. We need to see it renewed for a year," Griffiths told a press conference in Geneva.

"The farmers need to know soon whether it is worth planting for the harvest that will come next year. And for that reason, we need to have a kind of certainty on the Black Sea operation." Russia complains that despite the Black Sea agreement, it is not able to sell its food and fertilisers due to the sanctions on its financial and logistics sectors.

- Fertiliser concerns - "We would like to see it renewed and possibly even expanded to include more fertiliser," Griffiths said of the deal.

The prices of synthetic fertilisers -- based on nitrogen, phosphorus or potash -- have tripled over the past year and a half following supply disruptions from Russia, which was the world's largest exporter, and the soaring price of gas which is essential in the manufacturing process.

The UN's emergency relief coordinator also hoped to see an agreement on exporting ammonia.

Griffiths said the systems and procedures already in place have been working well, and "they can be used, and even I hope expanded when we go into the renewal".

Griffiths said that Rebeca Grynspan, head of the UN's trade and development agency, which participated in negotiating the agreement, would travel to Moscow with him in a week's time to meet senior Russian officials.

The agreements aim to reduce tensions on global food markets, and to prevent poor countries from having to face serious food crises.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2022) A series of explosions occurred in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Monday, with Anton Gerashchenko, the adviser to the Ukrainian minister of internal affairs, attributing the blasts to kamikaze drones.

"breaking news! Center of Kyiv attacked by kamikaze drones," Gerashchenko wrote on Twitter.

According to Ukrainian media, explosions in Kiev and its surroundings are currently ongoing, with the air defense system working in the capital.

"Several explosions (were registered) in the Shevchenkivskyi district  in the center of the capital. All services are going to the scenes. Details (will be provided) later," Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, as quoted by Strana.ua.

Blasts are also being reported in the Ukrainian cities of Ternopil, Lviv, Zhytomyr and their vicinity.

"After reports about explosions, some areas of Lviv and Ternopil lost electricity," Gerashchenko said on Telegram.

In addition, the city of Dnipro is being hit by multiple blasts, Mayor Borys Filatov said on Telegram, while also asking local residents to remain in hiding.

Gerashchenko blamed Russia for the attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and asked West to provide Kiev with additional military assistance in this regard.

"Response to attacks should be full trade isolation for Russia and more weapons for (the icon for Ukraine): modern air defense, planes, tanks, artillery. Escalation won't help (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. We will win!" Gerashchenko wrote on Twitter.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics. The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly said the operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. It also accused Ukrainian troops of arranging military strongholds in civilian areas and using people as human shields.
The University of South Florida Department of Anthropology has begun the final steps in a long process to return the ancient ancestors of Native Americans, previously used for research, to the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

USF has catalogued and curated the remains of 200 individuals collected over several decades. Many were discovered during archaeological investigations, excavations for construction projects or donated by the general public  primarily from locations in Florida.

With support from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, some of their ancestors were recently reburied on protected land. The effort is part of the National Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 that requires institutions to inventory their holdings of Native American remains and funerary objects and consult with tribes on how they want to move forward in transferring custody.

Due to their condition, archaeologists previously labeled many of the remains as culturally unidentifiable, and used museums and universities, such as USF, as repositories for storage. Under federal law, the institutions are now required to consult with leaders of the tribal lands where the remains had been found to determine a course of action.

Anthropology Professor Thomas Pluckhahn has reached out to more than 100 federally recognized tribes for consultation and has identified USFs collection as being affiliated with nine tribes across five states.

Its a highly complicated process as some tribes may prefer that the remains of their ancestors stay with the museum, at least for the time being, Pluckhahn said. Others prefer to have them reburied, but dont wish to have any physical contact with the remains  owing to spiritual prohibitions on handling them  and others want to move forward with reburial, such as the Seminole Tribe of Florida, as expeditiously as possible.

The repatriation of our ancestors is paramount to the health and well-being of tribal populations today. Lets not forget, the ancestors who sit in collections were erroneously stolen from their graves, said Tina Marie Osceola, tribal member and director of the Seminole Tribe of Floridas Tribal Historic Preservation Office. The more universities like USF work to correct the wrongs of the past, it is our hope that the moral compass of society will change, and the ancestors of indigenous people are no longer collected like fossils to line shelves.

In addition to the Seminole tribes of Florida and Oklahoma, the human remains in USFs possession are determined to be culturally affiliated with the Quapaw Nation, Osage Nation and Shawnee Tribe in Arkansas; the Hopi Tribe and the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation in Arizona; and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians in California. Pluckhahn is now working to return the remains to their descendants.

To learn more about Pluckhahn's research, visit Boundless Bulls.
Meeting 300 young people from Belgium, Pope Francis encourages them to live out their faith with creativity in the face of difficulties and crises, and says the Church needs their enthusiasm to build a world imbued with the values of fraternity, peace, and reconciliation.

By Lisa Zengarini

Pope Francis has invited a group of young pilgrims from Belgium to be ambassadors of peace in a broken world, and encouraged them to be creative in the face of difficulties, while always confiding in Jesus, and allowing themselves to be enlightened by the experience of the elderly.

The Church is young

Addressing a group of 300 young people from Belgian parishes in the Clementine Hall on Monday, the Pope praised their commitment and Christian witness in an increasingly secularized and conflictual society.

He said the Church needs their enthusiasm and generosity to build a better and more peaceful world.

You are not only the future of the Church, but above all her present. She needs you, because the Church is young and needs your generosity, your joy, your will to build a different world, imbued with the values of fraternity, peace, and reconciliation.

Crises make us grow

In the face of difficulties and crises, which he remarked make us grow, Pope Francis invited the young people to cultivate a solid relationship with Christ, calling Him the faithful friend who never disappoints. A relationship with Christ, he added, can help us accept our own frailty and weakness with humility and without fear.



You don't need to be superheroes, but rather sincere, true and free people.

He also encouraged them to cultivate closeness to their peers, in particular to those living in precarious situations, young migrants and refugees, youth living in the street, as well as those who experience loneliness and sadness.



Dialogue with the elderly

Referring to their aspirations for a true and authentic Church, Pope Francis reiterated that for them to contribute to a joyful Christian community they need to let themselves be enlightened by the advice and testimony of the elderly, who are our roots.

It is by growing in dialogue with the elderly," he said, "that we can form a solid personality for our daily struggles. They also transmit their faith and religious convictions to us.

Be artisans of peace

One of those struggles in these difficult times for humanity, the Holy Father continued, is peace, which can be attained by spreading the Christian values in society.

Be artisans of peace around you and within you. Be ambassadors of peace, so that the world rediscovers the beauty of love, of living together, of fraternity, of solidarity.

Never tire of being bearers of the Gospel

He therefore invited the Belgian pilgrims not be afraid of challenges and never tire of being bearers of the Gospel wherever they go, without being distracted by the many trivialities of life, but rather focusing on the essential, which comes from our friendship with Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, the Pope entrusted them to the maternal care of the Virgin Mary, and highlighted the importance of praying the Rosary a school of prayer and life.




The Cumma Metawriter allows a shopper to select from hundreds of different software titles at the touch of a button. The Metawriter looks suspiciously like a high-tech version of an old fashioned Coke machine. But consumers bring their own bottles. The way the system operates is simple. A consumer loads a ROM cartridge into a slot and a program is transferred on to it.





Bushnell is not alone behind Cumma. He has brought with him all the old Atari cobal. So it could be software vending machines in every gas station across America.

When Nolan Bushnell sold Atari to Warner Communications, he agreed not to compete with the company for a specified period. When ban expired, Bushnell has introduced a software vending machine, the Cumma Metawriter, in 1983.
A court in Cambodia on Friday imposed a heavy fine on a leading opposition politician after finding him guilty of defamation for saying that nationwide local elections in June were unfair.

Son Chhay, deputy president of the Candlelight Party, had said in an online interview after the polls that the National Election Committee was biased in favor of the governing Cambodian Peoples Party. He also alleged there was vote-buying and intimidation of voters.

The National Election Committee and the Cambodian Peoples Party each sued the veteran politician for defamation.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court fined Son Chhay 9 million riel ($2,250) in the election committee case. In the case filed by the Cambodian Peoples Party, he was ordered to pay a fine of 8 million riel ($2,000) to the state and 3 billion riel ($750,000) in compensation to the governing party.

The Candlelight Party is likely to be the biggest and most credible party challenging Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian Peoples Party in next years general election.

The governing party faced a much stronger challenge ahead of the 2018 election from the highly popular Cambodia National Rescue Party. But it was disbanded just months ahead of the polls by a controversial court ruling that it had plotted the illegal overthrow of the government.

Cambodian courts are widely believed to be under the influence of the government, and the disbanding of the governing partys main rival allowed it to sweep all of the seats in the National Assembly.

Virtually all of the former Cambodia National Rescue Party leaders are in hiding, in jail or in self-imposed exile abroad, fearing arrest.

The Candlelight Party is the unofficial successor to the Cambodia National Rescue Party. The governing party won Junes local elections with 74.3% of the votes, with the Candlelight Party receiving about 22.3%.

The large fine imposed on Son Chhay, the most prominent figure in the Candlelight Party, will pressure the opposition party ahead of next year's polls, especially since it operates on a shoestring budget. Hun Sens party controls the levers of government and is close to nearly all newspapers and broadcasters.

The Cambodian Peoples Party has held an iron grip on power for decades and controls almost every level of government. Hun Sen, an authoritarian ruler in a nominally democratic state, has held power for 37 years.

In recent years, his government has aggressively pursued legal action against its opponents, hindering their ability to operate freely, and sometimes hounding them into exile or jailing them.

Speaking to reporters on Friday after the verdict was issued, defense lawyer Choung Chou Ngy called the decision an injustice and said he will talk to Son Chhay about lodging an appeal.

This story is a political case and from my observation, I have seen that they wanted to kick him out from entering the political arena, the lawyer said.
Thousands of people rallied Sunday in Bosnia for the second time in a week, alleging that a pro-Russian Bosnian Serb leader rigged a ballot during a general election in the Balkan country earlier this month.

Final results of the Oct. 2 vote in Bosnia are yet to be announced. The election was held for all levels of government in both the Serb-dominated and Bosniak-Croat parts of the Balkan country, as well as for the joint central institutions.

Leading Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik has claimed victory in the election for the post of presidency of the Serb entity. Opposition leaders, however, claim that their candidate Jelena Trivic is the winner, and that Dodik rigged the ballot.

Citing reports of irregularities, central election authorities in Bosnia's capital Sarajevo have ordered the unsealing of ballot boxes and a recount at around 1,000 polling stations throughout the country before establishing the final tally.

Dodik, the most powerful politician the Bosnian Serb's semi-autonomous region, has denied allegations that he orchestrated an election fraud to rob his main challenger of her election triumph.

At Sunday's rally in the northern city of Banja Luka, Trivic said the opposition wants a recount and a check of all ballots in the Bosnian Serb entity, and an investigation into possible vote-rigging.

"It wasn't me who was robbed, it was the people," said Trivic. "We will not back down, we won't stop."

The crowd chanted "Mile thief!" referring to Dodik by his nickname.

Dodik has ruled practically unchallenged for years despite being sanctioned by the West for advocating the separation of Republika Srpska, as the Serb entity is called, from the rest of Bosnia. Russia has backed Dodik, fueling fears in the West that Moscow might try to create further instability in volatile Bosnia to avert some attention from the war in Ukraine.

Separatist ambitions among ethnic Serbs sparked the devastating 1992-95 war in Bosnia, which killed more than 100,000 people, displaced millions and shattered the country for years to come. A U.S.-brokered peace agreement that ended the war created the Serb and Bosniak-Croat entities, tied loosely by joint institutions.

The Balkan nation of 3.3 million people remains plagued by corruption and ethnic tensions that have impeded efforts to join the European Union.
A landslide fueled by flooding and days of torrential rain swept through a town in central Venezuela, leaving at least 22 people dead as it dragged mud, rocks and trees through neighborhoods, authorities said Sunday. Dozens of people are missing.

Residents of Las Tejerias in Santos Michelena, an agro-industrial town in Aragua state 54 miles (87 kilometers) southwest of Caracas, had just seconds to reach safety Saturday as debris swept down a mountainside onto them.

The official death toll rose to 22 after the recovery of 20 bodies Sunday, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez told state-owned Venezolana de Television.

There was a large landslide in the central area of Las Tejerias where five streams overflowed, she said from the scene of the disaster. We have already found 22 dead people; there are more than 52 missing.

There are still people walled-in," Rodriguez said. "We are trying to rescue them, to rescue them alive.

She said shelters will be set up for people who lost their homes.

Higher on the mountainside, most of the houses were swept away, including those of a group of Evangelicals who were praying when the landslide hit, said homemaker Carmen Teresa Chirinos, a resident of Las Tejerias. Families in tears hugged in front of destroyed homes and businesses.

There are a lot of people missing," Chirinos said.

Hours earlier, Major Gen. Carlos Perez Ampueda, the vice minister for risk management and civil protection, had said via Twitter that several people were reported missing in the El Beisbol and La Agotada neighborhoods in the north of the town. Dozens of homes were damaged by the landslide.

Rescuers were carrying out search operations with trained dogs and drones, Perez Ampueda said. Crews of workers and heavy machinery removed debris to clear roads and restore electricity and water services.

So many families lost their houses and I, as a businessman, lost my pizzeria," said Luis Fuentes, who opened his pizza restaurant two years ago. Look, I have nothing.

Aragua Gov. Karina Carpio said the floodwaters terribly affected 21 sectors in Las Tejerias, capital of the Santos Michelena municipality, which has some 54,000 inhabitants.

During the past week, torrential rains have caused flooding in 11 of Venezuelas 23 states.

President Nicolas Maduro said 20,000 officials, including rescuers and members of security forces, have been deployed to affected regions.
The U.N. General Assembly will vote Tuesday to admit 14 countries to the 47-member Human Rights Council; among them are some candidates with poor rights records, including Afghanistan and Venezuela.

Seventeen candidate countries from five regional groups are running, but only two groups  Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean states  face a real contest. The other three groups are running clean slates although countries will still need a simple majority of the secret ballots to make it onto the Geneva-based council.

Venezuela is in a contested group. It will face Chile and Costa Rica for two available seats.

Venezuelas vengeful assault on critics of the government makes the country unfit for membership in the U.N.s top rights body, Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. Returning this abusive government to the council would undermine the U.N.s credibility by rewarding Venezuelan authorities with a role in judging other countries human rights while they brutalize their population.

A U.N. fact-finding mission said in a September report that President Nicolas Maduros intelligence agency has suppressed the countrys opposition through arbitrary detentions and torture that amounted to war crimes. On Friday, the human rights council renewed the missions mandate for another two years.

The Maduro government has dismissed the accusations as "false and unfounded."

U.N. member states will soon have the opportunity to close the door on Venezuelas return to the Human Rights Council, Charbonneau added. With the likes of China, Eritrea and Cuba already on the council, the U.N. rights body would benefit from having one fewer member whos a walking advertisement for torture and other abuses, and impunity.

Another controversial candidate is Afghanistan, which has been in the headlines for the past year for the Talibans mistreatment of women, girls and minorities, and their broad crackdown on personal freedoms.

Countries that join the council are expected to "uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights" both at home and abroad.

While Afghanistan is de facto under Taliban control, its U.N. seat is still in the hands of the previous government, in large part because no country has officially recognized the Taliban regime. If elected, it would be the hold-over diplomats who are loyal to the previous government who would take the HRC seat.

Afghanistan will face Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Korea and Vietnam in its regional group for four vacant seats.

Human Rights Watch is critical of Vietnams human rights record, saying the one-party rule of the Communist Party systematically suppresses basic civil and political rights. Government critics are often subjected to police harassment, arbitrary arrest and jail.

In the African regional bloc, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa and Sudan are competing uncontested for four seats. In the Eastern Europe group, Georgia and Romania are running a so-called clean slate, as are Belgium and Germany in the Western European and Others group.

Members serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms. The new members will start their terms on January 1, 2023.

Criticism

The council has a mixed reputation. Diplomats say it has produced some important and strong reports on war crimes in places such as Syria and spotlights domestic abuses in North Korea, Iran and Myanmar, among others. But it is also frequently criticized for its focus on Israel and the inclusion among its members of several countries with poor rights records of their own such as China and Pakistan.

This year, the council took the rare action of suspending a member for its bad behavior.

On April 7, Russia became only the second state to be suspended (Moammar Gadhafis Libya was the first) from the HRC, when the General Assembly voted Moscow off for atrocities it has been accused of in its war in Ukraine. The Czech Republic was voted to finish the remainder of the term through December 2023.

The Human Rights Council was created in 2006 to replace the dysfunctional U.N. Human Rights Commission, which was disbanded.

Some information in this report came from Reuters.
Ukrainian psychologist Tatyana Bogkova was on a birthday trip in Poland with her mother and 4-year-old daughter when Russian troops invaded her homeland earlier this year.

With shells raining on Kharkiv city and her policeman husband staying to fight, the 32-year-old chose to take refuge in Spain, where she quickly translated her CV and took language lessons in hopes of a job.

She is still searching.

"I am not afraid of any job, but I would like to do what I learned," Bogkova said in a Madrid cafe near a Catholic Church aid center, which together with a family offered her and her family free housing until December.

"Every day I look for ideas on how to work while my daughter is at school," added Bogkova, who with her mother cleans a cafeteria every other week and also volunteers on social media content for a charity.

Bogkova and her family are among 7.6 million Ukrainian refugees scattered around Europe since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops over the border and heavily bombarded cities like Kharkiv.

The Ukrainians were initially welcomed with open arms into shelters and homes across Europe, where authorities skipped bureaucratic hurdles at a speed that raised eyebrows among refugees from Syria, Africa and elsewhere.

Yet as the war drags into its eighth month and their hopes of a quick return recede, many feel in limbo and are struggling to make ends meet.

Europe's cost-of-living crisis, including soaring energy bills just as winter looms, has exacerbated their plight.

"Initially, a lot of people came [to Portugal] feeling depressed because of the war. ... Now, their main issue is the situation here," said Ihor Ostrovskyi, a 57-year-old academic from Lviv who fled to Portugal shortly after the invasion.

He works at the front desk of a huge warehouse that is Lisbon's refugee center and said most of those coming in need urgent help finding a job or a house.

"Nobody knew this was going to last this long," he said of Portuguese families' waning enthusiasm to open homes for free.

'Existential emergency'

Portugal has taken more than 52,000 Ukrainians, with authorities running programs to help them pay rent and find houses in a process that some found slow.

Spain has taken in 142,000 under temporary protection and guaranteed them health care and employment services from day one, advantages that other refugee groups do not have as quickly.

But the refugees have struggled to find decently paid jobs, especially those matching their skill sets.

Many lack the local language skills, and most are women  many single mothers  because Ukrainian men of fighting age largely stayed behind. Those who do find work are often forced into low-wage sectors such as tourism, agriculture and construction.

In Spain, official data shows only 13% of 90,000 Ukrainians of working age have a job. Some 61% of arrivals had been in higher education, with 28% possessing degrees or professional qualifications, most typically economists, engineers, software developers and entrepreneurs.

In Portugal, job center IEFP has only 5,523 Ukrainian professionals listed available to work.

Ever-welcoming Germany took in nearly 1 million Ukrainians between February and September but less than 10% have jobs, according to the Federal Employment Agency, although almost 340,000 Ukrainians are registered as seeking work.

Agency spokesperson Susanne Eikemeier said limiting factors were lack of childcare, difficulty recognizing foreign diplomas and language issues. Since many were experiencing "an existential emergency" after fleeing war, she added, finding work was not always a priority.

In Portugal's top holiday region, the Algarve, Maria Joao de Deus set up a group to help Ukrainian refugees in the municipality of Lagoa. But accommodations dwindled as dwellings were turned over to tourists during the summer, and now jobs are shrinking anyway as the holiday season ends.

"There are people returning to Ukraine due to lack of opportunities," she said.

Depression becomes an issue

The Spanish International Protection Unit, which cares for migrants, is offering language courses and employment programs in an effort to "adjust expectations" to reality and facilitate integration, said general director Amapola Blasco.

But many Ukrainians skip classes or turn down jobs because they do not intend to stay long, she added.

"Many of them are not willing to work in the catering service or care sectors, which is where it is relatively easy to find a job, even if your language skills are limited," she said. "These jobs do not meet their expectations."

Though 2,000 Spanish companies made jobs available to Ukrainians, few were able to meet the often very specific requirements.

"The administration worked well, they quickly had all the permits, but the reality is that there are no suitable positions for them," said Gonzaga Avello, a consultancy firm founder who tried to help in the hiring process.

Without a job, renting becomes harder.

In Portugal, Ukrainian travel agent Oksana Voloshyna, 42, would like to stay until it is safe to return home, but she is intimidated by the country's bureaucracy.

Refugees were able to register for temporary protection online but most only have an e-mail confirmation.

"The future is unpredictable in Ukraine so we would like to have something more predictable here in Portugal," she said. "I don't want to be an illegal migrant."

The Iberian nations have given one-year protection to Ukrainians, though that can be extended.

Katherine, 34, a model and clothes designer, was recovering from breast cancer surgery when Odesa came under attack. Now she lives in a refugee center on Spain's Gran Canaria island with her 12-year-old son and is receiving medical assistance.

Despite suffering depression, she is working on her Spanish and trying to find a job in tourism, so far without success.

"I had a dream life," she said, strolling on a nearby beach. "Now, I do not have a home."
This week marks twenty years since the terrorist bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed 202 people.

The atrocity in Bali is the largest loss of life suffered by Australians in a terrorist attack.

At about 11 p.m. local time on Oct. 12, 2002, three bombs were detonated. Two exploded at popular tourist destinations  the Sari Club and Paddys Bar  the third in front of the American consulate.

The victims came from more than 20 countries, including Indonesia, Britain, the United States, Brazil, Germany and New Zealand. Australia suffered the largest loss with 88 fatalities.

The attack was carried out by the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah militant organization.

More than 30 people were eventually arrested for their involvement.

The suspected mastermind Hambali  also known as Encep Nurjaman  is being held at the United States facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and has been held since 2006. Three other key conspirators were executed in Indonesia in November 2008.

Almost 200 Australians would later receive formal recognition for their bravery and the help they gave in the aftermath of the bombings.

Ric Smith, who was the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia in 2002, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Monday that the response to the bomb blasts was heroic.

People dived into the bomb site and recovered people, helped friends out, helped people they did not know out to safety, carried them to the hospitals, carried them to the clinics, took them to the hotel foyers where they could be attended to. They were heroes on the spot, on the day, he said.

Australias minister for foreign affairs Penny Wong said in an August 27 statement that the anniversary of the bombings would be a difficult day for many in Australia, Indonesia and around the world, and our thoughts are with the survivors, families and loved ones of those killed.

Senator Wong also praised efforts by Indonesia and Australia to combat the scourge of violent extremism.

The Australian government will hold a memorial service at Parliament House in Canberra to mark the anniversary on 12 October.

A commemorative ceremony will also be held on the same day at the Australian Consulate General in Bali, Indonesia.
Officials in Cameroon say the number of mental health patients in the country has more than doubled in the past year, as the country deals with a separatist crisis in its western regions and Boko Haram clashes in the north.

Fonbe Hedwick is the director of the Vine Mental Health Center, in Bameda, capital of Cameroons volatile Northwest region.

He says his center was chosen for World Mental Health Day activities in Bamenda because the number of psychiatric patients at the center increased from less than 20 in 2021 to over 100 in October 2022.

"We are receiving those who have gone through traumas, and they are sad, many who complain of sleeplessness, some who cannot be able to control themselves, they are so restless, so agitated. Some with severe anger issues. They present emotional and behavioral tendencies which are uncontrollable," said Fonbe.

Fonbe said many families lack the resources to care for psychiatric patients at home and either abandon the patients at the center or put them on the streets.

Rebecca Nkwate is the highest government official in charge of mental patients in the Northwest region. She says the number of psychiatric patients seeking help in the region has increased from less than 2,500 to over 6,000 within the past year.

"Some of them come here already abused, so we listen to their story to increase their morale and in the course of looking for solutions, it may require that we go for home visits," said Nkwate. "We help them at the level of the police and we work with those that go to the hospital when it comes to trauma management. We make sure that they enjoy the same human rights like other people."

Overall, Cameroon says the number of mental patients in the central African state has more than doubled from about 10,000 to 23,000 in the past 12 months.

The government says with the separatist crisis in western regions and Boko Haram terrorism on the northern border decreasing, humanitarian workers are better able to find and assist patients abandoned in villages where fighting was intensive.

Laure Mengueme is the director of mental health at Cameroon's Ministry of Health. She says many people lost family members in the conflicts or experienced acts of abuse, violence and trauma, triggering mental health crises.

She urges civilians to seek medical help instead of taking psychiatric patients to traditional healers or pastors who claim they have miracle solutions to mental health problems.

She says a majority of the mental patients government workers are assisting to recover their health are nervous, aggressive, irritated and violent. She simply says doctors and therapists should exercise more patience with psychiatric patients when the patients become violent. She says the country counts very much on doctors and therapists to reduce the growing number of mental patients.

The World Health Organization reports that growing social and economic inequalities, protracted conflicts, violence and public health emergencies continue to take a toll on mental health, in Cameroon and worldwide.

The U.N. says a staggering 84 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced in 2021 leading to an increase in the number of people in need of mental health care.

The 2022 World Mental Health Day theme is "Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority."
Two journalists with CNN left Thailand Monday after authorities accused them of using tourist visas to enter the country while covering the aftermath of a deadly mass shooting that left nearly 40 adults and children dead.

Anna Coren, 47, and Daniel Hodge, 34, faced widespread criticism for recording a video segment inside a day care center in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lam Phu, where dozens of children were killed by an ex-police officer in a gun and knife attack.

Authorities said the journalists had inappropriately entered an active crime scene without permission and were initially reported to be investigated over the allegations.

Thailands deputy national police chief, Surachate Hakparn, has since said both reporters have been cleared of any misconduct but were fined $133 (5,000 baht) and agreed to leave the country, The Associated Press reported.

The journalists were scheduled to fly to Hong Kong, and sources say they were not blacklisted by Thailands immigration authorities, Thai PBS reported.

Background shooting

On Thursday, ex-police officer Panya Kamrab killed at least 38 people, including 24 children, in an attack that began at the childcare center in the town of Uthai Sawan. Victims of the killing spree included children under five years of age and a woman who was eight months pregnant.

Local authorities said the gunman had been fired from the police force earlier this year and was at the time facing trial over drug charges. Following the attacks, the 34-year-old killed his wife and stepson before committing suicide.

Although mass shootings are rare in Thailand, last weeks incident was the worst of its kind in the countrys history. The massacre has caused grief throughout Thailand, and although funeral proceedings have begun, the victims families are still trying to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones.

The deadly event has been a major story worldwide and been covered by local and international media since the news broke.

Meanwhile, a photo has circulated on social media, showing the CNN reporters leaving the day care center, with one of the crew climbing over a cordoned off fence. The image caused local outrage from Thai netizens and alerted authorities to the alleged breach of the crime scene by the journalists.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) released a statement at the time saying it was dismayed that the journalists didnt obtain permission while entering the scene. The FCCT said the journalists did so in an unprofessional manner and committed a serious breach of journalistic ethics in crime reporting.

In response, a CNN statement said both reporters had been given permission by either a volunteer or health officer to enter the care center, unaware that the person wasnt permitted to do so.

The journalists were later escorted to a local police station and questioned before being fined and stripped of their visitor visas.

Anna Coren

Anna Coren, an Australian journalist who joined CNN in 2008, apologized in a video posted to Twitter.

I would like to offer my deepest apologies to the people of Thailand, especially the families of the victims of this tragedy, Coren said. We are so sorry if weve caused you more pain and suffering; that was never our intention. We would also like to apologize to the Thai police and to the deputy police chief for the inconvenience that we have caused.

Mike McCarthy, executive vice president of CNN International, released a statement it was never any intention to contravene any rules and the network deeply regret any distress the report may have caused.

The video segment both journalists produced in the day care center has since been pulled from broadcasting and removed from CNNs website.

Parachute journalism

Part of CNNs now-removed video showed the day care center still marred with blood-stained floors, which drew criticism for its insensitivity to the situation.

Pravit Rojanaphruk, a veteran journalist with Khaosod English, an online media outlet, said gruesome photos being published by local Thai media were once considered the norm, but today practices have changed.

Things have changed since then, and the tendency now is to avoid running disturbing photos of crime and accident victims, Pravit told VOA. CNN parachuting in and caught in picture crossing the cordoned area of the crime, thus became a big issue and a reminder of the unresolved debate among the Thai press as to whats fit for print.

Phansasiri Kularb, a journalism lecturer at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, said parachute journalism, a practice of sending reporters to places where they have limited knowledge, has its benefits. The purpose of such reporting is to produce well-round[ed], multi-perspectival coverage, Phansasiri said,

Phansasiri, however, noted the drawbacks.

If journalists do not have much knowledge about the region, situation or political contexts, and only focus on getting stories out by disregarding social sentiments and the complexity of the conflict  their presence tends to cause further harms, tension and misunderstandings rather than presenting useful facts for the public, the lecturer told VOA.

This is not the first time CNN has come under criticism in Southeast Asia.

In April 2021, a CNN crew interviewed Myanmar citizens during the height of mass protests after last years military coup there. Later, local authorities arrested 11 people as a result of the interviews given to the news organization.
Monday is Columbus Day in the U.S., a federal holiday that celebrates the so-called discoverer of the Americas  the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

U.S. President Joe Biden also has proclaimed, as he did last year, Monday as Indigenous Peoples Day. His proclamation does not make Indigenous Peoples Day a federal holiday, even though Bidens proclamation for the observance calls for it to be celebrated on the second Monday in October, the same day as Columbus Day.

Native Americans and other groups have long taken offense at the celebration of Columbus because the holiday has traditionally overlooked the death, destruction and disease that Columbus and his crew brought with them to the Americas.

A holiday that recognizes that cultures inhabited the Americas thousands of years before the arrival of Columbus is slowly gaining traction in the U.S. with more than 12 states and many cities officially recognizing the contribution of Native peoples on the second Monday in October.

Columbus Day, however, is still on the calendar in much of the U.S. and on Monday, many will honor him.
The death toll from a boat accident in Nigeria's southeastern state of Anambra has risen to 76, the president said on Sunday.

The vessel capsized on Friday amid heavy flooding in the Ogbaru area of Anambra, according to officials on Saturday, when they said at least 10 people had died and 60 were missing.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Sunday, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said that emergency authorities had confirmed the higher death toll.

Authorities are working to rescue or recover any missing passengers, said Buhari, adding that he had directed the relevant agencies to check safety protocols to prevent future accidents.

The head of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency said that 15 people had been rescued as of Saturday night.

Anambra is among 29 of Nigeria's 36 states to have experienced heavy flooding this year. The waters have washed away homes, crops and roads and affected at least half a million people.

A local resident, Afam Ogene, told Reuters that because flooding had destroyed the major road linking eight communities to the rest of the area, some residents had to travel by boat.

Of the vessel that capsized, he said it was locally made and had the capacity to carry more than 100 people. He added that the boat's engine had failed and it was overpowered by waves shortly after it launched.
The United Nations and other aid organizations in Ukraine said on Monday that Russia firing missiles at cities across the country had disrupted their humanitarian work on the ground.

Russia hit sites across Ukraine, striking Kyiv with an intensity not seen since Russian forces sought to capture the capital early in the more than seven-month war.

Moscow says the strikes were against energy, command and communication targets in retaliation for what it describes as terrorist attacks.

"The wave of attacks, claimed by Russia has ... impacted humanitarian operations across Ukraine, particularly hampering the movement of aid workers and delivery of emergency supplies in the east of the country, where people are in desperate need of assistance," the U.N. humanitarian office said in a report.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has some 700 staff at 10 locations across the country and delivers aid and medicine, said earlier on Monday that its teams had paused operations. A second Red Cross spokesperson later added that while field work had temporarily halted, aid workers were able to continue desk work.

"As soon as it's safe to move, they will," said Jason Straziuso.

The Norwegian Refugee Council also said that it had halted its aid operations in Ukraine until it is safe to resume, saying the temporary pause was affecting its work to pre-position supplies ahead of winter.

"We cannot aid vulnerable communities when our aid workers are hiding from a barrage of bombs and in fear of repeated attacks," said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the NRC.

"People are heartbroken that they had to freeze out work today. Hopefully, we can start work again even as early as tomorrow," he later told Reuters in an interview, saying he was worried about the impact of the disruptions on the elderly, many of whom are too weak to seek refuge elsewhere.

A spokesperson for the U.N. Refugee Agency said its operations continued, with staff sheltering during air raids.
In the past two weeks, Kenya has taken advantage of a pilot program by the Africa Continental Free Trade Area which aims to facilitate and increase trade across Africa.

The East African country shipped its first batches of locally made car batteries and tea to Ghana, 21 months after the AfCFTA pact was launched. The countries are among eight taking part in this trial phase.

Associated Battery Manufacturers Limited in Nairobi exported its first locally made batteries to Ghana a few weeks ago.

Finance manager Nixon Paloma said the company, which specializes in automotive and solar batteries, had been trading with other East and Southern Africa regional blocs, but this is the first trade with the West African region.

"As you know, one reason why Africa has not been trading with itself is [due to] logistical problems, tariff problems, non-tariff barriers, as well," Paloma said. "So, the secretariat has come up with rules and regulations to encourage manufacturers in Africa to trade with other African countries. That's what we took advantage of."

Paloma said that getting preferential tariff rates is one of the main benefits of trading under this pilot phase.

"For now, for example in Ghana, we are supposed to get 2 percent every year. So, the duty will be lowered at the rate of 2 percent each year until it goes to zero. So, in 10 years' time, we will be exporting goods to Ghana without any tariffs," Paloma said.

Ghana's high commissioner to Kenya, Damptey Bediako Asare, told VOA the trial phase that started in July is a significant step toward implementation of the AfCFTA.

"Most of the time we have African countries coming out with a lot of flagship programs and projects, but they remain on the shelves because we are waiting for everyone to get ready before we roll it out," he said. "Some of us believe right from the beginning, 'Why don't we put together countries that are ready to start trading under the CFTA so that they form a nucleus family of countries that ... are ready to implement the CFTA?' And I think that's exactly what happened."

Asare highlighted tariff reduction as a direct benefit under the new pan-African deal.

"We have a lot of African countries that are landlocked," he said. "So, if you are going to be participating in [the AfCFTA], how are they going to participate in this exercise of trading among ourselves meaningfully? We need to improve infrastructure."

Kwame Owino, chief executive officer of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think-tank based in Kenya, told VOA that rather than a free-trade agreement, it's important to note that AfCFTA is more of a guided-trade agreement.

"Because if it was a free-trade agreement, it would be unilateral. Simply say look, provided you are an African country, a member of the AU or having signed this and this treaty, or ratified it, then you should send whatever goods meeting this quality and this classification into a country regardless of any other conditions," Owino said.

This first step of allowing AfCFTA countries to trade is a good one, Asare said. He said apart from the economic benefits, nothing comes close to enhancing integration more than when countries start to trade among each other.


For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

The latest developments in Russias war on Ukraine. All times EDT.

11 p.m.: The German government on Monday failed to approve a draft law to put on reserve two of the country's last nuclear power plants beyond their planned phase-out due to political disagreements, the Economy Ministry said, complicating Berlin's energy plans for the winter.

Germany had planned to complete a phase-out of nuclear power by the end of this year, but a collapse in energy supplies from Russia because of the war in Ukraine has prompted the government to keep two plants on standby until April.

But disagreements within the German cabinet could jeopardize the possible lifespan extension for the Isar II power plant, a spokesperson for the Economy Ministry told Reuters.

"This means that the tight schedule for the procedure cannot be kept," the spokesperson said, adding that the power plant operators were informed of the delay on Monday.

9:22 p.m.: Indias External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Russias war on Ukraine does not serve the interests of anybody, but declined to say whether his government would support a United Nations General Assembly motion condemning Moscows annexation of Ukrainian territories, The Associated Press reported.

Jaishankar was speaking at a joint news conference Monday with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong after a bilateral meeting at Parliament House where the Ukraine war was discussed.

We have been very clearly against the conflict in Ukraine. We believe that this conflict does not serve the interests of anybody. Neither the participants nor indeed of the international community, Jaishankar said.

As a country of the Global South, we have been seeing firsthand how much it has impacted low-income countries, the challenges that they are facing in terms of fuel and food and fertilizers, he added.

Asked if India would support the U.N. motion this week condemning Moscows annexation of four Ukraine regions, Jaishankar replied: As a matter of prudence and policy, we dont predict our votes in advance.

India is a major market for Russian-manufactured weapons.

Indias relationship with Russia had certainly served our interests well, Jaishankar said.

8:22 p.m.:

7:27 p.m.: The United Nations and other aid organizations in Ukraine said on Monday that Russia firing missiles at cities across the country had disrupted their humanitarian work on the ground, Reuters reported.

Russia hit sites across Ukraine, striking Kyiv with an intensity not seen since Russian forces sought to capture the capital early in the more than seven-month war.

Moscow says the strikes were against energy, command and communication targets in retaliation for what it describes as terrorist attacks.

"The wave of attacks, claimed by Russia, has... impacted humanitarian operations across Ukraine, particularly hampering the movement of aid workers and delivery of emergency supplies in the east of the country, where people are in desperate need of assistance," the U.N. humanitarian office said in a report.

6:44 p.m.: The websites for a number of major U.S. airports were briefly taken offline Monday after a cyberattack promoted by a pro-Russian hacking group, Agence France-Presse reported.

The distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks hit the airport websites of several major U.S. cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and St Louis.

A DDOS attack involves knocking a website offline by flooding it with traffic.

The airport websites were targeted after the pro-Russian hacking group known as "KillNet" published a list of sites and encouraged its followers to attack them.

The DDOS attacks only affected the public-facing websites of the airports, which supply flight and services information and do not have any impact on operations.

KillNet claimed responsibility last week for attacks on a number of U.S. state government websites, and it has taken aim at other countries opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

5:55 p.m.:



5:23 p.m.: The European Union joined an international chorus of criticism and condemnation following the Russian missile attacks across Ukraine Monday, The Associated Press reports.

Russia once again has shown to the world what it stands for. It is terror and brutality, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. I know Ukrainians will not be intimidated. And Ukrainians know that we will stand by your side, their side as long as it takes.

EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders had to be rushed to an underground shelter as he was visiting the Ukraine capital Kyiv to assess evidence of possible war crimes with local officials.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called the attacks sickening. It shows the world, again, the regime we are faced with: One that targets indiscriminately. One that rains terror & death down on children.

4:27 p.m.: British Prime Minister Liz Truss says Russias missile strikes across Ukraine are a sign of Ukrainian success and Russian President Vladimir Putins increasing desperation, The Associated Press reports.

Truss spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday.

The U.K. stands wholeheartedly behind President Zelenskyy and Ukraine. Putins destructive rhetoric and behavior will not diminish our resolve, the prime ministers office said.

Britain said Group of Seven leaders would re-emphasize the unity of opposition to Putins despicable campaign when they hold a virtual meeting with Zelenskyy Tuesday.

3:11 p.m.: A second round of air raid sirens rang across Kyiv Monday afternoon, sending many across the city back underground into shelters following missile strikes earlier in the day, The Associated Press reports.

Missile strikes across Ukraine Monday morning marked the biggest and most widespread Russian attacks in months.

Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said a Russian missile had hit a playground in downtown Kyiv and another struck a central building of a local university. He said there was no practical military sense in the strikes, maintaining that Russias goal was to cause a humanitarian catastrophe.

Explosions have been reported in Kryvyi Rih, a city in Ukraines central Dnipropetrovsk region, that came under attack for a second time Monday.

City governor Oleksandr Vilkul said the city was attacked by Iranian-built Shahed-136 drones.

2:32 p.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has promised to continue unwavering support for Ukraine after Mondays missile strikes, The Associated Press reports.

I just spoke with (Ukrainian Foreign Minister) Dmytro Kuleba to reiterate U.S. support for Ukraine following the Kremlins horrific strikes this morning, Blinken wrote in a tweet. We will continue to provide unwavering economic, humanitarian, and security assistance so Ukraine can defend itself and take care of its people.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also spoke to Kuleba Monday. In a tweet, Stoltenberg said the condemned Russias horrific and indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

He affirmed that NATO will continue supporting the brave Ukrainian people to fight back against the Kremlins aggression for as long as it takes.

1:56 p.m.: Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Czech capital to condemn the Russian missile strikes against multiple cities across Ukraine and demand additional international support for Ukraines air defenses, according to The Associated Press.

The demonstrators at central Wenceslas Square held up crosses with the names of places hit by the Russian missiles as well as umbrellas symbolizing air defenses.

Czech political leaders condemned the strikes that hit both civilian and infrastructure targets.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said they were not meant to damage military targets. Its about murdering the civilian population and spreading fear.

More protests are planned Tuesday and Saturday.

12:33 p.m.: President Joe Biden has condemned Russias attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, on Monday, saying the strikes once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Vladimir Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom, Biden said in a statement.



We again call on Russia to end this unprovoked aggression immediately and remove its troops from Ukraine, he added.

11:50 a.m.: Germany says it will deliver the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to Ukraine "in the next few days," after Russian rockets pounded several cities across Ukraine, killing several civilians, RFE/RL reported.

The renewed rocket fire on Kyiv and the many other cities makes it clear how important it is to deliver air defense systems to Ukraine quickly," German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht in a statement Monday, just hours after the attacks.

"Russia's missile and drone attacks primarily terrorize the civilian population. That is why we are now supporting them with anti-aircraft weapons in particular," she added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes were retaliation for what he called Kyiv's terrorist actions, including an attack over the weekend on a key bridge between Russia and the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula.

Ukraine's National Police said that at least 10 people are dead and 60 wounded in the missile attacks.

11:01 a.m.:

10:11 a.m.: U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is deeply shocked by Mondays Russian attack on Ukrainian cities, according to his spokesperson.

The Secretary-General is deeply shocked by today's large-scale missile attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on cities across Ukraine that reportedly resulted in widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of people being killed and injured. This constitutes another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price, said Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

9:43 a.m.: The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi on Tuesday in Russia.

Grossi heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which has for months been pushing Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a demilitarized zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Putin will also meet the President of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the Kremlin said.

8:30 a.m.: Moldova said three cruise missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine had violated Moldovan air space on Monday, and that it was summoning the Russian ambassador to explain.

"Three cruise missiles launched on Ukraine this morning from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova's airspace. I instructed that Russia's ambassador be summoned to provide an explanation," Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu wrote on Twitter.

He said Moldova condemned in the "strongest possible terms" the violation of its airspace and also condemned "Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine."

7:50 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he had held an "urgent call" with French President Emmanuel Macron after Russia's latest attacks on Ukraine.

"Also had an urgent call with @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed the strengthening of our air defense, the need for a tough European and international reaction, as well as increased pressure on the Russian Federation. France stands with Ukraine," Zelenskyy wrote on his Twitter account.

Deadly Russian missile strikes hit Ukraines capital Monday, part of a barrage of what the Ukrainian military said was 75 missiles launched at the country.

Kyiv police said most of the strikes hit the center of the city, killing at least five people and wounding 12 others. Missiles struck busy areas, including parks and tourist sites.

6:30 a.m.: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he had agreed with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the need for an urgent meeting of the Group of Seven (G-7) of the world's advanced economies over Russia's attacks on Ukraine on Monday.

"Agreed with Chancellor @OlafScholz of Germany holding presidency of G-7 on an urgent meeting of the Group," Zelenskyy said on Twitter.

"My speech is scheduled, in which I'll tell about the terrorist attacks by RF (Russia Federation). We also discussed the issue of increasing pressure on RF & aid in restoring damaged infrastructure."

6 a.m.: Ukrainian forces shot down at least 43 of the missiles fired at Ukraine by Russia on Monday morning, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said.

She told a briefing Russia had fired 83 missiles by 11.35 a.m. (0835 GMT).

General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, had earlier said on Twitter that Russia had fired 75 missiles at Ukraine and that 41 of them had been intercepted.

5:30 a.m.: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus and Russia will deploy a joint military task force in response to what he called an aggravation of tension on the country's western borders, Reuters reported Monday, citing the state-run Belta news agency.

Lukashenko said the two countries would deploy a regional military group, and had started pulling forces together two days ago, apparently after the explosion on Russia's bridge to Crimea.

Russian forces used Belarus as a staging post for their February 24 invasion of Ukraine, sending troops and equipment into northern Ukraine from bases in Belarus.

5 a.m.: Britain's foreign minister James Cleverly called Russia's firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine "unacceptable" on Monday.

"Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable," Cleverly said on Twitter.

"This is a demonstration of weakness by Putin, not strength."

4:30 a.m.: Some 952,000 people arrived in Germany from Ukraine in the February-August period of this year, the Federal Statistics Office said on Monday.

Most arrived in March (431,000) and April (198,000)  the first two months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the office added.

4 a.m.: Russia's Gazprombank has decided to cease operating in Switzerland after "a strategic review of various options," Reuters reported Monday, citing the privately-owned Russian bank.

The bank had been one of the last remaining channels for financing trade flows between Russia and Switzerland because other major Russian banks are subject to sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Zurich-based bank, which was mainly involved in trade and export finance, decided to discontinue its operations in Switzerland after launching a review of its business in July, including a possible sale.

"The decision is the result of an in-depth strategy analysis and is being taken in close consultation with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority," Gazprombank's board chairman, Ivan Dun, said in a statement.

3:30 a.m.: Explosions hit Ukraines capital Monday, leaving an unclear number of casualties and shaking the relative calm that has existed in Kyiv despite Russias ongoing invasion of the country.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov blamed what he called terrorists missiles in reference to Russia and said Ukraines courage will never be destroyed.

The only thing they will demolish irreversibly is the future of Russia, a future of a globally despised rogue terrorist state, he tweeted.

3:05 a.m.: A loud explosion was heard on Monday morning in Russia's Belgorod region, close to the border with Ukraine, a witness told a Reuters journalist.

The witness reported a loud bang and windows shaking.

The cause of the blast was unclear.

2:55 a.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy said there were dead and wounded in blasts that rocked cities across Ukraine on Monday and accused Russia of trying to wipe his country "off the face of the earth."

"They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth...destroy our people who are sleeping at home in (the city of) Zaporizhzhia. Kill people who go to work in Dnipro and Kyiv," Zelenskiyy said on the Telegram messaging app.

"The air raid sirens do not subside throughout Ukraine. There are missiles hitting. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded."

Several explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the cities of Lviv, Ternopil and Dnipro on Monday, after Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating a powerful blast that damaged a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea.

Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne quoted emergency services as saying there were dead and wounded in Kyiv but gave no further details of casualties.

A Reuters witness saw a huge carter at one of the city center's intersections and nearby cars completely wrecked, blackened and pitted with shrapnel. Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in Ukraine's west, and in Dnipro in central Ukraine.

Russia abandoned an early advance on Kyiv in the face of fierce resistance bolstered by Western arms. Since then, Moscow and its proxies have focused on the south and Donbas, an eastern territory made up of Luhansk and its neighbor Donetsk, deploying overwhelming artillery in some of the heaviest ground fighting in Europe since World War II.

2:30 a.m.:

2 a.m.: Russian troops are coming closer to the strategically important eastern town of Bakhmut, having advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) towards the town over the last week, a British intelligence update said on Monday.

"Russia continues to give high priority to its own offensive operations in the central Donbas sector, especially near the town of Bakhmut," the U.K. Ministry of Defense tweeted in a regular bulletin.

In a video address on Saturday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian troops were involved in very tough fighting near Bakhmut.

Bakhmut sits on a main road leading to the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, both situated in the industrial Donbas region, which Moscow has yet to fully capture.

1:45 a.m.: Two explosions rocked Kyiv early Monday following months of relative calm in the Ukrainian capital, The Associated Press and Reuters reported.

The explosions were heard by AP journalists and appeared to be the result of missiles strikes.

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitchko reported explosions in the citys central Shevchenko district. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

"Several explosions in the Shevchenskivskyi district  in the center of the capital," Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app. "Details later."

1:30 a.m.: Oleksandr Starukh, the governor of the broader Zaporizhzhia region said early on Monday that an overnight shelling of the city of Zaporizhzhia destroyed a multi-story apartment building causing injuries, Reuters reported.

"As a result of a missile attack in the center of Zaporizhzhia, a multi-story residential building was destroyed again," Starukh said on the Telegram messaging app. "There are injured."

An early Sunday strike on the city killed at least 13 people and injured 87 others, including 10 children.

1 a.m.: India does not want to say in advance how it will vote at the United Nations General Assembly on a likely draft resolution condemning Russia's proclaimed annexation of parts of Ukraine, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday.

"As a matter of prudence and policy, we don't predict our votes in advance," Jaishankar said during a joint media briefing along with Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Canberra.

The General Assembly is due to vote on the draft resolution on Tuesday or Wednesday, Reuters reported citing diplomats.

Russia had vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution introduced by the United States and Albania late last month condemning the proclaimed annexation, with China, Gabon, India and Brazil abstaining.

12:30 a.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin will chair a meeting with his Security Council on Monday, two days after a huge blast ripped through Russia's Crimea bridge, the Kremlin told local news agencies, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Tomorrow the president has a planned meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

12:05 a.m.: Chicago wheat futures jumped more than 1% on Monday, underpinned by concerns over the Russia-Ukraine war slowing grain shipments from the Black Sea region, Reuters reported.

Corn rose for a second session as lower production in Europe supported prices while soybeans gained 1.8%.

"Ukraine's exports continue to be a focus for market chatter," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "Whether the current export corridor will remain open beyond late November is still a focus issue."

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are supporting wheat prices as the market is waiting to see how the Kremlin responds to the blast that hit Russia's only bridge to Crimea.

Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse.
The kingdom of Lesotho, surrounded by South Africa, has elected the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party into power, early results show, amid longstanding political instability.

The recently formed party was celebrating Monday as it won a comfortable majority in the parliamentary polls, according to early results.

The RFP is led by millionaire diamond magnate Sam Matekane, who is believed to be the richest man in the country.

The victory comes following years of political instability. Not one premier has managed to hold a full five-year term in office in over a decade.

A former British colony, the mountain kingdom has many coups and attempted coups since gaining independence in 1966.

The RFP, which was established in March, ousted the previously ruling All Basotho Convention that came to power in 2017.

The country has a mixed electoral system, with 80 of the 120 total seats allocated by a first-past-the-post system.

RFP candidates secured at least 49 of those 80 seats designated to determine the ruling party. The remaining 40 seats are filled in a proportional representation system, determined by voters preference for parties rather than candidates.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Congress, has maintained its second-place spot.

The RFP identifies as a social liberal party with a mandate to grow the economy by double digits by 2030.

That promise to appeal to voters, as nearly a third of Lesothos 2.2 million people live on less than $2 a day.

Commonwealth observers said that while voting on Friday was peaceful, there were issues with the voter registry at some polling stations.

Observers recommended a review of the registration process to avoid duplicate names and ensure the inclusion of young voters.
Malawi's health ministry says it will soon roll out Africa's first malaria vaccine for children under age five.

The RTS,S vaccine, which was tested in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, took more than 30 years to develop. While the vaccine has a relatively low level of effectiveness, it has raised hopes of saving some of the more than 400,000 people who die annually from the mosquito-borne disease, most of them African children.

The vaccine roll out, scheduled for next month, follows the completion of the pilot phase. Since 2019, the World Health Organization has vaccinated 360,000 children per year in Malawi, Ghana and Kenya, one-third of them in Malawi.

Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, Malawi's minister of health, said children are especially at risk of malaria during the rainy season, in the months of November and December.

Chiponda said the decision on the vaccine was reached following discussions between Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera and representatives of PATH, a global health nonprofit organization, when Chakwera attended this year's U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York.

The WHO endorsed the vaccine years ago, saying it was a breakthrough in the fight against malaria.

The vaccine, sold by GlaxoSmithKline as Mosquirix, is about 30% effective and requires four doses.

However, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, backers of the vaccine, have raised concern whether the vaccine is worth the cost.

In July, The Associated Press quoted Philip Welkhoff, director of malaria programs for the Gates Foundation, as saying the foundation will no longer offer direct financial support for the shot, although it will fund an alliance backing the vaccine.

He said the malaria vaccine has a much lower efficacy than the foundation would like and that the shot is relatively expensive and logistically challenging to deliver.

However, Maziko Matemba, health activist and community health ambassador in Malawi, is not discouraged.

"Now that finally the malaria vaccines will be launched in Malawi is welcome news, and we hope that the under-five [age group] will be protected because according to statistics, Malaria is so endemic in the under-five [age group] and we are adding a package in the prevention of malaria," Matemba said.

Matemba said the 30% efficacy is nothing to worry about, as not all vaccines are 100% effective.

"When we had [the] COVID vaccine it was not 100%. It was at 70% or so. So it's the same case with this," Matemba said.

Statistics show that malaria is the number one deadly disease in Malawi. The disease accounts for 36% of all hospital outpatients and 15% of hospital admissions.

Despite its relatively low effectiveness rate, some scientists say the vaccine will have a major impact against malaria in Africa, which records 200 million cases and 400,000 deaths per year.
Pakistans former prime minister, Imran Khan, has condemned the recent audio leaks of conversations from his time in office and those of incumbent Shahbaz Sharif, seeking a judicial probe into what he calls a serious breach of national security.

Multiple audio clips have hit social media platforms over the past few weeks in which Prime Minister Sharif and his predecessor Khan could be heard discussing official matters with their ministers or close aides.

The conversations were purportedly recorded in the prime ministers office and official residence.

We intend to go to Court to establish authenticity of Leaks & then form JIT (Joint Investigation Team) to investigate which Intel agency is responsible for the bugging & who is leaking out the audios many of which are edited/doctored, Khan tweeted Monday.

This is critical because sensitive security issues are & have been illegally recorded & subsequently hacked, implying confidentiality of Pakistan's national security has been exposed globally, lamented the former prime minister.



Sharif himself has called the leaks a very serious (security) lapse and formed a high-level committee about two weeks ago, led by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, to investigate the incident.

Officials have not shared any information about the status of the probe or its outcomes.

However, Khan and his opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have rejected the government-led investigation, calling into question its impartiality and fearing political victimization. They also allege that the Sharif-led coalition government leaked the clips.

The audio clips started emerging on social media late last month. In one of them, Sharif could be heard discussing with a top bureaucrat how to import industrial machinery from Pakistans archrival India for one of the prime minister's close relatives.

In a subsequent audio clip, Maryam Nawaz  Sharifs niece and vice president of his ruling party  is purportedly requesting her uncle to scrap a public health project launched by his predecessor Khan.

Sharifs aides quickly downplayed the audios without questioning their authenticity, saying nothing illegal was discussed.

In a leaked audio clip featuring Khan when he was still prime minister, he could be heard telling his chief bureaucrat about a cypher or secret diplomatic cable sent to Islamabad by the then-Pakistani ambassador to the United States.

We only have to play it up. We dont have to name America. We only have to play with this, the former prime minister could be heard saying in the audio lasting more than 100 seconds.

Khan was removed from office in April this year in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, advanced by the Sharif-led then-opposition alliance.

But the ousted Pakistani leader rejected the vote, alleging without evidence that it was orchestrated by the United States in collusion with his political opponents, charges Washington has denied. Khan has also alleged his countrys military leadership facilitated the regime change conspiracy.

After tweeting about the audio recordings and calling for a judicial probe, Khan addressed a ceremony in the garrison city, Rawalpindi, Monday where he stopped short of accusing the Pakistani military establishment of being behind the leaks.

I ask my (security) agencies, is your job to spy on your own people? Is your job to manipulate who should be brought in (power) and who should be removed? ... Is this your duty to tap phones to see what Imran Khan is doing or discussing? asked the populist opposition politician.

The leaking of audio recordings from the prime ministers office is unprecedented in Pakistan and officials have not yet commented on who could have recorded or leaked them.

Army officials deny any role in the leaks or in the current political happenings in the country.

The PM office needs pest control, as well as a good plumber or two, remarked the English-language DAWN newspaper in a recent editorial. The place appears to have had a bug problem for months, if not years, and private conversations held inside its usually secure walls are now casually leaking into the public domain, the paper wrote.
North Korea says it simulated strikes on strategic South Korean assets as part of weeks of unprecedented missile testing, as well as the launching of what the North called a new type of ground-to-ground intermediate-range ballistic missile that overflew Japan.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the party's main broadsheet Rodong Sinmun on Monday issued parallel reports, announcing that leader Kim Jong Un, who had been absent from the public eye for a month, guided military drills of the Korean People's Army (KPA).

Taking place from September 25 to October 9, the seven rounds of ballistic missile drills checked and assessed the "operation of tactical nukes," North Korean state media reported, together with the military's "nuclear counterattack capability," which would serve as a "severe warning to the enemies."

Corresponding images showed short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) exploding in the air, on land targets and via a "super large" multiple rocket launch system, known to U.S. and South Korean officials as the KN-25.

Tactical nuclear operation units confirmed the state's nuclear combat readiness, military effectiveness and actual war capabilities, state media said, as shown in their ability to "hit and wipe out" targets at the intended time and place.

The North Korean leader was cited as dismissing calls from Washington and Seoul to return to talks without preconditions, saying there was neither necessity nor content for discussion with the "enemies."

Instead, he called for a "clearer signal to the enemies escalating the regional situation" that North Korea was powerful and resolute in its will to maintain its "strongest nuclear response posture" to defend its right to exist.

Targeting South Korea

The latest flurry of ballistic testing began at an unconventional location: a silo within a reservoir in the northwestern part of North Korea in the early hours of September 25, according to state media. The new type of launchpad highlighted Pyongyang's embedded message that it was able to send up an SRBM from more locations than ever before.

Its drills three days later were aimed at "neutralizing" airports in South Korea, state media said. Two of its latest missile launches this month  on October 6 and October 9  were simulations targeting South Korea's "main military command facilities" and main ports.

"What I find notable is that these launches are not framed as tests of the missiles themselves, but rather of the units that launched them," tweeted Jeffrey Lewis, professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California. "That suggests these systems are deployed."

State media  which are reporting on the weapons testing for the first time since May  prefaced the string of tactical nuclear weapon drills as being conducted amid "ongoing dangerous military drills," including trilateral anti-submarine exercises held among the United States, South Korea and Japan on September 30 involving the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group.

The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) decided to send a "more powerful and clear warning on October 4," they said, by targeting waters "in the Pacific 4,500 kilometers across the Japanese Islands with [a] new-type [of] ground-to-ground intermediate-range ballistic missile."

Air drills were conducted on October 6 and October 8. Last Thursday's involved air-to-surface target practice on an islet with medium-range guided bombs and cruise missiles, then with long-range artillery, North Korea said. Two days later, 150 fighter jets simultaneously took off for various missions "for the first time in history," state media said, as another naval exercise involving the U.S. carrier was ongoing further south.

South Korea's military had reported eight fighter jets and four bombers that flew toward the border area last Thursday, not breaching a previously agreed buffer zone that precedes the heavily fortified Cold War-era demilitarized zone.

There was no official comment from South Korea's presidential office or military to the claims made on Monday. Senior presidential press secretary Kim Eun-hye, one day prior, had said that the people would be defended by a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance and the trilateral security cooperation with Japan, adding that Seoul would take an overly ready security posture.

'Very clear political message'

Analysts say the latest display of apparent strides made in North Korea's various nuclear delivery systems is cause for solemn concern, pushing the likelihood of a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula further out of reach.

"They launched a total of 12 missiles of more than five different types and none of them failed," notes Park Won-gon, North Korean studies professor at Ewha Womans University in South Korea.

"There is a very clear political message there; they are showing all of the capabilities of the tactical nuclear weapons [to underscore that it is] very unreasonable to call for the full denuclearization of North Korea.  It means that finally, North Korea has a very high chance to be acknowledged by the United States as a de facto nuclear weapon state."

The next desirable scenario in Pyongyang's point of view would be to enter arms control talks, experts say, which would affirm North Korea as an official nuclear weapons-bearing state.

North Korea's seven ballistic missile tests within a span of 15 days also showed that its tactical missiles have South Korea, Japan and the U.S. territory of Guam within range.

This leads to new territory and the next dilemma to grapple with, Park said, "to deter the actual use of North Korea's nuclear weapons because North Korea is trying to lower the barrier to use the nuclear weapons as Russia is doing right now." Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine in an invasion that now is in its eighth month.

The detailed reporting of the short- and intermediate-range missile launches was issued on North Korea's 77th anniversary of the founding of the state's only political party, the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

Park said the fact that the weapons drills were unveiled to a domestic audience in nearly half a year via its main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, suggests that Kim Jong Un could be warming up his people for more action, a seventh nuclear test.
A former Liberian rebel went on trial Monday in Paris on charges of crimes against humanity, torture and acts of barbarism during the West African country's civil war in the 1990s.

Kunti Kamara, 47, is accused of "complicity in massive and systematic torture and inhumane acts" against civilians in Liberia's Lofa county in 1993-1994, as one of the leaders of the Ulimo armed group. He was then less than 20 years old.

Kamara, who faces life in prison, denied committing such acts.

"I'm innocent," Kamara told the court Monday, adding that he doesn't know any of the witnesses accusing him.

Kamara was arrested near Paris in 2018, following a complaint filed by Swiss-based group Civitas Maxima, which specialized in helping victims of crimes against humanity.

During the investigation, he acknowledged having been a battlefield commander, leading about 80 soldiers during the civil war  a choice he said he made to defend himself against Charles Taylor's rival faction.

According to court documents, he is being accused of having hit a man and then opened his chest with an ax in order to extract and eat his heart. He is also accused of having allowed and abetted, in his position of authority, rapes and sexual torture, and of having compelled people into forced labor under inhumane conditions.

The trial by the Paris criminal court has been made possible under a French law that recognizes universal jurisdiction for crimes against humanity and acts of torture.

Kamara said he left Liberia after the end of the first civil war in 1997 and later went to the Netherlands, then Belgium before coming to France about two years before he was arrested.

Rights groups hailed the trial as an important step to bring justice to victims.

It is "a victory for Liberian victims and a warning to perpetrators that no matter where they are, we're going to make sure they're held accountable for the crimes they committed in Liberia," Hassan Bility, head of the Global Justice and Research Project, told The Associated Press. Bility's nongovernmental organization is dedicated to the documentation of wartime atrocities in Liberia and to assisting victims in their pursuit of justice.

Human Rights Watch and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) stressed that Liberia's first civil war was especially marked by "violence against civilians, as warring factions massacred and raped civilians, pillaged, and forced children to kill and fight."

Elise Keppler, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the trial is especially important due to "the failure of Liberian authorities to hold to account those responsible for serious crimes during the civil wars."

"France's trial for atrocities in Liberia reinforces the importance of the principle of universal jurisdiction to ensure that the worst crimes do not go unpunished," said Clemence Bectarte, a lawyer who coordinates FIDH's Litigation Action Group.

Liberia's back-to-back civil wars killed an estimated 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003.

The country's postwar truth and reconciliation commission in 2009 recommended prosecution for dozens of ex-warlords and their commanders bearing greatest responsibilities for the war. But successive governments have largely ignored the recommendations, much to the disappointment and frustration of war victims.

Political analysts say this is largely because some key players in the war have occupied influential positions in government, including in the legislature, since the end of the war nearly 30 years ago.

The current president, George Weah, spoke against impunity for war crimes when he was in opposition, but has shown reluctance to respond to citizens' calls for the establishment of a war crimes court.

During her visit to Liberia last week, the U.S. ambassador on war crimes, Dr. Beth Van Schaack, promised her government would "100%" support Liberia if the country decided to establish a court to look into its past.

Expressing disappointment that Liberia is still lagging behind in fostering transitional justice, she assured Liberians she will recommend "that if something starts to move, that we should be a partner in that effort."

The Paris trial, scheduled to last four weeks, is the fifth dealing with crimes against humanity and torture in France. Previous cases concerned crimes related to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.


Human rights groups in Malaysia say some 700 nationals may now be trapped in online scam centers across Laos under threat of beatings and electric shock if they fail to meet work targets or try to leave their guarded compounds.

The case highlights what the United Nations and others describe as a rising tide of young men and women being lured into  and trapped in  brutal online scam operations across the Mekong region of Southeast Asia.

The Malaysian International Humanitarian Organization says the number of nationals stuck in Laos is based on reports from some of the trapped victims it and two other Malaysian rights groups have been in contact with by phone and text over the past few months, plus a few who have managed to escape or negotiate their release.

Theyve been tortured mentally and physically, the groups secretary-general, Hishamuddin Hashim, told VOA.

Hishamuddin said the victims are typically lured to Laos with social media ads for well-paid IT or casino jobs, only to be lockup up on arrival and forced to run a range of online love and investment scams on targets across the region and around the world, depending on their language skills. He said the victims report being watched around the clock by guards posted throughout the fenced-off compounds, including some with guns on the ground floors.

If they dont want to work, they will be beaten.... Some of them [have] been electrocuted  by electric shock, he added, all to force and to punish those who cannot achieve the target and those who want to return back to [their] home country.

Besides forcing the victims to cheat unwitting targets out of their money, Hishamuddin added, some of the criminal syndicates are demanding ransoms ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 from the trapped workers families for their release. He said the Malaysian government refuses to pay the ransoms as a matter of policy, though he knows a few families that have paid partial deposits on demanded sums only to then lose contact with their children and their captors.

Hishamuddin said the rights groups have passed what they know onto Malaysian authorities, which have been in contact with their counterparts in Laos.

Malaysian authorities did not reply to VOAs requests for comment, and a spokesman for the Lao government refused to be interviewed.

Hishamuddin said the Malaysians are trapped in compounds across Laos. While the victims dont always know exactly where in Laos they are, he estimates that about half of them are likely being held inside the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in the countrys northwest, on the border with eastern Myanmar and northern Thailand.

The Golden Triangle SEZ has been an alleged hotbed of transnational organized crime for years. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the man who runs it, Chinese national Zhao Wei, in 2018, placing him at the heart of a crime network laundering money for Myanmar drug lords and trafficking in everything from drugs to wildlife and people.

Zone officials did not reply to VOAs requests for an interview, but Zhao has previously denied the allegations.

The Golden Triangle SEZ also gets repeated mention in the U.S. State Departments latest Trafficking in Persons report, released in July. It says Lao authorities helped repatriate dozens of foreign nationals being forced to work inside the zone in 2021 and launched a special investigation into labor trafficking there early this year.

Winrock International, however, a U.S.-based aid group that runs development projects around the globe, says the Anti-Trafficking Department of the Lao governments Ministry of Public Security is still debating whether to even post police officers at the zone.

Things go slow here, the head of Winrocks anti-trafficking projects in Laos, Xoukiet Panyanounvong, told VOA.

Hishamuddin, whose group works specifically on migrant labor and trafficking issues, said he had heard reports of Malaysians trapped in Laos before, but never as many as 700 at once.

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, a non-government research group based in Switzerland, says the figure is plausible.

Lindsey Kennedy, a consultant for the Global Initiative, told VOA that the groups researchers visited the Golden Triangle zone in May and believe thousands of people were being held against their will inside a single compound they found there.

Volunteer rescue organizations have also told us that there are many similar options [operations] throughout the country, including in Vientiane, she added, citing the Lao capital. It is unclear how many of the people trapped are Malaysians, but a significant number of Malaysian people have been previously discovered at identical scam centers in Cambodia and Myanmar.

These scam centers have been around for years, but Kennedy said they mushroomed over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her group estimates theyve now ensnared tens of thousands of young men and women across the Mekong region. Cambodia recently started cracking down, but Kennedy said it remains to be seen whether that will drive the criminal groups that run them out of business or merely out of the country to elsewhere, including Laos. Her groups research has found some of the same people behind multiple special economic zones and casino towns hosting these centers in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Researchers and rights groups are convinced the trafficking could not be happening without government corruption.

Despite the U.S. sanctions, Zhao is pouring millions of dollars into expanding the Golden Triangle zone with the Lao governments blessing. On October 1, the government even awarded him the states Medal of Bravery, Second Class for his efforts and contribution to national defense and national public security, local media reported.

His continued operations do tend to suggest that he operates with political protection, Kennedy said.

There must be some people on higher level benefit from this, Hishamuddin agreed. These criminal people, they cannot do this without support by high-level authorities.
Deadly Russian missile strikes hit the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv Monday as part of what Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted was a massive strike against Ukraine in response to the recent destructive attack on the bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland.

The Ukrainian military said Russia launched a barrage of 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones, hitting at least 14 areas of the country, and killing at least 14 people. Most of the attacks on Kyiv hit the center of the city, killing at least six people there and wounding 12 others in populated areas, including parks and tourist sites.

The attacks also caused a blackout in much of the country, with hundreds of thousands of people without power Monday night.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Western allies were quick to condemn the attacks and vowed to continue to send armaments to Kyivs forces to help fend off Moscows invasion, now in its eighth month.

Biden said in a statement that Russias latest missile launches once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people.

These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes, Biden said. Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom.

In a phone call later Monday, Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington would provide Ukraine with advanced air defense systems, according to a statement from the White House.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was shocked and appalled by the vicious attacks on Ukrainian cities. Putins Russia has again shown the world what it stands for: brutality and terror.

Putin told a meeting of his security council that the strikes targeted Ukraines energy, military and communications infrastructure, and that they were in response to an attack Saturday on a bridge linking Russia to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow illegally seized in 2014.

"It is obvious that the Ukrainian secret services ordered, organized and carried out the terrorist attack aimed at destroying Russia's critical civilian infrastructure," Putin said.

Aside from Kyiv, explosions were also reported in the western city of Lviv, the southeast city of Dnipro and the eastern city of Kharkiv. Ukraines military said it shot down 56 of the Russian aerial targets.

Zelenskyy said Russia targeted civilian areas as well as power systems throughout the country, seeking to generate panic and chaos and to destroy Ukraines energy system.

The Ukrainian president said he would be addressing an urgent meeting of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations and discussed the situation with both German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. Germany said the meeting will take place Tuesday.

We discussed the strengthening of our air defense, the need for a tough European and international reaction, as well as increased pressure on the Russian Federation, Zelenskyy tweeted after his talks with Macron.

Macrons office said he reaffirmed Frances commitment to increase support for Ukraine, including military aid.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply shocked by the Russian attacks, his spokesman said. This constitutes another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price, the spokesman added. Guterres later talked with Zelenskyy, saying they agreed that the world must react to Russias attack as soon as possible.

Ukraine has strongly suggested its security agents carried out the truck bomb attack on the bridge but has not publicly claimed responsibility. The bridge has been a major supply route for Russian operations in southern Ukraine.

Putin said any continued terrorist attacks by Ukraine on Russia would be met with a tough and proportionate response.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba contended the bridge attack did not provoke Putin to unleash missile terror.

Russia had been constantly hitting Ukraine with missiles before the bridge, too, Kuleba tweeted. Putin is desperate because of battlefield defeats and uses missile terror to try to change the pace of war in his favor.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was deeply shocked by Russias attack on Kyiv and other cities.

Such acts have no place in 21st century. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms, Borrell tweeted. We stand with Ukraine. Additional military support from the EU is on its way.

Kyiv was last attacked in June. Once under pressure from advancing Russian forces, Kyiv had been relatively calm for months as fighting raged in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Massive shelling of Ukrainian cities is a large-scale live war crime and a no-rules war, Mykhailo Podolyak, a Zelenskyy adviser, tweeted. He said the only possible response is for Ukraine to receive missile defense systems, expelling Russia from international forums and issuing immediate arrest warrants for Russian authorities.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Monday that Belarus and Russia will deploy a regional military grouping in response to what he said were escalated tensions on their borders. A report from the state-run Belta news agency did not specify where the group would be deployed.

In the lead-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Belarus hosted Russian troops for what the two countries maintained were just military drills before Russia sent its forces over the border into Ukraine.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The presidents of Tanzania and Kenya have agreed to fast-track construction of a natural gas pipeline designed to increased trade and lower energy costs for both countries.

The decision was reached Monday in bilateral talks in Dar es Salaam led by Tanzanian President Samia Hassan and Kenyan President William Ruto, during a two-day visit.

Last year, Hassan and Kenya's then-president Uhuru Kenyatta signed an agreement in Nairobi to start working on the gas pipeline project, but actual construction has yet to commence.

The two countries have generally maintained positive ties in politics and trade, but have occasional trade spats.

Tanzania imposed a 25% import duty on Kenyan confections in 2020, saying the country used zero-rated industrial sugar imports to produce them. In another dispute, Kenya banned Tanzanian tour vans from accessing the Maasai Mara National Reserve, arguing that Tanzania had banned Kenyan operators from accessing the Serengeti National Park.

These differences were resolved when Tanzania's Hassan visited Nairobi last year to meet with Kenyatta.

There were 68 trade barriers identified between Tanzania and Kenya at the time, Hassan said, and 54 of those non-tariff barriers were resolved. Ministers in the trade and investment sector have been tasked with working to resolve the remaining 14 barriers, Hassan said.

The projected natural gas pipeline would run for about 600 kilometers between Dar es Salaam and Mombasa. There is no projected completion date.


The United Nations Secretary-General is urging the international community to respond to a request from Haitis government and urgently consider sending an international specialized armed force to the Caribbean Island nation to address spiraling insecurity and a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Considering the extremely grave situation, international efforts to enhance support for the HNP [Haitian National Police] must aim to reduce the ability of armed gangs to block access to and carry out attacks on strategic infrastructure and threaten the livelihood of communities, Antonio Guterres wrote in a 12-page letter to the U.N. Security Council on Sunday.

As envisioned, such a force would not be under the umbrella of U.N. peacekeeping but would be agreed bilaterally between Haiti and one or several other nations. The U.N. Security Council would welcome the force, not authorize it, like it does for U.N. missions.

On Friday, Haitis government authorized Prime Minister Ariel Henry to request the immediate deployment of an international specialized armed force to help stop the criminal gangs. The gangs are seeking to exploit the political vacuum left by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his home in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021.

Guterres says the most urgent need is to strengthen the national polices ability to counter and contain the gangs.

In this effort, the Haitian authorities underscored those solutions need to be Haitian-led and have the HNP in the lead, supported by international partners to improve its ability to provide security, he said of consultations with Haitis leaders about what a force would look like.

Heavily armed gangs control parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have blocked access to the countrys main fuel terminal since mid-September. This has worsened the already abysmal humanitarian situation affecting the availability of electricity, clean water, garbage collection and the ability of hospitals to operate.

The national authorities cited the lack of adequate and sufficient individual protection gear, weaponry, ammunition and other tactical equipment, and of the capacity to effectively use them, as the key obstacles to progress in anti-gang efforts, Guterres wrote. The HNP is faced with criminal gangs in possession of higher-caliber weapons and better equipment than its own.

Twenty-one officers were killed in 2021, and from January to August this year 13 have been killed.

In several gang-controlled areas of the capital, including Martissant and Cite Soleil, the secretary-general said there are not even any operational police stations, contributing to an environment in which gang leaders exercise unfettered power.

The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people have been directly affected by gang violence, and 20,000 have fled their homes seeking safety. Rape and other sexual violence are being used systematically the U.N. says.

Rapid reaction force

In the short-term, the U.N. chief proposes a rapid reaction force be deployed quickly under the leadership of one country and composed of forces from one or more countries. Nations would also assist through the funding and equipping of the force.

The force would, in particular, support the HNP primarily in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in securing the free movement of water, fuel, food and medical supplies from main ports and airports to communities and health care facilities, Guterres said. To this end, the force would support the HNPs efforts to remove the threat posed by armed gangs and provide immediate protection to critical infrastructure and services.

Longer-term options

The secretary-general suggests that the rapid reaction force would be gradually phased out as the national police begin to restore general security and peoples freedom of movement. They would be replaced by either a multinational police task force or a multinational special force.

The multinational police task force would enhance the national polices tactical and operational capabilities to fight gang violence through advising, vetting and training them.

The task force would also deploy equipment, materiel and technology necessary for the national police to conduct anti-gang operations.

The other option would be a multi-national special force.

The Special Force would be composed of well-equipped special police units provided by a group of member states, with one of them serving as the lead country in terms of the command and the direction of operations, Guterres said.

He envisions this force supporting the national police at land border crossing points and as they try to re-exert government control in gang-held neighborhoods.

Should member states not step forward with bilateral support and financing for this option, contributions under a United Nations operation may provide an alternative, Guterres said. However, as indicated, a return to U.N. peacekeeping was not the preferred option of the authorities.

Haiti has had a difficult relationship with U.N. peacekeepers, including sexual abuse and exploitation of Haitian women. After the 2010 earthquake, a cholera epidemic ravaged the country infecting more than 800,000 people and killing an estimated 10,000. The outbreak was traced to sewage from a U.N. peacekeeping camp that contaminated a main water supply. It took the U.N. six years to admit its role in the epidemic.

Now the country is facing the return of the waterborne disease in the wake of fuel shortages that have led to power cuts and a shortage of clean water. In the past week there have been several confirmed cases and deaths, and dozens more suspected cases after three years of no cases.

Secretary-General Guterres also underscored the need for the Haitian government to move past its political impasse, warning improving the gang situation would only be temporary if corruption and good governance are not addressed.

The U.N. Security Council is considering new sanctions targeting the gangs and their leaders to help stem the flow of money and weapons to them. On September 26, Haitis foreign minister urged the council to sanction the gangs during a meeting on the spiraling violence.

This is a real step in the right direction to bring an end to the phenomenon of insecurity in the country, Jean Victor Geneus told the 15-nation council.
In an opening speech to the UNHCRs Executive Committee, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi appealed to member states to provide protection to people fleeing conflict and persecution, regardless of ethnicity and nationality.



The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) reports the number of people forcibly displaced by armed conflict, violence, discrimination, persecution, and climate shocks has hit an all-time high of 100 million.

High Commissioner Filippo Grandi says the climate emergency increasingly drives displacement, making life harder for those already uprooted. He says the link between climate change and displacement is clear and growing.

We see it in the Horn of Africa, for example, where people are forced to flee by a combination of conflict and drought  more than one million have been displaced in Somalia alone since January 2021. Around 80% of refugees are from countries that are most affected by the climate emergency, he said.

Most African refugees flee for safety to neighboring countries. However, many make the perilous journey to Europe in search of asylum and a better life.

Grandi notes that they and refugees fleeing conflict and persecution from other parts of the world, such as Afghanistan and the Middle East, too often are turned back by European countries.

He says the reception of these refugees stands in stark contrast to the generous welcome by European countries to some seven million Ukrainian refugees who fled Russias invasion of their country.

The Ukrainian crisis debunked so many myths that we have heard over the years from some politicians: Europe is full! Public opinion is against taking in more refugees. Relocation is impossible, he said.

He says efforts to deny access to territory for those seeking asylum, often through violent pushbacks, must be rejected.

I also reject what we have heard some politicians on this continent tell their voters: that Ukrainians are real refugees while others  fleeing similar horrors, but from different parts of the world  are not. There is only one word to define this attitude: racist, he said.

Grandi adds failures on the part of member states to uphold their international protection obligations is deeply worrying and concerning.
Carrying on a long-established tradition, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) plans to deploy teams of federal observers around the country on Election Day next month while requiring the FBI to receive high-level approval for politically sensitive investigations that might call into question the integrity of the election.

At stake in the Nov. 8 congressional races is not only control of Congress but also the legitimacy of U.S. elections  fallout from former President Donald Trump's attempt to undo the outcome of the 2020 presidential vote.

Many Americans are questioning the credibility of elections. At the same time, new laws passed by Republican state legislators have thrown up barriers to voting, rights advocates say, prompting the Justice Department to challenge the new measures in court.

The Justice Department, which under the Biden administration has made voting rights a central plank of its law enforcement agenda, says federal monitors will observe the midterm elections in an effort to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation and suppression."

"The Civil Rights Division undertakes its important work to protect the right to vote all throughout each year, and this year's work continues longstanding department tradition," the Justice Department said in a statement Tuesday.

The U.S. has a decentralized election system, with voting administered at the county level.

But the federal government has a role too. The Justice Department's civil rights division is responsible for enforcing a string of federal laws designed to protect the right to vote. These include the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Federal election monitors, drawn from the Justice Department's civil rights division as well as U.S. attorney's offices across the country, will observe compliance with these laws, according to the Justice Department.

In the past two election cycles, the Justice Department dispatched election monitors to about 20 states. It is likely to cover the same number of states this year, according to Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at the watchdog group Common Cause.

"I've been given no indication that they are going to stray greatly from prior behavior, and they told us that they are continuing to do their job as they've always done," Albert said.

The locations to be monitored are determined based on whether "they have a history of problems and voters or community groups in the area making them [the DOJ] aware," Albert said.

"You always use the institutional knowledge, the history of the location, any complaints from voters and voter advocates to monitor," Albert said.

The Justice Department releases its election-monitoring plan on the eve of the midterms. A representative did not have any additional details about the department's monitoring plan beyond the press statement.

Zack Smith, a legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said the Justice Department observers play an important role in ensuring equal access to voting.

Their goal is to really be kind of a quick reaction force if issues come up to us to potentially address those issues in real time," Smith said.

In addition to the Justice Department monitors, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), of which the U.S. is a participating state, will deploy observers throughout the country to "closely monitor all aspects of the elections, including pre- and postelection developments."

"The mission will assess the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation," the OSCE said in a statement Sept. 29.

Staying above politics

While taking steps to protect the right to vote, the Justice Department is keeping up another of its long-standing traditions: avoiding the appearance of partisanship during an election year.

In a May 25 staff email entitled "Election Year Sensitives," Attorney General Merrick Garland urged Justice Department employees to be "particularly sensitive to safeguarding the Department's reputation for fairness, neutrality, and non-partisanship."

"Simply put, partisan politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators or prosecutors regarding any investigation or criminal charges," Gartland wrote.

The exhortation was a mere restatement of long-standing DOJ policies. But to the outrage of many on the left, Garland went on to say that he was keeping in place a 2020 directive issued by his predecessor, William Barr.

The Barr directive says the FBI must get the attorney general's written approval before opening criminal or counterintelligence investigations of "politically sensitive individuals or entities."

Garlands decision to extend that policy gave fodder to critics who say he hasn't moved aggressively enough to charge Trump and his associates for their alleged roles in the events leading up to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

But the attorney general has said that "no person is above the law" and that the Justice Department "will follow the facts and the law, wherever they lead."

Garland is a former federal judge and Supreme Court nominee. Defenders say he has restored the Justice Department's traditional role as an independent law enforcement agency after four years of the Trump administration, during which the attorney general was accused of doing the president's bidding.

But Republicans say that it is under Biden that the Justice Department has become politicized. They point to the FBI's unprecedented investigation of Trump's handling of presidential records as well as Justice Department lawsuits filed against "election integrity" laws enacted by Republican state lawmakers.

"I think there certainly is the perception, if not the reality that there's a disconnect between what Merrick Garland is saying and what the department is actually doing," Smith said.
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Botswana is facing a rise in the poisoning of critically endangered vulture species. In August, 50 white-backed vultures were found dead after feeding on a buffalo carcass in a national park west of the country. Mqondisi Dube reports from Gaborone, Boswana. Camera: Reference Sibanda
Monday is World Mental Health Day. To mark the day, the World Health Organization has launched a campaign to raise awareness and spur action in regions where there are high rates of death by suicide.

The world health body said that the pandemic has created a global crisis for mental health, in a statement Monday, adding that it is fueling short- and long-term stresses and undermining the mental health of millions.

Estimates put the rise in both anxiety and depressive disorders at more than 25% during the first year of the pandemic, the U.N. agency said. At the same time, mental health services have been severely disrupted and the treatment gap for mental health conditions has widened.

The treatment of mental health issues is particularly acute in Africa where there is only one psychiatrist for every 500,000 people  100 times less than WHOs recommendation.

The WHO suicide prevention campaign in Africa aims to address the issue. In Africa, 11 people per 100,000 kill themselves, in comparison to the world average of 9 per 100,000. The continent has six of the 10 countries with the highest suicide rates.

Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said Significant investment must be made to tackle Africas growing burden of chronic diseases and non-infectious conditions such as mental disorders that can contribute to suicide.

The mental healthcare initiatives that WHO is supporting in Africa include training primary healthcare workers in Zimbabwe to boost quality and access to mental health services.

Mental health is integral to wholesome health and well-being yet far too many people in our region who need help for mental health conditions do not receive it. Its time for radical change, Dr. Moeti said.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia retaliated Monday for what it claimed was a Ukrainian terrorist attack on a critical bridge by unleashing its biggest and most widespread attacks against Ukraine in months. The lethal barrage against multiple cities smashed civilian targets, knocking out power and water, shattering buildings and killing at least 11 people.

Ukraines Emergency Service said 64 people were wounded in the morning rush hour attacks that Russia launched from the air, sea and land against at least 14 regions, spanning from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the east. Many of the attacks occurred far from the war's front lines.

Though Russia said missiles targeted military and energy facilities, some struck civilian areas while people were heading to work and school. One hit a playground in downtown Kyiv and another struck a university.

Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the strikes had no practical military sense and that Russias goal was to cause a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces used precision weapons to target key energy infrastructure and military command facilities in retaliation for Kyiv's terrorist actions  a reference to Ukraine's attempts to repel Moscow's invasion forces, including an attack Saturday on a key bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula that Putin called a terrorist act masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

Putin vowed a tough and proportionate response should Ukraine carry out further attacks that threaten Russias security. No one should have any doubts about it, he told Russias Security Council by video.

The Russian president has been under intense domestic pressure to take more aggressive action to stop a largely successful Ukrainian counteroffensive and to react forcefully to Saturday's attack on the Kerch bridge, whose construction he used to cement his 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Putin's increasingly frequent descriptions of Ukraine's actions as terrorist could set the stage for even more bold and draconian actions. But in Monday's speech, Putin  whose partial troop mobilization order last month triggered an exodus of hundreds of thousands of men of fighting age from Russia  stopped short of an expected escalation from what he calls a special military operation to a counterterrorism campaign or martial law.

Moscows war in Ukraine is approaching its eight-month milestone, and the Kremlin has been reeling from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas of eastern Ukraine it is trying to annex.

The head of Ukraines law enforcement said Monday's attacks nationwide damaged 70 infrastructure sites, of which 29 are critical. The Ukrainian General Staff said 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones were used. Ukrainian forces shot down 56 aerial targets, it said.

Blasts struck in the capitals Shevchenko district, a large area in the center that includes the historic old town and government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Some of the strikes hit near the government quarter in the capital's symbolic heart, where parliament and other major landmarks are located. A glass-covered office tower was significantly damaged, with most of its blue-tinted windows blown out.

Zelenskyy, in a video address, referred to the rush hour timing of Monday's attacks, saying Russia chose such a time and such targets on purpose to inflict the most damage.

The strikes sent residents of Ukraine's two largest cities  Kyiv and Kharkiv  into bomb shelters, including subway stations.

While air raid sirens have continued throughout the war in cities across the country, in Kyiv and elsewhere, many Ukrainians had begun to ignore their warnings after months of calm.

Just as traffic was beginning to pick up Monday morning, a commuter minibus, known as a marshrutka  a popular alternative to the citys buses and subways  was struck near Kyiv National University. Nearby, at least one strike landed in Shevchenko Park, leaving a large hole near a childrens playground.

Another target was the Klitschko pedestrian bridge  a landmark in central Kyiv with its glass panels. Closed-circuit television footage showed a huge explosion under the bridge, with smoke rising, and a man running away after the blast, apparently unhurt. No significant damage to the bridge was immediately apparent.

Air raid sirens sounded in every region of Ukraine except Russia-annexed Crimea, for four straight hours.

Associated Press journalists saw multiple bodies at an industrial site on the outskirts of Dnipro city. Four people were killed and 19 injured in the city, officials said.

Witnesses said one missile landed in front of a bus during the morning rush hour, damaging the vehicle but not killing any passengers.

Natalia Nesterenko, a mathematician, saw one missile fly by her Dnipro apartment balcony as she was working in her kitchen, then she heard two explosions.

Its very dangerous. I immediately called my kids to see how they are because anyone can be hit  women, children, she said.

Kharkiv was hit three times, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The strikes knocked out the electricity and water supply. Energy infrastructure was also hit in Lviv, regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi said.

Three cruise missiles launched against Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldovas airspace, said the countrys foreign affairs minister, Nicu Popescu.

The attacks brought out a fresh bout of international condemnation of Russia.

The Group of Seven industrial powers scheduled a videoconference Tuesday on the situation, which Zelenskyy will address.

French President Emanuel Macron expressed extreme concern." British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted that Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable.

Russia once again has shown to the world what it stands for. It is terror and brutality, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Some feared Monday's attacks may just be the first salvo in a renewed Russian offensive. As a precautionary measure, Ukraine switched all schools to online learning until at least the end of this week. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba broke off an Africa tour and headed back to Ukraine.

In an ominous move, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced Monday that he and Putin have agreed to create a joint regional grouping of troops. He offered no details. His defense minister, Viktor Khrenin, later issued a video warning Ukraine not to provoke Belarus, but added, We dont want to fight.

Lukashenko repeated his claims that Ukraine is plotting an attack on Belarus, sparking fears the stage is being set for preemptive action by Minsk.
MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40% of Americans were untruthful about whether they had the virus or were ignoring safety precautions, a nationwide survey shows.

The December survey of 1,700 people found 721 respondents had either misrepresented their COVID status or failed to follow public health recommendations.

Folks ignored quarantine rules, told someone they were about to see that they had been taking more precautions than they actually were, and didn't mention they might or did have COVID when they entered a doctor's office. They were also untruthful about vaccination status, claiming they were vaccinated when they weren't or that they were unvaccinated when they had taken the jab, the survey revealed.

The most common reasons for the lack of transparency were that people wanted to feel normal or to exercise personal freedom.

"COVID-19 safety measures can certainly be burdensome, but they work," said co-author Andrea Gurmankin Levy, a professor of social sciences at Middlesex Community College in Connecticut.

Co-author Angela Fagerlin, head of population health sciences at University of Utah Health, said the survey raises concerns about how reluctance to truthfully report health status and adherence to masking, social distancing and public health measures could lengthen the pandemic and spread infectious diseases.

"Some individuals may think if they fib about their COVID-19 status once or twice, it's not a big deal," Fagerlin said in a University of Utah news release. "But if, as our study suggests, nearly half of us are doing it, that's a significant problem that contributes to prolonging the pandemic."

Respondents gave a variety of reasons for their deception. Among them: They didn't think COVID was real or a big deal; they didn't feel sick; they couldn't miss work or stay home; they were following the advice of a public figure or celebrity; and finally, it was no one else's business.

"When people are dishonest about their COVID-19 status or what precautions they are taking, it can increase the spread of disease in their community," Levy said in the release. "For some people, particularly before we had COVID vaccines, that can mean death."

Those most likely to engage in misrepresentation included all age groups under 60 and those with a greater distrust of science. About 60% of respondents said they had sought a doctor's advice for COVID-19 prevention or treatment.

The study did not find an association between misrepresentation and political beliefs, party affiliation or religion.

Fagerlin said this survey asked about a broader range of behaviors compared to previous studies on this topic and included far more participants.

But the researchers said they could not determine if respondents answered honestly and the findings may underestimate how often people were dishonest about their health status.

"This study goes a long way toward showing us what concerns people have about the public health measures implemented in response to the pandemic and how likely they are to be honest in the face of a global crisis," said co-author Alistair Thorpe, a postdoctoral researcher at University of Utah Health. "Knowing that will help us better prepare for the next wave of worldwide illness."

The findings were published Oct. 10 in JAMA Network Open.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19.

SOURCE: University of Utah Health, news release, Oct. 10, 2022
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Aerospace Force General Sergei Surovikin (left in photo) was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. He started out with the Spetsnaz special forces during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. He set up the Russian military police, then took command of the Russian armed forces in Syria, which earned him the title Hero of the Russian Federation. He has served as commander of the Army Group South of the Russian Army Forces.

At the same time, Army General Rustam Muradov was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Region of Russia. He was previously an adviser to the Syrian army and commander-in-chief of the peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. He was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation in 2017.

There is talk of a possible next change affecting the Minister of Defense. The current incumbent Sergei Shoigu started as Minister of Emergency Situations. He also bears the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. He brilliantly fulfilled his mission in Syria, but is not a trained soldier. The Minister of Defense must be capable of supervising the army over the long haul. He must not get bogged down in the military operations in Ukraine, but must always keep in mind that this is only one round in the long war between Russia and the Anglo-Americans.
For the first time in ten years, the European-Israeli Association Council met in Brussels on 5 October 2022. The Jewish state delegation was led by Minister of Intelligence Elazar Stern. Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke via videoconference from Tel Aviv [1].

Israel was initially expected to participate in the meeting of the European Political Community, recently held in Prague. But in the end it did not materialize since the presence of the Israeli Prime Minister at this meeting of European countries would have induced other guests to withdraw. Until the last minute, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala did his utmost to convince everyone of the importance of involving Israel, but Tel Aviv preferred not to insist, knowing that the current Israeli government supports Kiev in words, but Moscow in deeds.

The Israeli-European dialogue was relaunched with the signing of an agreement for the delivery of Israeli gas via Egypt. Israeli gas production is expected to increase rapidly after the signing of an Israeli-Lebanese accord fixing maritime borders, likely to occcur before the end of October.
The Kremlin has decided to accuse Ukraine of having organized the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, plus an attempt to undermine the Turkish Stream gas pipeline as well as the Crimean bridge terror attack, even though it is obvious that Kyev did not have the means to carry out the first operation. The United States, meanwhile, cannot claim responsibility for this type of action without tarnishing its image. The Kremlins interpretation helps to prolong the confrontation between Russia and the Anglo-Americans while justifying any actions against Kyev.

Dmitri Medvedev, number 2 of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has publicly called for the dismantling of the Kyev regime, which increases the pressure even more. Basically, the Kremlin has no interest in overthrowing President Zelensky, who has been treated with kid gloves so far, but it has no reason to keep him in power either. Its one and only enemy, once Novorossia has been partially liberated, are the Anglo-Americans. The solution advocated by Medvedev is therefore a provocation aimed at weakening the Westerners by forcing them to increase their support for Kyev.

NATO propaganda - which portrays the war as being a concern only for Ukraine and paints the Russian army as running out of steam - shapes the Europeans way of thinking. Thus, they will be led to overestimate the importance of Kyev and underestimate the strength of the Russian army; and, in short, made to fall into Medvedevs trap.
The two Belgian women were in Italy on holiday.

Two Belgian tourists were killed in a hit-and-run incident on a link road to the A24 motorway near Tor Cervara, an eastern suburb of Rome, on Saturday night.

The two women, identified by Italian media as Jessy Dewildeman (24) and Wibe Bijls (26), had just arrived in Rome on vacation.

The tragedy occurred after the tourists got out of the NCC vehicle (car hire with driver) in which they were travelling to help some people involved in another accident that had taken place moments before.

Suddenly, however, another vehicle ran into the two women head-on, throwing them metres away. The driver fled the scene, according to Italian news reports.

The motorists involved in the previous crash were also seriously injured and hospitalised.

An investigation is underway by Rome traffic police who reportedly identified a suspect in relation to the hit-and-run and brought him in for questioning on Sunday night.
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What do you do with a purported ally whos jumping into bed with the enemy? OPEC+ last week opted to cut oil production a month out from US midterm elections, with Brent crude not far off $100 a barrel and Europe buckling under the impact of economic warfare with its largest energy supplier, Russia. The decision, coming not long after President Joe Biden flew to Riyadh in search of higher oil output, has many in Washington questioning the wisdom of the eight-decade alliance with Saudi Arabia.

The royal Saudi family has never been a trustworthy ally of our nation, Dick Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, wrote in a tweet Thursday. Its time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance.

Three Democratic representatives promised a bill to remove US troops and missile systems from the region, calling the OPEC+ production cut a turning point in our relationship with Gulf partners. It is time for the US to resume acting like the superpower in our relationship with our client states, the trio wrote. They have made a choice and should live with the consequences.

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Heres the thing, though: Stationing troops in ungrateful Arab nations is precisely what a superpower should be doing in this situation. Washington has quietly recognized that reality ever since 1943, when Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that the defense of Saudi Arabia is vital to the defense of the United States.

If the worlds oil exporters seem refractory in their relations with Washington, its exactly because they recognize the extent to which the status quo is an asset to the US, not a liability. Events since Russias invasion of Ukraine dont undermine that narrative in the least  if anything, they make it still more compelling.

Thats because the battle since March has been fought not just in the fields of Ukraine but also in the ports and pipelines connecting Russias oil and gas to global markets. The recent destruction of the Nord Stream gas lines carrying Russian fuel to Europe and the Kerch bridge bringing diesel from Russia to the southern front of the Ukraine war both demonstrate the same point. The most potent weapon in modern warfare is energy, and control of the supply lines that get it from its sources to its consumers.

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Now translate the situation in Europe to the Gulf. In the unlikely event that the US did withdraw its military presence in the region, another nation would step in to protect the slice of the $1 trillion trade in crude oil passing through the pirate-infested waters of the western Indian Ocean. Arab countries own navies are incapable of doing much more than basic coastal defense, so the most viable candidates would be China and, at a pinch, India.

In one sense, leaving Beijing in charge of protecting its own energy supplies is reasonable. The western hemisphere is largely self-sufficient in crude. Some 82% of the Gulfs oil exports head east, with just 3.7% going to the US. Having America pay the security detail for its oil supplies frees up China to direct its military spending toward other ventures, such as building up forces to threaten Taiwan.

The disproportion is the point, though. By guaranteeing Chinas supplies of oil, Washington quietly holds enormous leverage. In the event of an invasion of Taiwan, US sea power in the Gulf and Indian Ocean gives it the option of a Russian-style strategy, using embargoes around the straits of Hormuz and Singapore to cut off roughly three-quarters of the oil fueling Beijings war machine. While Chinas domestic oil production would be able to step up in such a crisis, the pain such a scenario would inflict on the economy and the risk of popular unrest vastly raise the cost of warfare.

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By the same token, Chinese control of those sea lines of communication would be an enormous strategic asset to Beijing. Lacking the domestic reserves that make China the worlds sixth-biggest oil producer and protected under the umbrella of the Pax Americana on the high seas, Washingtons allies in Asia are if anything even more dependent on imported crude.

The US doesnt want China deploying the energy weapon to obtain hegemony in East Asia via a Pax Sinica. Nor does it want to see its often-fractious Asian allies taking action to protect their own energy supplies in the absence of American sea power. The naval arms race between Germany and Britain before World War I, in many ways one of the causes of that conflict, demonstrates the hazards of such a strategy. In the circumstances, stationing a few thousand troops in the Gulf to head off those scenarios is a small price for Washington to pay.

Having a hand resting on the spigot of the worlds energy flows is a fundamental building block of US global power, and both Washington and Riyadh know it. Saudi Arabia may be more a frenemy than an ally these days, but energy geopolitics operates under similar principles to those Michael Corleone used to rule his criminal empire: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Oil Production Cut Could Be 10% Real, 90% Illusion: Julian Lee

 Nord Stream Shows Deep Sea Is a Battleground: James Stavridis

 Biden Should Hit Saudi Arabia Where It Really Hurts: Bobby Ghosh

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

David Fickling is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. Previously, he worked for Bloomberg News, the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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The Harvard Business Review is celebrating its 100th birthday with a fat book of its most influential and innovative articles and an electronic fanfare of videos, charts and online articles. HBR was founded 14 years after its mothership, the Harvard Business School, to provide the fledgling discipline of business with a bit of academic heft. The new discipline faced a lot of sneering from the Brahmin establishment who ran Harvard in those days for lacking academic rigor as well as social cachet. Wallace Brett Donham, HBSs dean from 1919 to 1942, hoped that the review would address one of these complaints by pioneering a theory of business based on rigorous research and capable of teaching fledgling businessmen sound judgment. Without such a theory, he wrote in the inaugural issue, business would be unsystematic, haphazard, and for many men a pathetic gamble.

Donhams brainchild succeeded beyond anybodys wildest dreams. HBR articles launched billion-dollar management ideas, such as re-engineering or asset-lite management, that changed entire industries. The few Brahmins who remain in Harvard look out from their little cubby holes at the business school across the river and gnash their teeth with envy. A magazine that was once described by one of its editors as being written by people who cant write for people who cant read is now a bible of corporate America.

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Which is why the current volume is such a disappointment. The brief introduction makes a few interesting points notably that the magazines focus has shifted from the tangible aspects of management, such as how to allocate financial resources or organize production, to more intangible subjects such as how to get the most out of your workers or enthrall your customers. But it fails to tackle any of the hard questions. Why is a discipline that is supposed to make business less of a haphazard gamble subject to so many fads and indeed frauds? And how does HBR explain its role in promoting ideas such as re-engineering or companies such as Enron? The HBR doesnt necessarily owe us humility, but it does owe us introspection.

The collection includes some great articles which its nice to have in one place (two of my favorites are the articles that bookend the collection, Peter Drucker on managing oneself and Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad on strategic intent). But it also contains some inexplicable gaps. How can you produce a collection of the most interesting and innovative articles in the HBR without including Michael Jensens the eclipse of the public corporation, an intellectual tour de force which defined an era? In general, the collection is ludicrously heavy on current preoccupations (such as authenticity) and light on yesterdays passions (globalization as well as private equity). The book eschews chronological organization without embracing any thematic alternative that I could work out.

The extras are even more variable in quality. HBR asked some leading thinkers to speculate about whats next for some big topics. Some of what they had to say was interesting (Ram Charam on the future of organizations); some was merely platitudinous (Marcus Buckingham on what a good job would look like). Where the package hit its nadir is about the future of management. HBR asked a panel of global experts what management will look like in the next 100 years. The answer that came back from each of the experts was almost identical: Management will become cuddlier and less command-and-control. Sut I Wong of the Norwegian Business School says that management will be all about empathy. Frederic Frery of ESCP Business School says that management will/should forget about the art of war and focus instead on the art of seduction. Rachel Spivey, the head of Googles Stay & Thrive team, says that the future will be all about fostering a direct, transparent and empathetic approach to management.

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What twaddle! I suspect the empathy-first approach that dominates todays business schools will not survive the next five years intact let alone the next 50 or 100, or else will simply become so ossified that nobody outside a tiny clique will listen to it. Todays focus on inclusion and empathy was dictated by the peculiar combination of a prolonged bull market on the one hand and the shock of the societal rifts exploited and widened by the Trump presidency. The focus will shift significantly in the future as recent preoccupations, notably diversity, become bureaucratized, and companies desperately adjust to the fracturing of the global economy, the rise of Asia and the long-term decline in productivity.

It would be churlish for me to be so brutal about the HBR panels predictions without offering some alternative predictions of my own (and with them my head, at least metaphorically, for anybody who wants to chop it off). I think that business life over the coming decades will be dominated by five great trends that will reshape management just as dramatically as did world wars, whether hot or cold, or the invention of the computer.

The return of a wartime economy

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Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine has inaugurated a new era in business affairs, not just because it has forced business to respond to Russias immediate aggression but also because it has forced it to wake up to Chinas geostrategic ambitions. President Xi Jinping will be further emboldened if, as is widely expected, he is effectively made president for life in the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Competition between China and the West for resources, ranging from food, fish and water to rare earths, will only intensify as the world shifts to battery power and the war in Ukraine continues to threaten grain supplies.

So far most of the great initiatives have come from governments, particularly from the US government. President Joe Biden has passed a CHIPS Act to reduce dependence on Chinese semiconductors. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has sung the praises of friend-shoring. Businesses are still playing catch-up  belatedly creating new supply chains in India or Vietnam to supplement their existing ones in China for example.

They will surely become more proactive as they adjust to a new world in which military spending is an increasingly powerful driver of the global economy and potential conflict an ever-present danger. A growing number of start-ups will shift their focus from consumer goods to military supplies. High-tech companies will follow the example of Palantir Technologies Inc. and challenge the power of companies such as Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Dynamics Corp. that were born before the digital age. Indeed, in the longer term a military-digital complex will likely replace the old military-industrial complex. Companies of all description, whether or not they are formally part of the digital-industrial complex, will beef up their political risk departments to pay more attention to military and strategic risks. Frederic Frery mocks the bad old days when business strategy was often taught by military officers who looked to generals such as Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz for management insights. In fact, companies will turn to military men and women, schooled in hard realities at West Point and on the front line, for leadership and advice.

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The great knowledge-worker cull

First, they came for the agricultural workers. Then they came for the industrial workers. Now they are coming for the knowledge workers. The great labor relations theme of the rest of the current century is that intelligent machines will do for workers by brain what dumber machines did previously for workers by hand  destroying their jobs, suppressing their wages, battering their psyches and generally driving them to the margins of society.

Techno-optimists like to put a positive spin on the march of the machines. Knowledge workers will become more productive by working with machines rather than against them, they said; machines would stop at the most sophisticated jobs  making leaps of imagination of thinking profound thoughts  thereby leaving human beings to do what they do best while the grunt work is taken care of by computers. Dont believe a word of it.

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Intelligent machines have already moved on from jobs that simply involve processing lots of data (compiling tax returns or reading medical charts or searching for the best value stocks) to jobs that require what used to be regarded as the human touch. Machines can produce plausible-sounding news reports. IBM Corp. and the Baylor College of Medicine have developed a system called KnIT (knowledge integration toolkit) that scans the medical literature and generates new hypotheses for research problems. Software regularly outperforms humans in predicting the outcome of court cases ranging from patent disputes to landmark Supreme Court rulings.

The great problem of management will shift inexorably from how to manage knowledge workers (who will be progressively outplaced) to how to manage the marginalization of knowledge workers. Ever more senior figures who have spent their lives celebrating technological progress and decrying Luddism will find themselves surplus to requirements (imagine the howl from columnists as columns are automated!) Ever more university graduates will find themselves working in the bowels of the service economy. And ever more university departments, having profited briefly from the academic arms race, will have to close as potential students realize that no number of qualifications will save them from the knowledge-worker cull.

Disappointed brainworkers have always provided combustible fuel for revolutions in the past: Look at the role that alienated intellectuals played in driving the Russian revolution or downwardly mobile graduates played in the rise of Nazism in Germany. From a social point of view, the next wave of technological progress is likely to prove the most disruptive yet.

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The rise of the trillion-dollar trust fund baby

In the next decade or so we will see the birth of a new kind of baby: trillion-dollar trust fund babies who are destined to inherit fortunes that are bigger than the GDPs of small countries or the stock-market valuations of large companies.

These trillion-dollar trustafarians are the product of two trends. The first is the return of giant fortunes that are comparable with those of Rockefeller and Carnegie. The second is a concerted campaign from the right, particularly in the United States, to reduce or even abolish the inheritance tax (which conservatives have brilliantly rebranded the death tax). Only morons pay estate tax, was the proud boast of one of Donald Trumps economic advisers, Gary Cohn, of a tax that, for 35 years after 1941, stood at 77%. Over the next 25 years about half of the $72 billion that will be passed from one generation to another will come from the richest 1.5% of households.

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The rise of the trillion-dollar trust-fund baby will put yet more strain on the meritocratic idea that is the rocket fuel of capitalism. How can you talk about equality of opportunity when some people inherit fortunes that outstrip the endowments of entire universities? And how can you laud the work ethic when we have an ever-expanding permanent leisure class?

The rise of trillion-dollar babies will further tilt the overall economy away from wealth creation and toward inheritance curation: Why risk your hand at entrepreneurship when you can have a highly remunerated career as a money-butler to the super-rich, either as a lawyer devising ever more elaborate trusts, a political consultant lowering the inheritance tax still further or a private banker making giant fortunes even bigger still.

The next frontier of competitive advantage: genetics

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The West has understandably remained nervous about exploiting the potential of genetic science since the horrors of the Holocaust. That is likely to change in the coming decades  indeed genetic science may be for the next 40 years what computer science was for the past 40 years.

There are lots of reasons for this. Genetics has been advancing at an astonishing rate since the sequencing of the human genome, not just as an abstract science but as a set of technologies. The unease engendered by the memories of the 1940s is fading. Genetic screening for abnormalities is now commonplace, and is sometimes followed by the termination of pregnancies. The fashion for enhancing your body with computer parts is spreading from university-based sub-cultures into wider society. What will really tip the balance, however, will be China, which has already tolerated the selective abortion of millions of female fetuses, and where researchers sparked controversy by editing the genome of a human embryo. Notwithstanding the subsequent official condemnation of that work, China will surely be tempted to exploit the military, and perhaps the commercial, possibilities of genetic science.

This will put a series of profound questions at the heart of business (and create a thriving sub-discipline in management ethics). What limits should the West place on genetic research? Should we impose tighter limits on the IVF industry? Or should they be free to sell, in effect, genetically superior offspring? Should insurance companies be given access to DNA tests that predict an individuals potential to fall ill? And should regular companies be able to select their employees based on polygenic scores, based on computerized surveys of thousands of genetic differences that predict their ability to thrive in their jobs? Can the West retain its focus on individual rights in the face of an economic and military competitor which might use genetic screening to discover and even create superior human beings? Or will further abandoning liberal individualism be just another price we have to pay in order to remain competitive?

The new road to serfdom

The great clarion call of market societies is freedom: freedom to exchange the fruits of our labor in the marketplace for goods and freedom to express our views in the marketplace of ideas. Yet there is a growing risk that we are losing our freedoms not only to a new generation of intellectual censors but to watchers who monitor our every move. Friedrich A. Hayek warned that the road to serfdom was being paved by the state  and certainly the Chinese government has led the way to our current dystopia with its construction of the worlds most elaborate surveillance society. But the great free marketeer failed to reckon with the opportunism of the private sector. Internet giants grow fat by sucking up information about our spending habits and selling it to third parties. Corporations increasingly used spyware of various kinds to monitor their workers ever more closely and sanction them if they paused in their productivity.

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the road to serfdom is paved with minor conveniences. Consumers wanted the free services that Google and its fellow surveillance capitalists offered (smilers with knives underneath their coats, to borrow a phrase from Chaucer). So, they gave them the right to spy on their lives. Workers wanted the convenience of being able to work from home. So, they allowed their employers to monitor their productivity from afar.

Can capitalism be revamped so that we can reclaim our lost freedoms without losing the benefit of our improved capacity to, say, fight crime or improve productivity? We need a new generation of management thinkers to devote themselves to thinking about this subject. Should we allow individuals to charge companies to use their data? Or should we go for the opposite approach and simply nationalize the IT giants on the grounds that private entities should not be trusted with such intimate knowledge? But alas at present the few people with the intellectual firepower and technical expertise to answer these questions either work for the IT companies themselves or for think tanks that depend on Silicon Valley money.

The best management gurus have played an outstanding role not only in identifying business problems but also in helping to solve them. Peter Drucker persuaded his readers to take more responsibility for managing themselves in order to cope with the disappearance of jobs-for-life and the extension of life expectancies. Michael Jensen arguably delayed the onset of the recent stagnation by unleashing the creative force of leveraged buyouts and private equity (though for a contrary view see Nicholas Lemanns excellent Transaction Man). Clay Christensen helped young companies to take advantage of disruptive new technologies that changed the way that businesses operated.

During its first 100 years, the Harvard Business Review has been an invaluable bridge between the management theory industry on the one hand and the broader business public on the other. That bridge will be needed more than ever, given the tendency of academics to turn in on themselves and as businesses obsess over the long term. But in order to succeed, HBR will have to be more honest about why it has made such glaring mistakes in the past. It will also have to broaden its current somewhat blinkered focus  not only giving space to a wider range of voices on fashionable topics such as corporate social responsibility but also looking to the darker forces all too likely to transform business in the century ahead.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Adrian Wooldridge is the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. A former writer at the Economist, he is author, most recently, of The Aristocracy of Talent: How Meritocracy Made the Modern World.

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As Italys far-right government prepares to take over, the guardrails are already going up. Giorgia Melonis Cabinet is shaping up to be an uneasy marriage of technocrats  especially at the finance ministry  and the demagogues who will fulfill her agenda of cracking down on immigration, brawling with the LBGTQ+ community and promoting what she calls the natural family. History suggests any relationship with those bedfellows will be short-lived.

Italys new government wont be named until at least mid-October. But there have been ructions since almost immediately after the last vote was counted in the Sept. 25 election. True, Meloni has a strong hand after her Brothers of Italy won some 26%, putting her in line to be Italys first woman prime minister and the leader who assembles the next coalition. She is going to need that sway to keep her right-wing allies under control.

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Already, Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-European Union League party, publicly demanded the interior ministers brief  or else hed refuse to join the government. Of course, the key to Melonis political emergence was her refusal to join Mario Draghis unity coalition, which she could then attack at will. But Salvini should have limited leverage. The Leagues support halved from the last vote in 2018 to just 8.5%. Meloni, who has pledged to maintain support for Ukraine and NATO, is understandably reluctant to hand a Vladimir Putin fanboy his post of choice.

Coalition friends like these explain why Meloni is going to need a corps of steady hands to maintain the investor confidence needed to service a sovereign debt load thats about 1  times gross domestic product. Senior politicians in Rome say President Sergio Mattarella (who will have final say about the makeup of the government) is behind the scenes suggesting Meloni give the three heavyweight ministries  justice, foreign affairs and finance  to technocrats. Insiders say Draghi and Meloni have been speaking to each other since before the elections  as polls made clear she was likely to emerge as premier  and the former European Central Bank president has also been pushing the idea.

Of these, the most crucial portfolio is the finance ministry. Expectations that Meloni will appoint a seasoned official to lead the agency explains why markets havent substantially moved against Italian debt, traders say. Yet even here, there are signs things may not be going Melonis way. Her top pick was widely known to be Fabio Panetta, a member of the ECB executive board. Panetta, a conservative and Bank of Italy veteran who had never previously been involved in government seemed a good fit for a leader who has pledged a new era in politics. Yet Panetta has apparently made clear to European colleagues he doesnt want the job, Bloomberg News has reported.

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There are other potential candidates who should reassure business leaders and investors and counter Melonis calls to renationalize Telecom Italia and block the takeover of ITA, Italys biggest airline, by Certares, a US private equity firm. Possibilities include Domenico Siniscalco, a Morgan Stanley banker who was finance minister 16 years ago; Vittorio Grilli, another former finance minister-turned banker (at JPMorgan Chase & Co.) and Luigi Buttiglione, an independent economist and former strategist at the Brevan Howard hedge fund. She could also persuade incumbent Daniele Franco to stick around.

The complications in pulling together a governing coalition out of the assorted antagonists doesnt augur well. Theres precedent here. In 2005, Siniscalco walked out after barely a year as finance minister under Silvio Berlusconi. The economist had been a guarantee for investors of both Italian debt and the euro. When he quit, he reportedly said I cant take it anymore and walked away after coalition partners rejected his deficit-cutting measures.

Investors have to hope the often-quoted adage from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusas The Leopard about Italy that things have to change in order to stay this same doesnt again prove true.

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 Meloni Could Have More Sway in EU Than at Home: Rachel Sanderson

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My adventure on San Francisco Bay Area public transportation to see how the system is recovering after Covid-19 did not begin auspiciously. It was about 8:30 a.m. on the last Tuesday in September, and I was waiting at a bus stop on Silicon Valleys main drag, El Camino Real, in Mountain View. Nearly a dozen people were waiting with me. Then a shiny unmarked bus with RIDE MPK on its electronic destination sign pulled up, and almost all of them got in  headed, I guessed, for the sprawling Menlo Park office campus of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp parent Meta Platforms Inc.Together with one other guy at the stop, I watched in anticipation as a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority 22 bus to Palo Alto pulled up behind the RIDE MPK bus, then in dismay as it switched lanes and proceeded to the next intersection. After the other guy asked the driver of the private bus if he could drop us off in Palo Alto (answer: no), the two of us sprinted about 50 yards to where the VTA 22 bus was still waiting at what turned out to be a helpfully long red light. The driver let us on (with no apology for skipping our stop), and the rest of the ride to Palo Altos California Avenue shopping district, where I was meeting a friend for coffee, was uneventful.

After coffee, I resumed my planned circumnavigation of the San Francisco Bay by walking a couple of blocks to the California Ave. Caltrain station, walking through an underpass that looked as if it would take me to the northbound platform, walking back through that underpass after a nice woman walking her dog informed me that I couldnt get to the train that way (she said people frequently make that mistake), then walking through the correct underpass. From there I traveled by:

 Caltrain to Fourth Street in San Francisco

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 San Francisco Muni N-Judah light-rail train to Embarcadero station

 Golden Gate Transit ferry to Larkspur

 Golden Gate Transit 580 bus to the El Cerrito Del Norte Bay Area Rapid Transit station

 BART orange line train to the Berryessa/North San Jose station

 Lyft Bay Wheels bike to San Jose Diridon Station

 VTA Rapid 522 bus back to my hotel in Mountain View

The journey took about 10 hours, including that coffee in Palo Alto; a break for lunch, emailing and phone charging at Bloombergs office on the Embarcadero not far from the Ferry Building in San Francisco; some book shopping at the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur while I killed time waiting for a Marin Transit 228 bus, followed by a mile-long walk to Bellam Blvd. in San Rafael, mostly on a bike path, after Google Maps informed me that the 228 bus was running late and would miss the connection to the next bus to El Cerrito; and a couple of ride-extending wrong turns in San Jose (where I could also have traveled by bus or light rail but chose the bike for varietys sake).

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The approximate distance traveled was 160 miles (257 kilometers). The total cost was $32.52, which would have been about $45 but for the half-price fares BART was charging during September in celebration of its 50th birthday and the discount on bike rides afforded by my Lyft Pink membership, which I have because Lyft also operates the Citi Bike service in New York, where I live. I could have paid for all of it through the Clipper account in my iPhone wallet, but I didnt do so with the bike because my way was cheaper, and I ended up buying my Caltrain ticket with a credit card because I couldnt figure out how to use the Clipper reader  although I subsequently saw enough other people succeeding at this to believe the problem lay more with me than with Caltrain.

All in all it was a pleasant, often scenic experience, with Larkspur the only bad connection. And no, I never had trouble finding a seat. I was on the two VTA buses at rush hour, and at times most seats on them were occupied, but they never felt crowded. The same was true on BART as we rode through Berkeley and Oakland, but after Warm Springs/South Fremont I was the only person in my train car during its late-afternoon journey to the last two stations on the line, both of which have been in service only since June 2020.

My motivation for all this (other than that I enjoy riding on trains and boats) was to explore the situation with the US public transportation network that has taken the biggest hit from the pandemic and accompanying shift to remote work. In 2019, the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metropolitan area, which consists of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, was second only to metropolitan New York City in the percentage of employed people who travel to work primarily by public transportation, at 18.9%. It then experienced the steepest drop in that percentage among the top public transportation metros, with its transit share falling to just 4.9% in 2021, behind Boston-Cambridge and even the great metropolis of Ithaca, New York.

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The other metropolitan area through which I traveled, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara  also known as Santa Clara County or, roughly, Silicon Valley  had only a 1.1% transit share in 2021, down from 4.7% in 2019. And yes, the people in the Ride MPK bus count as public transportation users in these statistics, which are from the American Community Survey conducted annually by the US Census Bureau. Respondents are supposed to check bus if thats the main way they got to work and not asked whether that bus was public or private.

What drove commuting by transit down was mainly a huge increase in working from home, with the percentage of workers doing so jumping to about 35% last year in both the San Francisco and San Jose metropolitan areas from 7.2% and 4.8%, respectively, in 2019, higher than in any other large US metro area, and topping 45% in parts of San Francisco, San Jose and some suburbs.

Heres complete(ish) transit ridership data through June of this year for the entire nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, which encompasses the two metropolitan areas already mentioned as well as three smaller ones along the north side of the bay: Santa Rosa, Napa and Vallejo.

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Bay Area bus ridership in June was 62% of what it was before the pandemic in June 2019, and ferry ridership was 56%. Rail ridership was at only 35%. Thats because trains in the Bay Area were used mainly by white-collar commuters, and of course they were the ones most able to stop commuting and work from home. Another way to see this is by transit agency, of which there are reputedly 27 in the Bay Area (a trio of San Francisco Chronicle journalists tried to ride as many as they could the day after my journey and made it on to 17), although only 16 appear to report ridership data to the Federal Transit Administration.(1)

Commuter-focused rail services BART and Caltrain have experienced the steepest ridership declines since 2019. Golden Gate Transit, which operates ferries and intercounty commuter buses, is next. The Metropolitan Transportation Commissions Bay Area Vanpool, which subsidizes and helps bring together groups of people commuting together with unpaid drivers, has been the only service to report an increase in ridership. Apart from that, agencies focused on local bus service have generally done best, with Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) an exception that can probably be explained by the fact that it only went into full service in August 2017 and people were still figuring out that it existed in June 2019. (It was certainly a surprise to me when I encountered a station on my walk from Larkspur to San Rafael.)

The ridership recovery at BART and especially Caltrain has also lagged behind those at other commuter-oriented rail operations across the country such as New Jersey Transit and the Washington Metro.

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These numbers are through July (the Bay Area transit charts stop at June because the National Transit Database didnt have any July numbers for AC Transit). Since then, some large Bay Area corporations have been leaning harder on employees to come into the office at least two or three days a week, and daily BART statistics show that September ridership was back to about 40% of normal at midweek and more than 60% of normal on weekends. (And, yes, tickets were half price in September, but so far October doesnt seem much different.) Heres how that stacks up against the rail services operated by New Yorks Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is also nice enough to report daily ridership stats.

So far BART, the MTA and other transit agencies nationwide have been able to keep running despite the ridership declines thanks to almost $70 billion in federal pandemic aid. But starting in the middle of next year, they will face a financial reckoning, and it turns out BART and Caltrain are among the most vulnerable large US transit agencies because, before the pandemic, fares covered almost three-quarters of their operating expenses. The following chart is adapted from a recent analysis of the looming public transportation fiscal cliff by Garett Shrode of the Eno Center for Transportation in Washington. It shows all the US transit agencies that had (1) operating expenses of $100 million or more in 2019 and (2) farebox revenue that covered 40% or more of those expenses.

The New York City subway, by the way, had a farebox recovery rate of 70% in 2019; buses dragged NYC Transits score down to 53%. The largest transit agency with the lowest farebox recovery in 2019 was the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, at 15%. The San Francisco Muni was fourth lowest, at 23%. LA Metro, which I rode on and wrote about in February, is a bus-focused operation that caters to a much poorer ridership than Caltrain or BART, and this is to a lesser extent true of SF Muni as well. These agencies provide essential services, and their lower farebox recovery rates arent necessarily a sign of failure. But it does seem a little perverse that Caltrain and BART, the two large US transit agencies that have been most successful in getting riders to pay the bills, now face perhaps the most dire budget outlook.

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One way to remedy that, of course, would be to get more riders. Barring a spectacular reversal of the work-from-home trend, this will require bringing aboard more non-commuters, and there are big obstacles to that. I can report from ample personal experience that BART is the most efficient way to travel at rush hour from Lafayette, the East Bay suburb where I grew up, to downtown San Francisco and back. At other times of the day, and between other destinations in the Bay Area, a car will usually get you there quicker. The region experienced most of its growth after the arrival of the automobile and is thus laid out to favor car transport over other modes  as is true of all but a few US metropolitan areas.

California is in the early stages of a bold effort to change this by forcing its cities and suburbs to become denser, adopting legislation that allows homeowners in most of the state to add dwelling units to existing homes as well as divide their lots in two and build duplexes on each lot. It also streamlines housing approvals in commercially zoned areas and bans local governments from requiring parking spaces for residential and commercial developments within half a mile of major transit stops, among other things. If you squint, its possible to see a future in which many more Bay Area residents can walk to transit. And, lets be honest, getting places by car is much more of a hassle.

In the meantime, the simplest way to make transit more convenient outside of rush hour is to increase its frequency. Low ridership and budgetary pressures are pushing Bay Area transit agencies in the opposite direction, but the data showing a much stronger recovery in ridership on weekends rather than weekdays at BART and the New York commuter railroads indicate that some schedule rejiggering away from peak commuting hours to other periods might entice new riders  as well as save money, given that peak service costs more to provide than off-peak does.

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(1) Ive used the brand names of some services because theyre shorter than the formal names, but I realize that some may seem a bit cryptic to outsiders. Among those I dont mention elsewhere in the column, AC Transit is the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, SamTrans is the San Mateo County Transit District, SolTrans is Solano County Transit and WestCat is the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Justin Fox is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business. A former editorial director of Harvard Business Review, he has written for Time, Fortune and American Banker. He is author of The Myth of the Rational Market.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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Its at once astonishing and familiar. More than 51 million Brazilians voted to re-elect President Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist authoritarian who professes admiration for the military dictatorship that jackbooted the country until 1985. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight He has not won. Odds are he will lose in the second round of voting on Oct. 30 against former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who bested him by 6 million votes in the first round. But the chilling prospect remains on the cards:

Brazilians may yet re-elect as president a man who has shown little patience for democracy; who has embraced the use of torture, and once asserted that the dictatorship should have killed many more Brazilians, including then-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. As a member of Congress in 2016 he dedicated his vote to impeach President Dilma Rousseff to the colonel who ran the unit that tortured her in the 1970s.

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Whats most striking, though, is how unremarkable the story feels in the current political environment.

Victor Orbans Hungary, Narendra Modis India, Recep Tayyip Erdogans Turkey have all steered decidedly toward illiberal democracy. Italy is now governed by the political heirs of Benito Mussolini. Even Swedens new governing party has roots in Nazism. The V-Dem Institute estimates that 70% of the worlds population lived last year under some form of autocratic government, compared to 40% a decade before. President Donald Trump failed to get re-elected in 2020, but 74 million Americans voted for him.

These millions of votes around the world require a closer examination. The idea that the masses of the 21st century suddenly decided to come out of the closet as fascists, reversing the shift toward liberal politics that characterized the second half of the 20th, is not an explanation. It will not help build the new politics the world apparently needs to push back against authoritarianism.

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Trump, characteristically, credits the shift to the themes that helped propel him to power. Its a very simple movement: Give us borders, give us safe streets, we dont want crime, give us good education, give us dignity and give us respect as a nation. Its not complicated, Trump said in an interview last week, reveling in the strong showing of his Brazilian ideological clone. The whole thing is a great movement thats taken place and now its happening all over the world.

And yet Brazils experience suggests peoples disillusion with the liberal capitalist order comes from a complicated tangle of frustrations and disappointments that do not all originate from the same place.

Bolsonaro, like Trump, drew a large share of support from Christian evangelical voters  fired up over similar themes, like opposition to transgender rights and abortion, which remains illegal in Brazil. He also profited from the men should be men theme, a surefire winner among insecure male voters in industrializing countries where women are bit by bit gaining power and prominence in the workplace and across the broader society.

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And yet some of the most powerful forces driving illiberalism around the world proved less relevant to Brazilian voters.

Immigration and demographic change have stoked xenophobia and racial hostility from Hungary through Sweden to the United States, offering an opening to political entrepreneurs promising to protect the volk from the rising influence of those on the other side of ethnic, religious, cultural lines.

Yet while the desire for safe streets did play in Brazils elections  tinged with the same kind of racial hostility Trump tried to exploit when he promised to protect white suburban women from urban threats  immigration was not a critical issue. Thats probably because there isnt much of it.

Critically, Brazilians do not appear to see themselves as victims of the burst of hypercharged globalization after China entered the World Trade Organization just over 20 years ago, which spread despair across the American industrial heartland, helping drive blue-collar workers into Trumps embrace.

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As in many other disaffected democracies, millions of Brazilians are clearly disillusioned with the liberal order. But unlike voters in the US and other industrialized countries, the frustration of the Brazilian middle class is not quite born of loss  the sense that globalized liberalism bumped them from their longstanding, rightful place of privilege. Its more about prosperity having never quite taken hold.

In Brazil, Chinas rising clout was unvarnished good news, underpinning a decade of fast economic growth that it had not experienced since the advent of democracy. But China slowed, Brazils commodity-driven boom faded and millions of Brazilians just sidling up to the middle-class punchbowl saw it being taken away.

The contrast between their fading prospects  average per capita income fell 8% in real terms between 2013 and last year  and the sight of politicians gorging themselves in a gargantuan corruption scheme, the third such scandal to have swept Brazil since the end of military rule, ignited a movement set on kicking the political establishment out.

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Here is where the thread of Brazilian history twines again with the broader worldwide embrace of illiberal authoritarianism. The specific causes of popular discontent may be idiosyncratic. The inability of liberalisms political class to respond to voters frustration is the systematic regularity.

In Brazil, the political class was busy stealing. In the US, until Trumps arrival, Democrats and Republicans wanted to believe that racism was no longer a problem  surely fixed back in the 1960s, or something. Both parties embraced globalization as a driver of average prosperity, but ignored the point that it also produced losers. Neither dared talk to Americans about immigration.

In both countries, the establishment was way too comfortable. So entrepreneurial outsiders saw an opening and took the establishment by storm.

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We are still a couple of weeks away from the presidential elections second round, which will decide between Lula and Bolsonaro. The Brazilian media is flooded in anguished commentary about the impending risk to the nations democracy.

Standing out among the tormented columns, a note from Roberto Mangabeira Unger in the daily Folha de Sao Paulo coaxed Brazilians, not particularly enthusiastically, to vote for Lula in round two. But the Brazilian-born Harvard law professor, who served as minister for strategic affairs under Lula and Rousseff, also pleaded the case of the tens of millions of Brazilians who voted for Lulas authoritarian rival. They are not protofascists and dont want to liquidate our democracy, he wrote. What we are lacking, he said, is imagination.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

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 With Bolsonaro Down and Not Out, Buckle Up: Clara Ferreira Marques

 Lulas Second Go Will Be Made Harder by Commodity Markets: David Fickling

 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.

Eduardo Porter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin America, US economic policy and immigration. He is the author of American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise and The Price of Everything: Finding Method in the Madness of What Things Cost.

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DOVER, Del.  New state laws allowing universal voting by mail and Election Day registration are unconstitutional, Delawares Supreme Court ruled Friday. In a three-page order, the justices said the vote-by-mail statute impermissibly expands the categories of absentee voters identified in Delawares constitution. The same-day registration law conflicts with the registration periods spelled out in the constitution, they said.

The order, which will be followed later by a formal opinion, came after justices heard arguments in the case Thursday.

Vice Chancellor Nathan Cook last month upheld the same-day registration law but said the vote-by-mail law, the result of legislation Democrats rammed through the General Assembly in less than three weeks, violates constitutional restrictions on absentee voting. Both bills were passed in June, each receiving exactly one Republican vote, and were signed by Democratic Gov. John Carney in July.

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Democratic Attorney General Kathleen Jennings appealed Cooks ruling striking down the vote-by-mail law. Republican attorneys representing voters, a state House candidate and a Department of Elections employee appealed Cooks decision upholding same-day registration.

The Supreme Court upheld Cooks ruling on the vote-by-mail law but said his decision allowing same-day registration should be reversed.

I am very pleased the court recognized that the language of the constitution really matters. This is a win for the rule of law, said state Republican Party chair and former attorney general Jane Brady. Brady and Georgetown lawyer Julianne Murray, the GOP nominee for attorney general, represented plaintiffs challenging the new laws.

Jennings, who faces Murray in the November election, took a defiant tone, suggesting that Republicans will go to any length to stop people from voting. She also implied that she believes opponents of the laws that were struck down by the justices on constitutional grounds are political extremists.

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Extremists are celebrating today at voters expense, Jennings said in a prepared statement.

Democratic leaders in the state House and Senate expressed disappointment with the ruling.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Courts decision reinforces that our previous efforts to amend Delawares constitution for voting is more important now than ever, House Speaker Pete Schwartzopf and Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst said in prepared statement.

Republican minority leaders in the state Senate noted that GOP lawmakers had argued in floor debates that both bills were unconstitutional.

The sponsors and Democrats ignored our concerns, dismissed expert legal testimony, and passed both pieces of legislation anyway, they said in prepared statement. Today, however, the rule of law prevailed.

Democratic lawmakers introduced the vote-by-mail bill after failing to win Republican support to amend the constitution. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds vote by each chamber in two consecutive General Assemblies. The first leg of a constitutional amendment to eliminate limitations on absentee balloting cleared the legislature in 2020, after initially being defeated in the Democrat-controlled Senate, but the second leg failed to win the necessary majority in the Democrat-led House last year.

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The constitution says a person is allowed to vote absentee if unable to go to the polls on Election Day because of his or her public service, business or occupation. Spouses and dependents who live with or accompany people in those circumstances also are allowed to vote absentee. Sickness or physical disability, vacation, and the tenets or teachings of a persons religion are the other allowances.

The attorney generals office argued that mail-in voting is not absentee voting. At the same time, however, it claimed that the constitutions absentee voting provision does not preclude the General Assembly from allowing universal voting by mail.

In 2020, however, when they invoked their emergency powers to allow universal voting by mail that year because of the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers explicitly acknowledged that the constitutions list of reasons for absentee voting is exhaustive, meaning no other reasons are allowed. They also acknowledged that they must comply with the constitution in invoking their emergency powers unless doing so would be impracticable or cause undue delay. They then declared that conforming with the constitutions absentee voting provision would be impracticable.

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Regarding voter registration, the constitution says the registration period for a general election cannot begin more than 120 days, or less than 60 days, before the election. It also cannot end more than 20 days, or less than 10 days, before the election.

Justice Karen Valihura pointed out during Thursdays arguments that the 10-day period was intended to allow the registration rolls to be corrected and for anyone denied the ability to register to appeal. The constitution states that any correction must be done prior to the day of holding the election.

How is it that the same-day statute doesnt completely eviscerate the provision? she asked.

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Once shunned as a political pariah for her extremist rhetoric, the Georgia congresswoman who spent her first term in the House stripped of institutional power by Democrats is being celebrated by Republicans and welcomed into the GOP fold. If Republicans win the House majority in the November election, Greene is poised to become an influential player shaping the GOP agenda, an agitator with clout.

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No. 1, we need to impeach Joe Biden. No. 2, We need to impeach Secretary Mayorkas. And No. 3, we should impeach Merrick Garland, Greene told The Associated Press outside the U.S. Capitol. Alejandro Mayorkas is the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Garland the attorney general.

Scolding the media for having been wrong about me from the start, she said those who know better take me very seriously.

Im going to be a strong legislator and Ill be a very involved member of Congress, she predicted. I know how to work inside, and I know how to work outside. And Im looking forward to doing that.

This is the outlook for the Republican Party in the Trump era, the normalizing of once fringe figures into the highest ranks of political power. Its a sign of the GOPs rightward drift that Greenes association with extremists and nationalists, violent rhetoric and remarks about Jewish people have found a home in elected office. Her ascent brings into focus the challenge ahead for McCarthy, whose GOP ranks are filling with far-right political stars with the potential to play an oversized role in setting the policies, priorities and tone of the new Congress.

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Ive said for a long time theres a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, at a briefing ahead of the midterm elections.

When the congresswoman says outlandish things  as she did at the Trump rally earlier this month claiming Democrats want Republicans dead, and theyve already started the killings  few Republican leaders dare a public or private rebuke of such incendiary language. In this case, she was exaggerating two local incidents involving politics, one that ended tragically in a fatality.

Greenes political currency stretches beyond her massive social media following and her ability to rake in sizable sums from donors. Her proximity to Trump makes her a force that cannot be ignored by whats left of her mainstream GOP colleagues.

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McCarthys allowance for Greene to sit front and center with leadership for the campaign rollout was not by accident but design. The Republican lawmakers in attendance celebrated her presence, calling it a sign of the GOPs big tent that welcomes all comers. But Greenes arrival also signaled a stark normalizing of the most extreme elements in the Republican Party.

Longtime political strategist Rick Wilson, a former Republican who left the party in the Trump era, calls Greenes brand of politics government by trolling that marks a dangerous new era for the GOP and will make it difficult to govern. McCarthy is in line to become House speaker if Republicans regain the majority.

No matter what the trolling part of the Republican caucus does, you cant ever satisfy them, said Wilson, now at the Lincoln Project.

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With the departure of the last vestiges of the anti-Trump wing of the House GOP  Liz Cheney defeated by a primary opponent and Adam Kinzinger deciding to step down rather than seek reelection  thats it, Wilson said.

Greene swept onto the national stage in the 2020 election, catapulted forward even before she took office. As the lawmaker-elect from northwest Georgia, she attended a key organizing meeting at the Trump White House as lawmakers laid plans to object to the certification of Joe Bidens election on Jan. 6, 2021. When she arrived to be sworn into Congress, she wore a Trump Won face mask.

Democrats moved swiftly and unequivocally to reprimand Greene, voting to strip her of congressional committee assignments over her incendiary rhetoric, including trafficking in volatile conspiracy theories. Greene drew rebuke from her own party a few months later for comparing mandatory COVID-19 face masks to the treatment of Jewish people by Nazi Germany.

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While some have tried to compare Greene to outspoken far-left lawmakers, it became clear even to Republican leaders that Greene stood in a category of her own.

At that time, McCarthy called her comments about the Holocaust wrong and appalling. Greene later apologized.

In many ways, Greenes arrival in the House traces the arc of the Republican Partys rightward evolution from the Newt Gingrich revolution that brought conservatives to power in the 1994 election, to the tea party Republicans that regained the House majority in 2010.

Jack Kingston, a former Republican congressman who rose during those earlier eras, said McCarthy was smart in welcoming Greene to unfurl the House GOPs Commitment to America last month.

Hes got to work with her, and he knows that, Kingston said.

Getting Marjorie Taylor Greene on board is very important, he said. If you dont bring everybody in the tent, theyre going to find their own niche.

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In the interview, Greene said she is certain she will be reinstated on her congressional committees if Republicans win the majority, eyeing the House Oversight panel, and is talking to leadership about other opportunities in the new Congress.

Not only does Greene want to impeach Biden and Cabinet officials, she is eager to conduct investigations, including into the origins of COVID-19.

Last month, Greene unveiled legislation that is another priority  her bill to prohibit some gender reassignment procedures on minors  flanked by a dozen Republican lawmakers and leaders in the conservative movement. Many of them praised the congresswoman for her work.

I want to thank Marjorie Taylor Greene  who is soon to get her full legislative powers back, by the way, said Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Committee, who hugged her afterward.

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If this is the type of thing that youre going to have the courage to do, I think thats something everybody needs to understand, Schlapp said.

McCarthy and Greene appear to have come to an understanding that they need each other. The leader needs Greene to come into the GOP fold rather than throw rocks from outside. She needs McCarthys blessing to regain committee assignments, enabling her to participate more fully in Congress and put her imprint on legislation.

At the Pennsylvania event McCarthy batted away questions about his ability to govern if Republicans win the majority.

Name me one person in the conference that is opposed to this, he said afterward of their platform. Is that a difference? Yes.

___

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections

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LONDON  Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on Irans morality police and several security officials in response to the violent crackdown on anti-government protesters. Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by police in the capital, Tehran, for allegedly not adhering to Irans strict Islamic dress code.

The Foreign Office said it was imposing asset freezes and travel bans on the morality police in its entirety, as well as both its chief, Mohammed Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, and the head of the Tehran division, Haj Ahmed Mirzaei.

Also on the list are Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Basij force; Hassan Karami, commander of the NAJA special forces unit of the Iranian police; and Hossein Ashtari, commander-in-chief of the Iranian police.

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Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the sanctions send a clear message to the Iranian authorities  we will hold you to account for your repression of women and girls, and for the shocking violence you have inflicted on your own people.

Demonstrations continue across Iran over the death on Sept. 16 of Amini in the custody of the countrys morality police in Tehran. Irans government insists Amini wasnt mistreated, but her family says her body showed bruises and other signs of beating.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia  Thiolina Marpaung still panics anytime she smells smoke, immediately recalling the bomb explosion that upended her life 20 years ago. Marpaung, now 48, was in a car with her colleagues on the Indonesian resort island of Bali in 2002 when the blast shook their vehicle from behind. Marpaung was temporarily blinded as shards of glass pierced her eyes. She remembers calling out for help and someone bringing her to the sidewalk, before an ambulance raced her to a hospital with other victims.

I was traumatized by the sound of ambulance sirens, Marpaung said.

She is one of dozens of Indonesian survivors who were outside of Sari Club on the night of October 12, 2002, when a car bombing there and the nearly simultaneous suicide bombing at nearby Paddys Pub killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, including 88 Australians and seven Americans.

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Marpaung later had surgery in Australia to remove the glass from her eyes, but the pain still bothers her and requires treatment to this day. At the urging of her psychologist, she has thrown away and burned photographs, news articles, clothing and other reminders of that day. She even tossed the shards of glass that were removed from her eyes onto Kuta Beach in Bali, not far from the attack site.

Thats made me feel better until now, she said.

Two decades after the Bali bombings, counterterrorism efforts in the worlds most populous Muslim country remain highly active. More than 2,300 people have been arrested on terrorism charges, according to data from the Center for Radicalism and Deradicalization Studies, since a national counterterrorism unit, known as Densus 88, was established in the wake of the attacks.

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In 2020, 228 people were arrested on terrorism charges. The number rose to 370 last year, underscoring authorities commitment to pursue suspects even as the number of terrorist attacks in Indonesia has fallen.

But the aggressive police work has also prompted concerns about potential overreach.

The governments recent move towards expanding the definition of the threat of terrorism by going after non-violent, ideologically conservative organizations can undermine the legitimacy of its counterterrorism efforts if the public begins to see anti-terrorism as something of a political thing rather than a law enforcement effort, said Sana Jaffrey, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta.

The pursuit of suspects related to the Bali bombings has also continued, even in recent years.

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In December 2020, police arrested Aris Sumarsono, 58, whose real name is Arif Sunarso but is better known as Zulkarnaen, in the southern town on Sumatra island. He became the latest person arrested over the 2002 bombing, and the court sentenced him to 15 years in prison for his role. Indonesian authorities also suspect him to be the mastermind of several other attacks in the country.

In August this year, Indonesias government considered granting an early prison release to the bombmaker in the Bali attack, Hisyam bin Alizein, 55, better known by his alias, Umar Patek, who has also been identified as a leading member of the al Qaida-linked Southeast Asian Islamic radical group Jemaah Islamiyah. Indonesian authorities said Patek was an example of successful efforts to reform convicted terrorists and that they planned to use him to influence others not to commit terrorist acts.

Ni Luh Erniati, who lost her husband in the Bali bombing and has raised two sons as a single mother the past two decades, met Patek at a prison in East Java province last month. Shes met other convicted terrorists too, saying she believes the meetings can help relieve her grief.

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I told him that I worked at Sari Club and I met my husband at Sari Club, and then I had to lose my husband at Sari Club. It is a memory that is very, very unforgettable and tragic. And I said, because of that incident, I lost my true love, and I told him my life after that. He was crying, really crying, Erniati said.

Patek begged for her forgiveness, she said.

Finally, I couldnt help but take it. He knelt down. I held his hand, I said, Yes, I have forgiven you. He was crying louder, Erniati said.

I also told him, lets work together to protect our beloved country so that the same tragedies dont happen in the future.  He was still crying, she added.

Although she forgives him, Erniati says the decision over his release is now up to the government, which is deciding whether to free him after he served half of his 20-year sentence.

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Indonesias Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly says Patek has fulfilled all requirements for parole as recommended by Indonesias counterterrorism agency.

But the Australian government has expressed its strong opposition to his possible release. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described Patek as abhorrent.

Peter Hughes, another survivor of the 2002 bombing who hails from the Australian west coast city of Perth, has visited Bali more than 30 times in the past 20 years after overcoming his physical and psychological trauma.

Hughes spent a month in an induced coma after suffering burns to 55% of his body in the Paddys Pub explosions in Bali.

He said he plans to visit again for the 20th anniversary commemoration service.

Im mainly going back because Im on holiday and while I was there I just thought Id pay my respects. Thats a given, Hughes said.

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He can understand why some survivors of the Bali bombings might never want to return.

People have a choice. People deal with deep trauma differently. Its unpredictable how people deal with issues. I dont really have an issue with it. I put it down to a bit of bad luck and that just keeps it good in my space, if you know what I mean, Hughes said.

Hughes was interviewed by an Australian news crew at a Bali hospital hours after the blasts. Blistered and swollen, he told the reporter he was feeling really good and other victims were worse off.

Hughes today says he was certain he would die in Bali but wanted to send a positive message to his 21-year-old son Lee, who might see the news.

I just lied. The whole idea was to get something back to my son, Hughes said.

Hughes said he was not concerned that Patek, the Bali bombmaker, could soon be released from prison.

It doesnt worry me. I have no issue with it. The Indonesian judicial system is a little bit different to us, I guess, Hughes said.

___

McGuirk reported from Canberra, Australia.

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UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand  Makeshift furnaces made of clay bricks were built Monday on the grounds of Buddhist temples in a small town in northeastern Thailand on the eve of the cremation of the young victims of last weeks massacre at a day care center by a former policeman. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Last Thursdays brutal gun and and knife attack on the Young Childrens Development Center in Uthai Sawan left 36 people dead, including 24 young children. It was the biggest mass killing by an individual in the countrys history.

Phra Kru Adisal Kijjanuwat, abbot of the Rat Samakee temple, around 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the scene of the bloodshed, said 19 victims will be cremated in a group ceremony on Tuesday, bringing an end to a three-day mourning ceremony for the families.

He said the bodies would be cremated at the same time on charcoal-fueled open-air pyres to spare the families from having to wait long hours for successive ceremonies to be completed.

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We only have one furnace at the temple and we wouldnt be able to cremate all victims at the same time, and I do not wish for any family to have to wait for a lengthy cremation process, Adisal said.

After seeing their grief, I thought it would be better if we can hold the ceremony at the same time and that all relatives can go through this final stage of this painful event together, he said.

The monk said temporary furnaces were also being installed at two other nearby temples that will account for the remaining victims. He said that five families have chosen to host their funeral services separately from the group ones.

Police identified the perpetrator of the massacre as Panya Kamrap, 34, a police sergeant fired earlier this year after being charged with a drug offense.

A clear motive for the killings may never be determined after Panya took his own life, but police say they consider his financial and marital problems, as well as his history of drug use, to be factors.

Panya was cremated Saturday in a neighboring province after temples in Uthai Sawan refused to host his funeral, Thai media reported.

___

Associated Press writer Kaweewit Kaewjinda in Bangkok contributed to this report.

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Patrick Livesey has experienced a lot in 28 years. The flamboyant kid who would wear their mums wedding dress to kindergarten, or visit the video store in a bikini and heels, learnt to suppress those traits early, following an incident at primary school. In their teenage years, an eating disorder and an obsession with running lapsed when they discovered weed. All the while, Liveseys Adelaide home life was marked by their mothers battle with mental illness. Livesey was studying drama at VCA when Naomi took her own life. At this months Fringe Festival, Livesey performs Naomi, the solo show in which they play eight people from her life. Its verbatim theatre, painstakingly constructed from more than 30 hours of interviews conducted by the writer and performer, and its Adelaide premiere this year earned numerous five-star reviews as well as the Adelaide Critics Circle Award. Adelaide is a small town. It didnt take long for Livesey to hear a rumour that Naomi had died of brain cancer. She hadnt, but even those closest to her didnt want to speak openly about her real cause of death. My family didnt really want to talk about the fact that it was suicide, Livesey says. Suicide remains a profound taboo in our culture, and survivors often find themselves faced with a silence as confronting as it is frustrating. That reticence is understandable: the language we have to talk about suicide is often superficial, judgmental or misinformed. I think we as a culture dont have a language around grief, Livesey says. And so that was why in the time that everything was happening with Mum, I kind of felt it was something I wanted to share, because it changed everything in my life. I felt more people need to have a language around this. Livesey first caught the attention of Melbourne theatregoers in 2019 with The Boy, George, in which a teenage Prince George explains his plans to secure the throne in the wake of Queen Elizabeths death. The solo show was nominated for best performance at that years Melbourne Fringe, won a Tour Ready Award, and comedian Joel Creasey reprised the role the following year.

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Liveseys reputation quickly grew, with roles in Tom Ballards #KWANDA and Angus Camerons DIRT, which won best performance at the 2021 Perth Fringe and in their second play, Gone Girls, channelling Julia Gillard. Today, Livesey is recognised as a writer and performer to watch. The multi-award winner was recently named the latest recipient of the Marten Bequest Scholarship, a $50,000 gift whose previous recipients include Gideon Obarzanek, Eryn Jean Norvill and Paul Yore. Patrick Livesey in, from left, DIRT, The Boy, George and Gone Girls. As children we are aware of things for which we dont yet have labels, and Livesey understood from a young age that Naomi endured invisible suffering. She was the best mum and sacrificed so much ... But then there were also a lot of challenges, because she did have a mental illness which went undiagnosed for a really long time. Their parents split up when Livesey and sister Ruby were very young. Naomis house was always home, though. For whatever reason, Mum was just who we latched onto as little kids. When Naomi was on a high, life for the children felt great. But in her low points, they developed a sense of protectiveness towards their mother. It was not that regular relationship where Mums word was gospel and she was the authority. It was very much that we were all in it together, and we felt like sometimes we had to look after Mum and sometimes she had to look after us. When Livesey was 10, their stepdad sat them down and explained that Naomi suffered from depression. That was kind of a lightbulb moment to me. It meant that there was a reason these things were happening. There was a thing you could point to. Having a word to describe Naomis experience didnt mean things were out in the open. It wasnt like it became an ongoing conversation. It was just this murky thing that was there, but we still didnt really talk about what was going on.

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You certainly didnt bring any of this up with Naomi herself. Mum had so many incredible qualities, but open dialogue around how she was feeling was not one of them, Livesey says. You got used to the fact that there were just some things you didnt talk about, and there were times you didnt go there. Patrick Livesey with Naomi and sister Ruby. Credit:Courtesy Patrick Livesey The tension in the family was exacerbated by Naomis drinking. That fuels the resentment more because you can see it happening. Its not like a mental illness where its silent. You come home, you see the bottles. All of this might paint a familiar picture of children whose formative years were scarred by the impact of a parent facing mental health challenges. The truth is far more nuanced. She was a mum. That part of her was always the strongest. Even if shed sit us down and talk about how shed failed us, how she felt like a real failure as a mum, we were always like what are you talking about? That was not my impression at all, so when she said that stuff, again the protectiveness would come in and I would feel like I would have to look after her. To make sure she realised how amazing she was at being a mum, and how even through all of her darkest moments I never once felt abandoned by her or like she wasnt there for me. Livesey doesnt have a rose-tinted view of life growing up with a mother struggling with mental illness, but Naomi was a burden that I was happy to shoulder. It was something that defined the teenagers personality. As young people, as teenagers, we like to make such clear choices about who we are. To carve out our space in the world. For me, that was one of them. Home life was kind of crazy, but that was who I was.

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The details of what happened in primary school are long forgotten, but it was enough to set something off; Livesey came home and set about annihilating their Barbie collection. Beating the dolls against the base of a bookshelf and watching as their heads were crushed in, I destroyed all the Barbies and crushed that part of me. Loading Livesey had always been good at running, and so that became a way of fitting into what I was realising was a straight world. In high school they developed their own mental health challenges, including an eating disorder. Mums drinking was getting really bad, and maybe you could say that it was a reaction to that. I became very strict with food, I wasnt eating, I was running every morning and every night, going to training. That was my way of carving out control in a situation that I felt was completely out of my control. And then drugs came along. Livesey had a crush on the new boy at school, and someone mentioned the kid was a smoker. So one day I bought some weed off him. And then my whole life changed. I was quite a control freak, a perfectionist, and then I just became the complete opposite. Almost overnight, the eating disorder vanished. Stoner Livesey took the control freaks place. I was a shit. I was awful, and I really made my parents life hell. It was Liveseys love for Naomi that turned things around. I could see the impact I was having on the people around me, could see how much it was devastating my mum. At the same time I found theatre. Take 7: The answers according to Patrick Livesey Worst habit? Self-doubt Greatest fear? Not being good enough The line that stayed with you? Hamlets to be or not to be was the first theatre text I ever learnt and its the only one Ive never forgotten, but in all honesty its Cynthia Nixon as Miranda saying do not! follow me! with dramatic hands after Steve cheats on her in Sex and the City. Chills. Biggest regret? That I didnt call my mum back. Favourite room? My current living room with my partner, Wil. Its our first apartment, so other than being extremely sentimental and somewhere weve spent many a lockdown, it also looks really, really good. All those summer holidays spent reading my step-mums interior design magazines have not gone to waste, let me tell you that right now. The artwork/role you wish was yours? As an actor who frequently gets rejected for things, this question should come with a trigger warning, but maybe Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. It was the first gay movie I ever saw, and acting opposite Denzel Washington? Please and thank you. If you could solve one thing? Me needing to pay for things ... I mean, the climate crisis.

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If the Barbie massacre was the moment Livesey swore off life as a performer, there was no such decisive event leading back to the spotlight. There had been a school play now and then, and a teacher convinced a reluctant Livesey to enrol in year 12 drama. Then something clicked. Within a few years, they were studying drama at VCA. In 2015, midway through that course, Naomi died. Livesey wrote a lot in the following months, trying to find words to make sense of what the family was going through. In 2020, these ruminations began to offer themselves as the basis for a work of theatre. Livesey began by interviewing family and friends about their memories of Naomi, and soon amassed a great volume of audio. These formed the inspiration for a script exploring motherhood and sacrifice. The few first drafts didnt work. Friends told Livesey as much: it was too dark, too riddled with guilt and regret. When Liveseys mentor, director Bronwen Coleman, read the script, she asked to see the transcripts of the interviews. That was the play, she said. Remove Patrick Livesey from the picture, and let everyone else tell Naomis story. In the week leading up to its premiere, some of Liveseys family baulked at the prospect of seeing their words spoken on stage. A lot of it was, we dont want people to think about Naomi this way. We dont want people to know that this happened to her, or that she had these moments. I heard that and respected that, but then asked is anything going to change if we dont talk about it? We have an opportunity to show that Mum shouldnt be defined by her mental illness and what happened to her, but it also cant be ignored. You cant separate Mum from these things. Theyre part of her story. And I said: hopefully we can help some people. If Liveseys goal had been to give people the words to speak about their own grief, it worked. I got so many messages from people afterwards, or people would come up to me in the theatre straight away, saying theyd lost someone when they were younger, or theyd just lost someone. One young person said their family had never spoken about mental health, but after Naomi they went home and started the conversation. That was the moment when I became really satisfied that what we were doing made sense.

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Australia is behind the times in cloning Ramsays caustic creation  Frances Cauchemar en cuisine has been airing since 2011  but its understandable when you ask yourself this: who can host it? Fronting Kitchen Nightmares requires a confrontational poise. Youve got to like a scrap enough that the audience enjoys your having one. Exasperated swearing, to convey frustration, helps as well. Reality TV stars who wear the black hat are a rarity in this country, which is why the gig finally went to the Irish-born chef and presenter Colin Fassnidge.

Nearly every country in Europe has a homegrown version, although the most famous successor is Ramsays own hit American edition, Foxs Kitchen Nightmares. Debuting in 2007 and running for seven seasons, it accumulated untold decibels, expletives and spat-out food.

Gordon Ramsay is amazing source code. Since the Scottish chef-turned-television-terror debuted Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares on Britains Channel 4 in 2004, the reality format where the host visits a doomed restaurant and applies shock treatment to the failing proprietor, menu and staff has been duplicated more than 25 times.

If you live and die by your chips, then we just died, declares Fassnidge, taste-testing the menu at a chaotic American diner in NSWs Central Tablelands. On My Kitchen Rules, Fassnidge presented as the cheeky bad boy, and he leans into that persona here. The show meets him halfway, serving up disastrous venues in the first two episodes with owners set in their ways; the second, running a cafe in the hills behind Queenslands Sunshine Coast, has a distinct whiff of David Brent to him. Bombs away.

Colin Fassnidge makes a point in an episode of the local Kitchen Nightmares. Credit:Geoff Magee Photography

The eternal friction in Kitchen Nightmares is craft versus confrontation. Do you define and defuse the obvious failings, or just broadside the owner until they bite back? Ramsay himself favoured the former in Britain, the latter in America. Fassnidges iteration also likes a blunt review, peppered with beep-worthy interjections, although the narrative very quickly arrives at tears and welcome teachings. The American diners pugnacious boss Mumma Jo starts out rebuking Fassnidge, but soon becomes his disciple, even if that road to Damascus moment mostly happens overnight and off-camera.

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Fassnidge is quick with a consoling hug, but the shows attitude to kitchen culture is sometimes thoughtless. There are several scenes, for example, where Mumma Jo harangues her staff, which is presented without caution or commentary. The staff risk being cannon fodder, whether for Fassnidge or Mumma Jo. In another scene the assembled employees are told on camera that cost-cutting requires a reduction in their shifts and that if anyone objects they should speak up now. The scene has all the charm of a dictator demanding allegiance of his subordinates live on state TV.
Former Channel Nine news boss John Westacott, who died in Sydney Harbour on Sunday following a suspected medical episode during a sailing outing, always understood the value of a good mystery when it came to reporting the news.

Westacott left strict instructions with his loved ones not to comment on the event of his death, causing a series of awkward exchanges across Sydneys media on Monday as news of his untimely demise began to spread.

John Westacott, pictured in 2007, has been described as a visionary newsman. Credit:George Fetting

But by the afternoon, his beloved Channel Nine confirmed the news.

Westacott, 73, a passionate sailor, is understood to have died after a medical episode on a boat near Vaucluse. NSW Police Marine Area Command pulled him from the water after he fell from the boat at about 1.30pm on Sunday.
Isaah Yeo, co-captain of the 2022 rugby league premiers the Penrith Panthers, has October 12, 2002 tattooed on his left arm. It is inked along with the name of his uncle Gerard, one of the six Coogee Dolphins rugby league team who died that day in the Bali bomb blasts that killed 202 people, 88 of them Australian.

The Dally M Captain of the Year, along with other male members of the Yeo family, including his father Justin, have body art honouring Gerard, who was 20 and on an end-of-season footy trip when he was killed in the Sari Club explosion.

The memorial to victims of the Bali bombings. Credit:AP

Twenty years on, many Australians also have an indelible yet invisible tattoo of the date of this tragedy marked on their hearts. Many of us will be returning to Bali this week in our minds, and at memorial services across the region, from Coogee to Kuta. Im encouraging us all to go back to Bali in real life too, now that international travel is possible. Our nearest, largest neighbour needs us as it comes to terms with the toll taken by COVID-19.

Im just back from Bali and can attest that, while the school holiday and post-footy season crowds are slowly starting to return to the isle of the Gods, businesses and people there are still hurting.
But when it came to income tax, Australia was number two. So, income tax is, clearly, the mainstay of government revenue. Were also a far cry from many European countries as well as Japan and Korea when it comes to total tax collection. This is a problem when you look at the current state of the budget books and what the government wants to get done. The country doesnt have a trillion dollars of debt, as the government likes to say, but it is close, with gross debt set to reach $977 billion this financial year. As anyone with a mortgage knows, a large amount of debt comes with a hefty interest bill. In a speech at the Australia Institutes revenue summit last week, Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones said that by next year the size of the interest bill will outstrip the cost of subsidising all the medications on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. The government also needs more money to spend. If it only includes election promises in its first budget in two weeks, it will need to find an extra $2.4 billion just for this financial year to pay for programs like expanded free TAFE spots and mental health support for children. And thats before we get to Labors signature subsidised childcare promise, which will cost the government $1.5 billion alone in 2023-2024.

So, what can the treasurer and the finance minister do about it? Well, you would be hard-pressed to find an economist who doesnt believe the country needs tax reform in some way. Just last month, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe said the government has three options: cut spending, undertake structural reform, or raise more revenue. But former governor Bernie Fraser pointed out Australians expect high-quality services, which makes spending cuts difficult, and any savings from axing Coalition programs would be minimal. The government  has to have access to revenues to be able to follow through and develop those reforms that its proposing to make, he said at the Australia Institutes revenue summit last week.

We dont want the package of measures to end up being another aspiration thats gone awry because of a lack of funding. Handily, the government wouldnt have to look far for tax ideas if it wants to expand revenue, as theres one Labor prepared (much) earlier: the Henry tax review. Published by then-Treasury secretary Ken Henry in 2010, it recommended a swathe of reforms to Australias tax system. Despite the fact it has been largely gathering dust in the bowels of Parliament House since then, the review contains plenty of ideas that are still relevant today. As well as making the personal and company income tax systems more simple, the Henry review recommended new taxes including a resources super profits tax, which would see large mining companies hand more of their profits back to Australia, changes to road transport taxes, replacing stamp duty with land taxes, and the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, more familiarly known as the carbon tax. The governments problem is that it went to the election promising no new taxes.

And its interesting that among the flurry of summits and round tables and combined state and federal meetings hosted by various ministers in the governments first few months in office - on child care, housing, jobs and skills - there has been no mention of a similar summit on tax. Loading Perhaps Labor is burnt from its previous attempts to shake up the way Australia gathers revenue  attempts that finished off two prime ministers and ultimately helped send the party into opposition wilderness for nearly a decade. Broken promises are anathema in politics, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would be sure to use it to his advantage. But as Bernie Fraser said last week, the mood might have changed just enough to allow the government some scope for tax reform, thanks in part to the entry of a large number of independents and minor party politicians following the May election. There is a greater acceptance of the need for governments to be involved, and for the taxpayers to put up more to achieve these kinds of improvements, he said.
Good morning, Angus Thompson sitting in the public gallery of the Bruce Lehrmann trial in the ACT Supreme Court. From today, Ill be providing updates on the case in this blog.

Brittany Higgins, a former Liberal staffer, alleges Lehrmann raped her in former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds office in Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019, after a drunken night out with colleagues.

Brittany Higgins (centre) arriving at the ACT Supreme Court during the first week of the trial. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of having sex with Higgins without her consent, being reckless as to whether she was consenting. He denies having sex with her at all.
NSW and Victoria are warning they cant meet the deadline for the $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan, imperilling a key election promise of the Albanese government and forcing federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek into a clash with state ministers who hold the fate of the reform in their hands.

Labor secured 77 lower house seats in the May federal election, just one more than the bare minimum needed to form a majority government, winning one crucial seat  Boothby  from the Liberals after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full.

Water Minister Tanya Plibersek and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Boothby is a marginal Adelaide electorate at the bottom of the Murray-Darling river system, where residents rely on flows from upstream in Victoria, NSW and Queensland to keep their river healthy.

Albanese kicked off Labors campaign in Boothby announcing a new $26 million national water commission to complete the basin plan, which is legislated to be finalised by the end of 2024, but currently behind schedule largely because NSW and Victoria are lagging on key infrastructure works and water reforms.
Jerusalem: The severed head and decapitated torso of a 25-year-old Palestinian were discovered on the side of a road in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, police said, confirming gruesome details of a killing that shocked Palestinian society.

But accounts that the victim, Ahmad Abu Murkhiyeh, was a gay man who feared persecution for his sexuality and had sought asylum in Israel two years ago turned the terrible crime into a socially and politically explosive case.

A candlelit vigil for Ahmad Abu Murkhiyeh, a 25-year-old Palestinian man who was found decapitated in the West Bank city of Hebron, at an LGBTQ shelter in Tel Aviv, Israel. Credit:AP

It was unclear how Abu Murkhiyeh wound up in Hebron, the conservative West Bank city that he had reportedly fled. Palestinian police officials told The Associated Press that Abu Murkhiyehs head and torso were found near his familys house.

Colonel Loay Irzekat, a Palestinian police spokesman, said authorities arrested an acquaintance of Abu Murkhiyeh as a suspect in the killing, but declined to ascribe a motive or elaborate on their relationship pending the investigation.
A new pilot program at Western Carolina University, called Catamount Commitment, will provide new first-year students from North Carolina with varying levels of annual award money based on their high school GPA.

Those with a 4.00 or higher GPA can earn a $3,000 annual award; 3.80-3.99 can earn $2,000 annually; 3.65-3.79 can earn $1,500 annually; and those who gain admission and have a GPA up to 3.64 can earn $1,000 annually.

The awards are renewable for four years toward fall and spring semester cost of attendance. Catamount Commitment students who graduate from WCU in less than four years can apply unused semester awards toward any WCU graduate school program.

In addition to Catamount Commitment, all undergraduate students also benefit from NC Promise (ncpromise.wcu.edu), which reduces tuition to $500 per semester for North Carolina residents and $2,500 per semester for nonresidents.

Students must apply for admission to WCU by Jan. 2, 2023, earn admission and meet all terms and conditions found at catamountcommitment.wcu.edu. In addition, WCU is waiving the application fee for all 2023 entry terms.

Catamount Commitment is for the truly committed North Carolina high school student who wants to Live Western this coming fall, said Mike Langford, director of WCUs Office of Undergraduate Admissions. This pilot program rewards North Carolina high school students who apply early, have done what it takes in high school to earn admission and commit to excelling here at WCU. This program looks to honor our commitment to achievement, access and affordability. Open House (openhouse.wcu.edu) is a great time to talk with us about this exciting opportunity.
If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

- The Palmer Township Board of Supervisors denied a conditional use for two warehouses proposed by developer Abe Atiyeh.

- B. Braun bought Starboard Medical's Clif-FIX line of devices that secure catheters for an undisclosed price.

- The Lowhill Township Planning Commission denied a plan for a warehouse at 7503 Kernsville Road, saying it would change the character of the rural township.

- Just A Dream Frozen Yogurt in Forks Township closed its doors after 10 years.

- Khanisa's Pudding Bar held a grand opening at its new Downtown Allentown Market location after having moved from Easton.

- Mussel Polymers Inc. says its glue for bonding carbon and synthetic fibers is a big step toward creating lighter and stronger fiber-reinforced materials.

- Poke Bar 25 & Bubble Tea in the Shops at Bethlehem (the Giant shopping center on Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township, on the border with the City of Bethlehem) will open in late November or early December.

- The former Rosanna's Restaurant in Bethlehem, which closed in February, will reopen as a deli and bar called Rosa's Corner.

- Victaulic has expanded in Tennessee with the acquisition of Tennessee Metal Fabricating, price not disclosed.

- The old Forks Diner will be serving auto-repair customers by early spring of 2023 with a six-bay garage known as Wrenchtec.

- Lehigh County-based Shift4 Payments stepped in to help the owners of Better on the Bone Butcher and Deli in Pottstown finally open their doors.

- Mid Penn Bank opened a new, bigger location in Blue Bell.

- Balloon Junction held a grand opening in Pottsville for its store offering custom balloon creations.

- Rentschler's Ice Cream has reopened just a few doors down from its former location in Ringtown after it was destroyed by a fire in February.

- Mill Street Aesthetics, a day spa and skincare boutique, held a grand opening in Belvidere, New Jersey.

- Provident Financial Services agreed to acquire Lakeland Bancorp in a stock deal valued at $1.3 billion, creating a bank that will hold 4% of the deposits in New Jersey.
BERLIN (AP)  A government-appointed expert panel on Monday proposed a two-stage system for distributing some of the up to 200 billion euros ($195 billion) in subsidies Germany has announced to ease the strain of high energy prices, a plan that the group said would still encourage people to save gas.

The panel suggested that the state take on the cost of natural gas customers' monthly bill in December, followed by a price subsidy for part of their consumption starting next spring.

That gas and heating price brake" would kick in next March and apply until April 2024, panel co-chair Veronika Grimm said. Private gas customers would pay 0.12 euros per kilowatt hour for the first 80% of the amount they used in 2021.

That corresponds roughly to the price level that is expected in the future, Grimm said, telling reporters in Berlin that the plan aims to introduce a new normal but prevent price rises beyond that. It's not going to be the case that the price goes back down to 7 cents in the future  we won't receive Russian gas for a long time.

Grimm argued that the plan still incentivizes people to save gas, because people who do so will avoid paying higher prices beyond the cap level. She noted that Germany, which has Europe's biggest economy, needs to reduce its previous gas consumption by about 20% to prevent a potential shortage this winter.

Co-chair Siegfried Russwurm, the head of the Federation of German Industries, said the proposal foresees businesses paying 0.07 euros per kilowatt hour for 70% of their 2021 gas use, starting at the beginning of January.

Russwurm said that gas price rises are posing an existential threat to an increasing number of companies.

This is not just about the fate of individual companies and their jobs; it is about the strength and the export successes of German industry, because they are the backbone of the German economy, he said.

The panel, which included representatives of industry and labor unions, scientists and lawmakers, earlier Monday presented its conclusions to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the country's economy and finance ministers. It put the cost of the proposed gas price subsidies at about 90 billion euros.

Many European countries have proposed similar subsidies on fossil fuels, prices for which have increased sharply worldwide in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine. But some of Germany's neighbors have criticized the huge sum Berlin is setting aside, arguing that it will price others out of the market.

Scholz argues that the criticism is based on a misunderstanding of his government's plans and says Germany's subsidy will prevent a shortage of gas that might occur under a system of enforced price caps proposed by other countries. He also has noted that it applies to a relatively long period.

The government will work very quickly on implementing the proposals by the panel, Scholz spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said. He noted that a check on whether they comply with European Union law will be necessary, and said that Germany will act in European solidarity.

Russia started reducing gas supplies to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the main supply route, in June and cut them off completely over a month ago. The pipeline has since been damaged by underwater explosions.

Germany got a bit over a third of its gas supplies from Russia before the supply disruptions started, and previously more than that.
PHILADELPHIA  Federal prosecutors on Sunday recommended a prison sentence of approximately four years for a Berks County man who pleaded guilty to assaulting an Associated Press photographer and using a stun gun against police officers during the attack on the U.S. Capitol last year.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss is scheduled to sentence Alan Byerly on Oct. 21 for his attack on AP photographer John Minchillo and the police during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington.

Sentencing guidelines recommend a prison term ranging from 37 to 46 months. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of at least 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Byerly's attorney has until Friday to submit a sentencing recommendation.

The judge isn't bound by any of the sentencing recommendations.

Byerly was arrested in July 2021 and pleaded guilty a year later to assault charges.

Byerly purchased a stun gun before he traveled from his home in Fleetwood to Washington for the "Stop the Steal" rally on Jan. 6. Leaving the rally before then-President Donald Trump finished speaking, Byerly went to the Capitol and joined other rioters in using a large metal Trump sign as a battering ram against barricades and police officers, prosecutors said.

After that, he went to the Capitol's Lower West Terrace, where he and other rioters attacked Minchillo, who was wearing a lanyard with AP lettering. Byerly is one of at least three people charged with assaulting Minchillo, whose assault was captured on video by a colleague.

Byerly then approached police officers behind bike racks and deployed his stun gun.

"After officers successfully removed the stun gun from Byerly's hands, Byerly continued to charge toward the officers, struck and pushed them, and grabbed an officer's baton," prosecutors wrote.

Byerly later told FBI agents that he did just "one stupid thing down there and that's all it was," according to prosecutors.

"This was a reference to how he handled the reporter and nothing more," they wrote.

Byerly treated Jan. 6 "as a normal, crime-free day, akin to the movie, 'The Purge,' when he could do whatever he wanted without judgment or legal consequence," prosecutors said.

"He was mistaken," they added.

More than 100 police officers were injured during the Capitol siege.

Approximately 900 people have been charged with federal crimes for their conduct on Jan. 6. More than 400 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanor offenses. More than 280 riot defendants have been sentenced, with roughly half sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from one week to 10 years.
EASTON, Pa. - Prisons, retirement homes, group homes and homeless shelters are reportedly next in line to get updated COVID guidelines from the CDC. This comes after health care facilities had their rules eased a couple of weeks ago.

A source close to planning discussions says the CDC will soon streamline guidance for non-medical, high-risk congregate settings.

"We've been calling for these changes," said Warren County Commissioner James Kern.

On the agency's website, pages for all of the types of facilities in that group have a banner saying "CDC is reviewing this page to align with updated guidance."

In New Jersey prisons, "we are still testing people daily," said Kern. "There's still a vaccine mandate for correctional police officers. People in correctional facilities have not been getting those social services that I think have really put them behind with respect to their rehabilitation."

Refreshed recommendations are welcome, at least in Warren County.

Two weeks ago, it was medical facilities that got new instruction from the CDC. The universal masking mandate was removed.

The Pennsylvania Health Care Association, which advocates for senior citizens and their providers, says getting rid of blanket guidance has created more flexibility at nursing homes, while still allowing facilities to have the infection controls they need.

"As the hospital that has become known nationally, internationally, for talking about the importance of natural immunity, we are disappointed that the CDC doesn't take that into consideration in a lot of their recommendations," said Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, the senior vice president of medical and academic affairs at St. Luke's University Health Network.

Dr. Jahre believes the CDC should take natural immunity and local hospitalization data into consideration for all of its guidance, creating more of a regional approach, instead of depending on the agency's low, medium and high transmission system.

"For every case that someone tests themselves and is positive, there are at least 20 others," said Jahre.

It is unclear exactly when the new recommendations for group settings will be released.

"We're not done with it because COVID isn't done with us," said Jahre. "But that doesn't mean that we can't accommodate the current situation by relaxing some of the guidelines."
STOCKERTOWN, Pa. - We're learning more about plans to rebuild a Northampton County borough's police department after its chief stepped down.

In a preview of Stockertown's newsletter, borough President Amy Richards told 69 News the council is laying the groundwork for a new police department.

She says the borough plans to hire a consultant to do a review of policies, procedures, schedules, and hiring.

State police will be providing coverage until Stockertown's department is back up and running.

The borough's police chief, Eric Schwab, stepped down last month over an alleged thumb injury.

The resignation came just before the council was set to end Schwab's employment over several misconduct allegations.
PORTER TWP., Pa.  Two people were injured after an explosion at a quarry in Schuylkill County, authorities said.

The explosion at Summit Quarry in Porter Township was reported at 11:45 a.m. Monday, dispatchers said. Porter Township is about 16 miles north of Bethel, Berks County.

According to authorities, two employees suffered what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries.

The two people injured were employees at Maine Drilling and Blasting, a company that has its Mid Atlantic North Division headquartered in Bethel Township, Berks County.

Pennsylvania State Police said the explosion happened as workers were disposing of boxes which previously contained boosters used in the blasting process.

Several vehicles and a Maine Drilling and Blasting office trailer were damaged, state police said.

One neighbor said he was in his Porter Township auto repair shop when he felt something he never experienced before.

"I just felt this big gush of air and before you know it, it kind of took, like it kind of took the breath away from me and just this big explosion," said James Madenford.

Federal, state and local authorities were notified after the blast.

The company said Monday's explosion was an isolated incident and that it maintains a very good safety record.

Madenford said the blast knocked items off his shelves and sent him to the ground, causing ringing in his ear which he said prompted him to go to the emergency room.

"When I get up and start moving around and start looking around, I'm like what just happened?" Madenford said.

State police say the investigation is ongoing.

As for Madenford, he said he hopes nobody has to ever experience what he endured.

"My prayers are out to all the people up there that had to endure that because I know what I endured here," he said, "and I can only imagine what it was up there."
Like most 5-year-old little boys, Auggie Vinti loves Spider-Man. His family says he enjoys playing video games and is a huge fan of firefighting.

But unlike most little boys, Auggie has much more on his plate than fun and games.

"He said, 'grandma, I just want to live old enough to be a fireman,'" said Diane Malanga, family friend.

Auggie is battling brain cancer. He was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in May and has been fighting ever since.

Malanga says there is essentially no research funding for this type of cancer. That's why she and Auggie's uncle spearheaded a fundraising event to help him, his family and anyone else suffering with the potentially deadly disease.

"Our hope is to raise awareness about DIPG," said Dallas Overko, Auggie's uncle. "We want to let the world know that there is no research, there's no funding, and that 2% of these little kids that get diagnosed with this cancer survive."

The National Cancer Institute says DIPG is a rare, fast-growing tumor that forms in brain cells and is hard to treat. When a child gets diagnosed, their prognosis is poor.

When this Warren County, New Jersey community heard the news, they immediately pitched in to help.

Auggie's family is extremely grateful.

"It's amazing to see everyone pulling together, showing support for a little 5-year-old boy that they don't even know," Overko says.

Sunday's event featured everything a little kid could hope for: food, fun and games, music and more.

Money raised is going directly to Auggie's family because they're heading to California. Malanga said radiation helped shrink his tumor, which allowed him to qualify for a special medical trial.

While he's in good spirits now, his battle is only beginning. A GoFundMe has been set up for the Vinti family to help with travel and accommodations while they relocate to California to be with Auggie as he continues the fight of his life.
PARIS (AP)  Former French President Francois Hollande told a special terrorism court on Monday that the man who drove a truck into a crowded beachfront in Nice on Bastille Day six years ago, killing 86 people, was a terrorist who had gone undetected by security services despite France being on high alert for extremist attacks following the Islamic State massacres in Paris.

Thousands of people had packed Nices famed boardwalk on the Mediterranean coast on July 14, 2016, to celebrate Frances national holiday. Shortly after the end of a fireworks display, the truck careered through the crowd for two kilometers (1 miles) like a snowplow, slamming into person after person. The final death toll was 86, including 15 children and adolescents, while 450 others were injured.

The attacker, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian with French residency, was killed by police soon afterward.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the carnage. However, French prosecutors said while Bouhlel had been inspired by the extremist groups propaganda, investigators found no evidence that IS orchestrated the attack.

Eight people are on trial in a special Paris terrorism court accused of helping Bouhlel carry out the attack. The trial opened on Sept. 5 and is being broadcast live to a convention center in Nice for victims family members not traveling to Paris for the proceedings.

Many survivors of the attack have given heart-wrenching testimony of the horrors and carnage they had experienced that Thursday summer night in 2016, and the wrecked lives they have lived since.

Holland, the French president at the time of the attack, told the court Monday he was celebrating the holiday in the nearby southern town of Avignon when he was informed of the assault in Nice. Prosecutors pressed him on the wisdom of public celebrations that year, while France was reeling from the Islamic State attacks in Paris eight month earlier in which 130 people were killed.

We took the decision to allow public celebrations to show that we continue to (enjoy) life, Holland said.

Security measures were tightened in all major cities, including in Nice, as the threat of extremist violence remained high despite the fact that the Islamic State had been significantly weakened due to allied air strikes on the groups strongholds in Syria and Iraq, Holland said.

The threat was still there, but it changed, Holland said, adding that authorities feared radicalized IS followers who wanted to strike with a knife or with a vehicle.

Bohlel was such an individual, who remained under the radar when he drove his rented truck to a murderous rampage, Holland said, calling the attack a terrorist act.

A deliberate act aimed at killing and killing as many people as possible, children and parents, Holland said, adding that, by striking on Bastille Day, Bohlel had declared war on us.

A verdict in the trial is expected in December.

___

Surk reported from Nice, France.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP)  With her home gone and all her belongings trashed by Hurricane Ian, Alice Pujols wept as she picked through soggy clothes, toys and overturned furniture piled head-high outside a strangers house, looking to salvage something  anything  for her four children and herself.

Im trying to make it to the next day, she said. Thats all I can do. Its really depressing. It really is.

For those who lost everything to a natural disaster and even those spared, the anguish can be crushing to return home to find so much gone. Grief can run the gamut from frequent tears to utter despair. Two men in their 70s even took their own lives after viewing their losses, said the medical examiner in Lee County, where Ian first made landfall in southwestern Florida.

The emotional toll in the days, weeks and months after a hurricane, flood or wildfire can be crippling. More pressing needs for food, shelter and clothing often take priority to seeking counseling, which is in short supply even in good times.

When someones in a state of trauma that so many are in, they dont know where to begin, said Beth Hatch, CEO of the Collier County, Florida, branch of the National Alliance of Mental Illness. They need that hand-holding and they need to know that theres so many people here to help them.

Hurricane Ian hammered Florida with such ferocity that it wiped out whole neighborhoods, tossed boats onto highways, swept away beaches and swamped homes in roof-deep waters.

With sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph), it was one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit southwest Florida. It later cut a watery and wind-battered swath across the Florida peninsula before turning out to sea to regain strength and pummel South Carolina.

It killed more than 100 people, the majority of victims in Florida, making it the third-deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland this century. Even a week after it passed through, officials warned that more victims could yet be found as they continued to inspect the damage. The storm knocked out power to 2.6 million and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Research has shown that between a third and half of those who survive a disaster develop some type of mental distress, said Jennifer Horney, an epidemiology professor at the University of Delaware who studies natural disaster impacts on public health.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety rise along with substance abuse. Those with existing mental disorders are at greater risk of having those conditions exacerbated by the trauma.

A variety of help is available as additional resources are sent to the area.

The state of Florida was setting up support centers and the federal government has a 24-hour disaster distress helpline to provide counseling and crisis support. Hatchs organization was going to some homes in hard-hit areas to check on clients with mental illness.

The vast majority of people, though, were still assessing damage, trying to retrieve and dry out possessions worth keeping and drag what couldn't be saved to growing trash heaps by the side of the road.

On Pine Island, just off the Florida mainland where Ian first struck, an emotional Alan Bickford said he was trying to take a longer view because what lay before him was bleak: the floors of his home were coated in stinky muck and his yard was littered with framed photos, furniture and other items he'd hauled outside.

Its like a death of a loved one. The pain just comes and goes," he said. Theres times when there are these little glimmers or slivers of hope. And then everything falls apart.

Riding out a deadly storm amid screaming winds, pounding waves and rising waters, or escaping as danger closes in is terrifying and traumatic. Living out of a duffel bag or suitcase in an evacuation center is disruptive, stressful and depressing. Returning to a flood-ravaged home that needs to be gutted to prevent mold from taking hold or, worse, reduced to splinters and scrap metal and scattered like confetti is heartbreaking.

Mao Lin walked an hour Thursday to reach the plot of land where she had lived on Fort Myers Beach, which looked like a blast zone. She was distressed to find it gone.

The whole street  nothings left, she said. "We dont have a home. We dont have a car. We dont have anything. We have nothing left.

In recent days, the number of calls have doubled at Hatch's organization as people recognize they cannot rebuild their lives  and overcome trauma  alone.

The needs are going to change over time, Hatch said. Some people have lost everything, maybe the walls of their home may be still standing, but theyre uninhabitable.

Cleaning up the mess of a damaged home or finding a new one in the wake of a catastrophe gives way to the longer term challenges of navigating the maze of bureaucracy for financial assistance, securing permits for rebuilding or fighting insurance companies over reimbursements.

Horney studied suicide rates in counties that experienced a disaster between 2003-2015. She and her colleagues found suicides increased 23% when comparing the three-year period preceding a disaster to the three years after an event, according to the study published in The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention.

She said the Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 suicides of men in their 70s was not typical so soon after a catastrophic event.

Its not usually an immediate, post-disaster thing, Horney said. Its really these longer-term mental health problems that have either been exacerbated by or caused by the disaster that then over time tend to lead to more severe outcomes like suicide.

In the aftermath of a disaster, communities pull together to recover and rebuild. Rescuers, relief workers and nonprofit organizations provide food, funding and other help, including counseling. But attention eventually fades and the money dries up. Emergency funds for mental health sometimes expire in as soon as two months and last no longer than a year.

With disasters becoming more frequent and more severe due to climate change, there could be a cumulative effect on mental health, Horney said. She said her study calls for more funding to fix the damage that is felt but can't be seen.

Most of the emotional impacts of a disaster are short-lived but they could be worsened if followed by another cataclysmic event.

If it was usual that symptoms would resolve in six months to a year, but then theres another hurricane or another wildfire, then youre in this cycle of intensifying mental health impacts, Horney said. The research is definitely clear that the more disasters youre exposed to, the stronger the impacts on mental health."

Joe Kuczko hunkered down with his parents as their Pine Island mobile home was battered by the storm. Kuczko got a gash in his foot that he stitched himself after a piece of the roof blew off.

Pieces of mangled metal lay on the ground Thursday along with containers full of possessions and clothes hung to dry as Kuczko, shirtless and with a sunburn on his back, strung up a tarp to keep the rain out of what remained of the home.

I lost the first 30 years of my life, he said. Every time I hear the wind blow and a piece of aluminum shift, its like PTSD."

Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalist Robert Bumsted contributed to this story from Pine Island, Florida.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available for those in distress by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255.

For more coverage of Hurricane Ian, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes
TOWN OF CALAUMUS  A farm outside of South Beaver Dam will be entering into its sixth generation of family who have farmed the land over the last 160 years.

The Kraus family was recently recognized with the Sesquicentennial Farm Award from the Wisconsin State Fair and the state for achieving more than 150 years of continuous farm ownership.

The Sesquicentennial Farm Award Program began in 1998 as part of the states sesquicentennial celebration. The program honors families who have had continuous ownership of their Wisconsin farm or home for 150 years or more. The Kraus family was one of the 41 sesquicentennial farm families to be honored on Aug. 9 during the State Fair.

John Kraus Jr., who is an active member of the town of Calamus Board, Beaver Dam Unified School District board of supervision and recently was elected to the Dodge County Board of Supervisors, is the fifth generation to farm the land his family owns in the town of Calamus. He will soon be joined by daughter Bella Kraus.

Bella is a freshman at Fox Valley Technical College and will be graduating in 2024 with a degree in agronomy.

Her sister Alex is in Eau Claire and is looking to enter a medical field but wants to keep a connection to the farm in the future, John said.

Bella said she likes working with her father and being at home with her parents. She also has a passion for working outside and working on the farm machinery.

I kind of fell in love with it since I started working at 16, and now I go to college for agronomy to come back and do a partnership with my father and hopefully buy him out of it one day, Bella said.

It is a passion that has been in her family since Michael Kraus, who came to America from Germany in 1813, moved to the town of Calamus in the summer of 1855 and purchased the then-80-acre farm.

He farmed until the late 1800s, and then his son John took it over, John Kraus Jr. said. Then John farmed it up to 1931, and then his son Herman took it over, who would be my grandpa, and then Herman farmed the ground up to 1973, and then my dad took over in 1973. Melissa (Mace) and I bought it out from my dads estate in 2003 and have been running it ever since. Bella will be the sixth generation coming home.

John said today the family owns 700 acres of farmland and farms up to 2,000 acres each year, renting additional acreage. John said he did work off the farm after college at the request of his parents, which is where he met his wife, Melissa, but in 2006 he decided to farm full-time.

We had the kids, and it was getting to be a lot working full-time and farming, John said. I always wanted to do it.

Currently, John said, they raise corn, soybeans, soft red winter wheat, hay for conservation purposes, green peas and sweet corn for Silica Foods.

And then we work on some counter crops to keep the weeds off and the soil healthy, and everything else, John said.

Bella said currently they are conservation but on some of their fields they want to go to strict till or no till to preserve the soil. The change would prevent erosion or runoff.

John said he is proud of his daughter for returning to the farm and realizes how rare it is for a woman to take over a family farm.

In the past, in my opinion, it was sort of sexist and a mans occupation, but there are a lot of women not only in agriculture but in ag business, and I dont think they get the recognition they should for entering this business, John said.

Melissa said one of the things that keeps the farm going is moving forward to customers demands.

We had two girls, Melissa said. Its probably natural one of ours would want to come back. Farming is hard to enter unless you are in a family.

John agreed and said it would be hard today to enter the field without some help.

I was fortunate that I had that, and my dad had that, and his dad had that, John said. That line of succession helps to make the farm more viable, so hopefully we keep it going for another six generations.
A Columbus man was sentenced to 180 days in jail after being convicted for felony operating while intoxicated as a fourth offense.

Kody A. Sullivan, 45, was found guilty of OWI-fourth offense by Columbia County Judge W. Andrew Voigt. Three related charges were dismissed by prosecutors, according to court records.

In an August hearing, Sullivan pleaded no contest to the OWI-fourth charge. He was given a withheld sentence of 36 months on the condition he serve 180 days in the Columbia County Jail with Huber privileges.

Voigt also sentenced Sullivan to 36 months of revoked drivers license and 36 months of an ignition interlock device installed on any vehicles. Sullivan must also complete an Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse assessment and follow through with any treatment recommendations.

The three charges that were dropped in this case were: failure to install ignition interlock device, operating while revoked, and felony operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration.

Online records show Sullivan was found guilty of OWI  third offense, a misdemeanor charge, in Jefferson County in August last year and sentenced to 50 days in jail.

According to the criminal complaint filed last November:

On Oct. 30 around 11:21 p.m., a Columbus Police Officer did a routine check on a vehicle traveling east on East James Street. During the check the officer noted the registered vehicles owner had a revoked drivers license.

The Columbus Police Officer initiated a traffic stop on River Road near the intersection of Manning Street in Columbus. The vehicle was registered to Kody Sullivan and the officer confirmed Sullivans identity with a Wisconsin drivers license.

The officer reported a strong odor of intoxicants during his initial approach to the vehicle. He noted Sullivans eyes allegedly were bloodshot and watery and his speech sounded thick and slurred.

When the officer asked Sullivan how much he had to drink, Sullivan allegedly responded not much.

During the traffic stop, the officer administered a number of field sobriety tests. Sullivan allegedly exhibited four out of six clues during a horizontal gaze test. During the walk-and-turn test, Sullivan allegedly exhibited six out of eight standardized clues of intoxication. The final test was a one-leg stand test where Sullivan allegedly showed three of the four standardized clues of intoxication.

The officer administered a preliminary breath test and the test showed an alcohol concentration of 0.133.

Online court records show Sullivan was first convicted of OWI in 1995, then again in 2011 and last August.
With the fall semester well underway, the Juneau County Sheriffs Office is reminding drivers to stop for school buses, or face the consequences.

Sheriff Brent H. Oleson took to Facebook to issue the warning after hearing from a local school bus driver that people are increasingly passing stopped school buses while their flashing lights are activated.

The sheriffs office didnt state whether or not they would be increasing patrols, but reminded residents that failing to follow current guidelines for driving near and around school buses can result in a $326.50 fine.

It is also important to note that law enforcement does not need to witness the infraction for enforcement action to be taken, Oleson stated.

Wisconsin law requires drivers approaching from the front or rear to stop at least 20 feet from the bus and remain there until the bus resumes motion or lowers its flashing red warning lights. Vehicles driving in the opposite direction on a divided highway or multi-lane street may proceed as long as a barrier is present.

The lack of a raised stop arm, which some buses are equipped with, is not an excuse to pass a bus whose red lights are flashing.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation adds that while fines can be high for illegally passing a school bus, the risk of hitting a child is even higher.

The safety of our children should be in the forefront of everyones mind, Oleson said. Please make sure you are stopping for school buses.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Residents of a suburban neighborhood are breathing a collective (but nervous) sigh of relief following the removal of a vicious dog from its owners home after it bit two people in one day, but not until after a year of complaints and the dog getting loose again more than a month after the initial bites.

But for many of the neighbors, questions linger as to why it took so long for the village to take action.

The case has escalated and could lead to a change in local laws. And now, the village attorney is negotiating with the owner of the dog, saying the village will stop seeking to have the dog put down if the owner agrees to never own another dog.

Two women bitten

On Aug. 31, the Mount Pleasant Police Department was dispatched to an animal complaint, wherein it was reported that multiple dogs were actively attacking and biting at least one person near where Entrada Drive meets Cardinal Court in a neighborhood west of Meachem Road and south of Taylor Avenue.

Mount Pleasant Police Officer Casey Smith reported that when he arrived on the scene there were two dogs barking aggressively at people standing in front of a two-story home. The owner of the home, a 78-year-old woman, was bleeding from her arm and leg in the front yard.

Body camera footage obtained by The Journal Times shows that when Officer Smith arrived on scene, he initially got out of the squad car but quickly got back into the drivers seat. He wrote in the police report that he saw a pit bull charging at him.

I aint getting bit, the police officer said over the police radio, body camera video shows. Moments later he told the owner of the dog, If it starts biting people, Im going to have to shoot it. Another officer told Officer Smith later that, had he been in Smiths position, he would have just shot the dog. Thankfully I just went straight back into my car or else wed have a plugged dog, Officer Smith said in retrospect when talking to the other officer.

Within a couple minutes of police arriving, the owner of the unleashed dogs, Angelica Lugo, rallied the dogs into her vehicle and got them back inside her house.

The brown dog named Coco, who was the dog that bit multiple people, is the dog who charged towards me, Officer Smith later wrote in the police report. Coco was foaming at the mouth, running around, barking at people. I could see slobber from Cocos mouth foaming, being thrown around as Coco aggressively barked.

Coco, Lugo said, is a 1-year-old female pit corso  a mix of the pit bull and cane corso breeds; pit corsos stand about two feet tall and typically weigh just shy of 100 pounds.

Body camera footage shows Lugo appearing shocked when Officer Smith informed her how many tickets she was facing, seemingly surprised that she would be ticketed for all three of her dogs running loose and not just for Coco biting two people.

Obviously theres no way I cant issue tickets for this, the officer told Lugo. They (the neighbors) will be calling every time the dogs get out, which will probably be more tickets and probably going to be some kind of action by the village.

Officer Smith said later, Id be mad too if Im one of these neighbors with these dogs out all the time.

The two people who were bit have been identified as Ann Kulas, a 78-year-old woman who sustained lacerations to multiple limbs; and Jennifer Willems, who sustained minor lacerations after running to help Kulas after she heard screaming outside.

The attacks occurred on Kulass driveway. Lugos dogs were unleashed, ran across the street and, seemingly unprovoked, charged at Kulas, according to the investigation.

Lugo was able to prove that all three of her dogs vaccinations were up to date, but none of the dogs had been registered with the Village of Mount Pleasant. Lugo was given at least six citations on the spot and Coco was subsequently declared vicious pursuant to the Mount Pleasant Municipal Code of Ordinances  thereupon prohibiting Coco from leaving Lugos premises without being muzzled and leashed.

A hearing on the citations is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 12.

After Coco bit Willems and Kulas, neighbors said it was unacceptable for Coco to be allowed to remain in the home, since they said Lugos dogs get out of the house often, despite more than a dozen police calls and complaints dating back more than a year prior to Aug. 31. The reports included allegations that Lugos dogs were running through neighbors yards unleashed, appearing to charge at people and defecating throughout the neighborhood.

Im afraid to go outside

Dozens of neighborhood residents showed up at a Sept. 12 Village Board meeting to elevate the issue.

We are all living in fear, said Kelly Gallaher, a frequent critic of village government through her A Better Mt. Pleasant social media pages at the meeting; she led much of the community response to the dog attacks.

Im afraid to go outside, added Carol Cameron. Im 75 years old. And these dogs have chased me up my own driveway. We all feel unsafe. We want to prevent another incident from happening.

The owner doesnt care, said Jim Lang. Ive personally called the police numerous times  and often the officers seem just as frustrated. What are we supposed to do? Those dogs are still there and so are we.

Im not scared of dogs, but now I am, after I saw them maul my 78-year-old mother, Suzanne Kulas said Sept. 12, fighting back tears. I hear those dogs barking to this day. I cringe. I cry. That was the worst day of my life, to see your mother being attacked. And Jenny (Willems)  if it wasnt for her, it would have been so much worse. She came in like a hero.

On Sept. 26, Gallaher again went before the Village Board and submitted a petition signed by 60 people, demanding an amendment to the villages existing animal ordinances and proposing it correlate more closely with the neighboring City of Racines and the Village of Sturtevants.

In Racine, unlicensed animals can be seized by police and impounded at the owners expense until proof of licensing is presented.

The laws Mount Pleasant have on the books currently are relatively vague, not strictly enforced, and officers largely are not aware of them. Body camera footage shows Officer Smith, upon responding to the Aug. 31 attack, at one point asking another officer What all does the village do with these? No matter what, were going to have to send this to the village  but who do we even send it to?

After a first offense in Racine, at-large animals can be microchipped by authorities at the owners expense, can be neutered or spayed at the owners expense for a second offense, and the police chief can declare an animal to be vicious and required to be removed from the city limits. Those actions are not currently allowed in Mount Pleasant, but could be soon if a proposed legal change is approved by the Village Board.

Gallaher told the Village Board Sept. 26, and in a later letter to village officials, it would only be a matter of time until Lugos dogs would get loose and possibly attack again. She was right.

On Oct. 1, Coco did get loose again. Police were called again following a report of the pit corso chasing a man.

Again, Coco was not immediately removed from the neighborhood.

Mount Pleasant does have a law on the books that allows police to take and euthanize an animal deemed vicious and/or if it has bitten someone, but it hasnt been enforced.

In an email addressed to Mount Pleasant Police Chief Matt Soens and Village Attorney Christopher Smith, Gallaher wrote, When Coco escaped and terrorized our neighborhood on Saturday, Oct. 1, the police were called. Imagine our surprise to learn this morning  Oct. 4; a full two days after Coco got loose again  Coco was still at home: not impounded or seized. A representative in Chief Soens office told me when I called today that the village was exploring the legal options to remove Coco.

Later that day, Coco was taken from Lugos home, Chris Smith told Gallaher in an Oct. 5 letter. In that letter, the attorney wrote, On Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, Mount Pleasant police were called because Coco was running at large, unmuzzled. Due to that violation, Coco became subject to seizure pursuant to Section 10-6(b)(1) of the municipal code. On Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, Coco was seized and is now in the custody of the Wisconsin Humane Society, Chris Smith wrote. Additionally, Angelica Lugo was issued another citation for that incident.

Coco can live, if owner enters unusual agreement

Chris Smith further explained that a court date had been set for Oct. 17 to determine whether Coco should be euthanized. The attorney said that he believes the village does not have cause to remove any additional dogs from Lugos residence. But, he is trying to get Lugo to enter into an agreement to have all the dogs removed from the home.

With the potential of thousands of dollars in fines hanging over her head, Chris Smith said he hopes Lugo will agree to relinquish ownership of all dogs and  in an incredibly rare legal move  to give up the right to own dogs on her property forever. In exchange, Lugo would receive an unspecified reduction in the amount of forfeitures currently pending and the village would give up its petition seeking to have Coco put down.

On Monday, Oct. 10, the Village Board is expected to consider a revised vicious dog ordinance. That proposal includes:

Giving police officers the power to seize and impound any animal found running at large.

Impounded animals can be euthanized that poses an imminent threat to the health or safety of itself or any other person or animal. There is no definition for imminent threat in village ordinances.

An animal deemed vicious but not euthanized must be leashed and muzzled whenever it is outdoors or not locked within a kennel of some sort.

Any animal deemed vicious must be microchipped and the owner must be insured in an amount not less than one-million dollars for any personal injuries inflicted by the dangerous dog.

Would require the owner of an animal that bites a person or animal while at large to pay a fine of $200-$2,500.
Wits student leader wins prestigious travel bursary

Karabo Asala is set to travel Europe as part of a travel bursary for leadership development.

Asala, a final year student in the School of Therapeutic Sciences will be jetting off to tour the UK later this year as part of the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary. Asala triumphed over 70 other Witsies who applied.

The Free State born young leader is set to become a member of the Abe Bailey Fellowship, which currently has over 900 members since its 1951 inception.

I am thrilled about this opportunity, says Asala. I believe this opportunity will expose me to a broader worldview outside of my own. I look forward to engaging the leadership elements of the programme, which I think will be vital to my various roles on campus as well as my future career. I also look forward to meeting new people and growing my networks, she added.

Academically strong and a formidable leader, Asala was recently elected on to the 2022/23 Wits SRC. She is the current Deputy Chairperson of the Health Sciences Student Faculty Council, Chairperson of the Nursing Student Council, and Treasurer of the Noswal Hall House Committee, all the while supporting undergraduate students as an academic advisor in her residence.

The focus of the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary is leadership development and is awarded to South African students as well as junior academic staff members who are academically strong, demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities and serve in their communities.

Before travelling to the UK, Asala and 18 other recipients from various South African universities will meet in Cape Town for three days where they will acquaint themselves with the programme rules, get to know each other, as well as attend a farewell dinner with the Abe Bailey Trustees and former recipients of the bursary.

Thereafter, the group will travel to the UK where they will experience North London, enjoying theatre productions, museums as well as an opportunity to do work-shadowing. The group will be treated to a guided tour of Oxford, Cambridge and Stratford-Upon-Avon. The group will then finish off their North London tour with a visit to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company, with the unique opportunity to watch a West End production of Macbeth.

The London leg of the trip will be followed by sightseeing in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thereafter, the group will enjoy a relaxing countryside stay at The Burn. Throughout their travels, the recipients will be engaging the Abe Bailey tour programme, which is framed around personal leadership and career development, understanding British history, enjoying the culture, as well as understanding the British higher education system.

Congratulations to Karabo Asala for securing this phenomenal opportunity, said Dean of Student Affairs Jerome September, who was also awarded the notable bursary during his time as a student. She truly represents what it means to be a Witsie striving for academic excellence while actively serving her community, September added.

The Abe Bailey Travel Bursary hosts an impressive cohort of former recipients. Asala not only follows in the footsteps of September, but also the likes of Siphesihle Ndaba, South African actress.
Witsie producer wins international award

Gabriella Blumberg acknowledged for her engaged work that pushes professional standards.

Witsie filmmaker Gabriella Blumberg (BA FT 2017) has been awarded the Alumni of the Year Award at the 2022 PIEoneer awards held earlier in September in London.

According to the awards statement, the PIEoneer Awards honour "innovation and achievement across the global education industry. With a distinguished judging panel representing geographical and professional diversity, the awards recognise both individuals and organisations who are pushing professional standards, evolving their engagement or redefining the international student experience".

The 28-year-old Blumberg submitted several films to support her nomination, including her role as producer on Near Not Far (2019), Street Smart and I Am Here (both 2021).

This award is the latest in a string of accolades. Earlier this year, another film she produced, Leemtes en Leegheid (2022) premiered at kykNETs Silwerskermfees, where it won Best Short Film, Best Script, and the Audience Choice Award. In 2021, I Am Here won Best South African Documentary and the Audience Choice Award at the Durban International Film Festival, as well as the Audience Choice Award at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

After Wits, Blumberg obtained her masters in directing at the MET Film School in London.

Blumberg told WITSReview she has always been passionate about filmmaking that has impact, something she attributes to her Wits education: The Wits film department makes one interrogate ones role and responsibility as a filmmaker. I have always been interested in sharing stories that have impact in peoples lives. Wits gave me the tools to bring this to life. I truly found that I had a solid base of critical thinking and a strong theoretical background from Wits. This gave me the confidence to master the more technical skills that I learned in my MA.

Her short film I, Coolie (2018) won best student film at the San Francisco Black Film Festival and won the judges choice at the Best Global Shorts Festival.

The short documentary Near Not Far was presented to the South African government to encourage better infrastructure for breast health in Limpopo. It is because of this campaign that a breast and cervical screening unit is being set up in the area. Her television advert about breast health was screened on 200 slots on eTV and DStv in 2021.
Editor's Note

With the care of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and under the leadership of the All-China Women's Federation, the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF) launched the Spring Bud Project in 1989, to help impoverished girls return to school, and to promote girls' education in disadvantaged areas.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, in 2012, with the attention and concern of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, and with the strong support of Peng Liyuan, special envoy of the Spring Bud Project for promoting girls' education, the project has conducted various activities to care for and support girls, and it has focused on girls' education, safety and health. During the past decade, the project has supported 1.76 million girls, and it has provided one-on-one companionship services and personalized psychological counseling to 133,400 girls. After they receive support from the project, the Spring Bud girls never forget to give back to society. With love and various actions, the girls have demonstrated the Spring Bud spirit of "unremitting self-improvement, striving for excellence, developing stronger virtues and pursuing better lives."

Today, we introduce a new section, Spring Bud Blooms, to share stories about Spring Bud girls who have grown up and become contributing members of society, and to encourage society to care for the development of girls. Dai Yingmei is one of them.

Dai Yingmei gives a lesson at Central Primary School of Baiyun.

"My dear students, the Party and the government have attached great importance to education and poverty reduction in ethnic minority areas, and they have made huge investments in improving our access to drinking water, electricity and transportation. Now, the dreams of older generations to live in spacious apartments, with lamps and telephones, and to drive their own vehicles, have come true. Thus, you should be grateful and study hard to become contributing members of society," Dai Yingmei, a rural primary school teacher from South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, told her students, on September 14, during a class on morality and the law.

Dai, 42, teaches at Central Primary School of Baiyun, a township in Rongshui Miao Autonomous County. The county is commonly referred to as Damiao Mountain by the locals.

Dai was born into a rural, ethnic Hong Yao family, in a remote village in Baiyun, in 1980. Hong Yao is a branch of the Yao ethnic group.

Dai had to stay at home and help her parents look after her younger siblings and graze the pigs and cattle, even after she had reached school age. Why? In those days, Hong Yao people opposed the idea of girls attending school.

"I was very envious of the boys, who could go to school at my age, as I was left shedding tears alone," Dai recalls.

Her dream to study at school was reignited in 1988 after cadres of Rongshui Women's Federation, in collaboration with the local departments of ethnic affairs and education, visited ethnic Yao villages to encourage parents to allow their daughters to receive an education.

Several students skip rope at Central Primary School of Baiyun.

Thanks to the patience of the cadres, especially in explaining why girls should attend school, Dai's father finally agreed to let her enroll.

Dai says it was an "historic, epoch-making development" when ethnic Yao girls were allowed to attend school. She remembers how she was too excited to sleep the night before she returned to school.

With 44 other ethnic Hong Yao girls, Dai in 1988 enrolled in the first class exclusively for Hong Yao girls in Central Primary School of Baiyun. The girls received care and support from individuals and organizations nationwide, many of their school fees were waived, and they received subsidies for their meals.

All of the students studied hard, and they led frugal lives on campus. Three of the students eventually became teachers, and one became a doctor. Two other students are now employees in public institutions.

The success of the class opened a new path for dropout girls in poverty-stricken ethnic minority areas of China to get an education. In particular, that class was the prelude to the Spring Bud Project.

With support from people from all walks of life across China, Dai completed her nine-year compulsory education, and then she graduated from Rongshui Teachers' School.

Students attend a math class at Central Primary School of Baiyun.

During the past two decades, Dai has worked at several grassroots schools in Baiyun, and she has put her heart and soul into imparting knowledge and love to her students. She has never complained about the harsh conditions at the schools.

Dai returned to Central Primary School of Baiyun, to teach, in 2011. She often says she was very lucky to attend the first class for ethnic Hong Yao girls, and she says she is proud to be a teacher at her alma mater, and to be conveying love to children on the mountains.

Given improvements in national education policies, girls of all ethnic groups are now entitled to study in the girls' class that was formerly just for ethnic Hong Yao girls.

Meanwhile, the primary school has made substantial improvements in both its teaching facilities and the quality of its teachers.

During the past 30 years, more than 500 Hong Yao girls have attended schools in Rongshui, and more than 30 of them have gone on to attend university. Many of those students have become teachers, military officers, civil servants or entrepreneurs, and all have written splendid chapters in their careers.

Implementation of the Spring Bud Project in Guangxi has helped many schoolgirls from impoverished families regain their opportunity to attend school. Now, beneficiaries of the project, with grateful hearts, are advancing the Spring Bud spirit, giving back to society and helping in-need people.

Photos Supplied by CCTF

(Women of China English Monthly October 2022 issue)
Indiana Mayor admits to drinking and driving after being involved in a car crash
William Grant Beckner died on April 16, 2017, after he was stabbed at the Princeton Elks Lodge in Caldwell County, Kentucky.
290,000 awarded to council to support the Wrexham Forest partnership project

Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales, has delivered a funding boost to Wrexham Council to help tackle climate change and increase tree and woodland cover across the county.

The 290k funding, delivered from the charitys Emergency Tree Fund following 2.1 million of support from Amazons Right Now Climate Fund, is part of six grants being delivered to local authorities across the UK, aimed at planting 450,000 trees and creating green spaces in local communities most impacted by pollution and with least access to nature.

The Woodland Trusts Emergency Tree Fund is one of the first projects in the UK receiving support through Amazons $100 million Right Now Climate Fund. With 20 million committed to projects across the UK and Europe, the fund has been set up to conserve, restore and improve forests, wetlands and grasslands, protecting wildlife habitats, biodiversity and quality of life for communities.

The Woodland Trust Emergency Tree Fund is detailed as having been created to help local authorities to plant new trees and woodlands, develop tree strategies, map canopy cover, establish new tree nurseries, engage landowners and communities and deliver volunteer programmes.

In Wales, a total of 294,845 has been awarded to Wrexham Council, with the trust saying: The fund will support the Wrexham Forest partnership project which seeks to increase trees and woodland across the county. Through implementing its Tree and Woodland Strategy and engaging partners, businesses, groups and individuals, the project will create a county-wide, collective commitment to enhancing and protecting trees and woodland.

Wrexham council have a Woodland Pledge to help protect trees and woodlands across the county borough  and encourage anyone to join, including those who are part of a local business, community group or organisation.

Cllr David A Bithell, Deputy Leader and Climate Champion, said: We know that trees and woodlands are an essential part of our towns and countryside. They are important for our health, wellbeing and quality of life  and so we are thrilled to receive this funding which will help us to increase trees and woodlands across the county and contribute to reducing our carbon footprint.

Natalie Buttriss, Director at Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust in Wales) said, Between 2006-2013, some 7,000 large trees were lost in Wales, and between 2009-2013, 159 out of our 220 towns showed an overall decline in tree cover. But we know that there is the desire to change this  and our Emergency Tree Fund exists to help local authorities like Wrexham Council to turn such ambitions into reality.
Councillors told 362k CJC is here now and we have no choice other than to make it work

Local councillors have officially been told although Corporate Joint Committees might lead to another layer of bureaucracy, but it is here now and we have no choice other than to make it work.

Last year saw four Corporate Joint Committees created in law in Wales, with the North Wales CJC formally established on 1 April 2021 and started operation more formally earlier this year.

CJCs were controversial when created by Welsh Government, described by some as back door reorganisation and are regional bodies with powers such as to decide on where to build new housing developments and invest in transport across the respective areas. Locally the indirectly elected layer of government sits above all six northern authorities as well as the Snowdonia National Park.

They are full separate corporate bodies which can employ staff and hold assets, and will prepare a regional Strategic Development Plan, a Regional Transport Plan as well as doing anything which could promote economic wellbeing.

Locally Wrexham Councils Executive Board begrudgingly accepted progress this year when the CJC began, with the Council Leader Mark Pritchard at the time saying I dont support them. I never have done, never will do. I dont agree with them. I think its another form of bureaucracy, and that bureaucracy will come with the economy, wellbeing, planning, transport and improving education will cost us money  it will have to be funded and staffed.

His position was echoed at the time by Cllr Hugh Jones of the Conservatives, however Welsh Labours Cllr Dana Davies agreed they were an added layer of bureaucracy but said from an all Wales point of view is the funding is coming through centrally now from UK Government on a regional basis. Its bypassing the devolved nations. So for us in Wales to be able to access funding for strategic planning, strategic transport, economic development, we need to be in a position to be able to access and bid for that regional funding.

Wrexhams councillors have now been given a briefing after the first few meetings of the North Wales CJC as four (at times brief  one clocked at just 10 minutes!) meetings have been held, a budget for 2022/23 has been agreed.

In what has become a regular theme locally with CJCs, councillors have received more official snark from Wrexham Council, with a briefing report stating: In the past, reservations were expressed because CJCs might lead to another layer of bureaucracy, but it is here now and we have no choice other than to make it work.

Currently the North Wales CJC has minimal staff, but will have a Chief Executive, a Monitoring Officer, and a Chief Finance Officer  with councils from North Wales putting their officers a the disposal of the CJC for now.



As above, the council leaders are the committee members with that committee sitting above five other sub-committees  Transport, Strategic and Planning, Economic Ambition Board, Audit and Governance and Standards. Each sub committee has voting members from each council, and relevant Cabinet or Executive Board members sit on relevant committees eg. Planning / Transport.

Local councillors have been told, In respect of the two initial duties prescribed to be discharged by the CJC, it will set the direction and priorities, and it will need some concurrent functions, while the CJCs regional Strategic Development Plan and Regional Transport Plan will set a policy framework which the local authorities must have regard to. However, the individual local authorities will remain best placed to undertake local activity around planning and transport functions, with the CJC empowering and supporting local, regional and national delivery.

Planning policy managers in north Wales local authorities will need to work with the Strategic Planning Sub-Committee to look at delivery options and cost implications for producing the north Wales regions Strategic Development Plan and the Strategic Planning Sub-Committee will need to make timely recommendations to the CJC in order to draft the CJCs 2023/24 budget. 

Those local councillors who like the oversight and scrutiny role they play will note that all member local authorities Scrutiny Committees can scrutinise the CJCs work. They wont be able to call in decisions, however councillors have been promised the CJC will respond to scrutiny and formally consider any recommendations which stem from the process. How that will work in practice appears yet to be decided, but again keen councillors look like they can get involved as the CJC report notes once weve firmed up the options there will an opportunity for the authorities / Members to provide input.

The cost of the CJC is outlined briefly to local councillors, with the initial levy detailed in the below table allocated based on the relevant population.



This appears to be a start up budget with cost implications of producing the above strategies and other work set to be firmed up for the 23-24 budget.

If Wrexhams councillors wish to have more detailed and up to date details of the budget they can read the most current CJC meeting papers (here  and table below) that explains .33,330 includes the time of the Chief Executive for two days a week together with the support of the Executive Assistant for one day a week, and points members to note there is a current 40,000 underspend on the external consultants heading along with an estimated cost of 1,500 is based on an estimate of the essential travel allowance and staff subsistence needed over the next six months, which gives an underspend of 2,500 on the Travelling heading in 2022/23.

The local briefing document notes, The Welsh Government have stated that their policy intention is that the CJC should be subject to the same powers and duties as principal local authorities in the way that they operate (including essentially the ability to borrow and reclaim VAT like unitary local authorities)  with legislation set at the UK level to fix the latter issue and allow the CJC to reclaim VAT  currently something it cant do. Until then, the CJC will be unable to reclaim the VAT paid to local authorities or other suppliers of goods and services. Hence, it is currently 20% more expensive to receive support services from Gwynedd Council, etc. Further, as it will be more expensive to second professional staff capacity from the authorities, or to pay consultants to do that work, until this is resolved there is a disincentive to rush ahead with work on the CJCs Planning and Transport duties.

In the more recent details the VAT issue shows 40k has not been able to be reclaimed  and perhaps wont be ever.

The lack of progress on sorting out the legalities over the CJCs ability to borrow appears to have stalled a desire to move the Economic Ambition Boards arrangements to the CJC as the terms of borrowing are key to the growth deal.

Councillors are told the desire for this to still take place is there though, The aim is still to transfer the north Wales regions EAB and current Growth Deal arrangements into the CJC, avoiding duplication, but this is proving to be more challenging and complex than the Welsh Government originally anticipated, and solutions to some of the issues are still a work in progress .

For those who wish to look deeper at the work of the CJC until a formal brand and jazzy new website is created, Gwynedd are running things via their site  you can read more here
Concerns for missing 17-year-old from Wrexham area

A police appeal has been launched to trace a missing teenager from the Wrexham area.

NWP Wrexham Rural says there are concerns for 17-year-old Luan, who has not been seen since around 8pm on Monday, September 19.

In a statement NWP Wrexham Rural said: He is described to have short dark brown hair, of a medium build and around 5ft6inches tall.

Luan is also described to have an Albanian accent.

Anyone with information is urged to get in touch with officers on 101, or via the website, quoting iTrace reference 43783.
Family and friends of autoworker Thomas Tank McAuliffe gathered for his funeral Saturday in his home town of Grimes, Michigan. The worker died at the Stellantis Sterling Stamping Plant in suburban Detroit on September 30, apparently after falling off the plants roof. McAuliffe, a veteran electrician, age 67, was well liked and respected by co-workers and friends. He left behind a wife and two children, Shannon and Shane. His brother Jake also works at Sterling Stamping.

The circumstances of McAuliffes death are still being investigated. It was not clear why he was on the roof of the plant and how he gained access, since the door should have been locked. Workers reported that McAuliffe had recently been in poor health and was taking medications.

Workers at Sterling Stamping and other auto plants in the area have seen tragedy strike again and again. In most cases the deaths have been unnecessary and preventable. The main factor has been the drive by management to continue production during the deadliest pandemic in 100 years with a diminished workforce. While workers have suffered from overwork, injuries and death, Stellantis has recorded record profits.

Pall bearers at funeral of Thomas McAuliffe (WSWS media)

After the funeral, several co-workers and friends spoke briefly with the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter.

One former co-worker said, I was very surprised to hear about his death. A guy called me and told me. He said they had been very close at work. When I got off work I had the cart, and he would come and get on the cart because he was on midnights and I was on days. We were good friends, he would call me and wish me a happy birthday. A love between a friend like that was made in heaven.

McAuliffe went to high school in Flint, Michigan and later served in the US Navy. He married his wife Cathy in 1983.

Many co workers posted tribute to Tank as he was known in the plant. Jack Hannum wrote Tom (Tank) and I became fast friends from day one after we had met at work, with him as an instructor in safety classes. We saw each other normally on a daily basis. He loved to joke around and have a laugh but was all business when it came to his work, he was the best of the best at his job. He had a kind and peaceful spirit, trying never to speak poorly of others. He loved his family and spoke of them often, sharing their successes and achievements, vacations, etc. I will surely miss my friend, but I will never forget him.

Memorial at Thomas McAuliffe funeral (WSWS Media)

Lisa wrote, Tom was a great worker, teacher and friend. He was very thorough when he explained troubleshooting and procedures. I am very lucky to have had him as my journeyman when I was an electrical apprentice, he taught me a lot. He always looked out for the females in the trade asking us if everything was OK on a regular basis. He was always cheerful and pleasant to be around. He will be truly and dearly missed.

A number of workers at Sterling Stamping commented on the fact that Tank had appeared stressed and upset in the weeks before his death.

Thomas Tank McAuliffe (Facebook)

A worker at Mack assembly in Detroit who spoke to the WSWS said that many workers at his plant had talked about the tragic death of McAuliffe. He noted that workers were pressured on every level to come to work, even if sick or recovering from serious illness. We have crazy restriction on FMLA (the federal Family Medical Leave Act). If you have stage 4 cancer you cant get FMLA for that. If you have heart surgery you cant get FMLA. A real critical condition is not covered for some reason. They wont let people take it. We have people who have had chemo and had to come back to work the same week. Weve had people who had open heart surgery who had come to work, they wouldnt let them off. If you get really sick, they dont care. They union is not fighting that.

You cant recover like that, and then the job stresses you out. It only will make you more sick. It keeps everyone under stress and pressure.

The death of McAuliffe is only the most recent tragic death at Sterling Stamping. In December 2021, three workers died, Xavier Alexander, Kevin Railey and Omie Smith, all apparently from COVID. This followed the death in October 2021 of Blair Alexander Braden, age 47, also of COVID.

In April 2021, crane operator Terry Garr, age 57, died of injuries he received at the plant during a die set accident, and two days later, millwright Mark Bruce, 62, succumbed to COVID.

Mack Trucks autoworker Will Lehman in his campaign for UAW president has put health and safety as a top priority. He has called for workers to take matters into their own hands to organize rank-and-file committees to transfer power from the UAW apparatus to to workers on the shop floor. Workers must assert the right to shut down production if conditions are unsafe. Forced overtime must be eliminated and adequate time off, with full pay, provided to workers recovering for illness and industry.
This past Friday marked the end of the first week of the seditious conspiracy trial of five members of the fascist Oath Keepers militia group.



In addition to the founder of the group, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, former Army soldier Jessica Watkins, former Navy commander Thomas Caldwell, former Army soldier Kenneth Harrelson and Kelly Meggs, the leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, are on trial.



All of the accused have pled not guilty to the Civil War-era charge, which carries a 20-year prison sentence. The defendants are also facing felony charges for conspiring to stop the certification of the election. If found guilty, they could all face decades in prison.



In laying out an evidentiary case that Rhodes and the others worked out a plan to travel to Washington D.C. and engage in violence to stop the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election and keep Donald Trump in power, Department of Justice (DoJ) prosecutors have presented text messages, audio recordings, phone calls and statements from FBI agents, as well as testimony from three former Oath Keepers.

Left: Stewart Rhodes, founder of the extreme-right Oath Keepers; Right: Roger Stone in Washington D.C [AP Photo/Susan Walsh/Manuel Balce Ceneta]

Each day of the trial, prosecutors have highlighted communications between Rhodes and longtime Trump political cronyand honorary member of the Proud Boys militiaRoger Stone.



On the opening days of the trial, prosecutors questioned FBI agent Michael Palian. Palian gave testimony about text messages Rhodes sent to the FOS (Friends of Stone) encrypted chat group on November 7, 2020, the day Joe Biden was declared the winner by the major media outlets. In the messages, Rhodes asked the group, Whats the plan? We need to roll.



Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper, congressional staffer for former Republican Representative Ron Paul, and Yale-educated lawyer, added: Im on my way to [D.C.] now, with my Oath Keepers tactical leaders for a possible DC [operation] to do a leaders recon and make plans. Im available to meet face to face.



The Friends of Stone chat group is led by Roger Stone, who, like Trump, has yet to be charged with a crime more than 21 months after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.



Prosecutors said that in the group chat, Rhodes presented a step-by-step action plan based on a video produced by Aleksandar Savic, a right-wing academic. In the video, Savic compares the 2020 US election to the 2000 election in Serbia, saying, When they declare their fake victory, you need to start massive civil disobedience.



Savic said this was not enough, however, and Trump supporters needed to have the stamina to go further.



Yes, Im calling you for violence, if that is the only way. Who cares? Yes, I do. Here: taboo, broken.



After presenting a plan to the FOS group that mirrored the plan posited by Savic, Rhodes wrote, So will you step up and push Trump to FINALLY take decisive action?



Prosecutors presented an audio recording of an online Oath Keepers meeting held November 9, 2020, two days after Rhodes texted about the plan to the FOS group. The Oath Keepers meeting included over 100 members of the group, including leaders such as Rhodes and Meggs.



It was recorded by the Oath Keepers West Virginia chapter leader Abdullah Rashid, a US Marine Corps veteran. Rashid testified at the trial that he began recording the meeting because what he was hearing from Rhodes made it sound as if we were going to war with the United States government.



Rashid said Rhodes described a plan to overthrow the US government and start shooting everybody and beating up Antifa and beating up [Black Lives Matter]. Thats what I understood it to be.



He said he continued to attend Oath Keeper meetings throughout November of 2020, and that with each meeting the violent rhetoric grew more extreme. It sounded horrible. I didnt like what I joined, Rashid said, according to CNN.



After the November 9 call, Rashid decided to leave the Oath Keepers. Worried that Rhodes and others were planning for violence in Washington D.C., Rashid wrote an email to the US Capitol Police in November 2020 describing Rhodes as a friggin wacko.



Rashid testified that after failing to receive a response from the Capitol Police, he sent a full recording of the November 9 meeting to the FBI tip line on November 25, 2020. Rashid said, and FBI agent Palian confirmed, that the agency did not seek to interview Rashid until two months after the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress, after Rashid had re-sent the recording to the FBI.



In his testimony last week, Michael Adams, a former coordinator for the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers and organizer of the November 9 virtual meeting, said that he too grew disillusioned with the group as the January 6 certification drew near. Adams said he decided to leave the group after Rhodes published two public letters in December 2020 calling on Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act and federalize the Oath Keepers as his personal militia to oversee the re-running of the 2020 election.



Trump had previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in June 2020 during mass anti-police violence protests. Since the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the Oath Keepers have worked hand in glove with local police departments, from which they heavily recruit, in terrorizing peaceful anti-police violence protesters.



On Thursday, in significant testimony highlighting the close connections between the Trump White House and the militia group, another Oath Keeper-turned-government witness, John Zimmerman, testified that Rhodes told him he had the phone number of a Secret Service agent to whom he had previously spoken regarding a September 2020 Trump rally for which the Oath Keepers provided security.



Zimmerman also testified that the Oath Keepers previously used QRFs (quick reaction forces) at pro-Trump rallies held in Washington in November and December 2020. It is unclear what coordination the QRFs had with the Secret Service.



Zimmerman, the former head of the North Carolina Oath Keepers chapter and a US Army veteran, said that the QRF at the November 14 Million MAGA March had a stockpile of at least a dozen rifles and several handguns stowed in a van parked at Arlington National Cemetery.



Refuting the lie promoted by Trump-aligned politicians and complacent middle class elements that January 6 was simply a protest that got out of hand, prosecutors have laid stress on the role of former Navy Commander Thomas Caldwell in the extensive planning for the attack.



They presented photos they said that Caldwell took during reconnaissance trips to D.C. between the November 2020 election and January 6, 2021. Prosecutors claim Caldwell provided the Oath Keepers leadership with maps of the city and possible routes for QRFs to deploy to D.C. He is accused of offering his Virginia home as a base of operations and suggesting that QRFs use boats to ferry weapons across the Potomac River to the capital.



Prosecutors claim that in a Facebook message posted on January 6 after the coup attempt had failed, Caldwell wrote: If wed had guns I guarantee we would have killed 100 politicians. They ran off and were spirited away through their underground tunnels like the rats they were.



While some members of the Oath Keepers split from the group in the lead-up to January 6, other high-level members of the group, including Rhodes and former Oath Keeper lead counsel Kellye SoRelle, continued to organize in furtherance of Trumps coup plot through the Friends of Stone chat group. In addition to right-wing media personalities and Republican operatives, the group counted among its members the former chairman of the Proud Boys, Henry Enrique Tarrio.



Tarrio, like Rhodes, has been charged with seditious conspiracy for his role in Trumps failed coup. The trial for Tarrio, an admitted FBI informant, and four other high-level members of the Proud BoysEthan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzolais set to begin in December.



This past Thursday, Jeremy Joseph Bertino, 43, became the first member of the Proud Boys to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy. The former North Carolina Proud Boy was a top lieutenant to Tarrio. He has agreed to testify against his former comrades in the hope of securing a reduced sentence.

Fascist Proud Boy Jeremy Bertino wearing a Right Wing Death Squad (RWDS) patch in during a Trump rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, November 2020. [Photo by Anthony Crider / CC BY 2.0

Bertino participated in several Trump Million MAGA March rallies throughout November and December of 2020. At the December Million MAGA March in Washington D.C., Bertino was stabbed, which prevented him from actively participating in the assault on the Capitol on January 6.



However, in his plea agreement he said he continued to participate in planning sessions as he recovered from his injuries, according to a DoJ press release.



At least as early as January 4, 2021, he received encrypted chat messages indicating that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol, the DoJ said.



Bertino was part of the MOSD (Ministry of Self Defense) Proud Boys encrypted chat group reserved for leading members. During the attack on the Capitol, Bertino texted in the MOSD group that those at the Capitol should form a spear to penetrate the building.



After the attack on the Capitol, which resulted in hundreds of injuries and multiple deaths, Bertino messaged Tarrio, telling him, You know we made this happen and 1776 motherfucker.



Bertino previously testified before the January 6 House Select Committee. At one public hearing, the committee played a brief recording of testimony in which Bertino said that Proud Boys membership increased exponentially ... tripled probably after Trump commanded the group to Stand back and stand by in his September 2020 debate with Biden.
Two separate shipwrecks of boats carrying refugees across the Aegean occurred within hours of each other last Thursday, resulted in at least 23 deaths.

Bodies of migrants are seen next to floating debris after a sailboat carrying migrants smashed into rocks and sank off the island of Kythira, southern Greece, October 6, 2022. Residents of Kythira pulled shipwrecked migrants to safety up steep cliffs in dramatic rescues after two boats sank in Greek waters, leaving at least 23 people dead and many still missing. [AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis]

The latest mass fatalities of refugees off Greek islands happened just days after at least 86 people drowned when a boat carrying refugees from Lebanon sank, on September 24, off the coast of Tartus, Syria.

The first shipwreck occurred on the eastern side of the island of Lesbos, off the coast of Turkey, when a dinghy carrying around 40 people capsized due to heavy winds, resulting in 18 deaths16 young women, one adult male and one 15-year-old boy. Most of those on the boat were reportedly of African descent, likely from Somalia. 15 of the survivors had swum to the surface and were discovered in the surrounding mountains by members of the UNs High Commission for Refugees, who handed them over to the authorities. Another 10 survivors were discovered trapped on rocks underneath a military outpost on the coast.

The second shipwreck occurred a few hours earlier when winds between 90 and 100 kilometres per hour forced a sailboat carrying 95 refugees to crash onto rocks east of Kythiras main port of Diakofti. The island is located off the coast of the Peloponnese in southern Greece.

The boat sank five minutes after impact with a coastguard spokesman saying it was completely destroyed. The refugees, including 18 children, were mainly from Afghanistan with some from Iran and Iraq. The boat set sail two days prior from Turkey and was on route to southern Italy. The crash occurred 20 minutes after people on the boat had called 112, the Europe-wide emergency number. Only seven bodies were recovered and eight people are still missing.

The terrible plight facing refugees fleeing war-torn and poverty-stricken homelands were visible in the harrowing scenes following the Kythira shipwreck. Video footage published by Kythira News showed desperate survivors at the bottom of the steep cliff, hanging on for their lives in windy conditions with waves crashing against them, waiting to try to climb up a rope to be pulled to safety.

Refugee shipwreck at Diakofti - Coast Guard official at the edge of the cliff is rescuing castaways

That the fatalities were not higher was down to the heroism of locals who descended to the cliff edge to help with rescue efforts.

Speaking to The Press Project, one of the rescuers said, More than 50 locals promptly descended to the area of the shipwreck to help with blankets, dry clothes and various emergency supplies. There is a rescue team on the island that was mobilised immediately and helped co-ordinate locals to participate in the rescue effort. 10 people in a row used ropes to pull up one by one from the cave [at the bottom of the cliff] the 80 people they managed to save. It was impossible for helicopters and coast guard vessels to approach the rocky shore in the dark and with the waves coming from the north.

Another clip from the Hellenic Coastguard, taken from a wider angle, showed the great peril the refugees were in, stranded at the bottom of a massive cliff face.

A short clip from the Hellenic Coastguard, taken from a wider angle, showing the refugees stranded at the bottom of the steep cliff face

In a tweet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hypocritically expressed his sorrow at the tragic loss of human lives and blamed human traffickers exploiting innocent desperate people. Coast guard officials, speaking to conservative daily Kathimerini wrote that while human traffickers in the past would not sail when weather conditions were bad they now send people to their deaths in order to earn cash fast.

The reality is that refugees crossing into Europe are taking ever greater risks to avoid detection by the authorities due to Greeces brutal pushbacks policythe forcing of refugees back across the border into Turkey.

Shortly after the two tragedies occurred, prominent Greek activist Iasonas Apostolopoulos who leads search and rescue operations of refugees in the Aegean and the Mediterranean tweeted, In Lesbos they set forth with wind strength at 7 on the Beaufort Scale so that they were not detected by the Greek Coast Guard and pushed back. In Kythira they were trying to get to Italy directly from Turkey (100 times more difficult) for the same reason.

Illegal under international law, the pushback policy is routinely carried out by the Greek government as part of the EUs Fortress Europe policy of denying the right of desperate refugees to seek asylum within the EU. A recent investigation revealed that the Greek authorities even force desperate asylum seekers to participate in the pushbacks in return for being allowed transit through Greece into Europe. As for the traffickers, Greek police routinely work with them when carrying out their pushback operations.

According to figures compiled by Aegean Boat Report, pushbacks have increased substantially in the last two years. In 2021, 632 boats were pushed back into Turkeynearly double the number of boats the year before. This has already been surpassed in 2022 with 697 boats pushed back so far this year.

This policy has led to a rise in fatalities as refugees take greater risks to cross dangerous seas in ramshackle vessels. According to the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) 2,062 people died or went missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean in 2021, up from 1,449 the year before. By the end of September this year, 1,522 people were reported dead or missing.

Heinous crimes against refugees by the authorities are commonplace. On October 4, The Press Project reported, For a whole month, 8 refugees were detained illegally and arbitrarily in the detention facilities of Samos Police Station, without accommodation, hygiene and clothing. Among the 8, a young refugee, Madi, who for 26 days remained detained in a cell fenced with bars - similar to a cage - which was located inside the cell where the 7 men were staying. The refugees made the mistake of entering from Evros and coming voluntarily in order to register and apply for international protection at the Samos Police Station. The result was their illegal detention in deplorable conditions, despite the fact that 46 million euros have been invested in Samos to create the Closed Controlled Facility, which serves this purpose.

Apart from a brief press release from the border agency Frontex expressing the agencys deepest condolences regarding the Lesbos shipwreck, there has not been a single statement from within the European Union (EU) to even acknowledge the tragedy. Recent reports have revealed that Frontex routinely takes part in Greeces pushback operations.

In addition to shifting the blame onto traffickers the Greek government has used the tragedy to ramp up sabre-rattling against Turkey amid rising geopolitical tensions as result of the ongoing war in Ukraine. In a tweet on October 8 Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said, Urgent call to Turkey to take immediate action to prevent all irregular departures due to harsh weather conditions. EU must act.

This follows a tweet Mitarachi posted one day before the tragedies occurred of video purportedly showing footage from Turkish coastguard violently pushing forward migrants to Greece, in violation of international law and the EU joint statement. Mitarachis claim unravelled after Aegean Boat Report replied, This video is over 3 years old, and you know it, deliberately misleading people. This video do not show a push forward as you say, it shows Turkish coast guard trying to violently stop a boat from crossing towards Greece, this is what EU paid them to do under the EU-Turkey deal.

Whatever their regional rivalries, the Greek and Turkish elites remain united in enforcing the EUs Fortress Europe policy.

The lies and hypocrisy of Greeces New Democracy government were more than matched by the pseudo-left Syriza, the main opposition party in parliament. Following the tragedies, a joint statement by Syriza MPs called on Turkey to stop weaponizing refugees, which it continues to do while the EU leadership tolerates this, and to respect its obligation according to international rules.

The statement called on the Greek government to finally abandon the catastrophic role of the jailor of Europe, and well as Europes leadership to stop pretending that they dont see dead people in the Mediterranean and take the initiative for a just asylum and migration policy.

If anyone knows anything about being the jailor of Europe it is Syriza, which boasts of its anti-immigration record. In power between 2015 and 2019, Syriza set up camps to intern refugees fleeing hardship and persecution, at the behest of the EU. The most notorious was on Moria, on Lesbos, dubbed the worst refugee camp on Earth before it burned down in September 2020.
As the Ebola outbreak intensifies in Uganda, the Biden administration announced last Thursday that all passengers who had been in the African nation in the last 21 days would be diverted to airports in New York, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago or Washington where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Securitys Customs and Border Protection would conduct screening to determine if they are infected.

As Politico recently noted, The FAA could not immediately provide a list of how many flights from Uganda head stateside on a daily basis, but foreign carriers such as KLM and Emirates offer flights to multiple American destinations.

Besides a risk assessment, visual symptoms and temperature check, the travelers contact information would be shared with local and state health departments. However, rather than offering Uganda the necessary expertise or the funds requested by the World Health Organization (WHO) to contain and combat the spread of the deadly virus, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra offered Ugandan Health Minister Dr. Jane Aceng Ocero a perfunctory message of goodwill, saying that the administration was ready to support Uganda through this challenging period.

The WHO has released $2 million from its contingency fund for emergencies and sending additional specialists, supplies and resources. But this tiny amount will hardly cover the cost of a large-scale public health intervention to stamp out the Ebola outbreaks that threatens to spill over into Ugandas densely populated capital, Kampala. The international agency had called for $18 million, but Ugandan health officials had indicated that far more would be required to cover logistics and manpower.

Since the declaration of the Ebola outbreak on September 20, 2022 by Ugandan health officials, the number of confirmed and probable cases of Ebola infections with the rare Sudan virus has climbed to 43 confirmed and 20 probable cases, 63 in all. At present, there are no vaccines or treatments that are effective against this strain of the Ebola virus. The last outbreak with the Sudan virus in Uganda occurred 10 years ago.

WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan explained that six different vaccines are at various stages of development, and trials with either the University of Oxford or Sabin Vaccine Institute vaccines will hopefully begin in the coming weeks.

During the WHO press briefing last week, she said, Our R&D Blueprint team, led by Ana Maria Henao, has been working very closely with the Ugandan Ministry of Health but also with other partners, including CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) and with the manufacturers. There are about six vaccine candidates available for the Sudan Ebola virus, which are mostly in very early stages of development, but three of them have some human data, some immunogenicity and safety data, and so they can actually proceed to be used in the field in a ring vaccination campaign, similar to what was done in the Ebola outbreak in DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] a couple years ago.

With regards to the two leading candidates, she added, There are very limited doses available, unfortunately, of both of them. There is raw material, so there has to be some fill and finish to make the product ready, and at the same time, of course, a protocol has to be developed, submitted to the Ethics Review Committee. The principal investigator has been identified, funding is being mobilized and so all the preparations are ongoing.

There have been 29 deaths as of October 5, of which nine have been confirmed as related to Ebola. These include four health care workers, the latest a 58-year-old anesthetic officer, Nabisubi Margaret, who died on October 4 after battling her disease for 17 days at Fort Portal referral hospital. However, six more health care workers have been infected.

More concerning is that the outbreak has now spread to at least five sub-counties that include Mubende and Kassanda districts in Central Region, and Bunyangabu, Kagadi and Kyegegwa districts in Western Region, Uganda, both on a busy commercial corridor that connects Kampala to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, a recent report in the Monitor noted that a person suspected of Ebola died in the Northern District of Nebbi, far from the current outbreaks.

Figure 1 Map of Uganda and affected regions. Red confirmed Sudan virus. Black probable Ebola outbreak.

On October 5, 2022, a 57-year-old man died two hours after being admitted to Orussi Health Center III in the Nebbi District situated at the border of the DRC and Lake Albert. The districts health officer, Dr. Justine Okwairworth, told the press, The deceased presented acute signs and symptoms, especially fever, bloody diarrhea and vomiting of blood. We then became suspicious of this and collected blood samples which we forwarded and are waiting results.

The deceased had attended a burial ceremony for a relative in the neighboring DRC where it is suspected he became infected. One of the elements of the posthumous rites and burial traditions for the displaying of grief is to wash and dress the body of the deceased, which risks infection if Ebola was the cause of death.

In the case of the Ugandan elderly man, it remains to be seen if the virus is of the Sudan strain and part of the current outbreak ,which would imply the spread is dispersed far more broadly. Introduction of the Zaire strain in this region would mean potentially two simultaneous outbreaks. Regardless, it raises further the specter of the ongoing threat posed by Ebola in the region and neighboring countries.

Since the mid-90s, there have been around two dozen outbreaks reported across Central and West Africa. The largest epidemic, between December 2013 and June 2016, was spread across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea with local outbreaks in Nigeria, Mali, Senegal and exported to the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy. In all, almost 29,000 people were infected, and 11,310 people died from the Ebola Zaire virus. Fatality rates ranged from 57 to 71 percent.

The current fatality rate with the Sudan virus is over 40 percent, which underscores the seriousness of these infections. It is not a matter of if but when an outbreak with such pathogens will emerge more broadly across the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that not only were capitalist governments unprepared for the eruption of these pathogens, but they have also gone as far as completely dismantling their public health systems to prevent any interruption in the drive to exploit the working class.

Yoweri Museveni, Ugandas president for life, recently said, I want to reassure all Ugandans and all residents that the government will quickly gain control of this outbreak as we have done before. Therefore, there is no need for anxiety, panic, restriction of movement, or unnecessary closure of public places like schools, markets and places of worship as of now.

Meanwhile, as Aceng noted, health authorities are fighting misinformation and mistrust of the public at the epicenter of the outbreak in Mubende district. She told the press, People are not dying of witchcraft, they are dying due to Ebola. The public should cooperate with the health workers and response teams to curb the spread of this outbreak.

However, frontline health workers are also facing concerns about their own safety. As TheLancet wrote on Saturday, There is also the challenge of allaying the concerns of front-line health workers regarding their safety. Trainee medics announced a strike, accusing the government of risking their lives without making adequate provision for safety gear, insurance coverage, and risk allowances.

Dr. Gary Kobinger, a virologist and Ebola specialist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, told Nature that the vaccines and antivirals by themselves will not end the outbreak. With the geographic boundaries of spread increasing and resources overstretched, the virus could easily find new footholds, as is being demonstrated now. Right now, the outbreak is at a make-or-break moment, he said. Hopeful that the current measures will contain the outbreak, he is concerned that it could really get out of hand.
The following letter was sent to the WSWS by a retiree who lives in Fort Myers, Florida, a center of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.

With one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the US bearing down on SW Florida at 150 mph and local chief meteorologist Matt Devitt near tears with concerns about Ians potential catastrophic effects on fellow Floridians, the super-wealthy were making a luxurious escape. Flexjet reported a massive surge in luxury flights booked up to the very last minute that jets could take off!

Could the horrific loss of life have been mitigated? Perhaps earlier, clear evacuation orders (more than 24 hours) could have prevented the horrific loss of lives.

I am not an authority on our governors access to or use of emergency financial resources. From a personal perspective, I dont believe his spending decisions are driven by the needs of the population he serves, and instead are focused on his political standing and aspirations.

However, to put the impact of Ian into a financial perspective, a few days before Ian made landfall in SW Florida, FEMAs director, Deanna Criswell, announced that everyone in America should purchase flood insurance. However, here is the reality:

Florida is among the five states with the highest economic disparity in America. We are among those with the highest household debt and poverty rate. AT THE SAME TIME, we are the home state that ranks third with the highest number of billionaires! As of March 2022, California was the US state with the most billionaires, with 186 billionaires calling the state home. New York was second, with 135 resident billionaires, a jump over third-place Florida, with 78.

President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis arrive to tour an area impacted by Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. [AP Photo/Evan Vucci]

Effective September 30, 2022, Floridas minimum wage is $11 per hour for workers that don't earn tips and $7.98 per hour for tipped workers (its assumed theyll make up the rest in tips). That means:

$11/hour x 2020 work hours/year = annual salary of $22,220.

The cost of living is roughly $1,800/month, or $21,600/year, which leaves approximately $600hardly enough to cover the $2,674 home/flood insurance costs.

The average cost of homeowners insurance in Florida is $1,951, and the average cost of flood insurance is $723 (according to Bankrate). Therefore, on average, Florida homeowners must pay approximately $2,674 per year in premiums for minimum protection against hurricane damage: $2,674 that the average minimum wage earner doesnt have!

It is heartbreaking to see so many decent, honest, hard-working, good citizens further marginalized by Ian, a historically catastrophic event, a natural disaster that a more equitable and caring group of civic leaders could have better planned for and averted the disastrous after-effects.
Julian Assange has contracted COVID-19. He received the test result Saturday, on the day several thousand people formed a human chain around Parliament in London to protest his persecution.

Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison in 2019

His wife, Stella, told the press, I am obviously worried about him and the next few days will be crucial for his general health. He is now locked in his cell for 24 hours a day. She said Assange had been feeling ill throughout the week and developed a fever and cough on Friday.

Assanges infection confirms the repeated warnings of medical professionals and his legal team that his health and life are endangered by his wrongful imprisonment. It must lend renewed urgency to the demand for his immediate release.

Just months before the pandemic, over 100 doctors signed an open letter to the British government warning that Assanges life was at risk while he was kept in HMP Belmarshthe UKs top-security prison. When COVID-19 began to spread rapidly throughout Britain, one of the lead signatories, Dr Stephen Frost, told the World Socialist Web Site, Given what we know about this case, Mrs Assange is right to be concerned. Julian Assange, because he is immuno-compromised, following years of arbitrary detention first in the Ecuadorian Embassy and latterly in Belmarsh prison, is necessarily at higher risk of contracting any viral or bacterial infection, including infection by coronavirus.

He should be released on bail immediately, so that he can access the health care which he urgently requires. The UK government is effectively playing Russian roulette with Julian Assanges life.

Another doctor, Lissa Johnson, explained, As long ago as 2015 medical and human rights experts warned that anything more than a trivial illness could prove fatal for Julian Assange. His health is even more fragile now, and the coronavirus only renders those warnings more urgent and more dire.

She added, If Julian Assange does succumb to coronavirus or any other catastrophic illness in prison, it will not be an accident. It will be a foreseeable result of prolonged psychological torture and wilful medical neglect.

The WikiLeaks founder applied for bail in March 2020, with lawyers citing the very real and potentially fatal risk posed to his fragile health by the coronavirus pandemic. His concern was such that he was prepared to accept strict conditions, including house arrest and GPS tagging. He was refused bail on the absurd grounds, during a global lockdown, that he posed a flight risk.

Shortly afterwards, he was excluded from a national prisoner release programme, prompted by evidence of the alarming spread of COVID 19 among prison staff and inmates. The bogus reason given was that, since he was held on remand (without charge) and not serving a sentence, he was ineligible.

By the end of October 2020, Ministry of Justice figures showed that 1,529 inmates had been infected, 600 in the previous month alone. At least 32 prisoners had been killed by the virus.

In November, a wave of infections hit Belmarsh prison. Stella Assange revealed, Ive been told the number of people infected with COVID on Julians house block is 56, including staff. This was on a block with fewer than 200 inmates.

Assange and the other inmates were placed under an indefinite lockdown, kept in their cells 24 hours a day. His lawyer Edward Fitzgerald had warned at his bail application of the risk to his mental health and his human contact posed by lockdown procedures. At Assanges extradition hearing that autumn, his defence team presented extensive medical evidence of the damage done to his mental health and of the risk of suicide.

In the same month as Belmarshs COVID lockdown, one of Assanges friends inside the prison committed suicide after being issued a deportation order to Brazil. Stella tweeted, Spoke to Julian. A friend of his killed himself in the early hours of this morning. His body is still in the cell on Julians wing. Julian is devastated.

Britains relentless persecution of the heroic journalist has continued to take its toll in the year-and-a-half since. In October 2021, during a High Court appeal which later went against Assange, he suffered a mini stroke in Belmarsh. According to the Daily Mail, he was left with a drooping right eyelid, memory problems and signs of neurological damage.

Describing the horrific conditions in which the stroke took place, Stella said, It must have been horrendous hearing a High Court appeal in which you can't participate, which is discussing your mental health and your risk of suicide and in which the US is arguing you are making it all up.

Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, examined Assange with a medical team inside Belmarsh Prison in May 2019 and concluded that he showed symptoms of psychological torture. He commented on his illness, Assanges stroke is no surprise. As we warned after examining him, unless relieved of the constant pressure of isolation, arbitrariness and persecution, his health would enter a downward spiral endangering his life. [The] UK is literally torturing him to death.

Melzer added, As Assange clearly was not medically fit to attend his own trial through videolink, how can they even discuss whether he is fit to be exposed to a show trial in the US, a country that refuses to prosecute its torturers and war criminals but persecutes whistleblowers and journalists?

Assanges COVID infection is the latest in the list of crimes inflicted on him by his British government captors, acting on behalf of Washington and Langley. The World Socialist Web Site wrote during the first year of the pandemic, The unavoidable conclusion is that Assanges persecutors hope to see the COVID-19 disease do their dirty work for them and kill the most significant journalist of the twenty-first century.

In September 2021, a Yahoo News investigation proved that this was the continuation of plans hatched in the CIA years ago, when Assange was still claiming asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, to assassinate him. The legal case seeking his extradition pursues the same objective by different means, intent on entombing him in a US supermax facility.

7,000 form human chain in London to protest treatment of Julian Assange, October 8, 2022

Saturdays protest was the largest yet organised in defence of Assange, attracting a broader range of ages and social backgrounds. It indicated the potential that exists for a mass, global campaign to secure the WikiLeaks founders freedom and safety. With the threat to Assanges life so advanced and the reality of imperialist war, which his work exposed, so severe, that campaign must be urgently built in the international working class.
The trial of three of eight men charged with state offenses in connection with the plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer prior to the 2020 presidential election began with jury selection in Jackson, Michigan, on October 3.

Pete Musico, left, appears before Jackson Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson for trial in a courthouse, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in Jackson, Mich. Paul Bellar, Joseph Morrison and Musico are accused of being involved in a plot in 2020 to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. All were members of the Wolverine Watchmen, a paramilitary group that trained in the Jackson area. [AP Photo/J. Scott Park/Pool Jackson Citizen Patriot]

Joseph Morrison, 28, his father-in-law, Pete Musico, 44, and Paul Bellar, 23, were charged with firearm violations, gang membership and providing material support for terrorism by aiding the plot to kidnap and kill Governor Whitmer during the summer and fall of 2020. If convicted, the men face 20 years in prison.

The three were arrested along with 11 others on October 8, 2020. They were opposed to the limited shutdown and stay-at-home measures taken on an emergency basis by Whitmer in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. They met through social media activity and during anti-lockdown protests at the Michigan State Capitol organized by fascist and far-right groups with political connections to the Michigan Republican Party and the campaigns associated with then-President Donald Trumps call to Liberate Michigan.

As in the federal case against six of the menwhich ended with two guilty pleas, two convictions and two acquittals in US District Court in Grand Rapidsprosecutors in the state case say the defendants plotted the kidnapping as part of a broader campaign to spark unrest across the country, leading to a civil war they called the boogaloo.

The jury in the first federal trial in April acquitted defendants Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris and failed to reach a verdict on the charges against Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr.

State prosecutors have presented evidence that Morrison, Musico and Bellar were members of the Wolverine Watchmen, a right-wing paramilitary organization that attracted individuals who were enthusiastic about using armed violence to achieve their political objectives and were influenced by the efforts of Trump and others to overthrow the US Constitution.

Among the evidence presented by prosecutors was the fact that Morrison founded the Wolverine Watchmen militia in November 2019 as a Facebook group, declaring as its aim to take back your state from tyranny. At that time, Musico posted a response saying, Yea the trees in the capital should have bodies hanging from them.

The prosecution also said Morrison and Musico hosted tactical training exercises for members of the militia on their property in Munith, Michigan, north of Jackson, as part of preparations for kidnapping Whitmer.

The prosecutor told the jury that Paul Bellar joined the militia on the ground floor, lending his skills at weapon handling and working as a trainer for other members, while also serving as a medic. [Bellar] shared the hatred of the police that Joe Morrison hadthey had a very common, like-minded position on that, state prosecutor William Rollstin said.

Like the second federal trial in Grand Rapids, which concluded in August, the state prosecution is relying on discussions among the men as recorded by US government informants who had infiltrated the Wolverine Watchmen group.

On Wednesday and Thursday, FBI agent Henrik Impola told the jury in Jackson County Circuit Court how the investigation into the three men developed through dozens of threatening digital posts the defendants had made over several months before their arrest.

The posts included statements such as I want to commit violence, By bullet or ballot, restoration of the republic is coming, and One, two, Im coming for you, meaning Governor Whitmer. Impola also showed that the men communicated with coded language to discuss plans to shoot police officers in the back.

In a tweet that was subsequently removed by Twitter, Musico blamed Whitmer and other politicians for budget problems and called for the governor to be hanged from a noose in a tree for treason against the American people.

Other posts celebrated the Oklahoma City bombers, who used a truck filled with explosive materials to blow up the Murrah Federal Building in 1995, destroying one-third of the building, killing 168 people and injuring more than 680 others.

Their posts described in detail tactics to commit violence, including how to select targets, and they showed weapons. Several posts discussed the boogaloo, a word used by fascist organizations to denote the civil war they aim to foment in the US.

All three of the state defendants had numerous points of contact with Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., the two men who were convicted in federal court in August on charges of kidnapping conspiracy and weapons violations.

Also as in the federal trial, lawyers for Morrison, Musico and Bellar argued that their clients did not direct violence against anyone in particular and that any practical measures taken toward actually carrying out a plot was motivated by an FBI informant going by the name of Big Dan. Leonard Ballard, attorney for Morrison, said, [The defendants] didnt train a terroristthe FBIs [informant] trained a terrorist.

On Thursday, Andrew Kirkpatrick, the lawyer representing Bellar, objected that the words of his client were being twisted. Rollstin argued that Kirkpatrick was pandering to the jury and asked Jackson County Court Judge Thomas Wilson to make him stop.

Kirkpatrick claimed part of the conversation was left out of a recording that was played for the jury, saying the men were talking about trying to get a judge to issue an arrest warrant for the governor. When the judge interjected, Kirkpatrick shouted, Let me finish! and then said, I think this teeters on prosecutorial misconduct.

Also on Thursday, the second defendant in the federal Whitmer kidnap case, Kaleb Franks, was sentenced to four years in prison. Franks faced a possible life sentence, but US District Court Judge Robert Jonker said he imposed the much lighter sentence because Franks had endured the stress and toll of cooperating and testifying against others.

During remarks before the sentencing, Franks said, I want to start by saying Im sorry to the governor and her family. I understand that this experience had to have been very traumatizing and difficult. Im ashamed and embarrassed and I regret every decision I made.

Franks testified in both trials and was the second defendant to plead guilty in the federal case. The first of the group of six federal defendants to plead guilty was Ty Garbin from Hartland Township, Michigan. Garbin was originally sentenced to 75 months in August 2021, but this was reduced to 30 months by Judge Jonker in mid-September.

The other defendants in the Michigan state case are being prosecuted in Antrim County. Twins Michael and William Null, who are 40 and reside in Plainwell and Shelbyville, respectively; Shawn Fix, 40, of Belleville; Eric Molitor, 38, of Cadillac; and Brian Higgins, 53, of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, are accused of providing material support for terrorism and related gun charges.
In April 2018, two photojournalists were brutally attacked by neo-Nazis Gianluca B. and Nordulf H. in Fretterode, Thuringia. They suffered massive injuries, and it was only by luck that the attack did not end fatally. Although this was one of the most serious attacks on journalists in Germany in recent years, the perpetrators remain at large after the verdict was announced on September 15.



The journalists attacked, who conduct investigative work into the right-wing scene, were observing a meeting of right-wing extremists at the home of German National Party (NPD) member Thorsten Heise. When they were discovered, Gianluca B. and Nordulf H. chased the journalists in close pursuit through the streets of the region until they ended up in a ditch. Later, Gianluca B. smashed the skull of one of the two journalists using a tractor wrench. Nordulf H., Heises son, stabbed the other journalist in the leg with a knife.

Muhlhausen District Court ( Bubo bubo / Wikimedia Commons)

The assassination attempt on the journalists, as well as the absurdly lenient sentence handed down by the Muhlhausen Regional Court, are a serious blow to press freedom. According to Reporters Without Borders, this has been on the decline in Germany for years, and attacks from the right-wing milieu are on the rise.

At the same time, the Fretterode trial further worsens the climate created by all the establishment parties at federal and state level in recent years, in which right-wing extremists can take action against anyone who gets in their waywithout having to fear serious consequences.

The verdict in the trial against the neo-Nazis reveals the extent of the rightward shift by the German judicial system. More than four years after the attack and after more than 30 days at trial, the perpetrators got off virtually scot-free. The criminal court only considered the charges of dangerous bodily harm and the damage to the journalists car to be proven. Nordulf H. was sentenced to 200 hours of community service under the juvenile criminal code; Gianluca B. received a 12-month suspended sentence. The theft of the journalists 1,500 camera equipment remains unsolved. The verdict is not yet legally binding, and both the public prosecutors office and the co-plaintiffs have announced an appeal.

The trial before the Muhlhausen court resembled a Kafkaesque performance in which the victims were turned into perpetrators. Presiding Judge Andrea Kortus believed Gianluca B. and Nordulf H. to have mistaken their victims not for journalists but for Antifa activists. In an interview with broadcaster NDR, Axel Kulbarsch, spokesman for the Muhlhausen Regional Court, defended the perpetrators in line with this statement: Simply taking pictures and operating a camera was not enough to know that the person operating the camera is a journalist.

In other words, in the courts opinion, it is apparently legitimate to act against left-wing activists and to attack them in the most brutal way.

Judge Kortus did not say a word about the extreme right-wing views of the two defendants, speaking of so-called neo-Nazis and two ideological camps that were far apart. She also used this to justify the lenient sentence, since the attack by Gianluca B. and Nordulf H. had not been directed against journalists.

Kortus made no secret of her own convictions and articulated herself in the jargon of the neo-Nazi scene, as Kulbarsch confirmed: the defendants had been fed up with being photographed or recorded, and therefore first of alland this is how the chairwoman [judge] put itwanted to send the insects away from their village.

The neo-Nazis played down their attack as self-defence, with which they had wanted to peacefully assert the right to control their own image. The court also did not consider Nordulf H.s statement that the reporters had tried to run him over twice to be refutableand that this had possibly even led to the outbreak of violence in the first place. The actions of the neo-Nazis were basically comprehensible and admitted, according to the court.

There had also been procedural delays contrary to the rule of law that had led to mitigating circumstances for the defendants. Kulbarsch confirmed this to NDR: The fact that the defendants were in the public eye and extensive reporting took place over a long period of time was taken into account by the Third Criminal Chamber as a mitigating circumstance when it came to the sentence. The delay in the proceedings lies with the court, as the former presiding judge retired, and the replacement took a long timefor which the two accused neo-Nazis have now been rewarded.

The reasoning used by the court to justify the low sentence against the right-wing extremists is a slap in the face of the victims and a clear signal to the right-wing scene throughout the country: Weve got your back.

The polices negligent investigation extensively aided and abetted the scandalous verdict. Evidence was able to be brushed aside unchallenged, a knife in the perpetrators vehicle attracted no attention, and the journalists presumably stolen photographic equipment was searched for only once by a patrol in the semi-darkness.

Sven Adam, who defended one of the two journalists in court, called the police investigation a systemic and structural failure. The charges could be tried here not because of, but in spite of, the investigative work of the local police.

In contrast, the Thuringia state authorities reacted uncompromisingly to a complaint against the two journalists filed by Thorsten Heise. While the house of Gianluca B. was never searched and that of the Heises only half-heartedly, the public prosecutors office in Muhlhausen described the house search of one of the journalists two days before the verdict was announced as proportionate. A spokesman explained that the special protection of journalists ends when they are defendants and added, We investigate without regard to the person.

After the scandalous verdict, representatives of the Left Party-Social Democrat (SPD)-Green state government declared their dismay. Madeleine Henfling, a Green Party member of the state legislature, spoke of a scandal and a repeated failure of justice, trivializing right-wing violence. Dorothea Marx of the SPD told broadcaster MDR, That the court considers the lives and health of supposed political opponents less worthy of protection than those of journalists and derives a penalty discount from that is humanly and legally wrong.

This hypocrisy is surpassed only by the Left Party. Speaking to NRD, Katharina Konig-Preuss, a member of the state parliament, said, Something is broken here on so many levels, something is crooked here, and this in a federal state that repeatedly declares, also through corresponding political representatives, that everything is being done here to take action against the right. I dont notice that happening.

The fact that Konig-Preuss doesnt notice anything about the alleged action against the right is simply because this is not taking place. On the contrary, in Thuringia, in particular, the Left Party-SPD-Green state government, led by the Left Party, cooperates with the right-wing extremists in the state parliamentary committees and provides them with central positions. In early 2020, State Premier Ramelow even used his own vote to help far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) deputy Michael Kaufmann become vice president of the Thuringia state legislature.

The main responsibility for the political and ideological climate in which neo-Nazis can declare journalists fair game without challenge lies with the ruling class. In recent years, all the establishment partiesabove all the SPD, the Left Party, and the Greenshave moved further and further to the right and have largely adopted the AfDs programrefugee baiting, the rearmament of Germany, and allowing the pandemic to run wild.

Against this backdrop, right-wing extremists feel emboldened to take increasingly brutal action against anyone who gets in their way, and do not even shy away from attempted assassinations as in Fretterode. Right-wing violence can only be stopped by the independent intervention of the working class, which must vehemently reject right-wing extremism, militarism and war and oppose these evils with a socialist program.
On Friday, Ukrainian special forces organized a suicide bombing on the Kerch bridge connecting Crimea and the Russian mainland, killing three people and collapsing half of one span of the bridge.

The Ukrainian special forces immediately admitted having carried out the attack to the New York Times. Ukrainian officials praised the terror attack, and even issued a commemorative stamp within minutes of the bombing.

Former US officials lauded the terrorist suicide bombing, with Alexander Vindman, the former director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council, tweeting, above a photo of the burning bridge, Ive been dreaming of this moment.

In an expression of the consummate cynicism that pervades all aspects of US reporting on the war in Ukraine, the media acted as though the jury was out on who carried out the attack.

News outlets said Putin blamed the Ukrainian military and alleged that the suicide bombing targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure was a terrorist attack, as though this was not self-evident.

Completely excluded from any account in the New York Times, Washington Post or Wall Street Journal was the fact that senior US officials not only publicly authorized the attack, but a former US official publicly encouraged that it be carried out.

Bomb Russias bridge to Crimea, Ukraine urged, read the headline in the Times of London on July 7, reporting the statements of US General Philip Breedlove, NATOs former supreme allied commander Europe.

In his interview with the newspaper, Breedlove declared that Kerch bridge is a legitimate target.

He said, Several people I have spoken to say dropping [destroying] Kerch bridge would be a huge blow to Russia. Kerch bridge is a legitimate target.

He continued: I am a trained civil engineer and I know about bridge construction. All bridges have their weak points and if targeted in the right spot it could render Kerch bridge unserviceable for a period of time. But if they wanted to drop the bridge, that would require a more dedicated bombing operation.

He added: I hear a lot of people asking whether it is right for Ukraine to take such aggressive action and whether the West would support it, but I cannot understand that argument.

The next day, July 8, clearly referencing Breedloves comments, a reporter identified only as Howard asked at a Pentagon background briefing: Can you talk about any preclusions? Would the  would the Kerch Bridge be not precluded as a potential target?

The defense official replied, As I said, there arent any preclusions that Im aware of about the Ukrainians fighting on their sovereign territory against Russia.

Just five days before the terror attack, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura K. Cooper was asked whether there were assurances provided to the US by the Ukrainians on targetinge.g., involving strikes inside Russian territory. Cooper replied, We think they can reach the vast majority of targets, including Crimea. And just to be clear, Crimea is Ukraine.

In other words, on two separate occasions, acting representatives of the White House gave a green light for Ukraine to attack targets in Crimea, including one instance in which the official was specifically asked whether the Kerch bridge was an authorized target. And these statements were made in reference to open and public calls by a former high-ranking US official for attacks to be carried out on the bridge.

Critically, the terror attack came the day after Biden warned publicly about the risk of the Ukraine conflict triggering nuclear Armageddon, declaring at a fundraiser, We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Biden denied that theres any such thing as the ability to easily [use] a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon.

Given Bidens comment the day before, the attack was doubly significant.

In a widely read, but rarely cited, Financial Times column on May 15, Malcolm Chalmers, the director-general of the Royal United Services think tank, warned that an attack on the Kerch Bridge could trigger a nuclear war between the United States and Russia. He wrote:

In the absence of a ceasefire, however, Ukrainian forces will be keen to prevent Crimea becoming a sanctuary from which the Kremlin can resupply its forces in the rest of Ukraine. Supplies of longer-range weapon systems from western states are opening up new targeting possibilities. The Kerch bridge could be a tempting prize, as could Russias naval base in Sevastopol. If attacks on these targets were perceived as precursors to a full-scale Crimean invasion, they could increase the risk of nuclear escalation. This is one of the most concerning scenarios. Putin was at pains to emphasise this risk in the months before the invasion. Putins spurious nuclear threats of recent months have begun to lose their potency. In order to be credible, Russia would have to make explicit that an invasion of Crimea constituted a red line. Faced with losing Crimea, Putin might consider this a worthwhile gamble, believing Ukraine (with western encouragement) would blink first. This would be a moment of extreme peril.

The latest attack on Crimea comes despite Bidens explicit public pledge that the United States would not allow its NATO proxy to attack Russian territory. We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders, Biden wrote in May, announcing the deployment of the HIMARS system to Ukraine.

It has now emerged that this, like everything else the United States has said about limitations on its involvement in the war, was simply a lie. By pumping Ukraine full of the worlds most advanced weapons systems, backed by the full might of the NATO military-industrial complex, the US has allowed its NATO proxy to score a wave of battlefield advances that set the stage for the latest terror attack.

It is clear, in other words, that despite Bidens warnings of nuclear Armageddon, the United States is on a course that threatens the disastrous escalation of the present crisis.
Late last month, the Northern Fishermens Action Committee (NPFAC) in Sri Lanka, with the support of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), held a successful meeting in Kayts on the Jaffna Peninsula. Over 20 fishermen, including women, as well as SEP members, participated in the event which resolved to establish a local action committee.

Fishermen meet in Kayts [Photo: WSWS]

The NPFAC, which was established by representatives from different parts of northern Sri Lanka earlier this year, is fighting to form action committees of fishermen and other workers throughout the province. NPFAC and SEP members campaigned for several days to build the Kayts meeting.

Kayts is an island located 16 kilometres from Jaffna city, connected to it by a five-kilometre causeway. Like other areas throughout Sri Lankas north and east, Kayts was devastated by Colombos 26-year communal war, which ended with the bloody defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009. According to UN estimates, at least 40,000 civilians in the north and east were killed by the Sri Lankan military during the final stages of the conflict.

Thousands of families live in fishing villages like Paruththiyadaippu, Melinchimunai and Thampaaddy across the region. During the civil war residents faced brutal repression by the Sri Lankan navy, aided and abetted by the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). This party, which functioned as a paramilitary formation, was led by Sri Lankas current Minister of Fisheries, Douglas Devananda. The Sri Lankan navy still monitors fishermen and other residents in Kayts.

Many people from Kayts were disappeared and killed during the war. This included SEP member Nadarajah Wimaleswaran and his friend Sivanathan Mathivathanan from Velanai in Kayts. Both were fishermen. They disappeared while returning home from Punguduthive on March 22, 2006. SEP investigations pointed to the navys involvement in their disappearance.

NPFAC president and SEP member Rasenthiram Sutharsan chaired last months meeting. As fishermen, we have been affected by the economic crisis like other working people in the country, he told the meeting.



Some people face starvation; fishermen cant go fishing because of the fuel crisis; and northern fishermen have stopped deep-sea fishing, he continued, pointing out that fishermen cannot work because the government is not providing adequate amounts of kerosene and other necessary fuel supplies.

This problem has been created by the capitalist profit system. We must abolish this system and bring a workers and peasants government to power. The building of independent action committees throughout the country is essential to carry out this fight, he said.

Sri Lankan fishermen organising their nets. [Photo: WSWS]

NPFAC secretary Rajaratnam Thirugnanavel said, Fishermens children are facing malnutrition because we cannot afford to buy the nutritious food they need. We cant buy biscuits, fruit and milk powder because of the high prices.

Its now 13 years since the end of the war but the navys suppressive communalist actions continue against fishermen in the north. All the Tamil parties and fishermen societies are silent about these attacks. We need to unite with the workers and all other fishermen throughout the country, he said.

Following these speeches, the meeting discussed an NPFAC statement entitled, Build fishermen action committees to defend livelihood and democratic rights. The statement explained the social consequences of President Ranil Wickremesinghes decision to implement the austerity demands of the International Monetary Fund and his governments use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and other repressive laws to crush mass opposition.

The statement included a series of demands related to fishermen, including abolition of all their debts, ending the oppressive military pass system for fishing and a guaranteed price for fish. It also called for the nationalisation of multinational fishing industry companies, placing them under workers control. This demand, the statement explained, was part of the broader struggle for all the major industries, banks and plantations to be nationalised under workers control.

A. Shantharaj, a young fisherman, supported the statement, saying: It explains our problems correctly. It doesnt contain false promises.



A. Rajan said that fishermen did not know why the government had banned certain methods of fishing. Our fishermen bought material available in the shops and they prepare their own fishing nets. Sometimes the navy arrests fishermen while theyre fishing, assaults them and then files cases against them claiming they were using banned nets, he said.



We cannot manage with the current high price of kerosene oil which is selling at 340 rupees [a litre]. We cant continue to keep fishing this way, he added.

Another fisherman said: This statement has also changed our attitude towards the Indian fishermen. You have explained that the Indian fishermen are our brothers and that we are all affected by the profit motives of corporate fishing methods. The navy, however, is only arresting the innocent poor fishing workers from Tamil Nadu.

SEP Political Committee member P. Thirugnanasampanthar said that Sri Lankas economic turmoil is part of the global economic crisis, which has been exacerbated by the COVID19 pandemic and the US-NATO war against Russia.

We have to fight against the imposition of the burden of the economic crisis on working people. To do that we need to educate workers and others coming into struggle and also explain the looming threat of a world war. That is why we call upon workers and the poor to form action committees in all workplaces and villages, independent from the trade unions and capitalist parties, he said.

Thirugnanasampanthar said the SEPs call for a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses would be based on delegates from action committees across the country to fight for their social and democratic rights. We can only solve problems of the workers and poor on the basis of the international socialist program, he said.

Following this discussion, the meeting decided to establish a Kayts Fishermen Action Committee. Nagarajah Kodeeswaran was elected its leader and six fishermen, including one woman, selected as its management committee. The committee resolved to unite with other workers and fishermen across the country and internationally and said they appreciated the SEPs support.

During the campaign for the meeting, several fishing village residents spoke to the WSWS about the social crisis they confront.

Sixty-year-old Uthayasekaran Vijeyakumari from Paruththiyadaippu has two children. She and her husband, who is unwell and cannot work, are only able to survive because one of their sons, who works as a fisherman in Moonampitti, Mannar district, sends them a small amount of money.

My husband has been a patient for six years and is unemployed. My son does his own fishing, but his equipment is worn out and he needs new equipment. He has no money for that, which is why he does share fishing with another person. He also has children and it is difficult to feed them with the meagre income he earns, she explained.

Vijeyakumari, who had just bought a kilo of rice that day and was planning to use it over the next two days, said they were suffering because of lack of adequate food. Although we are fishing families, we cannot afford to have fish curries and in our old age we suffer from ailments. No one is here to help people like us. Neither the Tamil parties nor the government have come forward to help us in any way, she said.

Koneswaran, another woman, said: My husband is also a fisherman and needs 50 litres of kerosene a day in order to go fishing. They [the government] will only allow us to 7 or 8 litres, which is not enough. We cannot go anywhere else to buy the other litres of kerosene we need, and we cannot afford it because the price is so high. To buy 50 litres we have to spend 17,000 rupees.

My husband has stopped fishing because he cannot earn an adequate income from it and so he is currently doing odd jobs. So, without sufficient income the five of us in our family are suffering. Weve stopped using milk powder for our children and we live in fear of what will happen to us without food in the coming days, Koneswaran said.

S. Paraloganathan continues to fish even though he is not in good health: We are suffering more from the economic crisis now than during the war years, he said, pointing out that Colombo governments frequently imposed blockades on essential items during the conflict.

We need an organisation to fight for our rights. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. The Tamil capitalist parties are no use. They are working for their own benefits, he said.
The World Socialist Web Site has endorsed Will Lehman for UAW president. For more information, visit WillForUAWPresident.org.

Campaigners for Will Lehman traveled to the General Motors truck assembly plant in Flint, Michigan last week and spoke with GM workers about the program Lehman is fighting for as candidate for president of the United Auto Workers in the upcoming election. Many workers expressed support for Lehman, a Mack Trucks worker and socialist candidate for UAW president who visited the factory earlier in his campaign.

Flint assembly workers take flier on Will Lehman campaign [Photo: WSWS]

The Flint Assembly Plant is a key facility in GMs North American manufacturing network, with 5,200 workers on three shifts producing the companys highly profitable Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks. A large percentage of the workforce consists of temporary part-time (TPT) workers who start at $16.75 an hour and who have virtually no rights.

When I hired in, they told me that were nothing but at-will employees, one TPT told campaigners. Whats the point of having a union if you can be fired at any time? I agree with Will that we should be rolled over to full time right away.

There is enormous opposition in the plant to UAW incumbent Ray Curry and the UAW apparatus, which betrayed the 40-day strike by 48,000 GM workers in 2019 and signed a contract that allowed the company to expand the use of highly exploited temps.

During the strike, workers at the Flint plant expressed widespread support for workers at their sister plant in Silao, Mexico when they learned from the World Socialist Web Site that GM had fired a group of militant workers for defying managements demands for speed-up and overtime work to undermine the impact of the US strike. Workers at the Silao plant also produce Silverado pickups for wages ranging from 184.35 pesos ($9.15) per day to a maximum of 679.53 pesos ($33.74) per day.

The UAW bureaucracy, which has spent decades promoting the lie that workers in Mexico and other countries are the enemies of American workers, said nothing about the heroic stand of the Silao workers.

In recent days, supporters of Will Lehman in the Flint factory distributed flyers on his campaign, including his call to unite US and Mexican workers and to demand the reinstatement of the Silao workers fired during the US strike and afterwards for organizing against the corrupt Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) union.

Supporters have also circulated an article and video of the horrific injury of a 30-year-old worker, Jose Daniel Tejas Munos, at the GM Silao Complex. On October 3, a conveyor in the paint shop amputated the leg of the young worker.

Several Flint assembly workers spoke to campaigners after learning about the terrible incident. As a GM worker at Flint Truck Assembly, I was not aware of the horrible conditions the Silao workers are under, building relatively the same product that we produce. I watched the short video of the chassis line at their plant. To know that a worker lost his hand and his leg doing the same work we do is abhorrent.

Referring to the Silao workers who were victimized for taking solidarity action with American workers during the GM strike, the worker said, We need to band together and be united. We need to spread the word and stand up for our brothers and sisters in distress, as they have for us.

The worker continued, We have had horrific incidents at our plant as well, such as the group leaders not wanting to stop the line for repairs, a team leader had to stand on tow hooks to do an under-the-hood repair on a moving truck. When he stepped down his foot got ran over by the line and then his leg and his other leg. The line was only stopped by his bones. He was trapped under the truck on the conveyer in excruciating pain for over 40 minutes.

He added, I specifically have experienced workers from my plant being angry about people driving a Blazer to work and parking in the lot, because its made in Mexico. We should not be mad at the Mexican workers. We should be united with them and mad at the company and the UAW higher-ups. I am grateful for Will Lehman and people like him who are willing to fight for us and wake people up.

Wills campaign is like no other. Its important and is in the best interest of the actual workers on the shop floor. This campaign will create the actual positive change we need when we work together to take our power back.

Another young worker said he was opposed to the nationalism peddled by the UAW bureaucracy and other candidates for UAW president, including Brian Keller. How can we win the support of Mexican or Chinese workers, if we denounce them as our enemies? he said. I will look over Wills program and think seriously about voting for him, he told campaigners.

Im supporting Will, a worker with seven years at the plant said. The way he speaks seems very approachable. I was very surprised to learn of the firings and now the terrible injuries at the Silao plant. If it werent for workers using their cell phones to make the video, no one would ever know about this. I am glad the Mexican workers were able to speak out about it themselves because GM and the UAW would not. Communication like this is important.

First shift at GM Flint Assembly plant [Photo: WSWS]

A TPT worker who read Wills statement defending the GM Silao workers said, This is horrible, and as a GM worker at the Flint Assembly Plant myself I fully support their struggle against the company and the corrupt union bureaucrats. At my plant the UAW bureaucrats tell us we need to compete with GM workers outside the US to keep our jobs. They work with the company and use nationalism to pit us against each other to drive wages down and keep us working in unsafe conditions where workers get injured and COVID spreads rampantly. They say if we dont accept wage cuts or give up more concessions, our jobs will go to Canada or to Mexico where workers are paid far less.

We all build the same trucks, and GM employs workers all over the world, so why should we have our struggle limited only to the US or Mexico or behind any other border? As workers on the shop floor, I think our interests are not the same as either the union bureaucrats or management. They make profit off of our collective labor. It seems the only way to be effective in fighting the company and union corruption, is to come together on an international scale. We cant accept the lies peddled by the UAW bureaucracy any more.

I support Wills campaign because it is for uniting with other workers not only in the US but across these borders with our sister plants in Silao and Oshawa.

If we go on strike here in the US only, the company will just force workers in another country to make up for the lost profit and production. We are powerless and cannot fight the company when our struggle is limited within these borders. When a strike happens in the US or elsewhere, like Mexico or Canada, we all need to support each other by striking. We could shut down the whole production process internationally. I think the only way forward is an international movement of workers.

In a statement to the WSWS, Will Lehman said, The old Buy American narrative of the UAW bureaucracy is reactionary and only plays into the hands of GM and the other global auto companies. What happened to our brother in Silao, Jose Daniel Tejas Munos, is horrific and another example of how workers lives and limbs are sacrificed for corporate profit. We have to end this race to the bottom and unite workers around the world in a common fight. That is why I support the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees.

After watching Will's debate, a worker in Silao told the WSWS, Wow, how brave! My respects. This is truly what we need, people brave enough to say this even though they try to keep us quiet. I think that the fact that they [the UAW] are not allowing for the dissemination of the debate is because they feel inconvenienced and believe that this will provoke controversy and that many more will raise their voices and support what Lehman is proposing. I congratulate him for being so clear in what he said. We need many more like him.

For more information, visit WillForUAWPresident.org.
Around 200 officials representing almost 100 WTO members took part in the one-day brainstorming retreat, to which all WTO members were invited. Participants were asked to offer their views on the scope of issues that should be addressed in the second wave of negotiations and what the starting point for the talks should be.

In her opening remarks, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said it was useful for members to hold the discussion outside the usual confines of the WTO headquarters to set a tone that the purpose is not to read statements but to think creatively about what comes next.

The second wave negotiations are a follow-up to the landmark Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies reached at the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference in June. The Agreement prohibits certain subsidies to protect global fish stocks while recognizing the needs of fishers in developing and least-developed country (LDC) members.

The Agreement also commits members to continue negotiations on outstanding issues in order to achieve a comprehensive agreement on fisheries subsidies by the WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13). These will include further disciplines on certain fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing along with appropriate special and differential treatment for developing and LDC members.

The Director-General warned that time is short since MC13 is expected to take place not too far in the future. Negotiating on the outstanding issues is not optional, and the termination clause in Article 12 is the backstop in the Agreement itself to ensure that we work expeditiously to adopt comprehensive disciplines.

She also reminded members of the importance and urgency of members quickly depositing their instruments of acceptance for the current Agreement, which will only enter into force once two-thirds of the WTO's 164 members have notified their acceptance.

For the sake of the ocean and of the people whose livelihoods depend on it, it is critically important for members to deposit their instruments of acceptance of that Agreement as soon as possible so that it can begin to deliver concrete results, the Director-General said.

The retreat also included a presentation from Audun Lem, Deputy Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He congratulated WTO members on the outcome from MC12 and pledged the organization's support for implementation of the Agreement.

Members broke out into smaller groups to exchange views regarding the scope and the starting point for the second wave. Speaking afterward, the Director-General said there was a clear desire and enthusiasm to proceed with the next phase of negotiations, with the emphasis on thinking through the outstanding issues and trying to work through them.

In concluding remarks, Ambassador Santiago Wills, the former chair of the fisheries subsidies negotiations who was asked to help lead the retreat, drew on the reports of the five facilitators indicating the following points of convergence:

Members expressed a common desire to conclude negotiations on a comprehensive and effective agreement by MC13 with a strong focus on overcapacity and overfishing, including special and differential treatment;

Members emphasized that the second wave of negotiations continue to uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness and transparency;

Members suggested a concrete first step of building knowledge that would inform the second wave of negotiations;

Members underlined the urgent need to appoint a new chair to lead the next stage of the fisheries subsidies negotiations.

The five facilitators of the group discussions were: Nadia Theodore, the Ambassador of Canada; Clare Kelly, the Ambassador of New Zealand; Adamu Mohammed Abdulhamid, the Ambassador of Nigeria; Petter lberg, the Ambassador of Norway; and Hung Seng Tan, the Ambassador of Singapore. Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard assisted the facilitators in the group discussions.

Every delegation participated in a constructive way, without preconceived ideas and a readiness to work with other members, Ambassador Wills said.
Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor has disclosed that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has over the years won for himself a strong and enviable relationship with the Chiefs of the Gonja land.

According to the Damongo Member of Parliament, the Vice President known to all chiefdoms and palaces in the Savannah Region following his continous service to the various paramouncies and the people of Yagbon.

Samuel Abu Jinapor was speaking at the palace of Kpansheigu in Salaga in the Savannah Region where Dr Bawumia is touring as part of his working visits.

"I want to say that the Vice President, His Excellency Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is not a stranger to this [Kpansheigu] Palace. The Vice President is not a stranger and I dare say that Dr Bawumia is not a stranger to any palace in Yagbon in Gonja land. He has been serving the Gonja Chiefs for many many years and has been serving the skins of Gonja for many years," he told the regent and people of Kpansheigu.

He added that "I can say without a shred of doubt that nobody has visited Jakpa palace more than the Vice President. He literally lives there, he literally sleeps there because he sees himself as a 'Gonjalander' and sees himself as a son and grandson of Jakpa and all of Gonja has also accepted him as our brother, our junior father and as our family member".

Dr Bawumia is widely tipped to lead the governing New Patriotic Party as flagbearer in the 2024 elections, a bid which has received massive endorsement from grassroots, notable and leading members of the party.

At his 59th birthday celebration, several felicitations to him contained declaration and support for the yet to be announced ambition, a development election watchers have asserted puts the Vice President in the lead in the upcoming presidential primaries of the party.
Cogebanque Plc, on October 8, joined the Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa (BCIEA) and different Rwandans for Ulinzi Walk, an initiative that aims to raise breast cancer awareness.

The walk saw over 200 attendees departing from Green Hills Academy, Nyarutarama to Kigali Convention Centre, Kimihurura.

It was part of the commemoration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (The Pink Month) which aims to educate people about the disease, including early screening as well as signs and symptoms associated with it.

According to Guillaume Habarugira, Chief Executive Officer of Cogebanque Plc, the bank decided to support the initiative because they know that financial wellbeing is interrelated with health wellbeing.

"You have to have a healthy life before you can think of your finance," he said. "We would like our customers to take care of their health as much as they take care of their finances."

Habarugira also stressed the importance of doing check-up, urging people to go for it, especially for breast cancer.

"Prevention is better than cure. We are encouraging customers and staff to be aware and get tested because breast cancer can be cured if detected earlier enough," he said.

Phillippa Kibugu-Decuir, Founder and CEO of BCIEA, asserted that her initiative usually organises the walk every year because "the lack of awareness in Rwanda is resulting in late presentation of the disease- where the disease spreads out into other body organs, making treatment difficult and sometimes resulting in death."

"With the awareness," she continued. "We are telling people three things: love yourself, know yourself and get checked. With awareness, you can get screened and know the condition of your body before any disease attacks it. That's why early detection saves lives."

Decuir also noted that the Ulinzi Walk helps Rwandans to become aware of breast cancer and practice early detection strategies, which she said helps in curbing the impact of the disease in the country.

Christine Byukusenge represented Ubushobozi, a women-cooperative based in Musanze.

Talking about the importance of being part of the initiative, she said that as mothers, they are aware of the effects of breast cancer hence joined Ulinzi Walk to learn more about it, especially how they can prevent breast cancer.

She urged fellow women and girls to also attend awareness campaigns to understand the prevention measures, treatment and early detection of the disease.

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Favour Ssali Heta, a student at Green Hills Academy, is also aware of the struggles that come with having breast cancer as well as the heartbreaks the disease causes different families - something he said lured him to participate in the walk.

"I also learned," he continued. "That breast cancer can affect men. That awakened me to become more involved in the campaign so that I can raise awareness and show breast cancer survivors that we are together in this."

Over 200 attendees participated in a walk, departing from Green Hills Academy, Nyarutarama to Kigali Convention Centre, Kimihurura.

Phillippa Kibugu-Decuir, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa, asserted that her initiative usually organises the walk every year because "the lack of awareness in Rwanda.

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Researchers in Rwanda are tirelessly carrying out experiments on 20 degraded indigenous (native) tree species so as to recommend those that are resistant to drought and can sequester large quantities of carbon dioxide to cope with climate change.

Environmentalists want the issue of climate finance -to restore degraded forests including native and natural forests -to be discussed for more funding at the forthcoming 27th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP27), scheduled from November 6 to 18, 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Aloysie Manishimwe, a conservation expert and researcher with the Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management at University of Rwanda-who is part of about 10 researchers' team on mission to save the species, told The New Times that they are examining the sensitivity of indigenous trees species to increased temperatures in Rwanda as tree mortality increases due to global warming.

The 20 native tree species are found in and around Nyungwe forest, Alboreturm forest and Ibanda Makera natural forest where experiments are being carried out.

"We carried out an experiment in a cold area around Nyungwe forest where we can find the trees and other sites in Arboretum forest in Huye District and Kirehe District, which is a hot area to see how native tree species could respond to heat and drought," she said.

She said that so far, according to preliminary results, the team has found about seven native tree species that could effectively respond to increased temperatures.

"We found a high mortality rate for some tree species as they can't survive the heat and drought. In the forthcoming period, we will come up with a list of native tree species that are resilient to heat and drought but which are potential carbon stocks. So far about seven are doing well. The study is going on," she said.

Rwanda seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 38 per cent in 2030 and forests are at the forefront as Rwanda is set to debut on the global carbon market.

Carbon credit on the carbon market is a permit which allows a country or organisation to produce a certain amount of carbon emissions and which can be traded.

The carbon market would allow nations to finance carbon-cutting projects in other countries and count the avoided emissions towards their own climate targets.

Nyungwe forest with carbon sequestration potential

Manishimwe said that as global temperature keeps increasing, there is a need for identifying native tree species (instead of importing them) that will be resilient and store large quantities of carbon to mitigate climate change.

"Studies have found that native tree species in Nyungwe forest store a lot of carbon compared to trees in Amazon forest," she said.

The value of Nyungwe National Park is estimated at $4.8 billion supporting 1,068 recorded plant species.

45% of natural and native forests lost

Spridio Nshimiyimana, the acting Director General of Rwanda Forestry Authority, told The New Times that the study on the 20 native tree species is timely considering that between 1960 and 2007, forests in general declined considerably by about 64 per cent due to different anthropogenic activities and resettlement of refugees.

Spridio Nshimiyimana, the acting Director General of Rwanda Forestry Authority. / Photo: Courtesy

Nshimiyimana said that the restoration of native tree species is needed because they are part of natural forests, of which 45.27 per cent had been degraded and lost by 2015.

"The decline was caused by different anthropogenic activities and resettlement of refugees," he said.

The natural forests which lost an average of 45 per cent of their forest cover between 1960 and 2015 include Buhanda Natural Forest (98 per cent loss), Gishwati Natural Forest (93 per cent loss), Mashyuza Natural Forest ( 92 per cent loss), Ibanda-Makera Natural Forest (88 per cent loss), Karama Natural Forest (67 per cent loss), Dutake Natural Forest (65 per cent loss), Karehe-Gatuntu Natural Forest Complex ( 60 per cent loss), Nyagasenyi Natural Forest (58 per cent loss), Akagera National Park ( 58 per cent loss), Mukura Natural Forest (54 per cent loss), Sanza Natural Forest (51 per cent loss), Mashoza Natural Forest ( 51 per cent loss) and Muvumba Natural Forest ( 46 per cent loss).

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They also include Ndoha Natural Forest (26 per cent loss), Kibirizi-Muyira Natural Forest (22 percent loss), Busaga Natural Forest (16 per cent loss), Nyungwe National Park (10 per cent loss) and Volcanoes National Park.

Rwanda committed to restore two million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes by 2030.

The restoration drive is part of The African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), a country-led effort to bring 100 million hectares of these deforested and degraded landscapes in Africa and Bonn Challenge- a global goal to bring 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.

As of 2021, over 900,000 hectares were being restored. That translates to 45 per cent of the two million hectares of degraded forests and landscapes.

At least $652 million had been invested in forest landscape restoration programmes.
Addis Ababa  A 12th grade student has died and several others were injured after a bridge linking two campuses of the Hawassa University in Sidama regional state collapsed on Monday.

Peace and security bureau head of the region, Alemayehu Temotewos, told local media that a student has died and two others have been critically injured while several others sustained mild injuries. Both the Ministry of Education and Hawassa University administration have announced this morning that injured students have been getting treatments at the Hawassa referral hospital.

The Bridge that links the University's main campus with its technology institute collapsed due to overcrowding, according to a statement by the University. The University is hosting students from different parts of the country who are due to sit for university entrance exams.

The Ministry of Education said it was closely following the incident and called on families to not panic and students to remain calm and focus on their examinations. It assured that another schedule will be arranged for students who are unable to sit for the exam due to the accident.

Ethiopia started administering the national 12th grade secondary school leaving exam today and unlike before, students are required to travel to universities to take the exam. AS
Addis Abeba  The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, condemned the attack by armed group on the Tadjourah Regiment of the Djibouti army at Garabistan. IGAD denounced the attack in the "strongest terms possible" and called it "criminal and cowardly".

Djibouti's Ministry of Defense said seven soldiers were killed in the armed attack on Saturday 06 October, which also injured four soldiers; six others are reported missing.

The Ministry blamed the attack on the "Armed FRUD", a splinter rebel group of the Front for the Restoration and Democracy, which claims fighting for the interests of Afar people. The Ministry accuses the group of conducting "odious and criminal acts of terrorizing and looting people from remote areas of the country." Reinforcements was sent out, it said, and "the pursuit is underway."

Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti, on his part vowed that "all these miscreants will be prosecuted, arrested and brought to justice."

"Djibouti is an oasis of peace and plays an important role in promoting peaceful coexistence in the region," Workneh said. "Those who committed this criminal act should be made to face justice."
Harmful rumours about migrants from other African countries get attention on social media in South Africa. One recent claim about the jobs they hold is wildly inflated.

Claim

Three claims about the number of Zimbabweans employed by South Africa's electricity utility and by a major telecoms company, and foreign nationals with jobs in government departments.

Verdict

All three claims are incorrect.

Source

Social media (September 2022)

Eskom employs less than 156 Zimbabwean nationals while Vodacom employs less than 71. Of the 1,162,199 employees in South Africa's government, 3,420 are foreign nationals.

Foreign nationals are more likely to be employed in the informal sector, are not protected by labour laws, and have few rights as workers.

According to an expert, we need to move beyond a fixation on numbers and ask deeper questions

"The level of hate the SA government has for its citizens is not surprising."

That's the final sentence in a much copied and pasted message circulating on social media in South Africa in September 2022.

The message - also seen here and here - seems to come from a tweet posted on 3 September, which has attracted thousands of reactions. Its first three sentences claim to give evidence for this "hate":

Eskom: over 1000 Zimbabwean employees.

Vodacom: over 5000 Zimbabwean employees.

Government Departments: over 10,000 foreign nationals.

People who have migrated to South Africa from Zimbabwe, one of South Africa's northern neighbours, have for months been targeted by campaigns that accuse them of crime and of taking jobs from locals.

But South Africa's history of xenophobic hostility - and violence - against migrants from elsewhere on the continent goes back decades.

Eskom is South Africa's state-owned electricity supplier. Vodacom South Africa is part of the global Vodafone Group of telecoms companies.

South Africa has dozens of national government departments, and dozens more in the governments of its nine provinces.

But does Eskom really employ more than 1,000 Zimbabweans, and Vodacom another 5,000? And do more than 10,000 foreign nationals have jobs in government departments? We did some digging.

What the data can and can't tell us

It's difficult to find data on the number of foreign migrants in South Africa.

And more unproven numbers were thrown around after the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit, which aims to give undocumented Zimbabweans the chance to regularise their stay in South Africa, was extended in early September.

Estimates of migration into South Africa are often imprecise, for several reasons. The country's censuses and national surveys do record migrants, but don't give enough context to estimate their movement over time. And migrants questioned in surveys may not want to say where they were born.

The 2022 census by Zimstat, Zimbabwe's statistics agency, reportedly found that more than 773,000 of that country's people had emigrated to South Africa, "largely for employment reasons". (The data is preliminary.)

Statistics South Africa estimates the total number of foreign nationals in the country to be around 3,95 million.

Figures from the ZEP initiative also offer some clues. ZEP has existed in different forms for 13 years. According to the Department of Home Affairs, the purpose was originally "to give a large number of undocumented Zimbabweans ... the opportunity to regularise their stay in South Africa". Around 245,000 permits were initially issued. Today, an estimated 178,000 people hold a Zimbabwe exemption permit.

The South African government announced in 2021 that the permits would expire at the end of 2022, giving holders a year to apply for a different permit, leave the country, or become undocumented. The deadline has since been extended until the end of June 2023.

Claim

Eskom employs over 1,000 Zimbabweans

Verdict

Incorrect

Eskom is a state-owned company that produces much of the country's electricity. The latest available employment data indicates that in the 2020/21 financial year, the company had 43,137 employees.

This figure comes from employment equity (EE) reports on Eskom's three main bodies - Eskom Holdings SOC Limited, Eskom Finance Company and Eskom Rotek Industries.

EE reports are publicly available and submitted by businesses to the Department of Employment and Labour every year. Companies in South Africa are required to report numbers and demographics of their employees in line with the Employment Equity Act.

When added up, the total number of foreign nationals employed by all Eskom bodies is 156. As a percentage of the total number of employees, foreign nationals make up just 0.36% of Eskom's employees.

The report does not break down the number of foreign nationals by citizenship, so the exact number of Zimbabweans employed by Eskom is not known. But we do know the number would be smaller than 156 - a lot less than the 1,000 claimed in the viral message.

Claim

Vodacom employs over 5,000 Zimbabweans

Verdict

Incorrect

Vodacom is one of South Africa's largest mobile and data companies. According to the latest available data from Vodacom Group's employment equity report, as of 2020/21 the company employed 4,991 people in South Africa. Of these, 71 were not South African citizens.

The employment report does not break this number down by nationality. But Vodacom spokesperson Byron Kennedy told Africa Check that the company employs "less than 50 people that are Zimbabwean nationals".

This is in stark contrast to the message, which claims that Vodacom has more than 5,000 Zimbabwean employees. This number is larger than 4,991, the total number of people the company employs in South Africa.

Claim

Over 10,000 foreign nationals are employed in South African government departments

Verdict

Incorrect

Statistics for the number of employees in South Africa's government can be found in the Commission for Employment Equity's 2021/22 annual report. According to the report, employees in local, provincial and national government add up to a total of 1,162,199 people. Of these, 3,420 are foreign nationals.

We asked government spokesperson Phumla Williams about the numbers. She said that according to the Department of Public Service and Administration, the total number of foreign nationals in public service at provincial and national government was 1,901.

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Taking the larger number of 3,420 across all levels of government, the viral claim overestimates the number by around two thirds.

Foreign migrants in South Africa - narratives versus numbers

The African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) at the University of the Witwatersrand conducts research into all forms of migration within and outside South Africa. According to their analysis of data from 2012 to 2017, foreign nationals are less likely to be unemployed than South Africans, which is an unusual situation compared to other countries.

But, as Africa Check has reported before, much of this employment is precarious. Foreign nationals are more likely to be employed in the informal sector, meaning they are not protected by labour laws and have few rights as workers.

Despite this, there is a persistent belief that foreign nationals are coming into the country in droves and getting employment over South Africans. The narrative of immigrants "stealing our jobs" has been reported on extensively by Africa Check and others.

Contrary to this belief, a September 2022 report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said that rather than taking jobs, foreign nationals are more likely to create jobs for South Africans.

Dr Zaheera Jinnah, research associate with the ACMS, told Africa Check it was true that migrants tended to be "disproportionately represented in certain sectors and certain neighbourhoods". This reinforced the belief that there was an "influx" of people migrating to work in South Africa - even when this may not be reflected in the numbers.

But according to Jinnah, how many migrants work or live in the country may not be the most important aspect to focus on.

"We need to move beyond a fixation on numbers (how many migrants) to ask deeper questions on what migrants are doing in South Africa," she said.
Akron was in the spotlight when HGTV highlighted an Akron couple's quest for a new home for their blended family.

The episode dubbed "The Akron Bunch" premiered Oct. 7 on "My Lottery Dream Home" and is hosted by designer David Bromstad.

The Akron couple featured on the episode, Marva and Nathan, whose last names were not disclosed in the episode, were in search of a bigger place in the midst of blending their families together with seven kids combined including two sets of twins.

The hour-long reality show follows lottery winners looking for new digs after winning a prize.

Here are five things to know about the Akron episode.

Reality TV on tonight:Things heat up for Copley's Michael Allio on 'Bachelor in Paradise.' Will he get a rose?

Where did the couple get their winning Ohio lottery ticket?

The Ohio Lottery says Marva Lawson of Akron, who was featured on the show, won a top prize of $150,000 playing the scratch-off Cash Multiplier game.

After taxes, she cleared $108,000.

Lawson purchased her winning $5 ticket at Circle K on State Road in Cuyahoga Falls last October.

Episode showcases sights to see in Akron

Workers from Cleveland Marble & Mosaic Company put the finishing touches on the Rubber Worker Statue at Main and Mill streets on Thursday, May 12, 2021, in Akron.

The episode featured a number of iconic sights in and around Akron.

The Akron Civic Theatre, Main Street and the Northside Lofts were shown in the episode.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Rail Road also made an appearance, as did the Rubber Worker Sculpture on East Mill Street.

What homes did the Akron couple consider?

In the episode, the couple was looking for a home that was large enough for their blended family.

Akron Realtor Barb Snyder helped narrow down the choices to a new construction townhome to existing homes in Akron's Castle Park and Highland Square neighborhoods.

The prices ranged from $264,000 to $309,000.

They did settle on one of the homes, but we won't spoil the surprise here.

What did David Bromstad think of Akron?

David Bromstad hosts HGTV's "My Lotto Dream Home."

Host David Bromstad said in the episode that this was the first time he had ever visited Akron.

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He said he was struck by the number of parks and amenities and beautiful homes the city offered.

Bromstad said he was most wowed by the home prices compared to other hot real estate markets in the country.

"We have found the Holy Grail of affordable houses  Akron, Ohio," he said in the episode. ". . . Akron is the sweet spot in the United States for affordable housing."

When can I watch the Akron episode of 'My Lottery Dream Home' on HGTV?

A new episode of My Lottery Dream Home on HGTV features David Bromstad helping an Akron couple.

The Akron episode is set to air next on HGTV at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 21, 12:30 a.m. Oct. 22 and 10:30 p.m. Oct. 30.

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 5 takeaways from Akron episode of HGTV's "My Lottery Dream Home"
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

Back in 2005, I found myself interviewing a retired Marine general about his experiences on Iwo Jima and in Vietnam for a book I was writing on the history of the Marine Corps. Before putting on the tape, Major General Fred Haynes, a tall, courtly Texan in his mid-eighties, sighed, and said, James, I hate to say it, but we are never going to win this thing in Afghanistan. Thirty-seven years in the Marine Corps taught me a few things about the United States. We are very good at blowing things up and inflicting maximum punishment on our adversaries, but we ought to get the hell out of the nation-building business because we dont know what we are doing.

Haynes was hardly the only retired military officer to hold this opinion back then. Even more than during Vietnam, there was a widespread sense among military professionals, as well as among foreign policy experts and journalists, that things were not going at all well in Afghanistan, despite the steady and unceasing flow of progress reports from the Bush administration and senior field commanders.

Year after year, the fighting dragged on with little perceptible change. The Bush team turned their strategic attention to Iraq not very long after the stunning success of the Special Forces and CIA-led campaign to oust the Taliban from power in December 2001. While soldiers and Marines served multiple tours fighting and dying in obscure Afghan valleys, on steep and unforgiving mountain slopes, and in urban mazes, the American people, in whose name the military fought, went to the mall.

Since the astonishingly rapid collapse of the American-supported regime in Kabul before the Taliban last August, Americans have done their best, it seems, to forget about their most recently lost war, though the anniversary prompted several important reflections and reassessments by participants.

The most striking of these contributions, for my money, comes from a highly decorated Special Forces Marine who went on to serve in Afghanistan as a CIA paramilitary officer. Elliot Ackermans The Fifth Act: Americas End in Afghanistan is a short but gut-wrenching memoir, with three intertwined narrative strands. The primary one is a disturbing and dramatic account of Ackermans frantic efforts over the course of a couple of weeks to arrange for the evacuation of several hundred Afghans from Kabul Airport as the Taliban are closing in. The author was one of the leading players in a joint effort by a host of veterans and government officials around the world to secure the Afghans freedom. Ackerman carries out his duties, remarkably, while on a long-planned family vacation in Italy with his wife and three young children. Thats strand No. 2. The third narrative consists of well-rendered accounts of key incidents/adventures from his multiple combat tours in the War on Terror.

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What Did Our Generation Learn in Iraq and Afghanistan?

If you want to know how a Special Operations team works in the field, youve come to the right place. Ackerman conveys the burdens and challenges and the emotional rollercoaster ride of elite small-unit command as well as any of the earlier War on Terror-veteran authors I have read, and I have read quite a few. As the narrative shuttles back and forth between Ackermans combat experiences, his family vacation, and the decidedly touch-and-go effort via cellphone and a bewildering variety of online apps to get the Afghans inside the airport perimeter, the reader comes to experience the grinding regret and guilt, as well as a torrent of other emotions, that grip the men and women who fought in this war, both Afghan and American, as the end of the 20-year conflict approaches.

The stories of the rescue efforts are often gripping and harrowing. Thanks to the sheer resourcefulness and resolve of Ackerman and scores of other people in his network, most of the Afghans ultimately reach their objective. Among those contacts are a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and a former CENTCOM commander, General John Allen, U.S Marines. As luck would have it, the unit in charge of security at the airport is, in Marine parlance, 1-8, the First Battalion of the 8th Marines, the unit in which Ackerman fought as a platoon commander in the Battle of Fallujah in 2004. On top of that, Ackerman knows that units current commander personally. As you can imagine, this helps grease the skids considerably.

One senses throughout the book a palpable sense of bitterness and frustration, even anger, that so many Afghans have been left behind to suffer a bleak fate. Again and again, Ackerman returns to one theme: lack of commitment on the part of the U.S. government and the American people, and how this lack facilitated the loss of faith and confidence in the government of Afghanistan in the eyes of its own people. He sees signs of American tentativeness and wishful thinking everywhere, but particularly, it seems, in the lack of permanent American bases and structures: The ultimate tragedy that unfolds in Afghanistan is the accumulation of hundreds of bad decisions, he writes. However, the one I cant seem to get out of my head is that we built in plywood.

Penguin Press/The Daily Beast

The volume also includes a fair amount of Ackermans own commentary/analysis on the key political and military decisions of the Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations. His points are intelligently argued and gracefully expressedAckerman is a very fluid and expressive writerbut at times I felt these passages would be more at home in a longish opinion essay or think piece than in a memoir, for somehow, they diminish the powerful punch of the very human stories he tells so well.

Ackerman left the Marines as a captain. His was a small-unit, up-close and personal war. An American warrior named David Petraeus had a major impact on the course of the war, both directly as one of the 15 commanding generals in the campaign, and also as the chief architect of the counterinsurgency strategy that failed so miserably in Afghanistan.

Petraeus has also weighed in with his thoughts about how the war looks a year after the fall. His essay in The Atlantic, Afghanistan Did Not Have to Turn Out This Way, is rather disappointing. If there was some new personal insight or revelation about the war itself, or what we can take away from the tragedy, I couldnt find it. The tone of the piece is detached and clinical, almost as if Petraeus himself wasnt a key player in the events, but an outside observer.

HBOs Escape From Kabul Goes Inside the Afghanistan Evacuation From Hell

The foundational mistake was lack of commitment, writes the general, echoing the words of Captain Ackerman and many other veterans. By 2010, when he was in charge in Afghanistan, we had established the right big ideas and overarching strategy, but just a year later, Barack Obama pulled the plug on the project by releasing the details of a premature drawdown of American forces. While claiming that the Obama decision pretty much doomed the effort, Petraeus goes on to provide a laundry list of other familiar mistakes. Invading Iraq had a devastating effect on the American effort in Afghanistan, stripping the theater of scarce intelligence assets and leading to serious strategic neglect in Washington. By the time we conducted the surge in Afghanistan in 2010, we had missed the opportunity to take advantage of a protracted period with little violence to build a stronger Afghan government and security forces.

Had we avoided such mistakes, Petraeus argues unconvincingly, we might have been able to stabilize the Kabul government and hold off the Taliban advance indefinitely.

Of course, how one feels about Joe Bidens decision to withdraw all U.S forces from Afghanistan, and about the frantic last act of pulling out of Kabul in August 2021, hinges on ones view of the viability of the war itself. Certainly, one can empathize with the views of Ackerman and so many of his contemporaries that it was morally wrong to give up and leave. It was morally wrong.

Sadly, strategic decisions such as pulling out of lost wars cannot be made on a strictly moral basis. By the time Biden reached the presidency, the strategic logic for staying put in Afghanistan had evaporated. Biden had the courage to recognize this reality, and to act on it. The rise of China and Russia as rivals and possible adversaries, and the decline of Americas conventional deterrence against China, made it necessary to detach from Afghanistan, and indeed, from the Middle East proper. Realpolitik demanded that such a decision be made. And so it was.

Frankly, I found it surprising that neither Ackerman nor Petraeus broached what I will call the mother of all mistakes in Afghanistan: George W. Bushs decision to wage a nation-building campaign in a country whose history and politics neither he nor his advisers understood. It was a decision born of a lethal amalgam of hubris and ignorance. Afghanistan has not been called the Graveyard of Empires for nothing. A British soldier with a flair for the English language named Winston Churchill noted back in 1897 that much of Afghanistan was in a continual state of feud and strife prevails through the land Every mans hand is against the other, and all are against the stranger.

An uneasy peace blankets the hard, mountainous land and river valleys of Afghanistan today, but there is already much talk about a resistance movement to the Taliban. Life may be back to business as usual any day.

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More than 17,400 Afghan evacuees brought to the U.S. under a temporary legal authority have filed applications for asylum or special visa status amid Congress' failure to pass a law that would allow them to request permanent residency directly, according to unpublished government statistics shared with CBS News.

After the abrupt collapse of Afghanistan's government in August 2021, the U.S. scrambled to evacuate tens of thousands of American citizens and residents, third-country nationals and Afghans deemed to be at risk under Taliban rule, including because of their connection to America's 20-year mission in the country.

Due to the hurried evacuations, however, the vast majority of Afghan evacuees who were resettled in the U.S. did not arrive with completed immigration cases or a path to permanent legal status. Instead, U.S. officials granted them parole, a temporary authorization to enter and live in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds, after they underwent some security vetting at military bases in the Middle East and Europe.

In all, more than 88,000 Afghans evacuated last summer or flown out of Afghanistan in subsequent months on State Department-assisted flights have arrived in the U.S. over the past year, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data, which show that nearly 90% of evacuees were granted parole for two years.

Since last year, the Biden administration has urged Congress to allow these Afghans to apply for permanent residency, or a green card. In August, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Senate and House introduced the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would render evacuees eligible for green cards after additional vetting.

But efforts to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act have faltered due to opposition from some congressional Republicans, who have questioned whether the evacuees were properly vetted. Republicans have also vowed not to pursue "amnesty" for immigrants if they retake control of the House after the November midterms.

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Evacuees from Afghanistan drop off their luggage to board a passenger plane bound for the U.S. at the U.S. military's Ramstein air base on October 09, 2021 in Ramstein, Germany. / Credit: Lukas Schulze / Getty Images

Amid the gridlock in Congress, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received over 8,200 asylum requests from Afghan evacuees as of Oct. 2, according to the unpublished DHS data. The number represents a larger group of evacuees since asylum applicants often include spouses and children in their cases.

While Congress in 2021 required USCIS to process asylum requests from Afghan evacuees within five months, most cases remain unresolved. As of Oct. 2, 460 asylum petitions from Afghans had been approved and two had been rejected, representing a 99% approval rate for completed cases, the DHS data show.

In addition to the asylum requests, USCIS has received over 9,200 green card requests from Afghan evacuees who qualify for a special immigrant visa because of their assistance to the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan, government figures show. As of Oct. 2, USCIS had granted over 1,500 of these cases and rejected 17.

While the government statistics show that a significant number of evacuated Afghans have applied for asylum and special immigrant visa status, both of which allow them to secure U.S. residency and a path to citizenship, they also illustrate that the vast majority of evacuees continue to live in the U.S. with the tenuous and temporary parole classification more than a year after the start of the evacuations.

Advocates for Afghan evacuees, including U.S military veterans, have urged Congress to create a streamlined process for Afghans in the U.S. to apply for green cards directly. They've noted that Congress has repeatedly legalized refugee groups brought to the U.S. since the second half of the 20th century, including Hungarians fleeing Soviet repression, Cuban exiles and certain refugees from Southeast Asia following the fall of Saigon.

"This would be the first Congress not to pass such a bill. There's precedent for this," said Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and president of the AfghanEvac coalition, which helped evacuate at-risk Afghans. "These folks stood with us. Afghans stood with us for 20 years. We made promises that these folks would be able to come to realize the American dream."

There are ongoing talks among lawmakers to try to include the Afghan Adjustment Act in future must-pass legislation, such as a government spending bill, congressional officials said. But the officials conceded the effort faces an uphill battle amid enduring opposition from many Republican lawmakers.

Sen. Rob Portman, a retiring moderate Republican from Ohio, said it was clear to him that the Biden administration did not adequately vet the tens of thousands of Afghans brought to the U.S., citing a series of government watchdog reports that found officials lacked critical data during the evacuee screening process.

"While I do support the resettlement of Afghan evacuees who stood with us or our allies in battle, I do not support the Afghan Adjustment Act because it relies on the judgment of DHS on whether its screening of the more than 30,000 non-partner evacuees was adequate enough to give them a fast track to citizenship," Portman told CBS News.

In separate reports, the inspectors general at the Pentagon and DHS found deficiencies in the vetting of Afghans, including unreliable or insufficient data and the admission of some evacuees with red flags. DHS has contested the findings, saying the U.S. reviewed biographic and biometric data from all evacuees 14 and older.

Rahmat Gul Safi, an Afghan refugee and a former Afghan soldier who worked alongside American troops, carries his son Rahimudin, 3, on his back after the family went to collect free back-to-school supplies organized by the Des Moines Refugee Support. / Credit: Marcus Yam

Democrats and advocates have argued the Afghan Adjustment Act would alleviate concerns over vetting since it would require the government to interview and screen evacuees before giving them a green card.

"This bipartisan legislation will give Afghans who go through additional vetting a green card so that they can build a life here in the United States," said Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who introduced the adjustment act in the Senate. She was joined by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Roy Blunt of Missouri and Lisa Murkowski and Democrats Chris Coons of Delaware and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

A GOP aide for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Portman sits as ranking member, said Republicans also believe the Afghan Adjustment Act "is not necessary" because of the expedited asylum adjudication time frame Congress required for Afghans who don't qualify for special visas.

But advocates said requiring tens of thousands of Afghans to file asylum applications would be detrimental to the evacuees, the government and legal services communities, given the persistent challenges the USCIS asylum program has faced for years, including its current workload of over 500,000 unresolved cases.

Afghan evacuees, advocates said, would face significant hurdles finding pro-bono or low-cost lawyers to help them navigate the complicated asylum process. Many evacuees may also not be able to prove they merit asylum, including because they don't have documents to plead their case, the advocates said.

"We, in civil society, who were trying to help people save their own lives, told them, 'destroy everything,'" said Jill Marie Bussey, director of public policy at the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, referring to instructions some Afghans received to avoid Taliban reprisals as they attempted to flee.

U.S. law requires asylum applicants to prove they were persecuted, or have a well-founded fear of persecution, in their home country because of their race, nationality, religion, politics or membership in a social group.

While the U.S. is currently not conducting regular deportations to Afghanistan, asylum-seekers who lose their cases could be placed in deportation proceedings before the Justice Department, which is overseeing another nearly 2 million pending immigration cases.

"Why would we put more pressure on the system and re-traumatize people?" Bussey asked.

While the Biden administration made Afghans eligible for work permits and deportation protections under a Temporary Protected Status designation, the policy, like parole, does not offer a path to permanent status.

Daryaa, an Arizona State University student who was evacuated from Afghanistan and brought to the U.S. last year alongside other female college students, is one of the thousands of evacuees who have applied for asylum.

The 22-year-old evacuee, who asked for her name to be changed due to her pending asylum request, said she's grateful to be in the U.S. After living at a military base in Wisconsin alongside thousands of fellow evacuated Afghans last year, Daryaa received a scholarship to continue her college studies in Arizona.

But Daryaa said her legal status in the U.S. has been a constant concern, noting she's anxious to receive a response on her asylum case. The thought of being forced to return to Afghanistan haunts her, she said, highlighting the plight of women living under strict Taliban rules that systematically exclude women and girls from many aspects of public life, including education.

"If I go back to Afghanistan, my life will be in danger because the Taliban already have the list of the educated girls in Afghanistan," she said. "That's why I request the government to take action as soon as possible."

Daryaa and Frankie Allegra-Garofalo, a lawyer at the Milbank LLP law firm who is representing her, pose for a photo after Daryaa finished her asylum interview in Phoenix, Arizona.

Daryaa said she also worries about her parents and siblings in Afghanistan, especially because her brother worked in the military of the former U.S.-aligned government in Kabul. Her sisters, she said, often tell her they are sad because they can't work, study or make their own decisions, including on what clothing to wear.

"If I go back to Afghanistan," Daryaa said, "I would feel the same."

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Sam Pittman cant tell the future, but hes a smart man.

The Arkansas coach knew pitchforks would be out for his staff, himself and his program following the Hogs third straight loss Saturday, a 40-17 whipping at the hands of Mississippi State.

The defeat not only sent Arkansas all the way out of the Top 25, not even garnering a single vote, but also saw the Razorbacks labeled losers by USA TODAYs Paul Myerberg in his weekly column.

Under far less scrutiny, Arkansas season has followed the Oklahoma model: strong start, national attention, higher and higher rankings in the Coaches Poll, three losses in a row. The first loss, 23-21 to Texas A&M, was easily avoidable had the Razorbacks put their foot down when up 14-0 in the first half. Last weeks defeat, 49-26 to Alabama, was a 28-23 game before the Crimson Tide pulled away. Saturdays was different: Mississippi State dominated from kickoff, likely ending Arkansas odds of a major bowl.

Arkansas started 3-3, but things have changed since KJ Jeffersons fumble near the goal line in the loss to Texas A&M. Little becomes easier, either, as the Razorbacks travel to Brigham Young in Week 7 and are likely to drop below .500, matching last years loss total of four with five regular-season games remaining.

List

SEC Power Rankings: Arkansas outside of Top 10 in conference now

Story originally appeared on Razorbacks Wire
I think we need a bigger table, says Brad Pitt with a proud grin. Its a rare rainy day in Provence, France, and for the first time, the superstar is about to sit down to a family-style lunch at the newly rebuilt Miraval Studios. An elevated-rustic assortment of tarts, salads, fresh cheese and bread spread out before him. He just needs to find a chair.

Tucked away within Chateau Miravals 2,200 acres  grounds so vast and lush that getting lost driving through them would be easy, but not so bad  Miraval Studios is as private and exquisite a place as any music (or music history) buff could imagine. And yet, it has sat dormant for nearly two decades.

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Brad Pitt, Damien Quintard, Miraval Studios

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Today, Pitt relays how eager he has been to reopen the space since he started spending time at the property in 2008. (He and ex-wife Angelina Jolie later purchased it for a reported $60 million in 2012.) All it took was being introduced to renowned French producer-engineer Damien Quintard, whom Pitt calls a wunderkind, to finally make his dream of creating the ultimate artist escape a reality. Come this month, just over a year since the two first met, Miraval Studios will formally reopen.

Built atop Miravals winery  itself constructed in the 1850s by the estates original owner, Joseph-Louis Lambot, and today known for its rose  the building contains three editing booths for video and sound, production offices, a room housing Quintards collection of 170-plus microphones, a recording studio and a live room known together as Studio One, a reverb room, a kitchen, an artist salon, two guest suites, a 115-foot saltwater pool and a rooftop that offers a 360-degree view of the estate. This summer, Pitts and Quintards artist friends began to pass through to visit or work. Director David Fincher edited a film here, while another longtime friend, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, came to unwind ahead of the bands current worldwide tour. That was a nice way to break it in for me, says Pitt. This artist hangout is whats happening.

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Damien Quintard in the control room, where the 25 speakers create a surround sound effect.

Brad Pitt in the reverb room, with a restored Bosendorfer from the 1980s.

That kind of open and revolving door policy is exactly what he and Quintard wanted for the space, where one of the priorities of the rebuilding project, announced last December, was to re-create the communal aspect that made Studio Miraval such a haven in its heyday.

Founded in 1977 by French pianist-composer Jacques Loussier, the estates then-owner, alongside sound engineer Patrice Quef, Studio Miraval was initially created for Loussier to record his own work, much of which was for films. Soon, artists from Pink Floyd to Sade flocked to the refreshingly remote and picturesque property situated about an eight-hour drive south of Paris. As a French engineer, it was kind of a holy grail, whispers Quintard in awe. (Today, Loussiers granddaughter, Noemie Loussier, is the studios communication manager, working closely with Miraval GM Roland Venturini.)

At just 31, Quintard has already worked with the likes of Brian Eno, Parcels, LImperatrice and Arca, and has notably carved a lane for himself in classical music. He won an Emmy Award for sound mixing for the 2015 Baku European Games Opening Ceremony, founded companies like Paris production firm The Mono Company and audio tech innovator SoundX and helped usher in the Dolby Atmos format, later making Mono the first studio certified with it in France in 2020. Last year, he added co-founding Miraval Studios to that list.

For Pitt, 58, Miraval Studios is the latest in a string of ventures related to Chateau Miraval, of which he owns 50%. (The other half belonged to Jolie before she sold her stake this summer to the Stoli-owned Tenute del Mondo. Pitt and Jolie are currently in a legal battle over the sale.) In September, Pitt announced his genderless skin care line, Le Domaine  founded with the Perrin family, Miravals vintners  which uses the estates antioxidant-rich grapes.

Through the pandemic, Pitt took up sculpting. (During our visit, his friend and famed artist Thomas Houseago works on his own pieces at the studio, though he briefly takes a break to get in on the lunch cooked by the private chef.) Prior to our chat, Pitt strums a few pleasant chords on the guitar  another new hobby  though he self-deprecatingly says that when he plays, animals flee.

The 115-foot saltwater pool just behind Miraval Studios.

The studios rebuilt tower, housing a salon, two guest suites that Pitt designed and a rooftop with a 360-degree view

Entrusting Quintard with Miraval Studios was, Pitt says, a matter of instinct. Following an introduction from a mutual friend, art curator Caroline Bourgeois, the two met in Paris in 2021 and hung out for five hours. Now close friends, they are competitive in petanque (a French twist on bocce) and recently caught a Nick Cave show together. Ive always managed my moves on a gut basis, and I just knew this was our direction, says Pitt. He had the gig before he even knew it. He had the gig before I even knew if he wanted the gig.

I obviously didnt expect it all, says Quintard. Then, another surprise: Pitt gave him a deadline of one year to rebuild Miraval. (Deadlines are courageous goals, Pitt says; both admit they were surprised they hit theirs.) Despite navigating supply-chain shortages  and essentially disappearing from family and friends, unable to speak of the secret project that kept pulling him from Paris  Quintards biggest challenge was more abstract: To shape Miravals future, he had to understand its past.

Were not here to just build a new studio: Were here to honor a legacy, he says. The hardest thing was to understand what we should do. Pitts guidance was simple: Lets make a sanctuary for artists to come in and do their thing.

The amphitheater as seen from the towers rooftop lounge.

Lunch prepared by Miravals private chef using ingredients farmed on-site.

Some already have, including a few who recorded at Miraval years ago, from Rammsteins Till Lindemann to reclusive R&B icon Sade, whom Pitt calls royalty as he and Quintard confirm the rumors that she has returned to recording  and that, in fact, she was the first artist to record at the reopened Miraval.

You could feel the love that she and the band had for this place, says Quintard. And when we talked to musicians who came here previously, they all have this special connection with Miraval that cant really be explained  Its a dream come true to see this place activate again.

Entering Miraval Studios is a visual feast at every turn. Theres the long, winding drive from the secured entrance to the studio lot, on which visitors pass everything from a small stone amphitheater situated on a lake (perfect for intimate in-person or livestream performances) to a bashful donkey, just one of the estates many pets.

A slight uphill walk leads to a Rapunzelesque tower, at the top of which sits a gorgeous circular guest suite that Pitt designed  which, like the larger villa a five-minute drive away, is one of several housing options on the sprawling property to satisfy stays from one week to six months in length. Booking manager Arnaud Merckling  an old college friend and former bandmate of Quintards who inspired him to switch from studying mechanical to music engineering  explains that while artists can pop in, most who visit Miraval want the full experience. The cost, on par with other residential studio rates, reflects that, and includes not only studio time but also lodging and food.

Tosca, a Lagotto Romagnolo truffle-hunting puppy who lives on the grounds.

An interior view of the back wall of Studio Ones reverb room.

Inside, the studios entryway is bathed in natural light and neutral tones. (Both Pitt and Quintard unintentionally arrived in matching earth-toned outfits.) A staircase leads up to shelves of vinyl that spotlight albums previously recorded at Miraval. To the left is the kitchen, where an unbearably adorable truffle-hunting Lagotto Romagnolo puppy is napping. And, most important of all, front and center is the control room.

The control room, situated between the refurbished live room and the untouched reverb room, with windows from both looking in, perfectly captures the ethos of Miraval: Embrace the past and the future all at once. Quintard built the room around the Spaceship, a sleek and amorphous custom-made control board he designed with Pitt. The desk offers a top-notch digital setup, but just behind it sits the studios original Solid State Logic recording console  previously used by Roger Waters, Sting and George Michael  for artists who want to record in analog.

Despite so much preservation, Quintard stresses that Miraval Studios is not a museum  and he doesnt want it to become one. I associate it a lot with painting. If you could paint with the brush of da Vinci or write on the scores of Mozart, would you do it? he asks. Here, we actually give people the opportunity to try.

Damien Quintard with his collection of over 170 vintage and modern microphones.

Chateau Miravals wine cellar, directly below Miraval Studios.

At Miraval, Quintard wanted to create a choose-your-own-adventure experience, and he had Billie Eilish and FINNEAS in mind when redesigning the space. When you create a modern studio and see that [they] can output 14 Grammy-winning tracks in their own room, it was really at the heart of my reflection because people are going to be like, If they can do that, why on earth would you build something like this?  he says. It really redefined my way of understanding how a control room might work. As a result, the room offers a plug-and-play option for artists wanting to record with Logic or Ableton.

Beyond the boards, theres a pristine white couch that mirrors the loose outline of the Spaceship. (Quintard says plenty of artists have already spilled wine on it; still, I wanted to make that mistake of putting a big white couch in a control room  Its beautiful to have some chaos.) Over 25 speakers compatible with Dolby Atmos fill the studio, making it one of the worlds few flagship rooms with the technology. A sonic sampling of symphonic music, Arcas Riquiqui and a bit of funk from Parcels demonstrates the full-body vibrations Atmos creates  perfect, Quintard points out, for editing, mixing and mastering film music as well. (A projection screen can descend from the ceiling at the touch of a button.)

For the lighting, another key feature, Quintard had dozens of conversations with friends and artists about what their dream studio would look like, with suggestions leading to a constant golden hour effect  amplified in practice at Miraval by the natural light that pours in from all directions, especially at sunset. He credits his team of friends  executive producer Chloe Guine, assistant executive producer Adele Lagarrigue, assistant engineer Pierre Gouges and studio manager Sebastien Germain  with opening his eyes to the importance of bathing in light.

Its a far cry from the first time Quintard and Pitt walked into Studio Miraval. It was pretty dank, says Pitt. It still smelled like the 70s  or maybe the 80s, to be fair. It hadnt been touched since then. It needed a cuddle.

The towers top-floor guest suite thats adjacent to the studio.

The living space in the guest villa, a five-minute drive from the studio.

Quintard mostly recalls the acoustic fabrics that covered the walls, which he later pulled back to discover the buildings original stone still intact. He measured the porosity of each stone, digging into some so that the wall could properly absorb sound. As for the live rooms sky-high arches, Pitt explains how the estates founder had invented a precursor to reinforced concrete. As one of the first buildings to utilize the material, architects installed timber trusses, not knowing they were structurally inessential. As Pitt says: These surroundings just have this history of creation and innovation.

The live room is a spacious playpen for just that. The toys available include refurbished vintage keyboards, drum kits, guitars and even a decorative olive tree from Miravals grounds. Quintard explains the rooms precise one-second reverb, adding that while the large spaces high ceilings make it ideal for recording classical music, its also functional for rap, pop, rock and more.

The whole project was just day after day of people telling me this specific thing is not possible: You cant dig into the stones, or You cant put this arch here. We had to push forward all the time, he recalls.

The most amazing thing is how he worked this room, says Pitt. How sound bounces around is  f-ck me, a science. I would come in, go off and do my day job, come back months later, and it was just astounding to see what had been completed.

Damien Quintard (left) and Brad Pitt photographed on September 14, 2022 at Miraval Studios in the town of Correns, France.

Damien Quintard photographed on September 14, 2022 at Miraval Studios in the town of Correns, France.

And yet, Quintard hesitates to pat himself on the back. We have to produce things, and they have to come, he says. I think well know if this is a success in two years, three years, 10 years. In 30 years, if people talk about, Oh, they did The Wall 2 here, then sure, we wouldve accomplished something. But now were just on the ground floor. Were just waiting to start building up the legacy, the new legacy, of Miraval.

Or, as Pitt puts it with a smirk: Were open for biznass.

Damien Quintard (left) and Brad Pitt photographed on September 14, 2022 at Miraval Studios in the town of Correns, France.

Brad Pitt Damien Quintard Miraval Studios

This story will appear in the Oct. 8, 2022, issue of Billboard.

Click here to read the full article.
Paramedic David Liske administers a COVID-19 booster shot to Michael Meade at the Island Pacific Seafood Market in Oxnard, California, on Sept. 23.

Massachusetts reported 9,942 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 3.8% from the previous week. The previous week had 10,340 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Massachusetts ranked fifth 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 7.7% from the week before, with 298,674 cases reported. With 2.07% of the country's population, Massachusetts had 3.33% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 13 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Bristol County reported 694 cases and six deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 745 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 171,152 cases and 2,278 deaths.

Newport County reported 138 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 118 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 24,467 cases and 99 deaths.

Across Massachusetts, cases fell in nine counties, with the best declines in Middlesex County, with 1,786 cases from 1,918 a week earlier; in Hampshire County, with 202 cases from 294; and in Worcester County, with 991 cases from 1,081.

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

Within Massachusetts, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Berkshire County with 190 cases per 100,000 per week; Hampden County with 182; and Barnstable County with 140. 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 Middlesex County, with 1,786 cases; Suffolk County, with 1,020 cases; and Worcester County, with 991. Weekly case counts rose in three counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Suffolk, Berkshire and Plymouth counties.

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In Massachusetts, 65 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 60 people were reported dead.

A total of 2,060,884 people in Massachusetts have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 21,771 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 96,699,237 people have tested positive and 1,062,564 people have died.

Note: For Massachusetts, Johns Hopkins University reports data in a combined health department for Dukes and Nantucket counties. Those two counties may appear without any cases, and this will skew rankings of counties.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Massachusetts's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 9. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Last week: 1,482

The week before that: 1,440

Four weeks ago: 1,200

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Last week: 50,835

The week before that: 49,835

Four weeks ago: 58,231

Hospitals in 18 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 15 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 29 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 The Herald News: Bristol County reported 694 additional COVID-19 cases this week
After CNN international correspondent Anna Coren and photojournalist Daniel Hodge reported from the scene of last weeks deadly daycare shooting in Thailand, their visas were revoked and they were forced to leave the country after recording an apology video on Monday.

Coren apologized to the people of Thailand and the families of the victims in a video posted to YouTube by the English-language news outlet Nation Thailand. We are so sorry we caused you more pain and suffering we never came here to cause more grief. Hodge added his own apology and both prayed and bowed to the Thai police in the video.

In the CNN news segment that was shot at the daycare, where 36 people, including 24 children, were killed on Oct. 6, Coren talked to first responders and showed the still-bloodied floor with the warning disturbing video. The clip has since been taken down by CNN, but can still be found at sites including Allentown, Pennsylvanias WFMZ. CNNs article about the visit, on which Coren shares a byline, was still online.





Both CNN reporters were in the country on tourist visas and were not authorized to work in Thailand, according to the Bangkok Post. National police chief Damrongsak Kittiprapas told the Post they were fined 5,000 baht ($131.68) each for violating tourist visa regulations. They will not face criminal charges and have not been put on an immigration blacklist.

Coren and Hodge left on a Thai Airways International flight bound for Hong Kong on Monday.

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Mike McCarthy, executive vice president and general manager of CNN International, said in a statement provided to TheWrap that the crew didnt know the daycare center was restricted. McCarthy also said there was no police tape on the scene when Coren and Hodge entered the building. They worked carefully and respectfully inside the building for around 15 minutes, during which police tape was put up, McCarthy said.

The team entered the building in good faith, to gain a fuller impression of what transpired inside and to humanise the scale of the tragedy for their audience, McCarthys statement said. We deeply regret any distress or offence our report may have caused.
A forlorn, distant train horn echoed through an otherwise quiet Green Lawn Cemetery as Leticia Vazquez-Smith unloaded skeletons from her SUV on a recent, chilly afternoon.

Vazquez-Smith, who has organized Columbus largest Day of the Dead celebration for the past 23 years, wore overalls and a newsboy hat. The skeletons were traditional Mexican puppets known as "mojigangas," made using a Mexican paper-mache-like technique called "cartoneria."

Vazquez-Smith inspected one puppet that had fallen prey to mice.

The mice are crazy, she said, but noted that cartoneria is ephemeral by nature. Part of its beauty is it doesnt last forever  its like the cycle of life.

Leticia Vazquez-Smith, a main organizer of the Columbus Day of the Dead festival, stands for a portrait next to shrines for lost family members Saturday at Green Lawn Cemetery.

Behind her lay Huntington Chapel, designed by the famous Columbus architect Frank Packard and decorated by Tiffany of New York, in 1902. It is in one of the oldest sections of Green Lawns vast graveyard, where the citys early industrialists and mining barons including the Hayden family are interred amidst maples, oaks and bald cypress trees.

With names on headstones such as McDonald, Loewer and Page, nothing about the setting was reminiscent of Mexico. But within 48 hours, it would be transformed into a fiesta, complete with a parade of giant dancing "calaveras" (decorative skulls), colorful artwork, food trucks and dramatic and musical performances in both Spanish and English.

Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a primarily Mexican holiday in which people honor and celebrate the lives of friends and family who have passed away.

For Vazquez-Smith, organizing the annual Columbus event has been a major part of her lifes work. She said it has grown from from a party in her small apartment into a citywide event attended by thousands  including Mexicans and others from an array of backgrounds.

Im in love with my culture, and I think if we share what we have, others in the community can embrace it, and we can be better as humans, she told The Dispatch. The Day of the Dead is really for everybody. Were all going to die at some point.

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Juan Dies, of Chicago, sings murder ballads inside a mausoleum at Green Lawn Cemetery while Gustavo Cisneros-Labra watches at a Day of the Dead festival Saturday in Columbus.

Day of the Dead: A celebration of life and death

When Vazquez-Smith was growing up in Mexico City in the 1970s, she learned about Dia de Muertos from her father, a tourist guide, and her mother, who organized the rituals at home. They would buy "cempasuchitl" (Mexican marigold flowers) and cook special dishes, including candied "calabaza" (pumpkin) and "pan de muerto" (bread of the dead).

In their living room, they would construct an altar to their late relatives, complete with the deceaseds favorite foods, drinks and mementos from their lives. Over dinner, Vazquez-Smith and her family would reminisce.

When we eat, were supposed to have, like, a relationship with the people who passed  talking about them, remembering them, she said.

A carnival-like atmosphere would ensue at the local cemetery, where people would drink, play music, and dance around the graves into the night.

Just as most Mexicans identify as "mestizo"  a mix of indigenous and white  Dia de Muertos represents a marriage of Aztec religion with Catholicism.

According to Vazquez-Smith, the precolonial version of the holiday was embedded in the Aztec sense of morality, centered on earning honor rather than fearing punishment in the afterlife.

Although the Spanish initially tried to stamp out the practice, they eventually allowed it to continue as long as it was celebrated on All Saints Day. (Similarly, Halloween was a Celtic holiday that was amalgamated with All Saints Eve by the Catholic Church in Europe.)

The holiday is celebrated in Columbus about a month early to take advantage of better weather, although Vazquez-Smith says this timing is also in line with precolonial tradition.

How Day of the Dead became a Columbus festival

When Vazquez-Smith first came to Columbus in 1999 for professional training, she gave a presentation about Day of the Dead at the Columbus International Program, a local nonprofit. Falling in love with a local man who eventually became her husband, she stayed in Ohio and the next year organized a Dia de Muertos party in her apartment.

Ever-larger festivities followed annually: first in the Global Gallery, then a church basement, then a warehouse and, for the past five years, Green Lawn Cemetery.

Vazquez-Smith became president of Latino Arts for Humanity, a cultural group founded by Columbus artist Rosa Rojas, that now hosts the event with funding from Greater Columbus Arts Council and other sponsors.

Vazquez-Smith thinks Day of the Dead provides an outlet for complex emotions related to death.

You can bring that grief but also laugh, and people can understand and accept you. You can have all these feelings coming up, and youll feel better, she said.

Many of her volunteers, who were setting up tables, hanging colorful banners and assembling puppets the afternoon before the festival, said the holiday speaks to them personally.

Leila Viera, a lecturer of Portuguese at Ohio State University, explained she honors her late Brazilian grandmothers.

Even though Im not Mexican, the Mexican Day of the Dead has had a big influence in my life, she said.

A grave at Green Lawn

The next morning, the cemetery had been completely transformed.

Children  many with faces painted as skulls  ran about tombstones, and incense wafted over a half-dozen altars in front of the chapel. Vendors sold tamales and souvenirs, like "alebrijes" (handicrafts depicting fantastical creatures), and hundreds of people crowded near a stage, where bands played Mexican folk, jazz and a variety of world music.

Reina Jimenes, 41, of Cleveland, said she brought her 15-year-old daughter, who was born in the U.S., to educate her about her own culture.

Its important to teach these things because one forgets ones traditions, Jimenes said in Spanish. I told her I want her to see how life is in Mexico.

Its great to celebrate our culture in a different country, said Citlali Perez, who was born in the Mexican state of Michoacan and is a line cook on Columbus East Side.

Vazquez-Smith stood inside Huntington Chapel, near an exhibit of Dia de Muertos-inspired art. She said that although she once planned to live out her days in Mexico, she recently picked out a plot for her grave at Green Lawn. She hopes to be part of the Columbus festival in perpetuity.

Its nice to know somebodys gonna celebrate my life. I tell my friends and kids: When I die, I want a big offering, with tamales, mole, mandarina (oranges), she said. Dont forget the mandarinas because I really love mandarinas!

Peter Gill covers immigration and new American communities for The Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America here:bit.ly/3fNsGaZ.

pgill@dispatch.com

@pitaarji

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How Leticia Vazquez-Smith brought the Day of the Dead to Columbus
A pair of Democratic lawmakers is proposing the U.S. halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to oil production cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) penned an op-ed in Politico Sunday calling on Congress to cut off arms sales to the leading OPEC country until it reverses its embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Members of Congress are already talking about how best to respond. Some propose extending domestic antitrust laws to international commerce. Others propose reviving a GOP initiative to withdraw U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia. But that idea has failed previously given that the U.S. would rather have its own troops there than Russian or Chinese troops, the lawmakers wrote.

A simpler, far more urgent move to fortify U.S. national security would be to pause all U.S. military supplies, sales and other weapons aid to Saudi Arabia.

Democrats excoriated Saudi Arabia over the OPEC decision, coming less than three months after President Biden visited Saudi Arabia, where he asked the countrys leaders to increase oil production to help counter the impact of Russias war in Ukraine.

We give Saudi Arabia 70% of their weapons, Khanna said on Twitter Friday. For them to drive up energy prices for the American people is outrageous. Its simple. If the Saudi-led OPEC+ doesnt reverse their decision, the US should stop sending them weapons.

The OPEC+ coalition of 13 member nations and 11 non-members, including Russia, announced last week that it would bring down production by 2 million barrels, raising concerns about the move pushing up prices at the pump in the U.S.

Blumenthal told Politico earlier this week that there remains an opportunity to persuade the Saudis that youre making a gigantic mistake here, adding that he hopes the Biden administration will be aggressive in using U.S. leverage.

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President Biden said on Wednesday he was disappointed by the OPEC+ move, while the White House accused Riyadh of aligning with Russia with the move.

The Biden administration has said it is reviewing its options to respond, while renewing calls for oil companies to reduce prices.

Khanna and Blumenthal argued that Saudi Arabia could not easily find new weapons suppliers, giving the US significant leverage.

Maybe it is worth considering some ancient Russian wisdom ourselves. Over a century ago, Russian playwright Anton Chekhov warned, Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice. Perhaps the same is true about leverage. It is of no value unless used, they wrote.

The Hill has reached out to the White House and to the offices of Khanna and Blumenthal for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Like a weathercock, many Nigerian politicians have gained notoriety for changing their stands most especially in every political season. Perhaps, this explains why it's often said that the Nigerian political class lacks ideology.

To them - politics is all about permanent interest. This report unveiled some doubled-faced politicians as campaigns for 2023 gathers momentum.

FEMI FANI-KAYODE

No doubt, FFK ranks high on the list of double-faced politicians. He also is one the politicians whose past comments have been haunting them.

In 2014 as a member of APC, FFK said the "biggest mistake that my party, the APC, can make is to field a Muslim/Muslim ticket in the 2015 presidential election. If we do that, we will not only offend the Christian community but we will also lose the election woefully." The former Minister left the party and joined the PDP.

In 2015, Fani-Kayode was appointed the Director of Media and Publicity at Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, a position where he transmitted to praising Jonathan. He also said he "renounced those views about President Jonathan long ago."

Upon joining PDP, FFK tagged APC a party with "Janjaweed ideology" and "Boko Haramite party." He also launched attacks on Buhari severally and when the president was sick in 2018, FFK was at the forefront of the "Buhari is dead campaign."

However, FFK's recent return to APC struck many due to the past statements by the former Aviation Minister. He also made a U-turn on Muslim-Muslim ticket which he had rejected in 2014.

While appearing on Politics Today, a programme of Channels Television, FFK defended the APC Muslim/Muslim ticket and his stance on the matter.

"We spoke about Fulanisation, that has been thrown out of the window now because power has been shifted to the South by the APC, the party we accused of that. Secondly, we spoke about Islamisation. Since I joined APC, I realised that, like I said earlier, things have completely changed.

"A situation whereby in this country today we have, no less than 20 Christian governors. The whole of the South-west has Christian governors, except for Osun state, which has now changed because we have a Christian governor who is coming in.

"A situation like that tells you clearly that the country cannot be Islamised and neither is our party APC interested in that. What is happening as far as I am concerned is this, we have reformed and moving forward," he said while defending Muslim-Muslim ticket.

FFK said he is supporting Tinubu because of the need for a power shift to the South. However, FFK had supported Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who lost to Tinubu during the APC presidential primary.

GBENGA DANIEL

The two-time former Governor of Ogun State was Atiku's campaign Director General in the buildup to the 2019 presidential election. He toured the 36 states alongside Atiku seeking the support of the PDP delegates for the presidential primaries which Atiku later won landslide in Port Harcourt.

After the primary, Daniel popularly called OGD by his supporters took the back seat as former Senate President Bukola Saraki headed the campaign council. And shortly after Atiku lost the election, Daniel wrote the party that he had resigned from the party and quit party politics to pursue other "vocations."

"I have resolved to immerse myself in some other vocations and take on some new challenges," he said in a letter dated March 14, 2019.

Few weeks after, Daniel asked his supporters to vote APC's Dapo Abiodun during the 2019 governorship poll.

In the usual character of Nigerian politician, OGD has returned to "active and partisan politics" by pitching his tent with APC. He now backs Tinubu for President.

Last Sunday in Sagamu at a rally for his Senatorial ambition, Daniel said he is supporting Tinubu because he is "our own."

In 2011, Otunba Gbenga Daniel was the Southwest Coordinator of Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign which returned the President in almost a landslide victory in the region.

ABDULMUMIN JIBRIN

The former member of the House of Representatives was the Director General of the Bola Tinubu Campaign Organization before he suddenly left the APC in May due to the crisis in Kano APC. He joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and now roots for the party's candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso. He had previously campaigned for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jibrin said he left the APC "to take the needed measure to ensure that I survive an onslaught by a vengeful man who abuses the privileges of his distinguished office to frustrate my career and the career of many others".

He also said he would no longer be involved with the presidential campaign of Tinubu because he has moved to the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP).

In a statement, the former member of the houses of reps said even away from home, "the vengeful man" came for his role in Asiwaju's campaign and pressed hard to replace him.

"Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) did his best to intervene to prevent my exit from the party. Not because it would affect his campaign in any way but for the genuine likeness he has for me. Unfortunately, wherever this man after my career functions, I feel a sense of obligation to flee for my political safety," he said.

GODSDAY ORUBEBE

His inglorious disruption of the collation centre during the tension-soaked 2015 presidential election comes to mind each time Orubebe's name is mentioned. Not many remember that he was Niger Delta Affairs Minister.

Orubebe was the agent to PDP in the election which saw then sitting President Goodluck Jonathan lose to Buhari. While collation was in progress, Orubebe suddenly grabbed a microphone, disrupted the process, calling for the stoppage of the presentation of the results.

He alleged that the (former) INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega had compromised and taken sides with the APC. He claimed Jega chairman did not respond to petitions submitted to his office about Jigawa, Kano and Katsina states while he sent a committee to Rivers State to probe the incidents there during the presidential and national assembly elections held last Saturday.

While saying that the party had lost confidence in the INEC Chairman, Orubebe accused him of bias and colluding with APC to announce "fake result".

He has now joined APC, campaigning for Tinubu.

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Recently Orubebe recalled that when aspired to be Delta State governor in 2015, he sent a team to understudy the Lagos model of development under Tinubu for "three good months."

His words: " I have followed the track records of APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu. It has been a record full of stellar accomplishments. Bola Tinubu laid the foundation.

"If Nigerians want a thriving and robust economy, then we must cast our votes for Tinubu. A man who has done it before with Lagos State."

DOYIN OKUPE

Dr Doyin Okupe

The 70 year old former presidential spokesman strongly backed Atiku and predicted his victory against Buhari in 2019.

In one of his predictions, Okupe in a post said Atiku will poll 70% votes in North East and North Central states of Nigeria to defeat Buhari in 2019.

Following his predictions, he noted that there was no possibility of Buhari defeating Atiku.

His tweet read: "What Atiku may score in 2019.Win North East.70%. Win North-Central 70%.

"Lose in NW & score: 30-35%. Win South-East 65-70% (higher wt SE VP) Win South-South: 60 -65%. South West 50:50.

"From above projections, a Buhari victory in 2019 is an electoral impossibility."

Okupe is now the Director General of the Labour Party, Peter Obi's campaign. He has another prediction - Obi will win.

"Many who deride and mock us that we have no structure will weep and gnash their teeth when Obi is elected President in 2023," he said. Will he get his prediction right this time around? Time will tell.
A documentary production company that specializes in videos of arrests and transportation crashes is taking legal action to obtain video through the California Public Records Act regarding the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

Real World Media LLC  which posts videos to YouTube with titles such as Hospital interview of man who just escaped murderer and 27 year old caught with 26 pounds of cocaine and Drunk Pilot Crashes Corporate Jet in Nevada  alleges in a Los Angeles Superior Court petition filed Friday that it has wrongfully been denied access to the information requested.

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(Real World Media) is seeking video, audio and photographic records related to the accident and the resulting investigations; (the company) is not seeking post-accident images of the deceased, the petition states.

The latter-type photos were the focus of a court case that concluded in August in which a Los Angeles federal jury ordered Los Angeles County to pay a combined total of $31 million to Bryants widow Vanessa and an Orange County man who lost his daughter and wife in the crash for the mental anguish caused by photos sheriffs deputies and firefighters took and shared of the crash victims bodies.

An LASD representative did not reply to a request for comment on the production companys filing but, given the recently-settled case, the department is likely to be extremely careful in how it proceeds.

A Real World Media representative submitted a request for records under the CPRA on Jan. 26, 2021, to the Sheriffs Department, but the LASD denied the request in May of that year, stating the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration had jurisdiction over the accident, the petition states.

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However, Real World was seeking LASDs own records, not those of the NTSB or FAA, the petition states.

A second request submitted Aug. 23 asked for a complete, unedited, original-resolution, original-quality, electronic copy, transferredover the internet, of any and all video, audio and photographic records created, utilized, capturing or otherwise obtained in association with any portion of the emergency response to, and investigation of, the subject accident.

On Sept. 21, Villanueva sent Real World Media a letter denying their request, stating the department was unable to provide records responsive to your request based on a Government Code section allowing agencies to withhold a record when the public interest served by withholding the records outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

However, under the same code section, the LASD bears the burden of demonstrating there is a public interest by not disclosing the record that clearly outweighs the public interest served by disclosure of the records, according to the petition.

The denial letter fails to identify any public interest in nondisclosure, according to the petition, which further states the delays in turning over the information are respondents delay and failure to produce any records responsive to the CPRA request are unlawful.

City News Service contributed to this story.

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DOVER  As the city looks to celebrate its 400th year, it also seeks to formally recognize the history and legacy of the peoples who first inhabited the land more than 33,000 residents now call home.

Before the green flag of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People was raised in front of City Hall Wednesday night, the citys land proclamation was read, acknowledging the history of Dovers settlement in 1623 and how it displaced Indigenous populations.

The ceremony came days before Dover will celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, Oct. 10, a holiday that in recent years became recognized in a number of communities in New Hampshire.

In Dover: Fire in 1875 home knocked down fast, thanks to passerby and firefighters

Paul and Denise Pouliot, the Sag8mo and Sag8moskwa (speakers) of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook and Abenaki People, performed a traditional song that echoed through the halls of City Hall, and explained the symbolism of the flag.

This flag tells our whole story, Paul Pouliot said, pointing to each element on the flag and explaining its significance. The Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook and Abenaki People, which were in part based in the Dover area, remain in the region today.

The Dover City Council's Ad Hoc Committee on Racial Equity and Inclusion has been working for the last year, brainstorming ways Dover can be more inclusive and respectful. Last year, the City Council adopted a land acknowledgment statement, first proposed by the Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee. It was first read publicly at a city event during last years Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People flag raising.

'A common path': Seacoast communities embrace Indigenous Peoples' Day

Paul Pouliot said the flag raising and land acknowledgement means a lot to them.

These things are symbolic, and recognize that our presence is still here, Paul Pouliot said.

Denise Pouliot added, Its fantastic to see this recognition spreading, taking hold in communities and engaging communities in our history.

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City Council supports efforts to honor Indigenous legacy

Dover Mayor Bob Carrier reads a proclamation before raising the flag of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.

On Sept. 28, the City Council voted to accept $10,000 from the New Hampshire Humanities Community Project Grants for the citys Indigenous peoples initiative.

The grant continues the work of the Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee. The committee suggested the city use the grant money to purchase plaques for municipal buildings with the land acknowledgement engraved on it. The city also plans to use the grant to host a series of public presentations and online accessible resources on the Indigenous peoples and their history in the region.

In Dover: Asia Restaurant to close after 52 years

Kathleen Blake, a member of the citys Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee and former chair of the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs, said the citys committee continues to meet with school officials, the library and Woodman Institute on increasing awareness of the first peoples who lived in Dover. As part of this goal, the city will publish a new web page titled Indigenous Dover dedicated to having this information accessible.

We have to ensure the stories and history of this place are accurate, Blake said. The land acknowledgement was the first step in telling the story of the first peoples that called this place home."

Paul Pouliot, the Sag8mo (speaker) of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook and Abenaki People holds the flag as it is raised on the pole in front of Dover City Hall Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022.

Blake said few people realize the oldest known archaeological site showing human habitation in the state of New Hampshire was carbon dated and more than 12,800 years old.

When the Indigenous of the Northeast first arrived they were following the ice melt and caribou that moved with it, Blake said. You think of 12,800 years  thats before Stonehenge, before the pyramids. Theres a lot of untold history here. We are not trying to rewrite history, we are trying to share the untold stories of this place.

Celebrating Dover's History: Dover 400th anniversary celebrations coming in 2023: Here's what is planned

Indigenous Peoples' Day in Dover

The Dover City Council voted in 2020 to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. This change was made by a number of New Hampshire communities before that time (such as Durham in 2017) and since (such as Portsmouth adding the holiday in 2021 and removing Columbus Day entirely this year).

Mayor Bob Carrier read a proclamation before the flag raising Wednesday, formally announcing Monday will be again recognized as Indigenous Peoples Day. The proclamation acknowledged the "trauma created by violence, hatred and oppression" that the Indigenous peoples of this land endured, and sought to honor "the courageous actions of Indigenous peoples to rise above these tragic challenges and maintain their cherished ways and beliefs."

Carrier also said in the proclamation that Indigenous Peoples Day is an opportunity to: reflect on the ongoing struggles of Indigenous people and celebrate their thriving culture.

Dover's land acknowledgement statement

This (event/meeting) takes place at Cocheco (CO-chi-co) on Ndakinna (n-DA-ki-na), now called Dover, New Hampshire, which is the unceded traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki (a-BEN-a-ki), Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples, past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude the land, waterways, living beings, and the Aln8bak (Al-nuh-bak), the people who have stewarded Ndakinna (n-DA-ki-na) for many millennia.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover NH raises flag, honors Indigenous Peoples' Day
(Getty Images)

Elon Musk has overtaken Jeff Bezos to become the worlds richest person, having seen his wealth rise from $25 billion to nearly $200bn in less than a year.

The billionaire polymath is best known as the boss of electric car company Tesla and private rocket firm SpaceX, however he also heads brain-tech startup Neuralink and The Boring Company, which aims to solve traffic in cities by digging tunnel networks.

Before any of these ventures, Musk gained notoriety in Silicon Valley as the co-founder of online payments platform X.com, which went on to become PayPal.

Each new project has been financed, at least in part, by funds generated from previous business successes, with each new effort becoming ever more ambitious.

Ultimately, Musk hopes to transform humanity into a multi-planetary species by establishing a self-sufficient colony on Mars, while simultaneously solving some of the biggest challenges back on Earth, including climate change and the perceived threat from advanced artificial intelligence.

After overtaking Bezos on 7 January to claim the title as the worlds richest person, Musk reiterated his pledge to use his wealth for what he believes is the greater good for the world.

(The Independent)

You should ask why I would want money. The reason is not what you think. Very little time for recreation. Dont have vacation homes or yachts or anything like that, he stated in a short Twitter thread republished from 2018.

About half my money is intended to help problems on Earth and half to help establish a self-sustaining city on Mars to ensure the continuation of life (of all species) in case Earth gets hit by a meteor like the dinosaurs or WW3 happens and we destroy ourselves.

Musk also donates periodically to charity, putting out a call on Twitter this week for ideas on ways to donate money that really make a difference.

In May 2020, Musk tweeted that he planned to sell almost all physical possessions  a promise he delivered on before 2021 by selling three of his California homes for a combined total of $41 million.

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He has since moved to Texas, where he will pay no state income taxes, in order to be closer to the development of SpaceXs Mars-bound spacecraft Starship.

In 2018, Musk revealed that he planned to finance SpaceXs Mars plans by selling a major stake in Tesla at some point in the future. At the time, Tesla shares were worth around $60. Today, they are worth close to $900.

Teslas fortunes have largely driven Musks own net worth, which is now equivalent to the annual GDP of a small-to-medium sized country.

(The Independent)

If Musks wealth was ranked alongside the GDP of every country in the world, he would be the 50th richest country in the world, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund.

Calculated in another way, if Musks net worth was distributed evenly among all 328 million citizens in the US, each person would receive roughly $600  the same amount the US government handed out as a stimulus check during the pandemic.
(from left) Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers (aka The Shape) in Halloween Ends

Ryan Green/Universal Pictures

Forget the popcorn, Halloween Ends is a real nail-biter!

The mayhem continues with Michael Myers's return to the third installment of director David Gordon Green's sequel trilogy that furthers the story of John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic, Halloween.

In the final film in the threequel, the murderous maniac  notoriously referred to as The Shape  makes his way back to suburban Haddonfield, Illinois, once more to cause havoc in the town after he "disappeared without a trace" in the wake of the events that unfolded four years prior.

But have no fear horror fans! Final girl Laurie Strode musters up the courage to go face-to-face  well, face-to-mask  with Michael Myers one last time in an attempt to confront the embodiment of evil once and for all.

Halloween Ends follows 2018's Halloween (the direct sequel to the 1978 original slasher) and 2021's Halloween Kills. It promises a spine-chilling conclusion of the acclaimed horror franchise, 45 years after the original film's release.

Dying to know when it premieres and which original cast members are returning to the film? Scroll on for all the details on Halloween Ends.

RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis on Final Time Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween Ends: 'It Felt Very Satisfying'

What's Halloween Ends about?

Michael Myers (aka The Shape) in Halloween Ends, co-written, produced and directed by David Gordon Green

Ryan Green/Universal Pictures

The official Halloween Ends synopsis reads: "Four years after her last encounter with masked killer Michael Myers, Laurie Strode is living with her granddaughter and trying to finish her memoir. Myers hasn't been seen since, and Laurie finally decides to liberate herself from rage and fear and embrace life. However, when a young man stands accused of murdering a boy that he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that forces Laurie to confront the evil she can't control.

Which original cast members are returning to Halloween Ends?

Nick Castle; Jamie Lee Curtis; James Jude Courtney

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

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Jamie Lee Curtis will reprise her iconic role as Laurie Strode in Halloween Ends, marking the final time the actress will play the terrorized lead. Meanwhile, Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney will return to do the terrorizing, resuming their shared role as Michael Myers.

Furthermore, other cast members who are reprising their roles from previous installments include Andi Matichak as Allyson Nelson, Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace, Will Patton as Officer Hawkins and Omar Dorsey as Sheriff Barker.

RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis Wraps Playing 'Halloween' Character Laurie Strode in New Trilogy: 'Bittersweet'

Who else is in the cast of Halloween Ends?

(from left) Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Corey (Rohan Campbell) in Halloween Ends

Ryan Green/Universal Pictures

Other members joining the cast of Halloween Ends include Guiding Light soap star Michael O'Leary as Dr. Mathis and Rohan Campbell of Hulu's The Hardy Boys as a new character named Corey Cunningham.

Is there a Halloween Ends trailer?

Peacock released the final Halloween Ends trailer on Sept. 27, giving fans a look at the suspenseful happenings that are likely to unfold in the slasher sequel. The clip hints that Laurie's face-off with the masked murderer might be her last.

The horror legend is determined to avenge her daughter and free herself from an even "more dangerous" Michael's torment, even if it kills her. "Maybe the only way he can die is if I die too," Laurie says in the trailer. "It all ends now."

The final trailer for the third installment in director David Gordon Green's sequel trilogy is full of callbacks to earlier entries in the franchise, including a shot of Laurie from the original film shown back-to-back with a nearly identical shot from the upcoming movie.

RELATED: Jamie Lee Curtis Challenges a 'More Dangerous' Michael Myers in Final Trailer for 'Halloween Ends'

When is the premiere of Halloween Ends?

HALLOWEEN ENDS, Kyle Richards, 2022.

Everett

The highly anticipated Halloween Ends hits theaters on Oct. 14, just ahead of the spooky holiday! Plus, it will also be streamable on Peacock the same day.
MILAN  An exhibition on the work of famed photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri will open in Milan on Nov. 29.

To be held at the 29 Arts in Progress gallery and running through March 25, 2023, the Gian Paolo Barbieri: Unconventional show will include an exclusive selection of colored images and unseen photographs by Barbieri.

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The exhibit will flank images of top models and celebrities in key advertising campaigns Barbieri photographed throughout the years for brands such as Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Gianfranco Ferre, among others. The goal is to also offer a glimpse of the lesser-known work of the photographer and spotlight the link to the worlds of art and cinema in his iconography.

For instance, for a Dolce Vita-inspired shoot for the Io Donna magazine in Rome in 1997, Barbieri portrayed model Eva Herzigova wrapped in a Krizia dress under the pictures of Alfred Hitchcock  one of his favorite directors  and Italian movie icon Gina Lollobrigida.

Eva Herzigova, Roma, 1997. Courtesy of Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri / 29 Arts in Progress gallery

On a personal note, the exhibition will closely follow the launch of a docu-film on Barbieris life and work, which will be screened in movie theaters in Italy next month. Dubbed Luomo e la bellezza, or The man and the beauty in English, the 75-minute film directed by Emiliano Scatarzi will include interviews with the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Monica Bellucci, Rita Airaghi for Fondazione Ferre and Giuseppe Zanotti, among others.

The documentary premiered at the Biografilm Festival 2022 in Bologna in June, when it scooped the Audience Award in the Art & Music category. After the Italian rollout, it will launch internationally on Sky Arts starting from Jan. 23.

Born in Milan in 1935, Barbieri is one of the most influential photographers in fashion. He hails from a family of textile wholesalers and it was in his fathers warehouse that Barbieri started to become accustomed to fashion.

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He quickly moved to the world of theater, becoming an actor, operator and costume designer. American noir cinema has served among his biggest inspirations, informing his use of light. As he never attended photography school, he conducted experiments in his basement with light bulbs slipped into the pipe of a stove.

After moving to Rome, Barbieri accepted a work offer in Paris, beginning his career in fashion photography as assistant to Harpers Bazaars Tom Kublin for a brief period. In 1964 he returned to Milan, opening his first photographic studio, where he started to work for outlets including Novita, the magazine that in 1966 would become Vogue Italia. From that moment his collaboration with Conde Nast was forged, further extending to international editions as well including American Vogue, Vogue Paris and Vogue Germany as well as Vanity Fair and GQ through the years.

Autoritratto, Gian Paolo Barbieri, Milan, 2000. Courtesy of Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri / 29 Arts in Progress gallery

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A large variety of pumpkins is grown at the Assiter pumpkin farm near Floydada. The community showcases many of those pumpkins at its annual Punkin Day festival in October.

FLOYDADA - All things pumpkin were in vogue as thousands flocked to the downtown square of this Floyd County community on Saturday morning, where residents, visitors and vendors alike gathered to celebrate the community's 35th annual Punkin Days festival.

But Saturday's annual event represents more than one small town's celebration of a popular, seasonal gourd.

Despite the below-average harvest that the crop saw this year, the High Plains of West Texas and Eastern New Mexico has continued to embrace with open arms what's become a potent, signature crop of the region.

Every year, gourds of all variations and decorated jack-o-lanterns paint Floydada orange - and a surprising variety of other colors - throughout the month of October.

Small pumpkins decorate the city's welcome sign and nearby homes and businesses. Statue-sized pumpkins adorn the parking lots of the local grocery store, car wash and hardware shop. And large banners and signs around the city proudly tout Floydada's biggest accomplishment: Recognition as the Pumpkin Capital of the US.

Want a taste of fall? These Lubbock restaurants have apple, pumpkin spice drinks and treats

For many, it comes as a surprise that the small Floyd County seat of 2,700 people just northeast of Lubbock has established such a unique identity. Whereas Illinois produces around 90% of the nations pumpkin crop, Floydada has become famous for boasting its gourd greatness.

Floydada ships out pumpkins all over the United States, said Kalli Martin, president of the Floydada Chamber of Commerce and Agricultures Board of Directors. We are one of the largest pumpkin carriers for the southern part of the United States. We have been growing pumpkins for decades, and we have been the Pumpkin Capital for about 30 years, and were proud of it."

Home to the Pumpkin Pyle farm and Assiter Punkin Ranch, the immediate area typically grows around 1,200 acres of pumpkins annually. In fact, the entire High Plains region  spanning 41 counties  has made a name for itself in the pumpkin industry since one Floydada family planted five acres of pumpkins and sold them roadside in the 1950s.

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Now, the entire High Plains region produces between 4,000 to 7,000 acres of pumpkins, annually, and has become the gourd standard for Halloween jack-o-lanterns. And on any given label slapped upon a jack-o-lantern from the local grocery store, its more likely than not to list its home producer as somewhere local: Dalhart, Floydada, Muleshoe or Clovis, New Mexico.

As the pumpkin harvest in our region comes to a close this week, Mark Carroll, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agriculture agent in Floyd County, anticipates below-average yields for the second consecutive harvest.

While wet and rainy conditions yielded a crop 30% below average last year, this years culprit is the months-long drought, whose actual impact is still in the air, though like other regional crops that have suffered, experts do know that loss was inevitable.

Withstanding extreme heatwaves and dry conditions for the first couple months of growing season, Carroll said the success of local producers varied this year. Some, who had ample irrigation were able to improve year-over-year production between 10 to 20%, while others reported yields even lower than last.

Pumpkins are displayed at Assiter Punkin Ranch a few miles south of Floydada. Floyd County is known as Pumpkin Capital USA.

We had virtually no rainfall this summer, so the crop relied entirely on irrigation, Carroll said in a release from the AgriLife Extension. Getting the crop well established was an issue, but by July most fields looked good, because pumpkins do really well in the heat.

In the drizzly, cold weather mid-morning Saturday, dozens of cars had stopped by the Assiter Punkin Ranch on their way into town. Surrounded by nothing but cotton farms along Highway 62, just on the edge of the Floyd-Crosby County border, dozens of pumpkins lined the fences  and an empty, mostly harvested field stood to the south.

Tim Assiter, the head of the family pumpkin ranch, is a second-generation pumpkin farmer, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported in a previous story. His father learned the notable trade from the city's pumpkin pioneer  Uncle Slim Robertson, known as the Original Floydada Pumpkin Man, who built the unique brand for his hometown.

Due to his drip irrigation lines, Assiter managed to escape the scene of a completely decimated crop that other area farmers (of various crops) have faced this year, he told KWES-TV in Midland earlier this week.

With more than 170 pumpkin variants on his farm, Assiter told the station that the greater Floydada region brings between 1.8 million and 2.4 million pumpkins to the global supply each year. (Although he told KWES-TV that wouldn't actually commit to providing a numerical estimate, the math he provides equated to this range.)

In its prime, Floydada pumpkin farmers existed in the dozens with at least 35 farmers across 3,000 acres in 1993, he said.

Today, we have about 1,200 acres (and fewer growers), but we raised about the same amount, he said. (Floydada) is a great place to grow pumpkins  we grow them here, and we grow a lot of them.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: High Plains farmers grow the 'gourd' standard for jack-o'-lanterns
Five years after the watershed #MeToo movement and two-and-a-half years since Harvey Weinstein was convicted of criminal sexual assault by a New York jury, the disgraced movie mogul is back in court, this time in Los Angeles, where a jury is expected to hear from a far more broad spectrum of accusers  and possibly Weinstein himself.

Weinstein arrived in court Monday by wheelchair, and showed some difficulty standing up as the jury pool of 67 men and women was introduced in court. Jury selection is expected to give way to opening statements sometime around Oct. 24.

Weinstein is already serving 23 years in a New York prison for criminal first-degree sexual assault and third-degree rape, a conviction he has been granted the right to appeal, arguing that a juror and Judge James Burke was biased against him. Weinstein has maintained his innocence since the beginning, and has spent more than a year in a Los Angeles jail awaiting trial here.

Weinstein faces 11 charges of sexual assault from allegations spanning from 2004-2013. The trial is expected to last approximately eight weeks  two of them jury selection alone  and Weinstein could face up to 140 years in prison if convicted.

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Judge Lisa Lench told prospective jurors Monday that she wasnt sure whether Weinstein would testify, but urged them to not hold it against him if he does not: As Mr. Weinstein sits before you, he is innocent, she said, adding If someone were to ask you for your vote right now, you would have to vote not guilty.

Weinstein was extradited to Los Angeles in July 2021 and has been held at the Twin Towers correctional facility. His attorneys sought to delay the trial in August, arguing that pre-publicity for She Said, based on the book of the same name by two New York Times reporters who uncovered the allegations against Weinstein, would influence the jury. Presiding Judge Lisa Lench rejected that request, along with

another postponement request to allow Weinstein to get his teeth fixed.

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Five women are slated to testify against Weinstein, only one of whom has been identified  Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who self-identified on Monday as the trial was just beginning. Newsom says during her time as an actress, she, too, was lured to Weinsteins room under pretense of a business meeting and was assaulted.

In addition, prosecutors were initially granted the right to present five additional witnesses to testify to prior bad acts by Weinstein. However, in August one of those witnesses known only as Miss I withdrew her testimony and Lench denied the prosecution the right to replace her with another witness, arguing it was too similar to other witness testimony.

It took the New York jury five days to convict Weinstein on two of five charges, and Lench has already agreed that she will allow prosecutors to disclose his prior convictions to this jury. TheWrap spoke with several attorneys about what they expect and how Weinstein is likely to fare.

Legal analyst and former LA County Deputy District Attorney Emily D. Baker said she believes Weinsteins defense team will have an even greater uphill battle in California.

Getty Images

In New York he was accused of five charges [three of which the jury dismissed], she said. In the Los Angeles case hes facing 11 different charges with five different victims and multiple prior bad acts witnesses against him, making this a difficult case for the defense.

LA criminal attorney Louis Shapiro concurred. I believe its more a pro-victim environment here, he said. And while I think that defendants in LA or New York generally fare better than in more conservative places, these charges are so highly sensitive and emotionally charged it makes it an uphill battle for [Weinstein], especially in light of his NY conviction.

Barry Saltzman, a New York-based attorney and legal advocate for sexual assault victims, said he believes the fact that because the NY court allowed and the LA court is also allowing evidence of prior bad acts, I believe that shows the evidence against Weinstein is very strong. I would expect a similar result as in New York despite the fact that hes won the right to appeal. I suspect that the evidence is so

strong that ultimately, hes going to be convicted.

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Anthony Rapp Testifies Against Kevin Spacey, Says 1986 Assault Disrupted My Sense of Belonging on Broadway

However, Los Angeles based attorney Shari Karney, who represents victims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, child sex abuse and sexual harassment, argues Weinstein only needs one sympathetic juror, stating its about finding that one juror that empathizes with a white male of power, fame, and privilege, accused of sexual misconduct by actresses.

Actresses are victim-shamed in the extreme, she said. They are often deemed by the industry and the public as unreliable and prone to acting on the stand if they cry or show trauma or their emotions.

What, if anything might be markedly different in this trial? The fact that Weinstein

might just take the stand.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

We might see [Weinstein] testifying this time round because he didnt testify in New York and that didnt go so well for him, Shapiro said. His defense team might think, What have we got to lose if we try it a different way this time around?'

Baker agrees. In New York, it was reported that Weinstein wanted to testify in his own defense, she said. Now that he has been sentenced to 23 years in New York, he may feel there is nothing to lose by testifying and may take the stand.

Shapiro also believes that Weinsteins upcoming appeal could give him a sense of hope that the justice system is fairer than he originally thought.

I think the challenging part is the defense wants to argue that the women need to be accountable as well. They could well argue that Weinstein may not be a saint but the women went along with him because they would benefit professionally and now, theyre having buyers remorse.

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Paul Haggis Can Argue Scientology Is Behind Sex Assault Claims at NY Trial, Judge Rules

He notes that its a tough argument to make without offending people on the jury, but that the legal landscape is different now than it was in 2020.

Were a little bit further away from the #MeToo era, he said. And the public may be more open now. We saw that play out in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial, with people saying, Not every woman is going to be a victim if they scream #metoo. I think that is probably going to be a bell that the Weinstein camp rings at this trial.

Karney also cited the Depp/Heard trial along with the overturning of Bill Cosbys sexual assault conviction in July 2021. The playbook table has been set by Depp v. Heard and Cosby to try the victims instead of the rich, powerful, well-connected men of influence, she said.

Baker also noted that in the wake of Depp v. Heard, I wonder if the public awareness of that trial will impact the jury, or will impact the way the media covers this trial?

Also Read:

Kevin Spacey Trial Opens With Anthony Rapp Lawyers Detailing 1986 Incident: This Is Not Horseplay

Saltzman said that as a victims rights attorney, he feels that Weinstein is a bad player, and that while he believes Heard was maligned and portrayed in a negative light, the Weinstein case is different.

I think that the evidence against Weinstein is strong, just like the evidence against Ghislaine Maxwell and  even though it was a civil suit in the end  against Prince Andrew. He also added that unlike Depp v. Heard, the Weinstein case involves multiple accusations by multiple women.

Sonia Shakoori an attorney with the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice who works with victims of sexual assault said she too believes theres a strong chance of Weinstein being convicted.

Im encouraged by what happened in New York and that prosecutors here will be allowed to bring up his prior conviction.

Harvey Weinstein exits the Manhattan courthouse during jury deliberations of his criminal trial on Feb. 21. (Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

She also feels its unlikely his appeal will work in his favor. Appeals are very hard in my opinion, she said. While Im not 100 percent certain, I really dont think [the defense] has a strong case.

No matter how the the trial plays out, all the attorneys noted that its the women slated to take the stand (none of whom have been identified yet), who will have the toughest task.

The legal system is designed to deter women  from speaking up against powerful, male predators regarding sexual abuse and assault, Karney said.

The victim is on trial  they are showing Herculean courage in going against Weinstein. Everything is at stake for them. Their careers, reputations and futures. I applaud them and support them.

Weinsteins trial is one of four #MeToo-related case getting underway this week, including Danny Masterson in Los Angeles, and Kevin Spacey and Paul Haggis in New York. Separately, Cuba Gooding Jr. is expected to face sentencing later this week in a forcible-touching case; he pleaded guilty in April.
Photo credit: Netflix/Getty

Obsessed with The Empress on Netflix and suddenly need to know everything about Empress Elisabeth? Same. And while she had a long and fascinating life, she died relatively young at the age of 60 after being assassinated by an anarchist named Luigi Lucheni while on vacation in Geneva. Her death sent shockwaves throughout Europe, particularly in England where Queen Victoria described the incident as "too dreadful, too cruel."

So, what happened? Sadly, Elisabeth's death was actually pretty random. According to Edward Morgan Allborough de Burgh's 1899 book, Elisabeth: Empress of Austria (published just a year after her murder), Elisabeth was staying at the Hotel Beau Rivage under the pseudonym Countess von Hohenembs. Why? Apparently she disliked too much fuss and wanted to be as low-key as possible. And while the police tried to station detectives around her hotel during the stay, she actually requested they be removed.

On September 10, 1898, Elisabeth and her lady-in-waiting, Countess Irma Sztaray, were walking to catch a boat and she was stabbed. And the attack itself happened so fast that Elisabeth didn't even realize what had happened.

Photo credit: Augerer - Getty Images

As a witness recounted in de Burgh's book:

"The Empress was walking, attended by a lady-in-waiting and followed at some distance by a footman, from the Beau Rivage to the landing stage. When she was near the stage of the Quai du Mont Blanc, there came from the opposite direction a young man, accompanied by another, who was distinguished by a heavy grey beard. When quite near Her Majesty, the former suddenly threw himself upon her and stabbed her through the heart. The Empress Elisabeth fell to the ground, but with the assistance of her lady and some passengers who were near she was able to rise again, and walked to the landing-bridge and reached the steamer. But she had hardly arrived there when she seemed to become suddenly ill, and with a weak voice she said, 'What has happened?' and then became unconscious."

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Photo credit: Hulton Archive - Getty Images

At this point Elisabeth was carried to her cabin, when "the ladies about her" observed a "small spot of blood upon her bodice." She was then taken back to her hotel on a stretcher. Frau Mayer, who was married to the hotel's owner, gave an account of what happened next:

"The Empress was lying with a pale face and closed eyes upon her bed. Soon after she arrived in her room she sighed twice deeply: these were the last signs of life. She lay on the stretcher as if asleep and with no outward show of pain."

Elisabeth's lady-in-waiting also gave a statement, saying, "When Her Majesty had regained her consciousness on board the steamer, I asked her, 'Does Your Majesty feel any pain?' and she replied faintly 'No.'"

Elisabeth passed away shortly after, and her autopsy revealed that she died gradually and without much pain. Her assassin was found and apprehended almost immediately. He gave a statement saying, "It was not a woman I struck, but an Empress; it was a crown that I had in view. I acted on my own initiative, without any pressure, and I alone and responsible for the deed."

Photo credit: brandstaetter images - Getty Images

When Elisabeth's husband Franz Joseph I heard the news he "remained in a kind of stupor for some time," while the rest of Europe's royals were obviously shockedincluding Queen Victoria, who wrote a letter to Franz Joseph I saying, "Words fail me in which to express my heartfelt sympathy and my horror. It is too dreadful, too cruel. May God support and protect you!"

Photo credit: brandstaetter images - Getty Images

It's unclear how far into Elisabeth's life Netflix's The Empress will take us, so it's unclear if these events will be depicted. But it's sad to know things ended like this!

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Well before dawn on Thursday, a group of senior citizens will begin assembling at a parking lot on Niantic Avenue in Providence. By 5:15 a.m. they will be aboard buses en route to T.F. Green International Airport.

These men and women are veterans who will be flying to Washington as Honor Flight participants. This is the 27th Honor Flight group organized by the R.I. Fire Chiefs since being recognized as a Hub of the national Honor Flight Network in August 2012. The Hub is an organization whose mission is to transport Americas veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit those memorials built to honor their service and sacrifice.

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Chief George Farrell, right, chairman of the R.I. Honor Flight program, presents a Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight challenge coin to one of the sentries at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Retired Providence Fire Chief George Farrell heads up the Rhode Island program. Since 2012 we have organized 26 Honor Flights to Washington, Farrell told me. To date weve taken 521 WW II veterans, 155 Korean War veterans and 35 Vietnam War veterans, along with a family member or friend, to visit their memorials.

Weve also transported dozens of other veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts, and, thanks to our generous sponsors, these trips are completely free of any charge to the veterans.

Any veteran of any war is eligible to participate

Any veteran who has served in the U.S. military (including the Reserves and National Guard) is eligible for an Honor Flight trip. Combat service or foreign deployment is not required.

Top priority is given to World War II veterans, and to any veteran with a terminal illness who wishes to visit his or her memorial.

The next priority is veterans who served between WWI and the Korean War, followed by the Korean War, and so on, in chronological order of conflicts.

The national organization describes its mission as helping every single veteran in America, willing and able to get on a plane or a bus, visit his/her memorial.

Vietnam Vets sought for future flights

The organizers were aware from the beginning that the march of time would necessitate a change in the target audience.

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As our pool of World War II and Korea vets dwindles, we are now looking to serve the Vietnam community, said Farrell.

When we started, we restricted participation to World War II vets, and then Korean War vets, he continued. Until recently, only those Vietnam vets with serious medical conditions were accepted.

For a number of reasons, mostly related to the way they were treated when they came home, Vietnam veterans are harder to reach than their WWII or Korean counterparts. Most did not join traditional veteran service organizations such as the American Legion or the VFW  but much of the recruitment for Honor Flights in the past 10 years has been through those groups.

There also seems to be a perception among the Vietnam community that you have to be invited to go on an Honor Flight, or be nominated for inclusion by some higher power.

Nothing could be further from the truth, Farrell insists. Anyone who served in the U.S. military is eligible to go; all they have to do is download a form from our website and send it in.

The website address is www.rihonorflight.com

And if you dont have a computer, or are not tech savvy, just give our office a call at 401-354-7909 and we will walk you through it, said Farrell.

Going on an honor flight might help give Vietnam vets a little of that recognition they deserve and a proper welcome home.

History of Honor Flight

The Honor Flight concept began in Ohio in 2005, started by Jeff Miller and Earl Morse. Morse was a physicians assistant. Making conversation with one of his patients who was a WWII vet, Morse asked about the WWII Memorial that had been dedicated the previous year.

Think youll go see it? Morse asked. No chance, the man replied softly. Im too old, and I have no way to get there.

It dawned on Morse that many of the veterans this memorial was designed to honor were already too infirm for a car or bus ride, and many could not afford the cost of a flight.

On impulse, Morse said he was renting a private plane to visit Washington. Did his patient want to come?

I was prepared for him to demur, or say he had to check with his family, said Morse in a 2005 interview. I was not ready for him to start crying.

So in May 2005, seven private planes, carrying 12 WWII veterans from Ohio, took off for Washington, and the Honor Flight concept was born.

There are now some 140 Honor Flight programs in 44 states.

From 2019: R.I.'s first female Honor Flight

Launch of the RI program

George Farrell served more than 30 years in the Providence Fire Department, working his way up through the ranks from firefighter and eventually serving as chief from 2007 until his retirement in 2011.

My wife and I saw an Honor Flight at BWI airport in 2010, Farrell related. I was moved by the experience and thought the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs would make great sponsors of a Rhode Island program.

Elderly people and those with infirmities are particularly comforted by the fact that the fire department is making their arrangements. They know we are medically trained and this makes it easier for them to decide to go.

More: URI dedicates new facility to help veterans transition to college life

Chief George Farrell, Chairman of the RI Honor Flight program, left, salutes during wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers during a previous trip.

Thursdays trip  Honor Flight Thunderbolt

There will be 42 veterans this time, each traveling with a companion or guardian, someone to look after their individual needs for the day.

As the veterans and their guardians debark their buses and enter the terminal for their early morning flight, they will pass between two long lines of dignitaries, fire chiefs and senior military brass. Honor guards from all over the state  police departments, fire departments and military units  will salute as they enter.

Pipes and drums will begin to play as the travelers prepare for their Southwest Airlines flight.

We work with TSA to get the bagpipers through security, and our veterans are piped all the way to their gate, said Chief Farrell.

After landing in Washington, the veterans can expect a welcome similar to their sendoff. Airport fire trucks will render a water cannon salute, with arcs of water greeting the plane as it arrives.

Time permitting, this group will move to the Iwo Jima and Air Force memorials first, giving Marines and Air Force veterans the opportunity to visit their memorials. A police motorcade will then escort them into Arlington Memorial Cemetery, where they will witness the Changing of the Guard. Immediately thereafter, two of the oldest veterans will be selected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

We dont always get to do that, said Farrell. But after booking a trip date my first call is to Arlington, to get a reservation for our group.

Farrell recalls the stunned reaction of one WWII vet who was chosen to place a wreath. Thats what presidents get to do, the old soldier said in awe.

This will be my 27th group, and I get just as worked up every time, said Farrell. No matter how much I try to describe it, words simply do not capture the emotions of the experience. Until youve been on one of these Honor Flights, you have no idea.

While the order of visitation may vary, the itinerary includes stops at the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with its famous Wall and the Lincoln Memorial.

By then its late afternoon, and the group will head for dinner at a hotel close to Baltimore-Washington Airport, giving everyone a good meal and the chance to relax after a very full day. At dinner the Honor Flight organization arranges mail call for each veteran, which includes photos of themselves from their military days as well as letters of congratulation and support from relatives and friends.

The flight home will land at about 10 p.m., and while the Welcome Home party will be smaller than their sendoff earlier in the day it will be just as enthusiastic.

Chief George Farrell, Chairman of the RI Honor Flight program, walks in front of one of his groups posing for a group photo at the World War II Memorial.

Farrells hopes for the future

We will be continuing our flights in 2023 and beyond, and we especially want to let Vietnam vets know that they are welcome, said Farrell. I encourage them to submit an application.

We believe every vet is special and we want to go above and beyond to prove it.

This is my passion, he said vehemently. Outside my family this is the best thing Ive ever done in my life.

Any U.S. military veteran may apply to participate in an Honor Flight. Please visit www.rihonorflight.com to download an application form or call (401) 354-7909.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Steel Yards Fabrication Nights will run Wednesday and Friday nights, 6-9 p.m. through October; at 27 Sims Ave., Providence. Help make art for their annual Halloween Iron Pour.

Come build larger-than-life props for a breathtaking spectacle of iron, and learn useful skills in the process. No experience necessary.

Wear work clothes, closed toed shoes and gloves. Bring a water bottle and snack. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and make something truly impressive.

For details call (401) 273-7101 or visit www.thesteelyard.org

CALENDAR

Monday, Oct. 17, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) will have a Claims Representative present at the Providence Vet Center to assist you with filing a Service Connection Claim. If you want to meet with the VBA Representative, please schedule an appointment online at https://vets.force.com/VAVERA.

When selecting the location, please select the Warwick Vet Center (Zip code: 02889). Walk-ins are welcome, but you may experience a wait as slots are filling up quickly.

Thursday, Nov. 3, 5-7 p.m.: Veteran Voices Town Hall Series; the VA Providence Healthcare System announces the next in its VIRTUAL Town Hall Meeting series, using Microsoft TEAMS. Guest Speaker: Marine Corps veteran Mr. Mark Ebenhoch, military technical adviser to Hollywood. He has worked on "Platoon," "Born on the 4th of July," "Tropic Thunder" and more. Each Town Hall is followed by a Q&A with VA Providence Healthcare System leadership to make sure your veteran voice is heard. Email providenceveteranstownhall@va.gov for a meeting invitation. Or call in (audio only) 872-701-0185 Phone Conference ID: 475 391 048#

Every Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Art Expression Group offered by the Providence Vet Center, 2038 Warwick Ave., Warwick 02889. Vet Center eligibility required; artistic talent not required. Service members and veterans, test your skills with a paintbrush. Free instruction provided by professionals. Email Heather Tarducci at Heather.Tarducci@va.gov or call (401) 739-0167.

To report the outcome of a previous activity, or to add a future event to our calendar, please email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Honor Flight to WWII Memorials. Vietnam Vets sought for future trips
Vending machines in the US are stocked with candy, chips, and soda (and in some cases, a few "healthy" foods like granola bars). The offerings are fairly basic.

Other countries take their vending machines very seriously. There's a CHEESE vending machine in Switzerland, China has one containing live crabs, and all over Asia (and parts of Europe) you can find machines that dole out hot french fries, burgers, and even pizza.

"Specialty" vending machines aside, you'll find both cold and heated drinks in every Japanese vending machine. For a couple of yen, you can walk away with a perfectly warm bottle of green tea or coffee. It's pretty dreamy.
The Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committee, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo, Sunday led a massive rally in support of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The rally, tagged: "Five-Million-Man Walk", saw APC supporters, including musicians and artistes, defying an early morning downpour to rally support for Tinubu and the re-election of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The APC supporters converged on the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, as early as 7am, walking from there through Ikorodu Road and Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway to Bolade, Oshodi.

Security operatives were on hand to ensure orderliness amid the chaotic gridlock during the walk.

Addressing the gathering at Oshodi, Akinsanya said it was a demonstration of the massive support enjoyed by Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima.

He said, "We just want Lagosians and Nigerians to know that our father, Asiwaju Tinubu, has millions of supporters. This is just a tip of the iceberg. We'll deliver massive votes for Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu in Lagos."

Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, hailed the gathering's show of support for Asiwaju, saying the walk was a sign of imminent victory for the APC at all levels.

APC Lagos House of Assembly candidate for Oshodi-Isolo Constituency I, Stephen Ogundipe, also said the walk was a rehearsal.

He said, "We don't just talk, we walk the talk. This is our Lagos. You can do whatever you want in another state, but this is Lagos."
As the Iranian government cracks down on filmmakers and other artists who use their voices to criticize it, few have paid a steeper price than Jafar Panahi. The Taxi and 3 Faces director was recently sentenced to six years in prison due to his inquiries about the arrests of fellow filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Al-Ahmad.

The sentence, which most of the international film community has denounced as unjust, has temporarily prevented the auteur from making more films. But that hasnt stopped him from having a presence on the fall festival circuit. His latest work, No Bears, recently premiered to strong reviews at the Venice International Film Festival. In Panahis trademark style, the film mixes fact and fiction as it documents his attempts to work as a filmmaker while essentially exiled from his own country. Panahi was honored in Venice, and an empty seat was left open for him at the press conference in a small act of protest.

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The tragic circumstances cast a dark shadow over the films U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival on Sunday night. But despite being unable to attend due to his imprisonment, Panahi found a way to make his presence felt at the festival. Prior to the screening of No Bears, the films lead actress, Mina Kavani, appeared onstage to deliver a statement from the filmmaker.

The full statement from Panahi reads: We are filmmakers. We are part of Iranian cinema. For us, to live is to create. We create works that are not commissioned. Therefore, those in power see us as criminals. Independent cinema reflects its own times. It draws inspiration from society. And cannot be indifferent to it. The history of Iranian cinema witnesses the constant and active presence of independent directors who have struggled to push back censorship and to ensure the survival of this art. While on this path, some were banned from making films, others were forced into exile or reduced to isolation. And yet, the hope of creating again is a reason for existence. No matter where, when, or under what circumstances, an independent filmmaker is either creating or thinking about creation. We are filmmakers, independent ones.

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Watch Kavani share the statement at NYFF below. Her message also invoked protest of the killing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died in police custody on September 16 after being arrested for not properly wearing her hijab. Industry luminaries from Juliette Binoche to Marion Cotillard have widely condemned the killing.

No Bears will be released later this year by Sideshow/Janus.

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EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Urban Sales has sold Japanese director Chie Hayakawas dystopian drama Plan 75 to KimStim for North America, in addition to several other territories. The film won a Camera dOr Special Mention when it premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year, and is also Japans submission to the Best International Feature category of the Oscars.

In a second round of deals, Urban also sold the film to South Korea (Challan), Spain (Adso), Switzerland (First Hand Films), Indonesia (Falcon Pictures) and Thailand (Sahamongkol Film) while Spafax and Encore acquired worldwide inflight rights.

More from Deadline

It was previously sold to France (Eurozoom), Italy (Tucker Film), China (Dddream), Benelux (September Films), Philippines (TBA Studios), Taiwan (Sky Digi) and Singapore (Lighthouse Film Distribution).

Since Cannes, the film has played at festivals including Karlovy Vary and Toronto and will receive a double U.S. premiere at Chicago and Mill Valley film festivals. It is also currently screening at Koreas Busan International Film Festival.

In Japan, where the film was released theatrically in June by Happinet-Phantom Studios, it has become the top domestic arthouse release of the year, grossing more than $2.3M (330m). It was produced by Japans Loaded Films, Happinet-Phantom Studios, Dongyu Club and WOWOW, Frances Urban Factory and the Philippines Fusee.

Based on Hayakawas segment of the Japanese version of the Ten Years anthology films, Plan 75 is set in the near future when the Japanese government launches a program encouraging voluntary euthanasia for senior citizens to remedy a super-aged society.

The story revolves around an elderly woman who isnt able to live independently, a pragmatic Plan 75 salesman and a young Filipino caregiver. Veteran Japanese actress Chieko Baisho, Hayato Isomura and the Philippines Stefanie Arianne head the cast.

Story continues

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Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California governor Gavin Newsoms wife, is one of five women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and who will testify at the disgraced moguls sexual assault trial in Los Angeles that begins this week.

The former film producer faces charges of rape and other sex-related counts involving five female accusers, including Siebel Newsom, who say Weinstein attacked them in hotel rooms between 2004 to 2013. All five are expected to testify, as well as other women not part of the criminal charges.

Like many other women, my client was sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein at a purported business meeting that turned out to be a trap, Siebel Newsoms attorney, Benjamin Fegan, said in a statement to the media via ABC 7. She intends to testify at his trial in order to seek some measure of justice for survivors, and as part of her lifes work to improve the lives of women. Please respect her choice to not discuss this matter outside of the courtroom.

Also Read:

Harvey Weinstein Trial Begins With Heavy Burden on Accusers: Everything Is at Stake for Them

Jury selection in the trial begins on Monday. The trial is expected to last approximately eight weeks and Weinstein could face up to 140 years in prison if convicted.

Fegan did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for comment.

Weinstein is already serving 23 years in a New York prison for criminal first-degree sexual assault and third-degree rape, a conviction he has been granted the right to appeal, arguing that juror James Burke was biased against him. Weinstein has maintained his innocence since the beginning and has spent more than a year in a Los Angeles jail awaiting trial here.

Weinsteins lawyers in August failed to delay the Los Angeles trial in the wake of publicity for the feature film She Said about two New York Times reporters who blew the Weinstein and #MeToo scandal open in 2018.

Also Read:

5 Years After #MeToo, 4 Hollywood Men Face Trials This Month, From Harvey Weinstein to Kevin Spacey
Students walk on the Northeastern University campus in Boston on Jan. 31, 2019. A police bomb squad sealed off part of the campus of Northeastern University late, to examine a pair of suspicious packages, and there were unconfirmed reports of an explosion and minor injuries to at least one person Campus Explosion, Boston, United States - 05 Feb 2020

Rodrique Ngowi/AP/Shutterstock

Hundreds of people who had applied to Northeastern University law school received the exciting news that they had been accepted last week. But, their happiness didn't last long.

According to CNN, the university mistakenly sent out 205 acceptance letters to current applicants because of a "technical error." Another 3,930 people who applied over the last year also received the "erroneous email" that told them they had been accepted.

"Admissions decisions will not be finalized until later in the academic year," a statement from Northeastern University said, per the outlet.

"The School of Law deeply regrets this unintended mistake and is taking steps to ensure that it will not happen in the future," the school added.

Northeastern University said they sent out a follow-up email that explained the error and would respond to concerns from the applicants.

RELATED: 19-Year-Old College Student Dies After Being Hit by Train in North Carolina: An 'Amazing Student-Athlete'

PEOPLE reached out to the university for comment on Monday.

In an interview with Boston.com, LaKisha Papoutsakis said she was one of the applicants who received the acceptance letter. The mother of four was especially delighted since she had already applied to the school once before.

"I was over the moon," Papoutsakis said.

"It was very detailed and much more than a 'congratulations,'" she explained, adding that the acceptance letter had included a student ID number and merit scholarship.

More than five hours after receiving the email, and after multiple attempts to pay a deposit to the university, Papoutsakis said she received a message that rescinded the offer.

RELATED: 20-Year-Old College Student Dies Following Fraternity Boxing Match Described as 'Underground Fight Club'

"It was really disheartening," she told Boston.com. "For such an accredited, high-ranked university to have such a major glitch and take five hours to realize is ridiculous. After such a detailed acceptance, 'sorry' isn't going to cut it."

Story continues

RELATED VIDEO: Louisiana State University Student Shot and Killed in Car in Baton Rouge

Papoutsakis told NBC affiliate WBTS that going to law school has been a dream of hers since she was a child. She hopes the school reconsiders her application.

"I'm a woman of color who wound up in a shelter," she told the station, "who lost almost everything, and still has her four kids, but aspires to be more."
The Housing Authority of the city of Pueblo has been awarded a $70,000 Emergency Safety and Security grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development agency.

Funds will go to the purchase of surveillance cameras and electronic locks at the authority's developments citywide to improve the health and safety of residents.

Safety in public housing is a top priority at HUD, said Marcia Fudge, secretary of housing. These funds will help identify and address opportunities to invest in physical improvements and to advance the health and safety of public housing residents.

Pueblo Housing Authority's multifamily residential structures like these Mountain View Townhomes will receive security upgrades thanks to a $70,000 grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development agency.

Energize Colorado helps Pueblo businesses

Energize Colorado's Energize Community Program has awarded 15 loans worth $285,000 to Pueblo business owners in the past three months.

The funds help small business owners apply for additional capital, plus the program connects them with business advisors and community business support organizations. Another 14 loans worth $270,000 are pending in Pueblo, said Kanitha Heng Snow, director of strategic partnerships and marketing for Energize Colorado.

The program is projected to help create 142 jobs in Pueblo.

"The Energize Colorado team and I have partnered on door-to-door outreach and the funding readiness portion of the Energize Community Program," said Brian Estrada, executive director for the Southern Colorado Small Business Development Center in Pueblo. "We also co-hosted a successful resource fair in our community which informed small business community members about opportunities available to them."

"This endeavor has been a win-win for the small businesses we serve," Estrada said.

Shoppes at Market Place groundbreaking Oct. 14 in Pueblo West

A groundbreaking for the Shoppes at Market Place, 1002 N. Market Plaza, is set for 2 p.m. Oct. 14.

The shopping center is being built by Elk Valley Development and will be constructed next to Ace Hardware. It will offer retail, restaurant, bank and office space.

Sam's Street Tacos will be providing lunch for the event.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Housing Authority to beef up security with $70,000 grant
DeJarnette today is private property and there are fines for trespassing. (Photo: Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia)

DeJarnette today is private property and there are fines for trespassing. (Photo: Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia)

When I go down the internet rabbit hole of my past, I dont look up exes or the girls who bullied me in eighth grade. I look instead for things that really hurt: the group home I was in during my junior year of high school thats now someones house; the residential campus near the beach that closed in an abuse scandal; and DeJarnette, the state-run childrens institution thats now listed as the most haunted asylum in Virginia.

I lived in DeJarnette as a stop-over when I was 14, relatively new to the foster care system, and waiting for a bed to open up at a long-term facility. A quick search for DeJarnette pulls up scores of ghost hunter-type videos showing the usual fare: brave explorers with flashlights and ghost-tracking equipment entering a looming, abandoned brick building.

The white, two-story columns on the front almost seem to glow in the dark. The rows of windows flanking the entrance are boarded up, giving the facade an eerie appearance. Inside, someone insists they saw a shadow move. Someone else calls out that they felt a cold draft. If youve watched one haunted nighttime urban exploration video, youve seen them all.

The difference is that I walked those halls. I recognize the once-grand arches that frame the doorways. When the adventurers get to the corridor with the bedrooms, and sweep their flashlights along the graffitied walls, I always wonder which one was mine.

The facility, originally known as the DeJarnette State Sanitarium, was founded in 1932 by Dr. Joseph DeJarnette. Hed been in the sanitarium business since 1906, previously managing a colony for people with epilepsy and those he referred to as feebleminded. In the 1920s, he petitioned Virginias state government to pass a law allowing compulsory sterilization. His lobbying worked. He targeted those he called defectives and the feeble-minded.

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In addition to people of color, he forcibly sterilized single mothers, alcoholics, those with mental conditions and epilepsy, the poor, and the incarcerated. He was reported to have close ties to Hitler and the Nazis. By 1938, it was said that, at his urging, the United States had sterilized over 27,000 people.

He was ousted from the center in the early 1940s. The building was converted into a childrens mental hospital in 1975 when Virginia took over.

Dr. Joes evil spirit is said to walk the halls. Some say theyve heard childrens voices in the darkness or moans and other noises from the former patients reported to have perished due to medical experiments.

I doubt the teens who once lived there were aware of Dr. DeJarnette by name. I wasnt. However, the buildings ties to eugenics were among the first things new kids learned about the center.

Why did they do it? I asked the girl assigned to show me around on my first day after shed filled me in on the buildings history.

They think your kids are gonna end up like you, she said. If we dont have babies, theyll be less of us and more of them. I wasnt totally sure what more of them meant, but I understood less of us. Less of me.

Despite DeJarnette having an imposing presence and a horrifying history, few memories of my time there match the buildings ghostly reputation.

Once a week, we made sandwiches to sell to the staff. I learned to cook bacon for the BLTs that were on the menu. I was clumsy in the kitchen; I left home at 13 and hadnt cooked much for myself except microwaveable foods and things I could graze on. A DeJarnette counselor showed me how to get the flames on a gas stove exactly right and what to look for when bacon is fully cooked.

Sandwiches were made assembly-line style, with each kid doing a single job dozens of times. The week I was on mayonnaise duty, I learned that you should spread condiments to the edges of the bread. I looked at the slice in my hand. The mayo was an uneven glob. I spread it evenly and proudly fixed all the inadequate slices.

I lived in DeJarnette during the winter. The holidays were approaching. It was my first Christmas in the system. I was learning the ropes, yet I was still hopeful for Christmas presents, even if I wasnt sure where they would come from.

A woman from a local church came to collect our Christmas wish lists.

You can get anything you want, as long as its less than 10 dollars, she told us.

My expectations were perpetually low back then. I fixated on the phrase anything you want. There were endless possibilities at that price point. Id started shoplifting shortly before I left home. I was well aware of the multitudes of things for less than 10 dollars that one can easily slip into a baggy pants pocket. However, I asked for a Def Leppard tape, thinking of the luxury. Tapes were difficult to shoplift. All mine had been left behind. I failed to consider that I no longer had my boom box either.

We celebrated Christmas in the dayroom after lunch. I was thrilled to receive my tape, despite not having a way to listen to it. I knew I would leave DeJarnette as soon as my social worker found a long-term arrangement for me. The tape symbolized hope and the belief that someday, I would have a tape player again.

The author during the time she was in foster care. (Photo: Photo Courtesy Of TJ Butler)

The author during the time she was in foster care. (Photo: Photo Courtesy Of TJ Butler)

I dont have children. I never wanted them, even when I was younger. However, there is a wide gulf between choosing not to have children and someone taking the choice away from you.

Even as society began to condemn Dr. Joes ideology, he was a vocal proponent of the practice until he died in 1957. The United States was changing, and by the late 70s, eugenics was considered discriminatory and offensive. Despite progressive attitudes, Virginia continued compulsory sterilization until 1979.

Eugenics allowed a stranger to decide what kind of person you were and what side of more of them and less of us you fell on. Most of us will agree this is an offensive, abhorrent concept. We like to believe weve progressed beyond beliefs like that. Yet the fight for reproductive freedom continues today.

October can be a spooky month. A few nights ago, I made a mug of tea and settled onto my couch to watch DeJarnettes latest ghost chaser videos. I didnt mind indulging in the rabbit hole as Halloween is approaching. But Id never go there after dark. Im not afraid of the spirits of lost children, Dr. Joes many victims, and even Dr. Joe himself, who all roam the halls, according to the videos. Instead, Im afraid of stepping on a nail or cutting myself on rusty metal. At my age, Im worried about more practical things.

In the world of social services custody, certain places focus on kids who will age out of the system rather than ever going home. I was one of those kids. I left DeJarnette in the spring when a bed opened up for me at a long-term residential center.

I dont have typical teenage memories of homecoming dances, first dates, sweet 16, or getting a drivers license. I like to think I have something better; I made it through the system and didnt become a statistic. Im thriving today, and thats worth far more than the girl I was back then would have asked for.

Some people believe decades of past experiences and emotions can leave residual energy in a place. Maybe thats partly what the ghost hunters are searching for. Because when you consider the collective traumas and experiences of all those who spent time in that cavernous, state-run institution, there was plenty of haunting going on. It wasnt ghosts, though. It was us.

Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here, and send us a pitch.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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Lucas Paqueta says there is plenty more to come after his sparkling performance for West Ham in the 3-1 win over Fulham.

The Hammers record 50million signing wowed the London Stadium crowd with his best display since joining from Lyon in August.

The 25-year-old linked up superbly with fellow summer recruit Gianluca Scamacca and provided the assist for the Italians pivotal goal to make it 2-1.

Paqueta said: Im happy. Firstly with the performance of the team. We knew it would be a really hard game.

We fell behind, which really changes the way you have to play, your game plan. We had to try and keep our heads and look for a way back.

Im happy with my performance and my assist. Im feeling more and more comfortable, understanding my team-mates more. I believe I can only get better.

I was really pleased with the recognition, the support, the confidence the crowd have in me. I hope that I paid it back on the pitch.

Brazil playmaker Paqueta has one eye on next months World Cup but insists helping West Ham climb the table comes first.

Theres no difficulty. This is preparation, I have to do my best for the club in order to get the call-up, he added.

The priority is here, to work hard, prepare myself and do my best. The World Cup will be a consequence of my work.

Yes, Im thinking about it, but I have to think about what Im doing here first.

Andreas Pereira fired Fulham into an early lead but he then fouled Craig Dawson to give away a penalty which Jarrod Bowen converted.

Paqueta then played in Scamacca for a controversial goal which stood despite a lengthy VAR review for handball, and Michail Antonio rounded off the scoring in injury time.

It was a second straight defeat for Fulham and boss Marco Silva said: It showed that we have to keep learning and improving.

I will keep demanding more from my players and more maturity to manage periods of the game better.
Mark Hamill appeared Sunday on The Mehdi Hasan Show, where he spoke about being asked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to help in the countrys defense against the Russian invasion. Hamill said he was surprised when asked to speak with Zelensky.

Im not used to being contacted by world leaders. You know, Im a court jester. Im a nonessential worker. I do cartoon voices, and TV and movies, Hamill said. I was honored to be contacted by him, and basically what they were wanting to do was, become a so-called ambassador, which is a glorified word for representative, for their army of drones.

Hamill is taking part in the United24 fundraising campaign in support of Ukraine, specifically to raise money for drones for the Ukrainian military.

Drones define war outcomes, Hamill said. Theyre essential for Ukraine to protect their border, to protect their citizens, and thats what I hope people will do.

Hamill also touched on why he wanted to help Ukraine.

Its the classic David versus Goliath, Hamill said. You know, everyone expected Ukraine to just immediately surrender to this invading force, and I think to see them fight back with such courage, its been an inspiration to see.

Hamill had previously stated that Zelensky made a Star Wars reference during their lengthy conversation, calling Russia the Evil Empire, and speculated on why the Ukrainian president spoke to him for so long.

I was surprised he spoke to me as long as he did, Hamill said. I thought, My gosh, this is a man that has a lot on his agenda. But he took the time, and who knows? Maybe hes just a Star Wars fan.

The Mehdi Hasan Show airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on MSNBC.

Check out why ABC censored Constance Wu's hilarious Final Jeopardy! response:

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Editor's Note: This article first appeared Oct. 21, 2021.

Pennsylvania has the highest horror movie death toll, a Halloween-themed study shows.

Using analysis from Rotten Tomatoes list of 200 best horror movies, Pennsylvania turned out the deadliest, with 615 total kills, helping it top the CableTV.com crafted list of lethal states.

The Pennsylvania-set horror movie notching the most deaths was George A. Romero's 2005 "Land of the Dead," adding 490 to the states body count, according to CableTV.com. Except for a quick establishing shot of downtown Pittsburgh, "Land of The Dead" filmed in Toronto, though Romero's earlier zombie classics "Dawn of The Dead" and the seminal "Night of The Living Dead" shot in suburban Pittsburgh and were set in Pennsylvania. Those three films alone, from the Carnegie Mellon University alum's zombie oeuvre, contributed to 594 corpses in the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania ranks as the deadliest state for horror movie characters, according to a new study.

New York, with fright film classics like "The Amityville Horror," and "King Kong" (1933), where the angry apes rampage made 52 New Yorkers lose their lives, finished second.

California, the setting to "Scream," "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "The Lost Boys," finished third.

The methodology to CableTV.com's madness: "We skipped any movie that was not based in the United States as well as any movie in which the location or the number of deaths were not readily available. We ended up with a list of 63 movies separated by the state they are set in. Using bodycounters.com and List of Deaths Wiki, we totaled the number of deaths in each film."

Six of those films were set in Pennsylvania; also including "Eraserhead" (1977), "Martin" (1978), and "Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark" (2019).

Beaver County resident Bill Hinzman played Zombie No. 1 in George A. Romero's "Night of The Living Dead," a horror classic that helped Pennsylvania top a recent list.

"Being No. 1 is pretty awesome," Jason Proakis, founder of More Gore Effects, a Pennsylvania company specializing in horror film effects, said. "Let's face it, Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, while beautiful, are just made for horror. We have so many areas that are perfect for horror movie locations."

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Proakis, a Center Area High grad, worked on "Waltz," a Grimm Sleeper Productions horror film recently shot in Beaver County. The cast and crew will greet fright fans this Saturday at Freddy's Haunts haunted attraction in Independence Township.

"The movie scene has been growing around here over the past few years," Proakis said. "The best part is you have smaller production companies like Grimm Sleeper Productions out there looking for locations like our little town."

New Brighton frights: New Brighton home's Halloween decorations bring smiles

Boo-yeah! in Robinson: 'Ghostface' photos help Robinson property listing go viral

To see the full report of Top-10 Deadliest States for Horror Movies, revealed Tuesday, visit cabletv.com/blog/horror-movie-death-count

As with most lists these days, the counters and rankers hope to draw publicity, in this case CableTV.com, an online company that researches and compares TV, internet, and streaming services, "slashing through the techno-speak to give you straight-forward reviews and reliable advice."

See a Top-10 list you don't agree with? Don't worry, a new one arrives almost every day.

Also Tuesday, a list came out proclaiming Pittsburgh as the No. 2 Best City for Vampires nationally, sandwiched between Naperville, Illinois, and Chicago.

Granted, one of the top criteria was the total number of sunny days, for which Pittsburgh finished dead last.

Also catapulting Pittsburgh toward the top: most blood centers, many homes with basements on the market, and the least number of garlic festivals.

Sink your teeth into the Best/Worst vampire cities list, at lawnlove.com/blog/best-worst-cities-for-vampires/ brought to you by national landscape company Lawn Love.

Scott Tady is the local Entertainment Reporter for The Beaver County Times and Ellwood City Ledger. He's easy to reach at stady@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @scotttady.

Trick or treat: What are trick or treat times in Beaver, Allegheny, Lawrence counties?

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Among top horror movies, Pennsylvania is the deadliest state
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.  Phil Hawes thinks we might get a new look from Israel Adesanya.

The UFC middleweight contender thinks Adesanya, whos arguably the best striker in MMA, might show some wrestling in his upcoming title defense against Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 281 on Nov. 12.

Adesanya and Pereira have fought twice before, but in kickboxing, not MMA. Adesanya lost both  one by decision and the other by knockout. Thats why Hawes (12-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) wouldnt be surprised if we see a grappling-based approach from the champion.

I feel like we may see a new champion, but I feel like Izzy is crazy enough to shoot a double, Hawes told MMA Junkie. Hes been in MMA longer than Pereira and I think hes an entertainer, so he might pull out something crazy, shoot some doubles 

I think in a couple of fights, he tried to do a triangle, so he has some grappling experience  probably more than Pereira. Pereira is tough, though. Well see. Ill be tuning in.

Related

Phil Hawes down to fight Bo Nickal: 'I can't wait to put hands on him' Deron Winn to undergo orbital surgery after UFC on ESPN 37 loss to Phil Hawes

Hawes returns to the cage Oct. 29 to face Roman Dolidze at UFC Fight Night 213. Hes coming off a TKO win over Deron Winn in June and is ready to build momentum toward a title run.

The 33-year-old expects to be fighting for gold in 2023 if all goes according to plan.

(Ill be a) 2023 UFC champ, Hawes said. Its on my window. Its on my wall. Its everywhere I be, everywhere Im at: UFC champion in 2023. Lets do it.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
Zamfara State government has donated 199 bags of rice and 97 cows to Qur'anic schools across the state, the state Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Dr Tukur Sani Jangebe, has said.

Jangebe who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Sani Nasarawa, at the launching said the donation was a gesture from Governor Bello Matawalle to Qur'anic schools to celebrate the birth of the prophet.

"We are urging the Ulamas to put Zamfara State in particular and the country in general in their prayers especially during the festivities as they have been doing," he said.

He congratulated the Muslim Ummah for the celebration and called on the people to embrace peace and show love to one another irrespective of social status, religious or ethnic affiliations.
Russia launched rocket attacks on Monday that struck in the heart of Kyiv and a dozen other regions, with around 83 missiles fired on a dozen regions in Ukraine. At least five civilians were killed and a dozen more injured in Ukraines capital city alone.

Recent shelling also hit other civilian regions across the country, including the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where nearly 20 people died in targeted attacks over the weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the mass strikes in retaliation for the explosion of a key bridge connecting the Russian mainland to the Crimean Peninsula. Putin has vowed a harsh response to the Kerch Bridge explosion, which he called a terrorist attack.

His targeting of civilian infrastructure drew an international outcry. Here are all the world leaders who have condemned the attack.

United States

Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine on this awful day, the State Department tweeted. Slava Ukraini.

Germany

The nations Foreign Office tweeted its condemnation of the strikes after Germanys Foreign Affairs minister said Kyiv was in fear of death following the attacks.

Residents fleeing from rockets during morning rush hour. An impact crater next to a playground in central Kyiv, the agency said. It is despicable & unjustifiable that Putin is firing missiles at major cities & civilians in Ukraine.

Moldova

Moldova reportedly summoned Russias ambassador after three cruise missiles launched from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldovas airspace.

Nicu Popescu, Moldovas minister of foreign affairs, tweeted he condemns in strongest possible terms violation of its airspace by three Russian cruise missile as Russia attacked Ukrainian cities this morning.

We condemn Russias continued aggression against Ukraine, Popescu wrote.

United Kingdom

James Cleverly, Englands secretary of state for foreign affairs, said, Russias firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable.

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This is a demonstration of weakness by Putin, not strength, Cleverly wrote on Twitter.

Lithuania

Lithuanias Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement Monday condemning the attacks.

Strikes by Russian military forces on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure constitute gross violations of international humanitarian law and of the obligation to protect civilians, the ministry said. Russias terror tactics show the regimes desperation.

Canada

Global Affairs Canada, the countrys foreign policy agency, condemned the strikes in a tweet and said targeting civilians is a war crime.

Italy

Italys Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said it was horrified by the cowardly missile attacks that hit the center of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities this morning.

We reiterate our firm and firm support for Ukraine, its people and its resilience, and at the same time express our full condemnation and utmost indignation for a gesture that aggravates Russian responsibility in the context of its unjustifiable aggression, the ministry said in a statement.

Iceland

The countrys minister of foreign affairs, Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, called the attacks cowardly and horrifying.

Targeting civilians is a war crime and Russia must be held accountable for the indiscriminate terrorising of the general population of Ukraine. Iceland strongly condemns this senseless assault, she tweeted on Monday.

European Union

Josep Borrell Fontelles, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, promised additional military support for Ukraine in the wake of the attacks.

Such acts have no place in 21st century. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms, Fontelles tweeted.

NATO

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted the security alliance will continue supporting the brave Ukrainian people to fight back against the Kremlins aggression for as long as it takes.

Poland

Zbigniew Rau, the minister of foreign affairs for Poland, said the strikes were an act of barbarism.

Russia cannot win this war, Rau tweeted. We stand behind you Ukraine!

Norway

Anniken Huitfeldt, Norways Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that those responsible must be held to account for the strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Finland

Finlands Foreign Affairs Ministry said the Nordic nation will continue our firm support to Ukraine.

Russia must stop its illegal invasion and leave Ukraine, the department tweeted.

France

French Foreign Minister Catherin Colonna condemned the attacks and said targeting civilians is a war crime in a statement released Monday.

Sweden

Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde said the strikes were blatant violations of international law.

Denmark

Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said Putin has created a neo-imperialist dictatorship.

I am convinced that all good forces must stop Putins war. It is the only way to security and peace in the world, he tweeted.

Updated at 5:51 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Emily Hersh checks the muddy road conditions on a central Nevada salt flat where her company has claims to extract lithium.

SILVER PEAK, Nevada  Three women trek into the barren Nevada desert, boots crunching down a wash until one of them stops at an overhang, pulls out a geology pick, and chips away a chunk of rock.

Over the next few minutes, and during hours of interviews, they explain the relationship between this stone and the battery that powers your electric car.

They talk about prehistoric volcanoes, subterranean brine lakes, advanced technology and the mineral that is changing the future of our planet.

Lithium.

This curiosity of the periodic table is an element so sensitive it can't be found alone in nature. The pure white metal, when exposed to air, promptly oxidizes and turns black.

Since discovery in 1817, the lightest metal on earth has been used for everything from treatment of bipolar disorder to manufacturing thermonuclear devices.

It's a metal, a drug and a power source.

Some call it white gold, or the new gasoline, because it has emerged as the favored battery energizer for todays electric vehicles, plus almost anything that plugs in.

A sign in Silver Peak, Nevada point to different towns in Nevada. Silver Peak is in the Clayton Valley in Central Nevada, about halfway between Reno and Las Vegas.

Amid surging oil prices and the growing climate consequences of fossil-fuel pollution, the market has boomed, sending lithium prices up almost 500% in a year  triggering a global race to find and extract mother lodes.

And  eureka!  the substance is right here in Nevada, hundreds of feet beneath a remote desert only jackalopes could love.

Lithium is sold commercially as a compound, either hydroxide or carbonate. Nearly all the commercial product today comes from hard-rock mines. But the world's largest reserves by far are in underground lakes like those in this place called Clayton Valley.

Which explains why these three women are here in central Nevada.

Mary Little is a geologist-turned-business-executive. As director of Pure Energy Minerals, she oversees the largest number of mining claims in Clayton Valley, if only she can secure rights to pump the water.

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Emily Hersh is an exploration entrepreneur. As CEO at Luna Lithium, a start-up company, she has mining claims about 30 miles to the north, if only she can get the permits, cover the costs and find a way to commercially separate the element from brine.

LeeAnn Munk is a professor of geology and geochemistry who does research around the world, including projects for Pure Energy, Luna Lithium and Albemarle Corporation, an international mining giant that claims all water rights in Clayton Valley.

These three women have pioneered new pieces of the lithium energy puzzle, and here amid the stunted Joshua trees, they have plenty to say about their work.

Their story is a struggle worthy of the Old West. Tangling with bureaucrats for mining permits. Human ingenuity that conjures metal from brine. A battle with a land baron over another substance that has always  in this desert  been as precious as gold: water.

The members of this trio also have something to say about an industry dominated by men  and about the future of power.

More: The 'white gold rush' and why it's important

Emily Hersh, left, Lee Ann Munk, center, and Mary Little chat over a portable GPS devise while standing in the Clayton Valley in Central Nevada.

Emily Hersh

Hershs pickup truck turns on a single-track road heading into a broad, crusted flat.

August monsoon storms have muddied the way and, about three-quarters of a mile in, the road becomes a quagmire. Forced to retreat with no turn-around, Hersh throws the truck into reverse and drives the entire distance backward.

The incident is metaphorical.

A dirt road runs between lithium evaporation pods owned by Albemarle Corporation in Silver Peak, Nevada.

Hersh, 36, said Luna Lithium started work two years ago, has completed geophysical studies and drilled one bore hole at a cost of a million bucks. Water and core samples are promising, but costs and challenges are daunting. She says it's more of a caper than a straightforward process. ... It takes patience and persistence.

Hersh grew up in Washington, D.C., and after high school headed to Tulane University for an engineering degree  until Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and the engineering school got shut down.

She switched to a double major in political autonomy and economics, focusing on how religion effected world financial conditions. In 2008, she added a masters from American University, with focus on Islam, banking and oil in the Middle East.

She was poised for a career with an organization like the State Department or International Monetary Fund, but instead headed to Argentina.

Soon, she had a consulting business in Buenos Aires, helping oil and gas companies deal with government regulations and logistics. That led to gold exploration in Paraguay, and Hersh became hooked on the hunt.

Emily Hersh, CEO of Luna Lithium, an exploration company that has mining claims to extract lithium from subsurface brine in Nevada.

At first, she was after precious metals. But her base was in the Lithium Triangle  Argentina, Chile and Bolivia  and she began to dream of shifting the world energy paradigm away from gas and oil.

Hersh said part of the allure was a grand adventure  pursuing a mysterious resource with uncertainty about where to find it, how to extract it and how the supply chain works. She turned to geologists and market analysts for answers, but found confusion.

When really smart people disagree about something, Hersh said, flashing a grin, thats opportunity ... I want to make discoveries.

That was half the motivation, Hersh added. The other half: Unlike gold, lithium is useful. ... Its not something you acquire and hide in a basement.

She found work as an adviser to lithium exploration companies, investors and government agencies while hosting a podcast called the Minerals Manhattan Project.

Part of the spiel is a warning that China is cornering the world market on lithium: Unless the United States does something in a coordinated fashion, she said, were all going to be driving cars with Chinese batteries."

"I dont think China is beating us because theyre cheating, she added. Theyre just doing a good job. They have a plan.

America, she laments, does not: The United States has no mining czar like other nations. Its mineral extraction laws date to the 1800s. Government agencies that handle permits are understaffed, untrained and dont coordinate with one another.

In her view, Americans crave computers and airplanes and electric cars, but they demonize industries that produce the raw materials.

It's a view that fits her industry.

At an international lithium conference in Phoenix in June, investors, prospectors and mining executives waxed euphoric about the future of electric vehicles (and the potential to get rich) even as they bemoaned regulatory hurdles to mining.

One speaker compared the potential impact of lithium-ion batteries to the industrial revolution. Another said the effort to meet lithium demand is like building a spaceship on the launchpad  while youre launching.

Over breakfast at the convention, Hersh had talked about her matriculation through the mining industrys school of hard knocks for women.

Misogyny reveals itself mostly in small ways, she said: Its someone assuming a male assistant is the CEO and shes the secretary; or getting treated dismissively in a discussion of finances.

We live in a society that doesnt support women in positions of power or positions of intelligence, she said. Im constantly having to defend my existence."

"It wears you down, and its hurtful," she added. I will stand up to micro- and macro-aggressions, but with a goal that it will happen to fewer other people. ... Im good at what I do, and people who back me dont do it because of or in spite of my in-your-face feminism.

Mary Little

Raised in Virginia, Little said she knew as a child she wanted to be a scientist, and her parents didnt distinguish in their expectations for her and two brothers.

She loved chemistry and physics, especially envisioning complex systems in three dimensions. She planned to get a doctoral degree but became fascinated with using core samples and seismic data to figure out where valuable ore might be hiding.

It was just a lightbulb that went off, Little said. And, at the time, it wasnt lithium  it was copper.

After working on an exploration job in Michigan, Little wound up getting hired by Atlantic Richfield for a dream job in Chile.

Little was the first woman hired in the domestic metals section, but doesn't talk about sexism the way Hersh does, saying only, I had problems, particularly in the first years. ... You always make choices. I wouldnt change anything.

She spent 15 years in South America chasing copper and gold.

Mary Little, director of Pure Energy Minerals, talks about lithium mining In July 2022.

Around 2014, she switched her attention to lithium. It was never about the money, Little said. There were real problems that needed to be solved. ... The magic is whats happening now in our industry, and how its going to affect lives.

Little was invited to join the board of Pure Energy Minerals, which she saw as an emerging leader in lithium extraction from brine. The company secured 950 claims in Clayton Valley.

By 2018, bore samples and test wells had verified heavy concentrations of lithium at multiple depths on Pure Energy's claims.

But that's where the fight with the land baron comes in.

A portion of Albemarle's concentration plant in Silver Peak, Nevada.

Albermarle Corp., based in North Carolina, operates a lithium project called Silver Peak. It's the only commercially producing lithium brine project in North America. It sits in Clayton Valley, right in the middle of Pure Energy's claims. And Albemarle extracts lithium from the briny water in the classic fashion: It lets the water evaporate.

The brine-pumping method used by Albemarle expends huge volumes of water, requires a year to 18 months for evaporation.

Pure Energy began working with companies on direct lithium extraction, a new process to glean the mineral from water without the delays and ecological impact of evaporation ponds, and then pump most of the water directly back into the ground.

Pure Energy, contends its technique recovers lithium in hours rather than months.

Little, who became Pure Energy's lead director, said development has been slowed by COVID-19 and regulatory delays. The brine-mining boom in Clayton Valley created manpower shortages and competition for equipment.

But theres an even bigger catch: Pure Energy has only secured a permit to pump 50 acre-feet of water annually  enough for a test plant, but not commercial production.

More than a half-century ago, long before Albemarle acquired the site, Nevada's state engineering office calculated the annual water capacity in Clayton Valley at 20,000 acre-feet. And every drop was granted in permits to Albemarle's predecessor.

Today, at least 20 companies boast claims in the basin. Pure Energy is among those to legally challenge the allotment, triggering a modern-day version of the range war only with lawyers instead of gunfighters.

"It is skullduggery," said Warren Stanyer, president of Nevada Sunrise, which spent years in an unsuccessful bid to wrestle away some of Albemarle's brine rights. "Mark Twain said, 'Whiskey's for drinking, but water's for fightin' over ...' It's a war."

Little declined to talk about the legal issues, but in 2019 her company protested when the state engineer renewed Albemarles water permit.

Pure Energy contended that the engineer's office was being used as a pawn to maintain a monopoly," adding that "Albemarles sole purpose of continuing to hold water that it cannot and will not use is economic warfare  if no other companies can access water rights in Clayton Valley then Albemarle will be able to continue its reign as the only producing lithium mine in Nevada.

Albemarle, in response to questions about its mining operations, wrote in a statement that is has "been going through the process of proving up full beneficial use" of its water rights. "Unfortunately, that process has been slowed by tactics and allegations from other parties looking to obtain rights to that same water," the company said.

It said the aquifer water in the Silver Peak area is already highly salty  four times as salty as seawater  thus the presence of lithium. "These brine aquifers are not able to be used for drinking water, agricultural, or irrigation water." While the site also taps an uphill freshwater source, the company said, "approximately 97.5% of the groundwater usage at Silver Peak is brine."

Albemarle's president of the lithium business unit, Eric Norris, recently announced major expansion plans that would double production and use all of the valley's water allotment.

Little shook her head at that prediction. Well, theyve said that, but they havent done it," she noted. "And theres room for multiple players to win with brine.

Leeann Munk

Wild horses trotted up to a desert a hot spring in a corner of Clayton Valley as Munk launched an impromptu seminar on volcanic cinders and calcium carbonate mounds.

University of Anchorage professor Lee Ann Munk, whose research focuses on geology and geochemistry of lithium deposits, holds a rock from an outcrop in Clayton Valley.

Some of the exposed rocks are intrusives dating back 600 million years. Geothermal water was forced through fissures to the surface. As the planet warmed and cooled over eons, rain cycles filled and dried the playa repeatedly, leaching minerals each time.

Now, except for the hot spring, the only surface water is in Albemarle's nearby evaporation ponds.

A dirt road runs next to a lithium evaporation pod, left, owned by Albemarle Corporation in Silver Peak, Nevada.

Munk, the daughter of a hairdresser and a sheet-metal worker in northern Michigan, said she enrolled in a college geology class by accident because it fit her schedule. A field trip got her hooked on the campfires, adventure and outdoor quest. Then she discovered the magic of chemistry and blended two disciplines, focusing on interactions between water and rocks.

From a base at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, Munk got intrigued by lithium more than a decade ago. It was this weird element just beyond hydrogen and helium on the Periodic Table. It also was an unexplored mineral, she said, "wide open to discoveries.

Today, when someone asks Munk what she does for a living, the answer is simple: I help find the worlds supply of lithium.

That job definition brought her together with Hersh and Little. All three worked in South America, and they forged a friendship in part because there are so few women in geology.

Every time youre in a room, youre the one person, Munk said. Its pretty obvious to the world that women in engineering and math fields are outnumbered and starting on a lower rung of the ladder. Thats part of being who I am.

But the relationship also stems from a common mission, Munk said: pursuing a commodity that will thwart climate change while delivering power to economically deprived communities.

The common thing is, were all working to advance lithium and help the world," said Munk, who also studies the loss of glacial ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. "Its a place I never imagined myself. ... The more pioneering and out there it is, the more I love it.

A spontaneous discussion

Driving through Clayton Valley, the women stop on an overlook and launch into a philosophical discussion of mining history, economics and ethics.

Munk holds up her cellphone and laments the rabid anti-mining sentiment of Americans who walk around with lithium batteries in their purses and pockets. It's hypocrisy," she says. "You cant have it both ways, she says.

Hersh joins in, saying the public demonization of mining is almost like a fetishism.

They continue grumbling about environmental laws and government oversight until someone mentions that, historically, unregulated mining savaged public lands with open-pit scars and toxic waste. Yes, they agree, and it wasnt just ecological devastation, but colonial enslavement and exploitation of workers for centuries.

But that was in the past, when companies had a single-minded mission to make money and all else be damned, Munk says.

Today, Hersh adds, the No. 1 objective is not profitability, but social justice: Calculating the overall positives and negatives of a project not just for shareholders, but for the local and global community.

For example, Munk says, mining brings roads, electricity and jobs to remote villages while supplying minerals to the world. If we all put our minds together and have a vision, she adds, we can make things change in a better way.

The implication is that women are part of that change. But how? Whether geologists and CEOs are male or female, there will always be conflicts between earnings, labor costs and environmental protections.

Its an impossible set of ever-changing values and variables, Hersh decides, and the job of leaders is to measure and juggle them, issue by issue and point by point.

Even with lithium, Little says, the values can be murky. Yes, battery-powered cars will dramatically reduce carbon emissions. But brine extraction projects will use chemicals, consume water, produce waste. And the batteries still require electricity for re-charging.

There are always trade-offs, she allows. Its not 100% free.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lithium may hold the key to our energy future. These mining explorers find it
ASHEVILLE - A recent search warrant obtained by the Citizen Times suggests an investigation is underway in an apparent rape case involving an Asheville High School student, although school and law enforcement officials did not offer any further information.

Asheville police filed the warrant for social media posts. As both the alleged perpetrator and victim are minors, their names are not given. The warrant lists the potential crimes of second-degree forcible rape and second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

APD cannot comment on an investigation involving juveniles, Asheville Police Department spokesperson Bill Davis said in an email Oct. 7.

According to the warrant, the two juveniles were having consensual sex when the alleged victim asked the alleged perpetrator to stop. The alleged perpetrator was acting strangely and aggressively, the alleged victim said, according to the search warrant. The alleged perpetrator recorded the rape and shared it with others via Snapchat, the alleged victim said. The warrant also says the alleged victim made reference to others claiming they had been assaulted and recorded by the same alleged perpetrator.

A recent search warrant obtained by the Citizen Times suggests an investigation is underway in an apparent rape case involving an Asheville High School student.

The warrant says that the alleged victim's parent sent multiple emails to school staff about a screenshot circulating of the video in question.

Related:Search warrants: Buncombe high school teacher groped, sent nude photos to student

Previously:More Asheville School alumni claim sexual abuse as SBI investigation enters 2nd year

Asheville High School Principal Derek Edwards told the Citizen Times Oct. 7 he could not comment, and that any comment would have to come from Asheville City Schools central office.

It is unclear if the alleged perpetrator has been charged or faced any repercussions from Asheville High administrators. Criminal records of juveniles are not public in North Carolina.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, juveniles account for more than one-third (35.6%) of those known to law enforcement to have committed sex offenses against other minors, and the percentage of child-on-child sexual abuse is highest between ages 15 and 17.

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This is not an Asheville City Schools issue, spokesperson Dillon Huffman said in an email when asked to comment on the search warrant and whether a Title IX investigation has been conducted.

Asked to elaborate, Huffman wrote that Asheville High School is one of our schools, however, we have no information."

Read this:Teen says sex assault happened at elite Asheville School

More:Asheville School now under criminal investigation by SBI for allegations of sexual assault

Title IX was established in 1972 to provide equal access to education for all genders and to protect children and those in post-secondary educational institutions from sexual harassment and sexual assault. A Title IX investigation is required when a sexual assault has been reported.

The Buncombe County Sheriffs Office previously conducted its own investigation into the incident, but it was closed after Detective Jamie Hannah could not contact a parent, APD's search warrant says.

Buncombe County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Aaron Sarver denied part of that account.

It would be improper for us to comment while another agency is conducting an investigation, he said in an email. Following a thorough investigation, Detective Hannah did make contact with the mom and closed the investigation.

Need help?

If adults know or suspect a child has been sexually assaulted or physically abused state law requires them to report it to law enforcement. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted and needs help or resources, contact:

Our Voice: (For ages 13 and older) 828-255-7576, www.ourvoicenc.org.

Mountain Child Advocacy Center: (For ages 17 and younger), 828-213-9824, https://mtncac.org.

RAINN: (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) 800-656-4673, www.rainn.org.

Ryan Oehrli is the breaking news and social justice reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Send tips to coehrli@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Police searched Snapchat in alleged rape involving Asheville student
The family

CEDRIC ANGELES From left: Patchez, Meryl, Elton, Chantel, and Felicity

Elton Kennedy came from a family of ministers in rural northeast Louisiana, but he always wanted to be a farmer. When given the chance to lease land with an option to buy in the town of Mer Rouge, he turned to the plow. He farmed his first rice crop in 1969, and over the years, his bulk-rice companies, Kennedy Rice Dryers and Kennedy Rice Mill, grew to include an average of 60 growers per year working over 15,000 acres. But to him, it was a family business all along. "I always thought that I would have a son to take over one day," Elton says. "As it turned out, having four daughters worked out just the same."

While building his business, he raised those daughters: Patchez, Felicity, Chantel, and Meryl. They spent their childhoods making regular "check on the farm" visits or, as Felicity remembers, "times when Dad would share all kinds of knowledge, either farming related or just general life lessons." Chantel explains, "When we were growing up, our father always referred to his work as the family business and said it was up to us to carry on." The sisters had other plans, and their dreams didn't necessarily include working the land. In fact, they all went off to school and started their adult lives elsewhere

The four sisters

CEDRIC ANGELES

The pull home, however, was stronger than they'd thought. After graduating from college, youngest sister Meryl planned to study abroad and struck a deal with her dad. If she agreed to work on the farm for a summer, he would pay for graduate school. As it turned out, studying overseas didn't happenand neither did graduate school. "I think he knew that if he got me back to the farm, I would fall in love with the business," says Meryl. "It was the best deal of my life."

Chantel returned after college, married, and resumed working in the company. And so did Patchez. "Coming home with my children to family and childhood friends brought a sense of comfort that cannot be replaced," she says. Felicity joined in, too, working from her home in Tennessee.

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Grains on the plant

CEDRIC ANGELES

Knowing that the business was in good hands, Elton retired in 2010. Then in 2016, the women launched KenChaux, their first in-house packaging and retail brand. It was renamed 4Sisters in 2019 as a nod to their partnership. Meryl assumed the role of chief executive officer, Patchez became chief marketing officer, Felicity started traveling and promoting the company as a brand ambassador, and Chantel's interest in organic farming practices led her to take on the position of sustainability manager. "It was natural for us to tailor our roles to suit each of our skill sets," explains Felicity.

Street between greenery

CEDRIC ANGELES A road to the rice fields.

"Dad didn't have to pour his knowledge of this male-dominated industry into four young girls, but he did it anyway," says Meryl. All those "check on the farm" visits ended up paying off. The company now works more than 25,000 acres of land, has a new state-of-the-art mill, enjoys relationships with national retailers such as Walmart and Whole Foods Market, and has launched an online store. To answer the growing demand for natural products, they offer organic and sustainably grown rice along with the conventionally farmed kind.

Elton began his company with a vision to take a small grain and make a difference in the world. "Working with my girls has been extremely rewarding," he says. "I am beyond proud of the effort they put into growing what I started, something that will be here long after I'm gone."

Field at sunset

CEDRIC ANGELES

Try These Louisiana-Inspired Rice Recipes

Smothered Pork Chops with Rice

Recipe: Smothered Pork Chops with Rice

Pork with hearty, gravy and rice will have you licking your chops. The sauce is made with Creole mustard that you'll want to eat by the spoonful.

Vegetarian Dirty Rice

Recipe: Vegetarian Dirty Rice

This meatless rice dish is filthy good. Poblano peppers add spice while cremini mushrooms and plant-based bacon pack in savory, umami flavors.

One-Pot Shrimp-and-Sausage Jambalaya

Recipe: One-Pot Shrimp-and-Sausage Jambalaya

No matter your jambalaya preferences, this one-pot rendition is a winner. Shrimp and andouille sausage are well-seasoned to Creole-style in this rice stew.
DULUTH, Minn. - One-hundred people gathered in a loose assemblage Sept. 25 at the top of a grand overlook along the western edge of Lake Superior.

That is to say, they came independently but for the same reason.

And at 2:30 p.m., in a moment that couldn't have been choreographed better by a Broadway director, they all looked skyward.

The crowd at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, Minnesota, bristled with excitement.

"Broad-wings!" said volunteer Eric Bruhnke. "Look at them kettling."

Heads were thrown back, binoculars and cameras were raised and visitors, volunteers and staff alike watched several dozen broad-winged hawks twirl on a thermal in the cobalt sky.

A minute later someone shouted "merlin!" and most of the group was able to spot the accipiter speeding west about eye-level.

It was quickly followed by the sighting to the north of a juvenile bald eagle, comparatively big, beefy and lumbering.

Elsewhere at Hawk Ridge birds were being banded and prepared for release. And on a roped-off platform, trained, dedicated observers were counting and recording every bird within eyeshot.

"Isn't this the best?" said Tania Womack, an avid birder from Mammoth Spring, Arkansas. "I really feel at home."

Visitors look at migrating birds Sept. 25 at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth. The facility celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

Hawk Ridge is celebrating 50 years in 2022

The birding action, camaraderie and science form the foundation for Hawk Ridge, one of the world's premier bird observation and banding sites.

The facility is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Special events were held Sept. 22-25.

The observatory is located on an elevated ridge along Lake Superior and part of the 365-acre Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve.

It's a perfect place to view migrating birds and draws thousands of visitors each fall, said Janelle Long, the observatory's executive director.

Although migrating birds can fly over water, they mostly prefer to pass over land.

So when wind or geography  or both  push the feathered travelers close to coasts, it often results in a spectacular, aerial abundance along the shore.

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That makes the western corner of the world's largest lake among the most heavily travelled air space in the world for birds.

As they push down from Canada and northern Minnesota on their fall migration, millions of birds detect Lake Superior ahead and make a hard west turn and hug the shoreline to the twin ports of Duluth and Superior.

Once clear of all that blue water, they continue south as they choose, some to the Mississippi Flyway, others over less conspicuous routes.

Professor Pershing Hofslund became instrumental in changing behaviors at Duluth ridges

The concentration of migrating birds along the Duluth ridges has been known for more than 100 years.

The spectacle has not always been treated with as much reverence as it is today.

Until about 1950, most of the people who gathered on the cliffs were gunners who shot the passing hawks and other raptors, Long said.

"They used them for target practice," Long said. "But thanks to the efforts of Prof. Hofslund and others, it got stopped."

Long was referring to Pershing "Jack" Hofslund, a professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Hofslund started by putting signs on the cliff that read "Don't Shoot Hawks."

They were almost always torn down, Long said.

But Hofslund worked with the Duluth Bird Club (now the Duluth Audubon Society) to publicize the illegal activity and eventually the prohibition against shooting within the city limits was enforced.

The first hawk watch was organized at the site in 1951, according to Hawk Ridge literature. As the magnitude of the migration became apparent, observation increased from a few days in mid-September to daily counts from August through November.

In 1972, the Duluth Audubon Society, with a loan from the Minnesota Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, donated funds to the city of Duluth to purchase the highest part of the Ridge.

Under a trust agreement with the City, the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory manages the 365 acres as a nature reserve, open to the public for study and enjoyment.

Hawk Ridge nature reserve has one of nation's largest bird banding stations

The first systematic count from the main overlook began in 1972, also the year the banding research station opened.

It's now one of the nation's largest bird banding sites, Long said.

About 3,000 birds are caught, banded and released at Hawk Ridge each fall. The staff keeps data for studies on raptor distribution, movement patterns and dispersal, plumage variation and life span.

Additional projects include genetics, contamination such as mercury, telemetry work with various species including golden eagles and turkey vultures, and parasite loads.

Janelle Long, a native of Greenfield, is executive director of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth.

Greenfield native leads the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory

All of the observatory's programs are now led by Long, a native of Greenfield, Wisconsin, whose parents taught her a love of nature generally and birds in particular.

She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in wildlife management and biology from UW-Stevens Point and a masters in environmental education at University of Minnesota-Duluth. She has worked at the facility in some capacity since 2007.

As with everything in nature, there is a rhythm to bird migration.

Songbirds and owls move mostly at night, hawks and other raptors during the day.

And within groups, species show marked differences for typical departure dates.

Yellow-rumped warblers and golden-crowned kinglets, for example, are among the hardiest songbirds and latest to migrate, often seen in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late September and October.

Late September is also prime time for one of the most spectacular raptor movements: broad-winged hawks.

The species, which nests in the forests of Canada and the U.S., often migrates south in large, swirling groups called "kettles."

Broad-wing birds and sharp-shinned hawks are very popular

Several times in the afternoon of Sept. 25 such assemblages of broad-wings, each numbering in the hundreds of birds, thrilled onlookers at Hawk Ridge.

The species tops the list of raptors observed at the site. This season 39,420 broad-wings have been recorded at Hawk Ridge, including an astounding 12,020 on Sept. 22 alone.

The second-most seen bird of prey is the sharp-shinned hawk; 10,992 have been observed so far this season.

Other commonly sighted species include Cooper's hawks, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, American kestrels and turkey vultures.

Late in the afternoon on Sept. 25 staff members brought out a kestrel and a sharp-shinned hawk for release. Twenty visitors gathered to see the just-banded birds fly free.

"That's just beautiful, just the way it should be," said Gail Marsman of Duluth, a Hawk Ridge volunteer for 49 years, as the birds flapped off into a gathering breeze. "See you (birds) next year!"

Long has a mantra to describe Hawk Ridge: the birds, the people, the place.

"We have all these species of birds, people from all over the world, sharing in the excitement of birding and education at this unique site along Lake Superior," Long said. "I'm really grateful for this opportunity to work with our staff and volunteers to shine a light on all those elements here."

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth is great spot for public viewing
Huge solar energy output from Egypt will help provide clean energy to Europe via a massive undersea power cable (Getty Images/ iStock)

Solar energy harvested on the edge of the Sahara desert in Egypt is set to be sent to Europe via a massive undersea electricity cable.

The 1,373km (853 miles) cable will deliver 3,000 MW of electricity to the European grid, powering both households and heavy industry.

The ambitious energy project is expected to be completed before the end of the decade, with the Copelouzos Group backers recently meeting with Egyptian leaders in an effort to speed up the project.

By bringing 3,000 MW of clean energy to Europe via Greece, we are helping Europe wean itself off Russias fossil fuels and natural gas, said Copelouzos Group chief executive Ioannis Karydas.

Also, the green energy we will transport will be much cheaper than todays energy prices. You understand that this will help both Greek and European consumers.

The GREGY Interconnection cable will run from Sidi Barrani in the east of Egypt to Attica in Greece, costing an estimated 3.5 billion.

The electricity will be produced in solar energy facilities in Egypt and other African countries and will serve shared grids in Bulgaria, Greece and Italy.

A similar initiative dubbed the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project will see clean electricity sent from North Africa to the south of England via a 3,800km cable.

A feasibility study for the wind and solar power project has already been completed and it is hoped that it will deliver 3,600 MW of renewable energy to meet the needs of roughly 7 million UK homes.

Once complete, the project will be capable of supplying 8 percent of Great Britains electricity needs, Xlinks outlined in a mission statement on its website.

Alongside the consistent output from its solar panels and wind turbines, an onsite 20GWh/5GW battery facility will provide sufficient storage to reliably deliver each and every day, a dedicated, near-constant source of flexible and predictable clean energy for Britain, designed to complement the renewable energy already generated across the UK.
Then-President Donald Trump walks with White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders as they leave the White House on October 9, 2018. LIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images

Sen. Tim Scott and Sarah Huckabee Sanders are being floated as Trump's potential 2024 running mates.

That's according to reporting by New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman.

Haberman said she thinks it's likely that Trump will run in 2024.

Former President Donald Trump has been considering his ex-White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina as possible running mates should he pursue a 2024 presidential campaign, according to New York Times' Maggie Haberman.

Haberman, who's closely reported on Trump since the start of his political rise, shared her thoughts on the former president's 2024 ambitions during an interview with "The View" on Monday.

"There's a couple of people whose names have been mentioned. The one that actually gets mentioned the most by people close to him is Tim Scott from South Carolina, the senator, and then Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who's possibly the next governor of Arkansas," Haberman said when asked who she thinks Trump might pick as his vice presidential nominee if he runs.

Haberman's comments come ahead of the Tuesday release of her new book, "Confidence Man," which chronicles Trump's life in New York, his four years in the White House and his post-presidency. Haberman interviewed the former president three times for the book.

Since leaving office, Trump has repeatedly teased at running for president again. Haberman on Sunday told CBS News that she thinks it's likely Trump will launch a 2024 bid, but may not see his campaign all the way through.

"I think that he needs the protections that running for president, he thinks, would afford him in combating investigations that he calls a 'witch hunt,'" she said. "And it is the way that he fundraises and makes money. So much of his identity now is about being a politician. So I expect that he will run. That doesn't mean that even if he declares a candidacy that he will stay in the whole time."

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Sanders served as Trump's second press secretary from 2017 to 2019. Before that, she had been an advisor on Trump's 2016 campaign. She's now the Republican nominee for governor in Arkansas, the office that her father, Mike Huckabee, held from 1996 to 2007.

Scott, a Trump ally and the only Black Republican in the Senate, appeared open to the idea of being Trump's running mate when asked earlier this year.

"I think everybody wants to be on President Trump's bandwagon, without any question," he told Fox News in February. "One of the things I've said to the president is he gets to decide the future of our party and our country because he is still the loudest voice."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Marco Bertorello/Reuters

A waiter who spent years trying to prove he was the love child of Juan Carlos, the former king of Spain, died suddenly at the Pa i Trago bar in La Bisbal, Spain, as he was about to take a sip of red wine, Spanish media reports.

Before his death, Sola insisted that he had DNA tests that proved he was a 99 percent match with Juan Carlos, the former king who abdicated power in 2014 after breaking his hip while on an African safari with a lover.

The former king later became embroiled in twin tax scandals in Spain and Switzerland involving a check for $100 million from the former king of Saudi Arabia, that have made it a convenient choice to live in Abu Dhabi to avoid Spanish and Swiss authorities.

Despite the kings abdication, Albert Sola, was convinced that being recognized as his son would change his fate, according to his 2019 autobiography El Monarca de La Bisbal. Sola unsuccessfully petitioned a Spanish court in 2015 to prove the kings patrimony.

The court case caught the attention of another suspected love child of the playboy king. Ingrid Sartiau, a housewife from Belgium, was also convinced she was a product of her mothers one night stand with the king in 1966. The two worked together to try to find other children who might be products of the kings alleged philandering.

The Crazy Private Life of Juan Carlos, Spains Royal Horndog

Sola, a married father of two, grew up as an orphan and had heard rumors of his royal lineage his whole life, according to his autobiography despite never clearly outlining how it is he had the former kings DNA to run a conclusive test.

The ex-king was last spotted at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, which he attended with Queen Sofia. In 2021, an alleged former lover Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein told a British journalist with the BBC that she was given a handsome check for around $65 million for her loyalty, which was largely thought to be hush money.

Sola died after he ordered a glass of red wine and before he had taken a sip, according to El Pais newspaper. An autopsy is underway, but authorities say they suspect his cause of death did not involve foul play, the newspaper states.

Story continues

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Prepare for panda-monium!

On Sept. 28, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province introduced 13 adorable panda cubs to the world.

The baker's dozen of black-and-white bears are among the 15 panda cubs born at the research base in 2022. The baby animals' public debut marks the first time all the cubs have gathered together, according to SWNS.

Out of the 15 pandas born at the Chengdu Research Base  a facility dedicated to panda conservation  in 2022, there are four sets of twins.

Footage from the baby animals' public debut shows the cubs crawling together and being held by their caretakers.

RELATED: French Zoo's Panda Twins Make Their Adorable, Bumbling Public Debut

baby panda

Conservationists' efforts to save the giant panda from extinction have been fruitful.

In July 2021, Chinese officials announced that the number of giant pandas in the wild had surpassed 1,800. This increase in numbers prompted the Chinese government to change the giant panda's conservation status from endangered to vulnerable.

The Chinese government has created over 50 panda reserves to increase the giant panda population, per the World Wide Fund for Nature. Pandas also received extra protection with the passing of the Wildlife Protection Act, which went into law in 1989 and bans panda poaching.

China's panda diplomacy, where the country loans pandas to accredited zoos worldwide, has also played a role in conserving the giant panda species by raising awareness about the animals and leading to many successful panda cub births.
Photo: Curt Borgwardt/Sygma (Getty Images)

The Netflix Series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has had the internet abuzz since it was released. A record number of viewers have tuned into the streaming service to watch one of the most infamous serial killers hurt his victims, who in most cases were young Black men.

Family members of Dahmers victims have spoken out against the series and a plethora of Black people on social media have criticized the show for glamourizing Black trauma. With that in mind, The Root looks back at other despicable White serial killers through the years.

Read more

16. Albert Fish aka Gray Man

Photo: Bettmann / Contributor (Getty Images)

Hamilton Howard Albert Fish was a serial killer and child molester who committed multiple child murders during the 1920s. In 1936 he was convicted and executed by electric chair.

15. Andrew Cunanan

Photo: Jamie Lytle / Contributor (Getty Images)

Andrew Cunanan was a serial killer who killed five people in 1997. He was most known for the murder of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace in July 1997. He committed suicide one week after he killed Versace.

14. Zodiac Killer

Image: Bettmann / Contributor (Getty Images)

The Zodiac Killer murdered multiple people in the Bay Area during the late 1960s. Historians consider his to be one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases. And, like Dahmer, his exploits have become a part of American culture.

13. Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris

Image: Bettmann / Contributor (Getty Images)

Known as the Tool Box Killers, Bittaker and Norris were American serial killers who kidnapped and raped at least five teenage girls in southern California in 1979. Bittaker was sentenced to death but died while on death row. Norris agreed to testify against Bittaker and was sentenced to life in prison.

12. David Berkowitz aka Son of Sam

Photo: Hulton Archive / Stringer (Getty Images)

Berkowitz killed and wounded multiple people in New York City during the mid 1970s. He eventually pled guilty to all of his shootings and was sentenced to six life sentences.

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11. Dennis Rader aka The BTK Killer

Photo: Pool / Pool (Getty Images)

Rader killed ten people between 1974 and 1991 in Wichita and Park City, Kansas. He sent letters to the police as taunting mechanisms. He was arrested in 2005 and is currently serving ten life sentences.

10. Henry Lee Lucas

Photo: Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc / Contributor (Getty Images)

Lucas was convicted of murdering his mother in 1960 and two others nearly two decades later in 1983. While he was incarcerated he falsely confessed to over 600 murders in Texas. It was later found impossible that he committed most of those murders. He was sentenced to life in prison.

9. Joseph DeAngelo aka The Golden State Killer

Photo: SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/SANTIAGO MEJIA / Contributor (Getty Images)

DeAngelo is a former police officer who was responsible for more than a dozen murders, more than 50 rapes and more than 100 burglaries in California from 1974 to 1986. The penalty for his crimes was 12 life sentences.

8. Joel Rifkin

Photo: Rick Maiman / Contributor (Getty Images)

Rifkin was sentenced to 203 years in prison for the murder of nine women between 1983 and 1993.

7. Robert Hansen aka The Butcher Baker

Image: Screen grab from Oxygen.com (Other)

Better known as the Butcher Baker, Hansen murdered, raped and abducted multiple women in Alaska from 1971 to 1983. In 1983, he was arrested and sentenced to 461 years in prison, where he eventually died at the age of 75 in 2014.

6. H.H. Holmes

Image: Chicago History Museum / Contributor (Getty Images)

Holmes was a con artist who confessed to nearly 27 murders, although he was only convicted of one and eventually was executed for his crimes in 1896.

5. Dean Corll aka The Candyman

Photo: HOUSTON CHRONICLE (AP)

Corll abducted, raped and murdered dozens of teen boys and young men in the early 1970s in Texas. He was known as the Candy Man because his family used to own a candy factory. One of his accomplices fatally shot Corll in August 1973.

4. Ted Bundy

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP)

Bundy is also one of the most infamous serial killers in American history who kidnapped, raped and murdered young women during the 1970s across multiple states. He eventually confessed to 30 murders that he committed between 1974 and 1978.

3. John Wayne Gacy

Photo: Donaldson Collection / Contributor (Getty Images)

John Wayne Gacy was a rapist who murdered at least 33 young boys in the Chicago area. All of his crimes were committed in his house in a suburb of Chicago. He eventually was executed by lethal injection.

2. Gary Ridgway aka Green River Killer

Photo: Pool / Pool (Getty Images)

Ridgeway was a serial killer who was convicted of 49 murders making him one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. Many of his victims were teenage girls in the state of Washington during the 1980s and 1990s. He was sentenced to life in prison.

1. Jeffrey Dahmer

Photo: EUGENE GARCIA / Staff (Getty Images)

Netflixs series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) gives the life story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. It sparked outrage as the victims families felt like the series was exploiting their pain. Jeffrey Dahmer was indicted on 15 murder charges after targeting mostly Black and POC men and boys, mostly occurring in Wisconsin from 1978 to 1991. The series went into painful detail about the way Dahmer murdered his victims, from luring them back to his apartment, torturing them and even eating some of the bodies. There are more than 20 movies, documentaries, tv specials, and series recounting Dahmers life.
"The suspect led the police to the forest where the victim's body was dumped and his already decomposing body was found.

The police in Osun on Sunday said it arrested a commercial motorcyclist and three others in connection with the abduction and killing of a traditional chief in Oraigbomina, Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun.

Yemisi Opalola, the police spokesperson in the state, said the suspects were arrested after the son of the late traditional chief reported the case of a missing person to the police.

"On Saturday, at about 12:30 p.m., one Oladepo Olasunkanmi of Kereja Area, Oraigbomina, under Oke Ila Police Division, reported that his father, Chief Oladepo Asaolu was missing.

"He said his father left his house at Kereja, at about 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, with an unknown commercial motorcyclist and he was yet to return home after four days," she said.

Ms Opalola said police intelligence and investigation later led to the arrest of the commercial motorcyclist who conveyed the missing chief on the day he was last seen.

She said the arrested motorcyclist confessed that the chief had been killed and also took the police to the forest where the victim's body was dumped.

"The Divisional Police Officer of Oke Ila lead a team of policemen and some vigilantes in search for the remains of victim.

"The suspect led the police to the forest where the victim's body was dumped and his already decomposing body was found.

"The arrest of the commercial motorcyclist also led to the arrest of three other persons who confessed to have been involved in the kidnap and killing of the victim," she said.

The police spokesperson, however, added that arrangement was in progress to move the body to the nearest morgue.

She said the suspects and the case had all been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo for further investigation.

(NAN)
Hundreds of radiant rebozos and picturesque huipiles, made by Indigenous artisans in rural towns of Mexico, adorn the tall walls of a store on Chicagos Michigan Avenue. Each item tells the story of a family  traditions that are centuries old  and how they got to the Magnificent Mile for the world to admire.

For many years, Erika Espinosa could fit all the merchandise on a small table that she would set up on the sidewalks of different neighborhoods, at festivals and community markets during the summer  even in her backyard. Colores Mexicanos, she said, was not only a business for her and her family, but also a reflection of the significant and thriving Mexican community in Chicago.

The small family business became a part of the Community Marketplace on the Chicago Riverwalk in 2021, getting the initial opportunity to showcase handcrafted items brought to Chicago from various regions of Mexico. Right before Black Friday, with the help of COVID-19 relief funds from the citys Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protections and the Magnificent Mile Association, the family turned an empty storefront in Chicagos luxurious shopping district into the cultural hub they had always dreamed of.

And the one our culture and our artisans deserve, added Espinosa.

The story of Colores Mexicanos was recognized by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her team as an example of the entrepreneurial, economic power and cultural value of immigrants during a recent trip to Mexico City to promote Chicagos economic progress and reaffirm the sister city relationship that has been in place since 1991.

To move from a home-based business into the Riverwalk with a small storefront that was only seasonal, to one of the most prominent retail corridors in the world is a testament to the real business vibrancy of Chicago  and a story that is really only possible in Chicago, said Samir Mayekarv, deputy mayor of economic and neighborhood development, who accompanied the delegation.

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The Magnificent Mile is stronger because we have a neighborhood business that truly is unique on the corridor, and it is a real testament to the entrepreneurial sprit in the Latino community.

Lightfoot led a delegation of city officials and 28 business leaders from the Chicago area, including Colores Mexicanos co-owner Leticia Espinosa, during the recent five-day trip to Mexico City, which included roundtables with Mexican government officials and top business organizations to explore new opportunities for partnerships and developments.

As recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is critical that we exchange ideas and share innovative methods for driving growth in our business sector, Lightfoot said in a news release. The trip to Mexico City was the third international trip for the Lightfoot administration, and it also focused on promoting tourism to Chicago.

Meetings and roundtables set by World Business Chicago with over 50 Mexican local businesses and Chicagos delegation, as well as a discussion with Business Coordinating Council  the largest representative body of the private sector in Mexico  resulted in more than seven investment opportunities and six visits coming to Chicago to explore the potential of sustainable investment in both Mexico City and Chicago.

But the partnerships go beyond potential economic stimulants. The conversations revolved around cultural investments and diplomacy exchange, Mayekar said.

The University of Illinois System inaugurated its first international office at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), which will serve as a springboard for joining research in several areas. The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also signed a memorandum of understanding with UNAM, providing the opportunity for engineering and architecture students from UNAM to intern with Chicago businesses.

There are nearly 700,000 Mexican-born residents in Chicago, according to the Migration Policy institute, making it the U.S. city with the second-largest population of Mexican immigrants. Many contribute to the nearly 80,000 Latino-owned business in Chicago, according to data from the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The benefit to Chicagoans most directly is by having prominent businesses and entrepreneurs in Mexico viewing Chicago as their base of growth, Mayekar said. (But) anytime you have closer cultural, diplomatic and business exchange between Mexico and Chicago, its a benefit to the diaspora here in Chicago.

A tangible example of that, Mayekar said, is the story of Colores Mexicanos, which is not only thriving in Chicago and benefiting its immigrant owners, but is also growing the businesses of artisans in Mexico.

We expect more Mexican American and Mexican entrepreneurs here in Chicago to be able to tap to new opportunities in Mexico and we hope to have business in Mexico to be able to tap here, Mayekar said.

Sisters Erika and Leticia Espinosa immigrated to Chicago in the early 2000s. Though theyd always been interested in selling Mexican art, it wasnt until 2017 when Erika finally decided to start. Leticia and other family members would bring a few items from their visits to Mexico, and the two realized that they were nowhere else to be found  and that people in Chicago really appreciated it, Erika Espinosa said.

But most importantly, the artisan families in Mexico were finally getting the exposure they deserved, she said. Since its inception, the goal has been fair trade by buying directly from artisans and staying transparent with artisans about pricing their items in the U.S.

Colores Mexicanos currently buys directly and constantly from more than 60 families from different regions throughout Mexico,

The sisters once tried their luck at a mall in Little Village but failed. Still, they persisted. Erika would sell items online and at festivals while Leticia worked as one of the editors at Hoy, the Spanish newspaper published at that time by the Chicago Tribune. Thats when they met Gabriel Neely-Streit, an avid writer and cultural lover who became the force they needed since he is fluent in English and knows how to navigate the system, said Erika Espinosa.

Though he loved the world of journalism and storytelling, Neely-Streit decided to shift gears when Tribune Publishing ended production of Hoy. He applied his love for storytelling through Colores Mexicanos, where he tells the story of each artisan that they buy from.

The three now are co-owners and have managed to keep their store on Michigan Avenue after the initial help from the city programs, said Neely-Streit. Though the shop was only set to be a holiday pop-up in an empty store, they have struck a deal with the landlord to stay on Michigan Avenue.

The success story of Colores Mexicanos highlights more than the economic power and the entrepreneurial ability of the immigrant community in Chicago. It shows that while the presence of the Mexican community is strong in Little Village, Pilsen and other traditionally Mexican areas, it is also strong in the Magnificent Mile, reflecting Chicagos true diversity, said Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, the consul general of Mexico in Chicago, who went on the late September trip.

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
gif of a heart made of open and closed books swaying over a red background

Mental health has become a primary concern on college campuses, and the Covid-19 pandemic has only made student wellness resources more crucial.

In a June 2020 survey, telehealth provider TimelyMD found that 85% of college students reported that the pandemic had caused increased stress and anxiety and uncertainty about the future of their education. Similarly, a poll from the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement revealed that 53% of first-year students noted a substantial increase in mental and emotional exhaustion.

Related: I struggle with anxiety. My campuss disability services center saved my college experience.

The numbers alone insist that schools need to provide support in response to students new struggles and shifting lifestyles, and some have concocted innovative strategies for addressing wellness on campus.

Mind-body connection

Many schools are integrating mental health with their physical health services. Colby Colleges student-run Outdoor Orientation Trips promote mental well-being through engaging with others, engaging your body and engaging with nature. The trip is mandatory for first-year students.

Duke Universitys Moments of Mindfulness organization provides drum circles, guided meditations, paint nights, tai chi, tea ceremonies and yoga. Similarly, Colorado State developed a Bikram yoga program based on the schools research about how the practice improves mental health. Ohio Universitys Women's Center recently held a Self Appreciation Yoga Workshop as part of its Love Yourself Week designed to boost confidence.

Free apps and online resources

Colorado State University developed YOU at College, an app that lets students identify mental health issues and resources on campus, take self-check quizzes and access tips and tools for managing anxiety and stress. The platform also gives the college insights into mental health trends and student issues to help inform campus programming. Similarly, Cooper Union created Cooper Care, an app and online platform that provides students with all-hours access to virtual health care providers.

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Then theres Breathe, an online resource for student stress management created by Northwestern University. The app offers guided meditations and breathing exercises, while UC Berkeley provides free online tools like Accountability NEST (Networked and Engaged Social Therapeutics). Counselors moderate NESTs message boards so students get expert guidance. The anonymous digital space promotes goal-setting and provides a group of virtual peers to hold you accountable to follow through.

Related: The paradox of self-care

IRL peer-support systems

If anything, periods of required isolation during the pandemic exacerbated feelings of loneliness in folks across the globe and in particular, students. The experience made many of us rusty when it comes to asking for support or speaking about our own problems. In March 2022, West Virginia University launched the Green Bandana Initiative. Students who completed mental health training earned green bandanas and were encouraged to wear them on campus as a signal to other students that theyre open to talking and being a source of support.

Berkeley also provides peer counseling offline with its Student-to-Student Peer Counseling program, which is made up of a group of student counselors who offer free, one-on-one walk-in services to fellow students. The group also holds weekly group therapy sessions. Similarly, Colorado State University hosts Theme Groups for discussing specific topics like trauma skills, body positivity and the trans experience, all with the intention of helping students feel supported and less alone.

Specialized services for specific groups

Last month, the State University of New York (SUNY) announced a $24 million investment in expanding its mental health and wellness services and enhancing campus resources. SUNY Potsdam is building a Diversity Mindfulness Room in its Center for Diversity, a designated safe space with mental health resources and tools specifically for BIPOC students. Its Binghamton University campus is hiring another divisional diversity officer to address student mental health concerns among diverse populations.

Baylor University recently shared an initiative to support mental health services specifically for student athletes. The program will include counseling services, crisis intervention, appointments with mental health professionals for athletes who experience severe injuries and more.

Related: I feel lonely and stressed as a transfer student

View the original article at Chegg Life and signup for the Chegg Life Newsletter

Related...
We knew that this moment was coming.

When Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, my candidacy for the Arizona Legislature became all the more critical. My fellow candidates supporting abortion rights and I knew the stakes had become even higher.

The difference between electing a pro-abortion-rights majority and failing to do so is the difference between women having access to life-saving health care or being cut off from the treatment they need.

For so many Arizonans, there is no option but to fight back against these attacks.

As the former president of the Arizona chapter of National Organization for Women, I have had difficult conversations for years with people. In one instance, I remember learning about a married woman with two children who was forced to travel out of state to receive an unsafe abortion during the pre-Roe era, an abortion that she paid for with her life.

It is not a mystery what is going to happen now that abortion is outlawed. History will repeat itself.

I have always fought for Arizona women. I wont stop now.

I am profoundly aware of the impact that reproductive freedom has on Arizona families, knowing that the decision to start a family is deeply personal. Now, the state is preemptively deciding for us.

ABORTION CLARITY: Brnovich, abortion advocates want special legislative session address abortion laws

The impact of abortion bans is felt hardest in marginalized communities, such as women living in poverty, women of color and the LGBTQ community.

Even prior to the most restrictive bans on abortion, women sacrificed millions of dollars per year in economic power because of the abortion policies our current legislative majority has shepherded, championed and celebrated.

When we force people to have children and they have no choice but to drop out of the workforce, they pay for it in wage loss, career growth and retirement savings. This serves as another stark reminder of just how important paid family leave is  something many Arizonans go without.

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Majority lawmakers have spent years passing laws designed to demolish abortion access the instant Roe v. Wade fell. This foreshadows what will happen if the current majority clings to power for even just one more year.

As a result of the pre-statehood ban on abortion, emergency contraception and in-vitro fertilization could be in jeopardy for Arizonans. In other states with similar bans, the privacy of women is at risk and being monitored by the state. Doctors could face jail time for providing the care they know is best for patients.

Not only is this pre-statehood law deadly, it's also deeply unpopular and out of step with the voters I speak with every day. Voters know that the government has no right to make decisions for us in our doctor's offices. Arizonans have always believed in individual freedom and personal liberties.

As evidenced by our ongoing megadrought and teacher shortage, I know there are a number of issues that must be addressed in the Arizona Legislature next year. As a former teacher in Arizona public schools, I know better than anyone how urgently we need to fix public education in our state.

I also know that we have to take critical steps to manage our water supply and safeguard our voting rights.

But we can't make progress if half of our population is relegated to the second class  forced to carry to term pregnancies from rape or a nonviable pregnancy.

In November, choice is on the ballot.

The fate of Arizonans reproductive freedom has already been unjustly stripped away by the state Legislature and by the courts. Arizonans know we are headed in the wrong direction when an abortion ban from the Civil War era has been brought back to life.

The Legislature is where access to reproductive care will be expanded or chipped away.

Every legislator supporting abortion access elected gets us one step closer to the repeal of the 1864 ban. Voters cant send back the same old, same old this time around. Lets build a better Arizona where people can choose if and how they want to grow their family.

Laura Terech is the Democratic nominee for the Arizona House in Legislative District 4, which includes north Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She has served as president of the Arizona chapter of the National Organization for Women. Reach her at lauraforaz@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Abortion access is the most urgent issue in Arizona legislative races
FILE PHOTO: A worker arrives at his office in the Canary Wharf business district in London

LONDON (Reuters) - Fund managers in Britain posted a 6% rise in assets under management to 10 trillion pounds ($10.8 trillion) last year, but a slowdown is likely, the Investment Association (IA) said on Tuesday.

The 2021 growth rate was below the 11% compound average annual increase seen in the last 10 years, according to an IA survey.

"Whilst 2021 was a positive year, we now face a very different operating environment," IA CEO Chris Cummings said in the report, pointing to the war in Ukraine.

"Rising interest rates bring the spectre of recession and weaken the outlook for asset growth."

Sterling fell to record lows against the dollar this week as fears mounted over the government's recently-announced fiscal plan, unleashing calls for an emergency Bank of England rate hike to restore confidence.

Assets managed within funds open to a range of investors reached 4.1 trillion pounds last year, with almost two-thirds sitting in funds registered overseas, mainly in Ireland and Luxembourg.

So far, the European Union has not materially restricted delegation, the mechanism which allows overseas asset managers to run funds based in the bloc, but the volume of business, which brings in export earnings to Britain, highlights what's at stake if EU-UK relations broke down completely over issues like post-Brexit Northern Ireland.

Nearly half of assets in the survey are now subject to environmental, social and governance criteria, and assets applying exclusions reached 28%, from 25% a year earlier.

Graphic: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/dwpkrogywvm/IA%20Graphic%203.PNG

Cummings described the growth of sustainable and responsible investing as a "standout trend".

($1 = 0.9260 pounds)

(Reporting by Carolyn Cohn and Huw Jones; Editing by Mark Potter)
CNN journalists who entered the Thai daycare where more than 20 children were killed in a massacre have issued apologies for their coverage.

On Thursday, a pair of journalists from the US news outlet entered the site where a former policeman killed 36 people, most of whom were preschoolers, during a knife and gun rampage at the Young Childrens Development Center in Uthai Sawan.

The mass killing, considered to be one of the deadliest ever carried out in the Southeast Asian nation, unfolded in a small farming community in Thailands northeast. The suspect in the murders, a former member of the force who was dismissed from his post last year over drug allegations, stormed the building and killed dozens before fleeing and killing his own wife and child, police said. He then killed himself.

The two journalists - reporter Anna Coren and cameraman Daniel Hodge - were fined on Sunday by authorities after they were found to have been working in the country on tourist visas, deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn told the Associated Press.

My deepest apologies... especially the families of victims of this tragedy - we are so sorry to have caused you more pain and suffering, said Ms Coren, according to the BBC. She, alongside Mr Hodge, were fined 5,000 baht ($133). We know your country is going through a painful time and we never came here to cause more grief.

The pair of journalists were initially accused of trespassing and filming without appropriate credentials but were later cleared any further wrongdoing after they entered the day care on Thursday to record footage of the carnage that had unfolded.

Thai police investigated the incident after the issue was brought to them by the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand and Thai Journalists Association, both of whom issued statements that criticised the US news crew for a serious breach of journalistic ethics in crime reporting.

Would one of their crews have behaved in the same way at a serious crime scene in the United States? the statement asked.

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Our statement on the CNN coverage of the mass killing

in Nong Bua Lamphu ##: pic.twitter.com/fT9YcBOvrU  FCCThai (@FCCThai) October 8, 2022

A reporter shared a since-viral image of two of the crew members leaving the scene where 36 people lost their lives, which shows one member climbing over the low wall and fence around the compound, over police tape, and the other already on the other side.

#: Image of CNN news crew climbing out of the childcare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu taken by a Thai journalist pic.twitter.com/Zj50VovIdE  FCCThai (@FCCThai) October 8, 2022

CNN Internationals executive vice president and general manager Mike McCarthy also issued an apology on behalf of the news outlet, beginning by saying that his reporters sought permission to enter the building but the team now understands that these officials were not authorized to grant this permission, and added that it was never their intention to contravene any rules.

We deeply regret any distress or offense our report may have caused, and for any inconvenience to the police at such a distressing time for the country, he said in the statement, which was tweeted by CNN.

The news outlet has pulled the video footage from their broadcasts and removed record of it from their website, CNN said.

With files from the Associated Press
Women protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran, in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli

DUBAI (Reuters) - Nationwide protests over the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of Iran's morality police have been at their most intense in the northwestern areas where the majority of the country's 10 million Kurds live.

The protests, now in their fourth week as demonstrators defy a crackdown by security forces, pose the biggest challenge to Iran's clerical rulers in years.

The demonstrations began in reaction to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and then spread to every one of Iran's 31 provinces.

The death of the ethnic Kurd raised tensions between the establishment and Iran's Kurdish minority, which human rights groups say have been long oppressed by Iran's leadership.

The Islamic Republic denies persecuting Kurds.

Tehran has blamed Kurdish dissident groups and foreign enemies for fomenting some of the protests, and its armed forces responded to the turmoil by striking Iranian Kurdish opposition groups inside neighbouring Iraq.

The elite Revolutionary Guards have put down unrest in the Kurdish community for decades, and the countrys judiciary has sentenced many activists to long jail terms or death.

Here are some facts about Iran's Kurds, part of a community that is spread across several Middle East countries and one of the world's largest people without a state.

HISTORY

Minority Kurds, mainly Sunni Muslims in Shi'ite-dominated Iran, speak a language related to Farsi and live mostly in a mountainous region straddling the borders of Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey.

Kurdish nationalism stirred in the 1890s when the Ottoman Empire was on its last legs. The 1920 Treaty of Sevres, which imposed a settlement and colonial carve-up of Turkey after World War One, promised Kurds independence. Three years later, Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk tore up that accord.

The Treaty of Lausanne, ratified in 1924, divided the Kurds among the new nations of the Middle East.

Kurdish separatism in Iran first bubbled to the surface with the 1946 Republic of Mahabad, a Soviet-backed state stretching over Irans border with Turkey and Iraq. It lasted one year before the central government wrested back control.

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Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution touched off bloodshed in its Kurdistan region with heavy clashes between the Shi'ite revolutionaries and the Kurdish Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) which fought for independence.

After the 1980 eruption of the Iran-Iraq war, regular Iranian armed forces and Revolutionary Guards doubled down on their repression of Kurds so as to prevent them becoming a fifth column in Tehrans fight against Saddam Hussein.

New militant groups such as the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) have emerged over the past two decades and have occasionally clashed with security forces. Their leaders have often sought refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan and have been attacked by Iranian missiles.

Kurdish claims have oscillated between full-on separatism and autonomy within a multi-ethnic Iranian state, spanning a wide political spectrum from left-leaning secularism to right-wing Islamist thought.

SOCIETY

With eight million to 10 million Kurds living in Iran, Tehran fears pressure for secession will grow among a minority with a long history of struggle for its political rights.

Rights groups say Kurds, who form about 10 percent of the population, along with other religious and ethnic minorities face discrimination under Iran's Shi'ite clerical establishment.

"Kurds in Iran have long suffered deep-rooted discrimination. Their social, political and cultural rights have been repressed, as have their economic aspirations," human rights group Amnesty International said in a report.

"Kurdish regions have been economically neglected, resulting in entrenched poverty. Forced evictions and destruction of homes have left Kurds with restricted access to adequate housing."

(Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean)
Happy exes: Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall (right) joined by their daughter Georgia May (centre left) and his girlfriend Melanie Hamrick (centre right) (Instagram )

Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall proved theyve remained friendly exes by enjoying a meal together on a night out - 45 years after they first dated.

The pair, who had a 22-year-relationship, were joined by daughter Georgia May Jagger and the Rolling Stones frontmans ballet dancer girlfriend Melanie Hamrick for dinner at Paris Fashion Week.

Sharing a series of snaps, including one of the four smiling at the dining table, on Instagram, Georgia May wrote: "Some things you havent seen yet from Fashion Week."

Jagger and Halls 22-year romance ended in 1999 (AFP/Getty Images)

Fans were delighted with the image. One wrote: "So much love for this." A second added: "This is so cute. Happy exes!" While a third commented: "Im so happy everyones getting along... Love your mum, love your day and I like Melanie too."

Jagger, 79, and Hall, 66, who separated in 1999, also share adult children Lizzie, James, and Gabriel.

The rocker and Hamrick have been together since 2014 and welcomed son Deveraux in 2016.

Jagger is also father to Karis, his daughter with Marsha Hunt; Jade, his daughter with ex-wife Bianca; and Lucas, his son with Luciana Gimenez.

Former model Hall, meanwhile, recently finalised her divorce with media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 91.

The couple got engaged in January 2016 and married less than two months later at a church on Fleet Street, London, a week before his 85th birthday.

Hall filed for divorce in July this year, citing irreconcilable differences.

Hall filed for divorce from Rupert Murdoch in July of 2022 citing irrrecocilable differences (EPA)

It remains to be seen if Hall and Murdoch will end up being friendly exes, but speaking of her ongoing friendship with Jagger and their big blended family, she previously told the Guardian: Im close with the mothers. I think family is really, really important.

It gives you a good foundation, a lot of strength.

Its really important to me that there is no conflict in the family.

We have big Christmas get-togethers; with all the mums and all the children and its wonderful.

One big blended family.
World War II veteran Cleatus Lebow, 98, passed away Sept 29 in Amarillo; he was the oldest of only two remaining survivors of the torpedoed vessel the USS Indianapolis from World War II.

In total, only 316 out of 1,195 sailors survived the July 30, 1945, attack from a Japanese submarine. More than 890 men entered the water after the attack on the ship, with Lebow being one of about one-third of the men that survived exposure, dehydration and shark attacks while stranded in the open ocean after spending over four days in the waters of the Philippines Sea.

Cleatus Lebow, in wheelchair, is seen at a previous reunion at the USS Indianapolis. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

Over the past year, two survivors from the USS Indianapolis have died, leaving Harold Bray Jr., who turned 95 in June as the last living survivor of the attack. Granville Crane of Gulfport, Mississippi, died Jan. 5 at the age of 95.

More:Emotion just beneath the surface

More:Beilue: For the dwindling few, the USS Indianapolis reunion is too meaningful to ignore

Lebow and Bray both attended a ceremony May 18 at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, for the 77th-anniversary reunion of friends and family of the USS Indianapolis crew. Leaving from the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo, Lebow looked forward to meeting his fellow survivor and their families, especially with the passing of Crane signaling that this could be their last meeting between them.

Cleatus Lebow waves to his supporters in May at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home as he departs for the USS Indianapolis Reunion in Fredericksburg. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

"I am really excited to make this trip; I have not seen Bray or family members in years, Lebow said as he departed Amarillo. With the special bond that we have, this really means something to meet again.

Lebow was one of 10 siblings who grew up in Abernathy, Texas. Joining the Navy in 1943 as a teenager, Lebow served on the USS Indianapolis for nearly three years before his ship was sunk. He was awarded a Purple Heart while recovering in Guam and was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2020 for his service.

More:USS Indianapolis survivor Lebow honored at ceremony

After retiring from working for the telephone company after 35 years of service, Lebow moved to Memphis, Texas, where he will be laid to his final rest Sunday afternoon. Lebow had been a resident of the Ussery-Roan State Veterans Home since Feb. 21 of this year.

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Melissa Kalka and Lee Persefield escort U.S.S. Indianapolis survivor Cleatus Lebow to center stage by Blanke Siebrecht at the Armed Forces Day Banquet in May. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

Lee Persefield, the onsite representative for the Veterans Land Board, spoke about the loss of one of his most distinguished residents.

He was someone that we truly had to respect, such a hero for the country itself being one of the few remaining survivors of the USS Indianapolis, Persefield said. He always wore a smile and was a very humble man. He never wanted to be considered a hero; Cleatus just said he did what he did. He brought a smile to anyones face that he met. He was exceedingly kind and very gracious.

U.S. Navy Veteran Cleatus Lebow visits the memorial to the USS Indianapolis in Indiana in this provided photo. Lebow, one of the last two remaining survivors, died Sept. 29; he was 98.

Persefield said that his fellow residents had the utmost respect for Lebow, knowing his sacrifices.

More:Veterans Home sends off Cleatus Lebow, 1 of 2 living USS Indianapolis survivors, to reunion

More:Armed Forces Day Banquet to honor military service

Having been a part of that Greatest Generation and losing another member of that generation for us is a very sad time, Persefield said. He was loved by so many here and by other family members of USS Indianapolis survivors. Our greatest thing we got to do for him was take him to the reunion earlier this year to meet with his fellow survivor.

Persefield said at the time of the reunion that there was a great possibility that this would be the last time that the two men would meet.

In this provided file photo, Cleatus Lebow, third from the right, visited Indianapolis for a reunion with six fellow survivors of the USS Indianapolis, which sank after an attack by two Japanese torpedoes in 1945. Lebow, 98, died Sept. 29. He was one of two survivors remaining.

"It was such an honor to have him with us for the time that we had with him, Persefield said.

Lebows son Jerry Lebow spoke about the passing of his father and the generous outreach that has come from the community upon his death.

He was one of the last two survivors from the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, and we were very proud of him, Lebow said. I feel like I kind of had to share him and his experiences with the rest of the world. That is OK because that was part of his life, and I appreciate everything he did, knowing what he did and the stories behind all of it.

The USS Indianapolis just off Mares Island in San Francisco in July, 1945, the same month it sank in the Pacific. U.S. Navy Photo

Lebow said that he has had so many people reach out to him since the passing of his father.

"I have had so many phone calls, letters and texts about my fathers passing; it has been crazy over the past week, Lebow said. It is unbelievable how many people have reached out to us.

Jerry Lebow said that his father never liked to be looked upon as a hero.

My dad always said 'I am not a hero' and that other veterans 'gave as much as I did and more,' Lebow said. He always said he was just a lonely sailor doing his job for the country that wanted to go home.

Services will be held in Memphis, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 9, 3 p.m. at Fairview Cemetery.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Humble hero: Cleatus Lebow, USS Indianapolis survivor, remembered
Deputy President William Ruto makes a speech on August 15, 2022 after being declared President-elect by the IEBC.

POMP and fanfare greeted the arrival of Kenyan President William Ruto as he landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), on Sunday for bilateral talks with his host President Samia Suluhu Hassan in what could further bolster socio-economic ties between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi.

It is Ruto's first ever state visit to Tanzania since he took the oath of office last month, after he received an invitation from President Samia.

The new Kenyan leader was received at the JNIA by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Stergomena Tax.

Dr Ruto was accompanied by a delegation of officials and his wife Rachel Ruto.

Today, the two leaders are scheduled to hold an official meeting at the Magogoni State House in Dar es Salaam.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, after their meeting the two leaders will hold a news conference and later Dr Ruto and his delegation will be treated at a state banquet to be hosted in his honour by President Samia.

President Ruto has so far made four foreign visits since taking over office. His first trip was to the United Kingdom where he joined other world leaders at the burial of Queen Elizabeth II.

After the trip in the UK, he flew to the United States to attend the 77th session of the United Nation's General Assembly (UNGA) which opened on September 13, this year. He was yesterday in Uganda to attend that country's 60th independence celebrations.

His visit in Tanzania is expected to boost trade between the two neighbouring countries which are also members of the East African Community (EAC).

Trade between Tanzania and Kenya is the highest in EAC, fuelled by continued strong trade ties between the two countries as non-tariff trade barriers (NTBs) which previously hindered cross-border trade continue to be removed.

The visit by President Ruto also signals the growing bilateral relations in various sectors of the economy between the two countries.

Shortly after President Ruto was announced the winner in the presidential election which was held on August 9, this year, President Samia made a commitment to continue collaborating with Kenya in bringing social and economic development to their respective countries.

She later sent a congratulatory message to the Kenyan leader when his election was upheld by the Supreme Court of Kenya.

"I'm looking forward to working with you to strengthen the historic bond and cooperation between our two nations," President Samia wrote on her official twitter account.

In an earlier message on her account when Dr Ruto was announced the winner by Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Ms Samia twetted; "I congratulate the people of Kenya on their peaceful general election and the subsequent announcement of Dr@WilliamsRuto as President-elect.

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Adding; "We look forward to continuing working together with our brothers and sisters in Kenya to strengthen our historically close ties. Tuko Pamoja (we are together)," President Samia tweeted.

Tanzania is the second country among the seven member states of the EAC to be visited by President Ruto since he took over office. Other members of the regional bloc include Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Kenyan leader also told President Samia that his government is committed to improve relations with Tanzania on trade, agriculture, security, and other sectors.

Mr Ruto made the pledge during a meeting between the two leaders at the State House in Nairobi when she travelled to that country to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the former.

President Samia had earlier visited Kenya last year, a few months after assuming power. The visit focused on various issues including trade, economic and social issues.
Photo credit: Sean Zanni - Getty Images

Kanye Westnow d.b.a. Yerewarded everyone who spent last week praising him as a Free Thinker whose free thoughts scare the wokescold liberals by suggesting on Friday that Sean Combscurrently d.b.a. Diddyis an agent of "the Jewish people." On Sunday morning, as if to remove all doubt about where he's at, Ye announced that he was going to go "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE." When thinking freely goes wrong!

Still, you could find Indiana's attorney general on Twitter Sunday afternoon praising Ye for "his independent thinking, & for having opposing thoughts from the norm of Hollywood." The latter is certainly accurate, grammar notwithstanding, but this is also a fascinating look at the reactionary impulse: he's breaking with The Liberal Elites, so who cares what he said! Well, Indiana AG Todd Rokita did a few hours later: "My post was specifically and clearly aimed at the hypocrisy of the media and Hollywood elites, not anything to do with other comments," he said. "I have an obvious, clear and substantial Congressional and public record of being 100% supportive of the Jewish community and Israel." Well, except for that time you praised that guy's "independent thinking" not long after he declared "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

But the Free Thinking was all over the place this weekend, including on Newsmax, where host Dick Morris brought on Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano to tell him he's "too honest, too outspoken, and too independent" for the establishment Republican Party. Mastriano is a Republican who attended the glorious patriotic celebrations of January 6, worked tirelessly to throw out the results of the 2020 election, and has pledged to finish the job of securing Pennsylvania's elections should he be elevated to the governor's office. Pennsylvania, you may remember, is a fairly important state within our ridiculous system for electing presidents, and Morris and Mastriano made no bones about what that meant to them:

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Dick Morris interviewed Jan. 6 insurrectionist Doug Mastriano on his weekend Newsmax show and said that Trump can come back in 2024 "but he has to win the governorship in Pennsylvania."



Mastriano later replied: "I get to appoint the secretary of state." https://t.co/vHR5Hpp46w pic.twitter.com/lyhTvqV9gY  Eric Hananoki (@ehananoki) October 10, 2022

"People are always asking me, 'Can Trump come back in '24?'" Morris said, "and I wrote this book saying that he can. But he has to win the governorship in Pennsylvania." Does he mean Trump needs a Republican to govern Pennsylvania well, to show its citizens that the party has a platform that will make their lives better? Hell no. "This is the guy you need to support because he's the key to unlocking honest elections in the swing state," Morris concluded. "Thanks for coming on, Doug."

For the uninitiated, "honest elections" are ones that Republicans win. Democratic victories are fraudulent. (Morris, once a senior adviser to Bill Clinton, has had quite a journey.) In response, Mastriano made it quite clear what this all meant: "I get to appoint the secretary of state," he said, referring to the official who oversees Pennsylvania elections, "and the road to 2024 goes straight through Pennsylvania." This is the strategy that Republicans are pursuing all over the country: take control of elections infrastructure and go from there.

After Trump lost in 2020, Mastriano laid out a tweet thread that explains quite succinctly the course of action he'd pursue in the event that a Democrat were to win. "There is mounting evidence that the PA presidential election was compromised," he said, citing none. "If this is the case, under Article II, Section 1.2 of the US Constitution, the state legislature has the sole authority to direct the manner of selecting delegates to the Electoral College...Therefore, we are introducing a Resolution to exercise our obligation and authority to appoint delegates to the Electoral College." That is, he and his Republican friends in the legislature moved to appoint an alternate slate of electors to vote for Trump even though the citizens of Pennsylvania voted for his opponent.

Maybe this is the kind of excessively honest, outspoken, and independent thinking that has supposedly put off the Republican establishment. Or maybe they just think Mastriano is a bad candidate. A better one would speak more carefully about their future plans, should they be given power over elections, and then actor be pressured to do soif the moment to shove a Democrat out of power presented itself.

But maybe the more interesting part of this is the exaltation of Free Thinking as a virtue in and of itself. What if your Free Thinking leads you to Free Thoughts about how a cabal of Jews controls the world? Or to the belief that these shoes look good? What if your independent thinking leads you to believe that you can overthrow the government because you didn't like the result of an election? What if your independent thinking is independent of reality? Or what if it isn't very independent at all? Once you actually start to evaluate a Free Thought on its own merits, it might seem a little less intrinsically virtuous. You might even start to wonder whether the world is really split into Free Thinkers and Sheep! Maybe people have their allegiances and biases, but they're also situated along spectrums of knowledge and critical thinking skills and empathy, and they bring those things to bear when evaluating ideas. And maybe sometimes the lamestream people who say stuff is crazy are...thinking.

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FILE PHOTO: The truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas

By Joyce Lee

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea said on Saturday its missile tests are for self-defence against direct U.S. military threats and they have not harmed the safety of neighbouring countries and regions.

North Korea carried out six missile launches in 12 days as of this week, including launching an intermediate-range missile over Japan on Tuesday.

"Our missile tests are a normal, planned self-defence measure to protect our country's security and regional peace from direct U.S. military threats," said state media KCNA, citing an aviation administration spokesperson.

The missile tests "did not pose any threat or harm to the safety of civil aviation as well as the safety of neighbouring countries and regions, by a full consideration of civil aviation safety in advance."

The message was in response to the International Civil Aviation Organization Council condemning North Korea's missile launches for posing a serious safety risk to international civil aviation, KCNA said.

North Korea's defence ministry was "taking a stern look at the development of the current situation, which is very worrisome," regarding U.S.-South Korean drills involving the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, KCNA said in a separate statement.

The United States and South Korea held joint maritime exercises on Friday, a day after Seoul scrambled fighter jets in reaction to an apparent North Korean bombing drill.

The United States also announced new sanctions on Friday in response to North Korea's latest missile launches.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Leslie Adler, Chris Reese and David Gregorio)
A New York man has been arrested for reportedly smuggling dangerous pythons into the US from Canadausing his pants. Calvin Bautista, 36, of Richmond Hill, Queens, allegedly hid three snakes in his trousers while crossing the Canada-US border by bus on July 15, 2018. Burmese pythons are considered an invasive species in the US, and Bautista is facing federal charges for the crime. Here is what happened, and why he was smuggling the snakes into the US.

1

Smuggling Snakes

Bautista's case is being investigated by the US Fish&Wildlife Service and US Customs and Border Protection. He is facing up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Burmese pythons are considered a vulnerable species in Asia and considered invasive in Florida, where they are disrupting the ecosystem.

2

Giant Snakes





Burmese pythons are considered "injurious to human beings" by the Secretary of the Interior, thanks to their gigantic sizethey can grow to 16 feet in length and are illegal without a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. According to the indictment, Burmese pythons are "not presently threatened with extinction but may become so if their trade was not regulated."

3

No Permit

Investigators say Bautista allegedly had no paperwork or permits allowing him to bring the pythons from Canada into the US, nor did he have permission from authorities to do so. Bautista is now awaiting trial for the incident. "The charges in the indictment are merely accusations," says the Department of Justice. "The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."

4

Arraigned

"Bautista was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and released pending a trial before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn," says the Department of Justice. This case is being investigated by the US Fish&Wildlife Service and US Customs and Border Protection, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping."

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5

Pythons In Florida

Pythons are even eating alligators in Florida, experts say. "The proliferation of pythons is an emergency situation for our native wildlife in South Florida," says Michael Kirkland, senior invasive animal biologist for the South Florida Water Management District and the manager of Florida's Python Elimination Program. "Human detection right now is the most effective tool in our toolbox. When it comes to pythons, we need all the help and awareness we can get."
An Ohio judge has ruled that the states heartbeat law that bans abortion after six weeks will remain blocked while a constitutional challenge proceeds.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Christian Jenkins rejected the states argument that women have no right to an abortion since it isnt mentioned in the Ohio Constitution in a preliminary injunction issued on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

Republican Governor Mike DeWine signed a law banning abortion after a detectable foetal heartbeat in 2019, that briefly went into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in June.

The law has been suspended due as legal appeals make their way through the courts.

In comments made on Friday, Mr Jenkins said the right to an abortion doesnt have to be named in the state constitution to be protected, the Associated Press reported.

This court has no difficulty holding that the Ohio Constitution confers a fundamental right on all of Ohioans to privacy, procreation, bodily integrity and freedom of choice in health care decision-making that encompasses the right to abortion, he said after issuing the judgment.

Mr Jenkins said the state had failed to prove that the ban on most abortions after detection of foetal cardiac activity is narrowly tailored enough not to infringe on those rights, according to the Associated Press.

Governor Mike Dewine signed a foetal abortion ban into effect in 2019 (2019 The Columbus Dispatch)

Judge Christian Jenkins rejected Ohios argument that a right had to be mentioned in the state constitution to be recognised (Hamilton County Courts)

He said the law was written to almost completely eliminate the rights of Ohio women. It is not narrowly tailored, not even close. The state is likely to appeal.

Ohio Right to Life President Michael Gonidakis told the Associated Press he was saddened but not surprised by the decision.

The abortion clinics literally forum shopped to get the outcome they wanted. This is a moment in time for the pro-life movement and we are convinced that the Ohio Supreme Court will overturn this ruling, Mr Gonidakis said. Nowhere in Ohios Constitution does a right to an abortion exist.

More than a dozen states have effectively banned abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in June.

In July, an 11-year-old victim of rape was forced to travel to Indiana for an abortion after the pregnancy was discovered after the six week limit.
ANTIGO - Marge Gibson carefully cradled the juvenile barn owl and looked into its eyes.

"You are just perfect," said Gibson, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and executive director of Raptor Education Group Inc. in Antigo.

Extremely rare, too.

Among the many hundreds of Wisconsin-bred wild animals REGI takes in this year, none will be more rare than the two barn owls it received in June.

In fact the birds, a male and a female, were from the only known barn owl nest in the state.

The cavity in the big, dead, silver maple gained notoriety in 2021 when it hosted the first barn owl nest documented in Wisconsin in 20 years, said Ryan Brady, conservation biologist with the Department of Natural Resources.

This year adult barn owls used the western Wisconsin site again, producing at least three hatchlings.

A juvenile barn owl is given a physical exam Sept. 26 at Raptor Education Group, Inc. The bird, which was rehabilitated for four months at REGI, was cleared for release to the wild. It is now being acclimated in an aviary with its sibling near their nest site in western Wisconsin.

But in early June owners of the private property found two young barn owls on the ground beneath the tree.

They called in experts, including Karla Bloem, executive director of the International Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota; Laura Johnson, a veterinarian who works out of Prairie du Chien; and staff at the Coulee Region Humane Society in Onalaska.

Despite repeated attempts to return them to the nest, the birds kept jumping out, perhaps because they were pestered by black flies.

Enough was finally enough.

"They weren't going to stay (in the nest)," said Bloem, who had installed a remote camera to observe activity in the tree cavity. She confirmed the presence of a problematic number of black flies as well as continued attempts by the adults to feed the young.

But since they kept jumping and were deemed underweight, in early June the two owlets were transported to REGI.

The rare birds had no way of knowing their good fortunes.

Juvenile barn owls stand Oct. 2 in an aviary in western Wisconsin. The tube is used to provide food for the owls without direct human contact. The birds are being acclimated to the area before release to the wild.

The Antigo rehab facility has an adult European barn owl in its flock of unreleasable birds.

The European barn owl took over foster parent duties for several weeks until the young birds could eat on their own.

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"I know it sounds simple, but you can't overemphasize how important it is for their future life in the wild that they learn to be barn owls from another barn owl," Gibson said.

The young barn owls were kept together in an outdoor flight enclosure at REGI; to avoid contact with humans, food (mostly mice) was placed inside via a trap door.

Barn owls can be identified by their unique, white, heart-shaped face.

Their head, back and upper wings are a mix of buff and gray while their face, body and underwings are white. The species lacks ear tufts seen in other familiar owls.

An adult barn owl weighs about 1 pound, stands about 15 inches high and has a wing span of about 3 feet.

Since they are almost entirely nocturnal and rarely call, they are not easily seen or documented by birders.

Among the species' impressive abilities: It hunts entirely on the wing and relies almost exclusively on its outstanding hearing to locate prey.

A common hunting scenario is a barn owl flying at night over grasslands, turning abruptly and plunging down to grab a mouse or other rodent, Bloem said.

Barn owls typically nest and roost in tree cavities, abandoned barns and buildings. They are also one of the most widespread birds in the world and have been documented on all continents except Antarctica.

They are mostly found in more southerly latitudes in North America so historically the species was present but uncommon in Wisconsin.

Numbers in the state declined by the 1980s and the species was put on the state endangered species list.

Only three barn owl nests were detected during the first Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas field survey from 1995 to 2000, the last in Grant County in 1999, according to the DNR.

Sightings were few and no nests were detected for many years, leading the DNR to remove the barn owl from the state endangered species list in 2014 for a lack of records.

Marge Gibson, executive director of Raptor Education Group, Inc. in Antigo, holds a juvenile barn owl Sept. 26 during a physical examination of the bird and its sibling. The owls were rehabilitated at REGI for four months and are now being acclimated in western Wisconsin prior to a planned release to the wild later in October.

Soon after, nest box programs that help maintain critical nesting habitat in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana began to see a slight increase in barn owls.

As more barn owls were produced, some moved into Wisconsin and sightings started to pick up locally, Brady said.

A pair of barn owls, but no nest, was found in Iowa County during the second Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas field survey conducted from 2015-19.

In addition to nest box programs in surrounding states, Brady said warmer winters are potentially allowing more barn owls to survive in northern states again.

If an annual breeding population is found in the state, barn owls could warrant consideration for Wisconsins endangered and threatened species list, Brady said.

So the nests the last two years in western Wisconsin have encouraged biologists about the future prospects for barn owls in the Badger State.

Unfortunately, the large, hollow silver maple that hosted the nests fell in a wind storm this summer. A dead barn owl chick was found in the debris.

So far its two siblings have fared much better. After being transferred to REGI, they grew well and have developed into full size.

If successfully reintroduced to the wild, the duo could give a boost to the fledgling barn owl population in the state.

Marge Gibson, Katie Helland and Audrey Gossett (left to right) hold juvenile barn owls Sept. 26 at Raptor Education Group, Inc. in Antigo. The birds were rehabilitated at the facility and have been transferred to an aviary in western Wisconsin where they are being acclimated prior to a planned release to the wild.

Gibson and her associates at REGI gave the birds final physical examinations Sept. 26. Feathers were checked for "stress bars," weak spots that can be caused by malnutrition and cause breakage; eyes and ears were assessed; weights were measured (1.19 pounds for the female, 1.08 for the male) and hearts and lungs were checked with a stethoscope.

Gibson pronounced the owls "raring to go."

On Oct. 1 they then became the definition of "precious cargo" when Gibson drove them, along with a ruby-throated hummingbird, black-and-white warbler, green heron and broad-winged hawk, to western Wisconsin for the next phase of their lives.

The barn owls were placed in an aviary, a 10 by 10 by 12 foot enclosure with two windows, where they are being acclimatized to the sights and sounds of the area.

Juvenile barn owls sit on a limb Oct. 2 in an aviary in western Wisconsin. The birds were found on the ground in June at a nest in the region and rehabilitated over the summer at Raptor Education Group Inc. in Antigo. They are now being acclimated near their hatching site before being released to the wild.

The structure is within "flying distance" of the birds' original nest, said Johnson, the veterinarian.

She and Bloem of the owl center are watching and caring for the birds. A video camera in the aviary provides images of the owls around the clock.

So far, so good, said Johnson. The owls are eating well, flying and splashing in a small pool in the enclosure.

If all goes according to plan, sometime later this month the windows will be opened and the birds will be allowed to fly out. Food will continue to be provided in the aviary if they want to come back during a transition to the wild.

Or they can go off on their own and live the mostly secretive life they were born to.

"It's an exciting time for these birds and for the species in Wisconsin," Johnson said. "These two young ones could be part of a new wave of this secretive, charismatic breed in our state."

Support barn owls

Wisconsinites can support the barn owl population by reporting observations, leaving up dead trees when safe to do so, and refraining from using pesticides and rodenticides.

Report barn owl sightings to Wisconsin eBird or by using the DNRs rare species reporting form.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Young barn owls are rehabilitated and on course to be released to wild
Chapel Hill / NC / USA - August 31, 2019: The Old Well at the University of Chapel Hill. From 1897, it was inspired in a similar structure from Versailles.

No, were not discussing Nikole Hannah-Jones and The 1619 Project. The latest dispute for University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is about their affirmative action practices. According to The Washington Post, a plaintiff has asked the Supreme Court to decide on whether the schools application measures are constitutional or not.



From the schools perspective, upholding affirmative action means allowing the limited use of race to help diversify campuses. The universitys chancellor, Kevin M. Guskiewicz described it as holistic, per The Post. On the other hand, the plaintiff from Students for Fair Admissions claims the school gives special treatment to Black and Hispanic applicants, ignoring race-neutral options to diversify the school. They allege affirmative action is a violation of civil rights and brought their allegations against Harvard University as well.

Read more

It seems the plaintiff may be absent from the reason affirmative action exists in the first place: to give historically disadvantaged students a fair chance at their school of choice.

Read the reaction from a fellow UNC-Chapel Hill student from The Post:

Julia S. Clark, a senior majoring in political science and African, African American and diaspora studies, said race should not be ignored in admissions when it affects so many other aspects of educational opportunity. The 21-year-old from Falls Church, Va., identifies as Afro-Latina and is president of the Black Student Movement at UNC-Chapel Hill. We need to have race be a factor in our admissions system because race is a factor in peoples everyday lives, Clark said one late September afternoon in the student union. Race is a factor in my life all the time. There is never a time when race is not a factor for me.

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Another student, Jacob James (white), said he thinks affirmative action is egregious at public universities. Effectively what its saying is, Youre not good enough to get in on your own merit, so we have to help you, he told The Post.

Wellisnt that the point? School admissions staff may look over an applicant simply because of their race, assuming they dont meet the qualifications. So yes, those students need help. According to a study by the University of Washington, there was a 23 percent decrease of students of color at public colleges in an affirmative-action ban state. A more recent report by Education Trust found only 9 percent of Black students were enrolling across 101 public colleges at rates proportionate to their population.

Not to mention, while Harvard, Yale and Princeton are being investigated for their admission practices, their student populations are still majority white. UNC-Chapel Hill, specifically, has a 9 percent Black undergraduate population.

Last year, US District Judge Loretta C. Biggs ruled the school was not in violation of civil rights laws. However, Court justices have agreed to review the case along with Harvards.
Discover the history and natural charm of Ile Sainte-Marguerite.

Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Looking to get away from the throngs of tourists and experience a quieter side of the French Riviera for a few hours? Located about half a mile offshore from the glitz and crowds in Cannes sits heritage-rich Ile Sainte-Marguerite.

Despite its proximity to the mainland, the largest (though to be clear, its still pretty small) of the Lerins Islands seems like a different world with a laid-back Mediterranean tempo and untouched natural appeal. It has a magnificent rocky coastline, astoundingly turquoise tides, and fragrant forests. There are a couple of interesting man-made attractions, too, including an old fortress and an underwater sculpture museum. The vibe on Ile Sainte-Marguerite is very relaxed. Though things get a bit buzzier with the arrival of summer vacationers, the leisurely feeling and quiet still remain.

Lindsay Cohn

What to Know Before You Go

Ile Sainte-Marguerite is the ideal day trip for a slower pace and beautiful scenery. Its easy to explore on foot  just be sure to wear sensible shoes for traversing the stone stairs and pine needle-carpeted dirt pathways, as well as aqua socks for the pebbly beaches. You wont find any shops, so its essential to pack sunscreen, towels, snorkeling gear, and any other necessities. Its also a good idea to bring along a water bottle to refill at the fountains and some snacks as food options are limited.

Getting There

The most convenient and affordable way to reach Ile Sainte-Marguerite? The ferry takes 15 minutes and runs every hour until the evening. Tickets cost about $16 and come with a map of the island. The alternative method of transport would be to hop on an organized tour or rent a boat for the day. The latter offers more flexibility in terms of departing and returning, but the price is significantly higher.

Related: 7 Destinations in France Where the French Love to Go

Lindsay Cohn

What to Do on Ile Sainte-Marguerite

The ferry drops passengers at the historic port. Follow the coast for an endless string of photogenic coves that are perfect for spreading out a towel on the warm rocks (or seeking out a tree-shaded spot) and cooling off in the clear, shallow tides. Suffice to say, Ile Sainte-Marguerite provides ample opportunities for swimming and snorkeling. Perhaps the most intriguing attraction is the underwater museum with sculptures by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Its a free and deeply fascinating exhibition that only requires a snorkel and sense of wonder. The interior of the island, meanwhile, brims with fragrant eucalyptus and Aleppo pine trees.

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History buffs should head to Fort Royal. Originally built as a Spanish fortress, it was later used as a French penitentiary  even imprisoning the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask for a time. Today, it houses Musee de la Mer, which displays relics from ancient Roman shipwrecks and prison artifacts.

Where to Eat and Drink on Ile Sainte-Marguerite

Ile Sainte-Marguerite has two sit-down restaurants. Fun and atmospheric, La Guerite is the closest thing to the lively French Riviera beach clubs. The music acts as a siren call, luring day-trippers down the long stone stairs. Patrons savor Mediterranean cuisine and some even dance on tables overlooking the waves. L'Escale serves tender grilled octopus and whole sea bream in a warm setting with staggering views of the sea and Cannes.

If youd rather grab something to go, there are a couple of snack kiosks  Le Leronos and Glaciar  by the harbor that sell sandwiches, cold drinks, popsicles, and chips. Many visitors choose to pack a lunch and eat at one of the rocky outcrops or the dedicated picnic tables around the island.

Lindsay Cohn

Where to Stay on Ile Sainte-Marguerite

The island doesnt have any overnight accommodations anymore (the only hotel closed in 2005), so your best bet is to stay in Cannes. For a taste of the glamorous film festival well after the red carpet gets rolled up, check into Hotel Barriere Le Majestic Cannes, a five-star legend in the upscale area around La Croisette. Nearby, Hotel Martinez  The Unbound Collection by Hyatt shines as a ritzy respite with a cocktail bar, fine-dining restaurant, and chic rooms. Sophisticated, contemporary, and warm defines the ambience at Hotel Barriere Le Gray d'Albion, which remains an enduring favorite.



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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
A view of the scene after several explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv on October 10, 2022. Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ukraine said Russia used Iran-supplied drones in a blitz of attacks on cities on Monday.

In a video address early Monday, Zelenskyy said the attack targeted citizens and infrastructure.

Iran started sending drones to Russia in August. It's unclear exactly where they were deployed.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia used Shahed drones from Iran in Monday's barrage across Kyiv and several Ukrainian cities and regions, as well as its own missiles.

In a video message, Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to shelter and said the country was dealing with "terrorists" after strikes rocked the capital.

The wave of strikes also hit the cities of Lviv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and other areas.

The target, Zelenskyy said, was twofold: Ukraine's energy network, and its civilians. Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said that 11 critical infrastructure facilities had been damaged, leaving many places without power.

The exact number of people hurt is unclear, but as of Monday morning local time Kyiv police said that 5 were killed and 12 were wounded in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy made the address outside in Kyiv's government district, not far from where some of the missiles landed.

He said that the number of missiles used was in the "dozens." He did not give a figure for the drones.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that 75 projectiles were launched but only around 30 hit their targets after 41 were shot down. It also said drones were used, without giving specifics.

A screenshot from a video of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, uploaded October 10 2022, after multiple cities in Ukraine were attacked. President of Ukraine

It is unclear exactly how those weapons were deployed in each area and in what combination.

Images, and some unconfirmed videos from the scenes so far show blasts that appear more consistent with attacks from missiles, which can carry payloads far larger than those of the small Shahed drones.

The attacks prompted Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to call on the country's allies to provide air and missile defense systems.

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko shared a video of a large crater in a children's playground. The scene was consistent with other footage published from around Kyiv's main university.

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Iran has supplied Russia with several Shahed-series drones, colloquially known as "suicide" or "kamikaze" drones that have a payload of around 5-30 kg.

Light and quick, they are usually deployed in swarms to confuse air defense systems and act like a flying bomb that explodes on impact.

Russia has been deploying them on the battlefield, particularly in areas where Ukraine has an artillery advantage, as Insider reported.

On October 5, the head of Kyiv's military administration Oleksiy Kuleba said that Russia had also struck infrastructure in the city of Bila Tserkva, around 50 miles south of the capital, using Shahed drones. It was, at that moment, a rare attack beyond the war's front lines.

Russia first took delivery of Shahed drones, as well as the larger Mojaher-6, from Iran in August, as The Washington Post reported. According to the Post, the first shipment included Shahed-129 and Shahed-191 models.

The UK's Ministry of Defense first noted the use of the Shahed-136 in Ukraine in mid-September.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Driver Ruben Marquez is accused of intentionally driving a pickup truck into a group of people outside of a Colorado restaurant early Sunday morning, killing one person. (Photo: Jefferson County Sheriff)

Driver Ruben Marquez is accused of intentionally driving a pickup truck into a group of people outside of a Colorado restaurant early Sunday morning, killing one person. (Photo: Jefferson County Sheriff)

One person is dead and seven others injured after a driver plowed a pickup truck into a group of people outside a Colorado bar and grill early Sunday in what authorities suspect was an intentional act.

Driver Ruben Marquez, 29, was taken into custody on charges including murder after allegedly fleeing the scene of the Rock Rest Lodge in Golden in a Chevy Silverado just after 1:30 a.m., the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office said.

One man was pronounced dead at the scene and four other men were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The remaining three victims suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

The violence allegedly followed a fight involving Marquez, his passenger Ernesto DeJesus Avila, 25, who the truck is registered to, and some of the victims, authorities said citing witnesses.

After the people were separated by the restaurants staff, Marquez allegedly got into the truck that was parked outside the restaurant, backed up the vehicle and then drove it into the crowd of people, which included restaurant staff. The vehicle was later stopped by a deputy responding to the scene.

Marquez faces charges of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault, and three counts of second-degree assault. Avila faces charges of accessory to first-degree murder, three counts of accessory to first-degree assault, and three counts of accessory to second-degree assault. A third passenger in the vehicle is not facing charges, authorities said.

The hot-headed violence apparently wasnt exclusive to Colorado early Sunday.

In Tampa, Florida, police said a person fired a gun at a group of people outside of a downtown cigar and martini lounge just before 3 a.m. following a verbal altercation.

The shooting left one man dead and six others shot and requiring medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon, police said.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Howdy, y'all!

I'm Brandi D. Addison, the regional agriculture and natural resources reporter for the USA TODAY network in West Texas, covering all things from the earth to the sky  and this is your weekly agriculture and eco news round-up.

Launched in September 2022, "In Ag. & Eco" brings a small collection of informative, unique, and sometimes just weird, agriculture and environmental news from around the world to our readers.

Among this week's topics: Record-high turkey prices, researching vampire bats, a really tall cat and a couple's battle with a carbon capture company.

Increased turkey prices

Turkey prices are at a record-high due to the impacts of inflation and bird flu.

Turkey prices are at a record-high due to the impacts of national inflation rates and a turkey shortage due to bird flu, according to the Wisconsin State Farmer.

The retail price for fresh boneless, skinless turkey breast reached a record-high of $6.70 per pound last month  reporting a 112% increase year-over-year.

The previous record was set at $5.88 per pound in November 2015, during the 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak.

Russia steals Ukrainian grain

This image from video provided on Friday, July 29, 2022, shows the cargo ship Laodicea docked at a seaport in Tripoli, Lebanon. Lebanese officials rejected protests from Ukraine that the ship was carrying 10,000 metric tons of grain stolen by Russia.

An investigation by The Associated Press and the PBS series "Frontline" has confirmed previous allegations from Ukrainian diplomats that assert the bulk cargo ship, Laodicea, carried about 10,000 metric tons of Ukranian grain that Russia stole from their country.

In an AP article that the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal republished, journalists Michael Biesecker, Sarah El Deeb and Beatrice Dupuy reported that, while Moscow called the allegation "false and baseless," the Laodicea is part of an operation that the Russians used to steal about $530 million worth of Ukrainian grain and helped fund President Vladimir Putin's war.

Legal experts say the ongoing theft is a potential war crime, the journalists reported.

Studying vampire bats

A tagged vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) wears technology developed to better study bat social behavior. The sensor network technology is made possible in part by Internet of Things chips developed by Austin-based Silicon Labs. [Courtesy of Sherri & Brock Fenton]

A research team of Virginia Tech students, led under assistant professor Luis Escobar, trekked their way into the Andres Mountains and lowlands of Colombia to analyze how vampire bats serve as key players in the spread of major diseases and viruses.

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Staunton News Leader's social justice reporter Monique Calello reported that the team examined how vampire bats carrying the rabies virus can help scientists forecast areas where wildlife virus transmission may occur in the coming years, potentially preventing the next major epidemic.

The team received a $358,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Calello reported.

The tallest living domestic cat

Fenrir Antares Powers, the tallest living domestic cat. The cat measures 47.83 centimeters and was verified in Farmington Hills, Mich. on Jan. 29, 2021.

(I know, not technically agriculture or environment, for the sake of this column, we're still including him).

Measuring at 18.83 inches, Fenrir, a Savannah cat from Michigan, is the tallest living domestic cat  at least that's according to the Guinness World Records.

USA Today Universal NOW Reporter Saleen Martin reported that his brothers, Altair Cygnus Powers and the late Arcturus Aldebaran Powers, previously held titles for the longest tail on a living domestic cat and the tallest cat ever, respectively.

The cat is a bit taller than average-size Savannah cats; they usually measure between 14 and 17 inches, the Guinness website said.

Arcturus was also the previous title-holder for the tallest living domestic cat but died in a fire in 2017, along with the family's Maine Coon, who had the longest tail on a living domestic cat before Altair.

Couple sues carbon pipeline company

An Iowa couple has countersued Navigator CO2 Ventures, which sought an injunction that would force the couple to grant its agent access to survey their 151-acre property as part of their plan to build a carbon capture pipeline across their farm.

The company wants to determine the land's suitability as a possible route for its $3 billion pipeline, reported Donnelle Eller, the Agriculture and Energy Reporter for the Des Moines Register.

Vicki Hulse said she'll continue to fight the company because her husband, Bill, is a Vietnam veteran in poor health and no longer can. She previously told the surveyor and sheriff's deputies that he would be considered as trespassing if he enters their land.

"The Hulses' attorneys also are challenging the constitutionality of a state law that allows the developers to survey land before they've gotten regulators' approval to build the pipeline  or have been granted eminent domain powers to force unwilling landowners to sell easements allowing access for the project," Eller wrote. "If successful, the Hulses' challenge could delay developers' efforts to build pipelines in Iowa, a Drake University law professor says."

Brandi D. Addison is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Send tips or suggestions via BAddison@lubbockonline.com or @BrandiDAddison on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: In Ag & Eco: Turkey prices, vampire bats, Russia stole Ukrainian grain
AS Tanzania joins other countries to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty today, the Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE) has recommended amendment of the Penal Code to give judges the discretion to hand over life imprisonment sentences instead of the death penalty in capital offences.

TAMCODE Executive Director Rose Ngunangwa said in Dar es Salaam on Sunday that, the Parliament should amend Section 197 of the Penal Code to read life imprisonment instead of the current death penalty to give judges the discretion to decide otherwise, instead of the current trend where some feel that their hands are tied.

She said judges should use their discretion to hand over life imprisonment sentences instead of the death penalty in capital offences as it is in records that courts do and can actually make mistakes, a chance that could see innocent people pay for the crime that they did not commit.

"We believe, doing so, would help those wrongfully convicted to have a second chance for appeal and clemency," she said.

She said TAMCODE is aware of Section 197 of the Tanzanian Penal Code which specifies clearly that 'any person convicted of murder shall be sentenced to death,' but it also appreciates that there have been some judges who have issued dissenting opinions in regard to the death penalty and thus sentencing those who would have other wisely been hanged, to life imprisonment.

"We also appreciate all efforts by sitting Presidents who have not signed any death warrants and not to mention of noble deeds to commute sentences for those on death row, a situation that has made Tanzania to retain its de facto stance ever since 1994. This for sure, deserves and accolade," she said.

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She said TAMCODE pleads with judges not to sentence those charged with murder to death, but rather to life imprisonment to spare the innocent.

Themed 'Death Penalty, a Road Paved with Torture', she said the theme comes at a time where the world has seen some testimonies over some of those on death row indicating that their confessions were done with influence of torture.

The interrogation process can be tricky and it is hard to prove for sure on whether a convict testifies willingly or under influence of a harsh punishment. It suffices to say that there are a lot of unspoken things behind every confession that you see, she said.

"While we rejoice on the de facto stance, TAMCODE would like to reiterate a call made by one among the most experienced retired Justice from the Court of Appeal in Tanzania Engera Kileo on the need to abolish the mandatory imposition of the death penalty due to the punishment being irreversible as "courts can and actually make mistakes sometimes and there are chances of committing human errors that could see innocent people executed," she said.

The World Day Against the Death Penalty is observed every 10 October, it aims at unifying the global abolitionist movement and mobilizing civil society, political leaders, lawyers, public opinion and more to support the call for universal abolition of capital punishment.
By Tyler Clifford

NEW YORK (Reuters) - WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who are being held in Russia, could gain release by the end of this year, said former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, who traveled to Moscow in September.

Richardson told CNN in an interview on Sunday that he had met with senior Russian officials and individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip, though his visit was not on behalf of the United States.

"I am cautiously optimistic on the Griner (and) Whelan negotiations," said Richardson, who is also former governor of New Mexico and who has worked privately to secure the release of American detainees abroad.

Richardson added that he thought an exchange of detainees would include two Russians in exchange for the two Americans. He did not identify the Russians or give an exact time frame.

Asked if the two Americans might be released by the end of the year, he said: "I do think so. Now, I hate making predictions, but yes."

U.S. citizen Griner, a two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist, was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on Aug. 4 after pleading guilty to drug charges. She insisted she inadvertently broke the law when she traveled with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Whelan, who holds American, British, Canadian and Irish passports, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in jail after being convicted of spying. He denied the charge.

The United States said in late July that it had put forward a "substantial offer" to secure the release of the two Americans. Sources familiar with the situation said Washington has offered to exchange Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and Whelan.

Reports have surfaced that Moscow has sought the release of a second Russian, but Washington has not confirmed further details on its exact offer.

Negotiations are taking place amid ruptured relations between the two countries after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which has sparked a U.S.-led effort to punish Moscow with sanctions and isolate it diplomatically.

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The White House said last week that it has yet to receive a "serious counter-offer."

Richardson said he sensed from the Russian officials with whom he had met that Moscow was "ready to talk." He did not identify the officials.

The Biden administration has distanced itself from Richardson's trip and efforts in Russia, with senior U.S. officials in recent weeks saying private citizens cannot negotiate on behalf of the U.S. government.

Richardson on Sunday said he had coordinated his work with the White House and noted his previous efforts, including attempts to gain the release of U.S. journalist Danny Fenster, who was detained in Myanmar and released last year.

(Reporting by Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and Matthew Lewis)
Washington  Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama is coming under criticism for racially-charged comments he made this weekend claiming Democrats are "pro-crime" and favor reparations for the descendants of people who were enslaved in the U.S. because they believe "the people that do the crime are owed that."

Tuberville, a first-term senator, made the controversial remarks during a rally held by former President Donald Trump in Minden, Nevada, on Saturday in support of the state's Republican candidates on the ballot in November.

"They're not soft on crime. They're pro-crime. They want crime," Tuberville said of Democrats. "They want crime because they want to take over what you got. They want to control what you have. They want reparations because they think the people that do the crime are owed that. Bulls**t. They are not owed that."

Republicans are jockeying to regain control of the House and Senate from Democrats in the November midterm elections and have been attempting to paint Democrats as soft-on-crime in their pitch to voters.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is introduced at a rally for former President Donald Trump at the Minden Tahoe Airport in Minden, Nev., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Tuberville says that Democrats support reparations for the descendants of enslaved people because

The FBI said last week that violent crime decreased by 1% in the U.S. in 2021, and the robbery rate fell 8.9% from 2020 to 2021. The murder rate in the U.S. rose by 4.3%, according to the FBI data, though that is significantly lower than the 29.4% increase in the murder rate from 2019 to 2020. The bureau warned nearly half of law enforcement agencies did not submit data in 2021, resulting in an incomplete picture and gaps in coverage.

FBI data released in December, meanwhile, found that more than half of known offenders, 50.8% were White, and 29.6% were Black or African-American.

Tuberville's comments were swiftly met with criticism.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson called Tuberville's claims "flat out racist, ignorant and utterly sickening."

"His words promote a centuries-old lie about Black people that throughout history have resulted in the most dangerous policies and violent attacks on our community," Johnson said in a statement. "We've seen this before from the far-right, and we've seen what they can do when they take power. Next time the senator wants to talk about crime, he should talk about Donald Trump's hate-fueled rally on January 6, 2021, and the attacks that followed. Perhaps the real criminals are in his orbit."

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Rep. Mondaire Jones, a Democrat from New York, referenced Tuberville in a tweet about Kanye West, whose Twitter and Instagram accounts were restricted after he made antisemitic posts.

"This defense of Kanye's blatant anti-Semitism from the Indiana Attorney General, which follows deeply white supremacist comments from other high-ranking Republican officials like Senator Tommy Tuberville in recent days, tells you everything you need to know about the GOP in 2022," Jones tweeted Sunday.

The Rev. Al Sharpton told MSNBC on Monday that Tuberville's comments are "factually off" and people in Alabama "ought to be offended."

Asked to respond to Tuberville's comments, Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he would "be more polite" and it's "not the way I present things."

"I wouldn't say it the same way," he said, adding there is a "problem in our country with crime."

The Democratic Party does not support reparations for African-Americans whose ancestors were enslaved, but the topic arose during the 2020 presidential campaign. Nearly all Democrats running for the party's presidential nomination, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, supported studying the issue.

A bill introduced in the House by Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas to create a commission to study and develop reparations proposals has broad support from her fellow Democrats in the lower chamber and was approved by the House Judiciary Committee in April 2021 with backing from its 25 Democratic members. The committee's Republican members opposed the legislation.

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco and pediatrician Dr. Scott Cohen discuss new podcast

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco and pediatrician offer parenting advice

Strategic importance of recent attacks in Ukraine
As he, for the second time, seeks to become a United States senator, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman claims that he only got involved in politics to fight crime in his city, Braddock PA, after two of his students were gunned down. Fetterman, so he implies, is not interested in status or money. He just wants to help people. The truth is, however, that Fetterman spent his entire adult life deliberately creating a narrative that he would use to achieve his ambition of getting elected to the United States Senate.

After growing up in York and earning an MBA in Connecticut, Fetterman moved to Western Pennsylvania, where, through AmeriCorps, he helped students prepare to take the GED test, while also working for an insurance company. Then, a couple of years later, Fetterman left Western Pennsylvania to pursue a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government, before returning to Western Pennsylvania and running for mayor of Braddock.

Obviously, Fetterman did not go to Harvard just so that he could serve as mayor of Braddock, which paid only $150 a month. If Fetterman, selflessly, just wanted to help underprivileged students learn to read, why didnt he pursue an education program at West Chester? Why didnt he become a reading specialist? Why did Fetterman go to Harvard to study government if he had no interest in becoming a career politician? How did he end up in Braddock, anyway? He is not even from there. Fetterman moved to Braddock to launch his political career because a Bernie Sanders liberal would find much greater success, politically, in Braddock than in York. With the help of his parents who gave him $54,000 in 2015, Fetterman put everything he had into serving as mayor and at developing his political narrative, instead of working for a living.

For a man who just wants to help his city and Pennsylvania, John Fetterman shows tenacious ambition. After unsuccessfully running for the United States Senate in 2016, Fetterman ran for lieutenant governor in 2018, and now, he is running for the United States Senate, again.

He relentlessly attacks his opponent, Dr. Oz. In one attack ad, Fetterman claims that Dr. Oz, a white heart surgeon, would not last two hours in Braddock, which has a predominantly Black population (70.83% in the 2020 census).

Though it is not Braddock, Dr. Oz recently walked along Kensington Avenue, the epicenter of the opioid crisis in Philadelphia, and encouraged inflicted individuals to seek help, while Fetterman campaigned from his home near Pittsburgh  six hours away  by running expensive television advertisements in the Philadelphia region, barking, (Dr. Oz is) not one of us!.

Much of Fettermans campaign urges Pennsylvania voters to reject Dr. Oz because he is not from here. Of course, this claim ignores the fact that Dr. Oz attended college in Philadelphia, his wife is from Bryn Athyn, and that he bought a house in Montgomery County. Ironically, according to Fettermans argument, nobody in Southeastern Pennsylvania should vote for Fetterman because he, himself has never lived in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Braddock is about a six-hour drive from here. Even if we ignore the fact that Dr. Oz now lives in Montgomery County, which he does, Dr. Ozs New Jersey house is probably less than two-hours away  three times closer to us than Fettermans house.

While Dr. Oz has strong connections to Southeastern Pennsylvania, Fetterman has none. John Fetterman is not one of us.

Michael Baluk lives in Warminster.

This article originally appeared on The Intelligencer: Guest Opinion: Oz more connected to Southeastern PA than Fetterman
One of the videos showing the daycare worker scaring children was filmed in September and another taken Tuesday, according to the owner. Jennifer Kayla Newman/Facebook

Four employees were fired from Lil' Blessings Child Care & Learning Center after videos of the incident were shared online.

In the video, children can be seen crying and running away from a woman dressed in a mask from the movie 'Scream.'

In a tearful apology video, CeeCee says the act wasn't 'ill-intentioned.'

A Mississippi woman who said she was fired for wearing a "Scream" mask to scare children at the daycare where she worked, later shared a tearful apology online.

On Wednesday, apparent videos of the woman  known only as CeeCee  in a Halloween mask taunting toddlers just inches from their faces circulated widely on social media, leading to her firing from Lil' Blessings Child Care & Learning Center in Hamilton, Mississippi, along with three coworkers.

In the video, the children can be seen crying and hiding from the woman as she chases them, but in an apology video obtained by the Daily Mail apparently posted by CeeCee later, she says it wasn't "ill-intentioned."

Although CeeCee acknowledges that she is the person behind the mask in each video, she claims that her coworkers were aware of her plans to scare children who were being "bad." A total of four employees were fired as a result of the stunt, according to a local newspaper.

"The teachers asked me if I would do it or if they could use (the mask) to get their class to listen or clean up. I'm not a child abuser," she says in her apology.

CeeCee had been employed at the daycare for nearly four year before her termination. At least one worker can be seen laughing in the videos.

"I did not go in there at my own discretion. As in, I didn't go in there with the intention to literally traumatize those children. I expected them to react the way they reacted when I did it," she says in the apology.

"But what you all didn't see was after I had left the room, I took it off and I went back into the classroom and I said 'CeeCee got the monster. It's not coming back.' And they would hug me. I've known those kids their whole life."

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Although the viral videos were met with outrage, some parents said they don't blame facility owner Sheila Sanders for the incidents.

"I know 100% that Ms. Sheila, the owner and director, was not aware of this situation that was going on and as soon as she found out, all parties were terminated immediately," Kimberly Smith, a parent of one of the terrified children, told the local newspaper.

Sanders, who's owned the daycare for the past 20 years, said she wasn't aware of the incidents until Wednesday afternoon and one video was taken as early as September.

"No one came forth to tell me it happened in September," she told the newspaper.

"The people that did those acts are no longer with us. They were fired. I wasn't here at the time and wasn't aware they were doing that. I don't condone that and never have. I just want to say it's been taken care of."

The Mississippi State Department of Health and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office are investigating the matter.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Department of Justice seal NurPhoto / Getty Images

The Justice Department charged Mark A. Rissi, for leaving threatening voicemails to an election worker.

Rissi called himself a victim of the 2020 election and threatened to "hang" and "lynch" the election official.

Rissi's case is part of the DOJ's Election Threats Task Force, which was launched to investigate threats against election workers.

A man in Iowa was arrested on Thursday after he left threatening voicemails to an Arizona election official, saying he was going to "hang" them for the 2020 election, the Department of Justice announced.

Mark A. Rissi, 64, sent voicemails in 2021 to an unnamed Arizona election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Arizona protesting the 2020 election results and threatening to hang the official, according to a statement by the DOJ.

According to the DOJ, Rissi left a voicemail on September 27, 2021, which called him a "stupid lying commie" and threatened to "lynch" the official.

"We're going to hang you. We're going to hang you," the voicemail said, according to the DOJ.

Rissi left another voicemail on December 8, 2021, with the Office of the Arizona Attorney General telling the official that he and his family were victims of the 2020 election, according to the DOJ.

"I'm a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona," the voicemail said, according to DOJ.

The voicemail went on to threaten the official to "do your job" or they "will hang."

"We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That's your future," the voicemail said. "Do your job."

According to the DOJ announcement, Rissi is charged with two counts of making a threatening interstate communication and one count of making a threatening telephone call.

Rissi's case is part of the DOJ's Election Threats Task Force, which was launched in 2021 to address violent threats against election workers and officials.

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Following the 2020 election results, former President Donald Trump declared that election fraud occurred in Maricopa County, where Biden had won, and called for an "audit," Insider's Camila DeChalus previously reported.

When organizers of the troubled GOP-led election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, finally released results from the months-long recount in September, the findings confirmed that President Biden beat Trump fairly in the largest county in the once-solidly red state, Insider's Erin Snodgrass previously reported.

But despite the additional proof of Biden's success, the controversial "audit" actually played a role in increasing the level of doubt surrounding the historic presidential election, according to a subsequent poll.

Political violence is expected to increase ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, and experts warn of harm to election workers.

Adrian Fontes, the former recorder of Maricopa County, told Insider earlier this year that there are real fears election workers will be physically assaulted or even die during the 2022 general elections.

"I'm concerned that it will cost human lives just to have elections in America," he told Insider's Camila DeChalus. "Elections administration is the one piece of critical infrastructure in the United States that cannot be skipped. We cannot underfund it, we cannot understaff it. And we have to make sure that it's protected."

Read the original article on Insider
A reverend in Mississippi refused to baptise a baby girl because her parents arent married, the infants mother says.

Kamri Mclendon, 18, and her boyfriend of two years, Tristan McPhail, wanted to have their baby daughter Presleigh baptised at the Hickory Grove United Methodist Church in the small town of Sumrall, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported.

After agreeing to perform the christening, Ms Mclendon received a letter on 15 September from the church pastor, reverend Dewayne Warren, stating that he could not go ahead with it because he had learned that she and her partner were living in sin.

In the letter, which Ms Mclendon shared on Facebook, Mr Warren wrote that her grandmother was also living in sin with a man and the couple had not been in regular faithful attendance at the church.

Mr Warren said that it would set a bad example for other young churchgoers if he was to perform the blessing.

I say all of this in Christian love. I know that is harsh but it is the truth. I was trying to wait for the Holy Spirit of God to convict you on this, but we were running out of time, Mr Warren wrote.

In her Facebook post, Ms Mclendon said the refusal showed why young people were scared to go to church.

Kamri McLendon and partner Tristan Mcphail with their baby girl Presleigh (Kamri McLendon / Facebook)

In an interview, Ms Mclendon told WLBT that she was shocked and hurt by the letter.

She told the news site her family had been attending the Methodist church for generations and had been baptised there.

Since Presleigh was born in May, the couple had been attending fewer services due to the demands of being new parents, she added.

Reverend Dewayne Warren wrote that he could not baptise baby Presleigh because her parents were living in sin' (Kamri Mclendon / Facebook)

The reverend had even announced the baptism to the entire congregation and sent out material to the couple before his change of heart.

She had shared the letter to bring attention to the hurt that the church was causing, she told WLBT.

After the post was widely shared on Facebook, Ms Mclendon told WLBT that the churchs regional superintendent, Reverend Larry Hilliard, had apologised for the way the situation was handled.

Ms Mclendon told the news site she was looking for an alternative church that truly welcomes us with open arms to have Presleigh baptised.

The Independent has approached Ms Mclendon and Mr Warren for comment.
Days after weighing in on the Ukraine war, tech billionaire Elon Musk suggested establishing a special administrative zone around the self-governing island of Taiwan in a new interview, angering Taipei while earning a thank-you from Beijing.

In an interview with the Financial Times published Friday, Musk discussed how a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would disrupt the global economy and his electric car business, Tesla, which has a factory in Shanghai.

Musk said his recommendation would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable.

That probably wont make everyone happy, he said in the interview. And its possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement thats more lenient than Hong Kong.

Hong Kong won independence from England in 1997 and is governed under the one country, two systems rule, allowing it to ostensibly operate independently from China. In the past two years, however, Beijing-backed leaders have orchestrated a brutal crackdown on dissent in the city-state.

Musks comment on Taiwan drew the ire of several Taiwanese lawmakers over the weekend.

Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu wrote in a Facebook post that individual independent companies cannot take their ownership as a joke, according to the Taipei Times.

So why should they casually pass off the democratic freedoms, sovereignty and way of life of 23 million Taiwanese? the lawmaker wrote. It is not acceptable for Ukraine, and Taiwan certainly will not allow it.

Other lawmakers criticized his comments as tone deaf and said Taiwan needs to protect its sovereign rights amid threats of a Chinese invasion, which became more pronounced in August after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) traveled to the island in a show of support and provoked Beijing.

Musks Taiwan proposal  which came just days after he offered a similarly controversial solution on how to end the war in Ukraine, suggesting Kyiv cede some territory and agree to never join NATO  was greeted more enthusiastically by China.

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Qin Gang, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., tweeted that he would like to thank [Elon Musk] for his call for peace.

Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question, the ambassador wrote.

Musk, who has activated Starlink satellites in Ukraine to provide internet access amid the war, told the Financial Times that Beijing sought assurances he would not roll out the Starlink service in China.

President Biden has repeatedly made diplomatic waves in recent months with his pledges to send U.S. troops to help defend Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion.

U.S. officials have insisted that the administration stands by the One China policy and the Taiwan Relations Act, which acknowledges Taiwan is a part of China but allows America to maintain ties and help defend the island nation.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill out of committee last month that would authorize $4.5 billion to Taipei over the course of four years and designate the country as a major non-NATO ally.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The eastbound Ohio Street feeder ramp to the Kennedy Expressway closed Monday morning for an investigation of a shooting in which three people were wounded, according to Illinois State Police.

The three individuals took themselves to an area hospital and their injuries were reported as non-life-threatening.

The shooting occurred at about 2:30 a.m., and the Ohio feeder ramp was closed beginning at 3:16 a.m. All lanes reopened at 6:09 a.m.

The investigation was still in its infancy, according to a state police news release. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the state police. Witnesses can remain anonymous.

The state police said in a July news release that halfway through 2022, expressway shootings were down 36% compared with 2021, and expressway homicides were down 90%.

According to a database of expressway shootings in Illinois, as of Sept. 27, there have been four shootings on the Kennedy Expresswaythis year. There have been 110 expressway shootings in Chicago, 44 of which were on the Dan Ryan.

In 2021, the state police received a $12.5 million grant for technology that can read the license plate numbers of moving vehicles which they began installing on Chicago expressways last fall. In July, Director Brendan Kelly attributed this decrease in expressway violence to the automated license plate readers, as well as increased trooper presence, the deployment of anti-violence units and the use of air operations.
By Daphne Psaledakis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on seven Iranian officials over the shutdown of internet access and the crackdown on peaceful protesters following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police.

The nationwide unrest sparked by Amini's death has spiraled into the biggest challenge to Iran's clerical leaders in years, with protesters calling for the downfall of the Islamic Republic founded in 1979.

"The United States condemns the Iranian governments Internet shutdown and continued violent suppression of peaceful protest and will not hesitate to target those who direct and support such actions," Brian Nelson, the Treasury Departments undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.

The department said it imposed sanctions on Iran's minister of interior, Ahmad Vahidi; Communications Minister Eisa Zarepour; and Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, the head of the Iranian Cyber Police, among others.

Washington accused Zarepour of leading the attempts to block internet access in a bid to slow the protests and Majid of using the cyber police to monitor Iranian internet users, filter websites and block content.

The United States also targeted two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and senior officials with Iran's law enforcement forces.

Washington accused the law enforcement forces, overseen by the interior minister Vahidi, of using lethal force against protesters on multiple occasions and said its actions have led to thousands of deaths, including at least dozens in recent demonstrations.

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. action freezes any U.S. assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with them also risk being hit with sanctions. Canada imposed sanctions on Monday.

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Rights groups say thousands have been arrested and hundreds injured in the crackdown waged by security forces including the Basij, a volunteer militia affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Rights groups put the death toll at over 150.

The United States last month imposed sanctions on Iran's morality police over allegations of abuse of Iranian women, saying it held the unit responsible for the death of Amini, an Iranian Kurd who died after being detained in Tehran on Sept. 13 for "inappropriate attire."

Washington in September also issued guidance expanding the range of internet services available to Iranians despite U.S. sanctions on the country.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Tim Ahmann; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Alistair Bell)
For many Native Americans, the second Monday of October has never been about the man credited with discovering their homelands. But in recent years, more states, cities, counties and schools have signed on to celebrate and honor Indigenous cultures instead of Christopher Columbus.

Indigenous Peoples Day got its biggest boost last year, when President Biden became the first U.S. president to formally recognize the day. We must never forget the centuries-long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation and terror wrought upon Native communities and tribal nations throughout our country, Biden said in his proclamation.

The president also echoed a sentiment that Indigenous leaders have voiced for decades: The day should honor the sacrifices and contributions of people who lived on the land first.

Tribal courts now have more power over non-Native defendants. Here's what to know

More than two dozen states have recognized Indigenous Peoples Day

South Dakota became the first state to celebrate Native cultures in place of Columbus Day in 1989. It took more than two decades for a patchwork of other states to join in, most since 2015.

States that have their own versions of the day include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

More than half of those states have proclamations or resolutions that recognize the day, while the others have laws that grant formal recognition. The exact details vary from state to state. For example, Oklahoma and many other states still observe Columbus Day at the same time. A few, including California, recognize the day in September instead.

Dozens of cities also recognize Indigenous Peoples Day, regardless of where their state stands.

A tribal delegate in Congress? Cherokee campaign ramps up, citing treaty promise

Story continues

Indigenous Peoples Day is not new in Oklahoma, but the date is

Oklahoma used to celebrate Native American Day in November as part of national Native American Heritage Month. But in 2019, lawmakers voted to move the date to coincide with Columbus Day, after hearing from many tribal leaders whose nations already recognized Indigenous Peoples Day.

Lawmakers tried to combine the dates in 2018. But then-Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed the bill, saying she felt it would take away from the standalone significance of Native American Day in November. Current Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the change into law the following year.

Calls for Indigenous Peoples Day started in the 1970s

People take part in a stomp dance during the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration in 2021 at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.

Federal policy focused on breaking up tribal nations and assimilating Native people into white society for the first half of the 20th century. The termination era left a legacy of poor health, education and economic outcomes that Indigenous activists brought to mainstream awareness throughout the 1970s. The first calls to drop Columbus Day trace back to this time and received international attention at a United Nations conference in 1977.

In 2011, the National Congress of American Indians  the largest group of tribal nations  formally called on the U.S. to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. The organization said the switch was important to set the historical record straight.

Having the citizens of the United States of America recognize and celebrate the heritage of Indigenous peoples is necessary to respect their history and unite all peoples together, said a resolution passed by the group.

Indigenous Peoples Day is still not a paid U.S. holiday

The U.S. government still observes the second Monday in October as Columbus Day, not Indigenous Peoples Day.

A significant step forward occurred in 2021 when Biden issued his presidential proclamation. He described the day as an opportunity to reaffirm tribal sovereignty and to celebrate the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples.

But proposals by Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate to make Indigenous Peoples Day an official federal holiday have not advanced. For now, the most significant celebration of Indigenous cultures on federal calendars is Native American Heritage Month in November.

A woman and a child watch a dance during Indigenous Peoples Day at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City in 2021.

Several free events are planned in Oklahoma to mark Indigenous Peoples Day

Native people observe Indigenous Peoples Day in a variety of ways. In Oklahoma, many tribal nations plan to close their offices Monday so their employees can celebrate the day.

Oklahoma City: Indigenous Peoples Day at First Americans Museum

The event will include cultural performances, games and art.

More information: famok.org

Tulsa: Native American Day at Dreamkeepers Park

The citys sixth annual celebration is headlined by popular Crow hip-hop artist Supaman.

More information: facebook.com/TulsaNativeAmericanDay

Tahlequah: Indigenous Peoples Day at Northeastern State University

Community members are invited to join students and faculty for afternoon demonstrations, a march and dinner.

More information: tinyurl.com/IPD101022

Lawton: Indigenous Peoples Day at Cameron University

A full afternoon and evening of events will include a round dance and panel discussions about issues facing Native communities.

More information: tinyurl.com/yys6e6ja

Email the reporter to add your events to this list. For events outside Oklahoma, check out ICTs growing list of Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations across the U.S.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Here's what to know about Indigenous Peoples Day 2022
AS businesses are increasingly shifting to online platforms, the government has assured of creating conducive cyberspace environment to protect businesspeople from cyber criminals.

In line with this, the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology (MICIT) stated that efforts were ongoing including strengthening ICT systems and producing more ICT specialists.

"We want to make safe cyberspace so that users can be confident to use. We understand that through the online people do business, there is buying and selling, so money circulates," Assistant Director of Cyber Security Unit in the ministry, Eng Stephen Wangwe, assured.

Mr Wangwe stated this over the weekend at a symposium organized in Dar es Salaam as part of activities to mark the World Postal Day along with the Annual Cyber Security Month Awareness 2022.

"During the Annual Cyber Security Month Awareness 2022 we have prepared various educative materials like flyers, booklets and others for educating the people," Eng Wangwe said.

He said the government will ensure smooth e-services for any cross country business transactions and beyond borders via postal services.

Tanzania has celebrated the Cyber Security Month Awareness since its inception in year 2004, calling upon all countries around the globe to combat cyber threats which are competitively on the rise due to the technological advancement of e-services use.

This year's theme "Cyber Security, it begins with you" which takes place worldwide in every month of October.

In his presentation, Eng Wangwe also educated the public on the ten general tips of securing private information when surfing and using online services, which included hints on password and protection of private information, things to do if becoming suspicious, cautious use of public WiFi and mobile devices, and others.

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"We want our citizens to be aware of cyber threats, while ensuring their e-services are friendly, fast and secured as possible," said Eng. Wangwe.

Mr Macrice Mbodo, Post Master General, expressed his enthusiasm on Cyber Security month awareness with the recognition of the World Postal Day and its postal services.

"As a national public postal operator, Tanzania Posts Corporation (TPC) not only focuses on mail, courier and parcel logistic services, but also ensures that all services are accessible using the National Physical Addressing System - NaPA and are securely delivered," said the Post Master General.

A Cyber Security and Digital Forensics Expert from Tanzania, Mr Yusuph Kileo, said the online users need to be careful when using any public WiFi, as some of them may be maliciously interconnected to Cyber Trolls.

He added that when using public WiFi, users should ensure that password is required in accessing said WiFi, or else Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an alternative feature to consider.
Kim, 51 (San Diego, Calif.) and Usman, 33 (Nigeria)

TLC Kim and Usman from 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After

Kim Menzies and Usman "Sojaboy" Umar have every reason to feel nervous as they prepare to ask his mother's blessing of their engagement and eventual marriage.

The San Diego native expressed her concern over going to Sokoto, Nigeria, after their brief stay together in Abuja, to meet his family as they continue to fight for their relationship.

During Sunday's episode of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?, Kim was rightfully on edge after Usman's mother, Fadimatu, did not hold her tongue when it came to her dislike of her 33-year-old son's age-gap romance.

After heading to Sokoto, Usman visited his mother on his own a day prior to Kim's arrival.

Ahead of the visit, Usman said in a confessional interview: "I am crazy-nervous meeting my mother with an older, American lady. We know that we have a big challenge because even though this is the first time they are going to meet Kimberly, all they're going to have in their head is what happened with my ex. I don't want that. I want them to see her for who she is. She's amazing person."

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance's Usman and a Female Friend Trigger Kim's Insecurity: 'She's Everything I'm Not'

90 Day Fiance's Kim Reconsiders Letting Usman to Have a Second Wife: 'Your A-- Is Pissing Me Off'

TLC Kim and Usman

Kim expressed her fear too. "Our whole relationship is at stake if we don't get his mom's blessing, because we want to get married, and I want to help bring him to America. But that won't happen if his mom says no."

At his mother's home, Usman told her why he came. "I came for a specific reason," he said, before asking her if she recalled one of his "friends" she spoke to on the phone a while back when he was in Tanzania.

"Her name is Kimberly. I will bring her here tomorrow so that you may greet each other," Usman said, adding, "She came to Nigeria with the sole mission to meet you and greet you."

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After' 's Kim Plans Proposal to Usman  and a Second Wife So They Can Have Children

His mother's first question was an inquiry of her age, which caused Usman to put his head down and hide his face before he told her, "She is 50."

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She looked at him and asked, "God, really?"

She didn't mince words: "As far as a request for marriage, I assure you that I won't accept it."

Fadimatu then explained her wishes for her son's future wife.

"I just want you to get married so that you will stop bringing such women from a far away world. And marry a fertile girl who is of tender age. I have a variety of girls among our people. They are of different varieties. I cannot continue to sit by and watch you make mistakes. We want to celebrate in our way, so that one day we will be able to see your children."

"Yes that's true. I also want to produce children," Usman replied.

90 Day Fiance's Kim Admits She Put Relationship with Usman 'on the Line' and Vows Never to Date Again. TLC

TLC

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance's Kim Tells Usman to 'Go Look for 5,000 Wives' and Searches for Flights After Polygamy Fight

In a confessional interview, his mother admitted she is scared of a foreign woman taking Usman away from his hometown.

"It's better if he can get a wife here at home. I've seen how easily he changed with foreigners. I'm afraid they will snatch my son away to America," she said. "He should come home, get a wife and later he can look for an American woman to marry. I surely have the opportunity to get him married. I can find him a wife in just seven days. There are currently some girls who admire him. We only need his nod, and it will be done."

Usman, who decided to wait until Kim met his mother before asking for her blessing to get engaged, said, "I cannot even imagine how difficult it is going to be to get her blessing. The relationship with my ex really affects the way my mom sees Kimberly. I will still bring Kimberly to meet my mom. We have to tell my mom that this is the woman and I really love her. We'll just go in tomorrow and we'll pray hard tonight."

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90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on TLC and discovery+.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday that Corps is prepared to provide up to $221 million in funding for the Pearl River Flood Control Project.

The funding promise, which would utilize money from the bipartisan infrastructure law, came along with a commitment to provide up to $700,000 to assist with the final steps of a federal validation study on the project.

The project, which is intended to protect residents of Jackson, along with Hinds and Rankin counties, from severe flooding is in the midst of an approval process, but local leaders celebrated the Army Corps announcement as a momentous step forward.

Floodwater covers a section of River Road in Jackson, Miss. Monday, Aug. 29, 2022. After the crest of the Pearl River, some streets but only one house got hit with water in Jackson according to Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.

"Today is a great day for the city of Jackson," Hinds County Supervisor Robert Graham said during a news conference. "For the citizens of Northeast Jackson, Rankin County and Hinds County, help is on the way."

Graham thanked Mississippi's members of congress, including U.S. Reps Bennie Thompson and Michael Guest, and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker.

"This could not have happened without them," Graham said.

Jackson water crisis:Wicker gets $20 million to aid Jackson water issues

The current levee system doesn't protect parts of Jackson and the nearby suburbs that are prone to flooding, officials told the Associated Press. "The Pearl River Flood Control Project would widen the river that runs through the Jackson area, allowing more water to move through during floods," the Associated Press reports. "It would also enlarge levees and remove chokepoints that have caused water to flow over the river banks onto residential areas.

"It would protect local counties from more than $1 billion in potential damages," Wicker told the Associated Press.

As I have emphasized repeatedly to the administration, each year that the Jackson metro area lacks adequate flood control is another year when we risk repeating the disaster of the Easter Flood of 1979," Wicker said, referring to a flood that caused waters to rise to record highs.

Shortly after the announcement from the Army Crops, Wicker released a statement celebrating the decision. The statement thanked Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor, who oversees the Army Corps. Wicker, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Richland Mayor Pat Sullivan met with Connor in August, and Wicker helped secure a separate $300,000 in funding for the validation study earlier in the year.

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This is an outstanding announcement for the many Hinds and Rankin County residents who have to fear for their homes and businesses every time waters rise along the Pearl River. Finalizing this final federal study will bring us one step closer to breaking ground on this meaningful flood control solution, Wicker said in the statement.

Wicker said each year that flood control projects have not been put in place is a year where catastrophe could occur.

"As I have emphasized repeatedly to the administration, each year that the Jackson metro area lacks adequate flood control is another year when we risk repeating the disaster of the Easter Flood of 1979," Wicker said in the statement. "I am glad to see that this important project will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I supported. This is the exact kind of hard infrastructure that our state needs."

Lumumba said he has heard similar concerns from residents in Northeast Jackson during the 2020 floods, and then again with the risk of flooding earlier this year with Thompson and Wicker.

"I ran into some of the (same) families on both occasions," Lumumba said, adding that he often heard the same thing. "Mayor, senator, I want you to promise me that this will not happen again."

While enough has been done to have some idea of the funding that will be needed, impact studies and a community feedback process are still required to complete the federal validation study. Lumumba said there are some questions that are still unanswered at this stage.

"I will share that there are many more questions to come," Lumumba said. "I look forward to continuing to work together, as I know we will do."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Pearl River Flood Control Project gets Army Corps funding promise
Darrell Brooks tried to set a humbled and conciliatory tone Monday upon his return to a Waukesha courtroom for his homicide trial.

Brooks, 40, has been defending himself against six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and dozens of other counts in the Christmas parade tragedy last year. Prosecutors say he drove down the crowded parade route striking participants and attendees.

Before testimony resumed Monday Brooks, wearing a suit, told Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow he was sorry about his behavior last week. In the first days of trial, he often interrupted Dorow and was repeatedly moved to an adjacent courtroom. One day, he removed his orange jail shirt while in the courtroom.

"It was a very emotional situation," he said. "I should carry myself with better respect," he said, adding his mother didn't raise him to act like he did last week. He stood and apologized to the court, the prosecutors, the clerks and bailiffs, even news reporters and anyone else in the gallery last week. (He did not specifically mention victims, several of whom attended the trial).

Dorow thanked Brooks for finally seeming to recognize the need for and value of decorum in the courtroom.

More: 'Brooks left behind carnage and chaos': Waukesha Christmas Parade trial opening statements

More: Has Darrell Brooks' behavior set Waukesha parade attack trial on path to reversal?

'It was pure chaos'

Testimony began with Brooks' cross-examination of Waukesha Police Det. Thomas Casey, the first officer to try stopping Brooks from entering the parade route. Brooks seemed to try to cast doubt about Casey's identification of Brooks as the driver or that the honking Casey described was evidence of the driver trying to alert people to danger.

Though Dorow has complimented Brooks' improving behavior and questioning of witnesses, he returned to well-covered  and rejected  claims about jurisdiction, not recognizing himself by his own name, and whether "the plaintiff," the state of Wisconsin was in the courtroom.

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He even questioned a pronoun. "Objection," Brooks said. "I don't consent to being called he."

Another officer, Bryce Butryn, testified he was nearly run down as he also attempted to stop Brooks. After Brooks went by, Butryn said, he ran after the red Ford Escape and saw it striking people.

"There were so many things flying, it was unclear who or what was being struck," Butryn said with some emotion. As he ran farther down the route, though, he saw, "Multiple casualties on both sides of the road, with various degrees of injuries. It was pure chaos."

Witnesses recount macabre scene

Throughout much of Butryn's eyewitness testimony, Brooks made objections, citing improper grounds of hearsay and relevance. Dorow overruled them all. He also seemed to believe he got some strategic advantage by demanding "grounds" the moment Deputy District Attorney Lesli Boese began to object.

The jury heard from the first Waukesha Fire Department commander on scene, who described how quickly the alarm level escalated, ultimately involving 23 units from 15 municipalities. Victims were taken to five area hospitals.

Nicole White testified she joined a friend to walk with the ReMax entry in the parade, a van with a hot air balloon basket and its gas burner, hanging from the back, shooting bursts of flame. White said she'd never walked in a parade before.

White said she had no sense of anything of the ordinary, and didn't hear a horn or anything before she was struck in the back, fell to the ground and was run over by a red SUV. She said she expected someone would stop the vehicle, but from the ground she saw it driving away, nearly hitting the left side of the ReMax van.

Next, she said, someone helped her off the street to a chair at the curb because she couldn't walk. She was then taken inside an office with other victims before a police officer took her to Waukesha Memorial Hospital.

At prosecutor's request, she grimly watched a video that showed her being struck for the first time.

White suffered two torn ligaments in her right knee, two compressed vertebrae and a fractured tailbone.

The director of the Waukesha South High School Black Shirt Band, Sarah Wehmeier-Aparicio, testified to identify the many band members who were struck. The jury could hear, but not see, a 30-second video clip of the band playing normally. The music starts to drop away as screams increase before all the music stops and only the screaming and someone yelling "Oh my God," can be heard.

Prosecutors are expect to continue presenting their case Tuesday.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Darrell Brooks returns to court for Waukesha Christmas Parade trial
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
Kent Chatfield is nothing if not determined.

For 19 years, the longtime local resident has researched Wilmington's 1898 coup and massacre, digging through archives and chasing down documents. Now, "McKinley's Guns," the first in a series of four planned film documentaries about the coup, its planning and its long-term effect on Wilmington, is ready for a public screening.

The hour-long film actually premiered at Thalian Hall on Sept. 29, but Hurricane Ian washed out two planned screenings for Sept. 30. The final public screening of "McKinley's Guns" is 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at Thalian Hall.

In the film, Chatfield argues that the white supremacist coup, which left dozens of Blacks dead and is the only instance in U.S. history of the violent overthrow of a local government, had involvement from military officers and U.S. government officials at a higher level than has previously been revealed.

"This wasn't just a mob," said Jared Smith, one of the film's researchers, at a private screening of the film on Oct. 2. That's not to say that "the bar owners and shop owners weren't involved," he added, but they weren't the ones driving the violence.

Chatfield said his research took him to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., where he pulled thousands of pages of century-old regimental histories of U.S. troop movements, "all of it in cursive. None of it's online."

What he found, he said, points to involvement by Col. Joseph Franklin Armfield, who commanded a regiment of North Carolina Army troops and later rose to the rank of brigadier general, and by Fitzhugh Lee. Lee was a former Confederate general (and nephew of Robert E. Lee) who was governor of Virginia from 1886-1890 and later became a general in the U.S. Army and a diplomat appointed by President William McKinley.

Chatfield said both Armfield and Lee conspired to have weapons and soldiers sent to Wilmington to participate in the coup, and that many of the so-called "Red Shirts" who terrorized the Black community in the days leading up to and during the massacre were active U.S. soldiers.

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It's a complex but compelling narrative that weaves in the Spanish-American War, a regiment of Black Army troops who were sent out of the state during the massacre and Wilmington's own Donald MacRae, father of Hugh MacRae, who Chatfield said allowed his fertilizer plant in Navassa to be used as base for the Red Shirts, who would cross the Cape Fear River to make their attacks.

Previously, Chatfield has appeared in Wilmington filmmaker Christopher Everett's 1898 documentary "Wilmington on Fire," in which his wry, indignant insights about 1898, delivered in a pronounced Southern accent, played a starring role. He said "McKinley's Guns" will be available for streaming online starting Nov. 10, and that he and his filmmaking team are currently raising money to make the next three films in the series.

Chatfield, who ran unsuccessfully for Wilmington City Council in 2003, has a long of battling authority. In 2002, he won a victory in court when a judge declared that Wilmington Housing Finance and Development is a public agency, and thus subject to the state's public records and open meetings laws. The case was later overturned on appeal.

He's also run afoul of the law a number of time. Charges include marijuana possession in (he says police planted it in an attempt to discredit him as he battled the Wilmington Housing Authority) and assault with a deadly weapon in 2003 when police say Chatfield attacked a Burgaw police sergeant (Chatfield said all he did was witness a fight).

But while his past may be checkered, Chatfield's interest-bordering-on-obsession with the events of 1898 feels genuine. With "McKinley's Guns," he said, he wants to get all the facts out there in the hope that information that has long been buried might lead to a clearer understanding of the past.

Want to go?

What: "McKinley's Guns," a documentary about Wilmington's 1898 coup and massacre, presented by Wind Tree Research and Crane House Films

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13

Where: Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St., Wilmington

Info: Tickets are $21.40, taxes and fees included

Details: 910-632-2285 or CraneHouseFilm.com

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: McKinley's Guns doc film points to U.S. military involvement in 1898
After four games, the Minnesota Vikings star edge Danielle Hunter has not had the start he was hoping for.

Through those four games, Hunter has one sack and eight pressures. Not great from the player who had 31 pressures and six sacks in the seven games he played in before a season-ending torn pectoral muscle against the San Francisco 49ers.

Part of those struggles equates to a shift to a 3-4 defense. Because of that, defensive coordinator Ed Donatell isnt concerned.

LB Danielle Hunter has 1 sack and a 5.6% pressure rate (T-102/NFL). DC Ed Donatell said today of Hunter's shift to the 3-4: "Every guy that has ever made this transition, his first month looks a lot like that.  There's a getting used to this role. It's very, very normal."  Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 6, 2022

Donatell makes a really good point. The things that Hunter is being asked to do in this defense are quite a bit different. On standard downs, Hunter isnt lined up with his hand in the dirt being asked to play a 5-tech role but rather lined up as a 7-tech or wide-9 playing a slightly-different role. As Donatell mentioned, its a real transition to playing a standup OLB role and its normal.

Looks like we will need to be patient with Hunter.

Story originally appeared on Vikings Wire
Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

Europe is expected to witness significant growth in the electronic weighing scale market, with a revenue of 21.8%. With a notable revenue of 35.2%, North America holds the largest electronic weighing scale market share.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: , Oct. 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global electronic weighing scale market is projected to reach a value of US$ 8,084.9 Mn by 2032, with the market growing at a moderate CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2032. Predicted to reach an estimated US$ 4,775.3 Mn in 2022, the electronic weighing scale market is fueled by the ease and convenience of measuring multiple units through the device. An imperative need to maintain precision coupled with growing economic activities and technological progress in laboratory scales and balances will further augment the demand for electronic weighing scales in the global market during the forecast period.



With the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) into weighing scales as well as several other product innovations, the electronic weighing scale market is set to witness a surge in its global demand. Furthermore, the introduction of water-proof electronic weighing machines with backlit LCD and titanium platforms is presenting the target market with multiple growth-inducing opportunities.

Request a Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5024

An electronic weighing scale is one of the crucial machine in retail shops because of its suitable signal conditioners, fundamental load cell, and output recorders/indicators. These scales are precise, highly reliable, portable, durable, and provide easy calibrating features which multiplies the demand for these weighing scales in retail stores. In addition to this, a large portion of consumers favor products that come with various certificates, like the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) certificates, while buying different goods. This, coupled with rising commercial activities are one of the prominent growth drivers of the electronic weighing scale market.

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The target product also finds mass application in the healthcare sector. Different industry verticals are rapidly automating the process of testing and measurement of materials which is expected to propel the market growth. Again, there has been a considerable rise in the adoption of table top version of the machine for veterinary applications. All of these considerations are likely to spur the demand for electronic weighing scales during the projected period.

Introduction of technologically advanced machines couples with swelling demand from the retail sector will propel the market growth of the electronic weighing scale over the forecast period, says an FMI analyst.

Key Takeaways:

Introduction of innovative features into these products will strengthen the market prospects.

Need for steady and constant electricity dampens the market growth.

North America holds about 35.2% of the electronic weighing scale market revenue share.

Europe accounts for 21.8% of the revenue of the target market.

Get More Information on this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/electronic-weighing-scale-market

More Insights into Electronic Weighing Scale Market Report

In its latest report, FMI offers an unbiased analysis of the global electronic weighing scale market, providing historical data from 2016 to 2021 and forecast statistics for 2022 to 2032. To understand the global market potential, growth, and scope, the market is segmented on the basis of application (electronic weighing scale, electronic industrial counting scale, electronic retail printer scale, electronic weighing balance), class (class I, class II, class IIIL, class III), scale (table top, personnel, electronic crane, electronic platform, pocket electronic, table electronic), and region.

According to the latest FMI reports, based on region, the electronic weighing scale market in North America is projected to undergo notable market growth during 2022-2032. Accounting for a revenue share of 35.2%, the electronic weighing scale market in this region is driven by the presence of a vast pharmaceutical sector as well as by rapid advancement in the weighing scale technology. Europes electronic weighing scale market, too, is expected to show substantial growth, holding about 21.8% of the revenue share. Introduction of self-weighing machines integrated with barcodes and receipt printers along with improvements in the transportation and logistics sector propels the market growth in this region during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

Contech Instruments Ltd., Aczet Pvt. Ltd., Essae Group, A&D Weighing Inc., Adam Equipment Inc., ATRAX Group NZ Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Ltd., D. Brash & Sons Ltd., Easiweigh Ltd., Yes Technologies, Truweigh LLC, Kern & Sohn GmbH, Fairbanks Scales Inc., Rice Lake Weighing Systems, BONSO Electronics International Inc., Shimadzu Corporation, Sartorius Group, etc., among others are some of the major players in the electronic weighing scale market profiled in the full version of the report.

Leading market players are focusing on incorporating new options into their products and releasing new products into the market. These businesses are adopting innovative tactics and increasing their amount of product releases to strengthen their market positions.

Report for Customization @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-5024

Key Segments Profiled in the Electronic Weighing Scale Market Survey

By Application:

Electronic Weighing Scale

Electronic Industrial Counting Scale

Electronic Retail Printer Scale

Electronic Weighing Balance

By Class:

Class I

Class II

Class III

Class IIIL

Class IIII



By Scale:

Table Top

Personnel

Electronic Crane

Electronic Platform

Pocket Electronic

Table Electronic

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Asia Pacific

MEA

Europe



Request Methodology @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/request-report-methodology/rep-gb-5024

Table of Content :

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.2. Scenario Forecast

3.3. Opportunity Map Analysis

3.4. Product Life Cycle Analysis

3.5. Supply Chain Analysis

TOC continued..!

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About Future Market Insights, Inc.

Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.  Prosecutors presented encrypted messages, a secret recording and witness testimony in the case against the right-wing militia group Oath Keepers last week, a potential sign of what could be ahead as the trial moves into Week 2 on Tuesday.

Leader Stewart Rhodes and four other members of the Oath Keepers  Ohioan Jessica Watkins, Virginian Thomas Caldwell and Floridians Kelly Meggs and Ken Harrelson  face numerous charges in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack; the trial began in federal court last week.

That includes the rare charge of seditious conspiracy. In legal terms, that means conspiring against the government through the use or threat of force in an attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power or functioning of the government. That charge alone holds a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

Other counts in the indictment include obstructing an official proceeding and conspiring to obstruct it;conspiring to prevent an officer from discharging duties; destruction of government property; civil disorder; and tampering with documents or proceedings.

To earn a guilty verdict from the Washington, D.C., jury, prosecutors must prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Here's everything we learned during the first week of the Oath Keepers' trial.

Who are the Oath Keepers?: What we know about the right-wing group, members' trial

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers, center, speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington, on June 25, 2017. The trial of Rhodes and four associates charged with seditious conspiracy in the attack on the U.S. Capitol is set to begin next week.

Both sides lay out roadmaps to cases

The prosecution:

The government painted members of the Oath Keepers as masterminds behind a long-planned and carefully coordinated plot to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021  by any means necessary.

Notice the role these five defendants played: leaders, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler said in the governments opening remarks.

Stewart Rhodes  a Yale-educated, eye-patch wearing founder of the Oath Keepers  is the leader of them all, the prosecution argued. During the Capitol attack, Rhodes remained outside the building like a general overlooking a battlefield while his troops stormed inside," Nestler said.

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The defense:

Defense attorneys for Rhodes and his four co-defendants say the government's portrayal of the Oath Keepers and its members is wrong.

Improper context can mislead and lead to improper conclusions, Jonathan Crisp, Watkins attorney, said in his opening remarks.

Oath Keepers trial opening remarks: Prosecutors argue militia members were 'leaders' on Jan. 6

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington, June 25, 2017.

The evidence

Prosecutors showed evidence that the Oath Keepers began planning for a violent confrontation in Washington the same day Joe Biden was named president-elect. Rhodes wrote in a Nov. 7, 2020, chat on Signal, an encrypted messaging app, to other Oath Keepers that they must refuse to accept his nomination and get their "gear squared away and ready to fight."

On a Nov. 9 conference call among more than 100 Oath Keepers, secretly recorded by one attendee, Rhodes spelled out plans to travel to Washington for the Million MAGA March later that month, where thousands gathered to protest purported election fraud. No widespread election fraud has ever been found in the 2020 election.

Defendants Watkins and Meggs, also on the call, weighed which weapons could be legally brought into Washington, like pepper spray, tasers and stun guns  and it doesnt hurt to have a lead pipe with a flag on it, Meggs said. Many of the plans discussed on the call were later replicated or refined on Jan. 6, prosecutors alleged.

Were not getting out of this without a fight, Rhodes said on the call.

Prosecution's evidence: Messages after 2020 election show plans for armed confrontation in Washington

A Dec. 2, 2020, document titled "OP PLAN D.C. FIRST DRAFT, created by defendant Caldwell, laid out an early operation plan for the Oath Keepers, the prosecution alleged. In it, Caldwell suggests bringing striking weapons and includes a link to a tactical camping tomahawk ax called Zombie Killer.

When the battle is joined, apply the striking weapon wherever it will do the most good, including to the head or face area," Caldwell wrote in the plan.

He also suggests burner phones and unregistered weapons, noting that it would lend credence to plausible deniability. Those weapons should be wiped down and discarded as soon as practicable, Caldwell wrote in the document.

Novel defense: A 1800s-inspired defense meets most significant Jan. 6 prosecution yet

Who are the Oath Keepers and what's their anti-government vision?

The testimony

Six witnesses called by the prosecution have offered insight into the Oath Keepers' organization, collective psyche and plans ahead of Jan. 6.

FBI Special Agent Michael Palian was sent to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 after violence broke out that day. He described the scene as looking like a bomb had gone off in there." Much of the prosecution's message and audio evidence was verified and analyzed by Palian.

Former Oath Keeper John Zimmerman , who led a North Carolina chapter of the group, detailed their plan to travel to Washington for the Million MAGA March in November 2020. Concerned about violence from "BLM and Antifa," the Oath Keepers stockpiled 12-15 long guns in his van outside Washington, n case Trump invoked the Insurrection Act.

Abdullah Rasheed , a former Oath Keeper from West Virginia, testified that he recorded the Nov. 9, 2020, call. "The more I listened to the call, it sounded like we were going to war against the United States government," he told the jury. The defense sought to discredit Rasheed by pointing to a prior felony conviction.

Former Oath Keeper Michael Adams testified that he rebooted and led the Florida chapter of the organization. He said he resigned from his position in December 2020 due to the Oath Keepers' "posture as a militia group," which he found "problematic."

U.S. Capitol Police Special Agent Ryan McCamley testified to Rhodes' presence in Washington on Dec. 12, where the militia leader later said at a rally that if Trump did not invoke the Insurrection Act, "were going to have to do it ourselves later, in a much more desperate, much more bloody war." McCamley confirmed during cross-examination by the defense that he did not witness Rhodes engaged in anything illegal.

FBI Special Agent Byron Cody began testifying Friday about Rhodes' public pleas to Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act.

Supporters of the extremist group Oath Keepers stand outside the federal courthouse, on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, in Washington.

What's next?

The Oath Keepers trial will resume after the long weekend Tuesday morning. Though there are sure to be some surprises, here's what to expect when it picks up again:

FBI Special Agent Byron Cody will retake the stand for cross-examination by Rhodes' attorneys.

Prosecutors said Friday that two FBI agents who recovered items from defendants Meggs and Watkins' homes, plus Arizona's Ernest Hancock, who recorded a video on Jan. 6, could testify. That depends on whether Meggs attorney, Stanley Woodward, agrees that the evidence recovered by the FBI and Hancock's video from Jan. 6 are authentic. If he does not, it would require those individuals to testify to the evidence's authenticity.

Hancock has attempted to invoke the Fifth Amendment, prosecutors said, though they do not believe he holds that right under these circumstances. Last week, Judge Amit Mehta weighed in on requiring the individuals to testify: "It's going extend the length of this trial, and it's not going to make me happy," he said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oath Keepers trial: What happened in week one and what's coming next
Glenn Youngkin: In 2016, Democrats suggested that the election was stolen.

Rating: Half True

Here's why: Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently gave his blessings to an "Election Integrity Unit" established by Attorney General Jason Miyares, a fellow Republican, to investigate and prosecute violations of Virginias election laws.

Youngkin visited Loudoun Countys Office of Elections on Sept. 20 to watch officials test vote-counting machines. Reporters asked him why the 20-person unit is needed when, as Democrats note, Virginia elections have been basically clean.

"People have concerns about the election process and oh by the way, its not just Republicans; its Democrats," Youngkin said. "Lets just remind ourselves that in 2016 Democrats suggested that the election was stolen."

Did Democrats suggest the 2016 presidential election, won by Donald Trump, was hijacked? The claim is often made by Republicans advancing Trumps disproven claims that the 2020 presidential election, won by Joe Biden, was stolen by fraudulent vote counting. Youngkin, after some initial hedging, acknowledged last year that Biden was legitimately elected.

Youngkins office sent us a number of recordings of prominent Democrats saying that Trumps 2016 victory was turned by events that occurred during the campaign, especially documented Russian interference on Trumps behalf.

Its important to point out, however, that the Democrats did not question the actual counting of ballots in 2016, as Youngkins statement implies, or that Trump won the election.

Lets look at the information Youngkins office sent.

Hillary Clinton

In 2016, 2.8 million more people voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton than Trump, but she lost the determining Electoral College vote. During a September 2019 interview on CBS, she blamed her loss on voting restrictions passed by some states before the 2016 election and Russian hacking of her campaign that was later confirmed by a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

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Trump "knows hes an illegitimate president," Clinton said. "I believe he understands that the many varying tactics they used, from voter suppression and voter purging to hacking to the false stories  he knows that  there were just a bunch of different reasons why the election turned out like it did  I know he knows this wasnt on the level."

In an October 2020 interview with The Atlantic, Clinton said, "There was a widespread understanding that [the 2016] election was not on the level. We still dont know what happened  but you dont win by 3 million votes and have all this other shenanigans and stuff going on and not come away with an idea like, Whoa, somethings not right here."

Jimmy Carter

In June 2019, Jimmy Carter, the former Democratic president, said, "Theres no doubt that the Russians did interfere in the election, and I think the interference, although not yet quantified, if fully investigated would show that Trump didnt actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election, and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf."

Bernie Sanders

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is an independent who has twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination. During an ABC interview in January 2017, he twice declined to say whether he thought Trump would be "a legitimate president."

"I think hes going to be inaugurated this week," Sanders said. "I have great concerns, apparently Republicans do as well, and theres going to be an investigation about the role that Russian hacking played in getting (Trump) elected."

John Lewis

The late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., said in January 2017 he would not attend Trumps inauguration. "I do not see this president-elect as a legitimate president," he told NBC. "I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the Russians and others that helped him get elected. Thats not right. Thats not fair. Thats not the open democratic process."

Jerry Nadler

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said in January 2017 that Trump was legally elected but an "illegitimate" president.

"He was legally elected," Nadler said. "But the Russians weighing in on the election, the Russian attempt to hack the election and, frankly, the FBIs weighing in on the election make his election illegitimate. But he is the president."

Nadlers reference to the FBI concerned then-FBI Director James Comeys disclosure to Congress, 11 days before the 2016 election, that he was reopening an investigation into whether emails stored on Clintons personal computer contained classified information.

Maxine Waters

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., was among seven House Democrats who raised futile objections to the Electoral College count by Congress in January 2017 that certified Trumps victory. They tried to argue that the election was tainted by Russian interference and voter suppression. They were overruled because none of their objections had required support from a senator.

Polling

Youngkins office also sent us an April 2022 Rasmussen poll. It showed that 72% of Democrats believe its likely the 2016 election outcome was changed by Russian interference, but that opinion is shared by only 30% of Republicans and 39% of voters not affiliated with either major party.

Our ruling

Youngkin said, "In 2016, Democrats suggested that the election was stolen." He was referring to Trumps victory in the presidential election.

Youngkin, a Republican, made the claim while endorsing the formation of an "Election Integrity Unit" by Virginias attorney general to investigate violations of the states election laws. He was at the Loudoun County Office of Elections, where he had just witnessed the testing of vote-counting equipment.

Democrats say the integrity unit is an effort to placate disproven Republican claims that Trumps defeat in the 2020 election was caused by vote-counting fraud. Youngkin, in responding to that accusation, said concern over election fraud is a bipartisan issue.

Indeed, some well-known Democrats  including Clinton  said Trumps 2016 victory was fishy. They mostly cited events that happened during the campaign, such as Russian hacking of campaign information and Comeys announcement that the FBI was reopening an investigation into Clintons emails. They also complained that many states had passed laws that suppressed voter turnout.

But Youngkins contention that the Democratic response in 2016 equates with the Republican response to 2020 runs into trouble. The Democrats, while questioning events that occurred during the campaign, didnt contend there was widespread vote-counting fraud that flipped the election.

The Democratic leaders cited by Youngkins office also made a distinction about 2016 that Trump and his followers did not about 2020. While the Democrats rejected the legitimacy of Trumps presidency based on the oddities of the campaign, they acknowledged that he won the election.

All told, we rate Youngkins statement Half True.

Our sources

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fact check: Did Democrats suggest the 2016 election was stolen?
THE government has underscored the importance of services being provided by the postal sector, saying it is a major catalyst for improving socio-economic development and fulfillment of aspirations of the nation.

Information, Communication and Information Technology Minister, Mr Nape Nnauye, made the remarks in commemoration of World Post Day 2022, marked on Sunday under the theme "Post for Planet".

"We are committed in improving postal services handling while ensuring that environmental protection is enhanced in order to lessen the effects of climate change (mitigation) and reduce the impact of health for future generations," Mr Nape stated in a statement published in the newspapers on Sunday.

"This year's theme of 'Post for Planet' challenges countries to take recourse on the relevance of the postal services and how to enhance its services worldwide," he added.

The minister noted further that Universal Postal Union (UPU) forms the largest physical distribution network in the world.

"Postal services connect people and communities across borders, help sustain the flow and exchange of information, facilitate the movement of goods and the provision of financial and other services," he remarked.

He pointed further that UPU has continued to be a formidable partner in meeting any countries' development objectives that are postal driven, forward and competitive with the consumers' demand on the planet.

"Through its postal services, Tanzania has ensured that global postal connectivity is technologically and physically accessible from local level into any corner of the world," he noted.

Mr Nape urged the postal sector to work on climate change solutions by supporting the theme of the UPU celebration this year through promoting planting of trees in enhancing clean air, stabilising the soil, as well as protecting biodiversity and offset carbon emission from delivery vehicles.

Meanwhile, while officiating the event to mark the climax of 148th commemorative World Post Day, in Dar es Salaam, on Sunday, Mr Nape called on Tanzania Postal Corporation (TPC) to innovate new postal businesses that will be in line with global technological changes as well as the needs of customers.

"Along with the reforms you are doing in digital transformation , I remind the management of the TPC to intensify its efforts in innovating postal businesses that will be in line with the use of technology to meet the new needs of customers that change from time to time." the minister underlined.

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In a related development, Mr Nape launched a joint historical stamp between Tanzania and Oman to promote tourism. The minister also launched Posta Kiganjani App which will enable every person who owns a mobile phone to access postal services.

The App consists of eight services including, track item, post box, estate, virtual box, delivery pickup, posta cash and control number.

On his part, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Jim Yonazi, committed to put in place strong innovative plans to ensure TPC contributes greatly to the national income.

In his message for the day, the Director General of Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Dr Jabir Kuwe, said issues of climate change are multi-dimensional and cross all areas of governmental policies.

"In view of the above the Universal Postal Union of which Tanzania is a member has chosen a theme for this year to commit the Postal sector to join other partners to work together to preserve the environment.

Commenting on the day, the Postmaster General of Tanzania Posts Corporation (TPC), Mr Macrice Mbodo, said the corporation is well aware that in today's volatile world, business and service providing organisations have to be more flexible and adaptive to the fast-changing social, economic and technological environments.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita speaks to about 100 supporters at the Indiana Statehouse who are against government mask mandates, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, during Organization Day.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita came under fire over the weekend after defending rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West.

Rokita, a Republican, tweeted a link to an Oct. 6 MSNBC story that criticized Ye, prominently focused around the rapper donning a "White Lives Matter" shirt at a recent fashion show. In his defense of Ye, Rokita claimed the media was unfairly targeting the rapper for his "independent thinking" and "opposing thoughts."

"The constant hypocrisy from the media is at an all-time high," Rokita said in the tweet. "They have now gone after Kanye for his new fashion line, his independent thinking, & for having opposing thoughts from the norm of Hollywood."

More:Here's why Nancy Pelosi, Todd Rokita, Biden administration care about Indiana nursing home

Rokita's tweet faced swift backlash because hours earlier Ye made antisemitic threats toward Jewish people in a tweet that has since been removed for violating the Twitter guidelines. Ye was locked out of his Instagram and Twitter accounts after posting antisemitic messages and violating guidelines on both platforms, USA Today reported.

Rokita went on to say that Ye's message "in this instance," presumably referring to the "White Lives Matter" shirt, was "fair and accurate" and that the rapper was "entitled to his opinion." The tweet linked to an interview between Ye and Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, where Ye defended himself and the shirt.

Rokita railed against the media, saying they'd "steamroll anyone if they do not kowtow to their way of thinking."

Ye's antisemitic tweet was sent late Saturday, and Rokita first tweeted about Ye just before 5 p.m. EST Sunday.

Hours later on Sunday, Rokita replied to his original thread and attempted to disassociate from Ye's antisemitic remarks.

"My post was specifically and clearly aimed at the hypocrisy of the media and Hollywood elites, not anything to do with other comments," Rokita said. "I have an obvious, clear and substantial Congressional and public record of being 100% supportive of the Jewish community and Israel."

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In response to IndyStar's request for comment, press secretary for the Attorney General's office Kelly Stevenson issued a statement.

As he himself stated, the post was clearly aimed at the hypocrisy of the media and Hollywood elites," Stevenson said in a statement emailed to IndyStar. "He has an obvious, clear and substantial Congressional and public record of being 100% supportive of the Jewish."

Stevenson said Rokita was "unaware of the other comments made by Kanye West at the time."

"He actually articulated his message on Saturday morning," Stevenson said. "However, the communications team did not publish the comment until a day and a half later."

Rokita's initial tweet gained over 1,200 quote tweets, as compared to around 490 likes, as of Monday afternoon. Thousands of Twitter users responded, many of which were critical of Rokita's comments.

The Anti-Defamation League condemned West's comments in a tweet, saying that antisemitic tropes like disloyalty, power and greed, commonly used to stereotype and levy hate against Jewish people, influenced Ye's comments.

Power. Disloyalty. Greed. Deicide. Blood. Denial. Anti-Zionism. All of these are antisemitic tropes that we break down in our #AntisemitismUncovered Guide at https://t.co/1D3LOM8xXQ. Many of these myths have influenced @KanyeWest's comments recently, and it's dangerous. https://t.co/fKQLPFkDR2  ADL (@ADL) October 9, 2022

The Indiana Democratic Party also spoke out against Rokita's comments in a statement Monday.

"All instances of antisemitism and hate need to be condemned, and Todd Rokita's comments are disgusting and beneath any person holding elected office," spokesperson Drew Anderson said in an emailed statement, "This is just one more example of Rokita running to be the Indiana Republican Party's biggest extremist, and his political stunt is another reminder the GOP puts its out-of-touch agenda first, Indianas future last."

This is not the first time Rokita has gained notoriety. Earlier this summer, after IndyStar published a story that mentioned Dr. Caitlin Bernard providing abortion services to a 10-year-old girl from Ohio, Rokita said on Fox News he would investigate Bernard and whether she reported the procedure.

Rokita claimed Bernard had a history of failing to report, but did not provide evidence to back up those claims. He also questioned whether Bernard had violated HIPAA, again, without evidence.

After IndyStar obtained documentation from the Indiana Department of Health that Bernard had reported the abortion and indicated the patient had suffered abuse, Rokita said he would continue to investigate Bernard. IU Health also said that Bernard did not violate HIPAA.

At a Sept. 1 news conference, Rokita was asked about the status of the investigation into Bernard and said it was "ongoing."

USA Today contributed to this report.

Contact IndyStar trending reporter Claire Rafford at crafford@gannett.com or on Twitter @clairerafford.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Attorney General Rokita tweets in support of Kanye West
After weeks of back and forth negotiating on the time, the hosts and the venue, Ohio Senate nominees Rep. Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance faced off on Monday for their first debate. A second showdown is scheduled a week later.

Ryan and Vance, the Democratic and Republican candidates vying for retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman's seat, argued their case on stage hosted by Fox 8 News in Cleveland.

FiveThirtyEight's polling average shows Ryan and Vance in a close race. The winner could determine the balance of power in the Senate, which is currently split 50-50.

PHOTO: Ohio Senate Candidate Tim Ryan greets Somali community members at a local marketplace in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 6, 2022. (Andrew Spear/Getty Images)

The candidates clashed over the issue of abortion, with Ryan claiming that Vance called those getting pregnant from rape an "inconvenience," which Vance pushed back on, saying he has never uttered those words.

"I am pro-life. I've always been pro-life, and I grew up in a poor family and a poor community. I saw a lot of young women have abortions when I was growing up," Vance said, adding that, in regard to Sen. Lindsey Graham's proposed national abortion ban, "some minimum national standard is totally fine with me."

Ryan added that he would support codifying Roe v. Wade.

Regarding the issue of the 10-year-old Ohio girl who got pregnant and traveled to Indiana for an abortion, Vance said he has always believed in "reasonable exceptions" and that anybody saying otherwise is "misrepresenting" his view.

"I've said repeatedly on the record that the [10-year-old Ohio] girl should be able to get an abortion, if she and her family so choose to do," he said.

Ryan brought up multiple times throughout the debate how he has supported former President Donald Trump's stances and initiatives, including the former president's Space Force service branch. Ryan rattled off a list of Democratic lawmakers he has "taken on," including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Bernie Sanders and President Joe Biden, again stressing that he agreed with Trump on a number of issues including "trade, renegotiating NAFTA [the North American Free Trade Agreement], being firmer on China."

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When asked by a moderator whether Ryan wanted Biden to run in 2024, Ryan said "no" and that he has been "very clear."

"I like to see a generational change. With Mitch McConnell. Donald Trump. The president. Everybody," he said.

On the issue of fixing the opioid crisis in the state, Vance slammed Ryan for doing "nothing to stop the flow of fentanyl," adding that his family members have been impacted by the "terrible addiction crisis."

When asked by the moderator about his take on Vice President Kamala Harris' comments that the "southern border is secure," Ryan said, "Kamala Harris is absolutely wrong on that. It's not secure. We have a lot of work to do. I'm not here to just get in a fight or just tiptoe the Democratic Party in line." He also took the opportunity to bring up Vance's now-shuttered nonprofit, which has been criticized for not helping fix the opioid crisis but rather jump-starting the Trump-backed nominee's political career.

Vance denounced claims that his nonprofit is a sham, saying, "None of this is true."

"I put $80,000 of my own money into that nonprofit, and it absolutely did help people," Vance said, adding that it is "shameful" for Ryan to attack him given that his family has been impacted by the opioid crisis.

Heading into Election Day, Vance has campaigned heavily on the issue of crime in Ohio. ABC News spoke with the "Hillbilly Elegy" author and former investor at a recent event in Perrysburg, Ohio, where he was joined by former President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

"Let's declare war on the violent crime on our streets. Let's let the police go and do their jobs and let's support them as we do it," Vance said to supporters at a banquet hall.

He told ABC News afterward, while speaking with reporters, that if elected he would prioritize increasing funding for police.

"We need to probably hire 100,000 additional cops in this country," he said.

Referring to special legal protections for law enforcement that some Democrats argue are too broad, Vance disagreed and said: "We really have to protect local police officers with qualified immunity."

ABC News also spoke with Rep. Ryan, most recently at a kick-off event for his statewide bus tour in Warren, Ohio. When asked how he's prepping before Monday's debate, Ryan said that he wished the face-off was held sooner.

"We want to get this thing kicked off. But, you know, we're doing good work," he said.

PHOTO: Senate Republican candidate JD Vance speaks to attendees the stage at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2022. (Gaelen Morse/Reuters)

He also told ABC News that he can't "overstate" how important the two debates between him and Vance are going to be because it will show voters what he said is a "contrast" between the two.

"JD has given up on Ohio and I've been here fighting like hell for this state, and we're starting to see some real results. And so that contrast of his extremism versus my pragmatism is going to be very apparent in the next two debates," Ryan said.

While the party in power often suffers setbacks in midterm races, swing-state Democrats like Ryan have campaigned by seeking to separate themselves from Washington.

He told ABC News that he's an "independent-minded person," while Vance has labeled him a "fake moderate."

In an emailed statement to ABC News, Vance campaign spokesperson Luke Schroeder wrote that "JD is well prepared for the upcoming debates and has found time to prepare between rallies and events. He will have no problem wiping the floor with Tim Ryan."

Paulina Tam is one of seven ABC News campaign reporters embedded in battleground states across the country. Watch all the twists and turns of covering the midterm elections every Sunday on Hulu's "Power Trip" with ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

JD Vance, Tim Ryan meet for first Ohio Senate debate as polls show tight race originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Photo credit: CBS - Getty Images



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Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki managed to keep their relationship out of the public eye when they started dating while starring in The Big Bang Theory.

But the pair decided to tell their co-stars they had been secretly dating, and shared the sweet reactions to their romance.

"We didnt tell anyone for a long time," Cuoco told upcoming book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur - Getty Images

Related: The Big Bang Theory bosses discuss original character cut from pilot

"I dont even know how many months later, but we were in New York, and I said to Johnny, 'I think we should tell the cast. Its starting to feel like were lying to them'.

"Johnny said, 'Im going to call Jim [Parsons] right now. I want to tell him'.

"We call Jim on speaker, and Johnny says, 'Im in love with Kaley', or 'I really want to be with Kaley', and Jim goes, 'Ah! Does she know?!'

"I started laughing and yelled, 'Yes, I know! Im here!' Jim thought Johnny was telling him that he liked me and was going to tell me that. It was the cutest reaction, like, 'Does she know?!'"

Photo credit: CBS - Getty Images

Parsons, who played Sheldon Cooper on the show, added: "The biggest thing I remember was Johnny saying it wont get in the way of work, which was nice to say. And honestly, it really didnt."

Simon Helberg, who played Howard Wolowitz on the long-running program, also shared how he was told about the relationship.

"Johnny came over to our house to tell me and my wife," he said. "The way I feel about it now is how I felt about it then, which was I found it somewhat hilarious, the amount of gravity that was given to it, because it was not surprising.

Photo credit: CBS - Getty Images

Related: First reviews land for Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco's new movie Meet Cute

"I understand things can get complicated when business relationships get personal, but it was like, 'Yeah, you guys were flirting', and then, 'Wait a minute, two actors in a cast? Dating?! Like, hold the front door! Im outta here! Get Kevin Sussman!' No.

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"I remember being like, '...And?!' And then, 'Is she pregnant?' No.

"But, it was not a big surprise. I think its funny. And I am happy that it all worked out in the sense that it didnt throw a huge wrench into the dynamic on set after they broke up, because things can get complicated."





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LONDON, October 10, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lodbrok Capital LLP, in its capacity as one of the largest shareholders in REC Silicon ASA, recently sent the letter below to the companys Board:

REC Silicon ASA ("REC")

Fornebuveien 84

PO Box 63

1324 Lysaker

Norway

Attn: The Directors of the Board

GOVERNANCE CONCERNS RELATED TO REC SILICON

10 October 2022

Dear directors,

Certain funds and accounts managed or advised by Lodbrok Capital LLP ("Lodbrok") own 5.2 million shares in REC (OSE:RECSI), making Lodbrok one of the largest shareholders in the company, and hold close to 20% of the 2023 senior secured bond. Lodbrok has been invested in REC continuously since our inception in 2017, and we have supported the company through difficult times, including by anchoring the bond refinancing in 2018 and by supporting the equity raise in 2019.

Lodbrok believes REC is significantly undervalued considering its two highly strategic assets in rapidly expanding industries, which benefit from political tailwinds and potentially strong profitability outlook, and we would recommend that:

REC immediately postpones its EGM scheduled for 21 October 2022 and seeks to identify and consider additional board candidates, with the aim of having a board with a majority of directors being unrelated to Hanwha; Hanwha either accepts having a minority of the directors and appropriate oversight for any contract negotiations or increases its equity stake in REC; Absent an ownership increase by Hanwha, an independent board hires advisors to explore and evaluate strategic and commercial interests in REC, in light of recent positive market developments, to ensure any large contracts signed with Hanwha are balanced against alternative opportunities from the perspective of all stakeholders; and The board of directors observes the Norwegian statutory rules prescribed for transactions with related parties, including the approval of any off-take agreement with Hanwha at a validly constituted shareholder meeting.

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In the absence of appropriate responses to the recommended actions set out above, Lodbrok will vote to reject all proposals on the EGM scheduled for 21 October 2022.

Value potential

We have been believers in the potential of REC for more than half a decade, and we are highly encouraged by recent developments in both the political and the industrial landscape. In our opinion, REC has an exceptional platform from which to capitalise on the accelerated push towards sustainable energy and the electrification of the auto industry.

The Butte plant is the worlds largest supplier of silane gas, with a very substantial market share, meaningful barriers to entry, and a fairly stable level of profitability, which we believe could easily attract strategic interest in a valuation range of $300-400 million. On current share prices, we estimate this would imply a $320-420 million valuation of Moses Lake, which corresponds to 19-25% of the reported c. $1.7 billion invested in the plant  all the while REC is negotiating offtake contracts with Hanwha Corporation and Hanwha Solutions ("Hanwha") for 100% of the plants capacity, with potential for additional demand from battery anode producers going forward.

With polysilicon spot prices close to $40 per kg, we estimate that Moses Lake, with its 18,000MT capacity, alone could generate close to half a billion dollars in annual EBITDA if it could sell 100% of its capacity in the open market. When factoring in the required reactivation capex, we estimate this would imply a <2x EV/EBITDA on the current market value of REC. Even in a scenario where polysilicon prices were to drop as much as 40%, to around $22 per kg, by our estimates, REC could still generate more than $200 million in annual EBITDA, which would imply around 4x EV/EBITDA on the current market valuation (incl. required capex). Alternatively, if Butte could be sold for $300-400 million, and the Moses Lake plant could sell 100% of its volume at a price that is 40% below current spot prices, the current valuation of REC would imply that Moses Lake would be valued at around 3x EV/EBITDA. For a business with strategic products for the US solar industry and the lithium-ion battery markets, and the know-how and experience to consider avenues for deeper expansion into these rapidly growing industries, we believe REC could have potential to command much higher EBITDA multiples.

While we recognise the expected supply growth from Chinese producers in the coming years and its potential impact on polysilicon prices, we believe that the energy markets in general  and the solar market in particular  will become increasingly bifurcated between Western and Eastern producers, from which REC should stand to benefit. We believe the incumbent US producers in the solar value chain, such as REC, will continue to enjoy political support for the development of a domestic value chain and be able to command a materially higher margin than what a global supply curve would suggest. A range of new government initiatives from the last year should drive investments in US based solar and battery supply chains, increase demand for semiconductor grade polysilicon and silicon gases, and more broadly drive adoption of clean energy technologies.

Moreover, Lodbrok has spent a significant amount of resources on other investment opportunities in the battery industry, and from our considerable time spent with experts on the benefits of distributing silicon on anodes by way of silane gas, as well as analysing the potential cost efficiencies for the battery producers and car manufacturers, we believe REC has the potential to command a very large premium on selling silane gas to anode producers rather than current end markets. From the recent investment behaviour of several anode producers, we consider it obvious how strategically important RECs silane gas is, but we believe the market may underestimate the ability REC could have to extract premium pricing on its product. While we appreciate that the adoption of silane gas in anode production could be a slow process, we have been a patient investor to date, and we are encouraged by the pace of recent developments.

Finally, over the last 18 months we have submitted a proposal to anchor a refinancing of the expensive bonds and continuously displayed a willingness to be part of a refinancing solution for the very expensive senior secured bond. We are hopeful that the companys lack of engagement on this reflects confidence in being able to source attractive bank financing that can minimize any potential future equity raise required to ramp up Moses Lake, and the positive developments in recent quarters have given us greater confidence that this should be attainable.

In short, we believe REC is uniquely positioned with two highly strategic assets in rapidly expanding industries that should benefit from lasting political tailwinds, strong profitability outlook and attractive funding opportunities.

Governance concerns

Despite what we consider very important positive developments and an attractive long-term outlook, the share price has largely gone sideways during the last 18 months. We believe part of this share price development is potentially attributable to concerns around poor corporate governance protocols, as recently illustrated by the very negative market reaction to the replacement of the interim CEO during a crucial time for the company.

In the last year, Hanwha has replaced Aker Horizon as the leading shareholder and acquired 1/3 of RECs shares. During that period, the company has witnessed the departure of its long-serving CEO, Tore Torvund, and now recently the departure of its interim CEO and long-serving CFO, James May. Meanwhile the new board of directors saw the sudden and unexplained departure of one of its two independent directors, Heike Heiligtag, which left Hanwha with two out of three remaining board seats, with the top two executives at REC having been replaced.

Against this backdrop, REC has reported that it has executed an MOU with Hanwha Solutions for polysilicon, with negotiations underway to complete the supply contract and Hanwha having proposed an offtake contract for 100% of the production at Moses Lake. Furthermore, REC has reported that discussions are ongoing with Hanwha Corporation for RECs silane gas, which we believe will be a highly strategic product for anode manufacturers going forward.

While we welcome and understand Hanwhas interest in RECs products, we believe the situation potentially gives rise to material conflicts of interests. Lodbrok has repeatedly flagged concerns directly to the REC management team about the importance of arms length negotiations between REC and Hanwha. We are deeply troubled by the departure and replacement of RECs two leading executives during this crucial time, coupled with the sudden departure of one of two independent board members, leaving the board now controlled by a shareholder that holds a minority of the equity, at a time when that shareholder is potentially looking to acquire the vast majority of the companys future production. Having been invested in REC for more than half a decade, we are highly concerned that a new executive team, which we have never had an opportunity to meet and which has effectively been selected by a Hanwha-controlled board, will lead the company through the finalisation of a potentially company-defining contract with Hanwha.

We believe any offtake contract directly entered into between Hanwha and REC will be a related party agreement under the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act, rendering adoption by a shareholder meeting required, at which Hanwha should be excluded from voting. Moreover, we believe Hanwha board representatives should be disqualified from participating in the board considerations of any agreements or corporate reorganization related to a Hanwha entity or contract, and we do not believe that the remaining two board members  as implied under the currently proposed board composition  constitute an appropriate quorum for such considerations.

We also note with concern that the nomination committee, made up by Junghey Chae (chair and employee of Hanwha), Sungchoon Kang and Jieun Lee, have found it reasonable in its EGM proposal to let Hanwha obtain half of the board seats, including the chair and deputy chair, despite Hanwha only holding 1/3 of the shares and being in negotiations with REC for very large contracts.

We want to ensure that non-Hanwha shareholders in REC  who hold the majority of the shares  are given due consideration as governed by Oslo Stock Exchange regulations and the Norwegian Securities Trading Act regarding equal treatment of shareholders, and in our opinion a minority shareholder should at best have minority representation on the board. Under the proposed corporate governance model, Lodbrok will push for a full independent investigation of any potential offtake contracts signed between REC and Hanwha.

Lodbrok intends to reject the current proposals on the EGM scheduled for 21 October 2022.

Recommended actions

Lodbrok believes REC should immediately postpone its EGM scheduled for 21 October to provide more time for additional board candidates to be identified and considered. We believe appropriate governance would dictate that any minority shareholder should only have minority representation at the board. Moreover, given the negotiations with Hanwha, we think REC could benefit from a non-Hanwha shareholder being represented on the board.

If Hanwha wants to effectively control the board, while potentially signing offtake agreements for the majority of RECs production, we believe Hanwha must increase its equity stake in the company. If Hanwha intends to put in place large offtake contracts at prices consistent with arms length negotiations, we believe substantial and attractively priced debt should be available for REC, which could finance a substantial portion of an acquisition of the remaining 2/3 of the equity (and refinancing of the $12m of net debt). Any potential divestment of Butte could further contribute to minimize the required funding for Hanwha to implement such a transaction.

Absent such an ownership increase, it is our opinion that the board, made up by a majority of directors unrelated to Hanwha, should hire an M&A advisor to evaluate strategic interest in REC and a commercial advisor that ensures all other potential counterparties are given fair consideration to maximise value for all stakeholders in REC. While such a process may have been pursued while Aker Horizon was the largest shareholder, we believe the landscape for energy security has dramatically changed since that time, and there is now much greater certainty on the political dynamics related to the US solar and battery value chains. We believe these forces leave REC with substantially improved prospects of attracting acquisition interest and commercial relationships.

In summary, Lodbrok believes REC is significantly undervalued considering its two highly strategic assets in rapidly expanding industries, which benefit from political tailwinds and potentially strong profitability outlook, and we would recommend that:

REC immediately postpones its EGM scheduled for 21 October 2022 and seeks to identify and consider additional board candidates, with the aim of having a board with a majority of directors being unrelated to Hanwha; Hanwha either accepts having a minority of the directors and appropriate oversight for any contract negotiations or increases its equity stake in REC; Absent an ownership increase by Hanwha, an independent board hires advisors to explore and evaluate strategic and commercial interests in REC, in light of recent positive market developments, to ensure any large contracts signed with Hanwha are balanced against alternative opportunities from the perspective of all stakeholders; and The board of directors observes the Norwegian statutory rules prescribed for transactions with related parties, including the approval of any off-take agreement with Hanwha at a validly constituted shareholder meeting.

Hanwha has the potential to be a great strategic shareholder for REC, but if Hanwha will remain a 1/3 shareholder with contracts for the majority of RECs production, it is essential that the company maintains the right governance model and independent management team to ensure all other shareholders will be able to participate fairly in the great value potential we see for the business.

Sincerely,

Mikael Brantberg

Chief Investment Officer

Lodbrok Capital LLP

Joachim Bale

Partner

Lodbrok Capital LLP

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005277/en/

Contacts

Lodbrok Media Contacts

Nepean

nepeanlodbrokteam@nepean.co.uk
Snakes can be unpredictable, but David "Rattlesnake Dave" Richardson knows how to handle them. He is one of the best, if not the best, snake handlers in the business.

Richardson, 75, an expert at handling different variations of western rattlesnakes, is in Jackson putting on his West Texas Rattlesnake Show at this year's Mississippi State Fair.

Richardson uses techniques and skills honed over more than 30 years to woo his rattlesnakes as part of the West Texas Rattlesnake Shows he presents at local fairs.

Last year was the first year Rattlesnake Dave performed at the annual Mississippi State Fair, but this year's show makes the 31st year he has been doing his shows and he said it will be the last year that Rattlesnake Dave will put on his famous show.

"I've never been bitten while handling rattlesnakes," Richardson said. "I don't want to take any chances of being bitten, which is why I'm retiring." I am afraid of snakes but do what I must because of the money.

Richardson said he brought a 5-foot western diamondback rattlesnake, a 6-foot western rattlesnake and two smaller western rattlesnakes for this year's show.

David Richardson, 75 - or Rattlesnake Dave, as hes known - shows off his rattlesnakes at his snake show on the opening day of the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, October 6, 2022. Rattlesnake Dave has been performing snake shows for over 30 years, and his show at the Mississippi State Fair is the final show of his career.

"After handling rare snakes for so long you develop an affection for them especially if one dies," Richardson said.

Richardson said he wants to end his career with a bang, which includes surprising crowds with a rare white 5-foot western diamondback rattler that was raised in Texas and loaned to him for the show.

More: White rattlesnake on display'He's a special snake': Rare Mississippi rattlesnake now on display

"We were lucky enough to have someone lend us this beautiful yet dangerous snake," Richardson said. "Because of its rare coat, they don't survive in the wild for a long time but carry a powerful neurotoxin that can kill you.

"I keep the snakes for one season after the shows and take them to an appropriate place in west Texas and let them go," Richardson said.

A white diamondback rattlesnake in the West Texas Rattlesnake Show at the Mississippi State Fair eyes the camera Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. The snake never would have lived to be a full-size adult in the wild because it would have been too visible to predators.

Although Richardson owns the spotlight, he said he could not perform the way he does without his wife, Cindy Richardson, who helps Dave during and after every show.

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"We have been doing this for over 30 years, and she has been with me every step of the way," Richardson said.

During the show, Dave gave a lucky audience member a chance to be a part of his show.

Maia Russel, 9, of Nashville held a red balloon in front of a western rattlesnake with the assistance of Richardson while the snake struck two to three times before popping the balloon.

David Richardson, left, of the West Texas Rattlesnake Show talks with Maia Russel, 9, of Nashville, Tenn., second from right, as she assists him with his show at the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Toward the end of the show, Richardson said the most aggressive rattlesnake he had ever dealt with was named "Killer."

"I named him Killer because he wouldn't break during training," Dave said. "I spend countless hours training rattlesnakes before every show and  my last shows will be great."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Rattlesnake Dave woos the crowd at his last shows during the MS fair.
Klahoose Wilderness Resort, owned by the First Nation of the same name, is on a mission to save their culture through hospitality  and share their slice of off-the-grid paradise, too.

Courtesy of Klahoose Wilderness Resort

The sky was a tapestry of cotton candy pink clouds that deepened into lavender, mirrored on the still saltwater of British Columbias Homfray Channel, as my husband and I gathered with a dozen Canadians and Europeans around a smoking fire pit. "Fire is the best way to connect with the ancestors," said Klemkwateki Randy Louie, explaining the First Nations smudging and brushing ritual to come. Louie is a Klahoose cultural interpreter, grizzly bear guide, spiritual dancer, and all-around gentle soul working in this new kind of high-end resort.

Courtesy of Klahoose Wilderness Resort

One by one, we each took up, spread out our arms, and closed our eyes. Two First Nations staff members worked in tandem  one sweeping cedar branches down and away from my center, head to toe; the other using a feather to waft burning sage across my back. Beautifully scented, the experience felt gentle and spiritual, concluding with a tobacco offering to our ancestors and Lummi song with drumming.

There are resorts designed to deliver pure indulgence, others purpose built for adventure, and still more conceived for foodies, families, wildlife lovers, or wellness seekers. But Klahoose Wilderness Resort works to revive and protect a culture at risk of being intentionally extinguished over generations. Envisioned by the former Klahoose First Nation chief, Kevin Peacey, the resort aims to stimulate social, environmental, and economic reconciliation, as well as deliver employment and healing to Indigenous people. It also happens to be in an environment so magnificently beautiful that it deserves to be immortalized in poetry.

Courtesy of Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Courtesy of Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Our arrival was as epic as they come. On our CorilAir seaplane flight to Klahoose, we witnessed wind shadows creating delicate ripples on the sea, milky cloud reflections, log-strewn pebbly beaches, rocky islands, and a channel dotted with yachts and sailboats. Amid jagged mountains, midnight water, and mossy rocks, we landed smoothly and stepped onto a large dock holding an entire fleet of kayaks and paddleboards. This off-the-grid experience, which operates seasonally from May to October, is only accessible via seaplane or boat.

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The Klahoose Nation purchased the property of three private cabins and four lodge rooms and reopened it in 2021 on a 2,400-foot-deep channel a one-hour boat ride from Toba Inlet, remote traditional land thats home to wildlife such as grizzly bears.

Courtesy of Klahoose Wilderness Resort

From start to finish, our all-inclusive experience was imbued with meaning. The brushing and cleansing ritual is something the staff first did during Pope Franciss summer visit to Canada, to honor and heal the deep emotions it brought up. Hes been criticized for his woefully inadequate recognition of the church-run residential schools across Canada that Im told were mandated to wipe out the Indian in the child from the 1870s to 1996. Thousands died at the schools and generations of trauma followed the emotional and physical abuse.

While in Vancouver before flying up, Id taken an eye-opening Talking Trees walk through Stanley Park with the Indigenous-owned Talaysay Tours. And as we feasted in Salmon n Bannock  the single Indigenous-owned restaurant in the city  Id teared up as owner Inez Cook told me her story of being forcibly taken as a baby and raised by a white family, then rediscovering her heritage through the restaurant and being reunited with her Nuxalk Nation.

I was grateful to have a bit of context while on the land of people who have endured so much, including a delivery of smallpox-infected Hudson Bay blankets I was told killed many in the 1920s, and a landslide in Brem Bay that buried more. There were once six longhouses  traditional gathering places used for teaching and honoring people and milestones  in Toba; today, there are zero.

Courtesy of Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Awareness and storytelling, I think, are steps toward reconciliation. The more they talk about it, I notice the tension is lightened up, said Louie of the staff. And all the guests seem eager to learn, even when the truth is horrific. Through their jobs, the staff is also diving deeper into the culture, in some cases learning to drum and sing and carve for the first time.

Language preservation is also a hot topic right now in Canada, helped by teaching apps. Our language is coming back strong, Tlaamin grizzly guru, skipper, and cultural interpreter Leon Timothy told me. After dinner, we gathered around a big table, as Klahoose families would have in the past, to braid cedar roses with bark harvested during the damp spring. Another evening, we carved miniature paddles in soft red cedar wood.

Related: Getting to Know Indigenous Peoples in Canada Through Tourism



Courtesy of Klahoose Wilderness Resort

Crafts aside, theres a summer camp vibe that encompasses sunny, active afternoons of water sports, sometimes alongside seals. Hiking is on a soft, mossy trail to an oyster-strewn point. One early morning while admiring the orange suns glow, we heard spouting, then spotted a humpback leisurely diving its way south, just in front of our cabin porch. The gorgeous creature seemed to enjoy swimming in the peaceful ocean as much as I did  warmer than I anticipated. A thundering waterfall, however, felt invigoratingly glacial when our boat captain steered us into its windy spray, like a baptism.

Zooming through channels and sounds  all turquoise water and gargantuan granite mountains  was surreal. But perhaps even more exciting was the potential of seeing grizzly bears at the end. From mid-August to mid-October, as the salmon spawn enticingly, the furry giants scoop them up to feast before hibernation. But theyre elusive, as I found over two-day trips to the Toba Valley during which Timothy, whos worked on this land for three decades, drove us quietly through forest rich from the nutrients of fish scraps to wooden observation towers. Im not afraid of them, my familys crest is a grizzly bear, he said in a hushed voice to not scare off any animals. When we visited a totem later, Timothy said hed like to come back as an eagle in his next life because its good luck in our culture, every time you see one.

Andrew Strain/Courtesy of Destination British Columbia

Kathryn Romeyn

Indeed it seems to be, because the next day a bald eagle flew overhead as we were silently searching. Theyre coming, I can feel it, said Timothy. Louie effortlessly carved paddles all the while and told us about harvesting plants for medicine and the bears theyve named, like Snorkel, who likes to swim and use his hind legs to swoosh up the salmon.

Finally, we heard loud splashing from upriver  a mama and her big baby were bounding around, trying to catch fish. She then started digging in a pile of logs, dust flying. They walked across the logs and climbed, mamas nose in the air sniffing, on high alert  there was a dangerous male in the area, it seemed, and we spotted him later. Wildly protective, a mama bear will do everything in her power to protect and feed her young. Watching them, amazed, I felt connected to the universal behavior of mothers, as well as Klahooses reverence for grizzlies as protectors.

Kathryn Romeyn

Residential schools took away a lot of the cultural practices we werent allowed to practice, Louie told me later. Like here in Klahoose, they lost totem poles and longhouses  a lot of the teachings were almost forgotten. He reconnected with relatives in this area nine years ago (hed spent a long time at a Coast Salish longhouse on Vancouver Island), and they made a 10-day canoe journey. It was totally different from what I was used to. Its a lot of discipline to paddle every day for eight hours, Louie said, his gratitude palpable. Now a lot of us are helping the elders by recording them, listening, and practicing.

Klahoose is a place for travelers interested in people and their stories  nature and wildlife, too. For me, every part of my trip was enriched by the perspective Id gained through encounters with both humans and animals. And the fact that the resort is owned by the First Nation of the same name made me feel like I was standing in solidarity with their mission as they work to share truths, heal wounds, and reclaim stolen land and knowledge. Louie summed it up perfectly: If I was coming in here for someone else other than Klahoose, it wouldnt feel the same at all, it would feel like a job.



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SEOUL, South Korea, October 10, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Burgiss, a leading provider of private capital market data and analytics, announced today that Shinhan Asset Management, one of the largest asset management companies in South Korea, has chosen Burgiss to aid in its journey toward developing more robust and relevant benchmarking analytics.

Like many other Korean asset owners, Shinhan Asset Managements rapidly growing allocation toward alternative assets has created a need for more reliable and comparable performance data. Shinhan Asset Management selected Burgiss because it offers the most comprehensive and accurate dataset of private capital funds, funds of funds, and their holdings available globally, with since inception quarterly returns and cash flow data for over 12,000 private funds that represent more than USD 9.6 trillion in committed capital. Shinhan will use this valuable data to support its fund selection across various domestic and international fund strategies, including Private Equity, Infrastructure, Real Estate, and Private Debt. Burgiss data will also be used to identify asset allocation ideas for Shinhan Asset Management in order to enhance its investment decision processes, thereby benefiting its end clients.

Kyuhuhn Yeon, Head of Global Alternative Investments, Shinhan Asset Management:

"With the increasing allocation into alternatives and its popularity amongst our clients, it is important that we have unbiased, comprehensive data that enable us to make the right investment decisions. We are pleased with the quality of data that we can get through Burgiss that we dont see elsewhere."

Wyn James, Head of Client Coverage APAC, Burgiss:

"We are excited to expand our presence in South Korea and have Shinhan Asset Management join the Burgiss community. Shinhan has identified the unparalleled quality of Burgiss private capital market data and analytics, and we look forward to working with their team to further improve their high-quality investment management processes."

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About Shinhan Asset Management

Shinhan Asset Management, headquartered in Seoul, is one of the largest asset management companies in South Korea, with KRW 111.12 trillion (approx. USD 77.8 billion) in assets under management as of September 23, 2022. It is a subsidiary of the Shinhan Financial Group and was the first private equity fund management firm in South Korea. Shinhan Asset Management has been providing financial products that meet the diverse investment needs of customers and managing assets since its establishment in August 1996. Shinhan Asset Management is creating outcomes that customers can trust and be satisfied with, and is growing into a top ESG company that expands the horizon of socially responsible investment.

About Burgiss

Burgiss is a global, market-leading provider of data and analytics solutions for investors. With over 30 years of expertise in alternative investments, we offer unrivaled data, analytics, and transparency that enable asset owners, asset managers, and financial intermediaries to evaluate and manage complex portfolios. Burgiss solutions serve 1,000+ clients in more than 30 countries, delivering data that represents over USD 15 trillion in assets.

With offices throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, we leverage our network and expertise so that we can service our clients by focusing on their varying needs across regions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221009005003/en/

Contacts

Wyn James, Head of Client Coverage, APAC

wjames@burgiss.com
A group of New Hampshire taxpayers have chosen a new target in their quest to sue the state over its school funding system: the statewide education property tax.

In a filing in Grafton Superior Court Wednesday, the taxpayers are asking the court to grant an injunction against the tax to stop it from being implemented next year, arguing that it is not applied fairly between property-rich and property-poor towns and is unconstitutional.

The motion is the latest move in an ongoing legal effort to dismantle the states school funding model. In June, the same group of plaintiffs sued the state over broader objections to the school funding system, arguing it unconstitutionally creates different tax burdens depending on a property owners hometown.

Andru Volinsky

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In 1997, the New Hampshire Supreme Court rejected the state education taxing scheme the lawsuit states, referring to the Claremont II decision in which the court required the state to create a more equal school funding model.

Now, the State is primed to once again impose a tax using the same mechanisms previously held unconstitutional that will result in some taxpayers paying up to seven times as much for education funding as their wealthier counterparts, the lawsuit continues.

The statewide education property tax, known as SWEPT, requires towns to collect a property tax on top of their local property taxes. Across the state, those taxes must total $363 million every year. That money is never sent to the state, but rather retained locally and passed to local school districts. Each fiscal year, the Department of Revenue Administration determines a standard tax rate to apply to all New Hampshire property owners by calculating what the total property valuations are for the state and how much is necessary to get to $363 million. That number typically hovers between $1 and $2 per $1,000 in property value, or $300 to $600 per year for a $300,000 house.

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Advocates of SWEPT say it helps to standardize education property taxes across towns and addresses the Supreme Courts Claremont II decision.

But critics say that in practice, the tax does not equalize what taxpayers in different towns pay toward education.

In Wednesdays filing, attorneys Natalie LaFlamme, Andru Volinsky, and John Tobin say that the new SWEPT system does not meet the directive made by the Supreme Court in the Claremont II decision. In that ruling, the court said that New Hampshires constitution requires the state to fund its public schools through taxes that are administered in a manner that is equal in valuation and uniform in rate throughout the State. SWEPT does not create a tax system that is equal in valuation, plaintiffs argue.

Because the SWEPT rate is flat, towns with higher property values collect more money from it than those with lower values. When originally established in 1999, the tax sought to balance that reality by requiring that any excess taxes collected under SWEPT by wealthier towns be sent back to the state to be redistributed through the Education Trust Fund. That meant that any town whose SWEPT revenues more than covered their public schools had to pass the extra funding to the state, which would effectively distribute it to towns whose SWEPT revenues did not cover their school expenses.

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But in 2011, amid arguments that the richer municipalities had become donor towns, the Legislature removed the redistribution requirement, allowing wealthier municipalities to keep excess revenue they raise from the SWEPT and use it to offset other taxes in their town.

Now, plaintiffs argue that rather than bringing equality to school funding, SWEPT has allowed some wealthier towns to offset their local taxes so much that they effectively become negative taxes  a reduction of their other taxes. Poorer towns, meanwhile, still come up short and are required to raise their local tax rates to keep their schools open.

And critics say a move by the Legislature in 2021 to temporarily cut the required statewide collection number from $363 million to $263 million  intended to serve as a statewide property tax cut  was undermined by a simultaneous decision to cut targeted aid for property-poor towns. That move forced some of those towns to make up more of the difference and raise taxes overall, according to an analysis from Reaching Higher NH, a left-leaning education think tank.

The plaintiffs motion requests that the state issue a preliminary injunction to prevent the Department of Revenue Administration from implementing SWEPT next year. That rate has been announced at $1.44 per $1,000 in property value for next year; the department is advising towns of that rate and approving their tax rate between October and December of this year.

The plaintiffs are also asking the court to bar the DRA from approving any SWEPT tax warrant that allows for a negative tax rate.

Wednesdays motion is the latest move in an ongoing legal effort to dismantle the states school funding model.

The latest motion is separate from that broader lawsuit and specifically focuses on SWEPT. The broader lawsuit will have a court hearing in August, the Grafton Superior Court announced this week.

This years taxpayer lawsuit from LaFlamme, Volinsky, and Tobin is also separate from the 2019 lawsuit from Contoocook Valley School District and other school districts that argues the funding model creates an unconstitutional financial burden on school districts themselves.

The taxpayers will have to clear a high legal bar. In order to succeed with this weeks motion, and temporarily block the implementation of SWEPT, plaintiffs lawyers will have to prove to the court that their preliminary motion will likely succeed on its merits if brought to a full trial; that the current SWEPT tax system will cause the taxpayers immediate, irreparable harm if it isnt blocked in time; and that blocking the SWEPT would not disproportionately burden the state. If the court finds that any one of those conditions is not met, the attempt will fail.

LaFlamme argues that the first condition  a likelihood of success on the merits  has been met because the state has already admitted that negative SWEPT taxes exist and that wealthier towns are able to offset their other taxes using their SWEPT revenues. The state admitted this in a filing last month in which the Department of Justice did not contest the plaintiffs assertions about the negative SWEPT taxes, LaFlamme noted.

In fact, LaFlamme said, it was the states decision to admit that fact that led the plaintiffs to file the latest motion this week.

The factual basis for this is when the state answered our complaint a few weeks ago, they specifically stated: Yes, this excess is still happening. Yes, we admit or agree that some towns have a negative local tax rate, she said. This particular injunction (motion) was really set off by the states answer to our complaint.

LaFlamme and other attorneys are hoping to combine that admission with previous Supreme Court opinions in the late 1990s that found that a similar proposed state property tax allowing towns to retain their excess revenues did not meet the Claremont II requirements and were unconstitutional. Those proposals in the 1990s were defeated in favor of SWEPT. But the legislative change in 2011 to eliminate donor towns effectively created a system that mirrored the 1990s proposals that were struck down, plaintiffs argue.

This is the first serious legal challenge to the SWEPT system since 2011

Despite this express language in Claremont II, the State has repeatedly sought new mechanisms to alleviate the tax burden on wealthier towns, the motion states. And, each time, the courts have held these mechanisms unconstitutional.

They hope the court will make the same finding now.

The timeline for the preliminary injunction proceedings is likely to be brisk. The state typically has 30 days to respond to a request for a preliminary injunction with its own motion. A spokesman for the Department of Justice, Michael Garrity declined to comment on the new SWEPT lawsuit but confirmed it would respond.

We intend to respond to the motion in the normal course and have agreed with plaintiffs counsel that any response will be due within 30 days, Garrity said Thursday.

While the state has not yet responded to Wednesdays motion, the Department of Justice did provide a glimpse last month into their defense strategy against the broader taxpayer lawsuit. In its response to the plaintiffs lawsuit, the state outlined 10 defenses it might choose to deploy at trial, including the argument that the state cannot be sued because of the doctrine of sovereign immunity, that the courts are barred from requiring specific legislative fixes because of the separation of powers, and that schools spend significant funds on programs and services that are not constitutionally necessary and should not be funded by the state.

That response is just a preview; a full counter motion from the state with detailed defenses and case citations will come closer to the trial date in August.

This story was originally published by New Hampshire Bulletin.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Taxpayers ask court to NH education property tax
Jose Minaya, the CEO of Nuveen, spoke with Insider for National Hispanic Heritage Month. Nuveen

Jose Minaya, the CEO of Nuveen, is one of only a few Hispanic CEOs of a major company in the US.

In an "Equity Talk," Minaya spoke about the inequity affecting Hispanic Americans.

"Inclusion is a massive business opportunity," the CEO told Insider.

For Jose Minaya, the CEO of Nuveen, the asset manager for the financial-services giant TIAA, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to reflect on the American dream.

The executive  one of only a handful of Hispanic people leading a major company in the US  grew up seeing the financial burdens that often weigh on communities of color and first-generation Americans.

As a child, Minaya's parents struggled to afford new shoes for him. His father washed dishes at a restaurant. His mother cleaned hotel rooms. To study for the SAT, he split the cost of one book with a friend and they shared it.

Now Minaya, 51, runs a company with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. But he hasn't forgotten his past.

Hispanic households earn about half as much as white households on average and possess only about 15 to 20% as much net wealth, a Federal Reserve analysis of 2021 data found. Many Hispanics don't have a financial role model or anyone to turn to for financial advice. Despite these persistent barriers and having experienced what he called a "humble upbringing," Minaya remains optimistic and says a better version of capitalism is still possible.

"The American dream is still alive and well, though inequalities absolutely still exist," Minaya said. "Shareholders are demanding diversity and inclusion, clients are demanding this, and in the war for talent, it's important. It is a perfect storm that in all three of those areas, people care about these issues."

The exec, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, also remains steadfast that more companies will embrace diversity and inclusion. This comes amid pushback from some critics who describe these types of diversity efforts as "woke capitalism."

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"Inclusion is a massive business opportunity," Minaya said. "Even if you don't believe in research showing the importance of diversity and inclusion  if you don't do it well, you just ain't getting the money at the end of the day."

Speaking with Insider for Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from mid-September through mid-October, Minaya weighed in on both the accomplishments and the lingering struggles that affect his community.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

You're a first-generation Hispanic American who grew up in what you've called "humble beginnings." English was your second language. How did your childhood shape who you are as a leader today?

It's who I represent myself with as a first-generation American. My community was largely a bubble. I grew up in a Spanish-speaking home. I grew up in a largely Spanish-speaking community. And from that community, I got a really strong sense of family. I got a strong sense of work ethic and pride in the work that people in that community did.

I became resourceful and curious, because while I came from a very loving family and community, there wasn't much they could help me with in terms of orientating me when leaving that community or going to college, going to Wall Street, going into financial services. So I had to figure things out along the way.

In addition to the well-documented pay gap between Hispanic Americans and white Americans, Hispanic households face particular economic challenges. They are 17% less likely than white households to have access to a retirement plan, for example. How are you working to change that?

It's about inclusion and capitalism. Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing minority groups in the US. If you think about the GDP that that community generates, that is an amazing amount of buying power. Then when you think about that demographic, and how less than a third of them have access to a retirement product, service, or retirement advice, you realize it's about being more inclusive.

Early in my career, I saw materials being generated in Spanish as people recognized, "Oh, we have more clients who speak Spanish." When I looked at the materials, I was like, "You know, my mom would actually be kind of insulted by this. It translates only dictionarywise."

That happened because there weren't the right people at the table to be able to really understand that community and be able to engage with it and sell to it. So, to me, that is the focus today. It's one around understanding. We need to be more inclusive as a society and bring these different cohorts along.

We also have to realize it's a massive business opportunity. These are all people that can use retirement services. It will better themselves. It will increase their net worth, and it will make them better in society as well.

Nuveen has many portfolio companies. How are you making diversity, equity, and inclusion a focus not just at your own company but at the companies you work with?

For me, it's always about focusing on the bottom line. Diverse firms, diverse boards  they make better decisions. They have better performance.

It's good old capitalism  understanding the buying power of minority communities is there. And by the way, when you start losing business to other companies that do get this right, I think people tend to wake up.

You're a proponent of "inclusive capitalism," but how can you advance that idea when we have so much headwind against environmental, social, and governance issues and diversity?

As we think about inclusive capital, to me, it's very simple. I think it's a bottom-line issue. We can look at the demographics of this country, the buying power different communities have, and then we can realize, "OK, this is an attractive investment thesis."

The more access I have to different investment opportunities, the better I'm going to do, right? At Nuveen, we've started our own program of investing in my minority-owned firms and minority-owned private-equity sponsors as well.

You mentioned the headwinds with regards to ESG. I think it's actually a positive because for too long, ESG was just an acronym. Today there is a lot more scrutiny because it's becoming more real. It was this narrative of, "Do the right thing." Well now, there's natural disasters. There's floods. There's fires. There's real issues going on in the labor force. It's about understanding that we have to look at these issues from a risk factor.

Whether you like this or not, your clients are going to be demanding more focus on ESG. I think this is becoming more institutionalized. You're going to see regulators getting more involved. It may seem like headwinds, but it is really what provides the right kind of metrics in place to allow the capital markets to really expand in this particular area. So yes, it's become more political  there are more headwinds. But I think this has been a long time coming. The discussion is here, and I think it's really what will propel us to the next phase.

How are you paving the way for others from underrepresented backgrounds in the future? How are you thinking about your legacy?

I think for first-generation Americans, and definitely someone coming out of the Hispanic community, it can be a very lonely place  leaving your community. Entering corporate America, you often don't have a lot in common with the people around you. Early on in my career, I was really focused on how to acclimate. Sometimes that meant I wasn't being my true self at work every day. I was trying to fit in.

I think it's about reminding my fellow Hispanics and folks in other minority groups  don't be afraid to be your true self in the office. I know how lonely it can be. I know about imposter syndrome. But trust me, bringing your true self to the table, that is diversity. You're really going to be your best when you bring your true self to the workplace.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Of the millions of Zimbabweans who have left for South Africa and other neighboring countries since 2000, an unknown number have vanished.

Harare  Zimbabweans cling to hope even after years of silence from loved ones who have disappeared across borders.

Blessing Tichagwa can barely remember her mother. Like hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans, Noma Muyambo emigrated to South Africa in search of work, leaving baby Blessing, now 15, behind with her grandmother.

The last time they saw her was nine years ago, when Blessing was 6. Muyambo returned for one week, then left again -- and has not sent any messages or money since.

"She promised she would return in April 2021, but she never did," the teenager says. "Even her phone number doesn't go through."

Porous borders make it easy for Zimbabweans to emigrate -- but this freedom of movement can also lead to tragic consequences. Of the millions who have left for South Africa and other neighboring countries since 2000, an unknown number have vanished: buried as unidentified bodies or silenced by illness, injury, detention, trafficking, economic insecurity or communication challenges.

"Some drown in rivers or are attacked by crocodiles, and others are victims of foreign hostility," says Ario Memory Mugwagwa, public relations officer at Zimbabwe's Department of Immigration.

Marie-Astrid Blondiaux, a coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Southern Africa, confirms that the number of Zimbabweans reported missing after migrating has been rising -- including cases that are now more than a decade old. Families don't know where to begin when their loved ones disappear in another country, she says, and most migrants haven't prepared for communication challenges and emergency situations.

"I would advise migrants, including children, to learn by heart key phone numbers and to agree on a meeting point in case of separation," she says. "You should also keep your family regularly informed about your whereabouts, especially when crossing a border. Tell them when you have reached your destination. Let them know you are safe and well, even if you don't intend to maintain the contact in the longer term."

The International Organization for Migration, a United Nations agency, also cites lack of documentation as part of the problem. In South Africa, home to Zimbabwe's largest diaspora community, more than 84% of the estimated 1.7 million Zimbabweans are undocumented, according to 2018 data collected by FinMark Trust, a South African nonprofit focused on financial inclusion. Inefficiencies and bureaucratic delays in passport applications, immigration control and border management mean that "even Zimbabweans with access to legal documentation resort to crossing the border into South Africa irregularly," states a 2021 report by the IOM's Missing Migrants Project.

Across Africa, the ICRC's missing persons caseload had reached nearly 44,000 people in 2020, including migrants. The IOM's Africa database has collected more than 11,000 cases of missing migrants since 2014, compared to fewer than 7,000 cases in the Americas during the same period.

Officials from both agencies agree these numbers only represent a fraction of a wider, undocumented humanitarian tragedy -- one that reverberates globally, from Mexico to Myanmar, as migrants flee violence, poverty and natural disasters. For the families left behind, their grief and economic struggles from losing a breadwinner are compounded by judgment from neighbors and peers until they can confirm the fate of their loved one.

Lainah Guyo, 67, says she hasn't heard from her daughter Deline in more than 15 years, since the young woman left Harare to seek employment in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"It's a painful experience for me. I don't know whether she is alive, or married, how she is living and whether she is well," Guyo says tearfully.

All she has left are old photographs and memories, and occasional words of comfort from her niece, Resta Jengwa. She traveled to South Africa with Deline but says they went separate ways soon afterward.

Although she has been unable to track down her cousin, Jengwa says long silences don't necessarily mean something bad happened.

"For some, they don't keep in touch with their family because they don't want to be burdened by family problems back home and they just want to live their lives on their own," she says. "While for others, it's the issue of not having requisite documents like work permits, and if they go back home they might not be able to return for work."

In 2016, the ICRC launched a pilot project to work with Zimbabwean families with loved ones believed to be missing in South Africa. Investigators found 47 migrants alive and helped them reestablish communication; 106 were identified among the thousands of "unknown" bodies in South Africa's mortuaries and cemeteries. Today, the agency advises families to report missing migrants directly to the Zimbabwe Republic Police, which is working with South African authorities to continue these investigations.

In rural Masvingo, Conilia Chiwidziriro held out hope for nearly 20 years that her son George Chiremba would resurface after disappearing in South Africa. In 2016, she learned of his death from a friend who had witnessed the violent attack that killed him, but until the ICRC project confirmed the report last year, she preferred to blame his silence on the region's poor infrastructure.

"When he left, there were no phones to communicate, only letters," she says. "But he never sent one."

Her grandson George has followed his namesake's footsteps to South Africa but remains in contact.

"It pains me that I never met him, but I realized that there is nothing I can do about it," he says of his father, by phone. "If he was around, maybe I could have finished school and had a better life, but I also had to come to South Africa to look for better opportunities and a better life."

Some families get good news after years of searching. Cosmas Mafusire stopped responding to phone calls and emails from his family shortly after migrating to South Africa with his wife and son in 2007, but with help from the ICRC in 2019, he reconnected by phone with his niece, Marcia Mafusire. He blamed economic difficulties for his 12 years of silence, she says.

"We had a feeling that he was going through something because there was no way he would abandon us intentionally," she says. "He was a breadwinner in the family."

While rare, stories like this give hope to other families of missing migrants -- even those who have been missing for more than a decade.

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More cooperation and coordination between governments could help, says Julia Black, IOM Missing Migrants Project coordinator. She recommends that countries work together to provide safe, legal immigration avenues while also developing more efficient and empathetic procedures to investigate missing migrant cases.

"In Zimbabwe, the state must develop a multipronged national strategy to prevent further deaths and disappearances, improve search strategies and support families of the missing," she says.

Jane Muyambo, Blessing's aunt, says they have four family members unaccounted for outside of Zimbabwe. Three of her sisters, including Blessing's mother, vanished after leaving for South Africa more than a decade ago. Her only son, Ronald Razerera, disappeared at age 19, after crossing into Botswana 18 years ago.

"It's painful. It's hard for me to accept that I may not find or see him again," she says. "Some nights, I hardly sleep and I get stressed from thinking about him."

Blessing worries for her own future. Her mother's fate remains unknown, and her birth father has never acknowledged her. For now, she lives with a cousin in Harare, but an aunt has urged her to leave school and return to their village to care for the grandmother who once cared for her.

"I envy other children when they are with their parents," Blessing says. "This is something that may never be for me."

Linda Mujuru is a Global Press Journal reporter based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Former President Trump criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday for supporting funds for GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowskis (Alaska) reelection bid against a fellow Republican rather than directing that money to Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masterss (R) race against a Democrat.

The Old Broken Crow, Mitchell McConnell, is authorizing $9 Million Dollars to be spent in order to beat a great Republican, Kelly, instead of $9 Million Dollars that could be used for Blake Masters, and other Republicans, that with this money would beat their Democrat opponent, wrote Trump in a statement, referring to Kelly Tshibaka, who will face off against Murkowski in November.

Trump has endorsed both Masters and Tshibaka and called Murkowski, one of only seven GOP senators who voted to convict him in his second impeachment, horrendously bad and barely a Republican in his statement.

Murkowski is one of the more moderate Republicans in the Senate, specifically in her support of abortion rights.

A report by the Anchorage Daily News published on Thursday found that the Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican PAC with ties to McConnell, funded television, radio and internet ads in Alaska slamming Tshibaka in support of Murkowski.

McConnell has endorsed the incumbent in the race, rejecting the further-right Tshibaka, who is more in line with Trump.

Trump has ramped up his criticism of McConnell in recent months, including drawing vehement pushback for saying in a recent statement that the Kentucky Republican has a death wish, which critics said amounted to a tacit call for violence.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WAUKESHA, Wis.  The man police say drove an SUV into a Christmas parade crowd last year killing six people tried to set a humbled and conciliatory tone Monday upon his return to a Waukesha courtroom for his homicide trial.

Darrell Brooks Jr., 40, has been defending himself as is accused of 76 counts, including six charges of first-degree intentional homicide, tied to the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy in November 2021. Prosecutors say he drove down the crowded parade route striking participants and attendees.

Before testimony resumed Monday Brooks, wearing a suit, told Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow he was sorry about his behavior last week. In the first days of trial, he often interrupted Dorow and was repeatedly moved to an adjacent courtroom. One day, he removed his orange jail shirt while in the courtroom.

"It was a very emotional situation," he said. "I should carry myself with better respect," he said, adding his mother didn't raise him to act like he did last week. He stood and apologized to the court, the prosecutors, the clerks and bailiffs, even news reporters, and anyone else in the gallery last week. (He did not specifically mention victims, several of whom attended the trial).

Dorow thanked Brooks for finally seeming to recognize the need for and value of decorum in the courtroom.

WHAT HAPPENED: USA TODAY Network's coverage of the 2021 Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy

'It was pure chaos'

Testimony began with Brooks' cross-examination of Waukesha Police Det. Thomas Casey, the first officer who tried stopping Brooks from entering the parade route. Brooks seemed to try to cast doubt about Casey's identification of Brooks as the driver or that the honking Casey described as evidence of the driver trying to alert people to danger.

Though Dorow has complimented Brooks' improving behavior and questioning of witnesses, he returned to well-covered  and rejected  claims about jurisdiction, not recognizing himself by his own name, and whether "the plaintiff," the state of Wisconsin was in the courtroom.

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He even questioned a pronoun. "Objection," Brooks said. "I don't consent to being called he."

Another officer, Bryce Butryn, testified he was nearly run down as he also attempted to stop Brooks. After Brooks went by, Butryn said, he ran after the red Ford Escape and saw it striking people.

'YOU COULDN'T HELP BUT LOVE HIM': Waukesha remembers Jackson Sparks, 8, latest victim of parade tragedy

"There were so many things flying, it was unclear who or what was being struck," Butryn said with some emotion. As he ran farther down the route, though, he saw, "multiple casualties on both sides of the road, with various degrees of injuries. It was pure chaos."

Throughout much of Butryn's eyewitness testimony, Brooks made objections, citing improper grounds of hearsay and relevance. Dorow overruled them all.

Brooks also seemed to believe he got some strategic advantage by demanding "grounds" the moment Deputy District Attorney Lesli Boese began to object.

Witnesses recount macabre scene

The jury heard from the first Waukesha Fire Department commander on the scene, who described how quickly the alarm level escalated, ultimately involving 23 units from 15 municipalities. Victims were taken to five area hospitals.

Nicole White testified she joined a friend to walk with the ReMax entry in the parade, a van with a hot air balloon basket and its gas burner, hanging from the back, shooting bursts of flame. White said she'd never walked in a parade before.

White said she had no sense of anything out of the ordinary before she was struck in the back, fell to the ground, and was run over by a red SUV. She said she expected someone would stop the vehicle, but she saw it driving away from the ground, nearly hitting the left side of the ReMax van.

Next, she said, someone helped her off the street to a chair at the curb because she couldn't walk. She was then taken inside an office with other victims before a police officer took her to Waukesha Memorial Hospital.

THE WAUKESHA EFFECT: A surge in weaponized vehicles plowing into crowds wreaks havoc on national safety

At the prosecutor's request, she grimly watched a video that showed her being struck for the first time. White suffered two torn ligaments in her right knee, two compressed vertebrae, and a fractured tailbone.

The director of the Waukesha South High School Black Shirt Band, Sarah Wehmeier-Aparicio, testified to identify the band members who were struck. The jury could hear, but not see, a 30-second video clip of the band playing normally. The music started to drop away as screams increased before all the music stopped and only the screaming and someone yelling "Oh my God," can be heard.

Prosecutors will resume presenting their case Tuesday.

Contributing: Jim Riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha Christmas parade attack: Defendant sorry for court behavior
Insider's reporter visited Niagara Falls for the first time and was impressed by the daily rainbows and fireworks. Joey Hadden/Insider

I recently spent three days in Niagara Falls, Ontario, during a train trip through Eastern Canada.

I explored Fallsview Trail, took a boat tour, and stayed in a hotel room with a view of the falls.

I loved seeing rainbows every day and fireworks every night.

I recently spent three days in Niagara Falls for the first time and thought it was epic and beautiful.

The author enjoys views of Niagara Falls. Joey Hadden/Insider

Niagara Falls is an iconic landmark known for massive waterfalls located on the border of the US and Canada. It's also America's oldest state park. Niagara Falls is actually three waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls), the American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

I visited Niagara Falls for the first time recently as part of a train trip through Eastern Canada. I had never previously visited or even seen large waterfalls of this scale, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But since the falls are so famous for being such an epic scene, I was excited to see them for myself.

Seeing Niagara Falls up close was a major unexpected highlight of my trip. And while I've seen many pictures of them, I wasn't expecting to be quite so entranced. But once I saw them for myself, I was able to realize how amazing they are.

I felt completely in awe of the falls' massive size, and found them to be beautiful and surprisingly loud. To me, it was like witnessing a powerful force of nature commanding everyone's attention.

The boardwalk lining the falls also reminded me of Times Square on New Year's Eve for the high level of excitement it drew.

Like many tourist attractions, I experienced a lot of crowds, however unlike other tourist hot spots, Niagara Falls was so captivating to me that when it was time to leave, I started thinking about when I could return.

These five highlights of Niagara Falls made me certain I'll be coming back.

For roughly $500 a night, I stayed at the Sheraton Fallsview on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls in a room with a view of the falls.

Story continues

A view of the American Falls from the author's hotel room. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Sheraton Fallsview is a popular hotel that faces Niagara Falls on the Canadian site, making it an exceptional place to stay if you want to enjoy prime views at every turn.

However, not every guest room faces the falls, so I decided to upgrade to a premium room with a direct view during my two-night stay. For $500 a night, I had a front-row seat to Niagara Falls from the moment I woke up through bedtime, making it worth the price to me as a first-time visitor.

My room came with floor-to-ceiling windows and a door  though there was no actual balcony to go out on  for a better glimpse of Niagara Falls. When I opened the door, I could hear the water crashing down.

Each morning, I hopped out of bed and opened the door so I could get ready to the sounds of the falls. I thought it was a peaceful way to start the day. And after the sun went down, I was lulled to sleep by the beautiful scenery.

Each night, colorful lights illuminate Niagara Falls. And from May to October, the lights are accompanied by fireworks.

A fireworks display over the illuminated Horseshoe Falls. Joey Hadden/Insider

When the sun goes down, the falls glow with changing colors that are projected onto the water courtesy of the Niagara Falls Illumination board, according to Niagara Parks.

The falls light up every night of the year, and the changing colors represent sunrises, the aurora borealis, rainbows, and sunsets, according to Niagara Falls Tourism.

From late May to early October, the lights are coupled with a fireworks display every night at 10 p.m. according to Niagara Falls Live, which is when I visited.

Rather than watching TV like I normally might before bed, I put a chair in front of the window and watched the light and fireworks show. I thought it felt magical.

Seeing the fireworks from my bed was a happy surprise, and I thought it made the $500 room even more worth it.

Read more: Stunning photos show how Niagara Falls transforms at night with light shows and fireworks

During the daytime, I spotted rainbows in front of the falls.

A rainbow in front of the American Falls. Joey Hadden/Insider

Every time the sun shines, rainbows appear in front of Niagara Falls, according to Niagara Falls Tourism. This is because the sun shines through drops of water, "reflecting light into the colors of the spectrum," according to the same source.

I saw my first rainbow at Niagara Falls while taking the Maid of the Mist boat tour. At first, I thought I had just gotten lucky that my trip was timed with a sighting. But as the days went on, I realized that rainbows are plentiful in Niagara Falls. I saw three more the next day.

Since I rarely spot rainbows in my home city of New York, I always found it exciting to spot one.

I thought a Niagara Falls boat ride would be tacky, but it actually provided the most epic view of the falls that I saw during my trip.

A boat takes visitors around Horseshoe Falls. Joey Hadden/Insider

Of all the viewpoints I visited in Niagara Falls, I was most impressed by those observed from the Maid of the Mist Boat tour on the US side.

I first saw the Maid of the Mist boat tour in an episode of "The Office," back in high school. From the TV screen, it seemed like a flashy tourist trap, but still something I'd want to do once in my life. Now that I've been, I definitely want to go back.

For $25, the boat tour took us up close to all three falls. And it wasn't the tourist trap I was expecting. The boat wasn't crowded at 6 p.m. when I boarded, and the lack of crowds made finding a spot on the edge easy. I even had enough room to walk around the deck of the boat and take in the most spectacular views unobstructed by human heads.

At one point, I looked up and found myself engulfed by views of the U-shaped falls at Niagara Falls, known as Horseshoe Falls. Seeing the water crashing down right in front of me gave me a sense of thrill that I wasn't expecting from the boat ride. It made me want to go back with my loved ones to watch them see it for the first time.

Seeing Niagara Falls from the top of Horseshoe Falls on the Fallsview trail was a standout experience.

A view of Horseshoe Falls from above the drop. Joey Hadden/Insider

Fallsview Trail is a boardwalk lining the falls on the Canadian side. The paved trail runs parallel to the Niagara River on the north side.

Facing Niagara Falls directly, the trail provided one of the clearest views I could find because it positioned me in front of them and was free to explore. Compared to other viewpoints I visited, I thought Fallsview Trail was one of the closest and most accessible spots available.

I thought the best view was at the very end of the trail next to Horseshoe Falls. Seeing the falls from just above the drop was one of the coolest parts of my trip because it was where the mist was thickest, which I thought made it look like the falls could go on forever. I felt a similar thrill standing over Horseshoe Falls as I did during the boat ride.

I would love to go back to Niagara Falls when it's less crowded to enjoy a more peaceful moment to myself in front of the falls.

Niagara Falls at sunset. Joey Hadden/Insider

I experienced a lot of crowds when I visited Niagara Falls over the summer, which at times made it tough to get the best views.

According to The Points Guy, Niagara Falls tends to be less busy in early spring and late fall when the weather cools, which restricts some of the attractions that get visitors up close to the falls.

Next time, I'll take the cooler temperatures in exchange for a quieter, less crowded experience. I think I'll get more peaceful moments, like enjoying mornings in my hotel room with fewer people around.

But more than anything, I want to go back with someone who has never been to Niagara Falls before so I can see how amazed they are, as well.

Read the original article on Insider
An 80-year-old woman was mauled to death by two dogs while she was out for a walk, authorities in California said.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said in a news release that deputies found 80-year-old Soon Han unresponsive in a roadway in the rural desert community of Blady Mesa on Friday morning. They believe she was out for a stroll when two dogs from a home attacked her. The dogs left her with "major injuries" and she was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.

The dogs' owner is cooperating with the investigation, officials said. San Bernardino County Animal Control took custody of the dogs, which were both Dogos Argentinos, and they will be both held until the investigation is complete and a hearing is held, authorities said.

According to the American Kennel Club, Dogo Argentinos are strong hunting dogs that have been used in search and rescue, military and police operations and as service dogs. They also make for "great household pets," the organization said, but cautioned they are only suitable for the "right owners."

"Dogos are protective of their people, so early socialization and training are extremely important. To be sure, this is not the dog for an inexperienced owner or one who is unable or unwilling to take charge," the American Kennel Club said in a post about the breed, which was first recognized by the organization in 2020.

The incident marks the latest in a string of recent fatal attacks. Last week, two young children died and their mother was hospitalized after two family dogs attacked them in Tennessee. Last month, an 89-year-old woman died from injuries she sustained when two dogs attacked her and her 12-year-old grandson in Colorado.

Kanye West suspended from Twitter and Instagram for antisemitic posts

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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen criticizes OPEC+ oil cuts
Rev. Tim Schenck is the new rector of The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea

There soon will be a new face behind the lectern at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.

The historic church recently announced the Rev. Tim Schenck will lead the 133-year-old church as its new rector following a yearlong search by a committee of eight Bethesda-by-the-Sea members.

I really cant wait to see what God has in store for Bethesda and for our ministry together in the days, months and years ahead, Schenck said in an interview Wednesday. We are feeling incredibly grateful.

He replaces the Rev. James Harlan, who left in June 2021 to become canon evangelist for the Diocese of Southern Virginia.

More: Bethesda-by-the-Sea rector leaving after 10 years for the Diocese of Southern Virginia

More: The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea continues rector search and announces new stewardship coordinator

Schenck takes the helm of the oldest Protestant church in South Florida and the first built in Palm Beach County, in late November.

The Rev. Tim Schenck and his wife, Bryna Rogers, will move into the rectory at Bethesda-by-the-Sea this month.

The church on the evening of Nov. 13 will have a service of institution, installing Schenck as the new rector, conducted by Bishop Peter Eaton of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. His first Sunday as rector will be the following week, Nov. 20.

He and his wife, Bryna Rogers, will move into the rectory later this month.

Schenck hails from Maryland and New York. He has a bachelors in political science from Tufts University, where he was in the Army ROTC. He served in the Army Reserve while working for political campaigns before he felt called to pursue his masters degree in divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Illinois, he said.

He currently serves as rector of the Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist on Bostons South Shore. In addition to his work behind the lectern, Schenck has written five books and is active on social media.

For Schenck, his move to Palm Beach has been all about Gods timing, he said.

Before he was a candidate in the search for a new rector, Schenck heard about Bethesda-by-the-Sea through the Episcopal grapevine, as well as from some of his Massachusetts parishioners who visited the church while in South Florida.

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They were just so excited about this welcoming, inviting church, he said.

Later, one of Schencks friends who consults and speaks at churches across the country visited Bethesda-by-the-Sea and told Schenck about the churchs rector search.

He said, Tim, Im not sure if youre looking for a new place, but I just really get a sense that you could do some really great ministry here, Schenck said. At the time, he wasnt in a position to apply. He thanked his friend and turned back to his work in Massachusetts.

Things were different, however, when Bethesda-by-the-Seas rector search committee reopened the search, something Schenck said was a very courageous, bold, faithful move. He put his name into the running, and the rest is history.

You talk about a call when it comes to ministerial positions, and this is one of the stories that to me, it absolutely feels like a call, he said.

Schenck is no stranger to historic churches. His first job out of seminary was as curate at Old St. Pauls in Baltimore, a church that was founded in 1692.

The thing about historic churches, is that a church can never be a museum, he said. It has to be a vibrant living community.

He sees that community at Bethesda-by-the-Sea, he said.

The church he now will lead is known for its diverse membership, with about half of Bethesda-by-the-Seas members living outside Palm Beach. With its location in the heart of the island, the church has played host to celebrity weddings and funerals, and is known for being one of the churches visited by former President Donald Trump during his trips to his Mar-a-Lago Club while in office.

Everybody, regardless of who they are or their socioeconomic status or their status in life, everybody needs a relationship with God, Schenck said. That is something thats universal, no matter what content youre serving, whether its a big suburban parish or an inner city parish.

Schenck said he and Rogers were surrounded by boxes, with more boxes to be surrounded by at their Massachusetts home on Wednesday as they prepare for their move to Florida. Schencks final Sunday at his current post is Oct. 16, and the moving truck arrives the following day.

Weve been on the South Shore of Boston for 14 years, he said. It felt pretty good to hand over our snow shovels to our boys, who are staying up here.

While the couples two sons  Benedict and Zachary, both in their early 20s  plan to remain in New England, Schenck and Rogers will be accompanied to the Bethesda-by-the-Sea rectory by their rescue dogs, a pair of small mixes named Cooper and Daisy Duke.

Schenck said he is excited for the opportunity presented to him by the vibrant church community at Bethesda-by-the-Sea.

I really feel as if a church must have one foot firmly planted in the four walls of the church, to be there and present, he said. We also have to have one foot outside in the community doing good works and inviting people to encounter God in powerful ways. For me, its not rocket science, but its that whole sense of loving God and loving neighbor.

That to me is what this is all about.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach names new rector
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the Group of Seven (G-7) nations in an emergency meeting following a spate of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Zelensky said the speech was scheduled when he discussed an urgent G-7 meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

We also discussed the issue of increasing pressure on [the Russian Federation] & aid in restoring damaged infrastructure, the Ukrainian president tweeted.

Scholzs office confirmed to CNN the emergency meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday.

The G-7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The groups members have slapped crippling sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February.

Russia had been part of the group, then known as the G-8, before it annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend and on Monday ordered mass strikes targeting civilian infrastructure in around a dozen Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Kyiv where at least five people died.

The strikes were in apparent retaliation for an explosion on the Kerch bridge, which links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. Putin has blamed the terrorist attacks on Ukraine and has vowed a harsh response.

World leaders have condemned the Russian strikes, noting the targeting of civilians is a war crime.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Jill Biden tells Seattle audience of helping a friend after an abortion in the 1960s
Dorcas Mhlanga traveled to Mount Selinda Mission Hospital in Chipinge, Zimbabwe, to receive medical services. She says the services there are better than in Espungabera, Mozambique, where she is from.

Mount Selinda, Zimbabwe  The region straddling the Mozambique-Zimbabwe line is "the same community." But that carries consequences for Zimbabwe's health care system, security and environment.

Two women approach the soldiers standing guard over Zona, an illegal crossing point between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It's one of three illegal crossing points around the Mount Selinda region in eastern Zimbabwe.

Although a border between the two countries exists here, a product of the 1891 Anglo-Portuguese treaty, there is nothing to indicate a demarcation or a crossing point, except the presence of soldiers and police.

The women speak momentarily to the soldiers, then they proceed on the dusty paths that lead into Mozambique. Ordinarily, no one is supposed to cross the border at this point. But the women have paid a fee to facilitate their crossing. It's not a legal transaction, but so normalized that it occurs in the open. Locals say it costs about $2 to cross in and out of Zimbabwe.

Despite official border points for regulated crossings, this illegal movement in and out of Zimbabwe along the porous border is common. Many travel to Mozambique to buy cheaper basic commodities, such as rice, fuel and cooking oil. Those from Mozambique cross over to buy commodities sold at cheaper prices in Zimbabwe or to seek services in hospitals and schools. It's a strong cross-border ecosystem which has allowed border communities to navigate economic hardships brought about by the pandemic and other social and political forces that have rocked both countries. But for Zimbabwe, this has strained the border region's already struggling health care system, widened space for criminal activities and led to a bleeding over of cultural practices that can harm the environment, such as charcoal production.

The situation demonstrates the consequences of colonial borders -- which remain difficult to control years after they were implemented -- on local communities in both countries that share social ties through language, marriage and ancestry.

Extra Strain on Health Care

Just a few miles from the illegal crossing point into Zimbabwe's Chipinge district is Mount Selinda Mission Hospital. Dorcas Mhlanga traveled 25 kilometers (about 15 miles) to give birth. She lives in Mufudzi, a border village in Mozambique, and has crossed into Zimbabwe illegally.

"I came here because it's nearer to my home, plus I preferred this hospital compared to the one in Espungabera in Mozambique because the services here are better," she says.

Like most Mozambicans who now seek health care services in Zimbabwe, particularly at Mount Selinda Mission Hospital -- the only major hospital in this border region -- Mhlanga is hesitant to confirm her nationality. If she does, she worries the hospital will charge her more in maternity fees. "Even when our family members get sick, they come here for treatment," she says.

Tension and unrest across Mozambique, which started in 2013 between the Mozambican National Resistance Movement and government forces, has put a strain on the country's economy, weakening its systems, including health care infrastructure, according to the World Health Organization. Less than half of Mozambique's population has access to health care services, with just three doctors for every 100,000 people.

But in Zimbabwe, the economy is declining and systems are similarly strained. Public hospitals, once robust in the 1980s, now lack equipment and medicine, as well as trained and motivated health professionals.

Lovemore Sithole, medical superintendent at Mount Selinda Mission Hospital, says that almost one-third of the patients the hospital treats come from Mozambique, burdening the border region's health sector. "Economically we are inseparable."

Linda Mujuru, GPJ Zimbabwe Fungai Sithole Mananga shows African print material he bought in Mozambique to sell in Mount Selinda, Zimbabwe.

To stay operational, the hospital relies on patient fees, Sithole says. "But these are very small because most of the services are free." The hospital also receives support from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, which disburses funds based on the recorded population of Zimbabweans in the area, and even that is barely enough to serve the current population of around 15,000 Zimbabweans in the area, Sithole says.

Despite the strain, the hospital provides health care to those who seek its services, whether they are Zimbabweans or not. They are a church institution, Sithole says, and can't turn people away.

The situation extends back to the colonial period, says Francis Dube, a scholar of public health in this region and associate professor of history at Morgan State University in the United States.

Dube, in a written response, says that during the colonial period, Zimbabwe had a more robust health care system than central Mozambique. Africans on the Mozambican side of the border frequently sought health care services in Zimbabwe, and Portuguese officials in Mozambique, which was a colony of Portugal, regularly issued permits to Mozambicans to seek health care in Zimbabwe.

Although there isn't much recorded data to capture the current scale of patients coming from Mozambique to Zimbabwe for health care services, past studies show the influx can be massive. Local health clinics saw a surge in patients in 2016, for example, after thousands fled the conflict between the Mozambican National Resistance Movement and the Mozambique government to find refuge in Chipinge. Before the influx, the Mabee clinic in Chipinge served about 900 patients a month, but that number spiked to 2,000 to 3,000 a month after the conflict began, overwhelming the clinic, according to a report by the Chipinge District Civil Protection Committee.

Simon Nyadundu, Manicaland provincial medical director, where the hospital is located, didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.

Rustling and Smuggling on Rise

The porosity of the border has also fueled cross-border criminal activities. Locals and authorities say that cattle rustling and smuggling have become more rampant. Cattle are easily herded to Mozambique and illegal goods are easy to transport in and out of Zimbabwe.

Fungai Sithole Mananga has been a casualty of livestock theft. He had left home in 2021 to look for employment in Johannesburg, South Africa, when he received word that his two cows had been stolen. "My wife told me that they had followed the footprints of the cows and discovered that they had been transported through the porous border points," he says.

Andrew Masheedze, headman for Masheedza village in Mount Selinda, says many people have fraudulently acquired identity documents for both countries, which makes it difficult to trace criminals. Masheedze has also had cows disappear from his kraal, an enclosure for livestock. "I traced the footprints of my cows from my kraal across the Zona border post," he says. He never found them.

Illegal commodities are also easy to smuggle into Zimbabwe. For example, the Zimbabwean government mandates that fuel sold to motorists be blended with ethanol. But some motorists prefer regular unleaded fuel as it lasts longer. It's possible to purchase this fuel in Mozambique and sell it in Zimbabwe, says an attendant at a fuel station in Mount Selinda who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing her job.

Tadious Ngadziore, Ward 19 councilor in Mount Selinda, decries corruption at the border. "Those who are supposed to guard the border sort of legalize the illegal crossing of people by asking for bribes," he says. But the police face some challenges, he adds. It's difficult for authorities in Zimbabwe to investigate a crime once the perpetrators cross the border.

Linda Mujuru, GPJ Zimbabwe Andrew Masheedze, headman for Masheedza village in Mount Selinda, feeds one of his remaining cows. The rest were stolen, and he suspects they were taken to Mozambique.

The police in Zimbabwe are aware of the situation, says assistant police commissioner Paul Nyathi, and have been conducting investigations. They've arrested several people who were smuggling goods into the country and attempting to bribe border officials. They also have carried out a special operation, "No to Cross-Border Crimes," which has proven successful in bringing those involved to account, Nyathi says.

The Embassy of Mozambique in Zimbabwe didn't respond to requests for comment.

Indigenous Trees Under Threat

Charcoal burning is common in Mozambique, where over 70% of the urban population depends on charcoal as a source of energy. Some say the ease of movement between the countries is why charcoal burning has now spilled over into Zimbabwe.

There has been a noted increase in charcoal production in the region, says Blessing Matasva, director of Green Institute Trust, a community-based organization that advocates for the preservation of the environment in Manicaland province. Although it's in response to domestic electricity challenges and livelihood issues, he still sees a cross-border connection. "We have seen that some of the traditions were borrowed from Mozambique," Matasva says.

John Muranda, who moved with his family to the Mount Selinda region in search of a better life and land to farm, says he learned how to make charcoal from his neighbors in Mozambique. He started making it from indigenous trees in the area to eke a living. "We do it for survival," he says.

While charcoal production is illegal in Zimbabwe and wasn't as prevalent in the country before 2010, unreliable electricity and high gas prices have created a market for it, according to a 2021 report by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"They use selected indigenous trees like the mahogany tree," Matasva says. Chirinda forest in Mount Selinda is home to the largest single red mahogany tree in the region. Deforestation threatens the tree's existence, says Matasva, who was motivated to start his organization after realizing that climate change-induced disasters are more prevalent in this eastern part of the country.

The Forestry Commission, the government agency responsible for forest regulation, is aware that charcoal burning is becoming common in the region, spokesperson Violet Makoto says. The commission is conducting various campaigns to discourage people. "As we talk about issues of climate change, further deforestation will have impact," she says.

The commission also plans to implement a forestry policy. It seeks to give communities access to forestry products while also setting parameters on how resources are used in an effort to protect them and control deforestation.

But it may take more than policies, special operations or improved health care systems to tackle the issue of the porous border.

Border communities in Chipinge are tied together by the shared chiNdau language, kinship and intermarriages. This renders them socially inseparable and their mobility inevitable, according to an article on borderland migration published in GeoJournal, an academic journal focused on geography. It's common for people to cross over not only to seek services, but to attend family functions.

"It feels like we are part of the same community because we are so close together," says Mhlanga, the Mozambican who illegally entered Zimbabwe to give birth at the local hospital. "Although we do know that we are two separate countries, and we are aware of the border demarcation."

Linda Mujuru is a Global Press Journal reporter based in Harare, Zimbabwe.
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According to a statement published on the KGB's official website, four other individuals who took part in mass protests against Alexander Lukashenkos regime in recent years were added to the register as well. Vyacheslav Kirilchik, Anatoly Yaskevich, Dmitry Smolyarov, and Maksim Belyanovich were all charged with "inciting social hatred", just like Andrzej Poczobut.

The KGB "terrorist register" now includes 922 people. Among them are the exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, former Minister of Culture Pavel Latushka, and the jailed oppositionist Maria Kalesnikava.

Allegations multiply, but still no trial

Like other members of the independent Union of Poles in Belarus, Andrzej was detained in March 2021. He is currently being held in a detention center in Hrodna, where he is waiting for his trial.

Belarusian authorities accuse him of inciting hatred and inciting actions aimed at harming national security. The latter charge, explained Boris Haretsky, deputy chairman of the now officially closed Belarusian Association of Journalists, is related to "calling for sanctions against the Belarusian state ".

REKLAMA

Among the evidence used by the prosecution are Poczobut's articles published in Gazeta Wyborcza. One of them concerns the 2020 protests following the rigged presidential election, and the two others talk about the Soviet Union's aggression against Poland in 1939 and the anti-communist underground movement in the Hrodna region.

Andrzej Poczobut: my conscience is clear

In one of his last letters from jail, Andrzej Poczobut wrote: "I have no illusions about the outcome [of the trial], I will calmly accept the verdict and go to the labor camp with a clear conscience. Well, thats my fate. I always knew that if such times come to Belarus, I will go to prison. As my situation today shows, I was right".

***

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.

The access to information should be equal for all.
Zoltan Kovacs, the state secretary for international communications and relations, has launched a podcast for audiences abroad who are interested in Hungary.

The Bold Truth About Hungary podcast invites guests to discuss Hungarian policies in a way that transcends traditional government communications, Kovacs said on Facebook and Twitter.



Topics for discussion will include EU funding, domestic politics, and the war in Ukraine, among others. Kovacs told MTI that attempts had been made over the past 12 years to covey how Hungarians feel and think about the world and politics.



Yet so many pretend they dont understand, he said. So were now telling foreigners, as foreigners, [all about this] on a new platform, he said, adding that from now on no one would be able to say that they do not understand what we are talking about and how we think about the world.



MTI Photo
XpatLoop Media Partner

Launched in January 2014, this newsletter published on week days covers 'everything you need to know about whats going on in Hungary and beyond', according to its publisher the state media agency MTI.
YORK  Ira Bell, 30, of Wisconsin has been sentenced to jail for being in possession of ecstasy and meth in York County, as well as driving under the influence of drugs.

Bell was in York County District Court this week, where he was sentenced by Judge James Stecker.

This case began when a deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department stopped Bells vehicle for speeding and a traffic violation on Interstate 80.

According to court documents, the deputy could smell marijuana coming from the vehicle and his drug dog, Justice, alerted to the presence of narcotics.

During a probable cause search of the vehicle, deputies found 39 containers of various quantities of marijuana, as well as tablets of ecstasy and methylenedioxymethamphetamine.

Bell submitted to a series of standardized field sobriety tests with the deputies saying they felt he showed signs of impairment. Court documents also indicate Bell admitted to using both ecstasy and marijuana prior to being stopped.

He was initially charged with and pleaded not guilty to the following counts: possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony; driving under the influence, a Class W misdemeanor; possession of one ounce to one pound of marijuana, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and failure to appear, a Class 4 felony.

Later, those charges were amended to attempt of a Class 4 felony, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and first offense DUI, also a misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty to both counts.

Bell was sentenced to four months in jail with credit for two days already served, for the attempt of felony conviction. For the DUI conviction, he was fined $500, sentenced to seven days jail and his drivers license was revoked for six months.
German air carrier Lufthansa has banned Apple AirTags for luggage tracking on its flights, calling them a 'danger to flight'. Lufthansa has cited regulations by the International Civilian Aviation Organisation (ICAO) saying that the baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations. However, as per a report on AppleInsider, the guidelines cited by Lufthansa say no such thing. The report states that the guidelines are not meant for small luggage tracking devices including Apple Airtags.

Following initial reports in the German media, the airline's Twitter account was asked to confirm that a ban is in place. In one tweet, Lufthansa wrote: "Banning activated AirTags from luggage as they are classified as dangerous and need to be turned off."

Pressed further on the classification, the carrier claimed: "According to International Civilian Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines, baggage trackers are subject to the dangerous goods regulations."

Furthermore, due to their transmission function, the trackers must be deactivated during the flight if they are in checked baggage and cannot be used as a result.

But, the claim that the airline is making about ICAO guidelines is completely wrong, the report said. Specifically, the regulation that Lufthansa is citing talks about lithium-ion battery regulations, such as those used in larger devices like a MacBook Pro.

The Apple AirTags, and other such tracking devices uses a battery that is too small to be considered an issue under the guidelines.Secondly, the AirTags uses CR2032 cells that aren't lithium-ion batteries and as such, not covered under the regulation.

The CR2032 cells were, in fact, used in wrist watches as well and using the same CR2032 would be disallowed on flights -- and they are not, mentioned the report.

With IANS inputs
Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi will on Wednesday host the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, who will be on an official visit to South Africa.

The visit, taking place from 12-17 October 2022, will include the launch of the Global Action Plan Framework on Informal Settlements and Slums.

This is aimed at accelerating Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda while searching for solutions in response to the challenges of informal settlements and slums.

The Executive Director Sharif and Minister Kubayi will also hold bilateral discussions on strategic partnerships and country programmes and sign an MOU between South Africa and UN-Habitat, among others.

From 13 to 16 October 2022, together with the South African delegation, they will travel to KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng to assess the work that is being done to upgrade informal settlements through the provision of basic services and transfer of people to permanent housing structures.

The formal and informal settlements to be visited include Pemilton in Durban, Bosasa and Conradie Park in the City of Cape Town, as well as Rugby Club and Fleurhof housing development in Roodepoort, Johannesburg.
World Mental Health Day 2022: Around the globe, October 10 is recognized as World Mental Health Day. The occasion gives us all the space we need to discuss and prioritize our mental health and mental illness. Even with OTT platforms ruling the charts, relatable content is not that common. In fact, finding an accurate representation of certain ground realities of your life on your screens can be a task.

As a result, if it comes to topics like mental health, there is frequently a great degree of exaggerationboth positive and negative, all of which are equally irrational. However, many of the more recent shows have been working to mainstream the subject and understand and humanise mental diseases. Wondering what these gems are? So, to help you get started, here is a list:

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

A Beautiful Mind is a very clear account of the paranoid, schizophrenia (a mental illness during which someone loses touch with reality) -afflicted mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe), who takes on more work and starts to think that he's a part of a vast conspiracy. The movie A Beautiful Mind was inspired by the true story of John Forbes Nash Jr. and the biography A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. Its a powerful film about overcoming a progressive mental illness.

Still Alice (2015)

In the movie Still Alice, Julianne Moore plays a professor of linguistics who is dealing with an early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis. The painful movie follows the hardships of the family members who remain by her side and the ones who can no longer see her decline as her memory deteriorates and she strives to maintain order in her life. Some thought-provoking realities can become true.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

The entire film makes an effort to redefine what it means to suffer from a mental disease by repeatedly using the derogatory term "crazy." The educated and seemingly "regular" main protagonists Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) and Pat (Bradley Cooper), who have unidentified mental illnesses and bipolar disorder, respectively, are what keep the movie interesting. Although the dramatisation of mental illness in the film received considerable criticism. Still, a must-watch.

Girl, Interrupted (1999)

The definition of "certifiably crazy" was questioned by this film at a time when mental health had no existence and the only definition of it was "crazy". Susanna (Winona Ryder), a character in Girl, Interrupted, who has a borderline personality disorder, explores (BPD) issues related to her life. She starts to realise who she is as she enters the mental institution and encounters young women who are both just like her and very different from her. This movie explores the reality of mental institutions back in the early 90s.

To The Bone (2017)

A 20-year-old woman named Ellen is shown in the Netflix film "To the Bone" as she makes her way through the rehabilitation process from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. The director of the movie and TV producer of 'To the Bone' based the story on her own experiences. Lily Collins, who plays the lead role, has acknowledged that she had battled anorexia nervosa in the past. The psychological toll anorexia may have on a person and their support system is depicted in this film. The movie does issue a brief warning that the material might be challenging for some viewers.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2022)

It is that one show that teaches you about trauma and how courage and hope can get you through life's most trying times. It is based on love and romance, but more importantly, it is focused on the experiences of people from underprivileged backgrounds. It's the ideal comfort show to binge-watch when you're just not in the mood to get over the blues because it only has one season and 16, one-hour episodes.

This is Us (2016-22)

The American drama series 'This Is Us' features a very skillfully handled portrayal of anxiety. One of the show's key characters, Randall, is seen experiencing a panic attack in the first season. The episode brilliantly captures the blurring of his vision that causes a feeling of separation from his body, which is a very common occurrence in panic attacks. This show has and will continue to define relationship goals and how families function even when dysfunctional.

Special mention

Moon Knight (2022)

Moon Knight is the most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) show to debut. The series, which stars Oscar Isaac, is based on a lesser-known comic book character who suffers from the less-publicized mental illness Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Although Moon Knight's portrayal of DID isn't flawless, it does a good job of capturing some of the usual experiences that DID sufferers have. Overall, the superhero genre and the demand for dramatic tension in television and film don't usually gel well with depictions of mental illness and disorders, but the kinder, more realistic approach used here is appreciated.

BoJack Horseman (201420)

'BoJack Horseman' on Netflix portrays the tale of a faded 90s TV star who battles addiction while trying to maintain his celebrity position and relationships. BoJack, the main character, had a difficult life and suffers from anxiety and depression. Instead of attempting to depict a pretty picture of despair, the show genuinely depicts its dark aspect. You observe BoJack's situation deteriorating and not immediately correcting itself. He alternates between feeling numb and empty, caring little of anyone, and caring too much about some things to the point of being unable to function at all.

Also Read: World Mental Health Day 2022: 7 Indian celebs who got real about their mental health issues

These movies and shows depict a small part of the bigger picture called mental health. So, if need be talk, ask for help and know that you are always stronger than the problem.
New Delhi: With Brent crude prices easing-off five-week highs today, the oil marketing firms have got a breather as well as a hope of strong gains. The speculations were high about petrol, and diesel price hikes following OPEC's announcement of a production cut and the European Union's embargo on Russian oil. Brent crude futures fell 81 cents to $97.11 a barrel today while West Texas Intermediate crude was trading at $91.88 a barrel, lower by 76 cents.

In India, Oil Marketing Companies(OMCs) like Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum revise their fuel prices with effect from every midnight based on international benchmark prices. However, there has been no change in petrol and diesel prices for quite some time now.

Below is the petrol and diesel prices for key cities:

Chandigarh: Petrol- Rs 96.20 per litre, Diesel- Rs 84.26 per litre

Delhi: Petrol- Rs 96.72 per litre, Diesel- Rs 89.62 per litre

Mumbai: Petrol- Rs 106.31 per litre, Diesel- Rs 94.27 per litre

Also Read: PM Kisan 12th installment: Rs 2,000 to be credited in farmers account before Diwali? Here is all we know

Chennai: Petrol- Rs 102.63 per litre, Diesel- Rs 94.24 per litre

Kolkata: Petrol- Rs 106.03 per litre, Diesel- Rs 92.76 per litre

Lucknow: Petrol- Rs 96.57 per litre, Diesel- Rs 89.76 per litre

Noida: Petrol- Rs 96.57 per litre, Diesel- Rs 89.96 per litre

Bengaluru: Petrol- Rs 101.94 per litre, Diesel- Rs 87.89 per litre

Gurugram: Petrol- Rs 97.18 per litre, Diesel- Rs 90.05 per litre

If your city is not on the list, you can still check petrol, and diesel prices by sitting at home. All you have to do is to send a message from your mobile to 9224992249 with your city code. City codes are available on Indian Oil's website. Suppose your city is Trivandrum, then you can send a message on 9224992249 by typing RSP 124923 and you will get the latest fuel price on your mobile. Check your city list at iocl.com/petrol-diesel-price.
Chennai Municipal Corporation or Chennai Corporation is constantly working to increase its revenue and now it's targeting to bring professional tax at par with the property tax. With its weak financial position, the Chennai Corporation is exploring various options to increase revenue and strengthen its finances in line with the guidelines of the World Bank.

During its last council meeting, the Chennai Corporation agreed to rope in private teams to reassess 2.7 lakh buildings to bring them into the property tax net. The corporation collected property tax worth Rs 697 crore in the first half of the financial year 2022-23.

The corporation will now work to update its database of companies functioning in its jurisdiction and hopes to increase both - professional tax collection as well as property tax collection.

Also Read: Diwali Bonanza for Central government pensioners, family pensioners; Centre revises dearness relief

According to reports, the corporation won't be increasing its professional tax rates but will work to match the professional tax database with the company registration database, and GST registrations and utilise the data to bring more assessees into the professional tax net.

The corporation officials noted that the professional tax collection, if assessed properly, could match property tax once all the employees are covered under it. According to a report, around 1.51 lakh professionals pay taxes to the Corporation at present.

Also Read: LIC Jeevan Shanti Calculator: Invest in THIS policy, get lifetime monthly pension of Rs 87,923 or more

What is professional tax?

It's a direct tax levied by the state government and is applicable to individuals who earn money under the professional tax structure. Professionals like lawyers, doctors and chartered accountants come under its ambit. In Tamil Nadu, professional tax is levied as per the Tamil Nadu Town Panchayats, Municipalities and Municipal Corporations (Collection of Arrears of Tax on Profession, Trades, Calling and Employment's) Rules, 1998.
As soon as Tata Motors commenced bookings for its most affordable newly launched Tiago.ev, the company received bookings in heavy numbers. The auto major launched the electric model on September 28 with introductory prices for the first 10,000 customers ranging between Rs 8.49 lakh and Rs 11.79 lakh (ex-showroom). Tata Motors today stated that its website faced temporary glitches as customers rushed in to book its recently introduced electric hatchback Tiago.ev. Bookings for the model commenced on Monday and deliveries are expected to commence in January next year. Customer test drives for the Tata Tiago EV will begin by late December 2022, onwards.

The auto major stated that it is an overwhelming moment for the company. "We are overwhelmed with the response to the Tiago.ev at our dealerships and on our website. With thousands of customers rushing to book online at the same time, the website slowed down for a bit and was restored. We regret the inconvenience to our customers," Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Managing Director Shailesh Chandra said in a statement.

All customer enquiries and booking-related concerns are being suitably addressed, he added. Tiago EV is now the most accessible electric passenger vehicle brand in the country and also the most affordable in the company's electric vehicle range.

Also read: Mirzapur actor Divyenndu buys Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV worth Rs 1.16 crore

Tiago.ev comes with two distinct battery setups, driving modes, and connected car telematics across the trims. The trims with a 25 KW battery pack come with a driving range of 315 kilometers while the variants with the 19.2-kilogram battery pack deliver an estimated range of 250 km.

Tata Motors revealed that the production of 24kWh battery pack variants has been prioritised based on customer insights to match customer expectations at the time of delivery.

(With inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: The Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy temple officials paid last respects to a 'vegetarian' 75-year-old crocodile named 'Babia' on Monday who they considered to be 'divine'. The crocodile who lived in the lake near the temple used to roam around the temple premises - an unusual practice but temple officials claimed he was "harmless." The carcass was found floating on the lake around 11:30 pm on Sunday night.

The crocodile was one of the main attractions at the temple and people would flock from all over the nation to see the reptile. It is popularly believed that the crocodile had 'divine' connections and its job was to protect the deity at the temple. As per reports, the temple officials would feed Babia balls of rice and jaggery which was the 'prasadam'.

Divine Crocodile Babiya which was guarding Sri Anantapura Lake Temple in #Kasaragod of Kerala is no more.



Vegetarian #Babiya lived here in the Temple lake for the last 70+ years eating the Prasadam of Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy.



May God bless this soul. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/daPSQSkS58  Adv K Shreekanth (@AdvkShreekanth) October 9, 2022

Many BJP leaders took to Twitter to share special posts for the now-dead crocodile. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shobha Karandlaje said she hoped that the "God's own crocodile", which lived at the temple for over 70 years, attains 'sadgati' or salvation.

"Babiya, the god's own crocodile of Sri Anantapura Lake temple has reached Vishnu Padam. The divine crocodile lived in the temple's lake for over 70 years by eating the rice & jaggery prasadam of Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy & guarded the temple. May she attain Sadgati, Om Shanti!," she tweeted.

BJP state president K Surendran also paid tribute to the crocodile in a Facebook post. "Babiya has left. For decades, was a constant presence at the Kumbla Ananthapuram Mahavishnu temple. Millions of devotees sought its darshan, considering it as the image of God. Pranamam," he said.

There is no concrete information on the crocodile's origins or how it was named - Babia. However, temple officials claim to have lived in harmony with the crocodile. Babia's story often leaves people surprised as crocodiles are known for their predatory instincts.

The official website of the temple states, "By tradition, the lake is inhabited by a single crocodile and in the memory of the very aged men the present crocodile happens to be the third one they have seen. When one crocodile dies another one inevitably appears in the lake and this continues to be an unexplained phenomenon."

"There is no river or pond nearby where crocodiles exist. The crocodile is friendly and harmless to human beings. Its presence in the lake around the Mahavishnu temple reminds one of the well-known Gajendra Moksha stories in the Bhagavatha Puranam," it further said.

The carcass was removed from the lake and put on public display as hundreds of people, including politicians, turned up on Monday for a last glimpse of the crocodile.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: As Russia launched its most widespread air strikes since the start of the Ukraine war, India on Monday (October 10, 2022) said that it is "deeply concerned" about the escalation of the conflict. The Indian embassy in Ukraine also advised Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine in view of the conflict escalation. The embassy asked Indians in that country to keep the mission informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine.

In response to media queries on the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, MEA's Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "India is deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians."

"We reiterate that escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and the urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation," he added.

Bagchi also said that India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

Our response to media queries on escalation of conflict in Ukraine:https://t.co/LoELjRwDEm pic.twitter.com/jCNHw95UKw  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 10, 2022

His remarks came after Russia rained cruise missiles on busy Ukrainian cities and knocked out power and heat, in what President Vladimir Putin called revenge for a blown up Crimea bridge.

Missiles tore into busy intersections, parks and tourist sites in the centre of the capital Kyiv.

Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in western Ukraine, Dnipro and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the south and Kharkiv in the east. Ukrainian officials said at least 10 people were killed and scores injured, and swathes of the country were left without power.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the rush hour attacks appeared to have been deliberately timed to kill people and said that the Russsian are trying to "destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth."

"They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth," Zelenskiy said.

"The air raid sirens do not subside throughout Ukraine. There are missiles hitting. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded," he added.

He also later filmed a video message on a mobile phone on an empty central Kyiv street surrounded by landmarks and said that the strikes had two main targets - energy infrastructure and people.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Russia struck cities across Ukraine during rush hour, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure in apparent revenge after President Vladimir Putin declared an explosion on the bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack https://t.co/b3WkG42SN8 pic.twitter.com/Rsfyv2Xdyc  Reuters (@Reuters) October 10, 2022

"Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible," he said.

Ukraine's defence ministry said Russia had fired 81 cruise missiles, and Ukraine's air defences had shot down 43 of them.

Avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine: India advises Indian nationals

Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Ukraine advised Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine in view of the conflict escalation.

"In view of the current escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine," the embassy said.

"They must strictly follow the safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian Government and local authorities," it said.

"Indian nationals are requested to keep the embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the embassy to reach out to them, where required," the embassy said.

(With agency inputs)
The Russia-Ukraine war has intensified in the wake of the attack on the Kerch bridge on Saturday where a truck exploded, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. In retaliation, Russia fired missiles on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Poltava and Ternopil. In these retaliatory strikes, the bridge of Kyiv was also destroyed. And this is the first time since the war began that Kyiv has been attacked with long-range cruise missiles.

In today's DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan will analyse the escalating Russia-Ukraine war and the horrifying pictures of Ukrainian cities after Russian air strikes.

The impact of the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war will be felt in every part of the world and we too cannot remain untouched by it.

Reports of many common people being killed in this retaliation against Russia have also come to light. After which Ukrainian President Zelensky advised all people to be alert and take shelter in bunkers.

It was claimed that about 85 missiles were fired from Russia, not one or two. And most of the missiles did not hit any military target but they were aimed at residential buildings, streets and parks.

Russia's missile strike is being seen as a response to the attack on the Crimea bridge two days ago.

Crimea is more important to Russia than the rest of Ukraine. Crimea has historically been occupied by Russia and in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Tsar rulers of Russia continued to settle people of Russian origin there. This policy continued into the 20th century. But after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Crimea officially became the territory of Ukraine. However, due to the abundance of people of Russian origin, Ukraine has never been fully controlled here.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already said that this fight started with Crimea and will end only after Winning Crimea.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast. Putin threatened further "harsh" responses that correspond "to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it," while accusing Kyiv of "terrorism."
New Delhi: India`s External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday (October 10, 2022) arrived in the Australian capital, Canberra, and addressed a press conference along with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. While addressing the press, Jaishankar said that there are possibilities for increased cooperation between the two nations in various sectors.

Encouraged to see the economic cooperation & trade agreement finalised earlier this year moving towards ratification. Steps are being taken to amend the double taxation avoidance agreement as that was a challenge to growing our business, said EAM Dr S Jaishankar.

Encouraged to see the economic cooperation & trade agreement finalised earlier this year moving towards ratification. Steps are being taken to amend the double taxation avoidance agreement as that was a challenge to growing our business: EAM Dr S Jaishankar, at Canberra pic.twitter.com/3gUAS0O6Mp  ANI (@ANI) October 10, 2022

The External Affairs minister discussed a range of issues with the Australian Foreign Minister including Ukraine conflict, QUAD, G-20 issues, trilaterals, the UN, IAEA, climate finance and sustainable development goals.

India and Australia believe in freedom of navigation in international waters, and in promoting connectivity, growth and security for all, said Jaishankar.

During the press conference, EAM Jaishankar also said that the Indian government would like Australia to have a stronger presence in India.

We would like Australia to have a stronger presence in India. Our PMs had discussed it when they met in Tokyo, said EAM Jaishankar.

There's a proposal that's been under discussion for an understanding of the mobility of talent & skills & how we can grow education bearing in mind India's new National Education Policy, he added.

Jaishankar defends ties with Moscow

EAM said the Indian inventory of Russian origin weapons grew because the West would not supply arms to India for decades. The External Affairs Minister said New Delhi and Moscow have shared a long-standing relationship which has served the Indian interest well.

We have a long-standing relationship with Russia, and this relationship has served our interests well. We have a substantial inventory of Soviet & Russian-origin weapons, said Indian EAM.

This inventory grew for various reasons incl the West not supplying weapons to India for decades & in fact seeing the military dictatorship next to us as preferred partner. In intn'l politics, we make judgments which are reflective of our future interests and current situation, he added.

This inventory grew for various reasons incl the West not supplying weapons to India for decades & in fact seeing the military dictatorship next to us as preferred partner. In intn'l politics, we make judgments which are reflective of our future interests& current situation: EAM  ANI (@ANI) October 10, 2022

The statement comes as India is facing condemanation from the western countries for maintaining friendly relations with Russia as Putin-led nation wages war against its neighbour Ukraine

Jaishankar arrives in Canberra to 'Tiranga welcome'

Jaishankar arrived in Canberra on Monday "to a Tiranga welcome". He will hold talks with the top leadership of Australia to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

"Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament house of Australia in our national colours," Jaishankar tweeted. In Australia, Jaishankar will be visiting Canberra and Sydney.

It is EAM`s second visit to Australia this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers` Meeting in Melbourne.The external affairs minister will also be meeting Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Monday (October 10, 2022) alloted the "mashaal" (flaming torch) as an election symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena, while the Eknath Shinde camp has been asked to submit a fresh list of three symbols. The EC also alloted "Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray" as the party name for the Thackeray faction, while "Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena" was given as the party name for the Shinde camp.

In an order on the dispute in the Shiv Sena, the poll body rejected 'Trishul' (trident) and 'Gada' (mace) as election symbols claimed by the two factions of the Shiv Sena, citing their religious connotations. It also pointed out that the 'Rising Sun' election symbol sought by both factions was reserved for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The Commission noted that the 'flaming torch' symbol was earlier allotted to the Samata Party, which was derecognised in 2004. The Commission said it had decided to list the 'flaming torch' as a 'free symbol' following the request from the Thackeray faction.

The rival factions had also listed 'Shiv Sena - Balasaheb Thackeray' as their first choice for the party name.

The Commission has now asked the Shinde faction to submit a fresh list of three symbols by 10 am on Tuesday.

Earlier last week, the EC had barred the Shiv Sena factions led by former chief minister Thackeray and present Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol 'bow & arrow' in the next month's Andheri East Assembly bypoll.

In an interim order over claims by the rival factions for control of the organisation, the Commission had asked them to suggest by Monday three different name choices and also as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups.

The EC's interim order on Saturday came on the Shinde faction's request seeking it be allocated the symbol as the Andheri East assembly bypoll is approaching.

The rival factions had approached the Election Commission after the split in the Shiv Sena ranks in June this year, with both sides claiming to be the 'real Shiv Sena'.

(With agency inputs)
President Cyril Ramaphosa says Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres play a critical role in laying solid foundations for South Africa's future leaders.

The President was addressing the nation through his weekly newsletter just days after opening the Little Flower ECD centre in Bizana, in the Eastern Cape.

The President emphasised that children in these centres must be nurtured.

"The young children in these centres are the next generation of South Africans who must be able to live up to their full potential as responsible, capable and outstanding citizens.

"They must be able to pursue their dreams so that we all may achieve our shared dream of a free, prosperous and happy nation," he said.

The President added that although government does what it can to assist ECD centres, society also has a role to play in the development of South Africa's youngest citizens.

"Preparing our youngest citizens with the tools they need to succeed in life is a responsibility we must collectively shoulder. We must continue to do all we can, as government, the private sector and development organisations, to support early childhood development.

"With the many valuable services it provides, whether it is educating our children, providing childcare for working parents or creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, ECD makes a huge contribution to the achievement of many of our developmental goals," he said.

The President emphasised that ECD centres also contribute immensely to the upliftment of society.

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"Early childhood development centres don't just prepare our country's youngest citizens to succeed in school; they are also an important source of entrepreneurship and job creation. These centres are an important part of the care economy. They sustain livelihoods, especially for women, which contributes to job creation in many communities.

"Since the care economy is mainly driven by women, such support goes a long way towards helping women, especially in disadvantaged communities, to become financially secure and independent," he said.

President Ramaphosa highlighted that government has recognised the importance of ECD centres and taken steps to ensure that these centres are given the tools needed to succeed.

"As government, we have taken up the task to improve the standards of care and make resources available for ECD centres to run suitable activities for young children to prepare them for formal education. In April this year, we completed the move of the ECD function from the Department of Social Development to the Department of Basic Education.

"This is to link early childhood development to the formal school curriculum and to provide training, education and development to staff in ECD centres around the country," he said.
Canberra: Defending the use of Russian arms by Indian forces, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday hit out at Western countries for choosing military dictatorships as preferred partners and not supplying India with weapons for decades. He made these remarks while addressing a press conference along with Australian counterpart Penny Wong after both ministers held the 13th Foreign Ministers` Framework Dialogue (FMFD).

"We have a long-standing relationship with Russia, and this relationship has served our interests well. We have a substantial inventory of Soviet and Russian-origin weapons," Jaishankar said adding, "this inventory grew for various reasons including the West not supplying weapons to India for decades and in fact seeing the military dictatorship next to us as a preferred partner."

"In international politics, we make judgments which are reflective of our future interests and current situation," Jaishankar added. Jaishankar on Monday held broad-ranging discussions on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its repercussions on the Indo-Pacific region with his Australian counterpart.\

"We discussed Ukraine and its repercussions in the Indo-Pacific region, the progress in Quad, G-20 issues, our trilateral, some things related to IAEA and climate finance sustainable development goals."

"We have been very clearly against the conflict in Ukraine. We believe it does not serve the interest of anybody, the participants, or the international community. As the country of the global south, we have been seeing first hand how much it has impacted low-income countries. As PM Modi said in Samarkand, this is not an era of war," the minister said.

Jaishankar said that the discussions held were underpinned by the fact that "as liberal democracies, both the countries believe in the rules based international order, in freedom of navigation in the international waters, in promoting growth connectivity and security of all and ensuring that countries make sovereign choices in matters that are important today."

As the chair of G20 next year, Australia`s views and interests will be very important, he said. He expressed gratitude to Australia for joining India in celebrating the 75th anniversary of India`s independence by decorating Australia`s iconic sites. Among bilateral issues, Jaishankar said that the talks were to see how India and Australia can shape a better region.

"We spoke about a whole lot of issues -- trade, economy, education, defence and security, clean energy and among the many agreements and understandings we reached. It is in our mutual interest to expand the diplomatic footprint in each other`s country."

"There are some issues in which we see great potential in terms of giving a greater quality to our bilateral partnership," he added.

First, Jaishankar said is the proposal that has been under discussion -- "an understanding on the mobility of talent and skills and how we can grow education and what we could do bearing in mind India`s new education policy."

He noted the progress in the economic cooperation and trade agreement finalized earlier this year. "Steps are being taken to amend the double taxation avoidance agreement because that was a challenge to growing our business."

Responding to a question over the `Khalistani issue`, Jaishankar said, "From time to time we`ve engaged the Canadian government on this issue, and we have flagged the need to ensure that freedoms in a democratic society are not misused by forces which actually advocate violence and bigotry."

Meanwhile, Penny Wong highlighted that India and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners. India and Australia recognize that the Indo-Pacific region is being reshaped and it is in the interest of both nations to navigate through this together, said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

"Most fundamentally, we share a region, the Indio Pacific region. We got a shared interest and shared ambition which is our region being stable, prosperous and respectable of sovereignty and where countries are not required to choose sides but make their own sovereign choices," the minister said.

Wong said both India and Australia "don`t want to see any country dominating and any country being dominated."

"We both recognize that our region is being reshaped both economically and strategically. Our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together," she added.

Underlining the importance of partnership with India, Wong said, "For Australia, this partnership (India), is a critical part of shaping the region we want."

She said both countries have agreed to continue to deepen the relationship, including the diplomatic footprint in each other`s country. "We are looking to open a consulate general in Bengaluru, in the heart of India`s technology industry sometime next year," she added.Jaishankar arrived in Canberra on Monday to a "Tiranga welcome".

"Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament house of Australia in our national colours," Jaishankar tweeted.

In Australia, Jaishankar will be visiting Canberra and Sydney.It is EAM`s second visit to Australia this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers` Meeting in Melbourne.

The external affairs minister will also be meeting the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday launched a tirade against the Centre over the language issue and warned the BJP-led government not to force another language war by imposing Hindi. He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give up attempts to make Hindi mandatory and uphold the unity of India instead. Strongly reacting to the report submitted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, heading the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language, to President Droupadi Murmu, recently, Stalin said if implemented, the vast non-Hindi speaking population will be made second-class citizens in their own land.

"Imposing Hindi is against the integrity of India. The BJP government would do well to learn lessons from the anti-Hindi agitations in the past," he said apparently referring to the agitations in Tamil Nadu that fueled Tamil pride.

"The rigorous thrust by Union BJP government for #HindiImposition, negating the diversity of India is happening at an alarming pace. The proposals made in the 11th volume of the report of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language are a direct onslaught on India's soul," Stalin tweeted.

The Centre's stance on enforcing One nation, One language, One religion, One food and One culture would affect India's unity.

"The report presented to the President by the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah contains recommendations that endanger the integrity of Indian Union," Stalin said in a statement here.

As per media reports, the committee has recommended English to be replaced with Hindi as the medium of instruction in all Central universities like IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, Central universities and Kendriya Vidyalayas.

He pointed out that the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution has 22 languages, including Tamil, entitled for equal rights. But, the panel has recommended Hindi as the common language across India, he said.

"In such a scenario, where does the need arise for the Union Minister-led committee to recommend Hindi be made the Common language of India," the Chief Minister asked.

Wondering why English language question papers in the union recruitment examinations should give preference for Hindi, he claimed it was against the spirit of the Constitution to provide an undue, unfair advantage to Hindi and discriminate against other Indian languages "while raising "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" as a political slogan in the Parliament.

Accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of "continuously attempting to impose Hindi with utter disregard to the Constitution" Stalin said to mandate a common language which is practically impossible is akin to stating that the only Hindi speakers are the rightful citizens of India and speakers of other languages are second-class citizens.

"This is divisive in nature," the Chief Minister stated.

If implemented, the vast non-Hindi speaking population will be made second-class citizens in their own land.



Imposing Hindi is against the integrity of India.



The BJP govt would do well to learn lessons from the Anti-Hindi agitations in the past.#StopHindiImposition 2/2 pic.twitter.com/0R1IuvtzEx October 10, 2022

He argued that India's character is unity in diversity and hence all languages "must be treated equally and Centre should strive to make all languages" as official languages.

"I warn to not take a stance which is against the principle stated above. Do not force another language war by imposing Hindi," he said.
Bharuch/Anand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects in Gujarat. The Prime Minister lauded the progress of the Bharuch region over the years, saying "Bharuch`s contribution to the progress of Gujarat and the country is very important. Once Bharuch was known only for salted peanuts, today it is flourishing in industry and trade," while praising the setting up of the first drug park in the region, which is intended to make India "Aatmanirbhar" (self-reliant) in the pharmaceutical sector. Notably, bulk drugs accounted for over 60 per cent of total pharmaceutical imports in 2021-22.

According to PM Modi, "Today Gujarat has got the first bulk drug park, and that too in my Bharuch. Several plants related to the chemical sector have also been inaugurated today." He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 8,000 crore in Amod town of Bharuch district.

Gujarat won't allow 'Urban Naxals': PM Modi attacks AAP

The Prime Minister said that 'Urban Naxals' were trying to gain entry into Gujarat by changing their appearance, but the state will not allow them to destroy the lives of youth. He was speaking after laying the foundation stone of the country's first bulk drug park in Gujarat's Bharuch district.

In a veiled attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is trying to make inroads into Gujarat ahead of the state Assembly polls due later this year, PM Modi said, "Urban Naxals are trying to enter the state with new appearances. They have changed their costumes. They are misleading our innocent and energetic youth into following them."

PM Modi said, "Due to Urban Naxals, we wasted 40-50 years of time before the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river. Today after various efforts, the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam has been completed."

Due to Urban Naxals, we wasted 40-50 years of time before the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river. Today after various efforts, the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam has been completed: PM Modi in Anand, Gujarat pic.twitter.com/eKzWb6enw1  ANI (@ANI) October 10, 2022

He further said, "The Urban Naxals are setting foot from above. We won't let them destroy our young generation. We should warn our children against the Urban Naxals who have taken up the task of destroying the country. They are agents of foreign powers. Gujarat will not bow down its head against them, Gujarat will destroy them."

PM Modi targets Nehru over Kashmir

In a veiled attack on the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister said that Sardar Patel resolved issues of the merger of other princely states, but "one person" could not resolve the Kashmir issue while addressing a rally in Anand ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections due this year-end.

PM Modi also said has was able to resolve the long-pending Kashmir issue as he is walking in the footsteps of Sardar Patel.

"Sardar saheb persuaded all the princely states to merge with India. But another person handled this one issue of Kashmir," Modi said, without naming India's first prime minister.

He added, "As I am following the footsteps of Sardar saheb, I have values of the land of Sardar and that was the reason I resolved the problem of Kashmir and paid true tributes to Sardar Patel."

Notably, the Prime Minister is on a three-day visit to Gujarat from Sunday. After laying the foundation stone of a bulk drug park at Jambusar and a deep sea pipeline project at Dahej in Bharuch district, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Modi Shaikshanik Sankul -- an educational complex for the needy students in Ahmedabad. The project will help provide facilities to students for holistic development, according to a government release.

(With ANI/PTI Inputs)
MHT CET Counselling 2022: The State CET Cell, Maharashtra will release the first alphabetical merit list for 5-year LLB today, October 10, 2022. Candidates can check their rank in the merit list online at llb5cap22.mahacet.org. The final merit list will be published on October 13, 2022. The CET Cell will announce the first round of seat allotment for MHT CET 5-year LLB on October 15, 2022. Candidates will be shortlisted for seat allocation based on their CET marks, rank and college preferences.

MHT CET 5-year LLB: Here's how to download

Visit the official counselling portal of 5-year LLB - llb5cap22.mahacet.org

Check the notification section for alphabetical lists of MS and OMS categories

Click on the relevant merit list link and open the merit list pdf

Find your name, roll number and rank in the merit list

Alternatively, candidates may also check their rank by logging into the CAP portal, using the application number and date of birth.

Candidates who are allotted the most preferred college will have to report to the law college and complete the admission process by October 18, 2022. Candidates who get college allotment other than first preference will have the option to accept the seat or apply for the next round of counselling.
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday dedicate to the nation various projects worth more than Rs 8,000 crore at Amod in Bharuch district of Gujarat and inaugurate an educational complex for the needy students in Ahmedabad.

The PM is on a three-day visit to Gujarat from Sunday, ahead of the Assembly polls due in the BJP-ruled state later this year.

On Monday, he will lay the foundation stone of a bulk drug park at Jambusar and a deep sea pipeline project at Dahej in Bharuch district.

He will also participate in the ground breaking ceremony for the development of multiple industrial parks in the district.

In Ahmedabad, the prime minister will inaugurate the Modi Shaikshanik Sankul -- an educational complex for the needy students. The project will help provide facilities to students for holistic development, as per a government release.

PM Modi will also address a public rally at Vallabh Vidyanagar in Anand district.

In the evening, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 1,460 crore in Jamnagar. These projects are related to irrigation, power, water supply and urban infrastructure.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) President Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away early this morning. Mulayam Singh Yadav was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for three terms. He was also the Defense Minister in the Union government between 1996 and 1998. However, he was a wrestler before joining politics. Be it slamming a policeman during a poet-meeting, or being ordered to announce his own death, he bravely faced many occasions in his 55-year-long political career and tried to placate his opponents. Today let's know five important events in his life after his death.

Slamming Policeman At The Meeting

On June 26, 1960, Kavisammelan started in the premises of Jain Inter College, Mainpuri. Rebel poet Damodar Swaroop was also present on this occasion. He started reciting the poem 'Delhi Ki Gaddi Saavdhan' from the platform. As this poem was against the government, the police personnel present tried to stop him from reciting the poem by pulling the microphone in front of him. At that time, 21-year-old Mulayam Singh Yadav jumped on the platform and scolded the policeman.

Let The Kar Sevaks Be Shot

Mulayam Singh Yadav was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1989. At the beginning of the 90s, there was a conflict like Mandal-Kamandal across the country. In such a situation, in 1990, activists of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal performed karseva for the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Meanwhile, the Karsevaks try to demolish Babri. On October 30, 1990, Mulayam Singh Yadav took a decision and ordered the police officers to open fire after the crowd of karsevaks went uncontrollable. Two days after that, on November 2, 1990, thousands of Karsevaks reached Hanuman Garhi. Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered the police to open fire once again. Many karsevaks were killed in this. The decision to fire on kar sevaks made Mulayam anti-Hindu. However, later Mulayam said that this decision was difficult. But, Mulayam also got political mileage out of it.

Announcing His Own Death

On March 4, 1984, Mulayam Singh held meetings in Etawah and Mainpuri. After the meeting, he went to meet a friend. At this time, suddenly, shooters, Chhotelal and Netrapal, came in front of Netaji's car and started shooting indiscriminately. At this time, due to the caution of the driver, the car fell into a stream. He realized that there was an attempt to kill him. To escape from this, he had ordered his own workers to announce his death.

Support For Kalyan Singh

In the year 2009, Kalyan Singh left the BJP and contested as an independent. On this occasion, Mulayam Singh held a meeting in his support. Kalyan Singh was accused of demolishing Babri and had also served a sentence for contempt. The decision to extend support to Kalyan Singh led to a revolt within the party. Senior leader Azam Khan took a dig at Mulayam. In the election, too, Mulayam had to bear the loss. However, Kalyan Singh won the election with Mulayam's support.

Implemented Lohia's Plan

In 1956, Lohia-Ambedkar was thinking of coming together. However, Ambedkar died in the meantime and Lohia's plan to unite Dalits and backward classes could not succeed. After the demolition of Babri in 1992, Mulayam tried to implement Lohian's scheme again. He announced an alliance with the then Dalit leader Kanshi Ram. It was also seen in the assembly elections. At that time, the SP-BSP alliance got 176 seats. Mulayam formed the government along with other small parties. After that, the slogan 'Mile Mulayam-Kanshi Ram, Hava mein ud gaye Jai Shri Ram' was very popular in UP.
New Delhi: SP leader and former Uttar Pradesh CM Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away at the age of 82 on Monday (October 10, 2022) in the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. As a mark of respect to Samajwadi Party founder Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a three-day state mourning.

"Uttar Pradesh government announces three-day state mourning on the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav. His last rites will be performed with full state honour," Adityanath said in a tweet in Hindi.

 Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) October 10, 2022

According to the reports, UP Chief Minister also talked to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav over the phone and expressed his condolences.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's demise, and said he was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems.

In a series of tweets, PM Modi remembered the Samajwadi leader as "Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to peoples problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr Lohia."

"Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency. As Defence Minister, he worked for a stronger India. His Parliamentary interventions were insightful and emphasised on furthering national interest," PM Modi added.

On the other hand, Congress also condoled Samajwadi Party founder's demise, and said his passing away was an irreparable loss to Indian politics. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Yadav's unparalleled contribution to Indian politics as defence minister and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh will always be remembered.

"My deepest condolences to Akhilesh Yadav and all other loved ones," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Yadav was a stalwart Lohiaite but had admirers across political spectrum. "His tenures as CM of UP were very consequential. He played a key national role on 2 occasions: Deve Gowda & Gujral govts as Defence Min, & in 2002 when he proposed APJ Abdul Kalam for President," Ramesh said in a tweet.

Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, assembly speaker Satish Mahana, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, and senior BJP leaders also condoled the death of Yadav.

"The news of the death of the senior SP leader and former Chief Minister is saddening. I express my sympathies to the family members and well-wishers of the leader. May God give them strength to face the grief," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

(With agency inputs)
Samajwadi Party (SP) founder and former Defense Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav died on Monday at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.. He breathed his last at the age of 82. SP President and Mulayam's son Akhilesh Yadav gave this information in a tweet. He breathed his last at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Akhilesh said in the tweet, "My respected father ji and everyone's leader is no more." Mulayam Singh Yadav's funeral will be held on October 11 in Saifai. There is a wave of mourning in the Samajwadi Party on the death of the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Mulayam Singh Yadav has been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice. On the other hand, Mulayam Singh Yadav has left behind a huge political legacy as well as property worth crores. According to the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) report, as of 2019, Mulayam Singh Yadav had assets worth more than Rs 20 crore.

Mulayam Singh Yadav- Net Worth

During the Lok Sabha elections in the year 2019, information about his assets was given in the affidavit filed by Mulayam Singh Yadav. His assets were around Rs 16.5 crore. According to this affidavit, the assets of Mulayam Singh Yadav were Rs 16,52,44,300. Along with this immovable property, he had said that his wife Sadhna Yadav's annual income was Rs 32.02 lakh. The leader had assets worth Rs 20,56,04,593 and his liabilities were more than two crores i.e. Rs 2,20,55,657. His income as per ITR in the financial year 2017-18 was Rs 32,02,615, in 2016 to 2017 Rs 31,87,656, in 2015 to 2016, Rs 28,38,642, in 2014-2015 Rs 36,05,768 and in 2013 to 2014 his income was Rs 19,16,997.

Bank Deposits And Gold

While Mulayam Singh Yadav had Rs 16,75,416 in cash, he had deposits of Rs 40,13,928 with banks, financial institutions and NBFCs. He also had LIC and other insurance policies worth a total of Rs 9,52,298. Talking about jewellery, he had 7.50 kg of gold, which is worth Rs 2,41,52,365. He also had agricultural land worth Rs 7,89,88,000 in Etawah and elsewhere. Non-agriculture land includes assets worth Rs 1,44,60,000. The price of his residential property in UP is Rs 6,83,84,566.

Loan Taken From His Son

In the affidavit, it was told on behalf of Mulayam Singh Yadav that he did not have any car, and he had also taken a loan of Rs 2,13,80,000 from his son Akhilesh Yadav. Let us tell you that Mulayam Singh Yadav was born in a simple family on 22 November 1939 in Saifai village located in Etawah district of UP. Mulayam Singh Yadav was a teacher before joining politics, but after leaving teaching, he came into politics and later formed the Samajwadi Party.
New Delhi: As cities in Uttar Pradesh received unprecedented rainfall in the past few days, roads were inundated with rainwater, and waterlogging emerged as one of the main issues. In one such city Agra, several colonies faced severe waterlogging due to the downpour which made it difficult to use the roads. As per an ANI report, residents of these colonies approached the district administration, MPs, MLAs, and other concerned departments but received no help in clearing the roads.

In an attempt to draw attention to the pressing issue, they renamed their colonies as 'Narak Puri', Keechad Nagar', 'Ghinona Nagar', 'Nala Sarovar' to protest against the bad conditions of the road and severe waterlogging.

Uttar Pradesh | Residents of various colonies in Agra renamed their colonies as 'Narak Puri', Keechad Nagar', Ghinona Nagar, Nala Sarovar' in order to protest against various issues including bad conditions of roads, waterlogging pic.twitter.com/CrEZiu3gkV October 10, 2022

"We've not received any help from the district administration. We've complained everywhere including MPs, MLAs, and concerned departments, but all in vain. Politicians come here only for votes and then disappear," said a local to ANI.

Also Read: UP Schools Closed: Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad and other cities' schools to remain shut TODAY due to heavy rain- Details here

Meanwhile, all schools in the districts of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Aligarh, Agra, Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, and Kanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh would be closed on Monday due to a prediction of heavy rain by the weather department.
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh CM Mulayam Singh Yadav died at the age of 82. The SP supremo was under treatment at Gurugram's Medanta hospital since last week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered the SP veteran, also known as Netaji, saying he was a 'key soldier for democracy during the Emergency', adding "His Parliamentary interventions were insightful and emphasised on furthering national interest."

In a series of tweets, PM Modi remembered the Samajwadi leader as "Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to peoples problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr Lohia."

Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to peoples problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr. Lohia. pic.twitter.com/kFtDHP40q9  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 10, 2022

"Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency. As Defence Minister, he worked for a stronger India. His Parliamentary interventions were insightful and emphasised on furthering national interest," PM Modi added.

Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency. As Defence Minister, he worked for a stronger India. His Parliamentary interventions were insightful and emphasised on furthering national interest. pic.twitter.com/QKGfFfimr8  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 10, 2022

Talking about his memories with Mulayam Singh, the Prime Minister said, "I had many interactions with Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji when we served as Chief Ministers of our respective states. The close association continued and I always looked forward to hearing his views. His demise pains me. Condolences to his family and lakhs of supporters. Om Shanti."

I had many interactions with Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji when we served as Chief Ministers of our respective states. The close association continued and I always looked forward to hearing his views. His demise pains me. Condolences to his family and lakhs of supporters. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/eWbJYoNfzU  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 10, 2022

Notably, the veteran Samajwadi leader and MP, Mulayam Singh Yadav, died on Monday after a prolonged illness. His son and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tweeted about his demise. He breathed his last at 8.15 am on Monday, according to hospital sources.

Also read: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav dies at 82

Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was 82 and had been on a life support system for the past one week, was admitted to the Medanta hospital in Gurugram on August 22. The hospital sources, he breathed his last at 8.15 am on Monday.

Also read: Mulayam Singh Yadav: From wrestler to CM, a look at his political journey

The 82-year-old Samajwadi Party patriarch was reportedly facing difficulty in breathing and was under the supervision of an internal medicine expert at the Medanta Hospital. Singh was also suffering from a urinary infection as well.

Earlier on Sunday, Medanta Hospital had put out a health bulletin stating that the veteran leader`s condition was quite critical and that he was on life-saving drugs.

Born on November 22, 1939, Mulayam Singh Yadav is one of the most prominent leaders of Uttar Pradesh who served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice. Mulayam Singh, who also served in the Union Government as the Minister of Defence, was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP. In July this year, his wife Sadhna Gupta passed away after undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Gurugram for a lung infection.

(With Inputs from Agencies)
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has charged Member States of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to ensure that education remains a priority in the common development agenda of countries.

As the recently appointed Domestic Financing champion of the Global Partnership for Education, President Akufo-Addo sought the co-operation and support of UNESCO "to work towards developing sustainable homegrown financial solutions, so we can develop the educational system for the future we want in our various countries."

Addressing the 215th Meeting of the Executive Board of UNESCO, on Monday, 10th October 2021, in Paris, France, the President noted that the world does not have the luxury to pick and choose which crises it wants to fix.

"At this moment, we cannot pick and choose between funding guns and education. We cannot pick and choose between the interests of the present generation and the future of our girls and boys. We cannot choose geopolitical concerns over preserving our cherished cultural heritages, lest we perish universally," he said.

Due to global instability, however, President Akufo-Addo noted that, education has become one of many competing priorities of domestic budgets, with development aid to the education sector also seriously under pressure.

"Indeed, countries reduced their spending on education after the onset of the COVID-19, and, at the same time, direct aid to education by bilateral donors fell by some three hundred and fifty-nine million dollars ($359 million), which is not compatible with the objectives of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for financing sustainable development and the goals of the SDGs," he said.

The President continued, "We are further informed that prospects for reaching funding target, through voluntary contributions, are uncertain as several long-term donors have already reduced significantly their voluntary contributions to UNESCO due to a change in development cooperation priorities, thereby significantly impacting our planned programme implementation."

In spite of these challenges, President Akufo-Addo commended UNESCO for the lead role it played in ensuring the success of the Transforming Education Summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September this year.

Necessitated by the seminal "Futures of Education" report from UNESCO, the President indicated that the Transforming Education Summit, and, indeed, the pre-summit held here in Paris, have been extremely successful in getting the world to reflect deeply on the trajectory of educational systems, and how to addresses the challenges of our time.

Touching on Global Priority Africa Programme, which has been adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 41st Session, President Akufo-Addo was delighted that UNESCO has made Africa a Global Priority, and was delighted to see UNESCO's flagship programmes as being relevant to achieving the objectives of the Africa Union's Agenda 2063, i.e. "The Africa We Want".

He also urged UNESCO's Executive Board to help win the fight against Climate Change, especially as the planet is heading towards a dangerous tipping point as a result of climate change.

In furtherance of this, he commended UNESCO for the effort to strengthen the "Man and Biosphere Programme", whose goal is to help protect nature and biodiversity loss globally, through the Biosphere Reserve Concept.

"I urge UNESCO Member States to strengthen measures, at their respective national levels, that recognise formally the contribution of Biosphere Reserves, and designate more biosphere reserves and geoparks as a sure way for solving the climate crisis", he added.

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In concluding, the President informed the Executive Board of the news that Accra has been named as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2023, making Accra part of the prestigious World Book Capital Cities Network.

This, he stated, is an acknowledgement of the giant strides Ghana and Africa are making in developing Ghana's book and creative arts industry.

"The year-long programme to celebrate this honor done us by UNESCO will commence from 23rd April 2023, which is celebrated globally as the World Book and Copyright Day. I wish to use this opportunity to invite you all to join Ghana in this year-long celebrations," the President added.
Anand: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel resolved issues of merger of other princely states, but one person could not resolve the Kashmir issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, in a veiled attack on India's first PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Addressing a rally in Gujarat's Anand district ahead of the state Assembly elections due this year-end, Modi said he was able to resolve the long-pending Kashmir issue as he is walking in the footsteps of India's first home minister Sardar Patel.

Modi also said that "Urban Naxals" had tried to stall Sardar Patel's dream project of the Sardar Sarovar dam.

Sardar saheb persuaded all the princely states to merge with India. But another person handled this one issue of Kashmir, Modi said, without naming India's first prime minister. As I am following in the footsteps of Sardar saheb, I have values of the land of Sardar and that was the reason I resolved the problem of Kashmir and paid true tributes to Sardar Patel, Modi said. Modi was addressing a public meeting organised by the BJP at Vallabh Vidyanagar in Anand district.

Further targeting the previous Congress governments in Gujarat, Modi said while they constructed dams, no canal network was created to carry water. "Did they make dams for darshan (show)" the PM asked, adding that he took up the work and completed it in 20 years. "With water reaching everywhere, Gujarat has seen a growth of nine to ten per cent in agro products," he said.

Also Read: Modi in Gujarat: PM to launch various projects in Bharuch and Jamnagar, address rally in Anand on day 2

Modi also said that "Urban Naxals" tried to stall Sardar Patel's dream project of the Sardar Sarovar dam. The matter was caught up in litigation. "They wasted 40-50 years of our time, made us run from pillar to post in courts, wasting money of the poor people of Gujarat. Today, the Sardar Sarovar dam, the dream of Sardar Saheb, is completed," he said.

Addressing the BJP workers, Modi said if they get to talk to these Congress members, ask them whether they ever visited the world's tallest Statue of Unity constructed in the honour of Sardar Patel.

"It's been several decades since Sardar Saheb passed away, now show some generosity and bow before Sardar Saheb's feet. They would not do so...," he said.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday expressed optimism that a new symbol could prove to be `revolutionary` for the party, revitalise and make it even stronger in future. Informally interacting with the mediapersons outside the court where he was brought for his bail case plea, Raut was asked for his reaction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) freezing the Sena`s iconic `bow and arrow` symbol and its name (Shiv Sena) last week.

"This is not the first time... In the past even Indira Gandhi had gone through a similar situation and the Congress symbol was frozen thrice and the Janata Dal also had been through one such experience," Raut said. On the freezing of the `Shiv Sena` party name by ECI (October 8), he said that it will make no difference as `the spirit of the party` remains the same, and the people already know who the party belongs to.

"It won`t be so easy for the Group of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to get the Shiv Sena name and party symbol before the upcoming Andheri East by-elections... Entire Maharashtra is upset with the Shinde faction..." claimed Raut.

The firebrand Sena MP is currently in judicial custody since his arrest on August 1 by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged case pertaining to money-laundering and other charges.

Meanwhile, both -- the Thackeray Group and Shinde faction -- submitted three names and three symbols for the consideration of the ECI.

The Thackeray side has given a `Trishul`, `Rising Sun` and `Flaming Torch` and names `Shiv Sena - Prabodhan Thackeray`, `Shiv Sena - Balasaheb P. Thackeray` and `Shiv Sena - Uddhav B. Thackeray`.

The Shinde side is understood to have given symbols like `Trident`, `Rising Sun` (akin to the Thackeray Group) and `Mace` (against the Thackeray Group`s `Flaming Torch`), weaving in combinations of the late Balasaheb Thackeray` in its three name options for his faction.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked refused to lift the ban on firecrackers and said that the matter will be heard again before the Diwali holidays. The court asked the petitioners as to "why do they want to increase the pollution". The top court further added that the order in the special orders for the Delhi-NCR region regarding pollution" during the festive season, and that the order is very clear."

The Supreme Court's comments came on BJP leader Manoj Tiwari's challenge to the firecracker ban in the top court. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has put a complete ban on the sale, production and use of crackers till January 1, 2023.

Arrests in illegal firecracker case

Delhi Police's Crime Branch has arrested two men and seized 2,625 Kg of illegal firecrackers from their possession which were to be sold during the upcoming festival season, officials said on Monday.

Mukul Jain, 24, and his nephew Tushar Jain, 19, have been arrested from Mandoli Industrial Area, they said.

Police said that Mukul, a resident of Shahdara, has been in the business of sale and purchase of firecrackers since 2018 while Tushar has been working with Mukul since 2020 and gets paid 12,000 per month.

The arrests came after the Delhi Pollution Control Committee issued directions completely banning the manufacture, storage, selling, delivery through online marketing platforms, and bursting of all types of crackers in Delhi till January 1, a senior police officer said.

Based on the inputs, the team conducted raids in Mandoli Industrial Area, Phase-II, Delhi, where they found cartons containing illegal firecrackers being unloaded from a truck.

A total of 145 cartons containing 2,625 Kg of firecrackers were recovered from the spot.

On enquiry, it was revealed that the godown belonged to Mukul Jain and his relative Tushar was appointed there as caretaker and for record maintenance, said Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (Crime).

"During interrogation, the two revealed that they had procured firecrackers from distributors of Karnal (Haryana) and Sangrur (Punjab) who have their godowns at their respective places.

"The distributors had procured the firecracker from factories situated at Shivakashi, Tamil Nadu. These firecrackers were to be sold in Delhi NCR during the upcoming festival season," the senior police officer said.
TN NEET PG 2022: The Directorate of Medical Education, DME has released the Tamil Nadu NEET PG Allotment List for the NEET PG Counseling 2022. Candidates who have registered for the Tamil Nadu NEET PG Counseling can download the allotment list from the official website- tnmedicalselection.net.

According to the official statement released, candidates who have qualified the TN NEET PG Counselling round 1 will have to report to their respective colleges by October 12.

It is for information that the candidates can resign their seats of Round I counselling within the stipulated date and time / cutoff date of Round I i.e., 12-10-2022 up to 5.00 PM, after which they will be considered as part of Round II and the same rules will apply on them as applicable for Round II Counselling, state the official notificatin.

The candidates who were not allotted colleges in Round 1 can register for Round 2. The dates for TN NEET should be out soon and will be released by the DME, Tamil Nadu on its official website

Here's how to download TN NEET PG Counseling Round 1 seat allotment result

Visit the official website - tnmedicalselection.net

Then click on the PG Courses section and click on medical courses

The allotment list link will be on the screen

Once it opens, download and keep a copy

Candidates who have been allotted colleges in the first round of TN NEET PG Counseling 2022 will have to produce documents namely NEET PG Score Card, NEET PG Admit Card, Aadhar Card, MBBS Degree Certificate or Provisional Pass Certificate and Diploma certificate, CRRI Completion Certificate.

Candidates will also be required to show Permanent Medical Registration Certificate issued by the Medical Council of India / State Medical Council or Provisional Registration Certificate issued by the Medical Council of India / State Medical Council at the time of reporting.

Community Certificate (if applicable), Recent Regional Medical Board Certificate for Persons with Disabilities, Eligibility Certificate, if applicable, Post Card size colour photograph are also required to be produced byb the candidates at the time of reporting.
TN TET Admit Card 2022: The Tamil Nadu Teachers Recruitment Board, TN TRB will release the Tamil Nadu Teachers Eligibility Test TN TET Admit Cards on Tuesday October 11. Once released, candidates will be able to download the admit card from the official website at trb.tn.nic.in.

Here's how to download the TN TET Admit Card 2022

Visit the official website at trb.tn.nic.in

On the homepage, click on the TN TET admit card link

Login using your application number, password etc

Your TN TET Admit Card 2022 will appear on the screen

Download and take a print out for exam day

TNRB is scheduled to conduct the TN TET 2022 exams from October 14 to 19.
New Delhi: Two terrorists linked with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed in an encounter in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday (October 10, 2022). The gunfight between the security forces and terrorists broke out on Sunday late evening in Tangpawa village of Kokernag area of Anantnag district.

An official said that a joint team of police, the Indian Army, and CRPF launched a search operation in the area after a specific input about the presence of terrorists in the village.

ADGP Vijay Kumar confirmed the killing of two terrorists and said, "Two local categorised terrorists linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT killed in an encounter. They were involved in several terror crime cases."

So far this year, the security forces have managed to kill as many as 163 terrorists, of which, 41 were Pakistani. 20 security personnel and as many civilians have also lost their lives in 2022.
Uttar Pradesh: Due to a weather department warning of heavy rain on October 10, all schools in the districts of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Aligarh, Agra, Etah, Mainpuri, Firozabad, and Kanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh would be closed on Monday. Aligarh district magistrate Indra Veer Singh announced the decision, which covers all schools affiliated to the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), through a statement.

In Kanpur, schools up to class 12 will remain closed on Monday, said DM Vishakh G Iyer in an order, while all schools will be shut on Monday in Mainpuri, and Monday and Thursday for Firozabad.

All schools in the state capital (Lucknow), up to class 12 will remain closed on Monday (October 10) due to Sunday night rain and a possibility of waterlogging. The order is applicable for all government, and private schools of all the boards, said Lucknow district magistrate Suryapal Gangwar.

The Aligarh, Mathura and Etah district administrations also ordered for closure of schools for two days on Monday and Tuesday. Several districts of Uttar Pradesh have faced waterlogging due to the heavy rainfall with farmers also facing damage to crops. Many houses and shops were inundated with water causing trouble for the residents.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted moderate to heavy rains in the district on Sunday. The weather department also warned about thunderstorms and possible lightning events with the rains. The mercury is also dropping due to the rains signalling the arrival of winter.

Along with the districts mentioned above, schools have also been closed in Kanpur, Aligarh, Meerut, and Hapur. The schools have been told to inform students and parents. Heavy rainfall is causing waterlogging, and the flood water has entered the houses and shops of people. It is also affecting vehicular movement. Meanwhile, rains continue to lash the region. In the last update, India Meteorological Department or IMD predicted continued showers on Sunday. Spells of moderate to heavy rainfall are predicted in many regions on Monday as well.
Uttar Pradesh: At least 25 people have died in separate rain-related incidents across Uttar Pradesh till late on Sunday night. Most of the deaths have been reported in cases of house collapse. Water levels are rising in all major rivers in the state following uninterrupted rain during the past 48 hours. The state met department has issued a warning of moderate to heavy rainfall on Monday in eastern, central parts of the state, Bundelkhand, Terai Belt and Rohilkhand areas.

District magistrates in Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Rampur and Meerut decided to close all schools till class 12 on Monday while Agra and Aligarh administrations have declared school holidays on Monday and Tuesday.

Nearly 400 villages in Balrampur district have been flooded and two persons were swept away after a boat capsized in Barhalganj in Gorakhpur.

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation has asked people to remain vigilant and advised people to avoid crowded places and dilapidated buildings. Several districts have opened up helplines for people affected by rainfall related problems.
Budaun: An FIR has been registered against the manager of a private school here for allegedly sending obscene photographs and messages to a woman, police said on Sunday. The FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against Sudhanshu Gupta based on the complaint of the father of the woman who is a teacher in the same school, police said.

The woman's father alleged that the accused sent obscene photographs and messages on her daughter's phone on October 5, said Manoj Kumar Singh, Station House Officer, Ujhani.


NEW DELHI: Amitabh Bachchan's 80th birthday celebrations were kickstarted by none other than Dharmendra, his long-lasting friend for over 5 decades! The OG friends of Bollywood who celebrated friendship on the big screen and gave us - yeh dosti hum nahi todenge, reunite today as Dharmendra takes to Twitter to wish Big B ahead of his character poster launch from the much-anticipated film  'Uunchai'.

Produced by Rajshri Productions in association with Mahaveer Jain Films and Boundless Media, Uunchai will be Big B's first release in his landmark 80th year! Helmed by Sooraj R. Barjatya, 'Uunchai' is slated to be released on October 11, 2022.

An ambitious project, with an iconic ensemble, Uunchai remains a film that Big B blogged the most about on his famous online blog. The first poster of the film, released on Friendship Day, had set the thematic backbone of the story  Friendship! The tagline read  friendship was their only motivation. Taking the theme of the film forward, it was a heartwarming surprise that had friendship at its very core, as Veeru wished Jai for Rajshri's Uunchai.

Amit , love you. I got a news from RajShiri production that you are doing a film with them. Great . Most talented actor and the best production house together. Wish you all the best. pic.twitter.com/Yg5wIEQaqM October 10, 2022

With the first character poster out today, two contrasting shades of this centurys biggest superstar, were revealed from his next release - Uunchai. Amitabh Bachchan on one hand is seen in a suave avatar in a glamorous world. While on the other hand, a contrast image of his character from the film shows him with snow-burned skin, amidst ice mountains, looking up with hope and ambition in his eyes.

Uunchai celebrates Rajshris glorious 75 years in the industry. Touted to be 2022s biggest ensemble film, Uunchai will bring to screen the biggest and finest actors of Indian Cinema! Headlined by Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Sarika, Neena Gupta and Parineeti Chopra, Uunchai also promises pivotal performances by Danny Denzongpa and Nafisa Ali Sodhi. Mounted to be a visual spectacle with an unforgettable journey of friendship, Uunchai will be in a theatre near you on 11.11.22.
press release

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced Africa's women entrepreneurs to rethink how they run their businesses, organize their workspaces, and manage employees. They have had to innovate and adapt to new, restrictive and challenging market realities.

The shift includes remote working and introducing a raft of new technology, tools, and digital platforms to connect effectively with customers and employees.

To provide practical guidance for women entrepreneurs adapting for the changes already in motion, the Lionesses of Africa, a network of trailblazing women entrepreneurs, has launched the 100 Lionesses 'Future of Work' playbook. 100 Lionesses is an initiative of Lionesses of Africa that celebrates 100 leading African women entrepreneurs. The African Development Bank is supporting the production of this digital tool for women entrepreneurs through its Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA).

The second in a series, the playbook provides practical business advice and peer insights to help women enterprises manage the transition to the future of work. Now, the future of work is about how we adapt to new ways of working, communicating, interacting and collaborating in constantly changing business environments. It features 24 leading African women entrepreneurs sharing hacks and experiences across five key dimensions: strategy; leadership and vision; technology and systems; people and teams; and new ways of working. It also offers a practical roadmap for Africa's women entrepreneurs and key lessons, such as harnessing communications, developing a resilient supply chain, and developing hybrid work environments for businesses preparing for the future of work.

Melanie Hawken, founder and CEO of Lionesses of Africa said: Our working practices, the structure of our businesses, the reorganization of our workplaces, and the practical way we communicate with and engage our employees, have changed, and continue to evolve at a faster pace than ever. As a result, we must constantly open our minds to change, to innovation, to finding solutions to new challenges - and importantly, to learning from other women entrepreneurs. The future of work is already here."

Esther Marieme Dassanou, AFAWA manager, said: "Gone are the days of full brick and mortar businesses, or only face-to-face interaction with customers. The businesses getting ahead are ones with a strong digital presence, involved in e-commerce, and which have redesigned their systems to accommodate remote work. Looking at the glass half-full, this new work model provides great opportunities for women entrepreneurs as it allows them access to a much wider market, as well as increased productivity in some instances."

Dassanou added "AFAWA works closely with commercial banks, meso- and microfinance institutions, equity funds and guarantee providers to develop holistic programs which include financial and non-financial services for women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. It is time to make our financial institutions part of our growth and pivoting process."

Download the 100 Lionesses 'The Future of Work' Playbook here
New Delhi: Filmmaker Karan Johar is one of the most discussed celebrity on social media. Now the filmmaker on Monday said goodbye to Twitter as he wants to make space for more positive energies.

The director took to the media blogging site to share the news, where he worte, "Making space for more positive energies only and this is step one towards that. Goodbye Twitter!,".

The filmmaker has often been trolled for his statements, movies, and shows. One such example was when he was trolled for one of his episodes on the reality show 'Koffee with Karan' featuring Jahnvi Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan, where people alleged that he was more biased towards Sara and didn't treat Jahnvi properly

On the work front, Karan just wrapped up the seventh season of his Disney Plus Hotstar series "Koffee With Karan." He is now working on his upcoming film, "Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani which stars Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, and Dharmendra.
New Delhi: Vijay Varma is the actor to watch out for, especially after the performance of his latest release Darlings. While the actor has already become a bigger star today, he is as modest as he was even when he started. He loves his fans and his fans love him back.

Recently, the actor attended an event that happened in Mumbai and met a fan.

Now, before this, Vijay often receives thousands of text messages from his fans. There was once one he had received a number of marriage proposals from several young ladies. Now it's shocking how he somehow decided to chat with when_rajma_met_rice and called her to this event. She came, she cried and hugged him tightly. When the fan informed him that she will be attending the event to meet him, the actor got excited. He asked her to send a picture so that he can recognize her. She did and later when he saw her standing in the crowd amongst many people, he called her ahead. Took her to the stage and hugged her. It was a very adorable fan moment to witness.

Meanwhile, the actor has an interesting lineup of films. After his amazing performance in Darlings, it would be exciting to see Vijay Verma play different roles in the future. The star will be next seen in Devotion of Suspect X with Kareena Kapoor Khan, Dahaad with Sonakshi Sinha, Mirzapur 3, and Sumit Saxena's untitled next.
New Delhi: Aadhaar card has become one of the go-to documents for recieving seamless online services. If you keep your Aadhaar card updated with your phone number, you will be able to open digital bank accounts, Demat accounts, and more in a very quick and hassle free manner. Furthermore, your Aadhaar-based online KYC can be completed online if your mobile number is linked to the 12-digit virtual ID.

Incase you have changed your your phone, which you want to update in your Aadhaar Card, fret not! It is very easy to link your mobile number with your Aadhaar number.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) allows cardholders to change their mobile numbers linked to their Aadhaar cards and update the new ones. However, you need to visit an Aadhaar Enrollment Centre to change the phone number linked to the document.

Heres how to update the phone number on your Aadhaar card:

Step 1: Firstly, you will need to take an appointment by either visiting the official UIDAI website or your nearby Aadhaar Enrollment Centre.

Step 2: On the day of your appointment, you will have to meet the official executive at the Aadhaar Enrollment Centre.

Step 3: You will have to submit Aadhaar Enrollment Form to the executive.

Step 4: The executive will verify your details via biometric information.

Step 5: The executive will change the phone number details.

Step 6: You will have to pay a fee towards the Aadhaar update service.

Step 7: You will receive an acknowledgement slip from the official. The slip will have an update request number (URN). You can use the URN to track the status of your Aadhaar Card request.

Once your phone number is updated, you will be able to download the Aadhaar card from the official UIDAI website. You can also order a PVC print of the Aadhaar card by paying a small fee.
Ahead of Diwali, the central government has come out with good news for over 69 lakh 76 thousand pensioners, the central government has come out with a memo notifying the increase in dearness relief. A notification issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on October 8 said that the dearness relief has been hiked to 38 per cent.

"...President is pleased to decide that the Dearness Relief admissible to Central Government pensioners/family pensioners shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 34% to 38% w.e.f. 01.07.2022," said the notification.

It said that the DR will apply to the Civilian Central Government Pensioners/Family Pensioners including Central Govt. absorbee pensioners in PSU/Autonomous Bodies, the Armed Forces Pensioners, Civilian Pensioners paid out of the Defence Service Estimates, All India Service Pensioners, Railway Pensioners/family pensioners, Pensioners who receive a provisional pension, the Burma Civilian pensioners/family pensioners and pensioners/ families of displaced Government Pensioners from Burma/ Pakistan.

Also Read: LIC Jeevan Shanti Calculator: Invest in THIS policy, get lifetime monthly pension of Rs 87,923 or more

The notice said, "In the case of retired Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, necessary orders will be issued by the Department of Justice separately."

It may be noted that the central government announced a hike in dearness allowance and dearness relief on September 28. "The additional financial implications on account of this increase of Dearness Relief to pensioners are estimated at Rs 6,261.20 crore per annum; and Rs 4,174.12 crore in the financial year 2022-23 (i.e. for a period of 8 months from July, 2022 to February, 2023)," the government had said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi might transfer the much awaited 12th installment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) to farmers' account before Diwali. The beneficiaries of PM-KISAN scheme, who have eagerly been waiting for the PM Kisan 12th installment money might hear the great news on October 17.

As per latest media reports, the Modi government might transfer the PM Kisan 12th installment of Rs 2,000 in the bank accounts of eligible farmers during the inauuration of the two day summit of Agri Startup Conclave & Kisan Sammelan being organised by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.While, some media reports had previously reported that the government might credit Rs 2000 in beneficiary farmers accounts on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti).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.

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.
Owning a home is a dream for a majority of people. In cities where spaces are constrained, vertical development paves the way for skyscrapers. However, post covid, there has been a rise in demands for plotted homes or homes with land rights. While there is no scope of expansion of a flat, homes with land rights can be expanded vertically up to three to four floors, thus providing ample space for all family members. However, in recent times, there have been reports of frauds where one plot is sold to multiple people or issues infrastructure deficiencies. A buyer should always get the due diligence done while investing in plotted homes.

Manoj Gaur, President CREDAI NCR & CMD, Gaurs Group, said that a buyer has to exercise extreme caution in the process of buying a plot. "It is vital to ensure that the project has been approved by RERA, as its stringent norms guarantee customers its genuineness and peace of mind," said Gaur.

Advocate Jaspreet Singh Rai said that buyers should get due diligence done to verify all the records of the property over the last 70 years. "The land should neither be mortgaged nor there should be a loan against it. Buyers should also check whether the basic amenities like sewerage, electricity connections, roads, schools, hospitals and public transport mediums are available and accessible at the project site," said Advocate Rai.

Also Read: LIC Jeevan Shanti Calculator: Invest in THIS policy, get lifetime monthly pension of Rs 87,923 or more

Pushpender Singh, MD, JMS Group said that the price appreciation of plots is faster when its in proximity to adequate commercial and social infrastructure. "It's advisable to go for plots which are in close vicinity to these facility-providing centres. Also, it is better to scout lands and check the essential documentation and approvals before closing on a particular plotted land," said Singh.

Advocate VK Bansal (Senior RERA Lawyer) said that if a plot is being offered under government-approved schemes, then that should have approval from RERA and other competent authorities. "It should also have fire NOC, sewer and electricity infrastructure developed by the builder or coloniser," said Advocate Bansal.

Also Read: Diwali Bonanza for Central government pensioners, family pensioners; Centre revises dearness relief

Sanjay Mandava, Founder & CEO at Landeed, said that while the location is important, buyers often overlook the evaluation of the Encumbrance Certificate or EC. "An encumbrance certificate establishes that there are no encumbrances for transactions on the property, and the ownership of the property is clear and marketable. The EC also shows the transaction history of the property," said Mandava.

Hence, buyers should keep the above things in mind while closing-in on a plotted property to have a secured and litigation-free asset.
Jaipur: Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan-starrer `Adipurush` has been in the news ever since the makers unveiled the teaser of the film, which is based on the epic Ramayana.

The teaser courted major backlash over the looks of Saif`s fierce Ravana who is shown sporting a beard and a buzz cut. Many people across the country slammed the makers for allegedly hurting their religious sentiments.In fact, a Hindu seers body, Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, has sought the formation of a Sanatan Censor Board alleging improper depiction of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Bollywood movies.

Now, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Singh Kachariyawas has come out in support of the Hindu saints over their demand for the formation of the Sanatan Censor Board."I am with saints. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look at the demands of saints and give permission to formulate the Sanatan Censor Board," Pratap said.

Also, recently, a plea seeking a stay order on the film release has been moved in a Delhi court.The plea alleged that Adipurush portrayed Lord Rama and Hanuman in an unwarranted and inaccurate way as they wear leather straps.

The plea has been moved by advocate Raj Gaurav against producer Bhushan Kumar and director Om Raut. Helmed by Om Raut, the `Adipurush` teaser also garnered negative responses from the netizens over the "poor quality of VFX used in the film." Now it`s to see whether the film can see the light of day on January 12, 2023.
New Delhi: As part of its month-long festive celebrations, the Great Indian Festival, Amazon has announced "Extra Happiness Days" deals. Customers will have the chance to purchase the "latest products across categories" with significant discounts, according to the company, when the offers go live on October 8 at midnight. The Extra Happiness Days feature exclusive offers and discounts from merchants on products such as smartphones, laptops, TVs, health and personal care items, and more. These specifics will be added to Tecno, iQOO, and Xiaomi smartphones.

Shopping for the holidays will be more affordable during this time because EMI transactions and credit and debit cards from Axis Bank, Citibank, and ICICI Bank come with an instant 10% discount. The availability of no-cost EMI payments on popular credit cards, debit cards, Bajaj Finserv, and Amazon Pay Later allows customers to stretch their budget even further. Customers who use Amazon Pay UPI, according to Amazon, can receive welcome rewards worth up to Rs 600.

According to a press release, customers can take advantage of the short-term "Diamonds Dhamaaka" promotion, which offers a Rs. 150 cashback on orders totaling Rs. 1500 or more. Customers may use "750 Diamonds" to purchase specific items.

Amazon's dedicated Great Indian Festival page currently lists deals on Amazon Echo products and select smartphones. For example, the OnePlus 10R 5G, which supports 80W fast charging, costs Rs 32,999. The iQOO Z6 Lite 5G is priced at Rs 13,999. The iPhone 12 (64GB) has also been reduced in price to Rs 47,999. The 128GB model of the iPhone 12 costs Rs 54,490. The Kindle (10th Gen) costs Rs 6,499, while the Echo Dot (3rd Gen, Black) + Wipro 9W LED Smart Color Bulb combo costs Rs 1,799.

Customers interested in purchasing the Galaxy Z Fold 3 can take advantage of the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale, which reduces the price to as low as Rs 1,08,749. The offer price includes all bank promotions, coupons, and exchange deals.
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 October 10, 2022

FDTSRAEDQF12

GHU4RTGYVFVB

RNJ6YI7JCXKI

5QRD12F3BH4J

5IGUYH1NMKO9

IHYGVXSA234T

YGHBVDXFVBHJ

IOI7Y6RFJMLO

OI9TRDATFDCV

HRJTGHBJ2VBG

(Also read: OMG! An 18-year boy hacks Uber, employees' thoughts someone is joking)

How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, October 10, 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: Instant messaging and calling service WhatsApp premium subscription service has not officially launched yet; however it is now available for beta users. According to GSM Arena, this means that only the WhatsApp beta program members can access the Premium menu, where all the extra features reside.

As per WABetainfo, the premium subscription will be tailored towards businesses, which means that most of the paid features aren`t going to be particularly useful for the average user. Reportedly, the premium account gives users a customizable contact link to their WhatsApp, which can be changed once every three months.

It is supposed to be an easier way for customers to find a certain business instead of typing in a phone number. Telegram has a similar feature where users can share a direct contact link with others. The paid version of the app will also allow up to 10 devices simultaneously connected to the same account.

This way, employees can connect and manage the business account. Lastly, users can make a video call with up to 32 participants. Since the functionality is still in beta, WhatsApp hasn`t come forward with an official statement or announcement, so the pricing or the launch date of the new subscription service is not yet known.
press release

At the opening of the 2022 Civil Society Forum in Abidjan, the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, reaffirmed the importance of the work of African civil society in advocacy and its role in monitoring the achievement of the continent's climate objectives. The meeting was held from the 6th to 7th of October, a month before the global climate summit, COP27, scheduled to take place from the 6th to 18th of November in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The forum is an open dialogue with civil society actors, allowing their voices and proposals to be heard. This year's theme was: "Engaging civil society for climate resilience and just energy transition."

The President of the African Development Bank stressed the importance of the African Development Fund's Climate Action Window, which he said "will provide 20 million farmers with access to climate-smart agricultural technologies, and 20 million farmers and pastoralists with weather-indexed insurance... It will rehabilitate one million hectares of degraded land... "

He urged civil society organizations to "strongly defend and support the ADF16 replenishment, as it holds the promise of supporting the most vulnerable against the ravages of climate change."

In a similar vein, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, Kevin Kariuki, noted that "600 million people did not have access to electricity and about 1 billion lacked access to clean cooking. He said Africa, to meet its needs, must double its energy consumption by 2040. The president said compliance with the objectives of the Paris Agreement was important, including more use of renewable energy, to decarbonize some sectors, especially maritime and aviation, and to strengthen regional interconnection to move towards an African electricity market. He said COP27 must help refocus attention on Africa's needs and priorities.

The 2022 forum enabled grassroots organizations to elevate the voice of African farmers to the highest level of decision-making. The president of the African Farmers' Organization, Kolyang Palebele, sounded the alarm. He said: "The time is critical. We must react quickly to the shocks of climate change affecting the African people." He called for the integration of resilience into national development plans and challenged African heads of state to operationalize the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Growth and Transformation of Agriculture in Africa for Shared Prosperity.

Members of the diplomatic corps gave strong support to the continent's climate change objectives. Ambassador Wael Badawi, the Egyptian Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, commended the forum "for protecting our future and that of future generations" before inviting participants to rendezvous in Sharm-El-Sheikh for the next meeting in November.

Speaking after him, the Ambassador of Korea to Cote d'Ivoire, Mr. Lee Sang Ryul, commended the African Development Bank's efforts to ensure accountability and for the involvement of civil society organizations. He reiterated his country's commitment to supporting energy projects, institutional capacity building and growth on the continent.

The representative of the Ivorian Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr. Sidi Braima Dagnogo, praised the support and efforts of the African Development Bank towards Cote d'Ivoire. He said his country had committed - during the revision of its nationally determined contribution, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30.4%.

Revisiting the African Development Bank's work with African civil society, Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Beth Dunford underscored civil society's crucial role as an essential link between the bank and African communities. "It is in this sense that this forum has particular significance in consolidating African voices for COP27," she added.

COP27 is expected to be Africa's COP, where Africa's concerns must be raised to advance the global agenda on climate change.

During one of the dialogue sessions, President Adesina as master of ceremonies, gave the floor to different African civil society representatives, including: Salif Traore alias A'salfo, Ivorian artist and president of Magic System Foundation and a UNESCO ambassador, as well as Soumaya Zadem of the African Youth Advisory Council on Disaster Risk Reduction of the African Union. They raised their voices in a strong tribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals on climate change.

President Adesina's speech

Vice President Kariuki's speech

Amadou Mansour Diouf I Communication and External Relations Department, media@afdb.org
Washington: Chinese ambassador to US Qin Gang on Sunday thanked Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait which has witnessed heightened tensions in the recent past.

"I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification," Qin Gang tweeted.

I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, Peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question... https://t.co/KYH1Gsu3Um  Qin Gang (@AmbQinGang) October 8, 2022

"Provided that China`s sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development," he said in another tweet.

..and the best approach to realizing national reunification. Provided that China's sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development.  Qin Gang (@AmbQinGang) October 8, 2022

This comes after Musk suggested that Taiwan could be made a special administrative zone of China. This proposal, which came a few days after he proposed a solution for Russia-Ukraine war, was met with backlash both from China and the self-governing island.

Also Read: Ukrainian ambassador's blunt reaction to Elon Musk's Russia-Ukraine peace plan: 'My very diplomatic reply to you is...'

Musk's comment not only infringes national sovereignty but also harms democracy, Taiwan News quoted Democratic Progressive Party Spokesperson Huang Tsai-lin as saying on Saturday.

Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that "the Taiwan issue is China`s domestic politics." She added that China will "resolutely suppress interference by foreign forces."In a Friday interview with the Financial Times, the world`s richest man admitted to being a fan of China.

He recommended figuring out "a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable" and "more lenient than Hong Kong."

The statement did not go down well with people in Taiwan, with politicians from major political parties issuing statements denouncing Musk's remarks, Taiwan News reported.

Most parties agreed that Musk is largely driven by the business interests and stakes he has in China and therefore holds a subjective view of cross-strait issues.
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the country`s tactical nuclear operation training that was held over the past few days, the state news agency reported on Monday as it released photos of Kim inspecting a missile launch at an undisclosed location in the country. The missile that North Korea fired over Japan on October 4 was a newly developed missile aimed at delivering stronger warnings to its enemies, the report said.

Tensions are escalating in the Korean peninsula as Kim-led North Korea launched several missile tests, including one that flew over neighbouring Japan. The United States and its allies responded with bombing drills. Pyongyang has fired several missiles in the past few weeks which has raised concerns in the region, with the US, South Korea and Japan responding with missile launches and joint military exercises this week, CNN reported.

North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile on Saturday, a day after the US and South Korea finished a naval exercise.This was a follow-up of an unidentified ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday.

Also read: Missiles self-defence actions against US threats': North Korea assures neighbouring countries

This is the first such missile launch in years, prompting a warning for residents to take cover in northern Japan.On Saturday, South Korea`s Joint Chiefs of Staff called them a "serious provocation" which harms peace and safety.

Also read: US sanctions Asian firms over North Korean fuel shipments

"North Korea`s repeated ballistic missile launch is a serious provocation that harms peace and safety of the Korean Peninsula as well as the international community, and it is also a clear violation of the UNSC resolution," the joint chiefs said.

The joint chiefs reported that the projectiles launched had a flight range of about 350 kilometres and an altitude of about 90 kilometres.Slamming the missile launch, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned if North Korea continues "down this road" of provocation it will only increase the condemnation and increase the isolation, CNN reported.Under the Kim Jong-un regime, North Korea this year has tested a record number of missiles as it expands its weapons arsenal.
Kyiv: Multiple explosions rocked Ukraine`s capital Kyiv on Monday morning local media reported citing the city`s mayor. Plumes of smoke were seen billowing out from several areas in Kyiv.

Explosions also reported in the cities of Lviv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Dnipro and, Ternopil. Multiple explosions are being reported in cities all across the country. Eyewitnesses are reporting powerful explosions and power outages in Kyiv, according to the local media, The Kyiv Independent.

Dramatic footage of BBC correspondent Hugo Bachega who was reporting live from the area ducking as explosions were heard in the capital Kyiv, soon began to be circulated on social media. Suddenly, several explosions were heard from behind following which the reporting was cut short.

Ukraine`s local media portal Kyiv Independent quoted city mayor Vitali Klitschko stating that there had been multiple explosions and that the emergency services were on site. Klitschko said further details would follow, the portal added. The explosions came in the wake of the attack on the Kerch bridge on Saturday where a truck exploded, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire.

Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge, according to media reports.

Shortly afterwards, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on enhancing security measures for the Crimea bridge. In the decree, Putin also called for securing the energy bridge and the gas pipeline connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia.

Media reports said that Putin plans to hold an operational meeting of his Security Council today.

The bridge was opened in 2018 by Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia`s transport network. The 19-kilometre bridge, which runs across the Kerch Strait and connects Crimea with mainland Russia, consists of a railway and vehicle sections. It became fully operational in 2020.

On Saturday, at least 17 people were killed and 40 others injured after a rocket struck Ukraine`s Zaporizhzhia area. Acting Mayor of Zaporizhzhia Anatoly Kurtev said that in the attack, five houses were destroyed and apartment buildings were damaged, CNN reported.
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned of "harsh" reprisals after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. In a television appearance on Monday, Putin said Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast. Putin threatened further "harsh" responses that correspond "to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it," while accusing Kyiv of "terrorism." In what appears to be the heaviest wave of missile and rocket attacks since the opening week of the war, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were rocked by deadly Russian strikes on Monday.

Officials said they targeted critical energy infrastructure and several regions of Ukraine are now suffering power outages. The Kremlin said today that a huge missile salvo across Ukraine launched by its forces was within the framework of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kerch bridge, a key link between the Russian mainland and Crimea. Eleven sites of critical infrastructure have been struck in Kyiv and eight other regions of Ukraine, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Some of the regions are experiencing blackouts," Shmyhal said. "We must be ready for temporary disruptions with power connections and water supply. "A senior Ukrainian military official has said "generations of Russians will answer" for a wave of explosions that struck multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday."The Russians are shameful losers. Did you intend to scare us?" Andrii Yermak, head of President Zelenskyy`s office, said of the attacks.

"There will be a harsh response to every hit. You will be held responsible for every death and suffering. And not only you. Entire generations of Russians will answer," Yermak said on Telegram. "We will continue to destroy everyone who comes to Ukraine with weapons. These hits make us even angrier. These hits will only speed up our progress. "We are not afraid. We are only getting angrier and more accurate," Yermak added.

Powerful explosions rang across Kyiv on Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead. said there is no electricity supply in five regions -- Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv and Ternopil -- and power supply has been partially disrupted in the rest of the country.
New Delhi: As Russian missiles pounded several Ukraine cities and killed civilians on Monday (October 10, 2022), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the rush hour attacks appeared to have been deliberately timed to kill people. He said that the Russsian are trying to "destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth."

"They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.

"The air raid sirens do not subside throughout Ukraine. There are missiles hitting. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded," he added.

He also later filmed a video message on a mobile phone on an empty central Kyiv street surrounded by landmarks and said that the strikes had two main targets - energy infrastructure and people.

"Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible," he said.

Ukraine's defence ministry said Russia had fired 81 cruise missiles, and Ukraine's air defences had shot down 43 of them.

Cruise missiles tore into busy intersections, parks and tourist sites in the centre of downtown Kyiv with the city police saying that at least five people had been killed and 12 wounded in the capital.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Russia struck cities across Ukraine during rush hour, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure in apparent revenge after President Vladimir Putin declared an explosion on the bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack https://t.co/b3WkG42SN8 pic.twitter.com/Rsfyv2Xdyc October 10, 2022

Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in Ukraine's west, Dnipro and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the south and Kharkiv in the east.

Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles: Ukraine Foreign Minister

After the attacks, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hit out at Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that he is "a terrorist who talks with missiles".

"Putin's only tactic is terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities, but he will not break Ukraine down. This is also his response to all appeasers who want to talk with him about peace: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles," he said.

It is notable that the strikes came two days after an explosion damaged the only bridge over the Kerch Strait to the Crimea peninsula, which Putin on Sunday called an act of terrorism by Ukraine's special services.

The bridge, which Putin personally opened, is a major supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine and a symbol of Russia's control of Crimea, the peninsula it proclaimed annexed after its troops seized it in 2014.

(With agency inputs)
press release

The third edition of the Africa Investment Forum Market Days is fast approaching.

Taking place in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, from 2 to 4 November, the Africa Investment Forum 2022 will be Africa's largest transactional investment marketplace. It will bring together deal sponsors, deal brokers and deal makers from around the world.

This year's event will be the first face-to-face gathering since AIF2019. The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 Market Days, while the Omicron variant led to the AIF2021 being postponed to March 2022.

Despite this drawback, much work has been done leading up to the Africa Investment Forum Market Days 2022. The objective is to foster productive engagements between the public and private sectors. The Africa Investment Forum has continued to provide investors with access to a funding platform, offering bankable and de-risked projects within an enabling environment.

Under the Unified Covid-19 Response, the Africa Investment Forum's founding partners-- African Development Bank, Africa 50, Africa Finance Corporation, Afreximbank, Development Bank of Southern Africa, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Trade and Development Bank--identified 13 projects across five relevant sectors for funding consideration. These projects have a collective value of $3.68 billion, with each project helping advance Africa's self-sufficiency and resilience against future shocks.

The Africa Investment Forum's Deal Tracker mechanism has continued to monitor the conversion of investment interests into financing commitments. It has done so while accelerating the investment allocation process for deals moving towards financial closure. Ten transactions from the 2018 and 2019 Boardroom portfolios made up of deals valued at $3.1 billion had successfully reached deal closure by 2021 year-end. The African Development Bank is partly financing six of these deals, with the Bank contributing a cumulative financing of $225.7 million to close the funding gap in these deals.

The ten closed AIF transactions are the following:

Multinational African Infrastructure Investment Fund

Multinational African Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Rwanda Gabiro Agri-Business Hub Phase 1

South Africa Beef Agro-processing Project

Togo Lome New Thermal Power Plant

Ghana COCOBOD

Multinational Alitheia IDF Fund

Multinational Facility for Energy Inclusion

Multinational AfriInvest IV

Nigeria Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company Limited ("InfraCredit") .

In March 2022, the Africa Investment Forum held its Virtual Boardrooms, where 45 projects worth up to $50 billion were presented and discussed. Eight of these were women-led with a value of nearly $5 billion. The Boardrooms resulted in $32.8 billion in investment interest.

Transformative Boardroom transactions include a $79 million biomedical and pharmaceutical hub; a $348 million b biomass power plant; a $140 million oncology hospital; a $454 million fibre optic project; a $140 million film and performing arts academy; a $65 million innovative telemedicine project; a $450 million technology village; a $4.2 billion freight railway project; and a $4.5 billion East Africa refinery fuel project.

Outreach to global and local investors has continued. Since the Africa Investment Forum Boardrooms in March 2022, investor roadshows have taken place in the United States, Europe and Africa. This included a dedicated women-centred investment roundtable in partnership with the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Interest has been high, with many investors seeking to participate or committing to participate in this November's Africa Investment Forum Market Days.

Born out of Africa's need for a premier and pivotal platform for attracting domestic and foreign direct investment to the continent, the goals of the Africa Investment Forum's multi-stakeholder, multidisciplinary platform are to: advance projects to bankable stages, raise capital and accelerate the financial closure of deals.

All eyes will be on Africa Investment Forum 2022 (AIF2022), where investment interest is expected to convert many more transactions to closure.
press release

President of the African Development Bank Group Dr Akinwumi Adesina says civil society organizations are essential partners in the Bank's effort to build the continent's resilience to climate change.

Addressing the opening plenary of the 2022 Civil Society Forum on Thursday in the Ivorian economic capital, Abidjan, Adesina highlighted the African Development Fund's Climate Action Window to mobilize up to $13 billion to provide 20 million farmers with climate-smart agricultural technologies and 20 million farmers and pastoralists with weather-indexed insurance. The scheme will also revive 1 million hectares of degraded land, and provide renewable energy for about 9.5 million people.

"We will need you, civil society organizations, to strongly advocate for and support the 16th replenishment of Fund,, as it holds great promise for supporting the most vulnerable in the face of climate change devastation," the Bank chief told the forum.

The African Development Fund is the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group that supports eligible African countries in strengthening their economic capacity, reducing poverty, and spurring economic and social development. ADF-contributing countries are currently discussing its next financial replenishment.

The two-day forum was held under the theme "Engaging civil society for climate resilience and just energy transition." It fostered an open dialogue with civil society actors, allowing them to share their views and proposals ahead of the global climate summit, COP27, slated for mid-November in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.

Adesina said COP27 must help refocus attention on Africa's needs and priorities. He also commended African civil society organizations for their contribution toward strengthening the continent's resilience and adaptation to climate change.

The Bank's Vice President for Agriculture Human and Social Development, Dr. Beth Dunford, reiterated civil society's role as an essential link between the bank and African communities. "We are in it together to build climate resilience and bring about a just energy transition that enhances transparency and accountability."

Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, Dr Kevin Kariuki, projects that for Africa to meet its needs for socio-economic development, it must double its energy consumption by 2040. To help this happen, "the Bank is committed to engaging in permanent and constructive dialogue with all African climate change stakeholders, including the civil society, to deliver tangible results and ensure a successful COP27 for Egypt, and for Africa", Kariuki said.

The president of the Panafrican Farmers Organization, Kolyang Palebele, called for the integration of resilience into national development plans and challenged African governments to operationalize the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Growth and Transformation of Agriculture in Africa for Shared Prosperity. "The time is critical. We must react quickly to the shocks of climate change that are affecting the African people."

The diplomatic corps in Abidjan also aired strong support for the continent's climate change objectives.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cote d'Ivoire, Lee Sang Ryul, commended the African Development Bank's efforts to ensure accountability by working closely with civil society organizations. He reiterated his country's commitment to supporting energy projects and institutional capacity building to aid the continent's growth.

The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Cote d'Ivoire, Wael Badawi, assured the audience that civil society will be represented during COP27. "Egypt will be organizing thematic days on the margins of COP27 as panel discussions in which we seek a balanced participation from States, private sector and from civil society organizations mostly to tackle issues such as finance, new and renewable energies, water, adaptation and agriculture, biodiversity, science and scientific research, solutions, decarbonization, civil society, women and youth," he said.

The opening ceremony included a high-level conversation between Bank chief Adesina, an African Union Youth Advisory Board Member, Soumaya Zaddem, and Salif Traore, founder of Magic System Foundation and UNESCO and UNHCR ambassador.

This was followed by induction for civil society organizations and accountability sessions on Bank's civil society engagement.

The 2022 forum formed part of the bank's engagement with stakeholders leading up to COP27.

President Adesina's speech

Vice President Kariuki's speech

Photos

Amadou Mansour Diouf I Communication and External Relations Department, media@afdb.org
Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman joined with Nigerians and the Consulate General of Nigeria on October 1, 2022 to celebrate 62 years of he African nation's independence. Atlanta and Lagos have been Sister Cities since 1974.

analysis

Johannesburg  Since assuming office in January 2021, the Biden administration has appreciably walked the talk with regards to robustly re-engaging Africa. Review Bidens Africa moves over the last twenty-one months, and you will see a pattern to the resetting of relations, one step at a time!

A review of documented U.S. policies towards Africa shows that the new U.S. Strategy Toward Africa, unveiled in August , is the most comprehensive and innovative since formative years of U.S. formal diplomatic relations with then newly independent African nations from the late 1950s onwards.

The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, scheduled for December 13-15 in Washington DC, is the first major stab at implementing the ambitious strategy. The policy recalibrations proposed in the strategy implies new mechanisms in the works.

The question is: will new and innovative agendas and actors written into the strategy find expression at the December Summit? Will new actors envisaged in the strategy be on the discussion panels? What, in any case, as the new agendas and actors?

Before proffering answering to these questions, it is worthwhile attempting a scholarly framework for answering them. For, beyond the practical aspects of the strategy  the domain of policymakers and strategists  the strategy is also a treasure trove for students of Africa-U.S. relations.

Analytical framework

The concepts of inclusion and exclusion, continuity, and change, potentially provide a framework for analyses of linkages between Bidens Africa strategy and the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Looking at the agendas included in the new policy, there are lots of continuities despite the aspirational theme of change because continuity is insufficient.

Continuities equals to inclusions of past agendas!

Change can be interpreted in hitherto excluded agendas that make it to a formal U.S. policy towards Africa for the first time. Change equals new priorities! And then there are agendas that could have been included but which remain excluded. Exclusion suggests off-the-policy-agenda!

Inclusion can also be seen on who will be invited to the Summit and who will be excluded. Thus, a good analytical framework is one that combines not just agendas but also actors.

Core political and economic issues as continuity

Try using a marker to highlight broad areas of inclusion-continuity on a mega scale in the seventeen-page strategy document! It becomes apparent that straightforward political agendas will be at the core of the Summits agenda. Heads of African states and civil society activists will be on hand to debate, negotiate and ventilate on issues around democracy, human rights, and governance. Equally explicit will be political agendas.

Ministers of trade and finance, businesses executives and officials of international financial institutions will likely meet to hammer out deals. Thus, for the big political and economic themes, change is wrapped in continuity at the meta and micro levels. It is as the level of tactics.

For instance, in the economic sphere the strategy promises to work with the Congress on the future of AGOA  [and] support the AfCFTAs implementation. On the political front the seeming change of expand digital democracy programming, defend against digital authoritarianism, fightback against disinformation, is a veritable continuation of democratic agendas in a tech-savvy world. Ditto other changes within continuities.

What could constitute areas of change or novel inclusions are agendas that have been excluded in the past policymaking agendas. Among the newly included issues, cities stand out as innovations in the new strategy.

Cities as areas of change and inclusion

The White House President Biden addressing the African Union Summit by video in 2021.

A good starting point to understanding newly included issues, which constitute change, is to look at the Obama strategy towards Africa of 2012. In the strategy, cities specifically and urban issues broadly did not feature at all. Likewise, and perhaps consequently, at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit of 2014, city or urban agendas were conspicuous for their absence on the program of events.

In a "rebalance toward urban hubs the new strategy acknowledges the reality of Africa-U.S. city relations and corrects the anomaly of muted, unstructured, and informal engagements at local government and community levels. In other words, national or central government levels will now be blended with municipal-level level engagements, not as an add-on but as a policy imperative. The concept and practice of cities as international actors is about to get a shot in the arm!

There are lots of opportunities to build on. The U.S. has had a long arc of city-to-city engagements with African counterparts. A good is example is the Sister Cities International, launched by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Ongoing research by this author shows that there are at least 165 Africa-U.S. sister city partnerships. These range from the earliest - Los Angeles and Lusaka (established 1968) and Dayton and Monrovia (1972), as well as more recent ones - Praia and Boston and Maryland and Kwa Zulu Natal (Durban), both launched in 2015.

Research by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in 2020 revealed multiple linkages between U.S. cities and Africa: Quad Cities and Greater Miami and their potential for agricultural and health/medical partnerships respectively; Providence, Rhode Island, and its deep diasporic connections; investments flowing from St. Louis, Missouri-based companies such as Anheuser-Busch InBev (beverages), Bayer and Pfizer (pharmaceuticals) and Boeing (aviation) to African countries; Birmingham, Alabama companies including B.L. International (diplomatic services),Altec (electronics), and Biocryst (pharmaceuticals), with their contractual work in Africa.

The big businesses in the city-based economic relations include the San Francisco Bay Area tech companies, the Ford Motor Company (Detroit) and Coca Cola (Atlanta) stitching together connections with places such as greater Johannesburg, Lagos, and Nairobi.

Navigating competing agendas and actors

Thus, the proposal to work with municipal governments; conduct joint analysis  and establish time-bound municipal compactsis founded in grounded reality. If the Summit keeps faith with the strategy, it can be expected that a session dedicated to cities will be convened. But here is the catch.

City actors have multiplied a great deal over the last couple of years as cities have garnered great purchase as interlocutors in international affairs. City related issued have also diversified: health, environment, security, housing, migration, digital technologies (e.g., smart cities) and others. Just which agenda will be placed on the Summit program? Will the organizers favour state actors such as mayors or include non-state actors such as advocates? What will happen in situations where city leaders are political foes with national leaderships such that invitation of one actor irks the other?

Indeed, some of these issues are subject of an ongoing project by the African Centre for the Study of the United States at Wits University. This includes collaboration with the Washington DC-based Charter Cities Institute exploring the emergence of purpose-built cities and a forthcoming Africa-US cities conference in Sister Cities International and other partners.

The author is Deputy director at the African Centre for the Study of the United States: bob.wekesa@wits.ac.za.

RELATED from the African Centre at Wits

U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit - First Test for New U.S. Strategy

The Need for an African Policy Framework Towards the US

The Battle to Re-Engage with Africa - Anthony Blinken's Visit

UPCOMING EVENT

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Zanzibar on Track to Eliminate Malaria By 2027 - Govt

Zanzibar is fully committed to working with development partners to make the island malaria-free by 2027, Health Minister Nassor Ahmed Mazrui has said. Mazrui said the Isle has made tremendous and admirable achievements in its fight against the disease. He noted that the goal is intended to contain the problem in all parts of Tanzania, so that citizens and visitors need not worry about contracting it.

Salum Slim, director of preventive services in the health ministry, commended the launch of the U.S.$27 million Tanzania Malaria Case Management (TMCM) project for Zanzibar and the mainland Tanzania.

When the project started in 2005 the malaria prevalence rate was at 31% but has been reduced to 0.1% currently.
Kenya's Ruto In Talks With Museveni After Son's Twitter Threats

Kenyan President William Ruto has held talks with Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni. The meeting comes within days of Museveni's son Lieutenant-General Muhoozi Kainerugaba's controversial Twitter posts, in which he claimed that he and the Ugandan army would seize control of Kenya's capital Nairobi in less than two weeks - sparking outrage from Kenyans.

Ruto was in Uganda to attend the country's 60th Independence Day celebrations. In his meeting with Museveni, Ruto assured that Kenyan and Ugandan ties are intact. He said the two countries will remain friends, to improve the East African Community's (EAC) fortunes.

Ruto challenged his counterpart to take charge of those efforts and set out first to eliminate the region's border issues. He said that the border challenges had affected the region's untapped growth.

President Museveni pleaded with Kenyans to forgive the Twitter rant by his son Muhoozi - in which he questioned why former President Uhuru Kenyatta failed to contest for a third term after his two-year term expired, arguing that Kenyatta would have easily won the country's top seat if he had chosen to run.
Southern Africa Wrestles With Migration

Migration from Zimbabwe to South Africa, and between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, offers a unique look at the repercussions of borders that are too porous, the consequences of shutting them entirely and the uncertainty of living in between, reports Global Press Journal in a series of articles on the issue.

Of the millions of Zimbabweans who have left for South Africa and other neighboring countries since 2000, an unknown number have vanished: buried as unidentified bodies or silenced by illness, injury, detention, trafficking, economic insecurity or communication challenges, reports Linda Mujuru from Harare.

Between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the traffic is two-way: many people travel to Mozambique to buy cheaper basic commodities, such as rice, fuel and cooking oil. Those from Mozambique cross over to buy commodities sold at cheaper prices in Zimbabwe or to seek services in hospitals and schools.

In South Africa, a tightening-up of immigration policies threatens to return Zimbabweans living in the country on an exemption permit to a country that's grappling with the same issues that pushed them out in the first place, reports Gamuchirai Masiyiwa.

Global Press Journal is a service that publishes news and features written by local women journalists in 13 countries around the world.
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Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.
16:40 | Lima, Oct. 10.

Remarks were made during the meeting he held with newly elected mayors of Lima and Callao at the Government Palace.

The Head of State began his speech by welcoming said mayors, noting that they are the living expression of the people who have placed their trust in them through their votes.

"We cannot return peoples' support if we do not come together and make citizens understand that the three levels of government have to move in the same direction," he said in his speech.

Moreover, the dignitary highlighted the importance for them as authorities to agree to solve major problems such as citizen insecurity and transportation.

Furthermore, the top official affirmed that his Government will keep the doors open for them and he will ensure that ministries are willing and required to address these major problems afflicting the community.





The President also called on the newly elected authorities to carry out works transparently, "making citizens feel that a mayor is not a political ally, but a neighbor who wants to do things right."





Likewise, he asked them to end the scourge of corruption together, in order not to repeat history and to focus on issues such as education and health.





"Let's schedule these important issues to provide an answer to those who have put their trust in you. Let's set up a work group," Mr. Castillo suggested.
The Cabinet chief explained that the Government has not talked about canceling the licenses of the aforementioned mining project located in Moquegua region.

"Private investment in Peru is fully guaranteed, as long as companies meet contractual obligations, do not affect the environment, respect workers' rights, and pay their taxes," Mr. Torres said in a Twitter post on Sunday.

El gobierno no ha hablado de cancelar licencias a Quellaveco. En el Peru la inversion privada esta plenamente garantizada, con tal que cumpla con sus obligaciones contractuales, no afecte el medio ambiente, respete los derechos de los trabajadores y pague sus impuestos.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Defense is denying the Azerbaijani accusations on opening fire on October 9. The Defense Ministry said the Azerbaijani statement is a disinformation.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has again spread disinformation, claiming that in the evening of October 9 the Armenian Armed Forces opened small arms fire at Azerbaijani military positions deployed in the eastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable, no significant incidents took place, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs of Armenia Taguhi Tovmasyan (opposition Pativ Unem caucus) says she believes that there is still resource to force Azerbaijan to continue the talks over Artsakh within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, and Azerbaijan not being inclined to work with Armenia in this matter is of little importance.

When asked about the possibility of direct talks between Stepanakert and Baku, Tovmasyan said she cant imagine how that would work.

We cant leave the people of Artsakh to the whim of luck, what would they negotiate with Azerbaijan, with what resources would they negotiate? If we are saying that Artsakh is an unrecognized republic, how do we imagine their status in relations with international partners? Thus, first of all, it is necessary to recognize Artsakh, it must have a legal status in order to be able to sit around the negotiations table. I believe that Armenia is obliged to represent the interests of Artsakh, to [support] Artsakh, Tovmasyan said at a press briefing.

Tovmasyan also spoke about the Armenian foreign ministrys statement which said that the human rights and security issue of Nagorno Karabakh is of crucial importance for Armenia, and that this is being voiced at all meetings, including with international partners, however Azerbaijan is not inclined to discuss this matter with Armenia.

The MP said that they must remind that the OSCE Minsk Group  launched to deal with the settlement of the Artsakh conflict  still exists.

This group still exists, de-jure. We must activate it, ask and beg for that groups existence to again become de-facto, and expect activity from them, explain to them that their non-existence could lead to the loss of life of 120-130 thousand people. If human values and rights have any meaning for them they ought to continue implementing their commitment. And Azerbaijan not being inclined has little importance in this case because before that Azerbaijan was again not inclined to go for reasonable solutions in any issue, but nevertheless the work was continuing in the Minsk Group. And we have the resources to force the resumption of the work within the framework of this group, Tovmasyan said.

She added that it is unequivocal that Artsakh has no future as part of Azerbaijan and imagining it as part of Azerbaijan would mean genocide for the Armenians, no Armenian of Artsakh can live safely, with protected rights as part of Azerbaijan.

Tovmasyan said the entire world must realize that if the self-determination in the case of Kosovo was understandable for the world, then why shouldnt Artsakhs self-determination be understandable?
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. The EU civilian mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border will contribute to stabilization and will be an additional suppressive factor against any possible new Azerbaijani aggression, Member of Parliament from the ruling Civil Contract caucus Vahagn Alexanyan said at a press briefing.

Our position is unequivocal and clear, Azerbaijan must withdraw from our territories because the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia is not subject for bargain under any condition. That mission [EU], in our opinion, will definitely contribute to stabilization and will be an additional suppressive factor against a possible Azerbaijani aggression, Alexanyan said.

The concrete timeframes of the EU missions arrival are still under discussion, Civil Contract MP Hripsime Grigoryan added.

But the statement mentioned October. We expect it by the end of the month, she said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Its not clear with what mechanisms the possible direct discussions between Stepanakert and Baku could take place and discussions on this matter with international partners are ongoing, Civil Contract Member of Parliament Artur Hovhannisyan said at a press briefing.

No one has final information on the mechanisms at this moment. They are subject to discussion. Discussions on this matter are still proceeding with international partners. But naturally its about maximally effective mechanisms in order for that dialogue to be realized as much as possible, and that wed be able to make a step forward in this regard and ensure the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh on their land, Hovhannisyan said.

When asked whether it could take place within the OSCE Minsk Group or a new format, the lawmaker said they are engaged in maximally flexible policy and neither are ruled out.

Earlier the Armenian foreign ministry said that the international partners also share the opinion that the issues of security and protection of all rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are subject to clarification, and in this regard the discussions between Stepanakert and Baku through international tangible mechanisms are important.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Stanislav Zas met with Kazakhstans Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi and Security Council Secretary Gizat Nurdauletov, CSTO Secretariat said in a statement.

The meetings focused on the preparations of upcoming sessions of the Organizations statutory bodies, which are scheduled to be held in Armenia in November, the statement says.

The sides also discussed the situation in the CSTO responsibility zone, particularly focusing on the situation in the Central Asia region.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin expressed support to Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyans proposal to discuss regional security issues in a parliamentary format involving Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

During the meeting with Simonyan in Moscow, Chairman Volodin also addressed the state of the Russian language in Armenia. He highlighted the issue of opening Russian language schools in Armenia.

Volodin also offered the Armenian delegation to expand the agenda during their visit to Moscow. The Members of Parliament will meet with leaders of all State Duma factions and committees to develop the items of future work. These meetings must result in concrete proposals for inter-parliamentary partnership between the State Duma and the Armenian National Assembly, the State Dumas press service said.

Volodin and Simonyan agreed to hold another meeting on October 11.
YEREVAN, 10 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 10 October, USD exchange rate down by 0.26 drams to 404.30 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 4.38 drams to 391.89 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.08 drams to 6.51 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 6.07 drams to 446.71 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 248.96 drams to 22047.48 drams. Silver price up by 0.94 drams to 268.10 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister highly appreciated the efforts of the American side aimed at eliminating the consequences of the aggression unleashed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 13-14 and highlighted the consistent steps in that direction. The parties emphasized the necessity of the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and the unconditional maintenance of the ceasefire regime.

The interlocutors referred to the results of the quadrilateral meeting of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of France, the President of the European Council and the President of Azerbaijan held in Prague on October 6. The development of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the UN Charter and the 1991 declaration of Alma-Ata, as well as the implementation of border demarcation works and ensuring the activities of the EU civil mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border were highlighted.

The sides referred to the security and protection of rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, the creation of an international mechanism for discussions between Stepanakert and Baku, and the return of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan.

The Prime Minister also shared his impressions of the meeting with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Antony Blinken expressed the US readiness to continue to contribute to the negotiation process and peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. On October 10, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received Isabelle Dumont, adviser to the French President, and Brice Roquefeuil, the French Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issues of the regional and international agenda were discussed during the meeting, issues related to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty, the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem were touched upon.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the quadrilateral meeting in Prague on October 6.

The need for the immediate withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, the repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war, as well as the importance of introducing international mechanisms for monitoring and supervising the border situation was emphasized. In this context, issues related to the agreement reached on the EU civilian mission and the work of the mission were discussed.

Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the firm position of the French side regarding the recent aggression of Azerbaijan and the efforts made by France to establish stability and security in the South Caucasus.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. On December 12-13, 2022, the 4th Global Forum "Against the Crime of Genocide" will be held in Yerevan under the title "Prevention of Genocide in the Era of New Technologies", ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

"The forum will be dedicated to the issue of genocide prevention in the age of new technologies. It will address the challenges, opportunities and prospects of using new technologies in the prevention of genocide," the message reads.
The Armenian Ministry of Defense is denying the Azerbaijani accusations on opening fire on October 9.

October 10, 2022, 11:55 Armenian defense ministry denies Azerbaijans false accusations on opening fire

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 10, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Defense Ministry said the Azerbaijani statement is a disinformation.

"Azerbaijan's MOD again disseminated disinformation, claiming that on Sunday evening Armenian Armed Forces units opened firefrom firearmstoward Azerbaijani combat positions located in the eastern part of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable, no significant incidents took place, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said.
The fake drugs the pair were caught with at Heathrow Airport (National Crime Agency/Twitter)

A man and woman have been jailed for trying to smuggle cocaine with a street value of 1.75 million in holdalls into the UK via Heathrow Airport.

Michael Williams, 37, and Jessica Waldron, 36, planned to hand over the 22kg haul during a rendezvous near Terminal 2 after arriving from Colombia on December 14 2019.

Unbeknown to them, Colombian authorities had intercepted the drugs, replaced them with wooden blocks before the plane took off and alerted the UKs National Crime Agency.

The pair were arrested after being seen entering the airport toilets with two bags and leaving without them after stepping off their flight from Bogota, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

The defendants were two couriers who were recruited into and played their part in a criminal enterprise to import 22 kilograms of cocaine into the United Kingdom from Colombia. That would have had a street value of about 1.75 million

Prosecutor John Ojakovoh

Parts of the planned handover had been organised through the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat, on which they were instructed to dress in specific clothing and pose as a couple by holding hands on arrival for identification purposes.

Phones belonging to Waldron were seized after she was detained, with one containing a message from November 9 reading: Hey Jess, its D, got something real nice for you and Mike.

She replied: Ok.

Waldron and Williams both pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug two days after their arrest.

Prosecutor John Ojakovoh said: The defendants were two couriers who were recruited into and played their part in a criminal enterprise to import 22 kilograms of cocaine into the United Kingdom from Colombia.

That would have had a street value of about 1.75 million.

Detailing the attempted handover, he said: There was a rendezvous. They followed (a third person) to the toilet area, having deviated from what had been the natural route for arrivals, and then they were seen going in with holdalls containing the blocks.

Story continues

It is my submission that the defendants - both of them - were acting under the direction of others, who would only have told them as much as they needed to know to carry out their specific role, because to give them any further information would have effectively been redundant

Tom Blackburn, defending

They came out without the holdalls.

The prosecutor said Waldron acted as the lead courier, liaising with the Colombian side of the operation and others in the chain of command.

Jessica Waldron and Michael Williams had arrived in a prepared way wearing clothes they had been photographed in for identification purposes and held hands as if they were a couple  as they were instructed to do via an EncroChat message they received as they arrived, Mr Ojakovoh said.

Tom Blackburn, representing the defendants, said they had a smaller role in the wider enterprise and were following orders from more senior players.

You must have had some awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation you were involved in. You did this with the expectation of financial advantage

Recorder Christopher Stone

It is my submission that the defendants  both of them  were acting under the direction of others, who would only have told them as much as they needed to know to carry out their specific role, because to give them any further information would have effectively been redundant, he said.

Mr Blackburn said Waldron and Williams were class A drug users at the time of the offence and motivated in part by a desire to fund their addictions.

They have since kicked their habits and made efforts to reform themselves while in prison, he said.

Waldron was supported in court by four family members, including her mother and brother, as she sat in the dock alongside Williams at a sentencing hearing on Monday.

They all attend with their love and support for Ms Waldron, Mr Blackburn said.

Waldron and Williams, both of Holly Hall, Dudley, were each sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment.

Passing sentence, Recorder Christopher Stone said he had taken into account the significant quantity of drugs concerned but said both defendants appear to have changed for the better while behind bars.

You must have had some awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation you were involved in, he said.

You did this with the expectation of financial advantage.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed that one or several countries send "a rapid action force" to help Haiti's police remove a threat posed by armed gangs, according to a letter to the UN Security Council, seen by Reuters on Sunday.

Guterres is not suggesting the force be deployed by the United Nations. He said the 15-member Security Council should simply welcome such a force and notes he might boost UN capacity to support a ceasefire or humanitarian arrangements and ensure co-ordination of efforts with an international force.

Haiti last week said it would ask for a "specialised armed force" to help combat crisis caused by a blockade of its main fuel port by a coalition of gangs that has crippled transport and forced businesses and hospitals to halt operations.

The blockade has also led to a shortage of bottled water, just as the country confirmed a new outbreak of cholera, the spread of which is controlled through hygiene and clean water.

The United States said on Saturday it was reviewing Haiti's request.

Guterres said a rapid action force "would, in particular, support the HNP (Haitian National Police) primarily in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in securing the free movement of water, fuel, food and medical supplies from main ports and airports to communities and health care facilities".

Guterres said one country would need to lead the rapid action force and the force would be phased out as the HNP restored general security and freedom of movement.

Guterres said the deployment of a multinational police task force or multinational special force could then be considered to help Haiti in the medium term. He was not suggesting such a force would be a UN deployment.

The Security Council had asked Guterres in July to consult with Haiti, relevant countries and regional groups on "possible options for enhanced security support" for HNP efforts to combat high levels of gang violence" and report back by October 15.

The council has also threatened targeted sanctions against criminal gangs and human rights abusers in Haiti and called on countries to stop a flow of guns to the country.

UN peacekeepers were deployed to Haiti in 2004 after a rebellion led to the ouster and exile of then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Peacekeeping troops left in 2017 and were replacing by UN police, who left in 2019.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Honda Motor announced today its monthly China sales reached 101,069 units in Sept. 2022, dropping 16.8% from a year earlier, while also tumbling 25.97% from the previous month.

As for the sales of the two joint ventures, GAC Honda saw its Sept. sales edge down 0.71% over a year ago to 60,851 units, while Dongfeng Honda posted a two-digit year-on-year drop of 33.15% by selling 40,218 vehicles last month.

For the first nine months of 2022, Honda Motor sold 1,050,383 vehicles across China, reflecting a 5.2% decrease over the year-ago period, versus the 3.8% year-on-year decline in the Jan.-Aug. sales.

The year-to-date sales of vehicles armed with the hybrid powertrain system "Sport Hybrid" added up to 154,966 units, sliding 8.64% compared to the same span of 2021.

With 549,030 vehicles sold in total, GAC Honda clocked a 1.6% growth over a year ago in its Jan.-Sept. sales. Nevertheless, a year-on-year dip of 11.64% confronted Dongfeng Honda's year-to-date sales, which stood at 501,353 units.

Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. signed an agreement with its two Chinese partners, namely Dongfeng Motor and GAC Group, on August 31 to build a joint venture dedicated to power battery procurement at the end of September this year.

Named HDG (Beijing) Trading Service Co., Ltd. ("HDG"), the soon-to-be-launched joint venture will be registered in Beijing. Honda China, Dongfeng Motor, and GAC Group will invest in the joint venture at a ratio of 50:25:25.

Meanwhile, Honda China also inked an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with CATL to deepen their strategic cooperation, in a bid to build a long-term stable power battery supply-demand mechanism.

Currently, GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda purchase EV batteries from CATL separately. In the future, the battery procurement of both joint ventures will be managed by HDG.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Ford Motor sold more than 133,000 vehicles in China in the third quarter of 2022, representing an 11.3% year-on-year decrease, but reflecting an 11.7% growth compared to the previous quarter, the automaker announced today.

Lincoln brand achieved its highest-ever third-quarter sales results in China with 23,827 vehicles sold, flat year-on-year and up 31% quarter-over-quarter.

Photo credit: Ford China

Of the Lincoln-branded vehicles sold in China in 2022's third quarter, locally-produced SUVs accounted for 17,700 units, a 24% growth from the second quarter.

Zephyr, Lincoln's first made-in-China flagship sedan, sold roughly 5,500 units in the Jul.-Sept. period, up 54% quarter-over-quarter.

Ford-branded passenger vehicle sales amounted to 54,394 units in the third quarter, down 12% over a year earlier, but up 23% over the previous quarter. Thanks to a solid rebound in SUV demands, the third-quarter sales of Ford-branded SUVs jumped 26.6% quarter over quarter to 32,712 units.

The commercial vehicle sales of Ford and Jiangling brands totaled 47,423 units in the third quarter, remaining flat over the second quarter.

Ford brand's electric vehicle sales exceeded 1,400 units in the third quarter in China.

The year-to-date sales of the Mustang Mach-E exceeded 5,000 units following its initial delivery to customers in December 2021.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- BAIC Groups premium electric vehicle brand ARCFOX delivered 200 fifth-generation ride-sharing driverless Apollo Moon vehicles to Chinas autonomous driving player, Baidu Apollo.

ARCFOX Apollo Moon; photo credit: Baidu

In June 2021, Baidu partnered with ARCFOX to jointly release Apollo Moon. The vehicles have been approved for fully autonomous unmanned commercial operation in Chongqing and Wuhan in August 2022.

The autonomous vehicle model is built on top of ARCFOXs T, offering fully redundant sensors and computing units. It features comprehensive failure detection and downgrading mechanism, 5G Remote Driving solution, and V2X functions.

The ARCFOX Apollo Moon is Baidu Apollo's first fifth-generation ride-sharing driverless model to be launched, mass produced, and put into operation. By virtue of ARCOFXs chassis control ability and highly intelligent IMC platform architecture, the model holds a highly intelligent electronic and electrical architecture, upgradable cloud services, as well as high-performance and safe battery, electric motor, and electrical control capabilities. The IMC platform is compatible with multi-vehicle planning and product definitions, and can be installed with various key technologies and key systems.
Italian luxury menswear brand Stefano Ricci  one of the most expensive brands in Europe  will be holding a fashion show to celebrate its 50th anniversary in the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor on 9 October.

The celebration, which will last for several days, includes two concerts  one in Luxor Temple on the eastern bank and the other one in Habu Temple on the western bank.

The celebration It was supposed to be held in March, however, it was postponed to October due to the war in Ukraine out of respect for the conditions and the feelings of the people involved in the war.

CEO of Egypts Tourism Promotion Board Amr Al-Kady told Daily News Egypt earlier in an interview that the Pharaohs Golden Parade and the Luxor Sphinx Avenue reopening had a very positive impact on tourism in Egypt, as they established two essential things  that Egypt is a safe country, and that the state has a great ability to organise major events, as the two events witnessed much praise from the international community.

Also, since then, we have received many requests to organise different events in Egypts archaeological locales and museums, he added.
Update: 10-10-2022 | 13:39:45

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh attended the 6th meeting of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission hosted by Singapore on October 8.

This was the first in-person meeting of the CPTPP Commission since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020

This was the first in-person meeting of the CPTPP Commission since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020.

In his opening remarks, Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said after the three-year implementation, the agreement has already started to deliver trade benefits to member states.

He referred to a study that found trade in goods among CPTPP members increased by about 15%, from 467 billion USD in 2019 to 535 billion USD in 2021.

Participants expressed their delight at Malaysia's ratification of the deal which will come into force with the Southeast Asian country on November 29, 2022 .

They also welcomed the adoption of the Guidelines for Mutual Recognition Agreements or Arrangements for Professional Services under the Professional Services Working Group.

These guidelines provide practical guidance for governments, relevant bodies or authorities or other entities entering into mutual recognition negotiations for regulated professional services.

Demonstrating their commitment to advance the CPTPP, the member states continued to explore new and emerging areas of cooperation in the digital economy and green economy.

They welcomed the progress of the ongoing discussions for the UKs accession process and resolve to ensure that the high standards of the CPTPP are upheld throughout this process.

We acknowledge all efforts made thus far to ensure the UKs compliance with all the obligations of the Agreement and look forward to further progress on the accession process with the commitment of both the CPTPP membership and the UK, according to the joint statement of the meeting.

Launched in December 2018, the CPTPP was signed by 11 countries, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The free trade area accounts for an estimated 13% of the global GDP./.

VNA
Choosing a career path can be difficult and with unlimited occupational options, it is helpful to receive a little guidance along the way. With that premise in mind, the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA), under the direction of Education Director, Sophia Lentfer announces a new Pork Ambassador Program. The Pork Ambassador Program is a career development program that will provide a variety of firsthand experiences to promote career development.

NPPA is seeking college-age students to be a part of the Pork Ambassador Program. If students are connected to agriculture and believe in the future of the pork industry, they are encouraged to apply. Eligible applicants must be between 18-23 years of age, be enrolled full-time in a Nebraska post-secondary school. The yearlong program will run from Jan. 1, 2023 to Jan. 1, 2024. During that time students will attend seminars where they will learn about the various and varied career opportunities of the pork and agriculture industries. Applicants do not have to be a pork producer to apply.

As a Pork Ambassador you will job shadow pork industry professionals, promote agriculture, and the pork industry, improve your leadership, team building, and communications skills. You will travel to the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, IA, the Nebraska Pork Expo, and other exciting industry tours, and group events. Upon successfully completing the program, students will receive a $500 scholarship toward their education expenses. Students will not be responsible for any expenses to participate in the program.

Interested students should complete the application on www.nepork.org and submit an up-to-date resume by Nov. 1. Applications will be reviewed, and selection notifications will be sent by Nov. 15.
Crowds gathered in rural Gage County this weekend to celebrate the area's history.

The Annual Harvest Festival was held at the Elijah Filley Stone Barn on Saturday.

The event included harvest demonstrations with antique farm equipment, blacksmithing, wagon rides, and crafts.

Kent Wilson has been a part of the Harvest Festival at the Filley Stone Barn for over 30 years.

I grew up near Graff, which is close to Tecumseh and moved to Beatrice to do my student teaching," he said. "I taught at the Beatrice Middle School for six years.

I started out as a volunteer for the barn and then became the director of the Gage County Historical Society. I worked there for 15 years and then I went back to being a volunteer again. Ive always loved the barn and volunteered here before it was renovated.

Wilson said the Filley Stone Barn was unique to Nebraska. He said there werent that many stone barns built in this area.

Also on display was the 1941 Ford pickup truck owned by Kent and Nancy Wilson.

Wilson said he bought the truck from Don Fitzwater, who had been an active volunteer at the Filley Stone Barn and had written the grant for the renovation.

He told me it had been driven by a couple of little old ladies, said Wilson.

The truck was originally a special order and owned by Anna and Marie Meints of rural Pickrell. The sisters farmed 80 acres and had cattle. Wilson said people remember the Meints sisters driving the 3  miles into Pickrell to haul grain and have it ground for chickens. They had used it to fix fence and do other farm chores.

They also owned an automobile that they would have driven to church and social events.

The truck had been in my barn for 39 years, but I got it all fixed up, Wilson said.

Wilson has recorded the history of the trucks engine and also what he had done to refurbish it. It has just over 42,000 miles.

I grew up in a family that always enjoyed history," Wilson said. My grandfather, who I knew well and lived to be 99 years old, built the third automobile driven on the streets of Lincoln. It was recently transferred to the State Historical Society. He was a mechanical genius. It was a 1901 Cecil which was named after him. Ruben Cecil was his name and he was a fascinating man."

Wilson said that his wife, Nancy, had helped at the Filley Stone Barn for as many years as he had been involved also.
Actor Wes Studi is inaugural recipient of the Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage. (Courtesy of the Chief Standing Bear Project)

LINCOLN  An actor known for bringing fully developed Native American characters to the big screen, in movies ranging from Dances with Wolves to Avatar, is the inaugural recipient of the Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage.

Wes Studi will receive the award Monday night at a sold-out banquet at Lincolns Lied Center to celebrate the award and Indigenous Peoples Day.

The Standing Bear Prize for Courage was created to honor those Native Americans who exemplify courage in the spirit of Standing Bear, according to Katie Brossy, board president of the Chief Standing Bear Project.

That, Brossy said, means doing what is right, rather than what is expedient.

During his lifetime, not only through his acting roles, but in his dedication and passionate activism in the promotion and preservation of indigenous languages, Mr. Studi has shown great courage in the spirit of Chief Standing Bear, Brossy said in a press release.

One of Studis first role, she noted, was in the 1988 PBS production of The Trial of Standing Bear.

Early in his life, Studi was an activist, joining in protests organized by the American Indian Movement.

Speaks Cherokee

An Oklahoma native who still speaks his native Cherokee language, Studi began his acting career in 1984 with a role in Black Elk Speaks, which is based on interviews the Lakota medicine man gave to author/poet John Neihardt.

He has appeared in several movies since, including The Last of the Mohicans, Geronimo: An American Legend, Being Flynn and Scott Coopers Hostiles.

In 2020, the Nebraska Legislature voted to designate the second Monday in October as both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day.

The bill was introduced by State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln.

The Chief Standing Bear Project Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, was founded in 2022 to promote the life and civil rights legacy of Ponca Chief Standing Bear.

I am a Man

Standing Bear won the landmark federal court decision in 1879 that recognized Native Americans as persons within the meaning of the law.

He famously told the judge that if he cut his hand, he would feel pain and his blood would be the same color as the judges. I am a man, Standing Bear told him.
The golden eagle soared high above the Gallatin National Forest, its seven-foot wingspan blocking the sun, casting a shadow on the mountains below. As it glided along ridgelines towards Bridger Bowl Ski Area, a waypoint on its annual migration path over the weekend, the crowd gathered below watched in wordless wonder.

The largest golden eagle migration in the United States passes through the Gallatin National Forest each year in September and October. To commemorate this event, Bridger Bowl Ski Area held its annual Raptor Festival over the weekend, aiming to educate the public about birds of prey, and specifically the iconic golden eagle.

The number of eagles counted is reported to the Hawk Migration Association of North America's Raptor Migration Database, where a tally of the flight numbers has been kept since 1992.

While golden eagles inhabit Montana year-round, the state also serves as a portion of the "eagle highway." A significant portion of the golden eagle population migrating south through Montana comes from Alaska and spends the winter in Mexico.

Golden eagles are the largest hunting birds in North America. Their wingspan often exceeds seven feet, and they can approach 200 mph when diving. Juvenile bald eagles are often mistaken for Golden Eagles, as they have not yet developed their characteristic white head.

During the festival, teams were perched on platforms to count the golden eagles as well as other raptors as they flew overhead. This past weekend, 47 golden eagles were spotted.

Highlighted by presentations and exhibitions from ZooMontana and various Montana conservation organizations, authors and groups, Raptor Fest draws people wanting to learn more about Montanas avian population.

Other species of birds highlighted at the event were bald eagles, great horned owls, turkey vultures and American kestrels.

Two birds highlighted were Gabel the great horned owl, and Lurch the turkey vulture.

Gabel was brought to ZooMontana in 2008, after a collision with an automobile caused him to have his wing amputated. Following his entry into the Zoo, his right eye had to be amputated due to a slipped lens, a condition where he could not focus light to produce a clear image. However, today he serves as an educational ambassador.

Lurch the cuddly turkey vulture has been at ZooMontana since 1997. He has become too comfortable around humans and would not survive in the wild.

The Bridger Bowl area was first documented as a major viewing area for the migration in the early 1980s. With growing public interest in viewing the migration, the first Raptor Festival was held in 1996. Since then, the festival has grown to attract over 4,000 people with hundreds making the hike up to the viewing platform.

The highest number of golden eagles spotted in one single day was 596 individuals on Oct. 17, 1997.

Its a cool way for the community to come together to celebrate a migration, said Katie Lynch, assistant director of marketing at Bridger Bowl.
Enrollment numbers at Montana State University Billings are slightly down from last fall, but the university saw progress in several their target demographics.

The university announced Monday that 4,057 total students enrolled with 2,322 at its main campus and 1,735 at City College. Last fall, 4,112 students were tallied with 2,375 at the main campus and 1,737 at City College.

Where the university experienced growth was in its freshmen class, ethnic student populations and military-affiliated students. First-time freshmen enrollment increased 4% from last year while nontraditional freshmen enrollment increased 14% from a year ago. Nontraditional students are classified as having been out of high school for three or more years.

Compared to fall 2021, Hispanic student enrollment increased 9% from 208 to 231 and Native American student enrollment increased 1.3% from 319 to 323. Military-affiliated student enrollment was reported to have jumped by almost 10%.

MSUB Chancellor Stefani Hicswa said these figures reflect recent pushes by the university to recruit and retain students from these demographics.

We have intentionally increased our recruitment efforts to better serve students from a wider range of backgrounds, she said in a press release. MSUB offers a robust and diverse range of in-demand programs, and it is apparent that our students recognize the industry demand to fill workforce needs in many of these areas.

Efforts over the past year include a new online platform streamlining communication between students, faculty, staff, and advisors and a new scholarship program from the Montana University System known as the Montana 10 program that provides a community of support staff for scholars throughout their time in college. The program is open to any first-time freshmen from Montana eligible for the Federal Pell Grant who plans to attend college full-time. There are currently 77 scholars enrolled at the university campus and 31 enrolled at City College.

MSUB also recently joined the Interstate Passport Network, a national program that enables students to transfer a block of their lower-division general education courses from one institution to another. Students who complete MSUBs passport block with a minimum grade of C in each course wont have to repeat or take additional courses at their new school. MSUB is the third higher education institution in Montana to join the network after Miles Community College and Salish Kootenai College.

The Montana University System also reported slight increases in dual-enrollment high school students in School District 2 and enrollees aged between 25 and 49. Students taking an online or Hyflex class (a class with the option to attend either in-person or online) increased by 2.2%, the highest level of participation in the universitys history.

As far as overall enrollment is concerned, the dip from last fall still tops 2020s total  the universitys lowest over the past twelve years at 4,000  but continues the trend of a gradual decline in enrollment. Hoping to end this decline, MSUB last year developed a dedicated council focusing on student retention and graduation. The council will set incremental retention and graduation rates both from spring-to-fall and fall-to-fall semesters over the next five years.

We found this to be the most important time to make an intervention, MSUB Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Sep Eskandari said. If a student decides to stay with their university after the first year, their chances are much higher to earn their degree.

Early results of this initiative showed a 3.6 percent increase in the fall 2021 to fall 2022 retention rate for first-time freshmen and transfer students, which Eskandari said significantly exceeded their first-year goal of 54.7% retention. The councils ultimate goals by the fifth year are a fall-to-spring student retention rate of 90% and a fall-to-fall rate of 70%.

Following this strong start, Eskandari said they will continue their current initiatives while also continuing to monitor student needs and possibly introducing additional new programs in the coming years to meet these goals.

We always try to respond to industry demands for our students, he said. Well start new programs as the data demands and review our older programs to best meet the students needs.

Additional metrics from MSUBs 2022 fall enrollment data include:

 Health and Human Performance 3+2 program (includes a combined bachelors and masters program) enrollment increased 94%.

 Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Nursing program enrollment increased 37%.

 Master of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program enrollment increased 25%.

 Master of School Counseling program enrollment increased 22%.

 Bachelor of Business Administration  Finance Option enrollment increased 39.5%.

 Computer technology associate programs saw an enrollment increase of 23%.

 Fire science associate program enrollment increased 50%.

 The Associate in Nursing enrollment increased by 14%.
A fired assistant Morton County States Attorney seeking to unseat her former boss in the November election has filed a grievance with the county alleging her termination was based on gender discrimination and asking for her job back.

Gabrielle Goter also is seeking an independent review of the process and procedures followed in the investigation to determine violations of Morton County policy on conflicts of interest and code of conduct, according to the document filed with the county Human Resources department.

County Human Resource Officer Wendy Bent in a statement to the Tribune said the investigation "was thorough, comprehensive, and, we believe, fair to Gabrielle Goter," and that "we are confident Ms. Goter's appeal will be denied and her termination upheld."

Goter was fired Sept. 12 by Morton County States Attorney Allen Koppy. The move followed an investigation and report by a Minnesota law firm that concluded Goter had not treated people well within the work environment and was consistently described as a workplace bully by witnesses.

An employee filed a complaint against Goter on June 7. Koppy placed Goter on administrative leave June 27 at the direction of the Morton County Human Resources Department, though she still continued to handle cases.

Goter in her grievance said Koppy, who is her political rival in the upcoming November general election and whom she had just outpolled in the primary election, placed her on leave the same day she raised the issue of Koppy potentially having a conflict. The authority should have gone to a neutral body or an administrative law judge, Goter said, but Koppy reserved this power to himself. This is not just a potential conflict of interest, but an actual one.

Goter states further that Bent targeted her by speaking to the media about the investigation when it was still confidential, and created a conflict of interest by involving county commissioners in the decision. Bent also created a conflict by targeting former employees for interviews and choosing which materials to forward to legal counsel, Goter said.

A report of the investigation shows interviews were conducted with 24 people. Among them were Bruce Romanick, presiding judge of the South Central Judicial District; Assistant States Attorney Chase Lingle; and several legal assistants and court clerks.

Bent told the Tribune on Monday that internal and external investigations "found a repeated pattern of serious misconduct by Ms. Goter, whose behavior was in clear violation of Morton Countys harassment and bullying policy. Her termination was warranted based on the investigation's findings."

Goter also states she was denied due process because she and her attorney were not given access to complaints, were never provided with a written complaint, and werent given the ability to address allegations against her, despite repeated requests.

Even if all allegations would be taken as true, similar behaviors to those alleged were undertaken on a regular basis by male colleagues and supervisors without triggering an employment investigation and/or termination, Goters document states. Several of the allegations levied at Goter, including being intimidating, being unapproachable, and/or being demanding are terms typically used to describe discriminatory attitudes toward female leadership.

Bent said the claim that the county used investigatory practices that were biased and discriminatory against female leadership "is simply unfounded."

"Morton County partnered with a certified Title VI (an anti-discriminatory law) female attorney who specializes in gender inequities to lead the external investigation," Bent said. "That external investigation independently validated the findings of the internal investigation."

Goter in a statement to the Tribune on Monday said the county has established policies but they weren't followed, "leading to the only conclusion -- that the process was biased and the decision made before any investigation." She said she filed the document because it is "one of the only tools I have at my disposal."

"I am still hopeful for the semblance of integrity in this process," she said.

Goter garnered 1,517 votes or just more than 53% in the June 14 primary election. Koppy had 1,333 or about 47%, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State's website. The top two candidates in the primary move on to the general election. There was not a third candidate. Koppy in 2018 overcame a primary deficit to beat Goter in the general election.

Koppy has been the state's attorney since 1987. In 1990 and 1994, he defeated Goters father, Wayne Goter.

The county commission is expected to consider Goters grievance at its Thursday meeting.
Hong Kong: Jab certificate reminder issued

The Government today reminded the public that the use of COVID-19 vaccination medical exemption certificates suspected of abuse in issuance will not be accepted for Vaccine Pass purposes from October 12.

Seven private doctors are suspected of failing to provide proper medical consultation to patients in accordance with the Department of Health's guidelines and abusing the issuance of jab exemption certificates.

As announced by the Government earlier, the exemption certificates issued by these doctors will be deemed invalid from October 12.

As a result, no person is allowed to use the QR codes on the exemption certificates concerned for entering premises subject to the Vaccine Pass by then.

The Government will update the QR Code Verification Scanner mobile app to version 4.4.3 to assist persons-in-charge of premises subject to active checking of the pass to identify the QR codes and record the information of the people who present the QR codes.

If an invalid QR code is identified, the scanner will give a sound alert and display a message to warn that entry of the relevant person is not allowed.

The Government stressed that since the seven private doctors are suspected to have failed to provide proper medical consultation to patients and give appropriate clinical assessment before issuing the exemption certificates as stipulated in the department's guidelines, if people continue to delay vaccination according to relevant exemption certificates' recommendations, not only may they be at risk of severe illness or even death from COVID-19, but they will also place an unnecessary burden on the public healthcare system.

Such individuals should seek medical consultation again from other doctors to ascertain whether they are suitable for the jab or can continue to be medically exempted.

They may consult a doctor from the public healthcare system by visiting the Hospital Authority's general outpatient clinics, with the $50 service fee exempted.

The Government also reiterated that if a person uses an exemption certificate which is not accepted to enter premises subject to the Vaccine Pass, information in the QR code will be recorded by the scanner at the premises that proactively check the pass.

Government enforcement officers are also entitled to require citizens to present their vaccination record and exemption certificate QR Code.

If a person is found to have used an exemption certificate which is not accepted or is fraudulent, relevant information will be passed to enforcement departments for follow-up.

Using a false instrument knowingly may contravene the Crimes Ordinance and offenders shall be liable to a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment, the Government added.

This story has been published on: 2022-10-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Burleigh County residents will vote this November on a measure that would grant ordinance authority to the county commission following a new draft of the countys home rule charter.

The draft includes a change to the current home rule charter and would allow the Burleigh County Commission and county residents the authority to adopt ordinances, said Burleigh County Election Manager Erika White.

This new draft gives both authority to the commission and the citizens. (Its) kind of a path forward to address any problems that might be happening out in the county, White said.

There are 12 counties in North Dakota with a home rule charter and all have ordinance authority, except for Burleigh County. The home rule charter explains the government, the structure and that kind of thing in a little bit more detail than the Century Code can provide, White said.

Looking at those other counties, its just something that the commission felt like we could possibly explore with our citizens, she added.

The countys home rule charter was adopted in 2014 for funding the Burleigh Morton Detention Center through a half-cent sales tax. The new draft of the home rule charter would not increase or extend the sales tax, White said.

Research Analyst Linda Svihovec of the North Dakota Association of Counties said a home rule charter, approved by voters, gives a local government tools to run their government in unique ways different from the traditional route.

In county government it allows them to combine offices and/or create a different county administration structure if its approved by the voters, Svihovec said. So it gives them a little bit more control and it allows a local community or county to create policy that is suited for them particularly if the voters agree with their home rule charter and approve it.

The Burleigh County Commission began a committee to look at adding ordinance authority to the countys home rule charter in December 2021.

Ordinance authority would also enable citizens to circulate petitions and get an ordinance on the ballot, White said.

Some constituents approached the Burleigh County Commission at the end of 2021 regarding off-road vehicles in the right-of-way, asking the board to take action on this issue. White said that the commission couldnt act on that issue because the board does not have ordinance authority.

The only option that these constituents -- these residents in the county -- had was to go to the Legislature and try to get the Legislature to pass a law, White said. So thats why the commission decided to explore giving themselves and the citizens the authority.

White added the home rule charter does not specifically address a particular ordinance, but it opens the door to allow the county commission to address an issue should the people of Burleigh County request that.

Now if you start passing ordinances, it can affect the budget. So these are all things that the commission would take into consideration if they were approached with an ordinance from the community, she said, explaining that budgetary constraints, safety of citizens and whether the ordinance would be feasible to enforce are factors the commission would consider.

Burleigh County residents can read the draft of the home rule charter by visiting burleighco.com.
Election officials across North Dakota have been inundated with hundreds of requests for records over the past several months from activists alleging unproven vote count manipulation related to the 2020 presidential election.

The trouble is, most requests ask for information that does not exist, and the flood of requests is tying up and frustrating state and county officials as they prepare for upcoming midterm elections on Nov. 8.

Officials in Barnes, Burke, Burleigh, Pierce, Slope, Steele, Towner and Wells counties confirmed they had received a multitude of these requests in recent months, often with similar wording and frequently threatening court action if documents are not produced.

Several officials indicated that they understand the situation is statewide.

The phenomenon stems from allegations made by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell at a symposium in South Dakota in August 2021 where he stated that results of the 2020 presidential election were electronically manipulated broadly across the country.

Further efforts from a Texas-based nonprofit called True the Vote alleging widespread voter fraud and a movie released in May by conservative filmmaker Dinesh DSouza called 2000 Mules kept the drumbeat of email requests steady through early September.

A big time suck

State Election Director Brian Newby said that many of the requests are nearly duplicate, cut-and-pasted emails asking for information that does not exist or that requestees likely do not even understand themselves.

Thats time consuming, said Newby during an interview at the Capitol.

The emailed records requests are sometimes from legitimate residents of North Dakota, many who send frequent requests, as well as obvious fake names and accounts, Newby said.

Requests come from both inside and outside the state. The North Dakota News Cooperative reviewed several of the requests and attempted to contact the senders, but none immediately responded.

Its a nuisance, to be sure, said Beth Didier, Barnes County auditor. The worst part is that it always instills a sense of mild panic, as it seems people out there are trying to catch us doing something wrong, when most of us are trying our very best to do everything right.

Steele County Auditor Emily Wigen said her office had received more than usual correspondence concerning open records requests related to the 2020 election.

In a small county like ours, it is very time consuming, at a time when we are very busy with a current election, as well as the other duties and job functions we have in our jobs, Wigen said. We have limited staff to be able to address the influx in requests.

It is a similar story for Daniel Stutlien, county auditor in Wells, who said theres been a flare-up in requests for open records in general, not only related to the 2020 election.

I think its a real attempt just to bog down government at all levels and then sit back and give you that See I told you so if you dont get your other work done, Stutlien said. I think theyre just trying to irritate, I honestly do.

Stutlien said he never had any records requests at all over his 14 years as a superintendent of schools, a position he now holds part time, until this year, when two requests came to the school.

A domino effect of actions comes from requests that officials are uncertain how to respond to, they said. Usually, for county auditors, the first course is to liaise with the states attorney for that county to decide how to address the request. This often then leads to extra meetings and continuous back and forth over an appropriate response.

I believe in transparency, but how much time do I have to really do this when Ive got an election coming up, when Ive got payroll in a couple days, and have to do this or that, Stutlien said. And Im supposed to do this in 37 hours a week? So, OK, what do I do first?

Josh Frey, states attorney for Towner County, said officials across the state take these requests seriously. Each request initiates a determination of what responsibilities there are to respond under the open records law within North Dakotas Century Code and formulating the appropriate response.

Section 13 of the code covers what could be termed egregious repeat requests.

Basically that says if repeated requests disrupt other essential functions of the entity, the entity may refuse or prevent inspection of the records or provide copies of the records, said Bismarck attorney Jack McDonald.

The public entity refusing this should state the reason in writing to support the refusal and provide it to the requester, and the requester may seek the attorney generals opinion if he doesnt think that was proper, McDonald said.

For requests of documents that dont exist, the answer is somewhat easier, McDonald said. Under the Century Code officials do not need to create or compile something that is nonexistent.

The more requests we get here, the more time it takes, obviously, and the more resources from our small political subdivision it takes to respond to those, Frey said, estimating it takes at least an hour just to review each request.

With the elections-related requests, Frey said, the process can become more time consuming if it is related to something thats not been asked for in the past. Such emails lead to discussion to determine if the office can release documents or not, or whether they even exist.

I think part of it is theyre just tired, Newby said of election officials, auditors, attorneys, and staff in their offices. Its no fun to wake up every day and hear how you must be doing your job poorly.

The records request campaign is possibly leading to some burnout. Of the 53 North Dakota counties, Newby said there are around 16 new auditors since the 2020 election.

Somewhere, in the last couple of years, it has become a thing of if you dont like the outcome, you blame the referee, Newby said.

Voter education

While Newby said that the frequency of the 2020 election-related requests has died off somewhat since Sept. 3, when a federal requirement on retention of voter registration and ballot documentation expired, the emails still do arrive.

Erika White, election manager for Burleigh County, said her office is continuing to receive the requests and is attempting to be as transparent as possible. White thinks the goal of the repeated requests is to cause distrust in the election system.

To counter that and increase trust, sustained voter education is needed, she said.

It would be great to see a statewide education campaign on all of the processes that go into this to ensure that we are following everything properly and that when you cast a ballot it is being counted properly, White said.

During the previous legislative session, election officials across the state did a presentation for a legislative committee that went through all the voting processes, how absentee ballots are tabulated, how officials were ensuring that voters cast only one ballot, and how they test equipment to make sure it is tabulating correctly, she said.

I believe they really enjoyed it, White said. So doing kind of a statewide push to get that information out to voters would be extremely beneficial, I believe.
Court documents allege Christensen "while being questioned by law enforcement did not disclose the location of a non-domesticated raccoon" and "did conceal from law enforcement a non-domesticated raccoon."

The state Health and Human Services Department the day before had issued a warning about potential rabies exposure in response to Christensen bringing the raccoon into the Maddock Bar on Sept. 6. Bartender Cindy Smith has said the animal was never loose and didn't bite anyone, and Christensen previously told the Tribune "Rocky never left my arms when I visited the Maddock Bar."

Christensen said her family found the raccoon on the side of a road about three months ago and was nursing it back to health with plans to rehabilitate it to the wild.

It's illegal under North Dakota Board of Animal Health laws to keep a wild raccoon. Authorities euthanized the animal, and it tested negative for rabies.
Two Public Service Commission seats will be decided in the general election. Incumbent Republican Julie Fedorchak will face off against Democrat Melanie Moniz for a six-year term. Incumbent Republican Sheri Haugen-Hoffart, who was appointed to fill a vacancy, is running against Democrat Trygve Hammer for the remaining four years of the term.

The three members of the PSC regulate electric and gas utilities and permit energy projects. The commission also handles issues related to coal mine reclamation, telecommunications, railroads, auctions, weighing and measuring devices, gas pipeline safety and underground damage prevention. The position carries an annual salary of $117,610.

Julie Fedorchak

Fedorchak, who has served on the commission for nearly a decade and chairs the three-member panel, is seeking another six-year term.

"Im in a really great spot to make a significant impact now because I understand the issues. Its a pretty technical job, Fedorchak said. Its complicated to understand the utility industries and figure out the right balance for regulating them, keeping costs low, reliability high and making sure that the utilities are making the proper and necessary investments in their infrastructure without going overboard."

Affordability and reliability are two important priorities for Fedorchak as states transition into more renewable sources of energy.

As the electricity system nationwide is converted from the traditional more fossil-fueled oriented fuels to renewable fuels and renewable power generation, that needs to be done at a pace that is supported by technology and doesnt jeopardize reliability, Fedorchak said. Its a pretty complicated endeavor. Its not a plug-and-play system so you cant plug a gas-powered generator and plug in a renewable power generator and have the same effect on the electric system. They function very differently. And so you have to make sure that this is done in a manner that is not going to jeopardize the reliability because we cant live without power.

Fedorchak said she also wants to focus on thoughtful and orderly permitting of the states energy infrastructure and work on enhancing the states pipeline reclamation program.

As a North Dakota utility rate regulator, Fedorchak noted that rate cases can take up to six months to a year. She strongly encourages public input when those cases come to life, adding it helps us make better decisions when we know and have that kind of public input.

Fedorchak noted that this era is a pretty dynamic time in the utility industry, especially with aging infrastructure.

All of this costs money. And so, unfortunately, we are in a time where rates are rising and are probably going to continue to rise, she said. But with good information from the public, from other rate payers and from our staff tearing apart the companies cases and asking good questions, we will always do our best to ensure that the investments are prudent, needed and at a level that is necessary to keep the system reliable but also affordable and sustainable long-term for the people that are paying for it, using and counting on those services.

Melanie Moniz

Moniz, a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, said she decided to run for the PSC because "disenfranchised communities bear a disproportionate burden when decisions are made with only big industry in mind."

"I am running out of urgent necessity," Moniz said in an email interview. "It is critical that we have more leaders at the table who are going to put North Dakota, the people, and future generations first."

Moniz, of Halliday, cited her background in advocacy "on all levels of government" as preparing her for serving on the PSC. She did not elaborate on her background in advocacy. On candidate filing paperwork, she lists herself as an organizer for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition.

The PSC "must embrace a role in the climate solution," Moniz said, adding that the board should develop a strong plan to move forward.

Moniz advocates for greater diversity on the PSC, including office staff.

"It is critical that we build a commission that is reflective of our diverse state and ensure that the staff makeup includes dedicated units for issues around climate justice, income qualified programming, and energy equity initiatives," she said. "I also believe that we must focus on making the decision-making process more transparent for constituents. We cannot make decisions that impact the people of North Dakota without hearing from them and centering their voices. I would like to see the PSC move past their current lens and toward a peoples first approach."

Moniz believes she is an honest leader with the expertise needed to solve issues disenfranchised communities in the state are seeing, she said.

"I carry with me traditional Indigenous knowledge that is key to our collective future. I bring a bold fresh perspective to the table and my experience from poverty to the working class gives me what it takes to ensure the North Dakota Public Service Commission prioritizes the health and safety of all North Dakotans. Its time for action, equity, and change if Im elected into office I will bring all three," she said.

Trygve Hammer

Hammer, a military veteran and former oil field worker from Velva, decided to challenge Haugen-Hoffart to create change within state government.

I want to be a voice thats independent for North Dakotans and look out more for the North Dakota consumer ahead of industry and make sure that industry understands that they need to behave, Hammer said.

Hammer enlisted in the Navy as a nuclear power machinist mate. He was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduated with a chemistry degree and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He has served as a helicopter pilot and as a leadership instructor at the Naval Academy. Hammer joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 2001 and became an airline pilot. He was deployed to Iraq in 2003. He has also served as an assistant Marine attache and speechwriter at the U.S. Embassy in Rome and held other military and security jobs.

Hammer later taught science to grades 7-12. He has also worked as a workover rig floorhand in North Dakota's oil fields.

I know my experience is kind of all over the place, but I have a lot of leadership experience," Hammer said.

One of the more pressing issues that Hammer sees with the PSC is the carbon dioxide pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions. He has concerns about the treatment of landowners and does not think the PSC should permit the pipeline if the company uses eminent domain.

Hammer also believes the PSC should be more strict on companies that have violations.

Being appointed to the PSC by the governor doesnt make you qualified for anything. As far as Im concerned, it just means youre another one of those people floating around in Doug Burgums orbit. And if I was on the PSC, Id be the only person sitting on that board whos not always asking, What would Doug Burgum want? Hammer said.

Sheri Haugen-Hoffart

Haugen-Hoffart replaced Brian Kroshus on the PSC earlier this year after he became tax commissioner.

She previously worked as a human resource manager in the tax commissioner's office and served as first female board chair for both Central Power Electric Cooperative and Capital Electric.

Her past jobs have included deputy state treasurer, director of education in the North Dakota Securities Department, coordinator for the University of North Dakota's Division of Continuing Education in Bismarck and emergency service director for the Burleigh-Morton chapter of the American Red Cross. She is a Rugby native with a bachelor's degree from UND and a master's degree in management from the University of Mary.

I believe with my background in the electrical industry along with my prior work experience in state government and just my resume, I was really able to hit the ground running in doing my job, she said.

One of the items in her portfolio includes overseeing pipeline safety. Haugen-Hoffart said shes proud that North Dakota received its highest rating  99 out of 100  with the pipeline safety program that was conducted this summer. Cybersecurity will continue to be another priority for Haugen-Hoffart.

We want to serve the citizens of North Dakota to the best of our ability. So to be an advocate not only for the consumers but also to the environment, she said. I really want to be seen as a peoples commissioner, to be accessible, to be fair, to be consistent and know that Im in this position to serve them and continue to protect our environment.

Haugen-Hoffart said that her knowledge, skills and ability to do the job make her the best candidate out there and she hopes to continue to demonstrate that confidence to North Dakotans.

I have the passion. I have the drive and as I said, Im in it to win it. And I will do whatever it takes. I will work very hard to gain their trust And once I have that trust, I, on my day-to-day, basis will demonstrate that trust that they invoked in me to be a great Public Service Commissioner.
Here's a great follow-up to my recent post about zoos as colonialist institutions. This one's about museums, and, well, it should come as no surprise that museums are also colonialist institutions! (Zoos are, after all, a kind of museum, and zoos and museums are both grounded in the display of colonialist plunder).

Recently John Oliver did a brilliant show focusing on how and why Western museums  specifically in the United States and Europe  display cultural antiquities from around the world, particularly from Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Oliver starts by citing not-so-shocking-but-still-truly-horrifying statistics from a recent study showing that over 90% of Africa's cultural heritage is held outside of Africa, in the world's major museums. He provides the example of the Benin Bronzes, which were stolen by British troops in 1897 from what is now Nigeria, and that now reside in the British Museum as well as in other museums across the United States and Europe. The British Museum claims that they are doing the world a favor by allowing the Benin Bronzes to be seen by anyone who wants to visit, but scholar Chika Okeke-Agulu says this line of thinking is flawed. He emphasizes that only privileged people can fly to London to see the artworks  "most Nigerians will never see them."

Oliver explores both how antiquities from around the world ended up in Western museums to begin with (spoiler alert: colonial plunder) and how the modern antiquities market works (spoiler alert: theft and privilege to ignore such theft). Oliver also focuses on the growing movement to repatriate cultural heritage objects back to their home countries, as well as the deeply entrenched resistance by Western museums to let go of their stolen goods.

Oliver presents and then debunks the standard explanation/excuses that Western museums provide for why they keep stolen antiquities in their collections. First, museums claim that the objects were acquired at a different time, and posit that you can't judge the present by the standards of the past. This is wrong, though, because there is plenty of proof showing that even back in the plundering days, the plunderers knew stealing objects was wrong. Second, museums claim that the objects in their possession are safer under the care of Western institutions than they would be in their home countries. There is also plenty of evidence that this is wrong, as there are many instances of less-than-ideal caretaking in many Western museums  there are numerous examples of objects being damaged by water leaks, destructive cleaning, and more. Finally, museums claim that they are open repositories and increase the number of people that are able to enjoy the art. Again, this is false because only the privileged are able to fly to museums around the world to view art, and, furthermore, museums only display a tiny percentage of their collections. Most of what they own is stuffed in boxes and placed in basements and other storage facilities, never to be seen by anyone.

Oliver then focuses on the modern antiquities market, which continues to supply Western museums with goods. While museums and art brokers claim to care about "provenance" (where objects come from, or the life history of an object) above all else, they also very easily ignore questionable provenance when it suits them. Oliver provides very convincing evidence that Sotheby's auction house, for example, knowingly has sold stolen goods, and museums such as the Rubin Museum in New York, have knowingly bought stolen goods.

Finally, Oliver proposes the "payback museum" as a clever way to point out how ridiculous it is that Western museums insist their stolen collections are rightfully theirs. This fictional museum, presented by actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani, houses a Stonehenge arch, the Liberty Bell, George Washington's nose from Mount Rushmore, the Mona Lisa, and more. Nanjiani, as "spokesperson" for the museum says, if you want these things back, sorry, the answer is no: "It's all ours, forever!"

Here's the YouTube link to the brilliant John Oliver segment. It's definitely worth a half hour of your time. The YouTube description reads: "John Oliver discusses some of the world's most prestigious museums, why they contain so many stolen goods, the market that continues to illegally trade antiquities, and a pretty solid blueprint for revenge."

Thumbnail image: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Uprooted, a new podcast produced by Maureen McCollum and Omar Granados on Wisconsin Public Radio, explores the post 1980s history of Cuban migration to the United States. The eight-episode podcast will debut on October 12, 2022

"In 1980, there was a mass exodus of Cubans who left their homes for the United States as part of the Mariel Boatlift. It was a rare opportunity for people to leave the island, as President Fidel Castro opened his borders and allowed people to be reunited with family, find new opportunities and even leave prison. The event was mired in politics, stereotypes and, at times, chaos and trauma.

Of the 125,000 Cuban people who left, almost 15,000 of them were sent to Fort McCoy in Sparta, Wisconsin.

In this podcast, Cubans who remained in Wisconsin and became family to one another share untold stories about their early lives, moving to the U.S. and what life has been like in Wisconsin. Spoiler alert: it hasn't always been easy. They dream of returning to Cuba, but can't because many have been living in legal limbo for about 40 years."

The trailer for the podcast is bilingual, with a Spanish version here, and the English version here. Check out this video from 2020 about Cuban and Puerto Rican communities in Wisconsin. You can also check out this article, book, and short video focusing on the 1980 Mariel Boatlift from Cuba.
Starbucks says it wants to start contract negotiations next month at 234 U.S. stores that have voted to unionize. The Seattle coffee giant said Monday it sent letters to stores in 36 states and the District of Columbia offering a three-week window to start negotiations. But Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, is skeptical. It notes that Starbucks opposes unionization. Just three stores have begun bargaining contracts with Starbucks in the U.S. since the start of this year. Workers United says its national committee is focused on developing core proposals that workers will be able to use when they bargain at individual stores.
Columbus Day is still a federal holiday, and New York City on Monday will hold its 40th annual Columbus Day Parade.

But recognition of the October holiday in Western New York has transitioned in recent years from venerating a controversial colonizer to acknowledging the trials of Native populations at the hands of explorers.

On the calendars of local school districts and towns, Indigenous Peoples Day has replaced Columbus Day, with advocates of the change defining Christopher Columbus as a major figure in displacing and enslaving Native Americans through force and brutality  with ripple effects that impact Natives to this day.

A second annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration took place Friday in Niagara Falls State Park, where Niagara River Haudenosaunee Dancers ceremonially raised the Six Nations Wampum. The Haudenosaunee is another name for the Iroquois Confederacy, which comprises six native groups: Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Tuscarora, Oneida and Mohawk.

Saladin Allah, organizer of the Niagara Falls event with New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said he can feel power in the movement.

"There is momentum behind these strides which first start with acknowledgement of indigenous people and their plight," Allah said. "The symbolic step of recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday and not Columbus Day demonstrates that this is not about Columbus; this is Indigenous-centered."

Joe Biden last year was the first president to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day alongside Columbus Day, a concerted effort to acknowledge the history of wrongful treatment and designate a day to cherish Native culture, according to a White House statement. He repeated similar proclamations this year.

First Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates contributions of Native Americans About 300 people turn out at Russell Park in Akron to celebrate contributions of Native

But much of the work in boosting Native inclusion and tradition has come in Western New York classrooms and began long before presidential proclamations.

Within the last five years, students and teachers in school districts with significant Native populations have petitioned boards of education against the Columbus Day designation. Akron Central Schools pivoted to Indigenous Peoples Day in 2015, marking the moment with a ceremony with town officials from Akron and Newstead, as well as members of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation. That was the same year Akron High School's varsity lacrosse team refused to compete against Lancaster due to its opponent's nickname, which many consider a slur against Native Americans.

Niagara Wheatfield made the switch in 2016, while Lake Shore switched to American Heritage Day in 2017 and added a Native American Heritage Month, said Jane Burzynski, a Lake Shore spokesperson.

But changing the name of a holiday and properly retelling a long-damaging narrative are two different tasks, Native advocates said.

Heritage reclaimed: A portrait of Native Americans in Buffalo A website designer turned woodcarver, a blues musician who works as a schoolteacher. Native Americans in the 21st Century offer a portrait in diversity far different from what the general public may imagine American Indians to

Burzynski said Lake Shore has added Seneca language classes for grades 7-12, Native cultural elements in elementary education, a teaching assistant specific for Native American middle and high school students, and Seneca Nation tutors at each building. About 17% of the district's population is of Native descent, she said.

Gowanda Central School District, where about 25% are of Native descent, has recognized Indigenous Peoples Day for years, but further strides have been made, too. Tia Thompson, a senior in Gowanda's Class of 2020, approached the School Board earlier that year about allowing Natives to wear traditional garb rather than a cap and gown for graduation. The board unanimously approved the request.

Lea Golden, director of the Title VI Indian Educational Program for Gowanda, said the district's inclusion of its Native population has improved  especially over the last six or seven years  since when she was a student at Gowanda in the 1980s. "I was excited to stop separation and do celebration," Golden said.

Heritage reclaimed: A portrait of Native Americans in Buffalo A website designer turned woodcarver, a blues musician who works as a schoolteacher. Native Americans in the 21st Century offer a portrait in diversity far different from what the general public may imagine American Indians to

The Title VI program acts as a liaison between home and school for Gowanda's Native population, which comes primarily from the nearby Seneca Nation. Districtwide programming celebrating Native culture includes decorating paper moccasins, traditional food tastings  such as roasted and hulled corn soups in the cafeteria  and displaying the Seneca Nation and Six Nations flags frequently.

Buffalo Public Schools recognizes the Monday holiday as Indigenous Peoples Day and Italian Heritage Day. Still, Allah said it's more than just addressing the holiday's name that matters.

"Some of the most important strides that have been made, and need to be continually made, are beyond celebratory acts on a holiday," said Allah, who emphasized legal indigenous sovereignty, indigenous heritage in education curriculums and support for Native-owned businesses.

Another local event for Indigenous Peoples Day in the Buffalo area is the Slow Roll at 6 p.m. Monday, starting at Big Ditch Brewing Company. The Indigenous Peoples' Day Ride will include stops at Prospect Park and Forest Lawn to reflect on the legacies of Columbus and Red Jacket, the Revolutionary War-era Seneca chief.
WASHINGTON  Nicholas A. Langworthy's campaign for Congress got a mysterious million dollars in outside aid to fund a wave of ads that helped him defeat Buffalo developer Carl P. Paladino in a Republican primary in August.

Federal records show that the American Liberty Action PAC, which was created this summer, dumped $1.04 million into the GOP primary in New York's recently redrawn 23rd District, which covers parts of suburban Buffalo and most of the Southern Tier. Those records show that most of that money went to television and digital ads and text messages attacking Paladino, long a fiery and controversial figure in GOP circles, rather than boosting Langworthy.

Yet it's impossible to say which big-money Republicans invested to keep Paladino out of Congress. Records filed with the Federal Election Commission show that the American Liberty Action PAC got its money from two "dark money" political committees that don't have to disclose their donors.

"American Liberty Action PAC does not discuss our contributors," said Brian O. Walsh, a longtime GOP political operative who serves as senior adviser to the committee. "However, for clarity, I have been friends with Nick Langworthy for nearly two decades, am a donor to his campaign and was proud to be part of the team supporting him through American Liberty Action PAC. Our effort was completely independent and we are obviously thrilled with the result."

The result was a relatively narrow win by Langworthy, the state Republican chairman. He got 50.9% of the vote, compared to 47.1% for Paladino.

During the campaign, as the American Liberty Action PAC's TV ads lacerating Paladino aired in Buffalo and across the Southern Tier, Paladino called attention to the outsized role the PAC was playing in the election and criticized the secrecy shrouding its donors.

Told how much the secretive GOP PAC had invested to defeat him, Paladino blamed Langworthy.

Nick sold his soul to these Republican establishment people, he said Friday. Obviously, they own him as he goes into Congress and Im sure they will call on him for favors. Thats the reason I took hardly any money from anybody.

Final campaign finance reports for the two campaigns have not yet been filed, but based on the last campaign reports filed 20 days before the Aug. 23 primary, it's clear that $1.04 million appearing out of nowhere could have had a huge influence on the race. Langworthy's campaign raised $370,044 as of Aug. 3 and spent $220,464 of it. Paladino, meanwhile, loaned his campaign $1.5 million but had spent only $49,000 of it as of Aug. 3.

The $1.04 million spent to bash Paladino and boost Langworthy represents an unusually large infusion of "dark money" into a Western New York political campaign.

"Dark money becomes dark by being routed through opaque nonprofits, including 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations and 501(c)(6) trade associations," Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and professor of law at Stetson University College of Law, wrote in a Brennan Center analysis in 2020. "Then the nonprofit buys political ads trashing or touting a particular candidate. The ads will only be traceable to the last organization who spent the money, so the public cant see who paid the front group."

That's exactly what happened with the cash infusion aiding Langworthy. In a federal campaign report filed after Langworthy had already won, the PAC reported $2.6 million in funding from two sources: the Virginia-based American Prosperity Alliance and the Eighteen-Fifty-Four Fund, based in Houston. Neither of those political committees reports their donors.

The American Liberty Action PAC reports its expenditures, though  and it didn't just spend money to beat Paladino. The PAC's federal campaign filing shows that it also spent $1.22 million to boost establishment Republican George Hansel in his congressional primary against Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini.

The Washington Post reported last month that the PAC's spending was part of a coordinated effort by allies of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, to prevent potential rabble-rousers from joining a Republican caucus where similar politicians  like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida  have long grabbed headlines and given headaches to GOP leaders.

Paladino would have likely been such a rabble-rouser. Both Greene and Gaetz endorsed Paladino, whose past comments about then-first lady Michelle Obama were widely seen as racist and who made headlines during the campaign with radio comments from last year in which he touted Adolf Hitler's ability to rouse crowds as "the kind of leader we need today," although he never specifically endorsed Hitler's actions.

The Post reported that Walsh, the American Liberty Action PAC's senior adviser, works for several political groups backed by McCarthy.

In addition, Walsh worked for six years at the National Republican Congressional Committee, including 2005 and 2006, when that GOP campaign committee was headed by then-Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds of suburban Buffalo.

Langworthy worked for Reynolds from 2003 through 2007 and the two men have remained close ever since. Even so, Reynolds said last week that he had never heard of the American Liberty Action PAC or the mainstream GOP attempt to defeat Paladino until he saw the committee's campaign ads this summer.

But the PAC's establishment Republican ties don't end with Walsh. The treasurer of the American Liberty Action PAC, Charles Gantt, worked as a senior financial analyst for the 2012 presidential campaign of Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

And the company paid to do digital advertising for the anti-Paladino effort was Cavalry LLC, a Washington-based political consulting firm founded by Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican.

The bulk of its spending  $831,898  was spent on television ads. Federal Election Commission figures show that the majority of that money went to attacking Paladino rather than to boosting Langworthy.

In his statement regarding the PAC's efforts, though, Walsh never mentioned Paladino. Instead he merely praised Langworthy, who is heavily favored over Democrat Max Della Pia in the heavily Republican 23rd District in November's general election.

"Nick is a great dad, husband and leader, and will be an exceptional representative of the people of New Yorks 23rd Congressional District," Walsh said.

But Chris Grant, Langworthy's general consultant, was not nearly so generous in his comments.

"If one thing was clear during the primary, it's that sane, stable conservatives were clamoring for leaders like Nick Langworthy to stop crazy lunatics like Carl Paladino," Grant said. "Mission accomplished."

News political reporter Robert J. McCarthy contributed to this report.
Sean Kirst Columnist Born in Dunkirk, a son, grandson and great-grandson of Buffalonians, I've been an Upstate journalist for more than 48 years. As a kid, I learned quiet lives are often monumental. I still try to honor that simple lesson, as a columnist. Follow Sean Kirst 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

Dennis Connors, at an early age, understood his own story. He grew up in Lackawanna, across the street from Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica. His extended family lived in a row of houses with double porches, ending up there for one reason:

Connorss great-grandfather, Jeremiah Shea, was from Scranton, Pa. He worked for Lackawanna Iron and Steel. Around 1900, Jeremiah followed the company when it left Scranton for the Lake Erie waterfront, just west of Buffalo, part of an industrial shift that transformed the landscape of Western New York, physically and economically.

More than 120 years later, to his own astonishment, Connors  a curator emeritus from the Onondaga Historical Association  asks himself if he is about to see a similar kind of economic transition, in Syracuse.

I look at my three sons, all three who decided to stay here, and I wonder about the impact this can have on their lives, said Connors, 71, a graduate of the University at Buffalo and one of the most respected civic historians in Central New York.

As Micron picks Syracuse, Genesee County is still seeking its own semiconductor win The STAMP site is in the running for 20 projects, six of them semiconductor operations, worth a combined $45 billion and promising a possible 25,000 future jobs.

He was referencing last weeks Micron Technology announcement in Onondaga County, the kind of this-can-never-happen moment every big upstate city has daydreamed about during more than a half-century of what too often was a timeline of industrial struggle.

Idaho-based Micron says it intends to spend as much as $100 billion over 20 years to create an estimated 9,000 jobs  paying around $100,000 a year  for manufacturing computer chips at the 1,400-acre White Pine Commerce Park in Clay, near Syracuse.

Generational change ahead, shouted The Syracuse Post-Standard, in its Sunday headline. Along the Thruway, from Utica to Ripley, this is a region accustomed to hearing half-baked civic dreams  some of us are old enough to remember the doomed quest for a Saturn automotive plant in Chautauqua County, or the fantasy of a Ghermezian megamall in Niagara Falls  but this situation has profoundly different bones.

Micron's announcement made national headlines. Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Mehrotra offered details alongside Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. President Joseph Biden, who lived in Syracuse as a law student, lauded the deal from the White House.

All the reasons cited are familiar: The right site. Powerful incentives. Lots of water and power. A four-hours-from-everywhere location. Many nearby universities. The recent umbrella of friendly and specific federal and state legislation.

Still, what strikes Connors and many others is the probable sea change in fundamental regional direction: For the first time in upstate memory, Connors said, a city's challenge will be responding swiftly to the benefits and pitfalls of potentially unbridled growth.

My call left Connors reflecting on his own lifetime perspective. As a child, he learned a Buffalo sensibility, an affinity for Western New York triumphs and hardships. But his journey for the past 50 years helped him realize a similar narrative binds all the cities in Upstate New York, and he sees Micron as an affirmation of the possible for the interconnected community along the old Erie Canal corridor.

The fortunes of many upstate cities had already started a bit-by-bit rebound, he said, "and you see it in the energy in places like Syracuse and Buffalo. You hope Micron just reflects it, in both perception and in this tremendous opportunity for employment.

To Van Robinson, the scope and reach of those jobs will determine everything. At 84, he is a couple of weeks past joining other veterans on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., to visit national military shrines. He spent 18 years on the Syracuse Common Council, and he and his wife, Linda, are both past presidents of the Syracuse Onondaga NAACP.

Robinson sees Micron's announcement as massive reinforcement for the great political achievement of his life. When he arrived in Syracuse in the late 1960s, an elevated portion of Interstate 81 had just leveled the 15th Ward, longtime home of the citys African American community. To Robinson, the highway became a lasting statement of estrangement between communities of prosperity and struggle, as well as an ugly, littered wall rupturing the city fabric.

He was one of the few voices, decades ago, advocating for its removal. Gradually, the movement caught on. Following extensive study, the state last spring formally chose to replace the Syracuse I-81 bridges with a street-level grid, a project expected to cost about $2 billion  an infusion of capital most likely coincidental with the first proposed wave of Micron spending.

Robinson witnessed the disappearance in Syracuse of such industries as General Electric. His wife turned down an out-of-town transfer and lost her job when New Process Gear closed, after 124 years of operation. Robinson said it is almost unimaginable to consider what Micron's investment means to a metropolitan area of roughly 650,000 people.

Beyond all else, he finds opportunity within this expansion to shatter the same barriers of segregation and suffering in Syracuse that have wounded Upstate communities for generations.

According to the 2020 U.S. census, the city's child poverty rate is 48.4 percent  the worst for any city with a population above 100,000. Such numbers spiral into pain  resulting all too often in hunger, illness, violence and addiction  and Robinson describes everything coming together right now as a we-cannot-afford-to-bungle-this civic moment.

This is the issue, he said, if we want Syracuse to be the kind of place it was intended to be.

All the early public conversations  about job training, about serving disadvantaged communities, about making sure workers without cars have access to the site, about honing the regional educational impetus to be sure it is preparing enough young people to do the work  seem pointed in that direction.

If that talk becomes real change, Robinson said the community "gratification would be indescribable."

On an immediate level, in a way any of us raised within upstate frustration can understand, there is also the simple hope that block-by-block, once-wistful civic dreams suddenly have a greater chance to be locked in, for good.

Ive seen it all downtown, said Selena Giampa, managing partner in the new Parthenon Book Store on South Salina Street, the main corridor in Syracuse. Her father drove city snowplows for 40 years, while her mother worked for a nearby sub shop, and she is old enough to recall when the department stores were shuttered and the lights went out downtown.

That district has come back in Syracuse. The market for downtown apartments remains strong, and you combine it with restaurants, theaters, festivals and taverns and there are plenty of times when it is hard to find a place to park  which was hardly a problem 15 years ago.

That vitality remains a work in progress, and one missing element was a bookstore. Giampa worked for Borders before that chain shut down at a local mall. She made no secret that she wished to open a bookstore downtown, at the same time that Buffalo-born developer Steve Case of Acropolis Realty, who has partnered on several Syracuse projects with Ryan Benz, visited Athens and loved the vibrancy of bookstores there.

Through a friend-of-a-friend, Case, Giampa and Benz brought those visions together. Parthenon Books opened last summer in a critical but fragile piece of Salina Street. While rumors about a chip plant had floated around for months, their decision was an unrelated exercise in faith, since the last major bookstore in downtown Syracuse closed decades ago.

Weve seen all the ups and downs, said Giampa, though she admits one up she could not anticipate involved billions in local investment by a semiconductor giant.

She and Case contemplated what Micron could mean from a table in their store the other day, while a few quiet customers drank coffee and poked around the stacks. With energy and imagination, the owners said, the bookstore could have worked downtown, Micron or not.

Even so, have they slept better over the last few nights?

You have no idea, Case said, on behalf of Syracuse.
New Yorks deplorable system of electing judges is on public display again as the November vote approaches, with two Republican candidates earning the lowest ranking from their own professional organization and one of them nonetheless cross-endorsed by both parties. Who cares about voters?

For the third election in a row, Republican Gerald J. Greenan III has been rated as not recommended for a State Supreme Court seat by the Erie County Bar Association. Despite that, the Erie County Democratic leaders agreed this year to endorse Greenans candidacy, all but guaranteeing the administrative law judge a victory.

In his 2020 race for a Supreme Court seat, Greenan said he did not even seek the Bar Associations rating, dismissing the judicial rating panel as a small committee of lawyers with political bias. That self-serving conclusion was offered free of evidence, a practice we hope does not follow him onto the bench.

Ill put my 31-year resume of being an effective legal advocate, Parole Board commissioner, general counsel and administrative law judge before the voters who will make the decision on Election Day, Greenan said then. Its a choice of the people, not the establishment.

That was true in 2020, when Greenan lost his race to Democrat Amy C. Martoche, who was rated well qualified. Its not true this year. In 2022, its the establishment making the choice. The people that Greenan valued last year are now only an unwanted afterthought.

The Republican Party this year also endorsed another candidate rated as not recommended, Joseph C. Lorigo, the minority leader of the Erie County Legislature. His campaign pushed back with a statement touting Lorigos resume but, like Greenan in 2020, took the opportunity to smear the committee.

The only people whose voices matter in electing judges are voters  not insiders who meet in secret and ignore the will of those voters, it said.

Judicial candidates are formally and appropriately restrained in how they can conduct a campaign. Its unfortunate, though, that some see fit to try to erode confidence in a group of professionals who are performing a legitimate public service.

Bar Association President Jill K. Bond said she is disappointed with the suggestion of a flawed process. While she said the organization does not divulge specifics, she described a system set up for fairness.

The rating panel is made up of 29 lawyers with no more than 14 from each major party, she said. In addition, two investigators from each party are assigned to a candidate, all of whom are evaluated on a variety of criteria, including integrity, experience, professional ability, education and temperament. The Bar Association reviews its procedures as needed, she said. This is no wild-eyed cabal seeking to impose a political agenda on the judiciary.

The panel gave its highest rating of outstanding to two Democratic incumbents  Tracey A. Bannister and Craig D. Hannah. Republicans had no problems with that, offering their cross-endorsement to both. It rated as well qualified Buffalo City Judge Shannon M. Heneghan  Lorigos Democratic opponent  and Boston Town Justice Kelly A. Vacco, a Republican who was cross-endorsed by Democrats.

The Bar Associations role in rating judicial candidates may be the only wholesome aspect of New Yorks otherwise disreputable system for electing judges. Would-be candidates feel pressure to contribute to the campaigns of party favorites. Bosses frequently decide who will win through the shady system of cross-endorsements, a practice endorsed by the U.S. Supreme Court as constitutional if not judicious.

Quoting Justice Thurgood Marshall, then-Justice John Paul Stevens observed of New Yorks system that constitutionality and wisdom are different matters: The Constitution does not prohibit legislatures from enacting stupid laws, he commented in a 2008 ruling.

Next month, New Yorks stupid law will ensure that one not qualified candidate will soon wear the robes of a State Supreme Court justice.

  

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.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, distinguished only by her disregard for, or complete ignorance of, the U.S. Constitution, is, de facto, at war with the Supreme Court. A pity that she has so little understanding of, and such great disdain for, that institution.

In her oath of office, she pledged to  support the Constitution of the United States, 

Yet, regarding New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, she tweeted, In the wake of the Supreme Courts reckless decision to reverse established law amid a national gun violence crisis, we acted decisively to keep New Yorkers safe. She described the courts decision as not just reckless, but reprehensible and frightful in its scope.

Her misconceptions include the actual role of the Court. If a law is unconstitutional, it is struck down, not reversed. Perhaps she would prefer that the Jim Crow laws remained enforceable by the individual states (see Guinn v. United States). She also apparently does not care to recognize other states established laws that prohibit abortions.

As to reckless and frightful in scope, imagine the governors ideal of no law-abiding citizen owning a handgun, let alone having a concealed carry permit.

With the defanging of police, the wimpy New York State bail laws, and diminished mandatory sentences for felonies, how are individuals to protect themselves? Will the governor send forth her Praetorian Guard to preserve the populace? Not bloody likely.

Her response to the Courts rulings conjures the vision of a petulant brat throwing herself in full tantrum onto the store aisle because Mummy wouldnt buy her a candy bar.

She needs a remedial civics course and to be sent to her room without supper, and neither elected governor, nor, as she evidently would prefer, crowned Empress of the Empire State.

Lee C. Broad

Depew
DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 26, 2022 /CNW/ -- Dubai Investment Fund (DIF) today announced the appointment of Maegan Vang, Patricia Olsen and Mark Otto as Executive Directors of Regional Operations, effective October 2022.

(PRNewsfoto/Dubai Investment FUND (DIF))

Maegan Vang is an accomplished Finance Director with a strong background in project management, bringing in 15 years' experience to DIF. She will oversee development and execution of the firm's long-term business strategy in New Zealand. Ms Wang will work closely with colleagues, clients, partners, and regulators alike while representing the firm's New Zealand capabilities to DIF's global client base.

Patricia Olsen will lead DIF's office in Czech Republic and investment management efforts in European economies for DIF 's current flagship Global Renewable Power strategy program in Europe.

Mark Otto will lead the Cyprus office, which is now DIF's newest operation. He has a solid track record in the financial market, including more than 10 years' experience as an investment manager.

Commenting on the appointment, Amir Shams, CEO of DIF, said, "New Zealand, Czech Republic and Cyprus is a strategic priority for us and we remain very engaged in pursuing our long-term strategy in this key markets. The appointment of Maegan Vang, Patricia Olsen and Mark Otto underscores our commitment to leverage DIF's experience and expertise to be part of a solution in asset management industry in these regions."

DIF's expansion to new offices in other countries will not only provide the company with more business opportunities, but will also contribute to a more stable and secure global economy through internationalization and diversification.

About Dubai Investment Fund (DIF)

Established in 2001, the Dubai Investment Fund (DIF) is one of the world's largest independent investment and asset management companies founded to effectively manage financial resources through diversification into new asset classes. DIF engages in private equity, investment and asset management for 7,300+ private and institutional investors in 61 countries with $320+ billion in assets under management. The DIF's structure is designed to operate at the highest levels of global investment. As a world-class investor and asset manager, DIF adheres to the strictest financial and commercial disciplines and has extensive experience investing in a range of economic sectors and various asset classes in all major global markets.

Story continues

For additional information on DIF, please visit www.dif.ae

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1906302/Dubai_Investment_FUND_Logo.jpg

Cision

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SOURCE Dubai Investment FUND (DIF)

Cision

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Maine in books (The Independent)

Maine is the most isolated slice of the continental United States. Its a place that stretches so far north it forms a peninsula into Canada, and so far east that its where the country comes closest to brushing Europe. And yet Maines frigid landscapes and cloistered small towns occupy a conspicuously outsized space in American fiction. The population of the state has hovered just above a relatively minuscule million people for almost 50 years, but in the last two decades its rough shores, tall pines, and one-horse towns have inspired three winners of the Pulitzer Prize: Richard Russos Empire Falls (2002), Elizabeth Strouts Olive Kitteridge (2009), and Paul Hardings elegiac novel of loss, Tinkers (2010).

Maine is a place where the wind keens through packed forests. Snow accumulates by the side of the road into mounds as tall as houses. You could go as far back as Henry David Thoreaus obsessively observed 1864 nature essay The Maine Woods to find crystalline depictions of the state, but really theres no need. Maine, and its relentless topography, is everywhere in fiction. Think of The Cider House Rules and John Irvings patients rendering of the map, from inland mountains which slide into unfarmed valleys which give way to the bright Maine sea. Atmospheric bestsellers, like Christina Baker Klines haunted Orphan Train and Anita Shreves The Weight of Water, with its misty sea that steamed like a bath. And most notably, Stephen King, the bard of a supernatural Maine in which the impossible feels inevitable.

This year I found myself back in Maine, on my lifelong literary road trip. It forms the backdrop to three new books: Lucy by the Sea, Strouts nuanced return to the deep north, Morgan Taltys beautifully raw debut story collection Night of the Living Rez, and Hokuloa Road, Elizabeth Hands incandescently creepy mystery about a Maine man who trades life in the middle of nowhere for Hawaii. What I found within their pages were three distinct places, separated according to their protagonists age, class, and conditions, but all enamoured and afraid of their own remoteness.

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Its Maines far-offness that drives the plot in Lucy by the Sea, Strouts pandemic novel about an ageing duo from New York City who head north in the hopes of avoiding the deadly coronavirus. Professional writer Lucy and her ex-husband, William, will be familiar to readers of Strouts previous novels, My Name is Lucy Barton (2016) and Oh William! (2021). In her latest, Maine is a refuge  not the real world, but a buffer that the pair are trying to put between themselves and where theyve come from.

Upon her arrival in the town of Crosby  invented, but evocative of Maines sleepy coastal towns with their craggy shores (and also the hometown of Strouts other heroine, Olive Kitteridge)  Lucy is greeted by drabness that suits her melancholy. Everything looked really brown and bleak, and yet in a way that was interesting: There were many different shades of brown in the grasses that we passed by; there was a quietness to this, Strout writes. Her Maine is imbued with a sense of sturdy permanence: the ocean surrounds Lucy on both sides of the road; the seaweed lay wavy-like on the rocks; and the weather remained cold, bleak. The novel is punctuated by loss  there are deaths, divorces, miscarriages  but also reconciliation. Maine holds still for Strouts characters, cradling them while they reflect.

Two New Yorkers escape to Maine during the pandemic in Elizabeth Strouts Lucy by the Sea (Getty)

Its a sympathetic relationship between person and place that couldnt be more distinct from the Maine in Taltys stories, set on the Penobscot Indian Nation reservation where the author was raised. His Maine is kinetic, aggressive, and ferociously present-tense. In Burn, the story that starts the collection, protagonist Dee is forced to cut off a friends long braid after he falls asleep outside and it becomes frozen into the snow. Like Lucy, Night of the Living Rez is about the hardness of life  addiction, runaway children, and infant loss all feature  but in Taltys cocksure, angry prose, Maine is an additional source of pressure. Where Strouts seaweed lay wavy-like, Taltys sharp pine trees clutter and lean into each other (not unlike Kings in It: the trees, mostly firs, were thick, growing everywhere, battling each other). In another story, the thick, wet rain plays a role in a violent car crash. Maine has all the destructive force of an antagonist, but none of the remorse. For those on the reservation, the landscape is as breathtakingly beautiful as it is hard to endure.

Hokuloa Road offers the most surprising rendering of all: Maine in the rear-view mirror, a memory that informs a characters experience of elsewhere. Working-class Grady arrives on a fictional Hawaiian island in the hopes of fleeing the dead-end monotony of mid-pandemic Maine, but the results are disappointing to him. The few houses Grady saw were modest. Cinder-block rectangles, modular homes Hed flown halfway around the world to find himself surrounded by the same frigging s*** hed grown up with. The place seems imprinted upon him.

Theres a versatility to Maine  an edge-of-the-world outpost mysterious enough to accommodate opposing metaphors of homecoming, stasis, and escape

The version of Maine that prevails in each of these books exists at the nexus of a characters personal history. Strouts Lucy and William have the money to travel north in pursuit of safety; with construction work paused, Grady takes a job in Hawaii to survive the same event, someplace far from home. The brutality of Dees Maine is entirely separate from the elite coastal towns where New Yorkers have second homes  and yet they sit side by side. Theres a versatility to Maine  an edge-of-the-world outpost mysterious enough to accommodate opposing metaphors of homecoming, stasis, and escape.

But Maines more than a parlour trick. All three of these new novels capture the states impressionistic force, the sense that the landscape can shape lives. Its a quality that, we know from Thoreaus wanderings, predates the fiction it has inspired.

Who shall describe the inexpressible tenderness and immortal life of the grim forest, where Nature, though it be midwinter, is ever in her spring? the transcendentalist wrote in the late 1840s after months spent exploring. Struggling to describe Maine literally, he instead describes the feel of it: What a place to live, what a place to die and be buried in! There certainly men would live forever, and laugh at death and the grave.

Or, as Hand puts it in elegant, wistful understatement: Maybe Maine was the real world after all.
(Bloomberg) -- Livspace, a home interiors and renovation platform backed by KKR & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., is setting aside $100 million for acquisitions to fuel expansion across India, Singapore, Malaysia and the Middle East.

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The Singapore-based startup is in active discussions with eight to nine companies as it hunts for assets that would help the company generate growth and accelerate its path to profitability, Livspace Chief Executive Officer Anuj Srivastava said.

This is our strategy to expand the market size and the profitability profile of the company, Srivastava said in a joint interview with Ankit Shah, a former Goldman Sachs executive director who joined Livspace as chief strategy officer earlier this year. Its consolidation strategy will help put Livspace on clear path to profitability for our core business over the next 12 to 18 months, the CEO said.

The move comes after Livspace raised $180 million in a funding round that valued the company at more than $1 billion. The Series F round was led by KKR and drew in existing investors including Ikea-parent Ingka Group Investments, Jungle Ventures, Venturi Partners and Peugeot Investments.

Of the potential targets, Livspace is likely to end up acquiring about three to four companies, rather than taking a small stake in a bunch of companies, the two executives said.

Our plan is to do less but do it well, said Shah, who will spearhead the companys acquisition efforts. It gives us more opportunity to truly act as a consolidation platform and acquire some of these capabilities in a strategic way.

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Mostafa El-Abbadi is celebrated in todays Google Doodle (Google Doodle)

Google is celebrating Mostafa El-Abbadi with a Google Doodle on what would have been the Egyptian historians 94th birthday.

The historian and professor was an expert on the ancient Library of Alexandria in Egypt, and is credited with opening a modern version of the building.

Todays Google Doodle features an illustration of the late professor reading a book alongside an image of the ancient library.

But who was the Egyptian historian and why is he being celebrated today?

Who is Mostafa El-Abbadi?

El-Abbadi was born on October 10, 1928, in Cairo, Egypt. His father, as the founder of the College of Letters and Arts at the University of Alexandria, sparked his interest in academia at an early age.

He graduated from the University of Alexandria at 22, earning a scholarship from the Egyptian government to attend the University of Cambridge, where he studied under distinguished historians.

El-Abbadi earned a doctorate in ancient history before returning to the University of Alexandria as a professor of Greco-Roman studies.

He became a leading authority on the Library of Alexandria, which was the first universal library built in ancient Egypt, and held around half-a-million books from countries around the world.

His academic work on the library included the study Life and Fate of the Ancient Library of Alexandria in 1990, as well as an Encyclopdia Britannica entry on the Library of Alexandria.

A bridge leading to the entrance of the newly completed Alexandria Library at the University of Alexandria in 2002, restoring the library founded by Ptolemy II in 295 BC to its past glory (Norbert Schiller/Getty Images)

The historian later convinced the Egyptian government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to establish a modern recreation of the ancient library and, after 15 years of construction, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened in 2002.

The library houses more than eight million books across seven floors, and features four museums plus a planetarium.

With the founding of the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the ancient experiment has come full circle, wrote the professor in 2004.

El-Abbadi was also the president of the Archaeological Society of Alexandria and received the Order of the Nile, Egypts highest state of honor.

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The historian was married to Azza Kararah, a professor of English literature at the University of Alexandria, who had earned her doctorate at Cambridge in 1955.

He died in 2017 at the age of 88, following his wifes death in 2015.

They are survived by two children: a daughter, Dr Mohga El-Abbadi, and a son, Amr El-Abaddi, a professor at the University of California.
(Bloomberg) --

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Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for the explosion that damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge, which was built to link Crimea to Russia after he declared the peninsulas annexation from Ukraine in 2014. The Russian president called a meeting of his Security Council for Monday.

A fireball that engulfed the bridge on Saturday caused extensive damage, signaling another blow to Putins war effort in Ukraine as his troops struggle to hold back a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Russia said train traffic across the bridge has resumed.

A dozen Russian missile strikes on apartment buildings and other targets in Zaporizhzhia killed at least 12 civilians and injured dozens more.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

Eight Years of Fighting Hardened Ukraines Army Into a Winner

Putin to Meet Top Officials as Crimea Bridge Blast Hits Prestige

Russia Races to Reopen Key Crimea Bridge Damaged in Fiery Blast

Putin Orders Sakhalin-1 Project Transferred to Russian Entity

NATO Once Feared a Putin Victory; Now It Worries Over His Defeat

On the Ground

Russia struck residential buildings and civil infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia again overnight, with dozens dead or injured. Representatives of the Russian occupying authorities in Luhansk and in Nova Kakhovka in the vicinity of Kherson have reportedly taken their families to Crimea amid advances by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian troops pushed forward further in Luhansk, moving toward the strategic town of Svatove, the regions military administration said Sunday on Telegram. The army liberated seven villages, it said.

(All times CET)

Zelenskiy Condemns Russian Attacks on Civilians (10:30 p.m.)

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at least 43 civilians were killed and hundreds of families left homeless since Oct. 3 by Russian missile attacks on residential areas in Zaporizhzhia. He renewed his calls for Ukraines allies to step up deliveries of air-defense systems.

The constant terror against the civilian population is an obvious Russian refusal to engage in real negotiations, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

One apartment building was destroyed by a Russian Kh-22 air-launched antiship missile, he said.

Putin Blames Ukraine for Bridge Explosion (7:20 p.m.)

President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraines secret services for the blast that damaged the bridge linking Crimea and the Russian mainland, calling it a terrorist attack.

Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of Russias Investigative Commission, told Putin that Russian and foreign citizens assisted Ukraine in preparing the explosion, according to a transcript on the Kremlins website.

While Ukrainian officials havent claimed responsibility, the countrys postal service commemorated the explosion within hours with a new stamp. Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian government adviser, renewed his sides description of Russia as a terrorist state later Sunday.

Biden and Scholz Discuss Energy, Condemn Russia (6:30 p.m.)

US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Russian actions in Ukraine and discussed energy markets, including the importance of securing sustainable and affordable supplies, according to a White House statement.

The two leaders, during an almost hourlong call on Sunday, denounced Moscows latest threats of nuclear escalation as irresponsible and agreed that such a step would have serious consequences for Russia, according to a German government readout. Both condemned Russias attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory and pledged to maintain assistance to Ukraine.

IAEAs Grossi Says Zaporizhzhia Power Plant Back on Grid (6:10 p.m.)

Europes largest nuclear plant has been reconnected to the grid after losing its off-site power in recent days, which forced it to use backup power, the head of the UNs atomic safety agency said.

The move is a temporary relief in a still untenable situation, Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Twitter. Grossi plans to travel soon to Russia and then back to Ukraine in his bid to establish a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia plant.

White House Says US Nuclear Posture Unchanged (4:44 p.m.)

The US has no indication that Putin has decided to use nuclear weapons despite his threats and battlefield losses, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Nor have we seen anything that would give us pause to reconsider our own strategic nuclear posture, he said on ABCs This Week on Sunday.

Kirbys comments reaffirm those by other US officials that no fresh intelligence led to President Joe Bidens warning last week that Putins nuclear threats could lead to Armageddon.

Read more: White House Says US Nuclear Posture Unchanged Over Putin Threats

Russia Says Another Ferry in Operation for Crimea Transit (4:11 p.m.)

The Lavrentiy ferry has arrived to the Black Sea port of Kerch to assist with passenger and car shipments after Saturdays blast temporarily stopped traffic at the Crimea bridge, Russias Transport Ministry said in a statement. Another ferry started operating earlier on Sunday and the ministry said its considering bringing in more vessels.

Putin to Gather Security Council on Monday, RIA Reports (2:43 p.m.)

The reason for the gathering wasnt immediately announced, but will come two days after the damage to the Crimea-Russia bridge. The council is composed of top state officials and the heads of Russias defense and security agencies, charged with coordinating national security matters.

Putin last had a meeting with the Security Council nearly two weeks ago, to discuss his order for partial mobilization in Russia. In September he met members of the Council four times, according to Kremlin data.

Russia Says Trains Moving Again Over Damaged Crimea Bridge (11:33 a.m.)

Movement of passenger and freight trains across the sole bridge from Crimea to Russias mainland is back on, Russias transportation ministry said on Telegram.

It is almost certain that some vehicle transits via the other two carriageways have resumed, but capacity will be seriously degraded, the UK Defence Ministry said in a Twitter update.

Germany Finalizes New Aid Package for Ukraine: Spiegel (11:30 a.m.)

The German government has put together another package to support Ukraine, to the tune of 11 million euros ($10.7 million), according to Der Spiegel.

The aid package, which includes winter clothing, heatable crew tents, mobile power generators and food packages, follows a request for winter equipment from Kyiv. Berlin wants to deliver the equipment as quickly as possible, Der Spiegel reported.

Zelenskiy Says Air Defense is Ukraines Top Priority (9:19 a.m.)

Ukraine is seeking anti-aircraft systems from its partners as soon as possible as Moscows forces steps up attacks on its cities and towns with missiles fired from airplanes, President Vladimir Zelenskiy said Saturday.

It is one of the highest priorities for our diplomats to speed up the decision of our partners to provide Ukraine with modern and effective anti-aircraft systems, Zelenskiy said in his nightly address to the nation.

His comments came hours before Russian jets fired at least a dozen missiles at the city of Zaporizhzhia overnight. Ukraines military said on Twitter that having such anti-missile systems could have prevented such tragedies.

EU to Train Up to 15,000 Ukrainians This Winter: Welt (9 a.m.)

The EU agreed to a new training mission for Ukraine, and plans to train as many as 15,000 of Kyivs troops in EU countries this winter, the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reports.

Operational headquarters will be located in Poland and Germany, with an initial mandate of two years. The EU also plans to massively expand military aid to Ukraine within the next months, according to Welt.

Ukraine Calls on Belarus to Resist Russian Provocations (8:30 a.m.)

Ukraines foreign ministry said its ambassador to Belarus was summoned on Saturday night to a meeting where officials accused Kyiv of planning a strike against the territory of Russias ally.

We categorically reject another insinuation of the Belarusian regime, Ukraines ministry said in a statement. We do not rule out that the handed diplomatic note is part of a Russian Federation provocation plan. Ukraine called on Belarus not to succumb to provocations.

Two missiles were launched by Russian jets from Belarusian air space last week for the first time since late August. They hit the area near Shepetivka in central Ukraine, hundreds of miles from the eastern and southeastern front lines.

Russian Strikes on Zaporizhzhia Kill Multiple Civilians (8 a.m.)

Moscows troops hit civilian targets in Zaporizhzhia overnight in an airplane missile attack, killing at least 17 people in dozens of apartment buildings, city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev said on Telegram. Other estimates put the toll at 12 dead so far. Dozens more were hospitalized. At least five homes were also destroyed and dozens damaged. Ukraines state security service has opened a probe into attack.

Ukraines regional military administration said Russia used planes to attack the city, firing 12 missiles. Some infrastructure and many cars were also damaged.

Zaporizhzhia has been under heavy attack from Russian in recent weeks. Its part of one of four regions illegally annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Read more: Russia Escalates Strike on Southeast City as Ukrainians Advance

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Elon Musk. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Officials are pushing back on Elon Musk's proposed solutions to China-Taiwan tensions and the Ukraine war.

In a recent interview, he suggested making Taiwan a special administrative zone, similar to Hong Kong.

Neither Taiwanese nor Chinese officials appeared pleased by the billionaire's advice.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has weighed in on some of the world's most complex geopolitical and military conflicts this week, from China-Taiwan tensions to the war in Ukraine.

But the unsolicited advice has earned the billionaire pushback from nearly everyone involved.

In an interview with the Financial Times published Friday, Musk said the conflict between Taiwan and China could be resolved by making the island a "special administrative zone" similar to Hong Kong, noting that such an arrangement "probably won't make everyone happy."

The statement quickly angered Taiwanese officials, with one legislator threatening to boycott Tesla if Musk continues to advocate for the proposal, Taiwan News reported Saturday. Other officials argued that due to Musk's business interests in China, the tech mogul cannot maintain an objective view on the conflict.

"It is understandable that Musk must cooperate with him in order to do business. But now the world is more concerned about how to ensure Taiwan's democracy, human rights and freedoms," Luo Zhizheng, secretary-general of the Legislative Yuan of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, said, per the outlet.

The Chinese government also pushed back, calling Musk's comment "inappropriate," Taiwan News reported separately on Saturday. A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said "the Taiwan issue is China's domestic politics," adding that the government will "resolutely suppress interference by foreign forces," according to the state-run outlet CCTV News.

It's a less extreme reaction compared to those of Ukrainian officials, who blasted Musk's plan for peace between Russian and Ukraine. The billionaire tweeted his thoughts on Monday in the form of a poll.

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.

In response, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Andrij Melnyk, tweeted, "Fuck off is my very diplomatic reply to you."

On Friday, the world's richest man said he's "trying to do the right thing" in regards to the war in Ukraine. Musk's SpaceX company has delivered 15,000 Starlink kits to Ukraine following Russia's invasion, a project that Musk says has already cost SpaceX $80 million.

Read the original article on Business Insider
What was once largely a military parade has now become a cultural celebration

Taiwan today is marking "Double Ten" or 10 October, the self-ruled island's national day.

The annual celebration is especially significant this year - tensions with Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory are at an all-time high; and China's leader Xi Jinping, who has been particularly vocal about "re-unification", is set to get a third term at a historic Communist Party meeting next week.

Ironically 10 October has nothing to do with Taiwan or any moment in its history. It, in fact, marks the day in 1911, when an uprising began in Wuchang in central China that eventually led to the collapse of the last imperial dynasty - and the establishment of the Republic of China.

So why is Taiwan celebrating the day? Because the island's official name is still The Republic of China on Taiwan. The flags flying across Taipei today are still of the white sun on a blue and red background.

It's a peculiar legacy of the Chinese civil war. In 1949 the defeated nationalist regime of Chiang Kai-shek fled across the Taiwan strait to Taipei. For decades Chiang held Taiwan in an iron grip, while continuing to proclaim his regime "the true democratic government of Free China".

Today all of this seems slightly absurd - and for so many Taiwanese, especially the younger generation, it is.

Hanny Hsian, a 38-year-old flight attendant who lives in Taipei with her American husband and two children, typifies that change.

"My grandparents are from China and they're still Chinese patriots," Hanny says. "But for me, I was born and raised in Taiwan, I have no doubt that I am Taiwanese. China is not our motherland. China never owned Taiwan. Some people escaped from China to Taiwan. But that doesn't mean they own this island."

Hanny is far from alone. One poll in 2020 showed more than half of Taiwanese support full independence, although others show its more like a third. Opinion polls this year suggest that 70% to 80% of people here now consider themselves "Taiwanese". That is a significant increase from a decade ago, when around half the population still said they were "Chinese".

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This trend has not gone unnoticed in Beijing, and it is retaliating.

Since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed here in August there's been a lot of talk about how long it could be until China invades Taiwan. What's less talked about is the economic squeeze already under way.

Mota Lin (L) and City Chen are proud of Taiwan's transformation into an open society

China is a massive market for Taiwan, particularly for its food industry. Drive along the southwest coast, just south of Tainan, and it's hard to tell where the land ends and the sea begins. Vast areas of farmland have been turned into huge saltwater ponds. It's not pretty but beneath the surface of the muddy ponds lies treasure.

Su Guo-zhen is emptying bucketloads of sardines into one of his ponds. The water is foaming as dozens of huge fish thrash and jostle to get to the food. These are Grouper - there are hundreds of them in Su's pond.

"I wouldn't put your foot in the water!" he says, chuckling. "They're extremely territorial and very aggressive".

They are also very expensive. On the tables of Shanghai and Beijing, a fully grown Grouper can fetch $2,000 (1,250). Until this summer around 80% of the Grouper raised in Taiwan went to China. Now it's down to zero.

"China is the best market for these fish" Su says. "They eat them at banquets and celebrations. It's very popular."

But since China banned imports in June, he adds, mainland buyers have stopped ordering from Taiwan, raising fears of a crash in prices.

Su, however, says there has been a change in attitude: "Older fish farmers like me are nervous. But young farmers are not worried. They think, fine if China doesn't buy, we will sell to other markets around the world which have Chinese populations."

Su's daughter and son-in-law are now doing just that, marketing his Grouper in Singapore, San Francisco, and Vancouver. Taiwan's pineapple farmers are shipping this year's crop to Japan.

It's a hard transition. Like Europe's dependence on Russian gas, Taiwan's over-reliance on China's vast market has made it vulnerable.

Su Guo-zhen says China's economic squeeze is forcing Taiwan to seek new markets

But if Beijing thought economic pressure on Taiwan would work, it appears to have backfired.

One poll in 2020 showed that around half of the island's population now supports formal independence, even under threat of attack from China, although others show its closer to a third. A poll last year showed 75% of Taiwanese say they would fight a Chinese invasion.

This growing sense of identity is accompanied by a growing sense of pride in Taiwan's own story - of its hard-won democracy and its remarkable transformation into one of Asia's most open societies.

To them, the threat from China is not just a threat to Taiwan's political leadership. It's a threat to all the rights and freedoms its people enjoy.

It's the only place in Asia where gay marriage is legal.

"Being gay used to be something you kept under the table," says Mota Lin. "But now we are out in the open. And people's attitudes have changed now that the government has accepted and recognised us."

She lives in southern Taipei with her partner City Chen and their adorable two-year-old daughter Lin-chen. The apartment's walls are covered with family photos. The floor is a jumble of toys. The unalloyed joy of these two young women at becoming parents is infectious. City is now pregnant with their second baby.

She is the younger of the two, and more passionate about her Taiwanese identity. Anger flashes across her eyes at a question about the threat to Taiwan from China.

"We are an independent, sovereign state" she says. "If China wants to take Taiwan, it will have to stage a war, like Russia in Ukraine. If war comes our priority will be the safety of family. So, we may have to leave."

It's an awful possibility. But for Mota Lin, City Chjen, Su Guo-zhen, Hanny Hsian and the other 23 million people of Taiwan, the stakes could not be higher.

Over the last three decades, they have created something rather extraordinary here. It is something they can justly and proudly celebrate today. And it's something they have no intention of giving up, whatever the threats from Beijing.
(Bloomberg) -- A second Australian business owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. was found to have suffered a cyberattack, compounding the data-security crisis at the company amid the huge data breach at mobile-phone operator Optus.

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A hack on technology consulting company Dialog, which SingTel bought earlier this year, may have seen data on fewer than 20 clients and 1,000 current and former staff accessed, according to a Dialog statement issued by SingTel on Monday. Dialog discovered on Oct. 7 that a very small sample of its data, including personal employee information, had been published on the so-called Dark Web. The attack itself took place almost a month earlier, on Sept. 10, Dialog said Monday.

A second hack at a SingTel-owned business raises questions about cybersecurity at the broader group, the timeliness of breach disclosures, and whether the Singapore parent is being deliberately targeted.

Optus, another Australian subsidiary of SingTel, last month revealed a vast security breach had exposed details of 9.8 million former and current customers in one of the countrys biggest-ever hacks. More than 2 million people had identity document numbers compromised, triggering concerns about widescale financial fraud.

Read more: Giant Optus Hack May Swallow a Quarter of Singtel Profits

A subsidiary of SingTel, NCS, announced the acquisition of Dialog in March for A$325 million ($207 million). Dialogs systems are completely independent from those of SingTel, NCS and Optus, and theres no evidence that the two recent incidents are linked, SingTel said.

According to Dialogs website, the firms clients include some of Australias biggest and best-known companies. They include National Australia Bank Ltd. and airline Virgin Australia, as well as several state and federal government departments.

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We are doing our utmost to address the situation and, as a precaution, we are actively engaging with potentially impacted stakeholders to share information, support and advice, Dialog said in its statement.

The hacks threaten to become an expensive lapse for the Singapore company. Optus is already paying for replacement drivers licenses and passports, and total costs including bills and fines could stretch into hundreds of millions of dollars, according to some estimates.

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Press Release

October 10, 2022 NANCY CALLS FOR LIFTING OF COVID ONE-HEALTH-PASS Senator Nancy Binay has called for the lifting of the One Health Pass (OHP) amid mounting complaints from travelers over the inconvenience of the screening system. "Dapat i-lift na natin ang One Health Pass dahil hindi na rin ito nagiging praktikal at mas nagiging inconvenient ito para sa nakararami. Mas malaking hassle sa ating mga OFW at balikbayan dahil dagdag na screening kahit quarantine-cleared at kumpleto sila sa bakuna at boosters. From the tourism lens, we might be turning away potential guests because of this added bureaucratic layer whose effectiveness isn't even guaranteed," said Binay. The chair of the Senate committee on tourism said that the Department of Tourism and other agencies should look into simplifying the processes that visitors have to undergo as the tourism industry looks to recover from the pandemic. Foremost among this, she said, is the OHP, which the Bureau of Quarantine and Department of Transportation implement to process the mandatory health protocols and quarantine requirements of international travelers. The senator said that overseas Filipino workers have been complaining that the process of verifying the OHP has led to long lines in the country's airports. She added that besides the risk of data breaches, the OHP has also been the subject of scams, with the government repeatedly issuing warnings against websites demanding payment to issue fake passes. "Minsan, nakakatulong din naman na sumunod tayo sa trends. Other countries, even our ASEAN neighbors, are already liberalizing and rationalizing their entry processes. If they come from cities that have a high vaccination rate, there is no reason why we must be stricter, especially against other countries that have better vaccination rates than us," said Binay. Thailand and Vietnam have fully reopened its borders and do not require proof of vaccination or testing, while Singapore requires tourists to be fully vaccinated for at least two weeks. Binay said that if the government still sees the need to issue the pass, it should immediately address inefficiencies and improve the accessibility and interface of the website. The DOT reported that as of October 1, the country has tallied more than 1.62 million tourists since February. Last year, a mere 163,879 tourists arrived, an 88.95 percent drop from the 1.48 million tourist arrivals in 2020.
Champions League group stage action returns this week with six British teams looking to come out on top on matchday four.

Liverpool travel to Glasgow for their second leg with Rangers, while Celtic host RB Leipzig across town.

Manchester City fly to Copenhagen, with Chelsea paying a visit to Milan and Spurs hosting Eintracht Frankfurt.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how the British teams opponents have fared lately.

Eintracht Frankfurt

The Europa League title-holders played out a goalless first-leg draw with Spurs last week and sit eighth in the German Bundesliga. They are looking to bounce back from Saturdays 3-0 league defeat to VfL Bochum, but walked away with a 2-0 win over Union Berlin the week prior despite going down to 10 men in the second half. Oliver Glasners side dropped their first group stage meeting with Sporting 3-0 but picked up a 1-0 win over Marseille.

Rangers

Antonio Colak scored a brace in Rangers weekend win (Steve Welsh/PA)

The second-placed Scottish Premiership side have had a difficult run in Group A so far, dropping contests with Ajax, Napoli and Liverpool, conceding nine goals whilst scoring none. They are in solid league form, however, with three consecutive wins, including Saturdays 4-0 victory over St Mirren which benefitted from an Antonio Colak brace.

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Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp has overseen two wins from three group games (PA)

The Reds might have walked away with the 2-0 first-leg win, but that scoreline bucks a potentially worrisome trend for Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool have scored more than one goal just once when facing Scottish teams away in the Champions League. The FA Cup holders are looking to regroup after dropping a tough 3-2 battle to Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday. They have managed two wins from three group stage matches so far, taking three points from Ajax after their 4-1 loss to Napoli.

RB Leipzig

Marco Roses side have picked up points across both the Bundesliga and Champions League in recent outings, on Saturday splitting the points in a 1-1 domestic draw with Mainz and defeating Celtic 3-1 in their first Group F encounter, two of those goals coming through Portugal international Andre Silva. Their other two continental clashes, against Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid, both ended in losses.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen dropped a 5-0 contest with Manchester City in their last Group G meeting (Martin Rickett/PA)

Copenhagen sit seventh in the Danish Superliga table, walking away with another point on Saturday in a 1-1 draw with Nordsjaelland. They dropped their first Group G match 3-0 to Borussia Dortmund before drawing 0-0 with Sevilla on matchday two. Their Last meeting with Manchester City ended in a 5-0 loss, thanks in part to a brace from Erling Haaland.

AC Milan

Stefano Piolis men are in fine form in Serie A with four wins from their last five fixtures. They enter Tuesdays contest fresh from a 2-0 win over Juventus and sit in fourth place in the domestic table, just three points off the pace of league leaders Napoli. Their Group E results so far have been a mixed bag, beginning with a 1-1 draw to RB Salzburg before beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-1 and falling 3-0 to Chelsea in their last outing.
The targets wont be confined to Ukraine. In his declaration of a new conflict with the West in his rant at the rally on September 30th, Putin was acknowledging a new phase of hybrid warfare. His targets are likely to be global.

Everything is a weapon and everywhere is the battleground, says Christopher Donnelly, doyen of analysts of Russia and the Soviet Union, describing the new mode of asymetric warfare. A dozen mysterious attacks or interferences with infrastructure systems, involving anything from gas pipelines in the North Sea and the Baltic, underwater cables and communications, and the outage of the systems management of a food distribution centre in Texas.

The explosions that holed the two main Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia just off the Baltic island of Bornholm are now thought to have been sabotage. They were most likely caused either by mines on a time fuse, or remotely detonated, or due to direct attack from Russian sabotage squads.

Russia has a dedicated underwater commando, run by the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, known as GUGI, which operates independently within Moscows defence ministry, and has links to the main security service, the FSB. Gugi has a specialist surveillance ship the Yantar, and uses two submarine mother ships. In turn they can launch minisubs for survey and sabotage operations.

Who is Vladimir Putin?

The Yantar has been active in the English Channel, and its recent appearance in waters where vital transatlantic cables and pipelines come ashore has caused Irelands defence ministry to raise the alarm. So too has Norways government, concerned about increased Russian spying, including drone overflights, round its main gas terminals and command centres at Karste and Kolisnes. Norway has reported a mysterious disappearance of lengths of communication cable from its waters.

Britain is being urged to be more vigilant in safeguarding its offshore oil and gas facilities, and to increase patrols by submarines, surface ships and surveillance aircraft.

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GUGI command is based at Olenya Bay near Murmansk in the Arctic. There they are in charge of the trial programme for Russias Poseidon ballistic nuclear torpedo, carried by their newest submarine, the Belogrod. The submarine was last tracked in the Barents Sea, and has since been lost to Western trackers.

The spread of Putins new version of hybrid warfare has made resilience a number one priority for Nato and allied forces. Recently Policy Exchange, the leading Conservative think tank, reported that the worlds undersea cable networks comprise 213 independent cable systems, fibre-optic lines stretching for 545,018 miles. They carry 97% of global communications, including financial transactions of $10 trillion a day.

Western security and intelligence forces are having to rethink resilience drills to protect vital infrastructure, home and abroad  very quickly. This weekend overhead cables on German railways have been sabotaged. The UK is to send more patrols to North Sea platforms and terminals.

The world was surprised in 2014 with Putins annexation by stealth of Crimea by teams of little green men, military infiltrators. The threat now is of little blue men, the saboteur underwater commandos of the GUGI command  a far more lethal force.
Groupe WSP Global Inc.

MONTREAL, Sept. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSP Global Inc. (TSX: WSP) ("WSP" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of the Environment & Infrastructure business ("E&I") of John Wood Group plc ("Wood"), through a sale and purchase agreement (the "Acquisition"). E&I provides engineering, remediation consulting, environmental permitting, inspection, monitoring, and environmental management services to government, industrial, infrastructure, oil and gas, power, water, and mining clients. E&Is 6,000 professionals are based in some 100 offices in over ten countries, mainly in the US, Canada, and the UK, with a secondary presence in Latin America and Europe.



We are pleased to welcome E&Is 6,000 professionals into the WSP family and are excited to create a strong market leader from two respected organizations with bold ambitions. Joining forces will allow us to offer our clients expanded world-class multidisciplinary services while bringing new solutions and enhanced value. This transaction will also enable us to further seize opportunities in the fast-growing environmental and water sectors, said Alexandre LHeureux, WSPs President and Chief Executive Officer.

Aligned with our Global Strategic Action Plan, this acquisition, along with our other recently announced transactions, will contribute to the achievement of our strategic ambitions while expanding our geographical range and adding expertise in key sectors. This will create even greater momentum as we future-proof our cities and our environment, he added.

We are excited to join a world-leading consulting firm, where our combined expertise will add value for our clients through strengthened service capability, global reach and deep portfolio of technical experts. Together with WSP, we will be a unique advisor and provider for clients across all sectors and services, and the aspirations of our people for a more sustainable future have room to grow. We are now an industry leader at a time when environmental and infrastructure needs are a global priority, said Joe Sczurko, Executive President of E&I Consulting.

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The aggregate cash consideration payable in connection with the Acquisition is approximately US$1.801 billion (approximately C$2.40 billion), subject to adjustments. The Acquisition and other related transaction costs were financed using a US$1.801 billion term credit facility with various tenors of up to five years in length.

ABOUT WSP

As one of the world's leading professional services firms, WSP exists to future-proof our cities and our environment. We provide strategic advisory, engineering, and design services to clients in the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, power, energy, water, mining and resource sectors. Our 63,000 trusted professionals are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity and inclusion. Sustainability and science permeate our work. WSP derived about half of its $10.3B (CAD) 2021 revenues from clean sources. The Corporation's shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WSP). To find out more, please visit www.wsp.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains information or statements that are or may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this press release, the words may, will, should, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, forecast, project, intend, target, potential, continue or the negative of these terms or terminology of a similar nature as they relate to the Corporation, an affiliate of the Corporation or the combined firm following the Acquisition, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, those information and statements related to the Acquisition, the new term credit facility, the expected benefits of the Acquisition, and the Corporation's future growth, results of operations, performance business, prospects and opportunities, the expected synergies to be realized and certain expected financial ratios. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and may be based on assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties relating to the following: the possible failure to realize anticipated benefits of the Acquisition, the integration of the E&I business, the loss of certain key personnel of E&I, the possible failure to achieve the anticipated synergies, increased indebtedness, transitional risk, potential undisclosed costs or liabilities associated with the Acquisition, the reliance on information provided by E&I, change of control and other similar provisions and fees, the nature of acquisitions, the fact that the combined firm will continue to face the same risks that the Corporation currently faces, potential litigation and other factors discussed or referred to in the Risk Factors section of WSP's Managements Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2021, and WSP's Managements Discussion and Analysis for the six-month period ended July 2, 2022 (together, the MD&As), which are available under WSPs profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The foregoing list is not exhaustive and other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have a material adverse effect on the performance or results of WSP or E&I. WSP's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. For additional information on this cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements as well as a description of the relevant assumptions and risk factors likely to affect WSP's actual or projected results, reference is made to the MD&As, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and except as required under applicable securities laws, WSP does not undertake to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether written or verbal, that may be made from time to time by itself or on its behalf, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Alain Michaud

Chief Financial Officer

WSP Global Inc.

alain.michaud@wsp.com

Phone: 438-843-7317




A politician cant necessarily count on support from his or her own hometown.

Donald Trump proved this, gaining less than 10% of Manhattans votes in both his presidential bids. Al Gore showed it in 2000, losing Tennessee, where he and his father both served as Senators. But one local man is hoping to buck such trends.

Connecticut gubernatorial candidate Rob Hotaling, a proud Cheshire resident heading up the Independent Party ticket, thinks he makes a strong case for Cheshire votes. Hotaling, who is also a bank vice-president, tech entrepreneur, and father, is convinced that he can win voters over with his message of political moderation and economic common sense, promoting big ideas, not big bank accounts.

Cheshire as a community represents what people want, Hotaling says, listing features like safety, a great school system, affordability, but also working for improvements in the cost of living and the cost of doing business.

Addressing the costs of doing business in Connecticut is a central plank of the Independent Party platform. Hotaling believes reducing some of the regulatory and tax burdens in the state will greatly contribute to a healthier, more equitable economy, so his plan focuses on growing and supporting businesses of the small- and medium-sized variety, which are more likely to return investments to the local economy, producing jobs that reduce crime, poverty, relocated industries and other problems.

And as his website claims, every dollar invested in modern manufacturing and technology business returns $2.74 to the economy.

Other proposals, such as eliminating the automobile tax for households or property taxes for business, are sure to meet with both approval and skepticism, but the important part, per Hotaling, is offering better ideas, which leads to better candidates.

In Connecticut, 40% of registered voters, or around 900,000, are not aligned with either of the two major parties. Hotaling sees this as a great opportunity for his campaign.

The unaffiliated voters determine the outcome of elections, says Hotaling. People are tired of the red/blue divide and what they really want are solutions.

The Independent Party is Connecticuts third-largest, representing what Hoatling describes as centrists, moderates, and independents. Yet the challenges of running as a third-party candidate in todays environment are daunting, he admits. His rivals  incumbent Democrat Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski  are established names in state politics, and each has millions of dollars in personal wealth and party funds behind him.

In August, when the Independent Party voted to endorse Hotalings campaign over Stefanowskis, the Republican went to court to try and stop it. The result of a one-day hearing was that Hotaling would remain as the Independent Partys candidate.

(Stefanowski) already gets to appear on the ballot, Hotaling points out, emphasizing a key aspect of his platform: freedom of choice. As Hotaling says, Show me one place where less choice is better than more.

A viable third-party is a way not to be beholden to the partisan divide. We appeal to people who dont want to be associated with either party, he said. People are frustrated with (the partisanship) and they want solutions for their problems.

According to Hotaling, a broad consensus exists where 80 to 90% of people can agree on a given issue, but for whatever reason the 5 to 10% of people who disagree control the debate. The art of compromise has become a dirty word and were aiming to change that. Compromise is a way to deliver what people want.

Hotaling was at times affiliated with both the Democratic and the Republican parties, and left both for various reasons. Its not to say that he shuns traditional politics altogether.

Ive spoken over the years with numerous state representatives, state senators. They tell me they feel comfortable talking with me, because Im not going to judge them. We offer a safe place for the discussion of ideas, which is usually somewhere right down the middle, he said.

Hotaling believes voters feel the same way. People already know where a major party candidate stands for the most part. With our campaign, were listening to you, considering what people have to say.

Whatever happens on Election Day, Hotaling plans to work with former candidate and activist Monte Frank and Lamont on an initiative that he strongly believes will help reinvigorate the democratic process: ranked-choice voting.

With ranked-choice, theres no more throwing your vote away and no spoiler vote. People tend to think its a little confusing, but its really not. You can vote for the ideas, not the party, and the person with the most votes wins, explains Hotaling.

Hotalings donation pool is obviously the smallest of the three candidates for governor, but he is optimistic, reminding people that Abraham Lincoln, for one, was also a third-party candidate.

A third party is best positioned to bring the real results people want, says Hotaling. You have to ask, what is the partisanship really delivering?
As of 4 p.m., North Middleton Township Police have canceled the shelter-in-place order for the 100 to 200 block of Regal View.

Police still did not release any additional details about the situation.

Posted at 2:54 p.m. on Cumberlink:

North Middleton Township Police are asking residents in the 100 to 200 block of Regal View to shelter in place or vacate the area.

Police posted the announcement on its Crimewatch website at 2:53 p.m. Monday but did not elaborate on the reason for the shelter-in-place order.

Check back to Cumberlink.com as more information becomes available.
Two teams have been neck and neck for No. 1 countless times in the long history of the USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-131. But three teams?

As if it wasn't hard enough to pick between Alabama and Georgia. While the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs have struggled at times, Ohio State has dropped 40 or more points in five straight games to make it an even more crowded race for the top spot.

After hours of deliberation, Alabama remains No. 1 after escaping with a 24-20 win against Texas A&M. The Tide were able to remain unbeaten despite turning the ball over four times without Bryce Young under center, and should rebound in a major way once he returns from his shoulder injury.

Georgia also sticks at No. 2 despite starting slowly against overmatched Auburn, though a scoreless game after one quarter ended with the Bulldogs pulling off a convincing 42-10 win.

HIGHS AND LOWS: Winners and losers for Week 6 in college football

MISERY INDEX: Brian Kelly, LSU embarrassed by Tennessee with big loss

LETTER GRADES: Week 6 report card leads with Ohio State's dazzling receivers

That leaves the Buckeyes back in third, but maybe not for long. The Buckeyes could potential move up to No. 1. After a week off, they face Iowa and Penn State before the end of the month..

Though there were no new teams in the top 10, Tennessee moved up two spots to No. 6 after beating LSU. That led to a one-spot drop for No. 7 Oklahoma State after the Cowboys gave up 527 yards in a shootout win against Texas Tech.

Illinois defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr. (88) sacks Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras (7) during the first half at Memorial Stadium.

A bunch of newcomers cracked the top 25. Illinois was boosted 25 spots to No. 20 after beating Iowa 9-6 to move to 5-1. Texas is back at No. 24 after a historic Red River Rivalry win against Oklahoma, which continued its drop all the way to No. 58. And first-year Bowl Subdivision member James Madison lands at No. 23 after moving to 5-0.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football Re-Rank: Alabama leads, Illinois among big movers
MILAN  Digitization and a restart of the Asian market were key factors that emerged at the three-day handbags and accessories trade show Mipel. Sustainability and the connection between fashion and Italian art were two other topics among exhibitors presenting their designs for spring 2023.

The global economic crisis, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine formed a dark scenario for the Italian leather goods industry, although the first half of the year filled Mipel organizers with optimism as industrial production increased by 12.4 percent and turnover by 15 percent.

More from WWD

We are seeing the return of Asian buyers, mainly coming from Japan, said Franco Gabbrielli, president of Mipel and industry organization Assopellettieri. We are also hosting 30 percent more exhibitors than last Septembers summer edition, which means up to 160 companies and 200 brands.

Signs of a restart also came from the increased presence of South Korean and U.S. buyers, while the best-performing European countries were Germany and France.

This trend emerged while speaking with exhibitors too. The forced stop for COVID-19 has been a bad hit, but our Asian clients are coming back, confirmed Anna Bonfanti, third generation of the family business founded in 1945 in Gorla Minore, in the north of Italy.

The company stood out for its use of natural fabrics: raffia, for example, is the most used material in its production. In our spring-summer 2023 collection we feature what we call techno raffia, a mix of raffia, cotton and polyester which gives more flexibility to our bags, Bonfanti said.

One of the companys bestselling collections sees a classic design combined with another natural material: bamboo wood. These pieces reflect our desire to meet the needs of Asian clients, Japanese and Koreans above all, as they represent a major part of our exports, Bonfanti explained.

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A view of Mipel

A fresh, jungle atmosphere set the inspiration for Braccialini. The collection Occhi di Bagheera (Bagheeras eyes) takes its name from a character in Kiplings The Jungle Book, the panther, and gives life to bags whose color and lines mirror the sinuous silhouette of that animal.

Braccialini is aiming at boosting its high-end collection by expanding its monobrand network. We have dozens of shops mainly in Italy and in the Middle East and we are working on increasing that number: last July we had a new opening in Rome and last August in Florence, while Milan is soon to come, said Giacomo Gori, sales and retail manager.

These openings follow a three-year plan which includes some key markets like Kuwait and Qatar to reinforce Braccialinis presence in the Middle East, where the company already has three stores in Dubai.

Speaking about the global market trend, Gori said Braccialini therefore hopes in a rapid recovery of the European market and the Eastern European countries above all, as we have seen promising signs during the March edition.

The Asian market is vital for Boldrini Selleria as well. Based near Florence, the company displayed a wide range of vegetable-tanned leather pieces. Japan is our main Asian market and it stands out for its well defined characteristics, said owner Luca Boldrini, whose father Scandiano founded the firm in 1955. The Japanese area in particular looks for products which go beyond the limits of gender, preferring unisex creations, Boldrini explained.

The constant increase in the cost of electricity is a main concern. We have met Ukrainian buyers at Mipel and this is a very good sign, but companies are facing an exponential growth in industrial costs that needs to be stopped, Boldrini observed.

A discussion with political authorities is something already scheduled by Mipel and Assopellettieris management. During Assopellettieri General States, which will take place Oct. 18, We will suggest a strategy of revolving around two main factors  to find the best ways to support smaller businesses and give space to high standard training schools to give new life to our sector, Gabbrielli explained.

The Scenario area at Mipel, which closed Sept. 20, featured some interesting emerging brands like Una de Monaco. South Korean Una Dawoon Byeun founded her company in 2018 and dedicated it to sustainable production. Im also trying to bring light to the history of my country to let everyone know it better, she said. Accordingly, tigers, temples, cherry blossoms and ancient Korean calligraphy have become part of her designs, reflecting the heritage of her country.

Coming up next is the opening of a branch in London. Up to 90 percent of our turnover comes from online sales by now, but I have prepared multilingual versions of my website to be ready to deliver in Europe, she added. Her highest-end collection retail at 1,000 euros and up.

Part of the Scenario section, the Estelle Rodriguez brand was founded by its namesake Belgian designer. After studying fashion design in Paris and London, she specialized in handbags in Florence until she launched her own company in 2021. My mission is to give each woman the opportunity of feeling unique by creating limited edition bags, Rodgriguez said. Each model is 100 pieces only and they are consciously sourced and produced in Florence, giving life to a high-end collection whose prices start from 1,000 euros.

The love for heritage and history could be seen in the products of Cosmo, which was founded in 2015 by two young Georgian entrepreneurs. Today, focusing on online distribution through its website and the Etsy platform, Cosmo has seven branches in Georgia and is now expanding its international business: Its handbags are sold in shops in the Netherlands and in Germany, while in October the company will be on the Amazon platform as well.

Our bags are a tribute to the heritage of our country, said international sales manager George Kotchlamazashvili. An example is the collection inspired by King Tamar, a queen who was named as a king because she was the first queen who reigned in the 12th century: the side panels of bags and wallets are shaped as Tamars crown. The concept takes its inspiration from bullet bags, which are part of a traditional male dress worn all over the Caucasus region and called chokha, he said.

The Cosmo stand at Mipel.

Digitalization was key at Mipel to deal with the gap between big and small brands. As COVID-19 restrictions forced even smaller companies to expand their online businesses, Mipel is trying to help brands determine a path structured around clear and simple steps to grow online. This is how the partnership with Mirta started, a platform founded by Martina Capriotti and Ciro Di Lanno and developed to support brands with services ranging from order management to logistics, payments and communication.

Another partnership took the digital experience to the next level at the trade show. Together with Impersive, a company specialized in augmented reality, especially in the fashion industry, Mipel launched a journey into the beauty of Italian history and its contribution to fashion design. With the use of a 3D Oculus, the latest trends were presented through a virtual, immersive trip to four Italian museums (the Museum of Fashion and Costume; the Museum of Design; the Canovian Gipsoteca and the National Museum Salce collection).

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MILAN (Reuters) - The Italian economy will grow more than expected in 2022 but will stagnate in 2023, the country's main business lobby said on Saturday, warning that tensions between the European Union and Russia over gas supplies made the outlook highly uncertain.

In a report Confindustria downgraded its expectation for GDP growth in 2023 to zero, from 1.6% forecast in April, while revising its estimate for 2022 to 3.4% from 1.9% thanks to the Italian economy's excellent performance in the first half year.

The 2023 downgrade echoes government projections and comes after Mario Draghi's outgoing administration last week slashed its growth forecast for next year to 0.6%, due to sky-high energy costs. Still it said GDP would expand 3.3% in 2022, up from 3.1% forecast in April.

The lower forecasts for next year underscore the economic headwinds facing Giorgia Meloni, who led a right-wing alliance to victory in elections last month and is expected to be named prime minister this month.

"If tensions between the EU and Russia were to escalate to such an extent as to lead to further price jumps and/or the blocking of gas supplies, the negative effects on production activity would be more severe, implying a more pronounced recession," Confindustria said in its report.

Moscow and several European countries, including Germany, have been at loggerheads over the supply of natural gas from Russia since the country invaded Ukraine in February.

Russian gas now accounts for only around 10% of Italian gas imports, down from around 40%, while the share from Algeria and the Nordics has increased.

(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; Editing by David Holmes)
It's one year into Google's five-year, $1 billion plan to boost digital services across Africa, and on the heels of its latest investment -- announcing South Africa as its first cloud region on the continent -- the internet services giant also gave an update to lay out how it's making good on its commitment.

It has built infrastructure -- a subsea cable -- to position itself as a major connectivity provider in the region; and it's played financier, with low-interest loans to small businesses and investments to African growth startups.

Overall, Googles $1 billion investment in the continent is focused on four key areas: providing affordable access and helpful (Google) products for Africans, supporting businesses with digital transformation, investing in entrepreneurs to spur next-generation technologies and supporting nonprofits working on some of the continents biggest challenges.

Reports say Africas internet economy can grow to $180 billion by 2025, accounting for 5.2% of the continents GDP. Subsea cables are pivotal to this growth as they drive down data costs and increase data speed as more Africans participate in the internet economy.

Since its announcement this February, Googles subsea cable, Equiano, which connects Africa with Europe, now runs through Togo, Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa. The subsea cable is expected to be fully operational by years end, Nitin Gajria, Google's managing director for Africa, said today.

Project Taara is another Google scheme centered around making the internet accessible and affordable. Taara uses light to transmit data, removing the need for expensive infrastructure like cables. While the technology is a work in progress, the company had made successful pilots across six African countries, including Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our colleagues at X, Alphabets moonshot factory, are providing high-speed internet access using beams of light in areas where its either too difficult or not economically viable to install fiber. This is now piloted in six African countries working to bring affordable and abundant internet to more people across the country. Were excited about the possibilities this opens up in terms of bringing down infrastructure costs, and therefore the cost of data to the end user, he added.

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Gajria also announced updates on Googles programs for the African tech scene. Since its launch in 2018, Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported more than 96 startups in seed to Series A stages, collectively raising $230 million in venture capital. Last year, Google revealed its Africa Investment Fund, a $50 million fund, to invest in growth-stage startups across the continent. It has backed three companies through the fund: Ugandan mobility platform-turned-super app SafeBoda, South African mobile gaming company Carry1st and Kenyan online logistics and haulage company Lori Systems.

Underlining its commitment to support underserved entrepreneurs in Africa, the tech giant also set up the Black Founders Fund, which kicked off with a promise to provide capital of up to $100,000, an opportunity to connect with founders from across the globe and access to some of the firms services and products.

In its latest and second batch, Google provided $4 million in non-dilutive capital to 60 startups within Africa, building on the $3 million it extended to the first cohort. Google said that the fund is meant to fuel generational and systemic change in an ecosystem where only a handful of founders manage to raise funding. And in continuing with its efforts to support SMEs, early this year, the tech giant also launched Google Hustle Academy with a plan to train thousands of SMEs and entrepreneurs across the continent.

Earlier this year, we launched the Hustle Academy and to date, more than 3,000 small and medium-sized businesses have gone through this free week-long boot camp geared at helping them increase revenue, position themselves for investment and build sustainable business models for the future, said Gajria about progress on this front. The role that Google has played in supporting Africas entrepreneurs is particularly close to my heart because this is an area Im truly passionate about.

On Googles fourth area of investment, which is its work with NGOs, Gajria highlighted how the tech giant is giving out $1 million in ad grants monthly to over 40,000 people collaborating in Google workspaces for nonprofits on the continent.

Doubling down on its infrastructural investments in Africa, in April this year, Google also launched its first product development center in Africa in what it said was aimed at building transformative products and services for the African market and the world. The center in Nairobi is Googles second major research and development investment in Africa after the tech giant set up an AI and research center in Ghana in 2019.
TikTok is hunting for partners to launch its live shopping offering in the U.S. as it is looking to outsource operations for these features.

According to a report from Financial Times, the short video app has been talking with California-based TalkShopLive to provide infrastructure for live shopping features on TikTok. This tech will allow creators and brands to sell goods through videos on the platform. TalkShopLive takes a 10% commission from sellers for providing its services, and TikTok is likely to cover that cost for the initial phase of the project.

The report noted that TikTok and TalkShopLive  which raised $6 million in a seed extension round last year  haven't finalized any terms. So there is little information about when the shopping feature will go live.

TikTok began offering e-commerce features last year by partnering with Shopify to let business accounts integrate their catalogs to a dedicated tab on their profiles. Plus, the company gave brands tools to create, run and monitor ad campaigns on the platform. In June, TikTok also started testing a dedicated Shop feed to highlight products sold by merchants on the app.

The company has been testing its live shopping product in the U.K. since last year  its first market outside Asia for testing this feature. However, a Financial Times report in July suggested that the project failed to meet the company's expectations and it was reconsidering live shopping expansion in other countries such as the U.S. and Germany.

TikTok didn't comment on the specifics of the kind of partnerships the company is looking for to expand its live commerce offerings.

"When it comes to market expansion for TikTok Shop we are always guided by demand and are constantly exploring new and different options for how we can best serve our Community, Creators and Merchants in markets around the world. These efforts include exploring partnerships that further support a seamless e-commerce experience for merchants, which is an important part of our ecosystem," TikTok said in a statement to TechCrunch.

Live shopping hasn't taken off in North America as expected. Facebook first started testing it in 2018, but last month it announced that the company is shutting down this feature to focus on Reels. Amazon also experimented with QVC-styled livestreams from influencers prior to its Amazon Prime Day sales in July but didn't provide any numbers about how much revenue it was able to generate from these live videos.
SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA ON THE SIGNING INTO LAW OF SIM REGISTRATION ACT

The Philippines will now be among the growing number of countries mandating SIM registration, landmark legislation envisioned to deter cybercrime, and other electronic communication-aided criminal activities.

At a time of rapid digital adoption driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, it's imperative to have laws that are more attuned to the times and the needs of society - not only in the ways Filipinos communicate, work, engage in e-commerce, access information, etc.

As an author of this bill in the Senate, malaki ang kumpiyansa natin na sa pamamagitan ng bagong batas na ito, matutuldukan na problema sa text spam at masasawata na ang mga modus via text o mga text scams. Hindi man ito maging ganap na solusyon, naniniwala tayo na malaking dagok ito para sa mga kriminal na sinasamantala ang anonymity sa paggamit ng mga pre-paid SIM card.
The Desloge Chamber of Commerces October spotlight featured the Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council (SEMO FVC) in honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, with the director of the SEMO Family Violence Council, Tracy Carroll, speaking to chamber members about the shelter's activities.

A trivia competition is planned for 7 p.m., Oct. 28, at St. Paul Lutheran School, 608 E. Columbia St., Farmington, with doors open at 6 p.m. and admission $20 per person for teams of eight to ten people. Those interested in joining the shelter for trivia, food, a silent auction and raffle prizes can register by calling 573-358-3913.

The SEMO FVC can be reached by phone either through the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline at 1-800-663-9929, by the business line at 573-358-3913, or via fax at 573-358-7786. The council also has a website, which can be reached at https://www.semofvc.net/, and online on Facebook through the Southeast Missouri Family Violence Council page.

SEMO FVC was founded in 1994 by a group of citizens with a purpose to fill the void of existing services for victims of domestic violence in St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Washington, Iron, and Madison counties. In 1995, a seven-room home was leased from Parkland Health Center for $1 per year. In 1999, a new facility was completed which increased the capacity to 32 beds.

Currently, the shelter houses 32 women and 14 children and has an outreach program with 67 families involved.

Domestic violence is not going away, said Carroll, who added, more than one in three women and one in four men experience domestic violence. Last year, Carroll stated, shelters served 54,000 people across Missouri.

It doesnt just affect you as far as funding, but it affects you in a lot of ways, Carroll explained. If we help these women, they become better people, as far as spending money in the community, buying houses, buying cars. Helping them help them, and us, too.

Carroll said everyone is welcome to get in touch with the shelter to find out how they can help, including coming by the shelter on Berry Road, calling the location, getting in touch through Facebook or the website, or even sending a fax.

They come in, and were the resource queens. We give them tons and tons of resources. We show them education through MAC, trying to get them education so they can take care of themselves, said Carroll, because part of domestic violence is to seclude them.

According to Carroll, many victims of domestic violence have never had checking accounts, drivers licenses, saving accounts, and dont know how to register to vote or drive a car.

So when they come to us, most of them have never driven a car and weve taught many of them to drive in the parking lot next door. A lot of them dont have even a form of ID, because thats imperative to the abuser, to keep them secluded, she said

The goal is to show the victims they can be independent a hard idea for people who may have been repeatedly told by the abuser theyre worthless, theyll never be anything, or theyre stupid.

Thats what abusers do to the women and men they abuse. They indoctrinate them to believe the lies that they have put across their minds, Carroll said.

In addition to housing women and children, the shelter provides case management, court advocates and outreach services to more than 100 families each year and facilitates weekly support groups for women and children. One of the council's goals to talk at schools with older students about domestic and sexual assault. A law enacted in 2020 requires schools to educate students from sixth to 12th grade about domestic and sexual assault.

Im a grandmother of six children, so I get when somebody says theyre going to talk to my children about domestic violence or sex education, it freaks me out too, said Carroll. A lot of these children dont know about these things, because its normal to them. Its normal to go home and be abused or be talked to terribly.

Last year, Carroll said, the SEMO FVC spoke for a week to Central R-3 students from sixth to eighth grade. She said students often approached them after the talk about things happening in their lives. Carroll explained, domestic violence doesnt just magically start when in college or once married, but often starts at a younger age.

The shelter is always in need of items, including lightly-used furniture, clothes, sheets, and of course hygiene products. Smaller items can be brought directly to the shelter, but staff would appreciate a call ahead of time for any larger furniture, so the two parties can meet at the storage shed.

Carroll also recognized Terry Kitchell, the building inspector for the city of Desloge who Carroll said had helped a homeless woman recently rather than just driving by.
An area man was charged with rape this week following allegations that he forced sexual contact and intercourse on a woman at her home before a church event earlier this year.

Steven Christopher Willis Jr., 18, of Potosi, was charged on Monday in Washington County with first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy.

According to a probable cause statement from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, a woman reported that on May 11, at about 5-5:30 p.m., she was at her Potosi home getting ready for a church event planned at the Potosi High School, when Willis contacted her through Snapchat.

The woman reportedly said Willis asked if her family members were home, and when she said they were not, the man asked about coming over.

The report states that once Willis was at the woman's house, the two were having a conversation, and Willis asked the woman if she wanted to have sex. She reportedly declined and told the man several times she did not want to have sex with him.

The woman told police that Willis grabbed her around the waist, put his hand up her dress, and attempted to engage in a sex act. She said Willis told her to open her legs, and she quickly told him, "No! I don't want to do anything." He allegedly ignored her and said, "It's OK."

The woman recalled Willis pushing her down on the bed and pulling her dress up. She said she told him "no" multiple times, but he began raping her.

The report states that when authorities interviewed Willis about the allegations, he said he made out with the woman once, "but that was it." He reportedly said they stopped because he had a girlfriend and said they "should not do that." Willis said the church event at the Potosi High School was on the evening of May 11, and he and the woman had hung out earlier that day. He told police that they drove separately to the event, and he does not know where she lives, according to the statement.

During a second police interview, Willis reportedly said that he and the woman kissed one time, and it was at a gas station, not at her residence, and not on May 11. When asked about his and his girlfriend's sexual relationship, Willis allegedly told investigators he had felt like he may have raped her before when he begged her to have intercourse with him.

Additionally, Willis said he was with his girlfriend on May 11 until about 4 p.m. when he met his sister at the Potosi High School and stayed there until the event began, according to the report.

Investigators spoke to Willis' sister, who reportedly said her brother was at her house until approximately 3 p.m. and with her in Potosi until the church event.

When reviewing Willis' cell phone tower pings for May 11, the data allegedly shows the man's phone was at the victim's address from approximately 5:24 p.m. to 5:38 p.m. The report notes that the phone's location did not change until 5:56 p.m.

The report states police interviewed Willis a third time, and the man admitted he was at the woman's residence for about 10 minutes. He allegedly said that in that 10-minute time frame, he did attempt to engage in a sex act with the woman. He reportedly said she came onto him.

Per the report, Willis then confessed and stated he was verbally forceful toward the woman in intercourse that reportedly took place on May 11.

Willis was booked at the Washington County Jail on Monday, and a $100,000 bond has been set in the case. The man was arraigned on the charges in court on Tuesday and has been assigned a public defender. He is due in court again on Oct. 11 for a bond reduction hearing.
A public clinic, Columbia/Boone County Public Health & Human Services, advertises services to participants of WIC, a federal nutritional assistance program for qualifying low-income women, infants, and children. (Clara Bates/Missouri Independent).

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic intensified economic hardship and unemployment, Missouri saw one of the nations sharpest drops in participation in WIC, a federal benefits program for low-income women and children, according to a report released last week.

The steep decline, the report found, was associated with Missouris burdensome system of dispersing benefits. Missouri began transitioning to a less-burdensome system last year, the state Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed Friday, but it is estimated it will take another four years to complete.

Participation in WIC fell by nearly one fifth in Missouri from February 2020 to February 2022, according to a report by the nonprofit advocacy group Food Research & Action Center.

The only state with a steeper decline in participation was New Mexico.

Roughly 80,000 low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children under age 5 were enrolled in Missouris WIC program earlier this year, down by 20,000 participants since early 2020.

The pandemic increased unemployment and economic hardship, making many families newly eligible for WIC, the report noted, suggesting that declining participation was not a result of declining need for public assistance.

The federal government has not released recent state-by-state data on coverage or eligibility rates over the pandemic.

States participation rates over the pandemic varied widely. There was a slight increase in WIC participation on average nationally, with some states like North Carolina witnessing double-digit increases.

One reason that some states like Missouri saw double-digit declines in the rate of WIC participation, the report suggests, might be related to administrative barriers, specifically, the burdensome way some states reload participants benefits.

Other states had systems which allowed them to shift away from in-person contact, but not Missouri.

Missouri is one of just nine states which uses a WIC system that requires participants benefits cards to be physically swiped when loading benefits. Missouri operates whats called an offline system for reloading benefits onto participants electronic benefits transfer (EBT) debit cards. All other states operate online systems capable of remotely and automatically reloading benefits.

The majority of states over the pandemic adopted flexibilities from the federal government to waive requirements for in-person benefit issuance. Because Missouri didnt have the technological capacity to issue benefits remotely, the state had to continue requiring in-person issuance.

The states with the most significant declines overall in WIC participation all had offline systems, meaning they couldnt issue benefits remotely. They were: New Mexico (-19.7%), Missouri (-18.9%), Pennsylvania (-17.7%), Ohio (-14.5%) and Arkansas (-14%).

With federal flexibilities that are still in place, participants in most states do not have to travel to WIC offices to reload their benefits. The report advocates for those flexibilities to be extended beyond the public health emergency, arguing that the changes helped drive the modest increase in WIC participation nationally during COVID.

Participants in offline systems might have had health concerns going into the office during the pandemic, or may face general time and resources costs to going into a WIC clinic to reload benefits, the report stated.

I have to request off work just to come load the card

One Missouri resident, Bethany Hanna, sometimes has to miss work to get her benefits loaded onto her EBT card in person.

Hanna, who lives in Joplin and is the mother of a three year old and an 8-month old, participates in WIC.

I have to request off work just to come load the card, she said in an interview. Nonetheless, she considers her situation lucky: A lot of people dont have a way to get there, or they have to work and cant take off.

Even when certain WIC services were provided virtually in Missouri, benefits were not. A WIC office in Joplin reminded participants in a Facebook post in October 2020, amid surging COVID infection numbers, that even though they could receive some services by phone, after your phone call, you will need to bring card, pin [number], and mask into office to have benefits added as they dont add automatically.

The report argued, it is imperative that state agencies with offline EBT systems begin the process to transition to online EBT to ensure remote benefit access as needed in the future.

Other factors the report cited as potentially affecting participation levels include varying levels of WIC outreach, promotion, and coordination with other sectors as well as limited staff capacity at some state agencies.

States with offline systems, a Network for Public Health Law issue brief in May summarized, often argue the benefits of in-person reloading include accompanying nutrition education and health check-ins, and also cite the cost of switching to an online system.

But these benefits are largely outweighed by the burdens associated with offline systems, that brief argued, citing participants socioeconomic and transportation barriers to accessing in-person WIC benefits.

Network for Public Health Law concluded the pandemic made clear that an online program better serves WIC beneficiaries and proved even minor barriers to accessing public programs may substantially reduce participation.

A years-long transition

WIC is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and operated by state agencies. In Missouri, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) oversees the program.

A spokesperson for DHSS, Lisa Cox, said it is difficult to pinpoint a specific reason to the decline in Missouri WIC participation, but added that being an offline state made it more difficult to conduct WIC business.

Other factors Cox said might have affected declining participation could include the states difficulties implementing the EBT system for the first time in 2020, a challenge in itself without adding the complications brought on by COVID, and increased benefits for other programs like unemployment and SNAP.

The reason Missouri elected to operate an offline system was based on an analysis conducted roughly a decade ago, Cox said.

In 2020, it became apparent that an online system would be more user friendly, Cox said, but Missouri WIC was unable to change that decision mid-implementation.

The state last year began the steps to transition to an online system, but the transition is expected to last around four more years, Cox said.

Cox added that the state has increased WIC outreach efforts and seen a bump of 3,000 participants in the last two months, bringing the latest average to around 87,000 participants  up from earlier this year, though still significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
This year marks the 85th anniversary of conservation history being made both in Missouri and across the nation.

In Missouri in 1937, the work of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) began when citizen-led efforts created the state conservation agency and the Missouri Conservation Commission. The non-political, science-focused state conservation agency was a new and unique concept for the time. MDCs beginnings 85 years ago came at a time when Missouri's fisheries, forests, and wildlife populations were largely decimated from the commercial overharvest of these resources and support for conservation was often tied to political interests.

In Washington in 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, popularly known as the PittmanRobertson Act (PRA). Sponsored by Senator Key Pittman of Nevada and Congressman A. Willis Robertson of Virginia, the first-of-its-kind legislation provided federal funds through grants to states for wildlife restoration, wildlife habitat, and wildlife management research.

The PRA established a manufacturers' excise tax on guns, ammunition, and archery equipment. The taxes are collected from manufacturers and then distributed annually as grants to states and territorial areas by the Department of the Interiors U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. States typically must provide an investment of $1 for every $3 dollars in federal funding that is granted. In most cases, state hunting and fishing license fees are used to meet this matching requirement.

The PRA has been amended over the decades to also include funding for hunter education programs, for the development and operation of public shooting ranges, and for recruitment, retention, and reactivation to boost the numbers of hunters, trappers, and recreational shooters.

PRA Monies for Missouri

Federal reimbursement monies from the PittmanRobertson Act have been and continue to be an essential source of funding for MDC, said MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley. Without those funds over the past 85 years, we would not have been able to restore deer and turkey populations around the state, bring back once-native elk to the Ozarks, fund our hunter education program and dozens of shooting ranges around the state, or do much of the extensive wildlife habitat restoration and wildlife research done by MDC staff.

Pauley added that over the decades and into today, the PRA has provided funding for MDC to establish and manage more than 1 million acres of wildlife habitat around the state, including more than 1,000 conservation areas and natural areas along with river accesses and nature centers.

In Missouri, the PRA also helps fund MDCs five staffed and 70 unstaffed shooting ranges around the state.

Funds from the PRA also provide hunter education training and certification to thousands of Missouri hunters each year. Over its 85-year history, MDC has provided hunter education training and certification to about 1.4 million Missourians.

The PRA also continues to be essential in providing MDC funding for key habitat management, conservation research, and wildlife restoration for numerous wildlife species including white-tailed deer, wild turkey, quail, waterfowl, elk, and others.

Federal reimbursements, such as from the PRA, account for about 14% of MDCs annual revenue. MDC received about $30 million through the Pittman-Robertson Act in 2021. Other principal sources of MDC revenue come from the sale of hunting and fishing permits, the dedicated conservation sales tax of one-eighth of one percent, and revenue from the administration of forest, fish and wildlife resources.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on average, more than 80 percent of funding for the annual budgets of state fish and wildlife agencies is derived from hunting and fishing license fees and federal reimbursements such as from the PRA. Without these revenues, most states would be unable to maintain programs that sustain healthy populations of fish and wildlife. They would also be unable to meet public demand for outdoor recreation or support hunter education and shooting programs. Since the inception of the PRA, more than $14 billion has been shared with states to support conservation projects across North America.

Partner with a Payer Benefits Missouri Conservation

The assistance federal dollars provide to a variety of Missouris conservation programs was highlighted this summer when staff from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and manufacturer Fiocchi of America Inc. near Ozark toured MDCs Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center near Ash Grove. The tour was to promote the USFWS Partner with a Payer program that emphasizes conservation benefits that are products of the partnerships between manufacturers who pay excise taxes through the USFWS Wildlife Sport and Fish restoration program and state conservation agencies that are on the receiving end of these funds.

Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-usfws-tour-fiocchi-dalton-range-highlights-role-federal-funding-plays-conservation and partnerwithapayer.org/. Watch a related video at youtu.be/l-QB7f1zbbg.

Get More Information

For more information on the Pittman-Robertson Act, visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service online at fws.gov/program/wildlife-and-sport-fish-restoration.

For more information on MDC and how the agency spends its revenues on taking care of nature, connecting people with nature, and maintaining public trust, read the latest MDC Annual Review in the January 2022 issue of the Missouri Conservationist online at mdc.mo.gov/magazines/missouri-conservationist/2022-01/annual-review.

For more information on MDCs extensive research projects on fish, forests, wildlife species, and other topics, visit research.mdc.mo.gov/.

For more information on MDCs strategic plans for managing Missouri's fish, forests, and wildlife, visit mdc.mo.gov/wildlife/mdc-management-plans.
Three longtime Oregon Department of Transportation employees who worked out of the agencys regional maintenance station in Clackamas pleaded guilty this month to theft of government property.

On Oct. 4 in Clackamas County Circuit Court, the wife of one of the ODOT employees was included in a total of four defendants who admitted to crimes for their roles in a multimillion-dollar equipment reselling scheme.

ODOT employees Frank C. Smead, John Wayne Tipton and Autumn Arndt  along with Smeads wife, Marta Smead, who was not employed by ODOT  were each guilty of purchasing equipment using an ODOT procurement card, creating fraudulent invoices and reselling more than $6 million worth of items for their personal profit.

Over the course of many years, several million dollars worth of equipment were fraudulently purchased and resold, according to an investigation by the Oregon State Police. The ODOT employee actions were discovered during an investigation into an unrelated ODOT whistleblower claim and was prosecuted by Clackamas County Senior Deputy District Attorney Rusty Amos.

When the charges were announced in early 2020, ODOT Director Kris Strickler said these three employees violated trust, if proven true in court. He said ODOT was making changes right away to put better monitoring tools in place.

The public has placed in us a trust to spend state transportation dollars with integrity, Strickler said.

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Strickler ordered several internal measures to help prevent similar incidents. These measures included:

Repurposing staff in ODOTs Central Authorization Unit to provide more close oversight and auditing of purchases.

Engaging an outside entity to help the department discover vulnerabilities in financial controls and find ways to close those loopholes.

Explore ways to improve the agencys inventory control system.

As the leader of the scheme to defraud the public, it is expected that Tipton will serve a longer prison sentence than the other defendants. His 12 years in prison stemmed from his being found to have committed 12 counts of first-degree theft and six counts of aggravated theft, plus nine counts each of computer crimes and official misconduct, more crimes than any of the other defendants.

Later joining Tiptons illegal efforts, Arndt and Frank Smead each committed four first-degree theft counts, five counts of aggravated theft, nine counts of computer crime and nine counts of official misconduct. Smead will serve seven years in prison, while Arndt is expected to serve five years and pay $100,000 restitution at the time of sentencing.

Marta Smeads six counts of first-degree theft one count of aggravated theft, six counts of computer crime will likely mean 3 years in prison for her.

Sentencing will take place in the Clackamas County Circuit Court on Jan. 6.
More than 400 Sweet Home residents rely on Fair Share Gleaners for food, but with the organization falling on hard times, its future is uncertain despite the commitment of its members.

Every Thursday and Saturday, 70-year-old Doris Sparhawk drives a big white box truck filled with up to 2,000 pounds of canned food, bread, and gleaned vegetables from neighboring farms to Fair Share Gleaners in Sweet Home.

People look at me like Im crazy. Im this old lady driving a big truck, she said laughing.

Sometimes Sparhawks truck is filled with bread and canned goods from grocery markets. Other times, it's fresh produce either farmers have handed her in crates, or blueberries and corn the group of gleaners picked themselves.

It keeps me going,'' she said. "Can you believe that just last year I had open heart surgery? Sparhawk said as she lifted her collar to show a long faint scar on her chest. Her glasses perched atop her head as she scanned the stacks of food in the pantry.

Hanging in the balance

For the last three years Sparhawk has been a part of Fair Share Gleaners, collecting food for low-income families. Now she is worried about the survival of the 40-year-old organization.

The group is struggling to keep the lights on and the rent paid, she said.

At its home base, a small room has wooden boxes piled to the ceiling filled with pinto beans, sauces and other goods. The space is narrow: Shelves house the soda, and freezers are filled with meat.

The large group regularly crowds the small quarters.

The past couple years have been difficult for the organization, Sparhawk said.

We really hit rock bottom, agreed Tracy Rowe, co-coordinator of the organization. She has been a member for more than 15 years.

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Misfortune follows tragedy

Rowe says its a mix of unfortunate circumstances that have led to financial hardship, some of it being the pandemic that made it hard for them to host fundraising events. The loss of members has also been a factor, Rowe said.

The group's grant writer passed away suddenly, she said, which means they're now missing out on crucial funding. Another member lost everything in a recent fire, she said.

So in their time of grieving, it has been difficult for the remaining members to pick up the slack, Rowe said.

In the midst of that tragedy, what pushed them over the edge into financial hardship was when their trucks gas line was cut. Twice in the last six months that has happened, President Brett Pellett said.

We went from thriving to clawing our way trying to survive, Rowe said.

Some members are helping keep the organization afloat by dipping in their own pockets.

Hopes to keep on keeping on

Wilma Whitmore and Frances Schneider help pay for gas and certain basic foods that the community needs, they said.

While the group is dedicated to serving the community, some members are getting older and will be retiring, Whitmore said.

Like other community organizations, Rowe noted, they need new blood to keep the organization going.

The Fair Share Gleaners are one of two groups in Sweet Home that offers food to low-income families.

Rowe believes the other group, the aptly named Sweet Home Gleaners, is doing better financially, partly because its thrift store generates income for stability, she said.

The Sweet Home community needs both, Rowe said. A lot of people rely on Fair Share, she said, even a deputy sheriff.

The group provides food for 67 adoptee families, 22 homebound families, totaling more than 100 families and an estimated 460 individuals, Rowe said.

There arent many options for food in Sweet Home, Sparhawk said, only two main grocery stores. The Gleaners get most of their food supply from Corvallis.

And with gas prices on the high, she said Sweet Home residents are limited. Their gleaning gives residents, especially those who are struggling, another option, one that doesnt cost.

A growing problem

The community keeps growing, Rowe said.

Indeed, Sweet Homes population has been booming and is on the cusp of reaching 10,000  meaning more mouths to feed.

Statewide, Oregon is experiencing a rise in food insecurity, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oregon Food Bank has seen numbers climb and hit "historical levels of hunger, according to a report from the Oregon Capitol Bureau.

Fair Share Gleaners is trying to keep up with rental costs, utilities and gas by holding more fundraising events, such as yard sales and bake sales at its location, 1040 Long St. Members also created a gofundme page.

Chairs strewn in a circle, the group of gleaners laughed and joked together outside the green building.

We are just a big family, Rowe said. "The work we do just becomes your heart and soul.
Press Release

October 10, 2022 TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON THE SOURCE, CNN PH Q: Senator, you're among the first to visit former senator Leila de Lima after she was briefly taken hostage in her detention facility. What was your reaction when you first arrived there and what was the state that the former senator in when you first saw her, physically and mentally? Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): We embraced as soon as I arrived there. Even after her harrowing experience, pagdating ko dun, si Sen. Leila, nasa gitna na ng pagsusulat ng kanyang salaysay. So though, she was hunched over in her chair, and of course, who can be unshaken by such an experience, she was already committing to paper her memories of that ordeal. Sabi niya, "habang sariwa pa." With her typical strength of spirit, unbroken after half a decade in unjust detention. She was talking with me, with her staffer who was there, her lawyer who was there, sometimes even able to laugh if she heard or thought of anything funny. Parang pinapagpag niya noh. She also said that so many times the hostage taker pressed hard against her chest, with either a makeshift screwdriver or a makeshift ice pick. So siguro today nagpapasa na yung dibdib niya. She really went through something terrible. In the national headquarters of our national police, supposedly the most secure of any camp or any custodial center, na-hostage pa siya. She was dragged out of her quarters then dragged back in again, pushed and she fell to the floor, mabuti daw hindi tumama yung ulo niya. She was choked  that makeshift weapon pressed many times against her chest. Akala niya tutuluyan na siya, sasaksakin na siya. She was blindfolded. She was tied by her hands, by her legs to a chair. It was unbelievable what she went through. Q: How long did this ordeal last? SRH: By her recollection, it started past 6:30 in the morning. She estimated around 6:40. And then it was over by over 7:10 or 7:18. So within half an hour, all this happened. One of the would-be escapees ran to her quarters, took her hostage, and then by 7:18 as she estimates, she was finally rescued by that police officer. She was like a guardian angel to her, but even after the PNP investigates and the DOJ investigates this as they should, even if corrections are made to the mistakes and the inadequacies in security, actually lampas na ito sa PNP eh. Nasa kamay na ni Presidente as I called on him, as many have called on the administration since yesterday: Sen. Leila should not even have been in that situation na pwede siyang targetin ng hostage-taker. She should not have been in jail in the first place the past half decade. So with greater urgency, I call upon the president to do the moral and the legal thing and to set her free. Almost all of the witnesses against her in the cases filed in the previous administration, halos lahat sila nag-recant na ng testimony nila. So the case against her is lost and it was not even ever alive from the start. Pero talagang falling by the wayside, I really call on the President to free her. Q: Speaking of the President, PBBM offered at least a jail transfer but DILG Benhur Albalos said she declined this offer because she said she still feels safe in the detention facility. SRH: Imagine the dignity of Sen. Leila. After her harrowing experience to still tell chief PNP when he came to visit her also that she still feels safe where she had already earlier been taken hostage and had to be rescued. The dignity of that person, hindi parin nawawala sa kanya ang pagiging former government official niya, former senator niya. As to the offer of the president, I really believe that she should be transferred not to another detention center, but returned to freedom, which has been her right, based on truth, based on justice these past six years. Q: You were there on the ground yesterday. How did authorities explain the way the hostage-taker was even able to access former Sen. de Lima's quarters? You said that going to the area where she is kept is like weaving through a maze? SRH: Parang maze, it's deep in Camp Crame, deep in the PNP custodial detention center. Ang mga bisita nga sa kanya nahihirapan makapasok, as we experienced and witnessed during her last birthday. So paano itong taong di umano'y tumatakas ay kayang maging hostage-taker pa sa kanya. When the DOJ and the PNP complete what should be a thorough investigation, unang-una dapat maging katanggap-tanggap o kapanipaniwala ito kay Sen. Leila mismo. And even if and when they make their findings and recommendations and they actually implement any improvements in security.. this should never have happened to her or for that matter any person deprived of liberty. Lampas na yun doon eh. She should not have even been the subject of improved security arrangements kasi hindi naman talaga siya dapat bihag in the first place. At yun nga, dapat siyang palayain, kahapon pa. Q: In your view, how should the government speed up the process if they do indeed want to free Sen. de Lima? SRH: Today, she has another hearing for one of her cases. I really hope not just her defense lawyers but the court itself and the whole justice system will take the step or steps forward to see na walang basehan talaga itong mga kaso laban sa kanya, ang mga paratang, pati yung mga testigo sa kanya, who I mentioned earlier, more and more have been recanting their testimony. So I really hope the day of justice, of the recognition of the truth she has been speaking since day 1, the recognition of her right to be restored to freedom is moving closer. Q: Some critics say this was a ploy to have herself freed. What's your reaction to that? SRH: Wow. That is the height of insensitivity at gumigising lang sakin ang height of incredulity. How could a person who was just going through her daily forced routines as a detainee the past more than half decade, who was actually praying the rosary, her daily morning rosary, nung biglang pumasok yung escapee, yung naging hostage-taker niya. How could she even think, let alone be enabled to concoct such a thing? Si Sen. Leila ay bihag  the greatest injustice to her the past several years. Hinostage siya, halos saksakin siya. She had to be rescued by a police officer. Oh please, unfortunately, I think any people or any group that could say such a thing must probably be been behind this continued injustice against her the past several years. Lahat ng disinformation and fake news at trolling laban sa kanya, ngayon, sa kabila ng harrowing na karanasan niya kahapon, that is the best or the worst they can do? I hope that such terrible action on their part can only further impress upon the courts and upon the president himself that justice must be given Sen. Leila. Justice must be given to our country by setting her free. Q: I'd like to talk now about veteran radio journalist Percy Lapid, who, as you know was laid to rest this weekend and the image of one of the persons of interest has been released with a 6.5 million peso bounty. What else can the government do to ensure that justice is served in this case? SRH: They can honor the memory of Ka Percy Lapid, Percy Mabasa, not just by investigating his case and giving justice to his widow, Lisa, and their six children and all the colleagues, friends, and relatives of Ka Percy, but heeding his life's work, kasi si ka-Percy, as you know better than me, being his colleague in the media, devoted his life until point of death to speaking the truth as he saw it, speaking truth to power, hindi sya natakot, mula nakaraang administrasyon, hanggang sa administrasyon ngayon, to speak truthfully and fairly for justice. Sinuportahan siya doon ni Ma'am Lisa at mga anak, as a widow myself, I can only imagine what Lisa is going through now, sa paraan pa ng namatay ng kanyang asawa, she supported him all throughout his life's work, his children understand what their father was tring to do through his work, the least the government can do, that law enforicement can do is to uncover the truth behind his murder, and bring jstuice to him, and enable the wider community of journalists, human rights defenders and all the families who build a less violent society, a more humanse society, unmolested, incmluding in the most terrible way that this violence has visited on ka-Percy. Q: His brother Roy Mabasa, also a journalist, told us here on CNN that obviously the family doesn't want his death to just be another statistic, on your end Senator, what can you propose to protect journalist media, welfare and safety. SRH: As someone working in legislature and wanting to support from the legislative side, the professional work of speaking truth to justice, that are being done by journalists in our country, na terible, a few years isa sa pinaka mapanganib na bansa na maging mamahayag tulad ng ipinakita sa ginawa kay Perci Lapid, I can only continue to not just file resolutions, to investigate such terrible crimes, but to proactively file bills, pass these bills into law, to support and protect the work that you journalists do that is essential, you as the 4th estate, esensyal talaga sa pagpprotekta at pagpapalawak ng ating sabi ni Nathan Quimpo, ating contested democracy, lalo na sa panahon ngayon, ng disinformation, fake news, trolling, we your allies in government and in civil society, should stand behind you, behind truth seekers and truth tellers, kayong mga journalists to push back against these attacks against truth, against freedom of the press, freedom of speech. Q: The debate on whether or POGOs should be permanently banned is raging on again, just last week PNP chief Rodolfo, close to 300 policemen have been providing security to POGO bosses and their extended families. What is you reaction to all this? SRH: Really, wow. I'm really glad that Chief PNP Azurin revealed this, it really should immediately, or yesterday have been stopped, kasi kahit yung kababayan nating negosyante, mamumuhunan, ay hindi naman natin pinapasecure sa PNP, lalo na mga dayuhang negosyante, dahil sa napaka kontrobersyal at sasabihin ko na, negatibong negosyo pa tulad ng POGO, since a couple of years ago that the Senate on Women investigated on POGO related prostitution, illegal detention, sumabog yung pastillas scam, umabot sa human trafficking. Since then I have called on the banning of POGOs from Philippine territory. Kolektahin ang utang nilang buwis at that time 2 years ago already, 50 million pesos, and iban na sila, palayasin na sila sa ating bansa. These recent rounds of investigation on POGOs and their relationship to crimes not just against each other but against our citizens, hindi lan yung empleyado ng POGO, yung iba sa kanila biktima ng human trafficking, pero lalo na yung mga krimen na kagagawan ng may-ari, mga financier ng POGO dito sa atin, they have contributed so little financially na iyon yung binibida nila ibibigay nila sa ating ekonomiya, but the scale has tipped heavily on the side of the costs of the so-called benefits of POGOs, lalo na yung social cost lalo na sa ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga bata at kabataan, at ngayon pati yung ibang kababayan Pilipino natin at pati yung mga kababayan nila ng Tsinong employees so what is there to say for POGOs, they shouldve been banned a long time ago, and in this renewed round of calls and investigations, just get them out. Q: The confidential funds, you want the 150 million funds proposed by the education department to be realigned, how do you want these to be realigned, which money do you want to see this money go to. SRH: I started that conversation already during the DepEd budget hearing at he Sneate noting for example that yung education para sa ating katutubong Pilipino, Ip educaiton, nawalan ng item sa proposed budget ng DepEd, at tinanong ko doon pa lang si Sec VP Duterte kung pwedeng irealign involuntarily realign ng DepEd ang kanila proposed confidential and intelligence funds doon sa IP educatio, bukod sa una naming napagusapan na SPED budget, sinabi naman nila na earlier na magrerealign na sila form their funds, hindi lang tinukoy kung sa confidential and intelligence, and overall sinabi ni Sec VP na iwan nila sa Kongreso yung amount and even the propriety of such confidential and intelligence funds. You know I'm not arguing against any confidential and intelligence funds to civil agencies katulad ng DepEd, pero kung para sa activities na sinagot ni Sec VP Duterte, nung tinanong ko what will that P150 million be for, binanggit niya kasi nila no mga trabaho katulad ng pag-rent ng safehouse, so maitatanong, bakit may idedetain ba na tao ba ang DepEd, sabi pa nila yung pagbili ng mga sasakyan para sa surveillance, yun ba ay trabaho ng DepEd, binanggit nila yung pagbayad sa mga informants, yun ba ay trabaho ng DepEd. Palagay ko lahat ng inenumerate ni Sec VP na pagkakagastusan ng P150 million intelligence and confidential funds ng DepEd are properly the work of our national defense, and interior and national police, anti-drugs, even women and children protection agencies and programs. Yung mga usaping national defense, atska national police, iwan natin sa mga esksperto. These are not the mandate of DepEd, madidistract lang sila, sa gitna pa naman ng isang malawak na at matinding education crisis natin, lalo't na nabanatan pa ng pandemic and recently we heard the findings about learning poverty, so I would rather see that P150 million confidential and intelligence funds be realigned sa mga totoong programa ng DepEd. Q: For Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, he wants to purge some P9 billion worth of confidential and intelligence funds from the entire 2023 budget. IS this something you would support? SRH: Well it's something that we should seriously consider, kasi yung budget unang tinatrabaho ng House tapos tinatransmit sa amin dito sa Senado, so I think Rep Edcel as minority in the House, at kami ni minority leader Sen. Koko sa Senate, as part of our houses, we are just doing our duties as part of Congress dahil hawak ng Congress ang power of the purse, so trabaho namin ilabas ang batas ng national budget taon-taon, and to be proactive, to make sure that the money lalo na galing sa buwis ng mamamayan, hawak ng gobyerno pero sa gitna pa ng napakasikip na fiscal space, to make sure that these are allocated properly. Atska din kasi ang confidential at intelligence funds, labas sa sakop o saklaw ng trabaho ng COA, so lalo't na ang mga pondo na hindi maaudit tulad ng ibang pondo ng gobyerno, lalo dapat namin siguraduhin that these are in the GAA appropriated properly so as to prevent graft and corruption. Q: That would be the ideal. Now let's talk about the first 100 days of the administration. How would you assess the first 100 days of President Bongbong Marcos, you came out with a statement that you are not all that satisfied. SRH: Yes, kasi dapat ang first 100 days are a time for a new President a new administration to show boldness and firm leadership lalo na sa multiple crises palabas pa lang sa pandemic na lugmok sa recession including a food crisis, un and underemployment. Pero parang hindi pa rin maramdaman ang firm grip n i Presidente on the reins of power or the wheel of the ship of state, of course hindi ko naman ineexpect, wala naman nageexpect massolve nila sa unang 100 days lahat ng problema natin, pero at least magpakita na yung leadership na kinakailangan sabihin sa atin pagkatapos ang kanilang inauguration speech at unang SONA sabihin sa atin yung general directions na dapat natin tahakin in the next 6 years, and to show that he is the person who will lead government and even lead society in implementing the solutions to those problems. And of course nobody can turn back the hands of time, ibalik tayo sa unang daang araw, pero ngayon let him put his shoulder to the wheel, let him put his back into the work that is needed. Q: Can you comment on your view on his inability to complete his Cabinet with key posts still unfulfilled even after 3 months. SRH: I'm waiting. Our country is waiting. Nasaan na yung DOH Sec, para talagang tuluyan tayong ilabas sa new and better health normal. Maganda ganda yung nabuo niyang economic team, pero nasaan din yung DA sec, para hindi na maulit yung sugar importation fiasco, wala na yung sinisisi yung ibang tao sa halip ng talagang nagkulang, at magkaroon siya ng katandem to address the our agriculture and food crisis na wag siya maging food catastrophe. Tulungan siya, ipartner siya sa long term at strategic na pagpapaunlad sa ating agricultural sector, and there's a fleas t a half dozen possible high government positions that need to be filled, para kasabay ng kanyang firm leadership dapat meron siyang malakas at magaling na Cabinet para tulungan siya mamuno sa susunod na 6 na taon. In a much better way than has been shown so far in these first 100 days.
Senior Arts Journalist

John Moore was the Denver Post's longtime theater critic and has been published in more than 50 publications including the New York Times and Washington Post. He also co-founded both the Denver Actors Fund and Underground Music Showcase (The UMS).
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Safaricom is set to launch M-Pesa to rival Ethio Telecoms Telebirr, boosting the Ethiopian economy up to two mobile money platforms.

Ethiopia's finance minister Ahmed Shide told The Standard: "A deal has been reached between the government of Ethiopia and Safaricom to grant a license for mobile money service to Safaricom.

The news followed Safaricom officially launching its 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services in 11 cities last week. The operator aims to launch services in 25 cities by April next year and fulfil its licence obligation to spread coverage to 25% of the population.

As of September, Ethio Telecom reported over 23.9 million total subscribers on its Telebirr service, served by over 82,000 agents and a network of 22,000 merchants. This leaves plenty of space for Safaricom to grow its own base in the formerly closed-off telecoms market of Ethiopia.

Telebirr has a total transaction value of ETB43.8 billion (US$823m) since launching in April last year.

Ethiopia has a population of over 100 million and was seen by operators as one of the very few last untapped opportunities for expansion in pursuit of growth.
Its never a good sign when a government steps in to block internet access, or bans a communication platform such as Twitter, and unfortunately such practices are not unheard of in the markets we cover at Developing Telecoms.

For seven months between summer 2021 and early 2022, Nigerias government enforced a high-profile ban on Twitter, while just days before an election in January 2021, Ugandas longstanding ruler Yowere Museveni imposed an internet blackout ahead of voting. Musevenis rule continued; his leading challenger was placed under house arrest.

While these actions are indefensible in terms of freedom of expression, we can at least take comfort in the fact that in these examples, services were eventually restored and communication has been allowed to continue unabated - although Facebook remains banned in Uganda, to the detriment of the country's telecoms sector and economy - in an apparent acknowledgement by these countries governments of the role that the telecoms sector plays in the development of their economies.

The same cannot be said in the case of Myanmar, which has become something of a basket case economy since a coup detat enacted in February 2021 by the military junta that once ruled the country. After seizing power, the authorities immediately began restricting access to internet services and social media, demonstrating their understanding of the role that free communication plays in resisting oppression. While the situation was undeniably bad, it only worsened as the junta resisted calls from telecom operators and internet providers to lift the blackouts and allow access to communication services.

In the months since the coup, the junta has made it clear that internet freedom will not be restored in Myanmar despite pressure from both the countrys populace and private companies operating in the market. In June 2021, the junta issued a directive to operators, giving them just weeks to install full intercept technology that would allow the authorities to track users and monitor voice, SMS and data traffic. The restrictive measures forced many subscribers to switch off. Understandably, this was the final straw for the two international players in the market, Ooredoo and Telenor.

Telenor was the first to depart by selling its unit to Lebanese investment company M1 Group for US$105 million, pointing to increasing human rights concerns in the country since the junta took over. Telenor Group President and CEO Sigve Brekke said the economic situation in Myanmar was extreme and deteriorating and that an exit was the most realistic alternative to ensure employee safety. Telenors Myanmar unit was deemed an impaired asset recording a loss of NOK6.5 billion (US$606 million) in its Q1 2021 results released weeks after the government takeover, prompting the group to commence its search for a buyer. Since launching operations in 2014, Telenor had invested around NOK5.3 billion into its Myanmar unit.

Ooredoo soon followed suit, selling its Myanmar unit for US$576 million to Singapore-based Nine Communications. Group CEO and managing director Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo stated the move was a regular shift in strategy to remain competitive.

Speaking to Developing Telecoms, S&P Global Market Intelligence associate research analyst Zhu Xiuxi said that the departures of these international groups will limit Myanmars efforts to expand fixed and wireless broadband coverage. Zhu pointed out there are concerns around whether the current crop of operators will be able to keep connectivity services affordable due to the military junta raising taxes from 5% to 15% and directly hitting profits.

We expect the previous infrastructure for internet networks to remain in use after Ooredoo is handed to Nine Communications and Atom is handed to M1 and local partner Shwe Byain Phyu, but the cost of buying up the businesses and management integration will impact R&D efforts, infrastructure upgrades and promotion campaigns, said Zhu.

That also brings up a concern of whether the newly formed entities can carry out the same technologies used in the remaining infrastructure deployment as Ooredoo and Telenor did, which involved communication chip acquisitions and fibre lines development.

Mobile and wired internet penetration in Myanmar are both below 50%, and we were expecting fast growth in the countrys telco industry with foreign capital injection since the first entrance of a foreign telco giant in 2014. The foreign carriers started to build telco infrastructure from scratch but the transition of ownership in the two telco businesses posts a question mark on whether such development will continue.

The current landscape of Myanmar poses the risk of low profitability for operators despite there being room for growth as around half of the population is connected. Myanmar is also in the midst of migrating to 4G/4.5G and rolling out more fibre.

Both projects require a great amount of investment. Given the low penetration of both mobile and fixed internet, high taxation and unstable political environment, whether they are able to earn a return on their investment would be a practical concern, said Zhu.

By pursuing an agenda of oppression, Myanmars junta has pushed international telecom providers  and their associated investment  out of the market just as it was preparing to capitalise on its potential. While there is popular demand for the expansion of Myanmars telecoms sector, the juntas actions show that it does not govern in the interests of the public  and indeed the strains that it has placed on Myanmars telecoms sector are actively stymieing the countrys development.

This article was updated on 14/10/2022 to specify that Uganda has not yet lifted its ban on Facebook.
As has long been expected, a law has been passed in the Philippines making SIM card registration compulsory.

Described as a key step towards fighting text scams, bank fraud and misinformation, the law will require users to furnish full names and identity documents before buying a SIM card. This will also apply to existing prepaid users, who will be compelled to register.

The countrys President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been quoted as describing the law as a long overdue measure.

As Reuters points out, Marcos' predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, vetoed the legislation because of a provision requiring social media users to register their identities and phone numbers. This provision has been deleted.

It seems the countrys operators approve of the measure. As we reported in June, PLDTs mobile arm Smart Communications threw its weight behind the attempt to revitalise SIM registrations in the Philippines, saying it would bring its expertise to bear on ensuring consumer protection if the law passed.

Following the passing of the law PLDT has said preparations are underway to comply with the new registration requirements. Rival operators Globe Telecom and DITO Telecommunity have called for a wider rollout of the national identification system to help verify users.

Operators have apparently blocked more than one billion spam and suspicious text messages this year in a country with one of Asia's highest smartphone penetration rates  over 60%.

It doesnt seem as though a deadline has yet been imposed for existing SIM card owners to register, though a number of other countries, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, have found comprehensive registration tricky.
Nigerias Globacom has joined the rush to open payment service banks (PSBs) with the launch of its MoneyMaster PSB offering. MoneyMaster was granted a payment service bank licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2020.

MoneyMaster PSB will, like other PSBs, and working in line with CBN regulations, facilitate payment and remittance services within Nigeria, accept deposits from individuals and small businesses, issue debit and prepaid cards, operate electronic wallets and inbound remittances and carry out other services.

To open an account, all the customer needs to do is dial a code and then follow the prompts from any telecommunications network; MoneyMaster PSB is network-agnostic. However, the operator says it will leverage Globacoms nationwide coverage and many agents in rural and urban areas for its rollout.

As for product branding, the main solution is called G-Kala, which turns a phone into a wallet (the customers phone number will be used as his or her account number). With G-Kala a user can receive cash from any mobile app and move money to other accounts.

According to the Nairametrics website, Globacom has said it will be engaging over 100,000 agents and deploying kiosks across the country. Moneymaster will, says the operator, be leveraging mobile phones, PoS, and the web to provide financial services to millions of Nigerians who may otherwise be excluded from the financial system.

Local media outlets point out that Moneymasters launch completes the entry of all mobile network operators in Nigeria into the financial services business through services like 9Mobiles 9PSB, MTN's MoMo and Airtel's Smartcash. Another service, Hope Payment Service Bank Limited (Hope PSBank) is described as Nigeria's premier digital-first bank.

Globacom has said that close to 50% of Nigerians do not have access to a banking service and 82% of Nigerians are currently receiving their income in cash. It has added that its PSB is geared towards the 95% financial inclusion target by 2024 set by the CBN.
Approximately 40 members of the local graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., were among the 1,000 members who attended the organizations Southeastern Region Alabama Cluster in Mobile on Oct. 1.

The Southeastern Region consists of chapters in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Retired Army Col. Teresa A. Townsend of Enterprise is the president of the Kappa Pi Omega chapter, which currently has approximately 135 members from the Dothan, Ozark, Enterprise, and Troy areas.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is the first historically African American sorority. It is currently composed of more than 1,000 graduate and undergraduate chapters with an international membership of more than 300,000 women who engage in programs of service that enhance the social, economic, and educational well-being of their local communities.
LEVEL PLAINSA Daleville man is in Dale County Jail after leading law officers on a chase following a traffic stop here Sunday night.

Theodis Gray is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, first-degree possession of marijuana, making a terrorist threat, attempting to elude, and reckless driving.

According to Level Plains Police Chief John Summers, Gray was stopped by an LPD officer at around 5:30 p.m. Sunday for driving 93 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone. The officer asked Gray to step out of the vehicle after suspecting that alcohol was involved in the speeding. Gray then drove off in his vehicle towards the 2000 block of Joe Bruer Road, Marie Drive, Hannah Road, County Road 445, and Trenton Road, Summers said.

Summers said Gray exited his vehicle and fled on foot into the area of Trent and Hannah roads. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Troopers, the Daleville Police Department, Enterprise Police Department K9, the Dale County Sherrifs office and DCSO Aviation Unit responded to assist.

Gray was located hiding under a trailer and was taken into custody without further incident after 9 p.m., Summers said.

Because Grays vehicle has damages that were not present during the initial traffic stop, Summers asks any resident on the 2000 block of Joe Bruer Road, Marie Drive, Hannah Road, County Road 445, and Trenton Road with damage to their vehicle or property caused during the incident is asked to contact LPD at (334) 347-0422 or central dispatch at (334) 774-5111.

Summers credits his officers, and all agencies providing mutual assistance, for a job well done in the execution of justice.
The Georgian parliamentary delegation went to Strasbourg to participate in the fall session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).According to the press service of the Parliament of Georgia, the head of the permanent delegation, Irakli Chikovani, members of the delegation, Irakli Kobakhidze, Archil Talakvadze, Givi Mikanadze, Levan Ioseliani and Khatia Dekanoidze will attend the session of the Parliamentary Assembly scheduled for October 10-14.Within the course of the session, the members of the parliamentary delegation of Georgia will make speeches at the plenary and committee sessions and bilateral meetings with their European colleagues are planned. The parliamentarians of the member states of the Council of Europe will hold a debate on the aggressive military actions carried out by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the tense relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and current topics in the world.The parliamentarians of the member states of the Council of Europe will hold a debate on the aggressive military actions carried out by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the tense relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and current topics in the world.The President of Ukraine will address the participants of the parliamentary session in the format of a video conference. The Presidents of the Swiss Confederation and Ireland, as well as the Prime Minister of Albania, will address the delegates of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe with a welcome speech.The Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, said in an interview with the British "Telegraph" that Georgia and Moldova are the next target for Putin. Kallas insists her country will be targeted by Putin even if she stays "quiet" about Ukraine."After Ukraine, he [Putin] set his sights on Moldova. He is [Putin] targeting Georgia, the Baltic states. He is very open about it. The only way to stop this is to help Ukraine to win this war," Prime Minister of Estonia said.Kaja Kallas insists her country will be targeted by Putin even if she stays "quiet" about Ukraine.Kaja Kallas was the first leader who congratulated Ukraine on the destruction of the bridge connecting Russia and the annexed region of Crimea.
A Bonifay, Florida, man has been charged with murder in the September shooting death of a neighbor, according to Bonifay police.

Raymond Matthew Reid, 31, has been charged with murder and armed trespass in the killing of Jimmy Junior McCullous, according to a Monday news release posted by the Bonifay Police Department.

McCullous, 53, was found around 11:45 p.m. on Sept. 17 by a passing motorist who spotted the victim in the eastbound lane of U.S. Highway 90 near the Grocery Outlet shopping center in Bonifay. McCullous had a single gunshot wound to the abdomen and later died from his injuries at a local hospital, according to police.

An investigation led Bonifay police to a person of interest who was serving a state probation sentence on unrelated charges and who happened to be under the supervision of the Florida Department of Corrections, according to the news release.

Reid, according to police, has lived in Bonifay for several years and was neighbor to the victim. He was arrested in September for armed burglary, grand theft, and violation of probation. Reid will have his first appearance on the murder and armed trespass charges Tuesday morning.
In Donald Trumps assessment, his Vice President Mike Pence committed political suicide on Jan. 6, 2021. That was the day when Pence refused to go along with Trumps unconstitutional push to overturn the results of the 2020 election that Trump lost. And that was the day of the Capitol riot. Pences decision made him a prime target of Trumps wrath and a pariah in many Republican circles. But in the final weeks of the 2022 election, Pence has emerged as an in-demand draw for Republican candidates. That includes some candidates who are trying to make moderate appeals after spending much of the primary season courting Trump and parroting his lie that his 2020 race was stolen.
Il-Dong Kwon, Vietnam lead at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), says Vietnam has an opportunity to build a beyond-great enterprise culture in a time of technological revolution.

"A young, vibrant economy like Vietnam certainly has the potential to attract and nurture beyond-great companies," Kwon wrote, as he quoted insights from BCGs latest book titled "Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in An Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution."

He has been with BCG's Vietnam office for seven years working with industry leaders and central and provincial governments on their strategy and large-scale transformation programs. He also co-leads BCGs work in risk management for the Asia Pacific region.

He stated, despite the pandemic, foreign direct investment (FDI) has continued to flow, especially in the tech sector, where heavyweights like Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Nokia, Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, and many others are building their manufacturing, software development and R&D hubs.

In 2021, Vietnam and Singapore began discussions on potential digital economy agreements (DEAs), which will accelerate and scale the country's tech startups into new markets.

"Vietnam has an opportunity to begin on a clean slate and establish a beyond-great enterprise culture that is more responsive, responsible, inclusive, and agile in the face of disruption," Kwon said.

However, Vietnam, despite being Asia's fastest growing economy, according to the author, is amongst the many Asian economies that were impacted by Covid-19, which almost crippled its SME sector, and now the Ukraine-Russia war, which is exacerbating global supply strains from food to fuel.

On the upside, the country is on its path to recovery, with a 2022 gross domestic product (GDP) outlook between 6% to 8.5%. Vietnams Minister of Information and Communications, Nguyen Manh Hung, said in retrospect of the nations hundred-year push for digital transformation across all aspects of economic, political and social life, amid ICT sector revenues climbing 9% in 2021 compared to 2020.

Il-Dong Kwon, Vietnam lead at Boston Consulting Group. Photo by BCG

Challenges for enterprises

In 2021 alone, 5,600 digital technology enterprises were set up in Vietnam.

That said, many Vietnamese enterprises have struggled to remain agile and evolve to meet new and pressing consumer demands, especially SMEs that account for 98% of businesses in the country. Studies have found that investment cost is a top digitization barrier for Vietnamese SMEs.

"Digital transformation is also key for Vietnam to achieve its 2050 targets of becoming a high-income country and a 'net-zero' emissions economy, but this too requires a more inclusive, leave-no-one-behind approach to digital access and education," Kwon stated.

He noted trade safeguard measures imposed by countries like the U.S. and U.K. to protect their domestic manufacturers are estimated to have cost Vietnam $12 billion in terms of exports, mostly involving key export items like metals (aluminum and steel), seafood (prawns and fish), plywood, construction materials, and chemicals.

"These trends will only accelerate given the pace of disruptive forces, leading to an overall shrinking of the average lifespan of companies. The odds of failure are six times higher today than they were 40 years ago. Its time to rewrite the rules of the executive playbook because going beyond great is the new great, and nothing else will cut it", Kwon added.

While in the recent past, greatness was determined by delivering outstanding Total Shareholder Returns (TSR) and a building competitive advantage from differentiated products and services, and by leveraging scale and efficiency, the new world order call for more transformative approaches.

Building beyond-great enterprises in Vietnam

"Given the disruptive forces were dealing with, to be successful in todays world, companies must deliver sustained impact to all stakeholders and pursue shareholder returns with a sense of purpose, move from products and services to customized solutions to deliver outcomes and experiences, and leverage not just a smart scale and cost advantaged delivery model but one which is also resilient, fast, and flexible," Kwon wrote.

Young business leaders will need to make bold transformations across three critical dimensions - growth, operations, and organization - if they are to thrive in the current economic environment.

To grow beyond great, enterprises must reimagine their core operations to deliver societal impact that will generate sustained, high TSR while positively impacting all stakeholders.

They must seek to offer compelling digital solutions and experiences, leveraging digital technologies to identify unmet needs with new solutions. Leading-edge firms are using asset-light, digital, or e-commerce centric business models to refine their global game. They are more selective about what markets to enter and how to deepen their engagement in those markets.

BCGs latest book titled "Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in An Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution. Photo by BCG

Operating as a beyond-great enterprise requires engineering ecosystems that supplement traditional value chains with dynamic new value webs that can create and deliver solutions, outcomes, and experiences that customers crave.

Investing in high-tech, multilocal factories and delivery centers, combined with low-cost capacities, can deliver fast and flexible customized offerings. Building a global data architecture will support greater understanding of the drivers of future performance, consumer behavior and winning value propositions.

Enterprises that are focused, flat and fast are those that have left the traditional matrix organizational model in the past in favor of agile customer-focused teams supported by platform capabilities.

Bureaucracy and red tape have no place in the journey to beyond great. Instead, they thrive with talent by acquiring or retraining a digitally engaged 21st century workforce. Such enterprises operate on an always-on transformation mode because competing and winning in volatile, rapidly evolving business environments demand being adept at pursuing multiple transformations at any given time.
Japanese retailer Aeon plans to triple the number of malls in Vietnam by 2025 as part of its expansion strategy to meet the needs of a growing middle class population.

A Nikkei Asia report said the number of Aeon malls will nearly triple to 16 throughout Vietnam.

Aeon has some 200 stores in Vietnam at present, including six shopping malls.

The stores are concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnams biggest metropolises.

A mall will be opened in the central town Hue in 2024.

The company is also considering increasing its supermarkets in Hanoi to 100 by 2025, about 10 times the current number.

Vietnam is "the most important market in our overseas strategy," the report quoted a senior Aeon executive as saying.

The country has a population of 100 million people with an average age of 33. Economic growth of more than 7% is expected this year in a repeat of last years performance.

Aeon entered Vietnam in 2014 and has invested over $1.18 billion in the country to date.
Octavia RS, a sedan of Skoda Auto, on road in the Republic of Czech. Photo courtesy of Skoda Auto

TC Motor, a distributor and assembler of South Korean Hyundai vehicles in Vietnam, will start selling the popular Czech Skoda cars next year.

Under a deal it signed with Skoda Auto in Hanoi on Oct. 7, TC will start by distributing imported Skoda cars first before assembling them.

The two firms plan to build a plant in the northern province of Quang Ninh, with the first vehicles expected to roll out of it late next year at the earliest.

Vietnam is the first Southeast Asian country where Skoda will build a factory. It plans to export vehicles assembled in Vietnam to other countries in the region.

Skoda makes 11 models, with the Octavia being its bestseller, but the two companies have not revealed which model will be sold first in Vietnam.

Last year, the Czech firm sold nearly 900,000 vehicles in some 100 markets around the world, with Germany and Russia being the biggest.
An eroded section along the bank of the Tien River, a tributary of the Mekong River, in Vietnam's Dong Thap Province, April 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Tai

A competition has been launched to challenge university students to design technology to monitor the Mekongs water level, rainfall, soil moisture, and water quality.

The River Monitoring Technology Competition, launched by the Mekong River Commission (MRC), is for students in the four regional countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

The competition will receive entries from 15 selected universities in those four nations to design a "cost-effective, sustainable technology" to help protect the lifeblood for millions of fishing and farming families, the MRC stated.

The commission already maintains some 250 stations that monitor the hydrology, rainfall, water quality, ecological health, fisheries and drought that affect Southeast Asias largest river. Yet most of this technology depends on foreign equipment that is often expensive and sometimes outdated.

The competition, therefore, aims to develop telemetry-sensor technology that measures four separate categories: water level, rainfall, soil moisture, and water quality. Such sensors are typically installed in separate stations, or outdoors on riverbanks, usually in agricultural areas.

Competitors should design a station appropriate for its own terrain, location, weather, and functions; operable via solar power; and capable of collecting and sending telemetry data from station to server, in real-time. Winning entries will be judged according to their accuracy, durability, cost-effectiveness and innovation.

In Vietnam, four universities selected for the competition are Hanoi Water Resources University, University of Science  Vietnam National University Hanoi (Hanoi), Can Tho University in Can Tho City of the Mekong Delta, and University of Science  Vietnam National University (Ho Chi Minh City).

The applicants will be invited to Bangkok to pitch their idea to MRC Secretariat judges. The accepted project will receive a grant of $800 to research and develop their prototype.

By the end of March, each competitor will present their prototype to a panel of international judges in Vientiane who will select four winning teams  one for each category.

Aside from an award of $5,000, the winner will be invited to Vientiane to present their projects in April 2023, at both the 4th MRC Summit and MRC Pre-Summit International Conference  to the regional heads of state and other dignitaries in attendance.

The winner will then work with the MRC to implement their technology along the Mekong.
Tourist speed boats in Hoi An burn for hours

Five tourist speed boats and three wooden boats in Hoi An in central Vietnam caught fire early Monday morning.

The fire began on one vessel at Cua Dai Port at around 3 a.m., and is thought to be caused by lightning.

The flame quickly spread to the other vessels, all used to transport people to Cham Island.

Tourist speed boats in Hoi An burn for hours Chay nam ca no, ba tau du lich o Cua ai Border guards put out flames on several vessels docked at the Cua Dai Port in Quang Nam, October 10, 2022. Video by VnExpress/Hong Anh

The vessels were carrying fuel, and the wind fanned the flames, causing columns of smoke dozens of meters high.

Thirty troops from the Cua Dai border guard station were rushed to the scene along with two speed boats.

The fire burned their mooring lines and the vessels began to drift toward Duy Hai Commune about a kilometer away.

Boat owners at the An Luong fishing port in Duy Hai were warned about the drifting vessels and told to move theirs out of danger.

The flames were finally put out at around 7 a.m.

There were no human casualties, but the loss of property is estimated at VND20 billion ($837,170).

An investigation has begun.
Two skeletons in central Vietnam forest confirmed as father and son

A police officer burn incense at a place where two skeletons were found inside a forest in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, to show respect, August 22, 2022. Photo courtesy of the police

DNA test results have confirmed two skeletons found in a forest in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai as a father and son duo.

The skeletons belong to Hoang Quoc Bao, 37, and his son, 11. They are both residents in Buon Ma Thuot Town of Gia Lai, police said Monday.

The DNA test results matched what a local woman had claimed. The 57-year-old woman, who currently lives in southern Dong Nai Province, came to the police on Aug. 28 and claimed the remains to be of her son and grandson.

His family said after Bao and his wife split years ago, he showed signs of depression and usually took his son around, living a nomadic life.

Police said the cause of their deaths has yet to be identified as their flesh and organs have decomposed.

Locals in Gia Lais Kbang District found two human skeletons in a forest on Aug. 22.

One of them was on a hammock, and the other on the ground next to it, both in the open. There was a raincoat hanging nearby.

Authorities also found a helmet, a cap and a bag containing medicine, fish hooks, lighters, and food.

The site where the remains were found is deep within the forest on a slope and near a stream. It is far away from human settlements and conceivably in a place where no one passes through.

The location where the skeletons were found is a remote site with no cellphone signal, about 20 kilometers from the closet residential area.
Wreckage of the Air France Airbus A330 being unloaded at the port of Recife in Brazil on June 14, 2009. Photo by AFP

Air France and Airbus will face trial starting Monday in Paris, 13 years after the crash of an A330 shortly after takeoff from Rio de Janeiro that resulted in the deaths of 228 people. Civil parties hope to get answers from the two aviation giants, who both still deny responsibility for the disaster.

After more than 10 years of proceedings and a reversal of the court's decision to dismiss the case, Air France and Airbus will be tried on charges of "involuntary manslaughter". From Monday, the two aeronautical giants will appear before the Paris criminal court. They will face the families of the 228 passengers and crew members who died onboard flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when it crashed on June 1, 2009.

Civil parties, who have been caught up for a decade in a judicial labyrinth of expertise and counter-expertise reports requested by Airbus, have been long awaiting this extraordinary trial.

"We are both impatient and a little anxious for this trial to begin", says Daniele Lamy, president of the association Entraide et Solidarite AF447, who lost her son in the tragedy. "Even though this will plunge us back into an extremely painful moment, this trial is absolutely essential for honoring the memory of those lost and for the families," she added.

"The families of the victims want the company and the European manufacturer to be found guilty," says Sebastien Busy, a lawyer representing several civil parties. "So far, no one has been found responsible, and the two parties involved consider that this accident was simply a series of unlucky mishaps."

For the 476 civil parties, however, the tragedy that took place over the Atlantic was instead the result of a pattern of malfunctions, negligence and a wait-and-see approach on the part of Airbus and Air France.

'The trial of the dead'

The Bureau of Inquiry and Analysis (BEA), a French government agency responsible for investigating aviation accidents and incidents, conducted a series of investigations and in July 2012 established the series of human and technical failures that led to the crash.

On May 31, 2009, the Airbus A330 chartered by Air France took off from Rio de Janeiro en route to Paris. Upon leaving Brazils coastline the pilots encountered a frequent meteorological phenomenon known as the "doldrums", a thunderstorm area that causes severe turbulence and cold temperatures.

In these extreme conditions, frost formed on the Pitot probes, which are nickel tubes located at the front of the aircraft that continuously provide information regarding the aircraft's speed. As a result, the pilots received false data about the aircrafts speed from the faulty probes and so believed that the aircraft was losing altitude.

Two years after the crash, the discovery of the aircrafts black boxes uncovered flight conversations that revealed a lack of understanding within the cockpit. At the time, the pilots had not received adequate training to deal with this kind of situation.

To regain altitude, they pulled back on the control column to pitch the plane up, which seemed to be the most logical thing do in the circumstances. The manoeuvre proved fatal, as the plane's nose was too high and its speed too low. The plane reached 38,000 feet, lost its lift in the air and fell like a stone. The "STALL" alarm sounded and in less than four minutes, the A330 had crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

During the trial, Airbus is expected to insist once again that the crash was caused by pilot error so that it can absolve itself of any responsibility. "The trial is being held for the dead, who cannot defend themselves," says Jean-Claude Guidicelli, who represents the father of Clara Amado, a flight attendant who died in the crash. "But in the hierarchy of responsibility, there is first Airbus, which should have changed the Pitot probes."

Airbus's wait-and-see attitude

"We see the main culprit as Airbus, which underestimated the risk linked to the probes freezing and did not take into account the incidents that had taken place in the year preceding the crash," said Busy. "It seems that Airbus waited, hoping that nothing would happen."

One year before the Rio-Paris crash, some 20 incidents linked to frozen probes had indeed been recorded and brought to the manufacturers attention. These occurrences were considered serious enough to push certain companies such as Air Caraibes and XL Airways to replace the French-made Thales probes with those made by U.S. manufacturer Goodrich.

Why didnt Air France do the same? According to the BEA, the airline company had expressed concern about these failures to Airbus.

"Air France wanted to keep Thales because it is a French company," says Guidicelli, who believes that "lives were sacrificed on the altar of money and business". After the disaster, the model in question was replaced worldwide.

During the nine weeks of the trial, one question in particular will be brought up repeatedly: could this accident have been avoided? The civil parties are convinced that it could have: Airbus was blinded by an unbounded faith in the reliability of its A330, and Air France, for its part, should have better informed its crews about the incidents in which Pitot probes had malfunctioned.

But after 10 years of proceedings, some of the victims' families doubt that they will get the answers to the questions haunting them. "We risk witnessing a new game of ping-pong between Air France and Airbus, who are blaming each other," says Guidicelli.

"Airbus would re-establish some honor for itself, were it to acknowledge its share of responsibility for the accident," said Daniele Lamy from the Entraide et Solidarite AF447 association.

If the court finds them liable, Air France and Airbus may have to pay fines of up to 225,000. The trial is due to end on December 8.
Associated Press of PakistanAccording to a report, the energy projects completed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have generated so far over 46,000 jobs in Pakistan. I wonder if you have any comment on that?

Mao Ning: I noted the relevant information and the report. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a key pilot project under the Belt and Road Initiative and a landmark project of China-Pakistan cooperation in the new era. Energy is one of the areas with the largest investment, fastest progress and most productive cooperation under CPEC. Our energy cooperation has not only provided Pakistan with clean, stable and high-quality energy for the local economic and social development, but also created a large number of jobs for Pakistan and helped train many talents in the construction, operation and management of various energy projects. This has been highly commended by the Pakistani government and various sectors.

China is ready to work with Pakistan to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and make CPEC a demonstration project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation so as to deliver greater benefits to the people of the two countries and other countries in the region.

Reuters: Massive explosions shook the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and other cities in Ukraine this morning in apparent Russian revenge strikes after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared an explosion on the bridge linking Crimea to Russia to be a terrorist attack. Whats Chinas comment?

Mao Ning: We noted relevant reports. We hope the situation will deescalate as soon as possible.

The Paper: A recent report released by the US CDC shows that firearm homicide and suicide rates were more than 8% higher in 2021 than they were in 2020, the highest since the early 1990s. What is your comment on this?

Mao Ning: We have noted the report. We also noted that according to the statistics from Gun Violence Archive, till September 26, 500 mass shootings have taken place this year in the US, in each of which four or more people were killed or injured. Since late September, the US has continued to witness shootings in Texas, Maryland and Arizona.

The report also mentioned that African American people continue to experience the highest firearm homicide rates for every age. Previously, a CDC report showed that African Americans are 12 times more likely to be shot than White Americans. Gun violence, compounded by systemic racism, has taken a significant toll on racial minorities.

The right to life is the most important human right. Whether the US will effectively contain gun violence and seriously protect the right of ethnic minorities is a key yardstick for the international community to measure the US-style democracy and approach to human rights.

Reuters: So just to follow up on the question I just asked about the situation in Ukraine. You just said China hopes the situation will deescalate soon. Is China at all concerned about whats happening at the moment, in particular these explosions today reported across Ukraine?

Mao Ning: Weve made clear our position on the Ukraine issue on multiple occasions. We believe that all countries deserve respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, that the legitimate security concerns of any country should be taken seriously, and that support should be given to all efforts that are conducive to peacefully resolving the crisis. We hope all parties will properly address their differences through dialogue and consultation. China stands ready to continue to play a constructive part in deescalation efforts.

AFP: The DPRK leader said that the DPRKs recent missile tests included tactical nuclear drills that simulate strikes against the ROK. Do you have any comment?

Mao Ning: We have noted relevant reports. We also noted the continuous large-scale joint military exercises by the US, Japan and the ROK. Chinas position on the issues on the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged. We will continue to play a positive role in promoting the political settlement of these issues.

Reuters: Just now, you said that China hopes all parties will play a constructive role in the deescalation effort. Does China believe that the reported array of attacks across Ukraine today are a sort of constructive effort with regard to creating deescalation by Russia?

Mao Ning: I just made clear Chinas position on the Ukraine issue. We believe that its important for all parties to engage in dialogue and negotiation and jointly work for the deescalation of the situation.

Reuters: Is China in communications with Russia and Ukraine over the recent escalation in the situation there?

Mao Ning: China maintains communication with all parties. We stand ready to play a constructive part in deescalation efforts.
Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.2 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Boost Tourism in North Conway, New Hampshire

WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Departments Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.2 million grant to the Mount Washington Valley Trails Association, North Conway, New Hampshire, to construct a 2.2-mile multi-use recreational path that will attract additional visitors to the region. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan.

This project will boost tourism by extending an existing path from the Cranmore Mountain Resort north to the Intervale Scenic Vista. The EDA investment will be matched with $989,985 in local funds and is expected to create 30 jobs, retain 15 jobs and generate $70 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

President Biden recognizes the vital contribution the travel and tourism industry makes to the American economy, said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. This EDA investment underscores the Biden-Harris Administrations commitment to helping this critical sector not only recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic but build back stronger and more equitably for the future.

The Economic Development Administration is pleased to partner with Mount Washington Valley Trails Association in its locally drive efforts to leverage its tourism industry to boost coronavirus recovery and response efforts, said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. This project will enhance the visitor experience in North Conway, while also paving the way for job creation and more tourism-based economic development.

This latest grant from the Economic Development Administration reaffirms how critical the agency is to communities like North Conway, providing important federal investments to kick-start or enhance local projects, said Senator Jeanne Shaheen. This funding will do just that by constructing a recreational path for Granite Staters and visitors from all over to explore and admire the beauty of New Hampshires White Mountains. This is a win for our tourism economy and the region. Ill continue to fight for funding to support the EDAs efforts, which so often benefit exciting Granite State projects like this.

Outdoor recreation is a critical part of New Hampshires way of life and helps power our economy. Im excited to see these federal dollars that I helped secure head to the Mount Washington Valley to expand our trails, said Senator Maggie Hassan. This project will attract visitors, create jobs, support small businesses, and bolster the areas tourism and economy. I look forward to seeing it come to fruition.

Outdoor recreation brings billions of dollars into New Hampshires economy every year, boosting our local small businesses and creating jobs. These funds for trail infrastructure will make the Mount Washington Valley an even more attractive place to visit, recreate, and do business, said Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01). I will always support our communities in seeking out new opportunities that will drive economic development and improve quality of life.

This project is funded under EDAs $240 million competitive American Rescue Plan Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation program. EDA awarded $510 million in grants to all 50 states and territories in 2021. The two programs are designed to accelerate the recovery of communities that rely on the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. Effective May 26, 2022, EDA has officially closed all of its American Rescue Plan programs for applications. The $3 billion program funding will be awarded on a rolling basis through September 30, 2022.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)

The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
ELKO  Elko High School Automotive Technology students will now have access to the same training factory certified Ford technicians receive thanks to Gallagher Ford and the New Ford Tech-ACE (Automotive Career Exploration) program.

The national ACE program is a partnership between Ford Motor Co., Ford/Lincoln dealerships and automotive technology educational institutions. Program availability is dependent on Ford or Lincoln dealer sponsorship.

Gallagher Fords sponsorship of the Elko High School courses makes it the first Ford Ace Partnership in Nevada.

We are excited to bring this program to Elko High School, said Casey Gallagher, Gallagher Ford General Manager. By partnering with the schools automotive program, we are giving students real life experience and awareness of what a career in the automotive industry looks like, ensuring that those interested in pursuing it as a career have realistic expectations of the occupation.

The ACE curriculum offers web-based lessons supplemented with hands on trainings in the classroom with EHS Automotive Technology Teacher Shirley Muir, and Gallagher Ford Senior Master Certified Technician Troy Good, an Elko High School Automotive Technology Alumni.

Muir said the program lends students a glimpse into the future, showing them what a trade school can offer.

I wanted to bring back how trade programs in high schools should be. That includes up-to-date curriculum, proper tooling, and an option to work with companies around the community. Partnering with Gallagher Ford and Ford Motor Company gives my students the opportunity to do this, said Muir.

Students have already completed lessons in Technician Fundamentals and Electrical Systems. Later in the courses students will also have the opportunity to be mentored by a Ford Technician.

There is no cost to the school or students to participate in the program.

We will offer diagnostic equipment, specialty tools, major powertrain assemblies, and vehicles for use in the program, said Gallagher. Gallagher Ford will also offer internships to interested students upon completion of the ACE program.

According to Gallagher, the premise of the program is to show students what opportunities lie in the automotive industry, an industry that is currently faced with staff shortages.

The industry as a whole has a huge shortage, said Gallagher. I know in our shop we could happily hire 6-10 employees and keep them busy.

Heather Steel, Elko County School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) Facilitator, said the program provides a critical link between education and business and industry, providing training for students to enter the automotive industry.

The mission of Career and Technical Education is to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to enter the workforce during their high school career and beyond. We want to make sure our students are career-ready, and having opportunities like these for students to work within local businesses really brings relevant career exploration and learning into our CTE programs, said Steel.

The partnership with Gallagher Ford will provide the students with industry relevant training, industry recognized credentials, work-based learning, and real-life hands-on experience in the automotive industry. These are critical components to ensure our students have the knowledge and skills to directly enter the workforce after high school.

According to Gallagher, upon graduation, students will have a leg up compared to applicants with no technician experience.

With the training students receive through this ACE program they could walk into a dealership and have the skills to be hired on the spot to start a career in this field if they so choose.

Local businesses who are seeking employees and would like to connect with local high school students in the District are invited to participate in the Elko County School District College and Career Fair slated for Nov. 1 at Elko High School. Seniors from across Elko County will be attendance of the fair. To register your business, or to learn how your business can provide work-based learning opportunities to high school students in Elko County, contact Heather Steel at hsteel@ecsdnv.net.
SPRINGERVILLE, Ariz. (AP)  Wild horse rights advocates are calling on authorities to prosecute whoever is responsible for the reported killing of more than a dozen wild horses in northeastern Arizona.

U.S. Forest Service officials announced Friday that they were investigating the horse deaths, but didnt release any details.

Phoenix TV station KTVK reported Saturday that witnesses told them 14 horses were found in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest with fatal gunshot wounds to the abdomen, face and between the eyes.

The person or persons responsible for this act of premeditated, vicious animal cruelty poses a very real danger to people and animals, Scott Beckstead, director of campaigns and equine welfare specialist for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for a Humane Economy, told KTVK. We hope to see swift and aggressive action by federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Simone Netherlands of the Salt River Wild Horse Management group in Arizona said the horses are not protected by federal government, not protected by state laws, so its sickening that someone can just come here and kill them.

The dead horses were found near Forest Road 25 on the Alpine and Springerville Ranger Districts, according to the Forest Service, which said in a statement that they are coordinating with the appropriate officials in support of the investigation.

Meanwhile, a $20,000 reward continues to being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed five wild horses in eastern Nevada late last year.

The Bureau of Land Management announced last week that the National Mustang Association pledged to double the previous $10,000 reward in the case.

Its unknown if the Nevada and Arizona cases are related.

Authorities said five mortally wounded horses were discovered Nov. 16 in Jakes Valley, about 30 miles west of Ely.

They said the horses all were located within 600 yards of each other about 2 miles south of U.S. Highway 50, and an aborted fetus was attached to one of the dead animals.

The BLM is investigating and prosecuting the killings as part of the enforcement of the Wild Horses and Burro Act of 1971.
Michael Ravenscroft brings considerable expertise in entrepreneurship and venture investment.

The University System of Maryland (USM) has named Mike Ravenscroft as managing director of the Maryland Momentum Fund (MMF), a $16 million investment fund that supports early stage companies affiliated with USM institutions. Ravenscroft joins USM next week.



Ravenscroft has devoted his career to entrepreneurship and venture investment. He joins MMF from Dreamit Ventures where he worked with emerging digital health and medical device startups and managed a national network of enterprise health care partners and venture funds.



Mike Ravenscroft brings considerable expertise to this important role as managing director of the Maryland Momentum Fund. We are fortunate to have found someone who has experience both in the venture capital sphere and in prior work with USM institutions, said USM Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Ellen Herbst. Mike is well known in the greater Washington and Delmarva regions, another strength that bodes well for the Momentum Fund and his leadership.



Prior to joining Dreamit, Ravenscroft founded and led re:Founded, a venture advisory firm that specialized in strategic advisory services for venture capital firms, high-growth technology startups, and innovation programs. He also served as a venture associate for the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland, College Park where he sourced seed stage venture deals for angel investors and developed relationships with regional angel networks and venture funds. He previously held investment roles at C5 Capital and CIT GAP Funds, where he led investments in seed stage technology startups across industries.



Were excited to have Mike Ravenscroft join the Maryland Momentum Fund, said James L. Hughes, MBA, senior vice president and chief enterprise and economic development officer for the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and director of University of Maryland (UM) Ventures. The Maryland Momentum Fund is an important tool for USMs entrepreneurial community, providing not only investment, but also business development support and mentoring. Mikes first-hand experience launching and investing in early-stage ventures will be a great benefit to the Fund and its portfolio companies.



Ravenscroft serves on the Advisory Board for Alpine Consolidated, a Washington, D.C.-based venture investment company that specializes in early-stage entrepreneurial companies at the intersection of cyber-security, communications, and civilian-government applications unique to the Capitol marketplace. In this capacity, he works with C-Suite executives and angel investors from around the DMV to source and invest in innovative pre-seed and seed stage product companies. In his spare time, he advises startups and is a mentor at several early-stage accelerators and incubators.



As the MMF managing director, Ravenscroft will work to continue growing USMs investment portfolio while defining and implementing strategies to meet the funds dual objectives of investor returns and economic development. He will lead the sourcing and vetting of prospective companies for MMF investment and, in conjunction with members of UM Ventures and USM teams, will work with early stage companies to provide business advice and counseling to help them achieve success.



Ravenscroft earned a Master of Business Administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, a Master of Arts from American University, and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Michigan.



About the USM Momentum Fund

The Maryland Momentum Fund is an initiative of the University System of Maryland (USM) to provide late seed investment funding for promising technology ventures that come out of any of the 12 constituent USM institutions, its research parks, and its students, faculty, or graduates. With an initial $10 million commitment from USM and up to an additional $6 million approved in 2022, the fund co-invests with venture capitalists, foundations, and angel investors.



The Maryland Momentum Fund was established by the USM Board of Regents and invests in USM-affiliated companies to catalyze outside investment in early-stage startups and foster economic development and technology commercialization. Its portfolio companies include: MF Fire, NextStep Robotics, the North American Wave Engine Corporation, Zest Tea, PaverGuide, Retrium, Veralox Therapeutics, Gemstone Biotherapeutics, Secretome Therapeutics (formerly NeoProgen), Minnowtech, ARMR Systems, InferCabulary, Datakwip, pathOtrak, KaloCyte, MiRecule, N5 Sensors, VisiSonics, Voxy EngGen, Dynamhex, TargetDocs, Qualytics, Liatris, AquaLith, GivHero, and Linshom. The fund is designed to create returns and support USMs most innovative ideas as they enter the marketplace. Learn more at https://momentum.usmd.edu/.
The ability to meet people's needs and adapt to domestic and international changes has enabled the Communist Party of China (CPC) to lead China to successive victories, an expert here said.

"A major achievement of the CPC is the total eradication of absolute poverty in China," said Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies in Britain.

Pfetten noted that China's poverty alleviation achievement was realized 10 years ahead of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations.

Another achievement of the CPC is accomplishing its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, he said.

Furthermore, the CPC has delivered a new democratic model to the world -- socialist consultative democracy, providing an alternative to the Western democratic model, he said.

"The success of the CPC comes from a constant adaptation of the party to the needs of the people and to the reality of the world at large," he said.

Pfetten, 54, was born in France, and one of his ancestors created a work-study program for young Chinese people in his factory in the early 1900s. Pfetten studied Chinese at an early age and speaks the language fluently.

In recent years, Pfetten has participated in various academic exchange programs and investment-promoting activities to contribute to China's development projects. He was awarded a certificate of honor for helping impoverished women and children in the rural areas of northeastern China's Liaoning Province.

Pfetten is dedicated to studying China and the CPC and has written more than 2,000 pages of relevant research notes.

Talking about the upcoming CPC National Congress, Pfetten said he believes that it will be a significant meeting for China and the rest of the world, given China's weight in the international community and the global economy.

He praised the CPC for positioning the Chinese people at the center of its work.

"It's a party of people," Pfetten said. "And the party evolves and moves with the evolution of the people."
Strategic tasks, major steps of the CPC hold key to modernization drive, Xi says

Amid the increasingly complex risks and challenges China is facing, the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will have the central task of presenting the Party's road map for the next five years and beyond, a key period in realizing national rejuvenation.

The 20th CPC National Congress, which is expected to open in Beijing on Sunday, is regarded as especially important as the Party is leading the Chinese people in embarking on a new journey to comprehensively build China into a modern socialist country, after the task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects was completed last year.

The seventh plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which started on Sunday in Beijing, will make preparations for the opening of the 20th CPC National Congress.

A total of 2,296 delegates have been elected to attend the Congress. In addition to setting national policy goals, it will elect a new CPC Central Committee, the Party's top leadership, and a new CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Amendments to the Party Constitution are also expected at the Congress.

The CPC could use its 20th National Congress to reiterate the people-centered governance philosophy and the need to firmly adhere to socialism with Chinese characteristics, observers said. It could also highlight the need to coordinate development and security given the new circumstances of China's development, reform and opening-up, as well as mounting external risks and challenges.

Speaking at a workshop attended by senior Party and government officials in July, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said the 20th CPC National Congress would emphasize the strategic tasks the Party will have and the major steps it will take over the next five years, which hold the key to the country's modernization drive.

An effort must be made to work out new plans and measures to tackle the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development nationwide, Xi said.

Qi Weiping, a professor of politics at East China Normal University in Shanghai, said that on the journey toward national rejuvenation, the Party will unite and lead the people in making substantial progress in tackling the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development and seeking common prosperity among more than 1.4 billion people in order to constantly meet their growing demand for a better life.

Namibian Ambassador to China Elia Kaiyamo said he expected the CPC would continue to lead the Chinese people in further developing socialism with Chinese characteristics after the 20th CPC National Congress and provide a good model for other countries in choosing an independent development path.

Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China, expressed his wish that the 20th CPC National Congress would be a complete success.

"Under the guidance of the CPC, China's peaceful rise is truly historic, with positive repercussions throughout the world. This is especially impactful in the Middle East, as we witness burgeoning trade and investment from China.

"The CPC has played an integral role in transforming China from a largely agricultural, underdeveloped country to an engine of global growth. Both the UAE and China have been beneficiaries of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and we look forward to even greater achievements and prosperity in the years to come."

While pursuing high-quality development, the CPC takes national security seriously as another pillar of its governance of the country.

Speaking of the rapid evolution of profound changes in the international landscape at July's workshop, Xi said China faces fresh strategic opportunities and tasks in its new stage of development, and the risks, challenges and problems it faces are increasingly complex and complicated.

He underlined the need for the whole Party to strengthen risk awareness, prepare for the worst-case scenario, and strive to cope with the changing domestic and international situation with proper strategies.

Analysts said that over the next five years, it is essential for China to stick to the right direction under the strong leadership of the CPC amid the increasingly complicated and challenging international environment in order to maintain national security while continuing to promote development.

Amid uncertainties brought by challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the widening divide arising from geopolitical rivalry, the CPC is expected to renew its call at the Congress for countries to implement the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative to promote global peace and development as part of an effort to advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, they said.

Gao Zugui, a professor at the Institute for International Strategic Studies at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said in an article in Study Times that the Party emphasizes the importance of coordinating development and security in its governance, an important philosophy that has been extended from national governance to China's active participation in global governance.

The two initiatives have been widely regarded as China's solutions to addressing the problems the world faces in the cause of peace and development. Since its inception, the Global Development Initiative has been positioned as an all-inclusive accelerant to the United Nations' agenda on sustainable development.

The initiative's relevance to a world in distress is difficult to understate at the moment as protracted conflicts, climatic spillovers, rampant poverty and wide resource shortages threaten to compound existing inequalities and adversely affect the development potential of many states, Hannan Hussain, a foreign affairs commentator and a former assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, said in an article published on the China Global Television Network website.

Adriel Kasonta, a foreign affairs analyst and commentator in London, said in an article published on the CGTN website that being the fruit of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, the Global Security Initiative provides a united response to the increasingly complex challenges faced by the international community.
Former leading UN official says event is opportunity to celebrate progress

Many international experts are voicing expectations that the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which is expected to open on Oct 16 in Beijing, will generate successes not only for China but also the world.

Erik Solheim, former executive director of the United Nations Environmental Programme and former UN under-secretary-general, said that after 40 years of unprecedented economic growth and poverty reduction, China should focus on how to take the next step toward a high-quality and people-centered society.

He said the 20th CPC National Congress is an opportunity to celebrate China's progress since it initiated the reform and opening-up drive in 1978, consequently eradicating extreme poverty, extending life expectancy to the level of developed countries and becoming a global leader in renewable energy and green development.

"China should set new high ambitions for its global leadership toward an ecological civilization and shared prosperity for humankind," the Norwegian politician said.

He said China is already ahead of all other nations in new green technologies and can help lead the world on climate and the environment.

"At a time of much global uncertainty, China's leadership is critical to create a stable world order for economic progress and green development," he said.

Carlos Martinez, a British commentator and co-editor of Friends of Socialist China, said the 20th CPC National Congress will likely emphasize common prosperity.

"Alleviating poverty, reducing inequality, preventing the unchecked expansion of capital and ensuring all people in China benefit from China's growing economic strength  these are all tremendously important in terms of working toward the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious," he said.

He pointed to China's commitment to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, and said he believes the Congress will reaffirm the Party's commitment to the climate and biodiversity.

He said China is leading the way with renewable energy, electric vehicles, afforestation, pollution reduction and biodiversity preservation.

"With an increasingly urgent climate crisis, this (China's) leadership is indispensable," he said.

Martinez believes China will continue to pursue a foreign policy based on peace, development and mutually beneficial cooperation.

However, the 20th CPC National Congress will inevitably have to seriously consider China's defense capacity, and the need to foster domestic innovation and consumption, in the face of increasingly hostile forces led by the United States, which is attempting to contain China.

Bernard Dewit, chair of the Brussels-based Belgian Chinese Chamber of Commerce, has traveled to China almost every year since the 1980s but has not been able to during the past three years because of COVID-19.

He said the Congress will need to focus on measures to support the economy and hopes China's pandemic-control policies could adapt to ease travel for businesspeople and tourists from the rest of the world.

Dewit added that he hopes China's economy will remain open to foreign investment and to partnerships between Chinese and foreign companies in China and abroad.
China has become a dominant player in the global photovoltaic (PV) industry, huge progress from ten years ago when it had to import raw materials and core equipment from overseas and had few domestic clients.

Today, the country makes over 2/3 of the world's major PV products, and the value of its PV industry has exceeded 750 billion yuan ($105.4 billion). In particular, the country has maintained the world's largest producer of polycrystalline silicon and PV parts for 11 and 15 years, respectively.

China had installed 306 GW of solar power capacity as of the end of 2021, up from 6.5 GW in 2012, ranking first in the world for seven years in a row.

Ten years ago, the Chinese PV industry was seeing an over-dependence on the foreign market, slow development of key equipment and materials, as well as antidumping and countervailing duties imposed by some countries.

In 2013, China rolled out a slew of policies to support and regulate the PV industry, covering market applications, taxation, land use and many other aspects.

The policies have created a sound environment for technological innovation. The diamond wire-cutting technology, for instance, was able to lower over 30 billion yuan of cost for Chinese PV enterprises each year after being developed domestically.

Over the past 10 years, the average cost of PV generation per kilowatt-hour has been lowered by 70 percent to 0.3 yuan.

"China's PV industry has a significant advantage It has built the world's most complete industrial ecology that covers the manufacturing of polycrystalline silicon, silicon wafers, cells and PV parts, as well as holders, inverter and other supportive equipment," said Wang Bohua, honorary chairman of China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA).

"The supply chain of China's PV industry is generally independent and controllable. Once technological innovations are made, we can soon put them into use," Wang added.

Wang introduced that China has achieved constant progress in frontier researches of PV technology. Since 2014, Chinese enterprises and research institutions have constantly improved the conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon cells.

Today, guided by the "dual carbon" goals and under the backdrop of accelerated clean energy development around the world, the major sectors of China's PV industry have maintained a strong momentum for development. The production of polycrystalline silicon, silicon wafers, cells and PV parts surged 53.4 percent, 45.5 percent, 46.6 percent and 54.1 percent from a year ago in the first half of 2022, respectively.

The application market is also expanding, where both distributed and centralized PV installation see rapid development. During the same period, China deployed around 30.88 GW of new PV power generation, and the new distributed PV installation accounted for 63.6 percent, up 10 percentage points from a year ago.

The constructions of large-scale PV bases in deserts are in full swing. Currently, a 1 GW PV and wind power generation project is under construction in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The project, built by China Huadian Corporation, includes 124 wind turbines and over 140,000 solar panels.

"In the first half of this year, we commenced 14 PV and wind power projects in Xinjiang. We plan to invest 100 billion yuan to build new energy projects with a total capacity of 20 GW between 2021 and 2025," said Han Song, chairman of a Xinjiang branch of China Huadian Corporation.

The overseas market of Chinas PV industry is also growing fast. According to CPIA statistics, China exported $25.9 billion of silicon wafers, cells and PV parts in the first half of this year, surging 113 percent from a year ago and hitting a new record high.

The association said that over 300 PV projects in China had expanded their capacity between early 2021 and June this year. As of August, there were 496,200 PV-related enterprises across China, and the number of newly established PV companies in the first eight months of this year saw year-on-year growth of over 45 percent.

Experts predicted that the PV sector will enjoy brighter prospects as PV technologies can be employed in construction, transport, energy storage, hydrogen production and other industries.
China's economy registered an average annual growth rate of 6.6% for the past decade or so, leading major economies and much higher than the global average of 2.6% and the 3.7% for developing economies over the same period. China contributed up to 38.6% on average to world economic growth, more than the G7 countries combined.

In 2021, China remained the world's second largest economy and largest trading country, with its GDP accounting for 18.5% of the world economic aggregate and its foreign trade hitting $6.9 trillion, up by 7.2 percentage points and 56.8% respectively from a decade earlier.

The fundamentals sustaining China's sound economic growth in the long run remain unchanged. China remains committed to opening-up. We will continue to uphold the principle of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit and win-win results, expand high-level opening-up, share development dividends with the world and contribute more to the strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.
The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), nicknamed Kuafu-1 in Chinese, was launched aboard a Long March-2D rocket at 07:43 a.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit successfully.

The solar observatory, named after Kuafu, a giant in Chinese mythology who indefatigably chased the sun, will extend its working hours to over 96 percent of the year.

Kuafu-1, with three payloads onboard -- the Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope (LST), the Hard X-ray Imager (HXI), and the Full-disk Vector MagnetoGraph (FMG) -- is an all-rounder satellite specially designed for solar detection.

Kuafu-1's scientific objectives are described as the probe on "1M2B" -- M for the solar magnetic field and two Bs for two violent bursts, i.e. solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and their potential interplay.

JIUQUAN, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- China sent a solar exploration satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sunday, furthering the country's scientific endeavor to unravel the mysteries of the Sun.

The Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), nicknamed Kuafu-1 in Chinese, was launched aboard a Long March-2D rocket at 07:43 a.m. (Beijing Time) and entered its planned orbit successfully.

A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)

After four to six months of testing, the 859-kg satellite will start normal operation 720 kilometers away from the Earth to study the causality between the solar magnetic field and two major eruptive phenomena, namely solar flares and coronal mass ejections, thus providing data support for space weather forecasting.

CHASING THE SUN

The solar observatory, named after Kuafu, a giant in Chinese mythology who indefatigably chased the sun, will extend its working hours to over 96 percent of the year.

A space-borne observatory running at a sun-synchronous orbit is not hampered by the Earth's rotations, while an Earth-based telescope can see the Sun only in the daytime.

"ASO-S is capable of probing the Sun 24 hours daily for most of the year," said Gan Weiqun, the satellite's principal scientist from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). "Its longest daily time-out is no more than 18 minutes when briefly running through the shadow of Earth each day from May to August."

The solar probe, with a projected life of no less than four years, is designed to accumulate and transmit back some 500 gigabytes of data within a day, which is equivalent to tens of thousands of high-quality images.

"The onboard detectors take pictures every few seconds or minutes, and during solar eruptions, they can rapidly increase their shutter speed to only one second so as to capture solar activities with more details," said Huang Yu, associate chief designer of ASO-S science application system.

During its in-orbit operation, three ground stations in the cities of Sanya, Kashgar, and Beijing, far apart from each other, will receive data from space, before sending them in packages over the next four years to a 2,048-core powerful computer mounted at the PMO for decoding.

VERSATILE PROBE

Kuafu-1, with three payloads onboard -- the Lyman-alpha Solar Telescope (LST), the Hard X-ray Imager (HXI), and the Full-disk Vector MagnetoGraph (FMG) -- is an all-rounder satellite specially designed for solar detection.

It marked the second milestone for the country's solar exploration endeavor after the satellite Xihe, a pathfinder in China's solar exploration, was launched into space in October 2021.

Operating also in a sun-synchronous orbit at an average altitude of 517 km, Xihe carried a solar H-alpha imaging spectrometer as its main scientific payload, obtaining for the first time globally, the fine structure of solar H-alpha, SiI, and FeI spectral lines in orbit.

Kuafu-1 is set to add another piece of our host star's spectral jigsaw. The LST installed on it can seamlessly collect the Lyman-alpha light near the corona emitted from the full disk of the sun.

The wave band of Lyman-alpha, representing the neutral hydrogen spectra released by more than 70 percent of the solar mass, is known to be the strongest ultraviolet emission line that affects the Earth's ionosphere.

The full-disk Lyman-alpha observations will open a fresh window that may reveal new solar physics, said Feng Li, the LST data scientist from PMO. "They're the first of its kind in the world that images from the disc center to a 2.5 solar radius."

HXI, installed on the Kuafu-1, will probe the non-thermal high-energy electrons accelerated in solar flares in the energy ranging from between 30 and 200 keV, with more than 90 tungsten optical gratings at each side.

"A single grating, with a diameter in centimeters, is divided into thousands of slits, the slightest of them only 18 microns," said Su Yang, HXI's data scientist from PMO. "The array constitutes a compound eye for X-rays and see the big picture and details at once."

CLOSE INVESTIGATION

Now, the farthest reaches of the universe have been put within the radius of human observations, but the sun remains "the only star accessible for our close investigation," according to Gan.

Kuafu-1's scientific objectives are described as the probe on "1M2B" -- M for the solar magnetic field and two Bs for two violent bursts, i.e. solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and their potential interplay.

"Our understanding of the sun is far from profound, and how could solar flares and CMEs take place and affect our planet is still not that clear," said Gan. "The sun is the most familiar but the strangest star to humankind."

Solar flares are the intense localized eruptions of electromagnetic radiation in the sun's atmosphere, while CMEs are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun's corona.

LST will increase the probe accuracy on CMEs by about three orders of magnitude, compared with a probe in visible light, while HXI is able to obtain rich characteristic information on solar flares simultaneously, including location, shape, radiation intensity, and time evolution.

FMG can measure the complicated solar magnetic field, a crucial factor that may influence solar flares and CMEs. Its precision reaches 5 gauss, merely a thousandth of the sunspot magnetic field intensity, said Zhang Haiying, an FMG designer from Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics &Technology under CAS.

"The detector can image the full disk magnetically in such a similar accuracy every 18 minutes during solar eruptions, making up a movie that can help us unravel the secrets of how the sun is discharging its tremendous energy," said Zhang.

Gan said the 1M2B allows scientists to "know more about how the solar activities took shape and evolve," and it also "lays the physical basis for forecasting the space weather."

The 11-year solar cycle, starting in the latter half of 2020 and coming to a close in about 2031, is expected to see its peak in 2024 to 2025, with frequent solar eruptions that may cripple the global communication and positioning as happened at its last peak on Halloween of 2003.

"Kuafu-1 was launched at a timing that the ascending curve of solar activity, from dormancy to its most dynamic stage, can be continuously catalogued," said Gan.

"Specifically, the LST can serve as a space weather forecaster to raise alerts of CMEs 40 hours in advance to secure an earlier prevention on Earth."

Editor: ZAD
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan is a reliable strategic partner and a country that plays a key role in Georgias energy supply, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said, Azernews reports.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov in Tbilisi.

During the meeting, he expressed his support for cooperation on energy projects that will serve stability and development in the region.

For his turn, Parviz Shahbazov stated that the Azerbaijani president attaches special importance to the comprehensive development of relations with Georgia. He also spoke about the opportunities to deepen energy cooperation.

Moreover, the parties discussed the work done to increase the transmission capacity of the energy systems of Azerbaijan and Georgia, to ensure the transportation of electricity from Azerbaijan to Turkiye and European countries.

The issues arising from the implementation of the Black Sea submarine power and digital connectivity project, which will unite Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary were discussed. In this regard, the sides noted that this project will open a new page in the relations between the two countries.

Likewise, during the visit to Georgia, Parviz Shahbazov also met with Georgian Vice Prime Minister, Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Levan Davitashvili.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the development of the Azerbaijan-Georgia relations, which have a long history based on friendship, good neighborliness, and mutual support.

Noting that the main role in the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia belongs to energy cooperation, the parties discussed the regional and global importance of oil and gas projects implemented jointly such as the Baku-Supsa, BTC, and the South Caucasus Pipeline.

Emphasizing the importance of strengthening regional cooperation on electricity for sustainable energy security, Parviz Shahbazov said that the Black Sea submarine power and digital connectivity project will play an important role in this regard.

The project, which will cover Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary, will diversify Europe's supply sources, being a continuation of our joint energy security projects. The implementation of this project is ensured by the huge wind energy potential of Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea, the steps taken to create large-scale production capacities, as well as the support of the European Union and the World Bank, he said.

For his turn, Levan Davitashvili said that this is a historic project for Georgia and its country is ready to create a new cooperation format through the Black Sea submarine cable project.

Additionally, they discussed measures currently being implemented and planned to increase the export and transit of electricity, as well as the opportunities for expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye.

Parviz Shahbazov visited Tbilisi at the invitation of Georgian Vice Prime Minister, Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Levan Davitashvili. During the two-day visit, the current status and new opportunities for energy cooperation between the two countries were discussed.
The Communist Party of China will convene its 20th National Congress in Beijing on October 16. What is the CPC National Congress? How often is it held? And why it is important to the Party and the country? Watch the video to find out more.

Editor: JYZ
Contestants participate in the Miss Universe Myanmar 2022 pageant in Yangon, Myanmar, Oct. 1, 2022. A total of 14 beauty contestants participated in the Miss Universe Myanmar 2022 finale in Yangon on Saturday. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

YANGON, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14 beauty contestants participated in the Miss Universe Myanmar 2022 finale in Yangon on Saturday.

Zar Li Moe of Bhamo in northern Myanmar's Kachin state was crowned the title of "Miss Universe Myanmar 2022" to be a contestant in the upcoming 71st Miss Universe competition to be held early next year in the United States.

Miss Universe Myanmar Pageant 2022 is the ninth time of such kind which has been held since 2013 in Myanmar.

The national beauty pageant of the Southeast Asian country was not held last year. Thuzar Wint Lwin, representative from Chin state, won the title in 2020.

Miss Universe Beauty Pageant is one of the world's oldest and most important beauty pageants. 

Zar Li Moe (front) waves after winning the crown of Miss Universe Myanmar 2022 in Yangon, Myanmar, Oct. 1, 2022. A total of 14 beauty contestants participated in the Miss Universe Myanmar 2022 finale in Yangon on Saturday. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

Zar Li Moe (C), after winning the crown of Miss Universe Myanmar 2022, poses with other beauty contestants in Yangon, Myanmar, Oct. 1, 2022. A total of 14 beauty contestants participated in the Miss Universe Myanmar 2022 finale in Yangon on Saturday. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

Editor: JYZ
IMC in talks with EBRD and IFC on loans for three development projects

IMC agricultural holding is negotiating with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the possibility of lending to new development projects for the company: digital farming, bioenergy and the purchase of agricultural machinery, Alex Lissitsa, the CEO of IMC Agricultural Holding, said.

At the recent Forbes conference "Without Rose-Colored Glasses. Business and the State During the War," he indicated that even before the end of August, the company planned to switch to idle mode with the payment of 50% of the salary to employees, since "the whole situation shows that this the best option for us," but then this decision was revised.

Lissitsa explained that the main risk of such a downtime would be the loss of the team and its competencies, so it was decided to take on three new development projects.

According to him, the digital farming project launched due to the lack of fertilizers and the necessary funding has already shown savings of 25% of fertilizers and record yields, so it will be expanded.

The IMC general director added that it is planned to develop biomethane and bioethanol in bioenergy.

As for the purchase of agricultural equipment, he explained the interest in this project by the presence of the necessary competencies and the large unsatisfied demand for such equipment in regions with high military risks.

"We hope that we will find funds for these three projects," Lissitsa said.

IMC specializes in the cultivation of cereals, oilseeds and milk production in Ukraine. It processes about 123,300 hectares of land in Poltava, Chernihiv and Sumy regions. It owns storage facilities for 554,000 tonnes of grain and oilseeds.
Head of Kyiv Regional Military Administration Oleksiy Kuleba reported on the work of the Ukrainian air defense, and urged residents to stay in shelters.

"Residents of Kyiv region! Air defense is working in the region. The air raid is still going on! Stay in shelters," he wrote on the Telegram channel.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called on the citizens of Ukraine to stay in shelters.

"The 229th day of a full-scale war. On the 229th day, they are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth. Generally. To destroy our people who sleep at home in Zaporizhia. To kill people who leave for work in Dnipro and Kyiv," he wrote on the Telegram channel on Monday.

"The air raid is not clear throughout Ukraine. There are missile hits. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. I beg you: do not leave shelters. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Let's hold on and be strong," he wrote.
As of 8:45 a.m., as a result of shelling in the Shevchenkivskiy District of Kyiv, eight people were killed, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Rostyslav Smirnov has said.

"As of 08:45, eight people were killed and 24 injured as a result of the shelling in the Shevchenkivskyi district, six cars were on fire and more than 15 cars were damaged. 30 people and six units of the State Emergency Service equipment were involved. The information is being specified," Smirnov wrote on Facebook.
The US Embassy in Kyiv called on American citizens to leave Ukraine in connection with Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure.

"Russia's continued strikes in Ukraine pose a direct threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Embassy urges U.S. citizens to shelter in place and depart Ukraine now using privately available ground transportation options when it is safe to do so," according to a message of the embassy on Twitter.
As a result of a massive Russian missile attack on Kyiv on October 10, five people died and 47 were injured, Svetlana Vodolaga, head of the press service of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service in Kyiv, has said.

"As a result of this massive attack, their were casaualties: five people died, 47 people were injured. Also, rescuers saved 12 people and rescuers evacuated 24 people from those houses that were damaged. At the moment, rescuers are still in place: they are dismantling blockages. Therefore, it is possible that the numbers will be slightly different," he said on the air of the national telethon #UAat once on Monday.

Vodolaga also noted that rescuers worked in the capital "at six sites where enemy missiles hit."
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for more weapons to be provided to Ukraine.

"Russian brutality has no limits. Kyiv other Ukrainian cities were shelled by Russian army again. They are aiming at city centers, residential buildings, roads in rush hour. This is state sponsored terrorism in its pure sense. More weapons to Ukraine to win over this evil!" he said on Twitter on Monday.
Russia is trying to activate Alexander Lukashenko so that as many forces of the Ukrainian army as possible are withdrawn to the border with Belarus, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas believes.

"Instead of a tactical nuclear weapon, Lukashenko is being activated. Yesterday Belarus officially accused Ukraine of preparing an attack against it. The goal is to withdraw as many Ukrainian forces as possible from the front to the border with Belarus," he said on Twitter.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Cuba have discussed cooperation in the healthcare sector, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Azerbaijani Health Minister Teymur Musayev and Cuban ambassador Carlos Enrique Valdes de la Concepcion.

Noting that the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Cuba are successfully continuing in both bilateral and multilateral formats, Teymur Musayev stated that interstate cooperation in the field of health and medical science is exemplary.

A clear example of this is the arrival of teams of Cuban specialists in our country in 2020 as part of measures aimed at preventing the widespread of COVID-19. This step is also an indicator of solidarity, which will make a significant contribution to further strengthening of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Cuba, he said.

The minister also emphasized that the developed national healthcare system in Cuba is recognized as one of the best in the world. In addition, he expressed his hope for the further successful development of cooperation in healthcare, medical science, and other areas.

For his turn, the ambassador stressed that Cuba pays special attention to relations with Azerbaijan. He recalled that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Arrival of a medical team from Cuba to Azerbaijan during the COVID-19 pandemic is a good indicator of these relations. I believe that our ties will continue to develop in the future, he said.

Additionally, the parties discussed new prospects for the development and strengthening of Azerbaijani-Cuban cooperation in the field of the pharmaceutical industry.

Diplomatic relations between our countries were established on March 27, 1992. The embassy of Cuba in Azerbaijan was established on October 12, 2007.

The working group on Azerbaijani-Cuban Inter-Parliamentary Relations operates in the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan. At the same time, the Cuban-Azerbaijani Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group operates in the National Assembly of Peoples Power of the Republic of Cuba.

In total, ten documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Cuba. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $143,290 in 2021.
After Russia's missile strikes on Ukraine, the time has come to lift restrictions on arms supplies to Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Jaroslav Kurfurst has said.

"Perhaps this is the time when there should be a lifting of many restrictions on the weapons that we supply to Ukraine. Perhaps this is the time to support Ukraine even more. But, of course, there should always be more support. From the very beginning, all of us who supports Ukraine, we believe much more needs to be done," Kurfurst told reporters in Prague on Monday.

The deputy foreign minister said that such a terrorist attack on the civilian population cannot be sufficiently punished "because those who are responsible sit in the Kremlin and enjoy life."

"As the Czech Republic, we insist on a new tribunal for an act of aggression, and the punishment of the people who are responsible," Kurfurst said.

Kurfurst said that the Russian missile strikes on Ukraine are proof of Russia's barbarity and disrespect for human life.

"We live in a very difficult time. I believe that the world after this war will be different, and I am quite sure that Russia will lose, and there will be a new geopolitical map. I don't know if it's better or worse, but the West will win, Putin will lose," Kurfurst said.

He also drew attention to the readiness of the Czech Republic to spend CZK 170 million by the end of the year to support Ukraine's preparations for winter.

"There is a lot of effort, planning for the future reconstruction of Ukraine, which may be a bit distant, but still urgently needs the reconstruction of humanitarian, critical infrastructure and demilitarization, preparing Ukraine for winter. We are ready to spend CZK 170 million by the end of the year to support the preparation of Ukraine for winter," he said.
Five people were killed, 51 were wounded and 42 of them were hospitalized as a result of a massive missile attack on Kyiv on Monday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said.

"At the moment, five people killed, 51 wounded as a result of missile strikes in Kyiv. Fourty-two of them hospitalized," he said on Facebook on Monday.

The occupation forces attacked several critical infrastructure facilities of the capital, he said.
During the morning rocket attacks on Kyiv on Monday, October 10, the building in which the visa department of the German Embassy in Ukraine is located was damaged, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

A building in Kyiv, which also houses the German visa office, was damaged by rocket fire this morning. Since the beginning of Russias war of aggression, these offices have not been used by our embassy. Our colleagues at the Embassy in Kyiv are well, the ministry said on Twitter.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has temporarily suspended its work in Ukraine for security reasons, Reuters reports, citing an ICRC representative.

"For security reasons, our teams have paused operations today," a spokesperson said in an emailed response to a Reuters question.

The Norwegian Refugee Council also said that it had halted its aid operations in Ukraine until it is safe to resume.

As reported, as a result of Russian missile strikes on various cities of Ukraine on Monday morning, 10 people were killed (five of them in Kyiv) and about 60 were injured.
The Russian Federation used eight Tu-95 aircraft, three Tu-160 aircraft from the Caspian Sea and Nizhny Novgorod regions, ships and ground-based operational-tactical missile systems Iskander to launch a massive missile strike on the territory of Ukraine on Monday morning, according to the Facebook page of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

In addition, the occupiers used Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles of the Shahed-136 type from the territory of Belarus and the temporarily occupied Ukrainian Crimea for strikes. According to preliminary information, nine of them were destroyed.

As of 12:26, the Russian army has used more than 83 cruise missiles. The air defense of the Air Forces, in cooperation with the air defense units of the Ground Forces, shot down 52 air targets, 43 of them cruise missiles.

As of 12:26, Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Khmelnytsky, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr regions and other regions were attacked, the ministry reported.
Russia launches X-101, X-555, Kalibr and Iskander missiles on Ukraines territory, as well as S-300 and Tornado-S MLRS missiles  AFU Air Forces

On the morning of Monday, October 10, starting at 06:00, Russian invaders attacked peaceful cities of Ukraine from all directions with missiles of various types, in particular from the Black Sea and the Caspian region, the command of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

"High-precision ground-, sea- and air-based cruise missiles are being used. The invaders launch X-101, X-555 from the Caspian Sea area from eleven Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bomber aircraft. Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from ships in the Black Sea. Iskander groundbased short-range ballistic missile system was used in different directions. The enemy also uses missiles of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems and the Tornado-S MLRS," the telegram channel says.

In total, as of 11:40, the Russian occupiers fired more than 80 missiles, of which the air defense of the AFU together with the air defense units of the Ground Forces shot down about 45 missiles.

In addition, nine out of 12 kamikaze drones Shahed-136 were destroyed by air defense.
Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Haluschenko informed European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson about massive rocket attacks on the energy sector of the country.

"Modern Russia is a terrorist organization. I am grateful to our European partners for their solidarity and support. We count on assistance in restoring the destruction of generation facilities and networks," the minister said.

As reported, on Monday morning, the Russian Federation launched missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure facilities. The Defense Intelligence noted that "the main goal of the terrorist country was to destroy thermal power plants, create panic among Ukrainians and intimidate the European public."

In particular, strikes were carried out on the territory of thermal power plants in Ivano-Frankivsk and Kyiv regions, thermal power plants in the capital and regions.

According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, 11 important infrastructure facilities in eight regions and Kyiv were damaged. According to the State Emergency Service at 14:00 on Monday, as a result of shelling, there is no power supply in four regions: Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil. In the rest of Ukraine, power supply was partially disrupted.

Ukrenergo has introduced a schedule of emergency blackouts in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy and relevant regions, as well as in Zhytomyr, asks to limit the use of powerful electrical appliances in the evening - from 17:00 to 22:00.
Prytula, Sternenko raise more than UAH 100 million in four hours

Serhiy Prytula's Charitable Foundation, together with activist Serhiy Sternenko, collected more than UAH 100 million in four hours after the rocket attack on Ukraine on October 10.

"We are raising money for RAM ll UAV on kamikaze drones. There will explosions. It will hurt," Prytula wrote on Facebook.
Stoltenberg speaks with Duda about support for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has held a conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda, discussing support for Ukraine.

Stoltenberg announced this on his Twitter page on Monday.

Spoke with President Andrzej Duda on continued support from NATO Allies to Ukraine & thanked him for Poland's key contributions. Russia continues its unprovoked aggression against an independent sovereign nation. We will stay the course, the Secretary General said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with British Prime Minister Liz Truss increasing pressure on the Russian Federation.

Ive spoken with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Liz Truss. We count on Great Britain's leadership in strengthening international political and defense support for Ukraine, in particular regarding the protection of our skies. Weve discussed further resolute actions to increase pressure on Russia, he said on the Telegram channel.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Russia's Altai Republic region have discussed prospects for business cooperation, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during the videoconference between Russias Trade Representative office in Azerbaijan and the business mission of the Altai Republic region, held as part of the an hour with the trade representative project of the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry.

During the videoconference, Russias Trade Representative in Azerbaijan Ruslan Mirsayapov spoke about the current economic situation, demanded products, the most promising areas for Russian export, and the representative offices possibilities to support the export activities of Russian companies.

Moreover, special attention was paid to the tourism and recreation potential of the Altai Republic, the search for unique export proposals that the region can offer, the conditions of entry into the Azerbaijani retail chains, the participation of Gorno-Altai enterprises in exhibition events taking place in Azerbaijan.

Altai Republics Export Support Center Director Tatiana Loginova and representatives of the regions enterprises participated in the event, organized by Trade Representation jointly with the Export Support Center.

Azerbaijan and Russia cooperate in different sectors, such as the economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. Over 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.

Azerbaijan's investments in the Russian economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the lions share of it being in the non-oil sector. In addition, Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion, with $5 billion in the oil sector and $1.3 billion in the non-oil sectors.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to $2.9 billion in 2021, making Russia Azerbaijans third-largest partner.
Today's rocket attacks that hit thermal generation and electrical substations are forcing Ukraine to stop exporting electricity from October 11, 2022 to stabilize its own energy system, the Ministry of Energy said.

"It was the export of electricity from Ukraine that helped Europe reduce the consumption of Russian energy resources. And that is why Russia is destroying our energy system, killing the very possibility of exporting electricity from Ukraine," Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko said.

The ministry noted that Russia continues to carry out energy terror against Ukraine, and also increases energy pressure on the European Union.

At the same time, they emphasized that even after Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which had been under occupation for more than seven months, was stopped, Ukraine fulfilled its obligations to its European partners in the export of electricity.

As reported, exports to Romania and Slovakia were carried out recently at a total capacity of 300 MW, to Poland - 220 MW, and there was also export to Moldova with different power values.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the United States intends to hold Russia accountable for war crimes.

Together with Andriy Yermak, Ive held a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink and Deputy Chief of Mission Christopher Smith. The United States condemns Russias attacks on the infrastructure facilities of Ukraine and is committed to holding Russia accountable for war crimes and atrocities committed in our country. Thank you for your support! he said on Telegram channel on Monday.
Berlin reports G7 leaders to hold video conference with Zelensky on Tuesday

The heads of state and government of the Group of Seven (G7) countries will hold videoconference talks on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, European media reported with reference to the German government.

It is noted that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will also take part in the videoconference.

According to European media, the talks are scheduled for 14:00 Berlin time.
The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine continues to operate, but encourages U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine using private ground vehicles.

The Embassy remains open. Russias attacks against Ukraines civilian infrastructure, as well as government facilities in Kyiv and elsewhere, have disrupted communications and, in some places, interrupted electricity and other utilities, the Embassy said on Twitter.

The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to heed warnings from local authorities and to depart Ukraine using privately available ground transportation options when it is safe to do so.
Britain on Friday rejected Russia's call for a secret ballot in the U.N. General Assembly next week on whether to condemn Moscow's move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine and requested that the 193-member body vote publicly.

In a letter to U.N. states earlier this week, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia lobbied for a secret ballot, arguing that Western lobbying meant that "it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly," Reuters said on Saturday.

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward on Friday said the rules of the General Assembly were clear that any representative may request a recorded vote.

"To conduct a secret ballot on a General Assembly decision would go against decades of precedent and undermine the practices of the world's most representative deliberative body," Woodward wrote in a letter to the General Assembly president.

Nebenzia said in a letter on Friday of Britain's move that "this is not about transparency," "but about the use of a recorded vote as a tool of subjugation and discipline." In his own letter to the president of the General Assembly, Nebenzia formally requested a secret ballot and said that if anyone opposed it, then they could call a vote on the move.

According to diplomats, the General Assembly should vote for the draft resolution on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Air defense forces shoot down two enemy drones, one missile over Cherkasy region, one person injured, about 20 households damaged  regions head

The air defense forces shot down two enemy drones and one missile over Cherkasy region on Monday evening, said head of Cherkasy Regional Military Administration Ihor Taburets.

So, according to him, two drones were shot down over Kaniv territory by air defense forces. "We are finding out the details. Previously, people were not injured," Taburets wrote on the Telegram channel.

He added that in Cherkasy region during the last air raid siren, Ukrainian defenders shot down an enemy missile. "One person is injured. About twenty households were damaged," the head of the Regional Military Administration stressed.
The European Commission has decided to extend for another year the Temporary Protection Directive, which grants Ukrainians forced to leave the country due to the war waged by Russia, a number of rights, in particular, to work, housing, education, medical care.

This was announced in Brussels on Monday by the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson. This morning we woke up hearing bombs falling on Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv and other cities. This only demonstrates how important it is to continue to provide support to Ukraine and demonstrate solidarity with Ukrainians. Today, she said, they were talking about the EU support that they provide to Ukrainian refugees both in the EU and those who would like to return home. Johansson made two announcements: she informed that the Temporary Protection Directive had been extended until March 2024. What they saw this morning persuaded them to continue to welcome everyone who is forced to go to the EU.

Johansson made the second announcement for those Ukrainians who plan to return home for a long period of time. As we see today, she said, the security situation remains very uncertain, but they have seen serious progress on the battlefield on the part of Ukrainians, which inspires them, and it might be another reason why the Putin regime is now helplessly throwing bombs on Ukraine. She promised to those who want to go to Ukraine, but then the situation suddenly changes and they are forced to leave the country again, the EU will always accept such people and continue to protect.

She explained that in accordance with the rules, in the case of refugees returning from the EU for an extended period of time, refugee status becomes invalid, and formally, the Directive no longer applies to you, and you must withdraw from the register of the Directive on Temporary Protection. But many of the refugees, she said, are afraid to leave the register, because they may have to flee again, and the EU understands this. Therefore, they decided that Ukrainians do not need to leave the registry and can keep the temporary protection documents that they received. All that they need to do is inform the national or local authorities at their location that they are returning to Ukraine, but there is no need to hand over an ID-card, and the registration will also be valid.

She recalled that since the beginning of the invasion, the EU has provided protection to all those who travel to the EU, activating the Temporary Protection Directive in March 2022. Today, 4 million people are under the umbrella of this Directive, which makes it possible to provide support in finding housing, health protection and the opportunity to enter the labor market, the European Commissioner stated.

In addition, the European Commission announced the launch of the Talent Pool project, which aims to provide Ukrainians who are in the EU with better access to the labor market.

According to European Commissioner for Work and Social Rights, Ncholas Schmit, this project is another concrete step towards integrating people from Ukraine into the European labor market. Based on the data, he said, the number of people who have received temporary protection and are entering the labor market is gradually increasing. A recent survey showed that more than 370,000 people were registered as those who got a job in 15 member states, in August 250,000 people were officially registered as those who are looking for work in 18 member states. Learning a language and finding a job is the best way to integrate into Europe. He added that they hope that the pilot project Talent Pool, which they are starting today, will speed up the process of getting a job in the EU.
USA intends to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes  US Presidents statement

The United States strongly condemns today's missile strikes by Russia on the territory of Ukraine, including Kyiv, according to a statement issued by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday.

These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose. They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people, the text says.

We offer our condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were senselessly killed today, as well as our best wishes for the recovery of those who were wounded, the statement reads.

Biden states that these attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom.

We again call on Russia to end this unprovoked aggression immediately and remove its troops from Ukraine, the President of the USA stressed.
Ukrainian diplomats, in response to public or non-public statements about necessity to hold talks with Russia, in a diplomatic manner shut the authors of such statements up, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"Although we are diplomats, but lately, when someone publicly or non-publicly tries to say the word "negotiations", we just shut them up," the minister said on air of the national telethon on Monday.

According to him, all the actions that Russia has taken recently, in particular the sham referenda in the occupied territories of Ukraine and large-scale missile attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities, show that Moscow is not interested in holding real negotiations.

"There is only one conclusion, and President Zelensky clearly stated this: Russian missiles are Russia's response to the proposals for negotiations. There is no need to play this game with us," Kuleba said.
The Kremlin's strikes in Ukraine today hit non-military targets and killed civilians demonstrate again who is in the right and who is in the wrong, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

"The Kremlin's strikes in Ukraine today hit non-military targets and killed civilians. They demonstrate again who is in the right and who is in the wrong. To the people of Ukraine: The United States stands with you," he said on Twitter.
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

The 11th Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe has been held in Chania, Greece, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Culture Ministry.

The 2022 Chania Forum was devoted to the theme "Cultural Routes: safeguarding European values, heritage and dialogue" and brought together over 400 participants, including representatives from EPA member States, certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and candidate networks, International Organisations, Universities, and academic centers, as well as stakeholders from cultural and heritage institutions and the tourism sectors.

The program included general panels with discussion, thematic and special sessions, as well as certification ceremonies for newly 2022 certified "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe", accession ceremonies for new member States of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, as well as Best Practices Awards.

Advisor for the Division of Cooperation with the International Organizations at the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry Araz Bagirli took part in the closed meeting of the management of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes.

In his speech, Araz Bagirli stressed that Azerbaijan, as one of the first countries that joined the program, highly values ??the development of the platform and that the number of countries and routes is increasing, which is a positive indicator.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan always supports projects aimed at promoting intercultural dialogue.

Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to join the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes in 2011.

The country hosted the 4th Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes in 2014.

A special panel session dedicated to cultural routes was organized within the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue held in Baku in 2017.

After the meeting, there was a bilateral exchange of views with the Chairman of the Board of the Expanded Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes.

Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe Faxraddin Ismayilov opened the panel, called "Promotion of intercultural dialogue" on the second day of the forum with his introductory speech.

In the speech, he mentioned the significance of the cultural programs in the Council of Europe and the Baku Process, initiated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in 2008 for the promotion of intercultural dialogue.

Later, the culture ministers, various experts, and representatives of their centers addressed the panel session.

A bilateral meeting was also held between the Azerbaijan delegation and Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes Stefano Dominioni.

During the meeting, Araz Bagirli informed Stefano Dominioni about Azerbaijan's contributions to the intercultural dialogue, the Baku Process, and the global events planned within the framework of this initiative.

The sides discussed prospects of cooperation and the perspectives of cultural routes passing through the territory of Azerbaijan.

Within the forum, meetings were also organized between the culture ministers and the leadership of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), the Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP), and the European Route of Industrial Heritage, existing in 48 countries.

On the last day of the forum, Advisor for the Division of Cooperation with the International Organizations at the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry Araz Bagirli, representatives of the Azerbaijani State Tourism Agency Elshan Mustafayev and Sadagat Davudova as well as the head of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe Prehistoric Rock Art Trails, Ph.D. Ramon Montes, the head of Iter Vitis Cultural Route Emanuela Panke, the head of the Routes of the Olive Tree Marinella Katsilieri discussed the prospects of cooperation within B2B sessions.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry highlighted the dangers of filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in a meeting with the President of the World Water Council (WWC) Loic Fauchon on the sidelines the 2022 Cairo Water Week (CWW 2022).
South Sinai and the Greater Cairo area will enjoy warm daytime temperatures while Upper Egypt will see warmer ones through the weekend, according to the Egyptian Meteorology Authority (EMA).
Egypt's House of Representatives  the lower house of parliament  passed on Tuesday a law granting expats the right to import private cars without paying fees or customs taxes for four months as the government seeks to attract much needed foreign currencies.
The Palestinians on Tuesday hailed Australia's decision to reverse its recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite fierce criticism by Israel.
The exchange rates for the US dollar and Euro at the beginning of Tuesday's transactions in major banks in Egypt were stable.
The move is part of the country's the COP27 safety plan, Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said on Sunday in a meeting with ministry officials.

The COP27 safety plan, the health minister said last month, includes operating fixed and mobile clinics at quarantine facilities at airports, hotels that will host guest delegations, and conference halls.

The plan also includes mobilising ambulances to provide emergency medical services, such as intensive care, the minister added, noting that Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital will be ready to deal with any cases that require immediate medical attention.

As part of the plan, the General Healthcare Authority (GHA) will establish a small field hospital at the COP27 premises through a grant provided by AstraZeneca company.

About 35,000 people from around the world have registered on the UN website for COP27 which is to be held from 6-18 November, 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.
Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt, stressed on Monday that the relationship between public health and climate action is a reciprocal one.

Mohieldin, who is also the UN special envoy on financing the 2030 sustainable development agenda, made his remarks during a discussion session on the relationship between climate change and public health and its impact on the economies of countries, according to a statement released by his media office.

The alignment of health and climate policy is in line with the holistic approach adopted by Egypts presidency of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), set to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh 6-18 November.

Climate action cannot be reduced to just decarbonisation, but must be dealt with within the framework of sustainable development goals to empower economies and societies, he added.

The climate champion stressed the need to achieve a balance between climate action and public health so that resources are not directed to the health sector at the expense of climate action, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mohieldin said that UN reports indicates climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from 2030 to 2050.

He also stressed the need to develop comprehensive healthcare and health insurance systems given that 930 million people around the world spend at least 10 percent of their household budgets seeking healthcare during catastrophes.

The climate champion also stressed that governments need to take environmental considerations into account when developing the health sector, which contributes 4.4 percent of net harmful emissions.

In this regard, hpraised the role played by the World Health Organization (WHO) in aiding governments to develop their health systems.

The climate champion stressed that the COP27will prioritise implementing pledges through application, investment and projects.

The climate champion explained the need to integrate regional dimensions into climate action, especially in light of the sharp decline in international cooperation.

Mohieldin said the Egypt has been localising climate action by bolstering investments in green projects through the National Initiative for Smart Green Projects (NISGP).

According to Mohieldin, 6,000 projects have been submitted to the NISGP so far.

Mohieldin concluded his speech by stressing the need to increase climate finance in order to ensure the success of implementation in climate action.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi paid tribute to the families of Egyptian armed forces and police personnel who fell in the countrys battle against terrorism over the past years, saying "the state will never forget its martyrs."

In a speech delivered during the graduation ceremony of police cadets at the police academy in New Cairo, El-Sisi said "my message to the families of martyrs is that we highly appreciate the sacrifices made for the sake of our country and people."

Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfiq, members of the Supreme Police Council, and top academy instructors received President El-Sisi upon his arrival at the Police Academy.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb, Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark Diocese, Minister of Defence Mohamed Zaki and a host of ministers and senior state officials.

It was also attended by parents of the graduates and families of police and armed forces martyrs.

The president stressed in his speech that the situation in Egypt has remarkably improved despite the challenges and the terrorism, thanks "to God and the sacrifices made by the armed forces, police and all Egyptians."

The president congratulated the graduates, urging them "to exert their utmost effort in performing their duty in safeguarding the security and stability of Egypt."

Addressing the Ministry of Interior, the president said "you shall be highly appreciated as long as you perform your role of enforcing the law with humanity."

He also urged police officers "to be role models in their interactions with the public."

The president advised cadets to develop their skills and abilities after graduation in order to keep pace with the latest developments in the science of security.

The president told cadets that the ongoing development taking place in all sectors of the country, including in the interior ministry, aims to increase the state's capabilities.

The state is always working without having to make much noise, he added.

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The Algerian and French prime ministers on Monday hailed a "new dynamic" as they launched a joint economic forum during a visit to Algiers by France's Elisabeth Borne.

Borne's two-day trip to the former French colony and major gas exporter comes just weeks after President Emmanuel Macron concluded his own three-day visit in August, following months of tensions.

In remarks during the forum's inauguration, Algerian Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane called for "a sustainable dynamic" in trade with France based on "reciprocity and mutual interests".

Borne, who is also due to meet with President Abdelmajid Tebboune later on Monday before returning to Paris, called for "a new dynamic of economic cooperation".

Borne and her cohort are the latest in a string of top European officials to visit Algeria, Africa's top natural gas exporter, as officials seek alternatives to Russian energy supplies since the start of the war in Ukraine.

The European Union's energy commissioner, Kadri Simson, is also expected in Algiers on Monday and Tuesday.

But ahead of her trip, Borne's office said deliveries of natural gas to France were "not on the table".

Economic Diversification

Both Borne and Benabderrahmane stressed the need for Algeria to pursue economic diversification.

France is "the first investor in Algeria, excluding hydrocarbons", Borne told the forum, adding that French businesses are "ready to support the diversification" of Algeria's economy.

Benabderrahmane said Algeria must "end its dependence on natural gas and attract foreign investment" in agriculture, pharmaceutical and vaccine production, and renewable energy, which "offer positive prospects for French businesses".

The two-day business forum was organised by the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Business France, a government agency promoting international investment, which brought representatives of some 70 French firms to the event.

Ties between the North African country and its former colonial ruler had deteriorated after Macron last year questioned Algeria's existence as a nation before the French occupation, and accused the government of fomenting "hatred towards France".

But the contentious subject of the two countries' history, particularly during the war, was not set to feature prominently on Borne's agenda.

The North African country and its former colonial ruler moreover maintain bilateral trade at a large scale, with France being the second largest investor in Algeria, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Fabrice Le Sache, the vice president of French business lobby group Medef, on Monday hailed "the dynamic created by the president" during his August visit.

Macron produced a good "atmosphere" for the business community, he told AFP at the forum on Monday.

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Egypt and Greece reaffirmed on Sunday that the outgoing Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) is not entitled to sign international deals, a few days after the Tripoli-based government signed economic and maritime deals with Turkey.

Last week, the GNU government headed by Abdel-Hamid Dbeibah signed a series of preliminary economic agreements in the hydrocarbon and oil sectors with Turkey in the Libyan capital.

The agreements may also include energy exploration in maritime areas, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a press conference after the signing ceremony.

The deals have deepened the preexisting tensions between Turkey and Greece, which has said that such energy exploration deals infringe on Greek waters.

We have affirmed that the outgoing GNU in Tripoli does not have the authority to strike any international deals or MoUs and agreed on the necessity for the international community and the United Nations to take a firm and clear stance to protect the legitimacy requirements in Libya, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said today in a presser with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Cairo.

UN should not keep silent

The top Egyptian diplomat called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take a firm position regarding the illegitimacy of the outgoing Libyan government given that the GNU stemmed from an agreement drafted and adopted by the UN.

The UN should not remain silent regarding the full and honest implementation of what it has adopted and drafted, Shoukry said.

He added that the UN-overseen Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), from which the GNU stemmed, tasked the Tripoli-based government with ending the transitional period by holding elections, which were set to be held on 24 December 2021.

This is a responsibility that [the GNU] did not fulfill, Shoukry said.

He stressed that the mandate of the Libyan GNU ended on 22 June after the end of an 18-month period granted for the GNU in this regard as per the UN-overseen agreement.

Libyan political forces and numerous countries have denounced the deals signed by Ankara and the Tripoli-based government, one of two rival governments in Libya. The European Union said the energy deals signed in this regard infringe on the sovereign rights of third states and is not in line with the UN Law of the Sea.

However, Libyan PM Dbeibah defended the deals, saying they will help Libya continue exploring for oil in its territorial waters in cooperation with other states amid sharp growth in global demand for gas.

During the press conference, Greek FM Dendias denounced the deals as violating the UN-led LPDF, asserting that they harm the Libyan state.

The Government of National Unity cannot, I repeat, cannot enter into any international agreement in a manner that harms the stability of foreign relations of the Libyan State, Dendias said.

The Greek FM said the mandate of the Libyan GNU has expired and therefore it does not represent the Libyan people.

Said government does not have any competence to review or implement previous agreements regarding the future of Libya's external relations, Dendias stated.

Turkey taking advantage of Libya situation

The Greek FM accused Turkey of trying to take advantage of the turbulent situation in Libya in order to further destabilise the Mediterranean region and establish a regional hegemony.

Greece had earlier condemned last weeks deals, stressing that any measures that aim to implement the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime demarcation agreement are illegal.

In 2019, Ankara and another former Tripoli-based government signed a controversial maritime border deal with Turkey that granted Ankara access to a contested economic zone in the Mediterranean.

At the time, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus condemned the deal as a stark violation of international maritime laws.

Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have also rejected Turkeys oil explorations in recent years inside Cypriot territorial waters, deeming them unlawful and unacceptable.

During todays presser, Shoukry said he and Dendias highlighted during their Cairo meeting their commitment to the fundamental agreement for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) signed by the two countries in 2020.

The [2020 deal] complies with international law, has multiple economic benefits for our two countries, and contributes to creating positive cooperation atmospheres in the Eastern Mediterranean, Shoukry said.

In this regard, Dendias affirmed Greeces determination and obligation to defend the sovereign rights of Egypt and Greece under their 2020 deal.

Egypt, Greece and Cyprus are members of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), an eight-state economic organisation that aims to maximise use of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Holding Libyan elections

The Egyptian and Greek FMs reiterated support to efforts made to pave the way for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.

Shoukry reviewed with Dendias Egypts efforts to bring the views of Libyan parties closer, including hosting the Libyan Constitutional Track Committee meetings to agree on constitutional arrangements for the countrys elections.

The top Egyptian diplomat also reaffirmed the need for the dismissal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within a specific timeframe.

Egypt, which has supported the holding of long-delayed elections in Libya to end the conflict in the country, has called on all sides to raise the national interests of all Libyans above any narrow considerations.

Egyptian-Greek relations

Shoukry hailed the Egyptian-Greek relations as strategic. Shoukry said he agreed with Dendias on continuing political consultations between the two countries and efforts to enhance their economic and commercial relations, especially in energy and renewable energy sectors.

This comes in light of the two countries keenness to play a pivotal role as a fulcrum for transporting energy via the Mediterranean in a way that achieves joint interests with regard to energy security in our regional surrounding, the Egyptian FM added.

Dendias said Egypt and Greece are a bridge between Europe and the Arab world and between Europe and Africa, adding that the relations between the two countries are more than just a strategic partnership.

In recent years, Cairo and Athens have been keen to strengthen their relations and cooperation in developing energy resources, combating terrorism, and signing new maritime border agreements along with Cyprus.

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By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

A book presentation "Literature of Turkic Peoples" has been held at Baku Expo Center as part of the 8th Baku International Book Fair, Azernews reports.

The book was translated into Uzbek by Prof Elman Guliyev of the Azerbaijani State Pedagogical University.

Director of the Heydar Aliyev Culture Center in Uzbekistan Samir Abbasov addressed the book presentation.

In her speech, Samir Abbasov highlighted the importance of translating Azerbaijan's classic literature into the Uzbek language.

He underlined that the book translation provides a great opportunity for the readers and researchers in Uzbekistan to read these books in their mother tongue.

Samir Abbasov emphasized that a lot of work has been done in this direction in recent years.

Over 100 publications in the Uzbek language have been released under the project of the Azerbaijani Culture Center.

She also stressed the importance of Elman Guliyev's research work "Literature of Turkic Peoples" translated into the Uzbek language and emphasized that the publication will be useful for Uzbek researchers as well as additional teaching aids in relevant faculties of universities operating in Uzbekistan.

Azerbaijan's representative in TURKSOY Elchin Gafarli, Vice-Rector of Termiz State University, scientist Obidjon Shofiyev, Uzbek poetess, editor-in-chief of Kitob dunyosi newspaper, Khosiyat Rustam, emphasized that the distribution of the publication in Turkic-speaking countries is an interesting source for researches.

Professors Yagub Babayev, Seyfaddin Rzasoy, doctor of philosophy in philology Karimulla Mammadzada, and writer-publicist Nuraddin Adiloglu considered the publication of the book in Uzbek as a great event.

It was noted that the book published on the basis of the project initiated by the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Tashkent was recommended as an additional teaching aid by the decision of the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature.

Professor Elman Guliyev spoke about the importance of the book in the study of the problems of the literature of Turkic peoples and considered this publication a new stage in the development of Azerbaijani-Uzbek scientific and cultural relations.

The author expressed his gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev Culture Center in Uzbekistan, which played a special role in publishing the work.
Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Egypt on Sunday to attend the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean (RC69) taking place 10-13 October in Cairo.

Egypts Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar received Ghebreyesus at Cairo International Airport for an official visit that will last for several days to attend the annual meeting, a statement by the ministry read.

The RC69, the first in-person meeting of the regional committee since the pandemic started, is being held under the slogan together for a healthier and sustainable tomorrow.

Those who cannot attend in person can Zoom in virtually.

Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, will attend the event alongside a number of health ministers from Eastern Mediterranean countries, representatives of the regional and national health organisations, and a host of diplomats and academics.

The event seeks to discuss means of achieving sustainable development goals post-COVID-19, Al-Mandhari said.

The agenda includes discussions on vaccine production in the region and strategies to eliminate cervical cancer in the region.

It also includes discussions on improving the monitoring of response in public health events and emergencies in member states, strengthening hospital information systems, and controlling tobacco and nicotine products.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended on Monday the graduation ceremony of a new class of police cadets at the Police Academy in New Cairo.

Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfiq, members of the Supreme Police Council, and top academics received President El-Sisi upon his arrival at the premises of the Police Academy.



The graduation ceremony started with playing the national anthem.

The event was attended by the families of the graduating cadets, who showcased thir skills in a colourful militray-style show.



It was also attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb, Coptic Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Minister of Defence Mohamed Zaki and a host of ministers and state officials.

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The UN General Assembly meets Monday hours after Russia launched a deadly barrage of missile strikes at cities across Ukraine, as Western powers condemned Moscow's latest attacks and seek to underscore its isolation.

The United Nations called the urgent meeting to discuss Russia's declared annexation of four partly-occupied Ukrainian regions, but the debate was set to be overshadowed by the attacks on Kyiv and other cities in one of the most punishing assaults on Ukraine in months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed even more "severe" retaliation after the recent explosion that damaged a key bridge in Moscow-annexed Crimea, an attack the Kremlin has blamed on Kyiv.

Ahead of the General Assembly session, and with tensions at a boiling point, UN chief Antonio Guterres described Russia's attacks as an "unacceptable escalation of the war," his spokesman said.

With Putin's actions in the spotlight, UN debate will open on a draft resolution denouncing what has been widely seen in the West as Russia's illegal seizure of Ukrainian land.

The decision to bring the annexation matter before the General Assembly, where the 193 UN members have one vote each, and no one wields veto power, was taken after Russia used its veto in a Security Council meeting September 30 to block a similar proposal.

The vote is expected no sooner than Wednesday.

"It's extremely important," said Olof Skoog, who, as EU ambassador to the world body, drafted the text in cooperation with Ukraine and other countries.

"Unless the UN system and the international community through the General Assembly react to this kind of illegal attempt, then we would be in a very, very bad place," the Swedish diplomat told reporters.

A failure by the General Assembly to act would give "carte blanche to other countries to do likewise or to give recognition to what Russia has done," he added.

A resolution draft seen by AFP condemns Russia's "attempted illegal annexations" of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson following "so-called referendums," and it stresses these actions have "no validity under international law."

It calls on all states, international organizations and agencies not to recognize the annexations, and demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

In response, Russia wrote to all member states in a letter attacking "Western delegations" whose actions "have nothing to do with protection of international law and the principles of the UN Charter."

"They only pursue their own geopolitical objectives," said the letter, signed by Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.

Nebenzia said that given the circumstances, the General Assembly should vote by secret ballot, a highly unusual procedure normally reserved for matters like electing the rotating members of the Security Council.

'A Bit Of Desperation'

"It doesn't suggest a high degree of confidence in the outcome if Russia is seeking to obscure the vote count," a senior official in US President Joe Biden's administration told reporters. "It does suggest a bit of desperation."

Guterres himself has bluntly denounced the annexations as being "against everything the international community is meant to stand for," he said.

"It has no place in the modern world. It must not be accepted."

During last month's Security Council vote, no other country sided with Russia, though four delegations, China, India, Brazil and Gabon, abstained.

Some developing countries have complained the West is devoting all its attention to Ukraine, and others might be tempted to join them this week.

The vote will provide a clear picture of exactly how isolated Russia has become. Given the high stakes, backers of the draft are going all out to win over potential abstentionists.

"It's going to be tough," a senior European diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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US President Joe Biden on Monday promised to provide advanced air defense systems to Ukraine after Russian missiles rained down on the capital Kyiv and other cities, the White House said in a statement.

Biden spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and "pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems," the statement said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened more "severe" attacks against Ukraine after the biggest wave of strikes in months killed at least 11 in retaliation for an explosion that damaged a key bridge linking Russia to the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula.

After speaking with Biden, Zelenskyy tweeted that "air defense is currently the number 1 priority in our defense cooperation."

Kyiv said Russian forces had fired more than 80 missiles on cities across the country and that Russia had also used Iranian drones launched from neighbouring Belarus.

Biden "conveyed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured in these senseless attacks," the White House said.

"He also underscored his ongoing engagement with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia (and) holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities."

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The sound of apparent gunshots and explosions echoed early Monday through the streets of a western Iranian city at the epicentre of protests over the death of a 22-year-old woman, with at least one man reportedly killed by security forces in a village nearby, activists said.

The incidents come as demonstrations rage on in cities, towns and villages across Iran over the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini, who died days after being detained by the morality police in Tehran.

While Iran's government insists Amini was not mistreated, videos of violent confrontations between women wearing their mandatory headscarf, or hijab, loosely have sparked suspicion she suffered physical abuse during her detention.

From Tehran and elsewhere, online videos have emerged despite authorities disrupting the internet showing women marching through the streets without the hijab, while others confront authorities and light fires in the street as the protests continue into the fourth week.

The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges to Iran's theocracy since the 2009 Green Movement protests.

The violence early Monday occurred in Sanandaj, the capital of Iran's Kurdistan province, as well as in the village of Salas Babajani near the border with Iraq, according to a Kurdish group called the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.

Amini was a Kurdish woman and her death has been particularly felt in Iran's Kurdish region, where demonstrations began Sept. 17 at her funeral there.

Hengaw posted footage it described as smoke rising in one neighbourhood in Sanandaj, with what sounded like rapid rifle fire echoing through the night sky as the shouts of people could be heard.

There was no immediate word if people had been hurt in the violence. Hengaw later posted a video online of what appeared to be collected shell casings from rifles and shotguns, as well as spent tear gas canisters.

Authorities offered no immediate explanation about the violence early Monday in Sanandaj, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of Tehran. Esmail Zarei Kousha, the governor of Iran's Kurdistan province, alleged without providing evidence that unknown groups ``plotted to kill young people on the streets'' on Saturday, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported Monday.

Kousha also accused these unnamed groups that day of shooting a young man in the head and killing him _ an attack that activists roundly have blamed on Iranian security forces.

They say Iranian forces opened fire after the man honked his car horn at them. Honking has become one of the ways activists have been expressing civil disobedience _ an action that has seen riot police in other videos smashing the windshields of passing vehicles.

In the village of Salas Babajani, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Sanandaj, Iranian security forces repeatedly shot a 22-year-old man protesting there who later died of his wounds, Hengaw said. It said others had been wounded in the shooting.

It remains unclear how many people have been killed in the demonstrations and the security force crackdown targeting them. State television last suggested at least 41 people had been killed in the demonstrations as of Sept. 24. In the over two weeks since there's been no update from Iran's government.

An Oslo-based group called Iran Human Rights estimates at least 185 people have been killed, though that includes an estimated 90 people killed in violence in the eastern Iranian city of Zahedan.

Iranian authorities have described the Zahedan violence as involving unnamed separatists, though Iran Human Rights said the incident began as a protest over a separate incident involving rape allegations against a local police officer.

Meanwhile, a prison riot has struck the city of Rasht, killing some inmates there, a prosecutor reportedly said. It wasn't immediately clear if the riot at Lakan Prison involved the ongoing protests, though Rasht has seen heavy demonstrations in recent weeks since Amini's death.

The semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted Gilan provincial prosecutor Mehdi Fallah Miri as saying ``some prisoners died because of their wounds as the electricity was cut (at the prison) because of the damage.'' He also alleged prisoners refused to allow authorities to access those wounded.

Miri described the riot as breaking out in a wing of a prison housing death penalty inmates.

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The United Arab Emirates president will Tuesday visit his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, state media reported, one of the few leaders to make the trip to Moscow since the Ukraine war started.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan "will discuss with President Putin the friendly relations between the UAE and Russia along with a number of regional and international issues and developments of common interest," the UAE's state news agency WAM said Monday.

The visit comes days after the Saudi-led OPEC oil cartel and its allies including Russia, known as OPEC+, decided to cut oil output in a bid to raise prices, despite appeals from the United States to increase production.

Gulf countries, which typically enjoy positive relations with Moscow, have shied away from criticising Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In March, just weeks into the invasion, Qatar's foreign minister headed to the Russian capital for talks on Iran's nuclear deal and the conflict in Ukraine.

Tuesday's visit will be Sheikh Mohamed's third foreign trip since officially taking the reins as president following his brother's death in May.

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The 10th edition of the Ibero-American Film Week Festival will take place in Cairo and Alexandria on 13-20 October, highlighting richness of Ibero-American culture, according to Spains newly appointed Ambassador to Egypt Alvaro Iranzo.

The screenings will be held at the Cervantes Spanish Culture Institute in Cairo.

In addition, screenings will be offered in Alexandria at the Jesuit Cultural Centre for the second time in the festivals history.

The 16 participating countries will include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The audience for this cultural exhibition are mostly the students of the Portuguese and Spanish language departments of the Egyptian universities, as well as the cinema fans in general.

The entry is free, and all movies will be offered with either English or Arabic subtitles.

In the presence of ambassadors and cultural attaches to Ibero-American countries, Ambassador Iranzo remarked that "our cinema is a way to highlight our identity, as well as to share the stories told by directors, as well as high-profile female directors whose numbers are growing every day, as well as male and female artists.

Iranzo stressed the role of cinema as a tool of public diplomacy, describing how it highlights the importance of Ibero-American cinema as a powerful cultural industry that we find every day more powerful, interconnected and connected to each other."

He stressed that these cultural programmes take into account the close connections between the Portuguese and Spanish languages with the Arabic language, and to the Mediterranean and Atlantic states.

The films and documentaries present the cultural essence of each participating country, highlighting the strength of this interconnected cultural industry, he said.

Iranzo affirmed that "the Ibero-American Film Week Festival is an annual cultural event that brings together the Embassies of the Ibero-American countries in Egypt. Its main objective is to spread the word regarding the diversity of film production in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as allowing the opportunity for the Egyptian public to enjoy a wider contact with the richness of Ibero-American culture. It is specially designed for the growing number of young Spanish and Portuguese language learners from all over Egypt, as well as for the general public who are eager to learn more about these countries."

During his remarks, he thanked the teachers and professors for their work in allowing their students to reach and connect with the community of nearly 600 million Spanish speakers and 275 million Portugese speakers around the world.

He also expressed his appreciation for the festivals collaboration with the Jesuit Cultural Center located in Alexandria and the Egyptian graphic designer Samia Al-Khodari, who created the poster for this years festival.

For his part, Jose Octavio Trip, who is Mexico's ambassador to Egypt and dean of the diplomatic corps of Latin American ambassadors, said that Ibero-American cinema is a way to express creativity, sadness, joy and all human feelings.

He also emphasised that the festival allows communication between cultures and peoples.

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The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) will feature six Egyptian films in its upcoming 44th edition, taking place between 13 and 22 November.





The list includes one feature narrative film participating in the International Competition, 19 B, and four shorts competing in the Short Film Competition; My Girlfriend, Mama, From the Work of the Devil, and The Interview, in addition to one feature documentary, Far from the Nile, to be featured in the opening of the Horizons of Arab Cinema programme.

While Kawthar Younis My Girlfriend will have its MENA premiere after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the five other Egyptian films will have their world premiere during the CIFF, as confirmed by festival director Amir Ramses

Egyptian cinema is witnessing an awakening that is reflected in its strong presence at the festival with different feature narratives, shorts, and documentaries, which should make us all proud, Ramses stated.

The CIFF is one of the longest running film festivals in the Arab world and Africa and the only festival in the region to be accredited as an A festival by the International Federation of Film Producers.

Details about the six films have been announced by the CIFF as follows:

My Girlfriend



17 Minutes

Directed by Kawthar Younis

Synopsis: Desperate for intimacy, Ali follows his girlfriends suggestion, which puts their relationship to the test. The plan unfolds unexpectedly when gender roles become blurred. The film stars Marc Haggar and Elham Safieddine.

Mama



20 Minutes

Directed by Naji Ismail

Starring Mai El Gheity

Synopsis: A 21-year-old girl is hiding a terrifying secret to protect herself and her brother.

From the Work of the Devil



21 Minutes

Directed by Dessil Mekhtigian

Synopsis: After 10 years, a young woman returns to Cairo to organise an exhibition on the pioneer Armenian photographers who archived Egypt through time. During preparations, the surroundings make her realise the reason behind her return.

The Interview



15 Minutes

Directed by Hind Metwally

Starring Sarrah Abdelrahman

Synopsis: Nadia has to choose between looking after her suicidally depressed mother and attending a job interview which could change her life and provide for her family.

Far from the Nile



99 Minutes

Directed by Sherif El Katsha

Synopsis: Twelve musicians from seven countries along the River Nile speaking different languages and playing different musical styles struggle to collaborate on their four-month tour in the United States.

19B



Directed by Ahmad Abdalla

Starring Sayed Ragab, Ahmed Khaled Saleh, Nahed El-Sebai, and Fadwa Abed

Read more about 19B here.

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Mass retaliatory Russian strikes across Ukraine on Monday killed at least 10 people and hurt dozens more, according to the national police service.

"As of now, 10 people have died and about 60 have been injured across the country as a result of missile strikes by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine," the national police service said in a statement on Facebook, adding that work was underway to collect evidence of "Russian atrocities".

Ukraine's capital Kyiv was hit by multiple Russian strikes early on Monday -- the first since late June.

According to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, at least 5 people were killed in the attacks.

"Five people died from rocket attacks in Kyiv. Fifty-one wounded. Of them, 42 were hospitalised," Klitschko said in a video on social media.

According to Ukraine's Prime Minster Denys Shmygal, 11 "important infrastructure facilities" had been damaged across eight regions and Kyiv.

"It is necessary to be prepared for temporary power, water and communication cuts," he said on social media.

Ukraine's army said that Russia has launched 84 cruise missiles at Ukraine, two days after a large explosion damaged a bridge connecting Russia to Crimea in an attack Moscow blamed on Kyiv.

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By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bagci has presented a kid's book "Children of the Uphill", Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

The book signing was organized at the stand of the Baku Yunus Emre Institute as part of the 8th Baku International Book Fair.

At the ceremony, the Turkish ambassador outlined the significance of the book fair and expressed his satisfaction with the participation in the event.

"Azerbaijan is one of the leading countries in terms of book value. At the previous book fair, we held the signing hour of the first edition of my book here at the stand, and today we gathered for the signing hour of the next book edition. We hope such projects will continue in the future. A book is a person's best friend. Now you can read the digital book, but holding and touching a book in your hands is much more important," said Cahit Bagci.

"My book, entitled "Children of the Uphill'', tells about the social history of an era. The book provides insight into the life of Turkiye in the 1970s and 80s and the difficulties it went through. At the same time, this book has a social history and a biographical character," he added.

Later, the Turkish ambassador signed the book "Children of the Uphill" and presented it to the participants.

The 8th Baku International Book Fair took place at Baku Expo Center on October 5-9.

Over 60 foreign organizations from more than 10 countries, 118 local publishing houses, and enterprises were represented at the book fair arranged by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry.
Renaud-Basso made the remarks in a meeting in Egypt with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The Egyptian president affirmed aspirations to explore further fields of cooperation with the EBRD, especially clean energy and transition to green energy in light of the Egyptian presidency of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) this year.

Egypt's aspirations to cooperate with the EBRD in more fields come in light of the comprehensive and sustainable development process currently being implemented across the Egyptian state on the economic and social levels, El-Sisi added.

For her part, Renaud-Basso hailed the success of Egypt's efforts to achieve economic reforms.

The meeting discussed enhancing cooperation between Egypt and the EBRD and working on increasing the institution's contributions in funding projects being implemented in Egypt, especially in renewable energy, the spokesman said.

This comes within the framework of the new strategy launched between the two sides, the spokesman added.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat attended the meeting.

The EBRD launched its new 2022-2027 country strategy for Egypt in March, consisting of green and inclusive growth objectives.

The strategy is centered around promoting a more inclusive economy for Egyptian businesses, women, and youths, accelerating Egypts green economy transition and boosting the countrys competitiveness by supporting private-sector growth and strengthening governance.

The EBRD has invested around 10 billion euros in 152 projects across Egypt since the start of its operations in the country in 2012, the bank said in a statement today ahead of the meeting with El-Sisi.

Renaud-Basso took part in the second edition of the Egypt-International Cooperation Forum (Egypt-ICF) on Wednesday in the New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo.

The three-day forum's goals are centred around mobilising the necessary funding to support the climate agenda and reviewing national measures taken in this regard, the presidency said in a statement.

"In the first place, the forum aims to move from the stage of [climate] pledges into the stage of implementation and turning financial commitments into real chances," the statement added.

The forum comes only two months before COP27, slated for 6-18 November in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh city.

During the forum today, El-Sisi said green investments in Egypt will hit 50 percent of the total public investments by 2024/2025, up from 40 percent currently.

Ahead of her visit, Renaud-Basso said the bank welcomes the goal of Egypt-ICF 2022.

She also affirmed strongly supporting the Nexus on Water, Food and Energy Programme (NWFE), which Egypt has launched to secure international funding for the country's green projects in the fields of water, food, and energy.

"We are proud that the EBRD is leading the energy pillar of this programme, supporting Egypts green energy transition," Renaud-Basso stated.
The bodies of six migrants were recovered by the Greek coastguard off the island at the south of the Peloponnese peninsula, where a sailboat believed to have 95 people onboard sank Wednesday night.

On Friday, the first five bodies were found.

Adverse weather conditions in the area were hampering the search efforts on Saturday.

The boat went down beneath a huge vertical cliff and survivors -- mainly from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan -- were hauled to safety in a pre-dawn operation amid gale-force winds early on Thursday.

State broadcaster Ert reported on Saturday that one of the 80 rescued migrants was arrested because he was believed to be a people smuggler.

Another 18 people, most of them women, died when a boat carrying 40 people sank near the Aegean island of Lesbos early Thursday.

The group were Somalis and only ten were wearing lifejackets.

Greece, Italy and Spain are among the countries used by people fleeing Africa and the Middle East in search of safety and better lives in the European Union.

The Greek coastguard has said it rescued about 1,500 people in the first eight months of the year, up from fewer than 600 last year.

Officials note that smugglers now often take the longer and more perilous route south, sailing out from Lebanon instead of Turkey, to bypass EU patrols in the Aegean Sea.

"There is a sea route from Turkey directly to Italy, with smugglers using larger vessels, such as sailboats and fishing boats," said Greek Migration Minister, Notis Mitarachi at the MED5 ministerial meeting in Paphos Saturday.

"There must be pressure at an EU level on Turkey to prevent illegal departures otherwise the loss of life will continue," he said.

Greece has rejected persistent claims from rights groups that many migrants are illegally pushed back to Turkey without being allowed to lodge asylum claims.

Southern European nations -- Greece, Spain, Italy, Malta and Cyprus -- expect 160,000 asylum seekers to arrive on their shores this year, Mitarachi told reporters last month.
"In view of the adoption of the transition charter, a national meeting will be convened on October 14 and 15," said the decree signed by Burkina Faso's new strongman, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who took power a week ago and was named interim president.

Traore, who was officially appointed head of state on Wednesday, had said two days earlier that he would only deal with "current affairs" until a new transitional president, civilian or military, is appointed by a "national conference", indicating that would happen "well before the end of the year".

The meeting should bring together representatives of political groups and civil society.

The impoverished Sahel nation plunged into renewed turmoil last weekend when Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba -- who had himself seized power in January -- was toppled by newly emerged rival Traore, leading a faction of disgruntled junior officers.

It was the latest putsch in the Sahel region much of which, like Burkina Faso, is battling a growing Islamist insurgency.

After a meeting on Tuesday with a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), one of its members, former Nigerian president Mahamadou Issoufou, said she was leaving feeling "confident".

Traore, 34, vowed that Ouagadougou would continue to respect the commitments made under Damiba to ECOWAS, in particular the organisation of elections and a return of civilians to power by July 2024 at the latest.
Danaichok Boonsom, head of the local township administration, told reporters that he had submitted his report alleging unauthorized entry onto the government property and that police were investigating.

``Let the legal process run its course, I don't want to disclose all the details,'' he said as he left the Na Klang district police station in northeastern Thailand. ``Let the police do their work investigating.''

Authorities began looking into the incident after a Thai reporter posted an image on social media of two members of the crew leaving the scene, with one climbing over the low wall and fence around the compound, over police tape, and the other already outside.

CNN tweeted that the crew had entered the premises when the police cordon had been removed from the center, and were told by three public health officials exiting the building that they could film inside.

``The team gathered footage inside the center for around 15 minutes, then left,'' CNN said in its tweet. ``During this time, the cordon had been set back in place, so the team needed to climb over the fence at the center to leave.''

The tweet came in response to criticism from the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, which said it was ``dismayed'' by CNN's coverage and the decision to film the crime scene inside.

``This was unprofessional and a serious breach of journalistic ethics in crime reporting,'' the FCCT said.

The Thai Journalists' Association criticized CNN's actions as ``unethical'' and ``insensitive,'' and called for an internal company investigation of the incident in addition to the official Thai probe.

Deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said the two journalists entered Thailand on tourist visas, which had now been revoked. He said they had been detained pending their expulsion from the country, but refused to provide further details.

In the attack Thursday, police said 36 people, 24 of them children, were killed by a former police officer who was fired earlier this year on drug charges and had been due in court on Friday.

As Thailand's worst such massacre ever, the attack drew widespread international media attention to the small town of Uthai Sawan in the country's rural northeast. By Sunday, few remained but a large number of Thai media continued to report from the scene.
The amendments to the Environment Law (4/1994) aim to contribute to improving the quality of life in Egypt in terms of promoting a wider use of environment-friendly means of transport.

They also aim to limit the use of vehicles that consume fuel that is harmful to nature and human beings, according to a report prepared by the Senate's Energy and Environment Committee and the Industry and Trade Committee.

"The Senate's two committees approved the amendments because they reflect the state's new strategy of gradually switching to a green economy based on stemming air pollution, improving quality of life, promoting a wider use of environment-friendly vehicles, expanding and funding the operation of environment-friendly vehicles and restricting the use of vehicles that cause harmful emissions to the environment and human health," said the report.

"The amendments are in line with Article 46 of Egypt's constitution, which obligates the state to take all measures necessary to conserve the environment and create a sound healthy life," it added.

Controversial amendments

2.5-5% green fee

To achieve the above, the amendments would see a 2.5 percent green fee levied for newly imported and locally produced vehicles fitted with engines that cause harmful emissions.

This includes vehicles with engines using diesel only, vehicles with engines using gasoline only, or vehicles using combined fuel (diesel  natural gas).

"Vehicles with electric engines or natgas-powered engines, plus government-owned and ambulance vehicles, will be exempted from paying this green fee," said the report.

Half of the proceeds of the new "green fee" will go to the Automotive Industry Development Fund and the other half to the Environment Protection Fund, it pointed out.

The amendment will entrust the Environmental Affairs Agency with the power of inspecting vehicles and issuing "environment adjustment certificates" after they pay the green fee.

The law states that the 2.5 percent green fee could be increased annually by 0.5 percent to reach 5 percent maximum.

"As for locally produced vehicles, this percent will be calculated according to the producer's selling price," said the report, adding that "as for imported vehicles, the fee will be calculated according to the value of the custom purposes bill plus the customs tax and other taxes and fees, and that in all circumstances the green fee will be imposed on vehicles one time."

The amendments state that the executive regulations will be drafted by both ministers of finance and the environment and ratified by the prime minister.

Senate rejects 2.5-5% green fee

The report, however, indicated that after consultation with government representatives, the Senate's two committees decided to add a new article (47) to the environment law stating that the Environmental Affairs Agency will be in charge of issuing "environment adjustment certificates" to locally produced and imported vehicles using diesel and gasoline fuel only after they pay a green fee ranging between EGP 1,000 minimum and EGP 50,000 maximum to be paid one time."

"This sum of money will replace the 2.5-5 percent green fee after members of the two committees raised concerns that this fee contravenes the constitution in terms of discriminating against vehicles in terms of value," said the report.

The Senate's two committees also rejected splitting the proceeds of the green fee between the Automotive Industry Development Fund and the Environment Protection Fund.

The two committees decided that 80 percent of the proceeds of the green fee would go to the environment-friendly electric vehicle assembly industry, 10 percent to the Environment Protection Fund, and 10 percent to the State Budget.

"This new division of fees will be more effective in achieving the objectives of the amendments in terms of offering the funds necessary for the creation of an electric vehicle assembly industry and at the same time helping the ministry of environment implement a sustainable strategy in this respect," said the report.

A new government-drafted bill on "establishing supreme council for vehicle manufacturing and a fund to manage the financing of a local environment-friendly electric vehicle assembly industry" will be also discussed by the Senate this week.

According to a report prepared by the Senate's Industry and Trade Committee, the 14-article bill serves the government's long-term strategy to develop the local automotive industry and offers a package of facilities and incentives to investors to tap the new industry of electric vehicle (EV) assembly in Egypt.

According to the report, the bill states that "a Supreme Council for vehicle manufacturing is to be established and chaired by the prime minister or anyone acting on his behalf."

"The Council will include as a member the minister of trade and industry plus at least another two members with high experience in the area of vehicle manufacturing," the report said.

"The Council will be involved in drafting the general policies and strategies necessary for developing Egypt's local vehicle manufacturing industry," said the report, adding that "the Council will also take charge of drawing up the necessary legislative and administrative framework for this industry, eliminating obstacles, and exchanging expertise and agreements with countries with pioneering roles and great experience in the field of vehicle manufacturing."

The report also indicates that a fund to manage the financing of a local environment-friendly electric vehicle assembly industry will be also set up, with its headquarters located in greater Cairo and with branches or offices in all of Egypt.

"To achieve its objectives, the Fund will embark on offering a package of incentives and facilities to investors plus spending on innovation works necessary to create a competitive local environment-friendly vehicle manufacturing industry in Egypt," said the report.

The board of the fund will be chaired by the minister of finance and includes as members the ministers of planning and economic development, environment, public enterprise, transport, trade and industry, and military production, the head of the General Authority for Industrial Development, the chairman of the Federation of the Egyptian Industries, the executive director of the General Investment Authority, and representatives for the cabinet, the ministry of interior, the Arab Industrialisation Organisation, the Vehicle Manufacturing Unit at the Trade and Industry Ministry, and a member of the Supreme Council for Vehicle Manufacturing.
Last week, the GNU government headed by Abdel-Hamid Dbeibah signed a series of preliminary economic agreements in the hydrocarbon and oil sectors with Turkey in the Libyan capital.

The agreements may also include energy exploration in maritime areas, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a press conference after the signing ceremony.

The deals have deepened the preexisting tensions between Turkey and Greece, which has said that such energy exploration deals infringe on Greek waters.

We have affirmed that the outgoing GNU in Tripoli does not have the authority to strike any international deals or MoUs and agreed on the necessity for the international community and the United Nations to take a firm and clear stance to protect the legitimacy requirements in Libya, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said today in a presser with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Cairo.

UN should not keep silent

The top Egyptian diplomat called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take a firm position regarding the illegitimacy of the outgoing Libyan government given that the GNU stemmed from an agreement drafted and adopted by the UN.

The UN should not remain silent regarding the full and honest implementation of what it has adopted and drafted, Shoukry said.

He added that the UN-overseen Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), from which the GNU stemmed, tasked the Tripoli-based government with ending the transitional period by holding elections, which were set to be held on 24 December 2021.

This is a responsibility that [the GNU] did not fulfill, Shoukry said.

He stressed that the mandate of the Libyan GNU ended on 22 June after the end of an 18-month period granted for the GNU in this regard as per the UN-overseen agreement.

Libyan political forces and numerous countries have denounced the deals signed by Ankara and the Tripoli-based government, one of two rival governments in Libya. The European Union said the energy deals signed in this regard infringe on the sovereign rights of third states and is not in line with the UN Law of the Sea.

However, Libyan PM Dbeibah defended the deals, saying they will help Libya continue exploring for oil in its territorial waters in cooperation with other states amid sharp growth in global demand for gas.

During the press conference, Greek FM Dendias denounced the deals as violating the UN-led LPDF, asserting that they harm the Libyan state.

The Government of National Unity cannot, I repeat, cannot enter into any international agreement in a manner that harms the stability of foreign relations of the Libyan State, Dendias said.

The Greek FM said the mandate of the Libyan GNU has expired and therefore it does not represent the Libyan people.

Said government does not have any competence to review or implement previous agreements regarding the future of Libya's external relations, Dendias stated.

Turkey taking advantage of Libya situation

The Greek FM accused Turkey of trying to take advantage of the turbulent situation in Libya in order to further destabilise the Mediterranean region and establish a regional hegemony.

Greece had earlier condemned last weeks deals, stressing that any measures that aim to implement the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime demarcation agreement are illegal.

In 2019, Ankara and another former Tripoli-based government signed a controversial maritime border deal with Turkey that granted Ankara access to a contested economic zone in the Mediterranean.

At the time, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus condemned the deal as a stark violation of international maritime laws.

Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have also rejected Turkeys oil explorations in recent years inside Cypriot territorial waters, deeming them unlawful and unacceptable.

During todays presser, Shoukry said he and Dendias highlighted during their Cairo meeting their commitment to the fundamental agreement for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) signed by the two countries in 2020.

The [2020 deal] complies with international law, has multiple economic benefits for our two countries, and contributes to creating positive cooperation atmospheres in the Eastern Mediterranean, Shoukry said.

In this regard, Dendias affirmed Greeces determination and obligation to defend the sovereign rights of Egypt and Greece under their 2020 deal.

Egypt, Greece and Cyprus are members of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), an eight-state economic organisation that aims to maximise use of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Holding Libyan elections

The Egyptian and Greek FMs reiterated support to efforts made to pave the way for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.

Shoukry reviewed with Dendias Egypts efforts to bring the views of Libyan parties closer, including hosting the Libyan Constitutional Track Committee meetings to agree on constitutional arrangements for the countrys elections.

The top Egyptian diplomat also reaffirmed the need for the dismissal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within a specific timeframe.

Egypt, which has supported the holding of long-delayed elections in Libya to end the conflict in the country, has called on all sides to raise the national interests of all Libyans above any narrow considerations.

Egyptian-Greek relations

Shoukry hailed the Egyptian-Greek relations as strategic. Shoukry said he agreed with Dendias on continuing political consultations between the two countries and efforts to enhance their economic and commercial relations, especially in energy and renewable energy sectors.

This comes in light of the two countries keenness to play a pivotal role as a fulcrum for transporting energy via the Mediterranean in a way that achieves joint interests with regard to energy security in our regional surrounding, the Egyptian FM added.

Dendias said Egypt and Greece are a bridge between Europe and the Arab world and between Europe and Africa, adding that the relations between the two countries are more than just a strategic partnership.

In recent years, Cairo and Athens have been keen to strengthen their relations and cooperation in developing energy resources, combating terrorism, and signing new maritime border agreements along with Cyprus.
Speaking on Taiwan's National Day, Tsai said China should not mistake competition within Taiwan's multiparty democratic political system for weakness and an ``attempt to divide Taiwanese society.''

``I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides,`` Tsai said.

``Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait,`` she said.

Fighter jets and a Chinook helicopter displaying Taiwan's flag flew overhead while the band from Taipei's First Girls' High School played hits ranging from the Beatles to Lady Gaga.

National Day included international guests such as Palau President Surangel S. Whipps Jr., whose country's blue and yellow flag flew alongside Taiwan's red banner with its blue square and white star.

Despite its expression of Taiwan's endurance as an independent political entity with a thriving democracy and free press, the holiday _ generally known as ``Double Ten'' in Taiwan _ commemorates a 1911 uprising by troops in the Chinese city of Wuhan that eventually led to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty.

China's Communist Party swept the Nationalist government from the mainland amid civil war in 1949 and continues to claim the island.

Tsai's speech focused mainly on Taiwan's success in strengthening the social security net for an ageing society and continuing to grow its high-tech economy despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

But she also emphasized Taiwan's boosted efforts to protect itself from China's threat, both with increased imports of foreign hardware and the revitalization of the domestic arms industry and upgraded training for reserves.

Tsai singled out Taiwan's submarine development program and the delivery of its first domestically developed and constructed 10,000-ton landing platform dock Yushan as particular successes.

Russia's war on Ukraine has refocused attention on China and methods by which Taiwan can resist a much larger and more powerful foe equipped with the world's largest standing army and a huge arsenal of missiles.

That was further underscored when China launched threatening military exercises around the island in response to an early August visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Those included sending ships and planes across the midline of the Taiwan Strait which had long been a buffer zone between the sides.

China also declared testing zones around the island in some of the world's most heavily travelled shipping lanes and fired at least four missiles over Taiwan, some of them landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Japan issued diplomatic protests over the missile firings and signed on to a statement from the Group of Seven industrialized countries criticizing the threatening war games.

Despite Beijing's threats, U.S. and other foreign diplomats have continued to visit Taiwan and Washington's commitment to Taiwan's defense has only appeared to grow.

Although Taipei and Washington have no formal diplomatic relations _ a concession made to Beijing on the establishment of official ties in 1979 _ U.S. law requires that Taipei has the ability to defend itself. It also requires Washington to regard all threats to the island as matters of ``grave concern.``

That commitment has long rested on the concept of ``strategic ambiguity`` that, while Washington wants to resolve Taiwan's status peacefully, it doesn't say whether U.S. forces might be sent in response to a Chinese attack, which has gradually eroded as China's threat has sharpened.

U.S. President Joe Biden, in a CBS ``60 Minutes'' interview last month, said that ``U.S. forces, U.S. men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.''

The White House said after the interview that U.S. policy toward Taiwan hasn't changed.

Last month, the Biden administration announced a $1.09 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including $355 million for Harpoon air-to-sea missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, the State Department said.

The largest portion of the sale, however, is a $655 million logistics support package for Taiwan's surveillance radar program, which provides air defence warnings.

The State Department said the equipment is necessary for Taiwan to ``maintain a sufficient self-defence capability.''

After Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Party swept him from the mainland amid civil war in 1949, Taiwan's flag and other political traditions were transported to Taiwan, a former Japanese colony, as the island was restored to Chinese rule at the end of World War II.

Chiang ruled with an iron fist until his death in 1975, and with the end of martial law in 1987, Taiwan gradually took on the trappings of modern democracy.

China, however, has refused to acknowledge Taiwanese self-determination and has refused to recognise Tsai's government or have any formal contact with it since her first of two terms began in 2016.

Along with exerting military pressure, Beijing has blocked Taiwan from taking part in international health, economic and cultural forums and has banned some imports from the island in apparent violation of World Trade Organization rules.
Moselhy made the remarks addressing MPs in a meeting held by parliament's Agriculture Committee on Sunday to discuss a $500 million World Bank loan.

"The House's committees of agriculture, economic affairs, and social solidarity should form one ad hoc committee to look into reaching a reformed and more efficient mechanism that can rationalise bread subsidies and make sure they go to citizens who really need them," said Moselhy.

Chairman of the Agriculture Committee Hesham El-Hossary agreed with the ministry's request, saying "a lot of bread subsidies go to those who do not deserve them. Hence, there is a pressing need to reform the programme to reduce the state's bill of wheat imports amid the difficult global economic conditions.

"It is high time to reform the bread subsidy programme to rationalise Egypt's wheat consumption which hit a record of 18 million tons in 2022," Moselhy said.

He added that "Egypt produces nine or 10 million tons of wheat a year and imports the rest, which adds more chips on the shoulders of the state budget amid the harsh global economic conditions.

"As the state was taking steps to reform the bread subsidy programme in 2019, the coronavirus pandemic broke out. Then the war in Ukraine made it more difficult to turn this policy into a working system. Worse yet, the war in Ukraine has come to cost us a lot in the form of paying more for imported wheat," said Moselhy.

"Allocations for bread subsidies have increased by EGP 22 billion since the war erupted in Ukraine (in February)," he added.

"The hike in global wheat prices has so far cost EGP 16 billion in addition to EGP 5.5 billion in subsidies and incentives to wheat growers to encourage them to increase local production, and this makes a total of around EGP 22 billion." he said.

"Total bread subsidies will hit a record EGP 73 billion by the end of FY 2022/23. In spite of this huge increase, the state has not raised bread prices," he noted.

"The war in Ukraine has led to a shortage of strategic crops and commodities in world markets, and Egypt, in particular, felt the pinch of this shortage because most of our wheat imports come from Russia and Ukraine. As a result, we decided to diversify our sources of imported wheat to be able to increase our strategic stock of wheat reserves to 4.2 million tons."

The World Bank loan is meant to help Egypt absorb the financial shock of the global food crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. Egypt plans to build more grain silos, shore up strategic wheat reserves, and spare the state budget from part of the foreign exchange required to import wheat.

Moselhi stressed to the MPs that the $500 million World Bank loan will help Egypt import wheat.

"Some $380 million of this loan will go to importing wheat, while the remaining $120 million will be directed to maintaining bread subsidies and reinforcing our wheat reserves," Moselhy explained.

"In fact, this loan will give us much room to take a calm breath because it will not oblige us to buy wheat from markets at high prices."

"At present, the state is doing its best to cultivate more wheat in a bid to cut imports and reduce foreign exchange burdens. As promised by the political leadership, we are increasing the area cultivated with wheat by one million feddans in the new season," said Moselhy.

"We used to import 80 per cent of our wheat needs, but now we are importing 50 per cent due to the increase in wheat-cultivated areas."

However, he reiterated that "bread subsidies should be rationalised to ensure this staple goes to those who really need it" to save wheat.

"If we cut 10 per cent of the bread subsidies, we will be able to save one million tons of wheat," said Moselhy.

He proposed that MPs should also probe into the possibility of replacing bread subsidies with cash transfers.
Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility, but Ukrainian officials have repeatedly threatened to strike the bridge. The official Twitter account of Ukraine's government posted "Sick burn."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram, "The Kiev regime's reaction to the destruction of civilian infrastructure highlights its terrorist nature."

"Now they have something to be proud of: over 23 years of their management, they didn't manage to build anything worthy of attention in Crimea, but they've managed to damage the surface of the Russian bridge," Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of the State Council of the Republic, wrote on Telegram.

Moscow stopped short of assigning blame, but the speaker of Crimea's Kremlin-backed regional parliament immediately accused Ukraine, while downplaying the severity of the damage.

An apparent truck explosion caused the partial collapse of a road and rail bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula with Russia early Saturday, damaging a conduit that is essential for sustaining Russia's military operations in southern Ukraine.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, lauded the attack, tweeting, "Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled."

The Ukrainian postal service announced it would issue stamps commemorating the blast, saying in a statement that the images would draw on classic film posters to highlight the bridge's "sacred significance" to Moscow. The postal service previously released a set of stamps commemorating the sinking of the Moskva, a Russian flagship cruiser, by a Ukrainian strike in late May.

The truck that reportedly exploded was owned by a resident of the Krasnodar region in southern Russia, Russia's Investigative Committee said. It noted that investigators arrived at his home as part of the inquiry and are looking at the truck's route and other details.

The blast occurred even though all vehicles driving across the bridge undergo automatic checks for explosives by state-of-the-art control systems. That the truck was apparently missed has drawn a stream of critical comments from Russian war bloggers.

The 19-kilometer bridge across the Kerch Strait linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov opened in 2018 and is the longest in Europe. The $3.6 billion project is a tangible symbol of Moscow's claims on Crimea, and it has provided an essential link to the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

While Russia seized areas north of Crimea early on during its invasion and created a land corridor to it along the Sea of Azov, Ukraine is pressing a counteroffensive to reclaim the territories.

The Russian Defense Ministry said troops in the south were receiving necessary supplies through the land corridor and by sea. Russia's Energy Ministry said Crimea has enough fuel for 15 days and that it was working on ways to replenish stock.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 10, 2022 - 19:47 | All, Japan

Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures on Monday won the top prizes at the close of a five-day Japanese wagyu beef competition, also known as the "Wagyu Olympics," held in southwestern Japan.

The prime minister's award for best breeding bull based on physique and coat was given to Kagoshima, the host of the 12th run of the event while neighboring Miyazaki scored the top prize for beef quality.

"Sunday was my wedding anniversary. I was able to give my wife the best present," said Iki Fujiyama, 47, who received the award on behalf of the Kagoshima team.

Meanwhile, the Miyazaki team expressed gratitude to their cattle, saying, "We want to continue to produce meat that will make people say that Miyazaki beef is delicious."

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who attended the closing ceremony in Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, expressed hopes that the "attractiveness and productivity of Japanese wagyu beef will improve and be passed onto the next generation."

With Kagoshima winning six out of the nine divisions in the competition, Gov. Koichi Shiota boasted that "Kagoshima has, without question, the best wagyu beef in Japan," adding that he wanted to "promote our elite black cattle."

A record 438 cattle from 41 of Japan's 47 prefectures were entered into this year's competition, with more than 300,000 people attending over the five days. The event, held once every five years, will be hosted next by Hokkaido in northern Japan.

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By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

The Jafar Jabbarli Republican Youth Library has participated in the 8th Baku International Book Fair, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

The library joined the book fair with more than 200 books covering art, history, fiction, and other fields.

Among the books exhibited at the library's stand were those obtained as a result of the "Purchase of Publications" competition announced by the library this year.

There were also publications about Azerbaijan's cultural figures Fikrat Amirov, Xurshidbanu Natavan, Ahmad Javad, Huseyn Javid, and many others.

The stand of the Republican Youth Library was visited by MPs Ganira Pashayeva, Aziz Alakbarli, Director of the Institute of Manuscripts, Academician Teymur Karimli, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Gazanfar Pashayev, Dean of the Faculty of Library and Information Science at Baku State University, Associate Professor Alamdar Jabbarli, Director of Fan Noli Publishing House (Albania) Rexhep Hida and others.

The 8th Baku International Book Fair took place at the Baku Expo Center on October 5-9.

Over 60 foreign organizations from more than 10 countries, 118 local publishing houses, and enterprises were represented at the book fair arranged by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 10, 2022 - 18:55 | World

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said Monday she is committed to boosting the self-ruled island's defense capabilities, but armed confrontation with China is "absolutely not an option" despite escalating tensions in cross-strait relations.

In a speech to mark the 111th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, as Taiwan calls itself, Tsai said her administration is willing to work with Beijing and what they need is mutual respect.

Her remarks calling for dialogue based on "rationality" and "equality" came as their ties have been even more strained since a high-profile visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nany Pelosi in August and the Chinese military holding major drills in the strait afterward.

As the opening of China's ruling Communist Party's twice-a-decade congress approaches Sunday, at which leader Xi Jinping is widely expected to win an unprecedented third five-year term, Tsai said, "I want to make clear to the Beijing authorities that armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides."

"Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait."

She also said it is regrettable that Beijing's recent actions have threatened the status quo of peace and stability in the region.

Although some differing views about China exist in Taiwan, the broadest consensus among the island's citizens and political parties is that its sovereignty and free and democratic way of life must be defended.

"On this point, we have no room for compromise," she said, adding that strengthening self-defense capabilities, such as through the mass production of precision missiles and advanced naval vessels, is requisite.

China reacted coolly to Tsai's speech, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying at a press conference in Beijing that the root cause of the current cross-strait tensions is the policy of Tsai's government to seek the island's independence.

"The Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Mao said. "We will create ample space for peaceful reunification but never leave any space for Taiwan independence secessionist activities."

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. Beijing regards the democratic island as a breakaway province to be reunified by force if necessary.

Xi proposed in 2019 to explore a Taiwanese version of the Hong Kong model of "one country, two systems." But the independence-minded Taiwanese leader has made it clear that she will not engage in talks under such an idea.

While speaking for Taiwan's National Day, Tsai used the word "resilience" many times and described the trait as being vital for its future, economically and socially, as well as for its security.

Tsai said building "democratic resilience" is key to safeguarding Taiwan.

"We can have different positions, and we can debate with one another, but we should unanimously and resolutely stand behind our free and democratic system, no matter how much external pressure we face," she said.

To make Taiwan more resilient in all sorts of spheres in the post-COVID-19 era, she said it has to deepen international cooperation and ties with democratic allies.

Related coverage:

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KYODO NEWS - Oct 10, 2022 - 08:29 | Feature, All, Japan

The prefecture of Miyagi in northeastern Japan plans to grant government workers leave to take care of their grandchildren as part of efforts to help child-rearing parents.

The initiative, expected to start in January, would be the first such undertaking among the 47 prefectures in the country, according to the Miyagi government. It reflects a growing number of families where both parents work and where help from grandparents is needed.

Gov. Yoshihiro Murai told reporters on Oct. 3 that he would take three days off this month to take care of his second grandchild born in September, and mentioned his "deep regret" for not playing an active role in rearing his own children.

The prefectural government plans to extend workers' retirement age from 60 to 65 by fiscal 2031, and expects the number of employees wanting leave to take care of their grandchildren to grow.

It is considering adding grandfathers and grandmothers to the system of paid special leave for fathers who want to attend births and participate in child care.

The plan's details, including the specific eligibility criteria and amount of time off are yet to be determined. A request will be made to the prefecture's personnel committee to revise regulations once they are determined.

Similar plans for grandparents are already being implemented by private companies. Toho Bank, a regional bank based in Fukushima in northeastern Japan, allows grandparents to take leave for their grandchildren until they finish elementary school.

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FOCUS: Japanese parents urged to set boundaries on kids' internet usage

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KYODO NEWS - Oct 10, 2022 - 17:55 | All, Japan

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps on Monday conducted a joint drill simulating the defense of remote islands at a training area in Hokkaido, using the Marines' High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.

The drill, held at Yausubetsu Training Area in the northernmost main island's east, was part of ongoing joint exercises from Oct. 1 to 14 and involved about 150 Hokkaido-based Japanese ground force personnel and about 40 Marines from Okinawa. The training was open to media outlets.

The Japanese and U.S. forces are working to enhance their deterrent and response capabilities amid heightened tensions surrounding Taiwan, which China claims as its own and has pledged to unify by force if necessary.

During Monday's drill, the Japanese and U.S. personnel checked coordination between their systems, with multiple launch rocket systems from the Japanese side firing a total of 24 rockets at a target about 13 kilometers away.

The ongoing joint exercises, held across Hokkaido, are supposed to draw roughly 2,100 GSDF personnel and about 1,400 Marines while involving six MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft of the Marines and two similar aircraft of the U.S. Air Force.

==Kyodo
KYODO NEWS - Oct 10, 2022 - 14:46 | All, World

North Korea said Monday it fired a "new-type ground-to-ground intermediate-range ballistic missile" over the Japanese archipelago as part of seven-round ballistic missile drills that ran from late September, according to state-run media.

The new missile fired last Tuesday was part of exercises by nuclear combat forces conducted as a "severe warning to the enemies," the Korean Central News Agency said, referring to recent military exercises between the United States and South Korea near the Korean Peninsula involving U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan.

North Korea's drills, which began Sept. 25, were staged by units responsible for operating tactical nuclear weapons, KCNA said, after Pyongyang again test-fired ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan early Sunday, the final day of the exercises.

The ruling Workers Party of Korea's Central Military Commission decided to "send (a) more powerful and clear warning to the enemies," firing the new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean after it flew some 4,500 kilometers from its launch site.

North Korea's recent flurry of missile tests immediately sparked condemnation from the United States and its regional allies Japan and South Korea.

On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters while in Kagoshima Prefecture that the repeated ballistic missile tests by the North "can never be tolerated," and that its "various provocative actions clearly violate U.N. Security Council resolutions."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has refused dialogue with the nation's perceived enemies such as the United States, and feels no need to do so, given that the "dialogue and negotiation" is sought "while posing military threats to us," KCNA said.

Kim was quoted as saying by the news agency that "we should send a clearer signal to the enemies escalating the regional situation by involving the huge armed forces in any time with more powerful and resolute will and action."

Kim said Washington and Seoul have engaged in "irresponsible acts" that escalate regional tensions and would invite "greater reaction" from the North, according to KCNA.

He said the nuclear combat forces remain highly prepared at all times for a situation that might lead to a nuclear response.

In response to North Korea's statements, a State Department official said the United States rejects "the notion that our defensive actions to respond" to the North's threats "justifies their escalatory and unlawful behavior."

The official said the United States condemns the continued ballistic missile launches, and is "assessing the specific nature" of the most recent launches which "posed an unacceptable threat to the Japanese public."

The Sept. 25 short-range ballistic missile was launched under the simulation of "loading tactical nuclear weapons at a silo under a reservoir" in North Korea's northwest, according to KCNA.

Pyongyang said the Oct. 6 and 9 missile tests involved "super-large multiple rocket launchers."

In response to the U.S.-South Korea exercises, including the deployment of the Ronald Reagan, North Korea's air force conducted on Saturday a large-scale air attack drill with more than 150 fighter aircraft, the news agency said.

The North Korean ballistic missile that flew over the Japanese archipelago was the first in five years to do so, with the projectile traveling the longest distance ever for a missile launched by Pyongyang, according to the Japanese government.

Since late September, the North has been conducting missile tests at a pace never before seen.

The latest and seventh round of missile launches came after South Korea and the United States concluded a two-day naval exercise in the Sea of Japan on Saturday. It was also ahead of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the North's ruling Workers' Party on Monday.

In late September, Japan joined the first anti-submarine exercise in five years involving it, the United States and South Korea. The exercise was held in international waters outside the Sea of Japan.

From the start of this year, North Korea has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles, and there are concerns Pyongyang may be preparing to conduct what would be its seventh nuclear test and first since September 2017.

Related coverage:

FOCUS: North Korea's missile over Japan may prod Tokyo to review strategy

Kishida, Biden to boost Japan-U.S. deterrence over North Korea launch

Japan, South Korea confirm security cooperation over North Korea

The following is a chronology of major events related to North Korean missile launches since late September.



Sept. 23, 2022 -- U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan enters port in Busan, South Korea.

Sept. 25 -- North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, with the country's official media saying weeks later it was launched "under the simulation of loading tactical nuclear warheads at a silo under a reservoir."

Sept. 26 -- The United States, South Korea begin a four-day joint exercise in the Sea of Japan.

Sept. 28 -- North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles.

Sept. 29 -- North Korea launches two short-range ballistic missiles as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits South Korea.

Sept. 30 -- The United States, South Korea, Japan hold anti-submarine drills in the Sea of Japan.

Oct. 1 -- North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles.

Oct. 4 -- Pyongyang launches a ballistic missile over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years, with the projectile traveling the longest distance ever for a missile fired by the country. North Korea's state-run media later says it was a "new-type ground-to-ground intermediate-range ballistic missile."

Oct. 6 -- North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles, with official media later saying they involved "super-large multiple rocket launchers."

Oct. 7-8 -- The United States, South Korea conduct joint naval exercise in the Sea of Japan.

Oct. 9 -- North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles in early hours, with state-run media later saying they again involved "super-large multiple rocket launchers."
Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies, gestures as he speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Peterborough, Britain, Sept. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

LONDON, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The ability to meet people's needs and adapt to domestic and international changes has enabled the Communist Party of China (CPC) to lead China to successive victories, an expert here said.

"A major achievement of the CPC is the total eradication of absolute poverty in China," said Jean Christophe Iseux von Pfetten, president of the Institute for East-West Strategic Studies in Britain.

Pfetten noted that China's poverty alleviation achievement was realized 10 years ahead of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations.

Another achievement of the CPC is accomplishing its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, he said.

Furthermore, the CPC has delivered a new democratic model to the world -- socialist consultative democracy, providing an alternative to the Western democratic model, he said.

"The success of the CPC comes from a constant adaptation of the party to the needs of the people and to the reality of the world at large," he said.

Pfetten, 54, was born in France, and one of his ancestors created a work-study program for young Chinese people in his factory in the early 1900s. Pfetten studied Chinese at an early age and speaks the language fluently.

In recent years, Pfetten has participated in various academic exchange programs and investment-promoting activities to contribute to China's development projects. He was awarded a certificate of honor for helping impoverished women and children in the rural areas of northeastern China's Liaoning Province.

Pfetten is dedicated to studying China and the CPC and has written more than 2,000 pages of relevant research notes.

Talking about the upcoming CPC National Congress, Pfetten said he believes that it will be a significant meeting for China and the rest of the world, given China's weight in the international community and the global economy.

He praised the CPC for positioning the Chinese people at the center of its work.

"It's a party of people," Pfetten said. "And the party evolves and moves with the evolution of the people." 
CARACAS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 people died and another 52 went missing after landslides occurred in the northern state of Aragua in Venezuela, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday.

"President Nicolas Maduro is going to declare this a disaster area and has also decreed three days of mourning," Rodriguez said in a statement on television.

The landslides were due to heavy rainfall that caused several rivers to overflow near the town of Las Tejerias, located about 60 km from the capital city of Caracas.

Rodriguez, who visited the affected area on Sunday, said that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces have been sent to search for the missing.

She also said that shelters were set up for affected families and that damaged businesses would be aided.

Minister for Internal Relations, Justice, and Peace Remigio Ceballos said that more than 1,000 officials from security and risk management agencies were responding to the emergency. 
BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

"We are willing to create broad space for peaceful reunification, but we will never leave any room for 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities," Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing.

The current tension across the Taiwan Strait is rooted in the fact that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities have been stubbornly adhering to the separatist position of "Taiwan independence," and colluding with external forces to constantly make provocations, which seriously undermines the important foundation of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, Mao said.

Mao said the Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

When the one-China principle is followed, cross-Strait relations would improve and develop. However, deviation from the one-China principle will lead to tension and turbulence in cross-Straits relations, Mao said. 
TEHRAN, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Inmates inside a prison in the northern Iranian province of Gilan broke into a clash, leading to a number of casualties, semi-official Mehr news agency reported Monday, citing the province's prosecutor.

The clash on Sunday among the inmates in the Lakan prison of Rasht city, the provincial capital of Gilan, resulted from their personal disagreements, the prosecutor Mehdi Fallah Miri was quoted by Mehr as saying.

The destruction of facilities by prisoners and the power outage prevented first aid to the injured, and some of them died, Miri added, without elaborating on the number of the dead or injured.

The situation in the prison has returned to normal, he noted. 
ANKARA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye's intelligence agency on Monday caught a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Sinjar region of northern Iraq, state-run TRT broadcaster reported.

The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) arrested Cekdar Kaya, who was in charge of the PKK's logistics in Sinjar region, according to TRT.

Kaya joined the PKK in 2015 and took part in attacks in Iraq's Gara region in 2016 and Sinjar in 2017. He also served as a sniper in the PKK, it reported.

The MIT has recently intensified its cross-border operations in northern Iraq. On Sunday, it killed Okkes Deveri, a PKK member in charge of its health committee and his bodyguard Kayhan Kartal in a cross-border operation in Gara.

The Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes, and artillery bombardments against the group's positions in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the PKK.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades. 
BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Monday to Alexander Van der Bellen on his re-election as federal president of Austria.

In his message, Xi pointed out that he attaches great importance to China-Austria relations, and stands ready to work with Van der Bellen to push for new development of the China-Austria friendly strategic partnership so as to benefit the two countries and their people. 
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Culture Minister Anar Karimov has met with graduates of the library and information faculty of the Baku State University (BSU) and the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts (ASUCA) within the 8th Baku International Book Fair, Azernews reports, citing the Culture Ministry.

During the meeting, Anar Karimov spoke about the reforms carried out by the ministry in the library and information sector. It was noted that the priority issue in this direction is to provide this area with young qualified personnel.

The minister stressed that one of the most important factors for the development of this sector is the involvement of professional specialists.

In order to ensure transparency, as well as to create competition in the labor market, recruitment to libraries under the ministry will take the form of an examination, consisting of a test stage and an interview.

At the event, the Dean of the Library and Information Faculty at Baku State University, associate professor Alamdar Jabbarli noted that there are traditions of care and attention to librarianship in Azerbaijan.

Director of the Azerbaijani National Library, Professor Karim Tahirov noted that this year four graduates of the library and information faculty of the Baku State University are provided with work at the scientific institution.

Akif Marifli, head of the ministry Department for Book Circulation and Work with Publishing Houses, said that 20 out of 178 graduates of two universities in the 2021-2022 academic year will be employed.

In the end, a commemorative photo was taken with the participants of the meeting.

The 8th Baku International Book Fair took place at the Baku Expo Center on October 5-9.

Over 60 foreign organizations from more than 10 countries, 118 local publishing houses, and enterprises were represented at the book fair arranged by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry.
A dancing troupe performs during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of independence at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, Uganda, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

Regional leaders attending Uganda's 60th independence anniversary from colonial rule called for unity among states to fast-track the well-being of their citizens.

KAMPALA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Regional leaders attending Uganda's 60th independence anniversary from colonial rule on Sunday called for unity among states to fast-track the well-being of their citizens.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni who presided over the celebrations attended by five heads of state from eastern Africa called for value addition on agricultural products.

"In Uganda, we have had fights with political actors over value addition. Everything is got from outside yet the raw materials are available. At least we have started producing our own processed milk, fertilizers, and some textiles," Museveni said.

Museveni also emphasized that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline will go on as planned.

A military band performs during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of independence at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, Uganda, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

Visiting Kenyan President William Ruto called on traders and investors to take advantage of the vast regional market to supply what is produced in excess in the different countries.

"As a region, it is clear to us that we cannot share poverty, and we cannot share hunger, but we can share opportunities and prosperity," Ruto said.

"We have the challenge to ensure a borderless East African Community where goods and services can move across Africa in free trade," Ruto added.

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye thanked Museveni for his contribution to establishing peace in the region. "We can only be stronger if we work together. For the sake of peace, nothing should stand in our way," he said.

A dancing troupe performs during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of independence at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, Uganda, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

The celebrations, which had a march-past and several cultural performances, were also attended by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and Tanzania's Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi.

Several diplomats and other officials also attended the celebrations held at the same place where Britain handed over power to Uganda on October 9, 1962.
This photo taken on March 4, 2018, shows the entrance gate of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, northern Tanzania. (Xinhua/Li Sibo)

Tanzania's Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has called for reinforcement toward the protection of wildlife corridors to lessen human-wildlife conflicts.

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has called for reinforcement toward the protection of wildlife corridors to lessen human-wildlife conflicts, the ministry said in a statement late Saturday.

The statement said the call was made by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Juma Mkomi, in a meeting with wildlife conservation stakeholders in the northern city of Arusha.

"It is everyone's responsibility to make sure that wildlife corridors are not encroached on by human activities, including farming and livestock keeping," Mkomi told the meeting.

Elephants proceed at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Feb. 10, 2022. (Photo by Cao Jingmin/Xinhua)

He said all ministries involved in wildlife conservation, including the ministries Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Livestock and Fisheries, Water, Works and Transport and Environment should work together in the protection of the wildlife corridors.

Maurus Msuha, the director of Wildlife in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, said the protection of wildlife corridors linking the protected areas with adjacent ecosystems will help lessen wildlife-human conflicts, especially with regard to elephants that raid farms and residential areas.

Msuha said encroachment of a wildlife corridor that allows the movement of wild animals between isolated patches of habitat without other disturbances, such as traffic or development, is a major source of human-wildlife conflicts.








ZURICH, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Credit Suisse has embarked on a massive strategic review following a string of crises, such as a spying case and changes in senior leadership. It plans to publish a progress update alongside its quarterly earnings on Oct. 27.





Since its foundation in 1856, the bank has played a central role in Switzerland's history and the country's development. But the Swiss clock is ticking and delivering a credible plan to turn around the business will be key to reassuring investors that the bank still stands on solid grounds.





Last month, Credit Suisse announced it was "well on track with its comprehensive strategic review." Currently, all three major credit rating agencies -- Moody's, S&P and Fitch -- have a negative outlook on Credit Suisse.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese-sponsored 8-km relay race held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, after three years hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The 17th edition of the competition, which involved professional and amateur runners, was sponsored and co-hosted by the International First Highway (IFH) Engineering, a branch company of China Communication Construction Company (CCCC), in partnership with the Great Ethiopian Run (GER) and the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA).

The year's edition of the competition was held Sunday on the Alexander Pushkin Square-Gotera Interchange Road Project, which is a 3.8 km road that incorporates three segments and construction of a two-lane 320 meters tunnel, that was carried out by IFH Engineering/CCCC.

Moges Tibebu, Director-General of AACRA, told Xinhua that the competition envisaged to promote road safety while at the same time to create a culture of healthy lifestyle among the general public.

"The very big purpose of this event is for road safety. There were plenty of car accidents and lots of injuries have occurred in the last years. Fortunately, due to such kind of promotional events and different initiatives that we have (implemented), there is a decrease in the fatality and injuries in road accidents," Tibebu said.

The director-general further emphasized the importance of building a culture of road traffic safety. He commended the Chinese government and companies for their continued support in terms of support to road projects as well as in terms of promoting road safety in the East African country.

"We have been collaborating with the Chinese firm CCCC/IFH in bringing this event to happen and we will be continuing collaborating for the success of this project. We would like to thank the government of China for their support in the implementation of this mega project, which alleviates the chronic traffic congestion problem that was exhibited around the area," he said.

This year's edition of the race attracted some 100 teams representing a range of business and other organizations across eight categories, according to the organizers.

Wei Qiangyu, General Manager of CCCC East Africa Branch, on his part said the company strives both towards the construction of quality road infrastructures as well as in terms of promoting road safety in Ethiopia.

"Road safety has always been the focus of the road infrastructure developers. As a prominent international and experienced contractor in Ethiopia, we had always put road safety as the prior concern of the road construction by guaranteeing the quality throughout the whole design and construction period," Wei said.

"We are proud that this race is held on this newly completed beautiful road constructed by CCCC/IFH Engineering," the general manager said, as he affirmed the company's keen intent to continue supporting the relay race.

IFH Engineering first sponsored the competition back in 2004 to mark the completion of the eastern stretch of the Addis Ababa Ring Road. After the third edition of the relay in 2006, the event was moved to other locations in the city to mark the opening of other new roads built by the company in collaboration with AACRA.

Gashaw Workineh, whose team won second place in the business category, said the competition is a "very good" platform to promote road safety while also creating awareness towards sporting activities among the public.

"Our team participated in this relay competition for the first time, and we are happy that we finished second. It is very innovative to use sporting events to promote road safety. It also promotes a healthy lifestyle," Workineh said.

The most recent edition of the competition, the 16th edition, took place three years ago in 2019 before the race was interrupted for three years following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
WENCHANG, Hainan, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Mengtian lab module, the second lab component of China's under-construction space station, has been filled with fuel as planned at the launch site, the China Manned Space Agency said on Monday.

The pre-launch operation was conducted on Sunday.

According to the agency, assembly and tests of the spacecraft were completed after its arrival at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan. Prior to launch, it will also carry out a joint check of system functions with a Long March-5B Y4 carrier rocket, which is going to propel the Mengtian lab into space.

The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition and all the systems involved in the mission are undergoing orderly preparations, the agency said in a statement.

At present, China's Tiangong space station complex is composed of the Tianhe core module, the Wentian lab module, the Tianzhou-4 cargo vessel and the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship.

Scientific equipment in the Mengtian lab will be used for studying microgravity and carrying out experiments in fluid physics, materials science, combustion science and fundamental physics, designers have said. 
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for the deployment of an international specialized armed force in Haiti to help address the humanitarian crisis, said his spokesman.

The secretary-general remains gravely concerned about the situation in Haiti, which is facing a cholera outbreak amid a dramatic deterioration in security that has paralyzed the country, Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

As gangs controlled the strategically important Varreux fuel terminal in the capital of Port-au-Prince, critical services, including the distributions of potable water, food and medical supplies, are required to prevent the rapid spread of the disease, the statement said, noting that the priority is to save lives.

Guterres on Sunday submitted to the Security Council a letter with options for enhanced security support to Haiti, it added.

The UN chief calls on Haitian stakeholders to rise above their differences and to engage in a peaceful and inclusive dialogue as early as possible. 
Officers and soldiers attend a celebration of the 60th anniversary of independence at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, Uganda, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

KAMPALA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Regional leaders attending Uganda's 60th independence anniversary from colonial rule on Sunday called for unity among states to fast-track the well-being of their citizens.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni who presided over the celebrations attended by five heads of state from eastern Africa called for value addition on agricultural products.

"In Uganda, we have had fights with political actors over value addition. Everything is got from outside yet the raw materials are available. At least we have started producing our own processed milk, fertilizers, and some textiles," Museveni said.

Museveni also emphasized that the East African Crude Oil Pipeline will go on as planned.

Visiting Kenyan President William Ruto called on traders and investors to take advantage of the vast regional market to supply what is produced in excess in the different countries.

"As a region, it is clear to us that we cannot share poverty, and we cannot share hunger, but we can share opportunities and prosperity," Ruto said.

"We have the challenge to ensure a borderless East African Community where goods and services can move across Africa in free trade," Ruto added.

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye thanked Museveni for his contribution to establishing peace in the region. "We can only be stronger if we work together. For the sake of peace, nothing should stand in our way," he said.

The celebrations, which had a march-past and several cultural performances, were also attended by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and Tanzania's Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi.

Several diplomats and other officials also attended the celebrations held at the same place where Britain handed over power to Uganda on October 9, 1962. 

A military band performs during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of independence at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, Uganda, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

A dancing troupe performs during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of independence at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, Uganda, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)

A dancing troupe performs during a celebration of the 60th anniversary of independence at the Kololo independence grounds in Kampala, Uganda, on Oct. 9, 2022. (Photo by Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua)
A firefighter works at the site of a fire that broke out on a prime building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Chao)

Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon told Xinhua that all people inside the multi-story building were evacuated. Eyewitnesses said the fire erupted apparently due to a gas cylinder explosion in a restaurant on the fourth floor of the building.

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters had extinguished the fire in the Pakistani capital Islamabad's Centaurus, a prime building consisting of a major shopping mall and elite residential apartments, after about three-hour long operation on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon told Xinhua that all people inside the multi-story building were evacuated and the mall, located from the ground to the fourth floor of the building, will be cordoned off for at least one day.

A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire on a prime building in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

He said that there is a lot of expensive stuff in each shop of the mall and some people may take advantage of the situation, so entry into the mall has been restricted for the public.

Eyewitnesses of the fire accident told Xinhua that the fire erupted at about 3:45 p.m. local time apparently due to a gas cylinder explosion in a restaurant on the fourth floor of the building, creating panic among the people who rushed toward the elevators to evacuate the building.

"I was shopping on the first floor when I heard people screaming and rushing down from the elevators. There was a lot of noise when I saw the fire in the food court. I also rushed to the exit doors in panic," Khalid Ameer, an eyewitness told Xinhua.

Ameer said that the fire was not so serious when he left the building and the people including a large number of kids, who were in the play area of the mall on the fourth floor, were lucky that all exit doors of the building were clear from fire or smoke, and they safely exited without being trapped.

Smoke rises from a prime building after a fire erupts in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, Oct. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

The deputy commissioner said that the fire initially broke out at the food court and later was spreading toward the residential apartments on the upper floors, but was doused in time due to good planning of the firefighters.

"One team tried to extinguish the fire from outside. Another team entered the mall and doused fire from the inside, while the third used crane to extinguish the fire from the height," he added.

Sources from the police told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the main duct of the building that starts from the base to the top was also on fire as the fire spread to the upper floors, but it was quickly contained.

Located in the heart of Islamabad, the Centaurus Mall is a 361-feet tall skyscraper with three equal-sized towers and 26 floors. 
Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane (R) and French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne attend the Algerian-French Economic Forum in Algiers, Algeria, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Xinhua)

ALGIERS, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Algerian-French Economic Forum kicked off Monday in Algiers with the participation of businessmen and investors from both countries.

The forum, under the theme "For a Renewed Economic Partnership," was co-chaired by Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane and his French counterpart Elisabeth Borne.

Borne said that her visit to Algiers aimed at "working on implementing the agreements signed during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in August to pave the way for renewing the partnership between the two countries."

Borne added that the bilateral meetings between the two countries, including the business forum, focus mainly on investment opportunities offered by Algeria in light of the new investment law.

Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane attends the Algerian-French Economic Forum in Algiers, Algeria, on Oct. 10, 2022. (Xinhua)

According to figures provided by the French Foreign Ministry, France tops the list of investors outside the hydrocarbon sector and the list of foreign operators in Algeria, with some 500 companies activating in various fields including energy, banking, agriculture, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, education and culture.

Earlier on Monday, Borne was received by Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune in his office in Algiers, according to a statement of the Presidency.

Accompanied by 16 senior officials, the French PM arrived in Algeria on Sunday for a two-day visit.

Late on Sunday, Borne and Benabderrahmane co-chaired the 5th Algerian-French High-Level Intergovernmental Committee meeting, during which several cooperation agreements were signed covering the sectors of industry and technology, startups and innovation, agriculture, higher education and scientific research, labor and employment, and tourism. 
BEIRUT, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday said he hopes that a deal on border demarcation with Israel would be completed within days.

In a statement released by Lebanon's Presidency, Aoun said he "hopes to complete all the arrangements related to the demarcation of the southern maritime borders within the next few days, after the indirect negotiations led by the American mediator Amos Hochstein made good progress, and gaps between the two parties narrowed."

"Reaching an agreement on maritime border demarcation will enable the exploration for oil and gas in the Lebanese fields located within the exclusive economic zone, which will achieve a new momentum for the process of economic revival," said the statement.

Hochstein has been in contact with both Lebanon and Israel during the past months, hoping to settle their dispute on maritime borders.

The negotiations on maritime border demarcation between the two sides were launched in 2020 under the auspices of the United Nations with American mediation and then stopped in May 2021 due to differences between the two parties over disputed area. 
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

President Ilham Aliyev announces the liberation of Jabrayil city from occupation

Liberation of several villages & destruction of dozens of Armenian military equipment

Armenian armed forces launch missiles at Azerbaijans Barda, Ganja, Goygol, and Goranboy cities resulting in multiple civilian deaths

Armenia hits the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline with cluster-type missiles

Armenia fires at Azerbaijans Barda city from the Tochka-U high-precision tactical missile system

On September 27, 2020, in response to a large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline, the Azerbaijani army launched a counter-offensive operation, later dubbed Iron Fist.

The 44-day war put an end to the nearly 30-year-long occupation and secured the liberation of Azerbaijani lands and the restoration of the country's territorial integrity.

The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal from November 10, 2020, stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam, and Lachin Districts and obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and the historical Shusha city.

Heres how the second week of the war played out:

Chronicles of Victory: October 3

President Ilham Aliyev announced that the Azerbaijani army raised the national flag in Madagiz (later renamed after its historical name of Sugovushan), liberated the Talish village in Tartar, and Mehdili, Chakhirli, Ashaghi Maralyan, Shaybay, Guyjag, and Ashagi Abdurrahmanli villages in Jabrayil and Fuzuli Districts.

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry presented a list of the destroyed military equipment of the Armenian armed forces. Its total losses amounted to 230 tanks and other armored vehicles, 250 artillery installations, multiple launch rocket systems, and mortars, 38 air defense systems, 10 command and observation posts, seven ammunition depots, more than 130 vehicles, and one anti-aircraft missile complex S-300.

On the night of October 3, the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces in various directions of the front was suppressed, and crushing blows were inflicted on them.

The Armenian armed forces intensively shelled Tartar city, the district's Sahlaabad, Gazyan, Gapanli, Gaynag, Askipara, Gusanli villages, Aghdam District's Ayag Garvand, Imamgulubayli, Garadaghli, Tazakand villages.

Prosecutor-General Kamran Aliyev said at a briefing that since September 27, 19 civilians had been killed as a result of Armenian shellings. Among those killed were three women and two children;63 civilians received various degrees of injuries. The Prosecutor-General's Office launched 12 criminal cases into crimes committed by the Armenian armed forces against civilians.

The Defence Ministry distributed footage of the destruction of the Armenian army's military equipment.

Chronicles of Victory: October 4

President Ilham Aliyev announced the liberation from the occupation of Jabrayil city and a number of villages of Jabrayil District.

The president made an address to the people of Azerbaijan, gave an interview to the Al-Arabiya TV channel, and congratulated the commanders of the formations - Maj-Gen Mais Barxudarov, Maj-Gen Hikmat Mirzayev, and the personnel, led by them on the occasion of the liberation of Jabrayil city and nine villages of Jabrayil District from the occupation.

Two people were killed, and two more were injured as a result of artillery shelling of Beylagan by the Armenian armed forces. The Prosecutor-General's Office issued a statement about the shelling of Ganja. One civilian was killed and four were injured as a result of a rocket attack by Armenians of Ganja.

A criminal case was initiated against Armenia's Arayik Harutyunyan.

The Azerbaijani flag was hoisted at the post where Azerbaijani National Hero Mubariz Ibrahimov destroyed a great number of the Armenian military.

The Defence Ministry once again shared information about a large number of trophies captured from the Armenian armed forces.

Chronicles of Victory: October 5

President Ilham Aliyev announced the liberation of Shikhali Aghali, Sarijali, and Mazra villages of Jabrayil District, and several strategic heights in different directions from the 30-year Armenian occupation.

The president gave an interview to the Turkish TRT Haber TV channel.

The Defense Ministry reported about the Armenian rocket fire inflicted on Azerbaijani territories by Armenia and presented photos of enemy vehicles captured in Jabrayil.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General's Office reported 24 deaths and 121 injuries as a result of the Armenian provocation.

The Armenian armed forces launched rockets at Azerbaijans Barda, Ganja, Goygol, and Goranboy cities.

One person was killed, and three were injured from fragments of a rocket launched at Barda.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor-Generals Office filed 19 criminal cases on war crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan.

The Armenian Armed Forces shelled the city of Agjabadi and wounded several people. Azerbaijani army destroyed four units of MLRS Grad of Armenia.

Chronicles of Victory: October 6

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to Russian Channel One TV.

President Aliyev received a delegation led by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported that as a result of a precise fire strike by the Azerbaijani army, the central ammunition depot located in the Ballija settlement was destroyed. In addition, two BM-21 combat vehicles as part of the Grad field reactive system, belonging to the Armenian army, were destroyed in battles in different directions of the front.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following the Cabinet of Ministers meeting, stated that the duty of every respected state is to support the struggle of Azerbaijan for the liberation of its occupied territories.

The Defence Ministry published a video of the armored vehicles of the Armenian army captured as trophies by the Azerbaijani armed forces.

As a result of the shelling of Aghdam District by the Armenian armed forces, an Azerbaijani Emergencies Ministry employee was injured.

The Azerbaijani parliament approved the return of the historical name Sugovushan to Madagiz village recently liberated from Armenian occupation.

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov said at a special meeting if Armenia uses Iskander complexes, adequate retaliatory measures will be taken.

The State Security Service carried out radio interception of the negotiations of terrorists participating in military operations against Azerbaijan.

During the counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani army, two more terrorists - mercenaries who fought on the side of the armed forces of Armenia - were neutralized.

The Armenian armed forces fired on the territory of Yevlakh, Goranboy, and Beylagan Districts.

Defence Ministry Spokesperson Anar Eyvazov said at a briefing that unable to withstand the onslaught of the counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the Armenian soldiers left their combat positions and fled.

Chronicles of Victory: October 7

President Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to Euronews and CNN-Turk TV channels and addressed the participants of the XXIII Eurasian Economic Summit.

An operational meeting was held at the Central Command Post of the Defence Ministry under the leadership of President and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev.

Armenia bombarded the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline with cluster-type missiles.

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said that as a result of artillery strikes, the Armenian command and observation defense post of the 5th regiment was disabled, and many were killed and wounded. The artillery strikes knocked out a tank and three Armenian artillery installations.

The Armenian armed forces fired at the villages of Tartar, Barda, Aghdam, Aghjabadi, Fuzuli, and Jabrayil Districts.

The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry published a list of the destroyed Armenian military equipment and shared the footage of the destruction. Another Armenian UAV was destroyed.

As a result of the fire by Azerbaijani troops, about 10 tanks, six D-20 cannons, one Akasiya self-propelled artillery unit, about 30 vehicles, and a large number of Armenian manpower were destroyed. The soldiers of the first and seventh Armenian regiments, located in the defensive areas, deserted leaving their combat positions without permission.

Chronicles of Victory: October 8

Azerbaijans Defence Ministry reported that Armenia had been shelling the villages of Goranboy, Tartar, and Aghdam Districts since the early morning hours. Civilians were killed and wounded. As a result of Armenias rocket attacks on Ganja, several civilian facilities, including a car and residential buildings were damaged.

Azerbaijans Defence Ministry published video footage of armored vehicles taken as a trophy abandoned by the Armenian army in Horadiz town while escaping from the battleground. Later, the Defence Ministry published another video footage of war trophies captured from the Armenian military.

Armenia fired at Azerbaijans Barda city from the Tochka-U high-precision tactical missile system. Another rocket fired by Armenia at Barda hit a restaurant and a school, injuring seven people. Azerbaijan destroyed Armenias Grad missile launcher which attacked Barda and Tartar cities.

Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry published another video footage of the destruction of the enemys armored vehicles.

Ten shells fired by Armenians from Smerch MLRS were found in Goranboy.

Chronicles of Victory: October 9

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the nation and announced that the Azerbaijani army liberated the village of Hadrut and several villages from occupation and destroyed a large number of military equipment of the Armenian armed forces.

The Defence Ministry announced the destruction of another headquarters of the Armenian army, the elimination of the chief of artillery of the regiment, and also presented a list of destroyed and captured equipment.

The Armenian armed forces continued shelling Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam, and Fuzuli Districts of Azerbaijan. As a result of the Armenian shelling in Fuzuli, an employee of ANAMA (Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency) was seriously injured.

The Defence Ministry reported the destruction and seizure of a large number of military equipment of the Armenian armed forces; the destruction of many Grand, Prima missile systems and a military vehicle carrying 25 people as well as the destruction of Armenian armored vehicles brought to firing positions.

The ministry also disseminated information about the destruction in the air of a missile launched from Armenia's territory in the direction of Mingachevir.

The Armenian armed forces subjected to intensive shelling of the territory of Mingachevir, Aghjabadi, Barda, and Aghdam Districts.

The Azerbaijani army captured several more pieces of military equipment from Armenia. Pieces of military equipment abandoned by the Armenian armed forces were repainted in line with the Azerbaijani army standards to use against the Armenian armed forces.

The Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General's Office reported that four civilians were injured as a result of missile attacks at Aghdam by the Armenian army.
MOGADISHU, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) said Monday its forces killed more than 200 al-Shabab militants during an operation conducted on Sunday in Bulaburte district of central Somalia on Sunday.

According to the state-owned media, the militants were planning to block the road between Beledweyne and Bulaburde district and stage an attack but the forces received intelligence in time and foiled the attack.

"Their intention was to block the road between Bula-burde and Beledweyne towns. But they made a miscalculation, and ended up in fire," the Somali news agency reported.

The Somali forces backed by pro-government militia have liberated more than 40 villages and killed over 500 al-Shabab militants in the past three weeks in operations in central Somalia.

The militant group has lost ground to the Somali government and African Union troops in recent months but still controls some territory in southern and central Somalia. 
JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Africa will send representatives of 26 companies to attend Sial Paris 2022, the world's leading food innovation exhibition, in France this week, South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said Monday.

The exhibition will take place from Oct. 15-19. The DTIC said the South African companies would leave for France Wednesday and they would interact with more than 7,000 exhibitors from all over the world, including buyers, distributors, agents and exporters.

The DTIC said they are helping the South African companies to take part in the event to enable them to showcase their products and services to penetrate markets in various parts of the world.

"We are traveling to France with the hope of finding a distributor, agent or big companies such as retail or hotel chains that can be interested in importing our products to France and other countries in Europe and beyond. We are optimistic that we will succeed as we are already doing some social media marketing as part of creating awareness about our company and products targeting the buyers that will be attending the exhibition," said CEO of Miante Manufacturing Wendy Mpendulo.

Mpendulo said her Pretoria-based company, Miante Manufacturing, a snack-making company, currently exports its products to Eswatini.

Dabisile Danisa, managing director of the Durban-based condiments and sauces-producing company, expressed optimism about the show. She said they hope to get deals or leads which would result in them exporting their products to France, Europe and other parts of the world.

Debra Ncube, managing director of House of Natural Butter based in Cape Town, said she has scheduled some meetings with three distributors. Her company produces peanut, macadamia and almond butter. "Our main objective for traveling to France is to strike deals during or after the exhibition that will enable us to penetrate the European market. We are confident that our high-value agro-processing products will attract the attention of the distributors, particularly the macadamia butter," Ncube said.

The South African government supports companies after rigorous vetting to take part in international exhibitions including the China International Import Expo, which is the world's first dedicated import exhibition and will take place in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10. 
ABUJA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 76 people were killed after a boat capsized in the southern state of Anambra at the weekend, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed on Sunday.

In a statement, Buhari acknowledged that rescue agencies had officially reported the death toll of the tragedy on Friday and expressed his grief.

A passenger boat carrying 85 people capsized in the Ogbaru area of Anambra State on Friday, following rising floods in that area, according to the statement.

An investigation had been launched to determine "other causes of the incident" besides floods, Thickman Tanimu, the southeast zonal coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), was quotes as saying by local media.

Following the tragedy, Nigeria's National Inland Waterways Authority and the NEMA have embarked on rescue and recovery missions in Anambra.

Buhari said he has directed other rescue and relief agencies to rush to the site, urging the relevant government agencies to check the safety protocols on local transport ferries to make sure such incidents can be avoided in the future. 
LILONGWE, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Malawi has banned sale of food in primary and secondary schools ahead of the new school year, which starts Monday, as cholera outbreak continues with 117 cumulative deaths recorded as of Sunday.

Requesting parents to pack homemade food for students, the education ministry "is directing that selling of food in primary and secondary schools is banned with immediate effect until further notice," said a statement signed by Secretary for Education Chikondano Mussa.

Universities and colleges are advised to ensure that food vendors and suppliers are oriented and adhere to the standard operating procedures issued by the ministry to all learning institutions.

Cholera has been spreading sporadically across the country since the first cases were recorded in the south-eastern border district of Machinga in March.

As of Sunday, 23 districts have reported cases with 17 districts coming on board in the past 14 days, bringing the caseload and death toll to 4,223 and 117 respectively. 
COLOMBO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Aeroflot airline resumed commercial operations to Sri Lanka on Monday.

The first Aeroflot flight since June 2022 landed at Bandaranaike International Airport Monday morning with Russian tourists.

The Russian House in Colombo said that Russia is the main source market for Sri Lankan tourism and that the recommencement of the flights is a boost for Sri Lanka's economy.

Aeroflot suspended its commercial flights to Colombo after Sri Lankan authorities detained its Airbus A330 jet on June 4 over a commercial dispute with an Irish company.

The Russian House said the relationship between Sri Lanka and Russia will be further strengthened by the resumption of flights. 
SUVA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Fijians gathered at Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji's second largest city, on Monday to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of Fiji's independence.

Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, government ministers and members of the diplomatic corps also attended the celebrations including a grand parade followed by a 21-gun salute.

In a message delivered on Monday, Prime Minister Bainimarama said that Fiji's 52nd independence anniversary celebration marked the island nation's unity.

As Fiji celebrated 52 years of independence, people must remember that their strength lies in their unity, he said.

"We will celebrate the inclusive and united Fiji we have forged today, a change we undertook and achieved in our recent history that I will do everything possible to see preserved through all the years ahead," the prime minister noted.

He said if Fijians seek to deepen the bond that links them, they should continue the efforts to move their nation forward towards a brighter future.

Fiji, a Pacific island nation with a population of around 900,000, gained its independence from the British rule in 1970. 
VIENTIANE, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Laos recorded a trade deficit of 233 million U.S. dollars in September 2022, according to the latest information from the Lao Trade Portal website.

Laos' exports during September were worth 456 million U.S. dollars, while the value of imports was 689 million U.S. dollars.

The country's leading exports included gold and gold bullion, rubber, fertilizer, gold ore, sugar, clothes, bananas, shoes, iron ore, and cattle.

The main imports included mechanical equipment, diesel, land vehicles, precious-semi-precious stones, gasoline, plastic products, steel and iron-steel products, live animals, electrical cables and spare parts.

The biggest importer of Laos' commodities in September was China, followed by Vietnam and Thailand. 
COLOMBO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday promoted 7,499 army personnel to mark the 73rd Army Anniversary Day that falls on Oct. 10, the army said.

The president has promoted 372 officers and 7,127 other ranks of the army on the recommendation of the Ministry of Defense, and Commander of the Army Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage.

Five Senior Brigadiers to the rank of two-star Major General, 23 Colonels to the rank of Brigadier, 28 Lieutenant Colonels to the rank of Colonel, among others, have been promoted in the Officers' category. 
PHNOM PENH, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 100,000 vehicles had travelled on Cambodia's first-ever expressway in the first nine days of its opening for a trial use, according to data released by the freeway operator on Monday.

"From Oct. 1 to 9, the total traffic volume on the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was 118,376," the Cambodian PPSHV Expressway company's data showed. "In average, the daily traffic volume was about 13,153."

The data indicated that on Sunday, some 21,707 vehicles traveled on the 187-km freeway, entering and exiting through all eight stations.

The Chinese-invested Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was opened to the public on Oct. 1 for a month's trial use for free-of-charge after more than three years of construction.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport said the growing traffic volume "proves that the expressway is indeed a potential economic route."

Invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation, the expressway connects capital Phnom Penh and the deep-sea port province of Preah Sihanouk.

With two lanes for traffic in each direction plus an emergency lane on each side and paved with asphalt concrete, vehicles will be able to reach their destinations within two hours through the expressway instead of five hours on National Road 4.

Vasim Sorya, undersecretary of state and spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said the expressway is the largest single project under the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation between Cambodia and China.

"The expressway will inject new impetus into Cambodia's economic development since it links the capital to the international deep-water seaport," he told Xinhua. 
Martin Azzopardi, St. Margaret College Secondary School's science teacher who founded the school's China Corner, speaks at the letter delivery ceremony in Cospicua, Malta, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

VALLETTA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Teachers and students at St. Margaret College Secondary School in Cospicua said they are determined to nurture and carry on the great friendship between Malta and China.

They expressed the hope as Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai on Thursday officially delivered a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping in reply to teachers and students of the school's China Corner.

In the letter, Xi encouraged more Maltese youth to actively participate in people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Xi wished the China Corner even greater success in the future, and welcomed faculty members and students to China for exchanges and study.

The China Corner was founded in 2010 by Martin Azzopardi, a science teacher at the school, with the aim of bringing "China" to his classroom following his first visit to the country. The Maltese government, the Chinese Embassy in Malta and the China Cultural Centre in Malta provided him with a lot of support.

"I feel highly grateful. I cannot believe that the Chinese president found the time to read my letter and kindly replied to it personally. This again demonstrates the kindness and humbleness of the Chinese people. I will treasure this letter throughout my life," said Azzopardi.

In July, Azzopardi and his students wrote a letter to the Chinese president, expressing their best wishes for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malta and China. The letter elaborated on the colorful activities carried out by the China Corner, as well as the efforts it made to promote multicultural understanding and enhance the Malta-China friendship.

Maltese Education Minister Clifton Grima said at the delivery ceremony that the Chinese president places high value on the work of the China Corner, as education indeed serves as a gateway to knowing other countries' cultures and also a bridge for cultural exchanges between countries.

Hailing the achievements of Malta-China collaboration in the past 50 years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations, the minister encouraged the China Corner to work even harder in the future to make more contribution to the bilateral friendship.

Aimee Bugeja, a 15-year-old student, was among those writing the letter to Xi. "Having a China Corner in our school is an opportunity for students to open up to another culture and helps us understand the beauty of China," she said, deeming it also an opportunity to learn to "build bridges and not walls" between different countries and cultures.

The China Corner, deeply loved by students of St. Margaret College Secondary School, provides them with lectures and various activities on the traditional Chinese culture and technologies such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese ceramics, silk weaving, among others.

Joseph Ellul, head of the school, said the China Corner has brought students much closer to the beautiful and rich Chinese culture.

The China Corner and the Chinese language program of the school will "continue to promote the Chinese culture among our students and consolidate the friendship and understanding between the people of Malta and China, a relationship that has been steadily strengthened for the past 50 years," he said.

Xi's reply letter spoke highly of the active role the China Corner has played in enhancing Maltese young people's understanding about China and boosting the friendship between the two countries, Yu, the Chinese ambassador, said at the ceremony.

He voiced hope that the teachers and students will live up to Xi's wish and continue to serve as a bridge of cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The embassy stands ready to offer any assistance to the China Corner, especially on Chinese language teaching, he added.

Thursday's ceremony was "an encouraging moment for me and my students to keep on going," Azzopardi told Xinhua. "I hope students can inherit the friendship between Malta and China and continue to push it forward. The China Corner is a means to enhance the friendship between the two countries."

Ellul said he hoped teachers and students in his school will have the opportunity to go to China for study and visit in the future.

"China is a country that we wish to remain friends and build more projects together in the future," he said. 
By Trend

The Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist", on September 27, 2020 in response to the large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline, Trend reports.

The erupted 44-day Second Karabakh War ended with liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation.

Trend presents the chronicle of the fourtienth day of the Second Karabakh war:

- President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to Russian RBK TV channel.

- The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia was held in Moscow. Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed on a humanitarian ceasefire in Karabakh. The ceasefire was then roughly violated by Armenia. Armored vehicles of Armenia which violated the ceasefire were destroyed.

- Intense battles continued during the night, heavy combat equipment of Armenia was destroyed. The Armenian armed forces intensively fired at Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam, Aghjabadi and Fuzuli districts. Remains of a ballistic target fired by Armenia at Mingachevir and destroyed in the air have been found. The radar station in Khojaly was destroyed.

- The Armenian S-300 and other military equipment and artillery batteries were destroyed in Gubadly.

- The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on fires in Azerbaijani civilian facilities as a result of firing from Armenian armed forces.
BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:

Russia launched a large-scale attack against Ukrainian targets on Monday in retaliation for a deadly blast on the Crimean Bridge, President Vladimir Putin has announced.

"This morning, at the suggestion of the Defense Ministry and according to the plan of the General Staff, air, sea and land-based high-precision long-range weapons were massively fired against Ukraine's energy, military command and communications facilities," Putin said at a meeting with permanent members of Russia's Security Council via video link.

"If Kiev continues to attempt to carry out terrorist attacks on our territory, Russia's responses will be tough," he warned.

- - - -

"The first episode is over. There will be others," Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram, commenting on the massive strike against Ukrainian facilities earlier on Monday.

- - - -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted on Monday that he has agreed to hold an urgent meeting of the countries of the Group of Seven over missile attacks on Ukraine in a phone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Zelensky said he will deliver a speech at the meeting concerning the attacks, adding that his discussion with Scholz touched upon the issue of increasing pressure on Russia and restoring damaged infrastructure.

Earlier in the day, Valery Zaluzhny, chief commander of the armed forces of Ukraine, said on Telegram that Russia fired 75 missiles against Ukraine on Monday morning, with 41 intercepted by Ukraine's air defense.

- - - -

At least eight people were killed and 24 others injured in a series of missile strikes on Kiev Monday, Rostyslav Smirnov, an advisor to the Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs, has said.

At least 11 key infrastructure facilities in eight Ukrainian regions have been damaged in Russia's missile attacks on Monday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

As of 11 a.m. local time (GMT 0800), several Ukrainian regions were left without electricity, Shmyhal said on Telegram.

He instructed Ukrainians to prepare for temporary interruptions to water and electricity supplies and possible issues with communication services. 
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and seven others injured after a driver plowed through a group gathered outside a restaurant in the city of Golden in the U.S. state of Colorado early Sunday morning, authorities said.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a news flash that deputies responded to Rock Rest Lodge, the restaurant, on reports of a hit-and-run crash involving multiple victims.

"When deputies arrived, one male victim was unconscious and later pronounced deceased on scene, four additional male victims were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, and three other victims with minor injuries remained on scene for interviews with deputies and investigators," said the office.

Witnesses reported an altercation outside the restaurant prior to the hit-and-run, which involved a Ruben Marquez and some of the victims. After the two parties were separated by restaurant employees, Marquez backed his vehicle, a Chevy Silverado, out of a parking spot in front of the restaurant and seemed to intentionally drive into the victims, striking at least eight individuals, including restaurant employees, the office said.

The suspect vehicle was later seen in the area by a responding deputy. With assistance from the Colorado State Patrol, the vehicle was stopped and Marquez and two male passengers were taken into custody without further incident, it added. 
Pinky Kurmi who died due to continuous domestic violence in Bara

Letting his sister Pinky marry Dipendra Kurmi of Motibhagh, Kalaiya sub-metropolitan city of Bara, Manish Prasad Kurmi thought her conjugal life would be full of happiness as she was marrying a banker, the only son of the family.

Pinkys wedding took place in 2010 and her parents sent her with a dowry of Rs 4 million in cash and 10 tolas (around 116 grams) of gold.

But, Pinky was never happy. She constantly suffered from domestic violence in her in-laws house and died at the age of 32. She died at Mediciti Hospital, Nakkhu, Lalitpur on September 18. Her parental family claims it was a murder case.

Pinkys brother, Manish, has lodged a complaint at the District Police Office, Bara, demanding an investigation.

Unexpected unfoldings

Pinkys husband Dipendra (36), the manager of a branch of the Nepal SBI Bank in Birgunj, father-in-law Murari Prasad Jaiswar (Kurmi), mother-in-law Mathura Devi and uncle-in-law Jagat Prasad Jaiswar have been accused of murder. Police have arrested Dipendra and started an investigation.

The family claims that Dipendra pressured her to bring some more cash as her family was in the construction business. When she refused, Pinky was beaten up.

It is mentioned in the complaint that Pinkys head, chest and limbs were injured when they kicked, punched and hit her with sticks on the evening of September 3.

The next day, her in-laws took her to Dr Udaya Narayan Singhs clinic in Birgunj for treatment. Pinkys nose and ears were bleeding and she was vomiting. Her parents side alleges that despite the doctors advice to undergo a CT scan, the husbands family ignored it and kept her at home.

After Pinkys condition became serious, she was taken to the Advanced Hospital in Birgunj on September 12. The next day, she was taken to Bharatpur in Chitwan for further treatment, but after Chitwan Medical College referred her to Kathmandu, she was admitted to Mediciti Hospital.

She died on September 18 during treatment, and a postmortem was conducted on September 19 at Patan Institute of Health Sciences, Lagankhel.

Constant domestic violence

According to Pinkys sister Sapana, Dipendra got promoted in the bank the same year he got married. Then, he started pressurising his wife to ask her parents to give him a car as a dowry. When Pinky refused to ask, saying that her parents were not in a position to give her a car, she was banned from visiting them. He also restricted her from using her phone.

Manish and Sapana, siblings of Pinky, claim their sister was subjected to constant domestic violence.

According to her brother Manish, Pinky was beaten badly by her husband when she was pregnant. After finding out that my sister was pregnant, I went to Janakpur and rescued her and brought her to Chitwan. My niece was born in Narayanghat, he says.

On the one hand, the demand for a car as a dowry, on the other hand, the domestic violence on the pretext of giving birth to a daughter Pinky even attempted suicide once, but neighbours found out early and rescued her immediately.

After calling the community many times and discussing it, we made an agreement that from then on, they would not inflict any form of domestic violence, but their behaviour never changed. Manish tells Onlinekhabar. She never breathed a sigh of happiness.

On November 4, 2017, Pinky went to court to indict her husband for domestic violence but withdrew for the sake of her children after her husband apologised and cried in front of her.

However, even after that, her husbands abuse did not stop.

Saraswati Khanal, a womens rights activist from Kalaiya, also her neighbour, says that Pinky was constantly tortured by family members. Since she got married, Pinky was subjected to domestic violence. I was threatened whenever I spoke for her.

Smelling a rat

Pinkys body was taken to Patan Hospital for postmortem after she died due to injuries on her body. In the process, Dipendra had a dispute with the doctor involved in the postmortem of Pinkys body, whose audio conversation gives strength to a domestic violence charge against him.

In the audio conversation that was made public, the female doctor said that there was a difference between the bruises seen on the body and the head and that there was a blood clot in the head. The colours of the bruises seen on the head and neck are different (green and purple, respectively). The bruises seen on her body are new. She has two injuries on her head. There is SDH (sub-dural haemorrhage) in both breasts. My report is not the only proof, the police will investigate, she said.

But, Dipendras supporters have questioned neurosurgeon Dr Gopal Raman Sharmas diagnosis of bleeding due to a lack of platelets and told him to conduct a postmortem with another doctor.

Pinkys husband Dipendra also says that Pinky was taken to the hospital after the bleeding from her gums did not stop.

On September 3, when he went to the dentist, the dentist said that there was no problem with the gums, so he took her to the physician the next day. He says that he did not know about the head injury, saying that the platelets were found to be 50,000 during the blood test, and she was treated according to the doctors advice.

My wife passed away and my image is being tarnished with the false accusation of domestic violence, he says. In the audio conversation that was made public, he says to the concerned doctor at the postmortem, My life is over with your report; my life is in your hand; do whatever you have to do.

Meanwhile, SP Hobindra Bogti of the Bara District Police Office says, We are investigating it very sensitively.

This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length.
Madhesh Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut and ministers stage a protest in Janakpurdham demanding the police adjustment law from the federal government, in Janakpurdham, on Sunday, August 14, 2022.

It is too early to judge whether the federalism in Nepal has been successful or not; the sentence is often used as an exemption whenever asked about the effectiveness of the current structure of polity. But, since, the nation is on the verge to conduct the next federal and provincial elections, the time has come to judge the federal model at least with its initial reports in Madhesh.

The inception of federalism in Nepal

The Madhesh province in southern Nepal

After the fall of the monarchy, the imagination of Nepal as a federal democratic republic was understood as a panacea for all racial, cultural, representational and administrative ills. Madhesh, through numerous efforts, raised the demand for federalism in Nepal to institutionalise its political identity, suppressed for a long in a unified regime.

Federalism in Nepal continued to be the core agenda of the comprehensive peace accord between the government and the insurgents (Maoists). But, time and again, the issue was ignored, which caused the trust deficit of Madhesh in mainstream politics. It raised frustration and resulted in a series of protests in the region. Finally, after an amendment to article 138(a) of the constitution, federalism in Nepal was guaranteed. It resulted in the adoption of the federal model of governance in the constitution, paving the way for self-autonomy and better governmental outcomes.

The impact

File: Schoolgirls in Madhesh, southern plains of Nepal

The exercise of federalism erased the political apathy of the Madheshi populace towards participation in governance. The experience of being elected as an office-holder in their respective ward as well as municipalities and promoting the responsible mode of governance and administration is quite new for a community that mostly remained unheard and excluded since time immemorial. Ease of getting service is one of the major changes brought about by federalism in Nepal. This has not only saved the time, effort and money of the common people but also has consolidated the slogan of Ghar-Ghar ma Singhadarbar through which the notion of federalism was branded across the country.

Revival of representation at the local level has also shown a multiplier effect on accommodating diverse cultural, caste and gender-based demography at all levels of decision-making since there is now a secured and reserved seat for one Dalit woman out of five persons elected in each ward.

Madhesh as a province of the federal democratic republic of Nepal seems to be well aware of the distinction between federal, quasi-federal, and decentralised governments. That is why it shows its reluctance to be treated as a developmental unit of Kathmandu. For the provincial government, this reluctance is quite justifiable since the crux of federalism is to grant a set of powers to the provinces against the centre.

The constitution, being a source of division of power, grants some impregnable autonomy in certain sectors. The Madhesh province has dragged the federal government into the apex court in numerous episodes as the central government has constantly breached its jurisdiction. For example, the 6th schedule of the Constitution of Nepal clearly mentions that the power to manage the national forest, water usage and environmental management within a province shall rest with the province whereas the 7th schedule talks about the concurrent powers. However, the central government has continuously been involved in digging deep tube wells and other small groundwater projects which are supposed to be done by the province itself.

The legal battle continued in the case of the Sagarnath Forestry Development Project. The federal government was trying to merge the SFDP into the Timber Corporation of Nepal by expanding it as a corporation. The provincial government took the matter to the court. The relief was sought on the basis of schedule 6(19) of the constitution which disallows the federal government to take over any forest of the provincial government. The constitutional bench of the court issued a show cause notice and maintained a temporary status quo by ordering the federal government not to act upon the matter till the next date.

What next?

File

Madhesh has its grievances over several other conducts of the central government regarding the implementation of federalism in Nepal, leading to legal battles over power-sharing issues like police adjustment, transfer of district forest officers, and confinement of the chief attorneys office only within civil and writ jurisdictions.

The Madhesh province is subjected to high expectations to implement federalism in Nepal as compared to other provinces since federalism is one of the very few achievements that Madhesh has got through numerous movements, facing violence, unrest, extra-judicial killings and whatnot. Therefore, Madhesh itself sees this as an opportunity it had been seeking for years.

There are visible changes. Firstly, the government was seen far more stable in comparison with the other six provinces. Necessary legislation has been made on a plethora of issues such as the Dalit Empowerment Act. Women are provided with 50 per cent of reservation in employment opportunities.

There is enthusiasm and hope in Madhesh for federalism in Nepal. Of course, there are shortcomings but they shall hopefully be minimised in the long march of practising federalism.
Whose voice is heard in Nepals parliament? Is it people or political parties? Or is it the various interest groups?

If you as a nation cannot answer these questions, you will have failed democracy.

If you analyse some events that the House of Representatives witnessed in the recently expired term (2017-2022), you may conclude it is the interest groups that are decisive in the legislative process and it is jeopardising democracy.

Here are some key cases.

No syndicating means yes syndicating

When the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party was in power, the government tried to end the transport entrepreneurs syndicates. But, its efforts were in vain and that mostly happened due to the interest groups influence on the parliament.

How? After the government opened the doors for the transport committees to register as companies, the syndicates did not have much to do. But, thanks to the weak legislation, they changed into companies  their registration shifted from the Associations Registration Act to the Companies Act, but nothing changed.

A Bill to Amend Some Nepal Acts, 2018s section 81 was mostly in favour of the transport entrepreneurs, giving them the liberty to easily convert their transport committees into companies. This derailed the governments plan to end syndicates.

The big Yeti

Photo: Gokarna Resort

The parliament was also used to give private companies, a major interest group, the land owned by the Nepal Trust. The Nepal Trust Act, 2008, was amended to make sure the lease for the land where Gokarna Resort is located was extended for a further 25 years even before the current lease was due to end. This benefited Yeti Group quite conveniently.

The act was amended in a way that the prime minister could appoint anyone to head the trust. Prior to the amendment, the trust was always led by the home minister. Along with that, the prime minister could also appoint the members of the committee which was not the case before.

This means those who were close to the Yeti Group became a part of the trust. Ishwar Pokharel led the trust and under him were Yonjom Sherpa, Parvin Raj Dahal and Sitiram Sapkotra as its members. All of them were close to Yeti Group, which meant that even before the lease was coming to an end, they paved the way for Yeti Group to continue operating Gokarna Resort at the property.

This was clear that this was the role of interest groups and despite knowing about the situation of the property, the government not being able to do anything shows how weak they are, says National Assembly member Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi.

The way the property was given is wrong. I want to tell the government that I am willing to pay Rs 500 million more for the property. Will they give it to me? No, it wont because a lot of irregularities have happened in his case, he said in the National Assembly.

The nationalism card

Representative file image

The Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, 2019, which was authenticated on March 27, 2019, was said to have been brought to ease the lives of Nepali farmers, mainly those in the dairy business. But, it only looked out for the businesses involved in the trade.

The bill stopped Amul, an Indian dairy company, from entering Nepal as Nepali businesses felt they would suffer if such a big brand entered Nepal. Nepali dairy owners constantly lobbied to ensure that Amul would not be allowed to enter Nepal.

But, due to this, the farmers have suffered as they have not been getting a good price for the milk they produce. Consumers are also facing issues as they also have not been getting good quality products. But, using the nationalism card, the interest groups made sure that they killed their competition even before it entered Nepal.

Consumer activist Jyoti Baniya says things like these are common in Nepal where interest groups have been found amending acts, giving fuel to the nationalism talks. This, he feels, has affected the consumers in the country.

There are so many examples where interest groups have altered and amended Nepals acts. We need to change this attitude, says Baniya.

He says the last five years have seen a lot of these cases. Nepals lawmakers made a lot of acts, but some of them were bought by businesspersons in the country.

I feel this term of the parliament has sold a lot of acts or some section of the act. Why? For the personal gain of a few people. Ive even been told that even some committees were bought to ensure that what the businesspersons of interests groups wanted to happen, says Baniya.

Beyond the border

There were also international interest groups that forced the country to change some acts. One of them was the Ship Registration Act, 1971 which was amended recently to add provisions related to piracy.

People were shocked when that happened as since the act came into existence, the country has bought no ship. So why was it necessary? Lawmakers say the reason it was amended was the pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), of which Nepal is a part of.

The amendment of the act was unnecessary, but it was still amended and most Nepalis do not know many acts like these.

Interest groups within parliament

File: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the central bank of Nepal

An example of interest groups changing acts according to their will is the Bank and Financial Institution Act, 2017. The bill was brought by the then finance minister Bishnu Paudel. But, the bill was changed in such a way by key players that it became an act to make things easier for them. Even the Finance Committee of the parliament passed the bill.

How? Well, most members of the Finance Committee of the parliament were bank operators. They showed active participation and, in the end, made sure the act became what they wanted it to be.

The government wanted to set a two-term limit on the chairpersons and CEOs of the banks as it felt that governance would be affected if a person stayed in the position for a long time. But, bankers did not buy that and made sure that the chairpersons could stay in office for as long as they wanted. The lawmakers present in the committee could do nothing.

A source from the committee said that most of them could say nothing as most of the bankers-cum-lawmakers were close to senior leaders of the parties. When the party orders them to assist these people, other lawmakers cannot do much.

Lawmakers, after they are elected, are given a choice to choose the parliamentary committee they want to be in. This, many argue, helps the interest groups as they can ask lawmakers to whom they are close to select the committees. Even though Nepals constitution states lawmakers need to be impartial, this is rarely monitored.



The poor state of infrastructure development in the country, particularly roads and bridges, is a good example of how the parliamentary committees rarely take action against those responsible for delays in these projects.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Jip Tsering Lama was a part of the Development Committee for a long time. Lama is the owner of Lama Construction and was even seen going to monitor projects being carried out by his company.

Lamas company is currently working on the Kathmandu-Tarai Fastrack. As his company is involved, lawfully, it was wrong for him to be a part of committee meetings regarding the project. But, he stayed there.

Another Nepali Congress lawmaker, Bahadur Singh Lama, who owns Himdung and Thokar Construction, was also a part of the Development Committee. Sources say that he often got angry when people spoke ill about contractors and other similar interest groups.

On August 1, 2021, an official from the Department of Roads informed the committee how a bridge being built on the Trishuli was blown away by the wind. Many laughed, but this is no joke as the official was trying to highlight the poor work done by the construction company.

But, this did not go down well with Lama, who said things like these happen and lawmakers or officials did not understand the technicalities of building bridges. The bridge was being built by fellow lawmaker Jip Tserings company.

Janata Samajbadi Partys lawmaker Hari Narayan Rauniyar, also a member of the same committee, was accused of corruption and was suspended. Rauniyar is the owner of the infamous Pappu Construction which has been delaying the construction of multiple projects in the country. He often blamed the government for the delay in these construction projects.



After getting elected through the proportional representation system, Umesh Shrestha choose the Education and Health Committee of the parliament.

A subcommittee under his stewardship prepared a report on how Nepals Integrated Education Act should be in the future. Using that, the Education Ministry has drafted the Integrated Education Bill, which is currently in the cabinet.

But, Shresthas presence in the committee was seen wrongfully as many people say it was a conflict of interest given he is a part of the management team at Little Angles School and other schools, and he hence represents the interest group of education businessholders. Their concerns are valid too as he has time and again spoken in support of private educational institutions in the country.



Foreign employment agency operator, Lal Prasad Sawa Limbu was a part of the Industry, Finance, Labour and Consumer Rights Committee. Businessperson Krishna Kumar Shrestha also chose the same committee.

Bhumi Prasad Tripathi who has invested in a crusher plant chose the Agriculture, Cooperative and Natural Resource Committee. He used his influence to help his nephew who owns a crusher mill in Dhading. He too has investments in the mill.

What was shocking was even people who were tied with corruption cases were a part of the Public Accounts Committee. CPN-UMLs Gokul Baskota, who was accused of asking for a bribe of Rs 700 million in a printing press scandal was in the same committee.

Accountability in question

File: A House of Representatives meeting

This mainly happened due to lawmakers forgetting they are accountable to the public, not interest groups, says former speaker Taranath Ranabhat. He says many lawmakers now have a conflict of interest too.

Lawmakers now think about them first. They want to form connections that help them in the future, and that is wrong, says Ranabhat.

Former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki says interest groups have not only reached the parliament but have also reached the higher government officials and political parties. He says the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority not being able to investive some cases is a result of that.

We cant even file a case against decisions made by the cabinet. This is due to the influence of various interest groups, says Karki.

He feels that currently, all political parties are dependent on some interest groups and are acting on their behalf rather than doing what is right for the country.

Interest groups have bought everyone. These interest groups are Nepals mafias. Whicher government comes to power, they buy everyone, but the decision that is made in their favour ears them billion of rupees, says Karki.

This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length.
It is election season in Nepal as the country gears for its federal and provincial elections. Hundreds of candidates, both nominated by their parties and those filling their candidacies independently, registered their names at their respective election offices on Sunday. While there was a lot of enthusiasm amongst the candidates, there was a certain disappointment among the people who saw some aspirants from major political parties fail to get a ticket to contest the Nepal elections in November despite them having promising potential as peoples representatives.

Apparently, the way the party heads have selected Nepal election candidates has not given a promising future for the countrys democracy. It seems its time the parties adopted primaries now if they really want to strengthen the system.

Undemocratic democratic parties

Bhim Rawal, Minendra Rijal, Ghanashyam Bhusal and Swarnim Wagle all were refused a ticket by their parties.

One of those names was economist Swarnim Wagle. Despite Wagle being an internationally known economist, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba did not give him a ticket even though many within the party wanted him to contest the election. Another intellectual leader from the Nepali Congress, the biggest and oldest democratic political party in Nepal, Govinda Raj Pokharel will also not be contesting the elections along with another prominent and respected Nepali Congress leader Minendra Rijal.

But, why did not these leaders get a ticket to contest the Nepal elections? What was the reason given to them? Well, almost all of them say they do not know why they were overlooked by their parties. But, there is a general feeling amongst everyone that they did not get a ticket because they constantly questioned Deuba and his leadership and that, many believe, has come back to haunt them as they never wanted to please Deuba just to be in his good side.

Nepali Congress is not the only party that failed to give tickets to capable leaders ahead of the key Nepal elections. The CPN-UML also did the same that the party showed a lot of prejudiced behaviour while handing out tickets. Senior UML leader Ghanashyam Bhusal was told the party would not let him represent it in the federal elections despite his intentions to do so. He has now left the UML to contest on his own and will be supported by the Nepali Congress-Maoist coalition. The UML also did not give Bhim Rawal a ticket to contest the elections.

The Maoist Centre has also followed a similar path. People who questioned the leadership of chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal have been discarded when giving a ticket as people like Haribol Gajurel and Lekhnath Neupane will not contest the elections.

Go to primaries

Election Commission. Photo: Chanda Bahadur Ale

This was odd to see as the big parties created a divide among leaders of the same calibre. Some were in a position to even hand out tickets to others while others like Rawal, Bhusal, Pokharel and Rijal were left red-faced without one. This shows how the political parties have given up on their organisation structure as it feels like it is now controlled by a few narrow-minded individuals (some even outside the party) in a very undemocratic manner. This can be seen by how the big parties have handed Nepal election tickets haphazardly to people.

People see this as an issue as many feel that the best candidates are not being allowed to fight in the Nepal elections. Maybe to make it less controversial, it is time Nepal also started to conduct primaries to ensure the candidates whom the people want to vote for come out from the parties. Maybe the Election Commission could oversee it too as many democratic countries around the world have been doing this.

A lot of people feel that selecting a candidate is not an internal party matter. The candidates selection also reflects the wisdom of the leadership and that, for now, does not paint a good picture as many feel that these parties are under the control of some individuals. It is important the right people contest Nepal elections because these people do not just represent their parties, they are a major part of the countrys democratic system and if the parties cannot follow the democratic practice it shows a poor reflection of the entire system.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the selection of candidates for the upcoming Nepal elections, but those who made the decisions are yet to give in their answers. Many feel that a lot of mistakes have been made which can now only be corrected by the voters who will need to use their wisdom more than ever when voting in the upcoming elections.

This article was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length.
A dozer at the premises of Jai Nepal hall in Nagpokhari area. Photo: Shankhar Giri

On June 7, 2009, Kathmandu metropolitan city issued a notice asking people to remove all structures that were built by encroaching the Ikshumati river (commonly known as Tukucha river). Despite issuing the notice, the city did not mobilise its staff to go to the field and see if people had done what it had asked.

In 2019, the city government wrote to ward number 1 and the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority to search the river that had gone missing. The team of KVDA went out to look, but the local government never followed up on what their findings were.

The Tukucha rivers issue has been raised time and again. But, every time, it subsidedmaking itself a prime example of how the capital city is passively witnessing haphazard encroachment on its water systems. One of the reasons was the rivers disappearance from Jai Nepal Hall to Kathmandu Mall.

A dozer digging on the premises of Jai Nepal hall to find Tukucha river in Nagpokhari area. Photo: Shankhar Giri

Between the two points, there are numerous commercial buildings and residences. Since these buildings had to be removed to search for Tukucha, the city or other government bodies just did not have the courage to do anything.

The river flowing underground for some 450 metres is an open secret. But, how it flowed was something no one knew.

After Balen Shah became the mayor, the city government yet again issued a notice asking people to remove structures encroaching the Tukucha river. The notice said that if the owners did not remove it, the city would do it by force.

Many had felt it was a bluff and the owners did not pay much attention. But, when the city governments team reached Jai Nepal Hall with an excavator for the river, people were left shocked. An,d the official found it too some 15 feet below the surface of the hall.

Where did it go?

The Tukucha river flows from Chundevi behind Nirmal Niwas and flows through the Narayanhiti Palace Museum. But, it disappears after the boundary wall of the museum and appears again to the south of Kathmandu Mall.

No one knows how this happened or who is responsible. The federal government is unaware as the local one is. The land above the river is under the names of different people. They even have certificates proving that the land is theirs.

Kathmandu Valley Development Authoritys former chief Bhai Kaji Tiwari blames the Department of Survey which despite knowing there was a river did not do anything.

How can there be a river in the origin and end and not be one in the middle? It makes no sense and they need to answer who did it, says Tiwari, adding the city government should also bear the blame for allowing buildings to be built above the Tukucha river.

The city, however, says that none of the buildings built above the river is legal. An official says the office did a survey of the area in 1976. Yet, the officials did not point out there was a river flowing in the area. Following that, the land could easily be bought and sold.

A dozer digging on the premises of Jai Nepal hall to find Tukucha river in Nagpokhari area. Photo: Shankhar Giri

KMC didnt give people the authority to build it knowing there was a river. Some people build buildings at a distance, but some have built just above it (Tukucha river). These should be demolished, says the KMC official.

Kathmandu ward 1 chair Bharat Lal Shrestha says the locals do not know when the river was buried but says they are going to find the river.

I have heard how the river flowed with ease. We will make sure that it once again flows as it did in the past, says Shrestha.

Ward 3 chair Prem Thapa says the disappeared part is the Tukucha rivers bottleneck.

Because the river has been put underground, this regularly impacts areas in wards 2 and 4. We have fash floods in ward 2 every year during the monsoon, says Thapa.

Commitment to revival

Tukucha river after discovery in the premises of Jai Nepal hall in Nagpokhari area. Photo: Shankhar Giri

Mayor Shahs secretariat says the Tukucha river will be revived anyhow. It says the part that has been put underground will be put on the ground.

After the Department of Mines and Geology marks the areas where the river has been put underground, the city government with the help of metropolitan police will take excavators and bulldozers and open it up.

The excavation will take place every day for around 12 hours.

This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length.
OSU Extension helping children have a flavorful fall break

Media Contact: Trisha Gedon | Sr. Communications Specialist | 405-744-3625 | trisha.gedon@okstate.edu

With fall break just around the corner for Oklahoma students, Oklahoma State University Extension and the Oklahoma Nutrition Information Education Project are partnering to promote healthy snacks while children are home for the school break.

The Flavorful Fall Break resource features a variety of healthy snack recipes children can easily make during fall break, said Jenni Klufa, associate state specialist for youth programs through OSU Extensions Community Nutrition Education Program.

Klufa said nutrition education assistants with CNEP will build on what theyre already doing in many schools across the state by also offering Flavorful Fall Break materials. In addition, all the recipes are available on the CNEP Facebook page, through county OSU Extension offices and the ONIE website.

We want to encourage healthy eating habits for youth, and that includes when theyre on fall break, Klufa said. Youth involved in making their own meals and snacks tend to try healthier foods. The recipes created by ONIE are quick, easy and full of flavor. Some of the recipes require assistance from a parent or caregiver.

Flavorful Fall Break recipes include:

With the holiday season right around the corner, many classrooms will celebrate with parties. These tasty treats are a great alternative to some of the more traditional sugary treats found at classroom festivities.

We all love to celebrate the holidays, but the typical classroom party tends to provide too much sugar for children, Klufa said. Parents and teachers who are in charge of party planning can use these recipes as a healthy food choice, but the students can actually make them during the party. This will help with party planning and gives them a fun activity to do.

A balanced eating pattern for children encourages no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day, and school parties can reach that limit quickly. A 12 ounce can of soda contains about 40 grams of added sugar, and a regular size chocolate bar has about 20 grams of added sugar. Its easy to see how quickly added sugar can add up.

Melody Nabors, a teacher at Fort Towson Elementary School in Choctaw County, said she is happy to have more healthy snack options for her students.

Classroom parties are a lot of fun, but the amount of sugar consumed can sometimes interfere with learning. Its nice for our students to have healthy alternatives, Nabors said. We have a great working relationship with OSU Extension, and Im looking forward to using the information offered through these resources.

Klufa said the recipes are designed to encourage healthy eating, and when a child develops good habits, it helps them make healthier choices throughout their lives.

When children are involved in the process of making their food, theyre more receptive to trying new, healthy options, she said. Its important to keep in mind that all foods can fit into an eating plan, and adults need to serve as good role models with their food choices.

Contact the nearest county OSU Extension office for more information about the Flavorful Fall Break resources.

OSU Extension offers additional health, nutrition and wellness information.
Growth Plus Reports

Pune, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the latest report published by Growth Plus Reports, the Global Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) Market is expected to clock US$ 152.49 billion by 2030 and to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. The global ambulatory surgical centers market is driven by the increasing investment and growing demand for minimally invasive surgery and increasing investment in ambulatory surgical centers. Additionally, the growing burden of cancer and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases contribute to the growth of global ambulatory surgical centers. This exclusive information is published by Growth Plus Reports in its report titled Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) Market  Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2030

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Growth Drivers

As the prevalence rate of chronic diseases is increasing in light of the growing geriatric population and lifestyle-associated factors, there is an imminent need for several treatments and surgical procedures for efficient disease management. Ambulatory surgical procedures require less time, allow patients same-day discharge, and are economical. These factors are fueling the demand for ambulatory surgical centers globally. However, the need for significant deployment and lack of skilled personnel in ambulatory centers restrict the market growth, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Myopia is a form of optical refractive error that primarily affects the elderly and children, and untreated myopia constitutes one of the leading causes of distance vision loss worldwide. Myopia increases the risk of ocular modifications, and untreated disease can result in other chronic eye diseases such as glaucoma and vision impairment. According to the World Health Organization, 2.2 billion people worldwide have distance and near vision impairment. Cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors are the two most common causes of vision loss. The increasing prevalence of myopia and cataract are contributing to the growth of the ambulatory surgical centers market.

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Ambulatory surgical centers are cutting-edge facilities outfitted with state-of-the-art surgical instruments and equipment. The most common procedures performed in ambulatory surgical centers are dental, otolaryngology, endoscopy, obstetrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedic, and cardiovascular surgery. ASCs perform interventional and necessary procedures but do not accept urgent care, walk-in, or emergency room, patients. Most ambulatory surgical procedure is usually completed in a single day, allowing the patient to go home the same day. Studies also indicate that ambulatory surgical centers have low complications and post-operative pain and infections, and ambulatory surgical centers are less stressful than hospitals.

The global ambulatory surgical centers market has been analyzed from five different perspectives  Specialty Type, Application, Ownership, Surgery Type, and Region

Excerpts from by Specialty Type

The global ambulatory surgical centers market based on specialty type has been segmented into:

Single Specialty

Multi-Specialty

Single specialty ambulatory centers are leading the global ambulatory surgical centers market owing to the increasing demand for specialized surgery such as dental, lithotripsy, LASIK surgery, and orthopedic surgery are contributing to the growth of the single specialty ambulatory surgical centers market. Additionally, an increasing number of physician-owned ambulatory surgical centers are contributing to the growth of the global single specialty ambulatory centers market.

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Excerpts From by Ownership

The global ambulatory surgical centers market based on ownership has been segmented as:

Physician-Owned

Hospital-Owned

Corporate-Owned

Physician-owned ambulatory surgical centers are leading the global ambulatory surgical centers market owing to better care for the patient, allowing the physician to maintain standards and safety, focus exclusively on the single-setting procedure, and better accountability are contributing to the growth of the physician-owned ambulatory surgical centers.

Excerpts From by Surgery Type

The global ambulatory surgical centers market, based on the application, has been segmented into:

Ophthalmology

Dermatology

Gynecology

Dentistry

Urology

Cardiovascular

Others

Ophthalmology has dominated the global ambulatory surgical centers market as the increasing cases of hyperopia, astigmatism, myopia, and presbyopia is augmenting the demand for LAISK surgery and cataract surgery, thereby propelling the growth of the global ophthalmic ambulatory surgical centers market. Additionally, the advantages of ambulatory surgical centers, such as better service, less surgery time, and the introduction of artificial intelligence in LAISK surgery, contribute to the growth of the global ophthalmology ambulatory surgical centers market.

Excerpts from by Region Segmentation

The global ambulatory surgical centers market has been segmented into:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Rest of the World

The global ambulatory surgical centers market was dominated by North America, followed by the Asia Pacific. North America's large share in the global market can be attributed to the presence of developed infrastructure, healthcare expenditures, and technological advancement. Furthermore, the presence of key players, favorable reimbursement policies, and an increase in chronic diseases in the region are driving the North American ambulatory surgical centers market.

Excerpts from Competitive Landscape

The prominent players operating in the global ambulatory surgical centers market are:

Health Systems, Inc

Envision Healthcare Corporation

Terveystalo

Tenet Healthcare Corporation

MEDNAX Services, Inc

TeamHealth

Quorum Health Corporation

UnitedHealth Group

Surgery Partners

Healthway Medical Group

Table of Content

INTRODUCTION Market Ecosystem Timeline Under Consideration Historical Years  2020 Base Year  2021 Forecasted Years  2022 to 2030 Currency Used in the Report RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Approach Data Collection Methodology Data Sources Secondary Sources Primary Sources Market Estimation Approach Bottom Up Top Down Market Forecasting Model Limitations and Assumptions PREMIUM INSIGHTS Current Market Trends (COVID-19 Perspective) Key Players & Competitive Positioning (2021) MARKET DYNAMICS Drivers Restraints/Challenges Opportunities GLOBAL AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTERS MARKET - ANALYSIS & FORECAST, BY SPECIALTY TYPE Single Specialty Multi-specialty GLOBAL AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTERS MARKET - ANALYSIS & FORECAST, BY APPLICATION Diagnostic Services Surgical Services

TOC Continued..

VALUE PROPOSITIONS RELATED TO THE REPORT:

Powered with Complimentary Analyst Hours and Expert Interviews with Each Report

Comprehensive quantitative and qualitative insights at segment and sub-segment level

Covid 19 impact trends and perspective

Granular insights at global/regional/country level

Deep-rooted insights on market dynamics (drivers, restraints, opportunities) and business environment

Blanket coverage on competitive landscape

Winning imperatives

Exhaustive coverage on 'Strategic Developments' registered by leading players of the market

CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS:

Distributor Landscape Assessment

Pricing Intelligence

Customer Base Assessment

Investment & Initiatives Analysis

'Business Profile' of Key Players

Directly Purchase a Premium Copy of Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) Market Growth Report (2022-2030) at: https://growthplusreports.com/checkout?token=LLZw7qyh1Lya00VDVXTNooVpxjig7IKwyVdpAL6e&report_id=7850&license=Single

About Us:

Growth+Reports is part of GRG Health, a global healthcare knowledge service company. We are proud members of EPhMRA (European Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Association).

Growth+ portfolio of services draws on our core capabilities of secondary & primary research, market modelling & forecasting, benchmarking, analysis and strategy formulation to help clients create scalable, ground-breaking solutions that prepare them for future growth and success.

We were awarded by the prestigious CEO Magazine as "Most Innovative Healthcare Market Research Company in 2020.

CONTACT: Manan Sethi Director, Market Insights Email: enquire@growthplusreports.com Phone no: +91 96545 76783 Web: https://growthplusreports.com/




Fortune Business Insights

Key companies covered are Solvay SA, The Linde Group, DERIVADOS DEL FLUOR, HaloPolymer, OJSC, Arkema, Honeywell International, NFIL, Foosung Co. Ltd., Foshan Nanhai Double Fluoride Chemical Co., Ltd., Fubao Group and more players profiled in an anhydrous hydrogen fluoride market research report.

Pune, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global anhydrous hydrogen fluoride market size was valued at USD 2.40 billion in 2021. The market is expected to grow from USD 2.55 billion in 2022 to USD 3.60 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.1% during 2022-2029. Strong demand for fluoride gas from the end-use industries and its extensive adoption for aluminum production may bolster the industrys progress. Fortune Business Insights shares this information in its report titled Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride Market, 2022-2029.

List of Key Players Profiled in the Report:

Solvay SA (Belgium)

The Linde Group (Ireland)

DERIVADOS DEL FLUOR (Spain)

HaloPolymer, OJSC (Russia)

Arkema (France)

Honeywell International (U.S.)

NFIL (India)

Foosung Co. Ltd. (South Korea)

Foshan Nanhai Double Fluoride Chemical Co., Ltd. (China)

Fubao Group (China)

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Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride Market Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast CAGR 5.1% 2029 Value Projection USD 3.60 billion Base Year 2021 Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride Market Size in 2021 USD 2.40 billion Historical Data 2018-2020 No. of Pages 155 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Age- Group, By Distribution Channel, By Region Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride Market Growth Drivers Increasing Demand from High-income Groups to Favor Growth Rising Number of Wealthy Population to Boost Market Expansion

Segments

<99.90% Segment to Lead Owing to Robust Demand from Chemical Manufacturing Sector

By product type, the market is segmented into <99.90% and >99.90%. The <99.90% segment is anticipated to dominate the market due to robust demand from the chemical manufacturing sector.

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Chemical Segment to Hold Dominant Revenue Share Backed by Extensive Fluorochemical Applications

Based on application, the market is classified into chemical, mining, metallurgical, and others. The chemical segment is expected to hold a major revenue share due to extensive fluorochemical applications.

Geographically, the market is grouped into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

Report Coverage

The report provides a detailed analysis of the top segments and the latest trends in the market. It comprehensively discusses the driving and restraining factors and the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Additionally, it examines the regional developments and the strategies undertaken by the market's key players.

Drivers and Restraints

Rising Demand for Consumer Goods Materials Produced from Anhydrous Hydrogen Fluoride (AHF) to Elevate the Industrys Growth

AHF is utilized to produce several fluorine-containing chemicals. The robust demand for consumer goods materials produced from AHF may foster the industrys growth. Furthermore, the increasing adoption of AHF in several modern-day applications is likely to increase sales. Moreover, the increasing use of gas for producing aluminum, electrical components, fluorescent light bulbs, high octane gasoline, plastic products, refrigerants, pharmaceuticals, and herbicides is expected to boost AHF demand. These factors may drive the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride market growth.

However, strict regulations on adopting AHF may hamper the markets growth.

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/anhydrous-hydrogen-fluoride-ahf-market-103035

Regional Insights

Rapid Development of the Chemical & Metal Sector to Bolster Industry Growth in Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific is projected to dominate the anhydrous hydrogen fluoride market share due to the rapid growth of the chemical & metal industry. The market in Asia Pacific stood at USD 1.22 billion in 2021 and is expected to gain a huge portion of the global market share in the coming years. Furthermore, the rising demand for consumer goods is expected to fuel the industrys growth.

In Europe, the presence of a developed pharmaceutical sector may enhance anhydrous hydrogen fluoride adoption. Further, robust demand for chemicals for metal extraction and metallurgical operations may elevate the industrys progress.

In North America, extensive chemical production may foster anhydrous hydrogen fluoride demand. Furthermore, rising demand for the product for several applications, such as aluminum, electronics, water purification, nuclear, elastomers, coatings, glass, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, steel, refrigeration, polymers, and solar, is expected to foster the industrys growth.

Competitive Landscape

Key Players Devise Acquisitions to Magnify their Market Reach

The prominent companies operating in the market devise acquisitions to bolster their market reach. For example, Desmet Ballestra Group acquired Buss ChemTech AG, a Swiss-based hydrogen fluoride technology development company, in May 2021. This acquisition may enable the companies to bolster their market reach in European markets and improve their R&D process. Further, major players devise mergers, partnerships, research and development, and others to enhance their market position.

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Table of Content

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Trends Insights on Regulatory Scenario PEST Analysis PORTERs Five Forces Analysis Pricing Analysis

Covid-19 Impact Analysis Supply Chain Challenges Steps taken by companies to overcome the impact



TOC Continued!

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Key Industry Development

March 2022- Foosung Co. Ltd., Koura, and Mayor of Kedzierzyn-Kozle, Poland, signed a triparte letter of intent for the supply of Foosung Co. Ltd. inorganic fluorine compounds for use in lithium-ion batteries

Read Related Insights:

Fluorochemicals Market Share, Industry Forecast 2029

Fluoroelastomer Market Share, Industry Forecast 2027

Fluoropolymers Market Share, Industry Forecast 2028

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By Trend

As reported earlier, On October 10, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was interviewed by the Russian RBC TV channel. On October 11, the TV channel broadcast the interview with the head of state. Trend presents the interview.

- First of all, thank you very much for agreeing to speak with us. Before we start, I want to talk about the principles of RBK. A few days ago, there was an extensive interview with the prime minister of Armenia, and now we are here in Azerbaijan, in Baku, to speak with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. One more remark, before I ask the first question, condolences to the relatives of all the victims on both sides. I have heard a lot that no-one needs war and the sides could have done without it. And now the most difficult but also the most interesting task begins. The negotiations have ended. How would you assess what happened in Moscow? It is very important for us to understand what it all means.

- In general, I have a positive assessment because the statement circulated after the talks says that a ceasefire is being declared for humanitarian reasons and  what is of fundamental importance, this was the position of Azerbaijan and I am glad that this was reflected in this document  substantive negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will begin and the format of negotiations remains unchanged. These are the two positions the new Armenian government tried to undermine. It is no secret to anyone that the statements we heard from Yerevan were essentially aimed at undermining the process of negotiations that had been developed over the years, including its fundamental principles, at undermining the format of negotiations. Therefore, it was extremely important that the Armenian side  of course, this happened as a result of what we have on the battlefield  was forced to accept that the fundamental principles form the basis for a settlement and they clearly state how the conflict should be settled and in what sequence the occupied territories should be returned to Azerbaijan. Secondly, the format of the negotiations remains unchanged. This means that negotiations have been, are and will be conducted only between Azerbaijan and Armenia. All attempts by the Armenian leadership to shift this responsibility onto the puppet regime that exists in Nagorno-Karabakh have failed. Thus, after that I am sure that we will no longer hear from Pashinyan that "Karabakh is Armenia". Also, we will not hear his statements that Azerbaijan should negotiate with the so-called leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh. If he does make such statements, it will mean that he shows disrespect both for the mediators and for his own delegation, which agreed on this text in Moscow, and this will again undermine the process of negotiations. What did it lead to this time? I think everyone can clearly see that. I don't think he can allow himself to step on the same rake a second time.

- The ceasefire  how long will it last? How would you assess the fragility of this truce? What will it depend on?

- This ceasefire lasted for many years until the current escalation, for decades. There were certain clashes on the line of contact, there were provocations of the Armenian side on the state border in July this year. But such large-scale action has never taken place in the last almost 30 years. Therefore, everything will depend on the Armenian side. First of all, whether it will observe the ceasefire. Because this morning and yesterday, that in the early hours of today and in the morning, I was informed about attempts of a large-scale counter-offensive by the Armenian forces in many directions  an attempt to recapture Hadrut, an attempt to recapture the territories we have liberated in Jabrayil district and an attempt in the northern direction. In other words, understanding that the parties can come to an agreement in Moscow, they tried as much as possible to get back what they had lost and what never belonged to them. Therefore, the key factor for the durability of the ceasefire will be that Armenia must come to terms with the fact that we have these territories, that it will never see them again and will not make any attempts to recapture it by military means. The second equally important factor is exactly what I have just mentioned. At the negotiating table, we must see a constructive approach from the Armenian side, so that they stop trying to imitate the process of negotiations, so that they refrain from provocative actions and statements, and so that they are committed to finding a settlement. All we have seen from the Armenian side over the past year was precisely aimed at undermining the negotiations and blaming Azerbaijan. So we will see. We are committed to our statements. Azerbaijan is a country that has always fulfilled its obligations. I have always said that our signature has the same value as our word. But the ceasefire is not a unilateral process, so we will see how the Armenian side will behave now.

- In Azerbaijan, as far as I understand in the two days I have been here, the public sentiment is that we must go to the end. How can you explain to the Azerbaijanis now that Baku has agreed to negotiations again?

- We are going to the end. We didn't stop. If the Armenian side is committed to the ceasefire regime, then, as I said yesterday, the phase of political settlement will begin and the phase of coercion to negotiations will end. Therefore, we will go to the end anyway. Our goal remains unchanged. Restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which is recognized by the entire world community, the return of Azerbaijanis to the places of their original traditional residence, including Shusha and other settlements of Nagorno-Karabakh, and, of course, to all other territories outside the administrative border of the former NKAO. Therefore, our goal remains unchanged. The question is about how we will move towards this goal? We have always tried to follow the political path and have always heard that there is no military solution. We have proven that this is not the case. We showed on the battlefield that this is not the case and that these negotiations would have lasted another 30 years without a military component. What would have happened before that? Illegal settlement. This is an international crime and a violation of the Geneva Convention. Unfortunately, no-one ever reacted to this  the Minsk Group, the European Union or the UN. The destruction of Azerbaijans historical heritage, the destruction of our cultural, historical and religious sites, the change of place names, the change of administrative boundaries of our regions, the change of the names of our mountains, rivers and cities. In other words, we would have had to wait another 30 years and then we would have been told that this is what the situation is like now, so put up with it. We have already been told that. Therefore, I think that the military component, or its first stage, has come to an end, we have now reached a political settlement which will secure that we reach the end and get what is rightfully ours. Therefore, I think that Azerbaijani society will perceive what happened yesterday and tonight correctly and continue to support our policy. Because we have always told our people the truth. We have always defended the interests of our people. What happened on the battlefield proved it to everyone again.

- You have met with Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan several times before these events. After these events, are you ready to sit down at the same table or talk with him?

- You know, it is difficult to speak with a person who is very trustworthy. I had to negotiate with his predecessors, whom I consider war criminals because they have committed a bloody genocide in Khojaly, they are responsible for the killing of peaceful Azerbaijani population, for the destruction of our historical and cultural heritage. But I had to negotiate because we had to find a solution to this conflict. When the new government came to power, of course, first contacts with the new leadership were quite encouraging. I have already spoken about this once and do not want to repeat myself. But then the opposite happened. In other words, we felt deceived. We understand that we are negotiating with the enemy, but we must remain honest even with the enemy, honest at least to ourselves. We must respect our word. When this happened, we lost any desire to continue this senseless activity, of course. What can you talk about with your opponent if every word is a lie, if their lies are circulated in the world media and if lies are broadcast all over the world? They are probably used to lying in their own country. But when you lie about history and about the essence of the conflict in the Internet age, it is very quickly exposed. Therefore, I do not rule out such a possibility but this requires certain conditions. At this stage, I don't think it would be productive. On the contrary. The Armenian leadership should finally understand that it is impossible to speak to Azerbaijan in the language of ultimatums, insults and blackmail. I have never allowed myself such a tone of communication with anyone  neither within the country nor abroad. But when Pashinyan put forward seven ultimatums to us, when he insulted the feelings of the Azerbaijanis, he should have been punished for this. And we did that! Let him thank Putin for the fact that Russia has once again come to Armenias rescue.

- You have mentioned the role of Russia. That is, it really was decisive in these negotiations.

- Russia as a co-chair of the Minsk Group, of course, has the same rights and powers as the other countries of the OSCE Minsk Group. But, of course, as our neighbor and a country that has a common history with both Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russia plays a special role, of course. This role is based both on history and on the interaction of our peoples, as well as the weight and role of Russia in the world and in our region, of course. Therefore, due to these objective reasons, the possibilities of Russia to influence the settlement of the conflict are incomparably greater than those of any other country. Therefore, we have repeatedly appealed to the Russian leadership, so that the Russian leadership would engage the levers of political influence on Armenia and urge the Armenian side to end the occupation. This topic has been discussed many times, and I can tell you that in all of the numerous meetings I have had with my Russian colleague, this topic was discussed in one form or another, either in detail or not very extensively, but this did not happen. It is no secret that Armenia fully depends on Russia today. Security is provided by Russia, free weapons are provided by Russia. We have destroyed Armenian hardware probably worth billions of dollars. Right now, in a matter of two weeks. Where did they get this money? They don't have it. These are all free deliveries from Russia. Gas supply at preferential prices from Russia, electricity to some extent too. Railways, communications, a military base. Even the Armenian border with Turkey and Iran is guarded by Russian border troops. If it wasnt for this, it would be empty. What other country has so many levers to influence Armenia? None! And there are probably no other two countries in the world, one of which would be so completely dependent on the other. Therefore, of course, I am convinced that if there is insistence on the part of Russia, given that we have changed the status quo, broken the line of contact and brought Yerevan to its senses, I think that Russia certainly has a lot of tools to quickly convince Armenia that the only way out of the situation  and not only in terms of military confrontation but also for the future of Armenia in general  is to find a solution together with Azerbaijan. And it is quite simple  leave the territory, withdraw the troops, our people will return there and we will try to live side by side again.

- I will now ask you about another country  Turkey. Azerbaijan and you personally have been repeatedly accused these days of the fact that everything, including this conflict, is controlled by Turkish authorities. Yesterday and tonight, we did not see Turkey at the negotiating table. Why?

- This shows that all these opinions were false and that it was deliberate media speculation. There were several goals. First, to further demonize Turkey and this, unfortunately, is becoming almost a norm in the so-called modern political fashion. This is completely unfounded. Turkey is defending its interests, defending its right to live its own life. Under the leadership of President Erdogan, Turkey ceased to be an obedient ally of the West. It dictates its will in its region and in the world. Turkey is reckoned with now. Turkey's authority has grown. The Turkish army is the second biggest army in NATO and it can solve any military-political problems. Therefore, of course, there is such open pressure from the West. It is even fraught with some very strange and negative emotional background in relation to Turkey. So this is the first reason  the demonization of Turkey. The second reason is the underestimation of Azerbaijan's potential, including military-technical, an attempt to introduce things in such a way that it was Turkey or someone under the influence of Turkey that solved a military issue. No! We have liberated our lands ourselves. The myth about the so-called victorious Armenian army has collapsed. It never existed. Those who know the history of the conflict are well aware that our lands were occupied also by the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the Soviet army, which was stationed in Khankandi and I think 70 percent of its servicemen were of Armenian origin. So it was Soviet weaponry and Soviet command with an Armenian composition, and they took an active part in both ethnic cleansing and genocide.

- When ... the events of the early 1990s ...

- Of course! Without the support and active participation of the 366th regiment, Armenia would not have seized our territories. Therefore, a myth was created afterwards that the Armenian army was victorious and the Azerbaijani one would not be able to resist it. This was why it was necessary to preserve this myth. Apparently, acknowledging a bitter defeat at the hands of Azerbaijan is beyond the capacity of Armenian society and leadership. Third, it was necessary to belittle the role and importance of Azerbaijan in the world arena. This is very difficult to do because Azerbaijan today has very extensive economic and political ties with countries of the world. Today we chair the Non-Aligned Movement, which brings together 120 countries, and we were elected unanimously. If our country did not have an independent potential, would we have won such respect? Therefore, all the insinuations that Turkey is directing Azerbaijan and that we are acting upon its will are absolutely wrong. This is also aimed at disrupting or undermining the Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherhood, but it will not succeed. By the way, if all this information hype around Azerbaijan and Turkey had a basis, then there would not have been today's statement. This statement was agreed with me and no-one else. If we were controlled by someone, this issue would probably not have been resolved so quickly. Therefore, Turkey plays a stabilizing role in the world and in the region. The active and very clear position of the Turkish leadership, personally its President and other officials during the escalation, essentially prevented the intervention of third countries in this conflict. Therefore, I believe that the role of Turkey is extremely positive, and it should play an even greater role in our region, including the settlement of the conflict.

- Many in Russia will hear the phrase that "Turkey should play an even greater role". What is hidden behind these words? What do you mean?

- I think it is too early to talk about this, because I am expressing the position of the Azerbaijani side. But I said in one of my recent interviews that the Minsk Group was formed many years ago, in 1992, with completely different geopolitical realities. And if we were to form a contact group of mediators today, the composition would be different. The composition should reflect the intentions and wishes of the parties to the conflict but the composition of the Minsk Group practically does not reflect that. The composition of a new contact group or a working group, whatever you call it, should reflect the existing balance of power in the region, the existing interests of the countries of the region and should be focused on results. Otherwise, what is the point? It doesn't make any sense. If we want to resolve the conflict, then it must be resolved within the framework of a new format. Notice how many new formats of cooperation  trilateral, quadripartite  have been set up recently to coordinate the positions of countries on many hot spots. After all, they are being created now, they are not created on the basis of any dogmas, on the basis of the real balance of power. Therefore, of course, there can be no doubt that Turkey should and will play an important role in the settlement of the conflict. In what form  legal or de facto  this is already a technical question.

- About the role of Russia. When I walked around Baku, I saw a lot of Azerbaijani flags and slightly fewer but still quite many Turkish flags, but I did not see a single Russian flag. Does this mean that Russia's influence in Azerbaijan has decreased or has the attitude of people in Azerbaijan changed towards Russia?

- I don't think it has changed. The fact that there are many Turkish flags is natural. We are fraternal peoples. Today there is such a level of trust, mutual support and relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan that, in my opinion, cannot be found between any other countries of the world, even the closest allies. This is a reality. And this reality was created by us  the leadership of Turkey and Azerbaijan. And it is not about our common roots and our common history. There are also peoples with close ethnic roots in the world, like Turkey and Azerbaijan, who are at war with each other. And you know that very well. Or they are engaged in intrigues against each other. Therefore, the presence of Turkish flags in Azerbaijan is a reality. Also, if you go to Turkey, you will see Azerbaijani flags in many places. As for the attitude towards Russia, I can give you one fact. Before the pandemic, the annual growth of Russian citizens visiting Azerbaijan was in the region of 15-20 percent. Last year it approached a million people. I have always said that Russians are attracted to Azerbaijan not only by the cuisine, not only by the beaches, not only by history, but also by the fact that they feel comfortable here, they feel at home, they speak Russian with our people. You probably know that nowhere else are there as many schools in Russian as in Azerbaijan  more than 300. There are Russian universities and branches in Azerbaijan. Russian musical and theater groups were here almost every week before the pandemic. Therefore, the attitude towards Russia and towards the Russian people inhabiting the Russian Federation is extremely positive in Azerbaijan. But you have already spent several days here and you know how the factor of the Armenian occupation influences the mentality of the people. People catch every word, people catch every gesture, every facial expression. But I will tell you quite frankly, during this time, during these days of the week when some Russian channels run rabid anti-Azerbaijani propaganda, falsification, manipulation, provide an unbalanced composition of talk show participants, when the Azerbaijani people are insulted, when the President of Azerbaijan is insulted on leading Russian channels, this, of course, does not add credibility to Russia. I brought this issue to the attention of the Russian leadership. Not in terms of the fact that we are concerned about it  the Azerbaijani society and public opinion are formed within Azerbaijan. But in terms of the fact that this may someday lead to certain difficulties in our plans. We have plans with Russia for the further development of cooperation. We are now actively working on five roadmaps for economic and other cooperation, there are very good issues politically. But the information attack we encountered in the Russian media during this time, of course, caused great harm to the public perception of Russia. I think it will take time and effort for the leadership of both sides to correct this situation.

- I will ask two more questions. 27 September, night or morning. Do you remember how the decision was made that you need to start responding, you need to start this war?

-Well, in practice decisions are made automatically. There are certain instructions for the servicemen of the Azerbaijani army. I think every army has that. What your actions should be in case of threat, in case of attack. That is, we had no hesitation on how to act. Moreover, we were expecting this attack. I spoke about this from the UN platform a few days before the escalation. You can see the text of my speech  I said that Armenia is preparing for war. Armenia must be stopped. There were a lot of arguments in favor of that. First of all, the statement of the Armenian defense minister he made in America last year when he said that Armenia is preparing for a new war for new territories. Then Pashinyan's statements such as "Karabakh is Armenia" and so on. Further provocative actions in the form of demonstrative settlement of Armenians from Lebanon to Shusha, which is a war crime. Further, the insult of the Azerbaijani people by holding the so-called "swearing-in" ceremony in Shusha  in fact, for the first time in the entire existence of the occupation regime there. An attempt to move the parliament of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh republic" from Khankandi to Shusha, and much more. All this was a provocation against us. Then July. An unprovoked attack on military positions, and we lost four servicemen and then a civilian in the very first hours. Then August. A sabotage group penetrating Goranboy district on the line of contact. The leader of this group is now giving evidence. We waited. We were ready. Naturally, the decision was made automatically, including myself, without any hesitation. We had to put the aggressor back in its place. In July, Azerbaijani society demanded a continuation. You probably know about this.

- Yes, there was a rally.

- Yes. In July, the main slogan at the rally was "Commander-in-Chief, give us weapons!" This is what people were saying. In July, we could have easily crossed the state border with Armenia and seized vast territories of the Armenian Republic. But we didn't.

- This did not happen in Karabakh.

- Quite right. We did not do that. There were no difficulties there. We showed this now when we broke the defense that was deeply echeloned for 30 years. The local terrain there is defense in itself. We were going from bottom up, we were breaking these concrete slabs thanks to the incredible efforts of the Azerbaijani Army, the heroism of our soldiers and officers. What would it have cost us to move into any point in Armenia? But I stopped it, I said that no, we will not go for that, we are not them. We will not enter the internationally recognized territory of Armenia. We reached the border, drove out the invaders who entered our territory and stopped there. In other words, after that we had to punish the aggressor and discourage it from even looking in our direction. And we did that. Look at what a miserable situation Pashinyan is in now. He humiliates himself, calls, begs. There is hardly anyone left he hasnt called yet. Heads of government of the European Union. And what does he demand? He demands that they recognize Nagorno-Karabakh. It speaks of a complete inadequacy of the Armenian leadership. There is an agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Union, one of which was initialed two years ago. It states that the European Union respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of Azerbaijans borders. We have documents on strategic partnership with seven EU member states. All of them recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Only a person who is completely far from politics and devoid of any knowledge in the international sphere can demand recognition for Nagorno-Karabakh. This is where they are now. And we had to punish them. We had to put them in their place. They should know that they cant talk to us like that and they won't get away with it. And they didnt. He will be held accountable for the tears of mothers, for the deaths of innocent young citizens of Armenia they are sending to the frontline.

- What will happen to the territories Azerbaijan has returned? What will they do there now?

- We will return our refugees to their homes. You can imagine the joy of these people, the joy of the inhabitants of Jabrayil, the villages of Fuzuli, the inhabitants of Tartar district, Hadrut, who will return to their lands after almost 30 years. There is nowhere to go back to now. The video footage we show from the liberated territories shows that everything there has been destroyed. We knew that it is worse than Stalingrad. Everything that was not destroyed was plundered. They even stole window frames, stole toilets. This is just looting elevated to public policy. Therefore, we will restore these territories.

- Will you rebuild them?

- We will rebuilt them. Of course. We will help. This year, according to our construction program for internally displaced persons, we are commissioning 7,000 apartments. Can you imagine? If we multiply that by five people on average, we accommodate 35,000 people a year. in other words, even by our standards it is a fairly medium-sized city. We have already accommodated more than 300,000 people. Every year we allocate huge funds from our budget to create good conditions for refugees. Each refugee receives a monthly allowance from the state. We will do it there. We will rebuild Jabrayil. We will rebuild all the villages. People who will live there will be involved in construction work. They will receive a land parcel to rebuild their homes. Life will return there, children's laughter will return there. People will heave a sigh of relief. People will feel that they have regained their dignity. Can you imagine what it is like for Azerbaijanis to live in such a situation for so many years? Imagine my feelings when, on the line of contact, I looked at our destroyed cities through binoculars. Let the Armenian side give this a thought. They will not understand what it is like. But they should have thought about it earlier. They should not have hurt the feelings of the Azerbaijanis. We are a kind people, a peace-loving people but we will not allow our dignity to be trampled and insulted. When Pashinyan, in a drunken stupor, danced in Shusha on Jidir-Duzu, he signed up for what happened today.

- Are you going to visit these territories yourself?

- Of course! When we liberated Jojug Marjanli from occupation in 2016, I told our State Committee for Refugees and IDPs that they should ask the residents of this village if they would like to return. Because many years have passed, many of them are in Baku, many have jobs, children, schools, many live in other regions of Azerbaijan. Changing your place of residence, especially where everything is destroyed, is not so easy. You know, after some time I was informed that there was a queue. Even young people who had never been there, who were born afterwards. They all asked to be returned there as soon as possible. And in less than a year we rebuilt a village of 150 houses, built a school, a medical facility, a mosque, all the infrastructure, installed gas lines and roads there. This has become a symbol of our return. When I arrived there and saw the faces of these people, their joy, tears of joy in their eyes, I said to myself again that we would definitely return to our homes. And, of course, we will restore these places so that these people who suffered for so many years, many of them did not live to see this happy day, they died longing for their homes, so that those who have survived them live happily and those who did not live to see this day have their souls in paradise.

-Thank you very much!

-Thank you!




(Bloomberg) -- Dozens of major Australian military equipment acquisitions are running billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule, the defense minister said, while warning the nation faces its most challenging circumstances since World War II.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Richard Marles, who is also deputy prime minister, said 28 major projects are behind schedule, including Australias new Hunter Class frigates and P-8A Poseidon aircraft. There has also been a cost overrun of at least A$6.5 billion ($4.1 billion) in 18 projects, Marles told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

As a result, Marles said he expected defense spending to rise to 2.2% of gross domestic product over the next decade, compared with 2% last fiscal year -- and a higher proportion than other western nations including Canada, France and Italy.

Given the current strategic circumstances we face, we need to be better focused on the quality of the spend within defense to ensure we are providing our Australian Defence Forces personnel with the best capability, Marles said.

Tensions between Canberra and Beijing have rapidly escalated in recent years, leading to military encounters between Australian and Chinese armed forces in the South China Sea and off Australias coastline.

Australia Seeking Industrial Ramp-Up for Nuclear-Powered Subs

The military has repeatedly run into difficulties over its plans to purchase and maintain hardware. Problems with a fleet of MRH90 Taipan helicopters led Australia to request 40 Black Hawk helicopters from the US government to replace them, at an estimated cost of $1.95 billion.

While the sale was approved by the State Department in August, Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Monday that the government was still deciding whether to go ahead with the purchase.

Story continues

Marles blamed the cost blowouts on the previous government and pledged more transparency over defense acquisitions, including monthly reports on delayed projects and creating an independent regulator inside the Defence Department.

Australia faced the most challenging circumstances since the Second World War, he said.

Australias defense spending is expected to swell even further, with the AUKUS nuclear submarine pact and an announced rapid expansion of military personnel yet to be factored into expenditure.

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
ChenMed ranked as #8 among 100 U.S. companies recognized for outstanding employee sentiment and satisfaction; as #1 in healthcare

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek today announced its annual rankings of the Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces, and ChenMed was ranked #8 overall and first in healthcare. The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces list is the result of a collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company.

ChenMed was chosen #1 among healthcare providers in the 2022 Newsweek list of "America's Most Loved Workplaces."

"We put love first when it comes to our team members, our patients and the communities we serve." - Stephanie Chen

The results were determined after surveying more than 1.4 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. The list recognizes companies that put respect, caring, and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them.

"We consider it a great honor to repeat as a Newsweek Most Loved Workplace," says Christopher Chen, M.D., CEO of ChenMed, a privately-owned national leader in primary care. "The love and respect, camaraderie and collaboration demonstrated by our employees every day is what fuels our company's rapid growth and unrivaled value to patients' health and well-being."

How positive workers feel about their future at the company, career achievement, how much employer values align with employee values, respect at all levels, and the level of collaboration at the company they work at were the five critical areas measured to gauge employee sentiment. Plus, at ChenMed, employees surveyed expressed pride in how visionary their medical practice is, earning ChenMed extra recognition as one of 10 "Most Visionary" companies on the just released Newsweek list.

"We're transforming healthcare for the neediest populations and we can't do that successfully if we're not leading with love," says Stephanie Chen, chief legal and culture officer. "We put love first when it comes to our team members, our patients and the communities we serve. When you show care, respect and appreciation, you receive trust, passion and hard work in return."

Story continues

In addition, areas such as inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging, and company response and adaptability to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as return-to-office rules, were identified and analyzed in relation to the five critical areas measured by Newsweek/BPI.

"As a result of 'The Great Resignation,' more companies recognize the importance of focusing on employee satisfaction to not only attract but retain top talent," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief, Newsweek. "The businesses on this year's list clearly demonstrated that commitment."

"We empower doctors and care teams to do whatever it takes to transform care for the underserved seniors we are blessed to serve," explains Susan Schayes, M.D., MPH, FAAFP, ChenMed chief transformation officer. "Plus, we offer amazing opportunities for career advancement in every part and every level of our hyper-growth business." For example, the physician-led practice offers the nation's first Fellowship in Transformative Care (FIT), that's specifically designed to elevate primary care and train ChenMed physician leaders of the future.

"The companies on this list represent the best at placing love at the center of their employee's experience," said Louis Carter, CEO, Best Practice Institute. "The number of applications this year and analysis of survey data reinforces our original findings that love is the strongest predictor of the strength of a company's culture, employee engagement, and satisfaction."

For the full Newsweek list of 2022's Most Loved Workplaces, please visit: https://mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/chenmed/

Methodology

To identify the top 100 companies for the Newsweek ranking, companies were evaluated and scored as follows: 35 percent of the initial score was based on employee survey responses; 25 percent was derived from analysis of external public ratings from sites such as Comparably, Careerbliss, Glassdoor, Indeed and Google; and 40 percent came from direct interviews with and written responses from company officials. Newsweek then conducted additional research into every company on the list, as well as the top runners-up, to determine the final list of 100 companies and their ranking. (The list includes both U.S. firms and companies with a strong U.S. presence that are based overseas.)

About ChenMed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates more than 100 senior medical centers in 15 states. Twice named a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek Magazine ( October 6, 2022 and 2021) , while also named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, and a certified Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center, JenCare Senior Medical Center, and IntuneHealthTM. Thanks to its leading healthcare technology organization, Curity, ChenMed was recently named a "Best Place to Work in IT" by IDG's Insider Pro and ComputerWorld.

About Newsweek

Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, over 85-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.

About Best Practice Institute

Best Practice Institute is an award-winning leadership and organization development center, benchmark research company, think tank, and solutions provider. BPI is the certifying body for Most Loved Workplace and conducted the original research to create the model and criteria for becoming a Most Loved Workplace. BPI's research proves that Most Loved Workplaces produce 3-4 times better customer service, employee performance, and retention than companies not loved by their employees.

For more information on how to apply to become a certified Most Loved Workplace in 2023, go to: http://www.mostlovedworkplace.com

ChenMed logo (PRNewsfoto/ChenMed)

Cision

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SOURCE ChenMed
Good morning,

If a company can generate revenue and produce creative solutions to solve societal problems, it can have a lasting impact.

This morning, Fortunes annual Change the World list honors companiesfrom global corporations to startups (some with less than $1 billion in revenue)meeting this challenge. "The endemic planetary problems that Change the World companies are taking onclimate change, public health crises, gender, and racial inequities, and lack of economic opportunityrequire the strengths of big and small companies alike," Fortune's Executive Features Editor Matt Heimer writes in the October/November issue of Fortune magazine.

PayPal earned the No. 1 spot on the list. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the payments giant based in San Jose, California, steered nearly $1 billion to displaced Ukrainians. As of late September, using PayPals platform, customers raised more than $600 million for relief efforts in Ukraine. The company has also helped Ukrainian citizens receive and send another $330 million in person-to-person payments and money transfers.

Since launching CFO Daily in 2021, I've had the opportunity to talk with finance chiefs at some of the companies changing the world. Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, is No. 21 on the list.

In 2022, part of my compensation, part of my bonus is linked to ESG, Fernando Tennenbaum, CFO at AB InBev, recently told me. And that should tell you how important [ESG] is for us as a company. Tennenbaum and I talked this past summer about the worlds largest beer brewer opening a $100 million plant protein production facility at the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery Campus.

The company is also working to protect the world's water. AB InBev uses over 42 billion gallons of water each year and is deploying leading-edge conservation tactics in the communities where it operates. How? By developing a seven-step watershed management process for its breweries to implement, and its collaborating on water protection projects in 17 countries.

Story continues

When I started in my career, the CFO role was about creating shareholder value, Harmit Singh, EVP and CFO of Levi Strauss & Co. told me earlier this year. Today, its about broader stakeholder value creation.

The San Francisco-based apparel maker and retailer, No. 27 on the list, is rallying business leaders behind gun-safety legislation. When the company circulated a letter urging Congress to pass gun-safety legislation in February 2019, four CEOs signed it. However, when Levi's tried again this past June, nearly 550 signed on. The letter assisted in persuading lawmakers to break a decades-old impasse and vote for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Fortune reported. CEO Chip Bergh told Fortune: We know that this is a complex issue, but doing nothing is not an option.

A major part of the CFO role requires being the strategic right hand of the leader of the business, Karen Parkhill, EVP, and CFO at Medtronic, once told me. The global medical device company headquartered in Dublin is strategically working hard to allow for the early detection of colorectal cancer that kills nearly 900,000 people a year. The company's GI Genius module uses A.I., built around 13 million images of colorectal polyps, to detect tiny polyps not easily seen by the human eye.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. CFO Jack Hartung once told me that he visits the sustainable farms where food for Chipotle is sourced. "I would say the biggest thing that I have learned over the years that has helped me, is to think broader than just finance," Hartung said.

The company (No. 37), which has more than 3,000 restaurants worldwide, is based in Newport Beach, California. Last year, Chipotle bought more than 35 million pounds of locally-grown produce. And, over the past two years, it has spent an extra $400 million to purchase responsibly sourced and humanely raised ingredients.

Fortune staff teamed up again with Shared Value Initiative, a consultancy that helps companies apply business skills to social problems, to select this years honorees. It takes an ongoing commitment that's embedded in the business strategy to make impactful changes. And the companies on the Change the World list are making great strides.

You can read all about them here.

See you tomorrow.

Sheryl Estrada

sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

.
Epic Games and Match Group are attempting to expand their lawsuits against Google to include additional allegations against the search giant. In a motion filed on Friday with a federal court in the Northern District of California, the two companies accused Google of paying off developers that had the means and ability to create competing Android app stores.

Specifically, Epic and Match point to agreements like Project Hug. The initiative, later called the Apps and Games Velocity Program, saw Google spend millions of dollars to keep some of Androids most popular developers on the Play Store, according to a complaint filed by Epic last year.

Some of these agreements were intended to, and did, stop developers from launching competing app stores, the motion states, adding Google committed a per se violation of the Sherman Act, the primary US antitrust law. Under the Sherman Act, per se violations dont require a plaintiff to show how a certain behavior negatively affected the market since its generally accepted such actions reduce competition (price fixing, for instance, falls under that category).

Google told Engadget it would oppose the motion. Epic and Match are adding more inaccurate claims to their failing lawsuits and were looking forward to setting the record straight in court, a company spokesperson said.

The program on which Epic and Match base their claims simply provides incentives for developers to give benefits and early access to Google Play users when they release new or updated content; it does not prevent developers from creating competing app stores, as they allege, they added. In fact, the program is proof that Google Play competes fairly with numerous rivals for developers, who have a number of choices for operating systems and app stores.

The motion comes after both Epic and Match reached temporary agreements with Google earlier this year to ensure their apps remain on the Play Store while they resolve their litigation. In a countersuit Google filed in June, the company accused Match of attempting to pay nothing at all for access to the Play Store. Googles store fees have also drawn scrutiny from the Department of Justice and a group of more than three dozen states.
Fingerprint Cards AB

The shareholders of Fingerprint Cards AB (publ), reg. no. 556154-2381 (the "Company"), are hereby given notice of the extraordinary general meeting to be held on Wednesday 2 November 2022.



The board of directors has decided that the extraordinary general meeting shall be held without physical presence of shareholders, proxies or external parties and that the shareholders shall have the opportunity to exercise their voting rights by postal voting prior to the general meeting pursuant to Sections 20 and 22 of the Swedish Act on Temporary Exemptions to Facilitate the Execution of General Meetings in Companies and Associations.

Vote at the general meeting

Shareholders who wish to exercise their voting rights at the general meeting must:

be entered as a shareholder in the share register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB on 25 October 2022 or, if the shares are registered in the name of a nominee, request that the nominee registers the shares in their own name for voting purposes in such time that the registration is completed by 27 October 2022; and

submit a postal vote in accordance with the instructions set out in the section Instructions for postal voting below in such time that the Company receives the postal vote no later than on 1 November 2022.

Instructions for postal voting

In order to vote at the general meeting, the shareholders must use the advance voting form and follow the instructions available on the Companys website, www.fingerprints.com/egm-nov2022. The advance voting form will be considered as a notice of attendance from the shareholder and must be received no later than on 1 November 2022. A shareholder can vote in advance by one of the following methods:

by electronic signature (Swedish Bank-ID) on the Companys website, www.fingerprints.com/egm-nov2022;

by e-mail submitting the advance voting form available on the Companys website to proxy@computershare.se; or

by completing the advance voting form available on the Companys website and send a physical copy (i.e. printed out) by post to Computershare AB, Box 5267, SE-102 46 Stockholm (Att. Fingerprint Cards EGM November 2022).





Story continues

If a shareholders voting rights are exercised through a proxy, a power of attorney and other authorisation documents must be enclosed to the advance voting form. The authorisation documents may not be older than one year, unless a longer period of validity (not exceeding five years) is specified in the document. If the power of attorney is issued by a legal entity, a certificate of incorporation or other authorisation document evidencing the signatory rights shall be enclosed to the advance voting form. A proxy form is available at the Companys website, www.fingerprints.com/egm-nov2022.

A shareholder cannot give any other instructions than selecting one of the options specified at each item in the advance voting form. A vote (i.e. the postal vote in its entirety) is not valid if the shareholder has modified the form to provide specific instructions or conditions or if pre-printed text is amended or supplemented.



For questions regarding the postal voting process, please contact Computershare AB, ph. +46 771 24 64 00, weekdays between 9:00 and 16:00 (CEST).



Proposed agenda

1. Opening of the meeting

2. Election of chairman for the meeting

3. Preparation and approval of the voting register

4. Approval of the agenda

5. Election of two persons to verify the minutes

6. Determination of whether the meeting has been duly convened

7. Resolution on subsequent approval of the board of directors decision on a rights issue of units consisting of shares of series A and warrants and shares of series B and warrants

8. Resolution on subsequent approval of the board of directors decision on an issue of shares of series B by way of set-off

9. Closing of the meeting

Proposed resolutions

Item 2 : Election of chairman for the meeting

The Nomination Committee proposes that the lawyer Mikael Borg, admitted to the Swedish Bar Association, will be appointed chairman of the meeting or, in the event of his absence, a person appointed by the board of directors.

Item 5: Election of two persons to verify the minutes

The board of directors proposes that Helen Fasth Gillstedt (representing Handelsbanken Fonder) and Johan Carlstrom, or in the event of one or both of their absence, the persons appointed by the board of directors, are elected to verify the minutes of the meeting. The task of verifying the minutes also includes verifying the voting register and that the advance votes received are correctly stated in the minutes of the general meeting.

Item 7 : Resolution on subsequent approval of the board of directors decision on a rights issue of units consisting of shares of series A and warrants and shares of series B and warrants

Background

On 10 October 2022, the Company announced that the board of directors had decided on an issue of A-units consisting of shares of series A (A-shares) and warrants entitling the holder to subscribe for A-shares and B-units consisting of shares of series B (B-shares) and warrants entitling the holder to subscribe for B-shares (together the Units) in the Company, with pre-emptive rights for the Companys shareholders (the Rights Issue).

Certain of the Companys shareholders (including senior executives and board members), as well as the Hybrid Investors (defined below) have undertaken to subscribe for B-units of approximately SEK 27 million in total, corresponding to approximately 9 per cent of the number of B-units in the Rights Issue. In addition, certain external investors, including Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ), the Hybrid Investors (defined below) and existing shareholders have entered into underwriting commitments of approximately SEK 273 million in total, corresponding to approximately 91 per cent of the number of B-units in the Rights Issue. Hence, the rights issue of B-units is, if carried out, fully secured by subscription undertakings and underwriting commitments. For the underwriting commitments, consideration of 7 per cent of the underwritten amount will be paid in cash. No consideration is paid for the executed subscription undertakings. Neither the subscription undertakings nor the underwriting commitments are secured through bank guarantees, restricted funds, pledged assets or similar arrangements. Further information on the parties that have entered into the underwriting commitments will be presented in the prospectus that will be published prior to the commencement of the subscription period.

For more information, please refer to the press release regarding the Rights Issue on the Companys website, www.fingerprints.com/rightsissue.

Proposal

The board of directors propose that the extraordinary general meeting resolves to approve the board of directors decision on 10 October 2022 to issue Units with pre-emptive rights for the Companys shareholders on the terms and conditions set out below.

Decision on the final terms and conditions

The board of directors will, no later than on 31 October 2022, decide on the maximum amount by which the Companys share capital may be increased with, the number of Units (and thereby the number of shares and warrants) that will be issued, and the subscription price to be paid for each Unit (and thereby the price per share, the warrants will be issued free of charge). The subscription price and other subscription conditions shall be the same for each A-unit as for each B-unit.

Subscription right

Each holder of A-shares and B-shares have pre-emptive rights to subscribe for new shares of the same class and new warrants entitling the holder to subscribe for shares of the same class (i.e., holders of A-shares are entitled to subscribe for A-units and holders of B-shares are entitled to subscribe for B-units) in relation to the number of shares previously held by the holder (primary pre-emption right). A-units and/or B-units not subscribed for with primary pre-emption right shall be offered for subscription to all shareholders (subsidiary pre-emption right).

In the event that not all Units are subscribed for by exercising unit rights, the board of directors shall, within the maximum limit of the Rights Issue, decide on allotment of Units to those who have subscribed for Units without unit rights in accordance with the following allotment principles:

Firstly, allotment of Units shall be granted to those who have subscribed for Units by exercising unit rights, regardless if the they were registered as shareholders on the record date on 8 November 2022 or not, in relation to the number of unit rights exercised for subscription of Units by that individual, and, to the extent this is not possible, by drawing lots.

Secondly, allotment of Units shall be granted to others who have subscribed for Units without exercising unit rights and, in the event of over-subscription, in relation to the number of Units such individual have applied to subscribe for, and, to the extent this is not possible, by drawing lots.

Thirdly and as the case may be, Units shall be allotted to any underwriters who have entered into underwriting commitments with the Company, in accordance with the terms and conditions of such commitment.





Subscription period and payment

Subscription of Units by exercising unit rights shall be made between 10 November 2022 and 24 November 2022. Subscription of Units without exercising unit rights shall be carried out on a separate application form during the same period. Payment for Units subscribed for without exercising unit rights shall be made through payment in cash no later than 30 November 2022. The board of directors shall have the right to extend the subscription period as well as the payment period.

Only Units will be allotted, hence no A-shares, B-shares or warrants will be allotted individually. However, following the completion of the Rights Issue, the Units will be converted into A-shares or B-shares and warrants. The warrants are issued free of charge.

Record date

Those who are registered as shareholders in the Company in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on the record date 8 November 2022 shall be entitled to subscribe for Units with pre-emptive rights.

Right to dividend

The new shares shall carry the right to dividend for the first time on the record date for dividends that follows immediately after the shares have been registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office and entered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB. The new shares arising from warrants being exercised carries the right to dividend for the first time on the record date for dividends that follows immediately after the subscription of these shares have been executed.

Authorisation to make minor adjustments

The board of directors, or the person appointed by the board of directors, shall be entitled to make the minor adjustments to the general meetings resolution that may prove necessary in connection with the registration with the Swedish Companies Registration Office and Euroclear Sweden AB.

Item 8: Resolution on subsequent approval of the board of directors decision on a issue of shares of series B by way of set-off

Background

On 10 October 2022, the Company announced that the board of directors had decided to increase the share capital of the Company through a directed issue of B-shares to holders of the Companys hybrid equity instrument, in an aggregate nominal amount of SEK 75 million (the Hybrids), Fredrik Lundgren and Wilhelm Risberg (the Hybrid Investors), against payment by way of set-off (the Set-off Issue). For more information, please refer to the press release regarding the Set-off Issue on the Companys website, www.fingerprints.com/rightsissue.

Proposal

The board of directors propose that the extraordinary general meeting resolves to approve the board of directors decision on 10 October 2022 regarding the Set-off Issue on the terms and conditions set out below.

Decision on the final terms and conditions

The board of directors will, no later than on 31 October 2022, decide on the maximum amount by which the Companys share capital may be increased with, the number of B-shares that will be issued and the subscription price to be paid for each B-share (which shall be the same as the price per share in each Unit in the Rights Issue). The maximum number of B-shares that shall be issued shall correspond to the maximum number of B-shares required to repay the Hybrids (including the nominal amount, accrued but unpaid interest, capitalised interest and arrangement fees) following the exercise of the Authorisation (as defined below) in full.

Subscription right

The right to subscribe for the B-shares shall, with deviation from shareholders pre-emptive rights, rest with the Hybrid Investors. The reason for deviating from the shareholders pre-emptive rights is to enable the repayment of the Hybrids, which, according to its terms and conditions shall be repaid by way of set-off against share-related instruments in connection with, and at the same price as in, a rights issue in the Company.

Conditions for execution

The resolution regarding the Set-off Issue shall be conditional upon the board of directors authorisation, resolved on the annual general meeting 24 May 2022 and registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office on 9 June 2022 (the Authorisation) and comprising a total of 29,800,000 shares, being insufficient to repay the Hybrids in full (including the nominal amount, accrued but unpaid interest, capitalised interest and the arrangement fees). Consequently, the Set-off Issue shall not be carried out if the Authorisation is sufficient to repay the Hybrids.

Right to dividend

The new B-shares shall carry the right to dividend for the first time on the record date for dividends that follows immediately after the shares have been registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office and entered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB.

Voting requirement

A resolution to approve the proposal under item 8 (Resolution on subsequent approval of the board of directors decision on an issue of shares of series B by way of set-off) is valid only where it is supported by shareholders holding not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast as well as the shares represented at the meeting.

Available documents

The full proposals and other documentation for the meeting will be held available at the Companys office at Kungsgatan 20, SE-411 19 Gothenburg, and on the Companys website, www.fingerprints.com/egm-nov2022, in accordance with the requirements set out in the Swedish Companies Act. The documents will also be sent to shareholders who so request and inform the Company of their address.

A share register reflecting the shareholdings in the Company will be made available at the Companys head office prior to the extraordinary general meeting.

Number of shares and votes in the Company

As of the date of this notice, the total number of shares in the Company amounts to 298,000,000

(6,000,000 shares of series A and 292,000,000 shares of series B). The total number of votes amounts to 352,000,000. At the time of this notice, the Company holds 3,800,000 shares of series B in treasury.

Shareholders right to request information

Shareholders that wish to request information pursuant to Chapter 7, Section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act shall do so by submitting the request in writing by post to Fingerprint Cards AB, Att. Fingerprint Cards EGM November 2022, Kungsgatan 20, SE-411 19 Gothenburg, or by e-mail to investrel@fingerprints.com no later than on 23 October 2022. The information will be made available at the Companys head office and on www.fingerprints.com/egm-nov2022 no later than on 28 October 2022. Within the same time, the information will be sent to shareholders who so request and inform the Company of their address.

Processing of personal data

For information on how personal data is processed in connection with the general meeting, see the privacy notice on Euroclear Sweden ABs and Computershare ABs respective website, https://www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy_notice_BOSS_20181023.pdf and

https://www.computershare.com/se/gm-gdpr#English.

Gothenburg in October 2022

Fingerprint Cards AB (publ)

The board of directors

Attachment




Adroit Market Research

The faster growth of hardware segment, construction segment, surveying segment will drive the Geographic Information System Market. According to the research Asia-Pacific region likely to grow rapidly.

Dallas, Texas, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Owing to the growing use of geographic information systems (GIS) across numerous industries, the global geographic information system market is anticipated to increase significantly throughout the projected period. Due to its integration with geospatial data and business technology, this industry offers several lucrative opportunities for the industry players. Thus, geospatial obstacles to data collection and the expensive installation costs for this technology limit the market's expansion. In addition, the global geographic information system market expansion is being constrained by a lack of knowledge and experience with geographic information systems. Free online access to geographic information is a significant impediment to the expansion of the global geographic information systems market.

Request for a sample report here: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/644

Over the course of the forecast period, it is anticipated that businesses will increasingly demand location-based analytics to boost operational effectiveness and enhance decision-making, which will have a favorable impact on the global geographic information system (GIS) market. The geographic information system market is also being driven by organizations' growing desire for location-based analytics to boost decision-making and operational efficiency. Additionally, the growing requirement to combine spatial data with traditional data in order to extract useful insights from location-based data may open up new potential opportunities for the geographic information system market over the projection period.

Prominent Geographic Information System Market Players consisting of:

Autodesk Inc.

AutoNavi Software Co., Ltd.

Bentley Systems, Inc.

CARTO

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.

Hexagon AB

Pitney Bowes Inc.

SuperMap Software Co., Ltd.

Topcon Positioning Systems

Trimble, Inc

Story continues

Several forms of data can be analyzed, generated, maintained, as well as mapped using a software program called geographic information. It also links to the map by combining geographic information with various descriptive data types, such as demographic information. With the use of this technology, it is now able to analyze, understand, and visualize geographic data in order to identify trends, patterns, and relevant investment opportunities. Users that utilize GIS can better understand linkages, trends, and spatial context. By 2030, the value of the global geographic information system market was $8.1 billion in 2020 and will rise to $24.7 billion in 2030 with a CAGR of 11.79%.

According to estimates, the GIS Software segment will dominate the GIS market, driving up the use of GIS for innovative city development, transportation management, and disaster management. The use of GIS in business intelligence and marketing has expanded as a result of its integration with ERP and CRM systems.

Geographic Information System Market by Usage:

surveying

mapping

navigation

Geographic Information System Market by component:

Hardware

Software

Services

Geographic Information System Market Applications consisting of:

Transport

Agriculture

Construction

Mining

Aerospace

Ask our Expert if You Have a Query at: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/644

A growing number of countries' infrastructure in the Asia Pacific is likely to lead to the region's fastest growth during the anticipated period. Programs for smart cities and urban development can be planned using GIS. China is investing a huge amount of funds in preparing for cities and building its infrastructure. The Asia Pacific region is experiencing expansion in this market as a result of the rising building in Japan.

For instance, Esri Inc. unveiled ArcGIS GeoBIM in October 2021, a solution that increases the capacity for GIS to be useful to BIM project teams. Acoustic echo cancellation teams can explore and work together using data from many systems in a geographic context with the help of the company's simple-to-use web-based experience. The business links up with Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro, a cloud-based tool for model co-authoring, coordination, and design collaboration.

Geographic Information System Market 2022-2029 Regional Overview:

Regions Sub-Regions North America U.S, Canada Europe Germany, France, UK, Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China, India, Japan, Rest of Asia Pacific South America Mexico, Brazil, Rest of South America Middle East and South Africa





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About Us:

Adroit Market Research is a global business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps.

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By Samuel Indyk

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - German government bond yields edged lower on Monday after blasts rocked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, prompting a move into traditional safe-haven assets such as core government bonds.

Large explosions shook Kyiv and other cities on Monday morning in apparent Russian revenge strikes after President Vladimir Putin declared an explosion on the bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack.

Weak services data from China, renewed COVID concerns in the country and a set of new export controls introduced by the Biden administration, including a measure to cut off China from certain semiconductor chips, were also weighing on sentiment, according to Mizuho rates strategist Evelyne Gomez-Liechti.

"The Crimean bridge and the explosions really didn't fit well with risk sentiment," Gomez-Liechti said.

"Those are the drivers that have probably hurt sentiment and are driving some strength in the bond markets."

By 0800 GMT, Germany's 10-year government bond yield, the euro area's benchmark, was down 3.5 basis points at 2.16%. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

Germany's 2-year yield was down 8 bps to 1.783%.

U.S. government bond markets are closed on Monday for the Columbus Day holiday.

Euro zone government bond yields had jumped on Friday after strong U.S. jobs data dampened expectations that the Federal Reserve will slow the pace of interest rate hikes.

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 263,000 last month, the U.S. Labor Department said, above expectations of 250,000 in a Reuters poll.

"The accelerating sell-off on Friday underscores how data-sensitive the market remains," said Commerzbank rates strategist Rainer Guntermann in a note.

Guntermann highlighted that the unemployment rate declined back to a record low which provides "no evidence for the Fed to slacken the fight against inflation".

Investors were now bracing for key U.S. inflation data on Thursday this week for clues on the size of the next Federal Reserve rate hike next month.

Story continues

"I think the bar is very high if you want to see the Fed doing anything less than 75bps," Mizuho's Gomez-Liechti added.

Money markets are pricing in an over 85% chance of a fourth consecutive 75 basis-point rate hike at the November meeting, according to Refinitiv data.

European Central Bank (ECB) officials have affirmed their commitment to take inflation back down to target, even in the face of a slowing economy.

France's Francois Villeroy de Galhau said the central bank is engaged in bringing down inflation to 2% in two to three years from now, while Germany's Joachim Nagel said on Friday that the next policy meetings must send out "clear signals" on reacting on inflation.

In Britain, the Bank of England said it was ready to increase the size of its daily purchases of government bonds to ensure sufficient capacity ahead of the end of its emergency programme to calm recent turmoil in the gilt market which is due to end on Friday.

Britain's 10-year gilt yield was up 1.5 bps to 4.25% (Reporting by Samuel Indyk, editing by Ed Osmond)
DUBLIN, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

Research and Markets Logo

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

Story continues

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/hef1b9

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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SOURCE Research and Markets
Mercy Ships Announces the Global Mercy will visit Sierra Leone in late summer 2023

GARDEN VALLEY, Texas, October 10, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--During an audience with His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the government of Sierra Leone and Mercy Ships extended their existing protocol agreements for their newest hospital ship, the Global Mercy to visit Sierra Leone.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221009005055/en/

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Mark Shrime, International Chief Medical Officer for Mercy Ships, Gert van de Weerdhof, CEO for Mercy Ships, His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and Dame Ann Gloag International Board Member for Mercy Ships (Photo: Business Wire)

"Thank you, Mercy Ships, for your continuous humanitarian and medical support towards providing treatment to people with various medical conditions worldwide. This partnership agreement which was signed pre-covid includes a 10-month Global Mercy deployment for free surgical care in partnership with local institutions in Sierra Leone. The hospital ship will serve as a platform for training our healthcare professionals to build capacity. Programs will ensure that the positive impact of Mercy Ships will continue long after the ship leaves the shores of Sierra Leone. This partnership will support our vision to ensure a functional national health system delivering efficient, high-quality healthcare services that are accessible, equitable and affordable for all," stated H.E. President Julius Maada Bio.

Mercy Ships CEO Gert van de Weerdhof highlighted the partnership with the government of Sierra Leone. "We are excited to confirm that we are planning a future return to Sierra Leone. This will be our sixth field service working alongside this nation. Now we can fully step into an important season of assessing existing needs and identifying how we can best support to deliver hope and healing to those in tremendous need of surgical care."

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When the Global Mercy docks in the host nations port, crew will provide free surgical care for thousands of people, training for local healthcare workers and more. All services by Mercy Ships are provided free of charge to the participant, thanks to donors around the world and their support of the volunteer professionals onboard their hospital ships.

"This long-lasting partnership paves the way for Mercy Ships to continue to engage closely with the government of Sierra Leone and to strengthen our joint commitment to improving access to safe surgical care," stated Dr. Sandra Lako, Country Director for Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone.

"A collaborative approach is the strongest way to strengthen health systems," added Dr Mark Shrime, International Chief Medical Officer for Mercy Ships. Meetings were facilitated by Dame Ann Gloag, Mercy Ships international board member who has also been working with Sierra Leone for many years.

Past Freetown, Sierra Leone port visits by a Mercy Ship include: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2011.

Sierra Leone is a rapidly growing country with an estimated population of 8.6 million according to UN statistics (1). Sierra Leone is positioned at 182 out of 189 countries and territories in the Human Development Index which Mercy Ships uses to assess areas of need for service. The median age in Sierra Leone is 18.5 years, which is disproportionately young and makes for a very young working population. Life expectancy is 55.5 years.

The Global Mercy is scheduled to visit Dakar Senegal early 2023 for several months prior to Sierra Leone.

(1) source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/sierra-leone-population

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:

Global health for the last two decades has focused on individual diseases, while surgical care in low-resource countries has not received the attention it needs. Lack of surgical care resulted in almost 17 million deaths annually.

Mercy Ships is an international faith-based organization that operates hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, medical capacity building, and health system strengthening to those with little access to safe surgical care. Since 1978, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, with the last three decades focused entirely on partnering with African nations. Each year, volunteer professionals from over 60 countries serve on board the worlds two largest non-governmental hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, health trainers, cooks, and engineers dedicate their time and skills to the cause. Mercy Ships has offices in 16 countries and an Africa Bureau. For more information, visit mercyships.org and follow us @MercyShips on social media.

Hi-res photos and general Mercy Ships B-Roll video footage are available upon request.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221009005055/en/

Contacts

Laura Rebouche

U.S. National Media Relations Director

Mercy Ships

Laura.rebouche@mercyships.org

us.media@mercyships.org

www.mercyships.org/press
HONG KONG, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife today announced the appointment of Harshal Shah as its new Chief Marketing & Experience Design Officer, Asia. His appointment is effective 17 October 2022.

Manulife appoints Harshal Shah as the New Chief Marketing & Experience Design Officer, Asia

Harshal joins Manulife's Asia Executive Division Committee and reports to Damien Green, President & CEO, Asia, and Karen Leggett, Global Chief Marketing Officer. He will also be a member of the company's Global Leadership Team.

Based in Hong Kong, Harshal will be responsible for progressing Manulife's marketing, brand, digital, and customer experience across Asia. He will oversee customer insights, design, brand, data analytics, digital strategy, and ManulifeMOVE, and he will work closely with colleagues at global, regional, and market levels, including those in Technology & Operations and Distribution.

Harshal brings 20 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industry. He joins Manulife from AIA Group, where he served as Director of the Distribution Impact office and held prior roles as Chief Marketing Officer for AIA Korea and led customer experience and business transformation for AIA Group Partnership Distribution based in Singapore. Prior to AIA, he held leadership roles at Aegon and Citibank.

"We are taking transformational leaps to become the digital customer leader in our industry in Asia," said Damien Green, President and CEO, Manulife Asia. "Harshal's appointment will continue to drive the success of our Asia franchise, drawing on his strong track record of enhancing distribution through delivering impressive results in marketing, digital, and analytics."

About Manulife



Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our global wealth and asset management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2021, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 119,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 33 million customers. Our principal operations are in Asia and Canada, and the United States, where we have served customers for more than 160 years. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong. In the previous 12 months we made CAD$32.7 billion in payments to our customers.

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Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com

SOURCE Manulife
By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita arrived in Azerbaijan on October 10.

The prime minister was met at the airport by Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov, Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Moldova Gudsi Osmanov, and other officials.

Earlier, the Moldovan government's press service reported that the prime minister will attend the meeting of the Moldova-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, which will take place on October 10-12. Among the issues to be discussed is the possibility of importing natural gas from Azerbaijan.

Previously, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu said that Moldova is considering the possibility of signing a long-term gas supply contract with Azerbaijan. He noted that Moldova consumes about 3 billion cubic meters of gas a year, and would like to sign a contract to receive gas in the range of 1 to 3 billion cubic meters per year.

With the completion of the TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) construction on December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan began commercial gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor.

Last year, TAP transported 8.1 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. By late 2022, Azerbaijan plans to increase gas supplies to Europe to 9.1 billion cubic meters, and in 2023, the volume of gas supplies is expected to reach 11 billion cubic meters.




SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

Global Medical Products Market size was valued at USD 508.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 716.28 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 6.76% during the forecast period 2022-2028).

Westford,USA, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Medical Products Market is highly competitive, with a large number of small and medium-sized companies vying for market share. In order to succeed, companies need to focus on product innovation and providing value to their customers. They also need to have a clear understanding of the regulatory landscape and be able to navigate the complex approval process for new products.

According to SkyQuest, the top 10 medical product manufacturing companies in global medical products market are Johnson & Johnson, GE Healthcare, Philips, Siemens Healthineers, Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific Corporation, Roche Diagnostics, and Stryker Corporation. These companies are expected to continue to dominate the market share due to their strong R&D capabilities and vast portfolios of products.

In particular, there is increasing demand for digital health solutions that can help manage patients' health data and connect them with care providers. Additionally, as value-based care models become more prevalent, there is a need for devices that can help improve patient outcomes while reducing costs.

In fact, the increasing use of digital technologies is having an impact on the medical device industry is the. This is transforming how devices are designed, manufactured and used. For example, 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular for manufacturing medical devices in the global medical products market, as it allows for highly customized products that can be produced quickly and cheaply. Additionally, sensors and other digital technologies are being integrated into more and more devices, allowing for greater precision and data collection.





Get sample copy of this report:

https://skyquestt.com/sample-request/medical-products-market

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The first reason for the growing demand for medical products is the aging population. As people live longer, they need more medical care and products. This includes everything from wheelchairs to artificial hips to diagnostic equipment. For instance, as of 2021, there are more than 1.1 billion people above 60 years.

The second reason behind the growth of the global medical products market is the rising incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In 2021, over $6.1 billion was spent on chronic disease management across the globe. These conditions require long-term treatment and management, both of which require medical products.

The third reason is the increasing popularity of preventive care. More and more people are realizing that it's better to prevent illness before it happens, rather than wait until they're sick to seek treatment. This means they're using medical products to stay healthy, rather than just treating illness. In fact, the global preventing care market to generate a revenue of over $196.8 billion by 2025.

However, one challenge the global medical products market faces is ensuring that there are enough qualified workers to meet this growing demand. There is a shortage of skilled workers, particularly in developing countries, which can make it difficult to get new products to market quickly.

Competition is Intense and Regulatory Landscape is Getting Complex in Global Medical Products Market

Global medical products market has seen significant changes over the past few years. New entrants have disrupted traditional market leaders, product development cycles have shortened and the regulatory landscape has shifted. These changes have created both challenges and opportunities for companies operating in this space.

One of the biggest challenges facing medical device companies is the need to develop and launch new products quickly. Traditional market leaders are no longer guaranteed a spot at the top, as nimble startups are constantly introducing innovative new products. To stay ahead of the competition, companies need to be able to move from idea to market quickly.

Another challenge in the global medical products market is the changing regulatory environment. In the past, medical devices were subject to less stringent regulation than other areas of healthcare. However, recent scandals and high-profile product failures have led to increased scrutiny from regulators. This has created compliance risks for companies, which need to make sure that their products meet all relevant safety and quality standards.

Despite these challenges, there are still plenty of opportunities for medical device companies that are willing to adapt to the new landscape. Companies that can quickly bring new products to market and navigate the regulatory maze will be well-positioned to succeed in this rapidly changing industry.





Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://skyquestt.com/report/medical-products-market





Top Transformative Trends in Medical Products Market

The medical device and digital health industries are rapidly evolving and changing. Here are five transformative trends that are currently shaping these industries:

1. The rise of patient-centricity: A growing number of medical device and digital health companies in the medical products market are focused on developing products and services that are centered around the needs and preferences of patients. This shift is driven by a recognition that patients are increasingly empowered to take control of their own health care, and that engaging them more directly can lead to better outcomes.

2. The growth of data and analytics: The increasing availability of data is transforming the way medical device and digital health companies operate. By harnessing the power of data, these companies can gain insights into trends and patterns that can help them improve their products and services.

3. The expansion of artificial intelligence: Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in the medical device and digital health industries across global medical products market. From diagnostic tools to treatment planning, AI is helping to improve the quality and effectiveness of care while also reducing costs.

4. The rise of personalized medicine: Personalized medicine is another trend that is reshaping the medical device and digital health landscape. By tailoring treatments to the individual characteristics of each patient, personalized medicine has the potential to change the overall market landscape by enabling prompt and quality care.





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Top Players in Global Medical Products Market

Medtronic (Ireland)

Stryker (US)

Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (US)

Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA (Germany)

Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands)

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland)

General Electric Company (US)

Siemens Healthineers AG (Germany)

BD (US)

Boston Scientific Corporation (US)





Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Acne Treatment Market

Global Laser Therapy Devices Market

Global Prescription Lens Market

Global Office-based Labs Market

Global Herbal Medicine Market





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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Some Meta staff refer to certain metaverse projects as "make Mark happy," the NYT reported.

"Make Mark happy" was shortened into the acronym "MMH," two Meta employees told the NYT.

Mark Zuckerberg has changed his priorities one year on since rebranding Facebook to Meta, per NYT.

Some employees working at Meta are calling important metaverse projects "make Mark happy" as its CEO Mark Zuckerberg shifts his priorities, according to The New York Times' report on Sunday.

Two workers at tech giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook, told The Times that "make Mark happy" was shortened into the acronym "MMH." They told The Times that some employees have used the acronym as a joke to refer to certain projects involving the metaverse.

It comes at a time when Mark Zuckerberg is changing his priorities while Meta often reorganizes its workforce and experiences a high turnover of staff, according to The Times, which reported it spoke to over a dozen current and former Meta workers who requested to remain anonymous.

Some Meta workers have become unhappy about the company changing its strategies on a frequent basis rather than sticking to a plan, employees told The Times.

Meta didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of US operating hours.

"Being a cynic about new and innovative technology is easy," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told The Times in a statement. "Actually building it is a lot harder  but that's what we're doing because we believe the metaverse is the future of computing."

Insider's Kali Hays reported that Meta was conducting "quiet layoffs" and telling some employees to find other jobs, which could impact as much as 15% of the company's workforce. Meta has also recently withdrawn internship offers from its program based in the UK and shut down its newsletter platform Bulletin.

It has been almost a year since Zuckerberg announced Facebook's new corporate name would change to Meta. The rebranding was part of Zuckerberg's push to focus on the company's mission of the "metaverse," a virtual space where people can interact digitally using their own avatars.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Growth Plus Reports

Pune, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the latest report published by Growth Plus Reports, the global neurodegenerative disease drugs market is expected to clock US$ 77.01 Billion by 2030 and to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. Supported by the increasing research and development on drug commercialization. This exclusive information is published by Growth Plus Reports in its report titled Neurodegenerative Disease Drugs Market  Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2030

The global neurodegenerative disease drugs market has been analyzed from four perspectives: drug class, disease indication, route of administration, and region.

Get a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://growthplusreports.com/inquiry/request-sample/neurodegenerative-disease-drugs-market/7838

Market Driver

Major drivers increasing the growth of neurodegenerative disease drugs market are rising research and development in treatment and diagnosis procedures. Investigation into the origins of neurodegenerative diseases and potential cures is recently rising. In preclinical or clinical trials, a number of treatments are being assessed, including cell therapies, oligonucleotides, and monoclonal antibodies. These initiatives hold a promise for the prevention, delayed progression, and eventual treatment of neurological disorders.

Excerpts from By Drug Class

According to drug class, global market is categorized into:

Immunomodulators

Dopamine Agonists

Interferons

Decarboxylase Inhibitors

Medication known as immunomodulators can improve immune function by altering the immune system response. By concentrating exclusively on specific immune system components, immunomodulators are more selective in their effectiveness and reduce the risk of adverse effects from immunological dysfunction. Interferons help the immune system identify and eliminate infected cells. They can stop the development and spread of infectious cells as well as protect other cells from getting infected. Parkinson's disease is usually treated with dopamine agonists (DA), which delay the administration of levodopa medication and reduce unpleasant motor fluctuations.

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Excerpts from By Disease Indication

Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, spinal muscular atrophy and others comprise the segments of the global market for neurodegenerative disease drugs. In terms of disease indications, the Alzheimer's disease category has dominated the market. Alzheimer's disease causes the brain cells to degenerate, which leads to cell death and degeneration. Dementia, which is characterized by a continuous deterioration in mental, behavioral, and social capacities and reduces a person's ability to operate independently, is primarily brought on by Parkinsons disease. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a hereditary disorder that affects the brain, the peripheral nervous system, and voluntary muscle movement (skeletal muscle). Rising prevalence of diseases is anticipated to increase research and development procedures for drug development.

Speak to our Analyst to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Business: https://growthplusreports.com/inquiry/speak-analyst/neurodegenerative-disease-drugs-market/7838

Excerpts from By Region

Excerpts from Competitive Landscape

Some of the prominent players operating in the global neurodegenerative disease drugs market are:

Novartis AG

Sanofi S.A

Orion Pharma Ltd

F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd

Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Inc

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc

Merck & CO. Inc

Pfizer Inc

H. Lundbeck A/S

Biogen Inc

UCB S.A

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

Table of Content

INTRODUCTION Market Ecosystem Timeline Under Consideration Historical Years  2020 Base Year  2021 Forecasted Years  2022 to 2031 Currency Used in the Report RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Approach Data Collection Methodology Data Sources Secondary Sources Primary Sources Market Estimation Approach Bottom Up Top Down Market Forecasting Model Limitations and Assumptions PREMIUM INSIGHTS Current Market Trends (COVID-19 Perspective) Key Players & Competitive Positioning (2021) MARKET DYNAMICS Drivers Restraints Opportunities GLOBAL NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE DRUGS MARKET - ANALYSIS & FORECAST, BY DRUG CLASS Immunomodulators Dopamine Agonists Interferons Decarboxylase Inhibitors Others GLOBAL NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE DRUGS MARKET - ANALYSIS & FORECAST, BY DISEASE INDICATION Parkinsons Disease Multiple Sclerosis Alzheimers Disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy Others GLOBAL NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE DRUGS MARKET - ANALYSIS & FORECAST, BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL Injection Oral Transdermal

TOC Continued

VALUE PROPOSITIONS RELATED TO THE REPORT:

Powered with Complimentary Analyst Hours and Expert Interviews with Each Report

Comprehensive quantitative and qualitative insights at segment and sub-segment level

Covid 19 impact trends and perspective

Granular insights at global/regional/country level

Deep-rooted insights on market dynamics (drivers, restraints, opportunities) and business environment

Blanket coverage on competitive landscape

Winning imperatives

Exhaustive coverage on 'Strategic Developments' registered by leading players of the market

CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS:

Distributor Landscape Assessment

Pricing Intelligence

Customer Base Assessment

Investment & Initiatives Analysis

'Business Profile' of Key Players

Directly Purchase a Premium Copy of Neurodegenerative Disease Drugs Market Growth Report (2022-2030) at: https://growthplusreports.com/checkout?_token=LLZw7qyh1Lya00VDVXTNooVpxjig7IKwyVdpAL6e&report_id=7838&license=Single

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Growth+ portfolio of services draws on our core capabilities of secondary & primary research, market modelling & forecasting, benchmarking, analysis and strategy formulation to help clients create scalable, ground-breaking solutions that prepare them for future growth and success.

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Sydney, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies:



Hygrovest Ltd (ASX:HGV) has significantly outperformed a declining Canadian cannabis market, with the investment holding groups net asset value (NAV) decreasing 40% for the year ended 30 June 2022, compared to an 81% decline in the benchmark over the same period. Click here

Anteris Technologies Ltd (ASX:AVR, OTC:AMEUF) has boosted its coffers by A$1.6 million after receiving a refund under the Australian Governments Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive Scheme. Click here

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) will today officially open the Finniss Lithium Mine, making it the first lithium mine in production in the Northern Territory and Australias only lithium mine outside Western Australia. Click here

Northern Minerals Ltd (ASX:NTU) has welcomed a material increase in the mineral resource estimate at the Wolverine rare earth element (REE) deposit of the Browns Range Project in Western Australia, generated in an independent review by CSA Global. Click here

Kinetiko Energy Ltd (ASX:KKO) has boosted its finances to progress gas developments in South Africa to the tune of A$5 million thanks to a placement with South African energy investment company Phefo Power. Click here

Duke Exploration Ltd (ASX:DEX) has intersected copper mineralisation for the first time within the central Bundarra Intrusive Complex (BIC) at its flagship Bundarra project in Queensland. Click here

Creso Pharma Ltd (ASX:CPH, OTCQB:COPHF) is accelerating its growth strategy with two new director appointments, a board transition and a rebranding strategy to unlock additional mergers and acquisitions (M&A) opportunities. Click here

Surefire Resources NL (ASX:SRN) has confirmed excellent continuity of vanadium zones at the 100%-owned Victory Bore Vanadium Deposit after completing a preliminary geological model of infill reverse circulation (RC) drill holes using portable XRF analyses. Click here

Technology Metals Australia Ltd (ASX:TMT) has executed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with one of the worlds largest steelmakers, setting the course for vanadium offtake discussions. Click here

Anson Resources Ltd (ASX:ASN) has boosted the lithium grade in the Mississippian Units of its Cane Creek 32-1 well at the Paradox Lithium Project in the US, with results of 101 parts per million (ppm) lithium and 3,294ppm bromine through the entire drilled zone. Click here

Alto Metals Ltd (ASX:AME) has identified a number of high-priority targets at the historical high-grade Hacks and Oroya gold mines and near-mine areas at its 100%-owned Sandstone Gold Project that could still hold significant mineralised material. Click here

Magmatic Resources Ltd (ASX:MAG) has unearthed extensive copper and polymetallic mineralisation in the first diamond hole at Corvette Prospect of the Myall Project in New South Wales, including a 722.5-metre intersection. Click here

Stellar Resources Ltd (ASX:SRZ) has kicked off its phase 2B drill program at the flagship Heemskirk Tin Project in western Tasmania. Click here

Australian Gold and Copper Ltd (ASX:AGC) has served up strong, shallow gold mineralisation during its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drill program at the Gundagai Gold Project in New South Wales. Click here

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) has awarded the operations and maintenance contract for the dense media separation (DMS) plant at its Finniss Lithium Project near Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory to engineering consultant Primero, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRW Holdings Limited. Click here

Galileo Mining Ltd (ASX:GAL) has intersected nickel sulphide mineralisation up to 51 metres thick in ongoing reverse circulation (RC) drilling north of the Callisto discovery within the companys 100%-owned Norseman project in Western Australia with shares trading higher as a result. Click here

Cyclone Metals Ltd (ASX:CLE) has recovered nugget specimens of up to 712 grams of gold at the Nickol River Project in WA, confirming the presence of a gold-bearing quartz reef system with a sampling program over several test pits on the tenure. Click here

South Harz Potash Ltd (ASX:SHP) has appointed highly experienced potash executive Lawrence Berthelet as a non-executive director and a member of its Technical Committee, effective October 17, 2022. Click here

CuFe Ltd (ASX:CUF) has fielded high-grade copper and gold from a diamond drilling program around the Orlando Project at Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. Click here

C29 Metals Ltd (ASX:C29) will fly a project-wide aeromagnetic and radiometric survey over the Stadlers Project in Western Australia, intending to generate a detailed model of the structural controls on potential copper mineralisation for the tenure. Click here

Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) has set the drill bit spinning in its maiden drilling campaign at the Melrose Gold Project in WAs Pilbara region. Click here
GLASGOW, Scotland, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Probe Test Solutions Ltd (PTSL), headquartered in Glasgow Scotland, is an established high growth company and a world-leader in delivering advanced ATE test hardware solutions, today announces the closing of a $30m investment from Tikehau Capital. Additionally, four semiconductor industry executives, Jalal Bagherli, Mark Tyndall, Alex McCann, and Jacky McNulty, together with Corinne Philipps from Tikehau Capital, are joining the board, with Jalal Bagherli appointed as chairman.

PTSL Logo

Tikehau Capital's $30 million investment is made via its pan-European growth impact private equity strategy. The strategy's investment philosophy is focused on providing partnership capital to high growth, purpose-led companies that are critical to the resilience of the European economy. Through this partnership, Tikehau Capital will provide PTSL with the operational and strategic support needed to accelerate further international expansion, including appropriate acquisitions in the ongoing consolidation of the semiconductor market.

Commenting, Jordan Mackellar, CEO of PTSL said:

"This financial investment is a massive vote of confidence in the company, our people and the strategy. The investment will enable PTSL to accelerate its innovative advanced technology roadmap, positioning the company ahead of ATE industry trends and strengthening our ability to make significant Capex investments to support our planned growth.

Having worked very closely with Jalal, Mark, Alex, and Jacky for some months to refine our strategic path forward, including raising this investment, I am proud to now have them as board members together with Corinne from Tikehau Capital. This board complements the strong PTSL management and the relentlessly determined wider PTSL team."

Tikehau Capital Executive Director, Corinne Phillips, said:

"We are delighted to partner with PTSL as it embarks on its next chapter of growth. The company's differentiated business model has enabled it to carve out a solid position in a rapidly growing market. We look forward to working with Jordan, the wider PTSL team and the rest of the Board, leveraging our expertise and presence in key global markets to accelerate its international expansion and to help them execute their transition to being an industry benchmark on sustainability."

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PTSL Chairman Jalal Bagherli added:

"PTSL is an opportunity that comes along ever so rarely. It has an incredibly talented team who are determined to continue their growth and market share gains in the ATE industry while creating new job opportunities in Scotland and beyond. Furthermore, I am grateful to Jordan for selecting me as the chairman and I look forward to supporting the company's strategy together with this new team of directors."

Board Biographies

Jalal Bagherli was most recently CEO of the power management specialist Dialog Semiconductor, leading the company over 16 years before the sale of the company to Renesas Electronics. He currently serves as Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries' backed Williams Advanced Engineering.

Corinne Philipps, Executive Director and Head of UK Private Equity at Tikehau Capital, led the investment into PTSL. Corinne has over 20 years' experience in UK private equity, initially at Duke Street and since 2018, at Tikehau Capital. Corinne has held a number of board positions across sectors during this time, as well as providing operational and strategic advisory services to portfolio companies. She currently holds board director positions at Medtrade Products and Up and Co.

Alexander McCann, Semiconductor Partner at Alexa-Capital and President of Fortan Advisors, was the former COO and member of the executive leadership team at Linear Technology Corp and was on the executive leadership team at Dialog Semiconductor.

Mark Tyndall, Semiconductor Partner at Alexa-Capital with former senior leadership roles at Dialog Semiconductor, MIPS and Infineon Technologies. Additionally, Mark is currently holding strategic advisory roles at companies including Indie Semiconductor and Azoteq (Pty).

Jacky McNulty was Senior Vice President/Chief Procurement Officer and Head of Global Real Estate for NXP Semiconductors. Earlier in her career, Jacky held management roles in Motorola Semiconductors, Chartered Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Devices and GlobalFoundries. She currently serves on the board of several startup companies.

About PTSL

Probe Test Solutions Limited (PTSL, founded in 2009, headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland) designs and manufactures probe cards and is one of the fastest growing Automated Test Equipment (ATE) suppliers in the semiconductor industry with an innovative product offering, experienced technical team, and a diverse customer base across the globe. https://probetestsolutions.com/

About Tikehau Capital

Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group with 36.8 billion of assets under management (at 30 June 2022).

Tikehau Capital has developed a wide range of expertise across four asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies) as well as multi-asset and special opportunities strategies.

Tikehau Capital is a founder led team with a differentiated business model, a strong balance sheet, proprietary global deal flow and a track record of backing high quality companies and executives. Deeply rooted in the real economy, Tikehau Capital provides bespoke and innovative alternative financing solutions to companies it invests in and seeks to create long-term value for its investors, while generating positive impacts on society. Leveraging its strong equity base (3.1 billion of shareholders' equity at 30 June 2022), the firm invests its own capital alongside its investor-clients within each of its strategies.

Controlled by its managers alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital is guided by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and DNA, shared by its 725 employees (at 30 June 2022) across its 13 offices in Europe, Asia and North America.

Tikehau Capital is listed in compartment A of the regulated Euronext Paris market. For more information, please visit: www.tikehaucapital.com.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1916792/PTSL_Team.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1916791/PTSL_Logo.jpg

PTSL team

Cision

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LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / October 10, 2022 / ReNeuron Group, a stem cell-derived exosome technology company, has presented encouraging preclinical data highlighting the enhanced drug delivery capability of its customisable exosome platform (CustomEx) over conventional human embryonic kidney-derived (HEK) exosomes. The company's CustomEx exosomes displayed a minimum 10-fold increase in cellular uptake across three cell types (endothelial, neural and epithelial) compared to HEK-derived exosomes, with an 18-fold increase observed in endothelial cells. Additionally, when loaded with a therapeutic payload (small interfering RNA, siRNA), a 600% improvement in delivery to the target cell was recorded versus HEK exosomes. The most advanced exosome technologies that have entered clinical development, to date, are HEK-derived exosomes. We believe these results therefore not only provide encouraging signs for the clinical progression of ReNeuron's exosomes, but may also provide a distinct competitive advantage against HEK competitors. Our estimates are currently under review.

Notably, the study was able to demonstrate the effective delivery of siRNA, a new class of complex drug modality, in which targeted drug delivery remains a significant challenge. The RNA therapeutic pipeline is poised to deliver further drug candidates, so we view this market as a potential opportunity for ReNeuron to target. While therapeutic exosomes may still be in the early stages of clinical development, demonstrating positive preclinical data has led to the signing of significant licensing deals within the market. This latest data will therefore further promote ReNeuron's technology platform and may garner heightened interest from potential partners, in our view.

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SOURCE: Edison Investment Research Limited





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(Bloomberg) -- Russia has lost three-fifths of its seaborne crude sales in Europe since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February. That market is going to vanish almost completely eight weeks from now and the latest sanctions will make it very difficult to divert flows elsewhere.

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Crude shipments to Europe averaged 630,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Oct. 7, down from 1.62 million before the invasion. Tankers carrying Russias oil are now forced to spend four times as long making each delivery to India as they would previously have done shipping a cargo to the Netherlands, or 10 times as long as it would have taken to get to Gdansk in Poland.

The European Unions latest round of sanctions, passed in response to President Vladimir Putins annexation of parts of Ukraine, include a ban on shipping Russian crude anywhere in the world on EU tankers -- an escalation that could greatly increase the impact on seaborne flows. The sanctions have also been revised to incorporate a price cap championed by the US Treasury under which, from Dec. 5, buyers of Russian crude could use European ships, insurance and other services, but only if the price they pay is below a certain threshold.

Russia has said it wont sell its oil to anyone who imposes a price cap, warning that its introduction could lead the country to cut production, and its major customers remain unlikely to endorse the plan. Still, the existence of such a mechanism is expected to boost the bargaining power that key customers China, India and Turkey have over Russia for future purchases.

Flows to those three countries, which initially stepped in to fill the gap after European buyers started to shun Moscows exports, peaked in June at 2.2 million barrels a day. In the four weeks to Oct. 7 that figure was down by about 320,000 barrels a day.

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The volume on tankers yet to show final destinations may narrow that gap, but it wont eliminate it completely.

While total crude flows shipped out of Russia in the week to Oct. 7 edged lower, the four-week average, which smooths out some of the noise in the data, moved in the opposite direction. The most recent shipments supersede those of the week ending Sept. 9, when flows from the Pacific port of Kozmino were reduced by the passage of Storm Hinnamnor.

Crude Flows by Destination:

Overall exports edged higher on a four-week average basis, but remained below 3 million barrels a day for a fourth week; thats the longest period since early March that this measure of shipments has been beneath that threshold. The increase was driven by flows to Asia, which rose to their highest since June.

All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. These are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk.

The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export grade. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies. Transit crude is specifically exempted from EU sanctions on Russias seaborne shipments that are due to come into effect in December.

Crude Flows by Destination:

Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries fell for a fourth week, dropping to 604,000 barrels a day, their lowest for the year so far in the four weeks to Oct. 7. Flows dropped by 56,000 barrels a day, or 8%, from the period to Sept. 30. These figures do not include shipments to Turkey.

The volume shipped from Russia to northern European countries was virtually unchanged on average in the four weeks to Oct. 7 compared with the previous week.

Exports to Mediterranean countries slumped in the four weeks to Oct. 7, with a drop in shipments to both Italy and Turkey. Flows to the region, including Turkey, which is excluded from the European figures at the top of this section, fell to the lowest since March.

Combined flows to Bulgaria and Romania were unchanged from the previous week, with an increase in shipments to Bulgaria offsetting a drop in the flow to Romania.

Shipments to Russias Asian customers, plus those on vessels showing no final destination, which typically end up in either India or China, rose for a fourth week. The four-week average volume of crude heading to Asia gained to the highest in 16 weeks. Shipments heading to Asia averaged 1.94 million barrels a day over the four weeks to Oct. 7, with a further 140,000 barrels a day on tankers whose point of discharge is unclear.

All of the tankers carrying crude to unidentified Asian destinations are signaling Port Said or the Suez Canal, with final discharge points unlikely to be apparent until they have passed through the waterway into the Red Sea, at the earliest. Most of those ships end up in India, with a few heading on to China.

Flows by Export Location

Aggregate flows of Russian crude fell to a three-week low, dropping by 410,000 barrels a day, or 12%, in the seven days to Oct. 7, compared with the previous week. Flows were lower from all regions except the Arctic. Figures exclude volumes from Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade.

Export Revenue

Inflows to the Kremlin's war chest from its crude-export duty slumped, falling by $42 million to a 15-week low of $125 million in the seven days to Oct. 7. The four-week average income fell more modestly, dropping by $3 million to a 14-week low of $143 million.

The export duty rate in October is 15% lower than it was in September at $6.06 a barrel, the lowest per barrel rate since February 2021, according to Bloomberg calculations using figures published by the Russian Ministry of Finance. The lower duty rate amplifies the impact on the Kremlins income from lower shipments.

Duty rates look set to fall again in November, unless the discount for Urals relative to Brent has narrowed further in recent weeks. The average Brent price since Sept. 15 is down by 5% compared with the period used to calculate the October duty rate, with just four days to go.

Origin-to-Location Flows

The following charts show the number of ships leaving each export terminal and the destinations of crude cargoes from the four export regions.

A total of 28 tankers loaded 20.6 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to Oct. 7, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. Thats down by 2.9 million barrels, to a three-week low. Destinations are based on where vessels signal they are heading at the time of writing, and some will almost certainly change as voyages progress. All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade.

The total volume on ships loading Russian crude from Baltic terminals fell back to a three-week low, falling by 314,000 barrels a day. Of the 12 tankers loading at Primorsk and Ust-Luga, just one is heading to northern Europe.

Shipments from Novorossiysk in the Black Sea also dropped to a three-week low.

In contrast, Arctic shipments jumped to a five-week high, with three vessels departing Murmansk in the week to Oct. 7.

Crude flows from Russias eastern oil terminals gave up the previous weeks gain. Eight cargoes of ESPO crude were loaded, with all but one of the cargoes heading to China. The other ship is heading to Sri Lanka, where a separate ESPO cargo has been anchored since Sept. 19, due to a shortage of foreign exchange to pay for the crude.

Note: This story forms part of a regular weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the export duty revenues earned from them by the Russian government.

Note: All figures have been revised to exclude cargoes owned by Kazakhstans KazTransOil JSC, which transit Russia and are shipped from Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga.

Note: Aggregate weekly seaborne flows from Russian ports in the Baltic, Black Sea, Arctic and Pacific can be found on the Bloomberg terminal by typing {ALLX CUR1 }

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2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Adroit Market Research

Rising Demand for intaglio printing, screen printing, letterpress printing, digital printing, lithographic printing will drive the Global Security Printing Market. The report contains all the required data and full guidance has been given to the readers and competitors of the global industry.

Dallas, Texas, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over the projected period, it is expected that there will be an increase in cases of counterfeiting and forgery. Banknotes, passports, postage stamps, identity cards, stock certificates, and illegal goods are items where counterfeiting is extremely common. The above-mentioned devices are protected from manipulation and falsification thanks to security printing. To ensure the confidentiality of their legal and financial documents, developed nations would boost the use of hybrid security printing sheets. A startling rate of counterfeiting is anticipated, including small-time crooks forging bank notes, tax stamps, and other official papers, as well as penetrating supply chains with altered products and packaging. This will increase demand in the security printing industry .

Digitization and content convergence provides a significant challenge for the sector. The problem is that as communication methods get more technologically converged, print, broadcasting, and telephony become more arbitrary and artificial. The conversion of content into machine-readable digital code is the most compelling reason for the convergence. This process is quickly expanding across all sorts of content. As a result, the market for security printing is being constrained by increased digitization and convergence.

Secure printing is somewhat dependent on numerous computer systems to guarantee crucial security features. Using holographic stickers that tear when removed from the packaging, many software packages are protected against counterfeit. Since the user must be certain that the item has not been altered after leaving the production or packing facility, security printing can be used to establish security measures.

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Over the projected period, the market for security printing is anticipated to expand at a compound yearly growth rate of 7.34%, from a current market value of US$34.318 billion to US$48.029 billion in 2029.

Lithographic printing offers an image that is more reliable and high-quality compared to other printing processes. The most recent in-line multi-press print systems also include rotary screen, holographic application, flexographic printing, numbering, intaglio, and imaging of variable data, enabling a single-pass and efficient operation. Additionally, lithographic printing is frequently used for asset management, government and corporate printing, trademark protection, the creation of event passes and tickets, and cheque and value document printing.

In 2021, the market for security printing was dominated by Asia-Pacific. During the projection period, there will likely be a rise in demand for security printing as people become more conscious of the escalating counterfeit and forgery activities in developing nations. The market for security printing is quite modest in North America. Security printing market growth in North America is anticipated to pick up in the next years due to growing awareness of document security among consumer groups and businesses. In Europe, a low rate of growth is anticipated for the security printing market. During the projected period, the security printing market is anticipated to expand significantly in Western Europe.

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For instance, DSS unveiled a new mobile application in February 2019 as a component of its DSS Authentiguard service. The programme is available for both iOS and Android smartphones and has the capacity to swiftly and simply authenticate products in the field and allow retrieval of product origin, movement, destination, and other supply chain-related information. It has the ability to serialize functions and combine the aggregated product information in a safe and secure database.

Overview Of TOC:

1. Introduction

2. Research Methodology

3. Market Outlook

4. Security Printing market by Type, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

1. Intaglio Printing

2. Screen Printing

3. Letterpress Printing

4. Digital Printing

5. Lithographic Printing

6. Others

5. Security Printing market by Application, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

1. Cheques, Demand Drafts

2. Identification Cards

3. Banknotes

4. Stamps

5. Tickets

6. Legal Forms

7. Others

6. Security Printing market by End-User, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

1. Banks

2. Railways

3. Legal Teams

4. Commerce Sector

5. Finance

6. Government

7. Others

7. Security Printing market by Region, 2022-2029 (USD Billion)

8. Competitive Landscape

9. Company Profiles

1. Flesh Company

2. D rintech

3. Wellspring

4. Plus technologies

5. GSSC

6. Amgraf

7. DSS

8. Graphic DDimension

9. Agfa

10. Gevaert

11. Giesecke & Devrient

10. Appendix

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NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The solar panels market size is expected to grow by USD 44.96 billion from 2021 to 2026. In addition, the growth momentum of the market will accelerate at a CAGR of 7.61% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. The increasing investments in the renewable energy sector are driving the solar panels market growth. However, factors such as the intermittent nature of solar power may challenge market growth.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Solar Panels Market 2022-2026

View a comprehensive report summary that describes the market size and forecast along with the research methodology. The FREE sample report is available in PDF format

Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Scope

The solar panels market report covers the following areas:

Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the solar panels market, including Adani Group, Antec Solar GmbH, Canadian Solar Inc., First Solar Inc., Flisom AG, Hanergy Holding Group Ltd., JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., Kaneka Corp., Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd, Risen Energy Co. Ltd., Shell plc, Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd, Soltecture GmbH, Suzhou Talesun Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd., Tesla Inc., Trina Solar Co. Ltd., Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd., and SoloPower Systems Inc.

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Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Segmentation

End-user

Type

Geography

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a FREE PDF Sample Report

Solar Panels Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist solar panels market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the solar panels market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the solar panels market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of solar panels market vendors

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Related Reports

Solar Thermal Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The solar thermal market share is expected to increase by 167187.58 megawatts from 2021 to 2026.

Solar Home Systems Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The solar home systems market share is expected to increase by USD 1.39 billion from 2021 to 2026.

Solar Panels Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.61% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 44.96 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 7.2 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 42% Key consumer countries US, China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, and Italy Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Adani Group, Antec Solar GmbH, Canadian Solar Inc., First Solar Inc., Flisom AG, Hanergy Holding Group Ltd., JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd., JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd., Kaneka Corp., Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd, Risen Energy Co. Ltd., Shell plc, Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd, Soltecture GmbH, Suzhou Talesun Solar Technology Co. Ltd., Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd., Tesla Inc., Trina Solar Co. Ltd., Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd., and SoloPower Systems Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse Utilities Market Reports

Table Of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

5 Market Segmentation by End-user

5.1 Market segments

5.2 Comparison by End-user

5.3 Power utilities - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.4 Commercial - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.5 Residential - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.6 Market opportunity by End-user

6 Market Segmentation by Type

6.1 Market segments

6.2 Comparison by Type

6.3 Crystalline panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

6.4 Thin-film panel - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

6.5 Market opportunity by Type

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

8 Geographic Landscape

8.1 Geographic segmentation

8.2 Geographic comparison

8.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.5 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.8 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.9 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.10 South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.12 Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.13 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.14 Market opportunity by geography

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

9.4 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

10.3 Landscape disruption

10.4 Industry risks

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

11.3 Canadian Solar Inc.

11.4 First Solar Inc.

11.5 JA Solar Technology Co. Ltd.

11.6 JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd.

11.7 Kaneka Corp.

11.8 Longi green energy technology Co. Ltd

11.9 Risen Energy Co. Ltd.

11.10 Shunfeng International Clean Energy Co. Ltd

11.11 Trina Solar Co. Ltd.

11.12 Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd.

12 Appendix

12.1 Scope of the report

12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

12.4 Research methodology

12.5 List of abbreviations

About Us

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Website: www.technavio.com/

Global Solar Panels Market 2022-2026

Cision

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SOURCE Technavio
(Adds Kool Firn, Al Jasra, LNG Bonny II, Nikolay Urvanstsev and LNG Schneeweisschen and Wilpride, removes Maran Gas Lindos, Tessala, Transgas Power, Murex, Maran Gas Delphi, Maran Gas Vergina, updates to show Gaslog Greece has arrived.) Oct 10 (Reuters) - The following liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are expected to arrive in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Estimated arrival dates, often revised by port authorities and AIS Live ship-tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon, are updated below. Some tankers heading for Belgium and Britain may be loading at the terminal. Those expected to load are indicated with an (L). Those likely to perform ship-to-ship transfers are indicated with (STS). Tankers that have docked are indicated with (A). Floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) terminals are added to the table when they become fully operational. As of Sept. 30 2022 this includes the Eemshaven terminal in the Netherlands. For the Reuters LNG guide, click here: LNG TANKER CAPACITY in EXPECTED ARRIVAL FROM PORT cubic metres BRITAIN Gaslog Windsor 176,000 Oct. 10 United States Isle of Grain Kool Firn Oct. 10 United States 174,000 (A) Milford Haven Traiano Knutsen 180,000 Oct. 14 United States South Hook LNG Bonny II Oct. 15 United Isle 173,000 States of Grain Attalos 174,000 Oct. 16 Trinidad and Tobago Isle of Grain Cool Runner 158,000 Oct. 17 United States South Hook Elisa Aquila 174,000 Oct. 19 United States Isle of Grain Sonangol Etosha 158,000 Oct. 20 Angola Isle Of Grain Maran Gas Ithaca 170,000 Oct. 29 United States Milford Haven BELGIUM Lusail 143,000 Oct. 10 Qatar Zeebrugge Clean Planet 159,000 Oct. 12 Russia Zeebrugge LNG Enterprise 174,000 Oct. 13 Norway Zeebrugge Shagra 261,000 Oct. 19 Qatar Zeebrugge Al Jasra Oct. 19 Qatar 137,000 Zeebrugge NETHERLANDS Gaslog Greece 174,000 Oct. 9 (A) United States Eemshaven Wilpride Oct. 10 N/A Gate 156,000 (L) Santander Knutsen 170,000 Oct. 10 United States Eemshaven Nikolay Oct. 11 Russia Gate Urvanstsev 169,000 Maran Gas Roxana 170,000 Oct. 14 United States Eemshaven Adam LNG 159,000 Oct. 20 Trinidad and Tobago Gate LNG Oct. 21 Unites Gate Schneeweisschen 177,000 States Sources: Ports, AIS Live ship tracking, Refinitiv Eikon data. (^) Partial unload (*) Arrival date estimated based on flows data (Reporting By Susanna Twidale)
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has held a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Natalia Gavrilita, who arrived in Azerbaijan for an official visit.

President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Prime Minister of Moldova Natalia Gavrilita.

They then posed for photographs.

Speaking at the meeting, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said:

- Welcome, Madam Prime Minister. I am very pleased to see you. Thank you for visiting Azerbaijan. I am sure that the visit will be very successful and we will strengthen our cooperation. You are aware that Azerbaijan and Moldova are friends and partners. I am sure that we will work on ways to step up our cooperation in the coming years, because in addition to such good political relations, we should definitely explore opportunities in other sectors. I believe that these issues will be seriously considered during your visit and we will witness some recovery in trade and economic cooperation. I am convinced that there is great potential to increase the level of bilateral trade.

Of course, one of the important issues on the global agenda is energy security. We have already addressed these issues through our representatives. Of course, we will also discuss the current situation and what needs to be done to start cooperation in those areas. There are many other areas, and I believe there will be great opportunities to expand our bilateral agenda. Of course, given the very strong political relations, this should be the case. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to meet with the President in Prague. You know that we had meetings and telephone conversations before. In short, a good and businesslike relationship has been established. I am sure that you will establish good relations with your Azerbaijani counterpart in order to move our partnership forward. Welcome to Azerbaijan again.

Prime Minister of Moldova Natalia Gavrilita said:

- Your Excellency Mr. President, I am very grateful for the opportunity to meet with you and discuss our rapidly developing bilateral relations. Indeed, over the past year and a half, through numerous visits, we have been witnessing a revival in our relations. Taking this opportunity, I once again convey to you the invitation of President Sandu to visit Moldova. We have made multiple trips at different levels. I am glad that during those official visits we celebrated the 30th anniversary of our bilateral relations. Also, we believe that political, economic and humanitarian relations have been very close and improved, but the potential is greater. Therefore, I sincerely wish to meet not only with the Prime Minister and relevant ministers, but also with the business community. A meeting of the Moldovan-Azerbaijani economic commission will be held for the first time in the last 10 years.

I am sure that we will have very productive discussions to expand our cooperation in energy, economic, trade and social fields.




HAIPHONG, Vietnam (Reuters) - Vietnamese carmaker VinFast on Saturday began handing its first batch of 100 all-electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to local customers, with U.S. deliveries of the vehicle due to begin as soon as December.

VinFast, which began operations in 2019, is gearing up to expand in the U.S. market, where it hopes to compete with legacy automakers and startups with its two all-electric SUVs, the VF8 and VF9, including battery leasing to reduce the purchase price.

"The first batch of 5,000 VF8 units will be for U.S. and North American markets. Mass production will start from next week," VinFast's global chief executive Le Thi Thu Thuy told Reuters on the sidelines of a delivery ceremony at its plant in Vietnam's northern province of Haiphong.

VinFast, part of Vingroup JSC, will start shipping cars overseas in November and customers will have cars delivered as soon as December, Thuy said.

The company has registered almost 65,000 reservations globally, and it expects to sell 750,000 EVs per year by 2026, starting with the VF8 and VF9 all-electric SUVs.

In March, VinFast said it would build a production plant in North Carolina with an initial projected capacity of 150,000 EVs a year. It tapped banks in July to raise least $4 billion in funding for the project.

Nguyen Khac Chung was among the first local customers to have their cars delivered at Saturday's event.

"I thought I had to wait until November to get my car delivered but I was surprised that the waiting time was cut short," said Chung, who ordered his EV in January, just two months after the model was introduced.

"Battery leasing is an advantage for customers," he added. "Why should we buy battery?"

The VF8 and VF9 vehicles will start at $42,200 and $57,500 respectively for U.S. customers, excluding the cost to lease the electric battery. From September, the company will also offer customers options that include batteries.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; editing by Richard Pullin)
With the sophistication of female technology (femtech), Yoona presents the first subscription system for sanitary pads in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yoona Digital Indonesia, a female technology (femtech) company based in Indonesia, has launched Yoona All Night pads 36cm, adding to their three previous products: pantyliners, 24.5cm day pads, and 29cm night pads. Yoona uses 100% organic materials that are chemical-free, thus ensuring comfort and health of women during their menstruation period.

Yoona launches the latest variant of All Night pads 36cm made from 100% organic and environmentally friendly materials. From left to right: Founder and Co-Founders of Yoona Adrianto Hermawi, Susanna Angraini, and Benny Sutandio.

The founding of Yoona begun from the personal experience of Susanna Angraini, CEO and Founder of Yoona Digital Indonesia, and her daughters who had a hard time finding pads that were suitable for their sensitive skin. "After doing a lot of research, I found out that are a lot of women there with the samehowever, talking about this issue is often considered taboo. To provide a solution against irritation and rashes caused using unhealthy sanitary pads, we launched organic sanitary pads that are free of bleach, fragrance, and chemicals that are urgently needed by all women in Indonesia."

With the concept of female wellness, Yoona's sanitary pads consist of Negative Ion Anion Strip technology as an antibacterial that prevents itching and strong odors from the feminine area. Furthermore, Yoona's sanitary pads are also equipped with food-grade adhesives that are safe to use.

Made from 100% Organic, Yoona Affirms Its Contribution to the Environment

According to the World Bank , Indonesia produces around 7.8 million tons of plastic waste annually and 4.9 million tons of plastic waste are not handled properly. In fact, various sources reveal that plastic sanitary pads generally take hundreds of years to decompose, thus bringing a major impact on environmental damage.

Yoona's sanitary pads use 100% high quality German and Japanese organic cotton which is extra thin and highly absorbent. As a result, all of Yoona's sanitary pads are biodegradable within 6-12 months, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability.

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Yoona has various certifications in the health and sustainability fields, including the AKL certification and distribution permit from Indonesia's Ministry of Health, Halal Certification from New York, FDA Approved, and Organic Certification from ECOCERT.

The first sanitary pads in Indonesia to implement a subscription system

With its femtech innovation, Yoona presents a breakthrough as the first and only brand of sanitary pads in Indonesia that implements a subscription-based model. By choosing to subscribe when shopping on the yoona.id site, every month customers will receive a package of Yoona products sent directly to their homes. Customers can adjust their preferred delivery schedule based on their menstrual cycle.

Yoona also continues to be committed to inspiring women through the #NeverSettleForLess campaign. "One of the main problems in Indonesia is that women tend to normalize discomfort during menstruation, such as pain or itching in the female area. By collaborating with various health experts, communities, and influencers, through the tagline #NeverSettleForLess, Yoona continues to promote various educational programs so that all women can have the courage to fight for their values, health, and comfort for a better life," concluded Susanna.

Yoona's various educational contents related to menstrual literacy and women's health can be accessed at Yoona's Instagram and website .

For more information visit https://yoona.id/

About Yoona Digital Indonesia

PT Yoona Digital Indonesia is a female wellness company. Yoona understands that everyone's journey to a balanced and healthy lifestyle is different, very personal, and important at every stage.

Together with Yoona Digital Indonesia's Co-Founders, Adrianto Hermawi and Benny Sutandio, Susanna Anggraini is committed to promote innovations and products that are high quality, safe, and affordable. Yoona is determined to prioritize a journey that is enjoyable for all women towards a healthy lifestyle, as well as for a sustainable environment.

Media Contact

Contact Yoona's Team

(021) 50882965

+62812 8030 3812

hello@yoona.id

SOURCE Yoona Digital Indonesia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zetrix, the layer-1 blockchain structure based in Malaysia, signed on October 6, 2022, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with MIMOS Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd (MTSSB) to develop and operate the Malaysia Blockchain Infrastructure (MBI). MBI will act as Malaysia's national blockchain infrastructure for all levels of government and commercial sectors.

Zetrix, which launched its Mainnet on April 15, 2022, was founded and operated by Malaysia's largest digital service provider, MY E.G. Services Berhad (MYEG). In partnership with MTSSB, the two parties will spearhead the development of Malaysia's national blockchain roadmap to bring Web-3 based services to the public and private sectors.



In a prestigious event in the presence of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, and EPU Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, MYEG and MTSSB signed the MOU for jointly working towards furthering the national blockchain roadmap launched on August 9, 2022.



Faisal Ahmad, CEO of MTSSB, commented, "This collaboration will accelerate the development, deployment and take-up of blockchain related applications and services in both the public and private sectors. As a trading nation, Malaysia, and Malaysian companies, can greatly benefit from use of blockchain applications and services."



Zetrix also acts as the international supernode to Xinghuo BIF, the national blockchain infrastructure of China, to facilitate trade between China and international parties through blockchain. Together, Zetrix and Xinghuo BIF provide users with BID services that allow users to verify on-chain identity through verifiable credentials, removing the need to verify the identity of users on each transaction.



Zetrix's ties with Xinghuo BIF and their steps to develop the MBI initiative make Zetrix a national blockchain. The Xinghuo BIF partnership and the initiative with MBI make Zetrix a blockchain that is now involved in the development and growth of two national-level blockchain ecosystems. With exciting DApps as part of their ecosystem, such as their NFT marketplace called NFTPangolin, their blockchain-based identification service known as Zidentity, and their staking platform known as ZeFi Club, Zetrix is taking everything a step further to introduce their blockchain-based supply chain financing solution known as Zetrix TradeFi.



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The new DApp will help facilitate trade and alleviate supply chain issues that have plagued the RCEP region since the COVID pandemic.



Mr. Wong Thean Soon, Group Managing Director of MYEG commented: "We are honoured to be able to contribute to Malaysia's national blockchain roadmap and firmly believe that the blockchain enablement of trade will unlock greater opportunities and use cases to establish this as a true technological revolution, departing away from speculative tokenomics. The next generation of the economy is digital and the distributed ledger will be the ubiquitous single source of truth for all commerce."







About MY E.G. Services Bhd (MYEG)

MYEG is Malaysias premier digital services company. Having commenced operations in 2000 as the flagship e-government services provider, MYEG continues to play a leading role in driving technological change in Malaysia and elsewhere in the region, bringing a diverse and complete range of innovations spanning the online delivery of major government services to a variety of commercial offerings in the areas of immigration, automotive, healthcare and financial services, among others. Committed to staying firmly at the forefront of the regions digital revolution, MYEG has embraced the potential of blockchain technology to enhance all aspects of life and is actively pioneering its adoption across its main markets. Beyond Malaysia, MYEG has operations in other key regional markets such as the Philippines and Indonesia.

About Zetrix

Zetrix is a layer-1 public blockchain that facilitates smart contracts and delivers privacy, security and scalability. Zetrixs cryptographic infrastructure can be introduced to multiple industries to connect governments, businesses and their citizens to a global blockchain-based economy.

Developed by My E.G. Services Bhd, the cross-border and cross-chain integration with Xinghuo Blockchain Infrastructure and Facility (BIF) enables Zetrix to serve as a blockchain gateway that facilitates global trade by deploying critical building blocks for Web3 services such as Blockchain-based Identifiers (BID) and Verifiable Credentials (VC). For more information, log on to www.zetrix.com.

MIMOS Technology Solutions Sdn. Bhd.

MIMOS Technology Solutions Sdn. Bhd. (MTSSB) is a commercial arm of MIMOS Berhad, which provides Solution Integration, Application Development, Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) and Technology Consultancy services in ICT industry for both Public and Private market sectors.



CONTACT: Media Contact: Sidharth Dilip Senior Project Manager sid@lunapr.io




The Fredericksburg SPCA last week brought in some 30 animals who were displaced by the recent hurricanes that affected parts of Florida and Puerto Ricostaff are preparing for another group of rescues to arrive this week.

The devastation of both Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian is immense, said Carrie Withers, executive director of the Fredericksburg SPCA. We have been activated to provide assistance to our national partners as a response to this crisis.

Working with national partners Petco Love and Best Friends Animal Society, the regional SPCA welcomed four adult cats and six kittens from Florida and nine adult dogs and 13 puppies from Save a Sato, a Puerto Rican nonprofit dedicated to rescuing street dogs, known as satos.

The cats and dogs were either rescued from shelters or homes directly impacted by the storms or are coming from other local shelters in Florida and Puerto Rico, which have been cleared to make room in those shelters for directly affected animals.

SPCA staff met the animals as they arrived via Wings of Rescue flights to Richmond International Airport on Thursday morning.

The cats and dogs were under medical supervision over the weekend to make sure they are healthy, Withers said Monday, and will be released to go into the shelter or a foster home in the next few days.

The Humane Society of the U.S. is coordinating the transport of 15 cats and 15 dogs that will arrive this week, Withers said.

The Fredericksburg SPCA is in need of fosters in the area so it can provide space for animals displaced by the storms.

If anybody is able to open up their homes to help foster these animals, we would be forever grateful, Withers said. And hopefully, they will get adopted out. Our goal is always 714 days from the time that they come into our shelter to the time of adoption.

The shelter is also in need of supplies to care for the cats and dogs.

Sign up to become a foster or make a donation at fredspca.org.
Virginias tourists are back.

Thats the bottom line from the Virginia Tourist Commissions latest report, 2021 Economic Impact of Visitors in Virginia. Following dramatic declines in tourism spending during the pandemiclocal areas lost anywhere from 20% to 35% in tourism revenues between 2019 and 2020revenue is again soaring.

The counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford are earning more tourism dollars then they were in 2018. Fredericksburg isnt quite all the way back to its 2018 level, but its close.

Spotsylvania County celebrated the good news in a press release on Friday. Tourism revenue  reached just over $212 million in 2021, it began, nearly a 37 percent increase over 2020, and a $30 million increase over 2019s record-breaking pre-pandemic levels.

The county has reason to crow. It attracts the most tourism revenue of any county or city in our readership area. Stafford is a close second at $200 million.

Raw dollars, however, dont tell the whole story.

Theres an argument to be made that Fredericksburg, more than any of the surrounding counties, has made the strongest comeback. The $131.5 million the VTC report says the city earned doesnt compete with the total taken in by Spotsylvania or Stafford, but the impact of that money is more pronounced in Fredericksburg.

Tourism revenue in 2021 comes to about $4,600 for every man, woman, and child in Fredericksburg. No other nearby locality is close to that. Spotsylvania comes in at about $1,475 a person, and Stafford is at $1,240.

Over the past several months, Fredericksburg has been embroiled in discussions over several needed, and expensive, projects: a new middle school, a new fire station, and a new wastewater treatment plant.

The drop in tourism dollars that began in 2019, when the citys tourism revenue dipped 1.3% from 2018, accelerated in 2020 when revenue dropped an eye-popping 35.4% from 2019. Those losses certainly exacerbated worries about how Fredericksburg is going to pay for critical infrastructure.

A significant part of the solution is going to be tourism.

While affixing a hard number to what percentage of the citys budget comes from tourism is tricky, a 2019 study done by DMO PROZ, a destination marketing research group, reports it is no less than 9% of the citys total annual revenue (not counting the percentage of property tax that is remitted from businesses that are profitable, thanks to the visitor economy).

According to Bill Freehling, Fredericksburgs director of economic development and tourism, its possible to assign as much as a quarter of the citys budget to tourism spending, depending on how one defines tourist. In a city with a budget of only about $100 million, that means anywhere from $9 million to $25 million comes directly from tourists.

However one slices and dices the data, tourism revenue accounts for a sizeable chunk of the citys budget. The sudden drop in dollars during 2019 and 2020 understandably elevated anxiety over where the moneys going to come from to pay for the citys big-ticket items.

The future, however, is bright. And there is reason to believe that growth in the city is only going to continue in the near term.

Entering the city along William Street from Route 3, for example, the recent development of Mellow Mushroom and Harrys Ale House, along with a new hotel and apartments, is a clear indication of the confidence developers have in the citys future.

New development, of course, always gives rise to debate, especially about how that development is affecting the citys character. We feel, however, that the developers have done a good job of creating a welcoming face to the city with an architectural style that complements the historic districts character.

This new growth creates an inviting gateway that provides all the high-end amenities that visitors want, and will only increase the tourism revenue the city desperately needs.

Virginias tourists are back, and our region is well-prepared to both welcome them to our charming part of central Virginia, and capitalize on the revenue they bring.

Its all a powerful reminder that past, present, and future can co-exist, even in Fredericksburg.
A man from Eagle was arrested in Kansas early Friday after fleeing from a Cass County sheriff's deputy who had tried to arrest him.

Just after 8:15 p.m. Thursday, sheriff's deputies were sent to a house in Eagle to check on a report of a domestic violence assault. The first deputy at the scene found a woman and a girl standing in the street waiting for officers to arrive. The woman told the deputy that Michael Brueckner, 57, had hit her multiple times in the face with a closed fist.

Brueckner came out of the house, but when he saw the deputy, he went back inside and slammed the door, the Sheriff's Office said. The deputy called for more deputies and Nebraska State Patrol troopers to come to the house.

Before the other officers arrived, Brueckner came out of the house and ran to his 2016 Chevy pickup truck, the Sheriff's Office said. The deputy tried to take the man into custody, chasing him on foot and using a Taser on him, but he got away.

Brueckner, who the deputy said appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance, was able to get his pickup into gear and backed up, striking the deputy with the door and throwing the deputy toward the driveway. The man's pickup then hit a marked sheriff's cruiser before fleeing.

Crews from Eagle Fire and Rescue and Cass County emergency management came to the house to treat the deputy and the woman, neither of whom went to the hospital. Nebraska State Patrol troopers who tried to find Brueckner's pickup were unsuccessful.

Area law enforcement agencies were contacted and asked to look for the pickup.

Deputies in Kansas with the Riley County Sheriff's Office spotted the pickup and began to chase it. They later ended the pursuit because of dangerously high speeds.

Shortly thereafter, at about 12:40 a.m. Friday, police officers from Wabaunsee, Kansas, found Brueckner passed out in his pickup at a rest stop and took him into custody after using a Taser on him twice.

Brueckner faces several felony charges in Kansas, including driving under the influence and flight to avoid arrest. He also faces charges in Nebraska, including domestic violence assault, child abuse and felony assault of a police officer with a motor vehicle. Cass County officials said a warrant will be issued and the man will be extradited to Nebraska after facing charges in Kansas.

Eagle is about 15 miles east of Lincoln. Wabaunsee, Kansas, is about 130 miles south of Eagle.
For Elizabeth, the moment still burns in her memory when the sexual trauma she suffered during her military service was thrown in her face during her childrens custody case. What was meant to be a seemingly straightforward evaluation of a 13-minute change in her kids commute time turned into a nightmarish scrutiny of her worst trauma and fitness as a mother.

It is worrisome that she continues to be treated for PTSD from events that occurred over a decade ago and were not life-threatening, read the parental evaluation report of Elizabeth and her ex-husband written by psychologist Terri Finney. This gives rise to the hypothesis that her mental health issues have become more personality issues and as such are permanent to her psychological functioning.

The biting assessment came in a report in her custody case after Elizabeth moved 20 miles from Englewood to Castle Rock. She still struggles to understand why the parental responsibility evaluator used the sexual trauma from her military service to question her fitness as a mother. She remains bewildered how such a fundamental misunderstanding of PTSD  according to an expert she consulted  could end up putting her ability to tuck her children in bed at night in jeopardy.

Everything about that statement is appalling, said Elizabeth, whose actual name is not being used in this article at her request. It's reckless. Why would you say that? That had no place in there.

A magistrate in Denvers small claims court ruled in May that the work by Finney  who at that point had been appointed as a parental responsibility evaluator, or PRE, in hundreds of cases, by her own estimation  fell short of the district court order appointing her in Elizabeths custody case, and she had breached her contract.

Deficiencies in the report highlighted by Elizabeth are emblematic of problems discovered in other custody evaluation cases reviewed by The Gazette. Elizabeths evaluator drew conclusions about parenting based on assumptions made without deeper investigation, showed apparent bias against Elizabeth and took one parents statements at face value while questioning the others credibility without proof, according to an expert Elizabeth hired.

Colorados system of deciding contentious child custody cases is fraught with such problems. An investigation by The Gazette found dozens of cases of incompetent, inaccurate and biased custody evaluations, several of which put children at serious, even life-threatening risk.

The Gazettes probe of Colorados network of parental evaluators reveals a system with little practical oversight or accountability, and the measures that do exist operate largely shielded from public scrutiny. Evaluators reports are sealed unless a judge grants their release for a narrowly allowed purpose. If someone submits a complaint against their evaluators professional license to the Department of Regulatory Agencies, its kept confidential unless DORA decides the complaint is founded  but if the agency dismisses it, officials dont state why.

What were seeing when there are problematic parental responsibility evaluators, in best-case scenarios, are harmful consequences, and in worst case scenarios, its deadly consequences, said State Rep. Meg Froehlich, a Democrat from Greenwood Village, who successfully pushed new legislation last year requiring, for the first time ever, new training and court standards for parenting evaluators.

Licensed mental health professionals, evaluators have seen their influence in Colorado courts grow exponentially over the years. Their use has grown in part because a directive from the chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court 10 years ago limited the role of a separate group of court-appointed personnel  child and family investigators (so-called CFIs)  who also make custody recommendations but at a far lower, capped cost to parents. The directive barred child and family investigators from conducting psychological testing, limiting that role to parental evaluators, who must hold a license to practice psychology, marriage therapy, social work, professional counseling or addiction counseling.

The fees for child and family investigators are capped at $3,250 for a report and testimony, except for extenuating circumstances. That cap means parents wanting a more in-depth review who are able to pay the tens of thousands of dollars parental evaluators can charge may ask a judge to appoint one, as well as seek a court order to split the cost with the other parent. Roughly 50 parental responsibility evaluators are eligible for court appointments in the state, while hundreds of child and family investigators are available.

Evaluators  who work for profit, sometimes charging as much, or more than divorce attorneys  can hold great sway in the outcome of emotionally charged cases in which the stakes are the childrens safety and well-being. Parents, even if indigent, are responsible for the court-ordered costs of evaluator reports. State funds can help defray the costs of the less costly assessments from child and family investigators.

Froelich said the clamor from critics of evaluators in Colorado is so pronounced that she will now push for a new law to require domestic violence training for judges so they know the hazards of relying on evaluators who ignore documented abuse. While passage of such a law would qualify Colorado for federal aid, judges raise constitutional objections over the legislative branch issuing mandates to the judicial branch.

Elizabeth counts herself lucky because she didnt end up losing any custody of her two children as a result of her evaluation. Shes still tucking them into bed four nights each week. But other parents say theyre still struggling to restore parental rights they lost to abusive former partners due to the troubled parenting evaluation system state and court officials have been slow to fix.

Once a judge adopts an evaluators recommendations in custody rulings, parents face steep odds in reversing those orders. Old evaluation reports have ramifications even after state regulators find them so deficient that theyve barred the evaluators who prepared them from continuing to do evaluations.

Consider the case of Gene Gross, a Denver psychologist. Six parents in 2021 had one of the rare successes in convincing officials with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies that Gross had conducted extreme and biased parenting evaluations that misled judges.

I am in anguish every day, wrote one mother, a registered nurse, in her complaint. At that point, she had expended her retirement and savings and gone into debt trying to overturn what she termed a flawed custody ruling that hinged on Gross recommendations.

Her breastfeeding infant had been removed from her care. The mother believed the father of her child was such a threat that she had fled Idaho to Colorado with their unborn child after she became pregnant during a brief, six-week relationship. Once in Colorado, she filed a court motion asking a judge to determine custody issues, thinking that would protect her.

Instead, the custody judge found compelling and credible Gross testimony that the mothers fears about her childs father were delusional and an indicator the mother would eventually villainize her daughter. It was a prediction Gross made without seeing the mother and child together or talking to the mothers therapist.

The judges ruling gave the father primary custody and forced the mom to move back to Idaho so she could be near her infant daughter. Once there, she renewed her efforts in Idahos courts to reverse the custody arrangements while the father filed a motion to change the childs name.

I worry about the emotional trauma that my daughter is going through, the mother wrote in her complaint to Colorados Department of Regulatory Agencies. I feel stripped of a voice. My credibility has been robbed. I am now in an excruciating waiting period for costly legal actions that may or may not fix this awful situation.

DORA regulators found Gross custody evaluation in her case and that of four others, including one where Gross asked a childs school teacher whether a divorcing wife had complained of her husbands penis size, were so reckless that Gross posed a threat to the public unless he was stopped.

The woman, now in Idaho, still struggles to overcome Gross evaluation despite a pending recent criminal misdemeanor charge alleging that the father recently injured their child, now 3. Prosecutors filed the charge against the father in February after doctors reported he grabbed the toddlers arms so hard that he left the imprint of his grip.

The criminal charge against the father still hasn't convinced the new custody judge in Idaho that Gross got it wrong. A new hearing on the mothers custody efforts is scheduled to take place after a trial in November on the fathers pending child injury charge.

I am paralyzed in fear thinking about what will continue to happen to me and my daughter if Dr. Gross continues his negligence in our lives, the mother wrote to Colorado regulators.

In 2021 after the state licensing board for psychology suspended his practice, Gross permanently relinquished his license to practice psychology in Colorado, which is required to do parental evaluations. He did not respond to requests for comment.

Gazette inquiry finds deep flaws

It was only last year that the legislature required any oversight of parental responsibility evaluators by the State Court Administrators Office. But there are still hurdles for parents who want to file a complaint with that office over an evaluation. The State Court Administrators Office has just one person to administer the statewide evaluator and child and family investigator program and does not have adequate staff to investigate complaints, a spokesperson for that office said. To file a complaint, in most instances, parents must be armed with a finding by a judge that the evaluator failed to adhere to the courts order of appointment or violated a practice standard.

It is crazy when you really think about it, that there is not more regulation around the practice of doing these types of evaluations, said Christine Garcia, a psychotherapist and co-owner of Childrens Wellness Center of Colorado. She pointed out that some other types of specialized work therapists do are regulated, such as oversight by the Sex Offender Management Board of practitioners who provide therapy to sex offenders. The Domestic Violence Offender Management Board also oversees providers offering therapy to domestic violence offenders, she stressed.

They have to have extra training; they have to have an extra approval or credential to do that, they have to keep up with that credential. Its more than just what we have to do as general mental health practitioners, Garcia said.

State and court officials have reacted slowly in addressing the troubled system, even as evaluators have based their work on disputed psychiatric theories, ignored conflicts of interest and accrued allegations of sexual harassment and domestic violence in their personal lives. The Gazette found parental evaluators and child and family investigators continued operating for years before any consequences despite alleged drug use, price gouging and deception in court.

Evaluators and child and family investigators continued getting court appointments even after they ignored criminal convictions against parents, misrepresented in court their credentials and, in one case, released the address of a domestic violence victim to her abuser, The Gazette found. One CFI went so far as to file false court documents that claimed her husband was the father of a newborn as part of her primal need to adopt the infant. A judge vacated the adoption after the true father showed up claiming parental rights. The CFI's license to practice law was suspended for three years and then restored in 2017.

The reason it (the parental evaluator system) continues is that courts feel a compelling need for support, said Joan Meier, a national expert in domestic violence who has written extensively on custody evaluation systems.

They really want someone with so-called expertise to come in and tell them whats good for kids and whats not good for kids, she added. I dont really think these evaluators are doing that. Theyre misleading courts a lot. Theyre irresponsible and incompetent in a lot of ways, and theyre biased around the issues of abuse and alienation.

In one notorious case, a mother said a Centennial counselor and long-time parental evaluator who worked as a court-appointed childs therapist in a custody case was key in a system-wide failure that led to the death of her son. She said that while working as her sons individual therapist, the counselor aligned himself with the father who engaged in child abuse and alienation and ultimately killed the 10-year-old in 2019. The counselor 10 years prior had settled in mediation a lawsuit alleging he sexually harassed a female assistant. The counselor's professional liability insurance had been dropped in 2019 due to controversies. He is still practicing as an evaluator.

In another case from a different evaluator, a disputed psychological assessment of a mother justified the removal of her infant to foster care, where the infant was repeatedly raped and almost drowned. The psychologist in that case used family drawings she had the mother do to justify her assessment that the mother likely suffered from histrionic and dependent personality features. The evaluator found that the drawings suggest that she may tend to relate to the baby as a fantasy object rather than as a real child and project on to her unresolved feelings and issues.

The infant was returned to the mother months later and, now a teenager, has struggled throughout her life with post-traumatic stress disorder and has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals as she tries to cope with the damage inflicted on her in the foster home.

'A crisis situation in Colorado'

Those expressing concern include one longtime parental evaluator whose expertise state officials rely on to help provide guidance on mental health ethics.

I would argue that the status of child and family investigators and parental responsibility evaluators is in a crisis situation in Colorado, said Andrew Loizeaux, who has done more than 400 parental evaluations in Colorado and 60 work product reviews over the past three decades and provides expert testimony for state regulators and the Attorney Generals Office.

Too many evaluators in the field rely on their initial suppositions and that colors their reports that follow, Loizeaux said. As a result, they can end up ignoring domestic violence and signs of abuse of children. Parents can end up losing parenting time for trying to point out actual dangers because an evaluator assumes they are lying, he said.

Loizeaux said some evaluators in the state simply default to recommending 50/50 custody arrangements and joint decision making for children, citing research that suggests thats the best outcome for children.

The problem with that approach, according to Loizeaux, is that high-conflict divorces often arent typical. Children could be in peril due to an abusive parent.

In this community, he said of the evaluators, theres a lot of scuttlebutt and a lot of gossip about who is doing a good job and who is not. People have reputations for doing this well or not doing this well. And for being a hired gun or not being a hired gun.

Faulty evaluations can have serious ramifications, according to one man who said he lived through the experience when his parents were divorcing as he was going into the sixth grade. He said a flawed custody evaluation ended up convincing a judge to rule in favor of a 50/50 custody arrangement that returned him to a father who had been abusive.

Now 25, he recalled that an evaluator disregarded reports that his father held him under water after threatening to drown him and had punched him repeatedly. The evaluator still ended up reporting to the judge that the father remained a fit parent, he said.

I remember feeling let down by the system, and that it placed me in a situation where I had to be careful because I was placed back into an abusive home, he said during a recent interview.

He said he resorted to locking himself in his room to escape his fathers explosive temper. He struggled with thoughts of suicide throughout his teen years, spent bouncing back and forth between Lakewood and Evergreen, and has sought therapy to help him cope with depression he attributes to his upbringing. He said that even though his father stopped physically harming him, he still believes the custody arrangement should have favored his mother.

It felt like I was walking on eggshells, he said of his time with his father. I felt like it was going to happen again. Sometimes at the house, there was shouting, and I was like, Okay, am I going to get hit again?

He said the damage inflicted continues to cause issues, ranging from insomnia to ongoing nightmares. Hes convinced Colorado needs to improve how custody evaluations are done, so much so that last year he became one of the critics who successfully pushed state legislators to change state law to require parental evaluators in the state to undergo new training in domestic violence and child abuse.

In New York, high-profile deaths of children linked to controversial custody evaluations that returned children to abusive parents prompted scrutiny and creation of a commission on the parental evaluation industry, co-chaired by a former New York Supreme Court justice. A majority of that commission in a final report released this year favored eliminating evaluators in custody disputes, saying their reports are biased and harmful to children and lack scientific legal value.

Domestic violence expert Meier, a member of that commission and a George Washington University Law School professor, said not only are evaluators doing more harm than good, theyre doing so at tremendous financial cost to parents.

Its become this whole cottage industry that people make entire livings off of, she said. They charge incredible amounts, and they bankrupt litigators.

Divorce lawyers say that parental evaluators can charge as much as $70,000 for their work on one case. Failure to pay also has consequences. Evaluators, some of whom maintain non-disparagement clauses in their contracts with parents, can charge as much as $450 an hour if they go to court for non-payment.

Elizabeth prevails over evaluator

When Elizabeth read her evaluators report highlighting her sexual trauma while serving in the military, it made her doubt her whole perception of reality. She started to believe the things the report said about her as a mother. It was difficult not to start thinking she had to give up her children for their own well-being.

At that point, everything in my brain stopped. I literally didn't know right from wrong; truth from fable, she said. And then when I got to the end (I thought) its my fault that I will end up losing parental rights.

The judge in Elizabeths case ultimately did not adopt the recommendations in the evaluation from psychologist Finney. Elizabeth isnt sure why, exactly, since the judge communicated the decision not to modify her custody arrangement only in a minute order.

Elizabeth has since 2018 worked with a veterans therapist to process her past sexual trauma. She said that only within the last several months has she been able to start understanding that what she went through wasnt her fault. Seeing her evaluators characterization of her as a mother along with the reference to her trauma caused Elizabeth to regress in the progress shed made with her therapist, she said.

Finney is not on the state's list of certified PREs as of July this year, according to records from the judicial branch. She did not respond to requests for comment, though in the small claims case she testified that she thought her parental evaluation was well-founded. Despite Finneys remarks about Elizabeths sexual trauma in her evaluation, Finney testified in the small claims case that she didnt believe Elizabeths mental health affected her parenting. She also suggested Elizabeth was projecting made-up medical problems onto her children when she sought advice for her daughters recurring stomach problems and expert opinions for her sons special education needs.

As Elizabeth talks about her case, her service dog flops down by her chair and keeps a watchful eye on her, laying her nose across her lap when she senses her owners distress.

When Elizabeth won her small claims case in May against Finney for breach of contract, she prevailed in a little-used tactic in challenging her evaluators work. Other parents The Gazette spoke to saw it as a rare instance of carving out accountability for evaluators in a system they say offers few options.

The real worry is how many reports have been written and continue to be produced by Dr. Finney with her self-created strategy of  quote I just come up with it unquote  as she stated under oath in family court, Elizabeth, who represented herself in her small claims case, said in her closing argument to the magistrate. How many parents have appeared at trial in an attempt to prove that this report isnt an accurate depiction of the familys dynamic? How many magistrates relied on her expert opinion to rule on the future of the children?

'The light of my world'

Finney also received a PRE appointment in the case of Erin's ongoing custody dispute over her now 13-year-old daughter. Erin shared 50-50 custody of her daughter with her ex-husband until 2020. A few months after Finney filed her report, a judge awarded Erin's ex-husband sole decision-making authority and more custody.

Erin -- who is using her real first name -- had her parenting time reduced to every other weekend with their daughter. The decision about the allocation of responsibilities aligned with Finney's recommendations.

This occurred after a judge in Jefferson county had twice denied requests by Erin's ex-husband, in 2018 and 2019, to modify custody in his favor based on endangerment claims he made. Their custody dispute has dragged on for more than a decade. Late last year, Erin's parenting time was reduced to supervised visitation only.

Erin said Finneys PRE report depicts her as a manipulative and spiteful mother trying to keep their daughter away from her father unreasonably. But in person, Erins demeanor is clear-headed and calm. She said shes singularly determined by her fierce love for her daughter.

You have an evaluation, and it paints a picture of you which you know not to be true, said Erin. And it reads exactly as if your ex-partner, who you have spent 11 years with under constant attack, has written the report.

In a complaint filed to DORA, Erin alleges Finney in her evaluation didnt review key pieces of evidence she provided, including police records of what she said was domestic abuse by her ex-husband and information from medical professionals. Erin said the report took her ex-husbands statements at face value without verifying them and made recommendations about decision making and modification of parenting time beyond the scope of her role as an evaluator.

She has also filed a case against Finney for breach of contract in Denver's small claims court.

Erin is troubled by what she said was Finneys omission of key details of a violent 2011 incident. Erin said her ex-husband strangled her while she held their daughter, then 18 months old, and it left her with post-traumatic stress disorder. She shared a record of the incident from the Denver Police Departments computer-aided dispatch system, which she said captured a neighbors report of Erin repeatedly calling for help. The neighbor reported a womans voice, believed to be coming from Erins home, shouting Call 911! Erin said she also screamed Hes going to (expletive) kill me!

I lose consciousness for a minute, and I don't know where my daughter is, Erin said. I don't know if I dropped her. I don't know if he has her. I have never been so scared in my life.

She said Finneys report repeats her ex-husbands version of the event without including the dispatch record of the neighbors call. The PRE report includes Erin's statements that she suffers from depression, anxiety and PTSD, but Finney opines that Erin's difficulty managing her emotions is a result of permanent personality characteristics rather than PTSD.

That day (in 2011) changed my entire life, Erin said, her voice trembling. PTSD is literally a brain injury.

Her ex-husband getting full custody of their daughter was Erins worst fear, and now its happened. So now that shes survived her worst fear turning into reality, shes no longer afraid of what else might come.

Shes the light of my world," Erin said of the daughter she calls her miracle, born after reproductive health complications left her with a small chance of getting and staying pregnant.

"I want her to grow up knowing her mom did everything that she could to fight for her."

'The court is responsible'

For decades, critics have urged Colorados judicial branch to do more to ensure the quality of these court appointed evaluators, but the judiciary has been slow to regulate the profession.

In 2002, a blue-ribbon judicial branch commission on families in the Colorado courts urged the judiciary to develop an assessment process to ensure those receiving appointments in divorce cases are meeting established standards. That commission also urged the judiciary to create a system that allows for removal of individuals who are not competent and develop an appropriate process for identifying individuals who are not performing competently.

In 2012 Michael Bender, then-chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, rejected a recommendation from a judicial committee urging creation of additional regulatory oversight at the state court administrators office for child and family investigators, though he agreed to create a statewide roster among other changes. "The costs associated with expanding regulatory oversight are undefined and the current economic climate limits the availability of resources, Bender wrote in a letter explaining his reasoning.

The judicial committee had recommended a centralized complaint office or "super board" for child and family investigators because judicial district administrators reported "they do not have the requisite skill or expertise" to investigate complaints of mental health professionals serving in that role. In addition, officials at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), which licenses mental health professionals, reported at that time that they dismissed roughly 60 CFI complaints annually due to lack of jurisdiction, expecting court officials would handle those complaints.

It wasnt until this year that the state court administrators office adopted any standards or oversight for parental responsibility evaluators. The court administration finally acted because legislators demanded it last year by passing HB 21-1228, sponsored by Froelich, the Democrat from Greenwood Village, and Sen. Jim Smallwood, a Republican from Parker. The law requires the judicial department to establish a complaint process for parental responsibility evaluators. The legislation also required evaluators and child and family investigators to complete six hours of training on domestic violence and six hours of training on child abuse. Every two years thereafter, they must complete an additional four hours of renewed training on domestic violence.

The law also required the state court administrators office to create an eligibility roster for parental responsibility evaluators, standards for their court practice and a new complaint process. Still, the system the court administrators office adopted this year has hurdles for those wanting to file a complaint. Complaints wont be investigated without a finding from a judge that the evaluator failed to follow a court order or violated a standard of practice, though there are exceptions to that requirement for pressing cases where an evaluator committed a crime or failed to keep up with the new training.

The rationale for requiring judicial officers and judicial districts to monitor the work of CFI and PRE is because the court is responsible for managing the case and the trial processes, said Rob McCallum, a spokesperson for the State Court Administrators Office, in a prepared statement. The court and local officials are in the best position to understand the facts of the case, the credibility of the parties, and best positioned to understand the demographic, economic and geographic realities in their communities.

However, studies suggest that the states new minimal training requirements wont solve all issues. A guidebook the State Justice Institute developed for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges noted that expertise in the mental health field does not automatically make a parental evaluator competent to assess the presence of domestic violence.

Even though some jurisdictions are now requiring custody evaluators to take a minimum amount of training in domestic violence, that basic training by itself is unlikely to qualify an evaluator as an expert, or even assure basic competence, in such cases, the guidebook states.

The guidebook recommends that court jurisdictions have designated evaluators with expertise in domestic violence issues available for appointment in custody cases with allegations of violence.

Two studies funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, one in 2011 and one in 2012, found evaluators often discount violence, with one review finding they ignored documented evidence in roughly one out of every five cases where such documentation exists. Even in the presence of severe violence and controlling behavior, evaluators reported they would most likely recommend unsupervised visits for the father, the latter study found.

And, in 2019, a study published in the Journal of Child Custody of 27 custody cases that were reversed due to later reports of child abuse found flawed parental evaluation reports that pathologized mothers when they reported child abuse played a significant role. The abuse often became increasingly severe and the childrens mental and physical health frequently deteriorated, the study found.

Attacking 'the hard-working psychologist'

While the judiciary in Colorado has struggled to put in place oversight for custody evaluators, those working in the field have benefited.

In 2015, Wilbert Miles, a psychologist in Denver, issued a rebuttal report at the request of the father to another parental evaluation and made custody recommendations in a divorce case despite making no attempt to interview both parents or the child, according to a complaint filed with state regulators.

State law guiding parental responsibility evaluators requires them to interview and assess all parties to a dispute before making any specific custody recommendations, unless one of the parties cant be reached or refuses to cooperate. In this case, the parents were readily available, but Miles still failed to interview either parent, records show, although he entered the case at the father's behest.

Miles would continue to do custody evaluation work for nearly three more years before he finally admitted in a stipulation with the state Board of Psychology in November of 2018 that he made parenting responsibility recommendations in that 2015 divorce case without sufficient information to substantiate those recommendations. He signed an agreement in November 2018 with the licensing board promising that he no longer would issue parenting or custody recommendations in Colorado

Miles still stands by his work in the disputed case. He said his work shouldnt have caused concern since he was rebutting another evaluators report and didnt think he needed to do a full assessment of the parents. He said he settled with the licensing board because it sometimes takes a fortune to fight the system.

In the interim, before he agreed to stop working as an evaluator, Miles made another controversial custody recommendation in a 2017 divorce case when he found there was no evidence that five children were in any physical or emotional danger from a father whose wife was divorcing him.

The father in that case had choked his wife while she was eight months pregnant to the point she believed he would kill her, according to court records and testimony. The father, who had been convicted of armed robbery, also advocated polygamy as a solution to his addiction to pornography. The fathers children reported to child protective workers that he had left marks on them when he engaged in physical punishment.

After the judge lifted a requirement that the father only be allowed to see his children while under supervision, new allegations of physical child abuse surfaced in 2021, substantiated by a child services caseworker. The judge reversed course and restricted the father to four hours per week parenting time at a licensed supervision facility. In a recent interview, Miles said he did not recall that case and is totally against domestic violence.

Another evaluator also kept getting court appointments despite a finding that her work was deficient.

In May 2014, the 14th Judicial District covering Grand, Moffat and Routt counties found Alice Suzanne Horning-Rieder, a licensed professional counselor from Paonia, violated professional standards while working as a court-appointed child and family investigator. The exact details remain withheld from the public, but a complaint log maintained by the state court administrators office shows that Horning-Rieder was sanctioned for violating standards related to training, objectivity and professionalism, as well as for the sufficiency and adequacy of her investigations.

A 2014 letter of admonition from the state licensing board for counselors sheds some light. She had neglected to disclose to the court while working as a court-appointed child and family investigator (CFI) the past domestic violence charges and conviction of one of the parties in a custody case, the admonition states. The state court administrator's officer found her work in the case so deficient it removed her from the list of child and family investigators eligible for CFI court appointments for one year.

She convinced the state licensing board to only admonish her and allow her to keep her license required to work as a counselor in Colorado by arguing she had immunity for acting in a court-appointed role, and also had not been providing any clinical services while evaluating the parents.

I have been de-listed by the Fourteenth Judicial District and cannot conduct future CFI evaluations, she promised in a letter to the licensing boards director.

Despite Horning-Rieders de-listing, judges continued appointing her to custody evaluations. Shes received such appointments at least 10 other times since the state court administrators office barred her from CFI work, according to a resume she submitted in a 2019 custody case. She worked as a parental responsibility evaluator (PRE) in those cases, a role that allowed her to charge parents even more money and carried greater influence than her previous work as a CFI.

Horning-Rieder generated controversy again after a Montrose County judge appointed her in 2019 to make parenting recommendations for a 4-year-old girl whose parents were divorcing. Horning-Rieder never interviewed the husbands two former wives who confirmed he had a history of domestic violence, testimony shows.

The new wife had pointed to bombs and explosives police found on their property as corroborating her contention the husband had made veiled threats he had the means to kill her. Horning-Rieder admitted from the witness stand that she had left out of her final evaluation report many statements from other witnesses supporting the new wifes allegations of violence and abuse from her husband. In contrast, Horning-Rieder included in the report witnesses supporting the husband. Horning-Rieder said an accidental cut and paste computer problem was the cause of the omission of the wifes witnesses.

Sadly, computers can seemingly have their own life at times, Horning-Rieder testified.

In the end, Montrose County District Court Judge D. Cory Jackson primarily sided with the mother, ruling the fathers allegations, brought up late in the divorce, that a friend of the mother had sexually abused the child were not founded. The judge found the sex abuse allegations relevant only because they showed the parties have great difficulty in communicating.

The judge ruled the father had committed domestic violence against the mother and limited the fathers parenting time to every other weekend during the school year, though he later amended the ruling to clarify that if the father moved back to Montrose County from the Durango area hed grant him additional parenting time.

Horning-Rieder in an interview said she currently has 10 other parenting evaluations underway, but she said officials in the state court administrators office recently told her to stop accepting additional court appointments for such work until she can resolve questions about her letter of admonition and the 14th Judicial District restriction barring her from CFI work for one year. The State Court Administrators Office confirmed her application for placement on the evaluator roster list is under review.

Everyone wants to attack the hard-working psychologist, Horning-Rieder said. Its pretty thankless work. You have all this pretty salacious, intense stuff, almost made for primetime TV, and your focus is whats in the best interest of the child.

Grieving for a murdered child

In 2009, Lon Kopit, a longtime parental evaluator and licensed counselor in Centennial, had his own court battle that ended with him secretly settling a lawsuit alleging that he, at the age of 59, sexually harassed a 25-year-old female assistant at his parenting evaluation office.

The assistant claimed the counselor repeatedly groped her, forcibly kissed her, suggested they go shopping together at Victorias Secret and had set up overnight seminar trips in which he booked a single hotel room for the two of them with one bed. Kopit declined comment, though in court documents, before the mediation settlement, he denied any sexual harassment.

A grieving mother says Kopit was one of many fateful shortfalls in the case of her son Ty Tesoriero, a 10-year-old Douglas County boy killed in 2019 by his father, Anthony Tesoriero, the morning after a contentious custody hearing. The judge had indicated she would likely grant significantly more time to Tys mother, Jing Tesoriero, a change from their 50-50 arrangement. Anthony Tesoriero shot Ty in the early hours of Sept. 21 before turning the gun on himself.

Kopit took on a role as Tys therapist in August 2017. In his response to a DORA complaint filed against him following Tys death, Kopit repeatedly asserted he never saw any signs of threats to Tys safety.

Jing said she objected to the court appointment of Kopit as Tys therapist because he had previously served as Tys fathers therapist, and she didnt think Ty would be fully open with Kopit as a result. By that point her ex-husband had a pattern of threatening professionals involved in the case, making other therapists hesitant to take the appointment.

With the pressure that Ty was getting from Anthony, I just felt like Ty thought Kopit was Anthonys friend, or theyre on the same team, and Ty wouldnt be honest with (Kopit) if theres any kind of concern, Jing said.

Jing felt Kopit didnt take her seriously when she reported concerns to him on more than one occasion that Tys father was abusing him. Kopit ignored red flags and signs Ty was suffering while he was with his father, she said.

Dr. Kopit should have been the one last person Ty could trust, Jing wrote in a complaint she filed with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Dr. Kopit failed to save my child when he could have.

The agency resolved the complaint, through the state board of licensing, by admonishing Kopit for failing to comply with any requirements pertaining to mandatory disclosure of information to clients.

There is seemingly no type of red flag the custody case for Ty didnt raise. The Department of Human Services received numerous reports since 2016, including statements by Ty that his father choked him, statements that Tesoriero threatened to harm him if he didnt say his mother had mistreated him. Jing filed similar assertions that she said Ty had relayed to her.

DHS frequently found there was not enough information from the reports for the agency to continue investigating, and Jing said she has had trouble understanding that decision.

Jing filed for a protection order against Tesoriero in 2015 after they broke up, alleging among other abuse that Tesoriero threatened her with a gun, while Ty was in the house, and said he could become homicidal and suicidal. The night of Tys death, his father threatened that anyone who tried to take Ty away from him  including DHS workers or law enforcement  would be killed, according to a fatality report done by DHS.

Jing has struggled to talk about Ty as she adjusts to life without him.

Shes kept a lot of his toys for her two toddler daughters. She told her 4-year-old that Ty is in heaven, but said the little girl has had trouble grasping that means her brother isnt coming back.

And the seemingly casual question How many kids do you have? is no longer simple. A screensaver photo of Ty on Jing's phone has drawn questions from acquaintances who know about her two toddler daughters but not about him. Sometimes Jing says she has three kids, other times two.

It depends on who I talk to. I dont want to talk to strangers a lot about that.

Her family feared Tesoriero planned to kill all of them the night he murdered her son, and Jing believes Tys death  and his father's subsequent suicide  may have saved their lives.

To a point, I feel like Ty saved all of our lives, she said. Ty just took it for us.

*Sources referred to only by their first names are pseudonyms used at their request and due to the sensitivity of the matters involved.
The city of Colorado Springs is weighing whether to gate Old Stage Road to reduce late-night shooting across private property, vandalism, lighting fireworks, dumping and other illegal activity.

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The Prague Quad Summit between the Azerbaijani, French, EU Council presidents, and the Armenian prime minister is the first time in European history that the energy economics and geo-strategic interests of Europe converge at the highest level of priorities, Peter Tase, US expert, and strategic adviser on international affairs and public diplomacy to governments, universities, and corporations in Europe and the Americas, told Azernews.

This important thrust is made possible thanks to the great and emblematic leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the expert added.

"The Prague meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, hosted by the presidents of France and the European Union Council, is the fulcrum of European Union security and geopolitical stability for many years to come, provided that the Armenian government and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan abide by the very official statement made on October 6, 2022. This event is instrumental in strengthening economic growth in the Caucasus and is the beginning of a new chapter in the bilateral relations between Baku and Yerevan. There is certainly a high level of skepticism however the abrupt change of strategic posture on the part of Armenia, has taken place thanks to the great leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and the geostrategic philosophy of national leader Heydar Aliyev, who has carefully tailored a national defense framework and foreign policy that has delivered outstanding results for the people of Azerbaijan and for the energy economics of the entire EU Community," Tase said.

In his comment for Azernews, the renowned expert also urged Armenia to hand landmine maps over to Azerbaijan and honor its commitment pertaining to the opening of the Zangazur Corridor.

"It is time for Armenia to collaborate with the government of Azerbaijan and urgently share the maps that identify the exact location of land mines and determine all the fields with explosives inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan. Enough is enough, many innocent lives in Azerbaijan have been lost and Yerevan must not lose further time and become a reliable partner in Europe and stop being a rogue regime in Eurasia. It is time for Nakhchivan to be connected with the motherland through the Zangazur Corridor and let the regional economy flourish rather than remain a victim of gun barrels that have killed so many innocent lives for more than 30 years since 1988 until last months armed clashes provoked by the Armenian armed forces."
If you head straight to Google when it comes to looking for trip ideas, you're not alone. And Google Reviews is often the first stop people make when they're looking to see whether or not a spot might be worth visiting.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani army is ready to swiftly foil any Armenian threat against the nations territorial integrity, Azernews reports, citing Col Elshad Abilov, deputy commander of a military unit.

Abilov made the remarks during a Social Research Centers conference on the topic of "Armenia's war crimes against Azerbaijan over the past 30 years".

The officer stressed that the Azerbaijani army freed the occupied territories by bursting through the so-called 'Ohanyan line,' which Armenians claimed "impregnable".

Abilov emphasized that the Azerbaijani army responded appropriately to Armenia's provocations both during and after the second Karabakh war (2020).

"Armenia doesn't provide Azerbaijan with accurate maps of minefields. Sappers of the Azerbaijani army discovered and cleared 21,573 mines and unexploded ordnance in an area of 27,590 hectares after the second Karabakh war. In the post-war period, eight military personnel were killed and 85 were injured as a result of mine explosions," he said.

Abilov underlined that more Armenia-laid mines were discovered following the 44-day war in Azerbaijans Lachin and Kalbajar districts.

He added that mass graves discovered in the liberated Khojavands Farrukh and Adilli villages corroborate Armenia's war crimes against Azerbaijani military personnel, as well as civilians.

"Azerbaijan is certain that another mass grave will be discovered since up to 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens went missing during the first Karabakh war," Abilov added.

Addressing the event, Nemat Avazov, the head of the Investigation Department under the Prosecutor-General's Office, said that the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has defused nearly 9,000 anti-personnel and 2,500 anti-tank mines, laid by Armenia in Lachin, Kalbajar, Dashkasan districts, as well as Tartar and Sugovushan directions since August 2022.

He underlined that a total of 34 Azerbaijani civilians were injured or killed as a result of the mine explosions in the mentioned period.

"These mines were deliberately laid by Armenia," he stressed.
By Trend

Armenia is one of the countries that put its name on the 'black list' of military history by bombing residential areas during the first and second Karabakh wars. Armenia subjected Azerbaijani cities and districts to strikes with banned weapons to compensate for its failures during the second Karabakh war.

Azerbaijan's Ganja city was bombed by the Armenian Armed Forces five times on different days in October 2022.

The first missile attack occurred on October 4, killing one person and injuring more than 30 people. The second missile attack was on October 5, during which three civilians were injured. The third missile attack was on October 8, without casualties. The fourth missile attack was on 11 October, killing 10 civilians and injuring more than 40 people.

The fifth missile attack was on October 17, during which sixteen civilians were killed and 55 were wounded. The attacks severely damaged the city's infrastructure, houses and cars. Among the killed and wounded in these bloody attacks of Armenia were also children and women.

During the second Karabakh war, Ganja, Barda, Yevlakh, Beylagan, Tartar, Gabala, Goranboy, Aghjabedi, Khizi and other cities and districts of Azerbaijan were shelled by Armenia with ballistic missiles and other means of heavy artillery.

As a result of the military aggression, 93 civilians, including 12 children and 27 women, were killed and 454 civilians, including 35 children, were wounded. 181 children lost one parent, 5 children lost both parents and one family was killed. A total of 12,292 residential and non-residential premises and 288 vehicles were damaged. Criminal cases were initiated and appeals to international courts and organizations were made in connection with the death of each civilian killed as a result of the Armenian terror.

Deputy of Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) Mushfig Jafarov told Trend that since the 1980s, when the conflict began, Armenia has repeatedly committed acts of genocide, international crimes against the Azerbaijani people.

"The previous terrorist government of Armenia committed a war crime against Azerbaijani people in 1992 - the Khojaly genocide. Civilians were brutally killed with unprecedented cruelty. I think that both the Khojaly genocide and the missile attacks on Ganja city are crimes against humanity. If the perpetrators of the Khojaly genocide had received the punishment they deserved, there would not have been the Ganja terror in the 21st century. The international community is regularly informed about these crimes," he added.

Jafarov noted that the international community is still silent about all these crimes against humanity committed by Armenia.

"There have been 231 armed conflicts in 151 places around the world, and in all of these conflicts, crimes were committed with astonishing cruelty, inhumane acts since World War II. The crimes committed by Armenian authorities against Azerbaijani civilians are among the most horrific not only in the history of Azerbaijan, but also of all mankind," Jafarov said.

He stressed that bombing of Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan, by the Armenian Armed Forces on different days of October 2020 is a crime of the 21st century.

"Armenia openly violated the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols, as well as the humanitarian truce announced on October 10, 2020 from 12:00 pm (GMT+4), and deliberately fired heavy artillery at Azerbaijani civilians. Azerbaijan must convey to the world that the Ganja terror is a true act of terrorism, using all opportunities to the maximum," Jafarov said.

All this proves once again that the Armenian army never intended to observe the rules of warfare. The basic norms of international law were violated, strikes were made against civilians, civilian objects, residential houses. All this must be investigated as war crimes, and Armenia must be punished accordingly.

To this day, information on Armenian terrorism is being ignored. The bombing of Ganja city is an indicator of Armenia's support for terrorism at the state level.
Kent MacLennan is executive director of Rise Above Colorado, a statewide prevention non-profit that empowers youth to make healthy connections, decisions, and change.
A special state legislative panel on Friday unanimously passed a pair of resolutions that would dramatically change how Colorado investigates and disciplines judges, one of them a Constitutional amendment voters would consider in 2024.
By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

All the documents related to Armenia's crimes against Azerbaijanis have been submitted to the European Court, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan Chingiz Asgarov said.

He made the remarks at the conference on Armenia's war crimes against Azerbaijan over the past 30 years', organized by the Azerbaijani Center for Social Research.

Asgarov noted that Azerbaijan is defending its fair position in international courts.

We have been doing this since 2003. In 2015, the decision of the European Court on the Case of Chiragov and others v. Armenia contained a reference to the Hague Convention and its war crimes statute, and for the first time, the text of an international courts decision reflected the fact that Armenia occupied part of the territory of Azerbaijan, the official said.

Further, he stated that in October 2020, Azerbaijan filed an interstate complaint with the European Court and in January 2021, the country filed a large-scale interstate complaint.

He noted that the complaint reflected in detail the acts constituting war crimes committed by Armenia.

Im sure that the European Court will make a fair decision, and in order to restore the violated rights of the Azerbaijani population, the amount of compensation from Armenia will be determined," he added.

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Management Board of the Social Research Center (SRC) Zahid Oruj stressed that a commission must be created to investigate the war crimes, committed by Armenians, during the first and second Karabakh wars.

"After Azerbaijan's victory in the second Karabakh war and the liberation of the country's lands from Armenian occupation, the whole world learned that more than 1 million mines were laid on these lands," he informed.

Oruj also highlighted that not a single perpetrator of the Khojaly genocide has been brought to international justice.

"Most of those, whom Armenians consider heroes over the past 30 years, are those who committed crimes against the Azerbaijani people. These criminals should be brought before the International Criminal Court (the Hague Tribunal)," he said.
Journalist: Until recently, doctors enjoyed high status in Canada. [ #permalink

1 Kudos
WINSTON-SALEM  A man bought a bottle of Texas Pete original hot sauce for $3 before discovering it is from North Carolina and not Texas.

If he knew the sauce was made in Winston-Salem before purchasing it, he says he never would have bought it, according to a class-action lawsuit filed against the company producing Texas Pete hot sauce. Phillip White, of California, argues the bottles imagery  including a cartoon cowboy spinning a lasso underneath the state flags famed white lone star  duped him into believing the sauce was from Texas, and is therefore deceptive, according to a complaint filed Sept. 12.

There is nothing Texas about Texas Pete, the 49-page complaint states.

White is suing T.W. Garner Food Co. over the brands false marketing and labeling scheme, accusing it of violating the nations consumer protection laws, according to the lawsuit.

In a statement, the company said we are currently investigating these assertions with our legal counsel to find the clearest and most effective way to respond.

Whites lawsuit demands a trial by jury and seeks to have Texas Pete hot sauce rebranded by having the company change its unlawful advertising and labeling practices, the complaint says.

T.W. Garner Food Co. knowingly and intentionally capitalizes on consumers desire to partake in the culture and authentic cuisine of one of the most prideful states in America, the complaint states.

Texas Pete hot sauce has existed in the U.S. for nearly 100 years after it debuted in 1929 when the decade of the Great Depression began. A man named Sam Garner and his three sons created a spicy sauce that needed an American name. Garner suggested combining Texas  due to the states spicy cuisine reputation  and the nickname of his son, which was Pete.

Now, the T.W. Garner Food Co. factory, built in 1942, is located where the Garner family home once stood in northwest Winston-Salem.

Because T.W. Garner Food Co.s website publicly acknowledges Texas Pete hot sauce is a product of North Carolina, the company admits its aware the labeling is false and deceptive, according to the complaint.

In 2021, White bought a bottle of Texas Pete hot sauce at a Los Angeles store, and the complaint says he may want to buy it again if the company abides by state and federal consumer protection and advertising laws.

T.W. Garner Food Co. is accused of profiting off of its alleged deception at the expense of unsuspecting consumers who pay a premium for authenticity, the complaint says.

The lawsuit argues that when it comes to buying products, geographic origin matters to consumers and points out examples of authentic products such as Mexican tortillas, Belgium chocolate and wine from Napa, California. However, Texas Pete products are Louisiana-style hot sauce with ingredients coming from outside of Texas.

A hot sauce is distinctly Texas if it is made in Texas, using Texas ingredients and flavor profiles.  A Texas hot sauce can be Louisiana-style, but it must have its own unique Texas influence and roots, the complaint states.

White argues that the alleged misleading advertising harms competing brands  specifically hot sauce brands that refer to Texas and are made in Texas.

The lawsuit also seeks to recover monetary damages.
Candidates for the Lewis and Clark County Commission have shared differing opinions on how to tackle some of the county's pressing issues.

Current County Commission Chairman Jim McCormick is stepping down at the end of the year, and candidates Curt Dallas and Candace Payne are vying for county residents' votes come November. Dallas is a Realtor with Dallas Land Company and a relocation specialist for the Montana Department of Transportation, and Payne is a retired private practice attorney.

Payne, who put herself through law school in Missoula, worked as a lobbyist in the Montana Legislature beginning in 1993, representing various groups from the Montana Stockgrowers Association to the Montana Alliance of YMCAs.

Payne said assembling the county budget is the most important work the commissioners do. She said she plans to bring her ability to create consensus between opposing viewpoints, a skill learned at the Legislature, to the county commission if elected.

"I think there's kooks on both sides, but there is a core of good people who are trying to do the right thing, and I want to be a part of that core," Payne said. "I'm not willing to follow a party line because I think for myself."

Dallas said that if elected, he would start talking to people across the county about their concerns beginning the day after the election.

"By the people, for the people. That's still the rule of the land," he said.

He said he would use his 25 years of state government experience working with budgets, land purchases and the like to inform his work on the commission.

"In land use with the Department of Transportation and in real estate, I have a lot of experience, and I can bring that to the commission," he said. "I think all of that brings a lot to the commission."

Recently implemented Helena Valley zoning regulations are among the issues getting attention in the race.

Dallas said affected landowners have told him they feel the new zoning rules came from the top down.

He said that if elected, he would immediately work to repeal the 10-acre lot size minimum in rural zones.

"When people complain about the 10-acre minimum, that's the end of what they want to talk about," he said. "There are some things in that zoning document that probably aren't bad, but it all starts with that 10-acre minimum."

He cited the lack of affordability and availability of existing housing in the area and said development needs to extend beyond the urban and rural interface to meet the increased need.

"I'm a ranch kid. I don't want to see (the Helena Valley) broken up into quarter-acre lots," he said. "But I'm also a realist. The growth is coming."

Payne noted that there are exceptions to the 10-acre minimum if a developer is able to prove there is adequate water to support high-density development.

"I think there is not a real clear understanding of what the 10-acre minimum actually does," she said. "It's flexible."

She said the availability of water and the use of single household septic systems pose a big problem for the valley and believes the zoning regulations help address those concerns.

"I do not have an ax to grind," she said. "And I am not going to make a whole bunch of money if we have unfettered development out in the valley."

Lewis and Clark County infrastructure is also an important issue for both candidates.

"The county roads are just like the state roads, they are getting older and harder to maintain," Dallas said. "And the bridges are a big issue."

He said the condition of the roads and bridges was among the reasons he decided to run.

Payne said in her talks with rural fire council members, she learned "there are a whole bunch of bridges in Lewis and Clark County that cannot hold the fire trucks because they have a weight limit," she said. "This is basic infrastructure. ... It's something we need to be concerned about."

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lewis and Clark County Board of Health and the county's Health Officer Drenda Niemann enacted a variety of health orders affecting businesses and crowd sizes.

Although the Montana Legislature recently passed new laws limiting the power of county health officials, Dallas took issue with the way the health orders were enacted previously.

"When we make the decision to effectively shut down our economy, that has to be done by elected officials with input from the experts," Dallas said.

Payne said the law is the law whether she likes it or not. If elected, she said, she will rely heavily on the guidance of the experts.

"The county commissioners have limited knowledge; they have problem-solving skills; they do the best they can," she said. "They hire somebody, the best person they can to run public health."

The general election will be held Nov. 8. Absentee ballots are accepted at the County Elections Office or any polling place until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters can check their voter status and determine their polling place by visiting MyVoterPageMT.com or by calling the Lewis and Clark County Elections Department at (406) 447-8339.

Independent Record editor Jesse Chaney contributed to this story.
Dave Campbell stood with dozens of other people in a line Sunday that started at the front doors of Temple Emanu-El and snaked down the steps and on to the sidewalk that ran parallel to Ewing Street.

I just wanted to see the inside of the building, the Helena resident said.

Campbell was among the folks who joined in a Sukkot celebration and dedication of the historic Jewish temple.

On Aug. 25, the Montana Jewish Projected finalized negotiations with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena and bought back the oldest synagogue in Montana, returning the building for use by the Jewish community for the first time in 87 years. The effort included donations from more than 2,000 individuals and several Helena businesses.

Many faiths were represented at Sundays celebration. Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday that comes five days after Yom Kippur. It celebrates the harvest.

We are so excited for them to celebrate Sukkot, said Nicole Giacomini, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This is an amazing opportunity to learn and get a tour of the new temple building, she said.

Rabbi Ed Stafman of Bozeman led the celebration. He called Sundays turnout fantastic.

I am amazed at how many people from the faith community came out to celebrate with us today, he said. It is a momentous day.

Rebecca Stanfel of the Montana Jewish Project agreed.

Today is going fabulous, she said prior to the celebration. We have an outpouring of people.

During the holiday, it is traditional to eat and, for some, to sleep in a Sukkah, or booth, for seven days. A booth was built for Sunday's celebration.

People gathered on the side lawn for singing and prayer, including a Sukkot teaching and blessing.
U.S. aid to Ukraine has been crucial and highly effective, enabling Europes largest free country to rout the invaders.

As Russian armies massed, Rosendale introduced legislation to block aid to Ukraine.

The day of the invasion, Rosendale alleged we have no legal or moral obligation to aid either side, his moral position like refusing to aid England as Nazis bombers rain death on London.

As Russian missiles and bombs exploded in Ukraine schools, homes and shopping centers, the House passed a resolution expressing Americas support for Ukraine and opposing any Russian-controlled  government   425 Republicans and Democrats voted yes. Rosendale  no.

The House voted overwhelmingly in May to send aid to Ukraine. Republican Mike McCaul (Texas) said: This is a historic vote. It could determine the course of this war, to vote no is a vote for Putin.

Rosendale? Voted no.

Ukrainians fight for families and the same freedoms of the Declaration of Independence. Putin is a KGB-trained dictator, crushing the freedom of millions, his vision to reconstruct a brutal new iron curtain.

In times like these, Montana needs genuine leadership, not far-out extremism.

Vote for Gary Buchanan, an independent voice for Montana.

John Gatchell,

Helena
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Tiny Kox has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to boost their efforts for ensuring sustainable peace in the South Caucasus, Azernews reports.

During the PACE fall session, Kox asked Armenia and Azerbaijan to use the opportunity to discuss important issues between the two countries.

"I appeal to the members of Armenia and Azerbaijan Parliaments to use this platform as a forum for discussion through the dialogue of acute and important topics," he said.

Following Armenia and Azerbaijan's 44-day war (2020), Europe gained the upper hand in organizing peace talks between the two archrivals. So far, four Brussels meetings between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders have been conducted under the auspices of EU Council President Charles Michel to prepare the ground for the ultimate peace agreement.

As a result of the meetings, several favorable outcomes, such as joint border commissions on state border delimitation, have been reached.

Furthermore, the recent October 6 meeting in Prague between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan produced a certain positive outcome, too.

Following the meeting, all parties reaffirmed their commitment to the peace negotiations while recognizing each other's territorial integrity.

President Ilham Aliyev praised the EU's efforts in the peace talks during an interview with Azerbaijani TV channels, emphasizing that Azerbaijan and Armenia are gradually reaching peace.

I do hope that we are slowly getting closer to peace, and I highly appreciate Charles Michel's work in this area. Because, as you know, several trilateral meetings have been held in Brussels, and we are getting closer to peace every time. This four-sided meeting was organized by Charles Michel and Emmanuel Macron, and this meeting discussed important issues. I believe that this meeting will be of tremendous importance in reaching a peace agreement, Aliyev stressed.

Aliyev added that the peace talks are still ongoing and should not be disrupted.

The ministers should meet for the second time soon, and we have suggested that after that the working groups of both countries come together to prepare the text of the peace agreement, perhaps not in one meeting, but over the course of a few days, he underlined.
DECATUR  Five-year-old SanTana Young walked around Scovill Zoo with a silver police badge sticker stuck to his navy blue jacket.

The police gave it to me, he said, looking like a smaller version of a police officer.

SanTana and a few of his kindergarten classmates from Muffley Elementary School were invited by the Decatur Police Department and Sherrods Independent Mentoring Program, or SIMP, to spend the day at the zoo, simply because of their positive behavior.

The experience was also designed to build relationships with law enforcement. It was working with SanTana.

I liked the big police, he said about the inflatable character greeting the classes as they arrived at the zoo. Hes huge.

Fridays special day was one of several organized by SIMP and local law enforcement. According to SIMP President Jamese Sherrod, the events, including a high school college and career fair in Chicago and Macon County Student Summit at Millikin University, encourage empowerment and celebration for the selected students, due to their good behavior, good attendance, acts of kindness, volunteering, and good grades, she said.

The incentive program works with the schools to promote the positive personalities in the students. All of these are free events, Sherrod said.

LEARN MORE To learn more about Sherrods Independent Mentoring Program, or SIMP, visit the program's Facebook page.

For the Zoo Day, six schools  Sangamon Valley Intermediate School, Robertson Charter School, South Shores Elementary School, Parsons Elementary School, Franklin Grove Elementary School and Muffley  were chosen to participate.

At the zoo, students and teachers were treated to free admission, train tickets, carousel rides, goat food, a snow cone and lunch.

Muffley school teacher Melissa Prasun walked through the zoo with her kindergarten class. The event was the first field trip for the class. They are trying to promote good grades, good attendance, acts of kindness, good behavior in the classroom, to promote a violence-free Macon County, she said about the program. It was an incentive for positive behavior.

SIMP partners with the local police for their events. We go into the schools with Leo (the police mascot lion) and violence prevention, Sherrod said. Then we host these free events.

#TogetherDecatur Do you know a person or of a story that exemplifies the best of Decatur? Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983 or dbeckett@herald-review.com.

The children invited to attend the events do not have to be the best of the students. They have to have improved behavior, improved grades, Sherrod said.

Sherrod has been a mentor for Cheyann Perry-Johnson for two years. Now the MacArthur High School freshman is SIMP lead for her school and was encouraged to go to the zoo.

We get kids involved in the community, she said. We get the police involved so they are not the enemy.

Perry-Johnson plans to be a veterinarian and was happy to work with the students during the most recent event at the zoo. Being at Zoo Day is the best option for me, she said.

Decatur police Lt. Scott Rosenbery encourages his fellow police officers to join with SIMP and other events involving students. It didnt take a lot of asking, he said. Its important for them to volunteer and hang out with the kids. They dont hesitate.

The officers and the kids take advantage of opportunities to meet outside of the classroom and to interact with law enforcement naturally. But then we also go into the classroom and do reading and small group discussions about violence prevention, Rosenbery said. Were here to have a good time too.
Longtime resident Helgard Hollis has lived in her home for decades and does not plan to go anywhere soon.
Traditional German foods will soon be available on Southwest Virginia tables as Omas Haus  operated by the mother and daughter team of Ulrike and Sonja Whalen  opens on 111 Dickerson Avenue in Coeburn early this winter.

Omas Haus was a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant.

One of VCEDAs target industry sectors is creative tourism and those businesses that support it, Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel, said. Omas Haus fits that bill with its plan to bring a restaurant featuring traditional German foods to Coeburn, giving residents and tourists alike a new dining option while at the same time creating jobs. The new business projects four full-time employees and seven part-time employees within five years.

The new German restaurant will also feature an artisan bakery, which is already operational, even as the restaurant location is still undergoing renovations. The Whalens are working out of the new location to run the bakery side of the business, selling German pretzels, including Gouda cheese and bacon pretzel, as well as other traditional German breads and desserts, marketing those at area farmers markets and as special orders.

Our dream is to bring authentic German foods to the table and to welcome everyone, Ulrike Whalen said, noting their desire is to make everyone feel at home, like they would at Grandmas house. Oma is the German word for grandmother.

Some of the recipes we use are traditional family recipes and some weve updated with a twist, Sonja Whalen said. We use family recipes, including those we have from a cousin, who was a master baker in central Germany.

Two favorites are the Black Forrest Cake and the After Eight Cake. The After Eight cake features mint melted in the chocolate frosting.

Custom orders are accepted for cakes, cookies, other desserts and for made from scratch breads.

Ive always liked baking and Sonja went to culinary school, so this is a good fit for us, Ulrike Whalen said.

The Whalens used the seed capital grant to purchase equipment for the kitchen and toward remodeling costs of the building.

The Whalens worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) in developing their application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Wise County Industrial Development Authority.

Mountain Empires Small Business Development Center appreciates the opportunity to get to know the ladies with Omas Haus, said Becki OQuinn-Purdie, SBDC director at MECC. We are excited to see this new business open and provide a new option for dining in the area. Omas Haus established a great reputation through local farmers markets and we feel confident that will continue with the restaurant. The SBDC appreciates the VCEDA Seed Capital Fund opportunity for this business.

Being unique is very important in todays small business environment, Wise County IDA Executive Director Brian Falin said. Omas Haus is taking full advantage of that opportunity by establishing a German-inspired restaurant and artisan bakery in the town of Coeburn. The Wise County IDA was proud to provide a letter of support for Omas Haus in their application for the VCEDA Seed Capital program. Ulrike and Sonja have a true passion for their business and we are excited to see it continue to develop and grow.
The Bristol Virginia City Council is poised to approve paying a $41,500 bill for Bristol Tennessees legal fees during its meeting Tuesday night.

The payment was ordered by U.S. District Judge James P. Jones last month, after a hearing sought by Bristol Virginia to extend deadlines for work occurring in conjunction with the closure of the citys landfill.

Bristol Tennessee filed a lawsuit against its sister city in May and both sides are currently operating under a preliminary injunction.

In the order, Jones directed Bristol Virginia must reimburse Bristol Tennessee its attorneys fees and expenses incurred as a result of [defendants] motion to extend the deadlines.

The bill covers the time and expenses of Troutman Pepper attorneys Michael Lacy and Andrea Wortzel from Aug. 22 to Aug. 25, plus the work of two additional attorneys.

It also includes a consultation with civil engineer Ron DiFrancesco of Golder Associates and the work and expenses of geologist Mike Williams from Aug. 23-25, who testified at the hearing.

The firms attorneys logged a combined 51.9 hours working on this case during the four days. That was billed at $39,916, documents show.

There were additional attorney expense charges of $898 for lodging, mileage and meals traveling to and from Bristol and staying overnight for the hearing.

Their consultation with DiFrancesco on Aug. 23-24, for a total of four hours, generated a charge of $944.

The billing for Williams totaled nearly $7,700 for 36 hours billed at $236 per hour. That included his travel from Richmond to Bristol, visiting the landfill and documenting work there, soliciting bids for landfill work, reviewing the expert panel report, meeting with the legal team, time in court and driving home.

Williams also reported $1,130 in expenses including meals, lodging, renting a hotel conference room to meet with attorneys, snacks and vehicle fuel plus a $10 truck wash before returning the vehicle, documents show.

The council meets at 6 p.m., at City Hall, 300 Lee St.
Expect sunny skies this week, but cover the outdoor plants. Jack Frost is expected to show up early Monday morning in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Frost advisories are now becoming common as autumn has arrived, Jeanie McDermott, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee, said.

Wednesday night, moving into Thursday morning, a cold front is expected in the Bristol area that could bring rain, McDermott said.

It wont yet freeze outside, she added.

The lows are still going to be in the upper 30s Thursday night, McDermott said. And then Friday will be chilly with highs in the lower 60s. But it will be really sunny, so it probably wont be that chilly in the sun.

Beyond Friday, the weekend appears to be pleasant.

It doesnt look like its cold enough to have a freeze, McDermott said. The highs will be in the 60s in the Bristol area, and it will still be sunny. So it will probably feel nice in the afternoon.

The Climate Prediction Center says the month of October will be near normal for temperatures.

Above normal temperatures are predicted for November through the end of the year with near-normal precipitation, likely rain, from now until the end of the year, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Unfortunately, we dont have any snow outlook. There are just too many variables with that, she said.

The first freeze of the fall season is expected to hit the Bristol region on Oct. 24, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Right now, were on track. Its been slightly cooler, McDermott said. But its definitely fall now.
When more than 150 American universities divested their assets from South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s, they led the way for a global pressure campaign that helped end apartheid. Today, students around the country are following this example by demanding that their universities divest from the Chinese governments atrocities against Uyghurs, deemed a continuing genocide by the State Department.

In January, this movement scored one of its biggest victories when Yale announced that it would investigate its investments in China for ties to entities complicit in the genocide of Uyghurs.

But for investigations like Yales to succeed, they must overcome a widespread willingness to ignore passive investments, leaving financial ties to human rights abuses intact.

The danger is that even as universities reconsider direct investments in firms tied to human rights abuses in China, they may ignore passive investments  indirect stakes in index funds and mutual funds that allow them to track market sectors or even whole national economies  tying them to many of the same companies.

There is precedent for such an oversight. In 2007, Inside Higher Ed reported that after committing to complete divestment from companies tied to the genocide in Darfur, Harvard continued investing in funds with holdings in those very companies.

In fact, most universities committed to divestment from Sudan neglected to eliminate passive investments that violated their commitments. In their view, they could do little to influence fund managers behavior. Eliminating these indirect investments would have required switching to new funds  something investors divesting from fossil fuels have also been reluctant to do because they fear it might hurt returns.

This lesson is particularly relevant to Yale. In a disclosure filed with the SEC on August 12, Yale reported a $14.2 million investment in Vanguards FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) as of June 30. VWO is hardly an exotic investment. With $96.1 billion in net assets as of August 31, it is among the largest index funds focused on emerging markets. Even a cursory analysis of the latest reported holdings strongly suggests that it invests in some of the companies most complicit in the worst abuses underway in China.

As of August 31, VWOs holdings included iFlyTek Ltd. and Hoshine Silicon Industry Ltd., which appear on the Department of Commerces Entity List, an export control list targeting companies engaged in activities contrary to U.S. national security and/or foreign policy interests, because of human rights concerns, including the use of Uyghur forced labor.

Another holding, BGI Genomics Ltd., is a subsidiary of BGI Group, a Chinese company accused of unethically collecting the genetic material of ethnic minorities, especially Uyghurs. Two BGI subsidiaries are on the Entity List. Other holdings or affiliated companies  including Inspur Electronic Information Industry Co., China United Network Communications Group Co. Ltd. and AECC Aviation Power Co. Ltd.  have been added to the Military End User or Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies lists because of their ties to Chinas military.

This is not just an ethical problem. Exposure to the worst companies in Chinas capital markets isnt just immoral; its also risky. Companies that fail to comply with U.S. standards on forced labor or mass surveillance are also less likely to follow the basic accounting standards we associate with good corporate governance. And firms that are already sanctioned may face investment bans in the future.

For example, SenseTime, one of the Chinese companies most responsible for the mass surveillance of ethnic minorities, was added to the Entity List in October 2019; in December 2021, the Biden administration went further and banned investments in SenseTime entirely.

Divestment is both financially prudent and unquestionably the right thing to do. But as Yales investments show, getting divestment right will require universities to look at their passive investments, too.

In doing so, they can create real change that aligns with their growing commitment to socially responsible investing. Last year, the combined value of all U.S. university endowments was $821 billion, a figure greater than the total wealth of Chile.

This is a tremendous amount of money, enough to put pressure on investment managers to eliminate unethical holdings. If universities turn away from passive investments in atrocities, Wall Street may begin to follow.
A Charlotte man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday.

Steven Razelle Staples, 33, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of 23-year-old Andres Moscotte. Staples admitted to shooting and killing Moscotte on Jan. 23, 2020.

Staples was sentenced to a minimum of 28 years in prison.

Staples has four murder charges pending in Mecklenburg County, according to court documents. All five murder charges, including the one from Catawba County, stem from deaths that occurred between December 2019 and January 2020, according to the documents.

Moscottes family was present in the courtroom but did not wish to address the court, Assistant District Attorney Lance Sigmon said.

(Staples) asks that you accept his plea, defense attorney Laura Baker, who represented Staples, said. He understands that this is a significant amount of time. He wanted to obviously bring some closure to this matter for himself and for the victims family.

Sigmon said police officers with the Hickory Police Department responded to Moscottes home on 22nd Street Northeast shortly before 8:15 p.m. Jan, 23, 2020. They found Moscotte, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Moscotte had been shot once in the right side of his stomach, Sigmon said.

Moscottes girlfriend, Brooke Chester, told the officers Moscotte walked outside to his vehicle when he was shot, Sigmon said.

Chester said she saw an unknown Black man attacking Moscotte when she opened the side door of the home, Sigmon said. Chester locked the door and hid in a closet while the suspects entered the home. After several minutes, she went outside and found Moscotte lying on the ground, Sigmon said.

Sigmon said there were security cameras inside and outside of Moscottes home. Police identified Staples and another suspect, Jalen Jakee Witherspoon, using footage from the cameras, Sigmon said. Witherspoon is also charged with murder in the case.

The surveillance videos showed Staples sneaking up on Moscotte, hitting Moscotte in the head multiple times with a pistol and then shooting him, Sigmon said.

After the shooting, Staples kicked in the door to Moscottes home and removed a large box, Sigmon said. Witherspoon also entered and helped Staples remove other items from the residence, Sigmon said. Staples took the keys to Moscottes Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Staples and Witherspoon left the scene in the Mercedes, Sigmon said.

Before the shooting at around 2:45 p.m., Staples discussed the sale of a Masterpiece Arms 9mm pistol and a silencer with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents at a warehouse in Hickory, Sigmon said. Staples wanted $1,500 for the gun, but the ATF agents offered $1,000. Staples did not sell the gun, Sigmon said.

One shell casing, made by the ammunition company Barnaul, was recovered at the scene of the shooting, Sigmon said.

On Jan. 29, 2020, Staples returned to the warehouse and sold the pistol and silencer at a reduced price, Sigmon said. Staples also sold 19 rounds of Barnaul ammunition and the pistol was loaded with Barnaul ammunition, Sigmon said. According to the ATF agents, the silencer was removed from the gun and the gun had been cleaned, Sigmon said.

Witherspoon is scheduled to appear in Catawba County Superior Court on Nov. 28.
Hickory Public Works Director Steve Miller proudly told the Hickory City Council last month that the city is home to the best excavator in the nation and the third-best backhoe operator.

Miller was referring to Bobby Hatley, 35, the city street supervisor who had claimed the top spot in the miniexcavator competition and third place in the backhoe contest at the American Public Works Association National Equipment Roadeo in August.

Hatley took part in the national competition after winning the North Carolina backhoe and excavator events earlier this year.

The competitions were timed. The excavator contest required participants to stack five tires and then stick a traffic cone upside down inside the tires.

In the backhoe competition, Hatley had to slide a bucket along a board without displacing the bucket. The board was held up by two road barrels.

Speaking to the council, Hatley noted that by coincidence a piece of equipment he used in the contest was identical to one he personally owned.

He also recalled a conversation prior to the competition in which Miller asked if he wanted to get in some practice.

Before I left, I actually dug like a 900-foot ditch that Saturday so I was like, Man, Im good. Lets just do it, Hatley said. So it worked out really well.

Hatley recently discussed the most challenging parts of the competition, what he considers key to his success and his thoughts on continuing to compete.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

On the hardest part of the competitions:

I would say probably the crowd and probably the different environment.

Because usually were working on the side of the road or down in a ditch somewhere and you dont have several hundred people there staring and watching and all that good stuff.

On why he is successful in the competitions:

The seat time (in the equipment) and even in my position Im still able to go out and work with crews and help the guys. So I do spend a great deal of time in the equipment.

I think thats the biggest thing. Whether youre digging logs out from a creek crossing or youre strategically pulling out a piece of curb and gutter not to damage anything around it, if you think about it that way, its really close to stacking tires.

I really try to blend in with the guys and try to help the guys. I think that really helps, to be a part of the team.

On his future in the Roadeo:

Well just have to see how it goes. Id like to send some of my guys that are coming up through the ranks, Id like to send some of those guys and maybe see what they can do with it.

Maybe we can have another person or employee from the city of Hickory to do very well.
MP Mazahir Afandiyev

Since the outset of the XX century, Armenians repeatedly committed acts of genocide against Azerbaijanis and cast a covetous eye on Azerbaijani territories at different times in history.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, nationalist-separatist Armenians moved to the Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan in the name of helping, and launched territorial claims against Azerbaijan again, which led to the deaths of thousands of people, the displacement of over a million people from their homelands, and the declaration of war by Armenia against Azerbaijan.

During the First Karabakh War, the Armenian state subjected the Azerbaijani people to genocide and ethnic cleansing by implementing its aggressive policy in front of the world community. At that time, 13,000 Azerbaijanis were killed as a result of military operations, and tens of thousands of people were maimed. To this day, there is no information about the fate of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing in that war.

In 2020, Azerbaijan did not tolerate the inactivity of the OSCE Minsk Group anymore and implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions; No. 822, 853, 874, and 884 adopted in 1993 regarding the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and the Commander-in-Chief, Great General, President Ilham Aliyev liberated our native Karabakh from occupation by destroying the Armenian army and the illegal military formations stationed in the occupied territories in the 44-day Second Karabakh Patriotic War that started on September 27. As a result, the Armenian side turned to Azerbaijan and Russia and was forced to sign the act of capitulation on November 10, accepting their heavy losses and defeat.

After the war, Azerbaijan began to carry out restoration and reconstruction works in the territories freed from occupation. Demining works were carried out in those areas in order to return the people living there, regardless of their religion or nationality, to their native lands.

During this process, Azerbaijan, unfortunately, repeatedly discovered mass graves of our compatriots who died during the First Karabakh War which are still considered missing and were subjected to Armenian vandalism.

As a result of the search and investigative measures carried out these days, another mass grave with human remains filled with wires and ropes, as well as traces of torture, was discovered in the liberated village of Edilli of the Khojavend region. This is a gross violation of the moral and legal principles of human society, which undermines the concept of humanity.

The world community did not want to hear Azerbaijan's voice of truth for years, and despite the fact that today they are a Party of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, and their two Additional Protocols adopted on June 8, 1977, which ensure the protection of war victims of Armenia, in the last 30 years, international humanitarian law testifies that it grossly violates its universally recognized norms and principles, neglects and irresponsibly treats its international legal obligations.

By not giving information about the fate of 3,890 missing Azerbaijani hostages and prisoners of war, Armenia continues to violate its international obligations.

As we know, today, in the post-conflict period, the relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan are deepening in the economic, political, cultural, and humanitarian fields and the EU sees Azerbaijan as a strategic partner. In this regard, the European Union has undertaken to play an active role in the formation of a sustainable and comprehensive settlement in the South Caucasus, including thorough support for stabilization, post-conflict transformation, trust, and reconciliation measures.

The European Union has already invited the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to the table several times in order to sign the Peace Treaty and ensure security and peace in the region. One of the issues discussed as a priority by President Ilham Aliyev at Brussels meetings was the provision of information about the actions taken in connection with the captives, missing persons, hostages, and their fate. Unfortunately, in spite of all this, Armenia ignores the calls of the European Union for peace talks and accuses Azerbaijan of using violence against any Armenian soldier. However, all of those accusations are unjustified, not based on any facts and everything is happening in front of the eyes of the world community.

Although the Armenians have not taken any measures to return the hostages and provide information about the locations of mass graves, in order to prevent false accusations and untruthful information, Azerbaijan, has released the information about the mass graves discovered in the territories freed from occupation to the world as it was considered necessary to convey it to the public.

Genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed by Armenians against the people of Azerbaijan in a period of nearly 30 years is an unacceptable behavior directed against humanity as a whole.

The fact that our state, which is a participant of the four Geneva Conventions, guided by the principle of humanism, repeatedly returned the Armenian soldiers who were captured during military operations to the other side abiding by the norms and principles of international law and implemented all possible measures to maintain lasting peace and tranquility in the region, should not reassure the Armenian side.

The world community sees that Azerbaijan, unlike Armenia, is always faithful to its obligations arising from international law, and we believe that despite the existing injustices, political hypocrisy, and the preferential position taken against Armenia, which has its eyes on the territory of other states, the war crimes committed against our countrymen and compatriots will not go unpunished.

The article is published with editorial intervention.
Australian educational institutions arent delivering value for money and need to become more agile in the way they deliver digital skills, a government report has concluded as concerning declines in education quality hinder graduates job prospects.

Noting that education is clearly linked with productivity, the Productivity Commissions new 5-year Productivity Inquiry: From Learning to Growth Interim Report found that rising skill levels have accounted for around 19 per cent of Australias overall productivity increases since 1994.

Education is vital in developing human capital, the report notes  yet with one in five Australians still limited by having low basic skills, it adds, there are considerable opportunities to redesign the way the government focuses an education investment that reached $116 billion during fiscal 2020-21 alone.

While overall education outcomes are relatively good, we are seeing some concerning declines, said Productivity Commission deputy chair Dr Alex Robson as the new report  the latest in a series of interim reports within the ongoing Productivity Inquiry  was launched.

Combined with a shift in the nature of skills demanded by Australian businesses, it is timely to examine where improvements can be made to improve productivity in these productivity-enhancing sectors.

Go digital

Boosting digital skills should be a priority given that future growth is likely to involve a greater level of skill-biased technological change, the report notes  yet stagnant or declining student test scores, its authors add, have made it imperative to adjust the way Australians are educated to ensure that Australia does not miss the opportunities of a world economy changing at an increasingly rapid rate.

That economy will increasingly rely on a broad range of skills that cannot be defined and delivered in the neat course-based packages that schools and universities teach, the report found, recommending that government subsidies for tertiary education could be allocated more efficiently and equitably, without necessarily increasing the total amount of funding.

Prioritising subsidies for areas of chronic skills shortages is a poor basis for setting subsidies, the analysis noted, implicitly rebuking the governments moves to lower the price of IT and other priority university degrees and, more recently, its declaration of support for engaging 1.2 million tech workers by 2030.

Instead, the report recommends changes such as increasing competition for funding across education providers, who would boost sector innovation, competition, and student choice with stronger incentives to deliver courses that adapt to growing and changing skill needs.

The government should also consider rebalancing public funding away from its current front loading on university education, the report advises, suggesting that funding could be provided throughout recipients careers, given the growing importance of lifelong learning.

There is a finite capacity for public investment in tertiary education, the report notes, suggesting that at some point, additional investment risks attracting students who would get little out of studying and might be better off directly entering the labour market.

Start earlier to staff the digital economy

The report is a wakeup call for the long-established bifurcated approach that steers students towards university or VET systems with little follow up or ongoing support.

Demand for digital skills is now common across both high-skilled and low-skilled jobs  but employment rates for both university and VET graduates have fallen in recent years  and Robson said it was critical for education providers to consider not just what to teach, but how to teach it.

With Australia now well and truly a service economy, demand for non-routine skills [such as analytical thinking and problem solving] is at an all-time high, he said. This means a strong foundation from schooling is even more important than for past generations.

Recent research supports the idea that engaging with students earlier in their educational careers  and supporting them through university, VET, and beyond  may prove more successful at steering young people into technology and other in-demand careers.

Students who described themselves as a math or science person in Year 9 were almost twice as likely to major in STEM subjects at university and work in STEM-related careers down the track, a new University of Kansas (U of K) study of over 21,000 US students found.

Early experiences get under the skin, assistant professor of educational psychology Rafael Quintana explained, as they are related to later outcomes independently of how these attitudes developed later. Early experiences can have long-lasting, potentially irreversible effects.

The U of K research corroborates the Productivity Commissions suggestions that effective education and training requires a very different approach that demands new ways of allocating government funding.

There is some urgency in addressing these challenges, Robson said, noting that the number of students finishing school will increase by 20 per cent through 2030  and that the tertiary sector and employers must be prepared to direct them.

Nobody can predict what some of the specific jobs of the future will look like, he said. That is why an agile and adaptable education system is so essential for driving future productivity gains.

The Productivity Commission inquiry will be accepting submissions on the interim report through 21 October, with a final report expected by February 2023.
The nonprofit group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter Friday to the Kernersville charter school that a Winston-Salem man convicted of torturing and killing small animals attended, asking the school to adopt a curriculum designed to prevent young people from committing acts of animal cruelty.

Indictments allege that the man, Caleb Daniel Dewald, committed acts of animal cruelty off campus of the school between 2017 and 2021. Dewald graduated from the N.C. Leadership Academy in 2020.

Dewald pleaded guilty Wednesday in Forsyth Superior Court to 10 counts of felony animal cruelty. Judge Michael A. Stone gave him four consecutive suspended sentences of six months to 17 months and placed him on 30 months of supervised probation. He has to serve a 4-day active jail sentence within the next 30 days, get a mental-health assessment and continue with therapy.

Andrew Burton, an assistant with TeachKind, PETAs humane education division, wrote a letter to James A. Davis II, chair of the schools board of trustees. Davis did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.

According to reports, NCLA administrators were aware of Dewalds alleged proclivities while he was a student there, but adequate steps do not appear to have been taken to prevent further violence toward animals, Burton wrote. In light of this disturbing account, wed like to open a dialog about how we can equip your staff members with the tools they need to address students aggressive actions, foster prosocial behavior throughout the entire student population, and help prevent further tragedies.

Principal Renee Faenza said Friday school officials will evaluate PETAs proposal and see whether it fits into the schools curriculum.

However, the statements he makes about the school and the schools culpability are ill-informed, she said. She declined to elaborate further.

The Forsyth County Sheriffs Office received an anonymous tip from Crime Stoppers on June 29, 2021 that Dewald was trapping, torturing and killing small animals and that he was then posting videos of the abuse on the web. The next day, a PETA official sent an email to the sheriffs office, along with five videos showing Dewald drowning opossums and squirrels, torturing rats and drowning and stoning squirrels. One of the videos shows Dewald soaking a squirrel in WD-40 oil and setting it on fire.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Parent said in court Wednesday that Dewald narrated the videos and laughed while the animals were clearly suffering. According to search warrants, one of the videos appeared to have been recorded earlier than the other ones, and investigators traced that one back to when Dewald was a student at N.C. Leadership Academy.

Administration advised they remembered Caleb Dewald and stated there were numerous incidents in which Caleb was brought to their attention due to having photographs of animal cruelty, Dakota Faircloth, an investigator with the sheriffs office, wrote in affidavits for the search warrants. The applicant was told there were images of rats, squirrels and cats being tortured and flayed.

School administrators confirmed that the voice in the video belonged to Dewald and told investigators that when Dewald was once searched for drugs and weapons, they found a journal, according to the search warrants. The journal had entries that had drawings and confessions regarding the killing and torturing of different animals. Because the journal was considered private property, it was returned to Dewald, the search warrants said.

Kenneth Montville, senior education projects manager for PETA, said the organization has spent years creating curriculum designed to help prevent animal cruelty. That work is important because studies have shown links between animal cruelty and violence against humans, he said. Montville said 43% of school shooters have had a previous history of abusing animals.

In the last two years, PETA has heard more cases of youth violence toward animals, Montville said.

Most school systems that PETA has worked with have been responsive, and the curriculum has been designed by former teachers, he said. The aim is not to make teachers jobs more difficult but this type of education is more important than ever, Montville said.

The consequences of youth who commit violence against animals are destructive and very far-reaching so the best way to prevent future violence is with empathy training while they are still young, he said.
There will be a new king of the Omaha skyline, and it will bear the lion logo of Mutual of Omaha.

Mutuals new headquarters in the heart of downtown will become the citys tallest building when it opens in 2026, company CEO James Blackledge said in an interview last week.

The now-completed construction plans for the $600 million, 44-story skyscraper call for it to rise 677 feet. Thats 43 feet taller than First National Bank Tower, which has been the citys tallest structure for the past two decades.

Blackledge said constructing the citys tallest building was not an objective of the company as it launched its pursuit of a new headquarters. But he said Mutual is proud to add to the citys skyline and the energy and vitality of the citys downtown core.

I think people see skylines and it does create an impression of all the things we want Omaha to be perceived as  a vibrant, growing, thriving place where people can live and work and prosper, he said.

Indeed, the Fortune 500 insurers new skyscraper figures to reshape downtown Omaha, and in more ways than one.

Urban planning experts say downtown skylines help define a city. Tall buildings become powerful symbols of a citys stature and growth, their gravity-defying reach for the clouds embodying human aspirations to achieve new heights.

An iconic tall building enhances the global image of the city ... signaling and promoting its significant economic progress and advancement, wrote Kheir Al-Kodmany, a professor of urban planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The Mutual of Omaha tower represents the first significant addition to downtown Omahas skyline in a generation.

It also may be the largest single infusion of workers into Omahas downtown core. The move of Mutual of Omahas metro workforce of 4,000 into downtown dovetails with an ambitious chamber of commerce goal of pulling 30,000 additional jobs and 30,000 new residents into Omahas urban core over the next two decades.

In addition, the Mutual building is serving as a catalyst for a proposed downtown-to-midtown streetcar system.

Mayor Jean Stothert in January pledged her support for the $306 million, 3-mile streetcar line, which was announced in conjunction with Mutuals plan to anchor its headquarters downtown. The two projects are now linked by a development agreement signed by the city and Mutual that obligates the city to follow through on the streetcar plan if the building goes up as planned.

Newly released images of the Mutual of Omaha building show it towering over the block bounded by Douglas, Farnam, 14th and 15th Streets that for decades was home to Omahas main library. The skyscrapers east windows stare down the newly revamped Gene Leahy Mall and to the rest of the riverfront beyond.

Another image depicts the citys new skyline looking south from the airport drive, with Omahas three tallest buildings all aligned: the Mutual tower, First Nationals and the headquarters tower for WoodmenLife.

On Friday, the first visible steps toward the construction of Mutual of Omahas new tower could be seen. Demolition of the former library was underway, with a front-end loader hauling piles of debris out of the old buildings busted-out west doors.

Other city plans call for opening a new downtown library branch on Jones Street and building a new main city library at 72nd and Dodge.

Formal construction of the Mutual building is set to start in January and finish sometime in 2026  the same year the streetcar line is supposed to start running.

The new Mutual building will not only be the tallest in Omaha, but also the tallest in a multi-state region. Among states surrounding Nebraska, only Denver has buildings that rise higher.

While Blackledge said hes excited that the building will arguably become the tallest between Chicago and Denver, hes equally excited about what it will mean for Mutuals workers.

Its designed to bring workers together in ways that foster teamwork, engagement and innovation while also including amenities that can help the company keep and attract talent.

Particular highlights include a first-floor lobby atrium that will beckon the public, a sky lobby with services for employees and top-floor meeting spaces with 360-degree views of the city.

Part of the spirit of this is how we bring people together, Blackledge said. We believe it will truly be a beacon for our associates, for new generations of talent, and for the community.

* * *

Mutual of Omaha, based near 33rd and Dodge Streets for more than eight decades, for years has been studying its facilities needs and pondering a potential new headquarters.

Mutual was approached more than a year ago by developer Jason Lanoha, who proposed the insurance company build its new headquarters downtown.

Blackledge said it certainly would have been cheaper for the company to build on vacant ground somewhere in the suburbs. But he said Mutual of Omahas board liked the idea of investing in the future of downtown and locating in the heart of the city.

Omaha is in our name, Blackledge said. We bought in early to what we see as the positive economic impact of this project.

Initially, Lanohas focus was to locate the tower on the long-vacant block it owned at 14th and Dodge, site of the former Union Pacific headquarters.

Lanoha also suggested that Mutual of Omaha ask the city if it would be willing to reroute its developing streetcar system to include the new headquarters site along its path. So Mutual approached the city in September 2021 with just such a plan.

At the time, the city was in the process of relocating the downtown library and quietly considering half a dozen potential developments for the site. Rather than mess with the streetcar route, the city instead offered up the library site to Mutual.

Blackledge and Stothert jointly announced plans for Mutuals new headquarters in January. But up until now, its precise number of stories and height were not known. Those couldnt be determined until the companys exact space needs were determined and plans for the buildings specifications drawn up.

That planning is now complete. Mutuals 677-foot tower will top the 634-foot First National Bank Tower, which has been the citys tallest since it opened in 2002.

First Nationals tower can still lay claim to having the most stories  45, which is one more than the new Mutual building. Mutuals will be taller in part because its floors will be spaced farther apart, the result of a modern air-handling system thats among the buildings features.

Blackledge said other features of the building will include:

A sky lobby that will greet associates as they enter from the parking facility. Located on floors 16 through 20, it will feature a variety of food services, a fitness center, employee wellness services, a technical support center to service employees laptops and other devices, and meeting spaces.

The three lower floors of the sky lobby will feature outdoor terraces with sweeping views of downtown, outdoor dining, meeting and fitness spaces.

The 44th floor will offer views in all directions from a two-story atrium and hold large conference rooms and other meeting spaces.

The public street-level lobby will feature displays paying homage to the companys history, the services it offers and impact.

A parking garage extending up through the 15th floor can hold 2,200 vehicles. The city has agreed to pay nearly $100 million for the garage, recouping the expense by leasing the spaces to Mutual employees during the day and to downtown visitors during off-hours.

Blackledge said city ownership and shared public-private use of the garage is more efficient and will benefit both Mutual of Omaha and the city.

I know people will look at that and say, The city is just giving you a parking garage, Blackledge said. Well, no, the city is building a parking garage, and were going to lease it from them. The city is in the parking business, and they do it pretty well, its my understanding. I think thats a win-win.

At 800,000 square feet, the new headquarters will be half the size of Mutuals current 1.7 million-square-foot campus.

Blackledge said thats taking into account that the work-from-home and hybrid work models induced by the pandemic will continue into the future. Its believed only about 2,400 of the companys workers will be in the building on any given day.

Some workers will have formal desks. Others who primarily work from home will have shared hoteling space when in the office.

Blackledge said the company worked closely with its design partners to create a headquarters that is appropriately sized, designed to foster collaboration, and adaptable to new ways of working that could emerge in the future.

Blackledge said the building will also be more cost-efficient to operate than the companys current headquarters.

The building wont have an executive floor. Senior leaders will be positioned near the workers of the divisions they oversee.

Blackledge is not even sure there will be a formal CEOs office. During the pandemic, he said, hes become used to putting a laptop in a backpack and roaming around Mutuals current headquarters, interacting with other executives and workers.

Im really loving it, he said. Theres nothing so far where anyone has tried to design an office for me.

Mutual has a number of partners on the project in addition to the city and Lanoha Real Estate. Mutual is working with a design team that includes global architecture firm HOK; design architect Pickard Chilton of New Haven, Connecticut; architect of record Kendall/Heaton Associates of Houston; and Omahas Alvine Engineering.

JE Dunn Construction Group, a major construction company whose primary office is in Kansas City, is the general contractor.

For its part, the city has advanced numerous pieces of the project. The City Council approved $1 million to demolish and prepare the library site, passed some $60 million in tax-increment financing to help Mutual pay for public improvements related to the project, and backed the development agreement.

Blackledge said he has not yet spoken to Clark Lauritzen, president of First National, to break the news of the size of Mutuals building.

We were never in an arms race to build the biggest one, Blackledge said.

In fact, if someone else wants to one day add a taller one to Omahas skyline, Blackledge said, thats all the better.
GAINESVILLE, Fla.  Students and faculty at the University of Florida gave U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse a raucous welcome to campus Monday, greeting the Nebraska Republican with biting questions and a loud protest as he sought to introduce himself as the schools likely next president.

Introduced last week as the only finalist for the job, the 50-year-old Sasse faced opposition to his stances against same-sex marriage, his past efforts to do away with tenure and a decision by University of Florida leaders to keep much of the selection process secret.

During the second of three public forums, about 200 student protesters crowded into the lobby of Emerson Alumni Hall and refused to leave, waving signs and chanting Hey, hey, ho, ho. Ben Sasse has got to go. Their shouts could be heard inside the Presidents Ballroom, where Sasse was addressing students after an earlier forum with faculty.

Sasse paused a few times and smiled as the chants grew louder, then ended the student session about 15 minutes early. The protesters then flowed into the ballroom ahead of the next session with university employees.

To avoid the noisy scene, the university held the employee session online instead.

The Gainesville Sun reported as many as 1,000 people joined in the chanting.

The protesters made five demands while occupying the ballroom for about an hour. They wanted Sasse to decline the presidents job and the University of Florida board of trustees to release the names  thus far withheld  of all 12 people it had interviewed for the post. They also demanded more transparency during the selection process and the repeal of a new Florida law that keeps presidential searches at state colleges and universities largely out of public view.

In addition, they wanted the University of Florida to commit to picking a person who demonstrated consistent advocacy and respect for people of all sexual orientations, genders and races.

The large group stayed until the employee session with Sasse ended shortly after 4 p.m. Some of them said they planned to return Nov. 1, when Sasse is scheduled to be interviewed by the board of trustees.

Sasses day started on a lighter note, having listened to Tom Petty songs during his pre-dawn workout in Gainesville. He said during the faculty session that the melodies felt more special in the musicians hometown.

But he quickly faced a tense line of questioning as the session began.

Faculty members quizzed him on his positions regarding tenure, which he ended during a five-year period as president of Midland University in Fremont, which has about 1,600 students.

Sasse drew distinctions between Midland and the University of Florida, which enrolls more than 50,000 students, saying tenure was a necessity for recruitment at a large research university. He said he would be a zealous defender of tenure in Florida and would take it upon himself to explain its merits to people who might not understand in Tallahassee, a place he said hes never been.

But his first question from both faculty and students was how he would protect LGBTQ individuals, based on his statements opposing same-sex marriage.

Amanda Phalin, president of the faculty senate, said many University of Florida faculty are deeply concerned about Sasses stance on that issue and read him the universitys nondiscrimination policy.

Sasse responded, saying his stances were a subset of who he was. "I believe deeply in the immeasurable worth and universal dignity of every single person, he said.

He added that the law is set and nothing is currently under consideration at the University of Florida that would call that into question.

"People vigorously wrestle about what the issues are in the classroom, but the community is a place for respect and inclusion for all Gators, he said.

Sasse also tried to draw a distinction between his job as a senator and the one he's seeking.

"I've had political positions and policy positions that represent the views of Nebraskans. It's a completely different job to have the job of president of UF," Sasse said, according to the Gainesville Sun. "The president of UF's job is to celebrate all of what's going on in this community, and to be a storyteller and resource-getter and salesman for it."

He said he would meet with the LGBTQ advisory group on campus to learn more about the metrics of what is needed to create a more inclusive community.

"Sasse does not really believe in equality on the basis of sexual orientation," said Nathan Knorst, a senior at the university. "So, how can he adequately represent the student body and faculty and UF's core values, which are diversity, equity and inclusion?"

Lucca Carlson, a sophomore at the protest, said while he expected a conservative appointment he didnt expect a politician currently in office who had publicly made hateful statements.

Sasse also said during the forum he believes in human causes for climate change but has not always supported federal efforts to deal with it.

Sasse during questioning also sought to set aside what he said were other misconceptions about his positions.

He said he believes in climate change, unlike other members of his party, but feels innovation can provide the solutions, not the federal government.

He said Chinese or Chinese American scholars should not be fearful of his stances against the Chinese Communist party hiring spies within universities. And he said he didnt have anything against people who majored in psychology or people named Jeremy, a reference to jokes he made during a high school commencement address he delivered via Zoom during the pandemic. Sasse admitted his attempts at humor that day had flopped.

Danaya Wright, a law professor who put together the faculty senates report investigating academic freedom at the University of Florida, said in an interview she was trying to keep an open mind about Sasse.

I think being president of UF is a very difficult job, she said. Nobody is going to be perfect at every aspect of it. Well wait and see. Some faculty are very, very skeptical and concerned. And they have valid reasons to be. Hes going to have to prove himself.

Sasse reaffirmed that he was a staunch defender of academic freedom, saying it is essential to our research mission and essential to what happens in a dynamic classroom.

He said he is still learning about a new Florida law pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that limits discussion of race and gender issues in the classroom, but added that people should be able to talk about race and have debates about history.

You cant understand America if you dont understand the original sin in America of racism, he said during the session with faculty.

He had opened the session, saying he hadnt sought out the University of Florida job but was worried about the issue of creating more nimble learners. He said students who graduate now cant expect to work in the same field throughout their careers, and he wants to be part of addressing that issue.

He spoke of time spent in Silicon Valley, where he came to understand the concept of disruption and the need for higher education to change structures that were relevant 20 and 30 years ago but not today.

Sasse also mentioned his family, suggesting the life of a college president was more attractive to him than the Senate job he has. I didnt want to be a dad that never shared family dinners with his kids on weeknights, he said.

He said hes the father of a sophomore and a freshman in college as well as an 11-year-old. They were omni-schooled, he said, going to public and private schools as well as homeschooling and private tutors.

He said he hopes all learning, including at the University of Florida, includes more field experiences, more languages and more study abroad experiences.

Asked how he would adapt to the learning curve of leading a university as large and complex as the University of Florida, he said he would listen, listen, listen and listen some more.

He didnt have a timeline, he said, but if this goes the way I hope it will, I imagine I would start in the new year and there would be many, many months of listening.

Sasse, who has also been a rare GOP critic of former President Donald Trump, said the students have every right to protest.

Obviously, I wish they didnt have the position they have but I strongly support the right of people to protest and exercise their free speech rights, he said.

Sasse, who would resign from the Senate to take the position, was recommended for the school's presidency by a search committee. He still faces a vote of the schools board of trustees, then must be confirmed by the state board of governors.
OMAHA  Morning routines are looking a little different this fall in a growing number of Nebraska classrooms.

In addition to reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and taking attendance, teachers are facilitating things such as mood check-ins and listening sessions to gauge how students are doing.

The practices are part of social and emotional learning, an area of curriculum that many districts across the state are investing in this year with the latest round of federal COVID-19 relief money.

The pandemics impact has taken a toll on students in particular, contributing to an increase in mental health problems since 2020, according to statewide and national data. Nebraska districts, and schools across the U.S., are using the federal money to hire more mental health specialists, roll out new coping tools and expand social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, which prioritizes emotional health.

About one-third of school districts in the U.S. have earmarked COVID-19 money for social and emotional learning, said Justina Schlund, spokeswoman for Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, a national nonprofit that has worked for more than two decades to spread and develop social and emotional learning practice.

The organization defines social and emotional learning as the process through which youths acquire the skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, show empathy for others, establish supportive relationships and make responsible, caring decisions.

In Nebraska, the money has allowed Creighton Community Public Schools to heavily invest in social and emotional learning for the first time, Superintendent Josh Weber said.

The northeast Nebraska district is using about $20,000 to $25,000 for social and emotional learning programs, including Second Step  a program used by multiple districts  for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Students meet with their school counselor weekly to go through lessons.

One week might focus on being a good listener, and the next week they will learn what it means to be kind, Weber said. I hope it is going to be a really positive program for us.

The district also is starting a new mental health program, which includes reinforcing school expectations, tiered support for challenges, and learning about social skills. Weber said this is the first year a licensed mental health practitioner will be available twice a week.

Since COVID happened, we have really decided to take off with this, Weber said. Before COVID, students were still doing social emotional learning, but COVID has really shone a light on some mental health issues and pushed us to address them.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 70% of public schools reported an increase in the percentage of students seeking mental health services at school, according to a survey that the National Center for Education Statistics published in May.

About 76% reported an increase in staff voicing concerns about their students exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety and trauma.

Nebraska mental health providers reported in a 2021 survey that cases of pediatric anxiety, depression and family stress have increased both in quantity and severity during the pandemic, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

More than 50% of children surveyed in a separate 2021 UNMC statewide assessment had received mental or behavioral health services during the pandemic.

While social and emotional learning doesnt replace the need for mental health services, it can prevent risks and promote mental wellness, Schlund said.

Its preventative and helps reduce risks of mental health challenges, because it develops social-emotional skills that help students be able to process different emotions and cope with challenges, Schlund said. Research shows when they have relationships and strong SEL skills, it can help protect against mental health risks.

Social and emotional learning has been around for decades, Schlund said, and was even on the rise before the pandemic began. About 95% of school districts in the U.S. have some type of social and emotional learning, according to a 2021 CASEL survey.

But the pandemic revealed the mental wellness need among students and teachers, Schlund said. Earlier this year, when 100 school district leaders across the country were asked what their main priorities are, the top response included social and emotional learning.

Its safe to say it is a really huge focus across the nation, Schlund said.

This year, the Ralston school district is checking in on students daily through morning meetings, said Cecilia Wilken, assistant superintendent for learning.

The meetings take place in every prekindergarten through sixth grade classroom. Each one consists of a greeting to students, welcoming them to class, a sharing activity and an activity focused on a specific behavior or academic area. A morning message concludes the meetings, where teachers write to students what is on the schedule for the day.

Its the idea of taking time to build community and knowing each other, Wilken said. Its about how students interact with each other and they get to learn about each other.

Ralstons chunk of federal pandemic relief money also paid for new social and emotional learning curriculum for students prekindergarten through sixth grade this year. Wilken said it focuses on self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills and social awareness.

The district has also been using a different curriculum for grades 7-12 that includes the topics of gratitude, courage, compassion and forgiveness.

Wilken said while Ralston has been incorporating a variety of other social and emotional curriculum throughout the past several years, recently purchased programs are focused on helping students transition into a more post-pandemic world.

Our students have been through a lot, Wilken said. We are making sure we have those social and emotional supports in place, and we are helping students learn those life skills. When we think about helping students as we find our new normal, we try to give them opportunities to help them grow.

The Palmyra school district in southeastern Nebraska plans to purchase a $4,200 universal social emotional learning screener, which identifies students who may need advanced support.

It gives you data to say Hey, make sure we are following up with this kid or We need to create a safety plan for this kid, said Superintendent Michael Hart. Its another instrument to intervene hopefully as proactively as possible.

The Omaha school district is investing $460,000 from its federal money to implement more social and emotional learning districtwide.

The money has paid for the Second Step curriculum to be incorporated into all K-8 schools. The district also purchased training from the Yale Center for Intelligence for 14 schools. OPS has been able to host parenting workshops for families.

OPS schools are also incorporating SEL into daily activities. For example, Bryan Middle School hands out Bear Bucks to get rewards for positive behavior. The school has already handed out 11,000 Bear Bucks this year.

The district has future plans to incorporate more social emotional learning. Officials are currently searching for proposals from companies who can provide online emotional regulation and mindset tools that could be used in all grade levels.

Firms have until Oct. 24 to submit their proposals for the materials, according to the OPS website.

Josie McDonnell, social emotional learning supervisor for OPS, said while the district has been prioritizing social and emotional learning for decades, she thinks the increased focus on SEL is because of how the pandemic has affected students and teachers well-being.

Its a new buzzword, right? It seems like as we are still in a pandemic, were really focusing on students and educators mental health and wellness, McDonnell said. And I think that in schools, its really important that we teach (SEL) because they are lifelong skills that we use every single day.
People seeking justice at the Douglas County Courthouse will now walk between a pair of monuments commemorating two of the ugliest, most violent injustices in Omaha history.

One historical marker, unveiled in an emotional ceremony Friday, tells the story of the lynching of George Smith by a White mob outside the courthouse in 1891. The marker also relates the context of the killing: From 1865 to 1950, thousands of Black people were victims of racial terror and lynching. The lynchings were intended to intimidate Black people and enforce racial hierarchy and segregation.

The other plaque, unveiled last year, memorializes the lynching of Will Brown outside the courthouse in 1919.

The metal plaques bracket the sidewalk leading to the courthouses main entrance at 17th and Farnam Streets.

Their prominent placement speaks to the importance of reconciliation, said Brenda Council, a former Omaha City Council member and Nebraska state senator, after the Smith marker was unveiled on Friday.

It contains a tragic but real story of the role that racial injustice played in the City of Omaha, Council said. Its a new day, and we need to move forward  not ignore the wounds, but acknowledge them and seek to heal from them.

Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony on a crisp fall day. It was led by members of the Omaha Community Council for Racial Justice and Reconciliation, which has worked together with the Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative on the markers and a series of events.

Fridays ceremony mingled lamentation for past injustices with exhortations to do better in the present and future. It included a moving a cappella rendition by the Rev. Beverly Thompson of Strange Fruit, the anti-lynching anthem popularized by Billie Holliday.

Franklin Thompson, former Omaha City Council member, led a chorus of Lift Every Voice and Sing, often referred to as the Black national anthem. Central High School student Kaleciana Perry read a powerful poem she wrote about the lynching of Smith. The Rev. T. Michael Williams, president of the Omaha NAACP chapter, and the Rev. Stan Rone offered prayers.

Eric Ewing, executive director of the Great Plains Black History Museum, read the markers account of the murder of Smith. A 20-year-old hotel waiter with a wife and young daughter, Smith was arrested without evidence on suspicion of assaulting a White girl. After incendiary and inaccurate newspaper reports, a mob of thousands of White people descended on the courthouse, broke Smith out of jail, killed him and hanged his lifeless body from a telegraph wire.

Professor Cynthia Robinson, chair of the UNO Black Studies Department, read the Smith markers information about the context of the Omaha lynching.

Many African Americans were lynched following accusations of violating social customs or committing crimes, even when there was no evidence tying the accused to any offense, Robinson read. Black people faced hostile suspicion, and a presumption of guilt that made them vulnerable to white mob violence, and lynching. White mobs regularly displayed complete disregard for the the legal system.

That was, Robinson added, because sometimes the legal system was part of it.

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said the murder of Smith broke Americas founding commitment to equality and injustice.

As we unveil the marker to bring attention to his story, we acknowledge that racial violence and suffering were part of our countrys shameful past, Stothert said. We pledge our resolve to reject hate and bias and contribute to a community of acceptance, where we can talk openly about our past, learn from hateful actions, and educate each other and future generations that tolerance, respect and inclusion are hallmarks of a civil society.

Franklin Thompson said the day was not about guilt and shame.

Its all been about reconciliation, he said. The Omaha Community Council on Racial Justice and Reconciliation, we want justice, but we also want to reconcile one another and move ahead and reach our potential as human beings.

Marisa Hattab was so affected by hearing the account of Smiths murder that she had to remind herself to breathe.

I was not present during this time but the trauma, the generational trauma that has been inflicted on the bodies of Black people, I still feel it, said Hattab, Douglas County director of diversity, equity and inclusion.

She said she wrestles with hopelessness when she thinks of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. But she believes in a concept expressed by Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative: Hopelessness is the enemy of justice.

There truly is a hope, Hattab said. Were standing, were sitting, in the hope and the prayers of many of our ancestors that things will change. ... And so I just want to encourage you to be grounded and steadfast and hope. Because if we truly surrender to hopelessness  and that enemy is real, yall  justice will not prevail.
Ever since claims of election fraud arose in 2020, Wisconsin has seen its share of quixotic attempts to taint the presidential results.

A group of phony electors tried to claim the states electoral votes for Donald Trump. Wisconsins top lawmaker launched a yearlong inquiry led by a lawyer spewing election fraud theories. And its courts heard numerous suits challenging the integrity of the 2020 election and the people administering it.

All those efforts failed, sometimes spectacularly.

But on a more fundamental level, the election deniers succeeded. They helped change the way Election Day will look in 2022 for crucial midterm elections in Wisconsin  and they are creating an even more favorable climate for Trump and Republicans in 2024.

This summer, the conservative majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court banned most drop boxes for ballots, which had provided another quick and convenient method of voting during the pandemic, rather than relying on the mail. Until a federal judge intervened, the ruling also meant that people with disabilities could not have help delivering their ballots to their municipal clerks.

More recently, in Waukesha County, a judge sided with the Republican Party in a ruling that barred local clerks from fixing even minor errors or omissions  such as a missing ZIP code  on absentee ballot envelopes. The clerks could contact the voter or return the ballot to be corrected. In a state already known for limiting voter access, this was another example of a push toward more controls.

And the Wisconsin Assembly and the Senate, both dominated by Republicans, have passed a raft of bills that would tighten voting laws. Each was vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat. But Evers is in a close race for reelection against Republican Tim Michels, who has said that on day one he will call a special session of the Legislature to fix the election mess.

Philip Rocco, associate professor of political science at Marquette University in Milwaukee, describes a dynamic he has seen across the country playing out on a large scale in Wisconsin. An onslaught of attacks on the voting process, he said, produces an atmosphere of procedural chaos going into Election Day.

Republicans, who often benefit from lower turnout, frame the battles around issues of law, while Democrats argue that the fight is over voting rights. Neither side sees any benefit in giving in.

The seemingly daily news of legal machinations, legislative committee hearings, proposed laws or official investigations of Wisconsins election system have left many voters worried about what to expect when they next try to cast a ballot and unsure of whether their vote will count.

A swing state with 10 electoral votes and a history of razor-thin margins, Wisconsin will once again be a key prize in the 2024 presidential race.

Just how important the state is became clear in August, when the Republican National Committee announced that it will hold its 2024 convention in Milwaukee, a typically (on the national scale) overlooked, Democratic-led city. The convention will saturate the states largest media market, reaching the conservative-leaning suburbs and the quiet towns and farms beyond.

But first comes Novembers midterm election, with a chance to consolidate Republican power in the state and shape oversight of coming elections. Both ends of the political spectrum are keenly aware of the stakes.

What can happen in 2024 is largely going to be determined by what happens this November, said Wisconsin attorney Jeffrey Mandell, president of a progressive firm dedicated to protecting voting rights.

Endless legal battles

Nine attorneys, a parade of dark suits and briefcases, descended on a Waukesha County courtroom in southeast Wisconsin in September. Once again, the extreme minutiae of Wisconsin election law was being litigated.

The question before them: how to deal with absentee ballot envelopes that arrive with only partial addresses of witnesses?

Until then, municipal clerks had been able to simply fill in the information. Now, the Republican Party of Waukesha County argued that was unlawful and wanted to prohibit clerks from doing so. For some voters, that could mean having their ballots returned and figuring out how to fix them in time to have their vote counted.

A lawyer for the GOP-controlled Legislature favored a prohibition. Lawyers for government regulators, Democrats and the League of Women Voters argued against it. Ultimately, the GOP side prevailed.

In his ruling, Circuit Judge Michael J. Aprahamian added his voice to the doubts about absentee voting in Wisconsin and about the oversight provided by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, which has seen its every move scrutinized since Trump and his allies started questioning the 2020 results in Wisconsin.

Aprahamian excoriated the commission, saying that it is little wonder that proponents from all corners of the political spectrum are critical, cynical and suspicious of how elections are managed and overseen.

As court scenes like these play out elsewhere in Wisconsin, a healthy slice of the litigation can be traced to one man: Erick Kaardal, a Minnesota lawyer and special counsel to the anti-abortion Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm.

Despite some high-profile setbacks in Wisconsin, Kaardal told ProPublica he plans to keep scrutinizing the fine points of Wisconsin election law, a subject that takes up at least 122 pages in state statute.

His ongoing targets include the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which interprets laws and gives guidance to municipal clerks around the state; the Electronic Registration Information Center, a voter roll management consortium; and the Center for Election Innovation & Research, a nonprofit that seeks to improve turnout.

Well be litigating with the WEC and ERIC and CEIR for years to come, Kaardal said.

Kaardals persistence is not appreciated by everyone. A federal judge admonished him for political grandstanding and filing bad-faith litigation against then-Vice President Mike Pence in December 2020 to prevent the counting of electoral votes. And in May, a judge in Madison said it was ridiculous for Kaardal to label pandemic-related grants to election offices as bribes.

In defending his tactics, Kaardal cited his years of legal experience and investigative abilities. He said he merely wants to hold government accountable and make elections fair.

Among Kaardals most passionate causes is his ongoing effort to document election fraud at nursing homes. During the pandemic  Kaardal as well as the Racine County Sheriffs Office allege  an unknown number of cognitively impaired people ruled incompetent to vote under court-ordered guardianships somehow voted, perhaps with illegal assistance. Kaardal believes the voter rolls are not being updated to accurately reflect the court orders.

Kaardal brought lawsuits against 13 probate administrators across Wisconsin to force the release of confidential documents revealing the names of individuals under guardianship who have had their right to vote stripped by the court. His petition was denied in one case, but the others are ongoing.

Energized activists

Racine County resident Harry Wait drew national attention in July when he announced that hed gone on a state website and arranged for absentee ballots in the names of the Racine mayor, the state Assembly speaker and several others to be sent to his home.

The site requires only that voters enter their name and date of birth, and Wait claimed it had insufficient safeguards to prevent fraud.

The antic angered the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which held that it was a serious breach meant to undermine the states election system. Authorities charged Wait with election fraud, a misdemeanor, and misappropriation of ID information, a felony.

Notwithstanding the charges, Wait was treated like a hero a week later at a meeting of the right-leaning group he leads inside a Racine dive bar, DeMarks Bar & Restaurant, 1600 Albert St.

Wait formed H.O.T. Government, which stands for honest, open, transparent, four years ago over perceived government misconduct in Racine. Its now focused on rooting out what it sees as widespread election fraud throughout Wisconsin and is taking special interest in absentee ballots. The group even briefly considered a plan to steal leftover drop boxes in southeast Wisconsin to ensure they couldnt be used after the state Supreme Court ruling.

Wait has made it clear hes no fan of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Im going to make a declaration today that WEC is our enemy, he told the crowd inside the bar.

He was proud how, in his view, he had exposed the flaws in the state governments MyVote website, set up to help Wisconsinites find their polling place, register to vote or order an absentee ballot. The website, he said, really needs to be shut down.

Wait said in an interview that he plans to defend his action in court on the basis that, in his view, the MyVote system is not a legal channel to order a ballot. Its a rogue system.

The administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, Meagan Wolfe, has defended the online system. It requires a person to provide the same information or more information than he or she would have to provide if the person made the ballot request through traditional mail, she said at a commission meeting.

Still, the commission agreed to a new safeguard: When it gets a request to send an absentee ballot to a new address, it will notify the voter via postcard. The commission also asked clerks to be on the lookout for unusual requests.

At a preliminary hearing on his case, in September, Wait was represented by Michael Gableman, a leading figure among Wisconsin election deniers.

A former state Supreme Court justice, Gableman was special counsel for the Wisconsin Assembly, tasked with investigating the 2020 election. While spending more than $1 million in taxpayer money, he lent oxygen to election-fraud theories  including Kaardals accusations about nursing home irregularities  but couldnt prove any. Attempts to reach Gableman for comment for this story were unsuccessful.

Even after being dismissed from that role by the Assembly speaker, Gableman has continued to exert influence within the state Republican Party to stoke the anger of citizens. Among hard-right activists, Gablemans view of Wisconsin as a hotbed of election fraud is now taken for granted, as is the belief that voting options should be restricted, not opened up.

I want it back to in-person, one day, said Bruce L. Boll, a volunteer with We the People Waukesha, one of numerous groups supporting tighter controls. Voting should not be a whim. It should be something you plan for and you do. Like your wedding day.

Responding to this new atmosphere of distrust, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has proposed creating an Office of Inspector General to help it investigate the growing number of complaints and allegations of impropriety.

Chaos and controversy

The chaos and controversy around voting rules has caught some Wisconsinites off guard. The drop-box ruling was especially disconcerting to people with disabilities and their relatives.

Before the August primary, Eugene Wojciechowski, of West Allis, went to City Hall to pay his water bill and drop off his ballot and his wifes at the clerks office. A staffer asked him for ID and then told him he could not deliver his wifes ballot. Not even spouses of the disabled could do so at the time, thanks to the state Supreme Court decision.

I said: What do you mean? Shes in a wheelchair, Wojciechowski recalled. He noted that the ballots were all sealed and witnessed and everything.

The voting constraints were stupid, he said, but ultimately he decided he would just mail his wifes ballot for her, even though it was unclear at the time whether that was permitted.

He has filed an official complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission and weeks later remains exasperated.

I mean, what the hell is going on in this city? Ive lived here all my life, Wojciechowski said. Theyre stopping people from voting. Thats all it is.

The state Supreme Court decision came in response to a suit brought by a conservative group, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. An attorney for the group, Rick Esenberg, argued that regulators had issued unlawful guidance allowing ballots to be delivered on behalf of others, including potentially paid activists, paid canvassers who go around and collect ballots and place them in a mailbox. Those allegations echoed a widely circulated conspiracy theory about people, labeled mules, delivering heaps of fraudulent ballots.

Esenberg conceded in his oral arguments that he had no evidence of that type of activity in Wisconsin.

Four people with disabilities sued in federal court, including Martha Chambers, of Milwaukee, who was left paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse 27 years ago.

Here they are making things more difficult for me, and my life is difficult enough, she said.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and ordered the state elections commission to tell local clerks that voters with disabilities must be allowed to receive help from someone of their choosing to return their absentee ballots. The clerks do not have to confirm that the voter is disabled or ask the emissary for ID.

Still, its not at all certain that the ruling will be followed uniformly.

The state has approximately 1,850 local clerks who administer elections in cities, towns and villages. Even before the federal ruling, practices were wildly inconsistent, said Barbara Beckert, director of external advocacy for Disability Rights Wisconsin.

There is continuing confusion in Wisconsin as voting practices and policies continue to change in response to litigation as well as action by the Legislature, Beckert said.

Political observers say theres increased trepidation among all kinds of voters over whether their ballot will count and who will be watching at the polls.

People are afraid, said Milwaukee native Bruce Colburn, a union activist and lead organizer of Souls to the Polls, a traditional get-out-the-vote drive in Black communities. Are they going to do something wrong? Then you have all these lawyers and people making complaints in the court system for nothing. And it makes it more difficult. It scares people. If they get something wrong or they dont do it exactly right, somethings going to happen to them.

Jeffreys, the clerk in Green Bay, described poll watchers on primary day this year as aggressive and interfering. Rather than being cordial and unobtrusive, she said, some observers were repeatedly questioning voting officials and disrupting the process.

That, I think, is a really big change with elections in Wisconsin. Theres just a lot more of a gaze, and the gaze is not always friendly and cooperative.

Unlike poll workers, who carry out official duties and must be local residents, poll watchers can come from anywhere. They are not required to undergo training.

Observers are a very important part of the process, Jeffreys said. They lend transparency; they help educate people. They themselves become educated. But sometimes observers have anointed themselves as the people who will uncover problems. And oftentimes observers are not equipped with the information in order to do that.

The result, she said, can be baseless allegations.

Pointing toward 2024

If Republicans in Wisconsin want to find a way around the Democratic governor, Evers, and his veto pen, they have two choices.

They can unseat him in November or bulk up their legislative advantage to what is called a supermajority. Achieving supermajorities in both the Assembly and the Senate, which would make bills veto-proof, is considered the longer shot. Winning the governors race is not.

Michels, the Republican nominee, is the owner of a construction company and has never held public office. He was endorsed by Trump in the primary.

Michels has embraced the idea that the 2020 election was not run fairly, even though a state recount showed Biden won and multiple courts agreed. Asked if the 2020 election was stolen, Michels told the Regular Joe Show on the radio in May: Maybe, right. We know there was certainly a lot of bad stuff that happened. There were certainly illegal legal ballots. How many? I dont know if Justice Gableman knows. I dont know if anybody knows. We got to make sure. I will make sure it doesnt happen again.

A Michels victory would set the stage for reconsideration of a range of restrictive voting laws that were vetoed by Evers.

Among the bills passed by Republicans and blocked by Evers were proposals that would require the state to use federal databases to check citizenship status; remove voters from the rolls based on information submitted for jury selection; make it harder to request an absentee ballot; and classify it a felony to incorrectly attest that a person is indefinitely confined so they can vote absentee (a provision widely used during the pandemic).

Wisconsin already is a place that researchers have identified as difficult for voters to navigate. The Cost of Voting Index, a Northern Illinois University project that studies each state, lists it near the bottom, at 47th, because of a strict voter ID law, limits on early voting and proof of residency requirements that affect registration drives.

Over the last several election cycles, other states have adopted policies that remove barriers to voting, one of the researchers, Michael J. Pomante II, now with the election protection group States United Action, said in an email. But Wisconsin, he added, has continued to pass and implement laws that create barriers to casting a ballot.

In 2024, all these factors  from who is able to vote to who runs the executive branch and who runs the Legislature  will play a role in determining which presidential candidate gets Wisconsins electoral votes.

The governor and the Wisconsin Elections Commission are part of the states certification process, with the secretary of state making it official by affixing the state seal. And the state Supreme Court stands ready to rule on election law disputes.

The Nov. 8 midterm election will determine which party holds the office of governor and secretary of state when voting occurs in 2024. Michels has proposed a full reorganization of the Wisconsin Elections Commission if he is elected.

He hasnt explained what that would look like, other than to say in a primary debate that he envisioned replacing it with a board made up of appointees named by each of the states congressional districts. Wisconsin now has eight seats in the U.S. House, five held by Republicans and three by Democrats.

Evers, by contrast, backs the commission in its current form. He noted its origins in the states Legislature seven years ago.

Republicans created this system, and it works, he said in a statement released to ProPublica. Our last election was fair and secure, as was proven by a recount, our law enforcement agencies, and the courts.
MOUNT PLEASANT  The police K-9 Ares has died, the Mount Pleasant Police Department announced Monday morning.

Ares served in the MPPD for eight years, starting in 2015. He was a Belgian Malinois, or Belgian shepherd. A cause of death was not reported.

In 2015, Ares joined the MPPD to replace Bones, who retired in June of that year and died in November 2015.

Most recently, Ares was partnered with Sgt. Eric Giese.

We send our condolences to the Village Of Mount Pleasant Police Department on the passing of K-9 Officer Ares. Thank you, Ares, for all youve done for this community. You will be missed, the village said in a Facebook post Monday.

In its announcement of the passing of Ares, the MPPDs K-9 Unit said Our hearts are broken into a million pieces over the loss of one of the best. K9 Ares was such an amazing K-9. We are so deeply saddened to share this news with you. Sgt. Giese and K-9 Ares were an amazing team that helped clean up and protect the streets of Mount Pleasant for over 8 years. A true loss to our department. We will miss you Ares. Thank you for all you have done. Rest easy.

What's in a name? The name Ares comes from the Greek god of war and of courage, as well as embodying "the spirit of battle," according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Ares' Roman equivalent is Mars. In Roman mythology, Ares is the father of the demigod-brothers who founded Rome  Romulus and Remus. In the Greek city-state of Sparta, curiously, dogs were often sacrificed to Ares.

In a Facebook post, Mount Pleasants Lakeside COP (Community Oriented Policing) House called Ares one of the best.

Prior to the passing of Ares, Mount Pleasant had two K-9s on the department. Brutus, who joined the MPPD in 2014, continues to serve with the Officer Nicole Knierim.
1. Yes. Its important to cast my votes early and avoid the lines on Election Day.

2. Yes. With nearly two weeks of early voting, its a more convenient way to take part.

3. No. Its better to wait until Election Day, in case any last-minute information surfaces.

4. No. Im not planning to vote early or on Election Day. It isnt worth my time.

5. Unsure. It depends on how the campaigns are shaping up. Ill play it by ear.

Vote

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By Trend

Armenia cannot postpone and delay the peace treaty with Azerbaijan indefinitely, Ariel Cohen, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and director for energy, growth and security at the International Tax and Investment Center, told Trend.

I believe major developments are happening in the South Caucasus, as Armenia is facing its historic choice of signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, or continuing a conflict it cannot win. In that respect, the Azerbaijani victory in the conflict was decisive and the recent conflagration drove the point home that Yerevan cannot postpone and delay the peace treaty indefinitely. Azerbaijan is supported by Turkiye and by the international community, while Russia, the principal supporter of Armenia has other fish to fry both in conflict in Ukraine and improving its relations with Baku and Ankara, he said.

Cohen pointed out that the EU is entering the fray by facilitating contacts between Baku and Yerevan and trying to improve its positions in the South Caucasus at the moment in which Russia is preoccupied in Ukraine.

I believe that eventually, we will have a valid peace treaty and that will be for the benefit of all the peoples of South Caucasus and also for the people of Armenia, because the country desperately needs investments and development of its transportation and energy infrastructure. And this will be a win-win game for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and the whole region, he added.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Remember cash? These days, when a wave of a phone or credit card gets you a cup of coffee or more, it's easy to forget what actual bills look like  and the abuse they receive in an average five-year life span.

Not for Allah Mohammad Araya. In a country so sanctioned that much of its own cash is out of reach, he sat cross-legged in a corner of Kabul's main foreign-exchange market, sifting through a pile of what looked like paper trash but was actually a disaster area of distressed afghanis, Afghanistan's currency.

"Out of every 10,000 afghani bills here, maybe 1,000 of those bills are still OK to use," he said, pointing to a 100-afghani note faded to the point that one side seemed plain. Another looked more Scotch tape than bill. A third wasn't much better, the victim of a bad cut-and-paste job that left its color scheme  and serial numbers  mismatched.

"That one even the central bank won't take," he said, shaking his head before putting it up to the sun for a closer look.

A year after the Taliban careered into power, Afghanistan's economy remains in crisis. The slashing of international aid gouged 45% out of the country's GDP, and the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund expect economic output to contract by a further one-third by the end of 2022. Half of the country's 39 million people need humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.

Making matters worse, wide-ranging Western sanctions and Washington's freeze of $7 billion in Afghan central bank assets deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank in New York mean that credit card and online payments are out. That has turned Afghanistan into a cash-only economy not only at a time when capital controls limit how much money you can withdraw from the bank but also when no new bills are entering into circulation to replace worn-out ones.

In previous years, the Afghan central bank  known as Da Afghanistan Bank, or DAB  would withdraw annually 3 billion to 4 billion afghanis' worth (about $33 million to $45 million) of decrepit banknotes and substitute them with new ones printed abroad. (Afghanistan does not have its own mint.) But the international sanctions on working with the Taliban have left foreign printers spooked, plunging the country into a liquidity crisis as Afghans contend with a currency that is  literally  falling apart.

"The condition of these bills, it's terrible, and it's getting worse by the day," said Amin Jan Khosti, a veteran member of the money-changers union and chief of the foreign-exchange market, the Sarai Shahzadeh. "People try to iron them, they play with serial numbers. We've told DAB, and we know they're trying to find solutions."

In January 2020, the then-Republic of Afghanistan had contracted the state-owned Polish Security Printing Works, or PWPW, to print 380 million banknotes equaling 10 billion afghanis for a contract worth more than $4 million. By the time of the Taliban takeover, PWPW had fulfilled 70% of the contract, said Shah Mohammad Mehrabi, a Washington-based member of the Afghan central bank's governing board who was appointed by the previous government but continues serving under the Taliban.

"The last tranche was supposed to be delivered last September. But it was suspended when the interim Taliban administration came into power and sanctions were imposed," Mehrabi said.

Talks between DAB and the U.S. State and Treasury departments resulted in assurances to the PWPW that it wouldn't run afoul of proscriptions. "But then we had logistical problems," Mehrabi said. "Who would deliver these afghanis to the central bank?"

Even Qatar, which has facilitated the Taliban's diplomatic efforts, balked at doing that without Western assurances. According to Mehrabi, the Treasury Department stated that "clearance has been granted to all entities," but an agreement between Qatar and DAB didn't materialize.

And there was yet another issue: DAB had no intermediary through which it could send payments, including to PWPW.

"Whenever DAB tried to make payment to PWPW through another intermediary, the payment was rejected," Mehrabi said, adding that a new contract with the French company Oberthur Fiduciaire for 390 million banknotes, negotiated by the previous Afghan government, has yet to be signed.

The consequences of the bill shortage are compounded by the overall increase in prices, which have risen in part because of the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine, said Philippe Kropf, head of communications for the United Nations' World Food Program in Afghanistan.

People need more cash to pay for basic goods, but the amount of available hard currency is shrinking.

You can almost see the currency degrade in real time at the Sarai Shahzadeh marketplace, a grime-encrusted, ramshackle building that on occasion gets choked with the miasma of sewage from the nearby Darya-e-Kabul river.

Inside are labyrinthine passageways with hundreds of foreign-exchange offices and swarms of currency brokers. Many gather on the rooftop, which functions as an open-air currency auction site and includes a cafeteria serving French fries and egg sandwiches, not far from where Araya, the trader who was sifting through old notes, sat on his rug under an umbrella.

He flipped idly through a bunch of 100-afghani notes  each worth about $1.13  before settling on a particularly sorry example. He bent close to examine its production date.

"These are supposed to last roughly three years," he said, a rueful smile on his face. "This one has been around for 14."
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea's recent barrage of missile launches were the simulated use of its tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to "hit and wipe out" potential South Korean and U.S. targets, state media reported Monday, as its leader Kim Jong Un signaled he would conduct more provocative tests.

The North's statement, released on the 77th birthday of its ruling Workers' Party, is seen as an attempt to burnish Kim's image as a strong leader at home amid pandemic-related hardships as he defiantly pushes to enlarge his weapons arsenal to wrest greater concessions from its rivals in future negotiations.

"Through seven times of launching drills of the tactical nuclear operation units, the actual war capabilities  of the nuclear combat forces ready to hit and wipe out the set objects at any location and any time were displayed to the full," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said.

KCNA said the missile tests were in response to recent naval drills between U.S. and South Korean forces, which involved the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan for the first time in five years.

Viewing the drills as a military threat, North Korea decided to stage "the simulation of an actual war" to check and improve its war deterrence and send a warning to its enemies, KCNA said.

North Korea considers U.S.-South Korean military drills as an invasion rehearsal, though the allies have steadfastly said they are defensive in nature. Since the May inauguration of a conservative government in Seoul, the U.S. and South Korean militaries have been expanding their exercises.

The launches included a nuclear-capable ballistic missile launched under a reservoir in the northeast; other ballistic missiles designed to launch nuclear strikes on South Korean airfields, ports and command facilities; and a new-type ground-to-ground ballistic missile that flew over Japan, KCNA reported. It said North Korea also flew 150 warplanes for separate live-firing and other drills in the country's first-ever such training.

Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said the missile launches marked the first time for North Korea to perform drills involving army units tasked with the operation of tactical nuclear weapons.

The North's public launch of a missile from under an inland reservoir was also the first of its kind, though it previously test-launched missiles from a submarine.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said North Korea likely aims to diversify launch sites to make it difficult for its enemies to detect its missile liftoffs in advance and conduct preemptive strikes.

Kim, the professor, said the missile's estimated 370-mile flight indicated the launch could be a test of exploding a nuclear weapon above South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan, where the Reagan previously docked.

North Korea described the missile that flew over Japan as a new-type intermediate-range weapon that traveled 2,800 miles. Some foreign experts earlier said the missile was likely North Korea's existing nuclear-capable Hwasong-12 missile, which can reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam. But Kim, the professor, said the missile tested recently appeared to be an improved version of the Hwasong-12 with a faraway target like Alaska or Hawaii.

North Korea released a slew of photos on the launches. One of them showed Kim and his wife Ri Sol Ju frowning while covering their ears. Some observers say the image indicated Ri's elevated political standing because it was likely the first time for her to observe a weapons launch with her husband.

Worries about North Korea's nuclear program deepened in recent months as the country adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of its bombs in certain cases and took reported steps to deploy tactical nuclear weapons along its frontline border with South Korea. This year, North Korea carried out more than 40 missile launches.

Some experts say Kim Jong Un would eventually aim to use his advanced nuclear arsenal to win a U.S. recognition of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state, which Kim sees as essential in getting crippling U.N. sanctions on his country lifted.

Kim Jong Un said the recent launches were "an obvious warning" to Seoul and Washington, informing them of North Korea's nuclear attack capabilities. Kim repeated that he has no intentions of resuming the stalled disarmament diplomacy with the United States now, according to KCNA.

"The U.S. and the South Korean regime's steady, intentional and irresponsible acts of escalating the tension will only invite our greater reaction, and we are always and strictly watching the situation crisis," Kim was quoted as saying.

South Korean officials recently said North Korea maintains readiness to perform its first nuclear test in five years. Some experts say the nuclear test would be related to an effort to build warheads to be mounted on short-range missiles targeting South Korea.
BERLIN  As Russia suffers one devastating military setback after another in Ukraine, a key player in the conflict is stepping out of the shadows: the private army known as the Wagner Group.

Despite the Kremlins longtime practice of publicly distancing itself from the paramilitary organization, Wagner mercenaries  who first emerged during Russias 2014 conquest of Ukraines Crimean peninsula  have taken part in some of the most consequential battles of the 7-month-old war, according to Western military analysts.

Now, at a potentially fateful juncture in the fighting, experts say Russia is likely to become even more dependent on the private army, which has been implicated in human rights abuses in Ukraine as well as other conflict zones, including Syria, Libya, Mali and Central African Republic.

The more dire the situation gets for the regular (Russian) army, the more it will be required to lean on private mercenaries like the Wagner Group, said Christopher Faulkner, an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College.

As finger-pointing has intensified over recent battlefield losses in Ukraines south and east, the groups self-declared chieftain, oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, has become increasingly virulent in his criticism of the Russian war effort.

Send all these bastards to the front, barefoot and with machine guns, a Wagner-linked Telegram channel quoted him as saying in an apparent reference to the senior military leadership.

Prigozhin, who only last month publicly claimed to be the head of what is formally called PMC Wagner, for private military company, unleashed his critique after Russian forces fled or were wiped out in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lyman, a key operations hub.

The city was recaptured by Ukrainian troops a day after Putin declared the province in which it is located to be part of Russia  an annexation that most of the outside world, and of course Ukraine, rejected as illegal. Russias most hawkish commentators, who champion the war on Telegram channels and state television, reacted with fury to the loss of Lyman, but 61-year-old Prigozhin went further than most.

It was a pugnacity that analysts said could help establish him as a political threat to Vladimir Putin despite his professed fealty to the Russian president.

Prigozhins comments came on the heels of another eye-catching recent episode: the surfacing in September of video, widely shared online, which showed him at a Russian state-run prison recruiting inmates to fight in Ukraine.

Previously, rapists and murderers were not accepted as volunteers, but according to the group Russia Behind Bars, which works to support prisoners families, Wagner is throwing open its doors to anyone willing to risk service on the front lines, no matter their crimes.

In addition to undermining Kremlin denials that Wagners operations are officially sanctioned, Prigozhins prison performance was a powerful appeal to those who venerate strongman-style leadership and may be disenchanted with Putin.

Abbas Gallyamov, a political analyst and former speechwriter for Putin, wrote on Telegram that Prigozhin is clearly positioning himself to appeal to those disappointed with the current government. Christo Grozev, of the investigative group Bellingcat, said that in the eyes of Prigozhins followers, his stature has grown even as the presidents is diminished by wartime failures.

Wagnerites tell me theyd vote for him over Putin any time, and it seems to me he smells blood, Grozev wrote on Twitter last month.

Wagner is not the only paramilitary group that is operating in a legal gray zone in Ukraine. Another, called Redut, allegedly has close links to the Russian forces and the Ministry of Defense. According to the Russian-language news portal Meduza, a detachment of Redut mercenaries in the Donbas region, carried out reconnaissance that laid the groundwork for the push into Ukraine in the morning hours of Feb. 24.

Putins highly unpopular military call-up of 300,000 Russian men, announced last month, does not negate the need for firepower that Wagner can provide, analysts said.

I dont think that this is mutually exclusive, said Faulkner, of the Naval War College, who was voicing personal views rather than citing a Pentagon assessment. Russia will still use groups like Wagner, even if they increase their formal mobilization.

If anything, analysts said, deploying reluctant or hapless draftees to the front lines is likely to exacerbate the regular armys severe problems with morale, training and equipment. But while Wagner mercenaries may be more efficient fighters than regular troops, their numbers are not great enough to be a game-changer militarily, according to experts.

Wagner forces are highly unlikely to be sufficient to make a significant difference in the trajectory of the war, British military intelligence said in an assessment back in July. But it pointed out that the group had probably played an important role in summertime Russian advances in the Donbas, the eastern industrial heartland  gains that are now being partially rolled back by Ukraine.

Wagner, however, has shared some of the disaster-prone tendencies of Russian regular troops. Several thousand of its fighters are thought to have been killed in Ukraine. About 200 of its personnel were in the vanguard of the ultimately failed attempt to capture the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, at the start of the war, Bellingcats Grozev told British lawmakers in April testimony.
LUBBOCK, Texas  The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains, the windswept region that grows most of the crop in the nation's top cotton-producing state. But Barry Evans, like many others, has already walked away from more than 2,000 acres of his bone-dry fields.

"It just didn't come up. We hardly had anything. It just wasn't in the cards this year," said Evans, a third-generation cotton grower.

Extreme heat and a dearth of rainfall severely damaged much of this year's cotton harvest in the U.S., which produces about 35% of the world's crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast that more than 40% of what U.S. farmers planted in the spring would be abandoned because of drought.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the flat, dry stretch of Texas extending some 250 miles from Lubbock to the tip of the Texas Panhandle bordering Oklahoma.

Where waist-high cotton plants normally grow, the landscape is now defined by barren, brown fields. The USDA says Texas cotton farmers are likely to abandon almost 70% of their spring planting. That's the worst harvest since 2009, according to the Texas Farm Bureau.

The losses in cotton could cost the Texas High Plains $1.2 billion after farmers receive federal crop insurance payments, estimates Darren Hudson, director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University.

That leaves out others who depend on the crop, such as cotton gins and warehouses. "Any time you have a bad year in cotton, it has a role to play in the overall economy," Hudson said.

The region normally receives around 18 to 20 inches of rain per year, but saw less than 3 inches of rain from August 2021 through the summer, as nearly all of Texas baked under drought and blistering temperatures sapped the remaining moisture from the ground. Climate change is intensifying these effects.

"Subsoil moisture and topsoil moisture was already low to start, and it just got worse and worse," said Graham Soley, a USDA agricultural economist.

In Texas, bad drought years are recalled with a certain familiarity. Evans and other cotton growers say the soil was so dry in April and May, when cotton's planted, that the harvest fared worse than in 2011, the last time a drought almost as severe enveloped the state.

"If we don't get any kind of winter moisture, it's going to be really difficult next year," he said, adding that there's less groundwater available in the High Plains area than a decade ago.

Katie Lewis, a professor of soil chemistry and fertility at Texas A&M University in Lubbock, said extreme heat and dry events are growing more intense, but not necessarily more common.

The region's arid, sandy soils and high rates of moisture loss from evaporation and plants means rainfall can change soil conditions for farmers fairly quickly, Lewis said. So if this winter provides enough rainfall, next year's harvest could look very different.

"But the patterns of weather events have become so sporadic," she added, "that it's hard to define normal."

Even if crop yields rebound, the region's overall recovery from economic losses could take a few years, particularly small towns that are especially dependent on cotton. "Consecutive bad years really damage the economies of the rural areas," said Texas Tech's Hudson.

While most farmers facing losses already received federal crop insurance payments, such backstops don't exist for the cotton gin operators who separate seeds from harvested bolls, warehouses that store cotton bales, mills that make cottonseed oil, or trucking companies that transport the crop.

Todd Straley, who manages a cotton gin in Plainview, Texas, said his region has experienced five years of below-average harvests that accelerated the closure and consolidation of nearby facilities.

His gin normally produces about 100,000 bales each harvest; this year, he is expecting to process 12,000. As a result, Straley has no need to run the facility 24-hours-a-day as he normally would for the three months after the harvest.

"We are looking at such a short crop," Straley said, "I contracted my employees to dismantle different gins that went out of business."

While U.S. cotton farming is no longer labor intensive, cotton gins, warehouses and oil mills depend heavily on seasonal workers, usually migrant laborers. Straley said he'll need about 18 full-time and seasonal workers, compared to 50 in years when farmers haven't abandoned crops at such high levels. Farmers choose not to harvest when so little grows that it isn't worth the cost.
SUFFOLK, Va.  Whenever historic homes get flooded, building contractors often feel compelled by government regulations to rip out the water-logged wood flooring, tear down the old plaster walls and install new, flood-resistant materials.

Its a hurried approach that's likely to occur across southwest Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian. But restorers Paige Pollard and Kerry Shackelford say they know something that science is yet to prove: Historic building materials can often withstand repeated soakings. Theres often no need, they say, to put in modern products such as box-store lumber that are both costly to homeowners and dilute a houses historic character.

Our forefathers chose materials that were naturally rot-resistant, like black locust and red cedar and cypress, said Shackelford, who owns a historic restoration business. And they actually survive better than many of the products we use today.

Pollard and Shackelford are part of an emerging movement in the U.S. that aims to prove the resilience of older homes as more fall under the threat of rising seas and intensifying storms due to climate change. They hope their research near Virginias coast can convince more government officials and building contractors that historic building materials often need cleaning  not replacing  after a flood.

In Florida, historic preservationists already fear older homes damaged by Ian may be stripped of original materials because so few craftsmen are available who can properly perform repairs.

There are some companies that just roll through, and their job is just to come in and gut the place and move on," said Jenny Wolfe, board president of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

Pollard and Shackelfords joint venture in Virginia, the retrofit design firm Building Resilient Solutions, opened a lab this year in which planks of old-growth pine, oak and cedar are submerged into a tank mimicking flood conditions. The tests are designed to demonstrate historic materials' durability and were devised with help from Virginia Tech researchers.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on similar research at the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in Champaign, Illinois.

Researchers there have read through construction manuals from the mid-19th and early 20th centuries to assemble everything from tongue-and-groove flooring to brick walls coated with plaster. The materials were lowered into water containing bacteria and mold to simulate tainted floodwater.

The research may seem glaringly redundant considering all of the older homes that stand intact along the nations coasts and rivers: many have withstood multiple floods and still boast their original floors and walls.

Pollard and Shackelford say lumber in older homes is resilient because it came from trees that grew slowly over decades, if not centuries. That means the trees growth rings were small and dense, thereby making it harder for water to seep in. Also, the timber was cut from the innermost part of the trunk, which produces the hardest wood.

Plaster can also be water resistant, while common plaster coatings were made from lime, a substance with antiseptic qualities.

But heres the problem: U.S. flood insurance regulations often require structures in flood-prone areas to be repaired with products classified as flood-resistant. And many historic building materials havent been classified because they havent been tested.

U.S. regulations allow exceptions for homes on the National Register of Historic Places as well as some state and local registries. But not everyone fully understands or is aware of the exceptions, which can be limited.

The far bigger challenge is a lack of expertise among contractors and local officials, Pollard said. Interpretations of the regulations can vary, particularly in the chaos after a major flood.

Youve got a property owner whos in distress, said Pollard, who co-owns a historic preservation firm. Theyre dealing with a contractor whos being pulled in a million directions. And the contractors are trained to get all of that (wet) material into a dumpster as quickly as possible.

In Norfolk, Virginia, Karen Speights said a contractor replaced her original first floor  made from old-growth pine  with laminate flooring after her home flooded.

Built in the 1920s, Speights two-story craftsman is in Chesterfield Heights, a predominantly Black neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places. It sits along an estuary of the Chesapeake Bay in one of the most vulnerable cities to sea-level rise.

I still believe I had a good contractor, but flooding was not his expertise, Speights said. You dont know what you dont know.

Andy Apter, president-elect of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, agreed that many contractors aren't well-versed in older building materials.

Theres no course that I know of that teaches you directly how to work on historical homes, said Apter, a Maryland contractor. Its like an antique car. Youre going to be limited on where you can find parts and where you can find someone whos qualified to work on it.
Telemedicine exploded in popularity after COVID-19 hit, but limits are returning for care delivered across state lines.

That complicates follow-up treatments for some cancer patients. It also can affect other types of care, including mental health therapy and routine doctor check-ins.

Over the past year, nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., have ended emergency declarations that made it easier for doctors to use video visits to see patients in another state, according to the Alliance for Connected Care, which advocates for telemedicine use.

Some, like Virginia, have created exceptions for people who have an existing relationship with a physician. A few, like Arizona and Florida, have made it easier for out-of-state doctors to practice telemedicine.

Doctors say the resulting patchwork of regulations creates confusion and has led some practices to shut down out-of-state telemedicine entirely. That leaves follow-up visits, consultations or other care only to patients who have the means to travel for in-person meetings.

Susie Rinehart is planning two upcoming trips to her cancer doctor in Boston. She needs regular scans and doctor visits to monitor a rare bone cancer that has spread from her skull to her spine.

Rinehart doesnt have a specialist near her home outside Denver who can treat her. These visits were done virtually during the pandemic.

She will travel without her husband to save money, but that presents another problem: If she gets bad news, shell handle it alone.

Its stressful enough to have a rare cancer, and this just adds to the stress, the 51-year-old said.

Rineharts oncologist, Dr. Shannon MacDonald, said telemedicine regulation enforcement seems to be more aggressive now than it was before the pandemic, when video visits were still emerging.

It just seems so dated, said MacDonald, who recently co-wrote a piece about the issue in The New England Journal of Medicine.

To state medical boards, the patient's location during a telemedicine visit is where the appointment takes place. One of MacDonalds hospitals, Massachusetts General, requires doctors to be licensed in the patient's state for virtual visits.

It also wants those visits restricted to New England and Florida, where many patients spend the winter, said Dr. Lee Schwamm, a vice president for the Mass General Brigham health system.

That doesnt help doctors like MacDonald who see patients from around the country.

Cleveland Clinic also draws a lot of patients from out of state. Neurosurgeon Dr. Peter Rasmussen worries about how some will handle upcoming travel, especially because winter can bring icy weather.

A fall literally could be life ending for someone with a condition like Parkinsons disease who has trouble walking, he said.

Psychiatrists have a different concern: Finding doctors for patients who move out of state. This is especially difficult for college students who temporarily leave home.

Most U.S. counties have no child and adolescent psychiatrists, noted Dr. Shabana Khan, chair of the American Psychiatric Associations telepsychiatry committee.

If we do try to transition patients, often there is no one there, Khan said.

Helen Khuris mother found a specialist to help her when the 19-year-olds post-traumatic stress disorder flared up last spring. But the Emory University student had to temporarily move from Atlanta to Boston for treatment, even though she never set foot inside the hospital offering it.

She rented an apartment with her father so she could be in the same state for telemedicine visits, a situation she called ridiculous.

It didnt necessarily make sense to  kind of uproot my life, just to receive this three-week treatment program, Khuri said.

Even people seeing doctors close to home can be affected.

Dr. Ed Sepes Washington, D.C., pediatric practice has patients in Maryland who have started driving a few miles across the border into the city to connect by video. That saves them a 45-minute trip downtown for an in-person visit.

Its silly, he said. If you are under a doctors care, and you are in the U.S., it doesnt make any sense to have geographic restrictions for telemedicine.

Sepe noted that low-income families tend to be in jobs that dont allow time off for in-person visits. Some also have a hard time getting transportation. Video visits were helping with these obstacles.

Its bigger than just telemedicine, he said. Theres a missed opportunity there to level the playing field.

States can play an important role in telemedicine's growth by guarding against fraud and protecting patient safety, according to Lisa Robin, an executive with the Federation of State Medical Boards.

But the federation also recommends that states loosen some telemedicine restrictions.

That includes permitting virtual follow-ups for someone who has traveled out of state to seek care or for people who temporarily move but want to stay with a doctor.

States could also form regional compacts with their neighbors to ease cross-border care, noted Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, a Harvard health policy professor who studies telemedicine.

Theres so many ways that these issues can be addressed, he said.
RICHMOND, Vt.  Residents of a small community in Vermont were blindsided last month by news that one official in their water department quietly lowered fluoride levels nearly four years ago, giving rise to worries about their children's dental health and transparent government  and highlighting the enduring misinformation around water fluoridation.

Katie Mather, who lives in Richmond, a town of about 4,100 in northwestern Vermont, said at an Oct. 3 water commission meeting that her dentist recently found her two kids' first cavities. She acknowledged they eat a lot of sugar, but noted that her dentist recommended against supplemental fluoride because the town's water should be doing the trick.

Her dentist "was operating and making professional recommendations based on state standards we all assumed were being met, which they were not," Mather said. "It's the fact that we didn't have the opportunity to give our informed consent that gets to me."

The addition of fluoride to public drinking water systems has been routine in the United States since the 1940s and 1950s but still doesn't sit well with some people, and many countries don't fluoridate water for various reasons, including feasibility.

Critics argue that the health effects of fluoride aren't fully known and that its addition to municipal water can amount to an unwanted medication; some communities have ended the practice. In 2015, the U.S. government lowered its recommended amount in drinking water after some children got too much of it, causing white splotches on their teeth.

While such splotches are primarily a cosmetic problem, the American Dental Association notes on its website that fluoride  along with life-giving substances including salt, iron and oxygen  can be toxic in large doses.

But in the recommended amounts, fluoride in water decreases cavities or tooth decay by about 25%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported in 2018 that 73% of the U.S. population was served by water systems with adequate fluoride to protect teeth. So for some people in Richmond, it was a shock to hear their water wasn't meeting the standard.

Kendall Chamberlin, Richmond's water and wastewater superintendent, told the Water and Sewer Commission in September that he reduced the fluoride level because of his concerns about changes to its sourcing and the recommended levels.

He said he worries about quality control in the fluoride used in U.S. drinking systems because it comes from China  an assertion that echoes unfounded reports about Chinese fluoride that have circulated online. And, he said, he doesn't think the state's recommended level of fluoride is warranted.

"My duty is to take reasonable care and judgment for the protection of public health, safety and the environment of my customers," he said, adding that "to err on the side of caution is not a bad position to be in."

Chamberlin did not respond to an Associated Press email seeking comment.

Two of the three fluoride additives U.S. water systems can use do come from China because they have no domestic manufacturers, but all are subject to stringent standards, testing and certification to ensure safety, CDC spokesperson Tracy Boehmer said in an email. Spokespeople for the Vermont Department of Health concurred that all additives must meet those national standards.

Chamberlin's decision flabbergasted residents and doctors.

"For a single person to unilaterally make the decision that this public health benefit might not be warranted is inappropriate. I think it's outrageous," retired Dr. Allen Knowles said at the Sept. 19 meeting. He said he has an 8-month-old granddaughter he thought was getting adequately fluoridated water.

"Fluoride, again, is one of the most successful and important public health measures that has ever been undertaken in this country," Knowles said. "The reduction in dental disease is just inarguable. You don't establish safety based on one person's opinion or one study or this or that."

Most water naturally contains some fluoride, but typically not enough to prevent cavities.

The mineral was first added to public water in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1945. Now it's commonplace, although more prevalent in some states than others. Fluoride also is added to toothpaste and other topical products and is in some foods.

In sparsely populated and largely rural Vermont, 29 of the 465 public water systems voluntarily fluoridate, and just over half of residents served by a public system get fluoridated water, the Vermont Department of Health says. The state's standard level is based on federal recommendations.

Towns that fluoridate must maintain levels within the state's recommendations and submit monthly reports to the state Health Department.

At the Oct. 3 meeting, Chamberlin  who doesn't live in town and appeared online  read a statement of apology. "Words cannot express how sorry I am for causing this controversy," he said. "Believe me when I say I have always only had good intentions based on a misunderstanding. I promise I will make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

The commission voted to return the water to full fluoridation. It's not clear whether anyone could face professional repercussions; personnel issues were discussed in a closed session.
By Trend





Azerbaijan diplomatically continues its success achieved during the 2020 second Karabakh war, former Turkish Ambassador, Board Member of the Ankara Commission for Crimes in Karabakh Hulusi Kilic told Trend.

Speaking about the meetings between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President of France Emmanuel Macron at the European Political Community summit in Prague, Kilic noted that following the meetings of President Ilham Aliyev with President Emmanuel Macron, President of European Council Charles Michel and Prime Minister Pashinyan, a statement was adopted.

"According to the statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, once again demonstrating their commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991. This means that Armenia renounces its claims to Azerbaijan's Karabakh," the commission member said.

"Turkiye will continue to support Azerbaijan. We hope that in a short time a peace treaty will be signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia for even greater development and prosperity of the region," added Kilic.
KEARNEY  Democrat Carol Blood said she spent just 3% as much as Republican Jim Pillen of Columbus in her gubernatorial campaign, but thats OK.

I may have been outspent, Blood said, but Ive never been outworked.

With Republican voters holding a 2-to-1 advantage over Democrats, Blood is considered a longshot for the statehouse, but she said Saturday in Kearney, Im not a sacrificial lamb.

She said shes been an underdog in almost every election, but she discovered hard work is her secret weapon.

Blood said Pillen spent $7 million in what she described as a hatefest of a primary election battle vs. Charles Herbster for the GOP nomination.

The divisiveness that infected Republican rhetoric actually spurred her into filing as a candidate on the Democratic ticket, said Blood, who brought her hard-working style to Kearney on Saturday. She appeared in front of about 75 Kearney-area Democrats in what was billed as a town hall event where supporters learned more about her and promised to support her campaign.

Blood said her campaign has canvassed more than 270,000 Nebraskans knocking on doors, making telephone calls or mailing handwritten postcards.

Mary Kulhanek of Kearney, a Blood volunteer, has sent 600 postcards along with other volunteers.

I hope it gets people out to vote. We need to be heard, Kulhanek said.

Regarded as a heavy underdog because of her underfunded campaign and the GOP numbers advantage, Blood said Nebraskas race for the statehouse isnt the first time shes been the underdog. Shes defeated what many considered to be stronger candidates for city council in Bellevue and for her District 3 Legislature seat that shes held for six years.

She said her plan for governor is based on four pillars:

 Prosperity for all Nebraskans.

 Maintain public safety and improve public health.

 Invest in Nebraskas infrastructure.

 Encourage education.

Blood said Colorado recently passed universal child care. She said Nebraska should do the same, so more couples can work instead of caring for kids at home to avoid child care expenses.

She said she wants her campaign to be about issues and answers.

When Im elected, well decide what our states priorities are. Well ask communities what their top three needs are, and then well do a strategic plan thats reflected in our state budget, she said.

She said in 25 years Nebraska lawmakers have failed to reduce taxes, and that failure has harmed the middle class. Who pays the most income tax? Its the working middle class. Its the upper class that gets the breaks, she said.

Pillen has declined to debate Blood. She said if he were to debate, it would expose his lack of knowledge about Nebraska government.

He doesnt want to answer questions unless hes been trained on them. He doesnt know how government works, Blood said. I also find it interesting that he hasnt been vetted well by the media.

She said Nebraskans need a governor who can think on their feet, especially when its time to lead after a natural disaster or when the media asks tough questions.

With just four weeks until the Nov. 8 general election, Blood said her goal is to knock on doors and conduct more town hall events.

Blood and her volunteers will be distributing a small newspaper she published for the campaign, The Changing Times.

After people read it, they say theyve never had a candidate explain to them the issues, she said.

She said the newspapers, the door-to-door canvassing and handwritten post cards will hopefully touch voters for the right reasons.

Ive never run a dirty campaign, she said. The other side is getting attention because theyre leaving people scared and angry. They never solve the real problems that affect real Nebraskans.
KEARNEY  A Kearney man was given credit for time already served in a December incident that involved his former probation officer.

Shawn Smith, 36, was sentenced in Buffalo County District Court in August to 350 days in jail for domestic third-degree assault and driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense, both misdemeanors, on Dec. 18 in Kearney. Judge James Doyle IV also ordered him to pay a $500 fine and suspended Smiths drivers license for six months.

Smith was arrested in December after going to the Kearney house of Mara Stamp, his former probation officer, where he found her in bed with another man and became upset. At the time, Smith said he and Stamp had been in a relationship for about six months, and they tried to keep it a secret because Stamp was a Nebraska State Probation officer who had previously supervised Smith as her client.

Court records show Stamp was Smiths probation officer in August 2016.

Smith and Stamp got into an argument where he threatened and assaulted her and drove under the influence of alcohol.

Smith was later arrested and initially charged with felony terroristic threats, assault, DUI and felony flight to avoid arrest. The felonies were later dismissed in exchange for his pleas to the misdemeanors.

Stamp, 31, resigned her position when state officials started their inquiry. She was arrested after the investigation and charged in district court with tampering with physical evidence, a felony, and false reporting, a misdemeanor. Her case is pending.
The Air Force must pay a Bellevue man $1 million in damages and attorney fees by Nov. 29 after unlawfully denying him a job as a military historian for medical reasons in 2014, a federal appellate agency has ruled.

David Bighia, 61, is also entitled to a job offer, and 8 years worth of back pay and benefits that could total hundreds of thousands of dollars more, according to the ruling by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions Office of Federal Operations.

The appellate decision upheld an EEOC judges ruling last December that the Air Force had violated the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 when it withdrew its job offer and refused to make reasonable accommodation for Bighias medical condition.

The appellate opinion also slapped at the Air Forces lawyers for arguing that damages should be reduced because the Air Force had actually partially prevailed in the December ruling.

Office of Federal Operations Director Carlton Hadden, who authored the appellate decision, dismissed that argument as utterly without merit and strikingly lacking in any legal support.

Haddens ruling also said Bighia is entitled to nearly $78,000 in compensation for out-of-pocket expenses and $300,000 in non-compensatory damages  essentially, punitive damages  the maximum allowed by federal law.

He also directed the Air Force to pay $624,000 in attorneys fees.

Air Force officials have not yet responded to questions about the case submitted Thursday by a World-Herald reporter.

Bighia, a 16-year Army Reserve veteran, had previously worked as a military historian, including a stint as the 55th Wing historian at Offutt Air Force Base. But he had suffered health and personal setbacks  including surviving two heart attacks  before he applied for the GS-11 Air Force historian job paying about $65,000 a year at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, in December 2013.

Bighia was offered the job early the following year, contingent on passing a medical exam. A doctor at Offutt approved him, but inserted a notation that he should deploy to areas with fixed medical facilities.

Because of that notation, the Air Force withdrew the job offer. And it denied his request for reasonable accommodation, arguing no similar exceptions had ever been granted for historians before.

Bighia filed a complaint, which languished at the EEOC for seven years. That was largely due to Air Force foot-dragging, said his attorney, Keith Taubenblatt, as Air Force lawyers missed deadlines for turning over documents or answering interrogatories.

The delay took a toll on Bighias finances. He applied for more than 200 jobs, Taubenblatt said, but was sometimes passed over because his credit rating had slipped. He worked several temporary jobs but never found a permanent position in his career field.

Im scrambling. Time is moving forward. The bills are piling up, Bighia said last month. The longer it went on, the harder it became to get employed.

His lawyers were optimistic after the EEOC ruled in his favor last December, but Bighia was not.

I always felt the other shoe was going to drop, Bighia said.

The Air Force stalled on paying, even after a second EEOC judge ruled in his favor in June. He has yet to receive any money, though in early September he was offered the historians job at Laughlin, which is in Del Rio, on the Mexican border, 150 miles west of San Antonio. He still hasnt decided whether to accept the job, along with the cross-country move it would entail.

In the meantime, the house in Bellevues Fontenelle Hills he purchased in 2005 with a VA loan is in foreclosure. He has filed for bankruptcy multiple times to keep from losing it.

It was scheduled to be sold at the Sarpy County Courthouse on Sept. 22. The lender agreed at the last minute to delay the sale.

Bighia said in a statement Friday that he was grateful the latest ruling came quickly, just eight days after the Air Force filed its appeal.

In the spirit of compassion (to) avoid prolonging the financial hardships I continue to face as a result of the Air Forces actions, Bighia said, I hope Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall will direct his staff to immediately pay in full the awarded amounts so that I can finally, after all these years, move on with my life.
The Westby-Christiana Fire Department (WCFD) celebrated its new fire engine with an open house and push-in ceremony, Sunday afternoon.

The WCFD recently took delivery of a 2022 Rosenbauer Commander engine. On Sunday, the WCFD held an open house for the community from 4 to 6 p.m. to see the new engine, tour the station, and ask questions. At 6 p.m., the new engine was pushed-in to the station. The push-in ceremony dates back to the days of horse-drawn equipment when members had to push the equipment into the bay. The ceremony is done now to remember the history of the fire service while placing a new apparatus into service.

The new engine holds 2,500 gallons of water, can pump up to 1,500 gallons per minute, and can seat eight people. The new engine replaces a 1991 International fire engine that held 750 gallons, pumped 1,250 gallons per minute, and could only seat two people. The fire department noted the following in a press release: WCFD would like to thank the city of Westby, town of Christiana and the Westby-Christiana Fire District for their support in obtaining this new engine.

The WCFD was also recently awarded two grants to replace aging equipment. The first grant awarded was from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The grant awarded was a DNR 50/50 grant for the amount of $9,129.30. This will be used to purchase a new slide-on pump unit for wildland fires, personal safety strobes for firefighters, fire resistant hoods, two portable radios, and several other pieces of equipment.

The second grant awarded was from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) in the amount of $131,142. This grant will be used to replace the departments aging Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). The SCBAs are used by firefighters during interior fire operations and allow firefighters to bring in their own air supply. The current SCBAs are reaching their end of their lifespan, as the department is unable to obtain parts to fix the equipment and has had several units be taken out of service due to this.

The WCFD reminds everyone that this is Fire Prevention Week. Please take the time with your family to discuss fire safety in your home. This years theme is Fire wont wait. Plan your escape. Please make sure your family is aware of the fire hazards in your home. Please exercise caution when cooking, keep electronics in safe locations when charging and using them, maintain your smoke/carbon monoxide detector batteries, and have a plan should an emergency occur in your home.

The WCFD thanks the community for their continued support, the release stated. Without their support none of this would be possible.
MONDAY, Oct. 10, 2022 (HealthDay News)  While the United States has recently ordered a $290 million supply of a drug meant to treat radiation sickness, federal health officials say thats not cause for alarm.

It's coincidental that the order of Nplate, made by pharmaceutical company Amgen, comes just as Russian President Vladimir Putin is making nuclear threats, say officials at the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). On Monday morning, Putin also ordered a series of missile strikes against at least 10 cities across Ukraine, hitting the capital city of Kyiv and other areas far from the front line.

Despite these developments, the U.S. purchase of Nplate is part of long-standing, ongoing efforts by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to better prepare the U.S. for the potential health impacts of a wide range of threats to national security, according to an HHS news release.

The purchase is for about 50,000 courses of the drug. Thats not enough if the United States were close to war with Russia, NBC News reported.

"It isnt that much product," Chris Meekins, former deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, told NBC News. I would expect a bigger buy if this were in a response to something going on over there that requires them to both have enough for the U.S. and for giving to partners overseas."

The drug must also be used within 24 hours of nuclear exposure, making it not the ideal candidate for a widespread nuclear explosion, Meekins added. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends people stay indoors for at least 24 hours after a nuclear event.

We need products that can be used longer, Meekins said.

HHS has supported development of this drug since 2019. The agency did not say whether it made the order before or after Russia's invasion of the Ukraine.

Greg Burel, former director of the Strategic National Stockpile, said he didnt think the order and the invasion were related.

Still, President Joe Biden warned recently that the risk of nuclear Armageddon is at its highest since the Cuban missile crisis.

Bottom line, we are watching everything, but this shouldnt be used as a data point to assume there is a greater threat than people anticipate, Meekins said.

More information

The National Library of Medicine has more on radiation sickness.

SOURCE: NBC News
With another Wisconsin winter quickly approaching, many parents will again be shopping for boots, coats, hats and mittens as their growing children will no longer fit into last years gear. For many local families, however, that will force difficult decisions, like whether to keep their child safe outdoors or heat their homes. Thats where the Childrens Clothes Closet at Trinity comes in.

A mission of Trinity Lutheran Church, the closet provides seasonal clothing, footwear and other essential clothing items free of charge to families in need. Its one of three Trinity ministries that occur every Monday evening. The other ministries are the From the Heart Food Pantry and Monday Meals. The church collaborates with more than ten other churches and numerous community agencies to make Monday Ministries a reality. That includes the La Crosse Community Foundation, which recently granted the Childrens Clothes Closet $15,000 for winter clothes.

Debra Keller is social ministry chair and oversees the Monday Ministries at Trinity Lutheran.

What attracted you to this work?

About ten years ago, a group from Trinity brainstormed to see how they could work together for the sake of neighborhood kids who had problems securing warm clothing and other clothing essentials. From this meeting, the idea of the clothes closet at Trinity was born. The closet immediately grew from a small clothing closet serving one school to a closet of over six rooms that serves our entire community and surrounding areas. I was a teacher at the school and a member of Trinity at that time, so it was a perfect fit. Now that Ive retired, it has been a way not only to serve but to keep in touch with many families and students. It has also been a way to build collaborative relations with other persons/groups seeking to help others. We have partnered with Onalaska First Lutheran by providing them space for their Teen Closet. By working together, we can now address clothing needs from birth through high school.

When you were a child, what was one of your favorite pieces of wintertime clothing?

My mom gifted me a fake fur hat with pom poms that I loved. It was warm and matched my coat and the pom poms on my ice skates. I think of that when kids pick out hats and gloves to match the new coat they receive from the closet. Every kid deserves warm clothing in our Wisconsin weather.

If a genie granted you three wishes, what would you get for the Childrens Clothes Closet?

Wish one would be to continue having the dedicated volunteers and supporters who work so hard to serve our population of families in need. Our volunteers come with the purpose to serve others. One couple, Bill and Bev Schilla, have dedicated themselves to sorting every piece of clothing thats donated to our closet. They ensure anything donated passes the test of being clean and appropriate for kids. It is incredibly difficult at times.

Wish two would be for Trinity to be able to continue to collaborate with its faith partners and other community agencies and people who are dedicated to keeping Monday Ministries going to make a difference in the lives of kids and families in need. The Trinity congregation works very hard to physically maintain and support their building so that it can be a lighthouse in the community. This takes money and determination to keep the building available to house all of the Monday Ministries. We are grateful for financial support and volunteer service of others in our community.

Wish three would be to have more committed benefactors who could provide stable and long-term support for the closet so that this ministry could continue to serve those in need. We have some amazing people, like Grandma Anne, who contribute without wanting recognition or acknowledgment for their contributions and hard work. We are so thankful for their support and hope we can continue working together.
Nitrate compounds were the top toxic substances released into U.S. waterways in 2020, including the Mississippi River, according to a recent study conducted by an environmental policy and advocacy group.

Industries  primarily petroleum refineries and meat and poultry processing facilities  discharged more than 175 million pounds of nitrates that year, comprising 91% of all toxic chemicals released by weight in the U.S., according to the reports analysis of federal data.

The findings pose particular relevance to the Mississippi River basin, which drains a 31-state watershed and conveys nitrates and other chemicals to the Gulf of Mexico. Nitrates encourage algae blooms, which contribute to the gulfs hypoxic dead zone, where oxygen-poor waters suffocate marine wildlife.

We have huge flows of toxic pollution into our waterways across the country, said John Rumpler, senior director of the Environment America Research and Policy Centers clean water program, who co-authored the report along with researchers from the Frontier Group and U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund.

Released in late September, the report analyzed data collected in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Toxics Release Inventory. The agency requires certain industries to report toxic releases. That does not include runoff from farm fields and animal feeding operations, which is most typically associated with nitrate pollution, meaning that the report includes only a portion of toxic releases.

Nitrate is a naturally occurring nutrient found in food and human and animal waste. But exposure can pose health hazards to babies and pregnant women, and nitrate is one of the most common groundwater contaminants in some states. Some studies suggest that it contaminates at least 10% of wells in Wisconsin, for instance. People who consume water high in nitrate face increased risk of colon, kidney and stomach cancers and thyroid disease. It also is associated with birth defects.

The Environment America report spotlights the vast flows of toxic compounds into the countrys waterways, even under the 1972 Clean Water Act. The landmark legislation sought to make most waterways fishable and swimmable by 1983, while eliminating toxic discharges into navigable waters by 1985.

The Clean Water Act requires states, territories and tribal governments to develop standards to protect water bodies within their borders based upon designated uses, like recreating, protecting wildlife or providing public drinking water. Waterways that fail to satisfy those standards become subject to a restoration plan, which limits daily discharges of pollutants.

Polluters must comply with those limits until the water body can support its designated uses.

The law has increased the number of fishable waters across the U.S., but about half of U.S. water bodies remain impaired. Toxic substances continue to enter U.S. waterways in large volumes, hindering restoration efforts, the new report illustrates.

Regulated industries released about 94.5 million pounds of nitrates into the Mississippi River basin in 2020, accounting for nearly half of all reported toxic releases nationwide. More than 30 million pounds of that total originated in slaughterhouses and meat processing industries.

Meat processors use nitrates to cure ham, bacon and other foods. That important process increases the shelf life of products and reduces the transmission of foodborne pathogens, said Jeffrey Sindelar, a University of Wisconsin-Madison animal science professor and extension meat specialist.

The excess and the stuff that isnt used is typically run down into a drain, he said.

Some discharges of nitrates and other chemicals go unreported because of certain industry exemptions from EPA reporting requirements, the September study notes. Likewise, not all toxic substances must be reported, and the EPA exempts reporting for facilities with fewer than 10 employees.

In addition to closing reporting loopholes, the EPA could update permitting standards to reflect current pollution control technology, Rumpler said, to the benefit of public and environmental health.

State and local and federal officials have the tools, he said. Now it just takes the political will to implement those tools as the Clean Water Act intends.

In an emailed statement, an EPA spokesperson said that the agency is considering updates to pollution standards that would apply to meat and poultry processing plants, power plants and industrial dischargers of PFAS chemicals.

The EPA is pursuing a rule to remove a reporting exemption for low concentrations of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which have been linked to a range of health problems. President Donald Trumps administration allowed PFAS releases to qualify for a de minimis exemption, which excuses polluters from documenting discharges of toxic chemicals comprising less than 1% of a mixture  or .1% for carcinogens. The EPA is moving to rescind that loophole eligibility, the spokesperson said.

The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with WPR, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
Russia has retaliated for a weekend Ukrainian attack on a critical bridge by unleashing its biggest and most widespread attacks against Ukraine in months. The lethal barrage Monday against multiple cities smashed civilian targets.

Protests continue in Iran after the burial of a 22-year-old woman who died in Iranian police custody.

Texas Democrats are embarking on another October blitz in pursuit of flipping Americas big red state. But Republicans are making an aggressive play to win races along Texas' mostly Hispanic southern border in November's midterms.

New York congressman and Republican candidate for governor Lee Zeldin says his family is safe after two teenagers were shot outside his Long Island home.

The international Red Cross and the United Nations want people and governments to do more to beat the heat by getting ready for heat waves like the 38 that have accounted for the deaths of more than 70,000 people worldwide from 2010 to 2019.

The second week of Kevin Spacey's federal trial starts Tuesday in a #MeToo-era case against the actor in New York  but no criminal charges are involved. Stage and screen star Anthony Rapp has sued Spacey, accusing him of assault, battery and intentionally inflecting emotional distress when Rapp was 14.

On this week's AP Religion Roundup, churches offer hope amid hurricane recovery, Pope Francis denounces the risk of nuclear war, and a famed US extreme skier gets traditional Buddhist funeral.
A fleeing motorist in Winona on Saturday has led to the arrest of a person unrelated to the stop. City of Winona police arrested 38-year-old Joseph Timothy Oliver on an outstanding warrant.

According to police, a Winona officer pulled over a driver Saturday on Seventh Street for a traffic violation. The driver accelerated from the scene when the officer approached the vehicle on foot. The officer declined to initiate a chase due to safety concerns and the minor nature of the traffic offense.

A short time later, police located the vehicle parked in Winona. Police interviewed the passenger, who gave police an address where the driver, described as a white male in 30s, might be staying.

Police arrived at the address and didnt find the driver. However, police located a different person at the residence, who was identified as Oliver. When police asked to speak with Oliver, he crawled through a window and fled the scene. He was apprehended after a short foot chase.

Oliver was referred to the county attorney for fleeing an officer. Police are still looking for the person who fled the traffic stop.
By Trend

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to meet with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, Trend reports with reference to TASS.

"Tomorrow the president has another working day in St. Petersburg, President of the United Arab Emirates will be in St. Petersburg on a working visit. Putin will meet with him for bilateral negotiations," Peskov said, adding that the conversation will be private.

Peskov added that Putins working schedule for October 11 also includes other working meetings.




A novel to be featured in Kenoshas 2023 Big Read event has a County Board supervisor urging the citys public library to choose an alternative because of depictions he described as both graphic and pornographic.

Supervisor Tim Stocker, who is on the Kenosha County Library System Board, has asked its Director Barbara Brattin, who is also the Kenosha Public Librarys director, to select an alternative to Homegoing. He does not feel the novel is suitable for the librarys reading program for teens or adults. He has also taken his concerns to the Kenosha County Board.

I have tried to encourage a change to this choice, Stocker said Sept. 20 to the County Board. The librarian is unwilling to change to another book. Therefore, Im bringing my concerns before this board.

There are parts of this book that could not be read out loud in a meeting like this. It describes the rape of a child in graphic and pornographic detail, he said. My question to the  librarian is, with all the wonderful literature available as a representative and a representative of the people of Kenosha, can you choose a book that is not so graphic and controversial?

Homegoing is the story of two Ghanaian half-sisters, one who marries a white Englishman, the other sold into slavery. The story is set in the 18th century. For a time, unbeknownst to each other, both reside in the same slave castle, only the former lives a life of luxury in Ghana, while her sibling is held captive and later transported to America.

The Big Read is a program of the Kenosha Public Library, which has its own board of trustees and is not governed by the county library system.

Earlier this year, the city public library received a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to play host again as a Big Read site, with Yaa Gyasis award-winning novel chosen as the 2023 selection. The event is celebrating 10 years of the Big Read locally next spring. Information on the Big Read, Homegoing and the author are posted on the Kenosha Public Librarys website.

Homegoing staying put

Brattin, who is not withdrawing the city public librarys participation from the Big Read or removing the novel from the library, said that while Homegoing is historical fiction it is a very powerful way to relate to history.

She said Gyasi has created a brilliant novel that tells the history of the Gold Coast slave trade and its impact on future generations from the point of view of the conquered.

No one can dispute that the experiences of the enslaved included horrific violence and injustice and Gyasi candidly depicts these horrors, she said. The few violent scenes in the book cause some people to cry for its withdrawal from the Big Read and in some places, withdrawal from the librarys collection, but the book as a whole is so much more than those few scenes.

As such, readers are asked to take a critical look at the legacy of slavery on generations whose ancestors were victims, the displacement of people and how it affects their identity and to examine the choices of the tribes who were complicit in the slave trade and whether those nations continue to make the same choices in foreign relations decisions, Brattin said.

Its important to talk through these questions, even if it can sometimes be uncomfortable to do so, she said.

The book is currently available in a number of forms at the Kenosha Public Library, including digitally.

According to a list of frequently asked questions for next years Big Read, which will be making available a limited number of copies of the book free to the public, the 2023 community reading program and novel are geared toward adults.

The novel is also not part of Kenosha Unifieds curriculum either as a tool or a reference, according to district officials.

Backs book selection

Stockers report drew the attention of Lori Hawkins, organizer for Kenoshas Congregations United to Serve Humanity, who spoke during public comments at last weeks County Board meeting. She noted the books status as the NEA Big Read selection.

Citing from the Big Read events homepage she said it is meant to broaden our understanding of the world through the power of shared reading experience, showcasing a diverse range of themes, voices and perspectives to inspire meaningful conversations and connections in each community.

Hawkins, who has already read through half the 320-page novel, admitted the book is painful to read, but also fascinating in its historical sense and its characters.

The writing itself is beautiful. It is not pornographic, she said. Rather, it is graphic because it depicts what happened to enslaved Africans, millions of enslaved Africans, over hundreds of years  violence and taking away the right to protect ones own body.

Vigilance against censorship

She noted another message.

The ability to tell ones own story without censorship emerges as an important theme throughout the novel, said Hawkins. When asked what she hoped would be a readers takeaway from Homegoing, Gyasi said she wants readers to recognize that all of the traumatic moments that we look at in our history have been individuals like us.

Gyasi in a video interview said that it was important not to look at them as masses and to put names and faces to them.

Hawkins agreed with the assessment that the book is controversial.

However, that speaks to us as a society, not to the contents of the novel. The controversy lies in our unwillingness, at times, as a society to address ideas and contents of books because they might address issues that make us uncomfortable, she said.

She said that the job of the library system board, as defined on its webpage, is to meet six times a year to review financial statements, discuss and resolve countywide library issues and review and approve the annual system plan and budget.

It does not state that the purpose of the board is to censor books chosen by professional librarians, she said. She urged the community to be wary of actions to attempt censorship and thanked the supervisor for bringing Homegoing to her attention.

It is my hope that before passing judgement on any novel, those tempted to do so first read it in its entirety with an open mind and allow others to do the same, she said.
An American company has carried out tests of a system that uses a high-speed spinning machine to launch satellites into space.

The machine  which is powered by kinetic energy  is meant to greatly reduce costs and fuel required for traditional rocket launches.

The California-based company that developed the system is called SpinLaunch. It announced its recent test launch last week. The launch took place on September 27 at Spaceport America, a private space launch complex in the western state of New Mexico.

The company said the tests involved payloads from several organizations, including the American space agency NASA. In a statement, SpinLaunch said all payloads tested were flown and recovered successfully." It did not provide details on what the payloads contained.

SpinLaunch said the September tests included the 10th carried out since October 2021. It added that testing was observed by more than 150 partners, government officials and industry advocates.

NASA signed an agreement with SpinLaunch earlier this year to develop and test a payload launch using the companys system. The agreement was signed as part of NASAs Flight Opportunities Program. The program provides the chance for private companies to work together with NASA to test new technologies the space agency might use in its future space operations.

NASA is examining the possibility of partnering with SpinLaunch to deploy future payloads using the companys launch technology. SpinLaunch said NASA cooperated with its team after the latest tests to capture critical launch characteristics of SpinLaunchs kinetic launch system.

SpinLaunch accelerator

SpinLaunchs Sub-Orbital Accelerator used in the tests is a 33-meter steel structure with an electrically powered spinning arm. A rocket is placed inside the accelerator. The system's high-speed turning motion produces kinetic energy designed to spin the rocket at speeds of more than five times the speed of sound.

The Sub-Orbital Accelerator is built to propel the rocket to near-Earth orbit. This is generally considered to be at an altitude of about 2,000 kilometers above Earth's surface. SpinLaunch has plans to keep expanding its technology and equipment to be able to send space objects into higher orbit.

The company says most satellites can handle the high spinning speeds, although some will require special modifications to work with the system. With the Sub-Orbital Accelerator, a separate propulsion system would be necessary for satellites to reach higher orbits.

SpinLaunch officials said tests of the system have resulted in the flight vehicles being recovered and that the rockets can be reused.

Jonathan Yaney is the founder and chief executive of SpinLaunch. He said in a statement that the latest flight tests will be invaluable for SpinLaunch engineers as well as the companys partners. He added that the company will continue working to further develop the system to provide a low-cost and sustainable way to deploy satellites to space.

Yaney said the SpinLaunch system and the way it operates is much less complex than traditional rocket launching systems. This greatly cuts launch costs for large organizations and small companies alike. In addition, the lack of fuel needed to send objects into near Earth orbit represents a much more environmentally friendly system.

The technology is being tested as the demand for satellite deployments continues to grow. Market research company IMARC Group recently reported the worldwide small satellite market reached $3.68 billion in 2021. The group projects the market will rise to $8.84 billion by 2027.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from SpinLaunch and NASA.

Quiz - US Company Tests System to Spin Launch Satellites to Space Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

___________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

kinetic  adj. involving or producing movement

payload  n. the amount of goods or people carried by a vehicle

characteristic  n. a typical quality that makes one thing different from another

modify  v. to change something in order to improve it

propel  v. to push something somewhere with a lot of force

advocate  v. someone who supports a particular idea or cause

sustainable  adj. able to continue over time

_______________________________________________________________________

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By Trend

As many as 724 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, reads the statement of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, Trend reports.

In addition, 4 people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.

At the same time, the condition of 124 people remains critical.

So far, more than 54.1 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

In total, about 155 million doses of vaccines have been used in Iran so far. A total of 65 million doses have been used in the first stage, 58.5 million doses - in the second stage, and 31.2 million doses  in the third stage.

Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from Iranian officials, over 7.55 million people have been infected, and 144,490 people have already died.

Meanwhile, over 7.32 million people have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread of the virus.

Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.

The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.
The sidewalk outside the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art was filled with flowers, posters and people on Sunday, the closing day of the Aint I A Woman? exhibition  partly in celebration of the Black woman artists who were involved with the 2022 Wisconsin Triennial and partly in protest against MMoCAs treatment of them.

When our show goes away, the problem shouldnt be forgotten, said Milwaukee-based artist Portia Cobb, who organized Sundays event and was part of the Triennial. We want accountability, we want transparency and we want amends.

Aint I A Woman? has been surrounded by controversy. In March, artist Lilada Gee was working on a mural for the exhibition. After leaving to retrieve art supplies from her car, she called the museums director of events to let her into the museum, but the two Black women were accosted by a white staff member from the Overture Center for the Arts when they tried to use an entrance not usually open to the public. The staff member was later fired.

After that incident, Gee left her piece unfinished in the exhibition as a statement. Then in June, two children and their mother painted on Gees work and took it with them. The museums director, Christina Brungardt, called Gee to ask if the family could keep the canvas in an effort, the museum said later, to defuse the situation.

Ten artists pulled their work from the show in protest of what Gee experienced and demanded that Brungardt be fired. The museums board has supported Brungardt.

In response, the Triennials artists formed a collective called FWD: truth and issued a list of demands that include a formal apology from MMoCAs leadership, a diversity and inclusion audit, financial restitution and more.

Fatima Laster, the guest curator of Aint I a Woman?, said she came to Sundays action to lift up the artists and spur organizational change. Laster recalled communicating her concerns to the museum at the start of the exhibition process.

I had very candid conversations with them early on saying, People talk about being anti-racist and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), but well see what happens if something really happens, she said. And something really happened.

As flowers filled the edge of the sidewalk, so did posters of support for the artists. Alexandra Gee, Lilada Gees daughter, held up a sign that said Support us.

Its disheartening and discouraging to see that such explicit bouts of racism and exclusion can happen, she said. Months and months later theres still nothing happening. We shouldnt be here protesting today.

Artist Lilada Gee was also there. She described the recent series of events as one of the most difficult times in my life. Moving forward, Gee said, she wants the entire Madison community, not just artists, to take action.

The top priority for me is for the greater Madison community to ask what needs to happen, she said. When one has been harmed, one should not have to ask for what they need.

While the exhibition has come to a close at the MMoCA, FWD: truth and its allies say they still want their concerns and demands acknowledged and met by the museums leadership.

What we know as artists and what FWD: truth has made really clear is that this is the long game, Madison resident Anna Campbell said at the protest. Were here to remember the work has been done, and were here to keep the pressure on as long as it takes.

In an email to the Wisconsin State Journal, MMoCA said it remains steadfast in its commitment to encourage artists to express their independent views, whether that be through their artwork or through a public gathering in front of the museum.

On August 11, two MMoCA officials reached out to Triennial artist Emily Leach, who expressed concerns on behalf of the group. However, the artist collective and MMoCA leadership have yet to meet. Currently, the museum is engaging in a truth and reconciliation process that started last month, led by Leslie Smith III and Chele Isaac. In a statement, MMoCA said it plans to bring in a visual anthropologist who will explore ways to address institutionalized racism in MMoCA. The name of the anthropologist has not been released by MMoCA.

The local arts nonprofit Communication will host Artists Night on Oct. 28. The event, which will feature the work of local artists at more than dozen sites across the city, is being promoted as an alternative to MMoCas gallery night on Nov. 4.

Its another opportunity for artists and it removes the putting energy and money toward MMoCA, who is not supporting Black artists, said Jennifer Bastain, director of communication. Its about building infrastructure to continue supporting artists longer-term.
Este Kotze/AP

Global demand for exotic pets is increasing, a trend partly caused by social media and a shift from physical pet stores to online marketplaces.

The United States is one of the biggest markets for the wildlife trade. And our new research has identified an astonishing number of unregulated wild-caught animals being brought into the US  at a rate 11 times greater than animals regulated and protected under the relevant global convention.

Wildlife trade can have major negative consequences. It can threaten the wild populations from which animals and plants are harvested, and introduce novel invasive species to new environments. It can also lead to diseases transmitted from wildlife to humans and threaten the welfare of trafficked animals.

Tackling this problem requires an international effort  particularly by rich nations where the demand for exotic pets is greatest.

Global demand for exotic pets is increasing. Pictured: a barred eagle-owl kept as a pet in Indonesia. Mast Irham/EPA.

Shining a light on the pet market

Most live animals transported through the wildlife trade are destined for the global, multi-billion dollar exotic pet market. Captive breeding supplies a portion of this market, but many species are collected from the wild  often illegally.

Animals such as otters, slow lorises and galagos or bushbabies are frequently depicted on social media as cute, and with human-like feelings and behaviors. This helps create demand for such species as pets which drives both the illegal and legal wildlife trades.

Non-native animals frequently smuggled into Australia in the past include the corn snake, leopard gecko and red-eared slider turtle. Reptiles and birds are among the most commonly trafficked species because they can be easily transported.

Species deemed at risk from international trade are regulated through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It aims to ensure sustainable and traceable legal international trade.

But the convention lists less than 10% of all described plants and terrestrial vertebrates, and less than 1% of all fish and invertebrate species. No international regulatory framework exists to monitor the trade of the many unlisted species.

Australia has rigorous regulations for exotic pet ownership and trade. Broadly, our native wildlife cannot be commercially exported.

However, Australias fauna is poached from the wild and illegally exported for the international pet market. Once the animal is smuggled out of Australia, its trade in recipient countries is often not monitored or restricted.

For example, research last year showed four subspecies of Australias shingleback lizard  one of which is endangered  were being illegally extracted from the wild and smuggled out of the country, to be sold across Asia, Europe and North America.

This lack of overseas regulation prompted the former Morrison government to push for 127 native reptile species targeted by international wildlife smugglers to be listed under CITES. They include blue tongue skinks and numerous gecko species.

But in the meantime, the global illegal wildlife trade continues. Our new research analysed the extent of this, by focusing on the movement of unlisted species to and from the US.

Otter sold via Instagram in Indonesia. Instagram

What we found

The US is one of the few countries that maintains detailed records of all declared wildlife trade, including species not listed under CITES.

We examined a decade of data on wild-harvested, live vertebrate animals entering the US. Most would have been headed for the pet trade. We found 3.6 times the number of unlisted species in US imports compared with CITES-listed species  1,356 versus 378 species.

Overall, 8.84 million animals from unlisted species were imported  about 11 times more than animals from CITES-listed species. More than a quarter of unlisted species faced conservation threats  including those with declining populations and those threatened with extinction.

For example, we found a substantial trade of the unlisted Asian water dragon. These bright green lizards are native to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and southern China, and are considered vulnerable.

In the decade to 2018, more than 575,000 Asian water dragons were imported to the US from Vietnam. The species has been proposed for inclusion in CITES. But decades of unregulated global trade poses a major threat to the survival of native populations.

Unregulated global trade threatens the wild populations of the Asian water dragon. Wikimedia

How do we fix this?

Our study highlights the urgent need to monitor all traded wildlife species, not just those listed under CITES.

The biodiversity of life on Earth is under enormous pressure. Given this, and the other harms caused by the wildlife trade, this lack of regulation and monitoring is unacceptable.

For a species to be considered for listing under CITES, a national government must demonstrate that regulation is needed to prevent trade-related declines. But if trade in the species has never been monitored, how can that need be proven?

Sadly, the trade of many species is not formally regulated until its too late for their wild populations. Clearly, tighter regulation is needed to prevent this decline.

A critically endangered radiated tortoise recovering from capture by wildlife traffickers in Madagascar. Wildlife Conservation Society/AP

Traded wildlife predominantly flows from lower-income to higher-income countries. Many source countries do not possess the frameworks needed to monitor the harvest and export of unlisted species.

So what should be done? First, all nations should follow the lead of the US and record species-level data for all wildlife imported and exported. This information should be gathered as part of a standardised data management system.

Such a system would increase compliance with the rules and make the origin of wildlife easier to trace It would allow trade data to be shared and integrated between countries and allow timely assessment of species which may need further protection.

And second, affluent countries  where demand for exotic pets is largest  must take the lead on sustainable trade practices. This should include supporting supply countries and pushing for better data collection.

Such measures are vital to protecting both wildlife and human wellbeing.

Freyja Watters receives funding from an Adelaide University Postgraduate Research Scholarship.

Phill Cassey receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Multiple homes were struck by gunfire in the Swan Creek neighborhood, adjacent to the Nevin Springs Fish and Wildlife Area, on Saturday, but no injuries were reported, police said.

The first report of a bullet striking a home was received around 5:10 p.m. on Buttonbush Drive, and additional reports of homes hit on Stoneman Drive and Sunflower Drive were received later in the evening, Lt. Edward Hartwick said in a statement.

After sunset, multiple callers reported hearing additional gunshots coming from the Nevin Springs area, Hartwick said.

Fitchburg and Madison police deployed drones to search the area, assisted by conservation wardens from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, but no one of interest was located. Hartwick said.

Police ask that anyone with information on the incident contact them at 608-270-4300. Tipsters may remain anonymous by contacting Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014 or P3Tips.com. Individuals contacting Crime Stoppers can receive a reward of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to an arrest. Tips can also be shared with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources by calling or texting 800-847-9367.
A fight between students and a loud popping noise that alarmed the crowd caused the La Follette High School homecoming dance to end early Saturday night, according to Principal Mat Thompson.

At about 8:45 p.m. a physical altercation broke out between two students, according to a letter that Thompson sent to families late Saturday night.

While staff worked to deescalate the situation, a loud noise was heard nearby, causing an immediate rush of students exiting the gym, resulting in a momentary chaotic atmosphere.

Madison police were called and found there was no evidence of a weapon being present. Because of the nature of the noise, some students believed a weapon was involved, but Thompson said its believed the noise was likely caused by a balloon being popped.

There was a large police presence at the school during the incident, and the dance was ended early. The school is working with the two students involved in the fight to determine consequences.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said in his daily blog that the two students were 14-year-old boys and they were cited for disorderly conduct.
Math classes taught by Erin Treder will never be the same after her opportunity to take part in a program designed for teachers at a nuclear research site in Geneva, Switzerland.

Treder, who teaches math at Belleville middle and high schools, was one of 43 teachers representing 32 countries who took part in the International High School Teacher Program at the Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire. CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research and operates the largest particle physics lab in the world. It houses the equipment and infrastructure to offer high-energy physics research.

The opportunity was intriguing to Treder, who as a math teacher is looking for science, technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) connections. She said she plans to incorporate what she learned in Geneva into the curriculum and is excited to share the connections between mathematics and physics.

I plan to work (particle physics) in as often as I can, Treder said. This gives me another avenue to try to engage students.

Eighth-grader Liam Hebl, who is taking a pre-algebra class with Treder, said he was aware of her trip to Geneva because he saw something on Facebook.

I thought it was kind of cool, he said.

So far this year, Treder created a lesson for eighth-graders in her algebra 1 and pre-algebra classes that served as a microcosm of the research at CERN. Using the concept of a banana, students worked collaboratively in the classroom, as she did with peer educators from all over the world, to do the calculations that show the fruit is a natural source of radioactive isotopes.

Students used white boards in the classroom to run similar mathematical calculations to those done with antimatter at CERN to see what type of energy the banana can put out. Students determined how many antiparticles a banana creates and how often. Then they determined how much energy we can get from a small amount of antimatter and how long it would take us, with the current technology, to get that much antimatter.

It was pretty fun, eighth-grader Sienna Grindle said.

Normally you wouldnt expect to do math about bananas, said eighth-grader Jacob Ohms.

Eighth-grader Emily Fahrenkrug also found the lesson interesting, and since her family has allergic reactions to bananas, they are not something she sees often in her household.

I like writing on the whiteboard, eighth-grader Shannon McCall said.

Treder was among 48 selected for the program in March 2020. It was postponed for two years due to COVID-19 and when it was resumed this summer, five teachers had to delay their participation.

One of CERNs missions is to train the scientists of tomorrow, and the teacher program is designed to inspire and invigorate teachers who want to bring a passion for science-related learning back to their students.

Belleville middle and high schools are benefiting from the new hire for the 2022-23 school year.

It is an honor to work so closely with field scientists and colleagues from all over the world. Particle physics is not something that is typically covered in depth in the high school curriculum. This program will give us the opportunity to offer our students a unique mathematics and physics experience, including up-to-date research and data they otherwise might not see or work with, she said.

CERN is known for international collaborative efforts in the scientific community and plays host to experimental opportunities. It also holds a large computing facility where data from such experiments can be analyzed and accessed remotely  providing a digital lab for educators to make real-world connections for their students.

During the program, Treder was able to network and build collaborative educator relationships, toured various lab facilities and did hands-on experiments. She also heard lectures from the top particle physicists working at CERN.

Treder also was there for the 10th anniversary of the announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson, the elusive particle that gives almost all other particles their mass. The timing of her visit also meant she was there for the restart of the Large Hadron Collider, the worlds largest and most powerful particle accelerator, after a three-year shut down for maintenance and upgrades to the systems and detectors.

While we were there, they did the highest (energy) collisions they had ever done, she said. It was really cool.

Treder said part of the CERN campus is in Switzerland and part is in France and from the outside looks like a cluster of warehouses. Treder also was impressed by the size of the equipment inside and whats required to inspect and make adjustments.

You cant imagine all of things they could fit in there and what they could possibly be doing, she said. Once you go inside them, they are just filled with equipment and offices.

In the future, classes will be able to visit interactive displays that are being built, she said.
For the second consecutive year, UW-Madisons freshman class is the largest in the schools history, despite the university sending acceptance letters to fewer students than in previous years.

This years freshman class stands at 8,628, up nearly 2% from last years class, UW-Madison announced Monday. Of those, 3,787  44%  are in-state students.

Overall enrollment is up nearly 2,000 students over the prior year, with another record enrollment of 49,886.

Applications to UW-Madison grew by nearly 12% over last year, topping 60,000. The university admitted 3,000 fewer students, UW-Madison Provost Karl Scholz said, but ended up with a larger class after about 3% more admitted students decided to enroll than the year before.

The percentage of students who choose to enroll has been on the decline for nearly a decade, Scholz said, and university officials were heartened by this years uptick.

I think maybe the initial surprise (was), Were going to have how many students? But then people really did a nice job working together, rolling up sleeves and accommodating the students that we have, Scholz said.

UW-Madisons enrollment has been trending upward for the past five years. In 2017, UW-Madison had an enrollment of 43,820; in the last two years alone, enrollment has increased by over 4,000 students.

Some of UW-Madisons growth in the past two years had been planned, Scholz said.

This years enrollment increase required additional course sections so students could meet their general education requirements. It also put University Housing in a crunch. Some dorm rooms have been reconfigured to accommodate additional residents, with lounges converted to sleeping quarters.

UW-Madison is one of three University of Wisconsin System schools in which enrollment increased this year. UW-Green Bay and UW-Superior had increases, and UW-La Crosses enrollment stayed even, as overall System enrollment decreased by 1%.

UW-Madisons rate of out-of-state students has increased since 2015, when the UW Board of Regents lifted the percentage cap on the number of nonresidents the university could admit. Last year was the first time out-of-state students made up more than 50% of the freshman class.

Prior to 2015, only 27.5% of UW-Madison-admitted students could be nonresidents.

Now, UW-Madison must enroll at least 3,600 in-state students and 5,200 students who are either in-state, transfers or from Minnesota, where students receive reduced tuition under a reciprocity agreement.

We had a record number of Wisconsin students in our first-year class, Scholz said. Our commitment to the state of Wisconsin, if anything, is undiminished ... because the number of students graduating from Wisconsin high schools continues to fall.

Increasing financial need

About a tenth of the freshman class qualifies for Buckys Tuition Promise, which covers remaining tuition and fees after scholarships and financial assistance for students whose families make less than $60,000. About 3,600 of all undergraduates are in the program.

Of the 932 new students who qualify, 794 are freshmen who will have tuition and fees waived for eight semesters; a further 138 are transfer students who get two years covered. In 2021, 961 new students qualified for the program.

The freshman class will have its highest percentage of low-income students, with 16% qualifying for Pell Grants.

Freshman Matthew Rilling, of Omro, is one of hundreds of students in his freshman class who will receive assistance under the tuition program. Cost had been a concern for him, as his mothers teachers salary wouldnt have been able to cover his expenses.

Graduating from college has been something that Ive wanted to do since I was a kid. I always knew I was destined for college, he said. I think that it just gives me a head start in the future, and I can be more responsible at a younger age.

Buckys Tuition Promise is in its fifth year at UW-Madison. Starting in fall 2023, the University of Wisconsin System will pilot a nearly identical program, the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, for students at the other System universities.

Increasing representation

This years freshman class is also the most diverse; almost a third (2,695) are students of color.

Thats up more than 500 from the previous year and twice that from fall 2020, when students of color made up less than a quarter of the freshman class.

Of the freshmen students of color, half are underrepresented people of color, which UW-Madison defines as those who are Black, Hispanic, American Indian and some Southeast Asian nationalities. Underrepresented people of color equal 16.6% of the overall freshman class, compared with 14.8% last fall.
Responses to the Wisconsin State Journals candidate questionnaire. The election is Nov. 8.

Mike Bare

Party: Democratic

Age: 39

Address: Verona

Family: Wife, two sons

Job: Research and program coordinator, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute; Co-Owner, Biergarten at Olbrich Park; Dane County Board supervisor

Prior elected office: Verona City Council, 2013 to 2014; Dane County Board, 2020 to present

Other public service: Verona Plan Commission member and Verona City Parks Commission Chair; longtime aide to former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold

Education: Bachelors degree in political science and philosophy from American University; masters degree in political science from American University

Jacob Luginbuhl

Party: Republican

Age: 31

Address: Verona

Family: Girlfriend, Maggie

Job: Owner of Wisconsin Event Barn

Prior elected office: None

Other public service: Associate director, Heartland Credit Union, one year

Education: UW-Platteville, business and entrepreneurship

Q&A

Why are you the best candidate for this office?

Bare: My experience, accomplishments and perspectives will make me a good lawmaker. I have the most experience working with policy, and I would hit the ground running. I have worked at every level of government. I have served on the Verona City Council, and Im currently on the Dane County Board. I have a strong record of getting things done for people I represent, and Im proud of my accomplishments.

Luginbuhl: I am the best candidate for my district because I am from here. I remember it before there were stop lights on every major intersection in our small towns and I have been here for their growth along the way. From growing up on my familys farm in rural Verona to starting and operating my own business for 10-plus years I have developed a vast array of knowledge and common sense for fixing problems.

What is the most important issue in this election and how would you address it?

Bare: Everywhere you look our families and communities are hurt by our dysfunctional government. We must first defend and strengthen our democracy. Im ready to fight for voting rights, to end partisan gerrymandering, and to stop the purposeful spread of disinformation. I would address this by building bipartisan and stakeholder-driven coalitions, which is work I have been doing well for many years.

Luginbuhl: This election cycle is a reform on public safety. For two years we have watched criminals violently protest and burn our cities/businesses while the current administration told law enforcement to stand down. As a representative in the Legislature, I would support our law enforcement and make sure they have the resources to ensure our laws are enforced and violent criminals stay off our streets.

What changes, if any, would you make to the states election system?

Bare: We should work to expand voting rights, not suppress voting to preserve political power. We should eliminate gerrymandering in favor of a nonpartisan process similar to the one I participated in as a Dane County Board member. We also must secure election equipment and records across the state to protect from interference.

Luginbuhl: We need to be able to trust that our elections are fair and honest. We have to make sure that our rules and procedures are followed uniformly in every precinct. If there are problems, they need to be addressed and ensure they do not happen again in the future.

What are your priorities for the states $5 billion surplus?

Bare: I would use the surplus on a mix of individual tax relief for those who need it most, and spending that makes sense, including helping school districts that are struggling financially and going to operating referendums. Unfortunately, the Republican-led Legislature hasnt been willing to spend that surplus because they think it would help the governor politically. Previously, they spent it quickly.

Luginbuhl: I would like to be a part of returning a portion of it back to the taxpayers. We are facing uncertain times following the pandemic. It would be unwise to create new programs that would deplete it to zero. One of Wisconsins greatest strengths is that no budget can be passed with a deficit. We can be thankful for smart leadership in the Legislature for the surplus we have today.

Should abortion be legal in all cases, illegal in all cases or something in between? Explain.

Bare: Abortion should be legal in all cases. Access to safe reproductive health care is a fundamental right, which gets my full and unconditional support. We also must invest more in prenatal health, maternal health and mental health, Birth to 3 programs and more. And the out-of-touch Supreme Court is sending signals that show we should codify protections for contraception, gay marriage and more.

Luginbuhl: I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I understand this issue is very important to a lot of people. We cannot allow the extremist abortion positions coming from Democrats to become law. I am appalled by the number of candidates and their Democrat supporters who want to allow an abortion up until birth or because it is the wrong gender/race. Ill oppose these extremes.

How should the state improve educational outcomes, especially in the wake of how the pandemic affected student achievement?

Bare: A quality public education is a right. The zero-dollar per-pupil increases in the current state budget for schools have been devastating, so we must properly fund education. Teachers know how to do their job, but they need hefty raises, better benefits and their collective bargaining rights restored. Finally, we must make schools safe from gun violence with a comprehensive approach.

Luginbuhl: Curriculum should be focused on the three fundamentals: reading, writing, arithmetic. Responsibility has to be taken by poor leadership in the current administration. State aid to schools has increased every year for the last 9 years, yet students are still struggling to succeed. When do we acknowledge its not a problem we cannot solve with more money? Its time for some accountability.

How should the state address its workforce challenges, both in the public and private sectors?

Bare: We should raise our minimum wage, create vast New Deal-type transitional jobs programs, reform our tax code so that nobody working full time ends up in poverty, and better help working parents afford child care. We should roll back state laws that have made it easier for employers to discriminate, lower wages, and bust unions. Public workers should have collective bargaining rights restored.

Luginbuhl: We can start by not closing down our businesses and schools ever again. We need to fill positions with qualified candidates who want to work. We also must enforce the time limits and qualifications for collecting unemployment benefits. We have to make sure every individual that wants to work has the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families.

Was the Michael Gableman investigation of the 2020 election a good use of taxpayer resources? What follow-up should there be?

Bare: No. It was an embarrassing sham that was intended to placate former President Trump and boost his Big Lie about the 2020 election. Taxpayers should get a refund from Michael Gableman and his fitness to practice law in Wisconsin should be investigated.

Luginbuhl: I am focused on the upcoming election and ensuring that it is fair and every legal vote is counted.
After one failed hire and 15 months of looking, Madisons Police Civilian Oversight Board on Monday announced the states former parole commission chair is slated to be the citys first independent police monitor.

John Tate II was chosen from among four finalists announced in mid-August. He is also a Racine City Council member currently serving as president of that body and has a masters degree in social work. His career has been in mental health and social work, most recently for the state Department of Corrections.

Throughout his career, Mr. Tate has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to actively listening to  and serving as an advocate for  some of the most marginalized individuals and families in our state, oversight board chair Keetra Burnette said in its statement.

We believe that Mr. Tates ability to stand firm in support of difficult decisions and his proven ability to collaboratively solve problems by engaging with and centering the voices of diverse community members will make him a tremendous asset to our community, she said. We are honored to welcome him to serve as our inaugural Independent Monitor and look forward to working with him to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and members of the Greater Madison community.

The board and monitor position were created by the Madison City Council in September 2020 after years of pressure from activists to increase oversight of police in the wake of a string of fatal police shootings. The creation of the monitor was also one of 146 recommendations in a December 2017 consultants report that deemed the police department far from a department in crisis whose use of force was limited in volume and primarily minor in nature.

Neither the board nor the monitor is given the power to fire or discipline police  tasks reserved under state law for the citys Police and Fire Commission, or PFC. But they can conduct independent investigations of Madison police, make referrals to the PFC, prepare an annual report on the citys police chief and conduct community outreach on police matters.

Tates hire is contingent on City Council approval of his five-year contract that would pay him $125,000 annually. The contract was to be introduced before the council on Tuesday, then considered by the Finance Commission on Oct. 17 and the oversight board on Oct. 27 before coming back to the council for final approval on Nov. 1. He would begin on Dec. 5, the board said in its statement.

Parole Commission

Tate resigned in June as head of the four-member parole commission at the request of Gov. Tony Evers and amid mounting criticism of the commissions initial plans to parole Douglas Balsewicz, who served less than 25 years of an 80-year sentence for fatally stabbing his wife, Johanna Balsewicz.

After meeting with Johanna Balsewiczs family in the state Capitol in May, Evers sent a letter to Tate asking him to reconsider the convicted murderers parole. Evers lacks the power to rescind a convicts parole on his own.

Tate had initially said it was extremely unlikely Balsewiczs parole would be revoked unless he did something to warrant it, and that doing so would likely lead to a lawsuit that the state would lose. He later said he understood the governors concerns about the lack of victim input and rescinded Balsewiczs parole.

Its not clear how long ago the oversight board voted in closed session to hire Tate or what that vote was, and city attorney Mike Haas declined to provide that information Monday, saying the minutes from the session were likely to be approved by the board Oct. 27. The four finalists took questions during an Aug. 18 virtual public forum and then again in private during an Aug. 25 virtual board meeting.

Burnette said on Aug. 18 that the hope was the board would vote on the hire in closed session on Aug. 25, and two of the finalists, Joel Winnig and Rodney Saunders Jr., told the Wisconsin State Journal they were informed that they were not chosen on about Aug. 30 and Sept. 1, respectively. The fourth finalist, Robert Copley, did not respond to a request for comment last week.

During the Aug. 18 forum, Tate said as a Racine resident he didnt have a sense of the culture of Madison police, but as monitor would engage with community leaders and others to look at how do we hold policing accountable and how do we ensure that the police have a positive relationship with communities?

All four candidates talked up the importance of engaging with crime victims, members of historically marginalized communities and youth, especially those who mistrust the criminal justice system.

Tate said that one of the best things government can do ... is acknowledge that (citizens) experience is real and those that are in government arent this nebulous entity that cant be touched.

Tate did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Past hiring process

The boards first hiring process, launched in July 2021, drew 30 applicants. Two were named finalists in October 2021, but one dropped out shortly thereafter.

In January, the remaining finalist, current city Department of Civil Rights Equal Opportunities Division Manager Byron Bishop, dropped out of the running as well amid revelations that he discriminated against a woman he had been having an affair with and violated state licensing requirements at his former company about 16 years ago. The oversight board also voted in closed session to rescind the job offer.

A few weeks before that, Eric A. Hill, a white applicant with past military experience who was not named a finalist, filed state and federal complaints alleging board members social media posts suggest they are biased against candidates like him, although Bishop, who is Black, also has military experience.

Hills federal complaint, alleging bias because of his military experience, was dismissed in April. His state complaint alleged he was discriminated against based on his sex and race and remains open, Deputy City Attorney Patricia Lauten said last week.

The oversight board voted later in January 2022 to retain a recruitment firm to help it find qualified candidates, but by April, no one had applied to take the work.

This past spring, the board posted the job again and decided to ask all the candidates who had applied for the job last year to apply again.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced people into homelessness and exposed safety net gaps, state and local governments combined their political will and an unprecedented infusion of federal funds to forge a robust response.

In Ashland, for example, local officials secured $700,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to buy and renovate a shuttered motel into an emergency shelter that's now open and serving the homeless.

And in the state's capital, where homeless men slept in makeshift shelters in church basements before the pandemic, Madison, Dane County and partners created temporary men's shelters with more space and services with plans for a permanent facility underway, rented motel rooms to shelter families and vulnerable adults, created better congregate shelter spaces for women and families, and opened the state's first tiny shelter campground created by a municipality on the Southeast Side.

The state has also been a conduit for hundreds of millions of dollars in eviction prevention and other funding to help people stay in their homes.

But despite significant advances and investment, the challenge of homelessness remains daunting, with some numbers rising just as federal COVID-19 funding streams starts to dry up. And people with very low or modest incomes still face a persistent lack of housing.

In Wisconsin, the federally-required "Point in Time" count found 4,775 homeless in the state on Jan. 26, up from 4,515 in January 2020, the last full count before the pandemic. That count, however, generally understates the number of homeless and doesn't consider those doubled up, self-paying in motels, or about to lose housing.

In the state's public schools, there were 16,456 homeless students in the 2021-22 school year, the most recent preliminary data available. Most of their families are doubled up with relatives or friends, often in substandard conditions, or they stay in shelters or motels. There were 3,924 homeless students in Milwaukee that school year, 925 in Green Bay, 835 in Madison, 772 in Racine and 511 in Kenosha.

"The largest challenge at this time remains the lack of available, accessible, safe and affordable housing," said Michael Basford, executive director of Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness. "We need to make whatever efforts we can to spur more development of housing for people who are low- and extremely low income.

In Dane County during the week of Oct. 3, there were 624 single adults and 87 households with children and a total of 275 individuals on waiting lists for housing, said Torrie Kopp Mueller, continuum of care coordinator for the Dane County Homeless Services Consortium.

And on Sept. 28, 207 men slept at Madison's temporary men's shelter at 200 First St., the highest number of overnight guests that nonprofit operator Porchlight Inc. has recorded since it opened the men's shelter system 35 years ago.

Once again, people are hiding in the woods and trespassing just to have a place to sleep, while mental health and substance abuse treatment needs are skyrocketing, with continuing barriers and a lack of resources to meet those needs, said Brenda Konkel, executive director of MACH OneHealth, which operates the city's year-old, 29-unit tiny shelter camp at 3202 Dairy Drive.

"We're doing our level best," Basford said. But without affordable housing, "it's going to get worse."

Forced to think differently

The pandemic and its ripple effects have forced a new way of thinking, local and state officials said.

"Prior to the pandemic, there was probably more attention paid to the formal 'homeless system' as the primary vehicle to address the crisis, but weve now seen how other avenues of support, such as emergency rent assistance or child tax credits, have kept thousands of individuals and families from losing their housing to begin with," said Brad Paul, executive director of the statewide association for the state's 16 Community Action Agencies and two single-purpose agencies with statewide focus: the Foundation for Rural Housing and United Migrant Opportunities Services.

In 2020, the state used $35 million in federal funds for the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program, helping more than 14,000 households in 68 counties. And since 2021, the state has allocated $205 million in federal funding through the Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance program, helping more than 35,000 households in 68 counties. In both cases, Dane, Brown, Milwaukee and Waukesha counties got their own federal rental assistance funds.

"The Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness should also be credited with its continued encouragement of health-related initiatives through DHS and its launching of an eviction database at DOA," Paul said. "Overall, I get the sense that the state is looking at systems rather than just symptoms in some very important ways."

In March, the council released a new report with a series of recommendations to address homelessness.

The 44-page "Welcoming Wisconsin Home" action plan for 2021 to 2023 proposes addressing stark racial inequities in homelessness, investing more in the shelter subsidy program and other initiatives, improving housing access and available data, and expanding partnerships. The action plan recommends using some of the $70 million-plus Gov. Tony Evers proposed for shelters, affordable housing, services and programs for the homeless in his 2021-23 budget that was largely rejected by the Republican-controlled Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance.

A big response

In Madison and Dane County, a primary focus has been increasing the supply of low-cost housing, but the pandemic forced a much more substantial, near-term response to homelessness, city community development director Jim O'Keefe said, adding, "We are, today, a much more active player in that response."

Before the pandemic, for example, the city contributed less than $50,000 to Porchlight's $600,000 annual shelter budget, O'Keefe said. Now, the city is diverting $2.1 million in federal money to Porchlight's $2.4 million budget for 2022.

The city has set up three temporary shelters for men in 2.5 years, provided an expanded, temporary space for family shelter operated by the Salvation Army of Dane County on the East Side, opened the tiny shelter camp, and is planning the county's first purpose-built shelter for homeless men, a $21 million facility on the Far East Side.

"In all these ventures, we've paid much attention in offering safe and humane options for those without housing," O'Keefe said.

The county quickly launched non-congregate hotel shelter for families and vulnerable adults, as well as support for a 24/7 isolation and quarantine shelter.

In all, the county was able to serve 420 people in the vulnerable population hotel between April 2020 and September 2022, and through collaboration with partners, half of the people in the project were able to move to permanent housing, largely through Hotels to Housing rental assistance funding and case management, said Casey Becker, the county's division administrator of housing access and affordability.

Also, the city and county used tens of millions of dollars in federal funding to assist renters struggling with back rent and utility bills.

The area's nonprofits also are stepping up in different ways.

In December 2020, for example, Occupy Madison opened a small village of 28 Conestoga-style huts at a former bar property on the East Side.

Meanwhile, Solace Friends, a newer organization that seeks to provide a place of compassionate, safe, comfortable presence and caregiving to the community's most vulnerable people as they prepare for the end of their lives, has bought a property in Monona and will be providing a home in the spring for people who are terminally ill and homeless or housing insecure.

Currently, the options for people who are homeless and dying are almost non-existent, executive director Amy Mondloch said. The house will serve up to four people at a time, so probably about 20 to 25 people a year, she said.

The community has learned much that will affect how programs are developed in the future, including the benefits of collaboration, 24/7 shelter, how to ensure the right shelter facilities and services are available, and longer guaranteed rental subsidies, Becker and O'keefe said.

Meanwhile, "post-pandemic, I believe the public's awareness of homelessness and housing instability has grown exponentially," she said.

A need for housing

For all the efforts, there is also concern, especially about the loss of federal funding and the omnipresent challenge of housing.

Since the pandemic began, the state is administering 10 federally-funded initiatives totaling roughly $430 million, and two more last week that will provide another $1.5 million for the Veterans Outreach program and $2 million to create a permanent rental assistance program for veterans experiencing homelessness.

"Of course, these funds are limited, and, when they are spent, we will need to continue to serve people experiencing homelessness and housing security by increasing state funding for these programs -- many of which have seen flat or reduced funding over the years," he said.

In Madison-Dane County, there is still need to boost the family shelter system and to expand aid for households experiencing doubled-up homelessness.

"The needs in these areas remain very high, but the mostly federal resources we've had available to address them are drying up," O'Keefe said.

"The adjustment will be challenging," Becker said. "Government resources were limited pre-pandemic and will likely be limited post-pandemic."

Meanwhile, the vexing crux of the challenge remains housing.

"We know we can stabilize households and prevent mass displacement and homelessness," Paul said. "But over the long term, we desperately need more affordable housing in virtually every corner of the state, particularly for extremely low-income renters. We also need to invest in childcare, transportation, case management services and supportive housing options."

"Gov. Evers has included in his budgets investments to bring more affordable units online, but unfortunately those proposals were roundly rejected by Republicans in the Legislature," Basford said. "I hope the Legislature recognizes this need going forward and agrees to these investments."

In Madison, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway's proposed capital budget would raise the city's Affordable Housing Fund to $10 million in 2023, compared with $4.5 million when Rhodes-Conway took office in 2019, O'Keefe said.

But communities must convince landlords to rent to people that have or have had issues with credit or rent histories, and there needs to be support for people after they secure housing to improve prospects for success, he said.

"The challenges we face require a full community response," he said. "Government can't do this alone."
Saudi banks fail to meet customer expectations of digital experience although the kingdoms digital market is the largest in the Mena region, with annual spend on digital transformation reaching SR12 billion ($3.19 billion) a year.

This is according to the 2022 Saudi Banking Sentiment Index, conducted by leading social data business DataEQ, which reveals digital experience to be one of the most negatively-spoken-about topics among Saudi banking customers on social media. Complaints around digital experience mostly occur in periods when consumers are likely to transact more, like month-end.

Presenting the Index results in Riyadh at the recent Future Banks Summit, DataEQs Chief Executive Officer, Nic Ray, explained that system downtime, coupled with a lack of communication, frustrates consumers during these high-demand periods. When drilling down into these negative posts, we found that frustration with the banking digital experience is often because of system outages or app downtime, which typically leaves consumers unable to complete critical banking transactions.

Constraints on transaction capacity

This may suggest that there are constraints related to transaction capacity across some of the banks, Ray noted.

The Saudi Banking Sentiment Index tracked close to 700,000 Twitter posts about five major retail banks. Each tweet received a sentiment rating  positive, neutral, or negative. These ratings were then used to calculate a Net Sentiment score for each bank.

Overall, the Saudi banking industry experienced more negative conversation (16.6%) than positive (4.5%), resulting in a negative overall Net Sentiment score of -12.1%. While all five banks in the Index had negative scores, Alinma Bank achieved the highest Net Sentiment score of -2.3% - almost 10 percentage points higher than the industry aggregate.

Social media response rates

According to the social customer service results, Saudi banks publicly responded to 73% of priority tweets on average, leaving more than a quarter unanswered. While top performing bank, Alinma Bank, achieved an above-average response rate of 87.2%, the worst performing bank only responded to around half (54.8%) of their priority conversation.

While all five banks typically responded to priority tweets within two hours, response time varied across the industry, with three banks responding in under an hour. The other two banks were considerably slower, which means even when customers did receive a response, it was not immediate  something which has come to be expected in the realm of social customer service.

Digital transformation presents opportunity

Saudi Arabia has attracted international attention for its Vision 2030, which is driving socio-economic transformation at an unprecedented pace. To realise this vision and become an economic leader, digital technology must sit at the heart of the transformation.

The digital transformation taking place on a broader scale presents an opportunity for Saudi banks to utilise the available insights on social sentiment and consumption habits to tailor their digital strategy. Using real-time customer feedback to understand friction points in existing processes will enable banks to ensure their future digital experience meets the needs of their customers, Ray concluded.-- TradeArabia News Service
RAFT RIVER  A Burley man died Saturday night after rolling his vehicle on Interstate 86, police say.

The man, 54, was westbound at 7:24 p.m. on I-86 in a GMC Jimmy when he drove off the right shoulder, overcorrected, and rolled the vehicle into the median, the Idaho State Police said.

The man died at the scene, the police said, and the road was blocked for about 45 minutes.

The incident is under investigation by the ISP.
KIMBERLY  A local man is making a difference in Ukraine.

Rob Sturgill isnt new to helping others in far-away lands, having rebuilt homes in 2014 after a deadly typhoon in the Philippines and constructed a classroom in Africa. Now the Kimberly man is devoting much of his efforts to Ukraine, taking three trips to the war-torn country after feeling an overwhelming desire to help.

During his latest trip to Ukraine, Sturgill found himself less than 4 miles from the front lines as he distributed supplies and could hear shelling as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine raged.

Instead of fear, Sturgill felt calm.

I felt at peace, he said, I didnt think about the bombing and shelling going on.

Sturgills message is simple.

When you feel prompted to do something good, do it.

The good he has done in Ukraine started with such a prompting.

He was attending church in early March when he felt an overwhelming need to help, he said. He flew to Ukraine shortly after.

Sturgill runs his charitable organization Type of Wood from a spare bedroom in his house, and his first trip to Ukraine occurred just weeks into the war. With his brother and friends from Utah, he rented vans and shuttled refugees from centers near the Ukraine-Poland border to host families and other places of safety.

With each trip, Sturgill and his partners have made more inroads, and have developed a distribution system to help deliver hundreds of tons of food and supplies to Ukrainians who have almost nothing.

There are a lot of people coming together who are doing a lot of good, he said.

Items donated in southern Idaho make their way to Ukraine  sometimes by boat, other times by airplane if deemed highly valuable items.

During Sturgills last trip, which involved traveling near the front lines in a convoy of five vans accompanied by a military escort, he saw sights that were heartbreaking and said he is glad he has been able to make a difference. He has made many friendships.

I tell you what, I have two Ukrainian brothers that I love to death, Sturgill said.

Sturgill works as a financial advisor for Edward Jones.

I have photos of myself in parking lots in Ukraine as I talk to clients, he said.

He encourages Magic Valley residents to get behind efforts to help Ukraine, and hes scheduled an open house at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Canyon Crest Event Center in Twin Falls as a way for residents to learn more about what is going on in the country.

Sturgill will share details about his trips to Ukraine and some Ukrainian refugees who fled the war and are now living in Idaho will relate their experiences. Those attending will hear how aid from Idaho is reaching the front lines.

Ukrainian tea and desserts will be served.

His charity will hold a collection drive from 1 to 7 p.m. each day at Canyon Crest Event Center. Cash donations are always welcome, Sturgill said, but nonperishable food, first aid and medical items, baby items, clothing and survival items are among the items being requested.

Donations are tax deductible.

Many businesses have also contributed to the charity, Sturgill said.

Clif Bar recently donated several pallets of energy bars that made their way to Ukrainian troops.

All the members of his charity are self-funded, and 100% of donations go toward relief efforts, Sturgill said. Cash often proves more helpful because many items can be purchased in Europe or Ukraine, eliminating some of the expense of transporting items from the United States.

In addition, Sturgill he has partnered with Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine, which is organized by multiple churches in the Treasure Valley and has collected donations at the Full Gospel Slavic Church in Meridian.
I confess to not being a close follower of the Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow murder investigations and court actions; criminal cases ordinarily arent my top area of interest.

In this instance, that began to change as I learned more about the background of these two. My interest spiked when I spoke at a book signing with Leah Sottile, author of the new book When the Moon Turns to Blood, and then read this compelling book, which is about Daybell and Vallow.

I asked: This book isnt really about the criminal case, is it? She acknowledged it wasnt.

Which makes sense, since the criminal case has not reached a climax yet: Theres been no conviction or acquittal. The married couple Daybell and Vallow, who have been charged with murder of her two children, whose bodies were found in Daybells back yard, are still enmeshed in legal proceedings, likely for some time.

The book is less about the criminal allegations than about what led up to the more recent developments. Both Daybell and Vallow, who once seemed to have easy, conventional and prosperous lives, were swept into religious extremism, into believingand, critically, acting on the beliefthat they personally were the anointed saviors of the world. Efforts by the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, to which they belonged, to push back against their extreme ideas (along with many other kinds of extremists), were of no avail.

From there, its only a short step to justifying any number of acts ranging from the immoral to the stupid to the horrific.

Sottile suggested that Daybell, had been bolstered by a large community of LDS people who indulge in anti-government ideologies, who take prepping to the extreme, who consider the words of the LDS prophet as mere guidance when they dont boost what they already believe. Its a world that views conspiracy mongers as visionaries.

The book is a compelling read for anyone who has heard of the Daybell and Vellow case and wondered whats behind it. But the lessons from this story reach much further.

Extremism has led and continues to lead directly to tragedy of all sorts. There are plenty of examples in recent years, but the QAnon networkhighly live and active in Idahohas provided more than its share.

Another book just off my recent reading list, The Storm Is Upon Us, How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult and Conspiracy Theory of Everything, by Mike Rothschild, made the point in fuller detailto the point that seemed to suggest the topic is so expansive and complex a shelf of books could be written about it. The author noted (with plenty of factual support) Long before Q-pilled insurrectionists sacked the US Capitol, Q believers were committing violent crimes, kidnapping children, and even killing people. The Capitol attack was far from the first sign of Qs potential for chaos.

Most recently, theres the case of Igor Lanis of Michigan. His surviving daughter reported this on Reddit (the basic facts have been confirmed elsewhere):

In 2020 after Trump lost, my dad started going down the Q rabbit hole. He kept reading conspiracy theories about the stolen election, Trump, vaccines, etc. He always said he wanted to keep us safe and healthy. It kept getting worse and he verbally snapped at us a few times.  Well, at around 4 AM on September 11, he had an argument with my mother and he decided to take our guns and shoot her, my dog and my sister. My mother succumbed to her wounds and my sister is in the hospital right now. My dad also fired back at the cops and they killed him.

Im shocked and I dont even know what to say.

The politician Barry Goldwater once might have said (and maybe reconsidered later): extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. He was wrong: Real extremism almost always winds up at war with liberty.

But not only that. Extremism leads to any number of bad results, disrupting our society and our self-government.

It can even kill.
Jamie France looked around her pristine, comfortable and stylish home and said, You never get done. Just do the important things and make do with the rest.

By that time, she and her family had been living for almost a year in the century-old Figsboro farmhouse they had repaired and renovated.

Though a visitor may get the feeling that the house was brand new, that was a hard-fought impression through a great deal of work. Practically all thats left is to hang a few closet doors.

The closest Jamie France knows about the house is that it was built in 1920 or earlier and had always been in her grandfathers side of the family.

In fact, her son Greysons room once had been her brother Blaine Colemans room and her father Timmy Colemans room before that. Her daughter Macy now sleeps in the room that had been her aunt Lynn Browns room.

Many years ago, her grandparents Henry Coleman and Nancy Coleman, who also live in Figsboro, owned it and lived in it. After they built a house in 1993, they rented out the farmhouse.

Its a Figsboro family. Brother Blaine Coleman, who sold her the farmhouse and owns the land surrounding it, lives in the house in the middle of Charlie Browns sometimes-sunflower farmland across from MeeMaws restaurant, about a mile away. Her parents, Timmy and Glenda Coleman, also live close by, on Washburn Drive.

When she and her brother were children, they lived in the house with their parents. In 1996, Timmy and Glenda Coleman bought a house near the end of Washburn Drive, and a few years after that, they built a house toward the top of Washburn Drive.

Jamie and Jordan France have two children, Greyson Scott, 6, and Macy France, 20 months. She is a dealer development representative for Eastman Chemical Co., and he is a working foreman for Utility Line Construction Services in Winston-Salem, N.C.

In 2020, the France family were living in Bassett and were just about to make renovations on that house when out of the blue, my husband said, I dont think I want to be here anymore, Jamie France said.

I said, What about a farmhouse in Figsboro?

He said, Do you know who has one?

I said, Yeah.

And so it began.

Its got great bones

The farmhouse and the land around it were owned by her brother, but he never lived there. The Frances surveyed the property to cut out land with the house.

The remodeling began in July 2020; the Frances moved in in January 2021; and the last big project, the deck, was finished in October 2021. The contractor who built her parents house, Daniel Peters, worked on the farmhouse.

We knew it had a few issues, Jamie France said. We didnt know how many issues. Room by room, it kept popping up.

The living room floor had been soft, and when they pulled up the floorboards, they discovered severe termite damage. Some joists had been eaten through, and others had fallen completely down.

Despite that shocking discovery, however, Peters encouraged her: They dont make houses like this anymore. Its got great bones.

They dug out to give more of a crawlspace which allowed ducts to fit under the floor, which in turn allowed for central heating and air. The house now has two heat pumps, one for upstairs and one for down.

The foundations and subflooring were worked on from July through October 2020.

One side wall of the house was jacked up so the foundation could be replaced. Dale Coleman of Martinsville handled that work, including pouring footing.

Additional framing was reworked on the inside, including installing load-bearing beams. Sheetrock was hung in November 2020. The family  including the then-heavily pregnant Jamie France  installed the flooring themselves.

The couple did as much of the work as they could to keep costs down, she said. Theyd come to the house each evening after work, and have their supper at her parents house.

The couple took down out one of the fireplaces and left the other. That ones just for looks, though: Jordan France is a firefighter with the Bassett Volunteer Fire Department and does not want a fire in the house, she said.

Her father is an electrician, so father and daughter planned out the electrical service for the house.

They were no strangers to working together.

Growing up, we had to contribute to the livelihood of the household, so every Saturday as children she and her brother went along with their father to job sites, France said. As they grew older, their tasks, expanded, such as into pulling wire, nailing up boxes and putting in fixtures.

Ed Freel of Blue Ridge Custom Cabinetry in Franklin County built the cabinets. One wall of the kitchen was taken in to put a long pantry. That is a tidier look that just a jumble of cabinets  and cheaper, France said. She and her father built the barn-style doors from a kit  much more work than it would seem, she said.

The windows did not need replacing, but new trim needed to be made for them. My dad can do it all, France said. I showed him what I wanted, and he built it.

Her father also built the step treads, riser boards and skirt boards for the stairs.

Joe Woods of Woodys Plumbing  he lives just down the road in a similar farmhouse  did the plumbing work.

Outside, the house had asbestos shingles, and Dwayne Ray of Muddy Fork put up vinyl siding. Robbie Whorley put on the new roof with metal from New South Metals in September 2021.

When it got down to the finishing touches, Paula Gray painted the furniture and interior doors.

Back home

I felt pressure that we really needed to get done when we sold the house in Bassett and a baby on the way, she said.

The kitchen cabinets were installed in mid-December 2020; she had the baby on Jan. 5, 2021; and the family moved in on Jan. 23, 2021.

When they moved it the house had one working bathroom, and the kitchen didnt have countertops nor a sink. The kitchen counters were installed in May 2021, and the installation of the hood vent in July 2021 completed the kitchen.

A new front porch was built in August 2021.

Though there are still some things theyd like to do  such as put up some closet doors upstairs  it was when the deck was built in October 2021, a year and 3 months into the project, we kind of just liked lived  enjoyed the house, she said.

We had a great support system. Its good to be back home.

It has been heartwarming and fun to feel the communitys support as they were working on the house.

I grew up here, she said. People would drive by the house to comment on it, or once they made that connection on Facebook they would message me on Facebook. One person who had pulled up behind her at the gas station complimented the work.

It feels good, she said.
Henry County Public Schools (HCPS) will be getting its first student board member estimated as early as January.

HCPS Director of Communications Monica Hatchett presented a model policy to the school board that outlined a potential plan for a student member, who would serve in an advisory capacity. The policy was based on research from other school boards in divisions which have student members.

Virginia has 42 school divisions with student school board members, and though HCPS did not speak with all of them, the gathered information brought them to the following decisions.

The student representative participates in an advisory capacity, Hatchett said. The member will not have a vote, will not attend closed sessions and will not have access to confidential information such as student or personnel records.

However, she said, the student will be required to attend all regular meetings and complete assignments for research and data when requested by the board to do so.

Hatchett said that the proposed template to nominate the student members would be to have the principals from both Bassett High School and Magna Vista High School select two students, one senior and one junior, to represent the school.

From those nominations, HCPS Superintendent Sandy Strayer would select the student representatives, and then there would be approval from the board. In most divisions, the student representative serves a one year term.

The HCPS student member will have a 2-year term, minus the first senior who is selected, with the junior member continuing on the board until graduation. This will ensure that there is always a student member on the board with experience.

The tentative timeline to proceed began with the board approving the student board member policy at its October meeting, which it did unanimously. For November, Hatchett suggested that Strayer get the nominations from the high schools and select the two students. For December, the school board will vote to approve the new members, and in January the students will attend their first meeting.

In other matters at Thursdays regular HCPS board meeting:

Ronald James spoke during the public comment section of the meeting to address scheduling, saying that students are tightly grouped and have minimal exposure to different environments and students. He said that the issue should be addressed because its current format stunts students from experiencing diversity and can prevent students from making friends.

Hatchett presented awards and recognitions, reading proclamations that designate the month of October Bullying Prevention Month and Disability Awareness Month.

Hatchett presented awards to four board members from the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) in recognition for their participation in various activities throughout the year. HCPS Board Chair Thomas Auker and HCPS Board members Ben Gravely, Teddy Martin II, Elizabeth Durden and Cherie Whitlow received certificates.

Students from the Career Academy gave a presentation on cybersecurity, and their teacher, Donna Hicks, gave a presentation on the updates of new equipment to the cybersecurity lab at the school. The students spoke about phishing, the importance of strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Hatchett spoke about the division equity report containing information from the state of Virginia and from the school division individually. She said that HCPS enrollment is slightly down from last year, but by fewer than 100 students; advance coursework students demographic numbers show that Black and Hispanic groups are down 4% in total compared to last year; advance diplomas were down just under 2%; standard diplomas are up 3%; and GED certificates and other non-graduates were up 1%.

The board unanimously approved the consent agenda containing the minutes from the September meeting, payment of bills, overnight and out-of-state field trip requests, Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) members for 2022-23 and employee computer purchases through payroll deduction for FY 2023.

Strayer nominated Gravely to be reappointed as the boards representative for the Piedmont Governors Schools governing board and for HCPS board member Terri Flanagan to serve as the alternate. The nomination was unanimously passed by the board.

HCPS Assistant Superintendent for Operations and Administrative Services David Scott spoke about an additional appropriation of $220,200 to the School Nutrition Budget for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and the board unanimously approved.

The Superintendents report video was played, highlighting hands-on learning at Drewry Mason Elementary School with scientific investigation projects, a coding challenge and Sanville Elementary School, Magna Vista High Schools first robotics meeting and more.

Auker announced a reminder of dates:

Nov. 3: monthly meeting at 6 p.m.

Nov. 16-18: VSBA annual convention

Dec. 1: monthly meeting at 6 p.m.

Jan. 5: Annual recognition and monthly meeting at 6 p.m.

In closed session, the board appointed Lisa Gardner as school nurse coordinator.
At its meeting on Thursday, the Bassett Kiwanis Club recognized Ray Reynolds for raising approximately $45,000 for the Jennifer Short Scholarship.

Each year, a scholarship is awarded from the fund to a deserving graduate of Bassett High School in memory of the 9-year-old Oak Level girl who was murdered in an unsolved crime over 20 years ago.

Reynolds, who has led the annual motorcycle and car fundraising rally for the past two decades, announced after this years event he would be stepping down.

The Kiwanis Club of Bassett, in conjunction with the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, acts as the fiscal agent for the rally. The Eagles Club will take over the duties of Reynolds.
Former South African President Jacob Zuma, sentenced to 15 months in prison for stubbornly refusing to answer a Commission investigating corruption, finished serving his sentence last Friday, the Justice Department announced.

The ministry wrote in a statement: All administrative procedures have been completed and the expiration date of the sentence marks the end of his detention.

His incarceration in July 2021 triggered an unprecedented wave of violence and looting in the country, leaving about 350 people dead. Two months into his sentence, Zuma was released on health grounds and placed under judicial supervision.

In a statement, the 80-year-old ex-leader, who had to step down in 2018 due to too many corruption scandals, reported mixed emotions.

He thanked his supporters, who remain numerous in South Africa and continue to judge his incarceration unjust and cruel. He compared the end of his sentence on Friday to the day he was released from Robben Island in 1973, after spending ten years there during apartheid alongside Nelson Mandela.

In December, a court challenged his release on medical grounds, ordering him to return to prison. He had appealed, and the decision was not yet known on Friday, when his sentence expired.

Zuma, who is still facing trial in a bribery case dating back more than 20 years, announced in late September that he was planning to return to politics.

He said he was available to serve the African National Congress (ANC), which has ruled the country for three decades. Torn by a war of currents, the ANC must decide in December whether to reappoint current president Cyril Ramaphosa as a candidate for the next presidential election, scheduled for 2024.
The French government has announced budget support for Guinea-Bissau of five million euros, the Guinean Finance Ministry said in a statement.

The announcement was made at the end of a mission of the French government of budgetary support, which remained for four days in the country to define the modalities of support for the General State Budget this year, says the Ministry of Finance.

According to the statement, a large part of the funds will be allocated to social sectors, namely health and education.

The French government is making budgetary support conditional on the achievement of certain goals, including establishing a financial program with the International Monetary Fund, reducing the countrys wage bill and public debt, the statement said.

The Secretary of State for Budget and Fiscal Affairs, Joo Alberto Djata, said at the end of the meeting with the French mission that achieving those goals is what will stimulate more partners.

The French government carried out a mission to Guinea-Bissau to analyze financial support to the General State Budget and the negotiations with the IMF.

The French mission was led by Yves Charpentier, financial adviser for Africa at the French Treasury.
Morocco handed over to Mali copies of the manuscripts of Malian scholar Ahmed Baba of Timbuktu (1556-1627), stored in Morocco.

During an official reception ceremony held last week at the National Museum of Mali, Moroccan Ambassador Driss Isbayene handed over to the Malian Culture Minister Andogoly Guindo the copies of the manuscripts of the Malian Scholar Ahmed Baba of Timbuktu, grouped in three compact discs and eight microfilms.

The Moroccan diplomat took this opportunity to pay tribute to the scholar Ahmed Baba, one of the most enlightened scholars of his time and a symbol of the ancestral relations between Morocco and Mali. His wisdom and philosophy have made of him an institution that has influenced the thinkers, he said.

Highlighting the secular relations between Morocco and Mali, the Moroccan diplomat stressed that this intellectual monument that was Ahmed Baba is a bridge of universality and thought linking the two peoples and nations.

Between Morocco and Mali there is a deep historical relationship spread over centuries and whose human and religious dimension is very strong, he said, recalling that the visits made by King Mohammed VI in Mali in 2013 and 2014 have given a stronger and more substantial content to this already-exemplary bilateral relationship.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

When Anabel Garcia got home from her job tending to grape orchards in Sonoma County, California, she noticed her saliva was black.

During wildfire season, Garcia and her fellow migrant farmworkers were sent out to salvage wine grapes before they became tainted from the smoke. Garcia and her coworkers experienced shortness of breath and weren't given protective attire, instead wearing just bandanas to cover their nose and mouth.

"It was very hard to breathe, and our eyes hurt. After the next few days, we could feel it in our lungs," Garcia, 42, said in Spanish through a translator. "We were getting sore throats and spitting dark matter."

Garcia doesn't have a primary care doctor or medical benefits. She said she goes to a mobile health clinic "only when I'm in real need of it."

"What the owners cared about most was the grapes. It makes me angry because nobody called us after to check in on us," she said.

During that summer of 2017, the mother of two from the Michoacan region of Mexico said she and the other workers weren't compensated for working in smoky conditions.

Farmworkers are an understudied population, yet vulnerable to certain health risks and barriers during wildfires, which are being exacerbated by temperature-revving climate change that's increasing their frequency, according to research from the University of Washington and others.

That's why Michael Mendez, an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine's School of Ecology, launched a study with the National Center for Atmospheric Research this summer aimed at finding out health risks facing California Latino, Latina and Indigenous migrant farmworkers like Garcia during wildfire season.

For the coming months and into next year, the researchers will study data from air quality monitors and analyze how they translate to farmworker health risks.

"When a wildfire disaster was striking, particularly in agricultural areas, these farmworker communities were being disproportionately affected," Mendez told U.S. TODAY. "These individuals have been living in the region for years, if not decades, but they were rendered invisible in the context of disaster policies."

While recent measures have been put in place, Mendez and advocates say there is still a long way to go, in Sonoma County and elsewhere, to protect agricultural workers' health and understand their unique exposures.

Through the study, Mendez hopes to fill in gaps and data to inform policymakers.

"Wildfires don't happen in isolation," he said. "Wildfires occur in massive heat waves, which we're experiencing now, as well as drought and other types of environmental hazards. A more comprehensive approach and holistic approach needs to be looked at how to safeguard the most vulnerable and essential workers."

Wildfire smoke is a health hazard, and farmworkers are 'more at risk'

Wildfire smoke and pollution in general are linked to health problems, and farmworkers can lack access to regular health care, said Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

"The things that we absolutely know are linked to wildfire smoke are adverse respiratory outcomes and cardiovascular disease outcomes. We've seen that time and again, across many different states. And that's generally among the general public, people who will be far less exposed than people that work outside," Casey said. "Farmworkers who aren't receiving care... if they have an underlying comorbidity that's untreated, they would be more at risk of, for example, a cardiovascular event during a wildfire."

Other research groups have also been studying the issue and trying to fill in gaps.

A study released in September in the journal Environmental Health Research Letters explored farmworkers' past and future smoke exposures using projected climate conditions.

The researchers estimated pollutant concentrations in wildfire smoke will intensify in Northern California as well as agricultural regions in the Central Valley and along the coast, with a 35% increase in smoke exposure days for farmworkers.

"Several counties in central California with large numbers of agricultural workers will experience an increase in the frequency of smokewave conditions," wrote lead author Miriam Marlier, an environmental health professor at the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, and her colleagues.

Agricultural workers aren't always told how to protect themselves

California farmworkers aren't alone, and extreme heat is only adding to unsafe working conditions during harvest and fire season in the Western U.S., experts say.

Farmworkers throughout Washington state shouldered heavier heat and pollution exposures during wildfire season, according to a study published in the Journal of Agromedicine last year, led by Elena Austin, assistant professor at the University of Washington's environmental and occupational health sciences department.

Counties with the most agricultural workers had hotter temperatures and high exposure levels of dangerous particulate matter, a harmful, complex mixture of inhalable pollutants. These levels peaked during summer and wildfire season when the farmworker population is at its largest, Austin and her colleagues found.

In a small 2018 pilot study that surveyed local field workers, about 3 in 4 farmworkers in Mattawa, Washington, reported exposure to an unhealthy level of smoke on the job during wildfire season, yet said employers made no changes to their routines, according to the survey by the university's Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center.

All the farmworkers in the study said they received little to no information on how to protect themselves from the smoke from managerstheir preferred source of information. Less than half used a mask, and most used a bandana.

"Those people we interviewed actually did not have a good sense of actions that they could take to protect themselves," Austin said.

The state implemented an emergency rule requiring employers to provide protective gear at specific particulate matter concentration levels detected by air quality sensors. But Austin, whose research was used to advise policymakers, said there are still concerns.

"There are gaps in these rural areas, which could potentially create a difficulty in determining exposure in for field workers," she said. Her team is working with other groups to deploy sensors, which must be calibrated and maintained over time.

There are also few Environmental Protection Agency sensors in areas of concern, NCAR atmospheric scientist Rebecca Hornbrook told U.S. TODAY. Her team will instead use data from the many purple air monitors in the area.

"It's basically a community resource," she said. "It's a dense network. You can get a lot more spatial distribution from using those than you can from some of the more sporadic EPA sensors."

'The fight is far from over' to better care for California farmworkers

Back in Sonoma County, Anayeli Guzman, a Oaxacan farmworker from Mexico, said she and her coworkers were told it wasn't dangerous to work.

"We were told that it was OK to work because the fires were far away," she said through a translator. But, Guzman added, "It was really difficult to breathe."

Like Garcia, Guzman said she doesn't have a doctor to regularly visit.

"We don't have access to regular checkups... to understand exactly how our health is," she said. "There's anger, there's sadness and there's a certain sense of impotence that we aren't taken into account."

The county's Board of Supervisors recently approved an wildfire evacuation zone program run by the local sheriff's office, according to local media reports. While advocates are celebrating it as a win, they are also ambivalent about law enforcement running the program. Many of the migrant farmworkers are undocumented.

"For a worker who associates the sheriff's office with deportations and evictions and police brutality, that's not the place you can really lodge complaints," said Davida Sotelo Escobedo with North Bay Jobs for Justice, who called the new measures a "powerful victory" but one that needs to "continually improve."

The supervisors didn't approve hazard or evacuation pay but instead designated a new disaster fund and insurance program for farmworkers. "That (fund) will run out very quickly." Escobedo said. "The fight is far from over."

Explore further California agricultural employers, workers approach smoke concerns differently

(c)2022 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Master developer Nakheel has announced that its community management unit has secured top global health-safety rating for facility operations and management for 365 buildings by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).

In order to achieve the rating, Nakheel Community Management ensures strict adherence to health and safety policies across its residential, retail, hotel and infrastructure developments.

Each of the properties managed by Nakheel Community Management require a contractor and project management consultant with an active HSE plan that meets both regulatory requirements as well as Nakheels strict health and safety requirements.

A programme of inspections and audits must be carried out by contractors, consultants and Nakheel Community Management.

The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-Covid-19 environment now and in the future.

Nakheel Community Management is the first management company to be awarded the WELL Health & Safety certification, said the Dubai developer in its statement.

The Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) and Nakheel Community Management celebrated the key milestone at an intimate event, attended by Rera CEO Engineer Marwan bin Ghalita, Nakheel CEO Naaman Atallah and other members of the senior management teams.

Bin Ghalita said: "Nakheel has played a vital role in promoting the real estate sector in Dubai. As the first community management company to be awarded the WELL Health-Safety Rating, Nakheel Community Management is paving the way for other players to promote the highest standards of health and safety within their communities."

"This is a prestigious recognition of the efforts Nakheel Community Management has undertaken to ensure the best possible residential experience," he stated.

Chief Community Management Officer Francis Giani said: "We are honoured to be recognised by WELL, and this certification is a testament to our commitment to implementing the highest level of health and safety practices across all of our assets."

"Ensuring the utmost health, safety and overall happiness and prosperity of our communities is an integral part of our organisational culture and a core value that we pride ourselves on," he noted.

Founder and CEO of Delos and International WELL Building Institute Paul Scialla said: "Now more than ever, people are seeking living environments that are designed to foster better health and wellbeing."

"We commend the Nakheel Community Management team for their leadership in healthy buildings as the first management company under Rera to achieve the WELL Health-Safety Rating across Nakheel's 365 buildings," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Cancer  Histopathologic image of colonic carcinoid. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0

On October 10 the world's first randomized study on using colonoscopy-screening to prevent colorectal cancer was presented during the 2022 United European Gastroenterology Week in Vienna.

The full study was also published in New England Journal of Medicine.

"Colonoscopy unfortunately is not a miracle cure for colorectal cancer. According to our study, it probably is not better than the fecal samples," says Michael Bretthauer, professor at the University of Oslo and senior physician at Oslo University Hospital.

Previously, experts have assumed that the effect of using colonoscopy to detect colorectal cancer is higher than using fecal samples. Fecal samples are used in screening programs all over the world today. Researchers have assumed that up to 9 out of 10 colorectal cancer cases can be prevented using colonoscopy. With fecal samples the same is assumed to be 23 out of 10 cases. In the NordICC-study the researchers wanted to see if colonoscopy-screening actually can help prevent colorectal cancer.

In the study 1.2% of the people who were not randomized for colonoscopy-screening got colorectal cancer after 10 years, compared to 0.98% in the group who was offered screening.

"This means that new cases of colorectal cancer were reduced by 18% among the participants who were offered colonoscopy-screening," Bretthauer says.

The study is lead by Bretthauer and colleagues in the research group Clinical Effectiveness Research (uio.no) at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital. The study is named NordICC, Nordic-European Initiative on Colorectal Cancer (uio.no).

The researchers followed 95,000 participants from four European countries over more than 10 years

The study includes 95,000 participants from Norway, Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands. It is one of the largest randomized studies ever conducted.

Healthy people between the age of 55 and 64 was randomized into two groups: One group was offered one screening with colonoscopy, the other was not offered screening at all. All the participants in the study were followed for over 10 years, to see if colonoscopy prevents colorectal cancer.

In Norway, screening centers were created at Srlandet Hospital in Kristiansand and Arendal, which carried out thousands of colonoscopies for the study between 2009 and 2014.

Authorities should take the results from the study into consideration when forming Norway's new screening program

The mortality rate for colorectal cancer is generally low in the NordICC-study. Only 3 out of 1,000 died from the disease during the 10 years the researchers followed the participants, regardless of if they were offered screening or not. There was no significant decrease in the mortality rate for the screening group, compared to the group who was not offered screening.

"We are happy to see that the mortality rate is generally low in the study. The numbers are lower than expected when we started the study," Bretthauer says.

The main reason for the low mortality rates is that the treatment options for colorectal cancer have become noticeably better the past 10 years. This makes colonoscopy-screening less effective to prevent patients from dying from colorectal cancer.

"This can mean that introducing screening with colonoscopy as a part of the colorectal cancer screening program in Norway can be less effective than previously assumed. Researchers and authorities should now discuss how the program should proceed from here, taking the results from the NordICC-study into consideration," Bretthauer says.

The researchers will follow the participants in the study the upcoming years, to see if the effect of screening gets better with time. The next report from the study is planned published in two years.

Explore further Using AI during cancer-screening results in more recommended controls

More information: Michael Bretthauer et al, Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death, New England Journal of Medicine (2022). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Michael Bretthauer et al, Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death,(2022). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2208375
When summer turns to fall, the shorter days can cause some people to feel the "winter blues." Now one expert offers information on how to cope with seasonal depression, which comes during the cold, dark months of the year.

Also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the condition can reflect a change in serotonin levels and be linked to depression.

"According to the Mental Health America National Organization, symptoms of seasonal depression can be similar to those that occur with depression," said Jeannie Larson, a professor at the University of Minnesota. "It can sometimes be difficult to discern SAD from other types of depression."

A diagnosis of seasonal depression can only be made after two consecutive occurrences of depression that begin and end at the same time every year, along with no symptoms during other times of the year, Larson said.

While about 5% of the U.S. population experiences SAD, the numbers are as high as 10% in the northern latitudes, a 2013 study showed.

Women have higher rates of SAD, which tends to start when person is between 20 and 30 years old.

Symptoms include those of depression, anxiety, mood changes, sleep problems, changes in eating habits, lethargy and sexual problems.

The condition may present as feelings of misery, guilt, hopelessness, diminished interest in activities and loss of self-esteem. A person may feel tension or be unable to tolerate stress. Sometimes a person with SAD has mood extremes, with periods of mania in spring and summer. Other symptoms can include increased appetite, loss of libido, desire to avoid social contact and disturbed sleep.

A person with SAD may feel symptoms worsen as the winter begins and feel more isolated or anxious than in the past because of ongoing stressors from the pandemic.

"The beginning symptoms of SAD may exacerbate the preexisting stressors from COVID, making one less capable of dealing with issues then one might have been able to before," Larson said in a university news release.

Larson manages the Nature-Based Therapeutic Services at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum of the University of Minnesota, and her areas of expertise include therapeutic horticulture, animal-assisted interactions and therapeutic landscapes.

She is working with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to look at the effects of walking in green and suburban environments on a patient's mood and other outcomes.

Explore further 5 signs of depression you shouldn't ignore

More information: The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more information on The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more information on seasonal affective disorder

Copyright  2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

If you've struggled with depression, you're not alone. It's the most common mental health issue facing adults, and, as of 2021, it affects nearly one in three in the United Statesa prevalence rate that has more than tripled in the last two years.

This dramatic increase in diagnoses has clear links to the COVID-19 pandemic's beginnings in the early months of 2020. But a glimmer of hope cuts through the darkness depression can bring: 80% of those who seek treatment experience an improvement in their symptoms within four to six weeks.

As promising as treatment can be, roughly two-thirds of those experiencing depression symptoms do not seek help. To encourage all members of the Case Western Reserve University community to take inventory of their own mental health, and to promote more informed conversation on the topic, The Daily sat down with two experts from University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS). Naomi Drakeford, Ph.D., associate director for diversity, equity and inclusion, and Hillary Jones, associate director of counseling services and a licensed professional clinical counselor with supervision designation, gave insight on depression symptoms so those potentially unaware of their diagnosis can, after treatment, experience life to the fullest.

Follow along to learn what Drakeford and Jones consider five of the most common misconceptions about depressionand what you need to know.

1. Depression is more than just sadness

A depressed mood is the most common symptom of depressionyou might be feeling down and tearful, and it may be difficult to get out of bed. However, it is also very common for an individual suffering from depression to appear high functioning and still perform daily tasks, but it takes more energyand events and hobbies may not offer the same enjoyment they once did.

Normally, an individual may be able to get through their work day and then go to the gym, make dinner, meet with friends. Someone experiencing depression, however, may get through their work day and feel like they just can't do one more thing. Or, they may muster up the energy to go to that dinner with friends, but they just can't seem to have a good time like they usually do.

2. Depression can cause one to isolate

A symptom that can show up often in students is withdrawal or isolation. For students who are extroverted and very social, this symptom is easier to recognize. But, for those who might not be as outgoing, or who identify as introverted, this is sometimes a harder piece to identify. Something that can help expose this symptom is to ask yourself: What is my alone time doing for me? Is it actually recharging me or is it draining?

3. It might be more than just fatigue

Often depression can show up as fatigue and folks don't know to recognize this as a symptom. They will head to the doctor's office to get their thyroid checked, or assume they are just not getting enough sleep when, in reality, they might be experiencing depression. Combine this fatigue with difficulty concentrating and difficulty making decisions, and life gets to be just too overwhelming.

For example, an individual may make decisions all day at work or work hard to focus in class, and then finally get homeonly to decide what to have for dinner. Decisional fatigue caused by depression can mean that this person is so exhausted from their day that they skip dinner because they couldn't make one more decision.

4. Depression is physical, not just mental

As mentioned earlier, depression can cause fatigue and difficulty concentrating. There can also be changes to sleep and appetite. For some people, depression can cause insomnia while others may sleep 10 to 12 hours a day and still feel tired. And, those suffering from depression may experience an increase or a decrease in appetite.

Depression can also manifest in a slowness, either cognitive or physicalwalking more slowly, feeling as if you are weighed down or moving through water. Some people even describe it as if they have weights on their feet.

5. Depression exists on a spectrum

When discussing major depressive disorder, the clinical term for depression, it is important to recognize that individuals can experience it as mild, moderate or severe. Though someone may not be experiencing severe symptoms, this doesn't mean that those symptoms are not worth addressing. And, an individual's experience of depression can fluctuate on this spectrummaking it even more important to address mild symptoms as soon as they arise.

Depression, as with almost anything, can be experienced very individually. One person's manifestation of depression may be completely different from another's. Layers of identities, experiences and cultural pieces affect not only an individual's depression symptoms but also how they communicate those symptoms.

Explore further 5 signs of depression you shouldn't ignore
Credit: Terri Sharp/Pixabay

Australia is heading for a "perfect storm" as climate change ramps up the frequency of disasters and as the population is fatigued, vulnerable and less resilient thanks to almost three years of continual emergencies, according to the author of a Perspective published today by the Medical Journal of Australia.

Professor George Braitberg, Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Austin Health, wrote that the impact of a disaster could be determined by three factors:

the hazard itself (an extreme event that can be natural or man-made);

the vulnerability of the affected people; and

the capacity or measures that can be taken to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences.

"Seen through a disaster medicine lens, we are approaching a 'perfect storm,'" wrote Professor Braitberg.

"We have a complex hazard that is affecting a fatigued community with lowered resilience, without agreement on a comprehensive set of measures that can be taken to mitigate the impact."

There is currently no declaration of a climate emergency at the federal level of government in Australia. As such, there is no agreed definition of the problem, and therefore no clear roadmap to dealing with emergencies.

"We need systems in place that address the core problem and assist in managing the related disaster events," wrote Professor Braitberg.

"We should stop blaming 'nature' or construe them as 'acts of god' so that we can prepare accountable, proactive preventive approaches to reduce their impact.

"Attributing disasters to nature provides a convenient rationalization for individuals whose role is to develop policy and the strategic and instrumental measures needed to reduce the risk, hazard and vulnerability impact and improve community resilience."

Professor Braitberg warned that the Australian community was "tired."

"Since December 2019, Australia has faced continuous challenges to community resilience," he wrote.

"The 20192020 bushfires burned over 17 million hectares across the country, which was the largest area in a single recorded fire season for eastern Australia. Tragically, 34 people died, and the losses of $1.9 billion in insurance claims exceeded the Black Saturday fires of 2009.

"To 12 September 2022, Australia has reported 10,112,229 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 14,421 deaths.

"It would be fair to say that our community and health care worker resilience to withstand further disasters is challenged; a consideration that is important when we consider our capacity to respond to, and recover from, climate change-driven disasters over the next decades.

"Climate change is real, and the scale of disasters will increase. Our efforts to prepare and respond must be evidence-based. We must focus on community support and recovery, establishing targeted programs for vulnerable population which provide sustainable financial security and social connectedness," he concluded.

Explore further How do we measure community disaster resilience?

More information: George Braitberg, Climate change can be seen through a disaster medicine lens, Medical Journal of Australia (2022). Journal information: Medical Journal of Australia George Braitberg, Climate change can be seen through a disaster medicine lens,(2022). DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51730

Provided by Medical Journal of Australia
Colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (red) cultivated and purified from cell culture. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID

Dr. Emmanuel Nakoune and Dr. Piero Olliaro lead monkeypox research in the Central African Republic, where the disease is endemic. We speak to them about their experiences, challenges, and why we continue to see the same problems emerging in our global response to infectious diseases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declaring monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is a stark reminder of the weaknesses that exist in the world's ability to prepare and respond to outbreaks. While the number of global monkeypox cases is falling, there have been over 70,000 confirmed cases worldwide at the time of writing. Researchers studying monkeypox in Central Africa for decades tell us about their work and why the recent outbreak demonstrates the need for health equity.

Dr. Emmanuel Nakoune is the Scientific Director of the Institut Pasteur de Bangui, where he has been involved in monkeypox research for over 20 years.

Dr. Piero Olliaro is a Professor of Poverty Related Infectious Diseases at the University of Oxford and Director of Science at ISARICa global federation of clinical research networks supported by Wellcome, the Gates Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Officewhere he leads the clinical research program.

Tell us about your work and research

Dr. Nakoune: The research started in 2001 with the first lab diagnosis for monkeypox using PCR tests. Soon after, the Ministry of Health in Central Africa added monkeypox to a list of diseases for mandatory reporting and surveillance. By 2016, there was a significant increase in monkeypox cases. Following an epidemic in Nigeria in 2017, WHO called for increased monkeypox aid and surveillance across Africa.

One outcome was our expanded access use program to test the effectiveness of an antiviral drugtecovirimat or 'TPOXX'in treating monkeypox patients. The program is a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Health and Population in Central Africa, Institut Pasteur Bangui and the University of Oxford.

Dr. Olliaro: We are also setting up studies in the UK and EU based on the expanded access use programs in Central Africa using similar protocols. These studies include:

MOSAICan observational study in the UK, Switzerland and eight European countries to monitor disease and treatment outcomes

PLATINUMa double-blinded, randomized control study in the UK comparing the effects of tecovirimat to placebo for treating monkeypox in non-hospitalized cases

Using this data, we will collate results to better understand monkeypox.

However, there are differences to consider when studying monkeypox across locations. For example, different cladestypes of virus variantsare prevalent in different countries. Clinical manifestationsphysical results of the diseaseare also different, most likely due to differences in disease transmission outside endemic countries.

What is an expanded access use program?

Dr. Olliaro: Expanded access use programs make it possible to treat patients with a drug in a specific country when the drug is not registered for use but there is an indication that it may be useful, or while waiting for the drug to complete the registration process.

In 2018, tecovirimat was registered by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in the US for smallpox. This was part of a strategy by the US Department of Defense to protect against the biological threat of smallpox and other pathogens. However, as smallpox was eradicated in the 1980s, these approvals were based on experimental animal data and safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers, without clinical trials.

Since then, the drug has been registered to treat other orthopox viruses, including monkeypox, in the EU by the European Medicine Agency and in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. But tecovirimat is not registered for use in Central Africa, so our expanded access use program allows us to test the drug on patients in areas where monkeypox is endemic.

What challenges have you experienced studying monkeypox in Central Africa?

Dr. Nakoune: There are challenges around the surveillance of monkeypox in African countries. We don't know how many people are exposed to the virus or how many become infected or diseased.

As well, as most cases occur in remote areas, diagnosis and treatment can be slow and difficult. There is often one or two weeks between the onset of symptoms and the administration of treatment. This is a huge problem.

One thing that would improve this is a point-of-care rapid test to provide a provisional diagnosis in the field before confirming the results in the central lab. We hope to set up a study in collaboration with FINDa Geneva-based organization specialized in studying diagnosticsto assess the performance of various point-of-care rapid tests for monkeypox.

Additional challenges include security and political instability in some African countries and a lack of coordinated approach to monkeypox.

What impact do you hope your research will have?

Dr. Nakoune: We want to reduce the risk of death through our research, particularly in children. We have seen positive outcomes already with the successful treatment of 14 patients with monkeypox in a previous phase of the program. However, one patient later died due to circumstances in their village unrelated to the disease or treatment.

Dr. Olliaro: In addition, we have reinforced and strengthened the capacity for identifying cases and administering treatment through our program. Our team can enter remote areas more often and diagnose and treat patients sooner.

This will hopefully help to change perceptions about monkeypox treatment, which has mostly been palliative in the past, and encourage more people to seek treatment. We also hope to reduce the stigma associated with a skin disease as obvious as monkeypox.

How has current outbreak and global attention impacted your research?

Dr. Nakoune: I believe the increased global attention has had a positive impact on our research. The US National Institutes of Health recently agreed to support a multi-country surveillance study which includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Ghana and Nigeriasix endemic countrieswhich is very positive. However, we believe this study could have started earlier but wasn't a priority until now, which is frustrating.

Dr. Olliaro: We are busier than ever between the expanded access program in Central Africa, the UK and EU studies and increased attention on our work, which is welcome but also taxing. Increased attention has also brought some additional frustrations as we see the same pattern repeating itself: despite being endemic to parts of Africa for decades, attention is only paid when the disease hits high-income countries.

What we want to avoid now is a lack of coordination and increased competition for resources and research. Instead, we need a non-competitive, coordinated approach with agreed-upon objectives and methodologies to ensure global research is unified, while at the same time recognizing there is no one-size-fits-all approach or solution.

There is lot we still don't know about monkeypox. From your perspective, what are the research gaps?

Dr. Nakoune: Monkeypox research has been neglected because the disease was mostly only found in parts of Africa. Had it not spread worldwide to affluent countries, nothing would have changed. In terms of key areas for research, there have been very few studies on the epidemiology, reservoir, risk factors and transmission of monkeypox. This is despite the fact there have been up to 1000 cases per year in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2010.

Dr. Olliaro: Research into different types of transmission is needed. There is a significant difference between transmission in Africa and transmission in the UK and other counties outside disease-endemic areas.

In Central Africa, there is animal-to-human transmission and human-to-human transmission. People living in remote areas where the virus is commonly found are infected by animalsknown as 'spill over'then bring the virus back to their local villages and communities where it's spread through close contact.

Whereas transmissions in the UK and EU are mostly human-to-human, and in the current outbreak, concentrated in a specific communitythose who identify as gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (MSM)which needs further research.

This also means vaccination strategies and interventions are very different. Different types of transmission in Africa make it more complex. We need the vaccine to be registered in Africa, but countries also need to think carefully about how to use it and develop vaccination strategies adapted to their own situation and needs.

In addition, we need research into a better intervention to identify, diagnose and treat cases earlier and into the effects of drugs and vaccines when deployed in different settings. Neither has been studied in clinical trials with humans and the effects could be different when tested on clade I in Central Africa compared to clade IIa in western Africa or clade IIb outside Africa.

What do you consider to be the main barriers preventing an effective global response to monkeypox?

Dr. Olliaro: Some of the main barriers include a lack of surveillance, coordinated response and extensive research into monkeypox, particularly into the transmission and effects of treatment and prevention in different settings.

Another potential barrier in western countries is the stigmatization of specific communities where cases have so far been concentrated, for example, MSM. This is a sensitive subject that needs to be handled with care. We need to continuously remind ourselves and the public that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease. We must avoid stigmatizing people and groups and prevent the same narrative that was applied to HIV being applied to monkeypox. Any interventions must also involve representatives of the LGBTQ+ community in order to be effective.

How can we make access to monkeypox drugs and vaccines more equitable?

Dr. Olliaro: While it was recently reported that there is no limitation in terms of the production of tecovirimat, availability is a problem. Only one company in the world currently produces the most recent and safest vaccine, and it stopped production prior to the recent outbreak.

High-income countries are purchasing and stockpiling the limited supply leaving none for African countries that need them the most. We had the same problems with COVID-19 and Ebolahistory is repeating itself. Only with slowing transmission and vaccine dose fractioning may richer countries be willing to share their stockpile.

Diversifying manufacturing is important. For mRNA-based vaccines, WHO supports countries like South Africa to establish the technology to produce their owntechnology which can be used to create other vaccines. It is essential to establish this technology in other countries to ensure a faster and more equitable response. Although, there are issues around intellectual property associated with these products and technologies, which is a huge problem.

Essentially, we need to go back to the drawing board and identify an overall equitable approach for all infectious diseases that is permanent, durable, and sustainable, otherwise, we will continue to have these conversations.

What can we learn from the recent monkeypox outbreak to prevent future escalation of infectious diseases?

Dr. Olliaro: We must address the infectious diseases in their entirety, not on a case-by-case basis. We hear the term 'pandemic preparedness' a lotthis is a problem. Preparing for a pandemic means that we only become interested in diseases when they become a public health emergency. Instead, we should address diseases earlier during outbreaks or smaller epidemics to avoid the risk of wider spread. This means addressing two overarching problems:

How we prioritize research and development of drugs and vaccines to ensure they are accessible and affordable to lower-income and endemic countries. How we develop and distribute medical interventions for epidemics and outbreak diseases.

This is also true of other diseases in Africa that will most likely not spread to other countries due to the way they are transmitted. These still need to be addressed if we are to ensure health equity. The term 'global health' is supposed to mean improving and achieving health equity for people worldwide. But in reality, the world only seems to care about diseases when they spread to the 'Global North'.

Explore further UK reports 104 more cases of monkeypox, mostly in men
Credit: shutterstock

Nigeria's university system witnessed its golden era between the 1950s and 1980s. It produced globally celebrated academics and virologists. But the story has changed. Under funding of the university system, inadequate support for research and lack of commitment to the development of science and technology by the government are robbing the nation of quality academics. Virologists are among them. Renowned virologist, Oyewale Tomori, who graduated in the 1970s, sets out how it was then, why the country is where it is now and what it can do to restore its lost glory in science and technology education.

What's the history of training virologists in Nigeria?

Although modern virology began with the discovery between 1915 and 1917 of bacteriophages (that is, viruses that infect bacteria , virology only became a discipline on its own in the last 50 years.

The discipline can be divided into the biology of viruses (molecular biology and biochemistry) and viral diseases (physiology, epidemiology, and clinical aspects of virus diseases). One branch deals with the study of the nature and properties of the virus, while the second is focused on the diseases caused by viruses and the interplay of the factors (human, animal, virus and the environment) that result in the emergence and reemergence of viral diseases.

Today, a thorough study of virology encompasses the One Health concept. This takes into account the interactions between humans and animals and the environment.

The first set of Nigerian virologists was trained outside the country. Local training of virologists started in the early 1970s, at the University of Ibadan. It was the sole training center for virologists until the late 1990s.

Today, there are about 200 virologists in Nigeria. Is this number enough?

Answering the question isn't the same as measuring, for example, the ideal doctor-to-patient ratio. This is because virologists are researchers, so the headline number isn't the main issue. Rather it's whether those trained as virologists are functioning effectively and maximally.

Suffice to say that Nigeria needs more virologists given the size of the country, and the number of endemic viral infections prevalent in it. Annually, the country reports severe outbreaks of virus diseases, such as Lassa Fever, yellow fever and measles.

You need virolgists to be ahead of the emergence of viral disease outbreaks.

But the high cost of equipment and reagents, as well as other facilities for conducting virus studies have limited the output of trained virologists by the Nigerian university system.

Currently, the country has more virologists specializing as molecular virologists, rather than experts on the epidemiology and clinical aspects of viral diseases. And poor collaboration between laboratory scientists, epidemiologists and clinicians has robbed Nigeria of getting the needed balance between molecular virologists and those studying viral diseases. There is a disconnect between the study of viruses and the diseases they cause. We have expert virologists with little knowledge of how to control the diseases caused by viruses.

Virologists who will be relevant and contribute to improving the health of the society, must use their knowledge and expertise to prevent and control viral disease, otherwise they become a precious ornament of little use to someone dying of a viral disease.

Nigeria, a disease ridden society, has no place for virologists who discover a virus but can't decipher what it does. Or are unable to use their knowledge to mitigate the devastation of a viral disease outbreak.

What's different now in the training of virologists?

When I trained as a virologist at the University of Ibadan in South West Nigeria, the training was comprehensive. It involved both broad-based field work as well as laboratory investigation.

In the past, in addition to employing available techniques (antigen-antibody studies and animal experimentation) to identify and classify viruses, a detailed epidemiological study of the diseases caused by the virus was also carried out.

This was a One Health concept that considered the pathogen, the person, the animal, and the environment in the study of viruses and the diseases they cause. This provided information needed for the control and prevention of the disease.

Today, the focus is principally on studying and dissecting the virus, using more modern and highly sophisticated techniques, like genomic sequencing.

A host of hurdles stand in the way of building a bigger cohort of virologists in Nigeria.

Firstly, the lack of modern facilities in laboratories and the poor state of basic infrastructure and other resources (such as electricity and reagents) are working against research development. You cannot run genetic sequencing or even sterilize your equipment using a candle as your source of power.

Secondly, budgetary allocation to education is generally poorat all levels, including the secondary school system.

Thirdly, and unfortunately, the Nigerian government is not committed to funding research. Financial support for science and research remains pathetic. This has led to the deterioration in the quantity and quality of trained virologists at Nigeria's universities. The oases of excellence in the Nigerian desert of research landscape are largely funded by grants from external bodies and agencies.

But for how long are you going to depend on external grants to fund your research and development? It is like Africa whining and crying for equity when, for example, COVID-19 vaccines were not available for our populations. You do not beg for equity, you fight for it. You use your resources responsibly to contribute to equity, and not just be a consumer of the crumbs of equity.

On top of this, we have corruption and examination malpractices undermining the very foundation of integrity and probity, the pillars on which science and research stand. Consequently, our university system is neither able to retain responsible academics, nor attract the right kind of prospective students imbued with responsibility.

Add to these hurdles the lack of interest of many students in science and technological education.

What's missing?

Sustained funding, infrastructure, facilities (regular power supply), and national government support for and sustained commitment to research.

There is a general national disdain for science and technology. There is also a national failure to fully recognize that science and technology are needed for the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria.

The government should invest in science, technology, research and development.

How has this affected Nigeria's ability to produce cutting-edge research?

Adversely.

We are a nation consuming other countries' returns on investment in science, research and technology. Rather than investing in research and contributing to global development through science and research, we have resorted to begging for the crumbs of equity.

We are only ready to consume other people's returns on investments on science and research.

What needs to be done?

Go back to basics. Invest in research, science and technology.

Nigeria should create an enabling environment for scientists to function effectively and maximally. The nation should commit to using research outcomes in science and technology as the medium for transforming our society to a developed nation. If Nigeria refuses to fund research especially in science and technology, we will remain at the blunt-edge, rather than the cutting-edge of research, science and technology. We will not have the body of knowledge that can help us to address the nation's health and other challenges.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

We've known for two decades that chronic exposure to high levels of a flavoring chemical called diacetyl, which is found in many foods and beverages, can cause lung damage. Now, a University of Rochester Medical Center study suggests that even short-term exposures to this flavoring chemical can damage the lungs of mice when paired with a second issue, like the flu.

Diacetyl, which gives microwave popcorn its buttery flavor, was first linked to flavorings-related lung disease in the early 2000's when a group of former microwave-popcorn factory workers came down with the illness. More recently, a similar lung disease has been seen among coffee roasters who inhale large concentrations of diacetyl, which is a natural byproduct of the coffee roasting process.

While those workers inhaled high levels of diacetyl over long periods of time, the URMC study published in the American Journal of PhysiologyLung Cellular and Molecular Physiology set out to test whether low-level, short-term exposures to the same chemical could produce a similar effect.

"We found that a single exposure to diacetyl for short periods of time did not result in much lung damage," said lead study author Matthew D. McGraw, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatric Pulmonology at URMC. "But when mice are exposed to another common environmental exposure, like flu, the double hit can cause airway disease similar to what we see with high-dose, long-term exposures to diacetyl."

In the study, mice were exposed to diacetyl for one hour a day over five consecutive days at levels similar to what coffee roasters encounter at work. Mice were then exposed to influenza A, which typically causes seasonal flu in humans.

Within two weeks of exposure, more than half of the mice that received this one-two hit died, while all of the mice in the control groups (exposed to diacetyl alone, flu alone, or neither) survived. Lungs from mice exposed to the "two-hits" showed significant impairment of lung function and airway repair compared to controls.

Researchers then switched the order of exposure, infecting another group of mice with flu first, allowing them to recover for nine days, then exposing them to diacetyl for five days. Whether the mice were exposed to diacetyl before or after flu, their lungs were unable to fully heal, again suggesting that exposure to both chemical and virus leads to abnormal airway repair.

"Our study shows that common environmental exposures that seem harmless on their own can have very serious impacts on lung function and long-term respiratory health when combined," McGraw said.

While further research is needed to understand the impacts of low levels of diacetyl on humans, this study could have implications for people who are exposed to diacetyl at work, like coffee roasters. Currently, McGraw's team is conducting a study in mice to see how long after a flu infection it is safe to be exposed to diacetyl, which could help inform when coffee roasters can safely return to work after having the flu.

In the near future, the team also plans to collaborate with coffee roasters in the region to spread awareness of the risks of diacetyl exposure, assess existing exposure mitigation procedures, and survey workers for lung disease symptoms.

Explore further Common e-cigarette chemical flavorings may impair lung function

More information: Matthew D. McGraw et al, Diacetyl Inhalation Impairs Airway Epithelial Repair in Mice Infected with Influenza A Virus, American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology (2022). Matthew D. McGraw et al, Diacetyl Inhalation Impairs Airway Epithelial Repair in Mice Infected with Influenza A Virus,(2022). DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00124.2022
Credit: King's College London

Experts call for radical global action to end stigma and discrimination against people with mental health conditions, as this is often "worse than the condition itself." The new "Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health," co-chaired by Professor Sir Graham Thornicroft, is the result of work by more than 50 experts, including experts by experience from across the world. The report finds that people with lived experience of mental health conditions must be empowered and supported to play active an central roles in stigma reduction efforts.

In a comprehensive review of the evidence for effective stigma reduction interventions, the report also finds that social contact between people with and without lived experience of mental health conditions is the most effective way to reduce stigma and discrimination.

"Many people with lived experience of mental health conditions describe stigma as 'worse than the condition itself.' There is clear evidence that we now know how to effectively reduce, and ultimately eliminate, stigma and discrimination. Our Commission makes eight practical, evidence-based and radical recommendations for action to liberate millions of people around the world from social isolation, discrimination and violations of human rights caused by stigma," says Commission Co-Chair Professor Sir Graham Thornicroft, professor of community psychiatry at the Center for Global Mental Health at the IoPPN.

Recent estimates suggest one in eight people, nearly 1 billion people globally, are living with a mental health condition. The COVID-19 pandemic helped to put a spotlight on the urgent mental health situation globally with an estimated 25% rise in the prevalence of depression and anxiety in the first year of the pandemic. The researchers say that, with the global rise in rates of mental illness since the pandemic, there is an even greater need to act now.

The commission finds that people with mental health conditions experience a double threat: the impact of the condition itself and the damaging consequences of stigma and discrimination. Mental health-related stigma and discrimination are widespread globally and violate basic human rights by leading to exclusion of individuals from society. Social injustices, such as problems in accessing health care, including mental health care, increased likelihood of health complications leading to early death, and challenges in gaining employment, are all adversely related to stigma.

"Our commission  shows that anti-stigma interventions around the world are most effective when they directly involve people with lived experience in all aspects of their production. We must put the voices of people with lived experience of mental health problems center stage," says Dr. Petr Winkler, director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Public Mental Health Research and Service Development, Prague, Czech Republic.

The report argues that people with lived experience of mental health conditions must be empowered and supported to play central and active roles in stigma reduction efforts. For this reason, the Commission has made a point to include the voices of people with lived experiences in the form of poems, testimonies, and quotations to fully demonstrate the toll stigma and discrimination take.

Experts call for immediate, radical action from governments, international organizations, employers, schools, health care providers and media organizations. The Commission calls on all governments to implement anti-stigma policies, international organizations to issue guidance including decriminalizing suicide, schools to adapt their curricula, employers to promote full access to educational opportunities, work participation and return-to-work programs, pre-qualifying training courses for all health and social care staff to include mandatory anti-stigma training sessions, and media to systematically remove stigmatizing content and issue policy statements and action plans on how they will actively promote mental health and consistently contribute to reduction of stigma and discrimination in mental health.

Explore further School-based program reverses bias against mental illness in Black and Latinx teens

More information: Graham Thornicroft et al, The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health, The Lancet (2022). Journal information: The Lancet Graham Thornicroft et al, The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01470-2
Age-standardized Disability-Adjusted Life Year rates for digestive diseases in 2019, for 44 UEG member countries. Credit: United European Gastroenterology Journal (2022). DOI: 10.1002/ueg2.12298

Data from a new pan-European study on the burden of digestive diseases, presented today at UEG Week 2022 and published in the United European Gastroenterology Journal, highlights a worrying increase in the prevalence of several digestive diseases since 2000. These include chronic liver diseases, pancreatitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, vascular intestinal disorders and coeliac disease in children. In addition, the incidence and mortality rates for all digestive cancers combined have increased by 26% and 17% respectively in the period 20002019.

The report identifies that digestive diseases affect more than 300 million people across Europe and the Mediterranean area and that the associated economic costs are substantial. The incidence and prevalence of many digestive diseases are highest amongst the very young and the elderly and, as the European population ages, this disease burden will inevitably increase.

Age-standardized incidence and mortality are shown to have increased for liver and pancreatic cancer in the majority of European countries since 2000, with alcohol use, obesity and other modifiable lifestyle factors identified as key contributors towards a large share of the overall burden of these digestive disorders. Increasing incidence of colorectal cancer amongst young adults is also an area of concern.

Researchers from the University of Liverpool, U.K., who conducted the study on behalf of UEG, observed increasing trends in digestive disease burden due to high body mass index (BMI) across the continent. And, while some progress has been made to reduce alcohol attributable burden since the year 2000, alcohol use remains a major contributor to disease burden. One element of positive news to come out of the study is the decrease in health burden related to smoking across almost all European countries, following national intervention strategies.

A key factor highlighted in the report is that population-level social and economic differences between countries explain much of the differences in digestive disease burden, with more disadvantaged countries, as measured by the Human Development Index, experiencing a greater burden from most digestive diseases.

In terms of the economic burden of digestive diseases, the UEG report finds that, on average, the estimated cost of inpatient health service delivery (excluding treatment and diagnostics) for digestive diseases as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 0.12% across the 31 countries included in the study. This translates to a potential cost across the EU of approximately $20 billion in 2021.

"The health, economic and social burden of digestive diseases is increasing at an alarming rate," says Helena Cortez-Pinto, president of UEG. "Our health care systems and economies are already in a fragile state and urgent action is required to tackle these burdens, through public education, modulation of lifestyle choices and research, in order to reverse these alarming trends."

According to the report, if, across the 31 European countries, digestive disease related premature mortality could be reduced by 25% then the estimated savings from the prevention of productivity losses would amount to a total of 11.4 billion (in 2019). This rises to 22.8b and 34.2b for reductions of 50% and 75% respectively.

The burden of digestive diseases, as measured by Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), tends to be higher amongst Central and Eastern Europe countries compared to Western and Southern Europe, particularly for chronic liver diseases, pancreatitis, gastritis and duodenitis, vascular intestinal disorders and peptic ulcer disease.

Luigi Ricciardiello, UEG research committee chair, adds "Stark health inequalities remain across Europe and, with emerging economic challenges, we expect these inequalities to be further exacerbated. Unfortunately, despite their substantial prevalence and global impact, many digestive diseases are still poorly understood and attract relatively little attention from either a policy or funding perspective."

UEG conducted a similar study in 2014 which highlighted similar burdens and, with limited improvements since, the results and outcomes of this latest UEG study will assist in accelerating progress in reducing the burden of digestive disorders. It will also help to identify priority areas where research and investment are required across the whole of Europe as well as individual nations.

Tanith Rose, principal investigator of the UEG-commissioned study, concludes, "The lack of progress over the last two decades in reducing the incidence of digestive diseases underscores the need for greater adoption of effective preventative strategies. Social and economic factors contribute to important differences in the burden of most digestive diseases, and efforts to reduce the burden which fail to account for these factors are likely to have limited success."

Explore further Global disease burden related to nonmelanoma skin cancer explored

More information: Tanith C. Rose et al, Analysis of the burden and economic impact of digestive diseases and investigation of research gaps and priorities in the field of digestive health in the European RegionWhite Book 2: Executive summary, United European Gastroenterology Journal (2022). Tanith C. Rose et al, Analysis of the burden and economic impact of digestive diseases and investigation of research gaps and priorities in the field of digestive health in the European RegionWhite Book 2: Executive summary,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/ueg2.12298

Provided by United European Gastroenterology
While the United States has recently ordered a $290 million supply of a drug meant to treat radiation sickness, federal health officials say that's not cause for alarm.

It's coincidental that the order of Nplate, made by pharmaceutical company Amgen, comes just as Russian President Vladimir Putin is making nuclear threats, say officials at the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). On Monday morning, Putin also ordered a series of missile strikes against at least 10 cities across Ukraine, hitting the capital city of Kyiv and other areas far from the front line.

Despite these developments, the U.S. purchase of Nplate is part of "long-standing, ongoing efforts by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to better prepare the U.S. for the potential health impacts of a wide range of threats to national security," according to an HHS news release.

The purchase is for about 50,000 courses of the drug. That's not enough if the United States were close to war with Russia, NBC News reported.

"It isn't that much product," Chris Meekins, former deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, told NBC News. "I would expect a bigger buy if this were in a response to something going on over there that requires them to both have enough for the U.S. and for giving to partners overseas."

The drug must also be used within 24 hours of nuclear exposure, making it not the ideal candidate for a widespread nuclear explosion, Meekins added. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends people stay indoors for at least 24 hours after a nuclear event.

"We need products that can be used longer," Meekins said.

HHS has supported development of this drug since 2019. The agency did not say whether it made the order before or after Russia's invasion of the Ukraine.

Greg Burel, former director of the Strategic National Stockpile, said he didn't think the order and the invasion were related.

Still, President Joe Biden warned recently that the risk of nuclear "Armageddon" is at its highest since the Cuban missile crisis.

"Bottom line, we are watching everything, but this shouldn't be used as a data point to assume there is a greater threat than people anticipate," Meekins said.

Explore further What are tactical nuclear weapons? Security expert explains and assesses what they mean for the war in Ukraine

More information: The National Library of Medicine has more on The National Library of Medicine has more on radiation sickness

Copyright  2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Airport developments and investment are under a sharp focus with renewed vigour and vitality in Saudi Arabia, the Middle Easts largest aviation market, which is projected to have the fastest passenger traffic growth until 2040, said experts ahead of the two-day Future Airport Development and Investment Summit taking place alongside the Saudi Airport Exhibition to be held at Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh on November 7 and 8.

A decade before that the aviation sector will deliver $75 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the worlds 13th largest country by area and the second largest in the Arab world with a population of over 36 million.

According to experts, Saudi Arabia is undertaking a massive airport expansion and upgrade programme to serve 330 million travellers by 2030 through $147 billion investments that will support $82.3 billion of GDP by 2037. The kingdoms prized possession, King Abdulaziz International Airport, is being expanded and tops the list of the worlds 50 biggest airport construction projects by value. It is among the top five projects that together account for a combined value of $126.7 billion. Jeddah airport had the highest number of international and domestic flights in 2019, operating almost 242,000 flights. The Phase 2 of the airports expansion will increase the capacity to accommodate 43 million passengers a year and 80 million passengers by 2035, stated the experts.

Saudi Arabia has been featured on the list of the global airport construction market that is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2026, even as airport and airline managements look at new ideas and partnerships to leverage the industrys huge growth potential after the pandemic brought the aviation sector to a standstill over the previous two years, according to the event organisers Niche Ideas, a UK-based event management company.

The role of aviation in achieving Saudi Vision 2030; Preparing the Kingdoms Air Transport Strategy for the Next Decade; Stakeholder collaboration to achieve the Saudi Aviation Strategy; Pioneering aviation sustainability in the oil-rich kingdom and Digital Disruption and Innovation in the Aviation Sector will be amongst the widely debated topics at the upcoming summit, it stated.

The mega event will host over 300 delegates who will get to hear from key industry leaders including Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah, Chief Executive Officer, Bahrain Airports Company; Lorenzo di Loreto, Managing Director, Munich Airport International; Capt Rabiu Yadudu Hamisu, Managing Director/CEO, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria; Andrew HW Tan, the Director and Head, Airport Operations Consultancy, Changi Airports International and Curtis Grad, Partner, President & CEO at Modalis Infrastructure Partners, said the UK-based event management company.

It will also be attended by Kashif Khalid, the Regional Director for Middle East & Africa, IATA; Michael Schneider, the Executive Vice President of Airports at Siemens Logistics; Joseph Stratford, Project Executive Director, Airport Projects Delivery at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) and Frederico Fernandes, the Managing Director GCC, Vports, amongst other experts from top construction and infrastructure firms Egis, Serco, SITA, Aecom and Oliver Wyman, it added.

The summit will take place against the background of a total of 633 active projects at existing airports globally, with $565.7 billion investments.

At the start of the year, 1,038 airport projects were identified to be at various stages of development - including 452 in execution.

According to GlobalData, the total pipeline of new airport construction projects had a combined value of $1.64 trillion while the global fleet of aircraft is projected to touch 36,500 aircraft by 2031 and the global airport construction market size has been revised to $1.4 trillion by 2026.

Speaking about their participation at the summit, global industry leaders shared the following insights into the topics they would be presenting.

"As a global airport consultant and manager, Changi Airports International is delighted to be invited as a panelist at the Saudi Airport Exhibition. We will be speaking on a theme close to our ethos: Passenger Centric Thinking to Prepare the Airports of Tomorrow," remarked Andrew Tan, Director and Head Airport Operations, Changi Airports International.

"We look forward to meeting with key players in the booming Middle East aviation market and exchanging insights with industry experts across the world," he added.

Rena Baba, Director, ExperienceLab at Serco, said: "With KSA expecting to host 50 million travellers in its airports by the year-end, understanding customer insights and creating seamless journeys is essential. Providing the right airport experience has a major impact on customers confidence, loyalty, engagement and spend."

"Fundamentally, great experiences create loyalty and recurring visitors that will continue to choose KSA as a destination. By prioritising user-centred design, airports in the Kingdom have a great chance to get it right," he noted.

Volker Brandt, the CEO of Tramak GmbH, said: "We have strong relations in Saudi Arabia and Gulf region and our company is actively involved in this future oriented and fast growing market."

"We will be speaking on the Passenger Experience panel at the Saudi Airport Exhibition conference, where we will be sharing our expertise and knowledge, especially in the field of baggage identification with artificial intelligence, which we believe is a key element of future aviation development in the region," he stated.

Mike Lockwood, the Managing Director at Air Traffic Solutions, said: "We have worked with major ATM companies developing the next generation of ATM equipment and our firsthand knowledge of where the industry is heading in years to come will help us provide an insight for attendees into where ANSPs should be investing to cater for future operations."

"Having worked on numerous projects in The Kingdom and the Middle East in recent years, we understand the market and potential for even further growth. This region is a cornerstone of aviation in the global ecosystem and a critical market for Air Traffic Solutions," stated Lockwood.

Curtis Grad, Partner, President & CEO at Modalis Infrastructure Partners, said: "We will be sharing the latest global market information and intelligence on the 100+ deals that Modalis is tracking on the airportIR deal pipeline. Our platform has been designed to provide key airport investors, operators, grantors, financiers and advisors with insight, analysis and industry intel on private-sector airport transactions, development, and investment opportunities."

"We are keen to support Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East region's efforts to enhance the private sector's role in Aviation and look forward to sharing our insights with attendees at the conference," he added.

Saudi Airport Exhibition will be free to attend for industry professionals and in addition to hosting over 150 exhibitors, the event is supported by Platinum Sponsor - Matarat Holding, Gold Sponsors - The Arabian Petroleum Supply Company (APSCO) and Saudi Sicli Company, industry associations Air Tech Italy and GATE (German Airport Technology and Equipment) and event sponsors AECOM and Bechtel.-TradeArabia News Service
Simon Gayther, PhD, professor of Biomedical Sciences, and Michelle Jones, PhD, a research scientist in the Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, led the efforts on two new studies that help improve the understanding of ovarian cancer. Credit: Cedars-Sinai

Two new discoveries led by Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators help improve the understanding of what drives the development of ovarian cancer and why some women's tumors do not respond to therapy.

"Understanding the relationship between molecular profiles and clinical presentation of ovarian cancer not only can help guide the development of personalized therapeutic approaches, but can also help us identify women who are at the highest risk so we can intervene before the cancer even develops," said Simon Gayther, Ph.D., professor of Biomedical Sciences, director of the Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of both studies.

Scientists identify mutations tied to increase risk of ovarian cancer

The first study, published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, identified four new regions of the human genome that harbor genetic variants or mutations that put women at an increased risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer, the most common type of ovarian cancer.

"When it comes to ovarian cancer, prevention is how we're really going to impact mortality," said Michelle Jones, Ph.D., a research scientist in the Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics and corresponding author of the study. "This study helps us accurately identify women who carry cancer-causing mutations, which can help physicians develop preventive strategies for these women."

To pinpoint the mutations, the team of investigators used new methods to analyze the structural variation of the genome, which is made up of 23 pairs of chromosomes where an individual's genetic code is stored.

While most research focuses on analyzing the change in the sequence of the gene, the team looked at the number of copies of the gene an individual hasknown as a copy number variant.

When the genome gets copied, structural variation can occur, and stretches of the genome can get deleted, duplicated or rearranged to another position. These changes can lead to diseases, like cancer.

The researchers collaborated with scientists at the University of Cambridge to specifically look at deletions and duplications in 13,000 women with ovarian cancer and compared them to 17,000 women without ovarian cancer from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium to identify copy number variants that were associated with ovarian cancer risk.

They found significant deletions and duplications in the BRCA1 gene, BRCA2 gene, and RAD51C gene, all of which are known to harbor changes in a patient's DNA sequence that increase risk for ovarian cancer. Also found: four new genes that have not been previously linked to an increased risk for ovarian cancer.

The study, which is the largest to date to evaluate the contribution of copy number variants to ovarian cancer risk, will likely lead to more accurate genetic testing for women.

"We have the technology that can pick up these deletions and duplications, but it's not always done consistently in clinical genetic testing," said Jones. "We hope these findings highlight the value of looking at copy number variants in clinical genetic testing."

Gene expression unlikely to drive chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer

The second study, published in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, gives investigators a deeper understanding as to how ovarian tumors develop resistance to chemotherapy, which occurs in about 80% of high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients and ultimately leads to their succumbing to the disease.

Previously, researchers believed that ovarian tumors evolve after they are exposed to chemotherapy, and that they change their gene expression to adapt and survive through the treatment.

However, using whole genome sequencing, they found for the first time that this is not the case. Instead, it seems more likely that most high-grade serous ovarian tumors have the capacity to survive chemotherapy from a very early stage, said Jones, who is also the co-first author on this study.

"This study has changed our understanding of how tumors respond to chemotherapy," Jones said. "Previously it was thought that we could probably find a way to treat chemo-resistant tumors with other drugs after they have been treated with the standard therapy, but this study suggests that may not be the best approach."

"By improving our understanding as to how tumors doing survive chemotherapy, and even continue growing throughout treatment, as well as finding vulnerabilities in the tumors, will give us an opportunity to design better drugs and save the lives of women with ovarian cancer," added Gayther.

Cedars-Sinai cancer high-risk BRCA clinic

As researchers at Cedars-Sinai Cancer explore how to more accurately identify women who carry cancer-causing mutations, clinicians are simultaneously working to monitor, and rapidly treat as needed, BRCA-positive patients.

Under the leadership of B.J. Rimel, MD, a gynecological oncologist and medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Clinical Trials Office, Cedars-Sinai recently launched a high-risk BRCA clinicknown as a previvor clinicfor BRCA1 and 2 carriers at high-risk for developing ovarian cancer.

The goal, Rimel says, is to arm BRCA-positive patients with regular screening and risk-reducing prevention strategiesin a one-stop clinic setting.

"Our multidisciplinary care team, comprised of a reproductive and infertility physician, a gynecologist oncologist and a genetic counselor, spends time with each high-risk patient during the clinic visit," said Rimel. "We provide transvaginal screening onsite, review results from relevant lab work and ensure questions are addressed in real-time."

Modeled by an existing and highly successful high-risk BRCA breast cancer program, the ovarian cancer previvor clinic remains a significant focus at Cedars-Sinai.

"Alterations in genes such as BRCA in either the cancer or the patient's germline have profound implications for treatment and prevention," said Dan Theodorescu, MD, Ph.D., director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the PHASE ONE Foundation Distinguished Chair and professor of Surgery and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. "As our research propels, so do our translational findings that impact and improve patient lives."

Explore further Gene mutations should be tested routinely for ovarian cancer, say scientists

More information: Michelle Renee Jones et al, Copy number variants are ovarian cancer risk alleles at known and novel risk loci, Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2022). academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-  51998?searchresult=1 Michelle Renee Jones et al, Copy number variants are ovarian cancer risk alleles at known and novel risk loci,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac160 Nicole Gull et al, DNA methylation and transcriptomic features are preserved throughout disease recurrence and chemoresistance in high grade serous ovarian cancers, Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research (2022). DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02440-z Journal information: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Poet, writer and fishing guide Chris Dombrowski is holding a reading/release party for his new book, The River You Touch: Making a Life on Moving Water on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

The reading, put on with Fact & Fiction Books, will take place at 6 p.m. in Montgomery Distillery. Besides the reading portion, you can hear music from Montana songwriter Martha Scanlan.

In The River You Touch, out the day before in hardcover from Milkweed Editions, Dombrowski recounts moving from the Midwest to Montana and starting a family with his partner and their relationship with the outdoors.

In a starred review, Kirkus said, Nature lovers will be captivated by Dombrowskis lyrical descriptions of the land and its wildlife, while parents are sure to relate to his familial challenges and sacrifices. A beautifully and poignantly written tribute to a beloved landscape and its spirit.

Dombrowski is the assistant director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Montana and a published poet. His most recent collection, Ragged Anthem, came out in 2019.

His previous book, Body of Water: A Sage, A Seeker and the Worlds Most Alluring Fish, recounted his time searching for bonefish in the Bahamas with a renowned guide.
When Angela Howe-Parrish didnt hear anything regarding her application to a fashion show in Paris, she assumed she wasnt selected.

I kind of gave up, she said.

But one day in June, Howe-Parrish opened an email she never thought shed receive.

She had been accepted to participate in the third annual Paris Indigenous Fashion Week, an event that has provided Indigenous designers with a global platform, helping them break into the mainstream fashion industry.

Howe-Parrish printed the email immediately. She sat at a table in her bedroom in Billings holding the print copy and read it again.

Then she rushed to tell her husband, Christian Parrish Takes the Gun, also known to many as the rapper Supaman.

Oh my gosh! she told him. My dreams are coming true.

Howe-Parrish began to cry. It didnt feel real.

Be ready

Fashion is in Howe-Parrishs blood.

She grew up learning from her mother, Donna Howe, who was a seamstress and home economics teacher. To make some extra money, Donna started a side hustle sewing clothes with Native designs. She named her brand Choke Cherry Creek, after what the Crow people used to call the Bozeman area.

When Howe-Parrish was in eighth grade, her mother taught at Plenty Coups High School in Pryor. Because the school was small  now serving about 70 students  Howe-Parrish was allowed to attend prom.

Howe-Parrish was thrilled to showcase her new skills. She sewed her own dress, complete with a black, shiny bodice top and a flared metallic midi skirt with black lace detail.

Howe-Parrishs grandmothers and aunts were excellent beaders, and when Howe-Parrish was about 19 or 20, she was desperate to learn from them.

I remember my grandmother gave me a medallion that was half done, and she said, You bead the rest of this just how I beaded the first half, Howe-Parrish recalled. The quality of her beadwork was just exquisite. It was perfect. I had to take mine out and redo it a few times. But thats how I learned.

As she grew older, Howe-Parrish, who is Crow and a Blackfeet descendant, worked in sales and as an entrepreneur, and she continued to sew and bead for fun. She helped design some items for Good Medicine Clothing, part of her husbands brand. She made some regalia. She sewed some outfits for herself for events. And she beaded for her family members.

Over time, friends and family encouraged Howe-Parrish, now in her 40s, to sell and showcase her work. Howe-Parrish entertained the idea, but it didnt become real until her friend Cora Chandler approached her with an opportunity.

Chandler helped organize the first annual Big Sky Indigenous Women in Fashion and Art Gala in April.

I remember she told me, Im planning this. I want you to be part of it. So be ready, Howe-Parrish recalled, adding that, at the time, she feared she wasnt up to the job.

But Howe-Parrish was ready. It was her first fashion show, and she showcased 12 looks. More than 500 people were in attendance.

The event was a success. People wanted to follow Howe-Parrish. Community members congratulated her. They wanted to buy her work. They wanted to know where shed go next. Howe-Parrish was thrilled.

Howe-Parrish began featuring her work in more shows. And a little more than a month later in May, with her mothers permission, Howe-Parrish launched Choke Cherry Creek, a company featuring her contemporary Apsaalooke, or Crow, designs.

Paris

In September, Howe-Parrish and her family, flew from Montana to Paris so she could show her work at Indigenous Fashion Week. About a dozen other Native designers participated, and she was the only Montana designer there.

Howe-Parrish created 16 looks for the show in a collection called, Honoring My Mothers and Grandmothers. About half of the pieces were ready-to-wear looks, and half were couture. All of the outfits featured contemporary Apsaalooke designs and geometric shapes. The collection featured a gold dress with imitation elk teeth, which Howe-Parrish calls her showstopper.

Howe-Parrish said Indigenous models walked in the show, and every makeup artist was Indigenous as well. Howes 13-year-old son Brayden modeled in the show, and her older son Samuels girlfriend, Corrin Lamere, wore the show-stopping dress.

It was such a high for me, Howe-Parrish said. Its amazing were in these spaces. Native representation is important. You can use this platform as an opportunity to share who we are, that we are still here and that we have our beautiful culture. Its really special. Theres so much meaning in each piece. Thats what I love about it.

Howe-Parrish said the fashion world has opened doors. Her business has become increasingly popular and she fields more clothing orders and fashion show invites. Her success in the industry has brought opportunities to her community as well.

People were asking me if Corrin was signed with an agency, she said. Its so awesome to see and have that impact. Events like this can inspire someone to sew or bead or create something for themselves. Its been the biggest joy.

Howe-Parrish hopes to continue to inspire and encourage local youth. This month, she plans to visit St. Labre Indian School in Ashland and Lodge Grass Public Schools to speak with students about fashion, self-love and confidence.

I like going to these communities and using young people in my fashion shows, she said. I like putting them in my clothes and seeing their confidence boost knowing that the clothes have meaning and tribal designs. They take pride in that. They like it. And I like seeing their joy.

Howe-Parrish is hoping to launch her new Resiliency Collection in November. The line will include mens wear, casual wear and dresses  all complete with Crow colors and geometric patterns.

For more information, visit Choke Cherry Creek on Facebook or Chokecherrycreekdesigns.com.
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October 10, 2022 by MRSC Insight

Category: Elections



Historically, elections are settled affairs, but sometimes unexpected and unusual situations can arise during the election process. This blog reviews several scenarios that might arise during and after elections.

Challenges Involving Candidates

What if the winner of the primary election withdraws or dies prior to the general election?

According to AGO 1999 No. 5, a deceased candidates name remains on the ballot and the votes cast for them are counted. In the event the deceased candidate receives the most votes, a vacancy is declared for the position and the vacancy is filled according to the process applicable to that office. The answer is the same in the event a candidate withdraws from the race  If the candidate who withdrew wins the most votes, then a vacancy occurs and must be filled accordingly. The runner-up candidate to a candidate who has died or who withdrew is not declared the winner but could be considered for the vacancy.

What if voters write in the name of a real or imaginary person and that person receives the most votes?

For write-in votes to be counted, the person whose name is written in must have declared their candidacy and paid the required filing fees by no later than 8:00 P.M. on the day of the primary or the election (see RCW 29A.24.311). They would also need to be qualified for the position. Assuming the person has not declared and paid a filing fee, they would have no votes counted and thus winning the office would be impossible. The candidate with the next highest number of votes would be the winner.

What if, after the primary election, a candidate moves from the jurisdiction and is no longer qualified to hold the office?

To qualify for local elective office, a candidate must be a registered voter of the municipality and reside in the jurisdiction they seek to represent (see RCW 42.12.010 and RCW 29A.08.010).

Sometimes a candidate will move from the jurisdiction and no longer qualify for the office they are seeking. However, their name remains on the ballot and the person continues to seek election. What can be done? A judge is authorized to correct an election error, prevent a wrongful act with respect to an election, or require the performance of an election-related duty, if an affidavit is filed by an elector (see RCW 29A.68.011).

An Election that Ends in a Tie

What if there is a tie in the votes? It can  and does  happen. However, state law takes care of the possibility of an election that ends in this manner.

If two or more candidates are tied when the vote counts and recounts are complete, the winner is determined by lot per RCW 29A.60.221. Determining a winner by lot means that the tied election is decided by flipping a coin, drawing straws, rolling dice, or picking a name from a hat  all possible ways to make a decision by lot. Ideally, the candidates will agree with the county auditor on the specific method used to decide by lot.

When the Results Are Contested

Per RCW 29A.68.013, an elector (i.e., a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and resident of the jurisdiction for at least 30 days) may file an election contest with a judge, alleging that there has been an election error.

RCW 29A.68.020 defines the causes an elector may use to challenge certification of an election result, including:

misconduct by an election office,

the candidate was not eligible for office,

the candidate had been convicted of a felony,

a bribe was given to a voter, or

illegal votes were cast.

The voter must file an affidavit with the appropriate court (i.e., the superior court, court of appeals, or state supreme court) within 10 days of the official vote certification (RCW 29A.68.013) and a hearing must be set on the matter. After receiving testimony and evidence at the hearing, the presiding judge may either dismiss the proceedings, nullify the election, or, if another person has the most legal votes, declare that person to be elected (see RCW 29A.68.050).

Assuming Office

A person elected becomes qualified to assume office when a certificate of election has been issued, any required bond has been filed, and the person has taken an oath of office (RCW 29A.04.133).

If the person elected had been appointed to fill a vacancy, they assume office immediately after becoming qualified. This typically occurs once the votes have been certified within three weeks of the election (RCW 42.12.040 and 42.12.070(6)). Otherwise, the person elected assumes office at the beginning of the following year once they become qualified.

What happens if a person, unqualified for office, nevertheless assumes office and votes on issues, sometimes even casting the deciding vote? The votes taken by an officeholder who is later found unqualified for office are still considered valid. Under the de facto officer doctrine, one who has the reputation and appearance of being an officer but has no legal right to the office nevertheless serves as a de facto officer and their votes are considered valid.

Post-Election Governance

What if a jurisdictions newly elected officers are not sworn in until January 15 but some issues must be decided before then, and without the new officers, there is no quorum?

Although a person elected to office will typically serve for a term of four years, it is possible that they might end up serving for a longer period. For example, code city mayors and councilmembers have four-year terms and, according to RCW 35A.12.040, serve until their successors are elected and qualified and assume office. Under such statutes, if a newly elected person cannot take office at the beginning of a new term, their predecessor holds over in the position until the new officer can provide a bond and be sworn in. So, if enough holding over councilmembers attend an early January meeting to have a quorum, then council decisions could be made.

More Resources

Want to read more about local election-related issues? We have a number of blogs providing a deeper dive on various topics:

MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions.
For people experiencing homelessness, its more than just a day, its a life. A life many who arent experiencing might not think about often.

This is what Margie Seccomb, CEO of Action Inc., said she and the Butte Rescue Mission are hoping to accomplish this World Homeless Day: get people to think about homelessness in a kind way.

Were trying to get the word out that its World Homeless Day Oct. 10, Seccomb said. And inviting everyone to think about the plight of the homeless and think about everyone having that experience in a kind and loving way.

She said that she and Brayton Erickson, co-executive director of the Butte Rescue Mission, started talking about World Homeless Day a couple of months ago.

We really dont have plans, she said. Were going to do some awareness building this year and then build on this to be an annual event and then hopefully it will be a bigger event in years to come.

World Homeless Day is observed Oct. 10, and was started by people from various parts of the world working to respond to homelessness connecting to each other through online discussions.

Im excited to kind of champion this day, Erickson said.

The first World Homeless Day was in 2010.

As of Jan. 2021, 326,126 people were experiencing sheltered homelessness staying in emergency shelters, safe havens, or transitional housing programs  an 8% decrease from a year before, according to a report by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In Montana, the number of homeless people  sheltered and unsheltered  rose from 1.092 people in 2020 to 1,286 people in 2021, according to data from the federal housing departments Continuum of Care program.

Erickson said that over the last two years, theres been a 300% increase in the people experiencing homelessness that the Southwest Montana Continuum of Care Coalition serves. The coalition is a multi-agency group that seeks ways to end homelessness by providing permanent, supportive housing to those in need. Both the Mission and Action Inc. are part of the coalition.

Erickson added that there are many complexities surrounding homelessness that people need to understand in order to help.

If you dont know how many people are homeless in your backyard, you dont know how to help, Erickson said.

He said that last year, the Mission served 600 unduplicated individuals and 72,000 meals based on sign-in lists the Mission uses.

Post-COVID, he said theres more homeless people than before.

CURRENT AND FUTURE EFFORTS

For the Missions part, Erickson said it will be distributing materials and that some community churches are on board to say a prayer over the community. He said the plan is to educate the community and let people know how they can volunteer.

He also said the Mission and Action Inc. hope to bring certain issues to light, making sure were all on the same page and making sure people understand how they can make a difference, and how they can collaborate.

To make sure people are healthy, the Mission firmly believes you have to have four walls of safety in order to succeed  food, shelter, clothing, transportation, he said.

The Missions ultimate goal, he said, is to help people move into a permanent home so they can succeed and ultimately thrive.

Erickson said the Mission is currently expanding into a warehouse thats going to be a $1.6 million project. He said half of the funding is secured for this, and the Mission is still raising funds for the project what will end up having a dining room, kitchen, office/exam room. It will hopefully be a place where different organizations can meet with people to eventually help get them into permanent housing.

Action Inc. has a rapid rehousing program, Seccomb said. She added that lately, its been more difficult because of the recent housing crunch.

Last year, she said, the rapid rehousing program saw 400 more clients  a 53% increase from the year before.

During the pandemic, Action Inc. received relief funds so it was able to provide a lot of bridge housing, such as housing people in hotels.

Now that the funding has run out, the organization isnt able to serve as many people, Seccomb said, so it has to prioritize who to help when based on a vulnerability score.

She said its hard to make that shift, and tell some people they have to wait, especially when winter hits. She added that Action Inc. has and will continue to do some bridge housing, like providing motel rooms to families.

Seccomb said the organization works to provide permanent supportive housing and housing vouchers, as well as social workers and case managers to those who need them.

Action Inc. is currently in the process of applying for funds for a pilot project that will house 20 members of the community who are frequent utilizers of shelters.

They need a very specialized kind of housing, she said. Its an intervention to address folks who are chronically homeless and need intensive supports to continue to be housed.

The organization is hoping to break ground in May or June, she said.

Action Inc. has also added transitional housing units for youth 18 to 24 years old who have been identified as homeless. Seccomb said these units have been full since they opened a year ago. The organization also offers system navigation services for youth under 18 and has a list of between 25 and 30 people that its working with.

Its a great thing, Seccomb said. Because weve always known theres homeless youth in our community, but theyre not easy to engage with because theyre hidden  it really opened the door for youth to come to us.

She said when the population of people experiencing homelessness is helped, the entire community is better for it.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Both Erickson and Seccomb will be on the radio show Partyline Monday to speak about World Homeless Day, and they both submitted opinion pieces to The Montana Standard.

As for upcoming events at the Mission, it will hold a banquet at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Maroon Activities Center, Erickson said. Tickets will be available at the door or can be bought in advance.

Those looking to volunteer at the Mission can do so in a variety of ways, including picking up food from certain locations and bringing it back to the Mission if they have an hour to spare, helping to clean, volunteering to answer phones or visiting weekly to teach a cooking class or a budgeting class.

He said many people volunteer as part of a group, like their church, and can volunteer to help with certain projects that way. Erickson said people can do this either through the Missions website, butterescuemission.org, or call 406-782-0925.

All our organizations essentially run on volunteers, Erickson said. People that care, people that can help and people that have a heart to help people. Thats really what runs this town, if I can say that. It makes such a difference when you say, Hey, I have extra time, I can help people.

He said that the number of volunteers at the Mission is a revolving number and that it sees hundreds of volunteers in a years time.

At Action Inc. there arent a lot of volunteer opportunities with the homeless population, Seccomb said, but it does welcome volunteers with its upcoming Mining City Christmas Program, its summer meals program and reading to preschoolers in its Head Start program.
Montana Techs Department of Business is hosting an entrepreneurship speaker panel at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14, in the Student Union Buildings Copper Lounge. The public question-and-answer forum will be moderated by Business Department head Todd Tregidga and includes the following local entrepreneurs.

Luke Anderson, co-owner/founder and CEO of UpTop, which was established in 2010. UpTop is a Montana-based lifestyle company dedicated to celebrating your enjoyable moments and sharing them with the world. Together, founders Luke and Colt Anderson with a team of friends created a platform that combined a live-for-today-lifestyle.Those who wear the brand have further inspired the company to continue sharing the idea of doing what you love with integrity, enjoyment, and in an original way.

Courtney McKee, owner/founder and CEO of Headframe Spirits. Headframe Spirits produces distilled spirits and operates a tasting room while its manufacturing counterpart designs and builds high-tech distillation equipment for distilleries around the world. McKees two highest values are community and courage and she brings both of them to the planning and execution of all the work she does.

Jen OBrien, president of Montana Craft Malt. Montana Craft Malt is a $30 million malthouse located west of Butte in the Montana Connections Park and is designed to produce diverse varieties of malted barley and wheat designed to supply the craft brewing and distilling industries. OBrien is a brand strategist, having experience guiding large brand names to establish and manage brand positions across technology, healthcare, and professional services industries and provided the leadership that persevered through very difficult circumstances to bring the plant online in 2020.

Jon Wick, owner and lead designer of 5518 Designs and Dig City Supply. Wick started 5518 Designs in 2012 as a branding, graphics and print design company out of his extra bedroom in Butte. Through his graduate work at Montana Tech, client work and passion projects, he began to develop a unique 5518 style of outdoor, recreation-inspired graphics and eventual line of Montana lifestyle apparel. In 2022, 5518 Designs launched its second brand, Dig City Supply to focus on the Montana Tech brand as well as local elementary and high school apparel.
Two newly-passed Montana laws intended to stop majority owners of Colstrip from closing the power plant have been declared unconstitutional in U.S. District Court.

U.S. District Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto ruled that the laws, which nullify key portions of the private business contract governing the power plant, violate the Commerce Clause and Contract Clause of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Federal Arbitration Act, laws established to keep states from meddling in private agreements and business.

The ruling means the owners can go about operating Colstrip as they see fit, without fear of Montanas attorney general imposing $100,000-a-day fines or dictating maintenance and repairs the government finds necessary. The owners are also free to arbitrate their differences in Spokane, Washington, as the business contract specifies. Montanas Republican-controlled Legislature and governor had attempted to force arbitration to take place in Montana.

Colstrip owners who sued the state praised the decision as restoring constitutional business rights.

Puget is very pleased with the outcome of this litigation. It affirms the freedom to contract, it protects the interests of PSE, and it protects the interests of the customers PSE serves, said Andrew Padula, spokesman for Puget Sound Energy. Puget has been generating coal power in Montana since the 1970s. The decision also facilitates the return to normal negotiations amongst the six owners of Colstrip rather than facing the prospect of external forces attempting to influence issues such as ongoing operations and budgeting,

The Seattle-region utility was joined in the lawsuit by Avista Corp, of Spokane, Washington, Oregon utilities Portland General Electric and PacifiCorp, of Eugene. Combined, the companies own 70% of the 1,480-megawatt power plant, which primarily serves customers in the Pacific Northwest.

Colstrip co-owners Talen Energy and NorthWestern Energy joined the state in defense of the laws, which the two companies supported in the 2021 Montana Legislature.

The Colstrip laws now join more than a half-dozen others from the 2021 Legislature that have been thrown out by courts for violating the state or federal constitutions, leaving the state's Republican Party howling about liberal bias" on the bench.

In the Colstrip case, the federal court ruled that the laws served no legitimate purpose and instead attempted to thwart the business decisions of the power plants majority owners. Gov. Greg Gianforte bluntly identified the laws as a strike against woke Washington state officials who in 2018 passed climate change legislation banning coal power from the portfolios of utilities doing business there. That ban starts at the end of the 2025.

Affordable power generated in Colstrip helped build Seattles big tech economy, but now woke overzealous regulators in Washington state are punishing the people of Colstrip with their anti-coal agenda. Montana stands with Colstrip, which is why I proudly sign SB 265 and 266, Gianforte said, when signing the bills into law in May 2021.

DeSoto ruled that the governors remarks made clear that Senate Bill 266 was passed for discriminatory purposes against Colstrips out-of-state owners. Senate Bill 266 put the owners in the position of having to decide whether to run the power plant the way Montanas attorney general saw fit, or face fines of $100,000 a day. The bills sponsor, Republican Steve Fitzpatrick of Great Falls, told fellow lawmakers that the Colstrip owners were in a bad divorce and that the Pacific Northwest owners intended to drive the powerplant into disrepair before leaving.

Colstrip owners in the Pacific Northwest had for several budgeting cycles been objecting to repairs that cost millions and werent necessary to keep the power plant running beyond Washington's coal power deadline. Oregon utilities Portland General Electric and PacifCorp, facing coal power bans starting in 2030, were arguing the same. Typically, utilities cannot bill customers for things unrelated to service. Charging customers in Oregon and Washington for repairs unnecessary to keeping the plant running while it served them, presented a regulatory challenge.

The second Colstrip law, passed through the Legislature as Senate Bill 265, dictated that arbitration of Colstrip owner disputes take place in Montana, not Spokane, as Colstrips Ownership and Operation Agreement required. The law also changed the number of arbiters from one to three. In legislative proceedings, Fitzpatrick, an attorney by trade, told lawmakers the bill was crucial because power plant co-owner NorthWestern Energy was pursuing arbitration to settle a key matter: whether closing the power plant required a unanimous vote or a majority vote, in which the Pacific Northwest utilities had the upper hand if they voted as a block. NorthWestern and Talen Energy shared a vote in an arrangement dating back to the 2001 sale of Montana Power, the state's legacy shareholder in Colstrip.

Again, I think it goes back to this very important public policy issue, whether the West Coast utilities should be able to shut down Colstrip, Fitzpatrick told lawmakers.

The court concluded that SB 265 substantially impaired the rights of the Pacific Northwest owners under the Contract Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents states from making law impairing the obligations of contracts.

There were lawmakers who recognized the Republican majoritys actions as unconstitutional, Judge DeSoto noted. One of the most outspoken was Andrea Olsen, an attorney and Democratic legislator from Missoula, who identified the laws as outright special legislation for one or a handful of companies, namely NorthWestern Energy and Talen Energy, the power plant owners who lobbied lawmakers for the bills.

Senate Bill 266 reaches deep into a 40-year-old contract and rewrites one provision to favor one party to the detriment of the other parties. This bill will send chills down the spine of any business, Olsen said, speaking to the bill on the state House floor.

The courts decision comes as Talen, $4.5 billion in debt, goes through what Bloomberg labeled one of the years largest bankruptcies and Pacific Northwest owners weigh surrendering their shares, rather than putting the closure of Colstrip to a vote. Puget Sound Energy last month agreed through a two-party agreement to transfer its shares to Talen by the end of 2025, at no cost. Talen indicates in legal documents that it would pursue Colstrip shares from other owners, as well.

Pacific Northwest owners told Lee Montana Newspapers that they havent ruled out surrendering their shares to Talen, as Puget has. They were asked whether the possibility of transferring shares made the courts ruling, which clears the path for arbitration and possibly a closure vote, a moot point.

We are happy with the judge's decision and view it as an important step in the legal process. Our priority, however, is still to find a commercial solution that meets the needs of the owners and allows us to exit Colstrip by the end of 2025. There are obviously a variety of ways that might occur, but our preferred path is a collective solution among the owners, said Annie Gannon, spokesperson for Avista Corp. At this point, it is still premature to speculate on what that might look like, what steps might be involved, or what avenues we might pursue if we are not able to reach an agreement with all co-owners.

The two-party agreement between Talen and Puget Sound Energy resulted from a bankruptcy court order that Talen come up with as a proposal for addressing the Pacific Northwest owners concerns about being bound to the power plant beyond 2025. Those talks fell apart after some Pacific Northwest owners disagreed with where talks were headed. Specifically, Portland General Electric told the court it didn't support the direction of the talks. But when others exited, Puget retained the law firm representing the Oregon and Washington utilities and pursued a share transfer.

PGE maintains that working constructively with all co-owners on a commercial solution that avoids arbitration or litigation is in the best interest of all parties, namely customers and the community of Colstrip, said Kevin Anderson, a Portland General Electric spokesman. Given the ownership structure, the two-party agreement could be a step in reaching an actual solution.

However, this agreement also triggers a series of rights for interested parties that may lead to more litigation before an all-party solution can be reached. We will continue to work with all parties and focus on the needs of our customers.

The rights of interested parties when an owner offers its shares for transfer, start with a first right of refusal by all other owners of the power plant. In other words, Puget has to offer every owner a chance for the shares under the same terms it is offering Talen. It was a first right of refusal that complicated Pugets 2020 attempt to sell its share of Colstrip Unit 4 to NorthWestern Energy for $1. Talen exercised its right for the power plant share, then attempted to apply the same right to a share of the Colstrip Transmission Line which was in the offing to NorthWestern, as well.

But Talen isnt a shareholder in the transmission line, and it was ruled in arbitration that it didnt have a first right of refusal for transmission, which is more valued than a share in the power plant.
You cant make this stuff up, you want to mutter in disbelief as you read the summary of witness testimony in Judge Mosess recent order prohibiting Montanas Republican leaders from disenfranchising certain voters. Clearly, though, those leaders can make stuff up  and do.

Lets start with the expert they hired on your dime and mine to explain our fictional election integrity problem. By way of comparison, the multiple parties suing us brought in four experts, all with PhDs, acknowledged scholarship, original research, and peer-reviewed publications related to it. Our expert? No doctorate, no peer-reviewed publications, no original research. Just a job as analyst with the conservative news outlet RealClearPolitics.

It was RealClearPronto that his lack of expertise should disqualify him, but Judge Moses allowed him to testify. After making a wafer-thin case for research from other states, our expert conceded he hadnt done any analysis on Montanas situation and agreed Montana doesnt have a voter fraud problem. Money for nothing. Checks for fee.

Secretary of State Jacobsens representative was  well, mercurial. The judge finally had to admonish him to answer yes or no when a question called for it. The rep conceded that, although the entire case resulted from Jacobsens campaign promises to prevent voter fraud, her office had never researched voter fraud until he didin preparation for the trial. He found two cases. Both occurred over 100 years ago. Neither would have been prevented by Jacobsens legislation.

It was no problem pinning down the former elections administrator from Broadwater County. He made it clear hes never approved of Election Day Registration, even though Montana voters did overwhelmingly in 2014. He claimed it caused long lines in 2020 that put a financial burden on his office, but he couldnt document the lines and his budget belied the burden.

Was he concerned about the hardship early registration might impose? Heck, no. Not even for the disabled? Did they finally become disabled on Election Day? he responded. [They had] 364 days to come in and register. Why did they wait until the last day? (Ah, the milk of human kindness. Sometimes it just curdles.)

Enter the good senator from Polson, the only legislator called to defend the three bills. Even answering the simplest question  Has so-and-so repeatedly claimed Trumps election was stolen?  elicited a tap dance that finally decoded as Yes. As Judge Moses pointed out, although the senator testified that the best legislation is thought out, vetted and has input from all stakeholders, several tap dances ultimately revealed that this senator didnt do any of those things on these bills. After trotting out several assumptions that proved to be contrary to fact, he conceded he based his vote on just my feelings.

Why this brazen careening between bombast and baloney? Because the truth doesnt bear scrutiny. In 2021 Montana Republicans won an unprecedented breadth of power at the legislative and executive levels. Theyre determined to entrench it and expand it, and theyll move mountains  and morals  to do so.

In 2021, they usurped local control from cities, counties, health boards, and school boards. They tried to bribe the Board of Regents to relinquish their constitutional authority over the university system. They reversed the expressed will of local and state voters on various issues. They used administrative access to seize the emails of the Montana Supreme Court without a privacy review and then had the chutzpah to set up a star chamber (on your dime and mine) on the Courts integrity! Physician, heal thyself.

And they intentionally complicated voting for minorities that dont typically vote for them. Only one Republican legislator, Geraldine Custer of Forsyth, had the courage to intervene. She knew more about voting rights than the rest of them tripled, and she worked hard to use her expertise in service to her party. In response, they manipulated, deceived, betrayed and ridiculed her during the session and primaried her afterwards.

Thats no way to treat a lady. Not the statewoman from Rosebud County. And not the goddess depicted throughout this land holding the scales of justice. Yes, shes blindfolded. But as Judge Moses documented meticulously in his 199-page ruling last week, she hears just fine.

Do you?
GRANDVIEW  Fire ravaged an entire block of historical buildings in downtown Grandview Friday evening, displacing many people who had homes in the buildings and disrupting services such as the post office.

Monday morning, the charred remains that once made up four buildings in the 100 block of South Main Street in Grandview continues to smolder. The Rev. David Johns of the Grandview Community Bible Church and the chaplain for the Grandview Fire Department said at this point the fire is simply being allowed to burn itself out. Grandview Fire Chief Dan Conry concurred, saying the pile of debris will be smoldering for several days. The street has been blocked off to traffic and Conry warns people not to cross the fire tape surrounding the debris. He said the scene is still an active fire scene and that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Its sad, Conry said. That was what made the downtown area.

Johns agreed, saying There is not a lot here in Grandview and that was one of the big historical markers. All it has left, kind of caddecorner, is what used to be the grocery and feed store.

Two vintage pop machines sat leaning against one of the remaining walls, showing some smoke damage but still intact.

The buildings destroyed include the Grandview Post Office, a Grandview City shed, the local tavern and a building that formerly housed a salon but was being used as an apartment. The large structure at the center of the block was built in 1901. The remains of the buildings were knocked down with cranes to make them safer. There were seven apartments in the building. Johns said 13 people had been displaced by the fire. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time. Conry said the Iowa State Fire Marshals Office investigators had been working at the site early Monday.

At about 4:30 p.m. Friday, Grandview Fire was called to reports of a fire in the shed behind the buildings. On arrival, firefighters found the fire had spread from the shed to a shared attic with all the buildings. In all, nine fire crews  Grandview, Letts, Wapello, Fruitland, Columbus Junction, Morning Sun, Oakville, Conesville, and Nichols fire departments  battled the fire until about 1 a.m. the following morning. Conry said he had been on scene until about 6 a.m. looking for hot spots.

At the time the fire began, Conry, who also worked for Louisa County Ambulance, had been transporting a patient to the University of Iowa. He said that he could see the dark plumb of smoke from the Cotter area.

Johns said Grandview Community Bible Church has been taking a collection for the people who were displaced by the fire. He said that people have been donating clothes and that tables for them have been set up in a gym right across from the church. He said hygene and household items are also being taken. There is also a fund people can donate to on the churchs web site.

The Red Cross came out the night of the fire and one of our trustees opened the church for them, Johns said. The Red Cross gave them some debit cards and some cash for that night. IO know the Red Cross is trying to find long-term housing for them.

He said one couple is in a motel and the others are with friends or family. He said in the near future, when the people find permanent housing, furniture will be needed.

Johns said that he is proud of the way the community has come together to help the people who were misplaced. He said the Grandview people feel they have taken a big hit with the loss of the buildings.

We are a small community  under 500 people  and apartments have been lost, which is a good percentage of the apartments in Grandview. It is amazing how the people have responded in Grandview  donating.

He said donations have come from all over the area and even as far as Davenport.

The mail was reportedly rescued from the post office building before it burned. People from Grandview have had to go to the Wapello Post Office to get their mail. There is no word on whether the post office will be rebuilt.

There has been no discussion yet about what will happen to the site the buildings once stood on.
Dubuque Telegraph Herald. October 5, 2022.

Editorial: Iowans should reject firearms ballot measure

Every time a mass shooting happens in America, people wring their hands  or pound their fists  and say, Something should be done about this. And then nothing changes.

Iowans will find a measure on their ballots this November, and at first blush, it might look like something that could give common-sense gun laws a chance. But in fact, its just the opposite. Any Iowan who would even consider supporting any common-sense gun laws should vote no to Public Measure No. 1 on the back of the ballot.

The measure starts out sounding a lot like the federal Second Amendment  The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Thats easy enough to support. Its in the U.S. Constitution, after all.

The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Again, makes sense.

Were the ballot measure just these two sentences, Iowa would be in the same boat as 33 other states that affirm the Second Amendment within their own states constitution.

Its the third sentence that causes great consternation  and might be confusing to some voters. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.

At a glance, a voter might think, Sure, I believe all gun laws should be strictly scrutinized. But this reference to strict scrutiny refers to judicial review.

Passage of the measure would amend the Iowa Constitution to say that judges must look at any laws related to regulating firearms with the highest degree of judicial review, striking down laws as unconstitutional unless they serve a compelling government interest and are narrowly tailored to achieve that end.

This isnt what most Iowans want. Multiple polls show most Iowans support some common-sense gun laws, such as requiring background checks.

In fact, most Iowans didnt want to do away with gun permits, but that didnt keep that change at bay. According to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, two-thirds of Iowans opposed a state law allowing adults to purchase and carry handguns without a permit, but it was signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds last spring.

This proposed constitutional change on this falls ballot is so extreme that only three states have adopted the language  Louisiana, Alabama and Missouri. All three have among the top five highest firearm mortality rates in the country.

Iowa already has robust protections of the Second Amendment. A few years ago, the state eliminated sheriffs authority to refuse permits and then did away with permits altogether.

Before Iowans change the states constitution to make it highly difficult to institute or alter any gun laws, citizens should recognize just how difficult that constitutional change would be to undo.

And voting no to the proposed language on ballots doesnt mean that new gun laws will be instituted. It simply ensures that our state lawmakers  the folks who we elect to represent us at the Statehouse  have the ability to continue to propose and consider such legislation if and when they see fit.

If state lawmakers want a ballot measure on affirming Second Amendment rights in the constitution, thats one thing.

Public Measure 1 goes far beyond that. Iowans join other Americans in wanting to make some efforts to address gun violence. Iowas Public Measure 1 would make that unlikely.

Find the measure on the backside of the ballot and vote, No.

END
Thousands of industry captains and medical practitioners flocked to Riyadh to attend the Global Health exhibition held from 9 to 11 October at the Riyadh International Convention Center.

The gathering will discuss investment opportunities in the sector with the aim of improving the quality of services while tackling challenges facing the Saudi health sector.

The three-day event is expected to attract more than 26,000 attendees and 112 speakers from all over the world, discussing the digitization of healthcare, as well as the transition to new models of care.

This year's event includes the leaders forum, which facilitates meaningful dialogue between thought leaders and government officials. Also, healthcare entrepreneurs will be given a chance to address investors about the ability of their technologies to plug gaps in the local healthcare market.

New additions to the event this year include the Medical Lab Space, which highlights the latest innovations and technologies in tests and medical laboratories. Sessions under (Innov8 Talks) will be launched to promote healthcare startups through live product demonstrations. -TradeArabia News Service
This week, registered voters across Napa County will begin receiving in their mailboxes ballots for the Nov. 8 election.

Now what?

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register.

When can Napans  along with people in American Canyon, St. Helena, Calistoga and elsewhere  start to drop off their ballots, or get help doing so? Where will the closed ballot drop boxes be?

How soon do you have to register to vote in November, and what happens if you run late?

This guide from the Napa Valley Register will guide you to the nearest ballot drop sites and voting centers, and includes important dates leading to Election Day, information on registering to vote, and contact information for the Napa County Election Division.

Countdown to Election Day

Monday  Napa County Elections Division mails ballots to all local registered voters, who do not need to request a ballot before each election. Residents should receive their ballots in the coming days. Monday  In-person ballot drop-offs begin and a vote center opens at the Election Division office in downtown Napa, at 1127 First St. (Suite E).Oct. 24  Last day to register to vote, 15 days before Election Day

Oct. 29  Opening of the American Canyon vote center at Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 5001 Main St.

Nov. 5  opening of other vote centers in Napa, American Canyon, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga (see the list of vote centers)

Nov. 8  Election Day; ballot boxes and vote centers close at 8 p.m.

Where to vote (and get help voting)

Drop boxes

Ballot drop boxes will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at various Napa County locations beginning Monday. Drop sites will close promptly at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8.

Napa

- Intersection of Soscol and Lincoln avenues, next to Round Table Pizza

- Solano Avenue, south of Redwood Road across from Redwood Plaza

- South Jefferson Street, outside of River Park Shopping Center in front of Goodwill

- Second Street garage alley, between the garage and 1127 First St.

- Napa Valley College, 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway, by the campus library

American Canyon

- City Hall entrance, 4381 Broadway

Yountville

- Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington St., near the library drop box

St. Helena

- In front of the St. Helena Public Library, 1492 Library Lane

Calistoga

- Fair Way, next to the bus stop outside Cal Mart

Angwin

- Howell Mountain Market entrance, 15 Angwin Ave.

Vote centers

Vote centers offer services including voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.

In-person voting is available at the Napa County Election Division office in Napa starting Monday, followed by the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in American Canyon starting Oct. 29. Other vote centers will open throughout the county no later than Nov. 5.

Napa

- Napa County Election Division, 1127 First St. (Suite E)

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays starting Monday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends from Oct. 29; open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day

- Las Flores Community Center, 4300 Linda Vista Ave.

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays starting Monday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends from Nov. 5; open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day

American Canyon

- American Canyon Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 5001 Main St.

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends starting Oct. 29; open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day

- Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley, 60 Benton Way

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays starting Monday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends from Nov. 5; open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day

Yountville

- Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington St.

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays starting Monday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends from Nov. 5; open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day

St. Helena

- Napa Valley College Upper Valley Campus, 1088 College Ave.

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays starting Monday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends from Nov. 5; open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day

Calistoga

- Calistoga Community Center, 1307 Washington St.

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays starting Monday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends from Nov. 5; open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day

Registering to vote

To register to vote online, visit the California Secretary of State websites registration page at registertovote.ca.gov.

Online registration requires your California driver license or identification card number, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your date of birth. Your information will be provided to the state Department of Motor Vehicles to retrieve a copy of your DMV signature.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 24. After the deadline, you must complete the same-day voter registration process and request your ballot in person at the Napa County Election Division office or a vote center.

You can check your voter registration status, including name, address and party affiliation, at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.



For more information

Visit the Napa County Election Division website at countyofnapa.org/396/Elections

Contact

707-253-4321 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays); 888-494-8356 (toll-free from outside the city of Napa)

John Tuteur, county registrar of voters: john.tuteur@countyofnapa.org
Naval forces from the United States and United Kingdom conducted a bilateral exercise in the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 7, which featured the use of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence to enhance maritime monitoring by crewed ships and operators ashore.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessels (USV) (Picture source: US Navy)

The one-day exercise, called Phantom Scope, occurred in international waters off the coast of Bahrain with forces from U.S. 5th Fleet and the UK Royal Navy. Three Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessels (USVs) participated alongside guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), fast response cutter USCGC Robert Goldman (WPC 1142) and Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessels HMS Chiddingfold (M37) and HMS Bangor (M109).

Putting more eyes out on the water enhances our picture of the surrounding seas and enables us to position our crewed ships to react more rapidly, said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces.

During the exercise, unmanned and artificial intelligence systems operated in conjunction with crewed ships and naval command centers ashore in Bahrain. Sensors from unmanned vessels were able to locate and identify training aides in the water and relay visual depictions to the command centers.

Whenever we work in the maritime environment, particularly when working alongside international partners, it is critical we have relevant maritime domain awareness, said Royal Navy Commodore Adrian Fryer, commander of UKs maritime component based in the Middle East.

Alongside the more traditional methods, uncrewed systems are an essential tool, and the future, in building this understanding, the picture they provide can enhance the security and stability of the maritime environment, Fryer added.

A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel (USV) operates in the Arabian Gulf during exercise Phantom Scope, Oct. 7. During the bilateral exercise between the United States and United Kingdom, USVs operated in conjunction with crewed ships and naval command centers ashore in Bahrain (Picture source: US Navy)

U.S. 5th Fleet established an unmanned systems and artificial intelligence task force in September 2021 to integrate new technologies into U.S. Navy operations across the Middle East.

In the past 12 months, Task Force 59 has amassed more than 25,000 hours of experience integrating new unmanned systems and artificial intelligence. The task force has also established operating hubs in Bahrain and Aqaba, Jordan in close cooperation with regional partners.

We have already achieved more today than many might have imagined possible when we started, said Cooper. Our goal is a distributed and integrated network of systems operated with our partners to significantly expand how far we can see.

U.S. 5th Fleets operating area includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, 21 countries and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and Suez Canal.

During the exercise, unmanned and artificial intelligence systems operated in conjunction with crewed ships and naval command centers ashore in Bahrain. Sensors from unmanned vessels were able to locate and identify training aides in the water and relay visual depictions to the command centers (Picture source: US Navy)
EU considers paying Elon Musk to provide Starlink Internet to Ukraine

German Prosecutor's Office searches Deutsche Bank headquarters

Head of Germany's national cybersecurity agency fired amid reports of ties to Russia

Uruguayan Chamber of Deputies condemns Azerbaijan's invasion of Armenian territory

Spanish minister: EU is far from solution to energy crisis

Fake Azerbaijani names of Syunik province communities removed from Google Maps and Google Earth apps

Artsakh President presents details of meetings held in Yerevan to MPs

Lavrov: Russia sees no point in maintaining its previous presence in Western countries

UAE: OPEC+ decision has no political motive

Opposition to David Price: Right to self-determination is the right of people of Artsakh to survive

Iran is ready to negotiate with Ukraine to resolve ambiguities

Deputy Speaker of Armenian National Assembly: 47 PACE deputies made written statement condemning Baku's aggression

Lapid will discuss Kiev request for Israeli systems with Kuleba

Morawiecki: Poland is not afraid of losing EU funds

Armenian President meets with Sofia Mayor

Speaker of Armenian National Assembly to Norway FM: Withdrawal of Azerbaijani Armed Forces from Armenia is a priority

Nikol Pashinyan receives delegation headed by Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt

Iran responds to Borrell's garden and jungle statement: EU needs to accept realities or it will continue to wither

Pashinyan: No one can accuse Armenia of evading its obligations

Congressman: U.S. was not active in terms of security in Armenia, but now situation is changing

Indian defense company Solar group says it has received orders from Armenia for 'Pinaka' missiles

Price: U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan will not be used for offensive purposes against Armenia

Military expert assesses possibility of new hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Russian Embassy: Armenians' attitude towards Russians who moved to Armenia remains very friendly

Clarification by Price: What Could Armenian-American military cooperation look like?

Armenian Defense Minister visits DEFEXPO exhibition in India

President of Artsakh talks about results of discussions held in Armenia

Borrell angers UAE with his comparison of world outside Europe to 'jungle'

Public Council formed in Artsakh

China Daily: Party's anti-graft efforts generate fruitful outcomes

Price: We demand that Azerbaijan return to its initial positions

Aghajanyan: This visit should be seen as another stage in dynamic development of Armenian-American relations

Ukraine will officially ask Israel for transfer of air defense systems

Head of National Assembly Commission: 2023 state budget turned out to be biggest in Armenia's history

Turkey conducts test launch of its own ballistic missile over Black Sea

Students of Brusov State University hold protest outside building of Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia

Armenia MFA: Yerevan has always openly and publicly stated its position on dialogue with Turkey

Military exercises of IRGC Ground Forces on border with Azerbaijan continue for second day in Iran

Blinken accuses China of violating status quo on Taiwan

Armenian Foreign Minister: We see Azerbaijan's unconstructive behavior

Izvestia: European banks stop accepting SWIFT-transfers from Russia

Mirzoyan calls on Cavusoglu to speak for himself

Norwegian FM visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex and pays tribute to victims of Genocide

Mirzoyan: We need to understand to what extent CSTO recognizes this aggression against Armenia

MFA: Armenian authorities apply to OSCE to send observers to border with Azerbaijan

NYT: Conflict between Turkey and Greece may cause split of NATO

Ararat Mirzoyan Details of peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan were presented to Norwegian FM

Price of gas in Europe drops to almost $1,200 per 1,000 cubic meters for first time since June

Armenian Defense Minister meets with his Indian counterpart

First images of damage to Nord Stream are published

Erdogan's spokesman: Meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is impossible now

Peskov redirects question of drone purchases from Iran to Russian Ministry of Defense

Secretary of Armenian Security Council presents consequences of recent Azerbaijani aggression to Brazilian ambassador

Trial of Robert Kocharyan and Armen Gevorgyan is held in Yerevan

IAEA chief says he wants to meet with Putin again

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan creates fake news on ceasefire violations by Armenia

US House of Representatives members visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Taliban, Iran border guards fire at each other

Another high treason exposed in Armenia

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan armed forces violate ceasefire in Sotk-Kutakan sector

World oil prices on the rise

Trump slightly ahead of Biden in New York Times poll

Armenia defense minister heads for India

Newspaper: Karabakh dissatisfied with President's Yerevan visit, meeting with Armenia PM

Azerbaijan fires toward Armenia positions at night

Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs much more modern air defense systems

Liz Truss is called upon to resign

EU to review relations with China

White House accuses Iran of lying

Poland may not receive 75 billion euros in regional aid from EU

Crash of SU-34 in Yeysk captured on video

SJC: Criminal case will be initiated against judge Arusyak Aleksanyan

Germany fines Telegram more than 5 million euros

Scholz instructs ministers to prepare to extend operation of Germany's remaining three nuclear power plants

Two people killed in Yeysk after military plane crashed

Saudi Arabia rejects U.S. accusations of supporting Russia amid war in Ukraine

Only candidate for post of military prosecutor of Armenia is named

Expert: Iran is preparing for scenarios in form of attacks on Azerbaijan and sending troops to Artsakh

German intelligence service opposes Chinese company's investment in Hamburg port

Fire area at crash site of Su-34 in Krasnodar territory is 2,000 sq. m.
Saudi Arabia has announced a major plan to involve the private sector in 100 health projects over the next 5 years, resulting in $13 billion investment opportunities.

The initiatives announced by Saudi Health for public-private partnership, including the operation of two new medical cities, a project to provide 900 beds for medical rehabilitation and long-term care services, as well as restructuring 200 primary care centers, and providing air medical evacuation services, said Health Minister Fahd Al Jalajil.

Al Jalajel was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Global Health exhibition which kicked off yesterday (October 9).

The ministry has restructured the procedures for issuing licenses and related regulations to ease investors' journey, he noted, adding that it had recently launched a call center to provide services for the medical business sector.-TradeArabia News Service
Several explosions occurred after the air raid sirens had blared out in Kyiv, Ukrinform reported.

According to preliminary data, 8 people were killed and another 24 civilians were injured as a result of the missile attack in the Shevchenkivskyi District of the Ukrainian capital.

Due to the concentrated shelling in Kyiv, the latters subway system stopped operations, informed the Kyiv city government staff. And all subway stations are working as shelters.

The buildings of the Philharmonic Hall, the Khanenko and Shevchenko museums were damaged as a result of these missile attacks in Kyiv. The Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, wrote about this on Telegram.

Due to the concentrated attacks of the Russians in Lviv, the mobile communication was disrupted in the city, informed Mayor Andriy Sadovyi. Attacks on the energy infrastructure were recorded, informed Maksym Kozytskyy, Governor of Lviv Regional State Administration.

Three "attacks" were initially recorded in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov informed. "The energy infrastructure was hit. Electricity has been cut off, there is no water supply in several areas of the city," he said.

A series of explosions took place in Dnipro city, too. According to a newspaper, an "attack" was recorded on a residential district of the city.

Explosions were reported in Zhytomyr and Kyiv, too.

Blasts rocked in Ternopil as well.

And the governor of Khmelnytskyi announced that the air defense is in operation in the region.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on these attacks launched against Ukraine on Monday morning.

"The 229th day of the full-scale war. On the 229th day, they [i.e., Russia] are trying to destroy us and erase us from the face of the earth. In one word, to destroy our people who are sleeping at home in Zaporizhzhia. Kill people who go to work in Dnipro and Kyiv. There are missile attacks. Unfortunately, there are casualties and wounded. Please, do not come out of shelters! Save yourself and your relatives. We are firm and will be strong," Zelenskyy said.
EU considers paying Elon Musk to provide Starlink Internet to Ukraine

German Prosecutor's Office searches Deutsche Bank headquarters

Head of Germany's national cybersecurity agency fired amid reports of ties to Russia

Uruguayan Chamber of Deputies condemns Azerbaijan's invasion of Armenian territory

Spanish minister: EU is far from solution to energy crisis

Fake Azerbaijani names of Syunik province communities removed from Google Maps and Google Earth apps

Artsakh President presents details of meetings held in Yerevan to MPs

Lavrov: Russia sees no point in maintaining its previous presence in Western countries

UAE: OPEC+ decision has no political motive

Opposition to David Price: Right to self-determination is the right of people of Artsakh to survive

Iran is ready to negotiate with Ukraine to resolve ambiguities

Deputy Speaker of Armenian National Assembly: 47 PACE deputies made written statement condemning Baku's aggression

Lapid will discuss Kiev request for Israeli systems with Kuleba

Morawiecki: Poland is not afraid of losing EU funds

Armenian President meets with Sofia Mayor

Speaker of Armenian National Assembly to Norway FM: Withdrawal of Azerbaijani Armed Forces from Armenia is a priority

Nikol Pashinyan receives delegation headed by Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt

Iran responds to Borrell's garden and jungle statement: EU needs to accept realities or it will continue to wither

Pashinyan: No one can accuse Armenia of evading its obligations

Congressman: U.S. was not active in terms of security in Armenia, but now situation is changing

Indian defense company Solar group says it has received orders from Armenia for 'Pinaka' missiles

Price: U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan will not be used for offensive purposes against Armenia

Military expert assesses possibility of new hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Russian Embassy: Armenians' attitude towards Russians who moved to Armenia remains very friendly

Clarification by Price: What Could Armenian-American military cooperation look like?

Armenian Defense Minister visits DEFEXPO exhibition in India

President of Artsakh talks about results of discussions held in Armenia

Borrell angers UAE with his comparison of world outside Europe to 'jungle'

Public Council formed in Artsakh

China Daily: Party's anti-graft efforts generate fruitful outcomes

Price: We demand that Azerbaijan return to its initial positions

Aghajanyan: This visit should be seen as another stage in dynamic development of Armenian-American relations

Ukraine will officially ask Israel for transfer of air defense systems

Head of National Assembly Commission: 2023 state budget turned out to be biggest in Armenia's history

Turkey conducts test launch of its own ballistic missile over Black Sea

Students of Brusov State University hold protest outside building of Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia

Armenia MFA: Yerevan has always openly and publicly stated its position on dialogue with Turkey

Military exercises of IRGC Ground Forces on border with Azerbaijan continue for second day in Iran

Blinken accuses China of violating status quo on Taiwan

Armenian Foreign Minister: We see Azerbaijan's unconstructive behavior

Izvestia: European banks stop accepting SWIFT-transfers from Russia

Mirzoyan calls on Cavusoglu to speak for himself

Norwegian FM visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex and pays tribute to victims of Genocide

Mirzoyan: We need to understand to what extent CSTO recognizes this aggression against Armenia

MFA: Armenian authorities apply to OSCE to send observers to border with Azerbaijan

NYT: Conflict between Turkey and Greece may cause split of NATO

Ararat Mirzoyan Details of peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan were presented to Norwegian FM

Price of gas in Europe drops to almost $1,200 per 1,000 cubic meters for first time since June

Armenian Defense Minister meets with his Indian counterpart

First images of damage to Nord Stream are published

Erdogan's spokesman: Meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is impossible now

Peskov redirects question of drone purchases from Iran to Russian Ministry of Defense

Secretary of Armenian Security Council presents consequences of recent Azerbaijani aggression to Brazilian ambassador

Trial of Robert Kocharyan and Armen Gevorgyan is held in Yerevan

IAEA chief says he wants to meet with Putin again

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan creates fake news on ceasefire violations by Armenia

US House of Representatives members visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Taliban, Iran border guards fire at each other

Another high treason exposed in Armenia

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan armed forces violate ceasefire in Sotk-Kutakan sector

World oil prices on the rise

Trump slightly ahead of Biden in New York Times poll

Armenia defense minister heads for India

Newspaper: Karabakh dissatisfied with President's Yerevan visit, meeting with Armenia PM

Azerbaijan fires toward Armenia positions at night

Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs much more modern air defense systems

Liz Truss is called upon to resign

EU to review relations with China

White House accuses Iran of lying

Poland may not receive 75 billion euros in regional aid from EU

Crash of SU-34 in Yeysk captured on video

SJC: Criminal case will be initiated against judge Arusyak Aleksanyan

Germany fines Telegram more than 5 million euros

Scholz instructs ministers to prepare to extend operation of Germany's remaining three nuclear power plants

Two people killed in Yeysk after military plane crashed

Saudi Arabia rejects U.S. accusations of supporting Russia amid war in Ukraine

Only candidate for post of military prosecutor of Armenia is named

Expert: Iran is preparing for scenarios in form of attacks on Azerbaijan and sending troops to Artsakh

German intelligence service opposes Chinese company's investment in Hamburg port

Fire area at crash site of Su-34 in Krasnodar territory is 2,000 sq. m.

EU approves military training mission for thousands of Ukrainian servicemen

Supersonic Su-34 fighter-bomber crashes in Krasnodar territory

Elon Musk on likelihood of World War III

EU Commission intends to propose 'dynamic' natural gas price cap this week

Dmitry Medvedev: Supplies of weapons to Ukraine will ruin relations between Russia and Israel

Charles Michel welcomes rapid deployment of EU mission on Armenian border

Swiss MPs horrified by consequences of Azerbaijani aggression: We support Armenians

European Union announces new sanctions against Iran

Tehran Times: Iran remains vigilant about developments in South Caucasus region

Natural gas supply to Armenia will be temporarily suspended

Daily Beast: Biden must stop next Armenian Genocide before it's too late

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan is looking for pretext to launch new military aggression against Armenia

Turkish Foreign Minister: Baku insists on equal status of 'Lachin' and 'Zangezur' corridors

Foreign Ministry: Iran has repeatedly stated that it has not sent weapons to either side of war in Ukraine

U.S. House of Representatives delegation arrives in Yerevan

IRGC commander: Changing regions geography is red line for Iran

Uzbek officials banned from being dishonest and swearing on social media

Lawyer: Erik Aleksanyan does not accept charges against him

Erdogan to visit Azerbaijan on October 20

Baku reacts to Pashinyan's proposal: To suggest 3 unrealistic options is not a good policy
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) said it has awarded a two-year contract worth $1.53 billion to its key subsidiary Adnoc Drilling which covers the provision of 12 jack-up rigs and two island rigs and the associated integrated drilling services.

The contract award supports the expansion of Adnocs offshore operations and its objective to responsibly increase production capacity and meet the growing global demand for reliable, lower carbon-intensity oil and gas.

Adnoc said this award will leverage its drilling units start-to-finish offering as well as its position as the largest drilling company in the region by rig fleet size to drive value and efficiencies while minimizing environmental impact.

The Abu Dhabi group pointed out that over 80% of the award value will flow back into the UAEs economy under its In-Country Value (ICV) programme, supporting local economic growth and diversification.

Adnoc Upstream Executive Director Yaser Saeed Almazrouei said: "Through this award, Adnoc Offshore will continue to responsibly harness the energy in Abu Dhabis waters, as we increase production capacity to meet the worlds growing demand for energy with lower carbon intensity oil and gas."

This award will support the expansion of Adnocs crude oil production capacity to five million barrels per day (mmbpd) by 2030 and gas self-sufficiency for the UAE, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, and Karen Sargsyan, received Japanese Ambassador Masanori Fukushima.

During the meeting, a number of matters of mutual interest were discussed. In addition, the Armenian minister highlighted the need for regular air flights between the two countries, which will also contribute to the development of other sectors.

Ambassador Fukushima, for his part, thanked the Sanosyan for organizing their visit to Gegharkunik Province, which gave them the opportunity to get familiarized with the consequences of Azerbaijan's recent military aggression against Armenia, and said they are going to present them to their governments.

Also, the Japanese diplomat noted that there are good friendly relations between the two countries, but there is a considerable untapped potential in business and trade, which must be realized.

"Armenia is a very important partner for Japan. Armenia is a very democratic country. The Japanese government is ready to continue providing various types of support to Armenia. As the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Japan [to Armenia], I would like to invest all my efforts in order to further develop the relations between our two countries," the diplomat emphasized.
Dubai Future Forum has revealed its speaker list, comprising more than 70 of the worlds leading futurists from 45 organisations who will lead discussions around the most pressing questions of our time.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the Forum will take place between October 11 and 12 and is organised by DFF.

It will represent the worlds largest gathering of futurists and will convene 400 of the worlds leading experts, scientists, innovators, and luminaries at the Museum of the Future in 30 sessions including panel discussions, live debates and to predict the future trajectory of the world.

Ministers and officials

Among the line-up are several UAE ministers and officials, including Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation; Ohood Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future; Omar Sultan Al Olama Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation; Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director General, Prime Ministers Office UAE; Omar Ghobash, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Culture and Public Diplomacy; and Ahmad Al Bedwawi, Assistant Secretary General of Government Policies in the General Secretariat of the Cabinet, Deputy Head of UAE Government Regulations Lab Committee and Khalfan Belhoul, CEO, Dubai Future Foundation.

Commenting on this significant gathering, Amy Webb, Chief Executive Officer at the Future Today Institute said: CEOs, government leaders, policymakers and central banks are grappling with immense volatility and critical uncertainties. Their decisions today will determine the long-term fate of human civilisation. Strategic foresight has never been more urgent and more necessary. The world's most eminent forecasters are gathering at the Dubai Future Forum to challenge leaders  and each other  to be more ambitious in meeting our emerging global challenges."

She added: "Dubai has established itself as a global hub for foresight and future-thinking. I'm excited to open the first Dubai Future Forum with a keynote about the value of strategic foresight within business, government and society  and how the field itself must evolve."

Best possible outcomes

Webb concluded: We must not allow our futures to be constrained by the present. Business and government leaders need to confront their cherished beliefs, to seek out signals of change, understand their implications, as well as to plan for the best possible outcomes."

Angeliki Kapoglou, Strategy and Innovation Researcher, European Space Agency highlighted: At COP26 it became clear that there is a clash between our climate ambitions and the energy reality. Annual clean energy investment worldwide will need to more than triple by 2030, to around $4 trillion. Adding that the challenge of decarbonising Europes energy sector over the coming few decades is a massive one.

Joshua Polchar, Strategic Foresight Lead at OECD said: We come from different places but we're all citizens of the future. Where we're headed depends on dialogue. Shaping the future is a collaborative effort, which is why connecting across borders is so valuable.

400 global experts

Ohood Al Roumi said: The Dubai Future Forum, which will convene more than 400 global experts and 45 international organisations, reflects the UAE's efforts to strengthen global partnerships aimed at foreseeing the future. It will also identify the most pressing challenges and important opportunities that will impact societies tomorrow.

She added: We are witnessing rapid change, particularly around the Fourth Industrial Revolution and advanced technology. If harnessed, they can help us to build a brighter future. But they first require appropriate ecosystems and frameworks in which to flourish. These systems will help to enhance worlds resilience and readiness for the future and encourage the continuous building of capabilities and skills to meet our needs in the coming decades and beyond.

Jose Cordeiro, Vice Chair at Humanity Plus: We are in the middle of a technological revolution that will soon achieve radical life extension and indefinite lifespans for all those interested. I believe that we are going to see more technological advances in the next 20 years than in the last 2000 years.

Tech companies

He added: Major technology companies (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft, etc.) are entering the biology, health and medicine sectors as the biggest business opportunity of the future. Aging is the common enemy of humanity; aging causes more deaths that all other causes combined. More and more people are beginning to study aging as a disease, but fortunately, a curable disease. Certainly, we know now that aging is a medical condition that is treatable, and apparently reversible.

Catarina Tully, Managing Director at School of International Futures said: It is such a privilege to discuss intergenerational fairness solutions at Dubai Future Forum's inaugural global futures event, where I look forward to meeting next generation change-makers using foresight to build a better world.

Al Olama said: Under its leadership, the UAE has established a comprehensive and clear strategy to design the future of various government, economic and social sectors. We have developed a leading model for foresight and shaped ideas that will help build a brighter future.

Annual platform

He added: "Dubai Future Forum is an annual platform for discussing future opportunities and challenges, identifying priorities, and enhancing collaboration between governments, the private sector and societies to keep pace with the rapidly evolving world around us."

Vilas Dhar, President and Trustee of the Patrick J McGovern Foundation claimed: "Our future is a collective enterprise - one that requires shared positive intention, commitment to common action, and a belief that a better future is possible. The Dubai Future Forum is a stellar example of what becomes possible when we ground conversations about humanity's future in the combination of technological optimism and human dignity. The conversations held this week inspire us - both in what is possible and what is essential to build a just, sustainable and thriving world for the 21st century and beyond."

Jamie Metzl, Founder and Chair of OneShared.World said: I am delighted to be participating in the Dubai Future Forum alongside fellow leading thinkers and doers from across the globe. Because the rate of technological change is accelerating, we must also accelerate efforts to ensure our most cherished values will guide the application of our most powerful and world-changing technologies.

Shaping up

Stuart Candy, Director of Situation Lab at Carneige Mellon said: The Dubai Future Forum is shaping up to be a landmark event in the unfolding history of experiential futures: one of the planets first cultural institutions of foresight hosting its first major gathering of futurist practitioners. He added: My hope for the event is that people come away with a stronger than ever commitment to the promise of social foresight; the collective human capacity, which we are still only just beginning to develop, to think and feel ahead.

Carlo Ratti, Director of MIT SENSEable City Lab, said: "We like to imagine that our cities are becoming 'Senseable'  with its double meaning, both able to sense and sensible. We like the word 'Senseable city', as opposed to 'Smart city', as the former puts the emphasis on the human  as opposed to technological  side of things.

Mark Beer, Minister of Justice of Asgardia, highlighted: "As the world looks forward, with hope for a brighter future, where better than Dubai, as the fulcrum between East and West, for experts to gather to discuss the realms of possibility. The United Arab Emirates recently celebrated 50 years of connecting minds and creating the future, and now looks forward to the world in 2071, it's centenary. Bringing visionaries and futurists together at the Dubai Future Forum to discuss and debate the future, and how to prepare for it, is not only critical for Dubai and the UAE, but also for the future of humanity and science."

The Dubai Future Forum will be hosted at the Museum of the Future, by the Dubai Future Foundation to support Dubais future agenda by providing new networking and community building opportunities for global thought leaders to convene and design collaborative solutions for an inclusive and sustainable future.-- TradeArabia News Service
European Union countries will seek an agreement in November on additional emergency measures to combat high gas prices, although countries are still at odds over what form the measures will take and whether they should limit gas prices, Reuters wrote.

EU energy ministers will meet Wednesday in Prague to discuss their next steps.

Most EU states say a ceiling on gas prices should be next, but disagree on whether it should apply to all gas deals, long-term contracts or only gas used for power generation. Others, including Germany, remain opposed.

A senior EU official said Wednesday's meeting should narrow down the options so the European Commission can propose a new law this month. Member states use the same words, not necessarily in the same meaning, so we need to narrow it down, the official said.

On Wednesday, ministers will also discuss joint gas purchases between countries and the possibility of negotiating lower prices with non-Russian suppliers so the EU can lower energy prices.

The official said the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency, will convene an emergency meeting of energy ministers in November to approve the proposals.

Officials from the three EU countries agreed to the timetable, but said the states remain at odds over what measures to take. It's hard to reach consensus because everyone has different preferences, one said.

Spain and Portugal limited the price of gas used for power generation in June, which helped lower local electricity prices. The idea has gained support in other countries, although some fear it could boost EU gas demand as Spain's gas consumption has increased under the measure.

Countries will also need to decide how to compensate gas plants for the gap between the maximum price and the higher market price at which they buy the fuel, whether through government funding or a levy on other energy producers.
The French Senate has presented a draft resolution calling on the government to discuss the creation of a humanitarian office in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It calls for sanctions against Azerbaijan and the immediate withdrawal of its forces from Armenian territory, the implementation of a cease-fire agreement of November 9, 2020 and the promotion of any initiatives aimed at establishing a lasting peace between the two countries.

According to the draft resolution, the repeated aggression of Azerbaijani military forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and in the southern and southeastern regions of Armenia is a violation of the sovereignty of that state and the cease-fire agreements concluded between the two sides.

The Senate, bearing in mind Resolution No. 26 (2020-2021) on the need to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, adopted by the Senate on November 25, 2020;

testifying to the reports of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that the Armenian population living in Azerbaijan cannot live freely, taking into account that the security and freedom of the Armenian population living in Nagorno-Karabakh is not guaranteed by the Republic of Azerbaijan, taking into account that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is in a particularly unstable region which is near the European Union

The authors of the draft resolution condemned violations by Azerbaijan of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of 4 January 1969 and called on the Azerbaijani authorities to comply with international agreements and conventions aimed at ensuring the security of the Armenian population and their rights.

The resolution called on the Government to consider all diplomatic and economic consequences of these new attacks and to consider, together with its European partners, the strongest measures of response, including seizure of assets of Azerbaijani leaders and an embargo on gas and oil imports.

The sponsors of the resolution urged the government to discuss the creation of a humanitarian office in Nagorno-Karabakh, to show French support for Armenia by all means, especially given the strengthening of Armenian defense capabilities to ensure its territorial integrity.

In addition, the French government was urged to immediately take any initiative to guarantee the security of the Armenian population and Armenia within its internationally recognized borders, and to this end it was asked to deploy an interim force under the auspices of the international community.

The resolution reaffirmed the need to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and to turn this recognition into a tool for negotiations to establish a lasting peace.
Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) is set to launch the Business Matchmaking Platform, which is currently going through the development phase, as part of its efforts to support digital transformation and enhance the experience of Abu Dhabis business community.

The Business Matchmaking Platform will enable Business-to-Business (B2B) networking on a local, regional, and international level, strengthening local and foreign trade exchange in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and propelling the economic growth of the private sector.

The announcement of the new platform came during the participation of Abu Dhabi Chamber - as part of Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion - at the 42nd edition of GITEX 2022, which is being held between October 10 and 14 at Dubai World Trade Center, in Dubai, UAE.

The Business Matchmaking Platform provides Abu Dhabi Chambers members with an advanced search option to identify new business opportunities, strengthen their network, and communicate with other members via direct messages. Members of Abu Dhabi Chamber will also be able to have a comprehensive overview of upcoming events and register for them, as well as access the latest data and insights published by the Chamber on a dedicated dashboard.

Mohamed Helal Almheiri, Director General of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: The Business Matchmaking Platform is a unique initiative that reflects the Chambers commitment to accelerating digital transformation through the incorporation of advanced technologies. New technologies play a major role in fostering an ecosystem that drives business growth and meets the requirements of private sector companies, through developing advanced and flexible solutions for facilitating networking, and providing data and information that create new investment opportunities.

The platform is currently in the development phase and will become available in the first quarter of 2023.

He added: GITEX serves as an ideal platform for introducing the smart services and initiatives that Abu Dhabi Chamber provides to the business community in Abu Dhabi, and showcasing their benefits

in elevating the performance and competitiveness of companies. The Chamber is adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach for providing smart services and solutions that meet the expectations of its members and contribute to achieving sustainable development in Abu Dhabi.

As part of its participation in GITEX, Abu Dhabi Chamber is also showcasing its digital services offerings which are designed to support its members and clients, to drive the sustainable economic development of the emirate of Abu Dhabi.--TradeArabia News Service
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the press service of the Armenian government informed NEWS.am. Nikol Pashinyan praised the efforts of the U.S. government aimed at addressing the consequences of the September 13-14 aggression of the Azerbaijani armed forces against the sovereign territory of Armenia and stressed the importance of consistent steps undertaken in that direction. The sides also stressed the necessity of withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the Republic of Armenia sovereign territory as well as the unconditional observance of the ceasefire regime.

The interlocutors touched upon the results of the October 6 quadrilateral meeting held in Prague between the Prime Minister of Armenia, the President of France, the President of the European Council and the President of Azerbaijan. They stressed the importance of developing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the UN Charter and the Alma Ata Declaration of 1991, as well as carrying out works for the delimitation of the border and ensuring the activity of the EU civilian mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The sides also touched upon security issues, protection of the rights of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, creation of an international negotiation mechanism between Stepanakert and Baku, and the return of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan.

The Armenian Prime Minister also shared his impressions about his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Antony Blinken expressed U.S. readiness to further promote the negotiation process, as well as the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region.
Armenia's territorial integrity must be respected, and Azerbaijan must withdraw its troops from Armenian territory in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of November 10, 2020, French delegate Jacques Le Nay said, speaking at the discussions during the autumn session of the PACE.

He condemned the use of force, which is unacceptable as a way to resolve disputes between members of that organization. The clashes are the largest since the end of the war in 2020, and they do not appear to be isolated in light of the current situation, which could quickly escalate into a full-scale war. It is important to be reminded of a number of fundamental principles. First and foremost, Armenia's territorial integrity must be respected, and Azerbaijan must withdraw its troops from Armenian territory in accordance with the November 10, 2020 cease-fire agreement, he said.

The politician also called for an investigation and prosecution of all those responsible for the circulating videos showing Azerbaijani soldiers torturing and killing Armenian soldiers. "I call on both sides to conclude a peace agreement as soon as possible, which must be respected, for this to be possible, the Council of Europe must fully play its role as a pan-European platform for discussion and facilitate a political dialogue that reduces tensions. The international community cannot remain indifferent to the situation in the region. The European Union, the United States, and Russia and Turkey must work together to resolve this conflict, but in light of the war in Ukraine, uniting the international community will not work. The war in Ukraine has implications for Armenia and Azerbaijan. After all, Russia is more isolated than ever before and is not going to facilitate discussions, especially since Russia has an interest in getting involved in the conflict. It is bogged down in Ukraine itself, so we have to raise awareness of the need to act for peace in the region," he said.
Armenia currently does not have the resources to protect Artsakh people, political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan told NEWS.am. The analyst said that Armenia's territorial identity has been fundamentally lowered, which implies that it is necessary to strengthen it.

"It is one thing when an expert says it, but when a politician says it, it is good that there are proposals how to have these resources and what should be done to have them. What has been done in the two years since the war? What activities have been done to make those resources appear? What can be done next, if it has not been done," the expert added.

Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign relations, an MP from the ruling party Eduard Aghajanyan recently said that because of the 44-day war Armenia is no longer able to ensure the security of Artsakh.
International pioneers of the Web 3.0 economy are in Dubai, bringing a host of never-seen-before experiences and technology innovations to propel the next digital revolution at the world's largest tech event, Gitex Global 2022, which opened today.

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is hosting the global tech ecosystem till From October 14, with over 1,000 thought-provoking speakers and more than 5,000 companies from 90 countries spanning 26 halls and two million sq ft of exhibition space.

Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, delivered the opening keynote speech at the Sheikh Rashid Hall Main Stage today.

He highlighted that the UAE and Dubai believe in the power of globalisation and creating an ecosystem that allows people to thrive.

Al Olama highlighted how Gitex Global has continued to grow despite the global technology sector undergoing turmoil and uncertainty. He concluded his speech by reiterating that conversations taking place at the event will create sparks that will change the world.

New Paradigms of AI

Speaking in the Middle East for the first time, Dr Tian Qi, Chief AI Scientist, Huawei Cloud, delivered an informative session on the new paradigms of AI on Gitexs main stage on Day 1. Dr Qi focused on the vast potential that AI can have for the scientific community, highlighting that AI can speed up computation time by a factor of at least 10,000, and can help better predict weather patterns and support in discovery of new medications.

Unlocking the potential of the metaverse

Issues of virtual asset ownership came under the spotlight during an interview between Sebastien Borget, Co-Founder & COO of The Sandbox, and Mike Butcher, Editor at Large at TechCrunch. Borget said the future of the metaverse had to involve users owning their digital assets with the freedom to decide how these assets are used or sold. Web 3.0 and blockchain is a chance to take back ownership of assets, he added. One of Sandboxs goals was to showcase its possibilities and this is why it was co-creating with brands such as Atari, so they could own their own space, launch their own gamified experiences and launch content with the community, co-creating and expand their brand creatively.

Building trust in virtual assets

Speaking at the Gitex main stage, Dimitrios Dosis, President of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Mastercard, said Mastercards investment in CipherTrace gives insight into cryptocurrencies and provides transparency rather than anonymity, which in turn reinforces greater consumer trust.

In addition, Mastercard, strategic sponsor of Fintech Surge 2022, which is taking place until October 13, is also working with small- and medium-sized companies to help them access cyber security insurance, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
As a result of work done by an Emory faculty member and her students, Georgia Historical Society markers will be unveiled on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the sites of two pioneering public housing developments that first opened in the 1930s. The ceremonies are open to the public.

The first, at 1 p.m., will take place at the Techwood Homes cupola building at the intersection of Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Pine Street in Atlanta. The second, at 2:30 p.m., will take place at the former University Homes site at Roosevelt Hall, 660 Atlanta Student Movement Blvd. in Atlanta.

Those interested in attending the historical marker ceremonies are encouraged to register at this link, where maps to the locations are available. Registration is ongoing.

The two sites were home to the first federally funded public housing projects in the U.S.: Techwood Homes and University Homes. The markers will acknowledge the two sites as the birthplace of public housing in America and commemorate the generations of families who lived there for more than 50 years.

Techwood Homes was conceptualized by developer Charles Palmer for an area adjacent to his properties downtown, while Atlanta University President John Hope sought to gain federal funding for housing to be built near the Atlanta University Center. Palmer and Hope applied separately for funding from the federal Public Works Administration (PWA), created to encourage economic recovery during the Great Depression. In 1933, the PWA funded the construction of Techwood Homes for white Atlantans and University Homes for Black Atlantans. They were completed in 1936 and 1937, respectively.

Christina Crawford, associate professor in Emorys art history department, spearheaded the successful historical marker applications. Atlanta Housing, the Georgia Historical Society and Emorys Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, which holds the Charles Palmer papers, are hosting the dedication of the two historical markers.

Emory undergraduate and graduate students have conducted research into the Palmer papers in several recent courses. The research of Crawfords students, based on materials from several local archives, has been published on the Atlanta Housing Interplay site, established in partnership with the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship. Rose Library curators Randy Gue, Clint Fluker and the late Pellom McDaniels III mentored graduate students through research in the papers for a Housing Atlanta exhibition as part of the Public Humanities Graduate Seminar, taught in the spring semesters of 2020 and 2022 by Emory College professors Benjamin Reiss (English), Tom Rogers (history) and Karen Stolley (Hispanic studies) as part of the Mellon-funded Public Humanities Seminar.
Story Highlights 45% trust U.S. government to handle international problems, up six points

Trust to handle domestic issues essentially unchanged at 40%

Independents responsible for uptick in trust to handle foreign problems

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' trust in the federal government to handle international problems has mostly recovered from last year's record-low reading following the United States' troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The current 45% of U.S. adults who express "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of confidence in the government's handling of foreign issues is up six percentage points from one year ago, when it fell by nine points.

At the same time, the 40% of Americans with the same degree of trust in the government's handling of domestic problems is essentially unchanged near the low point for the trend.

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Since 1972, when Gallup first measured Americans' confidence in the federal government's ability to deal with issues at home and abroad, trust in the government's handling of international problems has generally outpaced domestic problems. Over the course of the trend, an average 60% of U.S. adults have had a great deal or fair amount of trust in the government's handling of international problems, compared with 53% expressing the same level of trust for the management of domestic problems.

Majorities of Americans had confidence in the government to deal with foreign problems until 2013. But in the past 10 years, that trust has only once been over half -- 52% in 2017. With respect to domestic problems, the majority has not consistently felt confident in the government's ability to deal with them since 2006, although 51% did so in 2009 and 2012.

Historically, the low point for public confidence in the government's handling of domestic problems is slightly worse than the all-time low for international problems. The domestic rating plunged to 35% in 2019 at the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, while the international rating's low of 39% was recorded last year.

Partisans' Trust Strongly Influenced by Party of President

Americans' confidence in the federal government's handling of international and national problems diverges sharply along partisan lines and has shifted when the party of the president switches. That is, when a Democratic president is in the White House, strong majorities of rank-and-file Democrats express trust in the government's handling of international and domestic issues. The reverse is the case when a Republican is in office. For their part, independents' confidence levels have been more stable than the two major parties'.

The latest reading, from a Sept. 1-16 Gallup poll, finds 74% of Democrats, 46% of independents and 19% of Republicans trusting the government to handle international problems. Last year, after Joe Biden assumed the presidency, Republicans' trust fell 70 points to a record-low 15%, while Democrats' surged 49 points to 75%.

Republicans' and Democrats' current readings are essentially unchanged from last year, but independents' trust has increased 14 points, which is driving the overall increase.

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Partisans' trust in the government's handling of domestic issues, which also flipped last year after Biden took office, is statistically similar to the 2021 readings. Currently, 73% of Democrats, 36% of independents and 17% of Republicans express confidence in the government's ability to address national problems.

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Bottom Line

Americans' confidence in the government in Washington to handle international and domestic problems remains on the lower end of the trend, although their confidence in the federal government to deal with issues abroad has risen somewhat in the past year. Partisans' views of the government's competence in these two arenas remain politically polarized, with perspectives determined by whether their own party matches that of the sitting president.

To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.

View complete question responses and trends (PDF download).
Airbus Secure Land Communication is participating at Gitex Global this year to showcase its elite roster of mission-critical collaboration and communication technologies from October 10 to 14, 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Tactilon Agnet, a unique collaboration application, takes the lead in the line-up of Airbus solutions to be exhibited at Gitex. First responders globally utilise Tactilon Agnet for real-time sharing of information via the solutions multimedia functions, including video, mission-critical push to talk (MCPTT), voice, messaging and photo exchange.

Through Tactilon Agnet, users can collaborate in a single platform despite using different devices. Airbus will also display its solutions that complement Tactilon Agnet such as Tactilon Agnet Aviation, TACteam, a canine robot, and AMA XpertEye.

Interoperability features

Tactilon Agnet Aviation and its interoperability features make it easier for airport personnel handling ground operations to securely coordinate. With better collaboration, airports can run their operations more efficiently and deploy their resources more effectively.

TACteam is a collaborative mobile application that supports geolocation, fast detailed situational reports, operational planning, and real-time coordination as operations unfold. The application, which is compatible with smartphones, tablets and PCs, remains operational even in cases of loss of radio coverage and network outages.

A canine robot, which is integrated with Common Objects platform and Airbus Agnet, is one of the main highlights of Airbus Gitex participation. The agile mobile robot features an array of sensors such as CBRN sensors and thermal and hyperspectral cameras. Defense forces can deploy Spot for routine inspection tasks and secure data gathering and transmission.

Ama XpertEye

Last but not least is Ama XpertEye, a web-based platform that allows an operator to initiate or join an assisted reality call. Combined with smart glasses, XpertEye connects remote experts and field users. Using smart glasses, medical workers responding to an emergency can share a complete view of the situation with another specialist hands-free for a quicker and more effective resolution of the case.

This years Gitex is a global platform for us to highlight our next-generation technologies for our first responders and public safety personnel. Technologies play an important role in providing our mission-critical teams with the much-needed connectivity, which is critical to the success of any operation and emergency response. We will demonstrate our solutions made to work even during the harshest conditions and in isolated areas. In every situation, especially when they need it the most, our first responders can count on our technologies. We look forward to showcasing the power of our solutions and engaging with our fellow exhibitors and Gitex visitors from across the world, said Selim Bouri, Vice-president for Airbus SLC in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.-- TradeArabia News Service
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 10 (ANI/PRNewswire): Solitaire, a premium real estate brand has been a major contributor to this growth. Solitaire has 45 completed projects. Solitaire holds a balanced portfolio of retail, commercial, residential and mixed-use development projects. Bibvewadi is one of the most progressive localities in Pune. The ongoing real estate and upcoming infrastructure developments will surely take Bibvewadi to a whole new level. Apart from the 3000+ units of ongoing retail development, 39 lakh sq. ft. of ongoing commercial development, and 14,000 units of residential development, Solitaire also holds 460 acres of Master Development. One of Solitaire's ongoing projects is Solitaire World, the largest mixed development project in Pune that comprises a Mall, a commercial project, and a residential project, all within 13 acres. But this week, this project has been making buzz for a very different reason. This project includes full-scale amenities like no other project. One of these amenities is a spiritual zone that encompasses two temples. And Solitaire World has organised a grand Bhoomi Poojan Mahasamaroh for one of these temples. The journey of this entire event includes three segments. The journey begins with a charming pooja area where projection mapping technology is implemented to give the visitors a wholesome spiritual experience. After a person moves forward, they enter the Virtual Reality Zone where they will be able to experience this majestic project and its amenities through Virtual Reality. And then, the journey concludes with an exclusive project preview of the entire project. People from across Pune, the residents and business families of Bibvewadi, are visiting Solitaire World to experience this grand event. Solitaire is a premium real estate brand that comes from the legacy & trust of the 40-year-old Chordia Group. Solitaire has 45 completed projects covering over 2.2 million sq. ft. to its name, in which we have delivered over 1673 units. Solitaire holds a balanced portfolio of retail, commercial, residential & mixed-use development projects. Apart from the 1.8 MLN sq. ft. of ongoing retail development, 2.8 MLN sq. ft. of ongoing commercial development, and 2.2 MLN sq. ft. of the residential project, Solitaire also holds 1500 acres of Master Development & 35 MLN sq. ft. of equity investments. Solitaire has expanded to all the corners of Maharashtra and has a bold footprint in Mumbai with Sesen - Nepean Sea Road & Alta Monte - Malad East, and Palais Royal - Worli, which is the tallest tower in India & one of the top 3 tallest mixed-use development skyscrapers in Asia. One of our flagship projects, Maha Trade Market, is taking shape to be the biggest wholesale market across Maharashtra, which today has its outstation offices at Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Nasik, & Mumbai. This mega project will help traders trade across Maharashtra through Vikreta Kendras at these locations. In talks "It is a very beautiful experience, the entire event and the way it has all been organized. Being in this pooja is so satisfying that we feel as if we are absorbed in the experience, and everything around us is so charming. We loved the whole experience, and we are glad to be a part of this ceremony" - Kamal Ranka, Owner, Square Feet Estates "This project will surely become a prominent monument in the future. Previously we had purchased only one apartment here. Today we bought one more, and we are thinking of a third apartment at Solitaire World." - Kishore Jain & Family, Owner, Excellaa Group This story has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)
New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI/ATK): The bear market is a good season to lean back and gain fresh strategies for investing in tokens in preparation for the next bull run. Big Eyes Coin (BIG) is a new crypto token that has been making rounds as the next cryptocurrency to explode in 2022. Read on to get familiar with this new token and other coins pegged to outperform their rivals as we barrel through the recent crypto crash. Saving the Oceans with Big Eyes CoinBig Eyes Coin (BIG) is a cat-themed meme coin geared toward creating a tight-knit, environmentally aware community of investors. It is pushing the bounds of the utility of meme coins by allocating 5 per cent of its total supply to a charity wallet. The allocated tokens will be gradually distributed to ocean sanctuaries throughout the roadmap. The Big Eyes Coin (BIG) community will vote on the sanctuaries to receive donations. The Big Eyes Coin (BIG) roadmap includes other goals, such as media and marketing rallies to raise the project's profile and attract investors, listing BIG on various trading platforms, and producing BIG-themed merchandise accessible to only token holders. The Big Eyes Coin (BIG) project will also release high-quality NFTs that will invite investors from the NFT space into the coin market. These NFTs will give holders access to private events and other exclusive products. The Big Eyes Coin (BIG) token is gaining popularity across the crypto space as the marketing strategies are laid in place. The pre-sale is ongoing, and tokens are on sale at an extremely cheap price--an offering sure to attract more people who may have been hit hard by the recent crypto collapse. Avalanche: The Fastest Blockchain NetworkThe Avalanche (AVAX) network is one of the fastest, most secure blockchains. It is commonly used as an alternative to the Ethereum blockchain, processing about 4,500 transactions per second, compared to 15 for Ethereum (ETH). This scalable blockchain uses smart contracts to power decentralized applications (dApps) built on its network. It uses the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism to validate transactions, an eco-conscious improvement from the Proof-of-Work (PoW) protocol of Bitcoin (BTC). Avalanche (AVAX) holders agree not to trade or sell a certain amount of AVAX in exchange for the right to run validator nodes. Holders are also granted voting power on governance proposals involving the rate of coin creation, transaction fee structure, and participation incentives. The Avalanche (AVAX) network has a market capitalization of $5B at the time of writing. It ranks among the twenty most valuable tokens on CoinMarketCap. Furthermore, its token price is projected to increase as more holders stake Avalanche (AVAX) to earn rewards and secure the network. Stellar: The Best Platform for International Fiat PaymentsStellar (XLM) is a cryptocurrency that facilitates cheap transactions. Stellar (XLM), called Lumen, is used by crypto traders on the network to connect banks and payment gateways to end users for easy cross-asset transfers of value. The Stellar (XLM) blockchain runs an open-source code on a decentralized consensus protocol to decrease transaction costs and eliminate latency. A select set of trusted nodes validates transactions instead of the entire network. The platform empowers users to pay for goods and services in specific currencies, although they may have a balance in another currency. The network performs the underlying forex conversion without the user worrying about its implementation. Since its inception, the Stellar (XLM) blockchain has partnered with several notable corporations, such as Stripe and IBM. The token price has seen a progressive increase over time and is expected to keep up with that upward trend, as the network eases the process of international payments. The three tokens discussed in this article have been considered the best long-term cryptocurrency investments during the current bear market. Each project strives to reduce harm to the climate by reducing its carbon footprint, using consensus protocols that save energy, and donating to great environmental causes. However, Big Eyes Coin (BIG) is still in the pre-sale phase and has a higher chance of giving a bigger investment return due to its cheap price. So, why not join the millions of people aping into the presale and buy this hot new cryptocurrency? Follow the links below to find out more: Presale: https://buy.bigeyes.space Website: https://bigeyes.space Telegram: https://t.me/BIGEYESOFFICIAL This story has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/ATK)
New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI/Seraphim): The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects, has launched The Sound of All Human Knowledge, a global contest to find a sound logo for Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects. Submissions are open till October 10 at soundlogo.wikimedia.org. Sound logos, also known as sound trademarks or sonic logos, leverage a short collection of sounds to represent a brand in audiovisual and audio-only settings. Sound logos have gained popularity alongside the rise of audio technology globally, with the number of active voice assistant users growing from 544.1 million users in 2015 to 2.6 billion users in 2021. Wikimedia projects increasingly power other websites and general knowledge queries on voice-assisted devices. A sound logo will help ensure listeners know when they are accessing knowledge from Wikipedia or Wikimedia sites anywhere online. "As people encounter knowledge from Wikimedia projects in new ways, the Wikimedia brand needs to be present in new formats," said Zack McCune, Director of Brand at the Wikimedia Foundation. "The sound logo contest asks participants to consider, what does free knowledge sound like? We built a contest that aims to answer that question while reflecting the collective wisdom of the crowd ethos of the Wikimedia projects and movement." The contest was designed by the Wikimedia Foundation in close consultation with the Wikimedia movement, the volunteers that write and edit Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects. The contest models previous logo contests run by volunteers, including the 2003 contest that identified the earliest version of Wikipedia's puzzle globe. By inviting global participation, the contest aims to reflect the open, collaborative spirit of Wikimedia projects and the free knowledge movement. Contest submissions will be reviewed by a selection committee of seven Wikimedia volunteer contributors alongside five sound experts and a musicologist assembled by MassiveMusic. The committee will combine their expertise to narrow down submissions to ten sounds that can be easily recalled, adopted across audio settings, and reflect the Wikimedia movement's values. These ten sounds will then be open for voting to select the final winning sound beginning 29th November. "The sound logo contest builds on a tradition organizing both global photo competitions and visual logo contests in our movement and brings Wikimedia branding into a new landscape: sound," said Lodewijk Gelauff, one of the initiators of the global Wiki Loves Monuments contest and one of seven Wikimedia contributors on the contest's selection committee. "A sound logo for the Wikimedia movement is long overdue. We're excited to bring our own knowledge together with expertise in sound to finally identify, with the movement, a sound logo that represents us and connects Wikimedia knowledge across platforms." The Sound of All Human Knowledge contest supports the movement's 2030 strategic direction, and more specifically, the recommendation to Innovate in Free Knowledge. "It's a pleasure to be working so closely with Wikimedia volunteers and the Foundation on this truly unique and forward-thinking project. In a world where audio-first touchpoints are evolving - think social media, smart speakers, video streaming platforms, podcasts, apps - our common goal is to ensure Wikimedia content is represented through sound, now and in the future," said Aifric Lennon, Account Director and Research Strategist at MassiveMusic. "Music has this special power to cross borders and unite communities. We're looking forward to reviewing sonic logo submissions from all over the world and helping the Wikimedia movement for free knowledge find a unifying sound that stands for its values." Press contactpress@wikimedia.org The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA. For more information about the Sound of All Human Knowledge contest, visit: soundlogo.wikimedia.org Sound logo frequently asked questions (FAQ) This story is provided by Seraphim communications on behalf of Wikimedia Foundation. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Seraphim)
New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI/PNN): Young entrepreneur and designer Jayati Saraf, who is creating fashionable waves globally, won two prestigious honours at the World of Wearable Arts, a coveted international competition that attracts the best designers from all over the world held in Wellington, New Zealand. Jayati, who represented India at the 2022 World of Wearable Arts, participated in the competition hoping to clear the first round and showcase her designs before an international audience comprising many acclaimed and celebrated names from the fashion industry. Ultimately, her work ensured that she did not just make it to the final round but also won two prestigious awards. She has conferred the Overall International Designer Award and International Design Award: Asia at the much-sought-after competition. "I feel humbled and proud to have been able to present my work before some of the best designers from around the world. Winning the two awards is like icing on the cake. The awards will motivate me to further push my creative boundaries and come up with new and unique artistic designs," says Jayati. Jayati, who was born into a business family, was always attracted to fashion and design but was hesitant to have a career in fashion. She pursued studies in accounting and finance, but eventually her love and passion for designing outweighed her hesitation and she decided to pursue her passion as a career. She enrolled in a fashion designing course at Pearl Academy in 2018 and has not looked back since. Taking inspiration from distinctive styles and working with different materials and silhouettes, Jayati realised that the avant-garde specialisation resonated the most with her strengths and ideologies. She drew inspiration from the beauty of the natural creations surrounding her life and came up with her interpretation of the honeycomb. As Jayati maps her future as a designer, she aims to apply the knowledge she has gained and the learnings in store to take her brand MeLova to global heights. "If I have to describe my journey in one word, it would be metamorphosis. My life has completely metamorphosed since I set out on my journey as a designer. There is a lot to learn and a lot to do, but I am confident I am on the right track," she says. This story has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/PNN)
The Rupee on Monday dropped to a fresh record low against the US dollar, with an increased sell-off resulting from the good US jobs report which hints at more aggressive hikes from US Federal Reserve. The local currency declined 37 paise, to a record low of 82.67 versus the greenback. The Indian rupee had been depreciating and posting record lows from concerns over FII outflows, rising oil prices, ebbing interests from domestic investors, rising US Treasury yields and demand for the greenback. The country's forex reserves went down to $532.66 billion, the lowest since July 2020, in the week through September 30. It was $537.5 billion the week before. The interventions of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) couldn't do much to arrest the rupee's decline. Traders said that the central bank had sold dollars through state-run banks as the local currency went past the 82-mark for the first time. Growth in the US jobs market is slowing but an unexpected drop in the unemployment rate has fuelled expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue with its aggressive tightening of monetary policy, which will make investors flee from other currencies and bring more investors to the greenback. US Treasury yields advanced on Monday with the US dollar index nearing the 113 mark. Oil prices eased on Monday, after having extended their rally with a near 4 per cent jump on Friday to five-week highs. The domestic markets fell on Monday morning as Sensex fell more than 700 points during the early session. (ANI)
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said Maharashtra would become the fastest-growing state in the country, and that the state and the Centre are working hand in hand to transform the state. Speaking at the Fourth NICDC Investors' Roundtable Conference in Mumbai, the minister said the Centre and the state government were trying to keep the cost of business low so that it can be affordable for investors. He said the approval for these industries were fast-tracked and with these kinds of industrial zone, the government was trying to keep the cost of logistics low, provide single-window to do business and keep the cost as low as possible. With this kind of efforts, he added, India is aiming to reach a $30-trillion economy by 2047. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state was the growth engine of India and added that it's the manufacturing and technology hub. "It's the most preferable destination for investors. We have some incentives and packages for industries. A great ecosystem has been created at the Auric Industrial Area at Aurangabad. It is well connected through rail and road transport. Maharashtra is also known as startup capital. Out of the 100 unicorns, 25 are from Maharashtra." During the conference, State Industry Minister Uday Samant said that Maharashtra's industries ministry was working on three agendas: Ease of doing business, policy-making and infrastructure development. He also said Maharashtra would provide all support to the industrialists. The investors' roundtable conference was organised by Maharashtra Industrial Township and attended by prominent investors, Consul Generals of various countries and the state's top officials. The development of upcoming greenfield industrial cities across India, which are planned by National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, is highlighted. The official statement said in Maharashtra, four greenfield smart industrial cities were currently being developed in the districts of Aurangabad, Raigad, Satara and Nagpur. It said the conference is aimed to facilitate a meaningful discussion among stakeholders and help in identifying various collaboration opportunities for investors. (ANI)
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to visit the United States to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Sitharaman will start her official visit to the US on October 11, 2022. During her visit, Sitharaman will be attending the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governor (FMCBG) meetings, according to an official statement released by the Union Ministry of Finance. The Finance Minister will take part in bilateral meetings with several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Bhutan, New Zealand, Egypt, Germany, Mauritius, UAE, Iran and Netherlands. The Finance Minister will also hold one-on-one meetings with leaders and heads of OECD, European Commission and UNDP. In a high-level meeting, the Finance Minister will meet the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and David Malpass, President, World Bank separately to discuss issues of mutual interest. Union Finance Minister will also participate in a fireside chat on "India's Economic Prospects and Role in the World Economy" at the Brookings Institution, a prominent non-profit public policy organisation based in Washington, DC. Sitharaman will share her thoughts on India's unique Digital Public Goods (DPG) story and multiplier effects created in India through the interlinkages of 'Technology, Finance and Governance' at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), John Hopkins University during the visit. During the later part of the visit, the Union Finance Minister will attend roundtable meetings with USIBC and USISPF on themes to 'Strengthen Investment and Innovation in India-US Corridor' and "Investing in India's Digital Revolution". These meetings with leading business leaders and investors are aimed at highlighting India's policy priorities, and deliberate on measures to facilitate foreign investment by showcasing India's attractiveness as an investment destination, the finance ministry said. (ANI)
The Reserve Bank of India on Monday said it has cancelled the licence of Pune-based The Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank Ltd because of the company's earnings prospects and lack of capital. Today, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), vide order dated October 10, 2022, has cancelled the licence of "The Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra." Consequently, the bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on October 10, 2022, an official statement said. The Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank, the RBI said. The statement said RBI cancelled the licence of the bank as it does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. As such, it does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c), 22(3) (d) and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the RBI said. "The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors; the bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full; and the public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any further," it added. Consequent to the cancellation of its licence, the Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra has been prohibited from conducting the business of 'banking' which includes, among other things, acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5 (b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect. On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5,00,000 from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of DICGC Act, 1961. As per the data submitted by the bank, about 99 per cent of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from DICGC. As on September 14, 2022, DICGC has already paid Rs 152.36 crore of the total insured deposits under the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act, 1961 based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the bank, the RBI said. (ANI)
"To woo investors & present investment opportunities in #Odisha, CM @Naveen_Odisha will hold one-on-one meetings with business tycoons at the Odisha Investors' Meet in Hyderabad on Oct 17," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a tweet.

According to officials, the Chief Minister is likely to hold one-to-one meetings with several industrial captains including the Hyderabad-based investors in the daytime while a mega roadshow for the investors will be organised in the evening.

During the meeting, the focus will be given to attract more investors in IT, pharma, health care and textile sectors towards Odisha, they said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had participated in investors' meetings at Dubai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Notably, the Odisha government is going to organise the third edition of Make-in-Odisha conclave from November 30 to December 4, 2022 to showcase the diverse business-friendly ecosystem of Odisha to potential investors who could invest in the state.

--IANS bbm/uk

( 190 Words)

2022-10-10-19:58:03 (IANS)
Springway Mining was in the process of setting up a cement mill in Madhya Pradesh.

According to India Cements, out of the total consideration, a sum of Rs 373.87 crore has been received on Monday.

The balance Rs 103 crore will be received on completion of certain conditions of the Share Purchase Agreement, on or before December 31, 2022.

In June this year, India Cements had said it has acquired the entire paid-up equity and preference share capital of Springway Mining Private Ltd for Rs 182.89 crore. As a result, the company became its wholly-owned subsidiary.

--IANS vj/vd

( 141 Words)

2022-10-10-20:04:02 (IANS)
The UAE Ministry of Economy today announced the launch of a tourism hackathon titled  Tourism TechGen, to be held in partnership with Plug and Play Middle East, one of the the largest innovation enablers in the world.

Set to take place in cooperation with national universities, local tourism authorities and partners of the tourism sector, the hackathon is a training programme and competition aimed at developing innovative solutions around the tourism industry.

The hackathon  open to university students and graduates with an interest in the sector  will help participants develop and expand their knowledge of the industry, helping them understand in-depth the role tourism plays in supporting economies around the world. It will also support participants in furthering their education and entrepreneurial skills, focusing on areas such as innovation and creativity, marketing, leadership, as well as supporting the development of their own digital and technological solutions in the field.

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, stated: The UAE has made great strides towards the future of tourism through its continuous support and development of the sector  one that is vital and a key driver for promoting sustainable economic growth. Over the recent years, our nation has continued to witness strong and record levels of growth thanks to our well-established comprehensive tourism system. Were proud that the UAE maintains its regional and international leadership as a distinguished tourism destination.

He added: The tourism hackathon is part of the ministrys efforts to offer, promote, and support prospects for national hospitality and tourism management students. Projects like this one contribute towards enhancing innovation and creativity in the growing tourism sector. It also provides opportunities to showcase the favourable business environment the UAE offers to individuals and investors to pursue entrepreneurship in the sector and contribute to national economic growth.

Throughout the duration of this programme, we will work with our local and international partners to train and equip our talent of the future with knowledge and skills including the development of tourism solutions, creativity, and innovation in the sector, and how to launch and run an entrepreneurial venture. We aspire to deliver a multitude of opportunities that can help our students strengthen their contributions to and involvement in this field, in line with the vision and directives of our wise leadership, the objectives of the Principles of the 50, and the mission to further cement the UAEs position on the global tourism map.

Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said: This partnership is key to enhancing the delivery of our services in a way that keeps pace with the latest technological and digital advancements. It helps fulfill the aspirations of our clients, especially the youth, by engaging them with decision makers and entities related to community development and prosperity.

He added: By leveraging the innovative ideas of university students and fresh graduates in this years Hackathon and combining them with the Authoritys expertise, we will be able to transform these ideas into sustainable projects in the fields of travel and hospitality. The Authority further aims to develop and hone the skills of the youth and participating students by equipping them with the knowledge needed to turn their ideas into successful projects. This contributes to driving comprehensive development through the digital transformation of various vital sectors in Sharjah and the UAE. Moreover, these efforts serve the vision and directives of our wise leadership to further increase the contributions of the youth, promote innovation, and enrich the national economy by ensuring its sustainability.

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: We are extremely pleased to partner with the Tourism Hakathon. As one of the fastest growing destinations in the region, this initiative truly captures what Ras Al Khaimah is all about. Agility and being a first mover are values that are firmly entrenched in the emirate and the accelerator culture is not only encouraged but is practiced every day by budding and seasoned entrepreneurs.

He added: Working with the theme 'Vision of Tourism in 50 Years', we are able to provide outreach, support and mentorship to students and young adults who will no doubt make an indelible impact on the travel and tourism industry and will foster the next generation of talent in Ras Al Khaimah.

Saeed Amidi, CEO and Founder of Plug and Play, said: "The hackathon's primary goal is to provide a platform that supports and upskills the UAE youth while also empowering the country's tourism sector in developing innovative services that can strengthen the entire industry. Hackathons provide us with the opportunity to engage with enthusiastic young minds, who are developing solutions that have the potential to become an integral part of the tourism ecosystem. At Plug and Play Middle East, we will continually nurture and support such events that directly contribute to attracting new talent and providing smart solutions.

Local and international partners involved in the upcoming tourism hackathon include Zayed University, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways, Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Adnec Group, Miral, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), in addition to many more. -TradeArabia News Service
There's nothing better than travelling with your loved ones. On Sunday, siblings Suhana Khan and Aryan Khan were spotted jetting off from Mumbai airport. Their cousin Arjun Chibba was also there. Suhana looked radiant in white joggers and a white crop top paired with a cropped jacket. On the other hand, her Aryan opted for a grey sweatshirt and black pants. Apart from holding his luggage, Aryan also carried his guitar on his back. It's unknown where Shah Rukh Khan's children were heading. However, hours later, Aryan and Suhana's cousin Arjun dropped a picture of Dubai's skyline, hinting that they all are holidaying in the UAE. Meanwhile, on the work front, Suhana is all set to make her acting debut with Zoya Akhtar's film 'The Archies'. Based on the backdrop of the 1960s, the film also marks the debut of producer Boney Kapoor's daughter Khushi Kapoor and megastar Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda. The film will exclusively stream on Netflix. The film is the Indian adaptation of the iconic comics 'The Archies'. Produced by Tiger Baby and Graphic India, 'The Archies' is a coming-of-age story that will introduce the teenagers of Riverdale to a new generation in India. The official release date of the film is still awaited. If reports are to be believed, Aryan will be making his debut as a writer soon and that too for a web series. In 2019, Shah Rukh appeared on David Letterman's talk show, where he talked about his son Aryan's career ambitions. On 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman', Shah Rukh told the eponymous host that Aryan doesn't want to be an actor. Shah Rukh said that though his son is a 'good writer,' he doesn't have what it takes to be an actor. "He (Aryan) doesn't have what it takes to be an actor and he realises that too but he's a good writer... I think wanting to be an actor has to come from within. Something you really need to do and find a set of skills that helps you do it and learn it. But I think I realised it from him when he said that to me," Shah Rukh had said. (ANI)
The teaser courted major backlash over the looks of Saif's fierce Ravana who is shown sporting a beard and a buzz cut. Many people across the country slammed the makers for allegedly hurting their religious sentiments.

In fact, a Hindu seers body, Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, has sought the formation of a Sanatan Censor Board alleging improper depiction of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Bollywood movies.

Now, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Singh Kachariyawas has come out in support of the Hindu saints over their demand for the formation of the Sanatan Censor Board.

"I am with saints. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look at the demands of saints and give permission to formulate the Sanatan Censor Board," Pratap said.

Also, recently, a plea seeking a stay order on the film release has been moved in a Delhi court.

The plea alleged that Adipurush portrayed Lord Rama and Hanuman in an unwarranted and inaccurate way as they wear leather straps. The plea has been moved by advocate Raj Gaurav against producer Bhushan Kumar and director Om Raut.

Helmed by Om Raut, the 'Adipurush' teaser also garnered negative responses from the netizens over the "poor quality of VFX used in the film."

Now it's to see whether the film can see the light of day on January 12, 2023. (ANI)
Taking to Instagram, Shivan shared pictures of the feet of the newborns while making the announcement.

"Nayan and Me have become Amma and Appa. We are blessed with twin baby boys. All our prayers,our ancestors' blessings combined with all the good manifestations made, have come together in the form Of two blessed babies for us."

"Need all your blessings for our Uyir (life) and Ulagam (world). Life looks brighter and more beautiful. God is double great."

He also put out another post that had a line from song "Two Two Two" in his recent film, "Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal".

The director, playing on the line, wrote, "I love you Two. And I love you Three."

Shivan wed Nayanthara in a grand ceremony in June this year. The wedding was attended by a host of celebrities including superstars Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, director Mani Ratnam, actors Vijay Sethupathi, Suriya, Karthi, and Jyothika.

--IANS mani/vd

( 185 Words)

2022-10-09-22:14:03 (IANS)
Actor Shruti Seth and filmmaker Danish Aslam completed 12 years of blissful marriage on Monday. Marking the special occasion, Shruti took to Instagram and penned an adorable post for her hubby. "It's been a minute and 12 years. Here's to loving, annoying, destroying, celebrating critiquing & accepting each other through the years. (and also not killing each other in our sleep)," she quipped. Shruti and Danish got married in 2010. They are doting parents to daughter Alina. "I'm a Muslim by birth and an atheist by choice; she's a Hindu by birth and a spiritualist by evolution. These were the two most singularly unimportant facts about each other when we fell in love. She claims the first time she spoke to me was when I was shouting on the set of 'Fanaa' where I was the First AD. She took the mike from my back pocket and reminded me it was there. At which point I started shouting into the mike. Obviously, this worked as some sort of a mating call because, within a day, we were texting each other with the frequency of a person desperately pressing refresh on the CoWIN app," Danish said in one of the interviews with India Love Project while talking about his relationship with Shruti. Danish is known for directing projects like 'Break Ke Baad' and 'Flesh'. On the other hand, Shruti rose to fame with her role as Jia in 'Shararat'. She also starred in 'Fanaa', 'Bloody Brothers' and 'Rishta.Com' among others. (ANI)
Kanye West's Twitter account has been restricted by the company. Not just that, his Instagram account has also been restricted. According to Variety, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed the news. However, the reason for which his account was restricted by the micro-blogging site hasn't been specified by the company yet. Many have been linking the decision to restrict his account to his last two tweets which have been largely criticized as anti-semitic. Twitter has removed the first tweet for "violating the Twitter rules." Later, West asserted in the post that he couldn't be antisemitic and claimed that Jews had "toyed" with him. He wrote, "I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death [sic] con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE". The tweet has now been deleted. "The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda," West added. Later, he tweeted, "Who do you think created cancel culture?" This tweet is still very much on the site. A restriction was put on West's Instagram account a day earlier after the social media site deleted content from his account for violating its policies. According to Variety, a Meta spokesperson confirmed the news and added that putting temporary restrictions on posting, commenting, and messaging is standard procedure for accounts that frequently violate the policies of the social networking platform. In a now-deleted post, West, who goes under the name @kanyewest on Instagram, posted a screenshot of a message that was supposedly sent to the rapper Diddy and was denounced as anti-semitic by Jewish activist groups including the American Jewish Committee. After being restricted on Instagram, West briefly returned to Twitter in the hours that followed, seemingly criticising Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the move. This is not the first time Kanye West has faced Instagram restrictions. The rapper was taken off the platform in March for a full day. In that case, content from West's account was also deleted for violating the policies against hate speech, bullying, and harassment. (ANI)
The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two terrorists affiliated with the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in North Kashmir's Bandipora district on Sunday. The detained terrorists were identified as Ishfaq Majeed Dar alias Salahuddin, a resident of Saderkoot Bala, and Waseem Ahmad Malik alias Osama, a resident of Gundpora Rampora. "The terrorist detained under PSA namely Ishfaq Majeed Dar - alleged to be a hard-core Anti-National Element (ANE) - was in touch with terrorists in PoK and was given the task by his handlers across the border to mobilize the youth in Bandipora for recruiting them into the proscribed organization LeT", officials said. Ishfaq was further tasked to identify Police/CRPF Naka in the Hajin area of Bandipora along with coordinates for carrying terror attacks in the area. "The latter, detained under PSA namely Waseem Malik alleged to be in touch with PoK-based terrorist Hashir Parray, whose module was recently busted by Bandipora police and was establishing new associates in the area and was working on luring youth of Bandipora towards terror sympathizers and was tasked to establish terror sleeper cells in the Bandipora district", officials further said. Earlier on Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir Police foiled an attempt by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists as they recovered three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and sticky bombs from the Billawer area of Kathua district. According to the police, the recovery was made on the disclosure of a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist arrested from Kathua on October 2. SSP Kathua, RC Kotwal said, "On the interrogation and disclosure of arrested former terrorist Zakir Hussain Bhat, resident of Malad Billawer, Kathua, police has recovered the high explosive as three Sticky Bomb, three detonators, a remote control, and allied material used for explosive which was packed in a bag in a hideout." (ANI)
An official of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said that the President would flag off the Agartala-Kolkata passenger train on Thursday from the Agartala railway station.

Another Tripura government official said that during her two-day stay, Murmu would inaugurate the Judicial Academy and lay the foundation of the National Law University at Narsinghgarh, on the outskirts of Agartala.

The Tripura government would also accord a civic reception to the President, who would also virtually inaugurate and lay the foundation of many other projects in Tripura.

--IANS sc/vd

( 135 Words)

2022-10-09-21:50:02 (IANS)
The incident happened in the Tongona area of the district. The deceased was identified as Binod Moran.

Superintendent of Police, Tinsukia, Debojit Deuri told IANS that in an anti-drug operation, four peddlers were arrested around 2 p.m., but among them, Moran tried to flee.

"While the police team opened fire, Moran sustained serious injuries and was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital. But, unfortunately, he was declared dead by the doctors," he added.

Police have seized narcotic substances of around 13gm in this operation and a few other materials were also recovered, the SP said.

The body of the deceased was sent for an autopsy.

--IANS tdr/vd

( 138 Words)

2022-10-09-22:04:01 (IANS)
Hyderabad police have seized unaccounted cash of over Rs.2.49 crore and apprehended three persons, officials said on Sunday. Acting on credible information, the Commissioner's Task Force, West Zone team, along with Jubilee Hills police, intercepted one two-wheeler, near Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Jubilee Hills around 11 p.m. on Saturday, and found the two riders moving with a bag containing Rs 2,49,79,000. On enquiry, the duo disclosed that they are working under Lalith who is a hawala operator and as per his instructions, they came to Jubilee Hills and received a cash bag from Botchu Ramu. Police also took Botchu Ramu in custody and on enquiry he disclosed that as per the instructions of one of his colleagues, Pola Satyanarayana (who is now in Delhi), he received the said cash from one unknown person at Road No. 75,A Film Nagar, Jubilee Hills by showing one Rs 10 note bearing number 49B 847015. On the instructions of Satyanarayana, he had delivered the same cash to Sudhir Kumar Ishwarlal Patel and Ashok Singh. As the arrested men failed to give proper account for this huge amount of cash, Jubilee Hills police seized the same under section 102 of Criminal Procedure Code and took three into custody. Later, they were let off after issuing notice under section 41 (A) of Criminal Procedure Code. Lalith and Satyanarayana are still at large. Botchu Ramu, manager, Boyance Infrastructure Bangalore, is a resident of KPHB, Hyderabad, and a native of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. Sudhir Kumar Ishwarlal Patel hails from Gujarat and Ashok Singh from Rajasthan, and both are hawala amount transporters. A total of 1,500 notes of Rs 2,000 denomination and 43,958 notes of Rs 500 denomination were seized from the duo. The Rs 10 note used for authentication in this Hawala transaction was also seized along with two cell phones and a Suzuki Access. --IANS ms/vd ( 322 Words) 2022-10-09-22:28:03 (IANS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed hope that sooner or later, his home state Gujarat will be manufacturing planes. "Don't forget, once even cycles were not manufactured in the state," he said as he kicked off his three day tour from north Gujarat's Modhera village, where he dedicated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 3,092 crore. He also dedicated Modhera solar village, with all houses having rooftop solar facilities to meet domestic demand. He said it will be a double benefit to Modhera villagers - firstly they will be saving money on the electricity bill and the second is they will earn money as the government buys additional power from them. He reminded people that during his tenure as Chief Minister, Gujarat had made a lot of progress on development, roads, water and electrification has reached all villages, Now he and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel are playing a 'doubles game' and that will put the state on a very high growth trajectory. "Suzuki company is manufacturing cars in Gujarat, and if they want cars in Japan, they import from here, this is the change Gujarat and India has witnessed in the recent past. Now the lithium batteries will be manufactured in the state," he said. Modi said he is concerned about the future generations and so he is putting all his efforts and strength and investing in the health and education sector. He thanked farmers for extending support for the Becharaji Special Investment Region and Sujalam Sufalam irrigation project. He visited Modheswari Mata temple in Modhera and performed puja. --IANS har/d ( 280 Words) 2022-10-09-22:48:05 (IANS)
His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, has issued an Emiri Resolution appointing Mahmood Khaleel Ahmed Al Sayed Alhashmi as the Director General of the Ajman Department of Tourism Development.

Alhashmi joins the Ajman Department of Tourism Development (ADTD) to achieve the departments vision to further develop the tourism sector, attract local and foreign tourism investments to the emirate, in addition to reviving the overall tourism sector and promoting Ajman across all international forums.

Throughout his 32 years of working in the financial, economic, and media sectors, Alhashmi accomplished many notable projects and achievements for the departments and authorities he worked at.

Alhashmi recently held the position of CEO at the Ajman Media City Free Zone after being the Director General of Ajman Free Zone from 2011 until 2017, and was one of the founders of the Department of Economic Development  Ajman.

Prior to that, he held the position of Vice President at the MENA Business Development in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), in addition to holding several positions at the Central Bank of UAE between 1990 and 2008.  TradeArabia News Service
The deceased was identified as Khushi.

The fire department said that they received a call at around 7.30 p.m. that the roof of a house had collapsed in Farsh Khana area of Lahori Gate.

Initially, five fire enginees were rushed to the spot and later on more were sent.

"Five persons who were trapped in the debris were rescued and were taken to the hospital. The rescue operation is still going on," an official said.

The local police also reached the spot to assist the fire fighters.

Later on, four more persons were extricated and sent to the hospital.

"Total nine persons were admitted to LNJP Hospital. Some of the injured were identified as Amara, 45, Nilofar, 50, Mohd Imran, 40, Sukhbir, 34, Ankit, 28, Ashok, 40, and Syed Zishan, 30. All are undergoing treatment," said the official.

--IANS atk/vd

( 178 Words)

2022-10-09-23:24:03 (IANS)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 23 development projects worth about Rs 62 crore for the Kinnaur Assembly constituency, and said that the state government is working "by staying close to the poor". The Chief Minister also presided over the 'Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna ke 75 Varsh' function. While addressing the largely attended public meeting at Chholtu, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' on the completion of 75 years of India's independence to express gratitude to the freedom fighters who had made sacrifices for the cause of independence. He said that this campaign was carried out comprehensively in the whole country including Himachal. "Our state had also entered the 75th year of its formation. To acknowledge the contribution of hardworking and honest people and great leaders who had played an active role in the progress and prosperity of the state, the state government had organized the 'Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna ke 75 Varsh' function across Himachal," he said. Lauding PM Modi's leadership, the Chief Minister said that the country has withstood the testing times of COVID and also was successful in manufacturing indigenous vaccines. "Apart from this, the world's largest vaccination campaign was also successfully concluded in the country," he said. The Chief Minister said that the opposition parties were very upset over the public welfare schemes and programs of the state government and they were trying to mislead the people. "The state government had been working by staying close to the poor. Keeping in view the hardships and needs of weaker sections of society, the government had started schemes like Mukhyamantri Sahara, Himcare, Mukhyamantri Shagun with resolve to benefit the underprivileged," he said. Thakur said that fulfilling the needs and the development of this tribal district has always been the priority for his government and is working to provide a quality life to the people of the area. "The government had approved 344 cases of Forest Rights Act (FRA) which were pending since the year 2008. under the Tribal Area Development Program, a budget provision of Rs 140 crore had been made for Kinnaur district in the financial year 2022-23, which is Rs 35 crore more than the previous financial year," Thakur said. The Chief Minister also inaugurated 18 development projects worth Rs 42.15 crore on the occasion. (ANI)
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asserted that there's no division in the Congress after industrialist Gautam Adani promised massive investment in the state and alleged the opposition was misleading people on the issue. Gehlot has been battling criticism since sharing the stage with Adani during the two-day "Invest Rajasthan Summit" last week as the BJP asked him why he was accepting investments from an industrialist who Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has attacked. Gandhi has often questioned Adani's "close ties" with the BJP. "Were the 3,000 delegates from Congress? We don't make divisions on the basis of who is from the BJP and who is from Congress. Whoever brings investment, will give something to the state...it's the government's duty to give them approval," Gehlot clarified on Sunday. He also stressed that the opposition BJP would pay a heavy price for "deceiving" people on the issue. "Gautam Adani came and spoke about Rs 60,000 crore investment. That has been turned into an issue. BJP leaders are misleading people, they have to pay a heavy price for it," the chief minister added. Earlier on October 8, after the criticism, Rahul Gandhi had backed up Gehlot and clarified his stance, saying that he was against monopoly and not against any corporates. He also said that no state chief would refuse the deal offered to the Rajasthan chief minister Gehlot. "Mr Adani gave a proposal of Rs 60,000 crore to Rajasthan. No CM would refuse such a proposal. The Rajasthan chief minister didn't give any preferential treatment to Adani or use his political power to help his business," Gandhi told reporters in Karnataka, where he is leading his Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Adani Group has promised to invest Rs 65,000 crore in Rajasthan over the next 5-7 years by setting up 10,000 MW solar power capacity and creating over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs. (ANI)
For a long time, Mulayam Singh Yadav, a veteran politician who saw Uttar Pradesh go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career, remained synonymous with the politics of the state. In fact, he was so well-versed in the politics of the most populous state of India that he was fondly called "Netaji" by his admirers as well as his detractors. Born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, Mulayam Singh Yadav rose quickly in politics and became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice; he also served in the Union Government once as the Defence Minister. He was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP. As long was his political career, a similar number of controversies surrounded it. His was the story of a politician who almost became the Prime Minister of India. In 1996, when the United Front was poised to form the government, Mulayam Singh''s name was floated to lead the alliance. It was opposed by leaders, including Lalu Prasad Yadav. He again saw an opportunity in 2014 but the election results dampened the possibility forever. People close to him said that the Samajwadi patriarch nursed a grievance that he could not become the Prime Minister of India despite being the chief minister of the most-populous state three times. His career began when he was elected an MLA in 1967 at the age of 28. he founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. His son Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of the party later and is now its president. In 1990, his supporters claim, Mulayam Singh was set to arrest LK Advani when the latter''s Rath Yatra entered Uttar Pradesh. However, Lalu Prasad Yadav upstaged him by arresting the BJP patriarch in Samastipur. Both Lalu and Mulayam emerged after the JP Movement of the veteran freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan in the 1970s and later built their careers as "socialist leaders". In 1975, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi''s government imposed the Emergency, Mulayam Singh was among the politicians who were arrested and imprisoned for 19 months. While he opposed Congress during the Emergency, he supported it in 2008 for the Indo-Us nuclear deal. Often referred to as a politician whose ears were always close to the ground, Mulayam Singh''s career had been strewn with promises of building and breaking ties nonetheless. He launched his career by openly siding with Chandra Shekhar against VP Singh. He then surprised everyone by forging an alliance with his party''s arch-rival BSP. But the path-breaking alliance soon broke up amid the "guesthouse incident". While Mulayam remained critical of the BJP''s Hindutva politics, he sided with the saffron party at times. For example, Mulayam Singh Yadav surprised everyone by supporting BJP in 2002 in its bid to make APJ Abdul Kalam the President of India. Last year, a photo of Mulayam Singh Yadav with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at a function had created a flutter in political circles. Mulayam Singh passed away at the age of 82 at Gurugram''s Medanta Hospital today (October 10) due to age-related ailments. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital last Sunday after his health deteriorated. His wife, Sadhana Gupta, passed away in July this year following a lung infection. Sadhana Gupta was Mulayam Singh Yadav''s second wife. His first wife Maalti Devi passed away in 2003. Maalti Devi was the mother of Akhilesh Yadav. (ANI)
Temsula Ao, an English-language poet and scholar from Nagaland, passed away aged 77 years on Sunday night at a hospital in Dimapur.

"Saddened by the passing away of Dr. Temsula Ao, who played a pivotal role in popularising the wonderful Naga culture through her literary works. Her efforts in the fields of education and culture were noteworthy. Condolences to her family and friends. May her soul rest in peace," Prime Minister Modi said on Twitter.

Temsula Ao won several awards throughout her career, including the Sahitya Akademi Award for 'Laburnum For My Head' (Short Stories) in 2013 and the Governor's Gold Medal by the Meghalaya government in 2009.

Temsula Ao received the Padma Shri in 2007. (ANI)
President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences on the demise of veteran politician and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying his death is an "irreparable loss" to the country. "The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is an irreparable loss to the country. The achievements of Mulayam Singh Yadav ji, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary. 'Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a down-to-earth veteran leader. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!" the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted. Mulayam Singh passed away at the age of 82 at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital due to age-related ailments. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital last Sunday after his health deteriorated. He is survived by two sons, Akhilesh and Prateek. Mulayam Singh Yadav had seen Uttar Pradesh go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career and remained almost synonymous with the politics of the state. Fondly called "Netaji", he was well-versed in the politics of the most populous state of India. Born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, Mulayam Singh rose quickly in politics and became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice; he also served in the Union Government once as the Defence Minister. He was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP. His career began when he was elected MLA in 1967 at the age of 28. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. His son Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of the party later and is now its president. (ANI)
Mohit Arora, 32, was attacked when he was returning home in Manas Kunj in Uttam Nagar from his shop on a two-wheeler around 12.30 am, they said, adding that one of the assailants opened fire at Arora leaving him gravely injured.

Arora was rushed to an area hospital but was declared brought dead by doctors, an official said.

"Police reached the spot after a call was received and a case has been registered against the unidentified accused," the official said.

Delhi Police have formed teams to nab the accused and further investigation is underway.

Recently, two persons, aged 18, were arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with a murder in Jahangirpuri. The accused, identified as Noni and Sachin, had allegedly stabbed a person in the chest in the same area.

Another person was killed during a firing incident in Raju Park in the Devli area in South Delhi. (ANI)
Among the series of high-profile drug busts by security agencies in India, the recent seizure of 200kg of 'high-quality heroin' by the Indian Navy stands out for its signature link to Pakistan-based networks. The large-scale drug bust traces its origins to a Pakistani drug syndicate operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Indian intelligence agencies have been closely monitoring the activities of the Pakistan-based transnational narcotics trafficking syndicate 'Haji Sali' drug syndicate. According to sources, intelligence agencies had received inputs on September 2022 of an Iranian vessel working in the Indian Ocean region on behalf of the Pakistani network. Based on the leads, the Indian Navy intercepted the Iranian vessel on September 29 approximately 500 nautical miles South West of Male, the capital of Maldives, and recovered 200kgs of 'high-quality' heroin. In the bust, six Iranian crew members were also apprehended. The seizure was a culmination of meticulous tracking of the Iranian vessel and timely sharing of intelligence inputs with the Indian Navy, who intercepted the boat as it was on its way to collect its drug consignment. This recent seizure is another example of an uptick in cross-border drug smuggling by Pakistani drug syndicates. On October 8, Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and Indian Coast Guard seized heroin worth Rs 350 crore from a Pakistani boat off the coast of Gujarat. "It was found that a big drug lord based in Pakistan, Mohammad Kadar, had sent the consignment here. The transaction was going to take place on the high seas," said Gujarat DGP Ashish Bhatia. In 2022, according to sources in the security establishment a total of 1335 kg of heroin have been seized in joint operations by Indian and Sri Lankan authorities in seven successful counter-narcotics operations on the high seas. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was one of the first politicians to reach Medanta Hospital in Haryana's Gurugram where Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away on Monday. Laying a wreath on the mortal remains of the veteran leader, Shah expressed condolences to Mulayam's family members, including son and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. "Mulayam Singh Yadav ji remained active in politics for decades with his unique political skills. During the Emergency, he raised his voice for the restoration of democracy. He will always be remembered as a grassroots leader. His death marks the end of an era in Indian politics," Shah tweeted in Hindi. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed pain on the demise of veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav and said that he played a "prominent role" in Uttar Pradesh politics for decades. Singh will go to Saifai in UP's Etawah to attend the last rites of former UP CM Tuesday. Saifai is the birthplace of Mulayam Singh, who was born on November 22, 1939. The veteran Samajwadi Party leader passed away while undergoing treatment at the Medanta Hospital at 8:16 am. Mulayam's condition had been "quite critical" for the past few weeks and the Samajwadi Party patriarch was on life-saving drugs. Confirming the news of his father's demise, Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, "Mere adarniya pitaji aur sabke netaji nahi rahe - Akhilesh Yadav." Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of the 82-year-old leader and recollected his relationship with the veteran leader from the other side of the political spectrum. "Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr Lohia," PM Modi wrote on Twitter. President Droupadi Murmu also expressed grief on the demise of the Samajwadi Party patriarch and said that his death is an "irreparable loss" to the country. "The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is an irreparable loss to the country. The achievements of Mulayam Singh Yadav ji, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary. 'Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a down-to-earth veteran leader. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!" the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted. Mulayam Singh served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice and has also served in the Union Government as the Minister of Defence. He was elected 10 times as MLA and seven times as Lok Sabha MP. (ANI)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed condolences on the death of Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday and said that the latter's death is an irreparable loss to the nation. "His death is an irreparable loss to the nation. He was a great socialist leader. He was also the Defense Minister of the country. He was one of the effective voices fighting for the rights of the poor," Kumar tweeted. In another tweet, Kumar said he had a personal attachment with the SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. "His important contribution to the development of Uttar Pradesh and the country will always be remembered. We had a personal attachment to him. His death deeply saddens me. May God rest his soul and give strength to his family to bear patience," the Bihar CM added. Meanwhile, the Bihar governmnet declared one-day state mourning on Monday on the death of former UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away at a Gurugram Hospital on Monday aged 82. The SP leader was in critical condition for the past few days. Tejashwi Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar also expressed his grief over Yadav's demises. "I express my deepest condolences and condolences on the passing away of a respected leader, SP Patron Shri Mulayam Singh Ji. He was an efficient administrator, eminent socialist and popular politician. His death has caused an irreparable loss in the political and social sphere of the country," Tejashwi Yadav tweeted. Talking to reporters, Tejashwi Yadav said that he had a personal relationship with the SP founder. "I had gone to Medanta Hospital along with my father Lalu Prasad Yadav Ji to meet Mulayam Singh Yadav. The news of his demise is extremely saddening for all of us. It is a great loss for the country. We have a familiar relationship with Netaji and his family," he said. Mulayam Singh Yadav was born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, and rose quickly in politics to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice. He was so well-versed in the politics of the state that he was fondly called "Netaji". Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a three-day state mourning and said the veteran leader's last rites would be conducted with full state honours. For a long time, the veteran SP leader politician had remained synonymous with the politics of the state. He saw UP go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career. The last rite of the leader will be conducted in his ancestral village. After stepping into politics at the age of 28, he first became an MLA in 1967. When former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency in 1975, Yadav went to jail with other leaders. He also served in the Union Government once as the Defence Minister.Mulayam Singh was elected 10 times as an MLA and seven times as Lok Sabha MP. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. To form the government in Uttar Pradesh, he joined hands with Mayawati's BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), the BJP or the Congress whenever he needed to. He was affiliated with a series of parties during his long career - Ram Manohar Lohia's Sanyukt Socialist Party. He was also associated with Charan Singh's Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Bharatiya Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party. Later, he founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on the plea seeking direction or declaration to declare that "all forms of unilateral extra-judicial Talaq including Talaq-e-Kinaya and Talaq-e- Bain" is void and unconstitutional. A bench of Justices S Abdul S Nazeer issued a notice to the Centre and tagged it along with a similar plea. During the hearing, Justice Nazeer said, "This is very unfortunate. I was shocked on reading about it." Justice JB Pardiwala asked where are they getting such terminologies. Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay appearing for the petitioner told the bench that such talaqs are new things and no other country practised this. The PIL also sought direction to the Centre to frame guidelines for "gender neutral religion neutral uniform grounds of divorce and uniform procedure of divorce for all citizens". The petitioner, Syeda Ambreen, a doctor by profession from Karnataka said she was married to her husband as per Muslim rites on October 22, 2020, and after the marriage, her husband and his family members tortured her physically-mentally for dowry. When Petitioner's father refused to give dowry, her husband, also a doctor, gave her Talaq-E-Kinaya/Talaq-E-Bain through a Qazi and lawyer, which is totally against Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25, plea stated. In January 2022, a letter was sent from the Qazi office where her husband made some vague allegations against her and stated that due to all these conditions it is not possible to continue this matrimonial relationship. Talaq-e-kinaya/Talaq-e-bain (an instantaneous and irrevocable and extra-judicial form of talaq, in a single sitting, either pronounced or in written/electronic form) was given to her by her husband, she claimed. There was continuous pressure from in-laws and Qazi to take 'Khula or further Talaq-e-Hasan' notices would be sent monthly basis, and not a single mediation between husband and wife was attempted by Qazi and instant, irrevocable and unconstitutional Talaq practice was entertained bypassing Madhya Pradesh High Court by January 2022 guidelines stating "Qazi can just act as a mediator to settle disputes but can't adjudicate them and pass orders like a decree", stated the plea. Talaq-E-Kinaya and Talaq-E-Bain are arbitrary irrational and not only contrary to Articles 14, 15, 21, and 25 of the Constitution of India but also totally against the international conventions on civil rights and human rights, it added. Hence, the petitioner is challenging the constitutional validity of Talaq-E-Kinaya and Talaq-E-Bain and also seeking direction to the Centre to frame "gender neutral religion neutral uniform grounds of divorce and uniform procedure of divorce for all citizens". (ANI)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao expressed grief over the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying the veteran politician worked for the welfare of the poor all his life. Conveying his deepest condolences to Mulayam Singh's son Akhilesh Yadav and family members, Rao said the Samajwadi party founder was a secularist who came into politics with the inspiration of great leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia and Raj Narayan, according to an official statement. The Telangana CM added that Mulayam Singh worked for the welfare of the poor and weaker sections throughout his life. Janata Dal (Secular) national president H D Devegowda also condoled Mulayam Singh's death. "I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my long-time colleague and friend Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav. My condolences to his family and followers. He was deeply committed to secular and socialist political traditions. Will miss him very much," he tweeted. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, too, expressed grief. He said "netaji" has played an important role in national politics and was revered by marginalised sections and minorities. According to an official statement, Jagan Reddy conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members. TDP leader and former Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu called Mulayam Singh a "gentleman" and added the SP chief was an "OBC stalwart". "Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji. I lost a dear brother today. Over 4 decades, I have had the fortune of spending plenty of time with the OBC stalwart who always impressed me with his charm, humility & deep understanding of Indian politics," tweeted Naidu. "A rare gentleman, he was polite, and quietly went about achieving his socialist goals that transformed the lives of millions, becoming a much-loved mass leader in the journey. Deepest condolences to Yadav Akhilesh Ji, his family and the people of Uttar Pradesh. Om Shanthi," he added. Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away at a Gurugram Hospital on Monday aged 82. The SP leader was in critical condition for the past few days. Born on November 22, 1939, he was one of the most prominent leaders of Uttar Pradesh who served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice and has also served in the Union Government as the Minister of Defence. (ANI)
Villagers of the flood-affected areas in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur are facing problems after a flash flood hit parts of the district due to incessant heavy rainfall in the area. "The water level continued to be above danger level", officials said on Monday. Over 200 villages in the Balrampur district were affected in the flood due to which that forced vehicles to stand in long queues at the National Highway-730. The flood situation has led to water reaching a height of three feet on the NH-730. After this, the district administration stopped movement of vehicles leading to long queues of trucks and other vehicles on the highway. More than 200 villages have been affected by the flood so far affecting thousands of people. The name of the affected villages includes Jagtapur, Panditpurva, Jhovahna, Kalandarpur, Gangapur, Kodari, Lalpur, Phagunia, Jogiya Kalan, Lal Nagar, Durgapur, and Sherpur. According to officials, "Rapti river is flowing 130 cm above the danger level. A team of NDRF has been called for the flood victims, which is engaged in taking the flood victims to safe places. District magistrate (DM) Mahendra Kumar told ANI that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been called to Balrampur for the relief work. He also appealed to the people not to wait for the water to rise further and reach the shelter camps as early as possible. "The water level of the flood is rising. Boats have been deployed in flood-affected areas", he added. As per reports, around 80,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed by the floods so far. Upon this, electricity loss has further worsened the condition of affected people. Thousands of people stand affected by the floods and are forced to sit on the roofs of their houses. They have also contacted the district administration for food and other help. Not just the rural areas, the flood has also entered the urban areas. It has led to the submergence of many neighbourhoods in water. Many colonies like the Civil Line in the One India Mall and Shyam Bihar colony have also got submerged in water. In the Balrampur-Bahraich Marg, water has risen to two feet, after which many of the residents are compelled to use boats for moving the items from their shops. The administration informed that in another incident, two young people were washed away by the floods while crossing the deep in the Lalia area. Former Minister SP Yadav's residence Jharkhandi Mandir has also got submerged in water. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Palturam has also instructed the district administration to be on a war footing regarding the relief work. (ANI)
American tech giant Apple, within the next couple of years, is preparing to adopt USB-C charging across its line of AirPods and Mac accessories. According to The Verge, a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggest this shift of the company from its lightning cables. It comes as the European Union looks to mandate USB-C charging on new smartphones, tablets, and headphones released in the region in late 2024. While the legislation still hasn't yet been signed into law, it received approval from the European Parliament last week. Gurman believes that in order to comply with the rules Apple might bring USB-C to the next-gen AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods by 2024. Meanwhile Mac accessories, including the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad could make the switch to USB-C as soon as next year. With a refresh for the new iMac and Mac Pro due next year, their release typically "coincides with accessory updates," reported The Verge. Gurman says "it's a safe bet that those accessories will move to USB-C in their next incarnation." He similarly believes Apple will swap over its AirPods before the EU's legislation goes into effect. Earlier this year, a report from Gurman suggested that Apple has already started testing USB-C charging on its iPhones, but they probably would not land on devices until 2023 "at the earliest." Gurman reiterates this belief in this most recent Power On newsletter, once again adding that he thinks Apple will add a USB-C charging port to the iPhone 15, as well as to the entry-level iPad expected to release by the end of this year. As per The Verge, even if Apple does make the transition to using USB-C, Gurman expects its presence on Apple devices to be short-lived as according to him Apple will eventually bring inductive charging to the iPhone and iPad to get around the legislation, as it doesn't apply to devices that don't support wired charging. (ANI)
The Delhi Police filed a case against the organizers of an event on Monday for holding a Virat Hindu Sabha at the Ramlila Maidan, GTB Nagar the previous day without getting permission from the authorities. The organizers on Sunday held a Virat Hindu Sabha under Vishwa Hindu Parishad's banner in the Ramlila Maidan of GTB Nagar in the wake of the killing of a 25-year-old man in the Sunder Nagri area of Delhi. "The organizers of the Virat Hindu Sabha event were not given a green signal to organize such an event in the Ramlila Maidan", the officials confirmed. The 25-year-old identified as Manish was allegedly murdered by stabbing on Saturday evening in the Sunder Nagri area. This incident was captured on CCTV. A case for murder and other relevant sections were lodged at Nand Nagri police station. The accused were arrested and produced before the court on Sunday. Later, the police arrested the accused and produced them before the court on October 2.A Delhi court granted Delhi police one-day custody of the six accused by for interrogation in connection with the alleged murder of a youth Manish in the Sunder Nagri area of North East Delhi. Duty Magistrate Ajeet Narayan of Karkardooma Court sent Bilal, Faizan, Alam, Sajid, Mohsin, and Shakir to one-day police custody in a case of the alleged murder of Manish.The investigation officer submitted that Sajid is the brother of the accused Mohsin. He met Mohsin in jail. Thereafter, he prepared Faizan, Bilal, and Alam and provided them weapons to commit crime. The trio allegedly committed the crime of killing Manish. Delhi Police interrogation is underway and further information is awaited. The Delhi Police has also registered a case against the the organizers of the event under section 188 IPC for organizing a Virat Hindu Sabha without permission. (ANI)
The political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference (NC) leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah on Monday condoled the demise of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mulayam Singh passed away at the age of 82 at a Gurugram Hospital on Monday at 8.16 am due to prolonged illness. His condition was critical for the past few weeks and he was on life-saving drugs. For a long time, the veteran politician had remained synonymous with the politics of the state. He saw UP go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career. Expressing grief over the death of veteran leader, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said, "Mulayam Singh Yadav was a secular leader who protected and empowered the backward classes and Muslim minorities. He refused to surrender to communal forces. We should learn lessons from his life and firmly stand up to communal forces," said PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti. Emerging as a socialist leader, Mulayam Singh soon established himself as an OBC stalwart, capturing a swathe of political space vacated by the Congress. He took oath as the 15th CM of Uttar Pradesh in 1989, which marked the year when the Congress was voted out, failing to return to power in the state ever since. Meanwhile, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said that Mulayam Singh was a "people's leader", who devoted his entire life to the welfare of the poor. "He used to respect all religions and fight for all religions. There's no person in India who would not be grieved on this day," Farooq Abdullah expressed before ANI. Vice president of JKNC Omar Abdullah took to Twitter and conveyed "heartfelt condolences" to Mulayam Singh's son Akhilesh Yadav and the family and said that the personality of 'Neta ji' was towering. https://twitter.com/OmarAbdullah/status/1579327735759278080 "I join my father & all my colleagues in conveying our heartfelt condolences to @yadavakhilesh& his entire family. Neta ji was a towering personality & his contribution to UP & the rest of the country will not be forgotten. May his soul rest in peace," Omar Abdullah's tweet read. Mulayam Singh Yadav was born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, and rose quickly in politics to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice. He was so well-versed in the politics of the state that he was fondly called "Netaji". His body has been taken to his ancestral village Saifai, where the final rites will be attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, and Telangana CM KCR on Tuesday. Mulayam Singh was elected 10 times as an MLA and seven times as Lok Sabha MP. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government on a plea seeking to appoint a central agency or a counter-terrorist agency to investigate the issues relating to the extra-judicial killings in the state. A bench of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Justice S Ravindra Bhat asked the UP Government to file a status report on the plea filed by advocate Anoop Prakash Awasthi. Advocate Anoop Prakash Awasthi, who was appearing as petitioner-in-person apprised the court about an incident related to the Chitrakoot killings. In his plea, advocate Awasthi sought for appointing a Central Agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Counter Terrorist agency like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the supervision of the top court to investigate the issues relating to the killings of three under trial jail inmates happened in the Chitrakoot jail, in Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district on July 14, 2021. He also sought to fix accountability and take appropriate action against whosoever may be found responsible. The petition also sought the appointment of a Central Agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Counter Terrorist agency like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the supervision of the top Court to investigate all the extra-judicial killings that have taken place after March 18, 2017, in the state of Uttar Pradesh till date. The petition asked to seek investigation with special terms of reference as to how many of such extra-judicial killings were done under the direct orders of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and take appropriate action if so found any culpability. "In a mature, civilized, democratic, rule of law based county like India, history of violence should be remembered, not repeated but in the State of Uttar Pradesh, a battle of Agincourt is being fought in its jails were the police, ('an organized band of criminals' as Hon'ble Justice A. N. Mulla said a half-century ago) the under the direct orders of the top of the administration is summerly executing the prisoners on frivolous excuses like snatching of pistol or firing by the dead, defying conscience, constitution, fundamental rights, human rights and this culture of violence promoted in the state of UP militates against the basic notion of very rule of law where violence has become a collective enterprise to portray the authority of government and obscure its failures," the petition said. "The biggest worry qua the extra-judicial killings if gone unchecked is that the life of any citizen can be taken anytime by the state agencies. Any enmity or private dispute or quest of settling private score may lead to the filing of a few criminal cases in some police station against the undesired person, branding him a dreaded criminal within days, to be taken into custody as under trial, and fellow may be eliminated by being shot anytime anywhere by the police/law enforcement authorities on any false pretext like an attempt of snatching a rifle or pistol of fellow police personnel during transportation or even inside the jail," the petition further said. The petitioner said that this Public Interest Litigation is being moved for seeking an independent inquiry under the aegis of this Court through the agency of the best serving officer of CBI or NIA into the latest killings that happened in the Chitrakoot Jail of Uttar Pradesh. The petitioner submitted subject incident of killing in jail or encounters is not the only stray incident and highlighted various incidents like Munna Bajrangi was shot dead in almost similar dramatic manner inside the Bagpat Jail of Uttar Pradesh and the Vikas Dubey encounter. "There have been several hundred encounters with hundreds of killing in the state of Uttar Pradesh since 2017 till date which is not only alarming but equally disturbing," the petition said. (ANI)
A Delhi Court recently dismissed the bail plea of a fugitive accused who is facing extradition proceedings in an alleged rape case at a London pub in 2017, noting that the accused was evading the inquiry even after direction by the High Court. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Nabeela Wali of Patiala House Court dismissed the bail plea of Jose Inacio Cota noting that he was evading the inquiry despite having knowledge of the extradition inquiry and court proceedings pertaining thereto. The court said, "It is pertinent to mention that the FC (fugitive criminal) was arrested on September 19, 2022, and was subsequently produced before this court. He has failed to appear on his own before this court despite giving many opportunities." "Thus, in view of the above, the conduct of FC and also considering the fact that the allegations levelled against him are serious in nature and he has been apprehended after almost more than a year after initiation of present processing, as such, this court is not inclined to enlarge him on bail at this stage," the court noted in the order of October 7. The accused has moved a plea for regular bail through advocate Arpit Batra. It was argued that the applicant was interviewed by UK Authorities and was allowed to go without any bond or restraining order. It was also argued that the applicant stayed in the UK before leaving for India on June 5, 2017. There is material to make out a case of rape against him. The applicant is an accused in a rape case lodged in London in May 2017. The petitioner had sought the quashing of extradition proceedings. The petition was dismissed by the Delhi High Court. It was submitted that the extradition proceedings were liable to be quashed inasmuch as they have been initiated without due compliance with the Extradition Treaty between India and the United Kingdom (UK). On the other hand, Rekha Pandey, Special Public Prosecutor for the central government submitted that the petitioner has not chosen to appear before the Extraditing Court. This case pertains to the alleged rape at Two Rivers Pub in London on May 28, 2017. On the request of the UK government, the extradition proceedings were initiated in 2021 pending before the Patiala House Court, New Delhi. (ANI)
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for politicising Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Sitab Diara on the birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Sitab Diara on the birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan on October 11 and would later address a public meeting on the occasion. Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that Shah's visit clearly shows how much importance he is giving to Bihar, even after the break-up of the alliance, he is constantly going to meet the people of Bihar and apart from this the Union Home Minister said that he would come to Bihar every month and just last month he had visited Seemanchal and his meeting was very successful. Sushil Kumar Modi took a jibe at CM Nitish Kumar saying that he has been politicising the visit adding, "Nitish Kumar went to Sitab Diara on the death anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan on October 8 whereas it is a known fact that all government programs happen the birth anniversary of Narayan". He further added that Nitish Kumar declared October 8 as a state holiday. Senior BJP leader Sushil Modi lambasted Nitish Kumar for creating a competitive environment, "Nitish Kumar created a kind of competition environment since Amit Shah is going to Seemanchal on 11th to pay homage on the birth anniversary of JP Jayaprakash, then on his death anniversary, 2 days prior, he went to Sitab Diara and gave a speech. He did all this by laying the foundation stone so that he would get credit", Sushil Modi added. He further added that JP Jayaprakash Narayan had a dream that a new Bihar would be created in which corruption would be eradicated. But Nitish Kumar went with those who were convicted on corruption charges and have been to jail and against whom the CBI is filing a chargesheet, Nitish Kumar has stood in support of them. He reiterated BJP's dream of a corruption-free Bihar and said that the slogan was corruption-free Bihar and said that Nitish Kumar did the exact opposite by supporting the corrupt people. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be addressing a public gathering in Bihar on Tuesday, which will be the second such public event being organised in the state's bordering area within a span of one month after the JD(U) snapped its ties with the BJP, sources informed ANI. As per the sources, the Home Minister will also unveil the statue of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, the Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader, in the Sitab Diara area located on the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border on the occasion of his 120th birth anniversary. Sitab Diara is the ancestral village of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, located on the UP-Bihar border. After unveiling the statue of Jayaprakash Narayan, the Home Minister will address the public gathering around 12 noon on Tuesday in the Sitab Diara area in Bihar's Saran district.This would be Shah's second visit to Bihar in three weeks. In August this year, the JD(U) snapped its ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form government in the state. Shah had addressed a 'Jan Bhavna Mahasabha' and chaired the BJP State Core Committee meeting in his two-day visit to Bihar's bordering Purnia and Kishanganj regions on September 23-24. Purnia is among one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar. He also held later held a meeting with MPs, MLAs and former ministers of Bihar BJP in Kishanganj city in Bihar during the visit.Shah's second visit to Bihar in such a short period is significant as it is learnt that it is part of poll preparedness for the party gunning for big wins at the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Shah's last month's visit covered the Seemanchal area of north Bihar which consists of four districts namely Purnia, Kishanganj, Katihar and Araria. The last month's visit was aimed to influence the success of the political party's candidates in both Assembly and General elections. All four districts share their border with West Bengal and Bangladesh, and in all four districts, the Muslim population is in a sizeable number. The BJP leader has claimed that a large number of immigrants have infiltrated and settled there to change the demography. The four districts represent 24 Assembly seats and four Parliamentary seats. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, both BJP and JD(U) fought elections together as allies. While BJP won just one seat in Araria, JD(U) was victorious on two seats of Purnia and Katihar, while the Kishanganj seat went to the Congress party. However, political experts said that the political trend of the Seemanchal area "influences the electoral course of other adjoining districts like Supaul, Bhagalpur, Madhubani and Darbhanga as well". (ANI)
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Monday condemned the vilification of Justice DY Chandrachud of the Supreme Court. In a statement, SCBA said that, "Executive Committee of Supreme Court Bar Association unanimously resolves to strongly condemn the vilification of Dr Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Judge, Supreme Court of India, to malign his image, while he is being considered for an important assignment of the Chief Justice of India." "The complaint appears to be prima facie false and is deliberately made at the time when he is being considered for such appointment, especially when the facts narrated in the complaint are 11 months old. The person making the said complaint has a very low credibility and is in a habit of making reckless allegations against the important Constitutional functionaries in the past also," SCBA said. The Executive Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Associaton strongly deprecated such an attempt and said, "In our view, this complaint should not be given any credence by any authority and stringent action should be taken against this unscrupulous person." As per the established practice of the Chief Justice naming the senior-most judge as his or her successor, Justice DY Chandrachud is expected to be appointed as the 50th Chief Justice of India. Justice DY Chandrachud, who is the current second senior most judge of the Supreme Court, is expected to be the next Chief Justice of India. The Central government last week has asked Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit to name his successor as he retires on November 8. As per the Memorandum of procedure of appointment of Chief Justice of India and Supreme Court Judges on Friday, the Minister of Law and Justice has written to the Chief Justice of India for sending his recommendations for the appointment of his successor. There is only a month to go for the retirement of Justice Lalit, who had been sworn in as the Chief Justice of India on August 27 by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeded Justice NV Ramana, who retired on August 26, 2022. Justice Ramana had recommended Justice Lalit as his successor in keeping with convention and norms of seniority. The President subsequently confirmed Justice Lalit's appointment as the new CJI. (ANI)
Former Aam Aadmi Party Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who denounced Hindu gods at an event, was on Monday ordered by the Delhi Police to appear for questioning. According to police officials, Rajendra has been ordered to appear for questioning on Tuesday. Earlier on Sunday, Gautam resigned from the council of ministers, following his denouncing of Hindu gods. Gautam converted to Buddhism in a religious conversion event in which he allegedly denounced Hindu deities. Taking to Twitter, Gautam announced his resignation and said, "Today I have been freed from many shackles, and been born again. Now I will continue to fight for rights and atrocities on the society more firmly without any restrictions." Speaking to ANI, Gautam said that he has submitted his resignation to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who has given him a lot of respect. "Such issue has been created out of oaths that are repeated by several crore people of country. BJP has made it an issue, and is trying to insult me and my party," he said. The Delhi Social Welfare Minister's resignation come after facing criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the ruling government in the state of hurting religious sentiments and demanded that the party remove the legislator from his position. Earlier on Wednesday, the AAP minister had attended Ashoka Vijaya Dashami celebrations at Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan, where 10,000 people were supposed to embrace Buddhism. A video of the event went viral in which a monk, sharing the dais with Gautam, administered an oath to the gathered Hindus: "I will have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, nor will I worship them as God. I will have no faith in Rama or Krishna, nor will I worship them. I will have no faith in Gauri, Ganapati and other Hindu Gods, nor will I worship them." (ANI)
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar expressed grief over the death of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and expressed condolences for the departed soul on Monday. "It's an unfortunate incident, my condolences to his family and well-wishers. We are deeply saddened by his death", the Haryana CM said. Earlier on October 5, Haryana CM had met former UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav at Medanta Hospital and enquired about his health. Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda expressed grief at the demise of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday. Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away at 82 at a Gurugram Hospital on Monday at 8.16 am. For a long time, the veteran politician had remained synonymous with the state's politics. He saw UP go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career. Expressing grief, BJP National President said, "Veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav is no more among us. He always used to work for the people and was very popular among the public. I express my deepest condolences to his family and supporters". Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Medanta Hospital in Haryana's Gurugram where Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away. Laying a wreath on the mortal remains of the veteran leader, Shah expressed condolences to Mulayam's family members, including son and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. "Mulayam Singh Yadav ji remained active in politics for decades with his unique political skills. During the Emergency, he raised his voice for the restoration of democracy. He will always be remembered as a grassroots leader. His death marks the end of an era in Indian politics," Shah tweeted in Hindi. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed pain on veteran politician Mulayam Singh Yadav's demise and said he played a "prominent role" in Uttar Pradesh politics for decades. Singh will go to Saifai in UP's Etawah to attend the last rites of the former UP CM Tuesday.Saifai is the birthplace of Mulayam Singh, who was born on November 22, 1939. Confirming the news of his father's demise, Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, "Mere adarniya pitaji aur sabke netaji nahi rahe - Akhilesh Yadav." Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of the 82-year-old leader and recollected his relationship with the veteran leader from the other side of the political spectrum. "Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr Lohia," PM Modi wrote on Twitter. President Droupadi Murmu also expressed grief on the demise of the Samajwadi Party patriarch and said that his death is an "irreparable loss" to the country. "The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is an irreparable loss to the country. The achievements of Mulayam Singh Yadav ji, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary. 'Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a down-to-earth veteran leader. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!" the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted. Mulayam Singh served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice and has also served in the Union Government as the Minister of Defence. He was elected 10 times as MLA and seven times as Lok Sabha MP. (ANI)
According to GSM Arena, this information comes from a reliable tipster Digital Chat Station.

They also stated the screen will be 6.1" with Full HD+ resolution, which is essentially the same as the previous vanilla flagship, meaning Samsung managed to fit a bigger cell in the relatively small body.

The leakster claimed charging would again be rather disappointing at 25W, though. This matches an earlier leak from Chinese Compulsory Certification (3C).

GSM Arena has reported that information on specs and features of the upcoming Galaxy S23 line-up is still scarce, but a new design and new chipsets are expected.

The S23 Ultra is rumoured to have a similar design and dimensions as the S22 Ultra, though the camera is expected to see a 200MP sensor update.

Meanwhile, it's expected that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will power the flagship. Recent reports suggested that Samsung will use Qualcomm chips on all its new lineup's variants, though there's a possibility that some units will be equipped with Samsung Exynos chipsets, as per GSM Arena. (ANI)
Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mussarat Islam on Monday finalized the arrangements for the visit of the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs to the district, here at a meeting of the officers of district administration. The Union Minister is scheduled to visit Ramban under the public outreach programme on Tuesday.Among others, Chief Planning Officer, Kasturi Lal; ACR, Gias-ul-Haq; Dy. DEO, Lal Chand; GM, DIC, Ravinder Anand; ACP, Swarn Singh; ACD, Ashok Singh; CHO, CAO, CAHO, DSHO, AD, FCS&CA, Executive Engineer of Jal Shakti and several other officers attended the meeting, said a press release. The Deputy Commissioner briefed the meeting about the tour programme of the visiting minister and the arrangements to be made by the concerned departments, added the statement. The DC enjoined upon the officers of all the departments to work in a coordinated manner and ensure all necessary arrangements are made well in advance for the tour of the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, John Barla. The Rural Development Department was asked to make all preparations for the meeting of PRI members and the public with the Union Minister. Pertinent to mention that as part of the centre's special public outreach programme, the Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Government of India is scheduled to visit Ramban district tomorrow October 11, during which the Minister will inaugurate Amrit Sarovar, lay foundation stones under Jal Jeevan Mission, distribute financial assistance to beneficiaries under Government Sponsored Schemes of different sectors besides interacting with the public, the administration and members of Panchayati Raj Institutions and address the developmental issues. Concerned officers were directed to ensure all necessary arrangements were already assigned to them. The Rural Development Department was asked to make all preparations for the meeting of PRI members and the public with Union Ministers. (ANI)
The Supreme Court Judge, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on Monday recused from hearing St Stephen's College's plea against the Delhi High Court order, as he has himself been alumnus of the college. The plea was filed by St. Stephen's College against the Delhi High Court order which directed the college to follow the policies laid down by Delhi University for admission in 2022-2023. "One of us (Hon. Sanjay Kishan Kaul, J.) has been an alumni of the College and given the current environment, it would be difficult for this Court to take up the matter which raises a Constitutional issue," said an order copy passed by a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka. Thereafter the top court directed the matter to be listed before a Bench of which one of it (Hon. Sanjay Kishan Kaul, J.) is not a Member and directed it to place the matters before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders urgently. Meanwhile Solicitor General stated that no precipitative action would be taken till the matters come up for hearing. St Stephen's College has challenged Delhi High Court dated September 12, whereby it was directed to follow policies laid down by the Delhi University for admission in 2022-2023. The HC had also directed St Stephen's college to withdraw its admission prospectus issued for this academic year. The HC bench directed the college administration to issue a fresh prospectus giving 100 per cent weightage to the CUET 2022 score for admission to students belonging to the non-minority category applying to the undergraduate courses for 2022-2023. The HC bench passed judgement on petitions concerning the issue of admission procedure at St Stephen's College of Delhi for its unreserved seats category in undergraduate courses for the academic session 2022-23. Previously, the college gave 85 per cent weightage to Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score and 15 per cent to interviews, which is contrary to the new admission process announced by Delhi University. The Delhi High Court was examining two petitions. One was moved by Stephen's College challenging the order of Delhi University to grant admission in undergraduate courses through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and to withdraw the prospectus issued by the college. The second plea was moved by Monika Poddar, a law student, through a PIL challenging the college's decision to continue with interviews for admission to its general seats.The High Court on August 30, 2022, had kept the order reserved in that matter after the conclusion of the submissions by all parties. The Court while keeping the order reserved on Stephen's college petition also reserved the order on the PIL of the student, who had challenged the decision of St Stephen's college to conduct an interview round for admission to the unreserved category for the academic session 2022-23. Both matters were heard by the bench together. Recently in an affidavit filed in the matters, Delhi University stated that the National Educational Policy recommends holding Common University Entrance Test (CUET) has to be uniformly accepted by St Stephen's College. Delhi University further stated that the Law is well settled that aided "Minority Educational Institutions cannot admit students under the Unreserved Category as per its own whims and fancies." Meanwhile, Delhi University has also supported the petition of students and said that the college could not be allowed to bring "subjectivity bias and discrimination" through the conduct of interviews for students belonging to non-minority communities. The petitioner college has challenged the DU order to withdraw the prospectus issued by it and to grant admission through CUET. It is stated by the petitioner that they are conducting interviews of students seeking admission to the college. This practice has been there for so many years and it was allowed. The PIL of the student had challenged the decision of St. Stephen's college to conduct an interview round for admission to the unreserved category for the academic session 2022-23. The petition filed through Advocate Akash Vajpai stated that taking interviews where the award of marks is left to the subjective satisfaction of the selection committee gives ample room for discrimination and manipulation. The PIL stated that DU policy specifically says that admission in the general category seats in its minority colleges like St Stephen's will be done only on the basis of marks obtained in CUET while in admission on reserved seats those colleges can give 15 per cent weightage to the interview and 85 per cent weightage to the CUET score at the time of admission. It is sought that admission should be granted according to the DU's recommendations. (ANI)
Former Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray has said that the name given to their group by the Election Commission for next month's bypoll in the state has Balasaheb Thackeray in it and they will take the 'Mashaal' symbol given by the poll panel to every home. Talking to the media, Aaditya Thackeray lauded the work done by his father Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister before he stepped down following a split in Shiv Sena. "The new symbol, new name 'ShivSena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)' -we're extremely proud of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. He has worked as a Chief Minister, saving thousands of lives in Maharashtra. We have been a truthful honest govt, working for the people," Aaditya Thackeray said. "Everyone knows how he has worked. It also has the name of Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray in it. Most importantly, the 'Mashaal' (flaming torch) is something we will take with pride to every home," he added. Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena also released a poster with the new symbol and the new party's name. Election Commission of India on Monday allotted 'ShivSena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)' as the party name to the Udhhav faction and the flaming torch as its election symbol ahead of Nov 3 bypoll in Andheri East. The poll panel declined to allot 'Trishul', 'Rising Sun' and 'Gada' as symbols as they are "not in the list of free symbols". It asked the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena to furnish a list of three fresh symbols by October 11 and declared the 'flaming torch' as the symbol of candidates of the Thackeray faction in the current by-election and till the final order is passed in the current dispute. The poll panel had earlier barred the group led by former Maharastra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and State Chief Minster Eknath Shinde from using the symbol "Bow and Arrow, reserved for "Shiv Sena, in the upcoming Andheri East bye-election on November 3. (ANI)
A 12-year-old boy died in Mahavir Medical Science Institute (MMSI) in Bihar's Nalanda district on Monday; the family members of the deceased claim that the death happened due to the negligence of doctors and medical staff. The intern doctors also broke the windshield of a car where the family members kept the body of the deceased. The 12-year-old boy, identified as Golden Kumar, had fallen from a bicycle on Sunday evening and sustained injuries on his hip. He was admitted in MMSI's emergency ward located in Pawapuri. "The doctors gave preliminary treatment. The temperature of his body went low at night. It may be possible that the doctors wrongly diagnosed him. I repeatedly requested doctors and staff nurses to look after him and provide adequate treatment but none of the medical staff came at night. The doctors were present in the chamber but they scolded me and other relatives. My grandson succumbed on Monday morning," said Gyan Bahadur Singh, grandfather of the deceased. Hearing of the death of Golden, a large number of villagers assembled in the hospital and were involved in heated exchange of words with the medical staff. The intern doctors present in the hospital violently reacted to the villagers and launched assaults on them. "They locked the main door of the hospital and brutally assaulted us. We managed to take away the dead body of my grandson and put it inside the car. But the intern doctor also attacked it and broke the windshield. We somehow escaped from the hospital without conducting the postmortem," Singh said. The hospital administration, however, claimed that the villagers went inside the room of the medical superintendent and misbehaved with him. The intern doctors retaliated after the misbehaviour of villagers. --IANS ajk/kvd ( 304 Words) 2022-10-10-19:52:05 (IANS)
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday made a scathing attack on Rajasthan government questioning its silence on the rising incidents of communal frenzy being reported in the state. "The way communal frenzy is spreading in the state and no action is being taken against the fanatics, it is clear that the Gehlot government is indirectly giving shelter to such people. The law and order situation in the state is deteriorating day by day. Crimes against women are increasing and the government is playing 'Kissa Kursi Ka'," he said. While interacting with the media, Shekhawat said that 'Sar Tan Se Juda' slogans were raised in the Chief Minister's home turf that is in Jodhpur. If such slogans are raised in the home district of CM, who is also the Home Minister, and if no action is seen, then the public will definitely be forced to live in the shadow of fear," he said. On occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi on Sunday, a procession was taken out in Pipad town of district Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in which 'Sar Tan Se Juda' slogans were raised. On the allegations of misuse of agencies like ED and CBI, Union Minister said that I want to thank the honourable CM that at least this time, he did not blame the Central agencies and the BJP when 'Kissa Kursi Ka' is going on in Rajasthan. Speaking on CM statement that Jai Shah, Ambani will be welcomed if they come with investment, Shekhawat said that when these people go to some other state and work, they are accused of being fed by Central government, but when the same entrepreneurs invest in Rajasthan, a red carpet is laid in front of them. This is a dual mindset, he added. "In such conditions, Congress government is claiming to repeat however, they have no base ready for them to repeat their government. No announcement has been implemented on grounds. Congress MLAs are questioning their own govt's Chiranjeevi scheme. Just by giving a good budget and praising it doesn't work," he said. Speaking on Eastern Rajasthan Canal Projects (ERCP), Shekhawat said, "The Gehlot government is spreading confusion on it. Despite repeated requests, Gehlot is conspiring to complicate this project by not working in accordance with the set norms of the Government of India. The government is misleading people of these 13 districts for their political gains. They claim to complete this project on their own, which they will never be able to do." Shekhawat said, "Madhya Pradesh has been continuously objecting to it. The day it goes to court, this project will stop. Later, Gehlot will walk away by saying 'the matter is in court'. Their only objective, if any, regarding ERCP is how to get political mileage out of it?" --IANS arc/uk ( 477 Words) 2022-10-10-20:24:01 (IANS)
Congress leader and ex-MP Mallu Ravi on Monday stated that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo yatra will bring back the Constitution and democracy in the country. Mallu Ravi spoke to ANI and stated that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is to bring back the rule of law as per the Constitution and democracy. Both are under threat under the BJP-led NDA government at the cCentre and the TRS government in Telangana. "There is no freedom of speech and freedom of questioning the government. Rahul Gandhi raised this issue in Parliament, as there is no change in the attitude of the central government and TRS government hence Rahul Gandhi started Bharat Jodo Yatra," Mallu Ravi said. "Rahul Gandhi's yatra is completed in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and now entered Karnataka and on 23 morning he will enter Telangana at Krishna bridge. After a two-day break again he will start the yatra from Oct 26," he further said. According to the Congress, the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is being held to combat the divisive politics of the BJP-led Centre and to awaken the people of the country to the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation and political centralisation. Notably, all the party MPs, leaders and workers along with Rahul Gandhi are staying in containers. Sleeping beds, toilets and ACs are also installed in some of the containers. The arrangements have been made keeping in view the intense heat and humidity with the change of places. The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI)
Amid reports of fresh and intensified attacks against multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine on Monday issued an advisory warning Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel. The alert has come as several blasts hit the centre of Kyiv on Monday smashing civilian targets, including downtown Kyiv. In view of the current escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine. They must strictly follow the safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian Government and local authorities, the advisory said. "Indian nationals are requested to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the Embassy to reach out to them, where required," it said. As per reports, Russia on Monday unleashed strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities in which at least 10 civilians died and nearly 60 were injured. Meanwhile, India has said it is deeply concerned over the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and called for "immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue". Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a statement, said: "India is deeply concerned over the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians. "We reiterate that escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and the urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation." "India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states," Bagchi said. --IANS kvm/vd ( 302 Words) 2022-10-10-21:24:05 (IANS)
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal-S (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday came down heavily on the Central government, saying the ruling BJP is "conspiring to make Bharat a Hindistan by imposing Hindi language". Kumaraswamy has slammed that the report submitted by the Parliamentary Committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to President Droupadi Murmu. Reacting to the report -- which recommends making Hindi a compulsory medium of instruction -- the JD-S leader said "it will ensure destruction of federalism in the country". "The Union government is enacting a fake drama to control the whole of India through a hidden agenda. After reading the recommendations, I was shocked," he said. "With the mindset of a dictator, it is being conspired to make India Hindistan by trampling Kannada and regional languages. The recommendations of the report have potential to break the federal structure into pieces," the former Chief Minister said. "Amit Shah has an agenda of destroying federal structure through his policy of one nation, one language and one religion. India will not agree to the dominance of one language. This might lead to the breaking of the country," he added. He said the "Central government should take back the report and uphold the objectives of the constitution". "The people who speak non-Hindi languages are more in numbers in this nation. Knowing this fact well, the BJP is imposing Hindi. This is a conspiracy," he said, adding: "The Union government has come forward to finish off regional languages like Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia and others. "All states, especially southern states must protest this and get united to fight. BJP in Karnataka only talks Kannada at the outset, but it is imposing Hindi language in the state. BJP can't be trusted with protection of regional languages," he stated. "If Hindi is imposed on India just because BJP has got a majority, India is going to suffer in the name of language. Bharat does not stand for Hindu and Hindi. It belongs to all," Kumaraswamy added. --IANS mka/pgh ( 350 Words) 2022-10-10-21:40:05 (IANS)
The Kerala High Court on Monday ordered that no further summons be issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to former state Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and two officials of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) for two months. The court passed this order on petitions filed by Isaac and the KIIFB. "Although the enquiry by the ED is not liable to be interdicted, there is no justification for petitioners to be repeatedly summoned by the officers of the ED," it said. The plea moved by the KIIFB challenged the repeated issuance of summons by the ED to KIIFB officers, including CEO K.M. Abraham, in connection with alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) when it issued 'Masala Bonds'. The petition by Isaac challenged the summons issued by the ED seeking his personal documents as well as those of his family members in connection with the same probe. Pointing out that the ED hasn't mentioned what contravention of FEMA it is probing in the summonses, the petitioners contended that the probe is nothing but a fishing expedition. Further they argued that the request for personal documents of the officers and their family members at this preliminary stage of investigation, is a violation of their right to privacy. The KIIFB, in particular, argued that the probe is adversely affecting its ability to raise funds which are necessary for infrastructure projects in the state. The ED said that the investigation is at a preliminary stage and that the issuance of summons is perfectly legitimate as per the FEMA Act. It was also stated that the probe was initiated on the basis of complaints regarding FEMA violations in the issuance of masala bonds by the KIIFB. --IANS sg/vd ( 302 Words) 2022-10-10-21:56:02 (IANS)
Sources in Congress said the party leaders are upbeat about the grand old party's prospect in the upcoming assembly elections.

Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi has joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra recently in Mandya district of Karnataka.

The Congress had come to power in 2013 assembly elections after holding a massive convention in Ballary against the mining mafia and then ruling BJP government.

The Congress managed to garner a simple majority in the elections and Siddaramaiah went on to become the Chief Minister.

The Congress leaders believe if Priyanka Gandhi joins padayatra in Ballary district and addresses the convention there, it would help boosting the party's chances in the central as well as the northern Karnataka region.

'Bharat Jodo Yatra' will cover a total distance of 511 km across 21 days in Karnataka covering eight districts. The only public rally in the state as part of the yatra will be organised in Ballary.

The party is trying to bring in over lakh people for the rally.

Party insiders say that Rahul Gandhi was keen on including Ballary in the route of Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The yatra is scheduled to reach Ballary on October 19.

The convention is organised on the next day.

Ballary is also special to Gandhi family as it had given a major boost to Sonia Gandhi's political career when she contested from here against BJP's late former union minister Sushma Swaraj.

--IANS mka/pgh

( 285 Words)

2022-10-10-22:24:03 (IANS)
Chinese ambassador to US Qin Gang on Sunday thanked Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait which has witnessed heightened tensions in the recent past. "I would like to thank @elonmusk for his call for peace across the Taiwan Strait and his idea about establishing a special administrative zone for Taiwan. Actually, peaceful reunification and One Country, Two Systems are our basic principles for resolving the Taiwan question and the best approach to realizing national reunification," Qin Gang tweeted. "Provided that China's sovereignty, security and development interests are guaranteed, after reunification Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region, and a vast space for development," he said in another tweet. This comes after Musk suggested that Taiwan could be made a special administrative zone of China. This proposal, which came a few days after he proposed a solution for Russia-Ukraine war, was met with backlash both from China and the self-governing island. Musk's comment not only infringes national sovereignty but also harms democracy, Taiwan News quoted Democratic Progressive Party Spokesperson Huang Tsai-lin as saying on Saturday. Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that "the Taiwan issue is China's domestic politics." She added that China will "resolutely suppress interference by foreign forces." In a Friday interview with the Financial Times, the world's richest man admitted to being a fan of China. He recommended figuring out "a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable" and "more lenient than Hong Kong." The statement did not go down well with people in Taiwan, with politicians from major political parties issuing statements denouncing Musk's remarks, Taiwan News reported. Most parties agreed that Musk is largely driven by the business interests and stakes he has in China and therefore holds a subjective view of cross-strait issues. (ANI)
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Monday paid homage to the leader of the Indian independence movement Mahatma Gandhi and American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr in Atlanta, the capital of the US State of Georgia. In a tweet, Muraleedharan wrote, "Paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi ji and Martin Luther King Jr at Martin Luther King Jr Centre, Atlanta." Muraleedharan hailed the two "great icons" for their message of "universal peace and goodwill " and said that it will continue to inspire every generation. The MoS also held prayers at Sikh Education Welfare and Association in Rosewell city and GurudwaraSahib in Norcross, Atlanta on the holy occasion of Prakash Purab of Shri Guru Ram Das Ji. "Deeply motivated by the noble teachings of Sikh gurus, who keep inspiring us to strive for the development of the nation and for global harmony," he tweeted. Earlier, Minister Muraleedharan, who is on his official visit to the United States, interacted with the Indian community in Atlanta and invited them to attend the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas next year. "Happy to interact with the vibrant & dynamic Indian community in Atlanta. Glad to listen to their success stories and thanked them for being a vital bridge between India & USA. Appreciated their feedback. Invited them to attend 17th PBD in Indore from January 8-10, 2023," he tweeted. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community to the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India's freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Meanwhile, during the 5th-anniversary commemoration of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund in New York on October 8, Muraleedharan said that India has prioritised cooperation over conflict, coexistence over convictions, sharing over receiving and plurality over hegemony. "In the past five years, the fund and the footprint of its activities have grown by leaps and bounds. Today, India and the UN in their collective collaborative efforts through these funds are setting new benchmarks for South-South cooperation. India has prioritised cooperation over conflict, coexistence over convictions, sharing over receiving, plurality over hegemony," he said. He also said that fund reflects India's philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or The World is One Family. At the UNSC debate over peace and security in Africa, the MoS highlighted that a violence-free Africa is necessary to prevent external forces including terrorists exploiting the resource-rich region. Those "guilty of aiding and supporting terrorism" in different parts of Africa and simultaneously exploiting the resources must be held accountable by the international community, he added. (ANI)
With the 20th National Congress less than a week away, Chinese President Xi Jinping has briefed top Communist Party leaders on a draft work report, which usually summarizes the major achievements of the party, media reports said. The plenary session of the Communist Party's central committee was briefed by Xi on the draft work report, which will be presented to the National Congress, media reports said. The work report presented by the Central Committee general secretary to the party congress usually summarizes the major achievements of the party in the span of the past five years. It further maps the country's development direction in the coming years, reported Caixin Global citing state media. During the meeting of the Central Committee, of which Xi is the general secretary, Wang Huning, the Standing Committee member of the CPC, talked about a draft amendment to the Communist Party constitution. This comes as the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party is set to begin on October 16. The meeting will elect a new Central Committee, which will act as the party's top decision-making body until 2027, the media portal added. On October 9, the seventh plenary session of the 19th Central Committee opened, which is expected to run for around four days. The state media report on the opening of the plenary session was rather short with only four lines of text of the above-mentioned information and it is expected that there will be a longer report when the plenary session ends. Many Twitter accounts have uploaded videos of the deserted airport in Beijing, showing that travel is severely restricted in and out of Beijing until the 20th Party congress is completed. In the run-up to the 20th National Congress, scheduled for October 16-18, the Chinese authorities are making every effort to throttle the voice of critics of the government policies, a media report said. The posts of Lao Dongyan, a Criminal Law Professor at Tsinghua University, have been deleted from the Chinese social media platform, Weibo, The Hong Kong Post reported. She usually posts about the unsparing in criticizing the Chinese government on Covid-19 restrictions, widespread use of facial recognition technology and collecting data and personal information to monitor specific identities and social relations anytime, everywhere. In order to curb the negative feedback from the Chinese government, Lao's post has been wiped out. This is not the first incident that has taken place in China, earlier, Sima Nan, a Chinese commentator known for his opposition to pseudoscience and fraud in Qigong, a type of moving meditation, was banned since August from every social media platform. Similarly, the posts of He Weifang, a law professor at Peking University, have been censored multiple times. He is also a strong critic of Chinese policies, reported The Hong Kong Post. Earlier, to secure his third term in power, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrested the former Chinese public service employees taking bribes and even the analyst believed that this will help to consolidate his authority over the party. On September 23, a Chinese court sentenced the former Vice Minister of public security, accused of taking over 646 million yuan in bribes, to death. The former Vice Minister, Sun Lijun has been stripped of all his political rights and all his personal property was confiscated, according to Global Times. Xi has steadily consolidated power, reducing space for dissent and opposition since becoming party general secretary a decade ago. Xi's style to silence rivals in the past has been well prominent. Earlier, he purged many of his internal factional rivals through an anti-corruption campaign and subsequently by so-called "party rectification campaigns". During his second term, Xi established his authority by centralizing the decision-making structure of the Chinese system away from state institutions and into a number of small leading groups and committees, nearly all of which are staffed by his close supporters and chaired by him, according to The Hong Kong Post. Incidentally, at the end of his anticipated third term, President Xi would become the second longest-serving head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after Mao Zedong, who was in control of various positions for 33 years and 174 days. Xi would also surpass the tenure of Jiang Zemin who led the CCP as General Secretary for 13 years and 145 days during the period 1989-2002. Interestingly, the expected third term would provide Xi with an opportunity to further stamp his authority on the party, military, and government with the intent of creating an enduring legacy. (ANI)
Amid reports of multiple explosions across Ukraine including in its capital city Kyiv on Monday morning, the country''s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to "destroy" Ukrainians and wipe them "off the face of the earth", local media reported. At least five people were killed in the attacks on Kyiv and authorities in the cities of Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk also reported missile and rocket attacks, CNN reported. Local media also reported explosions from Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Dnipro and Ternopil. Kyiv Independent quoted advisor to Ukraine''s Interior Minister, Rostyslav Smirnov stating that the attack on central Kyiv has killed eight people while injuring 24 persons. As of around 8:45 am, six cars caught fire and over 15 cars were damaged as a result of the attack on Kyiv''s Shevchenkivskyi district. This recent attack comes in the backdrop of the recent attacks on the Crimea bridge that reportedly killed three people and Russia''s weekend attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia that killed residents as they slept in their homes and injured at least 70 people. Monday''s blasts were the first major attacks on the capital Kyiv since June. Video footage circulating on social media showed cars ablaze in the middle of a downtown street in Kyiv, reported Washington Post. On Saturday a truck exploded on Kerch bridge, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. This led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge, according to media reports. Shortly afterwards, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on enhancing security measures for the Crimea bridge. In the decree, Putin also called for securing the energy bridge and the gas pipeline connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia. Media reports said that Putin plans to hold an operational meeting of his Security Council today. The bridge was opened in 2018 by Putin, four years after Moscow annexed Crimea and was designed to link the peninsula to Russia''s transport network. The 19-kilometre bridge, which runs across the Kerch Strait and connects Crimea with mainland Russia, consists of a railway and vehicle sections. It became fully operational in 2020. On Saturday, at least 17 people were killed and 40 others injured after a rocket struck Ukraine''s Zaporizhzhia area. Acting Mayor of Zaporizhzhia Anatoly Kurtev said that in the attack, five houses were destroyed and apartment buildings were damaged, CNN reported. (ANI)
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday stated that there is "no room for compromise" over the sovereignty of the island nation and warned China that resorting to war must not be the option for cross-strait relations. Tsai Ing-Wen made the remarks in a speech marking Taiwan's National Day, also called Double Ten Day today. "The consensus of the Taiwanese people ... is to defend our sovereignty and our free and democratic way of life. There is no room for compromise on this," President Ing-wen said during her national day speech, reported CNN. "I call on the Beijing authorities that resorting to war must not be the option for cross-strait relations," Tsai said and added, "Only by respecting Taiwanese people's insistence on sovereignty, freedom and democracy can we resume positive interactions across Taiwan Strait." Amid heightened tensions after the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Taiwanese president noted, "The international community is very clear that defending Taiwan's security equals defending regional stability and democratic values. If Taiwan's democratic freedoms are destroyed, it will be a major setback for democracies around the world." Today's festivities were attended by international guests including the President of Palau - one of 14 countries that have full diplomatic relations with Taiwan. US congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Democrat from Texas, was also in attendance, reported CNN. The Taiwanese President drew a parallel to the Russia-Ukraine conflict "Russia continues its war against Ukraine, while China's military activity in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. We absolutely cannot ignore the challenge that these military expansions pose to the free and democratic world order. These developments are inextricably connected with Taiwan," Tsai Ing-wen said as quoted by Focus Taiwan , which published a full text of her National Day speech . Earlier, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen had pledged Taiwan's resolve to engage with the world to counter "a resurgence of authoritarianism," despite Beijing's threats. Taiwan has been facing repeated incursions from China's military, especially after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi' visit. Live-fire missile tests, large-scale military manoeuvres all along China's coast, warplanes crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, and civilian drones flying over Taiwan-held islands close to China have all become more commonplace since Pelosi's trip. The tensions between China and Taiwan heightened after the visit of US lawmakers to the self-governed island. The visit by Pelosi became the highest-ranking US official to touch down on the island in 25 years, was cited by Beijing as the trigger for several days of large-scale military exercises in which China fired missiles over Taiwan and several Chinese warplanes breached Taiwan's air defence identification zone. Ever since the visit of the US delegation, Beijing launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island, which included live-fire drills and military aircraft overflights close to Taiwan's airspace. Post Pelosi's visit, a US delegation, then Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and then US Senator Marsha Blackburn also visited Taiwan, which irked China. All of this is also coming in the backdrop of China's 20th National Party Congress where Chinese President Xi Jinping is eyeing to secure a third term in power. (ANI)
China's most important political event of 2022, and indeed of the coming five years, will kick off on October 16 when the 20th National Congress of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its 90 million members convenes. Undoubtedly, Chairman Xi Jinping will extend his term in power for another five years. He will either be re-elected as general secretary of the CCP, or will be newly elected as chairman of the CCP, a title that has lain dormant since 1982 and was once the highest position ever held by Mao Zedong. The congress is taking place at one of the most perilous periods in international affairs in recent years. A war is raging in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin attempts to burnish his credentials as a great Russian leader, and China remains a staunch supporter of this would-be tsar. At the same time, Taiwan Strait tensions are at their highest in decades, as China attempts to pummel Taipei into acquiescence. Add to this economic malaise, diplomatic tensions with the USA, and the after-effects of a global pandemic and China's own paranoid efforts to stamp out COVID-19, and all the ingredients for a brewing storm are present. Xi, a subject of intense hero worship and a state-sanctioned personality cult, will pretend that all is serene in his government. As he sits unperturbedly atop the CCP pile, he will doubtlessly install more of his acolytes and proteges into top offices to carry out his divine wishes over the coming five years and beyond. Yes, indeed, the 20th National Congress is a mightily important event not only for China but for the whole world. Analyzing this important political event, the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institute in the USA held a discussion about the congress on October 4. It was aptly entitled, "Will China's strongman become even stronger?" Cheng Li, Director of the John L. Thornton China Center and a Senior Fellow at Brookings pointed out that no important leakage of information has occurred prior to the 20th National Congress. He said it was rare that the world really has no idea of who will be in the next Politburo Standing Committee - including no rumours put out by opposing factions - so this shows a high degree of discipline and unity. Of the 2,296 delegates, some 80 per cent have their biographies online. Li added that there is no credible political or leadership challenge to Xi and, while some unexpected promotions might occur, there will not be major surprises at the congress. The academic said this all shows that "Xi Jinping, from his perspective, is in charge". Li highlighted another important aspect. "[In his] special first term, Xi Jinping ruled the country largely through the working ways of his political allies. Now, for the next term, he will rule the country largely by a team of his proteges, the leaders promoted by him. Now, of course, we know the difference between allies and proteges, so that make him strong." Li also pointed out that, though Xi comes in for a lot of criticism overseas, he still remains immensely popular at home. He listed three reasons for this: the "elimination" of poverty, with 800 million Chinese lifted out of poverty in the past 40 or so years; green development, with less pollution; and reform in the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Regarding the latter, the Brookings representative said this included moving away from the old Soviet model emphasizing ground forces, to one of PLA joint forces; that Xi has taken firm control of the services and operational theatres; and the promotion of new leaders loyal to himself. In a sense, Xi saved the CCP from collapse ten years ago, as it was rocked with schisms, scandals and corruption. Li explained: "College students, ten years ago - based on my observation - very few of them were interested in joining the Chinese Communist Party. What's the point, they go to business, they go abroad, etc? But ten years later, there's a huge percentage in China's elite schools...a high percentage joined the Chinese Communist Party. This does not necessarily mean they believe in communism, but at least they find that the communist party will be with them for a long time. So that's my read." Given all this, Xi may well feel he has the political capital to wisely spend at the upcoming CCP gala. Not all Chinese citizens are enamoured with Xi, however. It is not black and white, because such ones are also proud of what China has achieved in recent years. Li explained: "I do realize that some criticism, some resentment can occur so quickly. But at the same time, these people also want to step into it, want China's rise on the global stage and they're also probably more critical about some US policies towards China, and certainly, they are nationalistic about Taiwan. So it's a complicated spectrum. I mean, you can be liberal on certain issues, areas, but you can [also] be conservative on measures of sentiment, etc." In terms of its COVID-19 response, China is wavering between overconfidence and excessive fear. It does not have the world's best vaccine, but it has achieved a creditable low infection rate, primarily because of enforcing Draconian lockdowns. There are glimpses of changes in this policy though, for already it uses the term "dynamic zero tolerance" instead of just plain "zero tolerance". The Chief Advisor of Public Health also said China probably should treat COVID-19 as the regular flu. Nonetheless, China will be one of the last countries to open up to the rest of the world but, when it does, it will probably be with a sharp rebound as businesses clamour for greater freedom. Whichever way it happens, China will declare victory and will trumpet the superiority of its socialist model. Turning to the political realm, Xi has managed to squeeze most opponents out of places of power. That means he is popular in the top rungs of the party hierarchy, many of whom are now his loyal subjects, though Cheng Li speculated that in the few years after the congress, a new faction might emerge even from among his own proteges. However, Xi himself will be aware of this threat and will remain on guard. The Central Committee will have a serious shake-up of its 376 members next week, with probably two-thirds of them set to change. While this is a high percentage, it is not unprecedented, because Xi has already changed a lot of the Central Committee through purges and his anti-corruption campaign. As for the 25-member Politburo, probably 15 of its 25 members will be newcomers, according to Li's predictions. He suspected that a number of them - perhaps seven or eight - might be intellectual/technology types, such as scientists or university presidents, a new breed of technocrats. This also reflects Xi's emphasis on technology and civil-military fusion. The Politburo Standing Committee, with currently just seven members, will also see serious changes with perhaps four new faces; these are likely to be of a younger generation. Nonetheless, Li said that Xi faces the challenge of not causing tensions and resentment with his choices of who to replace. An important question is will Xi rule indefinitely? Li offered his thoughts: "Well, this will be his third term. It's unclear whether he will have a fourth term or not. The political establishment already endorsed a third term. Xi Jinping can probably plan for the fourth term, but it all depends on the next five years; it's not a given. But I do not abide by the argument that Xi Jinping plans to stay there forever." Li was 90 per cent confident that Xi would not name a successor at this time, simply because it is still too early. Xi may therefore deliberately make it ambiguous by bringing several new younger leaders into the Politburo Standing Committee so as to not make any successor line obvious. On the other hand, Xi cannot put off naming a successor indefinitely. "So, they delay the process for a while, but not too long. [If it's] too long, I think there will be some pressure on him." Premier Li Keqiang is definitely stepping down, and Li listed four candidates that might replace him. Each successive premier has always been a vice-premier, so this is where they will presumably emanate from this time around too. The four candidates for premier are Han Zheng, Hu Chunhua (who was a protege of Hu Jintao), Liu He and Wang Yang. Whichever one is chosen, it will send a message about Xi's policy considerations, whether he is continuing current policy emphases (e.g. Zheng), unity of leadership (e.g. Hu, since he is from a different faction) or international appeal (e.g. Liu, who might help improve relations with the USA). Pushed for an answer as to who is most likely to succeed Li Keqiang, the Brookings expert said perhaps either of the first two, though it remains an unknown. The largest challenge for China after Taiwan is possibly the Russia-Ukraine war. This issue has garnered a lot of attention from Chinese intellectual elites, social media commentators and entrepreneurs. It is especially interesting given that, in recent decades, it is the USA that has been China's most important foreign engagement partner. But now some feel that Russia and Putin have hijacked China's foreign policy. Remember that Russia is a declining power while China is an emerging one, so in some respects, it is odd that Beijing has hitched its wagon to align with Putin's priorities. China is careful not to call Russia an ally, preferring the term "partner". This is so that it does not unnecessarily cause offence to the European Union, which is a huge trading bloc for China. Chinese leaders have never condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, even though there is no direct advantage for Beijing in supporting the war. Li said, "Most importantly, Chinese leaders feel that they do not want to see Russia fatally defeated by NATO and the United States. Why? Because if that happened, the next one will be you, China." So, behind the facade of unity, strength, resolve and wisdom, there is a bevvy of challenges and threats facing Xi, the CCP and China. The 20th National Congress will demonstrate to a large extent what tack China will take in the coming five years. (ANI)
Months after Russia's Aeroflot suspended its commercial flights to Colombo over a legal row, it resumed services between Colombo and Moscow on Monday, media reports said. The Aeroflot flight landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday, the Daily Mirror reported. Among those who were present to welcome the flight crew and passengers were government officials, Minister of Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, and Tourism Authority officials, it added. On June 4, Russia's Aeroflot suspended its commercial flights to Colombo after Sri Lankan authorities detained its Airbus A330 jet. "Aeroflot is suspending commercial flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka) for the immediate period due to an unreliable situation in terms of the airline's unobstructed flights to Sri Lanka. The sales of tickets for flights to Colombo have been temporarily shut down," the statement noted. Sri Lanka's Airport and Aviation Services had issued a statement in which it stated that the flight to Moscow, which was scheduled to take off on June 2, has been restrained due to the absence of a permit from Sri Lanka's aviation authorities. According to the release, the Commercial High Court had noted that the dispute between Aeroflot-Russian Airlines and Celestial Aviation Trading Limited was purely a matter of a commercial nature which should be dealt with between the said two parties and no involvement of the state was emphasised. The Russian Foreign Ministry had also said it had summoned Ambassador of Sri Lanka Janitha Abeywickrama Liyanage and had protested in connection with the detention of an Aeroflot plane at the Bandaranaike airport, Daily Mirror reported. (ANI)
The Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, Nasrullah Baloch has said that the number of enforced disappearance cases has increased in Pakistan. Raising concern over the issue, Nasrullah Baloch said that the number of forced missing cases has increased in Balochistan and at the same time the killing of missing persons in fake encounters is going on, reported Pakistan vernacular media, Intekhab Daily. He also said that Blochs are being targeted for violence and brutality in Iran. "Many Balochs are killed in Iran. Even women are forcefully being disappeared like men. We condemn them all," said the chairman. According to several reports, innocent Balochs are killed in fake encounters and their mutilated bodies are found in remote places. An annual report of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, an organisation that documents human rights violations in the province, has said that students remain the main target of these kidnappings both in Balochistan and in other regions of Pakistan. In July, Pakistani security forces forcibly abducted 45 persons including 10 students. Fifteen people were released later while the whereabouts of 35 people remain unknown. July witnessed an increase in the cases of killings as compared to the previous months. Human Rights Council of Balochistan documented 48 cases of killings, including five women while fourteen bodies remained unidentified. Recently, the Iranian government closed the Gabd-Rimdan border with Pakistan following deadly clashes between Iran's security forces and its Baloch people in Zahedan, the capital of Iran's Sistan and Balochistan Province, media reports said. According to Amnesty International, at least 82 persons were killed in clashes.Protests in Zahedan populated by the Baloch ethnic minority took place after Friday prayers on September 30 as a show of solidarity with nationwide protests and to demand accountability for the reported rape of a 15-year-old girl by a police commander in the province. (ANI)
India on Monday raised concern over the escalation of conflict in Ukraine after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. "India is deeply concerned at the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilian," read the Ministry of External Affairs release. In what appears to be the heaviest wave of missile and rocket attacks since the opening week of the war, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were rocked by deadly Russian strikes on Monday. Officials said they targeted critical energy infrastructure and several regions of Ukraine are now suffering power outages. India urged both Russia and Ukraine for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. "We reiterate escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue," read MEA release. India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. The release further added that India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned of "harsh" reprisals after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. In a television appearance Monday, Putin said Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast. Putin threatened further "harsh" responses that correspond "to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it," while accusing Kyiv of "terrorism." Meanwhile, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kerch bridge, a key link between the Russian mainland and Crimea. Powerful explosions rang across Kyiv on Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead. At the same time, regional authorities also reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, partly aimed at critical civilian infrastructure. Meanwhile, the G7 group of nations will hold an emergency meeting via video conference on Tuesday, the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed to CNN. Scholz is the current G7 president under its rotating leadership. The G7 consists of the seven leaders from some of the world's largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Russia was indefinitely suspended from the group -- then the G8 -- in 2014 after its illegal annexation of Crimea. (ANI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned of "harsh" reprisals after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. In a television appearance Monday, Putin said Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast. Putin threatened further "harsh" responses that correspond "to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it," while accusing Kyiv of "terrorism." In what appears to be the heaviest wave of missile and rocket attacks since the opening week of the war, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were rocked by deadly Russian strikes on Monday. Officials said they targeted critical energy infrastructure and several regions of Ukraine are now suffering power outages. The Kremlin said today that a huge missile salvo across Ukraine launched by its forces was within the framework of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kerch bridge, a key link between the Russian mainland and Crimea. Eleven sites of critical infrastructure have been struck in Kyiv and eight other regions of Ukraine, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Some of the regions are experiencing blackouts," Shmyhal said. "We must be ready for temporary disruptions with power connections and water supply." A senior Ukrainian military official has said "generations of Russians will answer" for a wave of explosions that struck multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday. "The Russians are shameful losers. Did you intend to scare us?" Andrii Yermak, head of President Zelenskyy's office, said of the attacks. "There will be a harsh response to every hit. You will be held responsible for every death and suffering. And not only you. Entire generations of Russians will answer," Yermak said on Telegram. "We will continue to destroy every one who comes to Ukraine with weapons. These hits make us even angrier. These hits will only speed up our progress. "We are not afraid. We are only getting angrier and more accurate," Yermak added. Powerful explosions rang across Kyiv on Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead. At the same time, regional authorities also reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, partly aimed at critical civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the missile strikes targeted Ukraine's energy facilities and its people. "They have especially chosen the time and the targets to create the most damage," he said while standing outside his office in the center of Kyiv. Moscow wanted to destroy Ukraine's "energy system," Zelenskyy said, adding that the Ukrainians shot down 38 incoming projectiles. He urged people to stay in shelters on Monday. Further south, a Ukrainian official also confirmed that Russian missiles are targeting power infrastructure in the Mykolaiv region. "They are hitting the infrastructure, trying to leave us without electricity," Vitalii Kim, head of Mykolaiv regional military administration, said on Telegram. After reports of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine on Monday morning, Kyiv's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that Russian President Vladimir Putin "will not break Ukraine down." "Putin's only tactic is terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities, but he will not break Ukraine down. This is also his response to all appeasers who want to talk with him about peace: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles," Kuleba tweeted. Amid multiple explosions in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities early Monday, Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to annihilate Ukraine. The series of Russian missiles launched at Ukraine on Monday morning was aimed at "critical infrastructure to destroy the country's energy supply," according to a Ukrainian government official. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, also warned Ukrainians to be prepared for blackouts. "Power facilities from Lviv to Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv to Khmelnytskyi region, Dnipro and Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kirovohrad, and the entire south are targeted," Tymoshenko said on Telegram. "This may affect the stability of energy supply, so we need to be prepared for the consequences of such shelling, up to rolling blackouts," he added. The Ukrainian State Emergency Service said there is no electricity supply in five regions -- Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv and Ternopil -- and power supply has been partially disrupted in the rest of the country. Meanwhile, the G7 group of nations will hold an emergency meeting via video conference on Tuesday, the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed to CNN. Scholz is the current G7 president under its rotating leadership. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would address the meeting. "My speech is scheduled, in which I'll tell about the terrorist attacks by [the Russian Federation], he said on Twitter. The G7 consists of the seven leaders from some of the world's largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Russia was indefinitely suspended from the group -- then the G8 -- in 2014 after its illegal annexation of Crimea. At least 10 people have died and 60 are injured in Ukraine after a wave of Russian attacks across the country on Monday morning, police spokesperson Maryana Reva said in an interview on Ukrainian TV. Multiple European political figures roundly condemned Russia's spate of attacks on Ukrainian cities on Monday. "Deeply shocked by Russia's attacks on civilians in #Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. Such acts have no place in (the) 21st century. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms," the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell said. "We stand with Ukraine. Additional military support from the EU is on its way," Borrell tweeted Monday. "Again, Putin is massively terrorizing innocent civilians in Kyiv and other cities in [Ukraine]. (The Netherlands) condemns these heinous acts. Putin does not seem to understand that the will of the Ukrainian people is unbreakable. Ukraine remains determined, and we continue to support Ukraine," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted. Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted that the "bombardment of Kyiv and of civilian targets in many other cities is a reprehensible act by Russia. It is an unacceptable escalation of violence that strengthens Belgium's resolve in supporting the people of Ukraine and their brave fight for a free and sovereign nation." "Shocking images are coming once again from Ukraine this morning! I strongly condemn Russian missile attacks against civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. The only intention behind these attacks is to terrorize the civilian population. Stay strong Ukrainians!" tweeted Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger tweeted that he condemns "today's cowardly attacks of Russian forces on #civilians and civilian infrastructure in #Ukraine. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also tweeted to condemn the attacks. "I condemn in the strongest terms today's indiscriminate Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities. Intentionally targeting civilian populations is a war crime," she said. And Italy also reiterated its "unwavering and steadfast support for Ukraine, its people and its resilience." The Italian foreign ministry said it was "horrified by the cowardly missile attacks which hit the centre of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities." (ANI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday convened a meeting of the permanent members of the security council amid calls for reprisals over the attack that damaged a key Crimea supply route on Saturday. The President held a briefing session with permanent members of the security council, via videoconference. Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov, reported Kremlin. Putin accused Ukraine of being behind the Kerch bridge explosion, masterminding an "act of terrorism" that destroyed part of the crucial link between Russia and the annexed territory of Crimea, as calls grow for reprisals. "The forensic and other expert data, as well as operational information, show that the October 8 explosion was an act of terrorism aimed at destroying Russia's civilian and critical infrastructure," said Putin. "It is also clear that the Ukrainian special services were the organisers and perpetrators of the attack. The Kyiv regime has long been using terrorist methods, including murders of public figures, journalists and scientists, both in Ukraine and in Russia. And terrorist attacks on towns in Donbas, which have been going on for more than eight years. And also acts of nuclear terrorism, by which I mean missile and artillery strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," he added. Putin further stated at the meeting that Ukraine's special services have also carried out three terrorist acts against Russia's Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, repeatedly blowing up the plant's high-voltage lines. "The third such terrorist attack damaged three of those lines at once. The damage was repaired in the shortest possible time and there were no serious consequences, "said the Russian President. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin reported Putin on the first results of the investigation into the act of sabotage on the Crimean Bridge. In what appears to be the heaviest wave of missile and rocket attacks since the opening week of the war, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were rocked by deadly Russian strikes on Monday. Officials said they targeted critical energy infrastructure and several regions of Ukraine are now suffering power outages. The Kremlin said today that a huge missile salvo across Ukraine launched by its forces was within the framework of what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. "This morning, at the proposal of the Defence Ministry and in accordance with the plan of Russia's General Staff, a massive strike was launched with long-range precision air, sea and land-based weapons against Ukrainian energy, military and communications facilities," said Putin. He further stated that in the event of more attempts to stage terrorist attacks on our territory, Russia's response will be harsh and commensurate with the threats posed to the Russian Federation. (ANI)
They demonstrated against decades of discrimination and subjugation by the Pakistan Government.

On October 8, The locals of the old Ghaspidhi area of Larkana (Sindh, Pakistan) took to a procession claiming that the district authorities have stopped the construction of 70-80 years old Valmiki temple in the area, reported local media.

They claimed due to this government's apathy shown towards their community, there are less than 100 families left in Pakistan.

The protestors further said that they would not be able to celebrate their festival which falls on October 9. The protesters demanded an immediate start to renovation work without delay so that the work could finish in time for next year's festival.

The local Valmiki community has been stopped from offering prayers citing the poor conditions and the damaged structural condition, reported local media.

The sect of the Valmiki are devotees of the sage considered to be the writer of the epic Ramayana, a holy scripture to Hindus. (ANI)
Amid the escalating situation in Ukraine, Indian nationals in Ukraine are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine, the Embassy of India in Kyiv said in a statement on Monday. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv advised the Indian citizens to strictly adhere to the safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian Government and local authorities and avoid non-essential travel within the country. "In view of the current escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine. They must strictly follow the safety and security guidelines issued by the Ukrainian Government and local authorities," the statement read. "Indian nationals are requested to keep the Embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the Embassy to reach out to them, where required," it added. Moreover, India urged both Russia and Ukraine for the immediate cessation of hostilities and an urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. "We reiterate escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue," read MEA release. The release further added that India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned of "harsh" reprisals after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. In a television appearance Monday, Putin said Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast. Meanwhile, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kerch bridge, a key link between the Russian mainland and Crimea. Powerful explosions were heard across Kyiv on Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead while at the same time, regional authorities also reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk. (ANI)
Over 10,000 heavy motor vehicles including 8820 fruit-laden trucks have been released through Navyug and Jawahar Tunnels during the past 24 hours. "Over 10000 HMVs including 8820 fruit-laden trucks released through Navyug and Jawahar Tunnels during the past 24 hours. Chief Secretary compliments all functionaries and asks them to keep up the momentum", Jammu and Kashmir Information Department said in a tweet. For the first time after three decades, a Union Minister went to Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir to hold a rally. On October 5, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a rally in Baramulla. Sources said Shah's rally got a phenomenal response from the people of the district. As per the sources present in the rally, the highest cheering was witnessed when the Home Minister spoke about the availability of free gas cylinders for women. It is also reported that in the hilly areas of the Union Territory, women registered to get the Ujjwala scheme benefit and got two cylinders instead of one. "The development of Jammu and Kashmir is the prime agenda of the PM Modi government at the Centre. BJP does not wish to ally with any of the regional players in J-K," a top BJP source told ANI. Another source told ANI that, "the briefing given to the security agencies in the region is to ensure complete wipe out of terrorism and its supporters." The changing face of Jammu and Kashmir was evident because crowds turned up in huge numbers and it was a responsive gathering. The Home Minister launched and laid the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 2000 crore in Kashmir and Rs 1900 crore in the Jammu region. Shah sent a clear message that J-K is a priority for the Centre and leaders of three political parties, who ruled J-K for 70 years, can no longer dictate terms to New Delhi, nor can they hoodwink the gullible people of J-K as the times have changed. He termed the turning of Kashmir from a "terrorist spot" into a "tourist spot" as one of the major achievements of the PM Modi-led regime and assured the people that J&K will keep on flourishing under PM Modi's leadership. The Union Home Minister had come to Jammu and Kashmir to tell the people that the government is aware of their needs and stands by them in all their endeavours. His assertion that laptops have replaced stones and strike culture has ended in Kashmir was a snub to all such leaders, who used to claim that Kashmir would burn once Article 370--a temporary provision in the Constitution--is scrapped. Shah reaching out to all the communities was an indication that the Government of India believes in equality for all and that no one will be left out. (ANI)
A Hindu man was forcibly converted to Islam in Sindh on Sunday, local media reported. Hindu youth Ajay Kumar r/o Dahraki was forcibly converted to Islam by Jamia Islamia Masjid, Larkana Sindh, Pakistan by Maulana Rashid Mahmood Soomro, General Secretary at Jamiat Ulama-e-Sindh on October 9, reported local media. In the picture of the conversion ceremony, it is clearly visible that the victim does not seem to be happy. Pakistan's dilemma of forced conversions and marriages put minority women at risk and the issue of securing rights for minority women has become particularly complex in Pakistan. Earlier in August 2021, a young Masih girl named Anita was abducted by a Muslim man "Muhammad Waseem" From Yazman City, Bahawalpur. She said he forcibly converted her to Islam by taking her thumb impression on a paper and forced her to accept him as her husband. He kept the victim in a locked room and repeatedly raped her, reported local media. As Pakistan moves in an increasingly conservative Islamist direction, the situation for Hindus, Christians and other religious minorities, especially that of women, is worsening, reported International Forum for Right and Security (IFFRAS). In September this year after more than a year of torture, the victim Anita fled from her abductors and filed a petition in the Family Court at Bahawalpur seeking annulment of the False/Forced marriage, according to local media. The father of the victim said he is very poor and the abductor is a Muslim and very influential. The abductor restricted the victim's family from filing any complaint regarding the kidnapping of their girl by giving them death threats and they are seeking protection from the court. The situation faced by the Hindu and Christian groups in Pakistan is bad in general, but women from these communities are the worst victims of discriminatory attitudes of the authorities, political groups, religious parties, the feudal structure and the Muslim majority. Religious minority women and girls are abducted, forcibly converted, forcibly married and abused, and their families are unsuccessful in their attempts to challenge these crimes using legal avenues, reported IFFRAS. While the abductions, forced conversions, forced marriages and abuse are perpetrated by individuals, the fate of religious minority women and girls is often sealed as the existing laws or handling of such cases deem any legal recourse unavailable or ineffective. Human rights groups have documented the plight of Pakistan's religious minorities for years, but it is only recently that these minorities have become the focus of popular discourse because of revelations on social media regarding their treatment, reported IFFRAS. Abducting for the purpose of forced conversion and marriage is a major issue in Pakistan. Most of the victims are Christian and Hindu girls and young women, forced to wed against their will to much older Muslim men. The plight of women in Pakistan is increasing day by day as a fresh report has stated that nearly 6,754 women were abducted in the country's Punjab province in the first half of 2021. Out of that, 1890 women were raped, 3721 were tortured and 752 children were raped, Duniya News reported. (ANI)
Describing the fatal attacks on civilian areas in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine as a clear "sign of Putin's desperation," UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on Monday said that Britain will continue to provide vital military aid in Ukraine's fight for freedom. Amid the escalating tensions, the British Prime Minister reaffirmed her support for Ukraine and said that the country will stand right behind the war-torn nation in its fight for freedom. In a tweet, the UK Prime Minister wrote, "The appalling attacks on civilian areas in Kyiv and elsewhere are a clear sign of Putin's desperation. Ukrainians are succeeding, and Britain will stand right behind them as we continue to provide vital military aid in Ukraine's fight for freedom." Multiple explosions were reported in the Ukrainian cities of Lviv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Dnipro and, Ternopil. Eyewitnesses reported powerful explosions and power outages in Kyiv, according to the local media, The Kyiv Independent. Meanwhile, UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the fatal bombardments by Russia across Ukraine on Monday and said that the attack is another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price. "The Secretary-General is deeply shocked by today's large-scale missile attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on cities across Ukraine that reportedly resulted in widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of people being killed and injured," the official statement by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Ukraine read. India on Monday also voiced concerns over the escalation of conflict in Ukraine after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. "India is deeply concerned at the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, including the targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians," read the Ministry of External Affairs release. India urged both Russia and Ukraine for the immediate cessation of hostilities and an urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. "We reiterate escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue," read the MEA release. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday warned of "harsh" reprisals after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. Putin threatened further "harsh" responses that correspond "to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it," while accusing Kyiv of "terrorism." Meanwhile, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kerch bridge, a key link between the Russian mainland and Crimea. Powerful explosions rang across Kyiv on Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead. At the same time, regional authorities also reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, partly aimed at critical civilian infrastructure. Meanwhile, the G7 group of nations will hold an emergency meeting via video conference on Tuesday, the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed to CNN. Scholz is the current G7 president under its rotating leadership. The G7 consists of the seven leaders from some of the world's largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Russia was indefinitely suspended from the group -- then the G8 -- in 2014 after its illegal annexation of Crimea. (ANI)
UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the fatal bombardments by Russia across Ukraine on Monday and said that the attack is another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price. Guterres expressed concerns over large-scale missile attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on cities across Ukraine as the explosion led to dozens of people being killed and injured. "The Secretary-General is deeply shocked by today's large-scale missile attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on cities across Ukraine that reportedly resulted in widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of people being killed and injured," the official statement by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Ukraine read. "This constitutes another unacceptable escalation of the war; as always, civilians are paying the highest price," the statement added. Multiple explosions rocked Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Monday morning local media reported citing the city's mayor as plumes of smoke were seen billowing out from several areas in Kyiv amid the escalation of conflict in Ukraine. Explosions were also reported in the cities of Lviv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Dnipro and, Ternopil and several eyewitnesses reported powerful explosions and power outages in Kyiv, according to, The Kyiv Independent. The explosions came in the wake of the attack on the Kerch bridge on Saturday where a truck exploded, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge, according to media reports. Shortly afterwards, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on enhancing security measures for the Crimea bridge. In the decree, Putin also called for securing the energy bridge and the gas pipeline connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia. Meanwhile, India also raised concern over the escalation of conflict in Ukraine after the Crimea bridge attack on Saturday. "India is deeply concerned at the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, including the targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians," read the Ministry of External Affairs release. India urged both Russia and Ukraine for the immediate cessation of hostilities and an urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. "We reiterate escalation of hostilities is in no one's interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue," read the MEA release. India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. The release further added that India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation. (ANI)
A Hindu female farm worker was beaten and gang-raped in Pakistan by the farm owner and goons. One Hindu lady farm labourer in Bahawalpur city of Lahinde Punjab, Kusum Bai, wife of Ganga Ram, r/o 108 Chak was brutally beaten up by her employer when she went to collect her wages from the landlord Muhammad Akram on October 7. The next morning, Akram and six of his accomplices forcibly entered her house and after tying her family members with ropes, disrobed and then brutally gang-raped her in front of her family, reported local media. The victim's family has alleged they have been threatened that they would kill her and the family if they registered a police complaint. However, Kusum and her family on Monday went to Bahawalpur City Police Station which refused to entertain their complaint stating that Akram has several strong political connections and knows a number of senior officers, reported local media. Despite the repeated claims by the Pakistani government on the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities in the country, unabated brutal attacks by Muslim radicals and feudal landlords on the minority Hindu community there are continuously being committed at a very alarming pace. The recent spate of crimes against the Hindus in Pakistan hollows the government's claims that it has made adequate security arrangements for minorities in the country. In March of this year, Pooja Oad, an 18-year-old girl, was shot dead in the street of the Sindh district in March of this year after she resisted efforts to kidnap her. She was shot dead after resisting an abduction attempt in Rohi, Sukkur. Hindus, a minority in the Islamic country of Pakistan, are frequently targeted with hatred, kidnappings, rapes, forced marriages, and death. According to the Peoples Commission for Minorities' Rights and the Centre for Social Justice, there were 156 cases of forced conversions between 2013 and 2019. (ANI)
Amid a darkening economic outlook that continues to erode consumer confidence, China's holiday spending plunges to a seven-year low as zero-Covid policy discouraged people from travelling or spending. Tourist spending for the week-long holiday that started on October 1 declined 26 per cent to 287.2 billion yuan (USD 40.4 billion) year-on-year, according to figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Friday. That's the lowest figure since 2014, and less than half of the pre-pandemic level in 2019, according to government statistics from previous years, reported CNN. The National Day break is one of China's longest public holidays and is usually a peak season for travel and spending. But this year, people were deterred from travelling by a resurgence of the virus and stringent Covid restrictions. Lockdowns and other control measures have intensified in recent weeks, including in some popular tourist destinations. Consumer sentiment also took a hit from rising economic woes, mainly due to Beijing's ongoing zero-Covid policy and a deepening slump in the property market, reported CNN. "The soft pack of holiday data is hardly a surprise with new Covid outbreaks and tighter containment measures ahead of the Party Congress," said Citi analysts in a research report on Sunday, pointing to this month's gathering of Communist Party elites in Beijing at which Chinese leader Xi Jinping is widely expected to break with tradition and be appointed to a third term in power. China is the world's last major economy still enforcing strict zero-Covid measures, which aim to stamp out chains of transmission through border restrictions, mass testing, extensive quarantines, and uncompromising snap lockdowns. The ruling Communist Party has used the zero-Covid strategy to argue that its political model is superior to Western democracies, and Xi has thrown his weight behind the policy. For local officials, doubling down on zero-Covid is a way to toe the Party line, demonstrate their loyalty to Xi and prevent any large-scale outbreak that could jeopardize their career weeks before the Party Congress, reported CNN. As a result of the restrictions, some inside China have taken to calling this year's holiday "the bleakest Golden Week ever" as people become fatigued with three years of Covid restrictions, choosing instead to stay at home rather than risk getting caught in unexpected lockdowns. Only 422 million trips were taken during this year's holiday, down 18 per cent from last year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The number of trips was the smallest since 2014, and far from recovering from pre-pandemic levels, despite the cheapest air ticket prices in five years, reported CNN. According to analysts, all the weak data point to the heavy damage of Beijing's zero-Covid policy on consumer spending and the economy. "The Covid resurgence and risk of being lockdowns discouraged consumption and travel notably," said Ken Cheung, chief Asian forex strategist at Mizuho Bank. Separately, a key private survey showed Saturday that China's massive services activity contracted in September for the first time in five months. The Caixin services Purchasing Managers Index, which focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises in China's service industry, dropped to 49.3 last month from 55 in August, according to a statement by S&P Global Ratings. It was the first drop in the index since May. A reading below 50 indicates contraction. Efforts to curb the spread of Covid across China led to a renewed fall in service sector activity, which disrupted business operations and restricted travel, the statement said. In particular, employment continued to shrink. The gauge for employment stayed in contraction territory for the ninth consecutive month and hit its lowest point since May, reported CNN. (ANI)
The construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project is likely to provide China with a shorter route to Europe while bypassing a sanctions-hit Russia as China succeeded in bringing Kyrgyzstan on board after years. The project is expected to effect a change in the flow of trade traffic through Russian territory, impacting its influence in Central Asia as the project is designed to provide China with access to the markets of Southeast and West Asia, as well as the Middle East through Central Asia, according to Geopolitica Info. According to Kyrgyz Transport Minister Erkinbek Osoyev, the 280-kilometre route in his country will cost USD 4.1 billion, to be funded either via direct investment or public-private partnership. Moreover, the construction of the CKU railway and the influx of Chinese goods could also lead to competition for Russian exports. The current debt of Kyrgyzstan is approximately USD 4.8 billion of which around USD 1.8 billion is owed to China and only 19 per cent of people in Kyrgyzstan strongly support Chinese investment in energy and infrastructure projects, while 31 per cent strongly oppose the same, Geopolitica Info reported citing the recent Central Asia Barometer (CAB) survey. At the SCO summit held in Tashkent in 2004, China announced that it would allocate USD 900 million in loans to member countries. This figure was increased to USD 10 billion USD at the SCO summit in 2009. Since then, the Central Asian countries continue to borrow from China. According to experts, Beijing has further motives for giving loans to Central Asian countries: Firstly, it gains a share in the vast Central Asian markets and access to their energy resources. Secondly, Beijing gets the contracts for the projects awarded to Chinese companies. China's loans have specific objectives. Beijing offers loans only for those projects that allow the expansion of markets for Chinese products and the transfer of wealth.In Central Asia, it has mainly allocated loans for oil and gas transportation, energy resource development, mining activities and infrastructure projects. A mandatory requirement of the lending is allowing the participation of Chinese companies in the realization of these projects, reported Fabbri. The three lending institutions of China that offer loans in Central Asia are the People's Bank of China, the Export-Import Bank of China and the China Development Bank. Major recipients of the loans from these banks are Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, the two Central Asia countries richest in oil and gas. It is no surprise that Beijing also looks to exploit the economic vulnerabilities of a country. For example, when Kazakhstan was facing an economic crisis, China allocated USD 5 billion of funding to this country, and about USD 3.5 billion of this amount was spent on clearing the debt of technical equipment purchased from China in previous years, reported Geopolitica.info.However, in the recent past, Kazakhstan-China economic relations have come under duress. In September 2021, Beijing created serious obstacles to importing and exporting Kazakhstan's goods. This had a negative impact on Kazakhstan's economy. (ANI)
Condemning Russia's missile strikes across Ukraine, US President Joe Biden on Monday expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and said that such attacks only further reinforce the US' commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. "We offer our condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were senselessly killed today and our best wishes for the recovery of those who were wounded," the White House said in a statement. The US will continue to impose sanctions on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, the statement added and said that these fatal attacks only further reinforce the commitment of the US to stand firmly with the people of Ukraine during the ongoing crisis. "Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom," the White House Statement read."We again call on Russia to end this unprovoked aggression immediately and remove its troops from Ukraine," the statement added. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba and reiterated US support for Ukraine. Taking to Twitter, Blinken wrote, "I just spoke with @DmytroKuleba to reiterate US support for Ukraine following the Kremlin's horrific strikes this morning. We will continue to provide unwavering economic, humanitarian, and security assistance so Ukraine can defend itself and take care of its people." UN chief Antonio Guterres also condemned the fatal bombardments by Russia across Ukraine on Monday and said that the attack is another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price. "The Secretary-General is deeply shocked by today's large-scale missile attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on cities across Ukraine that reportedly resulted in widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of people being killed and injured," the official statement by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Ukraine read. Multiple explosions rocked Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Monday morning local media reported citing the city's mayor as plumes of smoke were seen billowing out from several areas in Kyiv amid the escalation of conflict in Ukraine. Explosions were also reported in the cities of Lviv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Dnipro and, Ternopil and several eyewitnesses reported powerful explosions and power outages in Kyiv, according to, The Kyiv Independent. The explosions came in the wake of the attack on the Kerch bridge on Saturday where a truck exploded, causing seven fuel tanks of a train heading to the Crimean Peninsula to catch fire. Three people were killed in the blast, which also led to the partial collapse of two spans of the road bridge, according to media reports. Shortly afterwards, the Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on enhancing security measures for the Crimea bridge. In the decree, Putin also called for securing the energy bridge and the gas pipeline connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia. (ANI)
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with US President Joe Biden on Monday and told him that air defence is the number one priority in Kyiv's defence cooperation with Washington after large-scale strikes on Ukrainian cities by Russia. This phone call was shortly before the open debate in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a draft resolution condemning Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions. "Productive conversation with @POTUS. Air defence is currently the number 1 priority in our defence cooperation. We also need US leadership with the G7's tough stance and with support for our UN GA resolution," Zelenskyy tweeted. Russia conducted that large-scale strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other locations on Monday, which drew condemnation from several countries. UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was deeply shocked and represented "another unacceptable escalation" of the war. The strikes which have reportedly caused widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of deaths and injuries, showed that "as always", civilians were paying the highest price for Russia's invasion of February 24, according to a statement released by the UN Spokesperson. This phone call between Zelenskyy and Biden came after US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about the Kremlin's strikes against Ukraine, including "waves of missiles that hit the streets of several Ukrainian cities during rush hour." "The Secretary commended Ukraine for not allowing President Putin to break Ukraine's spirit and reaffirmed US resolve to support Ukraine," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Blinken noted that the United States will continue to provide vital economic, humanitarian, and security assistance so Ukraine can defend itself and take care of its people. The US Secretary of State reaffirmed the steadfast support of the United States for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Blinken also extended his deepest sympathies to the Foreign Minister for the people of Ukraine who have lost loved ones today. The United States stands with Ukraine. (ANI)
A 28-year-old UK man has been sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the assault of 62-year-old Sikh community leader Avtar Singh in Manchester. "Claudio Campos, 28, of Ladybarn Lane, Manchester appeared before the judge at Manchester Crown Court this afternoon (6 October), after pleading guilty to the assault of 62-year-old Avtar Singh. He was jailed for three years," the police said in a statement. Manchester Crown Court heard how on the evening of June 23 Avtar was walking home from work through the Tib Street area of the City Centre, when Campos, who was with his partner at the time, proceeded to walk up behind Avtar before violently punching him in the head. Avtar fell into the middle of the road where he stayed unconscious until a passer-by called for an ambulance. He was taken to hospital where he has since remained, receiving treatment for a life-changing brain injury. "As part of the investigation, GMP released a public appeal on social media showing CCTV footage of the attack, and following intelligence received from the public, Campos, was located and taken into custody in September, where he admitted the assault," the police said. Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, of GMPs City of Manchester CID, said: "This was a horrific attack of a much-loved family member and community leader which deeply shocked the public. "I hope today's verdict gives Mr Singh's family some relief that the person who has harmed their husband and father has now faced justice and will be sent to prison," Astbury said. In a statement, Avtar's family said they never imagined that Avtar would be the subject of such a heinous attack which has left him bed bound and in hospital for as long as he has been. "As a family, we are truly heartbroken and still struggle to come to terms with the reality of his future and the truth behind this crime. He didn't do anything to deserve this situation where he has permanently damaged his sight and lost complete mobility down his right side," the family said. "This attack hasn't just left an ever-bleeding wound on our hearts, it's scarred an entire community who knew him to be the man he was and now isn't," they added. The family said their fight does not end today as we continue to watch Avtar fight to gain back a quality of life that will see him through recovery. "We know now that we will never feel as safe as we once thought we were walking through the city centre in Manchester, given this situation was as unprovoked as it was brutal." (ANI)
US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday as he condemned Russian large-scale strikes on Ukrainian cities and pledged advanced air defence systems to Kyiv. Biden's assurance comes as the United States has committed more than USD 15 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since January 2021, according to the US Defence department. Biden last week announced plans to provide an additional USD 625 million in military aid to Ukraine, which included High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, artillery systems ammunition, and armoured vehicles. "President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., spoke today with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. He expressed his condemnation of Russia's missile strikes across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, and conveyed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured in these senseless attacks," the White House said in a press readout. "President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defence systems," the statement added. The Biden-Zelenskyy phone call came shortly before the open debate in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a draft resolution condemning Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions. During the phone conversation, the US President underscored his "ongoing engagement with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance." On Monday, Russia conducted that large-scale strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other locations on Monday, which drew condemnation from several countries. In a statement earlier, Biden said the recent wave of Russian strikes "once again demonstrates the utter brutality of Putin's illegal war on the Ukrainian people." Zelenskyy told Biden that air defence is the number one priority in Kyiv's defence cooperation with Washington. "Productive conversation with @POTUS. Air defence is currently the number 1 priority in our defence cooperation. We also need US leadership with the G7's tough stance and with support for our UN GA resolution," Zelenskyy tweeted. Earlier, UN spokesperson said UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep shock. The strikes which have reportedly caused widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of deaths and injuries, showed that "as always", civilians were paying the highest price for Russia's invasion of February 24, This phone call between Zelenskyy and Biden came after US State Secretary Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about the Kremlin's strikes against Ukraine, including "waves of missiles that hit the streets of several Ukrainian cities during rush hour." "The Secretary commended Ukraine for not allowing President Putin to break Ukraine's spirit and reaffirmed the US resolve to support Ukraine," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Blinken noted that the United States will continue to provide vital economic, humanitarian, and security assistance so Ukraine can defend itself and take care of its people. (ANI)
In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But in any portfolio, there will be mixed results between individual stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE:BXP) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 44% over a half decade. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 37% in the last year. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 18% in the last three months.

Given the past week has been tough on shareholders, let's investigate the fundamentals and see what we can learn.

View our latest analysis for Boston Properties

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

While the share price declined over five years, Boston Properties actually managed to increase EPS by an average of 7.3% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or possibly, the market was previously very optimistic, so the stock has disappointed, despite improving EPS.

Due to the lack of correlation between the EPS growth and the falling share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics to try to understand the share price movement.

The steady dividend doesn't really explain why the share price is down. It's not immediately clear to us why the stock price is down but further research might provide some answers.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Boston Properties is well known by investors, and plenty of clever analysts have tried to predict the future profit levels. Given we have quite a good number of analyst forecasts, it might be well worth checking out this free chart depicting consensus estimates.

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What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, Boston Properties' TSR for the last 5 years was -34%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 21% in the twelve months, Boston Properties shareholders did even worse, losing 35% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 6% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Boston Properties better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Boston Properties (including 2 which are significant) .

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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



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

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The driver of a speeding vehicle died Sunday after they crashed into a cow on a highway in Vermont, officials said.

Troopers responding to a report of a crash on Route 105 in Sheldon near the Abbey Pub just before 11 p.m. found a 2000 Jaguar Type S sedan that had struck a cow in the roadway, according to Vermont State Police.

The driver, 48-year-old Jason St. Pierre, was pronounced dead at the scene. The cow also died as a result of the crash.

A passenger in the Jaguar told troopers that St. Pierre was driving at more than 100 mph at the time of the crash.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is urged to call Vermont State Police in Saint Albans at 802-524-5993.

An investigation remains ongoing.

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In this article, we discuss 10 best global stocks to buy now. If you want to see more stocks in this selection, check out 5 Best Global Stocks To Buy Now.

A strong U.S jobs market may actually make a recession more likely. Wall Street is concerned that the Fed could see additional hirings as an indication that the economy needs to be slowed down further to tame inflation. This could lead to more aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and elevates recessionary risk. Brian Jacobsen, senior investment strategist at Allspring Global Investments, told AP News on October 8:

The employment situation is still good and that might be a little frustrating to the Fed. The Fed thinks we need more people unemployed in order to make sure inflation comes down and stays down.

As per Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, there is "almost no evidence" that inflation has peaked, and the Fed is nowhere close to stopping rate hikes. He "fully" anticipates "some losses" and "some failures around the global economy" as markets react and adjust to the higher interest rates.

In these uncertain times, investors cannot put all their eggs in one basket and the need to diversify portfolios increases. It is a good idea to consider the best global stocks instead of going for American companies only. Some of the best global names include Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL), and Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT).

Our Methodology

We selected the companies headquartered outside of the United States for this analysis, shortlisting stocks on the basis of positive analyst coverage, strong business fundamentals, growth prospects, and solid hedge fund sentiment as of the second quarter of 2022.

10 Best Global Stocks To Buy Now

Image by Sergei Tokmakov Terms.Law from Pixabay

Best Global Stocks To Buy Now

10. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 14

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and the company is engaged in the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks worldwide. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) sells its beverages under the Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Bud Light, Castle, Castle Lite, and Skol brands. In Q2 2022, total sales volumes increased by 3.4%. There was a 9.7% increase in combined revenues of global brands  Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Corona, outside of their respective home markets.

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On October 5, RBC Capital analyst James Edwardes Jones raised the price target on Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) to EUR 70 from EUR 64 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. The analyst noted that at current exchange rates, the weakness of the Euro and Pound versus the US Dollar, will contribute about $5 billion towards debt reduction in 2022. This should lower Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD)s net debt to EBITDA ratio to approximately 3.3-times by the end of 2022 and "largely eliminate" one of investors' greatest turn-offs about the stock, as per the analyst.

According to Insider Monkeys data, 14 hedge funds were long Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) at the end of Q2 2022, compared to 20 funds in the last quarter. Ken Fishers Fisher Asset Management featured as the largest position holder in the company, with more than 9 million shares worth about $487 million.

In addition to Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL), and Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is one of the best global stocks to buy now.

Here is what ClearBridge Investments Large Cap Growth Strategy has to say about Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) in its Q4 2021 investor letter:

To make room for these new names and optimize the growth profile of the Strategy, we exited two additional positions during the quarter. We sold out of Anheuser-Busch InBev as we see too much work ahead for the worlds largest beer maker to re-ignite sales growth post COVID-19. While the company should benefit from a recovery in the on-premise channel, individual country complexities, the hedging of raw materials, and senior management turnover leave us more confident in the Strategys other reopening-related holdings.

9. British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17

Next on our list of the best global stocks is British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI), a London-based provider of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. The company offers vapor, tobacco heating, modern oral nicotine products, combustible products, and traditional oral products.

On September 28, British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) declared a $0.7404 per share quarterly dividend, in line with previous. The dividend is payable on November 15, to shareholders of record as of September 30. British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) delivered a dividend yield of 7.63% on October 7.

Barclays analyst Gaurav Jain on August 30 raised the price target on British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) to 4,500 GBp from 4,400 GBp and reiterated an Overweight rating on the shares.

Among the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Rajiv Jains GQG Partners is the leading stakeholder of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI), with more than 34 million shares worth $1.46 billion. Overall, 17 hedge funds were long British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) at the end of Q2 2022, compared to 19 funds in the last quarter.

Here is what Distillate Capital has to say about British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) in its Q1 2022 investor letter:

Distillate Capitals International FSV Strategy is less expensive, more fundamentally stable, and less levered than the benchmark All Country World Ex U.S. (ACWI-EX US) Index.The largest new position is British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI), which was not owned previously due to leverage, but now passes that threshold and offers an 11% free cash flow to market cap yield.

8. CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25

CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) was founded in 1842 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. The company manufactures, markets, sells, and finances agricultural and construction equipment, trucks, commercial vehicles, and specialty vehicles in North America, Europe, South America, and internationally. It operates through five segments  Agriculture, Construction, Commercial and Specialty Vehicles, Powertrain, and Financial. CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is one of the best global stocks to buy now.

On October 6, CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) announced that its CNH Industrial Capital division priced $400 million of 5.45% notes due 2025, with an issue price of 99.349%. The notes will offer interest semi-annually on April 14 and October 14 every year, beginning from April 14, 2023. The notes will mature on October 14, 2025 and the offering will conclude on October 14, 2022.

Baird analyst Mircea Dobre on September 27 initiated coverage of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) with an Outperform rating and a $17 price target. CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) is the second largest global agriculture equipment manufacturer with balanced global sales and the company has recently shown significant improvement, while more margin upside is available, the analyst told investors in a research note.

According to Insider Monkeys data, 25 hedge funds held stakes worth $606.2 million in CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) at the end of June 2022, compared to 33 funds in the prior quarter worth $1.2 billion. Harris Associates is the largest stakeholder of the company, with 96.5 million shares valued at more than $1 billion.

Here is what Oakmark Fund specifically said about CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI) in its Q2 2022 investor letter:

We sold our position in Iveco Group (Italy), in favor of names that, in our opinion, offer a more favorable risk/return profile. Iveco Groups arrival in the Fund stemmed from CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE:CNHI)s demerger of its trucks and commercial vehicles business in early January. We continue to hold CNH Industrial as we believe it holds an attractive valuation at its current price.

7. Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25

Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) is a Netherlands-based company engaged in the design, engineering, manufacturing, and sale of luxury and mainstream automobiles, engines, transmission systems, metallurgical products, and production systems worldwide. On September 20, Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) announced an investment in Italy as part of its transition to electric vehicles. In collaboration with Punch Powertrain, Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) plans to boost production in Italy of electrified dual-clutch transmissions for hybrid and plug-in hybrid EVs. It is one of the best global stocks to invest in.

After spending time with Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA)s management, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois said that he was "highly confident" on the companys operating performance and "the soundness of its transition from Legacy OEM." The stock's valuation discount to competitors "remains somewhat of a mystery" given the quality of execution, including Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA)s high cash generation and conversion. The analyst maintained a Buy rating and an $18 price target on the shares on September 6.

According to Insider Monkeys data, Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) was part of 25 hedge fund portfolios at the end of June 2022, compared to 29 in the earlier quarter. Peter Rathjens, Bruce Clarke, and John Campbells Arrowstreet Capital is the largest position holder in the company, with roughly 37 million shares worth about $457 million.

6. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 32

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) is a Denmark-based healthcare company that engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products worldwide. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) operates through two segments  Diabetes and Obesity care, and Biopharma. On October 3, Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) reported successful results from the phase 3a ONWARDS 5 trial of its insulin icodec, and the company expects to apply for approval with regulatory authorities in United States, the European Union, and China in the first half of 2023.

On September 28, Oddo BHF analyst Martial Descoutures upgraded Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) to Outperform from Neutral with a DKK 910 price target.

According to Insider Monkeys data, 32 hedge funds were long Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) at the end of the second quarter of 2022, compared to 31 funds in the earlier quarter. Jim Simons Renaissance Technologies is the biggest position holder in the company, with 17.5 million shares worth about $2 billion.

Like Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN), Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL), and Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), elite hedge funds are piling into Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) for global exposure.

Here is what Baron Health Care Fund has to say about Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) in its Q2 2022 investor letter:

We added to our position in Novo Nordisk A/S, a leading global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Denmark that specializes in treatments for diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. We wrote about Novo Nordisk in last quarters letter. We continue to believe Novo Nordisks diabetes and anti-obesity franchise will drive attractive revenue and earnings growth for many years to come. We think both Novo Nordisk and competitor Eli Lilly and Company(which we also own in the Fund) can be successful in these large markets.

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Disclosure: None. 10 Best Global Stocks To Buy Now is originally published on Insider Monkey.
MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 11:54

As a result of the massive morning attack, at least 11 important infrastructure facilities in 8 oblasts and the capital have been damaged; some oblasts are without power.

Source: Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, on Facebook; press service of Ukrenergo; Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Office of the President on Telegram

Quote: "As of 11:00, 11 important infrastructure facilities in 8 oblasts and the city of Kyiv have been damaged. Now some regions are powered down. You need to be prepared for temporary outages in electricity, water supply, and communications."

Details: Shmyhal added that some of the first Russian targets were a playground, museums and educational institutions. In his opinion, the main goal of these war criminals is to try to sow panic, frighten and leave Ukrainians without electricity and heat.

"All services are working on the ground, we are promptly restoring our infrastructure. We will do everything to restore all facilities as soon as possible. We thank our rescuers and medics, who are currently saving people's lives at the epicentres of attacks. We thank our energy workers, who restore power to cities under attacks. Let's keep going!" concluded the prime minister.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko said that power facilities from Lviv to Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Dnipro and Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast, Zhytomyr Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, in general, the entire south, were targeted. In Kyiv Oblast, anti-aircraft systems shot down six missiles, but there were hits on the thermal power plant.

Ukrenergo reports that energy workers are promptly using backup power schemes and are working on repairing the damage.

Previously:

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that so far, on 10 October, the Russians had launched 83 missiles on Ukraine within a few hours, 43 of which were shot down by air defence.

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UKRAINSKA PRAVDA  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 21:54

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 12 people were killed as a result of Russias mass missile strikes on Ukraine on Monday, 10 October. More than 80 people sustained injuries.

Source: President Zelenskyys video address

Quote: "Sadly, 12 people were killed today in this terrorist attack, more than 80 people were wounded or injured."

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(New York State Park Police)

A girl in New York was rescued after falling around 150 feet into a gorge while visiting a state park, police said.

WHAM and WHEC report a 13-year-old girl fell into a gorge at Letchworth State Park on 8 October. She suffered injuries from the fall but was ultimately able to be rescued, according to New York State Park Police. Authorities have not identified the teen.

Rescuers who arrived at the scene found that she had fallen "150 feet down the slope, according to police.

It's unclear how the girl actually fell into the gorge and police have not provided further details on the nature of her accident.

Rescuers had to use a high angle rope rescue team to extract the girl from the park. High angle rope rescues are typically used when the angle of the terrain is more than 50 degrees. During these rescuers workers and victims are totally reliant on ropes to secure them due to the steep terrain.

When the rescuers reached the girl, they secured her a stokes basket and attached her to ropes to haul her out of the gorge. Stokes baskets are body-length stretcher-like objects with ropes or buckles that can be used to secure an incapacitated individual. This allows rescuers to haul an injured person out of a difficult to reach space without fear of the victim falling off the stretcher. They are sometimes used in helicopter evacuations as well.

Letchworth State Park near Finger Lakes in New York (NYSDED-NYS Dept. of Economic Dev.)

Once the girl was recovered she was taken to a hospital for treatment. Her current condition is unknown, though initial reports suggest her injuries were not life threatening.

Letchworth State Park is located in western New York, about 60 miles southeast of Buffalo. The New York State Parks website calls it the "Grand Canyon of the East" for its wide gorges and more than 60 miles of hiking trails.
Prince Frederik (left), Queen Margrethe (center), and Prince Joachim (right) of Denmark. Julian Parker/Getty Images

On September 29, Queen Margrethe of Denmark stripped four grandchildren of their royal titles.

Her youngest son, Prince Joachim, admitted to having a "complicated" relationship with his brother.

The Queen has since apologized for her decision, but views it as "necessary future-proofing of the monarchy."

In 1972, at 31 years old, Queen Margrethe took the throne after her father, King Frederick IX died in January of that year. Prince Frederik was born to the Queen and her husband Prince Consort Henrik in 1968, while Prince Joachim was born in 1969. Frederik is next in line to succeed his mother.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her husband Henrik with Frederik and Joachim during a visit to Greenland in 1970. Keystone/Getty Images

In 1980, the close-knit family was photographed in Southern France at the Cayx Palace. The chateau has been in the royal family since 1974.

The Danish royal family vacationed in Southern France in 1980. Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images

Source: Chateau de Cayx

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark turned 18 in 1986 and was given a seat at the Council of State in Denmark.

The royal family of Denmark in France in 1986. PAT/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Source: 9Honey

Queen Margrethe marked 25 years on the throne in January 1997. The Queen and her family greeted crowds participating in the celebrations.

Queen Margrethe celebrated 25 years on the throne in January 1997. Alain BENAINOUS/Getty Images

In 2004, Frederik married Mary Donaldson on a royal yacht in Denmark. The two brothers, pictured below, celebrated the festivities together. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have four children. Prince Frederik's eldest son, Christian, is second in line to the throne.

The brothers were photographed at Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson's wedding in 2004. BENAINOUS/DUCLOS/TRAVERS/Getty Images

Queen Margrethe's youngest son, Prince Joachim, married his first wife Princess Alexandra in November 1995. Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, and Prince Frederik attended the celebrations.

Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, and Crown Prince Frederik attend Prince Joachim's first wedding. Antony Jones/Julian Parker/Getty Images

Joachim and Alexandra remained together for nine years before finalizing their divorce in 2005. It was the first divorce within the Danish royal family in nearly 160 years.

Princess Alexandra and Prince Joachim were surrounded by the Danish royal family at their wedding in 1995. FINN FRANDSEN/Getty Images

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra had two sons: Prince Nikolai in August 1999 and Prince Felix in July 2002. Prince Joachim and his sons posed alongside members of the Danish royal family, including Queen Margrethe, in October 2007.

Prince Joachim next to his two sons, Princes Nikolai and Felix, in a royal family photo. STR/Getty Images

Source: Insider

Prince Joachim later married his second wife, Princess Marie, in May 2008. They had two children: Prince Henrik born in May 2009 and Princess Athena in January 2012.

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Prince Joachim and Princess Marie's families posed together for a family photo to mark the couple's wedding. AFP/Getty Images

Source: The Royal House

The Danish royal family met in July 2016 for their annual summer photocall. Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Prince Frederik, and Princess Mary were accompanied by the couple's four children: Prince Christian, born in October 2005; Princess Isabella, born in 2007; Prince Vincent, born in 2011, and Princess Josephine born in 2011.

Members of the Danish royal family during their annual summer photocall in July 2016. Luca Teuchmann/Getty Images

Source: The Royal House

Queen Margrethe's husband, Prince Henrik, died in February 2018. Queen Margrethe, her sons, and members of the Danish royal family attended the funeral that month.

Prince Frederik (left), Queen Margrethe (center), and Prince Joachim (right) at Prince Henrik's funeral in February 2018. Ole Jensen/Getty Images

Source: CNN

Queen Margrethe celebrated her Golden Jubilee in September 2022, marking 50 years on the throne. She sat between Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim during the Danish Army's festivities.

Queen Margrethe is flanked by Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim as she attends festivities of the Danish Army to celebrate her 50th regency jubilee. MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Getty Images

That same month, Queen Margrethe announced that four of her grandchildren would be stripped of their royal titles. The decision impacted Prince Joachim's children, who are said to be upset by the decision and "in shock."

Prince Joachim's four children were stripped of their royal titles. MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Getty Images

Source: Insider

Queen Margrethe said in a statement that she wants to "create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives" without the limitations of being tied to the royal family. The Queen hasn't been pictured with her sons since the news was announced.

Tension sparked among the Danish royal family following Queen Margrethe's controversial announcement. MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Getty Images

Source: Insider

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IRYNA BALACHUK  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 14:09

16 people died and almost a hundred were injured as a result of Russian strikes on residential areas of Zaporizhzhia on 9 and 10 October.

Source: Anatolii Kurtiev, the Secretary of Zaporizhzhia City Council, on Telegram

Quote from Kurtiev: "The number of people who died from Ruscist attacks in Zaporizhzhia continues to increase. 16 civilians died and almost 100 civilians were injured within the last two days. This is the face of the ugly terrorist country that can only kill sleeping civilians".

Details: The Secretary of the City Council specified that as of 11:00, 14 people were killed and 74 injured from a night attack by Russians on a high-rise building and a private sector in one of the city's districts on 9 October.

It is also known about 2 dead and 23 wounded after the attack on an apartment building in Zaporizhzhia on the night of 9-10 October.

Kurtiev added that search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

The official also announced that the liquidation of the consequences of the night attack on the city continues.

Rescue workers, more than 60 volunteers and three units of equipment continue to work in the private sector.

The rubble is being dismantled in the damaged high-rise building, where the entrance was destroyed. Almost fifty rescue workers and 13 units of emergency services are working.

Residents obtained access to apartments in the high-rise apartment building that had been damaged. They got the opportunity to pick up necessary things.

Previously: On the night of 9-10 October, the Russians struck Zaporizhzhia again. It was reported that one person died and five people, including a child, were injured.

Background:

On the night of 9 October, Russia launched an attack on Zaporizhzhia, firing a dozen missiles.

According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian occupiers fired 16 missiles at Zaporizhzhia on 9 October, killing at least 12 people.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Lee Zeldin John Lamparski/Getty Images

Two teenagers were shot this weekend outside the home of Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), the Republican candidate for governor of New York.

In a statement on Sunday, Zeldin confirmed a shooting occurred outside his residence in Shirley, New York. His 16-year-old daughters were at home doing homework at the time, while he and his wife were in the car after leaving a Columbus Day parade, the congressman said.

"After my daughters heard the gunshots and the screaming, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911," Zeldin said, adding that they are "shaken, but ok."

Zeldin, who is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in New York's gubernatorial race, continued that the two people who were shot "were laying down under my front porch and the bushes in front of our porch" and have been transferred to the hospital. "My entire family is at home working with the investigators and providing the security footage from our home cameras," he said.

Police confirmed two teenagers were shot from a moving car near Zeldin's home and that they tried to hide in the congressman's yard, The Associated Press reports. The injuries were reportedly not life-threatening, and the Suffolk County Police Department said "investigators have no reason to believe there is any connection between the shooting and the residence."

"Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door," Zeldin said.

Hochul said on Twitter she is "relieved to hear the Zeldin family is safe and grateful for law enforcement's quick response."

This comes after Zeldin was attacked by a man "brandishing a sharp object" while campaigning in July. President Biden at the time condemned the attack "in the strongest terms," as "violence has absolutely no place in our society or our politics."

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Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton's career in law enforcement hadn't begun 25 years ago, but you didn't have to be in law enforcement to feel the impact of that day's events.

Members of the Etowah County Drug and Major Crimes Task Force went to a home on Briarcliff Road in Rainbow City on Oct. 10, 1997, to serve a search warrant. Before they made it in the door, they were met with a hail of gunfire from a semi-automatic assault-type rifle.

Chris McCurley, just three weeks after he'd been named commander of the task force, sustained fatal injuries. Rainbow City officer Gary Entrekin, who died in March 2021, lost a leg as a result of the gunshot wounds he suffered. Altoona Officer Khris Yancey and reserve deputy Rick Correll were shot, too; their injuries were less severe.

When Horton joined the Etowah County Sheriff's Office in 2002, the tragedy of that day was still discussed. Now, in his second term as sheriff, it continues to be a painful memory  and a reminder of the dangers officers face.

Anyone entering the sheriff's office likely will see the memorial to McCurley in the lobby; on the east side of the Etowah County Courthouse, a star-shaped monument lists the names of Etowah County officers who died in the line of duty.

The memorial was put in place after  and inspired by  McCurley's death. No line-of-duty deaths since his have been added to the memorial. Those who lead local law enforcement agencies are doing what they can to ensure no more are added.

"At that time, it was mainly shotguns and pistols," Horton said, in the arsenal of most local agencies. When officers were met with an assault-type rifle, with a 100-round drum of ammunition, they were completely outgunned.

After that, Horton recalled, law enforcement agencies here started efforts to get better weaponry. There were public fundraising efforts to get more and better bullet-proof vests for officers.

Horton said he recently looked back at information about the incident, including an interview with the Entrekin, on the 20th anniversary of the shooting.

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Keeping officers properly equipped

Entrekin related that then-Rainbow City Mayor Sue Glidewell visited him in the hospital and asked if there was anything she could do. "I said, 'Get these guys some weapons,'" Entrekin recalled.

More:Gary Entrekin looks back at 1997 shootout.

Horton is committed to keeping today's officers properly equipped, and he's not the only law enforcement leader making that commitment.

Rainbow City's new police chief, Camp Yancey, made that pledge to officers and to the city's residents when he was sworn in recently. He was 5 years old when his father, Khris Yancey, was injured in the shootout.

A lot of people "paid a high price" that day, Yancey said, to keep Rainbow City safe, and he learned of the sacrifice some enforcement officers pay as they work to serve and protect the citizenry.

Horton said the Etowah County Law Enforcement Memorial Board was established to keep local residents mindful of those sacrifices.

Fundraiser planned

On the second weekend in October (Oct. 15 this year), law enforcement officers from several agencies man roadblocks at key intersections in the community to raise money for the board's fund. The money goes not only to upkeep for the monument, but to help officers and their families in times of need, such as sickness or a death in the family.

It is a time, Horton said, when people can help support law enforcement families, and honor the sacrifices so many have made.

From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, roadblock sites will be:

Rainbow Drive at the Gadsden Mall

Jack's on Lookout Mountain

East Broad Street and Hood Avenue

Glencoe, at the Big Chief

Steele Station Road and Alabama Highway 77 in Rainbow City

More:Colleagues remember Chris McCurley

In that 12-minute shootout 25 years ago, Gary Entrekin was able to get a radio call out for help, and Rainbow City officers were first to answer that call and fired on the suspects, who were wearing body armor.

Ezra George Peterson was shot in the legs, ending his assault on the officers. He and his girlfriend, Connie Tozzi, were charged with capital murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Peterson was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death. He killed himself in prison in 1999.

Tozzi pleaded guilty to murder and three counts of attempted murder. She received a 40-year sentence and remains in prison. She's been denied parole twice; she is scheduled to be considered again in 2023, according to Alabama Department of Corrections online records.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Fatal law enforcement encounter 25 years ago brought change in weapons
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA  MONDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2022, 14:10

At least four people were killed and 19 injured as a result of the Russian missile strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the morning of 10 October. Ukraines air defence shot down four Russian missiles.

Source: Valentyn Reznichenko, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Reznichenko: "At least four people were killed and 19 injured. These are the disheartening preliminary numbers following the large-scale enemy attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The Russians launched over 10 missiles on the Oblast. Our air defence shot down four missiles."

Details: Reznichenko reported that Russia had targeted critical infrastructure facilities, residential neighbourhoods, and public transport stops  all of this to cause panic. He said that there was "significant destruction". A power outage in the city of Kryvyi Rih left 80,000 people without electricity. Electricians are working to restore power in the area. Reznichenko once again urged Ukrainians to go to shelters.

He added that "we will rise again after this attack, but there is nothing that can help them anymore."

Background:

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that so far Russia launched 83 missiles on Ukraine within a few hours on the morning of 10 October, 45 of which were shot down by Ukraines air defence.

At least 11 critical infrastructure facilities in eight Ukrainian oblasts and the city of Kyiv have been damaged as a result of Russias missile strikes; some oblasts are cut off from the electrical grid.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ed "Big Ed" Brown and Liz Woods during an episode of "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After." TLC/Discovery Plus

Big Ed questioned Liz Woods' sexuality during a new episode of "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After."

After Liz got into an argument with a former female coworker, Ed became paranoid.

"Until I know everything I need to know about you, I can't marry you," Big Ed told Liz.

Ed "Big Ed" Brown and Liz Woods got into an explosive argument during Sunday night's episode of TLC's "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?" when Big Ed questioned Liz's sexuality.

The confrontation occurred at Liz and Ed's engagement party, after Ed witnessed a disagreement between Liz and a former female coworker of hers. According to People, cameras for the TLC reality show didn't capture the moment between Liz and her ex-coworker, but the fight apparently ended with the coworker grabbing Liz's arm.

That didn't sit right with Big Ed.

"I see a friend of Liz grab her by the arm. I know her. She's a lesbian, and this looks like an emotional fight  the way that people who have been intimate look at each other," the reality star told producers in a confessional interview, adding: "I'm shocked."

After conferring with his friends and coming to the conclusion that he needed to ask Liz about the altercation, Ed went up to his fiancee and asked Liz of her former coworker: "Were you in a relationship with her?"

Liz then told Ed, "Go fuck yourself," and left the restaurant where the party was being held.

Per People, Ed became worried about Liz as she wandered around the city drunk, and finally got in touch with her by calling one of the crew member's cell phones.

When he spoke to Liz, however, Ed seemed more focused on questioning the nature of her relationship with her ex-coworker, and berating Liz for "ruining" the evening.

"You are out of control. You are drunk," Big Ed told his fiancee on the phone. Liz subsequently accused Ed of being "jealous" over the coworker's attraction to her.

Liz Woods and Ed "Big Ed" Brown. TLC

Ed was so upset by the evening's events that he attempted to take a break from his engagement to Liz.

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"Until I know everything I need to know about you, I can't marry you. Leave the ring, pack your stuff, and move out. You're not ready to get married," Ed said to Liz during their phone call.

Liz walked away from the phone after Ed once again accused her of "hiding something" from him.

The two have had an tumultuous relationship since first meeting on the spinoff series "90 Day: The Single Life." They broke up shortly thereafter, but are now back together  and revealed in November 2021 that they're engaged.

Ed previously starred on "90 Day Fiance: The Other Way" along with his then-girlfriend, a woman from the Philippines named Rose. As People noted, after Rose and Brown broke up, she reportedly entered into a relationship with another woman.

Read the original article on Insider
The DeSantis campaign released a new ad on October 10, 2022, featuring Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. Courtesy DeSantis campaign

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis starred in a new ad for her husband's campaign.

She details how her husband took care of her when she had breast cancer.

Six years ago she shot an ad that focused on Trump.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has positioned himself as one of the Republican Party's most aggressive fighters in America as he spars publicly with journalists, Disney, LGBTQ rights groups, and the Biden administration.

But on Monday, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis took to the airwaves in a new campaign ad to re-introduce her husband as a different kind of fighter  a man who fought for their family when she was receiving treatment for breast cancer.

"When I was diagnosed with cancer and I was facing the battle for my life, he was the dad who took care of my children when I couldn't," she said in the ad. "He was there to pick me off of the ground when I literally could not stand. He was there to fight for me when I didn't have the strength to fight for myself."

The ad is a sharp contrast to DeSantis' gubernatorial bid six years ago when Casey DeSantis and the DeSantis children starred in a cheeky campaign ad highlighting then-President Donald Trump's support.

In that ad, Casey DeSantis talked about DeSantis reading Trump's books to his son, playing blocks with his children to "build the wall," and teaching them about "Make America Great Again."

Trump's endorsement during the primary helped DeSantis win the GOP nomination, and Trump often brags to journalists that he "made" the governor.

But since Trump left office, DeSantis has consistently grabbed national headlines and polled second to Trump as a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate.

Casey DeSantis is widely known among political circles to be her husband's top confidante and to have a significant impact on his career. Before becoming the first lady of Florida she was a news show host. As the first lady, she has focused on children's mental health and cancer initiatives.

Story continues

The new ad featuring Casey DeSantis attempts to show a softer side of the governor that is rarely on public display. DeSantis is known among former colleagues to be aloof and has faced backlash over certain policies. In August, for instance, DeSantis flew migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Casey DeSantis, 42, publicly announced in October 2021 that she has breast cancer, and took a break from first lady duties as she underwent chemotherapy. She is now in remission. The ad comes on the one-year anniversary of her diagnosis.

Casey DeSantis has taken a visible role in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, frequently appearing at press conferences beside her husband to promote a state disaster relief fund. The DeSantises joined President Joe Biden and first lady Jill last week as they surveyed damage from the storm.

The latest ad, which the campaign said was unscripted, will run on TV and digitally.

Other portions of the ad show DeSantis as a child growing up in Florida, in college, in the Navy, and on his wedding day. Casey DeSantis said in the ad that she fell in love with her husband "from the moment we met" and introduces the audience to the couple's three children: Madison, 5; Mason, 4; and Mamie, 2.

DeSantis is the youngest governor in America and when he and his wife moved into the governor's mansion they were the first family in 50 years to live there with children.

DeSantis is up for reelection in November against Democrat Charlie Crist, a former congressman who was a GOP governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. Their first debate will be on October 24.

Crist is the underdog in the race given that Republicans have out-registered Democrats in Florida. He's widely considered to be a top contender for the presidency in 2024, especially if Trump doesn't run.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As Iranians' anger at their theocratic leaders raged into a fourth week, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said on Saturday the death toll had risen to at least 185, including at least 19 children. Some Iranians joining the protests have been killed instantly by security forces as they wage a massive crackdown to quell the upheaval, while others have died later from their injuries.

Many Iranians wounded by the security forces amid the protests are too afraid to go to a hospital for treatment, because some protesters seeking medical help have been detained, according to several accounts shared with CBS News, from both inside and outside Iran.

News reports have claimed that Iran's morality police  the very force accused of torturing and killing 22-year-old Mahsa Amini almost a month ago, sparking the current unrest  are even using ambulances in the capital city of Tehran to transport injured protesters directly to police stations.

"As soon as they enter the hospital, there are intelligence agents and members of Revolutionary Guards who record their names," one doctor in Iran told CBS News on condition of anonymity. "We have seen cases when the injured patients have had surgery at hospitals and were later discharged and then arrested." That is why, the doctor explained, many injured protesters stay home and appeal to physicians like him for help privately. He said he's seen a wide range of wounds, from a wide range of weapons.

Images shared with CSB News by Dr. Kayvan Mirhadi, chief of internal medicine at the Clifton Springs Hospital in New York, are typical of the photos he receives every day from Iranians wounded by Iranian security forces, showing everything from bullet and pellet wounds, to blunt force trauma. / Credit: Dr. Kayvan Mirhadi/Twitter/@_dr.kay_

"[The security forces] use a variety of weapons to suppress the people  from plastic to lead pellets to Kalashnikovs, even sniper fire," the doctor told CBS News. "We had a case of someone who was shot but preferred to go blind rather than to be admitted to the hospital." The physician said he and other medical professionals who've been treating injured protesters in secret have been threatened constantly by Iranian authorities, and some have been pressured to sign written pledges to refrain.

Story continues

On Monday, a Kurdish group called the Hengaw Orgnanization for Human Rights reported that plainclothes security agents had severely beaten and detained an Iranian doctor for treating wounded protesters in Amini's hometown of Saqqez.

Despite the dangers, the doctor who spoke to CBS News said he was continuing his work, because many protesters attempt to treat themselves at home, "somehow," out of fear of arrest if they go to a hospital.

Other Iranian medical professionals who also did not want to be identified out of concern for their safety told CBS News they felt a duty to help the wounded. One was an Iranian nurse who said she treated two protesters whose skulls had been fractured.

X-ray images provided to CBS News by health care workers inside Iran on October 11, 2022, amid nationwide anti-government protests, show a protester's head and torso riddled with what appeared to be lead shotgun pellets. / Credit: CBS News

"They were afraid to go to the hospital," she said, adding that she had to tend to their wounds on the street, in the midst of the unrest, so she didn't have time to sanitize their injuries properly. "There truly isn't even a chance to observe basic principles," said the nurse. "I don't know how they're doing I'm still truly worried about them."

The risk of arrest to injured protesters is real, according to another Iranian nurse and emergency call operator. "We are required to report all gunshot cases to the police because all of the phone calls are recorded," she said.

She described what happened when an ambulance was called to help one 14-year-old protester who was shot after school.

"The police arrived they took the boy away with the catheter still in his hand," the nurse said. "Please let people know they shouldn't call 115 [Iran's emergency number] and instead go to trusted private clinics if their problem is not severe."

The desperation of wounded protesters who want to avoid hospitals is clear, said Dr. Kayvan Mirhadi, an Iranian American and chief of internal medicine at the Clifton Springs Hospital in New York. Mirhadi said he receives around 500 Instagram messages daily from wounded protesters in Iran, begging him for medical advice. "So, a person who is bleeding out of their leg from like, a gunshot wound, is just waiting for my response on the phone," he told CBS News. "It's just a horrible situation because they're so scared They're kind of just waiting for me to tell them what to do."

He said he first attempts to refer them to doctors he trusts in Iran, but if they fail to find one, he tries to walk them through the best home remedies he can recommend. Their injuries range from fractures and significant head injuries due to physical combat, to second- and third-degree burns from electric batons, as well as bullet and pellet wounds.

Those accounts correspond with what Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called an "excessive and lethal" use of force by Iranian authorities during the protests. Iran's security forces use of shotguns and assault rifles on protesters is in breach international norms, Tara Sepehri Far, a senior Iran researcher at HRW, told CBS News.

"The pattern points to those being killed by bullets, often in areas that is above their chest," she said.

"I have step-by-step kind of instructions on what to do with burns, with bullets," said Mirhadi. He has also been posting treatment suggestions to his Instagram page, including how to treat gunshot wounds to the chest and eyes.

A photo shared with CBS News by Iranian-American physician Dr. Kayvan Mirhadi, chief of internal medicine at the Clifton Springs Hospital in New York, shows what he said appeared to be a young woman with pellet wounds in her back sustained during Iranian authorities' crackdown on ongoing protests. / Credit: Dr. Kayvan Mirhadi/Twitter/@_dr.kay_

Mirhadi said he receives many photos like the one on the left, which he said appeared to show a teenage girl with numerous birdshot wounds to her back. He recommended that she use tweezers to pick out the pellets and then disinfect the wounds with Betadine, a topical antiseptic. "I never give recommendations on antibiotics through Instagram, but I had to, because this girl could get septic [shock] because she said, 'There's no way I'm going to the hospital with this. If I go, I'm going to prison,'" Mirhadi told CBS News.

The New York doctor first gained a large social media following in Iran by providing medical advice on COVID-19.

"I feel very responsible," he added. "The things I do in a hospital with others and nurses, I'm doing on Instagram with a patient's family, and hoping that somebody comes in and helps."

Another Iranian-American doctor, Dr. Kamiar Alaei, and his brother Dr. Arash Alaei, who is also in the U.S., have started remotely training medical professionals in Iran to formally document the injuries and deaths of protesters. Both of the brothers are former Iranian political prisoners. They were jailed after being accused of trying to foment a soft revolution through their work addressing HIV/AIDS in the country  a charge they both denied. Both men are also being inundated with pleas for help from injured protesters in Iran.

"There are different kinds of injuries to different parts of the body, particularly the head and hands due to baton [strikes] and shotgun [pellets] at different parts of the body, mainly back and face," Kamiar Alaei told CBS News, adding that he'd never seen anything like the "scale of injuries and the number of people who were shot, including underage people and girls" in Iran.

"The regime aims to undermine the scale and significance of damages by reducing the [official] number of people who got killed, because they think all the injuries will not be detectable later," he said. "We aim to document them to show the scale of the torture and the significance of physical and mental injuries to make the regime accountable in front of international bodies."

Iranian authorities haven't updated the death toll in weeks as their crackdown has continued. They stopped counting at 41.

Mirhadi said he feels almost "hopeless," because he can't keep up with all the "SOS messages" he receives.

He does, however, have a message for Iran's rulers: "These are your people. You are hurting them for being out there to protest for their own rights. At least let the doctors treat them. Don't take the ambulances to detention centers." "These are very basic things," he added. "It should be a basic human right to allow them to do that."

Mirhadi said he knew of a doctor in Iran who was arrested for helping protesters, and he hasn't been able to find out what happened to him.

From 2009: Angela Lansbury, "liberated" by Broadway

Russia launches barrage of missiles on Ukraine

U.S. to provide Ukraine with advanced air defense systems, White House says
An aerial picture taken on 3 October, 2022 shows a destroyed house in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in West Inland, Matlacha, Florida (Getty Images)

A relief agency is using artificial intelligence to identify low-income victims of Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Fiona in order to provide them with emergency cash payments.

Nonprofit GiveDirectly teamed up with Google to identify those most at need of financial support, using AI to cross reference aerial images of storm damage with poverty data in Florida and Puerto Rico.

The idea is to go beyond the traditional disaster response from aid charities and government organisations, which typically focus on in-kind donations of clothing and food.

Together with our partners at Google, were using aerial storm damage imagery and poverty data to identify the highest-need communities, a GiveDirectly fundraising page states.

We currently have enough funding from our partners to deliver cash to several thousand families in the hardest-hit regions of Puerto Rico and Florida.

A one-time payment of $700 is sent to families, which is aimed at covering the cost of common post-disaster recovery items, such as food, toiletries and first aid supplies.

The full scale of the impact of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm on 28 September, is yet to be fully realised, though there have already been more than 100 reported deaths across Cuba, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, as well as over 2.5 million people evacuated.

Estimates suggest there may be up to $67 billion of damage, with modeling firm RMS claiming that the best-case scenario is economic damage of $55 billion.

Hurricane Fiona, which made landfall in Puerto Rico on 18 September displaced 12,500 people and left 100,000 residents without power. The economic fallout is expected to reach between $2-4 billion.

After most major natural disasters on record, inequality sky rockets, said Alex Diaz, head of crisis reponses and humanitarian aid at Google.org.

Those that are most affected by disasters tend to be the most marginalised communities... Imagine a system that integrates census data [and] poverty data, and overlays that with disaster data after a disaster has hit.

GiveDirectly, which was founded by MIT graduates in 2009, has already delivered over $500 million in cash to more than 1 million impoverished people around the world.
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union should show solidarity with Romania and end its decade-long wait to enter the visa-free Schengen area after the Balkan nation played a crucial part in helping Ukraine export grain during Russias invasion, a top official said.

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Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of Romanias largest governing coalition party and speaker of parliament, said his nation fulfills all the conditions required to enter the 26-nation Schengen area, which stretches from the Arctic Circle in Finland to the Mediterranean in the south.

Moreover, Romania has shown solidarity with Ukraine and its allies by prioritizing Ukrainian grain exports over its own, he said.

The Romanian state has acted exemplarily in helping Ukraine, even if we angered our own farmers by shipping out our neighbors grains first, Ciolacu told reporters in Bucharest on Monday. I think its time for Europe to show solidarity with us.

Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007 but failed to win a political vote to become members of the Schengen area four years later due to corruption concerns. Those reservations have remained among some member states over the last decade, blocking the Balkan neighbors efforts to become part of Schengen.

Now, they are striving to show they can accommodate an influx of refugees from the war while still protecting the EUs external borders. The two countries want to be admitted to the zone as early as Jan. 1, which is when Croatia expects to join.

A team of experts will reassess the two countries technical readiness to join the area starting this week.

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PARIS (AP)  Distraught families whose loved ones died in Air France's worst-ever crash on Monday shouted down the CEOs of the airline and of planemaker Airbus as the two companies went on trial on manslaughter charges for the 2009 accident over the Atlantic Ocean.

Cries of Shame!" erupted in the courtroom after the executives took the stand.

The crash of storm-tossed Flight 447 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris killed all 228 people aboard and had lasting impact on the industry, leading to changes in regulations for airspeed sensors and in how pilots are trained.

The victims came from 33 countries, and families from around the world are among the plaintiffs in the case, fighting for more than a decade to see it come to trial.

Its very important that we made it to the trial stage. ... Thirteen years of waiting, it is almost inhuman," said German Bernd Gans, who lost his daughter Ines in the crash. Another man came to the trial with a sign reading: French Justice. 13 Years Too Late.

The official investigation found that multiple factors contributed to the crash, and the companies deny criminal wrongdoing. The two-month trial is expected to focus on pilot error and the icing over of external sensors called pitot tubes.

An Associated Press investigation at the time found that Airbus had known since at least 2002 about problems with the type of pitots used on the jet that crashed, but failed to replace them until after the crash.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury took the stand on the opening day to say: I wanted to be present today, first of all to speak of my deep respect and deepest consideration for the victims; loved ones.

Shame on you! family members retorted.

For 13 years you have shown contempt for us!" one shouted.

Air France CEO Anne Rigail met similar emotions when she told the court she was aware of the families' pain.

Don't talk to us about pain! rose an angry voice.

The presiding judge called for calm and the proceedings resumed.

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Air France has already compensated families of those killed. If convicted, each company faces potential fines of up to 225,000 euros ($219,000)  a fraction of their annual revenues. No one risks prison, as only the companies are on trial.

Still, the victims' families see the trial itself as important after their long quest for justice, and aviation industry experts see it as significant for learning lessons that could prevent future crashes.

The A330-200 plane disappeared from radar over the Atlantic Ocean between Brazil and Senegal with 216 passengers and 12 crew members aboard.

As a storm buffeted the plane, ice disabled the plane's pitot tubes, blocking speed and altitude information. The autopilot disconnected. The crew resumed manual piloting, but with erroneous navigation data. The plane went into an aerodynamic stall, its nose pitched upward and then it plunged into the sea on June 1, 2009.

It took two years to find the plane and its black box recorders on the ocean floor, at depths of more than 13,000 feet (around 4,000 meters).

Air France is accused of not having implemented training in the event of icing of the pitot probes despite the risks. It has since changed its training manuals and simulations. The company said it would demonstrate in court that it has not committed a criminal fault at the origin of the accident and plead for acquittal.

Airbus is accused of having known that the model of pitot tubes on Flight 447 was faulty, and not doing enough to urgently inform airlines and their crews about it and to ensure training to mitigate the risk. The model in question  a Thales AA pitot  was subsequently banned and replaced.

Airbus blames pilot error, and told investigators that icing over is a problem inherent to all such sensors.

The companies' image, their reputation is at stake, said Philippe Linguet, who lost his brother on Flight 447. He expressed hope the trial would expose the failings of Airbus and Air France  two major players in the industry and in the French economy  to the world.

Daniele Lamy, who heads an association of victims' families, said they are bracing for a difficult trial.

We are going to have to unfortunately relive particularly painful moments, she said. But she called the trial a welcome opportunity after prosecutors initially sought to close the case.

This will allow the family to express themselves, to express their suffering over 13 years," she said.

___

Angela Charlton and Masha Macpherson contributed to this report.
Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville from Alabama has refused to apologize for saying that Democrats want reparations for slavery because they think the people that do the crime are owed that.

The right-wing GOP lawmaker has not responded to howls of outrage over the racist remark falsely equating Black people with criminals that he made Saturday at a raucous rally for former President Donald Trump in Nevada.

Tubervilles comments are flat out ignorant, racist and utterly sickening, said NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. His words promote a centuries old lie about Black people.

This racist rant at a MAGA rant just cannot go uncalled out, said former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), who lost his reelection fight to Tuberville. (I am) embarrassed for the state of Alabama.

Its a white nationalist appeal that harkens back to a really dark time in the United States, a really dark time in Alabama, Jones added.

Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) denounced Tuberville for making deeply white supremacist comments.

The Rev. Al Sharpton called Tubervilles comments patently racist, as well as offensive and insulting to all Americans, Black and white.

Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach, made the outrageous claim at a Saturday evening campaign rally in Nevada featuring his political mentor Trump.

Without offering any evidence, Tuberville accused Democrats of promoting crime to control what you have and punctuated his claim by branding calls for reparations bullst.

They want crime. They want crime because they want to take over what you got, Tuberville bellowed at the crowd. They want reparation because they think the people that do the crime are owed that.

Tuberville did not mention the controversy or dial back the attack in a tweet lauding the rally as a fantastic night.

Alabama state Rep. Chris England, a former state Democratic chairman, said the remarks showed Tubervilles true colors.

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The bullst is that this guy is a United States senator in the first place, England tweeted.

Besides being offensive, Tubervilles claims are demonstrably false. FBI data shows crime has slowed in the last year and most crimes are committed by whites.

Moreover, Democrats have not backed reparations for Black Americans to compensate for years of unpaid slave labor by their ancestors, although progressives have pressured the party to do so.

Reaction to Tubervilles remarks was shockingly muted among Republicans, with no fellow GOP senators stepping up to denounce him.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a relative moderate who is locked in a tight reelection race in his Omaha-based seat, Sunday said the remarks were poorly worded. But he refused to condemn Tubervilles rant.

Thats not the way I present things, Bacon said on Meet the Press on NBC. But got to be honest that we have a crime problem in our country.
Reuters

Sensing that Russia has been weakened by its war in Ukraine, some of its closest allies in Central Asia are displaying a newly assertive streak. The region's five former Soviet republics are increasingly standing up to Moscow, aware of their new-found leverage as Russia looks to their markets and trade routes in a bid to circumvent Western sanctions. The new dynamic was strikingly illustrated when Russian President Vladimir Putin ran into a seven-minute tirade from the leader of Tajikistan, one of the region's smallest and poorest countries, at a summit in Kazakhstan last week.
If Amazon has its way, every home will soon have the immersive automated capabilities of Star Treks starship Enterprise.

Amazon's vision for

Announcing its vision for ambient intelligence at a device event on October 5th, the tech giant described a home in which artificial intelligence machines and services sense the state of the residents environment to help in every situation when assistance is needed, either initiated by the occupant or automatically by the AI algorithms.

Mounted Amazon Echo Show 10 in the kitchen helps resident whip up a delicious meal.

Today, ambient intelligence comes to life across all of our devices and services, working behind the scenes on customers behalf, so they can focus on the here and now, and the people and experiences that matter most to them, said Amazons head of Devices and Services Dave Limp at the event.

Ring Doorbell, also owned by Amazon.

As a Star Trek fan, Amazon Devices & Services VP and General Manager of Consumer Robotics Ken Washington foresaw the future of ambient intelligence back in 2016 when he bought his first Amazon Echo smart speaker.

I started building these scripts  a series of instructions  in my home so that when I walked into a room, lights would come on, when I left the room, lights would go off, when I turned on my stereo or my TV, the lights would dim, he said on the company website. Back then, that was really novel. It made my home feel like I was living on the starship Enterprise.

Amazon's ultra-smart Fire TV Omni QLED Series.

While Washington had the personal know-how to create the scripts, Amazon has since brought that level of functionality to the everyday consumer. Alexa is really core to our journey around ambient intelligence, explains Amazon Vice President Heather Zorn. This is really about creating an intelligent AI that works on your behalf out of the box, so you dont have to have any specialized knowledge to get real value.

She said she uses ambient intelligence technology to wake up her boys for school with lights that turn on at a certain time and a peppy morning song played by Echo.

Amazon has over 300 devices that can connect with Echo, including the just-launched Halo Rise, a non-contact bedside device for monitoring your sleep each night, and the Fire TV Omni QLED Series, which will automatically adjust its display based on the amount of light in the room, is voice controlled, and can essentially act as a giant Alexa. And of course, there are the favorites like Ring doorbells, smart thermostats, and even Amazons Astro robot-dog, which can follow you around and bring you household items.

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Amazons internet-blanketed houses can also utilize a new Hunches feature to sense if things are off from normal routines. [Hunches] can be super powerful, Zorn adds If every night you turn off your kitchen light before bed at 10 p.m. and then one night you dont, Alexa can ask if you want the light off and, if you want, turn it off on your behalf moving forward.

Amazon Devices and Services Vice President Ken Washington with the Amazon Astro robo-dog.

While a home that does everything for you does sound incredible, critics point out that users who buy into the ambient intelligence pitch are exchanging their privacy for convenience. Although Amazon continually promises that customer trust is paramount in everything we do, the company has a long history of privacy violations. In 2021, for example, Amazon earned the biggest privacy fine ever issued for breaching the EUs regulations on how to process personal data.

It will ultimately be up to Amazon customers to ask themselves whether having a fully automated, environment-sensing home is worth being spied on at every moment of the day. For many, the answer is already a resounding yes.

The post Amazons Ambient Intelligence Takes Homes into the Realm of (Dystopian?) Sci Fi first appeared on Dornob.
NEW YORK (AP)  Amazon said Monday it will invest 1 billion euros ($972.1 million) to add thousands of more electric vans, long-haul trucks and cargo bikes to its delivery network in Europe.

The investment would grow the number of electric delivery vans the company has in Europe from roughly 3,000 to 10,000 by 2025, the Seattle-based retail giant said in an announcement on its website.

With the investment, Amazon is also hoping to purchase more than 1,500 electric trucks, up from five in the United Kingdom. To accommodate those vehicles, the company said it will build hundreds of fast chargers across its European facilities that can charge the vehicles in roughly two hours.

Our transportation network is one of the most challenging areas of our business to decarbonize, and to achieve net-zero carbon will require a substantial and sustained investment, Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO, said in a statement, referring to the company's pledge to be net carbon by 2040. Despite the pledge, the company said its carbon emissions grew by 18% last year, driven by the surge in online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.

Amazon has launched 25 micro-mobility hubs, or more centrally located delivery stations in dense European cities, that allow the company to try out different delivery methods, such as bike and foot deliveries. On Monday, it said it expects to double those hubs by 2025, which will allow the company to take more delivery vans off the road.

The retailer has already ordered 100,000 electric vans from Rivian Automotive, which issued a recall last week for almost all its vehicles in order to tighten a loose fastener. In a recent securities filing, Rivian said it planned to deliver the vehicles to Amazon by 2025. Amazon has said it plans to roll out those vehicles to more than 100 cities by 2030.
Fake German heiress Anna Delvey Sorokin has given her first interview since her release from prison on house arrest. Speaking to The New York Times, the convicted scammer insisted that shes not a shallow person who only cares about obscene wealth and revealed whether she will glam up her ankle bracelet during house arrest.

Sorokin  who ran her scams under the fake surname Delvey  was released from the Orange County Detention Center over the weekend, where she had spent 18 months fighting her deportation after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested her for overstaying her visa. Now, the Russian-born scammer has returned to New York City where she remains on house arrest with a monitor attached to her ankle.

When asked by New York Times reporter Emily Palmer whether she will glam up her ankle bracelet, Sorokin replied: Im not a glam-it-up type of person, but the possibilities are endless.

The 31-year-old, who is the subject of the hit Netflix drama series Inventing Anna, also explained to the Times that she fought her immigration case while in ICE custody because she didnt want people to think that she only cared about obscene wealth and couldnt handle time behind bars.

I just did not want it to go down the way ICE wanted it to, she said. Letting them deport me would have been like a sign of capitulation  confirmation of this perception of me as this shallow person who only cares about obscene wealth, and thats just not the reality.

I could have left, but I chose not to because Im trying to fix what Ive done wrong. I have so much history in New York and I felt like if I were in Europe, Id be running from something, Sorokin added. But if jail does not prove people wrong, then what will?

In 2019, the Russian-born scammer was convicted of fraud and grand larceny after she posed as a rich German heiress and successfully conned friends and big banks out of hundreds of thousands of dollars under the name Anna Delvey.

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Between 2013 and 2017, the con artist also used social media to further document her life of luxury by posting photographs of expensive meals, shopping sprees, and holiday trips to her Instagram. Despite being in jail, Sorokin appeared to have access to her Instagram account, @theannadelvey, and continued to post since Inventing Anna premiered on Netflix last February.

However, one of the stipulations of Sorokins house arrest is that she must remain off social media. During her first interview since her release from ICE custody, Sorokin admitted that staying off social media is perhaps for the best, although she hopes its not forever.

Maybe thats for the best? Its really hard to tune out distractions. Hopefully, its not forever, she told the Times.

At her trial in 2019, Sorokin was found guilty of stealing an estimated $275,000 from hotels, banks, and other institutions. She was released from prison in February 2021, before being taken back into ICE custody for violating the terms of her visa.
Rescue divers in Arizona recovered the body of a California man who went missing Saturday after he jumped into Lake Havasu and never resurfaced, authorities said Sunday.

Responding deputies immediately deployed divers into the water, but the searchers were unable to locate the victim, the Mohave County Sheriffs Office said.

Officials described conditions as difficult during the response, with winds gusting upwards of 40 mph and waves as tall as three feet. Divers also encountered near-zero visibility underwater, with large trees present on the lake bottom.

Rescue crews used a helicopter to scan the waters surface and shoreline but still did not find the victim.

ARIZONA HIKER MISSING FOR NEARLY A WEEK AFTER LEAVING CELLPHONE AT CAMPGROUND; SEARCH EFFORTS CONTINUE

Search efforts continued Sunday, with boat crews using side scan sonar technology.

Searchers located the victims body at 11:15 a.m. under approximately 32 feet of water, the sheriffs office said.

Authorities identified the victim as 47-year-old Michael Dean Phan, of Garden Grove, California.

The body was given over to the Mohave County Medical Examiners Office, which will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Lake Havasu is located near Lake Havasu City on the border between Southern California and Arizona.
The Army recently received its first bundle of mixed reality goggles that the branch hopes can redefine individual soldier and squad warfighting.

Those 5,000 goggles are part of a not-yet-released Army fielding plan for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, which is a combined night vision and thermal device with the ability to feed navigation, position, weapons sight views and an array of other data to the user.

Brig. Gen. Christopher Schneider, commander of Program Executive Office-Soldier, told Army Times that the device will help the Army get to the tactical edge of computing and situational awareness at the branchs lowest echelons.

The $22 billion program has had its delays. And a Defense Department Inspector General audit released in April recommended more soldier input into the devices development.

Schneiders predecessor, Maj. Gen. Anthony Potts, told Army Times last year that testing had shown some software reliability problems, image distortion and humidity issues within the device.

Through the end of 2021 and through 2022, PEO-Soldier and other Army entities reworked the device to resolve those problems.

The Army accepted delivery of the ruggedized version of the device in August. The original fielding date had been planned for late 2021. A new fielding date has not yet been announced, as of early October.

IVAS foundational technology starts with gaming. The Microsoft HoloLens, an augmented reality goggle, is the basic platform. The company has collaborated with the Army since at least 2018 as it adjusts the technology to military needs, adding new cameras and sensors and integrating the device with existing Army tech.

Soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division test the Integrated Visual Augmentation System use the device with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle at Camp Roberts, California. (Courtney Bacon/Army)

Pre-existing Army technology includes the Heads-Up Display, or HUD. Thats an effort to get soldiers looking out on the battlefield and not requiring them to look down at a smartphone, tablet or other type of device, a current problem for those using the Nett Warrior and Army Tactical Awareness Kit, or ATAK.

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In line with the HUD development is the Family of Weapons Sights-Individual, or FWS-I. That technology started with cabling and has now gone wireless. It allows the user to flip between a goggle view, weapon sight view or a picture-in-picture option to see both while using a rifle or carbine.

It lets soldiers poke a weapon around a corner or over a bunker to see what they are shooting at. It can even let soldiers literally shoot from the hip while seeing their target in their goggle view.

By using those pieces of Army tech combined with a low-light sensor and thermal vision, soldiers can see both at night and through obscurants such as dust, smoke and fog.

Both HUD and FWS-I were developed at the Night Vision Labs at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, also home to PEO-Soldier.

And both technologies are incorporated into the most recently fielded night vision device, the Enhanced Night Vision Device-Binocular.

The ENVG-B has fielded 9,500 systems of its original order for 10,262 systems back in 2019, Maj. Bobby Lee, ENVG-B assistant product manager told Army Times.

While the IVAS has struggled to perform in the night vision category due to a new approach to digital-based night vision versus the legacy analog tech, the goggle has added a host of other options for users that go far beyond night vision.

These options include mission planning and rehearsal. Users can 3D scan an area, mapping the spot to then run simulated drills through. PEO-Soldier demonstrated this to Army Times at Fort Belvoir in 2020.

During field tests in 2019, soldiers at Fort Pickett, Virginia, used micro-drone footage fed to the goggle to conduct reconnaissance on a trench line to defeat an enemy opposition force in the training event.

Soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division test the Integrated Visual Augmentation System use the device with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle at Camp Roberts, California. (Courtney Bacon/Army)

In January, soldiers with the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, used the IVAS inside Bradley Fighting Vehicles to see outside the vehicle, using the Bradleys cameras.

In August, soldiers did a similar experiment with Strykers and were able to perform the same tasks.

Brig. Gen. Larry Burris, the commandant of the Infantry School and director of the Armys Cross-Functional Team-Soldier Lethality, told Army Times that they had recently experimented with putting wireless routers in helicopters and were able to have soldiers share data with each other, the crew and other aircraft.
A man who inflicted 90 wounds on his Canadian girlfriend has been jailed for life for her murder.

Jack Sepple, 23, killed 19-year-old Ashley Wadsworth in a "brutal" attack at a flat they shared in Tennyson Road, Chelmsford, Essex, on 1 February.

Ms Wadsworth, from Vernon in British Columbia, first met Sepple online aged 12 before moving to the UK last year.

Sepple was jailed for a minimum of 23 years and six months at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Simon Spence KC, prosecuting, said Sepple murdered Ms Wadsworth after being "angered by her decision to return prematurely to her home country of Canada".

"He strangled and repeatedly stabbed Ashley and left her in the bed that they shared while he went about his daily business," he said.

A post-mortem examination showed she died from stab wounds to the chest.

When police forced entry to the property at 16:13 GMT they found Sepple on a FaceTime call to his sister "as he showed her the body", Mr Spence said.

Jack Sepple was jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years and six months at Chelmsford Crown Court

When asked what he had done by police, Sepple replied: "I went psychotic, I'm sorry," adding: "I strangled her and stabbed her." He told officers this was "two to three hours ago".

The judge, the Honourable Mr Justice Murray, said he committed a "brutal and cowardly attack" and "gratuitously inflicted some 90 wounds on her body".

He said the killing happened because Sepple faced "imminent loss of control over her".

Her injuries included defensive wounds to her wrists, but the rest were all to the chest area.

'Never-ending pain'

Ms Wadsworth's mother, Christy Gendron, said in her victim impact statement that she "wasn't too happy" about her daughter travelling to meet Sepple, "but she was an adult so I couldn't stop her".

"Ashley's passion and love for Jack would ultimately cost her her life," she said.

She said in court: "This is a nightmare that thanks to you, Jack, we will never wake up from."

Her father, Ken Wadsworth, addressed the defendant directly, telling him: "Jack, you need to know and accept the brutality of what you've done and the never-ending pain you've caused my family."

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Ms Wadsworth was pronounced dead at the address on Tennyson Road

The court heard the pair met online when Ms Wadsworth was 12 and Sepple was aged about 15 and they had a long-distance relationship, but Sepple had other relationships during this time.

Ms Wadsworth moved to the UK in November, according to her Facebook account, and the court heard she had travelled on a tourist visa.

The court was told that on the morning of the killing a neighbour said she had heard a female scream, and Ms Wadsworth came to her and told her that Sepple "had beaten her up and thrown the kitten against the wall".

Ms Wadsworth was "hysterical" and said that Sepple was going to kill her, but Sepple apologised and seemed "calm", the court heard.

'Horror'

It was told the defendant had previous convictions including harassment, breaching a restraining order by contacting a girl after she ended their online relationship, and assault on his mother.

Mr Spence, prosecuting, said Sepple had a "clear history of violent and controlling behaviour towards female partners".

Christopher Paxton KC, mitigating, said the killing happened amid "a breakdown of the relationship" and Sepple had admitted the murder.

Cheryl Williams, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Ms Wadsworth was "a mere two days away from flying back home when she was killed".

She said witness testimony detailed "the toxic controlling behaviour displayed by Sepple".

Det Supt Scott Egerton, of Essex Police, said Ms Wadsworth's family "could never have imagined the horror they've been faced with".

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appeared on Fox's 'Jesse Watters Primetime' on July 11, 2022. He doubted that a 10-year-old Ohio girl sought an abortion in Indiana after being raped. The suspect in that case was later arrested in Columbus.

An attorney and Upper Arlington City Council member, Michaela Burriss has devoted her career to government and nonprofit work. She is a sexual assault survivor and proud wife and mother to a 16-month-old daughter.

An Ohio man, convicted on nearly 100 charges of child sexual abuse, was taken to court by his victim. Ohio law capped her $20 million award to $250,000.

In a brave act, she challenged the constitutionality of this law in the Supreme Court of Ohio cast Brandt v. Pompa.

Ohios Attorney General, Dave Yost, tried to stop her.

Although sworn by oath to do otherwise, Yost used the power of his office and our taxpayer dollars to protect her abuser, not the victim. What makes this callous act even worse? It wasnt his job. It was a choice.

More:DAurora: Ohio 'reform' law gives break to child rapist who abused girl 34 times at sleepover

The state of Ohio was not a client in the proceeding. Yost was not legally compelled to act. Coming to a serial rapists rescue wasnt necessary, but he did it anyway.

Only 25 out of 1,000 sexual assault perpetrators go to prison, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).

Similarly, this summer, Yost went on national television and denied the existence of a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio who traveled to Indiana for an abortion. That wasnt his job, but he did it anyway. He casted doubt on the legitimacy of the victim, publicly questioning if she exists, a move once again benefiting the rapist.

Another story from this fall states that a Black female police officer reported feeling taken advantage of sexually by a white male colleague. She was indicted for making false claims and for knowing that such offense did not occur and pressured to plead guilty and give up her police certification to avoid jail time. Who brought this felony charge?

Dave Yost.

More:How to submit guest opinion columns to the Columbus Dispatch

Let us not forget the vulnerable Medicaid recipients, whose abortions for either rape, incest, or life of the mother, were also investigated by then-auditor Yost in 2015.

Denying the existence of and relief for sexual assault victims, especially child victims, is a disturbing, disgusting, and extremist pattern with Dave Yost.

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More:Ohio AG Dave Yost should resign over comments about 10-year-old rape victim, Democrats say

This isnt a matter of being legally correct. Attorneys are trained to and capable of arguing both sides of the law. The side we choose usually depends on who is paying the bill.

Ohioans are Yosts bill payers. We are rightly wondering: Why is he attacking victims, or suggesting a confirmed traumatic rape of a child is a hoax? Rather than atone, Yost goes on the attack.

A woman holds a sign reading, "Life should not begin at rape!" during a protest to protect women's reproductive rights.

When asked why he didnt apologize, Yost arrogantly doubled down in two separate interviews.

Two female journalists endured a derisive, disrespectful response from Ohios chief law officer. Yost couldnt contain the oozing condescension and disregard he felt for these women in their workplaceanother reminder that for Yost, media coverage is welcome and wanted, so long as it serves to erase the pain and damage his actions inflict on our children.

Less than an hour after the reversal of Roe, Yost asked federal courts to force Ohios heartbeat bill on us. By extension, he forced pregnancy on people and children that dont want it or could die from it.

More:Shameful Dave Yost jumped in mud to doubt case of 10-year-old who got abortion | Robinson

The Ohio Department of Health reports that 538 children under 17 received an abortion in 2021. Fifty-seven were younger than 15. Ohios age of consent is 16. If the father is over 18, thats rape. It is possible that approximately once a week in Ohio, a child sexual assault victim needed an abortion. Dave Yost would force these kids to carry and birth their rapists baby.

Its uncomfortably predictable now that Dave Yost will ferociously protect predators and inflict harm on Ohios women and girls. As a mother to a daughter, I wont stand for this, and you shouldnt either. He must be voted out on Nov. 8.

An attorney and Upper Arlington City Council member, Michaela Burriss has devoted her career to government and nonprofit work. She is a sexual assault survivor and proud wife and mother to a 16-month-old daughter.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dave Yost has history of protecting sexual predators, doubting victims
VBQ-BEACH-BOYS-DIGITAL-4 - Credit: Vilebrequin

The Beach Boys really do get around. The legendary rock band is making its way from Southern California to the South of France thanks to a new capsule collection with Vilebrequin, out today.

Set in sunset hues and feel-good tropical prints, the collection captures the anything-goes free spirit that brought both sixties California culture and St. Tropezs golden age to life. The exclusive collection features beachwear, shorts, hoodies, and other coastal essentials for men, women and children.

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The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and the iconic French swimwear brand are a match made in sun-soaked heaven thanks to a shared love of all things beachy. Since their debut hit Surfin USA hit the airwaves in 1962, The Beach Boys have cultivated a signature sound thats synonymous with sun and fun. Born out of the joy, freedom, and the seductive charm of early-seventies Saint-Tropez, Vilebrequin launched in 1971 and has been creating elegant vacation wear ever since.

The new collaboration features a mix of swimsuits and beach accessories that capture the carefree spirit of a Beach Boys song with the durable, high-quality tailoring for which Vilebrequin is known for around the world. Board shorts emblazoned with sea turtles, cozy apres-swim sweatshirts and short sets, and even a classic plaid button-up that looks fresh out of a Beach Boys music video make the capsule collection a beach lovers dream uniform. Bikinis, sunhats, totes and more round out the coastal cool collection, which is as much a fit for relaxing on the beach as it is for taking out on the water with your board.

Vilebrequin x The Beach Boys Collection

Price: $105+

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This is an officially-licensed collaboration between The Beach Boys and fashionable swimwear brand. The collection ranges in price from $105 to $315 and is available now on vilebrequin.com.

As for the band, The Beach Boys are set to release Sail On Sailor  1972, a new multi-disc set that features newly-remastered versions of Carl and the Passions  So Tough and 1973s Holland, plus Hollands Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairytale) EP and an unreleased live concert recorded at New Yorks famed Carnegie Hall on Thanksgiving, 1972.

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